《Super Soldier in the City》


 Chapter 1: Jungle Peril

    Chapter 1 - 1: Jungle Peril"Tat-tat... tat-tat..."


    "Bang bang..."


    In the Primitive Forest near the southern border of Huaxia, gunshots erupted, startled birds took flight, and several figures dashed through the dappled tree shadows of the dense jungle. Their guns mercilessly spat deadly bullets, periodically felling someone, yet those who remained never paused for even a moment as they continued their relentless sprint.


    These people resembled a pack of wild beasts, completely unfazed by the life or death of their comrades. Those in front were desperate to shake off their pursuers, while those behind sought only to claim the lives of the fleeing victims.


    "Another one''s down! What do we do, what do we do?" Now only four people remained in the front group, but only three were running; one of them carried a woman on his back. The woman, seeing another person fall beside her, suddenly cried out in shock.


    The three running men were clad in camouflaged attire, agile and swift. They zigzagged irregularly, using trees and other objects to shield themselves from bullets while continuously returning fire.


    The woman was dressed in a light green long dress, now tattered and stained with blood, particularly around her right lower leg. Barefoot, she appeared quite wretched.


    "Miss Su, we will definitely escort you back..." A burly man beside her had just uttered these words when several bullets tore holes into him. His body lurched forward a few steps, crashing into a sapling, before falling silent.


    This time, the woman did not cry out. The group that had been escorting her had started with six members, but now they were dwindling, reduced to merely the last two. Although their pursuers had suffered more casualties, they simply outnumbered them by far. With more than ten still on their tail, it seemed unlikely they would make it across the border before they would all meet their end in this place.


    "Give me a dagger," the woman said softly to the man carrying her.


    "They''re very strong." Without pausing his stride, the man carrying her replied tersely, abruptly sidestepping as several new bullet holes appeared in a tree where they had just been.


    "I want it for suicide," the woman replied coldly.


    "I will get you out of here," the man confidently responded, firing a shot backward; an enemy fell at the sound.


    "Now only three are left... it''s just the two of us now. Are you still sure you can get me out? Give me the dagger!" As the woman spoke, another of their companions fell.


    "I can!" In the midst of speaking, the man had already sprinted another thirty meters. Carrying somebody on his back, his pace was not the slightest bit hindered. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You... I can die, but I absolutely cannot die in disgrace."


    "If I truly can''t get you out, I will kill you."


    There was not a hint of emotion in the man''s words, but it brought a measure of reassurance to the woman. Her name was Su Mengxin, a beauty unparalleled and of eminent standing, celebrated as the most beautiful woman in Huaxia. Even in death, she refused a humiliating end.


    Bullets whizzed continually by Su Mengxin''s ears but never struck her, which she found almost inconceivable. Now that they were the sole targets, the enemy''s gunfire was entirely focused on them. The man maneuvered, sometimes ducking low, sometimes sprinting swiftly, sometimes turning sharply. Despite nearly ten minutes of this, she was still alive¡ªmiraculously so.


    This reignited her hope once again, perhaps this man could truly take her back.


    However, her hope was quickly dashed by a raging river ahead, five to six meters wide. Although the current wasn''t swift, crossing the river would definitely slow them down compared to moving on land, making them living targets.


    "Splash!" All Su Mengxin felt was a sudden chill, and she was already in the river, inwardly cursing the man''s stupidity. They should be running along the riverbank, not jumping into the river.


    What happened next angered her even more. With a ripping sound, her skirt was torn off by the man. Although they were underwater and her modesty wasn''t completely compromised, it was certainly not something she could tolerate.


    "Hold your breath and dive," the man ordered, and had already pulled her under the water before Su Mengxin could even respond.


    The man held Su Mengxin close and swiftly swam upstream. After covering more than thirty meters, he stopped, still not surfacing.


    By then, Su Mengxin had been underwater for almost a minute. The extreme lack of air made her lightheaded, and she instinctively clung onto the man¡ªa natural reaction for someone drowning, inevitable even for a proud woman like Mengxin.


    Suddenly, air rushed into her mouth, and she eagerly inhaled, her mind slowly clearing up. She realized her mouth was sealed by another mouth, the air being transferred from his to her.


    As she tipped her head back, Su Mengxin broke away from the man''s lips, struggling to push him away, but he held her tightly, immobilizing her.


    Su Mengxin was infuriated, not expecting that the person who had been protecting her this whole time would be the first to dishonor her in such a moment.


    "Ratatat..." A burst of gunfire reached her ears. She immediately stopped moving, and realized that what she perceived as a violation was only the protective man preventing her from drowning.


    The sound of gunfire continued without pause; she could even feel several bullets whizzing past them. Clearly, being under the water was far safer than being on land.


    Once again, as the oxygen was about to run out, Su Mengxin''s chest felt like it was going to explode. The man''s mouth approached her again, and after resisting for a moment, she surrendered to her desperate need for air, pressing her lips against his and greedily sucking in the oxygen.


    Finally, the gunfire slowly faded away. Su Mengxin tried to surface, but the man still held her tightly, not letting her out, which made her suspect that he was taking the opportunity to kiss her a few more times.


    "Ratatat..." Another round of gunfire was followed by voices. Su Mengxin''s heart shook violently. Thankfully, she hadn''t surfaced just then, or she would have turned into a real target. It was clear now that the shooters had been waiting for them on the shore, only leaving after confirming that the pair was not there.


    By the time they reached the opposite bank, Su Mengxin felt extremely embarrassed. She was now only in her underwear and being held by a man, a feeling that left her mortified.


    "Here you are!" The man set her down and took off his camouflage jacket for her, leaving his muscular torso clad in just a tight black tank top.


    Su Mengxin hurriedly put on the jacket. Although it was somewhat large for her tall, five-foot-seven frame, it fit well enough. Unfortunately, a long wound on her left leg was strikingly visible, marring her elegance.

 Chapter 2 Unforgettable Arms

    Chapter 2 - 2 Unforgettable ArmsThe man''s face paint had already been washed away by the water, revealing a square and angular face, probably in his mid-twenties, with piercing tiger-like eyes. Although he lacked some of the handsomeness and suavity of the men Su Mengxin normally encountered, he possessed a strong masculine presence.


    "Let''s go!" As soon as Su Mengxin was dressed, the man turned his back to her without waiting for an answer and hoisted her onto his back, striding towards the dense forest.


    "Why did you tear off my skirt earlier?" Su Mengxin didn''t believe this man had any malicious intentions towards her, and she was very puzzled about what happened earlier.


    "Your clothes floated away in the water earlier, which could have diverted their attention for a moment, giving us a chance to hide."


    "Oh, then why didn''t you take off your own clothes?"


    "There wasn''t time."


    This explanation left Su Mengxin somewhat speechless, but she really had nothing to complain about. It was a crisis, and she couldn''t care less. Thankfully, the man didn''t make any unnecessary moves, which considerably eased her mind.


    "What''s your name?" With the assassins no longer in pursuit, Su Mengxin grew curious about the man.


    Flying Hawk Squad member 002."


    "I''m asking for your real name."


    "When we''re on a mission, we only have code names."


    "That''s so rigid."


    Su Mengxin didn''t ask any further. She knew a bit about the Flying Hawk Squad¡ªit was one of the several super-special forces units in Huaxia. Each member had extraordinary skills, and they followed orders without question. Even if she continued to ask, he wouldn''t answer.


    "Right, were those from earlier also part of the Flying Hawk Squad? I saw that their skills were much worse than yours."


    "They weren''t. They were just coordinating with me on this mission."


    "No wonder."


    Twenty minutes later, they had already run more than a kilometer and were on the verge of victory, but the man suddenly stopped.


    Su Mengxin remained silent, just holding tightly onto the man''s neck. She knew that there must be something wrong. What she could do was to minimize her interference with his movements. As the most beautiful woman in Huaxia, she wasn''t just good-looking; she also had a smart brain and a decisive way of handling things.


    The man''s body tensed up, and suddenly he leapt two meters to the side. Just then, gunfire erupted, and where he had been standing was now riddled with bullet holes.


    "Bang!" A large-caliber handgun in the man''s hand burst into flames, and a person plummeted from a tree above them without even a scream, as his head had been blown off by a single shot.


    "Stay here; don''t move. I''ll take care of them."


    "Can you manage it?"


    "I have to, we''ve got no way out."


    The ambush was already set up. Those waiting there might be less skilled than the trackers, but once the gunfire started, the trackers would definitely arrive quickly. He had to finish them off as fast as possible, or there would only be a dead end.


    "Okay!" Su Mengxin bit her lip. She had no choice but to comply with him. Besides... she had gained considerable confidence in this man. Members of the Flying Hawk Squad were legendary for their formidable strength.


    She let go of him, and the man dashed into the woods like a cheetah. Gunshots roared, but in less than two minutes, they faded. Occasionally, loud handgun shots that Su Mengxin recognized as the man''s could still be heard.


    Thrilled at heart, Su Mengxin knew victory was near. Yet, her joy turned into sorrow when she suddenly saw a colorful caterpillar fall onto her clothes. Reacting instinctively as a woman, she let out a scream. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her shout caused trouble. A nearby thug charged at her, and upon spotting Su Mengxin, he unhesitatingly raised his gun and pulled the trigger.


    Su Mengxin knew she was doomed and awaited the arrival of death. But at the very moment the gun fired, a dark shadow fell from the sky, landing right in front of her, shaking violently but still standing in front of her. With a sweep of his arm, the gunfire ceased.


    Su Mengxin knew what had happened. In that critical moment, the man had used his mountainous body to shield her from the bullets and saved her life.


    Blood poured from the man''s shoulder, staining his tight, black vest red in an instant.


    "Are you okay?" Su Mengxin sprang up.


    "All taken care of, let''s go." The man quickly took off his vest and bandaged the wound on his shoulder.


    Only then did Su Mengxin breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the man hadn''t suffered a fatal injury.


    Seeing that he was about to carry her again, Su Mengxin hurriedly said, "I can walk on my own."


    "No, the people behind us will catch up soon, we need to leave quickly." With no room for argument, he hoisted her onto his back once more.


    Lying on the man''s back, Su Mengxin''s eyes reddened, and she almost couldn''t hold back her tears. Even if he was just following orders to protect her, taking a bullet with his body still profoundly moved her. Her fingers gently caressed the wound on his shoulder, her touch indescribably tender.


    Lying on the man''s back, Su Mengxin unexpectedly fell asleep. In such a dangerous place, under the constant threat of murderous pursuit, she still dozed off, feeling a sense of safety as if no danger could harm her with this man by her side.


    When Su Mengxin woke up, she found herself in a vehicle, covered with a blanket, and a female soldier sitting beside her. She knew she was safe now.


    "How is he?" As soon as she woke up, Su Mengxin thought of the man.


    The female soldier was taken aback, unsure who Su Mengxin was referring to.


    "The man protecting me, Flying Hawk 002."


    "He''s got some minor injuries."


    "That''s good."


    Two months later, Su Mengxin was fully healed. During those days, her mind kept replaying a single image¡ªa silhouette, a blood-stained black vest that she couldn''t shake off.


    There were several papers on the table, including one with a photo of the man. He was the one who had taken her first kiss, removed her clothes, and shielded her from a bullet with his body.


    "Hmph, don''t think I can''t find you just because you''ve transferred." Su Mengxin muttered to herself and then said loudly, "Sister Li, help me prepare, I''m going to Mile City."

 Chapter 3 The Boss

    Chapter 3 - 3 The Boss"I know, I''ll be back tomorrow... What? Another introduction, Mom, can we please not do this? I understand my own matters... Alright, alright, I''ll just take a look when the time comes."


    At the grand entrance of an imposing office building in Mile City, a woman dressed in a black business suit, with big wavy curls and large black-rimmed glasses covering half of her cheeks, was walking in while talking on the phone. Her glasses failed to hide her extraordinary elegance.


    Her stride showed her to be a decisive and efficient white-collar professional, and from her chilly demeanor, one might guess she was a senior executive.


    This woman was named Xu Yingying, the general manager of Qingfeng Group''s subsidiary, Huayang Trading Company. Originally, Huayang was just a small branch with an investment of a mere twenty million, but under Xu Yingying''s efforts, its assets had soared to seven or eight hundred million within two years. For a woman who was only twenty-six years old to achieve this much was enough to prove her capabilities.


    However, during the call, she seemed quite helpless, a rarity within the company.


    "Good morning, President Xu!" A security guard greeted Xu Yingying with a salute as she passed the main entrance.


    Xu Yingying walked by as if she hadn''t heard, being accustomed to daily greetings from the security staff at the door, which no longer caught her attention.


    But after a few steps, she suddenly turned her head to look at the security guard who had just greeted her. The guard was a young man in his mid-twenties, with a square face, distinct features, and roughly 1.8 meters tall. Though not particularly burly, his uniform looked smart and showed off his manly vigor. Mengxin would have recognized him as the unforgettable Flying Hawk 002.


    "What''s your name?" Xu Yingying had regained her cool tone, her gaze fixed on the security guard.


    "Li Yifei!" the security guard replied firmly, puffing out his chest.


    "Good, come to my office in ten minutes." With that, she entered the elevator.


    Li Yifei was somewhat stunned, standing motionless. He had been at the company for less than two months. Even though it was a short period, he knew President Xu was tough to talk to. Suddenly being summoned by her, he had no idea what to expect.


    "Yifei, what''s up?" Another security guard, also in his twenties, came over and nudged Li Yifei.


    "President Xu asked me to go to her office."


    "Oh, then just go. Maybe she wants you to do some heavy lifting. But to do a job for President Xu is quite cool, you know¡ªshe''s the number one beauty in the entire office building."


    "I see. I thought maybe I''d done something wrong and she was going to reprimand me."


    "Even if we security guards make a mistake, we don''t get dragged straight to the general manager''s office. Besides, we''re not directly under their company''s management; we belong to the building''s security department, so it''s none of her business."


    After waiting a few minutes, Li Yifei arrived on the twelfth floor, where Huayang Trading was located.


    Today was the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month; in just one more day, it would be New Year''s Eve. Most companies would start their holidays tomorrow, and typically, there weren''t many people working anymore. But at Huayang Trading, everyone was busy at work, showing how strict General Manager Xu Yingying was in her management.


    After notifying the secretary, Li Yifei arrived at the general manager''s office door and knocked. Xu Yingying''s voice came from inside, "Come in."


    Pushing the door open, Li Yifei saw Xu Yingying sitting in the boss''s chair behind her desk, with her arms on the armrests and eyes fixed directly on him. She commanded, "Close the door."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a second but did as he was told. He then approached the desk and said, "President Xu, I''m here."


    Xu Yingying leaned forward slightly, resting her arms on the desk, "Take a seat."


    Li Yifei grew even more puzzled. It seemed Xu Yingying wasn''t here to take advantage of him as a laborer.


    As Li Yifei sat down, Xu Yingying said indifferently, "How old are you this year?"


    "Twenty-six."


    "Do you have a girlfriend?"


    "No."


    "Where are you going to spend the New Year''s holiday?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am alone. The Security Department has already arranged for me to be on duty for the entire New Year''s holiday."


    Behind her black-framed glasses, Xu Yingying''s eyes suddenly brightened as she asked, "You don''t have any family?"


    "No, I''ve been an orphan since I was a child, President Xu... What are you asking all these questions for?" Li Yifei was utterly confused by Xu Yingying''s questioning; it almost seemed as if she was trying to arrange a marriage for him.


    Xu Yingying adjusted her glasses and lightly tapped her fingers on the table, but didn''t immediately speak, which made Li Yifei even more puzzled, and he even felt an urge to leave. Sitting face to face with this cold and beautiful president, the pressure was indeed not small.


    "Li Yifei, I am now hiring you to pretend to be my boyfriend over the New Year''s holiday... to accompany me home for the New Year."


    Xu Yingying''s words left Li Yifei with his eyes wide open and his mouth agape, staring dumbfounded at Xu Yingying for a long time without snapping back to reality.


    "Starting from tomorrow until the return on the sixth day of the new year, a total of eight days, I will pay you five thousand yuan, which should be enough to cover your overtime pay. How does that sound?"


    "President Xu... this... isn''t this inappropriate?"


    "You don''t agree?"


    "It''s not that I don''t agree, I''m just afraid I won''t play the part well. I''m just a security guard, and you''re a senior executive. For me to pretend to be your boyfriend, it won''t be convincing."


    "As long as you agree, that will do. When the time comes, I''ll give you a proper makeover. You just need to come back with me, let my parents see you, and that will be sufficient."


    "But... the Security Department has already scheduled me for shifts, and if I leave, will that be okay?"


    "I''ll talk to the Security Department and have them arrange someone else for the shifts."


    "Alright then, thank you for your appreciation, President Xu." Li Yifei grinned, his smile somewhat forced.


    "Okay, you may leave. You must not tell anyone about this, and you mustn''t let anyone know, whether now or in the future. If any rumors were to leak out, then you''ll have to pack up and leave," Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with a voice as cold as ice, a powerful pressure emanating from her.


    "Understood, then I''ll be taking my leave." Li Yifei stood up and walked straight out.


    That left Xu Yingying stunned for a moment. Under her own pressure, Li Yifei''s last reaction had been surprisingly nonchalant, which somewhat surprised her. But, at least this troublesome matter was resolved for now. When going home, she wouldn''t need to endure endless blind dates anymore, nor listen to her parents nagging her about her lifelong issues daily.


    Picking up the phone to call her parents, but after a moment''s thought, Xu Yingying put it down again. She was still uncertain whether Li Yifei was really up to the task, and if he weren''t, she couldn''t bring such a fake boyfriend home.

 Chapter 4: The Generous

    Chapter 4 - 4: The GenerousOn the plane to Pingyang City, a young couple sat on the left side of the second row in the First-Class Cabin. Both were around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. The man was dressed in a crisp suit, his hair neatly arranged, presenting a very handsome and dapper appearance, with a sharply chiseled face that also exuded a strong masculine charm, suggesting he was a successful individual.


    The woman was dressed fashionably and elegantly, in a tight-fitting designer velvet top, with big wavy hair, a melon-seed-shaped face, and large eyes that were exceptionally expressive. But they carried a hint of aloofness and helplessness, which, however, could not hide her extraordinary beauty¡ªshe was undoubtedly a super beauty.


    These two were Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. This morning, Xu Yingying took Li Yifei to buy a high-end suit and get his hair styled. Li Yifei looked indeed radiant and quite the part of a successful individual now, to Xu Yingying''s satisfaction. She thought bringing such a man home would probably solve a lot of problems.


    Xu Yingying also took off her glasses, which were actually meant to conceal her appearance rather than to correct any nearsightedness. Now that she was going home, there was no need to wear them.


    But after sitting in the plane for a while, Xu Yingying''s brows furrowed. Li Yifei kept fidgeting, touching this and that like a child. She took a deep breath and said, "Li Yifei, can you stop looking around like that? Haven''t you ever been on a plane before?"


    Li Yifei reached up to rub his hair but suddenly remembered it was freshly styled and hastily dropped his hand, chuckling, "President Xu, I really haven''t been on a plane before. I''m quite nervous, you know. I mean, what if the plane were to fall out of the sky?"


    "Don''t call me President Xu, call me by my name," Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei. She didn''t raise her voice much, but it carried an undeniable authority.


    "Oh right, I''m your boyfriend now, Yingying." Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, his smile somewhat forced.


    "Just remember this, you can get it wrong now, but if you let anything slip in front of my family, hmph!"


    "Xu... Yingying..." Under Xu Yingying''s piercing gaze, Li Yifei managed to correct himself before he finished saying "President", "This identity change is really too much for me. Yesterday, I was just a security guard at your company, and today I''m suddenly your boyfriend. You have to give me some time to adapt."


    "You only have the time on this plane to adapt. Also, as far as safety is concerned, planes are the safest form of transportation. You don''t need to be nervous."


    "Oh, then... I''ll try my best." Li Yifei still seemed nervous, and his reply was clearly half-hearted.


    Because she focused solely on her career, Xu Yingying hadn''t had a boyfriend up to this point. Returning home for the New Year had been fine the past two years, but lately, her parents and relatives had been pestering her with personal questions, badgering her to the point of annoyance. She had no intention of finding a boyfriend before turning thirty, but her parents disagreed. Before she went home, they had already told her that they had arranged several match-meeting opportunities, just waiting for her to come back for blind dates.


    Blind dates were exactly what Xu Yingying dreaded most. The idea of two complete strangers suddenly coming together for the purpose of dating seemed like torture. Hence, on her friend''s suggestion, she hastily enlisted Li Yifei to pose as her boyfriend, hoping to avoid a lot of hassle.


    However, the moment they were on the plane, Xu Yingying felt frustrated. Li Yifei was like a bumpkin who had never seen the world, even asking questions that seemed rather small-minded and unsophisticated, which made her quite dissatisfied. But now it was too late to find someone else, so she could only try her best to train this guy. As long as he could help her get through the few days of the New Year, that would be enough.


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying was upset and couldn''t help but find it amusing. He had not only been on planes before but had also flown military helicopters. As a retired super special forces member from Huaxia, he had seen too much of the world. His feigned ignorance was all an act, otherwise, it wouldn''t fit with his security guard cover. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go over these again, you can''t forget them," Xu Yingying handed Li Yifei a few pages of notes she had put together the night before.


    Li Yifei took it from her and glanced at it, immediately responding with a bitter smile, "There''s so much information, how long will it take me to memorize all this?"


    "I''m not asking you to memorize everything, but you have to at least familiarize yourself with it. The first page contains information about me, my parents, and my sister; you should start with that. You can look over the rest tonight."


    "That''s more like it." Li Yifei opened the document and started to read.


    In the company or outside of it, Xu Yingying had many suitors trying hard to get her personal information. But to avoid unnecessary trouble, she rarely let her information out, and now outsiders only knew of her work history, while the rest remained a mystery to most.


    However, now she was actively letting Li Yifei, a virtual stranger, look at it, which was a last resort.


    Feeling slightly annoyed, Li Yifei turned his head and looked at her, his gaze landing directly on her chest, causing Xu Yingying to frown and say, "Behave yourself. Don''t let me see any of those sly and shifty movements."


    "Oh... let me take another look then." Li Yifei turned his head back, his gaze still fixed on her chest.


    "You..." Xu Yingying felt an urge to tear him apart, having never encountered someone who dared to be so shameless in speaking to her.


    "Don''t be mad, I''m just adapting. You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend, and not just any kind, but one you''d bring home. If we aren''t close, your parents won''t believe it, right? So, getting familiar with your figure is necessary, isn''t it?"


    His words left Xu Yingying at a loss for words. She huffed, "Don''t you know there''s such a thing as a refined gentleman?"


    "I do know, but do you really think that if you have me pretend to be that kind of gentleman, it won''t give us away?"


    "This..." Xu Yingying''s chest heaved in frustration before she gave up. Trying to get someone without personal refinement to act like a refined gentleman was like trying to draw a tiger and ending up with a dog ¨C it was better to let him be himself, "Fine, as long as we don''t get caught, I can tolerate it."


    "Hehe, I''m not taking any advantage of you. I''m just preparing for the worst. Getting past this potential mother-in-law isn''t going to be easy, and the more I prepare, the easier it might be later."


    "Not bad, it seems you''re not that thick-headed after all."


    Xu Yingying turned to look at Li Yifei, her gaze tinged with a hint of admiration.


    "Thank you for the compliment, Yingying... I will strive to do even better," Li Yifei said, his face lighting up with excitement, somewhat like the pride of a subordinate who has been commended by a superior.

 Chapter 5 Impression

    Chapter 5 - 5 ImpressionWhen they got off the plane in Pingyang, it was already past four in the afternoon. They hailed a cab and went straight to Xu Yingying''s residential complex.


    Leaving the car, Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and said, "Now, remember, you are my boyfriend. You''re not a security guard anymore."


    Li Yifei stood up straight and answered loudly, "Yes, I''ll definitely do it."


    Xu Yingying immediately frowned and said, "Is this how a boyfriend is supposed to speak to me?"


    "Oh... right, I''m your boyfriend, not one of your employees. I''m your boyfriend, not one of your employees," Li Yifei whispered a few times and then straightened up, picked up the suitcase, and said, "Let''s go, dear." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying''s face turned sour. No man had ever spoken to her like that before. Li Yifei quickly said, "See, the moment I call you like that, you get mad."


    Xu Yingying''s lips twitched. She said, "I''m not mad. I''m just not used to it yet, but I''ll adapt soon. Just remember to stay in character."


    "Really? Dear?" Li Yifei called out cautiously and tentatively.


    "Mm," Xu Yingying actually smiled, and that smile was so natural that Li Yifei couldn''t detect any forcefulness. Given her success in her career, her social skills were certainly not weak. With her adjusted mindset, doing this was not difficult.


    "Whew... now I can relax a bit," Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief.


    Xu Yingying''s home was on the sixteenth floor of a high-rise. The two entered the elevator and stood facing each other. Li Yifei smiled at Xu Yingying, his gaze fixed on her stunningly beautiful face. Perhaps the only time someone prettier than her was the task he had protecting Sun Mengxin.


    In the company, no man had ever dared to look at her like this. With a sharp glance from Xu Yingying, the male subordinates would keep their distance, especially when she wasn''t wearing those black-rimmed glasses. The stunning sight was even more mesmerizing.


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and said calmly, "Don''t look at me like that when we get home. The fact that I can bring you home means we''ve been together for a while, and our relationship is already quite intimate. Looking at me like that suggests we''re not that close."


    "So we need to be more natural, like... I''m very familiar with your body already, right?"


    This remark made Xu Yingying uncomfortable, but she nodded and said, "That''s the idea."


    "Oh, but that''s really challenging. I''ll try my best."


    Sensing that Li Yifei''s gaze became somewhat natural, Xu Yingying nodded in approval and said, "I think my parents are pretty easy to please, but my sister is quite savvy. You need to be careful and try not to interact with her too much. Otherwise, she''ll easily notice the deception, and she''s always been in alliance with my mom. She''ll definitely tattle."


    "Oh, that sounds troublesome. Isn''t it common for sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law to quarrel? Don''t they say there''s an old saying about sisters-in-law having half a brother-in-law''s butt?"


    "Mm?" Xu Yingying''s face darkened immediately, and she said coldly, "I''m telling you, don''t even think about making a move on my sister."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Listen, Yingying, we''re a couple now. If you get angry over a joke, it''s not really in character. If you mess up the acting, you can''t blame me or dock my bonus."


    "There''s a line for jokes. You can joke about others but not about my sister."


    "What if she jokes with me? Should I just keep a straight face?"


    "Just try to ignore her as much as possible."


    "Fine, you''re the boss. Whatever you say goes," Li Yifei shrugged and stopped speaking further. In the information he had seen, he also saw the profile of Xu Yingying''s sister, Xu Shanshan. This girl was actually Xu Yingying''s twin, but their personalities were completely different. Xu Yingying was rather cold, while Xu Shanshan was lively and active, a dance school teacher who also didn''t have a boyfriend. However, her parents weren''t worried about her marriage.


    At this moment, the elevator arrived, and they exited. Xu Yingying went over and knocked on the door.


    The door quickly opened, and a woman in her fifties with remaining charm appeared in Li Yifei''s sight.


    "Yingying''s back! Ah, this is...?" The woman exclaimed in surprise when she saw Xu Yingying, and then her eyes landed on Li Yifei.


    "Auntie, hello, I''m Li Yifei," Li Yifei immediately greeted the woman respectfully.


    "Ah! Good, good, come in quickly. You, girl, bringing someone back with you, why didn''t you tell me beforehand? I''m totally unprepared," the woman, clearly unprepared, grumbled at Xu Yingying as she let them in.


    Xu Yingying wrapped her arm around the woman''s, shook it gently, and said coquettishly, "It was just decided. Yifei''s work keeps him busy and has no time. It was only at my insistence that he took time off to come back with me. You guys pressured me; otherwise, I wouldn''t have wanted to bring him back so soon."


    Li Yifei''s eyes almost popped out. Was this still the Xu Yingying he knew? Was this still the Xu Yingying known as "Ice Queen" at the company? Even if he told everyone at the company about her current behavior, no one would believe it, the contrast was too great, too unbelievable.


    The pain in his arm brought Li Yifei back to his senses. He quickly said politely, "Auntie, I''m really sorry for not visiting sooner this time. I hope you won''t find my sudden visit rude."


    Xu Yingying''s mother was still trying to figure out who Li Yifei was. After Xu Yingying''s words, she realized that he was her daughter''s boyfriend, and her entire focus shifted to Li Yifei. With a chuckle, she said, "Not at all, not at all. It''s just that you two kids didn''t say anything beforehand. Old man, come out. Yingying has brought her boyfriend home."


    Apparently, her initial impression of Li Yifei was quite favorable.


    "I''m busy here, you old woman, can''t you let a person have a moment?" A man in his fifties came out of a bedroom, complaining as he saw Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. He immediately smiled and said, "See, no need to worry. Yingying brought her boyfriend home all on her own."


    Li Yifei quickly stepped forward, snapped his legs together, and gave a standard military salute, saying, "Uncle Xu, I''ve heard from Yingying that you are a retired military man. Seeing you today, you indeed have the bearing of a soldier. Sergeant Li Yifei, reporting to the officer."


    Li Yifei''s words had Uncle Xu and his wife bursting into laughter. "Good lad, you''re skilled with flattery, getting right to my heart. With a physique like yours, I''m satisfied. I was worried Yingying would bring a pretty boy home, but men should have pride and character. The handsome, slick types are not to my liking."


    "Haha, Uncle Xu, in that case, I don''t need to put on an act in front of you. I''m actually quite rough, so if I do anything wrong, just say it like I''m one of your recruits, a fresh recruit at that."


    "Good, good! Come, sit, let''s have a good chat," Xu Yingying''s father said as he pulled Li Yifei over to the sofa to sit down.


    Despite the cheerful expression, Xu Yingying was inwardly surprised. When it comes to choosing a partner, it''s generally her mother''s input that''s most significant, but in this household, her father had the final say. As a retired military officer, impressing him wasn''t easy at all, but Li Yifei had managed to quickly bond with him, which was unbelievable.


    Being a general manager, Xu Yingying immediately considered many things. Li Yifei''s performance seemed so adaptable that being just a security guard would be a waste of his talents. She thought to herself that she''d observe him for the next few days. If he was truly talented, she should consider promoting him.

 Chapter 6 Nonsense

    Chapter 6 - 6 NonsenseXu Yingying''s father, Xu Zhenguo, took out a cigarette and offered it to Li Yifei. Li Yifei quickly accepted it, and then personally lit it for Xu Zhenguo, but he himself placed the cigarette on the coffee table.


    "You don''t smoke?" Xu Zhenguo asked, looking puzzled at Li Yifei.


    "I do smoke, but Yingying doesn''t really like me smoking, so I try to smoke as little as possible."


    "If you smoke, smoke, as long as you don''t smoke too much, a few a day is not a big deal. Come on, light up."


    It was only then that Li Yifei lit the cigarette and took a delightful drag. Along the way, Xu Yingying had flat out forbidden him from smoking, which had really stifled him.


    At that moment, Xu Zhenguo asked with a smiling face, "Yifei, what are you working as now?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying, his expression briefly showing some difficulty, which immediately made Xu Yingying tense. This guy couldn''t have forgotten the plan they had agreed upon beforehand, could he?


    "Yingying, I feel it''s really wrong to lie to Uncle and Auntie, we should just tell the truth."


    Xu Yingying was even more alarmed, but she kept a poker face, shooting Li Yifei a dark look, and said, "Yifei, what is there for us to lie about?"


    Xu Zhenguo slapped Li Yifei on the shoulder and said, "Just speak your mind. My daughter may be a bit formidable, but I''ve got your back here. Just say what you need to say, and don''t always look to Yingying''s face before speaking."


    Li Yifei nodded gratefully and said, "Uncle Xu, originally Yingying and I had agreed to tell you that I am a manager at a company, but I feel that lying about it isn''t right. Life is about striving, and nobody can succeed overnight, so we shouldn''t feel inferior just because I''m currently only a security guard."


    At this point, Xu Yingying''s mother immediately frowned. Xu Yingying was now a big manager with a monthly salary of tens of thousands, and Li Yifei, just a lowly security guard, was not a match for her.


    Xu Yingying was secretly infuriated. How could Li Yifei change their agreed story on his own? Not to mention the increased difficulty for her parents to accept this, even if they did accept it, all their future stories would have to change. How were they supposed to deal with the two elders now? Wouldn''t that unnecessarily complicate things?


    Xu Zhenguo fixed his tiger-like eyes on Li Yifei and slowly said, "I''m really curious, our Yingying is ambitious and has high standards. Ordinary people simply don''t catch her eye. How could she possibly take a fancy to you, a security guard?"


    At that moment, Li Yifei''s chest puffed out straight, and he spoke with pride, "That''s why I am proud. As for why Yingying took a fancy to me, that''s simple too. It''s because Yingying saw my potential and knows that gold will always shine eventually."


    "Oh? You''re that confident?"


    "Indeed, I''ve been confident since I was young, and my confidence is not blind. I am only confident about things I believe I can achieve. Although there is a significant gap between Yingying and myself right now, as an outstanding soldier, one should have an indomitable spirit, to overcome any difficulties. I believe I can bridge the gap between Yingying''s and my career within two years."


    "Good! For that spirit alone, I support you," Xu Zhenguo said, giving Li Yifei a firm pat on the shoulder.


    "Thank you, Uncle Xu, I promise to complete the mission," Li Yifei stood up and gave a military salute with a snap.


    It has to be said, Li Yifei really hit the mark this time. Xu Zhenguo''s favorite thing was young people with military spirit. Li Yifei''s response was right up his alley.


    "Little Li, who else do you have in your family?" Xu Yingying''s mother asked at this point, her main concern being this.


    Li Yifei immediately spoke with a tinge of sadness, "I am an abandoned child, raised in an orphanage without ever seeing my parents or knowing who they are. Right now, I am completely alone." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying''s mother''s eyes lit up and she said, "That''s quite good."


    Xu Yingying was momentarily at a loss for words and nudged her mother, who then said somewhat awkwardly, "Little Li, Auntie didn''t mean that. I mean, now there''s a generation gap between young people and the elderly, and it''s hard for mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to get along. Our Yingying has a bit of a temper, so it would be even harder for her to get along with her mother-in-law. I''m no longer worried about this now."


    For her mother, the most worrisome thing about her daughter getting married wasn''t the prospective family''s economic conditions, but rather the fear of a formidable mother-in-law. Now that her daughter had a successful career, the financial aspect was not a big issue. Li Yifei seemed tailor-made for Xu Yingying. Also, once her two daughters got married, they definitely wouldn''t be around to take care of her in old age, as a son would. But Li Yifei, being an orphan, would be just like a son. Hence, based on this alone, she was quite pleased with Li Yifei, and she wasn''t even concerned about whether or not he was a security guard.


    Having won the approval of both elders, the following matters became much easier to handle, with everyone chatting joyfully. Especially when Li Yifei and Xu Zhenguo talked about their time in the military, they were animated and seemed to share a deep connection.


    Xu Zhenguo, who had reached the rank of a regiment leader in the army before transferring to civilian work for the sake of his family, was now a District Director in Pingyang City. He didn''t quite enjoy his job in the civilian sector and often missed his military days. That''s why Li Yifei''s military stories resonated so much with him.


    Particularly after learning that Li Yifei had achieved commendations and carried out many missions in the military, Xu Zhenguo greatly admired him. He believed that a real man was forged in the army, and if someone had earned their stripes there, they were not likely to fall short in other endeavors.


    Seeing Li Yifei getting along so well with her father, Xu Yingying finally breathed a sigh of relief. With her father''s approval, everything else should be much easier.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying''s mother had finished preparing dinner and said to Xu Zhenguo, "Old man, call Shanshan and tell her to come home early for dinner."


    Xu Zhenguo picked up the phone, and after dialing, said, "Shanshan, your sister''s back, and she''s brought your brother-in-law with her. Dinner''s almost ready, so hurry back... What? Your brother-in-law is no less important than your classmates... Not leaving today, we''ll all be here for the New Year... Alright, alright, just come back early and don''t stay out too late."


    After hanging up, Xu Zhenguo shook his head and said, "Yingying''s sister is of a completely different temperament to Yingying; she''s out all day playing with others and always comes back late. She even said that since you''re here, you won''t run away, and it will be fine if she acknowledges you later when she comes back."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "It''s fine. Young people these days do like to have fun. There aren''t many like Yingying and me, but it''s not necessarily a bad thing."


    "Heh, we''ll leave her be then. We''ll have our meal. You must join me for a drink tonight. It''s been a long time since I had someone to drink with over the New Year, as these three women don''t accompany me."


    "No problem, but I can''t hold my liquor that well, so Uncle Xu, please don''t get me drunk."


    Xu Zhenguo glared and barked, "What kind of soldier doesn''t drink? Don''t worry about Yingying; I''m here, how dare she stop you from drinking!"


    "Well... I''m likely to be in for it later."


    "You''re wrong on that point. A man should have some spirit and can''t be afraid of his wife. Listen to me, if you ought to drink, just drink. If a man never comes home drunk, he''s not really a man."


    Just then, Xu Yingying''s mother came out of the kitchen with the dishes, heard her husband say this, and immediately glared at him, "You old fool, is that how you teach your daughter''s boyfriend?"


    Xu Zhenguo shook his head proudly and said, "I''m right, though. A man who''s afraid of his wife won''t go far in life or achieve much. I bet if Little Li were that sort of man, Yingying wouldn''t even spare him a second glance."


    Li Yifei was suddenly astonished and said, "You''ve seen right through that. Actually, what attracted Yingying to me was because I wasn''t particularly respectful towards my general manager at first, which made her angry a few times, and that''s how we finally got together."


    "Haha... I just knew it. I know our Yingying''s character best. She''s the type that responds to strength, not weakness. You''ve got to be firmer than her; if you''re soft, it''s all over for you."


    Xu Yingying, overhearing from the kitchen, was panic-stricken. Li Yifei was straying further and further from the script, completely out of her calculations. If her parents asked them separately later, it would be easy to slip up. She decided she needed to align their stories again with Li Yifei and to stop him from making things up, or else it would be even harder to handle.

 Chapter 7 Accommodation

    Chapter 7 - 7 AccommodationThe dinner was a lively affair, Li Yifei and Xu Zhenguo kept toasting each other, and the bottle of Maotai they brought was polished off by the two of them.


    Xu Zhenguo, after all, was older and his body wasn''t what it used to be, although he drank happily, half a jin of white spirit had him pretty much seven or eight parts drunk, and in the end, it was Li Yifei who helped him to the bedroom to lie down.


    Li Yifei''s tolerance for alcohol was absolutely no problem; half a jin down, and he was still like he hadn''t drunk at all, which slightly relieved Xu Yingying. If Li Yifei had drunk too much and spilled the truth, that would have been disastrous for her.


    After tidying up the dining room, Xu Yingying''s mother went to the bedroom and brought out a set of pajamas for Xu Yingying, saying, "Yingying, you really don''t know how to take care of people. I see that Yifei didn''t even bring clothes. These are your dad''s pajamas; give them to Little Li to change into. We are going to bed first; you''ve been on the road all day, so you should rest early too."


    Having taken the pajamas and watching her mother return to her room and shut the door, Xu Yingying suddenly remembered a very serious problem, where was Li Yifei going to sleep tonight?


    Her home had a three-bedroom layout, with her parents occupying one of them and she and her sister each having their own, leaving no spare bedrooms.


    If she let Li Yifei sleep in the living room, the sofa was quite comfortable and wouldn''t be too bad, but that would be hard to explain to her parents.


    If she let Li Yifei stay in her room, and then she went to her sister''s, it would be the same issue. In these times, bringing someone home and claiming they hadn''t shared a bed wouldn''t be believed by parents, and if her sister came back at night, she would see right through them.


    There was another point, her parents plainly assumed that the two would sleep in the same room; otherwise, they would have let Li Yifei sleep in the same room as her father.


    Turning her head to glance at Li Yifei, the guy was sitting comfortably on the sofa, with even a hint of a sly look in his eyes, which annoyed Xu Yingying quite a bit. He was just hired by her, yet now he was acting like the lord of the manor. When had Xu Yingying ever waited on a man?


    "Go take a shower and head to bed early," Xu Yingying said as she tossed the pajamas at Li Yifei, then turned on her heel and left.


    Li Yifei jumped to his feet and followed her, whispering, "Where am I supposed to sleep tonight, then?"


    "Just sleep in my room," Xu Yingying replied casually. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah? That''s not good, is it? You never said anything about sharing a bed," Li Yifei said, scratching his head, looking troubled.


    Xu Yingying was even more annoyed. Was this guy actually making that face? Could it be that asking this guy to sleep in the same room as her was an imposition for him?


    "Can''t we add that now?" Xu Yingying lowered her voice and looked at Li Yifei.


    "This..." Li Yifei rubbed his head, somewhat embarrassedly said, "I''m still a virgin, you know. I''m saving myself for my future wife."


    "Cut the nonsense and go take a shower," Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, then went straight into her room.


    Li Yifei was now a bit confused. Could it be that Xu Yingying really wanted to sleep in the same room with him? Although Xu Yingying was a bit cold and quick-tempered, she was without a doubt a great beauty. Spending a wonderful night with such a beauty would definitely be an exciting thing for any man.


    Li Yifei had spent these years in a special forces unit; he didn''t just stay in the barracks. Instead, he was on a variety of special missions where he had to disguise himself as all kinds of people. Thus, his life was colorful. Although he hadn''t been involved in any romantic relationships, he''d shared a bed with quite a few women. It was only when he returned to urban life that he was free from entanglements with women.


    A man who hadn''t touched a woman in two or three months would find it difficult, so the thought of sharing a bed with Xu Yingying excited Li Yifei considerably.


    However, Li Yifei was not an ordinary man. After fantasizing briefly, he abandoned the thought. Based on his understanding of Xu Yingying, she was not the casual type, so even if they were to share a room tonight, they definitely wouldn''t share a bed.


    After his bath, Li Yifei gently knocked on Xu Yingying''s door, then pushed it open and walked in. He saw a set of bedding laid out on the floor by the window ¡ª clearly, that was where he was going to sleep tonight.


    Xu Yingying was already in her pajamas by then, but they were of the cotton variety and rather bulky, so there was no hint of allure. But their natural ease added a different charm, even though her cold expression still marked her as the Xu president.


    "I''m aware of that," Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and went straight to the spot by the window to lie down.


    Xu Yingying voiced her approval, "Good that you understand. I''ll go take a bath now; you should go ahead and sleep."


    In a new environment, and in the fragrant boudoir of a beauty, Li Yifei found it impossible to fall asleep. Sitting up, he looked around Xu Yingying''s room.


    Xu Yingying''s room was not luxurious; in fact, it was rather simple. There was a wardrobe by the door, a bed in the middle, and two bedside cabinets. No other furniture, just a set of curtains that was quite pretty.


    The room didn''t carry the kind of fragrance he had imagined, probably because Xu Yingying seldom stayed there.


    The bed was tidy, devoid of scattered clothes, lacking something in terms of visual interest. A woman''s room... It would have been more intriguing if there were some lingerie strewn on the bed.


    Surely, that wardrobe contained such items, but Li Yifei didn''t snoop. Knowing Xu Yingying''s sharpness, if he disturbed anything, she''d likely notice right away, and that would cause trouble for him later on.


    Less than fifteen minutes passed before Li Yifei heard Xu Yingying''s footsteps approaching, followed by her entrance into the room. Li Yifei sat up, resting his arms on the bed, and looked at her post-bath fresh face, complimenting, "Like a fresh lotus from the water ¡ª beautiful."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a cool glance, then casually switched off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. Soon after, the rustling sound of her getting into bed could be heard.


    The dark room with a breathtaking woman created a provocative environment. Despite all his experience over the years, this was the first time for Li Yifei to be in such a situation. A stunning woman was with him in a pitch-black room, and who knew if Xu Yingying had now stripped off her outer pajamas, leaving only her undergarments on?


    Given Xu Yingying''s cool temperament, her lingerie was probably mainly black, suiting her personality.


    And then there was the thought of Xu Yingying''s full bust, her impressive figure; if he were to climb onto the bed now, that would be... utterly delightful.


    Li Yifei might imagine as much, but this was something he could not do. Xu Yingying wasn''t the type to simply walk away after a night together. Things were different now; Li Yifei wasn''t keen on being tied down so soon. He had only just started enjoying modern urban life and wasn''t ready to be captivated by a woman.

 Chapter 8 A Tough Night

    Chapter 8 - 8 A Tough NightThe room slowly filled with a faint fragrance, which must have been from the bath gel and shampoo Xu Yingying used after her bath; this made Li Yifei''s imagination run wild.


    "Li Yifei, why did you talk nonsense so much today?" Xu Yingying''s soft voice came from the bed.


    Li Yifei immediately replied with pride, "I didn''t want to, but when I saw your parents today, I felt that what you said wouldn''t work, so I improvised a bit. At least you saw the results, didn''t you? Your parents are very satisfied with me now. For such a performance, shouldn''t you give me a bonus or something?"


    "The performance wasn''t bad, but fortunately my mother didn''t have time to pull me aside for a chat. Otherwise, the two of us would have told different stories. Now hurry up and align our stories with me so that we don''t get caught tomorrow."


    "Didn''t you hear everything I said? What''s there to align?"


    "You said that we had a few conflicts. What were those conflicts about? And since you''re a security guard, how did you attract me? We need to get our stories straight, not just for my mom, but for my sister too. If these aren''t clear, she''ll see right through us."


    "That''s tough, I was just making it up on the spot."


    "I''m amazed at you. Don''t you know that one lie often needs a hundred more to cover it up?"


    "Yingying, let''s get this straight¡ªthis lie was started by you, wasn''t it?"


    Xu Yingying was left choking on Li Yifei''s words, but she couldn''t really blame him. At the very least, she was quite satisfied with his performance. As ideas of clich¨¦ romantic novel plots swirled in her head, she concocted a few minor tales and relayed them to Li Yifei.


    Half an hour later, Li Yifei yawned and said weakly, "Yingying, I''ve got it all down. Can we go to sleep now?"


    "No, there''s a detail you haven''t memorized. The devil is in the details, and you can''t be careless about them."


    "You really are a demanding president. Fine, fine, isn''t it enough that I memorize them?" grumbled Li Yifei as he yawned again, now regretting his earlier chatter. Teaming up with such a meticulous president was simply looking for trouble.


    Finally, after memorizing it all, Li Yifei fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, not entertaining any provocative thoughts. Even knowing that a beautiful woman was lying in the bed next to him, all he wanted was to have a good night''s sleep.


    Li Yifei slept soundly, but Xu Yingying couldn''t sleep at all. In her own home, she wasn''t afraid that Li Yifei would dare to do anything to her. As a president, she had the confidence to manage her subordinates.


    But having a man stay in her room was something she was extremely unaccustomed to. There seemed to be a different sort of smell in the room¡ªit wasn''t unpleasant, but it was too unfamiliar, too uncomfortable for her.


    Listening to Li Yifei''s even breathing at first didn''t bother her much, but as the night grew quieter, his breathing filled her ears, seemingly growing louder and eventually thumping like a drum. It became a noisy disruption that made Xu Yingying toss and turn even more, struggling to fall asleep.


    "Snore!"


    At the sound of a snore, Xu Yingying suddenly sat up in bed. Her thoughts were consumed by the sound of Li Yifei''s breathing, and this sudden snore was akin to thunderclap next to her ear.


    "You bastard, you even snore in your sleep," Xu Yingying muttered through clenched teeth, but Li Yifei''s snoring went on, relentless.


    "Wake up!" Unable to take it anymore, Xu Yingying bent over and gave Li Yifei a shove.


    The snoring stopped and Li Yifei mumbled, "What now?"


    "You snore, how can I sleep?"


    "I snore? How come I don''t know?"


    Xu Yingying immediately became frustrated. Who would know if they snored while they were sleeping? Angrily she said, "You wait for me to fall asleep first, then you can sleep."


    Li Yifei said somewhat helplessly, "You go to sleep first? Can you really be at ease?"


    "This... then how can you not snore?"


    "Seems like if I sleep on the bed, I don''t snore."


    "That won''t do!"


    "Then you''ll just have to put up with it." Having said that, Li Yifei turned over and continued sleeping deeply, and soon the snoring sounds started up again.


    Xu Yingying was truly infuriated. This guy clearly wasn''t as obedient as he was in the office, even ignoring the president''s orders, "Humph, just you wait, when we get back to the company, I''ll show you."


    Covering her head, stuffing the pillow towel into her ears, Xu Yingying didn''t know how long she tossed and turned before finally falling asleep, utterly exhausted.


    She didn''t know how much time had passed when Li Yifei, deep in slumber, felt several nudges and heard a woman''s voice by his ear, "Get up, hurry up, my parents are already up. Why are you still sleeping?"


    "Let me sleep a little longer, I''m dead tired." At this moment, Li Yifei''s mind was still foggy. He waved his hand dismissively, turned his head, and cuddled into the blankets to continue sleeping deeply. But, not having had enough sleep the night before, all he wanted to do now was sleep.


    "You get up!" A hard blow struck his back. That definitely wasn''t a slap from Xu Yingying, but a kick instead.


    This really hurt, and Li Yifei''s sleepiness was instantly chased away. Sitting up somewhat angrily, he glared at Xu Yingying and said, "President Xu, I am employed by you, but I''m just your boyfriend, getting hit is not included in my services."


    Xu Yingying''s eyes blazed with fury as she gritted her teeth and said, "Getting hit is indeed not part of the service range. This kick is your punishment for groping me indiscriminately." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I groped you indiscriminately?" Li Yifei frowned, then suddenly thought of the random touch he''d made earlier. Glancing at Xu Yingying''s outfit, he said resentfully, "It wasn''t on purpose just now."


    "Humph, if it was on purpose, I would have killed you." Xu Yingying snorted coldly, "It''s already past seven o''clock. Everyone in the house is up, and we haven''t gotten up yet. What does this look like?" She turned around, got out of bed, back facing him, and she was already dressed, not in her usual business suit, but in very casual home clothes.


    Li Yifei could only get up and then put on the suit from yesterday again. It was the same suit that Xu Yingying had bought for him at the airport, besides which he had brought no other clothes.


    After getting dressed and leaving the bedroom, Xu Yingying''s mother happened to walk by, smiling warmly at the two of them, "Did you sleep well last night?"


    Xu Yingying was somewhat embarrassed, while Li Yifei just chuckled, saying, "Auntie, good morning, I''m really sorry for oversleeping on the first day."


    "Hehe, it''s very normal for you young people to sleep in. Freshen up, we''ll eat soon." After speaking, she glanced again at her daughter, who looked rather haggard, and inwardly she couldn''t help but marvel at Li Yifei''s stamina, having worn out her daughter over the course of the night.

 Chapter 9 An Alternative Side 1

    Chapter 9 - 9 An Alternative Side 1Xu Yingying went into the bathroom first, while Liu Yifei went over to chat with Xu Zhenguo for a bit. Xu Zhenguo was on the balcony tending to his plants, something Li Yifei didn''t understand, so he could only appreciate them from the side.


    Seeing Xu Yingying come out, Li Yifei then went into the bathroom, casually closing the door behind him. He sat down on the toilet; after all, even though men stand to pee, for other matters, they still have to sit.


    But before Li Yifei could do anything, the bathroom door was suddenly pulled open. A woman, wearing a small tank top and skin-tight flesh-colored shorts, walked in, rubbing her eyes and completely unaware that there was a grown man inside.


    The girl walked in just like that, and Li Yifei was so stunned he didn''t know how to react. What was even more shocking was that the woman actually approached the toilet while reaching to pull down her pants.


    This frightened Li Yifei. Although he couldn''t see the girl''s face clearly, he knew this had to be Xu Yingying''s sister, Xu Shanshan. He never imagined his first meeting with his pretend sister-in-law would happen in such a situation.


    "Stop!" Li Yifei shouted loudly, quickly covering his eyes. He needed to perform this action, or he''d be dead meat for sure. But by then Xu Shanshan''s pants were already slightly pulled down.


    "Ah!" Xu Shanshan screamed, finally seeing there was someone in the bathroom. She immediately dashed out, quickly opening and closing the bathroom door.


    Li Yifei hastily pulled up his pants. He was too scared to go just then, and even if he wanted to again, it was too late.


    After tidying himself up a bit, Li Yifei quickly exited the bathroom and saw Xu Yingying, who stood at the bathroom door looking at him angrily.


    Li Yifei wore an embarrassed expression and said, "I was in the bathroom... she just walked in. I suppose she wasn''t fully awake."


    Xu Zhenguo and his wife also rushed over at this time. Hearing what Li Yifei said, and knowing that Li Yifei was indeed the first to enter the bathroom, they understood it wasn''t his fault. With another person in the house and Xu Shanshan not meeting him yesterday, this incident couldn''t be blamed on anyone.


    "Well... I''ll just go wash my face." This awkward atmosphere made Li Yifei uncomfortable, so he quickly turned around and went back into the bathroom.


    When Li Yifei came out again, Xu Shanshan''s bedroom door next to him swung open quickly. A figure dashed into the bathroom, leaving behind a comment, "Slower than an old cow." The voice was clear and melodious, like silver bells.


    Xu Yingying then walked over and took Li Yifei back to the bedroom, closing the door. Glaring at Li Yifei, she asked, "What were you doing when my sister came in?"


    "I was taking a leak, but I was sitting. She walked in rubbing her eyes and didn''t see a thing."


    "What did you see?"


    "I was flustered and didn''t see anything. Just knew it was your sister who came in," Li Yifei certainly couldn''t say otherwise.


    Xu Yingying''s sharp gaze softened, and she said with satisfaction, "That''s okay then." Over the years, Xu Yingying had developed a sharp eye and keen insight, confident she could tell if Li Yifei were lying.


    Unfortunately, she was too confident. Li Yifei was exceptionally trained in this field, precisely to not give himself away during intense scrutiny. No matter how fierce Xu Yingying was, compared to Li Yifei''s brutal training, she was out of her league. If he wanted to hide something, there was no way Xu Yingying could find out.


    The pair went out of the bedroom again. Xu Shanshan was already in the living room, wearing a floral cotton outfit, with long black hair tied into a ponytail. Her appearance was identical to Xu Yingying''s, even down to the most subtle features; they really were an identical pair of twins. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Li Yifei could still distinguish between the sisters because their temperaments were different. Xu Yingying, being a boss, had an aura of confidence and authority, while Xu Shanshan was a vibrant city girl, exuding youthfulness and energy.


    Xu Shanshan was also evaluating Li Yifei up and down, seemingly not feeling too awkward about the earlier incident, and she extended her hand voluntarily, saying, "Xu Shanshan, your girlfriend''s twin sister. I didn''t expect our first meeting, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, would be in a bathroom!"


    Li Yifei shook hands with Xu Shanshan and said, "I''m really sorry. I should have informed Shanshan sister beforehand about my arrival, so such an embarrassing situation wouldn''t have happened. The fault lies with me. I hope Shanshan sister doesn''t mind."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, winked at Xu Yingying, and said, "I don''t mind, of course I don''t mind. As long as sister doesn''t mind, I don''t mind."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "You''re the one who got taken advantage of, so why should I mind?"


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and then leaned closer to Li Yifei''s side, whispering in his ear, "Tell me, brother-in-law, how can you stand my sister? I really admire you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You don''t know; while your sister appears cold, she has a gentle side."


    "Really? I''ve never noticed. Her face is always stern, as if people owe her money. If I were a man, I couldn''t stand her."


    "You silly girl, what are you babbling about?" Xu Yingying immediately glared at her.


    "See, here she goes again. I''m telling you, brother-in-law, my sister is hard to please."


    "You silly girl, is that any way to talk about your sister?" Xu Yingying''s mother came over at this point, scolding her, and dragged Xu Shanshan away to prepare breakfast.


    Li Yifei turned to Xu Yingying and smiled, saying, "Your sister is really lively."


    "Hmph, she can''t sit still for a day without worrying someone," Xu Yingying said with a face full of helplessness.


    Li Yifei found it somewhat amusing. Xu Yingying was the elder, but since they were twins, it was hard to tell who was really older or younger. Her constant act of being the elder sister might explain why Xu Shanshan didn''t have a great relationship with her.


    During the meal, Xu Shanshan kept her eyes moving between him and Xu Yingying. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "Sister, why don''t you peel an egg for brother-in-law?"


    Xu Yingying was startled inside, sensing her sister might have figured something out, but her reaction was quick. She said, "Doesn''t he have hands to peel it himself?"


    "He''s your boyfriend, not mine. You should show a bit more tenderness. Don''t you think?"


    "I refuse to be tender. What of it?"


    Li Yifei peeled an egg himself, placing it in front of Xu Yingying, and smiled, saying, "I''ve always been the one to serve your sister. When will she ever serve me?"


    Looking at the egg Li Yifei had peeled entirely by hand and handed over with his fingers, Xu Yingying felt awkward inside. She wasn''t overly sanitary, but she found eating something a man grabbed with his hands quite uncomfortable. But seeing her sister smiling at her, she took the egg, pretended to be pleased, and held back her discomfort to take a bite.

 Chapter 10 Nonsense

    Chapter 10 - 10 NonsenseToday was New Year''s Eve. After a simple breakfast, everyone started preparing for the most important holiday of the year. However, for adults, New Year''s wasn''t exactly fun; the main thing was for everyone to be together.


    Xu Yingying''s mother said to her, "Yingying, the mall should still be open this morning. You should buy some clothes for Little Li or something. During the New Year, it''s customary to have everything new, both inside and out."


    Xu Yingying made a sound of agreement; this was exactly what she was hoping for, reducing the time Li Yifei spent with her family to prevent him from spouting nonsense.


    "I''ll go too," Xu Shanshan immediately shouted, then ran to her room to change.


    Xu Yingying frowned but couldn''t stop her sister. She could only wait with Li Yifei for Xu Shanshan to finish changing before they all headed out together.


    Inside the elevator, Li Yifei stood to one side while Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan stood on the other. Xu Shanshan looked at them both, then squinted and said, "Sister, you don''t seem to be close to Brother-in-law, huh?"


    Xu Yingying felt a slight panic inside but still responded indifferently, "Why wouldn''t we be close?"


    "Look at you two, not even standing together. Where''s the couple''s intimacy in that?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Your sister is like this. At the company, no one knows about our relationship. You haven''t seen how, when we run into each other there, it''s even more like a superior-subordinate relationship."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "What''s there to hide? Dating isn''t illegal."


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying, who gave a wry smile, and said, "Don''t blame your sister. It''s me who didn''t want to say anything. Your sister is a big manager at the company now, and I''m just a small security guard. If others found out, wouldn''t they gossip about your sister?"


    "Wow, you''re a security guard and my sister''s a manager¡ªclassic story of a working-class underdog, Brother-in-law. How did you manage that? It''s like a legend."


    Li Yifei showed a smug smile and said, "You can ask your sister about that later."


    Xu Yingying immediately turned to grab Li Yifei''s arm, eagerly asking, "Sister, tell me, this is just too funny."


    Li Yifei then winked at Xu Yingying secretly, quite pleased with himself.


    Xu Yingying wasn''t happy that Li Yifei left her with the tough questions, but she kept her cool and said, "There''s nothing much to say. I liked him because I liked him. You know I''m not someone who values wealth over character."


    "I know, I know, but things like this only seem to happen in novels. I find it hard to believe it''s happening to you..." She glanced at Li Yifei and suddenly covered her mouth. "Hey, Sis, did you bring him along as a shield?"


    Xu Yingying was quite frightened this time, not expecting her sister to hit the nail on the head and directly reveal the true nature of their relationship. However, she wouldn''t admit it and snorted, "Have you watched too many dramas or read too many novels? If we were pretending, could we share a room at night?"


    "Oh, so you slept together last night, huh? Haha, Sis, you''ve lost it."


    "Get lost. Keep talking nonsense, and you''re going home."


    "Fine, I won''t say another word." Xu Shanshan giggled, her gaze at Li Yifei full of teasing, her eyes rolling around, and no one could guess what was on her mind.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a warning look, which he understood to mean that he should be careful not to slip up.


    When the elevator reached the underground garage, Xu Zhenguo''s family''s conditions were good. Although he didn''t drive, he bought Xu Shanshan a red Bora.


    "Get in the car. Today, you''ll have me as your driver," Xu Shanshan said, using the remote to open the car door, then got into the driver''s seat.


    Xu Yingying instinctively wanted to sit in the front, but Li Yifei pulled her arm slightly, waking her up. So they both sat in the back.


    Xu Shanshan glanced back at them and smiled, "Now that looks more like it."


    "You''re the one talking so much. Am I the one dating, or are you?" Xu Yingying retorted sarcastically.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I really think Brother-in-law is quite nice. Maybe you should give him to me, so I can date him."


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a shove, angrily saying, "Keep talking nonsense, and we''ll walk."


    "Okay, okay, I won''t say anymore. I''m not fighting you for him; it''s boring." Laughing, Xu Shanshan started the car.


    Li Yifei found Xu Shanshan more and more interesting. If he really had such a sister-in-law, there would be endless fun, but unfortunately, it was all fake.


    Pingyang had a very strong New Year vibe. The streets were bustling with people, all buying New Year goods. The smile on each face was bright and joyful. Although adults often felt the New Year was becoming less meaningful, it couldn''t be denied that the majority still valued this holiday greatly.


    Arriving at the mall, the three of them parked the car. Li Yifei was about to walk ahead when his arm was suddenly grabbed. Then another arm wrapped around his, and he turned to see Xu Yingying''s sweet smile.


    "Act naturally, so my sister won''t notice anything," Xu Yingying whispered in Li Yifei''s ear.


    Li Yifei immediately understood and nodded. Being linked with Xu Yingying like this was indeed a great pleasure. Although they were both dressed in thick clothes, lessening the thrilling sensation of bodily contact, Xu Yingying was the company boss¡ªa famous ice queen¡ªand having her by his side brought any man a sense of achievement and satisfaction.


    Xu Shanshan caught up just then, smilingly saying, "Now, that''s more like it," and then followed closely beside Xu Yingying, giving Li Yifei a knowing wink.


    Li Yifei returned the smile and entered the mall with the two of them. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed the pleasure of the New Year like this, seeing all the dazzling items in the mall, choosing this, looking at that. It truly was a quite enjoyable experience.


    Xu Shanshan sidled up next to Li Yifei, smiling sweetly, and said, "Brother-in-law, you don''t seem like a shopping enthusiast."


    Li Yifei chuckled, saying, "There''s no choice. Your sister doesn''t like shopping, so I have to enjoy it when I have some free time."


    "Ha-ha, the woman works outside, the man works inside." Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei again.


    Li Yifei put down the small trinket he was holding and smiled, saying, "It''s also a kind of fun for me."


    "Impressive, impressive, not many men like shopping. But speaking of which, there aren''t many like my sister who don''t enjoy shopping either."


    Xu Yingying was already somewhat impatient. She didn''t need to buy these things, and being here felt like a waste of time. More importantly, she still had to hold on to Li Yifei''s arm, making her feel extremely awkward. She wanted to end this torture as soon as possible, saying, "Since you know I don''t like shopping, can''t you two speed it up? Can we just buy what we need?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, replying, "Sis, nothing''s waiting for you to handle right now on a big New Year''s day. Why rush? Strolling around leisurely might lead us to find something worth buying."


    Li Yifei also laughed and said, "Yes, we rarely come back. Let''s just accompany Shanshan for a stroll."


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up, saying, "Brother-in-law, you''re good, using me as a weapon so quickly."


    "Ha-ha, how dare I use you as a weapon? Let''s just say you''re showing us around."


    "That''s more like it. Come on, let''s keep walking." With that, she pulled Li Yifei''s arm and led them forward. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 11 Buy

    Chapter 11 - 11 BuyAt that moment, Li Yifei found himself between the two sisters, with his left arm linked and his right arm pulled; he truly felt as if he was enjoying the blessing of two.


    He could sense the extra glances from people passing by; the twin sisters were simply too eye-catching, making him, the green leaf alongside them, appear all the more vibrant.


    Especially the envious looks from other men made Li Yifei feel a small sense of pride.


    Suddenly feeling a pain in his left arm, Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Yingying, who was eying his right arm critically. Li Yifei could only respond with a wry smile, indicating that it wasn''t his initiative; it was Xu Shanshan who had taken the lead, and what could he do? Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying knew Xu Shanshan''s behavior didn''t necessarily imply anything, but for someone as meticulous as she was, her sister''s casualness was a bit much, although it wasn''t something she could comment on here, so she just had to suppress her displeasure and continue walking forward with them.


    After browsing through the first and second floors for a while, the three of them only bought a few small items for the New Year before heading up to the men''s section on the third floor.


    This time, Xu Yingying wouldn''t let them wander; she went straight to a brand store and bought Li Yifei a set of casual clothes, and then she hurried to the underwear section, intent on finishing their shopping quickly to return home.


    The men''s underwear section couldn''t compare to the women''s¡ªit wasn''t very large, and from outside, everything was in plain view. However, eighty percent of the shoppers there were women, with only a few men accompanying their partners.


    Xu Shanshan stopped, giggled, and said, "I won''t join you if you''re buying this kind of thing."


    Xu Yingying also didn''t want to go in, but with Xu Shanshan making such a comment, if she didn''t go, wouldn''t it seem like their relationship hadn''t progressed that far? So she had no choice but to stiffen up and walk in with her arm linked through Li Yifei''s.


    Without Xu Shanshan by his side, Li Yifei whispered immediately, "Yingying, the clothes we just bought were really expensive; they took more than half a month''s salary of mine."


    "I bought them for you," Xu Yingying replied indifferently, not minding Li Yifei''s miserliness. After all, he was there to help her this time, so it was her responsibility to take care of his expenses.


    "Thanks a lot, Yingying." Throughout the day, Li Yifei had indeed gotten used to calling Yingying naturally.


    "Let''s buy quickly, just pick a couple of items," she urged.


    "Isn''t that a bit improper? Look, Shanshan is still watching us. You should at least pretend to help me choose," he said.


    Xu Yingying was certain her sister would be watching them and secretly lamented the situation. Even with her own father, she hadn''t ever purchased underwear, and now here she was, buying it for this guy, Li Yifei.


    Fortunately, there were many women around, all seemingly so natural holding men''s underwear, so she wasn''t too embarrassed. However, she was entirely clueless about the brands of men''s underwear.


    The sales assistant was quite observant, noting Xu Yingying''s elegance and guessing she must be wealthy, promptly approached and offered, "This way, we have men''s underwear from major brands around the world."


    This indeed relieved Xu Yingying, so she nodded and followed the girl over, then upon reaching a brand counter, she said, "Take two sets of this brand for me."


    "Okay." The sales clerk immediately agreed with relish. Big brands like these always offer higher commissions. She looked at Li Yifei and asked, "What size does this gentleman wear?"


    Xu Yingying was taken aback, glanced at Li Yifei, and Li Yifei just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I have no idea."


    The sales clerk pursed her lips and chuckled, then took another look at Li Yifei and said, "I think this size should be about right. Why don''t you guys try it on?" With that, she handed a pair of underwear out, and she gave it directly to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying''s face turned red in an instant¡ªafter all, it was men''s underwear. How could she be handed that? But it seemed incorrect to decline, so she reluctantly took the underwear, holding it as if it were a ticking time bomb."


    "Just measure it against your boyfriend, and you''ll have a rough idea," the female clerk reminded her.


    Hurriedly, Xu Yingying faced Li Yifei with the underwear in hand, but the thought of the area she needed to measure made her feel extremely awkward. At that moment, she deeply regretted coming out with Li Yifei to buy underwear.


    Taking a deep, silent breath, Xu Yingying held the underwear up to Li Yifei''s waist to measure it, but it was a perfunctory attempt that didn''t provide any real sense of whether the underwear was a good fit.


    "Pfft!" The sales clerk couldn''t help but laugh out loud, but she quickly contained herself when she realized the two did not seem particularly close. She picked another pair of underwear and handed it directly to Li Yifei, saying, "Sir, I think the previous one might have been a bit small. See what you think of this one."


    Unexpectedly, Xu Yingying snatched the underwear first, saying, "Let me do it." She then held it up to Li Yifei''s waist and measured carefully, declaring, "This should be about right. We''ll take five of these."


    "Okay." The sales clerk was a bit surprised by Xu Yingying''s sudden change in behavior, but understanding that wasn''t her concern¡ªas long as she made the sale.


    She had no idea how a CEO like Xu Yingying would possess such strong adaptability and self-control. Even though it was embarrassing for her to do so, feeling Xu Shanshan''s eyes on them, she knew she had to maintain the act.


    After purchasing the underwear, Xu Yingying bought Li Yifei two dress shirts and a set of pajamas¡ªthe kind made from thin cotton fabric, comfortable for lounging and sleeping at home.


    Buying these items, Xu Yingying felt less embarrassed, especially after having dealt with the most awkward experience of buying underwear. Thus, the other purchases were significantly easier, and to show off for her sister, she rather deliberately picked and chose, consulting with Li Yifei about which ones to buy.


    This made Li Yifei want to laugh; Xu Yingying''s acting skills were quite something. Clearly, it was a treat¡ªfor even if it was all an act, why wouldn''t Li Yifei enjoy the play?


    Finally having finished shopping, Xu Yingying paid the bill and joined her sister. Xu Shanshan looked at the bags Li Yifei was carrying and said with a grin, "Brother-in-law, it looks like you were right. My sister does have a gentle side. She''s pretty patient when it comes to buying you underwear, hehe, I get it¡ªit''s because it''s something she can see."


    Xu Yingying, feeling a bit flustered, glared at her sister and said, "Stop talking nonsense. We''ve finished shopping, let''s go."


    Xu Shanshan then pouted and said, "Sis, you come all this way and you''re not going to buy anything for your dear sister?"


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and replied, "Alright then, let''s go upstairs, and you can pick it out yourself."


    "I knew my big sis was the most generous." Xu Shanshan immediately wrapped her arm around Xu Yingying''s excitedly and pulled her sister towards the upper floor.

 Chapter 12 Sprain

    Chapter 12 - 12 SprainThree people arrived at the fourth floor. Xu Shanshan looked through each shop one by one. The little girl picked out those youthful and fashionable clothes, trying them one by one, which made Xu Yingying feel exasperated. However, Li Yifei was watching with great interest. Seeing a pretty girl changing outfits for him to admire was a pleasure he never got tired of.


    "Sister''s husband, what do you think of this outfit?" Finding it dull to discuss with her sister, Xu Shanshan tried on an outfit and came directly in front of Li Yifei, spun around, and asked with an expectant face, "Sister''s husband, does it look good?"


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Not bad, Shanshan, this kind of clothing suits you best, it brings out your energy."


    In the morning, Li Yifei didn''t have a good look at Xu Shanshan''s figure, but now that Xu Shanshan was trying on clothes, he got a better understanding of her physique. Judging solely by appearance, Xu Shanshan''s figure was identical to her sister''s, both having slim waists and long legs.


    However, Xu Shanshan studied dance, making her body more flexible. Every move carried a sense of beauty, especially when she twirled in front of Li Yifei while trying on clothes, leaving onlookers dazed.


    "Sister''s husband knows how to talk; I''ll try something else." Xu Shanshan didn''t immediately decide to buy this outfit but wanted to try others. For her, trying on clothes was a kind of joy and enjoyment; buying clothes was secondary. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aren''t you done yet?" Xu Yingying appeared a bit impatient. She was completely different from Xu Shanshan; her purpose in trying on clothes was to buy them, and she wouldn''t try unless she intended to buy. Otherwise, it was wasted effort. Achieving the quickest results using the most straightforward methods was her habit.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Why are you rushing? It''s just past ten, we can head back before twelve."


    "Then you guys keep shopping; I can''t stand it anymore. I''ll go to the first floor and have some drinks while waiting for you," Xu Yingying said and straightforwardly turned to leave.


    "Yingying!" Li Yifei pretended to call out once.


    Xu Shanshan tugged at Li Yifei''s arm and said, "Ignore her, she''s always like that. Every time she goes out with me, she always ends up having drinks. Sister''s husband, join me."


    "But your sister..." Li Yifei seemed a bit embarrassed.


    Xu Shanshan pouted again and said, "Hmph, she''s your girlfriend, and I''m your sister-in-law, right? So if your sister-in-law makes a request, wouldn''t you agree?"


    "Uh... okay! Then I''ll agree with you, and I''ll just let your sister scold me later if necessary." Li Yifei was merely pretending to offer company; accompanying this sister-in-law was way more interesting and relaxing than being with Xu Yingying.


    "Hee hee, she won''t. Although my sister has a bit of a temper, she still needs to save face for you at home, let''s go..." Xu Shanshan happily tugged Li Yifei''s arm again and headed to the next fashion store.


    As they walked through each store, Xu Shanshan frequently tried on clothes and always displayed them in front of Li Yifei.


    "Shanshan, you''re simply a natural model; whatever you wear, it looks so good on you and carries a special charm," Li Yifei sincerely praised. "If I had the money, I would buy all these clothes for you, so you could change outfits daily. Seeing you in different clothes always brightens my day."


    "Giggle... if my sister heard you saying that, she''d definitely scold you."


    "Haha, I''m just telling the truth. It''s a pity that your brother-in-law is quite poor, and I can only buy you a set that doesn''t exceed a thousand yuan. Otherwise, I''d have nothing but northwest wind to drink next month."


    Xu Shanshan stood in front of Li Yifei, her hands behind her back. She was half a head shorter than Li Yifei, looking up with a squint, she said, "Sister''s husband, my sister has money. Can''t you just ask her?"


    "As a man, I can''t live off my girlfriend. Even though we''re together, we stay financially independent. So, my financial ability has its limits, and you can''t exploit your brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly patted Li Yifei''s shoulder and said, "Well, just for not pretending to be richer than you are, I approve of you."


    "Haha, just because you approve of me, I will certainly treat your sister well."


    "Giggle... well said, then I won''t bully you. It''s better to bully my sister; she has money."


    "That''s not right; this is my intention, and buying something for you is different from having your sister do it."


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei again, and her smile blossomed like a summer flower. She said, "Then I won''t hold back. Now, what I look forward to the most is for you, sister''s husband, to make a fortune soon. At that time, I want to go shopping with you and you won''t say no."


    "Of course, with such a sister-in-law, not indulging her would be a major failure."


    Though they had only been together for just over two hours, it was like being old friends, speaking quite freely.


    Finally, with Li Yifei''s suggestion, Xu Shanshan bought a long woolen sweater and a pair of light blue tight-fitting pants. As for knee-high boots, Xu Shanshan already had them, so she didn''t buy any more.


    Receiving a gift from Li Yifei made Xu Shanshan very happy; it was even better than when Xu Yingying bought her something. Not that she was taking advantage, but because shopping with Li Yifei was enjoyable, while buying clothes with her sister was merely about the purchase and listening to Xu Yingying''s criticisms.


    However, as the saying goes, "happiness leads to sadness." both of them were engrossed in their conversation and not paying attention to their steps when Xu Shanshan accidentally stepped on a banana peel.


    Such a situation usually wouldn''t occur in a mall, as the cleaning staff would promptly keep the area clean. Perhaps due to the busy holiday season, the cleaning staff hadn''t gotten around to it, and Xu Shanshan happened to step on it.


    "Ah!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed as her body fell backward. Li Yifei, with quick reflexes, immediately extended an arm to wrap around Xu Shanshan''s waist and pulled her upright with a forceful grip on her arm.


    Instinctively, and perhaps due to inertia, Xu Shanshan fell straight into Li Yifei''s embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.


    This situation completely caught Li Yifei off guard. Having such a soft fragrance in his arms was a sudden pleasant surprise, an unexpected delight, and quite comfortable. However, with many eyes around, he couldn''t continue to enjoy it. If Xu Yingying were to come up now, it would be an inextricable situation for him.


    He gently patted Xu Shanshan''s shoulder and softly asked, "Shanshan, are you okay?"


    Xu Shanshan, after regaining her composure, realized she was clinging to Li Yifei. She immediately felt a bit embarrassed and let go to stand up straight but stumbled slightly and, in a low voice, held onto Li Yifei''s arm for support.


    "What''s wrong?" Li Yifei sensed something was off and promptly inquired.


    "My foot hurts; I think I twisted it just now," Xu Shanshan replied with a frown and a pained expression.


    Li Yifei glanced around and said, "There''s a chair over there; let me help you over to take a look."


    "Okay." With Li Yifei''s support, Xu Shanshan hobbled over to the chair, grimacing with each step.


    "Don''t move; let me take a look." Li Yifei squatted beside Xu Shanshan, placed her injured left leg on his knee, rolled up her pant leg, and carefully examined her injury.


    Li Yifei gently moved Xu Shanshan''s ankle and asked, "Does it hurt like this?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded immediately and said, "Yes, it hurts."


    "How about this?"


    "This hurts a bit less."


    "And this?"


    "This doesn''t hurt."


    After a few tries, Li Yifei said, "There''s nothing major, just a simple sprain; it should be fine in a couple of days with some rest."


    "What! It takes two days? It''s the New Year, and I still want to go out and have fun." Xu Shanshan immediately pouted.

 Chapter 13 Treatment

    Chapter 13 - 13 Treatment"If you want to recover faster, let me give you a massage, that should fix it right away."


    "What are we waiting for, help me massage it."


    "But we''re in a public place..."


    "What''s there to be afraid of in here?"


    "It''s not that I''m afraid, but I need to take off your shoe."


    "Take it off, take it off." Xu Shanshan was very eager. She had always been a playful and mischievous girl, and being inconvenienced by a sprained ankle would be more distressing to her than anything.


    Li Yifei carefully removed Xu Shanshan''s shoe, revealing her foot clothed in a pair of gray cotton socks. The petite foot was just enough to fill his hand, seemingly delicate and boneless. Although he hadn''t seen the foot in its entirety, Li Yifei was certain it was the most beautiful one he''d seen among all the women he''d encountered.


    Li Yifei didn''t have a foot fetish, but everyone has an appreciation for beauty, and how could he not admire such a foot?


    "Brother-in-law, are you... going to rub it or not?" Xu Shanshan''s voice was soft and tender, her eyes watery with a mix of shyness and embarrassment.


    "Ah! I''ll rub it!" Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit awkward, as if he was caught doing something wrong, and he quickly started to massage Xu Shanshan''s foot earnestly.


    "Ah, it hurts."


    "Bear with it, it will be better soon." Perhaps feeling guilty, Li Yifei''s tone was extremely gentle, and his movements were very careful, not increasing the pressure until Xu Shanshan got used to the pain.


    Xu Shanshan was initially a bit embarrassed by Li Yifei''s attention to her foot, but as she watched him massage her so earnestly, a wave of tenderness slowly filled her heart. She had been doted on by her parents when she was younger, but as she grew up, they stopped pampering and cherishing her in the same way. Li Yifei''s attentiveness made her feel that sense of being cared for and spoiled once again.


    Li Yifei''s massage techniques were not ordinary. As a top-tier special forces operator, minor injuries during training were common occurrences, and one simply could not go to the hospital for every little thing¡ªespecially when out on missions, one had to take care of oneself. Over time, Li Yifei had become quite proficient at treating simple injuries. Xu Shanshan''s minor issue was easily managed by him.


    "Does it still hurt?" Li Yifei looked up to ask Xu Shanshan, only to meet her gaze, which held a special sparkle that made his heart involuntarily skip a beat or two.


    "It doesn''t hurt anymore, brother-in-law, you''re so kind." Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, showing off her pearly white teeth.


    "Am I your brother-in-law? If I don''t take good care of you, your sister might hold me accountable." Li Yifei chuckled and picked up the shoe, slipping it back onto Xu Shanshan''s foot.


    Xu Shanshan let Li Yifei attend to her without moving, her lips curving into a very attractive arc, but that arc disappeared before Li Yifei looked up again.


    "All done, let''s go. But you still need to be careful not to strain yourself." Li Yifei supported Xu Shanshan''s arm with one hand and her waist with the other, slowly helping her to stand up.


    Xu Shanshan tested her ankle and slightly furrowed her brows, saying, "It seems to still be a bit painful when I put weight on it."


    "That''s normal; it will be fine in a while."


    "Mmh, then you have to hold me and make sure I don''t fall again."


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got you." Li Yifei''s hand on Xu Shanshan''s waist applied a bit more pressure to emphasize his assurance. Her waist was very soft, befitting someone who practiced dance¡ªthe feel was amazing, almost addictive to touch.


    The two of them walked slowly forward, and suddenly, Xu Shanshan turned her head, leaned in close to Li Yifei''s ear, and whispered, "Brother-in-law, what were you daydreaming about just now?"


    "Daydreaming just now? No, why?"


    "I''m not talking about now. I''m talking about when you were taking off my shoe."


    "Did I?" Li Yifei pretended to be confused.


    Xu Shanshan playfully blinked and said proudly, "Stop pretending. You were clearly daydreaming. You actually held my foot and spaced out. Let''s see if I don''t tell my sister about this."


    Li Yifei, of course, refused to admit it and immediately said, "I was checking how badly your ankle was twisted. Only then could I take action. It''s like a doctor''s examination. I''m helping you with such seriousness, and you actually say I have dirty thoughts? That''s so unfair."


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, smiling with squinted eyes, "Really?"


    "Of course!"


    Xu Shanshan turned her head and continued walking forward, which allowed Li Yifei to let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, as Xu Yingying said, Xu Shanshan was a sly one. If there was a slight mistake, she really could catch it.


    Taking the escalator down one floor, Xu Shanshan suddenly asked, "Brother-in-law, do you think my feet are pretty?"


    "Oh... well..."


    Xu Shanshan shook Li Yifei''s arm and chided, "Stop hemming and hawing, I''m just asking if they''re pretty or not?"


    "They are indeed pretty," Li Yifei said truthfully.


    Xu Shanshan smiled proudly and then asked again, "Then tell me, whose feet are prettier, mine or my sister''s?"


    "Of course, they''re both equally pretty," Li Yifei responded offhand. Since the two were twins and looked so alike, their feet naturally would also be similar. Additionally, such a statement could also be interpreted as not wanting to offend Xu Yingying, so this seamless answer was fitting.


    "You''re smooth with words," Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei, her gaze carrying a hint of slyness.


    This made Li Yifei suddenly feel uneasy. Could it be that Xu Yingying''s feet were very different from Xu Shanshan''s? But he hadn''t seen what Xu Yingying''s feet looked like until now, plus, the information Xu Yingying gave him didn''t include details about her feet. He guessed such a thing would be overlooked by someone.


    He tried to get some clues from Xu Shanshan, but at that moment, Xu Shanshan changed the subject and said, "Ah, what a loss."


    "What''s a loss?"


    "I was so focused on having you buy clothes for you that I completely forgot about sister''s share. Isn''t that a huge loss?"


    "Haha, then you can let her buy it later. For now, you should go home first. It''s already noon, and they must be anxiously waiting at home."


    Xu Shanshan waved her little fist and said, "She can''t run away from it sooner or later. I can''t catch her this way more than a few times a year. I can''t let her off easy this time."


    When the two of them reached downstairs, it was almost twelve o''clock. Xu Yingying was already waiting impatiently, but when Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei appeared in her line of sight, her face grew even uglier. Li Yifei was holding several bags in one hand and wrapping the other arm around Xu Shanshan''s waist, while Xu Shanshan leaned against Li Yifei. Both were wearing smiles, looking so blissful that it would make anyone jealous.


    Xu Yingying certainly wouldn''t be jealous. After all, Li Yifei wasn''t her real boyfriend. She was angry. Li Yifei had come here to play her boyfriend, and now he was like this with her sister. Wouldn''t that expose the whole charade? Moreover, Li Yifei being so close to her sister, taking advantage of her, was even more intolerable. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If not for her good self-control, she would have rushed forward to slap Li Yifei at that moment. Instead, she just stood there, looking at Li Yifei coldly.

 Chapter 14: Making a Fuss

    Chapter 14 - 14: Making a FussLi Yifei had noticed Xu Yingying''s displeased expression long ago and immediately said upon approaching her, "Were you getting anxious? Shanshan twisted her ankle, and we had to rest a bit before coming down."


    With that simple sentence, he explained everything, and Xu Yingying''s sour look instantly turned into one of worry; she steadied her sister''s other arm and asked, "How is it? Do we need to go to the hospital?"


    "Can''t you see I can walk? What''s the need for a hospital? Let''s just go, let''s go home."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "You really are a worry, how can someone your size still manage to twist an ankle walking? When will you ever give me peace of mind?"


    "Big sis, cut the nagging. I''ve realized that when you get old, you''ll definitely be just like Mom, nagging non-stop every day."


    "You... do you even realize that this is me showing concern for you?"


    "Save it, your concern can be spared. Better to leave it for my brother-in-law to enjoy."


    In the company, Xu Yingying could call the shots, but in front of her little sister, she really didn''t have any answers and could only help Li Yifei support Xu Shanshan out of the mall.


    Once they reached the parking lot, Xu Shanshan said to Xu Yingying, "Sister, you drive."


    Xu Yingying had no intention of letting Xu Shanshan drive anyway; she took the car keys and went to the driver''s seat, while Li Yifei helped Xu Shanshan into the back. He meant to sit in the front passenger seat, but Xu Shanshan pulled him back, saying, "Brother-in-law, you sit in the back. It''s easier for me to talk to you there."


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying, and seeing that she had no reaction, he joined Xu Shanshan in the back.


    As soon as they were seated, Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Hey big sis, are you jealous over there? Hehe, don''t worry, don''t worry, I won''t compete with you for my brother-in-law."


    "Honestly, you''re a grown woman and still can''t speak a single serious word."


    "Relax, now that you''ve found your place, I''m happy for you too. I always thought with your rotten temper, you''d never get married in this lifetime. I ought to have a good chat with my brother-in-law about how to properly handle you."


    "Humph, as if you''re one to talk about temper. So, why haven''t you found a boyfriend?"


    "I''m not in a rush. I''m planning to have fun for a couple more years. Getting tied down in the fortress of marriage too early is just looking for trouble."


    "Give it up. Now that my issue is resolved, Mom and Dad will definitely turn their sights on you next."


    "Ah, that''s true, and now I''m really in trouble. Why did you have to bring a boyfriend home? Now you''ve really gotten me worried."


    "Humph, just for you always teasing me, now you can taste this feeling too."


    Xu Shanshan let out a wail and exclaimed, "Oh my god, the nagging from Dad and Mom, that''s a real lethal weapon."


    Along the way, the three talked and laughed, but it was mostly Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei who were enjoying the conversation. Xu Yingying found it hard to join in; firstly, she was usually a woman of few words, and secondly, their topics were all about playing and enjoying, matters that were seldom on Xu Yingying''s mind.


    "Stop the car! Stop the car!" Xu Shanshan suddenly banged hard on the back of the seat and shouted loudly.


    "What are you doing?" Xu Yingying, startled, cried out unhappily but still pulled the car over to the side of the road.


    "Firecrackers! Didn''t you see the firecrackers? We haven''t bought any firecrackers yet for our home."


    "What''s the use of those? Nobody at our home sets them off." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That was the past. Now we have a brother-in-law, right? You can set them off, can''t you?"


    "I, too, seem to have not set off any for many years. Buying some to add a bit of festivity isn''t a bad idea."


    "Exactly, brother-in-law, let''s go down and buy some."


    "No buying. It pollutes the environment."


    "With all your grand theories, driving a car pollutes the environment too, and I don''t see you walking every day."


    This remark left Xu Yingying at a loss for words, and she could only watch as the two got out of the car. After hesitating for a bit, she followed them.


    Li Yifei also loved to set off firecrackers as a child, but back then in the orphanage, such luxuries were out of reach. Later, when he joined the military, and particularly in that special unit, setting off firecrackers was certainly out of the question. Now, buying some firecrackers to set off really brought a vaguely excited feeling, like returning to the days of his childhood.


    Although Xu Yingying tried to stop her, Xu Shanshan still bought a lot, and even got two large firework displays, leaving Xu Yingying truly helpless.


    After everything was packed into the trunk, Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei started chatting even more enthusiastically, discussing which of the purchases looked best.


    When they got back home, Xu Yingying''s parents were preparing lunch. The New Year''s Eve meal had to be the most lavish meal of the year, a tradition passed down from the older generation. In the past, living conditions were poor, so the good stuff was only affordable during the New Year, but nowadays life is better, and New-Year-only treats can be eaten at any time, making the festive atmosphere not as strong as it used to be.


    As soon as they entered, Xu Shanshan excitedly shouted, "Mom and Dad, we bought a lot of firecrackers." By then, her foot was also better.


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily, "Exactly, it''s about time we bought some. In the past, our family had only you two girls, and you didn''t care for them. But now with Yifei around, making things livelier is certainly appropriate."


    Xu Shanshan became even more smug, making a face at Xu Yingying, "See, Dad supports me, yet you still wouldn''t let us buy."


    "Hmph!" Xu Yingying huffed and changed into slippers to enter the living room.


    While Xu Yingying was changing shoes, Li Yifei caught a glance of her feet unintentionally and noticed that her foot shape must be no different from Xu Shanshan''s. It seemed he might have been overthinking things.


    After entering the house, Xu Shanshan ran straight back to her bedroom, and before long she reappeared, dressed in the outfit Li Yifei had bought her, proudly running to the kitchen doorway and calling out, "Mom and Dad, how do I look in this outfit?"


    "Not bad, not bad at all. This outfit really looks great. You must have bullied your sister into buying it for you, right?" Xu Shanshan''s mother asked with a chuckle while picking greens.


    "Not at all, my sister doesn''t have that kind of taste. This was picked out by my brother-in-law."


    "Well, now you''ve really got someone to pick on, but... don''t go too far." Her mother''s voice dropped as she finished the sentence.


    "Got it. This set was only a little over six hundred yuan, it''s both economical and pretty. I really admire my brother-in-law''s taste."


    "That''s not bad."


    After showing off to her parents, Xu Shanshan ran over to Xu Yingying, who had just changed clothes, brandishing her own outfit with pride and saying, "Sis, look at the clothes brother-in-law bought me. They''re pretty, right?"


    Xu Yingying didn''t see them at the mall, but now at a glance, she was indeed impressed; the outfit toned down Xu Shanshan''s usual flamboyance and added a bit of sophistication, yet did not lose the youthful vitality. The loose sweater made Xu Shanshan look a bit more mature and atmospheric, and the tight pants highlighted her lively spirit. These two seemingly contradictory styles were perfectly combined, making it a rare set of clothes that she admired.


    Turning her head to glance at Li Yifei, Xu Yingying grew even more curious about this man. A security guard with such taste was indeed rare.


    "Does it look good or not?" Xu Shanshan, not getting the praise she expected, urged her sister impatiently.


    "It finally looks somewhat decent." Dropping this cool response, Xu Yingying headed into the kitchen.


    "Pfft! Such an act." Xu Shanshan muttered discontentedly, but such a comment from her sister was already very rare, so she proudly ran back to her bedroom to change clothes.

 Chapter 15 New Year’s Resolution

    Chapter 15 - 15 New Year''s ResolutionIt wasn''t long before Xu Shanshan changed into another set of loungewear, which was identical in color and style to Xu Yingying''s. If not for the differences in their head shapes, it would be challenging to tell the two sisters apart when they stood together.


    It must be because of the New Year; the heating was turned up especially high, so the temperature in the room was quite warm. Li Yifei was feeling hot in his outfit.


    "Brother-in-law, aren''t you hot?" Xu Shanshan sat cross-legged on the sofa, popped a grape into her mouth, and asked Li Yifei.


    "It''s okay," Li Yifei replied casually, but he really did want to change his clothes; he was truly uncomfortable in the suit.


    Just then, Xu Yingying''s mother walked out of the kitchen and said, "Yingying, haven''t you bought Yifei any clothes?"


    "I have," Xu Yingying answered confidently.


    "Then let Yifei change into them quickly, look, he''s sweating."


    Xu Yingying uttered an "Oh," and said to Li Yifei, "Go change your clothes. Nobody will say anything about you at home." It really sounded like the exchange between a couple.


    Li Yifei agreed and hurried into the bedroom. He changed into the new pajamas he had bought and threw his old clothes onto the bed.


    After changing into this set of clothes, Li Yifei felt completely comfortable. His least favorite thing in life was wearing suits, which he found stiff and constricting¡ªnot his style at all. He wouldn''t have worn a suit if it weren''t for Xu Yingying''s request.


    After coming out, Li Yifei went straight to the kitchen and asked, "Uncle, auntie, do you need help with anything?"


    Xu Zhenguo immediately said, "No need, just go watch TV and wait for the meal."


    However, Xu Yingying''s mother said, "Yifei, can you cook?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Yes, I cook when I''m with Yingying."


    "Hehe, then show us your skills. What do you want to make? I''ll be your assistant."


    "No problem." Li Yifei immediately rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and began cooking.


    Li Yifei''s cooking skills may not be exceptionally good, but they''re definitely something to show off. This preference for cooking was unique to him; he was never picky about anything else. But with food, he had quite the appetite. Over the years, he had sampled all sorts of delicacies and eventually became passionate about cooking himself. Whenever he had some free time, he would buy ingredients and cook, and over time, his culinary skills had actually become rather impressive.


    Today presented another opportunity for him to shine, and Li Yifei immediately got to work. The kitchen came alive with the flurry of the knife and the roar of the flames, and in less than an hour, he had transformed the ingredients Xu Yingying''s parents had prepared into a sumptuous lunch.


    "Wow, brother-in-law, no way, did you make all this?" Sitting at the dining table, Xu Shanshan sniffed the air, took a bite of a rib, and after chewing twice, exclaimed in surprise.


    "How is it? Does it suit your taste?" Li Yifei asked with a smile, enjoying the appraisal of the food he had cooked.


    "Delicious, delicious, your sweet and sour ribs are way better than my mom''s. They''re perfectly tangy and sweet, and the meat is tender without being greasy."


    "You little rascal, all these years, why do you still love eating what I make?" Xu Yingying''s mother laughed and scolded.


    "That''s because I hadn''t tasted anything better." As she spoke, Xu Shanshan sampled each dish, lavishing praise on each bite.


    Xu Yingying''s mother was the happiest at that moment. She knew very well that Xu Yingying was utterly hopeless in cooking. She had tried to teach her daughter in the past but gave up after a few attempts¡ªburnt dishes or mistaking salt for sugar, no amount of teaching seemed to help. Now that her daughter had found a boyfriend who could cook, it was truly a blessing for her.


    Xu Yingying had never expected Li Yifei to be this skillful either. After trying a few bites, she secretly admired his talent but still feigned indifference and said, "Everyone eat, I always eat his cooking; today, you all have to try Yifei''s cooking."


    However, after eating for a while, Xu Yingying''s chopsticks sped up. Li Yifei''s culinary skills were certainly no sham; the food was genuinely delicious.


    "Sis, you eat my brother-in-law''s cooking every day, don''t compete with me now."


    "Who''s competing with you?" Xu Yingying stopped her chopsticks and said, dissatisfied, "Can''t I just be hungry?"


    Li Yifei saw a slight upward curl at the corners of Xu Shanshan''s mouth, and a cunning glint flashed in her eyes. This made Li Yifei always feel like Xu Shanshan had figured something out.


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily and said, "Little Li, you really are talented. A man who can cook is adaptable. You''ll surely make no mistakes in your future endeavors. Come on, today is New Year''s, let''s all be happy, you and I should have another drink."


    Xu Zhenguo enjoyed his liquor but usually didn''t drink much, so no one tried to stop him. The two men started drinking merrily, while Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying kept eating the dishes non-stop. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sis, I want to discuss something with you." After eating until she was half full, Xu Shanshan looked towards Xu Yingying with a smile.


    "What is it?" Xu Yingying asked.


    "After you marry Brother-in-Law, our family of five should live together."


    "Do what?" Xu Yingying was confused.


    Xu Shanshan said with pride, "That way, I can eat Brother-in-Law''s cooking every day."


    Xu Yingying''s mother laughed and said, "You child, you will have to get married someday, too. Even if your sister and our family live together, wouldn''t you have to leave?"


    "Why would I? Even if I get married, I want to live at home. It would be so nice if we all lived together."


    "Things don''t work like that. Yifei is an orphan and will naturally live with us. When you get married, you either live on your own or with your in-laws."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said with pride, "Then I''ll marry someone who is an orphan too. If he has parents, I won''t marry him."


    "Nonsense," Xu Yingying''s mother scolded with a laugh. However, if such a situation did arise, she would gladly accept it. Although her daughters were grown up, she didn''t want them to leave her side. If they could bring their husbands back home after getting married, that would certainly be better.


    This time, Xu Zhenguo did not get drunk, for Li Yifei''s cooking was very much to his taste. Having eaten a lot of food, he didn''t feel like drinking anymore.


    After eating, Li Yifei helped to clear the table, but Xu Zhenguo firmly pulled him away, saying, "Let Yingying and the others handle such tasks. Women, you can''t spoil them too much. If you don''t let them do anything, they won''t be able to find their place at home or understand their responsibilities in the family, which is not good for the marriage."


    Li Yifei then joined Xu Zhenguo for tea and a game of chess, and by the time they finished, everything had been tidied up, with everyone now sitting in the living room.


    "Yifei, when are you and Yingying getting married?" Xu Yingying''s mother broached a rather pointed question just after a few words of conversation.


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying and smilingly said, "Auntie, I''m afraid we''ll have to wait another two years. Right now, my career is not yet established. If Yingying and I were to marry now, it could hinder her career as well, and I would also feel somewhat inferior."


    Xu Yingying''s mother immediately said, "What kind of talk is that? What do you have to feel inferior about? I think you''re quite good. You''re capable both inside and outside the home. You might not earn as much as Yingying, but as long as we have one breadwinner in the family, that''s enough. If both of you are career-oriented, then who''s going to take care of the home? If you both work outside all the time, coming and going, the home will be cold and empty, which is not good."


    Xu Zhenguo promptly interjected, "What you''re saying isn''t right. If Yingying takes care of things at home while Little Li works outside, that''s acceptable. But now Little Li is the one at home, which is very damaging to a man''s pride. And considering Yingying''s temper, if they had a quarrel and this issue was brought up, there would surely be problems."


    Xu Yingying''s mother glared at him and said, "That''s all old-fashioned thinking. What era are we in now? It''s not a given that the man has to work outside and the woman has to manage the household. Just look at our Yingying. Do you think she could stay at home and not work?"


    Xu Zhenguo retorted, unyielding, "Do you understand how important a man''s pride is?"


    "Pride, pride. Can pride put food on the table? It seems to me that even without giving you any pride, you haven''t done anything to me," she taunted.


    Her words immediately deflated Xu Zhenguo, and after she triumphed over her husband, she continued smilingly to Li Yifei, "Yifei, I''m not looking down on you. You surely know Yingying''s temperament. With her personality, she''s suited for working outside. If you were to start a business, you''d end up stretched thin, trying to handle both work and home. So it''s perfect if you get married now. In the future, if you find something suitable, the two of you can work together on it, which wouldn''t be bad."


    Li Yifei was considering how to deflect the issue when Xu Yingying chimed in, "Mom, you have to give us some time, don''t you? I promise you, we''ll get married this year, all right?"


    "Good, good. Then later I''ll go and pick a date to see when''s appropriate." Xu Yingying''s mother was already discussing with Xu Zhenguo who they should ask to select an auspicious date.

 Chapter 16 Cipher

    Chapter 16 - 16 CipherAfter midnight, it would be a new week. Tomorrow, Li Yifei wanted to see if he could reach the popularity charts, and the criteria for that included everyone''s favorites, clicks, votes, and tips. He had been writing for over seven years and never actively asked for tips before, as they were given by readers at their discretion. He felt embarrassed to ask, but this time, he had to be a bit thick-skinned since tips also counted towards popularity. So, he nervously said, "After midnight, give me some tips."


    If he made it to the popularity charts, he promised at least four updates a day, and if his rank improved, then five updates, valid every week!


    Seeing Xu Zhenguo smiling brightly, it was clear that he and his wife had planned their earlier argument; one played the role of the bad guy, and the other the good guy.


    Xu Shanshan had seen through this a long time ago, and now she giggled, while Xu Yingying felt a bit helpless. She also knew her parents'' tactics, but if she didn''t agree, this topic would drag on endlessly. So, she decided to agree first. After the New Year, she could say that she broke up with Li Yifei, and since there wouldn''t be a fianc¨¦, she would be able to muddle through another year.


    During the New Year, everyone gathered together and needed some fun. Xu Shanshan proposed playing Mahjong, as it was the best opportunity for the youngest sister in the family to win money from everyone.


    Around the Mahjong table sat Xu Zhenguo, his wife, Xu Shanshan, and Li Yifei, while Xu Yingying didn''t play. Every year, she would grit her teeth and play a bit, but this year, with Li Yifei around, she felt completely free. After watching a few rounds, she went to another room to open her laptop and do some work; she was truly a workaholic, already thinking about plans for the coming year.


    Everyone was having such a good time that nobody bothered Xu Yingying.


    After playing a few rounds, Li Yifei suddenly felt a sharp pain in his thigh. He turned to look at Xu Shanshan, who was sitting next to him, and saw her winking at him.


    Before Li Yifei could figure out what was going on, he felt warmth on his thigh. It turned out Xu Shanshan''s left hand was on his leg.


    This startled Li Yifei. What was the sister-in-law thinking, secretly touching his leg like that? It was too risqu¨¦, and not to mention, he was only her fake brother-in-law. Even a real brother-in-law wouldn''t be able to resist such a temptation.


    But things got even more intense when Xu Shanshan''s fingers began to draw circles on his thigh, making the temptation even stronger.


    If it were just the two of them, that would be one thing, but they were in front of Xu Shanshan''s parents. It seemed she was being a bit too bold.


    "Six Bamboo!" Xu Shanshan shouted loudly as she played a tile with her right hand, while her fingers pinched Li Yifei''s thigh again.


    "Why so loud? Do you have a good hand?" Xu Shanshan''s mother mockingly scolded her daughter.


    "Ha ha, no big hand, but you have to play with style to get good tiles." Then she started drawing circles on Li Yifei''s leg again.


    Li Yifei finally understood Xu Shanshan''s intention; she wanted to cheat by signaling him to play certain tiles, not seducing him. This left Li Yifei feeling both amused and helpless, but he couldn''t deny her request. Feeling her signal for Two Characters, he threw it out.


    "Steal!" Xu Shanshan shouted immediately, and under the table, her hand patted Li Yifei''s leg twice in appreciation.


    With Li Yifei''s cooperation, it was impossible for Xu Shanshan not to win. She scored several big wins in a row, raking in over a thousand yuan.


    However, for Li Yifei, having a beautiful woman''s hand on his thigh, drawing circles now and then, how could a normal, physically robust man endure it?


    "Hey, Little Li, how come whenever Shanshan needs a tile, you happen to play it?" Xu Zhenguo asked suspiciously as he shuffled the tiles.


    "Right, whatever Shanshan needs, Yifei just plays it. You must be cheating." Xu Shanshan''s mother suddenly caught on.


    "No way, I just met my brother-in-law this morning. How could I scheme with him? Don''t blame your loss on not accepting it." Xu Shanshan, of course, would never admit it no matter what.


    "That won''t do, we need to change places. There''s definitely something going on between you two." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fine, let''s switch. I''ll still win." Xu Shanshan had no choice but to stand up since her parents were already suspicious. If they didn''t switch, it would indeed be exposed.


    Once seated again, Xu Shanshan''s mother teased, "Yifei, don''t mind this child, nothing excites her like bullying someone she can. Now you don''t have to be embarrassed."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Shanshan didn''t bully me."


    "Alright, play again. Shanshan, now you don''t have your brother-in-law helping you. Let''s see how you win."


    "Humph, I''ll still win." Xu Shanshan wasn''t fazed when caught; she showed no embarrassment or nervousness while cheeky with her parents.


    After a few rounds, Xu Shanshan couldn''t win anymore without Li Yifei''s help. Angered, she pouted her lips, feeling dissatisfied and unwilling.


    Li Yifei found it quite amusing; Xu Shanshan sometimes had a bit of a childish temperament, unlike her more mature sister.


    Regardless of winning or losing, Li Yifei never had such a homely feeling before. He felt very grateful to Xu Yingying for hiring him to pretend to be her boyfriend. It ensured he wouldn''t spend the New Year alone and bored.


    While they were engrossed in their game, someone stepped on Li Yifei''s foot, but he didn''t mind at first, thinking his legs were stretched too long. He quickly drew them back.


    But then he saw Xu Shanshan across the table winking at him again, and he realized that the footstep was intentional. This girl, unable to use her hands, now resorted to tricks with her feet.


    This reminded Li Yifei of the wonderful feeling when he held Xu Shanshan''s little foot in the mall, so he couldn''t help but stretch his foot forward.


    Almost immediately, Xu Shanshan''s foot was on his. He could even feel she wasn''t wearing socks, her soft sole pressing down on his foot with a bit of warmth, and it was more stimulating. He wondered when Xu Shanshan had taken off her socks.


    "No more tricks, now," Xu Zhenguo reminded warmly when he noticed Xu Shanshan behaving restlessly.


    Xu Shanshan snorted, straightened up, and said, "What tricks can I play? My brother-in-law and I are sitting face to face."


    "Then why are you fidgeting?"


    "My back itches, so I''m just scratching it."


    "You child, you''re so old and still not behaving properly."


    "But we''re at home, right? Should we still stick to formalities at home?"


    Li Yifei, observing Xu Shanshan''s posture, deduced that if he didn''t stretch his leg forward, Xu Shanshan wouldn''t be able to reach his foot by sitting upright. Since the sister-in-law had made her request, he couldn''t refuse her, could he? Hence, he stretched his leg a bit forward.


    Xu Yingying''s foot landed atop Li Yifei''s right away. She didn''t show much expression, but she was evidently quite satisfied with Li Yifei''s cooperation.


    The Mahjong table was a regular square table with a cloth underneath the tiles. The cloth was long enough to drape over the laps, so even if the two of them had some leg movements, as long as they weren''t too big, the people beside them wouldn''t see.


    Most importantly, Xu Shanshan''s parents couldn''t have imagined that the brother-in-law and sister-in-law were actually using their feet to communicate under the table.

 Chapter 17 I Will Expose It

    Chapter 17 - 17 I Will Expose ItChapter Seventeen: I Will Expose You


    But, after all, with a patron around and Xu Shanshan''s luck seemingly improving, she indeed started winning more often.


    The Xu Zhenguo Couple didn''t notice anything amiss with Xu Shanshan this time, even if the tiles Li Yifei played allowed Xu Shanshan to make a move, it seemed normal.


    After playing for more than three hours, Xu Shanshan had won over two thousand yuan, looking incredibly pleased with herself. Unfortunately, more than half of the winnings were from Li Yifei, who kept feeding her tiles. His own game was a mess, having won not even three rounds. No wonder he lost.


    Li Yifei himself didn''t have much money; if Xu Yingying hadn''t given him three thousand yuan in advance, he would''ve been broke by now. Having lost over a thousand and after buying Xu Shanshan a set of clothes, he didn''t have much left.


    "We''ll play again tonight; I need to go chop the filling now," said Xu Shanshan''s mother as she got up from the table. It was a custom to eat dumplings on New Year''s Eve, and she disliked buying ready-made frozen dumplings, so everything had to be prepared from scratch.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan, quite satisfied, stuffed the money into her pocket and happily ran off.


    Li Yifei''s foot was finally free. During this time, his foot had really taken advantage of her, and now it was time to relax.


    He went into Xu Yingying''s bedroom, closed the door behind him, and Xu Yingying removed her laptop from her laps, asking, "Lost quite a bit, huh?"


    "Yes, I''m not good at this."


    "Here." Xu Yingying took out a stack of cash from under her pillow and handed it to Li Yifei.


    "What''s this for?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled, looking at Xu Yingying.


    "All the money lost is on me. You play with mom and dad to make them happy," Xu Yingying said with a light smile. She didn''t like playing mahjong, but she wanted to please her parents. Now that Li Yifei was keeping her parents company, she was quite content.


    "Then, I won''t be polite about it; otherwise, if we play again later, I won''t have the money to lose."


    "Hmm, you''ve done well," Xu Yingying praised him again. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan''s voice came calling.


    "Quick, put the money away," Xu Yingying urged Li Yifei in a hurry.


    Li Yifei swiftly put away the money, just as Xu Shanshan burst into the room. Seeing one of them sitting on the bed and the other standing, she laughed, "Didn''t interrupt anything good, did I?"


    "What good thing? What do you want?"


    "Brother-in-law, come help me with something," Xu Shanshan said, blinking her eyes.


    "Sure!" Li Yifei agreed cheerfully and followed Xu Shanshan to her room.


    With a flick of her wrist, Xu Shanshan closed the door and locked it. Then she gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up. "Brother-in-law, you''re so cool."


    Having played a whole game with Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei was quite casual with her and laughed, "You''re telling me? My foot is almost bruised from your stepping."


    "Hehe, come on, let''s split the loot," Xu Shanshan hopped onto her bed, crossed her legs, and took out all the money.


    Xu Shanshan''s room was filled with little trinkets on the headboard and windows¡ªunlike Xu Yingying''s simpler room. With a sizable stuffed toy on the bed, she seemed to have retained some childlike traits, a significant difference from her sister, though they were close in age.


    Casually sitting on the edge of the bed, Li Yifei said with a grin, "No need."


    "What do you mean ''no need''? You don''t have money, and besides, you were deliberately letting me win. You could hardly make a winning hand yourself, of course, we''ll split the loot. Oh right, you just came from my sister''s room¡ªdid she reimburse you?"


    "You really guessed it," Li Yifei smiled.


    "Hehe, then I won''t share with you, consider it my win over my sister," Xu Shanshan said, unapologetically pocketing the money again.


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei with surprise and then smirked, "Tell me, brother-in-law, are you really my sister''s boyfriend?"


    Li Yifei asked with a smile, "Do you think I''m an imposter?"


    "Yes, you are an imposter," Xu Shanshan replied confidently.


    "Why?" Li Yifei sat down.


    "Do I even need to say why? My sister, so proud, how could she find a boyfriend so easily? And with her character, if she did find a boyfriend, he would have to be better than her. I don''t believe your kind of story. A security guard with her, intersecting paths, I don''t buy it for a second."


    "Love is often blind."


    "Pfft, I believe love is blind, but it takes two people genuinely in love for one to sense the endearment. Look at you two together. Apart from putting on an act, there''s not a trace of affection in my sister''s eyes when she looks at you. When you look at her, there''s no sense of tenderness either. So, you''re definitely posing."


    "Then do you think, with your sister''s personality, she would let an impostor like me sleep in the same room as her?"


    "This..." Xu Shanshan immediately stumbled over her words.


    "Hehe, you''re half right. Although my relationship with your sister hasn''t reached the point of a death-do-us-part kind of love, we really are together and both of us are trying hard to adapt to each other. Give us some time, and you should see all the things you''re looking to find," Li Yifei said.


    "Really?" Disbelief was evident in Xu Shanshan''s eyes.


    "You can see for yourself," Li Yifei said, a proud smile on his face before leaving Xu Shanshan''s room.


    Xu Shanshan waved her fist, self-assuredly saying, "Hmph, I will definitely expose you both. Big sis, you think you can fool me? No chance."

 Chapter 18: Showing Off Skills

    Chapter 18 - 18: Showing Off SkillsAfter leaving Xu Shanshan''s room, Li Yifei went straight to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Auntie, let me do the chopping."


    Xu Yingying''s mother immediately responded with a smile, "No need, no need. You go play."


    "I''ve just played for half the day. I''m all stiff from sitting; it''s a good time to move about." Li Yifei took the kitchen knife without further ado, his wrist flicked, and he began to chop the filling.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying''s mother watched Li Yifei with even greater fondness. In the eyes of the older generation, having money and ability was certainly important, but Xu Yingying was now the head of a company. Having a daughter who could earn money was enough. A man like Li Yifei, who could cook so well and take care of the home, was what they valued even more.


    "Auntie, you should take a rest. You''ve also worked hard all year, and you deserve a break. Tonight, leave everything to me." Li Yifei went on as Xu Yingying''s mother still stood behind him, turning around with a radiant smile.


    "Alright, for so many years, it''s always been me bustling about, while the three of them lazed around. Today, it''s my turn to relax."


    "From now on, Auntie, you can relax every New Year when I''m here."


    "Good child, Yingying really has a sharp eye in finding you."


    Xu Yingying''s mother returned to the living room and said to her husband, who was pruning the family''s bonsai, "Old man, I''m growing fonder and fonder of Little Li. Our Yingying''s life will be blessed with him by her side."


    Xu Zhenguo chuckled and said, "Yes, even you, the old mother-in-law, have been liberated. How can it not be good?"


    "Eh, Mom, weren''t you chopping the filling?" asked Xu Shanshan as she ran out and saw her mother sitting on the sofa, cracking melon seeds and watching TV, and immediately called out in surprise.


    "Your brother-in-law snatched the job from me, so I just retired."


    Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed dramatically, "Wow, you''re treating my brother-in-law like a laborer?"


    Xu Shanshan''s mother glared at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about, child?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue, then giggled and ran to the kitchen, where she stopped at the doorway. Her eyes widened as she watched Li Yifei now holding a kitchen knife in each hand, the knives moving swiftly up and down, making rapid noises. All the while, he continuously flipped the filling without slowing down or making a single sound of contact between the knives.


    After watching for a good half a minute, Xu Shanshan stuttered, "Brother-in-law... are you performing some kind of juggling act here?"


    Li Yifei didn''t stop his hands and looked toward Xu Shanshan with a smile, "What kind of juggling?"


    "This... it''s just too fast, isn''t it?" Xu Shanshan pointed at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei''s knives danced in his hands, scooping up the already chopped filling into a bowl nearby, leaving not a single trace of minced meat on the cutting board.


    Xu Shanshan rushed over to hug Li Yifei''s arm, exclaiming excitedly, "Wow, brother-in-law, are you chopping filling or performing? This is the first time I''ve seen someone turn such a tedious task into something so pleasing. Brother-in-law, you''re really cool."


    Li Yifei slapped his two knives down on the cutting board and laughed heartily, saying, "This is the first time I''ve been called handsome for chopping filling."


    "It''s really handsome, this is practically an art; those commoners definitely can''t see it, only I can appreciate it."


    Li Yifei couldn''t help but smile and said, "Are you praising me, or are you praising yourself?"


    "Both, both, we''re kindred spirits, giggle." Xu Shanshan laughed cheerily.


    With the beautiful Xu Shanshan watching by his side, Li Yifei felt an urge to show off. He made the cleaver dance even more impressively, causing Xu Shanshan to scream and shout in amazement.


    "What are you yelling for?" Xu Yingying came out from the bedroom at this moment, frowning as she entered the kitchen. But as soon as she saw Li Yifei''s dancing cleaver, she was startled and quickly pulled Xu Shanshan away, scolding Li Yifei, "What are you doing, chopping filling or performing tricks? What if you accidentally hurt someone?"


    The same phrase "performing tricks", but coming from the mouths of sisters Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, had completely different meanings. Xu Shanshan''s words were filled with admiration and praise, whereas Xu Yingying''s were critical.


    Xu Shanshan, very dissatisfied with her sister pulling her away, leaned forward and said, "Stop causing a fuss here; you''re disturbing my view of brother-in-law chopping the filling."


    Xu Yingying immediately put on her older sister''s air, glared, and said, "What''s there to watch about chopping filling? You''ve grown so big and I''ve never seen you in the kitchen, so what are you mixing in here for now?"


    By this time, Li Yifei had finished chopping the filling and had also put it into the filling bowl. He said, "Alright, it''s done. Shanshan, you and your sister should go out, or else your sister might take it out on me later."


    Xu Shanshan, still not having had her fill of watching, immediately directed her dissatisfaction at her sister, pouting and saying, "Brother-in-law, I really don''t understand how you can tolerate my sister, she''s such a killjoy."


    Xu Yingying immediately got annoyed and snapped, "What did you say?"


    Xu Shanshan unyieldingly responded, "I said you''re a killjoy. Something that''s clearly fun, in your eyes, becomes dangerous. Being with you is just boring, utterly boring!"


    Seeing the sisters about to quarrel again, Li Yifei hastily tried to smooth things over and pulled Xu Yingying, saying, "Yingying, don''t be angry, I shouldn''t have shown off. If anyone''s to blame, it''s me, not Shanshan."


    Xu Shanshan immediately pouted, saying, "See that? That''s how magnanimous my brother-in-law is."


    Xu Yingying then remembered Li Yifei''s identity and her expression softened, but she still glared at her sister and said, "He can be thoughtless, and you join in the chaos. What if you get hurt by mistake? I''m doing this for your own good."


    Xu Shanshan was ungrateful, snorted, and said, "Spare me your ''for your own good'' routine. You always like to impose your will on me, why? I am me, you are you; what you like doesn''t mean I like it, and what you don''t like doesn''t mean I don''t." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You..." Xu Yingying''s chest heaved, clearly quite angry.


    "It''s the New Year, let''s all speak nicely. You''re the older sister, give in to your younger sister a bit." Li Yifei pulled Xu Yingying again.


    Xu Yingying huffed and turned to walk out. Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out at Xu Yingying''s back, then turned to Li Yifei with a mischievous smile and asked, "Brother-in-law, aren''t you going to continue?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "The filling is all chopped up; now we just have to wait for the dumplings to be wrapped."


    Xu Shanshan pouted unhappily and said, "It''s all my sister''s fault, she ruined my fun."

 Chapter 19 Fireworks Scare

    Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Fireworks ScareXu Shanshan and Xu Yingying¡¯s bickering was already a common occurrence. As soon as they were apart, everything became fine. After they finished making dumplings, the five of them sat around to watch the Spring Festival Gala.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t watched the Spring Festival Gala in years. The programs fascinated him, and together with everyone chatting while eating and drinking, the homely atmosphere completely enchanted him.


    Over the years, he had been on mission after mission. During his downtime, he trained hard to improve his abilities, to avoid losing his life during a mission. So to speak, not just the Spring Festival Gala but watching TV was quite a luxury for him.


    Compared to those times, his life now was relaxed and pleasant. Although this girlfriend was fake, and the sister-in-law was fake, they were both beauties. Being with them, chatting and watching TV, in itself was a blissful thing.


    Time flew by fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was past ten o¡¯clock. During this time, Li Yifei had also made dumplings with Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, while this pair of twin sisters hadn¡¯t lent a hand at all.


    Outside, the sound of firecrackers began to crackle and was getting more intense. The TV inside was loud, yet it was not very clear. Xu Yingying frowned, while Xu Shanshan ran to the window, watching outside and excitedly cheering.


    Although these two sisters were twins, their personalities were quite different. If not for their appearance, people would definitely think Xu Yingying was older than Xu Shanshan by several years, as Xu Yingying exhibited a maturity not typical for her age, while Xu Shanshan displayed more innocence.


    "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s go downstairs to set off fireworks," Xu Shanshan shouted directly at Li Yifei without calling anyone else.


    Li Yifei readily agreed. He and Xu Shanshan changed clothes and went to the door together.


    "Be careful and stay safe," Xu Yingying, who had also come to the door, advised them uneasily.


    Xu Shanshan nonchalantly said, "No one used to accompany me. Now that brother-in-law is here, what are you worried about?"


    "I¡¯m worried about him, who is as crazy as you," Xu Yingying said, as Xu Shanshan tugged Li Yifei and ran out of the house. This left Xu Yingying helplessly shaking her head. Bringing Li Yifei, this fake boyfriend home, seemed like she got Xu Shanshan a playmate instead. She barely spent time with Li Yifei. Nonetheless, her sister spent more time with Li Yifei.


    The two of them took the elevator straight to the underground parking lot, grabbed fireworks from the car, then headed to the community courtyard. The property¡¯s management was quite good with strict oversight, so random fireworks were not allowed. Only in the small central square were they permitted.


    Li Yifei carried two large boxes of fireworks while Xu Shanshan held other smaller items, excitedly heading to the small square. A sizable crowd had gathered around, and men in the center were setting off fireworks and firecrackers, while children around played with little sparklers and such, creating a festive atmosphere.


    Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t in a hurry to light the big fireworks. She asked Li Yifei to set them aside, then started lighting the smaller items, gleefully laughing. She was a carefree girl with a smile brighter than the fireworks.


    Being with Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei completely relaxed. He even felt as if he had returned to those carefree days years ago, childishly competing with Xu Shanshan to set off small sparklers.


    The fireworks in the square were set off in batches, and soon it was Li Yifei and their turn. They placed the big fireworks in the square¡¯s center, lit them, and ran away quickly with Xu Shanshan, heads up watching the colorful fireworks bloom in the sky.


    A dark shadow plummeted from the sky at high speed, trailing a faint glow. Everyone in the square only focused on the fireworks bursting above, oblivious to the shadow descending from the sky.


    The shadow was heading directly for Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. Nobody else saw it, but Li Yifei noticed immediately. Moreover, he recognized it as a firework shell that hadn¡¯t exploded in the sky, now falling. From the sparks still sputtering, it seemed likely to explode any moment.


    "Move!" Li Yifei yelled, but the people around were oblivious to the impending danger from above, unable to react in time.


    Li Yifei panicked. A firework shell exploding in the air looked beautiful, but its explosive power was considerable. If it exploded near people, it could even threaten lives.


    Without any hesitation, he forcefully pushed a few people aside, then leapt and tackled Xu Shanshan to the ground.


    For others, he could only do what little he could. But for Xu Shanshan, he had to absolutely ensure her safety. This was a judgment a special forces soldier must make first.


    "Hey, why did you push me?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with you!"


    "Wow!"


    Those pushed aside by Li Yifei complained and a child cried from falling, but those sounds were overwhelmed by an ear-splitting explosion. The firework shell had exploded on the ground. Luckily, the people there had been pushed away by Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan, initially shocked by being tackled by Li Yifei, didn¡¯t know what he was doing. Though she could at least tell Li Yifei wasn¡¯t taking advantage of her here. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing the explosion nearly deafened her ears, yet she quickly understood Li Yifei had protected her.


    After the explosion, everyone hurried over in a panic. No one was hurt, just a little dazed. This left everyone feeling very fortunate. However, those who were pushed down by Li Yifei realized they had been saved. Nonetheless, they couldn¡¯t find Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had already pulled Xu Shanshan back into the building. Although they didn¡¯t take the elevator, they stood in the hallway on the first floor. Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei with gratitude, "Brother-in-law, thank you for saving me earlier."


    Li Yifei grinned, "No need to thank me. We¡¯re family."


    Xu Shanshan beamed, "Yeah, no need to be polite. But, brother-in-law, you were amazing. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d really be out of luck today, maybe even lose my life. Plus, those people around, you saved them too. Why did you rush to take me away? You saved them! Shouldn¡¯t you let them thank you?"


    "Thanks and more thanks, such a hassle. By the way, let¡¯s not mention what happened downstairs when we go back, otherwise they¡¯ll worry, and your sister will definitely scold us."


    Xu Shanshan nodded eagerly, "Exactly, she¡¯d definitely say, ¡¯I told you setting off fireworks is dangerous; now see what happened.¡¯" Xu Shanshan mimicked Xu Yingying¡¯s manner of speaking. Since their voices were similar, her imitation was spot-on.


    Li Yifei laughed, "For sure."


    "I don¡¯t want her to say that. But... you saved people so heroically; shouldn¡¯t you let sis know? She¡¯d be nicer to you then, right?" Xu Shanshan squinted at Li Yifei but laughed before he answered, "But you¡¯re not real, so you don¡¯t care what she thinks, right?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Actually, what¡¯s most important between two people is the feeling, not heroic deeds. Those can distract from truly seeing someone. Being with your sister, I don¡¯t want those things to affect us."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes were full of disbelief. She leaned closer, "Brother-in-law, I feel like you¡¯re someone with a story, and it¡¯s fascinating. You just don¡¯t want my sister affected by it, right?"


    Li Yifei was a bit taken aback. Xu Shanshan indeed had keen observation. She inferred so much from his few words. No wonder she noticed he and Xu Yingying weren¡¯t typical. Making this sister-in-law believe was indeed a challenging task.

 Chapter 20 Discovered

    Chapter 20: Chapter 20 DiscoveredThough I didn¡¯t make the list, I¡¯m still posting the fourth update¡ªafter all, so many readers have supported me, it¡¯s worth adding another Chapter tomorrow!


    "Brother-in-law, can you tell me some of your old stories?" Xu Shanshan clutched at Li Yifei¡¯s sleeve, gently shaking it twice, her face full of anticipation.


    Li Yifei flashed a toothy smile and said, "You¡¯re wishing for too much there, I¡¯m just an ordinary guy, and I don¡¯t seem to have any memories that are worth remembering."


    Xu Shanshan stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, shook her head firmly, and said, "I don¡¯t believe that."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and replied, "You don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, but when I have time, I¡¯ll tell you about my past, and you can see if there is anything you¡¯d like to hear. Just don¡¯t be too disappointed then."


    "I won¡¯t be disappointed, definitely not!" Xu Shanshan called out joyfully.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "But shouldn¡¯t we be going upstairs now? Uncle and Aunt are waiting for us to go up and eat dumplings."


    Although Xu Shanshan was somewhat reluctant, today clearly wasn¡¯t the right time for stories, so she went upstairs with Li Yifei.


    Eating dumplings and gnawing on pork knuckles, Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents were very traditional, and every New Year¡¯s Eve they would have such a meal.


    Looking at the steaming hot dumplings and the well-sauced pork knuckles, Li Yifei¡¯s memories suddenly traveled back to seven years ago¡ªit was a New Year¡¯s Eve dinner just like this one, his parents gave him the biggest pork knuckle and watched him with smiling faces as he devoured it.


    His leg got kicked, and he heard Xu Yingying say discontentedly, "What are you thinking about? Mom is talking to you, and you¡¯re not saying a word."


    Li Yifei quickly apologized to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, "Auntie, I¡¯m so sorry, I was just thinking about some things from the past, and before I knew it, it¡¯s been quite a few years since I¡¯ve had a New Year¡¯s Eve dinner like this."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately said, "Don¡¯t think about the past anymore, forget any unhappy thoughts. Today is New Year¡¯s, so just think about happy things. From now on, come to our house for New Year¡¯s every year."


    Li Yifei nodded, nodding vigorously, and then he picked up a big pork knuckle and bit a large chunk off of it, which caused Xu Yingying to frown¡ªshe felt Li Yifei really wasn¡¯t paying enough attention to his image.


    However, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents squinted their eyes at this time, looking extremely happy. The more Li Yifei was like this, the more real he felt to them; they actually didn¡¯t like those boys who were always so reserved in front of them.


    With the midnight chimes, Xu Shanshan sprang up and said, "Dad, happy New Year, Mom, happy New Year, Sister, happy New Year, Brother-in-law, happy New Year." The girl rattled off her greetings like popping beans, bowing to each of the four in turn.


    The Xu Zhenguo Couple immediately each took out a red envelope and handed them to Xu Shanshan, and Xu Yingying also gave Xu Shanshan a red envelope, giving her sister a look and said, "It¡¯s only at this time of the year that you really think of me as your sister."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Not really, when you give me benefits, I always think of you as my sister." Then she reached out her hand towards Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying had already prepared Li Yifei¡¯s red envelope in advance, and at this point, Li Yifei handed over the red envelope to Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan happily pocketed the red envelope and ran into the room to count her money.


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei also stood up at this point, respectfully wishing the Xu Zhenguo Couple a Happy New Year. Xu Yingying¡¯s greetings were considerably formal, while Li Yifei had no psychological barriers. Putting aside everything else, just being able to spend such a peaceful New Year here, Li Yifei felt he truly owed the Xu Zhenguo Couple a proper New Year¡¯s greeting.


    "Yifei, this is for you," the Xu Zhenguo Couple said as they each handed Li Yifei a red envelope.


    "Thank you, Uncle, thank you, Auntie," Li Yifei replied cheerfully, taking the envelopes. He felt a warm glow inside him. It wasn¡¯t about the size of the red envelopes, but the atmosphere they came with. Especially for someone like Li Yifei, who had lost both parents, receiving these red envelopes was a significant comfort.


    After finishing the New Year¡¯s greetings, Xu Yingying called Li Yifei back to the bedroom and threw him a pair of socks and a new shirt, saying, "Get changed."


    "Change clothes even if we¡¯re going to sleep?" Li Yifei was a bit confused.


    Xu Yingying said, "This is called ¡¯stepping on the tiny men¡¯. Put on the new shirt too, then go out and walk around. It symbolizes a fresh start for the New Year. Go out and let my parents have a look. It¡¯s a tradition in our family."


    Li Yifei immediately cheerfully changed into the socks but hesitated when he looked at the shirt. He whispered, "Should I change into it now?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sharp glare and said, "Turn around to change, and don¡¯t look back."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I might not be able to restrain myself, then."


    "You dare?" A fierce gleam flashed in Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, and the authority of a CEO burst forth.


    Li Yifei gave a sheepish smile and said, "I wouldn¡¯t dare, after all, you¡¯re the boss." He then turned around and began to undress.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to undress so readily. She quickly turned around as well. Her parents were waiting outside, and it would seem odd if she and Li Yifei did not go out together. Therefore, they both had to change in the room. However, she didn¡¯t quite trust Li Yifei; she believed he wouldn¡¯t dare do anything inappropriate to her, but as for sneaking a peek at her, he certainly had the nerve to do that.


    Climbing onto the bed, Xu Yingying pulled the covers over her and began to change underneath. Because she wasn¡¯t facing away from Li Yifei, she ended up seeing him change. She hadn¡¯t intended to peek, but she couldn¡¯t help stealing a few glances. This made Xu Yingying¡¯s heart flutter, embarrassed by her own impulses. Yet she couldn¡¯t deny that Li Yifei¡¯s back was quite impressive, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist¡ªperfectly described as ¡¯gorilla arms and wasp waist¡¯. Moreover, the muscles on his back became more pronounced with every movement of his arms.


    "I really didn¡¯t expect it; the guy is pretty strong," she thought, "but...he must have been up to no good before. Just look at all those scars on his back, too many to count."


    "I¡¯m going to take off my pants now," Li Yifei suddenly blurted out.


    Xu Yingying jumped at the remark and quickly turned her head away, saying, "Then you do your thing." Her heart, however, thumped wildly at the thought that he might know she had been peeking. How embarrassing that would be! But she consoled herself with the thought that he was just giving a normal heads-up.


    Despite reassuring herself, Xu Yingying still felt like she had been caught doing something bad by Li Yifei. So, she tucked her head under the covers as she changed to avoid any chance of Li Yifei catching her in the act.


    After changing clothes, both were in form-fitting shirts, and Li Yifei suddenly felt his blood pump faster. Xu Yingying¡¯s figure was perfectly showcased¡ªevery curve and contour accentuated by the fitted clothing. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying saw Li Yifei¡¯s face darken as he watched her, and he promptly, startled, broke into a grin, saying, "You saw me without my clothes; surely, you won¡¯t get mad if I look at you twice, will you?"


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed red with embarrassment, realizing her fears had come true¡ªLi Yifei had noticed her peeping.

 Chapter 21 Hero Saving Lives

    Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Hero Saving LivesThe two of them went out, and Xu Yingying¡¯s face was still flushed. Just as Xu Shanshan also walked out from the opposite door, she immediately exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent, "Sis, your face is so red, you must have been up to no good."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned even redder. She glared at Xu Shanshan and reprimanded, "Nonsense." However, if it led her sister to think this way, then she wouldn¡¯t believe that the relationship between her and Li Yifei was fake, which wasn¡¯t entirely a bad thing.


    At this moment, Li Yifei found his mouth somewhat dry. Both Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying were wearing the same kind of shirt, perfectly showcasing their curvy figures. Coupled with the fact that the two sisters were twins, both equally perfect and beautiful, looking at them filled him with impulsiveness as a man.


    Xu Shanshan sensed Li Yifei¡¯s gaze on her and playfully stuck out her tongue at him, saying, "Watch out, or my sister will make you sleep on the floor tonight."


    Xu Yingying immediately turned her head to stare coldly at Li Yifei. Li Yifei quickly coughed to cover his embarrassment.


    Xu Shanshan had already run over to her parents, and Li Yifei quickly followed. He was afraid Xu Yingying might lose her temper at this point.


    Xu Zhenguo and his wife exchanged a few words of blessing, then the family of five went back to their rooms to rest.


    When Li Yifei and Xu Yingying entered the room, Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei coldly and said, "Keep your distance from Shanshan."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "I haven¡¯t been that close to her."


    "Hmph, remember your role. You are my boyfriend."


    "I know, since I¡¯m your boyfriend, I can¡¯t just pretend not to know my sister-in-law. Besides, a sister-in-law teasing her brother-in-law is kind of a long-standing tradition in our country."


    "What I¡¯m telling you is to have no intentions toward Shanshan. If you dare to do anything to her, I¡¯ll make your life miserable."


    "This job is really not easy, alright, alright, I¡¯ll try to do better and make you, the president, more satisfied."


    After saying this, Li Yifei took his quilt and other things and placed them on the floor, lying down in his new shirt.


    Xu Yingying said little, turned off the lights, and got into bed.


    That night, Xu Yingying slept more soundly, possibly because Li Yifei had behaved yesterday, so she didn¡¯t worry he would do anything to her. She was also afraid he would fall asleep first and snore, keeping her from being able to sleep. In any case, she fell asleep quickly.


    When she woke up, she found that Li Yifei was no longer in the room, and his quilt and other things were also gone. She quickly got up, changed her clothes, and opened the door only to hear Li Yifei talking with her mother in the kitchen, which made Xu Yingying very satisfied. This guy was indeed performing quite well.


    "Yingying, go wake up Shanshan too. Someone will be coming to pay their New Year respects later." At this moment, Xu Zhenguo said to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying agreed and went to pull the reluctant Xu Shanshan out of bed.


    After breakfast, it was already eight-thirty. The sound of knocking on the door began, and those coming to pay their New Year respects started arriving.


    Xu Zhenguo¡¯s apartment was purchased through a unit collective purchase, so in this building, he had many colleagues. Since Xu Zhenguo was a leader, those subordinates naturally came to pay their New Year respects, so there was an endless stream of visitors early in the morning.


    "Huh, you were the one who pushed me down yesterday, weren¡¯t you?" A man in his thirties came in, having paid his respects to Xu Zhenguo and his wife. When he saw Li Yifei, he was immediately a bit surprised and asked.


    Xu Yingying immediately frowned, while Xu Zhenguo was a bit puzzled and said, "Little Wang, what¡¯s the matter? This is our Yingying¡¯s boyfriend, Li Yifei."


    The man called Little Wang looked at Xu Shanshan again and immediately exclaimed excitedly, "That¡¯s right! Last night, a firework shell didn¡¯t explode in the air, it landed on the ground and exploded. I didn¡¯t even notice, it was Little Li who pushed me down, saving me from being hit by the firework. Director Xu, you know how powerful that firework was. Little Li practically saved my life."


    Li Yifei also knew he couldn¡¯t deny it, so he smiled and said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t mention it, I just acted on instinct."


    "This was no casual gesture. There were six or seven people there yesterday. You saved them all; otherwise, it would have been disastrous. Everyone was looking for you afterward, but you left, and no one noticed you were with Shanshan; otherwise, they would have come over to thank you sooner."


    Xu Zhenguo initially thought Li Yifei had caused some trouble, but upon hearing this, he was immediately relieved. He chuckled and said, "No need to thank us. We¡¯re all neighbors."


    Xu Shanshan became even more pleased and immediately started jabbering about the events of last night. Although she hadn¡¯t seen it, her imagination was extremely vivid, and her storytelling ability was outstanding. She described it so vividly, as if she had seen it with her own eyes, especially when talking about Li Yifei, making him sound incredibly brave, almost like a Spider-Man-like superhero.


    The more Xu Zhenguo and his wife listened, the happier they became. The more satisfied they were with Li Yifei, this incident showcased both a person¡¯s character and their ability. Managing to push six or seven people aside without anyone getting hurt requires exceptional skills. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying was also seeing Li Yifei in a new light. To her, Li Yifei was merely a security guard, not someone who could be considered talented, perhaps just strong. But now it seemed he was not so simple, at least from this incident, he achieved something most people couldn¡¯t.


    However, when she heard that Li Yifei finally pressed Xu Shanshan to the ground, Xu Yingying frowned. Once the visitors left, she immediately dragged Li Yifei, who was being praised by her parents, into the room.


    "What are you doing? You wouldn¡¯t say you disagreed with us buying fireworks from the start, would you?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying with a bitter smile.


    Xu Yingying snorted, "You already realized it, so why should I say anything? I just want to know, why did you press Shanshan down? Couldn¡¯t you have just pushed her aside?"


    Li Yifei immediately widened his eyes, looking at Xu Yingying with some displeasure. He said, "Listen up, Xu president. I didn¡¯t know the others; it¡¯s not my concern whether they got hurt or not. But Shanshan is your sister, and I went out with her. I had to be responsible for her safety. I blocked the blast¡¯s shockwave with my body. Can¡¯t you see that?"


    Xu Yingying was momentarily stunned. Li Yifei continued, "That could be considered an act of sacrifice for others. You didn¡¯t praise me or give me any reward. Instead, you think I took advantage of Shanshan. In that situation, do you think I had time to think about such things? And... Xu president, can¡¯t you be more optimistic and not always suspect others of doing bad things?"


    After saying this, Li Yifei ignored Xu Yingying, swung his arm, and turned around to leave the room.

 Chapter 22 Return to Hometown

    Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Return to HometownXu Yingying never expected that Li Yifei would speak to her in such a tone, and at first, she was a bit annoyed. This was absolutely a huge contempt for her as the CEO. But after carefully thinking about what Li Yifei had said, she felt there was some truth in it. In that situation, if someone could still think about taking advantage, they must have immense confidence in themselves.


    Having realized this, Xu Yingying¡¯s expression calmed down, and she too walked out of the bedroom. She saw Li Yifei talking with her parents, both of whom were beaming with smiles and praising Li Yifei, while Xu Shanshan sat beside him, looking so happy and joyful.


    Watching the two of them, Xu Yingying suddenly felt that Li Yifei paired up with her sister seemed quite fitting. At the very least, no matter how crazy Xu Shanshan seemed usually, always going out with friends, the number of boys she took a fancy to was extremely few. She had never seen her getting along so well with a guy like this before.


    If Shanshan and Li Yifei got together, it actually might be nice... The moment Xu Yingying entertained this thought, she found it utterly absurd. Not to mention that Li Yifei was just a lowly security guard, and currently pretending to be her boyfriend, it would be impossible for their parents to accept Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan getting together in this household.


    "Move over a bit," she said upon reaching the sofa, and Xu Yingying stood between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei, giving her sister a little kick.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "I¡¯m not fighting with you for a brother-in-law, so why are you acting so sour?" She then scooted over to make space.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother laughed and scolded, "You girl, always babbling nonsense."


    The two sisters had fought with each other since they were young, wanting everything to be equal. If one had something the other didn¡¯t, it would definitely lead to a fight. As they grew older and each found their own jobs, they no longer fought as much, but the competition between them never ceased.


    Just then, more people arrived. Little Wang, who had left earlier, had apparently told others about Li Yifei¡¯s act of heroism. The people he had saved yesterday were now all coming to express their gratitude to Li Yifei, bringing great honor to the Xu Zhenguo Couple.


    At the Xu Zhenguo Couple¡¯s age, they no longer cared much about their own accomplishments. What mattered most to them were their children. If their children were doing well, they could rest easy. Now that Li Yifei had gained recognition from so many neighbors, it proved their daughter had good taste and, of course, it brought them face as well.


    Especially since Li Yifei had saved someone without seeking recognition, it pleased Xu Zhenguo immensely. Such unexpected praise was the most delightful.


    An aunt praised, "Yingying really has an eye for talent, even her boyfriend is so amazing."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately replied with a laugh, "Hehe, I don¡¯t care about all that. What I value the most is that Yifei is very considerate and good at housework. He cooked all of our New Year¡¯s food. This year has definitely been the most relaxing one I¡¯ve had."


    "Sister, you¡¯re so lucky. Unlike my son-in-law, who just lounges around like a lord when he¡¯s at my place, doing nothing."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother beamed even more, saying, "As long as the children are doing well, we¡¯re satisfied. Hehe, now that Yingying has found a good match, it¡¯s just Shanshan we need to worry about. I hope Shanshan can also find a good family to marry into."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s face darkened instantly, and she quickly protested, "Mom, my sister isn¡¯t even married yet, can you not drag me into this already?"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I involve you? You¡¯re only two hours younger than your sister. If she¡¯s getting married this year, you need to start looking too. Marrying you off will let me rest easy."


    Xu Shanshan wailed, "Really, Mom? You want to marry off your dearest youngest daughter so soon?"


    At that moment, Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan smugly, knowing that after bringing Li Yifei home, it would be Xu Shanshan who had to listen to their mother nag. Finally, she could be free of it.


    On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Xu Family arrived at their old home in the suburbs. Xu Zhenguo¡¯s elderly father lived here, and the five spacious bungalows were quite imposing.


    The Xu Family had lived here for decades, and they had many relatives in the area. Since Xu Zhenguo was considered the most successful member of the Xu Family, their arrival immediately drew the seven aunts and eight uncles to converge on the place.


    And of course, what they were most interested in was Li Yifei, Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend. Everyone bombarded Li Yifei with questions, and he managed to respond appropriately. However, there was a noticeable drop in enthusiasm when they learned his job was merely a security guard. But when Xu Yingying¡¯s mother mentioned how bravely Li Yifei had saved someone the night before, plus his excellent cooking skills and his attentiveness to Xu Yingying, everyone eventually accepted him as the prospective son-in-law.


    After the big family meal at midday, Li Yifei retreated to a room on the west side and finally let out a sigh of relief. Facing this crowd was, in fact, even more daunting than dealing with terrorists.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were also in this room. Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Brother-in-law, feeling a bit overwhelmed?"


    Li Yifei laughed dryly and said, "Everyone¡¯s just so enthusiastic, I¡¯m not sure if I did anything wrong, embarrassed your sister."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "You did quite well."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Thank you, boss, for the praise."


    But before Li Yifei could relax for long, the young folks of his generation dragged him into playing cards. Li Yifei, of course, couldn¡¯t refuse and joined in the game. After dinner, they played until after ten o¡¯clock before finally releasing him.


    New Year¡¯s is all about the festive atmosphere, especially in the countryside where the festive feeling is even stronger. However, it must be said that it could be quite exhausting too.


    Today everyone was resting here. Xu Zhenguo Couple had already gone to bed, but at this point, Li Yifei had no idea which room he should sleep in. Just then, Xu Yingying came over, and Li Yifei immediately asked, "Where am I sleeping tonight?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression was quite peculiar as she led Li Yifei to the same western room. As he looked around, Li Yifei realized why Xu Yingying had that look on her face.


    There was only one bed in the room, with a cement floor¡ªit was clear he couldn¡¯t sleep on the floor again. The bed was only one and a half meters wide, which, while big enough for two people, surely meant that he was actually going to share a bed with Xu Yingying tonight.


    "You¡¯re not going to tell me you¡¯re staying here too, are you?" Li Yifei asked cautiously.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t reply, but instead went to close the door and locked it, using this gesture to answer Li Yifei¡¯s question directly. Li Yifei immediately felt his breathing quicken. Damn it, sharing a bed with a beauty like Xu Yingying was going to be the death of him. The worst part was that Xu Yingying would surely not let him do anything; it wasn¡¯t a blessing but a curse.


    "Behave yourself, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude," Xu Yingying said coldly before climbing into bed. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were two quilts on the bed, not separate, but spread out together. The rooms in the countryside were quite cold, and one quilt wouldn¡¯t be warm enough, so two quilts were prepared for the two of them.


    After Xu Yingying got into bed, she immediately separated the quilts, took off only her coat, and lay down.


    Li Yifei turned off the lights and climbed into bed, too, removing just his coat before pulling the quilt over himself. The room instantly went quiet, but Li Yifei could distinctly feel Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing was erratic. Clearly, the beautiful CEO was very tense, even more so than the first time they had stayed in a room together.

 Chapter 23: Endless

    Chapter 23: Chapter 23: EndlessAfter a moment of silence, Xu Yingying said, "Li Yifei, I believe you are a capable person. Once we¡¯re back at the company, you can come to work for me. What job would you like to do?"


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying was making this offer out of fear that he might do something to her, so at this time, she was promising benefits to make Li Yifei think twice. For Li Yifei, being in the same bed with a beauty like Xu Yingying was indeed a test. However, such a test was definitely not something he couldn¡¯t resist.


    In the past, many of the missions Li Yifei undertook were of national secrecy level. Therefore, they had to undergo a lot of training to prevent them from spilling secrets in case they were captured. Training for resisting temptation by beauties was also essential; otherwise, they would succumb to any beauty who came their way and forget their own fathers, let alone be considered qualified super agents.


    When it came to beauties, he might not be completely immune to temptation, but his heart was always on guard. The kind of situation where desire clouded his judgment was absolutely not going to happen to Li Yifei.


    Now, even though he had returned to urban life and was about to lead a normal life, the training Li Yifei had undergone was still ever-present in his body. Thus, even if he shared a bed with Xu Yingying, he could restrain himself and not do anything untoward to her. However, since Xu Yingying had put it that way, how could she be reassured if he didn¡¯t agree with her? S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "President Xu, you¡¯re not just saying this, are you?"


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "To be honest, I didn¡¯t know much about you, but based on your performance over the past couple of days, I feel you truly have talent. If you can bring out more of your potential in my company, do you really want to be a security guard forever?"


    Li Yifei immediately looked quite excited and said, "Of course, I don¡¯t want to be a guard. In the eyes of others, aren¡¯t guards low-class citizens? Look at the people in the office buildings; every one of them looks down on us, ordering us around. If I had the chance to be a white-collar worker, I would still want to be one. But as you know, I don¡¯t have the educational qualifications, not even a college diploma. Can I become a white-collar worker in your company?"


    "A person¡¯s ability is not determined by their diploma. As long as you have the ability and the willingness to work hard, there will be no problem."


    "Alright, since the president said so, I¡¯d be a fool not to agree. But... I really don¡¯t know what I could do."


    Xu Yingying pondered for a moment and said, "I feel there are two departments that might suit you, one is the marketing department and the other is logistics. The sales department is quite tough, but you can earn more, whereas logistics is also busy but doesn¡¯t require you to run around outside all the time. You choose."


    Without any hesitation, Li Yifei immediately said, "Then I¡¯ll go to logistics."


    Xu Yingying was somewhat disappointed. She had actually hoped that Li Yifei would choose the marketing department because it was very challenging. But Li Yifei chose logistics, where it would be harder for him to showcase his talent. Nevertheless, her main goal right now was to secure Li Yifei¡¯s loyalty by making him feel that she had offered him a benefit, so that at the very least, he would have some considerations in his actions.


    Xu Yingying could become a president and lead a small branch to such success because she had methods of managing people. If she could not manipulate her subordinates well, the company would not be able to perform so successfully.


    A person, if without any hope, would dare do anything. But once they have hope and expectations, they will have considerations when acting. Xu Yingying was using this psychology to promise Li Yifei benefits at this moment.


    Therefore, she immediately said, "That¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll arrange for you to join our company¡¯s logistics department. What I, Xu Yingying, have said will stand; I will not go back on my word."


    "Thank you, President Xu. Does this mean I count as a white-collar worker now?"


    "Of course, you do. If you want to change departments later, you can also tell me. Though I feel the best department for you would still be marketing, where there are more opportunities, more commission, and if you do well, a better chance of promotion. But in logistics, I¡¯m afraid it would be more difficult for you to get a promotion and a raise."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Thanks, President Xu, but I do have a bit of self-awareness. I¡¯ve never been to college and only served as a soldier for a few days; how could I deal smoothly with clients¡¯ issues? So I think logistics suits me better."


    "Logistics isn¡¯t as easy as you might think either; it¡¯s still very demanding."


    "But it¡¯s still a white-collar job, isn¡¯t it? The main thing is that I¡¯m capable of handling it."


    "Alright then, you can start in logistics first."


    "Thank you, President Xu, heh, I¡¯m going to be a white-collar worker now," Li Yifei said, looking quite excited.


    Xu Yingying looked down on Li Yifei somewhat, as a man without ambition. He didn¡¯t know how to grasp the opportunity given to him and instead was complacent about becoming a white-collar worker, demonstrating no prospects of advancement. Therefore, Xu Yingying¡¯s opinion of Li Yifei dropped significantly.


    "Let¡¯s sleep," she said before turning over, her back facing Li Yifei. For a man who was easily satisfied, there seemed to be even less cause for worry.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure when he fell asleep, but he was awakened by the cold feeling on his forehead. The single layer of blanket was no longer enough to keep him warm.


    Although there was an electric heating pad under the bed keeping the mattress warm, the room temperature had dropped considerably, a common trait in the countryside, where people burned their own heating fires. By the late night, when the fire died down, the room naturally became cold. The locals were accustomed to it, but for someone who lived in a heated apartment building, it would be uncomfortable.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind the cold, but the drop in temperature instinctively woke him up. Just as he was about to go back to sleep, Xu Yingying moved closer to him.


    Guided by the starlight outside the room, Li Yifei saw Xu Yingying curled up into a ball, obviously very cold.


    After hesitating for a moment, Li Yifei pulled half of his blanket over Xu Yingying¡¯s, keeping only half for himself. Xu Yingying soon felt more comfortable and her body relaxed.


    With only half a blanket covering him, Li Yifei could feel a draft but managed to close his eyes and fall asleep. In the past, he could sleep even in tougher conditions, let alone now with a warm electric heating pad beneath him.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he had slept when he awoke again, not due to cold but to warmth, as someone was now in his embrace. He and Xu Yingying shared the same blanket, which now covered both of them and brought warmth through their snuggling together.


    At that time, Xu Yingying was lying on her side facing him, her arm wrapped around his back and one leg entwined with his, sleeping soundly.


    Although both were dressed in several layers, holding a beautiful woman in his arms still made Li Yifei feel his mouth go dry. He swallowed hard and discarded any idea of making a move. Xu president was not someone to be trifled with. If he did something, the consequences would be terrifying.


    Moreover, he could tell that a woman like Xu Yingying was no pushover. If anything happened between them, it would certainly be troublesome. Although he wanted to lead an ordinary life, he wasn¡¯t ready to be tied down by a woman yet. As attractive as Xu Yingying might be, she was too much for him to handle. So he took a deep breath to calm his restless heart and closed his eyes to fall back asleep.


    When he woke up again, it was because of the cold look Xu Yingying was giving him. Li Yifei didn¡¯t open his eyes immediately but assessed the situation, and he inwardly cursed his luck.


    Xu Yingying was lying flat on her back, only her face turned towards him, and one of his hands had somehow slipped under her neck while the other hugged her shoulder, his leg pressing down on hers. No wonder Xu Yingying, who had woken up first, hadn¡¯t gotten out of bed but was staring at him instead.


    What was worse, his hand that had found its way under her neck was now inside the collar of her clothing, though it hadn¡¯t touched her breasts, it was against her skin.


    With her arms and legs pinned by him, she wasn¡¯t just unable to get out of bed; she couldn¡¯t even pull his arms away. That¡¯s why she was looking at him with a murderous glare.


    Thinking of how to explain their current situation, Li Yifei continued to feign deep sleep. After two more minutes, he moved a little and then slowly opened his eyes. When he met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, he froze, then flustered like one stung by a scorpion, struggled to let go of Xu Yingying, and in apparent panic said, "President Xu, I... I... How did I end up sleeping in... the same blanket with you?"


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t speak, just kept staring at Li Yifei. He quickly sat up and, meeting Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, stuttered, "President Xu, I really didn¡¯t mean to do it. I woke up once in the middle of the night... saw you were cold, so I put half of my blanket over you. Look... that¡¯s what happened, but I didn¡¯t know how afterward... President Xu, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose."


    Xu Yingying glanced at the blanket covering her, indeed one half was Li Yifei¡¯s. She saw that what Li Yifei had said was more or less true.


    "President Xu, is it... is it still possible for me to go work at your company?" Li Yifei then cautiously asked.


    This time Xu Yingying truly believed Li Yifei. A small fry so concerned about his job wouldn¡¯t have the nerve to assault her in the middle of the night. Besides, judging by how her body felt, she hadn¡¯t been violated. However, the fact that she ended up under the same blanket with Li Yifei and even allowed his hand into her clothing made her quite irritated.


    With a "hmph," Xu Yingying said, "I, Xu Yingying, always do what I promise."


    "Thank you, President Xu, thank you. You are truly generous," Li Yifei immediately said with great gratitude, but inwardly he was filled with regret.

 Chapter 24 Gathering

    Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Gathering"Knock, knock!" Accompanied by a knocking sound, Xu Shanshan called from outside the door, "Sis, Brother-in-law, time to get up!"


    Xu Yingying responded and then whispered to Li Yifei, "Let¡¯s just forget about this matter, don¡¯t feel burdened, you are now my boyfriend."


    Li Yifei hastily nodded his head, then took a deep breath, smiled at Xu Yingying, and said, "No problem now."


    Xu Yingying nodded, got up to open the door, and Xu Shanshan immediately squeezed in. She glanced at the quilt on the bed and then scrutinized their clothes, chuckled, and said, "You two got dressed pretty quickly, huh?"


    Li Yifei coughed dryly, showing a bit of embarrassment, while Xu Yingying glared and retorted, "What do you mean by that; are we supposed to stay undressed for you to see?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "If you¡¯re not wearing clothes, there¡¯s nothing to see, but Brother-in-law... hehe, I wouldn¡¯t dare to look."


    Li Yifei chuckled, quickly started folding the quilt, and after he finished, he put on his outerwear, by which time Xu Yingying had also dressed.


    "What are you doing running over here so early in the morning?" Xu Yingying asked.


    Xu Shanshan let out a light laugh and said, "Nothing much, Mom woke up early and that woke me up, so I came to bother you all."


    "Hmph, you really are bored," Xu Yingying said as she fixed her hair, which was curled into large waves and quite easy to manage.


    "So what should we do? There¡¯s nothing to do this early in the morning. How about we go out for fun later?"


    "What¡¯s there to do for fun, isn¡¯t chatting with Grandpa nice?"


    "You come back home once a year, but I visit every month. Grandpa doesn¡¯t miss me, Brother-in-law, will you go play with me, please?"


    Xu Yingying immediately vetoed the idea, "No way, your brother-in-law also has to keep Grandpa company."


    "Boring, hmph, I¡¯ll go find someone else to hang out with then," Xu Shanshan said to Xu Yingying while sticking out her tongue, then turned and ran out.


    Xu Yingying shook her head, feeling completely helpless about her sister, then turned to Li Yifei with a smile and asked, "What are you laughing about?"


    Li Yifei responded, "I just wonder, you two are identical twins, so how can your personalities be so different?"


    Xu Yingying, feeling rather helpless, said, "Hmph, she¡¯s just a child who won¡¯t grow up, I really don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll let me stop worrying about her."


    "It¡¯s not like that. I think Shanshan¡¯s way is alright too, being happy and carefree. A girl should just live happily, there¡¯s no need for her to be so full of ambitions and pursuits like you."


    Xu Yingying, dissatisfied, said, "You¡¯re not allowed to say these things to Shanshan, or she¡¯ll become even more insolent. I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t expect her to be like me, but she can¡¯t just run off to play all the time, especially not with those sketchy people she calls ¡¯art friends.¡¯ I see them as a bunch of people with no real skills who use art as an excuse."


    Li Yifei, not familiar with the situation, said, "Well, I don¡¯t really know about that. If the people Shanshan is hanging out with are really sketchy, then we should indeed intervene."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and suddenly asked, "Are you good at fighting?"


    "I¡¯m okay, why? Do you want me to fight someone?"


    "It¡¯s not about fighting, but finding an opportunity to teach those guys a lesson and keep them away from Shanshan."


    "Really? Interfering like that in Shanshan¡¯s friendships might just make her angry."


    "Hmph, so what if she gets angry, I¡¯m her sister, what have I got to be afraid of?"


    "This... I think it¡¯s better to be cautious. If you trust me, I¡¯ll take the chance to meet Shanshan¡¯s friends and see what kind of people they are. If they really aren¡¯t up to snuff, I¡¯ll deal with them. If they¡¯re okay, then I think we should just let her be."


    "You..." Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes showed extreme skepticism.


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "If you don¡¯t trust me, then there¡¯s nothing I can do."


    At this point, Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Then go and check them out. They are bound to have some gathering in the next few days; just follow along."


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "No problem, this one¡¯s on the house, a bonus."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "I¡¯ve already given you plenty, and besides, when we get back, I¡¯ll be arranging a job for you, so it¡¯s only right that you do a bit extra."


    Seeing Xu Yingying speak in such a tone was rare, and Li Yifei just chuckled before he and Xu Yingying went out to the living room. Grandpa and the Xu Zhenguo couple were there, but Xu Shanshan was nowhere to be seen.


    After breakfast, a round of New Year¡¯s visits began, with even distant relatives joining in, creating a buzz all around, before the Xu Yingying¡¯s family of five finally returned to their home in the city that afternoon.


    Compared to the bustle of the countryside, their city home felt relatively quiet. Xu Shanshan answered several calls as soon as she arrived home, with friends discussing plans for a get-together.


    After Xu Shanshan finished her calls, Xu Yingying said, "Shanshan, since your brother-in-law doesn¡¯t have anything to do at home, why don¡¯t you take him out for a bit?"


    Xu Shanshan looked at Xu Yingying in surprise and asked, "You trust me to take my brother-in-law out without worry? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll lead him astray?"


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "I want him to keep an eye on you."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "No problem," then gave Li Yifei a wink. She had always been skeptical about Li Yifei as a brother-in-law, but since he was sharing a room with Xu Yingying, she couldn¡¯t help but believe that Li Yifei was her sister¡¯s boyfriend.


    She actually thought this brother-in-law was pretty nice and wasn¡¯t afraid of Li Yifei at all. In fact, she got along with him very well, and the thought of going out with him was very appealing.


    Around five o¡¯clock, Li Yifei left home with Xu Shanshan, who didn¡¯t drive because they were planning to drink that evening.


    They hailed a taxi and arrived at a place called Art Bar. The decor seemed quite unique, but the interior was a bit dark. After circling around a round corridor, they reached a small hall surrounded by chairs and tables. At that moment, six or seven people were sitting at two tables, drinking, while a young man with long hair sat on a small stage in the center, playing a guitar and singing a song Li Yifei had never heard before.


    "Shanshan¡¯s here," someone called out first, and then everyone greeted Xu Shanshan warmly as she appeared very familiar with them all.


    "Shanshan, who is this?" inquired a long-haired woman who wore a low-cut shirt and floral pants, wiggling her hips suggestively and pointing at Li Yifei. Her gestures were indeed very flirty.


    "Let me introduce you all¡ªthis is Li Yifei," Xu Shanshan said, pulling Li Yifei to her side and introducing him with a smile, without mentioning that he was her sister¡¯s boyfriend.


    "Li Yifei, I¡¯m Xiao Ming," said the flirtatious woman, extending her hand, which was adorned with red nail polish, toward Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook her hand, said hello, and then suddenly realized something was off; this person had an Adam¡¯s apple. Upon closer inspection, despite the heavy makeup making him look convincingly feminine, a hint of stubble was visible above his chin.


    This gave Li Yifei an unpleasant shiver, having seen plenty of transvestites in Thailand but never expecting to encounter one in his life. Today was truly an eye-opener.


    "Shanshan, who is he to you?" Xiao Ming then asked Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan playfully winked at Li Yifei, then replied, "I brought him with me¡ªwhat do you think he is to me?"


    "Wow!" Xiao Ming suddenly exclaimed, then gave Li Yifei a thorough up-and-down look, which made the hair on his back stand on end. He had never felt so rattled, not even when facing a formidable opponent.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s with your taste in men¡ªhow did you find such a boyfriend?" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ming¡¯s remark made Li Yifei quite displeased, especially since everyone seemed to have mistaken him for Xu Shanshan¡¯s boyfriend, a misconception Xu Shanshan appeared to encourage intentionally.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t contradict it, as Xu Shanshan had given him a meaningful look earlier, clearly indicating her intention. The cheeky girl hadn¡¯t said a word on the way there and chose to present him with the situation as a fait accompli upon arrival.


    Immediately, Xu Shanshan latched onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm and declared, "Xiao Ming, you have no taste. Let me tell you, my boyfriend is amazing."


    "Amazing? What can he do? Does he understand music? Does he dance? Does he paint? Does he know art?" Xiao Ming challenged with a shrill voice.


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "I don¡¯t know any of those."


    The boy who had been singing on stage jumped down and approached Xu Shanshan with hostility in his eyes, saying, "Shanshan, what are you doing? Why did you bring someone who doesn¡¯t understand anything?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "You just don¡¯t see what I see. Yifei¡¯s qualities aren¡¯t something you can just recognize. If you keep talking like this, I¡¯m going to leave."


    The long-haired man opened his mouth, then said nothing. Instead, he reached out to Li Yifei and said, "Zhao Qingsong."


    Li Yifei shook hands with the long-haired man, smiling and about to let go, but the young man suddenly tightened his grip. The others watched excitedly, making it clear that they knew Zhao Qingsong was competing in a test of hand strength with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, holding the hand of Zhao Qingsong, curious to see what the young man was capable of.


    "Hehe, Shanshan, be careful your boyfriend¡¯s hand doesn¡¯t get crushed," someone teased.


    "That¡¯s right, you know how strong Qingsong is. He¡¯s trained in martial arts," another added.


    "If you want to be Shanshan¡¯s boyfriend, you¡¯ve got to show some real skills. How else could it be?" they continued.


    Xu Shanshan looked a bit nervous as she watched Li Yifei. She knew Zhao Qingsong had considerable hand strength, but she was unsure about Li Yifei. At that moment, she was truly worried he would be at a disadvantage. She had meant to warn Li Yifei moments ago, but it was too late, and now she hoped Zhao Qingsong would release Li Yifei. However, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s consistently relaxed demeanor, she swallowed her words and her eyes shone with the same excitement as everyone else¡¯s.

 Chapter 25 Let me show you

    Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Let me show you"Come on!"


    "Come on!"


    Zhao Qingsong had been at a standoff with Li Yifei for about half a minute, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, Li Yifei showed no signs of defeat, still wearing an easy smile. On the other hand, Zhao Qingsong was already sweating and his veins were bulging. Seeing this, they were shocked. They had obviously regarded Li Yifei as an outsider and immediately started to loudly cheer Zhao Qingsong on.


    Seeing this, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up; it was clear that Li Yifei had the upper hand. Although she also shouted encouragements, it was obvious that she was rooting for Li Yifei.


    "Are you done?" After holding on for a bit longer, Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Zhao Qingsong¡¯s lips moved, but he made no sound. He simply nodded, and Li Yifei immediately released his hand, effortlessly.


    Although Zhao Qingsong also let go of his hand, his forehead was drenched, and his facial muscles twitched. Without making a sound, he bore the pain. When he had exerted force earlier, it felt like squeezing against a steel plate¡ªno matter how hard he tried, he could not overpower his opponent. When Li Yifei applied force, Zhao Qingsong felt as if his bones were about to be crushed, making him realize the vast difference between their strengths. If not for his pride, he would have begged for mercy right there and then.


    Li Yifei had actually held back; he hadn¡¯t used much strength at all. In Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, these people were just like children who hadn¡¯t grown up yet. He really couldn¡¯t muster any interest in competing with them.


    "Sis... Yifei, you are really amazing," Xu Shanshan said excitedly, almost calling him brother-in-law. She hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm and proudly announced to everyone, "How about that, my boyfriend is awesome, isn¡¯t he?"


    "Hmph, it¡¯s just a bit of brute force, what¡¯s so impressive about that," Xiao Ming pursed his lips and with a twist of his "little waist," sat back down.


    Everyone immediately showed the same expression. They all considered themselves artists and therefore had no appreciation for brute strength. They had completely forgotten how excited they were when Zhao Qingsong tried to use brute force to intimidate Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan brought Li Yifei over to sit down and then introduced the rest of the group. To tell the truth, these people were quite talented¡ªsome could play the piano, some could compose, some could paint with oils, and some were involved in body art. In short, they were engaged in rather popular arts. Li Yifei didn¡¯t have a clue about any of these; he just smiled and greeted them.


    Because of the previous incident, no one tried to challenge Li Yifei for the time being. However, it was evident they weren¡¯t interested in talking to him either. They deliberately discussed matters they called the "art circle" to intentionally exclude Li Yifei.


    Before long, a few more people arrived. Together with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, there were sixteen, ten men and six women. At that moment, a young man named Little Long brought over a few bottles of liquor and some cups, and everyone immediately became excited.


    After placing these items on the table, Little Long said, "Hello everyone, today I¡¯ve got a bottle of top-notch Vodka, and I¡¯m ready to make some amazing cocktails for all of you. Would anyone be interested in trying them out?"


    "Yes, yes, hurry up, I can¡¯t wait. We haven¡¯t seen you perform in a long time."


    "Indeed, Little Long¡¯s cocktails are absolutely superb. Every time there¡¯s a different sensation, it¡¯s unforgettable."


    The group urged him on, and Little Long began his performance, juggling two cups like a street performer, with the cups constantly flying through his hands and the air¡ªit was quite a spectacle. Xu Shanshan watched intently, and the crowd clapped and cheered.


    Next, Little Long added several types of liquor into the cups, continuously shaking and stirring them. Before long, he had created a cocktail separated into four distinct layers.


    "Shanshan, since you brought your boyfriend here today, I¡¯ll dedicate this cocktail to him," Little Long offered the cocktail to Xu Shanshan.


    Zhao Qingsong snorted and said, "Little Long, that¡¯s casting pearls before swine. Can he really taste the quality of such good liquor?" sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone else burst into laughter, and Xiao Ming added in a high-pitched voice, "Exactly, if he can¡¯t appreciate the alcohol, it¡¯s like a cow chewing peonies. I think, Shanshan, you¡¯d be better off enjoying the drink yourself. Don¡¯t waste it."


    Xu Shanshan, who would usually join in the mocking with the others, now felt uncomfortable with them making fun of Li Yifei. However, since they were all friends, she didn¡¯t lose her temper; instead, she glared and exclaimed, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Yifei knows his alcohol better than anyone. Yifei, try it."


    When handing Li Yifei the cocktail, she also winked at him, meaning to just praise it a little after drinking.


    However, Li Yifei misunderstood; he thought Xu Shanshan wanted him to show off in this area too. Although he didn¡¯t know much about those artistic things, he was actually an expert at mixing drinks.


    Despite always being with the special forces, Li Yifei had to go on missions often. During one mission, he needed to disguise himself as a bartender, so he specifically trained for a few days under one of the world¡¯s most renowned mixologists. Thanks to his martial arts training, Li Yifei had great control over his hand strength. Coupled with his natural talent, he quickly mastered several sophisticated cocktail-making techniques, despite the short learning duration.


    In Li Yifei¡¯s view, Little Long¡¯s cocktail-mixing technique was simply child¡¯s play and not fit for serious consideration¡ªit was something to fool these kids who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world.


    Taking the cocktail, he first smelled it and then took a small sip. Li Yifei shook his head and said, "This cocktail is truly poorly made."


    Xu Shanshan instantly felt exasperated and quickly said, "Yifei, he¡¯s my friend, just appreciate the drink." Then she continued to give him significant looks.


    Li Yifei only then realized what was happening. Xu Shanshan had wanted him to just blunder his way through, not put on a show, which made him feel both amused and embarrassed. He was about to go along with Xu Shanshan¡¯s intentions, but their friends weren¡¯t having it.


    "Quite the big talker, aren¡¯t you, saying Little Long¡¯s drinks are poorly mixed."


    "Little Long is one of the top bartenders in Pingyang City. Countless people come to Art Bar specifically for his cocktails."


    "Shanshan, your boyfriend is really full of hot air, isn¡¯t he?"


    Everyone joined in the mocking, causing Xu Shanshan to blush and then turn pale. She couldn¡¯t help but throw an annoyed glance at Li Yifei, who gently patted her leg from under the table to reassure her. That made Xu Shanshan¡¯s heart skip a beat, and she looked at Li Yifei with a sudden surge of joy. When she saw him nod, signaling his confidence, her mood lifted.


    "So, Shanshan, your boyfriend says my cocktails are bad. Is he, perhaps, a master mixologist himself? If so, today I really have to see for myself," Little Long said with an unfriendly expression, challenging Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan smiled smugly and said, "Of course, Yifei is very impressive when it comes to mixing drinks."


    "Then why don¡¯t we have a chance to witness it for ourselves?" said Little Long, his eyes bright as he fixed his gaze on Li Yifei.


    "Exactly, no more empty boasting. Show us what a true mixology master looks like!"


    "Right, right. Show us what you¡¯ve got, and then we¡¯ll really respect you."


    Li Yifei stood up, glanced at the bottles on the table, and said, "You¡¯re missing a few types of alcohol here. I need nine different kinds in order to mix a drink for you."


    Little Long immediately raised his head proudly. "What do you need? We may not talk big, but we have a complete selection."


    "Alright, then bring me a bottle of ¡¯82 Lafite..."


    "What? ¡¯82 Lafite? You must be mistaken," Little Long blurted out in shock. "The ¡¯82 Lafite is becoming rarer, and most of the ones sold in the market are fakes."


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "Fine, ¡¯82 might be a bit much for you. Just get an ordinary Lafite then. You should have that, right?"


    "We¡¯ve got it!"


    "Then it¡¯ll taste somewhat inferior. It seems your place doesn¡¯t have a variety of famous alcohols. As long as the types match, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve got whiskey, so bring me a bottle of Vodka, Bacardi, Hennessy..."


    Li Yifei then listed several other alcohols, including world-famous brands and the Chinese white spirit Maotai, and even asked for a bottle of beer.


    Even without specific vintages, the drinks that Li Yifei mentioned were all top-tier and expensive. This put Little Long in a bind, as he protested, "Are you planning to just randomly mix these drinks together? Who uses beer in a cocktail? Don¡¯t you ruin my good alcohol, you think these bottles are street corner bootlegs or what?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and offered, "Alright, if you don¡¯t like the drink I make, I¡¯ll buy all these bottles off you at the original price. How about that?"


    The people who were initially ready to mock Li Yifei now all fell silent. The combined cost of these bottles could easily exceed several thousand yuan, and Li Yifei¡¯s confident proposal silenced any doubters.


    Although Xu Shanshan was still a bit worried, she quickly raised her head and said, "Little Long, you wouldn¡¯t be too reluctant to part with your alcohol, would you?"


    Little Long¡¯s face turned red, but he quickly retorted, "Why wouldn¡¯t I be willing? I¡¯m just afraid of it being wasted on a bad mix. Since he¡¯s so confident, what¡¯s there for me to hold back on?" He then ran to the bar, got out five or six bottles of alcohol that were usually too precious to use, and lined them up on the table.


    Li Yifei stepped up to the table, opened each bottle, but he didn¡¯t start mixing right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and took slow, even breaths.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and start mixing!" Zhao Qingsong immediately shouted.


    But Little Long quickly gestured for him to be quiet. As someone who loved bartending and had studied it deeply, he recognized Li Yifei¡¯s actions. He recalled a master bartender saying that to mix a great cocktail, one had to pour their heart into it, which required a mind free of distractions¡ªa state unlikely to be found in a noisy bar.


    Liu Yifei¡¯s actions seemed like the prelude to immersing his heart into the drink. The others couldn¡¯t understand it, but Little Long saw it clearly. He stopped everyone from rushing Li Yifei, instead watching expectantly. Seeing Little Long¡¯s reaction, everyone else also turned their attention to Li Yifei, curious whether he truly possessed such skill.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s lively eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. She never imagined Li Yifei had such talent and was now eagerly waiting to see how he would impress all her friends.

 Chapter 26: Master Bartender

    Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Master BartenderLi Yifei moved, grabbing a bottle of liquor with his right hand and pouring it into a shaker. Then, he quickly grabbed the shaker and started shaking it vigorously while also pouring another bottle of liquor into another shaker, but instead of shaking, he stirred it.


    His hands performed different actions without any pause, just like what was described in martial arts novels as using one¡¯s mind in two places.


    Most people watching Li Yifei¡¯s hands making different motions didn¡¯t think much of it, but Little Long¡¯s eyes almost popped out. He had practiced this technique himself and knew just how difficult it was to perform two different actions with both hands. Although he could barely manage it now, compared to Li Yifei¡¯s speed, he was completely outmatched.


    Before Little Long could recover, Li Yifei had already poured the liquor from the two shakers into glasses and had moved on to the third and fourth drinks. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Li Yifei was mixing, he didn¡¯t toss the shakers into the air or perform any tricks like Little Long. It was just simple shaking or stirring. It seemed way less artistic than Little Long¡¯s style, which was full of flair. Apart from Little Long, everyone else thought that Li Yifei¡¯s mixing was too ordinary, something they could do themselves.


    "Done!" said Li Yifei casually after pouring all nine types of alcohol into one glass.


    "That¡¯s it?" Zhao Qingsong sneered, "That was pretty average."


    Xiao Ming chimed in with a sharp voice, "Yeah, that was so dull. I could do that."


    Xu Shanshan was a bit disappointed, thinking Li Yifei would put on a magnificent display, but it turned out to be so ordinary. It wasn¡¯t interesting at all.


    At this moment, Little Long was staring intently at the drink Li Yifei had just prepared. Suddenly, he ran over to turn off the bar lights, and everyone began to shout, especially Xiao Ming, who let out an even louder and sharper scream.


    A small beam of light swept across as Little Long approached the table, cautiously shining a small flashlight onto the glass. Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the drink.


    "Wow! It¡¯s beautiful!" a girl exclaimed.


    "It¡¯s just like a rainbow."


    "No! It¡¯s even prettier than a rainbow; it¡¯s like a dream!"


    Only then did everyone notice the uniqueness of the drink. It was divided into nine distinct layers in the glass, with no trace of mingling. The combination of these nine colors was so breathtakingly beautiful that it was mesmerizing.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, jumping up excitedly, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re amazing¡ªI love you!"


    Everyone was so captivated by the drink that no one noticed Xu Shanshan calling him "brother-in-law"; otherwise, their relationship would have been immediately exposed.


    "Nine-colored Rainbow! Nine-colored Rainbow! My god, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve seen the Nine-colored Rainbow!" Little Long stammered in awe.


    "Is this called the Nine-colored Rainbow?" a woman asked.


    Little Long puffed out his chest and said, "That¡¯s right, this is the Nine-colored Rainbow. As far as I know, there¡¯s only one person in our province who can make this kind of Nine-colored Rainbow."


    "What¡¯s so difficult about it? I saw him just randomly shaking and pouring the drinks in¡ªthere¡¯s nothing special about it, right?" Xiao Ming questioned with disbelief.


    Little Long immediately replied, "You just don¡¯t get it. Mixing drinks isn¡¯t that simple. Liquors are liquids, and they mix easily. Only with shaking and stirring can you adjust the density and temperature to keep them from blending together. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try it."


    Those around immediately doubted and tried it themselves, but no matter what they did, once two types of liquor were poured into a glass, they always mixed. Even with just two, they struggled, and now Li Yifei had combined nine¡ªimagine how difficult that was.


    Xiao Ming, still unconvinced, muttered, "What¡¯s the use of pretty drinks? It¡¯s just mixing, with no artistic beauty like Little Long¡¯s flair¡ªthat¡¯s what combines artistry and skill."


    Little Long shook his head and said, "My flair is just for show. True masters of mixing don¡¯t resort to flashy tricks."


    Little Long gazed at Li Yifei with admiration, and excitedly said, "I¡¯ve seen a true expert today. Thank you, master, for showing me such a profound technique."


    Li Yifei smiled gently, "It¡¯s nothing. I just practice it now and then. I can¡¯t compare to your professional skills."


    Little Long felt embarrassed, "Even as a professional, I¡¯m so much worse than you amateurs. I can¡¯t even bear to mix drinks in front of you."


    Seeing Little Long¡¯s respect for Li Yifei, even if others were still unconvinced, they couldn¡¯t say much more. Otherwise, it would mean disrespecting Little Long.


    "Bro... Yifei, can I drink this now?" Xu Shanshan was most interested in the Nine-colored Rainbow on the table.


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "I made it for you."


    Xu Shanshan let out another excited cheer, carefully raising the glass, fearing that mixing would ruin its beauty.


    Sipping it gently, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes squinted slightly, and as she slowly drank, her facial expressions changed vividly¡ªsometimes delighted, sometimes mesmerized, sometimes frowning only to relax again, an expression full of aftertaste.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan like that, everyone couldn¡¯t help but swallow quietly, and even Little Long almost drooled. From her reactions, he sensed that the drink wasn¡¯t just a blend of flavors but offered a different taste altogether. He almost wanted to snatch it and take a gulp.


    Xu Shanshan finally finished the entire drink, a blush on her face, savoring it with her eyes closed for a while. Then, opening her eyes, those sparkling wide eyes looked at Li Yifei like autumn waters, without saying a word. Suddenly, grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm, she leaned over and kissed his cheek.


    "Oh..." everyone chorused with surprised cries.


    Li Yifei was a bit embarrassed¡ªwhat was going on? The fake brother-in-law getting a kiss from the sister-in-law... If Xu Yingying found out, she¡¯d flay him alive.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s awkward expression, Xu Shanshan chuckled sweetly.


    Now, although everyone still held some jealousy toward Li Yifei, they also thought he deserved to be among them, yet they still regarded him as an outsider, showing no warmth toward him.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind. He was there to accompany Xu Shanshan and see what this bunch was up to, also as an explanation to Xu Yingying.


    After watching for a while, Li Yifei grew irritated. These so-called artists were just spouting lofty talks, critiquing people in their industry, always picking flaws, never appreciating others¡¯ efforts, and focusing solely on shortfalls. It was as if only they were talents tragically overlooked, waiting for an opportunity to soar.


    Although Li Yifei was only a year or two older than them, years of harsh tempering had rid him of such unrealistic fantasies. They seemed like immature kids to him, uninterested in engaging with them. If not for Xu Shanshan being there, he would¡¯ve left already.


    Zhao Qingsong sat on Xu Shanshan¡¯s other side, ignoring Li Yifei, and said, "Shanshan, one day I¡¯ll be an emperor-level pop star. I¡¯m just missing a chance. You have to believe in me."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "I believe in you."


    Zhao Qingsong grew more enthusiastic, "The current scene involves hyped-up stars. Look at that singer¡¯s skills; they¡¯re utterly lacking. Then there¡¯s the one whose songs are entirely composed by others, and some merely use their bodies to get fame. These pop stars are a shame for us all."


    He listed several pop stars, detailing their flaws, and his righteous anger resonated with everyone, even getting Xu Shanshan to nod repeatedly.


    Li Yifei was already annoyed; seeing Xu Shanshan considerably influenced by them, he quietly shook his head. This group of angry youths did nothing but complain. Allowing Xu Shanshan to stay around them for too long would bring no good. On this point, Li Yifei agreed with Xu Yingying¡¯s perspective.


    However, knowing Xu Shanshan¡¯s rebellious nature, forbidding her contact with them would only make her cling tighter. A better approach would be finding an opportunity to help Xu Shanshan recognize their true colors.


    "Shanshan, how about we form a group, me singing and you dancing? We¡¯d definitely become the best partners and conquer the nation."


    Seeing Zhao Qingsong getting too carried away, even as Xu Shanshan¡¯s fake boyfriend, Li Yifei felt increasingly displeased. Sensing it was an opportunity, he suddenly slammed the table, standing up and startling everyone, then scolded, "Enough! With your lack of talent, how dare you talk about forming a group? Do you think you¡¯re capable?"


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to lose his temper and stared at him in surprise. Zhao Qingsong jumped up immediately, glaring, "Do you know music? Do you know dance? What gives you the right to lecture us?"


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, "You criticize this and that, but have you considered others¡¯ strengths? Have you learned from those who succeed through talent? Do you think you¡¯re more capable than successful artists? I think you¡¯re just jealous of their luck and success, unable to achieve it yourself. Shanshan, I¡¯m not interested in these gatherings. I¡¯m leaving; if you want to stay, go ahead."


    With that, he strode toward the exit, no longer bothering with this group of angry youths who did nothing but complain.

 Chapter 27 It’s Settled Like That

    Chapter 27: Chapter 27 It¡¯s Settled Like ThatExiting the Art Bar, Li Yifei stood at the entrance and lit a cigarette. If Xu Shanshan came out with him, his mission would be complete. If she didn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore. After all, his role as her brother-in-law was fake, so just doing enough was fine.


    Before he had taken two puffs, Xu Shanshan ran out. Seeing Li Yifei right at the entrance, she pouted and hurried over, saying huffily, "Brother-in-law, what were you thinking? They are my friends, after all. How could you just lose your temper with them like that?"


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Shanshan and said with a stern face, "Shanshan, I don¡¯t want to preach to you, but in my eyes, they really can¡¯t be considered friends. If you harbor the same sentiments as they do, then don¡¯t expect to have any opportunities in your life."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "They are very talented."


    "You call that talent?" Liu Yifei laughed, then shook his head and said, "Indeed, they do have a certain talent in some respects. But you should also be aware that success relies not only on opportunity and talent but primarily on efforts. If you put opportunity and talent first and overlook hard work completely, how can you possibly succeed?"


    "Aren¡¯t you also unsuccessful? How can you lecture me?" Xu Shanshan was somewhat displeased with Li Yifei¡¯s harsh criticism of her friends.


    "You¡¯re right, I haven¡¯t succeeded, but I can clearly recognize who I am. I know what I want to do, what I¡¯m suited for. That¡¯s all I have to say; you can listen or not, I¡¯m not keen to interfere. After all, everyone has their preferred way of life. If you like it, I won¡¯t stop you. When your sister asks, I¡¯ll even put in a few good words for you."


    Having said that, Li Yifei tossed his cigarette butt and strode forward.


    Immediately behind him, Xu Shanshan¡¯s footsteps were heard, and then two small hands grabbed his arm. Neither of them spoke, merely walked in silence.


    A cold wind blew, and Xu Shanshan shivered. She was wearing a cashmere coat, which wasn¡¯t very warm. The chill of the wind made her feel cold.


    Li Yifei glanced at her and said, "Let¡¯s take a taxi home."


    Xu Shanshan, however, shook her head and replied, "I want to walk a bit more."


    "Okay then, if you don¡¯t mind, I can put my arm around you to keep you warm as we walk."


    Xu Shanshan turned to look at Li Yifei and then, flashing a toothy smile, said, "Then thank you, brother-in-law." She let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm and hugged his waist instead.


    Li Yifei put his arm around Xu Shanshan. Although they both wore thick clothes and didn¡¯t feel anything special, simply holding a beautiful woman like this made Li Yifei feel a certain pride and satisfaction.


    During the holiday season, the streets were particularly quiet. Most shops were closed, and not many people were walking around. However, the street lights were very bright, and many shops had lanterns hung at the entrances, which really enhanced the festive atmosphere.


    "Shanshan, if you really like to pursue dance, I could introduce you to a famous dance teacher afterwards."


    "A famous dance teacher? You know one?" Xu Shanshan immediately looked up at Li Yifei in surprise.


    "Yeah, I know one, Qiao Ya. Have you heard of her?"


    "Qiao Ya? Oh my god, you¡¯re not kidding me, are you? She¡¯s one of the most famous dancers in our country," Xu Shanshan released Li Yifei, her eyes wide as she stared at him.


    "Why would I lie to you? But, don¡¯t let your sister know about this. She¡¯s very suspicious and might wonder if there¡¯s something between Qiao Ya and me."


    "Giggle, how could that be possible? Qiao Ya is a nationally renowned dancer. How could she have anything to do with you? But brother-in-law, what exactly is your relationship with her, and how can you introduce me to her?"


    "We¡¯re just friends. We met once because of an incident, so I still have some pull."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll take your advice. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m actually going to study dance with her. After all, I¡¯m getting on in age, and it¡¯s hard to make much headway in that field now. But she¡¯s my idol, and meeting her just once would be enough for me."


    "That makes it even easier. After the holiday, I¡¯ll arrange a meeting. How does that sound?"


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re incredible!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed excitedly, throwing herself at him and planting a kiss on his face.


    Li Yifei broke out in a nervous sweat and said, "Tell me, Shanshan, you don¡¯t go around kissing people on impulse, do you?"


    Xu Shanshan playfully hit Li Yifei and chided, "What nonsense are you talking about? Can I kiss just anyone? Aren¡¯t you my brother-in-law? We¡¯re family."


    Li Yifei sighed with relief. If Xu Shanshan had been frivolous, it would have disappointed him. It seemed that the girl still valued herself highly; she had just been negatively influenced by those friends.


    "I came here on a mission. Can I go back and report completion now?" Li Yifei asked with a smirk.


    "Sure, I just won¡¯t contact them anymore. I know they¡¯re not all that good anyway, it¡¯s just that I enjoy watching their performances, which is why I hang out with them."


    "Alright then, let¡¯s head home," Li Yifei said cheerfully as he hailed a taxi, and they joyfully returned to the neighborhood.


    "Remember! Don¡¯t tell your sister or your uncle and aunt about this," Li Yifei reminded Xu Shanshan in the elevator.


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly, boasting proudly, "This is our little secret between us two."


    "Right! Our secret, just between the two of us."


    They shared a knowing smile as they exited the elevator and then went on to open the apartment door.


    "Huh, you two came back so early?" Xu Zhenguo looked at the two people at the door in surprise.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly and said, "It¡¯s nothing much, so I came back with my brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother also looked at her with puzzlement and said, "In the past, you always came back at midnight. Now it¡¯s not even nine o¡¯clock. This is too out of the ordinary."


    Li Yifei immediately took over and said, "Shanshan saw that I was bored there, so we came back early." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan hopped over and hugged her mother¡¯s arm, saying, "Alright, stop looking at me with that kind of look. I won¡¯t go out with them anymore. Are you satisfied now?"


    "Really?" The Xu Zhenguo Couple asked in unison. They had lectured Xu Shanshan countless times, and although she remained indifferent, recognizing that their daughter was already grown up, they didn¡¯t feel it appropriate to press further and ultimately let her be. To their surprise, she had changed her ways today.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. My brother-in-law gave me a good scolding, and I don¡¯t dare to go (out with them) anymore," Xu Shanshan said, pouting her lips at Li Yifei with a look of grievance.


    The Xu Zhenguo Couple glanced at Xu Shanshan and then at Li Yifei, feeling that something about this didn¡¯t seem quite real. At this moment, Xu Yingying also came out of her room and said to Li Yifei, "Come in for a moment."


    Li Yifei winked at Xu Shanshan and then followed Xu Yingying into the room, where he sat down directly on the bed.


    Xu Yingying, with her arms crossed, looked at him intently and said, "What¡¯s going on here?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "Nothing much. I just didn¡¯t like the look of those guys, so I gave them a piece of my mind. Shanshan might have been awakened by my scolding, and she decided to come back with me, even saying she won¡¯t go (out with them) anymore."


    "Is it really that simple?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s that simple."


    "Then tell me the details of what happened."


    Li Yifei recounted the day¡¯s events at Art Bar. He mentioned the cocktail making, which Shanshan would certainly talk about, so he didn¡¯t hide it. However, the fact that Shanshan kissed him and that he was taking Shanshan to meet Qiao Ya were naturally things he couldn¡¯t disclose.


    Walking around the room, Xu Yingying stopped and said with confusion, "This is really odd. That girl actually woke up to your scolding? Both mom and dad have scolded her before, and she never listens."


    "You didn¡¯t hit the nail on the head, and besides, she was already resistant to your criticisms. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t work. I silenced those Angry Youths with my scolding and impressed them with my cocktail skills. That¡¯s why Shanshan listened to me."


    "Maybe that¡¯s the case, but it¡¯s definitely a good thing. I¡¯m relieved if she doesn¡¯t hang out with that messy crowd."


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "Then I¡¯ve quite successfully completed the task, haven¡¯t I?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and responded, "You did very well with this matter."


    "Thank you for the compliment, Xu president."


    Xu Yingying opened her wardrobe, took out a wallet, and pulled out a wad of cash, saying, "Here, take this as a reward."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Didn¡¯t I say that this was just a complimentary service?"


    Xu Yingying placed the cash next to Li Yifei and said, "I only asked you to keep an eye on Shanshan, but you ended up cutting off her association with those fair-weather friends. You definitely deserve a reward, so don¡¯t be polite."


    Grinning, Li Yifei said, "Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony. I wonder if there are any other tough issues in your family that I can help solve, seems like this makes money even faster."


    Xu Yingying immediately gave Li Yifei a stern look and said, "Are you actually hoping for more problems in our family?"


    Li Yifei stuffed the cash into his pocket, saying cheerfully, "I was just joking. Don¡¯t take it to heart, president."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s eagerness for money, Xu Yingying felt slightly displeased and said, "Enough, stop calling me president, lest my parents hear it."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go out to wash up and get ready for bed."


    Outside, Xu Shanshan was still narrating to her parents the heroic deeds of Li Yifei that evening: how he outmatched someone in a contest of strength, causing them to sweat profusely, and how he mixed a Nine-colored Rainbow cocktail that even astounded a professional bartender.


    "Brother-in-law, come here quickly. My parents don¡¯t believe what I said, you need to come and confirm it for me, tell them how amazing you are," Xu Shanshan called out to Li Yifei as soon as she saw him come out.


    Li Yifei hurried over, smiling, "What¡¯s there to be amazing about? It was just a bit of fun."


    But Xu Shanshan persisted, urging, "It wasn¡¯t just fun, mix a cocktail for my parents, so they can see for themselves."


    Xu Zhenguo, quite interested, said, "Yifei, if you really have such skills, you should definitely mix one for me to try. I often enjoy good liquor but I¡¯ve never really had the chance to try cocktails."


    Since Xu Zhenguo put it that way, Li Yifei could no longer decline, so he picked a few bottles from Xu Zhenguo¡¯s collection of fine liquors. Although Xu Zhenguo had many white spirits, there were only a few bottles of foreign liquor, such as Vodka or whiskey, which he had none.


    Despite the incomplete selection of alcohol, Li Yifei managed to mix a decent cocktail. Xu Zhenguo, after tasting it, was full of praise. Xu Yingying, who had come out to watch, was also taken aback. As a president who had attended many wine events, she was very familiar with cocktails. The concoction that Li Yifei mixed was definitely superior to those made by ordinary bartenders.


    Watching Li Yifei from the sidelines, Xu Yingying suddenly realized that Li Yifei indeed had some skills, and not at all like the rough exterior he presented.

 Chapter 28 Almost Exposed

    Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Almost Exposed"See that, bro-in-law was amazing, he stunned them all, with each one of them wide-eyed, especially that Nine-colored Rainbow, it was so good. I can still remember the aroma of that drink now. Bro-in-law, can you make another one?"


    Li Yifei had only made that simple drink, and Xu Shanshan was clearly unsatisfied.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "We don¡¯t have that much alcohol at home. This is already the best I could make."


    "Then I¡¯ll go buy it tomorrow." Xu Zhenguo loved good drinks and felt an itch upon hearing Xu Shanshan say this, wishing he could rush out to buy some if it weren¡¯t so late already.


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "That won¡¯t do, Dad. You¡¯ve already had quite a bit to drink these days. You need to limit yourself, or else it won¡¯t be good for your health."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother chimed in, "Yingying is right. Alcohol is good, but it can¡¯t be consumed excessively. Yifei, you can¡¯t just give him drinks. This old guy doesn¡¯t hold back when he sees good wine."


    Xu Zhenguo pulled a face and said, "You two don¡¯t need to be like this. It¡¯s New Year¡¯s. Surely I can drink a few more glasses?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Actually, alcohol can promote circulation and dispel the cold, as long as it¡¯s consumed in moderation and with the right method. It¡¯s not harmful to the body¡ªcan even be beneficial. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll make Uncle two more cups of tonic wine that won¡¯t harm him."


    Xu Zhenguo burst into laughter, patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder heartily. "Good kid, I like what you just said the most. See, old lady, Yifei can make me such wine, so you can¡¯t stop me from drinking, right?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head. "Yifei, I¡¯ll leave it up to you then. It¡¯s up to you to look after your uncle¡¯s health."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "No problem, Auntie. Don¡¯t worry. How could I neglect Uncle¡¯s health?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother nodded. "Then it¡¯s settled. Your uncle always wants to drink heartily when he gets a chance. If he dares to threaten you, shout for me or Yingying, and watch how we deal with him."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, it turns out that besides me, everyone in our house is of the fairer sex. I have no standing at all. Now that you¡¯ve come, I wanted to get an ally, but you¡¯ve already been bought off by them. I¡¯m still a lone wolf."


    Li Yifei also laughed and said, "Uncle, I haven¡¯t been completely bought yet. Occasionally, I¡¯ll be on the same line as you."


    This made everyone laugh, even Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    It was getting late, so everyone tidied up and went to rest. Naturally, Li Yifei still slept on the floor. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t let him sleep on the bed today just because they had shared one yesterday.


    Nothing happened that night. The next day was the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Since Xu Yingying¡¯s grandparents had passed, there was no one to visit, so the family gathered to play mahjong, while Xu Yingying fiddled with her computer in her room, working even during the New Year.


    After playing mahjong for a while, Xu Zhenguo looked at Xu Shanshan in confusion and asked, "Shanshan, how come you¡¯re so lucky?"


    Xu Shanshan smiled smugly and said, "Of course, look who I am. I chose not to go out, and if I don¡¯t win some money from you, it would be too much of a loss." Under the table, she lightly tapped Li Yifei¡¯s foot with hers, showing praise.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother turned to look at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, you wouldn¡¯t be playing tricks with Shanshan, would you? Every time she¡¯s about to win something, you always play the right card."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I have no choice, I guess my playing is just that bad."


    Xu Zhenguo smiled while he organized the tiles. "Don¡¯t think that using little signals will work. Now that I¡¯m watching you, let¡¯s see if you can still play tricks."


    "Go ahead and watch. My bro-in-law and I aren¡¯t using signals, right bro-in-law?" Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei with a grin.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Indeed, there¡¯s no signal." What they were doing under the table wasn¡¯t signaling¡ªit was an overt tactic. But Xu Shanshan¡¯s pretty and soft foot caressing his was almost too much for Li Yifei to handle. It felt like a powerful temptation, almost like an affair.


    Seeing Xu Zhenguo and his wife suspicious, Li Yifei also worried they¡¯d discover their antics under the table. He planned not to pass cards to Xu Shanshan temporarily. But after two hands without the cards she wanted, Xu Shanshan secretly stepped hard on Li Yifei¡¯s foot. Helpless, he had to pass cards again.


    After playing a bit more, Xu Zhenguo still didn¡¯t find out how Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were tricking them. Xu Shanshan kept winning, and Li Yifei kept playing the cards she needed.


    "Go get an apple. Who wants one?" Xu Shanshan stood up, happy with her wins and feeling hungry.


    "Get one for everyone, we¡¯re all losing our tempers." Xu Zhenguo shook his head repeatedly. They had played about eight rounds of cards, and most were Xu Shanshan¡¯s victories. He hadn¡¯t won more than three rounds.


    Li Yifei took this time to visit the bathroom. When he returned, Xu Shanshan handed him an apple, which he ate while continuing the game.


    However, when Li Yifei tried to stretch his leg towards the center again, he found that Xu Zhenguo¡¯s foot was now in the middle under the table. He couldn¡¯t stretch his leg over. He wanted to warn Xu Shanshan, but before he could, Xu Zhenguo said with wide eyes, "Stinky girl, why are you stepping on my foot?"


    Li Yifei was startled. If Xu Zhenguo and his wife found out Xu Shanshan was using her foot to communicate under the table, the prank would seem minor, but the brother-in-law and sister-in-law playing tricks together might be deemed too much.


    Xu Shanshan was also startled, but laughed it off, saying, "Move your foot. I can¡¯t stretch my leg straight, it¡¯s uncomfortable."


    "Stinky girl, you¡¯re too picky." Xu Zhenguo had always been doting on his daughter, so he withdrew his foot without realizing her antics.


    Because of this, Li Yifei dared not stretch his foot across for a while. But after a few rounds, Xu Shanshan started glaring at him secretly, so he tentatively stretched his foot again. Xu Shanshan was more careful this time, lightly tapping his foot first.


    Li Yifei had to nod lightly, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s mouth curved into a happy smile as their little scheme began again.


    Until dinner, the game stopped. Xu Shanshan won big, gaining over four thousand yuan, while Li Yifei lost nearly two thousand. The rest were losses by Xu Zhenguo and his wife.


    Needless to say, Xu Shanshan was overjoyed, while Xu Zhenguo and his wife, not accepting this, agreed to play again that evening.


    Li Yifei cooked the meal himself, showcasing his culinary skills once again, and even made Xu Zhenguo a drink. Despite losing money, Xu Zhenguo was in high spirits.


    "Hey sis, bro-in-law was miserable today, losing over two thousand." During dinner, Xu Shanshan said with a wink at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "Let him lose. Whenever we celebrate the New Year, you always manage to make a windfall."


    "Thank you, thank you, but bro-in-law loses more miserably than he usually does."


    "Of course, with you around, he doesn¡¯t dare to win."


    Although dinner was sumptuous, Xu Zhenguo and his wife were eager to resume their mahjong game, so they finished eating quickly. Then they set up for another round, and Xu Yingying watched for a while, keeping her family company, but soon lost interest and returned to her room.


    At around eleven, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom to find Xu Yingying lying on the bed, covered with a thick robe on her upper body, her legs covered by a blanket, and a laptop placed on top.


    "How much did you lose?" Xu Yingying asked blandly.


    "Not much, less than five thousand." Li Yifei grinned.


    "I don¡¯t have that much cash left. Give me your account, I¡¯ll transfer it to you."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "Then I won¡¯t be polite."


    "You don¡¯t need to be. I hired you, so I can¡¯t let you lose money. Besides, if you don¡¯t lose, then I¡¯d end up losing the same amount as you. Every year Shanshan has to win something. Although she seems to have won more this year."


    Li Yifei secretly laughed. With him here letting her win, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t not win. Since it wasn¡¯t his money, why not use it to buy some goodwill, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot had been quite a treat all day.


    After Li Yifei laid down on the floor, Xu Yingying said, "It seems like Shanshan hasn¡¯t tested you today, right?"


    Li Yifei replied, "She was too busy winning to have time to test me."


    Xu Yingying shook her head. "That can¡¯t be right. She¡¯s usually quite sharp. How could she trust you¡¯re my boyfriend so easily? At first, she tested you. But these past few days, she seems convinced. I find it a bit unreal."


    Li Yifei stretched and said, "Isn¡¯t it simple? In her mind, you shouldn¡¯t be a random person, right?"


    "Obviously not."


    "Then there you have it. You, a non-random person, sharing a room with me and even sleeping on the same bed at your grandfather¡¯s house. How could she doubt our relationship?"


    "Hope you forget about this. Never mention it in front of outsiders again," Xu Yingying said coldly with an authoritative tone.


    "You brought it up first, alright? Now you blame me. I¡¯ll be working under you as my boss, so I wouldn¡¯t dare gossip unless I plan to quit."


    "That would be best."


    Xu Yingying said coolly, realizing that organizing a job for Li Yifei had some effect. At least it could close his mouth; otherwise, if he babbled indiscriminately, her reputation as a boss could be ruined within the company.

 Chapter 29 Bar

    Chapter 29: Chapter 29 BarThe next day at noon, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying boarded the plane back to Mile City. Today was the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and they were due back to work on the seventh. Most people would stay at home for one more day, but for Xu Yingying, a company executive, not only did she have work matters to attend to back at the company, there were also other things she needed to deal with sooner. It was only because her family insisted she stay longer that she hadn¡¯t returned to Mile City on the third day of the New Year.


    Of course, there was another reason. Li Yifei had behaved well enough and hadn¡¯t caused any problems, which gave her quite a bit of peace of mind. Thus, she stayed at home two days longer than she had initially planned.


    After disembarking from the plane, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei got into the car that had been parked in the parking lot for several days. It was a black Buick.


    "Our contract ends here," Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, her gaze quite cold.


    Li Yifei smiled and nodded, saying, "I hope the boss is somewhat satisfied with my performance this time."


    "Not bad. Come to our company¡¯s Human Resources Department when you start on the seventh. I¡¯ll talk to them," she replied.


    "Received."


    "I hope you remember your words and don¡¯t talk about this to anyone."


    "Don¡¯t worry, boss. I had forgotten about it a long time ago. From now on, you¡¯re just my boss," Li Yifei said.


    Xu Yingying nodded, satisfied, and started the car. Soon, they were in the city. Without asking where Li Yifei lived, she simply dropped him off at a bus station, decisively at that.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel any resentment. These days over the New Year¡¯s had been the most comfortable he had experienced in recent years. Nothing else was of much importance to him now.


    He hailed a taxi and went directly to Prosperity Community. Here, Li Yifei had rented a simple two-bedroom apartment, less than seventy square meters in size, on the sixteenth floor, the same level as Xu Yingying¡¯s family home.


    Once inside, he threw his things casually onto the sofa and collapsed onto it himself. At home, he could relax completely, no longer having to be as restrained as he had been at Xu Yingying¡¯s house. But after lighting up a cigarette, Li Yifei felt a sense of emptiness. The past few days had been lively, and this sudden quiet was something he found hard to adjust to.


    Having eaten on the plane, he wasn¡¯t hungry. Seeing that it was getting dark outside and not feeling sleepy either, he simply left his home, took another taxi, and headed to a bar called Dream Origin not too far from his place.


    Li Yifei had visited this bar before. The environment was quite nice, and most of the patrons were white-collar workers, so it wasn¡¯t noisy. The most important thing was the opportunity to find someone for a one-night stand if luck was on his side, a marked contrast to those bars where hostesses were the norm, which lacked much interest for him.


    Today, the bar was even more quiet than usual. Only a few customers were scattered sparsely across the booths, less than ten in total, and the bar itself was deserted. This left Li Yifei somewhat disappointed, as those looking for one-night stands often preferred sitting at the bar, waiting for someone to strike up a conversation.


    Since no one was around, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind waiting for others to approach him. He ordered a beer and sat at the bar, slowly sipping his drink and chatting intermittently with the bartender.


    After about half an hour, two women came up and started talking to Li Yifei, but he wasn¡¯t interested. Although he wasn¡¯t particularly traditional or conservative when it came to sex, he was picky. He couldn¡¯t be bothered if the woman wasn¡¯t to his liking.


    Another half hour passed without any satisfying encounters, but then he noticed a woman in the corner booth. She was wearing a loose sweater with a coat tossed beside her and seemed to have a nice figure. Even though her long hair obscured her face, adding a layer of mystery, Li Yifei had a feeling she wouldn¡¯t be unattractive.


    The woman was deeply ensconced in her seat, hardly moving at all. When she did move, it was only to take large gulps of her drink, a pricey Remy Martin, clearly indicating that she was wealthy. But such behavior also suggested that she wasn¡¯t happy.


    Some women come out looking for excitement, and they¡¯re the easiest to pick up. Just give them the right look, and you can quickly enjoy a night of pleasure. Another type of woman easy to pick up in bars are those who drink to drown their sorrows. They often have issues at work or in their relationships, and their souls tend to be the emptiest. Some even act out of spite, though they may still be hesitant inside. With the right approach, they can definitely be picked up.


    "Get me a whiskey," Li Yifei ordered a whiskey and went straight up to the woman. He sat down in front of her and slid the whiskey her way, saying, "This one¡¯s for you."


    The woman didn¡¯t look up but replied coldly with one word: "Scram!"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t leave; instead, he became more interested. He smiled faintly and said, "Drowning your sorrows in Remy Martin isn¡¯t the best choice. It¡¯s too mellow. Whiskey¡¯s stronger and can get you drunk faster."


    After speaking, Li Yifei stood up and said, "I won¡¯t bother you anymore." Then he returned to the bar, sitting down without casting another glance at the woman.


    Over the years, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had a girlfriend. When he had the chance to relax, he loved going to bars. He was quite a pro at it. He knew that with this type of woman, if he persisted, she would never agree. By turning around and leaving, he often piqued their interest instead, increasing his chances of success.


    Li Yifei¡¯s judgment was correct. Twenty minutes later, footsteps approached from behind - the sound of high heels on the floor, somewhat disorderly, indicating the woman was unsteady on her feet and obviously a bit tipsy.


    The footsteps stopped beside him, and a woman sat down on the bar stool next to him. It was the same woman who had been huddled in the booth. Li Yifei turned his head, gave her a slight smile, and raised his glass in a toast before taking a sip of his beer.


    He felt even more pleased inside as this woman was quite beautiful. With a melon-seed shaped face and slightly pointed chin, which didn¡¯t detract from her attractiveness at all. She wore hardly any makeup, but her big, watery eyes, slightly red around the rims, were striking. A woman this beautiful without makeup would surely outshine those so-called starlets if she put some on.


    "You told me to drink whiskey, why are you drinking beer?" the woman asked, tilting her head as she looked at Li Yifei, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and answered, "You and I are different. I come to the bar to relax, but you¡¯re here to get drunk. That¡¯s why whiskey suits you better."


    The woman gave a mocking laugh, "I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯re trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me later. I¡¯ve seen too many men like you."


    Li Yifei nodded without a hint of embarrassment and said, "You¡¯re right, that is what I¡¯m thinking. I¡¯m sitting here with a clear purpose: to find a one-night stand. Offering you whiskey was my way of striking up a conversation. But if you don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t insist. A one-night stand should be consensual and should leave no strings attached afterward."


    The woman was surprised by Li Yifei¡¯s reaction. Men who were caught out usually got a bit flustered, but he remained calm, "Consensual... No strings attached afterward..." she muttered under her breath, then scoffed, "Just as expected from men, always led by the desires of the lower half."


    Li Yifei replied composedly, "Yeah, emotions are reserved for one¡¯s wife, but in the absence of a wife, I prefer being this direct."


    "Haha..." the woman suddenly laughed, her expression filled with disdain, "You men talk a good game. Before marriage, you treat women like treasures, but once married, you don¡¯t take them seriously anymore and search for new thrills. Love... sounds nice, but you men never truly take it to heart."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You shouldn¡¯t negate all men just because one has hurt you." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you the type of man who¡¯d never look at another woman once you¡¯re in a relationship?" the woman challenged, staring into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    Meeting her gaze steadily, Li Yifei slowly shook his head and replied, "I can¡¯t guarantee that because I haven¡¯t found the love that¡¯s meant for me. Besides, who knows what the future holds? Those who frequently make vows often lack them, just as those who often make promises hardly ever keep them."

 Chapter 30 Not Caring

    Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Not CaringLi Yifei didn¡¯t have the habit of bringing a stranger home. It was too dangerous, a habit cultivated by Li Yifei over many years. The most important thing was, he was only after a one-night stand, merely a form of release to satisfy his physical needs. He certainly didn¡¯t want to attract a clingy woman because of such needs. Women, that kind of creature, might be utterly arrogant and ignore you before you get her body, but once you do, she might cling to you and not let go. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to deal with such women right now.


    He arrived at a nearby hotel, wrapping his arm around the waist of the half-drunk woman as they entered the room. The woman¡¯s figure was truly remarkable, and at the age of twenty-six or seven, she was at her prime, neither unripe like a young girl nor slackened like a woman over thirty. To bed a woman in this age range was always Li Yifei¡¯s favorite, especially when the woman was so beautiful, she could be considered a top-notch beauty.


    Once the room door was shut, the woman suddenly tensed up, pushed Li Yifei away, and staggered a few steps back, hugging her chest while looking at Li Yifei somewhat frantically.


    Li Yifei really hadn¡¯t expected this woman to have regrets after getting to this point, which made him shake his head and sigh, saying, "If you regret it now, you can leave. I won¡¯t force you."


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, the woman burped from the alcohol and asked, "Are you serious?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, smiling helplessly, and said, "Of course, I am. I always like it when it¡¯s mutually agreeable. If you¡¯re unwilling, forcing you takes away the pleasure." With that, he pulled open the bathroom door and added, "I¡¯ll take a shower first to give you time to think. If you haven¡¯t left by the time I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll take it as your consent."


    After filling the tub with water, Li Yifei stripped naked and soaked in the bathtub. The forty-two-degree water was just right, relaxing his entire body and quickly bringing sweat to the surface of his skin. Alcohol from inside his body was also slowly seeping out with the sweat, leaving a faint scent of alcohol in the bathroom.


    During this time, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t heard the sound of the door opening, which apparently meant the woman hadn¡¯t left yet. It seemed she had decided to stay, or perhaps, she was still conflicted and might rush out the moment he opened the bathroom door after his shower.


    This was Li Yifei¡¯s judgment of the woman because she seemed incredibly indecisive.


    But this time, Li Yifei¡¯s judgment was wrong. He was comfortably soaking in the bath when the bathroom door suddenly opened. The woman walked straight to the tub, her face so red it seemed blood would drip from it, yet she still looked directly at Li Yifei and said, "I¡¯ll shower with you."


    Li Yifei flashed a radiant smile and replied, "I¡¯d be delighted."


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up early, another one of his long-standing habits. Even after leaving the military, he didn¡¯t give up this routine. He indeed wanted to live a peaceful life, but he never thought of giving up the skills he had learned, nor did he want to let his body deteriorate due to tranquility.


    The woman in his arms was still sound asleep, suffering from the aftermath of last night¡¯s frenzy¡ªan incredible fatigue. Li Yifei could recover quickly, but this woman was obviously exhausted.


    Considering he still had the day off, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get up. There was nothing to do anyway, so he might as well stay in bed with this beautiful woman, pulling the blanket over them. He casually turned off the air conditioning, having found the warmth it provided all night long pleasant, but not liking the hot air it blew out.


    He fell back asleep for a while, and it was nearly eight o¡¯clock when the woman finally woke up. Although she was still nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, he could distinctly feel the confusion in her heart, along with guilt and pain.


    Li Yifei said nothing, did nothing. Why the woman was conflicted, why she was in pain, those weren¡¯t his problems to consider. They were each fulfilling a need, without any involvement of responsibility. Li Yifei didn¡¯t wish to take that responsibility upon himself.


    Suddenly, he felt a coolness and a slight wetness on his chest¡ªthe woman was crying. But Li Yifei couldn¡¯t offer her anything, so he continued to pretend to be asleep.


    After a while, the woman slowly let go of Li Yifei, then silently got up, dressed, and finally looked back at Li Yifei one last time before swiftly leaving the room.


    Only after the sound of the door closing did Li Yifei open his eyes, stretching his limbs, his entire body feeling utterly refreshed. A one-night stand with such a beauty was indeed a very enjoyable thing.


    After getting up and washing up, Li Yifei dressed and prepared to leave. But he unintentionally found an ID card on the floor¡ªit was the woman¡¯s from just before.


    "He Fangqing," Li Yifei muttered the woman¡¯s name, then pocketed the ID, intending to give it to the hotel reception for the woman to retrieve later. It was not worth keeping; he wasn¡¯t interested in any further entanglements, even if the woman was beautiful.


    Exiting the elevator, Li Yifei was about to approach the reception desk when his phone rang. It was Xu Yingying calling. He quickly answered.


    "Li Yifei, Shanshan just called me, wanting to talk to you. I said you¡¯d gone out but would be back soon. Where are you now? I¡¯ll come pick you up, so Shanshan can hear you when she calls again."


    "There¡¯s no need to pick me up, I¡¯ll just call her back myself."


    "No, no, Shanshan is clearly testing us. If we¡¯re not together, it¡¯ll be easy for her to spot the problem. These days my mom is pressuring me to set her up with someone. If she finds out we¡¯re faking, she¡¯ll definitely push me back to my mom. Quick, give me your address, I¡¯ll come and pick you up right away."


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat. The role of the fake boyfriend was still not over. He reluctantly gave the hotel address, and Xu Yingying immediately said with excitement, "I¡¯ll be there in less than a minute, come out now."


    What a coincidence. Li Yifei had to settle his bill and walk out of the hotel, only to see Xu Yingying¡¯s Buick pulling up as he reached the entrance.


    After getting into the car, Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief and handed her phone to Li Yifei, saying, "Call Shanshan back."


    Li Yifei nodded and dialed Xu Shanshan¡¯s number, smiling, "Shanshan, what¡¯s up?"


    "Eh, you¡¯re really with my sister?" Xu Shanshan sounded genuinely surprised.


    "Hehe, of course, we¡¯re together. I just went out to buy breakfast. Your sister wanted something light, so I especially went to the supermarket to get some bamboo shoots for her, to make bamboo shoot porridge."


    "Ah, I want some too."


    "Then when you come over, your brother-in-law will cook it for you."


    "Mm, then I won¡¯t keep you from making porridge for my sister, bye-bye."


    "Bye-bye."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei made a victory gesture and handed the phone back to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief but immediately sniffed and frowned, saying, "You seem rather merry."


    Li Yifei immediately knew why Xu Yingying thought so; although the woman from yesterday didn¡¯t wear makeup, she had sprayed a bit of perfume, leaving a light fragrance on him. Plus, since he came out from a hotel, Xu Yingying must¡¯ve guessed he had spent the night there with a woman.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind, and he chuckled, "Boss, is my mission complete then?"


    Xu Yingying nodded, took out roughly two thousand yuan from her bag, and said, "This is for you. Keep your phone on recently; I might need to reach you any time."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "No need, it¡¯s not a big deal, just a phone call."


    "I don¡¯t want to owe you any favors. Let¡¯s do it by the book. Don¡¯t worry, you can still come to work at my company tomorrow."


    Li Yifei understood Xu Yingying¡¯s meaning; she didn¡¯t want any personal entanglements with him, their relationship was purely professional. He happily accepted the money and then got out of the car.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s Buick started up immediately and merged into the traffic, disappearing from sight.


    Li Yifei shook his head, knowing that Xu Yingying had a bad impression of him, mainly because of the perfume on him and the fact he stayed in a hotel. Clearly, she thought he wasn¡¯t a good man.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t care. He had no intention of leaving a good impression on Xu Yingying, and after all, his private life was his own. Even Xu Yingying, as the boss, couldn¡¯t meddle in her subordinate¡¯s private life. He hailed a taxi and returned home. However, upon taking off his coat, he suddenly remembered that the woman¡¯s ID was still on him. By then it was late, and he was too lazy to return it; he would wait until he had time.


    Lying in his own bed at home, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about the previous night¡¯s madness. It had been a long time since he had such a wild night. In every way, that woman was exceptional, with stunning looks and an incredible figure, and when it came to passion, she had quite the taste. If it weren¡¯t for the fear of trouble, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t mind having such an encounter with her again.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei banished these thoughts. He didn¡¯t want to tie his emotions down too soon, especially since there was another person he needed to figure out¡ªuntil then, he had no intention of just finding a woman to marry.


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 Chapter 31: Became a White-collar Worker

    Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Became a White-collar WorkerQingfeng Group¡¯s subsidiary, Huayang Trading Company, occupied the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth floors of the entire office building. In Mile City, the rental cost for such an office building was also very high; the rent for these three floors alone exceeded 1.5 million a year, a figure not just any small company could afford. Therefore, it was evident that Huayang Trading Company¡¯s development was indeed quite impressive.


    For a subsidiary, having such a scale was indeed something Xu Yingying could be proud of. The hardships she had endured to grow a small company to this level were known only to herself.


    At seven-thirty, before the start of the workday, she was already seated in her office on the fourteenth floor. Xu Yingying was seriously organizing the company¡¯s development plans that had been created over the New Year¡¯s holiday. It was a new year, and she harbored even greater ambitions to take Huayang Trading Company to the next level.


    After working for an hour, Xu Yingying checked the time and dialed the Human Resources Department¡¯s number. Answering the phone was the department¡¯s Minister Cao Zhidong, a person dispatched from the group company who had connections with one of the group¡¯s leaders. Although lacking in ability, he had been given the position of Minister of the Human Resources Department by Xu Yingying.


    Although she was the president at Huayang, there was still the parent group above, so many things had to be reported to the group company. What truly irked her was that the higher-ups always appointed some people to the subsidiary companies; these people often lacked capability, but still had to be given positions, and Xu Yingying could not refuse them.


    "Hello, President Xu." Cao Zhidong¡¯s voice came through the handset, his tone respectful, which brought some comfort to Xu Yingying. At least these people still showed some fear towards her as the president. Otherwise, the company would be even harder to manage.


    Xu Yingying spoke decisively, "Minister Cao, a person named Li Yifei will come to see you shortly. Arrange for him to be placed in the logistics department."


    "Alright, does President Xu have any particular instructions on how he should be arranged there?"


    "No, let Minister Zheng of the logistics department handle it."


    Cao Zhidong, thirty-five years old, just over 1.7 meters tall with a bit of a belly, had a somewhat ineffectual appearance. His work capacity might not be strong, but he was a smooth operator, which made him largely unobjectionable under Xu Yingying, the general manager.


    Personnel arrangements within the company were always made through public recruitment. Even if there were special appointments, those were arranged by the parent group. Since Li Yifei was directly referred by Xu Yingying, he must either be related to someone from the group or be one of Xu Yingying¡¯s relatives.


    Cao Zhidong, having never had the chance to currying favour with Xu Yingying, saw this as an opportunity. Li Yifei had not yet arrived, but Cao Zhidong was already thinking about how to form a good relationship with him.


    As he was contemplating, there was a knock on the office door. Cao Zhidong immediately straightened up and said, "Come in."


    The person who entered was indeed Li Yifei, who wore a gray jacket over a pair of jeans¡ªnot the typical white-collar attire and certainly no suit. He entered with a friendly smile and greeted Cao Zhidong, "Hello, Minister Cao, I¡¯m Li Yifei."


    Cao Zhidong looked at Li Yifei and found him somewhat familiar, but couldn¡¯t remember exactly where he had seen him. Hesitating, he asked, "Have we met somewhere before?"


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Minister Cao, I used to be a security guard in the building; I saw you every day."


    Cao Zhidong scrutinized Li Yifei again and suddenly remembered, feeling puzzled. Could it be that Li Yifei had no relationship with Xu Yingying? Otherwise, how could he have been a security guard in the building?


    "Little Li, what brings you to our company?" Cao Zhidong asked tentatively.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Thanks to President Xu who noticed my hard work and specifically arranged for me to work in the company, I really must thank her for her recognition."


    Upon hearing this, Cao Zhidong understood that Xu Yingying had no special relationship with Li Yifei, because Xu Yingying always valued capabilities in her personnel decisions; as long as one had the skills, promotion and pay raise were definitely possible under her.


    Leaning back, Cao Zhidong immediately assumed the air of a minister and said, "Little Li, President Xu has already told me about you. Make sure you do well in the company."


    "Thank you, Minister Xu. And my duties..."


    "Little Wang!" Minister Xu called out, and soon a young man in his mid-twenties entered, "Little Wang, take Little Li to process the paperwork, and then take him to the logistics department. I will speak with Minister Guan."


    Little Wang complied and led Li Yifei out, saying with a smile, "Hello, my name is Wang Tao."


    "Hello, I¡¯m Li Yifei. Please look after me, Brother Wang."


    "No need to be so formal. In our company, as long as you work hard, there are plenty of opportunities. President Xu¡¯s eyes are very sharp."


    Listening to Wang Tao saying this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire Xu Yingying¡¯s capabilities. A charismatic president has a strong power to unite, and clearly, Xu Yingying had achieved that.


    After completing the paperwork at the Human Resources Department, Wang Tao took Li Yifei to the logistics department. The logistics department was located on the innermost side of the thirteenth floor and occupied three offices. The innermost was the minister¡¯s office, followed by the offices of the three deputy ministers¡ªone of whom had earned their position through ability, while the other two were idlers sent from above and rarely came to work. The remaining office was for the logistics department staff, divided into ten small cubicles in a typical corporate office style that didn¡¯t interfere with each other.


    Li Yifei followed Wang Tao directly into the minister¡¯s office inside.


    Minister Zheng was a woman in her thirties, named Zheng Xiuqin, slightly overweight. Although not very beautiful, she appeared very competent. Wang Tao seemed somewhat afraid of Minister Zheng; he dropped off Li Yifei and turned to leave.


    Zheng Xiuqin first carefully reviewed the resume Li Yifei had just filled out, and after finishing, she looked up to size him up, pointed to the chair in front of the desk, and said, "Have a seat."


    Li Yifei sat down with a smile and said, "Thank you, Minister Zheng. I will be working under Minister Zheng from now on, so please give me your guidance."


    There was no smile on Minister Zheng¡¯s face as she stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and said, "President Xu said you are a good talent and asked me to properly groom you. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me or President Xu."


    Li Yifei immediately straightened up and said, "I will definitely work diligently and not let down the Minister or President Xu."


    Zheng Xiuqin nodded her head, looked down, and said, "According to your resume, you¡¯ve been a soldier and worked as a security guard, but you don¡¯t have any other work experience. So, I can¡¯t assign you any important tasks for now. You¡¯ll help out in the department, and after some time when I get to know you better, I will give you a specific job."


    "Okay." Li Yifei answered readily.


    "Then come with me," said Zheng Xiuqin as she led Li Yifei to the adjacent staff office. She clapped her hands, and the several people inside immediately looked towards the door.


    Zheng Xiuqin announced, "Everyone, pay attention, please. Today, I would like to introduce a new colleague."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Hello everyone, my name is Li Yifei."


    Everyone looked at Li Yifei with curiosity but did not forget to applaud to welcome him.


    Zheng Xiuqin then said, "Michelle, Li Yifei will be under your wing. He¡¯ll work with you for now until he gets acclimated, and then I¡¯ll assign him other tasks."


    A girl immediately stood up, somewhat astounded, and said, "Under my charge?"


    Zheng Xiuqin said sternly, "Is there a problem?"


    "No... no problem," the girl immediately said in a fluster, shaking her head repeatedly.


    This was a young girl in her twenties with long hair that fell smoothly behind her head, and a neat fringe on her forehead. She had a lovely oval face, and such shoulder-length hair definitely suited her oval face shape best; this girl had evidently grasped that fact.


    Her eyes weren¡¯t round, so they didn¡¯t appear very large, but they were quite engaging, the kind that get more appealing the more you look. Her cheeks were flushed with nervousness at the moment.


    She was about one hundred sixty-seven or sixty-eight centimeters tall, though that probably included the height of her high heels; her actual height depended on her shoes, which Li Yifei couldn¡¯t see from his angle.


    She wore a dark suit with a wide-open collar, a white shirt underneath, and lace rising on her chest, which made the suit look quite elegant. The woman¡¯s breasts were prominent. The typical professional outfit on this girl made her seem more competent, but her innate demureness was something she couldn¡¯t conceal.


    She was a very pretty girl, not startlingly so, but definitely the kind you couldn¡¯t forget after one glance. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That settles it then. Michelle, you show Li Yifei around to meet the office staff, and you decide how to delegate the work," said Minister Zheng, and after finishing her directions, she turned and left.


    Michelle hesitated for a moment, her face flushed as she walked up to Li Yifei. She pursed her lips, extended her hand, and said, "My name is Michelle."


    Li Yifei shook hands with Michelle; her hands were very soft but rather cold. He smiled and said, "Hello, I¡¯ll be counting on you to take care of this newbie in the future."


    Michelle nodded and said, "I will. This is Li Zhisheng, Brother Li, the most experienced person in our Logistics Department; this is Shen Yajuan, we all call her Sister Shen; this is He Dong, Chen Fei, our company¡¯s drivers."


    Including Michelle and Li Yifei, the Logistics Department had a total of six people: two drivers, the forty-something Li Zhisheng, the thirty-something Shen Yajuan, and two thirty-something drivers, He Dong and Chen Fei.


    Apart from Michelle, who was a year younger than Li Yifei, the other four were older than him, so Li Yifei dutifully called them brother and sister. However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind this; after all, it meant having a beautiful younger sister.


    At the moment, Li Yifei was genuinely looking forward to working in the company. During missions, he would often disguise himself and work in different places for his tasks, but he had never before worked as a white-collar employee. Now, he was eager to experience it, which was certainly an enjoyable prospect.

 Chapter 32 Inspection

    Chapter 32: Chapter 32 InspectionIn this staff office, there are a total of eight small cubicles that are all separated by dividers about one and a half meters high. When you sit down, you don¡¯t disturb each other, but when you stand up, you can see over to the other people.


    Li Yifei¡¯s cubicle is right next to Michelle¡¯s, with just a partition between them. Michelle arranged it this way so that if Li Yifei had any questions, he could simply stand up to ask her.


    But at the moment, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in his own cubicle; instead, he had moved a chair to sit beside Michelle, who was explaining the main scope of work for the logistics department to him.


    For a company with nearly a hundred million in assets, there are many employees, totaling over two hundred, but only about fifty work within this company. Huayang Company, being a trading company, also has some staff stationed abroad, and some warehouses used to be staffed with quite a few workers.


    Though described as a branch office, Huayang Company is much larger than many small companies, so it has many departments underneath it. Compared to these subordinate departments, places like where Li Yifei and his colleagues work are considered higher-level departments.


    Michelle¡¯s main job now is the distribution of materials within the company¡ªin plain terms, whenever the company needs something, she is responsible for purchasing it and then distributing it to various departments.


    The position used to be held by a veteran in the company, who, when purchasing items, would always pocket kickbacks and overstate invoices. Once Xu Yingying discovered this, she immediately fired him and gave the job to Michelle, a girl who had just started working at the company.


    Michelle had been doing well, never taking advantage of her position, so she had kept the job for over a year.


    Michelle¡¯s voice was very pleasant¡ª not the crisp kind, but soft and mellow, the kind that made people feel comfortable inside. Mostly, she didn¡¯t look at Li Yifei while speaking. Occasionally, when her eyes did linger on Li Yifei, she would quickly turn her head away, her cheeks perpetually flushed.


    This amused Li Yifei quite a bit. Used to frequenting bars and the like, and encountering those more forthright women, it had been a long time since he had seen a girl like Michelle who blushed just from talking to a man.


    "Alright, that¡¯s everything from me. Do you have any questions?" Michelle finally faced Li Yifei directly as she asked this, waiting for his answer.


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "Sorry, you covered a lot, and I didn¡¯t manage to remember it all at once."


    "What?" Michelle appeared startled and, with even redder cheeks, said awkwardly, "Then let me explain it to you again."


    "Thanks, but I feel I¡¯ll remember better by getting familiar with things over time. Could you tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do today?"


    After thinking for a moment, Michelle said, "Today¡¯s the first working day after the New Year, and the company hasn¡¯t assigned any procurement tasks yet, so there shouldn¡¯t be much to do."


    "So you¡¯re saying I can take it easy today?"


    "It seems so."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Then it seems being a white-collar worker can be quite relaxing."


    Michelle shook her head and said, "That¡¯s just for today. I believe that various tasks will soon be assigned, and besides, we might also be sent to check on the conditions in the warehouses."


    "You¡¯re going too?"


    "Yes, of course, I have to go. It¡¯s part of our logistics department¡¯s work."


    "I feel that sending a beauty like you to the warehouse is kind of a desecration, isn¡¯t it?"


    Immediately, Michelle replied in a fluster, "No... it¡¯s not, this is my job, and I need to take it seriously."


    The girl before him was just too shy. Li Yifei felt that such a girl really shouldn¡¯t be working; if she did, she was bound to be bullied. Even he felt the impulse to tease her, but as a newcomer, he was also aware of where to draw the line. If he upset her, he might find himself ignored in the logistics department¡ªalready, the two drivers had been giving him unfriendly looks.


    Just then, Zheng Xiuqin walked in and said, "Since the warehouses haven¡¯t been checked over the holiday break, everyone¡¯s job today is to inspect the warehouses. I want to see your inspection reports the day after tomorrow. Any questions?"


    "No problem," Michelle, Li Zhisheng, and Shen Yajuan all responded in unison.


    Zheng Xiuqin nodded and then said to Michelle, "Don¡¯t forget to teach him while you¡¯re doing the inspection."


    Michelle quickly agreed again, and after that, Zheng Xiuqin left.


    "Sigh, heading to inspect the warehouse on the first day back to work." As soon as Zheng Xiuqin left, Shen Yajuan immediately started to complain.


    Li Zhisheng stifled a laugh and said, "Don¡¯t complain, just think about the year-end bonus we just got."


    Hearing this, Shen Yajuan chuckled and said, "For the year-end bonus of the new year, I¡¯ll start working hard from today."


    The four of them left the office together and then went to the elevator lobby to wait for the elevator. Li Zhisheng said cheerfully, "Little Li, work hard. Our company¡¯s year-end bonus is quite generous."


    Li Yifei showed a touch of excitement and asked, "How much is it?"


    Shen Yajuan immediately chimed in, saying, "It depends on one¡¯s performance throughout the year. At that time, our manager will score us based on our performance, and each person¡¯s bonus will differ accordingly. Old Li is definitely the one with the biggest bonus in our department."


    "I don¡¯t get much; it¡¯s definitely close to what you get," Old Li said modestly, but he couldn¡¯t hide the proud expression on his face.


    At that moment, the elevator arrived, and everyone got on, including several other people, so conversation ceased.


    Exiting the elevator at the entrance of the building, two security guards immediately spotted Li Yifei. Everyone had previously worked as security, so they obviously recognized each other. That morning, when Yifei had entered, the night shift guards thought he was joining their department. But now, the day shift was surprised to see Yifei off duty and walking with Michelle. A guard named Sunx Xiaoming widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Li Yifei, isn¡¯t it your shift today?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I won¡¯t have a shift anymore."


    "No more shifts?" Sunx Xiaoming was puzzled.


    "I¡¯ve joined Huayang Company now and won¡¯t be standing guard with you guys anymore." There was a slight smugness in Li Yifei¡¯s tone. Having worked with these guards for two months, he understood that they all envied the white-collar workers inside the building.


    The two guards¡¯ eyes widened in shock, "Really?"


    Li Yifei pointed to his badge, saying, "Take a look at this."


    Seeing the Huayang Company name on the badge, they both looked at Li Yifei with envy. Sunx Xiaoming, feeling a bit sour, said, "You lucky guy, you don¡¯t have to slog like us anymore."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Don¡¯t say that, we¡¯re still buddies. I¡¯ll treat everyone to dinner tonight. Just let them know, but for now, I need to head out for work."


    After leaving the company, Li Zhisheng and Shen Yajuan went their separate ways from Li Yifei, as they each had different areas to cover.


    Arriving at the bus stop, Michelle curiously asked, "You used to be a security guard?"


    Li Yifei smiled and answered, "Yeah, for two months. Haven¡¯t you seen me before? I¡¯ve seen you quite a few times."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention." Michelle¡¯s face turned red again. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Nothing to be sorry about. By the way, doesn¡¯t the company have drivers? Don¡¯t they provide a car for inspections?"


    Michelle shook her head, "We only have two drivers in our company, and they can¡¯t cover everyone. Usually, they¡¯re reserved for the leaders. When we go out, we have to take the bus."


    Just then, the bus arrived, and Li Yifei and Michelle got on together. It was past the morning rush hour, and it was the first day back to work after the holiday, so there were fewer passengers. They found seats together towards the back of the bus.


    Once seated, Michelle said, "I¡¯m responsible for four warehouses, all in East City. I inspect two per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, so I¡¯ll be done by tomorrow afternoon."


    Li Yifei inquired, "Why aren¡¯t the warehouses in one place?"


    "The warehouses are all rented by our company. Large ones would be too expensive, so they¡¯re spread out. Plus, our company¡¯s operations are diversified, and we purchase a wide variety of products. Different types of products need to be stored in different warehouses."


    Michelle went on to explain more about warehouse management, and this time Yifei made sure to remember everything. After half an hour on the bus, they took a taxi, and it took them another five or six minutes to reach their first destination.


    The warehouse had an area of over two thousand square meters, surrounded by a fence and a large black iron gate, which was open. A man in his thirties waited at the entrance. Seeing them approach, he came forward with a cheerful greeting, "Michelle is here!"


    Michelle quickly introduced, "Hello, Director Zhang, this is our new colleague from the logistics department, Li Yifei."


    On the way, Michelle had already briefed Li Yifei about Director Zhang, whose name was Zhang Ping. Li Yifei stepped forward to shake hands, saying, "Director Zhang, it¡¯s nice to meet you."


    "Nice to meet you, too. I¡¯ll be relying on you in the future."


    "I¡¯m just a small fry; I¡¯m the one who needs your care, Director Zhang."


    "Nonsense, you¡¯re from upstairs, coming down here to inspect. Of course, we should take good care of you."


    Zhang Ping was quite the smooth talker, and after a few exchanges, the atmosphere became very friendly. Then, he led Li Yifei and Michelle to the office.


    The office here was far less fancy than Huayang Company¡¯s, but it was spacious, and here, Zhang Ping was the boss, actually living more comfortably than small employees like Li Yifei.


    Michelle was a very serious young woman, not given to idle chatter. She asked Zhang Ping to bring out the inventory list, compared it with her own, and then proceeded to check the stock in the warehouse, meticulously and attentively.


    By the time the inspection was complete, it was past eleven o¡¯clock. Zhang Ping invited them for lunch, but Michelle declined firmly, and it seemed Zhang Ping knew she wouldn¡¯t agree, so he didn¡¯t insist further.


    "Having a work meal doesn¡¯t seem unreasonable, does it?" Once Li Yifei and Michelle were seated in a snack bar, he couldn¡¯t help but question Michelle, considering they had missed Zhang Ping¡¯s hospitality.


    Michelle shook her head, "That¡¯s not okay. Accepting favors would make it hard to report issues later; that would be irresponsible to the company."


    Li Yifei gave Michelle a thumbs-up, admiring her principle, "You really stick to your guns."


    Michelle laughed shyly, "Sorry for making you eat such simple fare."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll get used to it in time, and being full is what counts. Plus, it¡¯s reimbursable." Li Yifei wanted to flirt lightly with Michelle, but in the end, chose not to say anything. Michelle didn¡¯t take teasing well, and an off-color remark could easily offend her. He had no special intentions towards her, but offending a pretty girl like Michelle would mean seeing less of her smiles¡ªmaking life less enjoyable.

 Chapter 33 Heroes

    Chapter 33: Chapter 33 HeroesThey ordered two dishes and two bowls of rice, keeping it simple.


    Throughout the meal, Michelle kept her head down, displaying graceful and elegant table manners. Li Yifei could tell that she didn¡¯t come from a wealthy family; her home must have been quite average. That a girl from an ordinary family could maintain such elegance was indeed rare.


    Dining with Michelle in this manner brought Li Yifei back to the days before he enlisted. Every day at noon, he sat down to eat with a girl, and though their meals were cheap and sometimes unsavory, he fondly remembered those times.


    "Have you had enough to eat?" Michelle, noticing Li Yifei had stopped taking food, looked up at him questioningly.


    Li Yifei smiled gently and said, "You go ahead and eat, I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re finished." This was also what he liked to say back then. He always enjoyed watching that girl eat, waiting until she was nearly done before devouring what was left. He was aware that she never ate much, deliberately saving more for him.


    "Oh, no need," Michelle was startled by Li Yifei¡¯s tender gaze and became somewhat flustered.


    It was then that Li Yifei fully emerged from his reminiscing, shook his head lightly, and said, "Hehe, then I¡¯ll eat."


    Li Yifei knew how to behave properly; when taking food, he would only take from his side of the dish, never touching the other half. Having encountered many women on missions over the years, he understood that this was something many girls cared about.


    Michelle quickly noticed Li Yifei¡¯s method of serving himself and her impression of him improved greatly. She had been somewhat anxious about bringing a male colleague out for an inspection, but her worries largely dissipated in the presence of such a gentlemanly man, who probably wouldn¡¯t harass her.


    After they finished eating, Michelle insisted on paying the bill and explained, "I can get reimbursed by the company."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t argue; although he had made some money by pretending to be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend over the New Year, he didn¡¯t have much savings and couldn¡¯t afford to spend lavishly. Since the expense could be reimbursed, he let Michelle take care of it.


    At that moment, three men in their twenties walked out of a private room. They had an unruly air about them, with wildly colored hair and bizarre attire, reeking of alcohol. They were also on their way to settle their bill and happened to see Michelle paying. Their eyes lit up; they exchanged glances and all wore lecherous smiles.


    The small diner was located on the outskirts of the city, where it was rare to see a beautiful woman like Michelle. These three were up to no good, and though they weren¡¯t going to abduct her right away, they certainly felt they had to catcall her; it was inevitable.


    A young man sporting dyed red hair and a leather jacket sidled up to Michelle, propped his left hand on the counter, and asked cheerfully, "Hey beautiful, you here alone?"


    Michelle turned to see the red-haired youth and immediately clutched her chest in panic, her face reflecting alarm.


    "Don¡¯t be scared, don¡¯t be scared. We¡¯re civilized guys here, we won¡¯t do anything to you. Just want to make a new friend," the red-haired youth winked at Michelle.


    Without a word, Michelle turned to leave, but she couldn¡¯t move as the path behind and to her right was blocked by the other men, terrifying her even more. She stuttered, "I¡¯ve finished eating, I have to go."


    "Aww, don¡¯t leave. Let¡¯s go sing some karaoke together."


    Michelle was too fragile and timid, which only emboldened the trio. As small-time thugs, they liked to show off and flirt with girls. If they encountered someone tough, they wouldn¡¯t dare do anything, but Michelle¡¯s fear galvanized them.


    Self-defense manuals for women state that one should not show fear when encountering rogues, as it could only encourage them further.


    "Yeah, come on. Let¡¯s go have some fun. We¡¯ll give you an unforgettable experience," the youth on the right boldly reached out to touch Michelle¡¯s face. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the bartender was present, he was too frightened to make a sound. The other few patrons in the diner also did nothing to intervene, feeling pity that a beauty like Michelle had to endure harassment, but lacking the courage to confront the hooligans. Some even had a crude enthusiasm for the unfolding drama.


    Michelle was on the verge of tears when she saw the hand approaching her face. Other than a scream, she didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    Suddenly, a hand reached out, firmly grasping the wrist of the offending young man, and Li Yifei appeared beside Michelle.


    Upon seeing Li Yifei, Michelle grasped at him like a lifeline, clutching his arm tightly, her body shrinking into the space between him and the counter in search of protection.


    Yet, seeing the three imposing figures surrounding them and with only Li Yifei beside her, her heart sank. How could Li Yifei, alone, fight off three men?


    "Kid, beat it. This has nothing to do with you!" The guy whose hand was caught jerked it back sharply, pulling his hand free, and then glared at Li Yifei, looking quite vicious.


    Li Yifei looked at the three men coldly and said, "Beat it."


    Thinking they had Michelle cornered for the day, the sudden interference by another person wrecked their plans, making them extremely irritated. The red-haired punk glared and cursed, "F*ck, who the hell are you? Not a local, are you? Acting tough in front of us three, do you have a death wish?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze swept over the three of them again with an intensity that made their hearts grow fuzz, but they had drunk far too much that day, and the alcohol fueled their audacity. They didn¡¯t take Li Yifei¡¯s warning looks to heart, and even felt that Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was a form of contempt, which infuriated them further. The red-haired punk cursed again and swung a punch at Li Yifei.


    The people in the restaurant gasped, and the owner inwardly lamented. A fight in his restaurant was the last thing he wanted. Michelle, out of instinct, let out a high-pitched scream and closed her eyes.


    "Thud!" A muffled sound followed by a scream that apparently did not come from Li Yifei.


    Michelle quickly opened her eyes and saw that Li Yifei was still standing in front of her. To her right and a couple of meters away, the red-haired thug sat on the ground, clutching his stomach in agony, then coughed and spat out a mess.


    Michelle could hardly believe her eyes. She had thought Li Yifei would be the one taking the hits, but now it was the punk.


    The others in the restaurant were stupefied. They hadn¡¯t seen how Li Yifei had made his move, but the red-haired thug had flown away, and now they realized that Li Yifei was quite formidable, no wonder he wasn¡¯t afraid of the three street thugs.


    "F*ck!" The other two thugs finally snapped back to reality, cursed simultaneously, and swung their fists at Li Yifei. They hadn¡¯t yet acknowledged Li Yifei¡¯s prowess, thinking he had just caught them off guard before. Now prepared and with both attacking at once, they thought they could easily take down Li Yifei.


    But their ideal was beautiful, and reality cruel. Li Yifei¡¯s punch landed in the belly of the first punk, who immediately clutched his stomach, gasping for air. With a sweep of his leg, the other punk was knocked off his feet, his head banging against the counter and nearly knocking him unconscious.


    Just like that, Li Yifei had taken down all three punks, leaving the restaurant¡¯s patrons and owner dazed. By the time they came to their senses, Li Yifei and Michelle had already left the restaurant.


    The three thugs struggled to their feet and cursed a few times in the restaurant but ultimately didn¡¯t dare to chase after Li Yifei. As long as they weren¡¯t fools, they should know that they were no match for him; chasing him would only result in another beating.


    Since there were few taxis in the area, Li Yifei and Michelle had to walk to the main road a few hundred meters away, where taxis were more frequent.


    Michelle was still in a daze, being led by Li Yifei. Her mind was blank, and she didn¡¯t even realize what she was thinking until they had walked over a hundred meters. Then, Li Yifei spoke to her, snapping her back to reality. Only then did she notice she was still holding Li Yifei¡¯s hand and quickly blushed and gently pulled her hand away.


    "Thank you," Michelle said, walking side by side with Li Yifei, her gratitude evident.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Thank me for what? You¡¯re my colleague, and my mentor for now, so of course, I have to protect you."


    The word "mentor" made Michelle feel a bit embarrassed, but it also eased her tension. She said, "If it weren¡¯t for you, they would have bullied me just now."


    Li Yifei looked down the road and asked, "You¡¯ve been here for inspections before and never encountered such a thing?"


    "No, I¡¯ve only been here twice. And the previous times, Brother Li accompanied me. We left immediately after the inspection and didn¡¯t dine around here. Perhaps Brother Li knew this place wasn¡¯t very safe, and I just didn¡¯t realize."


    "That makes sense; a beautiful woman like you really shouldn¡¯t go to secluded places. Next time, take me with you. Protecting my mentor is the responsibility of a pupil like me, and this is a good opportunity for me to learn from you as well."


    Michelle couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly, saying, "I¡¯m not your mentor, you¡¯re even a year older than me."


    "The capable one should be the teacher. Now that I¡¯m learning from you, of course, I should call you ¡¯mentor¡¯."


    Michelle¡¯s face flushed red, and she protested, "Really, it¡¯s not right. We¡¯re just colleagues; helping each other out is what we should do. President Xu has told us that the most important thing in a department is teamwork. Without cooperation, we are just loose sand. Only by working together can a department function at its best."


    When Michelle mentioned Xu Yingying, her eyes filled with admiration. This made Li Yifei also admire President Xu¡¯s charismatic personality. Xu Yingying was indeed an exceptionally capable woman.

 Chapter 34 Inspection

    Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Inspection"By the way, how are you so skilled? Three people couldn¡¯t handle you, and you did it with such ease?" Michelle asked Li Yifei curiously as they walked to the main road, waiting for a taxi.


    Li Yifei blinked and said, "You forget I used to be a security guard. I was in the army before, trained and all. These three little punks drank too much, they couldn¡¯t even stand straight, of course they couldn¡¯t beat me."


    "Oh, thanks to you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d have been in real trouble this time." Michelle shivered at the thought of being surrounded by three thugs.


    "Well, maybe it¡¯s just my bad luck. Normally, you wouldn¡¯t run into these kinds of punks. It just happened when you had a meal with me."


    Michelle burst out laughing again and said, "It really seems like it, you¡¯re really something else with your words." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Good thing you¡¯re not annoyed with me, otherwise I couldn¡¯t follow the master to learn."


    "Then you¡¯re the second disciple," Michelle laughed out loud again after saying that.


    Michelle¡¯s smile was beautiful, her eyes curving into crescents, eyelashes fluttering lightly, combined with the soft laughter. Even someone like Li Yifei, who had seen many women in the world, couldn¡¯t help but praise her inwardly.


    "I¡¯m so simple and honest, I should be the third disciple, right?"


    Michelle was amused by Li Yifei¡¯s simple and honest demeanor, laughing even louder. If a taxi hadn¡¯t come by, she might have laughed so hard she¡¯d squat on the ground.


    The second warehouse wasn¡¯t far from there; they arrived at the starting fare, where the person in charge was already waiting for them. They were quite polite to Michelle and Li Yifei, and even prepared fruits and drinks for the two, almost like they were welcoming higher-ups.


    Technically speaking, the warehouse manager had a higher rank than Michelle, and was sort of a big boss managing ten or so people in each warehouse. But since Michelle and Li Yifei were there for inspection, both of them were considered lower-level staff, and the manager didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    Even though the army had a strict hierarchy, some special departments were quite prestigious. The inspectors might be similar to regular soldiers, but they dared to arrest anyone, even regimental commanders. It was not unlike a company, so Li Yifei understood easily.


    After the inspection, it was already past four, and Li Yifei and Michelle rushed back to the company. Michelle organized the day¡¯s inspection results before clocking off.


    Working with Michelle for the first day, Li Yifei was impressed not only by her gentle and shy demeanor but also by her diligence and meticulousness in work, similar to Xu Yingying.


    After work, Li Yifei went out drinking with his old pals from the security department in a small restaurant. The drink was cheap bulk white spirit. Their salaries weren¡¯t high, only over two thousand yuan a month, so they usually pooled money for meals. Although Li Yifei had become a white-collar worker, the others didn¡¯t take advantage of him, knowing he had just joined Huayang Company and hadn¡¯t received a paycheck yet, so he was short on cash.


    Everyone enjoyed the gathering. Being with those security guards reminded Li Yifei of his times with comrades in the army. But since he had returned to the city, he couldn¡¯t help but seek a more rewarding job.


    The reason was simple¡ªhe needed to make money. Despite earning a lot over the years, he had spent most of it and had no savings. Previously, the army provided food and shelter, so spending recklessly presented no hardship. But now, expenses couldn¡¯t be avoided, though luckily, he recently earned a decent amount from Xu Yingying, so he wasn¡¯t under immediate financial pressure.


    By past ten, Li Yifei left with everyone, walking home. The restaurant wasn¡¯t far from his rented apartment; it took just over ten minutes on foot.


    The phone¡¯s music rang, and Li Yifei glanced at the caller ID. It was Xu Shanshan. He was a bit puzzled; Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t given him a heads-up, so Xu Shanshan must have called directly, probably checking on him. Still, Li Yifei answered with a smile, "Shanshan."


    "Brother-in-law!" came Xu Shanshan¡¯s clear voice, followed by a giggle. "I bet you¡¯re not with my sister right now."


    "How do you know? Didn¡¯t you hear the car noise outside?" Li Yifei smiled back.


    "Do I need to hear anything? I knew you and my sister weren¡¯t a real couple. How could you be together?"


    "Shanshan, I¡¯m out drinking with colleagues tonight, just finished and heading back."


    "I don¡¯t believe it. Would my sister let you go drinking with colleagues?"


    "Don¡¯t think your sister¡¯s so scary. We¡¯re quite equals in the relationship; we have personal space."


    "Really? I still don¡¯t believe it. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll catch you two in the act."


    Li Yifei could almost picture Xu Shanshan waving her little fists with confidence. He laughed and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll wait for you to expose us."


    Sensing Li Yifei was about to hang up, Xu Shanshan quickly shouted, "Hey, don¡¯t hang up! I¡¯m bored¡ªkeep me company for a while."


    Li Yifei belched and said, "All right, what do you want to chat about? Anyway, I¡¯m sobering up on the street, so I¡¯ll talk while walking."


    "What did you drink? Don¡¯t tell me it was your Nine-colored Rainbow?"


    "No, it was just with a bunch of guys. We can¡¯t afford fancy drinks like that."


    "You could¡¯ve brought some from home, but you didn¡¯t."


    Li Yifei felt a bit frustrated. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to bring it, but he¡¯d already charged Xu Shanshan¡¯s wages¡ªhow could he exploit Xu Zhenguo for more? He laughed, "That¡¯d be embarrassing. So, did you start working today?"


    Li Yifei changed the topic, and Xu Shanshan was equally spirited, "Started, but this job is boring. Teaching kids to dance every day, no future in it."


    "Being a teacher has a bright future! You have students to instruct, and they must do whatever you tell them."


    Xu Shanshan immediately giggled, "Brother-in-law, who looks at teaching like that?"


    "Okay, then you¡¯re a soul engineer, burning yourself to light the path for others..."


    "Haha... Brother-in-law, stop it, you¡¯re killing me, my stomach hurts from laughing."


    They chatted and laughed, and just as Li Yifei was about to say he was home, he hesitated. If Xu Shanshan asked Xu Yingying to answer, he¡¯d be busted. So even though he was at the apartment gate, Li Yifei didn¡¯t go inside.


    "Shanshan, I¡¯ve got to go now. It¡¯s pretty cold out here. If I keep talking to you, I¡¯ll turn into a popsicle."


    "Oh, I forgot you¡¯re outside. Sorry, brother-in-law, thanks for chatting with me for so long in the cold. Hurry and get home."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll hang up then."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei walked into the apartment complex while calling Xu Yingying.


    The call connected quickly, and before Xu Yingying could speak, Li Yifei said, "Shanshan just called me. I told her I was walking home from drinking. I¡¯ll turn off my phone now. If she calls you, say I drank too much and fell asleep."


    "This girl never stops," Xu Yingying said with some displeasure, then cautiously asked, "What did she say to you?"


    "Not much, just small talk. Clearly trying to gauge if we¡¯re genuinely in a relationship. You should be careful." Li Yifei couldn¡¯t admit how much he enjoyed chatting with Xu Shanshan. Otherwise, Xu Yingying might act like a protective mother hen, raising a big fuss.


    "All right, from now on, that¡¯s the plan. If she calls you, let me know, then turn off your phone. Wait, that¡¯s inconvenient for us; your phone has dual SIM cards, right? Buy another SIM card tomorrow, keep one card on at all times so I can reach you."


    Li Yifei agreed, though he felt this would never end. Still, having a sister-in-law like Xu Shanshan who he got along with, he didn¡¯t really mind.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei took the elevator upstairs. As he was about to open his door, he heard voices from the apartment on the left, piquing his curiosity.


    The building Li Yifei lived in had small units, with three apartments per section. He lived in the middle, and the other two units had been empty. Now someone had moved in on the left, meaning he had a new neighbor.


    The building had good soundproofing, so he couldn¡¯t tell how many people were inside or if they were male or female, but he was sure someone was there.


    Li Yifei hoped a beautiful housewife had moved in, so maybe something interesting could happen. Even if not, at least it¡¯d be pleasing to the eye, especially when waiting for the elevator, where they could chat a bit and life wouldn¡¯t be so dull.


    Such thoughts might not be appropriate, but for Li Yifei, who had faced life and death multiple times, he took many things lightly. These thoughts weren¡¯t ones ordinary people could easily understand. For instance, with women, no matter how good they were, he didn¡¯t plan on making one his wife.


    However, Li Yifei was disappointed when he got up the next morning and didn¡¯t meet his neighbor while waiting for the elevator, so he went down alone.

 Chapter 35 Integrating into the Small Group

    Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Integrating into the Small GroupOn this day, Li Yifei and Michelle had inspected two more warehouses, and since the two warehouses checked today were relatively small, the workload was also much smaller. Returning to the company before three o¡¯clock, Michelle started to organize the materials and compile a work summary.


    Li Yifei sat next to Michelle, lending a hand while also taking the opportunity to learn. Presumably, Zheng Xiuqin intended for Li Yifei to learn from Michelle, and it was highly possible she wanted him to take over Michelle¡¯s duties in the future, because having a girl like Michelle carry out warehouse inspections didn¡¯t seem quite appropriate.


    After two days of interaction, Michelle¡¯s impression of Li Yifei was quite good. At the very least, he had always shown her a lot of respect, never bullied her, or taken advantage of her. Of course, the main reason was that Li Yifei had rescued her from a small-time thug; hence in just two short days, Michelle had come to trust Li Yifei immensely. Even with Li Yifei sitting beside her, she was able to relax a bit.


    Once the summary was completed, they were the only ones left in the logistics department. The two drivers were out driving for some leaders, and Li Zhisheng and Shen Yajuan had not returned yet.


    "Finally done," Michelle leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms, causing her chest to protrude noticeably.


    Such a gesture was indeed quite tempting, especially when made by a delicate girl like Michelle, which added an element of shock. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but glance over a couple more times.


    Noticing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Michelle quickly sat up, her face turning slightly red. Li Yifei immediately laughed and said, "That stretch of yours looked really good."


    Michelle hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to not only look but also to comment directly; her face turned even redder, not knowing how to respond.


    Li Yifei laughed again and said, "I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, just a simple appreciation."


    Michelle could tell that Li Yifei¡¯s eyes were very clear, which put her at ease. Indeed, at her age, it was time for her to have a boyfriend, but because she was pretty, the men that interacted with her always looked at her with an uncomfortable gaze, which over time had made her quite wary.


    "Brother Li, you used to be a security guard, so how did you suddenly join our company? We weren¡¯t even hiring," she asked.


    Michelle was younger than Li Yifei, so out of politeness, she called him "Brother Li." Girls tend to be a bit gossipy, and she was genuinely curious about how Li Yifei had come to Huayang.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "I was arranged by President Xu; I helped her out before."


    "Oh..." Michelle nodded, "So you must be capable, since President Xu arranged it. She¡¯s the least sentimental person around. I¡¯ve never seen her put any relatives in positions around the company, unlike the people in the headquarters who are always trying to slot in someone at our branch."


    "You seem dissatisfied?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Michelle pouted, "Of course I¡¯m dissatisfied. Those people come here with no ability, they do a poor job, some barely even come in for work, yet they still get paid a lot. It¡¯s not just me, everybody is pretty unhappy."


    Li Yifei really hadn¡¯t anticipated such complex human relations within a company. "So President Xu tolerates this kind of thing?" he asked.


    Michelle pouted even more, "Of course President Xu is unhappy about it, but those are orders from the higher-ups, and she can¡¯t do much about it. Besides, the better the company performs, the more people will want to join our Huayang branch."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, "So they¡¯re just here to take advantage?"


    More angrily, Michelle said, "Exactly! So we who work hard and are dedicated to the company¡¯s growth feel tremendously aggrieved. Why should we work so hard when they can come and reap the rewards without doing anything?"


    "That¡¯s really no good. I fear that us hard workers might feel increasingly resentful," Li Yifei said, naturally including himself in the category of diligent workers, even though he hadn¡¯t yet undertaken any real work, and it was unclear if he would in the future.


    "Right, if it wasn¡¯t for President Xu, we wouldn¡¯t bother working so hard," she said.


    Li Yifei, feigning righteous indignation, added, "Exactly, if it weren¡¯t for President Xu, I wouldn¡¯t be working hard either." But unlike Michelle, he didn¡¯t feel it as strongly; he was merely pretending to empathize with her.


    "I¡¯m exhausted. Oh, you two got back quite early," spoke Shen Yajuan as she returned, immediately complaining as she entered. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister Shen," Li Yifei and Michelle greeted together.


    Shen Yajuan came over to their desks, smiling at them, "Hehe, you two paired up man and woman is quite an efficient way to work, not at all tiring. Not like me, alone and bored to death. Hey Michelle, how about letting Little Li go with Sister Shen next time?"


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red immediately, and she stuttered, "Sister Shen, you... don¡¯t joke around; there¡¯s nothing between us."


    Shen Yajuan giggled, "Look at you, blushing at a joke, and you¡¯re such a big girl. But you know, Little Li is around your age, and I think you two really make a good match. It wouldn¡¯t be bad if you were to date."

 Chapter 36 - 35 Integrating into the Small Group_2

    Chapter 36: Chapter 35 Integrating into the Small Group_2Michelle was even more embarrassed, her head almost dropping to her chest, when Li Yifei immediately said with a chuckle, "Sister Shen, you really shouldn¡¯t flatter me like that. I¡¯m just a poor guy with neither house nor car, how could I ever be worthy of Michelle?"


    As soon as Shen Yajuan heard this, she shook her head with a sigh, "Then there¡¯s no chance. Our dear Michelle, such a beauty, certainly needs to find a good family. But Little Li, you¡¯re not bad yourself, how about I introduce someone to you later?"


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly said, "No need, no need, Sister Shen. With my current situation, anyone who marries me would be getting a raw deal. Let¡¯s wait until my job is more stable, at the very least until I can save up some money for a down payment or something. Otherwise, what kind of life would it be to have someone share a rented room with me?"


    Shen Yajuan nodded, "You¡¯re right. Nowadays, not to mention having a car, but not even having a house does make it difficult to find a girlfriend."


    By this time, Li Zhisheng had also returned, and everyone began to work. Li Yifei also started looking through some documents as if he knew what he was doing.


    After a while, Chen Fei walked in, closed the office door, and spoke in a low voice, "Did you folks hear? Our company is getting a new person."


    Shen Yajuan immediately asked, "A new person is coming?"


    "Sent from above, and I¡¯ve heard that person is coming straight to our company to take the position of financial director."


    "No way, wouldn¡¯t that mean our company¡¯s financial authority would be taken away? Does President Xu agree to this?" Li Zhisheng¡¯s eyes widened, and he let out an incredulous gasp.


    Chen Fei immediately said, "President Xu must have agreed, and now who knows what our company is going to turn into."


    The firm¡¯s drivers usually had a knack for gathering information, so when Chen Fei said this, none of them couldn¡¯t help but believe it. This made everyone feel a bit heavy. Previously, the highest position in the financial department was the finance manager, and Xu Yingying was fine with arranging anything; the matter of everyone¡¯s salary increase was also up to her. But now, with a financial director coming in, who knew if the bonuses and such would be as generous as before.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t concerned; at the very least, his salary at Huayang Company was higher than when he was a security guard, and the work was obviously more relaxed. Moreover, he was someone who took things as they came. If Huayang didn¡¯t work out, he could always go back to being a security guard¡ªas long as he didn¡¯t starve.


    Early the next day, the four people from the logistics department went to meet with Zheng Xiuqin to report the inspection results. After the meeting ended, everyone returned to the logistics department.


    Inside the logistics department, Chen Fei was animatedly talking to He Dong. Seeing the others come in, he got even more excited and said, "Big news, big news!"


    Shen Yajuan rolled her eyes, "You always have big news, which eventually turns out to be nothing but trivial matters."


    Chen Fei immediately said, "This time it¡¯s definitely big news. Did you know, the new financial director who¡¯s come to our company is a beauty, and she¡¯s really young too¡ªonly twenty-seven years old."


    As soon as Shen Yajuan heard this, she became even less interested and pursed her lips before returning to her seat, while Li Zhisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, "Really? No way you¡¯re bluffing, right?"


    Chen Fei chuckled, "Brother Li, even if she is a beauty, what ideas could you possibly have? Be careful, or your wife at home may have you kneel on a washboard."


    "Heh, even if I can¡¯t entertain ideas, I can still take a few extra looks. Now that Michelle has joined our logistics department, you two guys won¡¯t be hanging around other offices when you¡¯re free."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she lowered her head, while Chen Fei and He Dong laughed out loud. Chen Fei said to Michelle, "Don¡¯t take it to heart, Michelle. We¡¯re all like your brothers here, we don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward you."


    Michelle spoke softly, "I know," but her ears turned red.


    Chen Fei then said, "The director I picked up today is really pretty, not at all inferior to President Xu. Her figure, her looks, while I was driving, I got distracted multiple times."


    Li Zhisheng leaned in close to Chen Fei, "She¡¯s that pretty, you¡¯re not exaggerating, are you?"


    Chen Fei smirked, "Man, you really don¡¯t trust me. She¡¯s in President Xu¡¯s office right now, if you don¡¯t believe me, go see for yourself." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Get lost, why would I go to President Xu¡¯s office for no reason? Looking for a scolding?"


    "In any case, you¡¯ll definitely get to see her sooner or later. Don¡¯t go weak at the knees when you do, Old Li."


    "Go away, do you think I¡¯m as pathetic as you two youngsters?"


    Li Yifei had gone down to do an inspection when he arrived at the company, so he hadn¡¯t grown too familiar with the three from the logistics department yet. But listening to the trio chatting, seemingly never straying from the topic of beauties, he found he hit it off with them pretty well. He chimed in, "A twenty-seven-year-old beauty becoming a director, that¡¯s really impressive."


    Li Zhisheng and the other two were not averse to Li Yifei joining the conversation. He Dong immediately said proudly, "Little Li, she is indeed remarkable, but when compared to our President Xu, she falls a bit short. President Xu is only twenty-five this year."


    When their talk turned to Xu Yingying, all three men had looks of admiration and reverence in their eyes, without any hint of lecherous thoughts or expressions. It was evident how highly respected Xu Yingying was in the company.


    At that moment, Zheng Xiuqin walked in, and everyone promptly fell silent. Zheng Xiuqin directly said to Michelle, "Michelle, go to the 14th floor and set up the financial director¡¯s office. Also, ask if the director has any special requirements, so we can arrange everything for her. Little Li, help Michelle with this."


    Michelle and Li Yifei promptly responded, and Zheng Xiuqin immediately left. Chen Fei then gave Li Yifei an envious look, "Little Li, you¡¯ll get to see the new director soon. Remember to come back and tell them about it, so they don¡¯t accuse me of bragging."


    Li Yifei grinned, "Sure, sure, I¡¯ll see if I can get a chance to take a photo of her."


    The three men laughed lecherously, and Li Yifei really seemed to have become an integrated part of their group.


    He and Michelle made their way to the 14th floor, where the third office was meant for the financial director. It still lacked any signage. They knocked on the door, and a woman¡¯s pleasant voice came from inside, "Come in."


    On hearing the voice, Li Yifei felt his heart skip a beat. The woman¡¯s voice sounded vaguely familiar. As he recalled, his face turned incredibly odd. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be her...

 Chapter 37 - 36: Seeing the Light

    Chapter 37: Chapter 36: Seeing the LightWith a sense of trepidation, I walked into the office. At that moment, besides a large desk and a chair, there was nothing else in the office. A woman was standing by the desk, looking towards Li Yifei and Michelle.


    As soon as Michelle entered, she was also struck by the new supervisor¡¯s beauty and demeanor, dressed in a black suit and black high heels, with curly long hair, the woman exuded an air of competence and alacrity. Michelle even immediately felt a bit ashamed of herself and respectfully said, "Director, I¡¯m Michelle from the logistics department, and this is Li Yifei. May I ask if you need anything, so our department can arrange it?"


    Having said that, Michelle didn¡¯t receive a response from the director; instead, she noticed that the director was staring at Li Yifei with her mouth slightly open, her face a picture of shock and disbelief. And mixed with that shock was intense panic, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying.


    Before Michelle could figure out what was going on, Li Yifei had already excitedly exclaimed, "It¡¯s actually you! I truly didn¡¯t expect that you would be the financial supervisor of my company. I¡¯m so sorry for bumping into you that day. You dropped your ID card, I called out to you, but you didn¡¯t hear. Luckily I¡¯ve been busy these past two days and haven¡¯t had time to take it to the police station. Here, I¡¯m returning it to you now."


    The new financial supervisor turned out to be He Fangqing, whom Li Yifei had met at the bar the day before yesterday. After a night of pleasure, He Fangqing¡¯s ID card was left at the hotel, something Li Yifei had indeed forgotten about these past two days.


    He had never imagined there would be another chance to meet He Fangqing, let alone in the same company. Seeing He Fangqing¡¯s reaction, it was clear that she was incredibly panicked at the sight of Li Yifei in this place, so Li Yifei immediately spoke up, offering her some reassurance by indicating that he wouldn¡¯t gossip.


    He Fangqing was indeed terrified upon seeing Li Yifei here. She wasn¡¯t normally a casual woman, but that day she had been dealt a huge emotional blow, leading her to the bar. She had intended to drink her sorrows away, but fate had her spend the night with Li Yifei in an unplanned encounter.


    Afterward, she was filled with regret, and most importantly, worried about the potential repercussions of that night. She had heard that some men might take the opportunity to secretly photograph or even threaten her, but two days had gone by without any frightening calls, so she had felt somewhat relieved.


    She had thought that the incident would be forgotten, but upon arriving at the branch office, she ran into Li Yifei again. The usually composed He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but feel disconcerted.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s words finally brought her back to her senses, and she hastily said, "Thank you for that, I was wondering where my ID card went."


    As she reached out to take the ID card Li Yifei was handing over, her palm was gently grazed by him, sending a shiver through her, yet she dared not show any reaction. She picked up a piece of paper from the desk and handed it to Michelle, saying, "This is what I need, as for anything else, you can decide how to arrange it."


    Michelle took the paper, which contained some basic information about He Fangqing, and smilingly said, "Director He, we¡¯ll get right on that."


    Li Yifei and Michelle turned to leave, and as soon as the door closed, He Fangqing sank into the chair, her hand on her forehead, feeling completely drained. The man she had slept with was now in the same company; how was she going to face this in the future?


    Most importantly, He Fangqing didn¡¯t yet know how Li Yifei would treat her. With her situation now known to Li Yifei, if he chose to use it to threaten her, then she... truly wouldn¡¯t know how to solve the problem.


    Rubbing her forehead repeatedly, He Fangqing forced herself to calm down and took several deep breaths, yet she felt completely unlike her usual self-possessed self.


    Even faced with various issues in the company, He Fangqing could come up with ways to cope, but this time, with her privacy involved and her weak point in someone else¡¯s hands, she was truly disturbed.


    "I¡¯ve got to find a way to get him out of this company!"


    "No, that won¡¯t do! If I get rid of him, he will certainly resent me more."


    "I could give him money, to keep him quiet."


    After leaving Director He¡¯s office, Michelle immediately said in a curious whisper, "Brother Li, you know Director He?"


    "Not really, just a chance encounter on the street when we accidentally bumped into each other. Then Director He thought I did it on purpose and took me for a bad guy; she stormed off in a huff. That¡¯s why she had that expression when she saw me just now," Li Yifei explained.


    Michelle had been quite puzzled by He Fangqing¡¯s reaction upon seeing Li Yifei, but after his explanation, it seemed to make more sense.


    "Hehe, you don¡¯t think I did it on purpose, do you?" Li Yifei asked Michelle with a smile.


    "Of course I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose," Michelle answered with certainty.


    Li Yifei was surprised and said, "Really? You trust me that much?"


    "Of course, I trust you. Brother Li, you¡¯ve always been very proper at work these past few days; how could you be that kind of person?"


    Li Yifei broke out in a silent sweat, thinking to himself, "I am actually that kind of person; I just don¡¯t dare to mess with a young girl like you for fear of trouble."


    However, Michelle¡¯s words made Li Yifei feel slightly proud as he laughed and said, "Then you better be careful, I¡¯m quite good at pretending."


    Michelle snorted with laughter and said, "Who ever heard of someone in disguise admitting it themselves, Brother Li, you¡¯re just teasing me."


    Li Yifei never actually expected that Michelle would believe him so readily, but it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. He had no intentions towards Michelle, but it would be quite dull if such a beautiful girl was always wary of him.


    On the thirteenth floor, there was a storage room specifically for holding various company items, including some materials and commonly used office supplies. Following the list Director He had given, they prepared everything available there and then delivered it all to Director He¡¯s office.


    Director He had been stealthily observing Li Yifei, but his demeanor was as if nothing had happened, which made Director He even more worried.


    After they had put everything away, Li Yifei and Michelle left. For bulk items like laptops, which the company didn¡¯t have in stock, they still needed to go out and buy them. They went to Zheng Xiuqin to get authorization, then called Chen Fei to go out and make the purchases, using the company¡¯s car.


    "Little Li, what do you think? The director is pretty, isn¡¯t she?" showed off Chen Fei as soon as they got into the car.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "She really is."


    Michelle chuckled softly from the backseat and said, "Brother Chen, Brother Li¡¯s known Director He for a long time now."


    "No way?" Chen Fei exclaimed in surprise.


    Li Yifei repeated to Chen Fei the same story he had told Michelle, but Chen Fei, unlike Michelle, firmly believed that Li Yifei had done it on purpose. He even admired Li Yifei¡¯s boldness, considering him a role model for men, which left Li Yifei somewhat speechless.


    After purchasing laptops and some other items Director He needed, by the time they returned it was already time for lunch.


    The building¡¯s cafeteria was on the fourth floor. With Michelle¡¯s guidance, Li Yifei got himself a meal card and then, together with Michelle, he got his food. As colleagues, and with Michelle walking him through the ropes, everything seemed quite normal.


    Most of the people eating there were familiar faces to Li Yifei. Having been a security guard for two months, Li Yifei had learned to recognize everyone in the building, a habit he¡¯d picked up in the military, always paying attention to the people around him. Although the building housed over a thousand people, any elite special forces soldier who couldn¡¯t memorize all of them in over two months would be deemed unqualified.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t remember everyone¡¯s name, just the people who worked in the building.


    Indeed, there were many beautiful women throughout the building; once women start working, they really know how to dress up. As long as they weren¡¯t particularly unattractive, anyone could be dolled up and pass as beautiful. However, Xu Yingying shined the brightest among them. Although Michelle was still a bit green compared to Xu Yingying, there weren¡¯t more than ten who could rival Michelle in the entire building. Therefore, seeing Li Yifei and Michelle eating together attracted some envious stares from the male white-collars.


    Yet, Li Yifei didn¡¯t see Xu Yingying or Director He in the cafeteria.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei and Michelle went to set up Director He¡¯s office, but Director He wasn¡¯t there. Instead, she had gone to Xu Yingying¡¯s office, seemingly trying to dodge Li Yifei on purpose.


    After tidying everything up and having the office thoroughly cleaned by the custodial staff, their task was finished.


    Despite being busy all day on the fourteenth floor, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of Xu Yingying, leaving him with a tinge of disappointment. He had seen Xu Yingying at home, not in her corporate persona, but he had yet to witness her true elegance in the office setting.


    After work, Li Yifei bought some groceries. Although they weren¡¯t anything special, he enjoyed cooking for himself, as he wasn¡¯t one to mistreat his own stomach.


    Just as he arrived at the entrance of his apartment complex, Li Yifei saw a woman in a sky-blue flight attendant uniform, struggling to hoist a large suitcase onto a step, but failing repeatedly.


    Li Yifei had never seen a flight attendant in his building before, let alone one in uniform¡ªan attire that could indeed make a man¡¯s heart race. He immediately walked over, smiling, and offered, "Can I help you with that?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The flight attendant turned around, eyeing Li Yifei warily, and replied, "No, thank you."


    When Li Yifei saw the flight attendant¡¯s face, he was thoroughly stunned by her beauty. Many assume all flight attendants are incredibly pretty, but Li Yifei knew well that truly gorgeous flight attendants were rare, or rather, the leftovers were not that many.


    The reason was simple: being a flight attendant meant having a good figure and looks, and many wealthy men traveled by air. It was too easy for a flight attendant to snag a wealthy husband, especially the attractive ones. Consequently, the beautiful flight attendants usually didn¡¯t last long in the job; most were married off or swept away in a matter of months.


    Thus, even though Li Yifei spotted a flight attendant, he hadn¡¯t harbored any high hopes about her looks. But his judgement, this time, was absolutely wrong; she was a bona fide beauty.


    Having a flight attendant as a neighbor, and a beautiful one at that, was an exciting prospect, though he wondered just how many months she would be his neighbor.

 Chapter 38 - 37 Supervisor

    Chapter 38: Chapter 37 SupervisorFlight attendants are typically tall, and the one before me was no exception. At this moment, she was wearing black high heels, standing over 170cm tall. Flight attendants usually have attractive figures, and she was certainly no different, if not even more so. Dressed in her uniform, she seemed to elevate the already admired image of an air hostess to new heights.


    Her face had that round shape, with delicate features perfectly proportioned. Perhaps her eyes, her nose, or her mouth were not the most perfect individually¡ªher lips even slightly plump¡ªbut together they made up an incredibly beautiful visage. The slight fullness of her lips only added to her sex appeal.


    However, the flight attendant was looking at me with strong caution, stepping back and hiding behind her suitcase.


    Li Yifei held up the groceries he was carrying and said, "I live in this unit, the middle apartment on the sixteenth floor. I¡¯m sorry, but this is truly the first time I¡¯ve seen such a beautiful flight attendant, and I couldn¡¯t help but stare. Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way."


    Although she was beautiful, Li Yifei immediately realized she wasn¡¯t his type. So beautiful and still working as a flight attendant suggested that this girl was still quite innocent, and not the easygoing type. Thus, she was only to be admired from a distance. With his thoughts at ease, he spoke to the flight attendant with extreme ease.


    "Ah? You also live on the sixteenth floor?" The flight attendant suddenly widened her eyes at Li Yifei, yet remained very wary of him.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I heard someone next door just yesterday. So it was you, huh? Hello, neighbor, my name is Li Yifei."


    "I... I didn¡¯t say I live on the sixteenth floor! Are you spying on me?" The flight attendant took another step back, her hands defensively in front of her chest.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Did you just use the word ¡¯also¡¯? Doesn¡¯t that mean you live on the sixteenth floor too? And since I¡¯ve never seen you in this unit before, it must mean you¡¯re also a new resident of the sixteenth floor."


    "Oh..." The flight attendant seemed to relax a little, but still kept her distance from Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head, reached out to take her suitcase, stepped up the stairs, and then set it down, saying, "It¡¯s flat inside, you can just drag it, right?" Then he walked straight into the building.


    "Ah! Thank you!" It was not until she entered the elevator that Li Yifei heard the flight attendant¡¯s thanks, but he didn¡¯t wait for her. Since she was wary of him, it wasn¡¯t his place to bother her further.


    No sooner had Li Yifei entered his home than his phone rang. It was a completely unfamiliar number. After answering, a woman¡¯s voice came through, "Are you... Li Yifei?"


    He Fangqing¡ªLi Yifei instantly recognized the voice and a smile appeared on his face. Having encountered He Fangqing today, he knew she would be restless and was bound to contact him in the evening, although he had not expected her to be so anxious he said, "Director He, it¡¯s me. What can I do for you?"


    "Umm, do you have time today? I¡¯d like to talk to you."


    "I¡¯m about to cook dinner, maybe later."


    "I¡¯ll treat you to dinner."


    "Alright then, where shall we meet?"


    "At Shenghua Garden, near Xinhua Road. I¡¯ve already reserved a spot, in the Second floor Flower Hall."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."


    Li Yifei carelessly placed the groceries on the shoe rack, then opened the door and walked out. By coincidence, the elevator stopped on his floor just as he was leaving, and the flight attendant was struggling to pull her suitcase out.


    Li Yifei gave the flight attendant a smile, entered the elevator without saying another word, and the flight attendant returned the gesture with a smile of her own. She wanted to speak to Li Yifei, but the elevator doors had already closed.


    "Really now, not even offering to help, some neighbor he is." The beautiful flight attendant pouted slightly and muttered under her breath then carried on dragging her suitcase with difficulty toward her apartment door, completely overlooking the cautiousness she had shown towards Li Yifei that had led to his aloofness.


    Twenty minutes later, Li Yifei arrived at Shenghua Garden. It wasn¡¯t particularly upscale but was a rather quiet and elegant restaurant. Guided by a server, he made his way directly to the Flower Hall.


    Upon entering the private room, he saw He Fangqing sitting on the sofa, her expression tensing up and greeting him rather stiffly, then ordering the server to bring the dishes, leaving just the two of them in the room.


    "Director He, for someone as important as you to invite a low-level employee like me to dinner is truly an honor," Li Yifei said, grinning as he sat at the dining table, which was meant for ten but now accommodated only two, a somewhat lavish setting.


    When He Fangqing heard Li Yifei say this, a chill ran through her¡ªLi Yifei had highlighted her position as a director and his as a mere employee, suggesting he had nothing to lose, unlike those with something at stake. She realized that such people were difficult to deal with, unlike those who had backgrounds and thus their own concerns.


    Although He Fangqing had already anticipated various reactions from Li Yifei before he arrived, and Li Yifei¡¯s current reaction was within her expectations, she was still somewhat nervous when she actually faced him, considering she was at his mercy. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Attempting to muster a smile, He Fangqing said, "I¡¯m pretty much in the same boat as you, just someone else¡¯s employee."


    "Director He, you must be joking, you¡¯re a director, and a formidable one at that," said Li Yifei. "You make a lot, and there must be so many people in the company trying to curry favor with you. Not like me, a total newbie, anyone can step on me twice."


    "If you encounter any difficulties at work in the future, you can come to me," He Fangqing hurriedly said. "I will certainly do my best to help you."


    "How could I impose like that? If you take such care of me, won¡¯t it make others think there¡¯s something between us?" Li Yifei said as he winked at He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing was immediately thrown into disarray. Her relationship with Li Yifei was her Achilles¡¯ heel. If others found out about her relationship with Li Yifei, she would no longer be able to face working at the company.


    At this moment, the waiter knocked and came in, and the dishes were brought in like a flowing stream. Soon, six dishes were served, and red wine was poured for the two of them before the waiter left.


    In the short span of time, He Fangqing had also adjusted her nervousness about seeing Li Yifei, and with a smile, she said, "Please eat. I¡¯m not sure if these dishes suit your taste. If you don¡¯t like them, we can order something else."


    "No need. For just the two of us, this is already more than enough," Li Yifei said, appearing very comfortable since the moment he came in, as if nothing had ever happened between him and He Fangqing, showing none of the respect one normally sees when meeting a leader.


    This was what made He Fangqing feel that Li Yifei was difficult to handle. Watching him eat and drink his fill, while she could barely swallow a bite, only picking at her food symbolically, she waited until Li Yifei had almost finished eating before she looked at him and slowly said, "You should know why I asked you to come, right?"


    "I know," Li Yifei wiped his mouth, "President Xu has taken a liking to me and wants to keep me for herself."


    He Fangqing¡¯s eyebrows furrowed immediately. If anyone else in the company had spoken to her so frivolously, she would have turned hostile on the spot, but facing Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t dare lose her temper.


    "Director He, don¡¯t be mad, I¡¯m just joking with you," Li Yifei said as he took out a cigarette and lit one up. He didn¡¯t often smoke, but he did enjoy a smoke when he had nothing else to do.


    Taking a deep breath, He Fangqing said, "That¡¯s right, that¡¯s what I meant. Whatever your conditions are, you can bring them up. As long as it is within my ability, I will fulfill your request. But I¡¯ll also tell you that although I¡¯m a director and used to work at the headquarters, I just bought a house last year and don¡¯t have any savings. I hope you don¡¯t get too greedy."


    Li Yifei took a satisfying drag from his cigarette and looked at He Fangqing with a smile, "Director Xu, starting with the poor-mouth act so soon?"


    "That¡¯s really the case. I do want to shut you up, but I am indeed limited in what I can do. If you ask for too much, I really won¡¯t be able to comply. I might as well just quit and find another company to start over. Besides, with my abilities, changing jobs isn¡¯t such a difficult task."


    Seeing He Fangqing continue to negotiate with him in this way, playing the poor-mouth and being fierce, Li Yifei found it quite amusing. Usually, after a one-night stand, men fear the woman getting clingy, but now, he was dealing with someone who feared him becoming clingy, and he could also benefit greatly from it.


    "So, what do you want?" He Fangqing saw that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t speaking and felt even more uncertain, but she still tried to appear very assured as she asked.


    Li Yifei looked at He Fangqing and shook his head, "Sorry, but I don¡¯t want your money."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face changed immediately. Those who are shameless are the most difficult to deal with, and in fact, what she hoped for most was that Li Yifei would just ask for money.


    "Then what do you want?" He Fangqing asked in as calm a tone as she could manage.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei stood up and walked directly to He Fangqing, leaning over her, looking down from a superior position. He Fangqing leaned back slightly, looking up at Li Yifei. This posture made her feel uncomfortable, as if she were being oppressed by Li Yifei and left her feeling passive. Wanting to stand up but not wishing to bump into Li Yifei, she was forced to maintain this stance.


    Li Yifei sniffed lightly, appearing quite unscrupulous as he said with a grin, "Director He, to be honest, I want to tell you that you¡¯re truly enchanting. I¡¯ve been reminiscing over the madness of that night for several days."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face turned red. She, too, had been reminiscing, but after seeing Li Yifei again, she no longer had the mood for it. Clenching her fist, she managed a tight-lipped expression and said, "I want you to forget that incident. Name your condition."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Alright, I¡¯ll state one condition. If you agree to it, I¡¯ll keep this matter to myself forever, never breathing a word of it to a third person."


    He Fangqing quickly said, "Tell me."


    Li Yifei revealed a rather sleazy smile, "Heh, my condition is... let¡¯s just keep this relationship going."

 Chapter 39 - 38 Infinity

    Chapter 39: Chapter 38 InfinityHe Fangqing¡¯s face turned cold in an instant, and through gritted teeth, she said, "No, don¡¯t even think about it."


    Li Yifei immediately revealed an expression of utmost surprise and said, "Really? Director He, you can¡¯t be serious?"


    Today, when He Fangqing sought out Li Yifei, she thought of the best possible outcome: that Li Yifei would agree readily not to bring up the matter again, and that both of them would act as if nothing had happened. She knew, however, that the chances of this were slim. The only reason she entertained such a hope was because of Li Yifei¡¯s behavior at the bar that day, which indeed made her feel that he was not someone who would cause trouble for others. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, to her dismay, Li Yifei was actually being so shameless, even wanting her to maintain this kind of relationship with him. What did he take her for? Though He Fangqing made a mistake, she wouldn¡¯t keep making it, so without a second thought, she decisively refused.


    "You can suggest any other condition for negotiation, but this one, I will absolutely never agree to," He Fangqing emphasized her bottom line once again.


    Li Yifei touched his head, shook his head, and sat back down, looking rather helpless as he said, "It seems being a white-collar worker really isn¡¯t easy. I¡¯ve only been at work for three days and now I¡¯ve got to resign."


    Li Yifei¡¯s abrupt statement left He Fangqing feeling confused, but she quickly got a shock. His words implied he would rather lose his job than to threaten her. Thinking of this, her face instantly turned pale, devoid of any color.


    After inhaling deeply, He Fangqing stared at Li Yifei and said, "Li Yifei, one must know when to stop. Don¡¯t push me into a corner. You can ask around, I, He Fangqing, am definitely not easy to bully." However unconvincing her words may have sounded.


    Li Yifei shook his head repeatedly, wearing a look of aggrievement and said, "President Xu, I didn¡¯t bully you. I said let¡¯s just maintain our roles, you as the director and me as the junior staff, and now you won¡¯t even allow that. You¡¯re really too unreasonable, driving me out of the company. What exactly do you want me to do?"


    "What?" He Fangqing stood up abruptly, staring intently at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei leaned back a little, with a frightened look on his face as he stammered, "Director He, what are you going to do? I¡¯m telling you, we agreed that night, it was consensual, and we shouldn¡¯t be involved after. You don¡¯t plan on holding onto me, do you? I haven¡¯t even gotten married yet, please let me go."


    "You... you..." He Fangqing said the word "you" twice, then suddenly burst out laughing and sat back down, chiding, "You jerk, you¡¯re just trying to scare me, aren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei was no longer feigning injustice. He chuckled and said, "President Xu, you looked so nervous, so I was just joking with you. Don¡¯t take it to heart, alright?"


    "You really scared the life out of me, I thought you were a greedy bastard," He Fangqing glowered at Li Yifei fiercely, but her face was full of smiles. After being tense for so long and fearing all day, she found the outcome to be so unexpected that she couldn¡¯t help but reveal her joy.


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "Though I might not have money, I still understand the rules of the game. Director He, you can rest assured. If you invite me to the bar today, I wouldn¡¯t mind having another go at a One-Night Stand, but here, I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    "As if I would go to a bar with you," He Fangqing spoke with a hint of coquettishness in her voice, and her face bore a flirtatious expression.


    Li Yifei immediately put on a lovestruck face and said, "Director He, don¡¯t tempt me. The way you¡¯re behaving right now, I¡¯m having a hard time holding back."


    This time, He Fangqing wasn¡¯t afraid of Li Yifei in the slightest, glaring at him as she said, "You better hold back. Remember, from now on, I¡¯m your financial director. If you don¡¯t behave and listen to me, just see if I¡¯ll sign your expense reports."


    "Oh my, this is outright personal vengeance."


    "Giggle, that¡¯s what you get for your cheeky mouth."


    Li Yifei downed the drink in his cup and said, "The drink¡¯s finished, the food¡¯s about done, and it¡¯s time for me to go."


    "Leaving so soon?" He Fangqing asked somewhat instinctively.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I¡¯m off to hunt for beauties at the bar. Director He, surely you don¡¯t want to join me?"


    "Go to hell, you big-headed pervert; just get out of here," He Fangqing said irritably, waving her hand dismissively.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, turned around, and strode out. He Fangqing was indeed a fine woman, and he wouldn¡¯t mind a few more One-Night Stands with her. But since they worked at the same company, things might get awkward if they continued such affairs, so Li Yifei had no choice but to give up.


    After Li Yifei left, He Fangqing sat in the private room in a daze. Such an outcome was completely beyond her expectations, but it was clearly the best resolution.


    "That bastard, off to pick up girls at the bar, the big rogue, the big womanizer." For some reason, He Fangqing felt extremely angry and uncomfortable about Li Yifei going to the bar to hunt for a fling, even having the impulse to stop him. But what would she do after stopping him? Continue with another One-Night Stand?


    He Fangqing startled herself with such thoughts. She had already made a mistake once and could not err again. Even if her husband was at fault first, being cruel and unjust to her, she, He Fangqing, was certainly not such a person. She wouldn¡¯t commit the same mistake again; not because of her faithless husband, but because she was a person of integrity.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t go bar hopping. Things were different now; he didn¡¯t need women to vent his frustrations. Occasionally going to a bar for some fun was one thing, but if he did it every day, it would lose its appeal.


    When he returned to his room, he heard a banging noise coming from the bedroom wall. It was a distinct thumping sound that was quite jarring to the ear.


    The sound seemed to come from the unit to his left, where the flight attendant lived. He didn¡¯t know what she was up to, but expected the noise to stop soon. Yet, to his dismay, it was intermittent and relentless. Unable to bear it any longer, he eventually knocked on the flight attendant¡¯s door.


    After a while, the door cracked open, and the flight attendant poked her head out, cautiously asking, "What do you need?"


    Li Yifei, frowning, said, "Listen, what are you doing? It¡¯s the middle of the night; don¡¯t people need to sleep?"


    "Ah! Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m hammering nails," the flight attendant quickly apologized, sticking out her tongue at Li Yifei a bit playfully.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Do you need a hand?"


    "This... You¡¯d really help me?"


    "What¡¯s the big deal? Just hammering a couple of nails, a piece of cake. As long as you trust me to come to your place, it¡¯s settled."


    The flight attendant¡¯s face turned red, and she looked at Li Yifei nervously, stammering without managing to say anything.


    "How about this, I¡¯ll come over and help you tomorrow during the day. Middle of the night like this, you might not be scared, but I¡¯m afraid you might take advantage of me," Li Yifei said, then turned and walked away.


    "Ah, I trust you, come and help me, please," the flight attendant suddenly called out from behind.


    Li Yifei waved his hand, replying, "Let¡¯s do it tomorrow. It¡¯s late, and the noise of hammering can be heard upstairs and downstairs. It¡¯s simply causing a disturbance, and I would rather not have the neighbors come looking for me."


    Watching Li Yifei actually go inside and close his door, the flight attendant was somewhat astonished. The men she had encountered always eagerly obliged her, but this man had declined. This piqued her curiosity about Li Yifei ¨C just what kind of man was he?


    The next day, Li Yifei arrived at the company right on time. There were many people in front of the elevator; even with three elevators, it would likely take a couple of trips before he could squeeze in.


    There was no helping it. During rush hours, the elevators were always overcrowded. When Li Yifei was a security guard, he used to think that the only thing the white-collar workers couldn¡¯t beat them at was waiting for the elevator. Now, he too had no choice but to wait.


    From behind came a rapid, rhythmic sound of high heels. Without turning around, Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying was approaching.


    Turning around, Li Yifei greeted Xu Yingying with a smile, "Morning, President Xu."


    Xu Yingying nodded, her face showing no particular expression. To her, Li Yifei was just an employee. The fact that they had pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend over the New Year did not change this, especially in the company where she could not let others know of their acquaintance.


    Although Xu Yingying was a president, she was just one among many in the building. With twenty-eight floors housing twenty companies, even if other employees recognized her, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily fawn over her, so she had to wait for the elevator like everyone else.


    Momentarily, He Fangqing approached, greeting Xu Yingying first and then nodding at Li Yifei because he had been as polite and courteous to her as he had said he would be the day before.


    He Fangqing took only one look at Li Yifei before speaking to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, I have familiarized myself with the company¡¯s finances and have some ideas. If you have time later, I¡¯d like to discuss them with you."


    Xu Yingying nodded and replied, "I was thinking of discussing some company matters with Director He as well."


    In such a crowded place, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing only exchanged a few words. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t discuss details there and then, so they waited for the elevator just like the other employees.


    After another group got on, Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing finally managed to squeeze into the elevator.


    These days, Li Yifei took the elevator every day and enjoyed it Immensely. There were many female office workers during these times, and being packed in was normal. Even though Li Yifei would never actually make a move in the elevator, he still relished the inevitable jostling contact with them.


    However, today was different. Today he was crowded into the elevator with two high-ranking company executives, and he was standing right next to them. It was an exciting prospect for any man.

 Chapter 40 - 39 Elevator

    Chapter 40: Chapter 39 ElevatorIn the elevator, aside from Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing, there were no other Huayang Company employees left, so naturally Li Yifei stood together with the two women. Initially, the three of them kept their distance from one another.


    Even if the elevator were at full capacity, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get too close, since the elevator has a maximum weight limit and would sound an alarm and not start if overweight. But today was an exception; someone actually brought two large boxes inside. The boxes weren¡¯t heavy, but their size was equivalent to that of four people, so the already crowded elevator became exceedingly cramped.


    As the elevator doors closed, Li Yifei had no choice but to squeeze in with the others. He Fangqing and Xu Yingying were both against the elevator walls, so Li Yifei could only lean against one of them. Naturally, he chose He Fangqing, since they¡¯d shared a night of passion before, making such contact not out of the ordinary.


    He had actually shared a bed and embraced Xu Yingying as well, but his relationship with her was not as intimate--they were just involved for mutual benefits. If he happened to have physical contact with Xu Yingying at this moment, she might very well fly into a rage.


    The moment he leaned against He Fangqing, Li Yifei felt her body stiffen, but he really had no choice; the elevator space was limited, leaving no other options.


    Even though He Fangqing knew that Li Yifei had no alternative, being in such close contact with him involuntarily brought back memories of their night of ecstasy. She had been quite drunk that night, but the vigorous activity soon sobered her, and she remembered everything clearly afterward. Li Yifei had been so strong, bringing her so much pleasure, how could she easily forget?


    And with such thoughts, He Fangqing felt utterly weakened, as if she couldn¡¯t even stand properly, and naturally leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Li Yifei was acutely aware of He Fangqing¡¯s reaction and was somewhat at a loss for words. If things got out of hand here, despite her insistent pleas to forget that night and never mention it again, just this slight bodily contact had made He Fangqing throw herself into his arms willingly.


    Moreover, her body was very warm, clearly aroused. This was happening inside an elevator¡ªshould she become aroused, at least choose somewhere private so he could play along. But now, it was under the watchful eyes of everyone, and with President Xu keeping an eye on them, Li Yifei was sure he would be kicked out of the company should he dare to make a move.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying noticed Li Yifei standing right behind He Fangqing and saw that He Fangqing looked a bit odd. However, she didn¡¯t think too much about it and asked with concern, "Director He, are you all right?"


    He Fangqing hurriedly shook her head, saying, "I just feel a bit dizzy from the elevator starting up. Maybe I¡¯m not yet accustomed to this elevator."


    That was a good excuse since some elevators ascend rapidly, causing discomfort to some people, but Xu Yingying didn¡¯t dwell on it any further.


    Li Yifei, however, couldn¡¯t help sneering inwardly, thinking how good He Fangqing was at spinning tales. But after making up such an excuse, she could have at least kept her distance.


    The elevator stopped at the fourth floor, and a person got off. Before Li Yifei and He Fangqing could create some space between them, someone else entered. Early in the morning just after the start of work, he wondered what the new person was up to.


    Especially since this new arrival was a rather large individual with a belly that looked like that of a woman seven or eight months pregnant. When he squeezed in, the elevator became even more cramped.


    He Fangqing was quite tall, and she wore high heels, plus she was the kind of woman with long legs. That night they were together, those long legs had been tightly wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s waist, a sensation he found unforgettable.


    Because of He Fangqing¡¯s long legs, Li Yifei¡¯s restless body part ended up right between her buttocks, leaving Li Yifei feeling a bit unnerved. This was not intentional; the close proximity was completely caused by the external environment. If he didn¡¯t react at all, it would indicate He Fangqing had no allure.


    As a married woman, He Fangqing was not naive about such matters. With something hard pressing against her from behind, her first reaction was panic, fearing what others would think if they noticed.


    Her heart raced uncontrollably. Pretending to adjust her hair and glancing around, she felt relieved to see that no one seemed to be paying them any attention, even Xu Yingying appeared to be looking normally at the elevator display, not at her.


    He Fangqing was inwardly cursing Li Yifei for having such inappropriate thoughts at such a time; it was embarrassing for her.


    Despite internal scolding, He Fangqing felt an unusual thrill, a longing for Li Yifei to make a move, even recalling their previous encounter. Her legs felt so weak that if not for being squeezed by the crowd, she might have slumped to the floor.


    When the elevator reached the eighth floor, a few people got off, including the person with the boxes, which made the elevator much more spacious. Li Yifei quickly stepped back, but He Fangqing¡¯s body leaned back again. He quickly reached out to support her, pretending to be caring as he said, "Director He, are you sure you¡¯re okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine," replied He Fangqing, her face flushed as she straightened up. "I really don¡¯t seem to get along with this elevator."


    Xu Yingying looked at He Fangqing curiously but didn¡¯t think too much about it. She had never experienced anything like this and so did not realize that He Fangqing was acting this way because of Li Yifei.


    When they reached the twelfth floor, Li Yifei quickly nodded to Xu Yingying and then hastily exited the elevator. He Fangqing noticed that the rascal had his hands in his pockets as he left, so though his pants were bulging, no one would pay it any mind. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that if anyone saw Li Yifei¡¯s "tent," they would definitely link it to what had just transpired between them.


    Upon reaching the 14th floor, He Fangqing stepped out of the elevator with the intention of exiting alongside Xu Yingying, but her body swayed, and she nearly stumbled. Her legs were still weak.


    Xu Yingying quickly steadied He Fangqing and asked with concern, "Director He, you don¡¯t seem well today. Why don¡¯t you rest for a bit? I can have the driver take you to the hospital for a check-up, and you can leave the work for now."


    He Fangqing hastily replied, "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be okay once the elevator stops."


    After they exited the elevator, Xu Yingying still looked worriedly at He Fangqing, who smiled and said, "See, I¡¯m really fine now. Thank you for your concern, President Xu."


    Xu Yingying saw that He Fangqing was walking normally and nodded, saying, "Still, your health is important. If there¡¯s anything you need, feel free to tell me."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll get myself together first, then head to President Xu¡¯s office later."


    He Fangqing returned to her own office and sat down. Her cheeks were still warm. What was happening to her? Li Yifei had taken advantage of her, yet she didn¡¯t feel angry. Moreover, it was Li Yifei who almost embarrassed himself, so why was she also worried? Did she owe him something?


    "Damn jerk, wait and see. You almost made me embarrass myself; I won¡¯t let this go," she muttered.


    Right then, He Fangqing began to intensely dislike Li Yifei once again and even thought about how to get back at him. Women¡¯s thoughts are indeed strange. She was very afraid of Li Yifei just yesterday, yet now she was thinking of revenge. If Li Yifei found out, he would surely be frustrated.


    Li Yifei did not immediately go to the office but first went to the restroom to smoke a cigarette, which helped calm down his excitement. His mind, however, kept replaying that thrilling moment. No wonder some perverts turn into bus molesters; the thrill was indeed very intense, especially when coupled with a beautiful woman and her cooperation. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to enjoy it if it were Xu Yingying.


    But what exactly was He Fangqing¡¯s intention? Could it be that she wanted to have some more fun with no strings attached? Li Yifei could consider that. A married woman like her had a certain appeal, and he wouldn¡¯t have to take any responsibility. That was something Li Yifei quite liked.


    That morning, Li Yifei was still familiarizing himself with the logistics department¡¯s work. Michelle was very helpful, and within half a day, Li Yifei had gained a comprehensive understanding of the department. At least now he knew what he should do, unlike when he first arrived, when Michelle had to help with everything.


    Just before closing time, a man entered the office. He was in his forties, slightly overweight, somewhat balding, and greasy-faced. He directly said to Michelle, "Michelle, come to my office." After speaking, he walked out.


    At this moment, Michelle¡¯s expression turned very ugly. Shen Yajuan, who was still in the office, spat out in contempt, "That bastard. Be careful, Michelle." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reluctantly standing up, Michelle said, "I know, but he¡¯s the Deputy Minister. What can I do?"


    Shen Yajuan snorted and advised, "Just don¡¯t get too close to him when you¡¯re in there, and don¡¯t close the door. If something happens, shout. He¡¯s the type who only bullies the timid. The weaker you appear, the more he¡¯ll push you around."


    "Okay," Michelle nodded, then adjusted her clothing, looking as if she was headed for the gallows.


    After Michelle left, Li Yifei whispered to Sister Shen, "Who was that guy just now?"


    "He¡¯s Deputy Minister Zhao QingSheng of our logistics department, a real sleazebag," Shen Yajuan said resentfully. "He throws his weight around because he has connections upstairs. The jerk also has a penchant for young beauties, always aiming for Michelle."


    Li Yifei frowned and asked, "But he wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything inappropriate in the company, right?"


    Shen Yajuan replied with disdain, "Sure, he wouldn¡¯t dare to go too far, but he¡¯ll take his chances to grope her, and those sorts of scum have ruined the atmosphere in our company."


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Then I¡¯ll go and take a look, make sure Michelle doesn¡¯t suffer."


    Sister Shen immediately warned him kindly, "Hey, don¡¯t do anything rash. That guy holds grudges. If you offend him, he¡¯ll definitely cause trouble for you. Besides, he can¡¯t do much to Michelle in the company, at most he¡¯ll just cop a feel."


    Li Yifei grinned and reassured her, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be reckless."


    Regardless, Michelle had been very helpful to Li Yifei, and he couldn¡¯t just stand by and let her be taken advantage of, especially by a lecherous old man like Deputy Minister Zhao.

 Chapter 41 - 40

    Chapter 41: Chapter 40The Deputy Minister¡¯s office was tightly shut. Michelle stood in front of the desk, nervously looking at Zhao QingSheng, the Deputy Minister, and stammered, "Minister Zhao, what did you want to see me for?"


    In the Deputy Minister¡¯s office, there was only one room but three desks. Zhao QingSheng sat behind his desk, squinting at Michelle. He was a lascivious man who usually liked to take liberties with the female staff. Shen Yajuan had been taken advantage of many times, but compared to Michelle, she was far inferior. Michelle was young and beautiful, as well as gentle and timid, with a small courage¡ªunlike Shen Yajuan, who was brash. It was fine to take small advantages from Shen Yajuan, but if he went too far, she would dare to scream. Therefore, Zhao QingSheng no longer troubled Shen Yajuan and had shifted his focus to Michelle.


    However, there were usually more people in the Deputy Minister¡¯s office, and Michelle also often did not give him an opportunity. But this time, he finally had a chance and he intended to make good use of it.


    "Little Michelle, it seems that your work hasn¡¯t been quite up to par lately?" Zhao QingSheng said, rocking in his chair, his face stern, looking every bit the boss discussing work.


    Michelle was startled and hurriedly said, "Where have I not done well? Please instruct me, Minister Zhao, I will strive to correct it."


    Zhao QingSheng had no idea where Michelle had fallen short; he simply intended to scare her. He shook his head and said, "The work in our department is indeed quite average at the moment, and you must bear some responsibility."


    "Yes, I am responsible." Michelle, being young and naive, was completely fooled by Zhao QingSheng¡¯s words.


    Zhao QingSheng was very pleased with Michelle¡¯s reaction and nodded, saying, "However, it¡¯s normal for young people to make mistakes, and as a leader, I can allow my subordinates to err. You don¡¯t need to be too nervous. Let¡¯s talk about something else. Do you really want to work at the branch company forever?"


    Michelle immediately said, "I think our Huayang Company is very good."


    "Huayang Company is indeed not bad right now, but it is, after all, just a subsidiary. Compared to the head office, it is still far behind. Haven¡¯t you ever thought of making a move and aiming for the head office? As long as you get there, not to mention the benefits and salary, but in the future, if you were to be transferred to a subsidiary, you could at least get a position as a Minister. Isn¡¯t that a great way to get promoted?"


    Seeing Zhao QingSheng sitting across the desk from her, Michelle had let her guard down considerably and said, "But I¡¯m just a junior employee, how could I enter the head office so easily?"


    "That¡¯s the wrong way to think. People should always aim high, and water flows low; you need to have the ambition to climb higher, only then can you do better."


    "Thank you for your encouragement, Minister Zhao, I will work hard."


    "You¡¯re still so young. Do you think just by working hard, you will become a Minister anytime soon? In this era, everything is about relationships and favors. Without knowing people at the head office, it won¡¯t be so easy to advance."


    "But I don¡¯t know anyone, do I?"


    "You may not know anyone, but I do. As long as I help you, I can definitely get you to the head office quickly." As Zhao QingSheng spoke, he had already stood up, pretending to go pour a glass of water, and when he came back, he had moved next to Michelle.


    "Minister Zhao, you want to help me?" Michelle said, somewhat excited. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, I see you as a fine young person who will definitely have opportunities for development. Of course, I would like to help you." As he spoke, Zhao QingSheng reached his hand toward Michelle¡¯s shoulder, as if a leader showing concern for his subordinate.


    Michelle¡¯s heart leaped, and she quickly sidestepped, causing Zhao QingSheng¡¯s hand to hit the air. She said, "Thank you, Minister Zhao."


    Zhao QingSheng missed his mark but didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, he grinned and said, "Little Michelle, in this society, you must give something to get something in return. I¡¯m helping you get to the head office; haven¡¯t you thought of repaying me somehow?"


    Michelle¡¯s face twitched slightly and she said, "Minister Zhao, I¡¯m sorry, I think it¡¯s better for me to work my way up step by step in the branch company." With that, she tried to leave, as she had already sensed the danger from Zhao QingSheng.


    Zhao QingSheng had long been captivated by Michelle¡¯s beauty and was not about to let such a good opportunity slip away. Moreover, he assumed that Michelle, because of her timid nature, would not dare to protest even if wronged. He quickly blocked her way, spread his arms to embrace her, and said with a sleazy smile, "Little Michelle, you know, I really like you. If you agree to my terms, I can give you money and also pave the way for your promotion."


    Michelle was taken aback, not expecting Zhao QingSheng to be so bold. She quickly stepped back, her hands guarding her chest as she dodged Zhao QingSheng. But just as he had said, she was indeed afraid to raise her voice. On one hand, she did not dare to offend Zhao QingSheng too deeply, and on the other hand, never having had a boyfriend, she was frightened that if others in the company learned she was harassed by Zhao QingSheng, it would damage her reputation.


    After retreating only a couple of steps, she found herself against the desk. Trying to run to the side, Zhao QingSheng blocked her path with extended arms, his leering faces saying, "Little Michelle, just give in to me. I promise you won¡¯t lose out in the end."


    Michelle, pale with fear, stuttered, "It¡¯s not okay... not okay. If you don¡¯t stop... I¡¯ll scream."


    Zhao QingSheng chuckled darkly and said, "Go ahead and scream, and make it loud. I, a man, am not afraid. You, a girl without a boyfriend¡ªif it gets out, it will ruin your reputation. And I will claim you slept with me, ensuring everyone looks down on you, making it impossible for you to find a boyfriend."


    "You... you¡¯re shameless!" Michelle finally got a real taste of Zhao QingSheng¡¯s shamelessness but, unfortunately, didn¡¯t know how to handle it.


    Zhao QingSheng let out a haughty laugh and said, "I am shameless, but if you follow me, I will definitely treat you well, and you will even go to the headquarters. Don¡¯t you think these advantages are worth it? Come on, let me give you a hug." As he spoke, he reached out to hug Michelle again.


    Just then, the door to the office was suddenly pushed open, which startled Zhao QingSheng, causing him to quickly withdraw his arms, and Michelle seized the opportunity to forcefully push him away and frantically run toward the door.


    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, wrong room." The person who came in was none other than Li Yifei, who immediately put on a smiley face, apologized repeatedly to Zhao QingSheng, and quickly retreated, closing the door behind him.


    Zhao QingSheng was stunned for a moment and then became furious, he was about to succeed when Li Yifei ruined it all. What wrong room? That guy was obviously doing it on purpose.


    "Damn it, kid, you¡¯ve got guts, daring to spoil my plan, let¡¯s see how I deal with you." Zhao QingSheng slapped the desk angrily, knowing that Li Yifei was a new employee in the logistics department, and as the Deputy Minister, it would be too easy for him to deal with Li Yifei.


    By this time, Li Yifei had returned to the office, where Michelle was leaning on the desk, her shoulders trembling non-stop. Shen Yajuan was sitting beside Michelle, comforting her.


    At this moment, Shen Yajuan looked up at Li Yifei and shook her head, "Little Li, be careful from now on, he will definitely come after you for ruining his plans."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and smiled nonchalantly, "It¡¯s fine. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch Little Mi be bullied by him."


    Shen Yajuan whispered again, "Little Mi didn¡¯t suffer any losses, right?"


    "Shouldn¡¯t have; I was listening at the door. As soon as Zhao QingSheng made a move, I went in."


    Shen Yajuan let out a sigh of relief, patted Michelle on the shoulder, and said gently, "You didn¡¯t suffer any losses, so stop crying. It¡¯s because you¡¯re too weak that Zhao QingSheng dares to be so bold. Do you think he dares to mess with me? I¡¯d squash his balls."


    Li Yifei immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Shen Yajuan really was bold, saying such things right in front of him.


    Michelle also got quite a shock from Shen Yajuan¡¯s words, her crying stopped abruptly, and she raised her head to wipe away her tears, her eyes red as she said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, thank you."


    "What are you being formal for? In the company, I still rely on you showing me the ropes. I haven¡¯t even taken you out for a meal yet."


    Michelle wiped her eyes again and turned to Shen Yajuan, "Sister Shen, do you think Minister Zhao will really make things difficult for Yifei?"


    Li Yifei, seeing that Shen Yajuan was about to nod, immediately said, "Don¡¯t be scared. I was personally arranged to come here by President Xu. No matter how powerful Minister Zhao is, he can¡¯t override President Xu. If he dares to mess with me, I will go straight to President Xu and see what he can do to me."


    The fact that Li Yifei was arranged by Xu Yingying to join the company was clear to everyone, and it mystified them. They couldn¡¯t understand why Xu Yingying, the most unsentimental president, had arranged for Li Yifei to come in. Now, from what Li Yifei was suggesting, his relationship with Xu Yingying didn¡¯t seem ordinary.


    Shen Yajuan looked at Li Yifei with a puzzled expression and asked, "Little Li, do you really have a connection with President Xu?"


    "Yeah, of course, we have a connection or else how could I have gotten a job inside the company?"


    While he was speaking, Li Yifei noticed that Shen Yajuan and Michelle were giving him strange looks and turning to look behind him. Li Yifei quickly turned his head and saw Xu Yingying, who was staring at him with a murderous gaze, sending a chill down his spine instantly.


    "President Xu, hello!" Li Yifei¡¯s face changed swiftly, and he greeted her with a beaming smile.


    Xu Yingying snorted coldly and said, "Li Yifei, I¡¯m warning you. Although I arranged for you to come here, I have no personal ties with you. But if you continue to flaunt my name around the company, I¡¯ll have you fired on the spot."


    Xu Yingying was so angry because she had heard Li Yifei claiming they had a relationship when she came in, and nowadays implying that kind of a relationship could only mean something deeper. If others came to believe that they had a romantic relationship, it was something Xu Yingying absolutely could not tolerate.


    But Xu Yingying also had a guilty conscience. In fact, Shen Yajuan had not thought of it that way at all; she merely thought there was some sort of kinship or personal favor between them. Despite Li Yifei seeming decent enough, in her heart, he couldn¡¯t possibly compare to the president, Xu Yingying, let alone have that kind of romantic relationship with her.

 Chapter 42 - 41 Gluttony

    Chapter 42: Chapter 41 GluttonyLi Yifei quickly chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, I¡¯m always working hard, and I absolutely have not used your name."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a cold stare, then turned to Michelle, saying, "Michelle, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Michelle hesitated, afraid to speak, but Shen Yajuan immediately said, "President Shen, just now Minister Zhao called Michelle over, and then tried to take liberties with her, so Little Li went over to help her. Minister Zhao really went too far. How can we work like this?"


    Shen Yajuan had long been simmering with resentment, but she seldom had the opportunity to complain. Today, with Xu Yingying coming to the logistics department, she spilt everything about Zhao Qingsheng¡¯s indecent actions like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression grew darker as she listened, and once Shen Yajuan finished speaking, she said at once, "Don¡¯t worry, I will give you all an explanation." Then she walked out of the office, and the rapid tapping of her high heels on the floor was enough to show how angry she was.


    Then the sound of the door to the Deputy Minister¡¯s office next door opening and closing could be heard, but no one heard what Xu Yingying said inside.


    Shen Yajuan clenched her fist in excitement, saying, "That was so satisfying. This time President Xu will definitely take care of that bastard. It would be best if she just kicked him out of the company."


    At this point, Michelle¡¯s mood also improved, knowing that President Xu had stood up for her. She felt less aggrieved, mainly because she hadn¡¯t suffered too much.


    About ten minutes later, Xu Yingying came out and re-entered the logistics department, saying, "Michelle, rest assured, he won¡¯t dare to do it again."


    Michelle quickly said, "Thank you, President Xu."


    Xu Yingying said with remorse, "Don¡¯t thank me; I should be the one saying sorry. It¡¯s my fault that my employees cannot work properly in the company because of these things. Going forward, I will have Minister Zheng establish a proper office system, under your logistics department¡¯s management. If any harassment occurs again, no matter who is involved, I will fire them right away."


    Li Yifei immediately asked, "So, you¡¯re not going to fire that guy this time?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly, and said, "Currently there¡¯s no specific policy in place, so firing him wouldn¡¯t be justifiable." However, she felt somewhat frustrated inside. In truth, she wanted to fire Zhao Qingsheng immediately, but he had a very strong backer, and she really couldn¡¯t dismiss him right now.


    Xu Yingying deeply loathed such people, yet she was managing a company that was nearly worth a hundred million in assets. She had to consider all aspects, and some things weren¡¯t as simple as how she wished to handle them. It was a helpless situation for Xu Yingying.


    After Xu Yingying left, the three started packing up to leave work, while Zhao Qingsheng came in, his face ashen, looking at Li Yifei with venom, "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts. We¡¯ll see about this."


    Li Yifei, however, acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard Zhao Qingsheng speak and continued to pack his things, then said to Shen Yajuan and Michelle, "Sister Shen, Michelle, let¡¯s go."


    By ignoring Zhao Qingsheng, Li Yifei was not only disregarding him, but it was also a naked contempt. Zhao Qingsheng¡¯s face grew even more unsightly as he ground his teeth and said, "You just wait, kid. If I don¡¯t drive you out of the company within a month, my last name isn¡¯t Zhao." After saying this, he stormed off furiously.


    At that moment, Michelle immediately expressed her concern, "Brother Li, what are we going to do now?"


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "This company isn¡¯t his, why worry? If he wants to drive me out, he¡¯s got a long wait ahead of him."


    "Are you really sure it¡¯s nothing?" Michelle asked, somewhat incredulously.


    "Of course, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t forget, President Xu is the boss of this company. If you don¡¯t have confidence in others, can you really lack confidence in President Xu? As long as I work diligently, President Xu definitely won¡¯t let him succeed."


    With the mention of Xu Yingying, both Michelle and Shen Yajuan felt reassured. In the company, President Xu was the backbone. It was unheard of for a well-performing employee to be forced to leave.


    When Li Yifei got home and was about to open his door, he remembered the promise he made to the flight attendant and knocked on the neighboring door first. After several knocks with no response from inside, he concluded that she was not at home and went back to his apartment to tidy up and start preparing dinner.


    No sooner had the meal been prepared than there was a knock at the door. Li Yifei went to answer it and saw the flight attendant neighbor, though today she wasn¡¯t in uniform. Instead, she was wearing a beige sweater and a pair of jeans, the sweater straining noticeably across her chest, clearly well-endowed. Judging by the look, they must have been at least a D-cup.


    "Wow, that smells amazing!" Instead of addressing the matter at hand, the flight attendant sniffed sharply, her expression one of longing.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "I just finished making dinner; do you want to come in and have some?"


    "Would that be alright?" the flight attendant seemed embarrassed but clearly enticed by the prospect of a meal.


    Li Yifei found it even more amusing, considering that the flight attendant had been very wary of him the day before, whereas today, the offer of food had significantly lowered her guard. He stepped aside and said, "Then come and join me. I think there¡¯s enough for two."


    The flight attendant still appeared somewhat sheepish but followed him inside. Li Yifei got her a pair of slippers, saying, "Aren¡¯t you afraid I might have ulterior motives, just casually coming into my place like this?"


    The flight attendant stiffened for a moment, then stuck her tongue out playfully, replying, "Whoever has ulterior motives wouldn¡¯t say it outright. I feel like you, Brother Li, are a good person."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Then you¡¯re mistaken; I am a bad person."


    "I don¡¯t believe that. A bad person would never admit they¡¯re bad." While she spoke, she slipped on the slippers and asked, "Brother Li, isn¡¯t your wife at home?"


    "I live alone; I¡¯m not married," Li Yifei replied offhandedly as he made his way to the dining table.


    "Then how come there are women¡¯s slippers here?"


    "These slippers were left by the previous owner, I just didn¡¯t throw them away."


    "Oh..." The air stewardess walked over to the dining table at that moment, and Li Yifei served her some rice. He said, "Eat."


    "Wow, so much delicious food, Brother Li you¡¯re amazing, you even know how to cook." The air stewardess picked up her chopsticks and immediately started eating without reservation, and her eating speed was incredibly fast.


    Li Yifei was taken aback by the air stewardess and couldn¡¯t help but say, "Have you not eaten for days?"


    The stewardess paused, tilted her head, and said, "Seems like it¡¯s been two days."


    "Two days?" Li Yifei was flabbergasted by her response.


    "Yeah, I¡¯ve been living on instant noodles these past two days."


    Li Yifei was immediately covered in a cold sweat, so the air stewardess¡¯s reference to not eating didn¡¯t include instant noodles.


    "By the way, Brother Li, what should I call you?" The stewardess finished a bowl of rice, and after Li Yifei refilled her bowl, she slowed down her eating and looked up at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "My name is Li Yifei, and I think I¡¯ve told you once already."


    "Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention then." The stewardess stuck out her tongue and said, "My name is Meng Xiaofei."


    "Hmm, that¡¯s a nice name."


    "Hehe, it seems like every man who hears my name says that it¡¯s nice, but I really can¡¯t see what¡¯s so good about it."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and said, "I guess everyone thinks you¡¯re pretty, so they feel the need to compliment you."


    Meng Xiaofei smiled shyly and said, "I didn¡¯t want to look like this either, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s remarks were always a pleasant surprise to Li Yifei, and he found it rather amusing. He said, "What¡¯s so bad about being beautiful? Nowadays many people go for plastic surgery just to look beautiful."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and said, "If you¡¯re beautiful, a lot of people want to take advantage of you. I¡¯d rather be an ugly monster, then no one would care about me and I could do whatever I want."


    Li Yifei actually gained a new respect for Meng Xiaofei; the girl actually had such a mindset. This meant she was not a person greedy for vanity. Perhaps that¡¯s why she was an air stewardess despite being so beautiful.


    In a short while, the three dishes on the table had been completely devoured by the two of them. The food that was originally enough for only Li Yifei¡¯s meal, he had offered some to Meng Xiaofei out of politeness, not expecting her to actually come and eat, and consume a lot at that. She had eaten more than half of the food, so Li Yifei was only three parts full.


    "Brother Li, you eat so little, even less than me," Meng Xiaofei said, shaking her head after finishing her meal.


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless; after all, he hadn¡¯t eaten his fill, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to mention it and stood up saying, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll go help you with the nails to avoid being kept awake again in the middle of the night."


    "Hehe, thank you, Brother Li." Meng Xiaofei playfully stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei, then ran ahead to change her shoes and left to open her apartment door.


    Li Yifei followed her into her apartment, which was larger than his own with a two-bedroom and one-living-room layout, unlike Li Yifei¡¯s which had only one bedroom. As soon as he entered, Li Yifei only had one feeling: "messy".


    The living room sofa was scattered with clothes here and there, the coffee table was cluttered with a bunch of snacks and such, and there were even some nails on the floor.


    "Is it just you living here?" Li Yifei asked in confusion as he entered.


    "Yes, what¡¯s up?" Meng Xiaofei replied breezily.


    Li Yifei motioned to the living room and said, "It looks like you live with a dozen people."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately felt embarrassed, stuck out her tongue, and said, "I just cleaned it up."


    Li Yifei was instantly engulfed in an imaginary heap of dark clouds; this was after cleaning up? If it had been left unattended, the apartment would have been a complete disaster.


    However, Li Yifei had no right to judge Meng Xiaofei¡¯s lifestyle. He picked up some nails from the floor and asked, "Where¡¯s the hammer?"


    "Don¡¯t have one."


    "What did you use to hammer the nails yesterday?"


    "This." Meng Xiaofei pulled out a candy box that was full of dents.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, his mouth twitched twice, and he said, "I¡¯ll go back to get some tools," then turned and walked out. No wonder this girl spent half of last night hammering; using a candy box to drive nails is pointless. It was a good thing he came to help her, otherwise, he¡¯d never get any sleep.

 Chapter 43 - 42 Too Careless

    Chapter 43: Chapter 42 Too CarelessLi Yifei¡¯s house didn¡¯t have a hammer, but it did have a mover, left behind by the landlord. Although it wasn¡¯t ideal for driving nails, it was sturdy enough and could withstand some force. For Li Yifei, hammering nails was more than manageable.


    Under Meng Xiaofei¡¯s guidance, Li Yifei put two nails in the living room wall. Meng Xiaofei immediately hung two picture frames on them, both containing her artistic photos. Looking at the photos, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but praise, "You¡¯re this beautiful and still taking artistic photos? Aren¡¯t you just purposely making everyone else jealous?"


    "Giggle, it¡¯s my own home, not outside," Meng Xiaofei said, very happy to receive such compliments from Li Yifei.


    "You even said you hoped to grow up to be an ugly monster, and now you¡¯re still so vain. You¡¯re totally fibbing."


    "I didn¡¯t! I¡¯ve already grown up to be like this, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. If I can¡¯t change it, I might as well enjoy it."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle; Meng Xiaofei was indeed an interesting girl. Talking with her always amused him. Having met many women, he had never encountered anyone with her personality before.


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei still admiring her artistic photos, Li Yifei shook his head and said with a smile, "Wait until I leave before you admire yourself. Anywhere else you need a nail?"


    "Let me think, yes! Another nail above the head of the bed in the bedroom," Meng Xiaofei said as she immediately led Li Yifei to the bedroom.


    The bedroom door had been closed, but as Meng Xiaofei opened it, Li Yifei got a glimpse of the inside and immediately felt his nose warm up. The room was a bit too romantic for a man to take in.


    Scattered across the bed and the floor were several pairs of stockings, some flesh-colored, some black¡ªa strange thing to have out in the middle of winter.


    Not just stockings, but also several bras and panties were strewn about the bed, and they were those enticing lace kinds. Even for someone as worldly as Li Yifei, this sudden sight was a bit overwhelming.


    "Ah!" Meng Xiaofei cried out, hurriedly rushing in to frantically gather all the lingerie together. Then she pulled open the wardrobe and dumped them inside.


    Once everything was tidied, she turned back, her face and ears red, and said, "I... I washed them and hung them to dry but hadn¡¯t put them away yet."


    Li Yifei was both amused and exasperated, saying, "It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not a pervert, or seeing your lingerie lying here, I definitely might have taken advantage of you."


    Meng Xiaofei was quite embarrassed but quickly stuck out her tongue in a mischievous manner and said, "I know Brother Li is a good person, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t dare to let you into my house."


    "No need to flatter me, let¡¯s get that nail in so I can head back."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately hopped onto the bed, moved the pillows aside, and pointed to the spot right above the head of the bed, saying, "Right here."


    Li Yifei climbed onto the bed and hammered in the nail. Being on a woman¡¯s bed without actually doing anything was a situation he hadn¡¯t found himself in before.


    After the nail was in, Meng Xiaofei handed Li Yifei a large picture frame and said, "Brother Li, help me hang this."


    Li Yifei took it, admired it for a moment¡ªthe photo was a sexy shot of Meng Xiaofei in scant clothing, a small tank top, and hot shorts, incredibly seductive. Such a picture was perfect for the bedroom, but too eye-catching for the living room. And he was fortunate enough to have seen it.


    "Stop looking, hurry up and hang it for me," Meng Xiaofei urged, a bit red-faced by now.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You had it taken and won¡¯t let me look? It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t actually dress like that in front of me, or I really might have turned into a pervert."


    Meng Xiaofei, with a flush still on her face, scolded playfully, "Stop it, Brother Li, you¡¯re teasing me."


    Li Yifei hung up the picture frame, and then he had Meng Xiaofei check and adjust its position. Once Meng Xiaofei was satisfied, he hopped off the bed.


    Leaving the bedroom, Meng Xiaofei said to Li Yifei, "Thank you, Brother Li."


    "Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re neighbors; it¡¯s only right to help each other out. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going back."


    "Sure, sure," said Meng Xiaofei as she saw Li Yifei to the door. As he was opening it to leave, Meng Xiaofei suddenly asked, "Brother Li, can I still come over to your place for a meal in the future?"


    Li Yifei turned to look at Meng Xiaofei who quickly stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and hurriedly said, "I can buy groceries; I just don¡¯t know how to cook."


    "Alright. If I have the time, you can come over for a meal."


    "Yay, I¡¯ve found myself a good neighbor! Brother Li, thank you. I¡¯m flying out tomorrow, but when I get back, I¡¯ll buy the groceries."


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s excitement, Li Yifei was infected by her enthusiasm and said with a smile, "Okay, it¡¯ll even save me some money. After all, there¡¯s not much difference between cooking for one and cooking for two."


    "It¡¯s a deal then!" Meng Xiaofei waved at Li Yifei, gave another radiant smile, withdrew her head, and closed the door.


    Li Yifei shook his head, returning to his house with a smile on his face, feeling fortunate to have such a neighbor, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t be bored when coming home in the future.


    Just as he sat down, Xu Shanshan¡¯s call came through again. Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before picking up, and Xu Shanshan immediately giggled, "Brother-in-law, where are you?"


    "I¡¯m outside," Li Yifei replied offhandedly as he settled on the sofa, knowing he absolutely couldn¡¯t admit he was at home.


    "Where exactly? Did you ask for leave from my sister?"


    "I¡¯m dealing with something with a few colleagues outside, and I¡¯ve told your sister already."


    "Really? But my sister said you just went out, and you¡¯re already together with your colleagues so quickly?"


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat. Xu Yingying had received Xu Shanshan¡¯s call but hadn¡¯t notified him at all. At that moment, he heard the call waiting beep and glanced at his phone. Seeing that the incoming call was from the second line, which he reserved for Xu Yingying, he realized Xu Yingying was calling just now, obviously too late.


    "It was quick, their car was waiting for me just outside the complex."


    "Is that so? Brother-in-law, it¡¯s not good for kids to lie, you know. How come every time I call you guys, you¡¯re never together?"


    "Who knows? It might just be a coincidence," Li Yifei could only offer that reason, but he quickly thought of a better one, "I¡¯m just worried about affecting your sister¡¯s work, that¡¯s why nobody at the office knows about our relationship. In their eyes, I¡¯m still single, so naturally, I¡¯m always out having fun."


    "Then tonight I¡¯ll call you guys in the middle of the night, I want to see if you¡¯re together or not." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why would you call in the middle of the night? That would be disturbing the peace."


    "I¡¯m going to disturb you guys. I always feel there¡¯s something off about you two; you don¡¯t seem like a couple at all. I¡¯m going to expose you, hehe, and if you confess now, I won¡¯t bother you anymore."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t confess; that would provoke Xu Yingying to settle scores with him, so he could only laugh, "You little rascal, go ahead and call then, but don¡¯t blame your sister if she gets mad at you."


    "I¡¯m not afraid. It¡¯s her fault for finding you to pretend to be her boyfriend. Now it¡¯s causing my mom to nag me endlessly. I will expose you two, and then let mom continue to nag her, hahaha..." Having said that, Xu Shanshan hung up the phone, laughing triumphantly.


    Only then did Li Yifei answer Xu Yingying¡¯s call, saying helplessly, "You¡¯re calling me, and Shanshan was just talking to me."


    "What did she tell you?" Xu Yingying immediately asked anxiously.


    Li Yifei recounted the entire conversation with Xu Shanshan to Xu Yingying. After hearing it, Xu Yingying said bitterly, "That dead girl, obviously afraid we¡¯d collude, used two different phones to call me and you, and she called you straight after without even finishing her talk with me, making it impossible for me to give you a heads up."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on, saying, "In that case, we¡¯re definitely going to slip up. Isn¡¯t it better to just drop the act? You¡¯ve already started working, there¡¯s no need to keep deceiving them, right?"


    "No, if my mom finds out, she would definitely scold me. And she¡¯d keep pressuring me to find a boyfriend."


    Li Yifei said with a wry smile, "President Xu, you¡¯ve got to give me some consideration. Shanshan could call me anytime, and I¡¯m really unprepared. Plus, she said she¡¯s going to call tonight, what should we do?"


    After thinking for a moment, Xu Yingying said, "Just ignore her. If she calls you, don¡¯t pick up. Pretend you¡¯ve had too much to drink. She wouldn¡¯t have any way around that, and she can¡¯t come over to verify it anyway. We¡¯ll just keep denying, and she can¡¯t do anything about it."


    "President Xu, this might work for one night, but what about after that? I haven¡¯t had much contact with Shanshan, but I feel like she¡¯s someone who¡¯s very persistent. What if she calls again in the middle of the night in a few days? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m out getting drunk every night."


    Xu Yingying was truly troubled by now. Her difficult sister was capable of causing trouble, and the main thing was, they both wanted to escape their mother¡¯s nagging. Xu Shanshan was determined to unravel it so she wouldn¡¯t be the one nagged at.


    "Let me tell you, if you really want to get Shanshan to drop this idea, we need to let her actually prove that we¡¯re still together. The only way is if we spend the nights together."


    Xu Yingying snorted coldly, "What on earth are you thinking?"


    "If I wanted to do something, I would have done it long ago; wouldn¡¯t have waited until now. Anyway, this is the only solution I can think of, so if you don¡¯t like it, then it¡¯s up to you to come up with something," Li Yifei said.


    There was silence on Xu Yingying¡¯s end. After a long while, she finally spoke, "Let me think about it, and I¡¯ll call you back."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei shook his head repeatedly. He had taken on this task intrigued by the fun of it and hoping to have a good place to spend the New Year. If only he¡¯d known there would be so many troubles afterward, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to Xu Yingying¡¯s request. But now that he was in too deep, and not one to shirk responsibility, Li Yifei knew he would have to soldier on and find a way to help Xu Yingying.


    Less than half an hour later, Xu Yingying called, "Why don¡¯t you come and stay at my place for a few days?"


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock, utterly unprepared for Xu Yingying¡¯s quick consent. He felt like he¡¯d shot himself in the foot.

 Chapter 44 - 43 Requirements

    Chapter 44: Chapter 43 Requirements"I invited you to come live at my place. The apartment I rented has two bedrooms, one for you and one for me," Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came through the phone again.


    "Oh, that¡¯s okay. I thought your place was like mine, with only one bedroom," Li Yifei said with a sigh of relief.


    Hearing Li Yifei speak in such a tone, Xu Yingying felt somewhat annoyed. If she had said this to any other man, they would probably be overjoyed, but who knew Li Yifei would respond like this? Could it be that by asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend, she had somehow insulted him?


    But such emotions were fleeting, and more than anything, it gave Xu Yingying a sense of relief. Since Li Yifei had such thoughts, it meant that living with him would be safe. Otherwise, letting a man stay at her place could be very dangerous. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This wasn¡¯t like being at her parents¡¯ house where there were other people around. Even if they were living in the same room, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move since all she needed to do was call out, and her parents would come in. But now, it was just her and Li Yifei, where calling for heaven wouldn¡¯t help, nor would calling for earth.


    "Come over now so we can avoid Shanshan calling tonight."


    "Come over now... isn¡¯t that unnecessary?" Li Yifei laughed bitterly.


    "If I tell you to come, you come. Have I ever short-changed you?"


    "Alright, for the sake of the money, I¡¯ll take the risk one more time."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit stuffy inside and really wanted to scold Li Yifei. Making such a big deal out of it, was she really that frightening? Or could it be that she¡¯d force herself on him?


    An hour later, Li Yifei arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s place. Xu Yingying lived in the British Mansion district, which was a lot nicer compared to where Li Yifei lived. It even had some villas, though Xu Yingying lived on the top floor, the twelfth, of a relatively tall building.


    Li Yifei had memorized these details a while ago, so he didn¡¯t need Xu Yingying to tell him and took a taxi directly. However, he still needed Xu Yingying to inform the security through the video communication system to let him into the district.


    Standing at Xu Yingying¡¯s front door, he had just knocked twice when Xu Yingying opened it. Xu Yingying was wearing a set of home clothes which was pretty much the same as at her parents¡¯ house. Since Li Yifei had seen her like this many times already, he didn¡¯t have much of a special reaction.


    "Come in," Xu Yingying invited Li Yifei in and then closed the door behind him.


    Li Yifei sized up Xu Yingying¡¯s apartment, which was roughly a hundred square meters. Entering the front door led to a square living room with a wall-mounted LCD TV, a sectional sofa, and a coffee table, which didn¡¯t seem particularly special, but the large balcony was quite appealing.


    Directly opposite the living room was an open-plan kitchen combined with the dining area, and right across from the front door was a bathroom with an artistic sliding glass door. There were likely two bedrooms on each side. This layout seemed to be standard for most high-rise apartments.


    Xu Yingying pointed to the bedroom on the north side, "That¡¯s your room."


    Li Yifei chuckled, took off his shoes, "Had I known you¡¯d let me stay here, I would¡¯ve terminated my own lease."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly, "You can only stay for a while. Once Shanshan gives up, you can¡¯t stay here anymore."


    "Still, it¡¯s a saving. I¡¯m not rich like you, the president."


    Xu Yingying was somewhat displeased with Li Yifei¡¯s greed for money, but she also understood that a regular employee really didn¡¯t earn much. In a city where only the salaries were low and everything else was expensive, a bit of greed wasn¡¯t considered a big flaw.


    Li Yifei entered what was his bedroom to find just a bed with bedding and a wardrobe. Although it was simple, it seemed better than his own place. He threw his bag onto the bed and said, "Not bad."


    Xu Yingying, with her arms crossed, stood at the doorway, "Although I¡¯m letting you stay here, there are a few rules I need to set in advance."


    Li Yifei turned around and looked at Xu Yingying, "Come on, Xu president, you invited me to stay here and yet you¡¯re setting conditions. Doesn¡¯t that seem unreasonable?"


    Xu Yingying nodded, "I understand, but it¡¯s better to clarify some things beforehand to avoid any unpleasantness later on."


    "Alright, go ahead," Li Yifei said, somewhat resigned, as he sat down on the bed.


    "Firstly, without my permission, you¡¯re not allowed in my room."


    "No problem."


    "Secondly, please maintain your personal hygiene. I really can¡¯t stand a man being sloppy in my house."


    "That¡¯s no problem, either. I¡¯m not a sloppy person."


    "Thirdly, you can¡¯t smoke inside the house."


    "That won¡¯t do. I have this habit, and I smoked at your parents¡¯ place, too. Your father smokes, and you agreed to it as well."


    "That¡¯s different. I can¡¯t stop my father, and in front of him, I can¡¯t restrict you too much. But here, it¡¯s just the two of us, and you can¡¯t smoke."


    Li Yifei sprang to his feet, grabbed his bag, and said, "Sorry, Xu president, I can¡¯t help with that." Then he headed straight for the door.


    Xu Yingying watched Li Yifei in shock. She was used to men always agreeing to her requests, but now, just because of a simple no-smoking rule, not only did Li Yifei refuse, but he was also about to leave. It was as if he really didn¡¯t care about her at all.


    Typically, Xu Yingying would never tolerate such behavior from a man, but in this situation, she had to swallow her pride. She quickly stepped forward to block Li Yifei, saying, "Alright, that one doesn¡¯t count, you can smoke in the house, but only in the kitchen, and you must turn on the extractor fan."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "Boss, you really have too many rules."


    A rare hint of apology appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face as she said, "I¡¯m sorry, I really hate the smell of smoke. This is already the maximum I can tolerate."


    "Fine, I guess you are my boss. If I don¡¯t agree, you¡¯ll probably start giving me a hard time at work," Li Yifei conceded.


    "Hmph, I, Xu Yingying, always keep personal and professional matters separate. No matter how great our personal grudges, I never let them affect my work," she retorted.


    Li Yifei grinned, "Okay, you¡¯re one of the best bosses in the world, then I can rest easy. Besides these three rules, are there any others?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head, her ears warming, "No, that¡¯s all."


    "Then it¡¯s OK, I¡¯m going to take a shower first."


    "Wait," Xu Yingying quickly called out to Li Yifei, and then hurriedly walked into the restroom.


    Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t follow her in, he leaned against the doorway and said with a chuckle, "You don¡¯t need to do this. At your parents¡¯ place, I¡¯ve seen your underwear before."


    Xu Yingying was tidying up her underwear hanging in the restroom. Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, she felt a bit depressed. Not only had Li Yifei seen her underwear, but she had also bought him underwear, the kind that is worn intimately close to the body. She wondered if he was wearing the ones she bought for him.


    Nevertheless, Xu Yingying put them away and said, "That was out of necessity, but now it¡¯s different. We should be careful. Although I trust your character, men tend to make mistakes in the heat of the moment, an inadvertent stimulus can lead to things happening."


    Li Yifei spoke disdainfully, "I have a pretty strong resistance, unless you deliberately seduce me, I won¡¯t do anything to you. You should know this. At your grandfather¡¯s place, even under those circumstances, didn¡¯t I resist?"


    A blush crept over Xu Yingying¡¯s face, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "I hope you can forget that incident in the future."


    "Heh, I was just proving my integrity, just so you don¡¯t lose confidence in me," Li Yifei chuckled.


    "I already have a lot of confidence in you. Otherwise, why would I let you stay at my place?" she remarked.


    "Alright, Xu president, since you have so much confidence, I¡¯ll go take my shower now," he said.


    Xu Yingying then remembered she was still standing in the doorway of the restroom, holding a bunch of underwear, and quickly retreated to her bedroom.


    Li Yifei chuckled to himself and entered the restroom. The space was quite large, which pleased him, especially because it was filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance¡ªthe same one that normally clung to Xu Yingying.


    After the shower, Li Yifei felt refreshed, wearing a set of pajamas he had brought with him, ready for this visit unlike his last-minute stay at Xu Yingying¡¯s parents¡¯ home.


    "Your phone," Xu Yingying pointed to the number on the coffee table, then gave Li Yifei a strange look.


    Li Yifei picked up the phone and saw two missed calls from He Fangqing¡¯s number. He hadn¡¯t saved He Fangqing¡¯s number, but Xu Yingying obviously knew it. No wonder she was looking at him that way.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t care how Xu Yingying saw him but thought he should consider He Fangqing¡¯s feelings, so he smiled and said, "Director He seems to be looking for me. I¡¯ll go make a call."


    Back in his room, Li Yifei closed the door before dialing He Fangqing¡¯s number. The phone barely rang once before He Fangqing picked up.


    "Hello, are you with your girlfriend, is that why you couldn¡¯t answer my call?" He Fangqing began by questioning Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei responded with a chuckle, "I am with a woman, that¡¯s true, but she¡¯s not my girlfriend."


    "Hmph, you playboy, who are you with?" He Fangqing immediately scolded him in an unfriendly tone.


    "With President Xu."


    "What? Haha... You must be blowing smoke. I could believe you if you said you were with someone else, but at this hour, with President Xu? Do you know who I just called? It was President Xu. You really suck at lying. So, have I caught you out?"


    Listening to He Fangqing¡¯s triumphant tone, Li Yifei was momentarily speechless. Was it that lying seemed more believable to people, but telling the truth was not?


    However, Li Yifei was more concerned about why Director He was calling him now.

 Chapter 45 - 44 Life

    Chapter 45: Chapter 44 Life"Hello, so you¡¯ve run out of things to say? Let me tell you, next time you brag to me, make it a little more believable, especially when you talk about President Xu. Such a pure and noble woman, and a company president at that. Do you really think that someone like you could be with her?" He Fangqing delighted in taking jabs at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei responded casually, "Why not? After all, you, Director He, also call me in the dead of night, don¡¯t you?"


    He Fangqing was so choked up by Li Yifei¡¯s remark that she immediately retorted bitterly, "You jerk, how dare you bring that up, what was going on with you today?"


    "What happened to me today?" Li Yifei asked, truly puzzled.


    Still acting dumb? What did you do to me in the elevator today? You scoundrel, pervert, you¡¯re shameless, utterly despicable."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Director He, I really can¡¯t be blamed for that. The elevator was as packed as sticky rice dumplings, it was impossible not to be pressed against you."


    "But you... shouldn¡¯t have done that."


    Her words were incredibly suggestive, stirring something in Li Yifei¡¯s heart. He smiled and said, "With a beauty like Director He in my arms, if I didn¡¯t react, then I definitely wouldn¡¯t be a man. It¡¯s simply that your charm is too great, you can¡¯t blame me for that."


    "Oh, cut it out with your smooth talk."


    "Heh heh."


    "Ah, you despicable rogue, don¡¯t you dare say another word, or I¡¯ll really get angry." What she meant was that she wasn¡¯t actually angry right now.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t continue to tease her. After all, he was at Xu Yingying¡¯s house, and he could hear Xu Yingying¡¯s footsteps coming this way. Even if she didn¡¯t enter his room, she might be going to take a shower or something. If she heard him talking about He Fangqing, it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop. So, Director He, can you finally tell me why you called?"


    He Fangqing snorted and said, "I called to warn you. You need to show me some respect at the company, and you can¡¯t have any inappropriate behavior, let alone make casual remarks. Especially in the elevator, you are not allowed to... take advantage of me, or else I won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll regard you as my superior in my heart and definitely treat you like a subordinate facing their director on the outside. Are you satisfied now?"


    "That¡¯s more like it, I¡¯m not going to talk to you anymore. I¡¯m going to sleep." With that, He Fangqing hung up the phone promptly. Although it seemed she spent most of her time today chatting with Li Yifei, even if they discussed serious matters, it ended up being inconsequential.


    Now, Li Yifei truly couldn¡¯t fathom He Fangqing¡¯s thoughts. Why did it feel like she was flirting with him? If she really fell for him and clung to him, that would be troublesome. He decided it was better to keep his distance from her to avoid further complications.


    For a beauty like He Fangqing, probably more than ninety percent of men wouldn¡¯t refuse a flirtation, but Li Yifei belonged to the other ten percent. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked beauties like He Fangqing, it was that he genuinely didn¡¯t want to tie himself down to one woman at the moment.


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei shook out the blanket and crawled into bed. But before he could lie down for two minutes, the house phone in the living room started ringing.


    Nowadays, very few households still use landline phones as almost everyone has a mobile phone. However, Xu Yingying still kept one, and Li Yifei heard Xu Fangying¡¯s footsteps as she went to answer the phone.


    "Shanshan, I¡¯m really at a loss with you, checking in on me in the middle of the night..."


    Upon hearing that, Li Yifei immediately got up, knowing that he too would have to take the call shortly.


    "Are you being annoying? Fine, I¡¯ll get him for you. Yifei, Shanshan is looking for you."


    "Coming." Li Yifei replied and got out of his room to the living room, took the phone from Xu Yingying¡¯s hands, and cheerfully said, "Shanshan, your timing is perfect, I just got home. If you had called even a little later, I wouldn¡¯t have been home, and you would have said I was faking it with your sister again."


    "Wow, brother-in-law, you¡¯re really at my sister¡¯s place?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s exaggerated voice came from the other end of the line.


    "With your sister, the rich lady, around, I don¡¯t really see a reason not to come home every day."


    "How boring, how can you two be together like this? Even if you¡¯re at home, I don¡¯t believe it."


    "Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Your sister and I are like a tortoise looking at a green bean¡ªwe are smitten with each other." After saying this, Li Yifei felt Xu Yingying¡¯s glaring at him, and he immediately realized that his words had insulted not only Xu Yingying but also himself.


    "Fine then, I¡¯ll just keep suffering. Oh my, why did you have to take a liking to my sister? Just keep letting her be single so I can worry to death."


    The landline¡¯s receiver was quite loud, so Xu Yingying also heard Xu Shanshan¡¯s words and immediately snatched the receiver, annoyed, and said, "You little brat, what are you talking about?"


    "Hmph, it¡¯s all because you got a boyfriend so early, making mom nag at me all the time. If I don¡¯t blame you, who else would I blame? Ah, I¡¯m not talking to you anymore, I¡¯m going back to being miserable."


    Xu Yingying hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Li Yifei said with a chuckle, "Does this mean I can consider the mission accomplished?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head, "No, you still need to stay here for the next two days. I know this girl too well. She definitely won¡¯t give up that easily. She¡¯s bound to call again within these two days. Only when she learns that you¡¯re here again will she probably lose hope."


    "That really is troublesome. Alright then, I¡¯ll stay for another two days." After speaking, Li Yifei returned to his own room with a gloomy expression on his face.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying really wanted to call Li Yifei back and ask him what that expression meant, but she swallowed her words. Even though she was good-looking and a company president, it didn¡¯t mean that every man would revolve around her. However, Li Yifei¡¯s attitude was indeed quite a blow to her.


    When she went to the bathroom to take a shower, she was surprised to find Li Yifei¡¯s underwear on the washing machine. They were bought by her and were clearly dry, meaning they hadn¡¯t been washed. This left Xu Yingying somewhat speechless. The guy changed his underwear but didn¡¯t wash them right away¡ªdid he actually expect her to do it while at her parents¡¯ house?


    She really wanted to ignore it, but the thought of unwashed underwear in her bathroom made Xu Yingying extremely uncomfortable.


    "Forget it, I have washed them for him before. Besides, I need his help for something these next two days, so I might as well wash them." Xu Yingying consoled herself and washed Li Yifei¡¯s underwear, but inside, she felt exceptionally aggrieved.


    The night passed without incident. The next morning, the two bumped into each other in the bathroom¡ªLi Yifei had just gone in as Xu Yingying was brushing her teeth.


    "Didn¡¯t you see I was brushing my teeth? What are you doing in here?" Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, her mouth full of foam.


    Li Yifei stepped out, saying, "Then hurry up, I¡¯m waiting to use the toilet."


    Xu Yingying frowned. Reminded of having to share a toilet with Li Yifei, she felt extremely awkward. The thought of her bare bottom having been where Li Yifei would sit made her extremely uncomfortable, not to mention sitting on the toilet seat after Li Yifei had sat there bare-bottomed as well.


    But it was an inevitability she couldn¡¯t avoid. Xu Yingying braced herself and just endured it; she couldn¡¯t stop Li Yifei from using the toilet in her house.


    After she had finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, Xu Yingying finally left the bathroom. Li Yifei muttered, "I was about to burst," and hurriedly entered the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Xu Yingying felt inexplicably happy. If she had known he was so desperate, she should have dawdled a bit longer.


    As soon as Li Yifei came out, she crossed her arms and said discontentedly, "Could you please sit down when you go next time?"


    "Sit down? I¡¯m not a woman. Don¡¯t you know men stand up to pee?" It seemed to him that this woman wanted to control everything, even his bodily functions.


    "I don¡¯t care what you do elsewhere, but this is my house. When you stand... it splashes everywhere, and it¡¯s not easy to clean up. Could you please be considerate and sit down in the future?"


    "Ugh, such a hassle. Fine, fine, I¡¯ll sit from now on. For a real man like me to stoop to sitting while peeing, it¡¯s a tragedy."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to give in so easily, and a smile appeared on her face, "Thank you. At least it will be easier on me."


    "Whatever, you have too many rules. It¡¯s better to get Shanshan¡¯s issue sorted out soon. Then I can be free. No wonder you don¡¯t have a boyfriend¡ªwith all these annoying habits, which man could stand it?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s comment immediately made Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widen, but she was too lazy to argue with him and went in to clean the toilet. The thought of a president like her, washing a toilet for an employee, did make her feel quite aggrieved.


    At that moment, Li Yifei was standing by the door, watching Xu Yingying scrubbing with her bottom wiggling, which was quite the sight.


    Just as he was enjoying the view, Xu Yingying suddenly turned around. To cover up his admiration, Li Yifei quickly said with a grin, "Heh, if the employees at our company saw you cleaning like this while I stand by watching, can you imagine their eyes popping out?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei unamusedly, "A president is also a person and has their own personal life. Can¡¯t I do everything at home myself?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Anyway, I feel quite accomplished right now. To have a president wait on me for several days... just thinking about it makes me happy."


    "Hurry up and get ready for work. If you¡¯re late, I¡¯ll definitely deduct your salary."


    "You haven¡¯t left yet, what¡¯s the rush?" Li Yifei remained leisurely.


    "Just a reminder, although I have a car, I won¡¯t be taking you with me. You¡¯ll have to find your own way, either by bus or taxi."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, "Come on, President Xu, isn¡¯t that a bit too underhanded?"


    "I can¡¯t help it. I don¡¯t want to provoke any gossip. You¡¯ll just have to endure it. At most, I can reimburse you for the travel expenses these few days."


    Li Yifei huffed and turned back to his room to change. With buses crowded at this hour, he certainly didn¡¯t want to be late.

 Chapter 46 - 45 The Little Girl

    Chapter 46: Chapter 45 The Little GirlLi Yifei used to live quite close to his company, so he could just walk to work, but now that he was staying at Xu Yingying¡¯s place, which was much farther away, he had to take the bus.


    This was Li Yifei¡¯s first time squeezing onto the bus in Mile City, and it was only upon reaching the bus stop that he realized just how many people were there, all scrambling to get on¡ªthe workers and the students alike¡ªat this hour.


    After letting two buses pass because he had tried to queue up civilly, while everyone else clambered on recklessly, he realized that time was running out. Afraid of being late for work, Li Yifei decided to join the scramble when the third bus arrived.


    Using his strength to his advantage made boarding the bus feel like child¡¯s play, and he managed to muscle his way inside smoothly.


    Once he was on the bus, however, he found the situation not unlike the cramped elevator he had experienced before, only worse. People pressed against each other, compressed together, turning the bus into something resembling a sardine can.


    Surrounded by people on all sides, Li Yifei felt far from dejected. After all, wasn¡¯t this ordinary life what he was seeking when he left the military?


    As the bus started and jerked into motion, people swayed in unison, and Li Yifei quickly reached out to steady himself on a handrail while someone pressed tightly against his back. Despite the layered clothing worn due to the winter cold, he could still feel the softness against him, clearly indicating a woman behind him.


    Turning around, he saw a girl in a down jacket. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, not too short, standing around 165 centimeters. Girls at that age have typically reached full maturity, including their height reaching its peak.


    She was carrying a backpack and had her hair tied up in a ponytail, with a oval-shaped face, a slightly pointed chin, and two big, round eyes that were now fixed on Li Yifei with an embarrassed smile, obviously aware that her chest had bumped into him.


    Li Yifei responded with a smile before turning back around. She was certainly a pretty girl, who would likely grow up to be on par with the likes of Xu Yingying, but Li Yifei had no interest in kids, especially not one who was still a student.


    A couple of minutes into the ride, the girl behind him began to fidget and kept pushing closer to Li Yifei, which puzzled him. What¡¯s this girl up to? He didn¡¯t entertain the thought that she might be flirting with him on purpose. After all, it was said that girls nowadays liked to chase after older men.


    Just as he was about to turn around, he heard the girl shout from behind him, "You filthy pervert, get away from me! Do you think I¡¯m an easy target?"


    Her voice was sharp, clear, and loud, instantly drawing the attention of everyone on the bus, including Li Yifei.


    The girl was now glaring at a young man in his twenties standing beside her. Anger blazed in her large eyes, making her look quite fierce.


    The young man, wearing a leather jacket and sporting a green-styled haircut, looked neither apologetic nor ashamed but glared back and said, "What are you shouting for? In such a crowded bus, a little bump is normal, isn¡¯t it?"


    The girl snapped back, "Normal? Get the hell away from me right now."


    "Well, find me a spot then. I don¡¯t want to stand either. Little brat, don¡¯t cheek me. Keep it up, and I¡¯ll slap you," the guy retorted, staring her down.


    It was clear to everyone what was happening. The man had been trying to take advantage of the crowd to harass the girl, but she was feisty and wouldn¡¯t just suffer in silence like many women might.


    Li Yifei gently tugged at the girl¡¯s arm and said, "Let¡¯s swap places."


    The girl turned to look at Li Yifei, nodded, and thanked him, "Thanks, Uncle."


    Li Yifei chuckled at being called ¡¯Uncle¡¯ and shifted the girl with one hand on her shoulder to swap places with her amidst the crowded bus.


    Now, Li Yifei found himself between the girl and the green-haired young man, effectively preventing the latter from bothering the girl any further.


    The bus was still packed, and Li Yifei was still in close contact with the girl, but his shoulder was touching her back, so she didn¡¯t think he was taking advantage of her. She even turned around and gave him a pretty smile.


    After riding for four stops, Li Yifei prepared to get off, and the girl started to squeeze her way to the rear. It seemed they were getting off at the same stop. Li Yifei guessed that she was probably a student at the high school near his company.


    Li Yifei also made a point of helping the girl off the bus.


    "Thanks, Uncle! So, you¡¯re getting off here too?" The girl didn¡¯t immediately leave but instead spoke to Li Yifei with a smile.


    Li Yifei pointed at the company building ahead and said, "I work there."


    "I attend the Fourth High School just behind here. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Chu Xiaoyao," she said, offering her hand to Li Yifei with a friendly gesture.


    Li Yifei found it amusing how formal kids were these days and shook her hand, introducing himself, "My name¡¯s Li Yifei."


    With a giggle, she said, "Well then, we¡¯re acquainted now, Uncle. What time do you finish work?"


    "Why?"


    "We can walk together after work. I¡¯d rather travel with you, Uncle. I don¡¯t want others taking advantage. You can be my protector."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Okay, I get off work at five-thirty, and I usually leave the company around five-ten."


    "Then we¡¯re about the same, I finish school at four-fifty. I¡¯ll wait for you, Uncle, for a bit. We¡¯ve made a deal now, you better not stand me up."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I won¡¯t. I don¡¯t usually have anything to do after work, I just go straight home."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, waved to Li Yifei, and ran ahead. After a few steps, though, she ran back, clattering in her hurry, and said, "Uncle, can I borrow your phone for a sec?"


    Li Yifei knew Chu Xiaoyao was asking for his phone number, so he handed over his mobile. Chu Xiaoyao dialed a number on it, and soon, her phone rang with music, after which she handed his mobile back to Li Yifei, smiling, "Uncle, save my number, okay? I don¡¯t want to call you and have you not know who I am."


    "Sure." Li Yifei smiled and agreed, waved back to Chu Xiaoyao who bounced happily on her way back to school.


    Youth is wonderful. Li Yifei once had such carefree days, but those days were gone forever. Watching Chu Xiaoyao did stir up memories for Li Yifei, and it seemed to lighten his mood quite a bit.


    While the logistics department didn¡¯t seem to have big issues to deal with, there were endless small ones. Li Yifei was busy all day, he didn¡¯t even know what he was busy with. But for Li Yifei, this fulfilling life was pretty good.


    Meanwhile, Michelle was constantly worried that Zhao QingSheng might cause trouble for Li Yifei, but Zhao QingSheng didn¡¯t appear at the company that day.


    Today was Friday, but due to the Lunar New Year¡¯s shifting holidays, they still had to work the next day. Working two weeks in a row made everyone feel quite tired, but Li Yifei felt pretty good. Going to work was at least fulfilling, as he didn¡¯t have anything to do by himself on the weekends. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After work, Li Yifei leisurely left the company and saw Chu Xiaoyao pacing back and forth at the company¡¯s entrance, constantly looking inside. The security guards at the door were occasionally glancing at her. For these bachelors, such a beautiful girl had a certain allure, and they were curious who she was waiting for.


    "Uncle!" When Chu Xiaoyao saw Li Yifei, she immediately stopped walking, waving and calling out to him.


    Li Yifei had forgotten about Chu Xiaoyao waiting for him and greeted her with a smile, but he was stopped at the door by a familiar security guard, who pulled at Li Yifei¡¯s arm and whispered, "Yifei, what¡¯s your relationship with this little girl?"


    "Nothing, just met her." Li Yifei replied casually.


    The security guard¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, Yifei, you¡¯re getting more amazing, bagging a little Lolita."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt embarrassed, "What nonsense are you talking about, am I that kind of beast?"


    "You are." The security guard vigorously nodded his head, then turned to look at Chu Xiaoyao with envy.


    Li Yifei, lost for words, shook off the security guard and headed straight for Chu Xiaoyao, "You really waited for me, huh?"


    "Of course, why wouldn¡¯t I rely on an uncle like you as a bodyguard?" she said and then chuckled.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "I really didn¡¯t expect to end up as a bodyguard for a little girl." He reflected on how he had protected many people in his life, and though he had protected girls her age too, none of them were as forward as her.


    The two walked shoulder to shoulder to the bus stop. Chu Xiaoyao tilted her head and asked, "Uncle, you just started working at this company, right?"


    "Pretty much."


    "No wonder I didn¡¯t see you before. That means you¡¯re not a senior executive yet, just a small employee."


    "Yeah, you see senior executives don¡¯t take the bus; they have their own cars."


    "Hehe, but senior executives all start from being small employees, right? I believe one day, Uncle, you¡¯ll definitely become a senior executive."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "I don¡¯t even have confidence in myself, where do you get so much confidence in me from?"


    "It¡¯s simple, Uncle likes to help people, and that¡¯s sure to get you noticed by the leaders."


    "Forget it, our leaders don¡¯t appreciate me that much."


    "That¡¯s because they lack vision," Chu Xiaoyao huffed, "Hey, when I have my own company in the future, I will definitely make you my CEO."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Well, I¡¯ll be waiting for that day then, just hope it won¡¯t make me wait until my hair turns white."


    "Hehe..." Chu Xiaoyao cheekily stuck out her tongue, "That¡¯s true, I don¡¯t even know what sort of job I¡¯ll be able to find for myself in the future."

 Chapter 47 - 46: Living a Simple Life

    Chapter 47: Chapter 46: Living a Simple LifeIt was the peak of the rush hour, and the public buses were extremely crowded, but with Li Yifei¡¯s protection, Chu Xiaoyao easily squeezed onto the bus. The two of them managed to get to a slightly less crowded spot towards the back, and here, Chu Xiaoyao faced Li Yifei as she spoke to him.


    "Uncle, I¡¯ve realized that taking the bus with you is much more relaxed for me, nobody else can squeeze in close, and those creepy uncles can¡¯t take advantage of me," she said.


    With that remark, several men around them broke out in a sweat; they were all uncle-aged, and it was normal to take the chance to cop a feel while jostling on the bus ¡ª as if Chu Xiaoyao was talking about them.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Maybe in a couple of days, I won¡¯t be taking the bus anymore."


    "Why? Are you switching jobs again?"


    "No, I¡¯m moving."


    "No way, Uncle, you¡¯re really disappointing me. What¡¯s so bad about where you live now that you have to move?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯m currently just staying at a friend¡¯s place, I need a place of my own eventually."


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her pretty lips and said, "Then why not rent something nearby? It¡¯s still renting no matter where you go, right?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯ve already found a place and paid the deposit."


    "Stinky Uncle, you¡¯re really not being nice," Chu Xiaoyao kicked Li Yifei, looking quite miffed.


    Li Yifei found it quite amusing and said, "But you can still come visit me. It¡¯s just that taking the same bus won¡¯t be very likely."


    "Hmph! I¡¯m not talking to you anymore." Chu Xiaoyao pouted and turned her head away, truly ignoring Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t coax Chu Xiaoyao. This little girl was just passing through his life, and besides, they didn¡¯t have much of a friendship. Helping her twice was just a fluke.


    The bus soon reached the stop, and both Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao got off. Chu Xiaoyao, who had been feeling cross, then asked Li Yifei, "Uncle, where do you live?"


    Li Yifei pointed to the British Mansion district and said, "I¡¯m currently staying here."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately exclaimed loudly, "Wow, that¡¯s where the rich people live!"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "That¡¯s my friend¡¯s place, not mine."


    Chu Xiaoyao said enviously, "I wish I could live in a fancy district like that, but my family can¡¯t afford it, so I have to live over there." She pointed to another district across the street.


    The district she pointed to looked rather old. Compared to the upscale British Mansion, it certainly was several levels lower. And a girl who rode the bus every day obviously did not come from a very wealthy family background.


    "You¡¯ll get a chance eventually. You¡¯re young. In the future, with your own hard work, you¡¯ll be able to make enough money to buy a villa and live in an even nicer district than this one."


    Chu Xiaoyao twitched her mouth and said, "Uncle makes it sound so easy. You¡¯re so old now, and you still need to rent, sigh, it seems like I¡¯ll just have to marry someone wealthy, so I can make a lot of money without working hard."


    Li Yifei was speechless. What on earth were young girls thinking these days? Chu Xiaoyao was so young yet so materialistic; it was somewhat hard for him to accept.


    "Hehe, I¡¯m still young. Anyway, I can¡¯t keep up. Bye Uncle, see you tomorrow morning." Chu Xiaoyao waved at Li Yifei and then cheerfully ran into the district opposite.


    Li Yifei shook his head and also walked towards the entrance of the district. Last night, Xu Yingying had given him a card to enter the district and a key to her home, so now he could freely come and go as he pleased without Xu Yingying.


    When he got back to Xu Yingying¡¯s home, Xu Yingying had not yet returned. Li Yifei changed his clothes, went into the kitchen and saw that there was basically nothing substantial to cook. He shook his head. It seemed Xu Yingying really wasn¡¯t the type to manage a household, as he wondered what she even ate at home.


    Fortunately, there was rice. Li Yifei started cooking the rice and was about to go out to buy some vegetables when his phone rang. It was Xu Shanshan¡¯s number. This girl clearly hadn¡¯t given up yet.


    "Brother-in-law, what are you doing?"


    In Xu Yingying¡¯s home, Li Yifei was able to deal with Xu Shanshan easily, "I¡¯ve just made rice and am about to go out to buy some veggies."


    "Ah, I want to eat the dishes you cook, Mom¡¯s cooking is too hard to swallow."


    "You better not let Auntie hear that or else you can kiss your home-cooked meals goodbye. Oh, looks like your sister¡¯s back, and she¡¯s got the groceries, so no need for me to head out," Li Yifei said as Xu Yingying returned with some groceries. Then, to Xu Shanshan, he added, "You chat with your sister, I¡¯ll get started on the cooking."


    After taking the groceries from Xu Yingying and handing her the phone, Li Yifei headed straight into the kitchen, only to hear Xu Yingying mutter impatiently for a moment before hanging up.


    "That pesky girl, she¡¯s such a headache," Xu Yingying said, changing her clothes and heading to the kitchen doorway.


    Li Yifei, busy chopping vegetables, replied, "I reckon one more time and she¡¯ll give up for good."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I think so too." She watched Li Yifei skillfully cutting vegetables and couldn¡¯t help but admire his knife skills. It¡¯s no wonder Xu Shanshan always enjoyed watching Li Yifei cook at their parents¡¯ house.


    Having Xu Yingying watch him wasn¡¯t as comfortable as having Xu Shanshan around, and it also brought an inexplicable pressure. Li Yifei stopped and said, "All right, Xu President, I¡¯m not at ease with you here; you should go do whatever you need to. I¡¯ll call you when the food¡¯s ready."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Thanks, then," before turning to go back to her bedroom.


    Today, Xu Yingying had purchased some fine ingredients, including vegetables, meat, a live fish, and a pound of shrimp¡ªmuch better than what Li Yifei usually bought. With the intention of improving their meal, Li Yifei cooked up everything she bought and then loudly called out, "President Xu, dinner¡¯s ready!"


    From her bedroom, Xu Yingying already smelled the delicious aroma wafting from the living room. Her stomach embarrassingly growled nonstop, but unlike her sister, Xu Shanshan, she definitely wouldn¡¯t run out to sneak a bite¡ªshe even resisted coming out just to take a peek. When she heard Li Yifei¡¯s call, she couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and headed straight for the kitchen.


    Before she could even sit down, Li Yifei said to her with a grin, "You must be starving, hurrying out like this to eat."


    "Who says I¡¯m in a hurry?" Xu Yingying naturally wouldn¡¯t admit it.


    Li Yifei blinked and teased, "Heh heh, with President Xu¡¯s personality, if it weren¡¯t urgent, why would you sit down to eat without even washing your hands?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face instantly flushed red. She quickly got up to wash her hands, and after dawdling for a bit, she returned to the dining table, where a bowl of rice was already served for her.


    "President Xu, I don¡¯t mind if you flaunt your bossy side, but I¡¯m going to start eating," Li Yifei said, having already stuffed a big bite of fish into his mouth.


    "The groceries are mine, why wouldn¡¯t I eat?" Xu Yingying found an excuse and promptly began to eat with her chopsticks.


    Although Xu Yingying was diligent and successful in her work at Mile City, she wasn¡¯t as good at taking care of herself in everyday life. She often skipped breakfast, had lunch at the company cafeteria with its simple fare¡ªand it was anything but gourmet¡ªand if she didn¡¯t have social engagements in the evening, she¡¯d just make do with something at home.


    Having such a variety of dishes at home in the evening was a first for her, and the food Li Yifei made was genuinely tasty, which had her immediately unable to put down her chopsticks.


    Li Yifei really liked it when others enjoyed the meals he cooked, especially if they ate uninhibitedly¡ªit meant he cooked well and gave him a sense of achievement. Cooking was one of his few hobbies and one he was rather adept at. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Phew, I¡¯m full," Xu Yingying said after devouring two small bowls of rice, pausing to lick a bit of sauce from her lips in a manner that was both sexy and charming.


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze lingered on her, caught by her beauty. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Xu Yingying was still single, he would certainly have considered pursuing her.


    "What are you staring at?" Xu Yingying, feeling somewhat dazed by Li Yifei¡¯s look, knew she¡¯d lost her composure that evening. She stood up and slowly made her way towards the living room. She had eaten so much that she felt bloated; it seemed that if she walked too fast, the food in her stomach might just force its way out.


    Li Yifei chuckled but didn¡¯t tease her; instead, he started cleaning up the table.


    Sitting on the sofa, Xu Yingying casually turned on the TV. It felt like years since she had watched TV leisurely after a meal.


    As she watched, her gaze kept sneaking back toward the kitchen, where Li Yifei, with an apron tied around his chest, was efficiently tidying up the dining table until it was spotless. He then moved to the sink to wash the dishes. The busy figure bustling around in the kitchen somehow mesmerized Xu Yingying.


    Although she was successful in her career and had met many successful men¡ªwith countless outstanding men pursuing her¡ªXu Yingying felt nothing for them. The more successful they were, the more she could see through the fa?ade of these men¡ªtheir inner selves were just too nasty, especially their attitudes towards women. They mostly seemed to only be after a fling, a concept Xu Yingying could never accept.


    The current Li Yifei seemed to have struck a chord in her heart. All she really wanted was to have someone care for her after a hard day¡¯s work, to come home to a hot meal, instead of having to cater to someone else¡¯s whims.


    "Here, have some tea to help you digest. You don¡¯t usually eat much, so suddenly eating this much might be too much for your stomach," Li Yifei said, placing a cup of tea in front of her in the living room.


    When he sat down, he noticed Xu Yingying looking at him with an odd expression and quickly said with a grin, "What? Think I take good care of you and that I wouldn¡¯t be a bad boyfriend?"


    Xu Yingying immediately gave him a scornful look and retorted, "Don¡¯t flatter yourself." But she felt awkward, as though Li Yifei had seen right through her thoughts.

 Chapter 48 - 47 Xu Yingying’s Test

    Chapter 48: Chapter 47 Xu Yingying¡¯s TestLast night, when she was washing Li Yifei¡¯s underwear, Xu Yingying kept criticizing him continuously, but tonight, after Li Yifei finished his shower first and left his underwear on the washing machine, her heart didn¡¯t harbor the same disgust when she washed them again.


    "I¡¯m only helping him wash because he helped me out, and he even cooked me a meal," Xu Yingying found an excuse for herself, but her reason told her very clearly that she was somewhat attracted to Li Yifei.


    However, Xu Yingying still shook her head. Although Li Yifei was indeed in some respects a suitable partner, the kind of husband a career-driven woman like her needed, her standards for a boyfriend were high. Li Yifei obviously had many aspects that she couldn¡¯t stand, so that kind of thought was just a fleeting one, which Xu Yingying immediately dismissed.


    The next morning, Li Yifei used some leftovers from yesterday to make two bowls of seafood noodles, and Xu Yingying had the rare pleasure of having breakfast at home.


    Li Yifei left home first. Xu Yingying went out a bit later, then went straight to the underground garage to get her car, drove out of the neighborhood, and subconsciously glanced toward the bus station. She caught sight of Li Yifei talking with a girl carrying a backpack, who was giggling nonstop and smiling intermittently, looking rather intimate with Li Yifei.


    This made Xu Yingying frown immediately. She had a certain understanding of Li Yifei¡¯s situation and knew that this guy had no relatives in Mile City and should know not many friends. Yet here he was, laughing and chatting with a girl who looked like a student, which really made one suspect their relationship.


    As a modern person, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t mind how many girlfriends a man had before marriage, but Li Yifei courting even young girls, that was despicable to her. Any good feelings she had for Li Yifei vanished in an instant.


    Nevertheless, Xu Yingying remained calm. She hadn¡¯t verified this incident herself. Perhaps the girl was the child of one of Li Yifei¡¯s friends, which would make sense.


    At that moment, the bus arrived. Li Yifei stretched out his hands, guarding the little girl as she boarded the bus. The girl kept talking to Li Yifei, looking back while chattering away; they seemed to have been acquainted for a long time and had a very close relationship.


    "Beep beep." A car horn sounded from behind, and Xu Yingying realized that her car had been idling all this time, simply coasting slowly forward. She quickly stepped on the accelerator, and her Buick gradually picked up speed, merging into the flow of traffic on the main road.


    There was some traffic today, and Xu Yingying arrived at the office later than usual. After parking her car, she saw Li Yifei again at the entrance of the company. He had just got off the bus with that girl, exchanged a few words, and then the girl skipped into the nearby high school.


    Xu Yingying frowned but didn¡¯t wait for Li Yifei. Instead, she went straight into the company and stood waiting for the elevator.


    The elevator hadn¡¯t come down yet when Li Yifei arrived behind her and greeted, "Good morning, President Xu."


    "Hmph!" Xu Yingying huffed at Li Yifei for no reason.


    Li Yifei was taken aback, not understanding what was wrong with Xu Yingying this early morning. Everything seemed fine at home, and since work hadn¡¯t even started at the office, he didn¡¯t think he had done anything wrong.


    "Good morning, President Xu." Accompanied by the sound of high heels, Director He Fangqing arrived at the elevator.


    Xu Yingying greeted Director He and then suddenly remembered that Li Yifei had called Director He that evening. She subconsciously paid attention to the two, but noticed that besides greeting Li Yifei, Director He no longer talked to him, seemingly as if they were quite strangers to each other.


    This made Xu Yingying feel that something was off. If they could call each other in the evening, that indicated a good relationship, but in the company, Director He acted as if she barely knew Li Yifei. It seemed there was only one reason for that, which was to conceal their acquaintance.


    Because she had to hide her fake relationship with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying was particularly sensitive to such things. Additionally, with news from the head office that Director He¡¯s marriage was not going well and she was in the process of getting a divorce, it would not be surprising if Director He was seeing someone else.


    It was just that Director He being interested in Li Yifei was somewhat unbelievable to Xu Yingying. What was it about Li Yifei that made a senior executive like Director He take an interest in him? After all, Director He had been quite a figurehead at the head office and was transferred to their company as the financial director for some special reasons.


    Then the elevator arrived. Everyone squeezed in, but not as tightly packed as that other day. There was a distance between each person, with Director He chatting quietly with Xu Yingying and not glancing at Li Yifei at all.


    The day before yesterday, Director He had called Li Yifei out of the blue and later deeply regretted it. Even if her marriage had reached its end, she didn¡¯t want to indulge herself recklessly. Having experienced one failed marriage, her understanding of men had become much clearer. Those who sweet-talked her every day were not necessarily the ones who could accompany her for life. At this time, she needed to be even more restrained, especially if her not-yet-divorced husband found out, it would only create a heap of trouble, and that guy was just waiting to find fault with her.


    So He Fangqing made up her mind, no matter what, she had to completely sever her relationship with Li Yifei and could no longer have any entanglements with him.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were both very serious about their work. They had met in the morning to discuss work matters. He Fangqing had tidied up her things and was about to leave when Xu Yingying seemingly casually said, "Director He, what do you think about the current personnel arrangements within the company?"


    "Personnel arrangements, President Xu? I¡¯m in charge of finance, isn¡¯t personnel out of my jurisdiction?" He Fangqing was somewhat mystified by the question Xu Yingying posed.


    "I¡¯m not asking you to arrange it, but the staffing in our company is still too bloated. Some people related to the head office, or other departments, not only don¡¯t work properly in our company but also affect the work enthusiasm of other employees. This really gives me a headache. I¡¯m wondering if Director He has any good solutions?"


    It wasn¡¯t a specific study, just a chat, or a discussion, so He Fangqing also thought about it and said, "This matter is indeed troublesome, not just in the branch office but also within the head office. Those people are not easy to offend; if you touch them, you¡¯ll offend people from all sides. However, if you don¡¯t manage them properly, the impact on other employees is huge, especially on those who work diligently. It¡¯s absolutely unfair for them to earn the same salary as those who do nothing, but if you want to increase their salary, the idlers will surely not agree. This is also a real dilemma for the company¡¯s financial system."


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "Yeah, in the first half of last year, the company did not encounter such a situation. In the second half of the year, more and more people came to our company, and they were all people who took money without doing any work, just like the day I arranged for Li Yifei to join the company, I knew that people inside the company would think he was another one just taking money without working."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s name, He Fangqing¡¯s heart rate increased, and she probed, "Li Yifei was actually arranged by President Xu to come in? Could it be that he really has connections upstairs?"


    Xu Yingying noticed the subtle change in He Fangqing¡¯s facial expression and became more interested. She shook her head and said, "No, he was originally a security guard in our building. I saw that he was very conscientious in his work and had some abilities. Although our company has many idlers, there are not many talents, so I was moved by the desire to recruit talent and brought him into the company."


    "Oh, I see, President Xu really is desperate for talent."


    "He can¡¯t really be considered a talent," she said, "he¡¯s just usable. Why, Director He, are you familiar with him as well?"


    "No... not familiar. How could I be familiar with him? I only found out about him after coming to the branch office. The first day, when he helped me with office supplies, that¡¯s when I met him." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying suddenly asked this question and disrupted He Fangqing¡¯s composure. Although her explanation was clear, there was a sense of trying to hide something more. With Xu Yingying¡¯s keen observational skills as a senior executive, she could tell that He Fangqing wasn¡¯t telling the truth, but of course, she wouldn¡¯t point it out at that moment. She smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯m just voicing a few complaints, Director He doesn¡¯t need to worry too much. In this company, the only one I can really talk to is probably you, Director He."


    "Thank you for the trust, President Xu. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back to work then."


    "Sure, go ahead." Xu Yingying nodded.


    After He Fangqing left, Xu Yingying tapped her fingers lightly on the desk, really unable to understand the relationship between Li Yifei and He Fangqing. If He Fangqing hadn¡¯t been so defensive, she might really have failed to see any connection between them. At most, she believed He Fangqing might have occasionally asked Li Yifei for help with something minor. But He Fangqing¡¯s defensiveness hinted that their relationship was out of the ordinary, and it was incredible for Xu Yingying to think a senior executive like He Fangqing could have an unusual relationship with a former security guard like Li Yifei.


    But soon she laughed at herself mockingly. It was one thing to find He Fangqing¡¯s situation incredible, but her own was even more so. She was still living under the same roof as Li Yifei, experiencing a semblance of domestic life. If He Fangqing knew, who knew what she would think?


    Back in her office, He Fangqing was feeling uneasy and reflected carefully on the words Xu Yingying had uttered to her. She suddenly felt that Xu Yingying might have been testing her. Could Xu Yingying have noticed her relationship with Li Yifei?


    That was unlikely, wasn¡¯t it? Apart from a one-night stand, her contact with Li Yifei at the company, after the first day, was limited to just two encounters in the elevator. Moreover, she had deliberately kept a distance from Li Yifei, so how could Xu Yingying have possibly noticed any relationship between them?


    Could it be that day in the elevator when she and Li Yifei were squeezed together, and that guy played a trick that let Xu Yingying see?


    "Oh my..." Thinking about this, He Fangqing really wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. If Xu Yingying had really discovered what had happened between them that day, she would have lost all face.


    "Damn Li Yifei, you¡¯ve really killed me." He Fangqing now really wanted to summon Li Yifei to her office and bite him, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to let Li Yifei come to her office now. She could only keep cursing Li Yifei in her room.

 Chapter 49 - 48: Zhao Qingshan Looking for Faults

    Chapter 49: Chapter 48: Zhao Qingshan Looking for FaultsLi Yifei sneezed twice in the office, and Shen Yajuan immediately laughed and said, "Little Li, someone must be thinking of you early in the morning."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Yeah, too handsome, nothing I can do about it."


    Michelle let out a laugh and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really funny."


    Li Yifei seriously said, "What do you mean funny, you don¡¯t know, no matter how low-key I am, I can¡¯t hide my dazzling brilliance. The moment I stand here, countless beauties throw themselves into my arms."


    Having worked in the logistics department for a week, Li Yifei had already grown familiar with everyone. None of these people liked to put on airs, and as they were all ordinary employees, they got along well. Li Yifei also enjoyed joking with them. While some more outrageous jokes couldn¡¯t be made because Michelle was there, the general banter was harmless.


    Now everyone in the office burst out laughing. Li Zhisheng pointed at Li Yifei, barely holding back his chuckles, and said, "I tell you, Little Li, then you should bring one of these beauties to show us, to give us an eye-opener."


    Shen Yajuan glanced at Michelle and laughed, "If you manage to woo our little Michelle, then I¡¯ll be impressed. Forget about the other beauties, be careful not to ruin your image in front of Michelle."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red all of a sudden as she stuttered, "Sister Shen... don¡¯t tease me, please."


    Li Yifei squinted at Michelle, shook his head, and said, "Michelle, although you¡¯re beautiful, you¡¯re not my type. I like them wild, and you¡¯re too gentle. Such a character is good for a domestic life but not for a wild-hearted man like me."


    Shen Yajuan pursed her lips and said, "All you men are wild before you get married. The most important thing is to tie your hearts down, not let you have the chance to go out enjoying life. A wild monkey like you, if you were in my hands, I¡¯d make sure you behave."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Looks like brother-in-law must be well-trained by you."


    Shen Yajuan smiled proudly and said, "Certainly, your brother-in-law was much wilder than you, but he¡¯s been staying at home honestly ever since we married. He never comes home later than nine at night. Speaking of which, take a look at Brother Li; he used to be quite the charmer, and now he¡¯s as tame as a cat. Even for company gatherings, he has to ask his wife half the day if he can go."


    Li Zhisheng immediately rolled his eyes and said, "Why are you dragging me into this? That¡¯s called being responsible, okay? It¡¯s because my wife cares for me, alright?"


    Chen Fei laughed heartily and said, "Brother Li, stop bragging. Just a few months ago, those scratches on your face, you said you got them from a bump, but they were obviously made by your wife. How fierce she is, we all know."


    Li Zhisheng immediately turned red and was at a loss for words, while the rest of the office burst into laughter. Shen Yajuan went over, resting an arm on Li Zhisheng¡¯s shoulder, and said, "Brother Li, this is nothing to be ashamed of. Love is fear. If you weren¡¯t good to your wife, she would¡¯ve slapped you away, not just scratched you."


    Li Zhisheng nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, that¡¯s a sign of our good relationship, a little fight now and then spices it up, right?"


    Everyone laughed again, but a loud shout suddenly stopped all the laughter.


    "This is work time, what are you idling around and chatting for?"


    The person who came in was Zhao QingSheng, with a sullen face and a fierce look that scanned over everyone¡¯s faces. Everyone immediately returned to their positions. Although nobody respected Zhao QingSheng, he was a vice-president after all. If he really came looking for trouble, they would not be able to handle it, and by now everyone understood that Zhao QingSheng was most likely looking for trouble with Li Yifei, wondering if he would take this opportunity to act.


    After Zhao QingSheng flaunted his authority, he also deliberately gave Li Yifei a glance. His look carried a sort of mockery and ridicule before he actually turned and left.


    As soon as Zhao QingSheng left, Shen Yajuan immediately pushed her chair and glided over to Li Yifei, whispering, "Little Li, you need to be careful. This guy likes to play dirty. You never know when he¡¯ll make his move."


    Li Yifei smiled broadly and said gratefully, "Thanks, Sister Shen, I¡¯ll meet the soldier and cover the earth with water. I¡¯m not afraid of him."


    Shen Yajuan rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Just be careful with everything. Don¡¯t give him any leverage. Then, he¡¯ll have no way to deal with you, after all, it¡¯s President Xu who has the final say here, and he can¡¯t stir up too much trouble."


    Just then, Michelle stood up and leaned over, saying, "Brother Li, it¡¯s my fault. I got you into trouble with him."


    Li Yifei turned and smiled at Michelle, "That¡¯s how I am. Even without you, I would¡¯ve offended him. I can¡¯t stand people like him."


    Li Zhisheng also joined in, saying, "You don¡¯t have to blame yourselves. What we need now is to think about how Zhao QingSheng might come after Yifei. Let¡¯s figure out a plan first."


    Shen Yajuan nodded repeatedly and said, "Right, that¡¯s what¡¯s important. As long as we¡¯re prepared and don¡¯t fall for his traps, he won¡¯t be able to touch Little Li."


    "That guy always uses our cars. I¡¯ll see if I can pry something out of his mouth later on," He Dong added.


    Chen Fei joined in and said, "Yeah, he¡¯s just a Vice-president, always acting all high and mighty. It annoys me just to look at him, plus he¡¯s pretty fond of bragging. Maybe if we butter him up with a few nice words, he¡¯ll let something slip. Later, He Dong and I will tip off Little Li."


    In the past, Li Yifei had always heard that these office workers loved to engage in constant intrigues, especially those in the same office, often appearing cordial but harboring ill will. But now it seemed that at least these colleagues were actually quite nice. He laughed and said, "You guys are helping me out so much. Regardless of what happens, I¡¯ll remember your kindness. Once we get paid, I¡¯ll treat everyone to drinks."


    With Li Yifei¡¯s promise, everyone was even more enthusiastic. In fact, it wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s treat that they were after; they simply couldn¡¯t stand Zhao QingSheng. Michelle was the darling of the office, and even if they couldn¡¯t get close to her, still, out of a man¡¯s instinct, no one wanted to see her fall into the hands of a jerk like Zhao QingSheng. So, at this point, it was nothing short of a united front against Zhao QingSheng.


    That morning, Li Yifei and Michelle went out to purchase two laptop computers needed by the accounting department. By the time they finished setting them up, it was past lunchtime. The two grabbed a quick bite and then returned to the company.


    As soon as they arrived at the company, a young man from the finance department came to the logistics department to collect the computers.


    The distribution of office supplies had always been Michelle¡¯s responsibility, and many people took this opportunity to strike up a conversation with her. After the young man came in, he didn¡¯t leave immediately, instead, he chatted with Michelle idly.


    Michelle responded with a smile, being a good-natured girl. As long as no one touched her inappropriately or made indecent jokes, she got along well with her colleagues.


    While they were talking, Zhao QingSheng walked in and came straight up to Li Yifei, saying, "I heard that the company just got two new computers?"


    The office suddenly fell quiet. Zhao QingSheng¡¯s visit was clearly aimed at Li Yifei, and no one knew what he had in mind concerning the computers.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "Yes, it was an order from the finance department, and we¡¯ve already got them."


    Zhao QingSheng immediately put on a stern face and said, "Then you keep them here. I¡¯ve already promised one to Old Li from the sales department."


    Michelle promptly exclaimed in astonishment, "General Zhao, the finance department placed the order directly, and President Xu has signed off on it. We have no reason to withhold them."


    Zhao QingSheng glared and said, "I¡¯m your superior, does what I say not count?"


    Michelle was at a loss for words, but Li Yifei maintained his composure and responded, "General Zhao, you¡¯re right about that, but the order has President¡¯s approval, and if we withhold the computers, who would be accountable for that?"


    Zhao QingSheng snorted and said, "I¡¯ll take care of the paperwork later. They can only have one computer."


    Shen Yajuan hurried to make eye gestures at Li Yifei, urging him to agree, but Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m sorry, General Zhao, but I¡¯m just following the company procedures. Although you¡¯re our leader, this matter has gone through General Zheng. If we don¡¯t deliver the computers to the finance department, we can¡¯t bear the responsibility if they ask about it later."


    Zhao QingSheng slammed his hand on the desk, barking, "You really think you¡¯re above it all, huh? I¡¯m an executive, and even a junior employee like you won¡¯t listen to me now. Haven¡¯t you learned to follow the orders of your superiors since joining this company? You are accountable to me, your direct superior. Are you trying to get fired right now by not following orders?"


    "You are my superior, but I have to follow the company¡¯s rules even more. The company policy is clear¡ªwhomever brings an order, we supply them accordingly. As the vice-director of our logistics department, don¡¯t you know our department¡¯s regulations?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s words remained calm, but he was directly confronting Zhao QingSheng, not giving him any face.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll take a computer today and see who dares stop me." With that, Zhao QingSheng circled to the other side and picked up one of the two laptops on Michelle¡¯s desk. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But as he turned around, Li Yifei blocked his way. With a livid face, Zhao QingSheng said, "Move aside."


    "Put down the computer, and you can leave."


    "Little Li, move out of the way!" Shen Yajuan and Li Zhisheng called out anxiously at this point, while Michelle was so worried she didn¡¯t know what to do. She had never encountered such a predicament since joining the company and had no idea how to handle it.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "General Zhao, without the order, I won¡¯t let you take the computer."


    "Move it!" Zhao QingSheng was completely furious by now. He had come today to take Li Yifei down a peg and couldn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei was not taking him, an executive, seriously. Unable to hold back any longer, he roared and pushed toward Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    However, Li Yifei somehow stepped aside, and Zhao QingSheng ended up pushing at nothing. His force was so great that he continued to lunge forward, and then somehow tripped, losing his balance and going face-first to the ground.


    With a "thump," the office went dead silent...

 Chapter 50 - 49: The Gossiping President Xu

    Chapter 50: Chapter 49: The Gossiping President XuZhao QingSheng took a heavy fall, sprawling across the hallway like a painting, huffing and puffing several times before struggling to his feet. To everyone¡¯s surprise, his nose was actually bleeding. No one knew why he hadn¡¯t protected himself with his hands when he fell.


    "Ugh..." Tears nearly spilled from Zhao QingSheng¡¯s eyes as he caught his breath, then exploded in anger, bellowing, "You little scoundrel, you dared to trip me?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened innocently as he said, "General Zhao, you must be mistaken. When did I ever trip you? Everyone saw it clearly. You ordered me to get out of the way; with a voice that could shatter rocks, you were bursting with such an imposing presence that it bore down on me. How could a small employee like me withstand such a formidable air? I quickly made way for you. I am still in awe of your overwhelming aura; my legs are still trembling. How could I dare trip you?"


    Zhao QingSheng, pointing at Li Yifei, was so furious he nearly spat blood, nodding vehemently as he gritted his teeth and said, "You just wait, you little brat." Then he stormed off in a rage.


    "Pfft..." Shen Yajuan was the first to let out a laugh, then everyone in the office followed suit. Although no one dared to laugh out loud, their muffled giggles were full of glee. Seeing Zhao QingSheng make such a fool of himself was a great relief to all of them.


    The computer Zhao QingSheng had seized was now in Li Yifei¡¯s hands. He passed it to the young man from the finance department and said, "You better take this quickly before some big shot decides to snatch it away again. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to secure it for the finance department next time."


    The young man also sensed this place was fraught with trouble and quickly took the two computers, making a swift exit.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯ve offended General Zhao even more now. What are we going to do?" Michelle looked worriedly at Li Yifei.


    Shen Yajuan weighed in as well, "Yes, you¡¯ve really done it this time. Not only did you refuse to give him face, but you also caused him to fall. Little Li, you should¡¯ve just let him take the computer. If anything happened, we could¡¯ve just pinned it on him."


    Li Zhisheng shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t see it that way. If we had let him take the computer, finance definitely wouldn¡¯t have stood for it. When things got traced back, Little Li and Michelle, who let the computers go without seeing a voucher, would be at fault. Michelle might have gotten away with it, but Little Li would certainly have been made to take the blame as an excuse."


    Michelle quickly said, "But now he¡¯s taken a fall, and he¡¯s sure to hate Brother Li even more."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Well, he already hated me. A little more or a little less hate doesn¡¯t make much difference."


    "It¡¯s all my fault," Michelle began to blame herself again.


    "Look, if you bring it up again, I really can¡¯t be friends with you," Li Yifei retorted.


    Sister Shen interjected at this point, "What? Little Li, you and Michelle are friends now?"


    Li Yifei felt a wave of exasperation, responding, "Sister Shen, the friendship I meant is like the one you and I have. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, okay?"


    Sister Shen chuckled mischievously, "I think you two being friends is a good thing. Want me to play matchmaker for you?"


    Michelle¡¯s face flushed crimson like a big apple, while Li Yifei just laughed it off, "Sister Shen, please don¡¯t start matchmaking out of nowhere."


    Shen Yajuan giggled, "What do you mean ¡¯out of nowhere¡¯? I think you two are quite suitable. You take good care of Michelle. In the past, she would have had to marry you to pay off the debt."


    Michelle became more embarrassed, stuttering, "Sister Shen, you¡¯re making fun of me again."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Sister Shen, don¡¯t tease anymore. If you keep it up, you¡¯ll drive Michelle away, and she won¡¯t be my apprentice anymore."


    The group continued to joke and laugh, yet deep down they were all worried for Li Yifei, knowing well that Zhao QingSheng was infamous in the company for his vengeful nature. Crossing him would mean he wouldn¡¯t let things go easily.


    However, Zhao QingSheng did not make another appearance for the rest of the day, and he wasn¡¯t seen when passing by the vice-president¡¯s office either. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When it was time to leave work, Li Yifei and Michelle walked out of the company building together, only to see Chu Xiaoyao, the young girl, waiting at the entrance.


    "Uncle!" The girl shouted as soon as she saw Li Yifei emerge, completely indifferent to the stares of others.


    Li Yifei waved to his colleagues with a smile, "I¡¯ll be leaving first."


    "Who¡¯s that little girl?" Shen Yajuan asked, watching Li Yifei walk toward the bus stop with Chu Xiaoyao, curious.


    No one answered, as no one else knew Chu Xiaoyao. It wasn¡¯t until a bit later that Li Zhisheng replied, "She must be a child from one of his friends¡¯ families. Didn¡¯t you see her calling Little Li ¡¯uncle¡¯?"


    Shen Yajuan nodded, "Nevertheless, that girl is really pretty. When she grows up, she¡¯s sure to be no worse than Michelle."


    Li Yifei, unaware that his colleagues were discussing Chu Xiaoyao, continued walking with her toward the bus station, asking, "Xiaoyao, I thought students didn¡¯t start school until March first, so why are you already starting now?"


    Chu Xiaoyao rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, "Uncle, you¡¯ve been walking with me for three days now, and only just thought of this?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I just assumed it was normal for me to work while you go to school, but then it suddenly occurred to me that your school schedule is different from my work schedule."


    "Uncle, are you an alien or something? I¡¯m in my senior year now; do you really think we have any holidays in senior year?"


    "So, you guys really have it tough."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately complained, "Exactly, it¡¯s so annoying. It¡¯s all just for getting into a college. What¡¯s the point? All day long it¡¯s College Entrance Exam this, College Entrance Exam that. Aside from studying, there¡¯s nothing else. Is it like if you don¡¯t get into college, you can¡¯t live?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Isn¡¯t that what studying is like nowadays? You¡¯ve already reached senior year; just hang in there a little longer, and you¡¯ll be in college. Things will be easier then."


    "Pfft, that¡¯s dull. I¡¯m totally fed up with studying now. If it weren¡¯t for my family pushing me, I would have quit a long time ago."


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that Chu Xiaoyao was also the type who disliked studying, just like him during his school days. He chuckled and said, "Then what can you do? Just bear with it."


    "Huh, uncle, you¡¯re not going to lecture me?" Chu Xiaoyao looked at Li Yifei as if he were an alien.


    "Why would I give you a lecture?"


    "All the older people I¡¯ve met before always go on like, ¡¯You have to study hard, you know. Only by getting into a good college can you find a good job.¡¯ I¡¯m so sick of hearing that."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Do you know how much schooling your uncle here has had?"


    "How much?"


    "I didn¡¯t even finish high school. I dropped out in the eleventh grade."


    "Haha, at last, I¡¯ve found a kindred spirit."


    Li Yifei tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the head and said, "But don¡¯t get cocky. I had no choice. Only after getting out did I realize that life was easiest when I was in school. Anyway, you¡¯re not young anymore, and I don¡¯t have much of a say in this. Just figure it out for yourself."


    "Hehe, uncle, I love the way you talk. Come on, let¡¯s get in the car and go home."


    The two squeezed onto the bus, and Chu Xiaoyao chattered away to Li Yifei about amusing incidents at school. Li Yifei enjoyed listening, and the people around them were all drawn to Chu Xiaoyao, a pretty girl with a pleasant voice. Listening to her speak was a pleasure and helped ease some of the fatigue from work.


    After getting off the bus, Li Yifei returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s house, only to find Xu Yingying sitting in the living room, still in her work clothes.


    "Xu president, you came back so early today?" Li Yifei casually hung his clothes on the coat rack by the door and asked with a smile.


    However, Xu Yingying¡¯s face was stern as she said, "There¡¯s something I need to ask you."


    "What is it?" Li Yifei sat down on the sofa to the side.


    "Who is that little girl?"


    "Little girl? Are you talking about the one I rode the bus with?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying in surprise.


    "Exactly." Xu Yingying nodded.


    Li Yifei, seeing the expression on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, then chuckled and said, "You know, Xu president, are you thinking about this with a rather dirty mind?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she spoke calmly, "While I have no right to interfere with your private life, you¡¯re an employee of my company. That little girl has been waiting for you at the company¡¯s door these past few days, and it has started some speculation. I need to get to the bottom of this to avoid any issues. If something happens later, and her relatives make a scene at the company, it could affect the company too."


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Then you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. I may not be a great person, but I¡¯m not interested in little girls. Plus, I have no plans to settle down just yet. I know my limits when it¡¯s just for fun."


    Xu Yingying, initially somewhat satisfied with the first part of Li Yifei¡¯s response, found his last remark quite displeasing. What did he mean by ¡¯just for fun¡¯? This guy was obviously still not trustworthy. She snorted coldly and said, "So, are you just ¡¯having fun¡¯ with Director He, too?"


    Li Yifei paused mid-step and said, "What about Director He? You must be mistaken. With someone like Director He, do I even have the standing to ¡¯have fun¡¯ with her?"


    Xu Yingying had thought that her sudden interrogation might catch Li Yifei off guard and make him reveal something, but he had responded in such a way. Could it mean that her suspicions were wrong, and there was no special relationship between He Fangqing and Li Yifei?


    "I do have some personal dealings with Director He, but they¡¯re nothing worth mentioning. Manager Xu, please don¡¯t be so nosy, all right? Prying into others¡¯ privacy is a bad habit."


    Finding herself directly called out by Li Yifei, Xu Yingying felt a bit embarrassed and could only retort stubbornly, "Who¡¯s prying into your privacy? I¡¯m just worried about Director He being taken in by you."


    Li Yifei laughed out loud and said, "I didn¡¯t expect our own Manager Xu to have such a gossipy side. If this got out to everyone at the company, they would absolutely be shocked." He then walked straight into the kitchen, determined to work hard on preparing tonight¡¯s dinner.

 Chapter 52 The Flight Attendant’s Suitor

    Chapter 52: Chapter 52 The Flight Attendant¡¯s SuitorMeng Xiaofei hurried home to change her clothes and then went to the supermarket outside the neighborhood with Li Yifei.


    "Brother Li, can I have some crab?" they were strolling around the supermarket and had originally planned to buy a fish, but Meng Xiaofei, eyeing the seafood section, timidly asked Li Yifei.


    "If you want to eat it, then let¡¯s buy it." Li Yifei cheerfully picked out four crabs. It wasn¡¯t the peak season for crab, so they weren¡¯t particularly good, but since Meng Xiaofei wanted to eat them, he didn¡¯t hesitate to buy them for her.


    "How about a few prawns as well?" Meng Xiaofei blinked her eyes and suggested.


    "Alright! Let¡¯s get half a pound of prawns."


    "Wow, the abalone looks good too, only eight dollars each."


    "Then let¡¯s get ten."


    They had originally planned to make a simple meal, but with Meng Xiaofei¡¯s choices, it turned into a lavish seafood feast, costing over four hundred dollars at checkout. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Li, it was costly for you." Meng Xiaofei said sheepishly as she stuck out her tongue, realizing how much money they¡¯d spent¡ªa gesture she seemed to favor when feeling apologetic.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "As long as you don¡¯t think about seafood every day, it should be fine. I¡¯m just worried if you want it every day, then I might really go bankrupt."


    Meng Xiaofei quickly replied, "No, no, I¡¯ve just been craving it these past couple of days. With so much today, I won¡¯t crave seafood for at least a week."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes in response. He wasn¡¯t one to pretend to be rich in front of a beautiful woman. He said, "A week... Does that mean you need a seafood feast every week? I make just over two thousand a month... Oh, it should be over three thousand now, but it hasn¡¯t been paid out yet."


    "No worries, no worries, I¡¯m about to get paid soon. I¡¯ll buy next time. I earn a lot; I make over seven thousand a month."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Meng Xiaofei and smiled, "So, you mean to say, you don¡¯t have much money right now, right?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her cute tongue again and said, "Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ve spent it all. My money is never enough."


    "You¡¯re quite something, not being able to manage with a salary of over seven thousand."


    "I don¡¯t know, I thought I had a lot of money, but as I spent it, it just disappeared."


    Li Yifei realized that Meng Xiaofei was the type to spend money lavishly without much planning. Anyone who ended up with her would need to have some real strength; otherwise, they would struggle to sustain her lifestyle.


    Carrying their purchases, they headed back toward the neighborhood. As they exited the elevator, they saw a man in a suit holding a large bouquet of roses, excitedly striding towards Meng Xiaofei. But upon seeing Li Yifei, he abruptly stopped, his expression turning sour.


    "Qiao Zhendong, why are you here?" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face quickly turned unpleasant as she asked brusquely.


    Qiao Zhendong, however, was staring at Li Yifei, then turned to Meng Xiaofei and asked, "Who is he?"


    "Is it any of your business? You¡¯re nobody to me."


    Qiao Zhendong¡¯s expression turned fierce but he quickly suppressed it and took a deep breath before saying, "Xiaofei, I know you¡¯re not working today. I¡¯ve bought opera tickets for today. Let¡¯s go see the opera first, then have Western cuisine for dinner. How does that sound?"


    "I¡¯ve got a seafood feast to enjoy, who wants to go watch some opera with you?" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face was full of disdain.


    Qiao Zhendong glanced at the bags they were holding, his lips curling slightly as he said, "You call this a seafood feast? If you want to have a real seafood feast, I can take you to the Shark Fin House. They have the fullest range of seafood, anything you want to eat, you can find there. You can¡¯t compare that to what¡¯s in the supermarket."


    However, Meng Xiaofei was ungrateful and retorted, "Qiao Zhendong, you really are annoying. I¡¯ve made myself very clear. I don¡¯t like you. Even if you were to invite me to eat dragon meat from the sky, I would still not be in the mood to go with you. Can you please stop bothering me?"


    Qiao Zhendong huffed and said, "All because of him?"


    "This Brother Li is my neighbor, and you don¡¯t need to push the blame onto someone else, or try to cause trouble for him. I just don¡¯t like you. Do you understand?"


    Li Yifei was actually quite surprised. He had thought that Meng Xiaofei might use him as a shield to drive Qiao Zhendong away, but Meng Xiaofei only said he was a neighbor. Moreover, it seemed she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Li Yifei. This left a very good impression on him, revealing her to be a girl considerate of others, and not solely focused on herself.


    Qiao Zhendong¡¯s face eased up a lot, and turning his head towards Li Yifei with arrogance, he said, "I have some things to discuss with Xiaofei. You can go home first."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow, disliking the man¡¯s tone, and said to Meng Xiaofei, "Xiaofei, I¡¯m going to start cooking. It¡¯ll be ready soon, so come in quickly for the meal."


    "Got it, Brother Li."


    After Li Yifei spoke, he walked towards the door, but Qiao Zhendong¡¯s brow furrowed as he coldly said, "Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s just a neighbor? Then why are you eating with him?"


    "Who said neighbors can¡¯t eat together? Do you have a problem? Please, Young Master Qiao, mind your own business and chase whoever you want to chase. I don¡¯t have time to deal with you."


    "You... Meng Xiaofei, let me tell you, having me take a liking to you is a privilege. Don¡¯t reject a face offered to you. If you agree to me, I will treat you well, but if you don¡¯t, don¡¯t expect me to be polite. You¡¯ll still end up following me, only you won¡¯t get as many benefits."


    "Pfft, I really don¡¯t care for the privilege you¡¯re offering. Take it back," Meng Xiaofei said, and then joined Li Yifei.


    "Damn it, you bitch, you¡¯re really asking for it!" At this point, Qiao Zhendong, driven by rage and humiliation, suddenly reached out to slap Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face.


    Meng Xiaofei hadn¡¯t expected Qiao Zhendong to actually hit her, and in her panic, let out a sharp scream, closed her eyes, and instinctively dodged, having no idea where to hide.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stand by and watch Meng Xiaofei get hit. He reached out and grabbed Qiao Zhendong¡¯s wrist, his voice cold as he asked, "What do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    After struggling for a bit and failing to break free, Qiao Zhendong felt the strength in Li Yifei¡¯s grasp increasing, as if his wrist was about to be crushed, and he cursed desperately, "Damn it, let go of me, or I¡¯ll kill you."


    Li Yifei snorted, "Oh, really?" He applied more pressure, then pressed down, causing Qiao Zhendong to bend over from the pain, until he finally fell to his knees before Li Yifei with a thump.


    "You... you..." Qiao Zhendong grimaced with clenched teeth, wanting to say something harsh, but the pain in his wrist made him think better of it.


    "Get lost!" Li Yifei kicked Qiao Zhendong, sending him tumbling away.


    Qiao Zhendong struggled to his feet, just about to curse, but under Li Yifei¡¯s sharp gaze, the words he wanted to say never came out. Clenching his teeth, he glared fiercely at Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, then turned and rushed out the nearby staircase without waiting for the elevator.


    "Kid, you dare hit me, I¡¯ll definitely kill you, definitely!" Qiao Zhendong¡¯s roar echoed down the stairwell.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t concerned at all. Over the years, many people had wanted to kill him, but he was still alive and well, while many of those people had been sent to hell by him.


    Meng Xiaofei followed Li Yifei into the apartment, suddenly let out a loud cry, grabbed his arm, and said, "Brother Li, this is bad. That Qiao Zhendong is a wealthy man; I¡¯ve heard his family is very influential. You hitting him will definitely lead to big trouble."


    Before Li Yifei could reply, Meng Xiaofei, now even more annoyed, said, "I told you he is my neighbor just so you wouldn¡¯t provoke him. Why did you have to fight with him?"


    Li Yifei, bewildered by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s alarm, replied, "But he was about to hit you, how could I just stand by and watch you get hit?"


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and said with a troubled face, "You could¡¯ve just stopped him, why did you have to hit him too?"


    "Heh, what¡¯s done is done, what¡¯s there to fear about him?" he said, and then carried the groceries into the kitchen.


    Meng Xiaofei promptly followed him in and said, "You don¡¯t understand, I¡¯m a woman, and by insulting him like that, I made it so he¡¯d lose interest in me to avoid embarrassment in front of friends, but now that you¡¯ve hit him in front of me, he¡¯ll take out his anger on you. He¡¯ll definitely want revenge."


    As Li Yifei dumped the seafood into the sink, he laughed, "You do seem quite clever."


    "Of course, I was never dumb," Meng Xiaofei quickly said, a look of smug pride on her face.


    "Heh, even if the sky falls, there¡¯ll be a taller person to handle it. Besides, we live in a society governed by law. What can he do to me? Stop worrying and just wait, I¡¯m going to cook you a seafood feast."


    Li Yifei then firmly pushed Meng Xiaofei out, fearing that she would continue to harp on the issue.


    Li Yifei¡¯s actions were indeed correct. As soon as the delicious smell of seafood wafted through the air, the girl forgot everything else, peeping into the kitchen now and again to sniff appreciatively, her stomach growling nonstop. She truly was a foodie through and through.


    In less than half an hour, Li Yifei finished preparing the seafood dishes. The abalone was steamed with minced garlic, the crab was doused in a savory sauce, the shrimp was soaked in wine for raw eating, along with some side dishes suited to accompany seafood. The two then sat down to feast.


    Watching Meng Xiaofei wolf down her food, Li Yifei felt content. Meng Xiaofei made no pretense of ladylike behavior in his presence, nor did she care if her image suffered. Everything about her was real, making her an endearing girl.


    After the meal, Meng Xiaofei stayed in Li Yifei¡¯s home for a bit to help her digestion before bidding him farewell to go home. Just as Li Yifei was thinking of getting some sleep, the doorbell rang again. He knew it must be Meng Xiaofei, and quickly went to open the door.


    As expected, it was Meng Xiaofei at the door, her face a picture of misery, she said, "Brother Li, this is really bad, I forgot to bring my keys and can¡¯t get back into my house."


    Li Yifei was instantly speechless. This girl was not only a food addict but also incredibly forgetful. He wondered how she ever managed to grow up and become a flight attendant.

 Chapter 53: Mistaken for a Thief

    Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Mistaken for a Thief"Come in first," Li Yifei let Meng Xiaofei enter and said, "See if it might have just dropped in my place."


    "Oh, yeah, that¡¯s possible," Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and then she started searching around Li Yifei¡¯s apartment. It wasn¡¯t in the living room, not in the kitchen, not in the bathroom either, and in the end, the girl actually dashed straight into Li Yifei¡¯s bedroom.


    "Hey, you didn¡¯t go into my bedroom, did you?" Li Yifei followed her in, asking somewhat bemused. Thankfully, his room was quite tidy and didn¡¯t contain anything indecent; otherwise, it would have been really embarrassing.


    "Oh... right, I never went into this room," Meng Xiaofei rubbed her hair and spread her hands, saying, "So it must be still at home, I didn¡¯t bring it with me."


    Li Yifei asked, "Are there any other copies of the keys for this place? Like with the landlord, or the property managers?"


    "The landlord has gone abroad, and the property managers don¡¯t have the keys either; I made sure to ask. Ugh, why am I so silly? Why didn¡¯t I leave a set of keys with the property managers? Then I could have just asked them to open the door for me when I lost my keys."


    Li Yifei had another facepalm moment and said, "So you must lose your keys all the time, right?"


    "Well... it¡¯s not just keys, I lose everything. I even suspect the reason I run out of money so fast is because I keep losing it, but since I can¡¯t remember how much I had on me, I wouldn¡¯t know if I lost it."


    "You... you¡¯re something else," Li Yifei once again couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head; this girl was just too careless.


    Meng Xiaofei pouted, a bit embarrassed, and said, "Then I¡¯ll go find a locksmith to get the door open."


    Meng Xiaofei seemed to know exactly what to do about the situation; she immediately went to press the elevator button and soon dashed downstairs.


    Li Yifei wanted to tell Meng Xiaofei there was no need to look for a locksmith, but the elevator was just arriving from the floor below. As soon as Meng Xiaofei pressed the button, the elevator came up, and before Li Yifei could say anything, the girl had already run out.


    Li Yifei shook his head; she was truly impulsive. He then took out that little knife again, popped out the wire, and inserted it into the lock on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s front door.


    Although it was the same lock, the method to pick it was quite different. For some internal room locks, you just need to snap open the catch and press the handle, and the door would open. But anti-theft doors like these with cross locks are different. It¡¯s not too hard to poke open the catch, but to actually turn the lock requires some skill. You definitely can¡¯t get it open just by pulling the handle, so it generally takes a bit more time.


    Even for a pro like Li Yifei, opening an anti-theft door would take around twenty seconds or so, and he was not in a hurry. So he just slowly fiddled with it, which made it take a bit longer.


    The sound of the elevator doors opening echoed from behind, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t turn around. From the sound of it, it was one person¡¯s footsteps, and a woman¡¯s at that¡ªsurely Meng Xiaofei was back, having failed to find a locksmith.


    At this point, Meng Xiaofei was actually tiptoeing towards him from behind, seemingly afraid to let him know. This amused Li Yifei; the girl wasn¡¯t trying to scare him, was she? The sound of the elevator doors had been quite loud; how could he not be aware? She was just too naive.


    Li Yifei paid her no mind. He found Meng Xiaofei quite entertaining; a little joke here and there never hurt, so he kept on tinkering with the lock.


    But when the person behind him was just two steps away, Li Yifei sensed some hostility, which left him speechless. Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t possibly suspect him of trying to steal from her place, could she?


    Li Yifei stopped and was about to turn around to explain to Meng Xiaofei, but just then, Meng Xiaofei made her move, reaching for his right arm. Without looking back, Li Yifei knew it was a standard martial arts take-down move.


    Once she made her move, Li Yifei immediately realized this was not Meng Xiaofei, but another woman, and the move she used was a common police takedown technique that all police would have learned. Such a maneuver was far too basic for Li Yifei. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dodge, letting the woman behind him grab his arm. Then his arm was twisted behind his back, and he also heard the woman behind him shout, "Don¡¯t move, I¡¯m a police officer."


    Li Yifei¡¯s arm was twisted, but he offered no resistance; after all, she was a police officer, and any resistance would amount to assaulting an officer. Now back in the city, he had to be compliant when dealing with the police. Besides, as Li Yifei turned his head, he saw a very young and beautiful police officer. Being grabbed by such a police officer didn¡¯t seem like such a bad thing.


    "Officer, what are you doing?" Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t resist, he still tried to struggle a bit while calling out loudly.


    "What are you doing? I caught you red-handed trying to pick the lock here, what do you have to say for yourself?" The female officer, feeling Li Yifei¡¯s struggle was no small feat, twisted his arm forcefully and pushed him up against the door. To prevent Li Yifei from escaping, she used the strength of both hands and also lifted one leg to press against his waist.


    "Officer, you¡¯ve got it wrong, I¡¯m not a thief," Li Yifei immediately shouted loudly.


    "Stay quitem" feeling Li Yifei still struggling, the female officer applied even more strength. It was her first time catching a thief, and she was both nervous and excited. She felt that this position seemed somewhat ineffective in subduing Li Yifei, so she suddenly tripped him up, causing Li Yifei to fall to the ground. Then she grabbed his right wrist with both hands, and once again pressed her right leg against his waist.


    Learning at the police academy, she knew this was one of the best methods to subdue criminals; typically, if the wrist is twisted and the waist is pressed, the other person can hardly exert any force. If she had handcuffs, it would be time to handcuff Li Yifei and consider the fight over, but she did not have handcuffs on her at the moment, and for a while, she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    "Officer, I really am not a thief, I live right in the middle unit," Li Yifei quickly feigned pain as he explained.


    "The middle unit? You sure have a way with excuses. If you¡¯re from the middle unit, why are you picking the lock of the next door?"


    "My neighbor lost her keys and has gone to find a locksmith. I was just trying to see if I could fix her lock so that we wouldn¡¯t need to call one."


    "You¡¯ve got quite the excuse ready, save me the lip service. Anything you have to say, you can say it at the station," the female officer snorted coldly, wanting to pull out her phone to call for backup, but she was afraid to let go for fear that this guy would violently resist and she would be unable to subdue him.


    "Officer, is this really necessary? It hurts," Li Yifei, though pressed down by a beautiful woman, which was somewhat tantalizing, found the situation rather embarrassing. If it weren¡¯t for not wanting to reveal his strength in front of an officer, he could easily flip the female officer off him.


    "Behave, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude," the female officer barked fiercely and even slapped Li Yifei¡¯s head with her free hand. Feeling that Li Yifei had seemingly settled down, she finally cautiously reached for her phone.


    Li Yifei was getting annoyed. This girl even slapped his head ¡ª if he didn¡¯t teach her a lesson, his former comrades would never let him live it down if they found out about this.


    Just then, he suddenly twisted his body, trying to struggle free. The female officer got such a fright that she pounced forcefully, ending up fully on top of Li Yifei, and let go of his hand to strangle his neck instead.


    Li Yifei immediately felt a springy pressure on his back and was both annoyed and amused. Was this female officer really so green at catching criminals? Such an approach was practically giving herself away.


    But this made the situation even more provocative. A mischievous thought flashed through Li Yifei¡¯s mind, being pinned down by the female officer who suspected him of being a thief. If he didn¡¯t get some compensation for this, how could he face himself? So, while shouting, "I¡¯m not a thief," he struggled with all his might.


    The female officer was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect her first thief to be such a tough guy, and clearly, he was stronger than she was. Now she was struggling to find Li Yifei¡¯s weak spot, and it was proving quite difficult to subdue him.


    But she was not willing to let Li Yifei escape just like that, so she kept a tight hold around his neck, hoping to make him unable to breathe and thus subdue him.


    As Li Yifei struggled, the physical contact and friction between him and the female officer increased, greatly to Li Yifei¡¯s advantage. He was no longer in a hurry to break free. It seemed difficult for the female officer to subdue him, but he also could not escape, and they continued in this stalemate.


    Li Yifei¡¯s struggling grew fiercer, and he suddenly arched his back, flipping the female officer underneath him. Weighing over 150 pounds, he pinned the female officer down firmly, causing her to let out a muffled grunt. Her hands naturally weakened in strength, and Li Yifei immediately took the opportunity to twist his body. Though he hadn¡¯t freed himself from her arms, he was now facing the female officer.


    Now Li Yifei finally got a good look at the female officer¡¯s face.


    Her hair was neither very long nor too short, just reaching her neck. At the moment, it was quite disheveled; her face was covered in sweat, and the hair, damp with sweat, stuck to her face in several places, making her look somewhat disarrayed.


    Yet this did nothing to diminish her beauty. Her large, black eyes were full of anger. Her pretty face was blushed from the intense activity. Her teeth tightly clenched, her nose twitching incessantly, and her breathing was very rushed due to the vigorous activity.


    Beautiful! Just beautiful!


    This was the first thought that popped into Li Yifei¡¯s head when he saw the female officer. She was still dressed in her police uniform, which was now disheveled, the collar slightly undone, revealing a hint of her snowy neck, adding a strong element of uniform temptation.

 Chapter 54: Catching the Thief Like This

    Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Catching the Thief Like ThisAt this moment, the female police officer¡¯s arms were still tightly wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, pressing his upper body even closer against hers, chest to chest, feeling the elasticity of her chest even more intensely. The hot breath from the policewoman¡¯s mouth continuously blew on Li Yifei¡¯s face, carrying a faint fragrance.


    Under such circumstances, Li Yifei, a healthy man, couldn¡¯t resist the temptation, and his body instantly reacted, an evil thought immediately popping into his mind ¨C to take this policewoman right here, right now.


    But the thought only flickered for a moment; with Li Yifei¡¯s mental fortitude, he could not be easily controlled by such evil impulses. He braced himself on the ground and said anxiously, "Comrade officer, I¡¯m really not a thief, please let me go, I promise I won¡¯t run."


    "Fat chance!" The policewoman was incredibly stubborn at this time; her hands remained firmly clamped, and now her legs flipped over, tangling with Li Yifei¡¯s. She had been on top before, naturally taking advantage with the initiative, but now, being pinned beneath Li Yifei, in order to prevent him from escaping, she had to resort to this method to stop Li Yifei from running away.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body suddenly sank down, the contact with the policewoman¡¯s body became even more intense, and a powerful pleasure instantly spread throughout his body, causing him to let out an involuntary gasp.


    If he could get this policewoman in bed and she was this formidable, that would be incredibly satisfying.


    "Comrade officer, if I promise not to run, isn¡¯t that enough? What else do you think? Look, I¡¯m not making any extra move," Li Yifei continued to try to persuade the policewoman, as the situation was outrageously sensual, but if Meng Xiaofei returned with the locksmith, it would be extremely embarrassing.


    "Fine!" The policewoman suddenly let go of her arms. Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and propped himself up, but just as he thought of getting up, the policewoman¡¯s legs that had not yet let go twisted forcefully, flipping Li Yifei back to the ground.


    If it were up to Li Yifei¡¯s real skills, her two moves, even with all her might, would not be able to take him down, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to resist, so he still fell to the ground.


    And at that moment, the policewoman once again pounced on him, and suddenly, one hand reached below Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen and fiercely grabbed the very firm part of Li Yifei.


    "Ah!" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, staring dumbfound at the policewoman.


    "Bastard, move again, and I¡¯ll crush you," the policewoman glared at Li Yifei menacingly, grinding her teeth. Her already flushed face turned even redder, the viciousness unable to hide the embarrassment and shyness beneath.


    "Won¡¯t move, won¡¯t move!" Li Yifei quickly raised his hands; now that his sensitive spot was under control, he couldn¡¯t afford to move at all.


    The policewoman seemed to be somewhat pleased with having subdued Li Yifei and sat up, still holding onto that part of Li Yifei, now somewhat triumphantly saying, "You bastard, try to struggle now? Think you can still think about running?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, saying, "Comrade officer, I really didn¡¯t run. How many times do I have to tell you? I live in the middle apartment, and my keys are still there. If you don¡¯t believe me, just open the door to the middle apartment, and that will settle it."


    The policewoman glanced at the middle door, somewhat tempted, but then immediately became vigilant and said, "Don¡¯t even think about making me let go of you, you bastard. I¡¯m going to take you in today, no matter what."


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless; how could this cop be so na?ve? But seeing how young she looked, probably just over twenty, she must have just graduated from the police academy.


    "Ding"


    The elevator door opened, and Meng Xiaofei walked out, immediately spotting Li Yifei lying on the ground with a female police officer sitting beside him, and that hand was actually grabbing at Li Yifei¡¯s crotch.


    "Ahh! I didn¡¯t see anything, I¡¯m gone, I¡¯m gone!" Meng Xiaofei screamed as she turned to run towards the elevator, but by then, the elevator doors had closed, and in her haste, she bumped right into the elevator doors.


    "Ouch!" Meng Xiaofei yelped in pain, squatting down and covering her nose; the impact wasn¡¯t heavy, but it had hit her nose sharply, and tears involuntarily began to flow.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a wave of frustration, asking urgently, "Xiaofei, are you okay?"


    "I... I¡¯m fine..." Meng Xiaofei turned her head, tears streaming down pitifully.


    Li Yifei, anxious, felt the part below go limp, and the policewoman, acting on instinct, gripped it hard again. Li Yifei let out a scream of pain; this time, it wasn¡¯t just his gun she was grabbing but his balls below, and no matter how skilled Li Yifei was, his balls had no defense.


    And the policewoman¡¯s grip was anything but gentle; the pain made his body convulse, and sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.


    "Brother Li, what happened to you?" Meng Xiaofei heard Li Yifei¡¯s scream, and was immediately startled, rushing over. But as soon as she arrived, she whirled around and stammered, "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry."


    The female police officer finally felt something was amiss; Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei knew each other. Could it be that she really made a mistake?


    Before a girl, she had actually grabbed a man¡¯s balls. Even if it was to catch a thief, the policewoman couldn¡¯t take it any longer. She hurriedly let go of Li Yifei, cleared her throat, and asked Meng Xiaofei with a stern face, "I¡¯m a police officer. Who are you?"


    With her back to Meng Xiaofei, she busily said, "I live here, my name is Meng Xiaofei. Officer, it¡¯s not my business, I didn¡¯t see anything, please don¡¯t arrest me."


    The policewoman¡¯s face darkened at once, saying, "Why would I arrest you? Do you know this man?"


    "Yes, yes, he¡¯s my neighbor, Brother Li Yifei." Meng Xiaofei sneakily glanced back and saw Li Yifei was struggling to stand up, and the policewoman had already released Li Yifei. She hurriedly turned around, looked at Li Yifei, then at the policewoman, and said with a grin, "Brother Li, is she your girlfriend?"


    At that moment, Li Yifei was grimacing with pain, but Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words made the policewoman extremely embarrassed. A slight sense of pleasure flickered through him, and the pain didn¡¯t feel so sharp anymore.


    "No, no, I¡¯m a police officer. I came here and saw him opening your door. I thought he was a thief, so I grabbed him," the policewoman hurriedly explained.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately looked between Li Yifei¡¯s legs and burst out laughing, saying, "Your way of catching thieves is really special."


    The policewoman at this point really wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Now she truly felt humiliated, and resentment welled up in her. She glared fiercely at Li Yifei, trying to save face, and feigned a cough before telling Meng Xiaofei, "He was unlocking your door, and not with a key. Are you sure he wasn¡¯t trying to sneak into your house?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately shook her head vigorously, saying, "How could Brother Li steal anything from my house? Mice that come in leave with tears in their eyes."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter, and Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t help but join in, though she tried to hold it back. She told Meng Xiaofei, "For something like opening a door, you can ask the property management or a locksmith. Our Public Security Bureau has some designated locksmiths. You shouldn¡¯t just find anyone."


    "You all keep talking; I¡¯m in so much pain, I need to go home and rest," Li Yifei said, as he hobbled to his own door, only to discover his key was still in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s door. He turned and asked Meng Xiaofei, "Xiaofei, could you pass me the key?"


    Meng Xiaofei was about to retrieve the key when the policewoman snatched it first. However, as soon as she saw the object on it, she became wary and approached Li Yifei, demanding, "What¡¯s this all about? To my knowledge, this tool is only carried by professional thieves. You¡¯re still saying you¡¯re not a thief?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and retorted, "Having this tool means I¡¯m a thief? So having a knife means you¡¯re a murderer, having money means you¡¯re an embezzler, and all men should be arrested too, since they all could be rapists."


    The policewoman was left speechless by Li Yifei, especially the last part, which made her even more uncomfortable, considering she had just been grabbing what Li Yifei referred to that one could use to commit rape.


    Feeling wronged, Li Yifei protested, "Officer, even if we¡¯re catching criminals, shouldn¡¯t there be some evidence? You can¡¯t accuse me groundlessly. You¡¯ve done this to me just now, and I haven¡¯t said anything yet. Now you¡¯re framing me. Even as a police officer, you shouldn¡¯t bully people like this."


    "You..." The female police officer was absolutely furious with Li Yifei, threw the key at him, and said, "Open the door."


    "Officer, what else do you want to do?" Li Yifei suddenly looked at her in terror, covering his crotch with both hands. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, his actions suggested he feared the policewoman might harass him.


    Meng Xiaofei laughed out loud again, making the policewoman blush and angrily say, "I¡¯m a community police officer here, named Lin Qiong. I need to register every resident in this area."


    Li Yifei let out a sigh of relief and said, "You scared me to death. I thought you were..."


    "Thought what? Less nonsense, get inside," Lin Qiong quickly interrupted Li Yifei, pushing him. Having been embarrassed enough for one day, she couldn¡¯t bear any more of Li Yifei¡¯s ramblings and almost wanted to flee in panic. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei hurried obediently into his apartment, but as he took a step in, he suddenly turned around and cautiously asked, "You¡¯re sure you¡¯re only here to register... and nothing else?"


    "Get inside!" Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t take it any longer and kicked Li Yifei into his apartment, following him in and closing the door behind them, as Meng Xiaofei¡¯s unrestrained laughter echoed outside.


    "Officer Lin, that was... wasn¡¯t that a bit too violent? I¡¯m not a criminal; how can you kick me?" Li Yifei stumbled into his place, rubbing his backside while looking innocently at Lin Qiong.

 Chapter 55 Trust

    Chapter 55: Chapter 55 TrustLin Qiong also knew it was excessive to act this way, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s innocent expression ignited an unfounded anger in her heart. If it had truly been about subduing a criminal, it might have been justified, but Li Yifei was not a criminal, so had she not swallowed a great injustice? How could she be in a good mood or temper while looking at Li Yifei?


    "Name?" Lin Qiong took out a notebook, her face stern.


    Li Yifei slowly moved and sat down on the couch, saying, "Officer Lin, is that tone really necessary? You talk like this, and it makes me feel like you¡¯re interrogating a criminal."


    "Cut the nonsense and please cooperate with my work."


    "Alright, alright, I understand the importance of cooperation between the police and the public. My name is Li Yifei, and I¡¯m twenty-six years old."


    "Show me your ID card."


    This time Li Yifei cooperated nicely and dutifully produced his ID card. Lin Qiong studied it carefully before handing it back to Li Yifei, asking, "How long have you been living here?"


    "Three months."


    "And what did you do before?"


    "Um, where do you work now?"


    "I¡¯m in the logistics department at Huayang Company."


    After asking these questions, Lin Qiong nodded and looked at Li Yifei again, asking, "Why were you carrying lock picking tools?"


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "I just like these kinds of little gadgets."


    "I¡¯m warning you, you can like them, but because of this, if there are any thefts in this neighborhood, you¡¯ll be the prime suspect."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he said, "Really?"


    "Definitely." Lin Qiong finished speaking, then pushed open the door and went out to start questioning Meng Xiaofei.


    But her questioning of Meng Xiaofei was quite brief because while Meng Xiaofei was answering questions, she kept smiling at Lin Qiong with a gaze that was indescribably flirtatious, which Lin Qiong found unbearable.


    Once Lin Qiong had left, Meng Xiaofei immediately went over and knocked on Li Yifei¡¯s door, bursting into laughter as soon as she entered.


    "What¡¯s so funny? Is it really that hilarious?" Li Yifei glared at Meng Xiaofei, clearly annoyed.


    Meng Xiaofei struggled to suppress her laughter, sticking out her tongue a bit.


    "I¡¯m really unlucky. I just wanted to unlock the door for you, and it turned out to be a cop who arrests without asking questions. All this trouble is because of you, and you¡¯re still laughing at me. Don¡¯t you have any conscience?"


    "Sorry, it¡¯s my fault. But Brother Li, can you really break into my door?"


    "Of course, I was about to tell you not to call a locksmith, but you ran off so fast, you didn¡¯t hear me calling."


    "I truly didn¡¯t hear you. So, Brother Li, could you please go and unlock my door? The locksmith said it would take a long time to get here."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll help you unlock your door." Li Yifei shook his head and took Meng Xiaofei to her door. Pretending it was a great effort, he fiddled around for five or six minutes before finally getting the door open.


    "Wow! Brother Li, you¡¯re not really a thief, are you?" Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t go inside immediately but instead stared wide-eyed at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei suddenly glared and said, "You girl, I really shouldn¡¯t have helped you. I was wronged by a cop just now, and here you are saying the same thing. It¡¯s so hard being a good person these days."


    Meng Xiaofei stared blankly at Li Yifei for a while before clenching her fists, her face lit up with excitement as she said, "Brother Li... you must be a Master Thief, right?"


    Li Yifei was speechless. He knocked on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and said, "What Master Thief? I help you open your door, and you call me a thief, you¡¯re really ungrateful."


    Meng Xiaofei rubbed her head, stuck out her tongue and still puzzled, said, "Then how were you able to open the door so easily? With such skills, if you were to rob someone¡¯s home, it would be far too easy."


    Li Yifei raised his hand again, and Meng Xiaofei instantly gave a low cry, darting into her room and pouting, "Stop knocking, I¡¯m naturally dumb, and you¡¯ll knock me dumber."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "So you know you¡¯re dumb, huh?"


    "Hee hee, I¡¯m not that dumb. Brother Li, please tell me how do you have such skills?"


    "Wait a minute, I haven¡¯t closed my door yet." Li Yifei thought to himself he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep that night. He wondered how Meng Xiaofei could trust him so much. Was he that harmless? Didn¡¯t he seem like a man? Wasn¡¯t she afraid that being so casual with him, he might ¡¯eat her up¡¯?


    Fearing Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t come over, Meng Xiaofei actually followed him to close the door, clutching tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s arm and then pulling him back to her apartment. Inside the living room, she cleared off the sofa and dragged Li Yifei to sit down. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, there¡¯s another one here." Li Yifei shouted as the girl carelessly overlooked the chair, not even taking notice of what he held in his hand.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, and the previous awkwardness was swept away.


    Meng Xiaofei quickly came out, her face red. She stuck out her tongue and said, "Sorry, I forgot to clean up."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Now I¡¯m wondering, what kind of man could spend a lifetime with you?"


    Meng Xiaofei sat next to Li Yifei, giggling, and said, "That will be some unlucky guy¡¯s fate."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, "You really are self-aware."


    Meng Xiaofei said proudly, "Of course, I¡¯m terrible at life skills, and I¡¯m vague most of the time. Apart from never losing myself, I¡¯ve lost everything else. Imagine how much worry someone would have marrying me."


    Li Yifei was even more amused, "Alright, you¡¯ve convinced me."


    After Li Yifei finished speaking, Meng Xiaofei said enviously, "That would be so thrilling. I always wanted to do that in the past but never attended. It has always been my regret."


    Li Yifei laughed again, "If they had someone as absentminded as you, I wonder if your squad leader would pass out."


    The two chatted and laughed, and before they knew it, it was past two in the morning. Li Yifei stood up to leave, but as he walked to the door, Meng Xiaofei followed and said to him, "Brother Li, keep this key at your place."


    "Why?"


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose my keys again, so if I leave a spare at your place, I won¡¯t be afraid of not being able to get back in."


    "You trust me that much? You¡¯re not afraid that, when I have nothing better to do, I¡¯ll sneak into your place and steal your stuff?"


    Meng Xiaofei blinked and said, "With your skills, do you even need a key to get into my place?"


    "Alright then." Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly as he took the key. Meng Xiaofei giving him the key was indeed a sign of her trust.

 Chapter 56: Meeting the Director Again

    Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Meeting the Director AgainIn the evening, Meng Xiaofei shamelessly came over to Li Yifei¡¯s house to freeload again, and this time Yifei kept the meal relatively simple. If he ate like this every day, in less than a week he¡¯d be broke even for the bus fare.


    These past few days had been suffocating at Xu Yingying¡¯s place, and today Meng Xiaofei had clung to him all day long. Finally, in the evening, he was free to do as he pleased.


    Most people couldn¡¯t understand Li Yifei¡¯s way of thinking, but that¡¯s always how it was for him. A beauty like Meng Xiaofei might be irresistibly attractive to others, but for him, she had absolutely no allure.


    As soon as he entered the door, Li Yifei scanned the room and spotted a familiar figure in a corner booth. To his surprise, He Fangqing was there getting drunk again. It seemed that Fangqing might be like him, someone who also enjoyed seeking thrills.


    If that was true, it would indeed be interesting. Li Yifei didn¡¯t go to Fangqing right away but chose a booth as well. From where he sat, he could see Fangqing, but unless she looked carefully, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see him.


    He ordered a beer and leisurely sipped it, occasionally observing Fangqing. At this point, he had no interest in other women. When some approached to chat him up, he dismissed them outright.


    Fangqing was downing beers one after the other, but unlike the last time, she wasn¡¯t drinking wine. Her gaze was extremely vacant, clearly indicating she had drunk a lot.


    Li Yifei could see that Fangqing wasn¡¯t here for the thrills or romantic encounters; she was just here to drown her sorrows. Didn¡¯t this woman realize how easily things could go wrong if she got drunk in a place like this?


    Li Yifei could tell, and so could any regular bar-goer, especially since an outstanding woman like Fangqing caught the attention of quite a few men.


    A man went straight to Fangqing¡¯s booth and sat down, then said to her, "Hey, beauty, it¡¯s so boring to drink alone, isn¡¯t it? How about we drink together?"


    Fangqing looked up at the man and suddenly yelled loudly, "Scram, all you men are no good." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man hastily said, "You¡¯re wrong there. Some men are good, some are bad. I know you must¡¯ve been hurt by someone, but you should forget about it. Have a nice drink and forget everything when you wake up tomorrow morning."


    "Scram! Didn¡¯t you hear me tell you to scram?" Fangqing started screaming hysterically.


    By now, everyone in the bar was looking at Fangqing, making the man very uncomfortable, and he left with his tail between his legs.


    Li Yifei shook his head, feeling that if this continued, Fangqing was going to end up seriously drunk. If someone else tried to take advantage of her, an intervention would definitely lead to a conflict.


    So Yifei stood up and walked straight towards Fangqing. As he did, a young man in a leather jacket, smoking a cigarette, also approached.


    "Bro, I¡¯ve got my eye on this chick. You find someone else," the young man said, slapping Li Yifei on the shoulder with a menacing gleam in his eye.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "Sorry, she¡¯s my friend."


    The young man¡¯s eyes widened in anger as he barked, "Buddy, that line is just too clich¨¦. If she¡¯s really your friend, why didn¡¯t you come over sooner? If I tell you to leave, you better do just that, or don¡¯t blame me for getting rough."


    The two were still some distance away from Fangqing, and with the noise in the bar, she didn¡¯t hear their conversation. Moreover, she kept her head down, lost in thought, and didn¡¯t see that Li Yifei was close by.


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression grew stern as he said, "I already told you she¡¯s my friend. If you want to make a scene, that¡¯s up to you." After speaking, he continued walking towards Fangqing.


    "Fuck, so ungrateful!" the young man cursed angrily and aimed a kick at Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    But before his kick could land, Li Yifei had already grabbed his ankle without even stopping or looking back. Just with a pull and a twist, the guy was suddenly forced into a split like in a dance, both legs snapping apart into a perfect X.


    "Ah!" The guy screamed in pain, his crotch ripped open by the move, his legs splayed on the ground. After propping himself up twice to no avail, he rolled over, and only then managed to bring his legs back together.


    By then, Li Yifei had reached Fangqing¡¯s side, and in one quick move, grabbed her waist and lifted her, saying, "You¡¯ve drunk too much."


    Fangqing instinctively struggled for a moment but stopped when she realized it was Yifei. Yet, she protested, "No, I don¡¯t want to go with you. I want to keep drinking. Stay and drink with me."


    "Sure, but how about we continue at home? It¡¯s not convenient here."


    "Drinking at home... giggle, sure, I have no home anymore, I¡¯ll drink at yours."


    "Fine, go wherever you want to go," He Fangqing said, now barely able to stand, so Li Yifei had no choice but to help her walk out.


    But before they reached the door, six young men blocked their way, one of whom was the guy Li Yifei had just made do a split.


    "Fuck, you hit me and you still want to leave?" The guy cursed, rubbing his crotch, glaring fiercely at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei looked at the few men, said nothing, and without wasting words, the simplest method was to knock them down, so he kicked straight forward.


    The guy, relying on the number of his companions, never anticipated Li Yifei would dare to make a move and was completely unprepared, and even if he were, how could he possibly dodge Li Yifei¡¯s kick.


    Although Li Yifei¡¯s kick was not very heavy, it wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person could bear: the guy was instantly sent flying over a meter by Li Yifei¡¯s kick, only stopping when he hit a table behind him. The alcohol he¡¯d drunk that night sprayed out, and he clutched his stomach, unable to speak.


    The bar¡¯s crowd loved this sort of fight; their alcohol-numbed brains emboldened them even more. Upon seeing the brawl start, they immediately began pounding the tables and shouting, especially since it was six against one¡ªand the one with fewer had initiated the attack, knocking someone flying with a single kick, a sight that thrilled everyone.


    The other five kids were stunned for a moment, and in that moment of hesitation, Li Yifei, with his right arm supporting He Fangqing, threw an elbow backward, and the guy behind him immediately reeled back a few steps clutching his stomach, then sat down on the ground with a thump.


    "Ow!" The bar erupted in strange cries and whistling¡ªa one against six fight, and the odds-on underdog had already taken down two. Even for those accustomed to bar fights, this was an exceptional display.


    The remaining four kids finally snapped out of it, swearing furiously as they moved in on Li Yifei, their fists and feet flying towards him.


    By now, He Fangqing was half-sober from the shock and screamed at the sight. She had never experienced a fight like this.


    But her screams were quickly drowned out by the sound of fists hitting flesh. She felt as if her body was floating, as those four missed her with their punches and kicks, not touching her at all. By the time she came to her senses, all four were down on the ground¡ªin the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had taken care of the rest.


    The crowd in the bar was gobsmacked; they might have seen tough fighters, but no one like Li Yifei. Those were six grown men, unable to lay a finger on him and all put down in such a short time¡ªit was like watching a movie hero in action.


    By the time they collected themselves, Li Yifei had already left the bar with He Fangqing.


    "Stop right there!" Not far out, a sharp command called from behind, and then someone sprinted to the front, blocking their path.


    This was one person Li Yifei could not fight, as it turned out to be Lin Qiong, the local patrol officer. She wasn¡¯t in her uniform but wore a down jacket instead. He hurriedly smiled and said to her, "Officer Lin, what¡¯s this about?"


    Lin Qiong recognized Li Yifei too, not that she could remember everyone in her district, but even if she could forget anyone else, she would never forget Li Yifei, who had caused her such embarrassment. Just thinking about that day¡¯s events made her feel indignant.


    "What¡¯s going on with her?" Lin Qiong pointed at He Fangqing who was limp against Li Yifei.


    "Didn¡¯t you see? She¡¯s drunk too much."


    Lin Qiong eyed Li Yifei warily and asked, "Do you know her?"


    Just as Li Yifei was about to say he knew her, He Fangqing began to struggle in his arms, shouting loudly, "Don¡¯t touch me, you filthy man."


    He Fangqing had sobered up considerably due to the fright of the fight, but with the tension gone after the fight ended, the effects of the alcohol hit her again. Now woozy, she did not recognize Li Yifei but instinctively refused to let a man hold her.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression darkened as she glared at Li Yifei, "Do you realize what you¡¯re doing?"


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless, not expecting He Fangqing not to recognize him; he could only say, "Officer Lin, I really do know her."


    "I don¡¯t know you, I don¡¯t know you, let me go, let me go, you filthy man, you lecherous creep, trying to take advantage of me. I¡¯d rather die than let you touch me again," He Fangqing struggled violently and began to curse loudly.


    Lin Qiong was even more irritated, angrily pulling He Fangqing away and glaring fiercely at Li Yifei, "What more do you have to say? Come with me to the station; you¡¯re suspected of indecency toward a woman."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me?"


    "Hmph, cut the crap. Do I need to get physical?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes flashed with authority.

 Chapter 57 too shameless

    Chapter 57: 57 too shamelessLi Yifei was truly at a loss for words. Going out to hunt for romance¡ªwas that really a crime? But it seemed like if the woman didn¡¯t agree, it indeed involved breaking the law. However, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong yet.


    "Hold on, I¡¯m saying, Officer Lin, I know her name is He Fangqing. Just look at her ID, and we¡¯re also colleagues at the same company. I can find colleagues to verify that."


    But Lin Qiong just didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei¡¯s words. She snorted coldly and said, "You could have seen her ID beforehand, which is very possible. Even if you do know her, she hasn¡¯t agreed to go with you, but you are taking her away. That¡¯s coercion against a woman¡¯s will. As a police officer, I absolutely won¡¯t allow you to violate her."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes again and said, "Then can you please make her a bit more sober, so she can speak for herself?"


    "Vomit..." At that moment, He Fangqing¡¯s stomach churned, and she vomited as soon as she opened her mouth. Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t expected He Fangqing to throw up just then and couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Even though her reflexes were quick, she still ended up with a lot of stains on her coat from He Fangqing¡¯s vomit.


    Li Yifei quickly reached out a hand to support He Fangqing, who was vomiting profusely until all the alcohol in her stomach was gone. Meanwhile, Lin Qiong was hurriedly wiping herself down with tissue paper. It was easy to imagine how uncomfortable a girl would feel with vomit on her clothes.


    Li Yifei patted He Fangqing¡¯s back, then helped her up and asked, "Feeling better now?"


    "Oh... Yifei, you... how did you get here?" At this point, He Fangqing finally recognized Li Yifei again.


    "My dear lady, you¡¯re finally sober. If you hadn¡¯t woken up, I would have been taken away by the police," Li Yifei said, relieved. He then said to Officer Lin, "Officer Lin, now my friend has woken up, why don¡¯t you ask her?"


    Although Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t finished cleaning herself, the dutiful police officer turned to He Fangqing and asked, "Do you know him?"


    He Fangqing felt a bit embarrassed, but considering that the other party was a police officer, she still said, "Yes, we know each other. Officer, you might be misunderstanding. I had too much to drink, and he was taking me home."


    Li Yifei immediately said triumphantly, "See, Officer Lin?"


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "That¡¯s fine then, you both can leave. But you better be careful, he¡¯s not a good man."


    Li Yifei suddenly had a black line across his forehead, propping up He Fangqing as they left. Then he turned back to Officer Lin and asked, "Officer Lin, do you need me to give you some compensation for the cleaning?"


    "No need!" Lin Qiong quickly waved her hand, but inside she was extremely annoyed. The coat was so dirty, and it was difficult to clean. That damned Li Yifei, he must have been up to no good with that woman. And that woman too, surely no good at all.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t know that Lin Qiong had such a bad impression of Li Yifei that she lumped her in as not a good person. Now walking with Li Yifei and feeling a bit weak, she said, "I still want to drink."


    "Then let¡¯s switch places to drink. Once you¡¯re done, you can go straight to bed. Don¡¯t you know that getting drunk in a bar is like delivering yourself as a dish to others?"


    "Heh... So what if that¡¯s the case? I¡¯ve lost everything now, no home, no husband."


    Li Yifei had heard at the company that He Fangqing was likely going through a divorce. Also, the first time he met He Fangqing, she was drowning her sorrows over relationship woes. So he wasn¡¯t surprised by her statement, and replied, "There¡¯s no need to throw your life away. You¡¯re not even thirty yet. Just find someone else."


    "I don¡¯t want to. All men are the same. When they¡¯re chasing you, they treat you like a treasure. Once they¡¯ve caught you and married you, then you mean nothing. I¡¯ll never trust love again..." As she was speaking, He Fangqing suddenly hugged Li Yifei tightly and said, "Take me with you. Tonight, I want to sleep with you."


    "Heh, that¡¯s no problem. Let¡¯s go get a room," Li Yifei actually quite liked women like He Fangqing, who didn¡¯t want emotions and wouldn¡¯t require responsibility after.


    "I want to go to your place. I don¡¯t like being in hotels," He Fangqing made her request.


    This time, Li Yifei hesitated. He went out to hunt for romance but didn¡¯t have the habit of bringing women home. However, considering they knew each other and couldn¡¯t really escape, if He Fangqing wanted to find his home, it would be easy, so he said, "No problem, then let¡¯s go to my place. But the conditions at my home aren¡¯t that great."


    "I don¡¯t care, I want to go to your house," insisted He Fangqing.


    Li Yifei agreed readily and, as his home wasn¡¯t far, soon arrived with He Fangqing. As they exited the elevator, he unconsciously lightened his footsteps, not wanting Meng Xiaofei, that girl, to see them¡ªotherwise, it would lead to endless questioning.


    But as the saying goes, what you¡¯re afraid of is exactly what will happen. He was about to open his door when Meng Xiaofei¡¯s door burst open, "Brother Li, you¡¯re back... Oh, sorry, go ahead with your business, I don¡¯t want to intrude." As soon as Meng Xiaofei saw Li Yifei holding a woman, she stuck out her tongue and quickly closed her door.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a surge of exasperation, but he didn¡¯t care about Meng Xiaofei¡¯s opinion of him and opened the door to bring He Fangqing into his home.


    "Who¡¯s that girl? Your girlfriend?" Now that the alcohol wasn¡¯t hitting her as hard, He Fangqing looked around Li Yifei¡¯s house and asked a question.


    "My neighbor." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then your relationship with her must be quite good."


    "It¡¯s alright, isn¡¯t there a saying ¡¯distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors¡¯? Do you want to take a shower first?"


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a flirtatious look and said, "Of course, I need a shower, and moreover... I want you to join me."


    "No problem!" Li Yifei laughed heartily and scooped up He Fangqing in his arms and headed straight for the bathroom.


    That night, He Fangqing was indescribably wild, even crazier than the last time she was with Li Yifei, but after the wild catharsis, she threw herself onto Li Yifei¡¯s body and burst into tears.


    Li Yifei knew why she was crying, but he had no way to console her. Something like this wasn¡¯t something an outsider like him could resolve; ultimately, it was up to He Fangqing to untie this knot in her heart.


    Once He Fangqing cried herself out, she fell asleep, and Li Yifei just held her through the night, making up for the sleep he had lost the evening before.


    The next morning, before six o¡¯clock, Li Yifei woke up first, still entwined with her. Wanting to get up to relieve himself, he ended up waking He Fangqing.


    Today, He Fangqing didn¡¯t avoid Li Yifei like she did last time but instead clung tightly to him, saying, "Let me sleep a little longer, I haven¡¯t had enough sleep yet."


    "You can sleep, but I need to go to the bathroom now. I¡¯m really uncomfortable holding it in."


    "Really? Let me check." He Fangqing gave a squeeze and Li Yifei suddenly gasped, quickly pulling her hand away and scolding, "Stop it, or I¡¯m going to wet myself."


    Only then did He Fangqing let go of Li Yifei, giggling with satisfaction.


    However, as soon as Li Yifei returned to bed, she wrapped herself around him once again, her hands mischievously starting to wander.


    "Hey, didn¡¯t I feed you enough last night? You¡¯re still going on?" Li Yifei also started to knead her chest.


    "Are you saying you can¡¯t do it anymore?"


    "Never say a man can¡¯t do it, you¡¯ll regret it if you do."


    "I¡¯ve already said it. I want to see how you¡¯re going to make me regret it," He Fangqing said with a seductive look on her face.


    Li Yifei, not one to stand on ceremony, mounted her once again and they continued the tussle for another half hour before they finally calmed down.


    He took a cigarette and put it to his lips, but He Fangqing snatched the lighter away. Li Yifei thought she didn¡¯t want him to smoke, only to find that she actually lit it for him.


    Taking a deep drag, Li Yifei said, "I thought women didn¡¯t like the smell of smoke?"


    He Fangqing seductively replied, "I usually don¡¯t, but right now, you smoking a cigarette seems pretty appealing."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "You¡¯re really quite adorable."


    "Stop flattering yourself, I was just making conversation," He Fangqing hit him lightly and closed her eyes, seemingly still savoring the climax from before.


    The two lay quietly for a while, and after Li Yifei finished his cigarette, he said, "Hey, aren¡¯t you going to get up? Don¡¯t you have to go to work today?"


    "Ah, it¡¯s so late already, I really have to go to work." He Fangqing quickly sat up, running into the bathroom stark naked, but when she came out, she said with a troubled look, "Oh no, how am I supposed to go to work in these clothes?"


    Last night, He Fangqing had already stained her clothes with plenty of alcohol at the bar, and the craziness with Li Yifei during their shower had gotten her clothes all wet. They were nowhere near dry, and even if they were, they would be full of wrinkles. Such an appearance was much too damaging to the image of a director like her.


    "Hey, come on, think of something," He Fangqing threw her clothes onto Li Yifei, wearing only a bikini-style undergarment.


    Li Yifei grinned, "Why don¡¯t you just take a day off and say you¡¯re not feeling well and need to rest for a day?"


    "No way, with so much going on at the company, how can I take a day off? I don¡¯t care, you have to find me a set of clothes now."


    "Where am I supposed to get that from? The stores aren¡¯t even open yet."


    "Ahh, it¡¯s your fault my clothes got wet, if you don¡¯t take responsibility, then who will?" He Fangqing jumped onto the bed, pulling hard on Li Yifei, "If you don¡¯t take care of me, then I¡¯m just going to stay here and not leave. It¡¯s perfect since I have nowhere else to stay right now."


    "You can¡¯t be serious?" Li Yifei was taken aback. If He Fangqing, a woman who had just gotten divorced, latched onto him, it would be a big headache. While He Fangqing was attractive and a director, Li Yifei did not want to be tied down by a woman at this point, not even a beauty like He Fangqing.


    "Hmph, if you don¡¯t get me a set of clothes, I will," He Fangqing glared at Li Yifei, "You have fifteen minutes to sort it out." Then she grabbed her purse and went off to apply makeup in the bathroom.


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless, but he still had a solution. He put on clothes and went next door to Meng Xiaofei¡¯s place, whose figure was similar to He Fangqing¡¯s, and she seemed to have a lot of clothes; borrowing a set shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    But after knocking for a long time, there was no response; probably Meng Xiaofei, the flight attendant, had flown out at night. Li Yifei then took out her keys and opened the door.


    The living room was silent, seemingly empty. Li Yifei went straight to Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bedroom; he knew the wardrobe was there with all her clothes inside, and it would be more convenient to take a set while she was not at home.


    But when he pushed the bedroom door open, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock. There was Meng Xiaofei, deep in sleep on the bed, with the air conditioning on warm, not even covered by a blanket. What¡¯s more, she was... sleeping in the nude.

 Chapter 58 Borrowing Clothes

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Borrowing ClothesEven though he had just been with He Fangqing, the sight of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s exposed body, especially the pair of breasts on her chest, still made Li Yifei¡¯s blood rush to his head, and a certain part of his body stood erect once again.


    "Damn it, you dead girl, can¡¯t you make a sound when you¡¯re at home?" Li Yifei muttered in his heart and hurriedly tiptoed out of the bedroom, carefully closing the door behind him. Although a beauty¡¯s naked body was nice to look at, being caught in the act would be embarrassing.


    He calmed his breathing, then knocked forcefully on the bedroom door, saying loudly, "Xiaofei, are you awake? I need a favor."


    After calling out twice, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s flustered voice finally responded, "Ah, Brother Li, what¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m still sleeping."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat, thinking that this girl really slept soundly; even if someone threw her out on the street while she slept, she probably wouldn¡¯t know. A chick like her was indeed hard to find in this world.


    "It¡¯s like this, my friend needs a set of clothes to wear, but no stores are open yet, and I have nowhere to buy them. I think her figure is similar to yours and would like to borrow a set from you, is that okay?"


    "Sure, just wait a second, I¡¯ll get it for you."


    "Thanks a lot."


    After about five or six minutes, Meng Xiaofei opened the bedroom door. She was wearing pajamas, her hair was disheveled, she was yawning, and she held a set of clothes in her hands. "Brother Li, see if this set works. I¡¯ve only worn it once."


    Li Yifei took it from her, saying, "This will do," and turned to leave.


    But Meng Xiaofei caught up with him, asking with a giggly smile, "Hey, Brother Li, is she your girlfriend?"


    "That... no."


    "Ah, she¡¯s not your girlfriend, and you still brought her home to sleep? Oh, I get it now, you¡¯re having a One-Night Stand."


    Li Yifei wiped his sweat and said, "You guessed right, this set of clothes might not be returned. You¡¯d better lend me a cheaper set, just so I won¡¯t owe you later."


    "It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t really like this set anymore; it¡¯s practically a giveaway, so consider it a gift. Now you¡¯ve given me a reason to mooch meals at your place."


    Li Yifei stopped at the door, turned to look at Meng Xiaofei, and asked, "I¡¯m into One-Night Stands, and you don¡¯t despise me?"


    Meng Xiaofei laughed, "Why would I despise you? So many people do it. I just haven¡¯t met the right one, otherwise, I¡¯d join in too."


    Li Yifei tapped her head gently and sternly said, "Nonsense, this isn¡¯t something to play with recklessly."


    "Wow, it¡¯s okay for you to set a fire, but not for me to even light a lamp? Brother Li, that¡¯s too much," she protested.


    "I¡¯m just worried about you being deceived. Alright, I¡¯m leaving." Li Yifei left Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house, also puzzled about why he cared so much for Meng Xiaofei. After all, she was just his neighbor.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei returned to his own home and threw the clothes to He Fangqing, who had just come out of the washroom.


    "You really got them? Impressive. These aren¡¯t new, where did you get them?" He Fangqing complimented Li Yifei, but upon realizing the clothes were second-hand, she frowned.


    Li Yifei retorted unhappily, "If you don¡¯t want to wear them, forget it, I have no other solution."


    "Who said I won¡¯t wear them? I¡¯m just not used to wearing clothes someone else has worn."


    "Suit yourself," said Li Yifei and then went off to the washroom to clean up.


    When Li Yifei came out, he saw He Fangqing already dressed in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s clothes. They fit He Fangqing a bit loosely, but since it was winter when everyone wore more layers, it didn¡¯t look too inappropriate.


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a cold glance and queried, "These are from that female neighbor next door, right?"


    Li Yifei acknowledged frankly, "Yes, how else could I have gotten you clothes so quickly?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You must be pretty close with that neighbor to be able to borrow clothes from her."


    Li Yifei felt He Fangqing¡¯s comment was a bit sour, but he didn¡¯t entertain it any further. He found himself a set of clothes to change into and tidied up the blankets and other things. He was quite attentive to life¡¯s details; at the very least, his room was rarely cluttered.


    Watching Li Yifei bustling about, He Fangqing¡¯s facial expression turned a bit strange. In her former home, her ex-husband never lifted a finger to do any household chores. Now, seeing Li Yifei, a man, managing the household tasks so orderly, she felt both fascinated and a degree of yearning. A man who could do housework would surely also be an attentive and good husband.


    However, He Fangqing immediately got a huge fright from her own thoughts.


    She had just gotten a divorce, so why was she having such thoughts? And wasn¡¯t she very sad just last night? Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to the bar to drink away her sorrows. But why did she no longer feel that heart-wrenching pain now, and instead felt a strange sense of relief? Wasn¡¯t that too abnormal? Could it be that she was developing feelings for Li Yifei?


    A series of question marks arose in He Fangqing¡¯s mind, but there wasn¡¯t a single one she could answer by herself.


    Shaking her head vigorously, He Fangqing tossed all these doubts to the back of her mind. Right now, she just wanted to live a certain kind of life¡ªbeing happy alone in the future. She wouldn¡¯t get entangled in feelings again, even if she felt lonely in the future. She could just have a fling, like with One-Night Stand, but she couldn¡¯t let herself be hurt by a man again.


    At that moment, Li Yifei came out. Seeing He Fangqing in a daze, he smiled and said, "What are you thinking about? If we don¡¯t go now, we¡¯ll really be late. It doesn¡¯t matter for me, a junior employee, but for you, as the Director, being late really won¡¯t do."


    He Fangqing immediately broke into a smile and replied, "Aren¡¯t directors also human? It¡¯s normal to be late," and then walked to the door to change her shoes.


    Once inside the elevator, with only the two of them, He Fangqing looked at Li Yifei and said somewhat awkwardly, "I won¡¯t go to the office with you to avoid people seeing... and talking."


    Li Yifei cheerfully answered, "Understood. Even if you didn¡¯t say it, I wouldn¡¯t walk with you together."


    Hearing this, He Fangqing actually felt a bit displeased and gave him a cold look, "Would it be such an embarrassment for you to go to the office with me?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Of course not! If you went with me, I¡¯d be the one gaining face."


    "See? You find me dislikable just because I¡¯m a woman who¡¯s been divorced."


    "Director He, you¡¯re really overestimating me. It wouldn¡¯t matter to me whether you¡¯ve been divorced once or even eight or ten times; I wouldn¡¯t look down on you," he said.


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei¡¯s arm a twist and reproachfully said, "Knock it off. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been divorced eight or ten times, not wishing me any good," her charm evident in her feigned anger.


    Li Yifei pretended to cry out in pain and made a suffering face, "That¡¯s because I was saying you¡¯re stronger than me. Even if someone divorced ten or eight times, they wouldn¡¯t be like me... what¡¯s that term the internet uses?"


    "Loser!" He Fangqing reminded him, both annoyed and amused.


    "Right, right, a loser. I¡¯m just a poor loser, and you¡¯re a White Rich Beauty. We¡¯re totally from different worlds; I have no right to disapprove of you."


    "Hmph, haven¡¯t you ever heard of the ¡¯loser¡¯s counterattack¡¯?"


    "Forget it, that¡¯s just a lovely fantasy of the losers. Why haven¡¯t I ever witnessed a loser¡¯s counterattack, huh?"


    "We are just..." At that moment, the elevator doors opened, and two people entered on the sixth floor. He Fangqing couldn¡¯t continue her sentence, and given it was a slip of the tongue, she was secretly relieved she had stopped. The more she spoke to Li Yifei, the more uninhibited she became. It seemed she really had to control herself from now on.


    She fully understood that Li Yifei was always putting himself down, essentially telling her that their relationship was just a fling, that they couldn¡¯t get too involved. He Fangqing knew Li Yifei was right, but she felt a mysterious sense of loss and self-reproach in her heart¡ªit felt like even Li Yifei, a junior employee, was looking down on her, a divorcee.


    He Fangqing, after all, wasn¡¯t an ordinary woman. It took just a moment for her to adjust her mood, and after exiting the elevator, she said to Li Yifei with a smile, "Thanks for giving me a place to stay yesterday, but from now on, we are just normal colleagues."


    Li Yifei, of course, hoped just for that, smiled, and replied, "Absolutely no problem. At the office, you are definitely my director."


    He Fangqing felt somewhat uncomfortable inside but still smiled and said, "That¡¯s best."


    Li Yifei took out a pack of cigarettes, flicked it lightly, and a cigarette popped out. He brought it to his lips with a flourish, lit it with a lighter, and took a satisfying drag, a look of contentment on his face, "I also feel this is pretty good. If Director He ever feels lonely, I¡¯d be willing to serve you."


    Watching Li Yifei smoke, He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but secretly admire him. Just that move alone was enough to attract those young girls, and even she thought he looked pretty handsome. Yet, seeing the intoxicated smile on Li Yifei¡¯s face, why did He Fangqing feel so uncomfortable? This guy didn¡¯t seem to care about her at all. Was being divorced really such a disgrace that even a junior employee looked down on her?


    "Director He, what¡¯s the matter? Feeling unwell?" Li Yifei, noticing He Fangqing¡¯s chest heaving, asked with concern.


    "Nothing. I¡¯m leaving first. You can go out later," He Fangqing said, and then sped up her pace in her high heels without looking back.


    Li Yifei touched his nose, sensing He Fangqing¡¯s thoughts. He was willing to keep it that way, too. A woman like He Fangqing certainly had an attraction for him, and it wasn¡¯t that Li Yifei looked down on her for being divorced. However, as for matters of the heart, well, it was better just to let them be.

 Chapter 59 Going Out

    Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Going OutChu Xiaoyao¡¯s call came through again, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, answered the phone, and said, "Xiaoyao, I¡¯ve moved to my new place already, we won¡¯t be taking the same route anymore."


    "Damn uncle, you just move without saying a word, that¡¯s so not cool," Chu Xiaoyao immediately shouted furiously.


    "Heh, couldn¡¯t be helped," Li Yifei chuckled.


    "Annoying, you just want to see me get harassed on the bus every day, don¡¯t you?" she accused.


    "Can¡¯t you stick with your classmates, or stand next to women?" he suggested.


    "I don¡¯t like hanging out with those kiddos at all; they have no real skills but love to show off in front of me. They annoy me just by being there," she complained.


    "Then I¡¯ve got nothing for you; you¡¯re on your own. Uncle¡¯s got other things to handle, hanging up now," Li Yifei said and hung up the phone abruptly.


    In the past few days, taking the bus with Chu Xiaoyao was just him doing her a small favor. He really didn¡¯t want to get entangled with such a girl, and now that he no longer had to share the bus with her, he naturally didn¡¯t want to have anything more to do with her.


    When he got to the office, Li Yifei got busy for a while until He Xiuyin walked in, looked around, and asked, "Li Yifei, do you know how to drive?"


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "I do."


    He Xiuyin nodded, "Then later, you¡¯ll drive for Director He. He Dong took leave today."


    Li Yifei agreed, grabbed the car keys, and sat in the office waiting. Anyone who needed a car had to come to logistics to find a driver.


    Soon enough, He Fangqing arrived at logistics, and Li Yifei promptly stood up, saying, "Director He, I¡¯ll be your driver today."


    Director He paused for a second. She did request a car, but didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to be the one driving her. She nodded her head and walked out.


    Li Yifei followed her into the elevator. With just the two of them inside, the moment the doors closed, Li Yifei simply gave He Fangqing a faint smile, then kept his gaze fixed on the elevator panel without looking sideways.


    However, He Fangqing was staring at Li Yifei. Once they reached the underground parking lot and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t spoken a single word to her, she felt somewhat suffocated, and after buckling her seatbelt, she huffed, "How come you¡¯re not saying anything to me? At least you could wipe your mouth after eating."


    Li Yifei started the car, turned to He Fangqing with a grin, and said, "Director He, wasn¡¯t it you who told me to treat you like a director when in the company? I¡¯m just following your orders."


    "Hmph, so you wouldn¡¯t say normal things either?" He Fangqing knew that Li Yifei¡¯s behavior was actually the most appropriate, but she couldn¡¯t swallow her pride.


    "You are the Director, and I am just a small employee. If I talk too much with you, people will certainly think there¡¯s something going on between us."


    "Humph, keep on pretending. I¡¯ve seen plenty of men like you; you have your way and then don¡¯t own up to it, scared that I¡¯ll cling to you," she retorted.


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and simply chose not to engage. He Fangqing was in an emotionally fragile state right now, and saying too much could backfire.


    Seeing Li Yifei play dumb, He Fangqing got even more annoyed. She reached out and gave him a twist. Li Yifei¡¯s car almost collided with another vehicle entering the underground parking garage. He quickly slammed the brakes, and the other driver did the same. Recognizing the vehicle, Li Yifei¡¯s Buick, he said to He Fangqing somewhat helplessly, "Alright then, almost crashed into the boss¡¯s car."


    Xu Yingying naturally recognized the company car as well. She rolled down her window, and Li Yifei also had to roll down his window promptly, saying, "President Xu, sorry."


    Xu Yingying was surprised to see Li Yifei driving, but when she saw He Fangqing through the window, she narrowed her eyes and said, "No worries, Director He, are you heading out?"


    He Fangqing nodded, "Yes, I¡¯m going to report to the head office with a watch, and there¡¯s also some data to discuss with them. It seems the logistics driver took leave, so Little Li is driving for me," she unconsciously explained why Li Yifei was driving her.


    "Well, you go ahead with your work. Li Yifei, be careful when you drive."


    "Thanks for your concern President Xu, I will be," Li Yifei said with a cheeky smile as the car slowly drove out of the parking lot.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying¡¯s suspicions about Li Yifei and He Fangqing¡¯s relationship deepened. It was normal for He Fangqing to use a car, and it was normal for anyone to drive her, but she specifically explained herself¡ªa clear case of protesting too much.


    "Could He Fangqing have been involved with Li Yifei from before? Is that why she divorced her husband?" As Xu Yingying thought this, she shook her head; if He Fangqing divorced because of Li Yifei, it would be truly unworthy.


    In Li Yifei¡¯s car, he frowned and said, "Director He, what were you thinking? You nearly made me crash the car, and it was almost into the boss¡¯s car at that. Are you trying to get me in trouble?"


    He Fangqing snorted and said, "Serves him right."


    "Sigh, I see it now; nothing I do is correct. This really proves the saying, ¡¯Women and petty men are hardest to feed.¡¯


    He Fangqing glared at Li Yifei again but didn¡¯t persist. She knew she was indeed being a bit unreasonable. After taking a couple of breaths, she calmed herself and said, "Forget it, I¡¯m wrong. Just drive safely." Then she turned to look outside the window.


    The car suddenly became quiet. Li Yifei casually turned on the CD and listened to some songs he couldn¡¯t sing, driving leisurely towards the headquarters.


    The headquarters wasn¡¯t in Qingyang but in Shen City, a provincial capital about three hundred kilometers away from Mile City. It was quite a distance, and driving would take more than three hours.


    Driving within the urban area of Mile City was really slow, and after dawdling for more than half an hour, they finally got on the highway.


    Now there were speed limits on the highway. Li Yifei was driving a Honda Accord, a standard service vehicle, which performed quite well. However, regardless of its performance, once on the highway, the speed couldn¡¯t exceed 120 kilometers per hour. The company¡¯s explicit rule stated that if a driver received a fine, the company would not reimburse it. Having worked in the logistics department for ten days, Li Yifei was well aware of such regulations.


    There was no rush anyway, so there was no need for Li Yifei to drive too fast. He maintained a steady speed of around 110 kilometers per hour, making the car feel very stable.


    "Li Yifei, talk to me, will you? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cling to you. I¡¯m just feeling a bit bored and want to chat," He Fangqing spoke up after nearly an hour of silence.


    Li Yifei turned his head to look at He Fangqing and said with a smile, "Whatever you want to talk about, I¡¯m here to keep you company, since it¡¯s all on your dime."


    "Go away." Li Yifei¡¯s joke made He Fangqing smile involuntarily, but she quickly sighed and said, "Do you think I¡¯m a bad woman, a lowly woman?"


    "Why would you say that?" Li Yifei frowned.


    "I¡¯ve only been married for three years, and now I¡¯m getting a divorce. I always thought my husband betrayed me, but I also betrayed him. I slept with you before he divorced me."


    "That matter... it¡¯s not exactly the case. If men can find lovers outside, where do these lovers come from? Naturally, there are willing women, and not all of them are bad people. They don¡¯t necessarily want to break up a family; it¡¯s just a need, that¡¯s all." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You make it sound too simple. I¡¯m not like you; I was married. I should have been responsible for my family, but I did what I did. Now, I really don¡¯t feel like a good woman."


    "I think you did nothing wrong. The first time you slept with me was clearly because your husband wanted to divorce you. You haven¡¯t done such a thing before, have you?"


    "Of course not."


    "There you have it. If he¡¯s no longer your husband, then you might as well be single. You might do whatever you please."


    He Fangqing shook her head and sighed, obviously not quite agreeing with Li Yifei¡¯s words. After a while, she continued, "I also feel I should reflect on myself. I prioritized my work too much, neglecting to spend time with him, which is probably why he fell for someone else."


    Li Yifei found He Fangqing to be quite admirable for her willingness to self-reflect. He smiled and said, "Forget it, don¡¯t think too much. Some things are in the past. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but are men? Who knows, maybe soon you¡¯ll meet your true love and start a new married life."


    He Fangqing laughed at herself and said, "Forget it, I¡¯m hurt this time. I don¡¯t want to get married again in this lifetime. Actually, it¡¯s not bad being alone. How free it is to do whatever I want, just like you."


    "Oh, come on, don¡¯t compare yourself to me. I¡¯m single because I have no money, no house. Otherwise, do you think I wouldn¡¯t want to get married?"


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "Really? Should I introduce you to a couple of them in the future? I know quite a few beautiful unmarried girls at the headquarters."


    "Forget about it. With what I have, which girl could fancy me? I might as well continue with my single life."


    "You¡¯re quite open-minded. By the way, do you know if there are any vacant houses near the company? I¡¯m thinking of renting a place."


    The apartment next to Li Yifei was empty, but he didn¡¯t want He Fangqing moving in. Pretending to think it over, he said, "I really wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only been working in Mile City for a little over two months, so I¡¯m doing well just not to get lost."


    "Oh, then I¡¯ll look for one myself later."


    "By the way, since he¡¯s the one who asked for the divorce, why did you move out?"


    He Fangqing smiled faintly and said, "Once I, He Fangqing, agreed to break it off, I didn¡¯t want to have any connection with him. Even if it means giving up things that touched him, I don¡¯t want them, whether it¡¯s money or a house. I believe in my ability; I will certainly earn everything back."


    At that moment, He Fangqing showed great confidence and determination, revealing the demeanor of a white-collar elite.

 Chapter 60: Ungentlemanly

    Chapter 60: Chapter 60: UngentlemanlyThe two casually chatted, quickly relaxing in each other¡¯s company, but they didn¡¯t bring up the matter between them again. He Fangqing took the initiative not to mention it, and Li Yifei, of course, made every effort to avoid the topic. After over three hours, they arrived in Shen City.


    He Fangqing might have never had many friends, and she had no one to share her marital issues with, but now she poured out her whole story to Li Yifei.


    She and her husband were college classmates and started their relationship there. After graduation, they struggled together in Shen City. Relying on her abilities, He Fangqing quickly established her roots in Qingfeng Group, performing better and better, with her income increasing steadily.


    Her husband also worked at Qingfeng Group, but his job was not as fulfilling, and he wasn¡¯t given much responsibility. However, He Fangqing was completely devoted to her husband, using all her earnings to take out a loan for a house and marrying him.


    For the first two years of their marriage, they were very loving. Although He Fangqing felt her husband had some shortcomings, such as laziness, never doing housework, and a bit of male chauvinism, she bore with it all.


    To her surprise, her husband got involved with the daughter of a vice chairman at their company, and the two quickly became an item. Following this, his position at the company was rapidly promoted.


    News of her husband¡¯s affair with that woman soon reached He Fangqing¡¯s ears, which she found hard to believe. Nonetheless, the affair was a fact, and after some calm reflection, she tried to save their marriage. To her shock, her husband was resolute in staying with the other woman and proposed a divorce.


    Crushed, He Fangqing asked to delay the process, transferring to a branch office to avoid the strange looks at the headquarters. But just after arriving in Mile City, her husband incessantly pressed her for the divorce, intensifying her suffering. That¡¯s why, on her first day in Mile City, she ended up in a bar, drowning her sorrows and then out of a desire for revenge, had a one-night stand with Li Yifei.


    Just yesterday, she had finally gone through with the divorce. Unable to endure this emotional wound any longer, she had returned to the bar to drown her sorrows once more, and unexpectedly ran into Li Yifei again.


    Although He Fangqing didn¡¯t explicitly say that she ran into Li Yifei both times she went to drown her sorrows, but merely spoke of her pain on those occasions, Li Yifei knew he had coincidentally been there for both, which felt like quite a stroke of luck to him, yet also too coincidental.


    "Whew, talking so much with you, I feel much lighter," He Fangqing said after finishing her story upon entering Shen City. Rather than being sad, she seemed to be at ease.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It¡¯s good to feel lighter. One must always look forward, right?"


    He Fangqing laughed lightly and said, "Hehe, I¡¯ve shared my story. On the way back, you¡¯ll have to share yours."


    "I don¡¯t really have anything to tell. My life has been pretty simple: school, military service, and then work."


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a sardonic look and said, "Don¡¯t give me that, you¡¯re brushing me off. I¡¯m not so easily fooled."


    Following He Fangqing¡¯s directions, Li Yifei soon found the headquarters. Before getting out of the car, He Fangqing said to him, "It¡¯s past lunchtime now. You should find somewhere to eat first, as I probably will be busy for a while. Feel free to wander around. I¡¯ll give you a call when I¡¯m done."


    Li Yifei nodded, watched He Fangqing enter the building, and then drove away.


    Li Yifei had actually visited Shen City before, but that was during his school days, when his parents had taken him to have fun. Now, things were different; his parents were no longer with him.


    After finding a small restaurant and satisfying his hunger, he then parked his car beneath the company building and closed his eyes for a nap. He had had a wild night with He Fangqing the evening before, and had not slept well the night before that. After two nights of poor sleep, it was the perfect time to catch up on some rest.


    After sleeping for more than an hour and with no sign of He Fangqing, he waited another half hour until she finally called him. Shortly thereafter, He Fangqing came downstairs.


    As He Fangqing approached the entrance of the company, a man and a woman got out of a Mercedes and happened to walk directly towards her, causing her expression to turn sour at once. She tried to leave, but the woman stopped her.


    Since Li Yifei was smoking at that time with his car door open, he witnessed the scene and even heard their conversation.


    The woman was wearing a mink coat and, despite heavy makeup, looked rather unattractive. She stood there pompously and spoke in a mocking tone, "Oh, if it isn¡¯t He Fangqing. I heard you went off to a branch office." Her voice was grating, somewhat like a broken gong.


    This appearance, combined with such a voice, was truly nauseating. Li Yifei wondered what kind of man could tolerate her. Turning his gaze to the man beside her, who was indeed rather handsome, tall and slim with a gentle demeanor; he awkwardly watched He Fangqing, opened his mouth, but said nothing.


    Confronted with the trio¡¯s expressions, Li Yifei could tell that this man must be He Fangqing¡¯s ex-husband, and the woman was probably the vice chairman¡¯s heiress from the headquarters. Money really does speak¡ªsuch a woman ended up with a good-looking man.


    He Fangqing took a breath and replied with a light smile, "I¡¯m actually in a rush, I¡¯ll be on my way."


    "Don¡¯t go yet," the woman said, stepping in to block He Fangqing, twisting her hefty frame, "I have news for you. Next month, we¡¯re getting married."


    He Fangqing glanced at the man, her smile unchanged, and said, "Then I must congratulate you."


    "Giggle..." That woman suddenly burst into laughter, shaking like a tree in the wind, but her laugh was indescribably harsh to the ears, and not even her mink coat could hide the quivering of her plump body, "I also have a secret to tell you, our Mingsheng has been treating me so well, you know?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s face immediately darkened as she said, "I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to hear about such things between you."


    "How can you not listen? After all, you are Mingsheng¡¯s ex-wife. I am actually considering whether to post your ¡¯specialties¡¯ on the company¡¯s intranet, haha..."


    "You... you..." He Fangqing¡¯s face turned extremely ugly, biting her lip tightly, the strong sense of humiliation made her forget the pain, biting her lip until it bled.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Feeling embarrassed? Don¡¯t worry, although our dear Mingsheng doesn¡¯t want you anymore, I think the men in our company will definitely be interested."


    "Su Juan, I have already transferred to the branch office, far away from you, what else do you want?" He Fangqing asked with gritted teeth, her patience reaching its limit.


    "Oh, getting angry, are we? I¡¯m really happy, you know. I want to tell you, don¡¯t think that just by transferring to a branch office everything is settled. I¡¯m going to drive you out of our Group completely, so that you never appear before me again." The woman said with a fierce look on her face, revealing her true intentions.


    "Fine, fine, Chen Mingsheng, is this what you want too?" He Fangqing looked at her ex-husband.


    The man who once vowed eternal love to her, now had his head lowered, not daring to look at He Fangqing.


    "Mingsheng, you answer her, what¡¯s the matter? Do you still have feelings for her?" Su Juan glared at Chen Mingsheng, raising her voice suddenly.


    Chen Mingsheng shook and raised his head to look at He Fangqing, gritted his teeth, and said, "That¡¯s right, this is also what I want. I don¡¯t ever want to see you again."


    He Fangqing looked at the two of them, suddenly raised her hand, and swung it towards Chen Mingsheng¡¯s face. It was anger that had been building up for a long time. Even during the divorce, she had never thought about striking this man, but today, in front of the company door and under the gaze of those people, she finally couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    "Slap!" A crisp sound rang out as He Fangqing¡¯s slap landed solidly on Chen Mingsheng¡¯s face, and the man didn¡¯t dodge. Being slapped, his face revealed a trace of relief as if he still felt some guilt towards He Fangqing.


    "Mingsheng, she slapped you, why aren¡¯t you hitting back?" The woman looked at Chen Mingsheng with a sardonic tone.


    Chen Mingsheng¡¯s lips moved slightly as he said, "Let it be, if she hits me, then so be it."


    The woman immediately shouted, "What do you mean, ¡¯if she hits me, then so be it¡¯? Hit her back! Do you still have lingering thoughts about her? I¡¯m telling you, Chen Mingsheng, if you don¡¯t hit her back, don¡¯t even think about marrying me; just go back to being your low-level employee."


    Chen Mingsheng¡¯s body trembled, he looked at He Fangqing, his eyes conflicted, but in the end, he raised his hand. He Fangqing coldly watched the man she had once loved, waiting for his hand to strike her face, her heart truly dead by this time, but for the sake of her dignity, she still stared unwaveringly at Chen Mingsheng. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go on, hit me? If you don¡¯t hit her back, you can¡¯t prove that you have completely cut ties with her, that you can¡¯t affirm your love for me," the woman continued to shriek.


    Chen Mingsheng gritted his teeth, finally swinging his raised hand towards He Fangqing¡¯s face.


    But at that moment, a figure rushed forward, kicking Chen Mingsheng and making him tumble over, then with a swing of his hand, he slapped the woman hard across the face, glaring at her and shouted, "Where did this wretched hag come from, such shamelessness."


    "You... you... you..." The woman covered her face, staring at Li Yifei in shock.


    Li Yifei stood tall, commanded, "What are you saying ¡¯you¡¯ for, I just can¡¯t stand to see a wretched hag like you, acting so high and mighty just because you have a bit of money. I may not know anyone here, but I just felt like hitting you." After saying this, he slapped the overweight woman twice more, then kicked her, sending her falling to the ground.


    "Security! Security! Grab him for me, now!" The woman immediately cried out in a shrill voice.


    The security guards at the entrance, who had been watching the commotion, immediately rushed over, trying to capture Li Yifei.


    But Li Yifei was incredibly slippery, dodging the four security guards effortlessly and even gave each of them a kick, knocking all four to the ground, where they landed right on top of the hefty woman. The four men lay stacked like pagodas on the woman, pressing her down as she screamed.


    In that moment, Li Yifei winked at He Fangqing, then turned and darted away from the entrance to the company, vanishing in the blink of an eye.


    He Fangqing watched, stunned, almost trying to stop Li Yifei, but he moved too fast; before she could intervene, Li Yifei had already run off.

 Chapter 61 Flavor

    Chapter 61: Chapter 61 FlavorHe Fangqing didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer, so she immediately got into the car Li Yifei had driven over, which still had the keys in it. She promptly started it and drove away from the headquarters that had caused her such heartache.


    After driving a short distance, He Fangqing saw Li Yifei, stopped the car next to him, and Li Yifei got in right away, chuckling, "Good thing you didn¡¯t talk to me just now, or I would¡¯ve been toast."


    He Fangqing was indeed very angry just then, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s scared look made her burst into laughter. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "You¡¯re such an impulsive guy. She¡¯s the precious daughter of our group¡¯s vice chairman. If she found out you¡¯re from a branch company, she¡¯d definitely make you pay."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Well, isn¡¯t that why I hit her and ran?"


    Not driving far, He Fangqing stopped the car again and said, "You drive."


    "Sure thing." Li Yifei replied cheerfully, opened the car door, walked around to the driver¡¯s side, while He Fangqing moved over to the passenger seat from inside the car.


    Li Yifei started the car, while He Fangqing fell silent. After a while, she spoke, "Thank you for today."


    "Thank me for what? I just couldn¡¯t stand that woman. Any man would have slapped her, especially someone with a sense of justice like me. How could I not have acted?"


    He Fangqing smiled, then pushed back the hair from her forehead, let out a sigh, and said, "Give me a cigarette."


    "I don¡¯t have ladies¡¯ cigarettes."


    "The ones you smoke will do."


    Li Yifei handed her one. After lighting it and taking a drag, she coughed twice. Li Yifei immediately shook his head, "If you don¡¯t know how to smoke, don¡¯t waste my cigarettes."


    "Just not used to it is all." He Fangqing took another cautious drag and managed not to cough this time.


    As Li Yifei drove, he occasionally glanced at He Fangqing, now having to admit there was something about a woman smoking; particularly a beauty like He Fangqing, who smoked with a melancholic grace.


    "Here, I can¡¯t smoke anymore." At that moment, He Fangqing passed the half-smoked cigarette to Li Yifei.


    Taking it, Li Yifei savored a drag with delight, "Not bad, not bad. It even has the taste of your lips. Delicious."


    "Really? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t tasted my lips before." Turning her head with a flirtatious gleam in her eyes, He Fangqing was truly captivating.


    "Hehe, I have, but tasting like this is different from tasting directly," he replied.


    "How else do you want to taste? Tell me. I might just satisfy you." At that, He Fangqing temptingly flicked her tongue around her lips.


    "Don¡¯t tempt me, or we won¡¯t be going back to Mile City tonight."


    He Fangqing laughed lightly, quivering slightly in her seat. Without her coat on in the car, her chest rose and fell tumultuously, a truly irresistible vision. She winked at Li Yifei and said, "I quite like your little place, what about it, not taking me in tonight?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Of course I¡¯m taking you in. Then I won¡¯t have to be lonely tonight. Hehe. But tonight, you¡¯ll have to let me savor your lips properly." Such an opportunity handed to him on a plate was not to be missed.


    With a coquettish look, He Fangqing shot Li Yifei a glance and said, "Hmm, I won¡¯t let you off tonight. Let¡¯s see how many times you can go."


    "Haha, let¡¯s see who can handle more."


    Once on the highway, He Fangqing reached for her overcoat, "I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll take a nap. Wake me when we arrive."


    "Sleep well."


    Li Yifei knew that beneath He Fangqing¡¯s seemingly reckless exterior lay deep pain. She used this wildness to alleviate the suffering within. Li Yifei may not have experienced such pain himself, but having witnessed that fat woman¡¯s arrogance before her, and her ex-husband¡¯s attempt to hit her, he could well imagine the bitterness in He Fangqing¡¯s heart.


    Around four, Li Yifei called the logistics department to say he¡¯d be back late. If it was too late, he wouldn¡¯t return the car to the company parking lot. Having taken the job, Li Yifei at least followed the company policies.


    At six-thirty, Li Yifei returned to his home, He Fangqing having slept the whole way, only waking up when he called her to get out of the car.


    "Oh? We¡¯ve arrived?" He Fangqing looked around, puzzled. Mile City was unfamiliar to her, and the times she had come to Li Yifei¡¯s place, she was always too drunk to remember anything.


    "We have, but shouldn¡¯t we go have some dinner first?"


    "Alright, I don¡¯t think I had lunch." He Fangqing tidied up her hair, her expression improved quite a bit, and then she pushed open the car door and got out.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take He Fangqing to his own home for a meal. He was confident in his cooking skills, and he worried that if He Fangqing ate his food, she might want to come over even more. So they just grabbed a bite at a nearby restaurant. He Fangqing was somewhat careful throughout the meal, fearing she¡¯d be recognized.


    Li Yifei found it a bit amusing but didn¡¯t point it out. After a quick meal, he walked toward the neighborhood with He Fangqing.


    Just as they entered the neighborhood, Li Yifei saw the female cop, Lin Qiong. Lin Qiong glanced at He Fangqing, then frowned at Li Yifei. Li Yifei immediately smiled and said, "Officer Lin, now you see, we do know each other."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said with a stern face, "I was wrong, and I apologize to you."


    Li Yifei immediately grinned and said, "Officer Lin, it seems you must be a new cop."


    "How did you know?" Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei with some surprise.


    Li Yifei stroked his chin and said, "First, you¡¯re quite young, so you must have just graduated not long ago."


    Lin Qiong replied indifferently, "That¡¯s quite obvious."


    "There¡¯s also a second reason. You see, an older cop who makes a mistake never apologizes. You haven¡¯t yet picked up the arrogance that comes with the job, so of course, you¡¯re a new cop."


    Lin Qiong immediately retorted with dissatisfaction, "You can¡¯t generalize like that. Not every officer is like that. At least I¡¯m not. As the officer in charge of this area, I¡¯m responsible for its safety. If there¡¯s anything, please inform me in time, and I¡¯ll handle it promptly."


    "Certainly, Officer Lin. We won¡¯t bother you anymore. We¡¯re off," Li Yifei said, waving goodbye to Lin Qiong and walking toward his home with He Fangqing.


    Lin Qiong hummed softly at that moment. Throughout the conversation with Li Yifei, He Fangqing had been turning her head away, not looking at her, evasive and secretive. Although Li Yifei was unmarried and had the right to have a girlfriend, it was odd for his girlfriend to be so secretive, afraid of being seen. It was clear to Lin Qiong that the relationship with Li Yifei was not regular.


    Lin Qiong took relationships very seriously and despised things like one-night stands and discreet encounters, which is why she had a very poor impression of Li Yifei. In her mind, Li Yifei was already labeled as a problematic individual.


    Li Yifei, unaware of Lin Qiong¡¯s current view of him, took He Fangqing straight home. Once again in Li Yifei¡¯s home, He Fangqing looked around seriously.


    "Your little place is really nice," He Fangqing looked around and squinted her eyes in praise.


    "Heh, ever thought about living here permanently?" Li Yifei asked with a smile. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a look and said, "I might consider it. Would you dare agree?"


    "If Director He is considering it, what is there for me not to dare?" Li Yifei was still smiling.


    He Fangqing pursed her lips and said, "Stop with the sweet talk. Do you think I¡¯m a child?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Well said, we¡¯re adults and naturally shouldn¡¯t act so childish."


    He Fangqing approached Li Yifei, her hands resting on his shoulders, her face very close to his. Her breath was fragrant as she gently blew on his face and said, "So shouldn¡¯t we adults do something?"


    "Of course, we should!" Li Yifei¡¯s hands suddenly gripped He Fangqing¡¯s waist roughly, and with a tilt of his head, he kissed her lips.


    He Fangqing responded passionately to Li Yifei, and as they kissed, they stripped each other¡¯s clothes off. Soon, both of them were completely undressed, and they had made their way into the bathroom.


    Li Yifei released He Fangqing and turned on the shower. Hot water cascaded over both of them, spilling onto He Fangqing¡¯s curly hair, their bodies instantly speckled with glistening water droplets.


    A man can afford to be sloppy, but in moments like these, to get better service, it¡¯s best to be clean. Li Yifei had a deep understanding of this. A freshly bathed body meant women would likely not object to doing things, but if he wasn¡¯t clean, there were definitely things they¡¯d refuse to do.


    Women like He Fangqing, a director by profession, simply sharing a bed with her would already excite any ordinary woman. If He Fangqing were bold enough to do something more thrilling for a man, say with that little mouth or her soul-stirring tongue, it would be a huge turn-on for Li Yifei. The previous two times, their lovemaking was plain, without much flair.


    Today, Li Yifei harbored a desire to taste something different and naturally wanted to be squeaky clean.


    He Fangqing was meticulously applying body wash on Li Yifei, especially paying careful attention to one particular area. After washing him thoroughly, she lifted her alluring eyes to his, her little tongue flicked across her lips, and she said, "You wanted to taste my tongue, didn¡¯t you?"


    "Yes, he¡¯s waiting eagerly," Li Yifei glanced downwards.


    "You little rascal, it¡¯s your wish. Don¡¯t blame me later," He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a playful look and slowly knelt down.

 Chapter 62 Warehouse Manager

    Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Warehouse ManagerThis evening, Li Yifei had been tormented quite a bit. He Fangqing, when she went crazy, was really daring, especially that little mouth of hers, which every time after Yifei had paused, swiftly made him stand firm again. This was all thanks to Li Yifei¡¯s abnormal constitution; if it had been another man, they would have been crying uncle a long time ago.


    The next morning when Li Yifei woke up, He Fangqing had already gotten out of bed and was tidying up in the bathroom. Li Yifei got up and went into the bathroom, standing up to relieve himself at first, but he felt a bit awkward and decided to sit down instead.


    He Fangqing turned her head to look at him, chuckled softly, and said, "Don¡¯t you men prefer to stand when you relieve yourselves? Why are you sitting down now?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "I¡¯m afraid of splashing you."


    At that, he suddenly thought of Xu Yingying. When he lived at her house, the boss insisted that he not pee standing up.


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a blank look and said, "Could you say something more disgusting?"


    "Is this really disgusting? I just took a look, and there it¡¯s all swollen."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face turned red in an instant. When she had been with her ex-husband, she was truly conservative in bed and could never bring herself to do such things. But now with Li Yifei, she had not only done them but had done them with gusto. Now thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t understand how she had been able to go so wild, and after one night¡¯s sleep, He Fangqing could no longer act as crazed as she had the previous night, and she immediately fled the bathroom in a panic.


    He Fangqing¡¯s clothes from the previous night hadn¡¯t been washed, so she had to wear Meng Xiaofei¡¯s clothes again, which made her uncomfortable. She kept urging Li Yifei to set off early because she wanted to go to the hotel and change her clothes.


    Li Yifei quickly got ready and drove He Fangqing to the hotel. After waiting for a while, she came out with a bag in hand, got into the car, and said, "These are your neighbor¡¯s clothes. Please return them for me, and tell her thank you. You¡¯d better have them dry-cleaned first."


    Li Yifei started the car and said, "You should keep them for now. If I take a set of women¡¯s clothes to the office, how would others see me? Give them to me after work."


    He Fangqing immediately suggested, "Why not find a dry cleaner first, leave the clothes there, and then you can go get them cleaned when you have time."


    This was a good idea. The two had the clothes sent to a dry cleaner not far from Li Yifei¡¯s house, and then they headed to the office. Since Yifei had given He Fangqing a ride yesterday, it was now completely justifiable for Li Yifei to bring He Fangqing to the office with him, at least he could say that he had picked He Fangqing up in the morning.


    However, as soon as they arrived at the company downstairs, He Fangqing received a call from Xu Yingying, telling her to go to the bank, so Li Yifei once again had to turn the car around and take He Fangqing to a commercial bank in the center of Mile City.


    After waiting downstairs for over two hours, Xu Yingying came out of the bank with He Fangqing, talking as they walked.


    "President Xu, I¡¯ll be heading back to the office now," said He Fangqing to Xu Yingying as she opened the car door to get in.


    Xu Yingying looked with some puzzlement into the car. Those two drivers were quite good at their work; when they saw a leader coming out, they usually got out and opened the door. Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t the type to seek pomp and circumstance, but having seen it often, she had become accustomed to it. However, today the driver did not come out, so she took a second glance, but when she saw it was Li Yifei driving, she felt somewhat relieved. Although this guy sometimes seemed to be opportunistic, he actually had some pride and asking him to do that kind of fawning task was really a bit difficult for him.


    "Hello, President Xu," Li Yifei greeted Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying nodded her head and then directly got into her own car. She didn¡¯t use a driver, because all the drivers were men, which she found inconvenient, and another reason was that when she was out on business, driving gave her an excuse not to drink.


    However, as she watched Li Yifei drive away with He Fangqing, a thought suddenly crossed her mind to transfer Li Yifei and make him her personal driver.


    This thought puzzled Xu Yingying, but she quickly understood why. Li Yifei had lived at her house for a few days, and during that time with her parents, they had even shared a bed. Through these few encounters, Li Yifei had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of her, but the guy had never made any improper moves towards her, so she felt very assured about Li Yifei.


    Moreover, having Li Yifei drive for her meant she could ponder issues seriously while traveling, unlike now when she dared not let her mind wander while she was driving, to avoid any accidents.


    The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She could relax a lot more. However, since she had to be away on a business trip for at least a week, she would arrange everything after she got back.


    Li Yifei dropped He Fangqing back at the office. Along the way, He Fangqing was no longer the enchanting temptress she had been the day before; instead, she was a sharp businesswoman, seriously reviewing documents in the car.


    This in fact made Li Yifei feel quite relaxed. He was actually worried that He Fangqing, after their few encounters, might develop feelings for him.


    After entering the Logistics Department¡¯s office, Li Yifei had just sat down when Zheng Xiuqin called him over.


    Li Yifei entered the office of Zheng Xiuqin, the head of the Logistics Department. He Fangqing told Li Yifei to sit down and said, "Little Li, I¡¯m going to assign you a task."


    "Please go ahead, Minister Zheng," Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had much interaction with Zheng Xiuqin, but he felt this minister was the kind who handled things very meticulously.


    "The manager of the warehouse in Little Daya Bay has taken a temporary leave, and currently, there¡¯s no one managing it there. The Human Resources Department hasn¡¯t been able to arrange for anyone temporarily either. Since this falls under our logistics work, I¡¯ve considered sending someone over. Deputy Minister Zhao Qingsheng said you are very proactive at work and suggested you go. I think it¡¯s a good opportunity for a young person like you to gain some experience. Do you have any objections?"


    Li Yifei was stunned. He had had some contact with the warehouse and knew that managing it was a significant responsibility. Although leaving the company seemed like a demotion, in fact, it was a promotion, and this was Zhao Qingsheng¡¯s idea. It seemed there might be some issues involved.


    "Little Li, I know the warehouse isn¡¯t the best working environment, but it¡¯s indeed a place where you can grow a lot. Don¡¯t pass up this opportunity, even if it¡¯s just filling in for a week. It will be a great learning experience for you, and I hope you won¡¯t reject it."


    Li Yifei hurriedly responded, "Of course not. Such a good opportunity; I will certainly seize it."


    Zheng Xiuqin nodded and said, "That¡¯s settled then. You¡¯ll head over this afternoon. These past few days, there has been a lot of incoming and outgoing stock in the warehouse. You must manage the inventory well and ensure nothing goes wrong."


    "Understood."


    Coming out of He Fangqing¡¯s office, Li Yifei was still in a fog, but he was very clear about one thing: Zhao Qingsheng was not that kind-hearted. It could very well be a trap. But as a mere staffer, did that guy really need to target him to such an extent? S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did Minister Zheng want?" Just as Li Yifei had sat down, Michelle leaned over and whispered, "Brother Li, nothing serious, I hope?"


    Li Yifei gave Michelle a slight smile and said, "She¡¯s sending someone to temporarily manage the warehouse at Daya Bay for a few days."


    "Wow, that¡¯s like a promotion for you." Michelle immediately exclaimed in surprise. Although her voice was not loud, everyone in the office heard.


    Shen Yajuan immediately pushed back her chair, sliding up to Li Yifei in astonishment and said, "Little Li, you¡¯re not joking, are you? You¡¯ve only been in the Logistics Department for a few days, and now you¡¯re being transferred to manage the warehouse?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "The manager of Daya Bay¡¯s warehouse had to take leave, and with a shipment coming in, they need someone there, so they¡¯re sending me."


    Shen Yajuan patted Li Yifei on the shoulder and said, "That¡¯s still a good thing, you know. A warehouse manager¡¯s role is quite lucrative. With a bit of maneuvering during stock intake and delivery, there¡¯s a fair amount of profit to be made."


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head and said, "Sister Shen, I don¡¯t understand those things; I¡¯m just acting as a temporary custodian for a couple of days."


    "That may be true, but being in charge for a few days is pretty good too. I¡¯ve been to Daya Bay. There are about a dozen people there, and once you¡¯re there, they all have to listen to you, unlike here at the company where everyone has authority over you."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei puffed out his chest and said, "Sister Shen, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve always been a foot soldier; being a leader for a couple of days and getting a taste of it is not bad at all."


    Everyone was congratulating Li Yifei, especially Michelle, who was genuinely happy for him, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t mention that it was Zhao Qingsheng¡¯s arrangement. Otherwise, everyone would surely guess Zhao Qingsheng had ill intentions and would start worrying about him.


    During his short time at the Logistics Department, Li Yifei got along well with everyone and didn¡¯t want to cause them any worry over this matter.


    After lunch, Li Yifei went home to grab a couple sets of clothes to change into. He would be living at the warehouse for the week, which was one reason some people didn¡¯t like the role of warehouse manager; these places were often remote, not easily accessible, and working there meant locals aside, going home could be quite troublesome.


    By the time he arrived at the warehouse, it was already past three. The temporary person in charge was a man in his thirties named Dong Chenghuai, who had already received notice from the company. Upon Li Yifei¡¯s arrival, he warmly welcomed him inside a spartan office, where Li Yifei met all the warehouse staff¡ªeleven in total. Besides Dong Chenghuai, there were two forklift operators, five loaders, two storage keepers, and a security guard. Apart from the two female storage keepers, who were in their forties and dressed plainly with little allure, the rest were men.


    Even compared to his co-workers at the office, the colleagues here at the warehouse just didn¡¯t compare.

 Chapter 63: Karaoke Hall

    Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Karaoke HallHaving gotten acquainted with the work matters, Dong Chenghuai could be considered quite experienced here. Therefore, before Li Yifei arrived, he was temporarily in charge. Now that Yifei had come, he handed over all the work to Li Yifei and also went into detail explaining the warehouse work to him.


    Li Yifei listened very attentively. There was definitely something off about Zhao QingSheng, so while working here, he had to be cautious.


    After getting somewhat familiar with everyone, the others dispersed to work since goods were arriving tomorrow, so they were busy tidying up the warehouse. In the end, only Dong Chenghuai stayed behind.


    At this moment, he let out a chuckle to Li Yifei, asking, "Manager Li, you don¡¯t have anything tonight, do you?"


    "Hehe, I shouldn¡¯t have anything, right?"


    "Well, tonight I¡¯d like to treat Manager Li as a little welcome, a gesture specifically instructed by Manager Liu before he left. You mustn¡¯t decline."


    "Did Manager Liu know I was coming?" Li Yifei casually asked.


    "No, Manager Liu knew someone would definitely come, so he had already given instructions to welcome whoever it was properly."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "It¡¯s not on public funds, is it?"


    Dong Chenghuai quickly replied, "No, this is money Manager Liu specifically left for me."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then I won¡¯t hold back."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s good. After we get off work, let¡¯s head out." Dong Chenghuai¡¯s face now revealed a somewhat lascivious smile, which made Li Yifei chuckle to himself. It seemed like this guy just wanted to take him out for that kind of entertainment; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have shown such an expression.


    Daya Bay warehouse had six storage rooms and a row of offices made of color steel. Apart from having an office specifically for him, there was also a single room to stay in. Inside the room, apart from a single bed, there was also a TV and internet access, but since Li Yifei didn¡¯t have a computer, he figured he¡¯d probably just use the TV to pass the time.


    Under Dong Chenghuai¡¯s lead, Li Yifei took another round inside the warehouse, getting familiar with the environment. The security measures of the warehouse were quite reliable, with surveillance cameras inside and out, and the doors and windows were very secure. Under normal circumstances, there was little chance of anything getting lost.


    Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t take Zhao QingSheng too seriously, he was still somewhat wary of him, just to avoid the guy causing trouble and leaving him with losses without being able to speak up.


    After work, Dong Chenghuai and Li Yifei headed to a restaurant in town, ordered a table full of dishes, and started feasting with Li Yifei. During the meal, he also insisted on asking Li Yifei to take extra care of him and others.


    Li Yifei was well aware that the original manager of the warehouse had some under-the-table dealings while managing it. The reason he was so eager to please Li Yifei was probably because he feared Li Yifei might dig these issues up during his tenure.


    Li Yifei had only been there for about a week and didn¡¯t bother to look into the past affairs of others. He just needed to manage his own time well there. If an actual inspection were necessary, it would be handled by other departments.


    So, he enjoyed the meal without restraint, and after finishing, Dong Chenghuai even took Li Yifei to a karaoke parlor to sing.


    Dong Chenghuai was clearly a frequent visitor there as the staff were quite familiar with him. Without Dong ordering, the waitstaff soon brought over a pile of dried fruits and a big fruit boat. Then, seven or eight scantily clad girls entered the private room, lined up in front of Li Yifei and his company.


    At this point, Dong Chenghuai said with a grin, "Manager Li, we¡¯re here for fun. Don¡¯t worry, my lips are sealed. You play however you want."


    Li Yifei, though not repulsed by the women here, didn¡¯t have an interest in finding women in places like this. He preferred looking for One-Night Stand type of encounters in bars rather than such pure financial transactions. Women like this just didn¡¯t get into it; even their moans sounded like acting, completely killing Li Yifei¡¯s enjoyment.


    "Forget it, if you like, you can pick," Li Yifei waved off the suggestion.


    However, Brother Dong misunderstood and immediately told the waiter who had brought the girls, "Bring your best ones here, why are you showing these wares?"


    With a smile plastered on his face, the waiter immediately responded, "Brother Dong, we do have some high-quality goods. There¡¯s one who just arrived today, hasn¡¯t been picked by a customer yet."


    Dong Chenghuai¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly said, "Then quickly bring her over for Manager Li."


    Without delay, the waiter ran out and soon brought in a girl. She was dressed in average casual clothes, likely bought from a street stall. Her long hair was soft and flowing, hanging down as she looked down, covering her face.


    Her hands were clasped tightly together, twisting nervously, and her body was trembling slightly, clearly very nervous.


    "Now that¡¯s a real catch. Just by looking, you can tell she¡¯s new to this. Manager Li, you¡¯re really in luck," Dong Chenghuai seemed quite excited.


    This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse. Having such a girl to sing songs and drink some alcohol with wasn¡¯t too bad¡ªit was certainly better than the others.


    As for Brother Dong, he kept two for himself. The guy really was quite lecherous. Then the three girls came and sat down respectively, with the nervous girl slowly making her way next to Li Yifei. She sat at a distance, but Li Yifei could still feel her trembling.


    At this moment, Li Yifei became somewhat curious about this girl. Could every new girl entering the business be this nervous?


    "Come on, Brother Li, you sing one first."


    Li Yifei, not being one to stand on ceremony, chose the song True Hero and sang his heart out. He was there to relax, after all, and never hesitated or held back.


    After Li Yifei finished, Dong Chenghuai and the other two girls applauded enthusiastically, offering some sycophantic compliments, but Li Yifei¡¯s girl still kept her head down, not uttering a word and maintaining that twisted-hands, head-down posture.


    When it was Dong Chenghuai¡¯s turn to sing, Li Yifei sat next to the girl and, with a faint smile, asked, "What¡¯s your name?"


    "I... my name is Little Hong," the girl replied in a tremulous whisper, her body quivering.


    Of course, that was a pseudonym. Women in KTVs and bath centers all used fake names.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll call you Little Hong then. How did you end up working here?" Li Yifei continued to ask.


    "I... I need to make money," Little Hong¡¯s voice was still soft and timid.


    At the sound of the girl¡¯s voice, Li Yifei felt an impulse to protect and comfort her, saying softly, "There are many ways to make money, but if you choose this line of work, it could ruin your life."


    Little Hong¡¯s fingers twisted even more tightly. With a "snap snap," two small wet spots appeared on her trousers; she had started to cry.


    Li Yifei frowned slightly and asked, "Are you in some kind of trouble?"


    The girl nodded lightly, then raised her hand to wipe her eyes, still keeping her head down, her hair still hiding her face completely.


    Li Yifei sighed. Although these women called "misses" were looked down upon, which girl was born to be a miss? Many were driven to it by necessity, like this girl. Her first time was reluctant, but what about the second, the third time? She would get used to it, and in such an environment, she would surely fall completely. And who would know she was once a pure girl?


    When Dong Chenghuai finished his song, Li Yifei also applauded and praised him. Dong Chenghuai returned to continue drinking with Li Yifei, while the two girls he brought fought over the mic to sing.


    After playing for a while and drinking quite a bit, Dong Chenghuai became unrestrained, openly getting cozy with the two women, while Li Yifei could feel the girl beside him becoming even more tense. He said to Dong Chenghuai, "Old Dong, you keep having fun here. I¡¯m taking her out."


    "Haha, Brother Li, you¡¯re in quite a hurry, but it¡¯s really a waste not to thoroughly enjoy such fine company. I¡¯ll arrange a room for you now."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No need, I¡¯ll take her back to the warehouse, to prevent any trouble later on."


    Dong Chenghuai quickly stood up and said, "Then I¡¯ll see you out."


    "No need. I can find my own way. I¡¯ll walk back," Li Yifei responded.


    Li Yifei saw the girl was still sitting with her head down. He gently patted her shoulder and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Not sure what was on her mind, the girl followed Li Yifei in a daze, standing up and then walking out of the private room. But when they reached the KTV¡¯s main hall, she suddenly paused, stepped back in alarm, and asked, "Where are you taking me?"


    It was then that the girl finally looked up. The hall was very bright, and Li Yifei saw her face for the first time. He had seen many beautiful women, but even so, he was taken aback.


    She had a melon-seed shaped face, somewhat thin, and her eyes, misty like water, brimmed wide with an endless panic. She resembled a frightened doe, helpless and lost.


    If you talked about beauty, she wasn¡¯t as stunning as Xu Yingying and those exceptional beauties, but her fragile, defenseless appearance was pitiable and resonated with Li Yifei¡¯s soul.


    "What¡¯s wrong? If a customer is taking you out, why are you dawdling?" a security guard glared at the girl fiercely.


    The girl trembled at the scolding, looking at Li Yifei with a fearful gaze and biting her lip so hard that her lower lip turned pale.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Come with me." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl looked at Li Yifei for more than ten seconds, then once again lowered her head, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, and silently moved to Li Yifei¡¯s side.


    Li Yifei turned and walked out of the KTV, with the girl slowly following behind, as if resigned to her fate, without any objection.


    When they had walked some distance from the KTV, the stillness and chill of the winter night enveloped them. The streets were now devoid of pedestrians and vehicles, with only their footsteps echoing and their shadows elongating and contracting under the street lights, dreamy and blurred. This seemed like a lovers¡¯ stroll, but was wholly lacking the warmth typical of couples. Instead, there was a sense of sadness and desolation.

 Chapter 64 Doing a Good Deed

    Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Doing a Good DeedDaya Bay was not a bay; once there was a river bend here, but the water has dwindled to a mere trickle nowadays. It¡¯s over thirty kilometers away from the city center, considered a small town, and although slightly out of the way, it¡¯s not too desolate.


    Li Yifei and his team¡¯s warehouse was still some distance from the town, a twenty-minute walk away, and beyond the town there was a narrow road leading to the warehouse, appearing even darker.


    Not a soul could be heard on this road, nor was there any street lighting, but tonight the moon was full, as though it had just passed the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar; it was actually the seventeenth, so the moon was still very bright, which made it possible to make out the path ahead.


    He thought back to the day he met He Fangqing in the bar, which happened to be on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a time for family reunions. Yet He Fangqing was divorcing her husband¡ªno wonder she had gotten so drunk that day.


    When they reached the crossroads, Li Yifei didn¡¯t immediately head down the small path. Instead, he stopped, turned to the girl named Little Hong, and said, "It¡¯s not too late for you to regret this now."


    The girl paused mid-step, looking at Li Yifei in astonishment.


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "I know you actually don¡¯t want to do this. You can still back out now, but if you go through with it today, you won¡¯t be able to take it back later."


    Tears welled up in the girl¡¯s eyes again and then streamed down her cheeks as she choked out, "I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t..."


    "Why can¡¯t you?" Li Yifei frowned.


    "My father¡¯s being hounded for debts, and if we don¡¯t pay up, they¡¯re going to kill him. I need the money, Brother Li, I need twenty thousand, will that do?"


    Li Yifei was startled and looked at her with a hint of playfulness, "You don¡¯t seem to be worth that much, do you?"


    "Ah? Then how much am I worth?"


    "Seems like four or five thousand is about right?"


    The girl was stunned for a moment, then bit her lip and asked, "Brother Li, can¡¯t you really give me twenty thousand?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, and the girl stared at him in a daze before finally saying, "Sorry, Brother Li, then I can¡¯t go with you. I have to find someone who can give me twenty thousand."


    After saying that, the girl released Li Yifei and took a step back.


    Li Yifei had been testing the girl all along, and now he was sure she was telling the truth. He smiled faintly and said, "Even if you save your father this way, you would ruin your own life. Do you think it¡¯s worth it?"


    The girl bit her lip and said, "I just want to do this once, and after it¡¯s done, I won¡¯t do it again. No one here knows me, and I won¡¯t come back here in the future."


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "Then I¡¯ll help you, but I¡¯ll need to borrow some money myself as I don¡¯t have that much on hand."


    A look of surprise immediately spread across the girl¡¯s face, and she hurriedly said, "Brother Li, are you really going to give me twenty thousand?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ll give it to you," Li Yifei said with a slight smile. "You¡¯ll have to come with me to where I¡¯m staying first. I don¡¯t carry that much cash on me, and I have to make a phone call to borrow some."


    "Alright, alright," the girl agreed quickly, nodding her head repeatedly.


    The two headed toward the warehouse. After a brief moment of excitement, the girl fell silent again, and her pace slowed once more. Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much, instead contemplating who to call for a loan.


    In Mile City, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know many people. There were his former security guard brothers, but they were all struggling and clearly without money. There were also the folks from the logistics department, but their relationship, while not bad, wasn¡¯t close enough to casually ask for a loan. In the end, he thought of He Fangqing and Xu Yingying.


    If he opened up to He Fangqing, Li Yifei fully believed she would agree to help, but he didn¡¯t want to borrow from her, as it would make their relationship even more complicated. So in the end, he made the call to Xu Yingying.


    As soon as the call connected, Li Yifei cheerfully greeted, "Hello President Xu." He needed a favor, so he dared not be impolite.


    "What¡¯s up?" Xu Yingying was surprised to receive a call from Li Yifei at this time.


    "I¡¯m in a bit of trouble and need some money. Could President Xu help me out a bit?"


    Xu Yingying immediately replied, "What happened? Didn¡¯t I give you quite a bit not so long ago? Have you spent all that already?"


    "No, I need some money for something, but I¡¯ve only got six or seven thousand on me. I¡¯m short by fifteen thousand. Could you lend it to me first? I¡¯ll pay you back slowly," Li Yifei said.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll transfer it to you in a bit," Xu Yingying was very straightforward, not bothering to ask what Li Yifei needed the money for.


    "Thank you, President Xu. Whenever you need me, just say the word," Li Yifei responded politely with a chuckle.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t say much more, and after a while, she sent a text message to inform him that the money had been transferred.


    Li Yifei looked at his phone and said, "Alright, the money is here."


    "But... the money is in your card," the girl fidgeted, biting her lip.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help smiling and said, "Well then, let¡¯s go get the money now. An ATM can dispense fifteen thousand."


    The girl nodded repeatedly. Li Yifei had intended to go to the warehouse to get the money first, but the girl was already hurrying back. This made Li Yifei shake his head and simply follow her back. It seemed that the distance to either place was about the same, so it didn¡¯t matter which one they went to first. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After withdrawing the money, Li Yifei directly gave the fifteen thousand to the girl. She anxiously put the money away, and her face relaxed considerably. She then took out her cell phone, a type that came with a service plan and wasn¡¯t even a touchscreen, which was quite rare for girls nowadays.


    As soon as she held the phone, the girl¡¯s face immediately tensed up, her fingers trembling as she dialed a number, took a deep breath, and after the call connected, she said, "Manager Sun, this is Su Yiyi... I have all the money ready, and I¡¯ll bring it to you tomorrow morning. You must not hurt my dad... There¡¯s definitely money, twenty thousand, not a penny less... Okay, okay, I¡¯ll definitely bring it tomorrow."


    After putting down the phone, the girl took a sigh of relief, while Li Yifei squinted at her and said, "Su Yiyi, it¡¯s a really nice name."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face changed drastically, and she said in panic, "How do you know my name? Do you know me?"


    Li Yifei pointed to her phone and said, "You said it yourself."


    Su Yiyi was taken aback and then remembered that she had indeed said her name just now, and suddenly she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll withdraw the five thousand for you."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and nodded, then silently followed behind Li Yifei.


    About fifteen minutes later, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi arrived at the front gate of the warehouse. The old man on duty saw Li Yifei bring a girl back and smirked ambiguously, then opened the side door for the two of them. Li Yifei led Su Yiyi inside.


    Once in Li Yifei¡¯s bedroom, he took out his bag; he never deposited his money, always carrying it with him. But since he hadn¡¯t brought much when he went out to eat earlier, he hadn¡¯t needed to pay anyway.


    Li Yifei counted out five thousand for Su Yiyi, then looked at the thin stack that remained and could not help but smirk bitterly to himself. Just the other day, he felt like he had plenty, and now he was left with only a bit over two thousand and an additional fifteen thousand in debt. Being a Good Samaritan wasn¡¯t something one could afford to be.


    By now, Su Yiyi had also taken the other five thousand. She came before Li Yifei, her face red and her hands fidgeting as she stuttered, "Brother Li, thank you, I... I... I won¡¯t, I¡¯m sorry, you said let me... whatever you say, I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll just do it."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi, his mind swirling with thoughts. He had spent twenty thousand after all, and getting involved with Su Yiyi seemed to be the natural course of things, especially since the girl was also pretty.


    But in the end, Li Yifei shook his head. This girl was not one of those women at bars looking for thrills. Taking advantage of her would give him a sense of guilt that didn¡¯t sit well with him. He smiled lightly and said, "Who said I wanted you to do anything?"


    Su Yiyi was suddenly taken aback and said, "Brother Li... you..."


    Li Yifei patted her shoulder and said gently, "It¡¯s okay, I know you are a good kid, a good kid with filial piety. Consider this money my help to you. Don¡¯t sell yourself easily for money."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stammered, "Brother Li... you... you don¡¯t want to buy me..."


    "No, you are indeed charming, but I can¡¯t bring myself to do it," Li Yifei said, somewhat self-deprecatingly.


    Immediately, Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened, not from sadness but from being moved. She had thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid her fate today. When she got the money, she was ready to face that storm, but unexpectedly, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want her.


    "Brother Li... you are really a good person."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, don¡¯t give me any more praise. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home."


    Su Yiyi hastily said, "Then... then... this money, I consider it a debt to you, and I will definitely pay you back in the future."


    "No need. When I gave it to you, I didn¡¯t expect you to pay me back. If one day, in order to repay me, you think about selling yourself again, that would be an even greater sin on my part."


    "But... but..." Su Yiyi vigorously shook her head, saying, "It¡¯s not okay, Brother Li, I can¡¯t just take your money for nothing; even if it¡¯s a loan from you."


    Li Yifei had not expected the girl to be so stubborn, but he was even more impressed by her. He smiled and said, "Alright, alright, if you want to say it¡¯s a loan, that¡¯s okay. But you can pay me back whenever you have the money."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll write you an IOU," Su Yiyi said, pulling out a small notebook from her bag, tearing off a piece of paper, and conscientiously writing an IOU before handing it to Li Yifei.


    The handwriting on the paper was very neat. Li Yifei pretended to give it a glance and then put it away, not wanting to hurt Su Yiyi¡¯s pride at that moment. When he put the paper away, Su Yiyi indeed smiled.


    "Brother Li, I... I still don¡¯t know your name?" Su Yiyi asked a little shyly but expectantly.


    "My name is Li Yifei." He didn¡¯t go for anonymity with good deeds; after all, he had given away twenty thousand, and it was only fair she remembered his name.


    "Then I¡¯ll call you Brother Li."


    "Alright, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll take you home."


    Su Yiyi nodded, just as she was about to leave when her phone rang. She quickly answered, speaking anxiously, "Manager Sun... What, how is that possible? Didn¡¯t you agree to twenty thousand?... But... but... I don¡¯t have that much money anymore, please, Manager Sun, I¡¯ll bring you the twenty thousand tomorrow, don¡¯t hurt my dad, I¡¯ll find a way to get the money... Manager Sun, I beg you... Manager Sun! Manager Sun!"


    After calling out a couple of times, Su Yiyi despairingly hung up the phone, filled with pain, helplessness, and anger.

 Chapter 65 Shameless Father

    Chapter 65: Chapter 65 Shameless Father"What¡¯s wrong?" Although Li Yifei had not heard what was said on the other end of the phone, he knew Su Yiyi must be in trouble; twenty thousand yuan was clearly not enough.


    Tears silently fell from Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes, and then, as if she had lost all strength, she slumped to the floor. Li Yifei quickly reached out to support her, then helped her sit down on the bed. Su Yiyi was like a walking corpse, unresponsive to Li Yifei¡¯s attempts to help her, her tears just kept flowing.


    "What exactly is going on? Talk to me, maybe I can help you," Li Yifei said, patting Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder a bit forcefully.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body shook slightly, and she turned to look at Li Yifei, then suddenly threw herself into his arms and hugged his waist tightly, starting to sob loudly.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her; he wrapped his arms around her, one hand holding her waist and the other gently patting her shoulder.


    Su Yiyi cried for about five or six minutes, and as her sobs subsided, she sat up embarrassed, wiping her eyes, and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve made your clothes dirty."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s nothing. Can you tell me what happened now?"


    Su Yiyi let out a sigh and said, "Ah... it¡¯s all because of my dad. He gambled with others, lost all the money we had at home, and now he owes them twenty thousand yuan. They¡¯ve taken him away, saying if we don¡¯t pay up, they will chop off his hands. I tried to help him find a way, but everyone knows my dad is a gambler, so none of our relatives will lend me money. My college classmates don¡¯t have money either. I know that if I agree to some people¡¯s demands, they would give me the money, but if I agreed to them, I would never be able to break free from them, so I would rather sell myself here once than do that."


    Li Yifei was somewhat surprised by Su Yiyi¡¯s thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t help but silently admire her resolve; this girl still had her bottom line.


    "But who knew, just after agreeing on the phone, in such a short time, my dad gambled again with them and now owes another twenty thousand. He¡¯s really... really..." Su Yiyi was visibly furious but stopped short of saying harsh words because it was her own father.


    Li Yifei frowned slightly and said, "Your father is really something else."


    Su Yiyi forced a smile and said, "No matter what, he is still my dad. He raised me; I can¡¯t just ignore him."


    "But managing him this way isn¡¯t a solution either. Don¡¯t you realize that those people are clearly setting traps to scam your father out of his money?"


    Su Yiyi bitterly smiled and said, "I know that, but Manager Sunx is very powerful, and he is a part of the Underworld. He really isn¡¯t afraid to injure someone."


    Li Yifei shook his head. Nowadays, the Underworld could sometimes be even more effective than the police; ordinary people were quite afraid of them. "Then I¡¯ll go with you," he said. "Gambling debts aren¡¯t protected by law, and even if we don¡¯t pay them, they can¡¯t really do anything about it."


    "But what about my dad?" Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened.


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do: you tell me where your dad is, and I¡¯ll go talk to some friends, see if there¡¯s anything they can do."


    Su Yiyi immediately became excited and said, "Brother Li, do you also know people from the Underworld?"


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "I don¡¯t know people from the Underworld, but I do know a few police friends. People from the Underworld always have to be afraid of the police, right?"


    "Of course, thank you, Brother Li. Please find someone quickly."


    "But you have to tell me where your home is," he said. "You mentioned you¡¯re not from around here."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment as she said, "My home is in Stream County, over a hundred kilometers from here."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That¡¯s quite far. Alright, you wait here. Tell me the exact address, and I¡¯ll go find a friend overnight to help resolve this."


    "Really? Can you do that?"


    "Of course. In some cases, it¡¯s not good for you to show up, so I¡¯d rather have them stop bothering your father in the future, hence you¡¯ll wait here. What do you think?"


    "Yes, yes, thank you so much, Brother Li." Su Yiyi nodded again and again, her gratitude showing through her words, and she gave Li Yifei the exact address.


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep here. I may not be back until late, so make sure to lock the door."


    Before Su Yiyi could respond, Li Yifei had already gone out the door. She hurried to the doorway, but the dark warehouse yard no longer showed any sign of his figure.


    Li Yifei went to the town and directly rented a car, arriving at Stream County an hour and a half later.


    Following Su Yiyi¡¯s provided address, Li Yifei quickly located the place, a small two-story building. At the time, lights were still on inside. Li Yifei paid the driver part of the fare and asked him to wait at a distance; then, he approached the small building¡¯s wall. Effortlessly scaling over it, he entered the yard without making a sound.


    Silently arriving beneath the building, Li Yifei leapt and had already grasped the edge of the second floor¡¯s balcony. With a flex of his fingers, he hoisted himself up, flipping onto the balcony above.


    The entire movement was smooth and unhindered. Climbing to the second floor was as if he were walking on level ground.


    Inside the second-floor room, where the lights were on, six people were present. Four people were playing mahjong, one person lay sleeping on the bed, and another stood to the side enjoying the scene. Among the mahjong players, two were in their forties and the other two in their twenties. The one sleeping lay with their back facing Li Yifei, their features unclear. The one standing appeared somewhat older, likely in his fifties. By instinct, Li Yifei felt he must be Su Yiyi¡¯s father.


    However, even as this man watched the others play mahjong, he didn¡¯t show any signs of being threatened, his expression lively and animated.


    "Old Su, stop showing off here. If your daughter doesn¡¯t bring back the money tomorrow, just wait and see," one of the mahjong players, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, cast a sidelong glance at the onlooker after playing a tile.


    Now, Li Yifei understood even better; this Old Su was indeed Su Yiyi¡¯s father.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s father immediately put on a smiling face and said, "Manager Sun, although I, Old Su, may not be the best of men, I definitely did nothing wrong in having this daughter. She is absolutely filial to me. If I ask her to drum up some money, could she ignore me?"


    Another young man said with contempt, "Old Su, having your daughter is your luck, but having you as a father is truly her bad fortune." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father laughed awkwardly, but immediately glared and declared, "I¡¯ve raised her for eighteen years, always having to read books, no idea why she couldn¡¯t start earning money to support her old man early on."


    The first one to speak, Manager Sun, chuckled and said, "Old Su, you want your daughter to come up with forty thousand in one day, and if she doesn¡¯t have a way, she might just go sell herself or become someone¡¯s mistress. Are you really okay with that?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father shamelessly responded, "What¡¯s wrong with being a mistress? She has a pretty face, just the material for it. If she really finds a wealthy boss, then I¡¯d be damn well-off."


    Manager Sun¡¯s eyes shone with lewdness as he said, "Old Su, let¡¯s make a deal then, if your daughter can¡¯t bring the money tomorrow, she can keep me company for a month, and I¡¯ll forget your debt."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s mouth twitched, replying, "That... that might not be possible."


    Manager Sun slammed the mahjong table and barked, "What? You planning to default on your debt?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father flinched, hastily saying, "No, no, it¡¯s just... my daughter has too much pride, she wouldn¡¯t possibly agree. She must be figuring out a way to get the money right now, Manager Sun, just wait a little longer."


    Manager Sun, observing Su Yiyi¡¯s father, said slowly and deliberately, "Hmph, if she doesn¡¯t bring the money tomorrow, I¡¯ll chop off your hand. I¡¯d like to see whether she¡¯d rather see me do it or agree to keep me company."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s eyes flickered as he suggested, "Manager Sun, it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t have my daughter, but for the amount you¡¯re offering, that¡¯s just too stingy. My daughter, you¡¯ve seen her, she¡¯s beautiful and tender. It¡¯s not just about forty thousand; even four hundred thousand would be absolutely worth it."


    Manager Sun glared and retorted, "Old Su, aren¡¯t you getting too greedy? You should know, even breaking in a virgin costs just five to eight thousand nowadays. Is your daughter¡¯s X made of gold, demanding four hundred thousand?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father quickly said with a grin, "Manager Sun, you can¡¯t say that. The kind of deflowering you¡¯re talking about is of what quality, and is it even real? A few hundred at the hospital and you get a fake hymen. Can that compare to my daughter¡¯s genuine article? And how about how beautiful she is, and a university student to boot? Definitely a beauty. If you let some rich guy keep her, paying a few million a year, I think some bosses would be willing, right? I¡¯m only asking for four hundred thousand, and you, Manager Sun, are getting a bargain."


    "Quit your damn nonsense; I¡¯ll give you ten thousand more, and your daughter keeps me company for a month. Otherwise, I¡¯ll chop off your hand," he grumbled.


    "No, no, I¡¯d rather have you chop off my hand than sell my daughter that cheaply," Su Yiyi¡¯s father said, clearly realizing that Manager Sun was interested in his daughter, so he began to bargain.


    Watching from outside, Li Yifei felt a surge of anger. There were actually such despicable fathers in this world, so willing to sell off their daughters. They were worse than beasts. Initially, he had intended to help Su Yiyi¡¯s father resolve this situation, but now he wished Manager Sun would just chop this father up.


    Li Yifei also felt sorrow for Su Yiyi; out of loyalty to her father, she would sell herself, yet her father could do such things. How could he be worthy of Su Yiyi¡¯s filial piety?


    As the disgraceful conversation inside intensified, Li Yifei could no longer bear it. With a kick to the window, the glass shattered instantaneously, startling everyone inside who immediately stood up, including the one who had been asleep on the bed, all looking towards the window in shock.


    Li Yifei, with a stern face, stepped over the shattered glass and entered, while everyone inside gaped at him. The glass was tempered, usually unbreakable even with a hammer, yet he had shattered it with a single kick, proving his formidable strength.


    "Who are you?" Manager Sun asked coldly, aware that the man before him had burst into his home in such a manner, clearly seeking trouble.


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze swept coldly over those present, finally resting on Su Yiyi¡¯s father, who felt a chill and instinctively hid behind Manager Sun, sensing somehow that Li Yifei meant to kill him.

 Chapter 66: Cold-Blooded Animals

    Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Cold-Blooded Animals"You can slaughter him," Li Yifei pointed at Su Yiyi¡¯s father behind Manager Sun.


    The words from Li Yifei made everyone in the room¡¯s spine tingle; these people were not any significant figures. The so-called Manager Sun just owned a small karaoke lounge, where he kept a bunch of hostesses and made some money through deceiving and swindling. Hence, he could afford to have a few followers, and that¡¯s why others called him Manager Sun.


    The biggest thing they had done was getting into fights and breaking people¡¯s arms or legs; when it came to threatening to chop off Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s hands, they were only trying to scare him. However, Li Yifei¡¯s words were suggesting they commit murder, which naturally shocked them.


    Manager Sun, at least, had some guts. He snorted at this point and said, "Just who exactly are you? This is my home. You are barking commands here, isn¡¯t that a bit rude?" Yet his words were much more polite than usual, mainly because of the aggressive aura Li Yifei carried, which made him feel that this fellow was very dangerous, even with so many people around, he still felt like they might not be able to handle Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei turned his gaze to Manager Sun and said indifferently, "Su Yiyi is now my person."


    Manager Sun¡¯s face changed, and he said sternly, "What do you mean by that? Are you standing up for Su Yiyi?"


    "Exactly, you have a problem with that?" Li Yifei said, with his hands clasped behind him, completely disregarding the people in front of him.


    Manager Sun¡¯s eyes flickered and he said, "Since Su Yiyi is yours, shouldn¡¯t you also take responsibility for her father¡¯s debt?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, pulled over a chair to sit down, and said, "I don¡¯t care, you can chop off his hands now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s attitude left everyone in the room baffled; Su Yiyi¡¯s father, who was hiding behind Manager Sun, incessantly sneaked glances at Li Yifei, also unable to understand what was going on.


    Feeling suppressed by Li Yifei in such a manner, Manager Sun was quite displeased; the thought of being overpowered by one man when he had so many people, this could not be spread around, otherwise, he would no longer be able to mix in Stream County. But, after Li Yifei sat down, the pressure he felt lessened quite a bit, and he glared and yelled out, "Brother, announce your name. If you are influential enough, I, Sun Li, will certainly give you face."


    Li Yifei, with his legs crossed, said, "Don¡¯t dig into my background. You petty hooligans don¡¯t have the right to know my identity."


    Sun Li became extremely irritated at this point, but Li Yifei¡¯s brazenness still made him wary. Sun Li was just a small-time hooligan in Stream County, and there were plenty of tougher guys than him, not to mention in Mile City, where many formidable figures were beyond count. If he really provoked someone he shouldn¡¯t have, that would indeed be troublesome. Suppressing his anger, he said, "Brother, aren¡¯t you taking me too lightly? Murder is a serious offense, and debts must be repaid; there¡¯s nothing wrong with me demanding the money that Su Yiyi¡¯s father owes me, right?"


    "Of course, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, and I never said you couldn¡¯t ask for it. I heard it all outside; it¡¯s not about not repaying the debt. If he doesn¡¯t pay, weren¡¯t you going to chop off his hands? Then feel free to do it, I definitely won¡¯t be paying the money."


    Sun Li really blew his top at this, his eyes bulged with fury. As he still couldn¡¯t figure out the situation and didn¡¯t dare to lay a hand on Li Yifei for the time being, he abruptly grabbed Su Yiyi¡¯s father, pulled his hand, and swiftly whipped out a melon knife, barking, "Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare."


    At this moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was so scared that he almost wet his pants. The instinct to survive made him wrench his hand free, and then he dashed in front of Li Yifei, pleading, "Son-in-law, my good son, I am Yiyi¡¯s father! Yiyi is with you; you can¡¯t ignore me."


    "Scram!" Li Yifei showed no mercy as he kicked Su Yiyi¡¯s father square in the chest, sending him tumbling over several times.


    This action from Li Yifei again confused everyone. Since Su Yiyi was his woman, he should have given some face to Su Yiyi¡¯s father, yet he had kicked Su Yiyi¡¯s father, and from the looks of it, he had used quite a bit of force seeing as Su Yiyi¡¯s father had rolled several times on the ground.


    Struggling to his feet, Su Yiyi¡¯s father clutched his chest, coughing a few times, and eventually caught his breath; he stuttered, "You... didn¡¯t you say Yiyi was your person?"


    "I did say so, but..." Li Yifei¡¯s eyes carried a chilling coldness, his voice as if coming from the depths of Nine Nether Hell, "you, you bastard, don¡¯t get to claim any relation to me."


    Being disregarded by Li Yifei in such a fashion was getting increasingly intolerable for Sun Li. He barked, "Brother, there are rules in our world. You invade my home and act so high and mighty, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too bullying?"


    Li Yifei let out a cold laugh and said, "You don¡¯t agree?"


    Manager Sun¡¯s face twitched, and he said viciously, "It¡¯s not about whether I accept this or not, but he has to settle the debt he owes, doesn¡¯t he?"


    Li Yifei, shaking his crossed legs, replied, "Fine, I¡¯ll give you two choices. One is to let me take him away, and the other is to chop off his hand and let me take him away. You choose, but I definitely won¡¯t be paying the debt." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Manager Sun was completely enraged. Li Yifei was blatantly disrespecting them. He yelled, "Since you don¡¯t respect us, don¡¯t blame us for being impolite."


    "Sure, if you can keep me here, I wouldn¡¯t mind paying you."


    Facing Li Yifei¡¯s confidence, Manager Sun was somewhat cowed, but at this point, he had to make a move. He couldn¡¯t believe that the five of them couldn¡¯t take down just one Li Yifei. He slammed the watermelon knife down and shouted, "Attack!"


    The five men immediately charged at Li Yifei. None of them held knives; usually, knives were used to scare people, not for a fight to the death. Killing someone would make it difficult for them to stay in this place.


    These five men were quite strong and good fighters in a brawl, but after all, they hadn¡¯t received any systematic training. Being formidable in a fight just meant they were willing to strike hard and fight fiercely.


    To intimidate ordinary people, their tactics were indeed effective. However, against Li Yifei, they were almost like children. Li Yifei¡¯s foot shot out like lightning, and one of the guys was kicked into the air, crashing onto the mahjong table.


    With both hands, he caught the punches thrown by two other guys. A slight exertion of force and the two let out screams, suddenly falling to their knees before Li Yifei, trying to pull their arms free.


    No matter how hard the two tried, they simply couldn¡¯t pull their hands away. The fists that Li Yifei held felt like their bones were about to be crushed. They could only scream loudly, begging for mercy.


    Manager Sun and another person were a bit slower to act. Before they could even make a move against Li Yifei, he had already dealt with three of them. These two guys, frozen with their arms raised, were now in an awkward predicament, not knowing whether to strike or not.


    Only then did Li Yifei let go of those two. They were already exerting force backward and suddenly fell over, sprawling on the ground. They struggled to get up and moved far away from Li Yifei, cradling their hands and their eyes filled with terror.


    Manager Sun felt his heart beat uncontrollably, sweat pouring down his face. Without even standing up, Li Yifei had already knocked down three of them. If he rushed forward, he would undoubtedly be beaten up. The man in front of him was simply too strong. Even the toughest fighter in Stream County couldn¡¯t match him.


    Carefully lowering his arms, Manager Sun gave Li Yifei a fist salute and said, "Brother, you¡¯ve got impressive skills. I, Manager Sun, admit defeat. You can take him away, and the debt is wiped clean." As he spoke, he took out the IOU and respectfully presented it to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei casually accepted it, glanced at it, and tore it to shreds. He nodded and said, "Alright, then let¡¯s consider this matter settled."


    Although Manager Sun felt that Li Yifei was too arrogant and didn¡¯t take him seriously, he knew that Li Yifei had the strength to back it up. Even with a knife in hand, they would be no match for him. Moreover, if they pushed Li Yifei too far, they might end up being the victims. After weighing their options, they chose to submit.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father, seeing how formidable Li Yifei was in forcing Manager Sun to tear up the IOU, was ecstatic, his eyes shining as he ran up to Li Yifei with a smile on his face and said, "Son-in-law, you¡¯re so capable."


    Li Yifei looked coldly at Su Yiyi¡¯s father, then suddenly swung his arm and slapped Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s face more than a dozen times in quick succession.


    The slaps were so resounding that, as Manager Sun and the others listened, it almost felt as if the blows were landing on their own cheeks, their faces turning ghostly pale. Even more chilling was their inner horror; these hooligans, even in their wife¡¯s family home and dealing with a father-in-law, would still be respectful. They might put up a front, but slapping one¡¯s father-in-law? None of them would dare. This guy was not just good at fighting but also disregarded familial ties, a veritable cold-blooded animal.


    Thinking it over, if the confrontation had escalated further, who knows how Li Yifei would have dealt with them. Manager Sun grew increasingly relieved as he contemplated it.


    The three who had been hit were initially resentful, but now they felt a chilling sensation down their spines, realizing that Li Yifei had actually held back. If he hadn¡¯t shown any mercy, their bones would have likely shattered instead of just being in pain.

 Chapter 67: Overdone

    Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Overdone"You... you..." Su Yiyi¡¯s father covered his face, his mouth brimming with fresh blood, stuttering, unable to speak.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "What¡¯s the matter, you¡¯re not convinced after I hit you?"


    "I... I¡¯m Yiyi¡¯s father," Su Yiyi¡¯s father emphasized his relationship with Su Yiyi.


    "And it¡¯s precisely for that reason that I need to beat you!" Li Yifei said as he stood up and punched Su Yiyi¡¯s father in the abdomen. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s body bent forward, and Li Yifei¡¯s elbow had already smashed into his back, sending him plummeting to the ground with a thud.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. Li Yifei kicked out with both feet, aimlessly striking Su Yiyi¡¯s father, each blow landing with a loud sound, showing the force behind them.


    By this point, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was screaming like a pig being slaughtered, begging for mercy amidst his cries, "Stop hitting me, stop it, please have mercy! I beg for my life!" He had learned his lesson now, aware that flaunting his identity only made the beating worse.


    Sun Li and the others were sweating from their foreheads. They weren¡¯t strangers to beating people, but they rarely beat someone as ruthlessly as Li Yifei was doing now. What kind of grudge did he have that prompted him to beat someone so ferociously?


    After a full two minutes, Li Yifei finally stopped. Although the beating he gave seemed horrifying, he had actually controlled his strength the whole time, deliberately avoiding Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s vital areas. He chose places that were exceptionally painful on the body, so while it looked brutal, and Su Yiyi¡¯s father was in intense pain, it was not going to cause him serious harm.


    After the beating, Li Yifei sat down, and at that moment, Sun Li promptly handed him a bottle of mineral water, saying flatteringly, "Brother, have some water."


    If previously Sun Li had acted out of coercion, he was now genuinely subdued by Li Yifei. This was a truly ruthless man, and Sun Li felt utterly inferior.


    Li Yifei nodded, took the water and had a sip, then looked at Su Yiyi¡¯s father and slowly said, "Do you know why I beat you?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father sat collapsed on the floor, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Li Yifei and cautiously said, "It¡¯s... my fault."


    "So you know you¡¯re a scumbag?" Li Yifei¡¯s lips curled with a scornful arc.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, I¡¯m a scumbag. I gamble, I lose money, and I make Yiyi pay off the debt. I won¡¯t do it ever again, I swear."


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "I don¡¯t care whether you gamble or whether you die, but let me tell you something, no matter what you do, if you even think of using Yiyi again, I will make sure you find it tough even to wish for death. You will learn what real pain is."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father nodded as if pecking like a chicken, saying, "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely not trouble Yiyi anymore."


    "Also, I don¡¯t want Yiyi to know that I¡¯ve been here. If Yiyi asks about me, I will certainly come looking for you."


    Li Yifei spoke these words casually, then his gaze shifted towards Sun Li and the others. They immediately started shaking their heads, saying, "We¡¯d die before we told."


    Li Yifei stood up, looked once more at Su Yiyi¡¯s father, and said in a cold voice, "If you learn to behave, I might let Yiyi give you some money now and then to keep you from starving in your old age. Otherwise, if I¡¯m in a bad mood one day, I might just bury you alive."


    Having said that, he walked out the window, leaping down from the second floor with a single bound.


    As soon as Li Yifei left, everyone in the room felt as if a thousand jins of weight had been lifted from their hearts, and they seemed to lose all their strength. Today they had learned what a true villain looked like; compared to Li Yifei, they were like nothing at all.


    Looking at Su Yiyi¡¯s father, they suddenly felt both envious and sorry for him. Envious because he had such an awesome son-in-law, but they pitied him because this son-in-law didn¡¯t treat him like a father-in-law at all. If nothing happened, getting beaten up by his son-in-law would be a pitiful state for a father-in-law.


    Back in the rental car, Li Yifei returned straight to the warehouse. With the back and forth, it was already past two in the morning. He paid the driver and asked him to wait a bit longer before going into the warehouse.


    The light in his bedroom was still on. Just as he reached the door, Su Yiyi had already opened it, her eyes full of hopeful expectation, yet she didn¡¯t dare to ask, appearing pitifully endearing.


    Li Yifei instantly felt a pang of pain for her; she truly was a pitiful girl. But he smiled faintly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, your dad¡¯s fine now."


    Su Yiyi gaped in joy and stammered, "Brother Li, is it really true?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can call and ask your dad."


    Su Yiyi nodded again and again, pulled out her phone, and with excitement dialed the number. Soon, the call connected, "Dad, are you okay?"


    The voice of her father, muffled, came from the other end of the line, "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing now."


    "Dad, what¡¯s wrong with you? What happened to your voice?" Su Yiyi was startled and asked anxiously.


    "It¡¯s nothing... nothing, you¡¯re with..."


    "I¡¯m with Brother Li, he¡¯s the one who helped you."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s heart skipped a beat, knowing that the scoundrel was with his daughter, he dared not speak recklessly, and even if they weren¡¯t together, he truly didn¡¯t dare to say anything, he quickly said, "Thank Brother Li for me, I won¡¯t gamble anymore, you don¡¯t need to worry about your dad anymore."


    "Dad..." Su Yiyi¡¯s voice choked up at once, for her father¡¯s gambling addiction, she had cried countless times and had pleaded countless times, but to no avail, but now with just one action from Li Yifei, her father had actually stopped gambling, how could she not be moved.


    "Alright, it¡¯s getting late, your dad needs a good night¡¯s sleep, you two should rest early too."


    "Mm-hmm." Su Yiyi hung up the phone, still in excitement, solving this problem was not what made her happiest, it was her father personally saying he would stop gambling, that was better than anything, so she didn¡¯t even notice that her father was telling them to go to sleep early.


    "It¡¯s late, the taxi is still waiting outside, I¡¯ll have the car take you back," Li Yifei said, patting Su Yiyi on the shoulder with a smile.


    Only then did Su Yiyi snap back to reality, hesitated for a moment, looked at Li Yifei, and said softly with a blushing face, "Brother Li, I... I won¡¯t leave today."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment and asked, "Is it because you can¡¯t get back into your school dormitory?"


    "I... I want to stay... to be with you." Su Yiyi looked down, her hands twisting the corner of her clothes again.


    She spoke shyly, which sent a wave through Li Yifei¡¯s heart, but he shook his head and said, "Silly girl, don¡¯t be delusional, I don¡¯t need your company."


    However, Su Yiyi lifted her head, speaking excitedly, "Brother Li, I¡¯m serious, you¡¯ve helped me so much, not only dealing with my dad¡¯s problem but also getting him to quit gambling, it¡¯s a huge favor to me, to our family, it¡¯s too much of a debt for me, I really have no way to repay it, so... so..."


    Li Yifei had to admit that Su Yiyi was indeed very tempting now, but such a girl, he didn¡¯t want to hurt, he sighed, "If you do this, it¡¯ll be like I¡¯ve made a transaction with you, I don¡¯t like that."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yifei, it had been very hard for her to gather the courage to say such words, she didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to refuse, and his refusal left her unsure of what to do.


    Li Yifei cracked a slight smile and said, "Alright, it¡¯s getting late, let me find a hotel for you to stay in tonight."


    Looking at Li Yifei, Su Yiyi bit her lip and said softly, "I won¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll stay here tonight, if Brother Li wants me... I¡¯ll give myself to you, if you don¡¯t want me, then... then I¡¯ll just squeeze in here with you for the night."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi and suddenly chuckled, "Alright then, I¡¯ll go and tell the driver so he doesn¡¯t wait for you anymore."


    "Mm-hmm." Seeing that Li Yifei had agreed, Su Yiyi was immediately full of joy, and then her face flushed with shyness.


    Li Yifei went out to dismiss the taxi, and by the time he came back, Su Yiyi was already lying on the bed, covered with a blanket, with only her face showing, and the clothes draped over the bed corner suggested that Su Yiyi might not be wearing much underneath.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes were closed, her hair spread across the pillow, cheeks flushed with a tender beauty, like a blossoming flower waiting for Li Yifei to pick.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, he had shared a room with Xu Yingying more than once, and that night when Xu Yingying had a fever, he had taken care of her all night. Although she was lying in bed as well, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t evoke the same impulses that Su Yiyi did. It wasn¡¯t that Su Yiyi was prettier than Xu Yingying, in fact, some aspects were less so, but with Su Yiyi, if Li Yifei agreed, he could do anything to her, something that Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t compare with.


    Li Yifei turned off the lights, then groped his way to the bedside, took off his jacket and sweater, leaving only a long-sleeve shirt, grateful for the winter season. He then got into bed, lifted the blanket, and lay down flat on the bed.


    The bed was a single, so it was already at its limit to accommodate two people. As he lay down, Li Yifei could hear Su Yiyi¡¯s breathing become more rapid, though she tried her best to suppress it, the nervousness made it impossible for the girl to control her breath.


    The bedding was brand new, smelling fresh, the room didn¡¯t have central heating, but had an electric heater turned on, so the temperature wasn¡¯t very high. However, there was an electric blanket under the covers, so it was quite warm inside the bed.


    Even though there was a girl lying next to him, Li Yifei had no intentions of touching her. He wasn¡¯t a saint he wasn¡¯t touching Su Yiyi. He just felt that Su Yiyi was still a pure girl. If he touched her, he would likely be entwined with emotions. At the very least, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to be bound by emotions for now, even if Su Yiyi had a strong allure, he had to restrain his own desires and not touch her.


    After tossing and turning for half the night, Li Yifei was very tired and was about to fall asleep when Su Yiyi carefully turned over, facing him. Her breathing even more rapid, and then a trembling hand hesitantly laid upon his chest.

 Chapter 68 Comfort

    Chapter 68: Chapter 68 ComfortLi Yifei didn¡¯t move. He understood what Su Yiyi had in mind: it wasn¡¯t that she truly wanted to sell herself, but rather due to her intense gratitude toward Li Yifei, coupled with the fact he was willing to spend so much money, she felt indebted and thus harbored such thoughts. At this moment, Su Yiyi probably didn¡¯t resist the idea.


    Although Li Yifei always enjoyed frequenting clubs and engaging in one-night stands without restraint, when faced with a girl like Su Yiyi, he lost all his usual nonchalance and could only pretend to be asleep without moving.


    "Brother Li...Brother Li... are you asleep?" Su Yiyi had placed her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s chest for a while but didn¡¯t get a response from him, so she quietly asked.


    All that answered her was Li Yifei¡¯s steady breathing.


    "Brother Li, you truly are a good person. Thank you," Su Yiyi softly spoke, then snuggled a bit closer to Li Yifei, resting her face on his shoulder.


    Being given another "good guy" label made Li Yifei feel somewhat amused, but he didn¡¯t respond to Su Yiyi. After lying there for a while, he could tell Su Yiyi had fallen asleep as well. This girl must have been tired for a while now, and, coupled with the mental exhaustion, she fell into a deep sleep, seemingly scentless.


    Only then did Li Yifei put his mind at ease and soon entered dreamland himself.


    Even though he went to bed late, Li Yifei still woke up early in the morning.


    On the tiny single bed, the two were now sleeping face to face. At some point, his arm had found its way under Su Yiyi¡¯s neck, allowing her to pillow on it, while his other hand embraced her back. Su Yiyi¡¯s hand also wrapped around his back, her face pressed tightly against his chest, and she looked incredibly sweet as she slept.


    Li Yifei intended to get up, but seeing Su Yiyi sleeping so sweetly, he didn¡¯t have the heart to wake her. So he closed his eyes, holding her as he dozed off again. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At seven o¡¯clock, there were already sounds of workers outside, and Li Yifei had to get up. But as soon as he moved, Su Yiyi opened her eyes as well.


    Upon waking, Su Yiyi instantly noticed the intimate way they had slept together and immediately blushed, burying her face in Li Yifei¡¯s chest, too embarrassed to look up.


    Li Yifei patted her back and said in a soft voice, "If you¡¯re tired, sleep a bit more. I have to get up, or else the workers will all be at work."


    Su Yiyi responded softly, quickly sitting up. She had been wearing a shirt the previous day, and even though she had been prepared for anything Li Yifei might do, she wasn¡¯t bold enough to take her clothes off to entice him.


    But she didn¡¯t reach for her own clothes; instead, she picked up Li Yifei¡¯s clothes that were pressed under their feet.


    Li Yifei took them and, while dressing, said with a smile, "You sleep a bit more. There¡¯s no more trouble at your father¡¯s side; you don¡¯t have to worry anymore."


    Biting her lip, Su Yiyi said, "Brother Li, I still want to go back and check on things today. I¡¯ll come back tonight, okay?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly replied, "I¡¯m telling you to sleep, not because I want to do anything else with you. It¡¯s just to let you rest more. Go back to school if you have to, and there¡¯s no need to come back here."


    Su Yiyi immediately blushed, speaking softly, "But you... you fell asleep tired yesterday, and I still... I haven¡¯t... with you..."


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s shy demeanor, Li Yifei was truly moved and almost agreed, but he rubbed his nose and said, "If you really want to thank me like that, then I¡¯ll make a condition."


    "Okay! Whatever Brother Li asks, I¡¯ll do it," Su Yiyi¡¯s heart suddenly pounded, wondering if Brother Li had any peculiar tastes. She had heard online that some men had very special requests when it came to women.


    "Hehe... well, if you give me a kiss, I¡¯ll consider that you have thanked me."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened in shock. What Li Yifei asked for was so different from what she had imagined. She stared at Li Yifei in a daze, unable to respond for a long while.


    "If you feel reluctant, then forget it. I was just joking," Li Yifei said with a laugh as he patted Su Yiyi, ready to get out of bed.


    "No, no..." Su Yiyi quickly grabbed Li Yifei, then took a deep breath and nestled into his embrace, tilting her head back and puckering her lips slightly.


    Li Yifei secretly sweated a little. He meant only a peck, not a real kiss, but the girl took it to heart. He gently kissed her on the cheek, which was so red it looked like it could bleed, and said with a smile, "Alright."


    "Is that okay now?" Su Yiyi looked at Li Yifei, puzzled.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Silly girl, you should save your kisses for the boy you like, not just give them out of gratitude to me." Then he helped Su Yiyi off the bed.


    Seeing Li Yifei get out of bed, Su Yiyi hurriedly put on her clothes and then poured water for Li Yifei to wash his face, and even squeezed toothpaste for him; the water had already been placed in the tooth mug.


    Su Yiyi was truly adept at taking care of others. Whoever married her would be extremely fortunate, but Li Yifei knew he was not that person.


    "Brother Li, this money... I¡¯m giving it back to you." After tidying up, Su Yiyi took out the money from her bag. It was the twenty thousand yuan Li Yifei had given her the night before. Since she hadn¡¯t used it, she took it out.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Don¡¯t you need it?"


    "I don¡¯t need it, don¡¯t need it," Su Yiyi replied, her face flushing as she spoke. "Brother Li has already resolved my father¡¯s issue, and I don¡¯t need to repay debts anymore. I don¡¯t need this money, and besides, Brother Li, this was borrowed money; it should be returned."


    Li Yifei nodded, took out three thousand yuan, and handed it to Su Yiyi, saying, "Then I won¡¯t give it to you. Otherwise, it would be troublesome for me to repay, but you can take this money. I see that your dad has probably put the family through a lot, and you still need money for school. Without some money in hand, it¡¯s impossible to live at school."


    "No, no..." Su Yiyi waved her hands continuously and said anxiously, "Brother Li, you¡¯ve been such a great help to me, and I haven¡¯t repaid you yet. How could I take your money?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "Haven¡¯t you repaid me already? I just kissed you."


    But Su Yiyi, taking the matter seriously, said, "Brother Li, that doesn¡¯t count. I know Brother Li was just trying to reassure me. It wasn¡¯t my way of repaying you. I must properly repay you, Brother Li. Otherwise, I¡¯ll always feel uneasy."


    Li Yifei frowned and asked, "Are you saying that the only way you can repay me is if I sleep with you?"


    Su Yiyi was startled and, twisting her hands, said with her head lowered, "I just... don¡¯t know how to repay Brother Li. I... am still clean."


    Li Yifei¡¯s brows furrowed again as he said, "If you receive help from others in the future, will you also use your body to repay them?"


    "Ah! No, that¡¯s not it. With other help, I can find a way to repay, but if it hadn¡¯t been for Brother Li¡¯s assistance this time, I don¡¯t know what kind of calamity I would have faced. So, repaying you this way, Brother Li, is something I¡¯m totally willing to do; I¡¯m not forcing myself, and I know Brother Li is a good person who won¡¯t take advantage of me in the future."


    A figurative headache hit Li Yifei at Su Yiyi¡¯s words; she wasn¡¯t just thinking of repaying him with her body but even considering a lifelong debt. He couldn¡¯t handle that. He glared at Su Yiyi and said, "Put that little thought of yours away. I have a girlfriend and don¡¯t want that kind of repayment. The money I¡¯m giving you is just a part of the connection between us. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can still come to me, but you must not bring up repaying me at the drop of a hat. If you disobey, I¡¯ll kick you out right now, and don¡¯t think about my help ever again."


    When Li Yifei spoke so sternly, Su Yiyi was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare make a sound; her face turned deathly pale in fright.


    Feeling a softening in his heart, Li Yifei patted her head and said, "Alright, don¡¯t think too much into it. You can think of me as your brother. Isn¡¯t it normal for a brother to help out his sister?"


    Su Yiyi cautiously nodded, clearly afraid to say anything wrong and anger Li Yifei again.


    Someone knocked on the door and Li Yifei went to open it. Dong Chenghuai peered inside with a grin, then saw Su Yiyi, and paused in surprise, saying, "Manager Li, is this the girl from last night?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That¡¯s right."


    "Wow, she¡¯s gorgeous! To find such a gem in that place... Manager Li, you¡¯re really lucky." After staring at Su Yiyi a moment longer, struck by her beauty and rarity, Dong Chenghuai began to think about looking her up after Li Yifei left, determined to find this attractive girl for himself.


    Unaware of Dong Chenghuai¡¯s sordid thoughts, Li Yifei asked, "What can I do for you so early?"


    "Oh..." Dong Chenghuai snapped out of his distraction and replied, "The delivery should arrive by eight. I just wanted to check if there¡¯s anything else Manager Li needs me to prepare?"


    Li Yifei, who didn¡¯t really understand warehouse management, could only say, "Just arrange it as you normally do."


    "Got it, got it." Dong Chenghuai nodded, then reluctantly glanced at Su Yiyi once more before turning and leaving.


    Li Yifei then said, "As you can see, I have to work now, so I won¡¯t be able to escort you out. You should hurry along, and take the money. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll run into trouble again and make a foolish decision. I won¡¯t feel at ease if you don¡¯t take it."


    Finally, Su Yiyi accepted the money, looked up at Li Yifei, and said firmly, "Brother Li, I won¡¯t make foolish decisions again. Even if I do, I will definitely turn to Brother Li."


    Li Yifei was amused by Su Yiyi¡¯s words and laughed, but he also felt relieved and said, "Alright, take down my phone number. I¡¯ll be here for a week, and then I won¡¯t return to Mile City, so if you need anything, you can contact me."


    Su Yiyi wrote down Li Yifei¡¯s number, and then used her phone to give him a call, saying, "Brother Li, I am studying at the Foreign Language Teacher¡¯s College outside of Mile City. If you¡¯re looking for me, come find me at the school, or just call me. I¡¯ll come out quickly."

 Chapter 69 Zhao QingSheng’s Conspiracy

    Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Zhao QingSheng¡¯s ConspiracySu Yiyi had left, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel much attachment, just a nice memory¡ªthe thought of holding such a girl for a night was indeed worth savoring. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just past eight in the morning, trucks loaded with goods arrived, and the warehouse workers arranged for unloading, counting, and registering methodically, requiring no extra effort from Li Yifei.


    As the manager, he was also in charge of the warehouse, so at this time, he didn¡¯t need to do anything but idle chat with the purchasing department staff that came over.


    It took an entire day for all the goods to be properly stored, and everything seemed perfectly normal without any issues.


    In the following three days, there wasn¡¯t any special activity at the warehouse, just receiving and dispatching goods, which kept them quite busy. If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t remembered that it was Zhao Qingsheng who had arranged for him to be here, he wouldn¡¯t have thought anything of it.


    However, on the fifth day, when there was basically nothing to do, several warehouse workers suggested they should have a good drink that evening as the next day was Sunday¡ªthere would be no incoming or outgoing goods, and they had all been busy throughout the week, so it was time to relax.


    Li Yifei quickly agreed, but instead of taking everyone out, he bought some drinks and dishes and let everyone have a great time drinking in the warehouse¡¯s canteen.


    During the meal, many toasted to Li Yifei, especially two of the loaders who were particularly enthusiastic, not only toasting Li Yifei themselves repeatedly but also encouraging others to do the same.


    Drinking can get rowdy, which is normal, but Li Yifei noticed something odd in the exchange of glances between the two men¡ªit seemed they were deliberately trying to get him drunk.


    Li Yifei could actually hold his liquor very well¡ªa full bottle of white spirit wasn¡¯t usually a problem for him. However, after six or seven shots, he pretended to be utterly drunk and, supported by Dong Chenghuai, staggered back to his room, collapsing into a deep sleep on the bed.


    Later that night, after one in the morning, when everyone in the warehouse was sound asleep, two individuals sneakily made their way to the main gate, cautiously opened it, and then tiptoed back to their dormitory.


    Once the gate was opened, four people slipped into the warehouse and headed straight for one of the storerooms; they pried open the storeroom door and began moving items around inside.


    The warehouse contained electronic components that, despite not being large in quantity, were very valuable. A few small boxes were worth tens of thousands, and the four individuals swiftly carried out two boxes each before quietly making their way out.


    The following day, the entire logistics department suddenly arrived at the warehouse where Li Yifei was. There was not only General Zheng, Zheng Xiuqin the manager, but also Vice-president Zhao Qingsheng, along with Michelle, Zheng Yajuan, and Li Zhisheng¡ªall had come.


    Seeing these people, Li Yifei was immediately surprised and greeted them, "General Zheng, what brings you here?"


    Zheng Xiuqin nodded and said, "I¡¯ve come to see how you¡¯re doing at work. After all, you are from our logistics department; we can¡¯t afford any mistakes. Besides, everyone¡¯s here to see you."


    Li Yifei quickly expressed his appreciation, "General Zheng, things are going well here, please come in."


    In Li Yifei¡¯s office, he invited everyone to sit down and poured water for them. Michelle, upon receiving water from Li Yifei, even gave him a smile. In the company, their relationship was the best, so naturally, she was more familiar with him than the others.


    After briefly inquiring about his work, Zheng Xiuqin turned to Michelle and said, "Michelle, could you please check the inventory? Even though Little Li from our department is here, we still need to be thorough to avoid criticism from other departments that we¡¯re not serious about our work and only look after our own."


    Michelle agreed and left. Li Yifei felt a warm sensation inside; despite Zheng Xiuqin¡¯s usual sternness, she truly regarded the logistics department as a family and was indeed a good leader.


    At that moment, Zhao Qingsheng stood up and said, "I¡¯ll help Michelle, so we can finish faster." He then followed her out.


    Zhao Qingsheng wasn¡¯t there to take advantage of Michelle today; in a warehouse busy with many watchful eyes, he couldn¡¯t make a move. He followed her, wary that Michelle might protect Li Yifei, concealing things that should be reported.


    "Michelle, you have to be serious about your work. Don¡¯t let your relationship with Li Yifei affect your judgement," Zhao Qingsheng caught up with Michelle and deliberately used a leadership tone to remind her.


    Michelle despised Zhao Qingsheng the most but dared not offend him at the moment, managing only a smile as she responded, "Thank you for the reminder, Vice-president Zhao."


    They started with Warehouse One and Two, where there were many goods. Michelle was usually very meticulous, but Zhao Qingsheng kept urging her to hurry. However, when they reached Warehouse Three, which contained the electronic components, Zhao Qingsheng uncharacteristically slowed down.


    Noticing Michelle¡¯s confusion, Zhao Qingsheng quickly cleared his throat and said, "The goods in those warehouses are enormous in size. Each item weighs over a ton, and without machinery, it¡¯s almost impossible for them to be stolen. But electronic components are easy to take¡ªan individual could carry away two boxes, and their value is extremely high, which is why we must inspect them very carefully."


    Michelle nodded in agreement, having always been diligent about checking this type of merchandise even without Zhao Qingsheng¡¯s admonitions.


    Standing aside with his arms folded, Zhao Qingsheng watched Michelle intently, waiting for the moment she finished counting. He anticipated she would be panicked, then he could seize the opportunity to accuse and expel Li Yifei from the company. After that, who would dare to interfere with his designs on Michelle?


    "General Zhao, I have finished the count." To everyone¡¯s surprise, Michelle finished counting and was ready to leave with a calm expression on her face.


    "Finished? Is it correct?" Zhao QingSheng immediately asked in astonishment.


    Michelle, holding the list, said, "Correct, look, the inventory count here completely matches the actual amount."


    Zhao QingSheng frowned and said, "That can¡¯t be right; I feel like there are some missing from this amount. Count it again."


    Michelle was somewhat displeased. She always took her counting very seriously, and Zhao QingSheng¡¯s words clearly doubted her work. But since he was the Vice-president, she had no choice but to swallow her anger and count again. Then she said, "This is clearly correct."


    "Impossible! There are clearly eight boxes missing," Zhao QingSheng shouted loudly.


    "Where is the shortage? If you don¡¯t believe it, General Zhao, count them yourself," Michelle retorted, also getting angry.


    At this point, Zhao QingSheng was no longer concerned with Michelle¡¯s tone. He carefully recounted the boxes himself, and to his great surprise, not a single box was missing. He had definitely arranged for someone to steal eight boxes of electronic components last night, and they had even called him after the theft. So why was there no shortage now?


    "I¡¯ve got it, there must be empty boxes here, yes, there must be!" Zhao QingSheng exclaimed as if he had figured it out, then smugly added, "Go and call General Zheng over. I want to expose Li Yifei¡¯s trickery in public. He thinks he can get away with missing goods by placing a few empty boxes?"


    Michelle frowned; she didn¡¯t believe for a second that Li Yifei would do such a thing. She ran back to call Zheng Xiuqin and others, somewhat indignant as she said, "General Zheng, I¡¯ve counted twice, not a single box is missing, but General Zhao insists there are empty boxes and wants to open them to check. He¡¯s clearly making things difficult for no reason."


    Zheng Xiuqin frowned, she too disliked Zhao QingSheng, but due to the higher-ups, she couldn¡¯t do much to him. However, if Zhao QingSheng were to disrupt the department¡¯s work without reason, she wouldn¡¯t stand for it.


    But Zheng Xiuqin was a very cautious person, she turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Little Li, there¡¯s no problem here, right?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, General Zheng. I wouldn¡¯t let our logistics department lose face."


    Zheng Xiuqin nodded. If Li Yifei was still so calm in the face of such a request from Zhao QingSheng, it seemed likely that there was no issue. But Zhao QingSheng¡¯s judgment made people suspicious.


    Inside the warehouse, Zhao QingSheng was giving orders to two workers who were moving boxes around¡ª the same two who had insisted on getting Li Yifei drunk last night.


    "General Zheng, I suspect there are empty boxes here, and we¡¯re in the process of opening them to check."


    Zheng Xiuqin frowned and said, "Is your attitude of unfounded suspicion towards your colleagues appropriate?"


    Zhao QingSheng immediately responded, "General Zheng, this isn¡¯t unfounded suspicion at all. There are definitely empty boxes here. If you don¡¯t believe it, ask these two workers."


    General Zheng turned to the two workers, who at that moment glanced at Li Yifei with a touch of guilt, then nodded and said, "Today, we felt that the arrangement of the boxes was different from yesterday, so... there must be a problem."


    The behavior of the two workers caused everyone to immediately look at Li Yifei, who still wore an expression of tranquility.


    Zhao QingSheng saw how calm Li Yifei was and sneered inwardly, "You little punk, so good at pretending. If I hadn¡¯t known already that stuff was missing here, you might actually have fooled me."


    Zheng Xiuqin frowned and said, "Then let¡¯s check carefully to see if anything is actually missing."


    Zhao QingSheng quickly emphasized, "We have to be thorough. Don¡¯t think just because the weight seems about right, there must be something inside¡ªthere could be stones or something meant to deceive us."


    After saying this, Zhao QingSheng again looked at Li Yifei, whose face now betrayed an undeniable tension. This made Zhao QingSheng inwardly triumphant, convinced that he had finally pierced through Li Yifei¡¯s ruse. He praised his own cleverness, for without it, he might indeed have been easily fooled.


    Michelle was visibly nervous. She trusted Li Yifei and felt sure that Zhao QingSheng was up to something. She gently tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s arm and whispered, "What do we do?"


    Li Yifei winked at Michelle, leaned closer, and whispered back, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all right."


    Being so close to Michelle, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire internally¡ªher skin was indeed as soft and white as snow. Her name was indeed apt.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s assurance, Michelle breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly realized how close she was to him. Her fair face flushed, and she subtly moved a step away, maintaining a little distance from Li Yifei.

 Chapter 70 Easy Solution

    Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Easy Solutionfreew§×bno¦Íel.comThere were a total of one hundred and twenty boxes of electronic components in this warehouse, and the inspection was quite quick. Soon, the two loading workers had checked them all, but everything inside was normal components; not a single one was empty, nor had anything been replaced with something else.


    "How is it?" Zheng Xiuqin asked with a frown.


    The two loaders unconsciously glanced at Zhao QingSheng, then one of them said, "Everything here is electronic components, with nothing missing."


    Hearing this, Zhao QingSheng suddenly cried out, "How could this be?"


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "General Zhao, why couldn¡¯t it be this way?"


    Infuriated, Zhao QingSheng said, "This place was clearly..." He was about to say that eight boxes of goods should be missing, but then suddenly realized that saying this would indicate that he had prior knowledge, and quickly changed his words, "This place was clearly tampered with. If there are no problems, why did you move these boxes?"


    With mockery in his voice, Li Yifei said, "General Zhao, you are really amazing. I, who manage the warehouse, am not very clear about how these boxes were arranged, yet you, who don¡¯t come to the warehouse once a year, somehow know exactly how I had them placed?"


    "I..." Zhao QingSheng was suddenly at a loss for words but quickly said, "Hmph, I received a report from someone else."


    "Is that so? Did they tell you that eight boxes of electronic components were missing from the warehouse, lost last night?"


    Zhao QingSheng immediately nodded and said, "Exactly! I knew it, you must have bought back the lost goods yourself to replenish the stock."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "General Zhao, you can really tell a joke. We all know the value of these components. As an employee who didn¡¯t even work a full month, how could I afford to buy eight boxes of electronic components?"


    Zheng Xiuqin snorted in dissatisfaction and said to Zhao QingSheng, "General Zhao, let¡¯s drop this matter. Little Li is one of our logistics staff. If there was a problem, it would reflect badly on our department as well."


    Zhao QingSheng snorted sullenly without saying any more, but he was puzzled. Those people had clearly said that everything was prepared, so how come there were no problems now? Could it be that those people had lied?


    At this moment, Li Yifei apologetically said to Zheng Xiuqin, "General Zheng, I¡¯m really sorry. We indeed lost eight boxes of electronic components last night. However, I reported it to the police in time and quickly recovered the goods. Moreover, the culprits have been caught by the police, who I suppose have almost finished interrogating them by now. I¡¯m afraid that there may still be someone from our logistics involved, and I haven¡¯t been able to uphold our department¡¯s image, which was very thoughtless of me."


    Zhao QingSheng¡¯s face went pale. He hadn¡¯t expected that the culprits would already be in police custody by now. He would surely be implicated. Although the case was not big, and at most he would be fined, the embarrassment... he had truly lost face, and now it was questionable whether he could remain in the company.


    As he was thinking of a way to escape, a police car already stopped at the entrance of the warehouse. Two police officers walked in and came straight to Li Yifei, speaking to him in a very polite tone, "Manager Li, we have finished our investigation. This incident was commissioned by Zhao QingSheng from Huayang Company, and we are about to arrest him."


    When Li Yifei called the police last night and had them take away four burglars, he saw that they were all sitting on the ground, looking fearful. At that time, they hadn¡¯t paid much attention, but after an interrogation back at the station, they learned that all four had been apprehended by Li Yifei alone.


    It¡¯s one thing to fight four people ¨C that could be possible for someone very strong ¨C but to catch four thieves single-handedly... that¡¯s much harder. Naturally, the police held a certain amount of awe for a fighter like Li Yifei.


    Zhao QingSheng began to sweat profusely. He turned to flee, not wanting to be taken by the police station¡¯s officers. He thought that if he left now and later found someone to cover for him, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. But if he were to be arrested now, it would be a lot more troublesome.


    "Thank you, but there¡¯s no need for you to go downtown. This gentleman here is our Zhao QingSheng, General Zhao," said Li Yifei, turning and pointing towards Zhao QingSheng, who was trying to slip away.


    Zhao QingSheng whirled around and gave Li Yifei a venomous look, shouting, "Li Yifei, you¡¯re ruthless. Just wait, I will definitely get my revenge."


    Li Yifei immediately told the police, "Officers, you heard that. He¡¯s still threatening me."


    "We will add that to his charges," replied the two officers as they went to arrest Zhao QingSheng and then escorted him into the police car.


    When Li Yifei was seemingly intoxicated by two loaders the previous night, he sensed something was wrong and pretended to be drunk. Sure enough, he caught people sneaking in to steal. As for such thieves, he easily secured their capture without much struggle, and they soon confessed Zhao QingSheng¡¯s involvement. Then he deliberately let one of them call Zhao QingSheng to lure him over, which led to today¡¯s dramatic scene in the warehouse.


    Li Yifei had always been merciless to those who sought to bring him down, especially scoundrels like Zhao QingSheng. He was not one for polite restraint; he would deal with them as harshly as he could.


    After the police left, the people from the logistics department all showed contempt for Zhao QingSheng. Shen Yajuan spoke up first, "That Zhao QingSheng is such a scumbag, using such methods to frame Little Li."


    Li Zhisheng also shook his head, saying, "I really didn¡¯t expect this; the guy is so devious. Thankfully, Little Li is sharp-witted; otherwise, if Zhao had thrown him under the bus, Little Li would have been in a tight spot."


    Michelle was all smiles, saying, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really awesome. I was wondering why he was so adamant that something was wrong with your stuff; turns out he did it himself!"


    Zheng Xiuqin cleared her throat and said, "Little Li, you¡¯ve saved the company from a loss, and I¡¯ll report this. However... I hope that if something similar happens in the future, you¡¯ll notify me first. If we can deal with it internally, we should, because this involves the reputation of the company, after all."


    Li Yifei quickly humbled himself and said, "Yes, General Zheng, it was my lack of consideration. I won¡¯t do it again in the future."


    "Hmm, but a person like Zhao QingSheng is a scourge in our logistics department. This time, I will definitely go to President Xu and insist on his removal from our department."


    There was an immediate cheer from everyone. Regarding Zhao QingSheng, every one of them was extremely disgusted, especially Michelle, who was excited with her face flushed with excitement. As long as Zhao QingSheng was gone, she would no longer have to worry about being harassed every day, which was one of the most troublesome issues she faced as a beautiful young woman at work.


    At that moment, Li Yifei turned to look at the two loaders who were still dazed. The two suddenly felt uneasy and didn¡¯t dare meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, worried. With Zhao QingSheng taken away by the police, were they going to be arrested too?


    Zheng Xiuqin also noticed the problem with the two loaders and said with a light smile, "Little Li, you¡¯re the manager here now. How to handle these people is no longer a matter for the logistics department manager¡ªthat¡¯s up to you now."


    Li Yifei nodded and said to the two loaders, "You two have been working here, but you conspired with outsiders to do harm to the warehouse. You no longer qualify to work here. Whether the Public Security Bureau will come after you or not depends on whether Zhao QingSheng rats you out. Considering that we¡¯re co-workers, I won¡¯t report you two myself."


    The two didn¡¯t dare to say any more, knowing that Li Yifei was giving them a break. They were just grateful to him and promptly packed up their things and left with their tails between their legs.


    "Little Li handled that well. Although they broke the law, not everything in a company should be addressed legally. We must consider personal feelings to some extent, or we won¡¯t have good teamwork. Since everyone is here today, I¡¯ll treat you all to lunch at noon," Zheng Xiuqin declared.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Everyone¡¯s come to my place today; as the host, I should at least treat you all to a meal."


    Zheng Xiuqin smiled slightly and said, "Little Li, when you joined our department, I hadn¡¯t even had the chance to take you out for a welcoming meal. So let¡¯s consider this meal as making up for that. No matter what, it¡¯s my treat today, or rather, it¡¯s on behalf of the logistics department. Don¡¯t forget, we have a budget for entertainment expenses, and this can be reimbursed. Are you still going to argue with me?"


    Cheers arose from everyone, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t argue anymore. It would be foolish not to take advantage of company funds and instead dip into his own pocket.


    The meal was a joyful one; it was Li Yifei¡¯s first get-together with the logistics department since joining over half a month ago. Zheng Xiuqin now held Li Yifei in high regard. What had been a troublesome issue was effortlessly resolved by Li Yifei, and she truly considered him a part of the logistics team now.


    However, because it was noon, everyone only drank a little. In the afternoon, Zheng Xiuqin took everyone away, while Li Yifei had to stay at the warehouse until Monday, as the original manager would only be back the following week.


    Other departments could rest over the weekend, but Li Yifei¡¯s warehouse couldn¡¯t. There were still goods coming in and out, which was one reason some people disliked working in the warehouse¡ªit tied you down. One might earn a bit more, but it came at the cost of freedom; work could come up at any time.


    And on Saturday afternoon, Su Yiyi, the girl, unexpectedly came to the warehouse, causing all the employees to stare, amazed. The last time Su Yiyi visited was at night, so not everyone had seen her, with only Dong Chenghuai catching a glimpse. This time, everyone saw her.


    "Yiyi, what brings you here?" Li Yifei, seeing Su Yiyi, was also quite surprised.


    Su Yiyi, with a flushed face, was fiddling with her fingers and shyly said, "I wanted to come and help wash clothes for Brother Li."


    At that moment, Dong Chenghuai was thoroughly impressed with Li Yifei. People say that a harlot lacks heart, and an actor lacks faith, but this lady, who¡¯d been visited by Li Yifei just once, actually came over to do his laundry. Why hadn¡¯t he met someone like her sooner? Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 71: What Was Left Behind

    Chapter 71: Chapter 71: What Was Left BehindLi Yifei had forgotten all about Su Yiyi this week. As for doing such a good deed, he didn¡¯t really take it to heart. However, when Su Yiyi arrived, he was still very happy, smiling and saying, "Why didn¡¯t you spend the weekend with your classmates instead of running over here?"


    Seeing that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t blaming her for coming uninvited, Su Yiyi immediately looked up, her watery eyes gazing at Li Yifei, and said, "I just wanted to help Brother Li with some work."


    "Well then, you can go to my room and see if there¡¯s anything you can do. I still have work here and won¡¯t be able to come over for a while."


    "Okay!" Su Yiyi agreed and quickly walked into Li Yifei¡¯s room.


    Dong Chenghuai came over at this time, giving Li Yifei a thumbs-up, and said, "Manager Li, you are really awesome. I¡¯ve been there so many times and have never encountered such a prime catch, and she looks like a student too."


    Li Yifei patted Dong Chenghuai on the shoulder and said, "Brother Dong, let¡¯s not bring this up with others again. She won¡¯t be doing that kind of thing anymore. I don¡¯t want to ruin her life."


    Dong Chenghuai forced a dry laugh and said, "Of course, of course not. But I still want to remind you, even though she¡¯s quite pretty, she¡¯s also quite expensive to maintain, and in the end, don¡¯t catch real feelings."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Thanks for the heads-up. I¡¯ll be mindful of that. Come on, let¡¯s get back to work."


    That afternoon, everyone was clearly not very focused on their work, frequently glancing towards the door of Li Yifei¡¯s room, as Su Yiyi would occasionally step out to hang laundry or such.


    Even though it was still the end of February, and Mile City was quite cold, Su Yiyi was wearing a small apron across her chest, her sleeves rolled up, revealing arms as tender as young lotus roots. Especially when she was carrying a basin or hanging clothes, she really had the charm of a young wife. The dudes in the warehouse, who were used to seeing crude village girls, couldn¡¯t keep their eyes off a girl like Su Yiyi.


    In the late afternoon, Li Yifei finally got free and went straight back to his own room. At the door, Su Yiyi came up to him, holding a small brush, and swept it over Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Li, you should change out of these clothes too, and I¡¯ll wash them for you."


    Li Yifei glanced around the room and saw that it had completely transformed -- not only was it cleaner, but everything was also arranged in good order. Impressed by Su Yiyi¡¯s diligence, he smiled and said, "No need for this set; this is just my work clothes. They¡¯ll just get covered in dust again right after being washed."


    "Oh, then I¡¯ll just brush off the dust for you, don¡¯t bring it inside." Su Yiyi said, standing by Li Yifei¡¯s side, waiting for him to take off his clothes.


    Li Yifei had to take off his clothes, and Su Yiyi immediately went outside to dust them off, then hung them on the clothesline outside before returning to the room and closing the door.


    This immediately made the men outside drool, their minds filled with lewd fantasies about what Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were doing inside, whispering unsavory comments to satisfy their dirty thoughts.


    However, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were pure inside the room, very pure.


    Li Yifei sat on a chair while Su Yiyi stood in front of him, her head down, twiddling her fingers, bashful and hesitant.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Have a seat. You¡¯ve been working so long, and still standing. I feel embarrassed."


    With a soft voice, Su Yiyi responded and then sat on the edge of the bed.


    "How¡¯s your dad doing now?" Li Yifei indeed had a good impression of Su Yiyi, so he asked about her father to see if he had reined himself in after the last incident.


    Su Yiyi pouted her lips and said, "He¡¯s much better now, but they beat him quite badly. He lost two teeth and it took several days for the swelling in his face to go down."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly. Those were not the work of those men; it had been him. However, listening to Su Yiyi, he knew that her father hadn¡¯t disclosed it was Li Yifei who had done it.


    "So he hasn¡¯t been gambling these few days?"


    "He probably hasn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been at school these days. But it sounds like he really wants to quit gambling."


    "That¡¯s not bad, then. You don¡¯t need to worry too much. Just focus on your studies from now on." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mm-hmm, I will study hard," said Su Yiyi, nodding vigorously.


    Li Yifei checked the time and said, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll go out to eat. I¡¯ll treat you to a simple meal in the cafeteria today; we still need to ship out goods later."


    A smile emerged between Su Yiyi¡¯s eyebrows as she said, "Okay, eating in the cafeteria sounds good."


    When Li Yifei appeared in the cafeteria with Su Yiyi, everyone once again stared. Dong Chenghuai immediately said, "Manager Li, why didn¡¯t you go out to eat? How can you have a meal with the low-quality food in the cafeteria?"


    Li Yifei said, "No need, I still have things to do later, I¡¯ll just grab a bite in the cafeteria."


    There¡¯s only one large dining table in the cafeteria. Usually, everyone gathers around it for meals, typically two dishes and a soup, but the servings are generous, so there¡¯s no worry about not getting enough. Most here work very physically demanding jobs. If they don¡¯t eat their fill, they won¡¯t be able to handle the work."


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi sat together, and soon someone served them rice. Li Yifei nodded to Yiyi and started eating heartily, while Yiyi nibbled quietly, occasionally stealing glances at Li Yifei with a look that resembled a shy wife peeking at her husband, making the other men around them envious.


    After finishing the meal, the truck arrived to pick up goods, and Li Yifei got busy. He had to say to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, I¡¯m too busy to walk you out. Take advantage of the daylight and head back early."


    Just as Su Yiyi was about to say something, Li Yifei was already off to work. She pouted but didn¡¯t leave; instead, she returned to Li Yifei¡¯s room.


    When Li Yifei finished his work, it was already past eight o¡¯clock. As he entered his room, he saw Su Yiyi sitting on the bed, just having put down a book. He was surprised and said, "Why didn¡¯t you leave?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red, and she said shyly, "Today I wanted... to stay here and keep Brother Li company."


    "Keep me company... You silly girl, haven¡¯t I told you that I don¡¯t need this kind of repayment?" Li Yifei shook his head, took off his jacket, and Yiyi hurriedly stood up to take it from him.


    "It¡¯s not repayment... it¡¯s just... just..."


    "Just what?" Li Yifei turned to look at her.


    Yiyi bit her lip and then, mustering her courage, said softly, "It¡¯s that I... want to stay by Brother Li¡¯s side."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly, wondering if this girl had really fallen for him. That would be quite troublesome. But seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s pitiable look, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to outright reject her and pretended to misunderstand, "You silly girl, it seems you¡¯re really lacking paternal love. I only hugged you for one night, and you can¡¯t forget it."


    Su Yiyi had already wished she could vanish when she made her confession, not really knowing why she wanted to stay. Now that Li Yifei suddenly gave her a reason, it felt like a guiding light in the dark. She eagerly agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, my dad never really liked or cherished me since I was little."


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s head and said, "Okay then, you can stay."


    Su Yiyi immediately nodded bashfully and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Li."


    "Don¡¯t mention it. Let¡¯s get some rest early."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go prepare some warm water for Brother Li to wash his feet."


    Soaking his feet in the steaming basin of water, Li Yifei felt truly comfortable and said to Su Yiyi with a smile, "Yiyi, whoever marries you is really fortunate. You take such good care of people."


    Yiyi¡¯s face turned red and she stammered, "I... I don¡¯t want... to marry anyone else."


    Li Yifei wisely decided not to take that further. If he asked her, "If you don¡¯t marry anyone else, then who will you marry?" Yiyi might just outright say she¡¯d marry him. She was indeed a good girl, but he couldn¡¯t bear that kind of love, so he quickly changed the subject.


    "By the way, tell me about life at your university. I never went to college, and I do long to hear about it," he said.


    Su Yiyi felt somewhat disappointed. She had grown up receiving much unwanted attention from men, and many male students had pursued her in college, some quite excellent. However, because of her family situation, she dared not accept their advances, and she always felt these people were only attracted to her looks, without really understanding her. With Li Yifei, however, even though they had spent just one night together, she found a strong sense of security in him. The fact that they shared a bed and Li Yifei didn¡¯t try anything made her extremely grateful.


    This gratitude eventually turned into fondness, into love. After just one night, Yiyi found herself unable to forget Li Yifei, knowing she had truly fallen in love with him, Brother Li.


    Yiyi was a reserved girl, always careful around boys, but with Li Yifei, she dared to think about living with him, which made her blush just thinking about it. Yet, she couldn¡¯t suppress the thought, so she boldly decided to stay the night.


    Li Yifei not continuing the topic made her feel lost, yet it also relieved many of her worries. If she had revealed her feelings and he had rejected her, she wouldn¡¯t know what to do. Now she simply spoke softly to Li Yifei about university life.


    Aside from her studies, Yiyi rarely participated in any other activities, so her description of college life was less than exciting.


    After talking for a while, Yiyi stood up, fluffed the blanket, turned on the electric blanket, and twisting her fingers, said softly, "Brother Li, you had a hard day. You should... go to bed early."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart stirred at this. Didn¡¯t the girl realize how tempting she was?

 Chapter 72: Like

    Chapter 72: Chapter 72: LikeLi Yifei shook his head slightly, trying to keep his mood calm, and said, "Alright, let¡¯s sleep."


    Su Yiyi gave a hum, but stood still without moving, looking embarrassed. Although it was her idea to stay here, when it actually came to sleeping, she was extremely nervous. This time was different than the last: the previous time was purely about repaying a favor, or one could say she was prepared to sell herself, hence she had always harbored a fearful attitude towards that kind of matter.


    But this time, her thoughts weren¡¯t as simple as repaying a favor. She truly didn¡¯t know what would happen next.


    Seeing Su Yiyi not moving, Li Yifei knew she was very nervous and couldn¡¯t help but find it a bit funny. He patted her shoulder and said, "Hurry and go to sleep. Stop overthinking things."


    "Mhm!" Su Yiyi replied softly and then bit her lip, slowly taking off her coat.


    "Alright, don¡¯t be shy. I¡¯m going to turn off the light, and you can undress on the bed," Li Yifei said. After speaking, he turned off the light, and the room plunged into darkness.


    Then, as expected, he heard the sound of Su Yiyi¡¯s clothes being removed, and she was doing it quite a bit faster, "Brother Li... I... I¡¯m done undressing."


    Li Yifei replied with a sound and also approached the bed, quickly removing his clothes and getting into bed wearing his undershirt and underwear.


    Su Yiyi lay flat on the bed, just like that day, with rapid breathing due to nervousness, and she seemed even more nervous than before, to the point where one could feel her body trembling. This wasn¡¯t fear; it seemed as if the girl was about to make some decision.


    Li Yifei certainly didn¡¯t dare let her make any decisions, as that would put him in a passive position and also risk hurting this delicate girl¡¯s heart. Thus, he directly extended his arm under Su Yiyi¡¯s neck and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll hold you while we sleep, and we¡¯ll have a good night¡¯s rest. Tomorrow is a new day."


    Su Yiyi compliantly turned to nestle in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, her body stiff as could be, completely unsure of where to place her hands.


    Li Yifei also turned on his side, placing his other arm on Su Yiyi¡¯s back and lightly patting her twice as he said softly, "Sleep."


    Upon hearing these simple words, Su Yiyi suddenly relaxed. At this moment, her mind stopped wandering, and it felt like cuddling in her father¡¯s embrace, so warm and cozy¡ªalthough she rarely experienced such feelings.


    Closing her eyes and listening to Li Yifei¡¯s steady heartbeat, feeling his body warmth and the faint scent of tobacco on him, Su Yiyi quickly fell asleep, and slept very peacefully and sweetly.


    Li Yifei, however, had a somewhat troubled sleep that night. Holding such a beautiful girl for sleep, if he had no thoughts at all, then he wouldn¡¯t be a man. Fortunately, having undergone much training, his self-control was particularly formidable, and he eventually forced himself to sleep.


    The next day when Li Yifei woke up and had yet to open his eyes, he could feel that Su Yiyi in his arms was staring at him. And when his eyelids moved, Su Yiyi quickly closed her eyes, but her uneven breathing betrayed her already.


    Li Yifei let out a light chuckle and said, "You¡¯re up early." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face instantly flushed to her ears, and she opened her eyes but buried her face in Li Yifei¡¯s chest, twisting as she said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re awake too."


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s back and said, "How could I sleep with you watching me like that?"


    "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you up," Su Yiyi suddenly became somewhat flustered.


    "Silly girl, I¡¯m not blaming you. It¡¯s still early; we can sleep a bit longer." It wasn¡¯t even half past six yet, and Li Yifei really didn¡¯t want to get up so soon. The Tender Country had quite an allure for him, and even if nothing could happen, the idea of holding Su Yiyi¡ªsoft and fragrant in his arms¡ªwas too tempting to resist.


    At that moment, how could Su Yiyi still fall asleep? In Li Yifei¡¯s arms, she felt an indescribable comfort. Although it had been a bit embarrassing just now, after spending the night with Li Yifei, she had become a lot braver. Looking up at Li Yifei, she asked softly, "Brother Li, can we talk for a bit?"


    "Yes, of course." Li Yifei opened his eyes again and found Su Yiyi¡¯s face close at hand.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s cheeks reddened as she said, "Brother Li, a classmate told me that... that boys... are very impulsive. Why aren¡¯t you impulsive?"


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Su Yiyi to ask such a question and smiled faintly, saying, "When you¡¯re young, everyone is impulsive, but now that I¡¯m this old, I¡¯m not that impulsive anymore."


    "That¡¯s not right, though, you¡¯re only twenty-six, only six years older than me, you¡¯re still a young man, not some middle-aged uncle."


    Li Yifei felt Su Yiyi¡¯s earnestness and replied while looking into her eyes, "Perhaps it¡¯s because everyone¡¯s experiences differ, and the way they think about things is different too. Many people act without considering the consequences, but I always think about the consequences of my actions."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said, "But I... don¡¯t expect you to take responsibility."


    Li Yifei rubbed Su Yiyi¡¯s hair gently, saying with affection, "You might not hold me responsible, but can I get over this in my own heart? I can tell you that I, Brother Li, am not a good person either. Over the years, I¡¯ve lost count of how many women have had relations with me, but I¡¯ve never taken responsibility."


    "Ah? No way, Brother Li, you don¡¯t have to lie to me. I¡¯ve slept with you for two nights, yet you didn¡¯t even¡ªwhich is to say, you didn¡¯t even touch me."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat quietly and said, "Of course I can¡¯t touch you. You are so pure, and I¡¯m just a wanderer. If I really did anything with you, I would start to miss you, but I don¡¯t want to tie myself down to a woman so early in my life. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t do it."


    "Brother Li, do you mean... you might have a little liking for me?" Su Yiyi asked with her large eyes wide open, full of shyness and hope.


    Li Yifei finally couldn¡¯t bear that pure gaze and said, "Yes, I do like you a bit, but it¡¯s just liking, not love. Yiyi, please don¡¯t fall in love with me. It¡¯s bound to hurt you. If you see me as a friend, then I have no objections. Do you understand?"


    A flash of disappointment appeared in Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes, but she quickly gave a sweet smile and said, "Brother Li, I understand. I won¡¯t cling to you. Do whatever you want to do, but on weekends, could I help you with the laundry or something like that? I just want to help you with something."


    With such a simple request, what could Li Yifei possibly refuse? He smiled and rubbed Su Yiyi¡¯s hair again, hugging her a bit tighter as he said, "How could I refuse such a good offer?"


    Su Yiyi immediately hugged Li Yifei tightly with joy, saying sweetly, "Brother Li, you are really kind."


    Li Yifei felt warmth in his heart. He had merely agreed to Su Yiyi¡¯s simple request, which made her so happy. Su Yiyi was truly a good girl. If it weren¡¯t for... Su Yiyi would indeed be an ideal partner.


    Thinking of his own inner dilemma, Li Yifei sighed quietly, unsure when he would be able to resolve it.


    The two lay cuddled together for half an hour before Li Yifei got up. Just like the last time, Su Yiyi helped him dress before she put on her own clothes. She was much more open this morning, dressing casually without avoiding Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Once dressed, Su Yiyi brought Li Yifei water to wash his face and squeezed out the toothpaste. As Li Yifei brushed his teeth, she asked him softly, "Brother Li, do you think I¡¯m cheap? A girl without any restraint?"


    Li Yifei took the toothbrush out of his mouth and said, "Silly girl, in my heart, you¡¯re as pure as the driven snow."


    "But I..."


    "There are no buts; Brother Li understands everything."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly again, hugging Li Yifei from behind, rubbing her face gently against his back as she cooed, "Brother Li, you are really wonderful."


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and chuckled, "Enough, you¡¯ve hugged me all night and still can¡¯t get enough?"


    "That¡¯s because I could never get enough of hugging you, Brother Li. I don¡¯t know how long it will be until I can hug you again."


    "Alright, alright, then keep hugging," Li Yifei chuckled, shaking his head as he continued brushing his teeth with a koala clinging to his back.


    After eating lunch at Li Yifei¡¯s place, Su Yiyi left reluctantly. Her reluctance tugged at the heartstrings of those in the warehouse.


    "Manager Li, that girl is really good to you." Dong Chenghuai watched Su Yiyi¡¯s retreating figure, unable to blink and envied, he commented.


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "Yeah, she really is not bad."


    Dong Chenghuai added, "You know, Manager Li, I feel like that girl would make a perfect wife¡ªgentle and attentive, capable, and so pretty, without a single flaw."


    Li Yifei was aware of this, but he was not the lucky man meant for her. If Su Yiyi ever wanted to find a boyfriend, Li Yifei would indeed have to help vet the candidates. Once a girl like her cared for someone, she would do so with all her heart. But if she met someone who didn¡¯t know how to cherish her, Su Yiyi¡¯s life would likely be very hard.


    Unconsciously, Li Yifei found himself deeply concerned about Su Yiyi.


    On Monday, the warehouse manager returned, and Li Yifei completed the handover. The manager thanked him profusely and wanted to take Li Yifei out for a good time that evening, but Li Yifei declined because Xu Yingying had called him in the morning, asking him to visit her at her house after he finished his work here.


    Although Li Yifei no longer had to play the role of Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend, he was very willing to lend him money the last time he asked, and she had agreed without hesitation. So when Xu Yingying asked for him, he had no reason to refuse. Besides, he could also return the money to her. Lending and borrowing made for easy lending in the future, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t know when he might urgently need money again. Having Xu Yingying as a backer was certainly not someone to offend.

 Chapter 73: Masters of the Capital City

    Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Masters of the Capital CityLi Yifei first returned home and changed his clothes. There was still some time left before the end of the workday, so he took a rest at home for a while. At four-thirty, he received a call from Xu Yingying, asking him to wait for her at her place.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t understand what Xu Yingying was up to, but he still went directly to her home. Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t returned yet, and although Li Yifei could easily open her door, he felt it was inappropriate to just enter. He didn¡¯t want everyone to know he could simply walk into someone else¡¯s home; that would be too unsettling for others.


    Less than twenty minutes later, Xu Yingying came back, searching for her keys while saying, "Tonight you¡¯re going out with me to a banquet."


    Li Yifei followed Xu Yingying inside and asked, "As what, if I¡¯m attending a banquet?"


    Xu Yingying, while walking toward the bedroom, replied, "As the driver."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been more troublesome if he was to attend as her boyfriend. Being a driver was much simpler.


    About twenty minutes later, Xu Yingying emerged wearing a black evening dress, noble and elegant, which made Li Yifei¡¯s gaze become somewhat fixated.


    "How do I look?" Xu Yingying asked, catching Li Yifei¡¯s stare.


    "Truly beautiful. President Xu, how many men are you planning to enchant to death?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance. She wasn¡¯t offended by his flowery talk, which she would have found intolerable coming from any other man.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go then."


    "Hey, aren¡¯t you cold?"


    "I¡¯ll be going from the car to the hotel directly. I¡¯ll only be cold for a short while," she said, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.


    Li Yifei grinned, thinking how odd women can sometimes be, valuing beauty over warmth in such freezing weather.


    They took the elevator directly to the underground parking lot, and Li Yifei acted the part of the diligent driver, opening the car door for Xu Yingying.


    After Xu Yingying provided the address, she added to Li Yifei, "Stay close tonight. I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll come out, and I might need to drink. If someone tries to take me away, you have to stop them."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "You¡¯re not suggesting someone has malicious intentions towards you, are you?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and replied, "There¡¯s someone who¡¯ll also be at the banquet tonight who is particularly unpleasant and has been interested in me. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll try to take advantage of the situation to take me away."


    "Then why would you go?"


    "I have to because tonight¡¯s banquet will be attended by a very high-profile guest who¡¯s come to Mile City. It¡¯s a significant opportunity for our company to make contact with her, and I can¡¯t lose this chance."


    "But what if you suffer for the sake of this opportunity?"


    "Nonsense, that¡¯s why I¡¯m bringing you with me. Aren¡¯t you quite capable? Can¡¯t you assure my safety?"


    Li Yifei cracked a smile and said, "So it turns out I¡¯m not just a driver but also a bodyguard, huh?" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying nodded, stating, "Exactly, that¡¯s what I mean. You¡¯ve served in the military and even have experience taking on several adversaries at once, so I feel secure with you as my bodyguard."


    "How did you know I fought several at once?"


    "Didn¡¯t you have that fight when you were out with Michelle from the logistics department? It¡¯s common knowledge in the company. As the president, how could I not know?"


    "So my heroic deeds have already become so widely known," Li Yifei said with a touch of smugness.


    Xu Yingying nodded and commented, "Indeed, you¡¯ve got quite a number of heroic tales, like sending Zhao QingSheng to detention, and maintaining an ambiguous relationship with Director He."


    "Ambiguous what?" Li Yifei was startled. He hoped this wasn¡¯t something the whole company already knew about.


    "You don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me, do you dare say you have nothing to do with He Fangqing?" Xu Yingying spoke with disdain.


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "President Xu, could you not make false accusations? These kinds of things can¡¯t just be said recklessly. It doesn¡¯t bother me, but if such rumors caused Director He¡¯s reputation to be tarnished, that would really harm someone."


    Xu Yingying narrowed her eyes and said, "You seem to care about her quite a bit. No wonder you beat up both her ex-husband and that woman."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and said, "That was because I really couldn¡¯t stand to see a couple of adulterers, so I impulsively took action. After all, Director He is from the same company as me. I can¡¯t just watch her get bullied."


    Xu Yingying watched Li Yifei from the rearview mirror while he seriously drove the car. Through the rearview mirror, their gazes met for a moment, and Li Yifei said with a wry smile, "President Xu, can we not look at me like that? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, have I?"


    Xu Yingying said indifferently, "I¡¯m just reminding you to not go too far with whatever is going on between you and Director He. After all, she¡¯s just recently divorced. If word gets out, it¡¯s not good for her reputation."


    Li Yifei sweated again and said, "Then President Xu, I¡¯m the one driving your car. Won¡¯t people think there¡¯s something going on between us too?"


    "That¡¯s their business, I don¡¯t mind," was Xu Yingying¡¯s indifferent reply.


    Li Yifei was somewhat at a loss for words, so he decided not to discuss this with Xu Yingying any further. Soon, they arrived at Mile City¡¯s most luxurious hotel. Li Yifei parked the car in the parking lot, and then he and Xu Yingying took the elevator to the twentieth floor together.


    At the elevator landing on the twentieth floor, someone immediately came to greet Xu Yingying and invited her into a large hall ahead, while Li Yifei was arranged to wait in a smaller hall next to it.


    In this smaller hall, there were already more than a dozen people, all robust men huddled together deep in conversation. These people were all bodyguards. Today¡¯s attendees were all wealthy or of high status, so having bodyguards was completely normal.


    Upon Li Yifei entering, everyone looked over at him. Li Yifei greeted them and then sat down beside them.


    All of them were men from the same profession and thus quite familiar with one another. After some brief introductions, they began eating and talking.


    The conversation was about their own glorious deeds, such as the most impressive protection details or the most dangerous experiences. But after a while, Li Yifei lost interest in their stories. These were all simple protection jobs, perhaps involving an odd kidnapping case¡ªfar cry from Li Yifei¡¯s past experiences, lacking in technical challenge.


    During this time, several more people came into the room and blended nicely into the conversation. However, when two more people entered, everyone felt that these newcomers did not fit in.


    The two made a beeline for a secluded spot, quickly grabbed some food, and then closed their eyes in silence, not speaking a word.


    Li Yifei¡¯s interest was piqued. From the behavior of these two, it was evident that they had undergone stringent training. Quick eating and resting their eyes was characteristic of a true bodyguard¡¯s responsibilities, allowing them to maintain their physical stamina and mental alertness.


    Suddenly the two opened their eyes and looked directly at Li Yifei. He offered them a slight smile in response. Although they were not from the same unit, Li Yifei felt a certain camaraderie upon seeing them. His extra attention caught their notice, a testament to their considerable capabilities.


    The two nodded then closed their eyes again. They had sensed Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was different from the others, and they felt a powerful presence from him. It was the recognition between strong competitors. Despite closing their eyes, they were mindful of Li Yifei.


    In a place like this, among ordinary bodyguards, to find someone as skilled as Li Yifei meant they had to be extra vigilant.


    Li Yifei understood their thoughts and walked over to sit at their table with a smile, saying, "I used to be stationed with a unit in Capital City, but now I¡¯m retired, just an ordinary citizen."


    As Li Yifei approached, the two opened their eyes. One of them asked, "In which unit?"


    "Heh, somewhat similar to yours," Li Yifei replied without giving a specific answer. The Flying Hawk Squad was a state secret, carrying out missions unknown to the public. Now that he had retired, he could not casually mention the Flying Hawk Squad.


    The two nodded in understanding, clearly aware of the disciplinary codes within such units, particularly within special branches where talking recklessly post-retirement was prohibited.


    "I won¡¯t disturb you two any longer. If you¡¯re not in a hurry to leave, you might find some time to have a drink with me," Li Yifei said as he wrote down his phone number for them.


    One of the men glanced at the phone number, then tore up the slip of paper.


    Li Yifei did not take it as an insult. A Zhongnanhai bodyguard who couldn¡¯t memorize a phone number at a glance would indeed be underqualified.


    Li Yifei nodded, turned, and left. He rejoined the other bodyguards. Compared to the two from Zhongnanhai, these men had much more of a commoner¡¯s air. Some were nearly as skilled but were clearly lacking in the keen awareness of a true bodyguard. A real bodyguard had to be prepared for all potential scenarios, as even the slightest slip could have dire consequences.


    These bodyguards were evidently not that vigilant, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t dislike the commoner¡¯s air about them. Back in the city, his mindset had changed; the urban life represented ease, and there was no need for that constant high tension anymore.

 Chapter 74: Huaxia’s Number One

    Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Huaxia¡¯s Number OneMore than half an hour later, Li Yifei got up to use the restroom, which was located at the end of the hallway outside. After he finished and was walking back, he saw Xu Yingying standing with a man at the entrance of the lobby she had entered.


    Although Xu Yingying had a smile on her face, it was clearly forced, and she kept glancing in Li Yifei¡¯s direction. When she saw Li Yifei, she immediately gave him a look.


    Li Yifei got the hint and quickly strode over, saying, "President Xu, there was an important call just now that requires your attention."


    Xu Yingying immediately apologized to the man with a smile and then walked towards Li Yifei, taking the phone he offered and began to pretend to talk.


    Li Yifei then turned to the man. The man appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in a crisp suit worth no less than a hundred thousand. Although his looks were not particularly handsome, the suit, combined with the expensive watch on his wrist, was enough to indicate that it wasn¡¯t easy to deal with this guy.


    The guy didn¡¯t even glance at Li Yifei but stared at Xu Yingying with overt desire in his eyes. It was clear he harbored ill intentions towards Xu Yingying. Moreover, the fact that he didn¡¯t attempt to hide his lascivious gaze proved his domineering status ¡ª he did not care for Xu Yingying¡¯s position as a company president.


    Although Xu Yingying held absolute authority within the company, she was, after all, just a corporate president. In Mile City, there were at least several dozen such companies, and frankly, Xu Yingying was just an employee; the company wasn¡¯t hers. Her social standing and status were far from that of bosses and similar figures.


    Li Yifei had seen such incidents quite often before, especially when he was protecting special personnel. Even the major stars by their side were numerous. In their eyes, no matter how capable a woman was, she was merely a toy for their pleasure. Now this guy obviously shared similar thoughts.


    Before, when Li Yifei encountered such situations, he regarded them as none of his business, but things were different now. Since Xu Yingying had sought his protection, he could no longer ignore it. Moreover, he was now to stand in opposition to these powerful figures, which was no small challenge, especially since he was now a nobody.


    Then Xu Yingying came back and stood next to Li Yifei and suddenly took his arm, saying, "Yifei, let¡¯s go in together."


    Li Yifei was taken aback as Xu Yingying gently twisted his arm. He immediately realized she must have been quite bothered by the man and possibly couldn¡¯t get rid of him. That¡¯s why she was using him as a shield.


    Now he certainly couldn¡¯t back down. With a faint smile, he said, "Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for us to reveal our relationship so soon? It might make you look bad."


    As they moved forward, Xu Yingying spoke with conviction, "No problem, we have to face it sooner or later. Besides, I¡¯m just a nobody here, nobody pays attention to me."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Alright then, let¡¯s face it together."


    As they spoke, they reached the man. The man by now had furrowed his brow and said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, who is this...?"


    With an apologetic smile, Xu Yingying said, "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Sunx, thank you for your kindness, but I can¡¯t hide it anymore. This is my boyfriend, Li Yifei."


    Young Master Sunx, named Sunx Dongran, was the son of the chairman of Tianli Group in Mile City, Sunx Nenghui, with a family fortune of over a billion. Although he was not the sole legal heir, as the son of such a major consortium, he was naturally quite powerful. Huayang Company was nothing in his eyes, let alone Xu Yingying who was just a general manager there.


    Originally, Sunx Dongran thought that pursuing Xu Yingying equated to her climbing up the social ladder ¡ª a sure-fire win. Unexpectedly, Li Yifei showed up, and his face immediately darkened. After giving Li Yifei a look, he said, "President Xu, you¡¯re not joking, right? Just grabbing someone to pretend to be your boyfriend?"


    With an apologetic shake of her head, Xu Yingying said, "Sorry, but he really is my boyfriend," hugging Li Yifei¡¯s arm even more intimately.


    Sunx Dongran¡¯s face turned even uglier. He snorted and said, "President Xu, your taste is really poor. How can you choose such a man? Is he suitable for you?"


    "I... "


    Before Xu Yingying could speak, Li Yifei patted the back of her hand and said, "Young Master Sunx, I know I might not seem good enough for Yingying in your eyes, but love isn¡¯t something that can be measured by money. Moreover, Yingying isn¡¯t someone who would choose a partner based on wealth, and I¡¯m absolutely confident about that."


    Sunx Dongran looked at Li Yifei and then let out a sneer before turning and walking into the hall. The malevolence in his gaze before he left was enough to show his hatred for Li Yifei.


    "I really had no other choice," Xu Yingying sighed, appearing somewhat helpless.


    At the company, in everyday situations, Li Yifei always saw Xu Yingying brimming with confidence. It was the first time he saw her so helpless and in trouble, and he comforted her by saying, "Isn¡¯t everything okay now?"


    "Well, it¡¯s okay for now, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll come back to trouble you."


    "Me, just a small-time employee, afraid of him causing trouble? You don¡¯t need to worry. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll go inside. I want to broaden my horizons too."


    Xu Yingying nodded but then lowered her voice and said, "When we get inside, we don¡¯t need to talk much, just find a place to rest. There is a VIP present today, so be even more careful."


    "I understand, I won¡¯t cause you any trouble. Just going to act the part, right? To keep that Sunx Dongran from bothering you again."


    Whispering together, they did indeed look like a sweet couple. This was also thanks to the practice they had at Xu Yingying¡¯s house, where they had shared a bed. Pretending to be a couple was natural for them, as it came without any inner pressure.


    Li Yifei was now quite intrigued by this big shot from the Capital City, a remarkable person who commanded even the Zhongnanhai Bodyguards to follow him. Such an individual could be anything but simple, and it was highly likely that Li Yifei had seen him before.


    The hall was much larger than the one Li Yifei had previously been in, spanning over two hundred meters. On the right side, there was a buffet table spread with high-end food and drinks, and the waiters were constantly replenishing the offerings to ensure a fresh and continuous supply.


    The guests in the hall were all dressed to impress, the men in suits and shoes, and the women in evening gowns, adorned with pearls and jewels. The attire of nearly every person present was worth no less than one hundred thousand.


    Li Yifei had attended many such banquets, where typically, people would gather in small groups, converse for a bit, and then move on to chat with others. However, today they were all huddled together, even Sunx Dongran was there.


    It appeared that someone from the Capital City had indeed made a huge impact, compelling the local bigwigs to cluster around him.


    However, Li Yifei did not catch a glimpse of this person. The crowd around him prevented any direct view.


    "What would you like to eat?" Xu Yingying led Li Yifei to the food area.


    Li Yifei had already eaten quite a bit earlier and now casually picked some delicacies. The food here was obviously superior to what the bodyguards were served, entirely comprised of gourmet dishes and ideal for a taste craving.


    After getting their food and taking a glass of red wine from a waiter, they moved to a quiet seating area. Xu Yingying then turned to look towards a certain direction.


    With no one around them, Li Yifei leaned closer to Xu Yingying¡¯s ear and whispered, "Who is this impressive person everyone is surrounding?"


    "A big shot from the Capital City."


    "There are many influential people from the Capital City. What does this person do?"


    "The number one beauty of the Capital City."


    "What?" Li Yifei stiffened.


    Gazing admiringly in that direction, Xu Yingying said, "I never used to believe in the ¡¯number one beauty¡¯ label, but now I see that the legend is true. She is not only beautiful but every gesture and smile carries a commanding presence. Beside her, I feel like nothing but an ugly duckling."


    Li Yifei chuckled, replying, "Ugly ducklings will eventually become swans. You may not be any less than her; it¡¯s just that she is draped in too many halos."


    "No, even a multitude of halos can¡¯t alter one¡¯s nature. Her beauty exudes from within. No matter what she does, it is a pleasure to the eyes. Such a woman could captivate even me, let alone others."


    "Heh heh, President Xu, you don¡¯t have... that inclination, do you? No wonder you¡¯ve never had a boyfriend."


    Xu Yingying shot Li Yifei a glare and retorted, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense¡ªI¡¯m perfectly normal." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, with a mischievous smile, teased, "Then what could interest you in a woman?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "You have not yet seen her beauty. Once you do, you¡¯ll understand."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Even if I see her, it doesn¡¯t change much. How different can she be from any other woman?"


    "Hmph, if you really had no ideas, I would indeed begin to wonder about you," Xu Yingying said, a rare smile crossing her face.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes; Xu Yingying¡¯s comeback was deft. However, when it came to this Huaxia number one beauty... Li Yifei really had no particular thoughts.


    "Ah, she¡¯s coming this way. Look," Xu Yingying said excitedly, tugging at Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei lifted his eyes and saw a woman in a sky-blue evening gown approaching. Her beauty shone like the brightest star in the night sky, making everyone else mere accessories to her radiance. Even the most opulently dressed women paled in comparison when next to her.


    This took Li Yifei by surprise. Of course, the Huaxia number one beauty was Su Mengxin. The last mission Li Yifei was on involved bringing her back to the country. When he saw her, she was in a rough state, and even though she was extraordinarily beautiful, the circumstances allowed him no leisure to admire her. Li Yifei was too focused on staying alive and protecting her to pay much attention.


    Seeing her now, Su Mengxin indeed lived up to the title of Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty. She was breathtakingly lovely, and it was no surprise that she was protected by two Zhongnanhai Bodyguards. Su Mengxin¡¯s status indeed demanded such strong protection. But what had brought Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty to the smaller city of Mile City?


    Earlier, Su Mengxin had planned a trip to Mile City, but it was delayed due to certain events. It was only yesterday that she finally arrived. As a person of her stature, being inconspicuous was impossible; thus, as soon as she arrived, Mile City¡¯s social elite received the news and organized this welcoming banquet.


    Initially, Su Mengxin was pondering over how to seek out Li Yifei. However, on a glance earlier, she accidentally spotted him, which thrilled her. She promptly headed straight towards Li Yifei, and the surrounding social ¨¦lite, oblivious to Su Mengxin¡¯s actual intentions, simply followed suit, never considering that she was actually heading towards Li Yifei.

 Chapter 75: Pretending Not to Recognize

    Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Pretending Not to RecognizeHowever, after walking a few steps, Su Mengxin stopped and turned to address everyone, "Thank you all for your hospitality, but since this is a gathering, let¡¯s all be a bit more relaxed. There¡¯s no need to keep crowding around me. It¡¯s making me somewhat uneasy. I would still like to eat something, and I¡¯m feeling quite embarrassed."


    With her words, everyone laughed heartily and then dispersed on their own. To continue crowding around Su Mengxin after her remark would be truly insensitive.


    Yet standing beside Su Mengxin was another person, a woman in her twenties. In comparison to Su Mengxin, her looks were not as striking, though she was still more beautiful than the average woman. What drew most attention was her upright posture, which exuded a spirited and valiant aura, full of vitality and vigor, even from a distance.


    Li Yifei only needed one glance to realize she was like the Zhongnanhai bodyguards he had seen earlier, and perhaps her abilities were even stronger than those of the other two bodyguards.


    Zhongnanhai bodyguards protect important national figures. It could be awkward for men to guard women closely, hence the presence of many female bodyguards. Li Yifei had seen some before, but a bodyguard like Su Mengxin was definitely one of the most beautiful among them.


    Li Yifei had been taken aback at first, thinking Su Mengxin had come to see him. After all, he had once protected her, and perhaps she had recognized him. However, seeing her head straight for the food, he realized he was being overly sentimental. Someone of her stature wouldn¡¯t remember a bodyguard like him.


    "Sigh, I really thought she was coming over just now," sighed Xu Yingying at that moment, sounding quite disappointed.


    Li Yifei chuckled and asked, "What could you have done even if she had come over?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sideways glance, "Don¡¯t judge me just because I¡¯m a president. Nearly anyone here is far stronger than me, and my status is undoubtedly the lowest. If I could establish a connection with Su Mengxin, our company would then receive some government support, which would be greatly beneficial for our development."


    Li Yifei replied with an amused tone, "President Xu really does have big ambitions. Do you need me to introduce you? She might just take my recommendation seriously."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, "Cut it out. You dare to joke about such things? Don¡¯t you cause any trouble here. If anything goes wrong, not only will you be in trouble, but you¡¯ll also drag me down with you."


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t believe him. He was just a mere security guard and at most a minor employee in the company now; how could he be linked with a beautiful woman like Su Mengxin? In fact, Li Yifei was well aware that even though he had once rescued Su Mengxin from danger, they belonged to completely different worlds. In her eyes, how could she remember someone like him?


    Following Su Mengxin¡¯s expression of discomfort with everyone gathered around her, the people in the hall returned to their usual small groups, mingling as before. Yet the topic of their conversations obviously involved Su Mengxin, and their glances kept diverting to her, hoping for an opportunity to interact properly with her. Delighting such a great beauty like her could potentially bring them projects worth over a billion.


    Although Sun Dongran lusted after Su Mengxin, he was well aware that, despite being quite influential in Mile City, he was no match for someone like her; the idea of a toad lusting after a swan¡¯s meat was unthinkable to him.


    Scanning the room, his gaze then settled on Xu Yingying. He had harbored feelings for her for some time, but Xu Yingying was not easy to approach. Usually, his invitations were outright ignored by her, and he didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity presented to him today.


    However, with someone like Su Mengxin present, he had to behave appropriately. Not to leave a good impression on her, but even a bad one could have a detrimental effect on his family¡¯s business. Although he was often frivolous, he knew the importance of balance when it came to serious matters.


    Su Mengxin was here for Li Yifei, and upon seeing him, she really wanted to greet him. However, seeing Xu Yingying by his side, she controlled herself.


    Over the past few months, she might not have visited Li Yifei, but she had been keeping an eye on him. She was aware of his transition from a security guard to an employee within the company.


    She had also investigated Li Yifei¡¯s local connections and found that he was alone, without family here.


    If she wanted to, she could even probe into who Li Yifei had contacted and what he had done during this period, but as Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman, it wasn¡¯t just her looks but her intelligence that was most commended. How could a smart woman pry into Li Yifei¡¯s private life? If Li Yifei found out she was investigating him, it would surely repel him.


    In everyone¡¯s eyes, she was a woman showered with love and adoration, and if she wished, she could choose from all the outstanding men in Huaxia. But regarding Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t want to pressure him with her own status. She wanted him to genuinely like her, to truly become her husband¡ªnot because of her identity, but for who she was.


    Su Mengxin had thought about creating an accidental meeting with Li Yifei here, which would give her a reason to interact with him. However, now that Li Yifei was merely a junior employee and had severed ties with the glory of the Flying Hawk Squad, approaching an ordinary person in such a manner could greatly affect him, and perhaps he would even come to despise it.


    Moreover, she knew Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities. Even her lingering glances would probably be noticed by him, so she had to restrain her own feelings and dared not even steal more glances at him.


    If others knew that Su Mengxin had come here for Li Yifei and yet had so many reservations upon seeing him, it would surely drive men all across Huaxia mad.


    But Miss Xu Yingying, who was seated next to Li Yifei, felt a bit puzzled. She had already investigated this Xu Yingying, who was the head of a small company¡ªmaking her attendance at this banquet just barely qualified. However, Li Yifei was merely a low-level employee; how could he possibly be qualified to attend this banquet? Unless... he was brought by Xu Yingying, and moreover, they must share an intimate relationship, otherwise Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be eligible to enter this hall.


    At this thought, Su Mengxin suddenly frowned, startling everyone who was watching her, thinking she might be dissatisfied, which was not good news.


    "Miss Su, if there¡¯s anything that isn¡¯t to your satisfaction, we will correct it," both of them said with trepidation knowing that a word from Su Mengxin could very well determine their futures.


    Su Mengxin gave a slight smile and said, "I am fine, it¡¯s just that I remembered some other matters, don¡¯t worry too much about it."


    Hearing these words, both of them breathed a sigh of relief and, after exchanging a few simple words with Su Mengxin, tactfully stepped aside.


    At this time, Xu Yingying also took the opportunity to greet people from the business and official sectors. While not as dazzling as Su Mengxin, she was certainly one of the most outstanding women at the banquet. Naturally, most gentlemen were more than eager to converse with her.


    Xu Yingying was having a pleasant conversation with a few people when she noticed everyone quieting down, then all of them began to greet someone behind her. Turning around swiftly, she saw Su Mengxin, holding a glass of red wine with elegant poise, approaching her.


    This excited Xu Yingying immensely. She had been thinking about making contact with Su Mengxin and before she could find an excuse, Su Mengxin had come over herself. For the several people with Xu Yingying, this encounter was equally thrilling. Now was a different opportunity than earlier when everyone was together¡ªthis might very well be a great chance.


    Su Mengxin raised her glass in a gesture, took a light sip, and with a smile said, "Don¡¯t mind me, continue your discussions as you were; I just want to listen. Hope you don¡¯t mind?"


    At this, everyone felt a bit awkward, not quite knowing what to say. Xu Yingying took a deep breath to calm her excitement and said, "Miss Su, we were discussing business, and also whether Miss Su is considering expanding into Mile City."


    Su Mengxin smiled at Xu Yingying and replied, "I do like this city, and indeed I would like to do something here. In the future, I hope everyone can support me more."


    As soon as these words were spoken, Xu Yingying and the others were extremely excited. Xu Yingying quickly joined in saying, "Miss Su is a business prodigy. She started her own company at fourteen, by sixteen, she had built its assets to over a hundred million, and by twenty, she elevated it to a large group with assets surpassing ten billion, through her own capacity. These achievements are truly beyond our reach. If Miss Su could develop in our Mile City, it would certainly bring more opportunities. We¡¯re all eagerly awaiting."


    Su Mengxin beamed a pleasant smile and remarked, "It¡¯s nothing worth mentioning. Excuse me, I¡¯m not sure how to address this lady."


    Xu Yingying, thrilled inside, knew she had successfully caught Su Mengxin¡¯s attention, but kept her composure and humbly replied, "My name is Xu Yingying, the General Manager of Qingfeng Group¡¯s Huayang branch." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Miss Xu turns out to be a General Manager. I thought you were a pampered young lady from a wealthy family. No wonder you speak so elegantly," Su Mengxin said as she extended her hand towards Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying quickly shook hands with Su Mengxin and felt her heart nearly leap out of her throat. Everyone knew how much it meant that Su Mengxin took the initiative to shake hands for the first time that evening, not just Xu Yingying, but others understood the significance as well.


    "Miss Su, if you have time, I can show you around Mile City, to help you get to know it better."


    "Sure, let¡¯s plan on that, although I will have to take up some of your precious time, Miss Xu."


    "That¡¯s not an issue at all. To accompany a VIP like Miss Su is an absolute honor for me."


    "Great, then could you give me a business card? I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow."


    "Certainly!" Xu Yingying quickly handed a business card to Su Wanqing, who took it with a soft chuckle, "I don¡¯t have a business card, I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow, okay?"


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly, "No problem!"


    Su Mengxin raised her glass again as a gesture, then walked on with a smile towards the next group of people. Meanwhile, Xu Yingying suddenly became the center of attention at the banquet. Everyone looked at Xu Yingying with immense envy; accompanying Su Mengxin was a tremendous opportunity to have extended contact with her. Even without immediate benefits, becoming friends with Su Mengxin promised immeasurable future advantages.

 Chapter 76: Making Friends

    Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Making FriendsXu Yingying had thought she might encounter some trouble today, but to her surprise, she stumbled upon a great opportunity instead. Su Mengxin had just left for somewhere else,


    and among the attendees was Sunx Nenghui from Tianli Group, who was none other than Sunx Dongran¡¯s father. Due to his respectful treatment of Xu Yingying, Sunx Dongran didn¡¯t dare to harass Xu Yingying anymore.


    Xu Yingying received such attention largely because aside from proposing a joint trip to Mile City to her, Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t mentioned it to anyone else, and while she was also very affable to others, there was a clear difference in the way she treated Xu Yingying. It seemed that Su Mengxin held Xu Yingying in high regard during the banquet.


    Until the end of the banquet, Xu Yingying was incredibly busy, while Li Yifei was bored out of his mind. Seeing that Sunx Dongran no longer bothered Xu Yingying, he simply returned to the bodyguards¡¯ lounge to chat with the others.


    It wasn¡¯t until after ten that the banquet finally ended, and Xu Yingying was a bit drunk. Everyone took turns toasting her, each one insistent, and she indeed drank quite a lot today.


    But Xu Yingying was clearly very excited, and once she got in the car, she said to Li Yifei, "Did you see that? Su Mengxin actually asked me to take her on a trip to Mile City."


    Li Yifei, while driving, responded with a laugh, "I saw that. You really had your moment in the spotlight today."


    "Yeah, ever since I started working, my daily goal has been to grow the company, dealing with big bosses and officials, which is so exhausting. But today, they were all so polite to me, a mere employee had such honor; how could I not be excited?"


    "Then I really must congratulate you. If I had known how today would go, my role as your bodyguard would have been superfluous."


    "Giggle, that seems to be true. But having drunk so much, I definitely couldn¡¯t drive myself; I feel safer having you take me home."


    "I¡¯m a normal man too, alright? Don¡¯t belittle me like that," Li Yifei said, slightly irritated.


    Xu Yingying laughed heartily and said, "I¡¯m praising you, not belittling you. Alright, alright, let¡¯s buy some more drinks later. We can have a bit more to drink when we get back home tonight."


    Li Yifei truly saw Xu Yingying laugh like this for the first time; perhaps this was her true nature, unrestrained when happy. Usually, due to her position, she had to control her emotions constantly, but Li Yifei still shook his head and said, "You¡¯re drinking more? Don¡¯t you have to accompany Su Mengxin on a trip tomorrow?"


    "I know, but I¡¯m just too excited. If I don¡¯t drink a little more, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. Just keep me company, and you can wake me up early tomorrow," she said.


    Rolling his eyes, Li Yifei asked, "Do you really see me as a nanny?"


    "No, no, I don¡¯t have any true friends in Mile City. If you don¡¯t accompany me, who will?"


    "Ah, then it really is an honor for me," he said.


    At that moment, they had arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s residential complex. Li Yifei drove the car straight into the underground parking garage, went up to her apartment with her, and then Xu Yingying urged Li Yifei to go buy drinks.


    Helpless, Li Yifei went and bought a case of canned beer, along with some ready-to-eat food and snacks, and brought them back to Xu Yingying¡¯s apartment.


    However, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t immediately start drinking but sat in front of the computer, seriously looking at something, leaving Li Yifei somewhat speechless. Wasn¡¯t this girl supposed to be drinking? Now she was back to working again.


    "Wait a moment; I feel it¡¯s boring for just the two of us to drink. I¡¯ve invited someone else," Xu Yingying said as she turned and smiled at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt there was a special meaning in Xu Yingying¡¯s smile, and he guessed who she had invited. In Mile City, the only person who would have Xu Yingying¡¯s trust and be qualified to drink with her was certainly Director He Fangqing.


    Moreover, Xu Yingying had always suspected there was something special between him and He Fangqing, which is why she looked at him with that hint of ambiguity in her eyes.


    At that moment, if Li Yifei said he was leaving, it would only confirm his relationship with He Fangqing, so he just smiled faintly and said, "That¡¯s not a bad idea, I¡¯ll get things ready."


    "Hehe, why don¡¯t you go to the entrance of the complex to pick up Director He? Otherwise, she might not find the place," Xu Yingying suggested.


    "Oh, it¡¯s Director He, sure, I¡¯ll go pick her up," Li Yifei said, putting on his shoes to leave without showing any sign of awkwardness.


    Xu Yingying was somewhat surprised, she had thought that upon mentioning He Fangqing¡¯s name, Li Yifei would show some unusual reaction, but who knew this guy would remain so composed. Little did she know, if talking about acting skills, Li Yifei was far stronger than those professional actors. Professional actors act to make money, whereas Li Yifei acted for his own life. Even a slight mistake could cost him his life. With such practiced skills, how could she see through him?


    When they arrived at the entrance of the residential complex, He Fangqing also happened to be getting off a taxi. Li Yifei approached to greet her with a smile, saying, "Director He, President Xu asked me to pick you up."


    "Li Yifei, what are you doing here?" He Fangqing exclaimed in disbelief, her face full of astonishment.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Do you remember that night when you called me and I said I was with President Xu?"


    "What? Was that true?" He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened suddenly.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. I never lie to people. It¡¯s just that some people took my honest words for lies."


    He Fangqing¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, and she lowered her voice to say, "Then, are you President Xu¡¯s boyfriend?"


    "What do you think?" Li Yifei had a smile on his face.


    "This... Logically, there¡¯s a bit of a gap between you and President Xu, so it shouldn¡¯t be that kind of relationship, but you... being here, it does seem like it¡¯s true."


    Now He Fangqing was completely confused.


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "Let¡¯s go; President Xu will tell you about it later."


    As the two walked into the residential complex, after some distance, He Fangqing cautiously said, "She... President Xu doesn¡¯t know, right?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Heh... What¡¯s there for us to know about?"


    "Right, there¡¯s nothing between us. We are just ordinary colleagues." He Fangqing let out a chuckle, but then she glared fiercely at Li Yifei. This guy, it seemed he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge anything after having his fill.


    However, she also knew that this was probably a good approach. She never intended to enter a new relationship anyway. Her few encounters with Li Yifei could only be chalked up to coincidence. These days she hadn¡¯t called Li Yifei even once, wanting her emotions to settle down and move on from her previous failed marriage. She had been fully immersed in her work and was already well adjusted.


    Yet, seeing Li Yifei again unavoidably brought back memories of their joyful times together and made her a bit uncomfortable with his nonchalance.


    When the two reached the upstairs, Li Yifei who had taken the keys with him earlier, directly opened the door, which caused He Fangqing to roll her eyes at him, but upon entering the apartment, she quickly regained her composure.


    "Director He, come over here; I have something important to discuss with you," Xu Yingying called out, already seated on the sofa, with beer and snacks on the table, beckoning He Fangqing over.


    Changing into the shoes that Li Yifei had brought for her felt even more awkward. Li Yifei was so familiar with Xu Yingying¡¯s home and behaved so casually, which surely meant he had been staying here for quite some time.


    "All right." He Fangqing sat beside Xu Yingying and, looking at the beer on the table, immediately remarked, "It seems that President Xu must have some great news, this is clearly a celebration."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "Pretty much. Today I attended a drinks reception and got in touch with Su Mengxin, the number one beauty of Huaxia from Capital City. Tomorrow she wants me to take her on a tour around Mile City, so I asked you to come over and help me plan the route."


    "What? Su Mengxin, the number one beauty of Huaxia?" He Fangqing almost dropped her jaw in shock.


    Xu Yingying, bubbling with excitement, said, "That¡¯s her. She¡¯s currently in Mile City and is planning on investing here. This is a huge gold mine. Being able to cooperate with her would be like manna from heaven for our company."


    "Heavens, this isn¡¯t just manna from heaven; it¡¯s like gold and jewels raining down," exclaimed He Fangqing, her eyes gleaming with excitement.


    However, Li Yifei felt somewhat speechless. It was just Su Mengxin they were talking about. Did the women really have to get this worked up? It would be understandable for men to think this way, but what was there for these two women to be so excited about?

 Chapter 77: Being Drunk is Very Scary

    Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Being Drunk is Very Scary"Yifei, why haven¡¯t you opened the drinks for us yet?" Xu Yingying suddenly turned her head and looked at Li Yifei with a reproachful gaze.


    Li Yifei smirked, opened several cans of beer, and said, "I¡¯m telling you, Xu president, you can¡¯t boss people around like this."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "I¡¯m happy today, so just play along, will you? I¡¯ll even let you smoke."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Li Yifei immediately pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and began to puff away contentedly.


    He Fangqing looked at the two of them, the corner of her mouth twitching, and said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, are you two..."


    Xu Yingying chuckled, said, "It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about him, let¡¯s just talk about us." She actually sidestepped the question.


    He Fangqing could not ask any further, so she and Xu Yingying continued to drink beer and discuss the route for the next day. Neither of them was from Mile City, but there was plenty of information on the computer. While Li Yifei was out buying alcohol, Xu Yingying had already organized most of it with impressive efficiency.


    Both He Fangqing and Xu Yingying were workaholics. Once they started discussing work, they completely forgot about everything else, leaving Li Yifei extremely bored and wanting to leave early. However, as soon as he stood up, Xu Yingying said to him, "Where are you going? If Director He and I drink too much, you¡¯ll have to wake us up early tomorrow morning."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "You could just drink less."


    "Go away, it¡¯s none of your business. We¡¯ll drink as much as we like."


    "Then drink up, I¡¯m going to sleep."


    "No way, you stay with us."


    Li Yifei glared in annoyance. Xu Yingying was being unusually willful today, so different from her usual aloofness.


    "Alright, quit glaring, just drink with us." Xu Yingying actually pulled Li Yifei down by the hand to sit, and her tone... carried a hint of coquettishness.


    Li Yifei glanced at He Fangqing, only to see her secretly glowering at him and downing a big gulp of beer.


    Li Yifei picked up a can of beer and said, "Drink up, drink up. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll get drunk and then take advantage of you two?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with contempt and asked, "Would you dare?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he replied, "You¡¯d better not provoke me. I may not dare do many things, but if two beautiful drunk women were lying in bed, I would definitely dare."


    "Go to hell, just drink your beer," Xu Yingying said, glancing at Li Yifei, then resumed her discussions with He Fangqing.


    "Hey, Director He, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you seem so distracted?" After saying a few words, Xu Yingying stopped and looked intently at He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing rubbed her forehead and said, "President Xu, I can¡¯t hold my liquor. I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy. I need to go wash my face." She then went to the bathroom.


    At this time, Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with a smile, her legs crossed and her calf swinging lightly, and said, "Still dare to say nothing¡¯s wrong?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "When did our President Xu become so nosy?"


    "I please, is it any of your business? Do you want me to get Director He drunk later, to give you a chance?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei stared dumbfounded at Xu Yingying, then said with a wry smile, "I thought the two of you sisters were very different, but now I see, you¡¯re exactly the same. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been hiding your true nature."


    Xu Yingying burst out laughing and said, "You just realized? Seems not too late."


    At that moment, He Fangqing came out of the bathroom. Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing, she felt a twinge of sourness in her heart, but her mood had already calmed down. She smiled and said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, can you stop flaunting your affection with Li Yifei? Please think of my feelings as a woman who has just divorced."


    This made Xu Yingying a little embarrassed, and she hurriedly said, "You¡¯ve got it all wrong. Li Yifei and I have no relationship. It was just during the New Year that I hired him to pretend to be my boyfriend, to deal with my parents."


    "Pretend?" He Fangqing looked at the two, disbelieving.


    Xu Yingying chuckled lightly and said, "Of course it was fake, but this guy is somewhat reliable, so I let him come and drink with us."


    He Fangqing was still doubtful and said, "But it seemed to me that there was a bit of ¡¯real acting within the fake performance.¡¯


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "If you act long enough, you get used to it."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and scolded, "Don¡¯t spout nonsense." Then she turned to He Fangqing and said, "Director He, there¡¯s no one else here, so there¡¯s no need for you to keep hiding things. People always need to look forward."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face turned red, and she stuttered, "We... we... we don¡¯t have anything."


    Xu Yingying laughed heartily and said, "Alright then, if you don¡¯t want to say it, that¡¯s fine. That night when you called this guy, he was at my place."


    At that moment, He Fangqing wished she could find a hole to crawl into, feeling both embarrassed and at a loss. If it weren¡¯t for her recent divorce, she wouldn¡¯t need to feel this way. But having just divorced and getting together with Li Yifei, such a thing was neither easy to explain nor pleasant to hear. People would probably think she and Li Yifei had had an affair for a while, and that¡¯s why she had divorced.


    At this point, Xu Yingying patted He Fangqing¡¯s leg and said, "Sister Fangqing, I know about the stuff that happened at the head office, and it isn¡¯t your fault. Why bother with such a scumbag? Although Li Yifei is nothing special, he¡¯s still much better than your ex-husband."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and protested, "What do you mean I¡¯m ¡¯nothing special¡¯?"


    Xu Yingying glared and retorted, "This has nothing to do with you. We women are talking; why in the world are you men butting in?"


    He Fangqing felt much closer to Xu Yingying after being called "Sister Fangqing" and, having already drunk quite a bit, she tossed her hair and with watery eyes looked at Li Yifei and said, "President Xu is right, this guy is indeed nothing special. He¡¯s okay as a bed partner, but as for being my husband, he definitely wouldn¡¯t make the cut."


    Xu Yingying laughed heartily again and said, "That¡¯s your business, not mine. Let¡¯s continue drinking."


    Li Yifei shook his head. Although He Fangqing was a bit older than Xu Yingying, she was clearly not as cunning. Xu Yingying had easily coaxed her into spilling the beans in just a few words.


    However, it mattered little to him if people knew or didn¡¯t know about them. All that mattered was that He Fangqing didn¡¯t actually want to marry him.


    The atmosphere warmed up considerably after that. All three had drunk quite a lot, and Xu Yingying, already tipsy, stood up and said, "Alright, I¡¯m off to sleep. The room next door is for you two." Then she stagger-stumbled back to her own bedroom.


    He Fangqing was dumbfounded. How could Li Yifei just casually enter Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom, and especially while she was sleeping? That was way too casual, wasn¡¯t it? Could it be that Li Yifei had also slept with Xu Yingying?


    The thought made He Fangqing feel somewhat troubled, but even more so, it was a relief. If Li Yifei had been with Xu Yingying as well, they were all in the same boat, and there¡¯d be no need for awkwardness.


    Li Yifei, unaware that his actions had led He Fangqing to such thoughts, had already reached Xu Yingying¡¯s bedside. Seeing that Xu Yingying was still deep in slumber, he nudged her shoulder and said, "President Xu, time to get up."


    Xu Yingying grunted and opened her eyes, asking, "What time is it?"


    "Half-past six."


    "Oh, then I need to get up," said Xu Yingying as she sat up, wearing her pyjamas and shaking her head, looking utterly exhausted.


    "I told you not to drink too much, but you just had to. Look at the state you¡¯re in," Li Yifei shook his head.


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "It¡¯s not because I drank. I was about to fall asleep, but your voices were so loud I couldn¡¯t sleep."


    There was a loud "bang!" from outside, as if someone had bumped into the door. Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but laugh and called out, "Sister Fangqing, are you okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine," He Fangqing hastily replied.


    Xu Yingying laughed again, then glared at Li Yifei and said, "Now get out; I¡¯m changing clothes."


    "Change then, you¡¯ve changed in front of me before," Li Yifei muttered under his breath but still quickly left the room.


    Xu Yingying snorted and began to change her clothes at rapid speed. Today¡¯s affair was too important, and she couldn¡¯t afford to be unprepared. If Su Mengxin called early and she wasn¡¯t ready, it would be truly impolite.

 Chapter 78 Don’t I Deserve You?

    Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Don¡¯t I Deserve You?Xu Yingying changed her clothes and walked out of the bedroom, only to see He Fangqing coming out of the bathroom. She immediately chuckled and said, "Sister Fangqing, you look really beautiful this morning."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face turned red at once, and she said, "How can I compare with President Xu like you."


    Li Yifei, upon hearing this, almost bumped his head against the door, while Xu Yingying instantly blushed and hastily said, "Sister Fangqing, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t have any sort of relationship with him."


    He Fangqing, with her arms crossed, looked Xu Yingying up and down and said with a smile, "Really? But when I saw a certain someone enter your room, it was as if he was entering his own room, and you did not seem uncomfortable at all. President Xu, is it that any man can just enter your room?"


    Xu Yingying was immediately left speechless by He Fangqing¡¯s words and, with a flushed face, she explained, "That was when he was pretending to be my boyfriend; we had to share a room."


    "Giggle, and you must share the bed too, right?"


    "No... not at all!" Xu Yingying said, clearly lacking confidence.


    He Fangqing laughed softly and said, "Alright, you don¡¯t have to explain. We¡¯re all adults here, these things are normal. I won¡¯t interfere with your relationship. I¡¯m not planning to remarry anyway. As long as you don¡¯t mind our past, I won¡¯t have anything to do with Li Yifei ever again."


    Knowing He Fangqing completely misunderstood, Xu Yingying quickly said, "Sister Fangqing, you really have it wrong. I have absolutely no relationship with Li Yifei, so whatever you want to do is up to you."


    "A girl can¡¯t be too proud or too easily embarrassed. If you are, someone else might benefit instead of me."


    At this moment, Li Yifei was dumbfounded, having not expected Xu Yingying and He Fangqing to bargain with him in such a way. It truly wounded his male ego. He immediately raised his hand and called out, "Ladies, could you not drag me into this? Whom I want to marry is my business; it has nothing to do with you."


    "What?" Both Xu Yingying and He Fangqing immediately glared at Li Yifei with murderous eyes, then in unison demanded angrily, "Aren¡¯t President Xu (Sister Fangqing) good enough for you?"


    Li Yifei was frightened by the two of them and gave a wry smile. "One of you is the boss, and the other is a director. I¡¯m just a small employee. It¡¯s me who isn¡¯t worthy of you two. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s not pair up at all. We¡¯re just friends, good friends."


    Li Yifei felt awkward about what he said. Talking about being a match or not seemed like they were talking about breeding pigs or horses.


    "Hmph, you think you can just walk away without taking responsibility?" Xu Yingying and He Fangqing both voiced their protest, but each was referring to the other.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I¡¯ll take responsibility. Then I¡¯ll continue ¡¯eating¡¯ tonight."


    "Get lost." Both He Fangqing and Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei, with He Fangqing being somewhat calmer and Xu Yingying glaring fiercely at him.


    "What¡¯s the matter, you said I don¡¯t take responsibility after ¡¯eating¡¯. I¡¯m owning up, and now you disagree?"


    "Go to hell!" Frustrated, both spoke almost identically and then turned away to organize their things.


    Li Yifei touched his nose, finding the situation quite amusing. But playfulness aside, he didn¡¯t have any serious intentions, especially towards Xu Yingying¡ªit was just a messy situation.


    At seven o¡¯clock, Li Yifei drove Xu Yingying and He Fangqing toward the company.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were no longer messing around with Li Yifei but were seriously discussing the details regarding the reception of Su Mengxin, careful not to miss anything.


    Once at the company, people saw Li Yifei with the two beautiful women, but only thought of him as a driver, never imagining that he had spent the previous night staying with them in the same house.


    Back at the logistics department, colleagues greeted Li Yifei warmly, their relationship had improved since the last incident, and he happily joked around with them for a bit.


    "Brother Li, Zhao QingSheng might have been kicked out of the company, but he wasn¡¯t arrested. I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll still trouble you, so you should be careful," Michelle whispered a caution to Li Yifei when she had a chance.


    "Thanks for the heads-up," Li Yifei said, not taking Zhao QingSheng seriously. In the company, he might not be able to act freely, but outside, if Zhao QingSheng caused trouble for him, Li Yifei had countless ways to deal with him.


    "All this happened because you were helping me, and that¡¯s how you made an enemy of him," Michelle said, her eyes filled with remorse.


    "Ah, let it be. If you keep going, it seems like you¡¯re going to offer yourself in repayment," Li Yifei teased Michelle with a laugh.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned bright red, and she stammered, "Brother Li, you... you¡¯re bullying me."


    "Hehe, just joking, don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Michelle pouted her lips and said, "Brother Li has learned to be naughty now. He never bullied me before."


    "Ha, that¡¯s because we¡¯re familiar with each other now."


    At that moment, Michelle wasn¡¯t really angry and after chatting with Li Yifei for a bit longer, she sat down to work.


    Li Yifei was thinking of finding something to do when his cell phone rang, it was Xu Yingying¡¯s call. As soon as he answered, Xu Yingying spoke first, "Today you¡¯re still going to be my driver, take me and Su Mengxin for an outing. You can¡¯t tell anyone in the department about this."


    "Oh, got it." Li Yifei hung up the phone. Being Xu Yingying¡¯s driver wasn¡¯t that big of a deal¡ªit was just that he wasn¡¯t sure if Su Mengxin would recognize him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After going downstairs, Li Yifei waited for less than five minutes before Xu Yingying came down and handed him a car key, saying, "Keep this key. From now on, you will be my personal driver."


    "No more working in the logistics department?" Li Yifei opened the car door and asked with confusion.


    "Isn¡¯t the driver also part of the logistics department? From now on, I¡¯ll have Minister Zheng assign you less work. If I need a car, you¡¯ll come drive for me. What, are you not happy about that?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "How could I not be? Driving exclusively for a leader is a good thing. Others can¡¯t even ask for it."


    "Good to know, let¡¯s go, to the White Dove Hotel."


    Li Yifei started the navigation, entered White Dove Hotel as the destination, and then drove towards it along the route.


    Xu Yingying sat in the back, looking somewhat tense. Li Yifei shook his head and said, "President Xu, being this nervous, won¡¯t you leave a bad impression?"


    Xu Yingying took a deep breath and replied, "I am indeed a little nervous."


    "No matter how you slice it, she¡¯s also a person. You think too highly of her, that¡¯s why you¡¯re so nervous. Just treat her like an ordinary person."


    "Easy for you to say. When you really come into close contact with her, you¡¯ll feel the nerves."


    Li Yifei smiled and said nothing. His close contact with Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t have been closer¡ªhe had not only carried Su Mengxin on his back for a day but even tore off her skirt and kissed her. If Xu Yingying knew, he wondered what she would think.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t think this meant he had anything special with Su Mengxin. At the time, he was on assignment, fighting for his life; there was no room for other considerations. Besides, someone like Su Mengxin, how could she care about someone who was just there to protect her?


    More than ten minutes later, Li Yifei had already arrived in front of White Dove Hotel. He waited in the car, while Xu Yingying went inside the hotel.


    After a while, Xu Yingying came out with Su Mengxin, along with three Zhongnanhai bodyguards¡ªtwo men and one woman, with the men in the front and back, and the woman closely following Su Mengxin. Their gazes were exceedingly sharp, scanning the surroundings. Should there be any disturbance, they would respond most appropriately.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t get out of the car, waiting for Xu Yingying to get in by herself. The main thing was, he seemed to not want to meet Su Mengxin in his heart.


    Surprisingly, Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin came right up to his car. Then the female bodyguard opened the rear door, took a glance inside, and then Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying actually got into his car.


    Miss Xu, aren¡¯t you worried about your safety leaving your bodyguards behind?" Xu Yingying asked with concern, once both were in the car.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, glancing unintentionally at Li Yifei, and said, "I believe there will be absolutely no issue with safety."


    "This... wouldn¡¯t it be better to have them follow us?"


    Su Mengxin shook her head and replied, "Miss Xu, this is our country. I don¡¯t think it is so chaotic that going for a casual stroll would pose safety issues. Besides... don¡¯t you have a driver here? He should be able to protect our safety, right?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, having heard from people at the company that when Li Yifei went out with Michelle, he alone had beaten up three thugs. But those were just thugs, which hardly reassured Xu Yingying.


    Knowing Su Mengxin recognized him from her words, Li Yifei understood she had yet to reveal his past identity, and for whatever reason, he liked that. Turning to them with a smile, he said, "President Xu, Miss Su, I can take responsibility for your safety. Where are we heading now?"


    A driver should remain silent and wait at this point. Li Yifei¡¯s proactive inquiry clearly wasn¡¯t becoming of a qualified driver. Furthermore, he was boasting, which made Xu Yingying frown slightly and almost glare at him.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin gave a slight smile, meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, "Where we go is up to you. Wherever you take me, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go."


    Feeling that Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t displeased, Xu Yingying quickly said, "Let¡¯s start with Hualong Temple, then. It¡¯s the most historic temple in Mile City."

 Chapter 79: Reminiscing Old Times

    Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Reminiscing Old TimesLi Yifei drove the car while Xu Yingying explained the local customs and culture to Su Mengxin in the back. Su Mengxin listened intently, her face always adorned with a smile, as if she was very interested. But Li Yifei couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that what truly interested Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t what Xu Yingying was talking about but rather an interest in him.


    Especially when he caught glimpses of Su Mengxin looking at him through the rearview mirror, it made him feel uneasy. What exactly did this woman want to do?


    Hualong Temple was situated on a small hill over five hundred meters high. The car could only make it halfway up the mountain, and from there, they had to walk the rest. Li Yifei parked the car, and Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin got out.


    Li Yifei followed suit, getting out as well. He didn¡¯t want to, but as a member of the Flying Hawk Squad, his sense of security was very strong. With a person like Su Mengxin showing up here, it was likely that some people might target her, and problems could arise.


    Moreover, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t bring any bodyguards, obviously because she knew he was following her, which meant she had recognized him yesterday already.


    Li Yifei took a hiking bag from the back, filled with some water, then followed behind Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin, making their way up the steps towards the top of the mountain.


    The weather was great today, with a feeling of spring in the air, and it was no longer so cold outside. Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin were both dressed in casual clothes with sneakers.


    "Can I have a bottle of water?" After ascending over a hundred steps, Su Mengxin turned and asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately took out a bottle of water from the bag and handed it over.


    Su Mengxin took it, thanked him, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, then continued walking forward, holding the water.


    Xu Yingying, considerate as ever, said to Su Mengxin, "Miss Su, let him carry the water. It¡¯s still quite a climb ahead."


    Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and said, "No need, I can carry it myself. He¡¯s got enough on his plate already."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "It¡¯s okay, really. He¡¯s strong, carrying this is nothing for him."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly, saying, "I still don¡¯t know who this gentleman is. Miss Xu, you haven¡¯t introduced us."


    Xu Yingying said, "He¡¯s a driver from my company."


    "Oh? Your driver, but I think I saw him at the cocktail party yesterday, didn¡¯t I?"


    Xu Yingying said, somewhat embarrassed, "Sorry about that. Yesterday, a man wouldn¡¯t leave me alone, and I couldn¡¯t shake him off. I had to pull him in as my shield."


    The corners of Su Mengxin¡¯s mouth turned up slightly as she asked, "So, Miss Xu, you haven¡¯t got a boyfriend till now?"


    "Yeah, not yet. Miss Su, it seems you don¡¯t have one either. I¡¯ve never seen any reports about your boyfriend."


    "I don¡¯t have one either."


    Talking about personal matters with Su Mengxin was something Xu Yingying had prepared in advance, as it was the best way to close the distance between them.


    With such conversation, the climb seemed much easier, and after more than half an hour, the three of them reached the top of the mountain and arrived at the entrance of Hualong Temple.


    Hualong Temple really was quite large and well-preserved, with bustling incense offerings. Even though there wasn¡¯t a temple fair today, there were still quite a few people here, each of them bringing a sincere heart. It seemed that even the sight of beauties like Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin didn¡¯t draw much attention as if having impure thoughts in front of the Buddha would prevent blessings.


    Xu Yingying explained the history and background of Hualong Temple to Su Mengxin, speaking authoritatively as if she were a native of Mile City.


    This made Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire Xu Yingying. She truly was capable.


    "Ouch!" After touring the temple for a while, Su Mengxin suddenly gasped and then held onto Xu Yingying, saying with a pained expression, "I twisted my ankle." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How is it?" Xu Yingying was startled. Luo Mengxin¡¯s status was very sensitive, and if she got injured under her escort, she would definitely bear a lot of responsibility.


    "It shouldn¡¯t be too serious, I¡¯ll just rest for a bit," Su Mengxin said with a smile, though it was somewhat forced.


    Xu Yingying quickly helped Su Mengxin to a nearby stone table to sit down and then asked anxiously, "Miss Su, how do you feel now?"


    "It¡¯s not a big deal, I often twist my ankle like this. Just need to apply some medicated oil to relieve the pain, but I didn¡¯t bring any today," Su Mengxin replied.


    Xu Yingying promptly said, "They should have some in the temple. Li Yifei, go and find some quickly."


    Miss Su Mengxin quickly said, "Miss Xu, could you please go instead? I still need a bodyguard by my side to feel at ease."


    Xu Yingying was startled by Su Mengxin¡¯s words and hurriedly nodded, "Yes, it should be me who goes. Li Yifei, take good care of Miss Su, and make sure nothing goes wrong."


    "It¡¯s fine, you go ahead," Li Yifei nodded, knowing that Su Mengxin must have something to say to him.


    Sure enough, after Xu Yingying ran off, Su Mengxin squinted her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Hawk Number Two, do you still remember me?"


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "I really didn¡¯t expect to see Miss Su here. Thank you for not revealing my former identity."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "I know your past identity needed to be kept secret, so of course I wouldn¡¯t speak of it. But why have you returned to civilian life? And even as a junior employee? This is what I¡¯m curious about."


    Li Yifei took a seat opposite Su Mengxin and said, "It¡¯s nothing much, just feeling a bit tired and wanting to rest. As for being a junior employee, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with it. I live quite comfortably these days."


    Su Mengxin stared at Li Yifei and said slowly, "With your abilities, it¡¯s such a waste to just be a junior employee."


    "It¡¯s not a waste. I was with the Flying Hawk Squad for five years, and I didn¡¯t let down the country that trained me, not even once."


    "Oh," Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei and gently shook her head.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to dwell on this topic, but changed the subject, "What brings you to Mile City? This small city really isn¡¯t big enough for someone of your stature."


    To others, Su Mengxin was someone with a very strong background; the Su Family was one of the most powerful families in Huaxia. Besides, her own abilities were exceptional, especially in the business arena, where she stood out from the crowd.


    The last time Su Mengxin was on a mission, there was an accident, allowing the enemy to discover her, leading to a relentless pursuit. If not for Li Yifei, she would have met her end in a foreign land.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "You¡¯re tired, I¡¯m tired too. After the incident last time, my identity was exposed, and I¡¯m no longer suited for that work. So now, I¡¯m just doing my own thing."


    "Then congratulations to you. I¡¯ve always thought you weren¡¯t fit for such work. Plus, you have a good grandfather, so why bother with those things?"


    "Maybe it¡¯s because I like facing various challenges," Su Mengxin smiled faintly.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying came running back, holding a bottle of pain relief spray. Li Yifei and Su Mengxin concluded their reminiscing.


    In fact, Su Mengxin had no real issues; she just wanted to get rid of Xu Yingying for the moment. Pretending to spray a bit and moving her foot around, she declared herself fine, which relieved Xu Yingying.


    The trio took a stroll around the temple, and Xu Yingying took Su Mengxin around several spots in Mile City. There wasn¡¯t anything particularly special about Mile City, so it was quite an effort for Xu Yingying to pick out a few places.


    After dropping Su Mengxin off at the hotel, the three Zhongnanhai Bodyguards finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then Li Yifei said goodbye to Xu Yingying and left.


    Back in the hotel, Su Mengxin looked at some recent information that only had Li Yifei¡¯s current address and the situation of the neighbors around him. Seeing this, a smile appeared on her lips. She then said to her female bodyguard, "I¡¯m going to stay in Mile City for a while. I¡¯ve already chosen a house. You guys can pick out nearby houses to settle down."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were on their way back to the company in the car. Xu Yingying, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at Li Yifei and said with some concern, "Do you think I entertained her well today?"


    "Very well," Li Yifei replied with a smile.


    "But... I always feel like she wasn¡¯t very satisfied, like she was somewhat distracted at the last place we visited."


    "Our Mile City is just that small. If she didn¡¯t like it, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. You¡¯ve done your part by showing her the local customs and culture," Li Yifei said.


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "You do have a point. Maybe I care too much about what she thinks, which is why I¡¯m always afraid I might have overlooked something."


    Upon returning to the company, Li Yifei had nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t ask him to drive her home that evening, so Li Yifei went straight back to his own place. After spending over ten days away from home, he was finally going to sleep well in his own bed.


    A few days ago, Meng Xiaofei called him, saying she wanted to eat the food he cooked, but he was at the warehouse, so she missed out. Today, Li Yifei was indeed considering whether to have dinner with the flight attendant, but when he called Meng Xiaofei, her phone was off, likely because she was working. So, Li Yifei let the idea go.


    After a simple meal at home, Li Yifei went to the bar in the evening. He didn¡¯t come looking to pick someone up tonight but just wanted to have a drink and relax. Yet, he saw Lin Qiong, the policewoman, there. She wasn¡¯t in uniform, and she was sitting in a booth with a man in his forties.


    Observing the two, Li Yifei knew they were on a mission, their target being a man sitting in a booth in the corner.

 Chapter 80: Too Weak

    Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Too WeakHowever, Li Yifei immediately sensed that Lin Qiong¡¯s mission this time might be dangerous, because the man sitting in the corner, though keeping his head down, clearly emanated a murderous aura that Li Yifei could feel. This kind of murderous intent could only be displayed by someone who had truly killed people, and not just one at that.


    This was undoubtedly a dangerous individual, who likely carried a weapon on him and could easily be referred to as a hardened criminal.


    Lin Qiong was just a young policewoman in her twenties and the man seated with her looked a bit burly, except his protruding beer belly betrayed his combat ability. Relying on just the two of them, there was no way to overpower such a vicious criminal.


    Li Yifei genuinely couldn¡¯t understand, facing such a dangerous person, how it came to be just the two of them, the police officers. Perhaps they had encountered this individual by chance and therefore had followed him in.


    Li Yifei was right. After Lin Qiong got off work, she and the Deputy Director from her unit took the same route and, when they were not far from the bar, they spotted the dangerous man, who was a wanted criminal with at least seven lives on his record. Thus, they immediately followed him. They were aware that they could not subdue this dangerous individual by themselves, so they had called the criminal investigation team before entering. Now, their job was merely to keep an eye on him until the team arrived, which would only take a few more minutes.


    But just then, the dangerous individual stood up and made a beeline for the bar¡¯s entrance.


    Lin Qiong was in a panic. The environment around the bar was complicated; if they let this guy slip away, there would be too many escape routes to track him easily. She immediately stood up. The Deputy Director wanted to stop her, but it was too late, so he had no choice but to man up and follow her lead.


    "Stop, don¡¯t move, I¡¯m a police officer," Lin Qiong directly blocked the dangerous man¡¯s path and revealed her identity.


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly. Announcing one¡¯s identity as a police officer could intimidate ordinary people, but by doing so in front of such a dangerous individual, Lin Qiong had placed herself in great danger.


    After all, Li Yifei recognized Lin Qiong, and besides, after so many years in the military, he couldn¡¯t just stand by in such a situation. Pretending to be drunk, he staggered toward Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong was completely oblivious to Li Yifei; her entire focus was on the dangerous man.


    "Heh, trying to catch me?" the dangerous man raised his head, his laughter disgustingly unpleasant, like a cracked gong being struck.


    "It¡¯s you I¡¯m arresting!" With the fearlessness of a beginner, Lin Qiong went straight for the man¡¯s arms, despite knowing he was a dangerous individual.


    The Deputy Director also immediately reached out to grab the dangerous man.


    Under normal circumstances, once they grasped his arms, they could work together to wrestle them behind his back, and then subdue him.


    But a man responsible for the lives of at least seven people and still at large wasn¡¯t going to be easily caught.


    Accompanied by two muffled grunts, both Lin Qiong and the Deputy Director cried out in pain and involuntarily tumbled outwards, while the guy burst out laughing and quickly dashed out of the bar.


    Li Yifei did not interfere; he could tell that Lin Qiong and the Deputy Director were not seriously hurt, and besides, the man had moved too fast. Without revealing his own strength, stopping the man would indeed be challenging for Li Yifei.


    But at that moment, Lin Qiong steadied herself with a hand on the nearby table and leaped up, sprinting after the fugitive. Her speed was in no way inferior to the dangerous man¡¯s prior movements.


    Li Yifei was somewhat surprised. Judging by Lin Qiong¡¯s capabilities, she seemed like a rookie straight out of the police academy, so how could her burst of speed be so powerful? Indeed, she was quite fast.


    Lin Qiong, in fact, was a green rookie from the police academy, but before that, she had been a city-level athlete specializing in the 100 and 200 meters dash, so her initial speed was unbeatable by most. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During her time at the police academy, she continued to train physically. Hence, when she quickly rushed out of the bar, she still saw the back of the dangerous individual and immediately gave chase.


    The hardened criminal, surprised that Lin Qiong could follow so quickly, knew it would be troublesome to get entangled with her in such a place, so he too increased his speed and ran hard forward.


    As one pursued and the other fled, the hardened criminal deliberately headed for secluded areas. Lin Qiong¡¯s pursuit was annoying him, and he was no longer focused on merely escaping; another thought had crossed his mind¡ªto kill the lone policewoman who had chased after him.


    At this moment, Lin Qiong had only one thought in her mind: to catch this guy. She hadn¡¯t considered the danger she might encounter.


    Soon the two of them charged into a single-story residential area, a place slated for demolition. The houses were mostly stripped down to ruins, with broken walls everywhere and not a soul in sight. At this moment, the fierce criminal stopped and turned to look coldly at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong had been chasing him for a full five to six hundred meters. Though she was in good physical condition and an athlete, such high-speed running was extremely taxing. She quickly braked to a halt, panting heavily, and stared at the criminal.


    "You¡¯ve got guts, girl, chasing me all this way," the criminal sneered, taking the initiative to walk towards Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she realized she had pursued him alone. Her Deputy Director was nowhere to be found, long lost in the chase.


    "Don¡¯t... move, I am a police officer," Lin Qiong yelled loudly. However, as just a neighborhood officer from the police station, she had no gun in hand, and she wasn¡¯t in uniform. Even with her eyes glaring, she would be intimidating to others, but against a criminal as fierce as this one, her stare held no deterrence whatsoever.


    "You think police are something special?" the criminal mocked, pursing his lips before closing in on Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong clenched her fists tightly, her body shaking slightly. Since graduating from the police academy, she¡¯d only been on the job for just over half a year and had never really caught a criminal. That misunderstanding with Li Yifei was the first time, and now she faced a second confrontation with a ruthless criminal. How could she not be nervous?


    "Ah!" Lin Qiong let out a shout, like a prelude to Heroine mustering her power, then pushed off the ground and charged towards the criminal. After all, she had learned combat techniques at the police academy, and her momentum was formidable.


    Unfortunately, while Lin Qiong had learned combat, those skills hadn¡¯t been tested in practice. This criminal, able to elude capture despite having many lives on his conscience, clearly had formidable abilities. The techniques Lin Qiong had learned were simply trivial in his eyes.


    Moreover, the criminal didn¡¯t want to waste time here. His hand brushed his waist, and a dagger gleaming with a cold light appeared in his hand, thrusting viciously towards Lin Qiong¡¯s abdomen.


    Lin Qiong was aghast, now fully understanding how formidable the criminal was. Her decision to chase him alone was extremely unwise. But even if she had wanted to dodge, because she had charged too fiercely, there was no room left to maneuver, and she could only see a flash of cold light before her, inwardly crying out, knowing she was finished.


    But just as Lin Qiong was resigned to her fate, a large foot suddenly stretched out from behind her. Before the criminal¡¯s dagger could reach Lin Qiong¡¯s abdomen, it struck solidly against the criminal¡¯s stomach.


    "Thump!" A muffled sound rang out, and the criminal¡¯s body flew like a kite with its string cut, crashing through a broken wall three to four meters away and getting buried by falling bricks and tiles.


    This rapid turn of events left Lin Qiong without time to react. When she came to her senses, everything was already over.


    Lin Qiong abruptly turned around and saw a man standing behind her, currently holding a cigarette in his mouth, smiling at her.


    "Who... who are you?" Lin Qiong knew this man had helped her, but she had never seen him before, and the first impression he gave her was that he looked too ordinary, with not a single distinguishing feature on his face. This unusual feeling perplexed her.


    Usually, when meeting a stranger, one will form a certain impression, but the man before her just didn¡¯t invoke that sense, as if he was extraordinarily plain, almost unrecognizable if thrown into a crowd.


    "Girl, you¡¯re brave but your strength is really poor," the man said with a somewhat raspy voice, shaking his head.


    Lin Qiong would ordinarily have taken umbrage at such criticism, but today she truly understood her insignificance in the eyes of some powerful individuals who weren¡¯t afraid of the police¡ªa stark contrast to her small pride, which the criminal had utterly crushed.


    "Why... why did you help me?"


    "Police and public cooperation, isn¡¯t that how it should be?"


    "Ah, thank you, then. Would you mind helping me catch him again?" Lin Qiong asked, no longer daring to be pretentious after recalling the criminal¡¯s brutality and appealing to the man for help.


    The man replied with a smile, "Do you still need my help now?"


    A strange feeling surged in Lin Qiong once again; there was something about the man¡¯s smile that felt off-putting. Nevertheless, his words made her realize what had happened. She hurried to check on the criminal and saw him half-buried under bricks, revealing only his chest upward, spitting blood and clearly too injured to fight back.


    Lin Qiong was astounded, only then remembering how the criminal ended up this way¡ªit was just one kick from the man. A single kick that sent someone flying three to four meters and brought down a wall must have required tremendous strength.

 Chapter 81: I’ve Brought Them All

    Chapter 81: Chapter 81: I¡¯ve Brought Them All"Kid, you¡¯re pretty impressive, catching this criminal all by yourself," the man said from behind Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong quickly turned around, looking at the man with confusion. "I didn¡¯t catch him," she said.


    "But you¡¯re the only cop here. If you didn¡¯t catch him, then who did?"


    "You caught him."


    "Ah, you¡¯re really stubborn, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Ah, I get it now, you don¡¯t want others to know about you?" Lin Qiong suddenly realized, looking at the mysterious man with surprise.


    "At least you¡¯re not too dumb."


    However, Lin Qiong shook her head repeatedly and said, "No, no, I can¡¯t take credit for your work. If it was you who caught him, then it was you."


    The man grinned and suddenly pointed behind Lin Qiong, shouting, "Watch out!"


    Lin Qiong quickly turned around, but everything was calm; the thug was still lying there, spitting blood, without any ability to attack.


    Looking back at the man, she found nobody behind her. Instant chills ran down Lin Qiong¡¯s spine. She hadn¡¯t noticed the man¡¯s arrival, and when he left, she hadn¡¯t noticed either. His skills were truly fearsome.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to go after this man. She quickly phoned the Deputy Director to have him bring the criminal investigation team over.


    Soon, two police cars arrived at the scene as if they¡¯d flown there, and several detectives jumped out. Armed to the teeth and with guns in hand, they were all a bit dumbfounded when they saw Lin Qiong standing there and the criminal lying amidst a pile of bricks. What was going on? Had Lin Qiong apprehended this guy all by herself?


    Later, the detectives pulled the thug out from the bricks and took him straight to the hospital. Lin Qiong also went to the criminal investigation department. After such an incident, she was sure to cooperate with their investigation.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t follow the man¡¯s wishes. She recounted the whole event exactly as it happened. Meanwhile, the thug¡¯s medical examination results came in; he had six broken ribs¡ªthat was the most direct damage, not counting being hit by bricks.


    To break six ribs of such a physically fit thug with a single kick, it wasn¡¯t just Lin Qiong who couldn¡¯t do this, but even the detectives, who were getting increasingly anxious inside. It was known that even the best fighters in the squad couldn¡¯t break six ribs with one kick. This man¡¯s strength was too overwhelming.


    The fact that such a formidable person existed was a matter of concern for the detective squad. If the man only did good deeds, that was one thing, but if he turned to evil, it could become a much more terrifying scenario. So they asked Lin Qiong to describe the man¡¯s appearance and attempted to reconstruct his face with technology.


    However, when Lin Qiong tried to recall, apart from knowing the man¡¯s height and roughly describing his build, she found herself unexpectedly unable to describe the man¡¯s face. Looking at the various features on the computer, she felt every one of them looked both similar and dissimilar. It was incredibly frustrating. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Naturally, the mysterious man was Li Yifei. He had followed Lin Qiong when she gave chase but altered his appearance before showing up. Such a skill was not something ordinary people could master. In some martial arts novels, this was called a Disguise Technique.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t really change his face at will, but he could alter his appearance considerably by moving his facial muscles. This incredibly ordinary appearance was something he was particularly good at. Its primary feature was that it was forgettable, preventing the police from tracking him down later.


    Although it was for a good deed, Li Yifei still didn¡¯t want the police¡¯s attention. Even if his identity could prevent any suspicion from the police, if he was constantly asked for help in the future, he wouldn¡¯t be free to do the things he wanted to do.


    The next day, Li Yifei went to work at his company. Today, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t seek him out, and Su Mengxin had no contact with him either, so his day was relatively relaxed.


    When he got home in the evening, he felt that someone had moved into the vacant room on the right side. It seemed he had a new neighbor, but who could it be?


    Li Yifei was not the type to knock on the door to see who it was just because there was a new neighbor. People in the city had become accustomed to not knowing their neighbors even on the same floor.


    After finishing cooking, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t started eating when there was a knock at the door. He went to open it and saw Lin Qiong, the policewoman.


    "Officer Lin, what brings you here?" Li Yifei asked in surprise.


    Lin Qiong, with a stern face, said, "I came to find out about a situation."


    Li Yifei immediately said cheerfully, "Sure, sure, come on in. I just finished cooking; do you want to eat something?"


    "No need," Lin Qiong shook her head and replied, "You can eat first. I¡¯ll wait and ask you afterward."


    "Thanks a lot, I¡¯m really starving," said Li Yifei as he unceremoniously took a seat at the dining table and started wolfing down the food.


    Although the dinner Li Yifei made tonight was simple, for someone who appreciated good food like him, even simple dishes could taste quite delicious. Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t had dinner yet, and at the smell of the food, her stomach couldn¡¯t help but growl a few times.


    "Officer Lin, aren¡¯t you hungry? Come have some," Li Yifei offered right away.


    "No, thank you," Lin Qiong declined immediately, having never really liked this fellow, Li Yifei.


    While eating, Li Yifei continued, "Well, forget it then. I was worried there wouldn¡¯t be enough for me if you did eat."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face darkened. The way this guy talked was truly exasperating. And with the tantalizing smell wafting in the air, she only felt hungrier. What bothered her most was that this guy ate like a woman, slowly and deliberately, which was excruciating for Lin Qiong.


    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Li Yifei finished eating, relieving Lin Qiong from this torture. Only once he came over and sat down on the sofa did Lin Qiong start to grill him, "Where were you last night between nine and ten o¡¯clock?"


    Li Yifei looked at Lin Qiong, puzzled, and asked, "Officer Lin, I¡¯m not involved in some case, am I?"


    "Cut the crap and just answer the question," Lin Qiong said with a straight face.


    Lamenting his bad luck, Li Yifei said, "I really am unlucky. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong... I went to the bar after eight last night to have a few drinks. After a while, I saw you. I wanted to say hi, but you stopped someone, and then you and another guy... got knocked out. After that, you chased after him."


    Lin Qiong had checked the bar¡¯s surveillance footage today and saw Li Yifei there, even noticed him approaching her, which was why she¡¯d sought him out.


    "Did you go to the bar just to drink?" Lin Qiong stared intently into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, which were windows to the soul, believing she would be able to tell if he was lying.


    Indeed, Li Yifei¡¯s gaze wavered at that moment, prompting Lin Qiong to say with a stern look, "Tell the truth."


    Li Yifei grimaced and let out a dry chuckle, then said, "You know what a bar is like. I just wanted to hunt for beauty. When I saw Officer Lin there, I was quite puzzled. I thought you had similar interests, so... I wanted to hit on you."


    "What?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened at once, feeling an urge to strangle him on the spot.


    "Officer Lin, don¡¯t be mad. I realized later that you were on a mission and didn¡¯t bother you, but... that guy was really tough. He took you both down in no time. When you went after him, I got worried and ran out too, but by the time I got outside, you were both gone. I was really afraid he¡¯d dealt with you, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay now. That puts my mind at ease," Li Yifei said, patting his chest.


    As Lin Qiong listened to Li Yifei going on about how she was knocked down, it left her feeling quite depressed. Everything he said matched up with what was on the surveillance footage, so she no longer suspected him. However, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s feigned concern still made her break out in a cold sweat. With a stern face, she said, "Thanks for your concern. Did you notice any other suspicious people in the bar? Like, did anyone else run out after me?"


    Asking this question made Lin Qiong slightly nervous. She wanted to find the mysterious man, yet despite scouring through all the footage, his trace was nowhere to be found. His build was somewhat similar to Li Yifei¡¯s, but she couldn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei would have such strong skills. Putting aside the different appearances, she remembered when she mistook Li Yifei for a thief and knew well that he wasn¡¯t very formidable.


    So she hoped Li Yifei had seen the man or could provide some useful information.


    "I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I was only interested in watching you," Li Yifei replied.


    His response dashed Lin Qiong¡¯s hopes, and she said irritably, "Why would you want to watch me?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "For the show, of course. I wanted to see how you... catch a crook."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s insincere appearance, Lin Qiong felt provoked and said, "Did you want to see how I get beaten by crooks?"


    Li Yifei laughed nervously and said, "Of course not. I hold no grudge against the police. You¡¯re our community officer, and I was just showing a bit of concern."


    Getting to her feet, Lin Qiong snorted, and after casting a glance around Li Yifei¡¯s place, she said, "There¡¯s no one else living here?"


    "No one, it¡¯s just me living here alone."


    "Hmm, I don¡¯t care if you have someone over for a night, but if you¡¯re going to have someone stay here long-term, you must register them with me," Lin Qiong reminded.


    "I understand, I will definitely cooperate with Officer Lin¡¯s work," Li Yifei assured.

 Chapter 82 Su Yiyi’s Trouble

    Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Su Yiyi¡¯s TroubleXu Yingying had been quite busy these days, and Li Yifei, her personal chauffeur, was running around with her, rarely returning to the logistics department.


    However, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen Su Mengxin since then. While Xu Yingying was at work, he knew that she got along well with Su Mengxin, who had already agreed to invest in Mile City and had reached some agreements on cooperation with Xu Yingying.


    These past few days, Xu Yingying¡¯s main task was to shuttle between the branch and the head office. With such an opportunity, the head office naturally placed significant importance on it¡ªit was like a pie falling from the sky for them.


    But Xu Yingying felt somewhat upset because the people from the head office who came over were clearly there to take the credit. They interfered with a lot of things and if their interference had led to some good strategies, it wouldn¡¯t have been an issue. But in Xu Yingying¡¯s view, they were just coming up with bad ideas, trying to benefit from Su Mengxin. If things went poorly and Su Mengxin became displeased, it would all be for nothing.


    After being busy for several days, the weekend finally arrived, and Li Yifei could relax for two days. He planned to take a good rest, go out for drinks, and hang out at bars.


    But plans never keep up with changes. Su Yiyi called him, wanting to come over to his place.


    Li Yifei wanted to refuse, but hearing the suppressed tone in Su Yiyi¡¯s voice, he gave in and told her the address, letting her come over.


    About an hour later, Su Yiyi arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s home, carrying a bag of fruit. Li Yifei received it with a smile and said, "If you¡¯re coming, just come. Why did you buy something?"


    At that moment, Su Yiyi seemed quite normal, her cheeks flushed as she said, "It¡¯s my first time visiting Brother Li¡¯s home; it would be impolite not to bring a gift."


    "What¡¯s all this talk of politeness, just come in and have a seat," Li Yifei greeted Su Yiyi and took out a pair of slippers for her.


    After changing into the slippers, Su Yiyi looked around Li Yifei¡¯s home. Li Yifei laughed and said, "This is the apartment I rent. Isn¡¯t it a bit small?"


    Su Yiyi nodded slightly and said, "I thought Brother Li, as a manager, would live in a much larger house."


    "That manager position is only temporary; I¡¯m actually just a low-level employee with a monthly salary of just over three thousand."


    Looking into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, Su Yiyi said, "I believe Brother Li will definitely become a real big manager in the future, and then you¡¯ll be able to make a lot of money."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "You seem to have a lot of confidence in me."


    "Of course, I do. Brother Li is so capable. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if you become not just a big manager but also a big CEO in the future."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You little girl, you¡¯ve learned how to flatter others now."


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Su Yiyi hurriedly said, "No, that¡¯s not it! I just feel that Brother Li is impressive."


    After some small talk, Su Yiyi stood up and said, "Brother Li, let me help you clean up your room."


    Li Yifei knew that if he refused, he might hurt Su Yiyi¡¯s feelings, so he said, "That would be a great help."


    "It¡¯s no trouble at all, not one bit," Su Yiyi said with a bright smile, quickly starting to tidy up for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had been quite occupied these days, so the room hadn¡¯t been properly tidied up and was somewhat cluttered. Su Yiyi busied herself with cleaning and laundry, always wearing a smile on her face.


    It was rare to find a girl like Su Yiyi. Setting aside whether she was pretty or not, just her willingness to be industrious could beat ninety-nine percent of girls nowadays. Most girls today are spoiled and pampered; how many of them do housework, and how many could do it as well as Su Yiyi did? Along with her gentleness, considerateness, and her pretty face, it would be an understatement to say she was one in a million; she could well be one in a hundred million.


    Su Yiyi was indeed the kind of girl suitable to be a wife, which Li Yifei absolutely acknowledged. He couldn¡¯t deny it even if he wanted to.


    "Yiyi, when I heard you on the phone earlier, it seemed like you were in a bad mood. Did something happen?" Li Yifei stood at the bathroom door, watching as Su Yiyi washed clothes by hand in the sink, including his shirt and the underwear he had changed out of last night.


    Su Yiyi paused for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It¡¯s nothing, just some friction with a roommate."


    "Friction with a roommate, did someone bully you?" Li Yifei would never think that Su Yiyi would pick a fight; if there was friction, it must have been others bullying her.


    "Not really bullying. My roommate likes a guy, and their relationship is pretty good now. But the guy always sneaks peeks at me... and then my roommate gets mad, accusing me of... seducing her boyfriend," Su Yiyi said hesitantly, her explanation brief but Li Yifei could sense that the other party must have said something nasty. Otherwise, a gentle girl like Su Yiyi would have normally let it slide. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling pained for her, Li Yifei said, "Yiyi, do you want me to stand up for you?"


    "Ah, no need, no need. We¡¯re roommates after all. A little friction isn¡¯t much; she¡¯ll stop being mad at me once she understands," Su Yiyi replied.


    Li Yifei sighed. Su Yiyi was simply too kind. Nowadays, some people tend to take others¡¯ kindness for weakness, especially those self-entitled kids.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m not angry anymore," Su Yiyi turned to Li Yifei and revealed a sweet smile, then said, "Brother Li, could you help me find something to hang these clothes on?"


    Li Yifei found a clothes hanger, and Su Yiyi hung up the washed clothes and cleaned the bathroom spotlessly before coming out.


    "Tired, huh? Have some fruit," Li Yifei handed an apple to Su Yiyi.


    Receiving the apple, Su Yiyi thanked him, her eyes brimming with happiness. She opened her mouth gently and bit into the fruit.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear to meet such a gaze from Su Yiyi. The girl was so good that being with her felt almost like desecrating her. He said, "How¡¯s your dad doing lately?"


    With a worried expression, Su Yiyi said, "My dad is alright; he hasn¡¯t been gambling recently. But I feel like he¡¯s really struggling to resist, and I¡¯m afraid he might give in one day and start gambling again."


    Li Yifei was aware that for someone like Su Yiyi¡¯s father, it wasn¡¯t something a try or two could fix. He would have to deal with him properly someday soon. Otherwise, if he reverted to old habits, it wouldn¡¯t only harm him, but if he harmed Su Yiyi as well, it would be truly regrettable.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s phone rang. She took out her cheap mobile phone, glanced at the number on the screen, and her face turned sour. Li Yifei frowned and asked, "Whose call is it?"


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and replied, "It¡¯s my roommate."


    "Then answer it. Let¡¯s see what she wants to do," Li Yifei said, patting Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder encouragingly.


    Inspired by Li Yifei¡¯s support, Su Yiyi pressed the answer button and put the phone to her ear.


    "Su Yiyi, you bitch, how dare you seduce my boyfriend. I¡¯m not going to let this go."


    As soon as the call connected, a sharp, scolding voice came from the phone, loud enough for Li Yifei to hear.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned very unpleasant, yet she still spoke softly, "Cao Yue, I really didn¡¯t, I don¡¯t even like him. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s always talking to me. I only responded because he¡¯s your boyfriend."


    "Quit playing the victim! If you¡¯d stayed away from him, would he even talk to you? Humph, acting all innocent and sickening, you¡¯re doing it on purpose to lure him in. I¡¯m right here at the school gate, come here and explain yourself right now, or don¡¯t blame me for being unkind to you."


    "I... I¡¯m not at home," Su Yiyi turned and glanced at Li Yifei.


    "I don¡¯t care where you are. You have twenty minutes. If you don¡¯t show up, don¡¯t even think about living in the dormitory or attending this university. I, Cao Yue, mean what I say."


    Li Yifei was genuinely angry. He patted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder and said, "Agree to it."


    With a bite of her lip, Su Yiyi nodded and said into the phone, "Okay, I¡¯m on my way."


    After she hung up the phone, Su Yiyi¡¯s tears began to flow. She twisted her fingers in distress, tears steadily dropping onto her pants.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, and she immediately buried herself in his chest and burst into tears.


    "Alright, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll accompany you. I want to see what that little brat can do to you."


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s anger, Su Yiyi felt both touched and anxious and quickly sat up and said nervously, "Brother Li, please don¡¯t hit her. No matter what, she¡¯s still a girl, and I think... we can talk it over and everything will be fine."


    "Hmm, I won¡¯t hit anyone lightly. Go wash your face; I¡¯ll help you settle this. We can¡¯t let others bully you at school, no matter what."


    Su Yiyi nodded, washed her face, and then left with Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s university was quite far from where Li Yifei lived; it took more than twenty minutes by taxi, and Li Yifei was certain that Su Yiyi wouldn¡¯t normally be willing to take a taxi.


    Near the university, Su Yiyi found Cao Yue. Cao Yue was a fairly pretty girl but tended to look a bit gaudy, with dyed blonde hair, a pointed chin, nails painted black, and fashionable clothing that didn¡¯t quite fit the image of a student.


    Standing with Cao Yue was another girl, sporting a cigarette between her lips and dressed in leather, exuding the impression of a little gangster girl.


    When the two girls saw Li Yifei accompanying Su Yiyi, they exchanged a glance ¨C the presence of an adult male was still somewhat intimidating to them.


    However, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s plain dress, Cao Yue didn¡¯t take him seriously and said to Su Yiyi with arrogance, "Su Yiyi, look at you, even bringing someone with you."


    The other girl sized up Li Yifei and scoffed disdainfully.


    In a low voice, Su Yiyi said, "Cao Yue, I... I didn¡¯t bring anyone; he¡¯s my... friend. I really don¡¯t mean it that way, I..."

 Chapter 83: Do You Know Brother Hu?

    Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Do You Know Brother Hu?Cao Yue was actually afraid that Li Yifei was Su Yiyi¡¯s family member. If that were the case, it¡¯d be easy to make a fuss inside the school. Being a student herself, making too much noise could easily get her expelled. But as soon as she heard that Li Yifei was not a relative of Su Yiyi, she snorted and said, "I don¡¯t care who he is to you; I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m very angry, extremely angry."


    "I really don¡¯t like him, it¡¯s him who¡¯s been bothering me," Su Yiyi said anxiously.


    Cao Yue glared and said, "Don¡¯t play innocent here. If you weren¡¯t putting on airs in front of him, would he always be looking at you?"


    The little Taimei then glared impatiently and said, "Why waste time with so much nonsense? Just beat her up, and she¡¯ll know what to do." With that, she started walking toward Su Yiyi.


    At this point, Su Yiyi simply didn¡¯t know how to cope, and Li Yifei already furrowed his brow. This was clearly unreasonable; they were obviously just picking on Su Yiyi because they thought she was an easy target.


    Surprisingly, these two also seemed to have no consideration for him. Since when did young girls become so arrogant that they didn¡¯t even pay mind to an adult male?


    Shielding Su Yiyi behind him, Li Yifei glared and demanded, "What do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    Cao Yue paused in her tracks, but the little Taimei, with a sneer, said contemptuously, "I suggest you know your place and go somewhere cool to chill out."


    Li Yifei was truly speechless at the little Taimei¡¯s brazenness. Did she think she was tough enough to disregard an adult male? Shaking his head, he said, "Today, I really don¡¯t feel like chilling out. Yiyi is my sister, and I absolutely won¡¯t let you bully her."


    "Kid, don¡¯t think you¡¯re something special just because you¡¯re a guy. Do you know who I am?" the little Taimei threw away her cigarette, stepping up to Li Yifei fiercely and poked his chest twice.


    Li Yifei almost wanted to laugh and cry at once, being so blatantly disrespected by a little Taimei. He knew well that Cao Yue was relying on this little Taimei, who probably just knew some small-time hooligans, hence her aggressiveness. He didn¡¯t deem it worthwhile to argue with such a person, but it was essential to make them realize Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t someone they could bully with ease. He said sternly, "I don¡¯t care who you are. Today, I¡¯m standing up for Yiyi. Go find those people you think are so tough. I don¡¯t want to lay a hand on two kids."


    The little Taimei narrowed her eyes, sizing up Li Yifei once more, and said, "You¡¯re pretty full of yourself, kid. But if I really call my people, you¡¯re going to be the one crying."


    Li Yifei took Su Yiyi to the staircase nearby and sat down, saying, "Hurry up, no more talk."


    Cao Yue immediately said to the little Taimei, "Since this guy is being such a pain, call your big brother and give him a good beating."


    The little Taimei nodded, took out her phone, and with another look at Li Yifei, said, "You can still get lost while you have the chance."


    Li Yifei just smiled faintly, paying no attention to the two ignorant girls.


    Yet Su Yiyi tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s arm worriedly. He patted her hand, reassuring her.


    "Brother, it¡¯s Little Lii... someone¡¯s not giving me face... he¡¯s a tough-acting guy, and I¡¯m right here at the entrance of Mile City University... okay."


    After hanging up, Little Lii turned to face Li Yifei, saying arrogantly, "Buddy, if you have the guts, don¡¯t leave; my big brother will be here any minute."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t even bother to address Little Lii, taking out a cigarette instead and smoking it leisurely.


    Cao Yue immediately boasted, "Kid, you still want to act tough. Do you even know who Little Lii¡¯s big brother is?"


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who is he?"


    Cao Yue¡¯s mouth nearly reached the sky as she said, "Our Little Lii¡¯s big brother is Brother Hu, Brother Hu. You must have heard of him. In Mile City, those who don¡¯t give Brother Hu face are all dead."


    "Never heard of him," Li Yifei replied, causing Cao Yue to roll her eyes in frustration.


    "Damn!" Cao Yue exclaimed in rage, glaring as she shouted, "You¡¯ve never heard of Brother Hu? Are you an idiot or what?"


    Little Lii sneered, "What does a country bumpkin know?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cao Yue took another look at Li Yifei¡¯s attire and nodded repeatedly, "Right, right, a country bumpkin like you wouldn¡¯t know the famous Brother Hu¡¯s name."


    In the eyes of Cao Yue and Little Lii, those involved with the underworld were the most badass of people; a person might not know the police, or the officials, but they couldn¡¯t be unaware of the underworld. If one didn¡¯t know, that meant they were utterly out of touch, or in other words, anyone oblivious to the big boss was a total loser.


    Su Yiyi tugged at Li Yifei lightly and bit her lip, whispering, "Brother Li, let¡¯s go."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Su Yiyi and asked, "Why should we go?"


    "Brother Li, it¡¯s no use, they¡¯re very powerful," Su Yiyi said anxiously as she shook Li Yifei forcefully.


    Cao Yue crossed her arms and smirked, "Su Yiyi, you still want to leave? I¡¯ll tell you, I was just going to teach you a lesson, but you¡¯ve gone and brought someone here, and such a clueless idiot at that. You¡¯ve got yourself into big trouble now."


    Su Yiyi was even more frightened and suddenly stood up, biting her lip and saying to Cao Yue, "Fine, then hit me. Just do it. This has nothing to do with Brother Li, don¡¯t get that Brother Hu involved."


    Su Yiyi said this very fluently, her determined gaze fixed on Cao Yue, making Cao Yue feel somewhat uneasy inside.


    Seeing that Cao Yue did not reply, Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened as she pleaded, "Cao Yue, this is a matter between roommates. However you treat me, I can endure. Please, just hit me, don¡¯t call Brother Hu anymore." Saying this, she grabbed Cao Yue¡¯s arm and raised it to strike her own face.


    Cao Yue was dumbfounded. In her eyes, Su Yiyi was always a pushover, someone she could manipulate at will. Even though she always bullied Su Yiyi, who had been nothing but submissive, she did not expect that today Su Yiyi would show such bravery, a bravery that made her hard to believe that this was the same Su Yiyi.


    Li Yifei reached out and stopped their hands, pulling Su Yiyi¡¯s hand away, but Su Yiyi struggled and said, "Brother Li, I can¡¯t drag you into this. I shouldn¡¯t have told you, much less asked you to come. Please go, just go."


    Li Yifei looked into Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes, filled with remorse, and he sighed internally. The Su Yiyi before him now was just as brave as she had been on the day she considered selling herself off, always for the sake of her family and friends. When it came to her own matters, she never fought back, but for the people she cared about, she suddenly became fearless. What a wonderful girl she was, and at this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s heart was deeply moved.


    "Brother Li, please listen to me and go. They really are too formidable. I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t let you get hurt because of me!" Su Yiyi pushed Li Yifei, her only thought to keep him out of this treacherous place, while she disregarded her own safety completely.


    Li Yifei wrapped an arm around Su Yiyi, drawing her close, and whispered into her ear, "Have you forgotten how I resolved the issue with your father that day?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body went stiff. She had been so panicked just now that the mention of Brother Hu by Cao Yue and Little Li had sent her into confusion. It was only now that she remembered that Li Yifei was a very capable person. She looked at Li Yifei in a daze and said, "But..."


    "No buts. What Brother Hu? In front of your Brother Li, he is nothing at all. Surely you haven¡¯t lost faith in your Brother Li, have you?"


    "No! I believe!" Su Yiyi first shook her head, then nodded vigorously.


    "That¡¯s right, we just wait. Leave everything to me, Brother Li. I¡¯ll make them pay a painful price for bullying my Little Yiyi," he said.


    At the words "my Little Yiyi," Su Yiyi forgot all her fears and embraced Li Yifei excitedly. With Li Yifei by her side, she feared nothing, no matter the danger.


    "Psh, Su Yiyi, I thought you were pure, but it turns out it¡¯s all an act. You¡¯ve actually been kept by someone," sneered Cao Yue. "But if you¡¯re going to find a sugar daddy, at least find a rich one. Look at this guy you picked ¨C his clothes are from street stalls. Your taste is really poor."


    Little Lii laughed and said, "I think once Brother Hu arrives, we¡¯ll just have her go with him. Brother Hu likes student sisters like her the most; too bad she¡¯s not a virgin anymore. Otherwise, Brother Hu would like her more."


    Cao Yue was startled. If Brother Hu took Su Yiyi, and Su Yiyi came back to settle scores with her, then she¡¯d be in trouble. She immediately said, "Little Lii, don¡¯t be rash. She might look pretty, but who knows how many men she¡¯s been with? She¡¯d do anything for money; giving her twenty or thirty, she¡¯d go have sex. With someone like her, if Brother Hu gets involved, wouldn¡¯t he definitely be cuckolded? If Brother Hu gets mad, you¡¯ll be in trouble too."


    Little Lii pursed her lips and spat, "Disgusting, such a slut."


    At that moment, Su Yiyi was nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, feeling the warmth of his embrace. Although she had spent two nights with Li Yifei, and they had held each other in bed, it was only for sleeping. But now, in broad daylight, to receive Li Yifei¡¯s hug made Su Yiyi so happy that she couldn¡¯t understand why and was completely oblivious to the sounds of the outside world.


    But Li Yifei was very alert. Hearing them slander Su Yiyi, a fire ignited within him. It was said that men should not hit women, but that was only if they hadn¡¯t gone too far. These two women, though young, spoke so maliciously and slanderously that they truly deserved a beating. Thus, Li Yifei, holding Su Yiyi, stepped forward and, with the other hand, swung out, "slap, slap," landing a big smack on each of their faces.


    Cao Yue and Little Lii were stunned by the slaps, covering their faces, staring at Li Yifei in shock. Especially Little Lii, who had even invoked Brother Hu¡¯s name and was expecting him to arrive soon; yet this man dared to hit her. She couldn¡¯t fathom the possibility that someone didn¡¯t fear Brother Hu.


    The sound of the slaps snapped Su Yiyi out of her bliss. She turned her head to look at Cao Yue and Little Lii, covering her mouth in shock and widening her eyes. She hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to hit them and was clueless as to why he suddenly did.


    "F*ck, you dare hit me? I¡¯m going to kill you!" Little Lii, as a Little Taimei, had the boldness typical of one, and she started shouting abusively at Li Yifei.


    Just then, a van sped up and screeched to a halt beside them. Six men jumped out of the vehicle, and Little Taimei shouted, "Brother Hu, it¡¯s this bastard! He just hit me!"

 Chapter 84: Strength

    Chapter 84: Chapter 84: StrengthSix people got out of the car, most of them were young men in their twenties, with only one over forty. These five youngsters, each full of bravado and reeking of alcohol, turned menacingly towards Li Yifei upon hearing Little Taimei¡¯s words.


    Seeing these six men, Su Yiyi¡¯s body went limp, the odds were six to one, and they looked formidable. Li Yifei was only one person, how could he possibly beat these six? Regret filled her heart.


    Brother Li was indeed formidable, but that was with the help of the police. However, with no police friends around now, Li Yifei was sure to suffer a great disadvantage if a fight broke out. Even if police friends came to help afterwards, he would still have the worst of it at the time.


    As she was blaming herself, Su Yiyi felt a light pat on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Li Yifei¡¯s steadfast gaze and his gentle smile. Her fear vanished once again, and for some reason, she just believed that Li Yifei would surely resolve the matter.


    "Damn, you¡¯ve got some nerve to lay hands on my people, you really must have the guts of a bear and the heart of a leopard," said the tallest and biggest of the young men, giving Li Yifei a once-over and snorting coldly before walking up to him.


    Facing Brother Hu¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei coldly said, "And who the hell are you?"


    "Motherfucker!" Brother Hu, who had been riding high these last two years, used to be unchallenged by the common riffraff of Mile City other than some big shots. Seeing Li Yifei dressed so plainly, he did not take him seriously at all. Now that Li Yifei had the gall to speak so brazenly, how could he tolerate it? He cursed loudly and swung his hand at Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    "Scram!" Li Yifei lashed out with a kick, sending Brother Hu¡¯s two-hundred-pound body flying. He crashed into Cao Yue and Little Taimei, toppling them both to the ground, and they screamed under his weight.


    The oldest of the six, Sun Li, suddenly twisted his mouth into a grimace. He was the one who had conned Su Yiyi¡¯s father out of his money. Having been beaten by Li Yifei before, the memory was still fresh for him. As he had encountered Li Yifei at night in his own home, he hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at him, but as soon as he saw Li Yifei kick Brother Hu flying, he realized there was no mistake. He quickly shouted, "Misunderstanding, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding!"


    The few hoodlums who were about to start a fight stopped in their tracks, and Li Yifei also recognized Sun Li. He snorted, "Long time no see."


    Feeling uneasy under Li Yifei¡¯s stare, Sun Li quickly put on a smile and said, "Brother Li, this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t be angry."


    Brother Hu sprang to his feet - he was indeed robust as Li Yifei¡¯s kick, though it sent him flying, hadn¡¯t hurt him, mainly because Li Yifei had not put much force into it.


    "Sun Li, what¡¯s his background?" Brother Hu, holding back his rage, stood beside Sun Li and glared at Li Yifei through clenched teeth.


    "Well..." Sun Li truly couldn¡¯t answer, he had been subdued by Li Yifei but didn¡¯t know what sort of background he had.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Is he your friend?" Brother Hu snorted coldly.


    With a twist of his mouth, Sun Li said, "We¡¯ve only met once." He suddenly had an idea; he had suffered a great deal the last time and felt stifled, but since he didn¡¯t have skilled men under him and his strength wasn¡¯t enough, only passable in the county, he never considered retaliating against Li Yifei.


    But Brother Hu had far more power, with dozens of underlings, and if he locked horns with Li Yifei, even if Li Yifei was formidable, he couldn¡¯t fight against Brother Hu. Sun Li then pulled back his previous statement, but he kept his wits about him and did not completely side with Brother Hu, giving only an ambiguous answer.


    Upon hearing this, Brother Hu immediately roared, "Motherfucker, you dare attack me? No matter what big shot you are, I won¡¯t let you off the hook today. Brothers, let¡¯s get him!"


    The five men rushed forward; they were accustomed to brawling, striking hard and fierce with a solid understanding of teamwork. Some threw punches, some kicked, aiming for the head, the legs, from front and back, overwhelming their target.


    But today they faced Li Yifei, who, even with their best coordination, was still seeing every flaw. He was still holding Su Yiyi but had already started to fight back.


    He kicked out, striking at the midsection of Brother Hu below. The man was once again sent flying by Li Yifei, and again landed squarely on Cao Yue and Little Li, who had just gotten up, crushing them even more brutally this time, nearly squeezing the life out of them.


    Li Yifei¡¯s foot did not retract after the kick but swiftly swung to the right, stepping on the leg that was kicked towards him. Using the force from that step, he soared into the air with Su Yiyi in his arms, evading the attacks of the other four men.


    Before they could understand what had happened, Li Yifei spun 360 degrees in the air, his legs lashing out. The four men flew off like butterflies scattering in all directions.


    As they hit the ground, Li Yifei finally landed with Su Yiyi in his arms.


    Sun Li was completely stunned at this point. Is this a fight? It was more like a movie scene, just like Huang Feihong!


    Brother Hu and his gang of five were now groaning on the ground, unable to get up for a while. Although Li Yifei had not gone too far, not causing them to break arms or legs, he had given them enough trouble.


    Gently patting Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, Li Yifei softly said, "It¡¯s over."


    When Su Yiyi opened her eyes, she saw the people lying around her and her eyes widened in disbelief. In just a moment, Li Yifei had knocked down five strong men. The little girl was both shocked and delighted, not knowing what to say, and just hugged Li Yifei tightly.


    Li Yifei, now holding Su Yiyi, came in front of Brother Hu, kicked him, and coldly said, "Are you convinced or not?"


    Brother Hu clenched his fists tightly, glaring viciously at Li Yifei, wanting to say something tough, but the thought of Li Yifei¡¯s kick in the air just now left him completely deflated. There were five of them, and he had knocked them all down in an instant; how could they fight him?


    "Get lost," Li Yifei commanded with another shout, and Brother Hu¡¯s facial muscles twitched, but he still struggled to move aside.


    Li Yifei ignored Brother Hu and instead looked coldly at Cao Yue, who was by now scared pale. She had never seen someone so formidable, and as she stepped back, she stammered, "Brother Li, Brother Li, it was my fault, please don¡¯t hit me, don¡¯t hit me."


    Li Yifei snorted, asking, "Do you really realize your mistake?"


    "I do, I do!" Cao Yue nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with extreme panic as she looked at Li Yifei.


    "Considering that you and Yiyi are roommates, I will let you off this time. But if I ever hear that you dare to bully Yiyi again..."


    Cao Yue¡¯s body shook as she quickly responded, "Yes, yes, I will never bully Yiyi again. From now on, Yiyi is my boss, I will listen to her, do whatever she tells me, if she wants my boyfriend, I¡¯ll give him to her."


    "Nonsense!" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in anger.


    Cao Yue raised her hand and slapped herself, saying in a fluster, "That was nonsense from me, how could Yiyi fancy my boyfriend, Yiyi is your girl, I deserve to be hit, I deserve it!" Then she pretended to slap herself twice more.


    Li Yifei gave a grunt and without looking at them any longer, said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, let¡¯s leave."


    "Okay!" Su Yiyi nodded, her little face blushing and her arms tightly around Li Yifei¡¯s waist. Even though she knew Li Yifei was quite impressive, she never imagined he would be this powerful. Every girl has a hero complex, and Su Yiyi was no different. Li Yifei just now was a true hero, which made Su Yiyi like him even more.


    "Uncle! It¡¯s actually you." Just as Li Yifei had walked a few steps, a girl ran straight up to him, arriving in front of Li Yifei and exclaiming in shock. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Chu Xiaoyao here, the little girl he¡¯d ridden the bus with for a few days while living with Xu Yingying, after which he hadn¡¯t seen her again.


    With a smile, Li Yifei said, "It¡¯s me. What brings you here?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s big eyes were brimming with admiration, and, excitedly grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm, she exclaimed, "Uncle, you were so cool! Wow, taking on five people and still looking so dashing, you were incredibly cool, wow wow..."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat. The place where they had fought should have been quite secluded, and Li Yifei had moved very quickly when he struck, precisely because he feared being seen. Yet, not only had someone seen them, but it turned out to be Chu Xiaoyao. He now had a foreboding feeling that this little girl was going to cling to him.


    "Uncle, uncle, I¡¯m totally in love with you. Can I be your girlfriend? Can I be your wife? Uncle, is that okay?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she spoke, her excitement making her words come out all jumbled. And her words made Li Yifei blush; girls these days were really bold, daring to say anything.


    Just as he was unsure how to respond, Chu Xiaoyao suddenly noticed Su Yiyi, who was still holding onto Li Yifei, and promptly glared sharply, demanding, "Uncle, who is she?"


    With that demeanor, that tone, that kind of imperiousness, she sounded just like an official girlfriend who had discovered her boyfriend¡¯s affair, that kind of questioning.

 Chapter 85 The Same Attitude

    Chapter 85: Chapter 85 The Same AttitudeSu Yiyi had been lost in daydreams about Li Yifei being a hero, and was even more infatuated with feeling embraced by him. Even when Chu Xiaoyao appeared, she remained in a confused state, never thinking of letting go of Li Yifei. However, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s questioning finally snapped Su Yiyi back to reality, and she quickly and subconsciously released Li Yifei, looking at Chu Xiaoyao in panic.


    Li Yifei felt that if Chu Xiaoyao got involved, it would definitely be very troublesome. At that moment, he had an idea and extended his arm to once again embrace Su Yiyi, saying, "She is my girlfriend, Su Yiyi. Xiaoyao, you should call her ¡¯auntie.¡¯


    "Auntie..." Su Yiyi was suddenly at a loss for words. How old was she that she was already being called ¡¯auntie¡¯? However, what overwhelmed her more was the sweetness of it all. Li Yifei had actually acknowledged her as his girlfriend. Was this Li Yifei accepting her? Her heart fluttered like a little deer, her face so red it seemed it might bleed, and she had no strength in her legs, leaning limply into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened, filled with anger and a sense of wronging, and she sized up Su Yiyi up and down, angrily saying, "You¡¯re lying to me, she is not your girlfriend."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "If she wasn¡¯t my girlfriend, could I embrace her like this?"


    "That¡¯s not true, she isn¡¯t suitable for you," Chu Xiaoyao shook her head firmly.


    Li Yifei turned his head and gently kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face, asking, "Do you believe it now?"


    "I don¡¯t believe it!" The fury in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes intensified, but she still shook her head.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe it or not, we¡¯re going home now." Then, he walked past Chu Xiaoyao with Su Yiyi in his arms.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately followed, grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s other arm and loudly saying, "Uncle, don¡¯t lie to me, she¡¯s not really your girlfriend. Could I be your girlfriend instead?"


    "Stop fooling around," Li Yifei was truly at a loss, kids these days were just too bold.


    "I¡¯m not fooling around. If she was really your girlfriend, she¡¯d get mad at me clinging to you, but she didn¡¯t at all. Hmph, don¡¯t think I¡¯m young and don¡¯t understand," said Chu Xiaoyao.


    Li Yifei was truly speechless and secretly admired Chu Xiaoyao for being quite clever.


    Chu Xiaoyao swayed Li Yifei¡¯s arm again, cooing, "Uncle, please agree to it. I¡¯ll be your girlfriend and take good care of you."


    Li Yifei had a headache, but he was least interested in this kind of girl and with a stern glance, said, "No, go do what you need to do, we are heading home."


    Su Yiyi saw her tender moment with Li Yifei interrupted by Chu Xiaoyao and felt uncomfortable inside seeing Chu Xiaoyao stick to Li Yifei like this. Being gentle by nature, she found it difficult to be cold or harsh towards Chu Xiaoyao.


    But still she mustered up some courage and softly said, "I live with Brother Li."


    "What?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes immediately widened, staring intently at Su Yiyi across Li Yifei.


    Puffing up her chest, Su Yiyi¡¯s face was so red it seemed blood would drip out; nevertheless, she faced Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s gaze and said, "I¡¯ve already moved in with Brother Li, so please don¡¯t disturb him again."


    Chu Xiaoyao shot a murderous look at Li Yifei and demanded, "Uncle, is that really true?"


    Li Yifei never expected Su Yiyi to boldly say such a thing, but he just wanted to get rid of Chu Xiaoyao now and quickly said, "Yes, we¡¯re living together; on the weekends, she stays at my place."


    Feeling Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cold hand, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel guilty. Being soft-hearted towards the girl at this point would be more harmful, so he continued to smile at her while secretly squeezing Su Yiyi¡¯s hand in appreciation.


    Su Yiyi also gently squeezed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, feeling an indescribable joy. Even though she knew this was Li Yifei¡¯s way of rejecting Chu Xiaoyao and that he hadn¡¯t really accepted her, she was still very happy and contented.


    Seeing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face change several times, Li Yifei thought he had been successful and was now waiting for the girl to storm off in anger.


    However, after her expression had flickered a few times, Chu Xiaoyao suddenly said fiercely to Li Yifei, "Fine, then I¡¯ll move in with you too. I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t compete with her."


    Li Yifei stumbled, tripping over his right foot with his left¡ªwhich had not happened since he was a soldier. He was utterly thunderstruck by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, but thankfully he reacted quickly and steadied himself.


    Li Yifei had indulged himself in the past, and indeed it had been thrilling, but that was when he was letting loose. He had never considered playing around like that now, especially since it was a high schooler, Chu Xiaoyao, who had made such a statement. It was truly overwhelming.


    If Li Yifei was overwhelmed, then Su Yiyi felt even more so; she was so embarrassed she could barely lift her head.


    And what was even more frustrating for Li Yifei at that moment was that between the three of them stood another person, Officer Lin Qiong, the policewoman, who was glaring at Li Yifei with a face full of wrath, as if ready to commit murder.


    Undoubtedly, Lin Qiong had overheard what Chu Xiaoyao said, and that policewoman, with her strong sense of justice, would certainly believe that Li Yifei had deceived the two young girls.


    "Officer Lin, what a coincidence," Li Yifei chuckled dryly, greeting her.


    "Quite the coincidence!" Lin Qiong squeezed out three words through clenched teeth, her voice was so cold it could make one¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "Then I won¡¯t disturb Officer Lin¡¯s work anymore; we were just leaving."


    "No one¡¯s leaving!" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei, glanced at Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, and said sternly, "Hand over your ID cards."


    Today was Saturday, so Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t wearing her uniform, but Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao knew she was a police officer after hearing Li Yifei call her "Officer Lin." Su Yiyi timidly handed over her ID card to Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong looked it over and frowned, "You¡¯re a college student. Do you know what you¡¯re doing?"


    With a blush on her face, Su Yiyi whispered, "I know... Brother Li is a good person, I... I..."


    "Hmph!" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei and said resentfully, "You¡¯ve got your ways, don¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "You¡¯ve misunderstood."


    Lin Qiong snorted and turned to Chu Xiaoyao, "Your ID card."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s lips curled, "Didn¡¯t bring it."


    "Didn¡¯t bring it? What¡¯s your name?"


    "Chu Xiaoyao."


    "Home address?"


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly said, "Hey, Officer Lin, what¡¯s this about? Are we on the street committing a crime or something?"


    Lin Qiong, with a stern face, replied, "I suspect this guy of abducting an underage girl, so please cooperate with the investigation."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly, "Officer Lin, don¡¯t you think this is a bit much?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "Don¡¯t intimidate us with your police status. You say you¡¯re an officer, do you have your badge? Show it to me."


    Lin Qiong was speechless; she had simply come out to take care of some errands and happened to pass by here. Usually, even on weekends, she would carry her badge, but today, of all days, she had forgotten it. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao, seizing the upper hand, continued, "See, without a badge, who can prove you¡¯re a cop? What gives you the right to question us? Look, if you fancy my uncle, just say it. Don¡¯t play these games here; I¡¯m not falling for it."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face grew even uglier, and, unable to temper her anger with a young girl, turned her glare to Li Yifei, "Li Yifei, watch yourself. If I catch you with evidence, I will personally arrest you."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat and said, "Officer Lin, I honestly don¡¯t know how I¡¯ve offended you."


    Lin Qiong huffed coldly, "You haven¡¯t offended me; it¡¯s that I¡¯ve seen your true nature. Changing women every other day, you¡¯re nothing but a heartbreaker. I¡¯m warning you two, better keep your distance from him."


    Chu Xiaoyao, triumphant, retorted, "I¡¯m quite happy to be duped, is it any of your business? Uncle, let¡¯s go,"


    Li Yifei, not wanting Chu Xiaoyao to make things worse, hastened to say, "Stop spouting nonsense; I don¡¯t like you, you little brat."


    Lin Qiong stamped her foot in frustration and said bitterly, "I will check into this, for sure, for sure. You¡¯d better not get caught red-handed."


    "Giggle, seeing that cop get so mad she turned black was hilarious," Chu Xiaoyao laughed merrily once they were out of Lin Qiong¡¯s sight.


    Li Yifei snorted, "Do you realize how much trouble this could cause me?"


    Chu Xiaoyao cocked her head, latching onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, "What kind of trouble can there be?"


    As naive as a calf not fearing the tiger, these kids didn¡¯t know fear or what trouble meant. Knowing that talking to her would be futile, Li Yifei could only say, "All right then, listen to me now, I¡¯m going home. You better go do whatever you¡¯re supposed to be doing."

 Chapter 86: Leave No Illusions

    Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Leave No IllusionsLi Yifei had really never before encountered such a persistent girl. With those like Little Li or other little troublemakers, Li Yifei could easily get rid of them, but Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t malicious in her intentions. Her behavior was merely one of admiration, but her relentless attention left him feeling quite restrained.


    He stopped in his tracks and with a stern face, Li Yifei said to Chu Xiaoyao, "If you want me not to dislike you, you¡¯d do well to behave yourself. Your flamboyance only makes me dislike you more, and I hope not to see you again in the future."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "Uncle, it¡¯s just that I like you."


    "You liking me is your business, but I don¡¯t feel the same. What I dislike the most is girls who bring trouble my way every day. Only gentle girls like Yiyi are the ones I would like."


    Chu Xiaoyao glanced at Su Yiyi and pouted even more, saying, "I got it now. I won¡¯t be naughty anymore. Uncle, can you please take me to your house?"


    "No can do," Li Yifei replied with finality.


    Chu Xiaoyao stomped her foot in frustration and asked, "Uncle, do I make you that disgusted?"


    "Originally, I didn¡¯t dislike you that much, but the way you acted just now really pushed me to dislike you," he replied.


    Chu Xiaoyao showed a face full of grievance and said, "Can¡¯t I change? Besides, seeing you fight so impressively earlier got me really excited."


    Seeing that Chu Xiaoyao was finally behaving more modestly, Li Yifei softened his tone and said, "Alright then, go straight home now. If you behave well, I might still pay attention to you in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll never bother with you again."


    "Uncle... I¡¯ll listen to you, but... don¡¯t shoo me away, I¡¯m really bored today. I just want to go to your place for a bit, I promise not to make trouble!" she said.


    As Li Yifei said nothing, Chu Xiaoyao tugged at his arm with a pitiful expression and said, "Uncle, just agree, please? I¡¯ll behave, I really will."


    "Brother Li... just agree to her," Su Yiyi chimed in, unexpectedly taking Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s side just as Li Yifei was about to refuse.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately lit up and said, "Sister Yiyi, you are such a good person. I¡¯ve decided, from now on we are comrades in the same trench, following Uncle together."


    Su Yiyi and Li Yifei were at a loss for words, but since Su Yiyi had agreed, Li Yifei did not refuse. With a girl like Chu Xiaoyao, the more you refuse her, the more persistent she might become. By showing her that he was just an ordinary employee, without money or power, and hardly any other interests, Li Yifei guessed that it wouldn¡¯t take long for Chu Xiaoyao to lose interest.


    They hailed a cab, with Li Yifei sitting in the front and Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi in the back. Chu Xiaoyao chattered away, obviously trying to ingratiate herself with Su Yiyi, and although Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t much of a talker, she managed to converse with Chu Xiaoyao.


    Shortly after, the three of them reached Li Yifei¡¯s house. Chu Xiaoyao toured the place, then expressed her surprise, "Uncle, how can you live in such a small house?"


    Li Yifei smiled blandly and said, "I¡¯m just renting this place. Without money, naturally I can only live in a small house."


    Chu Xiaoyao uttered an "Oh," then blinked and said, "That¡¯s not too bad. A small home is cozier. Living in a big house wouldn¡¯t be very meaningful."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to continue this topic with Chu Xiaoyao, so he said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, keep Xiaoyao company. I¡¯ll go buy some groceries."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly said, "Brother Li, let me do the shopping."


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "No need. I¡¯ll cook something nice for lunch." Without waiting for Su Yiyi to get up, he had already left the house.


    When Li Yifei came back, Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao came to greet him. Su Yiyi took the groceries from his hand, while Chu Xiaoyao looked at him with a beaming smile. She then bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and also brought slippers to him, saying, "Uncle, welcome back."


    Li Yifei felt like he had seen this situation somewhere before. After a moment of thought, he realized it was reminiscent of a Japanese custom; after the husband returns home, this is typically how he is greeted. Although, in modern Japan, many women work and this traditional scene is mostly found among the homemakers.


    However, he couldn¡¯t deny that it gave a man a sense of achievement and a majestic feeling of being the head of the household¡ªan experience he had indeed witnessed during his time in Japan.


    "Uncle, you must be tired, please sit down. I¡¯ll pour you some tea," Chu Xiaoyao offered with eagerness, playing the part well.


    Li Yifei managed a half-smile, half-groan, saying, "Enough, don¡¯t start with all that. I can¡¯t handle it."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled mischievously, then suddenly jumped onto the sofa beside Li Yifei, kneeling and resting her hands on his shoulders, saying, "Uncle, can I rub your shoulders for you?"


    Li Yifei pushed her hands away and said, "No need, I still have to cook. Otherwise, we¡¯ll all be hungry by noon."


    "Isn¡¯t Sister Yiyi the one cooking?" Chu Xiaoyao pointed towards the kitchen.


    Su Yiyi was indeed busy cooking in the kitchen. Li Yifei promptly said, "Yiyi, take a break. I¡¯ll do it." At his house, Su Yiyi washed his clothes and tidied up the rooms; Li Yifei didn¡¯t have the heart to let her cook as well.


    Su Yiyi turned and gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, saying, "Brother Li, take a rest. I can handle it."


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Then let¡¯s do it together." He didn¡¯t want to be alone with Chu Xiaoyao¡ªthat girl was just too clingy.


    "Uncle, can you also cook?" Chu Xiaoyao followed him and tilted her head as she looked at Li Yifei.


    "Of course, I can cook. I can¡¯t afford to eat out all the time; otherwise, I¡¯d die of hunger," he said.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said with excitement, "Uncle, you¡¯re really too cool."


    Li Yifei said, both irritated and amused, "I¡¯m cool just because I can cook?"


    "Definitely, there are too few men who can cook nowadays. If I were with you, wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯d never have to learn how to cook?"


    Li Yifei said with annoyance, "Sorry, I don¡¯t want to raise a freeloader."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said seriously, "I¡¯m not a freeloader. When you cook, I can chat with you. I can embrace your waist while you¡¯re cooking, so you can feel the sweetness of cooking." As she spoke, she reached out to hug Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    Li Yifei immediately jumped away, glaring at her, "Watch yourself."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "Uncle, you¡¯re too old-fashioned."


    Li Yifei glared at her and said, "I am an old-fashioned person, and I certainly won¡¯t play any of that romantic nonsense with you."


    "Hehe, an old-fashioned uncle is handsome. It¡¯s those smooth talkers I really can¡¯t stand."


    "How am I handsome again?" Li Yifei was truly exasperated. No matter what, in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes, he always came off looking good.


    Su Yiyi chuckled, which only added to Li Yifei¡¯s frustration. "Yiyi," he said, "I¡¯m your boyfriend, and now when someone else is after me, you still can laugh."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face blushed as she whispered, "As long as Brother Li is happy."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said proudly, "See, Sister Yiyi has accepted me. What do you have to say now, Uncle?"


    "Out of the way, this has nothing to do with you." Li Yifei¡¯s gaze questioned Su Yiyi, who only revealed a bitter smile, clearly troubled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s persistence.


    "Get out, stop messing around here, or you won¡¯t get anything to eat." Li Yifei resorted to his final move, glowering as he chased Chu Xiaoyao out of the kitchen.


    "Yiyi, put on a stern face and say something to her, drive her away," Li Yifei said to Su Yiyi in a somewhat frustrated tone.


    Su Yiyi also spoke softly, "Brother Li, I can¡¯t speak like that. Besides, I know that Brother Li doesn¡¯t like her. She¡¯s the only one with feelings, so I have even less to say."


    Li Yifei¡¯s forehead creased with frustration, "You¡¯re really too gentle, you¡¯ll suffer for it sooner or later."


    Su Yiyi smiled apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry, Brother Li, I really can¡¯t be mean."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Alright then, I won¡¯t trouble you further."


    The two of them cooked together, and Su Yiyi kept smiling. When her gaze occasionally met Li Yifei¡¯s, she would shyly look away, but her face remained flushed, and her smile grew even more radiant.


    Watching Su Yiyi, Li Yifei suddenly realized a serious problem. It was like driving the tiger at the front door only to welcome a wolf at the back door. Just now, he had been so focused on dealing with Chu Xiaoyao that he neglected Su Yiyi. And now in using Su Yiyi as an excuse, he feared her feelings for him had deepened even further.


    He cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "Yiyi, I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I shouldn¡¯t have said you were my girlfriend."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s expression changed. She was not one to hide her feelings, and the look of distress on her face made Li Yifei¡¯s heart ache, and he began to regret what he had just said.


    "I know," Su Yiyi answered softly, then brushed back her hair and still managed to show Li Yifei a smile, bitter as it was.


    Li Yifei sighed internally, offering no comfort but pretending not to notice as he said, "Haha, if you don¡¯t mind, that¡¯s great."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and spoke softly, "Brother Li, I really don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m happy to do anything that can help you."


    Li Yifei nodded, pretending not to see the tears welling up in Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes.


    Su Yiyi discreetly wiped her eyes, and then finally offered Li Yifei a beaming smile, "Brother Li, you don¡¯t have to worry, I won¡¯t cling to you like Xiaoyao. I just want to help you to the best of my abilities, and if you find a girlfriend you like, I¡¯ll definitely not interfere."


    Li Yifei felt like a scoundrel, hurting such a delicate girl. But such things had to be done, he absolutely couldn¡¯t let Su Yiyi harbor any illusions. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 87 Officer Lin Comes to Help

    Chapter 87: Chapter 87 Officer Lin Comes to HelpBy the time dinner was ready, Su Yiyi had adjusted her mood. The charade outside had made her feel as if she really was Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend, which brought her extreme happiness, but now she knew it was all wishful thinking on her part; Li Yifei still didn¡¯t like her.


    Heartbroken as she may be, despondent as she might feel, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t blame Li Yifei at all. As long as she could do something for him, she would be very satisfied.


    Chu Xiaoyao was young, and her declaration of liking Li Yifei was really just admiration. Li Yifei was so formidable in a fight that he filled the young girl with curiosity. She found Li Yifei, a man both powerful and mysterious, to be handsome in every way.


    After eating a few bites, Chu Xiaoyao suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle, your cooking is so delicious! Oh my gosh, I can¡¯t imagine how lousy the food my mom¡¯s made all these years must have been."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh, saying, "You better not let your mom hear that, otherwise she¡¯s definitely going to kick you out of the house."


    "Let her kick me out then. She doesn¡¯t like me anyway, she¡¯s always scolding me at home," Chu Xiaoyao said, undisturbed as she continued to eat.


    "What about your dad?"


    "My dad?" Chu Xiaoyao curled her lip, disdainfully saying, "He found himself a mistress and then cast aside my mom and me. Now my mom has found another man and couldn¡¯t care less about me."


    Li Yifei looked over at Su Yiyi; she came from a single-parent family just like Chu Xiaoyao. Although Su Yiyi was gentle, she had a certain earnestness within her, a desire to change her own destiny through her own efforts.


    As for Chu Xiaoyao, she had given up on herself, flippant and irreverent. Without proper guidance, she would likely stray down the wrong path soon enough.


    "Uncle, if I ever run away from home, can I come stay with you?" Chu Xiaoyao asked after gobbling up several mouthfuls, looking pitifully at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei wanted to refuse, but he thought that if he actually did reject her, this girl might end up doing who knows what; so he reluctantly nodded and said, "Then come over, but just so you know, you can only sleep on the couch."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "You have a bed but won¡¯t let others sleep on it, stingy."


    Li Yifei glared, saying, "If you agree, I accept; if you don¡¯t, then you can go wherever you like."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s pout could have hung a soy sauce bottle, "I¡¯ll sleep on the couch, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t before, what¡¯s the big deal?"


    Su Yiyi quietly ate her meal. This was the first dinner she had made with Li Yifei, and just being able to sit at the same dining table with him already made her dizzy with happiness. Moreover, like Chu Xiaoyao, she too liked Li Yifei, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t like them back, so she felt a sense of empathy toward Chu Xiaoyao, and now harbored no ill will against her, simply savoring her little moments of joy within her heart.


    After dinner, Su Yiyi got up to clean up the dishes. Knowing she wouldn¡¯t let him help, Li Yifei let her be and was about to sit back on the couch when a knock on the door rang out.


    Li Yifei stood up and opened the door, only to see Officer Lin Qiong.


    "Officer Lin, you couldn¡¯t really be here for an inspection, could you?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    Officer Lin Qiong pushed past Li Yifei, took a peek inside, and let out a sigh of relief, but still said with a tone of annoyance, "You guessed right. With someone like you, I do need to be cautious. I had nothing going on this afternoon and thought I¡¯d sit at your place for a while, you don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    "Mind? Not at all! I welcome you twelve times over!" Li Yifei hastily ushered Officer Lin Qiong into the room. To him, she was a lifesaver; he really didn¡¯t know how Chu Xiaoyao would pester him later, but with Officer Lin Qiong present, he felt he could keep Chu Xiaoyao in check.


    Li Yifei¡¯s enthusiasm left Officer Lin Qiong somewhat bemused. She had imagined her presence would irritate Li Yifei, not expecting such a reaction from him.


    "Please, have a seat!" Li Yifei, all smiles, invited Officer Lin Qiong to the living room, busily offering her water and fruits, eager to please.


    Officer Lin Qiong grew even more alert but seeing that Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were both decently dressed and unlikely to have been up to anything disorderly, she relaxed and asked Li Yifei with a cold face, "What¡¯s with all the flattery?"


    "Having Officer Lin over is like ivy sprouting in my humble home, it brings it to life. I couldn¡¯t have asked for more, how could I not be courteous?"


    Officer Lin Qiong didn¡¯t believe a word Li Yifei said, yet she couldn¡¯t figure out what he was up to. Logically, with two beautiful girls in his house, the man should have wanted her to leave immediately. Could it be some reverse psychology on his part?


    The more Officer Lin Qiong thought about it, the more possible it seemed, as it made no sense for Li Yifei to welcome her. So, going along with what Li Yifei was saying, she said, "Considering how polite you¡¯re being, I might just have to stay at your place a bit longer." She then crossed her arms to watch Li Yifei squirm.


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile grew broader, and he appeared even happier, cheerfully saying, "Officer Lin, stay as long as you like, you¡¯re even welcome to stay the night. Oh, I don¡¯t mean anything by that, I¡¯ll just sleep on the couch or I can just go stay somewhere else."


    Chu Xiaoyao glared at Li Yifei and huffed, "Stinky uncle, no need for all the doubling talk, I¡¯ll leave in a bit."


    That was precisely what Li Yifei wanted to hear. He quickly said, "Xiaoyao, I won¡¯t see you out then. Next time you¡¯ve got time, come over again for a visit. See, Officer Lin here has business with me."


    Chu Xiaoyao stomped her foot in anger and said, "I said I¡¯d leave later, I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d leave right away."


    "Leaving early or late doesn¡¯t make much of a difference, since there¡¯s nothing fun here anyway, and Officer Lin is here too."


    Chu Xiaoyao glared at Lin Qiong and muttered, "Such an annoying cop." She then hopped over to Li Yifei, grabbed his arm, and said, "Uncle, I¡¯ll be going now. But I might just pop in some evening. I want to see if a certain cop can always be over at your place."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "I¡¯m hardly ever at home in the evenings."


    "Yeah right, I don¡¯t believe that for a second. Bye-bye, uncle." After saying that, Chu Xiaoyao tiptoed up and planted a kiss on Li Yifei¡¯s cheek, giggling as she changed her shoes and ran out.


    Li Yifei felt a piercing gaze glaring angrily at him. He offered a bitter smile and faced Lin Qiong, saying, "Officer Lin, you saw that. It wasn¡¯t my initiative."


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "Would she have done that if you hadn¡¯t provoked her? Stop acting so innocent, I think you¡¯re just a big love scammer."


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette and lit it. Lin Qiong immediately frowned and said, "Don¡¯t you know secondhand smoke is harmful to health?"


    Li Yifei leaned back on the sofa and took a satisfying drag, replying, "Officer Lin, if I were in a public place, smoking would be wrong. But this is my home, good or not. Whether I smoke is none of your business, right?"


    Lin Qiong felt that Li Yifei¡¯s attitude now was entirely different from before and finally understood why he had been so enthusiastic earlier. Still skeptical, she asked, "Did you want me to stay here earlier to make that little girl leave?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re a cop. Your observation skills are really lacking if you¡¯re only just now understanding my intentions."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face turned dark, and she said irritably, "You think you are that benevolent?"


    "You can doubt whether I¡¯m kind-hearted or not, but I really have no interest in such young girls. If it¡¯s a beautiful woman like Officer Lin, now that¡¯s interesting." As he spoke, Li Yifei¡¯s gaze wandered unreservedly over Lin Qiong¡¯s face.


    Lin Qiong glared and snapped, "Keep it together."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Just kidding. It¡¯s the weekend, not working hours. You¡¯re in my house, so I don¡¯t see you as a cop. A little teasing should be no big deal, right?"


    Although Lin Qiong didn¡¯t typically like people like Li Yifei, she revised her impression of him somewhat for rejecting Chu Xiaoyao and said, "I won¡¯t meddle in your affair with Su Yiyi, but concerning that girl, you¡¯d better not lead her on. It¡¯s best to be clear with her and extinguish her hopes sooner rather than later."


    Li Yifei said helplessly, "Officer Lin, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t made things clear. I¡¯ve been very clear. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Yiyi. The key issue is that girl is really clingy. I can¡¯t just beat her up, so if she comes over again, I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Officer Lin, to show up promptly."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "If that¡¯s really the case, you can call me. I¡¯ll definitely come."


    "Thanks a lot, Officer Lin. You really are a good cop."


    Lin Qiong felt good about the compliment. Her greatest aspiration as a cop wasn¡¯t climbing the ranks or getting rich; it was to be a good cop. Having been an officer for half a year, nobody had praised her like that, and she hadn¡¯t expected the offbeat Li Yifei to be the first.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be going then. If you have any issues, you can call me directly." Lin Qiong stood up.


    Li Yifei also stood and said, "Sure, I¡¯ll probably need your help again."


    "Don¡¯t mention it. This is part of my duty as a cop." Lin Qiong waved coolly and turned to leave Li Yifei¡¯s house.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, Officer Lin is really great."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "There are not many cops as dedicated as she is."


    "Then, Brother Li... do you plan on pursuing her?"


    Li Yifei faced Su Yiyi¡¯s hopeful gaze and smiled slightly, replying, "Your Brother Li hasn¡¯t thought about getting married so soon. Whether she¡¯s good or not doesn¡¯t concern me."


    "So Brother Li, when do you want to get married?" Su Yiyi asked the question with noticeable nervousness.


    Li Yifei sighed, knowing that his response had once again sparked Su Yiyi¡¯s hopeful feelings for him. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 88 Contempt

    Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Contempt"Yiyi, you¡¯re such a good girl, and you will definitely find a husband who truly loves you in the future," Li Yifei tried to console Su Yiyi with a very gentle tone.


    A look of immense disappointment appeared in Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes, but she then managed a smile and said, "Brother Li, I understand. I won¡¯t be a burden to you."


    Li Yifei reached out and ruffled Su Yiyi¡¯s hair, speaking softly, "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not good, Yiyi, it¡¯s just that your Brother Li really isn¡¯t suited for starting a family and settling down."


    Compliantly, Su Yiyi leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and said softly, "Brother Li, I just want to come over and help you with things from time to time, can you not reject me?"


    "Aren¡¯t you already at my house? Otherwise, I¡¯d have to chase you away," Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi on the shoulder.


    "I knew Brother Li was the best," Su Yiyi looked up at Li Yifei and gave him a sweet smile.


    The distance between them was so close, Li Yifei stared at Su Yiyi¡¯s pretty little face and her lush lips, feeling an urge to kiss her, but he restrained himself and smiled, "Your Brother Li is always the best, right?"


    "Yes! No one can compare to Brother Li."


    Su Yiyi was indeed a considerate girl. At that moment, she let go of Li Yifei and then suggested, "Brother Li, shall we watch some TV? How about that?"


    "Alright."


    Li Yifei turned on the TV, which had been provided with the rental place, but despite having lived there for such a long time, he had turned it on less than ten times. That afternoon, he started watching it with Su Yiyi.


    After watching TV for an afternoon, Su Yiyi made dinner for Li Yifei; then she cleaned up the dishes and the house, mopping the floor again as if there were endless chores to do at Li Yifei¡¯s house.


    Li Yifei stopped Su Yiyi¡¯s busyness once more and said, "Alright, if you want to stay here, just stay, there¡¯s no need to find chores to do for yourself."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face reddened suddenly like the sunset, twisting her fingers and not daring to look up at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Anyway, you¡¯ve already stayed two nights at the warehouse, one more night or two won¡¯t make a difference."


    Su Yiyi was even more embarrassed. Although it was indeed her intention, as a girl, repeatedly asking to spend the night at Li Yifei¡¯s place made her feel like she was overstepping. Yet, the feeling of being in Li Yifei¡¯s arms was so enchanting, she wished she could fall asleep there every night. So, despite the embarrassment, she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    "Go take a shower, you¡¯ve been busy all day. Have a good night¡¯s sleep tonight."


    "A shower..." Su Yiyi lifted her head to look at Li Yifei, her face growing even redder.


    Li Yifei, realizing that Su Yiyi had misunderstood, said, half annoyed, half amused, "What are you thinking? Isn¡¯t a shower before bed more comfortable? There was no chance in the warehouse, but here we have the opportunity."


    Su Yiyi was so embarrassed she wished she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into. She quickly fled into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, her heart still pounding non-stop. She felt more and more shameless, always hoping something would happen between her and Li Yifei.


    "Su Yiyi, Brother Li is so kind to you, and he said he doesn¡¯t want you. You can¡¯t be like this. You need to treat Brother Li well and not make things hard for him," Su Yiyi reminded herself inwardly. It took a good while before she calmed down and started to take off her clothes.


    After taking a shower, Su Yiyi felt refreshed, but then she remembered she hadn¡¯t brought her underwear with her. This was quite embarrassing for her; of course she wanted to change, wearing the old ones didn¡¯t feel comfortable. But she couldn¡¯t just go out and get them with nothing on.


    "Brother Li..." After a while, Su Yiyi finally mustered the courage to call out softly.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei came to the bathroom door.


    "Could you... could you get me my clothes from... from my bag?" Su Yiyi¡¯s voice was so low it seemed as if even she couldn¡¯t hear it clearly.


    But Li Yifei heard her, responded, and soon returned to knock on the bathroom door. Su Yiyi quickly opened a small gap in the sliding door, reached out her hand, and once Li Yifei handed her underwear to her, she pulled her hand back in swiftly.


    The underwear Su Yiyi had brought was a pair of panties with a lace front, made of silk. She never spent more than two hundred yuan on clothes, but these panties had cost her quite a sum. She had bought them on impulse during a shopping trip with her roommates, egged on by them. But after purchasing them, she felt they were too sexy and, being a conservative girl, couldn¡¯t bring herself to wear them.


    This time, however, when coming to Li Yifei¡¯s house, she brought the panties like she was possessed. Influenced by what her roommates said and what she read online, she had the impression that men preferred women to wear such underwear.


    "Ah, Brother Li will definitely think I¡¯m not a good girl after seeing these panties," Su Yiyi muttered to herself as she changed into her underwear. Looking at her reflection, wearing nothing but the underwear, her face flushed with embarrassment and her heart filled with trepidation.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t realize how awkward it was for a man to fetch panties for her. She was only worried that Li Yifei might think less of her. After hesitating for a while, she finally dressed properly and left the bathroom with her head lowered, lacking the courage to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, on the other hand, went straight into the bathroom. As he closed the door, he said, "You really are slow, I nearly died holding it in." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Taken aback, Su Yiyi then understood that Li Yifei had been waiting to use the bathroom. She said awkwardly, "I¡¯m sorry, Brother Li, I¡¯ll be quicker next time."


    "No worries, I¡¯ll take a shower too. If you¡¯re sleepy, you can go to bed first."


    After a comfortable shower, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom to find Su Yiyi sitting on the bed, reading a book. Her legs were tucked into the blanket, and she was wearing a piece of clothing over a light pink blouse.


    "You¡¯re really serious about this, aren¡¯t you?" Li Yifei said with a chuckle as he sat down on the edge of the bed.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned slightly red as she replied, "I have to study hard to find a good job in the future."


    "Hmm, that¡¯s good thinking, but don¡¯t overdo it."


    "Yeah, thank you, Brother Li." Su Yiyi placed the book aside and removed the piece of clothing she was wearing, then slipped under the covers to lie down.


    The bed at Li Yifei¡¯s house was slightly larger than the one in the warehouse, a queen-sized bed that was more spacious for two people. However, since there was only one blanket and one pillow, they had to share the bedding and pillow.


    As soon as Li Yifei lay down, Su Yiyi snuggled up to him and whispered, "Brother Li, I don¡¯t mean anything by this, I just want you to hold me while we sleep."


    Li Yifei slid his arm under Su Yiyi¡¯s neck and said, "Then I¡¯ll hold you," cradling her in a side embrace.


    Shifting down a bit, Su Yiyi rested her head on Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pressing her face against his chest, and said softly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so nice."


    Patting Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, Li Yifei responded, "Alright, let¡¯s sleep."


    "Okay!" Su Yiyi agreed and closed her eyes. At that moment, she didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives. Feeling the warmth of Li Yifei¡¯s chest, she quickly drifted off to sleep.


    Li Yifei soon fell asleep too. If he didn¡¯t, he would only be torturing himself. After all, it was impossible not to have other thoughts while holding a beautiful woman.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Su Yiyi awoke to darkness, only to find that while she was still in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, her position had shifted; she was now facing away from him. Yet at her chest, she felt a warm presence¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s hand had somehow slid beneath the neckline of her blouse and beneath her bra, now cupping her left breast.


    This made Su Yiyi¡¯s heart race. It was their third night sharing a bed, and until now, Li Yifei had merely held her simply. But tonight, his hand had reached her breast.


    Amid her shyness, Su Yiyi felt a surge of happiness. She wasn¡¯t a frivolous girl, but she found herself wishing for Li Yifei to take liberties with her. She was thrilled yet hesitant to remove his hand from the most mysterious part of her body.


    "Oh..."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad!" Su Yiyi chastised him in her mind, but let his hand remain where it was.


    However, after a couple of movements, Li Yifei¡¯s hand stilled, leaving Su Yiyi feeling disappointed. She truly wanted him to continue, to do as he pleased. She had already made up her mind; she belonged to Li Yifei. Even if he didn¡¯t reciprocate her feelings or desire her, she was prepared to wait for him for a lifetime.


    "It must be that Brother Li finds it inconvenient." Suddenly, Su Yiyi considered this possibility. But trying to remove her bra would surely wake him, and if Li Yifei awoke, he would probably stop touching her.


    She knew very well that only in his sleep did Li Yifei make such unconscious advances. She didn¡¯t want to wake him and break the intimate atmosphere.


    Frozen in place, Su Yiyi allowed Li Yifei to continue holding her, his hand gently moving on her chest from time to time, each movement intoxicating her heart.


    "Next time I¡¯m here," Su Yiyi resolved silently, "I definitely won¡¯t wear a bra." It would make it easier for Li Yifei to touch her. For him, she was willing to forgo not just her bra but even her clothes if he so desired.

 Chapter 89 Willingness

    Chapter 89: Chapter 89 WillingnessIn a nightclub, Brother Hu sat in his office with a gloomy face, the dull pain in his chest still present. He cast an unfriendly gaze at Sun Li in front of him and said, "Sun Li, what¡¯s the background of that guy? You should be able to tell me now, right?"


    Sun Li gave a bitter smile and replied, "Brother Hu, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to say it; I really don¡¯t know much. I also suffered at his hands that time, and all I know now is that his girlfriend is called Su Yiyi."


    "Is it that young woman he brought with him?" Brother Hu¡¯s face remained stern as his eyes flickered with an intimidating chill.


    "Yes, that¡¯s the one. But... Brother Hu, that kid is really too tough. We should..." Sun Li tried to dissuade Brother Hu in a low voice, still feeling a chill thinking about Yifei¡¯s capabilities. When they had been beaten by Li Yifei last time, it might have been because they were not powerful figures. But the men Brother Hu brought with him were seasoned fighters, and Li Yifei had easily handled them all the same; that level of strength was just too formidable.


    Brother Hu slammed the table fiercely and barked, "Damn it, Sun Li, do you know that in all these years, no one has dared to hit me? This kid actually dared to hit me. Do you think I can swallow this insult?"


    Sun Li chuckled drily and responded, "Brother Hu, you naturally can¡¯t be compared with me. I got hit by him and had to accept it."


    The muscles in Brother Hu¡¯s face twitched as he thought of Yifei¡¯s moves at the time, growing more and more apprehensive. He suddenly realized that seeking revenge would be quite difficult and, grinding his teeth, said, "So you¡¯re saying, I should also swallow my pride?"


    Sun Li thought for a moment and then said, "Brother Hu, since you trust me, I¡¯ll share my thoughts."


    "Speak," Brother Hu commanded, his eyes fixed on Sun Li.


    Sun Li cleared his throat and suggested, "Actually, making an enemy of such a person might bring us a lot of trouble. It might be better to make friends instead, to adopt a ¡¯no fight, no acquaintance¡¯ attitude. If possible, to really win him over would be to acquire a top fighter. At that point, Brother Hu, if you want to expand further, that¡¯s just adding an extra force to your side, right?"


    Brother Hu¡¯s eyes rolled as he nodded repeatedly, then said, "The idea you mentioned is good, but... this guy is really too tough. If he comes to my side and doesn¡¯t respect me, what should I do?"


    Sun Li was suddenly at a loss for words, facing a significant issue. If such a powerful figure turned against them, they¡¯d have no ability to retaliate.


    Brother Hu tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, pondered for a while, and conceded, "Actually, what you said makes sense. Provoking him again would just be asking for trouble. He¡¯s a real expert. As long as I show him some respect, he probably won¡¯t trouble us. But having him work for me, that¡¯s really unlikely."


    Sun Li hadn¡¯t expected Brother Hu, who seemed rough around the edges, to have such deep scheming. He quickly agreed, "That¡¯s probably for the best."


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that. I was really woken up by that beating this time. I always thought I was doing quite well in recent years, looking down on most people. Now I understand, there¡¯s always someone better, and there¡¯s always a higher sky. Zhao Hu is merely someone with a few dozen brothers and a bit of small business. Compared with the real boss of Mile City, there¡¯s naturally a gap. If I had run into one of the other big shots this time, I¡¯m afraid Zhao Hu might have been uprooted completely," Brother Hu said, pausing to rub his chest. "I should really thank him for waking me up. I owe him gratitude."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take the incident with Brother Hu and his group to heart. Such people were just small-time hooligans. If they knew their place this time, Yifei wouldn¡¯t want to hold a grudge, but if they continued to be oblivious, Yifei wouldn¡¯t mind teaching them another lesson.


    The next day when Yifei woke up, Su Yiyi was still sleeping soundly, and Yifei found his hand on a place it shouldn¡¯t be.


    "The girl doesn¡¯t look big, but she sure is firm!" Yifei praised inwardly, but still withdrew his hand.


    Feeling a stiffness in a certain part of his body, Yifei knew he hadn¡¯t been with a woman for about a week now, so his desires were running high. It seemed like he should find someone to quench his thirst that evening.


    Yifei did not suppress such human instincts, but he was selective about whom he would release them with. At the very least, girls like Su Yiyi were definitely not what he needed.


    Wanting to get out of bed, Yifei tried to pull his arm from underneath Yiyi¡¯s neck, but she suddenly grabbed his arm and murmured like someone in a dream, "Brother Li, let¡¯s sleep a bit more."


    Yifei, hearing Yiyi¡¯s plea, truly couldn¡¯t bear to wake her and ended up hugging her once again. Yiyi immediately fell back into a deep sleep.


    After half an hour, Yifei really needed to use the bathroom. As he tried to get up again, Yiyi woke up and said in a somewhat coquettish tone, "Brother Li, you¡¯re getting up so early?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yifei had no choice but to say, "I need to go to the bathroom. I¡¯ll be back to sleep afterwards."


    "Then go ahead," Yiyi said nicely, releasing Yifei this time.


    After attending to his needs, Yifei returned to the bed, and Yiyi promptly pulled Yifei¡¯s arm over herself again, snuggling up to him with her back facing him.


    Yifei could feel Yiyi¡¯s buttocks pressing against his abdomen, and he almost couldn¡¯t bear it. He hurriedly shifted backwards, but Yiyi pushed back against him.


    Yifei slapped Yiyi¡¯s bottom and warned, "Stop it, or I¡¯ll make a mistake."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s desire to be closer to Li Yifei was instinctive. She should say that after Li Yifei touched her chest last night, she suddenly felt much closer to him, so when it came to interacting with Li Yifei, she became much bolder and more natural. But when Li Yifei patted her, she immediately said shyly, "I... I didn¡¯t do it on purpose."


    "You silly girl, don¡¯t get too close to me in the morning, or I might easily turn into a beast."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face gently rubbed against Li Yifei¡¯s palm as she said softly, "Then I¡¯m also willing."


    Li Yifei was taken aback and felt that Su Yiyi had suddenly become much bolder. He asked, "Yiyi, what¡¯s gotten into you?"


    "Nothing... nothing..."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You little rascal, even you can keep secrets from me now."


    "No, it¡¯s just... Brother Li, I just don¡¯t want to talk about it, okay?"


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t force you."


    The two of them lay in each other¡¯s arms for a while, without any further actions. Su Yiyi gently tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said, "Brother Li, your hand was naughty last night."


    "Oh..." Li Yifei¡¯s face turned red, and with a hehe, he said, "I moved around in my sleep."


    "It¡¯s okay, I... I like it now."


    Li Yifei felt his heart unexpectedly beat faster. He had been with many women, most of whom were quite uninhibited and often took the initiative to seduce him. However, he had to admit that none of their seductions made his heart race as much as Su Yiyi¡¯s shy attempt did.


    "Brother Li, you don¡¯t need to think too much. Yiyi doesn¡¯t ask for you to like her back. If I can do something for Brother Li, if I can make you happy, then I¡¯ll be very happy. Really, even if you want... me, I won¡¯t make you take responsibility. Brother Li, you really don¡¯t have to restrain yourself. I really do like you a lot."


    Su Yiyi said all this with only a slight pause, the rest flowed smoothly, showing that these words were her genuine feelings and had been on her mind for a long time.


    At this point, Li Yifei felt that rejecting Su Yiyi would hurt her deeply. He was afraid that she might think too much into it. Besides, he had already touched her last night, so there was no point in pretending now. He then boldly hooked his hand back and touched Su Yiyi¡¯s neck.


    Su Yiyi stiffened immediately. She had mentally prepared for this, but Li Yifei¡¯s movements still made her instinctively tense up.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand immediately stopped, which startled Su Yiyi. She quickly held onto his hand, urging, "Brother Li, I¡¯m not unwilling, I really do want it, I was just a bit... nervous just now."


    What else could Li Yifei say? His hand gently caressed her neck a couple of times, slowly moving down inside her collar.


    This touch from a sober Li Yifei made Su Yiyi feel incredibly happy and satisfied. She knew that a future with Li Yifei was unlikely¡ªhe had already told her so. But still, she was resolute.


    As Li Yifei¡¯s hand roamed her body, she became more and more comfortable. She liked this feeling so much that she wished Li Yifei would touch her all over.


    "Brother Li..." Su Yiyi moaned softly, her body instinctively writhing. She was now filled with desire, struggling to contain herself.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei¡¯s hands paused.


    "Brother Li... my... are they too small?" Su Yiyi asked, stuttering.


    "No, they¡¯re just right. Like yours, Yiyi, they¡¯re firm and very perky. That¡¯s the most beautiful. Those that are too big can sag easily. Even if they don¡¯t sag when you¡¯re young, they look very unattractive as you age. But ones like yours, Yiyi, won¡¯t sag, that¡¯s what¡¯s truly beautiful."


    "Really?" Su Yiyi asked excitedly.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. Didn¡¯t you see how much I love touching them? Now I can¡¯t even bear to let go."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "But we can¡¯t stay in bed all day, can we?"


    Su Yiyi replied dreamily, "As long as Brother Li is willing, even staying all day is no problem."


    Right then, Li Yifei truly felt captivated by Su Yiyi. This girl was just too endearing. In that moment, he really felt the impulse to spend his life with Su Yiyi.

 Chapter 90 Old Classmate

    Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Old ClassmateThe phone rang, and Li Yifei instantly snapped to alertness, swiftly withdrawing his hand as he smiled, "I¡¯ll go answer the call."


    Su Yiyi was relishing the moment when Li Yifei suddenly pulled away his hand, feeling somewhat downcast, but she still said with flushed cheeks and softly, "Go ahead."


    Li Yifei picked up the phone from the bedside table. It was Lin Qiong¡¯s number; he casually answered, "Officer Lin, calling me so early, what¡¯s up?"


    "Li Yifei, that high school kid didn¡¯t come back last night, did he?"


    "Of course not, the only one here with me is Yiyi." Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny Su Yiyi¡¯s presence.


    Su Yiyi had been afraid to make a sound, but hearing Li Yifei say this, the young girl was overjoyed and snuggled up to lie against his chest, looking up at Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    "Hmph, you jerk, you¡¯ve tricked such a nice girl."


    Li Yifei wrapped his other arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, laughing, "Officer Lin, this seems like my personal life, you¡¯re really meddling too much."


    "Hmph, I¡¯ve got real business. I¡¯m organizing a Police-Public Fellowship Activity, can you participate?"


    "Sure, if Officer Lin asks, how could I not oblige?"


    "Good, then today at nine in the morning, we¡¯ll gather in the neighborhood, don¡¯t you dare be late."


    "I¡¯ll definitely be on time." Li Yifei happily agreed, and Lin Qiong hung up the phone on her end. Li Yifei then took a cigarette and put it in his mouth, just about to light it himself when Su Yiyi snatched the lighter and lit it for him.


    Li Yifei took a drag and smiled, "Don¡¯t you hate men who smoke?"


    Su Yiyi pursed her lips and smiled, "I used to really dislike men smoking, but I¡¯ve found that when Brother Li smokes, he has a very manly charm, so I don¡¯t hate it anymore. Plus, the smell of smoke on Brother Li doesn¡¯t choke you; it actually feels quite comfortable to smell."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "You really know how to flatter."


    "I¡¯m telling the truth," Su Yiyi protested gently, wriggling her body.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t do anything more with Su Yiyi. He had already been immersed in her tenderness earlier, which had put him on guard. When he was with Su Yiyi, he needed to restrain himself or else he really could not extricate himself.


    So he smoked a cigarette now to calm himself down.


    What made Su Yiyi so appealing to men was her thoughtfulness. Knowing that Li Yifei had things to do in the morning, she quickly got up and made breakfast for him. By half-past eight, they went downstairs together.


    "Brother Li, can I come again next week?" When parting, Su Yiyi gathered her courage and looked up at Li Yifei expectantly.


    Li Yifei tousled Su Yiyi¡¯s hair and said, "Can I even say no?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face immediately lit up with a beaming smile, "Then I¡¯ll come again next week. Bye, Brother Li." She walked away with a spring in her step.


    Li Yifei turned around and said to Lin Qiong, who wasn¡¯t far away, "Officer Lin, it¡¯s rude to spy on people like this."


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "I really can¡¯t understand why all these girls are so foolish, why can¡¯t they see through the fa?ade of a pervert like you?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "It seems it¡¯s only you who thinks I¡¯m a pervert. Actually, I haven¡¯t done much, have I?"


    "Hmph, what about that day when I caught you, what was that about?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei fiercely.


    It was then that Li Yifei realized why Lin Qiong had always treated him this way. Apparently, it was because of the first time they had tussled, which Lin Qiong had held against him. He immediately defended himself, "Officer Lin, that was a misunderstanding, right?"


    "Hmph, even if it was a misunderstanding, it still allowed me to see through your pervert nature. No matter how much you try to hide, it¡¯s useless."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother explaining and asked, "What¡¯s this Police-Public Fellowship Activity actually about?"


    When it came to official business, Lin Qiong stopped being harsh with Li Yifei and spoke earnestly, "It¡¯s like this, I¡¯m the community officer here. In order to ensure the safety of the two nearby neighborhoods, I want to have a good dialogue with the residents. If anything unexpected happens in the future or they notice any suspicious individuals, they can notify me. This way, I might be able to deal with some issues sooner and improve the security in our neighborhood." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei gave Lin Qiong a thumbs-up, "Officer Lin, I must say I admire you."


    "What do you admire about me?" Lin Qiong responded to Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, still keeping a stern face, but couldn¡¯t hide the happy smile in her eyes.


    "I admire your dedication. If all the cops were like you, we citizens would be blessed,"


    "Don¡¯t flatter me; you¡¯re one of them. When we get inside, no more goofing around, or I¡¯ll never let you hear the end of it."


    "I¡¯ll be serious, I promise, to make sure Officer Lin is satisfied," Li Yifei immediately stood upright, but then he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and say, "Officer Lin, I don¡¯t really understand. If you look down on me so much, why let me join?"


    "It¡¯s simple. Because you¡¯re not trustworthy, you come into contact with a more diverse crowd. That means you can provide me with more clues."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, and seeing him frustrated, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but giggle lightly.


    Once they entered the police office, there were already more than a dozen people there, and soon after, another dozen arrived. Lin Qiong explained the situation to everyone, which made them all very happy. They knew that since the establishment of the police station, aside from the early days and occasional police appearances here, the only connection to the police was the names and photos posted on the notice board at the entrance; not even a phone number was provided, nothing like the seriousness Lin Qiong was showing.


    Everyone expressed their support for Lin Qiong¡¯s work, which made her very satisfied. She had been worried about a lack of support, but now she knew her worries had been unnecessary.


    After some words of thanks and a detailed explanation of the matters that needed attention, she let everyone disperse.


    At that moment, Li Yifei came up to her, all smiles, and asked, "Officer Lin, are you free for lunch today? Shall we go out to eat together?"


    Lin Qiong glared at him, saying irritably, "Please don¡¯t try those tricks you use on girls with me."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and walked out. He was just teasing Lin Qiong.


    With nothing to do today, Li Yifei decided to buy a couple of clothes. The weather was getting warmer, and he didn¡¯t have much in the way of spring clothing, which made him slightly regret letting Su Yiyi go. It would have been more fun if he had her help picking out clothes.


    Walking into a mall alone, Li Yifei carelessly picked out some clothes. He had never been picky about clothing; as long as it was wearable, he didn¡¯t mind, nor did he care if it was fashionable or not. Besides, with limited funds, he never spent more than two hundred yuan on unbranded clothing.


    Just as he was about to leave the mall, he bumped into someone. After brushing past Li Yifei, the person suddenly exclaimed loudly, "Li Yifei!"


    Li Yifei stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the man about his age.


    "Li Yifei, don¡¯t you recognize me anymore? I¡¯m Su Peng."


    "Su Peng! My old classmate!" Li Yifei exclaimed in surprise, his face breaking into a smile.


    "Haha, it really is you!" Su Peng laughed heartily and reached out to shake hands with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei and Su Peng shook hands firmly. "Old classmate, I really didn¡¯t expect this. It¡¯s been seven or eight years and you still recognize me," he said with a chuckle.


    "How could I not? You were a celebrity in our class back then, even snagged our class beauty. We were all so envious. It¡¯s really been so long since we¡¯ve seen each other. We thought you would end up with the class beauty, but who knew... sigh..."


    A glint of pain flashed in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, but he quickly hid it and laughed, "It¡¯s all in the past."


    "Heh, old classmate, you sure take it easy. By the way, what are you doing now?"


    "I¡¯m just a clerk at a company. How about you?"


    "I¡¯m not doing great, just getting by at the town government."


    "That¡¯s a stable job though, you¡¯re better off than me."


    "Heh, it¡¯s manageable. By the way, this weekend, our classmate Tao Yizhong is getting married. Most of our high school classmates will be there. Are you going to join the fun?"


    "Sure, I haven¡¯t seen the old classmates in a long time. I¡¯d like to see how everyone¡¯s doing."


    "Great, that¡¯s settled then. Most of our classmates have kept in touch, you¡¯re the only one who disappeared. I¡¯m lucky to have run into you. Tao Yizhong will surely be thrilled to know I¡¯ve found you."


    Li Yifei and Su Peng exchanged phone numbers, and then Su Yue left.


    Li Yifei stepped out of the mall and lit a cigarette, his thoughts drifting back to the high school days. Back then, he was so prominent ¨C good at studies, righteous, an absolute celebrity in his class, and there was a girl who had always liked him, with whom he spent the most wonderful time during high school.


    Time flies. In the blink of an eye, it had been eight years since he last saw her, and he wondered how she was doing.


    The thought of her made Li Yifei¡¯s heart ache. If he had been unable to let go of his feelings, the main reason was her. He wanted to know about her condition, but at the same time, he was afraid to know. Since returning to Mile City, he had never actively sought her out. Yet, bumping into Su Peng like this, Li Yifei knew he could no longer avoid facing her.

 Chapter 91: The New Neighbor

    Chapter 91: Chapter 91: The New NeighborLi Yifei had originally planned to go to the bar tonight to blow off some steam, but the thought of that girl who had haunted his dreams made him lose all interest. After buying clothes, he went straight home.


    As the elevator doors were about to close, the sound of high heels tapping urgently on the floor rang out. Then, just before the doors shut, a woman squeezed in.


    Seeing this person, Li Yifei was gobsmacked. He had absolutely not expected to run into this woman in the elevator.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t recognize me?" Su Mengxin teased Li Yifei with a wink.


    Li Yifei cracked a smile and said, "What brings you here?"


    "I live here, ah. I¡¯m on the sixteenth floor. Which floor do you live on?"


    "The sixteenth floor?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened even further.


    Su Mengxin immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Yeah, don¡¯t tell me you also live on the sixteenth floor?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin, then cracked a wry smile and said, "Miss Su, I¡¯m lucky it¡¯s you. If it were someone else, I¡¯d suspect you were deliberately looking for me."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Oh, so you mean you live on the sixteenth floor too? Doesn¡¯t that make us neighbors?"


    Li Yifei nodded and ventured, "Miss Su, may I ask you a question?"


    "Sure, go ahead," Su Mengxin replied, her face always adorned with that signature smile of hers, both noble and extremely affable.


    Li Yifei saw that although Su Mengxin was surprised, as a super special forces soldier, he had already regained his normal rationality and had analyzed the likelihood of Su Mengxin moving in here. Then he asked, "Given your status, you shouldn¡¯t need to live in this kind of neighborhood, right? Not to mention staying in a five-star hotel, but at the very least, you should get a villa, no? Why are you living here?"


    "It seems I cannot answer you here." Su Mengxin pointed to the elevator as it stopped on the sixteenth floor, and the doors opened.


    Both of them stepped out of the elevator, and Su Mengxin said, "Aren¡¯t you going to invite me to sit at your place?"


    "I am truly honored. If others knew that Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty is coming to visit my home, who knows how many men would want to kill me." While speaking, Li Yifei had already opened the door to his home and invited Su Mengxin inside.


    After entering, Su Mengxin looked around curiously and then smiled, "Your place is pretty clean, which is quite surprising."


    After pouring a glass of water for Su Mengxin and inviting her to sit down, Li Yifei took a seat beside her and said, "It¡¯s not bad."


    "Mm, it¡¯s pretty good, just a bit small," she remarked.


    "It¡¯s already enough for me alone."


    Su Mengxin took a sip of water and looked at Li Yifei. Her thoughts suddenly flew to the jungle and finally froze on the image of him taking a bullet for her, becoming somewhat dazed.


    "Miss Su, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei, made a bit uncomfortable by Su Mengxin¡¯s stare, cleared his throat to remind her.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s body gave a slight shake and she flicked her hair¡ªan action so simple yet carried with the utmost grace as she said, "I was just remembering some things."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin, puzzled by her presence, and said, "Miss Su, why did you choose to become my neighbor?"


    "What do you think?" Su Mengxin didn¡¯t express any surprise. With her status, she would certainly have investigated who resided in her vicinity in advance, and her bodyguards would definitely settle nearby. Others might not know, but Li Yifei must be very clear about it.


    "You don¡¯t still want me to protect you, do you?" Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin with a bitter smile, hoping that wasn¡¯t the answer.


    But Su Mengxin giggled and said, "You guessed it right."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows and said, "Miss Su, I¡¯m already retired. I¡¯m just an ordinary person now, and no longer have any obligation to protect you."


    Su Mengxin nodded and replied, "Of course I know. I didn¡¯t come here in my former capacity either. I¡¯m now just a businesswoman, or you could say pretty much an ordinary person. So I don¡¯t mean to force you to protect me, but as neighbors, if something comes up and I ask for your help, you wouldn¡¯t refuse, right?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and mused, "It seems I really do have the right to refuse." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s refusal, Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes brimmed with even more amusement. She liked this Li Yifei even more, as he wasn¡¯t fawning over her for her beauty or her status¡ªthe mark of a real man. "Then may I ask you for help?"


    Su Mengxin¡¯s usual demeanor was already devastatingly charming, but now with a touch of coquetry, she was more than any man could resist. Li Yifei turned away and said, "Miss Su, don¡¯t tease me. Just speak plainly."


    "I really do want to live an ordinary life for a while. I¡¯m tired. But my identity is an issue wherever I go, especially with a bunch of bodyguards following me around everywhere, which makes me very uncomfortable. Being your neighbor, I fully trust my safety won¡¯t be a problem, and it will allow me to have a simple, normal life."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Miss Su, you can¡¯t just use my labor for free, can you?"


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes narrowed. Li Yifei was definitely the first man to smoke in front of her. The smell of tobacco made her quite uncomfortable, and she couldn¡¯t help but let out a light cough. However, Li Yifei only glanced at her and, without snuffing out his cigarette, took another puff.


    "Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to smoke in front of a girl?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Aren¡¯t you just an ordinary person? So, I won¡¯t change because of you."


    "Then it seems I¡¯ll have to be the one to change."


    "As you wish, if you don¡¯t change, there¡¯s nothing I can do."


    The more Li Yifei disregarded Su Mengxin, the more she took a liking to him. If before, she had been preoccupied with thoughts of Li Yifei simply because he had saved her, because he had shielded her with his body and left her profoundly shaken, now his attitude was what made her admire him even more.


    "Fine then, smoke if you want." Su Mengxin stood up, and with a smile said, "Wait for me a moment." Then she walked out the door, leaving it open behind her.


    This left Li Yifei puzzled. Hearing the door of the adjacent room open and close after a while, Su Mengxin re-entered his home, this time holding two cartons of cigarettes in her hand.


    "Don¡¯t keep smoking those low-quality cigarettes. Here are two cartons of Special Tribute cigarettes. Smoke these instead."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes sparkled; for a smoker, good cigarettes were definitely attractive. The two cartons Su Mengxin brought were clearly hard-to-find, top-quality Special Tribute cigarettes, and he eagerly took them.


    The packaging of these cartons of cigarettes was very simple, with nothing but the words "Special Tribute" written on them, and not a single picture; the whole box was just simple white carton. Anyone who didn¡¯t know any better would surely think these were just fake cigarettes.


    Li Yifei immediately opened a carton and pulled out a pack from inside¡ªall white as well, without even the words "Special Tribute" on it.


    He removed one cigarette, which looked no different from any regular cigarette, except for a beautiful Little Panda design on it.


    "Special Tribute Little Panda!" Li Yifei exclaimed in delight, promptly extinguishing his own cigarette. He then lit one of the new ones, took a drag with narrowed eyes, and said in bliss, "Leaders¡¯ cigarettes are indeed different. So satisfying!"


    With a snort of laughter, Su Mengxin said, "Why does it look like you¡¯re smoking opium when you smoke?"


    Li Yifei, shaking his head, replied, "Smoking for a man is like shopping for clothes for you women. You try on clothes you like over and over, basking in vanity. We men, when we get good cigarettes, naturally have to savor them properly."


    "Does shopping for clothes make you vain? I¡¯ve never felt that way."


    "Oh, right, you wouldn¡¯t feel that way, just like those leaders smoking these Special Tribute cigarettes¡ªno special feelings involved. How can they compare with us ordinary folks?"


    Suddenly, Su Mengxin sighed and said, "You¡¯re so right. Nowadays, I find very little interest in anything I do. That¡¯s why I wanted to come here and experience the life of an ordinary person, let me get a taste of the joy of shopping for clothes and feeling vain about it."


    Li Yifei widened his eyes and said, "I just can¡¯t understand you people with such high status wanting to live the life of us ordinary folks."


    "If you don¡¯t understand, then you don¡¯t. Anyway, I just want to experience it. Help me out, will you? I even brought you cigarettes, and you¡¯ve smoked them too. You can¡¯t say no now."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, surprised Miss Su could be so shameless. He chuckled and said, "You think you can buy me off with just two cartons of cigarettes?"


    Miss Su blinked and said, "At most, I¡¯ll keep supplying you these cigarettes, how about that?"


    "That offer is quite tempting... but even if I agree, it won¡¯t do much good. To live an ordinary life, others must see you as average. Here in Mile City, if you avoid those social gatherings, it might work, but now that every important person in town knows who you are, living an ordinary life might not be so easy, right?"


    "I¡¯ve thought of that already. A few days ago, I returned to Capital City and handed over my business in Mile City to others. My return this time was in secret; no one knows about it. As long as I avoid contact with those leaders, who then would know about me being in Mile City?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin and said, "I always feel like this is a conspiracy, and it¡¯s specifically aimed at me."


    "What kind of conspiracy could I possibly have against you?" Su Mengxin squinted at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I¡¯m just a poor guy. If you were to have a conspiracy against me, it could only be because you¡¯ve taken a fancy to me."


    "What do you think?" Su Mengxin secretly admired Li Yifei. This man was indeed impressive, but of course, she couldn¡¯t admit it just yet, otherwise Li Yifei would surely be spooked.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes again and said, "You think I would believe that?"


    Su Mengxin laughed happily, truly looking forward to the day when Li Yifei found out the truth. What kind of expression would he have then?

 Chapter 92 Meng Xiaofei’s Trouble

    Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Meng Xiaofei¡¯s TroubleAfter Su Mengxin left, Li Yifei furrowed his brows. Although he hadn¡¯t been serious during their conversation, he had been considering the reason for Su Mengxin¡¯s visit the entire time. No matter how much he thought about it, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t figure out her intentions.


    However, one thing was clear to Li Yifei: Su Mengxin¡¯s arrival had caused him great trouble. Even though he was now retired, he could not simply ignore Su Mengxin¡¯s safety. After all, she held an esteemed status in Huaxia, and any incident involving her could have significant repercussions.


    After snuffing out his cigarette, Li Yifei stepped out of his apartment and glanced around the hallway to see several strategically placed hidden cameras that covered every angle of the corridor. He moved to the staircase and walked up and down a few flights, noticing cameras on both the upper and lower floors.


    This arrangement would alert Su Mengxin¡¯s security detail to anyone trying to sneak up the stairs. Li Yifei was also aware that there would be at least one bodyguard staying in a room on each floor guarding Su Mengxin.


    Returning to his room, Li Yifei peeked out again and saw additional cameras mounted on the exterior wall. It was impossible for anyone to infiltrate Su Mengxin¡¯s room from the outside.


    Overall, the protective measures in place for Su Mengxin were sufficient.


    But for Li Yifei, this was highly uncomfortable. The surveillance wasn¡¯t just for Su Mengxin¡¯s safety; he was being watched as well, which limited his own freedom.


    Yet there was nothing Li Yifei could do to stop it¡ªSu Mengxin¡¯s presence had indeed brought him a fair amount of trouble.


    Li Yifei had no idea when Su Mengxin would leave so that he could go back to living his life.


    Although Li Yifei had saved Su Mengxin before, he hadn¡¯t dwelled on the event. It was just one of many tasks he had performed and not something worth remembering.


    His phone rang; it was Meng Xiaofei, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in some time. Li Yifei answered casually, and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s voice came through with a hint of anxiety, "Brother Li, can you come and pick me up?"


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Some guy won¡¯t leave me alone; I can¡¯t shake him off."


    "Where are you?"


    "I¡¯m in Moon Entertainment City, room 302. I¡¯m hiding in the restroom and calling you. Please hurry."


    The sound of raucous music was indeed coming through the phone. It seemed that Meng Xiaofei, the beautiful flight attendant, had run into trouble. As the first person she thought of was him, it spoke of her trust in him. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just ignore her, so he got dressed and opened his door.


    As he was pressing the elevator button, the neighboring door also opened, and Su Mengxin emerged in casual wear. Smiling, she asked, "Where are you off to?"


    "I¡¯m going to fetch a neighbor."


    Of course, Su Mengxin knew who Li Yifei¡¯s neighbor was and asked directly, "What happened to her?"


    Knowing that Su Mengxin would be aware, Li Yifei didn¡¯t elaborate and simply replied, "She¡¯s in some trouble and asked me to pick her up."


    "Then I¡¯ll come with you."


    "Why would you come with me?"


    "I have nothing else to do. Besides, she¡¯s your neighbor, and she¡¯ll be mine too soon, right? We all live on the same floor; it¡¯s only right we help each other."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her. If something happened, having Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguard intervene would be much preferable to taking action himself.


    Seeing Li Yifei agree, Su Mengxin seemed quite pleased. It took them just over ten minutes to reach Moon Entertainment City.


    Upon arriving at the entrance, Li Yifei frowned and asked, "Why didn¡¯t you bring a bodyguard?"


    "I¡¯m just an ordinary person; where would I get bodyguards? Besides, with you here, is there a better bodyguard than you?"


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless. He had hoped to let Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards handle the situation, but now it appeared he would have to deal with it himself.


    Inside the private room where Meng Xiaofei was, six people were present¡ªthree men and three women. The men, all in their mid-twenties and dressed flamboyantly, were obviously wealthy. The women were flight attendants, dressed in uniforms, though two of them looked quite disheveled due to the men beside them. Only Meng Xiaofei¡¯s uniform remained neat.


    "Miss Meng, have you decided yet?" The man sitting next to Meng Xiaofei was named Wang Guibin. His father was the chairman of a major company in Mile City, and their family assets were over a billion. He placed a check in front of Meng Xiaofei, saying, "If you agree to accompany me for a month, this money is all yours."


    The other two flight attendants looked greedily at the check, which was written for one million. One hundred thousand yuan a month, how tempting! They had encountered many rich people, but very few of them were so generous.


    At this moment, Meng Xiaofei shook her head firmly and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I will not agree."


    Wang Guibin¡¯s face suddenly darkened as he said, "Miss Meng, are your expectations too high? A million yuan could easily get a celebrity to accompany me for a month without an issue."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face turned ugly as she said, "Prince Wang, I¡¯m sorry, I do not want to sell myself."


    One of the flight attendants immediately said, "Xiaofei, don¡¯t be foolish. A million yuan! We wouldn¡¯t earn that in ten years, yet here you could make it in one month."


    Another flight attendant joined in to persuade her, "Yeah, Xiaofei, it¡¯s just for a month, not asking you to be a lifetime lover. After one month, you can do whatever you want. If you want to date your boyfriend, then date him."


    Meng Xiaofei was extremely frustrated. She had just got off the plane today when two colleagues invited her out to play. At that time, they didn¡¯t mention anyone else, so she agreed. But when she arrived, she found there were three men present.


    Thinking that she had two companions, she wasn¡¯t scared, but as those two got along very well with the other two men, she felt something was off and wanted to leave. However, there were two bodyguards at the door, and they simply wouldn¡¯t let her leave. She hurriedly ran to the restroom and called Li Yifei.


    When she came out again, Wang Guibin had started waving money at her.


    Seeing that Meng Xiaofei still wouldn¡¯t agree, Wang Guibin¡¯s expression became even uglier. With a heavy face, he said, "Miss Meng, name your price. As long as you can name it, I will satisfy you."


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head resolutely and said, "Prince Wang, I am really sorry, I won¡¯t do such a thing, even if you give me more money, I won¡¯t agree."


    Wang Guibin finally lost his temper, snorted coldly, and said, "What if I insist on making you agree?"


    Meng Xiaofei was startled and defiantly said, "Then I will still not agree."


    Wang Guibin burst into a nasty laugh, laughed loudly twice, and said, "Okay, okay. This is the first time I¡¯ve met such a stubborn girl, but I like it. Since you won¡¯t agree, then don¡¯t blame me for using force. Occasionally playing with rape, that¡¯s also an interesting thing, isn¡¯t it?"


    Meng Xiaofei jumped up, frightened, and said excitedly, "What... what are you trying to do?"


    Wang Guibin also stood up with a lecherous glint in his eye, blatantly scanning Meng Xiaofei¡¯s body, and finally fixated on her prominent chest. With a smirk, he said, "What do you think I¡¯m going to do? I was planning to take you somewhere nice so we could play slowly, but now I wouldn¡¯t mind if we just put on a live show."


    "You... don¡¯t mess around. This is a society with laws, and if you do this, it¡¯s a crime. You will definitely be sentenced," she said.


    "Ha ha..." Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words were met with loud laughter from the three men, one of whom laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke. "Miss Meng, there are laws in this world, but do you think someone could do something to Guibin over such a trivial matter? His father knows so many people, as long as no life is played with, what¡¯s the big deal? I advise you to just give in obediently, otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one suffering in the end." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s colleagues also tried to persuade her, "Xiaofei, it¡¯s not such a big deal. Look at those big celebrities; they¡¯ve all slept with many people..."


    "Shameless!" Meng Xiaofei cut off her colleague¡¯s words. If it was someone else urging her, that was one thing, but it was really disheartening for her own colleague to say such things.


    The flight attendant immediately pursed her lips and said, "Meng Xiaofei, don¡¯t yell at me, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. If Young Master Wang hadn¡¯t taken a fancy to you, I would be wanting that million yuan myself."


    Meng Xiaofei, even angrier, turned and quickly walked toward the door. Li Yifei had not arrived yet, and she felt the place was too dangerous, especially when looking at these people, it really disgusted her.


    But when she tried to open the door of the private room, it wouldn¡¯t budge, clearly locked from the outside.


    Wang Guibin let out a cold laugh and advanced towards Meng Xiaofei, saying, "If you can walk out of this room, I¡¯ll write the ¡¯Wang¡¯ character upside down from today."


    Meng Xiaofei pulled at the door forcefully, but it didn¡¯t move an inch. She really panicked then, turned back, and shouted at her two colleagues, "Are you just going to watch me get bullied?"


    Both turned their heads away from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s gaze. At this moment, they somewhat regretted their actions. Persuading Meng Xiaofei was one thing, but watching her get raped was something they found hard to stomach.


    However, for them, they couldn¡¯t go and help Meng Xiaofei. The two men beside them were not as wealthy as Wang Guibin, but each had tens of millions at home. The chance to climb that social ladder was something they were reluctant to give up.


    "Ha ha... What do you think, my word counts, right? I give you one million, accompany me for a month, make me comfortable, and I¡¯ve never been stingy," Wang Guibin said lazily as he approached Meng Xiaofei. He was not in a hurry now. Women like Meng Xiaofei who didn¡¯t easily submit were exactly the kind he wanted to play with. If money could directly settle everything, it would seem to him like there was no sense of accomplishment.


    "Don¡¯t even think about it!" Meng Xiaofei bit her lower lip, eyes darting around. She had the fighting spirit now, looking for something handy. If Wang Guibin dared to touch her, she was determined to make him regret it.


    After scanning the room, Meng Xiaofei finally set her sights on something. Suddenly, she pushed Wang Guibin, rushed to the coffee table, grabbed a wine bottle in her hand, and fiercely smashed it down onto the coffee table...

 Chapter 93 Essence

    Chapter 93: Chapter 93 EssenceMeng Xiaofei smashed down fiercely and the sound of the bottle hitting the coffee table and the glass shattering instantly filled the private room. In her hand, only half of a beer bottle remained, while shards of glass cut her hand, causing blood to flow out immediately. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Meng Xiaofei seemed oblivious to the pain, wielding the jagged glass bottle and fiercely shouting at Wang Guibin, "Come on then, if you have the guts, come at me!"


    No one in the hall had expected Meng Xiaofei to be so terrifying when provoked. Two flight attendants screamed and hurriedly fled, while Wang Guibin and the other two men, facing Meng Xiaofei with a glass bottle like a dagger, looked at each other hesitantly. Even if they had two more doses of courage, they wouldn¡¯t dare to confront Meng Xiaofei now.


    Wang Guibin¡¯s face was extremely ugly. Toying with women wasn¡¯t a big deal to him, but it seemed like if they continued, Meng Xiaofei was ready to fight to the death. Against someone as desperate as Meng Xiaofei, it seemed they could only back down.


    "What¡¯s wrong, got cold feet? If you¡¯re a man, then come on!" Meng Xiaofei swung the bottle, blood from her hand splattering everywhere, adding an even more tragic atmosphere.


    "OK! Don¡¯t be rash, I¡¯ll let you go!" Wang Guibin said, raising his hands and slowly retreating to the door. He was also afraid that Meng Xiaofei might crazily rush at him at this point; he wasn¡¯t confident he could disarm her without getting hurt.


    "Open the door!" Wang Guibin shouted loudly.


    The door to the private room was promptly opened, and two bodyguards quickly entered, positioning themselves in front of Wang Guibin upon seeing the situation.


    "Grab her," Wang Guibin ordered, aiming to have the bodyguards come in; he immediately pointed at Meng Xiaofei.


    The two bodyguards approached Meng Xiaofei. They were skilled, or they wouldn¡¯t be bodyguards. Had it been a man with a dagger, they might have been cautious, but facing a girl, they didn¡¯t take Meng Xiaofei seriously at all.


    Meng Xiaofei panicked a bit when she saw them coming her way. She swung the bottle even more forcefully and yelled, "Don¡¯t come any closer! Stay back, or I¡¯ll go all out against you!"


    The bodyguards continued toward her, and Meng Xiaofei could only retreat step by step until she was backed against a wall with nowhere to hide. Biting her lip and bloodshot eyes emerging, she then stabbed at one of the bodyguards.


    Unfortunately, her hesitation was evident as she lashed out, intending more to scare than to attack. Thus, her move was slow and lacked force, and the bodyguard easily grabbed her wrist, seizing the half-bottle from her.


    "Help! Somebody help me!" With no weapon left, Meng Xiaofei resorted to her last-ditch effort, desperately screaming for help.


    However, by then, Wang Guibin had already casually closed the room door. The soundproofing in these karaoke rooms was excellent; even if someone sang inside, it would hardly affect the outside, let alone Meng Xiaofei¡¯s screams.


    "You¡¯re quite the fighter, aren¡¯t you? I like you more and more." Wang Guibin laughed heartily, control of the situation once again in his hands. He leisurely approached Meng Xiaofei and reached toward her face.


    "Ah!" But before Wang Guibin¡¯s hand could touch Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face, he suddenly screamed, doubled over, and clutched his groin, his face twisted in agony.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, Meng Xiaofei dashed toward the door of the private room. In her desperation, she had unleashed a self-defense move, kicking precisely between Wang Guibin¡¯s legs. This effective strike gave her another chance to escape.


    "Catch her!" Wang Guibin squeezed out three words through clenched teeth, and the two bodyguards immediately charged. Just as Meng Xiaofei was opening the door, one of them caught her hair from behind, pulling it so hard that she cried out in pain and stumbled backward, but she managed to open the door successfully.


    And just then, a figure appeared in her view, prompting her to yell out, "Brother Li!" She then forcefully stepped on the foot of the bodyguard holding her.


    Still wearing her high heels, the sharp heel was not lacking in lethality. The man yelped in pain and involuntarily let go of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hair, and she immediately rushed toward the doorway. Unfortunately, the other bodyguard had already moved up to block Meng Xiaofei.


    The man was Li Yifei. Though he had hurried over, he was delayed slightly on the way. By the time he got there, the situation had escalated to this point.


    Li Yifei had just seen the two bodyguards going after Meng Xiaofei and rushed over with a quick step. With a shoulder bump, he had knocked the bodyguard blocking the door from his path and grabbed Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hand. However, he felt warm, sticky blood, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to look to know it was a bloodstain.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re finally here." Meng Xiaofei, seeing her rescuer, felt her strength leave her. The burst of energy from before had nearly exhausted her.


    Li Yifei supported Meng Xiaofei and looked around the room with a cool gaze. "Don¡¯t be afraid. Did they bully you?" he asked.


    Leaning on Li Yifei and feeling empowered, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s courage surged. Turning her head angrily, she said, "Yes, they bullied me, especially that Wang guy. He even tried to rape me."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes turned ice-cold as he looked at Wang Guibin, causing Wang to feel uneasy. Although he was arrogant and often toyed with women, he did so when they were alone with him. To force himself on someone with their family around was akin to abducting and violating a maiden. Even for someone as bold as he was, that crossed a line.


    With a sullen grunt, he said, "I didn¡¯t actually do anything to you, did I? You kicked me too. Let¡¯s call it even."


    The two flight attendants also promptly urged, "Xiaofei, let¡¯s just go, hurry."


    Meng Xiaofei had also come around by this time and tugged at Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Li, let¡¯s go."


    "Just leave like this?" Li Yifei turned to look at Meng Xiaofei.


    Although Meng Xiaofei felt indignant inside, she knew Wang Guibin was not someone to provoke, and Li Yifei wasn¡¯t exactly a formidable figure either. She nodded and said softly, "Brother Li, let it go, I¡¯m not hurt that bad."


    Li Yifei took Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hand and said, "This is what you call not that bad?"


    It was then that Meng Xiaofei saw her hands covered in blood and let out a shocked cry, her face turning pale. She felt the pain in her hands and the tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.


    "Kid, who are you to her?" Wang Guibin, sensing that Li Yifei was not willing to let the matter drop, asked with a frown.


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Su Mengxin who followed them in quickly said, "We¡¯re her neighbors."


    Li Yifei was instantly at a loss for words. He had intended to say that he was Meng Xiaofei¡¯s brother, which would have legitimized his intervention, but Su Mengxin had laid out the truth and complicated things for him. He turned to glance at Su Mengxin, and she winked back at him.


    This left Li Yifei even more speechless. The girl was doing it on purpose, which meant she was looking for trouble intentionally. Could it be that underneath the glory of beauty and intelligence bestowed upon the number one beauty of Huaxia, there was a little devil¡¯s heart?


    However, the people inside the room didn¡¯t react much at this point, their gaze fixated on Su Mengxin. With just her appearance, she dazzled everyone present. Although Wang Guibin and the other men had seen their fair share of beauties, someone like Su Mengxin still left them dumbfounded.


    Su Mengxin glared and rebuked, "What are you looking at, you bad guys? You¡¯re really too arrogant. Yifei, we absolutely cannot let them off. Teach them a good lesson."


    Even though Su Mengxin seemed fierce, it did not affect her beauty in the slightest, rather, it added a certain allure.


    Having been kicked by Meng Xiaofei, Wang Guibin had been in quite some pain, but upon seeing Su Mengxin, he had forgotten about his discomfort, nearly drooling as he stared at her lasciviously, and said, "Beauty, my name is Wang Guibin. Today, I am fortunate to meet such a beauty. I wonder if you could join us for a drink?"


    Snorting, Su Mengxin pointed at Li Yifei, and said, "If you can beat him, not only will I join you for a drink, I¡¯ll do anything else you want."


    Li Yifei was exasperated. Now he could be sure that Su Mengxin was truly a trouble-making little witch.


    Wang Guibin immediately looked at Li Yifei, feeling that although Li Yifei was tall, he didn¡¯t seem very muscular, especially compared to his two bodyguards, he seemed much less imposing. Laughing, he said, "Is what the beauty said true?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true. But if you can¡¯t beat him, don¡¯t blame me for not agreeing," Su Mengxin declared.


    "Good!" Wang Guibin pointed at Li Yifei, "Then, I¡¯ll have my bodyguards play with him." By specifically mentioning his bodyguards, he aimed to elevate his own status.


    Su Mengxin curled her lip and said, "Just one? I think all five of you should go at once. I love watching group fights; it¡¯s no fun with too few people."


    "Haha... Since the beauty has such a request, how can I not satisfy you?" Wang Guibin laughed heartily and approached Li Yifei, his two companions eager to show off in front of Su Mengxin, also stepping up to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei knew that a fight was now inevitable, and these few men¡¯s treatment of Meng Xiaofei had also given him the idea to teach them a lesson. He patted Meng Xiaofei on the shoulder at this point.


    Meng Xiaofei was startled and quickly clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, urgently saying, "Brother Li, don¡¯t fight with them, let¡¯s just go."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s okay, watch as Brother Li stands up for you." He then walked confidently into the midst of the five men.


    "Li Yifei, go get ¡¯em!" Su Mengxin shouted loudly.


    Li Yifei turned and glared at her. Others might not know his capabilities, but how could she not? Against such opponents, not just five, but even fifty people would be easy for Li Yifei to handle, and here she was, looking excited and thrilled. He really didn¡¯t know what she was thinking.


    Wang Guibin and his men, however, couldn¡¯t grasp why Su Mengxin was acting this way. They thought she held a grudge against Li Yifei and was using them to give Li Yifei a beating. At this moment, all they wanted was to make an impression, and the way to do that was to give Li Yifei a good thrashing.


    Seeing this situation, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s heart pounded uncontrollably. She was genuinely worried. She had just wanted Li Yifei to help her get out of an awkward situation, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to actually fight with them. Now, wanting to stop it seemed utterly impossible; the other party simply wouldn¡¯t spare Li Yifei.


    This entire development, of course, was influenced by Su Mengxin, and Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t help but look at Su Mengxin with some irritation.

 Chapter 94 A Resolute Man

    Chapter 94: Chapter 94 A Resolute Man"Beat him up!" Wang Guibin shouted loudly. Two bodyguards rushed forward first, and he, along with two other friends, also charged up. Five men pouncing on one; it was a beatdown with absolutely no danger. They naturally had no qualms whatsoever.


    He had done this kind of thing before, having bodyguards thrash the opponent until they were unable to fight back, and then he would step in. This way, he could fully reveal his so-called heroism.


    A beauty like Su Mengxin was simply too captivating. With Su Mengxin present, he had forgotten about Meng Xiaofei¡¯s existence. And since Su Mengxin enjoyed watching fights, he was even more eager to show off, hoping to win the heart of the beautiful girl.


    He even imagined how Su Mengxin would look at him with admiration, how she would throw herself into his arms, and how he would enjoy the company of this beauty.


    Expectations are beautiful, but reality is harsh¡ªso harsh that it¡¯s not just meatless, it¡¯s even without skin. He didn¡¯t even see what happened before he saw two shadows fly over his head, and then Li Yifei¡¯s face suddenly appeared in front of him.


    He hadn¡¯t even uttered a scream before a large hand had made close contact with his face twice. The tremendous impact caused his body to uncontrollably turn first to the left, then to the right. His head buzzed with noise, stars danced before his eyes, and his brain went nearly blank. Then, he plopped down to the ground.


    The fight was too fast. In less than fifteen seconds, five men were already on the ground. Meng Xiaofei was dumbfounded. This was nothing like she had imagined. Li Yifei was supposed to be the one getting beaten, but now all five men lay on the ground.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes gleamed as she watched. She loved seeing Li Yifei¡¯s display of heroism. Looking at Li Yifei¡¯s back, she was once again reminded of the jungle incident. It was this back that carried her through a barrage of bullets, this back that took a potentially fatal bullet for her. As she watched, she became infatuated.


    Li Yifei turned around at that moment, and Su Mengxin¡¯s face returned to normal. She smiled at Li Yifei and said, "These guys really can¡¯t take a punch."


    Li Yifei glared at her, somewhat annoyed, and then said to Meng Xiaofei, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading back."


    Meng Xiaofei followed Li Yifei outside in a daze, with Su Mengxin trailing behind them. It was only then that Wang Guibin came to his senses. Struggling to stand up, he cursed loudly, "Fuck, you dare hit me? I¡¯ll fucking kill you!"


    Li Yifei suddenly turned his head back, his cold stare fixating on Wang Guibin. Wang Guibin felt like prey under the gaze of a venomous predator, breaking out in goosebumps. Instinctively, he took a step back, tripping over a friend¡¯s leg, yelping as he fell into an embarrassingly sprawled position.


    By the time he managed to get up again, Li Yifei and the other two were nowhere to be seen.


    "Who the hell is that guy?" Wang Guibin thundered, demanding an answer from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s two colleagues.


    "We don¡¯t know him either. We¡¯ve never seen him before," the two replied in unison, equally terrified by what had just happened.


    A bodyguard struggled to his feet, whispering, "Young Master Wang, he must be that woman¡¯s neighbor. That¡¯s what they said just now."


    "Fucking hell, some neighbor thinks he¡¯s all that. I¡¯m not going to let this go; I¡¯m going to ruin him, goddamn it," Wang Guibin fumed even more as he cursed loudly.


    The two bodyguards felt bitter inside. They had no idea Li Yifei would be so formidable. They didn¡¯t even see how he moved before they were knocked down.


    "Young Master Wang, this guy must be a master."


    "No shit, do I not know he¡¯s a master? But no matter how skilled he is, I refuse to believe I can¡¯t take him down," Wang Guibin raged on. He didn¡¯t fear masters; in a head-on clash, a master could cost him, but as long as Li Yifei had neither power nor influence, Wang Guibin wouldn¡¯t take him seriously. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already taken Meng Xiaofei back home. Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei both sat on the couch in his home, while Li Yifei crouched beside Meng Xiaofei, treating the wound on her hand.


    Meng Xiaofei grimaced with tears swirling in her eyes and complained, "Brother Li, be gentle, it hurts."


    Li Yifei gripped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s wrist firmly, preventing any movement, "You¡¯ll have to bear with it. If I don¡¯t get the glass out, you¡¯ll have to go to the hospital and have a nurse do this."


    "But it really hurts."


    "You¡¯re feeling it now? Why didn¡¯t you think of that when you were fighting?"


    "Back then, all I could think about was how to fight back, so I didn¡¯t feel the pain," Meng Xiaofei sulked, pouting her lips.


    "You¡¯re quite something, fighting against three men," Li Yifei expressed his admiration.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m tough. When I was little, I¡¯d fight with the boys, and they couldn¡¯t beat me. But after middle school, I couldn¡¯t beat them anymore."


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin both chuckled. The girl had a commendable past.


    Li Yifei quickly treated Meng Xiaofei¡¯s wounds. He was adept at this; on previous missions, whether it was him or his comrades, injuries were common, so basic treatment was essential.


    Meng Xiaofei lifted her hand to inspect it, "Not bad. You know, Brother Li, you¡¯d make a good nurse. I bet lots of pretty girls would want your services."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and retorted, "Why does that not sound right to me?"


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled and said, "Really, isn¡¯t this what everyone cares about now? Like those women¡¯s clubs, all their waiters are handsome young men."


    Li Yifei gave Meng Xiaofei a stern look and said, "I really shouldn¡¯t bother with you, coming back and still daring to talk about me like that."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue cutely and said, "Sorry, Brother Li, I¡¯m genuinely grateful to you. Here, you¡¯re the only one I can ask for help, and thankfully you¡¯re so dependable."


    At this moment, Su Mengxin asked, "Don¡¯t you have any family around here?"


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and replied, "Both my parents have passed away, now I¡¯m all by myself."


    Su Mengxin immediately said with remorse, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know your parents had passed away."


    Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t heartbroken, just a bit gloomy, but quickly let out a light laugh and said, "It¡¯s okay, at first I was really sad, but now I don¡¯t think about them as much. They have each other¡¯s company over there, and I¡¯m young, I can take care of myself."


    Meng Xiaofei then stared at Su Mengxin and said, "Sister Su, you¡¯re really beautiful, definitely the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen. Compared to you, those big stars are just weak."


    Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and smiled as she said, "Being beautiful isn¡¯t all that advantageous, it can bring a lot of trouble."


    Meng Xiaofei nodded vigorously and said with deep agreement, "Right, right, it¡¯s such a hassle now."


    Li Yifei then stood up and said, "Alright, have the two of you chatted enough? If you¡¯ve had your fill of chat, then go back to your own homes, don¡¯t stick around here."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately pouted and said, "Brother Li, look, my hand is injured, and I definitely won¡¯t be able to cook tonight. Could you let me have a meal here?"


    Li Yifei looked at Meng Xiaofei with a mix of irritation and amusement and asked, "Have you ever cooked for yourself?"


    "Does making instant noodles count?"


    "What do you think?"


    "Then I guess I haven¡¯t..." Meng Xiaofei said, unabashedly grinning and cheekily saying to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, help me out will you? How about I mooch meals from your place for the next couple of days?"


    "Never seen anyone as thick-skinned as you," Li Yifei scolded with a laugh.


    Su Mengxin immediately squinted her eyes and said, "Can I count myself in too? I also can¡¯t cook."


    Li Yifei was rendered somewhat speechless, these two neighbors sure knew how to take advantage, treating his place like a cafeteria.


    Su Mengxin playfully laughed and said, "Hehe, I won¡¯t eat for free, I¡¯ll pay for the meals."


    Li Yifei extended his hand and said, "That¡¯s more like it, a hundred a day, pay per day, fair and square."


    Just as Su Mengxin was about to agree, Meng Xiaofei already exclaimed, "Brother Li, you¡¯re such a rip-off, that¡¯s so expensive."


    Li Yifei said, proudly smiling, "You can choose not to eat, right?"


    "But I¡¯m already out of money," pouted Meng Xiaofei.


    "Weren¡¯t you just about to get your salary?" Li Yifei widened his eyes; the last time he saw Meng Xiaofei, she had mentioned her salary was due in a few days, and it had already been over a week. The airline company she worked for was doing well, and it was unlikely that they would delay paying salaries.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck her tongue out and said, "I lent it to a coworker. She had some urgent family matters and needed money."


    "Have you thought about how you¡¯ll manage to live afterwards?"


    "I... I was thinking of borrowing some from you," Meng Xiaofei said, her face reddening truly now.


    Li Yifei was completely defeated by Meng Xiaofei. This girl not only wanted to scrounge for food and drink from him but also wanted to borrow money.


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Xiaofei, I¡¯m your neighbor too. If you¡¯re really in need of money, I can lend you some."


    "Really? That would be great!" Meng Xiaofei immediately cried out excitedly, but then quickly stuck out her tongue, looking embarrassed as she said, "I should still borrow from Brother Li."


    Su Mengxin, who was sharp as a tack, realized Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words meant that she regarded Li Yifei as closer to her heart.


    If it were any ordinary woman, she would feel uncomfortable seeing the good relationship between Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, but Su Mengxin didn¡¯t think that way. It was rare for her to like a man, and if he were too ordinary, it would disappoint her. Now it seemed that even though Li Yifei was just a junior employee at a company, he could still attract women, and not just any women, but beauties like Meng Xiaofei and Xu Yingying, indicating she hadn¡¯t misjudged him.


    Xu Yingying was still unaware that she had been categorized by Su Mengxin as someone who liked Li Yifei. One could only wonder what she thought about that.

 Chapter 95 Cursing on the Street

    Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Cursing on the StreetAfter eating the meal cooked by Li Yifei, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but silently praise him in her heart. If she had a husband like Li Yifei, eating his cooking every day, she would certainly be very happy.


    Reaching Su Mengxin¡¯s level, her criteria for a boyfriend were different from others. She didn¡¯t look for background, nor appearance, nor whether he had money. What mattered most was whether the man could make her feel at home, whether he could offer her a sense of security with his strong arms, and Li Yifei met her requirements perfectly.


    Su Mengxin was also a woman who knew when to advance and when to retreat. Just her presence in Li Yifei¡¯s life was already puzzling to him; if she confessed her feelings too soon, she feared Li Yifei might be scared off. Her plan was to let Li Yifei truly fall for her.


    So after dinner, she went back home early.


    Meng Xiaofei, however, lingered and was reluctant to leave until Li Yifei gave her a thousand yuan. She then cheerfully said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really awesome. I¡¯ll pay you back when I get my salary."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t care much about money, and smilingly said, "Whether you pay me back or not, I don¡¯t really mind. But you should still spend wisely. I don¡¯t have much money in my hands, and if it¡¯s all spent too quickly, I won¡¯t have any extra to help you. Then both of us will end up without food, and that would be tragic."


    "Hehe, I won¡¯t let that happen."


    Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t trust Meng Xiaofei; this girl clearly had no concept of money. To put it plainly, she was someone who just didn¡¯t know how to manage her life. Hoping she would spend her money carefully was probably expecting too much, as if waiting for the sun to rise from the west.


    After Meng Xiaofei left, it was past eight o¡¯clock, and Li Yifei no longer felt like going out. He simply exercised a bit at home, a practice he couldn¡¯t possibly give up after years of routine, even after returning to the city.


    After taking a shower, Li Yifei lay in bed and his thoughts once again turned to Su Mengxin, but he couldn¡¯t understand why she would come here. A pile of reasons proved it was unreasonable for her to be here, yet he couldn¡¯t find a single appropriate reason for her presence.


    "Forget it, I won¡¯t think about it anymore. I¡¯m just an ordinary person now; whatever she wants to do has nothing to do with me."


    Li Yifei decided not to think about it anymore, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.


    The next day, Li Yifei went straight to the company. While waiting for the elevator, he encountered He Fangqing again.


    During this time, although they were still working at the same company, they hadn¡¯t crossed paths once. Seeing He Fangqing again, Li Yifei could clearly see she looked much more haggard, with slightly sunken eyes and dark circles. Although her makeup concealed it somewhat, it was still noticeable.


    "Director He!" There were quite a few people around, so Li Yifei just greeted her normally.


    He Fangqing greeted him back, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but then said nothing.


    After stepping into the elevator, Li Yifei and He Fangqing went directly to the fourteenth floor before getting off. He Fangqing seemed a bit flustered and whispered, "Why are you following me?" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Director He, for such a small matter, you just have to tell me, and I¡¯ll help you out," Li Yifei said loudly, then winked at He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing immediately got the hint and quickly replied, "Of course, that¡¯s not part of your job, but I¡¯m asking for your help."


    "Director He, you¡¯re too kind."


    Their conversation sounded completely normal, and then they walked straight into He Fangqing¡¯s office.


    After closing the door, He Fangqing let out a sigh of relief, gave Li Yifei a reproachful look, and said, "What are you up to? Coming to my office in broad daylight?"


    Li Yifei looked at He Fangqing and smiled, "I haven¡¯t seen you for several days. Have you been sleeping poorly lately?"


    He Fangqing felt a lump in her throat, and tears nearly flowed out. These past days had been really distressing for her, but she had no one to confide in. Li Yifei¡¯s concern made it all the more difficult for her.


    "It¡¯s nothing." He Fangqing shook her head lightly, forced a smile, and turned to sit behind her desk.


    Li Yifei followed and sat down opposite her, saying, "If you¡¯re having any trouble, you can talk to me. I can still help you with that."


    He Fangqing, avoiding Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, pretended to look at the reports on her desk and said, "There¡¯s really nothing wrong."


    "Hehe, I know you want to keep your distance, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not clingy. It¡¯s just a friend¡¯s concern. If you feel like talking, go ahead."


    Finally, He Fangqing looked up, her eyes slightly red, and said, "These past few days, that woman has been harassing me by calling me in the middle of the night, it¡¯s driving me crazy."


    Li Yifei knew the woman He Fangqing mentioned was her ex-husband¡¯s current partner, and this woman was shameless enough. Not only had she stolen someone¡¯s husband, but now she was relentlessly harassing He Fangqing. He didn¡¯t understand what her intentions could be.


    "Then when you see her call, just don¡¯t answer," he suggested.


    "I also want to ignore it, but she changes her number every day."


    "Then simply turn off your phone."


    He Fangqing shook her head painfully and said, "Sigh, I do turn it off at night, but she still calls my office during the day. I¡¯m really going insane."


    Li Yifei frowned and asked, "What does she actually want to do?"


    "She just wants to drag me through the mud. If she¡¯s not swearing, she¡¯s saying disgusting things."


    Although He Fangqing put it simply, Li Yifei knew it wasn¡¯t that simple. Otherwise, He Fangqing wouldn¡¯t be so distressed.


    Just then, the phone on the desk rang. He Fangqing¡¯s body tensed, and with a look of panic, she stared at the phone, not daring to answer it.


    "Answer it!" Li Yifei encouraged her.


    Only then did He Fangqing, trembling with fear, pick up the phone. After hearing the words on the other end, her expression relaxed, and she said, "Okay, I¡¯ll get ready and head over right away."


    After hanging up, He Fangqing smiled at Li Yifei and said, "It was President Xu¡¯s call."


    No sooner had she finished speaking than the phone rang again. This time He Fangqing hesitated before answering, but her face immediately turned angry and aggrieved.


    "Could you please stop harassing me? What you and he have has nothing to do with me. I have no relationship with him anymore; he is him, and I am me... you..." Halfway through, He Fangqing¡¯s face turned ashen, and her hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably.


    Seeing He Fangqing like this, Li Yifei felt irritated. He leaned over, snatched the phone, and immediately heard a woman¡¯s brazen laughter: "Haha... He Fangqing, you bitch. Do you think you¡¯re safe in the branch office? I¡¯m telling you, unless you leave the entire group, I will not let you live in peace."


    Although Su Juan acted like a shrew in front of He Fangqing, she had never actually confronted anyone directly. It was He Fangqing¡¯s weakness that made her unbridled. But Li Yifei¡¯s retort was something she couldn¡¯t tolerate. She yelled, "Who are you?"


    "I¡¯m your father. I wonder why I was so stupid to have shot into your mother¡¯s stomach. If I¡¯d known you would turn out like this, I¡¯d rather have splattered it on the wall. Having a cheap daughter like you, I must be really unlucky."


    "You..."


    "What you what? With your bear-like appearance, only a fool like Chen Mingsheng would fancy you. Don¡¯t you understand why he¡¯s with you? You¡¯re hounding Director He because you know very well that Chen Mingsheng is only after your money; he doesn¡¯t give a damn about your fatty flesh. If you had any self-confidence, would you chase Director He and scold her? Your aggressiveness proves your lack of confidence and your guilt. Haha, I¡¯d wager that once that bastard Chen Mingsheng gets enough benefits from you, he¡¯ll surely dump you like the deadweight you are."


    "You... you..."


    "Don¡¯t get too worked up, with your fatso figure, you definitely have high blood lipids, high blood pressure, heart disease, AIDS, and whatnot. If you suddenly drop dead from anger, not even a slaughterhouse would want you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s tirade left Su Juan speechless, with no comeback. In the end, she slammed the phone down in a fury.


    "What are you doing? Shouting and screaming in the company?" Li Yifei had scolded to his heart¡¯s content, only for Xu Yingying¡¯s cold voice to follow.


    Turning around, Li Yifei saw Xu Yingying standing behind him, arms folded, frowning at him. He forced a sheepish smile and said, "I was just venting for Director He."


    Xu Yingying glared at him and said, "You call this venting for her? It looks like you¡¯re just causing her trouble. You think Su Juan is easy to provoke? She¡¯s the daughter of the vice-chairman of the head office."


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "President Xu, with all due respect, if you¡¯re too weak with evil people like her, they¡¯ll just get bolder. If they¡¯re nasty, you have to be nastier. She swears at Director He, and Director He gets upset. I swear at her, and she gets upset too. Our principle should be not to get upset ourselves and let those who love being angry get upset instead."


    Xu Yingying, both angered and amused, said, "You sure have plenty of flawed logic, but what you said was really unpleasant to hear. If others heard it, how bad would that be? I know you care about Sister Fangqing, so when you have time, just keep her company. That way, she¡¯ll feel better."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face flushed at once. Since the night she stayed with Li Yifei at Xu Yingying¡¯s home, Xu Yingying had regarded them as a couple, but she knew very well that she and Li Yifei were impossible.

 Chapter 96 Have you always been like this?

    Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Have you always been like this?"President Xu, Li Yifei and I, we are not in that kind of relationship, we..." He Fangqing wanted to explain, but considering she and Li Yifei were living together at Xu Yingying¡¯s place, it seemed really hard to justify.


    Xu Yingying immediately glared at Li Yifei and angrily said, "Li Yifei, are you looking down on Sister Fangqing just because she has been divorced?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Of course not."


    "Then you think Sister Fangqing is not good enough for you?" Xu Yingying¡¯s face grew even more stern.


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "That¡¯s even less the case. Sister Fangqing is so beautiful, even if she had been divorced ten or eight times, she¡¯d still be more than good enough for me."


    "What do you mean by that?" Xu Yingying¡¯s face softened, but she was still staring at Li Yifei.


    At this moment, He Fangqing quickly interjected, "President Xu, you¡¯re really overthinking this. We¡¯re all adults here. I was in a bad mood and needed to vent. It doesn¡¯t necessarily involve feelings, and it¡¯s not that Yifei has treated me badly. It¡¯s just that I truly have no intention of remarrying."


    "Sister Fangqing, you can¡¯t seriously believe that, right?" Xu Yingying looked at He Fangqing in surprise. In her eyes, He Fangqing was still a fairly traditional woman. Things like one-night stands seemed out of character for her, plus she was a meticulous person. The notion of sleeping with someone without having feelings for them was something Xu Yingying found hard to accept.


    He Fangqing smiled slightly and said, "I really do think that way. After going through emotional turmoil once, I no longer dare to easily invest my feelings. I feel pretty good about how things are now. There¡¯s no burden on anyone, no need to take on any responsibility; it¡¯s actually very relaxing."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "Well, suit yourselves, but... actually, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if you two really got together."


    He Fangqing glanced at Li Yifei, who grinned sheepishly while feigning innocence. He Fangqing then smiled and said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, you really don¡¯t need to worry. We¡¯re grown-ups and we understand what we¡¯re doing."


    "Alright then, I won¡¯t meddle anymore. Li Yifei, don¡¯t go out today. I need to head out for a bit later."


    Li Yifei nodded in agreement and quickly left, both relieving He Fangqing and fearful of Xu Yingying¡¯s penchant for matchmaking.


    By nine in the morning, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were sitting in Li Yifei¡¯s car. Both of them were silent on the ride, with somber expressions, as if they had difficult decisions to make.


    "Li Yifei, if someone offered you better conditions now, a better opportunity for development, would you take it?" Xu Yingying suddenly asked Li Yifei, without any context.


    Although Li Yifei was puzzled, he still replied, "Why do you think I left my security job to join your company if not for the better prospects?"


    Xu Yingying uttered, "Oh," then fell back into deep thought. After a while, He Fangqing said, "President Xu, if possible, I really do hope you make such a decision."


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "I know the offer is very tempting, but this company has been my hard work these past few days. It¡¯s not easy to just walk away; I feel very attached."


    He Fangqing snorted and said, "If this company had a good boss, it¡¯d be worth your attachment, but look at the decisions made recently. Which one truly had the company¡¯s best interests at heart? To them, this subsidiary is nothing but a goose laying golden eggs. They were content just taking the eggs, but now they¡¯re even willing to kill the goose to get them. What¡¯s left there for you to cling to?"


    Xu Yingying sighed softly once more and said, "Let me think it over a little longer."


    Listening to Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, Li Yifei had roughly figured out what they were discussing. It seemed a great company wanted to poach them. He Fangqing was eager for the chance to stay away from her ex-husband and Su Juan¡¯s harassment, whereas Xu Yingying was hesitant. After all, she had built the company up to its current state, investing so much of herself into it, making it hard for her to let go.


    As for the company trying to poach them, Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts suddenly turned to Su Mengxin, Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman, who was incredibly capable. Seeing that she had invited Xu Yingying out alone showed her high regard for Xu Yingying, making her the likely candidate behind the poaching.


    However, Li Yifei kept his thoughts to himself, as such matters were beyond the purview of a low-level employee like him.


    Upon reaching the Tax Bureau, He Fangqing and Xu Yingying entered together, mentioning they would be a while. With his hair feeling a bit long, Li Yifei went to a nearby barber shop for a haircut.


    No sooner had he stepped out of the barber shop than two men dashed past him, followed quickly by a woman who also sped past.


    It was Lin Qiong. Though she rushed quickly by Li Yifei¡¯s side, he recognized her. Dressed in her police uniform, she looked stunning, but her face was flushed red ¨C presumably from the chase and not faring well at it.


    Li Yifei found the situation rather amusing. The female police officer was certainly dedicated, but clearly lacking in experience and not very proficient. Chasing two men alone, he wondered if she might end up in trouble.


    Lin Qiong was indeed a police officer with a strong sense of responsibility. This wasn¡¯t her jurisdiction ¨C she had been at the Sub-bureau that morning for business. On her way back, she had spotted two men stealing wallets and immediately tried to apprehend them. They shook free and ran, prompting her to give chase. Though she had hoped others would assist in stopping them, the thieves brandished knives, scaring any would-be helpers away. Undeterred, Lin Qiong pursued them alone. Because she couldn¡¯t keep up, she was exhausted to the point of fearing she¡¯d have no energy left to shout, so she pursued in silence.


    They chased for a full kilometer, and at that point, the two thieves could no longer run, but they still hadn¡¯t shaken off Lin Qiong, which frustrated them to no end. In their frantic dash, they had inadvertently dashed into a building¡¯s passageway, only to find it was a dead-end.


    "Stop! If you resist any further, your crimes will be even more severe!" Finally cornering the thieves, Lin Qiong shouted aloud and then leaned on her knees, panting heavily.


    The two thieves were also gasping for air, but the expressions on their faces were ferocious. They slowly began to approach Lin Qiong.


    "Stop right there!" Lin Qiong immediately shouted loudly, straightening her body, her face showing nervousness because both men were holding daggers.


    "Little cop, get out of the way, or don¡¯t blame us for getting desperate," one of the thieves said darkly, his words devoid of any emotion.


    Lin Qiong was taken aback. If these were ordinary thieves, being caught by the police would not provoke such an extreme reaction, since theft wasn¡¯t a major crime¡ªusually resulting in just a year or two of jail time, or often just ten to fifteen days before release. It definitely wasn¡¯t worth fighting the police to the death.


    Such a reaction could only mean one thing: These two were involved in more than petty theft¡ªthey might have major crimes on their record. Seeing the daggers in their hands, it was entirely possible that they had even committed murder.


    Though nervous, Lin Qiong did not retreat. Instead, she glared and shouted, "Assaulting a police officer is a serious crime. Are you prepared to spend the rest of your lives in prison?"


    "Little cop, try catching us first," the thieves said as they came closer, one of them directly lunging at Lin Qiong with his dagger.


    Lin Qiong was now certain they weren¡¯t just petty thieves. The stab was quick and vicious. Although it wasn¡¯t aimed at her vital points, she believed it wasn¡¯t a bluff. Having learned some techniques at the police academy, Lin Qiong swiftly dodged the attack.


    But the other thief swung his dagger at Lin Qiong¡¯s waist without mercy.


    Lin Qiong was shocked. The moves she¡¯d learned, which had seemed useful in theory, now felt ineffective in the face of true criminals. Though she managed to twist her body and narrowly escape, the dagger sliced through her uniform and even cut open her undershirt.


    Feeling a chill at her waist, Lin Qiong was terrified, thinking she had been stabbed. Fear clouded her mind, and her movements lost all coordination. The two criminals took advantage of her panic and lunged at her simultaneously. She screamed, unsure of how to dodge.


    "It¡¯s over!" Lin Qiong thought, with only these two words in mind. She had always known that policing was dangerous, but she had only focused on the prestige and justice of being an officer. Now, before she could fulfill any of her ambitions, she was likely to lose her life here.


    "Bang! Bang!" Instead of feeling the daggers piercing her, she saw the two criminals flying sideways through the air, and suddenly, someone else was by her side.


    Lin Qiong immediately turned to look and burst out in relief, exclaiming, "It¡¯s you!"


    This person, whom Lin Qiong had failed to identify using a computer back at the station, had appeared once again, and for the second time, he had saved her.


    "Sigh, you¡¯re a girl who isn¡¯t that skilled in martial arts, yet you became a cop. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" The man was naturally Li Yifei, who shook his head, looking quite helpless.


    Though his words hurt her pride, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t feel upset; instead, she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you for saving me again."


    Li Yifei said with an expressionless face, "I didn¡¯t want to, you know. Who knew you¡¯d be so unlucky that I¡¯d bump into you in danger just by randomly walking down the street?"


    Lin Qiong smiled awkwardly, "I¡¯ve only been in danger twice, and both times I bumped into you. I¡¯m starting to wonder if you¡¯ve been following me around every day."


    "Young girl, you really are naive. Why would I follow you for no reason?" Li Yifei was truly amused by Lin Qiong¡¯s imagination.


    "You¡¯ve been following me..." Lin Qiong started, her mouth agape, but she couldn¡¯t find any plausible reason to believe in and was hugely embarrassed. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stop zoning out. You haven¡¯t caught those two yet," Li Yifei said.


    Lin Qiong was alarmed and quickly turned to look at the two men, seeing that they had already gotten up. However, they hesitated to approach, clearly intimidated by the martial prowess of the person beside her.


    "Friend, give us a way out, and we may meet again under better circumstances," one criminal said to Li Yifei, making a fist and bowing in a very humble manner.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "It¡¯s not up to me to decide whether you get a way out. You need to discuss that with this police officer here."


    The faces of the two criminals instantly twisted, and after exchanging looks, they suddenly shouted and, gripping their daggers tightly, charged at Lin Qiong once more.

 Chapter 97 Proper Guidance

    Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Proper GuidanceTwo thugs had been kicked to the ground by Li Yifei and already knew this man was far too strong for them to handle, so they all fixed their eyes on Lin Qiong, thinking if they could control her, the formidable guy would hesitate to act, and they could escape.


    Seeing the two men charging at her, Lin Qiong had no fear in her heart at this moment, with such a master by her side, there was no need for her to make a move.


    However, she then heard Li Yifei say, "Practice well, it¡¯s not often you come across such thugs."


    Lin Qiong was stunned for a moment, and Li Yifei had already slapped one thug to the ground, leaving him unable to rise again, while sparing the other.


    The other thug was also momentarily dazed from the hit, realizing the man before him was too powerful; they had no chance of resisting. Initially lunging at Lin Qiong, he now hesitated.


    Lin Qiong then came to her senses, recognizing that the expert was clearly giving her an opportunity to train. This was truly a good chance. Although she had practiced combat with her classmates at the police academy, they had never intended to harm each other. They were motivated by a desire to win, without the fear of getting hurt.


    But now things were different. Facing a thug like this, she had to use all her abilities; it was a matter of life and death, and there was no room for ambiguity.


    And having encountered danger twice now, Lin Qiong also recognized how insufficient her skills were. Dealing with petty thieves who were afraid of the police was one thing, but she was no match for desperate criminals. Therefore, she didn¡¯t want to miss such an opportunity.


    With this in mind, Lin Qiong straightened her posture like a javelin, her expression becoming exceptionally solemn. With her hands positioned and a sharp shout, she advanced towards the thug.


    The thug¡¯s eyes were now bloodshot. He knew that he had no chance of escaping today; with the crimes they had committed, being caught by the police meant death many times over, and escape was unlikely. Resigned to this fate, he was determined to take someone down with him, bracing himself for a desperate struggle.


    With a loud shout, the thug¡¯s dagger thrust toward Lin Qiong¡¯s chest, aiming directly for her vitals.


    Lin Qiong kept her eyes fixed on the thug¡¯s dagger, her body suddenly shifted to the side, dodging the blade, and then quickly reached for the assailant¡¯s wrist.


    The thug had some martial arts training; he flicked his wrist, evading Lin Qiong¡¯s grab, and then slashed the dagger toward her wrist.


    Li Yifei spoke up, "Your evasive moves are too slow, the most important thing when facing someone with a knife is to watch their shoulders and arms. From their movement, you can predict their actions and make your evasive and counterattack moves in advance."


    Lin Qiong could hardly understand at that moment. When Li Yifei explained this, she became even more confused and nearly got stabbed by the thug.


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Alright, now do as I say, and then you can slowly come to understand it."


    "Okay!" Lin Qiong responded loudly, placing immense trust in the faux expert Li Yifei.


    "Step left, strike forward with your right hand."


    "Thud!" Lin Qiong complied, and as she moved right, the thug¡¯s dagger stabbed at where she had just been standing. Her punch, which should have hit empty space, landed squarely on the thug¡¯s chest.


    Lin Qiong was overjoyed, as it really worked. Her admiration for Li Yifei deepened significantly.


    However, her punch didn¡¯t have much force, and the thug only stepped back before charging at her again with a loud shout.


    "Your movements are still too slow. Take half a step back, crouch down, and sweep," Li Yifei instructed once more.


    Lin Qiong followed his directions precisely, skillfully avoiding the attack, and then her leg swept against the thug¡¯s calf. His body instantly flew sideways through the air and then crashed to the ground with a thud.


    "Not bad this time, but your sweep was still too high. It seems your basic skills still need work."


    Lin Qiong humbly accepted Li Yifei¡¯s criticism. Meeting such a master made her feel incredibly fortunate, and as Li Yifei¡¯s advice consistently had the desired effect, she couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge the deficiency in her own fundamentals.


    The thug struggled back to his feet, appearing somewhat frenzied now, fixated on attacking Lin Qiong. Under Li Yifei¡¯s guidance, she managed to knock him down time after time, gradually gaining insight. She seemed to grasp, to some extent, the method Li Yifei had mentioned about observing the opponent¡¯s shoulders and arms.


    After several minutes, the thug was growing weaker, his movements slowing, and his mental defenses finally collapsed.


    "Bang!" This time, without Li Yifei¡¯s instructions, Lin Qiong dodged the attacker¡¯s dagger and swept the thug off his feet, and he could no longer get up. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you!" Lin Qiong turned around to properly thank the mysterious person, but when she did, they were already gone. Instead, she saw a police car racing over, and several policemen jumped out of it.


    Lin Qiong presented her badge, and the officers looked in amazement at the two thugs lying on the ground. A tall policeman gave Lin Qiong a thumbs up and said, "You¡¯re really amazing; you took down both guys all by yourself, just like a Heroine."


    Lin Qiong felt her face warming up. This wasn¡¯t her accomplishment at all. She smiled awkwardly and then joined the others to assist with the investigation.


    Soon, the backgrounds of the two individuals were uncovered, and Lin Qiong was specifically called into the Director¡¯s office.


    Director Song Ranmin was evidently in a very good mood, smiling broadly as he said, "Little Lin, you¡¯ve really made a big contribution this time."


    Lin Qiong was still unaware of the true identities of the two individuals and said, somewhat puzzled, "Director Song, I only caught a couple of thieves."


    Song Ranmin squinted his eyes and replied, "What thieves? These men are responsible for numerous murders; they¡¯re A-level fugitives on the run for over two years without being caught. But this time, you caught them all by yourself, isn¡¯t that a great achievement?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Being a police officer, she knew quite well that capturing such felons was a tremendous accomplishment. She had joined the police with such aspirations, to catch important criminals, and now she had achieved it so effortlessly. She couldn¡¯t help but show her joy.


    "Little Lin, you¡¯ve only been working for such a short time and already you have made two significant contributions, capturing three felons. If I don¡¯t commend you for it, it wouldn¡¯t be right, and it might discourage our colleagues in Mile City," he continued.


    Only then did Lin Qiong fully come to her senses and quickly said, "Director Song, I really don¡¯t have such great abilities. This time and the last, it was all thanks to a mysterious helper; without them, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have caught them."


    Director Song nodded and said, "I¡¯ve read your report of the incident. But since that person chose to help you and left before the police arrived, clearly not wanting others to know, it seems they wanted you to have the credit. Besides, if you hadn¡¯t bravely pursued those criminals, this opportunity wouldn¡¯t have arisen. In your actions, you¡¯ve earned the commendation."


    After a pause, Song Ranmin added, "Little Lin, our system needs role models like you right now. You have a good image and have made such an impressive contribution. I think we should establish you as the face of the Mile City police force, to enhance the image of our officers."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes bulged with disbelief, "Director Song, this... this doesn¡¯t seem right. I haven¡¯t made such a significant contribution."


    Song Ranmin smiled slightly and said, "Haven¡¯t you noticed that our police image in the public eye has been declining? Don¡¯t you want to help restore our image among the people?"


    "I do, but such efforts should come from our work, shouldn¡¯t they? To gain public recognition?"


    Song Ranmin nodded, "You¡¯re correct, but improving our work takes a lot of time and faces many difficulties. If there¡¯s an easier way to be accepted by the public, why not take it?"


    As Lin Qiong was about to speak further, Director Song¡¯s expression became stern as he said, "Little Lin, the party committee has already decided on this matter, and for you, it¡¯s undoubtedly a good opportunity. You¡¯re now the Deputy Director, and in a year or two, you could be promoted to Director. Your future is limitless."


    Lin Qiong was surprised and delighted. She had just started working and had already been promoted. She knew that many spend over a decade in the police station without achieving the rank of Deputy Director.


    But inside, she still felt uneasy, as if the credit wasn¡¯t entirely her own.


    "Alright, don¡¯t worry about it. Prepare yourself well, for tomorrow we¡¯ll have a press conference, and you¡¯ll need to attend. Also, don¡¯t mention that person¡¯s involvement; since they intended to give you the credit, don¡¯t let their goodwill go to waste," he advised.


    "Yes!" Lin Qiong replied, then left the Director¡¯s office feeling overwhelmed by the sudden good fortune that was hard for her to accept.


    When she returned to the police station, everyone crowded around to congratulate her. The news had already reached them.


    Seeing her colleagues, who used to be just like her, ordinary officers, now trying to curry favor with her, Lin Qiong suddenly felt uncomfortable.


    Staying at the station until the end of the shift, Lin Qiong walked home, but not far from her house, she saw a silhouette that she couldn¡¯t forget. She rushed over excitedly, grabbing the person¡¯s arm.


    "Officer Lin, what are you doing? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong!" Li Yifei turned around, looking at Lin Qiong in surprise.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s disappointment peaked, having not expected it to be Li Yifei, that guy. She let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, furrowed her brow and said, "I mistook you for someone else," then turned and walked away.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, knowing that Lin Qiong must have thought he was the mysterious person.

 Chapter 98 Trouble

    Chapter 98: Chapter 98 TroubleLi Yifei paid no attention to Lin Qiong, heading straight for the entrance of the residential community.


    "Wait!" Lin Qiong suddenly turned around and called out to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei stopped in his tracks and turned around, warily asking, "Officer Lin, what are you up to now?"


    Lin Qiong approached Li Yifei, looked him in the eye with furrowed brows, and said, "Where were you at nine o¡¯clock this morning?"


    "At work, of course. I was with my boss and director; they can both vouch for me. Whatever case you have, I have an alibi, so don¡¯t pin it on me."


    Lin Qiong waved her hand dismissively and said, "It¡¯s not about a case. Forget it, I won¡¯t tell you." Then she turned around and walked away again.


    Li Yifei found it quite amusing, thinking that even though Lin Qiong had caught a criminal and made a merit, she still seemed lost and out of sorts. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as he was about to enter the complex, Lin Qiong called out to him again, which really left Li Yifei speechless. He turned around and said, "Officer Lin, what on earth do you want to do?"


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you free tonight?"


    "I do have time, but what is it about, Officer Lin?" Li Yifei looked completely puzzled.


    Lin Qiong suggested, "Then have dinner with me tonight."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he asked, "Officer Lin, are you asking me out on a date?"


    Lin Qiong immediately glared at him, barked, "Nonsense! What kind of date would I have with you? I just feel a bit down and wanted someone to talk to."


    Li Yifei patted his chest in a relieved manner and said, "You really scared me. I thought you were pursuing me."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression and words nearly made Lin Qiong explode with anger as she retorted, "What do you mean? Am I not good enough for you?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, saying, "No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant at all. Officer Lin, you are stunningly beautiful, a true classic beauty. How could you not be good enough for me? It¡¯s me who¡¯s unworthy of you."


    Lin Qiong, looking at Li Yifei¡¯s insincere expression, felt irked. After all, she was a beautiful woman with a respectable job, and many men were after her. If she invited anyone else for dinner, they would most likely accept with enthusiasm, unlike Li Yifei who made it seem like a chore¡ªtruly infuriating.


    "Are you going or not?" Lin Qiong demanded, her eyes piercing.


    "I¡¯ll go... but let¡¯s make it clear, Officer Lin, we¡¯re only having dinner, no drinking," he said.


    "Why not drink?" Lin Qiong scrutinized Li Yifei closely.


    Li Yifei laughed nervously and explained, "Officer Lin, you know that when people drink, they tend to do things that are out of line."


    "Hmph, at least you¡¯re aware of that," Lin Qiong said, giving Li Yifei a sidelong glance.


    Li Yifei chuckled and added, "I¡¯m quite confident in myself; it¡¯s just that I¡¯m worried you might have too much and do something to me... hehe..."


    "What did you say?" The anger Lin Qiong had just managed to quell surged up again, making her want to kick this guy to the ground.


    "Oh, nothing, nothing. I also trust in Officer Lin¡¯s character; you certainly wouldn¡¯t do such things," he said.


    Lin Qiong nearly spat out blood at his response; his expression was clearly one of disbelief. Grinding her teeth, she snapped, "You think too highly of yourself."


    "Yes, yes. While I may be quite popular with the girls, I know that Officer Lin has absolutely no interest in me," he said.


    "You... are you going or not?" Lin Qiong snapped.


    "Yes, I¡¯m going!" Li Yifei hurriedly agreed, like a henpecked husband.


    "Hmph!" Lin Qiong huffed and turned away to leave.


    The two arrived at a modest-sized restaurant that boasted a nice environment and a quiet private room.


    "Order whatever you want," Lin Qiong said, her face dark as she tossed the menu to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei cautiously asked, "So can I really order now?"


    "Nonsense, if I tell you to order, then order," Lin Qiong snapped again, her irritation increasing at the sight of Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor.


    Only then did Li Yifei order four dishes¡ªtwo meat and two vegetarian. The waiter kept stealing glances at them, utterly confused about their relationship.


    "And bring a dozen beers," Lin Qiong called out just before the waiter left.


    Once the waiter was gone, Li Yifei immediately tensed up and said, "Officer Lin, didn¡¯t you say we weren¡¯t drinking?"


    "Can¡¯t I drink now if I want to?" Lin Qiong glared.


    "Alright, alright, go ahead and drink." Li Yifei had the look of a man marching to the gallows.


    Seeing Li Yifei like that did cheer Lin Qiong up. However, when she thought about the events of the day, she fell into a daze. Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything to her until the food arrived, and she was still lost in thought.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sound of eating disrupted the silence that Lin Qiong came back to her senses; she saw Li Yifei gobbling up the food. Out of the four dishes, he had already eaten half of each.


    "Are you a pig or what? How can you eat so much?" Lin Qiong was dumbfounded and felt annoyed. This guy had started eating by himself and had eaten so much, simply taking advantage of her hospitality.


    Li Yifei chewed several bites, then swallowed all the food in his mouth, his cheeks finally deflating. "Officer Lin, it looked like you didn¡¯t want to eat, and I was afraid this food would go to waste, so I ate."


    "Who said I¡¯m not eating? I was just thinking about some things." Lin Qiong picked up her chopsticks and ate a few bites herself, feeling that if she did not start eating, this jerk Li Yifei would finish everything off.


    After snagging a few bites, Lin Qiong noticed that Li Yifei had stopped eating and was smiling at her, which made her face turn red, "What are you looking at? Haven¡¯t you seen a beautiful woman eating before?"


    "I¡¯ve seen beautiful women eat, but seeing Officer Lin gobble down food as if someone¡¯s competing with her, that¡¯s definitely a first."


    "You..." Lin Qiong fought back the urge to throw her chopsticks at Li Yifei¡¯s face and huffed, grabbing a bottle of beer, pouring a glass, and said, "Drink."


    "Are you really going to drink?" Li Yifei asked cautiously.


    "Less nonsense." Lin Qiong raised her glass again, drank it all in one gulp, and glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei drank with visible reluctance, and Lin Qiong immediately poured another glass and forced Li Yifei to keep drinking with her. It seemed the more reluctant he was, the more she wanted to pressure him to drink.


    Soon enough, they had each drunk two bottles. Lin Qiong¡¯s face was flushed with the influence of alcohol.


    Slamming her cup on the table with a thud, Lin Qiong suddenly sighed, "Li Yifei, I¡¯m really not feeling well right now."


    Li Yifei answered cheerily, "Tell me what¡¯s bothering you, and give me a reason to be happy."


    Lin Qiong glared at him but didn¡¯t get angry at Li Yifei, "Today, I caught two criminals again, and they were wanted fugitives."


    "That¡¯s good news; I should congratulate you."


    "And then the station commended me. Not only is there a bonus coming my way, but I also got promoted to Deputy Director."


    "Congratulations! You have to look out for me in the future, Deputy Director Lin."


    Lin Qiong smiled bitterly, "It should indeed be good news, but it wasn¡¯t just my own ability that got those two criminals caught. Someone helped me, and that¡¯s the reason I could capture them."


    "So? What¡¯s wrong with getting help?"


    "What do you know?" Lin Qiong glared and then sighed, "The main thing is, the station is giving me all the credit now and won¡¯t let me reveal that someone helped me. It makes me feel really uncomfortable."


    Li Yifei looked at Lin Qiong in surprise, realizing he had to reassess her. This beautiful police officer wasn¡¯t just brave; she also had a commendably fair mind, which was indeed rare.


    "You know, the men I encountered today had knives. If I had been alone, they definitely would have killed me. But that guy¡ªa single move, and one of them was down and couldn¡¯t get up." As Lin Qiong spoke of the mysterious person, her eyes lit up, oblivious to Li Yifei¡¯s reaction, and lost in her memories, she mused dreamily, "That expert also left the other criminal for me to practice on and taught me a lot about real combat. He was truly amazing."


    Li Yifei took a drink and said, "He does sound very impressive."


    Lin Qiong proudly stated, "Of course, he¡¯s without a doubt the most impressive person I¡¯ve ever seen. I really want to find him and thank him, then ask him to be my teacher, to properly teach me martial arts."


    "Oh..." Li Yifei saw the excitement on Lin Qiong¡¯s face and the faint blush as she said these words, and he couldn¡¯t resist wiping his nose, realizing she had taken a liking to the persona he had pretended to be. It was an unexpected turn of events.


    "Li Yifei, how can there be someone so amazing in this world?" Lin Qiong looked up at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I don¡¯t know about being amazing, but I think him helping you like that¡ªhe might have an ulterior motive."


    "Really?" Lin Qiong immediately called out, delighted.


    Li Yifei was speechless, as he was just trying to cast himself in a negative light and hadn¡¯t expected Lin Qiong to react like that. "Yeah, he might want to woo you, to toy with you. Maybe he¡¯s using this method so you¡¯ll remember him. You¡¯d better be careful."


    Lin Qiong sprang to her feet, rushed over, and grabbed Li Yifei by the collar, hissing, "Don¡¯t you dare slander him. If you do it again, I¡¯ll make you regret it."


    Li Yifei felt himself breaking into a sweat. He had only spoken ill of himself, and Lin Qiong had such a strong reaction. What kind of play was this? Awkwardly, he said, "Alright, I¡¯ll stop."


    Only then did Lin Qiong huff and let go of Li Yifei, sitting back down. Propping up her cheek, she narrowed her eyes and mused, "If he really took a fancy to me, that would really be something."


    "Clang!" The glass in Li Yifei¡¯s hand fell to the floor, shattering. This spring-feverish woman was something else. Someone like Lin Qiong, displaying such a lovestruck expression, was really something to behold.

 Chapter 99 Drunk

    Chapter 99: Chapter 99 DrunkLi Yifei was really frustrated, truly frustrated. Who would have thought that casually saving Lin Qiong twice would lead to this? He had merely stumbled upon the situations and even treated the whole thing lightly, never expecting Lin Qiong to take it so seriously.


    The sound of a cup dropping to the floor failed to rouse Lin Qiong, who continued to sip her drink slowly, engrossed in thoughts of the impressive person she admired.


    Li Yifei kicked the broken pieces of the cup aside, finding the situation both laughable and lamentable. Was he really that cool? With his completely ordinary features that would get lost in a crowd, he had somehow caught Lin Qiong¡¯s fancy. What on earth was her taste?


    Fortunately, the person Lin Qiong fancied was not his current self. As long as he kept it a secret that he was that person, things should remain peaceful.


    If Lin Qiong knew what Li Yifei was thinking at that moment, who knows what expression she would have had.


    Lost in her own world, Lin Qiong drank one glass after another. By the time Li Yifei noticed, she was already drunk.


    "Hey, are you okay?" Li Yifei prodded Lin Qiong, who was slumped over the table, and couldn¡¯t help but speak rhetorically. Without the capacity for alcohol, why drink so much?


    Lin Qiong mumbled something incoherently and then continued to sleep soundly.


    Seeing no alternative, Li Yifei had no choice but to drag and carry her up. Lin Qiong was supposed to treat him to dinner, but now he had to pick up the tab. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t had any major expenses lately, and there was some money on hand to settle the bill without issue.


    Lin Qiong was truly drunk, offering no resistance to Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, her body limp and soft. Li Yifei decided to carry her horizontally, which made walking more manageable.


    Once inside the taxi, Li Yifei nudged Lin Qiong, who was leaning against his shoulder, and said, "Officer Lin, where is your home? I¡¯ll take you back."


    "..."


    "Wake up, I¡¯m taking you home."


    "..."


    Li Yifei was speechless. Although Lin Qiong was a police officer, she was also a woman. To be so utterly drunk was dangerous¡ªshe risked being taken advantage of by others.


    With no other choice, Li Yifei decided to take her to his home for now, and they could figure things out once she sobered up.


    Exiting the elevator, Li Yifei opened the door to his apartment. The neighbors on either side seemed quiet, he couldn¡¯t tell if they were home. While it would have been convenient to take Lin Qiong to either Meng Xiaofei or Su Mengxin¡¯s place, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have much of a relationship with them. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to bring a woman home and take her to their apartments, so he ended up carrying Lin Qiong into his own place.


    Placing Lin Qiong on the only bed in his apartment, Li Yifei removed her shoes, revealing feet clad in stockings with an attractive shape, which reminded him of Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet. It seemed Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t called him in quite a while.


    "Why, though? Isn¡¯t this cheating? Even if I get a promotion this way, it wouldn¡¯t sit well with me..." Lin Qiong muttered, tossing in her sleep, her face turned towards Li Yifei, brows knitted tightly.


    Li Yifei thought Lin Qiong was really stubborn. What should have been good news was causing her such distress. It was far from the usual career-climbing tactics employed by so many others; she was in a different league altogether.


    "You¡¯re really incredible, I have so much respect for you!"


    As Li Yifei was about to leave, he paused. Lin Qiong seemed to be talking about him.


    After waiting for a while, Lin Qiong¡¯s face gradually turned redder, and her voice grew incredibly soft, "I don¡¯t know your name, nor who you really are, but do you know, you¡¯ve been constantly on my mind. I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s a chance to see you again. If I can meet you, I really want to tell you... I... I..."


    At that moment, Li Yifei genuinely wanted to hear what Lin Qiong would say, but she stopped after several attempts without finishing. This left Li Yifei rather frustrated. What kind of tease was this? Asleep and yet so coy, it became clear that what Lin Qiong wanted to say was too shy for her to express, and it could very well be the three words "I love you".


    The moment he thought of those words, Li Yifei shuddered. Someone like Lin Qiong was not someone he wanted in his life. Love was difficult for him, and he quickly resolved not to help her out without a good reason in the future.


    Seeing that Lin Qiong was no longer speaking, Li Yifei left the room and closed the door behind him. Glancing at the time, it was still early; so Li Yifei did some simple exercises in the room before taking a shower, readying himself to sleep.


    With the bed taken by Lin Qiong, and clearly unable to share it with her, Li Yifei had to settle on the sofa.


    For Li Yifei, he could sleep anywhere, no matter how harsh the conditions. During past missions, to maintain strength, he could sleep instantly, whether in deep forests, on hard rocks, or in muddy ground. Preserving energy was a matter of survival and of utmost importance.


    Compared to those conditions, the sofa was luxurious. So Li Yifei collapsed on the sofa, and in under five minutes, he was in a deep sleep.


    But hardly two minutes had passed when a sound came from the bedroom, and it was the sound of vomiting. This made Li Yifei somewhat depressed. He quickly rushed in, only to see Lin Qiong bent over the edge of the bed, vomiting profusely.


    After she was finished, the beautiful police officer just lay there and fell asleep.


    Lin Qiong was a beauty, but even the most beautiful person couldn¡¯t change the fact that the smell of vomit was quite unpleasant. Li Yifei quickly began cleaning up; it was his house, after all, and he had to clean up no matter what.


    After he had cleaned the mess on the floor, Li Yifei looked at Lin Qiong and frowned. There was quite a lot of filth on Officer Lin¡¯s clothes as well. If he didn¡¯t clean it a bit, it would be really dirty.


    "You can¡¯t blame me for taking advantage of you; it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t mind being dirty, but I still want to use my bed." Li Yifei muttered to himself and sat down on the edge of the bed, removing Lin Qiong¡¯s outerwear in no time.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t one of those bashful young men who turned red and stiff when taking off a woman¡¯s clothes. He had done this sort of thing countless times, so he was neither slow nor hesitant.


    Underneath, Lin Qiong wore a close-fitting light pink blouse, the kind that was stretchy. Apart from her collar showing a patch of snow-white skin, the rest of her was tightly covered by her underwear. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Quite impressive," Li Yifei remarked, appreciating the firmness and fullness in front of Lin Qiong¡¯s chest. A hint of wicked thoughts crossed his mind, but he dismissed them and took Lin Qiong¡¯s clothes to the bathroom.


    He originally didn¡¯t plan to wash Lin Qiong¡¯s clothes, but the smell was unbearable for him, so he ended up washing them anyway.


    The next morning, just after five o¡¯clock, Li Yifei was sleeping soundly when a startled cry from Lin Qiong suddenly echoed in the bedroom. Li Yifei turned over and paid no mind, knowing without having to think that Lin Qiong must have reacted that way to waking up without her clothes on in a strange place.


    The bedroom door quickly opened, and Lin Qiong rushed out. The bedroom light had been turned on, and some light filtered into the living room. Lin Qiong immediately noticed someone sleeping on the sofa, and that someone was a man.


    As a woman, she had instinctively screamed, but as a police officer, she quickly regained her composure. She swiftly checked her own body and found no harm, which eased her worries. So now, seeing a man, she was not alarmed.


    Finding the switch in the living room, Lin Qiong turned on the light and saw that it was Li Yifei lying on the sofa. Her heart inexplicably relaxed.


    "I¡¯m saying, Officer Lin, are you alright? It¡¯s just after five, with all your shouting, how do you expect me to sleep?" Li Yifei turned around, looking quite annoyed at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong showed a smile and said, "Thank you so much."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "This early, you¡¯re not just here to say thanks, are you?"


    Lin Qiong said somewhat awkwardly, "Of course I have to say thanks. I really lost my composure last night."


    "Alright, alright, I accept your thanks. Go turn off the light and let me sleep; I¡¯m sleepy." Li Yifei finished speaking, turned over again with his face to the sofa, and gave Lin Qiong his back.


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment, then turned to switch off the light before returning to the bedroom. But once she lay on the bed, she couldn¡¯t sleep anymore.


    As a girl, Lin Qiong was aware of how much appeal she had to men, and having studied criminal psychology, she knew all too well how easily a drunk woman could entice a man to commit a crime.


    But Li Yifei had removed her outer clothing and then did nothing else, which really didn¡¯t seem to fit the normal male psyche. Could it be that this guy was truly chaste, a real gentleman?


    However, Lin Qiong immediately dismissed the idea. She had seen him living here with a college student just a couple of days ago, and there had also been a pretty woman mixed up with this guy before. Someone like that, a true gentleman? He was nothing but a womanizing scoundrel.


    That¡¯s right, there was also a high school girl. This guy was too shameless, not sparing even a girl of that age¡ªsimply a beast.


    But then Lin Qiong recalled how on the day Chu Xiaoyao was here, Li Yifei had wanted to send her away and even took advantage of her presence.


    "Oh my, could it be that this guy¡¯s orientation is off?" Lin Qiong suddenly thought of a possibility, and the more she pondered, the more likely it seemed.


    In today¡¯s crazy world, a man can be with another man rather than with a woman. Li Yifei brought her home drunk; if he were a normal man, he wouldn¡¯t have let this opportunity slip, and as for that high school girl, pretty and appealing¡ªwhat normal man wouldn¡¯t like such a young girl?


    As for that beautiful woman and the college student, she had only seen them together, never saw them in bed. Perhaps Li Yifei was just keeping appearances, which is why he frequently associated with women.


    Lin Qiong felt a chill run down her back. She had heard plenty of stories about abnormal men, but this was her first time encountering one, and the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, involuntarily shivering.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was unaware that Lin Qiong had already pegged him as a gay man. If he knew, he would truly be of dying of frustration.

 Chapter 100 Too Shameless

    Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Too ShamelessLi Yifei slept in and didn¡¯t get up until past six-thirty.


    After washing up, Lin Qiong also got up, and Li Yifei greeted her with a smile, "Good morning, Officer Lin."


    "Morning!" Lin Qiong replied with a smile that seemed quite stiff.


    Li Yifei thought Lin Qiong was uncomfortable staying at his place, so he didn¡¯t mind it much and pointed to the clothes hanging in the washroom, saying, "You threw up messily last night, so I washed your clothes. They¡¯re spun out, but not fully dry. You¡¯ll have to make do with them or go home early to change into a new set."


    Lin Qiong looked towards the bathroom, and this time a genuine smile appeared on her face, "Thank you so much. I didn¡¯t even know I threw up. It¡¯s really such a bother for you."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Officer Lin, I told you yesterday that you can¡¯t just drink casually. It¡¯s a good thing you ran into me. If it were someone else, then you..."


    Lin Qiong said in a hurry, "Yes, yes, I was just feeling a little down at the time. Lucky it was you I was drinking with."


    Although both were talking about the same thing, and it sounded similar on the surface, the true thoughts in Lin Qiong¡¯s heart were miles apart from Li Yifei¡¯s.


    "Alright, hurry up and get ready. I don¡¯t have a spare toothbrush here, so you¡¯ll have to brush your teeth back at your place."


    Lin Qiong nodded, entered the bathroom, closed the door, and looked around. The room was very simple: a toilet, a washing machine, and above the sink was a small shelf with two cups, each with a toothbrush in it, but there was only one towel.


    Two cups for brushing teeth meant someone else also lived here, and Lin Qiong knew it must be that university student named Feng Yiyi.


    That made Lin Qiong puzzled again. If Li Yifei¡¯s orientation was questionable, why would he let a girl stay here?


    Thinking of Feng Yiyi, Lin Qiong suddenly understood that Feng Yiyi had always said Li Yifei was a good person, which meant that he hadn¡¯t done anything to her. A girl would feel even more trust towards a man who treated her with respect, which is why Feng Yiyi thought so highly of him.


    Lin Qiong, with a police officer¡¯s intuition, quickly made this judgment.


    It wasn¡¯t that Officer Lin was dense or her thoughts twisted; having been a drunken beauty brought back by Li Yifei without a scratch, she had her line of thinking solidly fixed in one direction. So now, whatever she thought of, she first regarded Li Yifei as gay and then searched for a suitable reason.


    However, on the other hand, Lin Qiong felt that Li Yifei was actually quite nice. He had even washed her clothes, and the house was also clean, not at all slovenly like most men¡¯s places.


    "No way... is he actually a bottom!" Lin Qiong suddenly had such a thought, as it was more common for women to wash clothes and tidy up the house.


    "My goodness, he looks quite strong, and yet he¡¯s a bottom. You really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover."


    One must say, Officer Lin was now having evil thoughts, very evil indeed. The wicked ideas made her stomach feel uneasy again. After hastily washing her face, not daring to use Li Yifei¡¯s towel, she quickly left his house.


    "What was that about, with her strange look in the eyes?" Even if Li Yifei were as clever as Zhuge not Kongming, he would never guess what Lin Qiong was thinking.


    After Lin Qiong left, Li Yifei started to prepare breakfast; but as soon as he began, there was a knock at the door. Going to open it, he saw Meng Xiaofei and Luo Mengxin standing at the door. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What brings you here so early in the morning?" Li Yifei asked them, puzzled.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her cute little tongue and said, "Brother Li, we¡¯ve come to scrounge for breakfast."


    Li Yifei was instantly torn between laughter and tears, saying, "Well, come on in. You two really take the cake, treating my place like a cafeteria."


    Li Yifei could understand Meng Xiaofei coming over to freeload food and drinks; after all, they had been neighbors for some time, and Meng Xiaofei was a pretty casual girl, not so reserved. But Su Mengxin was different; she was Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty with innumerable assets, and yet she also came over to scrounge for breakfast, which was a bit odd.


    Su Mengxin walked into the living room with a smile, looking at Li Yifei, "Where were you last night? You didn¡¯t say a word when you didn¡¯t come back. I knocked on your door several times, but in the end, I had to settle for instant noodles."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I knocked quite a few times too."


    Li Yifei looked helplessly at them both and said, "I had something to take care of last night and ate out."


    Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes and said, "Couldn¡¯t you have called to let us know if you weren¡¯t coming back? We would have been prepared."


    "That... isn¡¯t really necessary, is it? I have to report to you two whether I¡¯m coming home or not?"


    Expecting Su Mengxin to be embarrassed, to his surprise she very frankly said, "It¡¯s needed of course. Otherwise, who would cook the groceries we buy?"


    "So are you saying I don¡¯t need to buy groceries anymore?"


    Su Mengxin nodded, "If you can guarantee that you¡¯ll come back to cook for us every day, then there¡¯s no need to buy groceries."


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head quite firmly, "Sorry, I can¡¯t commit to that. I have my own private life and my circle of friends. It¡¯s normal for me not to come home for dinner."


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "Of course, but you should at least give us a call in advance, right?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it seemed like they were all cohabitating. Although the three of them lived on the same floor and shared an elevator, at the very least, they didn¡¯t live in the same apartment, did they?


    "Brother Li, you wouldn¡¯t refuse us, would you?" Meng Xiaofei fluttered her eyelashes, her big eyes brimming with a watery look, starting to act adorable.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear Meng Xiaofei¡¯s gaze and hurriedly raised his hand in surrender, saying, "Okay, okay, I agree."


    Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei immediately high-fived in celebration. Seeing Su Mengxin shout and cheer without any regard for her image, Li Yifei was instantly covered with a look of dread. Was this still the top beauty of Huaxia, Su Mengxin? It felt as though she was just an ordinary woman.


    Two fried eggs per person, a glass of milk each, and slices of bread¡ªthat was their simple breakfast, and it was enough to leave Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei thoroughly satisfied.


    "I have to get to work now, so you two help me clean up a bit." Li Yifei quickly finished eating, pushed his plate aside, and left. Since these two enjoyed a free meal, it was only fair they put in some labor.


    "Wait, I¡¯ll go with you." Su Mengxin quickly followed him.


    "Ah! You two are bullying me!" Meng Xiaofei yelled from behind, but she obediently cleaned everything up. Now that she was quite broke, she could only make up for it with a bit of labor.


    Once in the elevator, Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin, dressed in a standard professional suit, and asked, "Where are you off to?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Dressed like this, can¡¯t you tell what I¡¯m going to do?"


    Li Yifei sized up Su Mengxin again and said, "You look like a typical white-collar worker in the city. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to go to work?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "You¡¯re exactly right, I am going to work."


    "Oh."


    Seeing that Li Yifei didn¡¯t continue to ask, Su Mengxin felt a bit disappointed, but still asked, "Don¡¯t you want to ask where I work?"


    "You definitely won¡¯t be working in the same place as me."


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true. Maybe someday I¡¯ll be working in the same company as you."


    Li Yifei felt a stir in his heart and said with a smile, "Now you¡¯re poaching President Xu and He Fangqing, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking of poaching me for your company too, would you?"


    "How about it? Are you interested?" Su Mengxin did not deny it.


    "That depends on whether your company¡¯s offer is better than what I have now. If it is, I wouldn¡¯t mind considering it. People go where there¡¯s a higher position, and water flows to a lower place, right?"


    Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes and said, "Then I¡¯ll take that as your agreement."


    Li Yifei said in surprise, "You¡¯re not serious, are you?"


    "Do I look like I¡¯m joking?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin, shook his head, and said, "Miss Su, thank you for holding me in such high regard, but I really don¡¯t want to go back to my old life. I¡¯d rather be an insignificant figure, commuting to work, hanging out at bars, having a few drinks, and shooting the breeze with colleagues. I find that kind of life very comfortable."


    Su Mengxin quickly retorted, "Who said I want you to come work for me as a bodyguard?"


    "Then what do you want me to do in your company? I don¡¯t know how to do anything but drive. I¡¯m hardly the talent you need, are you sure you have to insist on me?"


    "It¡¯s simple, I trust you. If you join my company, I¡¯d be at ease with whatever you¡¯re working on. Managing a company without a few trustworthy people is definitely not going to work."


    Right then, the elevator doors opened, and the two had reached the ground floor, interrupting their conversation. They stepped out, and Su Mengxin walked shoulder to shoulder with Li Yifei, asking, "So, do you accept the offer or not?"


    "Let¡¯s talk about it later; I¡¯m feeling good right now."


    "Okay then, but I think you¡¯ll want to switch places soon."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much more. He understood what Su Mengxin meant by her words; that both Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were likely to leave, and once Huayang Company returned to the hands of those at the head office without Xu Yingying, the weather might change, making it uncertain whether the current good atmosphere would last.


    With a casual glance, Li Yifei noticed people following both in front and behind them. They seemed to walk without purpose, but through Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, their differences from ordinary people were clear. These were obviously Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards.


    As they left the complex, a taxi came directly to them. Su Mengxin got in, and the driver was someone Li Yifei had seen before¡ªthe one from the bodyguard room that day. This made Li Yifei chuckle. Su Mengxin seemed to want to live a normal life, but this semblance of normality was obviously lacking. But on second thought, for someone like her to live a truly ordinary lifestyle was much more difficult than for him.

 Chapter 101: Elevator Horror

    Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Elevator HorrorToday, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t take a ride with Li Yifei as Logistics had a lot on their plate, keeping Michelle extremely busy. Li Yifei was grateful for Michelle¡¯s past assistance, so he started helping her out as well.


    The two of them were busy the whole day, and by the time they left work, they still had some things unfinished. Michelle was a girl extremely serious about her work, showing no intention of leaving, still diligently at it.


    Inspired by Michelle, Li Yifei also lost track of time after work.


    The phone rang at this point, and only when Li Yifei glanced at the time did he realize work was over, as it was Su Mengxin calling. He answered right away and heard Su Mengxin say, "Li Yifei, are you coming home tonight?"


    "I have to work overtime tonight, so I¡¯ll be back late. You guys eat without me."


    "Hey, is that okay? You already came back late yesterday, and now you¡¯re late again."


    "Can¡¯t help it, I have a lot of work on my end."


    "Alright, alright, then you get busy."


    Michelle and Li Yifei were working at the same desk, and although she couldn¡¯t hear the conversation clearly, she faintly overheard a woman¡¯s voice and looked at Li Yifei with some surprise, saying, "Brother Li, have you got yourself a girlfriend?"


    "No, it¡¯s my two neighbors. They found out I can cook, so they started coming over for meals."


    "Are they beauties?" Michelle asked Li Yifei with a wink.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Not bad, I guess." However, he felt this was a hypocritical thing to say¡ªif Su Mengxin was just ¡¯not bad,¡¯ then what about other women?


    "Real beauties, huh? Then Brother Li, you might have a chance," Michelle said with excitement on her face.


    Li Yifei cracked a smile and joked, "Even if they are beautiful, it doesn¡¯t concern me. Speaking of beauty, you¡¯re not bad either, Michelle, and you¡¯re gentle and lovely. I might as well pursue you."


    Michelle¡¯s face flushed red, and she coyly said, "Brother Li... don¡¯t make fun of me."


    Li Yifei quickly apologized, "Sorry, I sometimes speak without thinking, don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Michelle hurriedly replied, "I didn¡¯t mind, Brother Li. You can actually cook. I¡¯d love to try your cooking sometime."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Is it so rare nowadays for a man to cook?"


    Michelle smiled shyly, "I can¡¯t cook either. Young people nowadays often don¡¯t know how, right?"


    "Then I¡¯ll invite you over to my place sometime, and I¡¯ll cook for you."


    "Okay, okay, let¡¯s make it a date then."


    After a cheerful chat, they both dove back into their work, not finishing until past seven o¡¯clock.


    Once they had packed up, Michelle stood up to stretch and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m so grateful for your help. Without you, I would have had two days¡¯ worth of work ahead of me. To show my appreciation, let me treat you to dinner tonight."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Being treated to a meal by a beauty, that¡¯s a real treat indeed."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she chided, "Brother Li, you¡¯re teasing me again."


    Li Yifei replied earnestly, "I¡¯m telling the truth."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯ve gone naughty," Michelle pouted cutely, picking up her bag. That timid, adorable look was truly endearing.


    The two entered the elevator, pressed the button for the first floor, and as soon as the elevator doors closed, it began to descend, but with constant "creaking" noises that made Michelle nervously say, "What¡¯s with that sound? The elevator isn¡¯t going to break down and trap us, is it?"


    With a "crack!" Michelle¡¯s words had barely ended when the elevator suddenly plummeted downwards at high speed.


    Li Yifei and Michelle were instantly in a state of weightlessness. Michelle was so terrified that she let out a piercing scream.


    Being stuck in an elevator isn¡¯t the scary part; the truly terrifying experience is a free-falling drop like a slide. It¡¯s like free fall motion, where inside you fall along with the elevator, hardly different from plummeting directly. Especially starting from the eighth floor, if they were to fall to the first floor in this manner, the two of them would most likely perish.


    Li Yifei had never imagined he¡¯d be this unlucky to encounter such an event. The chances of an elevator slipping were incredibly low, with only a few incidents occurring per year, almost on the scale of one in a billion. He didn¡¯t expect that they would face such a situation.


    But when Li Yifei encountered such a situation, he didn¡¯t panic. In the state of weightlessness, he still managed to reach the door, his hands frantically pressing each floor¡¯s button rapidly one after another. Then, he violently pulled Michelle toward him, lifting her up and crouching slightly with his back pressed tight against the elevator wall.


    This was the best method of self-protection in the event of a free fall; if Li Yifei were alone, he had absolute confidence that he would be fine. But holding Michelle, he didn¡¯t have as much confidence in himself. His muscles instantly tensed up, and his spirit was highly concentrated. The bigger the danger, the more Li Yifei could tap into his body¡¯s potential.


    "Bang!" With a muffled sound, the elevator finally stopped between the third and second floors. The lights inside the elevator also went out abruptly, shrouding the small space in darkness.


    Michelle kept screaming non-stop, a natural response. Even though the elevator had stopped, she continued screaming, utterly unaware that the danger had passed.


    "Thump!"


    At this moment, even though Li Yifei was still alive, he was in considerable pain. His knees had withstood the force, but they were incredibly sore as if the ligaments had been torn. He could no longer support himself and collapsed onto the floor, with Michelle sitting on his legs as she fell with him.


    "Ah!" This scream was Michelle finally realizing that she was still alive, but still terrified, her mind a complete blank, not even aware she was sitting on Li Yifei¡¯s legs.


    "Michelle, could you... could you get off me first? You¡¯re crushing me," Li Yifei said, enduring the pain and patting Michelle¡¯s shoulder.


    Michelle seemed to come back to her senses and sprang up then, in a flurry, fumbled her phone out. Light immediately filled the elevator, revealing Li Yifei sitting on the ground, his expression one of severe pain.


    "Brother Li, what¡¯s wrong?" Michelle squatted down, looking at Li Yifei with extreme concern.


    Li Yifei grimaced and said, "It¡¯s nothing serious, just my legs hurt a bit. Rest for a while, and I should be fine."


    The elevator hadn¡¯t fallen many floors, just about four or five, but since it was a commercial building with good frameworks, it was almost equivalent to seven or eight floors of a regular residential building. Moreover, he was holding Michelle, which was why Li Yifei was slightly injured; otherwise, with his skill, he could have avoided any harm.


    Michelle, holding her phone in one hand, reached out with the other, stammering, "Brother Li... where exactly are you hurt?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s concerned expression, Li Yifei shook his head and sighed, "My knee hurts so much."


    Michelle immediately reached toward Li Yifei¡¯s knee, carefully touching it. Tears were already brimming in her eyes as she choked up, "Brother Li, could your leg be broken?"


    With a pained expression, Li Yifei responded, "Whether it¡¯s broken or not, I can¡¯t tell yet, but I¡¯m afraid I might not be able to avoid a disability."


    Michelle became even more panicked, wiping her eyes and crying, "What should we do then?"


    "There¡¯s not much to do; the worst-case scenario is I¡¯ll spend my life in a wheelchair. I¡¯m an open-minded person, so you don¡¯t have to worry."


    Michelle didn¡¯t respond immediately but stared blankly at Li Yifei. Then she bit her lip hard and, with a look of resolve, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, "Brother Li, you were hurt so badly because you saved me. I believe that if it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have been so seriously injured. If your leg really is broken, then I will..."


    "Then what?" Li Yifei asked mischievously, his face now lacking any trace of pain.


    "I will... I will take care of you for life," Michelle declared, her face turning very red in the light of her phone¡¯s screen, yet it showed a remarkable determination.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise; he was just joking, but who would have thought Michelle would respond with such a statement.


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Michelle¡¯s chest heaved, and she said, "Brother Li, I mean it. If you hadn¡¯t picked me up, I would have been the one injured, not you. Believe me, I will take care of you for life."


    Li Yifei grinned wryly and chuckled, "Michelle, I was... I was just joking with you. I¡¯m fine, really."


    Michelle shook her head vigorously, insisting, "Brother Li, don¡¯t be afraid. Even if your leg is broken, I will be your legs. I¡¯ll carry you, I¡¯ll push you in a wheelchair."


    "I¡¯m really okay; I can stand up," Li Yifei hurriedly tried to get up.


    But Michelle pressed him down firmly, exclaiming, "Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t move!" In her urgency, she even pounced on Li Yifei, clinging tightly to him.


    Li Yifei felt the play had gone too far and urgently said, "Michelle, don¡¯t get so worked up. I¡¯m fine."


    At that moment, Michelle didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei at all. Suddenly, she embraced his neck, leaned in, and kissed Li Yifei on the lips, leaving him bewildered. What was this girl doing?


    With her arms around Li Yifei, Michelle forgot to press her phone, and the elevator was plunged into darkness once more. Michelle found it easier to speak without facing Li Yifei, "Brother Li, don¡¯t you believe me? I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend, nor have I been kissed before. By kissing you, I¡¯m truly committed to taking care of you for life."


    Li Yifei was dumbfounded; a casual joke had led to Michelle¡¯s first kiss, and it seemed she was serious. The joke had gone too far, and now, it was not easy to back out of it.

 Chapter 102: Deceiving People

    Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Deceiving PeopleLi Yifei¡¯s mind raced, and he said, "Michelle, let¡¯s talk about this later. First, make an emergency call from inside the elevator so someone can come and get us out. I definitely don¡¯t want to spend the night trapped in this elevator."


    Michelle quickly agreed, stood up, turned on her cellphone again, found the number, and made the call. She explained what was going on with the elevator, and when she was about to mention Li Yifei¡¯s injury, Li Yifei snatched her phone away and turned it off, thinking it would be even more embarrassing if an ambulance showed up or something.


    "Brother Li, what are you doing?" Michelle was startled by Li Yifei¡¯s sudden reaction.


    With Michelle¡¯s phone still lit up, Li Yifei saw the tense expression on her face and felt a bit uneasy. Playing the hero saving the beauty was an easy way to win a girl¡¯s heart, and Michelle¡¯s current state seemed somewhat dangerous. He chuckled and said, "It¡¯s nothing, just trying to keep things low-key."


    "Low-key?" Michelle was utterly confused.


    Staring at Michelle, Li Yifei¡¯s smile grew wider as he said, "Michelle, you¡¯re truly beautiful."


    Michelle¡¯s phone nearly slipped from her hand, and she looked down, avoiding Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, stammering, "Brother Li, you... you¡¯ve seen me before."


    "Yes, I¡¯ve seen you before. But you look even more beautiful now," said Li Yifei as he stood up.


    "Brother Li, how... how are you standing up?" Michelle¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yifei, but then she exclaimed with surprise.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Of course I can stand up. Look, with a girlfriend as gorgeous as you, if I couldn¡¯t stand up, that would be a huge loss."


    "You... you... didn¡¯t you say your leg was broken?" Seeing Li Yifei standing normally, Michelle was utterly embarrassed.


    "Yeah, if I hadn¡¯t said my leg was broken, how could I have gotten a kiss from you, and how could you become my girlfriend? It seems all I did was indeed worthwhile," Li Yifei laughed proudly.


    "Brother Li, you did that on purpose?" Michelle¡¯s eyes flashed with complex emotions.


    Li Yifei squinted at Michelle, suddenly raised his hand towards her face, his eyes shining with a predatory gleam, and said, "What do you think?"


    Feeling like she was the prey of a wild beast, Michelle instinctively shrank back, her eyes filled with fear, and she stuttered, "Li... Brother Li... what... what are you doing?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It¡¯s just the two of us in this elevator, don¡¯t you think this is the perfect opportunity?"


    "Brother Li, please... don¡¯t scare me, I know you¡¯re not this kind of person," Michelle pleaded, shaking her head with tears welling up in her eyes.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s terrified demeanor, Li Yifei almost softened, but he still creepily smiled and reached for her face again, saying, "You are wrong, this is exactly the kind of person I am. Holding you just now, your body was so soft, your lips so tender; I was truly tempted. Come on, let me touch you, let me kiss you." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a scream, Michelle jerked back, and her phone clattered to the floor, the battery popping out, plunging the elevator back into darkness.


    In the darkness, Li Yifei laughed ominously, "Michelle, I¡¯ve had my eye on you for a long time. Just give in to me, and I will treat you well."


    The only sound in the elevator was Michelle¡¯s heavy breathing, indicating she had retreated to a corner.


    Li Yifei felt his behavior was quite excessive, but it was also a way to prevent potential issues. Even if it meant Michelle would be more cautious around him in the future, it was better than having her harbor any feelings for him.


    Just as he was about to say something else to frighten Michelle, her breathing suddenly calmed down, and she spoke softly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so mean, scaring me on purpose."


    Li Yifei was speechless, suddenly realizing he might have gone too far. Too much of a good thing could be bad, and now Michelle had seen through his act, which was a major blunder.


    As Li Yifei pondered how to mend his lie, banging sounds came from above, along with someone shouting, "Is everyone alright in there?"


    "We¡¯re okay, please get the elevator doors open," Michelle quickly shouted back.


    "Alright, don¡¯t panic, we¡¯ll have the doors open soon," the person reassured them and began working on the elevator doors.


    By then, it was too late for Li Yifei to say anything. He felt Michelle approaching; then his arm hurt, and he heard her voice in his ear, "Brother Li, turn on your phone. I found mine."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to take out his phone, illuminating the elevator once again. He saw Michelle¡¯s reproachful look; she also seemed very aggrieved as she said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "I¡¯m just like that, sometimes I can¡¯t control myself. If the elevator repair guys hadn¡¯t arrived, I would have undoubtedly taken advantage of you."


    Michelle curled her lip and said, "I don¡¯t believe that for a second, you¡¯re definitely not that kind of person. Just now, you risked your life to save me; if even that means you wanted to take advantage of me, then I¡¯m willing to let you." With a blush, she crouched down and picked up her phone.


    "Look at you, scaring my phone right out of my hands onto the ground. If it¡¯s broken, you¡¯re going to have to pay for it."


    Li Yifei was even more speechless. Was he really not that frightening?


    The elevator doors finally opened, but they got stuck between the third and fourth floors and the people above had to pull the two of them up.


    It was still quite high above them, and Michelle felt very scared. Li Yifei had no choice but to say, "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll lift you up."


    Michelle blushed, shook her head, and said, "Brother Li, are your legs better? I think I should be pushing you up instead."


    Li Yifei knew he was busted, so he had to say, "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m very strong. Don¡¯t forget I used to work in security, come on."


    This time Michelle didn¡¯t insist, she nodded and said, "Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, bent down and hoisted Michelle by her knees, effortlessly lifting her up. With her back to Li Yifei, as he hoisted her up, her buttocks brushed against Li Yifei¡¯s face. She could even feel the warm breath from Li Yifei¡¯s mouth on her backside, which was incredibly embarrassing for Michelle. Her body turned limp and powerless.


    The people above hadn¡¯t considered that much and hurriedly grabbed Michelle¡¯s hands and pulled her up while Li Yifei climbed up with ease right after.


    Neither of them had any serious problems, and it was the building¡¯s security staff who pulled them up. Li Yifei knew them, and one even winked at him teasingly, saying, "Had we known it was this situation, we would have come a bit later."


    Michelle blushed furiously on the spot and turned to flee, but a sudden thought crossed her mind. What if those people had arrived later, could something have really happened between her and Li Yifei in the elevator?


    The answer should be no. Li Yifei was only trying to scare her at the time, which Michelle was sure of. Furthermore, when he rescued her, he truly risked his life; if they had fallen deeper, Li Yifei would have been the one injured, not her.


    Although the two had only been colleagues for a little over a month, and even if they had gotten to know each other a bit more over that time, the number of people willing to risk their lives to protect her, even if she knew them for ten or twenty years, would probably not include even one. Just for that alone, Michelle was convinced that Li Yifei was definitely a good man.


    Michelle stopped after she rushed out of the building, waiting until more than ten minutes later when Li Yifei finally came out.


    "Brother Li, why did you take so long?" Michelle approached him, unable to stop her face from reddening.


    Li Yifei had deliberately lingered to chat with the security guards, thinking Michelle had left first. Realizing she had waited for him, he smiled and said, "I was just shooting the breeze with some former security brothers. Why haven¡¯t you left yet?"


    "Didn¡¯t I say I was going to buy you dinner?" Michelle replied with a hint of grievance, upset that Li Yifei hadn¡¯t thought about her.


    "That¡¯s right, I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. But I don¡¯t feel like eating right now. Do you want to take a bite back home?" Saying that, he hailed a taxi, jumped in first, and said, "I¡¯m off then, see you tomorrow."


    Michelle was taken aback, not expecting Li Yifei to react that way. But as he got into the taxi, his body suddenly swayed, as if he was unstable on his feet.


    After the taxi with Li Yifei left, Michelle suddenly let out a cry of horror. Although Li Yifei appeared to walk normally, it was clear he was slower than usual; his leg must have been hurting. He had been hiding this from her all along.


    Pulling out her phone, she meant to call Li Yifei but remembered it was broken from the fall, unable to power on, which drove Michelle frantic with worry. Li Yifei had gotten injured for her sake, yet she had failed to notice and hadn¡¯t accompanied him to the hospital. Now she couldn¡¯t contact him, and her frustration was immense.


    Li Yifei¡¯s injury wasn¡¯t severe, but he was indeed hurt¡ªa soft tissue bruise. It wasn¡¯t serious, but it did hurt. However, he didn¡¯t want to show it in front of Michelle to avoid her feeling even more indebted.


    There was a ditch that had not been there in the morning, blocking the way to the entrance of the residential complex about a hundred meters away. The taxi couldn¡¯t cross it, so Li Yifei got out and slowly walked toward the entrance.


    However, he hadn¡¯t walked far when a few men smoking nearby suddenly approached him. Li Yifei frowned, recognizing these men were coming for him.


    "Li Yifei!" one of the men even called out to him.


    Li Yifei was amused. He clearly didn¡¯t know these few, and they shouldn¡¯t know him either. Them calling out to him was just to confirm his identity.


    "Who are you?" Li Yifei deliberately responded and asked them in return.


    "Go!" the leader shouted, and the men immediately rushed towards Li Yifei.

 Chapter 103: My Support is Officer Lin

    Chapter 103: Chapter 103: My Support is Officer LinThough Li Yifei still had some injuries on his leg, he would have no trouble dealing with these guys. However, he noticed Lin Qiong walking towards them from a distance. He immediately started to dodge awkwardly while shouting loudly, "Help! Help!"


    These past couple of days had left Lin Qiong with indescribable feelings. On one hand, she should be happy, as she had been promoted to Deputy Director and was no longer a beat cop. It was rare for someone to become Deputy Director so soon after starting their job in the entire system, to the point where people might suspect she was a Second Generation Official.


    But she just couldn¡¯t feel happy. Becoming Deputy Director had exposed her to things she had never known before, things she found intolerable, with some actions that she believed police should not engage in.


    The main issue was that she always felt she shouldn¡¯t have been promoted to Deputy Director. It wasn¡¯t due to her own abilities but rather the result of the mysterious man¡¯s help.


    Today, a nightclub owner had invited her to a meal. She didn¡¯t want to go, but since Director Lin had attended and specifically asked her to join, she felt obliged. This dinner left her even more unhappy; she had long heard that the nightclub owner was involved in organized crime. If she knew this, surely Director Lin did as well, yet he was fraternizing with the man as if they were brothers in arms. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though Lin Qiong was a policewoman with a strong sense of justice, she was well aware that given her qualifications and current position, she couldn¡¯t do much about the nightclub owner. Also, having just been promoted to Deputy Director and risking a bad relationship with her boss wasn¡¯t an option if she wanted to continue her career. So, she had to reluctantly share a meal with him, feeling incredibly stifled inside.


    Feeling gloomy on her way home, she heard someone shouting for help. She immediately ran towards the sound and saw several people beating a man. She yelled, "Stop, I¡¯m a police officer."


    The authority of the police was still somewhat effective; the group that was surrounding Li Yifei stopped their attacks at Lin Qiong¡¯s command.


    "Officer Lin, Officer Lin, save me!" Li Yifei hurried over, grabbing Lin Qiong¡¯s arm and hiding behind her.


    Only then did Lin Qiong realize it was Li Yifei. She initially didn¡¯t have a good impression of him, but after she got drunk last night and he didn¡¯t take advantage of her while at his place, her perception of him had improved. Besides, regardless of her relationship with Yifei, she wouldn¡¯t ignore the sight of several people attacking one person.


    The aggressors saw Lin Qiong was not in uniform and was a woman, and they hesitated, not fleeing right away. They exchanged glances and then charged at both Li Yifei and Lin Qiong.


    "Stop!" Lin Qiong was furious. These thugs dared to be violent in front of a police officer, completely flouting the law. Her shout did not stop them. They avoided assaulting her, but they didn¡¯t cease their attack on Li Yifei.


    "Officer Lin, save me!" Li Yifei was shouting from behind her.


    Lin Qiong, thoroughly annoyed, kicked one of the men, pushing him back several steps, then turned to confront another.


    Lin Qiong, after all, had learned some martial arts and, with the aura of being a police officer, appeared formidable even when facing several criminals. This was not her first encounter with desperadoes, who she had managed to handle with Li Yifei¡¯s help. Faced with these petty thugs, she was entirely fearless.


    However, these guys were also seasoned fighters. They knew she might be a police officer, but as long as they didn¡¯t hurt her, Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to them afterward. They had been paid to beat up Li Yifei, and if they didn¡¯t follow through, they wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it to their employer. They figured they could beat up Li Yifei and still have time to run away.


    Li Yifei was just circling around Lin Qiong, and since the thugs didn¡¯t want to hit her, it was difficult for them to get to Li Yifei. A bizarre standoff ensued for the moment.


    The most infuriated at the time was Lin Qiong. As a police officer, having thugs commit violence in front of her, completely disregarding her presence, was utterly humiliating. She drew her handcuffs in a flash, determined to arrest one and uncover the truth about them.


    Seeing the handcuffs in Lin Qiong¡¯s hands, the men who had been somewhat skeptical no longer doubted. As people who naturally feared the police, they called out to each other and scattered in all directions.


    Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t expected these guys, who had clung around reluctantly just moments before, would now take off running. She wanted to chase after one, but didn¡¯t pick her target quickly enough. By the time she realized, they had already run far, giving her no chance to catch up.


    "Officer Lin! Officer Lin!" Li Yifei¡¯s loud shouts came from behind. She turned to see Li Yifei struggling with one of the men on the ground, both of them having tumbled over, with Li Yifei clinging tightly to the man.


    Overjoyed, Lin Qiong rushed over and in just a few moves handcuffed the man, who immediately submitted.


    "Are you alright?" Lin Qiong helped Li Yifei up and asked with concern.


    "Ouch, it hurts like hell. I have no idea why these bastards targeted me," Li Yifei complained bitterly, looking completely exasperated.


    Seeing Li Yifei in such a helpless state, Lin Qiong frowned. In her heart, she admired the strong; like that powerful mysterious man. Compared to him, Li Yifei was nothing but a common man.


    Comparing Li Yifei with that mysterious man seemed almost laughable to Lin Qiong. Li Yifei was just an ordinary man, and if he could hold back one of the attackers during a fight, that was already commendable.


    "Hmph, quite bold, resorting to violence right on the main street." Lin Qiong pushed the captured thug, a young man in his early twenties with oddly dyed hair and several earrings, dressed in the typical non-mainstream fashion.


    With a disdainful twist of his mouth, the punk said in a sardonic tone, "Officer Sis, we were just playing around. What kind of violence is that? Don¡¯t slap a big charge on me. I¡¯m so scared."


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "Do you think I¡¯m blind?"


    "Officer Sis, everything these days is about evidence. If we got the wrong person and didn¡¯t mean to hit him, can¡¯t we even crack a joke?"


    The punk was clearly someone who had frequent run-ins with the police. He spoke smoothly and without fear, largely because they hadn¡¯t given Li Yifei much of a beating. Thus, even though they had been caught, he wouldn¡¯t face serious consequences, so he was not afraid of Lin Qiong at all.


    Lin Qiong snorted coldly and said, "Well, I¡¯d like to see whether it was just a joke."


    After making a phone call, Lin Qiong said to Li Yifei, "You¡¯ll also come with me to make a statement later."


    Li Yifei replied with a pained expression, "I haven¡¯t even had dinner yet."


    Lin Qiong immediately felt some frustration, snorting as she said, "The statement won¡¯t take long. Don¡¯t you want to know who¡¯s after you?"


    Li Yifei replied helplessly, "Even if I knew who was after me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. You, the police, have the means. If they¡¯ve broken the law, just arrest them. You¡¯re the Deputy Director now."


    The punk was astonished as he looked at Lin Qiong, starting to feel nervous. They hadn¡¯t been afraid of Lin Qiong initially because she looked young, like a rookie cop¡ªusually the easy ones to handle. But if Lin Qiong was the Deputy Director, offending her just got a lot more complicated.


    When a Police Car pulled up and two officers jumped out, first addressing her as "Director Lin," it completely dispelled the punk¡¯s doubt. He cursed his luck internally, now realizing he had truly kicked an iron board.


    At the police station, a male officer took a brief statement from Li Yifei and then told him to wait for news. Li Yifei was all too familiar with this process. Yet, just as he stepped out, he saw Lin Qiong.


    With a stern face, Lin Qiong exuded an air of police authority inside the station, saying, "Wait for me, I¡¯ll come with you for the injury assessment."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Isn¡¯t that unnecessary?"


    "What do you mean, unnecessary? This is a required procedure. Wait here like a good boy," Lin Qiong glared at him, and Li Yifei had no choice but to agree obediently.


    Lin Qiong went back to her business for a while, emerging about twenty minutes later. They headed outside together. Li Yifei had walked only a few steps when his legs gave way, almost making him fall over.


    Lin Qiong quickly supported her, asking, "What¡¯s wrong with me?"


    Li Yifei answered with a wry smile, "My knee hurts."


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment before saying, "Let me help you walk."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "That would be too embarrassing. It¡¯s just a little pain," but his hand was already resting on Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder.


    Lin Qiong was speechless. The guy was contradictory, claiming he didn¡¯t need her help but swiftly leaning on her without hesitation. Moreover, he put all his weight on her shoulder, and if not for her decent physical condition, she would have been flattened instantly.


    After supporting Li Yifei¡¯s waist to alleviate some of the pressure on her shoulder, Lin Qiong felt better but couldn¡¯t help remarking to Li Yifei in annoyance, "Just how heavy are you?"


    Li Yifei responded cheerfully, "Can¡¯t be that heavy, right? I¡¯m only around 150 pounds."


    "That¡¯s heavy enough," Lin Qiong inhaled deeply and glared at Li Yifei before continuing to help him outside.

 Chapter 104 Greedy for petty gains

    Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Greedy for petty gainsLi Yifei¡¯s leg did hurt a bit, but it was not to the extent he was showing. His current behavior served a triple purpose: firstly, he was teasing Lin Qiong just for fun, seizing an opportunity to take advantage. With girls like Michelle, Li Yifei dared not mess around, but with someone like Lin Qiong, although he didn¡¯t want anything to happen, he felt no pressure in taking a little advantage.


    Additionally, Li Yifei acted this way to prevent a situation where Lin Qiong might sense from his figure and gaze that he was the same person as the mysterious man she was after. By making her believe that he was not very capable, even if she noticed something, she wouldn¡¯t connect him to that other person.


    The third reason was that since those guys had hired someone to take care of him, and he couldn¡¯t fight back directly at the moment, it was natural for him to pretend to be more injured than he was. This would make the other party cough up some money. Now that he had the police backing him up, why not scam them if he had the chance?


    Considering the triple gain from this situation, Li Yifei naturally wouldn¡¯t let the opportunity slip by. He was now resting his arm on Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder, his head very close to her face, admiring her pretty face and smelling her faint, delicate fragrance. It was truly an indescribable enjoyment.


    "What are you looking at?" Lin Qiong turned her head and glared at Li Yifei fiercely.


    Li Yifei immediately let out a dry laugh, saying, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re really beautiful."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face turned even angrier as she snapped, "Do you want me to throw you down?"


    "No, no, if you throw me down like that, how will I get home?"


    "Then behave yourself," Lin Qiong said as she gave Li Yifei another glare and continued to support him as they walked on.


    If it were anyone else, Lin Qiong might have simply ignored them, but since she had drunk too much last night and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t done anything inappropriate, she couldn¡¯t help but trust him a bit. She knew that although he was flirtatious, he wasn¡¯t too hateful. Otherwise, her chastity would have been compromised last night.


    The two arrived at the hospital in a police car, with Lin Qiong still supporting Li Yifei to go for a check-up. Naturally, the results showed nothing serious ¨C just a ligament strain in the knee. This kind of injury could be major or minor; an unhealthy person might take months to heal, while someone in great shape could be fine in just a few days.


    The doctor had initially suggested that Li Yifei be hospitalized, but Li Yifei refused to stay in the hospital. For someone like him, staying in the hospital would be more unbearable than death.


    With Li Yifei insisting, Lin Qiong personally escorted him back to his house.


    "Thanks a lot, Officer Lin," said Li Yifei as he offered Lin Qiong a glass of water, not forgetting to limp as he walked.


    "Stop moving, rest well. Now, let¡¯s talk about something serious," Lin Qiong said as she took the glass, looking serious.


    Li Yifei nodded and sat down beside her.


    Looking into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, Lin Qiong said, "We¡¯ve already investigated and found out that the person who hired these guys is named Zhao QingSheng. You should know him, right?"


    Li Yifei had guessed the identity of a few possible people, and Zhao QingSheng was definitely the likeliest. He quickly replied, "Of course I know him. He used to be the Deputy Minister of the logistics department in our company. Once he tried to harass a girl in the department, and I messed it up for him. Since then, he has held a grudge against me. Last time when I went to work in the warehouse for a week, he deliberately got people to steal from there to frame me, and out boss ended up firing me."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "Then his motive couldn¡¯t be clearer. However, considering the minor injury you¡¯ve sustained, the case will likely end with only a public order punishment, and I doubt he¡¯ll be detained for long given his connections. What would you like to do?"


    Li Yifei shrugged helplessly and said, "I don¡¯t know; whatever you think is best, Officer Lin."


    "Then I suggest you ask for some compensation. They probably don¡¯t want to blow this up either. A person like him would suffer even if he¡¯s only detained for a few days. I can intervene and ask him to compensate you financially. What do you think?" Lin Qiong offered.


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow slightly, saying, "Compensation is fine, but what if he troubles me again later?"


    "I can warn him about that. If he causes you any trouble again, we will definitely punish him severely."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright then, since Officer Lin suggests it, let¡¯s do it your way."


    Lin Qiong then asked, "How much compensation do you want?"


    "Well... surely it should be at least one hundred or eighty thousand," Li Yifei said in a very casual tone.


    Lin Qiong instantly wore a frustrated expression, saying irritably, "Do you really think you can get that much?"


    Li Yifei spoke confidently, "With you backing me, if you open your mouth, he dares not pay, could lock him up for three to five years."


    Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei, retorting, "Get out! I¡¯m not your backup. I¡¯m handling official business here. Don¡¯t you start making outrageous demands."


    The confidence on Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly collapsed as he said with a wry smile, "Officer Lin, it was you who told me to make a demand. As soon as I say it, you¡¯re on my case. Are you just playing with me? Who wouldn¡¯t want to ask for more money?"


    "Nonsense, but there¡¯s a limit to everything. I¡¯ll handle this on your behalf, and you¡¯ll get however much I get for you. How does that sound?" Lin Qiong stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei said somewhat reluctantly, "Alright then, I¡¯ll listen to Officer Lin." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong was both irritated and amused as she said, "You¡¯re a grown man, why be so greedy for money? Can¡¯t you just earn it fair and square?"


    "Sigh, you know how competitive society is these days. I¡¯m lucky to even have a job that pays me two to three thousand a month, just enough to get by. Who wouldn¡¯t want a little extra?"


    "Let me tell you, if you dare make money through illegal means, I will definitely catch you, and I won¡¯t show any mercy," Lin Qiong said sternly, then snorted coldly, her gaze burning into Li Yifei, the warning clear in her eyes.


    After discussing the serious matters, Lin Qiong stood up. Li Yifei immediately said with a smile, "Officer Lin, it¡¯s so late. Why not stay here for the night?"


    Lin Qiong instantly grabbed Li Yifei by the collar, glaring fiercely as she demanded, "What did you say?"


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed Lin Qiong¡¯s wrist, pleading, "Officer Lin, you¡¯ve got it all wrong, I meant nothing but good intentions. You stayed over at my place last night, and I even washed your clothes for you."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s grip loosened significantly, knowing full well Li Yifei spoke the truth, but having it said out loud was utterly embarrassing. She glared at him and said, "Remember this, don¡¯t mention a word of this to anyone else, or I won¡¯t be so polite."


    Li Yifei replied, looking wronged, "I haven¡¯t said a thing, seriously. One tries to be kind, and this is how I¡¯m treated. It¡¯s hard to be a good person!"


    Feeling quite apologetic, Lin Qiong let go of Li Yifei¡¯s collar and said, "Then would it make you feel better if I apologized?"


    "Yes!" Li Yifei answered cheerfully, then chuckled, "Officer Lin, they say it takes a hundred years to share a boat ride, a thousand years to share a pillow. We shared a pillow, so we must have a connection from a thousand years of fate..."


    Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s face turning sour again, Li Yifei quickly changed his tune, "Officer Lin, look at you, misunderstanding me again. I just mean that, we have a connection now, right? Surely our relationship will be better than others?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression softened slightly, but she still didn¡¯t speak, just stared at Li Yifei.


    "Ahem, I mean, in the future, if I ever need help, could I ask for your assistance? You know, I don¡¯t have many friends here, and there are people picking on me. It¡¯s tough without some background or support. Could you help me out?"


    Lin Qiong said with clear annoyance, "You can bring me up, but only when you¡¯re being bullied."


    "All right, I promise I won¡¯t use your name for any wrongdoing."


    Only then did Lin Qiong¡¯s expression finally soften. "Okay, I¡¯m leaving now," she said.


    Li Yifei walked Lin Qiong to the door. She wouldn¡¯t let him escort her further and closed the door herself, but while waiting for the elevator, she glanced at Su Mengxin¡¯s door. She always found Li Yifei¡¯s neighbor peculiar. It was not strange for a woman to live here, but the tenants above and below had all changed, and it was clear they were all protecting Su Mengxin.


    Being the local officer in charge, although now she was a Deputy Director, she still hadn¡¯t handed over her old duties, so she was well acquainted with the area. And when she wanted to investigate Su Mengxin, someone with significant influence asked her not to, which only deepened her suspicions.


    Seemingly Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, the title circulated among the upper society, but it was out of reach for ordinary people. So, not to mention knowing Su Mengxin, they hadn¡¯t even heard of her.


    It¡¯s like with the officials in Capital City, many with great power. Provincial and municipal level officials might know, but district and county level officials probably wouldn¡¯t, let alone the general public.


    Precisely because of Su Mengxin¡¯s mysterious background, Officer Lin was even more attentive. She didn¡¯t want her jurisdiction troubled by those Rich or Second Generation Officials who abuse their power to bully others.


    Yet she understood that the newcomer¡¯s background was definitely significant, and not something a minor officer like her, even a Deputy Director, could handle. She only hoped the person wouldn¡¯t cause trouble; that would indeed be a relief.


    .....


    Zhao QingSheng was vexed. He had rounded up a few guys to beat up Li Yifei, looking to vent his frustration, but instead of accomplishing that, one of them got arrested. Moreover, first thing the next morning, he received a call from the police station, asking him to come in for questioning.


    Zhao QingSheng hastily called a few friends, asking them to put in a good word, but they weren¡¯t very cooperative. Eventually, they agreed only to let him compensate the victim, a sum of just five thousand yuan.


    Zhao QingSheng, though not exceedingly wealthy, didn¡¯t think much of five thousand yuan. However, handing over the money was frustrating; he intended to punish Li Yifei but ended up having to pay him instead. What kind of situation was this?


    But there was no choice but to pay. The new Deputy Director at the station was now a model figure for the Mile City Public Security Bureau. Even if they didn¡¯t show any favor, there was nothing ordinary people could do but obediently hand over the money, unable to exact their revenge and instead giving Li Yifei an unearned five thousand yuan.

 Chapter 105: Making a Friend

    Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Making a FriendThe next morning, Li Yifei had made breakfast, and Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei came over as soon as they smelled the food. Li Yifei had gotten used to these two cheeky neighbors. Of course, having two beauties for company at meals was an enjoyable affair. Moreover, Su Mengxin was wealthy, and she provided the finest ingredients for the meals, which allowed Li Yifei to enjoy some culinary delights. Naturally, he was only too happy to accept.


    Meng Xiaofei had a flight mission today and wouldn¡¯t be back for three days. She flew long distances, and each round trip took three days, so she had a bit more time to rest.


    As for Su Mengxin, she wouldn¡¯t be coming back for dinner either. Li Yifei didn¡¯t ask what she would be doing.


    It turned out that, although they had planned to eat together, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t come home the last two evenings, and now, when he was free, both of them were busy.


    As usual, Li Yifei arrived at the company on time. He greeted his colleagues in the logistics department before returning to his desk.


    After sitting for a short while, Michelle peeked her head over the divider, tapped lightly, and then passed over a small lunch box.


    "What¡¯s this?" Li Yifei did not take it, looking at Michelle.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red and her watery, big eyes looked at Li Yifei with a mix of bashfulness and a little excitement. In a soft voice, she said, "It¡¯s breakfast for you."


    Li Yifei feared this very thing. Knowing that he had saved Michelle and fooled her into giving him a kiss yesterday, he was now sure he was in trouble. For others, this would have been an opportunity they couldn¡¯t pass up, but for Li Yifei, it was completely unbearable. So he smiled at Michelle and said, "Thank you, but I already had breakfast this morning."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned sour in an instant, and she looked somewhat embarrassed as she took back the lunch box, sitting down in silence.


    Li Yifei knew this probably hurt Michelle¡¯s feelings, but there was no helping it. It was better than causing her deeper hurt in the future. He didn¡¯t explain and just went on with his work.


    The sound of a chair sliding echoed in his ears as Shen Yajuan moved closer, leaning her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s desk, tilting her head to look at him.


    "Sister Shen, is there something on my face?" Li Yifei joked intentionally.


    Shen Yajuan chuckled and said, "There sure is something, how else could you have got a peach blossom luck?"


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "Sister Shen, don¡¯t joke about that. What kind of peach blossom luck could I possibly have?"


    Shen Yajuan moved even closer to Li Yifei and pinched him, scolding, "You¡¯re playing dumb with me? I saw everything just now. Our beautiful Michelle is bringing you breakfast, and you actually refuse? Are you made of wood?"


    Li Yifei continued to feign ignorance: "I really did have breakfast this morning. I always eat at home."


    "You, a grown man, can make your own breakfast?" Shen Yajuan looked at Li Yifei with disbelief.


    "Of course I make it. Skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach."


    "Oh, I thought you were rejecting Michelle. But boy, you¡¯re really clueless. When has Michelle ever brought anyone breakfast? You¡¯re absolutely the first one in our company. Even if you¡¯ve eaten, you should have had a little bit."


    "I had a full breakfast this morning. I really can¡¯t eat anymore."


    "You¡¯re just dense. This is Michelle showing interest in you. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not into her?" Shen Yajuan glared, having a clear fondness for Michelle and, having worked together for a long time, she was naturally biased towards her. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly, managing only a bitter smile, "Sister Shen, it¡¯s not that I look down on Michelle, but someone like me, what qualifications do I have for romance? No house, no car, I earn so little each month ¨C I can barely support myself."


    Shen Yajuan wouldn¡¯t hear it, still smiling, "Let me ask you this, what do you think of Michelle?"


    "Well... she¡¯s clearly great."


    "That settles it then. Michelle isn¡¯t looking down on you, and she¡¯s even friendly towards you. If you don¡¯t appreciate it, you¡¯re a scoundrel. I¡¯m telling you, those superficial women are the ones who care about houses and cars. Sure, they might enjoy it for now, but what matters in a man is potential. If there¡¯s no potential and the money is gone, then what? Suffering. I see that you¡¯re hard-working and you¡¯ll definitely have a chance to strike it rich in the future. So, I¡¯m rooting for you two."


    Li Yifei felt things were getting messier by the minute. If only he had known Shen Yajuan would become a mediator, he would have taken the food and eaten a couple of bites earlier.


    "Hey? Aren¡¯t you going to say something?" Shen Yajuan pinched Li Yifei again.


    Li Yifei sighed, "Sister Shen, I appreciate your kindness, but I already have someone in my heart, so..."


    Shen Yajuan looked at Li Yifei disbelievingly and said, "Really? Is that true?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true," Li Yifei assured her with a firm nod.


    "You¡¯re not trying to trick me, are you? You¡¯ve been working here for over a month now, and I¡¯ve never seen any girls call you, let alone come looking for you."


    Li Yifei hurriedly responded, "It¡¯s true, she is a college student who is still attending university."


    "No way?" Shen Yajuan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    "It¡¯s true," Li Yifei emphasized again. At this moment, his only option was to bring up Su Yiyi. If Shen Yajuan and the others ever wanted to see his girlfriend, finding Su Yiyi would surely be no problem, as she would be very willing to help.


    Shen Yajuan shook her head and sighed, saying, "Then it¡¯s a pity about Michelle¡¯s feelings for you. I¡¯ll go talk to Michelle later. It¡¯s rare for her to take a liking to a man, and this will be quite a blow to her."


    Li Yifei repeatedly expressed his gratitude as Shen Yajuan waved her hand dismissively and said, "It¡¯s not your fault. It just wasn¡¯t meant to be. By the way, you should bring your girlfriend over sometime for us to meet. Boy, you sure are something, snagging a college girl like that."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Just tell me when, and I¡¯ll have her come over. It¡¯ll definitely be no problem."


    Seeing Li Yifei speak like this, Shen Yajuan knew he was telling the truth. She exchanged a few more words with him before leaving.


    Michelle¡¯s desk was separated from Li Yifei¡¯s by a partition. Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t speak loudly during his conversation with Shen Yajuan, she could still make out most of it. Knowing the real reason why Li Yifei had rejected her ¨C because he had a girlfriend ¨C made Michelle feel incredibly downhearted.


    Last night, after she got home, the scene in the elevator kept replaying in her mind. She even went out of her way to look up what could happen if an elevator fell that many floors. Upon reading the description, she became more and more frightened, realizing that such a fall could be life-threatening without proper protection. Even with the right precautions, one could still be seriously injured.


    But she had escaped without a scratch, obviously because Li Yifei had held her in his arms at that time. Although she couldn¡¯t quite remember the position he held her in, Michelle knew Li Yifei had let her sit on his lap and had held her tightly around her waist, preventing her from getting hurt.


    If Li Yifei had just looked after his own safety and then helped her, Michelle¡¯s gratitude wouldn¡¯t have been so profound. But Li Yifei had disregarded his own safety to save her, which required immense courage. The act of self-sacrifice isn¡¯t something she didn¡¯t believe in, but saving her at the risk of his own life wasn¡¯t something just anyone would do.


    So even though Li Yifei later did things that seemed to try to make Michelle dislike him, she didn¡¯t buy it. She refused to believe that he was that kind of person. The more Li Yifei acted that way, the more Michelle valued and appreciated him, and the more her fondness for him grew.


    Michelle was an extremely timid girl. Just bringing breakfast for Li Yifei that morning had taken a lot of courage on her part. What she hadn¡¯t expected was for Li Yifei to actually turn her down, which truly saddened her.


    But after hearing Li Yifei¡¯s talk with Shen Yajuan, something clicked in Michelle¡¯s heart, and she suddenly felt relieved. It just went to show that Li Yifei was a man of loyalty; having a girlfriend, he wouldn¡¯t change his heart. It was just unfortunate that Li Yifei already had a girlfriend, or else Michelle would have really wanted to boldly pursue him right then.


    Taking out her phone, Michelle composed a text message to Li Yifei and sent it.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry, I was too abrupt this morning and caused you trouble."


    Upon reading the message, a smile crept across Li Yifei¡¯s face. He felt this was probably the best outcome and quickly replied, "Thank you, don¡¯t take it to heart if I¡¯ve hurt your self-esteem, okay?"


    "It¡¯s okay, but you have to bring your girlfriend so I can meet her, gotta keep an eye out for Brother Li."


    "No problem, I¡¯m busy this weekend, but next week, I¡¯ll bring her over for everyone to meet. I¡¯ll treat you all to dinner then."


    After a brief exchange of texts, Li Yifei felt completely relaxed. If things had gotten awkward with Michelle, it would have made working in the logistics department quite uncomfortable. Luckily, they had cleared the air.


    Xu Yingying called at that moment, and Li Yifei, the dedicated chauffeur, immediately headed downstairs.


    Xu Yingying was bustling about all day long, not finishing until after six in the evening. Sitting in the car, she was still frowning, lost in thought.


    At that moment, Li Yifei felt sorry for Xu Yingying. For someone her age to become the CEO of a company worth seventy or eighty million was certainly an achievement, but it had also required a lot of hard work. Others only saw the glamour in her life, but as her driver, Li Yifei saw all the effort she put in.


    When they arrived at the entrance to Xu Yingying¡¯s apartment complex, she rubbed her forehead, getting ready to leave the car. She opened the door but didn¡¯t step out right away. Instead, she turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Can you cook dinner for me tonight? I don¡¯t feel like eating out."


    "No problem," Li Yifei agreed readily, not because Xu Yingying was his boss, but because she had been very decent to him. She had agreed so readily to lend him money last time, and he had always felt indebted to her.

 Chapter 106: Xu Shanshan is Coming

    Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Xu Shanshan is ComingWhen Li Yifei came back with groceries, Xu Yingying was lying on the sofa, her eyes closed, actually asleep.


    Fortunately, when Li Yifei had dropped Xu Yingying off earlier, he had grabbed a copy of her house key, otherwise coming back and knocking on the door would have woken her up.


    Li Yifei put all the groceries in the kitchen, then went and got a blanket to gently cover Xu Yingying with. He glanced at her again and saw that even in her sleep, Xu Yingying¡¯s brows were furrowed, clearly troubled by some thorny issue.


    Li Yifei shook his head, thinking that a woman being too strong was really not that great; it made life too exhausting. On this point, his view coincidentally matched Xu Shanshan¡¯s.


    Lately, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t mentioned Xu Shanshan. It seemed like Xu Shanshan was no longer suspicious, but not having chatted with Xu Shanshan for a long time, Li Yifei suddenly found himself missing her.


    He decided to get the cooking started, and after tidying up the kitchen. Today¡¯s dishes were just a few stir-fries, which could be done in minutes, so he would wait until the rice was ready before cooking. With nothing else to do at that moment, Li Yifei sat on the living room sofa, picked up the phone, and dialed Xu Shanshan¡¯s number.


    "Sis... how come you decided to call me today?"


    "I¡¯m not your sister, I¡¯m your brother-in-law," Li Yifei replied cheerfully, speaking very softly.


    "Ah! Brother-in-law, you actually thought of me?" Xu Shanshan sounded pleasantly surprised.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "How could I not think of you? You¡¯re Yingying¡¯s sister, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Cut the crap, you haven¡¯t even secured my sister yet."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan was referring to not having taken Xu Yingying¡¯s virginity and couldn¡¯t help feeling a little embarrassed. He hastily replied, "I¡¯m just respecting your sister."


    "Never mind that. Isn¡¯t my sister at home?"


    "She¡¯s at home, but she fell asleep. She¡¯s been a bit overworked these past few days with all the company stuff."


    "Oh, then let her sleep. Brother-in-law, I want to run away from home."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s transition was so abrupt that Li Yifei didn¡¯t quite catch what she said at first, asking reflexively, "What did you say?"


    "I said I want to run away from home. If I stay any longer, I¡¯m going to go crazy. My mom nags me every day, ah ah, find a boyfriend, get married, you and my sister are killing me."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin and said, "Then find one."


    "There¡¯s no suitable one, but I don¡¯t care anymore. In a few days, I¡¯ll come to stay with you guys for a while, to get out of the storm. You won¡¯t mind me ruining your twosome, will you?"


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on. If Xu Shanshan were to come, wouldn¡¯t that mean trouble for him? But at that moment, he obviously couldn¡¯t refuse, and had to earnestly say, "Okay, then come. When you do, Yingying and I will take you out to have a good time."


    "My sister, can I count on her?"


    "Oh, good point. Then let your brother-in-law entertain you properly, that should be fine, right?"


    "That¡¯s better. Hehe, I¡¯ve only been to Mile City once, and my sister didn¡¯t even hang out with me, nearly bored me to death. This time you have to keep me company."


    "Sure, but I¡¯m not familiar with this place either. I haven¡¯t lived here in seven or eight years, everything has changed. It¡¯s not the Mile City I remember anymore."


    "Anyway, you¡¯re better than I am. Let¡¯s just settle on that. But I might just up and leave one day, so you better be prepared."


    "You should at least give me a heads up before you come. Yingying is busy lately, and I¡¯ve got quite a few things on my plate too. I need to ask for time off in advance. Otherwise, I might be out too, and you¡¯ll probably get bored again."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll call you when the time comes."


    After chatting for a bit, Li Yifei saw Xu Yingying open her eyes, so he handed her the phone. Xu Yingying spoke briefly with Xu Shanshan before hanging up. The twin sisters didn¡¯t seem to have much in common; their phone calls never lasted more than three minutes.


    "What did Shanshan say to you just now?" Xu Yingying sat up and asked Li Yifei softly, her tone gentle as she looked at the blanket on her.


    "Shanshan said she wanted to run away from home, and she wants to come over here for a few days in a bit."


    Xu Yingying frowned and asked, "Did you agree to it?"


    "Do I dare not to agree to it?" Li Yifei retorted.


    Xu Yingying knew that if Xu Shanshan wanted to do something, even their parents couldn¡¯t stop her, let alone her elder sister. With a headache, she said, "What do we do when she comes?"


    "We¡¯ll do what we need to do. I¡¯ll take her out, and you can drive yourself."


    "I¡¯m fine with driving, but if she stays here, then you..."


    Feeling helpless, Li Yifei replied, "There¡¯s nothing else for it. I¡¯ll just have to move in here for a few days again."


    Xu Yingying originally wanted to say that it was a bit awkward for them to be living under the same roof, let alone sharing a bed, but seeing how calm Li Yifei was, she relaxed and said with a smile, "Yeah, it seems I¡¯ll have to trouble you to stay at my place for a few more days. Oh, and you need to bring some of your clothes over. After all, we¡¯re cohabiting, and it wouldn¡¯t make sense if you didn¡¯t have your personal items at my home."


    "Sure, I¡¯ll bring some over," Li Yifei replied readily.


    "Just bring a few. We¡¯ll go shopping later to get you more, so I can have an explanation in case Shanshan drops by when you¡¯re not here."


    "Heh, sounds like I¡¯m going to save some money again."


    "I¡¯m asking for your help, so it¡¯s only right."


    In the time they had grown accustomed to each other while Xu Yingying was driving with Li Yifei, she became more familiar with him, and she no longer talked to him with the same coldness as before.


    "Alright, I¡¯m going to cook the meal now, we¡¯ll be eating shortly."


    Watching Li Yifei move into the kitchen, Xu Yingying also stood up, washed her hands, and walked to the kitchen doorway, where she watched Li Yifei busily moving around. A sense of happiness unexpectedly surged in her heart.


    After dinner, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei went to the mall together. Li Yifei was still wearing the same clothes he wore to work, while Xu Yingying wore a light gray tracksuit with a pair of sneakers. Dressed down from her usual business attire and high heels, Xu Yingying lost her air of arrogance and aloofness and instead had a quiet, relaxed demeanor typical of a girl.


    The two only browsed through the men¡¯s clothing section, picking out two suits for Li Yifei for the spring season, and then they headed to the underwear section.


    Having accompanied Li Yifei to buy underwear before, Xu Yingying, although still somewhat embarrassed, managed to face the situation with composure.


    Furthermore, Xu Yingying had to admit that this guy, Li Yifei, really had a good figure, and even the models on the packaging boxes couldn¡¯t match the manliness that Li Yifei exuded when wearing the clothes.


    "This one¡¯s nice." Xu Yingying picked up a pair of underwear, held it up to Li Yifei¡¯s crotch for sizing, then told the salesperson the size. She had an excellent memory; having bought it for Li Yifei before, she already remembered the size. And as a president used to making decisions, she was also accustomed to making decisions for Li Yifei now.


    But as they turned around, they saw someone they both recognized, Shen Yajuan from logistics. Her eyes were exaggeratedly wide, and her mouth was agape, as though it could fit an egg.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying exchanged glances, then smilingly greeted her, "Sister Shen, what a coincidence."


    "Ah, ah!" Shen Yajuan finally closed her mouth, looking at them with a very unnatural expression, "Yes, such a coincidence, hello, President Xu."


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t expected to run into a colleague from the company there, especially in the men¡¯s underwear section. It would be difficult to explain, so she simply nodded at Shen Yajuan, deciding not to offer any explanation.


    "Buying underwear for your husband?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Yeah, yeah," Shen Yajuan quickly agreed, then gave Li Yifei an ambiguous smile, "I won¡¯t bother you any longer, I¡¯ll be on my way."


    At that moment, Xu Yingying said, "I don¡¯t want to hear rumors about me and Li Yifei in the company."


    Shen Yajuan jumped, hurriedly responding, "President Xu, rest assured, I won¡¯t blab about it. I¡¯ll keep quiet for sure."


    Xu Yingying nodded, and Shen Yajuan, as if granted amnesty, quickly left, not even bothering to buy the underwear for her husband anymore. Running into Xu Yingying and Li Yifei there, and with President Xu giving her a pointed look, she would be asking for trouble by sticking around.


    However, after leaving the underwear section, she couldn¡¯t help but look back. She saw Li Yifei and Xu Yingying still shopping there, which greatly surprised her. She was sure Xu Yingying must be Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend; otherwise, why would she be buying him underwear, even knowing his size?


    No wonder Li Yifei had rejected Michelle. With a president girlfriend like Xu Yingying, naturally, he couldn¡¯t afford to be interested in other girls. But Li Yifei really was something, managing to charm the president herself.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei was talking with Xu Yingying.


    "Tomorrow at work, I¡¯ll explain things to Sister Shen."


    Xu Yingying shook her head, "No need, such things can¡¯t be easily explained. The more you try, the more she¡¯ll believe it¡¯s true. It¡¯s better not to explain at all."


    "But if everyone in the company learns that you¡¯re my girlfriend, that would... "


    Xu Yingying seemed unconcerned as she replied, "Let them talk then. It spares me the hassle of others bothering me."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "President Xu, you might not care, but with you occupying the girlfriend spot, how am I supposed to find a girlfriend then?"


    Xu Yingying became a bit indignant, thinking he was considering her feelings, but she also felt somewhat challenged, "Am I that embarrassing to be your girlfriend?"


    "President, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s fake after all. You might not want a boyfriend, but I still want to play the field," Li Yifei retorted. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph, you have He Fangqing, don¡¯t you? There is no need for you to chase after other girls. I¡¯m just holding a spot for He Fangqing to stop you from philandering. Yes, that¡¯s what I mean," Xu Yingying said with a proud smile on her face.


    Li Yifei was immediately at a loss for words, "President, are you really playing it like this?"


    "What do you mean ¡¯playing it like this¡¯? That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing. Tonight, I¡¯m going to have He Fangqing come over and stay. Just behave yourself," Xu Yingying said, and actually pulled out her phone to call He Fangqing.


    Li Yifei was genuinely frustrated. Although He Fangqing was divorced, mature women had a certain allure that men found hard to resist. However, Li Yifei really hadn¡¯t thought about playing with He Fangqing¡¯s feelings. Xu Yingying¡¯s meddling in his love life was truly troublesome.

 Chapter 107 This is a good idea

    Chapter 107: Chapter 107 This is a good idea"Sister Fangqing, come over to my place tonight, I have something I want to talk to you about... Yeah, I can head back in about half an hour, just come over when you¡¯re ready."


    After Xu Yingying hung up the phone, she turned to Li Yifei with a smug look and said, "How about that, shouldn¡¯t you be thanking me? I even provide a room for you, saving you the cost of a hotel."


    Li Yifei forced a smile and responded, "Boss, haven¡¯t you realized that you¡¯re doing more harm than good with good intentions?"


    "What do you mean good intentions doing bad?" Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and retorted, "I know what you guys are like, wanting to walk away clean after having your fun without owning up. Let me tell you, that¡¯s not going to happen. Fangqing is my close friend, and she¡¯s just been hurt, I won¡¯t let you hurt her further."


    "Everything was fine as it was, but with you butting in like this, you might really end up hurting her."


    "Quit your slick talking there." Xu Yingying, always dominant in her ways and inexperienced with relationships, certainly didn¡¯t believe a word Li Yifei said.


    The two finished their shopping, all paid for by Xu Yingying, and Li Yifei was more than happy to enjoy the fruits of her labor. The clothes were sort of props and should indeed be bought by Xu Yingying. Besides, the clothes she picked were quite expensive, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to afford them with a month¡¯s salary even if he wanted to.


    They took the elevator to Xu Yingying¡¯s floor and, upon stepping out, they saw He Fangqing, who first looked surprised, then slightly embarrassed.


    "Sister Fangqing, sorry to keep you waiting," Xu Yingying greeted He Fangqing with a smile. She went ahead to open the door and invited He Fangqing into the apartment.


    "Go and put away the clothes, I want to chat with Sister Fangqing." Xu Yingying pulled He Fangqing to the sofa and began issuing orders to Li Yifei directly.


    Li Yifei shook his head helplessly and went into Xu Yingying¡¯s room. The clothes were surely meant for Xu Yingying¡¯s closet, put there for Xu Shanshan to see.


    Opening Xu Yingying¡¯s closet, Li Yifei hung the clothes up and then opened a drawer inside the closet to find Xu Yingying¡¯s lingerie. There were conservative pieces and sexier ones, which honestly made him feel quite heated. He quickly placed his own underwear with Xu Yingying¡¯s and shut the closet before walking out.


    He Fangqing was taken aback seeing Li Yifei enter Xu Yingying¡¯s room, especially when he was carrying men¡¯s clothing. It would make some sense if they were placed in another room, but being placed in Xu Yingying¡¯s room seemed a bit improper. Could it be that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were already... in that kind of relationship?


    Noticing the confusion on He Fangqing¡¯s face, Xu Yingying said with a smile, "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t overthink it. My sister is coming over in a couple of days, so I need to put on a show. I bought some clothes for Li Yifei to keep in my room, just so my sister won¡¯t spot any flaws."


    He Fangqing said awkwardly, "I wasn¡¯t thinking too much. Besides, my relationship with Li Yifei really won¡¯t develop feelings. Who he¡¯s with is none of my business." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t think like that. Actually, I think Li Yifei isn¡¯t bad, and since you two have already had that kind of relationship, it would be nice if you got together."


    He Fangqing shook her head and replied, "That¡¯s impossible. I won¡¯t be considering romantic matters for now. My interaction with him is just to alleviate a bit of loneliness, or you could say, to find a temporary emotional crutch."


    "Alright then, have it your way. But since I brought him here today, shouldn¡¯t you thank me a bit?"


    He Fangqing was hugely embarrassed and scolded, "Yingying, you shouldn¡¯t joke about others like that."


    Xu Yingying burst into loud laughter, making He Fangqing even more embarrassed, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little excited deep down. Although it had only been a few times with Li Yifei, each time was so enchanting, and being with Li Yifei always helped her completely forget the pain brought by her recent divorce.


    By this time, Li Yifei had come out and Xu Yingying stood up with a smile, saying, "You two chat, I¡¯m going to take a shower. I¡¯ll get to bed early tonight so you won¡¯t be kept awake by my noise."


    "Yingying!" He Fangqing called out in mortification.


    "Haha..." Xu Yingying laughed merrily again, picked up a change of clothes from the bedroom, and headed straight for the bathroom.


    Li Yifei sat down next to He Fangqing who then gave him a reproachful look and said, "This is all your fault!"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I had no choice, she insisted on you coming."


    He Fangqing twisted Li Yifei¡¯s arm and complained, "You sure know how to play innocent." Since she¡¯d already arrived, and had the experience of staying here before, He Fangqing didn¡¯t feel especially embarrassed. Sitting with Li Yifei, she unconsciously exhibited the charm of a young woman.


    Li Yifei was very relaxed around He Fangqing. He knew well that He Fangqing was a mature thinker. When the two of them were together, they wouldn¡¯t be entangled in emotions. At this point, he wrapped an arm around He Fangqing¡¯s shoulder, while his other hand was gently stroking her thigh, saying, "We haven¡¯t been together in such a long time."


    He Fangqing softly pulled Li Yifei¡¯s hand away, glanced toward the bathroom door, and whispered, "Don¡¯t mess around, Yingying is still taking a shower."


    "What¡¯s there to worry about, she won¡¯t come out naked," Li Yifei said with a snicker, and turned his head to kiss He Fangqing¡¯s earlobe.


    He Fangqing¡¯s body softened immediately, she turned her head towards Li Yifei¡¯s lips, and the two passionately kissed.


    "Giggle..." Suddenly, Xu Yingying¡¯s laughter came from the bathroom, startling them both, prompting them to quickly separate.


    "You guys continue, I¡¯m really going to take a shower now," Xu Yingying laughed even more boldly. This display was no different from Xu Shanshan¡¯s, it seemed that these twin sisters truly resembled each other. Usually, Xu Yingying hid her rebellious nature, only showing it at moments like these.


    "It¡¯s all your fault..." He Fangqing twisted Li Yifei¡¯s arm, but her lips were soon sealed by Li Yifei¡¯s again, quickly drowning in the boundless excitement.


    When Xu Yingying came out, Li Yifei and He Fangqing both sat primly in the living room, their clothes neatly arranged. However, the flush on He Fangqing¡¯s face betrayed the fact that she and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been behaving just moments before.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t expose them, instead she said with a laugh, "I¡¯m going to rest now, don¡¯t worry, I absolutely won¡¯t come out again. You two can have your Mandarin Duck bath or whatever, I won¡¯t disturb you." Without waiting for He Fangqing¡¯s reproach, she ran into the bedroom and shut the door with a bang.


    "That¡¯s actually not a bad idea," Li Yifei said, grinning at He Fangqing.


    "Stop it, no way!" He Fangqing quickly refused.


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? She¡¯d guess what we¡¯re up to anyway, might as well be upfront about it."


    "Don¡¯t..." He Fangqing was quite tempted and also found such things truly thrilling. She had always been proper when with her husband, never so indulgent. But with Li Yifei, each encounter made her lose herself, thinking back, she felt incredibly lascivious.


    In a swift move, He Fangqing was lifted into Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Her heart raced uncontrollably, not only would she share a Mandarin Duck bath with Li Yifei, but they were at Xu Yingying¡¯s home, with Xu Yingying present. It was an immense thrill.


    Xu Yingying, in her room, had initially wanted to sleep early, but being accustomed to working late at home, she couldn¡¯t sleep. Although the house was soundproof, He Fangqing¡¯s moans were quite distinct, and Xu Yingying could hear them clearly.


    "Oh my God, Sister Fangqing, do you really have to be like this?" Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t believe her ears. He Fangqing was usually so meticulous in her work and careful in her life. Xu Yingying had attended events with her, where elite men attempted to court He Fangqing, yet she had always been proper, giving these men no opportunity.


    Yet with Li Yifei, He Fangqing could cry out loud, which was simply unimaginable.


    As a modern person who had watched some adult movies on the internet, Xu Yingying had thought that women¡¯s screams during climax were fake, just an act. How could a woman possibly scream like that without shame? But now she began to doubt her own assumptions¡ªperhaps during such activities, a woman could truly scream that loudly.


    Could it be that such acts indeed bring women to such heights of excitement? Xu Yingying suddenly became very curious and even started to desire it.


    "Oh my God, why am I thinking about this guy?" After calming herself, Xu Yingying was startled. "Could it be that I¡¯m starting to like him too?"


    She thought it over and quickly rationalized the situation: apart from work, she rarely interacted with men and had the most contact with Li Yifei, especially after living together, she knew his physique best. The cause of her excitement was Li Yifei and He Fangqing; that¡¯s why he came to mind.


    "This hopeless guy, he¡¯s like a bull. How come he¡¯s not done yet? I thought men only took a few minutes," she mused, her tranquility undisturbed by the ongoing sounds from outside. He Fangqing¡¯s moans seemed to change in tone, and who knew what Li Yifei had her contorted into.

 Chapter 108 Still Here

    Chapter 108: Chapter 108 Still HereThe next morning when Xu Yingying got up, she saw Li Yifei cooking in the kitchen. She yawned and approached him, saying, "You¡¯re up so early, I didn¡¯t think you would wake up."


    Li Yifei turned around and smiled at Xu Yingying, saying, "I seem to always get up quite early, don¡¯t I?"


    "That¡¯s on a normal day," Xu Yingying suddenly realized that discussing this topic with Li Yifei was really too flirtatious and quickly shut herself up.


    Li Yifei hehe¡¯d with a laugh, saying, "Sorry for disturbing your rest, but who asked you to insist on bringing Sister Fangqing here."


    Seeing Li Yifei shift the blame onto her, Xu Yingying immediately glared at him, saying, "What¡¯s this, you¡¯re not appreciative?"


    "Appreciative, of course, I am appreciative. We should do more of this kind of thing in the future. It would be even better to bring a couple more."


    "Get lost!" Xu Yingying kicked Li Yifei and turned around to walk out.


    At this moment, He Fangqing also came out of the bedroom. Xu Yingying greeted her with a smile and deliberately checked He Fangqing¡¯s complexion. She had expected He Fangqing to look very tired, but it seemed that she looked exceptionally radiant today, showing no signs of being affected by last night¡¯s exhaustion. In fact, it seemed to add to her charm.


    "Sister Fangqing, you look especially radiant today," Xu Yingying teased He Fangqing with a smile.


    Although He Fangqing felt a bit embarrassed, she had long been preparing her mood in the room and now responded with a laugh, "Is that so? That¡¯s just how it is for us women."


    Xu Yingying was somewhat surprised by how coolly He Fangqing handled the comment, which piqued her curiosity even more as she followed her into the bathroom.


    He Fangqing chuckled and said, "Of course, that¡¯s one of the main reasons why women tend to age."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned crimson and she said, "Sister Fangqing, there¡¯s nothing you¡¯re afraid to say."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned an even deeper shade of red as she stammered, "I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend."


    "Aha?" He Fangqing looked as if she had discovered a new continent, saying, "Yingying, now you¡¯re really precious. For men, you¡¯re simply a top-notch treasure."


    Xu Yingying twisted He Fangqing¡¯s arm and chided, "Look at that expression on your face, you¡¯re clearly saying I¡¯m worthless."


    He Fangqing hurriedly said, "No, no, that¡¯s not what I mean. Nowadays, with everything being so open, it¡¯s really rare to find a girl who maintains such purity, so I said what I did. I didn¡¯t mean to mock you at all."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face was still red as she responded, "Stop it, I¡¯m already feeling embarrassed."


    "Haha, I¡¯ll stop, I¡¯ll stop. Since you¡¯ve preserved it, better cherish it," He Fangqing said.


    "I¡¯m done talking to you, Sister Fangqing. Now you¡¯ve let that guy Li Yifei corrupt you so much you can even say things like this," Xu Yingying retorted.


    "Hehe, that¡¯s not his doing, it¡¯s because you¡¯re too pure," He Fangqing said.


    Xu Yingying really couldn¡¯t stand this topic anymore and hurried through her morning routine before fleeing.


    "Boss, director, come eat!" Li Yifei called out as breakfast was ready.


    When He Fangqing arrived, it was with an ambiguous smile, while Xu Yingying showed up still blushing. This puzzled Li Yifei; wasn¡¯t it supposed to be He Fangqing who felt awkward and embarrassed, while Xu Yingying should have that flirtatious smile?


    During breakfast, He Fangqing looked at Xu Yingying and laughed, inciting Xu Yingying to say somewhat frustratedly, "Sister Fangqing, if you laugh again, I¡¯ll really get angry."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t laugh; let¡¯s eat," He Fangqing said, lowering her head to eat, but she could barely contain her giggles.


    Though Xu Yingying said she would get angry, He Fangqing was the only female friend she could really talk to in Mile City, so of course, she wouldn¡¯t actually be angry.


    Li Yifei was curious, but he knew enough to not ask.


    Upon arriving at the office in the morning, Shen Yajuan immediately sidled up to Li Yifei, silent but with a look full of admiration and adoration.


    "Sister Shen, can you not look at me with those eyes? It makes my skin crawl," Li Yifei leaned back slightly, clearly uncomfortable under Shen Yajuan¡¯s gaze. If it were Michelle looking at him like that, at least he¡¯d enjoy it a bit.


    But if Michelle really looked at him that way, he¡¯d probably be even more afraid. Although Shen Yajuan¡¯s gaze made him uncomfortable, he was at least clear in his conscience.


    Shen Yajuan gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up and said, "Little Li, my admiration for you is now like the endless flow of the Yangtze River, and like the uncontrollable surge of the Yellow River. You¡¯re simply the idol of my heart."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Sister Shen, please stop teasing me. What you saw wasn¡¯t real."


    "Is this not true? Do you think I¡¯m a minor, or do you think I¡¯m mentally challenged?" Shen Yajuan¡¯s eyes immediately widened.


    Shen Yajuan¡¯s reaction was just as he and Xu Yingying had anticipated; she certainly wouldn¡¯t believe that the two of them were innocent. But then again, when a woman goes shopping with a man in a lingerie store and even buys for him, how could there possibly be no relationship?


    Li Yifei had no choice but to say helplessly, "Alright, but don¡¯t go spreading rumors. If the boss loses his temper, you won¡¯t be able to walk away from it unscathed."


    "Hehe, I used to be scared, but not anymore. With our relationship, how could you not speak well of me when the time comes?"


    "Fine, but by then I won¡¯t even be able to protect myself, let alone look out for you."


    Shen Yajuan gave Li Yifei a disdainful look but understood that a poor loser like Li Yifei had no status at all hanging onto Xu Yingying¡¯s coattails; he had to listen to whatever Xu Yingying said. So, she really wouldn¡¯t dare mention this incident to anyone else since jobs were hard to come by nowadays. Crossing the boss might mean losing her job.


    At that moment, Michelle walked in from outside, greeted Li Yifei, and then sat down to work. It was her first time feeling attracted to a man, and she had been rejected, which, despite her casual dismissal, made her feel uneasy facing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take the initiative to chat with Michelle either; letting the matter cool down wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    That evening, after getting off work, Li Yifei returned home; Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so he still had some free time for himself. But Su Mengxin came over once again, asking him to accompany her that night to meet friends.


    Li Yifei immediately declined, "The friends you meet are all rich or noble; what business do I have there? I really don¡¯t want to end up behind you like before."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "Of course not. I¡¯m just meeting with a few ordinary friends. I¡¯ve started a new company here and need to do some publicity. Tonight, I¡¯m meeting a couple of local celebrities to discuss endorsements for our company. They don¡¯t know my true identity; you¡¯ll just be there as my friend, so you¡¯ll be able to relax."


    Li Yifei persisted unwillingly, "But I have plans tonight."


    Su Mengxin puckered her seductive lips, "Please agree, you know, if I go out, I¡¯ll definitely have bodyguards following me, which can easily arouse suspicion about my identity. If you come along with me, then I won¡¯t need bodyguards. Just do me a favor, okay?"


    Being the most beautiful woman in Huaxia, Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty went without saying, and her every frown and smile displayed countless charms to perfection. Such tender entreaties and a vulnerable appearance crumbled Li Yifei¡¯s defenses completely, leaving him with no choice but to reply with a wry smile, "Alright then."


    Su Mengxin immediately beamed with joy and then pleaded with Li Yifei to change into a different suit. Seeing Li Yifei dressed in his suit, she admired him with squinting eyes, "Not bad, really handsome."


    Li Yifei immediately said with vanity, "Do you think I could charm those two celebrities you¡¯re meeting?"


    "That will depend on your skills. If you really manage that, I will certainly help you out."


    Jokingly, the two got into a red Ferrari with Li Yifei taking on the role of the driver.


    "By the way, if I¡¯m going with you, what should my identity be?" Since Li Yifei had agreed, he naturally wanted to do things well. That was always his style.


    Su Mengxin squinted at Li Yifei, "How about as my boyfriend?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, he turned to glance at Su Mengxin and then shook his head vigorously, "No, no, I¡¯ve been pretending to be someone¡¯s boyfriend enough recently, I¡¯m tired of it."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes narrowed, "Pretending to be whose boyfriend?"


    "Xu Yingying."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, "That does sound interesting. Since you don¡¯t want to pretend to be a boyfriend, how about being my cousin? What do you think?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "That¡¯s more like it."


    "Done deal, cousin. Just don¡¯t forget, you are also worth a few hundred million, so don¡¯t lose face when it¡¯s time."


    Li Yifei patted the steering wheel, "No problem, as long as I don¡¯t actually have to spend money, or I¡¯ll give us away."


    "Here, this will keep you from giving us away." Su Mengxin pulled out a golden bank card and shared the password.


    Li Yifei took it without demur, "Are there any limits?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, the limit is ten million; just don¡¯t go over ten million in a single transaction, and you¡¯ll be fine."


    "You¡¯re quite generous, but with your status, ten million is indeed a mere trifle."


    "I¡¯m not hiring you, just asking for your help to make a good impression."


    Li Yifei was pleased with her words. He had only one previous encounter with Su Mengxin, when he protected her during her escape back to Huaxia from abroad, and really knew nothing about Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman. In his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but see Su Mengxin as a rather proud person. Yet, during this period of interaction, he found Su Mengxin to be a very humble woman who knew how to care for a man¡¯s dignity. This alone put her far ahead of eighty percent of women.

 Chapter 109 Host

    Chapter 109: Chapter 109 HostOn the ride, Li Yifei learned about the role he was now supposed to play, that of a wealthy bachelor with a considerable family fortune, who had remained unmarried to date. Previously not wanting to take over the family business, he had been idling away in Mile City. Now that Su Mengxin had started a business here, he could only come over to help.


    This also provided Li Yifei with a plausible explanation for his presence in Mile City. Even if some of the city¡¯s heavyweights recognized Su Mengxin and saw her with Li Yifei, it would all make sense. Clearly, Su Mengxin had thought everything through.


    At that moment, however, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but give Su Mengxin a look and said, "I feel like you¡¯ve roped me into your scheme."


    Su Mengxin giggled and replied, "Who else can I trust in Mile City but you? If you don¡¯t help me, who will?"


    "My heavens, if others knew that Su Mengxin could be so willful, I wonder how many glasses would shatter."


    "I¡¯m a girl, right? Being willful is in our nature, isn¡¯ it? Do you have a problem with that?"


    "No objections, no objections at all!" Li Yifei burst into laughter as well. This version of Su Mengxin was more genuine and allowed him to relax completely.


    As for Li Yifei, playing the part of a rich man¡¯s son was stress-free, which Su Mengxin was clearly aware of, so she didn¡¯t elaborate further on the matter.


    At seven o¡¯clock, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin arrived at the very famous Yiyun Clubhouse in Mile City. The club operated on a membership system, and without a membership card, one could not enter unless accompanied by a member.


    The annual membership fee for the card was half a million, and that was just the membership fee. Spending money there was also extremely expensive, and ordinary wealthy people couldn¡¯t afford it.


    Yet such exclusivity made the place all the more desirable, as it symbolized status and demonstrated strength, which is why the clubhouse did remarkably well in business.


    Su Mengxin had a membership card, and after showing it at the entrance, the two entered the club. Li Yifei scanned the surroundings, noting that while the clubhouse was first-class in Mile City, it was nothing compared to those in Capital City, where he often visited similar establishments, not for leisure but for work.


    He was also checking for exits and room layouts, as coming out with Su Mengxin meant he had to ensure her safety. Should anything unexpected occur, he needed to be able to get her out in the shortest time possible.


    Su Mengxin led Li Yifei to the manager¡¯s office, where a woman in her thirties named Zhao Jing, keen and efficient, greeted them warmly.


    After seating themselves, Su Mengxin said, "Manager Zhao, this is my cousin, Li Yifei. He¡¯s been living a low-profile life in Mile City. I had to beg him to help me with my business here. He will be frequenting places like this from now on, so could you please make him a membership card as well?"


    Zhao Jing glanced at Li Yifei again, clearly surprised to find such a person in Mile City, but she maintained her composure and responded warmly, "Miss Su¡¯s cousin is a big deal indeed. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t know this before; I¡¯m terribly sorry. I¡¯ll arrange for it right away. Miss Su, please go ahead with your business, and I¡¯ll personally deliver Mr. Li¡¯s membership card to him shortly."


    Having exchanged a few words with Zhao Jing, the two then proceeded to a private room on the fifth floor. The room was sixty square meters, with a dining table that wasn¡¯t large, seating only eight people and adorned with silver utensils, the epitome of luxury.


    Additionally, the room included a ring of sofas, a bed, and a spacious bathroom with a large bathtub. Here, one could not only dine but also rest, and even hold a small cocktail party in the middle of the space with plenty of room to spare.


    Sitting on the sofa, Li Yifei said with a chuckle, "The life of the rich really is different. With two beautiful women here for dinner, anything could happen."


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Wait until the two celebrities arrive. If you want to take advantage of them, I think they¡¯d be willing."


    "Heh, better not. What would I do if they got clingy afterward? I couldn¡¯t afford to keep them; that would just be asking for trouble."


    Su Mengxin laughed softly and said, "No worries, I¡¯d take care of that for you."


    Of course, Li Yifei didn¡¯t take Su Mengxin¡¯s words seriously and responded with a grin, "And what would that make me? You¡¯re going to keep me, and then I go keep someone else?"


    Giggling, Su Mengxin replied, "Someone like you, I wouldn¡¯t dare keep. Wouldn¡¯t that be disrespectful to you?"


    Miss Su Mengxin¡¯s way of speaking is just so comforting. Li Yifei understood that although he was once the second in command in the Flying Hawk Squad with considerable authority, his status still paled in comparison to someone like Su Mengxin. Nevertheless, she treated him with utmost respect, which showed how adept she was at managing people. Anyone who worked under her would likely end up utterly loyal.


    They hadn¡¯t exchanged many words when there was a knock at the door. Su Mengxin said, "Please come in," and two fashionably dressed, tall and beautiful women entered.


    Su Mengxin and Li Yifei both stood up as the two women approached them quickly with smiling faces, saying, "Hello, Boss Su!" When they looked at Li Yifei, they seemed unsure of how to greet him.


    With a slight smile, Su Mengxin said, "This is my cousin, Li Yifei. Cousin, this is Li Xinyue, and this is Song Lianyao. They¡¯re both famous hosts from our Mile City television station."


    For most people, being a television host is quite prestigious, although there is a distinction between local, provincial, and central stations. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were just local station hosts, famous only within Mile City. Typically they would attend some city events, and usually just for average enterprises. After all, the major conglomerates and big businesses would go directly for celebrities, not for the likes of them. For these two, there wasn¡¯t much room for development left in Mile City.


    This time, when Su Mengxin reached out to them, they couldn¡¯t be more eager. She didn¡¯t use the name of her conglomerate, but even an investment as big as five hundred million was enough to command respect. And as Li Yifei was Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, it was clear he must also be Rich Second Generation.


    Knowing that the one who had contacted them was a beautiful woman like Su Mengxin made Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao a bit nervous because their beauty was of no effect in front of her. But seeing that there was also a man like Li Yifei present, they became somewhat excited inside. For all men, their beauty would certainly be an asset.


    However, compared to Su Mengxin, the confidence they derived from their looks disappeared completely; Su Mengxin was just too beautiful. Next to her, they felt like ugly ducklings, which made them somewhat uneasy in front of her and Li Yifei.


    "Hello, Mr. Li!" Both women shook hands with Li Yifei, then took their seats on a sofa to the side, all prim and proper.


    Sitting together, Su Mengxin nudged Li Yifei with her elbow and asked, "Cousin, you¡¯re not going to tell me that you¡¯re unfamiliar with our two famous hosts, are you?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You actually got it right. I hardly ever watch TV. But I must say, both hostesses are indeed charismatic. If I had known you earlier, I¡¯d have become your fan already."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both let out a light laugh. Li Xinyue said, "Mr. Li, please don¡¯t tease us. For someone like you, a simple wave of your hand would attract countless celebrities, let alone being our fan."


    Song Lianyao added, "If only we knew Mr. Li was in Mile City earlier, we would have come to curry favor with you by now."


    Being hosts, their greatest asset was naturally their eloquence. They were a little uneasy at first, but seeing that neither Li Yifei nor Su Mengxin was particularly arrogant, they quickly relaxed and began to play to their strengths¡ªbeing humorous and witty, which made the atmosphere increasingly congenial.


    Truthfully, both of them also wanted to tempt Li Yifei. If he took a liking to either of them, marrying into his wealthy family would be the ideal outcome. But even if marriage was not an option, getting his attention and support would mean they could achieve a lot more with less effort, whether for advancing in their current circle or other ventures. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having been in this industry, they were no longer naive; they had been assimilated by society.


    After chatting for a while and the dishes were served, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao frequently toasted Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, with Li Yifei being their main focus.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t interrupt; she just watched Li Yifei quietly. She was curious to see how this man would react and cope when faced with a situation like this.


    Although Su Mengxin¡¯s first true feelings were stirred because Li Yifei had saved her, she was a very rational woman. The most important thing for her was to see if Li Yifei truly suited her, if he met her standards in other aspects too. In a way, these two television hosts were her way of testing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, of course, had no idea of Su Mengxin¡¯s thoughts. To be able to dine and chat with such beautiful women was a pleasure, and from their words, he could tell they were eager to please him.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind such women; if it was just a matter of having a casual fling, he wouldn¡¯t object. However, he had no such intention at the present, seeing as these two obviously had ulterior motives, which clashed with his principles. He preferred relationships free from future obligations, seeking only mutual happiness.


    If he really got involved with the two hostesses, they would surely expect to gain from him later. And he didn¡¯t have much to offer them at the moment. Besides, it wasn¡¯t something Li Yifei would do. Despite the lively conversation, he remained polite and didn¡¯t show any lecherous behavior.


    This greatly pleased Su Mengxin.

 Chapter 110 Classmate’s Wedding

    Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Classmate¡¯s WeddingAt that moment, Zhao Jing, the manager, came over to toast, and then handed a membership card to Li Yifei with both hands. This made both Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao quite envious. They really wanted to own such a membership card, but with their capabilities, acquiring one was simply impossible.


    "As for the promotions of our company, we¡¯re counting on the two of you." The meal was nearly finished when Su Mengxin brought up official business.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao hurriedly agreed in unison. The remuneration Su Mengxin offered them was very generous, and more importantly, the chance to establish a friendship with such a high-level executive was what they truly valued.


    After dinner, they all sang songs in the private room. Su Mengxin outright said she didn¡¯t know how to sing and sat on the side to watch, while Li Yifei enjoyed singing with the two beautiful hosts. They also flirted with Li Yifei from time to time.


    Li Yifei, for his part, was not one to refuse such advances. Easy favors that came knocking on his door were not to be wasted¡ªas long as he didn¡¯t end up taking them to bed, it was fine.


    It wasn¡¯t until after eleven that the four of them left. Before leaving, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both made sure to get Li Yifei¡¯s number and also saved their numbers in his phone.


    However, they were both somewhat surprised at Li Yifei¡¯s several-hundred-yuan phone, not thinking any less of his identity because Su Mengxin had already mentioned that Li Yifei had been living a low-profile life in Mile City for a few years. Moreover, when it came time to settle the bill, Li Yifei had paid with a card, and the meal had cost over ten thousand. No ordinary person could afford such an expense.


    Sitting in the car on the way back, Su Mengxin said with a teasing smile, "I see those two beautiful hosts seem quite taken with you. Just a wave from you, and they¡¯d be willing to go out and book a room with you."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, rolled down the car window¡ªApril¡¯s weather was warm enough not to be cold with the window open. After taking a puff, he replied with a faint smile, "Women like them, they don¡¯t interest me much. I can¡¯t offer them anything."


    Turning to face Li Yifei, Su Mengxin, who usually didn¡¯t like men smoking, found something very manly about the way he smoked. He was smoking the Special Tribute cigarettes she had provided, which made her feel quite satisfied. She said with a smile, "All they want is fame and fortune. If you wanted to, I don¡¯t think it would be a problem."


    "No need for that. I wouldn¡¯t waste so much effort just to sleep with some woman unless, one day, I truly fall in love with someone."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said, "I didn¡¯t expect you to be so traditional when it comes to relationships."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Relationships are for a lifetime, not something to play with casually. Besides, I can¡¯t afford to play either."


    Su Mengxin remained silent, a faint smile on her face, glancing at him now and then. Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t turn his head, he could feel her gaze, and he found it somewhat chilly.


    "Could it be that she¡¯s fallen for me?" The thought had just arisen in Li Yifei¡¯s mind when he dismissed it. Even if he was narcissistic, he wouldn¡¯t believe that a woman like Su Mengxin could fall for him. It was more probable that she wanted to use him.


    Upon returning to the residential complex, Su Mengxin went straight to her own home without saying much to Li Yifei.


    The weekend arrived quickly, and Li Yifei was to attend his high school classmate Tao Yizhong¡¯s wedding. The wedding was set for Saturday morning at nine o¡¯clock, and Tao Yizhong had called Li Yifei on Thursday, asking him to come over on Friday evening. Most classmates would be gathering then, and Li Yifei readily agreed.


    On Friday evening, Li Yifei took a taxi straight to a mid-range restaurant. Tonight was for everyone to meet at the restaurant first, have a meal together, and then arrangements would be made for their accommodation. It was an opportunity for everyone to catch up and have a good time.


    Having not seen these old classmates for so many years, Li Yifei was quite eager to attend such a gathering. Moreover, there was someone who haunted his dreams who might also be there. Just the thought of her stirred indescribable feelings in his heart. He knew he hadn¡¯t been able to forget her after all these years, yet he was somewhat afraid to face her.


    Li Yifei also knew that his reluctance to accept the feelings of any woman was because of her.


    When Li Yifei arrived at the restaurant, it was almost six o¡¯clock, and nearly everyone was already there. However, no one seemed to recognize him until Su Peng introduced him to the group, and then they realized he was their classmate.


    In high school, Li Yifei had not stood out, with average academic achievements, plus the experiences he had gone through over the years had made him appear a bit more mature than his actual age. His whole demeanor had changed dramatically, so it was understandable that no one recognized him. Su Peng was able to recognize him because he had been Li Yifei¡¯s desk mate in high school and had a particularly deep impression of him. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Li Yifei, why did you come so late?" Su Peng slapped Li Yifei on the shoulder and motioned for him to sit next to him.


    They were in a small hall with four tables, most of which were full. Li Yifei glanced around and didn¡¯t see the one who haunted his dreams, feeling both disappointed and relieved. He really didn¡¯t know how to face her; she was the only woman who could make him feel this way.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I couldn¡¯t help it; the boss had things to do, so I had to wait for her."


    "Li Yifei, hanging out with the boss all the time, looks like you¡¯re doing pretty well," a female classmate immediately teased him with a wink.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t quite remember that classmate¡¯s name, but he managed a smile anyway and said, "I¡¯m not doing that well. I¡¯m just a driver for the boss, nothing more."


    Everyone¡¯s expression shifted slightly, some with disdain, others indifferent. That was the reality¡ªeven at a class reunion, a capable person would always be sought after, while those without abilities could do nothing but watch from the sidelines.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind this sort of thing and settled down to watch everyone engage in spirited discussions with interest. Among the classmates, some were doing quite well. Su Peng, for instance, worked in the town government, and a civil servant¡¯s job was quite enviable. And there were two who had started businesses with their fathers¡¯ support, receiving everyone¡¯s compliments.


    However, the majority of the classmates were just average, either employed by some company or running a small business. They inquired about each other¡¯s incomes and job natures without any hesitation.


    As someone who earned three thousand a month, Li Yifei was considered average among his classmates, neither standing out nor undervalued, not the center of attention but not looked down upon either.


    While chatting, Li Yifei¡¯s phone began to ring, displaying the name Li Xinyue. He casually answered it.


    "Young Master Li, it¡¯s Li Xinyue." Li Xinyue¡¯s voice sounded pleasant, befitting a famous host.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I can tell. What¡¯s the matter, Miss Li?"


    Li Xinyue giggled lightly and asked, "Do you have time tonight, Young Master Li?"


    As soon as he heard Li Xinyue¡¯s words, Li Yifei understood what she meant and laughed, "Sorry, I¡¯m attending a friend¡¯s wedding tonight, so I won¡¯t be available."


    "No worries. Let¡¯s hang out another time then. Oh, do you need us to come and support the event?" In Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes, a person like Li Yifei would definitely have upper-class friends, and attending would be a good opportunity for her.


    "Thanks for your kind offer, Miss Li, but we¡¯re just getting together for a meal."


    "Then I won¡¯t bother you anymore, Young Master Li. If you have time, don¡¯t forget to look for me. Lianyao and I will definitely be at your call."


    Listening to Li Xinyue¡¯s seductive voice stirred something within Li Yifei. He couldn¡¯t miss the implication in her words¡ªLi Xinyue probably worried one person wouldn¡¯t pique his interest, so she suggested both would come. If he really went for it, no doubt it would be quite thrilling.


    But if they were just ordinary people, Li Yifei might have considered it, but since both sought something from him and he was not a real Young Master, he decided not to entertain any notions.


    Besides, in this setting, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in the mood. Looking at his classmates, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of one person. Other women, no matter how beautiful, couldn¡¯t spark his interest, not even Mengxin, Huaxia¡¯s top beauty.


    After turning down Li Xinyue¡¯s invitation, Li Yifei put away his phone. Su Peng leaned over and asked, "Your girlfriend?"


    Li Yifei responded cheerfully, "No, just a friend of mine."


    "What kind of friend is that? That voice sounded really nice; she must be pretty too, right? Li Yifei, you¡¯ve got to make your move." The girl on Li Yifei¡¯s other side, Qian Feifei, was lively and although not exceptionally beautiful, she had become quite the attraction in class after learning how to dress up. She joked with Li Yifei, giggling.


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "Cut it out. She¡¯s a TV host; I can¡¯t possibly reach her level."


    "A TV host? Who is it?" Qian Feifei immediately asked curiously.


    "Li Xinyue," Li Yifei said truthfully.


    "Li Xinyue?" Qian Feifei¡¯s eyes widened, and then she burst into exaggerated laughter, slapping Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder forcefully as she said, "Li Yifei, you¡¯re hilarious! Li Xinyue is the most famous host in Mile City, and you claim she called you? I even heard you declining her invitation. Do you think you are some kind of rich Young Master?"


    The other classmates joined in with laughter. Someone chimed in, "Li Yifei, you¡¯ve really become quite the comedian. Who do you think Li Xinyue is?"


    "Exactly, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao are the twin stars of Mile City¡¯s TV station, with countless fans. Those who pursue them are all wealthy Young Masters, not someone like us. We shouldn¡¯t even dream about it."


    "Li Yifei, you¡¯ve got to draft your tall tales better. If you were some big shot now, we might believe such boasts, but you¡¯re just a low-level employee. How can we believe something like that?" An unharmonious voice rang out, drawing everyone¡¯s gaze toward the speaker.


    They were all classmates, and joking around was one thing, but such remarks were obviously offensive, especially with the underlying disdain for Li Yifei. Anyone would feel uncomfortable listening to that.

 Chapter 111 Clouds Clear and Breeze Light

    Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Clouds Clear and Breeze LightCao Yingbo was already a rather flamboyant person in high school, his father being the Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Bureau in Mile City¡¯s Minghu District.


    Over the years, environmental protection has become increasingly valued by people, and the power of the Environmental Protection Bureau has grown. When Cao Yingbo¡¯s father was just a minor section chief, he was already impressive, but now as a Deputy Director with significant authority, his father even arranged a civil servant position for him at the District Transportation Bureau after graduation.


    Having become a civil servant and having such a powerful father, Cao Yingbo always considered himself to be rather important in his circle of classmates; he didn¡¯t claim to be the top one, but he certainly ranked among the top few. He generally looked down on others, and while he could be a bit more modest toward those classmates who were doing well, he was completely unapologetic when talking to someone like Li Yifei, a low-level employee.


    Su Peng hurried to smooth things over, saying, "Li Yifei, Yingbo is just joking with you."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and responded, "It¡¯s nothing."


    Back in high school, Li Yifei had some conflicts with Cao Yingbo, but after so many years, Li Yifei hardly took it seriously anymore. However, Cao Yingbo obviously still held a grudge. Even now, Cao Yingbo seemed like a nonentity to Li Yifei, so even if Cao Yingbo was mean with his words, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered to mind.


    Yet, Li Yifei had not expected Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao to hold such high status in everyone¡¯s mind. He had met many great stars and artists and didn¡¯t really think much of these two hosts from the city-level TV station.


    Having insulted Li Yifei and seeing that he got no retort, Cao Yingbo felt incredibly self-important. Although he didn¡¯t continue with his mean words, he still spoke with the tone of a leader lecturing an employee, "I say, Li Yifei, although you might not like what I said just now, we¡¯re all old classmates, and I¡¯m just telling it like it is. We¡¯re not kids anymore and need to be responsible for what we say. How can you achieve great things if you brag without substance?"


    Li Yifei found it amusing and replied, "Leader Cao¡¯s lesson is taken. I will stop bragging."


    Cao Yingbo felt even prouder and smiled, "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Since you¡¯re so receptive, if you ever run into any trouble, you can come to me. I will surely help you solve it."


    Li Yifei played along with his words, "That would be great. You must stick to your word, Leader Cao." Li Yifei didn¡¯t see any need to argue with such a petty person.


    Without encountering any confrontation from Li Yifei, others quickly stepped in to smooth things over, and Cao Yingbo, who had gained some face, started chatting with a few people he liked.


    After a few casual conversations, the topic naturally drifted back to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Most of them were around twenty-five or twenty-six, and over eighty percent weren¡¯t married yet. Having been working for only two or three years, many still held onto the star-chasing passion of their student days.


    Though big stars were also a hot topic, they were too distant, while Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were locals, their programs quite popular, and their actual presence occasionally seen. This made everyone feel more affinity for them, so their discussion was enthusiastic.


    Cao Yingbo then asked smugly, "Do you guys know how much Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s appearance fees are now?"


    "How much?" Qian Feifei immediately asked out of curiosity.


    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze filled with a gossipy eagerness, Cao Yingbo was all the more proud as he said, "While their fees aren¡¯t as high as those of the big celebrities, they¡¯re not low in Mile City either. A while ago, a rich relative of mine wanted to hire them for a wedding, and they flat out refused."


    Someone immediately chimed in to ask, "Why? Wasn¡¯t the offer good enough?"


    Cao Yingbo flicked his hair and said, "No, it¡¯s not about the money. They don¡¯t just take any job willy-nilly. Even with a lot of money, ordinary people couldn¡¯t get them, as it would lower their status. Only the rich and noble can afford to invite them, and that¡¯s what reflects their status. Besides, it¡¯s said their fees range from ten to twenty thousand per appearance."


    Qian Feifei added, "Ten to twenty thousand isn¡¯t that much, you know. Even regular wedding hosts charge a few hundred."


    Cao Yingbo lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring, saying, "What¡¯s the point of regular wedding hosts? If I could get Li Xinyue or Song Lianyao to host my wedding, that would really give face. You only get married once in a lifetime, and if you don¡¯t make it impressive, then what¡¯s the point? I¡¯ve already decided, when the time comes, I must get one of them to host my wedding."


    Because Su Peng had a good relationship with Li Yifei and didn¡¯t think much of Cao Yingbo, he interjected, "Didn¡¯t you say even your relative couldn¡¯t get them? What makes you think it will be different for your wedding?"


    Cao Yingbo smirked confidently, "My relative is my relative, not a close kin, just a distant one. My wedding will be different. Just let my dad ask someone, how could they refuse then?"


    Considering Cao Yingbo¡¯s father¡¯s official position, everyone seemed to believe him. The men were less impressed, while the women were full of envy. Women care more about weddings and have a stronger sense of vanity than men. Having a famous host for the wedding was naturally their dream.


    Qian Feifei was rather bold and said half-jokingly, "Look here, Cao Yingbo, since you have such capabilities, when I¡¯m getting married, can you get them to host my wedding?"


    Cao Yingbo shook his head and stated, "Feifei, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but this isn¡¯t something you can secure with money alone. The most important thing is status. If your husband has that kind of power, they might attend, but if you marry an ordinary person, no matter how much money you offer, they won¡¯t show up."


    Upon hearing this, everyone felt a bit uncomfortable. Cao Yingbo, from time to time, would talk about his family and his father as if no one else mattered but him.


    But, after all, he was quite influential, and no one could quite compare to him, so everyone simply changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on it anymore.


    Li Yifei did not interject. He truly hadn¡¯t expected that Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao held such high status in the eyes of ordinary people and had such a powerful aura about them. Yet, in Li Yifei¡¯s opinion, these two weren¡¯t that splendid. At least, in an effort to advance further, it was clear they were trying to please him, this fake Young Master, by selling their looks.


    At this moment, Su Peng leaned in and asked Li Yifei, "Yifei, do you have a girlfriend now?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Not yet."


    Lowering his voice, Su Peng asked, "You¡¯re not still hung up on Ye Yunzhu, are you?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched. The Ye Yunzhu Su Peng mentioned was Li Yifei¡¯s first love, and only Su Peng vaguely knew a bit about their relationship. "I haven¡¯t been in touch with her for a long time," he said.


    Patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, Su Peng said, "Let it go. Ye Yunzhu is no simple figure now. She¡¯s already the Township Chief."


    This was the first time in many years that Li Yifei had heard news of Ye Yunzhu. Unexpectedly, she had already become a Township Chief, indeed achieving great things.


    "Ye Yunzhu is currently attending the Party School, so she¡¯s tied up and won¡¯t be able to come this time. I have her phone number¡ªdo you want it?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and responded, "No, let the past be the past."


    Understanding, Su Peng nodded, "Right, you should move on. In a few years, she¡¯ll be a Deputy County Head, then a County Head and County Party Secretary. The gap is too big."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Yeah, us ordinary folks can¡¯t reach such high branches."


    Just then, the groom, Tao Yizhong, came over, loudly greeting everyone. They all offered their blessings. After exchanging a few words with everyone, Tao Yizhong had a special exchange with Li Yifei. He had the chance to meet with other classmates regularly, but he hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei for many years, so his presence at the wedding was a surprise and warranted extra conversation.


    Everyone ate and drank, and after the meal they went to sing and play cards, making a racket until midnight before settling into the hotel arranged by Tao Yizhong.


    Li Yifei shared a room with Su Peng. Lying in bed with the lights off, Su Peng said, "Yifei, today you really kept your cool. If it were me, I would have wanted to cuss out Cao Yingbo right there."


    Li Yifei laughed softly, lit a cigarette, and remarked, "It¡¯s no big deal. What¡¯s the use of making a fuss? Besides, it¡¯s Yizhong¡¯s wedding. If I started arguing with him, it would have made things difficult for Yizhong."


    "That makes sense. You¡¯ve really changed a lot, you know. I remember back in school, you were nowhere near this patient."


    "People change. After slugging it out in society for so many years, you can¡¯t stay as carefree as you were when you were young."


    Lighting a cigarette himself, Su Peng cursed, "Society is a big dye vat; even the best people can get tainted. I know that since I became a civil servant, I often look down on others. To be honest, when I first saw you and knew you were just a low-level employee, I looked down on you too. But seeing Cao Yingbo¡¯s behavior today was a wakeup call¡ªthat kind of attitude is just too ugly." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I didn¡¯t feel you were looking down on me. We¡¯re still good classmates, aren¡¯t we?"


    Su Peng chuckled as well. After a moment of silence, he added, "Yifei, in our class, the one who has really made it big is Ye Yunzhu. We are just civil servants. It¡¯ll take us years to climb the ladder, but she¡¯s already a Township Chief. Her future is boundless."

 Chapter 112: Trouble Caused by a Box of Cigarettes

    Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Trouble Caused by a Box of CigarettesLi Yifei remained silent, and Su Peng continued, "Although her background is powerful, with her father being the vice mayor, her personal capabilities are beyond reproach. We all truly admire her. Cao Yingbo¡¯s connections are nothing compared to hers; they¡¯re simply incomparable. But Ye Yunzhu isn¡¯t like Cao Yingbo. If she could come today, she would definitely blend in with everyone."


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts had drifted back to his high school days. Back then, Ye Yunzhu was the class president, not only excelling in her studies and being beautiful but also being incredibly warm-hearted. She never gave up on him, the underachiever. If he wanted to skip class and sneak out, he had to get past Ye Yunzhu first.


    Thinking about how he used to try all means to skip class, with Ye Yunzhu watching him like a hawk, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel an immense warmth. A smile of indulgence involuntarily spread across his face.


    "Hey, are you even listening to me?" Su Peng called out at this point.


    Only then was Li Yifei¡¯s mind pulled back to reality. He asked, "What did you say?"


    Shaking his head, Su Peng said, "You know, I really think you should see Ye Yunzhu. Some things can only be resolved by facing them."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "No need. The past is the past. I¡¯ve long since stopped dwelling on it." But he knew in his heart that he couldn¡¯t stop dwelling on it. Had it not been for thinking about Ye Yunzhu, he wouldn¡¯t be so averse to romance now.


    "Alright, enough talking. Let¡¯s get some sleep. We¡¯ve got to help Tao Yizhong tomorrow morning." Su Peng yawned. They had all drunk quite a bit when they went out earlier, and now the alcohol was taking its toll, making him feel sleepy.


    However, Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Scenes with Ye Yunzhu flickered through his mind like a movie. After all these years, he still remembered everything so clearly, even the smallest details.


    The gentleness in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s voice as she urged him to study hard, her anger when he skipped class, the joy that beamed from her when he made progress, and the wonderful sensation of holding her hand for the first time, along with the excitement and nervousness of their first kiss...


    Li Yifei usually tried his best not to think about these things, but today, he couldn¡¯t help but recall them completely and uncontrollably. It made him really want to see Ye Yunzhu, yet he didn¡¯t dare to face her. He didn¡¯t know how to confront Ye Yunzhu and feared that their beautiful memories might shatter upon meeting her.


    The next morning, everyone got up early, hastily washed up, and hurried to the wedding site to help Tao Yizhong with the preparations.


    The wedding was held in a hotel, and the banquet hall was tastefully decorated. All this was managed by a professional wedding planning company, so the classmates were left with minor tasks like moving things around.


    Around six o¡¯clock, Tao Yizhong went to pick up the bride. Everyone gathered in the hotel¡¯s lobby, waiting and chatting. Li Yifei, not standing out among his classmates, chatted casually with a few who had not been very successful in life.


    With nothing better to do, Li Yifei felt like smoking. Since Tao Yizhong had paid for everything when they hung out the day before, and now Tao Yizhong wasn¡¯t there, he handed out his cigarettes to the few classmates, one each. One of them, Li Haitao, looked at the cigarette Li Yifei passed over, then glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s cigarette pack curiously, and asked, "Li Yifei, what kind of cigarette is this?"


    The pack only had a picture of a Little Panda on it¡ªa brand not everyone could have the chance to try, not even wealthy people.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s not expensive; I just bought it casually while strolling over the overline bridge."


    Another classmate, Zhao Xiaobao, chuckled and suggested, "Looking at this pack, it seems like those Special Tribute cigarettes from the legends. I thought you found it somewhere special."


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "How could I get my hands on such good cigarettes? Just make do with these."


    Zhao Xiaobao took a few puffs and complimented, "These are nice cigarettes, taste really good. Do you have more? Give me two packs."


    Li Yifei passed the half-empty pack to Zhao Xiaobao and said, "This is all I have with me, but if you like it, it¡¯s yours."


    Although the cigarettes were high-quality and Li Yifei enjoyed smoking them, he wasn¡¯t the stingy type. It would be unkind to refuse a classmate¡¯s request, especially since such cigarettes are hard to come by for others, but for Su Mengxin, it was all too easy. Now that he was supposed to help her with some tasks, taking a few of her cigarettes didn¡¯t make Li Yifei uncomfortable.


    While the group was smoking, Cao Yingbo came over. He had been handing out cigarettes in another area and came by to offer them some, saying, "Come on, switch to a new brand."


    Everyone lit up at the sight of Cao Yingbo¡¯s cigarette pack. The red packaging and the People¡¯s Hero Monument logo¡ªit was soft Zhonghua, one of Huaxia¡¯s well-known cigarette brands, about sixty yuan a pack. Of course, there were more expensive brands, but when it came to brand recognition, Zhonghua was still the most prominent.


    Zhao Xiaobao took the cigarette Cao Yingbo handed over and immediately stuffed it into the cigarette case Li Yifei had just given him, laughing, "Cao Yingbo smokes Zhonghua now? That¡¯s a really good cigarette. I need to save it and smoke it later."


    Cao Yingbo immediately said proudly, "They¡¯re gifted to me, I just make do." But upon seeing Zhao Xiaobao¡¯s cigarette case, he was momentarily puzzled and asked, "What kind of cigarette is this?"


    Zhao Xiaobao replied cheerily, "Li Yifei gave it to me. I think it tastes quite good. You should try it. Having been used to Huaxia, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be used to this kind of off-brand cigarette."


    Of course, Cao Yingbo wouldn¡¯t think that the cigarette Li Yifei gave Zhao Xiaobao was any good, so he just laughed it off, saying, "You¡¯ve got it right. I can¡¯t smoke anything less than thirty yuan, I start coughing. You keep it for yourself."


    A few classmates couldn¡¯t help but look down on Cao Yingbo. In college, Cao Yingbo only smoked cigarettes around ten yuan each, and he never seemed to cough, but now that he¡¯s got a good job, he¡¯s started putting on airs right away.


    "Come on, give me one to try. The way you guys are smoking it, it seems pretty good," a middle-aged man in his forties walked over, asking for a cigarette to try.


    Cao Yingbo was very generous and took out a Huaxia to give to him, but the middle-aged man didn¡¯t accept it; instead, he said, "This isn¡¯t the taste of Huaxia, it¡¯s the kind you guys are smoking."


    Cao Yingbo furrowed his brows and said, "Hey, uncle, do you think that cigarette can be better than the soft Huaxia?"


    The uncle chuckled and said, "I¡¯m a veteran smoker. I don¡¯t smoke for the feel like you guys do. I can truly discern the quality of tobacco. This cigarette definitely smells like it¡¯s a higher grade than Huaxia."


    The uncle¡¯s words immediately sparked everyone¡¯s curiosity. Among the men, more than a dozen were smokers, and they all gathered around. By this point, Cao Yingbo had already snatched Zhao Xiaobao¡¯s cigarette case to examine it, flipping it over and inspecting it before saying, "This brandless cigarette that doesn¡¯t even list a manufacturer, and you¡¯re saying it¡¯s good?"


    The uncle nodded and said, "The quality of a cigarette is not about the brand or how much money you spend. You all should know that cigarettes are made from tobacco leaves. Apart from the curing process of the leaves, the selection is the most important. Sometimes, the climate in an area isn¡¯t good, so the tobacco leaves are of poor quality. Other times, even if the quality of the tobacco leaves isn¡¯t normally great, if the climate in a particular year is exceptional, it can produce some pretty good leaves. Some cigarette factories take these exceptional leaves to make special cigarettes reserved for internal use." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cao Yingbo took out a cigarette from the box and asked, "Are you saying this cigarette is a good one?"


    The uncle took one, glanced at the pattern on it, and his eyes lit up. He then brought the cigarette to his nose, closed his eyes, and took a couple of gentle sniffs. He turned the cigarette around to look at the tobacco inside, his lips twitching a few times before directly saying to Zhao Xiaobao, "Young man, do you have any more of these cigarettes? Could you sell me a box?"


    "No... I don¡¯t have any more," Zhao Xiaobao stammered, clearly uncomfortable under the uncle¡¯s intense gaze, like a little lamb under the scrutiny of a starving wolf.


    "Then could you sell me half a box for a thousand yuan?"


    "What?" Zhao Xiaobao¡¯s eyes widened, as did those of the onlookers, all staring at the uncle as if he were crazy.


    The uncle, sensing his forwardness, gave an awkward smile and said, "Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize where the young man got his cigarettes, but I can definitely say these are specially made top-quality Little Pandas, definitely the kind that only the big leaders in Capital City can smoke. Here in Mile City, even the mayor or the Municipal Party Secretary definitely can¡¯t get these to smoke."


    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze on him, Zhao Xiaobao, like someone handling a hot potato, quickly shoved the cigarette case at Li Yifei, saying, "These are Li Yifei¡¯s cigarettes."


    All eyes then turned to Li Yifei, making him feel rather awkward. He didn¡¯t expect to meet someone in Mile City who knew his stuff, and this uncle was really sharp, deducing the quality of the cigarettes just by smell, a real super smoker, indeed.


    "Young man, would you sell me these cigarettes?" The uncle was looking intently at Li Yifei, anxious for an answer.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Look, uncle, you must be mistaken. I bought these cigarettes at the train station overline bridge. A pack only cost me fifty yuan. If you pay a thousand yuan for my box, wouldn¡¯t you be at a huge loss?"


    The uncle immediately shook his head with conviction, saying, "No, no, the cigarettes are definitely not fake, they must be the real thing."


    Cao Yingbo promptly suggested, "Maybe it¡¯s not a counterfeit but a lucky batch of good tobacco leaves, right?"


    This remark did help Li Yifei smooth things over, but the uncle shook his head again...

 Chapter 113: No One Believes the Truth

    Chapter 113: Chapter 113: No One Believes the Truth"Didn¡¯t I just say it, the tobacco leaves might have encountered a good batch, but the craftsmanship involved is also remarkably delicate, the process of making this tobacco is definitely top-notch," he said. "Just think about it, would those who counterfeit cigarettes ever go through such a complex process? Moreover, even if they wanted to, they don¡¯t have the technology. So I can confidently say that these cigarettes must have come from Capital City."


    The uncle spoke with such certainty that everyone couldn¡¯t help but believe him. Su Peng slapped Li Yifei on the shoulder and said, "Where did you get such good cigarettes and not give me a box, that¡¯s really not cool."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I really didn¡¯t know these cigarettes were so good. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have been so willing to smoke them casually. If I sold them, wouldn¡¯t I have made a lot of money?"


    At this point, the uncle was once again eyeing the half-pack in Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said, "How about you sell me those cigarettes?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯ve already smoked them, why would I sell them to you? Come on, everyone try them out and see what this legendary tobacco tastes like, because I sure can¡¯t tell."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei distributed the cigarettes to everyone, leaving two behind, which he handed directly to the uncle, saying, "Since you like them so much, Uncle, I¡¯ll give you the last two."


    The uncle¡¯s corners of his mouth twitched as he watched everyone smoke, an expression of extreme heartache on his face, as if what everyone was doing was a waste of good materials. He thanked Li Yifei several times before turning and leaving.


    And just like the uncle thought, none of them could really tell what was so good about these cigarettes. They seemed to be less harsh on the throat and even the ladies didn¡¯t mind the taste that much.


    "Li Yifei, did you really buy these from the overline bridge?" Zhao Xiaobao asked at this time.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "You can go check out the overline bridge yourselves; there¡¯s plenty of counterfeit cigarette sellers there."


    Some believed him, some didn¡¯t, but at that moment, Tao Yizhong¡¯s father hurried over and said, "Can you see if you can contact a wedding host right away?"


    Cigarettes were a trivial matter, but Tao Yizhong¡¯s wedding was the main event. Everyone immediately gathered around, with Cao Yibo asking first, "Uncle Tao, what happened?"


    Tao Yizhong¡¯s father said with a distressed look on his face, "Alas, the wedding host had an accident and can¡¯t make it today."


    Qian Feifei immediately started to panic and exclaimed, "You can¡¯t be serious? How could this happen? Of all the times to have an accident, it had to be now."


    Tao Yizhong said anxiously, "The people from the wedding company are at a loss now too, they don¡¯t have any other hosts available. I was hoping you could help me find another wedding host somewhere else."


    A wedding host is extremely important to a wedding; if there isn¡¯t a good host, the whole ceremony will lose much of its luster. With the host encountering an accident at the last minute, it is quite a headache. Inviting another host at this time is not going to be easy.


    Many aspects of the wedding were the responsibility of the classmates, like finding the wedding host, which Wang Tao had taken care of. He immediately called to inquire about the host¡¯s condition and found out that although the host wasn¡¯t seriously injured, there was a visible wound. His head had been split open, and he was currently getting stitches, making it impossible for him to make it here.


    "No worries, no worries, I¡¯ll handle it."


    Cao Yibo saw this as an opportunity to improve his status among his classmates and confidently took on the responsibility.


    Wang Tao quickly said, "Yibo, you¡¯re the one with the most connections here, please think of something."


    Cao Yibo pulled out his phone and boasted, "It¡¯s a piece of cake, just finding a host, right? I know lots of people at wedding planning companies, I can find another one right away."


    As he began making calls, however, with each phone call, his expression grew increasingly ugly. It wasn¡¯t that the others didn¡¯t want to help or that he wasn¡¯t influential enough, but today seemed to be a popular day for weddings, keeping all the hosts busy. Most wedding planning companies had their hands full, and all the hosts were already hosting other weddings. In Mile City, weddings are usually held at this time, and there was no chance of rescheduling.


    Watching everyone frantically busy yet unable to resolve the situation, Li Yifei felt he should lend a hand. But since he knew no one from any wedding companies, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t really contribute. However, a thought suddenly struck him, and he remembered Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Wasn¡¯t it said just yesterday that having either of them to host would be a prestigious affair? He stepped aside and dialed Li Xinyue¡¯s number.


    "Young Master Li, calling me so early." Li Xinyue¡¯s voice was tinged with surprise.


    "Sorry to disturb your rest, Miss Li, do you have any time available right now?" Li Yifei asked tentatively.


    Li Xinyue giggled and said, "Of course, when Young Master Li is looking for me, even if I¡¯m busy, I have to make time."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mince words and immediately said, "Then I¡¯d like to ask Miss Li for a favor."


    Li Xinyue had thought Li Yifei was asking her out, but listening to his tone, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. Yet, she was even more delighted. If she could be of help to Li Yifei, it meant he would owe her a favor, potentially more valuable than sleeping with him. She eagerly said, "Why the formality, Young Master Li? Just tell me what it is."


    "It¡¯s like this, my classmate is getting married, but the host had a car accident and can¡¯t come. We urgently need someone to fill in."


    "No problem, I¡¯m on my way, and by the way, I am bringing Lianyao with me. We¡¯ve always been partners, so our coordination will have a better effect."


    "Even better, then we¡¯ll be counting on you," Li Yifei quickly gave the address.


    "It¡¯s no big deal. The place you mentioned isn¡¯t too far from my home. I can get there in ten minutes. Will I make it in time?"


    "You¡¯ll make it. The official wedding ceremony isn¡¯t until after nine."


    "Great! Then I¡¯ll see you there."


    Li Yifei quickly added, "Wait, Miss Li, none of my classmates know about my identity, so please don¡¯t let it slip."


    "Giggle..." Li Xinyue suddenly laughed and said, "Young Master Li, you¡¯re quite entertaining. But it¡¯s rare to see a young master like you."


    "You¡¯re making me laugh."


    "Not at all, I admire you and don¡¯t have enough time to tell you why. I¡¯m still in bed, not dressed yet. I need to get up and get ready quickly."


    Her words, laced with a hint of allure, instantly conjured the image of her languishing in bed, sending a ripple through Li Yifei¡¯s heart. This woman, true to her profession as a host, had nearly seduced him with just a sentence.


    With a chuckle, Li Yifei said, "Then you better hurry up. I won¡¯t keep you any longer."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei approached his group of classmates who were anxiously chattering and brainstorming. Someone had already suggested finding someone eloquent among the classmates to host the wedding.


    Li Yifei coughed softly and announced, "Fellow classmates, I¡¯ve already found a host."


    Everyone immediately turned to Li Yifei, with Wang Tao the first to excitedly ask, "Li Yifei, really?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Of course it¡¯s true. The host will be here in half an hour."


    This immediately relieved everyone, although Cao Yibo felt somewhat uncomfortable. If Li Yifei had managed to arrange what he could not, it was like a slap in his face. He instantly said with a stern face, "Li Yifei, this is Tao Yizhong¡¯s lifetime event. You can¡¯t just casually find an insignificant host. If they don¡¯t do well, it would be a huge loss of face for Tao Yizhong."


    Qian Feifei also quickly added, "Right, this is not something to be vague about. Li Yifei, which wedding planning company did you find?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Not from a wedding planning company."


    "What? Not from a wedding planning company?" The classmates all cried out. Qian Feifei¡¯s mouth fired off like a machine gun, "Li Yifei, what kind of joke is this? This is a wedding host we¡¯re talking about. If they¡¯re not from a professional wedding company, how can they be good at it? And there¡¯s no time left for preparation. Can someone cobbled together at the last minute really do the job?"


    Li Yifei shrugged, "I think it should be alright?"


    Qian Feifei asked anxiously, "What do you mean, ¡¯should¡¯? It either ¡¯is¡¯ or ¡¯isn¡¯t¡¯. We¡¯re all trying to figure this out here. If the one you found isn¡¯t very good, then it really won¡¯t do."


    "Right, I¡¯ll keep looking. I refuse to believe we can¡¯t find a single wedding company that has a host," Cao Yibo said, unwilling to give up as he grabbed his phone.


    Li Yifei was forced to clear his throat and said, "I¡¯ve hired Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. I haven¡¯t seen them host any programs before, so I¡¯m not sure if they would have any problems?"


    All the people stared at Li Yifei with wide eyes and strange expressions on their faces. Qian Feifei suddenly slapped Li Yifei and scolded, "Are you even serious, Li Yifei? At a time like this, you¡¯re still in the mood to joke around when everyone is so anxious." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cao Yibo snorted, "Really don¡¯t know what¡¯s important. Making jokes at a time like this."


    Everyone else also gave Li Yifei disdainful looks, clearly feeling that it was inappropriate for him to be joking at this moment.


    Now Li Yifei was genuinely speechless and said with a wry smile, "Don¡¯t worry. I was indeed joking. I did get someone from a wedding planning company. They just finished a job, so they should be able to make it."


    "You really scared me. That¡¯s more like it." Qian Feifei rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, and the rest of the people gave Li Yifei a big roll of the eyes as well, obviously discontent with his jokes at such a time.


    Nevertheless, having settled the matter of the host, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though they still harbored doubts about the host¡¯s abilities. After all, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been in touch for many years and was now just a low-level employee; they weren¡¯t truly optimistic about his abilities.

 Chapter 114: The Host Arrives

    Chapter 114: Chapter 114: The Host ArrivesTao Yizhong¡¯s father didn¡¯t harbor as many doubts about Li Yifei. Seeing that Li Yifei had helped find the hosts, he immediately relaxed and said to everyone, "Come on, everyone still needs to help. We have tasks like handing out cigarettes and liquor, and then there¡¯s setting off fireworks. We¡¯re going to need your assistance."


    Following Tao Yizhong¡¯s father to a corner of the hall, everyone discussed their respective tasks, while Qian Feifei and two other girls ran outside the hotel to wait for the hosts.


    After waiting for over ten minutes, a red Mazda6 pulled up to the hotel entrance. The doors opened, and two tall women wearing large sunglasses stepped out of the car and walked shoulder to shoulder toward the hotel doors. Even with their faces mostly hidden by the sunglasses, anyone could tell they were beauties.


    These two were none other than Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Not seeing Li Yifei at the hotel entrance, Li Xinyue called him to say they had arrived. Li Yifei told them to wait a moment, saying he would come out shortly.


    Qian Feifei looked at the two beauties at the entrance, feeling they looked familiar. Her classmate nudged her gently and whispered, "Do those two look like Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao?"


    Qian Feifei¡¯s eyes lit up. As Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao looked in their direction, she finally recognized them as the most famous hosts in Mile City.


    "It really is them!" Qian Feifei exclaimed excitedly, and without thinking, she rushed over to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Upon reaching them, she didn¡¯t know what to do and stammered, "It¡¯s really you! I¡¯m a big fan of yours."


    In Mile City, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao indeed had some fans. Though not as swarmed by fans as those big-name stars wherever they went, being asked for autographs was common. The hosts just smiled faintly, with Song Lianyao saying, "Thank you for your support."


    Even more excited, Qian Feifei struggled to find a topic of conversation. She then remembered Li Yifei asking her to receive two hosts here. Seeing the two waiting, she suddenly connected the dots and asked, "You... you aren¡¯t here to host a wedding, are you?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both looked at Qian Feifei and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. It should be this place." Then Li Xinyue pointed toward the archway at the hotel entrance.


    Qian Feifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Though there were two celebrations at the hotel that day, only one, Tao Yizhong¡¯s wedding, had an archway because the other was just a housewarming.


    Meaning these two hosts were actually here for Tao Yizhong¡¯s wedding. Could it be that the two people Li Yifei mentioned he¡¯d invited to host were them?


    "Brother Li, you really are busy," Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao said, looking at Qian Feifei with surprise and delight. Qian Feifei quickly turned around and saw Li Yifei approaching.


    "I was just helping out a classmate and got held up. Sorry about that," Li Yifei greeted them with a cheerful smile.


    As Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao moved toward Li Yifei, Song Lianyao laughed and said, "Brother Li, you really do all kinds of work, don¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Of course, it¡¯s a classmate¡¯s wedding. How could I not help out?"


    "Brother Li is truly loyal," they said.


    After exchanging a few words, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao wanted also to leave Li Yifei with a good impression. Li Xinyue said to him, "Brother Li, it¡¯s getting late. The groom probably hasn¡¯t returned yet. We need to go meet his parents to get some information. Plus, after the groom brings back the bride, we¡¯ll need to have a chat with them to make the wedding hosting more interesting."


    "Sure!" Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then let Qian Feifei take you there. I¡¯ve still got things to finish up."


    "Alright, then you go ahead and get busy, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei turned and said to Qian Feifei, "Feifei, take the two hosts to find Yizhong¡¯s parents."


    But Qian Feifei stood motionless, as if rooted to the spot in shock, and the other two female classmates were just as dazed, unable to snap out of it.


    What was going on? In the eyes of his classmates, Li Yifei was not the most looked down upon, but he had always seemed so ordinary. Yet here were Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, the most famous hosts in Mile City, both calling him "Brother Li" intimately. And strong figures like Cao Yingbo couldn¡¯t even get them to host. The classmates simply couldn¡¯t accept this reality.


    "What are you dazing out for? Come on, we¡¯re short on time. Don¡¯t you want Yizhong¡¯s wedding to go well?" Li Yifei came over and patted Qian Feifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Qian Feifei shivered back to awareness, staring at Li Yifei and asked, "What did you say?"


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words. "I told you to take them to find Yizhong¡¯s parents. They need to understand something."


    Qian Feifei¡¯s eyes, already wide, now gleamed like two little bulbs as she excitedly said, "You mean... let me... take them?"


    Li Yifei was defeated by Qian Feifei¡¯s reaction. The allure of the two hosts was indeed great. All he could say was, "Yes, take them over there, quickly."


    Only then did an ecstatic Qian Feifei lead Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao toward one side of the hall. The other two female classmates finally came to their senses. One looked at Qian Feifei with envy, and then they both turned to Li Yifei, grabbed his arms¡ªone on each side¡ªand urgently asked, "Li Yifei, how do you know these two hosts?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and said, "I¡¯ll tell you when there¡¯s time. You should go help out Qian Feifei for now. I¡¯ve still got stuff to handle."


    Although the two female classmates were burning with curiosity, there was always a chance to ask Li Yifei later on, but once Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao left, they might never have the chance to see them again. So, they quickly followed after them.


    Li Yifei returned to help the others with some chores, and when no one had yet seen the hosts, Wang Tao became anxious and said to Li Yifei, "Li Yifei, have the hosts arrived yet?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "They¡¯ve arrived; Qian Feifei and the others are following them."


    Only then did everyone realize they hadn¡¯t seen Qian Feifei and the other two female classmates for a while now. Qian Feifei was the most active girl among them, and her absence was particularly noticeable. Cao Yingbo immediately said, "What host is so big-time that even Qian Feifei and the other two are following around?"


    Just as Li Yifei was about to answer, Qian Feifei and the other two classmates came running over, bursting with excitement. Cao Yingbo immediately repeated his earlier question.


    With a proud lift of her chin, Qian Feifei said, "That¡¯s a secret for now," and then she winked at Li Yifei.


    "You can¡¯t be serious. What¡¯s there to keep secret?" Su Peng looked at Qian Feifei with confusion.


    Qian Feifei giggled and said, "You¡¯ll find out in a moment anyway."


    That¡¯s when Zhao Xiaobao suddenly said, "Don¡¯t tell me you actually managed to invite Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao?" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before Qian Feifei and the others could react, Cao Yingbo scoffed and said, "Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If those two actually came, I¡¯d write my Cao surname upside down."


    Qian Feifei and the two classmates who had gone with her had odd expressions, as if they wanted to laugh but dared not to. Seeing their faces, Cao Yingbo suddenly felt that he might have spoken too soon. But then he shook his head; Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were no ordinary people. Even his own father couldn¡¯t easily invite them, let alone their fellow classmates. Li Yifei had mentioned inviting two hosts, but he hadn¡¯t specified that it was them. Besides, as a junior employee, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly afford such prestigious hosts.


    Then, the bridal cars arrived, and someone called them out to set off firecrackers in welcome, and the group of male classmates immediately ran out, putting aside the previous matter for the time being.


    In Mile City, there is a designated person to handle wedding affairs, so the hosts did not need to show up at this time. Watching Tao Yizhong with his bride in her immaculate white wedding dress, his face beaming with happiness, all the classmates started cheering loudly. Qian Feifei and the two other classmates showed signs of jealousy as they looked at Tao Yizhong¡¯s new wife.


    What a fortunate woman she was to have such big-name hosts like Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao preside over her wedding.


    Catching sight of Li Yifei, who was watching the commotion, Qian Feifei sidled up to him and whispered, "Li Yifei, can you help me invite them to host my wedding when I get married?"


    Li Yifei found himself in a difficult position to refuse, but whether he could invite them again was another matter. He replied, "I can¡¯t be sure, but I¡¯ll try my best. We¡¯re old classmates after all. If I can help, I definitely will."


    Qian Feifei rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don¡¯t give me that. You managed it for Tao Yizhong, so you¡¯d better make it happen for me, or I won¡¯t let it slide."


    Li Yifei could only laugh and nod in agreement, but quickly added, "I can only promise you, this favor is quite substantial. Don¡¯t go spreading the word, or else everyone will come to me, and I really can¡¯t guarantee if the hosts will be available."


    Qian Feifei chuckled and said, "Fine, as long as you help me, that¡¯s all that matters. I don¡¯t care about the others."


    At that moment, Tao Yizhong and his bride arrived at their prepared room. They needed to change clothes and prepare for their entrance among other things. Just after they entered, there was a knock at the door.


    Tao Yizhong hurried to open it and saw two stylishly dressed beauties. They looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen them and thought they might be relatives. He welcomed them politely, "Hello."


    "Greetings, groom. We¡¯re here to host your wedding today, and we need to have a chat with you both about your love story," they announced.


    Tao Yizhong quickly responded, slightly confused. He had met the original host the night before, along with his wife, and wondered why the host had changed today.


    He invited the two women into the room and as he closed the door, Tao Yizhong suddenly realized who they were and stood there, dumbfounded. Meanwhile, his wife Ruan Xiaoling¡¯s lips trembled with excitement as she stuttered, "Li Xinyue, Song Lianyao... is it really you?"


    Li Xinyue replied with a bright smile, "Yes, it¡¯s us. We¡¯re here to host your wedding today. We hope you¡¯ll be satisfied."


    "Satisfied! More than satisfied!" Ruan Xiaoling nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Tao Yizhong, being a man, quickly stood beside her to support her.


    Clutching Tao Yizhong¡¯s arm, Ruan Xiaoling was so overwhelmed with joy she was nearly faint, and she choked out, "Yizhong, you¡¯re so good to me."


    Still not fully understanding what was happening, Tao Yizhong cautiously addressed Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, "Ladies, I¡¯m a bit perplexed, I..."


    Song Lianyao cut him off, smiling, "As long as you know we¡¯re your hosts, that¡¯s fine. We have some questions that need your answers. Make sure to cooperate well with us, otherwise, any flaws in the wedding ceremony will be your loss."


    Tao Yizhong and Ruan Xiaoling took a few deep breaths to calm their nerves. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were skilled in their conversation, quickly stabilizing the couple¡¯s emotions. However, Ruan Xiaoling held Tao Yizhong¡¯s hand tight throughout, overcome by the wonderful surprise¡ªa wedding hosted by the two celebrities was an incredible boon for any woman.

 Chapter 115: The Host’s Glory

    Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Host¡¯s GloryQian Feifei hadn¡¯t yet mentioned that the hosts were Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, but one of the female classmates couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and blurted out the news.


    The revelation practically exploded like a bombshell, yet everyone still found it hard to believe it was true, especially Cao Yingbo, who expressed his disbelief, "That¡¯s impossible, how could they possibly come to host Yizhong¡¯s wedding? I don¡¯t mean to look down on Yizhong, but it¡¯s just a fact."


    The female student immediately pointed to Li Yifei and said, "Yifei invited them, if you don¡¯t believe it, just ask him."


    It was only then that everyone remembered that these two presenters were indeed brought in by Li Yifei, and when they looked at him, their eyes were filled with amazement.


    Li Yifei, somewhat helplessly, could only smile and say, "Yes, I did invite Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, but I really don¡¯t have such clout. It was our company¡¯s boss who helped me out."


    This statement made everyone believe it somewhat more. With Li Yifei¡¯s status as a driver, how could he possibly have the sway to invite Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao? But if it were Li Yifei¡¯s boss, then perhaps, it really could be true.


    "Tell me, Yifei, you¡¯ve got some serious influence yourself. Your boss went to such lengths for you?" Su Yue said with a chuckle, patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Qian Feifei, tilting her head and looking at Li Yifei, teased cheerily, "Tell me, Li Yifei, how did you manage such a feat? Which company do you work for? It must be very powerful."


    Being the center of everyone¡¯s attention felt pretty good, and although Li Yifei wasn¡¯t as vain as a child, after all, having the opportunity to help a classmate left him in a good mood. He laughed and said, "Huayang Company, just a small company."


    However, Cao Yibo wasn¡¯t ready to give up, pressing on, "Li Yifei, this doesn¡¯t sound very plausible, we¡¯re talking about Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Even with money, it¡¯s not possible to just invite them. And I know about your company too; I doubt even your boss has that much influence, right?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "That I¡¯m not sure about. I certainly don¡¯t have that much influence myself. All I did was ask our boss, and who she turns to is beyond me."


    Everyone harbored similar doubts; a driver, although closely related to the boss, likely wouldn¡¯t have enough pull for this, and for Li Yifei¡¯s boss to go out of her way to invite Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao seemed even more far-fetched. If Li Yifei himself were getting married, it might seem a bit more plausible, but for him to arrange this for someone else made even less sense.


    Most people didn¡¯t know much about Huayang Company, but Cao Yingbo had heard a bit and said to Li Yifei, "Huayang isn¡¯t that big of a company either, its assets are probably not even over a billion. Is your boss a beautiful woman?"


    Li Yifei nodded and admitted, "Yes, she indeed is a beauty."


    Just then, everyone looked at Li Yifei with insinuating smiles, and Qian Feifei bumped him with her shoulder, teasing, "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got a thing going with your beautiful boss. Otherwise, why would she help you out so much?"


    "Come on, do you really think that¡¯s possible?" Li Yifei rolled his eyes in exasperation.


    A beautiful CEO, a driver devoted to the CEO, and this CEO being so obliging to her driver, going to great lengths to bring in two popular presenters¡ªit was absolutely gossip-worthy, and everyone teased Li Yifei relentlessly.


    Li Yifei was trying to cope with the teasing from his classmates, a mix of laughter and helplessness. If Xu Yingying were here, who knows how angry she would get.


    Because he had managed to bring Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao as the beautiful presenters, Li Yifei¡¯s status among his classmates soared, and everyone expressed their wishes that he would invite these two beauties for their own weddings. This gave Li Yifei quite a headache; it didn¡¯t seem right not to agree. If he could help Tao Yizhong, it seemed he couldn¡¯t refuse other classmates, but by doing so, he would owe Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao a great deal of favors, which wouldn¡¯t be easy to repay later on.


    Fortunately, Qian Feifei stepped in to defuse the situation, explaining how difficult it was to invite people and that it all depended on their availability, among other reasons. This cleared the air somewhat, letting Li Yifei off the hook.


    The formal wedding ceremony finally began, and as Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao appeared on stage, the entire hall erupted in excitement. Aside from Li Yifei and his classmates, nobody knew that the ceremony¡¯s hosts were two of Mile City¡¯s most famous presenters. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My God, it¡¯s really Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao acting as wedding hosts!"


    "Ruan Xiaoling is so lucky; her husband is so considerate and impressive!"


    Most of these sighs of envy came from women, while some men calculated how much it would cost to have such presenters at their own weddings.


    For women, a wedding is one of the most important events of their lives. Having two famous presenters could make the ceremony tens of times more impressive. Later, sharing this with sisters and friends would certainly be a matter of great pride.


    Ruan Xiaoling felt her heart was sweeter than honey as she sensed the eyes of her young female relatives and close girlfriends looking at her with immense envy and admiration.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, the famous hosts, really went above and beyond, turning what was supposed to be a half-hour wedding into almost an hour-long celebration.


    Despite the prolonged timing which interfered with the meal schedule, not a soul complained; in fact, they all wished it could¡¯ve lasted even longer. The wedding was just that spectacular.


    After the wedding ceremony finally concluded, Tao Yizhong and his wife changed their outfits and quickly joined their classmates. Tao Yizhong landed a heavy punch on Wang Tao¡¯s shoulder and said, "You really did me a solid, bro, getting these two hosts for my wedding."


    Wang Tao immediately pointed at Li Yifei and said, "It wasn¡¯t me who found them for you; it was Li Yifei."


    Tao Yizhong looked at Li Yifei in surprise and didn¡¯t come back to his senses until his wife nudged him. He then gave Li Yifei a hearty pat on the shoulder, expressing his gratitude. "Li Yifei, you¡¯re a true bro."


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Aren¡¯t we old classmates? No need to be formal."


    Tao Yizhong gave Li Yifei a big hug, unable to put into words how thankful he felt, choosing to express his gratitude through this gesture instead.


    Everyone else offered their blessings, but most of all, they complimented Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao for giving the newlyweds so much honor. Ruan Xiaoling¡¯s smile bloomed like a radiant flower, and seeing his wife so happy, Tao Yizhong couldn¡¯t help but beam with a wide grin.


    After some more conversation, Tao Yizhong pulled Li Yifei aside, looking troubled, and whispered, "Yifei, I really didn¡¯t expect you to get me such big-name hosts. How much should I give them in red envelopes?"


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure himself and hesitated before saying, "I¡¯m not certain, let me go ask for you."


    Tao Yizhong¡¯s face fell as he replied with a wry smile, "Man, you really went all out. You didn¡¯t even ask about the price. These two are expensive, and this is going to cost me a fortune, but it¡¯s worth every penny. Go ahead and ask them."


    Li Yifei nodded and headed straight for the room prepared for Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. He knocked on the door, and Song Lianyao¡¯s voice called out from inside, "Who is it?"


    "It¡¯s Li Yifei."


    Footsteps approached quickly and Song Lianyao opened the door just a crack. Seeing it was only Li Yifei, she pulled him inside and then closed the door behind them.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling like he was sneaking around, but once inside, he understood why. The two of them were in the middle of changing¡ªthough not completely undressed, their appearance was flirtatious, revealing expanses of shoulders, calves, and a short section of the abdomen. The tantalizing glimpses made him feel a bit like a voyeur, suddenly caught in a thrilling temptation, and he said awkwardly, "I¡¯ll step outside."


    "No need to go, we¡¯re almost done changing. You didn¡¯t come here on purpose to peep at us changing, did you?" Li Xinyue chuckled, not bothering to cover up more, as she draped her arm over Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Li Xinyue, his gaze sweeping over her, and said, "I¡¯m not peeking. If I want to look, I¡¯d look openly. Isn¡¯t that better?"


    "Young Master Li, you¡¯re so naughty," Li Xinyue teased, playfully hitting Li Yifei while her eyes were filled with flirtation. She hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to react in such a way. She thought he would be either very lecherous or very shy, but Li Yifei was surprisingly calm, his gaze carrying a man¡¯s lust yet remaining straightforward and clear.


    Li Yifei was far from a saint and in the past, he would have made his move, taking full advantage. However, he didn¡¯t want to do that with them but looking was a different matter¡ªafter all, if you could take a little pleasure for free, why not? He laughed, "Alright, enough teasing. The hosts asked me to find out how much your appearance fee is. They want to give you both red envelopes."


    Song Lianyao swayed up to him and said, "Young Master Li, aren¡¯t you belittling us? We don¡¯t expect a red envelope for doing a favor for Young Master Li."


    Li Xinyue too pouted, adding, "Exactly, Young Master Li, you really are underestimating us."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll just let them know I owe you both a favor."


    Their eyes lit up upon hearing this. A favor from Li Yifei, the consummate young master, was far more valuable than a temporary sum of money. Both of them spoke in unison, coquettishly, "Young Master Li, you may say it, but it might not be up to you."


    "When I say it counts, it counts. Now, I should go. They¡¯re waiting anxiously." Li Yifei didn¡¯t give them the chance to hold him up further and promptly left the room.

 Chapter 116: Stay

    Chapter 116: Chapter 116: StayLi Yifei pulled Tao Yizhong aside, and Tao Yizhong said with some nervousness, "How much do you need? If it¡¯s too much, then I can only give it to you after the wedding."


    Tao Yizhong wasn¡¯t rich; the wedding was all arranged by his parents. Between buying a house and renovating, they had nearly spent all their savings. The expense of a master of ceremonies was indeed unexpected, and he wasn¡¯t prepared for it. Fortunately, they had received a substantial amount of cash gifts at the wedding, which they would have to use to cover the cost.


    That money was supposed to be for the newlyweds, saved for their honeymoon. Now, the honeymoon trip was likely off the table, but being able to hire two hosts was worth it.


    Li Yifei patted Tao Yizhong¡¯s shoulder and said, "You don¡¯t have to give anything."


    "What?" Tao Yizhong¡¯s eyes widened as he exclaimed in disbelief.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I mean, you don¡¯t have to give them red envelopes."


    "How can that be? How can that be?" Tao Yizhong shook his head vigorously. The idea of having two popular hosts without paying a penny was unbelievable to him.


    Li Yifei said, "They¡¯re doing it for the sake of my boss¡¯s face; it¡¯s not about the money at all. If they accepted the money, that would actually be disrespectful to our boss, so you don¡¯t need to worry."


    Tao Yizhong was genuinely surprised and overjoyed. He slapped Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder vigorously, saying excitedly, "Li Yifei... this... this favor is really too big, you¡¯re too kind." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What¡¯s there to be polite about, we¡¯re old classmates, aren¡¯t we?"


    "Yes, yes, we¡¯re old classmates." Tao Yizhong suddenly felt that this camaraderie was more important than any other relationship.


    At this moment, someone called Tao Yizhong over. As the groom, he still had a lot to do, such as going around to toast at each table¡ªa necessary ritual, so he couldn¡¯t stay with his old classmates any longer. He excused himself and whispered something to his wife before moving forward.


    Meanwhile, Tao Yizhong¡¯s wife, Ruan Xiaoling, turned her head and glanced at Li Yifei twice, her face full of excitement and joy.


    Li Yifei returned to where his classmates were seated. Everyone had already taken their places at the table, excitedly discussing the wedding ceremony they had just witnessed.


    "Li Yifei, have Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao left yet?" As Li Yifei was looking for a spot, Qian Feifei waved at him. There was an empty seat beside her, seemingly saved for him.


    Li Yifei took a seat and said with a smile, "Not yet."


    "Then you should invite them to eat with us," Qian Feifei winked at Li Yifei, full of hope.


    Another female classmate immediately said, "That might be difficult, right? They came here to host; having them over is an honor already, let alone joining us for this meal."


    Cao Yingbo also chimed in, "Definitely not. They¡¯re not lacking a meal, and people like them, who they dine with, is a matter of giving face. Besides, the places they go to eat are definitely more serene environments, not noisy places like this."


    Everyone felt that Cao Yingbo¡¯s words made sense and didn¡¯t hold out much hope. However, as the sound of high heels clacking against the floor approached, two beauties entered the small hall reserved for classmates. When everyone saw Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, two stunning beauties, they were so surprised they couldn¡¯t speak. It couldn¡¯t be that these two gorgeous hosts were also here to dine, could it?


    "Everyone, I wonder if it¡¯s possible to add two more spots here?" Li Xinyue asked with a grin.


    Everyone instantly agreed with a buzz of approval, standing up to make room for the two, stirring up a lively scene.


    Song Lianyao immediately said, "Don¡¯t be so formal; we¡¯re just here for a quick bite. Two extra spots will be enough." With that, both took plastic stools and seated themselves on either side of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, but at this point, he couldn¡¯t just ask them to leave, so he said with a smile, "Having two beautiful hosts sitting next to me, isn¡¯t that going to make me a target of jealousy?"


    Li Xinyue giggled and replied, "Oh, come on. We only know you here, aren¡¯t you going to take care of us a bit?"


    Her words made sense. Although everyone knew the two beautiful hosts, they didn¡¯t know the crowd, so it was natural for them to sit with Li Yifei. But... with one on each side of him, everyone couldn¡¯t help but find it an eye-catching sight.


    Initially seated next to Li Yifei were Su Peng and Qian Feifei, who had both shifted a bit to the side. Now that the table seated twelve, it felt rather crowded, but no one left for another table. Being able to share a table with two beautiful hosts was a matter of great pride, and they were already busily taking photos with their phones.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were accustomed to this sort of attention, but Li Yifei felt a bit uncomfortable. With everyone taking pictures of the two hosts, he was inevitably included, which meant he couldn¡¯t escape even if he wanted to.


    Although Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao didn¡¯t show extra attention toward Li Yifei in this setting, their mere presence was enough to draw eyes. And whenever they smiled at Li Yifei, it invited envious, jealous, and resentful looks from numerous classmates.


    "Thud," Li Xinyue¡¯s purse fell to the ground, right by Yifei¡¯s feet, and she immediately bent down to pick it up.


    But they were very close, and since she couldn¡¯t crawl under the table to retrieve it, she had to lean over Yifei¡¯s legs and stretch out her hand to pick up the purse from the ground.


    This movement was normal, but while she was picking up the purse, Xinyue seemed to have arms that weren¡¯t long enough, her whole body already lying across Yifei¡¯s legs, her full chest pressing down on his thighs. The soft and bouncy sensation was enough to show that Xinyue, this beauty, indeed had substance.


    Yifei knew Xinyue was doing it on purpose, but he couldn¡¯t just not let someone pick up their things, right? Besides, stirring up such a little flirtation under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes was indeed thrilling, and Yifei couldn¡¯t help but want to give Xinyue a little pat.


    However, Yifei restrained himself and simply leaned back to make it easier for her to pick up her belongings.


    After finally picking up her purse, Li Xinyue sat up and chided Yifei, "You didn¡¯t even offer to help."


    Yifei immediately apologized, "Yes, yes, that was very ungentlemanly of me."


    Xinyue giggled and said, "Indeed, you¡¯re not gentlemanly. As a punishment, you have to peel a shrimp for me to eat."


    Yifei quickly grabbed a shrimp, peeled it for her, and placed it on her plate, asking, "Is this better?"


    "Now that¡¯s more like it," Xinyue beamed as she triumphantly put the shrimp in her mouth, making all the classmates envious again. Oh, how they wished they could switch places with Yifei to wait on these two beauties; even merely serving them food was a fair bit of happiness indeed.


    "Thud," another purse hit the floor, and this time it was Song Lianyao¡¯s.


    It also fell between her and Yifei.


    This time Yifei didn¡¯t wait for Song Lianyao to pick it up; he¡¯d already taken the initiative to bend down.


    But as he actually went to pick it up, he realized he had to lean towards Lianyao ¡ª of course, he wouldn¡¯t lay on her legs like Xinyue did, but he hovered over, reaching for the purse.


    Lianyao¡¯s legs subtly lifted and brushed Yifei¡¯s face. It was already warm in April, and she was wearing a short skirt with flesh-colored, pearly stockings. The feeling of the stocking on his face was indescribably silky, and from Yifei¡¯s angle, he could see right between Lianyao¡¯s legs.


    Of course, Yifei couldn¡¯t see the actual scenery between her legs, but the fact that he couldn¡¯t see it only fueled his imagination, making him even more eager to have a look.


    A woman is not only capable of arousing a man¡¯s desire when she¡¯s undressed. When she¡¯s clothed, the moment she triggers a man¡¯s fancy is by far the most thrilling.


    Clearly, Lianyao knew exactly how to do this, making Yifei itch with desire, and now he even felt a wicked urge to lift her skirt and discover what lay beneath.


    Standing up straight, Yifei handed the purse to Lianyao, who chuckled lightly and said, "Thanks to Mr. Li for picking up my bag. So, should I peel a shrimp for Mr. Li as well?"


    Lianyao then did just that, expertly peeling a shrimp, and flirtatiously winked at Yifei, saying, "Open up."


    Yifei immediately widened his eyes, protesting, "That won¡¯t be necessary, will it?"


    "Of course it is, could you really bear to refuse a lady?"


    With a forced smile and under the envious gazes of everyone, Yifei opened his mouth. Lianyao¡¯s delicate fingers placed the peeled shrimp into his mouth, and as she let go of the shrimp, her fingertips subtly grazed his lips.


    "These two are simply enchantresses," Yifei praised inwardly. Having these two women in bed together would surely be an insanely exciting experience for any man.


    Just then, Tao Yizhong came over to offer a toast. He had not expected Xinyue and Lianyao to be staying for dinner as well, which excited him greatly; accompanied by his wife, he thanked them profusely.


    "Ha, there¡¯s no need to thank us. Thank Yifei instead, we wouldn¡¯t have come if it wasn¡¯t for him," Xinyue promptly credited all the merit to Yifei.


    Tao Yizhong, of course, was aware of this, and raising his glass to Yifei, he said nothing and simply downed it all in one go.


    At that moment, no words were needed as everything had been said through the wine.


    Classmates gathering for a meal on such a joyful occasion, and with beauties like Xinyue and Lianyao joining them, everyone had a marvelous time, drinking plenty. Even Xinyue and Lianyao cheerfully drank along with everyone else. Before he knew it, Yifei realized that both women seemed a bit drunk.

 Chapter 117 We’ll Be with You

    Chapter 117: Chapter 117 We¡¯ll Be with YouWhether they were truly drunk or just pretending, Li Yifei felt the two women leaning on him from time to time. He knew he couldn¡¯t let them stay there any longer, so he said to everyone, "Folks, I need to take these two ladies home, I must excuse myself now."


    Although everyone was somewhat reluctant, at that point they could only acknowledge the situation and watched as Li Yifei, with a woman under each arm, left.


    Li Yifei crammed Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao into the back seat while he took the driver¡¯s seat. Starting the car, he turned to them and said, "Where do you live? I¡¯ll take you home."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s face flushed, her eyes hazy with drunkenness, did not answer Li Yifei but instead cooed, "Young Master Li, how did we perform today?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "You both were truly excellent, didn¡¯t you see how proud the groom was?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao giggled. Song Lianyao leaned forward over the back of Li Yifei¡¯s seat and said, "So, how will Young Master Li reward us then?"


    Li Yifei knew they would say something like that and could only laugh in response, "What kind of reward would you like then?"


    Song Lianyao said in a cloying tone, "We don¡¯t know, so it¡¯s up to you, Young Master Li."


    "Then my reward is taking you home today."


    "Young Master Li, you¡¯re so naughty, that also counts as a reward?" Song Lianyao immediately protested.


    Li Xinyue, however, smiled and said, "That¡¯s not a bad reward, I¡¯m afraid Young Master Li hasn¡¯t taken anyone home before, right? This gives us face then."


    The two women played off each other seamlessly, their charm endless. Coupled with their skilled hosting banter, they had Li Yifei in a tight spot in no time, but they never made him upset¡ªit was that perfect balance of being clearly pressured to agree yet unable to refuse.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao lived in the same apartment complex and, conveniently, opposite each other¡¯s apartments, which made it easier for Li Yifei to drop them off. Upon arrival, however, their flirtatious banter from the car ceased, and they both seemed rather reserved.


    This was somewhat unexpected for Li Yifei. Judging by how they had been acting, they clearly seemed to be seducing him, but now it appeared they¡¯d gotten cold feet, or maybe a touch of regret.


    Surprised as he was, Li Yifei was rather pleased with the development. After escorting them from the elevator, he said, "Alright, you¡¯re home now. I¡¯ll be heading back."


    Li Xinyue turned to look at Li Yifei, biting her lip, and asked, "Young Master Li, would you like to come in for a sit?"


    Song Lianyao looked at Li Xinyue and added, "Have some tea to sober up a bit."


    At that moment, Li Yifei suddenly found himself interested and laughed, "Well then, I best not decline such hospitality."


    Entering Li Xinyue¡¯s apartment, she immediately handed Li Yifei a pair of slippers and said, "Young Master Li, I don¡¯t have men¡¯s slippers at home, so please make do with mine."


    Li Yifei made himself at home, slipping into the slippers and surveying the cozy two-bedroom apartment. It was neither big nor small, and the decoration wasn¡¯t overly luxurious, prompting Li Yifei to regard Li Xinyue in a new light. Women like her would do anything to climb the social ladder, including seducing men, which would typically suggest a taste for luxury in their private lives.


    "Is my place too simple?" Li Xinyue handed Li Yifei a glass of water and sat beside him, smiling as she asked. Song Lianyao sat on his other side.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It¡¯s quite nice actually. This feels like a home. If it were too luxurious, I¡¯d always feel like I was in a hotel, not in my own place."


    Li Xinyue was immediately delighted and said, "Young Master Li, you really know how to talk. I feel like you¡¯re really different from those other rich young masters."


    Li Yifei, amused, asked, "How am I different?"


    Li Xinyue squinted her eyes and said, "Young Master Li lacks the arrogance of those rich heirs and you¡¯re very low-profile. In the future, you¡¯re surely someone who will achieve great things."


    Song Lianyao added, "Xinyue is right. We¡¯ve seen plenty of rich folks; they just throw their money around, finding ways to play with women, never treating them as people, unlike Young Master Li who shows us such respect."


    Seeing Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both looking somewhat downcast, Li Yifei understood the two. Although they couldn¡¯t avoid the situation they were in, they actually didn¡¯t like it at all. Smiling, he said, "You want to climb up the ladder, so does that mean you want to get rid of those people¡¯s harassment?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao looked at Li Yifei in surprise, but immediately nodded repeatedly. Li Xinyue said, "If it¡¯s someone like Young Master Li, even if you ask us to do anything, we would be willing, but those people are just too disgusting."


    At that moment, Li Yifei really had to reassess the two women. If what they were showing now was completely true, then it could be said they were the kind of people that Li Yifei admired. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So even if you climb up the ranks and reach a higher level, there will still be people at an even higher level coming for you, and more powerful ones at that harassing you, right?"


    Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue both sighed at the same time. After exchanging glances, Song Lianyao said, "That¡¯s why we hope to have someone to protect us."


    Meeting their gaze, Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with that; I don¡¯t have that kind of ability yet."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao appeared somewhat dejected, but immediately revived their spirits. Li Xinyue said, "Young Master Li, no matter what, you¡¯re still someone we admire very much. If you don¡¯t despise us, as long as you need us, we will definitely come to your side right away."


    Li Yifei nodded with a chuckle, saying, "Having two beautiful hostesses admire me like this, I really am quite proud."


    The two laughed merrily, and it was Li Xinyue who said, "Young Master Li, you really know how to joke. In the eyes of ordinary people, we might still have a halo, but in your eyes, we¡¯re nothing but colorful clowns. Moreover, we live off our youth¡ªonce we get older, we¡¯re not worth anything."


    "Well, I¡¯m honored you think so highly of me. If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, come to me. I¡¯ll do what I can to help you out."


    This promise from Li Yifei was indeed not made lightly. Don¡¯t think that just because Li Yifei had left the Flying Hawk Squad, his connections were weak. With his personal strength, there were not many in Huaxia who could be stronger than him.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were overjoyed. Although they didn¡¯t know Li Yifei¡¯s true status, an individual who could invest five hundred million in Mile City had to be very powerful, and that was apparent. Furthermore, they could see that Li Yifei was not like those frivolous Young Masters who would say anything to deceive a girl; a promise from Li Yifei was ninety percent likely to be fulfilled.


    One on each side, they grasped Li Yifei¡¯s arms and after exchanging glances, they both leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. Song Lianyao whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Young Master Li, stay with us tonight."


    Li Xinyue on the other side did the same, cooing, "Let the two of us take care of you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart uncontrollably raced. Such a scenario of being with two women wasn¡¯t new to him, but he¡¯d never encountered anyone of such caliber. After all, these women were popular hosts in a city¡ªbeautiful, cultured, and with charm. Engaging in a m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois with them would be a real treat for any man.


    Song Lianyao¡¯s lips had already enveloped Li Yifei¡¯s earlobe, and she said hazily, "Young Master Li, you can rest assured, we might not be virgins, but we¡¯re definitely not ones to sleep around casually, our bodies are clean."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s hand was already gently caressing Li Yifei¡¯s chest, with a seductive and dreamy look in her eyes, "Young Master Li, we definitely won¡¯t make any demands on you because of this. We just feel that you¡¯re someone we like, really. We¡¯re not selling ourselves, we just want... to be with Young Master Li."


    Although Li Yifei couldn¡¯t see how much of what the two women said was true, there was no denying that the two beautiful hosts, one on his left and one on his right, in unison, indeed had him somewhat captivated, with his body already responding. Still, he hesitated; he wasn¡¯t afraid they might blackmail him afterwards, but rather he had started to think quite highly of them. If he became intimate with them now, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to be indifferent to them later on.


    "Young Master Li, you wouldn¡¯t look down on us, would you?" Seeing that Li Yifei had not responded, Song Lianyao turned her face towards him, her sorrowful eyes fixed on him, shining with tears.


    Li Xinyue also stopped what she was doing, pulling back a little, and said with guilt, "Young Master Li, it¡¯s us who are cheap; we¡¯re really sorry."


    Li Yifei looked at Li Xinyue and then at Song Lianyao, knowing that their display was still part of an act, but at the very least, it would certainly stir a man¡¯s sympathy.


    With a laugh, Li Yifei suddenly wrapped his arms around their shoulders and said, "Since you¡¯re so sincere, if I were to refuse now, wouldn¡¯t I be nothing but a block of wood? Come on, I want to see if I alone can outplay the two of you."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s faces flushed with color, and they lightly hit Li Yifei a couple of times. Li Xinyue teased, "Young Master Li, you really are bad."


    Song Lianyao gave him a peck on the face, then draped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck and said sweetly, "Young Master Li, then we won¡¯t hold back."


    At that moment, Li Yifei let go of his reservations; if the two women wanted to play, he would play along. After all, he had nothing to lose, and his hands roamed without hesitation over the two of them.


    But when it came down to it, Li Yifei discovered that the two women were far from as comfortable as they¡¯d seemed earlier. As his hands explored their bodies, he could feel their nervousness, and their coordination wasn¡¯t natural at all. It seemed entirely possible that they had never before been in such a situation with a man.

 Chapter 118 Xu Yingying’s Dominance

    Chapter 118: Chapter 118 Xu Yingying¡¯s DominanceThe cell phone ringtone rang inopportunely; it was Li Yifei¡¯s phone. The movements of the three of them halted immediately, with both Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao looking at Li Yifei with inquiring eyes.


    Li Yifei withdrew his hand and took out his cell phone. He glanced at the number and saw that it was a call from Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then gestured to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, who obediently moved aside, allowing him to answer the phone.


    "Yifei, is your class reunion over?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came through the phone as soon as the call connected, unexpectedly imbued with a seductive quality.


    Such a tone from Xu Yingying was clearly abnormal; she would never speak to him like that under normal circumstances. Li Yifei sensed that there must be something wrong and promptly followed her lead, "It¡¯s almost over, what¡¯s up?"


    "If it¡¯s over, hurry back home. Shanshan has already arrived."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat. There definitely was a problem. Xu Shanshan had actually come without even a heads-up. All he could say at that time was, "Then I¡¯ll be back in a bit."


    "Brother-in-law! Hurry back. If you don¡¯t, my sister is going to blow her top," Xu Shanshan¡¯s shout came through the phone almost immediately. Her voice was almost identical to Xu Yingying¡¯s, but because the tone was different, Li Yifei could tell it was her right away.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Okay, half an hour, I will definitely be home."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei apologized to the two, "Sorry, something came up on my end."


    At that point, both Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s clothes were disheveled, faces flushed with the glow of spring. Seeing Li Yifei was about to leave, both pouted, but neither tried to stop him. Instead, they considerately helped him straighten his clothes and even picked off all the hairs on him. They also made him wash his face and chew some gum, to make sure he didn¡¯t carry the scent of their perfume.


    Such thoughtfulness genuinely made Li Yifei enjoy himself, but he certainly couldn¡¯t indulge in the charms of these beauties today. The matter with Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    "Young Master Li, when you¡¯re free in the future, just come directly to our place," Li Xinyue said with a mournful look as Li Yifei prepared to leave.


    Song Lianyao gave Li Yifei a gentle embrace and said, "Young Master Li, we definitely won¡¯t go out with other men in the future. We are yours."


    These words would be quite enticing to most men, but they startled Li Yifei. He chuckled nervously and said, "We¡¯ll talk about that later; I have to go now."


    Leaving Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao behind, Li Yifei felt both regret and relief. Being with two beauties like them was naturally very exciting and tempting. Even though things hadn¡¯t escalated upstairs, the foreplay alone had been enjoyable enough for Li Yifei. But making them his exclusive possessions wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei didn¡¯t deliberately dwell on the two women. They were, when it came down to it, merely passersby in his life. If there was a relationship, it was fate; if not, there was no need for regret.


    Twenty minutes later, Li Yifei had arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s home, which, given Xu Shanshan¡¯s arrival, could only be described as his own.


    Pulling out the keys and opening the door, Li Yifei entered to find Xu Yingying coming to greet him, but Xu Shanshan was nowhere to be seen. He immediately asked, "Where¡¯s Shanshan?"


    Xu Yingying replied, "Shanshan went out for a bit, it will be a while before she comes back."


    Li Yifei, puzzled, said, "Why did she run out as soon as she got here? Does she know anyone here?"


    Xu Yingying snorted, "She¡¯s always running around like crazy; who knows who she¡¯s gone to find. Don¡¯t worry about her."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "That doesn¡¯t seem good. This isn¡¯t like it¡¯s at your place; this is Mile City. Shanshan isn¡¯t familiar with the area. If something happens, how are we going to explain it to your parents?"


    "Never mind her, come and sit," Xu Yingying suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand and ushered him into the living room to sit down. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was greatly surprised. Without Xu Shanshan at home, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t need to be like this toward him. Could it be that Xu Shanshan was actually at home, now pretending not to be there, as a means to test him?


    That certainly fit Xu Shanshan¡¯s style; she very well could be forcing Xu Yingying to say she wasn¡¯t there, then secretly watching how he behaved with Xu Yingying at home.


    With Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom door open, but another bedroom door locked, this confirmed Li Yifei¡¯s suspicion even further. Without needing Xu Yingying to say more, he knew exactly what to do.


    Sitting beside Xu Yingying, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yingying, I will go buy some groceries early later, and cook a big feast at home for Shanshan tonight."


    Xu Yingying immediately said excitedly, "That sounds great, Shanshan loves the dishes you make the most."


    After a pause, Xu Yingying looked Li Yifei up and down with a smile and asked, "You went to a class reunion today, did you meet any female classmates?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t glance towards the closed bedroom door and replied, "There were female classmates, but of course, they can¡¯t compare to you, Yingying."


    "Really? Or are you just saying that without meaning it?" Xu Yingying stared at Li Yifei in disbelief.


    "Of course, I mean it. My heart only has room for you," Li Yifei said as he put his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder. Since Xu Shanshan was at home and secretly spying on them, he decided to make the act a bit more convincing.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t resist; although her body was a bit stiff, she still leaned on his shoulder and said, "Is that so? Don¡¯t lie to me, I always feel like you¡¯re not sincere with me."


    "How could I be anything but sincere with you?" he responded.


    "After such a long time, I haven¡¯t been with you... You¡¯re not angry with me, are you?"


    "No, I respect you. Didn¡¯t you say the most precious thing should be saved for our wedding night? For that beautiful night, I must hold back," he assured her.


    "You¡¯re really sweet," Xu Yingying turned to look at Li Yifei, her eyes soft like water.


    "Yifei..." Xu Yingying suddenly called out softly.


    Li Yifei felt like he was going to faint. What was Xu Yingying up to, playing for real like this? This wasn¡¯t good, was it? Even if they really needed to kiss to prove their relationship, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t need to be so tempting. A simple glance would have sufficed. Just as he hesitated whether to kiss her or not, the sound of a key turning in the door suddenly rang out, and Xu Yingying sprang up from the sofa, bursting into laughter.


    Upon hearing this laugh, Li Yifei suddenly felt stunned; it was clearly Xu Shanshan¡¯s joyful laughter. Then, as the door opened and another Xu Yingying walked in, Li Yifei immediately understood everything. It was Xu Shanshan here all along, and the Xu Yingying who¡¯d just returned was the real one.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan had also styled her hair into big wavy curls just like Xu Yingying¡¯s and was wearing Xu Yingying¡¯s clothes. Since the two were twins, they could usually be distinguished by their different styles, but now with identical hairstyles and clothes, plus Xu Shanshan intentionally mimicking Xu Yingying¡¯s speaking tone, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t tell who was who at all, and he had fallen for Xu Shanshan¡¯s trick.


    Luckily, Li Yifei had thought Xu Shanshan was hiding in the bedroom; otherwise, he would have blown his cover much earlier.


    "What¡¯s so funny?" Xu Yingying frowned and glared at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei and said, "Nothing much. I was just teasing my brother-in-law. He really didn¡¯t recognize me."


    Li Yifei put on a wry smile and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re really too playful. Why did you style your hair like your sister¡¯s?"


    Xu Shanshan played with her hair, smiling, and said, "I think it looks pretty good this way. Plus, when I come here, it¡¯s fun to occasionally dress up as my sister and pretend to be the boss at the company."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened as she said, "You¡¯re not allowed to mess around in the company, or I¡¯ll send you back home immediately."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "I was just kidding." She pulled Xu Yingying over to Li Yifei and asked, "Can you tell the difference between my sister and me now?"


    Li Yifei studied both of them and replied, "Now, of course, I can tell you apart. You¡¯re always grinning, while your sister keeps a straight face."


    Xu Yingying immediately caught on to Li Yifei¡¯s teasing and gave him a look, saying, "You don¡¯t like it, do you?"


    Li Yifei quickly said with a laugh, "How could I dislike it? I could never get enough of seeing it for a lifetime."


    Xu Yingying then spoke up proudly, "That¡¯s more like it. I¡¯ve already bought groceries, so tonight, make something delicious for Shanshan at home."


    Li Yifei promptly stood up and declared loudly, "Of course, tonight I¡¯ll make sure Shanshan is satisfied."


    He went straight into Xu Yingying¡¯s room, changed into a set of house clothes, and hung the suit he was wearing in the wardrobe before stepping out in his casual wear.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying sitting in the living room, Li Yifei felt a headache coming on. If they didn¡¯t speak, and Xu Shanshan purposefully posed like Xu Yingying, he genuinely wouldn¡¯t be able to tell who was who. Xu Shanshan dressing up like this was clearly deliberate, and it became obvious that living in this house, the person who would suffer the most was her. A slight slip-up, and he would most likely give himself away.

 Chapter 119 Shanshan Arrives

    Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Shanshan Arrives"Shanshan, why didn¡¯t you call me before you came? I would have picked you up," Li Yifei joined them on the sofa. With the two sisters sitting on the long sofa, he could only sit on one side.


    Xu Shanshan immediately said with a giggle, "Isn¡¯t it a surprise attack that I wanted to pull off?"


    Li Yifei showed a helpless expression and said, "How come you still don¡¯t trust the relationship between your sister and me?"


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Xu Yingying and said, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust it, it¡¯s just that the two of you being together feels kind of weird to me."


    Xu Yingying glared and retorted, "What¡¯s so weird about it? Don¡¯t judge mine and Yifei¡¯s relationship by your standards, okay?"


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t look. If I get too picky and you send me back home, then I¡¯ll really be miserable."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yingying, Shanshan has come all this way; just let her relax here and have a good time."


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother-in-law is the best."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "Just your sister is no good."


    "My big sister is also great!" Xu Shanshan affectionately wrapped her arms around Xu Yingying¡¯s neck, then immediately said with a giggle, "You¡¯re now my lifeline. How could I dare to offend you?"


    After a few jokes among them, Li Yifei went to the kitchen to check and then pretended there were things missing, so he ran out again. With Xu Shanshan here these next few days, she would only be able to stay here, so he had to let Su Mengxin and the others know; otherwise, if Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei called for no reason and Xu Shanshan overheard, she would definitely become suspicious.


    He first called Su Mengxin and told her that he would not be going back home for the next few days. Su Mengxin didn¡¯t ask for details, only telling him to let her know once he returned.


    Then Li Yifei made a call to Su Yiyi. This girl would stay over at his place every weekend. If he didn¡¯t inform her, she would definitely make a wasted trip.


    Su Yiyi seemed a little disappointed, yet she obediently agreed. This girl always had a habit of doing things quietly for Li Yifei when she was with him.


    After making all these arrangements, Li Yifei then bought a few more groceries and returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s home.


    Upon opening the door, he saw Xu Yingying standing at the entrance. No! He should say he didn¡¯t yet realize that the person wasn¡¯t Xu Shanshan, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t even know how to address her.


    "I¡¯m Yingying. Shanshan is taking a shower," the Xu Yingying by the door said with a slightly troubled frown, helping Li Yifei carry the things to the kitchen, then whispered, "With that girl here, you better be careful."


    Li Yifei turned and flicked her on the forehead with a smile, "Shanshan, you¡¯re playing tricks again."


    "Giggles..." A clear laughter immediately confirmed Li Yifei¡¯s assumption. Xu Shanshan rubbed her head, and trying to stop her giggles, looked at Li Yifei in confusion and asked, "Brother-in-law, how did you figure it out?"


    Li Yifei smiled smugly and responded, "Did you think your little tricks could fool me? Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯ve lived with your sister for several months now. Would I not recognize her?"


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, eagerly asking, "Really? Then tell me, where did I give myself away just now?"


    "I¡¯m not telling you. If I do, you¡¯ll correct it the next time, and then how would I recognize you?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and shook it vigorously, cooing, "Brother-in-law, come on, tell me."


    Li Yifei, unable to stand Xu Shanshan¡¯s whining, said, "It¡¯s simple. I¡¯m always the one doing chores at home, and your sister doesn¡¯t lift a finger. Whenever I come back with groceries, she never comes over to take them. Now you come over to take them, isn¡¯t that revealing?"


    Xu Shanshan let out an "Oh," then pouted and said, "My sister is really something. It¡¯s such hard work when a boyfriend brings groceries home, and even if she doesn¡¯t help, she should at least come over to offer some reward. Sigh... I really don¡¯t know how you put up with my sister."


    Li Yifei knocked on Xu Shanshan¡¯s head again and chuckled, "Should you really be talking about your sister like that? If I get annoyed with her over this, wouldn¡¯t you be to blame for causing mischief?"


    "It¡¯s her own fault for not doing better. Work is important, but so is love. Love isn¡¯t just about taking; you also have to give and maintain it. The way she is, Brother-in-law, if you ever got tired of her, I¡¯d think she had it coming."


    Li Yifei was both annoyed and amused as he said, "You little traitor, and your sister always looks out for you."


    Xu Shanshan made a face, "I know she cares for me, but sometimes she goes overboard trying to control me. I can¡¯t stand her, just like my mom."


    "Shanshan, what nonsense are you spouting over there?" Just then, Xu Yingying, dressed in pajamas, a towel in her hand drying her hair, stood at the kitchen doorway.


    Facing her quirky, sprite-like little sister, Xu Yingying had to be extremely vigilant. Now, to show Xu Shanshan that she was really living with Li Yifei, she had come out dressed like this.


    Xu Shanshan smiled mischievously and said, "I didn¡¯t say anything much, just how good my sister has been to me."


    Xu Yingying gave her a skeptical look and responded, "Who would believe that? You not scolding me would be surprising enough."


    "How could I? You are my dear sister. If I scold you, wouldn¡¯t that be like scolding myself?"


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a blank look and said, "Stop quibbling here, let your brother-in-law cook."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, followed Xu Yingying out, and Li Yifei also relaxed a bit. This time he truly felt the pressure was quite big since Xu Shanshan dressed up like her sister, clearly trying to give him a hard time.


    After the food was ready, Xu Shanshan ate with such gusto, and Xu Yingying also ate quite a bit.


    "Brother-in-law, your cooking is really delicious, I¡¯ve decided, I won¡¯t leave anymore, I¡¯ll just stay with you guys." After finishing the meal, the three of them sat on the sofa in the living room to rest, and Xu Shanshan laid on the chaise longue on the side of the sofa, shamelessly rubbing her stomach.


    Xu Yingying immediately protested, "No way, how can it work if you always stay here?"


    Xu Shanshan turned around, smiling mischievously at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, and said, "Big sis, you can¡¯t be that stingy, right? I can¡¯t even stay at your place? Are you really willing to let your little sister sleep on the streets?"


    "You can stay for a few days, but if you¡¯re thinking of mooching off here permanently, that¡¯s absolutely not happening," Xu Yingying firmly refused.


    Xu Shanshan said with a mischievous grin, "Big sis, are you afraid I¡¯ll spoil your romantic couple¡¯s world?"


    Xu Yingying immediately nodded and said, "You know it, do you realize how inconvenient it would be for you to be here?"


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying again and then broke into a loud laugh, causing Xu Yingying, who was starting to feel unnerved, to demand, "What are you laughing about?"


    Trying hard to suppress her laughter, Xu Shanshan teased, "I mean, big sis, you and brother-in-law haven¡¯t even done ¡¯that¡¯ yet. What kind of couple¡¯s world is that? It looks more like roommates to me."


    These words made Xu Yingying turn red with embarrassment; she was well aware of what her sister was implying and retorted with a mix of shame and irritation, "What nonsense are you spouting? What¡¯s between your brother-in-law and me is none of your business, is it?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed heartily and said, "It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? Since you¡¯re already living together, and you haven¡¯t done ¡¯that¡¯ with brother-in-law... hehe, aren¡¯t you just torturing him on purpose?"


    Xu Yingying, now angry and embarrassed, threatened, "If you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯m going to kick you out right now."


    Xu Shanshan sprang up and said, "Fine fine, I won¡¯t say it then. I¡¯m off to take a shower, brother-in-law, good luck! Get my sister sorted out soon."


    "Go to hell!" Xu Yingying roared, throwing a pillow at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan dodged and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a bang, leaving the pillow to thud against the glass door of the bathroom. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, alright, Shanshan was just joking with you. Why take it so seriously?" Li Yifei picked up the pillow and threw a meaningful glance at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying snorted and said aloud, "That girl is getting more and more outrageous. If I don¡¯t discipline her soon, she¡¯ll become completely uncontrollable."


    Li Yifei spoke softly, "Shanshan is just a bit naughty, nothing serious. Come on, don¡¯t be mad. You¡¯ve been through enough these past days. Let me spend some time with Shanshan. Go do what you need to do."


    The two of them were talking so that Xu Shanshan could hear. Of course, Xu Yingying was genuinely upset. She really had no idea what to do with her little sister.


    Xu Shanshan had been in the car all day and was quite tired; after her shower, she slipped off to another room to sleep, and after Li Yifei took a shower too, he had no choice but to go to Xu Yingying¡¯s room.


    Li Yifei had already stayed at Xu Yingying¡¯s place a few times, but it was the first time he would be staying in the same room with her. Even though they had stayed in the same room at Xu Yingying¡¯s parents¡¯ house before, being here made Li Yifei feel an amorous atmosphere.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying was sitting on the bed with a laptop on her legs, frowning, and she didn¡¯t even look up when Li Yifei came in.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t disturb her and glanced around the floor but didn¡¯t see any bedding. He opened the wardrobe, but found no bedding in the upper shelves either.


    Xu Yingying finally lifted her head and asked Li Yifei, "What are you looking for?"


    "I¡¯m looking for bedding," Li Yifei replied in a low voice.


    Xu Yingying said somewhat unnaturally, "I don¡¯t have any spare bedding left here."


    Li Yifei was a bit helpless and said, "Xu president, how can you not even prepare bedding? Do you expect me to sleep on the floor?"


    Xu Yingying replied awkwardly, "You... just sleep on the bed too."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Xu Yingying, "Are you really letting me sleep in the bed with you?"


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "I asked for your help; I can¡¯t expect you to sleep on the floor. I¡¯m confident about your behavior now; I know you won¡¯t take advantage of me."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "That¡¯s not certain. Men make mistakes often in a moment of impulse, and there¡¯s usually no warning before."


    Xu Yingying stared at Li Yifei, dumbfounded, suddenly hesitant.

 Chapter 120: Furious

    Chapter 120: Chapter 120: FuriousXu Yingying¡¯s gaze fixed on Li Yifei, with a sharpness mixed with a hint of hesitation and worry. If Li Yifei truly used force against her, she certainly wouldn¡¯t be his match. However, as a CEO, she naturally possessed qualities that ordinary women didn¡¯t. She gave Li Yifei a glare and said, "I kindly let you sleep on the bed, and you try to scare me? If you dare act up, I¡¯ll tell He Fangqing, and see how you handle it."


    Li Yifei was merely trying to scare Xu Yingying, so he laughed, "I¡¯m just joking, don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m earning your salary, after all. If I offend you, what if you fire me later?"


    "Consider yourself wise. You go to sleep first; I¡¯ll read a bit more." Xu Yingying lowered her head again to look at her computer.


    Li Yifei got onto the bed, lay on one side, pulled the blanket over, covering just a corner, and turned his back to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei sideways and was quite satisfied with his behavior. Then, she continued to look at her computer. The recent incidents have been distressing her.


    After interacting with Su Mengxin, the two had reached some preliminary cooperation intentions. However, upon hearing that the branch wanted to develop better, the head office sent several people to the company. Rumors spread that a relative of a deputy chairman was going to take over her job in the branch, transferring her to another company.


    Although this news wasn¡¯t final, it had already reached her, suggesting it was not unfounded. After all her hard work in building up the branch to its current state, to have to hand over all her efforts and achievements was extremely unwilling for her.


    As an employee, Xu Yingying knew that no matter how well she performed, she was just a worker for the boss. If the head office made such a decision, she had no power to refute or stop it.


    If they sent someone more capable, so be it. But she heard that the person coming was He Fangqing¡¯s ex-husband. What capability did that guy have other than nepotism? If the branch fell into his hands, forget about progression; it would be uncertain if it could even survive a few years.


    For the first time, Xu Yingying thought about leaving. Su Mengxin had extended an olive branch, offering better conditions, and most importantly, absolute autonomy, something not many bosses could offer.


    Previously, Xu Yingying was unwilling to leave her current company, Huayang. But now, she was truly hesitating. Compared to Su Mengxin, everyone at the headquarters seemed like pigs. Here, she¡¯d likely never have further development.


    But Xu Yingying still hesitated, as Huayang Company had over a hundred employees. These people had worked together with her to build the company. She could leave for better opportunities, but what would happen to them? They might not have the same benefits elsewhere, making her feel guilty.


    Heaving a sigh, Xu Yingying rubbed her forehead and set aside the computer. She couldn¡¯t decide this matter in a short time, so she should sleep early.


    As she lay down, Xu Yingying remembered Li Yifei beside her. The sudden presence of a man in her bed made her uncomfortable and awkward. Fortunately, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t snoring today, so she thought she could still sleep.


    Li Yifei was sleeping at the edge, occupying less than a third of the bed, leaving two-thirds of it for her. When Xu Yingying lay down, there was still enough space between them for another adult to sleep. The blanket was large enough to cover both as well.


    Lying in bed, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t sleep for a long time. It wasn¡¯t because of Li Yifei but because of her severe headache. Likely due to overworking her brain recently, her mental exhaustion had led to this ailment.


    Today seemed particularly bad as she tossed and turned, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a painful moan.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei turned over and softly asked.


    "A headache," Xu Yingying weakly replied.


    "You¡¯re not running a fever again, are you?" Li Yifei sat up, reaching out to touch Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t avoid him. The last time she had a fever, Li Yifei had taken care of her all night without any misconduct, so she trusted him. She said, "I might just be tired lately."


    Li Yifei responded with "Oh," and said, "Then it must be fatigue. Do you want me to give you a massage? I¡¯m pretty good at it; it should relieve a lot of pain."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "I¡¯d appreciate it."


    Li Yifei sat by Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, placing his fingers precisely on her acupressure points, and gently massaged.


    Xu Yingying occasionally visited beauty salons and had those massages quite often, but they were always performed by women. Now having a man with ten strong fingers massage her head felt odd. However, the headache was so intense that it overshadowed the odd feeling.


    Li Yifei massaged with care, gradually increasing the pressure with his fingers. Xu Yingying¡¯s headache slowly diminished, and within less than ten minutes, she had already drifted off to sleep.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop, thinking that since he started, he should help alleviate her discomfort thoroughly.


    Another ten minutes or so passed, and just as Li Yifei was about to stop, Xu Yingying turned in her sleep, facing him. An arm even draped over him. To his surprise, her delicate hand accidentally ended up between Li Yifei¡¯s legs.


    Li Yifei, already agitated from Lianyao and Li Xinyue¡¯s teasing earlier that day, felt a surge of heat rise as Xu Yingying touched him. Since he was wearing only thin pajamas, the sudden contact caused a natural reaction, making him instantly aroused.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s hand started to slide away but mid-slide, her fingers curled, inadvertently gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arousal, catching him completely off guard, causing a suppressed groan to escape his lips.


    "Xu Yingying, you wouldn¡¯t be doing this on purpose, would you?" By now, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Though he couldn¡¯t clearly see the entire room, being so close to Xu Yingying, he could discern her facial expression.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression was calm, her breathing steady; the previously furrowed brows had completely relaxed, clearly showing she was in a deep sleep.


    This made Li Yifei even more frustrated. If Xu Yingying had done it intentionally, he could have taken advantage of the situation. But since it was purely an accident, he couldn¡¯t do anything to Xu Yingying.


    Luckily, Xu Yingying¡¯s hand released him after less than twenty seconds, falling onto his thigh. Li Yifei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If it lasted longer, he feared he might lose control and act on impulse.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei gently moved Xu Yingying¡¯s hand away, feeling frustrated about being put in such a compromising position by a woman and yet holding back.


    Restless on the bed, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what to do next. He decided to get up and have a drink of water to cool his heated mind.


    Just as he was about to open the door, the opposite door opened as well. Xu Shanshan walked out, giving a sleepy glance at Li Yifei, yawning and saying, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re still awake?"


    "Oh, yeah, I¡¯m awake." Li Yifei quickly shifted his body; his pajama pants were tented, which would be embarrassing if Xu Shanshan noticed.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened, scanning Li Yifei, and then she came close with a mischievous smile, saying, "Brother-in-law, I really feel sorry for you."


    Li Yifei forced a smile and asked, "Why feel sorry for me?"


    "Hehe, do I need to spell it out? It must be painful to have a beautiful woman lying on the bed whom you can¡¯t touch, huh?" She pointed at his waist and then jogged into the restroom with a cheeky grin.


    Li Yifei felt his face flush, knowing Xu Shanshan had seen his predicament. Now she would probably tease him even more.


    But on the upside, it confirmed Xu Yingying and his relationship, leaving Xu Shanshan with fewer doubts.


    After fetching a glass of water in the living room and downing it, Li Yifei sat on the couch to calm himself down.


    The bathroom door opened once again, and Xu Shanshan came to the living room, turning on the lights, which she set to the softest glow, bathing the room in a cozy dimness.


    She casually sat next to Li Yifei, casting a glance at him and then bursting out in laughter.


    Knowing what Xu Shanshan was looking at, Li Yifei said, half-annoyed, half-amused, "What are you laughing at?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled again and said, "Brother-in-law, you really have great self-control."


    Li Yifei replied irritably, "This topic doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for a sister-in-law and brother-in-law to discuss, does it?"


    Xu Shanshan merely pouted and replied, "Why not? I¡¯m not a child. Besides, it¡¯s a modern world, isn¡¯t it? Is it wrong for me, as your sister-in-law, to chat with my brother-in-law?"


    "Then let¡¯s change the subject," Li Yifei suggested, not wanting to linger on this topic.


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Alright, so what should we talk about?"


    "Talk about whatever you want."


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "Then, Brother-in-law, can you tell me a story?"


    Li Yifei widened his eyes, surprised, "A story?"


    Xu Shanshan cheekily smiled and said, "Yeah, a story. I loved it when Dad used to tell me stories when I was little, but he only knew a few, and I got bored of them. Brother-in-law, tell me about your past; I¡¯d love to hear it." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei hesitated briefly, then said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll tell you a story."

 Chapter 121 Xu Shanshan is Difficult to Deal With

    Chapter 121: Chapter 121 Xu Shanshan is Difficult to Deal WithLi Yifei told Xu Shanshan a story for a while. Speaking of stories, it was about incidents from Li Yifei¡¯s time in the army. Of course, he couldn¡¯t share anything classified, so he just picked some fun and interesting ones to tell Xu Shanshan.


    After talking for more than ten minutes, Xu Shanshan actually tilted her head, leaned on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, saying, "Brother-in-law, go on, don¡¯t mind me."


    Her soft voice made Li Yifei unable to refuse, so he continued for a bit. But then, Xu Shanshan¡¯s body slipped, and she fell onto his thigh. Li Yifei quickly reached out to support her head, letting her rest slowly on his leg. Looking at the sweet sleeping face of his sister-in-law, he was truly at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This little sister-in-law was like a child, falling asleep while listening to stories.


    Looking at Xu Shanshan¡¯s sweet sleeping posture, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have the heart to wake her up, so he simply carried her to her room.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t react at all, sleeping deeply. Even when Li Yifei placed her on the bed, there was no response.


    Seeing his sister-in-law like a sleeping beauty, Li Yifei truly wanted to play the prince and give her a peck, but he dismissed the idea, covered her with the quilt, tiptoed out of Xu Shanshan¡¯s room, gently closed her door, turned off the living room light, and returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s room.


    Xu Yingying was still sleeping soundly. Li Yifei got into bed without waking her, and after a busy day, he too quickly fell asleep.


    For the past half month, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep. Tonight, she finally slept well. In the morning, she woke up because of the alarm, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Li Yifei¡¯s face very close to hers; just a fist¡¯s distance apart.


    Xu Yingying quickly withdrew her head to put some distance between their faces and then noticed that her leg was on top of Li Yifei¡¯s leg, which made her even more embarrassed. She hurriedly pulled her leg back, annoyed at how Li Yifei had gotten so close to her in his sleep. But looking at her position on the bed, she realized she was in the middle, while Li Yifei was still by the bed¡¯s edge, meaning she had moved over, not him.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s annoyance instantly turned into embarrassment and shyness. She quickly got up and slipped out of the bedroom. It would be awkward if Li Yifei found out, but thankfully, Li Yifei was sleeping soundly.


    However, as soon as she went out, Li Yifei opened his eyes. Someone like Li Yifei, even in sleep, had the keenest senses. When Xu Yingying¡¯s leg was thrown onto him, he already knew. But because it wasn¡¯t a dangerous sensation, he automatically ignored it. Yet with Xu Yingying getting up, no matter how much he wanted to pretend not to notice, he definitely felt it.


    He just faked being asleep to avoid embarrassing Xu Yingying.


    After tidying herself up in the bathroom, Xu Yingying felt particularly refreshed. She hadn¡¯t experienced this sort of deep sleep for a good few days, knowing it was definitely thanks to Li Yifei¡¯s massage last night. In her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but silently praise Li Yifei¡¯s massage skills.


    Today, even though it was the weekend, Xu Yingying still had a lot to do. Returning to the bedroom, she gave Li Yifei a nudge, and once he opened his eyes, she said, "Today, you accompany Shanshan to hang out, I have to go out now."


    Li Yifei yawned and said, "Alright, you go ahead. Leave Shanshan to me."


    "Mm, I¡¯ll leave the car for you two. Here¡¯s some cash. Get Shanshan whatever she likes." Xu Yingying placed a wad of cash by the pillow, amounting to ten thousand.


    "Won¡¯t need that much, will we?"


    "That girl has no sense of money, so bring more. If it¡¯s not enough, cover it first, and I¡¯ll repay you later."


    "Need an invoice?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "What do you think?"


    "Hehe, seems like I can pocket some."


    "As you wish." Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind. Since Li Yifei was pretending to be her boyfriend, she hadn¡¯t mentioned payment, which was like indirectly giving him some money.


    Saying this, Xu Yingying took her clothes and left the bedroom. Not long after, there was the sound of the door closing.


    As soon as Xu Yingying left, Li Yifei also got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and did some simple exercises like sit-ups and push-ups. Once he¡¯d worked up quite a sweat, he moved into the bathroom for a shower.


    Years of training meant that, even back in the city, Li Yifei still trained to maintain his body strength. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to be lazy, it was just that it had become ingrained in him; slacking off felt uncomfortable throughout his whole body.


    Just as he was showering, the bathroom door suddenly opened. Li Yifei immediately grabbed a towel to cover himself, glared at Xu Shanshan at the door, and shouted, "Shanshan, what are you doing?"


    "Ah! Brother-in-law, you¡¯re showering," Xu Shanshan mumbled in a daze, quickly shutting the door with a "bang" and then yelled from outside, "Hurry up, I need the bathroom."


    Li Yifei was at a loss. Xu Shanshan truly was brazen, running into him while showering and not thinking it a big deal. But thinking back, the last time she stumbled upon him in the bathroom, she just laughed it off too, seemingly not considering him an outsider anymore.


    After a rushed shower of less than five minutes, Li Yifei opened the bathroom door, as Xu Shanshan was persistently knocking and almost barging in.


    Once the door opened, Xu Shanshan squeezed in and rushed straight for the toilet. Li Yifei quickly stepped out, closing the bathroom door behind him. Just as he was doing so, he saw Xu Shanshan had already sat down with her pants off.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei was helpless against this sister-in-law. One couldn¡¯t say Xu Shanshan was the type of girl who was casual, yet her interactions with him were too informal. Anyway, they were merely brother-in-law and sister-in-law, not siblings or anything.


    Turning to the kitchen, he began preparing breakfast for the two of them. It wasn¡¯t long before Xu Shanshan leaned against the kitchen door and said, "Where¡¯s my sister?"


    "Your sister left; she has matters at the company and can¡¯t join us."


    "She¡¯s really something, not even resting on the weekend. Whoever hires my sister is truly lucky."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, she¡¯s like that; nobody can dissuade her."


    Xu Shanshan scratched her chin and said, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you feel it¡¯s dull being with my sister when she doesn¡¯t have time to date you, watch movies, or travel together?"


    Li Yifei gave a mock stern look, "Are you really your sister¡¯s sibling? You¡¯re trying to stir up trouble between me and your sister, aren¡¯t you?"


    Xu Shanshan burst into laughter, "If you two would argue just because of my words, you wouldn¡¯t be together till now!"


    "You¡¯re quite right. In a relationship, sometimes one must sacrifice a bit. If both are workaholics, it wouldn¡¯t work. Like me and your sister, she¡¯s busy with work, so I take care of things. That way, the home stays stable and harmonious."


    "My sister is truly fortunate!" Xu Shanshan pouted and glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt baffled by her glare, "What did I do to you now?"


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re awful. Being so nice, how am I supposed to find a boyfriend?"


    "What does my being nice have to do with your boyfriend search?" Li Yifei was still puzzled.


    "Of course, it matters! I¡¯m my sister¡¯s twin, and we¡¯re nearly the same in everything. If she can find a great boyfriend like you, how could I settle for less?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily; her words were truly flattering, "There are plenty of good men out there, you just haven¡¯t met one yet. When the time is right, you¡¯ll find your true love." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan shook her head, wearing a gloomy expression, "Forget it, I¡¯ve been looking for years without finding anyone suitable. Brother-in-law, with such a high bar you¡¯ve set, it¡¯s even harder for me."


    "Alright, quit your blabbering and get ready to eat. After the meal, I¡¯ll take you out for some fun."


    "Got it!" Xu Shanshan eagerly replied and went into the kitchen to help Li Yifei with dishes. In this regard, she was much more proactive than Xu Yingying, who rarely lifted a finger during meals.


    The two enjoyed a simple breakfast, and then, with Li Yifei driving, they headed out for the day.


    Being the primary tourist destination in Mile City, the Hualong Temple, where Su Mengxin went last time, was a must-see.


    The weather was fantastic today¡ªclear skies without a puff of wind. It was the weekend, and a lot of people were visiting Hualong Temple. Climbing up the steps, Xu Shanshan remained energetic and occasionally stopped to look at the fresh green sprouts emerging from the roadside foliage.


    After walking more than halfway, and seeing Xu Shanshan still full of energy, Li Yifei gleefully said, "You¡¯ve got quite the stamina! Last time with your sister, she was exhausted before we even got halfway."


    "Of course I do; I study dance and regularly exercise, unlike my sister who hardly moves all day."


    "But I don¡¯t see much difference in your figures."


    "My muscles are firm; hers are soft. Why don¡¯t you feel and see?" Xu Shanshan playfully winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Better not."


    "Heehee, what are you thinking? I meant squeeze my arm." Xu Shanshan giggled gleefully.


    Li Yifei felt helpless with this mischievous sister-in-law but gamely pinched her arm, "There is a bit of difference."


    In truth, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t discern any difference between their arms. Both were not too thin or too fat, appearing quite balanced and full of substance.


    Pointing at Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan laughed heartily, "I bet you haven¡¯t even pinched my sister¡¯s arm, right? My sister and I often compare, and we¡¯re actually the same."


    Li Yifei felt a bit at a loss, "Of course, I have; I was just going along with your words. You¡¯re intentionally trying to ensnare me."

 Chapter 122: What is your relationship?

    Chapter 122: Chapter 122: What is your relationship?The two chatted and laughed all the way to the temple at the mountain top. Xu Shanshan curiously looked around with great interest. Li Yifei followed behind Xu Shanshan and helped explain things to her along the way.


    The most lively place in Hualong Temple was the incense-offering area. At this time, the devout followers were each holding incense sticks, sincerely placing them in the incense burner. The smoke was thick, making the eyes water, but no one seemed to mind.


    Xu Shanshan also ran over to buy an incense stick and lined up to offer it, while Li Yifei stood to the side waiting for her. He didn¡¯t believe in these things at all. Having completed so many tasks with the Flying Hawk Squad over the years and returning safely was due to his own hard work, not praying to gods or Buddha.


    "Brother Li!" a delighted voice called out, and a girl ran over quickly.


    Li Yifei was very familiar with this girl; it was Su Yiyi. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter her here. Glancing at Xu Shanshan, who was standing in line and not looking his way at the moment, he smiled and said to Su Yiyi, "How did you come here?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s little face was flushed with excitement as she replied, "I didn¡¯t have anything to do today, so I came here to offer some incense."


    "You actually believe in this?" Li Yifei asked with a smile. He liked Su Yiyi quite a lot, but it was just a kind of fondness, not love.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s expression changed, and she said anxiously, "Brother Li, you can¡¯t speak recklessly here. Buddha bless us, my Brother Li just misspoke for a moment. Please don¡¯t hold it against him."


    It was the first time Li Yifei had seen Su Yiyi get anxious with him. Seeing her sincere demeanor, his heart softened, and he immediately said, "I did misspeak; Buddha will not blame me."


    Su Yiyi finally relaxed and softly said, "Brother Li, this place is truly spiritual."


    "Really?" Li Yifei asked with a smile, "What have you prayed for that came true?"


    Su Yiyi blushed and lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes. Li Yifei guessed right away that it must have something to do with him, so he was too embarrassed to ask further.


    At this moment, Su Yiyi looked up and softly said, "Brother Li, I prayed to see you today, and then I saw you right away. Is that spiritual or not?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, "Did you climb such a high mountain just to see me?"


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said with a blush, "There¡¯s more... but... but... I can¡¯t tell you."


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Then I won¡¯t ask."


    Su Yiyi nodded, her eyes filled with deep affection as she looked at Li Yifei and asked, "Brother Li, why did you come here today?"


    Li Yifei pointed to the line over there and said, "I came with a friend."


    Su Yiyi followed his finger and her expression quickly changed, saying somewhat disappointingly, "Brother Li, is it that girl with the big curly hair?"


    Li Yifei was impressed by Su Yiyi. He had just casually pointed, and she immediately sensed he was indicating Xu Shanshan. Was it possible she really had a sixth sense? He had to say, "Yes."


    Su Yiyi took a breath, her face breaking into a radiant smile, and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯ll go now. If she sees you with me, it might lead to misunderstandings."


    Li Yifei playfully knocked on Su Yiyi¡¯s head and laughed, "What nonsense are you talking? She¡¯s the sister of our boss, but it wouldn¡¯t be great if she saw us together. I¡¯m accompanying her today on the boss¡¯s orders."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s smile bloomed like a flower, "Brother Li, then I¡¯ll leave you to it. I¡¯ll head back now."


    "Go ahead, be careful on your way down," Li Yifei nodded.


    "I will," Su Yiyi nodded, then gave Li Yifei a deep look, her eyes filled with affection, and walked lightly down the mountain.


    Li Yifei shook his head. This little girl seemed to like him more and more, making him a bit reluctant to face her lately.


    He smoked two cigarettes before Xu Shanshan finished offering her incense. As soon as she returned, she squinted her eyes and sized up Li Yifei, making him feel a bit uneasy. He asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Xu Shanshan suddenly punched him and gruffly said, "So, I guess my sister isn¡¯t doing that with you now, and you can actually endure it."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit flustered and said, "Shanshan, can we not talk about this topic?"


    "We have to talk about it. What¡¯s the deal with that girl earlier?" Xu Shanshan continued with a stern face.


    Li Yifei knew she was talking about Su Yiyi, so he calmly explained, "She¡¯s a university student; I¡¯ve helped her before, so she¡¯s more familiar with me."


    Xu Shanshan stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and said, "Really? You two are just ordinary friends?"


    Li Yifei met Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze calmly and said, "What else do you think it could be?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "The girl ran to you with excitement, clearly demonstrating that she has a strong affection for you. Such a pretty girl, and you aren¡¯t tempted?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Does that mean I should be tempted for every girl I¡¯m familiar with?"


    "Aren¡¯t men all like that?"


    "Shanshan, you¡¯re a beautiful girl too. Should I be tempted when I see you then?"


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, her eyes running over Li Yifei. "Alright, looks like you found a reason to convince me. But... why aren¡¯t you tempted when you see me? I¡¯m just like my sister."


    This left Li Yifei in an awkward sweatbath, and he awkwardly said, "Shanshan, don¡¯t tease your brother-in-law. You¡¯re my sister-in-law. If I dared to be tempted by you, your sister would skin me alive."


    Xu Shanshan then burst into laughter, "So if you had met me first, you¡¯d be tempted by me too?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "That¡¯s for sure, but now my heart is calm like still water, and apart from your sister, I don¡¯t dare to have any other thoughts about other girls."


    Suddenly, Xu Shanshan wrapped her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, giggling as she said, "You passed. Looks like my sister made the right choice in picking you."


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Li Yifei had been held by Xu Shanshan like this. He wasn¡¯t embarrassed, and having a beautiful girl like Xu Shanshan hold him was indeed a bit satisfying. Besides, since Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying were twins and now they were dressed alike, it made Li Yifei feel as though he was being held by Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying, the company boss, was rarely this gentle. Even when dealing with Xu Shanshan, holding arms felt awkward, so this moment allowed Li Yifei to satisfy some of his fantasies.


    The two didn¡¯t hurry down the mountain. They wandered around the temple again before heading down together.


    After descending, it was already noon. They wanted to find a restaurant to eat, and conveniently, there were some local places nearby. It was springtime, so some freshly caught small fish from the river were particularly fresh. They ordered a variety of these specialties and started eating.


    It was the first time Xu Shanshan had tasted these. As she ate, she praised, "This is really delicious. Brother-in-law, it was worth coming out with you. Last time I came here, my sister didn¡¯t take me to eat something this good."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Your sister is busy, unlike your brother-in-law, who¡¯s a free man."


    "Tsk, I figured it out. My sister is holding back your potential. With your ability, Brother-in-law, you could definitely outdo my sister if you wanted to."


    "I¡¯d rather not deal with all that trouble. Here, try this."


    Li Yifei was referring to a kind of mountain frog, which lived in mountain streams. This time of year, their bellies were full of eggs and tasted particularly good. However, these were not common in the market, only available in places with mountain streams.


    "This... is a bit scary," Xu Shanshan was hesitant. Girls usually have a fear of frogs and snakes. Among the six dishes on the table, this was the only one untouched.


    Li Yifei took a bite, chewing with an expression of pleasure, "If you don¡¯t eat it, I¡¯ll finish it alone."


    Seeing Li Yifei enjoy it so much made Xu Shanshan drool. She pursed her lips and asked, "Is this really edible?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say a word, simply placing a piece on his own plate, eating slowly.


    Finally, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t resist the allure of good food. She cautiously picked a small piece, and forcing herself past the discomfort, she placed it in her mouth.


    Watching her, Li Yifei asked, "How is it?"


    Xu Shanshan smacked her lips and said, "I didn¡¯t really taste anything, but it doesn¡¯t feel uncomfortable either." Then she picked up another leg to eat.


    As soon as she did, her eyes lit up as she incoherently said, "This is tasty, better than fish."


    Li Yifei laughed loudly, "If it wasn¡¯t good, would I have ordered it for you?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly, "I knew my Brother-in-law was good to me, it¡¯s delicious."


    Xu Shanshan ate without a care for her image, grabbing another whole one after finishing the small leg, eating heartily.


    This was a difference between Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying would always maintain her image when eating, even at home alone with Li Yifei, chewing slowly and deliberately. How she ate when alone was something Li Yifei couldn¡¯t see.


    Xu Shanshan, on the other hand, was very casual. If it was tasty, she¡¯d eat vigorously, chatting while eating without a trace of ladylike behavior. However, this genuine nature was also very appealing, making people feel close to her.


    As they were enjoying their meal, four young people walked in. At a glance, it was clear that these were wealthy individuals, each dressed in global brands, carrying expensive phones and bags. Two of them held car keys, one for a Ferrari and one for a Porsche. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan sat by the window. Turning to look outside, they saw two silver luxury cars parked in the yard, a Porsche and a Ferrari.

 Chapter 123: The Prodigal Young Master

    Chapter 123: Chapter 123: The Prodigal Young MasterXu Shanshan saw the cars outside at that moment and stuck out her tongue, saying, "Brother-in-law, look, a Ferrari and a Porsche, they¡¯re so pretty."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You like branded cars too?"


    "Of course, I like them, but we don¡¯t have the money, otherwise, you could talk to my big sister and get her to buy me one."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Do you think your sister can afford to buy you one?"


    "Seems like she can¡¯t. She earns quite a bit each year, but after all, she¡¯s just an employee. Buying such luxury cars is definitely beyond her power. It looks like I can only wait to hook a wealthy husband to buy one for me."


    "Ha... That¡¯s a good strategy. Then just kick him to the curb after you get the car, and you¡¯ve got yourself a free ride."


    "Right, right, you have an even better idea," Xu Shanshan also started laughing happily.


    The voices of the two chatting were not loud, but the voices of the four new arrivals were quite loud. One of them frowned and said, "The environment here really sucks."


    Another man said, "Young Master Qin, this place isn¡¯t like those big hotels. The main thing here is its uniqueness, a taste of the authentic and original," clearly with an intent to flatter.


    That Young Master Qin, his gaze sweeping across the room, spotted Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. The charming smile of Xu Shanshan attracted him immediately.


    Qin Shaodong, as Young Master Qin was named, was the son of the head of Jianhao Real Estate Company. Although Jianhao Real Estate wasn¡¯t the largest enterprise in Mile City, it was quite substantial. The real estate business had been hot over the past years, and they had made quite a fortune, with the family assets being worth a couple hundred million.


    As a man of no real talent or education and backed by family wealth, Qin Shaodong had become the typical spoiled young master, indulging in luxury and women every day. While he had not committed any serious offenses, he had certainly not been short on minor misdemeanors.


    With his wealth, naturally, all the women he dated were quite attractive. Yet today, to come across a beauty like Xu Shanshan in such a modest restaurant stirred his heart; he whistled, sneakily signaled the other three, and they all started heading directly toward Li Yifei¡¯s table with smirks on their faces.


    Li Yifei had already noticed Qin Shaodong, who had been staring at Xu Shanshan. It was clear to him that this guy was probably looking for trouble, and as he approached, the inevitability of trouble was confirmed.


    Li Yifei had encountered plenty of these high-and-mighty youths. In Capital City, each one was far more powerful than this Qin Shaodong. Due to his many encounters, Li Yifei knew that these types were quite annoying and troublesome to deal with.


    If he had still been part of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei could¡¯ve simply chased these people away or beaten them up without any repercussions. But being just an ordinary person now, he¡¯d have to be more careful. So he was thinking about how to get rid of them without causing trouble.


    By this time, the four men had already arrived at Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s table. Qin Shaodong ignored Li Yifei completely and said to Xu Shanshan, "Beauty, how about you join us for some fun outside?"


    Xu Shanshan had noticed these men as well and immediately frowned with a cold face, rebuking, "Not interested."


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s demeanor surprised Li Yifei. She was the spitting image of another Xu Yingying. Now Li Yifei understood that Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, the twin sisters, actually had completely identical temperaments. Xu Yingying maximized the display of her grandiose and aloof nature, while Xu Shanshan expressed her quirky and elfish side to the fullest.


    Yet in both, there was a bit of each other. Once they encountered certain special situations, one could see that they were indeed the most similar pair of twins.


    Qin Shaodong laughed, slapped a stack of money on the table, and said, "I¡¯m afraid if you hang out with us guys for the day, all this money will be yours."


    The money was more than ten thousand, which, to most people, was certainly shocking. Encountering girls in such a small restaurant, they naturally believed the money would be enough to sway them.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression grew colder as she said, "Get lost, I don¡¯t have time for you."


    Qin Shaodong¡¯s expression changed and he said, "Beauty has quite the attitude. I like that even more. I¡¯ll give you a hundred thousand. My word as Qin Shaodong is solid ¨C agree now, and I can transfer the hundred thousand to you this instant, and this cash is yours as well."


    "Get lost!" Xu Shanshan grabbed a cup filled with a drink and flung it, splashing half a cup of juice towards Qin Shaodong.


    Qin Shaodong never expected Xu Shanshan to be so bold and did not have time to dodge. He was drenched in a large portion of the juice, and even the two companions next to him did not escape unscathed.


    "Fuck, you bitch!" Qin Shaodong immediately started cursing and reached for her face to slap Xu Shanshan.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan was not afraid at all. She kicked out and hit Qin Shaodong in the abdomen, sending him back two steps and causing his slap to miss its mark.


    Li Yifei was about to intervene, but he didn¡¯t expect Xu Shanshan to actually know how to fight. This was indeed a surprise to him. Seeing this, he was in no rush to step in, instead wanting to see how she would handle the situation next.


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t disappoint Li Yifei. She stood up and slammed her hand on the table, coldly shouting at the four men, "Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re four men you¡¯re something special. Let me tell you, I¡¯m a black belt, fifth degree in Taekwondo. I can easily take on four little punks like you."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s momentum truly intimidated the four men somewhat, but as four men, they couldn¡¯t let a girl scare them off and lose face.


    "Folks, folks, please don¡¯t fight, no fighting!" The restaurant owner, a man in his forties, rushed over to break up the fight when he saw it was about to start.


    "Get lost!" Qin Shaodong cursed loudly, slapping the restaurant owner¡¯s face, and commanded, "Keep out of it if you don¡¯t want to die." Then, after wiping the juice from his face, he smirked and said, "Little lady, you¡¯re getting spicier by the minute. I like taming wild mares like you. Boys, get her."


    Seeing she hadn¡¯t intimidated the four men, Xu Shanshan started to panic. Although she had practiced Taekwondo, she might have a chance against one man, but against four, she was certainly outmatched.


    Li Yifei saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s panicked eyes and knew she had been bluffing. While he found it somewhat amusing, it changed his impression of Xu Shanshan for the better. In the eyes of those from the Flying Hawk Squad, someone who could keep a cool head when faced with a problem often had an advantage over pure strength. At least in that respect, Xu Shanshan met the criteria for joining the Flying Hawk Squad.


    However, Li Yifei could no longer stand by and do nothing. He stood up and said, "Shanshan, let your brother-in-law handle this kind of thing."


    Without waiting for Xu Shanshan to react, he had already kicked the foremost thug into the air.


    Then he lowered his body and punched another man so hard he staggered back several steps, bending forward and unable to straighten up again. A shoulder barge to the right sent another thug flying like he had been hit by a speeding truck, nearly toppling over the tables behind him.


    Qin Shaodong hadn¡¯t yet reacted; he was still charging ferociously when Li Yifei swept a leg, causing the guy to suddenly fly sideways and thud face-first onto the ground.


    The other patrons in the small shop, seated at two other tables, were all stunned. Four grown men were laid low in less than ten seconds by Li Yifei alone; it was more fantastical than scenes from martial arts novels.


    Xu Shanshan stood there, her mouth agape. She knew Li Yifei was retired from the military but had no idea he could fight like this.


    "Brother-in-law! You¡¯re so cool!" Xu Shanshan excitedly yelled, rushing over to jump and wrap her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, planting a kiss on his face with a smack.


    Li Yifei was frozen on the spot, never expecting Xu Shanshan to get so excited that she would deliver a kiss as well.


    Of course, he understood that Xu Shanshan¡¯s kiss was not romantic; it was simply an expression of excitement. This was normal, like how some football fans might hug and peck someone on the cheek when their team wins, regardless of whether that person is a stranger or acquaintance, male or female.


    Patting Xu Shanshan¡¯s back, Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, come down now."


    Xu Shanshan let go of Li Yifei and, without any hint of embarrassment, stared at him, looking him up and down. She was beginning to realize more and more just how impressive her brother-in-law was. When she first met Li Yifei, she had no particular impression of him, but as he displayed his capabilities time and again, Xu Shanshan¡¯s respect for him grew immensely.


    Here was a brother-in-law who could mix drinks, cook, and fight so well. Who knew what other talents Li Yifei might reveal in the future?


    At this time, Qin Shaodong and his gang struggled to their feet. With a face contorted by pain, Qin Shaodong pointed at Li Yifei and cursed, "Fuck, you dare hit me? You¡¯re dead meat. I will make sure you¡¯re finished!" Inside, he was figuring out how to get people to deal with Li Yifei and then take Xu Shanshan to his bed and brutally have his way with her.


    Xu Shanshan cut him off with a cold shout, "Still want a beating? You¡¯re just trash, acting all high and mighty just because you¡¯ve got some pathetic money."


    Li Yifei followed up with a grave voice, "It seems your bones are quite tough; guess I¡¯ll have to loosen them up for you!"


    Li Yifei¡¯s fierce appearance was indeed scary, causing the thugs to take a few steps back. Although Qin Shaodong, the spoiled young master, was somewhat afraid of Li Yifei, there were many other things he could rely on. He yelled at Li Yifei, "You just wait. I¡¯ll make sure you learn what happens when you hit me." Yet in his heart, he was planning how to find someone to take care of Li Yifei and then to possess and violently ravage the beautiful Xu Shanshan.


    sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 124: Street Racing

    Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Street Racing"Are you gonna scram or not? If you don¡¯t scram now, I won¡¯t be so polite anymore," Li Yifei furrowed his brow, not wanting to tangle with such a spoiled young master. People like them, even a hundred more, wouldn¡¯t concern him, but the people they could bring, that¡¯s more troublesome. It would be fine if it were just Li Yifei alone, but he had Xu Shanshan with him, and what mattered most was that if Xu Yingying found out they had fought, she would definitely blame him."


    Li Yifei¡¯s imposing attitude scared the four guys into leaving a few harsh words behind as they ran out of the restaurant.


    Li Yifei threw five hundred yuan to the owner, then pulled Xu Shanshan and headed out.


    Following Li Yifei out without saying much, Xu Shanshan only spoke after getting into his car, "Brother-in-law, we should hurry up and leave. Those guys seem troublesome, and it would be a hassle if they bring more people."


    "You were quite fierce just now. Why are you scared now?" Li Yifei joked as he drove the car out of the yard.


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head to look at Li Yifei and said with a grin, "If they brought some street punks or something, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but if they bring in people from the police station and I get arrested, that would be more troublesome."


    "You sure know a lot, don¡¯t you?"


    "I¡¯m not a child. How could I not understand these things? Those rich and powerful people love to bully others, and the police station and Public Security Bureau will speak for them. If we get arrested, even if sister eventually bails us out, we would still suffer."


    Li Yifei said with a chuckle, "Then let¡¯s make a quick getaway."


    The two drove along the highway toward the city center, but less than five minutes into their drive, a Ferrari and a Porsche chased after them from behind. The roar of their powerful engines was ear-piercing, and soon they were very close to them.


    "This is bad, brother-in-law, they¡¯re catching up," Xu Shanshan suddenly exclaimed, looking back worryingly.


    Li Yifei was calm and asked, "How about we play something exciting?"


    "Really? How do we play?" Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t surprised, but instead looked excited.


    "Fasten your seatbelt then. I¡¯ll take you for some car racing," Li Yifei said nonchalantly.


    "Racing? Awesome! That¡¯s thrilling!" Xu Shanshan fastened her seatbelt swiftly. Holding the handrail tightly with one hand, she then quickly said, "Brother-in-law, we are in a Buick, racing against their Ferrari and Porsche. Can we win?"


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and answered, "We are not racing them on a track; this is a highway. They can¡¯t maximize the speed of their cars here. In the end, it¡¯s all about driving skills." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes shone brightly, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so cool. You can even race cars. Hurry up; they¡¯re almost catching up."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Then hold tight, I¡¯m going to speed up." With those words, Li Yifei stomped on the accelerator, and the Buick car shot forward suddenly. The sudden burst of speed pinned Xu Shanshan to her seat.


    However, Xu Shanshan shouted excitedly at the sudden burst of speed. Being a lively and active girl, she always enjoyed thrilling and adventurous activities. She had long been fascinated by racing but never had the opportunity to try it. Today, she finally had the chance to indulge completely.


    Li Yifei¡¯s Buick, a luxurious business vehicle, is quite comfortable, but his driving is only average. It¡¯s sufficient for driving Xu Yingying, the boss, around, but for racing against others, it¡¯s definitely not fast enough.


    At that moment, Qin Shaodong gripped the steering wheel tightly. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s Buick pick up speed, a cold smile crept onto his face, "Damn it, a crap Buick daring to race with me, seeking death." He floored the accelerator, and his Ferrari shot forward like an arrow, closing the gap with Li Yifei¡¯s Buick in an instant.


    "Brother-in-law, his car is catching up," Xu Shanshan turned to look back and saw the Ferrari was now less than a hundred meters away, and the Porsche was closely following. She screamed.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Watch and learn; today you¡¯ll witness your brother-in-law¡¯s driving skills." With a sharp turn of the steering wheel, he overtook a large truck, then quickly merged into the right lane, drawing a graceful arc without hesitation or delay.


    After passing a car from the opposite direction, Li Yifei¡¯s car swiftly overtook two more cars and then once again merged into the right lane.


    Xu Shanshan, a driver herself with her own car, understood well enough that, although Li Yifei¡¯s overtaking seemed simple, it required precise control over speed and direction. Even a slight deviation could have resulted in a collision with the vehicles in the left lane.


    The road was not wide, having only two lanes, making overtaking possible only when there was no oncoming traffic. However, there were quite many cars on the road, so overtaking was not at all easy. With his adept driving skills, Li Yifei¡¯s Buick weaved through traffic like an eel, surpassing one car after another.


    The Ferrari and Porsche, with their superior speed and acceleration that the Buick could never match, made Qin Shaodong and his three friends, who were car enthusiasts and liked to drive fast, assume that catching up with Li Yifei would be child¡¯s play. But on this kind of road, they couldn¡¯t exhibit the same proficiency as Li Yifei. No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn¡¯t catch up with Li Yifei, who was pulling farther and farther ahead.


    "Fuck!" Qin Shaodong couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud, driving a Ferrari and still losing to a Buick, this was truly humiliating, even more embarrassing than when Li Yifei beat them up.


    And just now, in his urgency, he almost crashed into an oncoming car while overtaking, but luckily he got back into the proper lane in time, avoiding an accident.


    Xu Shanshan was a bit nervous at first, but after a while, when the other car still hadn¡¯t caught up, and although Li Yifei¡¯s car was driving fast and seemed dangerous, the thrill of it made her more and more excited. Now, she no longer clutched at the handle but started waving her hands and feet, shouting with glee.


    "Brother-in-law, how are you so amazing at driving?" Not seeing Qin Shaodong and their cars anymore, Xu Shanshan curiously asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled, "I¡¯m a retired soldier; I practiced driving in the army."


    "My dad is also a retired soldier, and he still can¡¯t drive. What kind of unit were you in that¡¯s so incredible?"


    "It wasn¡¯t any special unit, just that I liked to drive while in the army, and one leader there really appreciated me, so he let me practice driving. One thing led to another, and I picked up some skills."


    Xu Shanshan said admiringly, "Brother-in-law, your skills are so amazing, I feel like you¡¯re comparable to a professional racer."


    Li Yifei laughed, "That¡¯s far from true; my level isn¡¯t even up to an amateur, but it¡¯s no problem handling those spoiled brats just now."


    The two of them chatted and laughed, and the car kept speeding just as before. Suddenly, the road widened, with four lanes on each side, and although there were still many cars, driving became much easier.


    Seeing such a road, Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and looked at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, on a road like this, can they still not catch up to us?"


    Li Yifei replied indifferently, "They can¡¯t catch up, watch how I make them eat my dust."


    Xu Shanshan, looking at Li Yifei¡¯s calm but strong confidence, couldn¡¯t help but keep her eyes on him.


    "What¡¯s up?" Li Yifei, focused on driving, could still feel Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze on him was a bit unusual.


    Xu Shanshan grinned and said, "Nothing, I was just wondering what else you can do."


    "I can do a lot, too many to think of all at once. It¡¯s only when there¡¯s a need that I can remember."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Yes, I just realized another one."


    "What did you realize now?"


    "I just realized that brother-in-law, you¡¯ve got a pretty thick skin too."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into loud laughter, and Xu Shanshan was also giggling happily.


    By this time, Qin Shaodong and the others had also reached this wide road, which made Qin Shaodong ecstatic. On such a road, they could truly show off the capabilities of their two cars. With a push on the gas pedal, the two cars accelerated to over twenty miles in an instant, and in less than five minutes, they could see Li Yifei¡¯s car once again.


    Xu Shanshan had been watching behind all the time, and now she immediately exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, they¡¯re catching up!" The excitement in her voice was indescribable; she really wanted to see how Li Yifei would compete with a Ferrari and Porsche on a road like this.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched slightly; it had been months since he had returned to the city and he hadn¡¯t done anything like this again. Today was a good day to play along with these kids.


    He pressed the gas pedal, and Li Yifei¡¯s spirit also focused. To Xu Shanshan, it felt like Li Yifei became one with the car at that moment; the car was Li Yifei, and Li Yifei was the car, it was a wonderful feeling that she couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint the origin of.


    The Buick¡¯s engine roared powerfully, and the speed quickly reached over twenty.


    "Fuck, this guy is driving the Buick so fast, isn¡¯t he afraid of breaking the car apart?" Qin Shaodong cursed, feeling that Li Yifei was being really foolish. Their cars could speed up even more without issue, but a Buick like this was almost at its limit; wanting to go faster would practically mean flying.


    "Kid, watch how I deal with you." Qin Shaodong sneered, and the car sped up once again, getting closer and closer to Li Yifei¡¯s car.

 Chapter 125 Caught by the Traffic Police

    Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Caught by the Traffic PoliceThe Buick was shaking as it reached this speed, appearing as if it was about to fall apart. Xu Shanshan began to feel nervous, but watching Li Yifei¡¯s focused expression, she swallowed the words that had reached the tip of her tongue. She suddenly had an unexplainable trust in her brother-in-law, believing that what he said he could do, he would do, without letting her come to any harm.


    "Damn! Street racing, huh!" A Camry was driving steadily at eighty miles per hour when a Buick, followed by a Ferrari and a Porsche, whizzed by so closely that the driver couldn¡¯t help but let out a curse.


    "I¡¯m dizzy, what¡¯s this all about? That¡¯s a Buick ahead, can you even street race with that?" Another question immediately followed in the driver¡¯s mind.


    It wasn¡¯t just the driver in the Camry who had such doubts, but every driver that was overtaken at that moment thought the same. Moreover, they despised such high-speed street racing, considering it extremely dangerous. If those racers had an accident, that¡¯s one thing, but if they collided with another car, then others would really be out of luck.


    Li Yifei¡¯s car was indeed lacking in performance compared to the cars of Qin Shaodong and his group. After racing for more than ten kilometers, the Porsche and Ferrari were drawing ever closer to Li Yifei¡¯s car, with less than ten meters separating them.


    "Damn it, keep running, let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t catch you!" Qin Shaodong¡¯s eyes shone with excitement; all he was thinking about was catching up to Li Yifei.


    But suddenly, the Buick ahead veered to the left, then jerked back to the right, slowing down a bit, causing Qin Shaodong¡¯s car to nearly crash into Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Qin Shaodong quickly stepped on the brake. Although he wished to crash into Li Yifei and end him, at such speeds, if he really crashed into Li Yifei¡¯s car, not only would the Buick be wrecked, but his own car wouldn¡¯t survive either, and naturally, he could kiss his own life goodbye.


    Slamming on the brakes so suddenly, Young Master Qin¡¯s car nearly lost control, but fortunately, the Ferrari¡¯s performance was more than adequate, preventing him from crossing over into the oncoming lane.


    Li Yifei then stopped trying to outspeed them. Maintaining an erratic speed of 150 to 160, he weaved left and right, effectively blocking their cars, not allowing them to overtake. Whether it was the Ferrari or the Porsche, try as they might to pass Li Yifei¡¯s car, they were always thwarted.


    This left Qin Shaodong incredibly frustrated. Although they had slowed down considerably, this pace was still too risky for ramming; a collision would mean the destruction of cars and loss of lives, and they weren¡¯t quite ready to gamble their lives against Li Yifei.


    Besides, they believed their lives were worth much more than Li Yifei¡¯s and weren¡¯t about to risk a face-off with him.


    This maneuver of blocking the cars behind and not letting them get ahead excited Xu Shanshan so much that she couldn¡¯t stop shouting. She was thoroughly enjoying herself today.


    However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s excitement didn¡¯t last long as two Police Cars suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the road. After passing Li Yifei¡¯s car, the police immediately turned on the sirens and then made a U-turn, starting to chase after Li Yifei¡¯s car.


    Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, we¡¯re done for, the cops are onto us."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "It¡¯s all right." And with that, he began to slow down the car.


    Xu Shanshan anxiously exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, what are you doing? Hurry up and run! What if the cops catch us?"


    Li Yifei leisurely pulled over to the side of the road and said, "So what if they catch us? We haven¡¯t done anything illegal."


    "Not illegal? Brother-in-law, going fifty percent over the speed limit means a twelve-point deduction and the revocation of your license. This road is supposed to be limited to eighty, and we just went over two hundred at one point. How can you say we haven¡¯t broken the law?"


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette and said, "Just watch the show."


    Seeing how confident Li Yifei was, Xu Shanshan¡¯s nerves eased, and she asked curiously, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t tell me you know someone in the Traffic Police Team here?"


    "I don¡¯t know anyone, not a single person," Li Yifei said with certainty, shaking his head.


    Xu Shanshan was suddenly at a loss and said, "If you don¡¯t know anyone and say it¡¯s not a big deal, you must be joking. If my older sister finds out we were racing with someone, we¡¯d both be in deep trouble."


    "Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s absolutely no problem," Li Yifei reassured her, opening the car window with a smile on his face.


    At that moment, Qin Shaodong¡¯s car also arrived, blocking Li Yifei front and back. They were not afraid of the traffic police; with so many connections at home, they could easily handle it with a phone call. Although Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were also driving a Buick worth over three hundred thousand, in terms of connections, it was clear they did not match up.


    The traffic police¡¯s two cars also quickly arrived, and several officers jumped out from the vehicles, calling down several people. One, who seemed to be the leader, now said with a stern face, "You guys have some nerve, racing on a road with an eighty kilometer speed limit, and even reaching over two hundred kilometers per hour."


    Qin Shaodong and his companions didn¡¯t take the traffic police seriously at all, whistling and watching Li Yifei as if enjoying a good show. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei responded with a faint smile, "The officer is right; how can anyone race on a highway? It¡¯s truly disregarding one¡¯s own life and the lives of others. Such behavior deserves a hefty punishment."


    Qin Shaodong and the others suddenly widened their eyes. Li Yifei had the audacity to say such things, as if he wasn¡¯t involved in the racing.


    The traffic policeman said to Li Yifei, still not in a good mood, "You talk a good talk, so why were you racing just now?"


    Li Yifei immediately widened his eyes and said, "Officer, are you mistaken? I am the most law-abiding person there is. Look, when I wanted to smoke a cigarette, I purposely pulled over to the side of the road to do so. How could I possibly be someone who races?"


    "You didn¡¯t race?" The policeman looked at Li Yifei, puzzled.


    Li Yifei nodded emphatically, "No, I didn¡¯t. I had just stopped to smoke when their two cars pulled over. But I did see a Buick racing past like crazy just now; surely you¡¯re not talking about that car?"


    As Li Yifei said this, he acted as if he was deeply wronged. The policemen suddenly became doubtful. Although they had seen a Buick, a Ferrari, and a Porsche racing, they couldn¡¯t clearly see if Li Yifei¡¯s car was the one racing when they turned their heads; however, by the make, it seemed to match the racing Buick.


    At this moment, Qin Shaodong was also staring at Li Yifei, stunned. If he hadn¡¯t had a fight with Li Yifei, he might have believed Li Yifei was telling the truth. Sensing the police¡¯s doubt, Qin Shaodong immediately became furious and blurted out, "Officer, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. It was him who was racing with us."


    Qin Shaodong and his friends weren¡¯t afraid to admit to racing. What was the big deal about street racing anyway? They had lost count of how many times they had sped; if it wasn¡¯t for the thrill of speed, why would they buy Ferraris and Porsches? They might as well have bought Mercedes or BMWs which are equally reputable and comfortable to drive.


    These traffic policemen had long known that the owners of Ferraris and Porsches were certainly no small fry, and the leader had even met Qin Shaodong before. Although they weren¡¯t close, he knew that even if they wanted to penalize them, it would end with a fine at most. They couldn¡¯t actually deduct their points or revoke their driving licenses.


    However, dealing with Li Yifei seemed easier at the moment. The officer now put on a stern face and said, "It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether you were speeding or not. I can pull up the records right away."


    In the traffic police car, there was specialized equipment for pulling up records. They immediately connected to the City Bureau¡¯s information center and downloaded all the photos taken on that stretch of road.


    "Kid, I think you¡¯re toast this time, speeding by fifty percent, haha, let¡¯s see how you drive from now on," Qin Shaodong was all too familiar with the traffic police¡¯s procedures. Seeing what they were doing, he burst into smug laughter.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m telling you guys, just because you drive Ferraris and Porsches doesn¡¯t mean you can drive like that. What if you hit someone? Even if you didn¡¯t hit anyone else, what if you get hurt? What if you end up having to spend the rest of your lives in a wheelchair due to broken arms or legs? And if you lose your lives in a crash, how could you ever face your parents who have raised you?"


    Li Yifei was now lecturing Qin Shaodong and his friends like an elder, which made their faces turn to anger. Qin Shaodong snorted coldly, "Don¡¯t bother pretending here. I think the one who¡¯s finished is you."


    Xu Shanshan, who was following close behind Li Yifei, couldn¡¯t help but smile at his antics. However, seeing the policemen busy pulling up records made her worried again. Nowadays, having points deducted and paying fines was one thing, but having a driving license revoked was a real hassle, and what worried her the most was being scolded by her sister when she got back. After all, she had instigated today¡¯s events; if it weren¡¯t for taking her out, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have clashed with those spoiled rich kids or raced against them.


    If this led to a rift between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, her guilt would be even greater.


    The officer in charge of pulling up the data was feeling very frustrated. They had numerous clear shots of the Ferrari and Porsche speeding, clearly capturing their license plates. But they couldn¡¯t find a single photo of the Buick speeding, which seemed impossible.


    "What¡¯s going on?" The team leader frowned and asked the officer handling the data.


    "Boss, take a look for yourself." The officer pushed the computer screen towards the team leader, showing a touch of helplessness.


    The team leader scrutinized the photos from that stretch of road and indeed, there was not a single photo showing Li Yifei¡¯s Buick speeding.


    "What¡¯s the deal? Is there some error in the system?"


    "That shouldn¡¯t be the case. All the other photos came out fine; it¡¯s just his car¡¯s photos that are missing."

 Chapter 126 A Deceitful Guy

    Chapter 126: Chapter 126 A Deceitful Guy"What¡¯s going on with you guys? Hurry up and fine him, revoke his driver¡¯s license," Young Master Qin shouted loudly.


    The traffic police leader turned his head and snapped, "Stop the nonsense. Hand over your driver¡¯s licenses."


    Qin Shaodong readily took out his driver¡¯s license, and the other guy driving the Porsche also surrendered his license. They weren¡¯t worried at all because they knew they could get their licenses back the next day. They had that kind of influence.


    "Look at this, this is the consequence of speeding," Li Yifei shook his head and sighed, then said to the traffic police, "Officer, I¡¯ve finished my cigarette. Can I leave now?"


    The policeman frowned slightly, nodded, and said, "Go ahead."


    Qin Shaodong was stunned for a moment, then shouted loudly, "Officer, why don¡¯t you confiscate his license?"


    The policeman replied impatiently, "We don¡¯t need you to teach us how to handle cases."


    Qin Shaodong argued defiantly, "Then why are you taking our licenses? We were speeding; they were speeding too!"


    The traffic police were completely baffled by the situation. From Qin Shaodong and his friend¡¯s reactions, it was clear that Li Yifei had been speeding, but there was no camera evidence capturing Li Yifei¡¯s speeding. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t penalize Li Yifei at all.


    "We handle cases; we don¡¯t need you to teach us!" the traffic police leader shouted impatiently.


    Qin Shaodong didn¡¯t care about the traffic police, angrily yelled, "Damn it, are you kidding me? You took our licenses but not his. Don¡¯t tell me this guy has a stronger background, and you¡¯re afraid to touch him."


    "Shut up," the traffic police leader barked, and by that time, Li Yifei had already driven away with Xu Shanshan.


    This left Qin Shaodong so frustrated he almost coughed up blood. He always thought he was quite something in Mile City, but today he found himself outdone, without gaining any advantage.


    Xu Shanshan sat in the car, perplexed, and looked at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, why did they let us go?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "We weren¡¯t speeding. Why wouldn¡¯t they let us go?"


    "No way. Even if you acted convincingly, the cameras should have caught it, right?"


    "Maybe the cameras were broken, so they didn¡¯t capture anything."


    "Impossible; they confiscated the licenses. How could the cameras be broken?"


    Li Yifei knew he couldn¡¯t fool Xu Shanshan, so he explained, "The cameras weren¡¯t broken, but when I passed by the cameras for the first time, I always found another car to block the view. That way, the cameras never caught my car speeding."


    "Is that possible?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Otherwise, why would the traffic police let us leave?"


    Xu Shanshan tried to imagine how to avoid being caught by the cameras, but no matter how many methods she considered, it seemed impossible. Besides, they were going around 200 kilometers per hour, using another car as a shield seemed even more impossible.


    However, with no camera evidence of Li Yifei speeding, it seemed the only explanation was Li Yifei¡¯s incredible driving skills, making Xu Shanshan admire him even more.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re amazing! I admire you so much," Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a thumbs up.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "But don¡¯t tell your sister about this; otherwise, I¡¯ll be in trouble."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I wouldn¡¯t tell her; otherwise, I¡¯d be in trouble too. This is our secret."


    "Yes, just our secret," Li Yifei chuckled. Having a secret with this pretend sister-in-law was indeed a nice thing.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei took Xu Shanshan to the city¡¯s mall again. Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t brought much luggage, only some light clothes. Although she fit into Xu Yingying¡¯s clothes nicely, buying her own was still better.


    At the mall, Xu Shanshan naturally held onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm while shopping in the women¡¯s section.


    Shopping with Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t a first. Li Yifei also didn¡¯t hate shopping like most men. He occasionally gave Xu Shanshan advice, making her enjoy the shopping experience even more.


    Michelle hadn¡¯t been in a good mood these past few days. After the elevator incident, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Li Yifei. Even though Li Yifei had said he had a girlfriend, she couldn¡¯t get his image out of her mind.


    At work, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly glance at Li Yifei. If he went out driving for the boss, she felt particularly lost, as if she¡¯d lost her soul. This was her first time having feelings for a man, but being directly rejected by Li Yifei really hit her hard.


    Today was the weekend. She went for a walk alone and unexpectedly met a high school classmate, who was Lin Qiong, the policewoman.


    They weren¡¯t in the same class before, just acquaintances, not close friends. But after graduating from college and starting work, running into each other again made them feel closer. Lin Qiong needed to buy a couple of clothing items, so she dragged Michelle along. Feeling bored, Michelle agreed.


    "Michelle, where do you work?" Lin Qiong asked.


    Michelle replied, "I work in the logistics department of Huayang Company."


    "Huayang Company? I¡¯ve heard of it. I think someone also works there?"


    "Do you know our colleague?"


    "Seems like... Oh, I remember, someone named Li Yifei works there too."


    "You know Brother Li?" Michelle looked at Lin Qiong, a little surprised.


    As a police officer, Lin Qiong immediately sensed Michelle¡¯s reaction was a bit strong. She stared at Michelle intently. Michelle¡¯s face turned slightly red, and she softly said, "Brother Li is also in the logistics department; he¡¯s my colleague."


    From Michelle¡¯s reaction, Lin Qiong could tell Michelle¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei was unusual. Her impression of Li Yifei wasn¡¯t very good. Although he didn¡¯t do anything to her when she was drunk, she¡¯d seen Li Yifei with several girls ambiguously. She concluded that Li Yifei was a bit of a flirt.


    "Michelle, let me warn you. This guy is very good at deceiving girls; don¡¯t fall for his tricks."


    Upon hearing Lin Qiong¡¯s warning, Michelle felt a bit unhappy and said, "Lin Qiong, you must have misunderstood Brother Li. He¡¯s a good person."


    "He¡¯s a good person?" Lin Qiong found it both amusing and worrisome. She said, "Michelle, do you know what I do now?" S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You are..." Michelle looked at Lin Qiong.


    "I¡¯m a police officer, even a beat cop. Li Yifei is in my district. I know a bit about him; his social relationships are quite complicated. There¡¯s always a rotation of pretty girls around him."


    "Ah..." Michelle¡¯s eyes widened. If Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t been a police officer, she wouldn¡¯t believe her bad words about Li Yifei. But Lin Qiong¡¯s identity made Michelle find it hard not to believe.


    "Michelle, stay away from him. We¡¯re classmates. Do you think I¡¯d lie to you?"


    "But...but..." Michelle recalled the elevator incident and shook her head vigorously, saying, "I know he has a girlfriend. He told me, and he rejected me, so I still think Brother Li is a good person."


    "He rejected you?" Lin Qiong was a bit surprised. Then she recalled how Li Yifei borrowed her to drive away Chu Xiaoyao and how he didn¡¯t take advantage of her when she was drunk. It seemed that sometimes this guy wasn¡¯t so bad.


    She quickly thought a few things over and suddenly said, "I understand. This guy prefers mature women; he pays more attention to mature women."


    Michelle shook her head again and said, "No, Brother Li¡¯s girlfriend is a college student."


    "Oh, that¡¯s Su Yiyi." Lin Qiong also knew the person Michelle was talking about.


    "You¡¯ve met Brother Li¡¯s girlfriend? Is she...pretty?" Michelle looked at Lin Qiong with some nervousness.


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "She¡¯s a very pretty and gentle girl, much like you, and she¡¯s living with that guy."


    "Oh..." Michelle felt deeply disappointed. If Li Yifei was already living with Su Yiyi, she really had no chance.


    Lin Qiong suddenly nudged Michelle, "Look, who¡¯s that in front?"


    Michelle looked in the direction Lin Qiong pointed. At the entrance of a shop, a man and a woman walked out. The man was Li Yifei, and the woman was holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, smiling charmingly, chatting as they walked.


    "See, look at this guy. He¡¯s with another one. I don¡¯t know how he does it. Are these women out of their minds that they can¡¯t see what kind of person he really is?"


    Lin Qiong shook her head continuously, full of disdain for Li Yifei. This guy was too much of a flirt, girl after girl around him.


    But she had to admire him too. The women around him weren¡¯t just pretty; they seemed to have good qualities. Especially He Fangqing and the woman now; they didn¡¯t seem like ordinary people, maybe quite wealthy.


    Wealthy!


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mind suddenly sparked, her face changed, realizing a possibility. Could this guy be a con man, specifically targeting wealthy women, cheating them out of money and love, then kicking them to the curb? Lately, there¡¯ve been quite a few such men.


    Thinking of this, Lin Qiong¡¯s sense of justice surged, secretly vowing, "Li Yifei, you bastard, I¡¯m going to expose you, get you caught, and definitely not let you deceive other women anymore."

 Chapter 127 Got Hacked

    Chapter 127: Chapter 127 Got HackedMichelle had no idea what Lin Qiong was thinking; she was completely stunned, barely believing her own eyes. If she had seen Li Yifei with any other woman, she would have felt disappointed, but not so surprised. Yet now, the one with Li Yifei was none other than the tough boss of their company, Xu Yingying.


    To all the employees in the company, Xu Yingying was undoubtedly a stern boss who rarely smiled or joked around, and acted decisively, earning herself the nickname ¡¯Iron Lady¡¯. But right now, Xu Yingying was all smiles, playful and cute, a stark contrast to the boss everyone knew at the company¡ªit was as if she had become a completely different person.


    Michelle even doubted that she had recognized the right person, but then Xu Shanshan just happened to turn her head, and Michelle could confirm she hadn¡¯t been mistaken.


    "Oh my God, Brother Li¡¯s girlfriend is actually President Xu Yingying," Michelle was utterly shocked.


    But soon, she began to recall certain matters from within the company. Li Yifei had joined the company through Xu Yingying, even daring to offend Zhao QingSheng who had the backing of the head office, and now he was Xu Yingying¡¯s personal driver¡ªa position she had never needed before.


    All of this could be evidence of a special relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. As for Li Yifei saying that his girlfriend was a college student, that could be because he didn¡¯t want to reveal his romance with Xu Yingying, or perhaps he didn¡¯t want to hurt her pride. If he admitted his girlfriend was President Xu, Michelle would be utterly devastated.


    And now, Michelle was indeed deeply stricken. If it had been a college student, she might have harbored some hope that one day Li Yifei would fancy her, might choose her. But now that it was President Xu Yingying, she dared not entertain the slightest notion.


    "Don¡¯t be silly, seeing him for who he really is now is actually a good thing," Lin Qiong comforted her, giving Michelle a gentle poke.


    Michelle managed a strained smile and said, "Lin Qiong, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve made up my mind. Brother Li isn¡¯t interested in me, and it turns out he¡¯s with her; I really have no other thoughts now."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "That¡¯s good to hear. By the way, do you know that woman?"


    Without thinking, Michelle blurted out, "She¡¯s the boss of our company."


    "The company boss?" Hearing the identity of this woman, Lin Qiong felt even more certain of her suspicions¡ªthis guy was nothing but a swindler targeting rich women. Hmph, she wouldn¡¯t let him succeed.


    "Let¡¯s follow them and see," Lin Qiong immediately told Michelle.


    Michelle was startled and quickly shook her head, "No, no, that¡¯s our company boss. Their relationship is a secret to everyone; they surely don¡¯t want it exposed. If I go there, it could cause trouble later on. Lin Qiong, please don¡¯t spill the beans."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ve got some other things to do, so I¡¯ll head off first. We¡¯ll chat some other time." With that, she waved goodbye to Michelle and slipped past a shop to follow Li Yifei from the side.


    Lin Qiong had hoped Michelle would provide some cover for her. Now that she wasn¡¯t coming, Lin Qiong had to rely on herself. She wanted to track Li Yifei to gather some evidence because pegging this slippery guy with a direct accusation wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Watching Li Yifei laughing and chatting with the boss, who occasionally playfully hit him, demonstrating such intimacy, Lin Qiong fumed with anger inside. This despicable man was truly an expert at deceiving women¡ªeven managing to fool a boss like her. Why couldn¡¯t people see through his true nature?


    After following them for quite a while and seeing Li Yifei and the boss buying a lot, with Li Yifei paying each time, Lin Qiong¡¯s contempt grew. Here was a mere employee, earning less than her, buying expensive items worth thousands for this woman without a hint of remorse.


    Given Li Yifei¡¯s normal income, how could he afford to be so generous? It seemed he really was willing to invest heavily, and after spending so much, he would surely be aiming to recoup it several fold. Moreover, this money could very well be swindled from another woman.


    Eventually, Lin Qiong watched as Li Yifei and the woman left the mall and entered a coffee shop. Hesitant about whether to follow them inside, Lin Qiong feared being spotted by him, yet not going in might mean missing out on evidence.


    After a moment of hesitation, Lin Qiong still entered the cafe and discovered Li Yifei and the woman sitting by the window, with Li Yifei¡¯s back to the door. Although the woman could see her, she didn¡¯t recognize Lin Qiong, which made her inwardly pleased. She quickly took a seat behind Li Yifei, separated by a row of booths. From here, she could ideally hear what Li Yifei and the woman were saying without being discovered.


    But Li Yifei and the woman were only having coffee, speaking in such low voices that Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t make out a single word, which frustrated her to no end. This guy was really cautious in his dealings.


    As she stewed in her frustration, someone suddenly tapped Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder; spinning around on high alert, she saw Li Yifei standing by her side with the woman smiling beside him.


    "Officer Lin, what a coincidence to see you here having coffee," Li Yifei greeted Lin Qiong with a cheery smile.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression shifted slightly, but she tried to cover it up, "Yeah, I was a bit thirsty so I stopped by for coffee. Are you here for coffee as well?"


    Xu Shanshan let out a chuckle¡ªit was like the two were putting on a play, exchanging such meaningless banter.


    Feeling her words too unnatural, Lin Qiong quickly adjusted her demeanor, "And this is...? I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met."


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "Let me introduce you. Shanshan, this is Officer Lin Qiong, a remarkable policewoman. Just a few months into the job and she¡¯s already cracked several big cases. Now she¡¯s been promoted to Deputy Director, a true idol in the Mile City police community."


    At this, Lin Qiong felt embarrassed since those achievements weren¡¯t really due to her own abilities. So even though she had become a Deputy Director, when introducing herself to people she knew, she still preferred to say she was a beat cop.


    "Hello! I¡¯m Xu Yingying." Xu Shanshan extended her hand to Lin Qiong in a friendly manner, but mischievously used her sister¡¯s name, then winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, but he didn¡¯t point it out.


    Lin Qiong shook Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, said "Hello," and wanted to say something to her, but feared alarming their quarry and so held back.


    "Officer Lin, why are you here alone? It¡¯s rare to see a girl coming to a caf¨¦ by herself." Li Yifei deliberately asked Lin Qiong, as if he had not noticed Lin Qiong was tailing him, then he wouldn¡¯t be fitting for the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Lin Qiong had already thought about what to say when she ran into Li Yifei, so now she smiled and said, "I¡¯m waiting for a friend, she¡¯ll be here in a moment."


    "Oh, I see, since your friend isn¡¯t here yet, let¡¯s have a drink together." Li Yifei said, and already pulled Xu Shanshan with him to sit down.


    This caught Lin Qiong off guard. With these two joining her, conversation surely wouldn¡¯t be as casual as before, and how could she then gather evidence of Li Yifei deceiving girls?


    Lin Qiong quickly changed her train of thought. Since she couldn¡¯t collect evidence against Li Yifei for the time being, she had to disrupt this guy¡¯s plans to deceive women. After all, if someone got duped, even if Li Yifei were caught, there would be someone hurt.


    With a slight smile, Lin Qiong asked, "Miss Xu, where do you work?"


    "I work at Huayang Company."


    "Oh, Huayang Company, may I ask what your role is there, Miss Xu?"


    With a humble smile, Xu Shanshan said, "I am the General Manager of Huayang Company."


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan took up Xu Yingying¡¯s mantle perfectly, without missing a beat. Not to mention Lin Qiong, even Li Yifei couldn¡¯t tell whether she was Xu Shanshan or Xu Yingying.


    "The President Xu herself, I¡¯m truly sorry for the oversight. However, I¡¯m a bit puzzled. Li Yifei is just an ordinary employee at your company, isn¡¯t he? You and he..." Lin Qiong deliberately left her sentence unfinished, appearing nonchalant but keenly observing Li Yifei¡¯s reaction.


    Yet, at that moment, Li Yifei remained completely composed, sipping his coffee as if nothing was amiss.


    "Hehe, do you think we¡¯re mismatched?" Xu Shanshan asked gracefully after taking a sip of her coffee, evidently acknowledging her relationship with Li Yifei.


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "With your status as President Xu, it would surely be easy to find a more impressive man. As for Li Yifei... I feel he¡¯s not quite suitable for you."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze was intense as she looked at Lin Qiong and said, "Officer Lin, with all due respect, how Li Yifei and I are together is our private matter. Why are you so concerned? Could it be that you also have feelings for Li Yifei?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she was speechless for a long moment before she managed to say, "No, absolutely not. How could I like this guy? Even if I remain unmarried for life, I wouldn¡¯t fall for such a scoundrel."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s face darkened immediately as she said, "Officer Lin, are you implying that I have poor taste? Or are you just insulting someone directly?"


    "I..." Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t outtalk Xu Shanshan, and at that moment, she found herself at a loss for words.


    "Sorry, we have something else to do, so we must be going!" After saying that, Xu Shanshan stood up with Li Yifei, looped her arm through his, and walked straight out of the caf¨¦.


    Lin Qiong was very annoyed; this woman was truly naive to be tricked by Li Yifei to such an extent. She angrily drank the rest of her coffee in one gulp and then prepared to leave as well.


    "Excuse me, ma¡¯am, please settle the bill." The waiter stopped Lin Qiong.


    Utterly frustrated, Lin Qiong forced a smile and asked, "How much is it?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯ll be three hundred and sixty-eight yuan in total."


    "What?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes bulged in astonishment.


    "The two people who were just here ordered fresh ground coffee for one hundred and sixty-eight yuan each."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face fell, a wave of exasperation washing over her. That scoundrel Li Yifei had left without paying the bill, leaving her to foot it. And the idea of spending over three hundred yuan for two cups of coffee made Lin Qiong¡¯s heart ache.

 Chapter 128 A Different Feeling

    Chapter 128: Chapter 128 A Different FeelingLi Yifei and Xu Shanshan left the caf¨¦, both bursting into laughter. They had intentionally set up Lin Qiong just now.


    "Sis¡¯ husband, why does this Officer Lin seem to have a grudge against you?" Xu Shanshan asked Li Yifei with a mischievous smile as she got into the car. She felt it was her duty to scrutinize any woman who was close to Li Yifei, just to make sure no other woman would take him from her sister, who she felt was becoming more outstanding.


    Li Yifei laughed as he drove, saying, "We had a misunderstanding in the past, so she kept thinking I¡¯m a bad guy. No matter how I explain, it doesn¡¯t help. She always gives me trouble, so when I get the chance, of course, I¡¯d give her a hard time too. But don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s a Deputy Director now and earns a lot. She can afford a few hundred bucks."


    Xu Shanshan tapped her chin thoughtfully and said, "Sis¡¯ husband, you seem quite popular. I¡¯ve only been out with you for half a day, and I¡¯ve seen two beauties entangled with you. I wonder how many more people have problems with you."


    Sweating, Li Yifei replied, "It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m devoted to your sister. No matter how good other women are, I¡¯m not interested. Besides, in my eyes, your sister is the best."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "You should tell that to my sister. But Sis¡¯ husband, how was my performance just now? Did I look like a boss?"


    "You really did. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was you or your sister."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said, "Sis¡¯ husband, I have a fun idea."


    "What idea?" Li Yifei was a bit wary of his pretend sister-in-law¡¯s thoughts.


    "What if I go to the company and impersonate my sister for a few days? Wouldn¡¯t that be fun?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark, and he said, "You think your sister would agree to that?"


    "She definitely wouldn¡¯t. But if she has to go on a business trip or something, and I sneak in to be the boss for a couple of days, she¡¯d have no choice, right?"


    Li Yifei was at a loss, saying, "You¡¯ve never managed a company before. What if you handle things wrong?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t handle anything. I just want to experience it. I want to see what kind of life my sister leads every day. Besides, you could help me, wouldn¡¯t you?"


    "I don¡¯t have the qualifications to help you. I¡¯m just your sister¡¯s driver, at most a small employee in the logistics department. I¡¯m clueless about company affairs."


    "Good brother-in-law, please think of a way, even if just for a while. I just want to have a taste of being the boss."


    "No way, if your sister finds out, we both will have to bear the consequences."


    As a qualified pretend brother-in-law, Li Yifei often had to make Xu Yingying sound fierce to align with their relationship.


    Xu Shanshan pouted, but Li Yifei dared not agree. Xu Yingying would definitely find out about such a thing, and running a company wasn¡¯t a game to be played.


    After parking the car in the underground garage, Li Yifei took the unhappy Xu Shanshan to the supermarket and bought lots of things she loved, finally making her happy. Carrying large bags, they went home.


    When they got home, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t back yet. Li Yifei saw it wasn¡¯t early, so he went straight to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.


    "Sis¡¯ husband, how do you like my pajamas?"


    Xu Shanshan came running in, wearing a thin silver gauzy nightgown. It had only two small straps, revealing a large expanse of fair shoulders.


    She wore a pair of delicate little slippers, and her exquisite little feet were mostly exposed.


    "Pretty!" Li Yifei glanced quickly and then looked away.


    "If it¡¯s pretty, why don¡¯t you take another look? You¡¯re just dismissing me." Xu Shanshan pouted, twisting her body and pouting her lips.


    Li Yifei turned his head again, saying, "One look is enough to know it¡¯s pretty."


    Xu Shanshan puffed out her chest, saying, "Really? I feel like you¡¯re not being sincere."


    Li Yifei felt his blood rushing; Xu Shanshan was already very beautiful. Dressed in such pajamas, she was quite a temptation for any man, and she was so carefree in his presence that it made Li Yifei uneasy.


    He sighed helplessly and said, "Shanshan, please spare me. Don¡¯t you know how beautiful you are?"


    Xu Shanshan burst into giggles, her laughter shaking, as she said, "Sis¡¯ husband, I really don¡¯t get it. How do you manage to sleep with my sister every day and not do anything to her? You don¡¯t have some problem, do you?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark as he said, "I¡¯m perfectly healthy. Okay, stop fooling around and give your sister a call to ask when she¡¯ll be back for dinner."


    Xu Shanshan giggled as she ran out but returned in a flash with a phone in her hand.


    "Sis, when are you coming back?"


    Xu Yingying, already downstairs, replied, "I¡¯ve just arrived downstairs. Have you both returned?"


    "We¡¯re back. Sis¡¯ husband is cooking now. He asked me to call you to find out when you¡¯ll be back to eat. Hurry up and come upstairs." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan repeated Xu Yingying¡¯s words to Li Yifei, who then sent Xu Shanshan out as he started cooking.


    Xu Yingying was very tired today. She had just met with people from the head office, and their ideas made her want to smack them. Could such people do business? They had no integrity and only thought about ripping the other party off. If a company had no integrity, who would cooperate with them in the future? She was losing hope here.


    Answering Xu Shanshan¡¯s call, Xu Yingying suddenly felt a sense of calm. Previously, returning home was just a place to sleep, but this time, she felt warmth, and her fatigue seemed to dissipate.


    Quickly walking to the door, opening it, she was greeted by the aroma of food, lifting her spirits again. It really felt like home, the kind she liked.


    "Sis!" Xu Shanshan greeted her with a cheeky grin.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan in a thin nightdress, Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Why are you dressed like this?"


    Xu Shanshan pulled at the hem of her dress and said, "Why, don¡¯t you like my nightdress? I just bought it today."


    "It¡¯s not about whether it looks good or not. Dressing like this, what kind of decency is that?" Xu Yingying frowned deeply.


    Xu Shanshan puzzled, said, "Haven¡¯t I always dressed like this at home? Do I have to wear corporate suits at home like you?"


    Xu Yingying pulled Xu Shanshan into the bedroom, shut the door, and said, "Isn¡¯t your brother-in-law here? How can you dress like this?"


    "Sis¡¯ husband is family too." Xu Shanshan playfully winked at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "Your brother-in-law may be family, but you¡¯re his sister-in-law¡ªof course, you have to be mindful around him."


    Xu Shanshan stared at her sister suddenly burst into giggles, saying, "Sis, are you jealous?"


    "Jealous of what? I¡¯m just reminding you. Your brother-in-law and you aren¡¯t related by blood. Dressing like this in front of him, isn¡¯t it a lose-lose situation? Furthermore, if we don¡¯t end up together, he¡¯ll be nothing but a stranger. You¡¯ll be at a loss then."


    "You¡¯re right..." Xu Shanshan nodded, then stared at her sister and said, "Xu Yingying, such a thought isn¡¯t right. My brother-in-law is great, so how can you think like that? I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t cherish him, many women are waiting for their chance."


    "Hmm?" Xu Yingying frowned at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan whispered mysteriously to Xu Yingying, "Sis, today I saw two women¡ªboth very beautiful. One¡¯s a college student, giving look after look at bro-in-law with sheer affection, clearly interested in him. The other is a police officer who also has a good impression of him."


    If Lin Qiong heard this, she would probably be so vexed she¡¯d spit blood. Xu Shanshan exaggerated to increase Xu Yingying¡¯s sense of crisis, not to slander Lin Qiong.


    Besides knowing Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with He Fangqing, Xu Yingying was clueless about his relations with others. Upon hearing this, she frowned, feeling a bit dissatisfied with Li Yifei. Since he was pretending to be her boyfriend, couldn¡¯t he manage those women outside? And letting her sister encounter them¡ªif their cover blew, wouldn¡¯t it be disastrous?


    Additionally, because of He Fangqing, Xu Yingying was quite displeased with how Li Yifei was still involved with other women, so her face darkened.


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s expression, Xu Shanshan got startled. She just intended to give her sister a sense of urgency. But now it seemed not only did it not work, it threatened to start a war between her sister and Li Yifei, increasing their misunderstandings. She hurriedly said with a grin, "But sister, rest assured. Though those two women fancy bro-in-law, he absolutely has no interest in them. I can definitely tell."


    Xu Yingying relaxed a bit and said, "In this, I do have confidence in your brother-in-law."


    "Of course. Our sister is so beautiful and a boss herself; surely bro-in-law is devoted to you." Xu Shanshan hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders, secretly sticking out her tongue in relief for almost messing up, though she didn¡¯t know Xu Yingying had entirely different thoughts.

 Chapter 129 Mutual Modesty

    Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Mutual ModestyAt Xu Yingying¡¯s insistence, Xu Shanshan had no choice but to change into a more conservative set of pajamas Yingying provided before she came out.


    As soon as she appeared, she heard Li Yifei telling Xu Yingying, "Yingying, go take a bath first. Once you¡¯re done, it¡¯ll be about time to eat."


    Xu Yingying agreed and then picked up her things and went into the bathroom.


    Xu Shanshan came into the kitchen, stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei, and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m sorry, yo."


    "What¡¯s wrong? What trouble have you stirred up?" Li Yifei smiled and looked at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan said sheepishly, "Just now, my mouth ran ahead of me, and I mentioned seeing two beauties, nearly enraged my sister. Luckily, I smoothed things over for you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Anyway, I don¡¯t have anything to do with them, it wouldn¡¯t matter to your sister." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, come on, you know my sister¡¯s temper¡ªshe can¡¯t stand the slightest bit of grit in her eye. You¡¯re going to need to prepare for tonight and sweet-talk her. I won¡¯t be able to help you."


    Li Yifei looked up and tapped Xu Shanshan on the head, replying, "After causing trouble, you just leave it be, huh? What kind of sister does that?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "At that moment, I was just trying to give my sister a sense of crisis, didn¡¯t realize it would backfire."


    "Alright, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. My relationship with your sister is very solid, this isn¡¯t something that can easily be ruined. Go help your brother-in-law get the bowls and cutlery out; we¡¯re almost ready to eat."


    Xu Shanshan agreed and hurried off to help.


    After Xu Yingying finished bathing and came out, the aroma wafting through the house made her mouth water. Only then did she remember that she hadn¡¯t eaten the entire day. Earlier, her mood was off, and she hadn¡¯t felt hungry, but now her stomach started to protest with a growl.


    "I bet you haven¡¯t eaten all day again. Come and eat now. Working like there¡¯s no tomorrow¡ªreally!" Li Yifei frowned, looking quite annoyed.


    Sitting at the dining table in a daze, Xu Yingying felt a warmth from Li Yifei¡¯s scolding that reminded her of her parents¡¯ admonishments when she was a child; once she grew up and left home, her parents had never scolded her again.


    "Have some soup first to soothe your stomach, then we can eat," Li Yifei said as he ladled out a bowl of egg drop soup for Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying took it, sipped, and was refreshed by its delicate fragrance. She couldn¡¯t help but take a few more spoonfuls before looking up at Li Yifei and saying, "Thank you."


    "Thank you for what? Am I a stranger?" Li Yifei shook his head and served a bowl for Xu Shanshan as well.


    Xu Shanshan took it with a beaming smile, "I¡¯m not going to be as polite as my sister. Whatever my brother-in-law makes is delicious." She took a couple of sips of the soup and then began to eat avidly.


    Xu Yingying, who was also famished, ate quite a lot as well, and her mood gradually improved. She asked, "Where did you all go to have fun today?"


    "We visited Hualong Temple and then took Shanshan to buy some clothes," Li Yifei answered succinctly.


    Xu Shanshan snickered to herself; it had been a day full of excitement and thrills, by far the most enjoyable day she¡¯d had in a long time.


    "Take Shanshan out for some fun again tomorrow. But I won¡¯t be able to lend you the car, so you¡¯ll need to take a taxi," she said.


    Li Yifei nodded and responded, "Hmm, by the way, did work not go well again today?"


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "The people sent from the headquarters are just so infuriating."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "Then just stop working for them. With your capabilities, sister, everywhere is the same."


    Xu Yingying shook her head, replying, "It¡¯s not that easy. But now, I really am considering leaving."


    Li Yifei chimed in, "Going to Su Mengxin¡¯s place wouldn¡¯t be bad, right?"


    Xu Yingying said with a tinge of worry, "There¡¯s no question about Su Mengxin¡¯s personal appeal, but I¡¯m afraid that after going there, it might start off well but eventually turn out just like now."


    Li Yifei replied, "I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that. Su Mengxin is not like those shortsighted people at your current headquarters."


    "This is not something to be rushed; I¡¯ll think it over some more."


    Xu Shanshan, not understanding the conversation, butted in and asked, "Who is Su Mengxin?"


    Li Yifei laughed and explained, "She¡¯s quite influential. I heard she has a big company in Capital City. Somehow, she ended up developing her business in Mile City and really admires your sister. She wants your sister to help manage her Mile City branch, but your sister hasn¡¯t agreed yet."


    "Su Mengxin, is that a woman¡¯s name? How old is she, and is she pretty?" Xu Shanshan was most concerned about this.


    Li Yifei found it difficult to answer this, but fortunately, Xu Yingying nodded and said, "She¡¯s about my age, and she has a title¡ªthe number one beauty in Huaxia. You tell me, is that pretty or not?"


    "What? The number one beauty in Huaxia? How come I¡¯ve never heard of her?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened. The title of the number one beauty in Huaxia seemed like a big deal.


    Xu Yingying explained, "To ordinary people, the number one beauty in Huaxia indeed seems too far away. Even I didn¡¯t know about her before. It was only after attending a municipal reception recently that I learned of her existence. It¡¯s a title circulated among the upper echelons. But just think, if she¡¯s regarded as the number one beauty among those high-level individuals, you can imagine how beautiful she must be."


    "Wow, that¡¯s quite something. I¡¯d really like to see what this number one beauty in Huaxia actually looks like if I get the chance."


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a look and said, "That won¡¯t do. When she¡¯s in Mile City, even the mayor and the Municipal Party Secretary wouldn¡¯t dare visit her without her permission, so how could I casually bring you along?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "She must have quite the attitude."


    Right after dinner, Xu Yingying¡¯s phone rang. It was He Fangqing calling. After glancing at Li Yifei, she retreated to the bedroom to answer the call.


    "Sister Fangqing, what¡¯s up?" Xu Yingying said after she closed the bedroom door.


    He Fangqing replied, "Nothing much, just feeling a bit troubled and wanted someone to talk to."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Sorry, Li Yifei kept me occupied. These past few days my sister has been staying over, so I had to pretend he¡¯s my boyfriend. I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    He Fangqing paused, then chuckled lightly, "Why should I mind? I¡¯ve already told you that there¡¯s no way between him and me; we were just amusing ourselves out of loneliness."


    Xu Yingying had heard this from He Fangqing more than once; she now understood He Fangqing¡¯s thoughts, which were essentially to avoid a relationship for the time being. However, Xu Yingying always felt that since Li Yifei had been intimate with He Fangqing, they should be together. So now, with He Fangqing calling, and her having Li Yifei pretend to be her boyfriend, she felt somewhat guilty.


    "Hehe, I won¡¯t meddle in your affairs. Why are you feeling troubled today?"


    "Ah, don¡¯t you know? If that person comes into our company, how will I carry myself? Not to mention that woman who behaves like a shrew. She¡¯ll definitely insult me non-stop."


    Xu Yingying sighed, "I¡¯ve been troubled by this matter for the past few days too. Don¡¯t rush; I will definitely give you a definite answer this week. Whether I go or stay, I¡¯ll make a decision."


    "Hmm, that would be best. Although I haven¡¯t been in touch with you for long, I feel most relaxed working with you."


    A woman like He Fangqing had been harassed often while at the head office, by managers and directors, which greatly annoyed her. Working with Xu Yingying was different; as a female boss, there was no harassment, and the diligence mirrored her own work ethic. She felt like she had found a kindred spirit and wanted to make the jump to a new job with Xu Yingying, despite considering other offers.


    After discussing work for a while, He Fangqing chuckled and said, "You know what, Yingying, I¡¯d like to ask you a personal question."


    "What question?" Xu Yingying¡¯s heart skipped a beat, sensing that He Fangqing¡¯s question might be difficult to answer.


    "Your sister came to visit, so she must be staying at your place. Then, where is Li Yifei staying?"


    Xu Yingying immediately blushed, struggling to respond to such an embarrassing question.


    He Fangqing had already guessed the answer from Xu Yingying¡¯s embarrassment and laughed heartily, "Come on, Yingying. There¡¯s nothing to hide from me. If you really like him, then just be with him. I won¡¯t interact with him anymore."


    "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t!" Xu Yingying, in her excitement, repeated ¡¯don¡¯t¡¯ three times before gathering her thoughts. "Yes, Li Yifei and I share a room, but we¡¯ve done nothing. Do you think I¡¯m that easy? Besides, I genuinely have no feelings for Li Yifei. It¡¯s only because I have to keep up with the lie I told over the New Year that I continue to ask for his help."


    "A man and a woman... sharing a room, even sleeping on the same bed... can you really do nothing?" He Fangqing¡¯s tone was teasing.


    "Really, I couldn¡¯t, you¡¯re my good friend, would I steal your man?"


    "I¡¯ve told you before, he¡¯s not my man. Whether or not you ¡¯steal¡¯ him has nothing to do with me. The only thing that matters is whether you mind his past relationship with me."


    "Sister Fangqing, if you keep this up, I¡¯ll send him away right now. I¡¯d rather let my sister know I was lying."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. But that Li Yifei is quite the ladies¡¯ man, to stay so well-behaved around a beauty like you, I can hardly imagine it."


    "He really is well-behaved, I can vouch for that. So don¡¯t go by his flirty exterior. When it comes down to it, he¡¯s quite principled. I truly think you could consider being with him. Though he¡¯s just a junior employee, I feel he¡¯s very capable. And even if he doesn¡¯t move up at work, he would still be great at taking care of home, especially since the meals he cooks are so delicious¡ªI ate so much tonight."


    "Yingying, have you realized that you actually have quite a good impression of Li Yifei?"


    With that remark from He Fangqing, Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. Suddenly, she realized she quite liked having Li Yifei stay with her.

 Chapter 130: It’s Too Difficult

    Chapter 130: Chapter 130: It¡¯s Too Difficult"He was nice, but he didn¡¯t meet my criteria for a partner, Sister Fangqing, please stop teasing me, or I really won¡¯t feel comfortable asking him for help anymore."


    Xu Yingying quickly dismissed the thought. Even if Li Yifei had some good qualities, she didn¡¯t actually find him to be someone she liked, so she was quite candid when she said that.


    He Fangqing laughed, "Alright, I won¡¯t say more, hehe, now that I¡¯m in a good mood, I won¡¯t keep you chatting. If your sister hears, it¡¯ll be exposed."


    Xu Yingying hung up the phone, fiddled with her phone, and shook her head, feeling that things were getting increasingly complicated. She had started it to deceive her parents, but now it was becoming more complex.


    "Sis, stop working, come watch TV with us," Xu Shanshan shouted from outside.


    "Coming!" Xu Shanshan replied, stepping out of the bedroom to find Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan sitting on the couch in the living room, with fruit on the coffee table in front of them, looking quite relaxed.


    Seeing them, Xu Yingying suddenly thought, if she and Li Yifei were really together, it would be like how Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were sitting there now.


    But the thought seemed amusing to her; how could she possibly be with Li Yifei? So she walked over and sat on the other side of Li Yifei.


    Even during the New Year¡¯s break, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t sat quietly with her family to watch TV. Her mind was always occupied with company matters or how to work, but now she suddenly wanted to rest and didn¡¯t want to focus on the company anymore. Huayang Company had really disappointed her recently.


    With this mindset, what initially seemed to be a boring TV show now felt quite engaging.


    Li Yifei also enjoyed this kind of life. When he was alone at home, he didn¡¯t like watching TV, but sitting with twin sisters¡ªtheir similarity over ninety percent¡ªmade it a unique pleasure, even if he occasionally had to peel fruit for the sisters, adding to the fun.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. It was his classmate, Su Peng, calling. After signaling, he stepped into the bedroom to answer it.


    "Old classmate, what are you up to? You aren¡¯t with that beautiful boss of yours, are you?" Su Peng started joking as soon as he got on the call; such jokes were usual and unrestrained among old classmates.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You guessed right."


    "No way! Did I interrupt you?"


    "Just kidding, what made you think of calling me? Anything to celebrate?"


    "Not really, a few classmates couldn¡¯t make it last time. They said they¡¯d come back this week. Tao Yizhong suggested gathering again. Let¡¯s see if you have time." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Sure, you all pick the time, and I¡¯ll definitely come."


    "Alright, that¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll call you when the time is set."


    "No problem."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei walked out of the bedroom to find only one person on the sofa. Earlier, he knew Xu Yingying was on the left and Xu Shanshan was on the right. But after making a call, only one person remained, indistinguishable between Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan based on appearance alone.


    But judging by the clothes, they were Xu Yingying¡¯s from earlier, and the person was sitting in Xu Yingying¡¯s previous spot. Li Yifei sat beside her and asked, "Where¡¯s Shanshan?"


    "In the bathroom," Xu Yingying replied calmly.


    "Oh," Li Yifei answered and fell silent.


    "Yifei, what¡¯s going on between you and that college student?" Xu Yingying turned her head and asked Li Yifei with a stern face.


    Li Yifei was taken aback, "I just helped her out, so she¡¯s very grateful, that¡¯s all."


    "Really? I heard from Shanshan that she saw that college student flirting with you today. Is there something between you two?"


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s serious face and slight anger, Li Yifei immediately sensed something was off. Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t ask about Su Yiyi like this. He tapped her on the head and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re up to no good again."


    "Ah! Brother-in-law, how did you figure it out?" Sure enough, it was Xu Shanshan, who exclaimed in surprise.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Your sister wouldn¡¯t be so suspicious. Your question gave it away."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue, "So that¡¯s it. Seems like I need to improve next time."


    "Xu Shanshan, can you stop making trouble?" Xu Yingying emerged from the bathroom. Earlier, she went to do laundry, switching into her sleepwear, which Xu Shanshan snatched away, forcing her to change again.


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "I was just testing my brother-in-law."


    "Stop fooling around," Xu Yingying glared at her sister, then sat beside Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan playfully suggested, "It¡¯s fun, after all. When I get a boyfriend, you can trick him too."


    "I¡¯m not as idle as you."


    After watching TV for a while, Xu Yingying felt Xu Shanshan secretly glancing at her. Realizing Shanshan¡¯s suspicious nature, Yingying subtly rested her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Yingying, who showed no change in expression or glance, but secretly tapped his leg with her hand. Li Yifei understood and wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder.


    Then he picked a cherry and offered it to Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth.


    Xu Yingying frowned but had never let a man feed her like this. To stop her sister¡¯s suspicions, she opened her mouth and ate the cherry.


    After a few cherries, Xu Shanshan¡¯s glances became less frequent.


    Still, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t immediately pull herself up, as it would be too conspicuous. So she continued leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, letting him hold her. Yet being held by Li Yifei made her feel uneasy, and her body tensed.


    After a while, it became unbearable for her, and Li Yifei¡¯s hand gently massaging her shoulder startled Xu Yingying, fearing he might be trying to take advantage of her.


    If that were the case, she¡¯d be at a loss. But soon, Li Yifei¡¯s light massage relaxed the muscles, spreading comfort through her body, making it pleasant to lean on his shoulder, even bringing slight drowsiness.


    Enjoying this rare moment of relaxation, Xu Yingying, although sleepy, didn¡¯t want to leave yet. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t trust leaving her mischievous sister unattended unless the girl went to bed first.


    These recent days had been exhausting for her, and as she relaxed, she drifted off to sleep.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t noticed Xu Yingying had fallen asleep, still chatting intermittently with Xu Shanshan about the TV plot.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m tired. I want to lie down and watch," Xu Shanshan yawned.


    "If you¡¯re tired, just go to bed."


    "I want to finish this first," Xu Shanshan glanced around. If she lay one way, her legs would be on Li Yifei¡¯s, which felt disrespectful, but the other way, she¡¯d rest her head on his leg.


    "Brother-in-law, let me rest on your leg." Without waiting for a reply, Xu Shanshan lay down, facing the TV but with her head on Li Yifei¡¯s thigh.


    Li Yifei genuinely liked this sister-in-law, who acted on her whim without pretense. Though laying her head on his thigh seemed suggestive, her actions appeared so natural that he had no ulterior thoughts. However, he looked at Xu Yingying, who offered no reaction, realizing she had fallen asleep, leaving him amused.


    "Shanshan, your sister is asleep. I¡¯ll take her to the bedroom first."


    "No, wait¡ªa bit more is left. You can take her afterward." Xu Shanshan was absorbed in the show and too lazy to get up, so she clung on.


    Li Yifei had no other choice, balancing between letting Xu Yingying rest her head on his shoulder and Xu Shanshan on his thigh.


    After a while, the drama finally ended, but not only had Xu Yingying fallen asleep, Xu Shanshan had drifted off too.


    The soft fragrance from the two enveloped his senses, an identical scent, not of perfume, but an inherent, gentle maidenly aroma, faint yet intoxicating.


    With Xu Yingying¡¯s smooth cheek against his shoulder and a similar sensation on his thigh, the situation could be described as a delightful indulgence.


    Watching them sleep so sweetly, Li Yifei hesitated to wake them. He carefully placed a pillow under Xu Shanshan¡¯s head and slid his leg free, finally lifting Xu Yingying carefully.


    She didn¡¯t wake as Li Yifei carried her to the bedroom, placing her gently on the bed. As soon as her body touched the bed, Xu Yingying opened her eyes, looking at Li Yifei in a daze, "You..."


    Li Yifei immediately whispered, "You fell asleep watching TV. I carried you in. I¡¯ll go get Shanshan now. You sleep."


    His words acted like a lullaby; Xu Yingying closed her eyes and quickly fell back asleep, her opening them having been a reflex rather than true wakefulness.

 Chapter 131 Doing Bad Things

    Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Doing Bad ThingsOnce again in the living room, Li Yifei picked up Xu Shanshan. However, unlike Xu Yingying, she wasn¡¯t so well-behaved. As soon as Li Yifei lifted her, both of her arms hugged tightly around his neck.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was startled and quickly muttered quietly.


    Xu Shanshan just made a smacking sound with her lips and then fell into a deep sleep, leaving Li Yifei speechless. Even asleep, Xu Shanshan seemed to want to hold onto his neck. So, he stopped calling her and carried her into another bedroom.


    He laid Xu Shanshan on the bed, yet she still wouldn¡¯t let go of Li Yifei¡¯s neck. Li Yifei had to carefully pry her hands away, and in the process, he caught a glimpse inside Xu Shanshan¡¯s neckline.


    At this point, Xu Shanshan¡¯s collar had one button undone, and although it shouldn¡¯t have revealed anything, her grip on Li Yifei¡¯s neck had skewed her clothes. From his vantage point, Li Yifei could see a stretch of snowy-white skin extending downward, the whiteness rising and forming a shallow gorge within the hills, growing deeper and eventually dividing the hills completely in two.


    Men have an inherent desire to peek, whether admitted or not. It¡¯s often the unseen that creates the greatest itch. The glimpse Xu Shanshan inadvertently revealed met the conditions for tempting a man to peek. Li Yifei felt an impulse to undo her buttons and witness the beauty inside.


    But Li Yifei¡¯s self-restraint was beyond the ordinary, so he quickly loosened Xu Shanshan¡¯s hands, pulled a blanket over her, and finally turned off the light to leave her room.


    Li Yifei did not return directly to his bedroom but went to the bathroom for a quick shower. Xu Shanshan had ruffled him earlier, and he needed a shower to calm down.


    Staring at his impressive reflection, Li Yifei shook his head. Living with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, the twin sisters, was indeed a dream, but it was also quite torturous. Hopefully, Xu Shanshan, this fake sister-in-law, would leave soon. Otherwise, being able only to look and not touch might drive him crazy.


    The next morning, Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, who was sleeping beside her, furrowed her brow, and recalled that she might have fallen asleep while watching TV last night. How did she end up in bed?


    Li Yifei, seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, also woke up with a wide smile, saying, "Morning."


    "Morning!" Xu Yingying smiled back and said, "Didn¡¯t I fall asleep in the living room last night?"


    "I carried you in here."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks immediately flushed, and she said, "Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?"


    Li Yifei laughed again and said, "I saw you were sleeping soundly and couldn¡¯t bring myself to wake you."


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips, sat up, and tidied her disheveled hair, saying, "Thank you."


    "No need to be polite. Although I¡¯m just a fake boyfriend, I¡¯m professional about it. Of course, I need to fulfill a boyfriend¡¯s duties."


    "Yes, you¡¯re doing well. I¡¯ll give you a thousand-yuan bonus." Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to complicate matters with Li Yifei, so she immediately mentioned money to ease her conscience a bit.


    Li Yifei was slightly taken aback. This time, helping Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t been about money; primarily, she had covered his expenses. However, with Yingying¡¯s offer, Li Yifei didn¡¯t find anything inappropriate and promptly agreed, "Thank you, President Xu."


    Seeing Li Yifei readily accept, Xu Yingying felt a bit displeased but still nodded and said, "Alright, then please take good care of Shanshan. But I need to remind you of one thing. When you¡¯re with Shanshan, be mindful. She sees you as a brother-in-law, not as an outsider. You must remember that our relationship is fake, and Shanshan isn¡¯t actually your sister-in-law."


    Li Yifei nodded again and said, "Understood, President Xu, don¡¯t worry." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did Xu Yingying leave. However, in the bathroom, she shook her head, feeling her actions had been somewhat excessive. But even if they were, she had to speak up to prevent Li Yifei from misunderstanding the situation.


    That day, Li Yifei took Xu Shanshan for another stroll around Mile City. However, nothing notable happened, which disappointed Xu Shanshan. When with Li Yifei, she hoped for exciting adventures rather than simple outings.


    In the afternoon, Xu Yingying called. She had to go to the provincial company¡¯s headquarters and wouldn¡¯t return that night. Upon hearing the news, Xu Shanshan immediately cheered with excitement.


    "Why are you so excited?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled, looking at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and replied, "Don¡¯t you find it tiring with my big sister around?"


    Li Yifei found her words intriguing as if Xu Shanshan planned to do something she wouldn¡¯t dare while her sister was home. However, he realized she didn¡¯t mean anything inappropriate between them, and he feigned surprise, saying, "Really?"


    "Of course, when she¡¯s home, you can¡¯t do this or that. Brother-in-law, today¡¯s a rare chance without her, how about we go out and party all night?"


    "No way. She will definitely call home. If she finds out we¡¯re not back, she¡¯ll be furious."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "That¡¯s simple. We go home first, disconnect the phone line, and then we can say it¡¯s a technical issue. If she calls our mobiles, we say we¡¯re at home, easy!"


    Li Yifei was amused by Xu Shanshan and said, "You seem quite experienced at this mischief."


    Xu Shanshan proudly raised an eyebrow, saying, "This isn¡¯t mischief; it¡¯s just that sometimes my big sister is annoying."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Then you should think of where we¡¯re going to play?"


    "To a bar, a disco, an amusement center, anywhere fun."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Let¡¯s not go anywhere too complicated. How about we just go to a bar and have some drinks. I¡¯ll mix some drinks for you myself."


    Xu Shanshan immediately cheered with excitement, "Great, it¡¯s been ages since I last tasted your drinks. Let¡¯s go."


    They returned home first. Xu Shanshan disconnected the phone line, then both changed outfits and took a cab to a bar.


    This bar was one Li Yifei hadn¡¯t visited before. He usually frequented a bar near his home, where he met He Fangqing and had two encounters with her. But in that bar, the staff somewhat recognized him, so bringing Xu Shanshan there might have been inconvenient.


    This bar was busier than the one Li Yifei usually visited, making it relatively noisier, especially since a group of teenagers was causing quite a racket.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t sit in a booth but went to the bar counter. Li Yifei glanced at the bottles behind the bar and ordered six or seven kinds.


    The bartender behind the counter asked Li Yifei curiously, "Sir, are you planning to mix the drinks yourself?"


    Xu Shanshan proudly said, "You have a keen eye; yes, we¡¯re mixing ourselves."


    The bartender was intrigued and looked at Li Yifei, saying, "Mixing drinks isn¡¯t as easy as it looks."


    Xu Shanshan, even prouder, said, "Of course. I bet you can¡¯t mix a Seven-colored Rainbow?"


    The bartender¡¯s face changed slightly and said, "Seven-colored Rainbow isn¡¯t easy to make. I manage it about once in ten tries."


    "Then you¡¯re not as skilled as my brother-in-law. He can mix a Nine-colored Rainbow."


    "Nine-colored Rainbow?" The bartender¡¯s eyes widened. Shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "Impossible. Anyone who can make a Nine-colored Rainbow is a top master, and I don¡¯t see this gentleman among the masters I¡¯ve seen pictures of."


    "Brother-in-law, make him a Nine-colored Rainbow and show him." Xu Shanshan loved watching Li Yifei perform impressive feats and immediately urged him.


    Li Yifei quite enjoyed indulging his lively sister-in-law. He chuckled, "Alright, I¡¯ll make one for you."


    The bartender, half-skeptical, watched Li Yifei. Having mixed drinks for so long, he doubted an unknown person like Li Yifei could create a Nine-colored Rainbow. Without waiting for instructions, he laid out the glasses for Li Yifei.


    Unfazed, Li Yifei picked up a shaker, shaking with his left hand and pouring with his right. His movements were skillful, without a hint of sloppiness.


    Li Yifei¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t flashy, and the bartender wasn¡¯t much of an expert, curling his lips and thinking Li Yifei¡¯s technique looked more like blending rather than mixing¡ªjust pouring different drinks into one glass.


    But as Li Yifei gently set down the glass, the bartender was left speechless. Under the bar¡¯s lights, the drink¡¯s layers were distinct with nine vivid colors, dazzling in their brilliance. Xu Shanshan squinted at the glass, lost in thought.


    "Drink up." Li Yifei, ignoring the bartender¡¯s gaping look, smiled and nudged Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan nodded, carefully sipping the drink, tasting the various flavors that sequentially blended and combined in her mouth¡ªsometimes spicy, sometimes mellow, sometimes refreshing. It was indescribably magical.


    The drink wasn¡¯t large, but Xu Shanshan felt herself getting tipsy. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d tasted Li Yifei¡¯s concoctions, yet each time seemed to unveil more unique flavors, increasingly rich and enjoyable. After finishing the drink, she looked at Li Yifei, her eyes a little dazed, with a blush on her cheeks. It was unclear whether it was the alcohol or something else causing it.


    Li Yifei meeting her gaze felt a little uneasy now. That look reminded him too much of the way Su Yiyi used to look at him.

 Chapter 132: How to Address

    Chapter 132: Chapter 132: How to Address"Sir, could you teach me the method of mixing this drink?" At this time, the bartender imprudently interjected.


    Li Yifei happened to avoid Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze and replied with a smile, "Sorry, I can¡¯t teach you."


    "Sir, if you teach me, I will cover all the drinks today." The bartender was a bit anxious.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. He had spent a lot of money learning these bartending methods, although it wasn¡¯t his money, but he knew these skills weren¡¯t taught easily. Besides, not everyone could learn it. Mixing drinks might seem easy, but it actually had strict requirements and selections regarding a person¡¯s aptitude and ability. It wasn¡¯t something that could be learned simply through diligent study.


    "Let¡¯s go find a place to sit and slowly mix some drinks," Li Yifei said with a cheerful smile, pulling Xu Shanshan away; naturally, a waiter would bring the drinks to them.


    The bartender was quite disappointed, but he was really envious of Li Yifei¡¯s Nine-colored Rainbow. At this time, there weren¡¯t many people in the bar, and the young patrons wouldn¡¯t come to him for mixing, so he gave it a try himself.


    With just one attempt, he realized how difficult it was to mix the Nine-colored Rainbow and quickly gave up in despair.


    Xu Shanshan sat in a booth with her hands supporting her chin, her elbows resting on the table, staring at Li Yifei intently as he mixed drinks. Even though the drink he was mixing this time was quite simple, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s focused demeanor and his hands moving as smoothly as flowing water, she found herself somewhat mesmerized.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really amazing." After drinking another glass, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face was flushed, her eyes soft like water, and she extended her tongue, gently licking the liquor off her lips.


    "You¡¯ve said that countless times these past few days," Li Yifei replied with a grin while continuing to mix drinks. He had been making them for Xu Shanshan but hadn¡¯t had any himself yet.


    "It¡¯s because you¡¯re that amazing." Xu Shanshan continued looking at Li Yifei with her chin in her hands.


    "Alright, I¡¯m amazing. This glass won¡¯t be for you. I¡¯ve already made you three glasses. If you keep drinking, you¡¯ll get drunk. I need to drink a glass myself, don¡¯t I?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "I¡¯m not drunk yet."


    "Alright, stop pretending. This kind of drink is indeed pleasant to taste at first, but the flavor masks the alcohol content. You might not feel much immediately, but once it¡¯s in your stomach, the alcohol can pack a punch."


    Xu Shanshan indeed felt some intoxication rising, her head a bit dizzy, and said, "That¡¯s true, I am starting to feel a bit lightheaded now."


    "Hehe, then in a moment, we should head back."


    "Can we play here for a while longer?" Xu Shanshan pouted, unwilling.


    As they were speaking, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. Seeing the number, it was Xu Yingying. Li Yifei signaled to Xu Shanshan for a moment, covered the receiver with one hand, and answered the call, "Yingying, are things over on your side?"


    "It¡¯s over. What are you doing? Why couldn¡¯t I reach the home phone?" Xu Yingying asked directly.


    "I don¡¯t know either. Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with the phone. Shanshan and I are watching TV."


    "You better behave yourself and don¡¯t do anything to Shanshan," Xu Yingying lowered her voice but her words were full of warning.


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "How would I dare? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be going to sleep soon."


    "Let me talk to Shanshan."


    Li Yifei handed the phone to Xu Shanshan, "Your sister wants to speak with you."


    Xu Shanshan took the phone, said a few words, then stood up to give Li Yifei a wry smile and walked to the bathroom next to them. Obviously, Xu Yingying was advising her about some things, quite naggingly.


    Li Yifei finally finished mixing a drink and was about to drink it when a girl suddenly came up, sat directly opposite him, blinked at him, and said, "Uncle, how about buying me a drink?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was somewhat surprised because sitting opposite him turned out to be that little girl, Chu Xiaoyao. This girl had refused to leave when she last stayed with him, and in the end, it was Li Yifei who had Lin Qiong chase her away. It had been more than half a month since he last saw her, and he didn¡¯t expect to see her here today.


    "What are you doing here?" Li Yifei asked, frowning.


    Chu Xiaoyao leaned over, whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Uncle, do me a favor. I made a bet with my classmates that I could snag you, so give me a bit of face, okay?"


    Li Yifei said, "How can I give you face?"


    Chu Xiaoyao grinned and said, "Just pretend not to know me, and then we can chat for a while. You can be attracted to me and become my boyfriend."


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head and said, "No way!"


    "Uncle, you¡¯re not going to be so unfriendly, are you?" Chu Xiaoyao immediately put on a pitiful face and looked at Li Yifei.


    "It¡¯s not about being unfriendly, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m out with my sister-in-law today. She went out to make a phone call, and if she comes back and sees you with me, wouldn¡¯t my girlfriend kill me?"


    "Your sister-in-law? You¡¯re not alone?" Chu Xiaoyao looked at Li Yifei confusedly.


    "Of course not. Didn¡¯t you see?"


    "No, I just came in and saw you sitting here alone."


    "I¡¯m really not alone. She¡¯ll be back soon. I¡¯m telling you, you should drop this idea. I can¡¯t help you and end up with trouble at home."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to help Chu Xiaoyao. Mainly, he didn¡¯t want to get overly involved with this girl. While Chu Xiaoyao was a nice girl, she was still too young. A girl like her could be quite a headache if she clung to someone.


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted so much her mouth could hang a bottle, and asked, "Su Yiyi¡¯s sister?"


    "No, and she¡¯s not my girlfriend either."


    "I¡¯m confused, Uncle, you¡¯re too intense. So, you were just playing with Su Yiyi?"


    Li Yifei glared at Chu Xiaoyao and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense here. Go do what you¡¯re supposed to do; I don¡¯t have time to play with kids."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately protested, "What kids? I¡¯m already eighteen, okay? I¡¯m an adult. I can make my own decisions."


    "Is that so?" Chu Xiaoyao smugly winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was amused by Chu Xiaoyao and said, "Whether you¡¯re an adult or not has nothing to do with me. You¡¯re a big girl and still not shy."


    "I¡¯m just saying this to you, Uncle. I wouldn¡¯t say it to other men. I just like you."


    "Enough, enough. I beg you. Little Grandmother, please hurry and leave."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "I don¡¯t care. If you don¡¯t help me, I won¡¯t leave."


    Chu Xiaoyao started acting up, which made Li Yifei somewhat helpless. He couldn¡¯t exactly throw this little girl out, and as he saw Xu Shanshan returning, it was too late to chase Chu Xiaoyao away.


    "Huh? Brother-in-law, who¡¯s this?" Xu Shanshan returned and saw a little girl beside Li Yifei. Not only that, but she was also a lively and beautiful young girl, and she immediately asked, puzzled.


    Before Li Yifei could answer, Chu Xiaoyao already puffed out her chest and said, "I¡¯m Uncle¡¯s mistress."


    Li Yifei almost hit his head on the table. This girl, Chu Xiaoyao, was unbelievable to say such things. The main thing was, wasn¡¯t she putting him in a difficult situation? He really wanted to grab her by the collar and throw her out.


    "Mistress? Haha..." Xu Shanshan looked at this girl, obviously under twenty, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Chu Xiaoyao had initially intended to mess with Li Yifei, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s laughter made her feel greatly insulted. She immediately wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck and even pressed her face against his, boasting, "I am Uncle¡¯s mistress. So, what?"


    Li Yifei quickly turned away to avoid letting Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face touch his and pulled her hand away, exclaiming angrily, "Stop fooling around here."


    "Uncle, I¡¯m not fooling around. You promised me, didn¡¯t you, to be your mistress." Instantly, tears filled Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes, and biting her lip, she said in a choked voice, "Uncle, I¡¯m not asking to be your girlfriend. I just want to be your mistress. My first time was given to you, and now you¡¯re discarding me."


    Li Yifei was dumbfounded as he watched Chu Xiaoyao. This girl could act like an Oscar-winning actress. Her tears flowed the instant she wanted them to.


    "Uncle, I... I have your child, you know? Rest assured, I won¡¯t ask you to support us. I¡¯ll raise him alone. I¡¯ll tell him that he has a wonderful father, but due to some special circumstances, he can¡¯t be with us. I won¡¯t let him resent you."


    After saying that, Chu Xiaoyao ran away quickly, covering her face.


    "Hey, hey!" Li Yifei called out twice, but Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t stop. She quickly bypassed two booths and slipped into her classmates¡¯ group. Due to the booth¡¯s position, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan thought the girl had run out of the bar.


    Feeling embarrassed, Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, it¡¯s all nonsense from her."


    "Is it?" Xu Shanshan sat down, crossed her arms, placed her left leg over her right, and stared at Li Yifei with an unfriendly gaze, overlapping with Xu Yingying at this moment.


    Li Yifei promptly declared, "Absolutely! She¡¯s just a high schooler. I helped her a bit when I saw someone harassing her on the bus before. We took the same bus a few more times after that, and then nothing."


    Seeing Li Yifei a bit anxious, Xu Shanshan suddenly burst into laughter and said, "I knew it all along."


    "You believe me?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan in surprise.


    "Of course, I do. It was obvious that child was talking nonsense. If people say kids are bold nowadays, saying she¡¯s your mistress might actually convince someone. But when she claimed to have a child with you, it was just too fake," Xu Shanshan said, laughing even more brightly.

 Chapter 133: The Uncle Is Too Handsome

    Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The Uncle Is Too HandsomeLi Yifei also laughed and said, "Indeed, you gave me quite a scare. I was afraid you had misunderstood me."


    Swinging her legs gently, Xu Shanshan said with a smile, "For someone like brother-in-law, even if you seem ordinary on the outside, there will still be countless people who can see that you are actually a pearl hidden in the dust. So, it¡¯s normal for some bees and butterflies to flock to you."


    Li Yifei touched his nose and said with a chuckle, "Where have I often seen that phrase before?"


    "Hehe, I often encounter some self-centered people who say that when I chat on QQ," she replied.


    Li Yifei suddenly had a black line across his forehead and said, "Alright, I¡¯m narcissistic."


    Xu Shanshan then curiously asked about Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s situation, and Li Yifei shared some information with her. The two chatted and sipped their drinks leisurely, enjoying a very relaxed and happy time.


    A sharp sound of a shattering bottle suddenly pierced the air in the bar, followed by a string of cursing, fighting, and the screams of girls.


    Li Yifei frowned. He had encountered bar fights several times before and had gotten into fights himself when he was abroad. However, since returning to China, he hadn¡¯t fought with anyone in such places.


    Xu Shanshan immediately stood up to look over in that direction and then shouted, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s your ¡¯other woman¡¯ and her group."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a look. She had been referring to Chu Xiaoyao as the ¡¯other woman¡¯ all evening. But hearing that Chu Xiaoyao was in a fight, he felt he should help since he knew her.


    Standing up to look in that direction, he saw over a dozen people brawling. A group of girls was screaming non-stop beside them, and among those fighting, seven or eight were clearly thugs. The other seven or eight looked like students who were obviously no match for the street toughs. Although they hadn¡¯t been knocked down yet, they were clearly at a disadvantage.


    "Brother-in-law, aren¡¯t you going to help?" Xu Shanshan asked with shining eyes.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "These student lads don¡¯t know the severity of the real world. Letting them taste defeat teaches them that society is complicated and can¡¯t be resolved with just their passion alone." He then sat back down.


    Xu Shanshan pouted but felt that Li Yifei was right. At seventeen or eighteen years old, which kid doesn¡¯t think highly of themselves? Without encountering setbacks, they wouldn¡¯t recognize the complexities of society. There was nothing wrong with allowing them to suffer a bit.


    However, Xu Shanshan rather enjoyed watching such commotion. She didn¡¯t sit back down but instead knelt on the booth, hands on the back of the chair, watching the fight intently.


    "Ah, poor kids, they¡¯ve been subdued so quickly," Xu Shanshan shook her head and sighed.


    "Ah, brother-in-law, things are getting bad, those thugs are going after your ¡¯other woman¡¯. Oh, they¡¯ve taken a fancy to your ¡¯other woman¡¯. If you don¡¯t do something, she¡¯s going to become someone else¡¯s ¡¯other woman¡¯."


    Now, Li Yifei had no choice but to stand up. While he could ignore other people¡¯s problems, Chu Xiaoyao was someone he knew. Even though she was a bit unruly, the fact that she was still innocent suggested that underneath her rebellious exterior was a decent girl at heart.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan excitedly followed Li Yifei. The previous day, Li Yifei¡¯s fight was only against four spoiled rich kids who had no fighting ability. But these people were street gangsters, used to fighting all the time, which would surely give Li Yifei a thrill.


    However, just a few excited steps later, Xu Shanshan suddenly tugged at Li Yifei, whispering with concern, "Brother-in-law, they¡¯re seven or eight people. Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?"


    With a chuckle, Li Yifei replied, "What am I supposed to do? I can¡¯t just let someone take away my ¡¯other woman¡¯ to become theirs, can I?"


    "Are you really sure you can beat them?" Xu Shanshan asked cautiously.


    "There shouldn¡¯t be any problem. Don¡¯t forget, your brother-in-law is a former soldier who has practiced martial arts. A few small-time thugs are no match for me." Li Yifei boasted as he flexed his arms, then lit a cigarette and strolled leisurely toward the scene of action.


    Today, Chu Xiaoyao and her friends were celebrating a classmate¡¯s birthday. A group of about ten close friends had gone to the bar to celebrate.


    They were having a great time, and naturally, it got a bit noisy. A couple next to them was drinking and couldn¡¯t stand the noise. The man asked them to keep it down, but as Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s male classmates were drunk, they became arrogant. With the benefit of numbers, instead of quieting down, they even cursed at the man.


    At that moment, the woman was not having it and immediately made a phone call, and soon these punks showed up. Originally, Chu Xiaoyao and her group had more people, but unfortunately, most of them were girls. The boys might act tough normally, but when it came to a real fight, they were no good.


    The conflict seemed to be nearing its end, and the other party, who had vented their anger and taught these clueless students a lesson, was ready to leave. Little did they know, when these thugs saw that they were dealing with a bunch of students, and quite a few female students at that, especially the beautiful Chu Xiaoyao, they immediately became lascivious and insisted that the girls drink with them, with Chu Xiaoyao being their main target, of course.


    Chu Xiaoyao might act bratty and say whatever she wanted in front of Li Yifei, but when these punks tried to drag her off to drink, she immediately refused. She struggled while cursing at the thugs, unlike the other girls who were too scared to even shiver.


    But her strength was no match for the thugs. At that moment, she remembered Li Yifei and started shouting, "Uncle, uncle, save me!"


    "Haha, calling ¡¯uncle¡¯ won¡¯t help. You have to call ¡¯husband¡¯, and then I¡¯ll take pity on you," the punk holding Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arm leered with a sleazy laugh.


    "I warn you, if you don¡¯t let go of me, my uncle will come over and knock your teeth out," Chu Xiaoyao glared fiercely at the punk.


    "Oh really? Then call your uncle over. I¡¯d like to see just how tough your uncle is."


    "Uncle, uncle, if you don¡¯t make a move now, my baby¡¯s going to be gone," Chu Xiaoyao suddenly spotted Li Yifei, who was leisurely smoking a cigarette and watching the spectacle. She yelled at him, fuming.


    Li Yifei¡¯s forehead creased with exasperation. This girl could still spout such crazy nonsense at this time. She was beyond help.


    As the thugs and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s classmates turned their attention to him, Li Yifei remained unmoved, took a drag of his cigarette, and said, "Keep spewing nonsense, and even if you¡¯re carrying their brat, I won¡¯t care."


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly made a pleading face and exclaimed, "Uncle, uncle, I was wrong. I won¡¯t talk nonsense anymore. I¡¯m not your mistress, and there¡¯s no child of yours in my belly, please help me."


    Only then did Li Yifei slowly start walking towards her, and upon reaching the thugs, he said, "That¡¯s enough. Winning a girl¡¯s heart should be based on your own merits, not through coercion like this. It¡¯s just disgraceful."


    One of the thugs holding Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arm glowered and snapped at Li Yifei, "Who the fuck do you think you are, acting all high and mighty here?"


    "Smack!" A crisp slap rang out, and Li Yifei sent the guy spinning twice before he could steady himself. Then Li Yifei coolly said, "Didn¡¯t your mother teach you how to speak to people?"


    Dazed from the slap, the punk only realized what happened when he felt a burning pain on his face. He immediately roared, "Fuck your mother, I¡¯ll kill you!" and lunged at Li Yifei. Without needing a signal, the rest of the punks rushed at Li Yifei too, as group beatings were their specialty.


    Unfortunately for them, they had picked on the wrong person this time. Li Yifei was not like those who would get shaky legs at their charge. With a stretch of his arm, he pulled Chu Xiaoyao behind him, then with a gentle push, she was out of harm¡¯s way. His hands flew like a tiger among sheep, and in less than twenty seconds, all seven or eight thugs were lying on the ground.


    The actions had been so fast, it was as if one blinked, and the entire fight was over, with the previously cocky punks sprawled on the ground.


    And to think, this was the work of just one man, clearly showing how formidable he was.


    "Oh yeah! Uncle, you¡¯re so cool!" Chu Xiaoyao cheered, rushing over and latching onto Li Yifei, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, then planting a kiss on his cheek with a smack.


    The move was swift; Li Yifei wasn¡¯t too slow to dodge. He could have easily avoided Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s dive, but that would have meant letting her fall flat on her backside, so he let her embrace him. However, he couldn¡¯t avoid her kiss in time and moved his face sideways, allowing her to kiss his cheek.


    Xu Shanshan was a step behind but just as excited as she grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really powerful."


    The others had been stunned by Li Yifei¡¯s display of prowess, but seeing two beauties suddenly throw themselves at him, they all became envious of Li Yifei¡¯s good fortune, especially Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s classmates. Having just been beaten up, now they had to watch their class beauty throwing herself into another man¡¯s arms, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Get down!" Li Yifei commanded, his face stern.


    "I won¡¯t!" Chu Xiaoyao clung to his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against his face like an octopus clinging tightly and refusing to let go.


    Li Yifei raised his hand and smacked Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom with a slap, resounding enough to stun everyone present. Such a pretty girl, and Li Yifei could bring himself to hit her like that? It seemed utterly heartless, and their contempt for him grew instantly.

 Chapter 134: The Awesome Uncle

    Chapter 134: Chapter 134: The Awesome Uncle"Uncle, it hurts so much!" Chu Xiaoyao, after being slapped by Li Yifei, had tears streaming down her face, but she still clung tightly to Li Yifei, refusing to let go.


    "If you don¡¯t get off me, do you want another slap?" Li Yifei¡¯s face was stern, like a strict judge.


    "No, I won¡¯t get off. You could kill me, and I still wouldn¡¯t let go," Chu Xiaoyao pouted with tearful eyes, her defiance extremely strong.


    Li Yifei remembered girls her age were often very rebellious; if he were too tough on her, she would just resist even stronger, so he softened his tone and said, "Do you really want me to avoid you from now on whenever I see you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted again, then muttered quietly, "It¡¯s your fault for being mean to me," and slowly hopped down.


    Li Yifei finally relaxed a bit and then said to Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, let¡¯s go."


    Xu Shanshan nodded her head. She wasn¡¯t upset by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s impulsive reaction because she knew if she had been Xiaoyao¡¯s age, she might have reacted the same way. She saw her past self in Xiaoyao, so far from being annoyed, she actually felt a sense of kinship.


    Li Yifei was ready to leave when the thugs he had hit earlier disagreed. Now, several of them got up and blocked his way. Although they didn¡¯t directly attack Li Yifei, one of them still said viciously, "Kid, don¡¯t think you¡¯re something special just because you can fight. Do you know who we work for?"


    "Who do you work for?" Li Yifei asked, narrowing his eyes.


    The thug proudly raised his head and said, "We¡¯re Brother Hu¡¯s men. You dare to hit us; you¡¯re a dead man." As if the mention of Brother Hu gave him boundless courage, he stopped being intimidated by Li Yifei entirely.


    At this moment, there were low murmurs in the bar, and everyone looked at Li Yifei with sympathetic eyes.


    "These punks have such a backing; that guy¡¯s in trouble now. Offending Brother Hu¡¯s people, once Brother Hu comes after him, he won¡¯t just get skinned alive."


    "Yeah, even though he can fight, who do you think Brother Hu is? He¡¯s the big boss around here, with hundreds of underlings, and his backing is solid. There¡¯s nothing good that comes from crossing him."


    Chu Xiaoyao also felt a sudden tightness in her chest. Although young, her rebellious nature meant her classmates often talked about who was tough and influential in society, and Brother Hu¡¯s name came up often. She knew Brother Hu was a fearsome Underworld boss; Li Yifei had hit his men, and now they were really in a difficult spot.


    "Uncle, what do we do?" Chu Xiaoyao clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, looking pitifully at him. The trouble had started because of her, and she too was afraid of Brother Hu¡¯s men coming after her.


    Li Yifei glared at Chu Xiaoyao and said, "And you still ask me, isn¡¯t this mess your doing?"


    "But what do we do? What if they come looking for me at school? What if they smash up my house?" Chu Xiaoyao was nearly crying ¨C a young girl like her had no idea what to do in this situation.


    "Now you know to be scared?" Li Yifei said, somewhat amused as he looked at Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Uncle, you¡¯re still laughing. They¡¯ll definitely catch me and force me to be a prostitute. I don¡¯t want that at all. Uncle, I¡¯d rather be your mistress than do that. Please Uncle, can I stay with you? I¡¯m scared," she pleaded.


    Li Yifei was truly at a loss for words, amazed that the girl could still say such things at a time like this. She really was hopeless.


    "What¡¯s Brother Hu or Younger Brother Hu to me? None of my business," Li Yifei certainly did not take that Brother Hu seriously, especially since he had clashed with him before. That time, because of Su Yiyi, he even gave Brother Hu a good beating.


    When Li Yifei spoke dismissively of Brother Hu, the underlings immediately became indignant, pointing at him and shouting their protests.


    The rest of the crowd looked at Li Yifei as if he were a fool, thinking that although he could fight, he really had no clue about the way things worked in society. Thinking that just because someone has some martial skills they could disregard anyone they pleased was simply courting death.


    "Brother Hu, when did you get here?" As Li Yifei was talking to Chu Xiaoyao, the doorman shouted loudly, and the bar went quiet all at once. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards the entrance; nobody had expected such a coincidence ¨C Brother Hu showing up at the bar at that moment.


    Brother Hu had come here spontaneously today, followed only by a couple of bodyguards. Upon entering and seeing the place in disarray, he frowned, his face stern as he asked, "What happened?"


    This bar was under Brother Hu¡¯s protection, and the bar owner was well acquainted with him. Had it been anyone else¡¯s men fighting, they would have called the police by now. The owner quickly scuttled over and said, "Brother Hu, some students started fighting, but there was one person who stepped in and beat up your guys."


    Brother Hu¡¯s face darkened. He asked coldly, "Who is the blind fool that dares hit my men?"


    "Brother Hu!" The underlings who just got beaten saw Brother Hu and immediately flushed with excitement. With Brother Hu present, their beating today wouldn¡¯t be for nothing. One of them ran to Brother Hu, pointed at Li Yifei and shouted, "It was this kid who hit me. He clearly doesn¡¯t have any respect for you, Brother Hu. We even dropped your name, but he still said all this nonsense."


    Brother Hu¡¯s complexion turned even uglier upon hearing this. Over the past few years, he had established a significant status here, and there had hardly been anyone who dared to disrespect him. The only exception had been that time when Li Yifei gave him a beating. However, not many people were involved in that incident. To save face, Brother Hu had ordered those few who knew not to talk about it, so even his own underlings were unaware that he had ever suffered such a loss.


    Chu Xiaoyao, who saw Brother Hu for the first time, instinctively hid behind Li Yifei despite never meeting him before. The reputation preceded the man, and she was genuinely scared of being captured by Brother Hu and sold off to be a prostitute¡ªa common cautionary tale among her friends about what happened to the women who crossed Brother Hu.


    Xu Shanshan was also worried at this moment. Although her brother-in-law was strong, the opposing party clearly looked like the Underworld. If a conflict broke out with them, it could become never-ending trouble. Even being skilled at fighting wouldn¡¯t help in this case, so she secretly picked up the phone and called the police.


    Li Yifei also heard Xu Shanshan make the call, but he did not stop her because he believed there was no need to fight to resolve the situation.


    Finally, Brother Hu noticed Li Yifei, and upon seeing him, Brother Hu¡¯s body shuddered. He could forget anyone he had recently met, but he would never forget Li Yifei. This terrifying man was too powerful, way beyond merely being able to fight. It was excessive. Unless one had a gun, there was simply no chance of dealing with Li Yifei.


    He now deeply regretted coming here today for no good reason. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he clenched his teeth, came before Li Yifei, and with a fist bow, said, "Mr. Li, my boys were blind to offend you. I apologize on their behalf." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Gasp!" All the underlings were stunned.


    The patrons in the bar who knew of Brother Hu watched in disbelief as their jaws dropped to the floor.


    Chu Xiaoyao watched, dumbfounded, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg, unable to close it for a long time.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise and then fixated on Li Yifei. Suddenly, she felt she couldn¡¯t see through her brother-in-law at all.


    "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve already taught them a lesson."


    "Gasp!"


    The underlings already stunned by the earlier events were once again dumbstruck. The jaws that had just been picked up off the ground had fallen once more. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s chin nearly hit the floor in shock, while Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes sparkled with amazement.


    In their view, Brother Hu being so polite to Li Yifei meant that the two knew each other, which is why Brother Hu gave Li Yifei face. But what Li Yifei said was so audaciously confident that it seemed he didn¡¯t take Brother Hu seriously at all. How could someone who looked so unremarkable be even tougher than Brother Hu? Could they not be shocked?


    Brother Hu¡¯s facial muscles twitched violently. At that moment, he really wanted to fight Li Yifei to the death, but he also knew that it would result only in his death and Li Yifei¡¯s survival. So, suppressing the impulse in his heart, he forced a smile and said, "Yes, yes, they lacked discipline. Thank you, Mr. Li, for teaching them a lesson for me."


    "Hmm, don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s a minor matter. Since these are all students and your people have hit them, you should give them some money for medical expenses."


    Brother Hu¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Of course."


    "It¡¯s not easy to run a business in this bar. For the things that got damaged, you can help compensate for your understudies too."


    Brother Hu¡¯s face grew darker and he said, "No problem."


    "And our bill, have your underlings settle it as well. They¡¯ve ruined my mood, so I won¡¯t ask them for compensation."


    "Okay!"


    At this point, Brother Hu¡¯s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Since rising to power in the Underworld, he had never felt so humiliated.


    Initially, Chu Xiaoyao had been very afraid of Brother Hu, but under the circumstances, how could she still be? Her head was held high; her nostrils flared as if she was the one who had made Brother Hu so compliant, not Li Yifei.


    She had never felt as honored as she did today. Here was the infamous Brother Hu unable to blow his top after his men were beaten, and in the end, he had to pay the bill like a chastened grandson. Chu Xiaoyao had never felt so imposing before.


    Clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm as if afraid he would run away made her feel secure. At that moment, she wouldn¡¯t mind being Li Yifei¡¯s mistress, even if it meant being number three, four, five, or seven¡ªfollowing such an impressive man was an honor in itself.


    Those classmates who usually strutted around arrogantly now seemed like nothing but dirt in her eyes. Even at their most formidable, they wouldn¡¯t dare to breathe too loudly in front of Brother Hu, let alone beat his men and then make Brother Hu apologize.

 Chapter 135 This Bastard Did It on Purpose

    Chapter 135: Chapter 135 This Bastard Did It on Purpose"Alright, I¡¯m leaving." Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand, and as the problem was solved, he was eager to leave the place with Xu Shanshan.


    "Mr. Li, take care." Brother Hu immediately stepped aside, showing utmost respect to Li Yifei.


    "Uncle, I¡¯m going with you." At this moment, Chu Xiaoyao was not just grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm, but tightly hugging it.


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "Aren¡¯t you going to stay and play with your classmates?"


    "No more playing, I want to go home with you, I¡¯ll be your mistress," Chu Xiaoyao said with pride, even casting a defiant glance at her classmates, as if becoming Li Yifei¡¯s mistress was a matter of immense honor.


    Li Yifei also glanced at those classmates, the male students looked displeased, but the female students actually showed looks of envy, which left Li Yifei speechless. It seemed girls these days all thought this way; the world was going mad.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you see I brought my girlfriend? Do you want to get me killed or something?"


    "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, she can be your wife, I¡¯ll just be the mistress," Chu Xiaoyao said quickly, then turned to Xu Shanshan with a placating tone, "Sister, I won¡¯t interfere with you two, I¡¯ll just be the mistress. Men are always unfaithful, even if at home there¡¯s a wife pretty as a flower, they still seek affairs. So I¡¯ll help you keep an eye on him, it¡¯ll definitely benefit you. You can¡¯t handle it alone, I¡¯ll lend a hand when the time comes."


    At this moment, everyone in the bar felt as if thunder was rolling above their heads, even Brother Hu had a face full of black lines; this girl was beyond belief, actively asking to be a mistress and even approaching the man¡¯s girlfriend. Such behavior was a bit too much for even him¡ªsomeone accustomed to the underworld life.


    Li Yifei was defeated and just as he thought about throwing Chu Xiaoyao aside and running out, several police officers suddenly burst in through the door, and one of them was Lin Qiong, giving him a whole new level of headache. Seeing this scene, Lin Qiong would probably look down on him even more.


    "What happened here?" Lin Qiong walked in, quickly deducing that a fight had taken place and asked sternly. Her gaze then fell on Brother Hu, causing her brows to furrow even more. After becoming the Deputy Director, she knew Brother Hu was the biggest underworld boss around, yet she felt powerless to touch him and was holding back her frustration.


    However, seeing that Brother Hu was not displaying his usual arrogance but instead was careful and cautious¡ªeven unconcerned about the police arrival¡ªshe turned her surprised gaze towards another person, curious to see who was worthy of such treatment from Brother Hu.


    But, to her astonishment, that person turned out to be that bastard Li Yifei.


    How come this guy is here, and why is Brother Hu behaving like this towards him?


    Did I recognize the wrong person? Lin Qiong¡¯s first thought was this, but then she immediately felt it was not right; Brother Hu was a known figure, and if he wasn¡¯t well-acquainted with someone, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be so cautious. Could it be that Li Yifei was actually a real underworld boss, even more terrifying than Brother Hu?


    The idea made Lin Qiong¡¯s heart pound; Li Yifei was indeed a master of disguise.


    In the past few days, Lin Qiong had encountered Li Yifei twice; once she regarded him as a conman who specialized in deceiving women out of their money, and now, she saw him as a deeply concealed criminal mastermind. And not so long ago, she even labelled him as worthless, convinced that any good deeds he did were solely to veil his true nature.


    Lin Qiong might not even realize herself why she held such a deep prejudice against Li Yifei. For a cop, evidence should be the top priority, yet when it came to Li Yifei, she always had a preconceived notion and only considered evidence last.


    "Officer Lin, what brings you here?" Li Yifei greeted her cheerfully.


    Lin Qiong kept a stern face and said, "What exactly happened here?"


    The bar owner hurried over, saying, "Nothing, nothing, there was a small disagreement just now, it¡¯s all settled now."


    "Then who called the police?" Lin Qiong looked around at everyone.


    Xu Shanshan stepped forward and said, "Officer Lin, we meet again. You really are a good cop, arriving so fast. I was the one who called the police. I thought there might be trouble, but it turned out to be nothing more than kids fighting."


    "Kids fighting?" Lin Qiong took another look around; several teenagers, all disheveled with a couple sporting a bruised nose and swollen faces, and about seven or eight thugs appeared to have been involved in a fight. She roughly guessed what had happened.


    Such conflict didn¡¯t cause any issues, and the police were too lazy to care. However, seeing Brother Hu and Li Yifei both here still made Lin Qiong feel somewhat puzzled. What were these two doing here?


    "Director Lin, this has nothing to do with us. We¡¯ll be leaving now." Despite not taking Lin Qiong, the newly appointed junior Deputy Director, seriously, Brother Hu still maintained a very polite demeanor on the surface to save face.


    Lin Qiong really wanted to detain Brother Hu but couldn¡¯t find a valid reason, plus she did not want to startle the snake. If she was really going to take down Brother Hu, she had to gather enough evidence to deliver a fatal blow without giving him any chance to fight back.


    So at that moment, she just nodded at Brother Hu, allowing him and his two bodyguards to leave.


    Li Yifei also smiled at Lin Qiong and said, "Officer Lin, we¡¯ll be heading off too."


    Lin Qiong frowned slightly. She wanted to detain Li Yifei as well to have a good talk, but ultimately, she held back and watched with controlled frustration as Li Yifei walked past her, his arm linked by Xu Shanshan. As they passed by Lin Qiong, Shanshan said with a smile, "Officer Xu, let¡¯s chat another time when you¡¯re free."


    Chu Xiaoyao also wanted to leave with Li Yifei, but suddenly Li Yifei said to Lin Qiong, "Officer Lin, this little girl was involved just now. You can¡¯t let her go."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes. Clearly, Li Yifei was using her as a shield again. However, she really couldn¡¯t ignore it and sternly told Chu Xiaoyao, "You can¡¯t leave."


    Chu Xiaoyao hurriedly cried out in panic, "Uncle, you can¡¯t just abandon me. I¡¯m your mistress!" S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Li Yifei had already left with Xu Shanshan, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone without a trace, infuriating Chu Xiaoyao who stomped her feet in anger.


    Lin Qiong was sweating over this. Li Yifei really was a bastard, not sparing even such a young girl, and this silly girl actually admitted to being Li Yifei¡¯s mistress, which was truly too shameless.


    "Behave and repeat what just happened to me." Lin Qiong firmly controlled Chu Xiaoyao and began to inquire about what had just occurred.


    Chu Xiaoyao was a sharp-tongued girl and recounted the recent events. Lin Qiong didn¡¯t take these matters seriously, knowing this was truly a minor incident. The most important factor was that none of the students had been hurt. If the parents of the students didn¡¯t pursue it any further, the case would close just like that.


    But upon hearing those thugs had beaten up people and then tried to take Chu Xiaoyao away, Lin Qiong¡¯s brow furrowed. This was a significant issue, she said, "And then?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "Hehe, I knew my uncle was here, what was there to be afraid of? I just called out for him, then he came over and knocked down those thugs. My uncle is so cool, just with a few punches and kicks he laid them all down."


    Surprised by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, Lin Qiong recalled her own altercation with Li Yifei when they mistook him for a thief and tussled for quite some time, ending in a stalemate without either side overpowering the other. She was well aware of her own strength; against such thugs, she could handle one, maybe struggle with two, but taking on seven or eight and also bringing them down was simply impossible.


    "Are you sure Li Yifei took them all down by himself?" Lin Qiong stared at Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Of course, so many people saw it, if you don¡¯t believe me, ask them."


    Lin Qiong immediately asked a few more people, including two of the thugs, and the answers were surprisingly consistent. They all confirmed that Li Yifei alone had knocked them down, and he did so very cleanly.


    "This guy is that formidable?" Lin Qiong felt a sudden sense of foreboding in her heart, realizing Li Yifei had been hiding a lot from her, at least his martial arts skills, which had certainly deceived her¡ªespecially considering that during their encounter when she caught Li Yifei, he had struggled and embraced her, taking advantage of her. Initially, she hadn¡¯t minded, given that she had apprehended the wrong person, but now, knowing he was so formidable, he could have easily subdued her without such effort.


    It seemed there were only two reasons for Li Yifei to do as he did. First, the man didn¡¯t want to expose his capabilities and therefore deliberately concealed them at the time, indicating that he might have a deeper background, possibly even a greater Underworld boss than Brother Hu; second, he was intentionally pretending to be weak, simply to take advantage of her.


    The thought of the second reason made Lin Qiong¡¯s skin crawl as if ants were marching over her body, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable.


    "This bastard daring to deceive me, I¡¯ll see how I deal with you." Lin Qiong vehemently cursed Li Yifei in her heart. Regardless of which guess was right, Li Yifei was clearly no good. Her impression of him sank even further, and she resolved to expose his true face and eventually bring him to justice.

 Chapter 136 Quarreling Started

    Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Quarreling StartedLi Yifei and Xu Shanshan took a taxi directly home. Along the way, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t say much, but as soon as they got out of the car and into the neighborhood, she excitedly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said with animated eyebrows, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re amazing. I knew you could fight, but I never thought you could fight to this level, taking on seven or eight punks so easily. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone as impressive as you. Brother-in-law, did you learn any real kung fu? Like the kind in martial arts novels?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s questions came like popping beans, one after another, leaving Li Yifei a bit overwhelmed. He smiled wryly and said, "Can we take it one question at a time?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "Okay, so tell me, do you really know kung fu?"


    "I know a little, taught in the army. Uncle Xu knows this too. I¡¯ve seen him use some moves. Haven¡¯t you?"


    "Of course, I¡¯ve seen him show off, but he¡¯s been retired for so many years. I think he¡¯s just showing off a bit, unlike you, who are the real deal."


    "Hehe, Uncle Xu is a leader, he can¡¯t just fight anyone. I was more fond of this stuff in the army, and it seems I have a talent for it, so I¡¯m a bit better than the average soldier."


    "More than just a bit, you¡¯re amazing. In just a few moves, you put down seven or eight big men." Xu Shanshan gestured while she spoke, clearly very excited about today.


    While joking around, they took the elevator and arrived at their door. Li Yifei took out his key, opened the door, and saw the living room light on. Xu Yingying was wearing the business suit she left with in the morning, holding a phone, and at the same moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang.


    "Sis, why are you back?" Xu Shanshan asked Xu Yingying in surprise, then guiltily whispered a question.


    Xu Yingying hung up the phone, crossed her arms, and coldly asked the two of them, "Can you give me an explanation?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m tired, I¡¯ll go take a shower first," and then dashed into the bathroom to hide.


    Li Yifei was speechless for a moment. Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t being very loyal right now¡ªit was her idea to go out, and now that Xu Yingying found out, she ran away first.


    "Oh, and there¡¯s such a strong smell of alcohol. Where did you go?" Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei sternly.


    Since Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t really Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend, and Xu Shanshan was hiding in the bathroom, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t afraid of Xu Yingying. He smiled lightly and said, "I took Shanshan to a bar to drink a bit."


    "Drinking? With such a strong smell, how much did you drink?"


    "Not much; we just went out to have fun and didn¡¯t do anything bad. Is it necessary to be so angry?"


    "I don¡¯t mind if you play during the day, but going out at night¡ªdon¡¯t you know how chaotic society is out there? If anything happened to Shanshan, how could I explain it to our parents?"


    Li Yifei felt a bit frustrated being scolded by Xu Yingying, and with his eyebrows furrowed, he said, "I was with her, what could happen?" Pretending to be a boyfriend and taking care of the sister-in-law, Xu Yingying¡¯s big temper was getting a bit difficult for Li Yifei to handle.


    Xu Shanshan rushed out of the bathroom at this point, stood in front of Li Yifei, and glared at Xu Yingying saying, "What are you doing? I just wanted brother-in-law to take me out to play. Do you have to yell like this? Who do you think you are? I¡¯m your sister. This life¡¯s reincarnation didn¡¯t go well for us, nothing we can do about it. But brother-in-law is such a good person, and you¡¯re treating him like this. Let me tell you, if brother-in-law gets mad and doesn¡¯t want you anymore, you¡¯ll regret it."


    This was the first time Li Yifei saw the two sisters truly argue. Xu Shanshan¡¯s words were sharp, making Xu Yingying¡¯s face turn red with anger, trembling all over, unable to retort.


    Xu Shanshan put her hands on her hips and said, "Hmph, run out of words? Just because you¡¯re a boss doesn¡¯t mean you can yell at brother-in-law. Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re still brother-in-law¡¯s girlfriend. Have you fulfilled a girlfriend¡¯s responsibilities? All day long thinking about what brother-in-law should do, but have you thought about what you should do?"


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes turn red with anger, Li Yifei tugged at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, stop talking."


    "I just have to say it. She¡¯s my sister, so it¡¯s fine for her to yell at me, but she treats her boyfriend like this. You think everyone is like your employees, who need you to make a living? People like brother-in-law have many admirers, yet you don¡¯t appreciate him. I really think it¡¯s unworthy for brother-in-law."


    "Have you said enough?" Xu Yingying suddenly yelled out in anger.


    "No, I haven¡¯t. What are you going to do about it?" Xu Shanshan glared, defiantly returning her sister¡¯s gaze.


    Both were equally angry, and their expressions were quite similar. If not for the different clothes, Li Yifei might have trouble telling them apart. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was getting a headache from their argument. He glared at them and said, "Have you two argued enough?"


    Xu Yingying immediately shouted at Li Yifei, "Shut up."


    Li Yifei frowned, reached out, and suddenly picked Xu Yingying up. Xu Yingying was completely unprepared, and by the time she realized it, Li Yifei had already carried her into the bedroom, shutting the door with a bang.


    "What are you doing?" Xu Yingying was startled and cried out.


    Li Yifei whispered in her ear, "Careful not to blow our cover."


    Xu Yingying instantly calmed down. Compared to arguing with her sister, this matter was clearly more important. She snorted and said, "Then why did you bring me in here?"


    Li Yifei set Xu Yingying down and said, "If I didn¡¯t bring you in, you¡¯d keep arguing, and if you got too worked up and blew our cover, wouldn¡¯t all my hard work have been for nothing?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, but she also knew he was right. She said irritably, "Then why did you go along with her to trick me?"


    "Boss, we¡¯re just having fun, no need for such a big reaction. Besides, this is what a qualified brother-in-law should do, right?"


    Xu Yingying finally calmed down, but thinking about Xu Shanshan standing up for Li Yifei, her brows furrowed again, and she said, "Shanshan seems to be really defending you, huh?"


    "That¡¯s just because she thinks I¡¯m her brother-in-law. Stop thinking unnecessary things. I know what I should and shouldn¡¯t do."


    Xu Shanshan saw Li Yifei carry her sister into the room and immediately went to the door to listen, but she couldn¡¯t hear what was being said. However, her sister seemed to have stopped arguing, which surprised Xu Shanshan a lot. She knew her sister¡¯s temper well. Even when angry, she rarely quarreled, but once she did, it wouldn¡¯t stop easily. To her surprise, it quieted so quickly in the room with Li Yifei. This brother-in-law sure knew how to handle her sister.


    After a while, the door opened, and Xu Shanshan playfully blinked at Xu Yingying and Li Yifei as they came out, saying, "All settled?"


    She was a broad-minded girl, quick-tempered but also quick to cool down, never holding grudges against her sister.


    Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan and said, "Were you waiting to see us break up?"


    "Hehe, so you¡¯re not that foolish. Couples fight, argue at the head of the bed, and make up at the foot. Oh, but you¡¯re not a couple yet." Xu Shanshan grinned mischievously.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she scolded, "Nothing good comes out of a dog¡¯s mouth. Go shower and sleep."


    Behind them, Li Yifei secretly gave Xu Shanshan an OK gesture. Xu Shanshan giggled and ran to the bathroom.


    This storm passed like that. It was late; they each took a shower and returned to their rooms to rest. Xu Yingying lay in bed, unable to sleep.


    It wasn¡¯t because there was a man beside her but because of the current issues at hand. For so many years, she had always made decisions quickly, disliking anything that dragged on. Now, there were two things she felt were getting more tangled the more she dealt with them.


    The first was work. She wanted to leave but couldn¡¯t bear it. This truly troubled her. Huayang Company was like her child. How could she bear to give up easily? But if she didn¡¯t leave, the higher-ups wouldn¡¯t let her remain in charge. Going to another branch or to headquarters wasn¡¯t an option for her. Huayang still had so much potential for development, and she had many ideas yet to be realized.


    The second matter was with Li Yifei. She initially thought they only needed to pretend for her parents during the New Year. Who knew it would get this tangled? This fake boyfriend got approved by her family. Not only was her parents satisfied, but even her sister liked him. If she announced a breakup with Li Yifei, her parents would undoubtedly be upset and nag her to find another boyfriend.


    These two matters, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to drag on anymore. She knew clearly that if it continued, it would only make things more troublesome for herself.


    After pondering for half the night, Xu Yingying made her decisions. As for work, she decided to leave Huayang and join Su Mengxin¡¯s company. Regarding Li Yifei, once Xu Shanshan left, she¡¯d tell her parents directly about the breakup. Since they weren¡¯t nearby, they could nag all they wanted, and she could also say she was emotionally wounded for now and didn¡¯t want to find anyone else, which should placate them.


    Having made these two decisions, Xu Yingying yawned, feeling drowsiness wash over her. But when she turned to look at Li Yifei, seeing his chiseled face in the dim moonlight, she suddenly felt a bit reluctant.


    This thought startled Xu Yingying, as Li Yifei was just someone she hired. Why was she feeling reluctant? Could it be that she was developing a genuine liking for Li Yifei now?

 Chapter 137: Revenge

    Chapter 137: Chapter 137: RevengeThe next day, Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei to drive her to the company. She had a feeling that if Li Yifei were to spend time with Xu Shanshan, the two would end up having even more outrageous fun. However, if Xu Shanshan went out on her own, she wouldn¡¯t stir up much trouble. So, today, she decisively told Li Yifei to go to work.


    Today, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t submit her letter of resignation directly to the head office, as she still had some matters to deal with. For her, it was essential to complete everything she started, and even if she was leaving, she wanted to finish all her tasks.


    Busy until after six o¡¯clock, Xu Yingying finally left the company. By then, there were hardly a few people left in the building. Only Li Yifei was waiting in the logistics department, idly playing computer games.


    Xu Yingying called out to him, and the two went down the elevator together, heading straight to the underground parking lot.


    Just as they were about to get into their car, suddenly, six men rushed out, each wielding wooden sticks or iron rods, quickly surrounding the two of them.


    "Who are you?" Xu Yingying, as a company president, remained composed and coolly eyed the six men.


    One of them, a thirty-something-year-old with a full beard, slapped a baseball bat in the palm of his left hand and sneered, "You don¡¯t need to know who we are. But I can make one thing clear¡ªwe¡¯ve been sent by Qin Shaodong."


    "Qin Shaodong? I don¡¯t know him. You¡¯ve made a mistake," Xu Yingying frowned, unable to recall knowing anyone named Qin Shaodong.


    "Chick, stop playing dumb. Our Young Master Qin said he wants to take you back. You better get ready to receive his favor," said the bearded man.


    "Ha ha..." The other five men laughed boisterously. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei now realized that these six men were the ones hired by those young masters they had fought with two days ago at Hualong Temple. It was easy for them to remember Xu Yingying¡¯s license plate number and find her. As brazen as Qin Shaodong was in tracking down the owner of the car, he should have known who Xu Yingying was. Still, they dared to take action against her, which indicated their audacity wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want Xu Yingying to know that he¡¯d gotten into a fight while taking Xu Shanshan out. He immediately glared and barked, "Get lost!"


    "Pretty cocky, kid. No wonder you dared to hit Young Master Qin, but today, you won¡¯t be so lucky. Attack!" The bearded man shouted, taking the lead and swinging his bat towards Li Yifei¡¯s head, his strike full of lethal intent.


    Xu Yingying let out a terrified scream. Even with her poise, facing these unreasonable thugs, she was defenseless, instinctively shrieking. If the bat hit Li Yifei¡¯s head, it wouldn¡¯t have to kill him¡ªa concussion would be unavoidable.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t regard these men as a threat; he dodged the bat and with a swift kick, sent the bearded man tumbling to the ground.


    It was like a tiger amongst sheep. With fists and kicks, every blow was solid, every kick bone-crunching. Although the thugs held weapons, they stood no chance, unable to even brush the hem of Li Yifei¡¯s clothes.


    Li Yifei, not wanting these men to spout nonsense and provoke Xu Yingying¡¯s curiosity, controlled his strength in his punches. He didn¡¯t want to knock them down completely, which would necessitate capturing and interrogating them, so he targeted the most painful parts of their bodies, inflicting pain without crippling their ability to move.


    Soon, the thugs couldn¡¯t bear the pain and recognized they were no match for Li Yifei. Rather than continue to suffer, they decided temporary retreat was preferable, planning to find another way to get back at Li Yifei later.


    "Retreat!" The bearded man yelled, and his men immediately dropped their weapons and rushed into a van, speeding out of the underground parking lot in the blink of an eye.


    Xu Yingying stared, dumbfounded. She had thought that the six men surrounding them spelled doom but never expected Li Yifei to single-handedly drive them all away. He was truly formidable.


    "These guys, I have no idea where they popped up from, and this Qin character, it¡¯s all just so inexplicable," Li Yifei muttered before turning to Xu Yingying to fawn over her, "President Xu, I hope that didn¡¯t frighten you just now?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head, gazing at Li Yifei for a long time without blinking, which made him rather uncomfortable. He avoided her stare, asking, "President Xu, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Yingying crossed her arms and said, "You really are impressive. With your skills, yet you chose to be a security guard¡ªit truly is a waste of talent."


    Li Yifei shrugged, responding, "Being skilled isn¡¯t all that useful. I don¡¯t want to get involved with the underworld, so being a security guard it is. But luckily, you saw potential in me, allowing me to become a white-collar worker."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another look, then opened the car door and got in. She suddenly felt that Li Yifei was no ordinary person, capable of things beyond an average person. She hadn¡¯t genuinely paid attention to him before, but now, she was quite curious about Li Yifei¡¯s past.


    However, unlike Xu Shanshan, who would ask whatever came to her mind, Xu Yingying kept her questions to herself, her mind already burdened with too many concerns to spare the energy to delve into Li Yifei¡¯s life. "Why would those people go out of their way to trouble us?" With everything happening, Xu Yingying was sensitive to the significance of such an incident.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, replying, "I have no idea. Who knows who this Qin person is? I certainly don¡¯t recognize him."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly. Li Yifei had already continued, "President Xu, could this be someone from the headquarters trying to force you to leave?"


    Xu Yingying had already thought of this, and her expression grew even graver. She said, "They want me to leave, but would they really use such methods?"


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true, President Xu. You¡¯re so popular within the company. Everyone supports you. And it¡¯s well known across both the subsidiary and the headquarters that Huayang wouldn¡¯t have achieved its current level without you. Now they want to take over this subsidiary. What would the other executives think? What about Huayang¡¯s employees and the companies that collaborate with Huayang? They want you to leave voluntarily. Then they can take over Huayang legitimately without drawing criticism. It¡¯s truly killing several birds with one stone."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s chest heaved dramatically a few times. She couldn¡¯t deny that Li Yifei had a point. However, she wasn¡¯t going to conclude on such an analysis without evidence. Shaking her head, she said, "There¡¯s no evidence for this. We can¡¯t speculate wildly." But in her heart, the thought of leaving had grown even firmer.


    Li Yifei smiled secretly to himself. He knew he had successfully diverted Xu Yingying¡¯s thoughts away from considering that the trouble was caused by him and Xu Shanshan.


    However, Li Yifei felt that this issue had to be resolved sooner or later. Otherwise, who knows when Young Master Qin might cause trouble for Xu Yingying again. If Xu Yingying were to get hurt, that would be problematic.


    But on second thought, there was nothing to worry about. Xu Yingying would soon be partnering with Su Mengxin. And who was Su Mengxin? Under her, who would dare to cause any trouble? That would be sheer folly, as if they had a death wish. And that Young Master Qin, in front of Su Mengxin, he was nothing but scum.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying took out her phone and dialed He Fangqing¡¯s number.


    "Sister Fangqing, I need to have a serious talk with you. Can you come to my place in a bit... Okay, I¡¯ll be home in about ten minutes."


    After hanging up, Xu Yingying frowned and fell into thought. However, when she and Li Yifei got home, she saw Xu Shanshan pouting angrily and remembered that she had a sister at home, wondering why she¡¯d invited He Fangqing over.


    "Sis, are you kidding me? You¡¯re coming back this late. I¡¯m starving to death," Xu Shanshan complained, rubbing her belly and glaring at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying replied irritably, "How old are you? Can¡¯t you eat something if you¡¯re hungry?"


    "I wanted to eat the food brother-in-law cooks. My cooking isn¡¯t tasty."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then I¡¯ll start cooking right away. Your sister and I haven¡¯t eaten yet either."


    "You haven¡¯t eaten yet either? That makes me feel better," Xu Shanshan giggled. "I thought the two of you had been off enjoying your own little world."


    Then the sound of knocking came. He Fangqing had arrived so quickly.


    Xu Yingying went over to open the door. He Fangqing, upon seeing the twin sisters inside, widened her eyes in surprise. "Who is President Xu here? I can¡¯t tell you two apart at all."


    Xu Yingying stepped forward and explained, "Sister Fangqing, this is my sister, Xu Shanshan. Shanshan, this is our company¡¯s financial director He Fangqing, and also a good friend of mine."


    Xu Shanshan came forward with a cheerful grin and reached out her hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, Sister Fangqing."


    He Fangqing replied with a smile, "Hello, you two really do look alike. I can¡¯t distinguish you at all." Then she turned to Li Yifei, "You know, Li Yifei, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve mixed up your girlfriend too?"


    Li Yifei responded helplessly, "I can¡¯t tell them apart either."


    Xu Yingying then said, "Sister Fangqing, I have something to discuss with you. Let¡¯s talk in my room." She then pulled He Fangqing into the bedroom.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan followed Li Yifei into the kitchen without saying a word. She just leaned against the counter, watching Li Yifei with roving eyes.


    "What are you thinking about?" Li Yifei asked, noticing Xu Shanshan¡¯s behavior and realizing she might have some tricky idea.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "I just thought of something really fun, super fun, haha..." She giggled and ran out.


    Li Yifei was confused, unsure what Xu Shanshan had in mind but suspecting it had something to do with him.

 Chapter 138: Unique Personality

    Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Unique PersonalityXu Yingying and He Fangqing discussed in the bedroom the events they had encountered that day.


    After listening, He Fangqing immediately said with certainty, "It must be those two who did this. Not only do they want to force me out, but now they¡¯re actually using such despicable methods to force you out too. It¡¯s truly shameless."


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "Actually, without their pressure, I had already made up my mind today. I¡¯ve decided to leave."


    He Fangqing was immediately delighted and said, "That¡¯s great, then let¡¯s leave together. I believe that together, we can definitely create a new world."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I believe so too. Then I¡¯ll contact Su Mengxin first to confirm her side of things."


    Xu Yingying called Su Mengxin, who was very warm. Hearing that Xu Yingying had agreed, she was even happier and said she could sign the new contract with her at any time.


    Xu Yingying, still maintaining her professional integrity, said she would take care of the matters at Huayang Company before joining Su Mengxin¡¯s company, to which Su Mengxin readily agreed.


    After hanging up the phone, Xu Yingying suddenly felt relieved and lay down on the bed, saying, "These past days have been so exhausting, more so than the most difficult times at the company." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing nodded and said, "Indeed, external pressures from the company are easier to resolve, but internal breakdowns are often the most draining."


    Smelling the fragrant aroma from outside, Xu Yingying¡¯s stomach growled, and she said with a laugh, "I just remembered we haven¡¯t had dinner yet. Let¡¯s eat something together."


    "I¡¯ve already eaten, but the smell is making me want to eat again."


    Xu Yingying winked playfully at He Fangqing, and in high spirits, she teased, "If you like, you can totally bring that guy home and have meals like this every day."


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "Forget it. If I brought her home, then you¡¯d miss out. I can¡¯t take something my friend likes."


    "I¡¯m only borrowing, and I¡¯ll give her back to you soon."


    "Ha ha, she¡¯s not mine, so no need to give her back. If you want to borrow her, feel free to for a lifetime."


    The two women had become accustomed to such playful banter and didn¡¯t even blush at their words. When women are generous enough, sometimes even men can¡¯t compare. After the exchange of jokes, they left the bedroom and sat down at the dining table, ready to eat.


    "I¡¯m in a good mood today, shall we have some wine?" Xu Yingying asked He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing immediately said, "I was just thinking the same thing."


    Xu Yingying then said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, bring us two bottles of red wine. I want to have a good drink with Sister Fangqing tonight."


    Li Yifei agreed, brought over two bottles of red wine, opened them efficiently, and poured for Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, saying, "It seems like you¡¯re in a great mood today."


    Watching Xu Yingying and Li Yifei interact so naturally, He Fangqing¡¯s gaze involuntarily wandered over them a few times. With Xu Shanshan calling him "brother-in-law" beside them, He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but feel like Xu Yingying and Li Yifei weren¡¯t pretending, but were truly a couple.


    The dinner was very enjoyable. Most of the two bottles of red wine were drunk by Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, both of whom were now somewhat tipsy. Xu Shanshan, though she liked to join in on the fun, found the company chatter between Xu Yingying and He Fangqing somewhat boring, so after dinner, she went to watch TV. Finding no good programs, she played on the computer for a while before going to sleep in her room around ten.


    Li Yifei, who had not drunk much, was similar to Xu Shanshan. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to company matters, and had Xu Yingying not asked him to stay, he would have gone to bed early too.


    Finally, past eleven, when they had finished drinking, Xu Yingying said, "Sister Fangqing, why don¡¯t you stay here tonight? I¡¯ll share a room with you."


    He Fangqing glanced at Li Yifei, her manner flirtatiously coy, and said, "No need, I¡¯ll just go back to my own place. You don¡¯t have the space here."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "Shanshan¡¯s fallen asleep. She¡¯s a heavy sleeper and nothing wakes her. I can give up my bedroom to you and sleep on the sofa."


    Despite her flushed face, He Fangqing didn¡¯t show much embarrassment. After all, in this home, she had already stayed with Li Yifei before. She laughed it off and said, "Let¡¯s not. I¡¯m not feeling so empty lately. I don¡¯t need to find someone just to stave off loneliness."


    "Really?" Xu Yingying blinked.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. You both should get some rest soon. I¡¯m heading out," He Fangqing stood up, but staggered, nearly falling over. Li Yifei quickly caught her waist with an agile move.


    "Look at you, saying you don¡¯t want to, and then this. Yifei, take Sister Fangqing home. You don¡¯t have to come back tonight," Xu Yingying suggested.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home."


    He Fangqing hurriedly pushed, saying, "No need, I can just take a taxi home."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "That won¡¯t do. Yifei, you must take Sister Fangqing home, and make sure to take good care of her."


    At this point, He Fangqing finally felt embarrassed and chided, "Yingying, you¡¯re becoming bolder with your words."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "Aren¡¯t we close sisters? Why should I be so reserved with you?"


    Li Yifei escorted He Fangqing out the door, and as soon as they entered the elevator, He Fangqing suddenly threw her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, tiptoed, and gave him a kiss.


    Li Yifei had not expected He Fangqing to be so enthusiastic, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to refuse such a thing and immediately responded with fervor.


    It wasn¡¯t until the elevator stopped that they parted lips. They said nothing to each other; many things don¡¯t need to be made so clear. They understood each other without words.


    When they reached He Fangqing¡¯s newly rented house, their passion flared up once again, and they quickly rolled into bed. These past few days, Li Yifei had indeed been feeling rather frustrated. That day with the two beautiful show hosts, they had only got halfway, and then these past two days living with Xu Yingying, although Li Yifei didn¡¯t show it, it didn¡¯t mean he was without desire.


    With a beauty like Xu Yingying lying in pajamas next to a man every day without even a touch, that would be torture for anyone.


    So, being with He Fangqing today, Li Yifei released all the pent-up frustration he had accumulated over the past few days.


    He Fangqing could feel the urgency in Li Yifei, and for a woman in the throes of passion, such urgency from a man is an absolute delight. She responded to Li Yifei, their pleasure washing over them in waves, until Li Yifei cried out and stopped, and they embraced tightly like octopuses, not parting for a long time.


    After a while, Li Yifei rolled off He Fangqing, rummaged through the messy clothes on the bed for his cigarettes, and He Fangqing snatched a lighter to light it for him. Then she lay on her side, pulled Li Yifei¡¯s arm under her head as a pillow, and watched him with half-closed eyes as he puffed away.


    "Do you know what President Xu told me today?" After the vigorous activity, some of He Fangqing¡¯s drunkenness had faded, and now she asked with a smile.


    Li Yifei flicked some ash from his cigarette and said, "What did she say?"


    "She told me to find you as my husband in the future."


    Li Yifei turned to look at He Fangqing, saying, "What do you think?"


    He Fangqing met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and countered, "What about you? What do you think?"


    Li Yifei took a drag of his cigarette and said, "Fangqing, I won¡¯t lie to flatter you. Right now, I certainly don¡¯t have any thoughts of getting married; when I will, I can¡¯t say clearly. Moreover, I don¡¯t want to be tied down by feelings. If you¡¯re serious, I can only say I¡¯m sorry."


    A trace of disappointment that He Fangqing couldn¡¯t hide flashed across her face, but she quickly smiled again, saying, "That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m actually afraid you might be serious. Then, I¡¯d have to run away from you."


    Li Yifei saw the flicker of disappointment in He Fangqing¡¯s eyes, but he could only pretend not to notice and laughed, "Yeah, talking about love costs money, and talking about money hurts feelings. So, we won¡¯t discuss either. If you miss me, give me a call. If I need you, I can also find you. How¡¯s that for comfortable?"


    To a woman, a man speaking in such a way might seem irresponsible, but He Fangqing didn¡¯t see it like that. She wasn¡¯t a child anymore. After experiencing a failed marriage, she truly harbored a fear of marriage. If Li Yifei had said he wanted to get serious, she might really have been too scared to continue her relationship with him. Now with Li Yifei¡¯s words, she felt a burden lifted from her heart.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t deny that Li Yifei was very attractive to her, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have continued the relationship after their initial mistake.


    "Yifei, actually, I think you and Yingying are quite a match. Have you never thought about being with Yingying?" He Fangqing¡¯s finger traced circles on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, with a meaningful look in her eyes.


    Li Yifei reached back, pinched He Fangqing on the chest until she let out a soft moan, and then said, "Do you think that¡¯s possible?"


    "Why not? I think you two are quite suitable for each other."


    "Give it up, you¡¯re just teasing me now. Xu Yingying is a president, and I¡¯m just a little office worker, a driver. For now, it¡¯s nothing more than being hired to deceive her family. How could there be anything between us?"


    He Fangqing earnestly said, "No, I know you¡¯re not a simple man; you¡¯re definitely worthy of Yingying."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "If I were to be with Xu Yingying, how would you get along with her? What if she keeps thinking about the fact that we¡¯ve been to bed together? And if she saw me with you, would she think we¡¯re still seeing each other?"


    He Fangqing was stunned, Li Yifei¡¯s words indeed raised a serious issue, and her face instantly became awkward. If she were in that position, she wouldn¡¯t stay calm, let alone the prouder Xu Yingying.


    "Don¡¯t let your thoughts wander. I¡¯ve said I won¡¯t get involved in any romantic feelings lately, and Xu Yingying isn¡¯t my type anyway. It¡¯s simply not possible, otherwise, how could I bear to part with such a good bedmate as you?"


    "You¡¯re terrible!" He Fangqing pinched Li Yifei, then flipped over and pressed him down, coquettishly saying, "Then I¡¯ll have to see for myself if you really are a good bedmate."

 Chapter 139 Bad Habits

    Chapter 139: Chapter 139 Bad HabitsWell past midnight, Li Yifei returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s home. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to come back, but He Fangqing, fearing that Li Yifei staying there would raise suspicions with Xu Shanshan, reluctantly sent Li Yifei away.


    When Li Yifei got home, he was also afraid of waking Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, so he moved gently, not turning on the lights, and tiptoed back to Xu Yingying¡¯s room.


    Xu Yingying was sleeping deeply, covered with a quilt. Li Yifei undressed and carefully got into bed without waking Xu Yingying. He stayed on his side of the bed as usual, not touching Xu Yingying. Since he had been satisfied at He Fangqing¡¯s place earlier that day, even with the great beauty Xu Yingying beside him, he had no improper thoughts and soon fell asleep.


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up to Xu Yingying¡¯s movements and realized something was wrong even before he opened his eyes.


    The bed was large, and typically each of them stayed on their own side, as if to remind themselves in their sleep not to wander over.


    But Li Yifei had been to He Fangqing¡¯s place, and Xu Yingying, assuming she would have the bed to herself today, fully relaxed. After her bath, she only put on underwear and didn¡¯t bother with pajamas before going to bed.


    And because she wasn¡¯t worried about bumping into Li Yifei during the night, she slept freely and somehow rolled over to Li Yifei¡¯s side, snuggling up against him, her body curled against his, one leg even resting on his.


    Li Yifei, worn out by the rather intense night with He Fangqing who had drunk quite a bit, slept heavily. Normally, as a super special forces soldier, he would have been aware of someone getting close, but because he had intended to stay at He Fangqing¡¯s, he had no sense of danger here, so when Xu Yingying hugged him, he didn¡¯t wake up but instead wrapped an arm around her.


    What¡¯s more, Li Yifei had not expected Xu Yingying to be almost completely naked, and he could feel her smooth skin, and the touch of her chest was enough to make any man lose his soul.


    Now, all Li Yifei could do was pretend to be asleep, which seemed to mitigate some of Xu Yingying¡¯s embarrassment. The moment he opened his eyes might trigger a cascade of reactions, and those reactions would likely be to his disadvantage, no matter what.


    Xu Yingying just wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She was lying in bed next to Li Yifei, practically naked, and even hugging him in such an embarrassing manner. For a somewhat conservative woman like her, it was a massive shock.


    Fortunately, it seemed Li Yifei was sound asleep and hadn¡¯t noticed her, so she let out a sigh of relief, gingerly moved to the other side, pulled over a nightgown, and slipped it on under the covers. She then stole another glance at Li Yifei and, seeing he was still asleep, took a long breath. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But then Xu Yingying immediately thought of a terrifying problem: she had no idea when this guy came home last night. When he got into bed, he must have lifted the quilt. Could he have missed seeing her body?


    The thought that her body might have been seen by this guy made Xu Yingying feel a surge of anger. She kicked Li Yifei hard and hissed, "Li Yifei, wake up right now."


    Li Yifei opened his eyes "groggily," then rubbed them and asked, "What¡¯s up? Why are you mad so early in the morning?"


    Xu Yingying sat up, looking down at Li Yifei, and said through gritted teeth, "What did you see when you came back last night?"


    "See what?" Li Yifei asked, bewildered, gazing blankly at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s tone softened slightly and she asked, "What time did you come back last night?"


    "Almost one o¡¯clock, I think. Fangqing was worried that Shanshan would notice I was missing in the morning and insisted on me coming back, so I did."


    "And what did you do after you got back?"


    "I just went to bed to sleep."


    "I¡¯m asking you, what exactly did you do when you got into bed?"


    Li Yifei replied with some frustration, "President Xu, what could I have done? I just went to bed to sleep. All these days, I haven¡¯t touched you once, and after being at Fangqing¡¯s last night, I was exhausted. How could I have done anything to you?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks flushed red as Li Yifei matter-of-factly talked about that stuff, brazen as he was. But seeing his reaction, it seemed he hadn¡¯t noticed how lightly she was dressed last night. She glared at him and said, "Then why did you even come back? You could have just come back earlier in the morning."


    Li Yifei sighed, "President Xu, I wish I could have but you have no idea how tired one gets in that state. I would probably have slept till seven or eight in the morning. How could I have made it back in time? I always take my work seriously. Since I¡¯m employed by you, I have to be worth the salary you pay me, right?"


    Xu Yingying might not have seen pigs run, but she¡¯d eaten pork before. The old saying used to be, one hasn¡¯t eaten pork, but has seen pigs run. However, nowadays, there probably aren¡¯t many young people who have actually seen pigs run, but it¡¯s almost certain they¡¯ve all eaten pork.


    Anyway, Xu Yingying had some knowledge about matters between men and women, so when that guy said he was so exhausted, she could imagine how intense his battle with He Fangqing must have been last night. But as soon as she thought about the noises that those two must have made while living here, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but come up with many more scenarios in her mind.


    "Gross." Giving Li Yifei a glare, Xu Yingying got out of bed, freshened up, and looked at the time¡ªit was just six o¡¯clock. Usually, she would start thinking about the day¡¯s work as soon as she got up, but today she didn¡¯t feel like going through that hassle. Huayang had deeply hurt her, and although she had to stand her final shift well, there was no need to worry about work that much anymore.


    It was still early and the house was quiet, which somehow made Xu Yingying feel sleepy again. She hesitated for a moment and then went back to the bedroom.


    Seeing Li Yifei sound asleep, Xu Yingying¡¯s movements became unconsciously gentler. This guy wouldn¡¯t have had to rush back in the middle of the night if it weren¡¯t for her. But when she thought about how he had come back without even saying hello and had slept holding her bare body all night, she realized that her virtuous character had been ruined by this man¡¯s hands, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit annoyed.


    "Hey, stop sleeping." Climbing back into bed, Xu Yingying sat beside Li Yifei and pushed him.


    "Let me sleep a bit longer, just ten minutes, and I¡¯ll get up and cook for you guys."


    Her anger dissipated in an instant, and Xu Yingying said, "Then sleep, I don¡¯t have anything to do this morning. I¡¯ll go out and buy some breakfast in a bit."


    "Thanks, I¡¯m going to sleep a bit more," Li Yifei mumbled and went back to snoring.


    Xu Yingying actually did get up and buy breakfast. When she lived alone, she never had the habit of going out to buy breakfast. If she wanted breakfast, she would have her secretary buy something once she got to the office.


    After setting the bought breakfast on the table, Xu Yingying called Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan to wake up.


    "Big sis, seriously, you bought breakfast?" Xu Shanshan looked at Xu Yingying as if she were from another planet.


    Xu Yingying gave her a fierce look and said, "What? Is there a problem?"


    "No problem, it¡¯s just... Sis, are you feverish?" Xu Shanshan suddenly reached out to touch Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead.


    Xu Yingying swatted her sister¡¯s hand away irritably and said, "If you¡¯re not going to eat, then don¡¯t."


    "Really, I can eat? You¡¯re not planning on making your brother-in-law and me do something illegal, are you?"


    "You..." Xu Yingying glared at her sister gritting her teeth. She went to buy breakfast for once, only to be mocked by Xu Shanshan; she was actually quite upset. But on the other hand, she felt rather disappointed in herself; such a simple task had made her sister suspicious of her. It showed her how her sister must have seen her before.


    "Hehe, these buns are good. Brother-in-law, eat up quickly. It looks like you haven¡¯t had the chance to enjoy my sister¡¯s loving breakfast before."


    Only then did Xu Yingying notice that Li Yifei was looking at her with an exaggeratedly stunned expression, which made her feel a bit choked up. Nonetheless, she forced a smile and said, "You always eat what you cook. Are you going to react like that crazy girl too, now that I bought breakfast?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "No, no, it¡¯s okay. Keep it up; I believe in you."


    Finally receiving some encouragement, Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan snickering and suddenly understood that Li Yifei was hinting she should do more of such things in the future. She rolled her eyes at Li Yifei but wasn¡¯t really angry. It seemed that going out to buy breakfast and seeing her family eat it happily was also quite satisfying.


    Previously, Xu Yingying always focused on work, and as long as she was not asleep, she¡¯d be considering how to make the company better. Now that she had a break from work, she discovered that there were other things in life that were also quite enjoyable to do, beyond just work.


    Unfortunately, as soon as Xu Yingying arrived at the company, she went back to being the strong woman she was known as, even if she was on the verge of leaving the company.


    She brought Li Yifei to the company again today, not only because she didn¡¯t want him running wild with Xu Shanshan, but also because she hoped Xu Shanshan would find it boring and go home early, putting an end to this cohabitation life with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t think as much as Xu Yingying did and simply returned to the Logistics Department. However, the atmosphere there wasn¡¯t as cheerful as usual; everyone was frowning and looked troubled, as if they had run into some particularly difficult issues.


    This made Li Yifei feel quite pressured, but soon he gathered from their conversation that they, too, had heard the news that the General Manager of the headquarters was going to be replaced. Everyone was panic-stricken, as no one knew what the company would become once Xu Yingying left.


    "Li Yifei, you¡¯re close to President Xu, do you have any inside information?" Shen Yajuan came up close to Li Yifei and asked quietly.

 Chapter 140 Job-hopping Turmoil

    Chapter 140: Chapter 140 Job-hopping TurmoilLi Yifei actually had a quite favorable impression of the people in the logistics department. He then whispered to Shen Yajuan, "President Xu is definitely going to leave; she will submit her resignation today."


    "What? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be transferred to the headquarters?" Shen Yajuan exclaimed in shock upon hearing this news.


    At this, all the staff of the logistics department gathered around, staring at Shen Yajuan, bewildered.


    Knowing she had misspoken, Shen Yajuan felt a bit embarrassed, while Li Yifei calmly said, "You are all my good brothers and sisters. Today, I¡¯m going to share some news with you; this is something I heard President Xu say in the car."


    Michele looked at Li Yifei with a somewhat complex gaze. The news that Li Yifei claimed to have heard in the car was simply a lie; she had seen with her own eyes that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, this executive, had been shopping at the mall.


    Someone immediately ran to close the door of the logistics department and then ran back. The logistics department thus became an independent small group.


    After clearing his throat, Li Yifei said, "You should have also heard that the main office is planning to send someone to take over President Xu¡¯s position because they see the potential in our branch. This is a normal job rotation within the company. However, President Xu made several good suggestions to the main office, and not a single one was adopted. And now they want to implement some new management method here. President Xu thinks these new methods are completely impractical, so she has become disillusioned with the main office¡¯s approach and has decided to leave."


    Shen Yajuan immediately frowned and said, "God, if President Xu leaves, who knows what will become of Huayang. What are we going to do?"


    A few others also looked worried, but it was Shen Yajuan who asked, "Li Yifei, do you have any other news? We¡¯ve been colleagues for so long. If you have any news, please let us know ahead of time, so we can be prepared."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don¡¯t know much more. I¡¯m just advising everyone to be careful working here in the future. Also, President Xu is likely to join another big company. If she needs people there, you might want to consider it."


    "Really?" Michele was the first to shout excitedly.


    Compared to the others, Michele was the youngest. Although she appeared fragile, she was the most spirited in her work. Xu Yingying had always been her idol. Naturally, she still wanted to work under Xu Yingying if possible.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. Would I lie to you?" Li Yifei nodded with certainty.


    Apart from Michele, the rest were not so enthusiastic. They were no longer young, and changing jobs was not something they could easily consider. After all, the current treatment at Huayang Company was very good. Even if the general manager changed, the treatment wouldn¡¯t change in the short term¡ªif the staff got restless, the company would be completely ruined. Anyone who wasn¡¯t a fool wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    Since they couldn¡¯t get any more information out of Li Yifei, everyone dispersed, each thinking about their own way forward, whether to stay or prepare for other possibilities. Those with work to do left shortly after, leaving only Li Yifei and Michele behind.


    Michele walked over to Li Yifei¡¯s side, pulled up a chair, and sat next to his desk. She bit her lip and whispered, "Brother Li, could you talk to President Xu for me? I really want to continue working under her."


    Li Yifei looked at Michele, somewhat surprised. Though everyone in the logistics department usually praised Xu Yingying, when it came down to their own futures, they dared not express their intentions lightly. It was Michele, this young one, who dared to speak such words.


    "Do you really want to go?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "I do!" Michele nodded vigorously. "No matter where President Xu goes, I want to work with her."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯ll drop a hint for you, then you can talk to her yourself."


    "Could you just say it for me?" Michele pleaded. "You and President Xu..." She covered her mouth abruptly, her eyes flitting with panic, not daring to meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked, "How am I with President Xu?"


    "You are... you are... aren¡¯t you President Xu¡¯s driver?" Michele stammered, her cheeks turning red, clearly not good at lying.


    Li Yifei could easily guess that Michele knew about him being Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend and said with a smile, "Did Shen Yajuan tell you?"


    "No, no!" Michele became even more flustered. "It¡¯s just me... I saw it myself."


    Li Yifei said with some surprise, "You saw it yourself? When did you see it?"


    "The day before yesterday, when you were shopping at the mall with President Xu... I saw you." Michele fidgeted with her fingers, looking down.


    "Oh, that truly was a coincidence. You could have just come over to say hello."


    Michele, feeling that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t angry, grew bolder and said, "Brother Li, I didn¡¯t dare. I was afraid President Xu would be upset."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Why would I be angry? Alright then, I¡¯ll agree to this on behalf of President Xu."


    Michelle gave Li Yifei a sweet smile and said, "Thank you, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei felt that Michelle wasn¡¯t as unnatural as she had been looking at him the past two days, which was a nice feeling. If feelings weren¡¯t involved, who wouldn¡¯t like to chat with such a beautiful girl? "You seem to be in a good mood today?"


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red as she spoke softly, "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry. I was a bit resentful these past few days. I thought you were quite a good catch, but you actually turned me down, so I was a little disappointed. But now that I know you¡¯re with... I¡¯ve let it go. President Xu is so outstanding. Compared to her, I¡¯m just like a grain of sand and she¡¯s like the stars in the sky. It¡¯s no wonder you turned me down, Brother Li."


    Michelle suddenly opening up like this caught Li Yifei off guard, but such thoughts put him at ease. He smiled and said, "I should be thanking you for thinking so highly of this low-level employee."


    Michelle pouted and said, "If you¡¯re good enough for President Xu, that says a lot about how exceptional you are, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Doesn¡¯t that mean I should be proud?"


    "You should be proud. At least it proves that my judgment isn¡¯t bad," Michelle said, also starting to joke with a light laugh.


    After chatting and joking for a while, some colleagues came back, and Michelle returned to her seat. Since everyone was preoccupied with their own concerns, even if they saw Li Yifei and Michelle talking and laughing, no one teased them about it.


    Li Yifei released such news today to give Xu Yingying a helping hand. Su Mengxin¡¯s company was starting from scratch, and if Xu Yingying didn¡¯t have her own team, it would clearly make things more difficult.


    And Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t the type to pull away the existing team for her own sake. That simply wasn¡¯t her style. Li Yifei saw this clearly, so he decided to help out Xu Yingying on the down-low.


    As for why he did it, Li Yifei himself couldn¡¯t quite figure it out. Maybe after pretending to be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend for so long, he had started to consider issues from the perspective of Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend on occasion.


    After Li Yifei spread the word, the news quickly circulated within the company. In the eyes of outsiders, he was Xu Yingying¡¯s personal driver, and the news he spread was obviously more credible than others¡¯. This made everyone even more anxious, uncertain about what to do. Of course, there were some employees who were very optimistic about Xu Yingying, and they were already trying to find ways to follow her.


    The leaders could obviously approach Xu Yingying directly, but the ordinary employees could only contact Li Yifei in secret. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had much interaction with other departments recently, so he didn¡¯t know much about these people. However, since they had the guts to switch jobs with Xu Yingying, they were at least employees with a lot of drive. Most of these people were likely the kind of talent that Xu Yingying needed.


    The things Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to do, Li Yifei did without any pressure. However, in the afternoon, Xu Yingying called him into her office. She stood with her arms crossed, her face flushed with anger.


    "What are you doing? Do you realize that¡¯s against corporate law?" Xu Yingying accused Li Yifei as soon as she opened her mouth.


    Li Yifei sat down on the couch, lit a cigarette, crossed his legs and asked, "How did I break corporate law?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying had gotten used to Li Yifei¡¯s respect towards her, and seeing his casual demeanor now made her uncomfortable. She frowned and said, "It¡¯s fine for me to switch jobs, but if I take the company¡¯s employees with me, that¡¯s a violation of corporate law, considered unfair competition."


    Li Yifei took a drag from his cigarette and replied, "Have you poached anyone?"


    Xu Yingying answered with a stern face, "Of course I haven¡¯t, but you have."


    "Have I poached anyone? I just said you were leaving. If they want to follow you, that¡¯s their choice. Besides, even if I did poach, what¡¯s that got to do with you?"


    Xu Yingying blurted out, "It has everything to do with it, you¡¯re my boyfriend!"


    "Am I?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying with a smile in his eyes.


    Xu Yingying paused, then remembered that Li Yifei¡¯s boyfriend role was just a pretense at home; it wasn¡¯t necessary at the company.


    Li Yifei chuckled again and added, "And if they say I poached, I would have to be an employee of your new company, wouldn¡¯t I? But it seems I¡¯m not an employee of your new company yet."


    "You¡¯re not coming with me?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei in surprise.


    "Why would I go with you?"


    "This..." Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. Yes, why would Li Yifei go with her? She couldn¡¯t make decisions for Li Yifei. But hearing him say that made her feel really uncomfortable. After all, she had brought him into the company, and now he wasn¡¯t going to follow her? It just didn¡¯t seem right.

 Chapter 141 Framing and Setting Up

    Chapter 141: Chapter 141 Framing and Setting UpLi Yifei flicked off his cigarette ash, leaning back contentedly, and said, "I¡¯m doing quite well here, the salary and benefits are good, and I really don¡¯t want to change places casually. President Xu, I wish you a smooth sailing future in your new company¡ªI¡¯ll continue being a small-time employee."


    After finishing, Li Yifei stood up and walked straight to the door.


    Xu Yingying waited until Li Yifei was about to walk out, then suddenly yelled, "You stop right there."


    Li Yifei halted, turned his head, and flashed Xu Yingying a grin, saying, "President Xu, you¡¯ve already handed in your resignation. Soon you won¡¯t be my superior, so there¡¯s no need to boss me around like this, right?"


    Xu Yingying gave a snort and said, "If you don¡¯t go, the people you¡¯ve pulled in are also violating the rules. I know you¡¯re doing this for me, but I, Xu Yingying, need to leave with my head held high. The Huayang Company was founded by a newcomer¡ªme. Even if I leave, I don¡¯t want to see the company ruined, understand?" By the end of her speech, Xu Yingying¡¯s tone had softened significantly.


    Li Yifei faced Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze and shrugged helplessly, saying, "I didn¡¯t lure them away. I didn¡¯t offer them any promises. If you have to blame someone, blame your own charismatic personality for making them want to follow you."


    Without waiting for Xu Yingying to respond, Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "Alright, I won¡¯t play the bad guy anymore. Do as you wish." He then opened the door and walked out of the general manager¡¯s office.


    Xu Yingying watched the door open and close, gently shaking her head. She knew Li Yifei meant well, but such well-meaning was absolutely contrary to her principles. She would never act against them.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s attitude irked Xu Yingying. This guy actually dared to disregard his boss? He really needed to be taken down a notch¡ªshe¡¯d deal with him tonight.


    After this thought flashed through her mind, Xu Yingying herself quickly found it somewhat amusing. Even if Li Yifei was posing as her boyfriend, she still had no reason, nor the right, to deal with him at home.


    Not far from Li Yifei¡¯s departure was He Fangqing¡¯s office. The door was closed, but the voices inside were quite loud, clearly indicating that He Fangqing was very angry, and it was a humiliated kind of anger.


    As the financial director of the company, He Fangqing held a position second only to Xu Yingying. There was no one within Huayang Company capable of humiliating and angering her. It could only be someone from outside. Therefore, Li Yifei did not hesitate to push open the door of He Fangqing¡¯s office.


    At that moment, there were three people in the room. He Fangqing stood behind her desk, hands braced on the surface, her complexion ashen. Besides her, two others had their backs to the door, but because Li Yifei suddenly barged in, all three turned to look.


    The other two were a man and a woman. The man was quite handsome, dressed in a crisp suit, while the woman was flashy in dress, but her figure left much to be desired. Particularly her arrogant demeanor made one want to flatten her on sight.


    And these two, Li Yifei knew them. They were He Fangqing¡¯s ex-husband Chen Mingsheng and his current wife, Su Juan.


    No wonder He Fangqing was feeling so humiliated and angry. Su Juan¡¯s true colors were something Li Yifei had witnessed before.


    Li Yifei ignored the two and walked directly past them, making his way to He Fangqing¡¯s side. Su Juan and Chen Mingsheng initially disregarded Li Yifei, but after he passed, Su Juan suddenly turned around and yelled at him, "It¡¯s you, you brat!"


    Li Yifei knew Su Juan must have recognized him by now, but he didn¡¯t turn around until he reached He Fangqing¡¯s side. Then he slowly faced Su Juan with a cheeky smile and said, "Piggy lady, are you calling me?"


    Su Juan¡¯s face instantly turned the color of liver. She was self-conscious about her figure, which nobody at the company dared comment on, given her father¡¯s position as vice chairman. Li Yifei¡¯s remark hit a raw nerve, leaving her speechless with rage.


    Chen Mingsheng recognized Li Yifei at that moment, his face changing immediately, and he demanded, "Who are you?"


    Li Yifei gave Chen Mingsheng a thumbs-up and said, "I must say, you are a man after all. Picking a plump woman isn¡¯t much of an issue, but to tolerate such an unattractive and irritating piggy lady... I¡¯m truly in awe of your endurance."


    Chen Mingsheng¡¯s face showed a hint of shame, but his eyes burned with fury as he glared at Li Yifei and barked, "Who the hell are you, and what¡¯s your relationship with her?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s expression changed. Li Yifei¡¯s sudden appearance indeed disrupted her composure. Even though Chen Mingsheng had remarried and they were divorced, the thought of having a relationship with Li Yifei still felt like a betrayal to Chen Mingsheng.


    Seeing the look on He Fangqing¡¯s face, Chen Mingsheng grew frantic and snapped, "Well, well, He Fangqing, you¡¯ve hooked up with a man so quickly. I should have known why he hit someone last time¡ªit turns out you were already involved with him. How dare you come blaming me when it¡¯s clear you¡¯ve been seeing someone else all along."


    He Fangqing had initially felt slightly guilty, but Chen Mingsheng¡¯s tirade turned that last sliver of affection into nothing. She scoffed and retorted, "What right do you have to judge me? You dump me to marry her, but I can¡¯t find a man after our divorce? Does all the good in the world belong to Chen Mingsheng alone?"


    Li Yifei smacked his lips and gave Su Juan a sympathetic look. "You see, Pretty Boy may sleep with you every night, but his heart isn¡¯t with you at all. I really feel sorry for you."


    Su Juan was already very annoyed with Chen Mingsheng¡¯s attitude toward He Fangqing, and when Li Yifei stirred the pot, her rage flared even more. She raised her hand and gave Chen Mingsheng a hefty slap, shouting, "Chen Mingsheng, what do you mean by this? Are you still thinking about her?"


    The slap rang out sharply, leaving five bright red finger marks on Chen Mingsheng¡¯s face. However, instead of getting angry, Chen Mingsheng quickly put on a smile and said, "I was just helping you humiliate her. How could I possibly be serious about her? Besides, you also saw it, she has a man on the side now. How could I still have feelings for her?"


    Seeing Chen Mingsheng like this, He Fangqing suddenly felt a wave of self-pity. What kind of judgment had she had before, to have chosen such a spineless man? She was truly glad that she had divorced him early. If it had been any later, if she had children, it might have been a true tragedy for her. Thankfully, she got out early, thankfully she was freed from this sooner.


    Li Yifei shook his head, sighed deeply, and said, "Sister Zhupo, I don¡¯t think much of your taste either. Such a spineless man, what¡¯s there to like? If I were you, I¡¯d definitely have dumped him and then found someone else."


    Chen Mingsheng was startled, and quickly pointed at Li Yifei, yelling, "Stop spouting nonsense there. My feelings for Juanjuan are genuine."


    "Oh? Then why did you go to the bar a while back? Why were you looking for a prostitute?" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Mingsheng was greatly shocked and hastily said, "That¡¯s not true, I¡¯ve never been to a bar."


    "Oh, so you mean you went to the sauna instead, ah ha, I remember now. That day you were indeed in the sauna. You took a bath for less than ten minutes, and then you went to the hall..."


    "Shut up!" Chen Mingsheng yelled angrily. Su Juan was very suspicious by nature, and although she knew that Li Yifei was just spouting nonsense, Chen Mingsheng was still afraid she might believe it, so he quickly cut off Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fine, I won¡¯t say anymore. Your issues aren¡¯t my business anyway."


    Chen Mingsheng breathed a sigh of relief, but unbeknownst to him, Su Juan¡¯s face turned cold as she said, "Continue."


    Chen Mingsheng pleaded, "Juanjuan, really, there¡¯s nothing. Why would I go to a place like that? He¡¯s clearly just trying to drive a wedge between us."


    "Yeah, maybe I shouldn¡¯t say anymore. Maybe I saw it wrong that day. They might just look similar. After all, once men take off their clothes, they can sometimes look alike."


    Hearing this, Su Juan¡¯s suspicious nature took over, and she glared at Chen Mingsheng, saying, "If you really didn¡¯t do anything, then let him talk."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "You¡¯re the one asking me to talk, so if you two fight about it later, I¡¯m not getting involved."


    Su Juan confidently said, "That¡¯s none of your concern, just speak."


    Li Yifei sneaked a glance at Chen Mingsheng, smirked, and said, "Even though you gave me money, I can¡¯t betray my conscience for a few hundred bucks."


    "When did I ever give you money?" Chen Mingsheng yelled, enraged.


    Teeth clenched, Su Juan fiercely glared at Chen Mingsheng and then turned to Li Yifei, barking, "Speak!"


    Li Yifei shivered as if frightened by Su Juan, then began to speak, "That day, I drove President Xu to the main office, and after President Xu went into the meeting, I soaked alone in the sauna and then saw him. He didn¡¯t notice me at the time, and I didn¡¯t dare recognize him. Later, when I went upstairs for a foot massage, I saw him there too, getting a foot massage. After a while..." Li Yifei paused, stealing a glance at Chen Mingsheng, and continued, "The masseuse took him to a private room. I don¡¯t know what they did specifically. But when he came out and saw me, he turned pale with fright and gave me a few hundred bucks, begging me to never tell anyone about this."


    The more Su Juan listened, the worse her expression got, while Chen Mingsheng became deathly pale with anxiety. He knew that Li Yifei was bluffing, but this was exactly the kind of thing Su Juan could not tolerate. If Su Juan really believed it, Chen Mingsheng knew he¡¯d be in big trouble.


    "Juanjuan, you can¡¯t believe him. Have you forgotten he hit you that day? This guy is clearly in cahoots with He Fangqing, he¡¯s He Fangqing¡¯s Pretty Boy. Can you still believe what he says?"


    Only then did Su Juan remember this matter. Upon hearing this, she turned to look at Li Yifei, who simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "You don¡¯t have to believe me. I wasn¡¯t counting on it. Anyway, this is your business. To tell you the truth, I was still considering being with Fangqing. I definitely don¡¯t want this Pretty Boy to leave you and then cling to my Fangqing." While saying this, Li Yifei even put an arm around He Fangqing¡¯s waist.


    This remark by Li Yifei was highly destructive. After all, if he wanted to be with He Fangqing, he would undoubtedly hope that Chen Mingsheng stayed with Su Juan. Why would he deliberately reveal something that could easily tear Su Juan and Chen Mingsheng apart?


    "Chen Mingsheng!" Su Juan shouted, then another resounding slap echoed in He Fangqing¡¯s office...

 Chapter 142: The Office

    Chapter 142: Chapter 142: The OfficeIn the midst of the noise, Su Juan and Chen Mingsheng were pulling and tugging each other out of the company. They had come here to show off their power, but Su Juan, the jealous type, was distracted by Li Yifei¡¯s not-so-clever lies and forgot all about the main issue, obsessing instead over whether or not Chen Mingsheng had really solicited a prostitute.


    Latter, the quarreling between Su Juan and Chen Mingsheng also brought Xu Yingying over, along with other people from this floor who came to watch the commotion. These were all higher-ups in the company, most of whom knew that these two were set to take over the company in the future. In their hearts, they all felt a chill¡ªhow could there be any good in having such people manage the company? Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After closing the door to He Fangqing¡¯s office, only Xu Yingying and Li Yifei remained, as Xu Yingying had sent everyone else away.


    "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t be angry anymore. Anyway, we¡¯re both leaving," Xu Yingying comforted He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing smiled faintly and said, "I¡¯m fine, and I actually feel quite relaxed now. I used to have some lingering feelings for him, but now I¡¯ve truly let go. The only thing I can¡¯t quite let go of is wondering why I married him in the first place."


    Xu Yingying stared at He Fangqing and, seeing not a hint of reluctance on her face, truly put her mind at ease. She laughed and said, "You¡¯re right, leaving a man like that is definitely the right choice."


    At that moment, Li Yifei interjected, "You two chat, I¡¯m going to head out."


    Xu Yingying glared at him and said, "You think you can leave now, after you¡¯ve just declared yourself as Sister Fangqing¡¯s man in here? Quite a few people heard that; do you really plan to deny it?"


    He Fangqing hurriedly said, "Yingying, he was helping me, don¡¯t keep trying to push us together."


    Li Yifei touched his nose and said, "Exactly, if I say I¡¯m someone¡¯s man, then I have to be someone¡¯s man, then all the beautiful women in the world would be mine."


    Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, annoyed, "There will definitely be some rumors in the company now, what about that?"


    "Since you are all leaving anyhow, let people say whatever they want. I¡¯m thick-skinned¡ªI don¡¯t care what they say about me."


    Xu Yingying was frustrated. If it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei¡¯s help with He Fangqing¡¯s situation today, she would have really wanted to give him a piece of her mind. She snorted and walked out.


    Now only He Fangqing and Li Yifei were left in the office. He Fangqing approached Li Yifei and chided him somewhat, "You really shouldn¡¯t have said that. As a woman who¡¯s been divorced, I¡¯m not afraid, but you¡¯re not even married yet. If this gets out, how are you going to find a girlfriend in the future?"


    Li Yifei stretched out his hand and embraced He Fangqing¡¯s waist, grinning, "Then it¡¯ll be even easier for me to find one. If even Director He, such a beautiful woman, can have an affair with me, it just shows how outstanding I am. The girls will be throwing themselves at me like moths to a flame."


    Li Yifei¡¯s arms were strong, and He Fangqing¡¯s abdomen pressed against his, making her body suddenly feel weak. Her hands rested on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, weakly she said, "Yifei, don¡¯t joke around, we¡¯re at the office."


    Li Yifei was just hugging He Fangqing casually, but looking into her charming eyes ignited certain thoughts in him. He chuckled and said, "It seems even more exciting in the office. Shouldn¡¯t we give it a try?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s cheeks flushed with heat, she protested, "No way, no way. You¡¯ve just made a scene here, if you linger in my office any longer, others will think even worse." Though she said this, feeling that hard object pressing against her actually made her imagine an intense scene between them in the office, and she found herself almost unable to resist the temptation of actually wanting to try it.


    Li Yifei let go of He Fangqing, who nearly fell due to her legs giving way. Li Yifei quickly hugged her again, whispering in her ear, "I¡¯ll let you off this time, but when you get to your new company, I¡¯ll come find you in your office."


    He Fangqing was too embarrassed to even lift her head, but she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to refuse, she whispered, "That¡¯s for the future. Now get out of here."


    Only then did Li Yifei truly let go of He Fangqing. He turned to leave and had only taken a few steps when He Fangqing hurriedly called after him, her face red, "Look at you, can you let people see you going out like that?"


    Li Yifei looked down at his zipper and chuckled, "Maybe you could help it out first?"


    "Get lost!" He Fangqing grabbed a cup of water and handed it to Li Yifei. He downed it in one gulp, avoiding further physical contact with He Fangqing and quickly calming down, then exited He Fangqing¡¯s office.


    Once Li Yifei left He Fangqing¡¯s office, he felt that everyone he encountered looked at him strangely. There were looks of envy, jealousy, and even contempt, clearly because they all thought he was having an affair with He Fangqing.


    The beautiful Director He, though divorced, was still quite popular among the gentlemen in the company. Unfortunately, none had a chance to get close to her, yet Li Yifei, a simple employee from the logistics department, had had his taste¡ªno wonder all those men were green with envy.


    Li Yifei blatantly ignored everyone¡¯s stares and leisurely returned to the Logistics Department. However, as soon as he entered, Shen Yajuan leaned in and whispered, "Little Li, what¡¯s going on with you and Director He...?"


    Word sure spread fast; everyone in the Logistics Department knew about it. Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Do you think that¡¯s possible? I just can¡¯t stand those two show-offs, so I deliberately irritated them."


    "Oh..." Shen Yajuan gave Li Yifei a meaningful look, thinking to herself that since this guy could handle someone like President Xu, dealing with Director He Fangqing probably wouldn¡¯t be a big problem either.


    At that moment, He Fangqing was sitting in her office, completely undisturbed by the thought of Su Juan and Chen Mingsheng coming to humiliate her. Instead, she was wholly absorbed by the teasing thoughts of Li Yifei, fantasizing about their passion if he should come to her office in the new company.


    "Would this guy prefer it on the office desk, or on the sofa? Or maybe... I should get a bed for my office?"


    After pondering for a while, He Fangqing gently slapped her own face and shook her head vigorously, laughing at herself mockingly, "He Fangqing, oh, He Fangqing, aren¡¯t you supposed to be a conservative woman? How have you become so unrestrained now, even looking forward to such things? There¡¯s no future with Li Yifei, and you mustn¡¯t bring harm to yourself or others."


    Despite reminding herself and knowing she should cut ties with Li Yifei to avoid ruining his reputation, she couldn¡¯t help but be overwhelmed by the thought of their passionate encounter, leaving her unsure of what to do with the conflicting feelings.


    In the afternoon, while Li Yifei was sitting in the Logistics Department¡¯s office, Xu Yingying called him. As soon as he answered, Xu Yingying blurted out, "My resignation has been approved. I¡¯m going home now; you don¡¯t need to wait for me." With that, she hung up.


    Li Yifei shook his head, thinking that the head office must be eager for Xu Yingying to leave early. It was only the morning when she submitted her resignation, and by afternoon, it had already been approved ¨C the speed of processing was just too fast.


    Right after hanging up the phone, the Logistics Department¡¯s office door opened, and Deputy Director Zheng Xiuqin walked in, saying, "There¡¯s a company-wide meeting at two-thirty. No one should be absent."


    "Minister Zheng, what¡¯s the matter?" Shen Yajuan immediately asked.


    Zheng Xiuqin let out a sigh and said, "Our new General Manager has called the meeting."


    "Ah, President Xu¡¯s resignation got approved so quickly?" The people in the Logistics Department were all greatly surprised.


    Zheng Xiuqin nodded, "Everyone, don¡¯t overthink it. As long as you work earnestly, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. Alright, hurry up and get ready. We have a meeting in ten minutes, and I don¡¯t want our department to have any infractions."


    Everyone quickly began to prepare, but Michelle lagged behind, walking next to Li Yifei and whispering, "Brother Li, do we have to go too?"


    "Of course, we¡¯re still employees here, aren¡¯t we?"


    Michelle nodded, fully trusting Li Yifei.


    The large conference room on the twentieth floor is the biggest in the entire building, not belonging to any single company but rather to the building itself, capable of accommodating three hundred people for a meeting. Since Huayang Company has just over a hundred employees in the building, the room felt quite spacious.


    At the leaders¡¯ podium up front, Chen Mingsheng sat in the center, with Su Juan right next to him. The rest were half from the original company staff and half new arrivals of recent days. Chen Mingsheng appeared exuberant, sitting up straight and occasionally sweeping his gaze over the employees below.


    When his eyes landed on Li Yifei, a fierce glint flashed in them, followed by a cold smirk.


    At two-thirty, the meeting began. The office director first introduced several leaders on stage. Chen Mingsheng was the new General Manager, and Xu Yingying¡¯s resignation was briefly mentioned before Chen Mingsheng was invited to speak.


    Chen Mingsheng delivered a grand but empty speech and concluded by saying, "Fellow Huayang employees, for the company¡¯s development, we need to make some changes. Those who cannot fulfill their duties at Huayang Company must be resolutely removed."


    These words instantly made the employees below feel insecure, fearing the impact on themselves.


    Chen Mingsheng then continued, "Although I have just arrived here, I have already noticed some disturbing behaviors, especially from Logistics¡¯ Li Yifei, who, taking advantage of his past role as President Xu¡¯s driver, has shown blatant disrespect for the company¡¯s leadership and seriously disrupted our order. Therefore, I now announce the dismissal of Li Yifei."


    All eyes turned to Li Yifei, with many feeling the pang of ¡¯when one man falls, another may fear for his own safety.¡¯ While it was normal for the new leadership to not use Xu Yingying¡¯s driver, the fact that they directly dismissed him was indeed harsh.

 Chapter 143 Resignation and Drunkenness

    Chapter 143: Chapter 143 Resignation and DrunkennessLi Yifei rose leisurely to his feet and walked straight to the leader¡¯s platform at the front. Chen Mingsheng looked on with satisfaction at Li Yifei¡ªthis guy actually had a connection with He Fangqing, something he couldn¡¯t tolerate. Today he was going to fire him here to make it clear that if anyone offended Chen Mingsheng, they¡¯d be out of a job.


    Li Yifei looked at Chen Mingsheng with a grin and said, "Hey, how come you¡¯re so dumb? If I were you, and I wanted to deal with someone, I¡¯d keep him around. Then I¡¯d find ways to make his life difficult little by little. Torturing someone bit by bit¡ªthat¡¯s the real joy. But if you just fire me, I¡¯ll walk away with a slap on my butt, and what could you possibly do to me then?"


    Chen Mingsheng was taken aback and felt that Li Yifei actually made a good point. He had indeed been too impulsive. If he kept Li Yifei around and tormented him bit by bit, now that would be truly satisfying.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Regretting it now? But you can¡¯t take back what you said, so let me teach you something else. You should be saying, ¡¯Although you don¡¯t respect the leadership, I see you¡¯re still quite capable, and we could consider a further evaluation. If you offend again, there will be no mercy.¡¯


    Chen Mingsheng¡¯s mouth twitched again, filled with regret once more.


    "Ah, regretting again? As a leader, as the company¡¯s general manager, you¡¯ve made an inaccurate decision, and now you¡¯re regretting it. To maintain your image, you ought to stick to your initial decision. How can you hesitate like this?"


    With just three sentences, Li Yifei had taken Chen Mingsheng for a spin, fully exposing his incompetence. He could feel the employees looking at him with strange gazes. Although they all looked down when his gaze met theirs, Chen Mingsheng knew his authority had been thoroughly undermined.


    "Get out of here! You¡¯re no longer an employee of our company," Chen Mingsheng shouted frantically.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Look at you, making another mistake. Even if you¡¯re firing an employee, you should say ¡¯Go to the finance department and clear your dues.¡¯ How can you just send people away like this? How can anyone here work with peace of mind if they never know when you, the boss, might just send someone packing without even paying their wages?"


    "You..." Chen Mingsheng, furious, slammed the table but was too angry to speak.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Goodbye then, I wish you luck." After walking a couple of steps, Li Yifei looked at Su Juan and said, "Fat piggy lady, you better keep a tight leash on this guy."


    Su Juan¡¯s face flushed with anger, and she jumped up, flipping over the table, screaming like a fishwife: "Li Yifei, you bastard, I am not done with you! I will make sure you¡¯re ruined. No matter where you work, I¡¯ll make sure you can never hold down a job."


    Li Yifei ignored Su Juan and casually said to Chen Mingsheng, "So, who is the boss here, you or your wife? Has the company turned into a mom-and-pop shop?"


    After saying that and laughing out loud, Li Yifei strode out of the room.


    Chen Mingsheng had intended to use Li Yifei to assert his authority, but instead, he had been made to look like a fool. He hadn¡¯t expected such an outcome and, as Li Yifei walked out the door, he had no idea how to regain his lost authority.


    "I resign!" A girl¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    This was a bombshell, particularly at the company¡¯s first major meeting, where someone directly declared their resignation¡ªit was a slap in the face, and a very harsh one at that.


    Nobody expected that the one to say this would be Michelle, the youngest girl from the logistics department, a pretty girl known to everyone in the company. No one expected her to take a stand at this moment.


    Chen Mingsheng was truly infuriated. It was bad enough getting shown up by Li Yifei, but now even a young girl had the gall to slap him in the face. He said sternly, "Resign now, and the company will not provide you with any compensation."


    Michelle, blushing but resolute, replied, "I don¡¯t need any compensation. What I need is a place where I can work in peace and see a path for development. But from what I see of you, President Chen, it¡¯s clear you cannot offer me that."


    After having her say, the seemingly frail girl strode confidently toward the conference room door without looking back.


    "Rebellion! Rebellion! Anyone else who wants to leave, go now!" Chen Mingsheng angrily slammed the table and yelled, his mind in total disarray.


    Infused with ambition and mettle, many were inclined to go after hearing the morning¡¯s rumors about continuing to work with Xu Yingying. With Michelle leading the way, a wave of about fifteen or sixteen people stood up to join her.


    The company meeting had become an unprecedented disaster, one that would be recounted as a massive joke for years to come in the history of Huayang Company.


    Li Yifei had not yet left the conference room when Michelle took her stand. Surprised by her determination, he sized her up anew as he waited at the door for her.


    Michelle was quick to exit the room, and seeing Li Yifei waiting by the door, her pretty face turned red as she said, "Brother Li, haven¡¯t you left yet?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "Wasn¡¯t I waiting for you? Since you¡¯ve resigned from your job, I¡¯d be remiss not to help you find a new one."


    Michelle giggled happily, "Well, if you don¡¯t do anything, I¡¯ll end up starving."


    They chatted and laughed as they entered the elevator, but before the doors could close, several more people came out, forcing them to wait as the elevator became crowded.


    Li Yifei addressed the gathered people with a laugh, "You¡¯re all courageous folks. Don¡¯t worry, in less than a week, you¡¯ll all have jobs at the new company."


    Li Yifei was very confident in this¡ªnot because of Xu Yingying, but because of Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin was now his neighbor, and they often shared meals. He was certain she would agree to take on so many spirited young people.


    Those who had just resigned were still feeling uneasy, but Li Yifei¡¯s assurance relaxed them, and each one of them regained their composure. Chen Mingsheng¡¯s behavior had been a disappointment. Working in such a company promised nothing worthwhile. Those who were hesitant before now became resolute.


    Li Yifei and Michelle returned to the Logistics Department first, beginning to organize their things. Before long, Zheng Xiuqin and the rest of the employees also came back. Since the meeting had gone the way it did, there was indeed no need to continue any further.


    Knowing that Li Yifei and Michelle were leaving and it was irrevocable, Zheng Xiuqin didn¡¯t try to persuade them any further but instead encouraged them to make a success at the new company as well.


    Li Yifei and Michelle handed over their work and then walked out of the company with their heads held high. Those who hadn¡¯t left watched them with envious eyes, for they didn¡¯t necessarily have a favorable view of the company¡¯s current situation but lacked the courage Michelle had to resign on the spot.


    After leaving, Michelle said with a smile, "Brother Li, aren¡¯t you going to take me out for a meal today? I was the first one to support you."


    "Of course," Li Yifei replied with a chuckle. Just as he had agreed, his phone began to ring.


    Li Yifei looked at the caller ID and said with a wry smile, "It¡¯s President Xu calling. I wonder if our dinner for tonight will be canceled."


    "No worries, we¡¯ll still be working together in the future, so there will be plenty of chances." Michelle smiled sweetly and took a few steps away to avoid disturbing Li Yifei while he was on the phone.


    Only then did Li Yifei answer the call, and Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came through, "Can you come back early? Tonight, He Fangqing and I won¡¯t stop drinking until we¡¯re thoroughly drunk, so we need you to cook a couple of dishes for us."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll head back right away," Li Yifei hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.


    Seeing the apologetic smile on Li Yifei¡¯s face, Michelle waved her hand at him and said, "Brother Li, it¡¯s more important to be with your girlfriend. You can treat me another time, just owe me one for now." Then she left with a light and graceful step.


    Li Yifei went to buy some groceries and also brought back a case of beer. At home, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were sitting in the living room chatting, both in high spirits and not at all despondent, looking incredibly excited.


    Xu Shanshan immediately came up to him pouting, "Brother-in-law, why are you only getting back now? I was almost bored to death."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Wasn¡¯t I at work? Take these inside, I¡¯ll make some good dishes for you today."


    "Awesome, I¡¯m starving!" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing both glanced at Li Yifei, then continued their conversation without paying him any more attention.


    Li Yifei prepared a lavish dinner and then everyone sat down together to eat. After a few bites to line their stomachs, everyone began to drink.


    Today, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing drank even more freely than before. They had been a bit subdued yesterday, but today they were very happy, and so they drank without restraint. A case of beer was gone in less than an hour as everyone drank it to the last drop.


    The task of buying more alcohol naturally fell to Li Yifei again, and this time he simply brought back two cases.


    "I can¡¯t drink anymore, if I do, I¡¯ll get too drunk," He Fangqing said, shaking her head, seeming a bit intimidated by the prospect of continuing.


    Xu Yingying replied immediately, "No problem, we¡¯re happy today, so we should drink our fill."


    Xu Shanshan quickly said, "Sister Fangqing, if you get drunk, you can just sleep here. You can sleep with me in my bed."


    He Fangqing hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, then I won¡¯t hold back. Tonight, we drink until we drop."


    With their inhibitions released, they resumed drinking. By after ten o¡¯clock, the three of them were already quite drunk. Li Yifei, on the other hand, was fine; his constitution was strong, and normally he could drink eight to ten beers without issue. Plus, the longer duration of drinking allowed more time to sober up, so he didn¡¯t feel any drunkenness.


    "Oh..." He Fangqing suddenly covered her mouth, looking like she was about to vomit. Li Yifei quickly helped her to the bathroom and let her throw up to heart¡¯s content.


    Afterward, He Fangqing was practically unconscious. Li Yifei wiped her face briefly and then carried her to Xu Shanshan¡¯s room, laying her down on the bed.


    When he came out, he saw Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan supporting each other as they rushed to the bathroom, followed by sounds of vomiting.


    Li Yifei was torn between laughter and tears. These three were all beautiful women, but in their drunken state, they couldn¡¯t manifest any of their beauty, and the smell of vomit was extremely unpleasant.


    "Yifei, get us some nightgowns. We need to change," Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came from inside. "Oh, there are two sets of new pajamas I bought in Shanshan¡¯s wardrobe."


    Li Yifei quickly entered Xu Shanshan¡¯s room again, found the two sets of nightgowns from the wardrobe¡ªidentical silk nightdresses, which would be warm enough for the now pleasant nights¡ªand took them to the bathroom.


    Seeing Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both dazed, Li Yifei asked, "Can you manage?"


    Xu Shanshan opened her eyes, still groggy, and said, "Brother-in-law, are you going to change my clothes for me?"


    Li Yifei quickly withdrew. Since Xu Shanshan could still talk, it seemed they could manage to change clothes; it was better to let them do it themselves.

 Chapter 144: So It Turns Out

    Chapter 144: Chapter 144: So It Turns OutAfter waiting for a while, Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came from the bathroom, "Yifei, come help me, I... I can¡¯t hold on any longer."


    Li Yifei hurriedly opened the door and entered, only to see the pair of twin sisters dressed in identical pajamas, it was impossible to tell who was who.


    The one on the left said, "Yifei, hurry and help me hold Shanshan, this girl is so heavy."


    By that tone of voice, Li Yifei could tell it was Xu Yingying, so he quickly went over and picked up the mud-like, fast asleep Xu Shanshan, then carried her to her room, laying her beside He Fangqing. Seeing that they were both asleep and likely nothing was amiss, Li Yifei then stepped out of the room.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying was leaning against the bathroom door, eyes closed, seemingly quite drunk, and Li Yifei had no choice but to support her, saying helplessly, "Can¡¯t handle your liquor, yet you drank so much, feeling bad now, aren¡¯t you?"


    "I¡¯m not feeling bad, I¡¯m just happy," Xu Yingying said, wrapping her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s waist, her footsteps unsteady, almost all her weight resting on him.


    "Great, you¡¯re happy, and later it¡¯ll be my suffering, having to wait on you three ladies," Li Yifei shook his head, helped Xu Yingying to the bedroom, had her sit on the bed, then helped her lie down, and took off her slippers in passing.


    After lying down, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t make another sound, starting to snore heavily in sleep. Li Yifei went to tidy up the bathroom a bit, and upon seeing the clothes Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan had just changed out of, his face flushed with heat because the clothes were thrown haphazardly on the washing machine, with underwear on top no less. He wondered if the two of them had changed into new underwear.


    Xu Yingying was usually very particular, and Li Yifei had never seen her unwashed underwear. Now, seeing them, and thinking that the person who had just worn those very underwear was in his bed, it would be strange for any man not to have thoughts about it.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t wash the clothes for the two of them. If they were washed and Xu Yingying found out the next day, that would definitely be awkward. So he pretended not to see them, finished his own washing up, and then Li Yifei returned to the bedroom.


    Looking at Xu Yingying on the bed, with her cheeks flushed from too much alcohol and a large expanse of skin visible at her neckline, Li Yifei felt an impulse to take advantage of the situation and pounce on her.


    Fortunately, his self-control was very strong. In such a situation, he still managed to restrain himself, took a couple of deep breaths, turned away, and turned off the light.


    Climbing into bed, Li Yifei was also a bit tired, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.


    But before he could fall asleep, Xu Yingying suddenly rolled over to the middle of the bed, threw her arm over his chest, and murmured, "Yifei... I¡¯m so hot."


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment, and said, "Then I¡¯ll pour you a glass of water."


    "I don¡¯t want water, I want wine, I want to drink," Xu Yingying said, nuzzling her head closer, resting it on his shoulder.


    "Eh... Why aren¡¯t you taking your clothes off?" Xu Yingying said, her sleepy eyes gazing at Li Yifei.


    Although the room was already quite warm, Li Yifei was still in his pajamas. Normally, when a young man and woman sleep together, it¡¯s unusual for them to wear pajamas to bed. Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to either, he certainly preferred to be bare-chested, wearing only briefs, but Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t agree to that. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Take off my clothes?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying in surprise. She must have drunk too much to ask such a question. Could it be because the two of them had been together these days and affection had developed over time, Xu Yingying was using her drunkenness to express her feelings?


    Xu Yingying¡¯s drunk fingers gently slid across Li Yifei¡¯s chest as she spoke in a coquettish voice, "It¡¯s more comfortable without clothes."


    Li Yifei quickly held down Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, saying, "President Xu, you¡¯ve drunk too much."


    "Have I drunk too much?"


    "You really have, just sleep it off, and you¡¯ll be all right."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze carried a dense smile, "You called me... President Xu?"


    Li Yifei suddenly gasped, staring at Xu Yingying, and then he understood what was going on.


    "Haha... Indeed, indeed!" Xu Yingying suddenly burst into laughter.


    No! It should be said that Xu Shanshan suddenly burst into laughter. The moment she laughed out loud, she completely betrayed herself; she wasn¡¯t Xu Yingying at all, but Xu Shanshan.


    Li Yifei had a face of disbelief, realizing that after all this time, Xu Shanshan had finally seen through him. Calling her President Xu had wholly betrayed the relationship between the two of them, and the fact that they were in the same bed yet maintaining such distance was irrevocably telling, a flaw too great to explain away.


    And now that he was truly caught, Li Yifei felt oddly at ease, smiling, "You finally caught on. Well, now I can finally be relieved."


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t move away from Li Yifei but instead looked at him with a smile and said, "Brother-in-law, I actually figured it out a long time ago."


    "Figured it out a long time ago?" Li Yifei asked in confusion, "Then why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner? This time I didn¡¯t even sense that you wanted to expose us."


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "This is called ¡¯luring the enemy into a trap,¡¯ okay? If I hadn¡¯t lulled you into a false sense of security, would you have slipped up in front of me?"


    Li Yifei had to admire the quirky elf that was Xu Shanshan and said, "You really put a lot of effort into this. Now that everything¡¯s out in the open, I can finally go home and get a good night¡¯s sleep."


    Xu Shanshan stopped Li Yifei, saying, "Don¡¯t go. Why leave so late at night?"


    "If I don¡¯t leave? Should I sleep with you?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with amusement. Now that he no longer had to pretend to be the perfect husband for Xu Yingying, Li Yifei spoke with ease.


    Xu Shanshan said with a giggle, "Sleeping together is no big deal. You live with my sister every day, and you haven¡¯t done anything to her. If I sleep with you in the same bed, what could you possibly do to me?"


    "That¡¯s true, I really can¡¯t do anything." Li Yifei nodded in agreement.


    Curious, Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei and started to say, "Brother-in-law..."


    Li Yifei cut her off, saying, "Stop calling me brother-in-law."


    "Hehe, I¡¯m just used to it. But honestly, I really do like having you as my brother-in-law. If I were to get another one, I¡¯m afraid no one else could provide such fun company as you do."


    "Haha, brother-in-law or not, if you call on me in the future, I¡¯ll still hang out with you. I do feel we get along well," Li Yifei responded.


    "Then it¡¯s settled, hehe. When I ask you out to play in the future, I won¡¯t have to deal with my sister¡¯s control. That¡¯s a pretty nice situation," Xu Shanshan said excitedly.


    "Haha, you¡¯ve got a point," Li Yifei agreed.


    Blinking her eyes, Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, you say... haha, it¡¯s really slipped out naturally, I can¡¯t seem to stop. You say you live with my sister every day, don¡¯t you have any thoughts about her?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and replied, "Your sister has such a strong presence, and she¡¯s the boss. How could I dare to have thoughts about her? If I messed that up, I¡¯d lose my livelihood."


    "Don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯ve seen many of your impressive skills, which indicates you¡¯re not a simple person. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re working at my sister¡¯s company, but I definitely don¡¯t think you¡¯d be afraid of President Xu."


    With a chuckle, Li Yifei said, "Whether I¡¯m a simple person or not, right now I¡¯m just an employee, and a county official is no match for a current manager, so I¡¯m still afraid of your sister."


    "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that. Let me ask you, have you really never thought about pursuing my sister, never considered truly being together with her?"


    Li Yifei shook his head decisively, replying, "Absolutely not."


    "Huh, is there something wrong with my sister? Although she can be a bit temperamental and not the most pampering, being with her might be dull, but she¡¯s still a great beauty."


    "Listening to you, it sounds like your sister has no merits other than being pretty. Plus, you¡¯re twins, so it sounds like you¡¯re praising yourself too," Li Yifei observed.


    Xu Shanshan burst into laughter and replied, "You nailed it. So, do you have someone you fancy?"


    "No, but I just don¡¯t want to have a girlfriend this early. I¡¯d like to enjoy a few carefree years. You¡¯ve seen it for yourself, if I got a girlfriend, I¡¯d have to wait on her hand and foot just like I do with your sister. How miserable that would be, so I¡¯m better off alone for now. That¡¯s more relaxing," Li Yifei explained.


    With a playful grin, Xu Shanshan said, "Your thinking is just like mine. I just want to have fun for a few more years and then think about marriage when I¡¯m thirty. But my parents are so anxious, they¡¯re pressuring me. How about you pretend to be my boyfriend again, then go home and placate my parents?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily at Xu Shanshan¡¯s teasing, asking, "Do you think that would work?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Probably not. My parents would think I stole my sister¡¯s boyfriend. They¡¯d skin me alive."


    "So you do realize it. Alright, let¡¯s sleep. In the morning, we¡¯ll clear things up with your sister. You two are sisters facing the same issue; you should be on the same team, not undermining each other," Li Yifei advised.


    "I actually did have that in mind, but she deceived me too, so I had to expose her. Since you put it that way, brother-in-law, I¡¯ll give her some face and clear the air with her in the morning."


    "That¡¯s the spirit. Sleep now!" Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and said, "Go on over to your side."


    Xu Shanshan smiled mischievously, saying, "I find it quite nice lying beside you, brother-in-law. My sister really didn¡¯t notice, what a fool." With that, she moved away from Li Yifei.


    After the two had created some distance, they chatted casually for a bit. Li Yifei was completely relaxed, speaking with light-hearted humor, and Xu Shanshan, despite having pretended to be drunk and actually consuming quite a bit of alcohol, felt no unease about sharing a bed with Li Yifei. After a little while, the effect of the alcohol took over, and she too fell into a deep sleep.


    When Xu Yingying woke up the next morning, she found He Fangqing lying beside her. Initially thinking nothing of it, but after fully waking up, it suddenly dawned on her that if she was there, then Xu Shanshan would have to be sleeping with Li Yifei. This realization shocked her, and she jumped out of bed, rushing straight to her own room.

 Chapter 145: First Love

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145: First LoveOnly Xu Shanshan was on the bed, the girl sprawled out, with the blanket kicked to one side. Her nightgown had already ridden up to her waist, fully exposing her underwear¡ªsuch a sleeping position was quite indecent.


    But upon seeing Xu Shanshan dressed like this, Xu Yingying first breathed a sigh of relief. What she feared most was coming over to find Xu Shanshan naked with Li Yifei lying beside her¡ªthat would have been the end of everything.


    At that moment, there were sounds coming from the bathroom, so Xu Yingying quickly backed out and waited at the bathroom door. It wasn¡¯t long before she saw Li Yifei walking out.


    Xu Yingying grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and pulled him into the living room, then stared at him intently.


    "President Xu, you don¡¯t need to look at me like that, I haven¡¯t done anything. Also, Shanshan already knows about our relationship. Last night, I mistook her for you and slept like we usually do, so she figured it out," Li Yifei said.


    Hearing that her sister was alright, Xu Yingying sighed in relief, but her expression quickly changed as she asked, "You admitted it?"


    "What good would denying it do? You can say we haven¡¯t crossed the final line, but if a couple is to the point of sharing a bed and still acting so proper, even an idiot wouldn¡¯t believe that nothing¡¯s happened," he replied.


    Xu Yingying frowned, crossed her arms, and paced back and forth in the living room a couple of times before stopping in front of Li Yifei again. "What did Shanshan have to say?" she inquired.


    "She said she won¡¯t expose you. She said you two should be on the same side, but because you hid it from her, she wanted to reveal it," he explained.


    Xu Yingying nodded, "Okay, I¡¯ll have a good talk with her today. Thanks for everything these past days. Hold on a moment," she said.


    After saying that, Xu Yingying took out her purse and pulled out a stack of money, handing it to Li Yifei. "This is your payment," she announced.


    "No need, I still haven¡¯t spent all the money you gave me last time to take Shanshan out. I still have over three thousand left," he said.


    "Take it. You¡¯ve helped me a lot during this time and have also wasted so much of your time. This is what you deserve. If you don¡¯t accept it, I won¡¯t feel at peace," Xu Yingying insisted, forcibly stuffing the money into his hand without waiting for a response.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse this time. He had been thinking about settling things clearly with Xu Yingying anyway. Taking the money would mean there were no further obligations between them, and neither would have to feel any burden.


    "Then I¡¯ll be going. We¡¯ll get in touch when there¡¯s time," Li Yifei said, pocketing the money and waving goodbye to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "Wait, you¡¯re not at Huayang anymore, so you might as well come and work for me as my driver. How about that?"


    Li Yifei flashed a grin, "Well, thanks, President Xu. Looks like I won¡¯t be out of a job after all."


    "Your departure from Huayang was because of me and Sister Fangqing. How could I not offer you a job? Let¡¯s settle on that. I¡¯ll call you after I¡¯ve finalized things with the new company in a couple of days," she replied.


    Li Yifei nodded, then left Xu Yingying¡¯s place with a carefree stride.


    At that moment, he truly felt a weight off his shoulders. Pretending to be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend during this time had been rather stifling.


    Upon returning home, he found a bag on his coffee table. Inside were ten packs of cigarettes, all Special Tribute Little Pandas¡ªundoubtedly left by Su Mengxin. Though he hadn¡¯t given her his key, for her bodyguards, getting through his door was a piece of cake.


    Su Mengxin definitely meant well, but entering his room without his permission still irked Li Yifei. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he had just run out of his preferred brand recently. Smoking any other cigarette felt unsatisfying, so he wouldn¡¯t refuse these.


    Tossing aside the cigarettes he¡¯d bought from the street, Li Yifei opened a pack and contentedly smoked a cigarette, wondering what to do with his day. Suddenly, he realized he seemed to have nothing to busy himself with¡ªno job at the moment, and Xu Yingying¡¯s issue was resolved, leaving him with unplanned free time.


    Just then, his phone rang¡ªit was Su Peng on the line. Li Yifei immediately answered, "Hey, old classmate, what¡¯s up?"


    Su Peng laughed, "Didn¡¯t I tell you last time that Tao Yizhong wants to host another gathering? It¡¯s tonight. You don¡¯t have a problem, do you?"


    Li Yifei eagerly replied, "No problem at all, I¡¯m just unemployed and at home."


    "What? You¡¯re unemployed? What happened?" Su Peng exclaimed.


    Li Yifei gave a hearty laugh, "Nothing much. I just didn¡¯t enjoy working at that company, so I gave the boss the slip."


    "No way, aren¡¯t you on good terms with your beautiful lady boss?"


    "The lady boss also jumped ship, so naturally, as her dedicated driver, I got dragged down too. It¡¯s impossible for me to keep working in the same company."


    "That¡¯s truly a tragedy, but it¡¯s not a big deal. If push comes to shove, just find another job. Just right for today¡¯s gathering, let everyone think of a solution. We might not necessarily find you a great job, but a general one shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?"


    "Thanks a lot for that, but I¡¯m thinking of taking a break for now. We can talk about it later."


    "Alright then, there¡¯s one more thing I need to mention beforehand, Ye Yunzhu will also be there today, so... brace yourself."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said, "There¡¯s nothing to brace for, we¡¯re all old classmate, aren¡¯t we?"


    "Hmm, that¡¯s good. Our reunion is at Longyuan Villa; everyone will probably start arriving around four o¡¯clock. If you¡¯re not busy, you can head over early."


    Li Yifei cheerfully agreed, but after hanging up the phone, he sat motionless for a long time, until the cigarette burned down to his fingers, causing him to jerk and stub it out in the ashtray.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei took a couple of deep breaths and muttered to himself, "Let the past be the past, I can¡¯t keep thinking about it."


    After staying at home all day and receiving another call from Xu Shanshan, who told him that she had already spoken with her sister, she would cover for Xu Yingying, but she complained that Li Yifei had run off early in the morning without keeping her company.


    Li Yifei coaxed Xu Shanshan with a few words, and finally, she let it go.


    When four o¡¯clock came, Li Yifei got ready to attend the class gathering. Only then did he realize that most of his clothes were still at Xu Yingying¡¯s place, leaving him with only a few old ones at home.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind; he went out to a small nearby clothing store, spent over a hundred yuan, got a long-sleeve T-shirt, and a pair of jeans, changed into them, and headed straight for Longyuan Villa by taxi.


    Longyuan Villa is located in the suburbs of Mile City. It¡¯s not a big hotel, but it has its unique charm. It¡¯s an eco-restaurant with all the vegetables and fruits grown by the villa itself. For those who care about wellness, it¡¯s a pretty nice place.


    When Li Yifei arrived, a few classmates were already there at the entrance, chatting with one another. Li Yifei joined in and casually conversed with them.


    This gathering wasn¡¯t as crowded as the last time. By almost six o¡¯clock, only about a dozen people had shown up, several of whom Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen the last time.


    "Yifei, I really have to thank you. When I went back, my wife and I watched the CD. It brought us so much face," Tao Yizhong was grateful to Li Yifei for his wedding event and went on to express his gratitude to Li Yifei.


    A few who arrived later were clueless and immediately inquired about the story, leading Tao Yizhong to recount the tale of Li Yifei arranging for two famous TV hosts, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, to attend his wedding. This earned Li Yifei a newfound respect from everyone.


    Li Yifei responded with a laugh, "Now that won¡¯t work anymore. I¡¯ve quit my job, and I don¡¯t have the boss¡¯s support." By saying so, Li Yifei avoided his classmates asking him for further favors, as he wouldn¡¯t want to keep pestering Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. If these two beautiful hosts asked him for something in return, he would be unable to refuse.


    Everyone started asking loudly and then felt sorry for Li Yifei. Su Peng took the opportunity to suggest that everyone help Li Yifei find a job. Most expressed willingness to help, but few really had the ability to do so.


    "It¡¯s no use asking us; the person who can really help is here," Tao Yizhong pointed at a Junjie car pulling up to the entrance.


    "Mayor Ye has arrived." The classmates all greeted her eagerly, except for Li Yifei, who remained at the entrance, watching the car come to a stop. His heart, unhelpfully, began to race¡ªit had been seven years since they last saw each other.


    As the car door opened, a black high-heeled shoe emerged, followed by light gray trousers and a woman in a blazer stepping out of the car.


    Her black hair was styled into a bun; her delicate face bore no makeup, but her natural beauty was still captivating to all men. Her bright eyes still sparkled as she greeted all the classmates with a gentle smile, appearing approachable and immediately narrowing the distance with her friendly demeanor.


    Both were strong women, but Xu Yingying felt cold and unapproachable, instilling a sense of fear, whereas Ye Yunzhu seemed more tactful and affable, quite different from the fiery character she used to be. Having spent time in the political scene, she had indeed changed a lot.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s gaze passed through the crowd and locked onto Li Yifei standing at the entrance. Their eyes met briefly before she looked away, but Li Yifei could clearly sense the excitement and joy in her eyes.


    "Li Yifei, what¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t you recognize your old classmate?" After exchanging pleasantries with everyone and making her way toward the villa, Ye Yunzhu naturally approached Li Yifei. She pressed her small fist playfully against his chest and punched him lightly, her winsome smile beaming.


    Li Yifei had imagined countless scenarios for meeting Ye Yunzhu again, but he never expected her to greet him in this manner. Suddenly, he felt at ease, and with a grin, he said, "How could I not recognize you? You, little chili pepper, sure made me suffer back then."


    As their eyes met again, only they could understand the meanings hidden within each other¡¯s gaze.

 Chapter 146 Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146 Strike First to Gain the Upper HandAside from Su Peng, who knew a little about Li Yifei¡¯s involvement with Ye Yunzhu, the rest of the people didn¡¯t have a clue. And among their classmates, Ye Yunzhu was definitely the most successful one, even the usually assertive Cao Yingbo was keen on ingratiating himself with Ye Yunzhu this time.


    To others, Ye Yunzhu merely exchanged verbal greetings, but with Li Yifei she got physical, which suddenly made their relationship appear much closer and sparked a hint of envy in the rest of their classmates.


    It wasn¡¯t that these classmates wanted to start a romance with Ye Yunzhu or anything, they just believed that Yunzhu¡¯s achievements in the future would be boundless. Therefore, everyone wanted to get in her good graces, with businesspeople hoping for her favor and some benefits, and civil servants naturally seeking her assistance in their careers.


    However, when Ye Yunzhu interacted with them in everyday life, even though she was quite casual, she still made them feel like she was mindful of the way she communicated with them. Now, why was she being so casual with Li Yifei?


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly and said, "Who told you not to study properly back then? As the class leader, how could I not manage you?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Exactly, back then I thought, ¡¯This little chili pepper is really annoying.¡¯ Who would¡¯ve thought that you, this little chili pepper, would become the Township Chief? Where¡¯s the justice in that?"


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and retorted, "So you mean to say my position as Township Chief is somehow unreasonable?"


    Their exchange sounded like dialogue from a comedy sketch, and after they finished speaking, both of them burst into laughter, followed by the others joining in.


    At this point, Tao Yizhong said with a smile, "Let¡¯s all go inside and talk, if we¡¯re going to chat, let¡¯s make it a good one."


    Everyone entered a small courtyard surrounded by greenhouses full of vegetables and fruits. A modest house stood within the yard, its interior decoration not luxurious, simple and unadorned, but with a charming rustic feel that everyone quite liked.


    As they all took their seats, Ye Yunzhu naturally sat in the central chair, then Qian Feifei settled to Yunzhu¡¯s left. Su Peng wanted to have Li Yifei sit on Ye Yunzhu¡¯s right, but Cao Yingbo had already claimed that spot, and Su Peng couldn¡¯t just ask Cao Yingbo to move.


    Li Yifei, however, had no intention of sitting there. Seeing that Ye Yunzhu was doing well was enough for him to be relieved. As for anything between him and Ye Yunzhu, he had never harbored expectations for a result.


    During the meal, conversation revolved around topics brought up by Ye Yunzhu, which made Li Yifei feel a bit uncomfortable. They were all old classmates, but most of them acted with opportunistic motives towards Yunzhu, rendering the gathering tasteless.


    Yet Ye Yunzhu¡¯s response didn¡¯t make Li Yifei uncomfortable. She would occasionally remind everyone of their relationship as classmates, urging them not to measure it by the complicated standards of society, and she tried to keep the conversation about the amusing times they had at school.


    At the dining table, Li Yifei had no more interaction with Ye Yunzhu, until around nine o¡¯clock, when they had almost finished eating and he finally got the chance for a one-on-one conversation with her.


    The two of them stood beside a greenhouse, silent, simply looking through the glass at the various green plants inside.


    "What have you been up to these years? Why did you never contact me?" Ye Yunzhu turned her head to look at Li Yifei, her lips pursed, showing a mix of annoyance and hurt.


    Li Yifei, still facing forward, lit a cigarette and said, "What would it have mattered if I contacted you? It¡¯s not like we could have had a future together."


    "You still hold a grudge against my parents?" Ye Yunzhu asked softly.


    "So many years have passed, I can¡¯t possibly be that petty. Besides, they were looking out for your best interest. I didn¡¯t understand that at the time, but now I get it completely. If someone had tried to run off with my daughter in high school, I would have done something even more drastic than your parents did."


    "Ah, you have a daughter? Are you married?" Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei, a mix of anger and distress in her eyes.


    "No, I was just making a hypothetical point," Li Yifei said, turning to Ye Yunzhu with a grin.


    "You jerk, you¡¯re still so unserious, you scared me to death!" exclaimed Ye Yunzhu, pinching Li Yifei hard.


    Pretending to be in pain, Li Yifei grimaced and then said with a bitter smile, "Look, Class leader Ye, you¡¯re the Township Chief now, you really should mind your image."


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and replied, "In the eyes of others, I may be the Township Chief, but am I also the Township Chief in your eyes?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Of course, you have a different status now. I¡¯m currently jobless, the gap between us is just getting wider."


    Ye Yunzhu frowned slightly and asked, "You still haven¡¯t told me, what have you been doing these years, and what are you doing now?"


    Li Yifei answered succinctly, "I served a few years in the military, but I couldn¡¯t cut it there, so I came back here hoping to find a job to scrape by. Now I¡¯m out of work again, and I¡¯m struggling to support myself."


    Ye Yunzhu stared at Li Yifei and said, "Whatever job you want to do, I can help you find it. Even if you want to be a civil servant or something, I can make it happen for you."


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "Let¡¯s forget about it. Being a civil servant really isn¡¯t for me. And getting such a job can cost hundreds of thousands; where would I get that kind of money?"


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about the money. All I¡¯m asking is whether you want to go or not. My township happens to have a vacancy now, and I can get you a position there."


    Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "Back when we were students, you were the class leader, in charge of me. Now that we¡¯re grown up, you want to drag me under your wing again. I can¡¯t handle you overseeing me all over."


    "You..." Ye Yunzhu pinched Li Yifei again and asked, "Then what exactly do you want to do?"


    "Nothing much. I just want to find a simple job that can support me."


    Ye Yunzhu moved in front of Li Yifei, glaring at him furiously, and exclaimed, "How can you be so lacking in ambition?"


    "Not everyone wants to make it big, earn a lot of money, or hold a high office to qualify as ambitious. My current idea of living comfortably doesn¡¯t involve working myself to exhaustion every day, striving for promotion or worrying about making a fortune."


    Seeing that Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t look pleased, Li Yifei sighed and said, "Yunzhu, our ways of life have diverged. What you pursue is different from what I pursue. I admit you¡¯re someone I can¡¯t let go of, but it¡¯s just not possible between us now."


    Ye Yunzhu bit her lip, her tone softening, as she said, "Yifei, can¡¯t you change for me?"


    Li Yifei shook his head gently and replied, "Yunzhu, I know I have wronged you. Over these years, I¡¯ve always thought about coming back to find you and to make amends. But seeing you doing so well now, I¡¯m not so inclined anymore. You¡¯re so capable and suited for politics. If I were with you, I¡¯d only hold you back. Moreover, due to our different beliefs, we¡¯d probably end up fighting a lot. It might be better to keep those sweet youthful memories in our past."


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and said, "You make it sound so easy. I was only seventeen when you turned cooked rice into a done deal, and now you want to act like it never happened?"


    Li Yifei felt slightly awkward. Back then, both he and Ye Yunzhu were young. Ye Yunzhu was feisty and enthusiastic, going to great lengths for Li Yifei¡¯s education¡ªone unwilling to learn and the other eager to teach. From their constant battling, they ended up falling for each other.


    One time, Li Yifei went to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s house to study. After studying, they played on the computer for a while but accidentally opened an adult movie. That day, they tasted the forbidden fruit.


    After learning its delights, they began to sneak around to be together whenever they could. Back then, they didn¡¯t know about contraception, and eventually, Ye Yunzhu became pregnant. Things turned bad fast. Scared, they didn¡¯t dare tell their parents and ran to a small clinic for a medication-induced abortion. They bought some pills, and Ye Yunzhu went home to take them secretly. Afterwards, she bled a lot, which scared them both. By chance, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents returned home and discovered what had happened. They immediately rushed her to the hospital, where she was saved from danger.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents were outraged to learn their daughter had been involved with a boy in such a way. After investigating Li Yifei, they found his family situation to be too common, which angered them even more. They beat up Li Yifei and ensured he was expelled from school.


    At that time, Li Yifei resented Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents. Angered, he joined the army instead of attending college. He had intended to get in touch with Ye Yunzhu later, but was never able to reach her. Ye Yunzhu had transferred schools, and he thought she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him anymore, so he held some grudges against her too.


    As time passed, especially after years oscillating between life and death, Li Yifei only remembered the good aspects of Ye Yunzhu. He had completely let go of the past grievances.


    But now, Ye Yunzhu brought up the past, and in such an overbearing tone, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take responsibility, it¡¯s that if I cook the rice, of course I¡¯d want to eat it myself." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then why are you still hesitating?"


    "Yunzhu, after so many years, you¡¯ve changed a lot, and so have I. Over these years, I¡¯m no longer that innocent youth. Apart from you, I don¡¯t even know how many pots of rice I¡¯ve cooked."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face changed, and she said resentfully, "Well, look at you, getting all capable."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying, I¡¯ve changed."


    "Hmph, you men are all the same, just creatures that think with the lower half of your bodies. Having had a taste with me, it¡¯d be a wonder if you could restrain yourself all these years."


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Ye Yunzhu huffed again, "All these years, after you, this bastard, I haven¡¯t let another man touch me. You say you won¡¯t take responsibility for me, then who will?"


    "But now, I really don¡¯t have the confidence to be with you. My visit this time was just to see if you were doing well. If you¡¯re doing well, I could rest easy. Can¡¯t we just not talk about this?"


    Ye Yunzhu glared, her tone fierce as she said, "Li Yifei, are you even a man? Just give me a straight answer¡ªare you up to it or not? If not, I¡¯ll just marry the next man that comes along this very instant."


    Li Yifei looked at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s domineering manner and couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. He knew all too well that if he didn¡¯t agree, she really might do exactly that.

 Chapter 147: Planning Your Life

    Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Planning Your Life"Alright, I promise you," Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu looked at each other for a full minute before he finally relented. In his life, only Ye Yunzhu could pressure him into agreeing to something with such a dominant approach. Even if it were a woman like Su Mengxin, if she forced him to do something, he still wouldn¡¯t do it. Childhood sentiment made it impossible for Li Yifei to steel his heart and refuse Ye Yunzhu, and his reluctance to get involved in romantic affairs was mainly because he reserved this unique emotional space for Ye Yunzhu.


    "Then it¡¯s settled! We¡¯ll go and register tomorrow," Ye Yunzhu said, causing Li Yifei to smile wryly again, "What now? Was your agreement just now against your will?"


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head, then said earnestly, "Yunzhu, since I¡¯ve promised you, I won¡¯t back out, but feelings are feelings, and marriage is marriage. Marriage is truly for a lifetime, and I don¡¯t know if we can truly adapt to each other¡¯s lives, so I... hope we can seriously address our issues, instead of being rash. This is being responsible to you, as well as to myself. Do you want us to get married, only to end up quarreling every day because our personalities don¡¯t match, and part with broken hearts in the end?"


    As a township chief, although Ye Yunzhu¡¯s path had been laid out by her family, her abilities were beyond doubt. Normally, she was capable of making swift, correct decisions. Today, it was only because she saw Li Yifei after so many years that she was so stirred up, thus forcing Li Yifei into a corner. But evidently, she fully understood that what Li Yifei said was completely correct.


    "Then what do you suggest?" Ye Yunzhu counter-questioned Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei lit another cigarette, took a few puffs, and said, "I think we should do this: we can date normally and get to know each other again. In a sober state, we can think carefully whether we¡¯re truly suitable for each other, and then make such a decision. How does that sound?"


    Ye Yunzhu faced Li Yifei, her eyes unblinking, and asked, "So how long do you think would be appropriate?"


    "There¡¯s no specific time limit for this. It could be a year, a half, or even just a month. As soon as you¡¯re sure you really want to marry me, I¡¯ll marry you."


    "Fine! Let¡¯s do that," Ye Yunzhu agreed very readily this time.


    From what Li Yifei said, she understood completely. Li Yifei didn¡¯t agree immediately because he wanted her to calm down, not both of them. Just from this point alone, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t changed; he still cared for her as much as ever, not wanting her to get hurt.


    Seeing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s response, Li Yifei smiled. His first love, after so many years, was no longer as unreasonable as she was when they were children.


    "Right, I¡¯m going back tomorrow. Can you help me deal with my job situation? By the way, since you¡¯re transitioning from the military, why haven¡¯t they arranged a job for you?"


    Li Yifei replied, "I didn¡¯t accept it."


    "So you were a soldier, not an official?"


    "Yeah, just a soldier." Even though the Flying Hawk Squad had a high status, in the squad, Li Yifei was only a Deputy Captain, so he couldn¡¯t really be considered much of an official.


    "No wonder. But that¡¯s fine, too. It¡¯s normal to receive placement after military service. If there were already arrangements for you, it would be harder for me to intervene. Now, since you haven¡¯t received placement, I can use that as an excuse to find you a position in the township. As long as you work hard, you can be promoted to Principal Rank in two or three years. Then, I¡¯ll pave the way for you. I believe that within ten years, before you turn thirty-five, I can get you to the level of Municipal Bureau Chief."


    When Li Yifei saw how seriously Ye Yunzhu was planning for him, he got a fright and hurriedly said, "No, no, I don¡¯t want to become an official. You don¡¯t have to worry about my job."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s brows furrowed and she said, "So you don¡¯t want to be an official. Do you want to do business then? That¡¯s not bad either. Official-business collusion¡ªwe could go in that direction. As long as my career goes smoothly, it would be easy for you to make money. I¡¯ll look into it and see what¡¯s good to do now, something that won¡¯t attract criticism and can make your business prosper."


    Li Yifei was somewhat amused and exasperated, saying, "Yunzhu, can we not do it like when we were kids, where whatever I did, you had it all planned out for me?"


    "I haven¡¯t planned anything for you, I¡¯m just helping you plan your life," she replied.


    "I¡¯m already an adult man. I have my own ideas, things I like. I want to have control over how I do them."


    Ye Yunzhu looked determinedly at Li Yifei and said, "Fine, I promise you. Whatever you want to do, you do it. Is that okay?"


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Good."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately followed up, asking, "So, what is it that you want to do? Can you tell me now?"


    As a member of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei¡¯s rank was directly that of a senior colonel. In ordinary units, he could have easily been a brigade-level officer. If he were to transition to Mile City, his position would be at least that of the Municipal Bureau Chief. But he didn¡¯t want that because he found the idea of being an official boring.


    As for doing business, Li Yifei didn¡¯t actually lack money. When he transitioned from the military, he received a substantial settlement, and over the years of carrying out missions, the bonuses he got, along with some additional off-the-book earnings, amounted to even more. All these years, he had amassed a fortune; although he wouldn¡¯t claim to have hundreds of millions, a few tens of millions were definitely there. With that much money, Li Yifei could live comfortably for the rest of his life without having to toil over a business.


    However, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t touched this money, living off a small salary every month; he found contentment in this simple way of life.


    But these were things Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to discuss with Ye Yunzhu. He didn¡¯t want money and power to change the nature of their relationship.


    Laughing lightly, Li Yifei said with a smile, "I haven¡¯t decided yet what I want to do."


    "How can this be okay? You are already 26 years old, and for a man, this is the perfect time to start a business. No, no, this won¡¯t do. I must help you plan your life. Of course, I¡¯ll still respect your opinion and plan around the things you like. These next few days, you must think hard about what you really want to do. You can¡¯t just waste your life away."


    Watching Ye Yunzhu like this, Li Yifei was reminded of the Ye Yunzhu from their childhood when she would set his study schedules without leaving any room for his objections. Now it was the same, only she was planning his life.


    The approach was the same, but Li Yifei felt somewhat uneasy. Back then, he found her insistence enjoyable, but now it felt like pressure.


    "Ye Yunzhu, there you are! Everyone¡¯s been looking for you," Cao Yingbo strode over with a big smile on his face, giving Li Yifei a glance. Although he found it odd that Ye Yunzhu would be having a private conversation with Li Yifei, he didn¡¯t think too much of it, not considering that Ye Yunzhu, the Township Chief, would have something more than a casual chat with Li Yifei, an utterly ordinary man.


    The arrival of Cao Yingbo interrupted the conversation between Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, which seemed to annoy Ye Yunzhu somewhat. However, she still responded with a smile, "Yifei and I were just chatting. Is there something you need?"


    Cao Yingbo laughed and said, "Without you, our star Township Chief, the conversation just isn¡¯t the same. We can¡¯t have you missing, so we had to bring you back."


    "Yeah, our star Township Chief is now the celebrity of our class. You should go and have a nice chat with everyone."


    Ye Yunzhu was about to say something else when Li Yifei already added, "As for your work, Chief Ye, you¡¯ll just have to bother yourself more. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go."


    Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei always had a tacit understanding. During their high school days, although they were close, they managed to keep their classmates from finding out, with only Su Peng occasionally witnessing them shopping together, suspecting something unusual between them.


    Now, Ye Yunzhu immediately understood that Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to reveal their relationship and gave him a white-eyed glance, saying, "Humph, then you better perform well and not disappoint me," before walking forward in her high heels.


    The private room had its own karaoke setup, and everyone was gathered there singing. When they saw Ye Yunzhu coming in, Qian Feifei, who was singing, immediately stopped and shouted loudly, "Ye Yunzhu, where did you run off to? It¡¯s your turn to sing a couple of songs now."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled graciously and said, "No problem, let¡¯s have a great time singing."


    "Wow, Chief Ye is in a good mood today. It¡¯s not often you¡¯re this excited," Qian Feifei said, surprised.


    Ye Yunzhu grabbed the microphone and replied, "Is there a problem with me being in a good mood today?"


    Qian Feifei immediately responded excitedly, "Of course not. If Chief Ye is happy, that¡¯s more than we could ask for. How could it possibly be a problem?"


    The other classmates laughed and applauded. Ye Yunzhu took some time out once every six months to meet with them. Although she was casual, she had never directly grabbed the microphone before.


    Su Peng gave Li Yifei a strange look, finding it hard to believe that Li Yifei could rekindle an old flame with Ye Yunzhu. Due to their differing statuses, there was an insurmountable gulf between them. In his youth, he might have believed that love could conquer all, but as years passed working, he realized that idealistic love would crumble before reality. Ye Yunzhu, as a Township Chief with unlimited prospects in her political career, was unlikely to be with someone like Li Yifei again.


    So he could only assume that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s reunion with Li Yifei had stirred up old feelings from their youth, but that was merely a momentary excitement. When they both calmed down, it was impossible for them to be together again.


    Ye Yunzhu had a beautiful voice, and her singing was captivating. During her school days, she was an active girl who was good at both singing and dancing. In recent years, due to her leadership role, she often had to maintain her image, so such uninhibited singing was rare.


    Everyone could sense that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mood was different from usual, but no one guessed that her mood had anything to do with Li Yifei. Applause burst forth intermittently during her performance, half out of respect for her status, and the other half genuinely for her singing. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, Li Yifei, do you have any of those cigarettes from last time?" a classmate came over, laughing and asking Li Yifei for a smoke.


    Li Yifei took out the cigarettes and said, "Here, take one."


    "Really? You didn¡¯t buy them from the overline bridge again, did you?" The classmate was surprised as he took the cigarette and quickly lit one up.


    "You guessed right, I bought another pack from there," Li Yifei replied.


    "Still that cheap?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Cheap they are, but does it still taste the same as before when you smoke?"


    In reality, for most smokers, ordinary cigarettes didn¡¯t taste much different. Anything over ten yuan tasted about the same. It was only the real smokers who could discern subtle differences. Smoking expensive cigarettes was often more about showing off than the taste.


    Under Li Yifei¡¯s suggestive words, everyone tried them out, all agreeing that these cigarettes tasted different from the last batch, and decided right away that they were counterfeit.

 Chapter 148: Very Fresh

    Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Very FreshBy midnight, everyone was ready to leave since they knew there would be drinking, none of the car owners chose to drive. Only Ye Yunzhu had a driver, but she did not pull any authoritative airs or make the car wait for her. Now, everyone had to hail cabs back home.


    Out of respect for their leader, the first taxi they hailed was for Ye Yunzhu to take. Given that there were so many classmates, it was not convenient for Li Yifei to share a ride with Ye Yunzhu. She left with two female classmates, then waved goodbye to everyone.


    Li Yifei and Su Yue were the last to hail a cab, leaving just the two of them with the driver.


    "Yifei, you and Ye Yunzhu..." Su Peng tentatively asked.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It¡¯s nothing, just catching up on old times."


    "Oh, that¡¯s good. I was afraid you might fall for her again."


    "How could that happen."


    Li Yifei smiled but felt an indescribable sensation within. Back in his youth, when he was with Ye Yunzhu, it could be said that he somewhat tricked her into being with him. Now, it seemed that Ye Yunzhu was completely in control, while he was utterly passive.


    Before seeing Ye Yunzhu, she was always on his mind, to the extent that he dared not face her. Yet, when he actually saw her, he felt a strange resistance, an inexplicable feeling that even Li Yifei couldn¡¯t understand. In terms of status, although Ye Yunzhu was a township chief, if you really considered it, Li Yifei¡¯s standing, as an official at the division level, was far stronger.


    In terms of background, even though he had retired from the Flying Hawk Squad, if he wanted to get something done, he could definitely connect with many of the influential figures in Capital City. In this sense, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family background couldn¡¯t even come close.


    Ye Yunzhu hadn¡¯t changed. Li Yifei could even sense that Ye Yunzhu now seemed more eager than ever to be with him. She had grown up and could make decisions for herself.


    However, Li Yifei felt he couldn¡¯t interact with Ye Yunzhu the way he used to. The distance between them seemed to have inexplicably widened. It could be said that the life-and-death experiences in the Flying Hawk Squad over the years made Li Yifei crave a more peaceful life, which fundamentally clashed with Ye Yunzhu¡¯s aspirations for greatness.


    When he got home, Li Yifei had just walked in when his phone rang. It was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s number, and he answered immediately.


    "Are you home yet?"


    "Just stepped through the door. Are you home too?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Yes, I¡¯m home. I¡¯m considering whether to come over to your place right now."


    Li Yifei felt a surge in his heart and said, "Do you really want to run out in the middle of the night?"


    "I do. You bastard, you have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you all these years."


    Hearing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words, Li Yifei¡¯s sense of distance toward her vanished without a trace. "Then come on over. I miss you too."


    "Now you want me to come? Hmm, I just won¡¯t. I¡¯ll let you pine for me."


    This tone was exactly like when they were young. Li Yifei could even imagine Ye Yunzhu pouting cutely and looking triumphantly lovely. This made Li Yifei laugh and say, "My little Yunzhu, hurry over and let big brother kiss you. I¡¯ll treat you so well."


    "I won¡¯t! I just won¡¯t! If you¡¯ve got the guts, try to catch me. If you catch me, you can kiss me."


    "Then I¡¯m really going to come."


    At that, both of them burst into laughter. This was a game they used to play together and never tire of. Every time, Ye Yunzhu would start off disagreeing, but after a mix of coaxing and persistence, Li Yifei would always get his way.


    "Yifei, while sitting in the car just now, I thought about what you said. You¡¯re right, we¡¯ve been apart too long. Although our feelings haven¡¯t changed, our lifestyles have changed a lot. Whether we can adapt to each other is indeed a problem. If we end up hurting each other when the time comes, it¡¯s better to keep our most beautiful memories as they are now."


    Listening to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s serious tone, Li Yifei said, "Thank you, Yunzhu. It¡¯s good that you can see it that way. If I didn¡¯t want to be with you, I wouldn¡¯t have talked to you this way."


    "Mm, from this point of view, you¡¯ve really matured. You¡¯re no longer that impulsive kid, and I like that. So, I¡¯ll give you a chance to woo me. Let¡¯s start over, what do you say?"


    "Sure, pursuing Chief Ye is like completing a miraculous turnaround for a loser like me. If our classmates saw that their goddess had been won over by a loser like me, I wonder if they¡¯d regret not making a move. It seems that a township chief isn¡¯t that hard to chase, huh?"


    "Get lost, dream on. I said I¡¯d give you a chance to pursue me, so you¡¯d better show some sincerity. Don¡¯t think that just because of our past relationship that I¡¯m going to go easy on you."


    "Isn¡¯t that being a bit too harsh? Look at young couples these days, they all do trial marriages. Maybe we could give that a try too."


    "Fine, you scoundrel, finally showing your true colors as a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. You took advantage of me once when I was seventeen, then you just left, causing my parents to beat me severely. They were nearly scared to death, and now you want to take advantage of me again? There are no such bargains."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "Isn¡¯t that why I¡¯ve come back? To make it up to you. So, will you give me a chance?"


    "Hmph, easy for you to say. Weren¡¯t you just talking about a trial marriage?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eloquence was getting increasingly formidable, and Li Yifei found himself at a loss, only managing a bitter smile as he said, "Alright, my dear little auntie, you can do whatever you want."


    "That¡¯s more like it, behave well and I¡¯ll reward you, yo," Ye Yunzhu¡¯s tone suddenly became flirty.


    Li Yifei felt a flutter in his heart and said, "Yunzhu, you¡¯re really becoming more and more seductive. You¡¯ve completely stolen my soul."


    "I intend to seduce you, and then leave you wanting, just to drive you crazy," she said.


    "That¡¯s really too cruel."


    "Humph, there¡¯s more cruelty where that came from. Ah, my mom is coming, I can¡¯t talk anymore."


    Ye Yunzhu abruptly hung up after saying that.


    Li Yifei put away his phone, his lips curved in a sweet smile that sprang genuinely from his heart, a smile he wouldn¡¯t give to any other woman. He had always believed that his heart belonged to only Ye Yunzhu, and now he was reliving that sensation of first love once again.


    The next morning, Li Yifei received another call from Ye Yunzhu. Although it was only a brief exchange, her tone was suffused with a cloying sweetness. She told Li Yifei to pursue her, but she was the one who was more proactive. Li Yifei knew that Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t want their difference in status to make him feel inferior, which was why she was taking the initiative.


    After getting up and tidying up a bit, there was a knock at the door. Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to look to know it was definitely Su Mengxin, who could easily tell he was back last night with all the surveillance equipment from upstairs to downstairs.


    Opening the door, sure enough, there stood Su Mengxin, dressed in casual homewear, her face adorned with that irresistibly sweet smile that could drive any man wild.


    "I just got back, and you¡¯re already here to freeload a meal?" Li Yifei said with a smile as he let Su Mengxin in.


    Su Mengxin made herself at home in Li Yifei¡¯s place, settling onto the sofa effortlessly, and said with a laugh, "Why settle for less when there¡¯s something delicious available?"


    Li Yifei, long accustomed to Su Mengxin¡¯s thick-skinned freeloading, was about to fry some eggs when he thought of Meng Xiaofei and said, "Where¡¯s Xiaofei? How come she didn¡¯t come over?"


    "She flew out yesterday morning."


    "Oh, so I can make one less portion."


    Li Yifei had rarely seen Meng Xiaofei lately. When he was at home, she would be out flying, and she only came back when he was over at Xu Yingying¡¯s place.


    The breakfast was prepared swiftly, and Li Yifei sat across from Su Mengxin as they ate. After Su Mengxin finished an omelet and was sipping on her milk, she said, "Could you come out with me again today?"


    "What¡¯s it this time?"


    "Because you were away these past few days, I¡¯ve piled up several days¡¯ worth of errands."


    "Let me guess, Su Missy, you don¡¯t work at all when I¡¯m not around, do you?"


    "Definitely, in Mile City," Su Mengxin naturally replied.


    "You, this..." Li Yifei frowned slightly. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Quick to avoid his annoyance, Su Mengxin immediately said, "Don¡¯t be mad, okay? I¡¯m not forcing you to help me. It¡¯s just that due to my identity, I don¡¯t really want to go out with so many people. Besides, the matters aren¡¯t that important, so I waited for you."


    "Alright, for the sake of those cigarettes you brought me, I¡¯ll agree. But... can you not just come into my place when I¡¯m away from now on?"


    Su Mengxin met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, sensing that he seemed to be quite perturbed by this, and quickly said with a smile, "I¡¯m sorry. I went back to the Capital City a few times these past days. I was worried you¡¯d run out of smokes and I didn¡¯t know when you¡¯d return, so I came over without your permission. Please forgive me."


    Li Yifei was completely surprised by Su Mengxin¡¯s apology, and since her intentions were genuinely kind, he felt rather petty. He hurriedly said, "It¡¯s nothing, I got it wrong. I thought you were taking advantage of your status and disregarding me completely. The one who should apologize is me. I misjudged your kindness."


    Corners of Su Mengxin¡¯s mouth lifted into a radiant smile as she said, "Men who are brave enough to admit their mistakes are indeed rare."


    Li Yifei responded with a laugh, "Is that also considered a strength?"


    "It is, at least compared to all those self-righteous men I¡¯ve met, you¡¯re much better."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, dissolving any lingering awkwardness with Su Mengxin.


    That morning, Li Yifei once again took on the role of Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, a rich heir laying low, and as they got into her car, Su Mengxin revealed the first errand she needed to run. Li Yifei was rendered speechless¡ªit turned out she wanted to sign a contract with Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 149 CEO Li

    Chapter 149: Chapter 149 CEO Li"I shouldn¡¯t show my face in this matter, should I? Xu Yingying is my boss, and you¡¯re not unaware of that. If I go now to sign a contract with her, what kind of situation would that be?"


    Li Yifei immediately voiced his loud objection.


    "What¡¯s up, you¡¯ve got your eye on Xu Yingying?" Su Mengxin asked with a teasing smile.


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head and said, "No such thing, I¡¯m just her driver."


    "Then that settles it. You don¡¯t have any relationship with her, what are you afraid of?"


    "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid; I retired from the Flying Hawk Squad to live a peaceful and safe life. It¡¯s one thing to meet with strangers, but to meet familiar people again in this capacity would certainly disrupt my tranquil life. I absolutely can¡¯t do this."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly and said, "I¡¯m just kidding with you. I¡¯ll be honest with Xu Yingying and tell her the truth, that you took on this identity just to ensure my safety, and it can also protect her as well. In the future, my company will be completely handed over to Xu Yingying to manage. As a senior executive, she will naturally have to attend many events, and those rich playboys will definitely have ideas about her. As her friend, don¡¯t you want to look out for her safety?"


    "That¡¯s not out of the question, but I still feel more comfortable being a driver."


    "I understand. This is only necessary for some important occasions. Inside the company, you can do whatever you want. If you wish to be your driver, then be the driver; it will be convenient for me as well because then I won¡¯t need to bring along a bodyguard."


    Li Yifei sighed, knowing he had no choice but to agree, not because he was afraid of Su Mengxin¡¯s request. Now that she was personally asking him, and even if she didn¡¯t, the higher-ups knowing he was here would definitely expect him to protect Su Mengxin under some guise. Despite having retired, Li Yifei still had deep feelings for the Flying Hawk Squad, so he couldn¡¯t refuse at all.


    "Alright then, apart from those necessary occasions, I just want to live as an ordinary person."


    "Understood!" Su Mengxin said with a radiant smile.


    Looking at Su Mengxin¡¯s smile, Li Yifei felt like he was being played. When it came to dealing with enemies, he was full of wits, fearless amidst a hail of bullets, but now he couldn¡¯t fathom what Su Mengxin was really planning.


    The new company was a six-story commercial building located in a bustling area. There, a building of this size would not be valued at less than 50 million, that too in a city like Mile City. If it were placed in a big city like Capital City, the value of this commercial building alone would probably exceed a hundred million.


    This commercial building was previously rented by several companies, but Su Mengxin used some means to have it now completely owned by her company.


    The commercial building seemed quite empty at this moment, with only a few security guards at the door. Seeing Su Mengxin arrive, they all promptly stood at attention and greeted, "Good day, Boss Su."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "A Miss Xu Yingying will be coming in a bit, let her come straight up to the sixth floor to find me."


    Then, without introducing Li Yifei, the two of them went straight up to the sixth floor in the elevator.


    The furthest room was the CEO¡¯s office; its decor was simple yet imposing. Su Mengxin smiled and asked, "What do you think of this office?"


    "Indeed, it¡¯s nice." Li Yifei nodded.


    Su Mengxin pointed to the chair behind the desk and said, "Try sitting in it, see how it feels."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t hesitate and sat down, he swiveled comfortably in the chair and said, "Not bad, quite comfy."


    "Then you can just sit here from now on." Su Mengxin pulled up a chair and sat down across from Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "That joke isn¡¯t funny at all. Don¡¯t think about trapping me here. I¡¯m not going to manage your company for you. It¡¯s tiring, and besides, I don¡¯t know how."


    "You could learn, right? Nobody¡¯s born ready to be a boss."


    "Save it, no matter what you say, I won¡¯t agree."


    "Okay, I won¡¯t force you. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll come to this office much anyway. Besides, you¡¯ve already posed as my cousin. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, those two hosts, they know it. If you don¡¯t agree now, it would make things very difficult for me. I¡¯m not asking you for anything else, just to help me keep a presence in the company. Can¡¯t you do me this favor?"


    "I always feel like this is boarding your pirate ship."


    "Hehe..." Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Well, since I¡¯m already here, there¡¯s no rush to go down."


    Li Yifei just smiled faintly, then lit a cigarette. Su Mengxin immediately brought over an ashtray to him. In her office, there was even an ashtray prepared, obviously meant for Li Yifei.


    At that moment, a knock on the door sounded. Su Mengxin immediately said, "Come in."


    The one who came in was Xu Yingying, who froze upon opening the door, staring wide-eyed at Li Yifei sitting behind the office desk smoking. She doubted her own eyes, rubbed them vigorously, and after confirming she wasn¡¯t seeing things, she completely ignored Su Mengxin and exclaimed, "Li Yifei, what are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei swiveled in the boss chair and took another pleasurable drag of his cigarette, purposely teasing Xu Yingying, "How about that, didn¡¯t see that coming, did you?"


    "You..." Xu Yingying¡¯s brain was completely short-circuiting, unable to fathom why Li Yifei was sitting in that position.


    "To poach you, I had to lurk in your company for over two months." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lurk? No way, you..."


    "Pfft..." Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft laugh.


    It was only then that Xu Yingying noticed Su Mengxin, feeling even more confused. However, she shifted her attention to Su Mengxin and said, "Miss Su, I¡¯m really sorry, seeing Li Yifei just now really surprised me."


    Su Mengxin smiled and replied, "Don¡¯t mention it, take a seat. This guy just likes to play pranks."


    Xu Yingying sat down, but listening to what Su Mengxin just said, everything felt off. It seemed like Su Mengxin was closer to Li Yifei than she was. Yet, this guy Li Yifei was still pretending to be her boyfriend yesterday, but now all of a sudden, he¡¯s a direct subordinate to Su Mengxin? She found it hard to accept.


    Su Mengxin then sat next to Xu Yingying and said, "I knew him from before; he used to be my bodyguard. So when he came here, I sought him out directly to take charge of my safety."


    Xu Yingying was stunned for a moment, her mind rapidly turning over the information, "But Miss Su, when you first met him, it seemed like you didn¡¯t know each other."


    "It was a surprise encounter, and since he¡¯s retired, I couldn¡¯t disrupt his life, could I? Later on, I pleaded with him to help me out."


    "So you mean, in this company, he..." Xu Yingying¡¯s expression turned a bit sour. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be Su Mengxin¡¯s spokesperson, could he? Indeed, Li Yifei was a capable fellow, but Xu Yingying absolutely didn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei had the ability to manage a company. If this guy was to be her direct boss, she would really need to reconsider whether it was the right choice to come here.


    Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and then said to Xu Yingying, "Don¡¯t worry, the conditions I promised you won¡¯t change, but I need someone to represent me here. There are some special circumstances where I still need Li Yifei¡¯s assistance. However, he definitely won¡¯t be involved with the company management, and you don¡¯t need to pay attention to him at all. As for whether you treat him like a driver or something, that¡¯s your business."


    Xu Yingying was somewhat befuddled, but Li Yifei intervened, "President Xu, that means I¡¯m a faux CEO. I¡¯m just an ordinary employee in this company. You can order me around as you wish, send me to whatever department. It¡¯s just sometimes when there¡¯s a bothersome social engagement, I¡¯ll help you out, to prevent some people from making inappropriate advances."


    Xu Yingying finally understood, but she still felt uncomfortable with such an arrangement. A CEO one moment and an ordinary employee the next, who in the world makes such arrangements? Su Mengxin¡¯s methods were truly bizarre.


    Su Mengxin knew all too well how abnormal such an arrangement was, but she was also very clear that to have Li Yifei be with her, she had to bring him onto the same path. Li Yifei¡¯s ambitions didn¡¯t lie there, so for now, she had to employ these odd tactics to gradually integrate him into her world.


    Being an exceedingly wise person, Su Mengxin never used her status to pressure Li Yifei, even avoiding actions that could wound a man¡¯s pride. With her status, the effort she made for Li Yifei was truly significant.


    At that time, she took out a contract and handed it to Xu Yingying, "Miss Xu, please look over this contract. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not satisfied with, we can discuss further."


    Xu Yingying scrutinized the contract. It was similar to general employment contracts, but the biggest difference was that it granted her absolute autonomy in company management. With a five hundred million initial investment entirely at Xu Yingying¡¯s discretion, she only needed to report to Su Mengxin for expenditures exceeding fifty million. She had full authority over anything less.


    For Xu Yingying, the attraction was significant; it gave her a larger stage to exercise her abilities. As for the high salary of three million a year, it was of little concern to her.


    "Miss Su, you really trust me a lot. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll squander your five hundred million?" Xu Yingying fixed her gaze on Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin smiled gracefully, "I, Su Mengxin, always trust those I employ and never use those I doubt. Only by granting enough independence can we fully unleash your potential. As for corruption or the like, my parent company has a dedicated audit team. They are experts and inspect the company annually."


    After a pause, Su Mengxin continued with a smile, "I¡¯m mentioning this not to insinuate anything, just to let Miss Xu understand our parent company a bit more."


    Xu Yingying nodded. She wasn¡¯t upset about this at all. If a big company couldn¡¯t even have a proper audit system, how could it ever develop successfully? Without hesitation, she immediately signed the contract.

 Chapter 150: There’s Always Someone Better

    Chapter 150: Chapter 150: There¡¯s Always Someone BetterSu Mengxin also signed the contract, and then their hands clasped together tightly. She sincerely said, "President Xu, I¡¯m entrusting my company to you now."


    Xu Yingying nodded firmly, "Miss Su, with the trust you¡¯ve placed in me, I definitely won¡¯t let you down."


    Letting go of each other¡¯s hands, they sat down again. Su Mengxin continued, "I absolutely believe in your abilities. From now on, everything depends on you. There¡¯s nothing but a blank slate within the company right now. I only have one project here. As for the execution, that¡¯s up to you to recruit and take action."


    When Xu Yingying had arrived earlier, she discovered that other than a few security guards, there wasn¡¯t another soul in the company. This was completely beyond her expectations. She had thought that by taking over the company, it would at least have some initial scale, but now she realized that everything was up to her to do. While definitely difficult, this was also a tremendous opportunity and challenge. She immediately said, "Alright, I¡¯ll put together a detailed planning proposal within the next couple of days for Miss Su to review."


    Su Mengxin shook her head, "I¡¯m returning to Capital City tomorrow. For the foreseeable future, I won¡¯t be back, so you make the decisions. You don¡¯t need to report back to me."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll go ahead and get started." Xu Yingying was very straightforward and readily agreed.


    Li Yifei had walked over to the window by this time, looking outside through the floor-to-ceiling window. Although it wasn¡¯t a high floor with a wide-ranging view, there was a small garden outside. Fresh air flowed in as soon as the window was opened.


    Li Yifei had heard their conversation clearly, and it was only now that he understood that not only had Su Mengxin given him a figurehead position as CEO, she had also granted Xu Yingying such extensive autonomy. To him, it felt as though Su Mengxin had thrown five hundred million here, then completely stepped away. Running a business to such an extent seemed indeed a bit too lax. If Xu Yingying wanted to embezzle her money, it would be all too easy.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t think Xu Yingying was that sort of person, but in the face of huge profits whether ethical standards could be maintained was a judgment Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t dare to make. He¡¯d seen too many people change due to greed. Who could guarantee that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t be tempted by profits in the future?


    The knock on the door sounded again. Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a glance and said, "Go and open the door."


    Li Yifei felt there was something unusual in Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze. Judging by the footsteps, there were two people outside. Who could these two be? If he hadn¡¯t been somewhat suspicious, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to heed Su Mengxin¡¯s request to open the door.


    Upon opening the door, Li Yifei saw two beautiful, fashionably dressed women ¡ª the hosts Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao.


    "Young Master Li, hello!" Both greeted crisply, their sweet smiles seemingly capable of melting bones.


    Li Yifei nodded, appearing quite composed, "Please come in."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao entered the office and politely greeted Su Mengxin, then their gazes turned towards Xu Yingying. Seeing another woman in the office besides Su Mengxin made both of them feel a sense of crisis. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin invited them to sit and said, "President Xu, these are the two spokespeople I signed earlier on. Although they don¡¯t have the fame of big stars, their demeanor and looks are indeed in line with our company¡¯s standards. You¡¯ll handle the specific details of promotion, advertisement production, and subsequent matters."


    Xu Yingying extended her hand to them, "Xu Yingying. I¡¯m very pleased to cooperate with both of you." She was already somewhat familiar with the two women.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao quickly stood up again, shaking hands with Xu Yingying. They truly hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to be so young and yet be the president of this huge company that invested five hundred million. Being so young and achieving such a stature made them naturally wonder if she had any connection with Li Yifei.


    Then, Su Mengxin added, "Later, I will also be hosting a banquet for some leaders from the city, to smooth things over on that front. I¡¯ll take the opportunity to introduce you to them as well."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Then you all go ahead, I don¡¯t need to join."


    Narrowing her eyes at Li Yifei, Su Mengxin replied, "That won¡¯t do. If you don¡¯t go, how can you act as the CEO? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let them know not to disrupt your life. If you¡¯re helping, then you need to see it through; you can¡¯t quit halfway."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll go have a look."


    Although it was just one sentence, one expression, the impact on Xu Yingying was significant. What sort of person was Su Mengxin? She was known as the most beautiful woman in Huaxia, with a background so powerful it was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. To Su Mengxin, those so-called mayors and municipal party secretaries were likely nothing at all. Yet, she spoke to Li Yifei with such warmth in her voice. Wasn¡¯t Li Yifei just a retired soldier? How could he make Su Mengxin act this way?


    Moreover, it seemed like Li Yifei didn¡¯t think Su Mengxin was all that remarkable either. When he talked with her, he was pretty casual¡ªeven if he had once been her bodyguard, that shouldn¡¯t have been enough to explain his attitude, right?


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, on the other hand, were even more speculative in their thoughts. They only knew about Li Yifei¡¯s fake identity, so they harbored extravagant hopes for this young master. They were initially worried about some relationship between Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, but it seemed their interactions weren¡¯t ambiguous at all. Even President Xu, upon seeing Su Mengxin speak to Li Yifei with such tenderness, showed a look of astonishment, probably having just learned about the relationship between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin.


    Taking advantage of this collaborative opportunity, they naturally wanted to establish a closer relationship with Li Yifei. Last time, Li Yifei¡¯s abrupt departure had caused them much frustration, but it also let them know they held enough attraction for him. So now, they were determined to cozy up to Li Yifei, ideally creating some emotional entanglement with him.


    After a few more exchanges, Xu Yingying, Li Xinyue, and Song Lianyao were all sneaking glances at Li Yifei from time to time, which only made him feel more awkward. He used to consider Xu Yingying a friend, but now he felt it was quite possible that their friendship had reached its end.


    "You all keep chatting, I¡¯m going to step out and have a look." After saying this, Li Yifei lit a cigarette and quickly left, to avoid being stared at as if he were a panda.


    At half-past ten, Li Yifei and his four companions arrived at the Yiyun Clubhouse in the city. Upon seeing Su Mengxin heading straight upstairs, Li Xinyue whispered, "Miss Su, Young Master Li, Manager Xu, should we wait on the first floor... for a bit?"


    Su Mengxin said indifferently, "No need. Let them come directly to the private room to find us."


    Song Lianyao, somewhat worried, said, "These city leaders are very particular about these things. If we wait for them in the private room..." She didn¡¯t dare finish, but everyone understood her meaning.


    Xu Yingying joined in, "Miss Su, perhaps it would be better this way. You go up first, and I¡¯ll wait here with Li Yifei. This could also show our sincerity and prevent any future disadvantage to our company."


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, took hold of Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, and said, "It¡¯s really not necessary. By inviting them to dine, I¡¯ve already given them enough respect. If they¡¯re going to nitpick over these trivialities, that would really be ungrateful. Besides, I want you to establish your authority. You¡¯re my spokesperson. Here, they may not treat you exactly as they would me, but at the very least, they wouldn¡¯t dare to lowball you."


    This time Xu Yingying said nothing more, but inside she felt as if the tide had turned. She had been in business for several years, and as a president, she had dealt with government departments more times than she could count. Every time she had to smile obsequiously, knowing full well they were taking advantage of her, yet she had to play along. Now, she suddenly felt vindicated and possessed tremendous confidence in running her company.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were then struck dumb. In the world of officialdom, these matters were of prime importance. They had also attended many city events and knew all too well how a higher ranking official could crush the lower. And in Mile City, even the head of the largest conglomerate had to be courteous in front of the Municipal Committee leaders.


    Yet Su Mengxin didn¡¯t seem to regard the city¡¯s leaders at all. How powerful must her background be? She thought people from Capital City were truly formidable, and this only solidified their resolve to latch onto Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei understood the ways of officialdom, but he was indifferent to such matters. He sought nothing more than to live a peaceful life, so no matter how high-ranking the officials were, they were of no consequence to him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so relaxed in front of Su Mengxin.


    Less than ten minutes later, the door to the private room was knocked on, and four men entered. Two of them Li Yifei recognized¡ªthe Municipal Party Secretary, Song Zhentao, and the mayor, Qin Yuanjiang¡ªwhile the other two men were strangers to him.


    "Miss Su, I¡¯m terribly sorry. We were stuck in traffic for a bit, which made you wait," said Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao as he entered, immediately apologizing to Su Mengxin.


    Seeing the four men arrive together, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s eyes widened. These were the most important figures in the whole of Mile City. Besides the mayor and the Municipal Party Secretary, there were also the Executive Deputy Secretary, Jin Shenglu, and the Chief of Public Security Bureau, Ning Changzheng.


    The fact that these four had come out together for a social event was shocking enough, but here they were, without any pretenses, in the presence of Su Mengxin. Were they the same city leaders they knew? Who exactly were Su Mengxin and Li Yifei? It seemed their minds could no longer contain their imagination.


    It was now clear to them how vast the world really was. To some individuals, even those who appeared to have the highest authority in Mile City, were truly insignificant. Their gaze towards Li Yifei became even more fervent.

 Chapter 151: Even the Leaders Come to Curry Favor

    Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Even the Leaders Come to Curry FavorAt that moment, Su Mengxin stood up to shake hands with the four individuals. Each of them only shook her hand briefly, as if they were afraid of being impolite.


    This left both Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both stunned and scornful. Among them, Jin Shenglu, the first deputy secretary, was the one in charge of their television station. Usually, when he saw them, he always looked at them with lustful eyes. When he shook their hands, he would always hold on and not let go. But now, he didn¡¯t even dare to take the slightest advantage.


    "Let me introduce you to everyone. This is my cousin Li Yifei, who will be my representative in Mile City and serve as the company¡¯s general manager," she said.


    Having been introduced by Su Mengxin, Li Yifei had no choice but to step up to the plate. He shook hands with the four leaders and smiled, "Leaders, I¡¯m not good at managing a company, I¡¯m just here because my cousin forcefully dragged me along. If there¡¯s anything in the future, you should still talk to General Manager Xu Yingying." He directly pushed Xu Yingying to the forefront.


    Everyone was already familiar with Xu Yingying. Her company was quite significant in Mile City, and because Xu Yingying was young and beautiful, she was even more memorable. These four individuals had once harbored some thoughts about Xu Yingying. But now that Xu Yingying suddenly became the general manager of Su Mengxin¡¯s company, they wouldn¡¯t dare to harbor any sort of intentions towards her.


    "I suppose I don¡¯t need to introduce these two. They will be the spokespeople for our company, the ambassadors of our company¡¯s image. From now on, our company¡¯s image will depend on them. I hope the leaders will take good care of these two for the sake of our company¡¯s image."


    With that remark, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao felt immensely grateful. This way, not only would Jin Shenglu no longer have any designs on them, but even if people beneath him wanted to harass them, these four leaders would have to intervene.


    People are not without self-respect, and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were no exception. They did not enjoy trading their dignity for the sake of their careers, but often reality demanded submission. Now they knew that they would no longer need to do so in the future, now they had the capital to defend their self-esteem.


    After everyone finished introducing themselves, they all took their seats. Su Mengxin unapologetically took the main seat, with the mayor, Qin Yuanjiang, and the Municipal Party Secretary, Song Zhentao, at her sides, followed by Jin Shenglu and Ning Changzheng. Li Yifei and Xu Yingying sat next to each other, with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao at the very end.


    The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat subdued. Su Mengxin did not engage in much laughing or talking with the others, and her toasts were merely perfunctory gestures. Xu Yingying was prepared to toast on her behalf, but a look from Su Mengxin made it clear to her that doing so would make the company seem pitiful. Su Mengxin wanted her company to stand tall and proud here, and even for those who worked for her, they must not appear weak.


    Initially, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were somewhat constrained, but as time passed, they realized that the high-ranking officials were quite approachable today. Gradually, they let down their guard. As presenters, their oratory skills were undeniable. Before long, their witty conversation had lightened the mood somewhat.


    Even so, the meal did not last long. In less than an hour in total, preparations were made to pay the bill and disperse.


    "Miss Su, rest assured, as long as your company is based in Mile City, we will definitely provide full support," declared the leaders several times.


    With a slight smile, Su Mengxin responded, "I hope so. I can see that all of you are leaders of action. Mile City is bound to develop better under your guidance, and in the future, you will surely take on greater responsibilities."


    Hearing Su Mengxin¡¯s words, the faces of the leaders showed varying reactions. Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao was overjoyed. Su Mengxin¡¯s remark was undoubtedly a promise; as long as he helped the company develop well in Mile City, she would assist in his career advancement. Su Mengxin¡¯s help could be much more influential than any provincial leader.


    Qin Yuanjiang felt regret in his heart. Due to his age, he no longer had hopes for promotion. If he had encountered Su Mengxin earlier, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have just ended as a mayor. However, by forming good ties with Su Mengxin now, his son, who was working as a section chief in the city, could have the opportunity to climb the ranks quickly.


    Jin Shenglu and Ning Changzheng harbored similar thoughts, hence they were even more eager to become Su Mengxin¡¯s trusted allies.


    Li Yifei watched as the four leaders curried favor with Su Mengxin, and he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head inwardly. The hypocrisy of officialdom was what he disliked the most. Otherwise, if he had chosen to stay in the service, he could have easily secured an official position.


    The dinner finally ended. Though it was hosted by Su Mengxin, the leaders insisted on paying the bill. Su Mengxin did not argue with them. By inviting them to dine, she had already granted them enough face. Even if she hadn¡¯t invited them, they wouldn¡¯t dare to take any action against her company.


    However, that was how Su Mengxin conducted herself, and that was where her personal charm lay. She always managed to get people to willingly work for her. If she came across an official she liked, she would not hesitate to lend a hand.


    After leaving the restaurant, Su Mengxin straightforwardly asked Li Yifei to drive her to the airport. Her flight was at two in the afternoon. Xu Yingying, Li Xinyue, and Song Lianyao also went to see her off, and Su Mengxin did not refuse them.


    "Keep this car to drive for yourself," Su Mengxin said with a smile to Li Yifei when just the two of them were in the vehicle.


    "No need. I can¡¯t afford to drive such an expensive car."


    Miss Su gave Li Yifei a rolling of her eyes, an action most girls probably enjoyed doing, but when Miss Su did it¡ªeven just a rolling of her eyes¡ªit was charming beyond measure, alluring and indefinable, though Li Yifei, focused on driving, didn¡¯t see it.


    "You¡¯re a CEO now, aren¡¯t you? If you don¡¯t have a decent car, it doesn¡¯t really reflect the strength of our company, does it?"


    "Please, show me a CEO who has to drive themselves around. They all have personal drivers. What¡¯s more, a CEO driving a red sports car just screams frivolity. If I need to use a car, it has to be something like a Mercedes or Audi."


    "Hehe, the car is for you to enjoy when you¡¯re off duty. Of course, we¡¯ll provide some official vehicles for company use."


    "Driving for fun... Look, me earning a salary and driving around in a sports car worth millions for fun, that¡¯s just asking to be looked down upon. Besides, for someone like me, no matter how nice the car, I¡¯m just the driver." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Suit yourself. But I might not be back for a while, so it¡¯s just sitting there. You at least have to find somewhere to put it."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll drive it back and dump it in the underground parking garage."


    After finishing their talk about the car, Li Yifei turned to Su Mengxin and said, "What¡¯s the big idea with all this anyway?"


    Feigning ignorance, Su Mengxin said, "What ¡¯big idea¡¯?"


    "About making someone a CEO. We¡¯re all adults here; no need to beat around the bush. Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s no ulterior motive to tying me down to this."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "I really don¡¯t have any ulterior motives. It¡¯s just that here, you¡¯re the person I trust the most. If I don¡¯t ask for your help, then who should I ask?"


    "Most trustworthy, huh? I don¡¯t really feel it," said Li Yifei with a grin.


    Turning to stare at the side of Li Yifei¡¯s face, Su Mengxin said solemnly, "In the midst of bullets flying, you said you¡¯d take me back no matter what, and you did, even though it was so dangerous. If I can¡¯t trust you, who can I trust?"


    Li Yifei turned and looked at Su Mengxin, smiling, "You¡¯re not here just to thank me for that time I brought you back, are you?"


    "Of course not. Though I did genuinely want to see you. After all, that was the most dangerous experience of my life. If I didn¡¯t come to see my savior, wouldn¡¯t that show a complete lack of conscience?"


    Li Yifei replied frankly, "Then you shouldn¡¯t have. I was on a mission. Even if it had been a rabbit or a dog, I would¡¯ve been obliged to bring it back, and besides, the state pays my salary¡ªI wasn¡¯t set on saving you personally."


    Su Mengxin knew Li Yifei would react this way, which was precisely why she hadn¡¯t revealed her true purpose for coming. She didn¡¯t want to pressure Li Yifei or act blindly. In the few interactions she¡¯d had with him, she found more and more reasons to like him, and she knew that if she pursued too eagerly, it would only make him run.


    Su Mengxin was undoubtedly a wise person who could let go of trifles and look at the big picture. Unlike most girls, she didn¡¯t try to monopolize a man upon developing feelings for him. She understood that a man needed to mature emotionally before he could be entrusted with a life together. Thus, she wouldn¡¯t mind any girls around him or worry about what might happen. She was confident that she could win Li Yifei over in the end.


    "Actually, I didn¡¯t really come to repay my debt to you. Can¡¯t you just treat me like a friend?"


    "Friends? Sure, aren¡¯t you always freeloading meals at my place? If we weren¡¯t friends, would I let you come over?"


    "Exactly. Since we¡¯re friends, it¡¯s normal for you to help me out a bit in my company, isn¡¯t it?"


    "But why do I always feel like this friend is only helping you and you¡¯re not helping me?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Hehe, you don¡¯t have anything for me to help with right now, do you? Just say the word when you do. As long as I, Su Mengxin, can do it, I definitely won¡¯t hesitate."

 Chapter 152 Mengfei

    Chapter 152: Chapter 152 MengfeiLi Yifei let out a hearty laugh and said, "Then I¡¯ve really struck it rich this time. With a word from you, the great beauty Su, soaring to great heights is just a matter of time."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and replied, "If you really wanted to soar to great heights, would you have come back here? You could¡¯ve stayed with the Flying Hawk Squad and then transferred to the military district. Becoming a division or army commander would¡¯ve been a breeze."


    "With your promise, that means endless benefits await me. Even mayors and Municipal Party Secretaries would want to curry favor with you, let alone a small civilian like me."


    "Alright, stop ribbing me. In any case, I¡¯m counting on you for this matter."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You really won¡¯t let me have peace even after I¡¯ve retired."


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t explain; it was a fact, and no amount of explanation would help. It was better to let Li Yifei adapt to this kind of life and see if he could enjoy it.


    After seeing Su Mengxin off on her flight, Li Yifei and the others prepared to head back to the city. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao had a lot they wanted to say to Li Yifei, but seeing Xu Yingying get directly into his car, they gave up on the idea.


    Ten minutes into the drive, Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Who are you, exactly?"


    "I¡¯m just an utterly ordinary person," Li Yifei replied with an amused smile.


    "An ordinary person?" Xu Yingying gave a self-mocking bitter smile and said, "An ordinary person can make friends with someone like Su Mengxin? And have her let you be a president? Do you think I¡¯m not smart enough?"


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Can I tell you that I really don¡¯t understand it myself?"


    "Do you think I can believe that?" Xu Yingying was a little annoyed. Li Yifei was still telling her bald-faced lies, which was something she couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it."


    "You..." Xu Yingying was choked by his words and said angrily, "Right, I¡¯m not anyone to you. Why would you tell me?"


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Yingying and smiled, "Exactly. President Xu, you just need to focus on whether I work earnestly. Why bother with my private life?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and retorted, "I care about your work? Now, you¡¯re the one with the Imperial sword and can supervise me all day long, for you are the big president."


    "This president role is just for show. I think I¡¯m no different from a corporate mascot; it was Su Mengxin who forced it upon me. I¡¯m considering whether I should find another job somewhere else."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yifei, her mouth twitching, "Are you kidding me? You¡¯d give up being president to find another job?"


    "I¡¯m not cut out for that role. Besides, being some big-shot president is so tiring; it¡¯s more comfortable being a lowly soldier."


    Xu Yingying was becoming more confused as she listened and completely at a loss about who Li Yifei really was. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and asked, "Li Yifei, can you reveal your true identity and your relationship with Su Mengxin?"


    "There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t say. I truly am just a discharged soldier. I was born in Mile City. After high school, I joined the military. During my service, I was assigned a mission to protect Su Mengxin. I guess I saved her life back then, so we became acquainted. For me, it was just a mission, nothing special. But Su Mengxin seems to remember that, so when she saw me, she wanted to look after me a bit. I couldn¡¯t refuse her outright; besides, she¡¯s rich, and it doesn¡¯t burden my conscience to take a little advantage."


    This time, Li Yifei explained quite clearly. Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I see, so it makes sense for Su Mengxin to act this way. Yet, for someone of her stature to still care about you is quite sentimental."


    "Heh, maybe. I haven¡¯t had much contact with her, so I don¡¯t know the specifics. But now you should understand that my role as president is really just nominal, an extra paycheck. When you see what I¡¯m suitable for in the company, arrange something else for me."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "What are you joking? No matter what, you are the president. Going to work in other departments would be preposterous."


    "Then as president, I just won¡¯t show up at the company, and let the employees be none the wiser," Li Yifei suggested.


    Xu Yingying massaged her forehead and said, "Li Yifei, can¡¯t you think more normally? How can such a thing work? As president, you¡¯ll have to participate in some events. How will you explain it to the staff later? That our company¡¯s president goes incognito to check on employees¡¯ work?"


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow and asked, "So what should I do? You can¡¯t expect me to hide in the president¡¯s office every day, can you?"


    Xu Yingying was somewhat at a loss for words. After contemplating, she said, "Well, the company isn¡¯t built yet, and for now, we have a lot of groundwork to do. No matter what your status is, you certainly won¡¯t be idle. Maybe it¡¯s best not to discuss it for now and leave it for later."


    Li Yifei could only shake his head in resignation and said, "Alright then."


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Xu Yingying felt even more estranged from him. Initially, she thought of Li Yifei as merely a small-time employee, unambitious, but now faced with the position of president, he was utterly indifferent. What state of mind did one have to reach to disregard such status?


    She didn¡¯t ask these questions, but she couldn¡¯t help stealing glances at Li Yifei every now and then.


    Li Yifei, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, said, "You know, President Xu, if you want to look at me, just do so openly. Watching me like a thief makes me really uneasy."


    Xu Yingying, caught in the act, felt a bit embarrassed and responded, "I just can¡¯t figure you out, so I wanted to take a closer look, that¡¯s all."


    "Well, that¡¯s a relief. I was afraid you had fallen for me, and that would be a disaster for me."


    "What?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice shot up eight octaves as she glared fiercely at Li Yifei. His comment was a devastating blow to a girl¡¯s pride. Gritting her teeth, she retorted, "Am I that pathetic? Would falling for you really be such a terrible fate for me?"


    Li Yifei flinched, quickly slowing down the car as he turned to look at the infuriated Xu Yingying, saying, "I didn¡¯t mean you¡¯re pathetic. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not exactly boyfriend material, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be right for you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s chest heaved with rapid breaths. Li Yifei¡¯s explanation only made her angrier. After all, she was a universally acknowledged beauty, a rare breed of a young woman who combined looks with brains and had a successful career. Xu Yingying had always been confident about this, but in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, it seemed she was somehow found wanting.


    "Hmph, I remember when you pretended to be my boyfriend, you seemed pretty comfortable then."


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "That was different. I was on your payroll, so of course I had to do my job well. Now I don¡¯t have to pretend, so naturally, I want to be myself again."


    "Hmph hmph..." Xu Yingying hmphed twice, staring at Li Yifei, her mind racing with thoughts.


    They returned directly to the company. Although the security guards didn¡¯t quite know what sort of person Li Yifei was, they had come to recognize Xu Yingying as the company¡¯s General Manager. They were aware that they would be working under her from now on and respectfully let the two into the building.


    However, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao didn¡¯t follow them. Being simply the company¡¯s collaborative image ambassadors, they had no opportunity to get involved in the company¡¯s affairs, even though they would have liked to stay with Li Yifei.


    The two entered Xu Yingying¡¯s General Manager¡¯s office, where Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, "President Li, I think we should proceed like this. First, we need to recruit some people. Once we¡¯ve hired a good number, we can start allocating the work, building the factory, marketing, and so on. These tasks are very important. Whether it¡¯s you or me, we both may have to be on the front line. Do you see any problem with that?"


    Li Yifei said helplessly, "Do I have a choice?"


    "You don¡¯t have a choice. If you don¡¯t want the employees to know you¡¯re the President, you¡¯ll have to work. It¡¯s only the President who doesn¡¯t need to work."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do it." Li Yifei surrendered instantly. For some reason, he felt that if he actually became the President, he would fall into a deep pit. This strange intuition was too strong to ignore.


    Xu Yingying picked up the phone and started dialing, but then set it back down, saying, "You call Sister Fangqing." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why do I have to call?"


    With a slight smile, Xu Yingying replied, "What do you think?"


    Li Yifei, understanding Xu Yingying¡¯s reference to his relationship with Fangqing, could only shake his head and say, "Fine, I¡¯ll call."


    Picking up the phone, he dialed He Fangqing¡¯s number, "Director He, could you come to the office? The address is..." Li Yifei paused, turning to Xu Yingying, "What¡¯s our company called again?"


    A look of exasperation crossed Xu Yingying¡¯s face. The President didn¡¯t even know the company¡¯s name? Who on earth had Su Mengxin entrusted her company to? Annoyed, she answered, "Mengfei."


    After she said the name, Xu Yingying suddenly looked at Li Yifei with an odd expression, which lasted until Li Yifei finished the call.


    Feeling self-conscious under Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei asked, "Why are you looking at me like that again?"


    Xu Yingying spoke slowly, "Mengfei, Su Mengxin, Li Yifei. Don¡¯t you feel that the name of the company has a special significance?"


    Li Yifei burst into laughter, "How could that be? It just means ¡¯dreams taking flight.¡¯ You¡¯re not going to tell me that Su Mengxin has feelings for me, so she picked a word from each of our names for the company, are you?"


    "Isn¡¯t it the case?" Seeing how freely Li Yifei laughed, Xu Yingying began to doubt her own theory, but relying on her womanly instincts, she still felt that it was indeed the case.


    "Forget about it. Don¡¯t set me up. The name of the company definitely doesn¡¯t have that meaning. You should remember who Su Mengxin is."


    Li Yifei would never believe that Su Mengxin could fall in love with him. To him, such a notion was more far-fetched than the wildest of fantasies.

 Chapter 153: Can’t Figure It Out

    Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Can¡¯t Figure It OutHe Fangqing quickly arrived in front of the sixth floor office building of Dreamfly Company. Although this company¡¯s office building was not as imposing as those high-rise office buildings, to have such an independent office building was proof of strength.


    Upon reaching the general manager¡¯s office and seeing Xu Yingying sitting there and Li Yifei lounging on the sofa with such ease, she understood that Xu Yingying had indeed officially signed with the company.


    Xu Yingying said cheerfully, "Sister Fangqing, please have a seat."


    He Fangqing immediately asked, "Why are there only the two of you? Where is everyone else in the company?"


    Xu Yingying shrugged her shoulders and said, "Right now, apart from a few security guards downstairs, it¡¯s just the three of us employees in the whole company."


    He Fangqing was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up as she excitedly said, "Does that mean we three are going to start this company together?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and said just as excitedly, "Exactly, that¡¯s the idea."


    Li Yifei looked at the expressions of the two women, and he was rendered somewhat speechless. It was obviously a task that involved a lot of hard work, and yet these two were so excited. When women got competitive, they really could be quite troublesome.


    "But... with just the three of us, is the funding in place?" As the chief financial officer, that was her main concern.


    Xu Yingying handed He Fangqing a bag of stuff, saying, "This is the company¡¯s bank account and everything else. Right now, there should be a bit more than 450 million." Su Mengxin had invested 500 million, and almost 50 million were spent on the company building, so there was a bit more than 450 million left in the account.


    He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened as she said, "450 million... and it was put in all at once..." As a chief financial officer, He Fangqing naturally understood how investments should operate. They were typically made in stages, adding more as time went on. This one-time investment was the kind usually seen with smaller funds. An immediate injection of five hundred million, though not absolutely unheard of, was extremely rare outside of state-owned enterprises.


    "Yes, Miss Su trusts us a lot. The funds are completely at our discretion. We only need to report transactions over fifty million, otherwise, we don¡¯t need to ask for permission and can make decisions directly," Xu Yingying explained.


    The look on He Fangqing¡¯s face became even more animated. Having to report for amounts over fifty million essentially meant they rarely needed to report. For example, any expenditure over fifty million could just be split into two amounts of less than fifty million. For her, that made things incredibly easy, meaning they could spend the 450 million however they wanted.


    "Miss Su really trusts us, she¡¯s not afraid we¡¯ll embezzle the money," He Fangqing said suddenly with a shake of her head.


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "That¡¯s why I need your help, Sister Fangqing. I couldn¡¯t trust anyone else with this."


    He Fangqing gave a wry smile and said, "450 million, even at my old head office, the biggest investments were just over a hundred million. Now you¡¯re asking me to manage all this money. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to control myself and might just take it. No, no, I need to go wash my face right now to wake myself up."


    Xu Yingying burst into hearty laughter. She hit it off with He Fangqing from the start, and she trusted He Fangqing¡¯s work ethic and character completely. This was mainly because He Fangqing, just like her, was so dedicated when it came to work; they both wanted to prove their ideas.


    Moreover, the company now offered them such a generous compensation package that they didn¡¯t need to think about embezzling funds.


    "Sister Fangqing, I¡¯ll get you a contract later, but right now, I have something to tell you," Xu Yingying said, pausing deliberately and turning to look at Li Yifei.


    He Fangqing followed Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze towards Li Yifei and asked puzzledly, "What is it?"


    "Guess, what position does Li Yifei have in this company?" Xu Yingying said, feeling a tad gloomy inside, but her spirits lifted when she posed the question to He Fangqing.


    "What position?" He Fangqing was confused and didn¡¯t understand why Xu Yingying was asking her this.


    "Have a guess. If you can guess it, I¡¯ll really take my hat off to you," Xu Yingying said with an even broader smile.


    He Fangqing was actually quite intrigued at this point. Glancing at Li Yifei, who had a crestfallen look, she said with a grin, "You wouldn¡¯t make him a doorman, would you?"


    Annoyance instantly appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face, while Xu Yingying laughed, and said, "No, that¡¯s not it."


    "Then he must be the janitor."


    More lines of irritation crossed Li Yifei¡¯s forehead as they seemed to fall to the floor, and Xu Yingying laughed merrily. She wickedly glanced at Li Yifei, thinking about how much he resisted being a CEO¡ªshe wondered what his expression would look like if he were made to clean instead.


    "Really? What job could make him more dejected than those two?" He Fangqing couldn¡¯t guess anymore. In a company, those were pretty much the least desirable jobs.


    Seeing that He Fangqing couldn¡¯t figure it out, Xu Yingying said with a sly grin, "Li Yifei is now... our company¡¯s... CEO."


    "President?" He Fangqing asked with confusion, "What job is a president?"


    This left Xu Yingying stupefied, her mouth twitching as she said, "Sister Fangqing, you can¡¯t be serious that you don¡¯t know what a president does, right? That¡¯s a rank higher than my general manager position."


    "What?" He Fangqing suddenly sprang to her feet and then burst into laughter, falling onto the sofa in a fit of giggles. "Yingying... you¡¯ve got to be joking. Him, a president... haha... then I must be the chairman."


    "Sister Fangqing, I¡¯m serious," Xu Yingying shrugged and said, "Miss Su personally appointed him as the president."


    He Fangqing looked at Xu Yingying, not believing she was joking, and the laughter stopped. She stammered, "What does... that mean?"


    "I¡¯m not clear on what it means either. You should thoroughly interrogate this guy when you get a chance," Xu Yingying shrugged helplessly once again.


    He Fangqing turned her gaze to Li Yifei and asked, "Are you really the president?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I guess I am." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing slapped her forehead, saying, "You¡¯re not some super-rich young master playing at life here, are you?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes at He Fangqing and said, "Could you not be so fanciful, please?"


    "Then how did you become the president? Could it be that Miss Su has taken a fancy to you?"


    "Can¡¯t you women think normally for once? Su Mengxin is someone high above, how could that be possible? Let¡¯s not talk about this; just thinking about it makes me depressed. I¡¯m going out for a smoke."


    As soon as Li Yifei stepped out, He Fangqing eagerly questioned Xu Yingying. After hearing the whole story, He Fangqing was so astounded that she was at a loss for words.


    "Sister Fangqing, I feel there¡¯s something odd about this. A person like Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t need to open a branch office in a small city like Mile City. And even coming to Mile City, she wouldn¡¯t need to personally come here, not to mention making such a large investment and naming the company Dreamfly. I always feel that Su Mengxin came here because of Li Yifei," Xu Yingying said with a worried look.


    "Then Li Yifei must really be quite charming," He Fangqing said.


    Xu Yingying spoke gravely, "I¡¯m telling you, Sister Fangqing, aren¡¯t you worried? If Su Mengxin really has such intentions, Li Yifei will definitely accept; what will you do then?"


    He Fangqing revealed a radiant smile and said, "That wouldn¡¯t bother me at all. I never had any specific plans with Li Yifei. It¡¯s you who always thought about it that way. If he really gets together with Su Mengxin, I would truly be happy for him."


    Seeing He Fangqing so unconcerned, Xu Yinying¡¯s worries eased. "Well, that¡¯s good, then. I won¡¯t worry about you anymore."


    "You should never have been worried about me in the first place. But why do I feel like you are worried now?" He Fangqing winked at Xu Yingying.


    "Worried about what? My sister has already seen through it, and I¡¯ve talked it over with her. She will back me up against our parents, so that issue is already resolved," Xu Yingying replied.


    "Oh, I know about that, but what I meant was... you seem quite concerned about Li Yifei, haven¡¯t you... grown fond of him over time?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened as she retorted, "How could that be possible?"


    "Why not? Even Su Mengxin might be interested in him, it wouldn¡¯t be anything shameful for you to like him, would it?"


    "I..." Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. In terms of appearance, talent, and even background, she couldn¡¯t compare with Su Mengxin. If Su Mengxin really took a liking to Li Yifei, then her not being interested in him would seem like a lack of discernment.


    Looking perplexed at He Fangqing, Xy Yingying said, "Do you think... Li Yifei is really that outstanding? I haven¡¯t noticed it."


    He Fangqing chuckled softly and said, "Whether he is outstanding or not, I can¡¯t really say. Normally, he¡¯s just nonchalant, but in my interaction with him, apart from sleeping together, there¡¯s nothing else. You are always with Li Yifei, so you should understand him better than I do."


    Xu Yingying blushed at He Fangqing¡¯s words, but subconsciously, she thought it over and realized that Li Yifei was indeed quite impressive. Even her sister Xu Shanshan, who didn¡¯t usually care for most men, couldn¡¯t stop praising Li Yifei, although she knew he was a fake brother-in-law.


    But Xu Yingying quickly shook her head. No matter how good Li Yifei was, that had nothing to do with her. Her main focus was still on her career, and she wouldn¡¯t even consider matters of the heart. However, she felt she should warn her sister Xu Shanshan, who seemed quite interested in this fake brother-in-law. If that girl really fell for Li Yifei, she would certainly go after him without hesitation.


    The thought of Xu Shanshan bringing Li Yifei home to meet their parents made Xu Yingying¡¯s scalp tingle...

 Chapter 154: Sticking Your Photo

    Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Sticking Your PhotoSu Mengxin left several cars here, besides the flashy red Porsche sports car driven by Li Yifei, there were also two BMWs, two Mercedez, one of which was a black bulletproof BMW, Xu Yingying decided to keep that for herself to drive for the time being.


    She also lent another BMW to He Fangqing temporarily, so that the three of them could work more conveniently. As for the company¡¯s real growth, these cars would definitely need to be managed collectively. Since Su Mengxin trusted her so much, she would not just enjoy herself here; she would handle everything in accordance with normal company management and would not waste a dime of the company.


    Just after 4 PM, Li Yifei drove home and left the Ferrari in the underground parking garage. Although the car had excellent performance, as a man he always felt somewhat awkward driving such a car.


    But as soon as he got out of the car, he saw Officer Lin, the policewoman, watching him with a malicious gaze.


    "Hello, Officer Lin." Seeing Lin Qiong put Li Yifei in a good mood; teasing the policewoman was always a bit of fun.


    "Where did you get this car?" Lin Qiong stomped over to Li Yifei and asked with a stern face.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Do you mean you¡¯ve never seen this car before?"


    Lin Qiong glanced at the license plate and suddenly remembered it belonged to Li Yifei¡¯s female neighbor, but still asked with suspicion, "It¡¯s her car. How come you¡¯re driving it?"


    "We¡¯re neighbors, alright? Is it wrong to borrow it from her for a bit?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s retort left Li Yifei speechless, and he felt a bit irate inside, mainly because Li Yifei was such a sleazebag, conning one woman after another ¨C just the other day it was a company president, and now he¡¯s hooked up with a rich woman of considerable standing.


    Seeing Lin Qiong silent, Li Yifei said with a smile, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re back early today? Seems like it¡¯s not even time for you to get off work yet, is it?"


    "Is there a problem with me having things to do?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei annoyed and walked away with big strides.


    Li Yifei chuckled and didn¡¯t pay Lin Qiong any more attention, heading straight for the elevator. But after just a few steps, Lin Qiong chased after him and asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to invite me to sit in your apartment?"


    "If Officer Lin wants to visit, of course, I should invite you. But isn¡¯t that a bit inappropriate?" Li Yifei was puzzled by Lin Qiong¡¯s unusual behavior.


    "I have some questions for you, let¡¯s go." Lin Qiong said and walked straight to the elevator entrance.


    Once in Li Yifei¡¯s apartment, Li Yifei poured a glass of water for Lin Qiong, then both of them sat down on the sofa. Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze scanned around Li Yifei¡¯s place before asking, "What¡¯s your relationship with Brother Hu?"


    "There¡¯s no relationship at all." Li Yifei lit a cigarette and took a comfortable drag.


    Lin Qiong glared, saying, "Stop bullshitting me. Do you think I¡¯m blind? I know very well what kind of person Brother Hu is, he¡¯s definitely not a good sort. That day during the fight, he actually held back against you, that would be impossible if there was no relationship, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Maybe he thought I wasn¡¯t easy to mess with, so he backed off, no?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re not easy to mess with? So you mean to say that you¡¯re more powerful than Brother Hu?" Lin Qiong stared intensely at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei widened his eyes at Lin Qiong, then suddenly reached out to touch her forehead. Lin Qiong quickly slapped his hand away, angrily saying, "What are you doing?"


    "I¡¯m checking if you have a fever, Officer Lin," he said.


    "Why would I have a fever? Stop beating around the bush with me; tell me straight up, what exactly do you do?"


    Li Yifei genuinely didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, saying, "Officer Lin, can¡¯t we cut down on the imagination here? That day, we were about to clash, and because you suddenly showed up ¨C considering you are the newly appointed Deputy Director ¨C he held back from hitting me. And now you¡¯re suggesting that I¡¯m more powerful than him. Oh, you¡¯re right, my power is indeed greater than his, I have Officer Lin backing me up, don¡¯t I?"


    Lin Qiong had been investigating Li Yifei for the past couple of days, but looking at Li Yifei¡¯s file, there was nothing suspicious, and he was even freshly discharged from the military. The thought that he could be connected to the Underworld was something she didn¡¯t really believe. Today was just about trying to bluster Li Yifei.


    Glancing at Li Yifei, Lin Qiong said, "I heard you are quite a fighter, taking on seven guys by yourself and easily knocking them down."


    "That¡¯s not really true. I¡¯m not that impressive. It¡¯s just that people like to exaggerate. They had just had a fight with some high school students and were all exhausted, so I took the opportunity to knock them down. Besides, you should know that in a fight, as long as you dare to throw the first punch, you often gain the upper hand."


    Lin Qiong stared at Li Yifei and suddenly stood up, saying, "Then try to spar with me again."


    "Officer Lin, what are you doing? Why should I spar with you?" Li Yifei immediately pretended to be very scared and shrank back.


    With a sudden move, Lin Qiong grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s collar fiercely and said, "I said we¡¯re going to spar."


    "Officer Lin, you are a police officer. You can¡¯t force people like this."


    "I¡¯m forcing you?" Lin Qiong¡¯s face grew even more displeased, and she said through gritted teeth, "I remember the first time I saw you, you were trying to open your neighbor¡¯s door. I wanted to arrest you then, and instead, you entangled with me for a long time."


    Finally, Li Yifei realized why Lin Qiong was looking for him; she must have connected it to that day¡¯s incident and figured out that Li Yifei had been pretending to be weak. He chuckled and said, "Officer Lin, that was just a joke. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t dare to use dirty tricks on a police officer, and I didn¡¯t want you to mistake me for a thief, did I?"


    "Is that so..." Lin Qiong snorted coldly and said, "Then why were you hugging and holding me, even pressing me down under you? Don¡¯t tell me you were doing that just to avoid using dirty tricks on me."


    "This... this..." Li Yifei stammered a couple of times, then with a forceful shake of his hand, he said, "Fine, I¡¯ll tell you the truth."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face stayed the same, but she felt quite smug, finally able to pressure Li Yifei into telling the truth. She said sternly, "Speak."


    "Officer Lin," Li Yifei¡¯s gaze suddenly became extraordinarily gentle, and he leaned closer to Lin Qiong, "Officer Lin, do you believe in love at first sight?"


    "What?" Lin Qiong felt a shiver looking at Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, especially with his mention of love at first sight, which gave her a sudden bad premonition. She hastily retreated, put her hand out to stop Li Yifei, and said, "Stop beating around the bush and just speak."


    "Officer Lin, the moment I saw you, I felt you were the person I had been waiting for all my life. Out of misplaced affection, I did those things to you. I know I¡¯m not worthy of you, and it¡¯s impossible for you to like me in this lifetime. Even if I did something bad to you at that time, to have you hate me for the rest of your life would be worth it..."


    "Shut up!" Lin Qiong¡¯s face turned pale, feeling a wave of goosebumps all over, and she shouted aloud, standing up with a start.


    "Officer Lin, I¡¯ve been holding these words in for so long. Just let me say them. I really like you a lot. That day when you got drunk and stayed at my place, I was overjoyed. If it were any other woman, I might have done something despicable, but you are my goddess. I didn¡¯t entertain a single frivolous thought and just took care of you. I can¡¯t describe how happy I was. I think about you while working during the day and at night; I even thought about buying an inflatable doll and sticking your photo on it, then holding it every day..."


    "Ah!" Lin Qiong screamed out loud, feeling a wave of nausea. This guy was just too creepy, even thinking about getting an inflatable doll and sticking her photo on it. This was just disgusting beyond words.


    She rushed into Li Yifei¡¯s only small bedroom, first checking the bed, which had nothing on it, then pulled open the wardrobe and flipped through it, also finding nothing.


    By then, Li Yifei had followed her in and said, "Officer Lin, you don¡¯t have to look. I know my thoughts are filthy, which is a desecration of my goddess. It was just a thought; I didn¡¯t actually buy one."


    Lin Qiong breathed a sigh of relief but, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s "tender and loving" gaze, she couldn¡¯t help shivering and quickly pushed Li Yifei away. In the blink of an eye, she ran out of Li Yifei¡¯s front door.


    Once inside the elevator, Lin Qiong shivered several times and thought, "No, no, I can¡¯t see this guy ever again. He¡¯s just too despicable. How can there be such shameless men in this world? Oh heavens, send down a few bolts of lightning and smite this guy dead."


    After scaring off Lin Qiong, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help laughing loudly in the room. He knew a bit about this female police officer. Although she didn¡¯t seem to be the violent type, she was indeed a woman with strong career ambitions. Thus, when it came to feelings, she was quite straightforward. Saying those vulgar words to Lin Qiong was definitely too much for her to bear.


    Thinking about how Lin Qiong would avoid him in the future seemed amusing to him. Of course, Li Yifei¡¯s main concern was that Lin Qiong was now suspicious of him about some matters. If he didn¡¯t scare this girl away, she would certainly come to bother him from time to time. Although Li Yifei wasn¡¯t afraid of Lin Qiong finding any evidence of wrongdoing on him, having her watch him like a hawk would indeed make him uncomfortable.


    After tidying up, he made a simple dinner and started eating alone. There was nobody else but him at the dining table, which made him feel somewhat uneasy. Recently, he had either dined with Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin, or Meng Xiaofei. Having the company of beauties always made dining more appetizing than eating alone.


    Before he even took a bite, a knocking sound came from the door. Li Yifei immediately went to open it. Those who visited him at home were hardly ever men, always women. But when he opened the door and saw this particular beauty, Li Yifei still frowned.

 Chapter 155 Chu Xiaoyao Playing Tricks

    Chapter 155: Chapter 155 Chu Xiaoyao Playing Tricks"Uncle!" Chu Xiaoyao stood at the door with pouted lips, red eyes, a pitiful look on her face, and she was holding a small suitcase in her hand.


    "What are you doing?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t let Chu Xiaoyao come in but looked at her with puzzlement.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes reddened even more, tears rapidly gathering in her eyes before streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed, "I have nowhere to go."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Come in."


    Chu Xiaoyao followed Li Yifei into the living room. Li Yifei handed her a tissue and said, "Wipe your tears."


    Chu Xiaoyao took the tissue, wiped her eyes, and hung her head without her usual flamboyance.


    "What exactly happened?" Li Yifei sat next to Chu Xiaoyao but still kept a considerable distance between them.


    "Uncle!" Chu Xiaoyao looked up at Li Yifei and said, "My parents scolded me; they don¡¯t want a daughter like me anymore, so I ran away from home. Uncle, you must take me in."


    "You ran away from home over a fight with your parents?" Li Yifei frowned.


    Li Yifei, during his high school years, also disliked studying. His parents would often hit and scold him. Later, because of the incident with Ye Yunzhu, his parents even beat him severely. At that time, he harbored quite a bit of resentment towards his parents. But little did he know that they would die in a car accident soon after, making him realize how painful it was to be without parents. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To not be able to support one¡¯s parents when they are gone, only someone like Li Yifei who lost his parents to death would deeply understand and regret not making them worry less and not being filial while they were alive. When he finally wanted to be dutiful, it was too late; the chance was gone forever.


    Li Yifei could understand why Chu Xiaoyao had run away from home. Teenagers at her age tend to be very rebellious and can¡¯t stand their parents¡¯ discipline, so he didn¡¯t think of Chu Xiaoyao as a bad kid for running away. Instead, he gently said, "Okay, your parents scold you, they reprimand you, but it¡¯s for your own good. Don¡¯t be sad."


    "What do you mean, ¡¯for my good¡¯? Isn¡¯t it just because I like to play with computers? They absolutely refuse to let me touch them. I tried to reason with them, but they insisted on using parental authority to discipline me. Does one really have to attend university to become successful in this world?" Chu Xiaoyao said emotionally.


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and said, "Although it¡¯s true that one doesn¡¯t necessarily have to attend university to succeed, playing on the computer definitely impacts your studies."


    "I¡¯m not just playing games like other people; I¡¯m genuinely researching computer software. Let me tell you, I¡¯m now a pretty awesome hacker, and I want to develop in this area. But in their eyes, I¡¯m just playing all day, not understanding anything. It¡¯s so infuriating."


    Li Yifei looked at Chu Xiaoyao with some surprise and said, "You¡¯re a hacker?"


    "Of course!" Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s astonished expression, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s aggrieved look suddenly turned into one of pride, her little chin tilting up like a proud little hen.


    "Hehe, didn¡¯t see that coming," Li Yifei chuckled, his surprise already faded. It didn¡¯t matter to him who Chu Xiaoyao was; he had just confirmed that he would not let this girl stay.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression become more indifferent, Chu Xiaoyao became somewhat anxious and said, "I really am a hacker, you know. Now, I can even breach into a company¡¯s computer system, and my skills keep improving. An older hacker told me that I¡¯m absolutely a genius in this field, and with more effort, my future achievements as a hacker could absolutely rank in the top ten nationwide."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Then congratulations to you."


    "Uncle, what attitude is this? I¡¯m a hacker, you know, and you¡¯re a master hidden in the city. The two of us are kindred spirits; we match so well."


    Li Yifei knew this girl would steer the conversation this way, his expression turned stern, and said, "Sorry, I¡¯m not any master; I¡¯m just an ordinary person."


    "Right, right, we are ordinary people. In front of others, I¡¯m also just an ordinary person. Although I¡¯m a hacker, even my best friend in class doesn¡¯t know, only you, Uncle, know that I¡¯m a hacker master."


    Li Yifei gave Chu Xiaoyao a look and said, "Okay then, ¡¯master¡¯, you can go home now."


    Chu Xiaoyao instantly widened her eyes and said indignantly, "Uncle, you can¡¯t be that cruel! I¡¯ve just run away from home, and you¡¯re already sending me back?"


    "Yes, I have to send you back. Your parents must be very worried, so you need to go home."


    "I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re worried or not. It¡¯s their fault for scolding me."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows and said, "Being scolded is the least of it. If I were your parents, I would definitely spank you hard right now to stop you from running off again."


    "Hehe, then I¡¯ll have a child for you later; you can go fight after that."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on. Was Chu Xiaoyao really eighteen? She was way too devilish, even able to say such things. He really didn¡¯t understand the world of high school students anymore.


    "Is it okay, Uncle? Just let me stay at your place. I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d be your wife. I could be your mistress instead. How about it?" Clinging to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, Chu Xiaoyao shook it vigorously.


    "No way!" Li Yifei briskly shook off Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand and said, "Get going, or I¡¯ll throw you out myself."


    "I won¡¯t leave, I¡¯ve decided to stick to you no matter what." Chu Xiaoyao glowered at Li Yifei, her small fists clenched tight, showing her determination.


    Li Yifei shook his head, realizing that Chu Xiaoyao was quite stubborn. If it came down to force, she really wouldn¡¯t leave, so he tried a different approach, put on a smile, and said, "Look, Xiaoyao, think about it. I¡¯m a guy with no money or status. My place is so small. If you become my mistress, I won¡¯t even have the money to support you in the future."


    "I¡¯m not afraid. As long as I don¡¯t go hungry, I¡¯ll just eat whatever you eat."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I don¡¯t even have a computer. If you stay here, you can¡¯t even be a hacker."


    Chu Xiaoyao blinked and replied, "That¡¯s easy. My parents will go to work tomorrow, and I¡¯ll sneak into the house and steal the laptop."


    "I¡¯m a real weirdo, especially when it comes to women. I¡¯m just not normal. I like playing with all kinds of thrilling stuff, like whipping people, dripping wax on them, and so on. Can you really handle that too?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened immediately, staring blankly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was inwardly pleased, finally having found a way to scare the girl. Just as he was about to embellish the story to make it scarier, Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed loudly, "Uncle, you¡¯re so hardcore with all these fetishes! I¡¯ve seen a lot about them online. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re fun to play with. How about we try it tonight?"


    Li Yifei nearly smashed his head on the coffee table, staring at Chu Xiaoyao in shock. He hadn¡¯t expected the girl to exhibit masochistic tendencies.


    "Come on, Uncle, let¡¯s play with whips and wax." Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice became sultry all of a sudden.


    Li Yifei recoiled in fright, and Chu Xiaoyao chuckled gleefully, her tone triumphant as she said, "Uncle, there¡¯s no need to scare me. Even if you really enjoy that kind of play, I¡¯ll join in. I just like you, and I want to be your mistress. Your scare tactics are just too lame."


    She was absolutely bewitching!


    Li Yifei¡¯s opinion of Chu Xiaoyao was just that. Facing murderous villains was one thing, but confronting such a bewitching young girl was something Li Yifei wanted to avoid at all costs.


    "Uncle, do you really dislike me that much that you want to drive me away?" Suddenly, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes teared up again, her big eyes shimmering with light, almost heart-meltingly cute.


    Li Yifei had no intention of falling for Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s act this time and said coldly, "You¡¯re right. I have the least interest in bean sprout-like little girls like you. Your being here is keeping me from finding a woman, so no, I won¡¯t let you stay."


    "Bean sprouts?" Chu Xiaoyao leaped to her feet in anger, thrusting her chest out and declared loudly, "Uncle, are you blind? Do I look like a bean sprout with this figure?"


    It had to be said, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s figure was indeed not bad, with a full chest, not flat like many girls¡¯, along with her youthful vitality, she was definitely the type a devious uncle would love.


    Unfortunately for Li Yifei, he was wary of trouble, and since he had promised Ye Yunzhu that he would start anew with her, he definitely couldn¡¯t afford to get entangled with a young girl like this. He spoke sternly, "That¡¯s right. To me, you are just a bean sprout. I like women with fuller breasts and perky butts, and you don¡¯t meet my standards at all."


    "I don¡¯t care... I¡¯m not leaving." Chu Xiaoyao, miffed by Li Yifei¡¯s comment, had been well-liked by the boys at school, and a coquettish glance her way would captivate the older men, yet Li Yifei considered her merely a bean sprout.


    "Are you leaving or not?" Li Yifei too was getting aggravated, glaring as he raised his voice.


    "I¡¯m not leaving!" Chu Xiaoyao said decisively and plopped down on the couch, starting to act stubborn.


    "You won¡¯t leave, is that it?" Li Yifei snorted, ready to throw Chu Xiaoyao out, but just then the phone rang at an inconvenient time.


    Li Yifei wanted to ignore it, but Chu Xiaoyao seemed to sense Li Yifei¡¯s intent. While he hesitated whether to answer the call, she sprang from the couch, slipped straight into the bedroom, and with a bang, closed the door behind her.


    Li Yifei temporarily put Chu Xiaoyao aside, picked up the phone, and saw that it was Ye Yunzhu calling. He immediately answered, and Yunzhu¡¯s voice came through: "Yifei, how about you treat me to dinner tonight? I want to come over to your place."

 Chapter 156: Uncle, I will not let you go

    Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Uncle, I will not let you goLi Yifei chuckled, "That sounds good, come on over, and I¡¯ll cook for you." He had just finished cooking and hadn¡¯t even had a few bites. If Ye Yunzhu came, the two of them could have dinner together, which would be pretty nice.


    "That¡¯s insincere. If you wanted to invite me for dinner, why didn¡¯t you call me earlier?"


    "Wasn¡¯t I afraid you¡¯d be busy at work? What if you were dining with some leader and my call caused you any trouble?"


    "Yifei, I really appreciate your understanding. I thought you¡¯d be mad at me for this." Ye Yunzhu¡¯s voice suddenly softened.


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone was equally tender, "Although I may be a bit of a macho guy, liking you means I have to truly trust you, right?"


    "Thank you. After all these years, even though you¡¯ve changed a bit, I can feel that you¡¯re still as good to me as you were before."


    "If I¡¯m not good to you, then who should I be good to? You are the woman I like the most in my life."


    When Li Yifei genuinely said such words to a woman, it was definitely an experience only Ye Yunzhu could enjoy. If it were someone else, nine times out of ten, Li Yifei would be flirting or simply teasing, just like how he would talk to Lin Qiong.


    At this moment, Li Yifei seemed to return to the days of his first love. Talking to Ye Yunzhu on the phone was incredibly sweet, so much so that he completely forgot about Chu Xiaoyao at his house.


    "Uncle, who are you chatting with?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Li Yifei¡¯s ears.


    Li Yifei was engrossed in his conversation and was startled, while on the other end of the line, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s voice came through, "Who¡¯s at your place?"


    Li Yifei turned his head and glared at Chu Xiaoyao, smiling as he said, "A kid who¡¯s run away from home took refuge in my place. I was just about to send her back."


    "Oh, you should hurry up and send her back then. Kids are rebellious, just like we were back then. But you can¡¯t let her get used to running away from home seeking refuge; you absolutely can¡¯t let her stay overnight at your place."


    "Uncle, where did you throw my underwear to? You wicked uncle, you were so quick to take them off, and now you can¡¯t find them," Chu Xiaoyao suddenly jumped beside Li Yifei and shouted loudly.


    Li Yifei kicked Chu Xiaoyao onto the sofa, and as she flew through the air, she let out loud screams. However, after landing on the sofa she realized she wasn¡¯t hurt, pulled a face at Li Yifei, but dared not come over and cause trouble again.


    But the trouble she caused was already enough; upon hearing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shout, Ye Yunzhu immediately became angry and said, "Li Yifei, what is this supposed to mean?"


    Li Yifei, knowing full well that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s accusations were out of concern for him, still felt a bitter taste in his heart. He sighed, "She¡¯s just making mischief."


    "Really? How old is she?"


    "She¡¯s a senior in high school."


    "A senior... We were together when we were seniors. By that age, girls have grown up. After all these years, you still like seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls. I¡¯m shocked at your taste."


    "Heh, don¡¯t you trust me?" Li Yifei asked, his voice filled with despondence.


    Ye Yunzhu suddenly felt a tightness in her heart, the resentment towards Li Yifei dissipated considerably, and her voice softened, "Yifei, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but you should understand that as a woman, suddenly hearing another girl¡¯s voice around her man, and such words, a strong reaction is normal."


    Ye Yunzhu softening her tone made Li Yifei¡¯s displeasure fade away, and he said gently, "Yes, I understand you. Since I¡¯ve promised you, I won¡¯t fool around with other women."


    "Mhm, I know you¡¯re a man of your word. You always keep your promises to me."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll deal with her first and then call you."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei approached Chu Xiaoyao, his face devoid of anger, but his gaze was too calm.


    This kind of gaze actually made Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s heart flutter, and she instinctively shrunk back, finally pressing herself into a corner of the sofa before stammering, "Uncle, I... I was just joking, don¡¯t be upset, okay?"


    "I know, but now that your joke is over, isn¡¯t it about time you leave?"


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head vigorously, "Uncle, I won¡¯t leave. If you chase me away, I¡¯ll be homeless tonight, I¡¯ll be caught by bad guys, raped first then killed, and raped again after being killed."


    Li Yifei said, unamused, "Even if you get raped a hundred times or killed a thousand times, it has nothing to do with me. You better leave before I lose my temper, or else don¡¯t blame me for not being polite."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cheeks puffed out twice, and she suddenly straightened up, saying, "Well then, don¡¯t hold back, do you really have the heart to see me wandering in the streets?"


    "I don¡¯t have any qualms about it, every person has to be responsible for their own actions. If you want to run away from home, then run away from home. This place is not your shelter."


    "You... you... fine! I¡¯m leaving, am I not? Damn old man, you will regret this, you definitely will," Chu Xiaoyao leapt up, grabbed her bag, and headed toward the door.


    She had thought that by going, Li Yifei would relent and stop her, but until she stepped out of the room, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t said a word. What infuriated her most was that, as soon as she had stepped out of the room, he had slammed the door shut with a ¡¯bang¡¯.


    "You damn old man, are you really letting me go? You really won¡¯t keep me?" Chu Xiaoyao turned, frenzied, and started pounding on Li Yifei¡¯s door.


    However, there was no response from inside the room.


    "Li Yifei, you will regret this, you definitely will. I¡¯ll make sure you pay for not taking me in," Chu Xiaoyao spat out these harsh words and then turned resentfully to leave.


    Right after Chu Xiaoyao exited the elevator, she saw Lin Qiong. After being frightened away by Li Yifei, Lin Qiong had thought things over and felt something was wrong. This guy had never shown the slightest hint of liking her, his actions earlier were clearly meant to scare her off and make her forget the questions she wanted to ask. This incensed her against Li Yifei, and now she was back to settle the score with him.


    Unexpectedly, she encountered Chu Xiaoyao, and this high school girl was definitely visiting Li Yifei, but Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s demeanor was clearly amiss. Frowning, Lin Qiong asked, "Chu Xiaoyao, where are you going?"


    Chu Xiaoyao shrugged off the question, saying, "It¡¯s none of your business where I¡¯m going."


    Lin Qiong immediately stepped forward, saying, "Your condition is very problematic, I must take you home."


    "I won¡¯t return home, what can you do about it?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression darkened, "I¡¯m a police officer, naturally I have the right to intervene, and you must go home now."


    "So what if you¡¯re a cop? Have I broken the law?" Chu Xiaoyao was in a very bad mood at this point, glaring at Lin Qiong as she yelled back.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression grew stern, "Did you get taken advantage of at Li Yifei¡¯s place? If so, tell me, and I will definitely have him arrested."


    Despite being furious, Chu Xiaoyao suddenly got an idea upon hearing Lin Qiong¡¯s words, put on a distraught face, and said sadly, "Yes, he raped me, go have him arrested."


    When Chu Xiaoyao had run away from home, she had cried, and at Li Yifei¡¯s house, she had been reduced to tears by Li Yifei¡¯s words several times, so her eyes had been red and swollen all along. Now, speaking with such aggrievedness, she looked every bit the picture of a bullied little girl.


    Lin Qiong was immediately filled with righteous indignation, furiously saying, "Don¡¯t be afraid. If he dared to commit such a beastly deed, I will make sure he is brought to justice. Let¡¯s go upstairs and confront him." However, Lin Qiong was not so impulsive at this moment, still thinking of confronting Li Yifei before informing the station to make an arrest. Most importantly, Li Yifei had not violated her before, and last time, he even asked her to drive Chu Xiaoyao away, showing little interest in such a young girl. Another thing was that she felt Chu Xiaoyao was rather sly and her words not entirely trustworthy.


    "I¡¯m not going. If I go, he¡¯s definitely going to hit me again. I don¡¯t want to go there," Chu Xiaoyao hurriedly shook her head vigorously, looking not only like someone violated but also like someone abused.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m the police, I will protect you," Lin Qiong said, taking Chu Xiaoyao by the arm and heading toward the elevator.


    Chu Xiaoyao then followed Lin Qiong into the elevator with a look of resignation. As soon as they entered, Lin Qiong¡¯s phone rang. Upon checking the number, it was Li Yifei. Answering the call, she said, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Officer Lin, are you near my place?"


    "I¡¯m in the elevator, about to reach your house."


    "I¡¯m dizzy, did you see Chu Xiaoyao? That girl ran away from home and came to me. I just yelled at her to leave; she¡¯s definitely not in a normal state right now. You go and take her home."


    Lin Qiong normally kept her phone¡¯s volume down, a habit to prevent others from overhearing her conversations. Although the elevator was not large, Chu Xiaoyao would not be able to hear what Li Yifei said.


    Hearing Li Yifei explain, Lin Qiong realized that Chu Xiaoyao had been lying, otherwise Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have asked her, a police officer, to handle Chu Xiaoyao. But why should she do as Li Yifei said? She had questions to ask, and that guy had said such disgusting things to scare her away.


    Moreover, that guy had taken liberties with her before, and she hadn¡¯t yet settled that score with him; yet, he thought he could direct her actions, which was wishful thinking on his part.


    "Officer Lin, hurry downstairs, you should still be able to catch up," Li Yifei urged again.


    Lin Qiong snorted, pulling Chu Xiaoyao out of the elevator, "Open the door, I¡¯m at your doorstep." At this moment, she had already made up her mind to pay Li Yifei back for his bastardly behavior.


    sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 157 Coordination and Understanding

    Chapter 157: Chapter 157 Coordination and UnderstandingLi Yifei opened the door and saw Lin Qiong and Chu Xiaoyao, heaving a sigh of relief internally. Although he had been harsh on Chu Xiaoyao just now, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. This girl, despite being bothersome, had been kind to him at least. He couldn¡¯t just watch her dash into trouble, which is why he had made the call to Lin Qiong.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Qiong had a stern face at the moment, and after pushing Li Yifei inside, she directly pulled out handcuffs and said to him, "Li Yifei, you¡¯re implicated in a rape case. I¡¯m taking you to the station for questioning. If you dare resist, that¡¯s resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. If you don¡¯t want to aggravate your charges, you¡¯d better cooperate."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s words made Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widen as he said, "Officer Lin, are you mistaken? When have I ever raped someone?"


    Lin Qiong pointed at Chu Xiaoyao and said, "This is the harm done. With the victim¡¯s testimony, do you think I have no evidence to arrest you?"


    "Chu Xiaoyao?" Li Yifei frowned as he looked at Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao averted her gaze guiltily from Li Yifei, but as soon as she thought about this detestable uncle who refused to shelter her, she got defiantly angry and blurted out, "It was you, just now you raped me."


    Lin Qiong immediately confronted Li Yifei with a fierce tone, "What else have you got to say?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I¡¯ve got nothing to say."


    Caught off guard, Lin Qiong had expected Li Yifei to say something by way of explanation. But since the guy wasn¡¯t explaining, this was the perfect opportunity to deal with him. She quickly pulled out the handcuffs and said, "Then behave yourself."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes at Lin Qiong and asked, "Really going to cuff me?"


    "Nonsense. You¡¯ve committed such a serious crime, shouldn¡¯t I cuff you?"


    "Alright, alright, cuff me then. I¡¯ve grown so big, but I¡¯ve never been cuffed with these silver bracelets before," Li Yifei said with a grin, extending his hands.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor, Lin Qiong felt an even stronger surge of anger. With a clack, she cuffed Li Yifei¡¯s hands and declared, "Hmph, you scumbag, you¡¯ll be locked up for at least five to seven years for this."


    Li Yifei lifted his cuffed hands and inspected them closely, asking, "Officer Lin, where did you buy these handcuffs from? When you get back, buy me a pair, will ya?"


    "Where did I buy them?" Lin Qiong, utterly exasperated by Li Yifei, replied gruffly, "These are exclusively issued to police officers. Do you think anybody can just buy them?"


    "Can¡¯t buy them, huh. Then could you gift this pair to me and just report them as lost? You can get another pair from the station anyway."


    Lin Qiong felt near the brink of collapse dealing with Li Yifei and glowered at him, saying sternly, "You idiot, you¡¯re involved in a rape case right now. Do you understand? Rape. That¡¯s a serious crime, and the punishment is heavy."


    Lin Qiong was reminding Li Yifei, hoping to instill some fear in him, but Li Yifei still joked, "No problem, no problem. There, food and shelter are provided, and I can work out. It¡¯s great, I couldn¡¯t even ask for it if I wanted to."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words infuriated Lin Qiong, and even Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened as she watched this outrageous uncle. She had only meant to teach Li Yifei a lesson, but now it seemed that the uncle was not afraid at all; her plan had failed utterly.


    Chu Xiaoyao initially just wanted to vent and hadn¡¯t intended to frame Li Yifei to the point of being arrested by the police. If Lin Qiong really took Li Yifei away, she would have to admit it was all a prank, and then, grateful, he would let her stay. But now it was apparent that her plan had failed once again.


    "Officer Lin is so nice to me, even letting me play with police-issued handcuffs. Hey, give me the key for a sec, I want to see how to unlock them," Li Yifei said to Lin Qiong with a cheery wave of his hand.


    Lin Qiong glanced at Chu Xiaoyao, who pouted in frustration, finding herself at a loss with Li Yifei.


    "Are handcuffs that fun to play with? Chu Xiaoyao, tell me clearly, did he really rape you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao had lost interest in that approach and said helplessly, "No, this deadbeat uncle just wouldn¡¯t take me in and even tried to send me away, so I wanted you to take revenge for me."


    Lin Qiong used this as her way out and gave Chu Xiaoyao a stern look, saying, "What nonsense. You can¡¯t just spout nonsense like that. If it had been someone else, Li Yifei would already be taken in. Even if you recanted later, that would be slander and libel, which is also a crime."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and replied, "I know that already."


    Watching the two put on their act, Li Yifei feigned ignorance and said urgently, "Officer Lin, hurry and let me play with the key."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s shameless behavior, Lin Qiong desperately wanted to punch him. Exasperated, she snapped, "Be quiet," and unlocked the handcuffs, quickly stowing them away, fearing Li Yifei might actually take them to play.


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re really stingy. It¡¯s off hours now. Is it such a big deal to play with your handcuffs? I¡¯m not playing with your gun, am I?"


    Lin Qiong said irritably, "Get lost, and you¡¯d better not get caught by me. When that time comes, I¡¯ll cuff you, and I won¡¯t give you the chance to open them."


    "How could someone as law-abiding as me ever get caught by you," Li Yifei replied, then gave Lin Qiong a meaningful look. "Officer Lin, but isn¡¯t this little girl being rather thoughtless? She so casually accuses others of crimes. As a police officer, shouldn¡¯t you educate her?"


    Lin Qiong immediately understood and said to Chu Xiaoyao with a stern face, "This matter is indeed serious. I¡¯m going to visit your home and have a good talk with your parents so they can properly discipline you."


    Chu Xiaoyao was startled and pleaded urgently, "No way, it was just a joke. Does it really merit a visit to my parents?" If the police showed up at her house, it wouldn¡¯t just end with a scolding; she might even get a beating.


    Lin Qiong glared and grabbed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arm, saying, "A joke? Is this something to joke about? Come on, take me to your house."


    "Officer Lin, please don¡¯t, I beg you, please don¡¯t tell my parents. Isn¡¯t it enough that I admit my mistakes? I¡¯m begging you, please."


    "No, what you did this time was really egregious. If I don¡¯t inform your parents now, and you end up on the path of crime later, I would be responsible. Stop struggling, I¡¯m telling you, even if you run away now, I can immediately find your home address and phone number."


    "Uncle, please help me! I promise I¡¯ll go home, okay? Just don¡¯t let Officer Lin contact my parents."


    Hearing Chu Xiaoyao say this, Li Yifei immediately said to Lin Qiong, "Officer Lin, Chu Xiaoyao is still young, it¡¯s normal for her to make mistakes. Let her off this time and avoid deepening the conflict between her and her parents, which will only make her harder to discipline."


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment and didn¡¯t immediately agree, but seeing a glimmer of hope, Chu Xiaoyao immediately shook Lin Qiong¡¯s arm and said ingratiatingly, "Officer Lin, I really won¡¯t do it again, can you give me one more chance?"


    Only then did Lin Qiong say, "Fine, go home immediately, and if I catch you loitering outside again, I will definitely inform your parents tomorrow."


    "I¡¯m going home, I¡¯m heading home right away." Chu Xiaoyao dashed out of Li Yifei¡¯s front door as if flying. Even though she had run away from home, she instinctively feared her parents, especially when she had done something wrong, so all she could do was obediently head home.


    Once Chu Xiaoyao left, Lin Qiong immediately glared at Li Yifei, who just chuckled and said, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re really smart. With just a look from me, you knew exactly what I meant."


    "Hmph, don¡¯t you butter me up. You actually dared to say such revolting things to scare me off earlier. How are you going to settle that score?"


    Compared to the troubles posed by Chu Xiaoyao and Lin Qiong, Li Yifei obviously found Chu Xiaoyao to be more of a handful. Knowing that Lin Qiong would definitely seek retribution, he chuckled and said, "Officer Lin, are you joking? You had me cuffed just now, haven¡¯t you vented enough?"


    "Hmph, are you saying that you let me cuff you on purpose just now?"


    "Hehe, for someone as perceptive and discerning as Officer Lin, it¡¯s impossible not to see that the girl was deliberately causing me trouble." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph, at least you know what¡¯s good for you." Lin Qiong¡¯s tone was still unfriendly, but she seemed quite pleased with Li Yifei¡¯s remarks.


    "Yes, of course, I¡¯m very sensible. Otherwise, why would Officer Lin consider me a friend?"


    "Stop right there, I haven¡¯t considered you a friend. Let me tell you, you¡¯re a prime suspect. I¡¯ve always suspected that you¡¯ve been deceiving those wealthy women out of their money."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Lin Qiong stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth and then said with a bitter smile, "Officer Lin, you can¡¯t wrong people like that. Although the women I¡¯ve been in contact with are wealthy, who have I deceived?"


    "Really? Then tell me, what relationship do you have with the director you took away that day?"


    "That... should be just a friend."


    "What about that general manager? I saw you spending money lavishly, thousands on a few pieces of clothing. With your salary, can you afford such expenses?"


    It was only then that Li Yifei realized why Lin Qiong suspected him of conning women out of their money and he said half-exasperated, half-amused, "Officer Lin, what you saw that day was our boss¡¯s twin sister. I was helping her shop; the money spent was all the boss¡¯s, it was just passing through my hands. You actually thought I was a Pretty Boy; do I really have that potential?"


    Watching Li Yifei touch his face with a look of vanity, Lin Qiong got goosebumps all over, but after hearing what he said, her suspicions about Li Yifei were significantly reduced.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158: 158Lin Qiong conducted further investigation on Xu Yingying¡¯s background the following day and indeed discovered that she had a twin sister, Xu Shanshan, who resembled Xu Yingying so closely that one could hardly tell them apart if only looking at their identity cards.


    This completely dispelled Lin Qiong¡¯s suspicions towards Li Yifei, but for some reason, she still felt annoyed whenever she saw him. The jerk was so good at fighting, and he had tangled with her for so long that day. If not taking advantage, then what was it? Yet, that didn¡¯t constitute a crime and, moreover, even if it did, she couldn¡¯t arrest Li Yifei for it without losing all her dignity.


    Nevertheless, Lin Qiong soon put her thoughts about Li Yifei aside as she had a significant secret operation underway; she was handling a major case. This case involved a wide network including powerful protectors, and without sufficient evidence, she simply couldn¡¯t touch the suspects. Therefore, she had been always collecting evidence against them.


    Even when working on this case, Lin Qiong informed none of her colleagues, operating covertly alone. The reason was simple: she had become the Deputy Director thanks to a mysterious benefactor, which made her feel undeserving. She was now determined to solve a major case on her own, to carry out an investigation that would command the respect of the entire Public Security System, to prove herself capable not just because of that mysterious person, but also on her own strength.


    While Lin Qiong was busy with her matters, Li Yifei was equally occupied. He had planned a date with Ye Yunzhu the night before, but she had received a sudden phone call and had to attend a banquet instead, thereby cancelling their date.


    During the day, Li Yifei was busy with company affairs alongside Xu Yingying and He Fangqing. Xu Yingying had presented a draft for setting up the company the previous night, and He Fangqing had made a significant financial plan. The tiredness in their eyes and the bloodshot confirmed they must have had little sleep, yet their spirits were incredibly high and showed no signs of fatigue.


    "Li Yifei, you¡¯re in charge of calling over all those from Huayang who want to join our company," Xu Yingying directly assigned him a task. Actually, she never really saw Li Yifei as the CEO, so giving orders to him came without any pressure.


    Li Yifei agreed enthusiastically. Compared to other tasks, he felt that he would handle this one with greater ease.


    Returning to the CEO¡¯s office, Li Yifei immediately called Michelle.


    "Brother Li, has the company matter been settled?" Michelle asked eagerly as soon as she spoke.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Yes, it has been settled. I¡¯m calling you now to ask if you can start working right away."


    "Start working right away? So soon?" Michelle exclaimed in surprise.


    "Yeah, we¡¯re short-staffed in the company right now, even I¡¯m swamped. Hurry over and give me a hand."


    "Okay, where are you? I¡¯ll head there right away," Michelle quickly responded.


    After giving the Dreamfly Company¡¯s address to Michelle, Li Yifei hung up and proceeded to call those colleagues who had left Huayang the day before yesterday, one by one.


    Soon after Li Yifei¡¯s calls were done, Michelle had already arrived at the company. Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing had decided that he would now be the Human Resources Manager, primarily responsible for hiring staff.


    The temporary office of the Human Resources Department was on the fifth floor. When Michelle entered and saw Li Yifei¡¯s large office and him sitting behind the desk looking quite imposing, she squinted her eyes and said with a beaming smile, "Brother Li, you look so impressive. Now you¡¯re the Human Resources Manager."


    Li Yifei stood up, smiling as he spoke, "What kind of Human Resources Manager am I? Right now I¡¯m just a stand-in commander. That¡¯s why I¡¯m urgently asking for your help."


    "Great, I knew Brother Li and President Xu could do it. Just looking at the scale of this company, I¡¯m filled with confidence."


    Li Yifei gestured Michelle to sit down, saying, "You see, the company seems quite substantial, but it¡¯s actually understaffed. Now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯m considering which department to put you in charge of."


    "In charge?" Michelle was startled and looked at Li Yifei with doubt.


    "Yes, in charge. Our company has so many departments, and we need to assign positions to those who come first and then prepare for the departmental tasks."


    "Brother Li, I... I¡¯m not up for it," Michelle stuttered, clearly frightened. While she was eager, the thought of being entrusted with a key position upon joining a new company was something she was utterly unprepared for.


    "Ha ha, do you see this driver sitting here? If I can do it, of course, you can too. Besides, this is definitely temporary for now. After this period of working, we¡¯ll see everyone¡¯s capabilities¡ªthose who are competent will stay or be promoted, and those who aren¡¯t will be demoted. But those who come to fight for the new company at this time will definitely not be treated unfairly. Even if the position is demoted, the salary and benefits won¡¯t be worse," he reassured.


    Michelle hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try."


    "Ha ha, I believe you will definitely succeed." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle¡¯s smile was somewhat forced. Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t very confident at that moment.


    Next, a total of ten people arrived at the company, all from Huayang. Li Yifei repeated what he had said to Michelle to everyone. He wasn¡¯t very familiar with these people, so he didn¡¯t make promises too grand, but the conditions he offered were generous enough to let them work here with peace of mind.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing wrapped up their morning work and then specially convened a meeting to meet with everyone. As the president, Xu Yingying did not disappoint, as she detailed the company¡¯s vision for everyone. She then turned the company¡¯s current difficulties into opportunities and challenges, which immediately sent everyone¡¯s passion soaring, something Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t articulate.


    Of course, at the end, Xu Yingying also offered everyone attractive compensation, not only higher than the salaries at Huayang Company, but also a series of benefits. This got everyone even more excited, feeling that their job switch was truly justified.


    At noon, everyone dined together at a hotel without drinking alcohol, but the mood was still very lively, with everyone sharing their views. This was a group of like-minded young people, full of ideas and drive. Back when they were at Huayang Company, they all greatly admired Xu Yingying and saw her as a role model.


    At this point, Li Yifei seemed a bit subdued. Company management was not his forte. He didn¡¯t quite understand most of what was being discussed, but he didn¡¯t mind. He never wanted to lead such a tiring life, and if he were to learn all these things, how could he live a carefree life?


    That afternoon, everyone was already immersed in work, almost each person responsible for a department, although they were just figureheads for now.


    Li Yifei quickly received a list of staff requirements and specifications from various departments, who were quite efficient in their work.


    Now at least the manager of the Human Resources Department, he had to take on the recruitment tasks. The next day, Li Yifei went to the TV station, ready to run some advertisements for recruitment.


    The Advertising Department was on the third floor. Li Yifei walked up the stairs and upon reaching the second floor, he came face to face with Li Xinyue.


    "Young Master Li, what brings you here?" Li Xinyue exclaimed, clearly delighted to see him.


    Li Yifei smiled and sized up Li Xinyue; she wore a short-sleeved white blouse, unbuttoned at the top to reveal a generous expanse of skin and the hint of a cleavage, matched with a short skirt and shiny flesh-colored stockings, complemented by black high heels ¨C an absolute heart-stopper.


    "I¡¯m now the manager of the Human Resources Department in our company, so I need to place a couple of ads to hire some people."


    Li Xinyue immediately understood and smiled apologetically, saying, "Manager Li, then let me take you to the Advertising Department."


    "That would be great, thank you," Li Yifei nodded with a smile.


    "Manager Li... have you been very busy these days?"


    "Indeed, I¡¯m absolutely swamped," he replied.


    Li Xinyue laughed softly and asked, "Do you need any help?"


    "Well, I¡¯m about to hire some people. I¡¯ll look for a couple of beautiful and capable secretaries so I can take it easy."


    Li Xinyue seemed disappointed with Li Yifei¡¯s gentle refusal and pouted her sexy lips, saying, "Then maybe I should become your secretary."


    "You be my secretary?" Li Yifei chuckled, saying, "Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll take advantage of you?"


    Li Xinyue giggled, retorting, "Go ahead, I¡¯m not afraid of you taking advantage."


    As they joked, they reached the Advertising Department. With Li Xinyue¡¯s assistance, the advertisement was quickly settled, and the contract was signed. The ad could run that very evening.


    Li Xinyue accompanied Li Yifei to the exit of the TV station, and then she stopped, asking, "Young Master Li, do you have time tonight?"


    Li Yifei patted Li Xinyue on the shoulder, saying, "I¡¯ve recently started dating a girl."


    Li Xinyue, being very sharp, smiled brilliantly, replying, "Young Master Li is such a good person; you don¡¯t mess around when you have a girlfriend. That¡¯s quite different from those rich people. I really envy your girlfriend."


    Li Yifei laughed, saying, "But we¡¯re friends, so if you ever need anything and I can help, I will."


    "Thank you, Young Master Li." Li Xinyue immediately smiled happily, and even leaned in to give Li Yifei a peck on the cheek.


    A kiss from a beautiful hostess was usually a rather sensual affair, but Li Yifei¡¯s mood darkened at that moment because a woman had just gotten out of a black Junjie car¡ªit was Ye Yunzhu, his first love.

 Chapter 159 Xu Shanshan’s Trick

    Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Xu Shanshan¡¯s TrickYe Yunzhu, with a very unsightly expression, walked directly toward Li Yifei. Li Xinyue also felt the unfriendly gaze from Ye Yunzhu, and her heart skipped a beat. Could this be Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend? If so, she might have caused big trouble, and her face turned pale in an instant. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Young Master Li, is she..." Li Xinyue stammered, not knowing what to say.


    "It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t mention my identity," Li Yifei said lightly, and walked towards Ye Yunzhu. He said, "Yunzhu, what a coincidence."


    Ye Yunzhu stopped in front of Li Yifei, and with a stern face said, "Yes, indeed a coincidence. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have known you have such charm now, even the host kissed you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "We¡¯re good friends; we¡¯ve known each other for a long time. Back then, Xinyue wasn¡¯t even a host, so we are a bit closer than ordinary people. You wouldn¡¯t think there¡¯s something between us, would you?"


    Li Xinyue quickly smiled at Ye Yunzhu and said, "Sorry, I¡¯m used to joking with Brother Li. You must be Brother Li¡¯s girlfriend, nice to meet you."


    Facing Li Xinyue¡¯s gaze, Ye Yunzhu sensed some falsehood in her eyes but no hostility. As a leader, her insight was sharp. She had already read quite a lot from Li Xinyue¡¯s expression.


    This Li Xinyue was indeed very close to Li Yifei, but not as a couple; otherwise, she would have hostility. This time, she extended her hand to shake hands with Li Xinyue, saying, "I¡¯m also glad to meet you. After all these years apart from Yifei, I didn¡¯t know many things about him, like having a friend like you."


    Li Xinyue, being a famous host, surely had no problem with adaptability. She chuckled softly and said, "Yes, I was always wondering why Brother Li wouldn¡¯t get a girlfriend all these years. Turns out, he was waiting for a beauty like Yunzhu. It was worth the wait."


    These words were pleasant to hear, making Ye Yunzhu¡¯s expression soften. She glanced at Li Yifei and said, "At least he has some conscience."


    "Hehe, then I won¡¯t disturb you two. Let¡¯s get together sometime when we¡¯re free," Li Xinyue playfully winked at Li Yifei and then walked into the TV station office building, swaying her hips as she stepped in her high heels.


    Ye Yunzhu pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said in a bad tone, "You jerk, seems like your luck with women hasn¡¯t been bad these past years."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "You won¡¯t hold onto things from these past years, will you?"


    "Ah, I was right. You¡¯ve been dishonest these years. I¡¯m busy today, but you¡¯ll tell me everything later, or I won¡¯t let you off."


    "Okay, do you have time at noon? Let¡¯s have lunch together," Li Yifei invited.


    "Noon... well, around twelve-thirty, you wait for me."


    It wasn¡¯t until Ye Yunzhu entered the TV station building that Li Yifei drove off in his Porsche. He didn¡¯t really know why, but he just didn¡¯t want Ye Yunzhu to see him showing off. It seemed he didn¡¯t want these things to affect their relationship, or maybe he was afraid he had changed too much and wouldn¡¯t be able to find the happiness they once had together.


    After leaving the TV station, Li Yifei went to the job market to get a booth. There was a job fair on Sunday, and they urgently needed staff, so they had to tackle it on two fronts.


    Back at the company before ten-thirty, Li Yifei had just sat down and smoked a cigarette when the door was pushed open. Xu Yingying came in and directly closed it, walking straight toward him.


    "President Xu, is there something you need?" Sensing Xu Yingying¡¯s poor mood, Li Yifei was baffled.


    Xu Yingying slammed the table, shouting, "Li Yifei, you asshole, what¡¯s been with you these past few days?"


    Li Yifei was a bit puzzled and said, "What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m working diligently, aren¡¯t I?"


    "Working diligently? Then what are you doing now?"


    "I just went to the TV station and the job market and just got back, okay?" Li Yifei was rarely working so seriously, yet Xu Yingying burst in and raged, which made him quite displeased.


    "Really? You weren¡¯t out picking up girls?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes scanned Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    "Picking up girls?" Li Yifei looked back at Xu Yingying, somewhat amused and annoyed, and said, "Shanshan, why are you messing around here?"


    "Huh? How did you recognize me?"


    With these words, it was indeed Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan was somewhat downcast, wondering how Li Yifei identified her.


    "Hehe, isn¡¯t it simple? When you get angry, you¡¯re just like your sister, but those words about picking up girls wouldn¡¯t come from her."


    "Oh oh, I see. I guess I need to change it so you can¡¯t recognize me in the future."


    Li Yifei smiled and invited Xu Shanshan to sit on the sofa, saying, "You¡¯re still going to pretend to be your sister to scare me in the future?"


    "Of course, I quite enjoy it."


    "Oh dear, now I don¡¯t need to pretend to be your brother-in-law, why are you still tricking me?"


    Xu Shanshan gloomily leaned back on the sofa and said, "Honestly, I still want you to be my brother-in-law. Since you¡¯re not staying at my sister¡¯s place these days, I feel bored. I really regret exposing you two. If I hadn¡¯t, you¡¯d have to keep pretending to be my brother-in-law, and I could have you accompany me every day, which I can¡¯t now."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I should really thank you; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be free. But even if we can¡¯t be in-laws, we can still be friends."


    "I like that, brother-in-law. How about we have lunch together?"


    "Lunch won¡¯t work, I¡¯ve got plans."


    "An appointment, with a guy or a girl?" Xu Shanshan immediately stared wide-eyed.


    "A girl, my girlfriend."


    "Your girlfriend?" Xu Shanshan exclaimed, her mouth rattling off, "Impossible. You were just staying at my sister¡¯s house two days ago. If you had a girlfriend, how could she possibly agree?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "She¡¯s my high school classmate. We met at a recent reunion and rekindled our old feelings."


    "Pfft! Classmates meeting classmates, that¡¯s never good. Brother-in-law, you¡¯ve been apart from that female classmate for so long. What feelings could there still be? Look how long you¡¯ve been living with my sister; you¡¯ve already gotten used to cohabiting. My sister is your best choice."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Living with your sister was not really cohabitation in a true sense. I was earning money, working; everything focused on your sister¡¯s ideas. True cohabitation requires mutual adaptation."


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head and said, "That does make sense, but to have someone like my sister adapt to others is quite difficult; she has quite a temper."


    Li Yifei chuckled, his mind involuntarily recalling Ye Yunzhu. Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying were both strong-willed women. When they were together in the past, it was youthful lust combined with mutual affection, pure as could be. But now, if he could still match with Ye Yunzhu, he honestly had no clue.


    With Ye Yunzhu, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t treating her like other women. He was thinking if they could spend their lives together, considering many things for compatibility, beyond just seeking happiness and love. Even deeply in love, many couples split up due to incompatibility after marriage.


    "Brother-in-law, is your girlfriend also like my sister with a bad temper?" Xu Shanshan nudged Li Yifei with her elbow, a mischievous smile on her face.


    "Her temper¡¯s okay, but, like your sister, she¡¯s a strong woman. I¡¯m pretty easygoing ¡ª that¡¯s really an issue."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up, and she giggled, "You¡¯re doomed. You two won¡¯t last."


    "If we don¡¯t last, why are you so happy? If we can¡¯t make it, then it¡¯s the same with your sister." Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Xu Shanshan in exasperation.


    Xu Shanshan laughed slyly, "I¡¯m just happy no matter what you do about it!"


    Li Yifei laughed, tapping Xu Shanshan¡¯s head, "You little rascal enjoying someone¡¯s misfortune."


    Xu Shanshan laughed even more delightedly, not seeing anything wrong with her actions. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Li Yifei called out, "Come in," as Michelle walked in.


    Michelle came in, seeing Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan sitting on the sofa, but in her eyes, Xu Shanshan was clearly Xu Yingying, the boss, and she was startled, giving a nervous smile, saying, "President Xu, Manager Li, I¡¯ll come back later."


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Xu Shanshan had already put on a stern face and said, "No need; just say what you have."


    Michelle felt hostility in Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze; she became more flustered, nervously stammering, "President Xu, don¡¯t misunderstand. Manager Li and I were just discussing work matters. We¡¯re... we¡¯re normal."


    Li Yifei tapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s head, "Michelle, no need to be nervous."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes widened, her mouth agape, taking a long time to close. Li Yifei was indeed mighty, even tapping President Xu¡¯s head, and President Xu just giggled instead of getting mad. To her, Xu Yingying was a queen of sorts; even in love, she couldn¡¯t be like this, especially in the company ¡ª Li Yifei should pay attention to Xu Yingying¡¯s status as the boss.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei was at a loss and snapped at Xu Shanshan, "See how your antics scare her? If your sister knew, she¡¯d definitely scold you."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "I was just joking; she¡¯s too timid."


    Michelle¡¯s mind almost broke ¡ª Xu Yingying let Li Yifei call the shots, not just without anger but also playful, without any usual authority. Indeed, a woman in love changes greatly, and Li Yifei was amazing for making Xu Yingying act like this.


    At this moment, Michelle¡¯s admiration for Li Yifei was as endless as the surging Yangtze River.

 Chapter 160: Fiery Eyes, Golden Gaze

    Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Fiery Eyes, Golden Gaze"Michelle, this is President Xu¡¯s twin sister, Xu Shanshan, she¡¯s nothing but a troublemaker," Li Yifei burst Shanshan¡¯s bubble.


    "President Xu¡¯s... twin sister?" Michelle stared at Xu Shanshan once again. Although they looked exactly alike in appearance, in terms of temperament, Shanshan seemed much more lively at the moment, with a smile on her face which was completely different from Xu Yingying¡¯s seriousness.


    "You¡¯re Michelle, right? What do you need from my brother-in-law?" Xu Shanshan asked with a grin.


    "Brother-in-law..." Michelle repeated the title in her mind to understand the implication. She quickly proceeded to speak properly, "I was asking Manager Li to hire two more people for the logistics department. I just did the calculations, and our company is apparently bigger than Huayang, so the number of staff I budgeted for yesterday is definitely not enough. That was my mistake in planning."


    Since Michelle came from the logistics department, Xu Yingying had entrusted her with the task of setting it up.


    Michelle was speaking so earnestly because she feared Xu Shanshan might suspect there was something between her and Li Yifei. That would be terrible. Xu Yingying was someone she admired, and Li Yifei the man she secretly loved. As a kind-hearted person, she wouldn¡¯t sabotage the relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying just because she liked him. Instead, she genuinely hoped that the two of them would be together.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "You have the hiring requirements, don¡¯t you?"


    "Yes, here¡¯s the criteria for adding two new people."


    Taking the document from her, Li Yifei replied, "Okay, no problem then. I¡¯ll call the TV station later to ask them to add two more positions. I¡¯ll also keep an eye out when we go to the job fair this weekend."


    "All right, I¡¯ll be taking my leave then," Michelle said and then smiled at Xu Shanshan, saying, "Miss Xu, I¡¯ll be on my way. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer."


    After Michelle had left, Xu Shanshan pouted at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, you really do seem to be quite popular with the ladies."


    "Why do you say that?" Li Yifei asked, smiling in return.


    "Humph, it¡¯s obvious that Michelle likes you."


    Li Yifei was genuinely surprised and said, "You can see that too?"


    "Of course, I can. If she didn¡¯t like you, why would she put on such a serious act just now? Even if she¡¯s just an ordinary colleague, she wouldn¡¯t go to such lengths to appear so proper, unless she was afraid I¡¯d notice something, humph."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a thumbs up and sincerely added, "I¡¯m really impressed by you."


    Xu Shanshan lifted her head proudly and said, "Of course, this lady has eyes like a fiery beacon. Come on, be honest, to what extent have things progressed between you and Michelle?"


    "Nothing at all, we¡¯re just colleagues. I helped her a couple of times, and she developed some feelings for me. But then she thought I was with your sister, so she didn¡¯t bring it up again."


    Xu Shanshan held her head high proudly and said, "At least she has some self-awareness."


    "What self-awareness?" The door opened, and Xu Yingying walked in. Somehow, this President Xu had a habit of not knocking before entering Li Yifei¡¯s office, which left him somewhat speechless.


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "It¡¯s nothing, I was just chatting with brother-in-law."


    Without further ado, Xu Yingying went straight to Xu Shanshan and demanded, "Who allowed you to come here?"


    Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t stand Xu Yingying¡¯s lecturing tone and retorted, "My legs are my own, I go wherever I wish. Can you control that?"


    "I don¡¯t care if you go somewhere else, but you cannot just show up at my company."


    "Why not? I wanted to come. I¡¯m not here to see you; I came to see my brother-in-law."


    Xu Yingying said scornfully, "Humph, by being here, staff might mistake you for me, which could affect my work. Do you realize that?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes darted around, and she responded, "It¡¯s not like I did it on purpose. I¡¯m here to help you and brother-in-law, alright?"


    "We don¡¯t need your help. You being here is just causing trouble."


    Suddenly, Xu Shanshan turned to face Li Yifei, smiling cheekily, "I¡¯m actually here to apply for a job. Brother-in-law, aren¡¯t you the Human Resources Manager? I¡¯m applying, so you should hire me, hehe."


    Li Yifei certainly did not want to fan the flames onto himself and laughed, "Shanshan, stop messing around."


    Xu Shanshan, however, spoke earnestly, "I¡¯m here, so I have to find a job, right? I think this company is quite good, so I want to work here."


    Xu Yingying marched over to Xu Shanshan in two steps, fuming, "No way. I¡¯m the general manager here. If I say no, then it¡¯s no."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and countered, "Well, my brother-in-law is the CEO. Is your general manager position bigger than a CEO?"


    Xu Yingying was rendered speechless. She really shouldn¡¯t have talked about these things at home and let Xu Shanshan find out about Li Yifei¡¯s status in the company.


    Xu Shanshan circumvented Xu Yingying, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and gently shook it twice. Pouting, she pleaded, "Brother-in-law, won¡¯t you agree to let me work here? I promise to do a good job. Otherwise, let me be your secretary."


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry because of these two. He said, "Shanshan, quit it, your sister is right. You really shouldn¡¯t work in the company. It would actually cause chaos. Haven¡¯t I agreed to find you a dance teacher? In a couple of days, I will get in touch with her and take you to meet her, how about that?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, then she turned her head and said to Xu Yingying with a smug expression, "I¡¯m giving my brother-in-law face; otherwise, I¡¯d insist on working here."


    Xu Yingying glared at her sister irritably and said, "Then have you made enough of a fuss? Isn¡¯t it time you left?"


    "I¡¯ll leave when I feel like it, no need for you to rush me. I still have things to talk to my brother-in-law about."


    Xu Yingying, annoyed, wanted to pull Xu Shanshan away, but Li Yifei quickly gestured to her with his eyes. Xu Yingying hesitated, feeling that such behavior really wasn¡¯t appropriate, and could only say to Li Yifei, "Hurry up and send her off. Don¡¯t let her cause trouble here."


    Li Yifei agreed with a laugh, though he found it funny inside. Xu Shanshan was Xu Yingying¡¯s sister after all, and in the end, it was left to him to send her away. What a situation.


    Neither of them noticed that Xu Shanshan still called Li Yifei "brother-in-law." Li Yifei felt very comfortable with it, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable either. It seemed that the title had really grown on them.


    As soon as Xu Yingying walked away, Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Sigh, it¡¯s really tough, my elder sister¡¯s bad temper, I don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll change."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, you¡¯ve driven your sister away. Having a sister like you must surely give her a headache." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, you really do side with my sister, don¡¯t you? And you say you don¡¯t like her?"


    Li Yifei tapped Xu Shanshan on the head and said, "I¡¯m just being reasonable, and that means I like her?"


    "If you like her, you like her. Anyway, I do hope you can tame my sister, so that she¡¯ll behave and stop nagging me all the time."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "In that case, you¡¯ve just sold out your sister. She¡¯s truly going to be miserable."


    After chatting and joking for a while, Li Yifei checked the time and said it was almost time for his date, so he asked Xu Shanshan to leave first.


    This time Xu Shanshan agreed readily. Li Yifei reserved a mid-range restaurant near the TV station and sat in a private room waiting for Ye Yunzhu. Nearly one o¡¯clock, Ye Yunzhu finally arrived in a hurry.


    "I had a special interview today, and it took longer than expected, so I¡¯m late," Ye Yunzhu said with an apologetic smile as she walked in, then sat down beside Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "You must be starving. I¡¯ll have the waiter serve the dishes right away."


    "I¡¯m starving," Ye Yunzhu said as she tossed her bag onto a vacant seat beside her and took off a small blazer, revealing a delicately tailored shirt underneath.


    Watching Ye Yunzhu¡¯s quick movements, Li Yifei¡¯s gaze lingered on her, and when Ye Yunzhu turned her head, she met his intense stare, a hint of blush creeping onto her face. She quickly chided, "What are you looking at, haven¡¯t you seen a beautiful woman before?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It¡¯s been so many years since I¡¯ve seen you; when I see you now, naturally I can¡¯t get enough of looking."


    Ye Yunzhu hit Li Yifei lightly and said, "Well, it¡¯s been years since we last met, and I find you¡¯ve become quite slick with your words, much better at sweet-talking than before."


    Li Yifei gave a tender smile and replied, "Yes, I didn¡¯t know how to sweet-talk you before, always making you angry. Now, I can properly repay you for that."


    "Smart boy. All these years of thinking about you haven¡¯t been in vain."


    At that moment, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s tone was just like it was during high school. Li Yifei felt no distance between them; perhaps in front of others, Ye Yunzhu always had to present herself as the Township Chief, so sometimes she inadvertently exerted a kind of oppressive aura over Li Yifei. But deep down, Ye Yunzhu was still the same Ye Yunzhu.


    The dishes arrived quickly, and Li Yifei asked, "Do you want something to drink?"


    "I can¡¯t drink; I have a meeting this afternoon. I squeezed out some time to have lunch with you," she explained.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then let¡¯s just eat."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a radiant smile, then began to eat.


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t eat much; after half a bowl of rice, she was full. Then after a few sips of plain tea while looking at Li Yifei, she asked, "Yifei, why are you also eating so little?"


    Li Yifei met Ye Yunzhu¡¯s gaze and gently took her delicate hand into his; it was still as slender and soft as when he held it in high school. This sent a ripple through Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and he softly said, "Yunzhu, just seeing you fills me up."


    Ye Yunzhu looked at him, her eyes hazy, and asked, "Are you saying that just seeing me is enough to satisfy you?"


    Li Yifei slowly leaned his head towards Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face and said, "I¡¯m saving room in my stomach because what I want to taste is your kiss. It¡¯s been so many years, and I really miss it."


    Ye Yunzhu playfully spat at Li Yifei, "You¡¯re still as naughty as ever." Yet she didn¡¯t dodge away and instead tilted her lips up, already moving to meet Li Yifei¡¯s.

 Chapter 161: Don’t Want to Explain

    Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Don¡¯t Want to Explainn?vel.co?Li Yifei didn¡¯t close his eyes, watching as Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face drew closer and closer to his, her long eyelashes so distinct he could see each one flutter slightly. It was enchanting. This very face had appeared in countless of his dreams, making it impossible for him to forget. He had thought that it was impossible to be with Ye Yunzhu again in this lifetime, but as if favored by the heavens, he was finally able to have Ye Yunzhu once more.


    Their lips gently touched, and Li Yifei¡¯s heart involuntarily began to race. Even as a man well-trained and battle-hardened, who could remain calm even in the face of life and death, his heart was unmoved. But in the presence of Ye Yunzhu, even the strongest of hearts would open its doors for her.


    Before Li Yifei could even savour the taste of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s lips, a ringtone suddenly broke the silence. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s body quivered, and she gently pushed Li Yifei away, apologizing, "Yifei, I need to take this call."


    "Go ahead," Li Yifei nodded, understanding.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei another grateful smile as she answered the phone, "Mayor Zhao, this is Ye Yunzhu... Yes, I can make it in half an hour... Alright, I¡¯m prepared."


    After hanging up, Ye Yunzhu said apologetically, "I have to rush back to the county in five minutes."


    Li Yifei was somewhat disappointed but still understandingly said, "Then go, work is important."


    Ye Yunzhu lifted her hand to gently caress Li Yifei¡¯s cheek, her gaze hazy, and said, "Yifei, we have a long future ahead. I am yours."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "I know."


    "Good boy," Ye Yunzhu sweetly smiled, puffed out her chest, and gently kissed Li Yifei on the lips, saying, "Here¡¯s a little reward for you."


    "Just one?" Li Yifei asked with a grin.


    "Then here¡¯s another," Ye Yunzhu kissed Li Yifei again and said indulgently, "Yifei, that¡¯s all I can do for now, otherwise the driver will notice when I leave, and I might not want to go to the meeting anymore."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and hugged Ye Yunzhu tightly, saying, "For that statement, I¡¯ll let you go. Be on your way."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled sweetly, "Then I¡¯m off."


    The two settled the bill and left. When paying, Ye Yunzhu insisted on covering the cost. Li Yifei did not fight over the bill; Ye Yunzhu had always been like this, eager to pay because back then she always had significantly more pocket money than he did. Now that she was working as a Township Chief and considering her family background, her income was substantial.


    "Husband, why are you here?" As they just stepped out of the restaurant, a pretty girl approached. Seeing Li Yifei, she quickly ran over to him.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s complexion changed dramatically at her words. If this girl had said anything else, she wouldn¡¯t have cared. Over the years, whatever Li Yifei might have done, she no longer wished to pursue it. As long as they could be together well in the future, she was willing to let bygones be bygones. But this term "husband" implied Li Yifei was married. If that was the case, she couldn¡¯t tolerate it. She would never disrupt another¡¯s family, nor would she be the other woman for Li Yifei. More importantly, it would mean Li Yifei had deceived her.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes instantly turned green with fury. This girl was none other than Chu Xiaoyao, who usually saw him as no more than a fling. This time she directly called him "husband," clearly set on ruining him.


    Li Yifei frowned, stepped aside, and dodged Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s oncoming embrace, barking, "Chu Xiaoyao, get lost!"


    Chu Xiaoyao stumbled, nearly falling, but steadied herself and immediately put on a look of aggrieved innocence, pleading, "Husband, you can¡¯t be like this. Just yesterday you said you¡¯d treat me well, how can you not want me now?"


    Ignoring Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei turned to Ye Yunzhu and said, "This is the girl who caused trouble at my house yesterday." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu scrutinized Chu Xiaoyao and said, "Is that so? I thought she was just a little girl, but she¡¯s quite grown."


    Chu Xiaoyao shrunk back slightly, looked at Ye Yunzhu, bit her lip, and defiantly said, "You were the woman calling my husband last night, right?"


    Ye Yunzhu nodded, "Correct."


    "Then you can back off now. I¡¯ll tell you, my husband and I were together last night. He doesn¡¯t like you; he likes me."


    Right then, Li Yifei truly wanted to kick Chu Xiaoyao away, but considering Ye Yunzhu was there, it wasn¡¯t convenient for him to take action. Glaring at Chu Xiaoyao, he spoke slowly, "Chu Xiaoyao, do you dare to say that again?"


    Chu Xiaoyao felt her whole body bristle under Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, as if she was being stared down by a man-eating beast, and subconsciously took a step back. Knowing that Li Yifei was really angry this time, yet Chu Xiaoyao was a stubborn girl. She had been forced to return home by Li Yifei and Lin Qiong the day before, and her parents had given her an earful, which caused her to blame all her grievances on Li Yifei¡¯s lack of hospitality.


    From love to hate, her sole focus now was to ruin Li Yifei¡¯s day, and even with his fierce demeanor, she showed no fear. Biting her lip, she said, "I will say it. You wanted her yesterday, and today you don¡¯t want me anymore, don¡¯t even think about getting rid of me!"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face turned an ashen hue. They were in a public setting, and for a girl to utter such words, it couldn¡¯t possibly be false. If the complications between them had happened before she encountered Li Yifei again, she would have been willing to swallow her pride and settle it for him, but this incident happened after they had met again. The fact that Li Yifei could still act this way was unbearable for her.


    Taking a deep breath, Ye Yunzhu turned to Li Yifei and said softly, "Li Yifei, are you still a man?"


    Li Yifei sighed. Suddenly he didn¡¯t feel like explaining anymore. He didn¡¯t blame Ye Yunzhu or Chu Xiaoyao, feeling perhaps it was just fate that he was not meant to be with Ye Yunzhu. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he said, "You¡¯ve always thought I was very manly."


    "If you¡¯ve done something, you should take responsibility for it. I hope you won¡¯t let me down," Ye Yunzhu looked at him deeply once more then strode off to her car.


    Ye Yunzhu thought herself strong, but at that moment she couldn¡¯t help letting tears fall. The driver, a man in his forties, asked with concern, "Mayor Ye, are you okay?"


    Ye Yunzhu wiped away her tears and said, "I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t talk about this with anyone."


    "I understand." The driver nodded, and seeing that Ye Yunzhu turned to look outside, not wishing to speak, he focused on driving. Yet, his mind was filled with question marks; Mayor Ye had always been so strong, but this time she started crying as soon as she got into the car. He really didn¡¯t know what had happened.


    Li Yifei watched Ye Yunzhu leave with another bitter laugh. The person he had cared for all these years, and after only two meetings, their relationship ended in such a manner. It was an indescribable desolation.


    After Ye Yunzhu left, Chu Xiaoyao ran to the side, staying a good distance from Li Yifei, waiting for him to erupt in anger. She planned to provoke him further and then run away.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t pay any attention to her and silently walked away, leaving Chu Xiaoyao completely baffled. Watching him grow more distant, she finally stamped her foot and ran after him.


    "Uncle, are you really angry?" Catching up to Li Yifei, Chu Xiaoyao still kept a distance, cautiously asking and ready to flee at any moment.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Chu Xiaoyao and shook his head, saying, "No."


    "You¡¯re not angry?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened in shock, exclaiming, "But I¡¯ve made your girlfriend misunderstand you, and she wants to break up with you."


    "If we break up, then let it be. What¡¯s not mine won¡¯t be mine no matter how hard I fight for it." Li Yifei gave a faint smile, lit a cigarette, and the smoke made his face appear hazy.


    Chu Xiaoyao opened her mouth, originally feeling triumphant. But now, Li Yifei¡¯s bleak and desolate mood infected her. She hung her head and said with remorse, "Uncle, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to upset you. I didn¡¯t expect to make you so sad. Shall I go find her and clear things up?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No need. Focus on your studies. Don¡¯t come to bother me anymore." With that, he hailed a taxi and before Chu Xiaoyao could figure out what was happening, he was gone.


    Chu Xiaoyao shouted in panic, "Uncle, Uncle, I was wrong. Don¡¯t ignore me."


    But the taxi was gone in the blink of an eye, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t hear her anymore.


    Chu Xiaoyao never considered the consequences of her actions, doing as she pleased. If anyone upset her, she would find a way to get back at them. The day before, not only had Li Yifei not taken her in, but he had also been so cold to her, and Lin Qiong forced her to go home. For her, it was a huge humiliation, so she wanted to retaliate against Li Yifei. Seeing Li Yifei enter the restaurant today, she waited outside until Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu came out to create this scene.


    She had intended to anger Li Yifei, to trigger a heated reaction, to make him argue with his girlfriend, and if Li Yifei had gotten angry, she would have been delighted, feeling a sense of revenge. But Li Yifei¡¯s actual response left her without any sense of satisfaction; instead, she felt regret and sympathy.


    And Li Yifei¡¯s indifference made her realize that he was truly angry and wouldn¡¯t bother with her anymore. This left Chu Xiaoyao regretting everything deeply. If only she had known it would turn out like this, she would never have done such a thing. But now that it was done, trying to make amends might not be that easy.

 Chapter 162: Letting Go of Baggage

    Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Letting Go of BaggageLi Yifei returned to the company, his mind had already adjusted. Though there was an indescribable sense of loss in his heart, he actually felt a sense of relief, as if the emotional debt that had been weighing on his heart for years had been completely lifted due to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s departure.


    "Could it be that I no longer like Ye Yunzhu?" Li Yifei suddenly had this question in his mind.


    He was taken aback by his own thought. He felt that he really didn¡¯t have that deep of a feeling for Ye Yunzhu anymore. Otherwise, when Ye Yunzhu left just now, he shouldn¡¯t have been so calm. Time is a butcher¡¯s knife; he had thought that Ye Yunzhu was his true love, that for Ye Yunzhu¡¯s sake, he had rejected the affection of any other woman. Now he realized that this was just a self-deceptive thought. He did think of Ye Yunzhu, but that youthful fondness was not true, bone-deep love¡ªit couldn¡¯t withstand any storm, a trivial matter had already shattered that affection.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel any regrets. He had grown up and was able to examine himself now. He knew that Ye Yunzhu and he were on two different paths. Their ways of life definitely varied greatly. Ye Yunzhu had a very strong personality, and although he seemed easy-going, deep down, he was also a very stubborn person. Thus, even if they got married, adapting to each other would be truly difficult; neither would be able to smooth out their sharp edges for the other.


    Perhaps letting go was a better method after all. That was the final conclusion Li Yifei came to.


    Although the company was busy, Li Yifei was still quite leisurely. Today was Friday, and after he finished work, he went straight home, unlike others who were still working overtime.


    Just as he exited the elevator, Li Yifei saw Su Yiyi standing at his doorstep, her face brimming with joy as she said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re back?"


    Seeing the smile on Su Yiyi¡¯s face, Li Yifei felt comforted as if by a stream of clear water, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face, "Silly girl, why didn¡¯t you give me a call before coming over?"


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly, "I was afraid to interrupt Brother Li¡¯s work, so I just waited here."


    "What if I didn¡¯t come back?" Li Yifei asked while opening the door.


    "Then I¡¯d just go back home."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s casual remark made Li Yifei¡¯s heart tremble. In terms of kindness towards him, none could compare to Su Yiyi. The girl¡¯s kindness was an utterly selfless sort, without ever asking for anything in return, only giving silently.


    Su Yiyi entered Li Yifei¡¯s place and immediately found a small apron to tie around her waist. First she started a pot of rice in the kitchen, and then she began tidying up the house.


    "Yiyi, you¡¯re not a maid, do you have to work all the time when you visit my place?" Li Yifei followed Su Yiyi, trying to persuade her to stop.


    Su Yiyi turned with a radiant smile, "Brother Li, I like doing things for you. If I don¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t know what else to do. Please, let me do it. You must be very tired from a day¡¯s work, you should rest first... Oh, take off your clothes. I¡¯ll wash them after I finish cooking."


    Li Yifei hesitated a moment before finally changing his clothes according to Su Yiyi¡¯s suggestions, then he sat down on the living room sofa to watch TV and rest. He knew that by doing this, Su Yiyi would be happier.


    And indeed, Su Yiyi was just like that, beaming a sweet smile at Li Yifei from time to time while working, and even humming a couple of tunes. She definitely was working hard but with joy.


    While Su Yiyi was busy cooking, there was a knock on the door. Li Yifei went to open it, and Meng Xiaofei squeezed in with a giggly smile, "Lucky I didn¡¯t miss it; I¡¯ve arrived just in time for dinner."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, saying, "Seems like you¡¯re making yourself quite at home dining here."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled, "Why pass up a free meal? Oh, you have a guest over? How come the guest is cooking?"


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei, Su Yiyi was startled, thinking she was Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend, and she looked at Li Yifei timidly, not knowing what to say.


    Li Yifei laughed and introduced them, "Yiyi, this is Meng Xiaofei, my neighbor and a flight attendant. Xiaofei, this is Su Yiyi, a good friend of mine."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s calm manner, Su Yiyi immediately sighed with relief. From Li Yifei¡¯s introduction, she also sensed that Li Yifei was closer to her. She promptly greeted Meng Xiaofei with a beaming smile, "Sister Meng, hello. I¡¯m cooking, it will be ready soon; you can eat here."


    Meng Xiaofei nodded, unceremoniously agreeing, "I came to mooch a meal. Even if you didn¡¯t invite me, I¡¯d still come, hehe."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, "You really have a thick skin."


    Meng Xiaofei replied with arrogant pride, "Thick skin gets you plenty of food, whereas thin skin leaves you hungry. I need to be a bit thick-skinned for the sake of food."


    "Please take a seat, don¡¯t make trouble here," Li Yifei invited Meng Xiaofei to sit on the sofa. Meng Xiaofei leaned in close to Li Yifei and whispered in his ear, "Brother Li, she must be your girlfriend, right?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "No, she¡¯s not."


    "Such a nice girl, and you won¡¯t let her be your girlfriend, you really are silly," Meng Xiaofei smirked with a look of disdain.


    "Am I silly just like that?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Of course she¡¯s a silly one, look at the girls nowadays, how many of them can cook? And you see her, not only can she cook, but she¡¯s also very beautiful, and especially, gentle as water. She¡¯s absolutely the number one choice for a wife. If I were a man, I¡¯d definitely marry her."


    Li Yifei tapped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and teased with a smile, "I think what you really want is to find someone who can cook for you."


    "Hee hee, being able to cook is definitely better than not being able to. Also, look at her, running all the way here to cook for you, it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s into you. You¡¯re like a block of wood, to actually let down her affection."


    Li Yifei watched Su Yiyi busy in the kitchen, and suddenly felt a sense of peace in his heart, as if this was the feeling of home, exceptionally warm. If he really let Su Yiyi be his wife, the two of them would surely live a very stable and happy life together.


    "Feeling something for her, aren¡¯t you? Then go for it, I support you." Meng Xiaofei nudged Li Yifei with a giggle.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately burst into proud laughter, her sly gaze letting Li Yifei know that this girl had snagged herself a long-term meal ticket. Even if he wasn¡¯t home, she could come to freeload meals from Su Yiyi.


    "Brother Li, Sister Meng, dinner¡¯s ready." Su Yiyi called out to the two of them.


    Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t wait to be asked; she already ran over and sat at the dining table, not a bit embarrassed.


    Su Yiyi served rice for Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei, then sat down herself. Meng Xiaofei had already started eating and after a few bites, she immediately said, "Yiyi, your cooking isn¡¯t as delicious as Brother Li¡¯s; you¡¯ve got to work harder in the future."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red, and she said awkwardly, "I¡¯ll work harder in the future."


    Li Yifei tapped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head with the chopsticks and feigned anger, "You smelly girl, can¡¯t even shut your mouth when eating, daring to complain Yiyi¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t delicious, then you shouldn¡¯t eat."


    "I¡¯ll eat, I never said Yiyi¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t delicious, it¡¯s just not as good as yours." Seeing Li Yifei raise his chopsticks again, she quickly bowed her head and shoved food into her mouth, not daring to make more reckless comments.


    Li Yifei gently said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, don¡¯t listen to Xiaofei¡¯s nonsense, I really like eating the food you make."


    Su Yiyi gave a sweet smile and said, "I¡¯ve also eaten the dishes you¡¯ve made, Brother Li. I know they¡¯re better than what I can make, but I¡¯ll definitely work hard in the future, and Brother Li, you can teach me too."


    "Sure, then I¡¯ll teach you how to cook in the future," Li Yifei readily agreed.


    Su Yiyi was stunned for a moment, not expecting Li Yifei to agree so readily, and it seemed that Li Yifei¡¯s attitude towards her was especially good today.


    Li Yifei placed some vegetables in Su Yiyi¡¯s bowl and said, "Eat up, or this glutton will finish everything."


    Su Yiyi felt so happy at that moment that she almost cried. She had long made her feelings for Li Yifei clear, but although Li Yifei had always been decent to her, he had always kept his distance. Yet today, he was being so kind to her. This happiness came so suddenly and unexpectedly that she was unprepared.


    "Yiyi, Brother Li is really good to you, I¡¯m so jealous." Meng Xiaofei teased Su Yiyi at that moment.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s blush deepened, and she glanced at Li Yifei, finding his gaze unexpectedly tender today. Her heart melted, and she bashfully said, "Nonsense."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. I feel that you and Brother Li are quite a good match. You¡¯re so gentle and hardworking, and also so beautiful, if he didn¡¯t like you, he¡¯d be a fool."


    Su Yiyi was even more embarrassed by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s compliments, and with flushed cheeks, she said, "Sister Meng, you¡¯re the pretty one."


    "Whether I¡¯m pretty or not doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m too lazy and not gentle, otherwise I¡¯d also pursue your Brother Li, have him marry me, and then I¡¯d never worry about good food for the rest of my life."


    Li Yifei laughed and scolded, "You glutton, hurry up and eat, or I¡¯ll finish everything."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately protested, "Hey, don¡¯t do that. I haven¡¯t eaten here in over a week, and just when I finally get the chance, you won¡¯t let me eat my fill. You¡¯re really not acting cool." As she spoke, she ate voraciously, as if afraid she¡¯d miss out if she ate too slowly, truly a glutton. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the meal, Su Yiyi took the initiative to clean up the dishes and chopsticks and then busied herself with washing clothes for Li Yifei.


    Meng Xiaofei lay on Li Yifei¡¯s sofa, legs wide apart, fortunately wearing pants. If she were wearing a skirt, that would have been a whole different show. Rubbing her small belly, she glanced at the bathroom door and said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really lucky."


    Li Yifei nodded with a smile; in fact, he felt that letting go of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s emotional baggage and being with Su Yiyi, he indeed felt very happy.

 Chapter 163: Let’s Be Friends

    Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Let¡¯s Be FriendsMeng Xiaofei rested at Li Yifei¡¯s house for a while before giving Li Yifei a mischievous smile and said, "Brother Li, I know when to stop, better to leave now rather than disturb your world for two."


    "Go ahead, go ahead." Li Yifei waved her away with a smile, not intending to keep Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and then bounced away from Li Yifei¡¯s home.


    At this moment, Su Yiyi had just finished washing the clothes and came out, only to find that it was just her and Li Yifei at home. Her cheeks suddenly turned red, and twisting the hem of her clothes, she said softly, "Sister Meng left?"


    "She left. You must be exhausted. Come and sit down to rest a bit." Li Yifei beckoned Su Yiyi over.


    Su Yiyi took small steps over, then sat down beside Li Yifei, but there was still a certain distance between the two.


    Li Yifei grabbed a lychee and said, "Have a lychee, they¡¯re really fresh this season."


    "Thank you, Brother Li." Su Yiyi took the lychee, slowly peeled it, and then gingerly placed it in her mouth. It was cool and smooth, and not only was the lychee sweet, but Su Yiyi¡¯s heart was even sweeter because she clearly felt that Li Yifei was being especially nice to her today.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, this time he personally peeled a lychee for Su Yiyi and held it out to her, saying, "Why be so formal with me? You¡¯ve done so much around my house, I haven¡¯t even thanked you yet."


    At this, Su Yiyi¡¯s heart felt as sweet as honey, as if she were in a dream. Holding the lychee Li Yifei had peeled for her, she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to eat it for a long time.


    "Why aren¡¯t you eating?" Li Yifei asked Su Yiyi, puzzled.


    Speaking softly, Su Yiyi said, "I¡¯m afraid that if I eat it, this dream will end."


    A pang of emotion hit Li Yifei¡¯s heart; he hadn¡¯t realized how deeply Su Yiyi cared for him and how easily contented she was. Peeling a single lychee had moved her to this extent. He stretched out his arm and gently wrapped it around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, speaking softly, "Yiyi, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve neglected you in the past."


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, Su Yiyi stiffened for a moment, but upon hearing his words, she quickly said, "Not at all, I know Brother Li is busy with work. I¡¯m very happy just to see you."


    Li Yifei pulled her slightly closer, letting Su Yiyi rest her head against his shoulder, then leaned his head to the side and gently kissed her forehead, saying, "Yiyi, would you be my girlfriend?"


    Su Yiyi was stunned, staring at Li Yifei without blinking for a long while.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and asked, "What, you don¡¯t agree?"


    Finally, Su Yiyi came to her senses, tears streaming down her face, she said while sobbing, "I¡¯m willing, I¡¯m so willing." Then she threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, hugging his waist tightly.


    Li Yifei, holding Su Yiyi, gently stroked her back, feeling indescribably happy and sweet. This feeling was just like when he first got together with Ye Yunzhu, yet now with Ye Yunzhu, that feeling was gone; however, with Su Yiyi, he felt it once again.


    Quietly embraced in this way, they held each other for a full ten minutes. Su Yiyi slowly lifted her head, her cheeks still flushed, and facing Li Yifei¡¯s tender gaze, she said, "Brother Li, could you say it again? I¡¯m afraid I heard wrong just now."


    "Yiyi, would you like to be my girlfriend?" Li Yifei immediately repeated it, and it was as emotional as before.


    "Yes, yes!" Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly, her lips quivering with excitement.


    "Silly girl, you could be a little more reserved." Li Yifei chuckled and gently pinched Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek. Although they had been living together for a few nights and had done nothing, such physical contact came quite naturally to Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body gently twisted, and she said with embarrassment, "I¡¯m just afraid that if we argue, Brother Li might not want me anymore."


    "That won¡¯t happen." Li Yifei once again pulled Su Yiyi into his embrace, closed his eyes, and reveled in the sweetness that love brought.


    It was a while before Li Yifei let go of Su Yiyi and suggested, "Let¡¯s watch TV for a bit."


    "Okay." Su Yiyi leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, letting him wrap his arm around her, her eyes on the TV screen. But as for what was being played on the TV, she had absolutely no recollection; she didn¡¯t even know what she was thinking, just giggling foolishly from time to time.


    Li Yifei wanted to find a topic to chat with Su Yiyi about but suddenly realized that he knew nothing of Su Yiyi¡¯s world, and he couldn¡¯t talk to her about his own. This made him feel rather frustrated. It seemed that not having a common language really wouldn¡¯t do.


    After giving it some thought, Li Yifei could only start by bringing up the topic, "Yiyi, have you encountered any trouble with your studies at school recently?"


    With a sweet smile, Su Yiyi responded, "Nope, the last time you taught my roommate a lesson, she hasn¡¯t dared to bully me since. She¡¯s actually been trying to butter me up, and that has stopped the other girls from bullying me too. They all think I..."


    "Think what?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Her face turning red, Su Yiyi shyly said, "They all say I¡¯m backed by a very powerful figure."


    "And what do you say to that?" Li Yifei¡¯s interest piqued.


    Twisting a little, Su Yiyi awkwardly said, "I didn¡¯t deny it. Let them say what they want. Anyway, I¡¯ve already made up my mind a long time ago, to follow Brother Li for the rest of my life. Even if Brother Li only lets me be your lover, I¡¯d be happy to."


    "You silly girl. If I let you be my lover, that means you¡¯d have to live in the shadows all your life, never able to marry, and letting others look at you differently," he said.


    "I¡¯m not afraid at all. For Brother Li, anything I do is worth it. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would already be a... a bad woman out there selling herself. Brother Li, you¡¯ve protected my dignity and my whole life. Even if I gave my whole life to you, it would be worth it." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei tousled Su Yiyi¡¯s hair, smiling as he spoke, "You really are foolish sometimes. Although I can¡¯t promise to marry you right now, I do promise you this: I consider you my girlfriend for now. We will get to know each other slowly, and if we really get along well, I will marry you after you graduate from college."


    Su Yiyi immediately said, "You can get married while attending college, you know."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Are you that eager?"


    Su Yiyi, feeling her eagerness was a bit too much, blushed and said, "Sorry, I just like Brother Li too much, so... so..."


    "I know, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. I only feel grateful for how much you care for me," he reassured her.


    As the two exchanged loving words, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel the lack of common topics and relaxed a lot. Before he even realized it, it was already past ten. He patted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, saying, "It¡¯s getting late, you should take a bath and go to sleep."


    Once again, Su Yiyi¡¯s face flushed with color as she quickly said, "Then I¡¯ll shower first."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her. He sat on the sofa and smoked a cigarette, partly savoring the sweetness of the moment and partly waiting for Su Yiyi.


    About twenty minutes later, Su Yiyi came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel that covered her chest and exposed her shoulders. The towel extended only to her thighs, revealing her white thighs and smooth calves. She glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m done. You can shower now." Then she headed into the bedroom.


    Li Yifei took a bath as well, and when he came out, he realized there were no towels left in the house. He wiped off his body, slipped into a pair of clean underwear, and then put on his pajamas before returning to the bedroom.


    Su Yiyi was already lying in bed, her back to Li Yifei, her long black hair spread out behind her, her shoulders huddled under the thin blanket, the towel neatly placed on the nightstand.


    Li Yifei turned off the lights first, then climbed into bed, pulling the thin blanket over himself.


    It wasn¡¯t their first time sharing a bed, so Li Yifei was quite natural in his actions. But after lying down for a while, he sensed something different from the usual. Typically, Su Yiyi would cuddle up to him actively, but tonight, the little girl kept her back to him the entire time, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.


    Li Yifei could hear Su Yiyi¡¯s uneven breathing and strong heartbeat, obviously, she hadn¡¯t fallen asleep. After a moment of thought, he understood why she was acting out of the ordinary that night. Unlike before when she harbored thoughts of offering herself, Su Yiyi was now wholly excited by love. The thought of offering herself as bravely as before was out of the question now. Yet, Li Yifei guessed she probably still hoped for some initiative from him, but he was still used to their previous relationship and hadn¡¯t taken any initiative.


    Turning towards her, Li Yifei reached out to embrace Su Yiyi. However, as soon as he lowered his arm, he retracted it immediately, because Su Yiyi was not wearing any clothes on her upper body. Wherever he touched was smooth skin, no wonder the girl had been so nervous; she had prepared herself, yet was still too tense.


    "Yiyi, why aren¡¯t you wearing any clothes? You¡¯re tempting me to make mistakes," Li Yifei joked.


    Su Yiyi immediately buried her head under the blanket, not uttering a word.


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Yiyi through the blanket, saying softly, "It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t wear anything. Actually, I quite like it that way; it means I can take advantage."


    Suddenly, Su Yiyi turned over and hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist, her face pressing against his chest as she whispered, "Brother Li, I... I... I¡¯m willing."


    Holding Su Yiyi close, Li Yifei spoke softly, "I know you are, but Brother Li can¡¯t do that to you right now. Since I¡¯ve said I¡¯ll make you my girlfriend, I need to cherish you properly and not let you make hasty decisions. Before, you were motivated by gratitude, without really understanding or knowing if you can actually adapt to me. All of that is unknown. So, let¡¯s continue to spend time together. When you truly believe I¡¯m the person you can entrust your life to, Brother Li definitely won¡¯t hesitate."

 Chapter 164 Yiyi

    Chapter 164: Chapter 164 YiyiSu Yiyi poked her head out from under the covers, her face glowing with determination as she met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, and said, "Brother Li, I know what I¡¯m doing. I admit I want to repay your kindness, but I¡¯m not foolish. If Brother Li weren¡¯t worth my affection, then even in an attempt to repay you, I wouldn¡¯t choose this way. Being with Brother Li, I can feel that you are truly a good person, absolutely worth following for a lifetime."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi¡¯s pure face, gently stroked it twice, and said, "Yiyi, could we please give it some time? Don¡¯t rush. Let me tell you a story first."


    Su Yiyi knew Li Yifei must be about to share something about his past and immediately nodded vigorously.


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze drifted toward the window, then he said in a deep voice, "As a child, I was quite mischievous. I barely managed to get into our Mile City¡¯s Second High School. Since I barely made it in, I was also one of the last in my class which made me even less interested in studying. Not just teachers, even my parents didn¡¯t hold out much hope for me. But there was a girl in class, she was the class leader and an excellent student; she kept trying to help me. At that time, I felt really annoyed, I was always resistant to her help, and we often clashed."


    Turning his eyes back to Su Yiyi, Li Yifei continued, "But this girl was feisty and persistent. She was determined to improve my grades. After two years of this, my grades improved and so did our relationship. Back then, the school strictly forbade early romances, so we never dared let anyone know. Later on, we crossed a line and her parents found out, beat me up, and then she transferred schools."


    "What happened later?" Su Yiyi asked tensely, watching Li Yifei.


    "After high school, I enlisted in the military. Seven years passed, and we had no contact until a reunion a while back, and that¡¯s when we met again."


    "Ah? Then... did she get married?" There was a slight tremble in Su Yiyi¡¯s body.


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi a bit more tightly and said, "No, she still thought of me. I hadn¡¯t gotten involved in any romantic relationships over the years precisely because of her. When we met again, we were both very moved and wanted to pick up where we left off."


    "Ah! Then... what about you and her..." Su Yiyi stumbled over her words, the happiness that had just arrived couldn¡¯t possibly vanish because of Li Yifei¡¯s first love, could it?


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "But I realized that there was still too much distance between us. Just at lunch today..."


    Li Yifei recounted the events of the afternoon to Su Yiyi. After hearing them, she said somewhat indignantly, "Xiaoyao is really clueless. How could she do such a thing?"


    Li Yifei laughed softly and replied, "If it weren¡¯t for Xiaoyao, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have broken up with her."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said softly, "Brother Li, I can actually feel that sister really likes you. That¡¯s why she got so upset over this. You should explain to her."


    "If I explain, what about you?"


    "I... I... I would rather not be your girlfriend. As long as Brother Li feels lonely or in a bad mood, you can come to me."


    "Silly girl." Li Yifei kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s forehead and said, "Yiyi, the misunderstanding isn¡¯t the point. The point is that we don¡¯t truly understand each other right now, we don¡¯t fully trust each other, and our lifestyles are too different. A moment of affection can¡¯t sustain us for a lifetime, so breaking up is actually the best outcome for us."


    Su Yiyi uttered an "Oh," still expressing regret, "Your romantic journey has been so long, it should have had a happy ending. It¡¯s such a pity it turned out this way."


    Facing Su Yiyi¡¯s kindness, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what to say. Normally, if a girl found out her boyfriend still had feelings for an ex, she might not go as far as sabotage, but at least she wouldn¡¯t be feeling regret.


    But Li Yifei also understood that Su Yiyi truly did like him, it was just that her nature was so kind, she couldn¡¯t bear to see anything less than perfect.


    "I¡¯m telling you this to let you know that dating is one thing, marriage is quite another."


    "I understand, Brother Li. I¡¯m not in a hurry anymore. I will wait until you truly want to marry me, then I¡¯ll let you."


    Li Yifei pinched Su Yiyi¡¯s nose and chuckled, "You¡¯re really smart. Also, I know you¡¯re a pure girl, and I don¡¯t want to ruin that purity before we¡¯re sure we can get married."


    Su Yiyi was stunned for a moment, her face flushed red, and she stammered, "Brother Li, I... I..."


    "Hehe, so don¡¯t tempt me, okay? Men are creatures of their lower half; if I can¡¯t resist and ¡¯eat¡¯ you in a moment of weakness, you¡¯ll be too late to regret it."


    Su Yiyi said awkwardly, "I wasn¡¯t trying to tempt you, and... and I wouldn¡¯t regret it."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, "Also, that kind of thing should happen naturally when the feelings are deep enough. I hope one day my Little Yiyi will be passionate and take the initiative, wanting me without mixed feelings, including gratitude or anything like that."


    Su Yiyi nodded vigorously, "Brother Li, I understand. You really are a good man. I feel so blessed to be with you. Being with you is the greatest happiness of my life."


    The two embraced, said nothing more, no further actions were taken, and soon both fell asleep.


    The next morning, when Li Yifei awoke, they were still in the same position as when they had fallen asleep last night. He saw Su Yiyi¡¯s bright, sparkling eyes, and as soon as he opened his own, Su Yiyi quickly closed hers. Li Yifei immediately said with a laugh, "Stop pretending to be asleep."


    Su Yiyi opened her eyes, her face red, and said, "Good morning, Brother Li." Then she leaned over and gently kissed Li Yifei on the cheek.


    "Good morning to you too." Li Yifei returned the gesture with a kiss on Su Yiyi¡¯s tender cheek.


    "I¡¯ll go to the bathroom first." Having said that, Li Yifei lifted the blanket and got out of bed. But as he lifted the blanket, he couldn¡¯t help catching a glimpse of Su Yiyi¡¯s bare upper body and panties, a sight so tempting that he quickly pulled the blanket over Su Yiyi to cover her up.


    In the bathroom, Li Yifei let out water, thinking of Su Yiyi¡¯s body and couldn¡¯t help but scoff at himself for not ¡¯eating¡¯ the beautiful girl right there, especially since she was now his girlfriend. However, due to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s matter, Li Yifei still had his reservations. Since he had to deal with feelings, he had to be serious and not as casual as before. This was being responsible for Su Yiyi and also to avoid getting hurt like with Ye Yunzhu.


    Back in the bedroom, Su Yiyi had not yet risen. Her soft, affectionate eyes were fixed on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei sat down at the edge of the bed and smiled, "Today¡¯s a weekend, a rare break. I¡¯m thinking of catching a few more Z¡¯s."


    Su Yiyi immediately said, "That sounds good." She lifted her arm to pull back the blanket, but suddenly, she put her arm back down.


    Li Yifei burst into laughter, "You¡¯ve been seen before, no need to cover up." Then he flipped the blanket open and slipped under it.


    It was already May, and the daytime temperatures were high, but it was still cool at night and in the morning, so it was quite comfortable under a thin blanket.


    As soon as Li Yifei lay down, Su Yiyi snuggled up to him, pulled Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and placed it under her neck as a pillow. She had become quite adept at this gesture, especially since last night when she and Li Yifei had confirmed their relationship, which made her entrust her heart to him even more.


    This was one of Li Yifei¡¯s main principles in life. Su Yiyi and He Fangqing were different; with He Fangqing, Li Yifei would never consider marriage, so he could do whatever he wanted without feeling any burden.


    Li Yifei was not an impulsive kid but a very rational person. Having gone through so much, his understanding of relationships was quite different from that of others. While most people first desire possession, Li Yifei would not seek to possess Su Yiyi unless he was certain that the feelings could prompt him to the kind of urge to marry her.


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 Chapter 165 I Will Not Admit Defeat

    Chapter 165: Chapter 165 I Will Not Admit DefeatIt was after eight o¡¯clock when the two of them finally got out of bed. Su Yiyi was wearing a pair of denim shorts and a tight-fitting tank top. Although her figure was not what one would call explosive or seductive, that kind of slender and delicate beauty was fully exhibited.


    Humming a little tune, Su Yiyi made breakfast, and Li Yifei had agreed to let her, which made her extremely happy; she did everything with a smile.


    After Li Yifei finished washing up, he also came to the kitchen. Su Yiyi turned around and gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, saying, "Brother Li, breakfast will be ready soon."


    Li Yifei did not leave but came over from behind and embraced Su Yiyi¡¯s waist. Su Yiyi¡¯s body immediately softened, and she leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s chest and spoke softly, "Brother Li, what are you doing?"


    Li Yifei gently kissed Su Yiyi on the cheek and said, "I just want to hold you, is that okay?"


    "Yes!" Su Yiyi¡¯s happiness nearly made her faint, "I like when Brother Li holds me."


    "As much as you like it, you¡¯re going to burn the eggs."


    With a gasp, Su Yiyi hurriedly served the fried eggs and pouted at Li Yifei, complaining, "Brother Li, it¡¯s all your fault."


    This was the first time Su Yiyi spoke to Li Yifei with such a coquettish tone, which made Li Yifei burst into laughter and say, "Alright, alright, it¡¯s my fault. Then I¡¯ll eat all the burnt ones."


    The breakfast was very sweet for the two of them. Su Yiyi would take a bite and then look up at Li Yifei, who would often respond with a brilliant smile, making Su Yiyi feel even sweeter inside.


    Having never dated before, Su Yiyi had heard her roommates talk about the sweetness of romance, and now that she was truly in love with Li Yifei, she finally understood how intoxicating and heady love could be. Even a glance from Li Yifei or the slightest physical contact made her incredibly happy.


    However, their sweet world for two was quickly interrupted by the ringtone of Li Yifei¡¯s phone. Xu Yingying wanted Li Yifei to come to the office, and Li Yifei had to agree.


    "Yiyi, I have to go work overtime at the office today, and I won¡¯t be able to accompany you."


    "Brother Li, you go ahead, I¡¯ve brought books. I¡¯ll just stay home and read during the day."


    Li Yifei handed a key to Su Yiyi and said, "This key is for you, so you won¡¯t have to worry about not being able to get back in if you go out. Oh, and here¡¯s some money, so you can buy whatever you want."


    Quickly, Su Yiyi said, "There¡¯s no need, I still have money."


    Li Yifei forcefully stuffed the money into Su Yiyi¡¯s hands and said, "Silly girl, you don¡¯t have a job; where would you get any money from? Now that you are Brother Li¡¯s girlfriend, spending Brother Li¡¯s money is only right. Although I don¡¯t have much, it should be enough for the two of us."


    This time Su Yiyi didn¡¯t insist. She quickly ran to get Li Yifei¡¯s shoes and bag for him. After Li Yifei had left, she clutched the money he had given her tightly, her face showing a blissful smile.


    Su Yiyi was not a girl who coveted money. If she were, with her looks, it would have been too easy to secure a rich man to support her. But receiving money from Li Yifei made her feel as if she were managing his financial affairs, analogous to how married couples often manage their finances.


    Therefore, it made her feel as if Li Yifei truly regarded her as his girlfriend, and her heart couldn¡¯t help but feel sweet.


    While Su Yiyi was happy, Ye Yunzhu felt lost since leaving Li Yifei. Meeting with the Deputy County Head, she couldn¡¯t focus at all. The County Head, seeing her emotional state, asked with concern, and Ye Yunzhu lied, saying she was just tired recently. The Deputy County Head comforted her and told her to go home and rest.


    Returning home, Ye Yunzhu locked herself in her room.


    Over the years, although she hadn¡¯t been in contact with Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t forget him as he was her first love. Seeing Li Yifei again had thrilled her. She wanted to resume their past relationship, to overcome any difficulties to be with him, even if Li Yifei was just an ordinary employee, even if her family would pose many obstacles, and the outside world might pity her for choosing an ordinary employee.


    She was ready for everything, she had made up her mind with determination, and she had considered that Li Yifei might not have been alone all these years, but she was prepared to cast all the past aside and be with him unhesitatingly.


    However, the fact that Li Yifei pursued another woman after their meeting was something Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    Li Yifei had truly disappointed her. Now, as a Township Chief with a bright future ahead, the difficulties she would have to face to be with him were immense, yet Li Yifei did not seem to cherish it at all, and she couldn¡¯t bear this blow.


    Sitting in her room like a statue for a full hour, her mind was filled with memories of high school days with Li Yifei. Even if she didn¡¯t want to think about it, those memories kept surfacing in her mind. The relationship with Li Yifei was deeply etched in her heart, impossible to forget.


    Ye Yunzhu hoped dearly that Li Yifei would call to explain it was all a misunderstanding, that the girl had made up the story, and she would believe him, even if it meant deceiving herself.


    But Li Yifei never called, leading Ye Yunzhu to utter disappointment. His silence was an admission of his involvement with the other girl and a clear indicator that their relationship had come to an end.


    Two lines of tears streamed down her cheeks as Ye Yunzhu wiped them away, reminding herself not to cry, but the tears flowed unstoppably. She kept wiping, wiping fiercely, but the more she wiped, the more they flowed, soaking her clothes until they were saturated, leaving her skin icy cold.


    Over the years, Ye Yunzhu had never cried, no matter how tough her work became. She had always thought of herself as strong, but now she realized that although she was strong in every other aspect, when it came to matters of the heart, she was undoubtedly weak.


    "Li Yifei, you bastard, you son of a bitch, have you forgotten what you once said to me? You said no matter how many difficulties we face, you would marry me, and now you don¡¯t care at all, you bastard..."


    Throwing herself onto the bed, Ye Yunzhu cursed Li Yifei while sobbing miserably.


    After a good cry, Ye Yunzhu released the sorrow in her heart, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel unwilling. She was a woman who never accepted defeat, and she couldn¡¯t understand why Li Yifei didn¡¯t like her anymore.


    If looks were considered, Ye Yunzhu was always very confident. In the entire political scene of Mile City, there was no second woman as young and beautiful as she. If you talk about ability, she was only twenty-six and already a Township Chief and soon to be promoted to Deputy County Head. She was fully confident she could become County Head before thirty. Which other woman could compare?


    As for her family background, it was even more impressive, easily ranking in the top ten in Mile City.


    Yet all of that made her lose to a young girl, an absolutely unacceptable outcome for her.


    If she had to lose, Ye Yunzhu wanted at least to understand why Li Yifei no longer liked her. After taking a couple of deep breaths, Ye Yunzhu dialed a phone number...


    .........


    Li Yifei arrived at the company, where, although there weren¡¯t many people, everyone was exceptionally busy, and each person was in high spirits¡ªan undoubtedly positive atmosphere for the company.


    He headed straight for Xu Yingying¡¯s office. Xu Yingying was focused on something at her desk, and the sight of Li Yifei entering caused her to frown and say discontentedly, "How come you don¡¯t knock when you come in?"


    "Now, President Xu, when you come to my office, you also don¡¯t knock," Li Yifei said with a grin as he took a seat opposite Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. Although she was a president, she didn¡¯t normally enter her subordinates¡¯ offices without knocking, but for some reason, when it was Li Yifei¡¯s office, she would forget to knock and just push the door open and enter.


    Not wanting to dwell on this topic with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying said, "Everybody in the company is so busy; how come you¡¯re still so relaxed? If I hadn¡¯t called you, would you ever come to the company?"


    "There¡¯s nothing much for me in Human Resources today. I¡¯m going to the job market tomorrow."


    "Can¡¯t you help others out? Especially Michelle. She¡¯s been running around for the past two days getting supplies, practically exhausting herself."


    The main task of logistics now was to purchase necessary office supplies for the company. Although most of the items could be moved by hired help, running around and arranging things was exhausting for Michelle.


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll go give her a hand." Li Yifei normally wouldn¡¯t bother with others, but Michelle had helped him before, and they had a good relationship, so it wouldn¡¯t be right for him not to help.


    "Then hurry up and go."


    Li Yifei agreed and stood up to leave when Xu Yingying suddenly looked at him intently and asked, "You seem to be in a good mood today, did something nice happen?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Can you tell?"


    "How can I not? That smirk on your face and your good temper."


    "Heh heh... then let me tell you, I¡¯ve got a girlfriend," Li Yifei boasted proudly.


    "Got a girlfriend?" Xu Yingying¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed and she asked, "Who?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t know her," Li Yifei stood up and said, "Hey, President Xu, you¡¯re not planning to interfere with my private life, are you?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As if I care enough to bother with you," Xu Yingying said dismissively, waving her hand for Li Yifei to leave.


    But as soon as Li Yifei left, Xu Yingying became a bit dazed. The fact that Li Yifei suddenly had a girlfriend made her feel uncomfortable. Why?


    Shaking her head vigorously, Xu Yingying thought it was amusing how she felt. After all, Li Yifei had only pretended to be her boyfriend for a while, it was not real, so what was there for her to be uneasy about?

 Chapter 166 Conspiracy

    Chapter 166: Chapter 166 ConspiracyMichelle held a large box in her arms, a weight of about forty pounds. This wouldn¡¯t be much for an adult man, but for a girl like Michelle, it was quite heavy.


    Originally, there were laborers to help move things, but she knew that the company was short on time, especially the logistics department. It was crucial to get everything set up before a large number of employees arrived, so she helped carry items to save some time.


    The laborers were burly men, and seeing such a beautiful girl also moving items, they admired her greatly and felt too ashamed to slack off themselves.


    "Ouch!" The box was too large, and Michelle failed to see what was at her feet. She tripped suddenly and lurched forward. Yet, she still held onto the box tightly, trying to twist her body to avoid dropping it to the ground. It contained important electronic equipment, and damaging it would mean a significant expense.


    Michelle¡¯s body was already tilting backwards making a thirty-degree angle with the ground when an arm suddenly caught her waist and stood her back up.


    "Ah! Brother Li!" Michelle exclaimed with delight.


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "The box is so heavy, why are you moving it alone? Didn¡¯t we hire a lot of people?"


    Embarrassed, Michelle replied, "I was trying to save some time."


    These words made Li Yifei feel somewhat guilty. Even Michelle was working so hard, while he, a grown man, had been slacking off. He quickly took the box from her, saying, "Alright, I¡¯m free today in my department, so I might as well help you out. You just handle the directing."


    Michelle nodded and said, "I really appreciate it, Brother Li."


    "What¡¯s there to thank, we¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? I can¡¯t just watch you work so hard. Alright, enough talking. Hurry up and tell me where to move these."


    "Okay, okay, these all go to the marketing department first."


    Li Yifei helped move the items several times until they had moved everything. Michelle kept working without stopping, but at Li Yifei¡¯s insistence, she was now only carrying lighter things.


    Once done with the goods, Michelle hurried over to He Fangqing with Li Yifei. She needed to get financial approval from He Fangqing for the purchases.


    Although He Fangqing saw Li Yifei enter, she just nodded her head, quickly reviewed the proposal Michelle handed her, and immediately signed it, saying to Michelle, "Go get President Xu¡¯s signature first, and I¡¯ll write you a cheque."


    Michelle rushed off immediately, while Li Yifei sat down opposite He Fangqing.


    "CEO Li, are you here to supervise my work?" He Fangqing looked up and teased Li Yifei.


    "How dare I? I¡¯m just a manager at the Human Resources Department. Back in the day, people used to say that HR doesn¡¯t do any real work, and I ended up in this department," he replied.


    "So you were looking for some peace and quiet?" He Fangqing laughed at Li Yifei¡¯s joke.


    Although Li Yifei¡¯s arrival as CEO had given He Fangqing quite a shock, she still felt comfortable around him.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "You¡¯ve been really busy lately. You should relax occasionally."


    He Fangqing winked at Li Yifei, saying, "So how about you give me a massage tonight?"


    If it had been before, Li Yifei would have agreed without hesitation. But just last night, he had established a relationship with Su Yiyi, and now he felt it would be wrong to do this with He Fangqing. After taking a puff of his cigarette, he said, "My massage skills are pretty bad."


    He Fangqing was surprised by Li Yifei¡¯s response, staring at him intently before asking doubtfully, "Are you afraid to come?"


    They say a woman¡¯s intuition is very sharp, and Li Yifei had to admit it. He chuckled and didn¡¯t hide the truth, saying, "I have a girlfriend now. I feel like I should be responsible to her and can¡¯t mess around anymore."


    "Wow, thinking about settling down, huh? Congratulations are in order then. When you get the chance, let me meet your girlfriend and see what kind of person she is, to be able to keep you in check."


    "Haha, she certainly can¡¯t compare to you, but she¡¯s quite gentle, someone you can settle down with."


    "Now I¡¯m even more curious. Bring her over sometime; I¡¯d like to see her, and so would Yingying," He Fangqing said.


    "Maybe after a while. She isn¡¯t very experienced, and seeing all of you¡ªpresidents and directors¡ªwill probably scare her."


    "Cut it out!" He Fangqing retorted dissatisfiedly, her lips twisting in annoyance, "Still babying her, I see."


    At that moment, Michelle hurried back. Li Yifei and He Fangqing stopped their conversation. He Fangqing quickly made out a cheque for Michelle, and Li Yifei left with Michelle.


    He Fangqing sat holding her pen, feeling somewhat restless inside. She knew it was because of Li Yifei. She had never really considered marrying him for life. Still, Li Yifei was a man who had touched her heart deeply. He helped her overcome the shadow of a failed marriage. Now, Li Yifei no longer wanted to associate with her, making her feel quite dejected.


    A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and He Fangqing quickly hid her complicated emotions and said, "Come in."


    It was Xu Yingying who entered, closed the door behind her, and sat directly opposite He Fangqing, saying, "Sister Fangqing, did you know that scoundrel Li Yifei actually has a girlfriend now?"


    He Fangqing never expected Xu Yingying to come over to talk about Li Yifei¡¯s love life amid their busy schedules, so she immediately responded, "That guy just told me."


    "So, it seems to be true then. I¡¯m really curious about what kind of girlfriend he found that he¡¯s not with you anymore," Xu Yingying said with a displeased and resentful expression.


    He Fangqing tapped lightly on the table, smiling, "Look Yingying, whether he¡¯s looking for a girlfriend or not has nothing to do with me, and... why are you even angry?"


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "I just feel upset, just tell me what¡¯s not to like about you: you¡¯ve got looks, talent, and even as a divorcee, you¡¯re still the dream for countless men, yet he doesn¡¯t know how to cherish that."


    The smile on He Fangqing¡¯s face grew wider as she said, "Yingying, stop dragging me into this. Clearly, it¡¯s you who¡¯s not feeling comfortable."


    Xu Yingying wanted to argue, but instead, she let out a dejected sigh and said, "Fine, I admit it, but it¡¯s just that this guy pretended to be my boyfriend for a while, and I¡¯ve gotten used to it. It¡¯s not that I have any feelings for him. I have always supported you being with him."


    He Fangqing smiled ambiguously, "Feelings often start with getting used to someone. Those earth-shattering romances are often the ones that don¡¯t last."


    Xu Yingying glared at He Fangqing reproachfully, "Sister Fangqing, I¡¯ve told you many times, I really don¡¯t have any feelings for him, his lifestyle is completely different from mine, he¡¯s so lazy, it¡¯s infuriating just looking at him."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll drop it. But what did you really want to talk to me about?"


    "This... I really want to see what his girlfriend looks like. Don¡¯t you?"


    "I want to see too. Just now, I was pressuring this guy to bring her over to meet me, but he said his girlfriend is quite shy and wouldn¡¯t agree to come."


    "This jerk, who knows what kind of girl he¡¯s deceived. We¡¯ve got to take a good look at her."


    Narrowing her eyes, He Fangqing suggested, "Then how about we do this: let¡¯s have a dinner party tomorrow night and allow employees to bring their family members. This way, we not only boost morale but also get a chance to see this guy¡¯s girlfriend."


    "And if he refuses to bring her?"


    "If he doesn¡¯t bring her... then you can pretend to be his girlfriend and see what he says."


    "How about if he doesn¡¯t bring his girlfriend, we make him marry you?"


    "Then let¡¯s agree on that together."


    "Fine, it¡¯s settled."


    ...............


    Li Yifei was driving when he suddenly sneezed twice. Michelle immediately asked with concern, "Brother Li, are you feeling alright? You better not catch a cold."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "No, I¡¯m totally fine."


    Michelle chuckled and said, "That must mean someone is thinking about you."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Thinking about me? I think it¡¯s more like someone is bad-mouthing me, plotting against me. Every time someone schemes against me, I end up sneezing."


    Li Yifei was just joking with Michelle, but little did he know, he had actually hit the nail on the head this time. Xu Yingying, the general manager, and He Fangqing, the senior director, were indeed plotting against him at that very moment.


    Michelle blinked and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯ve always been curious, how did you and President Xu end up together?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "Actually, you¡¯re mistaken, she and I are not together at all."


    "Brother Li, why do you say that? I saw it with my own eyes, and you¡¯re still not admitting it. Yesterday, she was with you in the same office, and from the look in President Xu¡¯s eyes, she seemed like she suspected something about us. I was scared to death."


    "I¡¯m not denying it, my girlfriend, she¡¯s really that college student. As for the matter with President Xu, there¡¯s indeed a reason." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No way! You have a girlfriend like President Xu and yet you¡¯re going after a college student?" Michelle¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. In her mind, Xu Yingying was an impeccable woman. Who could possibly match Xu Yingying?


    "Heh, it¡¯s not a matter of wanting or not. We never even started. What you saw that day was just President Xu¡¯s sister, that¡¯s all."


    "No way, my eyes aren¡¯t poor; how could I have seen it wrong?"


    "President Xu has a twin sister, and she looks just like her. The one you saw in the office yesterday was indeed her sister. How else could President Xu look at you that way?"


    "That¡¯s impossible, even if they are twins, there¡¯s no way they can look that much alike, right?"


    "If you saw both of them together, you¡¯d understand. Even now, I can¡¯t tell who is who."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re not lying to me, are you?" Michelle stared at Li Yifei intently.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Of course, I¡¯m not lying. If it were true, I would just admit it. Do I look like someone who¡¯s afraid to admit it?"


    Michelle suddenly fell silent and her gaze towards Li Yifei changed, prompting Li Yifei to feel a bit of regret. It seemed that admitting Xu Yingying was not his girlfriend was a mistake.

 Chapter 167 Ran Away Again

    Chapter 167: Chapter 167 Ran Away AgainAfter a busy day, Li Yifei finally got home after six o¡¯clock. Once he opened the door, Su Yiyi welcomed him with a small apron tied over her chest, her hair pulled back into a cute ponytail, donning a little nightgown that made her look delicate and adorable.


    She grabbed a pair of slippers for him and bent down, preparing to help him change into them. Su Yiyi said, "Brother Li, come in and rest a bit. I¡¯ve got all the ingredients ready, and I¡¯ll start cooking right away. Dinner will be ready soon."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t object and let Su Yiyi help him with his shoes. It wasn¡¯t out of disrespect to Su Yiyi, but because he knew she enjoyed doing this. For Su Yiyi, this was happiness, and for him, it was equally a form of warmth.


    "Yiyi, my feet must be smelly after being in shoes all day, and you¡¯re still helping me change them," Li Yifei said with a smile after Su Yiyi stood up.


    With a sweet smile, Su Yiyi replied, "It¡¯s normal for a man¡¯s feet to smell, isn¡¯t it? Just wash them and it¡¯s fine. My dad¡¯s feet are really stinky. If I don¡¯t force him, he won¡¯t even wash them, which is truly unbearable."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "It seems I¡¯m treated noticeably better than your dad, aren¡¯t I?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red and she heaved a deep sigh. "Just thinking about my dad gives me a headache. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s going to bring me so much trouble in the future."


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi on the shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve got me."


    Su Yiyi gave a wry smile and said, "I¡¯m just afraid that if he knows you¡¯re here, he¡¯ll come to bother you."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s normal for a father-in-law to seek me out."


    That made Su Yiyi sweetly content, but she still warned, "If he really comes to find you, don¡¯t you dare pay him any attention, otherwise he¡¯ll never stop pestering you."


    Li Yifei smiled and didn¡¯t say more. He was quite confident in handling Su Yiyi¡¯s father; after beating him up the last time, he figured that good-for-nothing old guy should have learned his lesson by now.


    After a quick shower, Li Yifei changed into a set of pajamas, and Su Yiyi already had the meal ready. Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to do anything; he just had to wait for dinner.


    "Brother Li, can you go call Sister Meng? She went shopping with me today. She came back saying she was tired and wanted to sleep a bit and told us to wake her when dinner was ready."


    Li Yifei agreed, didn¡¯t bother changing, and stepped out of his home to knock a few times on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s door. But there was no response. He knew that girl must be sleeping too soundly to hear his knocking; he had experienced this before.


    When his knocks went unanswered, Li Yifei went back home and fetched the key to Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house and went straight in.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s place was, as always, a complete mess. The living room coffee table was covered in various snack wrappers, and the floor was littered with remnants of food, looking almost as if it had been ransacked.


    But what caught Li Yifei¡¯s eyes on the couch made him feel rather envious; two pairs of thigh-high stockings were casually tossed there. Looking at the stockings, Li Yifei could imagine Meng Xiaofei wearing her stewardess uniform with them on her legs. There was no denying that Meng Xiaofei in her uniform was extremely alluring to men.


    Li Yifei shook his head and went straight to the bedroom door. While he was prepared and aware that Meng Xiaofei¡¯s sleeping position was rather immodest, he didn¡¯t expect it to be this extreme. After one glance, he quickly turned around, exited, and closed the door swiftly behind him, then knocked loudly and shouted, "Xiaofei, time for dinner!"


    After shouting a few times, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s surprised cry came from inside. Then she shouted loudly, "Brother Li, wait a moment, please don¡¯t come in, I¡¯m not wearing any clothes!"


    Li Yifei was immediately exasperated. If he wasn¡¯t already familiar with Meng Xiaofei¡¯s ways, he might truly think she was deliberately trying to entice him. It was baffling for a girl to inform a man she wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes. Li Yifei wondered if she was just naturally naive.


    But Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t keep Li Yifei waiting long and came out wearing a large nightgown, revealing her creamy shoulders and considerable cleavage, her bosom pushing the gown taut, leaving a vast expanse of bare skin below.


    "Hehe, I fell asleep," Meng Xiaofei said, sticking out her tongue at Li Yifei, seeming a bit embarrassed.


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s mischievous look, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "You really do sleep like the dead. I called for you from outside for so long, but you didn¡¯t hear. I had to let myself in." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Xiaofei nodded vigorously and said, "Brother Li, whenever you¡¯re calling me to eat, just feel free to open the door and come in."


    As she said that, she hurried out, but she stumbled after just a couple of steps. Looking down, she saw it was her own stockings that tripped her. She quickly picked them up like a thief and stuffed them behind the sofa cushions, then noticed there were two more pairs on the couch, which she hastily stuffed away as well.


    "Brother Li, you didn¡¯t see anything, did you?" Meng Xiaofei turned her head and blinked at Li Yifei.


    "No, I didn¡¯t see a thing, haha..." Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s antics.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Even if you saw them, they¡¯re just stockings, not something particularly remarkable."


    "You, could you at least clean up your place a bit? It¡¯s almost on par with a dog kennel," Li Yifei chided, tapping Meng Xiaofei on the head.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately clutched her head and said, "Don¡¯t knock, I am actually very hardworking. It¡¯s your knocking that makes me forgetful, so I don¡¯t clean up."


    "You¡¯re blaming me now?" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry.


    "If I¡¯m to blame, let¡¯s just blame it on Brother Li. Then I won¡¯t have to worry about eating and drinking in the future."


    As the two of them talked, they left Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house and then returned to Li Yifei¡¯s home. Su Yiyi saw that Li Yifei had a smile on his face and asked, "Brother Li, why are you so happy?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Meng Xiaofei and said, "Yiyi, have you ever been to Xiaofei¡¯s house?"


    "No, why?" Su Yiyi was somewhat puzzled.


    "Well, when you¡¯ve been to Xiaofei¡¯s house, you¡¯ll understand."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Yiyi, don¡¯t listen to Brother Li¡¯s nonsense. My house is very tidy. There aren¡¯t messy bags on the coffee table, and stockings aren¡¯t thrown everywhere."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh again. When Su Yiyi heard this, she also understood why Li Yifei was laughing and chuckled, "Sister Meng, if you don¡¯t like to clean your room, I can help you clean it later."


    "Ah! Really?" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, and she excitedly grabbed Su Yiyi¡¯s arm.


    "It¡¯s no big deal, just helping out. Besides, you spent the day shopping with me."


    "I¡¯m truly blessed. The two things in life that trouble me the most, tidying my room and cooking, are now solved!" Meng Xiaofei said, holding her chest with both hands and appearing utterly delighted.


    But Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he said, "Yiyi, you can¡¯t spoil her. It¡¯s one thing for her to mooch off our meals, but cleaning her room for her is another. You¡¯re not her maid."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately widened her eyes, then with a look of aggrievement said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s Yiyi who¡¯s helping me, not you. If you don¡¯t agree, why not?"


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Yiyi is my girlfriend, of course I can make decisions for her."


    Meng Xiaofei suddenly lost her nerve, pouted her lips, and started eating sullenly, as if venting all her frustration on the food.


    Feeling sorry for her, Su Yiyi said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, let me just help Sister Meng. She has also been helpful to me."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately looked at Li Yifei with hopeful eyes but dared not interject.


    Li Yifei knew Su Yiyi meant well and shook his head, saying, "Then help her this once, but don¡¯t do it often; otherwise, she will definitely keep hassling you, and you¡¯ll really become her maid."


    Meng Xiaofei let out an excited squeal and then giggled, "Brother Li, thank you."


    Li Yifei really had no choice with Meng Xiaofei, who was completely guileless, just incapable of taking care of herself, and also very kind-hearted. Every time they went out, she would bring him small gifts, and she was completely unguarded around him, obviously trusting him a lot. As for such a straightforward beauty, Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t bear to be strict with her.


    After the meal, Su Yiyi immediately went to help Meng Xiaofei tidy her room. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear to let Su Yiyi do all the work alone, so he also went to help. Meng Xiaofei pretended to tidy up, but after a short while, there was the sound of glass shattering, followed by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s cry of "Ah!"


    "What happened?" Li Yifei rushed into the bedroom and saw Meng Xiaofei squatting on the ground, her right hand holding her left wrist, blood dripping from the thumb of her left hand.


    "Brother Li... it hurts." Meng Xiaofei looked up at Li Yifei, her eyes brimming with tears.


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know what to say. Knowing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house definitely wouldn¡¯t have any medical supplies, he quickly went home to get some and then cleaned Meng Xiaofei¡¯s wound. Fortunately, it was just a not-too-deep cut that just needed some medication and bandaging.


    "You, you, I don¡¯t even know what to say about you. You get hurt even doing such a small task."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted aggrievedly and said, "I didn¡¯t want to, it really hurts."


    "Sigh, you¡¯re not cut out for any work, just a lady of leisure. Go sit over there, Yiyi and I can manage."


    "I¡¯m sorry." Meng Xiaofei apologised with a pout, then obediently went to watch television.


    .......................................................................................................................................

 Chapter 168 Joint Effort

    Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Joint Effortfre§×webnovel.comAfter two solid hours, only with the combined efforts of Li Yifei and Su Yiyi, did they finally manage to clean up Meng Xiaofei¡¯s doghouse. Looking at the pile of results, Li Yifei just felt like the black lines on his forehead were shooting up.


    Four large bags of trash were filled, the kind you get from the supermarket, along with six pairs of stockings, seven pairs of underwear, and five bras. They were all pulled out from places like under the bed and between the sofa cushions.


    Looking at these items, and then at Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei was at a loss for words. This girl was lounging comfortably on the sofa¡¯s chaise longue, pillow under her head, her little chubby feet swaying leisurely. She was enjoying a bag of chips while watching TV, utterly carefree and at ease.


    "Meng Xiaofei, are you really treating us like your housekeeper?" Li Yifei walked over and gave a smack on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s thigh.


    Meng Xiaofei was engrossed in her TV show when Li Yifei¡¯s sudden slap startled her, making her scream. She sat up, saw Li Yifei¡¯s dark face, and then looked at her newly tidy home. She stuck out her tongue and said, "You¡¯re all done already."


    "You¡¯re something else. We work for you, and you just laze around here like a lord."


    Meng Xiaofei, feeling guilty, shrunk her neck and cutely stuck out her small tongue, saying, "I can¡¯t be a lord. At most, I could be a lady."


    Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, and Li Yifei, who was trying to keep a straight face, was amused into a smile, saying in good humor, "You really know how to joke around. I¡¯ll tell you this: if I see your room in such a state again, I won¡¯t let you come over for meals at my place."


    "It won¡¯t happen again, it won¡¯t," Meng Xiaofei quickly promised loudly.


    Su Yiyi chimed in, "Sister Meng, do you still want these?" pointing at the underwear, stockings, and bras by the trash bags. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So many... no wonder I felt like they kept going missing." Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and then sneakily glanced at Li Yifei, "I don¡¯t want them, they¡¯re too dirty."


    Su Yiyi looked sympathetic, "If you wash them, they¡¯re still usable. Most of them seem pretty new."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Just throw them away for her. She can¡¯t wash them herself, and you shouldn¡¯t be washing these things for her either."


    Meng Xiaofei quickly added, "Yes, yes, throw them all away. I can¡¯t keep them. I already bought new ones." She wouldn¡¯t take these things back; she never had the habit of washing clothes right after taking them off. And now that Li Yifei and Su Yiyi had found them, it was embarrassing enough¡ªno way could she let Su Yiyi wash them.


    Then she jumped up and stuffed all those intimate items into the trash bag at once.


    After taking the trash downstairs, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi returned home. Seeing Su Yiyi covered in sweat, Li Yifei said with some heartache, "You¡¯re exhausted."


    Su Yiyi gave a sweet smile, her eyes narrowing into a slit, "I¡¯m not tired at all, and I¡¯m really happy. This was the first time Brother Li and I cleaned up the house together."


    Li Yifei pulled out a facial tissue and gently wiped Su Yiyi¡¯s sweat, asking softly, "Silly girl, what¡¯s so happy about cleaning house together?"


    Su Yiyi enjoyed Li Yifei¡¯s affection, reveling in it, "I want to remember all of my firsts with Brother Li in my heart, for a lifetime."


    "Silly girl." Li Yifei felt a wave of emotion, and the tissue slipped from his fingers as he gently caressed Su Yiyi¡¯s tender face. A girl like Su Yiyi was really worth cherishing, and he increasingly felt that spending a life with her was a great thing.


    Like a kitten, Su Yiyi rubbed the side of her face against Li Yifei¡¯s palm. She could completely feel Li Yifei¡¯s affection for her, happiness swelling in her heart, spreading all over, filling her with an indescribable warmth.


    "All right, go take a shower first. It really wore you out." Li Yifei put his hand down, pulling Su Yiyi into a light embrace.


    Su Yiyi nodded, giving Li Yifei another sweet smile before heading into the bedroom and carrying some things into the bathroom.


    Half an hour later, the bathroom¡¯s sliding door opened, and Su Yiyi emerged. She walked straight to where Li Yifei was seated in the living room, lacing her fingers nervously, "Brother Li, do you think my new clothes look good?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes brightened. Su Yiyi was wearing a pure white dress, like a holy white-clad angel, nodding continuously, "Beautiful, really beautiful."


    Su Yiyi beamed with happiness, "I was worried Brother Li would say it didn¡¯t look good. This dress cost over five hundred dollars. I didn¡¯t want to buy it, but Sister Meng insisted."


    Li Yifei felt a pang in his heart. The women he¡¯d been associating with lately, like Xu Yingying and Meng Xiaofei, were not short on money, buying things as they pleased. A dress over five hundred dollars was nothing they¡¯d blink an eye at. But for poor little Su Yiyi, she hesitated to spend that much.


    He pulled Su Yiyi to sit beside him. Su Yiyi carefully smoothed her skirt and sat up straight.


    Looking at Su Yiyi¡¯s meticulous demeanor, Li Yifei felt even more heartache, "Yiyi, don¡¯t compromise yourself like this. Brother Li isn¡¯t short on money; buy whatever you want, and Brother Li will buy it for you."


    Su Yiyi gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, "Brother Li, having one or two nice outfits is enough. Besides, I don¡¯t have time to wear so many clothes."


    "I really do have money. When we get married someday, I¡¯ll get you a house, a car; whatever you want, I¡¯ll buy it for you."


    Su Yiyi nodded again and again, "Great, let¡¯s work hard together. Once I graduate, I¡¯ll be able to earn money too. Then we can save for a down payment together, and pay it off bit by bit. With our efforts, it won¡¯t take long to finish."


    Li Yifei was momentarily at a loss. He said he had money, but it seemed Su Yiyi didn¡¯t believe him. Still, it was no wonder; the first time she met him, he couldn¡¯t even produce thirty thousand dollars. Now talking of buying houses and cars seemed a distant dream.


    The money Li Yifei had wasn¡¯t immediately accessible to him, so taking it out to prove anything to Su Yiyi was impossible. All he could do was smile and say, "Okay then, we¡¯ll work hard together. But for now, let¡¯s not compromise ourselves. What girl doesn¡¯t like to look pretty? Plus, I like you looking pretty, so I can show off when I take you out."


    Su Yiyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."


    "Mm, next week when you come, I¡¯ll take you shopping for clothes."


    "Sure!" Su Yiyi¡¯s excitement wasn¡¯t because of how many clothes Li Yifei would buy her or their price, but the fact that she could go to the mall with him. Just the thought made her thrilled.


    When Li Yifei finished his shower, Su Yiyi had already changed into her pajamas, the ones she¡¯d wear while cooking, a light pink silk nightdress¡ªvery pretty. Put it on Su Yiyi, and she looked like an adorable doll.


    The two of them cuddled in bed but didn¡¯t engage in anything overboard, making Su Yiyi adore Li Yifei even more. A man who doesn¡¯t act unruly on the bed either doesn¡¯t care or cares immensely, and Su Yiyi was sure Li Yifei cared about her.


    The next day, Li Yifei went straight to the job market. He had prepared everything the day before and left it in his car, so there was no need to return to the company.


    The job market hadn¡¯t fully opened yet. Only those responsible for recruitment, like Li Yifei, could enter. Finding his booth, Li Yifei just finished getting ready when a large crowd rushed in.


    Li Yifei¡¯s booth was in the most prominent place. Since the company was planning to make a big move, choosing the best spot was a good idea. Even if it cost more money, it showcased the company¡¯s strength. Besides, the job listing at Li Yifei¡¯s booth displayed the largest number of positions for hire, with a total of three hundred people.


    In no time, Li Yifei¡¯s booth was swarming with people. He handed out forms to those interested in applying to the company; it was still a broad search at this point. Whether or not they were suitable for the company still needed to be determined through careful selection.


    "I want to apply too," said a sweet female voice in front of Li Yifei¡¯s booth.


    Looking up, Li Yifei saw Xu Shanshan, recognizable because of her mischievous smile. Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t smile so playfully.


    "Shanshan, what brings you here?" Li Yifei laughed and asked.


    "I came to apply," Xu Shanshan said with a cheeky grin.


    "Apply for what? Get in here and help me. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m swamped?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately slipped under the table into the booth, pulling over a chair to sit next to Li Yifei.


    "Brother-in-law, why are you here alone?" Xu Shanshan leaned close to Li Yifei, her arm brushing against his.


    Li Yifei shrugged, "Your sister wouldn¡¯t send me anyone, so I had to come by myself. Fortunately, you came to help."


    Xu Shanshan smiled proudly, "See? Now you know the perks of having a sister-in-law like me."


    "Yes, yes, Shanshan is the best. Enough chatting; people are waiting. Let¡¯s get to work."


    The "beautiful woman effect" was no joke. Seeing Xu Shanshan sitting in the booth attracted quite a few young men¡¯s attention. Originally, because of the crowd, they hadn¡¯t gotten the full details of the positions Li Yifei was offering. But now, they were willing to wait to see if there was a chance to work with a beauty.


    Dreamfly Company¡¯s conditions were set well. Even if it wasn¡¯t exceedingly higher than usual companies¡¯ salaries, it was still a bit better. For many people, even just a few hundred more was a significant attraction. Thus, within an hour, Li Yifei collected over a hundred job applications.

 Chapter 169: Ambushed

    Chapter 169: Chapter 169: AmbushedAll morning, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t have a moment of rest until half-past eleven, when the job fair was nearly over, and their recruitment activities for today finally ended.


    "Brother-in-law! I¡¯m totally exhausted and don¡¯t want to move at all," Xu Shanshan said, leaning her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan was tired and gratefully said, "Shanshan, I really can¡¯t thank you enough for today."


    Xu Shanshan said with her eyes closed, "Don¡¯t just say it, show it. I want something more tangible."


    "Then what do you want? Just say it, and I¡¯ll definitely satisfy your request today," Li Yifei reassured her.


    Even though there was no longer a need to pretend in his relationship with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei had gotten used to being called brother-in-law by Xu Shanshan and had even grown accustomed to referring to himself as brother-in-law in front of her.


    "You said it yourself, no backing out now," Xu Shanshan immediately turned her head, playfully staring at Li Yifei.


    "Of course. When have I ever gone back on a promise?"


    "That¡¯s true, so let me think... how should you thank me?" Xu Shanshan blinked her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t quite decide what she wanted from Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in a rush, busying himself with tidying up various things, especially the resumes of the job applicants.


    By the time he had finished packing up, Xu Shanshan had made up her mind. Slapping Li Yifei on the shoulder, she said, "I¡¯ve got it. We¡¯ll go have dinner first, and then watch a movie together. You don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    "How could I mind? We¡¯ll have dinner first and then watch a movie." Li Yifei readily agreed to such a simple request.


    "OK!" Xu Shanshan snapped her fingers and immediately stood up.


    After they left the job fair, Li Yifei led Xu Shanshan straight to the parking lot.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze swept across the parking lot. "You drove here, brother-in-law? Now that you¡¯re a president, shouldn¡¯t you be driving a nice car?" she asked.


    "You know my position as president is just for show."


    "Even mascots can¡¯t be just anyone, you know. And since they¡¯ve made you the mascot, they should at least make it look dignifying. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be embarrassing the company when you go out... Wow, look at that stunning Porsche! When will I ever own one?"


    Seeing the Porsche that Su Mengxin had left for Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    "Hehe, is that car really that nice?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s the latest model Porsche 991! It¡¯s just too cool. If I could drive a car like this in my life, I¡¯d be satisfied," she exclaimed.


    "Then go ahead and drive it," Li Yifei said, tossing the car keys to Xu Shanshan.


    Catching the keys, Xu Shanshan burst into excited exclamations. The keychain had the Porsche emblem. She sprinted to the Porsche, pressed the key fob, the lights flashed on, and she swiftly opened the door and sat inside.


    Li Yifei also got in, and Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law, you sure are a great mascot, even having a Porsche to drive."


    "It belongs to the boss. No one drives it when it¡¯s here, so it was lent to me. But this car is too feminine, and if I had any other car, I wouldn¡¯t drive it." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s a Porsche! If you drive it out to pick up girls, you¡¯d be successful with each one. And yet, you still dislike driving it? I can¡¯t believe you."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "I¡¯m not some young spoiled brat chasing after girls."


    "Come on, brother-in-law, you¡¯re only twenty-six, the prime age for dating. These days guys over thirty are still driving sports cars to pick up girls. Besides, these young ladies care only if you have money and drive a luxury car, regardless of how old you are. Even if you were as old as seventy or eighty, or looked like a demon, you would still have beautiful girls trailing after you."


    Li Yifei was immediately at a loss for words, "Can you even drive at the age of seventy or eighty?"


    "Well, that¡¯s true. Anyway, I¡¯m just going to enjoy it for now." After saying this, Xu Shanshan started the car, with the engine roaring to life, and the Porsche took off, almost hitting another car across the way.


    "Hey, hey, take it slow," Li Yifei quickly called out.


    "Hehe..." Xu Shanshan braked and laughed sheepishly, "The throttle is really responsive; I barely touched it and the car just shot forward. I thought I was driving my own car."


    "Slow down, get used to it first."


    This time, Xu Shanshan was much more careful, and the Porsche didn¡¯t shoot forward again. It exited the parking lot slowly. However, once on the main road, the car took off like a wild horse let loose, quickly overtaking one vehicle after another.


    "Hey, hey, the speed limit here is fifty; if you drive that fast, how many fines will I get?" Li Yifei called out again.


    Xu Shanshan slowed down and said, "Really? Last time the police stopped us, they didn¡¯t fine us, did they?"


    Li Yifei was instantly exasperated and said, "I just used another car to block the camera. It¡¯s not that the police recognized me."


    "Ah, so it¡¯s actually true. Then I¡¯ll drive slower," Xu Shanshan immediately stuck out her tongue.


    "So you thought I knew people, huh? This is just insane," Li Yifei said with a wry smile.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. When the time comes, just find a few more driving licenses to take the points, it¡¯s not like one gets twelve points deducted, just a fine. As a president, you wouldn¡¯t care about that."


    Despite saying this, Xu Shanshan still slowed down the car. Although the highway was wide, there were still quite a few vehicles on the road. She didn¡¯t have Li Yifei¡¯s skills. It was one thing to have a little fun, but car racing was something she didn¡¯t dare to do.


    After driving for more than an hour, Xu Shanshan had no idea where she had driven to. Only when she saw a mid-range hotel ahead, did she finally stop.


    They went in, directly requested a private room, ordered a few dishes, and began to eat. All the while, Xu Shanshan kept saying how thrilling it had been to drive that car.


    However, after eating for a while, Xu Shanshan rubbed her head and said, "Why do I feel dizzy..." and then she collapsed onto the table with a thud.


    Just as Li Yifei called out to Xu Shanshan, he too clutched his forehead and toppled over onto the table.


    The door to the private room opened, and two people walked in; one of them was Qin Shaodong, who had raced with Li Yifei that day.


    As soon as Qin Shaodong entered, he said triumphantly, "Damn it, I¡¯ve finally caught you, kid. You dared to mess with me. You think you can fight? Now, see if you can still fight. A bit of knockout drug and I¡¯ve knocked you two out."


    Another man in his thirties, with a sleazy smile, said, "Young Master Qin, how was it? The drug worked well, didn¡¯t it?"


    "Good! Indeed, it¡¯s good. Make sure you get me more of this in the future. Whenever I take a fancy to a girl, I¡¯ll just knock her out," Qin Shaodong replied.


    "No problem, but regarding the price..."


    Qin Shaodong glared at him and said, "Cut the damn crap. Do I, Qin Shaodong, ever lack money? Just make it happen."


    "Alright, Young Master Qin, just a reminder: the drug lasts for about an hour. Once an hour has passed, the affected person will wake up. To wake someone immediately, just rub white spirit on their nostrils. In less than two minutes, they¡¯ll surely come to."


    "What if they¡¯re in pain? Will they wake up?"


    "No, they absolutely won¡¯t. This drug is strong. During that time, the person is like a dead body, completely unaware of anything. Even if you were to stab them with a knife, they wouldn¡¯t wake up."


    "Alright, I¡¯ve got it. Now get out and close the door," Qin Shaodong said impatiently, waving his hand.


    The creepy guy quickly backed out and closed the door behind him.


    At this moment, Qin Shaodong laughed smugly, then walked over to Li Yifei, "Kid, you¡¯re still too green to fight with me. I¡¯ll see that you don¡¯t get out of this alive today."


    "Kid, how shall I play with you today? Heh heh, you think you can fight? Then I¡¯m going to beat the crap out of you, haha." Qin Shaodong laughed excitedly but didn¡¯t immediately start beating him. Instead, he glanced at Xu Shanshan and said, "This chick is damn pretty. After I¡¯ve had enough of beating you, I¡¯ll tie you up and play with your woman right in front of you. That¡¯ll piss you off, haha..."


    After another bout of proud laughter, Qin Shaodong wound up a fist and aimed a strike at Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    But before his fist could make contact with Li Yifei¡¯s head, it just wouldn¡¯t smash down. A hand caught his wrist like a vicious clamp, rendering him completely immobile.


    Following the hand that had grasped him, Qin Shaodong felt shivers down his spine because that hand belonged to Li Yifei, who shortly after lifted his head and revealed a bright smile at him.


    "You... you drank the knockout drug, didn¡¯t you?" Qin Shaodong stammered out the question.


    "You think that little trick of yours would work on me?" Li Yifei¡¯s smile grew wider as he tightened his grip. Qin Shaodong instantly felt as though his wrist was being crushed and couldn¡¯t help but scream aloud.


    A chicken drumstick was suddenly stuffed into his mouth, cutting off his cries instantly.


    "Mmph mmph..." Qin Shaodong shook his head, trying to pull the chicken leg out of his mouth, but Li Yifei¡¯s fist had already landed on his abdomen. The punch was delivered with precision to Qin Shaodong¡¯s stomach, causing his stomach to cramp and his eyes to bulge in pain.


    "Stay put. Make another move, and I¡¯ll break your legs," Li Yifei huffed coldly and released Qin Shaodong¡¯s wrist.


    Qin Shaodong collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach. Even the chicken leg in his mouth was forgotten, as the pain was too much for him to think of anything else.


    Li Yifei stepped forward, pressing down on Qin Shaodong¡¯s shoulder, and the man immediately fell to the ground. After struggling for a bit, he failed to get up. Li Yifei¡¯s foot was like a mountain crushing him.


    Li Yifei scoffed again, "Kid, last time you sent people to beat me up, I wanted to have a little chat with you. Now that you¡¯ve come to me willingly, you¡¯ve really saved me some effort."


    At this point, Qin Shaodong was truly frightened, trembling all over and trying to plead, but with the chicken leg stuffed in his mouth, he couldn¡¯t even speak. He had always thought he was so impressive, but only today did he realize that in this situation, he was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, with no ability to resist at all.

 Chapter 170 Scared the Pee Out of Him

    Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Scared the Pee Out of HimLi Yifei stomped down twice, directly making Qin Shaodong gasp for air, and then said coldly, "Kid, do you know who I am to dare to mess with me?"


    Under the weight of Li Yifei¡¯s stomps, Qin Shaodong was nearly stomped to death, but the pressure on his chest made him spit out the chicken leg in his mouth. Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, he quickly said, "Big brother, I was wrong, I was wrong. I won¡¯t ever dare to do it again."


    "Hmph, you think there¡¯ll be a next time?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice grew colder.


    "Ah... there won¡¯t be a next time, absolutely not."


    "At least you have some self-awareness." A cruel smile appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Just as Qin Shaodong looked up, he saw that cold smile and suddenly felt a tightness in his heart, stuttering, "Big brother, you... you... you¡¯re not really going to kill me, are you?"


    "I¡¯ve killed more than a few people and wouldn¡¯t mind adding you to the list."


    People like Qin Shaodong weren¡¯t afraid of competing in wealth or power, but when faced with desperate thugs, he was completely terrified. His body trembled, and a smell of urine emerged from him as he was so scared that he wet himself.


    Li Yifei frowned, having initially wanted to scare him some more but the smell was disgusting and he quickly lost interest. He kicked him to the side and said, "If you ever come after me again, I will definitely pay a visit to your home. I don¡¯t mind if you call the police, those good-for-nothing cops won¡¯t catch me. But you, it¡¯ll be easy for me to find you."


    "It won¡¯t happen! I absolutely won¡¯t!" Qin Shaodong, feeling that he could keep his life, hurriedly made a promise.


    "Then why don¡¯t you scram!" Li Yifei shouted again.


    This time, Qin Shaodong reacted quickly, scrambling up and taking off faster than a rabbit, disappearing from the private room in the blink of an eye.


    After this incident, Li Yifei believed Qin Shaodong wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble him any longer. However, he wasn¡¯t worried about Qin Shaodong¡¯s troubles; what concerned him was that the man might go after Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying. So it was better to deal with this now.


    As for the guy who sold the drug to Qin Shaodong, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t care less. He went to the entrance and called out, "Bring me your boss."


    Before long, a chubby man in his forties arrived, trembling with fear. Qin Shaodong had drugged Li Yifei at his establishment, how could he escape responsibility? Having just seen Qin Shaodong flee in panic, he knew he had offended a dangerous person. If not for the fact that the restaurant was his life¡¯s savings, he would have fled immediately.


    "Big... big... big brother." The chubby boss, upon seeing Li Yifei, began chattering his teeth, making a clattering sound.


    Seeing him so cowardly, Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "Do you know why I¡¯m looking for you?"


    "I know, I know, big boss, I didn¡¯t want it either, but Qin Shaodong has big connections. If I didn¡¯t listen to him, my restaurant couldn¡¯t stay open. I¡¯m just a small businessman, all my life savings are in this place. If it closes down, I can¡¯t support my wife and children... wu..." Mid-sentence, the man began to cry, his tears mingled with snot.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stand this and waved his hand, saying, "Go get me some white spirit."


    The boss quickly agreed, fetching a bottle of top-tier Maotai shortly after and placing a stack of money in front of Li Yifei, trying to curry favor, "Big brother, this is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you, the big man, won¡¯t hold a grudge against the little guy, just let it go like a fart, please."


    "You know what¡¯s good for you," Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "Now get lost."


    The boss ran off in a puff of smoke, and Li Yifei pocketed the money. Taking it was only fair since the boss had made a mistake, and it was right for him to bear the consequences.


    He poured a bit of the white spirit and brought it to Xu Shanshan¡¯s nose. Soon after, she began to wake up.


    "What happened? Why do I feel like I fell asleep?" Xu Shanshan sat up, rubbing her forehead, looking at Li Yifei in confusion.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It must be because the beer we drank earlier was fake, so you got drunk. Are you feeling better now?" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan became angry and said, "It must be fake beer, this unscrupulous hotel, I must report them."


    "Right, they should be reported," Li Yifei hummed in agreement and then called out, "What kind of hotel is this, selling fake alcohol?"


    The chubby boss had been waiting by the door and hurried in upon hearing this, stumbling over his words, "Big brother, the alcohol really isn¡¯t good today, your bill is on the house."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Li Yifei glared and walked out of the hotel with Xu Shanshan boldly.


    The chubby boss watched Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan until they left the hotel, and upon seeing them get into a Porsche 991, he broke out in a cold sweat. By the car they were driving, they were clearly people of considerable background, surely no less than Qin Shaodong. It was as if two immortals were fighting, and he was the unlucky one caught in the middle, regretting not noticing earlier the car Li Yifei had driven; otherwise, he would have never gotten involved with Qin Shaodong¡¯s mess.


    "Brother-in-law, we¡¯ve struck a bargain, sleeping through our bill." As soon as she got into the car, Xu Shanshan chuckled.


    However, Li Yifei was somewhat worried and said, "You don¡¯t feel unwell, do you?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately replied, "Not at all, I¡¯m quite fine."


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s condition, indeed, it seemed nothing was amiss. Li Yifei had also taken the amnesia drug, but it didn¡¯t have much effect on him. When he was with the Flying Hawk Squad, resistance to amnesia drugs was mandatory training. Over time, his body developed resistance to such drugs, something only the Flying Hawk Squad practiced. Other special forces wouldn¡¯t undertake it, considering it was essentially experimenting on the human body and seemed somewhat inhumane; it would stir international uproar if word got out.


    And judging from his body¡¯s reaction, the drug was nowhere as powerful as the seller claimed and should be harmless to humans, so he was no longer worried about Xu Shanshan.


    For Xu Shanshan, this was but a minor episode. What she cared about now was going to the movies with Li Yifei, so she asked him to find a cinema where they could watch a movie together.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t have much else going on this afternoon, so he drove Xu Shanshan to a movie theater. He couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since he¡¯d been to one. The last time he remembered watching a movie was in high school when he sneaked off to see one twice with Ye Yunzhu.


    "Brother-in-law, what movie shall we watch?" Xu Shanshan looked at the listings and asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Whatever you want to watch, let¡¯s watch. I don¡¯t know what to pick either."


    "How about this one?" Xu Shanshan pointed at a movie title below.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "That¡¯s a horror film. Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting scared?"


    "I¡¯ve watched a horror film once before, and it scared the daylights out of me. I dared not watch it alone afterward, but this time you¡¯re here with me, so I want to give it another try." She grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and gently shook it, pleading, "Brother-in-law, please say yes."


    "Alright, alright, I agree. If you want to watch it, we¡¯ll watch it." Li Yifei quickly agreed as Xu Shanshan¡¯s coquetry was something he found overwhelming.


    After buying tickets in the queue, Xu Shanshan had already gathered a pile of snacks and then both entered Auditorium Six, waiting for the movie to start.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the auditorium, barely over twenty, and everyone was sitting quite spread out. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan sat in the middle ¨C they weren¡¯t a couple, so there was no need to seek out the couples¡¯ box in the back.


    Before long, the movie started. It wasn¡¯t very frightening at the beginning, but as the plot progressed, one terrifying scene followed another, all accompanied by hair-raising music. The auditorium echoed with screams; the noise made by the twenty-plus audience members was louder than a full house.


    The things Li Yifei had been through was probably scarier than any such movie. He didn¡¯t so much as furrow his brow. Such films failed to pique his interest anymore, but Xu Shanshan was utterly engrossed.


    Xu Shanshan had already grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm. She hid behind him, peeking out stealthily when something frightening appeared on the screen, as if that would make her less afraid.


    Since Xu Shanshan was practically leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s back, her full chest pressed against his back. Moreover, as she kept ducking and peeking, her chest rubbed against his back even more.


    It¡¯s said that watching horror films with a woman often results in the girl throwing herself into a man¡¯s arms for comfort, but Xu Shanshan was different, giving Li Yifei a rather special sensual experience.


    Sensual as it was, Li Yifei didn¡¯t entertain too many thoughts. As her brother-in-law, he was accustomed to treating her like a sister, and this time was no different.


    Finally, the movie ended, and the lights in the auditorium brightened. Everyone took a deep breath. Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and said, "Haven¡¯t had your fill yet? It¡¯s time to go."


    Xu Shanshan grinned, "That was so thrilling."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "We still have to leave, or else your sister will be looking for you later."


    The two got up and left the auditorium. Although Xu Shanshan no longer hid behind Li Yifei as she had while watching the movie, she still clung to his arm, evidently still spooked by the film.


    Li Yifei drove and eventually dropped Xu Shanshan off outside the residential area where Xu Yingying lived. He said, "Alright, head on home."


    "Brother-in-law, won¡¯t you walk me back?" Xu Shanshan pouted, again clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, "You can¡¯t be serious? It¡¯s broad daylight, and you¡¯re still scared?"


    "I... I¡¯m scared." Xu Shanshan squirmed a little but admitted it.

 Chapter 171: Annoying

    Chapter 171: Chapter 171: AnnoyingLi Yifei and Xu Shanshan walked into the neighborhood together. The security guards in the neighborhood were already accustomed to seeing Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan enter together. Although sometimes it was Xu Yingying, they couldn¡¯t tell the twin sisters apart at all. They even thought they were the same person. As for Yifei, they were quite envious. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that Yingying was a typical White Rich Beauty. Whoever could marry her would really hit the jackpot with both wealth and beauty.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm, they naturally didn¡¯t think Xu Shanshan was scared from watching a horror movie. Instead, they thought Xu Shanshan was linking arms with Li Yifei and that their relationship was very intimate.


    The two had just walked not too far into the neighborhood when the hurried clicking sound of high heels on the ground reached them. This sound was very familiar to both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. It was the sound of Xu Yingying walking.


    Both of them stopped and turned their heads to look at Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying quickly walked a few steps to come in front of them, her complexion quite unsightly. Grinding her teeth, she said, "What¡¯s going on with the two of you?"


    Only then did Xu Shanshan realize that she had been clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm as if they were arm-in-arm. She immediately withdrew her hand as if stung by a wasp and, grinning at Xu Yingying, said, "Sis, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking."


    Li Yifei immediately felt a headache coming on. Where had he heard that phrase before? Moreover, Xu Shanshan¡¯s reaction was just making things worse. Xu Yingying would definitely be more suspicious now.


    As expected, Xu Yingying¡¯s expression turned even uglier as she said angrily, "Li Yifei, well aren¡¯t you something."


    Li Yifei remained indifferent, smiling lightly, "Shanshan and I just watched a horror movie. Shanshan was scared, that¡¯s why she was grabbing my arm."


    "Watching a horror movie?" Xu Yingying scoffed, "What a poor excuse. It¡¯s broad daylight. After watching a horror movie, would you really act like this?"


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan regained her senses and immediately glared, saying, "Have you watched a horror movie?"


    "Even if I haven¡¯t seen one, I can imagine that even if you were scared, you wouldn¡¯t just grab a man¡¯s arm in broad daylight, right?"


    Xu Shanshan blinked and said, "Big sis, you¡¯re not jealous, are you?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened as she said, "Jealous? I don¡¯t want you two to be together."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "If you¡¯re not jealous, why are you so angry? Besides, if you¡¯re not jealous, that means you don¡¯t like my brother-in-law, right? Since you don¡¯t like him, why can¡¯t I be with brother-in-law?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes suddenly widened with shock and her face turned pale as she stuttered, "You two... you two... are together?"


    "No..." Li Yifei was just about to explain when Xu Shanshan suddenly took his arm again, lifting her chin proudly and saying, "My brother-in-law is so great, if you don¡¯t like him, then I¡¯ll just keep him for myself. Is that not allowed?"


    Li Yifei never expected Xu Shanshan to pull such a stunt, and it came out of nowhere, leaving him completely unprepared. The two of them being together was just about having fun, and they had never discussed anything about their feelings. This was really too sudden and shocking for Li Yifei. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No way!" Xu Yingying shouted without hesitation, her gaze deadly. Her voice was incredibly sharp, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.


    At this point, Xu Shanshan completely ignored her sister¡¯s anger, resting her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, "Why not?"


    "Because I said no!" Xu Yingying roared again, but suddenly realized they were in the neighborhood with too many people around. She took a deep breath and said, "Follow me home to talk."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Shanshan is just joking, I¡¯m leaving now."


    "Don¡¯t you dare leave!" Both sisters shouted simultaneously, then Xu Yingying stretched out both her hands, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s other arm, and walked forward with a dark expression.


    "Hey, hey, this really isn¡¯t my fault, Shanshan, what are you playing at?" Li Yifei complained quietly while being dragged away by the two sisters.


    At that moment, neither Xu Yingying nor Xu Shanshan said a word. They just pulled him into the building, then into the elevator without letting go of him, until they entered the apartment and finally released him.


    Xu Shanshan went straight to the fridge, took out a bowl of cherries, sat on the sofa, and started eating, completely ignoring Xu Yingying¡¯s murderous gaze.


    Li Yifei was still puzzled by Xu Shanshan¡¯s actions and shook his head, saying, "Shanshan, can we stop this nonsense?"


    Xu Shanshan spat out a cherry pit and said cheerfully, "I¡¯m not creating trouble. Since my sister doesn¡¯t want you, I¡¯ve decided to pursue you."


    Xu Yingying, upon hearing these words, felt a sudden relief in her heart. She had really thought Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei were together already. Knowing her sister¡¯s bold nature, such a thing was certainly within the realm of possibility.


    Li Yifei hastily said to Xu Yingying, "You heard, right? This has nothing to do with me. However you sisters want to make a fuss, I¡¯m staying out of it. I¡¯m leaving." With that, he tried to slip away.


    "You stop right there!" Xu Yingying immediately shouted.


    But Li Yifei kept walking. This place was now a hotbed of trouble, and since he no longer had to pretend to be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend, he naturally didn¡¯t want to get involved in their conflict.


    Xu Yingying was not used to being ignored by Li Yifei like this. In the company they once shared, whatever she said went without question, and up until recently, Li Yifei had been extremely obedient to her. Now she was angrily calling out to him, and he simply ignored her. For Xu Yingying, it was a massive psychological blow.


    Seeing Li Yifei about to open the door, Xu Yingying swiftly grabbed his arm and snapped, "I said you can¡¯t leave. Didn¡¯t you hear me?"


    Li Yifei turned around with a smile and said, "Look, President Xu, this isn¡¯t the company, right? It¡¯s not work hours either, right?"


    Xu Yingying was speechless, and Xu Shanshan quickly added fuel to the fire, "Yeah, look at you, always talking to my brother-in-law with that bossy attitude. No wonder he wouldn¡¯t like you. Brother-in-law, I support you in not giving her face."


    Xu Yingying was a smart woman, but she was taken aback by Xu Shanshan¡¯s words and lost her composure. She quickly calmed down, yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak to Li Yifei with a soft smile and gentle words. Instead, she sternly said, "Li Yifei, I apologize for my attitude, but I still hope you can clear things up with me. As a sister, I believe I have the duty and the responsibility to do so."


    "Shanshan was just joking. You should be able to tell. She helped me with recruiting today, and I took her out for a meal and a movie before bringing her back here. Whether you believe it or not is your business." Having pretended to be Xu Yingying¡¯s lover for so long and still working in the same company, Li Yifei explained himself patiently.


    "I understand, but... can¡¯t we just talk properly?" Xu Yingying¡¯s tone finally softened.


    Li Yifei then shrugged helplessly and said, "Alright then." He directly sat down on the sofa, while Xu Shanshan came over immediately, grinning at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, you don¡¯t need to be afraid of her. I¡¯ll be your backup from now on. The two of us together can surely outmatch her."


    Xu Yingying frowned and also sat down on the sofa, but she chose the chaise at the side. Her position inadvertently made Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan appear closer.


    "Shanshan, this isn¡¯t a game. Tell me the truth, do you actually want to be with Li Yifei?" Xu Yingying stared at Xu Shanshan, her expression very serious.


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei and said with a smile, "Older sister, that¡¯s my personal freedom. Who I date¡ªour parents might try to control me, but I won¡¯t listen, and if you, my sister, try to tell me, I¡¯ll care even less." Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s disapproval, Xu Shanshan quickly changed her tone, "But brother-in-law had pretended to be your lover for a while. I¡¯m giving you a chance. If you get together with brother-in-law, I won¡¯t compete with you. But if you don¡¯t want to be with him, then I won¡¯t hold back."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Shanshan, stop it. I already have a girlfriend."


    Xu Yingying also quickly said, "I know about that, so Shanshan, drop the idea."


    Xu Shanshan scoffed and retorted, "So what? They¡¯re not married yet. If they¡¯re not married, I still have a chance. I believe that in the future, brother-in-law will choose me."


    Li Yifei, hearing Xu Shanshan calling him "brother-in-law" and talking about being his girlfriend, felt a strong sense of guilt, alongside... a thrilling sensation.


    Xu Yingying slammed the armrest of the sofa and snapped, "Aren¡¯t you just trying to break up a relationship? That¡¯s being a third party."


    Xu Shanshan replied defiantly, "I have the right to pursue the one I love. Also, I want to stress again, brother-in-law isn¡¯t married yet. The crimes you¡¯re accusing me of don¡¯t fit."


    Xu Yingying, seething with anger, turned pale and demanded, "Have you no shame?"


    "This is shameless? Oh come on, older sister, your skin is way too thin. By your logic, if I say our parents are mine, does that mean you can¡¯t call them mom and dad anymore? If I say the Earth is mine, do others have to leave?"


    "How can that be the same?"


    "What¡¯s different about it? Declare ownership because you¡¯re dating? What kind of twisted logic is that? Besides, brother-in-law has the right to choose. Even though he¡¯s with that girl now, can he be sure they¡¯re a good match? If I like him, I¡¯ll pursue him. Even if I fail, I¡¯ll have no regrets because at least I would have loved. It¡¯s like with your company¡ªif you want to collaborate with another company but find they have a potential partnership elsewhere, do you just give up? Don¡¯t you still try everything you can to secure the business?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s sharp tongue truly hit a nerve, and Xu Yingying, as the president of a company, naturally couldn¡¯t give up just because the other party only showed an intention to cooperate.

 Chapter 172 Different Thoughts

    Chapter 172: Chapter 172 Different ThoughtsXu Yingying¡¯s mind was racing with thoughts. If Xu Shanshan liked someone else, it would be fine for her to compete for his affection, success or failure wouldn¡¯t matter and it wouldn¡¯t concern her, but now that the person in question was Li Yifei, the trouble was much bigger. What if Li Yifei really ended up with Xu Shanshan? How would she face going home? How could she, as the older sister, stay in this family?


    With a stern face, Xu Yingying said helplessly, "Xu Shanshan, have you ever considered how our parents would feel if you got together with Li Yifei, and we went back home?"


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "I would just tell the truth. Since you didn¡¯t want your brother-in-law, I certainly have the right to fight for him. Besides, I see that our parents quite like the brother-in-law. If you don¡¯t want him and I steal him to be my husband, they surely won¡¯t get angry."


    Xu Yingying suddenly turned her head and glared at Li Yifei hatefully, then turned back to Xu Shanshan and said through clenched teeth, "Fine, Xu Shanshan, I¡¯m telling you now, I want to be with Li Yifei, so give up on that idea!"


    Li Yifei was stunned. What was all this about? Xu Shanshan¡¯s mischief was one thing, but Xu Yingying was playing the same game too.


    Xu Shanshan jumped to her feet and angrily said, "Xu Yingying, what¡¯s the matter with you? You said the two of you were fake, now you want to come and mess things up!"


    Xu Yingying, with her arms crossed, regained her usual executive composure and said, "Although Li Yifei and I were fake before, having lived together for so long, I feel he¡¯s actually quite good. He can cook, he can protect me, he can make my parents like him, and he¡¯s also very considerate. When I was sick, he even took care of me all night. I¡¯m not good at taking care of a home, but with him, I feel I could be very happy."


    Xu Shanshan said furiously, "You¡¯re shameless! You clearly said you didn¡¯t want him, and now that you see I want him, you¡¯re competing with me."


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "I can yield to you in other areas, but on this matter, I definitely won¡¯t yield to you."


    Xu Shanshan was gnashing her teeth, looking as though she wanted to fight Xu Yingying then and there, and said angrily, "Xu Yingying! I¡¯m telling you, I won¡¯t back down."


    "Neither will I!" Xu Yingying said leisurely, composed and at ease.


    Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying, like two fighting cocks, glared fiercely at each other with their equally beautiful eyes, almost sparking flames.


    Li Yifei had yet to speak again. He somehow felt like this was all a game, not reality.


    Unexpectedly, the conflict suddenly burned its way toward him as Xu Shanshan quickly moved to his side, grabbed his arm with both hands, and spoke in a coaxing tone, "Brother-in-law, tell me, don¡¯t you like being with me? Isn¡¯t it relaxing and happy to be with me?"


    Before Li Yifei could answer, Xu Yingying had already sat down on his other side, also grabbing his arm. Though she didn¡¯t use the same coquettish tone as Xu Shanshan, her rare gentleness conveyed, "Yifei, I¡¯ve gotten used to having you in my life, so you have to be with me."


    Having an attractive woman on each arm was enough to send any man¡¯s soul soaring, not to mention that they were twins, and not just any twins, but the kind that looked almost identical with more than ninety-nine percent similarity. It was utterly enchanting.


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, whose hand involuntarily gripped tighter, as if she were truly getting nervous.


    Turning his head to look at Xu Shanshan, she was pouting her lips, a picture of deep grievance, as if Li Yifei choosing not to be with her was tantamount to betrayal.


    With a grin, Li Yifei said, "Sorry, I have a girlfriend, so... sorry about that."


    Xu Shanshan immediately retorted, "I don¡¯t care, even if you have a girlfriend, you¡¯re not married yet. So I will definitely fight for you. I know you will like me."


    Xu Yingying raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "I won¡¯t lose to anyone, including my own sister."


    "Fine then, you fight over it, I¡¯m leaving," Li Yifei said, and with a slight shake of his arms, he shook off both their hands. Without waiting for a reaction, he quickly fled from Xu Yingying¡¯s house.


    As soon as Li Yifei left, Xu Yingying glared fiercely at Xu Shanshan, who, in turn, met her sister¡¯s gaze with a smug success, not shying away.


    "Xu Shanshan, what in the world are you trying to do?" Xu Yingying spoke first.


    Xu Shanshan settled comfortably into the chaise lounge of the sofa, leaning back and crossing her legs, swinging her little feet contentedly, and said, "I¡¯m not trying to do anything. I¡¯m just trying to fight for the person I like, that¡¯s all."


    Xu Yingying stood over her sister, looking down at Xu Shanshan from a position of authority, and said, "Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want to date so early? Then why did you come here?"


    Xu Shanshan was entirely unmoved by the pressure her sister tried to exert and replied, "Before, I just hadn¡¯t met anyone worth my affection. Now that I have, I want to date, and I even want to get married, see how about that?" Raising her eyebrows, Xu Shanshan seemed to be issuing a challenge at that moment.


    "You... alright, since you¡¯re like this, I have no choice but to be with him, not giving you any chance."


    "Well, let¡¯s see who Brother-in-law really likes then."


    "You¡¯ve said it yourself, he¡¯s your brother-in-law. What¡¯s there for you to compete over?"


    "I like it, okay? Men like to play this game, you know. When I¡¯m in bed with him and call him ¡¯brother-in-law¡¯, he¡¯ll definitely be more excited. It¡¯s a kind of kink, do you get it?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face immediately darkened as she angrily said, "Xu Shanshan, do you even know what shame is anymore?"


    "Of course, I do. But when I¡¯m with the man I like, even the most shameless acts I can commit. Isn¡¯t there a saying? A woman should be like a lady outside, to save face for her man, but a whore in bed, that¡¯s how you make a man happy. Sis, you do indeed act like a lady in public, no faking needed, and I¡¯ll have you know, I can fake that just fine too. But in bed... heh, you definitely can¡¯t compete with me. No man would like a woman who remains so haughty in bed."


    "Shut your mouth!" Xu Yingying roared, unable to contend with Xu Shanshan on such a topic. She really wanted to slap her sister hard, but ultimately, she just stormed off huffily into the bedroom and slammed the door with force.


    Lying in bed, Xu Yingying shook her head repeatedly. Regarding her behavior today, she found it somewhat laughable. As for Li Yifei, she had to admit she only felt some fondness for him, certainly not love. This pretense was entirely due to Xu Shanshan¡¯s pressure. If Xu Shanshan wanted to be with Li Yifei, no matter how troublesome, she would undoubtedly fight for it. She knew her sister all too well. The only way to stop her from doing so was for her to become Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend, which would make Xu Shanshan back off.


    Although the sisters often quarreled, Xu Yingying knew that on really important matters, her sister would give in to her, the elder sister. Like the times they argued, it was mostly due to disagreements in viewpoints, rarely over competing for something.


    Xu Yingying wanted to contact Li Yifei to continue their charade and force Xu Shanshan to yield, but she dismissed the idea. The reason was simple: there had already been one performance. Another act of pretense, and Xu Shanshan would most certainly see right through it.


    So she had to truly act on it. Of course, Xu Yingying had no intention of actually becoming Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend. As long as she drove Xu Shanshan away, when the time came that she was no longer around, the problem would no longer be significant.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan sat up, peering sneakily towards the door of her sister¡¯s room. Seeing it tightly shut, a sly smile spread across her face, her heart blossoming with joy.


    She genuinely admired Li Yifei, but she didn¡¯t intend to start a romance with him. She was more interested in having him become her brother-in-law. Today¡¯s performance was designed to trap Xu Yingying on Liang Mountain and, apparently, her scheme was entirely successful.


    "Big sis, don¡¯t blame me, okay? With a great guy like Brother Li, why should he be wasted on others? You definitely need to step up. Make him truly my big brother-in-law soon." Xu Shanshan gestured an encouraging ¡¯fight on¡¯ sign towards her sister¡¯s door, then started munching on the cold cherries again.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already left the residential area where Xu Yingying lived. He felt that Xu Shanshan¡¯s declaration of wanting to be with him was a spur-of-the-moment decision aimed at Xu Yingying. However, he could never have guessed that Xu Shanshan actually wanted her sister to be with him, not just to upset her. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So Li Yifei didn¡¯t take it seriously, considering it just a squabble between the two. He saw himself as an incidental battlefield at the moment, and now that he had left, the sisters would soon reconcile.


    When he got home, Su Yiyi had already left, and the house was tidied to perfection, looking just like a hotel.


    He took out his phone and called Su Yiyi.


    "Yiyi, have you arrived at school?" As soon as the call connected, Li Yifei asked with concern.


    "Yes, I¡¯m in the dorm room now." Su Yiyi¡¯s delicate voice came through the phone, sounding a bit low.


    "Is it inconvenient to talk? I¡¯ll call you back later."


    "It¡¯s not that, my roommate is here." Su Yiyi hurriedly explained in a whisper, followed by a burst of noise: "Yiyi! Who is it... Yiyi is blushing, seems like the person you¡¯re talking to is quite special... It couldn¡¯t be your boyfriend, could it?"


    Li Yifei understood why Su Yiyi was blushing now, but he didn¡¯t interject, curious to see how she would respond.


    "It¡¯s not... it¡¯s... Brother Li. That was my roommate just now. They¡¯re teasing me, don¡¯t be upset, okay?"


    The noise on the phone ceased, indicating Su Yiyi had left the dorm room.


    Li Yifei chuckled softly and said, "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m not upset. Are you reluctant to introduce me to your roommates?"


    "No, not at all... It¡¯s just that I was afraid Brother Li was busy."


    "For my little girlfriend, no matter how busy I am, I must make time. Let¡¯s see when it¡¯s convenient, and I¡¯ll treat you and your roommates to a meal."


    "Ah!" Su Yiyi exclaimed in surprise, then immediately said with excitement, "Great, I¡¯ll tell them about it."

 Chapter 173 Concern

    Chapter 173: Chapter 173 ConcernOn the second day, Li Yifei arrived at the company, and the office phone just wouldn¡¯t stop ringing, all from people responding to the job advertisement they had seen on TV.


    Li Yifei could only answer them one by one. He had originally thought that a Human Resources Manager who didn¡¯t do anything would be the most leisurely person in the company, but now he realized that not only was the job not easygoing, it was actually quite busy. He was so busy that he didn¡¯t leave the phone until noon.


    When he saw that it was already half past eleven, Li Yifei unplugged the telephone line. Now, even if someone called, he didn¡¯t want to answer. He really was exhausted.


    Jus then, his cellphone rang. Li Yifei frowned, but seeing that it was Xu Yingying¡¯s call, he still answered it.


    "Why is your office phone unreachable?" Xu Yingying asked.


    "Big sister, my phone has been a hotline all morning, it hasn¡¯t stopped for a moment. It¡¯d be divine intervention if you actually got through."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s hoarse voice, Xu Yingying remembered that these were the days of recruitment and Li Yifei, the Human Resources Manager, must be busy. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit smug and said, "Serves you right for wanting to slack off. If you were the president, wouldn¡¯t you have less to deal with?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "President Xu, what exactly do you want? I don¡¯t want to talk much now, my throat is smoking."


    "Alright, then just wait. I¡¯ll go out for lunch with Sister Fangqing and you."


    It wasn¡¯t long before He Fangqing and Xu Yingying came to find Li Yifei together. As soon as they entered, He Fangqing asked with concern, "Is your throat feeling better?"


    Li Yifei shrugged helplessly and said hoarsely, "You listen to it."


    He Fangqing immediately responded with sympathy, "How did you get so tired? Go buy some medicine after this."


    Xu Yingying pulled out a box of medicine from her bag and threw it to Li Yifei, saying, "Suck on two of these." Then she turned and walked toward the door.


    It was normal for Xu president to care about her employees. If she saw someone with a hoarse throat and offered them some throat lozenges, it was a nice gesture that could also bring her closer to her employees. However, because she had made a declaration to be together with Li Yifei at her home yesterday, giving Li Yifei medicine today felt somewhat awkward, as if she was pursuing him.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t notice Xu Yingying¡¯s discomfort and hurriedly said, "Then suck on one quickly." She was too embarrassed to show her care for Li Yifei in front of others, but in front of Xu Yingying, she had no such scruples. After all, she could stay with Li Yifei at Xu Yingying¡¯s home, so this little matter was nothing to worry about.


    Li Yifei nodded, took out a lozenge, and put it in his mouth. It was cool and refreshing, truly quite comforting.


    The three of them walked out of the office together. By that time, everyone had already gone out for lunch. Since the cafeteria wasn¡¯t open yet, everyone had to go out to eat. However, because the three came out a bit later, they didn¡¯t run into anyone else.


    Li Yifei drove Xu Yingying¡¯s car and chose a nearby Western restaurant. After they sat down, a waiter came over to them.


    He Fangqing and Xu Yingying, holding the menus, both looked at Li Yifei and said in unison, "What would you like to eat?"


    The waiter paused for a moment. There were many people who came here to dine, and it wasn¡¯t rare for a man to bring two women out for a meal, but like this, with both beautiful women caring for the same man, that was a first for the waiter. He immediately envied Li Yifei, thinking this man must be wealthy and skilled, managing to bring out two at the same time and still so harmonious.


    He Fangqing and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t realize that a simple question had sparked such imagination in the waiter. Although Xu Yingying mentioned being together with Li Yifei, there was no sister present, and there was He Fangqing, a woman involved with Li Yifei. She could only continue to stay silent, letting He Fangqing help Li Yifei order food.


    During the meal, He Fangqing and Xu Yingying, both career-driven women, continued to discuss company matters while eating, and Li Yifei just focused on his meal.


    "I can¡¯t eat anymore. You can have the rest." He Fangqing had eaten half of her steak and then pushed the plate in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and just took it and started eating.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s steak was also half-eaten, but she couldn¡¯t just offer it to Li Yifei. Even though they had dined together quite often, giving her leftovers to Li Yifei felt particularly intimate. She wasn¡¯t that close to Li Yifei, and she didn¡¯t want to expose her intentions to He Fangqing¡ªtheir work relationship might become awkward, as if she was competing for a boyfriend.


    She simply wanted to make her sister, Xu Shanshan, back off, not to actually be with Li Yifei.


    Unexpectedly, after Li Yifei finished He Fangqing¡¯s portion, he looked at Xu Yingying¡¯s plate, clearly still not fully satisfied. Xu Yingying immediately sensed it, but pretended not to notice.


    "Hey, Xu president, are you still eating your steak?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t think too much about it. The steak at this Western restaurant was particularly delicious, and it was the first time in a while he had enjoyed such a tasty steak. Plus, he was indeed quite famished after the busy morning, making his appetite even larger.


    "Oh... I¡¯m done, if you¡¯re still hungry..."


    Xu Yingying intended to say that if he was still hungry, she could order another one for him, but Li Yifei had already reached out and taken her steak over, then began to eat with big bites.


    He Fangqing glared at Li Yifei and said, "Are you still okay? It¡¯s one thing for you to eat my leftovers, but to snatch food that President Xu has eaten, don¡¯t you know that only people who are close can do that?"


    Xu Yingying was even more embarrassed and quickly said, "It¡¯s fine, I was just cutting it to eat it anyway." Now she could only comfort herself with that reason.


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly, how would I not know that?"


    He Fangqing looked at Xu Yingying and then chuckled, "I¡¯m probably worrying too much. You two have been together for so long, such matters are nothing to you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed, and she said anxiously, "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Our being together was just for show, nothing more."


    "Really? Then why are you blushing?" She winked, leaned into Xu Yingying¡¯s ear, and whispered softly, "Even for show, you¡¯ve got to act close, right?"


    Xu Yingying pushed He Fangqing away and protested, "Sister Fangqing, you know that was just to deceive my parents and sister, it doesn¡¯t mean anything. Besides, that¡¯s in the past now, so please stop teasing me about it."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t talk about it anymore."


    Li Yifei had been stealthily observing Xu Yingying, who was displaying a certain demureness today typical of a young woman with romantic interest, and he couldn¡¯t help wondering if Xu Yingying actually considered being with him.


    "By the way, Yifei, when are you going to bring your girlfriend over for us to meet?" He Fangqing shifted the topic onto Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was just about to bring up Su Yiyi to gauge Xu Yingying¡¯s true feelings. It wasn¡¯t that he had feelings for Xu Yingying, but he felt that there was something odd about the situation, so he wanted to clarify. Smiling, he said, "She usually has to attend school during the week and can only come back on the weekends."


    He Fangqing immediately said, "Then bring her over next weekend for us to see."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "No problem, I¡¯ll bring her over next week for you all to meet, but as a president and a director, please don¡¯t scare my girlfriend."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "Are we that scary?" S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Not that you¡¯re scary, but you both have a strong presence. At first glance, you¡¯re important people, while my girlfriend is just a young girl who hasn¡¯t seen much of the world. How could she possibly compare with you?"


    He Fangqing curiously said, "I¡¯m really curious, since when did you start dating a college student? Didn¡¯t you say before that you didn¡¯t want to get into a relationship so soon?"


    Xu Yingying also stared at Li Yifei, equally curious. For the time that Li Yifei had been in Mile City, most of his time was spent with her, and she had no idea that he managed to get a girlfriend, and a college student at that.


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying and laughed, "I have to thank Zhao Qingsheng for that, as he got me assigned to the warehouse. That¡¯s where I met Yiyi. President Xu should remember when I asked you for a loan, right?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "So that¡¯s why you needed the money then."


    "Yes, she was having some financial trouble at the time and urgently needed money, so I helped her out. Then she was very grateful and would come over on weekends to help me clean the house and such. As time passed, I found her to be quite nice, and we ended up together."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mention that Su Yiyi had sold herself to save her father; although he thought Su Yiyi did nothing wrong, it was still something not to be proud of, and he didn¡¯t want anyone to look down on her.


    In her heart, Xu Yingying suddenly felt an uncomfortable emotion, "It seems that I played a part in you two being together."


    Li Yifei nodded vigorously, smiling, "Yes, if it weren¡¯t for President Xu¡¯s help back then, who knows if we could have been together."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Then you have even more reason to bring her to meet me."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll bring her over this weekend for you to meet her, but please don¡¯t tell her I¡¯m some kind of CEO, it¡¯ll scare her."


    "What if I do tell her?" Xu Yingying folded her arms, a playful smile at the corner of her mouth, teasing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "President Xu, you wouldn¡¯t be that cruel, would you?"


    He Fangqing laughed softly, "Telling her you¡¯re a CEO would make you seem even more impressive, better at picking up girls, right?"


    "I¡¯ve settled down now, not chasing after girls anymore." Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, and as he said this, it seemed like he was also signaling to He Fangqing the end of whatever relationship they once had.

 Chapter 174 The Alliance between the Boss and the Director

    Chapter 174: Chapter 174 The Alliance between the Boss and the DirectorHe Fangqing suddenly felt a sour taste in her heart. Although she had never considered being with Li Yifei for real, being with him was quite joyful, and she had even thought that she would maintain such a relationship with Li Yifei for the rest of her life, greeting each other when needed and living their separate lives at other times.


    But now, after so little time, this relationship was about to end because Li Yifei had gotten a girlfriend. With a huff, she expressed her dissatisfaction, "I said yesterday I was looking for you, and you made all sorts of excuses."


    Xu Yingying frowned at this moment, saying, "Li Yifei, you¡¯re really something, aren¡¯t you? Getting a college student and then dumping Sister Fangqing, isn¡¯t this just too irresponsible from start to finish?"


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh, replying, "It¡¯s not really about being irresponsible from start to finish with Sister Fangqing, our being together was just for fun, without any other intentions."


    Xu Yingying immediately became unhappy, knowing that Li Yifei had cut ties with everyone else for his girlfriend, which was being responsible for the relationship, but since she didn¡¯t know Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend and was closer to He Fangqing, she naturally sided with He Fangqing. She glared and said, "Hmph, a man should take responsibility for his actions, what you¡¯re doing is being irresponsible to Sister Fangqing."


    He Fangqing quickly grabbed Xu Yingying, chuckling, "Yingying, stop it, there¡¯s nothing wrong with what Yifei is doing. He should be responsible for his girlfriend, after all. If he continued to be ambiguous with me, that would make him irresponsible. I support him."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯re just too good to him. He¡¯s so clueless and unappreciative, what an idiot."


    He Fangqing laughed softly, replying, "I never really planned to get serious with him, it was just to occasionally brighten my mood. If things got serious and dragged on, I¡¯d scare him off."


    Seeing how casually He Fangqing spoke, Xu Yingying suddenly felt an indescribable sense of relief¡ªas if this way, she could let something happen with Li Yifei without feeling guilty towards He Fangqing.


    "Tch, what are you thinking, Xu Yingying? This was all just to make Xu Shanshan back off, there¡¯s no way you could really get involved with him." Scolding herself inwardly, Xu Yingying then decided not to make things difficult for Li Yifei anymore.


    After eating, the three returned to the company. Li Yifei went back to the Human Resources Department to continue his work, while Xu Yingying went to He Fangqing¡¯s office.


    After briefly discussing work, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t leave right away. Hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Fangqing, now that Li Yifei is not seeing you anymore, do you... really not feel sad?"


    He Fangqing revealed a bitter smile, responding, "I won¡¯t lie to you, I do feel a bit empty."


    "Ah?" Xu Yingying was somewhat surprised as she looked at He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing shook her head, a smile appearing on her face again, explaining, "The emptiness comes from Li Yifei filling the void in my heart these past days, helping me stand up again. But I¡¯m very clear that it¡¯s not possible for us to be together. It¡¯s better this way; otherwise, if he got married later on, it would only cause a lot of trouble for him, and that wouldn¡¯t be good."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes flickered, and she suddenly said, "Sister Fangqing, I have a way that could allow him to keep in touch with you without burdening you."


    This time, it was He Fangqing¡¯s turn to look at Xu Yingying in surprise, asking, "What way?"


    Xu Yingying gave an embarrassed smile, speaking somewhat shyly, "I could steal this guy away from that college student and make him my boyfriend. Then you can be with him, and I won¡¯t care."


    "What?" He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened like lightbulbs, unable to believe these words came from Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth.


    Realizing He Fangqing had misunderstood, Xu Yingying quickly coughed lightly and clarified, "Sister Fangqing, I didn¡¯t make myself clear. Here¡¯s the thing: Recently, my sister has been with Li Yifei and has taken a liking to him. Knowing that my relationship with Li Yifei is fake, she actually wants to be with him. But you know, my parents think I¡¯m with Li Yifei, and if he ends up with my sister, wouldn¡¯t that turn into a joke?"


    Pausing for a moment, Xu Yingying continued, "And you know my sister¡¯s personality; even if there was a college student, even if she knew there were a bunch of women with Li Yifei, she¡¯d still try her hardest to compete. Only if I step in will she back down. So, I have to pretend to be with Li Yifei to dispel this thought. But I don¡¯t really want to be with Li Yifei; we would just be pretending."


    He Fangqing smacked her lips, only after a long while did she say, "Yingying, isn¡¯t this kind of...inappropriate?"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t it be okay? You must think I¡¯m trying to sabotage Li Yifei and that college student, but let me tell you, if I don¡¯t take action, my sister will definitely interfere, and she¡¯ll be even more aggressive about it. Li Yifei definitely won¡¯t end up with that college student. Besides, by doing this, you can still maintain a relationship with Li Yifei. Isn¡¯t that good?"


    "You date Li Yifei...and then I sleep with him?" He Fangqing summarized Xu Yingying¡¯s idea in a simple sentence.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red instantly; that was indeed a direct way to put it, but she still nodded, saying, "That¡¯s more or less what I mean, though my dating him would be fake."


    He Fangqing gently patted her own cheeks, trying to keep herself as clear-headed as possible, but her brain just couldn¡¯t make sense of it. She went to the water dispenser, got a cup of ice water, and gulped it down, which finally sparked activity in her thoughts again.


    Standing in front of Xu Yingying, He Fangqing spoke earnestly, "Yingying, I still feel this isn¡¯t right. If you succeed, the person who will really be hurt by this is Li Yifei. This is unfair to her."


    Xu Yingying replied hastily, "How is it unfair? If I date him, will he be at a disadvantage? And...you, a great beauty, sleeping with him, would he be at a loss? He¡¯d be over the moon."


    He Fangqing patted Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, softly saying, "Yingying, this isn¡¯t about winning or losing. It¡¯s about feelings. If you date him without actually having feelings for him, that¡¯s deceit. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s hurting him?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth fell open, realizing that He Fangqing had a point. However, for someone as inexperienced in love as she, she still said, "Sister Fangqing, it¡¯s uncertain, you know. Maybe I¡¯ll develop feelings for him?"


    That scared He Fangqing for a moment, then she burst into laughter and said, "So you¡¯ll fall for him over time, pretending to be with him for so long¡ªthat now you feel uncomfortable because it seems like someone else is snatching him away?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying said somewhat awkwardly, "I won¡¯t lie, I do feel that way. That guy, though he often annoys me, at least he can cook. Coming home to a cooked meal after work seems pretty good. So, I¡¯m saying, even if I snatch him away, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean I won¡¯t develop feelings. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll end up marrying him in the future."


    "Ha..." He Fangqing broke into loud laughter, laughing so hard that Xu Yingying grew even more embarrassed. She quickly stopped laughing and said, "I¡¯m not mocking you, but you do have a point. Thinking about it that way, I should support you."


    Xu Yingying was overjoyed and quickly said, "You should help me; it¡¯s beneficial for you as well. When the time comes, if you want to be with this guy, then be with him."


    He Fangqing laughed again and said, "If you really develop feelings for Li Yifei, could you really let this guy come over and sleep with me?"


    Xu Yingying seriously responded, "Of course, we are good sisters, aren¡¯t we? Plus, you got involved with this guy first, how could I be so petty?"


    He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, "Stop joking. If you really develop feelings, you won¡¯t be able to bear it. By then, you might start suspecting there¡¯s something between Li Yifei and me just by seeing us talk."


    "Absolutely not!" Xu Yingying said passionately, "Sister Fangqing, I swear right here. If I really get together with Li Yifei, I will never stop you guys. Even if you came to my house to sleep with him, I would make room for you."


    He Fangqing, seeing the seriousness in Xu Yingying¡¯s words, was genuinely moved. She took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and said, "Yingying, thank you. That you can say this means a lot about how good you are to me. Honestly, I¡¯m not ready to part with Li Yifei, so I¡¯ll support you. But if one day you really develop feelings for Li Yifei, just tell me. I will for sure stop any involvement with Li Yifei then and never do anything to upset you."


    Xu Yingying also gripped He Fangqing¡¯s hand tightly, saying emotionally, "Sister Fangqing, I, Xu Yingying, always keep my word. What I say now is a promise for a lifetime. Unless you want to get married, you can be with Li Yifei whenever you want."


    Xu Yingying, who had never really dated before, didn¡¯t quite understand the exclusivity or possessiveness of romantic relationships. In her heart, emotions weren¡¯t even as important as friendship, which was why, at that moment, she made such a promise to He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing realized this, but didn¡¯t say anything more. She was truly thankful for Xu Yingying¡¯s friendship. Besides... privately, if she could really maintain such a relationship with Li Yifei, it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. If Xu Yingying really developed feelings for Li Yifei later on, she could just cut ties with Li Yifei. For the sake of their friendship, she would absolutely not do anything that could hurt Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 175: Primacy

    Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Primacy"Sister Fangqing, but I really don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to snatch Li Yifei over, you need to teach me,"


    Having reached a common goal, Xu Yingying looked worriedly at He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing chuckled and said, "Isn¡¯t that simple? You just need to unleash the charm of Manager Xu, and you¡¯ll easily mesmerize Li Yifei."


    Xu Yingying gave a wry smile and said, "I wouldn¡¯t know how to unleash any charm. If he could be mesmerized by me, after living together for so long, he would have already been smitten."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t set your heart on it. Actually, it¡¯s very simple. You need to think more about him, what he likes, what he enjoys doing, and then cater to his preferences. Build a common language with him, and the romantic feelings will naturally develop."


    "How would I know what he likes?" Xu Yingying was even more confused. She would have no issue competing in the business world, but when it comes to competing in love, she felt completely clueless and vulnerable.


    He Fangqing was also somewhat frustrated. Xu Yingying really didn¡¯t know anything. It was unimaginable that such a beautiful woman hadn¡¯t been in a relationship yet.


    "All right, I¡¯ll teach you step by step. If you want to be with Li Yifei, you first need to create many opportunities to be together. You already have the advantage here. We work with Li Yifei in the same company every day, while that girl can only be with him on weekends. Plus, we can arrange some overtime on weekends to keep Li Yifei from spending time with that girl."


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly and said, "Right, that¡¯s a good idea. What next?"


    He Fangqing continued, "It¡¯s not enough to just work in the same company. You need to have regular chances to be alone with Li Yifei. For instance, whatever you do, ask him to accompany you. There¡¯s a saying, ¡¯Familiarity breeds fondness.¡¯ If you¡¯re together day and night, fondness will naturally develop. Of course, now that Li Yifei already has a girlfriend, you will have to step it up. While alone with him, be extra caring and let him feel your goodness, let him sense your affection for him."


    "How do I show my affection for him?" Xu Yingying still looked quite puzzled.


    He Fangqing patted her forehead, feeling somewhat defeated by Xu Yingying and said, "That¡¯s easy. For example, if he¡¯s been talking too much these past few days and his throat is a bit hoarse, you could bring him some medicine. If he¡¯s tired, help him with carrying things or other small favors."


    "Oh, I get it. What else?"


    "Well, then you might have to resort to some little tricks, like pretending to twist your ankle or pretending to fall to have some physical contact with him, and give him a chance to care for you."


    "Ah... physical contact... Wouldn¡¯t I be letting him take advantage of me?" Xu Yingying frowned immediately.


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and said, "Haven¡¯t you let him take advantage before?"


    "That..." Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red. She and Li Yifei had shared a bed for quite some time, and although they were mostly peaceful, there were times when they unavoidably touched. And in front of her parents and younger sister, she had also behaved intimately with Li Yifei.


    That time she was sick, although she was feverish and delirious, she knew Li Yifei had helped lower her temperature with alcohol rubs. There would have been even more physical contact then, so Li Yifei had indeed taken quite the advantage. If he took a little more, it didn¡¯t seem to make much of a difference.


    With a suggestive look, He Fangqing said, "See, since he has already taken advantage before, just continue with it. You won¡¯t lose a piece of flesh. Besides, maybe you¡¯ll really fall for him. If you end up marrying him, you¡¯ll have to let him take all the advantage anyway."


    Xu Yingying, being a decisively action-driven person, blushed but still nodded firmly, saying, "I understand. Oh, and if at this point the guy wants to sleep with me, you have to come help me out."


    This time, it was He Fangqing¡¯s turn to blush as she retorted, "If he wants to sleep with you, how am I supposed to help you?"


    "That... when the time comes, I¡¯ll call you over, and then you sleep with him. That should get him off my back."


    He Fangqing gave an awkward laugh and said, "If that works, then no problem."


    "It will work, of course it will work. How could it not?" Xu Yingying hurriedly replied. "Then it¡¯s settled, but you can¡¯t let Shanshan or Li Yifei find out. If Shanshan finds out, she definitely won¡¯t give up. If Li Yifei finds out, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t agree to it."


    He Fangqing nodded her head and watched as Xu Yingying walked away lively, but inside she felt this whole plan was absurd, ridiculously beyond imagination.


    Li Yifei was unaware that things had escalated to such an extent. At that moment, he was still in his office answering the phone. He wasn¡¯t meeting with job applicants today. The job interviews were scheduled for the next two days.


    As he busied himself, his cellphone rang. Li Yifei had left the office number on the job postings, so this private number was personal. Noticing it was Xu Yingying¡¯s call, he quickly dealt with an applicant and then answered his mobile phone. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Li Yifei, how are the preparations for hiring going today?"


    Li Yifei popped a lozenge into his mouth before saying, "There are quite a few candidates, about three hundred worth interviewing."


    "Sort them out after work, and we¡¯ll take a look together tonight. That way, we¡¯ll reduce our workload. Yifei, recruiting right now is the most important thing for our company. You must be thorough, ok?"


    Li Yifei replied, feeling morose, "I really regret choosing this place now."


    "Since you¡¯ve started, you can¡¯t just toss the job aside mid-way. Don¡¯t worry, Fangqing and I will help you."


    "Ah, another overtime shift. Will there be overtime pay?"


    Xu Yingying chuckled and said, "You¡¯re the president, who would dare deny your request for overtime pay?"


    "Then I¡¯ll claim a lot, ten thousand a day."


    "As you wish. As long as you dare to apply for it, I¡¯ll dare to approve it."


    "President Xu, why are you so agreeable today? This doesn¡¯t seem like your usual style."


    "Can¡¯t I choose to be agreeable if I want to?"


    "Sure, there¡¯s nothing others can¡¯t do, and certainly nothing you can¡¯t do."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei shook his head, feeling that Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior was somewhat strange. When he thought about the incident at her house yesterday, it made Li Yifei somewhat uneasy. Could it be that Xu Yingying really had her sights on him and was serious about starting a relationship?


    In Xu Yingying¡¯s office, He Fangqing chuckled at Xu Yingying and said, "Well done. When dealing with men, it¡¯s crucial not to keep a stern face all the time; otherwise, even the best of men could be scared off by you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned bright red as she said, "Talking like this really feels awkward. I feel like I¡¯m covered in goosebumps."


    "You¡¯ll get used to it after a while. But why did you involve me just now? Didn¡¯t I tell you that you two should have some one-on-one time?"


    Xu Yingying replied in a hurry, "No way, no way. If it¡¯s just the two of us, I¡¯ll definitely be super nervous and give it away."


    He Fangqing laughed softly and said, "You¡¯ve been pretending with him for so long and it seems like you haven¡¯t given it away yet."


    "That¡¯s different. Back then, he could play along with me. Now he won¡¯t, and it¡¯s just way too awkward. If it weren¡¯t for Shanshan, I wouldn¡¯t be doing this at all."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll stay with you. But you said it yourself, you¡¯ve already mentioned it yesterday in front of Li Yifei. How could he not suspect?"


    "Let him think what he wants. Anyway, I¡¯ll say anything to keep him from getting together with Shanshan."


    He Fangqing shook her head, feeling both annoyed and amused. Xu Yingying seemed to be looking out for her sister, but it felt like there might be other hidden feelings involved.


    After work, not many people left the company as everyone was voluntarily working overtime. Li Yifei received a call from Xu Yingying and, holding a bunch of documents, prepared to go upstairs, where he ran into Michelle.


    Michelle quickly stepped forward and asked, "Brother Li, do you need help?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "No need, I can manage this much."


    "Oh, are you heading home then, Brother Li?"


    "Not really, I¡¯m going to see Manager Xu." With that, he continued to walk upstairs.


    But Michelle followed him, diligently keeping pace with Li Yifei, her face blushing as though she had something she was afraid to say.


    "What is it?" Li Yifei asked, looking at Michelle with curiosity.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned even redder, but she mustered the courage to say, "Brother Li, I¡¯ve bought two movie tickets for the newly released ¡¯Tiny Times¡¯. Would you mind accompanying me?"


    As he walked, Li Yifei looked at Michelle and said with a smile, "You want me to go watch a movie with you?"


    Michelle was visibly embarrassed but bravely said, "Brother Li, please don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I¡¯ve been quite busy with work these days, and I¡¯m a fan of the author, so I wanted to see it. It¡¯s no fun going alone, so I thought of you."


    "Oh, if that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s absolutely fine by me." Li Yifei agreed cheerily, but then added, "Which day and what time is it for? I might end up working late tonight and don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll finish."


    "Oh, it¡¯s for nine o¡¯clock tonight. I thought you might be done with work by then?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright then, let¡¯s meet at the movie theater tonight."


    "Okay, go on with your work," said Michelle, giving Li Yifei a sweet smile before swiftly heading back to her office.


    Li Yifei knew that Michelle was interested in him, and under normal circumstances, he would need to be cautious, but Michelle had been quite helpful to him at their previous company. Additionally, she was the first to support him and had followed him to the new company. Morally and emotionally, Li Yifei had no reason to refuse Michelle¡¯s invitation to the movies, so he could only agree.

 Chapter 176: Questioning Again

    Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Questioning AgainIn Xu Yingying¡¯s office, Li Yifei laid all the documents out on the desk, and Xu Yingying and He Fangqing immediately began to examine them seriously. With such a heavy workload, they had temporarily set aside the discussion they had planned.


    As Xu Yingying had said, there were many important matters in the company at present, but recruitment was of paramount importance. Only by hiring staff could the company operate smoothly; otherwise, even if the existing employees worked their heads off and did not rest for all twenty-four hours a day, it would still be impossible to build up the company.


    The main focus for the two of them now was selecting those with work experience and capabilities. As for the fresh university graduates and the like, they would initially leave the selection to Li Yifei.


    Many university students nowadays complain about the work experience requirement set forth by companies during hiring, but this is precisely what some companies truly value. University students are a dime a dozen, and some don¡¯t learn anything in school, spending their time dating or playing games instead. Even with a diploma, they lack any real ability, unless they come from truly prestigious universities that genuinely cultivate talent. Only then might they gain recognition from companies; otherwise, work experience is definitely prioritized.


    After a good two hours, the three of them had finally sorted through the documents, selecting around twenty candidates to focus on as potential key figures in the company. The remaining decent candidates would be directly hired to work in the company.


    There were also some fresh university graduates responsible for various miscellaneous company tasks, like in the office, logistics, or the Human Resources Department. They wouldn¡¯t be given opportunities in the more critical departments unless they performed exceptionally well, which might enable a department transfer.


    "Oh no! How did I forget to pick out a pretty secretary for myself?" Li Yifei suddenly exclaimed, his face full of regret.


    Xu Yingying immediately gave Li Yifei a reproachful look and said, "You can look for a secretary, but you¡¯re supposed to find one to help with your work, not to keep around for your enjoyment."


    Li Yifei, however, just laughed it off, "While capability is more important, if she isn¡¯t easy on the eyes, then I won¡¯t be pleased looking at her. Wouldn¡¯t that affect my work? So, it¡¯s still better to find a pretty secretary. President, Manager, if you don¡¯t choose some handsome guys for yourselves, I can help you pick too."


    "No way!" Xu Yingying and He Fangqing rejected Li Yifei¡¯s suggestion in unison, without any good humor. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Well, if you don¡¯t want that, fine. Anyway, as the Human Resources Manager, I definitely need to exercise this special privilege."


    Xu Yingying immediately frowned and said, "Why are you smoking when your throat is so bad today? Can¡¯t you cut back a little?"


    "These cigarettes are fine. You know Comrade Xiaoping, right? He¡¯s always got a cigarette in hand, yet he¡¯s lived to such an age. I smoke the same brand as him, so it¡¯s fine no matter how much I smoke. Do you want to try?" Li Yifei offered, placing the plain white cigarette package on the table with a smile.


    "Was this given to you by Miss Su?" Xu Yingying picked up the cigarette package and, after a few glances that revealed nothing, asked Li Yifei with curiosity.


    "Yes, she got them for me. No one else could have managed that."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing immediately looked at Li Yifei with peculiar expressions. Li Yifei, feeling quite uncomfortable under their gaze, rolled his eyes and said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    He Fangqing and Xu Yingying exchanged glances before Xu Yingying spoke, "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd that Miss Su came here?"


    He Fangqing nodded in agreement, "Yes, considering her significant background that you told me about, I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around why she would come to invest here. But now, I feel like I¡¯ve found the reason."


    Xu Yingying also nodded and added, "That¡¯s right. It seems quite clear that Miss Su came here specifically for this guy¡ªthe way she made him president and brought him such valuable cigarettes."


    Li Yifei pointed at them and burst into laughter, his expression conveying that he thought they were complete idiots, "You two... you¡¯re hilarious... Your idea is simply a flight of fancy, an absolute impossibility."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s exaggerated response, He Fangqing and Xu Yingying were somewhat perplexed. They both felt that Su Mengxin had come for Li Yifei. Xu Yingying said, "Didn¡¯t you know Su Mengxin from before? Didn¡¯t you save her once?"


    Li Yifei continued to try to contain his amusement, "That was during a mission. With so many soldiers around, it was good enough that she could recognize me at all. How could she possibly take interest in me?"


    Su Mengxin had told Xu Yingying the reasons why she knew Li Yifei, but she never mentioned that he was part of the Flying Hawk Squad, nor did she share the specific details with Xu Yingying. Given her status, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t intrude with questions unless Su Mengxin volunteered the information. Now with Li Yifei¡¯s casual remark, how could they not believe him?


    "Then why did she appoint you as president and bring you cigarettes?" He Fangqing still had doubts. Unlike Xu Yingying, who was inexperienced with relationships, He Fangqing had a failed marriage behind her and thus a deeper understanding of emotions. She continued to feel that Su Mengxin¡¯s visit was for Li Yifei.


    "In Mile City, besides me... does she know anyone else? Besides, someone with a military background tends to be trustworthy..."


    "Psht!" Xu Yingying immediately gave a disdainful look.


    Li Yifei ignored Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction and continued, "Moreover, my role as president is just in name. The real management of the company is President Xu¡¯s responsibility. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it mean Miss Su is infatuated with President Xu, wanting to get involved with her?"


    "Screw you." Xu Yingying immediately gave Li Yifei an annoyed roll of her eyes and grabbed a pen from the desk, slamming it into his chest.


    He Fangqing, however, eagerly continued her interrogation, "And what about the cigarettes? If they are so precious, why did she get them for you?"


    "For others, these cigarettes are out of reach, but with her capabilities, it¡¯s completely normal to obtain some, and it¡¯s no big deal. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s currently my neighbor, always bumming meals at my place, so it¡¯s only natural for her to get me some cigarettes," Li Yifei explained.


    "What?" He Fangqing and Xu Yingying exclaimed in surprise once again.


    Xu Yingying had never been to Li Yifei¡¯s house, but He Fangqing had stayed there before. She knew his complex was decent, but just an average residential area. Li Yifei¡¯s building had three units per floor, clearly all small apartments. For someone like Su Mengxin to move in there, could there really be no reason?


    "You don¡¯t have to look at me like that; it¡¯s none of my business. She randomly chose the place when she first arrived here. In Mile City, she just wanted to live the life of an ordinary person, occasionally coming here for a vacation. It was sheer coincidence she ended up as my neighbor, and that¡¯s how she got familiar with me, started eating at my place, brought me cigarettes, and made me a mascot CEO. Could you two not let your imaginations run wild? For a woman like Su Mengxin, if she were to marry, it would only be to the scions of the most powerful leaders within Capital City," Li Yifei clarified.


    After this explanation, both Xu Yingying and He Fangqing could understand the situation. Indeed, for a woman like Su Mengxin, used to a life in the spotlight, coming here to enjoy a quieter lifestyle was a treat. Most importantly, they knew that for Su Mengxin to be with an ordinary man like Li Yifei was simply out of the question.


    "Alright, enough with this chick chat. I have to go," said Li Yifei, standing up to leave.


    "Hey, where are you going? We can leave together," He Fangqing quickly called out.


    "I¡¯m not going with you. I have a date tonight," Li Yifei replied, smiling and winking at them before quickly dashing away.


    Although He Fangqing and Xu Yingying chased after him, Li Yifei was too fast, and to their amazement, he had taken the stairs, making it impossible for them to catch up.


    "That rascal, he slipped away just like that; he¡¯s clearly up to no good," Xu Yingying complained, quite annoyed.


    He Fangqing giggled softly, saying, "Then let¡¯s just try and find him."


    Xu Yingying shook her head, then suddenly her expression turned anxious, and she urged, "Then hurry up, he might be out with Shanshan."


    They rushed out, only to see Li Yifei¡¯s car just pulling away. Xu Yingying quickly got into her own car and, together with He Fangqing, started chasing in the direction Li Yifei had taken.


    Although only half a minute had passed, Li Yifei¡¯s car had already made quite a distance, and since it was now completely dark, it was even harder to spot his car.


    This irked Xu Yingying, who slapped the steering wheel, exclaiming, "Where the hell has that bastard gone off to?"


    "Let¡¯s just leave it be, let him off the hook today," He Fangqing said with a smile.


    Xu Yingying shook her head repeatedly, insisting, "No, no, if he is out this late with Shanshan, it¡¯s definitely no good."


    "Well, why don¡¯t you call Shanshan and see where she is?" He Fangqing suggested.


    Xu Yingying quickly took out her phone and dialed Xu Shanshan¡¯s number. After a long wait, Xu Shanshan finally answered.


    "Where are you?" Xu Yingying questioned impatiently as soon she was connected.


    "What business is it of yours where I am?" Xu Shanshan replied, nonchalantly.


    "Are you with Li Yifei?" Xu Yingying pressed on.


    "So what if I am? I¡¯m going to see a movie with my brother-in-law, is that a problem?"


    "You... Which cinema are you at?" Xu Yingying became even more irritated. They had just seen a movie yesterday, and now they were watching another one? These two were definitely up to no good.


    "I¡¯m not telling you. Are you waiting to spoil my fun? Keep dreaming," Xu Shanshan chuckled and hung up the phone.

 Chapter 177 I’m So Angry

    Chapter 177: Chapter 177 I¡¯m So Angry"Xu Shanshan, you little wretch!" Xu Yingying was so angry that she almost threw her phone away. Her eyes narrowed as she said, "Sister Fangqing, let¡¯s go find her."


    He Fangqing immediately asked, "Do you know how many movie theaters there are in Mile City? And where they all are?"


    Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. Though she had been working in Mile City for several years, she had never watched a single movie. She had no idea how many theaters there were or where to locate them. She quickly said, "I can use the navigation to find them."


    "Then give it a try."


    Xu Yingying typed ¡¯movie theater¡¯ into the navigation app and found six cinemas. Apart from the two in the city center, the others were spread out. If they were to search each one by one, it would definitely take a lot of time.


    Normally, if Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were going to watch a movie, they would choose a nearby cinema. But considering Xu Shanshan¡¯s character, to avoid letting her sister find them, she might well choose a very remote place. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t just one screening hall in a movie theater. It wasn¡¯t possible for them to search like policemen, checking each and every screening hall.


    This approach wasn¡¯t feasible, which frustrated Xu Yingying. At that moment, He Fangqing interjected, "I think, Yingying, it¡¯s better to just call Li Yifei."


    "Call him directly? He just ran off. Would he even tell us where he is?" Xu Yingying frowned.


    "If he doesn¡¯t tell, then he doesn¡¯t tell. But you have to let him know that you care about him. It¡¯s not just lip service. At least then he¡¯ll have some concerns and won¡¯t act recklessly."


    Xu Yingying thought that He Fangqing made a lot of sense. She was so afraid of Xu Shanshan being with Li Yifei that she became anxious and lost her composure. Otherwise, as a president like her, she could easily differentiate such simple logic.


    Picking up the phone, Xu Yingying composed her emotions before dialing Li Yifei¡¯s number.


    The phone rang for quite a while before connecting. Xu Yingying opened her mouth but was unsure what to say next. Just yesterday, she had been in a quarrel with Xu Shanshan, which made her bold enough to say what she did in front of Li Yifei. Today, with He Fangqing beside her, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak those kinds of words.


    "President Xu, are you looking for me for something?" Li Yifei was the first to speak.


    "Yes, there¡¯s something about recruiting. I have some matters to discuss with you," Xu Yingying could only lean on work-related matters, which made it natural to talk about.


    Li Yifei immediately expressed his dissatisfaction, "President Xu, it¡¯s almost nine o¡¯clock. Overtime is over, and you¡¯re still piling work on me. This is even worse than Fan the debt collector."


    Xu Yingying was somewhat annoyed with Li Yifei¡¯s tone. If anyone else had spoken to her like that, she would have given them the cold shoulder, but she didn¡¯t dare to do the same with Li Yifei. She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice gentler, "You know the company¡¯s situation as well. Director He and I discussed it further, and some departments still need people."


    "Let¡¯s talk about it at work tomorrow then, the movie is about to start," Li Yifei said, and then hung up the call.


    "Hello? Hello?" Xu Yingying yelled twice, only to be met with the dial tone. This truly irritated her, not only because Li Yifei hung up on her, but because that guy was really off to watch a movie, obviously with Xu Shanshan.


    "Don¡¯t worry, although Li Yifei did say he¡¯s going to watch a movie, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean he¡¯s with Shanshan. Maybe he¡¯s with his girlfriend," He Fangqing suggested.


    "As if such coincidences happen!" Xu Yingying said, shaking her head in frustration.


    "It¡¯s quite possible. Think about it, Li Yifei is willing to cut ties with me for his little girlfriend. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be together with Shanshan either, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be avoiding both of us, right?"


    "That... he gets along with Shanshan. They have fun together, unlike how boring it is with me," Xu Yingying mumbled.


    He Fangqing laughed softly, "You realize you¡¯re boring when with him, right? Then you¡¯ve got to change yourself. Men might like beautiful women, but your personality is too strong. When you¡¯re with him, you always take a condescending approach. Men need face and self-respect. If you don¡¯t lower your stance, then if he has to choose, he¡¯ll definitely pick Shanshan."


    Xu Yingying angrily hit the steering wheel, "What should I do then? Pamper him all the time?"


    "That¡¯s not necessary. You should actually make use of your strengths. You¡¯re a president, a woman that people like but also fear. If you want to show him you¡¯re different, even if you¡¯re strong, it¡¯ll make him feel proud."


    "How do I show I¡¯m different?"


    "You really don¡¯t know anything, do you? I wonder how you¡¯ve managed all these years. It¡¯s simple. You can step down from your position and go out of your way to do something for him. Or, if there are three people in the room ¨C you, Li Yifei, and another man ¨C if you¡¯re cold to the other man but warm to him, that will make a difference. In short, you should treat him differently to how you treat others, and things will naturally work themselves out."


    "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll make an effort from now on. But what about today? That guy¡¯s gone to the movies with Shanshan," Xu Yingying insisted on the matter.


    "Maybe it¡¯s not really the two of them. Anyway, thinking too much about it now won¡¯t help. Let¡¯s just head back for now." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying, having no choice, drove He Fangqing back home; Fangqing¡¯s current place of residence was not far from her own. Then, she returned to her own home, only to find that Xu Shanshan was indeed not there. This aggravated her even more. She tried calling Xu Shanshan numerous times, but Shanshan had simply turned off her phone. When she called Li Yifei, he had also switched off his phone, which infuriated Yingying to the point where she really wanted to catch the two of them and give them a scolding.


    Li Yifei was unaware of Xu Yingying¡¯s frustration. He was currently with Michelle, both holding a bag of popcorn and some other snacks, sitting inside the movie theatre.


    The movie hadn¡¯t started yet, and with some concern, Michelle said, "Brother Li, President Xu just called you, are you really not going back?"


    "No, it¡¯s after work hours now, why should I listen to her?"


    "But... the company is so busy right now, President Xu must have something important for you. It won¡¯t be good if you don¡¯t go."


    "There¡¯s nothing bad about it. These things, whether done a day earlier or later, won¡¯t make much difference. We¡¯re already here, and we¡¯ve bought the movie tickets. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste if we didn¡¯t watch it?"


    Michelle felt a sweetness in her heart and sneakily glanced at Li Yifei, whispering, "It¡¯s not a lot of money anyway, we could watch it another time when we have a chance."


    "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve been worn out today, I want to relax a bit," said Li Yifei as he grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it into his mouth. He hadn¡¯t even had dinner yet, so he had to make do with this snack to stave off the hunger.


    At that moment, the lights in the theater dimmed, and the movie started playing. Michelle and Li Yifei ceased their conversation.


    The movie showing today was a romance film. Li Yifei was not particularly fond of such movies, but nor did he dislike them, especially since he was genuinely going to be in a relationship with Su Yiyi; watching such a movie could make him relate a bit, so he wasn¡¯t too downhearted.


    Michelle, on the other hand, was thoroughly engrossed in the movie, and even discreetly wiped her tears during the touching moments. She was a very emotional girl.


    After the movie ended, Michelle was still immersed in the plot, her eyes slightly red. This prompted Li Yifei to say with a bit of amusement, "Is it really that moving?"


    "It¡¯s so touching, especially when the male lead risked his life to save the female lead. It was so heartwarming. If there were a man like that who would risk his life to save me, I would marry him without a moment¡¯s hesitation." As she said this, Michelle suddenly thought of the incident that had happened in the elevator; although nothing had come of it, it was only because the elevator hadn¡¯t truly malfunctioned. If it had, then Li Yifei would have been genuinely risking his life to save her.


    "Everything in movies is made up; you believe that?" Li Yifei laughed, shaking his head.


    "Of course I believe it. Some things from movies do happen in real life." Michelle really wanted to say that Li Yifei was like the movie¡¯s male lead, but she still didn¡¯t have the courage to say so.


    "Heh, no wonder these movies make money. Turns out it¡¯s all of you young girls who like them. Eh, when did it start raining so hard?"


    "Ah, yeah, it¡¯s raining really heavily."


    When they arrived at the theater¡¯s entrance, they saw the rain pouring outside, and the ground had already formed small streams of accumulated water.


    At the entrance, a crowd of people who didn¡¯t expect such weather hadn¡¯t brought umbrellas, and with the rain pouring down at night, the girls didn¡¯t have sun umbrellas, making it quite troublesome to go outside.


    "Michelle!"


    Li Yifei and Michelle were standing at the door. Their car was parked about ten meters in front of the theater door. With the heavy rain, heading straight out would certainly soak them, so they decided to wait for the rain to ease off a bit before going to the car. At that moment, a woman¡¯s shout came from behind.


    Li Yifei and Michelle turned around and saw a flamboyantly dressed woman walking over, arm in arm with a man.


    Michelle showed a look of joy and said, "Sunxi Lii, what are you doing here?"


    The woman named Sunxi Lii reached Michelle and said, "My husband and I came to watch a movie."


    "Ah, you¡¯re married?" Michelle looked at Sunxi Lii in surprise, then turned to the man beside her.


    "Not yet, but we will be soon," Sunxi Lii said proudly with a smile. "Let me introduce you. This is Wu Lindong, my fianc¨¦, and he is a manager at Tianli Group."


    Michelle quickly responded, "Tianli Group, that¡¯s a big company. To be a manager there, that¡¯s really impressive."


    Sunxi Lii lifted her chin with pride and said, "Indeed. And this must be your boyfriend. May I ask where he works?"


    As Sunxi Lii asked this, she had an air of condescension, looking down on Michelle and Li Yifei slightly.

 Chapter 178 Showing Off

    Chapter 178: Chapter 178 Showing OffMichelle did not seem to notice Sun Li¡¯s arrogant attitude. When Li Yifei was referred to as her boyfriend, her cheeks flushed red, and she twisted in embarrassment, unsure of how to respond. Glancing at Li Yifei, seeing he had no objection, she timidly nodded with a flushed face.


    Li Yifei did not object, mainly because he felt that even though Sun Li was Michelle¡¯s classmate, their relationship did not seem very close. This woman might very well use any opportunity to belittle Michelle. If he had another identity, it wouldn¡¯t be convenient to stand up for Michelle, but as her boyfriend, he could fully take her side.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s embarrassment, Sun Li thought Michelle was too shy to talk about Li Yifei¡¯s job. With a smug smile, she said, "Michelle, where exactly does your boyfriend work, huh? We are old classmates, there¡¯s nothing to be shy about."


    Only then did Michelle say, "He¡¯s a manager in the Human Resources Department at Dreamfly Company."


    Wu Lindong, who had been watching Michelle the entire time, was satisfied with his fianc¨¦e Sun Li, but felt she paled in comparison to Michelle¡ªespecially Michelle¡¯s refined and ethereal quality, which was very appealing to men. Even though Michelle had a boyfriend, he wanted to overshadow Li Yifei, to show off his own superiority. Not that he had any designs on Michelle, but this was a typical male mentality.


    "Dreamfly Company, I haven¡¯t heard of any major company by that name in Mile City, should be a small company, right?" Wu Lindong said with a faint smile, trying to appear urbane and elegant.


    Li Yifei too gave a slight smile and said, "It¡¯s a newly established company, so it¡¯s normal Mr. Wu hasn¡¯t heard of it."


    Wu Lindong said with a smile, "Oh, that explains it. But it¡¯s quite amusing that such a small company even has a Human Resources Department."


    Typically, companies with fewer than fifty employees do not set up a Human Resources Department unless they are large corporations with many employees and high staff turnover, necessitating a department to manage personnel and replenish the workforce.


    Sun Li quickly chimed in, "So your company is just messing around, right? A small company with a Human Resources Department, that¡¯s just an idle position."


    If Sun Li criticized her, Michelle wouldn¡¯t have cared, but now that Sun Li and Wu Lindong were targeting Li Yifei, it bothered her. And yet, she wasn¡¯t one to argue with people when upset. Her face turned red with urgency, she insisted, "Our company has just been established, but it will soon become one of the top companies in Mile City."


    Wu Lindong burst into laughter, scornfully glanced at Li Yifei, and said, "Really? One of the top companies in Mile City, that¡¯s quite a big dream. But do you even know how much those top companies are worth?"


    Sun Li patted Michelle¡¯s shoulder with a sly smile, "Michelle, since when did you become such a bragger? A top-five company, that would have to be a major group like Tianli Group. This Dream... what was it? Oh right, Dreamfly Company, I¡¯ve never even heard of it, and you¡¯re talking about top five in Mile City? That¡¯s just a big pie in the sky your boss has painted for you. Here¡¯s an idea, why not get your boyfriend to switch jobs? Lindong, isn¡¯t your department hiring? How about you hire Michelle¡¯s boyfriend, and give him, what, at least three or four thousand a month?"


    Wu Lindong felt confident he was much more formidable than Li Yifei, but his girlfriend didn¡¯t measure up to Li Yifei¡¯s standards, which left him feeling discontent. Hearing Sun Li¡¯s words, he pretended to consider, showing a hint of difficulty, and said, "My department does indeed need people, but... I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s suitable."


    Sun Li was ecstatic with Wu Lindong¡¯s cooperation, barely able to hide her excitement, and quickly added, "Exactly, the manager of a small company¡¯s HR Department, that¡¯s basically a do-nothing job. We have no idea if Michelle¡¯s boyfriend would be a good fit, but that job is just a word away for you. Do it for the sake of old classmates and give him a hand, can¡¯t you?"


    "Alright! For the sake of your and Michelle¡¯s old classmateship, I¡¯ll help, no matter how difficult it is. Come to the logistics department of Tianli Group¡¯s Mingcheng branch tomorrow morning to find me." Turns out this guy is just a manager of a small department in a Tianli Group branch. Quite the performance he¡¯s put on.


    And these two just kept going on with their self-directed, self-acted drama, never once asking if Li Yifei agreed at all.


    Michelle was quite angry initially, but seeing these two acting like performing clowns, her anger dissipated. Looking at Li Yifei, they shared a knowing smile. Michelle said openly and directly, "Then I really should thank our old classmate. But Yifei likes his current job and doesn¡¯t want to change places."


    Sun Li had expected Michelle to be very grateful, which would have made herself even more triumphant. The conflict between Sun Li and Michelle originated because Michelle had always been the focus of the boys in their class, and though Sun Li considered herself attractive, the boys were drawn to Michelle, leaving her feeling imbalanced and resentful towards Michelle. Women¡¯s jealousy can be so inexplicable at times. Now that she had a chance to outdo Michelle, she was reluctant to let it go. Seeing Michelle showing no gratitude, she hastily insisted, "Don¡¯t be like that, people go upwards, water flows downwards. I¡¯m trying to help you here, don¡¯t be ungrateful. With Lindong¡¯s support, your boyfriend could be promoted to deputy manager in a few years, it¡¯s possible."


    Michelle offered a slight smile and said, "I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to decline our old classmate¡¯s kindness. It¡¯s getting late, so Yifei and I will be leaving. You all carry on." She also felt there wasn¡¯t much to talk about with Sunx Lii; even if they were old classmates, there was no need to keep in touch if the relationship wasn¡¯t good.


    Seeing that Michelle really was about to leave, Sunx Lii couldn¡¯t hide her displeasure. Her tone soured as she said, "Hey, Michelle, you really don¡¯t know a good thing when you see it. I¡¯m kindly trying to help you, and how can you be so ungrateful? Don¡¯t you want to have a house to live in and a car to drive?"


    Michelle glanced at Li Yifei, then naturally took his arm and replied, "Of course I want those things, but I would much rather strive together with Brother Li. Through our own efforts, we hope to create a home of our own. After all, what¡¯s the point of life if everything is ready-made?"


    Li Yifei deeply admired what Michelle had said. This girl was truly remarkable, and any man who could marry her would undoubtedly be happy for life. He squeezed her hand and gave her an encouraging look.


    Michelle immediately felt sweeter than honey inside. Holding tight to Li Yifei¡¯s hand, she said to Sunx Lii, "Sorry, Sunx Lii, but it¡¯s late and we have to go."


    Sunx Lii¡¯s face turned sour but seeing that it was still raining outside¡ªalthough much lighter than before¡ªwith fine raindrops, she quickly stepped forward and said, "Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. It¡¯s late and still raining. It¡¯s hard to hail a cab, so let us drive you. We have a car."


    Michelle smiled faintly and responded, "We have a car as well."


    Surprised, Sunx Lii looked toward the cinema entrance where a few cars were parked: a red Porsche, Wu Lindong¡¯s Camry, and a domestic little QQ. She immediately assumed that the QQ must belong to Michelle and Li Yifei.


    Pulling Wu Lindong along, she caught up with Michelle, who had reached the door, and asked, "How come you guys bought such a car?"


    Michelle had no idea Sunx Lii was referring to the QQ. Li Yifei, with a keen understanding, quickly caught the implication and replied, "Yeah, money is tight, so we could only afford such a car."


    Michelle knew the car Li Yifei was driving belonged to the company. Although she didn¡¯t fully understand why Li Yifei was driving a car even better than President Xu¡¯s and hadn¡¯t had time to ask these days, she was still somewhat puzzled by his sudden statement. But since Li Yifei had said so, she didn¡¯t say anything further.


    Sunx Lii, triumphant, said, "Look at you two. How can you drive such a car? It¡¯s so embarrassing to be seen in it."


    Michelle was taken aback, her mouth falling open slightly. A Porsche 991 was worth millions. If that¡¯s embarrassing, then what car should one drive?


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "Isn¡¯t a car just a means to get from one place to another? As long as it runs when you fill it with gas, that¡¯s all that matters."


    Wu Lindong immediately said with pride, "That¡¯s not right. For a man, one of life¡¯s greatest passions¡ªit¡¯s definitely one of the top two¡ªis cars. It¡¯s a symbol of a person¡¯s achievements and status. If you don¡¯t have the ability, it¡¯s better not to buy a car at all, rather than buying such a junk car. It¡¯s just too embarrassing."


    Lines of confusion crossed Michelle¡¯s forehead. Wu Lindong¡¯s remarks were outrageous. Was he so wealthy that even a car worth millions seemed trivial to him? But to call it embarrassing seemed extreme. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Conveniently, the rain stopped at that moment. Wu Lindong and Sunx Lii headed towards their car, and as they walked, Sunx Lii said to Michelle, "Look at my husband¡¯s car, a Toyota Camry, the 2.4 high-end configuration worth over two hundred thousand. It¡¯s so comfortable to drive. Heh, compared to you guys driving a QQ, you wouldn¡¯t understand."


    Having such a car had always been Wu Lindong¡¯s pride. He raised his head and said, "Don¡¯t say it like that. A car is a transportation tool. As long as it¡¯s convenient, it¡¯s all the same whether it¡¯s a good or a bad car."


    His words seemed humble, but his face radiated smug satisfaction. Anyone could see that he and Sunx Lii were just showing off, albeit not as sharply as Sunx Lii.

 Chapter 179 This Car Is So Freaking Awesome

    Chapter 179: Chapter 179 This Car Is So Freaking AwesomeWu Lindong stylishly pressed the lock button, and the Camry¡¯s lights flashed with a pleasing sound. Sun Lii walked over, opened the passenger door, and said to Michelle, "Michelle, do you want to come in and sit for a while, experience what a good car feels like?"


    Michelle really didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry about this classmate. They owned just a Camry, yet how could they say that the Porsche Li Yifei drove was a crappy car? She truly had no idea what they were thinking as she shook her head, "No, we¡¯ll just take our own car."


    Sun Lii¡¯s mouth curled up in pride and she said, "Alright then, I hope you also can afford a good car soon, so you won¡¯t lose face at future class reunions or anything."


    Michelle nodded and replied, "We¡¯ll work hard at it."


    Sun Lii, who had already taken her seat in the car, now came out again, leaning on the door frame. "You go ahead," she said, feeling that if she didn¡¯t watch Michelle get into that QQ, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make Michelle feel inferior, to let out that pent up frustration of many years.


    Li Yifei chuckled and remarked, "Michelle, let¡¯s head off then."


    Sun Lii quickly nodded her head repeatedly, "Yes, you go ahead," although her eyes were fixed on the QQ. She craved that thrill.


    Just then, a young couple approached and the man directly opened the door of the QQ, then the two of them got in and drove away.


    Sun Lii and Wu Lindong were startled. Wasn¡¯t the QQ supposed to be Li Yifei and Michelle¡¯s? How did it end up that someone else drove it away? This meant that the QQ was not their car at all, and now the only ones left were their Camry and that Porsche. The Porsche definitely wasn¡¯t Li Yifei and Michelle¡¯s, which made Sun Lii, after a moment of stunned realization, gleefully ecstatic. It turned out that Michelle and Li Yifei didn¡¯t have a car at all, yet here they were pretending to have one.


    Sun Lii frowned slightly and said with feigned seriousness, "Michelle, that¡¯s not quite right of you, is it? If we don¡¯t have a car, let¡¯s work hard and save to buy one. How can you say you have one when you don¡¯t? This isn¡¯t like the Michelle I know. When did you become so vain, and when did you start lying? We¡¯re old classmates; do you really need to be like this?"


    As she said this, Sun Lii felt an indescribable pleasure inside. She had always known that Michelle was more beautiful than her and very conscientious, good in her studies at school and surely just as diligent at work. Aside from boyfriends, Sun Lii felt she couldn¡¯t compete with Michelle in any way. Yet, now she unexpectedly had the chance to criticize Michelle, and she relished it.


    Wu Lindong¡¯s eyes narrowed. Since Michelle liked to appear vain, she must really love money. If he made a move in the future, perhaps he could make her his mistress. She would certainly bring more prestige than Sun Lii when taken out in public.


    Confused by Sun Lii¡¯s questioning, Michelle said, "We never said we bought a car. The car is from the company, and they let Yifei drive it."


    Smacking her lips, Sun Lii retorted, "Michelle, why are you still denying it? There are only two cars here and you still claim you have one. Don¡¯t tell me this Porsche is yours? You¡¯re seriously going to make me die laughing."


    "Exactly, exactly!" Wu Lindong nodded and added, "Here in Mile City, there aren¡¯t more than five Porsches in total, and usually, only wealthy Young Masters and the like would own such cars. Which company would use a Porsche as an Official vehicle? I¡¯ve been in the business world for a few years now and know most of the bosses, and I¡¯ve never seen any company use a Porsche as an official car. What you¡¯re saying... it¡¯s just too far-fetched."


    Michelle smiled wryly and nodded, "Then I don¡¯t know."


    Sun Lii cut Michelle off and waved her hand more arrogantly, "Enough, enough, Michelle. Let us give you a ride. It¡¯s no big deal to be without a car."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything but pressed the remote for the Porsche. Instantly, the Porsche¡¯s headlights illuminated. He then walked over, opened the passenger door for Michelle, and said, "Michelle, let¡¯s go."


    Michelle nodded, gave Sun Lii an apologetic nod, and said, "Sorry, but we have to be going."


    Watching Michelle get into the car, Sun Lii and Wu Lindong were dumbstruck. They had always assumed that Li Yifei, the small-time manager of a minor company, was nothing but a no-account. They never once considered the Porsche at his side might be his to drive.


    Especially after mocking Michelle continuously, seeing her get into the car felt like a slap across their mouths. Their faces instantly flushed to the color of pig liver, mouths gaping so wide they couldn¡¯t close them. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That was a Porsche 991, a luxury car worth millions. With the cost of his Camry, one could afford ten of those without breaking a sweat. And there they were, comparing their Camry with it ¨C the more they thought about it, the more embarrassed they became, wishing the ground would swallow them up.


    Before getting into the car, Michelle waved at Sun Lii, saying, "Goodbye."


    "Good... goodbye..." Sun Lii felt her arm stiff as if lead had been poured into it, her voice so weak she could barely hear herself, until the Porsche 991 sped away out of sight, still unable to snap back into reality.


    "Husband, weren¡¯t you saying that Dreamfly Company is a small company?" It took Sun Lii a while to recover before she asked Wu Lindong with confusion.


    Wu Lindong was frowning as he said, "Yes, Mile City only has a few big companies, and there¡¯s definitely no Dreamfly among them. I see now, Li Yifei must be some rich Young Master, and Michelle is kept by him. As for the company and manager titles, they must simply be his playthings."


    Sun Lii snorted, "I thought so. Hmph, even if he¡¯s wealthy, what¡¯s the big deal? She¡¯s still just a mistress to someone, nothing to be proud of."


    The words were so sour one could almost feel a toothache, and her face clearly displayed envy, jealousy, and resentment.


    At this moment, Michelle was in the car with Li Yifei, unable to suppress her mixed feelings of laughter and tears as she said, "What¡¯s the deal with Sunx Lii? Her words are always so incoherent."


    Li Yifei, hands on the steering wheel, laughed and said, "She must have always been jealous of you. Now that she¡¯s doing well, she wanted to show off in front of you, but it backfired and she ended up embarrassing herself instead."


    Michelle sighed and said, "She¡¯s always had a problem with me, I didn¡¯t expect that after all these years, she would still be the same. By the way, Brother Li, you¡¯re not angry about what she said, are you?"


    Li Yifei turned his head to glance at Michelle, smiling amiably as he said, "What¡¯s there for me to be angry about?"


    "As long as you¡¯re not upset. I was afraid that her words might have angered you."


    "I¡¯m not so petty. Alright, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll take you home."


    About ten minutes later, Li Yifei dropped Michelle off outside of her residential complex. Michelle opened the car door, turned her head to look at Li Yifei, and revealed a sweet smile as she said, "Brother Li, thank you for accompanying me to the movies."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "What¡¯s there to thank me for? Aren¡¯t we friends? It¡¯s just watching a movie."


    Michelle¡¯s cheeks tinged with a hint of red as she softly said, "Can I still invite Brother Li to watch movies with me in the future?"


    Li Yifei could tell from Michelle¡¯s expression that there was a hint of affection in her words. Previously, he hadn¡¯t wanted to get involved in a romantic relationship, but now that he and Su Yiyi had confirmed their relationship, he didn¡¯t want to be unfair to her. So, he just smiled at Michelle and said, "Of course, as long as my girlfriend doesn¡¯t have any plans, you can call me."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes lit up as she said, "Then it¡¯s a deal, don¡¯t try to back out when the time comes."


    "Of course not. Hurry on home, it¡¯s already late," Li Yifei said with a beaming smile, waving his hand.


    Michelle happily got out of the car, waved back at Li Yifei, and stood at the entrance of her complex. Yet, she kept watching Li Yifei¡¯s car. Li Yifei knew that if he didn¡¯t leave, Michelle wouldn¡¯t go inside. So he turned the steering wheel, honked the horn, and quickly drove away.


    Michelle wasn¡¯t upset earlier when he mentioned his girlfriend, which took a load off Li Yifei¡¯s mind. Maybe Michelle really just considered him a good friend. In that case, it would be much more comfortable interacting with her in the future.


    When he got home, Li Yifei turned on his phone to find several missed calls, all from Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan. He ignored Xu Yingying¡¯s calls and was hesitating whether to return Xu Shanshan¡¯s call when her phone rang again.


    "Shanshan, why are you so eager to find me?" Li Yifei asked.


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law, why were you unreachable all this time?"


    "I went to see a movie with someone and turned off my phone."


    "You actually went to watch a movie? With your girlfriend?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice rose several decibels.


    "No, with a friend."


    "Wow, Brother-in-law, that¡¯s not cool. You didn¡¯t go with your girlfriend but went with someone else to the movies. Was it a pretty girl?"


    "Haha, what do you need me for?"


    "To hang out with you, of course. Didn¡¯t I say I was going to pursue you? Naturally, I have to ask you out on a date," Xu Shanshan said and giggled.


    "Shanshan, don¡¯t tease me like that."


    "I¡¯m serious! Anyway, I think Brother-in-law is great, and since my sister is blind to that, I¡¯ll steal you away to be my husband, leaving her to be your sister-in-law, haha. Just thinking about it is thrilling. You used to be her boyfriend; I called you Brother-in-law. Later, when you become my husband, she¡¯ll have to call you Brother-in-law too," Xu Shanshan said with a laugh.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on. What was Xu Shanshan thinking? With a wry smile, he said, "Shanshan, my heart isn¡¯t strong enough to handle your teasing. Please spare me."


    "Not a chance. To like is to like. If I don¡¯t fight for what I like, I¡¯ll regret it for life. I won¡¯t be foolish like my sister, only focusing on work," Xu Shanshan replied.

 Chapter 180: Let’s Get Started

    Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Let¡¯s Get Started"Shanshan, let¡¯s not talk about this. What did you actually want to see me for?" Li Yifei quickly changed the subject.


    Xu Shanshan immediately voiced her dissatisfaction, "Brother-in-law, am I really that bad that you won¡¯t give me a chance?"


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly and decisively avoided continuing the topic with Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan was indeed not bad, pretty and lively. Being with her would surely never be dull, but since Li Yifei had already promised Su Yiyi, and he also felt that a girl like Su Yiyi might be more suitable for him, he didn¡¯t want to create any more trouble.


    "You¡¯re really being unfair, brother-in-law. You¡¯ve hugged and carried me, and I¡¯ve even been to bed with you, and now you¡¯re wiping your mouth clean and denying it all after the fact."


    Li Yifei was at a loss whether to laugh or cry because of Xu Shanshan. He said, "Shanshan, there were reasons for that."


    "Alright, I won¡¯t pressure you anymore, but I¡¯m not going to give up. However...


    Li Yifei was delighted at Xu Shanshan¡¯s change of tone and hurriedly said, "Whatever it is, just tell me. As long as your brother-in-law can help, I definitely will."


    "You said it!"


    "I did, and I¡¯ll keep my word, but don¡¯t make it too difficult for me."


    "I¡¯m not Zhao Min; how could I make things hard for you? I just want you to tell my sister later that you were out watching a movie with me tonight."


    "Why? Doesn¡¯t that just cause more conflict between you and your sister?"


    "It¡¯s not about conflict; it¡¯s about making her understand that I¡¯m closer to you than she is. It¡¯s to push her to bow out sooner to avoid hurting the feelings between us sisters."


    "This... I feel like it¡¯s more likely to worsen the relationship between you sisters?"


    "You don¡¯t understand my sister. She¡¯s the type who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Can¡¯t you see? She only said she wanted to be with you to prevent you from being with me. It¡¯s not true at all, so once she knows we¡¯re together, she¡¯ll just be upset, not hate me."


    "Oh, I see. That¡¯s why your sister suddenly said something like that. Now I understand."


    "Hehe, I knew you were the best, brother-in-law. So it¡¯s settled then, I can finally go home."


    "Sweat, you¡¯ve been outside this whole time?"


    "Isn¡¯t that because you weren¡¯t answering your phone? I had no idea when you¡¯d finish watching the movie, so without knowing when you¡¯d be home, I couldn¡¯t go back either."


    "Then you should hurry back."


    "Got it, see you, brother-in-law."


    After hanging up, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face was brimming with a smug smile. She had said Xu Yingying wanted to be with Li Yifei for her, the sister, which was not a lie, and that Xu Yingying was tough-talking but soft-hearted, which was also true. However, she had not mentioned that Xu Yingying was an extremely competitive person. The more challenging something was, the more she wanted to achieve it; the greater the difficulty, the more she wanted to take it on.


    The next day, Li Yifei arrived early at the company. Today was the day of the interview, and he couldn¡¯t afford to be late. Meanwhile, in the company¡¯s lobby, there were already dozens of people waiting. As applicants, they were even more anxious than Li Yifei and the others.


    After arriving and seeing the imposing office building and the parking lot filled with luxury cars, they began to form a preliminary approval of the company¡¯s strength. Even if this company was new, they could imagine that its future development was definitely promising. So those who came with a casual attitude now truly wanted to work there.


    Li Yifei met with Xu Yingying and He Fangqing first. Xu Yingying, upon seeing Li Yifei, glared at him fiercely but didn¡¯t bring up last night¡¯s event. Instead, she went straight to discussing the recruitment. As the company president, her main priority was to separate personal emotions from company business. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The recruitment that day involved several important figures within the company. Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing were the main interviewers, while Michelle simply took on the role of the recorder.


    They interviewed over a hundred people throughout the morning, taking only a half-hour break before continuing with the interviews.


    Finally, at a little past five in the afternoon, the entire interview process was complete, and they could all finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Li Yifei planned to slip away quietly, but Xu Yingying called him to her office. Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying had been holding back all day, and she would not be content until she clarified last night¡¯s events. If not today, she would ask the same questions tomorrow.


    This time it was just the two of them; He Fangqing did not come over. Li Yifei sat on the sofa, leisurely smoking a cigarette, while Xu Yingying stood with her arms crossed, a stern look on her face, staring intently at Li Yifei. She said, "What did you and Shanshan do yesterday?"


    "We watched a movie," Li Yifei answered with a flick of ash from his cigarette and a smile on his face.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze turned icy. "That¡¯s all you did? You just watched a movie and nothing else?"


    "What else could we do? If we watched a movie, that¡¯s what we did."


    Xu Yingying leaned forward, giving herself a more oppressive presence as she spoke to Li Yifei. "Hmph, you really didn¡¯t do anything else?"


    "President Xu, I really didn¡¯t do anything. You think I could sleep with Shanshan? I have a girlfriend now. How could I do such a thing?" Yifei shrugged.


    "You have a girlfriend and still go to the movies with Shanshan. Can¡¯t you stop giving her opportunities?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Shanshan and I don¡¯t have anything going on, and I didn¡¯t plan to develop anything with her. Even if I were married, I couldn¡¯t possibly avoid interacting with other women, could I? According to you, if I had a girlfriend, should I also not work here? The president is a woman, Fangqing is a woman, Michelle is a woman, and they are all beautiful."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei. "How can that be the same? Shanshan is clearly interested in dating you."


    "That¡¯s her business; I won¡¯t agree to it."


    Xu Yingying stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, who did not shy away from her gaze. From his eyes, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t see any guilt, which forced her to believe Li Yifei. However, she knew her younger sister better ¨C once that girl had set her mind on something, not even ten oxen could pull her back. Like when she insisted on learning to dance against the family¡¯s wishes, she simply refused to come home for days until they had no choice but to agree with her. Yingying now dared not to push Xu Shanshan too hard, knowing if she upset her, it was quite possible that the girl would run straight to Li Yifei¡¯s place to live.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll trust you," Xu Yingying nodded, taking it as settling the issue with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "President Xu, this is my personal business, not official business. Could you please not speak to me with that tone? I don¡¯t need your trust."


    Xu Yingying was momentarily speechless, her face turning an unpleasant color, but Li Yifei was stating the truth. On this issue, she had no right to meddle.


    Yet this made Xu Yingying feel quite unhappy. She glared at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t forget that I will be working with you too, so I will pay attention to your personal matters."


    "Haha... Then suit yourself," Li Yifei laughed heartily as he stood up and left Xu Yingying¡¯s office.


    This action caused Xu Yingying¡¯s face to turn a shade of green with anger. What did he mean by that? When she said she would be with Li Yifei, he laughed. Was it something to laugh about? Could it be that she, Xu Yingying, wanted to be with a man and had to be looked down upon by that man?


    "Li Yifei, you bastard, to treat me like this... I¡¯d like to see if you can fly out of the palm of Xu Yingying¡¯s hand."


    Li Yifei¡¯s attitude only stimulated Xu Yingying¡¯s competitive spirit. Even if she didn¡¯t like Li Yifei right now, she absolutely wouldn¡¯t let Li Yifei look down on her.


    After two days of recruiting and careful sorting, they finally chose more than two hundred people as company employees. In the Human Resources Department, Li Yifei had four subordinates, which was probably the least in the entire company.


    The four people were quite capable: two women in their thirties and two young men in their twenties. But Li Yifei still lacked a secretary.


    That really bothered Li Yifei, so he specifically went to argue with Xu Yingying about it.


    "If you go be the CEO, not to mention one secretary, you could have three or five, no problem. I think Cui Jia is pretty good; she¡¯s not only beautiful but also young with dimples when she smiles," Xu Yingying said with a sweet smile on her face.


    Li Yifei immediately felt annoyed and said, "Are you deliberately doing this?"


    Holding a pen in her hand and gently tapping on the table, Xu Yingying replied, "Yes, I am doing it on purpose. You¡¯re not allowed to find a young and beautiful secretary."


    "Give me a reason," Li Yifei demanded, staring at Xu Yingying.


    "You will be my husband, Xu Yingying, in the future. Do you think I would arrange pretty young secretaries for you?"


    That statement left Li Yifei wide-eyed, speechless as he stared at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying had been nervous when she said it, pushed by Xu Shanshan over the past couple of days. If she didn¡¯t take the initiative, Shanshan might become even closer with Li Yifei, so she blurted out the blush-inducing statement.


    But seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression gave Xu Yingying a sense of satisfaction; her smile grew wider as she said, "So just give up on that idea."


    "You¡¯re not Shanshan, are you?" Li Yifei suddenly stood up, leaned in close, his face less than two centimeters from Xu Yingying¡¯s.


    Xu Yingying had subconsciously flinched back, but then straightened up again, meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and said, "Whatever Shanshan can do, I, Xu Yingying, can do too. And when it comes to determination, I am even more steadfast than Shanshan. Once I¡¯ve set my mind to something, no one can change it, and I will definitely succeed."


    Li Yifei was now certain it was Xu Yingying, but her words made his scalp tingle with dread, and he plopped back into the chair, grinning weakly, "Can¡¯t you just let me off the hook?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s anger surged again; her words of commitment were met with rejection from Li Yifei, and he looked as if he had lost his dearest. Was she really that dreadful?


    However, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t show her emotions and slowly said, "No, I¡¯ve already decided on this matter."


    Li Yifei abruptly stood up, advanced towards Xu Yingying, glaring at her fiercely, and with a tug at his collar, he said, "Fine, then come on, I¡¯ll be your husband right now!"

 Chapter 181 Xu Yingying’s Counterattack

    Chapter 181: Chapter 181 Xu Yingying¡¯s Counterattack"You... what are you doing?" Xu Yingying panicked all of a sudden, stammering, "This is... the office."


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze toward Xu Yingying became very tender, like the tenderness of water, and his voice carried a seductive magnetism as he said deeply, "Yingying, I really hadn¡¯t thought you would have such thoughts. Do you know? I¡¯ve actually liked you for a long time. Pretending to be your boyfriend these past days has been the happiest time of my life, but it ended too quickly, almost suddenly. These days I haven¡¯t been able to eat or sleep well; whenever I have a moment to myself, I think of you, of the days we spent together."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yifei; her eyes filled with fear, her complexion turned pale, and she nearly turned to run.


    But then, Li Yifei¡¯s hands suddenly pressed down on Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders, making it impossible for her to run, and he continued, "I really hadn¡¯t thought you¡¯d feel the same about me; it¡¯s truly unimaginable. In my heart, you are a goddess, so pure and so proud. How could a nobody like me ever match you? Now I know, my thinking was wrong; the tale of the poor boy and the goddess can happen in reality too. Now, at last, I have the courage to tell you... Yingying..."


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying suddenly screamed, standing up abruptly; she even flipped over the high-backed boss chair. She flung her arms out, tearing away Li Yifei¡¯s grip, and like a frightened rabbit, she hid by the window.


    "Yingying, what¡¯s wrong with you, didn¡¯t you say you wanted me to be your husband? You weren¡¯t lying to me, were you?" Li Yifei immediately showed a panicked expression, but in a flash, it turned into profound sorrow. He shook his head and said, "Indeed, the underdog¡¯s counterattack is nothing but a story from a novel; I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m leaving."


    Having said that, Li Yifei walked toward the door as if he had lost his soul.


    Just as he opened the door, he bumped head-on into He Fangqing. He Fangqing, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s heartbroken appearance, was startled and asked anxiously, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Li Yifei sighed, shook his head, and replied, "Nothing, I¡¯m fine." Then he walked past He Fangqing and descended the stairs.


    He Fangqing wanted to follow him but stopped herself. Instead, she entered Xu Yingying¡¯s office and, in passing, closed the door. However, seeing Xu Yingying standing by the window, holding her chest with both hands, still looking shaken, He Fangqing was even more puzzled. She hurriedly walked over to Xu Yingying and asked, "Yingying, what happened between you two?"


    It was only when Xu Yingying heard He Fangqing¡¯s voice that she finally came back to her senses. She shivered and, looking around the office, asked, "Did that guy leave?"


    "Yes, he left. But what on earth happened?" He Fangqing could not understand at all. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s state, he seemed to have suffered a great blow, and Xu Yingying appeared to be greatly frightened. Moreover, just now they were clearly alone together, which made the whole situation all the more suspicious.


    Xu Yingying patted her chest, where there was not the slightest bit of a president¡¯s dignity left, and, frustrated, she exclaimed, "That guy just now... he actually declared his love for me; it scared the life out of me."


    "What?" He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, thinking she must have heard wrong.


    "Really... the way he said it was so disgusting, I got goosebumps all over." Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help shuddering again.


    He Fangqing shook her head, staring at Xu Yingying, and said, "Yingying, where is your usual cleverness? If he were a business rival, would you be so unable to distinguish between truth and lies?"


    "You¡¯re saying he was faking it?" Xu Yingying frowned.


    He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help chuckling and said, "Think about it for yourself."


    After thinking it over carefully and considering Li Yifei¡¯s usual behavior, Xu Yingying finally understood that Li Yifei had tricked her. Angrily, she slammed her hand down on the windowsill and complained, "That jerk, he really scared me just now."


    He Fangqing let out a light laugh and responded, "But I think it¡¯s quite interesting. You scared him, and he turned around and scared you. It¡¯s kind of tit for tat, and there¡¯s even a bit of a bickering lovers¡¯ vibe to it."


    "Bickering lovers with him? If it weren¡¯t for Shanshan, I couldn¡¯t be bothered with him at all," Xu Yingying, still dwelling on her recent fright caused by Li Yifei, glared with puffed-up anger.


    "Haven¡¯t you heard the saying, ¡¯It takes a hundred years to share a boat, a thousand to share a pillow¡¯? You and someone don¡¯t know how many nights you have shared together; who knows if that¡¯s a relationship developed over thousands of years? If that¡¯s not bickering lovers, then what is it?"


    Xu Yingying immediately felt embarrassed and quickly differentiated, "Although I slept in the same room with him, and on the same bed, we have nothing to do with each other, okay? Besides, you and that guy not only shared a bed but also... did that. You two are the real match."


    He Fangqing, having talked about this matter with Xu Yingying, now felt quite at ease, chuckled, and said, "Haha, I think this guy must have been a playboy for thousands of years, and he must have had no shortage of wives. Otherwise, how could he have achieved true love with so many women?"


    "Exactly, this guy must have been no good in the past!" Xu Yingying wholeheartedly agreed.


    "So, what are you planning to do now?" He Fangqing squinted at Xu Yingying.


    Wrapping her arms around herself, Xu Yingying¡¯s mind raced, and soon she revealed a smug smile, proudly saying, "This guy just confessed to me, didn¡¯t he? Well, I¡¯ll just agree to him then."


    "Pfft." He Fangqing had just taken a sip of water and sprayed it out in response, hurriedly grabbing a tissue to wipe her mouth, laughing, "I knew you would do this. Now I really want to see the look on Li Yifei¡¯s face after you agree."


    Hearing He Fangqing say this, Xu Yingying also felt excited, imagining Li Yifei¡¯s shocked and silly expression while embracing her shoulders.


    "Hmph, you scoundrel, dare to scare me? I¡¯ll play along with your words. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to end this," Xu Yingying thought to herself as she picked up the phone and dialed Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei answered quickly, his voice still carrying a sorrowful tone, "President Xu, you don¡¯t need to comfort me. I¡¯m a man who keeps work and personal life separate. Since you¡¯ve turned me down, I¡¯ll still be your colleague in the future and will continue to work diligently."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t immediately address the matter. If she said it over the phone, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see Li Yifei¡¯s expression, which wouldn¡¯t be as satisfying. Instead, she spoke indifferently, "Come up for a moment, Director He and I have some matters to discuss with you."


    Li Yifei felt something amiss in Xu Yingying¡¯s tone, but with He Fangqing present, perhaps it really was about work. Plus, there were indeed many things happening in the company, so he had no choice but to come to Xu Yingying¡¯s office once again.


    Seeing He Fangqing sitting on the sofa, elegantly sipping her cup of water, with a teasing look in her eyes, Li Yifei had a bad feeling and wanted to leave at once. But before he could move, Xu Yingying had already walked behind him and closed the door.


    "President Xu, what¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m swamped with work and have to get back down," Li Yifei made an excuse, hoping to slip away quickly. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Xu Yingying walked straight toward him, revealing a sweet smile. Before she even spoke, Li Yifei felt a chill running down his spine. Xu Yingying was usually not one to smile, and when she did, it was just a slight smile. This kind of sweet smile seemed to be reserved only for show in front of her parents during the New Year.


    Taking another step toward Li Yifei, Xu Yingying¡¯s voice became seductive, "Yifei, I really scared you just now. It was so sudden..."


    Li Yifei now felt not only a chill over his whole body but also goosebumps all over. He quickly said, "President Xu, can we talk normally? I feel really unsettled with you talking like this."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s somewhat pale face, Xu Yingying felt very amused inside, but her facial expression turned even softer. She reached out and gently placed her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, saying, "However, I can give you my answer now..."


    "You mean you disagree?" Li Yifei stepped back, but Xu Yingying followed him forward. As he retreated, Xu Yingying advanced, driving him back against the office desk until he had no place to retreat to.


    "You¡¯re wrong. I agree. Didn¡¯t I tell you that I want to be your girlfriend? Since you¡¯ve got this intention, what reason do I have not to agree?"


    After Xu Yingying finished speaking, she looked at Li Yifei with great interest, waiting for his pained expression, anticipating his panicked state.


    However, Li Yifei suddenly shouted in delight, grabbing Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders with both hands, his face beaming with joy, "Yingying, that¡¯s wonderful! I am so happy."


    Xu Yingying was stunned, gaping at Li Yifei, unable to comprehend. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be scared? How come he suddenly seemed so overjoyed, and why did it look like genuine happiness shining through his eyes?


    He Fangqing was just as flabbergasted, taken aback by Li Yifei¡¯s reaction. As an outsider, she quickly realized that Li Yifei must have seen through Xu Yingying¡¯s tactic to suppress him, and that¡¯s why he used the same method to outwit her.


    Now, she was truly curious to see how Xu Yingying would respond, how the two of them would continue their play.

 Chapter 182: The Unburdened Xu Yingying

    Chapter 182: Chapter 182: The Unburdened Xu YingyingLi Yifei looked at Xu Yingying with deep affection and said with his magnetic voice, "Yingying, thank you!"


    Caught off guard, Xu Yingying¡¯s previously dazed expression suddenly melted away, and a hint of shyness appeared on her face. Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, she whispered softly, "Sister Fangqing is still here, you know. You could be a little more discreet."


    Li Yifei, without so much as a glance at He Fangqing, said, "In my eyes, there is only you right now. Even if there was a goddess beside me, I would remain indifferent."


    Upon hearing this, He Fangqing felt rather suffocated. After all, she had shared several passionate nights with Li Yifei, and for him to say such things, she thought he truly deserved a spanking.


    A blush crept across Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks as she looked at him with eyes as soft as water, bashfully stuttering, "You really are something, saying such cheesy stuff. And you know I¡¯m not usually all that gentle; do you think you can handle me?"


    "I believe I can adapt to you, but I have my shortcomings too, and I hope you can be understanding," he replied.


    "That won¡¯t do, I¡¯m a woman after all. As a man, of course you should indulge me in every way, or else it wouldn¡¯t be real love."


    "Of course it¡¯s real love. Love is grand and should indeed be about considering the other person unconditionally, but love also requires effort to maintain. So, I hope you can be a little more forgiving of me," he said earnestly.


    "You¡¯re right, love does need to be nurtured, so let¡¯s work on that together," she agreed.


    At that moment, both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were trying to outsmart each other. Having spent some time with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei felt confident in his approach, but Xu Yingying, set on matching his persistence, displayed her business acumen. As a business elite, she was extremely shrewd at the negotiating table, an excellent actress at that, and now she brought the same prowess to their playful struggle, showing the qualities of a true elite without being overshadowed.


    Seeing this, Li Yifei was somewhat disheartened by his failure to push Xu Yingying back. He had to resort to a tougher strategy. His hands suddenly slid down and grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, pulling her into his embrace with a bit of force. He didn¡¯t believe that Xu Yingying would go so far as to "sell" herself at this moment.


    However, his calculation failed yet again. Although Xu Yingying¡¯s body was a bit stiff, she let him wrap his arms around her and even hugged his waist in return, burying her head in his shoulder.


    "Yifei!" she called out softly, rubbing her face gently against his shoulder.


    Li Yifei was baffled. It felt as if Xu Yingying was being serious. Could it be that Xu Yingying had genuine feelings, and that their cohabitation had led to deeper affection? This game seemed to have taken a real turn.


    But then Xu Yingying let go of Li Yifei, placed her hands on his chest, and tapped it lightly, saying, "Alright, you should go back for now. We¡¯ll have dinner together tonight. We need to be mindful of our behavior in the office to avoid idle gossip among the staff. And no more thinking about hiring a pretty secretary."


    Just as Li Yifei was about to respond, a knock on the door interrupted them, and he had no choice but to let go of Xu Yingying. She, on the other hand, resumed her usual cool demeanor and sat down behind her desk.


    "Then I¡¯ll be going," said Li Yifei as he turned to leave. But before he did, he caught a glimpse of He Fangqing¡¯s face, which had taken on a noticeably sour expression. This led him to suspect that Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior was something even He Fangqing had been unaware of, suggesting that perhaps there was truth to their involvement.


    Once Xu Yingying finished her work, He Fangqing, looking at her, chuckled, "Yingying, you really are something. The way you acted just now was unmistakably that of a woman in love."


    A blush rushed over Xu Yingying¡¯s serious face. Even as a president accustomed to concealing her emotions, the mention of what had just transpired exposed her girlish sensibilities.


    "Not at all. I was simply cornered by that guy," she protested.


    He Fangqing laughed lightly and said, "Really? But I saw President Xu Yingying embracing him on her own initiative. Didn¡¯t you end up at a disadvantage?"


    Xu Yingying quickly defended herself, "We pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend before; such actions are expected, so it¡¯s not a big deal."


    He Fangqing nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. Since you¡¯ve already been to bed together, there¡¯ll be no pressure to do it again in the future."


    Xu Yingying sat down next to He Fangqing, put an arm around her shoulder, and laughed softly, "Sister Fangqing, why do I detect the scent of broken vinegar jars here?"


    Now it was He Fangqing¡¯s turn to feel awkward as she hurriedly replied, "Jealous? Why would I be? I¡¯m just worried you¡¯ll get too carried away and won¡¯t know how to stop."


    Xu Yingying said with a mischievous smile, "There¡¯s nothing I won¡¯t be able to stop. If it really comes to that, you can step in for me. You¡¯d be willing anyway."


    He Fangqing tossed her head back confidently, "I¡¯ve changed my mind; I won¡¯t help you. You can handle it yourself."


    "If you make me do it alone, I¡¯ll drag you along with me. I won¡¯t let you be the one to break the vinegar jar."


    "No way. You even want to play a threesome, Xu president sure is bold."


    "I¡¯m just here to watch the show, haha..."


    No one would expect a company president or a director to say such things, but when it comes to private conversations between women, there are truly no reservations. When they talk about men, they can even be more open than men themselves. In some villages, it¡¯s often a group of middle-aged women who have young people blushing and running away, thoroughly embarrassed.


    After the commotion, He Fangqing said, "Yingying, you¡¯re having dinner with Li Yifei tonight. Have you thought about how to handle it?"


    Xu Yingying chuckled and replied, "I am the one inviting him tonight. But so many people in the company are busy, of course I should extend the invitation."


    He Fangqing also laughed and said, "So you¡¯ve thought this through. But you can avoid it once, not forever. If you want to be his girlfriend, you have to act like one eventually, otherwise he¡¯ll definitely see through you." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t worry, if Xu Yingying sets out to do something, she will succeed. I won¡¯t let him see through me."


    Seeing Xu Yingying so confident, He Fangqing sighed inwardly. Women can play and have fun, but they should never play with feelings, especially someone as serious as Xu Yingying. Once she plays with emotions, she might really end up hurt, unless there is a perfect ending.


    But He Fangqing just opened her mouth and didn¡¯t say these words. For one thing, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t listen at this time, and for another, she had her own selfish reasons. If Xu Yingying and Li Yifei really ended up together, and if Xu Yingying really pleaded with her, she didn¡¯t want to break ties with Li Yifei. Having tasted pleasure, spending time with Li Yifei had let her truly understand the joy of being a woman. Even if she didn¡¯t wish to stay with Li Yifei forever, just an occasional romantic encounter would satisfy her.


    That evening, because many people in the company were working overtime, Xu Yingying invited everyone to have dinner together, instead of going out alone with Li Yifei. This relieved Li Yifei somewhat, as he felt immense pressure when he was with Xu Yingying.


    The next day, the notified employees had already come to the office to work, but Li Yifei only had these four people with him. He had neither a pleasant view of pretty secretaries nor could he stop thinking about Xu Yingying, which left him quite despondent as he looked at his four subordinates.


    Seeing their manager¡¯s gloomy face, each of the four subordinates was nervous. Working with a stern leader was the most challenging, so they were all extra cautious.


    However, work had to be done. Li Yifei assigned the upcoming recruitment tasks to the four people and then hid in his own office. Now that he had subordinates, of course, he couldn¡¯t do everything by himself.


    At eleven o¡¯clock, Li Yifei received a call from Xu Shanshan.


    "Brother-in-law, treat me to lunch," Xu Shanshan began, still calling him brother-in-law, a name she had used for quite some time without change.


    Li Yifei, used to it, laughed and said, "Sure, what do you want to eat?"


    "I want to eat the food you make."


    "It¡¯s the middle of the day; I wouldn¡¯t have time to cook, and we still have to work in the afternoon."


    "Then how about you cook for me in the evening? I can come to your house; I¡¯ve never been there."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don¡¯t know how late I¡¯ll have to work tonight. Your sister is like a slave driver these days, always making us work overtime."


    "Hmph, she¡¯s such a workaholic. So annoying. Well then, how about this: after you finish overtime, come to my house with her, and you can cook for us."


    If it had been before, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have minded. He got along quite well with Xu Shanshan and was somewhat friends with Xu Yingying, so cooking a meal wasn¡¯t a big deal. But now, Li Yifei was a bit scared of being together with the two sisters, especially with President Xu ¡ª the pressure was simply too much.


    So at that moment, Li Yifei tried to decline, "Shanshan, I can¡¯t be sure about the evening, but I might have some time at noon. Tell me, what would you like to eat?"


    "Then let¡¯s go for Western food, and you can mix me a drink."


    "Okay, Western food it is," Li Yifei readily agreed, hoping to use the opportunity to ask Xu Shanshan about some things.


    He had just hung up the phone when it immediately rang again. Seeing the number, Li Yifei felt a headache coming on; it was Xu Yingying. He answered, "President Xu, what¡¯s up?"


    "Let¡¯s go out for lunch today."


    "I¡¯ve already made a promise to someone else."


    "I don¡¯t care who you¡¯ve promised, I want to have lunch with you."


    "Yingying, can you give me some personal space, please?"


    There was a brief pause on Xu Yingying¡¯s end, then she said, "Fine then, go by yourself."

 Chapter 183: Tit for Tat

    Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Tit for TatSeeing that it was almost time to clock out for lunch, Li Yifei was about to leave when he heard the four employees outside greeting in unison, "Good afternoon, President Xu!"


    "Giggle... I¡¯m not your President Xu, I am her younger sister." Then Xu Shanshan¡¯s crisp laughter followed.


    Li Yifei quickly went out and saw Xu Shanshan wearing casual clothes. Although her hair still had the same big wavy curls as her sister Xu Yingying, she was now smiling and greeting the four employees cheerfully.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing running into the company?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "I have something to discuss with you, let¡¯s go outside to talk," Xu Shanshan blinked.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go then." Fortunately, Xu Shanshan did not call him brother-in-law in the company, which took a lot of pressure off Li Yifei.


    The four employees were somewhat bewildered at this time. They were deeply impressed by Xu Yingying, the president, during their interview yesterday, and they didn¡¯t expect President Xu¡¯s sister to look exactly like her; it was simply too miraculous.


    As they walked out, many people greeted Xu Shanshan; they were new employees, and when they saw Xu Yingying, the company¡¯s top manager, they dared not be disrespectful. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan also did not bother to explain. She secretly smiled with Li Yifei, and then the two of them finally left the company building.


    After getting into Li Yifei¡¯s car, Li Yifei laughed and said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid your sister will scold you for running to the company?"


    "Let her scold, I¡¯m not afraid of her," Xu Shanshan said disdainfully with a pout.


    Li Yifei shook his head; when it came to arguing, indeed, no one could win over the other sister.


    At the western restaurant, the two ordered their meal and then started eating slowly, but Li Yifei felt that Xu Shanshan was quieter than usual and asked with some confusion, "Shanshan, is something the matter today? Why are you so quiet?"


    Xu Shanshan whispered, "This is a western restaurant, after all. It wouldn¡¯t be nice to be noisy here, so I¡¯d better stay quiet."


    Thinking about it, he realized that speaking loudly here would indeed be inappropriate. No wonder Xu Shanshan was so quiet today. After a sip of red wine, Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, you said that your sister is intentionally getting together with me to keep you away from me, but yesterday your sister..."


    "What about my sister?" Xu Shanshan immediately widened her eyes.


    "Ah..." Li Yifei sighed, recounted yesterday¡¯s events, and then continued, "I originally just wanted to scare her off, but I didn¡¯t expect her to just climb up along the pole, and now I¡¯ve fallen into the pit she¡¯s dug. I feel like she¡¯s actually getting serious now?"


    Xu Shanshan elegantly cut a piece of steak and said, "What are your thoughts then?" before putting the small piece of steak into her mouth to chew gently.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "What thoughts could I have? I¡¯ve told you, I just wanted to give her a scare."


    Xu Shanshan took another sip of the cocktail that Li Yifei had mixed for her, squinted her eyes to savor it, and then said, "Then let me ask you, what do you really think of my sister?"


    Li Yifei bluntly said, "I have absolutely no interest in your sister."


    Xu Shanshan frowned and said, "Are you saying my sister isn¡¯t good?"


    "It¡¯s not that your sister isn¡¯t good. She¡¯s beautiful and capable at work, and now a president; many men would like her for sure. But she¡¯s a bit too stubborn and competitive for my taste, which I don¡¯t like at all. Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter if your sister is good or not; I have a girlfriend already."


    A peculiar light flashed in Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes as she asked, "You have a girlfriend, so can you be with me?"


    Li Yifei said apologetically, "Shanshan, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re a very lovely girl. However, Li Yifei is not the kind of person to start something and not see it through. I¡¯ve already promised my affection to my girlfriend, and I will devote my feelings to her. We can be good friends without any pressure. What do you think?"


    Xu Shanshan stared at Li Yifei and said, "Are you being sincere?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Of course I¡¯m being sincere, Shanshan..." As he was speaking, Li Yifei suddenly locked eyes with Xu Shanshan, then furrowed his brows and said with a bitter smile, "President Xu, you can actually play this trick too."


    Xu Shanshan... No! It should be said to be Xu Yingying now, looked at Li Yifei somewhat surprised and asked, "How did you realize I¡¯m not Shanshan?"


    "I didn¡¯t realize it at first, but the way you just looked at me was so aggressive, something Shanshan wouldn¡¯t do. Besides, I made a mistake; Shanshan has been calling me brother-in-law all along, but you didn¡¯t call me that at all. I only understand now and can only blame myself for being slow."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "It seems I haven¡¯t achieved perfection yet."


    Li Yifei was suddenly at a loss for words and said, "President Xu, it was already headache-inducing enough when Shanshan pretended to be you, and now you¡¯re pretending to be Shanshan. Do you not want me to live anymore?"


    Xu Yingying smiled smugly and said, "Call me by my name. Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯ve already confessed to me, and I¡¯ve accepted it, so now I¡¯m your girlfriend."


    "President Xu, what exactly are you trying to do? You heard it yourself just now, there¡¯s really nothing going on between me and Shanshan, okay?"


    "You might have nothing, but Shanshan definitely won¡¯t give up, and neither will I. Since Xu Yingying has said she¡¯ll be your girlfriend, that¡¯s final. I don¡¯t care if you have any other girlfriends or not."


    "No way, I told you, I was just scaring you; it wasn¡¯t my true feelings. And besides, I¡¯m not even interested in Shanshan like that, so why are you still doing this?"


    Xu Yingying squinted at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re wrong. Wanting to be your girlfriend is my own idea. I¡¯ve been living with you for some time now, and even though nothing happened, I¡¯ve gotten used to having you, this man, in my house, so I definitely couldn¡¯t accept another man... Plus, I feel that you¡¯re actually pretty decent. Despite all the messy things in the past, the way you treat your girlfriend now means you won¡¯t treat me any worse in the future. So I¡¯m telling you clearly now, I¡¯m going to fight for you."


    Li Yifei stared at Xu Yingying with his mouth agape and finally swallowed hard before saying, "Are... Are you really serious?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and said bluntly, "Yes, I¡¯m serious."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Then I¡¯ll just flat out tell you: I refuse."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened immediately, and Li Yifei met her gaze without showing any weakness.


    The two of them faced each other like roosters in a standoff for a full minute. Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze was fierce, and in the company, no subordinate dared to meet her gaze like this. Yet under this gaze, Li Yifei held his ground the entire time.


    "Good, I¡¯m finding more and more favorable traits in you. You¡¯ve got real manliness about you, and I really like that," Xu Yingying eventually stopped confronting Li Yifei with her gaze but then said that statement.


    Li Yifei almost collapsed and said with a wry smile, "Then can you tell me what exactly caught your eye about me? Can¡¯t I change that?"


    Xu Yingying felt frustrated inside, thinking, "What do you mean ¡¯what caught my eye about you, can¡¯t I change that¡¯?" She was quite angry, but she didn¡¯t show it and casually responded, "I noticed you¡¯re a man, go ahead and change that."


    "What the..." Li Yifei was rendered speechless. Could he even change that? Changing would mean becoming a eunuch, a cross-dresser, or a transvestite, none of which was changeable.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s dumbfounded expression, Xu Yingying felt incredibly pleased and leisurely said, "So just accept your fate, and comfortably be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend for the rest of your life."


    Li Yifei was even more exasperated and said, "Listening to you talk, why does it sound like the Mountain King is kidnapping the farmer¡¯s daughter?"


    "You¡¯re right; I am the Mountain King. Just submit to me." After saying that, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but laugh a couple of times. Then, realizing she was in a Western restaurant, she quickly covered her mouth and continued to giggle, her body shaking, exuding charm and allure.


    For the first time, Li Yifei saw Xu Yingying in such a charming light and inadvertently stared, but then he quickly shook his head and said, "Yingying, can we please not play anymore? I give up. Just let me go."


    Xu Yingying abruptly stopped laughing, glared with her eyes, and said, "Don¡¯t even think about it. I¡¯ve set my sights on you, and you won¡¯t escape me in this lifetime."


    Li Yifei grinned and leaned back in his chair, saying, "Well, I don¡¯t like you, so what can you do about it?"


    Xu Yingying was full of fighting spirit and said, "You¡¯ll eventually like me."


    "Well, you just wait then. I¡¯m not playing along. Love isn¡¯t something you can force, you know."


    Xu Yingying also appeared full of confidence, smiled faintly, and said, "I¡¯m not forcing you. I¡¯m just letting you know I¡¯m serious."


    "Well, that beats me. Even if I don¡¯t agree, what can you do to me? It¡¯s not like you can force yourself on me, right?"


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were at loggerheads in their conversation, but when it got to this point, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, huffed, and said, "Anyway, I have my ways of making you like me."


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s dead seriousness, Li Yifei truly began to worry a bit and quickly said, "Then let¡¯s get something straight first, you can¡¯t harm my girlfriend."


    Xu Yingying lifted her head proudly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. Xu Yingying acts openly and upright and certainly won¡¯t stoop to doing such despicable things. If I¡¯m going to win, I¡¯ll win fair and square."


    "Good! Then I really want to see how you¡¯re going to make me like you." At this point, Li Yifei actually found the situation quite intriguing. He truly didn¡¯t believe that he would end up liking this beautiful Xu president despite having no feelings for her.

 Chapter 184 True Commitment

    Chapter 184: Chapter 184 True CommitmentXu Yingying nodded and said, "Since you¡¯re setting conditions for me, then I¡¯m going to set one myself."


    "You pursuing me and still setting conditions?" Li Yifei said leisurely, taking a sip of red wine, and smiled at Xu Yingying.


    With a faint smile, Xu Yingying had already entered a particular state, the same one she would exhibit at work. To her, Li Yifei was like a challenging project that required conquering, so she intended to display her capabilities and win this ¡¯project¡¯ over. In this state, her speech and demeanor were composed and graceful, without any hint of embarrassment or awkwardness. She said, "So, are you afraid of me?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "I¡¯m not scared of you, but I¡¯d rather you give up knowing it¡¯s difficult. If we don¡¯t talk about this, we could be colleagues or you could be my boss, and at the very least, we can still be friends. But with what you¡¯re saying now, I¡¯m afraid we might not even be able to be friends."


    "Well then, it seems I really do have some significant obstacles ahead, but I¡¯m not someone who gives up easily. I won¡¯t be content without proving myself."


    Seeing Xu Yingying not even stating her conditions anymore, while displaying such an attitude, Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit worried. From his interactions with her, he knew just how formidable she could be in that state.


    "Yingying, why bother? Isn¡¯t it good for us to just be friends?" Li Yifei furrowed his brows, looking at her seriously.


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips with a smile, took another delicate sip of red wine, and gently swirled the glass in her hand. The red liquid softly shimmered, and through the glass, her gaze met Li Yifei¡¯s as she said, "Don¡¯t worry, I, Xu Yingying, won¡¯t resort to any desperate or clingy tactics. I definitely won¡¯t stoop so low as to throw myself at you indecently, shamelessly trying to sabotage your relationship with your girlfriend. Success or failure, it all comes down to fate. Can¡¯t you accept that?"


    Li Yifei stared at Xu Yingying, trying to ascertain if she was sincere. Logically, this should have been reassuring, but somehow he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this situation wasn¡¯t so straightforward.


    "Alright, it¡¯s time to go back to work. As a man, shouldn¡¯t you be settling the bill now?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m a poor man, it makes more sense for you, the boss, to treat me."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Your skin is really thick. Other men always try to act rich in front of women, but you just do whatever you want shamelessly."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "That¡¯s because I¡¯m poor and short of ambition."


    "That¡¯s more realistic."


    Li Yifei somehow felt Xu Yingying was being too composed, which made him even less confident when dealing with her. Over the years, he had relations with many women, but Xu Yingying was the first he considered to be a hot potato he couldn¡¯t handle.


    After paying the bill, Li Yifei drove back to the company with Xu Yingying. During the ride, she didn¡¯t discuss their personal issues but instead talked about company matters with him.


    When they arrived at the company, Li Yifei called Xu Shanshan. It took a while before Xu Shanshan answered the phone.


    "Shanshan, weren¡¯t you supposed to have lunch with me today?"


    Xu Shanshan screamed in surprise, "Is it time already? I fell asleep, I¡¯ll be right there."


    "Sweat, why bother coming now? What time do you think it is?" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, it¡¯s one o¡¯clock already. Brother-in-law, why didn¡¯t you call me earlier? Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t want to have lunch with me?" Xu Shanshan immediately started to complain.


    "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to have lunch with you, but your sister pretended to be you and asked me out instead. I thought it was you at first until I realized it wasn¡¯t."


    "No way, she actually pretended to be me? That¡¯s just too despicable!"


    Li Yifei was at a loss whether to laugh or cry and said, "I¡¯m really at my wit¡¯s end with the two of you."


    Xu Shanshan continued indignantly, "Even if I pretended to be her, it would just be a joke between you and me, but her doing it like that is clearly just to associate with you under my name. That¡¯s truly despicable, shameless. Brother-in-law, what did she say to you?"


    "Shanshan, can we not associate me with being despicable and shameless?"


    Xu Shanshan paused, then giggled, "That¡¯s true; I¡¯ll be careful next time. How could my brother-in-law ever be a despicable and shameless person? In my heart, you¡¯re the best man."


    "Brother-in-law, we need to come up with some kind of secret signal between us. Otherwise, if Xu Yingying tries to impersonate me and you can¡¯t tell, it¡¯ll be my loss if she takes advantage."


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat. It seemed that he didn¡¯t actually have anything serious with Xu Shanshan, but having a secret signal might be a good idea. At least then he wouldn¡¯t keep getting the two sisters confused. Mixing them up had been quite troublesome for him. You could easily say something meant for Xu Shanshan to Xu Yingying instead, and with their current strained relationship, that could easily offend someone. Even if one wasn¡¯t afraid of the consequences, who would want to upset two beautiful women for no good reason?


    "Brother-in-law, since you didn¡¯t treat me to lunch today, you have to treat me to dinner. Come to my house to take me out, hmm. I¡¯ll use it to bug her; I¡¯m off to buy groceries now. Bye-bye, brother-in-law."


    Without waiting for Li Yifei to respond, Xu Shanshan had already hung up the phone.


    After the events at noon, Li Yifei started to become quite wary of the two sisters, really wanting to find an excuse to decline, but Xu Shanshan hung up so quickly that he didn¡¯t get the chance. When he tried calling back, Xu Shanshan had turned her phone off, which was just too decisive.


    Before the end of the workday, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing came straight to Li Yifei¡¯s office and said, "Shanshan said you¡¯re coming over to our place to cook dinner tonight, so let¡¯s go together."


    "Shanshan told you?" Li Yifei was somewhat surprised.


    "That¡¯s right!" Xu Yingying said with a slight smile.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You must have called Shanshan to find out."


    "No matter how I found out, I still love the food you cook, and Sister Fangqing likes it too. Do you really mind making an extra serving for us two?"


    "I really don¡¯t mind, so let¡¯s go together since you sisters are inviting," Li Yifei answered quite readily this time. With Xu Yingying there, as well as He Fangqing, it was like three monks living together without any water to drink; he could relax a bit more.


    In the car, Xu Yingying did not engage in any personal conversation with Li Yifei, still discussing company matters with He Fangqing. Even when talking to Li Yifei, it was all about work.


    Moreover, Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude toward Li Yifei was very normal, very natural, not much different from before at the company. Perhaps one thing was different; she and He Fangqing discussed issues without avoiding Li Yifei and even asked for his opinion now and then.


    It seemed as if Xu Yingying had no special feelings for Li Yifei, but actually, he always felt that this was Xu Yingying being genuine, unlike before when she seemed to be joking around.


    When the door opened, Xu Shanshan greeted them, sweetly calling out "Brother-in-law" and then resentfully said to Xu Yingying, "You usually work overtime; how come you¡¯re not today?"


    As Xu Yingying was entering to change her shoes, she replied, "If you like me working overtime that much, I wouldn¡¯t mind dragging Li Yifei and Fangqing back to work some more."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "What¡¯s so great about that? He¡¯s just a general manager. And Brother-in-law is the president, higher than you. He doesn¡¯t need to listen to you."


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei and said meaningfully, "If someone truly becomes the president, then I will definitely cooperate well with that person¡¯s work."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Enough, stop talking about this. I¡¯ll go cook."


    "Brother-in-law, let me help you," said Xu Shanshan, glaring at Xu Yingying before following Li Yifei into the kitchen.


    Xu Yingying made no extra comment, greeted He Fangqing and went straight to the living room to sit down, leaning back on the sofa, showing a composed and relaxed air, as if everything was within her control.


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s demeanor, He Fangqing praised her, "Yingying, what I admire most about you is your confidence and certainty, no matter how big the difficulty, you face it with calm."


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Sister Fangqing, that¡¯s praise indeed, but if I lose my composure and self, then I would be at the mercy of others."


    "Hehe, it¡¯s not that severe. This is a matter of the heart, not something else. Aren¡¯t you going to help Li Yifei?"


    "No need. It¡¯s not my area of expertise. If I went, I¡¯d just make things worse. I need to play to my strengths, not compare my weaknesses to someone else¡¯s strengths¡ªthat would just put me at a disadvantage."


    In the kitchen, Xu Shanshan stood close to Li Yifei, smiling cheerfully at him, "Brother-in-law, what can I help with?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "What do you know how to make?"


    "I really don¡¯t know how to do anything. It used to be all done by my mom, and I never lifted a finger. But I heard that the most affectionate times for couples is when they cook together, you cooking while I hold your waist from behind, and when I cook, you hold my waist."


    "Is that so? Well, I didn¡¯t know that. I only know that with you here, you¡¯ll just keep me busy."


    "Giggle, Brother-in-law, don¡¯t say that. I won¡¯t make trouble. You just do your thing, and I¡¯ll watch from behind. That¡¯s very blissful too."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice was loud enough for Xu Yingying and He Fangqing in the living room to hear clearly, and it seemed like Xu Shanshan was deliberately saying it for Xu Yingying to hear.


    "Then keep watching, but best to stand back a bit," Li Yifei said as he tied on an apron, ready to start preparing dinner. Xu Shanshan had bought a lot of delicious ingredients, making him busy tonight. Since Li Yifei actually enjoyed cooking, especially with so many tasty ingredients, he naturally wanted to cook them all.


    True to her word, Xu Shanshan behaved and just watched Li Yifei without much talking, which allowed him to become even more engrossed in his cooking. Soon, he had finished preparing all the dishes and was ready to start stir-frying.


    Busy at work, Xu Shanshan¡¯s soft body pressed against him from behind, her arms encircling his waist. Now that their clothes were quite thin, especially Xu Shanshan¡¯s pajamas, Li Yifei could fully feel the fullness and softness of her chest, an intoxicating sensation that completely enveloped him.

 Chapter 185: Your Chances Are Greater

    Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Your Chances Are Greater"Shanshan, what are you doing?"


    Li Yifei placed his hands on the counter, stood still, and asked Xu Shanshan with a bitter smile.


    Xu Shanshan leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s back, gently rubbed her cheek against it, and said, "I¡¯m doing nothing. Since I can¡¯t help you with cooking, I can only make you happy this way."


    "Stop it. If you keep this up, your sister will come in and kill me."


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t let go and said, "Why should I be afraid of her? I just like brother-in-law, and I just want to hug him. What can she do?"


    "I can¡¯t do anything, Shanshan. I won¡¯t stop you from doing this, but I can tell you clearly, I¡¯m not joking with you now. I¡¯ve decided that I must be with him. He can only be your brother-in-law in this life. If you think it¡¯s appropriate for a sister-in-law to be this close to her brother-in-law, I won¡¯t stop you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came from behind the two of them. There was no anger in her tone; it was rather calm, but within this calmness was a display of her strong determination.


    Li Yifei had expected that Xu Yingying would come in once Xu Shanshan made such a move, so he wasn¡¯t surprised when he heard her speak. However, he was a bit surprised by Xu Yingying¡¯s calmness.


    Although Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t let go of Li Yifei, she straightened her body, creating some distance between her and Li Yifei¡¯s back. Flicking her head, she said to Xu Yingying, "Is it enough because you¡¯ve made up your mind? Brother-in-law is a person, not an object. If you want him, he has to agree too."


    Xu Yingying, in her ever calm tone, said, "I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s an object or not. I¡¯ve never failed in anything I¡¯ve set my mind on, and this time won¡¯t be an exception."


    Xu Shanshan curled her lips and said, "Hmph, then you¡¯re treating him like an object. Love is about mutual feelings. Even if you have a one-sided crush, if brother-in-law doesn¡¯t like you, it¡¯s useless."


    Li Yifei spread his hands and yelled, "Stop!" He then pried Xu Shanshan¡¯s hands off and turned his head, glaring at the two of them with frustration. "Can you please not compare me to an object?"


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were momentarily stunned, and then Xu Yingying said, "Oh, I¡¯m not the one who started this. It was Shanshan who said you weren¡¯t an object."


    "I didn¡¯t say brother-in-law isn¡¯t an object, I said he is an object... Ah, you¡¯re misleading me!" Xu Yingying tried to explain but ended up feeling like she insulted Li Yifei more. She glared angrily at her sister.


    "Alright, alright, are you two ladies planning to eat or not? If you want to eat, then both of you get out. I don¡¯t have the time to cater to you two princesses." Without further ado, he pushed both of them out of the kitchen and simply closed the sliding door to prevent them from disturbing him again.


    The kitchen door wasn¡¯t soundproof, so inside, Li Yifei could still hear Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying bickering. Xu Shanshan sounded irritated while Xu Yingying remained calm.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei turned on the stove and the range hood, so the noise would drown out their voices. He found it amusing that he started as a fake boyfriend for Xu Yingying, and now things seemed to be getting real. Plus, he¡¯d gained a twin sister in the process. Was this a buy-one-get-one-free deal like in stores?


    While he was cooking, the kitchen door slid open and He Fangqing walked in. With He Fangqing, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel any pressure. He Fangqing was much more mature in her thinking compared to Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, and there was no burden between them from the start.


    "Smells good. Looks like I¡¯ll have a feast tonight," He Fangqing stood next to Li Yifei, lightly sniffing and even smacked her lips, pretending to swallow.


    A beauty is a beauty, even doing a swallowing action has its own charm. Some young boys would definitely have wild fantasies if they saw this.


    Li Yifei continued what he was doing, smiling as he said, "Yes, good thing you came; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t dare be with these two sisters."


    He Fangqing burst into laughter, "Hehe, what are you afraid of? It¡¯s a great blessing to have beautiful women around."


    "Don¡¯t tease me. I don¡¯t want to become the trophy they fight over. If my girlfriend weren¡¯t still in college, I would¡¯ve taken her and escaped long ago."


    "No way, is it that serious?" He Fangqing widened her eyes in surprise.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll be where I am, and I just want an easy life. If it¡¯s too stressful, I naturally want to consider changing the environment."


    He Fangqing¡¯s mouth twitched a couple of times before she said, "You have a benefactor aiding you right now. It¡¯s a great time for development, and if you leave, you won¡¯t have such a good chance again."


    Li Yifei knew He Fangqing was referring to Su Mengxin. Thinking of the cigarettes she gave him made him reluctant. If he left Mile City, he probably wouldn¡¯t have a chance to get such cigarettes again.


    "Besides, whether it¡¯s Yingying or Shanshan, it¡¯s not your fault they like you. And even if they like you, it doesn¡¯t mean anything¡¯s going to happen. Everyone can just be friends first."


    Listening to He Fangqing¡¯s advice, Li Yifei chuckled and said, "How come it sounds like you don¡¯t want me to leave?"


    He Fangqing blushed slightly, glared at him, and with a hint of jealousy said, "Why wouldn¡¯t I want you to leave? I¡¯m not even anything to you, you wouldn¡¯t even think of me."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, feeling like there was no way to continue the conversation without complicating their relationship.


    Fortunately, He Fangqing noticed this issue as well and playfully hit him, saying, "You rascal, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cling to you shamelessly. Even if you want me in the future, I wouldn¡¯t agree."


    He Fangqing¡¯s words made Li Yifei feel a bit embarrassed. It was indeed nice spending time with her. She didn¡¯t resemble the women he¡¯d met in bars; she had a higher level and wasn¡¯t frivolous with her feelings. Treating his experiences with her as a fling seemed accidental, and now that they were colleagues, letting go suddenly felt like he wasn¡¯t being fair.


    "What is it? Feeling a bit guilty?" He Fangqing asked with a playful smile.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "You¡¯re quite right, I do feel a little bad towards you."


    He Fangqing blinked her eyes and said, "Alright then, when I¡¯m lonely in the future, you can come keep me company."


    Facing He Fangqing¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei eventually shook his head and said, "I really can¡¯t do this now. I can¡¯t be unfair to my girlfriend."


    He Fangqing initially looked serious but quickly smiled, lightly tapping Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. "I never expected you, a guy who used to play around in bars, to become so honest when it comes to real feelings. I¡¯m truly impressed."


    Noticing He Fangqing wasn¡¯t genuinely angry, Li Yifei relaxed and laughed. "There wasn¡¯t any emotional attachment in the past, so it was mostly physical needs. Now that there¡¯s an emotional bond, I have to set some boundaries."


    He Fangqing laughed softly and said, "That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t choose the wrong person. If it weren¡¯t for Yingying¡¯s interest, I might have pursued you."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You definitely have a better chance than her." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing scoffed at him playfully, "Do you think you¡¯re such a treasure that everyone has to fight over you?"


    Li Yifei placed a freshly cooked dish on a plate and said with a grin, "Isn¡¯t that the case?"


    He Fangqing pursed her lips but acknowledged this unspoken truth. Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were squabbling over Li Yifei. Other girls who had interacted with him seemed to have an interest in him too.


    Pinching him playfully, He Fangqing laughed, "I really can¡¯t understand how a guy without money or power like you has such luck with women."


    "That¡¯s my personal charm."


    "Your skin is thick."


    "Alright, Director He, the lady with the thin skin, could you please help move the food to the table? You know, I¡¯m a tough guy and I have to serve you three women. Isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?"


    Once the food was ready, Li Yifei left the kitchen and saw that Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were still glaring at each other on the sofa. It was obvious they were still having a cold war. He Fangqing elbowed Li Yifei and teased, "You really have appeal."


    Li Yifei chuckled, feeling a bit smug. After all, having Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, two beauties, fight over him was something any man could brag about, especially since Xu Yingying was a company CEO, making it even more remarkable.


    "Hey, are you two done squabbling? It¡¯s dinner time." Li Yifei called out as he sat down at the dining table.


    Xu Shanshan immediately jumped up and ran to the table without acknowledging her sister, seating herself next to Li Yifei. She smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, it smells so good."


    "Do I smell good?" Li Yifei raised his arm and sniffed.


    Xu Shanshan giggled, leaning her head in close, her face just ten centimeters away from Li Yifei. She lightly sniffed and said mischievously, "It doesn¡¯t smell good, but it doesn¡¯t stink either."


    Xu Yingying came over at that moment. Seeing Xu Shanshan so close to Li Yifei, she frowned but said nothing, sitting down on Li Yifei¡¯s other side. She smiled at him and said, "Yifei, thank you for your trouble."


    Li Yifei smiled back and said, "It was quite some trouble."


    Xu Shanshan stretched her hand to hook Li Yifei¡¯s arm and provocatively said to Xu Yingying, "It¡¯s all your fault. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have to be so troubled with brother-in-law. You¡¯ve ruined what could have been a perfect candlelight dinner."


    Xu Yingying, in front of Li Yifei, remained calm, elegantly picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of food, chewed lightly, and praised, "Yifei¡¯s cooking is excellent. For this culinary skill, I won¡¯t give him up."


    Xu Shanshan immediately snorted and said, "I don¡¯t need your permission. I refuse to believe that I can¡¯t win against you."

 Chapter 186 Conflict

    Chapter 186: Chapter 186 ConflictLi Yifei ignored the two of them and, smiling, said to He Fangqing, "Fangqing, come on, let¡¯s eat. Let them argue if they want to; we¡¯ll just enjoy our meal."


    He Fangqing chuckled softly and sat down across from Li Yifei, burying her head and starting to eat.


    After Li Yifei spoke like that, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan stopped talking and lowered their heads to eat as well, leaving him in blissful silence.


    But it wasn¡¯t long before someone stepped on his left foot. He retracted it, his foot came back, but his slipper was pinned down and fell off. The other person¡¯s foot immediately followed, clearly stepping on him on purpose.


    Now that the weather was very hot, Li Yifei wore leather shoes and socks to work, but at Xu Yingying¡¯s house, he was quite casual. After all, he had lived there for a while, so he simply took off his socks and was now barefoot.


    Turning his head to look at Xu Shanshan on his left, the girl was puffing her cheeks and devouring her food, looking completely absorbed. One wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that her feet were up to mischief underneath the table.


    But Li Yifei was certain it was Xu Shanshan playing this trick. They had played like this before¡ªback when they played mahjong at Xu Shanshan¡¯s place, they used such methods to signal each other secretly. Li Yifei had a vivid memory of the feeling of Xu Yingying¡¯s little foot.


    However, when Xu Shanshan did this with Li Yifei back then, it was just for signaling, so there were no other implications. But to Li Yifei at that time, it was quite thrilling. Had he not been restraining himself, he might have embarrassed himself.


    This time, however, Xu Shanshan¡¯s little foot stepping on Li Yifei¡¯s foot was not as innocent as the last. It was clearly a seduction.


    If he hadn¡¯t given up on Ye Yunzhu and hadn¡¯t established a relationship with Su Yiyi, Li Yifei would have definitely enjoyed the feeling. But now that he had a girlfriend, although he might not avoid contact with other women because of Su Yiyi, he still wanted to keep things under control, so he tried to withdraw his foot.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m feeling unwell," Xu Shanshan suddenly stated quite brazenly. "Let me step on you for a bit."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing instantly turned to look at Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan.


    With a pout, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, if my feet get cold at this time, my stomach will really hurt."


    Li Yifei had not expected Xu Shanshan to be so boldly outspoken. Refusing her then would seem inconsiderate, so he could only offer a wry smile and say, "All right, step if you wish."


    Xu Shanshan went even further, placing both her little feet squarely on top of Li Yifei¡¯s left foot and even cheekily winked at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei, and with a slight smile, said, "If Shanshan hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have really overlooked it. Yifei, I¡¯ll also trouble you to let me use your foot as well. She and I share even this on the same day."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he said, "You¡¯re kidding, right?"


    Xu Yingying sighed helplessly and replied, "I¡¯d like to be different from her, but it just never happens. It¡¯s been like this for many years."


    Not only Li Yifei was surprised at this; even He Fangqing was astonished. It was one thing for twins to look alike, but for their periods to synchronize for so many years was truly incredible.


    Moreover, Li Yifei felt something very special. Generally, women would avoid mentioning their period around men, unless it was someone very close. The fact that both Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying openly talked about it with him suggested they truly did not consider him an outsider in their hearts.


    At that moment, a foot was already on his right instep. Fortunately, he was still wearing slippers on that foot, so the sensation wasn¡¯t as intense as Xu Shanshan¡¯s. Though it wasn¡¯t as strong physically, it was a powerful stimulus for Li Yifei¡¯s mind.


    Just think about it¡ªtwin sisters who looked exactly the same and were both so beautiful, currently both stepping on Li Yifei¡¯s feet. It was like having a foot in two boats, winning over both sisters. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Li Yifei, thick-skinned as he was, and possessing strong mental fortitude, found his soul flying and his heart trembling in such a situation; his face, too, began to redden.


    He Fangqing stole glances at Li Yifei, finding the man¡¯s soul-lost demeanor amusing. She couldn¡¯t quite describe the feeling in her heart: a mix of jealousy and amusement at the sight of the two sisters competing in such a manner.


    Li Yifei, aware of He Fangqing¡¯s gaze, cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Let¡¯s eat, let¡¯s eat."


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both started eating without any unusual behavior, but Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help his chopsticks from halting after just a few bites.


    It would have been one thing for Shanshan to simply step on his foot, but her little foot wasn¡¯t just stepping, it was gently caressing. The delicate soles rubbed back and forth against the top of Li Yifei¡¯s foot as if wrapped in the finest silk, an indescribably comfortable and sensual feeling. Her pearl-like toes were also playfully, lightly pressing against Li Yifei¡¯s instep and ankle, causing a tingling itch. This sensation traveled up from his instep to his calf, then to his thigh, spreading throughout his body, and finally surging towards a certain area between his legs, which couldn¡¯t help but engorge in response. Had it not been for the table shielding him, he would have been embarrassingly exposed at that moment.


    Xu Yingying had been closely observing Li Yifei¡¯s reaction. Although his outward appearance wasn¡¯t obviously affected, she was keen enough to notice the anomaly. She knew her actions wouldn¡¯t elicit such a response from Li Yifei, so it must be her sister, Xu Shanshan, up to mischief.


    With a flick of her hand, Xu Yingying dropped her chopsticks to the floor seemingly by accident and bent down to pick them up, seizing the chance to catch a glimpse of Xu Shanshan¡¯s footsie play with Li Yifei.


    And even though Xu Shanshan knew her movements could be seen when Yingying bent down, she didn¡¯t stop; in fact, she increased the intensity of her movements, which further provoked a challenge.


    Xu Yingying sat up straight, her face calm as usual, but inside she felt as tumultuous as a stormy sea. Though mentioning menstruation was extremely embarrassing for grown-ups, she would still dare to say it when pushed. Stepping on Li Yifei¡¯s foot was also bearable; after all, they had shared a bed, and even if nothing serious happened, there had been bodily contact. Hence, she didn¡¯t harbor much resistance to such contact.


    But Shanshan¡¯s actions were clearly seductive, flirtatious¡ªnot just a means to keep her feet from being cold. How could Yingying ever bring herself to do the same?


    Glancing at Shanshan, Yingying saw the smug look on her face, fueling her irritation. Shanshan dared to engage in such an act with Li Yifei¡ªdidn¡¯t that imply their relationship had become exceedingly close? If left to develop further, it probably wouldn¡¯t be long before they ended up in bed together.


    Yingying knew Shanshan all too well; if determined to win over Li Yifei, she was bold enough to take action. Moreover, relationships between men and women were quite open now; it was rare for sisters like them, at 25, to have never had boyfriends. Even if Shanshan did something like this, no one could fault her for it.


    However, Yingying couldn¡¯t let such a thing happen, and she knew reasoning would be futile. The best course of action was to secure Li Yifei before anything physical happened between him and Shanshan. Hardening her resolve, Yingying crossed her legs in a swift movement, skillfully hooking and pulling off Li Yifei¡¯s right slipper, as if she had practiced hundreds of times.


    Li Yifei, completely unguarded and never expecting Yingying to do such a thing, was left open-mouthed when his slipper fell, immediately feeling Yingying¡¯s little feet upon his own.


    Even though he knew Yingying was serious, Li Yifei never imagined she would act so boldly. What was worse, Yingying, much like Shanshan, began caressing his foot with her own, intensifying his ecstasy.


    While Yingying¡¯s movements were clumsier than Shanshan¡¯s, the fact that it was Yingying performing the act made it all the more thrilling for Li Yifei.


    Both women had feet of the same size, equally soft and tantalizing. Li Yifei knew he shouldn¡¯t continue, but his body was reluctant to give up such pleasure as he even subconsciously compared their feet in his mind.


    If we talk about size, there is no difference between the two. Even without looking, Li Yifei knew that their feet were equally beautiful, the kind that any man would be unable to resist holding and playing with in the palm of his hand.


    Yet there was a subtle difference between them: the feel. It was not due to the difference in their movements, as soon Yunzhu was doing it just as well as Shanshan, both equally stimulating Li Yifei¡¯s senses. So in terms of actions and the art of seduction, there was no difference between them.


    The real difference lay in the fact that Shanshan¡¯s soles felt fleshy, likely from her years of dancing, while Yingying¡¯s soles gave a bony sensation, possibly due to her habit of wearing high heels.


    If they were to wear the same shoes and rest for a while, Li Yifei was sure this slight difference would disappear as well.


    Li Yifei had always wanted to distinguish between them completely, but apart from their feet, he hadn¡¯t found a sure way to tell them apart based on appearance alone. After all, it wasn¡¯t like he could strip off their shoes and play with their feet every time he encountered one of the sisters.

 Chapter 187 He Fangqing Joins the Battle

    Chapter 187: Chapter 187 He Fangqing Joins the BattleHe Fangqing watched as Li Yifei¡¯s face got redder and redder. Although he was still eating, it was clear he was also struggling to restrain himself, which made He Fangqing quite curious. It was just the sisters placing their feet on Li Yifei¡¯s, after all. It shouldn¡¯t have made him react like this.


    She really wanted to bend down like Xu Yingying and take a peek, but she felt like an outsider at the moment, and it didn¡¯t seem appropriate. However, He Fangqing was a smart woman. She immediately stood up and said, "I¡¯m going to get some water." Then she walked straight into the kitchen. After pouring a glass of water, she came back.


    The dining table didn¡¯t have a long tablecloth, so from a distance, she could see what was happening under the table. She finally understood why Li Yifei was behaving like this.


    He Fangqing felt an indescribable sensation surge within her. After she sat back down, she took a sip of water, glanced at Li Yifei, and slowly raised her right foot, inching it toward him.


    Li Yifei, already tormented by the teasing of sisters Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, suddenly felt another small foot touch his. Due to the fact that both of his feet were occupied by the sisters, his legs were naturally apart, leaving a hollow space in between. He Fangqing¡¯s foot slipped through without any obstructions and directly touched the most sensitive spot between his legs.


    "Oh..." Li Yifei, despite his strong will, couldn¡¯t help but let out an unusual moan when He Fangqing¡¯s surprise attack hit the spot.


    He Fangqing was startled and quickly withdrew her foot, her face also reddening slightly. She had intended to play a prank, not wanting to be left out, but she hadn¡¯t expected her foot to actually touch Li Yifei there, and for it to be so firm. She knew all too well what state Li Yifei was in. For a woman who had tasted Li Yifei¡¯s flavor, it made her heart race and her thoughts chaotic, her mind filled with the pleasure Li Yifei¡¯s ¡¯thing¡¯ had given her.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan had no idea that He Fangqing had joined in. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s sudden reaction, they both looked at each other. Xu Yingying thought Xu Shanshan had come up with some new mischief, while Xu Shanshan thought Xu Yingying had devised some new trick, without considering it might have been He Fangqing.


    The sisters¡¯ feet became even more nimble on Li Yifei¡¯s, each trying to outdo the other with their methods.


    After a minute¡¯s pause, He Fangqing, sensing that neither had noticed her, grew bolder. Her foot once again cautiously extended, then gradually pressed between Li Yifei¡¯s legs. Her small foot caressed Li Yifei¡¯s most important part as gently as a hand.


    At that moment, Li Yifei felt he was truly about to be done for. He had experienced threesomes before, but those had been with women of easy virtue, where getting undressed and going at it was the norm, and the desire was satiated afterward. But now, it wasn¡¯t just two, but three people, and instead of allowing Li Yifei to release his desires, they were stimulating them. And these three, so beautiful and proper women at that, made it all the more intense.


    Even for Li Yifei, his face was flushed, and he had long since stopped eating. His eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth, enduring the torment from the three women.


    He Fangqing, while stimulating Li Yifei, teased him by lightly moving her foot and asked with a smiling face, "Li Yifei, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"


    Li Yifei really wanted to pin He Fangqing down on the bed and ravage her thoroughly. If not for her joining in, would he be suffering so much? But in front of Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, he could not show any reaction. He could only force a dry laugh and say, "I¡¯m fine."


    He Fangqing suddenly put a bit more force into her touch and said with a smile, "Really? You look a bit pale. You don¡¯t seem okay to me."


    This caused Li Yifei a slight pain, but more than that, a surge of stimulation that almost made him burst. His body uncontrollably shuddered as he thought to himself, "My dear lady, are you trying to kill me?" But aloud, he could only say, "Maybe I¡¯m just tired. I¡¯m going to rest for a bit, you all continue eating." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was looking to escape. If things continued like this, he was sure to be finished off by these three women. Such situations might seem like incredible luck to a man in theory, but for Li Yifei himself, it was immensely painful. If these were any ordinary women of loose morals, his robust stamina might have allowed him to conquer them all. But facing these three beauties, it was simply impossible; any man would have a reaction, but he could do absolutely nothing about it, and the pain of restraint was something only someone in Li Yifei¡¯s position could understand.


    "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t go," Xu Shanshan abruptly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pursed her lips, and said, "I haven¡¯t finished eating yet. How can you leave like this?"


    At that moment, Xu Yingying gave a slight smile and said, "If you¡¯re not feeling well, go rest. Or take a shower. There are pajamas for you in my room; you can change into those."


    Last time Li Yifei left, he didn¡¯t take all his clothes because it was too much trouble.


    He Fangqing¡¯s foot hadn¡¯t left the space between Li Yifei¡¯s legs, and just then, she tapped lightly again, saying with a grin, "You usually seem so healthy. You can¡¯t hang in there anymore?"


    Li Yifei glowered at He Fangqing with sullen annoyance. Dealing with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan was one thing, but it was her causing him such distress. Now, to still look so innocent, she was simply too bad¡ªyet, he had to admit, the kind of bad that no man would dislike, but rather, find more endearing.


    "Yes, yes, today is indeed not so good," Li Yifei could only feign weakness at this point; otherwise, he¡¯d truly be tormented to death by these three beauties.


    He Fangqing¡¯s remarks made Xu Yingying quite embarrassed, thinking He Fangqing had seen Li Yifei¡¯s condition as entirely due to their flirting, a deed she had never actually done, completely unaware that the real instigator was He Fangqing. Hurriedly, she said to Li Yifei, "Alright then, take a good rest."


    Then, without waiting for Li Yifei to object, she had already pulled him up and directly into her room. She opened the wardrobe, took out Li Yifei¡¯s pajamas, and casually picked out a pair of underwear for him, saying, "Go take a bath first. You¡¯ve had a tough day, it¡¯s time to get some rest."


    Li Yifei was somewhat unaccustomed to Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude and hurriedly said, "You go ahead with your work, I¡¯m fine."


    Xu Yingying, now like a virtuous wife, said with a smile, "Still, take a bath. You¡¯re all sweaty from cooking, and oh, leave your dirty clothes there, I¡¯ll wash them for you."


    Since Xu Yingying had taken such an attitude, Li Yifei was happy to enjoy it, at the very least not having to endure the recent "inhuman torture," and took the clothes to head into the bathroom.


    By the time Xu Yingying exited the bedroom, Xu Shanshan had already returned to her own room, lying on the bed, her head buried beneath a pillow, and laughing her head off¡ªshe was just too happy.


    In fact, Xu Shanshan had a purpose in her competition with Xu Yingying; she genuinely liked Li Yifei and wanted him to become a part of her family.


    However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s intent for Li Yifei to become part of her family wasn¡¯t for him to be her man, but rather, she wanted him to truly become her brother-in-law¡ªa point that neither Li Yifei nor Xu Yingying had realized.


    Xu Shanshan knew her sister all too well; if she tried to persuade Xu Yingying by extolling Li Yifei¡¯s virtues, Xu Yingying probably wouldn¡¯t take an interest in Li Yifei. But with her involvement, to avoid embarrassing their parents and to prevent Xu Shanshan from being with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying just had to snatch Li Yifei away.


    So, she faked a truly interested pose in Li Yifei, and Xu Yingying, sure enough, fell for it, just like today at lunch when she purposefully let slip to Xu Yingying that she was going out to eat with Li Yifei, and Xu Yingying really took the bait, going out in her stead.


    When it came to cunning schemes, Xu Yingying was no match for her younger sister, so now she was completely manipulated by Xu Shanshan.


    Besides, Xu Shanshan had another little scheme in mind: if Xu Yingying really had no spark with Li Yifei, she wouldn¡¯t mind being with him for real. Such a great guy¡ªif her sister couldn¡¯t hold onto him, she wouldn¡¯t let him fall into another woman¡¯s hands.


    So now, Xu Shanshan was playing both sides, part feigned and part genuine, ready to advance or retreat at will. At least everything was within her control. But, never having been in love, she didn¡¯t understand that feelings were something one should never trifle with¡ªeven with all her intelligence, toying with emotions was like playing with fire and inviting self-destruction.


    Xu Yingying indeed hadn¡¯t seen through Xu Shanshan¡¯s thoughts and now resumed her meal with He Fangqing. While clearing the table, she said with some embarrassment, "Sister Fangqing, I..."


    He Fangqing chuckled softly and replied, "You did well, you know how to use your assets. To handle men, women must sweep them off their feet."


    "But I always feel that doing this sort of feels... rather cheap," Xu Yingying said with a wry smile as she shook her head.


    "What¡¯s cheap about that? The joy of love shared by men and women is an eternal truth. It¡¯s just that women lacked status in the past. Sometimes your thoughts are really too conservative," He Fangqing countered.


    "That¡¯s true, I am indeed a bit old-fashioned. Sigh, but it¡¯s not easy for me to change. I just have to be myself, and I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t conquer that guy," Xu Yingying affirmed.


    He Fangqing looked Xu Yingying over from head to toe and smiled, "What you said isn¡¯t wrong. Just being yourself is enough. But the most important thing is to make Li Yifei feel your sincerity, then you¡¯ll surely succeed."


    "Sincerity..." Xu Yingying muttered softly, seemingly lost in thought...

 Chapter 188 Continuing the Past Relationship

    Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Continuing the Past RelationshipLi Yifei took a shower, not bothering to change into pajamas, and came to Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom wrapped in a towel. Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were chatting in the living room, while Xu Shanshan was in her own room and did not come out.


    All the clothes Li Yifei left in Xu Yingying¡¯s place were still hanging in the wardrobe, not a piece missing. It wasn¡¯t clear if Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t had the time to tidy up recently, or if she had intentionally left them for Li Yifei, but either way, it was convenient for Li Yifei.


    After changing into a set of clothes, Li Yifei stepped out into the living room and said, "Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going now."


    Xu Yingying stood up and asked, "Isn¡¯t it too early for you to leave?"


    Li Yifei nodded firmly and said, "I have things to take care of at home." Right now, he was feeling a bit wary of staying here. With Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and He Fangqing together, it was enough to overwhelm anyone.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly rushed out of her room, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll go with you. Take me out to have fun tonight."


    Li Yifei, startled, quickly pulled away from Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and said hastily, "No, no, I really have something to do tonight. We can talk about it later." After saying this, he hurriedly went to change his shoes.


    He Fangqing also stood up at this point and said, "That¡¯s perfect, you can drop me off on your way."


    Alone with He Fangqing, Li Yifei was no longer afraid and left with her, leaving the twin sisters¡¯ home behind.


    Once inside the elevator, He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing, her gaze drifting towards the area between Li Yifei¡¯s legs. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Fangqing, you¡¯re really trying to kill me here."


    He Fangqing chuckled again and then proudly said, "I just want to see if you can hold out. Humph, who asked you to cut ties with me just like that."


    Li Yifei did feel a bit guilty about this, as he had indeed let He Fangqing down. "Fangqing, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to betray my girlfriend," he said with remorse.


    He Fangqing snorted and said, "I¡¯m not asking you to have an affair. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m clinging to marry you, nor am I trying to become your mistress. Why are you carrying such a heavy burden?"


    Li Yifei opened his mouth to speak, but He Fangqing cut in again, "Alright, forget I said anything, or you¡¯ll really think I¡¯m forcing you to see me. If I get lonely, couldn¡¯t I find some other man?"


    Li Yifei used to be quite casual with women, not caring whom they might be with after a night together, but after untangling his feelings with Ye Yunzhu and establishing a relationship with Su Yiyi, he felt less free, more constrained in his actions. Hearing He Fangqing talk like this made him feel uncomfortable. He had been with He Fangqing a few times, and even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he had feelings for her.


    Once feelings were involved, possessiveness followed. The idea of He Fangqing being with other men was something he couldn¡¯t easily accept. Frowning, he asked, "Are you feeling very lonely now?"


    "Not very lonely. I¡¯m busy with work and don¡¯t have time to think about anything else. But who knows whether I¡¯ll feel lonely and empty in the future? I¡¯m an adult; I have needs. Maybe I¡¯ll go to a bar and find some attractive man to have fun with, wouldn¡¯t that be nice?"


    The elevator door opened, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t say a word. He got into the car, and remained silent, driving all the way to the entrance of the complex where He Fangqing lived.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t get out of the car right away but turned to look at Li Yifei and said, "Can you come up and help me? The switch in my place is a bit dodgy."


    Li Yifei nodded, got out of the car with He Fangqing, and went to help. It was a request he had no reason to decline.


    He Fangqing¡¯s home was a small apartment, about sixty to seventy square meters with just one bedroom. The living room was quite spacious, and the kitchen and bathroom were both quite nice ¨C a small apartment designed especially for couples, perfect for two people to live in together.


    "Which switch is giving you trouble?" Li Yifei asked as he entered and changed shoes.


    He Fangqing pointed to the bedroom and said, "The socket in there is a bit faulty. It often doesn¡¯t work when I¡¯m charging my laptop, and since I like using my computer on the bed, it needs fixing."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "No big deal, I¡¯ll fix it in no time." Then he went to the power box to turn off the electricity but didn¡¯t shut down the lighting, just cutting the power to the sockets.


    He Fangqing probably didn¡¯t have any tools here, so Li Yifei went straight into the bedroom, then used his own key to open the socket box. It turned out that the wires inside weren¡¯t properly connected, but he fixed them in a jiffy and then reinstalled the socket box. He said, "All done, you won¡¯t have any more problems."


    "You¡¯re really quite something, you even know how to fix electrical stuff," He Fangqing immediately complimented Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed, "This is nothing really, just a piece of cake. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going."


    "Don¡¯t rush off. Go wash your face first, you¡¯re all sweaty. I¡¯ll pour you a glass of water. What, are you afraid I¡¯m going to eat you up if you stay here a bit longer?" He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a teasing look.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of, I¡¯m a man, after all."


    "Hmph, you¡¯re not acting very manly right now," He Fangqing snorted and turned to head into the kitchen.


    Li Yifei went to the bathroom, washed his face, and then wiped it with He Fangqing¡¯s towel. From the overall arrangement of He Fangqing¡¯s place, it was clear that she was now very attentive to the quality of her life. Everything seemed quite exquisite, likely a sign that she had freed herself from the constraints of marriage, and her pursuits had changed as a result. Or perhaps He Fangqing had always been like that, but marriage had made her give up some things.


    As he came out of the bathroom, He Fangqing stood there, right at the door, holding a glass of water. It was as if she got startled by Li Yifei suddenly appearing, and exclaimed, the glass slipped from her hand, and half of the water splashed onto Li Yifei.


    With Li Yifei¡¯s agility, he could have easily dodged it, but he didn¡¯t want to reveal his skills in front of He Fangqing, so he didn¡¯t dodge the water at all, and it all splashed onto him.


    "Aiya, look at me, getting your clothes all wet. Quick, take them off, and I¡¯ll wash them for you. They¡¯ll be dry and ready to wear by tomorrow," He Fangqing shoved the glass into Li Yifei¡¯s hand and her hands were already at his collar, beginning to undo his buttons.


    He Fangqing threw Li Yifei¡¯s shirt to the floor, wrapped her arms around his waist, looked up at him with a seductive glance, and then pressed her face against his chest.


    "Fangqing... don¡¯t... do this," Li Yifei, with the last vestiges of his senses, tried to resist He Fangqing, but a tingling sensation coming from his chest dissolved that last bit of reason. His right hand swung, sending the half-filled glass flying onto the coffee table a couple of meters away, then he wrapped his arms around her, bent his head, and found He Fangqing¡¯s lips, kissing her fiercely.


    What followed was natural, and the two soon ended up tumbling into bed together.


    After a while, the two of them finally calmed down. He Fangqing found Li Yifei a cigarette, lit one for herself, and then placed it in Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    Li Yifei took a deep drag and then exhaled a thick plume of smoke, slapped He Fangqing¡¯s behind and said, "You little temptress, you¡¯re making me commit mistakes."


    He Fangqing trembled slightly from the pat, her sultry eyes casting a glance as she said in a coy voice, "I wanted you to make a mistake, it seems someone¡¯s willpower isn¡¯t that strong after all."


    Li Yifei said, "Facing the pure seduction of such a beautiful woman, what man wouldn¡¯t cave, how could anyone not make a mistake?"


    Who knows how many times they went at it that night, if it wasn¡¯t for Li Yifei¡¯s robust body, he might not have been able to get out of bed the next day. When he woke up in the morning, his back was still sore.


    "What are you thinking about?" He Fangqing had also opened her eyes by then, her fingers lightly gliding over Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    "My dear lady, please spare me," Li Yifei quickly caught He Fangqing¡¯s hand.


    He Fangqing giggled, though she didn¡¯t continue to tease Li Yifei. She too was exhausted from the night¡¯s activities and couldn¡¯t bear another round.


    "What are you thinking about? Feeling guilty about your girlfriend?" He Fangqing asked again.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It¡¯s done, why think about it anymore."


    "Hehe, you don¡¯t need to stress over it, just go ahead and love your girlfriend, I¡¯m not asking for anything," He Fangqing said.


    Li Yifei looked at He Fangqing, her gaze clear, tender as water. Unable to resist, he pulled He Fangqing back into his embrace. This side of He Fangqing, how could Li Yifei ever reject? It looked like he would just have to apologize to Su Yiyi.

 Chapter 189 Ye Yunzhu’s Attitude

    Chapter 189: Chapter 189 Ye Yunzhu¡¯s AttitudeAfter a busy Friday, just before finishing work, Li Yifei unexpectedly received a call from Ye Yunzhu, which surprised him. Moreover, it stirred a complex, indescribable emotion within him. He felt that even though he had moved on from his relationship with Ye Yunzhu, her call had once again thrown his heart into disarray.


    Answering the phone, Li Yifei said with a smile, "Chief Ye, what made you think to call me today?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone was very relaxed, and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s was just as light-hearted, "So, you¡¯re in a good mood after dumping me, huh?"


    "Yunzhu, this... uh..." Li Yifei didn¡¯t quite know how to respond to that. After all, his past relationship with Ye Yunzhu was an undeniable fact, and no matter the separation, in the end, it was Ye Yunzhu who had been hurt more.


    "Hehe, I¡¯m just joking with you, don¡¯t mind me. No matter what, we did share some happy times together. I really don¡¯t want us to become enemies because of certain things. Even if you don¡¯t want to be my lover again, we should at least be good friends, right?"


    Li Yifei was well aware of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s assertiveness. Hearing her say this was quite unexpected, and he asked, "Yunzhu, are you serious?"


    "Of course, I am. Why would I lie to you? I used to be strong-willed and persistent, but love isn¡¯t something you can force. After so many years, both of us have changed so much. Forcing ourselves to stay together would be unfair to the both of us, so I¡¯ve come to terms with it. If we really have the fate to be together, it will naturally happen. If not, forcing it would be pointless."


    "Yunzhu, it¡¯s good that you can think like that." Li Yifei felt much more at ease hearing her say these words.


    "Alright, quit being sour about it, it¡¯s not like you," she said.


    "Haha, you¡¯re right," Li Yifei laughed heartily. How could he wish to become enemies with Ye Yunzhu? If they couldn¡¯t be lovers, then becoming the best of friends was what Li Yifei hoped for most.


    "By the way, I called you to talk business, about your job. What are your thoughts? Do you want to become a public servant? I used to be your platoon leader, and now I want to be your leader again, to keep an eye on you. Without someone to oversee you, your tail might just stick up in the air."


    Li Yifei said apologetically, "Yunzhu, I¡¯m really sorry but I have to decline your kind offer. I really don¡¯t like the idea of being a public servant. I¡¯m currently working at a newly established company, and I¡¯m the Human Resources Manager. It¡¯s quite challenging. You know what they say, being a public servant is just living off the state. I don¡¯t want to lose my fighting spirit so young."


    "You little brat, are you scolding me, do you not want to live?" Ye Yunzhu immediately yelled, her voice sounding exactly like that fiery platoon leader from the past.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Aren¡¯t you a leader? Of course, you¡¯re filled with fighting spirit. I¡¯m just worried that with my personality, being an official won¡¯t work out, and I¡¯d end up doing nothing in the end."


    There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone before Ye Yunzhu said, "You¡¯re right, a truly ambitious man really isn¡¯t suited for such work. But you¡¯re not bad, you know, becoming a Human Resources Manager so quickly. It¡¯s not some second-rate company, is it?"


    "With an investment of five hundred million, would you say that¡¯s a second-rate company?"


    "Five hundred million?" Ye Yunzhu exclaimed, then quickly added, "Are you talking about Dreamfly Company?"


    Li Yifei said with some surprise, "You even know about it? Our company has only registered with the Bureau of Commerce and Industry; we haven¡¯t even started our operations proper."


    "But it¡¯s an investment of five hundred million. The entire city is watching your company. Hey, don¡¯t let outsiders water your fields; if your company is looking to build a factory or something, consider our township. I can definitely offer you some preferential policies."


    Before Li Yifei could respond, Ye Yunzhu chuckled and said, "Just kidding. You, as the Human Resources Manager, probably can¡¯t make that decision by yourself. But if you could introduce me to your boss, I would be very grateful indeed."


    Li Yifei was about to say that he almost had the clout to make it happen, but feeling that it wasn¡¯t something a Human Resources Manager should claim, he proceeded with Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words, "No problem, I¡¯ll speak to our general manager about it."


    "That¡¯s a promise then. I¡¯ll be waiting for your news. You need to act quickly on this for me; if it gets allocated to another county or district, then I¡¯ll be in a tough spot. Attracting investment is a major performance metric for officials, and I¡¯m counting on you to bring in this big project."


    "Haha, no problem, wait for my call. A township chief is indeed a township chief, reaching out to an old classmate while still contemplating your achievements," Li Yifei jested.


    "I¡¯ll grab any opportunity that arises, especially with you, you scoundrel. If you don¡¯t help me, just wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei still had a smile on his face, feeling that the outcome with Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t have been better.


    Having promised Ye Yunzhu, Li Yifei immediately went to Xu Yingying¡¯s office. She was reviewing documents, waved at him, and then continued reading. Li Yifei sat in front of her, waiting for her to finish.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Xu Yingying finally put down the documents and rubbed her forehead, looking somewhat tired as she asked Li Yifei.


    "It¡¯s like this, our company is planning to build a factory but hasn¡¯t settled on a location yet. I happen to have a classmate who¡¯s a township chief. If our company builds the factory there, we can get some preferential policies. Do you think it¡¯s feasible?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up, "That would be great; I¡¯ve also been worried about this issue."


    Using Su Mengxin¡¯s name to secure land for a factory in Mile City wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but Xu Yingying did not want to rely on Su Mengxin for everything. She preferred to handle such matters with her own capabilities. Although she had been a general manager before, her company was much smaller and didn¡¯t have its own factory. She wasn¡¯t sufficiently acquainted with Mile City¡¯s higher-ups, and getting land approved was a big deal that seemed a bit beyond her capacity without additional help.


    Li Yifei felt there was a chance, and quickly said, "If you agree, I can contact my classmate for you, and then we can all get together and talk."


    Xu Yingying thought for a moment, then replied, "I happen to be free tonight, so how about we do it this evening? You contact your classmate and see if they¡¯re available."


    Li Yifei nodded and dialed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s number in front of Xu Yingying, saying, "Chief Ye, are you free tonight? Our boss would like to treat you to dinner."


    "If your boss, despite being so busy, has time, then no matter how big the matter I have, I will have to postpone it. However, I insist on hosting this dinner, seven o¡¯clock at Yiyun Clubhouse, how does that sound?"


    "No problem, that¡¯s settled then."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei said to Xu Yingying, "It¡¯s settled."


    Although Xu Yingying did not hear exactly what Ye Yunzhu had said on the phone, she got the gist of it from Li Yifei¡¯s words. Her spirits lifted considerably, and she quickly asked, "Does your classmate have a high alcohol tolerance?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment, then answered, "Shouldn¡¯t be too high."


    "That¡¯s good, then. I won¡¯t bring anyone else, and you can just accompany me. I was worried that if they could drink too much, I couldn¡¯t keep up."


    "If you can¡¯t keep up, then don¡¯t. Do you really have to get drunk?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glance and said, "Do you think these leaders are that easy to deal with? If you don¡¯t drink well with them, nothing gets done. Do you know why I haven¡¯t decided on this matter during this period? It¡¯s because of this. Especially since some people have ulterior motives, they might take advantage of the situation and try to harass me. If it weren¡¯t for your classmate, I would not dare to dine with them."


    Li Yifei gave a mischievous smile and said, "Oh, don¡¯t worry, my classmate definitely won¡¯t have any designs on you."


    "That¡¯s your classmate¡ª¡¯A friend¡¯s wife is not to be coveted,¡¯ and that¡¯s why I feel at ease."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit awkward and said, "You can¡¯t really say that, can you? Aren¡¯t you my boss?"


    "Sooner or later, I will be," Xu Yingying said offhandedly, then added, "Okay, I still have some matters to take care of. You can go get busy."


    Leaving Xu Yingying¡¯s office, Li Yifei felt somewhat depressed. Xu Yingying now spoke so naturally¡ªwith such calm, composed confidence¡ªit was as if he, Li Yifei, couldn¡¯t escape her influence at all.


    Just as he had sat down in his own office, Michelle came in, wearing a sweet smile, and sat across from Li Yifei at his desk, saying, "Brother Li, got any plans for the weekend?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Probably just spending time with my girlfriend."


    "Oh, what about tonight?" Michelle seemed a bit disappointed but quickly asked again.


    "Tonight, the boss is dragging me out. Do you need something? I¡¯ll be heading out after six, so I guess I have a bit over an hour after work."


    Michelle shook her head, saying, "No, nothing. I was thinking of going to see a movie or something with you, but if you¡¯re busy, never mind."


    "Let¡¯s do it some other time then. I¡¯m afraid I really won¡¯t have any time the next couple of days." Li Yifei found it very relaxing to be around Michelle.


    Michelle¡¯s smile brightened as she said, "You¡¯ve promised, Brother Li. When you have time, you must hang out with me. Work¡¯s been so draining, and I don¡¯t feel safe going out with anyone else. Only with you do I really have fun."


    "No problem, that¡¯s an easy thing to do," Li Yifei agreed readily.


    "Great, I¡¯ll take off then. Oh, and remember, if you ever need help with anything, don¡¯t be shy to ask," she added.


    "Why would I be shy with you?" Li Yifei asked Michelle with a smile.


    Michelle¡¯s smile grew even broader as she replied, "That¡¯s what friends are for, right? Alright, I¡¯m off then, Brother Li¡ªsee you later."


    After leaving Li Yifei¡¯s office, Michelle pursed her lips slightly. She really hoped that Li Yifei could accompany her today, but since he was busy, she couldn¡¯t insist. Despite appearing sweet and gentle, Michelle was determined; even knowing that Li Yifei had a girlfriend, she was resolved to strive for him. Even if she didn¡¯t succeed, she would have no regrets.


    Yet Michelle was ultimately a sensible girl. Despite harboring such feelings, she didn¡¯t want to make it obvious to Li Yifei, not wanting to burden him. This was part of her kindness. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 190 VS

    Chapter 190: Chapter 190 VSAt 6:50 PM, Li Yifei drove Xu Yingying¡¯s Mercedes to the Yiyun Clubhouse. Yifei had been to the clubhouse twice before, once to meet with Su Mengxin and two beautiful hostesses, and another time to meet with some senior leaders from the city, so he knew the place well.


    "You¡¯ve been here before?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with some confusion. She was fully aware of this place, but she was not yet a member. Even when she was the general manager at Huayang Company, her own income was not enough for her to get a membership card here. And to spend the company¡¯s money was not her style.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯ve been here with Su Mengxin. She even got me a membership card so that I could look the part whenever I needed to come here."


    "Miss Su is really generous with you, she hasn¡¯t even given me one," Xu Yingying said with a slightly sour tone.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "She gave you five billion, and now, if you want to get a membership card here, the clubhouse would be only too pleased."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "That five billion is for doing business, not for my enjoyment. I wouldn¡¯t spend that money."


    At that moment, the car stopped in front of the clubhouse where Ye Yunzhu was waiting. When she saw Li Yifei get out of the car, she quickly came over to greet him. Although she was a township chief, she did not dare to show the slightest arrogance in the presence of the president of a company planning to invest five billion, as it involved her performance in office.


    However, when she saw a beautiful woman get out of the passenger seat, Ye Yunzhu was surprised, paused, and turned her gaze towards Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying also noticed Ye Yunzhu approaching and looked unfriendly towards Li Yifei, not yet realizing that Ye Yunzhu was the township chief, thinking her someone Li Yifei knew. All the people Li Yifei knew were beauties, which caused some discomfort for Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei laughed and said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, this is Ye Yunzhu, Chief Ye I told you about. Yunzhu, this is our company¡¯s president, Xu Yingying."


    Both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu were taken aback and then reached out their hands to shake, with both revealing surprised smiles. Ye Yunzhu spoke first, "President Xu, it is such a surprise. I originally thought the president Yifei mentioned would be a man in his fifties. I never expected such a beautiful woman."


    Xu Yingying also said with a blooming smile, "Mayor Ye, I was even more surprised to find out that the Chief Ye that Yifei mentioned is such a beautiful woman. If we¡¯re talking about surprises, it¡¯s really mine."


    "President Xu, please don¡¯t say that. To be so young and already managing an investment of five billion, that¡¯s not something a small township chief like me can compare with."


    "That money isn¡¯t mine, I¡¯m just working for someone. Mayor Ye, however, is a parental official of the area. Us commoners will need your care in the future," Xu Yingying responded.


    Seeing the two women compliment each other back and forth, Li Yifei grew impatient and interjected, "Alright, enough with the pleasantries here, let¡¯s go inside to talk."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face showed a hint of confusion. It was natural for Li Yifei to speak to her in such a tone, not to mention their special past relationship, or even as old classmates, Li Yifei could talk to her like that, but for a subordinate to speak to the president like that was a bit too much.


    Immediately, Xu Yingying agreed, "Yes, Yes, Yifei is right. Mayor Ye, let¡¯s go inside to talk."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go and talk inside," Ye Yunzhu said as she pulled Xu Yingying by the hand to walk forward. However, in the moment she turned around, she cast a glance at Li Yifei. Instinctively, as a woman, she felt that there must be something more than ordinary between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    Ye Yunzhu had a membership card for the clubhouse. She might be just a township chief, who normally couldn¡¯t afford to come here, and the clubhouse wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to a township chief like her based on her background alone, but Ye Yunzhu was not just a township chief; she also had a powerful family background, which made getting such a membership card easy.


    After showing her membership card, the three of them entered the clubhouse and Ye Yunzhu led them to the Bamboo Hall. True to its name, the hall¡¯s decor and style revolved around bamboo. The potted bamboos inside were pleasing to the eye, and the bamboo-made tables and chairs surprised Xu Yingying, who said, "The decoration here is nice and fitting for Mayor Ye¡¯s name. I suppose you must really like it here, don¡¯t you?"


    Ye Yunzhu smiled faintly and said, "Yes, my name contains the character for ¡¯bamboo¡¯, and I am particularly fond of bamboos. It¡¯s not just their serenity I admire but also their integrity."


    Xu Yingying quickly complimented, "From Mayor Ye¡¯s tastes, one can tell you are a person of high integrity and surely a good official who serves the people."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed loudly and said, "What¡¯s a good or bad official, in today¡¯s world, if you want to get by in civil service, you have to conform to some rules and systems; it¡¯s not something I alone can change. You see, now I¡¯m specifically courting President Xu to invest in my jurisdiction for some achievements."


    Xu Yingying smiled demurely and said, "As long as Mayor Ye can offer us sufficient advantages, we would naturally be happy to invest there."


    When it came to this matter, Xu Yingying showed her slickness by first seeking benefits for herself.


    Ye Yunzhu, who had been in the world of officials for a few years, naturally understood the implication in Xu Yingying¡¯s words and immediately said with generous enthusiasm, "As long as I am the Township Chief, and as long as our township can do it, I will definitely secure the greatest benefits for President Xu and your company. This is something I, Ye Yunzhu, can guarantee."


    Though her words sounded pleasing, they lacked concrete substance. They were nice to hear and would easily move someone, but since there were no specific commitments, they didn¡¯t really count; it was more of a gesture than anything.


    The three of them sat down, and two beautiful girls came in, both sporting cheongsams with easy grace. With waitresses of such caliber, who would qualify for beauty pageants, one could tell the service here was excellent and could only imagine how expensive it was to dine here.


    After exchanging pleasantries, it was Ye Yunzhu who took charge and ordered several dishes, along with a bottle of red wine. She laughed, "President Xu, we¡¯re both women, and I won¡¯t be particular about drinking anything, nor insist on drinking to our heart¡¯s content. I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    This suited Xu Yingying perfectly. She said, "Honestly, Mayor Ye, what I fear most is having drinking contests at the table. Getting through an issue without getting oneself drunk is almost seen as impolite. Being able to negotiate without getting drunk would be just perfect."


    Ye Yunzhu giggled twice, winked at Li Yifei, and asked, "Old classmate, what would you like to drink?"


    Li Yifei replied casually, "Anything will do."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "You better not drink, you still have to drive back later. Drunk driving enforcement is so strict now, and if you get locked up for a few days, who will bring you food?"


    Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying a look and said, "Can¡¯t you wish for something good for me?"


    Xu Yingying shot back with a glare of her own, "Not letting you drink is me wishing you well. Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t care less about what you do."


    Watching the two talk this way, Ye Yunzhu grew suspicious, thinking that Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with this President was too casual; he showed no respect for the President, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t seem to mind and didn¡¯t put on airs when talking to Li Yifei. Could it be that Li Yifei had some kind of relationship with Xu Yingying?


    At that moment, Xu Yingying turned to Ye Yunzhu with a smile and said, "Mayor Ye, I apologize, but this guy just can¡¯t act properly no matter what. Even though I¡¯m the President, he doesn¡¯t take me seriously in the slightest, and I even have to coax him."


    "Coax him?" Ye Yunzhu looked intrigued and laughed, "Could it be that President Xu and Yifei..."


    Glancing at Li Yifei, Xu Yingying said, "I¡¯d like to, but someone is being really evasive," indirectly admitting to a relationship with Li Yifei.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s expression changed slightly. She had reflected on herself and realized she might have been too eager in her interactions with Li Yifei. She had also investigated him and learned that his girlfriend was Su Yiyi. Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t take Su Yiyi seriously, deeming her just a college student. She fully believed that with her history with Li Yifei, including being his first love, it was only a matter of time before he returned to her side.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to come into the picture, presenting a formidable rival. In terms of appearance, temperament, and status, Xu Yingying was an impeccable woman, and she seemed quite fond of Li Yifei, not displaying the demeanor of a President, and even deferring to his opinion.


    However, Ye Yunzhu did not show her feelings and glared at Li Yifei, saying, "I must say, old classmate, you¡¯re being quite considerate, not letting me know about this earlier. I only find out now."


    Li Yifei was somewhere between smiling and crying as Xu Yingying had brought this up right in front of Ye Yunzhu, clearly intending to make things awkward for him. But at this point, even a denial would probably not convince Ye Yunzhu, especially considering Xu Yingying¡¯s status; it seemed unlikely she would make such a joke. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at Xu Yingying with a semblance of "grievance," he said, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but I simply can¡¯t aspire to such heights."


    Xu Yingying, assuming a slightly aggrieved demeanor, said to Ye Yunzhu, "See what I mean? This is what he¡¯s like. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯ve gone wrong, but he just won¡¯t agree."


    Just as Ye Yunzhu had sensed a substantial relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, Xu Yingying also quickly perceived that Li Yifei must share a past with his old classmate, Ye Yunzhu. Therefore, she acted preemptively to claim Li Yifei, leaving Ye Yunzhu no opportunity to make a move.


    These two were supposed to discuss a cooperation, but instead, they started making plays for Li Yifei right off the bat.

 Chapter 191 All are Dramas

    Chapter 191: Chapter 191 All are DramasYe Yunzhu put on a stern face and said to Li Yifei, "I¡¯m telling you, old classmate, this is where you¡¯re wrong. A woman as great as President Xu is hard to find even with a lantern, and yet you still disagree. What kind of woman are you looking for?"


    Although she was scolding Li Yifei on the surface, Ye Yunzhu also wanted to know his answer. Of course, she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to be with Xu Yingying, and she also wanted to know the reasons why Li Yifei turned Xu Yingying down so she could learn from Xu Yingying¡¯s shortcomings.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Fate, I guess. No one can really say for sure."


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm and chastised, "That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, always evasive. Okay, okay, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Mayor Ye, let¡¯s talk about business instead, shall we?"


    Xu Yingying had shown her feelings enough and quickly switched back to work mode. What mattered most was to start building the factory as early as possible.


    Ye Yunzhu knew that now wasn¡¯t the time to delve into the relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, so she discussed things seriously with Xu Yingying.


    Both were strong women, and as they ate and talked, they quickly lost themselves in the discussion, almost completely leaving Li Yifei out of it.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind. He ate his food, drank his drink, and was quite at ease. Time flew, and an hour and a half passed quickly.


    "Mayor Ye, if we can get these preferential terms, then setting up our factory in your township shouldn¡¯t be a problem. But the main thing is to ensure that these benefits are actually implemented. I don¡¯t want to find out later that it¡¯s all just empty promises."


    "President Xu, when Ye Yunzhu makes a promise, I will see it through. We¡¯ll put it in black and white in the contract. Even if I¡¯m not in the township in the future, with the contract in hand, your company will definitely continue to enjoy these benefits from our township."


    "Great, let¡¯s leave it at that. We¡¯ll discuss the specifics next time. I¡¯ll prepare the necessary documents in the next two days, and, Mayor Ye, it would be best if you could get things ready too. Our company is in an active phase of production, and I don¡¯t want anything causing unnecessary delays."


    "No problem, dragging my feet is definitely not my style, Ye Yunzhu. Give me three days. By next Tuesday, I¡¯ll have everything ready."


    "Mayor Ye, let me wish us a successful partnership in advance."


    "To a successful partnership."


    Both raised their glasses, clinked them together, and drank them down. Clearly, the main purpose of the meal had been achieved, and it seemed they held a certain mutual respect for each other.


    Ye Yunzhu insisted on paying the bill. The three of them headed to the parking lot together. Ye Yunzhu hadn¡¯t driven, and Xu Yingying quickly offered, "Mayor Ye, let us drive you."


    Without any pretense, Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "Then I¡¯ll trouble you," and then she gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance.


    The three got into the car with Li Yifei driving and Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu sitting in the back. Xu Yingying said, "Let¡¯s drop Mayor Ye off first."


    Ye Yunzhu objected immediately, "No, I¡¯m staying in the township, it¡¯s rather far. Yifei, you should drop off President Xu first, and then take me. I have something to tell you later."


    Although Xu Yingying got on well with Ye Yunzhu, she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to have too many opportunities to be alone with Ye Yunzhu. However, Ye Yunzhu made the offer directly, leaving Xu Yingying with no way to refuse. She could only smile and say, "Since you old classmates have something to talk about, drop me off first."


    Seeing that the two had come to an agreement, Li Yifei drove straight to Xu Yingying¡¯s home. At this time, Xu Yingying smiled at Ye Yunzhu and said, "Mayor Ye, it seems you have a good relationship with your old classmate."


    Ye Yunzhu glanced at Li Yifei and said, "It¡¯s true, but our relationship was forged through battles. This guy was such a troublemaker in school. I was the class president, and I don¡¯t know how many worries he caused me." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying laughed generously and said, "Yeah, this guy isn¡¯t the type to give people peace of mind either, getting into trouble every three days and making me have to clean up his messes."


    Ye Yunzhu nodded vigorously and said, "It seems he hasn¡¯t changed at all. Back then, every time he got into trouble, I had to clean up after him. I don¡¯t know how many times he would have been expelled if it weren¡¯t for me. Because I always helped him, some even thought we had an early romance."


    Xu Yingying expressed surprise, "Really? That¡¯s a glorious history? I¡¯ll have to make him tell me all about it later."


    Ye Yunzhu giggled and said, "Hehe, he would never talk about such embarrassing things. But if you want to know, I can tell you later."


    Li Yifei, being teased by the two like this, could only pretend not to hear. He sensed that both women were trying to show off their closer relationship with him. He had learned his lesson with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan; saying anything now would be like asking for trouble, so he definitely couldn¡¯t interject.


    After dropping off Xu Yingying outside her residential complex, just before getting out of the car, she said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, make sure you get Mayor Ye home safely and be careful driving."


    Li Yifei replied impatiently, "I know."


    Xu Yingying sighed at Ye Yunzhu and said, "You see? The nicer I am to him, the more impatient he gets. Mayor Ye, see you Tuesday."


    Ye Yunzhu shook hands with Xu Yingying and said, "Now I¡¯m really envious of this guy, having someone like President Xu fancying him. Let¡¯s meet on Tuesday."


    Only then did Xu Yingying get out of the car, and Li Yifei immediately made a U-turn and drove off quickly.


    "Stop the car." Not long after they started, Ye Yunzhu called out from the back.


    Li Yifei was puzzled but still pulled over to the side of the road. Ye Yunzhu opened the door and got out, further confusing Li Yifei. He was about to call out to her when she pulled open the passenger door and got in.


    "Drive," Ye Yunzhu buckled her seatbelt and shouted at the dazed Li Yifei.


    Only then did Li Yifei refocus and steered the car back onto the main road. However, being alone with Ye Yunzhu, he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Ye Yunzhu also looked silently out the window, and for a good five or six minutes both remained quiet until Li Yifei finally said, "Yunzhu, are you heading back to the township?"


    "No, I¡¯m going home."


    "And where is your home?"


    "You¡¯ve been to my house so many times, how can you not know?" Ye Yunzhu said irritably.


    Li Yifei instantly felt awkward. When their relationship was at its best, Li Yifei had snuck over to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s house countless times; how could he not know? He let out a dry laugh and said, "Mile City has changed a lot over the years, so now I¡¯m a bit hesitant to trust my memories."


    "Hmph, of course, you can forget," she snorted, "now that you have such a gorgeous President Xu entangling you, and a college student girlfriend to boot, hmph, you¡¯re really not short on romantic blessings, are you?"


    "How do you know about Yiyi?" Li Yifei immediately furrowed his brow.


    "What, are you afraid I¡¯ll go looking for her?" Ye Yunzhu turned to glare at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei managed a bitter smile and replied, "She¡¯s a pitiful girl. How could she compare with you, the big Township Chief?"


    Ye Yunzhu snorted twice and said, "And what about this Xu Yingying? She¡¯s boasting in front of me as if she¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll have an affair with you."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "I don¡¯t have anything going on with her."


    "Nothing?" Ye Yunzhu curled her lip, "Nothing, yet you run off to her company to become the HR Manager? Nothing, and she calls you so affectionately, a president being so humble towards you?"


    Li Yifei sighed helplessly and replied, "Maybe that¡¯s just wishful thinking on her part. I¡¯m not interested in her."


    Ye Yunzhu was satisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s answer and calmed down as she said, "Then tell me, when did you and Su Yiyi get together?"


    "With her... it¡¯s been about a week, I guess."


    "Only a week... So you¡¯re saying you got together with her after I lost my temper that day?" Ye Yunzhu suddenly erupted again.


    Li Yifei knew Ye Yunzhu would react this way, but he still told her the truth, "Yes, in fact, Yunzhu, I didn¡¯t want to hide it from you. I¡¯ve not had a girlfriend before because I was still thinking about you. But when we met for real, I felt the distance between us had grown so large, we have different worldviews, different ways of living. You are ambitious, while I now seek a very peaceful life. You want me to stand out, but I just want to be ordinary, so..."


    Ye Yunzhu interrupted him, "So that day, because of that little girl¡¯s interruption, you didn¡¯t explain to me?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s exactly on that day, when Su Yiyi came to me, that I agreed to be her boyfriend."


    Ye Yunzhu humphed, "Well, it turns out it was me who pushed her into your arms."


    Li Yifei slightly smiled and said, "Yunzhu, didn¡¯t you say we should just be good friends now? I think that¡¯s pretty nice."


    Suddenly, Ye Yunzhu reached out and twisted the back of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, angrily saying, "You jerk, you¡¯ve got a girlfriend now, it¡¯s natural for you to feel nice about it."


    "You were the one who said it, and now you blame me," Li Yifei felt somewhat wronged.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "Don¡¯t you know that women often say one thing and mean another?"


    "So what do you really want?" Li Yifei was truly at a loss for words.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s frustrated look, Ye Yunzhu suddenly burst into giggles. After laughing for a while, she contemptuously said, "You really think too highly of yourself, as if I, Ye Yunzhu, couldn¡¯t live without you. Let me tell you, you¡¯ve always been a huge burden in my heart, and now that I¡¯ve finally let go, I can¡¯t tell you how relieved I feel."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t quite believe Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words and tentatively asked, "You¡¯re not teasing me?"


    "Why would I tease you? You¡¯ve already got a girlfriend now."


    "Thank you, Yunzhu."


    "Alright, don¡¯t be so saccharine with me now. You¡¯ve really helped me out this time. So tell me, how should I thank you?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Thanks for what? It¡¯s purely mutual benefit. Besides, with the relationship we have, why mention thanks? If you asked me to, I¡¯d even risk my neck for you."


    "You know your place," Ye Yunzhu said proudly, tilting her chin up. She looked just like the Ye Yunzhu Li Yifei had met seven or eight years ago.


    After dropping Ye Yunzhu off at her home, Li Yifei drove away. Ye Yunzhu, however, stood in the shadows, lingering for a long time with a complex, difficult to decipher expression on her face, mostly filled with sadness and reluctance.

 Chapter 192: Moved

    Chapter 192: Chapter 192: MovedWhen Li Yifei arrived home, the lights in the living room were on, and there was the sound of water coming from the bathroom, clearly indicating that someone was taking a bath.


    The only other person who had a key to his house was Su Yiyi. Of course, Su Mengxin could also come in, but Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t take a bath at his place, so obviously, it was Su Yiyi.


    After changing his shoes, Li Yifei went and knocked on the bathroom door, saying, "I¡¯m back."


    "Ah! Brother Li, you¡¯re back." A surprised and delighted voice came from inside. The sliding door moved a bit, opening a small crack, but then it quickly closed again, "I¡¯ll be done soon."


    "Hehe, take your time, I¡¯ll go rest for a bit."


    After smoking a cigarette in the living room, Su Yiyi had already come out, her figure draped in a silk slip dress that made her look as pure and lovely as a lotus flower emerging from the water, undeniably a sight that one would want to hold in their arms.


    "Yiyi, you¡¯re so beautiful," Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but compliment, his gaze fixed on Su Yiyi without wavering for a moment.


    Blushing at Li Yifei¡¯s praise, Su Yiyi was filled with joy and coyly said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re teasing me again."


    "How could I be teasing you? If you weren¡¯t beautiful, how could I have you as my girlfriend? I¡¯m speaking the absolute truth here."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad," Su Yiyi said, yet she still sat down next to Li Yifei, stretched out her arm, and had already embraced Li Yifei¡¯s arm, resting her head on his shoulder. By now, this little girl had become much more open in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei enjoyed this feeling very much and turned his head to gently kiss Su Yiyi¡¯s smooth forehead, saying, "How come you didn¡¯t call me when you arrived? I could have come back earlier."


    With some coyness, Su Yiyi said, "I didn¡¯t want to interrupt Brother Li¡¯s work. I know you have been very busy lately, and I¡¯m very happy just waiting at home for Brother Li Fei."


    "What a silly girl," Li Yifei said affectionately as he pinched Su Yiyi¡¯s nose.


    The two of them enjoyed a tender moment before Li Yifei went to take a bath. Afterward, he returned to the bedroom to lie down, while Su Yiyi insisted on washing the clothes he had taken off, only then getting into bed.


    Although Su Yiyi had already slept in the same bed with Li Yifei many times, and she was now officially his girlfriend, she still lay neatly in bed, not daring to move a bit.


    Li Yifei had a talk with Ye Yunzhu today and felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. With a girlfriend as beautiful as a flower by his side, how could he just stay there, doing nothing? Stretching out an arm, he reached under Su Yiyi¡¯s neck, and with a slight pull, Su Yiyi, blushing, snuggled into his embrace. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s initiative made Su Yiyi¡¯s heart race, sensing today was different from usual, feeling that something was bound to happen between them tonight. About that thing, Su Yiyi had already made up her mind that she would give herself to Li Yifei whenever he desired.


    But with the moment approaching, she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. It was said that it would be very painful for a girl the first time, and with Li Yifei being so robust, she was truly uncertain about how much pain she could endure. Yet, no matter how painful it might be, she didn¡¯t want to shrink back. She loved Li Yifei and was willing to do anything for him, even if it meant her death.


    Embracing Su Yiyi, Li Yifei himself was quite moved today. He started by gently kissing her forehead and then whispered in her ear, "Yiyi, do you realize how much temptation there is for me when you lie in the same bed as me?"


    Upon hearing these words, Su Yiyi became even more aware of Li Yifei¡¯s intentions. She felt embarrassed and flustered, but also joyous, and buried her head deep in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, stuttering, "I... I didn¡¯t mean... to tempt you."


    Li Yifei laughed softly, his palm gently caressing her back, and said, "Even if you do nothing, just lying here is already the greatest temptation for me. Having such a beautiful girl in my arms, I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve almost turned into a beast."


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand seemed to possess magic, making every place he touched on Su Yiyi¡¯s back send ripples through her heart. She whispered shyly, her face reddening, "I... I... didn¡¯t say you can¡¯t."


    This sentence was truly too tempting. Li Yifei¡¯s arm subconsciously tightened, and he held Su Yiyi tightly, gently kissing her forehead and between her eyebrows, his voice muffled as he said, "Yiyi, today I will have you, is that alright?"


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t answer, but she hugged Li Yifei tightly, which clearly expressed her feelings.


    At that moment, Li Yifei had no more reservations. He kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes, which, like pools of clear water, were already closed, and then her nose, feeling the heat of her breath. This excited Li Yifei even more. In his life, besides being with Ye Yunzhu, which had been out of love, it was only with Su Yiyi now.


    But with Ye Yunzhu, they had been too young at the time, so he didn¡¯t know what feelings were; it was more a longing for the opposite sex, a sprout of youth. In contrast, with Su Yiyi, it was truly ****.


    Continuing down from Su Yiyi¡¯s nose, Li Yifei finally kissed her lips. Su Yiyi went rigid for a moment, her eyes snapping open to glance at Li Yifei before quickly shutting in embarrassment.


    Li Yifei felt a sudden amusement and pulled away from Su Yiyi¡¯s lips, saying, "Yiyi, it seems we have never really kissed."


    Su Yiyi was even more embarrassed. For a shy girl like her, such things were unspeakable.


    "Yiyi, I suddenly feel like we¡¯re missing something between us," Li Yifei said, sensing that taking Su Yiyi today seemed too abrupt. They had just established their relationship a week ago and had already moved to the final act, even neglecting a kiss. This seemed unfair to Su Yiyi.


    "Missing what?" Su Yiyi abruptly opened her eyes, filled with apprehension.


    Gently stroking Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek, Li Yifei spoke softly, "We haven¡¯t truly experienced dating or even kissed properly, and now we¡¯re rushing to bed together. I fear you might have regrets later."


    The anxious look on Su Yiyi¡¯s face disappeared, replaced by shyness. She pursed her lips and said, "Brother Li, as long as I can be with you, Yiyi doesn¡¯t mind these things. You don¡¯t need to worry so much. Yiyi has wanted to be yours for a long time; it was Brother Li who always held back, allowing Yiyi to maintain her distance until now. I understand your love and care for me, and I truly have no regrets."


    At this point, Su Yiyi courageously kissed Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, and although it was just a simple lip-to-lip touch, it was enough to melt Li Yifei¡¯s soul.


    In the past, Su Yiyi¡¯s attitude towards Li Yifei had always contained a sense of gratitude, and Li Yifei had his own hang-ups, so he always kept a clear head around Su Yiyi. Even if they slept in the same bed, he never did anything excessive to her.


    But now it was different. Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were a couple. Su Yiyi no longer possessed a sense of obligation. Being with Li Yifei was genuine affection, and thus Li Yifei no longer needed to hold back. ****ing was just natural at this point, and in modern relationships, Li Yifei didn¡¯t consider the need to wait for the wedding night for a woman¡¯s most precious gift.


    Su Yiyi left herself in Li Yifei¡¯s hands. The kisses she had seen on television were just like this. She didn¡¯t know what to do next, but even this much was stirring, making her so weak she could hardly stand, her breath growing increasingly hot.


    After a brief kiss, Li Yifei realized that Su Yiyi had no idea how to kiss. She was as pure as one could be¡ªan inexperienced young girl. Her weak response might leave much to be desired, but her innocence gave a man a strong sense of achievement. Which man wouldn¡¯t want to be the first for his girlfriend, the one to claim her first kiss?


    Though Su Yiyi didn¡¯t understand, she wouldn¡¯t object to whatever Li Yifei wanted to do. When she felt Li Yifei¡¯s tongue seeking hers, it made her blush.


    When Li Yifei¡¯s tongue began to play in her mouth, teasing her own, Su Yiyi finally understood. This was a real kiss; it was not only lips to lips but also a deeper connection. The sensation was truly intoxicating, prompting her to respond instinctively.


    Some things one learns without being taught. Su Yiyi needed but a brief guide from Li Yifei to figure out how to kiss. She responded passionately while clinging tightly to him, her hands beginning to gently caress Li Yifei¡¯s back as he did to her.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s responses inflamed Li Yifei¡¯s already burning desire. No longer satisfied with just kissing, one of his hands moved from Su Yiyi¡¯s back to the front, slowly unbuttoning the side of her firm, yet not overly full, breast.


    Su Yiyi tensed, but then kissed Li Yifei even more fervently. She had no objection to his advancing moves; instead, she found herself increasingly longing for them.

 Chapter 193 Atmospheric Point

    Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Atmospheric Point"Thud, thud, thud!" A sudden bout of door-knocking startled Li Yifei and Su Yiyi, who were in the midst of an intimate moment.


    The two exchanged glances before the urgent knocking continued. Li Yifei frowned at the disturbance; having someone come over at this time was really mood-killing. But the person outside seemed persistent, as if they wouldn¡¯t give up unless the door was open. Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi briefly and said, "I¡¯ll go check it out."


    Blushing, Su Yiyi said softly, "Go quickly, it¡¯s probably Sister Xiaofei."


    Li Yifei also thought it was likely Meng Xiaofei. Maybe the flight attendant neighbor had lost her keys again and had come to get a spare from him. Jumping out of bed, Li Yifei went to open the door, only to find it wasn¡¯t Meng Xiaofei, but that little girl, Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Uncle!" The girl¡¯s eyes were red, and she was dragging a small suitcase beside her. When she saw Li Yifei and began to speak, tears already started rolling down her cheeks.


    Li Yifei originally didn¡¯t have a strong fondness for the troublesome girl, Chu Xiaoyao, but seeing her look so wronged, he didn¡¯t scold her. Instead, he asked with concern, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    "I have nowhere to go," Chu Xiaoyao blurted out before bursting into tears, and with arms outstretched, she was already hugging Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    Li Yifei was somewhat amused and exasperated. This little girl had nowhere to go, so she ran over to his place? What was this all about? Still, he patted her shoulder and said, "Come in, tell me what happened."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said with surprise, "Uncle, are you really going to take me in?"


    Seeing tear streaks on the girl¡¯s face, yet at the same time an expression of extreme joy, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t really get angry with her. He smiled and said, "It¡¯s not that I want to take you in, but considering you¡¯re a small child running around, it¡¯s easy for problems to arise. So, I can only offer you temporary shelter. But you need to make clear what exactly has happened."


    "Mm-hm!" Chu Xiaoyao nodded vigorously and followed Li Yifei into the living room, sitting properly on the sofa. This level of obedience was something never seen before from her.


    Li Yifei poured a cup of water for Chu Xiaoyao and then sat down opposite her. Meanwhile, Su Yiyi had also come out, still in her nightdress.


    "Hello, Xiaoyao," greeted Su Yiyi politely.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s lips puckered slightly when she saw Su Yiyi but still replied, "Hello, Sister Yiyi."


    Su Yiyi came over and sat beside Li Yifei. Now that Li Yifei had acknowledged her status, she no longer needed to keep her distance from him in front of Chu Xiaoyao.


    Li Yifei, paying no attention to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s discontent, lit a cigarette and said, "Talk, what exactly happened?" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pouting, Chu Xiaoyao said, "My dad and mom fought again, and this time they even want to get a divorce. Each is pressing me to take sides, and I just can¡¯t take it anymore. So, I had to run away from home."


    Li Yifei had never inquired about Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s family before, and was somewhat surprised as he asked, "Why are your parents getting a divorce?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately replied with resentment, "Hmph, my dad¡¯s been keeping a mistress."


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi glanced at each other. Such situations were all too common in today¡¯s society; once men achieve success, they often grow tired of their wives and keep mistresses. It wasn¡¯t something they could interfere with, and the ones who end up most hurt are the children. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s case was actually better; her parents both wanted her. Some children are not wanted by either parent during a divorce, and that¡¯s truly tragic.


    Chu Xiaoyao began sobbing again, choking out, "Let my dad keep his mistress, it¡¯s not the end of the world. But my mom can¡¯t stop nagging and fighting, even saying she¡¯ll get a pretty boy of her own. They argue day in, day out, and I just can¡¯t stand it anymore. I don¡¯t want to go back to that home ever again, Uncle, please take me in, or I really will have nowhere to go."


    Li Yifei sighed, feeling truly sorry for Chu Xiaoyao. Su Yiyi looked on with even greater sympathy. Her own mother had died early and her father was a gambler. She had grown up without familial affection and found Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s situation unbearable. She looked at Li Yifei earnestly and said, "Brother Li, please take Xiaoyao in."


    After thinking for a moment, Li Yifei said, "Well then, you can stay here for a few days. But you have to call your parents first to let them know where you are; otherwise, they¡¯re going to worry."


    "Hmph, I want them to worry, it¡¯s their fault for wanting a divorce," snorted Chu Xiaoyao, puckering her lips.


    Li Yifei firmly refused, "That won¡¯t do. If they report you missing, and you¡¯re found with me, I won¡¯t be able to explain. Then I wouldn¡¯t dare to keep you here."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression very determined, she finally took out her phone, called a number, and said, "I¡¯m going to stay at a classmate¡¯s house for a few days. Don¡¯t come looking for me."


    Having said that, the girl promptly turned off the phone and said to Li Yifei, "I¡¯ve already made the call; is that okay now?"


    Li Yifei snatched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s phone and handed it to Su Yiyi, saying, "Call back using the last dialed number. If it¡¯s Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents, tell them she¡¯ll be staying with you for a few days."


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips. She realized that if Su Yiyi made the call, her parents might not object. However, if Li Yifei tried to verify, they definitely would not agree. By doing this... did that mean he had some other intentions? Why else wouldn¡¯t he want her parents to know she had run to his place?


    As she thought of this, Chu Xiaoyao glanced at Li Yifei, her gaze filled with a touch of excitement and the kind of pride that comes from getting away with mischief.


    Su Yiyi had already turned on her phone by then and dialed the number again. It rang only once before it was picked up.


    "Hello, I¡¯m Su Yiyi, a friend of Chu Xiaoyao... Oh, it¡¯s Uncle Chu, well, Xiaoyao mentioned she wanted to stay at my place for a couple of days, I was wondering what you think about it... I¡¯m a student at Mile City University... Yes, I¡¯ve rented a place off-campus, just me living there, okay, then Uncle, if there¡¯s anything, feel free to call me, my number is..."


    After exchanging a few more words, Su Yiyi hung up the phone. Chu Xiaoyao immediately said to Su Yiyi excitedly, "Sister Yiyi, you¡¯re really the best."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned a bit red as she said, "I just lied to your dad, I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re staying at Brother Li¡¯s place."


    Chu Xiaoyao jumped next to Su Yiyi, wrapped her arms around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulders, and said ingratiatingly, "Sister Yiyi, you¡¯ve helped me, I, Chu Xiaoyao, will definitely keep it in my heart and repay you in the future."


    Su Yiyi chided, "I don¡¯t want your repayment, I just don¡¯t want you to do something rash in a moment of impulse, you should just go home in a couple of days."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll go home in a couple of days, but these next two days I¡¯m going to stay here." She then winked at Li Yifei, her face full of playfulness.


    Li Yifei shook his head. When this girl had come in, she was crying and looked so pitiful. In just a short while, she was all smiles and hops again. Her mood swings were truly fast.


    "Uncle, where will I be sleeping tonight?" Chu Xiaoyao looked around expectantly at Li Yifei.


    "Our house is only this big, there¡¯s just one bedroom. If you want to stay here, then you¡¯ll have to sleep on the couch."


    "Ah? Really? You¡¯re making me sleep on the couch?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened. Then, she scanned Li Yifei and Su Yiyi up and down and pouted, "Are you two living together?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face immediately flushed red. Being alone with Li Yifei, she would willingly do anything he asked, but with Chu Xiaoyao here, she couldn¡¯t face sharing a room with Li Yifei. Yet, she feared upsetting Li Yifei if she said she wouldn¡¯t stay with him, leaving her quite troubled.


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s dilemma, Li Yifei stood up, glared at Chu Xiaoyao and said, "You and Yiyi sleep in the bedroom; I¡¯ll stay on the sofa. That should settle it, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "How can I do that?"


    "You still know how to be embarrassed?" Li Yifei said in annoyance.


    Chu Xiaoyao winked at Li Yifei and teased, "Hehe, Uncle, what if... the three of us squeeze in, all sleeping on the bed together?"


    Li Yifei reached out, grabbed Chu Xiaoyao by the arm, lifted her up, and said with a stern face, "Go to sleep quickly, don¡¯t take up my space. If you make me unhappy, I¡¯ll kick you out."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go to bed, is that okay?" She wiggled her hips and dragged her suitcase into the bedroom.


    Su Yiyi gave Li Yifei an apologetic smile and said softly, "Brother Li, I¡¯m really sorry."


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi and smiled, "Silly girl, we have a long life ahead of us."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face lit up with a happy smile, and she nodded shyly, saying, "Mmm, Brother Li, Yiyi will always be yours."


    Li Yifei bent down and kissed Su Yiyi, laughing, "I know, you won¡¯t be able to escape my clutches in this lifetime. Go on, get some rest, I¡¯m going to bed too."


    Su Yiyi looked up and kissed Li Yifei back, right on the lips, then ran back to the bedroom, her face flushed.


    Li Yifei shook his head gently, turned off the living room light, and lay down on the sofa. Fortunately, the sofa was quite comfortable, soft, and spacious enough, so sleeping there wasn¡¯t too difficult for one person.


    However, just when he was in the heat of passion with Su Yiyi, their intimate moment had been abruptly interrupted. Now with nowhere to vent his desire, Li Yifei felt somewhat frustrated. If he were to go to He Fangqing now, he could certainly have a thorough release.


    Thinking of He Fangqing, a wave of guilt surged in Li Yifei¡¯s heart towards Su Yiyi. After falling in love with her, he had intended not to see other women, but still, he couldn¡¯t control himself and ended up spending an entire night with He Fangqing. It seemed he still lacked the discipline to be completely devoted to Su Yiyi, which might prove difficult. And if he were to become physically intimate with other women after getting involved with Su Yiyi, it would be a complete betrayal. Now that he had not been intimate with Su Yiyi, it could be considered a good thing, and in a way, he should thank Chu Xiaoyao. Without her, he certainly would have been intimate with Su Yiyi that night.

 Chapter 194 Kitchen

    Chapter 194: Chapter 194 KitchenLi Yifei was always an early riser, even if he wanted to sleep in, he would wake up on time and then doze off again. This morning, as soon as he woke up, he felt someone sitting by his side. Without even opening his eyes, he stretched out an arm and pulled the person into his embrace, assuming it was Su Yiyi. He certainly didn¡¯t believe that Chu Xiaoyao, that little girl, would get up so early.


    The girl next to him immediately collapsed softly onto his chest. However, Li Yifei instantly opened his eyes. His senses were very sharp, and aside from Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, the twin sisters whom he couldn¡¯t distinguish between, he usually had no trouble identifying others. Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were definitely distinct, but the moment he embraced her, he knew it was Chu Xiaoyao.


    He quickly pushed Chu Xiaoyao away and said somewhat irritably, "What are you doing here early in the morning instead of sleeping?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yifei and said in extreme dissatisfaction, "I say, Uncle, you¡¯re the one who hugged me as soon as you came up, and I haven¡¯t even said anything about it yet. You¡¯re the one scolding me first, isn¡¯t this the culprit complaining before the victim?"


    Li Yifei was left somewhat speechless by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s retort, but he understood her well enough to know she must have done it on purpose. He glanced at her disapprovingly and asked, "So, why did you come here so early?"


    Chu Xiaoyao lifted the piece of clothing in her hand, which was one of Li Yifei¡¯s large T-shirts. Pouting, she said, "I felt it was chilly in the morning and wanted to find something to cover you up with. Really, no good deed goes unpunished."


    The T-shirt was inside the wardrobe, not laid out in the open, which indirectly proved that what Chu Xiaoyao said was true, making Li Yifei feel a bit embarrassed. His face reddened as he said, "Thank you, I thought it was Yiyi just now, so I hugged you."


    Seeing Li Yifei apologizing, the young girl immediately perked up, raised her eyebrows proudly, and said, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve also thought about being your mistress anyway. You can hug me if you like. Do you want another hug?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression hardened as he said, "Stop messing around. Of course, I should apologize for doing something wrong, but I warn you, don¡¯t talk like that again, or else I¡¯ll kick you out right away." He had been putting up with Chu Xiaoyao these past few days, which meant he couldn¡¯t let her be too carefree, or else who knows what tricks she would play.


    This time, Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t get angry but stuck out her tongue instead, saying, "I¡¯m just teasing you, Uncle. Don¡¯t be mad."


    Li Yifei was somewhat surprised by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s reaction, but if she really thought so, then it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Still, with a stern face, he said, "Whatever you say or do, you need to think about the consequences and whether it will cause trouble for others. I used to let your mischief slide, but not anymore."


    "No fooling around then, I wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke you now. By the way, Uncle, was that beauty you were with the other day your girlfriend?" she added after a pause, "The one I met that day."


    Li Yifei flicked her forehead and said, "Little kids shouldn¡¯t meddle in adults¡¯ matters. Right now, just remember that Yiyi is my girlfriend, and that¡¯s correct."


    Chu Xiaoyao crossed her legs on the couch, wearing a cartoon pajama set that revealed her tender, lotus-root-like arms. The top was short, exposing a small section of her belly, and the bottoms were more like shorts, not as scant as underwear but like a layer over it. Both her legs were completely exposed.


    With her legs crossed, Chu Xiaoyao propped her left elbow on her knee and twisted the fingers of her right hand, saying, "Uncle, this is really too much. That day at the bar, I met one of your girlfriends, then at the restaurant, I met another one, and now there¡¯s Sister Yiyi. Tell me, how many women do you have now?"


    Li Yifei sat up and said seriously to Chu Xiaoyao, "The first one you met, she¡¯s the sister of my company¡¯s boss, who just likes to joke around. The second one, she¡¯s a classmate from high school. Neither of them are my girlfriends. My only girlfriend is Yiyi."


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips and said, "Uncle, you can lie without even blinking. The first one I met said herself that she¡¯s your girlfriend. The second time, look at how she reacted when I mentioned having a relationship with you, she was about to explode with anger. Uncle, don¡¯t think I¡¯m too young. I¡¯m already eighteen in nominal age. In another year, I¡¯ll be an adult."


    Li Yifei was left speechless by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s questioning and could only glare at her, commanding, "Just remember that Yiyi is my girlfriend now, that¡¯s all you need to know."


    "Giggle, Uncle, you¡¯re getting angry because you¡¯re embarrassed. If you have them, you have them. I didn¡¯t say anything. For an impressive man like Uncle, how could it be possible to have just one woman?"


    "That¡¯s my private business, not your concern. You just behave yourself while you¡¯re here, or else I¡¯ll send you away."


    "You just know this trick." Chu Xiaoyao looked at Li Yifei with disdainful eyes, then yawned and, twisting her little butt, turned and walked towards the bedroom.


    Li Yifei shook his head, feeling somewhat vexed by this mischievous girl. Her thoughts were always so fanciful and unpredictable, exactly like her attitude towards her father¡¯s affair, which strangely didn¡¯t seem to concern her much. Instead, she appeared rather dissatisfied with her mother for getting angry about it. And regarding him, she used to declare repeatedly that she wanted to be "the other woman." It was baffling how avant-garde her ideas were, especially considering this girl wasn¡¯t the casual type at all and was still a virgin until now.


    But no matter what kind of girl Chu Xiaoyao was, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t interested in such an underage girl. Su Yiyi seemed a bit young to him as well. However, Su Yiyi¡¯s gentleness and thoughtfulness still made Li Yifei feel that she was a suitable candidate for a wife, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to be with Su Yiyi.


    After lying down for a while longer, Su Yiyi got up, moving quietly in the kitchen as she prepared breakfast. Li Yifei also got out of bed and went to the kitchen, where he hugged Su Yiyi from behind. Xu Shanshan had once said that the happiest thing for a couple was to be in the kitchen with one cooking and the other holding onto their waist.


    Now that Li Yifei was experiencing it for himself, he indeed felt there was much truth to those words; holding Su Yiyi like that gave him a sense of happiness. And when Su Yiyi turned to look at him, her face was full of joy and bliss.


    "Why are you up so early on the weekend?" Li Yifei, with his head resting on Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, smelled her faint fragrance and gently rubbed his lips against her cheek.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s cheeks instantly filled with a blush, and as she slightly tilted her head back, she whispered, "If Brother Li Yifei were with me, I would have slept in longer."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It¡¯s all Chu Xiaoyao, that girl, messing things up for us. Otherwise, we could have slept soundly together last night." His hand had already moved upwards, cupping Su Yiyi¡¯s breast and gently kneading it.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face grew redder, her breathing suddenly became heavy, and the spatula in her hand clattered to the countertop. This slight noise brought her back to her senses, and she weakly protested, "Brother Li, I¡¯m cooking here."


    Li Yifei promptly turned off the stove and said, "We can cook later." His mouth, however, was already moving from her cheek towards her lips, aiming for a kiss.


    Su Yiyi had only tasted kissing the previous day, and she had been savoring the memory all night. Now, as Li Yifei initiated the kiss, she couldn¡¯t help but respond eagerly.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s hands explored further down. Even if her body lacked a bit of fullness, it still had a strong attraction for a man, and he found himself reluctant to let go, reveling in the pleasure of touching her.


    Su Yiyi was already lost in the passion of Li Yifei¡¯s kisses. From the beginning of their relationship, her mindset was to give her all. As long as Li Yifei was pleased, she was willing to do anything. His caresses, although making her feel somewhat shy, were mostly thrilling and exciting her. Furthermore, she was anticipating even bolder moves from him, because at that moment, she herself was feeling a need, hoping that Li Yifei would be as bad as possible.


    However, Li Yifei only went so far and no further. Firstly, with Chu Xiaoyao at home, any more advanced actions were definitely out of the question. Also, since he was not yet able to devote his entire heart and soul to Su Yiyi, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to treat her unfairly.


    Their lips finally separated, and Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi once more, somewhat reluctantly, and said, "Yiyi, I¡¯m going to take a shower."


    Su Yiyi, a bit disappointed, nevertheless smiled gently and said, "Then go."


    When Li Yifei let go of Su Yiyi, she glanced down and her expression instantly became shy and awkward. Li Yifei laughed drily, naturally reacting to their intimacy, which was somewhat indecent. But given their relationship, there was nothing for Li Yifei to be embarrassed about. He laughed and said, "If I don¡¯t let you go now, I¡¯m afraid I really won¡¯t be able to restrain myself."


    With a nibble on her lip, Su Yiyi softly said, "I didn¡¯t ask you to hold back."


    Li Yifei was immediately overcome with desire. He grabbed her breast, prompting a little moan from Su Yiyi, and then he said fiercely, "You know we can¡¯t do it now, and still, you deliberately tease me. Yiyi, you¡¯ve learned to be naughty."


    Su Yiyi immediately covered her mouth, laughing. Seeing Li Yifei flustered like that also sparked a cheerful mood in her heart.

 Chapter 195: Dancer

    Chapter 195: Chapter 195: DancerAfter breakfast, Li Yifei received a call. It was from Qiao Ya, a famous dancer. She had met Li Yifei by accident in the past and had become good friends. Although they were worlds apart, they could talk as if they had a lot in common, which was quite bizarre.


    However, Li Yifei had only met Qiao Ya a few times, and had it not been for his promise to Xu Shanshan, he would have made fewer calls to Qiao Ya. Qiao Ya called him to let him know that she had returned to Mile City.


    Qiao Ya wasn¡¯t a Mile City native, but a relative of hers had lived there. She had visited several times and liked it, so she bought a house and would stay there a few times a year.


    With Chu Xiaoyao around, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t have a good time with Su Yiyi, so he took the opportunity to handle this matter. After hanging up with Qiao Ya, he called Xu Shanshan.


    The instant Xu Shanshan heard Li Yifei was going to meet Qiao Ya, she got excited and started shouting, urging him to pick her up quickly.


    Li Yifei told Su Yiyi he was leaving, ignored Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s entreaties to come along, and drove alone to the entrance of the community where Xu Yingying lived. Xu Shanshan was already waiting at the gate.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan get in the car, Li Yifei looked her up and down. She immediately puffed out her chest and said, "Brother-in-law, do I look pretty today?"


    Xu Shanshan was wearing a loose T-shirt with a denim skirt, and light canvas shoes on her feet. The outfit was very casual, but it wasn¡¯t restrictive at all for dancing.


    "You look pretty, but right now I need to clarify, are you Shanshan or Yingying?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m Shanshan, of course. This is a visit to a dancer, after all. Even if my sister pretended to be me, she wouldn¡¯t dare; she¡¯d be immediately exposed over there."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "That¡¯s true."


    The car started, and Xu Shanshan asked nervously, "Brother-in-law, will you be able to cover for me this time when I meet Qiao Ya?"


    "I can¡¯t say for sure if I can cover for you. Whether you get Qiao Ya¡¯s approval depends on your own ability."


    "I¡¯m already past the prime age, so whether she approves doesn¡¯t matter much to me now. I just want to meet my idol and have a chat with her. That alone would make me happy."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Then there¡¯s no problem. If you get along with her this time, you might be able to call her often in the future."


    "Is Qiao Ya that easy to talk to? Rumors say she¡¯s very proud," Xu Shanshan widened her eyes, looking disbelievingly at Li Yifei.


    "I haven¡¯t felt that way, as I¡¯ve only met her a few times and don¡¯t know her very well."


    "And you¡¯re actually taking me to meet her. Won¡¯t she be angry about this?"


    "Don¡¯t believe the rumors. Maybe she¡¯ll seem proud to those she doesn¡¯t know. We are acquaintances, after all, so she¡¯ll give us some face."


    Qiao Ya¡¯s house was in a community near the city center, nestled among a small hill formed by hillocks, covered with green trees, and with a stream meandering through the middle of the community. It was a scenic place with a transcendent vibe, inhabited by scholars and those who fancied a touch of elegance. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford the real estate prices and probably wouldn¡¯t adapt to the lifestyle there.


    Arriving in front of a small villa, Li Yifei rang the doorbell. The gate soon opened, and a woman in her twenties wearing a long dress hurried out. Her steps were quick but graceful, as though she was dancing.


    Seeing this woman, Xu Shanshan became excited because this woman, who appeared to be in her twenties, was Qiao Ya. Although her real age was over forty, she looked about the same age as Xu Shanshan. It was unclear whether it was from dancing or good maintenance.


    "Sister Qiao, I¡¯ve come to bother you," Li Yifei greeted her with a grin.


    Qiao Ya gave Li Yifei a playful roll of her eyes and said affectionately, "You little rascal, still remembering your sister, eh? How many calls have you made to me all year?"


    Li Yifei responded even more casually, "Sister Qiao, didn¡¯t I just not want to disturb you with your busyness?"


    Qiao Ya then turned her attention to Xu Shanshan and said with a smile, "This must be Shanshan, right? Truly pretty. Yifei is really a man of taste."


    Li Yifei hastily added, "Sister Qiao, haven¡¯t I told you before? Shanshan is not my girlfriend."


    Qiao Ya laughed out loud, "Not now, but maybe in the future, right? Isn¡¯t that correct, Shanshan?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, both my sister and I are pursuing him. Whoever he chooses in the end, that¡¯s who he¡¯ll marry."


    Qiao Ya¡¯s eyes gleamed even brighter, and she glanced at Li Yifei, exclaiming with surprise, "Sister flowers, huh? That¡¯s really interesting."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "That¡¯s not true."


    Qiao Ya laughed even more exaggeratedly, her ample bosom quaking with her guffaws. Although this woman was in her forties, she had a charm that Xu Shanshan, who was in her twenties, couldn¡¯t match. No wonder Qiao Ya had so many fans in the dance world.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll stop laughing at you, let¡¯s go inside and talk." Qiao Ya squeezed herself between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, stretching out her arms and hooking theirs as if they were the closest of kin.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan really was utterly astonished. Qiao Ya was her idol, and she knew her quite well. According to various reports, Qiao Ya was still single, and her fame was solely the result of her own hard work, not because she¡¯d ridden on her looks. In social events, Qiao Ya never curried favor with high-profile figures, and there was no talk of her having extensive contact with any man, let alone being so affectionate with one.


    That Li Yifei could be so close to Qiao Ya, and it seemed that he wasn¡¯t purposely trying to please her, made Xu Shanshan respect him immensely. How many more surprises did her brother-in-law have for her to discover?


    "Sis, you have to try hard, you must win over brother-in-law. If you really can¡¯t handle it, don¡¯t blame me if I make my move. A good man like that, I definitely won¡¯t let him slip away from our family." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan reinforced her conviction, Li Yifei would either be her brother-in-law or her husband; there was no third option.


    Qiao Ya¡¯s little villa wasn¡¯t actually that large. The first floor consisted of a living room, a small storage room, a kitchen and dining area, and a small bathroom. The second floor had four rooms and in total, the space was less than 200 square meters¡ªquite small for a villa.


    However, the yard was rather spacious, with lawns covering the ground, decorated with flowers and a few fruit trees, which gave it an elegant air.


    "What would you like to drink?" Qiao Ya asked with a smile, ushering Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan to sit in the living room.


    Li Yifei replied casually, "Just make whatever, you know I¡¯m not too fussy."


    Qiao Ya rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "As if I don¡¯t know you. I could give you a glass of plain water and you wouldn¡¯t complain. I was asking Shanshan. As someone who¡¯s going to be my sister-in-law, of course, I need to make a good impression."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and replied, "Qiao Ya sister, I¡¯m easy too."


    "Then you two really are a match made in heaven. Just wait here, I¡¯ll make you some of my homemade juice." With those words, she glided into the kitchen with light steps.


    Xu Shanshan, watching Qiao Ya¡¯s retreating figure, said with envy, "She truly deserves to be a great dancer¡ªeven her walk carries a rhythm. I¡¯ll never attain that level in this lifetime."


    "I don¡¯t think reaching that level is anything to be envious of."


    "Why not?" Xu Shanshan asked, puzzled, as she looked at Li Yifei.


    "Think about how her life is constantly watched by others, and you¡¯ll understand," he said.


    "Oh, I get it now. You mean celebrities don¡¯t have much privacy. Indeed, that can be exhausting," Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    Soon, Qiao Ya returned with two glasses of juice, smiling as she offered, "Here, have some fresh juice."


    Li Yifei nonchalantly gulped it down, while Xu Shanshan sipped it slowly, lavishing praise continuously.


    "Now you two chat. I¡¯ll go for a walk. I see some green apricots at the entrance looking good; I¡¯ll pick a couple to try." She then left, showing no interest in their upcoming conversation.


    While in the yard picking a few green apricots to eat, Li Yifei noticed a group of foreigners passing by Qiao Ya¡¯s front gate. They were two men and two women, all with blonde hair, chatting in English as they walked.


    Li Yifei had seen so many foreigners over the years that he was no longer intrigued by them, but as this group walked past, he found himself taking a longer look. From the front, he hadn¡¯t sensed anything unusual about these people, but the back of one of the men had felt eerily familiar.


    Li Yifei¡¯s brows furrowed. The foreign men who could leave an impression on him were certainly those he had encountered before¡ªeither the top operators from various countries¡¯ special forces or key figures in major gangs or Terrorist Organizations.


    However, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t immediately recall who this man was, which puzzled him. He should have clearly remembered such individuals, and he should have been able to recognize them instantly, but this person failed to trigger a specific memory.


    "Could it be that my life has become too comfortable? Am I starting to confuse similar silhouettes?" Li Yifei shook his head, feeling uneasy. As a member of the elite Feiqian squad, having such thoughts almost seemed like a step backward.

 Chapter 196: An Accidental Encounter with Lin Qiong

    Chapter 196: Chapter 196: An Accidental Encounter with Lin QiongThe few people turned a corner and were no longer visible. Li Yifei did not pursue them; whoever they were, they had nothing to do with him now. He was just an ordinary citizen, living a normal life, concerned only with the people and things around him. Those powerful figures were mere fleeting shadows in his life.


    The sunshine was nice, and the weather was good. There was even a lounge chair under a begonia tree. Li Yifei sat on the lounge chair, closed his eyes, and enjoyed this pleasant moment. Such peace made him fall asleep unwittingly.


    "Brother-in-law, wake up!" Xu Shanshan¡¯s melodious voice rang in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, startling him awake.


    This left Li Yifei feeling a bit frustrated. Recently, his senses seemed to have lost their sharpness. Previously, he would wake up even if someone was five meters away, let alone walking up to him. Now, Xu Shanshan was shouting in his ear, and he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    "What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you muddled from sleep?" Xu Shanshan waved her hand in front of Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and lowered her head to within ten centimeters of his face.


    Li Yifei suddenly opened his eyes, making Xu Shanshan shrink back in surprise. He then stood up and smiled, "Finished chatting?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately broke into a happy laugh, saying, "Even if I chatted with Sister Qiao Ya for a whole day and night, I wouldn¡¯t finish, but I know when to quit, so I had to call you away."


    Qiao Ya laughed softly, "Yes, I have some things to do, so I can¡¯t chat with Shanshan today. But I¡¯ve promised Shanshan that if there¡¯s time in the future, she can come and find me any time." After a pause, Qiao Ya regretfully said, "It¡¯s a pity Shanshan met me too late. If it had been ten years earlier, she would surely have achieved great success."


    Xu Shanshan gave a sweet smile and said, "Sister Qiao Ya, you don¡¯t need to feel sorry for me. Even if I practiced dancing well, I can¡¯t have your kind of grace. Besides, with my wild nature, I just want to run outside and play all day. If that were the case and I made it to the tabloids every day, it would be real chaos."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You do have some self-awareness."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said, "Yes, brother-in-law understands me."


    Qiao Ya then asked in surprise, "Hey, why do you always call Yifei brother-in-law? At first, I thought I heard wrong."


    Xu Shanshan mischievously blinked her eyes and said, "He used to pretend to be my sister¡¯s boyfriend, so I called him brother-in-law. I got used to it and didn¡¯t bother to change."


    "Heh heh... Brother-in-law and sister-in-law, that¡¯s an interesting relationship," Qiao Ya giggled with a sly smile, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned black. The relationship between Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and him was really quite confusing, and he was too lazy to explain to Qiao Ya. He pulled Xu Shanshan and said, "It¡¯s getting late. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. We¡¯re leaving."


    "Then I won¡¯t see you off. Let¡¯s keep in touch by phone," Qiao Ya gestured for a phone call to Li Yifei and watched as he and Xu Shanshan left.


    After getting in the car, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Brother-in-law, I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so familiar with Qiao Ya. I thought you and she only met through someone¡¯s introduction for my sake. Turns out you¡¯re such good friends, can you tell me how you met?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Qiao Ya once participated in a performance where an important person came to watch, but there was an incident. I was responsible for protecting that important person and happened to help her, and that¡¯s how we met."


    "Wow, brother-in-law must have been really cool then."


    "Nothing cool about it, just dangerous work, which is why I don¡¯t do it anymore."


    "That¡¯s such a pity. If I could see you dashing and heroic again, I¡¯d just die of happiness."


    Li Yifei chuckled, thinking again about his recent decline. He realized he needed to intensify his training. Abilities like these were not something permanently retained just by learning; without regular training, the decline was bound to be too obvious.


    Actually, for Li Yifei, even with some decline, he was still quite formidable. But these abilities were fruits of years of hard training, so it was really too wasteful to let them go, and it became a matter of pride deep in his bones, something difficult for him to give up.


    "Brother-in-law, where are we going to hang out now?" Xu Shanshan tilted her head, smiling at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "I¡¯m taking you home now; I have something to do this afternoon."


    Xu Shanshan pouted instantly, "It¡¯s the weekend, isn¡¯t it? Can¡¯t you play with me?"


    "I really have something to do."


    "Fine, brother-in-law, you¡¯re not being nice to me anymore, not accompanying me." Xu Shanshan¡¯s pout almost hung a soy sauce bottle.


    "Heh heh... Your sister arranged so much work for me now, if not for Qiao Ya leaving in a few days and me afraid you wouldn¡¯t easily see her again, I couldn¡¯t have brought you here."


    Xu Shanshan huffed, but she didn¡¯t say much more, allowing Li Yifei to take her back to the community. She waved to Li Yifei and then went in.


    After Xu Shanshan left, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he knew very well among the girls he interacted with, Xu Shanshan was undoubtedly the most attractive to him. Xu Shanshan was cheerful, lively, carefree, and always made you feel relaxed around her. While not the maison-like type, living with a girl like her for one¡¯s whole life would surely never be boring or tiresome.


    Such a girl made Li Yifei somewhat afraid of interacting too much. If he unwittingly developed feelings, he wasn¡¯t sure he could extricate himself. Now that he had Su Yiyi, he constantly reminded himself to settle down.


    After dropping off Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei did not go home immediately. With Chu Xiaoyao at home, he and Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t do anything. And since today his perceptive abilities had decreased, he wanted to strengthen himself again, so he thought of finding a fitness club to work out there.


    Li Yifei was quite clear on where the problem lay in his body. It was due to too much comfort recently, causing him to completely relax. He needed to tense his body again to quickly return to his original peak state. After all, his foundation was still there; he hadn¡¯t truly weakened.


    He found the largest fitness center in Mile City. As for the ordinary fitness equipment, he wasn¡¯t particularly interested. He chose only the high-intensity machines that could truly be beneficial for him.


    After over two hours, Li Yifei was drenched in sweat but had regained much of his sensory ability, which made him very satisfied.


    Just as he was about to wash up and leave, he unexpectedly saw someone he knew, Officer Lin Qiong.


    And at the same time, Lin Qiong also spotted Li Yifei. Dressed in a body-fitting workout outfit, she approached Li Yifei directly.


    "You also come here to work out?" Lin Qiong sized up Li Yifei with a furrowed brow and an unfriendly tone.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Officer Lin, what a coincidence. You¡¯re working out too? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here." His eyes couldn¡¯t help but sweep over Lin Qiong¡¯s body. This woman¡¯s figure was indeed impressive, with long legs, a flat belly, a perfectly sized posterior, and a particularly upright posture. Coupled with her beautiful face, just standing in front of Li Yifei drew him a lot of resentment. Many of the men working out there gazed at him with envy, jealousy, and hate.


    Lin Qiong continued to stare at Li Yifei and said, "You didn¡¯t change your venue to pick up girls, did you?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and said, "Officer Lin, in your eyes, am I that kind of person?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aren¡¯t you?" Lin Qiong sneered with disdain.


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "Besides you, have you seen me hit on any other woman?"


    "I know your standards are high, and average people don¡¯t catch your eye."


    "Exactly, a beauty like Officer Lin is what interests me. I wonder, would Officer Lin give me a chance to woo you?"


    "Sure! I agree."


    "What?" Li Yifei exclaimed in shock, looking at Lin Qiong as if she were a monster. He intended it as a casual flirtation, but Lin Qiong, this usually serious-faced police officer, actually responded in kind.


    "What? Do I not meet your standards?" Lin Qiong coldly looked at Li Yifei.


    "Well... Officer Lin, I was joking. I realize that was disrespectful. I apologize to you."


    Lin Qiong merely snorted, "Change your clothes. I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance in twenty minutes. If you dare sneak away, I¡¯ll show up at your house." With that, she left without waiting for Li Yifei to respond.


    Li Yifei was completely taken aback. By the time he came to his senses, Lin Qiong was already gone. He changed clothes and quickly hurried to the first-floor lobby. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Lin Qiong, but he had two young girls at his home. If Lin Qiong burst into his house and discovered he was housing Chu Xiaoyao, this police officer with a strong sense of justice might cause him some trouble.


    He waited at the entrance for less than five minutes before Lin Qiong emerged, dressed in a simple casual outfit. Seeing Li Yifei there, she nodded with satisfaction and said, "Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll talk outside."


    Li Yifei could only agree, his heart full of curiosity. What was Officer Lin Qiong planning? Could it be, like Xu Yingying, she wanted to take him home to meet her parents? Nowadays, women who want to remain single while facing pressure from their parents often like to play this kind of game.

 Chapter 197: Officer Lin with a Super Sense of Justice

    Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Officer Lin with a Super Sense of Justice"Are you driving?" As Lin Qiong walked out of the gym¡¯s main entrance, she turned her head to ask Li Yifei.


    "Yes," Li Yifei immediately replied.


    "Then let¡¯s take your car," Lin Qiong nodded her head.


    Li Yifei led Lin Qiong to his car, and upon seeing the flashy Porsche, Lin Qiong snorted, "Wow, you¡¯re actually driving a luxury car worth millions."


    Li Yifei opened the car door, saying, "How could I afford such an expensive car? This is our boss¡¯s."


    "Is it that female neighbor who lives next to you?" Lin Qiong sat down in the car, first inspecting its interior with a hint of envy in her eyes¡ªobviously a car enthusiast¡ªbut then she quickly pursed her lips.


    "It¡¯s hers," Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it.


    "Who exactly is she? Why is she so good to you? Lending you a luxury car worth millions just like that, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be so willing."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and laughed, "You¡¯re a police officer, and even you don¡¯t know who she is, how could I? All I know is that she¡¯s very wealthy."


    "Hmph!" Lin Qiong was quite dissatisfied with such a response. That woman was too mysterious. If it hadn¡¯t been for the higher-ups¡¯ orders not to investigate her, Lin Qiong would have suspected that woman was a major drug kingpin. Otherwise, who else could flaunt their wealth like that, surrounded by bodyguards in secret?


    "By the way, Officer Lin, what do you want with me?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to discuss Su Mengxin anymore, and Lin Qiong¡¯s reason for looking for him was perplexing. He redirected the conversation and asked about the matter he wanted to know about.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t respond right away but pondered for a moment before saying, "I need to ask for your help."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly. Lin Qiong¡¯s demeanor made him feel that his guess was correct. With a troubled face, he said, "Officer Lin, you don¡¯t have to find me for that kind of favor, do you?"


    "Did I say what favor I want from you?" Lin Qiong frowned and countered.


    "Aren¡¯t you just... So what favor do you actually want?" Li Yifei was about to state his assumption outright but decided it was wiser to ask first.


    Lin Qiong sighed suddenly and said, "Actually, I know it¡¯s not right to ask this favor of you, as there is some risk involved. Never mind, I won¡¯t trouble you with it."


    Hearing Lin Qiong say that, Li Yifei immediately dismissed his previous guess. If it were something like pretending to be a boyfriend to meet parents, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any risk involved. He became even more curious and asked, "What is it? I might be afraid of danger, but I do like thrilling things. Who knows, I might agree?"


    Lin Qiong hesitated again before saying, "Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go to your place, and I¡¯ll explain everything to you in detail."


    "To my place... let¡¯s not, someone¡¯s there, Yiyi¡¯s at home."


    "Hmph, I¡¯m warning you. Su Yiyi is a very good girl. Don¡¯t play with her feelings. If you¡¯re together with her, you better treat her right, don¡¯t go messing around. If you can¡¯t restrain yourself, then you should break it off with her sooner rather than later."


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be careful, Officer Lin. How about you find another place first?" Li Yifei was genuinely afraid Lin Qiong was there to lecture him on this issue, so he quickly changed the subject.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t dwell on this topic, paused for a moment, and then said, "Then let¡¯s go to my place."


    Li Yifei agreed and was even more intrigued. If it had to be discussed at home, it was clearly a very secretive matter. He was curious about what exactly Lin Qiong was up to. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s residence was close to Li Yifei¡¯s, which he knew well, so without waiting for Lin Qiong¡¯s directions, he parked outside of Lin Qiong¡¯s apartment complex, and then she led him to her home.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s home was a small apartment with a layout almost identical to Li Yifei¡¯s¡ªone bedroom, one living room, quite simple. The living room contained only a sofa and a TV.


    As they sat down, Lin Qiong handed Li Yifei a bottle of mineral water, then sat beside him, looking at him seriously, and said, "Li Yifei, the matter I¡¯m about to discuss with you¡ªI don¡¯t care whether you can help me or not, but first, you must promise that you will never speak of it to anyone else."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face showed a shocked expression as he said, "Is it that serious?"


    Lin Qiong nodded and firmly stated, "Yes, it¡¯s very serious. If you can¡¯t do this, even if you¡¯re willing to help, I won¡¯t use you."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Okay then, I promise, even if my own parents ask, I won¡¯t tell."


    Lin Qiong was clearly dissatisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s attitude and snapped, "Be serious, this is no joke, you must have a proper mindset."


    "Alright, alright!" Li Yifei flicked his head, and his playful face immediately turned solemn as he said, "Officer Lin, I swear right here that I will never mention anything Officer Lin tells me to a third person."


    Pleased with Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, Lin Qiong was satisfied, but still warned, "If you tell someone else, it¡¯s very likely you¡¯ll put me in danger."


    Li Yifei gasped in surprise and exclaimed, "It¡¯s that serious? Then I definitely won¡¯t say anything. You¡¯ve helped me before, and you¡¯re a good cop; I can¡¯t let a good cop like you meet an early end."


    "Be serious," Lin Qiong, with her brows furrowed deeply, felt that asking Li Yifei for help was truly a mistake; yet, among all the people she knew, no one seemed appropriate besides Li Yifei. Of course, there was another one, that mysterious person, but during this period, she had not encountered the mysterious one again. It was as if the person would only appear when she was in danger.


    Li Yifei immediately straightened up and said, "Okay, I am serious now, you can talk."


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Lin Qiong felt even more annoyed and said irritably, "Just be yourself."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Being serious is not about appearances; it¡¯s about being reliable in the task at hand, and I am the most reliable person when it comes to getting things done."


    Lin Qiong did not take the bait and drew a deep breath before saying, "I recently discovered a smuggling ring, but their background is significant, and I feel that many people are connected to them, so I dare not involve my colleagues and have been investigating on my own in secret."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock and he said, "That¡¯s badass. A case like this should be handled by the criminal police or the City Bureau, right? What is a Deputy Director of a police station doing investigating such a case? Isn¡¯t this too strenuous and thankless?"


    Lin Qiong frowned, her eyes flashing with a fierce light as she said, "As a police officer, whenever I see wrongdoing, I must take action. The smuggling ring has been in Mile City for many years but has never been eradicated. Can I count on anyone else? Right now, I am gathering evidence, and with enough proof, the authorities will have to act."


    Li Yifei was truly moved by Lin Qiong¡¯s sense of justice, yet he still shook his head and said, "Officer Lin, let me remind you, by doing this, you¡¯re not only opposing the smuggling ring but also many officials, including some of your colleagues and superiors. You¡¯re taking a massive risk and will be an outsider within."


    Lin Qiong stood up abruptly and said loudly, "As a police officer, I refuse to bow to evil forces, no matter how powerful they are. As long as they have violated the law, I will bring them to justice."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s declaration was staunch and full of determination, compelling the seated Li Yifei to look up to her¡ªnot just physically but also in a spirit of admiration. At that moment, Li Yifei had tremendous respect for Lin Qiong. Although she might not have exceptional capabilities, her sense of justice was rare. Just for that, he felt compelled to help her.


    "I know this matter is too risky. If the smuggling group discovers me, not only will they send a lot of people after me, but even officials may target me. It¡¯s not right to ask for your help, so you should go. I don¡¯t need your help, but remember, you must never disclose this to anyone else."


    After saying this, Lin Qiong waved her hand dismissively and slumped onto the sofa, powerless. She knew that what she was doing was akin to using her arm to stop a chariot¡ªoverreaching¡ªand she felt unable to bear such severe consequences. So why should she expect Li Yifei to take such a significant risk?


    After spacing out for a while, Lin Qiong turned and saw Li Yifei still there, which startled her. Frowning, she said, "Why haven¡¯t you left yet?"


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "It¡¯s rare for me to visit your place, why would I rush off?"


    Lin Qiong snorted and retorted, "What else are you thinking about? Do you expect me to keep you here for dinner?"


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Actually, you should invite me to dinner."


    Lin Qiong paused, then suddenly grasped Li Yifei¡¯s arm with a look of excitement and asked, "Are you agreeing to help me?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and nodded, "I would feel guilty if you were constantly worried that I might spill your secrets, so I guess I¡¯m tied to the same rope as you now."


    Lin Qiong looked Li Yifei up and down, hardly believing her ears, and asked urgently, "You¡¯re not joking with me, are you?"


    "The first time we met, I secretly took advantage of you, and I¡¯ve felt quite guilty about that ever since. I¡¯ve always wanted to make it up to you, and now I finally have the chance. I shouldn¡¯t let it slip by, right?"


    Since learning that Li Yifei was not as mediocre as he appeared and was undoubtedly more skilled than herself, Lin Qiong knew that he had intentionally taken advantage of her that day, and she had taken it to heart. But now that Li Yifei brought it up, she naturally didn¡¯t get angry but nonetheless huffed, "At least you have some conscience."


    "Of course, I didn¡¯t think back then that you would become my friend. So I played a bit dirty, but now that we are friends, it¡¯s become a burden. I don¡¯t want this to be a chasm between us. It¡¯s best to patch it up quickly."


    "Alright, I won¡¯t hold it against you," said Lin Qiong, now generously waving her hand. She had always found Li Yifei unpleasant, but now she seemed to think he wasn¡¯t so bad, especially considering he hadn¡¯t mistreated girls like Chu Xiaoyao. He seemed to have a sense of propriety in his actions.


    That¡¯s how people are; one event can drastically alter their impressions. When you have a poor opinion of someone, everything they do seems to have an ulterior motive, likely for the worse. But once your impression of someone improves, even their bad deeds start to seem justifiable.

 Chapter 198: Do You Agree?

    Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Do You Agree?Li Yifei and Lin Qiong had resolved a previous minor grudge, and Lin Qiong began to tell Li Yifei about the case.


    Some time ago, Lin Qiong had inadvertently discovered someone wearing an expensive watch, the normal price of which was over one hundred thousand, but the person had purchased it for just over thirty thousand. Moreover, to show off, the person had a certificate of authenticity, proving the watch was definitely genuine.


    The perceptive Lin Qiong immediately felt that something was amiss, but she didn¡¯t inquire right away. Instead, she quietly began an investigation, and quickly followed the trail to the person selling the watches. She promptly arrested the seller with a team.


    However, just a few days later, the person was released. When she questioned the police station chief, he said the matter was not within their jurisdiction but under the city¡¯s, and he also told Lin Qiong not to intervene any further, as the role of their police station was just to maintain the security of their area.


    Lin Qiong was very angry at the time, but with the station chief not supporting the initiative, she couldn¡¯t mobilize anyone else from the station to work on it. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t give up and continued to investigate in secret.


    What she uncovered from her investigation startled her; this was not just a small smuggling ring but a large smuggling conglomerate, involved in many items and an unimaginable amount of money. The number of people entangled was staggering as well.


    Yet Lin Qiong was only one person and didn¡¯t have concrete evidence in hand. Moreover, she sensed that what she knew might just be the tip of the iceberg, and she dared not act rashly.


    Feeling her capabilities alone were too weak, she longed to mobilize others to help. However, she couldn¡¯t move anyone from the station and she didn¡¯t even consider approaching anyone from the city level. Although the Municipal Bureau Chief had once encouraged her to go ahead, she felt that even he might not be able to extricate himself from this case. If she were to proceed, she would undoubtedly face various obstructions and potentially alert the suspects, making further investigation impossible.


    Therefore, she could only seek help from friends around her, and eventually, she thought of Li Yifei.


    After explaining all of this, Lin Qiong sighed and said, "What I¡¯ve found so far is just this much, but they are essentially just clues and don¡¯t form any concrete evidence. I¡¯ve come to you now to help me turn these clues into evidence."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I won¡¯t mention the danger, but I feel that the two of us alone definitely aren¡¯t enough."


    Lin Qiong took a deep breath and said, "You don¡¯t need to worry too much about the danger. I have a very capable person secretly protecting me. If I encounter serious trouble, he will definitely take action."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "No way!"


    Lin Qiong lifted her head proudly and said, "Absolutely true. I¡¯ve been in life-threatening situations twice in my career as a police officer, and that person helped me out both times. Otherwise, how do you think I could have been promoted to Deputy Director so quickly?"


    Li Yifei was well aware of the two dangers Lin Qiong had faced, but what shocked him most wasn¡¯t this, but rather Lin Qiong¡¯s belief that someone would be protecting her all the time. This was extremely risky. No wonder the female officer was so bold¡ªhis rescues had given her the psychological suggestion that emboldened her.


    Since those two incidents, Li Yifei had been very busy with work and hadn¡¯t had the time to pay further attention to Lin Qiong. Besides, those events were coincidences; how could there be so many coincidences in the world? If Lin Qiong harbored such expectations and constantly sought danger, sooner or later, it would lead to disaster. He tentatively said, "But... perhaps it was just a coincidence that he encountered you?"


    Lin Qiong shook her head emphatically and said, "It¡¯s definitely not a coincidence. The first dangerous encounter might have happened because I had operational directions in advance, but the second time, it was an unexpected encounter. How could he have acted so timely if he hadn¡¯t been secretly protecting me?"


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "That still isn¡¯t certain. There are many coincidences in the world. If you encounter danger again and he doesn¡¯t show up, wouldn¡¯t you be doomed?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression became a bit uneasy, but she quickly said, "That¡¯s impossible, trust me. Do you know, the last time he saved me, he even taught me some skills. Do you think if he just happened to encounter me, he would teach me skills? I¡¯ll tell you, the night I stayed at your house, you didn¡¯t do anything to me. If you had, you would certainly have died miserably."


    Li Yifei felt exasperated and couldn¡¯t believe Lin Qiong¡¯s conviction was so strong. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Everyone has their own affairs; surely he can¡¯t be with you twenty-four hours a day. If you are in danger precisely when he¡¯s not there, wouldn¡¯t that be terrible? So when we act, we shouldn¡¯t rely too much on others. We need to plan for ourselves and not rush into things recklessly."


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t argue with Li Yifei this time. She had also considered these possibilities, or perhaps the recent difficulties had made her realize how tough the situation was. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have had so many concerns and insisted on seeking Li Yifei¡¯s help.


    Nodding her head, Lin Qiong said, "I already have a plan for this situation. Have a look and see if it¡¯s feasible."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Let¡¯s hear it."


    Lin Qiong took a deep breath, her expression growing more solemn, "I¡¯m prepared for us to disguise ourselves as a couple in need of a large amount of contraband goods. We¡¯ll first make contact with their lower-level people, then show them that we have a big appetite, demanding a large supply of goods. Their ordinary staff definitely won¡¯t have that much stuff and will certainly take us to meet their superiors."


    Li Yifei nodded, "This method is feasible, but I want to ask you a question. If you approach their people to buy goods, that¡¯s not a big issue. However, if you want them to believe that you have a big appetite, you first need to demonstrate your strength, especially your financial power. Without sufficient benefits to entice them, why would they possibly take you to their superiors?"


    Lin Qiong immediately replied, "I¡¯ve considered this as well. We could say that we are just casually buying some small items, but the one who really needs a large amount of goods is our relative, our elder. That person is a billionaire, naturally, they would buy more."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "That won¡¯t do. Rich people generally aren¡¯t worried about a little bit of money, and they care more about status. They wouldn¡¯t ruin their reputation just to save a few bucks, and it¡¯s even less likely that they need a large amount of smuggled goods."


    Lin Qiong frowned, "Is this reason really not good enough?"


    "Absolutely not," he said. "You should try to understand where smuggled items eventually end up. Things like cars, watches, and a lot of electronics don¡¯t end up in the hands of the billionaires but rather with those who may not have a lot of money, yet are particularly concerned about status. They like high-end products but can¡¯t afford them, which is why they turn to smuggled goods."


    "What should we do then?" Lin Qiong felt at a loss as the plan she had thought of was quickly rejected by Li Yifei, throwing her into confusion.


    Li Yifei cracked a slight smile, "If we want to attract them, there¡¯s actually a way."


    Lin Qiong grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm excitedly, exclaiming, "What way? Tell me quickly."


    Li Yifei leisurely took a puff of his cigarette, leaving Lin Qiong on tenterhooks before slowly saying, "Don¡¯t you know why they smuggle?"


    "Of course, because smuggling avoids tariffs, the price is much cheaper than goods coming through regular channels. There¡¯s a huge margin there, obviously resulting in significant profit."


    "Right, and this smuggling syndicate, having smuggled so many goods, wouldn¡¯t sell them off piece by piece like retailers, would they?"


    "That should be the case." Lin Qiong nodded again.


    "Well, there you have it. They must be transferring these smuggled items in batches to someone else, who then sells them off individually. What we need to do is become their middleman, take off their hands, and that¡¯s how we can get in touch with their higher-ups." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, "This idea is great, Li Yifei, I¡¯ve come to realize that finding you was absolutely right."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Don¡¯t get too excited just yet. If you want to play that role, you¡¯re going to need a considerable amount of capital. Those people are definitely cautious and won¡¯t let you get away with anything for nothing. The sum needed won¡¯t be small; I¡¯m talking at least a million. Do you have it?"


    Lin Qiong was dumbstruck. Though her family wasn¡¯t poor, they were definitely not rich. Her parents were just ordinary civil servants, who could save maybe thirty or fifty thousand a year. They had saved some money for her over the years, but whether it was a million, she didn¡¯t know. Besides, her parents had made it clear that the money was for her wedding, so getting her hands on it was unlikely.


    Li Yifei patted Lin Qiong¡¯s thigh and said, "Sigh, so it¡¯s still very difficult. I think we should look for another opportunity. With a smuggling tycoon like this, even if you don¡¯t catch him now, who¡¯s to say the authorities won¡¯t later? He won¡¯t escape eventually."


    A girl¡¯s thigh isn¡¯t something to casually slap, but Lin Qiong, preoccupied, hardly noticed as she sat there deep in thought.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t disturb her, his gaze continuing to survey Lin Qiong¡¯s home. However, before he could take in much, Lin Qiong suddenly grasped Li Yifei¡¯s arm again, her teeth almost gritted as she said to him, "I¡¯ve got it. We get married."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes went wide, and the cigarette he had in his mouth slipped out...

 Chapter 199: Still Getting the Certificate

    Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Still Getting the CertificateThe cigarette butt dropped onto Li Yifei¡¯s pants, causing him to yelp in surprise as he frantically flicked it away, but a hole had already burned through his pants, and it seemed the skin underneath was scalded too, the burning pain intense. However, not even this could halt Li Yifei¡¯s astonishment as his eyes widened and he stuttered, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re not joking, right?"


    Lin Qiong stared straight into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, clenched her teeth and said, "You heard me right, we¡¯re getting married."


    Li Yifei hastily shook off Lin Qiong¡¯s arm and leaped towards the door, crying out in panic, "Officer Lin, I can¡¯t play along with you, this is too much, my heart can¡¯t take it!"


    Lin Qiong made a quick dash to catch up, tried to grab Li Yifei¡¯s arm without success, and in a moment of desperation, she stretched out both arms, hugging Li Yifei¡¯s waist from behind, urgently saying, "You can¡¯t leave."


    Li Yifei stumbled, grabbed the anti-theft door handle, and pulled forcefully, exclaiming, "Officer Lin, have mercy on me, I have a girlfriend, I can¡¯t marry you."


    "You have no choice, you must marry me," Lin Qiong said firmly as she clung to Li Yifei, afraid that he would run away, dragging her towards the door like a koala.


    "No, no! I really can¡¯t get married," Li Yifei yelled, both of them in a tug of war, it seemed he was using all his might.


    "It¡¯s a fake marriage, what are you afraid of?" Lin Qiong, in her haste just now, had finally managed to restrain Li Yifei and at last made herself clear.


    "What?" The struggle instantly drained from Li Yifei as he exclaimed loudly, "We¡¯re not getting really married?"


    "That¡¯s right!" Lin Qiong replied firmly.


    Li Yifei let all his strength fade away and let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "You really scared me to death, why didn¡¯t you make it clear sooner? I thought I was running into a female bandit trying to make me her captive husband."


    Lin Qiong almost choked with anger at Li Yifei¡¯s words. After all, as Mile City¡¯s famed female officer and the darling of the Public Security System with numerous young men pursuing her, she had never accepted anyone. And now, having offered to marry Li Yifei, this guy was actually terrified; was she really that scary?


    "Alright, alright, let go of me now, I¡¯m sweating bullets here," Li Yifei said, wiping his forehead as if he¡¯d just dodged a bullet.


    Lin Qiong let go of Li Yifei, and as he turned around, she said fiercely, "Am I that scary?"


    Li Yifei gave a forced laugh and replied, "No, you¡¯re not!"


    "Then why did you react so strongly just now?" Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze was intense as she watched Li Yifei, ready to teach him a lesson if his answer didn¡¯t satisfy her.


    Li Yifei sensed the danger and quickly said, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re so beautiful, truly like a blossoming police flower of Mile City. Normally, in my eyes, you¡¯re like the stars in the sky, the sunset on the horizon, the moon in the water, all there for my admiration but out of reach. Suddenly you drop such news, and honestly, I couldn¡¯t handle it. How could I be worthy to marry you? That would be sacrilege to the goddess in my heart."


    The usually stern expression on Lin Qiong¡¯s face flushed a deep red at this unexpected praise. She spat at Li Yifei and chided, "Stop spouting nonsense. I¡¯m here to discuss serious matters with you. Sit down and behave yourself."


    Li Yifei chuckled nervously and promptly sat down properly on the couch. As Lin Qiong sat beside him, her face flushed again before she said, "My parents should have a million, but they said that the money is for my wedding. If I don¡¯t get married, they definitely won¡¯t give it to me, which is why I have no choice but to stage a fake marriage with you to get the money from them."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, then shook his head like a wind-up drum, saying urgently, "No, no, that won¡¯t do. You¡¯re a police officer, and this is fraud! If it was just deceiving your parents, it might be somewhat excusable. As an officer, you could get away with it in the end, but I would be doomed! If pursued, that million would definitely be considered a huge amount of fraud. I could end up locked away for ten or eight years. No way, no way."


    Lin Qiong huffed, "It¡¯s not that serious. This money will be used to solve a case, and it¡¯s not like we won¡¯t return it later; how could it be considered fraud? Besides, my parents aren¡¯t that kind of people. Once the affair is resolved, I¡¯ll explain to them, and they¡¯ll definitely understand, so you don¡¯t need to worry at all."


    "Really?" Li Yifei looked at Lin Qiong skeptically.


    Lin Qiong nodded emphatically, "Of course it¡¯s true. Why would I harm you if you¡¯re helping me? And I¡¯m still a police officer; why would I commit a crime knowing the law?"


    "This... I still feel like this plan isn¡¯t very reliable. Even if we say we¡¯re getting married, don¡¯t we need to have a wedding? Aren¡¯t there other things we need to prepare for? Otherwise, how would your parents ever believe it?"


    "This..." Lin Qiong was again unsure of what to do. She couldn¡¯t just take Li Yifei home and tell her parents they were married. Setting aside whether they would believe it, even if they did, they would be furious. Getting married was a big deal that her parents had always been looking forward to; they¡¯d always said they wanted to throw a big wedding, inviting all relatives and friends to celebrate.


    Li Yifei greatly admired Lin Qiong¡¯s wild and ingenious ideas, but also found them absurd, shaking his head he said, "So this idea won¡¯t work, think of something else." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong slumped back dejectedly, "I¡¯m out of ideas, do you have any?"


    Li Yifei flicked his cigarette butt into the cup he had used for water earlier and, stroking his chin, said, "Aren¡¯t you a police officer, and a deputy director at that? It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to accept a little benefit fee, right? Especially from places like entertainment plazas. With you standing there as the deputy director and naming your price, they¡¯d have to pay."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened, "Wouldn¡¯t that be taking bribes?"


    "If it¡¯s taking bribes, then just take them, anyway the money is going to a good cause."


    "No way!" Lin Qiong didn¡¯t even have to think before shaking her head in denial, emphatically stating, "I would never do such a thing. If I took their dirty money, then I would certainly have to work for them, and would I still be a police officer? To solve one case, but to condone even more criminal activity, absolutely not."


    "Alright, alright, if it¡¯s not acceptable, then no need to get so worked up," Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Since this won¡¯t work, then I¡¯m out of ideas."


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t say anything; Li Yifei had no choice but to light another cigarette, and as he finished smoking, Lin Qiong was still there in thought, not saying anything. Li Yifei then stood up and said, "Officer Lin, you should think of some other solutions. I have things to attend to at home, I have to go first. When you come up with something, give me a call, and I¡¯ll definitely come help you."


    Lin Qiong still didn¡¯t react, and Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, preparing to leave, but just as he reached the door, Lin Qiong suddenly shouted out loud, startling Li Yifei enough to stop in his tracks.


    "Officer Lin, did you come up with a solution?" Turning around, Li Yifei asked with a puzzled look at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong went straight up to Li Yifei¡¯s face and said, "My solution is you still marry me, and we go ahead with a wedding as my parents want. Then they will give me the money."


    Li Yifei felt Lin Qiong¡¯s plan hadn¡¯t changed, and he said in confusion, "Isn¡¯t that the same thing?"


    Lin Qiong faced Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and said, "It¡¯s different. We were thinking of a fake marriage before, so there were so many problems. Now, we¡¯re talking about a real marriage, and naturally, these problems won¡¯t be problems anymore."


    "What?" Li Yifei roared, even more surprised than the first time Lin Qiong proposed marriage; his expression was indescribably brilliant.


    Lin Qiong, with her arms crossed and not a hint of jest on her face, said, "You heard me right, I mean it for real. We¡¯re going to register and get a marriage certificate."


    "Register, get a certificate? Have you lost your mind?" Li Yifei began to seriously question Lin Qiong¡¯s mental health.


    "Only this way, my parents will truly believe I¡¯m getting married and give me the money. Only then can we proceed with the next step of our work."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes bulged as he swallowed hard, "Sister, for the sake of a case, there¡¯s no need to go to such extremes, right?"


    However, Lin Qiong seemed relaxed as she said, "There¡¯s nothing to it, we can just get divorced after the case is closed, and then return the money to my parents. With such high divorce rates nowadays, getting a divorce is really no big deal; you don¡¯t have to worry."


    Li Yifei immediately cried out loudly, "What do you mean, don¡¯t worry? You¡¯re doing this for a case, but what about me? Without doing anything wrong, I¡¯m turned into a divorcee; how am I supposed to explain it to my girlfriend, and what about my future marriage?"


    Lin Qiong suddenly fell silent. She had only thought about how to deal with her own difficulties and had not considered Li Yifei at all. Now that Li Yifei brought it up, she realized the impact this would have on him, especially as a police officer, she knew full well that if they got married, it would definitely be discovered by any future partner of Li Yifei¡¯s. For a man his age to be a divorcee without any good reason, it was likely that no woman would accept him.


    At that moment, Li Yifei said, "Officer Lin, I thought it was just a fake marriage and I could help you out, but you¡¯re actually serious, then I really can¡¯t play along with you."


    Seeing Li Yifei looking so scared, Lin Qiong suddenly got upset, glaring at him fiercely, "Fine, I promise you, if your girlfriend doesn¡¯t accept it, then I won¡¯t divorce you, and I¡¯ll be your real wife."


    "Gah!" Li Yifei was utterly petrified!

 Chapter 200 Agreed

    Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Agreed"I¡¯m asking you, compared to your girlfriend Su Yiyi, am I not as pretty as her?" Lin Qiong grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and stared at him as she asked.


    Li Yifei swallowed hard, took a look around Lin Qiong¡¯s figure, and thought to himself that this female police officer and Su Yiyi were indeed very comparable in looks.


    Lin Qiong then asked, "Then is my figure not as good as hers?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze lingered on Lin Qiong¡¯s chest; Lin Qiong could feel where his eyes were resting and subconsciously shrank back, but then she immediately pushed her chest out again.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s chest was actually a size larger than Su Yiyi¡¯s, and her figure was somewhat more voluptuous than Su Yiyi¡¯s. In this regard, it seemed Lin Qiong had a slight edge. Without thinking it through, he said, "Yours is better than hers."


    Lin Qiong nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Then what¡¯s not to be satisfied with if I become your wife?"


    Li Yifei shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "Marriage is a lifetime commitment; how can it be decided just by looks alone? I admit you¡¯re as beautiful as Yiyi, and even have a better figure. If you put on a uniform, the allure of the uniform would be irresistible to any man. But I promised Yiyi, to make her my girlfriend, then I must treat her well. I can¡¯t just abandon her because you have a better figure and marry you instead."


    By now, Lin Qiong¡¯s thought process seemed to be stuck in a dead end. She snorted and said, "Don¡¯t you understand that marriage is the grave of love? No matter how deeply in love you are, once you get married, the petty things in life will grind it down. In the end, whether you can stay together for a lifetime doesn¡¯t depend on love but on whether you can adapt to each other¡¯s lives."


    "Even if it¡¯s about adapting to life, Yiyi is gentle and virtuous, definitely an excellent partner for daily life. Living a lifetime with her, I¡¯d be sure to live comfortably. Why wouldn¡¯t I want to stay with her?"


    "Nowadays, what does it mean to be gentle and virtuous? Whether it¡¯s a man or a woman, who doesn¡¯t show their best side during dating? Who would continuously reveal their flaws? Plus, people in love naturally overlook each other¡¯s faults and amplify each other¡¯s good points. But after you get married, it¡¯s the flaws that get amplified and the good points that tend to be overlooked."


    "Still, that doesn¡¯t prove I should leave Yiyi and marry you, does it?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯ve made myself clear. If she can understand, then you just continue being with her. If she can¡¯t, I¡¯ll spend a lifetime with you. Although we haven¡¯t dated, throughout the time I¡¯ve interacted with you, I¡¯ve been able to make a more accurate judgment about you. So, I¡¯m also aware of your flaws, and won¡¯t blindly magnify them. With that, the two of us living a lifetime together wouldn¡¯t be too difficult."


    "Wait a minute, you understand me, but I still haven¡¯t come to understand you. I don¡¯t know if I can adapt to you in the future. I can¡¯t bet the rest of my life on you."


    "What do you mean ¡¯bet on me¡¯? Haven¡¯t you seen that in the past, when men and women got married, there wasn¡¯t any dating process? It was just the parents¡¯ arrangement, and once both families agreed, the two people would be together, and they often lived well together. In contrast, it¡¯s because of love marriages now that the divorce rate is so high."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a wave of frustration; Lin Qiong was spouting all sorts of muddled theories.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "I know you have lots of concerns, and I promise you here and now that I¡¯ll treat you well and certainly be a good wife and mother. I, Lin Qiong, have always kept my word. Isn¡¯t that enough?"


    Li Yifei stared at Lin Qiong, who was also looking directly at him, unblinking, to prove her determination.


    They looked at each other like this for a full minute until Li Yifei suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Officer Lin, you¡¯re willing to lay down your whole life for one case, isn¡¯t that a bit too much of a loss?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched for a moment, but she immediately said with conviction, "If this case is cracked, it will save many people. Isn¡¯t it worth sacrificing myself for the sake of so many?"


    "Such a grand spirit," Li Yifei said with a mix of laughter and tears. "It¡¯s just a smuggling case, right? It doesn¡¯t save that many people. At most, it would maintain economic stability and prevent the loss of tax revenue."


    "You just don¡¯t understand. Smuggling isn¡¯t such a simple matter; it involves many aspects, and the economic impact is substantial. Think about it, smuggled goods are very cheap, and legitimate businesses will indeed be affected, possibly even unable to continue. If they incur too much loss, they might resort to actions that harm society. Once that happens, who knows how many people will be affected? It¡¯s all a butterfly effect. Law laxity in one area can lead to countless consequences."


    Li Yifei listened, dumbfounded, as Lin Qiong brought up the butterfly effect. However, he had to admit, Lin Qiong did have a point. The ancients had said that you should not commit small evils, nor should you neglect small kindnesses. The apparent meaning is that small evils can accumulate and make it easy to commit greater evils, while frequently doing small kindnesses can accumulate infinite merit.


    But on another level, it is also an interpretation of the butterfly effect. A small evil act can affect someone¡¯s entire life in many ways, like a thief who steals just a few thousand dollars. It might not seem like a big evil, but if that money was someone¡¯s lifesaving fund, then that thief is almost equivalent to a murderer.


    Seeing Li Yifei in a thoughtful mood, Lin Qiong pressed on, "So I must keep investigating this case. I know how dangerous it could be; I¡¯m even willing to risk my life for it, so why would I fear spending a lifetime with you?"


    Li Yifei cracked a smile and said, "That¡¯s quite a high price to pay."


    Sensing an opportunity, Lin Qiong smiled slightly and said, "Not really. Actually, I think you¡¯re not a bad person. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen you and no one else."


    "Sweat, you haven¡¯t really fallen for me and are using this opportunity to get with me, have you?"


    "In your dreams!" Lin Qiong immediately glared and snapped back. But then, feeling that tone might upset Li Yifei, she quickly rolled her eyes and said, "I meant to say that I think marrying you probably wouldn¡¯t present much of a problem, but I didn¡¯t say I¡¯ve fallen for you."


    Li Yifei was speechless, finding Lin Qiong¡¯s thinking extremely bizarre at this moment, yet he couldn¡¯t help but admire her dedication to justice. Regardless, such a female police officer was absolutely worthy of respect.


    Thinking of the understanding Su Yiyi, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t actually worried. As long as he explained the situation to her, she would surely agree. He therefore said to Lin Qiong with a wry smile, "Alright, you¡¯ve really beaten me. For the sake of your justice, I¡¯ll help you this one time, but we¡¯ve agreed that you¡¯ll have to explain everything to Yiyi afterward."


    "No problem! But we can¡¯t talk about it now, or we might let something slip and fail before we even start."


    "Okay, then we won¡¯t talk about it now."


    Lin Qiong said excitedly, "Great, then we¡¯ll meet my parents today, and register our marriage on Monday."


    "What? That soon?" Li Yifei exclaimed in surprise again.


    "The sooner we crack this case, the better, right? We also need to get the money as soon as possible."


    "But we need to prepare a bit, right? Otherwise, meeting your parents would be a dead giveaway."


    "Oh, that¡¯s true. You have a girlfriend, so you must have met her parents before, right? You must have some experience, think about what we should do."


    Li Yifei broke out in a huge sweat. Lin Qiong had actually pushed this task onto him, but he did have experience with such things, having easily handled meeting Xu Yingying¡¯s parents before.


    Since he had agreed, Li Yifei got into character and started asking about Lin Qiong¡¯s parents¡¯ preferences and such. Of course, the most important thing was to ask about Lin Qiong¡¯s own habits and interests. After all, it wouldn¡¯t do to be about to marry and still not have a clear idea of what kind of person Lin Qiong was.


    Lin Qiong answered most of Li Yifei¡¯s questions, but when he asked her if she had any bad habits, her face turned red and she awkwardly asked, "Do I need to say this kind of thing?"


    Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s expression, Li Yifei¡¯s interest was piqued. He said with a smile, "Of course you have to say it. We¡¯re about to get married, so I should definitely know about this kind of thing, right?"


    "I... I..." Lin Qiong stuttered, her face so red she couldn¡¯t get the words out.


    "Come on, you need to get into character now, treat me like your husband, as if we¡¯ve already been to bed together."


    "As if I¡¯d go to bed with you!" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes rounded in indignation.


    "Get married without going to bed?" Li Yifei retorted sarcastically.


    "Well... that¡¯s true. My bad habit is that I don¡¯t like wearing clothes when I sleep at night." After saying this, Lin Qiong¡¯s face was beet red, and she turned away, no longer daring to look at Li Yifei.


    "Ah ha..." Li Yifei was genuinely surprised; he had not expected Lin Qiong, a female police officer, to also have a preference for sleeping in the nude, similar to the flight attendant Meng Xiaofei.


    "Don¡¯t laugh!" Lin Qiong turned back to glare fiercely at Li Yifei.


    "I¡¯m not laughing. Sleeping naked isn¡¯t a bad habit. During the day, people are constrained in all sorts of ways. When it¡¯s time to sleep, it¡¯s time to completely relax. Of course, you should do whatever feels comfortable. Hehe, so now I have to ask, when we go to meet your parents, are we going to sleep together?"


    Lin Qiong was about to get angry, but then realized that Li Yifei had raised a valid point, a question they couldn¡¯t avoid. Clenching her teeth, she said, "Of course we¡¯ll sleep together, we¡¯re about to be married, how can we not?"


    "Then you..." Li Yifei¡¯s gaze roamed suggestively over Lin Qiong¡¯s body.


    "Keep dreaming! I won¡¯t sleep naked, and don¡¯t you think about taking any advantage of me."


    Li Yifei immediately pursed his lips and said, "No advantages allowed? That talk about spending our lives together was nonsense then."


    Lin Qiong was left speechless, finally managing through gritted teeth, "When I said spending a lifetime with you, that was if your girlfriend couldn¡¯t accept you. If your girlfriend accepts you, then why would I spend a lifetime with you?"


    Li Yifei dropped his joking demeanor and said seriously, "I¡¯m not joking around with you. This is serious. Since we¡¯re getting married, we can¡¯t avoid some intimate actions. If you get angry then..."


    Lin Qiong froze for a moment, then bit her lip hard and said, "Fine, as long as we don¡¯t do that thing, anything else is no problem."

 Chapter 201: Officer Lin

    Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Officer LinLin Qiong truly went all out this time, even agreeing to such a thing. However, for a girl like her who hadn¡¯t even had a boyfriend before, the thought of Li Yifei bullying her filled her with such shame and embarrassment that she wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.


    Li Yifei agreed to do this for Lin Qiong partly because of her sense of justice, and partly because he found the matter increasingly amusing¡ªeven more so than pretending to be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend. Seeing Lin Qiong agree, he immediately cleared his throat and said, "Officer Lin, there¡¯s something else I need to remind you."


    "What is it?" Lin Qiong was already somewhat numb to the situation. She knew that whatever Li Yifei was about to remind her would embarrass her, but she still briskly asked.


    "You¡¯ve never had a boyfriend before, right?"


    "No!"


    "Then you definitely haven¡¯t had any intimate interactions with other men?"


    Lin Qiong said irritably, "Nonsense. I haven¡¯t even had a boyfriend, so how would I have been intimate with anyone?"


    "Exactly, since you lack experience in this area, we can¡¯t just improvise when we meet your parents, can we? Shouldn¡¯t we... practice... practice in advance?"


    "What? We even have to practice this?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in anger and embarrassment.


    "This... I¡¯m just giving you a heads-up. I¡¯ve agreed to help you, and of course, I want to make sure we do this perfectly to avoid any slip-ups. I should be fine with improvising, as I have a girlfriend and I¡¯ve been with quite a few women before. If you¡¯re confident you can pull it off on the spot, then there¡¯s no problem."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face contorted with discomfort at Li Yifei¡¯s words, which made her extremely uncomfortable. Her inexperience in having a boyfriend was now an embarrassing issue, while the fact that Li Yifei, that jerk, had been with so many women seemed to be a point of pride for him.


    Even though she was angry, Lin Qiong, as a police officer, still had a good ability to analyze situations. She felt that Li Yifei made a valid point. On the job, she could quickly get into character to deal with criminals, but facing her parents while feeling guilty and having to act out a romantic relationship was another story. With a grit of her teeth, she threw her head back, closed her eyes, and resigned herself to fate, saying, "Fine! Let¡¯s do it."


    But after a long wait, Li Yifei did nothing to her. Opening her eyes, Lin Qiong saw Li Yifei staring at her like an idiot, which made her angrily exclaim, "Have you gone stupid? Didn¡¯t I tell you to just do it?"


    Li Yifei seemed to shiver with fright, shaking his head vigorously before saying with a bitter smile, "Officer Lin, when you... just now when you said ¡¯come on¡¯... what did you mean by that?"


    Lin Qiong felt infuriated. This guy hadn¡¯t understood her, and now she had to spell it out clearly. But at this point, she had no choice but to say through gritted teeth, "Isn¡¯t it just a kiss? I¡¯m telling you to kiss me."


    Li Yifei had a face full of dismay and said, "Officer Lin, aren¡¯t you being a bit silly? Could it be that you think intimacy between a couple is nothing more than kissing and sleeping together?"


    "What else is there?" Lin Qiong asked, somewhat bewildered at this point.


    Li Yifei widened his eyes and said, "Officer Lin, I mean, it¡¯s one thing that you¡¯ve never been in a relationship, but can¡¯t you even tell how others date?"


    Lin Qiong blinked her large eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering as the corner of her mouth twitched slightly before she said, "I get it, does it mean we have to seem closer in every aspect, like holding hands or me linking arms with you?"


    "Now you¡¯re finally catching on. With all the young couples you see on the streets, if you can¡¯t even notice that, then I really don¡¯t know what to say to you."


    Lin Qiong, somewhat embarrassed, but quickly said, "What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just that, how hard can it be?"


    "You sure you can really do it?" Li Yifei¡¯s face was full of disbelief.


    Lin Qiong got a bit irritated and said, "Then let¡¯s try and see if it works, shall we?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, let¡¯s try then. But let me make it clear beforehand, I¡¯m not doing this to take advantage of you." Li Yifei emphasized this point, having only just resolved an earlier issue about taking advantage of Lin Qiong. He didn¡¯t want to stir up another one and regret it later.


    "Relax, I know you¡¯re not trying to take advantage of me. Just quit your dawdling and come on like a man," said Lin Qiong as she stood up.


    Li Yifei also stood up, grinning at Lin Qiong, who glared at him before reaching out and grabbing his hand. Then, she extended her arm and wrapped it around his, saying, "See? That was easy, wasn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression was a mix of laughter and bitterness. "Does your house have a mirror? Let¡¯s go take a look."


    Lin Qiong frowned slightly and asked, "Did I do something wrong?"


    "You¡¯ll see for yourself."


    Not willing to accept fault, Lin Qiong felt that she had held Li Yifei¡¯s hand and embraced his arm, which should suffice as a typical couple¡¯s behavior.


    As they arrived before the mirror, Lin Qiong scrutinized their reflection and instantly saw what was wrong. Her hand was holding Li Yifei¡¯s, but it was neither interlocked nor fully enveloped in his; it resembled a handshake between colleagues. While she had wrapped her arm around his, their arms merely created a pose without really touching. They lacked any sense of intimacy.


    "See the problem now?" Li Yifei asked, struggling to hold back his laughter.


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "I see it now. I¡¯ll adjust again; this time it will definitely work."


    "Mhm." Li Yifei was in no hurry, finding it not only thrilling but also immensely enjoyable to be tutoring Officer Lin like this.


    Lin Qiong took a deep breath, then held hands with Li Yifei in front of the mirror. Li Yifei interlocked his fingers tightly with hers, and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t refuse. Next, she looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, their arms touching.


    "How¡¯s that? I told you it was easy," said Lin Qiong, smiling proudly at their reflection in the mirror.


    Li Yifei curled his lips in disdain at Lin Qiong¡¯s reflection and said, "You¡¯re far off. If we were just starting out in a relationship, such an action might barely pass, but remember, we¡¯re about to get married. This makes it seem too unfamiliar."


    "What? This isn¡¯t good enough?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Li Yifei nodded firmly, saying, "Of course not, your hand is fine now, but the way you¡¯re holding my arm isn¡¯t right. Think about it¡ªwe¡¯re going to get married; we must have been to bed many times already, right?"


    Lin Qiong nodded her head.


    "Having been to bed so many times, we must be quite familiar with each other¡¯s bodies by now, right?"


    Lin Qiong glared at him for a moment but then nodded again.


    "Being so familiar, for instance, your... ¡¯eyes¡¯... I must have touched them many times by now, right?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face betrayed a flash of anger, but she quickly nodded again.


    "So, if I¡¯ve touched them many times, and yet you¡¯re still shy about contact when you¡¯re holding me, does that behave like someone about to get married?"


    Lin Qiong opened her mouth to speak, then clamped it shut and took a deep breath. She tightened her grip on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and truly embraced it this time, pressing his arm firmly against her chest.


    This time, Li Yifei¡¯s arm came into close contact with Lin Qiong¡¯s bosom, the surprising springiness sending a ripple of excitement through him. Though Lin Qiong¡¯s martial skills weren¡¯t great, as a police officer, she still exercised regularly. This made her body much more robust than that of Su Yiyi or even Xu Shanshan, who liked to dance¡ªneither had the same resilience as Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s bosom pressed tightly against Li Yifei¡¯s arm, which was a source of mortification for her. Although she couldn¡¯t claim that her chest had never made contact with someone else¡¯s¡ªafter all, as a police officer, she had to spar with male officers from time to time, and accidental contact occurred¡ªthose moments never involved any emotional baggage and, therefore, did not embarrass her.


    But now was different. Not only was she in such close contact with Li Yifei, but she had also initiated it. For Lin Qiong, who had never been in a relationship, the situation was almost unbearably awkward. Her face flushed red like the evening sky, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze in the mirror.


    Since he had already agreed to this charade, Li Yifei got into his role, saying, "That movement is fine, but your expression gives you away again. Think about it¡ªwould someone about to get married feel that embarrassed by this level of intimacy?"


    Lin Qiong turned to glare at Li Yifei¡¯s reflection in the mirror and said with dissatisfaction, "I don¡¯t have skin as thick as yours."


    "To get your parents¡¯ approval, you need to thicken your skin now, or it will surely give us away."


    As soon as she heard about being exposed, Lin Qiong steeled her resolve and asked, "What more do I need to do?"


    "It¡¯s simple¡ªwhen we touch, you need to feel sweetness, to really want to contact me in this way from the bottom of your heart, without even a trace of reluctance," he said.


    "That... seems rather difficult."


    "I know it¡¯s difficult; I find it quite challenging myself. If I weren¡¯t trying to help you, I would have run a long time ago."


    "Hmph, don¡¯t act all innocent after taking advantage of the situation. You¡¯re a man, so it¡¯s all gain for you. I¡¯m a woman, remember?"


    "Well, you¡¯ll have to deal with it yourself then. I¡¯ll do my best, but if we blow our cover because of you, you can¡¯t blame me."


    "Fine, fine. It¡¯s just being sweet. What¡¯s the big deal?" Lin Qiong huffed, then took a couple of deep breaths, smiled at the mirror, but she knew without Li Yifei saying anything¡ªit wasn¡¯t convincing; the smile was too forced.


    "The important thing isn¡¯t the surface, but what¡¯s in the heart. You need to genuinely feel happy. Once I find that feeling, even a small gesture will show our sweetness and affection," he explained.


    Lin Qiong knew Li Yifei was making sense, but how could she find that feeling? She didn¡¯t truly like Li Yifei. If it was that mysterious person she was with, she might have been able to feel it.

 Chapter 202 Preliminary Pass

    Chapter 202: Chapter 202 Preliminary Pass"No good! Your smile isn¡¯t sweet enough!"


    "The smile is a bit better, but now your movements are stiff. You can¡¯t disconnect your actions from your expressions."


    "Sigh, why are you so clumsy? Relax a little; pretend I¡¯m your boyfriend."


    "Oh my god, are you saying that the only way for you to get the right feeling is if I really sleep with you?"


    After teaching for a while, Li Yifei was somewhat defeated. Lin Qiong was just too dull in this area; despite the training, her progress was still too slight.


    A full half an hour passed before Li Yifei managed to teach the basic actions of holding hands and linking arms. Then he said, "Alright, now you need to get used to me, to my intimacy with you."


    Lin Qiong thought that was enough but was surprised to learn there was more, her face immediately filled with bitterness. "What else do I have to do?"


    "This time it¡¯s mainly about your reaction when I touch you. First off, when I put my arm around your shoulders."


    "No problem." Lin Qiong agreed readily, feeling this task was quite easy.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulders, and her body tensed for a moment but soon relaxed, especially since her chest had been rubbing against Li Yifei¡¯s arm for quite a while now; this minor contact didn¡¯t bother her much anymore.


    "Be mindful of your emotions; when I hold you, you should feel happy." Li Yifei reminded Lin Qiong once more.


    Lin Qiong quickly adjusted her mood. She picked it up quite fast this time and soon satisfied Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei then moved his hand downward, first to Lin Qiong¡¯s lower back and then her waist, gently stroking. This once again became too much for Lin Qiong; especially when Li Yifei¡¯s hand stroked below her waist, nearly reaching her bottom, she almost couldn¡¯t help but lash out and pin Li Yifei down, treating him like a pervert.


    But seeing Li Yifei¡¯s serious demeanor and his occasional head shaking and sighing¡ªeven sometimes showing an angry look as if frustrated by unfulfilled potential¡ªLin Qiong held back, accepting the feedback and repeatedly correcting herself humbly.


    Li Yifei was secretly thrilled. He had mingled in many social circles over the years and encountered plenty of women, but to be able to take advantage like this¡ªwhere they were clearly not a couple nor friends with benefits, and yet he could openly gain an advantage¡ªthis was only the second time in his life. The first had been with Xu Yingying, but all the contact had been initiated by her, and the extent of it was controlled by her, unlike with Lin Qiong, where he could do as he pleased and take as much advantage as he wanted. If once wasn¡¯t enough, he would make Lin Qiong redo it multiple times.


    This kind of delight was truly incomprehensible to outsiders.


    It took an entire afternoon before Li Yifei could say that Lin Qiong had practiced these things fairly well. When Li Yifei finally said it was okay, Lin Qiong collapsed onto the couch, smiling wryly. "I feel like this is even harder than catching a bunch of criminals."


    "Don¡¯t talk about that; you just made a mistake."


    "Oh, I get it. When I¡¯m tired, I should do this, right..." Saying so, Lin Qiong hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm and laid her head on his shoulder.


    "That¡¯s correct, well done," Li Yifei said as his hand rested on Lin Qiong¡¯s thigh, softly stroking.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t slap Li Yifei¡¯s hand away. She needed to get used to such actions. If she reserved herself now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get her parents¡¯ one million.


    "Hungry?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "I am." Lin Qiong¡¯s stomach immediately growled, surprised at how much energy she had expended that afternoon.


    "Then let¡¯s go eat. Remember, this is a live exercise for us. If outsiders can easily see through you, then your parents, who know you best, will undoubtedly see right through you as well."


    Lin Qiong nodded. "Alright, let¡¯s go out and practice."


    They left Lin Qiong¡¯s home, with her arm linked with Li Yifei¡¯s. She thought this gesture, having been practiced countless times at home, should be effortless, but unexpectedly, upon seeing other people, she felt awkward all over and instantly let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    "You see, that won¡¯t do. A real couple only has eyes for each other, they don¡¯t care about anyone else. They wouldn¡¯t mind what people think, even in public, they¡¯d still be affectionate as usual, let alone just linking arms like this."


    "I understand. I¡¯ll definitely do it right this time." Lin Qiong had a spirit that refused to be defeated; she had been receiving Li Yifei¡¯s critique all day, and she was holding her breath to get this right.


    When they encountered people again, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, but her movements and expressions were still a bit stiff. After meeting a few more people, Lin Qiong finally managed to link arms with Li Yifei comfortably.


    "Little Lin! This is..." A woman suddenly exclaimed, blocking Lin Qiong and Li Yifei¡¯s path.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, stammering in a fluster, "Sister Chen, we... we..."


    This was a woman in her forties, with a suggestive smile on her face, sizing up Li Yifei from head to toe before saying with a laugh, "Little Lin, so you already have a boyfriend, why haven¡¯t you introduced him to me?"


    Just as Lin Qiong was about to deny it, Li Yifei stealthily tugged at her clothes. Startled, she quickly smiled and said, "Sister Chen, this is my boyfriend Li Yifei. Yifei, this is Sister Chen from our sub-bureau. I was assigned to the sub-bureau, and Sister Chen has taken good care of me." As she spoke, she once again hooked her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s.


    "Nice to meet you, Sister Chen!" Li Yifei greeted her politely.


    "Very good, young man, not bad. Alright, I won¡¯t disturb you two anymore." With a giggle, Sister Chen sashayed away, but before she left, she kept turning back to sneak glances at them, the suggestive smile thick on her face.


    "Not bad performance, you remained calm even when running into someone familiar. You could almost pass the test," Li Yifei said, praising her at that moment.


    Lin Qiong snorted, but still said proudly, "Of course, if Lin Qiong wants something done, there¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be done."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, "Compliment you a bit, and you¡¯re over the moon, you really have a thick skin."


    "What did you say?" Lin Qiong immediately glared at him.


    Li Yifei quickly sighed, "Just like now, you¡¯re not up to it again. We are running out of time. At this moment, you must remember I¡¯m your husband, not just your partner, got it?"


    "Got it," Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, then once more looped her arm through his and cozily rested her head on his shoulder.


    The two of them left the complex like this, and even when Lin Qiong saw people she knew, she didn¡¯t let go of Li Yifei. When they reached Li Yifei¡¯s car, Lin Qiong said proudly, "How was that, did I do well?"


    "Well done, that should be good enough, I¡¯m going home now, see you tomorrow."


    "Hey, am I really okay like this?" Lin Qiong became somewhat anxious again as she saw Li Yifei about to leave.


    "It¡¯s fine, you should think about what you¡¯re going to tell your parents tomorrow, or maybe give them a heads-up first. Otherwise, it¡¯s too abrupt for us to visit them tomorrow."


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Okay, you also get ready, come over early tomorrow morning."


    Only then did Li Yifei leave Lin Qiong and return to his own home. As soon as he stepped through the door, Chu Xiaoyao rushed over, handed him a pair of slippers, and said ingratiatingly, "Uncle, am I being good?"


    Li Yifei nodded and smiled, "If you keep behaving like this, it¡¯s not bad."


    Chu Xiaoyao raised her head proudly, "Of course, I consulted Sister Yiyi today. You like good girls like Sister Yiyi, so I¡¯ll be good too, so that uncle will like me and let me be your mistress in the future."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi with a stunned expression as a dark line crept across his forehead, while Su Yiyi gave him a helpless, bitter smile, obviously troubled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s antics. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to argue with Chu Xiaoyao about this issue. She would grow up a bit more, or once she went to college and her life changed, she would naturally shift her attention elsewhere.


    "Eh? Uncle, you smell really nice," Chu Xiaoyao suddenly sniffed around Li Yifei like a little dog.


    Li Yifei internally broke into a sweat, having spent the better part of the day in an affectionate embrace with Lin Qiong, his body was undoubtedly carrying her scent. However, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t wear any perfume, and he thought he wouldn¡¯t retain any scent, yet Xiaoyao had still picked up on it.


    "Ah-ha, Uncle, did you go see some other woman like Little Wang today?" Chu Xiaoyao even excitedly called out at that moment.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a hint of unease. Having Su Yiyi as a girlfriend and being so intimate with Lin Qiong, even if it was to help Lin Qiong with a case, it didn¡¯t seem quite right.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, but before Li Yifei could explain, she already showed a smile, "Xiaoyao, Brother Li¡¯s boss is a big beauty, and so is the chief supervisor. There are so many women in the company, it¡¯s not a big deal if he gets a bit of their scent on him."


    Chu Xiaoyao blinked, looked at Su Yiyi, then at Li Yifei, and gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up, "Uncle, you¡¯re amazing, you¡¯ve really got Sister Yiyi¡¯s trust."


    Su Yiyi smiled faintly, "Of course I trust Brother Li. Even if he were to deceive me, I¡¯d believe him. As long as I can be with him in this lifetime, that¡¯s all I need."


    "Wow, Sister Yiyi, you¡¯re so admirable, I absolutely adore you. I won¡¯t let uncle leave you, and then can you let me be your mistress?" Chu Xiaoyao hugged Su Yiyi¡¯s arm all of a sudden, starting to act spoilt.


    Li Yifei, however, felt a complicated sensation in his heart. With Su Yiyi being so good to him, his sense of guilt towards her grew heavier. But since he had already promised Lin Qiong, he had to carry on with the task.

 Chapter 203 Joy

    Chapter 203: Chapter 203 JoyWith Chu Xiaoyao around, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t been given a chance to be intimate that night. After sleeping on the sofa all night, Li Yifei woke up the next morning and had to visit Lin Qiong. After breakfast, he said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, I still have things to do today and can¡¯t keep you company."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and said, "It¡¯s okay. You go ahead with your work. I have things to take care of at school in the afternoon as well, so I¡¯ll head back to school early."


    "Do you need me to send you now?"


    "No need, I¡¯ll tidy up the house in the morning and will leave after making lunch for Xiaoyao."


    Li Yifei nodded and added, "Alright then. By the way, do you have enough money?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s expression suddenly turned embarrassed. Li Yifei immediately said, "Silly girl, if you don¡¯t have enough money, just tell me, okay? You¡¯re my girlfriend, not someone else."


    Clutching the corner of her clothes, Su Yiyi said guiltily, "Brother Li, I¡¯m really sorry. I visited home a few days ago and gave most of the money you gave me to my dad."


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder and asked, "Is there anything to be sorry about? But did your dad gamble again?"


    "I¡¯m not too sure about that. He seemed quite honest recently. This time he didn¡¯t ask for money, but there was no rice or flour at home, so I just..."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You¡¯re so filial, I should be praising you. After all, he is your father, the man who gave you life. Without him, where would I find such a good girlfriend? So, it¡¯s only right to give him some money."


    Chu Xiaoyao propped her chin with her hands, glanced at Li Yifei, then at Su Yiyi, and inserted with a touchingly moved expression, "Uncle, you are really too nice, so gentle with your girlfriend."


    Su Yiyi was already feeling guilty, but with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, she became even more embarrassed.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, kissed her cheek, then let go and took out a thousand yuan from his wallet, handing it to Su Yiyi, "Don¡¯t ever suffer in silence. Although Brother Li isn¡¯t some tycoon, providing for the two of us isn¡¯t a problem."


    With a bite of her lip, Su Yiyi accepted the money. Her eyes reddening, she said, "Brother Li, I will definitely work hard to earn money in the future too."


    "Silly girl, we¡¯re all family here; there¡¯s no need to split hairs about ¡¯you¡¯ and ¡¯me¡¯. Alright, I¡¯m off now."


    Chu Xiaoyao caught up to Li Yifei with a mischievous smile, "Uncle, I¡¯m out of money too."


    "What¡¯s it to me if you¡¯re out of money?" Li Yifei glared.


    Pouting, Chu Xiaoyao retorted, "Am I your mistress or something? Can¡¯t you even spare some pocket money?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and reluctantly pulled out a hundred yuan, stuffing it into Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand, and said with a stern look, "Make it last."


    Unsatisfied, Chu Xiaoyao complained, "You give your official girlfriend a thousand at a time, but the mistress gets only a hundred, and still has to make it last? So unfair, so unfair."


    "You want it or not? Give it back if you don¡¯t," Li Yifei glared again.


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I take it!" Chu Xiaoyao quickly tucked the money into her pocket and took off running, as if afraid Li Yifei would snatch it back.


    Li Yifei left home and arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s place. Lin Qiong was already neatly arranged and waiting for him. They discussed their plans again, then left together in Li Yifei¡¯s car. They first went to the supermarket and bought a lot of gifts before finally making it to Lin Qiong¡¯s parents¡¯ house.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents¡¯ house wasn¡¯t in Mile City but over two hundred kilometers away in Phoenix City. It took Li Yifei just over two hours to drive there.


    The closer they got to her home, the more nervous Lin Qiong became. She frowned and said to Li Yifei, "Can we really do this?"


    Li Yifei said, with a sense of resignation, "If you think it¡¯s not possible, then let¡¯s turn back early to avoid making fools of ourselves in front of your parents."


    "How can we go back?" Lin Qiong suddenly exclaimed, then shook her head fiercely, adding, "Whatever happens, we have to pull this off."


    "Then just be natural."


    "I feel like even if we really were in that kind of relationship, suddenly going back to tell my parents that we¡¯re getting married would probably be something to be nervous about, right?"


    Li Yifei turned to Lin Qiong with a smile, "Looks like you¡¯re getting smarter now, huh?"


    "Am I usually very dumb?" Lin Qiong retorted sullenly, but her heart was extremely uneasy. She was really afraid they wouldn¡¯t be able to pull it off, as that would mean their case couldn¡¯t be followed up any further.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s home was in an older neighborhood, but the environment was still nice. After parking the car, Li Yifei, lugging big and small packages, finally arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s front door.


    At the entrance, Lin Qiong took a deep breath, exchanged a look with Li Yifei, and then knocked on the door.


    Seeing Lin Qiong behave this way, Li Yifei thought of Xu Yingying. It seemed when he first went to Xu Yingying¡¯s home, she had a similar expression and mannerism.


    The door had only been knocked twice when it suddenly opened. A couple in their fifties stood in the doorway; after glancing at Lin Qiong, they both turned their attention to Li Yifei.


    Lin Qiong, with a flushed face, immediately said, "Dad, Mom, we¡¯re back."


    Li Yifei also promptly and politely said, "Hello, Uncle and Auntie."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father grunted and turned to walk back inside, while Lin Qiong¡¯s mother measured Li Yifei up with a couple of looks, then a smile spread across her face and she said, "Good, good, come in, come in."


    Last night, Lin Qiong had called her parents to inform them about her relationship with Li Yifei, surprising them greatly. They hadn¡¯t heard about their daughter dating anyone and now, suddenly, they were talking about marriage, which was a bit too much for them to accept.


    However, when Lin Qiong¡¯s mother saw Li Yifei, looking tall and strong and not bad-looking at all, she was quite impressed with the first impression, and most of her displeasure faded away. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once inside, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother invited Li Yifei to sit down. Li Yifei hurriedly said apologetically, "Uncle and Auntie, I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s entirely my fault that you¡¯re only hearing about my relationship with Qiongqiong now. I¡¯ve come here to apologize earnestly. You can scold me or hit me as you see fit; just please don¡¯t blame Qiongqiong."


    Li Yifei¡¯s opening was quite effective. Lin Qiong¡¯s father looked at Li Yifei with a hint of admiration in his eyes. He himself was a police officer. Though he had remained a regular officer over the years, he was a man of integrity. Li Yifei¡¯s willingness to take responsibility was very much to his liking.


    Li Yifei had learned this detail from Lin Qiong, so he tailored his approach accordingly, and indeed, it significantly improved his impression score.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately said, "What is this about hitting and scolding? That¡¯s far too severe. However, Auntie has a thing or two to say. Since you and Little Qiong are in a relationship, you should have come to see us earlier. Now, you are just about to get your marriage certificate and this is the first we¡¯re seeing of you, which is a bit upsetting for us."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, appearing even more remorseful, "Qiongqiong and I also wanted to visit you sooner, but the company I work for is just starting up, and I¡¯ve been very busy with work. Of course, being busy is no excuse. The main thing is we haven¡¯t spent a lot of time together, and not being in a hurry was our most significant mistake."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother laughed it off, "No matter, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here now. Little Li, marriage is a big decision. Auntie wants to ask you some questions. You don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly replied, "Not at all, Auntie, please feel free to ask."


    "Who do you have in your family?"


    "I¡¯m alone. My parents passed away a few years ago."


    "Ah, so you¡¯re all by yourself?"


    "Yes!"


    "Where do you work?"


    "At a company named Mengfei. The company has just started, but it¡¯s not small in investment¡ªit has five hundred million. In the future, it¡¯s sure to be one of Mile City¡¯s most prominent companies. I¡¯m the head of the Human Resources Department. We¡¯ve recruited more than three hundred people recently, and that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been so busy with work."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with his job, then asked, "Do you have a house now?"


    Li Yifei said, somewhat embarrassedly, "Uncle and Auntie, my current income isn¡¯t very high, a little over ten thousand a month, so I can¡¯t afford a house yet. However, I plan to make a down payment for a larger house by the end of the year, which should be feasible."


    At this, Lin Qiong¡¯s father snorted and said, "Then talking about getting married now seems a bit premature. Young people these days should spend more time getting to know each other to avoid problems later."


    Seeing her father¡¯s objection, Lin Qiong hastily said, "Dad, Yifei and I have been together for a long time now, and we feel we are very compatible."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father glared and retorted, "What do you understand? When young people fall in love, all they see are each other¡¯s merits. Only with time do the shortcomings become apparent. So, spend a bit more time together before making any decisions."


    Lin Qiong was getting anxious. She knew her father held absolute authority at home, and if he didn¡¯t approve, then the matter would certainly fall through. Steeling herself, she said, "Dad, Mom, Yifei and I are in such a hurry to get married mainly because... I¡¯m... pregnant."


    "What? Pregnant?" Lin Qiong¡¯s parents suddenly widened their eyes in shock and roared at Lin Qiong.


    Li Yifei almost fell over. This was completely unexpected, as Lin Qiong had never mentioned this. It seemed Lin Qiong was overplaying her hand. Feeling Lin Qiong¡¯s parents¡¯ eyes on him again, Li Yifei could not deny it and had no choice but to brace himself with a forced laugh, saying, "Yes... we were too careless."


    At this moment, Lin Qiong seemed a bit shy but also somewhat blissful, her hand caressing her belly, she said, "Dad, Mom, Yifei and I have decided to keep the baby. We can¡¯t let the child be born without a proper family, so... we¡¯re getting married now."

 Chapter 204: 1,000,000 in Hand

    Chapter 204: Chapter 204: 1,000,000 in HandHalf an hour later, Lin Qiong¡¯s family of three along with her future son-in-law Li Yifei, all sat on the couch. Lin Qiong nestled beside Li Yifei, holding onto his arm with both hands, her face still stained with fresh tears, sobbing with grievance.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, however, had quite unpleasant expressions on their faces. It was one thing for their daughter to cohabit with a man before marriage¡ªafter all, that¡¯s what young people do these days¡ªbut they hadn¡¯t expected her to end up pregnant and playing a game of shotgun marriage, which was something Lin Qiong¡¯s somewhat traditional parents found hard to accept.


    But after half an hour of venting, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents had calmed down somewhat. It was Lin Qiong¡¯s mother who first sighed and said, "Well, since things have come to this, we won¡¯t criticize you any further."


    Lin Qiong immediately asked with surprise, "Mom, are you really agreeing?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother said irritably, "What else can I do if I don¡¯t agree? You already have a child, and if I don¡¯t agree, wouldn¡¯t that mean my grandchild would be born fatherless?"


    Lin Qiong immediately jumped up and sat next to her mother, startling her mother enough to hurriedly hold her down and anxiously say, "Be careful, be careful. You¡¯ve just gotten pregnant, and it¡¯s not very stable yet. You can¡¯t be careless at this time, or it could easily lead to a miscarriage."


    Lin Qiong stuck out her tongue and said, "I¡¯ll be careful."


    "Look at you, you¡¯re about to be a mother, yet you still act like a child. How are you going to take care of a child in the future?"


    Li Yifei immediately stated, "Uncle, Auntie, you can rest assured, I will definitely take good care of Qiongqiong and the child."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately said, "What do you know about caring for a child? When the child is born, we will help you take care of them. That way, it won¡¯t affect your work, and it¡¯s perfect since we old folks are rather free now. When the time comes, we can take an extended leave and focus on taking care of my grandchild."


    Lin Qiong sneakily winked at Li Yifei, then said, "Mom, then we¡¯ll go register our marriage."


    "Registration is necessary, but shouldn¡¯t you also consider having a wedding?" Lin Qiong¡¯s father chimed in.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "That¡¯s necessary. I must give Qiongqiong a proper explanation, and I must also give Uncle and Auntie a proper account. I will make sure the wedding is grand, and I will not let Uncle and Auntie lose face."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father shook his head and said, "Extravagance and waste aren¡¯t good either. I want you to have a wedding so that relatives and friends can see. Just keep the wedding simple. You don¡¯t have parents, so we¡¯ll have to take on more responsibilities. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything. The wedding preparations can be handled by Little Qiong¡¯s mom and me."


    Lin Qiong was startled, worried that if her parents were to handle the wedding, it would become the talk of Mile City and might be difficult to manage afterward. She quickly said, "Dad, Mom, Yifei and I have already discussed it, and we plan to get married in three months."


    "What? Three months later? By that time, you¡¯ll be showing. What kind of look will that be?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately exclaimed.


    Lin Qiong, with a tough front, said, "There¡¯s no helping it. Look, I¡¯ve just been promoted to Deputy Director; I can¡¯t just throw in the towel now. Plus, Dad, you know I¡¯m now an important image ambassador in the Mile City police force. To get married and go on leave without achieving anything wouldn¡¯t look good. And Yifei, his company is at a crucial moment right now too. He can¡¯t just take a leave of absence; that definitely won¡¯t work. We¡¯re both at critical stages of our careers; we really can¡¯t get married just yet."


    Both of Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were police officers, and they took great pride in their daughter who had become an image ambassador for the Mile City police force. Thus, after hearing her reasoning, they could only nod in agreement. Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was reluctant, but she too had to give her consent, as both of their futures were indeed very important.


    Despite being eager for that one million, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t bring it up at that moment but instead pretended to talk with her parents about the future she dreamed of with Li Yifei. This slowly improved her parents¡¯ mood. After all, they had only one daughter who had grown up. The couple was feeling lonely, and soon they would become grandparents, then have a little grandchild to look after, which they were quite looking forward to.


    At lunchtime, Li Yifei insisted on cooking and prepared a sumptuous meal, which greatly impressed Lin Qiong¡¯s parents. Men who cook nowadays are really not that common, let alone cooking as deliciously as Li Yifei did. That was even more rare. Their daughter was fortunate to be with Li Yifei, at least she would be well-fed, and there would be no worries about nutrition during her pregnancy.


    After lunch, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents went back to their room for a while. Lin Qiong and Li Yifei exchanged glances, and Lin Qiong revealed a triumphant smile because, based on what she knew of her parents, she was sure they were discussing giving them money.


    Before long, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents came out together. Lin Qiong¡¯s mother said, "Little Li, your father and I have talked it over. You don¡¯t need to take out a loan for buying a house. It would be very tiring for you. We¡¯ve decided to give you the money we had prepared for Little Qiong so that you can buy a decent house outright. The money you earn later can be saved for living expenses."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Uncle, Auntie, how could that be okay? As a man, it¡¯s only natural for me to work hard for my wife and child. I believe that with my efforts, I won¡¯t let Qiongqiong suffer."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately responded, "You don¡¯t need to think too much. We¡¯ve thought it through. You¡¯re alone now, with no parents. When we¡¯re old, we¡¯ll have to rely on both you and Little Qiong. We¡¯ll have to treat you as our own son. So, it¡¯s better we give the money for the house."


    "Uncle, Auntie... I..." Li Yifei was choked up with emotion.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father then spoke sternly, "However, I need to make a few points clear beforehand. If we buy you a house, it must be registered in Little Qiong¡¯s name. After all, this is the life savings of us both. If you live well together, that house is yours for life. But if you treat Little Qiong poorly, we need to have security. I hope you can understand that."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "That¡¯s absolutely right. Even if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have insisted on it. If it were in my name, I wouldn¡¯t feel right about it, as if I were living off of a woman."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "You sure have a strong sense of male pride."


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly, "It¡¯s not about male pride, but as a man, I need to have some principles and self-respect. Without self-respect, wouldn¡¯t I also lose my motivation to strive?"


    "Alright, fine, you make sense. Let¡¯s see if you dare to bully me in the future. If you do, I¡¯ll kick you out," Lin Qiong said with an air of triumph.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother spat at her daughter and scolded with a laugh, "You¡¯re such a silly girl, always talking nonsense," but her face was filled with affection.


    Lin Qiong hugged her mother¡¯s arm and said with a giggle, "So, mom, just take the money. When I go back this time, I¡¯m going to finalize the house."


    "Hmph, you think we wouldn¡¯t give it to you?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother glared at her daughter.


    "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t give it, but isn¡¯t it better to have the money sooner and buy the house faster? There¡¯s still decorating and stuff, which is going to be a lot of trouble. You said yourself, we¡¯re getting married in three months; if we have no new house by then, how would that look?"


    "Here, take it!" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother slapped a bankbook into her daughter¡¯s hand.


    "Thanks, Mom!" Lin Qiong hugged her mother¡¯s neck tightly and kissed her.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father snorted, and Lin Qiong immediately kissed her father as well, saying with a smile, "Dad, you¡¯re the best too, I won¡¯t forget you."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father cleared his throat and said to Li Yifei, "Little Li, I hope you two can live well and not let down our expectations."


    "I will certainly do that," Li Yifei immediately replied.


    Having secured one million, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t stay at home anymore. She made up an excuse and left with Li Yifei. This left her parents somewhat speechless. Their daughter was indeed grown up and hard to keep at home. The moment she got her hands on the money, she ran off with her husband, barely paying them any mind. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sitting in the car, Lin Qiong held the bankbook with one million, her mood soaring. She hummed a tune, occasionally lifting the bankbook to her lips and giving it a kiss.


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re completely obsessed with money."


    Lin Qiong giggled and said, "I didn¡¯t care much about money before, but this time, I really wanted it. Having the money in hand is so exciting, it makes me want to sing."


    "Then sing it out, I¡¯ll brace myself to listen," he said.


    "Get lost!" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei.


    "I¡¯m dizzy, I just helped you out, and this is the thanks I get? That¡¯s really not cool," he said.


    Lin Qiong chuckled and said, "That¡¯s for talking nonsense. Come on, let¡¯s find a bank and transfer this money into another bankbook. Otherwise, if my parents have second thoughts and report it missing, I¡¯ll have been busy for nothing."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "I trust that your parents wouldn¡¯t do such a thing."


    "Not for the moment, but if we don¡¯t get married... it¡¯s indeed possible. No way, we have to register for marriage tomorrow to keep them at ease."


    "What? We¡¯ve got the money, and we still have to get married?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Of course. We¡¯ve said we¡¯re getting our certificate tomorrow. They¡¯ll definitely ask about it. If they don¡¯t tell us to bring it back, they¡¯ll surely want to video call on the computer and have us show it to them. Let me tell you, my dad is very shrewd. Today he was frightened by the news of the child, but who knows, after a night¡¯s sleep, he might see right through us," she said.


    Li Yifei was speechless, "Really?"


    "Absolutely!" Lin Qiong nodded with certainty. "If I don¡¯t show them the certificate, they¡¯ll probably come over in a couple of days. Right, right, we also need to find a house to keep up appearances. Otherwise, if they come over to see the house we¡¯ve bought, we won¡¯t have an excuse."


    "You really are dense. As a cop, isn¡¯t it easy for you to get a couple of fake certificates? And besides, there are plenty of places all over the world that make fake documents. You could get a pair for two hundred dollars," he said.


    "Do you know what my dad does for a living? He¡¯s a policeman. If he wants to check my information, it¡¯s as simple as playing a game for him. Would we be able to fool him about whether we¡¯re married or not?"


    "I¡¯m dizzy. So what you¡¯re saying is, we absolutely have to register, no matter what?"


    "Correct!" Lin Qiong said with unwavering affirmation.


    Li Yifei was utterly dumbfounded. He¡¯d thought that getting the one million without registering would mean Lin Qiong would let him off the hook, but it turned out they still had to get the certificate. After thinking it over, he said, "Hold on, the registration isn¡¯t urgent. We could come up with an excuse, like me having to go on a sudden business trip for ten days or a half month. After all, I¡¯ve already told your family that I¡¯m very busy with work. I think they could understand such a reason."


    That excuse wasn¡¯t bad at all. Lin Qiong considered it and agreed. Perhaps in half a month¡¯s time, she could find enough evidence with Li Yifei to crack the big smuggling case. Then, even if her parents found out, it wouldn¡¯t matter anymore.

 Chapter 205: Grandpa

    Chapter 205: Chapter 205: GrandpaWhile still on the road, Li Yifei received a call from Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Uncle, when are you coming back?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s tone was filled with lament.


    "What¡¯s up?" Li Yifei asked, frowning.


    "I¡¯m bored at home all by myself, hurry back and keep me company."


    "I¡¯m busy with something."


    "Alright then, just come home early after you finish your business, I¡¯ll be waiting for you to have dinner together."


    Li Yifei grunted in acknowledgment, hung up the phone, and Lin Qiong said with a frown, "That¡¯s not Su Yiyi, is it? Who¡¯s the woman at your place now?"


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "That girl, Chu Xiaoyao, her parents had a fight and she ran away from home to stay at my place."


    "She¡¯s staying at your place?" Lin Qiong became vigilant and said, "Isn¡¯t there only one bedroom in your house?"


    "I¡¯ve been sleeping on the couch for the past two days," Li Yifei replied grumpily.


    Lin Qiong was taken aback, then burst out laughing, "You sleep on the couch in your own house? You¡¯re really something."


    Li Yifei retorted irritably, "What else can I do? The girl refuses to sleep on the couch, and I can¡¯t just share a bed with her."


    Lin Qiong slapped Li Yifei on the shoulder forcefully and said, "Old Li, I always thought you weren¡¯t much of a guy, but now, I think you¡¯re really not bad, quite principled actually."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "I¡¯m driving here, can you not be handsy, please? And I¡¯ve always been a good guy; you just never noticed it before."


    "Don¡¯t flatter yourself there; I just said you¡¯re sometimes principled. But sometimes, you¡¯re really not great. Look at the women around you, one after another, you¡¯re really too fickle."


    "Humph, that day you were drunk, I should¡¯ve taken advantage of you, otherwise, it really doesn¡¯t justify you calling me fickle."


    Lin Qiong suddenly felt awkward but still retorted stubbornly, "That¡¯s why I¡¯m wondering if you use those women to cover up some issues of your own?"


    "What issues do I have?" Li Yifei asked irritably.


    "Hehe... You¡¯re not ¡¯glass¡¯, are you?" Lin Qiong said with a mischievous smile.


    Li Yifei slammed on the brakes, almost causing a rear-end collision with the car behind and Lin Qiong nearly hit her head on the windshield. After sitting back properly, she shouted angrily, "What are you doing?"


    Once Li Yifei got the car moving again, he said irritably, "Considering you think that way about me, I realize I need to prove something to you."


    "How will you prove it?" Lin Qiong was quite interested now.


    "Isn¡¯t it simple? We go to bed, and you¡¯ll know if I¡¯m ¡¯glass¡¯."


    "Get lost!" Lin Qiong cursed, furious and embarrassed.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "You¡¯re the one wondering if I¡¯m ¡¯glass¡¯, why not give it a try?"


    "Hmph, who cares whether you¡¯re ¡¯glass¡¯ or not."


    The two bantered all the way, which kept the journey from feeling lonely. They quickly arrived back in Mile City. First, Li Yifei took Lin Qiong to a bank where she transferred one million into her account. Then, he dropped her off at her home. Now that she had money, she could proceed to the next step of her plan without needing Li Yifei; she could do it on her own.


    As soon as Li Yifei got home and opened the door, a figure pounced on him like Little Swallow. It was none other than the girl Chu Xiaoyao. She even jumped up, arms out as if to grab hold ¡ª if he hadn¡¯t caught her, she would have surely crashed right into the doorframe. He helplessly stood still, letting Chu Xiaoyao throw herself into his arms, then supported her by holding her bottom. She, however, wrapped her legs around Li Yifei¡¯s waist and her arms tightly around his neck.


    This pose was indeed thrillingly provocative, but Li Yifei had no interest in the girl Chu Xiaoyao. He glared and said, "What are you doing?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, feeling wronged, "Uncle, I¡¯m just happy to see you come back. I¡¯m so bored when you¡¯re not home."


    "If you¡¯re bored, go back to your own house." Li Yifei heartlessly let go of her, pried off Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arms, changed his shoes, and walked into the living room.


    Chu Xiaoyao followed Li Yifei closely, saying, "Uncle, it¡¯s just the two of us at home today, so do you have to be so mean to me? Sister Yiyi isn¡¯t here, you don¡¯t have to pretend for her."


    Li Yifei replied irritably, "Listen to me, I let you stay not because I have any designs on you. I just don¡¯t want to see you go astray. If you keep this up, I¡¯ll kick you out, and then you can do whatever you want."


    Now alone at home with Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei knew if he showed her any kindness, the audacious girl would surely take advantage of him and cling to him incessantly. To prevent this from happening, he had to keep a stern face and not give Chu Xiaoyao any chance.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately pouted and said indignantly, "Uncle, you are really terrible. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for such a long time, and you not only show no appreciation but also treat me so harshly."


    "That¡¯s how I am. If you can put up with it, then do so; if not, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it," Li Yifei said, before he went to the bedroom to get clothes and then went into the bathroom to take a shower, of course not forgetting to lock the door. Who knew whether the bold little girl Chu Xiaoyao would barge in.


    But it seemed that Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t come to try the door, which made Li Yifei feel that maybe he had overthought it. Although she appeared daring, it was mostly talk; she probably wouldn¡¯t have the courage to actually do such a thing.


    Having changed into a tight tank top and a pair of underwear, Li Yifei emerged feeling refreshed. He had been wearing those proper clothes all day to meet Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, and it had been rather uncomfortable.


    "Uncle, you have a great physique," Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed as she looked at the bulging muscles on Li Yifei¡¯s arms. "Wow, Uncle, your pecs are so huge, they¡¯re almost like a flat-chested girl¡¯s chest."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words, never having had someone compare his pecs to those of a woman. He glared at Chu Xiaoyao and said, "Go get me a glass of water. If you want to stay here, don¡¯t expect to be waited on like a young lady."


    "Yes! Your servant obeys, Master." Chu Xiaoyao suddenly placed her hands on her waist and crouched down, mimicking the posture of an ancient maid. She then poured a glass of water for Li Yifei and presented it with both hands, cooing, "Master, please drink water."


    Li Yifei, hearing the sweet and seductive tone of Chu Xiaoyao, felt his bones soften but did not show any signs of satisfaction, simply taking the water and sipping.


    Chu Xiaoyao, meanwhile, was kneeling on the floor, her hands clenched into small fists, gently pounding on Li Yifei¡¯s thigh. Her eyes, as lively as those of a sprite, narrowed to a slit; in a soft and gentle voice, she said, "Master, let me massage your legs for you."


    Li Yifei intended to refuse, but the way Chu Xiaoyao was massaging his legs was quite comforting, and especially her eagerness to please him, which was an indulgence Li Yifei had never before experienced. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to scold her, though he didn¡¯t praise her either, and instead picked up the cigarette pack and lit up a cigarette.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately took the lighter to light Li Yifei¡¯s cigarette for him, then resumed massaging his legs.


    Li Yifei, smoking a brand that only those high-ranking officials could acquire, was enjoying the leg massage from the eighteen-year-old girl, feeling like a wealthy landlord. Not only was his body at ease, but his heart was also content.


    After massaging his legs for a while, Chu Xiaoyao sat on the couch and said, "Master, let me massage your calves."


    By this time, Li Yifei was really enjoying himself and didn¡¯t refuse. He lay on his side on the couch and rested his calves on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s lap.


    Chu Xiaoyao began to gently massage Li Yifei¡¯s calves. Her movements were tender and delicate, and her small, smooth hands felt incredibly soothing on his skin.


    While Chu Xiaoyao attended to him, Li Yifei almost fell asleep. But then he noticed that her hands had moved on to massaging his feet.


    Li Yifei had been to foot bath places often enough, having enjoyed countless foot massages, all paid for, of course. The masseuses were just there to make a living, but in real life, unless a relationship reached a certain level, why would a girl massage a man¡¯s feet? Chu Xiaoyao was really quite nice to him.


    "Master, does that feel good?"


    "A bit harder would be good."


    "Alright..."


    "Harder!"


    "Master, this is already as hard as your servant can do," Chu Xiaoyao said.


    Li Yifei opened his eyes to look at Chu Xiaoyao. The little girl was already drenched in sweat, her face flushed red. The cotton floral-print pajamas she was wearing were soaked through with sweat, having turned semi-transparent, and he could see the outline of her body beneath her clothes.


    This made Li Yifei feel somewhat guilty; no matter how mischievous Chu Xiaoyao usually was, now she was trying so hard to please him. He pulled back his feet, sat up, and said, "Alright, that was very good already."


    "Master, it¡¯s my fault that you¡¯re displeased," Chu Xiaoyao said with a look of grievance.


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯m very satisfied already. Now, come on, smile for me," Li Yifei said in a good mood, teasing Chu Xiaoyao.


    Only then did Chu Xiaoyao show a smile and said, "Thank you, Master. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s enough, go take a shower. Look at you, you¡¯re all sweaty..." Li Yifei said, and then suddenly stopped, swallowing hard. He hadn¡¯t noticed earlier, but now that he sat up, he realized that because sweat had soaked the little girl¡¯s clothes, they were clinging to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s body, and he could make out her figure under the semi-transparent clothing.

 Chapter 206: Little Girl

    Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Little Girl"My lord..." At that moment, Chu Xiaoyao called out softly in an incredibly seductive tone, her eyes brimming with springtime allure, tempting beyond measure.


    Li Yifei shivered and shook his head forcefully, quickly saying, "Go take a shower right now."


    Chu Xiaoyao blinked her cartoonishly pretty, big eyes with a pitiful look and said, "My lord, can I really go take a shower now?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, yes, my little ancestor, spare me, please go ahead."


    Chu Xiaoyao burst into a silvery laughter at this, hopping and skipping into the bathroom, and shut the door with a bang.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, subconsciously wiping his forehead, only to find he had actually broken into a sweat. He couldn¡¯t believe he had been seduced to this extent by a young girl, and it was somewhat embarrassing.


    "My lord, are you feeling hot again? Do you want to join me in the shower and let your slave serve you?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly slid the bathroom door open again, peeping her head out and playfully winking at Li Yifei.


    "No need!" Li Yifei immediately put on a stern face.


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips into a smile and asked, "Really, my lord, you don¡¯t need to?"


    "When I say no need, I mean no need." Li Yifei huffed and dared not look at the young girl again.


    "Then I won¡¯t lock the door, you can come in whenever you feel like it," teased Chu Xiaoyao before she finally closed the sliding door.


    Li Yifei grabbed a cup, gulping down all the water inside, and then lit a cigarette, finally calming himself. He then couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry smile. Chu Xiaoyao was really too good at seduction; the girl was still untouched, and God knows how many men she would play to death when she grew up.


    He got up to cook. Inside the fridge were vegetables and meat prepared by Su Yiyi, all cleaned and ready. Li Yifei only had to do some chopping before frying them. Looking at all these ingredients, he felt a special warmth in his heart. A girl like Su Yiyi was indeed the epitome of a virtuous wife and good mother¡ªspending a lifetime with her would surely be comfortable.


    "My lord, could you get a piece of clothing for your slave?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice came from the bathroom.


    Without hesitation, Li Yifei said, "Get it yourself."


    "Then I¡¯ll go get it myself," came Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bewitching voice from inside.


    Li Yifei had a bad feeling about this and thought the girl might just run out bare-bottomed, so he hurriedly said, "Alright, I¡¯ll get it for you. What do you need?"


    "Get a pair of panties for your slave, and borrow Sister Yiyi¡¯s nightgown for me to wear. My set is wet and I can¡¯t wear it anymore, I only have one nightgown."


    Li Yifei wiped his forehead, knowing this girl wasn¡¯t that easy to handle and that her request was certainly tempting. Nevertheless, fetching underwear for a girl wasn¡¯t a big deal for him; he wasn¡¯t some green young man who blushes at the sight of a girl¡¯s lingerie.


    Inside the bedroom, he found Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s suitcase to be suspiciously empty. Looking in the wardrobe, it turned out she had mixed her clothes with Su Yiyi¡¯s¡ªa clear sign of intentions to stay for the long term.


    Finding Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s underwear was easy; they were all cotton with cartoon patterns. Su Yiyi¡¯s were mostly cotton as well but without cartoons. He randomly picked a pair and also took one of Su Yiyi¡¯s silk nightgowns, and then walked to the bathroom door.


    "Got them," Li Yifei knocked on the door.


    Chu Xiaoyao cracked the door open just a bit, poking her head out but keeping her body hidden behind it, her cheeks flushed as she said, "My lord, would you like to come in for another wash?"


    "I don¡¯t have time to attend to you." Li Yifei tossed the nightgown and panties onto Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head and walked away.


    "Naughty lord, not cherishing beauty at all," Chu Xiaoyao muttered, but still closed the bathroom door.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mood had lightened quite a bit now. Although Chu Xiaoyao kept flirting with him, she didn¡¯t seem as bold in her actions as she was in her words. If she had been, she would have opened the door wider when he brought her clothes, or at least shown a little more of herself. But in fact, she only revealed her head.


    As he was cooking, Chu Xiaoyao had already changed and run out to the kitchen. She sniffed first and said, "My lord, it smells so good."


    Li Yifei¡¯s attitude toward Chu Xiaoyao had improved a bit, and he smiled and said, "Then wait outside nicely, it will be ready soon."


    "How can that be? The lord is here cooking while the slave waits to eat?"


    Li Yifei tapped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head and laughed, "Then do you know how to cook?"


    Chu Xiaoyao grinned sheepishly and said, "I don¡¯t... but can I keep you company? At the very least, I can chat with you to relieve the boredom, right?"


    "Well then, let me ask you, where did you learn all this from? And what¡¯s with all this ¡¯master¡¯ and ¡¯servant¡¯ talk?"


    "Isn¡¯t this how it¡¯s played out on TV? Don¡¯t men just love this kind of thing? Plus, I saw you were quite enjoying it just now, Uncle," Chu Xiaoyao covered her mouth and giggled.


    "It does seem pretty good indeed," Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes lit up, "So Uncle, how about we do this from now on? I¡¯ll be your servant and take care of you."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Playing it as a game is fine, but with your kind, aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s supposed to be waited on? Can you even serve me?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Why not? Just watch me, Uncle. I¡¯ll take such good care of you. Hehe, I might even be your little maidservant."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on, "What else do you want to be?"


    "I¡¯m already making concessions here. I¡¯ve given up the idea of being the other woman, just being a little maidservant now. Uncle, you can¡¯t possibly refuse to give me a chance," Chu Xiaoyao twirled her skirt, feigning an extremely aggrieved look.


    "Enough, stop with the poor act and go get the bowls and chopsticks ready for dinner."


    Chu Xiaoyao, a bit huffy that Li Yifei hadn¡¯t given in, pouted but then, after grabbing the bowls and chopsticks, wore a seductive smile, "Master, now this servant will attend to you."


    After finishing the cooking, Li Yifei naturally got to play the master and sat down at the dining table. Chu Xiaoyao immediately filled a bowl of rice for him. Then, instead of giving Li Yifei the chopsticks, she picked up a bit of rice with them, blew gently on it, and brought it to Li Yifei¡¯s lips, cooing, "Master, please eat."


    Li Yifei hurriedly declined, "No need, I¡¯m not incapacitated. I can¡¯t handle this kind of pampering¡ªjust go and eat," he said, grabbing the chopsticks and starting to eat on his own.


    Chu Xiaoyao stood by his side, looking hurt, "Master, did your servant do something wrong again?"


    "Stop fooling around. If you want to wait on me, just give me a leg massage or something when you¡¯re free. That¡¯d be enough. But if you overdo it, you might as well take my life," he said, and then he slapped her on the backside and ordered, "Hurry up and eat."


    Chu Xiaoyao let out a yelp, gave Li Yifei a coquettish look, and said, "Master, your servant is still young, how can you slap my bottom?"


    Li Yifei almost banged his head on the table. His slap on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom had been an unconscious reaction to her antics; but, her turning it into an issue of him teasing her, that was too much. It was fortunate no one else was present; otherwise, he really couldn¡¯t have cleared his name even if he had jumped into the Yellow River.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassed state, Chu Xiaoyao immediately burst into giggles and then sent another flirtatious glance his way before sitting down to eat.


    During the meal, Chu Xiaoyao occasionally served Li Yifei some dishes, acting somewhat like a dutiful little wife. But it was an act; she wasn¡¯t as natural or heartfelt as Su Yiyi, and the difference was quite significant.


    But undeniable, Li Yifei did enjoy being attended to by this little maidservant.


    Seeing it was still early, Li Yifei decided to go to the gym for another workout, and Chu Xiaoyao insisted on tagging along. Knowing he couldn¡¯t really refuse her, Li Yifei agreed. But despite agreeing, he reminded her before they left, "Outside, you can¡¯t use any of that ¡¯servant¡¯ or ¡¯master¡¯ talk."


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips, "I know. I¡¯ll just serve you like that at home. If we did it outside, people might think you¡¯re some weird uncle."


    Only then did Li Yifei leave with Chu Xiaoyao. When she saw he was driving a Porsche 991, her eyes widened in amazement, and she exclaimed, "Uncle, you¡¯re so cool! A Porsche, no less."


    Li Yifei said nonchalantly, "It belongs to our boss; I¡¯m just borrowing it for the time being."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Who cares whose it is? Aren¡¯t you driving it now? It¡¯s just too cool. If you went out to pick up girls in this, it¡¯d be like shooting fish in a barrel¡ªno girl could resist the allure of a Porsche."


    Li Yifei replied irritably, "So if you saw someone driving a Porsche, you¡¯d go with him too?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled mischievously, "Hehe, am I the same? I¡¯d only go with you if you were driving a Porsche, not with anyone else."


    Li Yifei shook his head but couldn¡¯t help smiling because he knew Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t the kind of girl who was easy. He was so bold with her because, perhaps, that was a reflection of a man¡¯s charm.


    Once inside the car, Chu Xiaoyao fidgeted like a little monkey, as it was her first time in such a luxury sports car. She was naturally filled with wonder, touching this, gazing at that, thoroughly excited.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her, even if the car belonged to Su Mengxin. It didn¡¯t matter to him; with Su Mengxin being so wealthy, she wouldn¡¯t miss it if the car got damaged.


    But Li Yifei soon felt a bit surprised again; even if Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t mind, the car was still hers, not his. So why was he using her belongings so naturally? Could it be that his relationship with Su Mengxin had become quite special?

 Chapter 207: Fitness

    Chapter 207: Chapter 207: FitnessChu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t there for a workout; she just came to play with Li Yifei. Watching as Yifei moved from one exercise to the next, she stayed by his side, occasionally handing him a towel or bringing him water, her eyes filled with admiration.


    The amount of exercise Yifei did was simply too much, far surpassing those training beside him. Even the guys with big builds seemed weak in comparison. Xiaoyao couldn¡¯t understand how someone with Yifei¡¯s physique could possess such immense strength.


    What Xiaoyao didn¡¯t realize was that Yifei didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention here, so he was actually holding back. Otherwise, if the gym-goers saw the kind of workouts he was used to with the Flying Hawk Squad, they would indeed think of him as a monster.


    Li Yifei quite enjoyed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s attentiveness. He thought to himself that having someone as obedient as Xiaoyao around wasn¡¯t a bad idea, perhaps even as a concubine.


    But the thought made him laugh at himself. What kind of absurd idea was that? This wasn¡¯t ancient society, the law mandated monogamy, and he could only have one wife. As for keeping mistresses, that never crossed Yifei¡¯s mind, even though with his capabilities, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to support one or even several.


    More than anything, Yifei now longed for a normal life with a cozy little home and one loving wife¡ªthat would be enough.


    "Hey, Chu Xiaoyao, what are you doing here?" A girl¡¯s voice came from behind. Yifei didn¡¯t look back and continued his workout.


    "You are... Songying?" Xiaoyao turned around to see who called her and took a closer look before recognizing her. It was a girl about her age, pretty too, but dressed quite flamboyantly with streaks of red and yellow in her hair. Although she had little makeup on, the row of earrings on her ears and several delicate tattoos on her arm made Xiaoyao almost unrecognizable.


    She was Xiaoyao¡¯s classmate from middle school. They had a competitive relationship because both were pretty and strong-willed, constantly vying for one thing or another. While they hadn¡¯t had a significant conflict, there were numerous small ones.


    Yet, after not seeing each other for more than two years, Xiaoyao felt no animosity upon meeting her old classmate again; there was, after all, some joy in seeing an old friend.


    Three young men, about the same age as her, followed behind Songying. These guys were muscular and looked very strong. They, too, were sizing up Xiaoyao, which made her feel uncomfortable.


    "Chu Xiaoyao, I come here often, how come I¡¯ve never seen you here before?" Songying asked, puzzled.


    "Hehe, I¡¯m accompanying my ¡¯uncle¡¯ for some fun," Xiaoyao said, gesturing at Li Yifei.


    "Your ¡¯uncle¡¯?" Songying paused for a second and then laughed mockingly, "Seriously, Chu Xiaoyao, you have such taste, ending up with an uncle?"


    Xiaoyao lifted her head proudly and replied, "Yes, that¡¯s my taste. Do you happen to have an uncle as well?"


    Songying held her head high and said, "Indeed, who bothers with those inexperienced young guys anymore, without money or manners? It¡¯s better to find a tasteful, wealthy uncle who knows how to treat a woman right."


    Xiaoyao nodded vigorously, "Exactly, uncles are the best. I have no interest in those immature boys who think they¡¯re so great when they¡¯re nothing, completely dependent on their parents."


    The three young men¡¯s faces fell; they had met Songying here, hoping to get closer to her, only to discover she preferred older men. And now, seeing another beauty, she was yet again being charmed by an uncle, leaving them feeling indescribably frustrated. They wondered what was so great about this uncle that he could attract so many beautiful girls.


    Yifei couldn¡¯t help but find it funny as he overheard Xiaoyao and Songying discussing the appeal of uncles. What was with girls these days, not interested in guys their age but preferring grown men? Still, as they talked, he had no desire to chat them up, just a bunch of kids, while he continued his squats, shouldering a barbell weighing a hundred pounds.


    He might not have been interested in engaging with them, but the three youngsters were determined to confront him.


    "Not bad, uncle, lifting a hundred-pound barbell." One of the boys approached Yifei with a sneer. Seeing Yifei¡¯s solid frame made him uneasy, but confident in his own strength, he still challenged him.


    Without paying any attention to the boy, Yifei continued his workout.


    "Pretty arrogant, aren¡¯t we, uncle? Hey, how about a challenge to see who can lift heavier?" The boy furrowed his brow and issued the challenge.


    Before Yifei could respond, Xiaoyao jumped in, "With your weak skills, you want to compete with my uncle? That¡¯s just hilarious."


    Frustrated by Xiaoyao¡¯s disdain, the boy, unwilling to lose face in front of the girls, quickly retorted, "Don¡¯t think you¡¯re something special just because you can lift a hundred pounds. Dare to bet with me? A thousand bucks says you¡¯ll lose to me."


    Chu Xiaoyao, also a youngster, immediately said, "Let¡¯s bet then. Who¡¯s afraid? I just worry that someone might not admit defeat after losing ¡ª it¡¯s not like they earn their own money. If they lose, they¡¯re out of their pocket money."


    At that moment, Songying giggled and said, "Xiaoyao, you seem to be very confident in your uncle, but let me remind you, he¡¯s a weightlifter."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s momentum instantly weakened. Facing someone who specialized in weightlifting was a whole different scenario. Although Li Yifei was strong, comparing lifting weights with a professional weightlifter was indeed uncertain.


    The boy, looking even more smug, provocatively said to Li Yifei, "How about I give you a ten-kilogram advantage?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and responded, "So what if you¡¯re a weightlifter competing in lifting weights against my uncle? That¡¯s nothing to be proud of. If you¡¯re really capable, try fighting my uncle. He can fight you with one hand tied behind his back and still have plenty to spare."


    As far as other matters were concerned, Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t confident, but when it came to fighting, she had full confidence. The last time, Li Yifei single-handedly took down seven or eight thugs, and even Brother Hu, who was quite formidable, was completely submissive in front of Li Yifei. Handling a mere youngster would be a breeze.


    Upon hearing this, the boy felt a surge of impulsiveness to agree, but seeing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s full confidence, he dared not accept the challenge.


    Li Yifei had no interest in competing in martial arts with these green youngsters ¡ª it would be too demeaning. Moreover, seeing that they had no intention of backing down easily, he said nothing and simply went over to a nearby barbell, casually adding several plates without looking at the weight. Then, he squatted down, hoisted the barbell onto his shoulders, and performed ten squats in succession. After standing up, he grabbed Chu Xiaoyao and walked away.


    "Hey, what do you mean by that?" the boy called out loudly.


    Songying¡¯s eyes lit up and she said, "Try to do ten squats in a row."


    The boy did as instructed and felt the strain from the first one. After barely finishing five, he was already gasping for breath, his face turning extremely ugly ¡ª only then did he realize just how strong Li Yifei¡¯s uncle really was. If it really came to a competition, he would undoubtedly lose.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t understand why Li Yifei was walking away, but since he did, she had no choice but to follow. Still, she kept turning her head to watch the boy struggle with the weights. When she saw that he couldn¡¯t lift them, she excitedly tugged on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "Uncle, you¡¯re so awesome. He¡¯s no match for you. Hey, we should go ask him for a thousand yuan."


    Li Yifei glared at her and said, "Why bother with some little kids?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, reluctant to let go of a thousand yuan so easily, but recalling Li Yifei¡¯s words, she proudly said, "Right, right, we don¡¯t bother with those little kids." She automatically excluded herself from being one of those kids.


    "Xiaoyao, wait." At this moment, Songying called out and rushed over, walking beside Chu Xiaoyao and looking at Li Yifei with a tilted head, she said, "Xiaoyao, your uncle is quite cool. He must be good in bed, right? Did he conquer you in that department?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face immediately flushed red. Although she could mention such a topic to Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t tolerate others bringing it up. However, in front of Songying, she subconsciously didn¡¯t want to appear weak and promptly lifted her head, saying, "Of course, an hour is short."


    Li Yifei almost stumbled ¡ª what nonsense was this girl talking about? He had never been with her, and for a man, an hour was far too long to feel any pleasure. Was he supposedly starring in some adult film? This was just an absurd exaggeration.


    Songying, seemingly quite knowledgeable about this area, burst into a snicker, then, holding back her laughter and pursing her lips, she said, "An hour, huh? That¡¯s quite long. So, how many times do you do it in one night?"


    "Seven times. How about that?" Chu Xiaoyao boasted even more proudly.


    "Wow, seven times in one night, impressive." Songying couldn¡¯t help but laugh again, "Then you don¡¯t need to sleep at night."


    Only then did Chu Xiaoyao realize she had bragged too much, but of course, she wouldn¡¯t admit it, quickly saying, "We don¡¯t do it like that every day, just once or twice occasionally."


    "That¡¯s still quite something. But... Xiaoyao, when searching for an uncle, you shouldn¡¯t just look for someone with stamina, right? You should also find someone wealthy. Look at the uncle I¡¯m with ¡ª he¡¯s worth tens of millions. He gives me thousands in spending money every month, and he buys me whatever I want. It seems like your uncle... hasn¡¯t bought you much, huh?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips and said, "Only tens of millions? What¡¯s so great about that? You know what car my uncle drives, right?"


    "What does he drive? It¡¯s not a Porsche or Ferrari, is it?" Songying laughed again, her giggles ringing out. At his age, Li Yifei looked to be only in his mid-twenties. How could he have such wealth? Real uncles with wealth were those around thirty-five or thirty-six ¡ª that¡¯s when they start to peak.

 Chapter 208: The Big-Bellied Cricket

    Chapter 208: Chapter 208: The Big-Bellied CricketChu Xiaoyao immediately said with pride, "Yes, my uncle drives a Porsche."


    Upon hearing this, Songying burst into even louder laughter and after a while said, "You know, Xiaoyao, we¡¯re old classmates. There¡¯s no need for you to boast like that. I¡¯m not going to laugh at you. Let me tell you, in these past two years, I¡¯ve seen the world, and I know all the rich people in Mile City inside out. How many Porsches there are in Mile City and who owns them, I¡¯m aware too. There is simply no such person as your uncle."


    Chu Xiaoyao felt a pang of insecurity as the Porsche was not, after all, Li Yifei¡¯s and Songying seemed to know so much; she didn¡¯t dare to retort.


    At that moment, Songying patted Chu Xiaoyao on the shoulder and said with a smirk, "Xiaoyao, let me show you what kind of uncle you should be looking for." She then picked up her phone and dialed a number.


    "Darling, I¡¯m at Ninghua Fitness Club. Come pick me up... Yes, make sure you drive the Audi Q5, not some ordinary A6, that would be so embarrassing for me... Mm-hm, okay, just hurry up, I have friends here."


    After hanging up, Songying said triumphantly, "My uncle will be here soon; just you watch."


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted and said, "What¡¯s so great about your uncle, he¡¯s just an old man."


    "You¡¯re so naive. Once you see him, you¡¯ll understand. I¡¯m off to change clothes; you better wait for me."


    Watching Songying leave, Chu Xiaoyao stamped her foot in frustration and muttered under her breath, "Hmph, what kind of messed-up uncle is that? Just some kept man. I¡¯m like this uncle¡¯s concubine."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake his head. He patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Alright, hurry up and change so we can go home."


    "Uh-huh, Uncle is the best uncle in my heart. Who cares about money? I don¡¯t give a damn," Chu Xiaoyao said with a sweet smile, holding Li Yifei¡¯s hand and heading towards the changing room.


    After changing, Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao regrouped and walked toward the exit of the gym, where they saw Songying¡¯s girl.


    At that moment, Songying looked like a completely different person, dressed in branded clothing with a platinum necklace around her neck, a watch on her left wrist and bracelet on her right, looking glitzy. She no longer resembled a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl but rather a stylish woman in her twenties.


    She was holding a makeup case, applying makeup from the mirror, obviously because she was afraid that Chu Xiaoyao would leave first, so she hadn¡¯t finished her makeup and had run to the entrance to wait for Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted at Li Yifei and said, "Look how annoying she is."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Then just ignore her."


    "Yeah," Chu Xiaoyao nodded obediently. Yet, she actually felt that the uncle Songying was meeting must be quite wealthy and would upstage her. Although, in her heart, an uncle like Li Yifei was what she really preferred, the thought of her old rival outdoing her was certainly uncomfortable.


    Just as they were about to walk past Songying, Songying had already seen Chu Xiaoyao in the mirror and immediately called out, "Xiaoyao, where are you off to? You¡¯re not planning to leave in your uncle¡¯s Porsche, are you? Lol..."


    Chu Xiaoyao humphed and replied, "Yes, we are leaving in a Porsche. You better just wait for your uncle; we¡¯re not interested in waiting for him."


    "Don¡¯t be like that, how about getting acquainted? Now that I know you¡¯re interested in uncles, I can introduce you to one later on. I know plenty of rich people, and they all quite fancy young girls; someone like you will be in high demand." Songying completely ignored Li Yifei, not caring about his strength. No matter how strong Li Yifei was, what did it matter? Those rich people could crush you effortlessly, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of Li Yifei getting angry this time.


    Time and again belittled by Songying, Chu Xiaoyao got angry, snorted coldly and said, "Whoever you know, I can guess, are all bad apples. I¡¯m not interested at all."


    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re blind. Look at you, wearing those small brands that don¡¯t even cost a few hundred yuan, your phone isn¡¯t the latest model, and you don¡¯t have any valuable possessions. At your age, you should be raking it in. Once you get older, you¡¯ll lose your value. People will be all over you, older women have more flavor, unlike big guys who just know how to barge in and boast about doing it seven times a night, an hour at a time, haha..."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face turned ashen, and Li Yifei just shook his head. He hadn¡¯t met any decent students; he thought Chu Xiaoyao was enough of a headache, but now, seeing Songying made him realize that compared to Songying, Chu Xiaoyao was insignificant¡ªa lesser evil. Considering Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s potential, if she really went bad, she could outdo Songying. Patting Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder and giving her a comforting smile, Li Yifei offered Chu Xiaoyao a reassuring look. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao was originally very angry and aggrieved, but with just an empathetic glance from Li Yifei, all those negative emotions vanished instantly. She flashed a sweet smile at Li Yifei and affectionately hooked her arm through his.


    Just then, an Audi Q5 pulled up in front of the fitness club. A forty-something man stepped out, with a big belly, a thick gold chain around his neck, and a wrist sporting a renowned Rolex Gold Watch. Dressed in designer clothes and arrogantly holding his nose high, he was the epitome of a Nouveau Riche.


    "Darling, why did you only just arrive?" Songying immediately rushed forward and warmly took the big-bellied man¡¯s arm.


    Seeing this man, Chu Xiaoyao couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle. She leaned towards Li Yifei and whispered, "Uncle, don¡¯t you think this guy resembles a big-bellied cricket?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, responding, "Yeah, he really does."


    Chu Xiaoyao was initially uncomfortable because Songying found a rich man to show off to her, but now, seeing the big-bellied cricket, her mood greatly improved. No matter how rich he was, could he be as handsome as Li Yifei, or as impressive?


    At this point, Songying, oblivious to what Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yifei were talking about, pulled the big-bellied cricket by the arm and came over with a smug look, saying, "Darling, let me introduce you. This is Chu Xiaoyao, my middle school classmate. She also likes older men. However, I think her choice is really poor. Since we¡¯re classmates, could you help her find someone better?"


    Songying¡¯s tone was coquettishly whiny, and as she spoke, she rubbed her chest against the arm of the big-bellied cricket, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Squinting at Chu Xiaoyao, his eyes lit up and he laughed, saying, "Why bother with such trivialities? I¡¯ll just take her myself."


    Songying¡¯s eyes widened, and she quickly retorted with faux annoyance, "Hey, how can you joke like that?"


    The shameless big-bellied cricket replied, "I¡¯m not joking. You guys are classmates and already know each other. It¡¯ll be fun for us to play together. I particularly like threesomes. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t shortchange you. In fact, for introducing such a beauty, I¡¯ll even give you extra spending money."


    Songying pouted but, surprisingly, did not object. For her, getting more money was all that mattered. Turning to Chu Xiaoyao, she said, "Xiaoyao, see how thoughtful I am? Let me tell you, this is Boss Su Jingguang of Mile City Eagle Passenger Transport. He has a fleet of dozens of buses. Stick with Boss Su, and you¡¯ll make it big."


    "Su Jingguang?" Yifei muttered the name to himself, then burst out laughing.


    Chu Xiaoyao had turned green with anger at Songying and Su Jingguang¡¯s words, but Li Yifei¡¯s laugh made her catch on, and she suddenly let out a giggle before breaking into roaring laughter.


    Su Jingguang¡¯s face darkened. He had always been touchy about his name, and most people wouldn¡¯t dare to joke about it. Now seeing Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao mocking him to his face made him extremely irritated. He snorted coldly, "Boy, you¡¯ve got some nerve. Do you know that with just one phone call, I could have you killed?"


    Li Yifei completely disregarded Su Jingguang¡¯s threat, laughing out loud, "Look at yourself, destined to lose everything in your life, and yet you¡¯re here trying to impress me. You¡¯d better save some money, or you won¡¯t even be able to afford pants later on¡ªthen you¡¯ll truly be left with nothing."


    "You¡¯re courting death!" Su Jingguang was enraged and swung his arm at Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Unfortunately for him, before his punch could reach Li Yifei¡¯s face, his stomach received a kick from Li Yifei. His two-hundred-plus-pound body rolled backward like a rubber ball, finally stopping when it hit his car.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t held back on his strength, but he hadn¡¯t expected such an effect either. He had simply intended to send the man flying, but given his short stature and large belly, he ended up rolling away. The way he rolled, with his hands clutching his head and his legs curled up, made him look even more like a ball, which was utterly ridiculous.


    Both Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, especially Chu Xiaoyao. She was more than happy with Li Yifei showing off his strength, and the anger that Songying had brought with her completely dissipated.


    Songying rushed to help Su Jingguang up, and angrily said to Chu Xiaoyao, "Chu Xiaoyao, you¡¯re really clueless. Now you¡¯re doomed, Boss Su will surely have you and that lousy uncle of yours killed."


    At that age, Chu Xiaoyao was fearless. She said without hesitation, "Am I supposed to be afraid of you? Let me tell you, even Brother Hu has to behave in front of my uncle. As for this uncle, hmph, he better weigh his own worth."


    As Su Jingguang was helped up, although he was already extremely angry and ready to call for backup, hearing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words made him hesitate. While Brother Hu might not be stronger than him, they were still comparable. If Brother Hu was someone he couldn¡¯t provoke, then he probably couldn¡¯t afford to provoke this other ¡¯uncle¡¯ either.

 Chapter 209: Kicking Technique

    Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Kicking Technique"Who are you trying to scare? Even Brother Hu behaves himself around him, and you really think Brother Hu is some small fry? You really don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re dead or alive, you¡¯re as good as dead!" Songying simply didn¡¯t believe Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, or rather, she didn¡¯t want to believe them. She had hooked up with Su Jingguang, of course she hoped that Su Jingguang would be stronger than Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s people¡ªit was utterly impossible for her to accept that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s man could be stronger than hers.


    Chu Xiaoyao had already read something from Su Jingguang¡¯s expression. Then, with a sly look and an even more triumphant tone, she said, "Believe it or not, that¡¯s up to you. Feel free to retaliate, and we¡¯ll see who ends up at a loss."


    Songying screamed, "I think you¡¯re just strutting around under false pretenses. Honey, call your men right now, chop up that guy, and then take this chick away. Play with her however you want, I¡¯ll even join you."


    Su Jingguang had been initially startled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, but upon reflection, he considered that although Brother Hu wasn¡¯t a top-notch big shot in Mile City, there certainly wasn¡¯t anyone who could handle him. If there were someone who could make Brother Hu behave, Su Jingguang would likely have known him. This guy who had hit him was wearing common clothes and looked strong, but he definitely wasn¡¯t someone Su Jingguang knew, nor had he heard of any high-ranking officials parachuting into Mile City recently, so naturally, this couldn¡¯t be some Second Generation Official.


    So, at this point, he immediately concluded that Chu Xiaoyao was bluffing, and his temper flared up again, glowering fiercely at Li Yifei, he gritted his teeth and said, "Kid, if you dare, don¡¯t leave."


    Li Yifei, however, couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with someone like him. With a slight smile, he said, "I don¡¯t need to prove my courage to you. Whether or not I stay here is none of your business. If you have the guts to keep me here, then do so, but if you¡¯re all talk, then stop the useless squawking." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wow, Uncle, you¡¯re so imposing and domineering. I absolutely adore you." Chu Xiaoyao was so excited upon seeing Li Yifei stand his ground that she suddenly sprang up, threw her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss on his cheek.


    This took Li Yifei off guard and allowed Chu Xiaoyao to steal the kiss, but in the presence of others, Li Yifei didn¡¯t embarrass Chu Xiaoyao, and gave her butt a pat, signaling her to get down.


    Chu Xiaoyao, looking smug, looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, cocked her head at Songying, and said triumphantly, "Bye-bye now, think you can stop us?"


    At this moment, Su Jingguang was so angry he felt like his lungs might explode. He controlled a bus line, which had been established through violence, so his crew still included quite a few brothers. However, distant waters can¡¯t quench a near thirst. Alone, he certainly couldn¡¯t stop Li Yifei.


    "Boss Su, got yourself a new babe, huh?" A sardonic voice came from behind Li Yifei, followed by a clutter of footsteps.


    As soon as Su Jingguang saw these people, his spirits lifted. He recognized a few of them; although they weren¡¯t his underlings, they were acquaintances. He immediately shouted, "Mengzi, this kid just hit me, beat him up for me!"


    The group swiftly encircled Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao. Mengzi, a young man in his mid-twenties with a broad build and muscular appearance, looked formidable. He sized up Li Yifei with a leisurely gaze and said, "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts, daring to hit Boss Su. You must be tired of living."


    With Mengzi standing behind him, Su Jingguang suddenly became bolder. He shouted at Li Yifei, "Damn it, you have the nerve to hit me; I¡¯ll make you so messed up, even your grandma won¡¯t recognize you."


    At that moment, Songying smirked and said, "Xiaoyao, you brought this on yourself. If you know what¡¯s good for you, come over to Boss Su obediently, or else you¡¯ll have a rough time in a bit."


    Far from showing any fear, Chu Xiaoyao was actually exhilarated. Her face glowed with excitement, ignoring Songying¡¯s remark. Her eyes twinkled as she said to Li Yifei, "Uncle, it¡¯s all on you now."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying, "No problem."


    Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao appeared so composed that it made Su Jingguang uneasily suspect that something was off. Yet, with a total of eight men on his side against one Li Yifei, there was surely no chance of losing. He quickly blurted out, "Brothers, if you can sort this out for me today, I¡¯ll treat you to a feast at the Seafood City tonight!"


    These guys, generally idle riff-raff, could only afford standard seafood when visiting Seafood City. But dining with Su Jingguang meant they could have whatever they wanted. Wild with excitement, they all charged at Li Yifei with a roar.


    Although these men were stronger than the average hoodlums, they still paled in comparison to Li Yifei. Still, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to show off his skills too much, so he simply dodged amongst the eight attackers with Chu Xiaoyao, ensuring they couldn¡¯t touch him while playfully swatting at them now and then, aiming for eyes or slapping faces, making sure they didn¡¯t lose their fight immediately, but also ensuring they got a good taste of pain.


    Last time Chu Xiaoyao encountered hoodlums, she had watched Li Yifei easily defeat them and hadn¡¯t been involved herself. But this time, she was right in the thick of the fight. At first, she was somewhat afraid, but after a little while, having not been hit at all, she became bolder. Seeing Li Yifei periodically land sneaky hits on the opponents made her realize the trick. Her little fists also started greeting the assailants now and then.


    "Silly girl, that¡¯s not how you punch someone. You¡¯ve got to avoid the bones, or your hands will hurt."


    "Your punches are weak, hitting someone on the arm won¡¯t make it hurt; you need to aim for the eye socket, or the nose, but you can¡¯t hit the mouth, as you might accidentally hit their teeth and easily break your hand." As he spoke, Li Yifei landed another punch on a guy¡¯s eye socket, sending stars into the poor fellow¡¯s vision.


    Chu Xiaoyao had never thrown a punch in her life, and the feeling of her fist connecting with someone else¡¯s body was both thrilling and exhilarating. She fought with a joy that belied her small size. Although she lacked strength, her little fists, aiming for the eye sockets and nose as Li Yifei had instructed, caused considerable discomfort.


    "By the way, uncle, isn¡¯t kicking the balls even more effective?" Chu Xiaoyao managed to ask amidst the fray.


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "Of course it is, but for a young lady like you to kick someone¡¯s balls, isn¡¯t that a bit indecent?"


    "No problem, as long as it feels good to hit them," Chu Xiaoyao giggled, eyeing the space between a guy¡¯s legs, and promptly delivered a kick.


    That guy, having overheard the conversation between Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao, had braced himself. Yet even though he saw Chu Xiaoyao square off against him, he couldn¡¯t dodge and took her foot squarely in the groin.


    "Ow!" The blow to the balls was far worse than a punch to the eye or nose. The area was so tender that even the weak force from Chu Xiaoyao caused the guy to howl in pain, his hands clutching his crotch as he curled up on the ground like a shrimp.


    "Oh yeah!" Chu Xiaoyao cheered after kicking one guy down, her excitement palpable as she gleamed at those surrounding her, seeking the perfect opportunity to strike again.


    "Ow!"


    "Oh yeah!"


    With another agonized shout accompanied by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s jubilant cry, another victim fell to her well-placed kick to the balls.


    Su Jingguang had been brimming with confidence at first, but now, watching his eight men unsuccessfully gang up on Li Yifei¡ªdespite the apparent bustle of the fight¡ªfailed to gain the upper hand; the screams of pain were all from his own crew. And to the sweet sound of that little girl¡¯s ringing laughter, what was supposed to be a brawl felt more like a game.


    Meanwhile, Mengzi and his buddies were inwardly seething with frustration. Eight against two should have been an easy win, but they seemed unable to land a hit. Even the few punches they managed to land on Li Yifei felt like striking iron, causing them no harm and only pain in their fists.


    Unable to hit back, they were left vulnerable to being hit. Li Yifei was hardly swinging anymore, focusing instead on weaving through them with Chu Xiaoyao, ensuring they couldn¡¯t touch her. So unencumbered, she thrived, her kicks making them flinch and protect their groins in fear of following their comrades¡¯ footsteps.


    Eight on two¡ªthis kind of group brawl was usually a cakewalk, quickly overwhelming the opposition and then dishing out punishment as desired. But today defied their expectations, proving that even with numbers, they could be at a disadvantage.


    Li Yifei even had the leeway to light up a cigarette, casually smoking while protecting Chu Xiaoyao and dodging through the crowd. Now she was completely uninhibited, fighting even more fiercely.


    "Songying, which uncle do you think is better, yours or mine?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly called out loudly to Songying.


    Songying stood there, dumbfounded, unable to fathom what was happening before her eyes. She knew it wasn¡¯t Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s prowess but Li Yifei¡¯s that dominated the fight. Unwilling to concede, she snorted and said, "Your uncle might be good at fighting, but so what? Does he have as much money as Boss Su?"


    "What¡¯s the use of being rich? If he dares, let him come at me and see if I don¡¯t kick his balls in."


    Su Jingguang instinctively tightened his thighs, realizing today¡¯s conflict was lost. He snorted and said, "Kid, remember this, we¡¯re not done here." Turning on his heel, he climbed into his Q5, sure that Songying knew Chu Xiaoyao and he could easily find Li Yifei for retribution later.


    He refused to believe that after years of getting by in Mile City, he couldn¡¯t handle a punk like Li Yifei. He was determined to repay today¡¯s humiliation twofold.

 Chapter 210: High Five as a Oath

    Chapter 210: Chapter 210: High Five as a OathAs soon as Su Jingguang left, Mengzi and the others scattered as well. The main guy had gone, so why should they stick around and risk their balls? That would definitely be a loss not worth the cost.


    "Hey, don¡¯t run, I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet," Chu Xiaoyao called out in annoyance, but nobody paid her any attention. In the blink of an eye, the crowd had cleared out completely.


    Everyone around them burst into laughter at this point. Normally, fights are quite scary, and even those who hang back to watch do so from a safe distance. But today¡¯s fight had been so entertaining for them.


    "That girl is fierce, chasing off eight guys all by herself."


    "Could the girl be the Heroine?"


    Many people around joked with Chu Xiaoyao. She looked so adorable at that moment, everyone felt a desire to get closer to her.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face was flushed with excitement. She suddenly greeted everyone with a fist salute and said with a grin, "I¡¯m new here and have just put on a little show. For those with money, please support with cash; for those without, emotional support is also appreciated. Thank you, thank you."


    "Gasp!" The crowd was taken aback, followed by another burst of laughter.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, this girl really knew how to clown around. But he didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention, so he pulled Chu Xiaoyao away to retrieve the car.


    Although the spectators were amused, some were aware of who Su Jingguang was and worried for Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao. However, when they saw Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao driving off in a Porsche, they realized that these two indeed had the capital to challenge Su Jingguang. After all, even Su Jingguang couldn¡¯t afford to drive a Porsche.


    On the way home, Chu Xiaoyao was still excitedly moving her hands and chattering endlessly about how exhilarating the fight had been. Li Yifei just listened to her chatter with a smile, not interrupting. Beating up a bunch of small-time hooligans really didn¡¯t interest him at all.


    Once home, Li Yifei went for a shower first, while Chu Xiaoyao was outside, excitedly making phone calls, telling her classmates how glorious she had been. Children are like that; after doing something to be proud of, they naturally want to share it with others.


    After Li Yifei finished showering, Chu Xiaoyao was still on the phone, animatedly narrating as she lay on the sofa. Li Yifei slapped her on the bottom and said, "Hurry up and shower, I¡¯m going to sleep."


    "Bye-bye, I¡¯m off to shower now," Chu Xiaoyao finally hung up and hopped into the bathroom.


    Having a smoke, Li Yifei lay down on the sofa, idly checking his phone. Soon enough, Chu Xiaoyao emerged from the bathroom.


    The girl was still wearing the nightgown borrowed from Su Yiyi. With a towel wrapped around her head and her bare legs, she approached Li Yifei and knelt in front of him with a mischievous grin, saying, "Master, your servant is here to serve."


    Feeling good, Li Yifei tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the head and laughed, "Alright, your master doesn¡¯t need your services tonight. Hurry up and get to bed; you have school tomorrow."


    Chu Xiaoyao blinked and said, "Then I shall serve master to sleep."


    "I don¡¯t need you to serve anything, just go to sleep, stop messing around."


    Chu Xiaoyao grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pouting, "Master, I¡¯m scared to sleep alone."


    Li Yifei glared at her and said, "Still no, hurry up and sleep, or I won¡¯t stay at home anymore."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s pout grew more pronounced, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s firm stance, she mumbled something before twisting away into the bedroom.


    Li Yifei was genuinely worried about Chu Xiaoyao clinging to him. After all, she had fully grown up, and to a man, she definitely had enough attraction. If he couldn¡¯t control himself and did something with her, that wouldn¡¯t be good.


    Fortunately, Chu Xiaoyao went back to her room. Li Yifei waited a while longer, and with no noise coming from her, he assumed she had fallen asleep, and finally closed his eyes to sleep.


    Though he didn¡¯t know how long he had slept, the sound of a door woke him up immediately. Being careful to maintain his strength, along with a few days of training, Li Yifei¡¯s senses had sharpened again. His powers hadn¡¯t truly diminished before; it was a lapse in concentration, not being as vigilant as before that made him feel weaker.


    Since he was alone with Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei felt that she was likely not going to behave, so he stayed alert. He would sleep, but subconsciously, there was a tension. The sound of Chu Xiaoyao opening the door woke him up.


    The room wasn¡¯t very dark; moonlight spilled into the room, allowing Li Yifei to see Chu Xiaoyao tiptoeing toward him, her face showing a mix of excitement and thrill, obviously up to no good.


    "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?" Li Yifei asked, before she got any closer.


    "Ah!" Chu Xiaoyao screamed suddenly, clutching her chest. She stammered, "Uncle, why... haven¡¯t you slept?"


    "With you planning to be naughty here, how dare I sleep? Off you go, stop thinking about bad ideas," Li Yifei said, not too pleased.


    Instead of going back to her room, Chu Xiaoyao sat on the edge of the sofa, then scooted forcefully backward.


    "What are you trying to do now?" Li Yifei had no choice but to move back a bit, to let Chu Xiaoyao sit down.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s seat was on Li Yifei¡¯s waist, her hand resting on Yifei¡¯s chest. Pouting her lips, she said, "Uncle, I¡¯m too excited to sleep, just keep me company."


    "Excited about what?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately became animated and said, "Today was the first time I¡¯ve ever fought in my life, and it was so thrilling! How could I not be excited? Uncle, you¡¯re really amazing, I admire you so much now."


    Knowing that Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t there to seduce him, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in a rush to send her away and smiled, "What¡¯s the use in being able to fight, I don¡¯t have money anyway."


    "What can money do? That guy who lost everything... *pfft*, his parents are really conscious, how could they give him such a name?" Upon saying this, Chu Xiaoyao burst into giggles.


    "Maybe his parents were gamblers, and they had him when they lost everything."


    "Exactly, uncle, you¡¯re so clever, it must be that." Chu Xiaoyao nodded assertively, her face full of admiration.


    "Stop with the flattery," Li Yifei chastised with a smile.


    "Heehee, although uncle doesn¡¯t have money, I still like you. You¡¯re a real man. Those guys who rely on their shabby money, with nothing but straw in their bellies, I don¡¯t even take a second look at them."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Okay, I have to admit, that flattery of yours does make me feel pretty good."


    Chu Xiaoyao said earnestly, "How is this flattery? I¡¯m speaking from my heart. In my eyes, uncle, you¡¯re the best man in the whole world."


    Li Yifei replied with a laugh, "Alright, I got it, you¡¯ve finished praising me, so can we go to sleep now?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand and gently shook it, saying, "Uncle, go sleep inside the room, I promise I won¡¯t make you do anything, I just want you to keep me company."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Xiaoyao, that¡¯s not right. Uncle is a man, and you¡¯re a girl, how can we sleep together?"


    "Then you can sleep with Sister Yiyi? Why can¡¯t you sleep with me?"


    "Yiyi is my girlfriend. I¡¯m going to marry her in the future, so of course we can."


    "I may not be your wife, but I can be your servant, your concubine."


    "Who does that anymore? Besides, you¡¯re so pretty, there will be lots of people who will like you in the future, then you¡¯ll have your own life."


    Before Li Yifei could finish speaking, Chu Xiaoyao interrupted him excitedly, shouting, "No! That will never happen! Uncle, let me tell you, I will only like you in this lifetime. No matter how good others are, they can¡¯t compare to a single hair on you. I want to be with you, I will never be with another man."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s reaction to be so intense, but he understood, it was the insistence and persistence unique to Xiaoyao¡¯s age. Back then, when he and Ye Yunzhu were together, Yunzhu had also shown similar stubbornness, but now they still couldn¡¯t be together.


    So he knew very well that trying to persuade Chu Xiaoyao or lecture her with sound reasoning was completely useless at this time, and might even exacerbate the situation. He just smiled faintly, "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but you¡¯re still young. Let¡¯s talk about this when you¡¯re a little older, okay?"


    "Don¡¯t think that just because I¡¯m young, you can use stalling tactics on me. Let me tell you, it won¡¯t work. Once I, Chu Xiaoyao, have made up my mind about something, it will never change. Once I¡¯ve decided on uncle, then I will definitely be with you."


    "But I have a girlfriend, and I¡¯m going to marry Yiyi." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯ve already said, I don¡¯t need to be your wife. If you marry Sister Yiyi, then that¡¯s that. I don¡¯t want any status; I will just live with you. Sister Yiyi is so gentle, I think she definitely won¡¯t refuse."


    "Yikes, this isn¡¯t like sharing other things, Yiyi can¡¯t share this with you."


    "So does it mean that if Sister Yiyi agrees, you would have no objections?"


    "Well..." Li Yifei hesitated. Logically, no woman would share her husband with someone else, and even though Su Yiyi was very gentle by nature, she certainly wouldn¡¯t agree to this. So he just smiled and said, "Sure, if Yiyi agrees, I certainly have no objections."


    "Really?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly looked excited, her eyes shining.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. When your uncle says something, it¡¯s as solid as a nail hammered down. My word is my bond."


    "Then let¡¯s make it official with a high five." Chu Xiaoyao extended her hand.


    Li Yifei chuckled and slapped hands with Chu Xiaoyao, though he was secretly amused. Such a thing would never happen, he was sure of it, because he would explain everything to Su Yiyi beforehand. He refused to believe that Su Yiyi would listen to Xiaoyao when the time came.

 Chapter 211: Getting More and More Involved

    Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Getting More and More InvolvedChu Xiaoyao finally returned to her bedroom, satisfied at heart, while Li Yifei continued to sleep deeply, having painted a big pie for Chu Xiaoyao. Li Yifei believed that Chu Xiaoyao would settle down for a while now.


    Indeed, Chu Xiaoyao did not come out again that night. The next morning, Li Yifei still had to enter the bedroom and call her before she rubbed her eyes and got up.


    After having some breakfast outside, Li Yifei dropped Chu Xiaoyao off at school. Getting out of the car, she was the envy of many, as there were not many people in Mile City who could be dropped off at school in a Porsche.


    A little girl¡¯s vanity isn¡¯t really that detestable, and Li Yifei understood it deeply. So even after Chu Xiaoyao got out of the car, she exaggeratedly told him to pick her up in the evening, and he didn¡¯t refuse, then headed straight to the company.


    Today was a busy day. Besides the affairs of the Human Resources Department, Xu Yingying had called a meeting with the mid-level and above leaders of the company, which lasted half a day. There were many issues, but most importantly, they discussed opening a factory in the countryside.


    All young people, each with agile minds, offered many constructive suggestions, which pleased Xu Yingying greatly.


    Though Li Yifei was usually lax, seeing everyone else¡¯s full enthusiasm also stimulated him somewhat, making such work seem to enrich life.


    After the meeting, Xu Yingying called Li Yifei and He Fangqing into her office.


    This made some people in the company a bit puzzled. He Fangqing was the finance director, holding the economic power of the company, considered the second person in charge after Xu Yingying. As for Li Yifei, the HR Manager should be similar to other managers. Moreover, the company¡¯s personnel were already recruited, so the role of the Human Resources Manager seemed not as significant as others. However, he still often received Xu Yingying¡¯s attention along with He Fangqing, which felt somewhat odd.


    But with many affairs within the company and most relationships not well established, and without clear internal cliques, no one dared to gossip, so no rumors were spread.


    "Yifei, have you heard any latest news from your old classmate?" Xu Yingying squinted and asked Li Yifei, seemingly implying something else.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "We haven¡¯t been in touch since I sent her home that day. She¡¯s a very dedicated worker. For such a big partnership, how could she casually reveal any inside information to me?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s lips curved slightly, "Is that so? Others might not be able to, but I think she has a rather deep relationship with you. If you were to employ some kind of ¡¯handsome guy trick,¡¯ perhaps she would make quite a few concessions."


    He Fangqing listened with great interest, "Could it be that your township chief classmate is a woman?"


    Xu Yingying immediately joined in, "Yes, not only is she a woman, but she is also a great beauty."


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a sideways glance, "You, my friend, are indeed blessed with peaches." This remark had a slightly sour tone; He Fangqing was increasingly reliant on Li Yifei after he had once again stayed over at her house. Her feelings for Li Yifei involuntarily grew, and it began to show in her tone and demeanor.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "You¡¯ve got it wrong, she¡¯s just my classmate now."


    Xu Yingying immediately added, "You see, she¡¯s your classmate now, which means you two had something before. No wonder that day, as soon as you were mentioned, she got a bit confrontational with me."


    Hearing this, He Fangqing felt even more uncomfortable, "I must say, CEO Li, you really are something."


    Li Yifei shrugged, "That¡¯s all in the past. Ladies, tomorrow we¡¯re going to talk to her about setting up the factory; shouldn¡¯t we prioritize official business?" Although he wanted to say that his dealings with Ye Yunzhu were none of their business, considering Xu Yingying and He Fangqing¡¯s expressions, if he really said that, he¡¯d surely get a thrashing from them both. So it was wiser not to provoke them further.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing both rolled their eyes at Li Yifei but didn¡¯t say much else. After all, both Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were extremely serious about their work; it was only because Ye Yunzhu was mentioned that they felt displeased.


    It was already the end of the workday, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were both still engaged in conversation, showing no sign of leaving. However, Li Yifei¡¯s phone had started to ring. Seeing that it was Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s call reminded him it was time for school to be out, and that the girl had asked him to pick her up. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Answering the call in front of Xu Yingying and He Fangqing clearly wasn¡¯t wise. Just as he thought about stepping out to answer, Xu Yingying immediately said, "Just take it here."


    Li Yifei said at once, "I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. I¡¯ll take this call outside."


    Xu Yingying crossed her arms, "No need. We¡¯ll wait for you to finish your call; otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll slip away."


    Rolling his eyes, Li Yifei said, "You don¡¯t have to keep such a close watch on me. I work here, but it¡¯s not like you own me."


    Xu Yingying spoke leisurely, "I¡¯m talking to you now not because of work, but because of personal reasons. Doesn¡¯t this justification work?"


    "Even less so. You¡¯re not my girlfriend. Besides, even if you were my girlfriend, you can¡¯t interfere with my freedom, can you?" With that, Li Yifei left the office without looking back.


    "This jerk!" Xu Yingying slammed the table with a huff.


    He Fangqing comforted her with a smile, "Yingying, you¡¯re just being a bit too anxious. He hasn¡¯t accepted you yet. If you¡¯re too controlling now, you¡¯ll scare him off before anything even happens."


    Xu Yingying was still feeling disgruntled and said, "Just look at him, that was clearly another girl¡¯s call."


    "Let him be with whoever he wants. If you really want to capture Yifei¡¯s heart, you need to showcase your own charm, not just prevent him from appreciating the charm of other women. Men are like that, they always like pretty girls¡ªit¡¯s natural, a characteristic given by nature, and no one can stop it. What you need to do is make him truly fall for you, and then he will follow whatever you say."


    Xu Yingying exhaled and said, "I understand."


    He Fangqing winked at Xu Yingying and said with a grin, "Hehe, I feel like you¡¯re really getting into this."


    Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t embarrassed. Instead, she said proudly, "I just can¡¯t swallow this pride. I¡¯ve been so proactive, and yet he¡¯s not giving me a chance. I, Xu Yingying, never admit defeat. I¡¯ll make sure he knows that the man I like can¡¯t escape, even if he tries."


    He Fangqing chuckled, but didn¡¯t say much. Of course, she hoped Xu Yingying could end up with Li Yifei... If that happened... she might really have a chance to maintain a relationship with Li Yifei.


    Just then, Li Yifei walked in. Xu Yingying gave him a cold glance and said, "Are you done?"


    Li Yifei, with a cheeky smile, replied, "All done, let¡¯s continue." Knowing that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t let him go, he simply let Chu Xiaoyao go home first.


    "Then shut off your phone. I don¡¯t want personal matters affecting our work."


    Li Yifei swiftly took out his phone, turned it off, and then laid it on the table. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of Xu Yingying, but they were discussing work, and it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to keep causing distractions.


    After about two hours of discussion, they wrapped up. Then, the three of them went out for a quick bite before heading home.


    When Li Yifei got out of the elevator, Chu Xiaoyao was sitting at his doorstep, looking up at him with her lips pursed high in a pout.


    Li Yifei instantly realized that Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t have a key, which explained why she couldn¡¯t get inside. The neighbors on either side were also apparently out; otherwise, Su Mengxin or Meng Xiaoku would have surely let Chu Xiaoyao into their place.


    "I¡¯m sorry, the boss said not to turn on our phones, I forgot you didn¡¯t have the key," Li Yifei said apologetically, helping Chu Xiaoyao to her feet.


    "Mean uncle, stinky uncle!" Chu Xiaoyao, feeling wronged, threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, thumped his chest a few times, and then clung to his waist, beginning to cry with muffled sobs.


    This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t push Chu Xiaoyao away but instead gently patted her shoulder and said, "Alright, alright, it¡¯s my fault. Uncle will make you something to eat now."


    "Mhm!" Charmed by his response, Chu Xiaoyao nodded obediently and, like a koala, clung to Li Yifei as they entered the apartment.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t complain as much as Li Yifei had expected. Once inside, she quickly cheered up, which pleased Li Yifei. It seemed Chu Xiaoyao had a likeable nature; most girls would have been furious if he had stood them up like he did.


    While Li Yifei was making noodles for Chu Xiaoyao, she chattered non-stop about her school, focusing particularly on how envious her classmates were when they saw her in the Porsche. Li Yifei interrupted her, saying, "Xiaoyao, talking like that, aren¡¯t you encouraging your classmates to look for an uncle like me?"


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "I¡¯m not that silly. I told them you¡¯re a relative of mine. I only tell a few close friends, otherwise, if the school found out I¡¯ve found an uncle, they would expel me."


    "Even with close friends, it¡¯s best not to tell. The primary thing is, just because I¡¯m letting you stay doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m your evil uncle."


    Chu Xiaoyao playfully stuck out her tongue, saying, "I know, I know, I won¡¯t talk about it anymore. If you don¡¯t want to be, I won¡¯t force you."


    "Really? Is that so?" Li Yifei looked at Chu Xiaoyao in surprise.


    "Hehe, when I grow up a bit more, I won¡¯t have to call you uncle; at that time, you won¡¯t be the evil uncle anymore."


    Li Yifei was suddenly at a loss for words as the girl¡¯s intentions hadn¡¯t changed one bit.

 Chapter 212: Confused

    Chapter 212: Chapter 212: ConfusedOn the morning of the next day, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying arrived together at Lanjia Village. The area of Lanjia Village was quite large, with fifty to sixty natural villages under its jurisdiction. Although it was considered rural, its development had been rapid, especially the central location of the Village Government which was comparable to a small town.


    There were also quite a few Township Enterprises in the village, but there were none too large; even those with tens of millions could rank fairly well in Lanjia Village.


    During the two years that Ye Yunzhu worked here, the development of Lanjia Village had been impressive. However, for economic growth, investment attraction was a top priority, and whether they could attract large enterprises to develop in the village was a constant concern for Ye Yunzhu.


    Now, there was finally an opportunity for a major enterprise to set up in Lanjia Village. Not only did Ye Yunzhu take this seriously, but the entire village was highly attentive. Over the past two days, Ye Yunzhu had been working overtime with the village officials, researching plans and conducting field inspections, looking for a location that could accommodate a sufficiently large factory site.


    After three busy days, Ye Yunzhu finally had a relatively detailed plan and felt well prepared, just waiting for Xu Yingying to come and negotiate specifics.


    Upon their arrival at the Village Government, Ye Yunzhu immediately brought several important leaders to greet Xu Yingying, which flattered her a bit. Although she had been a president before, she had never been treated with such attention. Partly, it was because her previous enterprise wasn¡¯t large enough, and partly, within Mile City, she wouldn¡¯t be given such importance as in the villages.


    Yet, Xu Yingying carried herself with the air of a great general and handled the situation quite appropriately. She shook hands with each village leader and then followed the group to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s office. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With outsiders present, Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t find it convenient to talk too much with Yifei. She detailed the village¡¯s situation to Yingying and the various preferential policies they had already decided upon.


    Xu Yingying listened attentively and maintained a neutral expression. After Ye Yunzhu finished speaking, Yingying also stated her own demands. After all, she was the one investing and thus held a certain level of initiative. The benefits she could fight for, she naturally tried to secure.


    Investment attraction wasn¡¯t like ordinary business cooperation. For Ye Yunzhu, what she needed most was for Xu Yingying to invest there. The village itself would not participate in the investment, so there were no conflicts of interest involved. The main concern for both parties was how much in terms of preferential policies they could provide for Yingying¡¯s factory.


    These preferential policies were not something the village could simply offer, but a matter of what the village could negotiate. Things like tax levies, land compensation, and similar matters depended largely on Mayor Ye¡¯s abilities.


    As such, the negotiations between the two parties weren¡¯t acrimonious nor heated. The atmosphere remained quite friendly.


    In one morning, the parties had tentatively decided on establishing the factory in Lanjia Village, which left Ye Yunzhu feeling excited. She invited Yingying to lunch at midday along with other village officials, and Yifei, naturally, accompanied them.


    With Xu Yingying being an attractive woman and a president controlling five hundred million in funds, the local officials couldn¡¯t afford to act superior. Whether she agreed or not was crucial to their bonuses and even future promotions. In short, Xu Yingying was now their God of Wealth.


    Therefore, no one dared to pressure Yingying into drinking. The meal was lavish but quick, and in less than an hour, everyone returned to the village to discuss the remaining matters.


    In the end, a consensus was basically reached. Xu Yingying agreed to build the factory in Lanjia Village, and Mayor Ye¡¯s administration was to be responsible for the land acquisition. The compensation for the land, naturally, would be handled by Yingying¡¯s company, along with a series of policy supports, including tax reductions.


    Li Yifei had been following around like an idle bystander, aside from making small talk with some officials, he had little opportunity to speak about serious matters. However, once the deal was confirmed, as Ye Yunzhu set the arrangements in motion and only Yifei and Yingying were left in her office, Ye Yunzhu shifted her attention to Yifei and said with a smile, "I must say, old classmate, you¡¯ve been a great help this time."


    Xu Yingying smiled in return, "Mayor Ye, that¡¯s not quite right to say. Yifei here has helped our company, but it¡¯s also part of his job."


    Ye Yunzhu shook her head and replied, "President Xu, now that the matter is settled, I won¡¯t mince words. If it weren¡¯t for Yifei, I really wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths as I¡¯m due to transfer after the New Year. By then, I won¡¯t be in the village anymore, and its development won¡¯t be much of my concern. I¡¯m putting in this effort because of Yifei, my old classmate."


    Xu Yingying chuckled lightly, "Indeed. I also considered that you were Yifei¡¯s classmate when choosing your village for our factory. Otherwise, our company¡¯s strength would likely earn us the same incentives elsewhere."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed heartily, "In that case, Yifei truly deserves great merit. We should both thank him properly."


    Xu Yingying nodded, "Yes, I¡¯ve been thinking the same. I¡¯m considering how to reward him properly."


    Watching the two chat merrily but with hints of deeper meaning, Li Yifei felt somewhat uncomfortable. With a light laugh, he said, "Look, it¡¯s getting late. Shouldn¡¯t we be heading back now?"


    Xu Yingying immediately stood up, "Indeed, it¡¯s getting late. Mayor Ye, Yifei and I will be heading back now."


    Ye Yunzhu quickly stood as well, "There¡¯s no rush, is there? I was planning to treat you both to dinner tonight."


    Xu Yingying smiled apologetically, "Mayor Ye, there will be plenty of opportunities to interact in the future. Yifei and I have a lot left to do today, so we¡¯ll have to skip dinner."


    "President Xu, you¡¯re not just putting me off, are you? There¡¯s never a day when work is completely done, and one evening won¡¯t make much difference, will it?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head, "I¡¯m not just being courteous. There¡¯s indeed too much going on at the company right now. If I don¡¯t finish up today, others will be waiting for me tomorrow."


    "If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t keep you both any longer."


    "Thank you for your understanding, Mayor Ye. Once the company starts running smoothly, I¡¯ll definitely treat you right."


    "Then it¡¯s settled. I won¡¯t be holding back with President Xu when the time comes, you know."


    Ye Yunzhu personally escorted Li Yifei and Xu Yingying outside. Just as Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were about to get in the car, she hurriedly approached Li Yifei, whispered a few words in his ear with a light chuckle, then pushed him into the car.


    After the car pulled away from the Village Government, Xu Yingying frowned and asked Li Yifei, "What did Mayor Ye say to you?"


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless. What Ye Yunzhu had whispered to him was, "You jerk, don¡¯t think you can just casually get a girlfriend now that you don¡¯t need me. You still have to get past me."


    Of course, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t tell Xu Yingying that. Although he didn¡¯t think he had anything to do with Xu Yingying, she was currently pursuing him. Saying such a thing would definitely make Xu Yingying unhappy.


    "She said she¡¯d give me a big red envelope later, so I could make some under-the-table money."


    "Really?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true. What else do you think she could say to me?"


    Xu Yingying pouted and said, "I thought she was setting up a time to meet with you."


    Li Yifei let out a laugh and said, "What¡¯s the big deal if old classmates meet up?"


    "I can tell it¡¯s not just an old classmates thing with you two, huh, don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see it¡ªyou two definitely had something going on before."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "If there was something, then there was. It¡¯s in the past now; let¡¯s not bring it up again."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t press Li Yifei about Ye Yunzhu any further. Although she lacked experience in romance, she knew that men cared about their pride. Pushing too hard in any situation could backfire. Just letting Li Yifei know that she could see through him was enough.


    It had to be said that Xu Yingying, treating the pursuit of Li Yifei as a business, was now handling it very adeptly, no longer feeling as lost as before.


    The car hadn¡¯t reached the downtown area when Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. Glancing at the number, he saw it was Xu Shanshan calling, which made him hesitate.


    "What¡¯s up? Is it Mayor Ye calling you?" teased Xu Yingying.


    "No, it¡¯s Shanshan."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyebrows knitted immediately, "What does she want with you now?"


    "How would I know?" Li Yifei tossed the phone aside.


    "Answer it. I¡¯d like to see what this girl is up to."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Better not. She probably doesn¡¯t have anything important to say."


    The ringing stopped at that moment, and Xu Yingying hesitated before saying, "If she calls again, just answer it. Let¡¯s see what she really wants. You could also take the opportunity to tell her that you¡¯re with me."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "President Xu, I need to clarify that. Yes, the two of us are together right now, but that ¡¯together¡¯ is just about our physical presence in the same space, not the emotional kind of ¡¯together¡¯ you¡¯re thinking of."


    Xu Yingying tilted her head proudly and said, "I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m telling you with certainty that sooner or later, our ¡¯together¡¯ will blend into both meanings."


    Li Yifei let out a plaintive cry, "President Xu, can you tell me what you see in me so I can change it, alright?"


    "That trick won¡¯t work anymore. I won¡¯t get angry again. No matter how you change, you can¡¯t change my determination to be with you."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words; he couldn¡¯t understand what Xu Yingying saw in him.


    And Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t quite say herself at the moment. Ostensibly, it was for her sister Xu Shanshan, but deep down, it might be out of spite, or perhaps, she really had begun to admire Li Yifei.

 Chapter 213 Determination

    Chapter 213: Chapter 213 DeterminationXu Shanshan¡¯s call came through again, and Li Yifei had no choice but to answer.


    "Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t we go out and have some fun tonight?"


    Li Yifei glanced over at Xu Yingying. She seemed completely unruffled, as if she didn¡¯t care at all what Li Yifei might say.


    "Tonight... I¡¯m still with your sister right now. Who knows if she¡¯ll have me work overtime or something."


    "What? You¡¯re still with my sister? She really is, making you work all day long, it¡¯s just too cruel. Brother-in-law, let¡¯s ignore her and go out with me tonight."


    Inside the enclosed car, the sound coming from Li Yifei¡¯s phone wasn¡¯t very quiet, so Xu Yingying could also hear Xu Shanshan¡¯s words. At that moment, she reached out, snatched the phone, and said, "Xu Shanshan, don¡¯t just think about playing all day. If you don¡¯t want to work, fine, but you also want Yifei to act crazy with you? That¡¯s absolutely not allowed."


    "Ah, Xu Yingying, what do you mean by that? You¡¯re too despicable. You know I like Brother-in-law, yet you tie him down all day long and don¡¯t let him spend time with me. Is this how you should act as a sister?" Xu Shanshan immediately started yelling angrily, but if there were people around her at the moment, they would definitely see her grinning mischievously.


    "Xu Shanshan, you also call Yifei ¡¯Brother-in-law,¡¯ so you should understand that he is mine. Why are you still clinging to him?"


    "Hmph, you don¡¯t really like Brother Li at all. You¡¯re just trying to keep me from being with him. You think I don¡¯t know? Xu Yingying, stop hogging... Brother Li and then not loving him. Do you think that¡¯s fair to Brother Li?" Xu Shanshan almost said Xu Yingying was hogging the toilet without pooping, but felt that would be insulting Li Yifei, so she quickly corrected herself and even stuck out her tongue.


    "Who says I don¡¯t... love him. That was before, but now I..." Xu Yingying said up to this point and glanced at Li Yifei, but the next two words just wouldn¡¯t come out. When she watched TV and saw others saying "I love you," it always seemed so easy, but when it came to her own turn, she realized that these three words shouldn¡¯t be said carelessly. At this moment, her mouth was agape, but she couldn¡¯t utter the words.


    "What about you? See, you can¡¯t even say ¡¯I love him¡¯. And you say you love him? That¡¯s clearly just targeting me. You¡¯re really despicable," Xu Shanshan said with strong indignation in her tone, accusing Xu Yingying. These past few days, she felt that there had been no progress between Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, so she now decided to give Xu Yingying a harsh push and continued to provoke her.


    Although it was just a phone call, what Xu Shanshan said also made Xu Yingying¡¯s face turn beet red. She gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "Who says I can¡¯t say it? I¡¯ll let you hear it right now. Li Yifei, I love you!"


    Li Yifei suddenly shuddered, and the steering wheel strayed off course, nearly crashing into the curb at the roadside. He quickly adjusted the direction, and then the car returned to normal driving. However, his heart sank with gloom. When others spoke those three words, it was all tenderness and sweetness, but when Xu Yingying said them, why did he feel a chill down his spine?


    On the other end, Xu Shanshan burst into loud laughter. Xu Yingying, still in a huff, said, "What are you laughing at?"


    Xu Shanshan stopped laughing and said with a giggle, "Xu Yingying, listening to you say ¡¯I love you¡¯ with such bitterness and vengeance, you must be the only one in the world. Don¡¯t you still deny that you don¡¯t really love Brother-in-law?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing hitched, and she huffed, "That was because you annoyed me. Since you want to hear it so much, now I¡¯ll say it again." Turning her head, she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shuddered again, his face turned pale, and he stuttered, "President Xu, don¡¯t... don¡¯t be impulsive."


    Xu Yingying, initially feeling awkward and shy since those three words were indeed hard to express, saw Li Yifei wearing a look as if facing the most terrifying thing. This made her anger swell. Could it be that she was that horrifying? Even if this guy didn¡¯t like her, did he need to look like he was about to die?


    With anger in her heart, Xu Yingying¡¯s expression softened, and with a sweet smile, she gently said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, I... love... you!"


    "Screech!" A shrill sound of an emergency brake pierced the air, and Xu Yingying¡¯s body suddenly lurched forward. Had she not been wearing her seat belt, her head would have struck the windshield.


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying screamed in fright.


    "Sis! What happened to you? Are you okay? Speak up!" Xu Shanshan was initially excited to hear Xu Yingying use such a tone to express herself, but then she heard the sound of the brakes and Xu Yingying¡¯s scream. She panicked, her face turned pale, and she began shouting loudly.


    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing!" Xu Yingying finally recovered her senses and quickly reassured Xu Shanshan.


    "Really? You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?"


    "Really, it¡¯s nothing. Your brother-in-law just stabbed the brakes."


    "Sis, you better not be hiding anything from me," Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice was filled with anxiety, on the verge of tears, the scream she had heard earlier was truly frightening.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying felt somewhat annoyed with Li Yifei and asked, "What¡¯s gotten into you? Why did you brake like that suddenly?"


    Li Yifei, looking a bit embarrassed, gave a small laugh and said, "President Xu, who let you say those terrifying three words? My heart just couldn¡¯t take it."


    Xu Shanshan heard Li Yifei¡¯s words and finally relaxed, then burst into laughter and said, "Look at you, Xu Yingying, you keep saying you want to be with your brother-in-law, but just uttering those three words scared him like this. It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re usually not good to him at all. What love are you talking about? You might as well step aside and let me be with him, then he won¡¯t be scared by you like this anymore."


    At this moment, Xu Yingying was extremely upset and glared at Li Yifei, yelling at Xu Shanshan, "Don¡¯t even think about it, I¡¯m telling you, I can let you have anything usually, but not Li Yifei, you can forget about getting him from me!"


    Xu Shanshan said disdainfully, "This isn¡¯t about whether you¡¯ll let me or not, Li Yifei was never yours to begin with. He doesn¡¯t even like you, so on what grounds can you say he¡¯s yours? He treats me better than he treats you. Really, you¡¯re so shameless."


    Xu Yingying took a deep breath, slowly but extremely firmly saying, "He will like me, definitely!"


    "Really? Well, then I¡¯m looking forward to seeing whether he likes you or me more," Xu Shanshan thought to herself with glee, she knew Xu Yingying too well - using that tone of voice meant she was truly determined.


    To make Xu Yingying and Li Yifei get together, it was necessary to provoke Xu Yingying¡¯s determination, and this time, it was obviously a success.


    "Just you wait and see, I¡¯ll prove it to you," Xu Yingying huffed and hung up the phone.


    Turning around, she saw Li Yifei¡¯s uncomfortable expression, and Xu Yingying felt a bit stifled once again. After taking another deep breath, she gave a slight smile and said, "Don¡¯t feel pressured, you don¡¯t have to take to heart what I¡¯ve said before. We¡¯ll just carry on as we were, and you can continue treating me just as a colleague from the company."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, "So were you just fighting with Shanshan?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s smile grew brighter, "I¡¯m not fighting with her, I¡¯m serious. But I want you to slowly discover my good qualities and like me from the bottom of your heart, not because I¡¯m forcing you." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s good," Li Yifei let out a long sigh of relief. He really didn¡¯t want Xu Yingying to get tough about it, as that would be too much of a drag, and then he¡¯d even have to avoid showing his face around her in the future.


    Xu Yingying felt uncomfortable inside again, as Li Yifei¡¯s reaction had clearly told her that he simply didn¡¯t like her. Could it be that she was really so unlikable? To make Li Yifei fall for her seemed like an arduous task, certainly not a simple one.


    It was still early, and the two returned to the company. Li Yifei parked the car but didn¡¯t accompany Xu Yingying, instead, he took off before she did, which left Xu Yingying grinding her teeth in irritation. This guy really knew how to bring someone down.


    As soon as the off-work hour arrived, Li Yifei immediately left the company. Faced with Xu Yingying¡¯s determination, all he wanted now was to avoid her.


    At the entrance to the residential area, Li Yifei saw Meng Xiaofei; she was still wearing her flight attendant uniform, obviously just coming home from landing a flight. Meng Xiaofei in uniform really looked stunning, enough to arouse a man¡¯s desire. She also saw Li Yifei and immediately called out excitedly, "Brother Li, what a coincidence."


    Li Yifei approached, taking over Meng Xiaofei¡¯s luggage, and smiled, "Just got back from a flight?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s been several days since I last saw you; I miss the food you make."


    "Haha, I think you just miss my cooking, not me, right?"


    "Hehe, I miss both," Meng Xiaofei playfully stuck out her tongue, not denying it. Her frankness was what made Li Yifei feel at ease, chatting with this girl required no effort at all.


    The two entered the building, and Meng Xiaofei stood right at the doorstep of Li Yifei¡¯s house, evidently without any intention of going home. Li Yifei chuckled, "You¡¯re not in such a rush that you can¡¯t even go home first, right?"


    Meng Xiaofei said, a bit embarrassed, "I lost my keys, so I have to grab them from your place first. Plus, I brought you a gift; I want to give it to you as well."


    Li Yifei chuckled, opening the door, "It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t lose yourself, but I guess it makes it worth feeding you after all."


    Just as the door opened, a shadow rushed forward, pouncing directly onto Li Yifei. He immediately recognized it was Chu Xiaoyao, the little girl, and had no choice but to catch her.


    "Uncle, I¡¯ve missed you so much," Chu Xiaoyao clung to Li Yifei, wrapping her legs around his waist and said with a grin.


    Meng Xiaofei was taken aback by the scene, then couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, "Brother Li, you¡¯ve got a hidden beauty here."


    Li Yifei gave Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom a slap, putting her down, "What hidden beauty? Just a crazy little girl."


    Chu Xiaoyao only then noticed Meng Xiaofei and her face immediately soured, pouting and glaring at her.

 Chapter 214 - 215 No Image

    Chapter 214: Chapter 215 No ImageChu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t been to Li Yifei¡¯s home very many times, and whenever she¡¯d come over, she had only seen Su Yiyi. This was actually her first time meeting Meng Xiaofei. Upon seeing a beautiful woman in a flight attendant¡¯s uniform returning with Li Yifei, she naturally assumed she was a woman Li Yifei had found, which didn¡¯t sit well with her at all.


    With her little face tilted up and hands on her hips, she asked fiercely, "Who are you?"


    Meng Xiaofei was startled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s manner but soon started giggling and said, "I¡¯m Brother Li¡¯s neighbor."


    "Neighbor?" Chu Xiaoyao looked at Li Yifei with confusion.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Stop embarrassing me here, go hang out on the side."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Why though, I¡¯m at least your side chick, and she¡¯s just your neighbor? You treat her better than me."


    "Side chick?" Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t understand, mainly because the term was so obscure.


    Chu Xiaoyao said proudly, "Yes, I¡¯m the uncle¡¯s side chick, the woman outside of his wife, how about that?"


    Meng Xiaofei finally understood, and her chest heaved dramatically a couple of times, her ample bosom shaking along with it before she burst into laughter.


    Li Yifei felt quite uncomfortable being laughed at and pushed Chu Xiaoyao away, saying annoyed, "Can you stop messing around?"


    Seeing that Li Yifei was genuinely getting angry, Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t dare continue her mischief, flipped her head at Meng Xiaofei with pride, and strutted her little butt off towards the inside of the house.


    "Side chick... Haha... Brother Li, you really are incredible, haha... My admiration for you is like the endless flow of the Yangtze River, haha..." Meng Xiaofei was laughing so hard that she could hardly catch her breath, and had to lean on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder; otherwise, she couldn¡¯t stand.


    "You¡¯re making fun of me too, aren¡¯t you?" said Li Yifei displeased. "Still want dinner?"


    "I do, I do! Haha... I¡¯ll stop laughing, don¡¯t be mad," Meng Xiaofei forced her laughter down, but her chest still heaved dramatically, obviously struggling to contain it.


    "Fine, have your laugh," Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered with Meng Xiaofei anymore. The girl simply didn¡¯t think things through, and coupled with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s troublemaking, there was no avoiding liveliness in this house.


    Meng Xiaofei quickly kicked off her high heels and dashed to the living room, where she collapsed onto the sofa and continued to laugh uncontrollably.


    Li Yifei glanced at Meng Xiaofei and couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart race; the girl sprawled on the sofa, her legs still sheathed in flesh-colored stockings. Her uniform skirt had rolled up a bit from lying on the couch, and since her legs weren¡¯t closed tight, from his angle, he could even catch a glimpse of what was underneath Meng Xiaofei¡¯s skirt.


    It was an ultimate uniform temptation.


    Chu Xiaoyao was tilting her head, eyeing Li Yifei with flickering eyes as if she had noticed something. Then her eyes started darting around cunningly, and she ran into the bedroom.


    Li Yifei shook his head to dispel his wicked thoughts. Things weren¡¯t like before, and he needed to control his desires a bit more. He turned and went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.


    After he had been busy for over ten minutes, Chu Xiaoyao came out and began chatting with Meng Xiaofei. Although Meng Xiaofei was older, she had the personality of an un-grown child and actually had a lot in common with Chu Xiaoyao; they chattered away cheerfully, and their silvery laughter could be heard from time to time.


    By the time dinner was served, Li Yifei found that the two had become as close as real sisters. Birds of a feather really do flock together; these two were indeed peas in a pod.


    After the meal, Meng Xiaofei opened her suitcase wanting to find a gift for Li Yifei, but after searching for a while and not finding it, she became anxious, "Where did I put it? I didn¡¯t lose it, did I?"


    As she spoke, she grabbed handfuls of items from the suitcase and tossed them onto the floor.


    Li Yifei was immediately covered with black lines as Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t just pull out things, but also underwear, bras, stockings, and the like, scattering all around the floor without the slightest regard for Li Yifei¡¯s presence there.


    "Xiaofei, if you can¡¯t find it, don¡¯t worry about it. I know you meant well," Li Yifei hastily intervened.


    Still searching, Meng Xiaofei said earnestly, "No, no, I have to find it. It took me a lot of effort to get this. That old monk said it was consecrated to ensure people¡¯s safety."


    "How about we tidy up a bit when we get back home?" Li Yifei suggested, pointing to the underwear on the floor with an embarrassed hint.


    "Ah!" Meng Xiaofei exclaimed loudly, scrambling to stuff the scattered clothing back into the suitcase.


    Watching Meng Xiaofei fumbling about, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin and said, "Slow down, slow down. I¡¯ve already seen it, and I¡¯ve seen plenty at your place, so there¡¯s no need to rush."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s movements halted as she cocked her head and glanced at Li Yifei. Suddenly she said, "Yeah yeah, you¡¯ve seen it already, what¡¯s there to hide? I¡¯ll keep looking." Then she took out everything she had just stuffed in.


    Li Yifei was truly at a loss for words, but since Meng Xiaofei had put it that way, if he said anything more, it would seem like he was the one with something to hide. He could only say, "Then take your time, the more you throw around, the messier it gets. If it¡¯s mixed up in your clothes, it¡¯ll be even harder to find."


    "Ah! I remember now," Meng Xiaofei exclaimed in delight. She dug out a bra from a pile of clothes, quickly untangled it, and fetched a sandalwood prayer bead from inside, boasting, "Found it, hehe, this is my favorite bra. I can forget anything else but not this one, because I was afraid of losing the Buddha bead bracelet I got for Brother Li, so I kept it with my bra."


    Both Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. Meng Xiaofei putting something religious like Buddha beads with her bra was indeed something only she could think of. Li Yifei even wondered if Meng Xiaofei¡¯s actions amounted to blasphemy.


    But Meng Xiaofei apparently had no such awareness, excitedly handing the bracelet to Li Yifei, she said, "Brother Li, this has been blessed by a famous Buddhist master. It¡¯s said to be extremely efficacious. I went through a lot of trouble to get this for you, you must always wear it."


    Li Yifei took it and put the bracelet around his wrist, laughing, "Alright, alright, this thing is good, even better than real gold and silver, thanks Xiaofei." But inwardly, he felt quite odd, wearing these Buddha beads, it almost felt like he had Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bra wrapped around his wrist, right?


    Meng Xiaofei nodded repeatedly and said, "Of course it¡¯s good. Not everyone can get their hands on one of these. Hehe, I pray for Brother Li to have a safe life and live to a hundred so that I can eat the food you make all my life." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You sure have an appetite."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and then turned to Chu Xiaoyao, saying, "Xiaoyao, I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were here, so I didn¡¯t bring you a gift."


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t mind and giggled, "Just remember me next time."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled again and said, "I¡¯ll have to remember then, you¡¯re Brother Li¡¯s concubine. If I don¡¯t butter you up, you might not let me come here for food in the future, and that would be terrible for me."


    Chu Xiaoyao said proudly, "You said it right, if you make me happy, you definitely won¡¯t lack for benefits."


    Li Yifei suddenly had a deadpan expression, considering how these girls talk, it didn¡¯t take many words for things to get risqu¨¦. Better not to join in.


    After tidying up, Meng Xiaofei took the keys from Li Yifei and went back to her place, while Chu Xiaoyao sat with pursed lips, looking at the Buddha beads on Li Yifei¡¯s wrist and asked, "Uncle, how does it feel to wear such beads?"


    "Cut it out, don¡¯t be irreverent, otherwise, they won¡¯t work," Li Yifei said sternly with a straight face.


    "Haha, if Buddha knew, he might die of anger, using a bra to wrap it, haha, Sister Xiaofei sure has some ideas," Chu Xiaoyao said, bursting into laughter on the couch.


    Today, Li Yifei got teased by Meng Xiaofei and Chu Xiaoyao all day and didn¡¯t bother with them anymore; he stood up saying he was going to the gym and left Chu Xiaoyao behind as he headed to the gym, and surprisingly she didn¡¯t cling to him this time, which was indeed unexpected.


    Two hours later, Li Yifei returned home to find Chu Xiaoyao sitting on the living room couch watching TV. Li Yifei asked, "Why don¡¯t you study instead of always watching TV?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "I don¡¯t want to study, what¡¯s the use of doing well anyway?"


    Li Yifei did not push further, knowing that for a student who didn¡¯t love studying, no amount of reasoning would be useful unless something happened that could motivate her to strive on her own.


    The evening was still young, and after Li Yifei took a shower, he too sat down on the couch to watch TV. Remarkably, little Xiaoyao didn¡¯t pester him today but politely sat there engrossed in the TV program, seemingly completely captivated by it.


    Li Yifei was also glad for the quiet and sat beside Xiaoyao, lit a cigarette, and watched along.


    Xiaoyao was laughing excitedly at a comedy movie, overacting with her hands and feet and laughing with a clear and delightful sound. The carefree nature of youth was indeed enviable.


    "Uncle, let me get you a tissue," Xiaoyao said, her eyes focused on the TV as she reached out to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei casually took a tissue and handed it to Xiaoyao, naturally glancing at her in the process. With that look, Li Yifei¡¯s face suddenly heated up, for the girl¡¯s nightgown had hitched up to her hips, revealing half of her little bottom and a glimpse of her panties, along with the pale, dazzling flesh of her behind.


    If Xiaoyao were deliberately seducing Li Yifei, he would have sent her away long ago, but since Xiaoyao did this unintentionally, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t blame her. This occasion, being even more provocative and tempting, made Li Yifei helplessly take a few more glances and stirred a restless feeling inside him, almost driving him to reach out and touch her.


    "Uncle, what are you looking at?" Xiaoyao suddenly turned her head, looking at Li Yifei with puzzlement.


    Li Yifei was instantly sweating and felt as if Xiaoyao had caught him red-handed, now with nothing to say in his defense.

 Chapter 215 - 216: The Forced Marriage Arrives

    Chapter 215: Chapter 216: The Forced Marriage Arrives"Uncle, is there still something on my face?" Chu Xiaoyao touched her face, looking at Li Yifei with a puzzled expression.


    "No, it¡¯s all gone. You¡¯ve wiped it off," Li Yifei replied with a smile, but inside he was secretly relieved that Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t caught him sneaking glances at her. Otherwise, that would have been really embarrassing.


    Xiaoyao made an "oh" sound and turned her head back to the TV, bursting into laughter again soon after.


    It¡¯s actually quite understandable to feel this way. What¡¯s easily obtained becomes less anticipated, while what¡¯s hard to get creates high expectations. Seeing everything undressed leaves nothing more to look forward to, whereas film often builds anticipation, making viewers long for those occasional glimpses.


    Li Yifei was feeling just like that. The slight exposure from Xiaoyao had an enormous attraction for him. Even though he kept reminding himself he shouldn¡¯t look, he couldn¡¯t help but sneak peeks now and then.


    "Damn it, am I too evil? The girl is flirting with me willingly, and I don¡¯t respond, but now I¡¯m peeping at her," Li Yifei despised himself secretly, feeling that if he continued like this, he would truly become a beast, ready to violate this young girl Xiaoyao.


    He stood up abruptly, startling Xiaoyao. "Uncle, what¡¯s wrong?" she asked.


    "I¡¯m going to wash my face," Li Yifei said before heading straight to the bathroom.


    Xiaoyao caught a glimpse of Li Yifei¡¯s trousers tenting, and her lips curled into a secret smile. She had learned something new today, which was not to actively harass Li Yifei, but instead to occasionally flash him accidentally.


    This tactic was certainly effective, having stirred up Li Yifei¡¯s fire.


    "Stinky uncle, serve you right for not agreeing to me. I¡¯ll make you eat me up one of these days," Xiaoyao mumbled to herself after Li Yifei had entered the bathroom, shaking her little fist with full confidence that she would eventually have her way with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei truly hadn¡¯t noticed that Xiaoyao, this little wench, had such crafty thoughts, and it took a good while of washing with cold water before he managed to subdue his desires.


    When he came out again, Xiaoyao had already turned off the TV, yawning and stretching her arms above her head, arching her back in a stretch that lifted her nightgown up, revealing a small portion of her panties.


    Li Yifei caught sight of it again, and the fire that had just died down flared up once more.


    "Uncle, I¡¯m sleepy, I¡¯m going to bed first," Xiaoyao said, rubbing her eyes and stumbling toward the bedroom before flopping down on the bed, ready to sleep without even turning off the light.


    Only after Li Yifei turned off the lights in the living room did he notice that Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t turned off the bedroom light. He went inside and saw Xiaoyao lying on the bed with her legs apart. His eyes couldn¡¯t help but glance at her body a few times before he quickly turned off the light and exited the room.


    Lying on the sofa, Li Yifei lit a cigarette. In the haze of smoke, he couldn¡¯t help but wryly smile, feeling that he was really too base. If things continued this way, it wouldn¡¯t end well. Being with such a tempting young girl every day, it would surely lead to trouble eventually.


    The next morning, as soon as Li Yifei arrived at the company, he received a call from Xu Yingying, asking him to come to the general manager¡¯s office. Although he was reluctant, it was work hours, and he wasn¡¯t afraid to meet Xu Yingying, so he briskly made his way to her office. Besides Yingying, there was also He Fangqing.


    Yingying, in a professional suit, looked very spirited. She gestured to Li Yifei, "I¡¯m going to Capital City this afternoon and will probably be back in two days. During these two days, as the president, don¡¯t you have some responsibilities to take over in the company?"


    When Li Yifei heard that Yingying would be away for two days, a smile immediately appeared on his face. "The president¡¯s seat can remain vacant. Just let Director He take over. I think there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems. Besides, all the employees in the company have their own duties. As long as they handle their tasks, there shouldn¡¯t be a need for too much reporting, right?"


    Yingying knew Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t agree and didn¡¯t insist. She said to He Fangqing, "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯ll have to take extra care. If there¡¯s anything, just make him work harder. We can¡¯t let him idle."


    He Fangqing nodded, "No problem at all. If I really can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll give you a call."


    "Alright, that¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll go over a few important matters left on my desk with both of you before I leave."


    Yingying being away for two days meant two less days of pressure for Li Yifei, so he listened attentively to her instructions, eager for her to leave.


    After handing over the work, Yingying said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, try to minimize your contact with Shanshan these next two days."


    Li Yifei just shrugged, "Don¡¯t worry, I have a girlfriend."


    Yingying nodded, "Alright then, you¡¯ll take me to the airport later."


    Li Yifei agreed happily. As long as he could send Yingying off, taking her to the airport was of course no issue. In his years with the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei had encountered countless tough characters and never felt intimidated. Even when female agents used their Beauty Trick on him, he could handle it with ease. But dealing with Yingying was truly a headache for him.


    In the car, Xu Yingying first briefed Li Yifei about some work matters. As they neared the airport, Xu Yingying turned to look at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, I need to ask you for a favor."


    Feeling that Xu Yingying was very serious this time, Li Yifei turned to look at her and asked, "What is it?"


    "I know that Shanshan is attracted to you, but before you¡¯re sure that you really like her, don¡¯t get involved with her physically."


    Li Yifei paused for a moment, then replied heartily, "Don¡¯t worry about that. Shanshan really is a good girl, but I have a girlfriend, and I can¡¯t do anything to betray her." However, the thought of still maintaining a relationship with He Fangqing made Li Yifei feel somewhat guilty.


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I¡¯m aware you have a girlfriend, but you¡¯re not married, so it¡¯s normal for Shanshan and me to pursue you. I¡¯m just afraid you won¡¯t resist Shanshan¡¯s attraction, so..."


    "Hehe... You really don¡¯t have to worry about that. You too are a woman attractive to men, but haven¡¯t I behaved myself around you?"


    Xu Yingying was momentarily at a loss for words, but on this matter, she had to admit that Li Yifei was a decent guy. If it were any other man, he might have agreed already, which was probably one of the reasons Xu Shanshan liked Li Yifei.


    After seeing off Xu Yingying, Li Yifei felt relieved, but before he could leave the airport, a call from Xu Shanshan came in. She was frantic, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s terrible, my parents are coming."


    "What?" Li Yifei was immediately surprised.


    "They¡¯ll be landing in two hours. You need to hurry and pick them up."


    "Shanshan, I can go to the airport, but your sister hasn¡¯t clarified our relationship to them, has she?"


    "No, she hasn¡¯t. That¡¯s why you have to go."


    Li Yifei was suddenly overwhelmed. Another call came in, and seeing it was Xu Yingying, he quickly said to Xu Shanshan, "Your sister is also calling; I need to answer that first."


    After putting Xu Shanshan on hold, he answered Xu Yingying¡¯s call. She immediately said, "Yifei, it¡¯s bad, my parents are coming."


    Li Yifei said with a wry smile, "Shanshan just told me, so what do we do now?"


    "Please, do me one more favor and pretend to be my boyfriend again to pick up my parents."


    "This has to come out sooner or later. How long can we keep this up?"


    "To get through the moment is to get through the moment. I¡¯m about to board my flight. You must help me with this. As long as you help me deceive my parents, I will fulfill any request you have afterward." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said, "Alright, then I¡¯ll wait for them at the airport."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei was somewhat amused and exasperated. Now both Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan wanted to be with him. He had been trying to extricate himself, but with the arrival of their parents, he found himself having to play the role of Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend again, unsure of how this whole situation would end.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s call came in again, urgently asking, "Brother-in-law, what do we do now?"


    Li Yifei replied with a bitter smile, "What else can we do? Keep playing your brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Then you wait at the airport for my parents. I¡¯ll tidy up the house now, so it looks like you¡¯ve been living there all along."


    After waiting for over two hours at the airport, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents finally arrived. Li Yifei saw them come through the gates and eagerly greeted them, saying, "Uncle, Auntie, why such a sudden visit? Yingying just happens to be on a business trip."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately replied irritably, "It¡¯s all because of you two. We had agreed that right after the New Year, you¡¯d get married. May Day has come and gone, and we haven¡¯t heard a peep. We¡¯re here to see if there¡¯s some problem with you two."


    Li Yifei hastily said, "There¡¯s no problem with us, but the company¡¯s been busy with new development, and we haven¡¯t had time to think about personal issues."


    "What are you talking about? You have work, but you also need to sort out your personal life. You¡¯re not getting any younger; Yingying is already twenty-six. If you keep dragging this out, before you know it she¡¯ll be thirty. If a woman waits until after thirty to have children, it¡¯s not good for her health."


    Li Yifei was instantly covered in sweat at the thought of them already considering grandchildren. The old couple was indeed in quite a rush.

 Chapter 216 - 217: The Two Elders Force a Marriage Proposal

    Chapter 216: Chapter 217: The Two Elders Force a Marriage ProposalLi Yifei listened to Xu Yingying¡¯s parents nagging while leading them to Xu Yingying¡¯s house. As soon as the door opened, Xu Shanshan hugged her mother and gave her a big kiss on the cheek, saying affectionately, "Mom, Dad, I missed you so much."


    Xu Zhenguo glared and said, "You little girl, missing us? You took off just to avoid our nagging."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m quite comfortable staying here, so I stayed a couple more days."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother pinched her daughter¡¯s waist and said with mock anger, "Look at you, all grown up but still running to your sister¡¯s place without thinking of how it might affect them?"


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei and said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, I didn¡¯t disturb your couple¡¯s time, did I?"


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "No, no, Yingying and I have been really busy lately. Shanshan¡¯s presence here has been a help to us."


    Xu Zhenguo curled his lip and said, "She didn¡¯t cause trouble for you? That¡¯s good enough¡ªexpecting her to help is a stretch."


    Xu Shanshan let go of her mother and hugged her father¡¯s arm, pouting, "Dad, you talk about your daughter like this. Don¡¯t you want me to get married?"


    "I do want you to get married, but you have to find someone."


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei again and laughed, "Who says I¡¯m not looking? I met someone nice here, and I¡¯m working on getting married."


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat. Naturally, the person Xu Shanshan referred to was him. Fortunately, Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents didn¡¯t catch the underlying meaning in her words. They looked excited instead, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother quickly pulled Xu Shanshan over, saying, "When are you going to bring him over to meet us?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Why the rush? I need to see if we¡¯re suitable first. I¡¯m not going to foolishly marry just anyone. I need to find someone I truly like."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother immediately frowned and said, "What¡¯s this about liking or not liking? As long as he¡¯s not annoying, it¡¯s fine. Your dad and I only knew each other for a month before marriage, and we¡¯re doing just fine."


    "This is a different era; you can¡¯t compare it to your time."


    Xu Zhenguo glared and said, "Whatever the era, you still need to get married and have kids."


    Li Yifei hurried to smooth things over, smiling as he said, "Uncle, Auntie, you¡¯ve had a long flight, why don¡¯t you sit down and rest? I¡¯ll keep an eye on Shanshan¡¯s situation, and make sure she brings her boyfriend for you to meet soon."


    With Li Yifei, Xu Zhenguo and his wife were much more relaxed. Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother sat down and said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, do you know the boyfriend Shanshan found?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Recently Yingying and I have been too busy with work, so we really don¡¯t know who Shanshan has set her eyes on. We¡¯d be in the dark if she didn¡¯t say anything today."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I haven¡¯t decided yet, so I can¡¯t bring him along. What if you like him and I can¡¯t shake him off?"


    The Xu Zhenguo couple was at a loss with Xu Shanshan. Since Xu Yingying and Li Yifei got together, they started pressing Xu Shanshan to find someone. Who knew this girl would simply run off to Mile City, making them rush over in pursuit.


    Li Yifei poured two glasses of water for the elderly couple before sitting down. Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother took a sip and looked at Li Yifei with a smile, "Yifei, you said you and Yingying were busy and couldn¡¯t arrange the wedding. I have a suggestion: why don¡¯t we take care of the wedding arrangements for you?"


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly said, "Uncle, Auntie, we can¡¯t let you worry about our wedding. We¡¯d rather handle it ourselves."


    "What do you mean? You two are busy without time, right? We¡¯re old and have nothing to do. We can handle buying and renovating the house, select a few homes for you to choose from."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened even further. The old couple was really pushing hard, clearly out to pressure him into marriage, and had already prepared in advance.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I don¡¯t think we need to buy a new house. This one is nice. Just a little tidying up, and it can be the new house. If they want to switch later, they can."


    Xu Zhenguo slapped his thigh and said, "Shanshan¡¯s idea is great. Arranging the house is not urgent; getting married is more pressing. Once you tie the knot, whatever you want in the future can be dealt with slowly."


    Not waiting for Li Yifei to comment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother eagerly said to Xu Zhenguo, "Old Xu, the 20th is a good day. I suggest we have the wedding then. We need to notify friends and family right away to make it grand."


    Xu Zhenguo nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, we haven¡¯t had a happy event in our family for many years, so we should inform all the friends and relatives this time."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother added, "Of course, we should inform them. Over the years, we don¡¯t even know how much we¡¯ve given in gifts. Hosting something at home naturally means they should bring a little something."


    The more Li Yifei listened, the more he felt overwhelmed. The old couple didn¡¯t ask for his opinion at all and had already started planning the wedding.


    "Uncle, Auntie... I think we should discuss it with Yingying when she comes back. I¡¯m worried Yingying won¡¯t have time." After all, it was Xu Yingying¡¯s idea, so she should handle it. However, Li Yifei suddenly thought of another issue: Xu Yingying had been insisting on being with him. Would she also press for marriage?


    Perhaps this was a trap set by Xu Yingying with her parents. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just fall into it; pushing it to Xu Yingying clearly wasn¡¯t wise.


    Xu Zhenguo said, "Don¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯ll talk to Yingying. Since she¡¯s living with you, she¡¯s definitely accepted you. She isn¡¯t in a rush to marry because she¡¯s headstrong. Once you plan the wedding, she won¡¯t object."


    Li Yifei felt even more distressed. Spotting Xu Shanshan, he suddenly had an idea and discreetly signaled her.


    Xu Shanshan blinked and said, "Mom, Dad, I think you¡¯re being too hasty. My sister is a manager; you can¡¯t just rush her into marriage. There are many details to consider; you can¡¯t plan a wedding based on old traditions."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother immediately asked, "Then how should we do it?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed and said, "Nowadays, young couples have so many wedding ideas¡ªpre-wedding dresses, photo shoots, all kinds of new twists. You have to do them all to avoid regrets later. I think we should wait until my sister is back to discuss it."


    Li Yifei was immeasurably grateful to Xu Shanshan. The sister-in-law, when it mattered, really was quite helpful.


    Xu Zhenguo frowned slightly and asked, "When will that be? Your mom and I are anxious to hold our grandchildren."


    Li Yifei was again overwhelmed with black lines over his head. Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "You¡¯ll have to wait. Even if Brother-in-law and my sister marry immediately, she probably won¡¯t have a child right away."


    "If she won¡¯t, then you get married soon and give us a grandchild. You aren¡¯t busy; having a child for us to take care of would be nice."


    Xu Shanshan widened her eyes and said, "No way, you can¡¯t make plans on me."


    "You and your sister are barely two hours apart anyway, so who has the baby first doesn¡¯t matter."


    Xu Shanshan quickly covered her ears, "I am not involved. I¡¯m out of here." She slipped away into the bedroom.


    Her parents¡¯ visit had indeed been her plan. She¡¯d tipped them off about Xu Yingying and Li Yifei not rushing to get married, worrying them that the wedding might be indefinitely postponed, which hurried them over.


    When Li Yifei signaled her earlier, she pretended to support them before acting defeated and retreating. Now with her parents there, Li Yifei had to handle it.


    The best option now was to tell the elderly couple the truth. Li Yifei had a good impression of them, and it would also be unfair to Xu Yingying to spill the beans now. Although he resisted Xu Yingying¡¯s desire to genuinely become his girlfriend, as a general friend, he found her nice, so he couldn¡¯t expose everything now.


    "Uncle, Auntie, there¡¯s no rush with this matter. Let me first get you some dinner, and tonight I¡¯ll have a drink with Uncle."


    This suggestion was agreeable to the Xu Zhenguo couple. Li Yifei hurried to go shopping; Xu Shanshan quickly joined him, saying, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll go with you."


    Upon entering the elevator, Li Yifei frowned, "Shanshan, why didn¡¯t you help us out a little more earlier?"


    Xu Shanshan smiled wryly and said, "I wanted to, but I don¡¯t want to watch you and Sister get married either. Otherwise, you¡¯d be my real brother-in-law, and I couldn¡¯t be with you. But you saw how eager my parents were. I couldn¡¯t say much without getting myself involved."


    Li Yifei sighed, "What now? I can¡¯t really marry your sister. I¡¯m helping you guys, but I can¡¯t sacrifice myself."


    Xu Shanshan rubbed her chin, thoughtfully saying, "We¡¯ll have to drag it out." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, it seems that¡¯s the only option, Shanshan. You¡¯ll help me, right?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not letting you marry my sister so easily. I want to be your wife."


    Li Yifei grinned sheepishly. The idea of Xu Shanshan wanting to be his wife once gave him a headache, but now it seemed like a saving grace.

 Chapter 217 - 218 Sneakily

    Chapter 217: Chapter 218 SneakilyAfter buying groceries, Li Yifei personally cooked a delicious dinner, drank quite a bit with Xu Zhenguo, and then took his leave. The reason was easy to find¡ªsince the living space was small with only two bedrooms, he couldn¡¯t make the old couple go out to stay elsewhere, nor could he drive Xu Shanshan out, so he decided to make do with staying at the company for the night.


    Fortunately, while he was having dinner with the Xu Zhenguo Couple that evening, Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t called him, which would have complicated things even further. When he got home, he unexpectedly found Chu Xiaoyao missing. From the looks of it in the house, it seemed Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t returned since she left in the morning.


    This made Li Yifei somewhat worried. Now that this young girl was living in his house, if something were to happen to her, he would bear an inescapable responsibility. Responsibility wasn¡¯t what Li Yifei feared, but he couldn¡¯t get past this concern himself. He quickly called Chu Xiaoyao, but her phone was turned off. That only increased Li Yifei¡¯s worries.


    Just then, Su Yiyi called him to say that Chu Xiaoyao had been picked up by her parents, who had taken her phone away, and she could only use QQ to notify her online. Su Yiyi had gone out with classmates in the evening, returned a little late, and had just seen the message, so she informed Li Yifei only now.


    Now that he knew Chu Xiaoyao was alright, Li Yifei felt relieved and also more at ease. Otherwise, having this young girl around was really getting to be too much for him to handle.


    "Brother Li, you... you..." Su Yiyi suddenly started to stammer.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "What¡¯s the matter? Just say it, are you running short on money?"


    "No, no, not at all!" Su Yiyi quickly denied.


    "Then what¡¯s the matter? Are you in some kind of trouble?"


    "I... I just wanted to ask you, Brother Li, do... do you miss me?"


    Li Yifei was taken aback, and then a strong sense of warmth surged in his heart. Gently he said, "Of course, I miss you. I want to hug you right now. Shall I come pick you up?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No! No! Don¡¯t come to pick me up." Su Yiyi seemed very flustered.


    Li Yifei asked in confusion, "What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you miss me?"


    "It¡¯s not that. I also miss... Brother Li a lot, but... but... I just got my... period today."


    Li Yifei could imagine the embarrassed and shy look on Su Yiyi¡¯s face as she said this and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. "Silly girl, if I say I miss you, does it mean I only want that from you? We could talk, watch TV, or just cuddle up and sleep together."


    Speaking softly, Su Yiyi said, "But... that would make Brother Li so uncomfortable."


    A ripple went through Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and with a laugh, he said, "Then you¡¯ll have to find other ways to help me."


    "Other ways?" Su Yiyi sounded a bit perplexed.


    Listening to Su Yiyi¡¯s voice, Li Yifei began to regret his words. Su Yiyi was such an innocent girl and didn¡¯t understand these things at all; he felt he was almost desecrating her by speaking like that. He quickly said, "I¡¯m just joking with you. Alright, wait for me. I¡¯ll come pick you up right now from school."


    "Ah! You¡¯re really coming?" Su Yiyi replied both shocked and delighted.


    "Of course, it¡¯s for real. Do you want me to wait for you at the school gate, or do you prefer under your dormitory building?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "I... better at the school gate. Brother Li, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of people seeing, it¡¯s just that... just that..."


    "Silly girl, I understand. You just don¡¯t want to make others too envious of you, right?" Li Yifei laughed heartily. "Alright, I¡¯ll be at your school gate in half an hour."


    "Mmhmm!" Su Yiyi responded eagerly, and then the call ended.


    Most girls are quite vain, and Li Yifei understood that well. Girls like Chu Xiaoyao, Xu Shanshan all liked to show off, but Su Yiyi was completely different. She never thought about having Li Yifei pick her up in his car and then showing off in front of her classmates.


    After changing his clothes, Li Yifei drove to Su Yiyi¡¯s school. It wasn¡¯t long before Su Yiyi emerged from the school looking excited. Upon seeing Li Yifei¡¯s car, she hurried over and got in.


    Stealing a glance at Li Yifei, she shyly said, "Brother Li, sorry to keep you waiting."


    Li Yifei started the car, still with a smile, and said, "When it comes to dates, isn¡¯t it better for the man to arrive early? Shows he¡¯s sincere."


    "Dates..." Su Yiyi¡¯s face grew redder, but her eyes carried a different sparkle, and suddenly they became teary.


    Li Yifei could understand Su Yiyi¡¯s thoughts and felt somewhat guilty in his heart. With his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand holding Su Yiyi¡¯s left hand, he said softly, "Yiyi, it¡¯s Brother Li¡¯s fault for not giving you the feeling of being in love."


    Su Yiyi clasped Li Yifei¡¯s hand in return and shook her head repeatedly, "Brother Li, it¡¯s already so good, really good."


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "From now on, whenever we have time, we can go shopping, watch movies, and such. You can¡¯t refuse to come out with me."


    "I will definitely come out," Su Yiyi wiped her eyes and gave Li Yifei a sweet smile that was incredibly radiant and charming.


    "Well then, let¡¯s go have a romantic time right now instead of heading straight home to sleep, shall we?" Li Yifei winked at Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi was so thrilled she didn¡¯t know what to say, and just kept nodding her head. Whatever Li Yifei wanted to do, she would accept unconditionally, especially when it was something that made her so happy.


    During this time, Su Yiyi truly didn¡¯t have that previous feeling of wanting to repay a debt, but when she was with Li Yifei, she always deferred to his choices. Whatever Li Yifei wanted to do, she followed, and this made her feel very sweet. Now that Li Yifei was offering her even more, thinking about watching movies together and shopping, her heart was so delighted it felt like flying.


    Li Yifei knew that Su Yiyi didn¡¯t have many ideas at this time, so he took her shopping. It wasn¡¯t too late and the shops on the commercial streets were still open, so he bought Su Yiyi a few pieces of clothing.


    Su Yiyi was reluctant to accept; the clothes cost over two thousand, which for her was incredibly extravagant.


    "Silly girl, aren¡¯t you my girlfriend? When you dress up nicely, I feel good looking at you. ¡¯Women dress for the ones they cherish¡¯, you should know that," he said.


    Su Yiyi said with a heartache, "But this is spending too much. You¡¯re now giving me money for college and buying clothes for me, it has cost so much."


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, smiling, "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Li isn¡¯t the type to pretend to be richer than he is. If I didn¡¯t have the money, I certainly wouldn¡¯t be spending recklessly. I can¡¯t buy you clothes only to find myself without rent or food money later, right?"


    Leaning on Li Yifei, Su Yiyi walked slowly forward and said softly, "Brother Li, we should still spend with a plan, and I really don¡¯t need much. Please don¡¯t spend too much on me in the future."


    Li Yifei knew Su Yiyi was thrifty and couldn¡¯t accept spending too much money. Even if he showed her all his wealth, she wouldn¡¯t be willing to spend it and would feel an even greater burden. Therefore, Li Yifei didn¡¯t tell Su Yiyi about his true financial situation, and the two of them continued to live a peaceful life, thinking that earning money and living together in the future would be a very happy thing.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were ready to go back. After driving for a while, Li Yifei wanted to buy some fruit. Knowing there was a small street nearby with a night market, which sold many things, he parked the car nearby and walked in with Su Yiyi.


    But as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the street, they saw chaos, with shouting and screaming incessantly filling the air.


    Su Yiyi grasped Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly out of nervousness, while Li Yifei frowned and pulled Su Yiyi towards the commotion, quickly seeing what exactly was happening.


    It turned out to be a fight. On one side, three people were armed with metal pipes and other weapons, and on the other, two people were unarmed and being beaten badly. Nearby, there were two cars: one a BMW worth about a million, and another a taxi, the two cars seemingly having collided.


    Li Yifei stood there for a short while and had already figured out what was going on. Apparently, the two cars had collided, and it was difficult to determine whose fault it was. But in this kind of street, driving in is generally avoided. To drive in here was to look for trouble.


    At this moment, Li Yifei also spotted someone familiar¡ªit was his flight attendant neighbor, Meng Xiaofei. She was filming with her phone, unclear whether she was just watching or recording evidence.


    The Police Car arrived with a siren blaring, and several police officers jumped out. They finally intervened and stopped the fight.


    "What¡¯s going on?" A police officer looked coldly at both parties, but when he saw one of the men involved in the beating, the officer¡¯s expression changed, and he nodded slightly without speaking to that person.


    The man simply pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and seemed unphased by the arrival of the police.


    One of the beaten men, his forehead covered and blood all over him, pleaded, "Officer, their car forced its way through, and my taxi ended up getting scraped. They blamed me after getting out of the car and then they beat me."


    The police officer frowned and said, "All of you, get in the car. We¡¯ll sort this out at the station."


    The beaten man quickly got into the Police Car, while the three men who had done the beating didn¡¯t enter the Police Car but instead got into their car and followed behind.


    "Hey, officer, I have evidence here," Meng Xiaofei suddenly shouted. The Police Car wasn¡¯t moving fast and should have heard her, yet didn¡¯t stop and drove off.


    As the crowd dispersed, Meng Xiaofei spotted Li Yifei and rushed over, urgently saying, "Brother Li, do you have a car? Hurry and follow them. I have evidence on my phone, otherwise the taxi driver is going to suffer a big loss."

 Chapter 218 - 219: The Righteous Meng Xiaofei

    Chapter 218: Chapter 219: The Righteous Meng XiaofeiWith Meng Xiaofei in his car, Meng Xiaofei had already told Li Yifei the whole incident. She hadn¡¯t waited for Li Yifei to come back for dinner tonight but went out to buy some food, and happened to see that a stall was selling something very interesting. She planned to film the process, and just as she started recording, a car accident occurred. She captured the entire incident on video. The culprit seemed to have connections, and even while beating the victim, kept yelling that it didn¡¯t matter if the police came, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.


    Therefore, Meng Xiaofei felt that at the police station, the taxi driver would definitely be at a disadvantage, so she wanted to testify to prevent the driver from getting unjustly treated.


    Li Yifei was quite surprised and said to Meng Xiaofei, "You have a strong sense of justice, huh?"


    Meng Xiaofei retorted indignantly, "It¡¯s not about having a sense of justice; I just can¡¯t stand those arrogant people. It was obviously them who hit someone first, and they beat someone up instead of reasoning. If I don¡¯t see them punished, I can¡¯t swallow this grievance."


    "But even if we have the evidence, it may not be useful, right?"


    Meng Xiaofei swung her fist forcefully and said, "Hmm, if they don¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll post the evidence online and see if they are scared or not. Even if his dad is Li Gang, it will still be useless."


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s determination, Li Yifei had no reason not to support her. He had already noticed the police car, knowing it belonged to the local police station, which was Lin Qiong¡¯s station. So he drove directly there.


    As expected, in the police station¡¯s courtyard, Li Yifei saw the police car and the BMW from before. The three of them got out of the car and headed straight for the station.


    At the entrance, a duty officer saw the trio and immediately came out to stop them, asking, "What do you need?"


    Meng Xiaofei promptly said, "Comrade officer, I recorded the whole process of the fight that just happened. I want to prove that the taxi drivers are not at fault at all."


    The officer nodded and said, "Then come with me."


    The officer led Li Yifei and his group into a room and said, "Wait here for a moment, someone will attend to you soon," then walked out.


    Shortly after, another officer came in, sat down, and asked, "Who has the video?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately responded, "I do."


    "Good, give the video to me."


    Just as Meng Xiaofei was about to hand over her phone, she quickly said, "I¡¯ll send it to you."


    The officer frowned slightly, saying, "That¡¯s not possible, the original evidence is required for the case."


    "But I have some personal photos and stuff on my phone."


    "Then you can delete them."


    Meng Xiaofei hesitated for a moment but eventually managed to transfer everything but the video to her phone and delete the rest. Then she removed the memory card and said, "Can I give you the memory card as evidence?"


    The officer nodded, "That will do."


    Meng Xiaofei gave the officer her memory card, and the officer said, "Thank you for supporting our police work. You can go now."


    "Oh..." Meng Xiaofei uttered and took a few steps towards the door but then stopped and asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to give my memory card back?"


    "It has now become police evidence; we cannot return it to you. However, you can buy a new one and come to us for reimbursement."


    A memory card doesn¡¯t cost much; no one would bother coming for reimbursement.


    But at this moment, Meng Xiaofei insisted, "No, I want to wait until you have finished dealing with the case before I leave."


    The officer¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, "We don¡¯t need to explain our investigation process to you. Hurry up and leave; don¡¯t disrupt our work here." His attitude had clearly changed after receiving the memory card; he was no longer courteous to Meng Xiaofei and wanted to send her away immediately.


    Meng Xiaofei, enraged, glared and shouted, "Then give me back my card, and I¡¯ll go post the information online myself."


    The officer snorted, "Can you just take police property like that?"


    Meng Xiaofei shouted angrily, "What police property? That¡¯s clearly my memory card."


    "It has become evidence now, so it¡¯s no longer your personal property. Besides, as I¡¯ve said, you can get another one, and we¡¯ll reimburse you for it."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s lips trembled with fury as she declared, "Fine, then let me see how you use this evidence to handle the case."


    The officer¡¯s eyes widened menacingly and he barked, "Who are you to meddle with police work? Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t leave now, you¡¯re causing a disturbance. Don¡¯t blame me for being rude to you."


    "What? I¡¯m causing a disturbance?" Meng Xiaofei could hardly believe her ears. She had clearly come to cooperate with the police investigation, and now she was being accused of causing trouble, something she couldn¡¯t accept.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing right now?" the officer said coldly, staring at Meng Xiaofei.


    "Fine! I¡¯m just seeking justice, what can you all do to me? I want to see how you handle this." Meng Xiaofei had also become stubborn, she plopped down on the chair and glared fiercely at the policeman.


    The policeman furrowed his brow, snorted coldly, and turned to walk out.


    Not only was Meng Xiaofei angry, but even Su Yiyi, who was usually good-natured, was infuriated at this point and bit her lip, saying, "Why are the police like this? This is really infuriating."


    Li Yifei was very calm, lit a cigarette, and said, "There are just too many infuriating people in this world."


    Meng Xiaofei pursed her lips and said, "Anyway, I¡¯ll stick it out with them. I really want to see how they deal with this. Brother Li, Yiyi, you two go back first."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "How can we be at ease leaving you here by yourself?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said, "This is the police station; what can they do to me? It¡¯s so late, and I¡¯ve dragged you both here, ruining your time together. You really don¡¯t need to keep me company now." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi blushed and shyly said, "Sister Xiaofei, we were just out for a walk, it¡¯s no big deal."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Let¡¯s just say we¡¯re here to visit the police station."


    With Li Yifei and Su Yiyi there with her, Meng Xiaofei felt much more at ease, though she herself felt uncertain deep down.


    After waiting for about ten minutes, there were voices in the hallway. Meng Xiaofei immediately rushed to the door, peered out the window, and saw the same people who had been hitting someone in the hallway, all looking relaxed and even smug.


    "Director Liu, that¡¯s settled then. We¡¯ll be going. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow, and we¡¯ll go out for a drink," someone said.


    Director Liu shook hands with the young man who had spoken, saying, "No need, no need, such a small matter, what¡¯s there to drink about? Just give my regards to Director Xiao."


    "Haha, definitely, but don¡¯t mention this to my dad, okay? Otherwise, he will scold me," the young man laughed.


    "What¡¯s there to mention about such a small matter? Rest assured, even if Director Xiao hears about it, I¡¯ll cover for you," Director Liu replied.


    "Director Liu is really solid. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to my mom about it, and she will definitely put in a good word with my dad. Your promotion won¡¯t be a problem," the young man assured him.


    "Then I really appreciate it," Director Liu said, his face beaming as he escorted the three men out.


    This confirmed Meng Xiaofei¡¯s suspicion that those men hadn¡¯t been punished at all. Her rage surged, and she yanked open the door, blocking their path. Pointing at the three men, she confronted Director Liu, "They hit someone; how can you let them go?"


    Director Liu was taken aback, then his face turned stern, "And who might you be?"


    Meng Xiaofei boldly retorted, "I¡¯m a witness. I can prove they hit someone, and I provided you with the video evidence, enough to prove the assault. Yet just because his father is some Director Xiao, you let them go. How do you run your police station?"


    Director Liu¡¯s face changed as he said coldly, "Young lady, don¡¯t make wild accusations. I haven¡¯t seen any evidence you provided. According to our investigation, this was merely a traffic accident, which the Traffic Police Team will handle."


    "Haven¡¯t seen the evidence I provided? I clearly handed over my phone¡¯s memory card to one of your policemen," Meng Xiaofei said, her face turning red.


    "Really? Who did you give it to?"


    "I gave it to one of your policemen."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll call out the policemen on duty today, and you can point out who you gave it to." Director Liu called out, and several policemen came out from inside, but the one who had taken Meng Xiaofei¡¯s memory card was not among them.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face turned sullen, but she immediately cried out, "He must be hiding."


    Director Liu¡¯s face darkened, "You are openly slandering the Public Security Bureau; do you know the consequences of saying that?"


    Meng Xiaofei lifted her head, "Then do you dare to let me search?"


    "Hmph, go ahead and search. If you can¡¯t find it, I will have to detain you," he said.


    "Detain me then, I¡¯m not afraid of you," Meng Xiaofei replied through clenched teeth, then began searching room by room, but other than the few policemen, the one who asked her for the memory card was nowhere to be found.


    Li Yifei already knew the outcome, for on the opposite wall hung photos of the police station¡¯s staff, and the man who had asked for the memory card wasn¡¯t among them. It wasn¡¯t that the man wasn¡¯t from there but rather he was a temporary auxiliary police officer.


    The people at the station had expected this move and had the auxiliary officer leave in advance.


    "Hmph, what do you have to say now?" Director Liu looked at Meng Xiaofei coldly.


    Meng Xiaofei stood dazed in front of Li Yifei; she was completely baffled by the situation. She had clearly handed over the memory card to a policeman, but now that policeman had disappeared, and with him, all her evidence.


    Director Xiao¡¯s son had been watching Meng Xiaofei the whole time and now burst into laughter, "Director Liu, don¡¯t be too hard on such a beautiful lady. Beautiful, do you have time? Let¡¯s go out for dinner, I¡¯ll make sure you get a proper resolution."

 Chapter 219 - 220: Momentum

    Chapter 219: Chapter 220: MomentumThis kid was named Xiao Shengyou, and his father, Xiao Jianguo, was the Deputy Director of the City Public Security Bureau. Relying on his father¡¯s power, Xiao was quite arrogant normally. Although he hadn¡¯t committed any major evil deeds, he bullied quite a few people, and whenever he caused any trouble, the people from the police stations and sub-bureaus would give face to his father and not make things difficult for him.


    Moreover, Xiao Shengyou¡¯s mother was an extremely protective woman. As long as there was trouble, she would side with her son, which made Xiao even more fearless and reckless in his actions.


    To him, hitting a taxi driver was a trivial matter that he hadn¡¯t taken to heart. Showing up at the police station was merely a formality to save the face of the station director and for those around to see so as to prevent too much public uproar, since the internet could be quite powerful these days.


    Usually, that would have been sufficient, but who could have expected that today there would be someone like Meng Xiaofei, who insisted on pursuing the matter and even recorded a video on her phone? That was somewhat troublesome. So, after they got the memory card from the phone, they threw it into the toilet and flushed it down. Denying any wrongdoing was the approach they took, leaving Meng Xiaofei without evidence.


    Xiao Shengyou had originally planned to deal with the persistent Meng Xiaofei later, but the moment he saw her appearance, his intentions changed. She was absolutely beautiful, a bombshell beauty¡ªtruly a rarity. The thought of dealing with Xiaofei turned into a desire to get her into bed.


    "Beauty, do you know where you are? This is a police station. If you keep behaving foolishly here, that¡¯s breaking the law. We could detain you for ten days or even half a month without any issue," Xiao Shengyou said after laughing, then put on a stern face as he deliberately intimidated Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei glared and retorted, "The police station isn¡¯t your private property. You think you can just detain whoever you want?"


    Xiao Shengyou squinted his eyes, then gave Director Liu a meaningful look. Understanding the cue, Director Liu suddenly became stern and shouted, "You are blatantly disrespecting the national public security institutions, causing such a commotion here. I¡¯m going to arrest you right now."


    Meng Xiaofei looked at Director Liu incredulously and angrily responded, "You dare?"


    Director Liu snorted coldly and said, "What would I not dare to do? Your actions already fully fit the description for disturbing public order, it¡¯s not just about detaining you¡ªreeducation through labor wouldn¡¯t be a problem either."


    "What? Reeducation through labor?" Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t believe her own ears. She was clearly upholding justice and providing evidence, and now she was actually going to be detained and even face reeducation through labor.


    At this moment, Xiao Shengyou quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Director Liu, don¡¯t be so harsh. After all, the law is not devoid of compassion. This lady started with good intentions, and although she has some misunderstandings about us, we cannot detain or send her to reeducation just for that."


    Director Liu said with a pained expression, "But she is being so relentless, completely hindering our work. If I don¡¯t detain her, how are we supposed to function in the future?"


    Xiao Shengyou hurriedly said, "Director Liu, can you do me a favor and let this go?"


    Director Liu hesitated for a moment then sternly replied, "Alright, I¡¯ll do you this favor, but you must take her away immediately, so she does not hinder our work here."


    "Alright, thank you, Director Liu. Beauty, let¡¯s go. Otherwise, if you get detained, it would disrupt everything," Xiao Shengyou now appeared quite considerate, and as he spoke, he reached out to grab Meng Xiaofei¡¯s arm as if convincing her to leave.


    Li Yifei found it amusing to watch. Director Liu and Xiao Shengyou played off each other like two clowns. To help Xiao pursue a woman, Director Liu disregarded his professional duties. Officials from the Public Security Bureau resorted to such methods¡ªit was utterly disgraceful. No wonder Lin Qiong had to operate covertly to solve any significant case while working with such a person.


    Usually, Meng Xiaofei might seem a bit dense, but she was quite astute in this matter. She stepped back to avoid Xiao¡¯s hand and scoffed, "Stop putting on a show. You¡¯re a station director and yet you resort to such tactics. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?"


    Director Liu¡¯s face immediately turned extremely ugly. Being called out directly by Meng Xiaofei was a hit to his prestige. Now genuinely angry, he ordered, "You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. Arrest her."


    The other police officers hesitated at this point, but Director Liu glared at them and barked, "Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? Arrest her, detain her for fifteen days."


    Xiao Shengyou quickly interjected, "Director Liu, come on, do me a favor here."


    "Shengyou, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you face, but if I don¡¯t detain her, then I¡¯ll be just like one of the guys hitting on chicks with you."


    Xiao Shengyou had originally thought Director Liu was just putting on a show, but he now realized that Director Liu was actually getting quite angry. However, he felt that this was even better. If Director Liu really arrested Meng Xiaofei and made her suffer a little, it would be easy as pie for him to have Director Liu release her later. Wouldn¡¯t he then instantly win the beauty¡¯s heart and easily take her to bed?


    At that moment, he pretended to be a bit annoyed and said to Meng Xiaofei, "Look what you¡¯ve done, you¡¯ve made Director Liu anxious. Alright, alright, wait for me; I will definitely get you out."


    Following Xiao Shengyou¡¯s order, two policemen came over to grab Meng Xiaofei. Meng Xiaofei was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode and certainly wasn¡¯t willing to be detained like this, she furiously exclaimed, "You dare!"


    "Take her away!" Director Liu barked once more.


    At this point, the two policemen hesitated no longer and rushed towards Meng Xiaofei, reaching out to grab her.


    Meng Xiaofei, a young woman faced with two policemen, had no means to resist. What hurt most was the sheer injustice of the situation, the realization that against the mighty arms of national institutions, she felt utterly insignificant, with no chance of resistance. A wave of powerlessness overwhelmed her.


    Just as she was about to be seized by the policemen, she involuntarily stepped back and was enveloped by a pair of strong arms around her waist. When she turned around, she saw herself in the embrace of Li Yifei, leaning against his chest. With Li Yifei, she felt as if she had found a refuge, and the feeling of helplessness dissipated greatly.


    But the thought that Li Yifei was just another ordinary person, perhaps good at fighting, was of little use in such a place. He couldn¡¯t possibly fight the policemen, could he? And that thought worried her immensely.


    "Stop!" Li Yifei commanded in a deep voice. He had been quietly observing from the sidelines, boiling with anger inside. Back when he was with the Flying Hawk Squad, he had participated in life-risking operations to maintain national security. Yet here at home, these so-called police officers were committing such acts, like parasites corroding the nation he had fought to protect. How could he not be furious?


    "You also want to hinder the Public Security Bureau¡¯s law enforcement? Do you know where you are? Look up and see what¡¯s above you!" Although Director Liu had noticed Li Yifei and Su Yiyi accompanying Meng Xiaofei earlier, he hadn¡¯t taken them seriously since Li Yifei hadn¡¯t spoken up. But as soon as Li Yifei spoke, Director Liu¡¯s eyes widened.


    The police information board above prominently bore the bright national emblem, which infuriated Li Yifei even more. He shouted, "Do you realize this is a national institution? Do you even remember you¡¯re under the national emblem? The power given to you by the nation is meant to protect the people¡¯s peace, to contribute to the country¡¯s stability and harmony. What are you doing? Ignoring national laws and justice because of personal connections, is this what you call law enforcement? What law are you enforcing? As the director of a police station, do your actions do justice to the national emblem above you, do they honor the police uniform you wear?"


    Li Yifei spoke with righteousness and gravity, rendering Director Liu speechless and embarrassed, unable to retort, especially since he knew he was at fault and that his actions were indeed not fitting for a police station director.


    Su Yiyi, standing by Li Yifei¡¯s side, had been quite scared, but after hearing his words and seeing his resolute profile, she couldn¡¯t help but feel immense admiration for him. This was her boyfriend, and she felt incredibly proud and fortunate, her hands instinctively clutching at Li Yifei¡¯s arm. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Xiaofei turned her head and stared at Li Yifei in amazement. She was well acquainted with him and always felt assured by his presence, thinking of him as a dependable guy. Even when Li Yifei had fought to rescue her, she had only thought of him as a strong fighter, very considerate, but now his image loomed much larger in her heart.


    In a woman¡¯s mind, a man who is unafraid to confront authority is truly mighty and possesses genuine machismo.


    Director Liu was at a loss for words after Li Yifei¡¯s outburst, but Xiao Shengyou was utterly disdainful of such grand principles. In his view, with his father¡¯s power, he was untouchable; power was theirs, not meant for the common people. Seeing Meng Xiaofei leaning on Li Yifei, looking vulnerable and protected, and Li Yifei beside the beautiful Su Yiyi, he felt extremely annoyed and snorted disdainfully, "The kid sure can talk. Inside the police station, you even dare to discuss the law? Who do you think you are?"


    This reminded Director Liu that within this police station, he was the boss. Who was Li Yifei anyway? But at this point, he was genuinely wary of Li Yifei; an ordinary person couldn¡¯t speak so strongly, and he gravely asked, "Who are you?"


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Does it matter who I am? When enforcing the law, do you need to consider who the other person is? There¡¯s an old saying that princes and commoners are equal before the law. Has the world really regressed to the point where you enforce the law differently based on who the person is? Do I have to be some ¡¯Second Generation Official¡¯ or ¡¯Rich Second Generation¡¯ for you to even consider my words?"


    Director Liu turned even paler at Li Yifei¡¯s reprimand, but the more Li Yifei spoke, the more hesitant he became. As the director of a police station, he was no fool and could gauge people quite well; judging by Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor, he seemed to be a person of the world. With two beauties by his side, who seemed very close to him, beauties of this caliber were rarely seen with ordinary folks, let alone two. And it absolutely required sheer capability to manage that.


    At that moment, a policeman whispered into Director Liu¡¯s ear, "Director Liu, the Porsche parked outside should be his."


    Director Liu¡¯s mouth twitched again. A person who drives a Porsche, how could he be someone easily provoked? If it were a Rich Second Generation, it might be manageable, but if it were a Second Generation Official, that could prove troublesome. Moreover, even if it were a Rich Second Generation, those who could afford a Porsche often had powerful connections. For a mere director of a police station like him, that might not be enough.

 Chapter 220 - 221: Beating Someone in the Police Station

    Chapter 220: Chapter 221: Beating Someone in the Police Station"Alright, you can go now. I won¡¯t pursue this matter any further," Director Liu said, seeking an out. Even without knowing Li Yifei¡¯s background, it was still the wisest choice to avoid provoking him at this time.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s bold speech bring Director Liu to heel, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s courage soared. She stood up straight and said loudly, "We can go, but they hit someone. Are you not going to deal with that?"


    Li Yifei was even more impressed with Meng Xiaofei. This flight attendant, indeed, wasn¡¯t afraid of power. In such a situation, she still insisted on holding the other party accountable. Anyone else would probably have just walked away by now.


    Director Liu¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. This was making things difficult for him. Li Yifei¡¯s background was a mystery he didn¡¯t dare trifle with, and Xiao Shengyou was the son of Xiao Jianguo, the Deputy Director of the City Bureau. Offending him meant there would be no good end.


    Xiao Shengyou, however, lacked Director Liu¡¯s insight and still didn¡¯t take Li Yifei seriously. He laughed out loud and said, "Little sister sure has some guts. I¡¯m not afraid to tell you, my dad is the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau. The Public Security Bureau is practically run by my family. Do you think I¡¯d get in trouble for hitting someone?"


    Meng Xiaofei became even angrier and retorted, "So what if he¡¯s the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau? Even if he¡¯s the Chief of the Public Security Bureau¡¯s son, if you hit someone, you still have to take responsibility. The kind of person I despise the most is someone like you who acts all high and mighty just because their daddy has some power. What can you do by yourself? Can you do business or work to earn money? You¡¯re a social parasite, trash!"


    Xiao Shengyou¡¯s face turned crimson with anger from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words. Normally very arrogant, he really had no talent to speak of. Especially since Meng Xiaofei was a beautiful woman looking down on him, it infuriated him even more. His face turning ashen, he said, "So I hit someone. What can you do about it? I¡¯m giving you a chance now. Apologize to me quickly, and come give me a kiss, or else I¡¯ll have you all detained."


    To think Xiao Shengyou could say such things in the police station, it wasn¡¯t just Meng Xiaofei who was fuming mad, Su Yiyi was also shaking with rage.


    "Haha, you now have two options. One, this beauty¡ªno, both beauties¡ªgive me a kiss, and I¡¯ll let you go. The second option is, wait for detention," he said.


    "Smack! Smack!" Two crisp slaps suddenly echoed. Xiao Shengyou¡¯s body spun around twice before he regained his balance. Stars swirled around his vision, unable to see clearly where he was, and his face was numb from the hits, feeling no pain yet.


    The movement was so fast that no one expected Li Yifei to make a move. The entire corridor fell silent, all eyes on Li Yifei and Xiao Shengyou. Su Yiyi and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes were wide with a mix of relief and worry. Striking someone at the police station, and the son of the Deputy Director of the City Bureau at that, it seemed like a huge problem had been stirred.


    "You... you..." As the numbness on Xiao Shengyou¡¯s face gave way to pain, he finally realized he¡¯d been hit. Always the one doing the hitting, he had never been on the receiving end. Feeling wronged and in pain, he teared up, pointing at Li Yifei, stuttering without being able to speak.


    At this point, Director Liu internally lamented his plight. Li Yifei didn¡¯t seem like an impulsive man, and knowing Xiao Shengyou¡¯s identity, he still dared to hit him. Clearly, he did not regard Xiao Shengyou¡¯s status, and such a person was even more troublesome to deal with. It was like gods fighting, and he, a mere mortal, was caught in the crossfire.


    "Fuck your mother! You dare to hit me, I¡¯ll fight you!" Xiao Shengyou finally came to his senses, overwhelmed by the humiliation of being slapped for the first time, which drove him nearly mad. Cursing loudly, he lunged at Li Yifei, and the two men who were with Xiao Shengyou, accustomed to his ways, joined the fray without a second thought, regardless of being inside the police station.


    This frustrated Director Liu even more. Fighting inside the police station, not just Li Yifei but also Xiao Shengyou, clearly showed no regard for him. And because they didn¡¯t take him seriously, he was helpless.


    At this moment, Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi screamed in fright, but Li Yifei, standing there, simply kicked out his right foot. The three men approached quickly but were sent away just as fast, tumbling out as awkwardly as rolling gourds on the ground.


    Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t use much force, it was enough to deal with the three young men. After stopping, they lay there groaning, struggling to get up for a while.


    The policemen present all looked at each other with uncertainty. Seeing a fight in the police station was a total disregard for their authority. Under normal circumstances, they would have already stepped in, but today, even the station chief had kept quiet, so they could only stand aside without moving.


    "Liu Dayong, do you not want your job anymore? I get hit and you still don¡¯t arrest this bastard!" Xiao Shengyou was furious, his face turning green. He always treated the police station as if it were his own home. Now that he¡¯d been attacked in his own house and his own people didn¡¯t stand up for him, how could he not be angry? He angrily called out Director Liu Dayong¡¯s name.


    Director Liu Dayong knew he had to intervene no matter what at this point. Even if Li Yifei had a powerful background, simply for the fact that he had fought inside the police station, stepping in to stop him was most certainly the right thing to do. He immediately said to Li Yifei, "Do you realize that fighting here is completely illegal?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "Of course, I know. But it seems you haven¡¯t been enforcing the law properly, so why should I be afraid of you?"


    Director Liu Dayong was suddenly choked up by the conundrum, but since Xiao Shengyou was the child of a supervisor, if he didn¡¯t stand up for him, he might incur the wrath of Deputy Director Xiao Jianguo. Then, not only would he forget about promotion, but he might also be thoroughly investigated at the slightest opportunity. Therefore, he had no choice but to toughen his scalp and say, "You keep talking about the law to me, but you actually hit someone in the police station, which is a blatant contempt for the law. I have the right to stop you." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But didn¡¯t you see that he also wanted to hit me?" Li Yifei pointed at Xiao Shengyou, who was trying to get up.


    "Both of you are responsible, now go inside and record your statements." Director Liu still had some cunning plans, and he didn¡¯t dare to be too tough at this point. However, taking a statement was his way of keeping a card up his sleeve.


    Li Yifei casually said, "Sure, as long as you are fair, I will definitely cooperate with you."


    "Cut the crap and get inside!" Already infuriated by Li Yifei¡¯s verbal jabs, Director Liu couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice.


    The two policemen had not yet caught on to the situation. Seeing that Director Liu wanted to take a statement from Li Yifei, meaning he was going to be detained first, and knowing Xiao Shengyou¡¯s identity, they wanted to curry favor with Xiao Shengyou. They quickly rushed in front of Li Yifei and shoved him, scowling fiercely, "Behave yourself, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude."


    Li Yifei sidestepped, causing both officers to push air and almost lose their balance and fall, which was a huge embarrassment. One of them raised his hand to slap Li Yifei¡¯s face, cursing, "Be obedient, do you hear me?"


    Li Yifei grabbed the policeman¡¯s wrist and said to Director Liu, "Director Liu, does this mean if I retaliate now, it¡¯s considered assaulting an officer, and if I don¡¯t fight back, you can just hit me at will?"


    Director Liu¡¯s lips twitched, and he shouted, "What are you doing? I told you to record statements, not to lay hands on anyone. Do you not want to sort this out properly?"


    The two policemen hesitated for a moment, deeply confused. What was wrong with the director today? This guy had beaten the son of the Deputy Director of the City Bureau, and yet he seemed so cautious. It wasn¡¯t his typical style. But since the director had spoken, the two men begrudgingly pulled back their hands.


    When the policemen retracted their hands, Li Yifei let go as well, but one of them immediately felt a burning pain in his wrist. Looking down, he saw a circle of purple bruises on his wrist. His heart tightened; such a simple grip had caused this. How strong did one have to be? It dawned on him then that Li Yifei was a dangerous person, and as a low-ranking officer, he really couldn¡¯t afford to provoke him.


    At this moment, Li Yifei, with one hand pulling Su Yiyi and the other Meng Xiaofei, walked back to the room they had come out from. However, at the doorway, Li Yifei turned his head and said to Director Liu, "You won¡¯t just let them go while we¡¯re recording our statements, will you?"


    Director Liu snorted, "I will definitely enforce the law impartially. Look after yourself."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Director Liu, leading the two women straight into the room.


    In the corridor, Xiao Shengyou roared, "Director Liu, make sure you deal with him properly. Damn it, he dares to hit me; he¡¯s really asking for death."


    Director Liu frowned and said, "Shengyou, be careful with this. I have a feeling this guy is not simple."


    "Not simple? What a joke. In Mile City, I refuse to be afraid of anyone!" Xiao Shengyou didn¡¯t take Director Liu¡¯s words seriously at all; he was only concerned about the fact that he had been hit.


    "Shengyou, I don¡¯t know this kid¡¯s background yet. If we rashly deal with him and end up causing trouble, I¡¯m afraid it wouldn¡¯t look good for Director Xiao either."


    Xiao Shengyou glared and said, "On your turf, I¡¯ve been hit, and now you¡¯re saying my dad would look good if we can¡¯t do anything to the person who hit me? Humph, this will be the talk of the town. The son of the Chief of the Public Security Bureau gets beaten up at a police station and then can¡¯t touch the other party? It looks like Director Liu, you really don¡¯t want to help. Fine, I¡¯ll call my mom first."


    Xiao Shengyou got a fright. Xiao Jianguo¡¯s wife was well known throughout Mile City¡¯s system as a fierce woman who, relying on her husband¡¯s power, ordered people around in the Public Security System. Although everyone was displeased with this woman, they had to give face to Xiao Jianguo and couldn¡¯t go against her.


    If that woman came here to make a scene, Director Liu would indeed have a massive headache.

 Chapter 221 - 222: Not Afraid Without a Background

    Chapter 221: Chapter 222: Not Afraid Without a Background"Shengyou, haven¡¯t you seen how many reports there are about this kind of stuff on the internet nowadays? If this gets out, you¡¯re screwed," Liu Dayong could only earnestly urge Xiao Shengyou, fearing he would bring up his mother.


    Xiao Shengyou disdainfully curled his lip and said, "So what about the internet? With just a word from my dad, all posts will be deleted."


    Liu Dayong cursed Xiao Shengyou inwardly, thinking him a fool. The Public Security Bureau indeed had the power to delete posts, but once those posts were made, before being deleted, they would surely be caught by some reporters. By then, if the reporters made a big deal out of it, deleting the posts would be useless. If the netizens started making a fuss, even if they couldn¡¯t actually send the father and son duo to jail, it would at least cause them enough trouble to worry about.


    But there was no need to say these things to Xiao Shengyou because the guy simply wouldn¡¯t listen, so he could only say, "Just wait here for a bit. I¡¯ll go and ask them what kind of background they have. If it¡¯s a big one, we¡¯ll have to think twice. If they don¡¯t have much of a background, then we can deal with them afterwards to vent your anger."


    Xiao Shengyou, although clueless, did know a thing or two about harsh realities. Liu Dayong doing this much was already giving him face; he couldn¡¯t expect Liu Dayong to listen to all of his demands.


    After soothing Xiao Shengyou, Liu Dayong walked into the room where Li Yifei and his friends were, with a policeman in tow.


    Sitting down, Liu Dayong looked at Li Yifei and started with some basic questions about his name and age, then asked, "Your family relations?"


    Li Yifei was quite familiar with the Public Security System and knew that this question was not supposed to be asked. He smiled lightly and said, "Do you really need to ask that?"


    Liu Dayong appeared somewhat embarrassed but nevertheless kept a stern face and said, "Answer what you¡¯re asked."


    Li Yifei nonchalantly lit a cigarette, replying, "No father, no mother, so no family relations to speak of."


    Liu Dayong¡¯s brow furrowed at the response¡ªno parents meant no background. But he still didn¡¯t dare take it lightly and asked, "Where do you work now?"


    Li Yifei gave a straight answer, "Dreamfly Company."


    Liu Dayong carefully recollected. In his memory, he was aware of the big companies in Mile City, and he had never heard of Dreamfly, meaning it must be a small company.


    Mengfei had only recently been established and hadn¡¯t made much impact yet, so not many people knew about it. Only some influential figures in Mile City were aware that Dreamfly Company was set to make big moves in the city, something beyond the likes of Liu Dayong to know.


    "What have you done before?" Liu Dayong, meticulous as ever, pressed on with his questions.


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "Graduated from high school and then served six years in the military."


    "High school... six years in the military..." Liu Dayong felt more confident¡ªgoing straight to the military after high school and coming back after just six years meant Li Yifei wasn¡¯t a military academy grad but a regular soldier, at best having served a few years as a volunteer. His fighting skills had definitely been honed in the military, along with his bravery, but this didn¡¯t mean Li Yifei had any sort of significant background.


    With a fierce slap on the table, Liu Dayong stood up, glared at Li Yifei, and roared, "Li Yifei, you dare to assault someone right in the police station, this is utterly outrageous! In the name of upholding the solemnity of the law, I¡¯m detaining you right now."


    When Liu Dayong suddenly asserted his authority, it was expected by Li Yifei but completely caught Su Yiyi and Meng Xiaofei off guard, startling both of them.


    Li Yifei sneered mockingly, "Director Liu is really something, eh? Now that you know I don¡¯t have any background, you start throwing your weight around."


    With Li Yifei calling him out directly, Liu Dayong¡¯s face darkened, but now he had no worries about Li Yifei and was even more irritated because Li Yifei had intimidated him before. He said with viciousness, "It seems like you need a lesson to understand the dignity of the law. Cuff him!"


    The policeman sitting beside Liu Dayong suddenly stood up. He had been irked by Li Yifei for a while¡ªthis was their territory after all, and Li Yifei had been pushing them around. Now, finally about to handcuff Li Yifei and take care of him, the policeman appeared very excited as he pulled out the handcuffs and advanced on Li Yifei.


    Meng Xiaofei became anxious and quickly stood in front of Li Yifei, shouting, "You can¡¯t cuff him, we¡¯ll just leave."


    Liu Dayong snorted coldly, "I told you to leave earlier, and you didn¡¯t. Now you can¡¯t leave even if you want to. Handcuff him!"


    Su Yiyi was not as bold as Meng Xiaofei and was terrified by now, clinging tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s arm and stuttering, "Brother Li, what do we do now?"


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and pulled Meng Xiaofei behind him, blew a smoke ring, and said, "Director Liu, are you sure you want to handcuff me?"


    Sensing that Li Yifei still remained calm at this moment, Liu Dayong started to feel uneasy inside. No matter what, he felt that Li Yifei was very confident, which obviously didn¡¯t make sense. Yet he couldn¡¯t find anything in Li Yifei¡¯s background that should scare him, making him think he was suffering from imaginary fears. In frustration, he shouted angrily, "Handcuff him."


    Without another word, the policeman went to grab Li Yifei¡¯s arm, ready to handcuff him.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t resist, instead, he stretched out his hand to let the policeman cuff him, which made the policeman pause in surprise; it was all too easy.


    "Brother Li!" Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi were both frantic, shouting out loud. Li Yifei was their pillar of strength, and now that he was handcuffed, they were at a loss.


    Li Yifei simply smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to be fine."


    With a grim smirk, Liu Dayong said, "There won¡¯t be any trouble, you just wait." With these words, he walked out with the policeman, closing the door behind him.


    "Shengyou, I just asked around; he¡¯s merely an employee at a company, served a few years in the military, and doesn¡¯t have any notable connections."


    Xiao Shengyou said through gritted teeth, "I told you, a little bastard like that is nothing special. Director Liu, you¡¯re really too cautious. Did you handcuff him?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, he¡¯s cuffed, but Shengyou..."


    Xiao Shengyou cut off Director Liu mid-sentence, saying venomously, "Good, then I¡¯ll deal with him. He dared to hit me. Today I must make him understand the consequences of hitting me, Xiao Shengyou."


    Having Xiao Shengyou, a civilian, come to the police station to deal with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t ideal, but thinking of Xiao Shengyou¡¯s father, Liu Dayong was no longer afraid. If anything happened, Xiao Shengyou¡¯s father would handle it, so what was there to fear? Still, he hurriedly added, "Shengyou, take something with you, don¡¯t make it too obvious."


    Xiao Shengyou¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly replied, "Excellent, that¡¯s the way to enjoy it."


    Back in the room, Su Yiyi and Meng Xiaofei were clenching Li Yifei¡¯s arms, one on each side. Having the handcuffs on was a huge deal for them, like the sky was falling. Su Yiyi was extremely worried, uncertain of what to do now, while Meng Xiaofei said with remorse, "Brother Li, I¡¯m so sorry, it¡¯s all my fault that you¡¯re in this mess."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t do anything to me."


    With eyes red, Meng Xiaofei said, "Brother Li, stop comforting me. You are handcuffed now; what can you possibly do? Oh, you¡¯re not planning to break out, are you? That¡¯s a serious crime. Even if we get locked up for a few days, it¡¯ll be fine once we¡¯re out. But if you use force, you¡¯ll be on the run forever."


    Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "What are you thinking? Am I that stupid? Even if I can fight, I can¡¯t just act recklessly. Don¡¯t worry. In a little while, they¡¯ll be begging us to leave."


    Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi looked at Li Yifei in surprise, disbelieving as they said, "Really?"


    Li Yifei spoke with absolute certainty, "Of course it¡¯s true. Just you wait and see."


    Seeing how confident Li Yifei was, Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi felt a bit more at ease. But at that moment, the door was pushed open, and three men walked in.


    At the sight of these three, Su Yiyi and Meng Xiaofei suddenly tensed up because they weren¡¯t policemen but Xiao Shengyou¡¯s men, who despite not being police officers were holding police batons, wearing sinister smiles that clearly meant no good.


    "What are you going to do?" Meng Xiaofei quickly stepped in front of Li Yifei and asked loudly. Su Yiyi was trembling slightly though she didn¡¯t speak, but she stood with Meng Xiaofei, blocking the way of the three men.


    With his right hand holding a baton, Xiao Shengyou tapped it gently on the palm of his left hand, his gaze sweeping over Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi without restraint, a lecherous smile on his face. "Don¡¯t be so anxious, beauties. Relax, after I take care of this little guy, I¡¯ll make sure to serve you well."


    "Pah!" Meng Xiaofei spat fiercely and shouted angrily, "This is a police station, how dare you act wildly here?"


    Xiao Shengyou and his companions burst into laughter. One of his companions said with pride, "You know this is a police station, so you should realize that it¡¯s like Shengyou¡¯s home here. In his home, he can do whatever he wants to you. You better be smart, girls, and step aside. If you do, after Shengyou takes care of you nicely, you might still enjoy it. But if you resist, it¡¯ll be hard on you when we have to get rough later."


    "Shameless!" Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi both cursed in unison. Su Yiyi, less worldly, had never met such a shameless man; she was disgusted upon hearing such obscene language.


    Xiao Shengyou laughed heartily, "Actually, I¡¯m even more shameless in bed. You¡¯ll find out soon enough. Guys, let¡¯s have some fun today. We¡¯ll deal with the guy first, but there will be a share for you too with the women." The other two men¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement as they slapped their batons and advanced towards Li Yifei and the girls with sinister laughter.

 Chapter 222 - 223 The Backstage Arrival

    Chapter 222: Chapter 223 The Backstage ArrivalIn the eyes of Xiao Shengyou and his two companions, the handcuffed Li Yifei posed no threat to them. The handcuffs not only bound his hands, they symbolized the law restraining him, deterring him from any rash actions.


    Thus, they acted without any scruples, without any fear. They didn¡¯t believe that the handcuffed Li Yifei would dare do anything to them here; they felt free to beat or berate him as they wished. Although in the police station they couldn¡¯t do much to the two women, Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi, speaking obscenities was completely unproblematic.


    "If you dare to mess around, I will definitely sue you," Meng Xiaofei, sensing trouble, made a last effort. She glared like an enraged little tiger, roaring at the three men.


    Xiao Shengyou casually said, "Go ahead and sue if you wish. Many have wanted to sue me, Xiao Shengyou, in Mile City. But where will you go to file the complaint? To the Public Security Bureau? Ha ha..."


    "You will pay for your actions," Su Yiyi said, using these words to express her internal fury.


    "Beautiful, I¡¯d rather you come and retaliate against me. I¡¯d certainly enjoy that," Xiao Shengyou laughed arrogantly, reaching out to touch Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek. He perceived Su Yiyi as more delicate, so he harassed her unabashedly.


    But it was a mistake to do so. The moment he laid a hand on Su Yiyi, it sealed his misfortune. Li Yifei had no intention of taking action just yet, but with his girlfriend about to be bullied, he could no longer stand idly by.


    A foot stretched between Su Yiyi and Meng Xiaofei, directly kicking Xiao Shengyou in the stomach.


    With a "bang", Xiao Shengyou¡¯s feet lifted off the ground, as if pulled by a rope tied around his lower back, and he flew backward, arms wide open, legs apart, until he finally stopped when he hit the wall, collapsing to the ground. Only then did he let out a pained scream.


    The police outside heard the screams from within, and with some concern, one spoke to Liu Dayong, "Director, there won¡¯t be any serious trouble, right?"


    Liu Dayong, puffing on a cigarette with a stern face, said, "It¡¯s nothing. They have rubber clubs; they can¡¯t kill anyone. Besides, Director Xiao is behind this, so what could go wrong?"


    Though he said so, the constant wailing inside gave Liu Dayong an uneasy feeling. For some reason, he always felt that Li Yifei was a dangerous man who could bring dreadful consequences.


    Suddenly, the wailing inside stopped. Liu Dayong hurriedly went to open the door, but upon seeing the scene, he was dumbstruck. There sat Li Yifei, leisurely smoking at the desk, with the two women standing by his side, while Xiao Shengyou and his companions lay on the ground, bruised and howling in pain.


    "Shengyou!" Liu Dayong rushed over to Xiao Shengyou, quickly helping him up.


    "He hit me... he hit me... wah..." Speaking, Xiao Shengyou suddenly burst into tears, sobbing, "You, the station chief, couldn¡¯t protect me, I got beaten. I¡¯m going to tell my mom, I want my mom to stand up for me."


    Liu Dayong was greatly alarmed, realizing he had indeed gotten himself into trouble. Xiao Shengyou was assaulted in his station, and regardless of the reason, if Xiao Shengyou¡¯s parents found out, he¡¯d be in deep trouble. Xiao Jianguo, the deputy chief of the City Bureau, could easily use the excuse of his incompetence to get rid of him.


    With that in mind, Liu Dayong became furious. It was all Li Yifei¡¯s fault, his instigation had led to this predicament. Now, to give a proper explanation to Xiao Jianguo and possibly keep his job, he had to deal with Li Yifei harshly.


    "Shengyou, just wait, I¡¯ll avenge you!" With an angry shout, Liu Dayong leapt up, grabbing a rubber club and rushing towards Li Yifei. He had lost his reason, driven by the urge to severely punish Li Yifei.


    "Stop!" Suddenly, a commanding shout echoed from the doorway.


    "Stop your mother!" Liu Dayong cursed without turning, his club bearing down on Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    But Li Yifei caught the club with a raised hand, smirking, "Your chief is here!"


    Liu Dayong tugged at the rubber club, cursing viciously, "Even if God himself appeared, I would still beat you to death today."


    "Big words. I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯re going to kill someone," a voice filled with authority sounded from behind.


    Liu Dayong stiffened. The voice sounded familiar, and soon he recognized it as the voice of the Sub-bureau Chief. Slowly turning around, he indeed saw the Sub-bureau Chief. Sweat poured down his forehead as he stammered, "Chief... how come you¡¯re here?"


    The arrival was Sub-bureau Chief Sunx Zhenghe, Liu Dayong¡¯s direct superior, who looked furious enough to breathe fire. He thundered, "Well done, Liu Dayong! Is this how you run your station?"


    Liu Dayong was sweating bullets. Judging by Sunx Zhenghe¡¯s demeanor, he was extremely angry. As a station chief, wielding a rubber club to hit someone, regardless of the reason, was a grave mistake. Glancing at Xiao Shengyou, he said hastily, "Chief Sunx, this is Deputy Chief Xiao Jianguo¡¯s son." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sun Zhenghe was the Sub-bureau Chief, while Xiao Jianguo was the Deputy Director of the City Bureau, with a clearly higher rank than Sun Zhenghe¡¯s. By bringing up Xiao Jianguo, he thought that Sun Zhenghe would have to show some respect, and thus he could defuse some of the responsibility from himself.


    Sun Zhenghe¡¯s face grew even uglier as he shouted loudly, "Just because he is Deputy Director Xiao¡¯s son, you think you can disregard the law and so blatantly distort right and wrong?"


    Liu Dayong was startled, even after bringing up Xiao Jianguo, Sun Zhenghe still showed no respect; this was highly unusual. He stammered, "Director Sunx, I was a bit impulsive just now, but this person, while in our police station, even hit Director Xiao¡¯s son, that¡¯s why I was so angry."


    Sun Zhenghe became even angrier and bellowed, "Is that so? This should be the jurisdiction of your police station, right? How did they start fighting here, then? What are you doing as the police station director, eating without working?"


    Liu Dayong shivered, gritting his teeth, he said, "Director Sunx, I have to provide an explanation to Deputy Director Xiao."


    "Humph, is the law more important, or is Deputy Director Xiao more important?"


    Liu Dayong opened his mouth, but he was completely baffled by Director Sunx¡¯s response; it seemed out of character, as there had been similar situations in the past but Director Sunx had never been so staunch. Moreover, he was clearly not showing any respect to Xiao Jianguo today. Could it be... He turned his head to glance at Li Yifei, and a cold sweat drenched his back. Could this Li Yifei really be a big shot?


    At this time, Xiao Shengyou managed to get up, sobbing and wiping his tears and snot, he cried out, "Director Sunx, you have to stand up for me, I got hit here, it was him who hit me."


    However, Sun Zhenghe didn¡¯t even bother with Xiao Shengyou and asked in a serious tone, "Can someone give me a detailed account of what happened here?"


    Xiao Shengyou encountered a cold shoulder, his face instantly became very ugly, but Sun Zhenghe was still the Chief of the Sub-bureau. Although he ranked half a level below his father, even his father couldn¡¯t boss Director Sunx around, and he was even less qualified. Biting his teeth, he stepped aside and took out his phone to make a call.


    All the police present, including Director Liu, were looking at each other, feeling that Sun Zhenghe came to enforce the law with impartiality today. The actions they took were obviously unfitting of their police status, so who would dare to speak recklessly? Meng Xiaofei, however, finally found a pillar of strength and immediately began detailing the incident out loud.


    As Sun Zhenghe listened, his expression became more and more grim. After Meng Xiaofei finished, he slammed the table and shouted, "This is lawlessness, a good one, Liu Dayong! Effective immediately, you are suspended and awaiting investigation. All the police involved will also be dealt with."


    At this moment, Meng Xiaofei quickly said, "Director Sunx, you really are a good official. What about the beaten taxi driver? They should compensate him, and let Xiao Shengyou take responsibility."


    Sun Zhenghe immediately spoke with conviction, "This matter will certainly be handled impartially by us. No matter how influential the backing, we will absolutely not condone it. Having a good citizen like you is a blessing for our police force. We hope you will continue to support the work of our police in the future."


    "Of course, I definitely will," Meng Xiaofei said excitedly, nodding repeatedly.


    Only then did Li Yifei interject, "Is it time to unlock my handcuffs now?"


    Sun Zhenghe rushed to say, "Certainly, this was our dereliction of duty. Please forgive us, sir. I will make sure to reform our police team and absolutely won¡¯t allow such harmful elements within our ranks again."


    His tone clearly carried a sense of politeness.


    Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi were simple-minded and didn¡¯t read too much into it, still thinking that Sun Zhenghe was a good official. But at this moment, Liu Dayong had fully understood. Sun Zhenghe came here because of Li Yifei. Just who exactly was this Li Yifei? Even the Sub-bureau Chief had been summoned, and with such a stiff attitude, disregarding the Deputy Director of the City Bureau¡¯s face. It seemed his background must be enormous.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Li Yifei smiled at Sun Zhenghe and asked, "Director Sunx, can we go now?"


    Sun Zhenghe nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course! We will definitely notify Miss Meng of the outcome later."


    Li Yifei nodded, and as he was preparing to leave with the others, a slightly overweight woman suddenly rushed in like a gust of wind.


    "Mom!" Xiao Shengyou immediately shouted, and the woman engulfed Xiao Shengyou in a hug, looking him up and down. Turning pale with rage, she spun around and demanded, "Who is the one who struck my son like this?"


    At this moment, Sun Zhenghe¡¯s brow furrowed, for he surely knew Xiao Jianguo¡¯s Deputy Director¡¯s brash wife, Liu Juan, a completely unreasonable woman. Dealing with such a woman meant logic wouldn¡¯t prevail. If she started making a scene, this could indeed complicate matters.


    Empowered by his mother¡¯s presence, Xiao Shengyou pointed at Li Yifei and said furiously, "Mom, it was him who hit me, Director Liu was taking up the cause for me, but now Director Sunx disagrees and wants to let him go."


    Liu Juan first glowered hatefully at Li Yifei and then turned her gaze to Sun Zhenghe. With a sardonic tone, she said, "Director Sunx, what are you implying? You won¡¯t even respect Old Xiao anymore?"

 Chapter 223 - 224: Powerful Backing

    Chapter 223: Chapter 224: Powerful BackingSunx Zhenghe now revealed a strained smile and said, "Sister-in-law, I am also enforcing the law impartially."


    Liu Juan sneered coldly and said, "What a fine example of impartial law enforcement. I will certainly have a word with Old Xiao about this, your ¡¯impartial enforcement¡¯ has even reached our son."


    Being mocked by Liu Juan, Sunx Zhenghe felt annoyed. If it were Xiao Jianguo speaking to him like this, he might have accepted it. But Liu Juan was merely Xiao Jianguo¡¯s wife. What right did she have to talk to him in this manner? Moreover, he was there on orders from the director himself and felt quite confident, saying with a faint smile, "I will report this matter to Director Xiao and Director Zhenghe."


    "So, you mean to say that the person who hit my son can be let go now?" Liu Juan¡¯s tone became even more unfriendly.


    Sunx Zhenghe still wore a smile as he said, "Exactly, the fault does not lie with the other party, so of course they should be released."


    "Very well!" Liu Juan said with an angry laugh, "Alright then, I must talk to Old Xiao." Saying this, she pulled out her phone.


    The expression on Sunx Zhenghe¡¯s face remained calm, while Liu Juan was already bellowing into the phone, "Old Xiao, I think your position as deputy director is getting more and more useless. Your son got beaten up at the police station, and your Director Sunx Zhenghe still wants to let the perpetrator go... If our son gets beaten to death, will you still not take care of it? Good!"


    Having said this, Liu Juan held out her hand and said to Sunx Zhenghe with smug satisfaction, "Old Xiao wants you on the phone."


    Sunx Zhenghe took the phone but turned around and walked out, closing the door behind him. With nobody else in the corridor, he then answered the call.


    "Old Sunx, what¡¯s going on here?" Xiao Jianguo also seemed to be in an accusative mood.


    Sunx Zhenghe immediately said, "Director Xiao, it¡¯s not that I have no respect for you, but the director himself called me to handle this matter."


    Xiao Jianguo exclaimed in shock, "The director? How did this matter escalate to the director?"


    "Director Xiao, I¡¯m not entirely clear myself, but from what I gather, the other party must have significant influence. The director instructed me to handle this impartially, with no favoritism just because the individual is a member of our own ranks."


    Xiao Jianguo, capable of becoming the Deputy Director of the City Bureau, was certainly no ordinary man, far more astute than his fiery wife. He now read too much into Sunx Zhenghe¡¯s words and immediately said, "Thank you, Old Sunx, for telling me. I know what to do. Now hand the phone back to your sister-in-law."


    Sunx Zhenghe responded with a "yes" and went back to give the phone to Liu Juan, saying, "Sister-in-law, Director Xiao wants to speak with you."


    Liu Juan took over the phone with a triumphant air, unable to believe that her husband couldn¡¯t handle Sunx Zhenghe. But as soon as the connection was made, Xiao Jianguo said in a stern voice, "Come out to talk."


    Liu Juan was startled, although she was abrasive, she was not a fool, nor the kind of woman who knew nothing but to make a scene. She quickly went out into the corridor and asked in a hurried tone, "Old Xiao, what do you mean by this?"


    "Take your son and leave immediately, forget this matter. The other party has too much clout, we cannot afford to offend them."


    Liu Juan was shocked again, her eyes widened, almost unable to believe her own ears, and after a long pause, she finally said, "So our son was beaten for nothing?"


    "What else would it be? Do you want to see me step down? That son of ours is nothing but trouble, and it¡¯s all because you spoiled him, hmph!" Xiao Jianguo then hung up the phone.


    Her husband rarely spoke to her in this way, but whenever he did, it meant the problem was serious. Now Liu Juan was starting to feel afraid. Her brazenness came from the respect others showed her because of her deputy director husband. If he fell from grace, who would have any respect for her? Hence, keeping her husband¡¯s position was more important than anything else.


    Heading back into the room with a very unpleasant expression, Liu Juan glanced at Li Yifei and then, tugging her son along, said, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading to the hospital."


    At this moment, Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t forget to remind, "Remember, at the hospital there¡¯s the person your son hit, don¡¯t forget to take care of the medical bills as well."


    Liu Juan¡¯s mouth twitched at this; for so many years, this was the first time a young girl had spoken to her in such a way. She felt a mix of emotions but could only reluctantly agree, then she slunk out of the police station defeated.


    Li Yifei left the police station with Meng Xiaofei and Su Yiyi and got into the car. Once they were inside, Meng Xiaofei said with lingering fear, "We were really lucky today to encounter such a good director. Otherwise, we would have been in real trouble."


    Su Yiyi patted her chest and said, "That really scared me earlier, fighting with the son of the deputy director of the City Bureau inside the police station. I truly thought Brother Li was going to run into big trouble this time, but luckily we had Director Sunx."


    Listening to them talk this way, Li Yifei remained silent. His actions were no longer driven solely by impulse given his age, and he was well aware of the authority of the national institutions. In such a place, relying only on his own physical skills and a rush of energy wouldn¡¯t be enough, no matter how capable he was, unless he no longer wanted to live in Mile City. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So when Li Yifei saw that something was amiss, he stealthily made a call to the Municipal Party Secretary, Song Zhentao, and informed him about a little incident that had occurred at the police station, asking for his assistance in resolving the matter.


    Song Zhentao might not have cared much about Li Yifei, but he wouldn¡¯t dare ignore the face of Su Mengxin. On one occasion, Su Mengxin had specifically introduced Li Yifei to them, so it was clear to him that Li Yifei must hold an important place in Su Mengxin¡¯s heart, or was someone she valued greatly. Naturally, it was an issue he couldn¡¯t refuse to help with.


    However, Li Yifei specifically reminded Song Zhentao not to reveal his identity and to just handle the matter like usual. Consequently, Song Zhentao entrusted the Municipal Bureau Chief with the task. The Municipal Bureau Chief getting involved meant making a big deal out of a small issue, so in the end, Deputy Director of the Branch, Sunx Zhenghe, stepped in.


    Li Yifei only desired to live the life of an ordinary person, but sometimes he found it necessary to utilize such social connections¡ªnot to bully others but to protect himself when needed.


    He was indeed thankful to Su Mengxin; otherwise, he would have had to exert pressure through the Flying Hawk Squad, which would have been like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly¡ªnot only a loss of face but also excessively bullying.


    Once they reached the residential complex, the trio took the elevator up to their floor together. Meng Xiaofei was in a good mood at that moment and said with a chuckle, "Brother Li, Su Yiyi, it¡¯s getting late. I won¡¯t disturb your time as a couple anymore."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face immediately turned red, but since Meng Xiaofei already knew she was living with Li Yifei, Su Yiyi could only lower her head, red-faced, twisting the hem of her clothes, unable to look at Li Yifei. She knew that today she was going to take things with Li Yifei a step further.


    After saying goodbye to Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi entered their home. Li Yifei found Su Yiyi¡¯s shy demeanor quite stirring, and he embraced her, gently kissing her on the face, saying, "I wanted to take you on a date, but it ended up being such a frightening experience for you."


    Su Yiyi quickly responded, "Brother Li, I¡¯ve had a very happy day today. With Brother Li there, Yiyi wasn¡¯t afraid at all. I was just a bit worried about you getting into trouble."


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "Today I was a bit impulsive. I won¡¯t let you worry like this anymore." He didn¡¯t mention that he had already used his connections to smooth things over, as that might make Su Yiyi feel distant from him. Over time, Li Yifei had sensed that Su Yiyi¡¯s feelings for him were genuine, but her only flaw was her lack of self-confidence. If she knew how different their worlds were, it would only undermine her confidence even more, which wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for their relationship.


    "Mhm, what I fear most is something happening to Brother Li. My whole life depends on you. If anything happened to you, Yiyi wouldn¡¯t know what to do," said Su Yiyi, snuggling into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, holding his waist tightly and mumbling.


    Li Yifei also held Su Yiyi close and said, "Silly girl, for you, I won¡¯t allow myself to get into any trouble. Come on, let¡¯s wash up and go to bed, it¡¯s really getting late."


    Su Yiyi softly hummed in agreement, hugged Li Yifei for a little while longer, and then went to take a shower.


    While at the police station, Xu Yingying had called numerous times, but Li Yifei hadn¡¯t answered. Now that he finally had a chance, he needed to call her back. However, before he could make the call, Xu Shanshan called him.


    "Brother-in-law, what are you up to?"


    "I¡¯m at home. What¡¯s up, Shanshan?"


    "Brother-in-law, what exactly are you thinking? Are you really going to marry my sister or not?"


    "Marry? I¡¯m just helping out, it doesn¡¯t mean I have to marry her, does it?"


    "Hehe, don¡¯t you have even a little bit of interest in my sister? She is a beauty, after all."


    "Shanshan, I have a girlfriend, how could I marry your sister?"


    "Right, right, as long as you say that, I feel relieved. I was afraid you actually had feelings for my sister. Now that I know you don¡¯t, I have to try even harder."


    "Look, Shanshan, I already have a girlfriend," Li Yifei reiterated.


    "I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll wreck your relationship. At most, I¡¯d only interfere a bit when you¡¯re with my sister. Have I ever done anything bad when you¡¯re with your girlfriend?" "That¡¯s true, but Shanshan, isn¡¯t it nice for us to be just ordinary friends?"


    "Hehe, love always starts with friendship. I believe we will eventually develop feelings for each other."


    "You, girl, are making it hard for me to even meet you, aren¡¯t you?"


    "I don¡¯t care. I like you, Brother-in-law, I like you. Except for my sister, I¡¯m not afraid of any other girl. Unless you get married, I won¡¯t give up."


    "Alright, alright," Li Yifei said, somewhat resigned to Shanshan¡¯s relentlessness. What mattered most was that although Xu Shanshan spoke such bold words, it didn¡¯t really annoy him or worry him. She¡¯d said this many times before but never put real pressure on him. On the contrary, Xu Yingying was the one who gave him more pressure.

 Chapter 224 - 225: Communication

    Chapter 224: Chapter 225: CommunicationAfter hanging up on Xu Shanshan¡¯s call, Li Yifei redialed Xu Yingying¡¯s number. It only rang twice before the call went through.


    "What¡¯s the matter with you, not answering my calls?" Xu Yingying¡¯s tone was urgent, laced with reproach. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was quite accustomed to Xu Yingying¡¯s tone and didn¡¯t get angry. He laughed and said, "I ran into some trouble when I went out and got detained at the police station, so I couldn¡¯t answer your call."


    "Detained at the police station? What happened to you?" Her words now carried a hint of concern.


    Li Yifei said, "Today, after leaving your house, I went to pick up my girlfriend to go shopping. Then we got into a fight. A friend of mine tried to intervene for justice, and he ended up being detained by the police station. I went to help, and I got detained too."


    "Then why didn¡¯t you call me? I could have found someone to bail you out. I know a few leaders."


    "Heh, no need for that. We were doing the right thing, not there to fight. It will clear up once they understand the situation."


    "Well, that¡¯s good." Xu Yingying paused then continued, slightly upset, "Can you not hang out with your girlfriend these two days? What if my parents see you by accident? What will we do then?"


    "President Xu, although I¡¯m helping you, I still have to be with my girlfriend. How should I explain it to her? Should I tell her that I¡¯m pretending to be someone else¡¯s boyfriend right now? Have you considered my girlfriend¡¯s feelings?"


    Xu Yingying was suddenly at a loss for words.


    "President Xu, this isn¡¯t the time to discuss this. Right now, your parents are here forcing us to get married. How do you suggest we resolve this?"


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t answer immediately, which made Li Yifei quite anxious. He said, "Will you say something? What do we do now?"


    Only then did Xu Yingying speak, "Then let¡¯s just get married."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he exclaimed loudly.


    "I said let¡¯s just get married." Xu Yingying repeated it firmly.


    "You can¡¯t be serious?"


    "You know my parents just want to see me married. If we don¡¯t get married, they will keep pestering us to no end, and they might not even leave. So, only if we get married will they possibly leave."


    "This is marriage, big sister, not child¡¯s play. Your parents even want to see us register for it."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s tone remained calm as she said, "If we have to register, then we register. I¡¯m not afraid, what are you afraid of?"


    "You... you..." Li Yifei was so exasperated by Xu Yingying that he was left speechless.


    "Giggle..." Xu Yingying laughed lightly, "Isn¡¯t this easy? Later we can take a couple of photos, then hand them over to someone who makes fakes, and get them to produce a couple of marriage certificates for us. Just say that we¡¯ve registered, and as for the actual marriage, we don¡¯t have time right now; we can talk about it later."


    "Sweat, I mean, President Xu, you really scared me there. Who does things the way you do?"


    "Am I that terrible, that unlikable to you? Does the idea of marrying me repulse you that much?" Xu Yingying shot back with a trio of questions, her tone quite unhappy.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not okay, President Xu, but I have a girlfriend. If I were to be unfaithful and leave her, would you still think highly of me? So, to maintain the image you have of me in your heart, I have to stay loyal to my girlfriend."


    "Humph, loyal my foot, you already have a girlfriend and you still went to stay out with Sister Fangqing," Xu Yingying said with disdain.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on. How did Xu Yingying know about this? He didn¡¯t believe He Fangqing would tell, so he guessed that Xu Yingying must have seen the two of them leave together that day and surmised it.


    "Humph, nothing to say now, huh? Talking about loyalty to your girlfriend, you men just talk one way and act another."


    "Yes, yes, I am such a shameless man, truly detestable."


    "Hmm, as long as you are aware of that."


    "So, you should really dislike me."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it, that¡¯s because your girlfriend can¡¯t control you. Once you fall for me, I won¡¯t let such things happen again."


    Li Yifei hung up the phone; he just couldn¡¯t understand why Xu Yingying was so persistent now?


    However, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t too concerned about it. Whether it was Xu Yingying or Xu Shanshan, he was currently in love with Su Yiyi and wanted to be with her. Even if the Xu Family Sisters were persistent, he wouldn¡¯t leave Su Yiyi.


    Just then, Su Yiyi emerged from the bathroom with a flushed face, toweling her hair, her beauty understated and refined. Although she didn¡¯t have Xu Yingying¡¯s grandeur or Xu Shanshan¡¯s liveliness, her purity was what Li Yifei cherished the most.


    "Brother Li, your turn to shower," Su Yiyi said shyly and then quickly turned and walked into the bedroom.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly entered the bathroom, unable to contain his excitement at the thought of sharing a bed with Su Yiyi.


    After cleaning himself thoroughly, Li Yifei went into the bedroom where Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t lying on her side as before but was laying flat on the bed, looking at Li Yifei entering but with her cheeks flushed, as if she were about to drip blood.


    Li Yifei switched off the bedroom lights with a flick of his hand and got into bed, helped by the light from outside. His arm slid under Su Yiyi¡¯s neck, pulling her into his embrace.


    Su Yiyi turned and hugged Li Yifei, her body trembling slightly. Li Yifei laughed, "What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re so nervous?"


    In a soft voice, Su Yiyi said, "I... I¡¯m not nervous, I¡¯m just... just..."


    "Just what?" Li Yifei looked down at Su Yiyi.


    Too shy to meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Yiyi buried her head in his chest and, after a long pause, whispered, "I¡¯m just afraid... I won¡¯t do well... I won¡¯t make Brother Li happy."


    Li Yifei gently stroked Su Yiyi¡¯s slightly damp and smooth hair, speaking softly, "Silly girl, when two people are together, it all comes from the heart, you don¡¯t need to try to please me by doing anything special."


    Su Yiyi gave a quiet "mm-hm," slowly lifted her head, and her lips moved willingly to meet his.


    Li Yifei immediately kissed Su Yiyi but was exceedingly gentle. He sometimes feared he might hurt her with a rough movement, always unconsciously treating her with tenderness.


    But at that moment, Su Yiyi hastily broke their kiss, turning to hold his hand in a flustered manner, her face blushing with bashfulness as she said, "Brother Li, not today."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, then he remembered, Su Yiyi had told him that today she was on her period, so he retracted his hand somewhat sulkily, saying, "I got carried away and forgot."


    Su Yiyi looked at Li Yifei apologetically, saying, "I¡¯m really sorry."


    Li Yifei chuckled and affectionately teased her nose, saying, "Silly girl, what are you apologizing for? This kind of thing, can you even control it? Isn¡¯t it normal for women to have a few days like this each month?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s comforting gestures were very soothing to Su Yiyi, and flushing, she said, "But it must be tough for Brother Li." Being so intimate with Li Yifei, Su Yiyi could clearly feel his reaction.


    In the girls¡¯ dorm, roommates also studied things like adult films, not just a boys¡¯ prerogative. Although girls might not be as tireless as boys, they did watch it to some extent. Usually, Su Yiyi was too embarrassed to watch, and whenever her roommates did, she would excuse herself. But today, wanting to be together with Li Yifei, she had hurriedly watched over ten minutes of such knowledge on her computer before he picked her up, gaining a deeper understanding.


    "Being uncomfortable is part of it, I can handle it," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and then leaned in to whisper something into Li Yifei¡¯s ear leaving him dumbstruck before his face broke into ecstatic joy.

 Chapter 225 - 226: Save it for Later

    Chapter 225: Chapter 226: Save it for LaterSu Yiyi said these words with genuine courage, and seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, she felt even more that her decision was the right one. For the one she loved, she was willing to do anything, even something like this.


    "Brother Li... I... I... It¡¯s my first time, I might not do it well." Su Yiyi¡¯s face was red, and her speech was stammering, but at that moment, she seemed very brave.


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi, his heart soft as water. He cradled her face and gave her a deep kiss, saying, "Yiyi, this is too hard for you, just use your hand."


    "But... isn¡¯t it said that using the mouth will make a man more comfortable?" Su Yiyi looked at Li Yifei somewhat astonished.


    Li Yifei smiled tenderly, "While that¡¯s true, making you do it now is really too much. After we¡¯ve done this more in the future, then you can do it for me like that. When two people are together, there should always be some variety, right? If you do the most exciting thing now, what would I have to look forward to later?"


    "Ah? That has to be saved for later?" At this point, Su Yiyi seemed very confused.


    Li Yifei felt an indescribable happiness and softly said, "Yes, of course, I hope that eventually you will do it naturally, not out of obligation now."


    "I¡¯m not forcing myself. As long as Brother Li likes it, I really don¡¯t mind. Seeing Brother Li happy makes me even happier." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Silly girl, even so, save it for later. Today, just use your hand, this is the first step in falling in love and living together, you know."


    Hearing Li Yifei say that, a radiant smile shone on Su Yiyi¡¯s face. She pursed her lips and said, "Okay, then Brother Li, you have to teach me how I should do it, so that you¡¯ll be most comfortable."


    "Of course, I¡¯ll teach you well," Li Yifei chuckled.


    After a full ten or more minutes, they finally stopped. Su Yiyi gently shook her wrist; the action looked simple, but the strength of grip and the frequency of the movements took her quite some time to figure out. She had to switch hands back and forth, and it wasn¡¯t easy to finally bring Li Yifei to release.


    "You¡¯ve worked hard." Li Yifei let out a breath, having enjoyed the experience, but seeing Su Yiyi looking so tired, he truly felt pity for her.


    "It wasn¡¯t hard," Su Yiyi answered with a red face, then she took a paper towel and cleaned Li Yifei, before snuggling into his arms.


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi. Today had certainly been tough on her, and it only made him feel fonder of this compliant girl. Having such a girlfriend, he was sure to be very happy in life.


    Su Yiyi was touching a man¡¯s organ for the first time; it was so firm just now, but after the release, it had become soft and limp, naturally arousing her curiosity. Now, somewhat shy, she looked at Li Yifei and said in a low voice, "Brother Li... Can I touch it again?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Is there any part of your Brother Li that you can¡¯t touch?"


    Su Yiyi felt a bit embarrassed but still couldn¡¯t help reaching out her small hand to gently hold Li Yifei¡¯s member, bringing him comfort. Then, that night, Li Yifei held Su Yiyi, and her small hand never left his side. For the first time being so intimate with Li Yifei, she was shy, but more so, she felt the happiness of making Li Yifei feel good afterward.


    The next morning, Li Yifei took Su Yiyi to school early and told her that this weekend he might be busy and would not be able to stay at home, so he asked her not to come back.


    Having just made a breakthrough with Li Yifei and guessing she would be completely clean this weekend, Su Yiyi was now looking forward to being truly intimate with him; receiving such news made her somewhat downhearted.


    "Silly girl, we have a whole lifetime ahead of us, and I can¡¯t wait to devour you," Li Yifei affectionately kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face and squeezed her hand tightly.


    Su Yiyi beamed a smile and said, "I understand. I¡¯ll go now, and after you¡¯re done with your things, give me a call."


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "If anything difficult comes up at school, call me."


    "Okay!" Su Yiyi agreed readily, then she leaned in to kiss Li Yifei before opening the car door and stepping out.


    Because Xu Yingying¡¯s parents were here, Li Yifei would likely be busy with them for the time being, and probably not available over the weekend, so even though he really wanted to be with Su Yiyi, he had to sort things out with Xu Yingying first.


    Lin Qiong arrived at the police station in the morning and could sense that the atmosphere was different. Without seeing the director and only four or five officers remaining in the police station that usually had more than ten, she didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it. If there had been a mission last night or an early call this morning, it was completely normal.


    However, just as she sat down, Lin Qiong received a phone call.


    "Little Lin, come to the Sub-bureau."


    "Ah, Director Sunx, I¡¯ll be right there." Lin Qiong didn¡¯t know what it was about, but she agreed immediately. After hanging up the phone, her heart was drumming with anxiety. Could it be that her investigation into the smuggling group had come to the attention of the higher-ups? If so, things would be even more difficult for her in the future.


    Twenty minutes later, Lin Qiong arrived at Sunx Zhenghe¡¯s office. He greeted her warmly and invited her to sit down, saying, "Little Lin, how do you feel about your work recently?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She vaguely responded, "It¡¯s alright, I guess."


    Sunx Zhenghe laughed heartily, "Little Lin, still so modest, hm? For a young cadre like you, too much modesty isn¡¯t good. You need to have some drive."


    Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t tell if Sunx Zhenghe was really going to talk to her about the smuggling matter, so she followed his lead and said, "I will definitely work hard."


    Sunx Zhenghe smiled slightly, "Hmm, Little Lin, the City Bureau sees you as a key figure in reshaping the image of Mile City¡¯s police force. You need to have that drive. Now, there¡¯s an even more important responsibility we want you to take on."


    Lin Qiong was stunned. Generally, such talk of important responsibilities preluded a promotion. Could it be that she was going to be promoted again? But she hadn¡¯t been Deputy Director for long. How could she be promoted again? Besides, she hadn¡¯t achieved anything remarkable since becoming Deputy Director, so a promotion seemed unjustified.


    Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s astonished expression pleased Sunx Zhenghe, "Director Liu Dayong from your police station has been temporarily suspended due to certain issues. So, after discussing it, the Sub-bureau has decided to temporarily appoint you to act in his position. Do you have any objections?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in shock, "What happened to Director Liu?"


    "You don¡¯t need to ask about that. For now, he is not suitable to be the director, and he won¡¯t be working at your station for the time being. Furthermore, several officers are also temporarily suspended for review. We will soon reassign some officers to your station to maintain the work there, but we can¡¯t spare a director just yet. Even though you are young and your experience is limited, cultivating young cadres has always been the policy of our Party. Now you have such an opportunity, and you must seize it well."


    Lin Qiong immediately stood up, her voice filled with excitement, "I definitely will not let the leaders down."


    Sunx Zhenghe waved his hand, motioning for Lin Qiong to sit down, "It¡¯s good that you¡¯re willing to take on this responsibility. We¡¯ll have a committee meeting this afternoon, and by tomorrow the matter should be just about ready to announce. If you have any difficulties right now, bring them up with me. Our Sub-bureau will definitely try its utmost to help you solve them."


    Lin Qiong sat down, took a deep breath, and said, "Director Sunx, if the Sub-bureau leaders trust me so much, no matter how difficult it is, I am sure I can get it done."


    "Very good, I admire your spirit. Now, go back and handle the work at the station properly."


    "Yes!" Lin Qiong stood up again, gave a standard police salute, and then left the director¡¯s office.


    Once outside the Sub-bureau, Lin Qiong really wanted to let out an excited shout. Her excitement wasn¡¯t because she had received a promotion, but because she had become the station head. Now, inside the police station, she was the highest authority. There used to be an advisor, but, due to age and poor health, frequently resting, that person wasn¡¯t involved in the work much anymore. In this way, in the police station, her word was final, and she could decide however she wanted to proceed.


    This was completely different from being the Deputy Director. Frankly, although a Deputy Director had a rank and position, they weren¡¯t much different from the other officers when it came to what needed to be done; it was still up to the director. That¡¯s why when she wanted to investigate the big smuggling case, she was hampered. But now, she could call the shots, which meant she could mobilize the other officers from the station.


    But soon, Lin Qiong calmed down. Even though she could mobilize the station¡¯s officers, the matter was still too sensitive. Who knew whether these officers were connected to the smuggling group? If word got out, her efforts could easily go to waste. She still had to proceed with the investigation on her own. However, she could use the personnel in the station for other things, such as aiding her investigation, and that should be perfectly fine.


    All in all, becoming the acting director was entirely beneficial and presented the best opportunity for her to pursue her ambitions. She didn¡¯t want to miss it.


    Picking up the phone, Lin Qiong immediately dialed Li Yifei¡¯s number. But as she looked at the number on the screen, Lin Qiong was puzzled at herself. Why hadn¡¯t she called her parents first but had instead reached out to this Li Yifei guy?


    "Officer Lin, what¡¯s up?" Li Yifei asked languidly.


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s listless tone, Lin Qiong¡¯s fervor cooled down a bit, "I¡¯ve become the station head. Now I have even more backing to work on that case."


    Li Yifei had been on the phone with Xu Yingying, feeling a headache coming on, and when he saw Lin Qiong¡¯s call coming in, he remembered that not only Xu Yingying wanted a sham marriage with him, but Lin Qiong did too. This just added to his depression. How had he become such a sought-after man that these beauties wanted to enter into a fake marriage with him, especially when he already had a girlfriend? If Su Yiyi found out, how heartbroken she would be.


    Li Yifei was surprised by Lin Qiong¡¯s promotion but quickly realized that it must be connected to the commotion he had caused the previous night. He hadn¡¯t expected that this would bring him such a benefit¡ªa pleasant surprise, indeed.


    "Congratulations, congratulations! Does this mean you should treat me to a meal?"


    "Sure, no problem. Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight, and I¡¯ll discuss with you about how to proceed. Now I have more resources at my disposal, so we can change the plan a bit."


    "I can¡¯t do dinner tonight, I have other plans."


    "Okay then." Lin Qiong felt a pang of disappointment. She had wanted Li Yifei to be the first to share her joy, but he didn¡¯t seem to appreciate the gesture.

 Chapter 226 - 227: The Office

    Chapter 226: Chapter 227: The OfficeIn the afternoon, well after two o¡¯clock, Li Yifei arrived at He Fangqing¡¯s office. After a brief discussion about some matters, He Fangqing, smiling, looked at Li Yifei and said, "What¡¯s the matter? You look all worried and upset."


    Li Yifei rested his arms on the back of the sofa, spread his legs, and let out a long sigh. "I¡¯m plagued by romantic troubles. Do you think that feels good?"


    He Fangqing rolled her eyes at Li Yifei. "I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve put any pressure on you, have I?"


    Li Yifei slid down a bit to get more comfortable and said, "You haven¡¯t put any pressure on me, but Xu Yingying is really pressuring me. Her parents are here, and they¡¯re pushing for a marriage right now."


    He Fangqing¡¯s pretty eyebrows rose slightly before she chuckled. "Well, this is bad for you. Aren¡¯t you going to have to marry Yingying?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Marry who? If it came to that, I would marry you instead of her."


    His words clearly pleased He Fangqing. She moved to sit beside Li Yifei, resting her hands on his thighs and gently drumming them as she said, "What¡¯s wrong with Yingying? Why do you dislike her so much?"


    "It¡¯s not that I dislike her," he explained, "but we¡¯re just not on the same path. To put it crudely, we¡¯re just not compatible. She¡¯s a typical career woman, while I¡¯m the sort who seeks comfort and ease. Our personalities just don¡¯t match. Forcing us together would definitely lead to constant clashes and arguments."


    He Fangqing tilted her head, looking at Li Yifei with a teasing smile. "Actually, I think you two are quite well-matched. One takes care of the home, the other takes care of business. I feel like conflicts and issues arise when both are career-driven. Surely in a marriage, one person should look after the home, right?"


    Li Yifei shook his head. "Even if what you¡¯re saying makes sense, matters of the heart require a spark, right? Yingying and I have never had that spark. If we weren¡¯t fairly good friends, I would have walked away a long time ago. Why would I continue this charade with her otherwise?"


    He Fangqing laughed softly. "But now that her parents are here pushing for a marriage, if you don¡¯t agree, shouldn¡¯t you put an end to it sooner rather than later?"


    "Yingying said we¡¯d get a fake marriage certificate to fool her parents. Once they leave, everything will be fine."


    "Giggle, you really have quite a plan," He Fangqing said with a light chuckle, her gaze suddenly becoming sultry.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Li Yifei felt unnerved by her look, a familiar one that meant He Fangqing was about to seduce him.


    "What do you think I... want to do?" He Fangqing leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s chest, looking up at him. One hand climbed to his neck while the other reached for his belt. "You haven¡¯t come to see me in a while. I¡¯ve missed you."


    Li Yifei laughed dryly. "Fangqing, this is an office."


    He Fangqing leaned closer, her face just inches away from Li Yifei¡¯s, her right hand gently rubbing just below his belly. She spoke in a coaxing voice, "What¡¯s there to fear in an office? Don¡¯t men like you love this kind of thrill? It¡¯s more exciting here." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei felt a rush of heat stir within him. Faced with such a tempting creature as He Fangqing, any man would struggle to control himself, especially since Li Yifei had had many experiences with her before, particularly in the thrilling setting of an office. At that moment, restraint seemed exceedingly difficult.


    Li Yifei had undergone intense training, even against the allure of beauty, designed to ensure he maintained a cool head and didn¡¯t let slip any indiscretions. However, that didn¡¯t mean he could remain unaffected by such seduction.


    "Are you sure you want to do it here today?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes flamed with desire as he stared at He Fangqing like a predator fixated on its prey.


    "If you don¡¯t agree... then we could only go back home," she replied.


    "You little temptress, if you¡¯re not afraid, then what do I have to be scared of?" Li Yifei stretched out his arms, scooping He Fangqing into an embrace, and leaned down to plant a deep kiss on her lips.


    He Fangqing let out a pleasing moan through her nose and responded eagerly to Li Yifei. Although she would never admit she wanted to have any sort of romantic feelings for Li Yifei, insisting that their relationship was purely transactional, she knew she wasn¡¯t the kind to frivolously seek out just any man. Even with her desires, it had to be Li Yifei who comforted her, not some random man.


    The pleasure that Li Yifei had given her the first time was unforgettable, constantly lingering in He Fangqing¡¯s thoughts. This made her throw caution to the wind whenever she was alone with Li Yifei, irresistible temptation driving her to seduce him time and again. Afterwards, she would feel shamefully lewd, yet she found it incredibly hard to resist the urge.


    The thought of Xu Yingying coming back and knowing there wouldn¡¯t be a chance to be alone with Li Yifei for a while made her all the more eager to be with him in the office, craving that passion. She was like someone addicted, utterly unable to pull herself away.


    Making love in the office was indeed thrilling. In such a setting, both of them always had to be on guard against someone barging in, speaking in hushed tones. That worry and tension brought a different kind of pleasure. Li Yifei felt it, and so did He Fangqing. Due to this excitement, both reached their climaxes rather swiftly.


    After their intense embrace, they both found a level of satisfaction they had never experienced before, holding each other tightly, unwilling to let go.


    However, just then, a knock on the door suddenly rang out. He Fangqing, startled, quickly stood up, frantically picking up her panties and skirt, slipping them on in a rush, while Li Yifei hurriedly pulled his trousers up. Thankfully, he hadn¡¯t taken them off completely earlier, having only pulled them down to his knees, which now proved convenient.


    "Who is it?" He Fangqing took a deep breath before asking.


    "Director He, Manager Mi wants to see you," the secretary outside answered.


    He Fangqing glanced at Li Yifei, who had already lit a cigarette as if everything were back to normal. Only then did she say, "Let her in."


    The door opened and Michelle walked in. Seeing Li Yifei there, she quickly said, "Director He, I hope I¡¯m not interrupting?"


    "Not at all, what can I do for you?" By now, He Fangqing had already seated herself elegantly behind her desk, showing no sign of the passion she had shared with Li Yifei moments ago.


    "It¡¯s like this, we still need to make some purchases, and I need Director He¡¯s signature before I can proceed," Michelle said, handing a stack of documents to He Fangqing.


    "Mmm, have a seat for a moment, I¡¯ll take a look," He Fangqing gestured with her hand, indicating for Michelle to sit down.


    Michelle nodded and walked directly over to where Li Yifei was sitting, taking a seat next to him and giving him a sweet smile, which Li Yifei returned with a small smile of his own.


    "Oh!" Michelle had just sat down when she suddenly stood up again, touching her skirt and then giving the sofa a glance.


    Li Yifei followed Michelle¡¯s gaze and felt a sinking feeling. There was a white, sticky substance on the spot where Michelle had just sat¡ªthe aftermath of the lovemaking between himself and He Fangqing.


    After their encounter, He Fangqing would typically clean up with tissues to avoid any mess, but in the rush just now, she hadn¡¯t had the chance to tidy up or even grab something to cover the area. In her haste to dress, some of it had accidentally ended up on the sofa, and, coincidentally, Michelle had sat right on it.


    If Michelle had just sat on it, it might have been fine, but when she touched it, she got all of it on her hand. The white sticky substance between her fingers was very conspicuous.


    Looking at the substance on her hand, Michelle felt waves of nausea. Although she was unsure of its origin, just the gooey sensation alone was enough to make it look unappealing. In Director He¡¯s office, she couldn¡¯t show too much of a reaction, especially not knowing where it came from. She wanted to find some tissue paper to wipe it off.


    Although He Fangqing was focusing on the application Michelle had handed her, she kept an eye on Michelle, watching her awkward expression. Suddenly feeling anxious, He Fangqing took a closer look and saw the substance sticking to Michelle¡¯s hand, her own face flushing red with embarrassment. This was tangible evidence of her tryst with Li Yifei exposed for all to see. Just as she was trying to think of a way to dissuade Michelle from mentioning it to anyone, Li Yifei began to cough violently.


    "Brother Li, are you alright?" Michelle immediately turned her attention to Li Yifei, caringly, temporarily forgetting the disgusting, sticky mess on her hand.


    Li Yifei patted his chest, apologizing, "I¡¯ve smoked too much these past few days, I¡¯m always coughing... and just now, I even... coughed up some phlegm, and unfortunately, you sat in it. I¡¯m so sorry about that¡ªquick, wipe it off, or go wash your hands."


    Michelle¡¯s face darkened as she snatched some facial tissue to wipe it off and then hurriedly left the room without even excusing herself to He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing, who had been frightened and flustered, couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh, her charm evident as she said, "You really can spin quite the tale. You actually came up with that excuse."


    Li Yifei shot He Fangqing a look and said, "It¡¯s your own carelessness to blame."


    He Fangqing pouted, retorting, "That thing isn¡¯t mine; how can you blame me?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark again, but then he suddenly wondered what Michelle¡¯s expression might be like if she knew what was actually on her hand.

 Chapter 227 - 228 Encountered a Problem

    Chapter 227: Chapter 228 Encountered a ProblemMichelle soon returned, and by then He Fangqing had also signed the document. Taking it from her, Michelle was ready to leave, followed immediately by Li Yifei leaving the office.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m really sorry. My reaction just now was... was far too intense. Please don¡¯t take it personally." Li Yifei was about to explain further when Michelle had already apologized to him.


    Li Yifei awkwardly smiled and said, "Michelle, the one who should be apologizing is me. If I had phlegm stuck on me, I would be disgusted myself, let alone you."


    Michelle¡¯s smile sweetened as she replied, "It¡¯s really okay, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. By the way, you should smoke less. Smoking is bad for your health, you know. Oh, and have you taken your medicine?"


    "I¡¯ve been smoking for so many years; quitting is easier said than done. I can get better without medication."


    "That¡¯s not okay. I¡¯ll get you a couple of boxes of lozenges later. At the very least, they can protect your throat a bit more."


    "No need!" Li Yifei hastily declined. He wasn¡¯t truly coughing, so why would he need any medicine?


    "Alright then, I¡¯m just about to go out to buy some things. I¡¯ll bring them back for you when I return."


    Michelle was resolute, so Li Yifei could only say thank you. Only then did she seem content and parted ways with him.


    Just before closing time, Michelle brought the medicine to Li Yifei. He was thinking of just casually putting it away when Michelle insisted, "You have to carry this medicine with you and have one now."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse Michelle¡¯s kindness, and saying he wasn¡¯t coughing at all wasn¡¯t exactly true. Wouldn¡¯t that mean what got onto Michelle wasn¡¯t phlegm? He obediently opened the packaging and put a lozenge in his mouth.


    Michelle¡¯s smile instantly blossomed like a flower. "That¡¯s more like it. You¡¯re a grown man who doesn¡¯t know how to take care of himself."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You¡¯re the one who knows how to take care of people, Michelle."


    Michelle squinted her eyes, her cheeks tinged slightly red, and said, "Brother Li, if there¡¯s anything you need help with, just let me know. I might not have great powers, but doing some washing and household chores is no problem for me."


    Li Yifei felt there was something amiss with her words. Laundry and housework were tasks typically done by a girlfriend. Could it be that Michelle was confessing something to him?


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s puzzled gaze, Michelle suddenly became a bit bashful, gave an awkward smile, and said, "Brother Li, now that you have a girlfriend, you probably don¡¯t need my help with these things. Anyway, if there¡¯s a time you do need my help, just let me know."


    Her words eased Li Yifei¡¯s mind, and he laughed lightly, "No problem, we¡¯re good friends, aren¡¯t we?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be off then, call me if you need anything." Michelle turned and walked out of Li Yifei¡¯s office. But once she left, her lips pursed slightly in a pout. Li Yifei¡¯s reaction had truly disappointed her. Then she quickly pressed her lips together, clenched her fist, and with a determined look, she glanced back at Li Yifei¡¯s office before departing.


    When it was time to leave work, Li Yifei was getting ready to leave when Xu Yingying called him.


    "I¡¯m already at the airport, come pick me up."


    "Weren¡¯t you coming back tomorrow?" Li Yifei asked in surprise.


    "With my parents here, how can I be in the mood to stay in Capital City? After speaking to Miss Su, I decided to come back early."


    "Okay then, I¡¯ll be right there."


    Half an hour later, Xu Yingying was sitting in Li Yifei¡¯s car, frowning. The sudden arrival of her parents had clearly caught her off guard. Even with a day¡¯s notice, she still felt this issue was rather tricky.


    "Why the long face? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d get a fake marriage certificate to trick them?" Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying and asked.


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and said, "Yes, but I¡¯m afraid they might not leave in a hurry."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Then let them stay a while longer. Don¡¯t you, as their daughter, want your parents around?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying countered, "Do you want them to stay longer?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "Of course not. If they stay here, my life won¡¯t be as free."


    Miss Xu Yingying squinted her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "It seems that with them here, you¡¯ll have to sleep in the same room with me. Aren¡¯t you looking forward to something?"


    "Is there anything to look forward to?" Li Yifei asked amusedly, looking at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying raised an eyebrow and said, "I remember somebody used to give quite a terrifying look when he shared a room with me."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Times change, don¡¯t they? Back then, looking at you, I was taking advantage, but now looking at you, I¡¯m afraid of taking responsibility, so no, I¡¯m not looking forward to it."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face immediately darkened. That damn Li Yifei was really blunt with his words, and quite demoralizing too. Now she appeared to be the one clinging to him. As a proud CEO with countless suitors, it was truly embarrassing.


    The two quickly arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s house where her parents and Xu Shanshan were chatting at home.


    "Yingying, why are you back so soon? Don¡¯t you have work to do?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately asked with concern.


    Xu Yingying smiled and sat next to her mother, saying, "You all came over, of course, I wanted to spend time with you."


    Her mother, beaming with joy, said, "Mom doesn¡¯t need your company. If you were really thinking about that, you wouldn¡¯t be always so busy with work. You should spend more time with Yifei, and giving mom a grandchild sooner would be the best."


    Xu Yingying was instantly embarrassed. Her mother was becoming more anxious. Before bringing Li Yifei home, she was being pushed to find a boyfriend. After meeting Li Yifei, it was all about urging them to get married. And now, as the marriage was getting closer, the pressure had moved on to having children.


    At this point, Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Mom, I totally support you. You should definitely give her an ultimatum to get pregnant this year, to have a child."


    Xu Yingying glared at her, while Li Yifei also felt a jolt of fear. If Xu Yingying¡¯s mother really resorted to that tactic, it would be a real headache. Marriage certificates can be faked, but how do you fake having a child?


    And just as feared, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes lit up with glee as she said, "Shanshan¡¯s idea is good. I¡¯m telling you, Yifei and Yingying, you must have a child this year. You have to understand, once a woman ages, she passes the prime age for childbearing. It¡¯s best to have children before thirty; beyond that, it gets more difficult and dangerous. Complications with childbirth at an older age ¨C you educated people should understand this. Also, the sooner you raise kids, the better off you are. Like your father and me, we had kids early. I had you when I was twenty-three. By the time you went to college, I was just over forty, and still in good shape to have fun with your dad. If you have kids late, you¡¯ll be old by the time they¡¯re grown, and it becomes harder to take care of them..."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother had a whole series of arguments about childbirth, leaving Li Yifei and herself speechless and overwhelmed, as if not getting pregnant right now would be a huge mistake.


    Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but sneak a laugh on the side. Her mother¡¯s killer move had always been big trouble for her and Xu Yingying since they were kids. Once she started, there¡¯d be no end to it for at least half an hour.


    "By the way, are you two using birth control now? Let me tell you, you¡¯re not allowed to do that anymore. Getting pregnant isn¡¯t guaranteed just because you want to. Some couples take a year and a half or longer to conceive. By the time you really want a child, who knows how long it will take, so it¡¯s best to start trying now. Whenever it happens, it happens."


    Li Yifei almost burst into laughter. This faux mother-in-law was really something, able to discuss such a topic openly, clearly desperate for a grandchild.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying was even more embarrassed. It was already mortifying to talk about having children, and now they were discussing birth control. If her mother kept going, she might even start detailing how to get pregnant or the best times for intercourse. In desperation, she pleaded with a pained expression, "Mom, I¡¯ve just gotten back and I¡¯m still hungry. Can we have dinner first?"


    Xu Zhenguo then interjected, "You old woman, this isn¡¯t something to rush. Let¡¯s talk about it slowly. Let¡¯s cook and eat first."


    Li Yifei quickly stood up and said, "I¡¯ll do the cooking. Uncle and Aunt, please take a rest."


    Xu Yingying, remarkably, also stood up and said, "I¡¯ll help." She hurriedly followed Li Yifei into the kitchen.


    Once in the kitchen, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. Xu Yingying, annoyed, glared at him and asked, "What¡¯s so funny?"


    Li Yifei, struggling to suppress his laughter, said, "Your mom is formidable. I¡¯m actually wondering where you¡¯re going to find a fake grandchild for them."


    At the mention of this, Xu Yingying felt a headache coming on. She couldn¡¯t reason with her persistent mother. She wouldn¡¯t have resorted to a fake boyfriend if not for her mother¡¯s nagging. If she chose not to have children, her mother would surely revert to her daily calls, just like before she had a boyfriend.


    "Let¡¯s just cook already instead of laughing at jokes. You won¡¯t be able to escape it either," Xu Yingying said despondently as she tore the leaves off the vegetables, as if she had a great grudge against them.


    Li Yifei quickly snatched the vegetables from her, saying, "You better rest. At the rate you¡¯re picking vegetables, we¡¯ll have none left to eat."


    Then, he turned to Xu Yingying with a mischievous smile and said, "How about we make one for your parents?"


    "You..." Xu Yingying¡¯s face fell, and she glared at Li Yifei fiercely, as if she might devour him.


    But then, Li Yifei flashed an ecstatic smile, realizing from Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction that she didn¡¯t really like him. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have reacted as if the idea insulted her so deeply.

 Chapter 228 - 229: It’s Your Choice

    Chapter 228: Chapter 229: It¡¯s Your Choice"Yingying, hurry up and go out, you¡¯re not needed here," Li Yifei, in his attempt to prove his point once again, wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder and pushed her towards the door.


    With a reflexive struggle, Xu Yingying glanced outside, then twisted her body and said, "Alright, I¡¯m leaving, you tend to your things." Then she quickly walked out.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction once again confirmed Li Yifei¡¯s speculation: she didn¡¯t like him and didn¡¯t truly want to be with him.


    Since Xu Yingying didn¡¯t truly harbor affection for him, Li Yifei easily discerned her purpose¡ªher actions were still about Xu Shanshan. Because Xu Shanshan had taken a liking to him, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want such a scenario to unfold. It wasn¡¯t that she thought Li Yifei wasn¡¯t good enough, but rather, having such a situation arise at home was just too awkward. First her boyfriend, then her sister¡¯s¡ªthere was no explaining it to the parents.


    In other words, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t necessarily have to be with him; as long as he wasn¡¯t with Xu Shanshan, that would suffice.


    Having figured this out, Li Yifei felt much more at ease in front of Xu Yingying. Since she didn¡¯t have true feelings for him, he naturally didn¡¯t have to carry such a heavy burden. Whether it was acting or playing a game, it was all for fun.


    After preparing a lavish dinner, the five of them were eating and drinking together, quite happily. Li Yifei had intended to leave after dinner, but Xu Yingying¡¯s invincible mom immediately stopped him and said sternly, "Yingying has been away on a business trip and has just returned. You young couple can¡¯t be separated. You¡¯ll stay together tonight."


    Although the statement wasn¡¯t very direct, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei could clearly hear the underlying message: they were being urged to hurry and share a bed, to make a baby as soon as possible. This left Xu Yingying feeling both shy and awkward, while Li Yifei, with his mood changed, found it amusing and pretended to be in a difficult position, saying, "The house isn¡¯t big enough for me to stay. Where would I sleep?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mom immediately said, "What do you mean, not big enough? Shanshan and I can share a room, and Old Xu can sleep on the sofa."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "That won¡¯t do; let me sleep on the sofa."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mom glared and retorted, "Why would you sleep on the sofa? No, no, you must share a room with Yingying."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, raised her hand, and announced loudly, "Alright alright, I¡¯m the youngest here, I¡¯ll take the sofa. Now there¡¯s no problem."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mom immediately smiled from ear to ear and said, "Right, let Shanshan sleep on the sofa. Does anyone have any objections now?"


    Li Yifei looked towards Xu Yingying, shrugged helplessly, while Xu Yingying could only roll her eyes in agreement. Luckily, sharing a room with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t new to her, so she didn¡¯t feel any psychological burden.


    Xu Zhenguo initially wanted to play a couple of chess games with Li Yifei but was directly vetoed by his wife, who argued that with Xu Yingying and Li Yifei working so hard, how could they not let the two go to sleep early? Xu Zhenguo also dismissed the thought with a smile. Although he hadn¡¯t expressed his opinion, his hope for Xu Yingying to have a child soon was no less than his wife¡¯s; being a man, he simply wasn¡¯t as eager to make a statement. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei finished their showers and had no choice but to head straight to the bedroom to avoid any more nagging.


    Once the bedroom door was closed, Xu Yingying sat on the bed, frowned, and muttered, "Now there¡¯s a new requirement, it¡¯s giving me a headache."


    Li Yifei, on the other hand, laid back on the bed leisurely, lit a cigarette, and began to enjoy it.


    Smelling the smoke, Xu Yingying immediately turned and said indignantly, "The air conditioner is on and you¡¯re smoking; have you no sense of public decency?"


    Li Yifei jumped up to open the window and said, "It¡¯ll clear out in a bit."


    "You..." Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei but said no more. After all, she wasn¡¯t so repelled by the smell of his cigarettes anymore, being neat, she simply didn¡¯t like it when he flicked ash everywhere, especially in the bedroom.


    After finishing his cigarette, Li Yifei yawned and said, "It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s sleep."


    Xu Yingying hummed in acknowledgement, turned around, and noticed Li Yifei comfortably lying in the middle of the bed, which immediately made her frown and ask, "If you¡¯re in the middle, where do I sleep?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Of course, next to me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s amused expression, she suddenly felt her reaction might be a bit off. She shot him a glare and said, "I¡¯m not mentally prepared yet; it¡¯s better to maintain the status quo for now."


    "Look at you, your heart accepts me, but your body doesn¡¯t. That¡¯s making me suffer," sighed Li Yifei, moving over with a helpless expression.


    Xu Yingying felt somewhat guilty, turned off the light, climbed into bed, and noticed that Li Yifei was sufficiently far away, which made her breathe a sigh of relief. Considering Li Yifei had never taken advantage of her before, she wasn¡¯t worried he would do anything now.


    However, before long, Li Yifei suddenly rolled over to her side, startling Xu Yingying. She didn¡¯t dare make a fuss and whispered tensely, "What are you doing?"


    Li Yifei leaned in close to Xu Yingying¡¯s ear and whispered back, "It¡¯s not about what I want to do, but isn¡¯t the sound insulation in this room a bit lacking?"


    "What about it?" Xu Yingying asked, puzzled.


    "Remember when Fangqing and I stayed at your place?"


    "Of course, I remember... you dead hoodlum!" Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed red with embarrassment. The noises that Li Yifei and He Fangqing had made while staying here had kept her from sleeping well. It was also the first time she had heard such sounds; how could she forget?


    "If you remember, then you should understand that your parents must have heard the sounds from our room, right?"


    Xu Yingying said irritably, "Even if the sound insulation is poor, there¡¯s no way they could hear such loud noises."


    "What I mean is, it¡¯s not about them not hearing the sounds, but rather they should hear the sounds, right?"


    Xu Yingying was completely clueless about Li Yifei¡¯s intention and frowned, slightly turning her head to look at Li Yifei and ask, "Let them hear, what do you mean?"


    Li Yifei curled his lips and said, "You, the big CEO, how can you be so dumb at a time like this? What do you think the uncle and auntie want us to do by sending us to bed so early?"


    "They want to... ah..." Xu Yingying finally understood the meaning behind Li Yifei¡¯s words. Instantly, her face turned red and she was extremely embarrassed, stuttering, "You can¡¯t be... wanting me to... imitate Sister Fangqing¡¯s voice, can you?"


    "Smart!" Li Yifei said with a grin, looking at Xu Yingying. His heart was even more joyful. Xu Yingying had been driving him crazy lately, and now he found an excellent opportunity for revenge.


    "No way, I won¡¯t do it even if you kill me," Xu Yingying shook her head resolutely, her tone very firm.


    Li Yifei rolled over and lay back down, saying indifferently, "Suit yourself, anyway, I¡¯ve thought of the idea for you. It¡¯s your problem if you get nagged at tomorrow morning."


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth. Her mother¡¯s nagging was truly lethal, and she really didn¡¯t want to endure it, but to make her imitate the sound He Fangqing made that night...


    Even if she truly got married and, well, did that thing with a man, Xu Yingying strongly believed that she would never make those kinds of sounds.


    "I¡¯m asking you one more time, are you really not going to do it? If not, I¡¯m going to sleep, and later you¡¯d better not disturb me." After a while, Li Yifei asked again.


    "Go to sleep, go to sleep, I won¡¯t be calling for you," Xu Yingying snorted. She really wanted to kick Li Yifei off the bed, just like in the beginning, making him continue sleeping on the floor.


    "I¡¯m off to sleep then." Less than two minutes after Li Yifei finished speaking, his breathing became even, seemingly fast asleep.


    "What a pig! Sleeps as soon as he says it," Xu Yingying muttered to herself.


    The room was very quiet now, and the sounds from outside started to drift in faintly.


    "Shanshan, when you were staying here, was there no sound coming from your sister¡¯s room too?" That was their mother¡¯s voice.


    "I don¡¯t know, I sleep soundly, and I wouldn¡¯t hear anything even if there was noise." That was Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice, and it was quite loud.


    "I¡¯m telling you, Old Xu, don¡¯t you think Yingying, having come back from her business trip, doesn¡¯t know to get intimate with Yifei, how are they ever going to have kids?"


    "You old woman, why do you have to worry about everything? The kids are all grown up; they know what to do," said Xu Zhenguo¡¯s voice.


    "Can¡¯t I be anxious? Tomorrow I still need to have a good talk with Yingying about this kid; she is really too outrageous."


    "Right! Mom, you definitely have to have a good chat with Sister," Xu Shanshan added fuel to the fire.


    Xu Yingying, listening to the conversation outside, felt her heart sink. If her mother lectured her about that matter again tomorrow, she truly felt like she would go insane. To avoid her mother¡¯s nagging tomorrow, suddenly Li Yifei¡¯s suggestion seemed not so bad.


    But the thought of having to make that kind of sound, how lewd it would be, she had no idea how to make it¡ªXu Yingying¡¯s face darkened again. How could she possibly do such a thing?


    And if her family and the guy beside her heard it, how could she face anyone tomorrow? This left Xu Yingying incredibly conflicted.


    After much deliberation, the fear of her mother¡¯s nagging prevailed, and losing face seemed not to be such a big deal after all. At least that was the kind of sound her parents wanted to hear.


    "Just make the noise, what¡¯s the big deal? Anyway, this guy is asleep." Xu Yingying gritted her teeth and finally made up her mind. She opened her mouth, and a sound escaped.

 Chapter 229 - 230 Initiative

    Chapter 229: Chapter 230 InitiativeA sound like that of a newborn kitten meowing came from Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth, but it was so faint that she almost couldn¡¯t hear it herself, which left her somewhat speechless.


    She carefully recalled the sound of He Fangqing¡¯s voice from that day. It seemed that at first, it wasn¡¯t a meow at all, but more of a hum. That seemed easier to emulate. After gathering her courage, she finally let out a hum.


    "This isn¡¯t challenging at all." Xu Yingying was quite satisfied with the sound she made, and it was louder than her first attempt.


    However, the sound was still not loud enough to carry outside the room, so she hummed a bit louder.


    "Hey, are you feeling okay?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice suddenly reached her ears. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying jumped in surprise, staring at Li Yifei with her mouth agape. Wasn¡¯t this guy asleep? How did he wake up again?


    "Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. Do you feel unwell? You¡¯re not having a high fever like last time, are you?" Li Yifei turned towards her and reached out to touch Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead.


    Xu Yingying slapped away Li Yifei¡¯s hand, embarrassed and flustered as she said, "I¡¯m fine."


    "If you¡¯re fine, why are you humming? It sounds so painful," Li Yifei frowned.


    "I... I..." Xu Yingying suddenly felt utterly defeated. Her attempts at humming apparently sounded like expressions of pain, which meant she got it all wrong.


    "Ah haha..." Li Yifei suddenly had a mischievous smile on his face. "I get it now; you want to mimic that kind of sound for your parents to hear."


    With Li Yifei pointing it out, Xu Yingying felt even more embarrassed. In a fit of bashful anger, she reached out and pulled Li Yifei¡¯s arm before forcefully biting him.


    "Ouch!" Li Yifei had never expected Xu Yingying to react so strongly and cried out in extreme pain.


    His shout was loud enough to be heard clearly outside, causing Xu Yingying¡¯s parents and Xu Shanshan to look at each other in confusion. What were these two up to? Li Yifei¡¯s voice also didn¡¯t sound quite right.


    Li Yifei quickly pulled his arm away, sucking in a breath of cold air, and glared as he said, "Are you a dog or something? Biting people now?"


    "It¡¯s because you provoked me," Xu Yingying bit Li Yifei and felt much of her anger release, smugly watching him.


    "Humph, I was considering teaching you, but now I don¡¯t care. Hum however you want," Li Yifei rolled over, turning his back to Xu Yingying, not paying her any more attention.


    Xu Yingying hmphed and said, "I don¡¯t need your teaching. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t heard it before. It¡¯s not hard at all."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond, which made Xu Yingying feel bored. The room grew silent once more, and the silence outside was eerily quiet too. She now felt even more unnerved, guessing that her parents were still listening out there.


    This left her speechless. What kind of parents would listen in on such a thing? Even if they wanted grandchildren, surely it didn¡¯t have to go this far.


    But if she didn¡¯t satisfy them, she¡¯d be the one to suffer tomorrow, or they might even stay until they were satisfied. Desperate for them to leave soon, Xu Yingying decided to just go for it. After all, Li Yifei was already awake, and she had lost face anyway, so there was no reason to hold back anymore.


    Taking a deep breath, Xu Yingying tried humming again, still softly. She needed to find the right feeling first to pull it off.


    After several attempts, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t sure if it was right, but Li Yifei¡¯s back was shaking violently. Without asking, she knew he was laughing uncontrollably, apparently trying very hard to hold it in. This utterly soured Xu Yingying¡¯s mood, and she reached out to grab Li Yifei¡¯s ear, demanding angrily, "Turn your head around."


    Li Yifei, in pain, quickly turned around and grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s wrist. His smile was thick, and he was visibly in pain, displaying an awkward and extraordinary mix of expressions.


    "You laugh, let me see you laugh, are you happy to see me embarrassed?" Xu Yingying glowered at Li Yifei menacingly, and though her wrist was held, she kept twisting his ear ferociously.


    "No laughter, no laughter, my dear aunt, I¡¯ve stopped laughing. Please let go; my ear is about to come off," he pleaded.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t release Li Yifei¡¯s ear until his smile was completely replaced by a grimace of pain.


    "Hey hey, this really won¡¯t do. Your imitation is far from convincing," Li Yifei said to Xu Yingying, trying to sound as serious as possible.


    Xu Yingying looked deflated. "Then what should I do? I don¡¯t know how."


    Li Yifei chuckled slyly and said, "Let me teach you then."


    "Fine, teach me," Xu Yingying watched Li Yifei. She was curious to see how he would mimic a woman¡¯s voice since it was normally produced by a woman.


    Just when Li Yifei was about to instruct her, he shook his head and said, "Oh, that¡¯s wrong. I really can¡¯t imitate a woman¡¯s voice. I can only go along with you, and that¡¯s going to be tricky."


    This immediately dashed Xu Yingying¡¯s hopes, sinking her into even deeper gloom. She said, "Then what do you suggest we do?"


    Li Yifei made a face of suffering and said, "I¡¯m out of options."


    "How can you have no solutions? You¡¯ve done it so many times with He Fangqing, how could you not know her reactions? I don¡¯t care, you have to come up with something for me." Xu Yingying insisted.


    Li Yifei widened his eyes in surprise and said, "Are you being unreasonable with me?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed, but she quickly raised her head in defiance, "So what if I am? Can¡¯t I? Don¡¯t you know that being unreasonable is a woman¡¯s nature? Anyway, you have to help me solve this issue. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you sleep."


    "Alright, alright, let me think... I never imagined that a big boss like you would act like a little girl and be so unreasonable with me." Li Yifei was clearly frustrated.


    Xu Yingying smiled smugly, but inside, she felt uneasy. This was the first time she had ever acted like this with a man other than her father. Yet, it felt somehow not bad at all. In the past, she had always found her own solutions to problems, but now she was pushing them onto someone else and enjoying the benefits.


    "This won¡¯t work... ah, that¡¯s not right either, ah ah... I¡¯ve got it, nope, you won¡¯t agree." Li Yifei muttered to himself, clearly at a loss.


    At this, Xu Yingying quickly jumped in, "What do you mean I won¡¯t agree? Just say it, as long as it works out, it¡¯s good."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "I better not say it, you¡¯ll scold me."


    "I won¡¯t scold you. I know you mean well for me, I definitely won¡¯t get mad. Just tell me," Xu Yingying said, watching as Li Yifei thought hard and finally come up with a solution, only to say she would not agree. Of course, she did not want to give up.


    "About that... let¡¯s get one thing clear, you¡¯re not allowed to get mad."


    "I definitely won¡¯t," she assured.


    "And you can¡¯t think that I¡¯m trying to take advantage of you."


    Seeing the timid look on Li Yifei, Xu Yingying frowned, feeling that this method must be disadvantageous to her. Her expression darkened a bit as she said, "Let¡¯s hear it. Whether I agree or not is one thing, but at the very least, I won¡¯t scold you."


    "Okay then, I¡¯m going to say it."


    "Why are you so annoying? You¡¯re a grown man, why do you keep beating around the bush?" Xu Yingying finally lost some patience.


    Only then did Li Yifei give a dry chuckle and say, "My method is... for you to make that kind of noise, you have to genuinely... experience that feeling."


    "Genuinely experience that feeling? How is that possible? What? You¡¯re not suggesting we do it for real, are you?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes went wide, nearly emitting fire.


    Li Yifei snickered and said, "Of course not, even if you wanted to, I wouldn¡¯t go through with it."


    Xu Yingying was already upset, and Li Yifei¡¯s remark fuelled her anger further. His words were a huge blow to her pride¡ªwhat did he mean he wouldn¡¯t do it? Was she that undesirable to him, that even if she initiated, he would still refuse? His refusal felt like a tremendous insult to her.


    She kicked him hard, but Xu Yingying felt a sharp pain in her toe, wondering why his body was so solid. Annoyed, she said, "What do you mean by you wouldn¡¯t do it?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly affirmed, "Exactly, even if you were willing, I wouldn¡¯t do it. I¡¯m afraid that if we did, you would cling to me for the rest of my life and I would be better off dead."


    "You... you..." Xu Yingying¡¯s lips trembled with rage, and suddenly, she extended both arms and wrapped them around Li Yifei, "You have to, even if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ll make you."


    "What? What?" Li Yifei quickly braced Xu Yingying¡¯s arms, panicking, "Don¡¯t be rash, stay calm, you must stay calm."


    "I won¡¯t stay calm, I am impulsive, and today you¡¯re going to do it, whether you want to or not!" Xu Yingying gritted her teeth, almost as if she was about to tear Li Yifei apart.


    "No way, I have a girlfriend, how could I do something like this? Yingying, I was just kidding earlier, please don¡¯t take it seriously." Li Yifei¡¯s attempts to reject only ignited further fury in Xu Yingying, and in her anger, she became ever more desperate, eventually flipping Li Yifei over and pinning him down, tangling her legs with his, and said fiercely, "If you won¡¯t do it, then I will."


    At this, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes went wide. He had only intended to tease Xu Yingying and see her flustered, but he never expected her to react so strongly and turn the tables on him with a reverse push.


    And in such close proximity, Li Yifei could feel Xu Yingying¡¯s chest being squished against his as contact was made, the smooth skin creating a friction that he found hard to endure.


    Li Yifei certainly had never entertained the idea of getting intimate with Xu Yingying, but with her like this, his body¡¯s instinctive response became apparent.


    Xu Yingying immediately felt something hard pressing uncomfortably against her lower abdomen. At her age, she was well aware of what that was. The first intimate contact left her at a loss for words, and normally, she should have fled, but escaping would have been too embarrassing, so she stayed stiffly on top of Li Yifei, daring not to make any further moves and avoided looking at him, trapped in a dilemma, neither able to get off nor stay on.

 Chapter 230 - 233: Got the Certificate

    Chapter 230: Chapter 233: Got the CertificateXu Shanshan sat in the living room with her parents, her ears perked up the whole time, listening for any noise from Xu Yingying¡¯s room. However, it remained quiet inside, with only the occasional soft murmur of the two people¡¯s voices. But suddenly, she crossed her legs tight and her facial expression turned bizarre in an instant.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Her mother glanced at Xu Shanshan inadvertently and noticed her odd behavior.


    "Nothing, nothing at all." Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly and popped a cherry into her mouth.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother didn¡¯t think much of it; her heart was focused on Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, hoping for a grandchild soon.


    "Mmm..." Xu Shanshan suddenly made another muffled sound.


    "What¡¯s wrong with you now?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother frowned. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I accidentally bit my tongue." Covering her mouth, Xu Shanshan then jumped up and said, "I¡¯m going to take a shower first; you two keep listening. This matter is not suitable for children, so I¡¯ll abstain."


    "What child are you talking about, it¡¯ll be your turn right after your sister. Don¡¯t think you can escape."


    "Escaping for a bit is still escaping." Xu Shanshan giggled and ran into the bathroom. She quickly turned on the shower and stripped off her clothes. Standing under the shower, her face was incredibly odd, her skin reddened as if coated with a thick layer of rouge, indescribably tender and enchanting.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents finally heard those sounds and exchanged smiles; they had staged this because they suspected Xu Yingying¡¯s temperament might be too dominant, always refusing to let Li Yifei touch her. Now, it seemed the couple was harmonious in that aspect, meaning their wish for a grandchild could be fulfilled soon.


    "Eh, why does it seem like there¡¯s a similar sound coming from the bathroom?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother suddenly remarked.


    "Shanshan is taking a shower, it¡¯s probably the sound of the water," Xu Zhenguo casually responded.


    "Oh, then let¡¯s go to bed early too."


    The old couple finally went to bed satisfied, while Xu Shanshan came out of the bathroom after a while, still flushed. She glanced at the bedroom, pouted, and mumbled a few words no one could understand, then darted onto the sofa in the bedroom.


    Next morning, Xu Yingying woke up early and said, "Get up quickly, don¡¯t stay in bed, my parents are still at home, what would it look like."


    "My parents would prefer us to sleep a bit more. I bet if you go out early, you¡¯ll definitely get scolded by them."


    "I don¡¯t believe that." Xu Yingying huffed, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to freshen up and tidy.


    Li Yifei lay in bed and soon heard Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s voice, "Why are you up so early? Why not sleep a bit longer?"


    "Oh, I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore." Xu Yingying answered guiltily.


    "What do you mean, you couldn¡¯t sleep? Young people like to sleep in, and the morning is the best time to nurture affection. If you get up so early every day, how can you build a good relationship, when will you give me a grandchild?"


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll go back to bed right now." Seeing her mother¡¯s nagging about to kick in, Xu Yingying quickly fled back to the bedroom.


    Upon entering, she saw Li Yifei¡¯s smug smile, and she glared at him, saying, "What¡¯s there to be smug about? I got told off by my mom, you happy now?"


    "I¡¯m smug because my guess was absolutely right, and I¡¯m happy because someone has to admire my judgment."


    "Admire my foot." Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and took a laptop to sit at the head of the bed. Since going out would lead to being nagged, she decided she might as well work in the bedroom.


    It wasn¡¯t until almost seven o¡¯clock that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying came out of the bedroom together, and Xu Yingying¡¯s mother gave Li Yifei an approving look, saying with a smile, "Yifei is not bad."


    This comment left Li Yifei dumbfounded; intuitively, he felt it referred to the events of the previous night. But for a mother-in-law to say such a thing seemed a bit much. However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t really take it as any commentary on Xu Yingying¡¯s mother; it was just an expression of an elder¡¯s eagerness for a grandchild.


    After tidying up, Li Yifei made his way to the living room, where he spotted Xu Shanshan leaning against the sofa wrapped in a blanket, yawning widely.


    "Shanshan, didn¡¯t sleep well last night?" Li Yifei asked with concern.


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "With you two making noise so late into the night, how could I sleep? And then waking up so early, no one lets me sleep in."


    Just then, Xu Yingying came over and heard her sister¡¯s words, immediately feeling embarrassed. Seeing that their parents were in the kitchen, she quickly said to Xu Shanshan, "That was fake, it wasn¡¯t really like that at all."


    Xu Shanshan looked at Xu Yingying suspiciously, "Fake? Impossible."


    Xu Yingying knew about her and Li Yifei¡¯s fake boyfriend-girlfriend situation, and seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s misunderstanding, she became somewhat anxious. Although she was worried about Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei getting together and wanted to hold on to Li Yifei, there were things she was not willing to admit.


    She sat down next to Xu Shanshan and then said to Li Yifei, "Can you go help my parents?"


    Li Yifei, understanding the sisters wanted to talk privately, wisely left. After he was gone, Xu Yingying immediately said to Xu Shanshan, "You saw it, mom is eager for me to have children early. If we don¡¯t make some noise, she¡¯d definitely watch over me and Yifei all day long. So last night we were just putting on a play, making those noises on purpose to fool mom."

 Chapter 231 - 233: Got the Certificate_2

    Chapter 231: Chapter 233: Got the Certificate_2Xu Shanshan immediately widened her eyes and said, "You¡¯re saying that last night... you guys didn¡¯t... actually make love?"


    Xu Yingying spat at her sister and said, "Of course we didn¡¯t."


    "Then why were you screaming so loudly? Why were you so excited if you didn¡¯t do it?"


    "I haven¡¯t done it, but haven¡¯t I seen movies? Is it hard to learn those things?"


    Xu Shanshan blinked her eyes and wore a sly smile, which immediately made Xu Yingying feel a bit of unease. She put on a stern face and said, "Let me tell you, don¡¯t think that just because I haven¡¯t done that with Yifei, you have an opportunity. I just don¡¯t want to do that so casually."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "You know, my sister is the most self-respecting, she wouldn¡¯t be careless."


    "Good that you know, I¡¯m not hiding it from you, and I¡¯m not afraid of you either."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s smile grew wider and she said, "Big sis, you can rest easy. If I¡¯m going to snatch my brother-in-law, I¡¯ll do it fair and square. I won¡¯t resort to any dirty tricks."


    "You¡¯re still not giving up?"


    "Why should I give up? As long as you and my brother-in-law aren¡¯t truly married, I won¡¯t give up," Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei in the kitchen, her smile even more radiant.


    This smile made Xu Yingying somewhat alarmed, and for some reason she couldn¡¯t explain, she made up her mind that once her parents left, she would definitely have them take Xu Shanshan away, too. Leaving her here was simply too dangerous.


    During breakfast, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said with a smile, "Yingying, Yifei, I think you should find time to get your marriage certificate today." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying was prepared and immediately said, "Mom, we¡¯ve really been too busy these past days. I promise you, as soon as we¡¯re done with this busy period, we¡¯ll get our certificate. Don¡¯t worry about it."


    "What¡¯s there to worry about? I need to see your marriage certificate to really be at ease."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll make sure you see the marriage certificate within a week. Is that okay now?"


    "That¡¯s more like it," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said, finally nodding in satisfaction.


    After leaving the house, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying hurried to a photo studio and specially took two-inch photos. Usually, photos for marriage certificates are taken at specific places for getting married, so it was very rare for anyone to go to a regular photo studio for wedding pictures.


    They paid a little extra, and in less than ten minutes, they got their pictures. Looking at the photo of the two of them, Xu Yingying was quite satisfied. Although it was just a headshot, both of them were leaning their heads together with smiles on their faces. While Li Yifei might not be considered extremely handsome, he did have a masculine aura. And she, looking beautiful and elegant, couldn¡¯t help but say, "Look at this photo, isn¡¯t it nice?"


    Li Yifei said proudly, "Of course, With me being so handsome and manly, of course it¡¯s great."


    Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei and said disdainfully, "Keep flattering yourself. I just don¡¯t see where you¡¯re handsome or manly."


    "If that¡¯s what you think, then find someone else to go get this fake marriage certificate with you."


    "Dream on!" Xu Yingying shoved the photo into Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said, "Now it¡¯s your turn to handle it."


    "What? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted a fake certificate?"


    "When do I have the time? You¡¯re the one with free time every day, so if you¡¯re not going to do it, who will?" Xu Yingying tossed her head back and, in her high heels, strutted off with a catwalk gait.


    Li Yifei shook his head and reluctantly put the photos in his pocket.


    After sending Xu Yingying back to her company, Li Yifei went to a utility pole on the roadside, found two numbers for fake certificate makers, and made contact with one. After explaining that he needed a fake divorce certificate, the person agreed immediately and arranged a meeting place. Li Yifei sent the photos over right away. The person was cautious, but after seeing Li Yifei¡¯s Porsche, he became emboldened. If it had been the police, they wouldn¡¯t have come in a Porsche, so he showed his face openly.


    Li Yifei gave the man the photos and gave him a look, saying, "You have two days to get the certificate ready for me, or else weigh your options."


    The guy immediately grinned and said, "Two days, absolutely no problem. We¡¯ll contact you by phone." To someone who drives a Porsche like Li Yifei, that¡¯s a person with status. Although the fake certificate maker didn¡¯t recognize Li Yifei, he didn¡¯t dare to offend him. If Li Yifei were to single him out, he would surely have no good end.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried about any tricks. Such small-time crooks might intimidate ordinary people, but they always played it straight with the rich and powerful.


    Although he said two days, the man delivered the two little red books to Li Yifei the next day. Li Yifei showed the fake marriage certificates to Xu Yingying, and she was very pleased. The certificates looked just like the real thing, indistinguishable as fakes. The skill of these fraudsters was really up to par. Of course, there were still flaws. If someone checked in the Public Security System, they would be exposed.


    That night, holding the fake certificates, the two returned home, greatly delighting Xu Zhenguo and his wife. Seeing their daughter finally ¡¯married off¡¯ relieved one of their worries. What was missing now was just a wedding, but Xu Yingying said she was too busy at the moment and simply had no time to hold a ceremony. The Xu Zhenguo couple didn¡¯t press the issue; with the certificate, they were already legally husband and wife, and the ceremony could be made up later.


    Xu Shanshan took one of the marriage certificates and looked it over and over. Once Xu Yingying returned to the room, Shanshan immediately hugged her sister¡¯s shoulders and asked with a giggle, "Big sis, did you and my brother-in-law really get the certificate?"


    "What do you think? It¡¯s in your hands, isn¡¯t it?" Xu Yingying raised her eyebrows smugly.


    "Tsk! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, this is clearly a fake certificate. Brother-in-law told me already."


    "That guy, why does he tell you everything?" Xu Yingying suddenly felt annoyed.


    Xu Shanshan burst into triumphant laughter, realizing she had been tricked by her sister. She glared at Shanshan sharply and said in a low voice, "If you dare to blow our cover, you¡¯ll pay for it."


    "Tsk, I¡¯m not afraid. Hehe, then I still have a chance," Xu Shanshan chuckled and ran to the door, bumping into Li Yifei. She immediately grabbed his arm and cooed, "Brother-in-law, you and my sister are married now, I want a red packet."


    Seeing how close Xu Shanshan was with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying frowned slightly, feeling a hint of displeasure in her heart.

 Chapter 232 - 234 Drunk

    Chapter 232: Chapter 234 DrunkThe wedding definitely needed some celebration. Originally, Xu Yingying suggested going out to eat, but the Xu Zhenguo Couple felt eating out wasn¡¯t as casual. In the end, they made a feast at home. Although it was just the five of them, it was still lively because there was the lively sister-in-law Xu Shanshan, who teased Li Yifei from time to time, naturally bringing much joy.


    The Xu Zhenguo Couple drank quite a bit of alcohol tonight and were overjoyed. Xu Zhenguo patted Li Yifei on the shoulder and said, "Yifei, I¡¯ll leave Yingying in your hands from now on. My daughter has quite a temper. If she does anything wrong, don¡¯t hesitate to scold her or even discipline her. Although women need a bit of pampering, it shouldn¡¯t be excessive."


    Xu Yingying immediately protested, "Dad, why aren¡¯t you siding with your daughter?"


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily and said, "Of course, I pamper my daughter, but once she¡¯s married, she¡¯s forming a new family. Inevitably, there will be friction between them. If he blindly agrees with you, in the end, it could lead to bigger problems. You¡¯re too strong-willed; I don¡¯t want Yifei to be too weak in front of you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Dad, you don¡¯t need to worry about that." After getting the marriage certificate, Xu Zhenguo Couple insisted Li Yifei change the way he addressed them. Initially, it felt awkward for Li Yifei, but after a few times, it felt quite natural.


    The most important thing was that after his parents passed away, Li Yifei never had this familial feeling again. In Xu Yingying¡¯s home, he felt this sensation once more. Even if it wasn¡¯t for the fake marriage with Xu Yingying, having Xu Zhenguo Couple treat him so well, changing the way he addressed them was no big loss.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother chimed in at this moment, "The most important thing for you two is to have children early. Yifei, let me tell you, don¡¯t listen to Yingying saying she¡¯s busy with work or that now isn¡¯t a suitable time to have kids. Those are all excuses. Once a woman marries, she should have children. Human desires are endless. With the accomplishments you¡¯ve achieved now, you¡¯ll feel there are higher achievements waiting for you. When you finally realize that one day, you¡¯ll be older. Even if you can still have kids, by the time they¡¯re a bit older, you¡¯ll be too old to have the energy to take care of them. So, you should work hard now, understand?"


    Xu Shanshan gave her mother a thumbs up and said, "Mom, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard you say something so profound."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother glared and said, "Don¡¯t think I¡¯m just nagging; it¡¯s all for your good. As a mother, how could I harm my own daughter?"


    Li Yifei humbly said, "Yes, yes, we will work hard."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit awkward but had to go along with her mother¡¯s words. In her heart, however, she didn¡¯t quite agree since she had her own life plans, getting married at thirty and having kids before thirty-five.


    "Come, come, today we¡¯re happy, let¡¯s keep drinking." Xu Zhenguo raised his wine glass again. Being fond of drinking, usually, his daughters wouldn¡¯t let him, but today he was freed, and naturally, he wouldn¡¯t stop.


    They drank until after ten thirty. Xu Zhenguo got quite drunk, and Li Yifei helped him into the bedroom, while Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, who rarely drank, was also very happy today and drank quite a bit. She too couldn¡¯t hold on and went to the bedroom to sleep.


    However, Xu Shanshan was still energetic. When Li Yifei came back, she immediately patted the table and said, "Brother-in-law, make me a cocktail?"


    Although Li Yifei could hold his liquor, he was a bit tipsy by now and agreed happily. Xu Yingying wanted to go to sleep but, worried about Li Yifei being with Xu Shanshan, decided to stay with them.


    The three moved to the living room, and using the few kinds of alcohol available at Xu Yingying¡¯s place, Li Yifei not only made a cocktail for Xu Shanshan but also one for Xu Yingying.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not drinking?" Xu Shanshan raised her glass and looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei poured himself a glass of beer and said, "I¡¯ll drink this."


    Xu Shanshan immediately protested, "No, no. I have all kinds of alcohol here. How can you drink beer? You have to drink white spirit."


    "No, thanks. I¡¯ve had quite a bit already, drinking more will be too much." Li Yifei quickly declined.


    "Too much is fine; we¡¯re at home. If you drink too much, just sleep. Besides, today is your and my sister¡¯s big wedding day. If you don¡¯t drink a bit more, how can you match this happy occasion?" Xu Shanshan said, winking at Li Yifei.


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll just drink a little." Li Yifei downed the beer and poured a little white spirit.


    "That¡¯s not enough. Are you saving it for fish?" Xu Shanshan grabbed the bottle and poured nearly a full glass for Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened immediately and said, "Are you trying to get your brother-in-law drunk?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Getting drunk is good; you never know what might happen."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened as she looked at Li Yifei, actually worried about what he might do if he really got drunk. If something happened in the room, causing a commotion to wake up her parents, even if she stopped him, their fake marriage would definitely be exposed. After all, they already got the certificate, and Xu Yingying had no reason not to let Li Yifei get close.


    Letting Li Yifei do as he pleased was even worse; Xu Yingying was still a virgin, and she wasn¡¯t actually married to Li Yifei. How could she muddle through and give her first time to him like this?


    Xu Shanshan slung her arm over Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, winked at Xu Yingying, and said, "Brother-in-law, look, my sister is getting emotional now; you can¡¯t miss this tonight."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "Stop causing trouble. Don¡¯t you know what the deal is between me and your sister? How would I dare do anything to her?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Isn¡¯t my sister always saying she wants to be with you? If it were me, I¡¯d have gotten the real certificate and gone to bed with you already, truly being your wife. She¡¯s just trying to stop me from being with you."


    Xu Yingying was shocked, fearing her parents would hear this. She immediately glared and said, "Stop talking nonsense."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "How am I talking nonsense? You know I like brother-in-law, and you¡¯re deliberately causing trouble just to keep me away from him. Hmph, brother-in-law, come on, let¡¯s drink."


    "You can¡¯t drink that much." Xu Yingying hurriedly held down Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Xu Shanshan snorted again and said, "If you don¡¯t let my brother-in-law drink with me, I¡¯ll shout out the truth."


    "You dare?"


    "What wouldn¡¯t I dare? Telling would do no harm to me, only good."


    "You..." Xu Yingying was at a loss for words.


    Li Yifei gently moved Xu Yingying¡¯s hand away and said with a smile, "It¡¯s okay. Let Shanshan and I have some drinks together. It¡¯s a rare happy day today."


    Xu Yingying was helpless and could only look angrily at the two as they prepared to continue drinking. But just as Xu Shanshan raised her glass, she set it back down, giving a mischievous smile to Xu Yingying and said, "You have to drink too. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll shout."


    Xu Yingying was quite angry now, but with this little sister, she really had no way. She knew clearly that Xu Shanshan could actually do such a thing, so she raised her glass and said, "I¡¯m not afraid of you. Let¡¯s drink, then." She gulped down the cocktail in one go.


    "This is good. Come on, brother-in-law, cheers." She also downed her drink in one gulp.


    Li Yifei picked up his glass and said bitterly, "Do I have to finish it too?"


    Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t agree otherwise and said, "Of course, how can you not? We finished ours; you have to finish yours too."


    "But this is white spirit."


    "What¡¯s wrong with white spirit? I know brother-in-law can drink; drinking beer is like drinking water for you, what¡¯s the fun in that? It¡¯s only with white spirit I might have a chance to outdrink you. Come on, brother-in-law, you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t handle it now? That¡¯s not like you."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "In front of men, I can¡¯t say ¡¯can¡¯t.¡¯ All right, I¡¯ll go for it and drink with you to my heart¡¯s content."


    "Good, let¡¯s drink to our heart¡¯s content." Xu Shanshan was even more excited and immediately filled the glasses full of beer for the three of them this time.


    In less than half an hour, the three of them drank almost ten bottles of beer. Although Xu Yingying had trained some tolerance for alcohol by attending various events, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and was almost drunk. She was teetering and couldn¡¯t sit still, her eyes barely open, and her speech started slurring.


    Xu Shanshan had had a bit too much as well, but rather than being muddled or going wild, her eyes shone brightly like light bulbs, although she couldn¡¯t quite keep her balance.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t much better off. Though he could hold his liquor, he wasn¡¯t immune to alcohol. Having drunk a lot with Xu Zhenguo tonight, and again through the mix of beer and white spirit, he was now seven or eight parts drunk.


    "I can¡¯t anymore, I can¡¯t drink anymore," Xu Yingying waved her hand, and as she wobbled, she leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder but didn¡¯t sit tight, directly sliding down. Li Yifei instinctively caught her, and she ended up resting her head on his lap.


    "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s keep drinking," Xu Shanshan brought another drink to her lips, but she spilled half of it on herself and then slumped onto Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei caught Xu Shanshan as well, letting her rest on his lap. At this moment, he intended to return to the bedroom, but his head was constantly spinning. Closing his eyes was only to rest for a moment, but he quickly fell asleep. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother got up early and saw the three of them in the living room. Seeing their sleeping position, she was instantly dumbfounded.

 Chapter 233 - 235 A New Dispute

    Chapter 233: Chapter 235 A New DisputeLi Yifei, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan were all lying on the sofa at this time. Li Yifei was in the middle, with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan each resting their heads on his thighs. Li Yifei was lying on his side facing Xu Shanshan. Because of their positions, Li Yifei was inside, and Xu Shanshan was outside, with his hand still around Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when she saw such a scene. However, she quickly shook her head, noting the numerous alcohol bottles on the coffee table. It was evident that the three of them drank too much last night. Since Li Yifei didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate to Xu Shanshan, she didn¡¯t make a fuss about it.


    "Get up and go back to your rooms to sleep," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother called out to wake all three of them.


    Li Yifei woke up first, rubbed his eyes, and sat up quickly. These days, although Xu Shanshan had the same hairstyle as Xu Yingying, their different clothes allowed him to distinguish the twins. It didn¡¯t make sense to him that he was holding Xu Shanshan in front of Xu Yingying¡¯s mother.


    "Auntie... Mom, last night we..."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother smiled and said, "It¡¯s okay, I know you all drank too much. Go and take Yingying back to rest some more. You guys really drank a lot; being in a good mood doesn¡¯t mean you should drink so much."


    Li Yifei quickly agreed, carrying Xu Yingying back to the bedroom. Although Xu Yingying was also awakened, facing her mother under such awkward circumstances was hard for her, so she pretended to sleep.


    After placing Xu Yingying on the bed, Li Yifei fell onto it himself. They really drank too much last night; he still felt dizzy.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t pursue the matter of the three sleeping together last night. Soon, she was back in dreamland.


    Upon waking up, Xu Shanshan was quite annoyed. Her plan was to get Li Yifei and Xu Yingying drunk so they might end up doing something romantic in their drunken state.


    However, she underestimated her own drinking capacity and ended up drunk as well. This missed opportunity would make it harder to get them both drunk again in the future.


    But thinking about the situation that morning, a smile appeared on Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips. The feeling was actually quite nice. If her sister Yingying couldn¡¯t handle Li Yifei, then snatching him away as a husband seemed like a good idea. Having him by her side for life didn¡¯t seem bad at all.


    Since today was the weekend, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t need to wake up early. They slept until after nine o¡¯clock when Xu Yingying pulled Li Yifei up. The five members of the family took a good stroll around the city, with Xu Yingying buying a bunch of things for her parents while also getting many things for Xu Shanshan.


    Once back home, Xu Shanshan smiled at Xu Yingying and said, "Old sis, I feel like you¡¯re sending me off."


    Xu Yingying immediately replied, "You¡¯re right. You should go back with Mom and Dad when they leave."


    "What for?" Xu Shanshan was instantly unhappy.


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "No special reason. Don¡¯t you have work?"


    "Of course, I have work. I can¡¯t just rely on you to support me."


    "So there you have it. Your job is in Mile City, and you¡¯ve been here long enough. It¡¯s time for you to go back to work."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Then you¡¯re wrong. My job is now in Mile City, and it was brother-in-law who helped me find it."


    "I helped you find it?" Li Yifei was puzzled.


    "Hee hee, last time, didn¡¯t you take me to meet that dancer? She has a dance school here and agreed to let me be a dance teacher there. So, my job is now in Mile City."


    Seeing the displeased look on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, Xu Shanshan triumphantly said, "Dad and Mom will surely support me on this. Don¡¯t forget, I almost have a boyfriend here. If you make me leave, that would be ruined."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother quickly added, "Yes, yes, let Shanshan stay here. But Shanshan, you can¡¯t live at your sister¡¯s place; it¡¯s too inconvenient."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, but before she could retort, Xu Yingying said, "Mom, let Shanshan stay with me. I¡¯d worry if she went elsewhere."


    Xu Shanshan was immediately overjoyed, grinning broadly. "Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m so naughty. If I accidentally get into some trouble, it¡¯s better to have my sister keep an eye on me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother laughed at Xu Shanshan¡¯s antics, but her expression quickly turned serious. "Then, stay here and behave. You have to listen to your sister and brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan immediately hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, giggling as she said, "I always listen to brother-in-law. As for my sister, well... I usually don¡¯t."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened, but the Xu Zhenguo Couple showed no concern over Shanshan¡¯s closeness with Li Yifei. After all, they would all be family soon and should get along harmoniously. The sister-in-law teasing her brother-in-law was a long-standing tradition, never a cause for reproach but rather a source of joy. Especially among the older generation, it was seen as a natural thing.


    On Sunday morning, the Xu Zhenguo Couple took a flight back. Seeing their daughter really married to Li Yifei reassured them enough to leave the young couple on their own.


    After seeing the two elders off, Li Yifei finally relaxed, exhaling deeply and saying, "Finally completed the task, it really exhausted me."


    Xu Yingying felt the same way. Feeling light and free, she could now return to doing what she loved.


    Xu Shanshan, however, snorted and mimicked her mother¡¯s tone, "You two, hurry up and give me a grandchild."


    Xu Yingying pinched her sister and scolded, "Stop messing around, or I¡¯ll have you start working properly tomorrow. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for kicking you out."


    "Sure, kick me out. If you do, I¡¯ll move in with brother-in-law. Brother-in-law, you¡¯ll surely take me in, right?" Xu Shanshan tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gently swinging it.


    Xu Yingying snapped, "Let go of him."


    "Why should I? I just like it this way." Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gently swaying it and letting her chest lightly brush against it.


    This little display in the airport terminal, crowded with people, caught quite a few eyes. However, no one thought much of it. Public displays of affection between couples were quite normal.


    But Xu Yingying was fuming, lowering her voice as she angrily said, "He¡¯s your brother-in-law, don¡¯t you know you can¡¯t be like that with him?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He¡¯s not my real brother-in-law, so what am I afraid of?"


    "You... I¡¯m telling you he is."


    "Well, that depends on whether brother-in-law agrees. Brother-in-law, did you agree to it?"


    Li Yifei suddenly felt caught in a difficult position, once again trapped between the two sisters, making it hard for him to handle the situation.


    "See, see, brother-in-law didn¡¯t agree. You can¡¯t tie him down with a fake certificate." Xu Shanshan gleefully teased Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying fell for it, gritting her teeth as she said, "Even if we haven¡¯t registered, we¡¯re still together. That night, we were together."


    Li Yifei was stunned; Xu Yingying¡¯s words were heavily suggestive.


    Before Li Yifei could respond, Xu Shanshan grabbed his arm, "Brother-in-law, really? You actually did that with my sister?"


    "No, no! Absolutely not!" Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t admit it and shook his head vehemently.


    Xu Yingying seized Li Yifei¡¯s other arm, speaking harshly, "What do you mean no? That night, you touched me all over. Doesn¡¯t that count?"


    "Ah... Brother-in-law, you really touched her?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened, showing an unusual expression.


    "This... this... it was just acting, alright?" Li Yifei feebly explained.


    "I don¡¯t care if it was acting or not. I just ask if it happened," Xu Yingying said with a proud tilt of her head.


    "There... was." Li Yifei conceded helplessly, but quickly added, "This is a public place; can we discuss this in the car?"


    Realizing they were drawing stares, including recognition as twins despite their different outfits, Xu Yingying felt embarrassed. Known to some extent in Mile City, if familiar people recognized her, it would be awkward. Hastily, she let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Xu Shanshan, however, still clung to Li Yifei, pulling him along, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s ignore her."


    Watching them walk ahead, Xu Yingying felt deeply disgruntled but decided to hold her temper and follow.


    Since they had driven Xu Yingying¡¯s Benz to the airport, the three rode it home. As Li Yifei settled in the driver¡¯s seat, Xu Shanshan quickly claimed the passenger seat, leaving Xu Yingying feeling suffocated once more.


    As soon as they got into the car, Li Yifei said, "Let¡¯s discuss this at home. I can¡¯t drive safely while doing so."


    Xu Yingying huffed and stayed quiet. Her relationship with Li Yifei was solid, making her confident of her advantage. She sat calmly, arms crossed with a composed, assured look.


    Finally reaching the residential area, Li Yifei said, "You two can get off first, I¡¯ll park the car."


    Squinting, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not trying to run away, are you?"


    Caught by her sharpness, Li Yifei awkwardly replied, "No, no, why would I run?"


    "Then let¡¯s all go together," Xu Shanshan smiled, looking like a crafty little fox.


    Resigned, Li Yifei parked the car and walked to the apartment sandwiched between the sisters.


    Upon entering, Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei onto the sofa, standing in front of him triumphantly, "Now tell Xu Shanshan how far we¡¯ve progressed. No hiding!"


    Having devised his plan in the car, Li Yifei lit a cigarette, took several deep drags, and finally said through clenched teeth, "This shouldn¡¯t be on me, right?"


    "Li Yifei!" Xu Yingying exclaimed in a repressed rage, "You¡¯re not planning to deny it, are you?"


    Li Yifei leaned back a bit, looking aggrieved as he said, "I did touch you that day. Touched your body, touched there, but it was all over your clothes..."


    Turning to Xu Shanshan, Xu Yingying said, "Did you hear? Do you still think our relationship is fake?"

 Chapter 234 - 236: Fleeing in Desperate Straits

    Chapter 234: Chapter 236: Fleeing in Desperate StraitsXu Shanshan huffed and plopped down beside Li Yifei, shaking Li Yifei¡¯s arm plaintively, "Brother-in-law, how could you do this to me."


    Li Yifei quickly made a pained face and said, "I didn¡¯t want this either. That night, I was planning to go to sleep, but your sister was worried that your parents would keep nagging her about having children, so she insisted on making some noise for them to overhear. Since she couldn¡¯t do it herself, she forced me to help her¡ªI was completely coerced, tell me how is that fair? It feels like I¡¯ve been violated, and not only can I not complain, but I also have to play the role of a trophy wife."


    Xu Shanshan snorted with laughter, slapping Li Yifei¡¯s arm, "Brother-in-law, you don¡¯t have to worry. I know you were forced, it¡¯s not your fault, so you shouldn¡¯t feel any guilt."


    Listening to this, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit sour. Although Li Yifei was telling the truth, from start to finish he seemed to have suffered no loss, while she was the one at a disadvantage. Now, with Li Yifei looking so aggrieved, it seemed as if she was the one who was in the wrong. It made Xu Yingying feel like she had made a business deal, clearly getting scammed and losing a great deal of money, and yet somehow she was the one who was at fault.


    "Li Yifei, what I¡¯m about to tell you is a fact; now that something like this has happened between us, do you think we still have no relationship?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately interjected, "What does it matter whether we have a relationship or not? Are you saying that if a woman is raped, she has to marry her rapist? Then all the men in the world could just rape any woman they fancied."


    Xu Yingying was caught off guard and glared fiercely at Li Yifei without responding to Xu Shanshan.


    At that moment, Li Yifei stubbed out his cigarette butt forcefully, met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, and said, "Yingying, as a man, I have my principles. Although you¡¯ve caused me both physical and emotional trauma, I cannot yield, and I will still pursue my own happiness."


    Xu Yingying nearly hit her head in frustration. Li Yifei was speaking so tragically, as if he really were a woman who had been raped, infuriating her so much that she wanted to grab the fruit knife from the coffee table and stab him several times.


    Meanwhile, Xu Shanshan burst into laughter, rested her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, and struggled to stop giggling, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re absolutely right. We¡¯re not like women; we can¡¯t just accept it if we¡¯ve been taken advantage of."


    Just then, Li Yifei¡¯s phone started ringing. He quickly answered and shouted into the phone, "What? Something like that happened? I¡¯ll be right there; you must be careful."


    After speaking, Li Yifei jumped to his feet and said anxiously, "A friend of mine is in trouble; I have to go help right away," and then he rushed out.


    Before Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan could react, Li Yifei dashed to the door like an arrow, kicked off his slippers, and without fully slipping his heels into his shoes, scurried out, flapping, and slammed the door shut with a bang.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan looked at each other, and Xu Shanshan quickly said with concern, "Could something really have happened?"


    "What could happen? Hmph, the person on the phone hadn¡¯t even spoken yet, and he was already shouting out loud. What do you think could have happened?"


    Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but laugh again, "Brother-in-law is really cunning. It¡¯s obvious that you scared him away."


    "Hmph," Xu Yingying snorted coldly, then took a deep breath, sat down next to Xu Shanshan with a softened tone, "Shanshan, let¡¯s have a proper talk. I promise I won¡¯t lose my temper, and you have to talk to me honestly as well."


    "Sure, go ahead," Xu Shanshan agreed readily.


    "Shanshan, even though I forced him that night, what¡¯s done is done. I¡¯ve grown up without ever having a boyfriend, and now after being intimate with him, how can I be with someone else? So I have no choice but to be with him. Besides, if you really want to be with him, we¡¯re bound to meet as a family. Whenever I see him, I¡¯ll be reminded of what happened between us. That would be awkward, right?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "But you clearly didn¡¯t really want to be with Brother Li. It¡¯s not fair to him."


    Seeing that Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t being very assertive, Xu Yingying hurriedly continued, "I admit my feelings for him aren¡¯t that strong yet, but relationships can be cultivated. Now I feel that he¡¯s actually not a bad person, and being with him for life would be a good thing, so I¡¯m trying really hard."


    "Sis, think about it yourself; you haven¡¯t fallen in love with Brother Li, but I have, and you still insist on being with him. What sense does that make?"


    Xu Yingying laughed awkwardly, "Shanshan, you have to consider our family. To our parents, Brother Li and I are practically married. If he were to be with you, they would never accept it. How about this: give me a month. If I can¡¯t truly fall in love with Brother Li, or if he doesn¡¯t genuinely love me, then I¡¯ll step aside willingly. If you can then really be with him, I won¡¯t object."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. When have I ever gone back on my word?"


    "Alright then, it¡¯s a deal!" Xu Shanshan extended her palm.


    Xu Yingying slapped her sister¡¯s hand, and the matter was settled, but looking at her sister¡¯s sly gaze, Xu Yingying felt ill at ease. She quickly added, "Now remember our agreement, you can¡¯t cause any trouble during this one month."


    Xu Shanshan blinked her eyes and said, "Don¡¯t worry about that; however, I must remind you that Brother Li already has a girlfriend. If a month passes and you tell me not only have you not secured Brother Li, but you¡¯ve actually driven him closer to his girlfriend, then what?"


    Xu Yingying truly found her sister troublesome. Her initial hope was for Li Yifei to end up with his girlfriend, which meant if she couldn¡¯t be with Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t have her chance either. But now that Xu Shanshan had put it that way, if Xu Yingying didn¡¯t make an effort, that little devil would definitely make her move. Xu Yingying knew her sister too well¡ªif Xu Shanshan set her mind on charming a man, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t stand a chance, and Li Yifei... how could he resist temptation?


    Thus, it meant that Xu Yingying had to truly put in an effort and not rely on other tactics. Facing Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze confidently, she declared, "You can trust me on this. I might not have a way with my sister, but I have plenty of methods for others."


    "Hehe, then let me give you another reminder. Brother Li values relationships deeply. If you resort to despicable means against his girlfriend and Brother Li finds out, you won¡¯t stand a chance. Moreover, he¡¯ll definitely hate you for it," Shanshan playfully warned. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m not that foolish. Winning by undermining the competitor may be a low-grade tactic in business competition. Only when the product is appealing can one stand firm," Yingying responded.


    Xu Shanshan looked Yingying up and down, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, "However, I feel like your ¡¯product¡¯ isn¡¯t quite appealing enough."


    By then, Xu Yingying had fully assumed her role. She smiled lightly and said, "I know you¡¯re criticizing my temperament, saying I¡¯m not gentle enough. Don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s not just gentle women that can make a man fall in love. I won¡¯t pretend to be anyone else; I¡¯ll just be myself."


    "Seeing you like this actually makes me a little worried. You¡¯re not really going to win over Brother Li, are you?" Xu Shanshan pouted, her concern evident.


    "Absolutely," Xu Yingying replied, and with a twist of her body, she walked back to her bedroom with graceful steps.


    At that moment, a sly smile appeared on Xu Shanshan¡¯s face. She spat out a breath and murmured under her breath, "That stinky Brother Li, to think he would do such things with my sister. Such a big hooligan, managing to touch her so pleasurably... Xu Yingying, you¡¯re quite the lascivious one too, reacting so intensely."


    If Li Yifei and Xu Yingying could hear Xu Shanshan¡¯s words at that moment, they would have been greatly surprised. Even if Xu Yingying had mentioned being touched by Li Yifei, Shanshan seemed to know a bit too much.


    Li Yifei had by now arrived at a dessert shop. He looked around, spotted Michelle, and immediately walked over with a cheerful grin.


    Once he sat down, Michelle quickly said, "Brother Li, what exactly happened just now? You seemed so hurried over the phone. Did something come up?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Michelle, your call came at just the right time. Whatever you want to do today, it¡¯s my treat."


    Michelle, noticing Li Yifei¡¯s ease, relaxed but asked more curiously, "Brother Li, what exactly happened?"


    "Hehe, I got caught up by two beauties and couldn¡¯t escape. Your call gave me the perfect excuse to slip away."


    Michelle couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud and said, "Caught up by two beauties, huh? Why did you run away then?"


    "Forget it, they may be beautiful, but they¡¯re too much for me. I prefer the ease of being with you." As he spoke, Li Yifei scooped up a big chunk of ice cream and stuffed it into his mouth, praising constantly, "So delicious."


    Without prying further, Michelle had always been interested in Li Yifei but wasn¡¯t one to pry. Since Li Yifei was unwilling to share more, she refrained from asking. More importantly, she didn¡¯t want to annoy him. She smiled and said, "Since I¡¯ve helped you today, Brother Li, you¡¯ll have to keep me company."


    Li Yifei gestured grandly with his hands, "Absolutely no problem, but let me be clear upfront, I¡¯m a bit short on cash recently, so don¡¯t make me overspend or I won¡¯t be able to foot the bill."


    Michelle¡¯s smile deepened as she replied, "I wouldn¡¯t do that. Let¡¯s go shopping. I¡¯ll just try things on without buying, so it won¡¯t cost anything."


    While Li Yifei had lost his initial interest in shopping since returning to city life, he happily agreed to Michelle¡¯s suggestion.

 Chapter 235 - 237 Trying on Clothes

    Chapter 235: Chapter 237 Trying on ClothesLi Yifei finished eating the frozen treat with Michelle, and then the pair arrived at a nearby large shopping mall. After walking a few steps, Michelle whispered to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, I... Can I make a request?"


    "A request? What is it, let¡¯s hear it?" Li Yifei looked at Michelle with a teasing smile.


    Michelle¡¯s face blushed as she spoke softly, "Can I... hold Brother Li¡¯s arm?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t immediately agree, which embarrassed Michelle immensely. She bowed her head, her face so red it looked like blood would drip from it, and stammered, "I... I don¡¯t mean anything by it, I just wanted..."


    "Hehe, how can I refuse such a delightful request? Just don¡¯t say I¡¯m taking advantage of you," Li Yifei offered his arm and took hold of Michelle¡¯s hand.


    Michelle¡¯s body stiffened, and she suddenly looked up at Li Yifei with a surprised joy. Seeing his radiant smile, she tightened her grip on his hand.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart shook, and he immediately regretted consenting to Michelle¡¯s request. Her asking to hold his arm clearly had a hint of affection, and by agreeing, he was giving her hope. But at such a moment, Li Yifei found it impossible to refuse Michelle¡ªit felt way too cruel.


    The two, hand in hand, walked from the first floor to the third. Michelle didn¡¯t speak the entire way, nor did she look at anything. Seeing Michelle¡¯s dizzyingly sweet and happy demeanor, Li Yifei found it both amusing and guilt-inducing. To break the romantic atmosphere, he laughed and said, "We¡¯ve reached the women¡¯s clothing section, aren¡¯t you going to take a look?"


    "Ah!" Michelle gasped, her face turning bright red with embarrassment. She hastily let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "Then I¡¯ll take a look."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Then have a look."


    Michelle browsed a store briefly, then left with Li Yifei, suggesting, "Let¡¯s check out the next one." But after a couple of steps, her hand shyly reached out and grasped Li Yifei¡¯s arm again.


    At this point, Li Yifei simply pretended not to notice. To react with resistance now could greatly hurt Michelle, who was such a sensitive girl. Since he had agreed to accompany her for a day of fun, he decided to enjoy it to the fullest. He even turned and smiled at Michelle.


    Encouraged by this, Michelle boldly slid her hand through the crook of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, linking arms with him.


    "I think the clothes in that shop look nice; they should suit your style. Let¡¯s go take a look," Li Yifei pointed to a dress shop.


    Michelle was thrilled. Not only was Li Yifei accompanying her on a shopping spree, but he was also giving her suggestions¡ªsuch a rare treat.


    Entering the shop, Michelle was instantly attracted by the array of dresses and gowns, her favorite garments to wear.


    Li Yifei fully embraced his role, helping Michelle choose dresses. And it turned out he had quite an eye; the styles he picked were very much to Michelle¡¯s liking.


    After telling the clerk her preferred size, the clerk brought several dresses for Michelle to try. However, the store was crowded, and Michelle had to go to the fitting room alone.


    The fitting room was almost full, leaving only one cubicle at the back. Michelle had no choice but to go inside to change.


    The fitting room had no door, just a long curtain that completely shielded the interior. Such a setup wouldn¡¯t allow any peeping Toms to sneak a look, so women boldly changed and tried on clothes inside.


    Michelle had barely entered when she stepped back out, waved to Li Yifei, scanned the surroundings, and saw that the clerks were all busy and not paying her any attention. She turned her gaze to Li Yifei, her face flushing before she waved him over.


    When Li Yifei saw Michelle calling him over, he approached and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    With a blush on her face, Michelle said, "Brother Li, there¡¯s nowhere inside to hang clothes or any chairs, so... I need you to hold these for me."


    "No problem," Li Yifei promptly agreed, taking the clothes Michelle was holding.


    Michelle then took one set from Li Yifei¡¯s hands and walked back behind the curtain. Soon, the rustling sound of clothes being removed could be heard.


    The noise caused Li Yifei to imagine Michelle undressing, and a flood of inappropriate thoughts surged through his mind: speculating about Michelle¡¯s bust size, skin fairness, and so on.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei banished these thoughts. Although Michelle had feelings for him, he only saw her as a good friend. To entertain such ideas felt like a violation of Michelle¡¯s dignity.


    In a short while, Michelle emerged, now wearing a light green gown. Her long hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, and her delicate, tender face complemented the light green of her dress perfectly. The clothing matched her, and she enhanced the beauty of the dress, making her appear even more gorgeous than usual.


    "Brother Li, does it look good?" From Yifei¡¯s appreciative gaze, Michelle already knew how well the dress suited her, but she couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "It looks good, you should wear skirts like this more often." Li Yifei immediately and openly praised her.


    "At work, I always have to be mindful of my image. Wearing a skirt like this makes me look younger, and that..."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s true, you are a manager after all, you need to maintain some authority. However, after work, there¡¯s nothing better than wearing a skirt like this when you¡¯re off."


    Michelle smiled sweetly and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll wear a skirt when I go out with Brother Li in the future."


    "Go have a look in the mirror by yourself," Li Yifei said with a chuckle, following Michelle to the mirror in the store.


    After glancing at herself in the mirror and seeing the clothes she had just taken off still in her arms, Michelle felt she couldn¡¯t see the full effect. She turned to look at Li Yifei and said with a hint of shyness, "Brother Li, could you hold these for me?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Li Yifei took the clothes Michelle was holding, a slightly loose T-shirt and a long skirt, which still carried a faint fragrance, easily leading one¡¯s thoughts astray.


    Girls don¡¯t usually let someone hold their clothes unless that person is very close to them, especially summer clothing that clings to the body. Michelle, who was always cautious about these matters, wouldn¡¯t have allowed it if it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei.


    Giving her clothes to Li Yifei, Michelle looked in the mirror again, yet her gaze involuntarily kept darting back to him. She noticed that Li Yifei¡¯s nose seemed to twitch as if he was smelling her clothes, which made Michelle extremely embarrassed but at the same time filled her with sweetness. This meant that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t entirely indifferent to her.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯ll try on something else," said Michelle cheerfully, now even more spirited. She grabbed Li Yifei and headed back to the changing room area, choosing the furthest one despite other changing rooms being available.


    After changing into another outfit, Michelle handed the light green dress she had just worn to Li Yifei and then spun around in front of him, saying, "Brother Li, how about this one?"


    This was a two-piece dress, with the top resembling a small vest and the bottom a long white skirt that reached the floor. As Michelle twirled, the hem of her dress billowed, transforming her into a fairy in a white gown.


    Li Yifei immediately complimented her, "This one looks good too, Michelle. You really suit dresses; seeing you in a dress makes it impossible to look at any other woman in one."


    Michelle was even more delighted and laughed, "Brother Li, you¡¯re flattering me. Be careful, if your girlfriend hears this, she¡¯ll be the one to take care of you."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "She won¡¯t get mad. But now that you mention it, I really would like to see her in a dress."


    Su Yiyi had a similar temperament to Michelle, both being rather delicate and refined girls. Su Yiyi was slightly taller than Michelle, with long straight legs, and a slender waist, so she would undoubtedly look good in a dress too.


    Michelle quickly tried on another piece, but soon after entering the changing room, she let out a low cry of pain. Li Yifei, who was outside, heard it clearly, unsure of the cause, immediately asked, "What happened?"


    "No... it¡¯s nothing," Michelle answered, but she remained inside for a long time without coming out.


    "What happened? Why are you not coming out after so long?" Li Yifei asked again.


    "Brother Li, could you... could you come in and help me?" replied Michelle from inside.


    "Go in?" Li Yifei paused for a moment, then quickly lifted the curtain and entered, not believing for a second that a girl like Michelle would try to seduce him; she must be in some trouble.


    His guess was spot on; Michelle¡¯s hair had gotten caught in the zipper at the back of the dress. Because it was at her back, she could neither zip it up nor down. As soon as Li Yifei entered, he said in an embarrassed whisper, "Brother Li, I..."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Stop moving, or it¡¯ll get worse. I¡¯ll help you untangle it." Saying this, he stuffed the clothes he had been carrying into Michelle¡¯s arms and moved behind her.


    The zipper was stuck at slightly more than halfway up, slightly open at the top, exposing Michelle¡¯s snow-white neck and a small section of her back. For a girl in summer, everyday wear might reveal even more skin than this.


    But this is the thing about men: when a woman reveals a lot of skin, they concentrate on the parts that are covered; when a woman reveals less, their focus shifts to the exposed areas. The sensory stimulation for the men is roughly the same either way.


    It¡¯s like when women wear dresses every day, you notice their calves and arms, but when they wear swimsuits, I believe ninety percent of men are looking at the three points of the swimsuit. If you don¡¯t believe it, go ahead and verify it yourself. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 236 - 238: Does Loving Someone Need a Reason?

    Chapter 236: Chapter 238: Does Loving Someone Need a Reason?The glimpse of skin that Michelle revealed made Li Yifei¡¯s heart race, but he immediately corrected his thoughts and carefully examined the situation where the zipper and hair were tangled together.


    Perhaps because Michelle had tried to disentangle herself for a while, her hair and the zipper were now very tightly intertwined, and Li Yifei could only carefully tease her hair out bit by bit. However, he couldn¡¯t do the same for the last part.


    Li Yifei pinched Michelle¡¯s hair with his left hand, along with the clothing, and grabbed the zipper pull with his right hand. He first pulled it up twice, then down once, and finally, Michelle¡¯s hair was completely freed.


    But by doing so, the zipper went all the way down to Michelle¡¯s waist, and the two sides fell apart, revealing a large portion of her back and even the straps of her transparent bra were clearly visible.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt his face heat up, as if he intentionally pulled open Michelle¡¯s dress, and at that moment, Michelle let out a gasp, quickly turned to face Li Yifei, and covered her chest with her hands in an instinctive defensive gesture.


    Li Yifei gave an embarrassed smile and said, "Michelle, I¡¯m truly sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned beet red; she didn¡¯t dare look at Li Yifei. She liked him, indeed, but such a sudden incident caught her completely off guard, making her whisper shyly, "Brother Li, I know, it was me who asked you to come in and help."


    "Then I¡¯ll step out," said Li Yifei, feeling that staying in such a small space with Michelle was incredibly intimate, so it was better to slip away.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to push the curtain aside and leave, Michelle suddenly mustered the courage and said, "Wait, Brother Li."


    "Oh, what else is there?" Li Yifei stopped walking and turned back to look at Michelle.


    With her head bowed, Michelle spoke softly, "Brother Li... I¡¯m afraid my hair... might get caught again, could you... help me pull up... the zipper?"


    Michelle¡¯s bashful demeanor was incredibly enticing, and Li Yifei¡¯s heart fluttered again. He couldn¡¯t possibly refuse such a request from a girl, and with a bright smile, he said, "No problem, turn around."


    Michelle slowly turned around, exposing her back to Li Yifei once more, who now seemed very composed. As he helped pull up her zipper, he said with a smile, "Michelle, your skin really is fair, just like your name suggests."


    "Really?" Michelle didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to say something like that at this moment, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of indecency in his tone, so she didn¡¯t feel too uncomfortable, and even subconsciously responded with a query.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. I bet if you went to a public bathhouse, lots of women would be envious of you."


    "You¡¯re actually right," Michelle laughed lightly.


    But after saying that, both of them suddenly fell silent, as a conversation about a women¡¯s bathhouse between a man and a woman seemed too suggestive.


    "Alright," Li Yifei, realizing the awkwardness, quickly zipped up Michelle¡¯s dress and hurried out.


    Before long, Michelle also came out, looking stunning in the light yellow dress. To alleviate the earlier awkwardness, Li Yifei naturally complimented her, and Michelle quickly regained her composure.


    After trying on the dress, Michelle was ready to leave, but Li Yifei immediately said, "You look so good in that dress, why not buy it?"


    Michelle blushed, and whispered to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, I don¡¯t have much money, and this dress costs over a thousand, I can¡¯t just splurge."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I don¡¯t have much money either, but I have a suggestion. I¡¯ll put up half, and you put up half, and we¡¯ll buy the dress together. What do you think?"


    "Go halves? But you can¡¯t wear it," Michelle said confusedly, looking at Li Yifei with a mischievous smile. She imagined what Li Yifei would look like in that dress and couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing.


    "You little devil, what are you thinking? I meant I¡¯ll give you half as a gift, and you buy the other half. Is that clear now?"


    "So, would that mean I¡¯m accepting your gift?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯re still paying for half of it, so wouldn¡¯t that mean you bought it yourself?"


    Michelle pursed her lips and smiled, "Okay then, which dress do you think I should buy?"


    "I think this light green one suits you best. The dress is like lotus leaves, and you¡¯re like the lotus flower."


    Joy lit up in Michelle¡¯s eyes as she said, "Alright, then I¡¯ll take this green one."


    Indeed, the two of them split the cost and bought the green dress, which left the salesperson rather bewildered. Having worked in the store for so long, the salesperson had seen men buy for women or women purchase for themselves, but never before had a man and a woman come together and each paid half.


    Michelle promptly put on the green dress and, holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, sweetly said, "Thank you, Brother Li."


    "Thank for what? If I had enough money, I would have bought it for you outright."


    Recently, because of Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei had indeed spent quite a bit of money. Although his salary was now slightly higher, it was still manageable for one person, but supporting three people was becoming quite tough. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, Li Yifei didn¡¯t really have any special plans for his money. To him, money was never the issue; it¡¯s just that there had been no need to dip into that particular sum.


    At this moment, Michelle¡¯s eyes were bright with joy. The fact that Li Yifei had gone halves with her on the long dress made her even happier than if he had bought it for her outright. Not to mention anything else, the dress seemed like something they both owned together; wearing it made her feel as if they were already an item.


    After wandering around the mall for a while, Michelle went to try on more clothes. Li Yifei sat resting on one of the shop¡¯s sofas. Then a woman came in, saw him, and looked around in surprise before approaching Li Yifei.


    "You here shopping with your girlfriend?" It was Lin Qiong, who stood before Li Yifei, still glancing around.


    "No, it¡¯s just a colleague from work I¡¯m with, oh, you know her¡ªit¡¯s Michelle."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened and she said with a displeased expression, "Why are you out shopping with Michelle?"


    Li Yifei said with a hint of amusement, "We¡¯re good friends; what¡¯s wrong with keeping her company while she shops?"


    Lin Qiong plopped down next to Li Yifei and said fiercely, "I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t get any funny ideas about Michelle."


    "Look, sister, our relationship is completely innocent, so could you please not talk to me in that tone?"


    Still somewhat skeptical, Lin Qiong said, "Really? I think Michelle has pretty deep feelings for you. Don¡¯t you go playing the field, I don¡¯t care if you mess around with others, but if you dare to hurt Michelle, I won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    "Ah, you really are a cop, aren¡¯t you? Always assuming guilt before finding evidence¡ªI can¡¯t be bothered with you. Michelle is coming out, you can go ask her yourself."


    Michelle, brimming with excitement about trying on her clothes, saw Lin Qiong with Li Yifei the moment she stepped out, which suddenly made her feel guilty. The last time she and Lin Qiong had seen Li Yifei walk with Xu Shanshan, Lin Qiong had realized she was interested in Li Yifei. Now that Lin Qiong saw them shopping together, she would definitely overthink it.


    "Michelle, you look really beautiful," Lin Qiong greeted Michelle and then stood up, taking Michelle¡¯s hand and giving her an up-and-down look.


    Feeling all the more self-conscious under Lin Qiong¡¯s scrutiny, Michelle said with her face flushing, "Lin Qiong, what a coincidence to see you here shopping too?"


    Lin Qiong, after all, was a cop, a graduate from the police academy with good grades and insight into psychology. Just by looking at Michelle¡¯s shy demeanor, Lin Qiong could already tell there was something off.


    "This dress is really nice." Lin Qiong led Michelle in front of a fitting mirror, moving her a bit away from Li Yifei, before frowning and whispering, "Michelle, do you know Li Yifei has a girlfriend?"


    Caught off guard by Lin Qiong¡¯s direct question, Michelle stuttered, "I-I know that."


    Lin Qiong glared at her and said, "You know, and yet you¡¯re with him? Have you lost your mind? Even if you¡¯re going to be the other woman, we should at least find someone wealthy, not someone like him."


    "Lin Qiong, what... what are you talking about... what other woman..." Michelle¡¯s face turned even redder at Lin Qiong¡¯s accusation. She had never thought about being the other woman; if that were the case, many had approached her back in university.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I was too harsh, and I spoke out of turn, but Li Yifei really does have a girlfriend, and they¡¯re even living together now."


    "I... I know that too," Michelle quickly added, "I was just bored today, so I invited Brother Li to go shopping with me. It¡¯s not like that between us..."


    "Not like that?" Lin Qiong frowned and then smirked, "Look at your expression and then look in the mirror at how you glance at Li Yifei¡ªyou clearly have feelings for him."


    Michelle bit her lip and said, "Lin Qiong, I truly appreciate your concern, but I know what I¡¯m doing. I like Brother Li, and if he likes me back, then I¡¯ll be with him. If he loves his girlfriend, then I will wish them well."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in shock and said, "Are you crazy? With your qualities, you could have anyone; why tangle yourself up with Li Yifei? He has neither money nor power, and it¡¯s not as if he¡¯s particularly handsome¡ªhe¡¯s just average. What on earth do you like about him?"


    Michelle turned to glance at Li Yifei, then smiled at Lin Qiong and said, "Do you need a reason to love someone?"

 Chapter 237 - 239: Lin Qiong’s Home

    Chapter 237: Chapter 239: Lin Qiong¡¯s HomeLin Qiong was left speechless by Michelle¡¯s words. Loving someone truly doesn¡¯t need a reason, if you love them, you love them. But deep down in her heart, she felt that Li Yifei shouldn¡¯t be with Michelle. If he were with Michelle, surely Michelle would end up getting hurt. This thought inexplicably crossed Lin Qiong¡¯s mind, yet it wasn¡¯t a reason that could persuade Michelle.


    Sighing, Lin Qiong gave a bitter smile and shook her head, saying, "Michelle, I don¡¯t want to keep advising you, but when you¡¯re with this guy, still be a bit careful. I know him pretty well, I understand him very well, and he¡¯s got more than enough women around him as it is. Why bother muddling through these muddy waters?"


    Michelle smiled sweetly and said, "Lin Qiong, you¡¯ve seen it yourself. If Brother Li weren¡¯t outstanding, would so many girls like him? You say you¡¯re very familiar with Brother Li, but you haven¡¯t truly understood him. If you did, maybe you¡¯d fall for him too."


    "Me... fall for him?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Michelle laughed softly and said, "I¡¯m just making a comparison, I don¡¯t want you to like him. Then I¡¯d have one more competitor."


    "You... you¡¯re really hopeless. Alright, I won¡¯t try to convince you anymore, but don¡¯t let him take advantage of you too easily."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she retorted, "Lin Qiong, what are you talking about? Brother Li is not that kind of person."


    Finally giving up on trying to persuade Michelle, Lin Qiong watched as she went to change clothes, and then approached Li Yifei with a stern face, saying fiercely, "How did you sweet-talk Michelle like that?"


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t heard what Lin Qiong and Michelle had said to each other, and now seemed a bit puzzled as he asked, "What are you talking about, sweet-talking?"


    "Do you know how much Michelle likes you now, wanting to be with you?"


    "I had a hunch," replied Yifei. "What¡¯s it to you, Officer Lin? Oh right, you¡¯re a director now, heh, Director Lin."


    Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei irritably and said, "Stop beating around the bush, I¡¯m asking you a serious question. What are your intentions towards Michelle? No laughing it off, I want a serious answer."


    Li Yifei replied irritably, "Isn¡¯t that outside your jurisdiction? Besides, I haven¡¯t broken any laws."


    "I¡¯m talking to you as a friend, alright? Give me a straight answer." Lin Qiong stretched out both hands and pinned Li Yifei¡¯s face so he was looking directly at her.


    "Hey, hey, in front of this whole crowd, are you trying to sexually harass me?" Li Yifei was taken aback by Lin Qiong¡¯s actions.


    "Sexually harass a pig, maybe, but not you. Out with it."


    "You¡¯ve got quite the taste," Li Yifei remarked, seeing that Lin Qiong¡¯s expression was turning quite ugly. He quickly added with a laugh, "Alright, you don¡¯t have to worry. I really have no thoughts about Michelle. If you¡¯re not busy, you can always inspect my house."


    "Then don¡¯t give her false hope, and stop taking her out shopping. Doesn¡¯t that make her think you¡¯re interested in her?"


    "Does that mean I¡¯m interested in her? Ok, fine, from now on, if she comes to me, I¡¯ll sternly refuse and make my position clear to her."


    "That¡¯s like it," Lin Qiong finally said, nodding in satisfaction.


    Now, Li Yifei leaned in and said to Lin Qiong with a teasing smile, "You¡¯ve become a director now, shouldn¡¯t you treat me to a meal?"


    "Sure, what¡¯s the big deal? I have something to talk to you about anyway."


    "No problem. Tonight, I¡¯m going for a big meal. You¡¯re a rich lady with a million bucks, might as well enjoy it."


    "Don¡¯t even think about that million, it¡¯s what my parents gave me."


    "Hey, that¡¯s for both of us, alright? I¡¯m entitled to a piece too."


    "Get lost," Lin Qiong kicked Li Yifei, but then felt her attitude might indeed be a bit problematic. After all, Li Yifei had helped her, yet she always treated him harshly. Quickly softening her tone, she said, "Stop fooling around. Seriously, send Michelle off early later, and then wait for me at my house, come over early."


    "Alright, but wasn¡¯t I supposed to take you for dinner? Why are we going to your place now?"


    "I¡¯ll buy some delicious food and we¡¯ll eat at home. Alright, I¡¯m off, Michelle is coming out."


    When Michelle came out, she didn¡¯t see Lin Qiong, so she asked Li Yifei, "Brother Li, where¡¯s Lin Qiong?"


    Li Yifei said cheerfully, "She¡¯s left."


    "Then she... she didn¡¯t say anything to you, did she?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "She warned me not to get any ideas about you."


    Michelle blushed and protested, "Why would Lin Qiong say such a thing?"


    Li Yifei patted Michelle on the shoulder and said, "She¡¯s looking out for you. She knows I have a girlfriend and is afraid I might develop feelings for you."


    Michelle pursed her lips, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then held back. She actually wanted to ask, "Brother Li, do you have any feelings for me?" But she feared that if she said it and Li Yifei truly rejected her, they might not even be able to remain friends afterwards.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s continue our walk." Li Yifei had already subtly expressed his feelings, which Michelle would understand, he hoped.


    But he overlooked one issue: once a girl falls for someone, her mind often becomes much clumsier than usual. Michelle felt exactly the same way now.


    After wandering around a little more, Li Yifei mentioned he had other matters to attend to and could only shop up to that point.


    Michelle was somewhat disappointed, but she didn¡¯t make any more requests. Just being able to shop with Li Yifei and even buying a dress together made her quite content. She let Li Yifei take her home and then bid him goodbye.


    Li Yifei went straight to Lin Qiong¡¯s house; Lin Qiong had just gotten back. After opening the door for Li Yifei, she pointed to the kitchen and said, "You take a look yourself whether it¡¯s enough for you."


    The kitchen was full of various seafood - big crabs, shrimp clams, and snails. It was really a lavish spread. Li Yifei immediately nodded in satisfaction and said, "Not bad at all, this must have cost Director Lin a pretty penny."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and replied, "Now you¡¯re the big boss here. I¡¯m asking for your favor, and when you say you want to eat well, I dare not prepare anything less."


    Li Yifei promptly said, "Let¡¯s get this straightened out. I¡¯ll help you if I can, but if I can¡¯t, I won¡¯t be involved."


    "Relax, you can definitely do it," Lin Qiong quickly added, then pushed Li Yifei out of the kitchen, saying, "Go rest for a bit, I¡¯ll cook."


    "You can cook?" Li Yifei asked doubtfully as he looked at Lin Qiong.


    "What¡¯s so hard about that? Just boil everything in a pot."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes instantly and said, "That¡¯s ruining good ingredients. You¡¯d better go rest; such fine food shouldn¡¯t be wasted by your hands."


    Lin Qiong chuckled, "You didn¡¯t remind me, but now I remember you¡¯re quite a good cook, so I won¡¯t be shy."


    "When have you ever been shy with me?" Li Yifei said irritably, ushering Lin Qiong out of the kitchen.


    Half an hour later, the dining table was full of seafood. Enticed by the aroma, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but swallow and said, "You are truly skilled. No wonder so many women want to be with you. With your cooking alone, you could capture quite a few hearts."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then I should stop cooking good meals for you. If you start liking it, I¡¯m doomed."


    "Get out!" Lin Qiong roared, grabbing a crab and starting to feast on it.


    The crabs at this time of the year weren¡¯t very meaty, and their inside wasn¡¯t very full. But Li Yifei¡¯s culinary skills were indeed not bad; the crabs came out delicious. Everything else was also prepared in a mouthwatering way, leaving Lin Qiong smacking her lips with juices all over her hands and face, unbothered to wipe them off.


    Li Yifei found it quite amusing to see Lin Qiong eating with such relish for the first time. This police officer, usually somewhat brash due to her profession but kind-hearted and just, now showed a childlike innocence, which Li Yifei found rather endearing. Perhaps this was the real Lin Qiong.


    "So full!" After eating, Lin Qiong sat on the couch and patted her belly without any concern for her image.


    Li Yifei joked, "Could you be a little more ladylike? Patting your belly after eating is not very ladylike."


    "In my own home, I needn¡¯t pretend. Beside, have you ever seen a police lady?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I only know one female police officer, so I haven¡¯t had the chance to see."


    "Go away." Lin Qiong felt she had been too casual around Li Yifei. She straightened her posture and said, "My mom and dad gave me a million, and now they are so worried. They fear you might swindle the money from me, so they call me every day, asking whether I¡¯ve looked at the apartment or whether we¡¯ve fetched the marriage certificate."


    "Whose fault is it to resort to deception? Wouldn¡¯t it have been simpler without the lies?"


    "It was your idea, and now you¡¯re saying you had nothing to do with it?" Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a disgruntled glare.


    "Aren¡¯t you the director now? Does that mean you could just look it up directly?"


    "Even as a director, I can¡¯t do that. If I use the station¡¯s resources, it¡¯ll definitely leak out. So I¡¯ve thought it over, and it has to be us who take care of it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll just return the million back."


    Li Yifei said helplessly, "And here I thought I could be free of this. Looks like I¡¯m still stuck with your mischievous ways."


    Lin Qiong smiled lightly, pleased with herself as she said, "Once you¡¯re on board my ¡¯pirate ship,¡¯ there¡¯s no getting off. Pfft, I¡¯m a cop, what pirate ship. I¡¯m talking seriously here. You¡¯re not leaving early tonight. We¡¯ll video call my parents later, so they can see we¡¯re together."


    Li Yifei found this situation all too familiar and shook his head with a wry smile, "You better make it early because if it¡¯s late, I might just decide to stay over."


    "You dare?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei, feeling somewhat uneasy inside. Alone with a man, she might be a cop, but at the end of the day, she was still a woman, and moreover, Li Yifei was quite capable in a fight; she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. If Li Yifei got forceful, she surely wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to escape to.


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze swept over Lin Qiong, and touching his chin, he said, "While the chest is a bit small and the backside lacks some meat, your face is pretty good. In uniform, you must be quite the sight. Now, I¡¯m really interested in you."


    Lin Qiong felt a chill from Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, but his words struck deeply at her pride. She angrily swung her fist toward him and barked, "You bastard, are you asking for trouble?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "I¡¯m just kidding. How could I dare to cross you, the great director? Then how could I even consider staying in Mile City?"


    Lin Qiong then smiled with satisfaction, got up, and walked straight into the bathroom. But soon, there was a shout from inside, as if she was hurt. Li Yifei rushed over in a burst, pulled open the sliding door, and was immediately taken aback by what he saw. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 238 - 240: Really Accidental

    Chapter 238: Chapter 240: Really Accidental?ree¦Øebnovel.?omAlthough her body ached, when Li Yifei suddenly barged in, a woman¡¯s shyness made her forget the pain as she yelled at him.


    Li Yifei quickly backed out and closed the sliding door, saying, "How are you doing? You¡¯ve lost so much blood."


    Lin Qiong shouted, "None of your business, don¡¯t you come in."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t come in. And really, you should be more careful when you¡¯re on your period."


    "I got cut by glass, not having my period." If a woman made such a scene with her period, it would be embarrassingly bad, Lin Qiong immediately defended herself.


    "Sweat, can you manage by yourself?"


    "I... can manage," Lin Qiong stubbornly claimed, but when she thought about attending to the wound, it was really awkward, and she wasn¡¯t sure if there were any glass shards inside, which made her feel really conflicted.


    "How about I help you, then? If there are any shards of glass left inside, it could be troublesome, and whether you fix it at home or go to the hospital, I¡¯d have to help you out anyway."


    "You... you... you better not take advantage of me."


    "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t take advantage of you."


    "Then close your eyes when you come in."


    "Fine, I¡¯ll close my eyes," Li Yifei said, somewhat speechlessly, finding Lin Qiong really troublesome.


    "Then... then come in."


    Li Yifei actually closed his eyes and groped his way into the bathroom. Lin Qiong, seeing that Li Yifei really had his eyes shut, felt relieved and said, "Then you help me."


    "Sister, I¡¯ve got my eyes shut, how am I supposed to help you?" Li Yifei replied irritably.


    "Ah... then you shouldn¡¯t look at my... butt, right?"


    "What¡¯s the big deal about looking? You don¡¯t have much butt to look at anyway."


    "You..." Lin Qiong was immediately infuriated and shouted, "I¡¯ll do it myself, I don¡¯t need your help."


    "Alright, alright, I was just kidding. I already saw everything when I came in, another glance won¡¯t hurt. Just think of me as a doctor, alright? Have you ever seen anyone too shy to show themselves to a doctor? How would you get treated then?"


    Women are shy, but often all it takes is an excuse. Once she found an excuse, her shyness dissipated. Hearing what Li Yifei said provided Lin Qiong with such an excuse. Most importantly, the burning pain on her buttocks suggested there might be glass shards; if not treated properly, it could become a real problem.


    "Fine, open your eyes," she whispered so softly that it seemed not even an ant could hear, a far cry from Lin Qiong¡¯s usual style, showing just how embarrassed she was at that moment.


    Only then did Li Yifei open his eyes to see the vivid red beneath Lin Qiong¡¯s buttocks, which was quite shocking. With no heart to joke around with Lin Qiong anymore, he wore a serious expression and said, "Looks like the wound is pretty bad, we need to take care of it right now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s attitude eased Lin Qiong¡¯s embarrassment a bit, and she said with some panic, "Is it really that serious?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll carry you to the sofa first, then I¡¯ll treat your wound."


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t object this time, letting Li Yifei pick her up and place her on the sofa to lie face down.


    "Don¡¯t move, I haven¡¯t checked the wound properly yet. What are you fidgeting for?" Li Yifei saw Lin Qiong trying to pull up her pants and hastily stopped her.


    Lin Qiong immediately buried her head in the sofa out of embarrassment. Her pants were still hooked around her knees; her entire buttocks were exposed in front of Li Yifei. For a woman, this was an utterly shameful position.


    Fortunately, Lin Qiong was still a police officer and understood the urgency of the situation. Biting her lip and holding back her embarrassment, she said, "Do you know how to treat this? If not, it might be best to take me to the hospital."


    "Absolutely, I can handle a bit of wound care, no problem. Do you have any disinfectant or something at home?" Li Yifei asked right away.


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Yes, in the drawer under the TV stand."


    "Then good, I¡¯ll treat it." After Li Yifei finished speaking, he turned to find the supplies, and Lin Qiong quickly hoisted her pants a bit. Although her buttocks were still exposed, at least it made her feel somewhat better. Otherwise, she was virtually naked in front of Li Yifei, without a shred of modesty left.


    Li Yifei quickly fetched a small medicine box, pulled out some tweezers, tore off some medical cotton, dipped it in medical alcohol, and started wiping the bloodstains on Lin Qiong¡¯s buttocks.


    Very soon, Li Yifei had identified two wounds, one quite serious, very deep and still bleeding unabatedly, while the other was shallow, with the blood already having stopped on its own.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with the minor cut, pressed down on Lin Qiong¡¯s waist, and sat down on Lin Qiong¡¯s legs.


    "What are you doing?" Lin Qiong instantly cried out in panic.


    Li Yifei said in a deep voice, "Don¡¯t move rashly. You¡¯re certainly going to be in pain soon, and I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll move about, which would make you feel even worse, that¡¯s why I¡¯m holding down your legs."


    "Then be gentle, for crying out loud. You¡¯re as heavy as an elephant, almost breaking my legs," Lin Qiong murmured, grabbing a cushion and biting down on it hard.


    Li Yifei also inwardly praised Lin Qiong for making the most correct decision at that moment without needing his reminder, and thus he hesitated no further in treating her wound.


    That wound would be quite frightening to the average person, but for Li Yifei, it was just a minor skin injury. People like him, when on missions, were bound to get hurt; injuries such as these, in times of life and death, were simply ignored. In his eyes, a true injury was one that affected mobility or life itself; that was what really counted as a wound.


    So treating it, Li Yifei was all the more relaxed and proficient, quickly removing the shards of glass from the wound, then sprinkling Yunnan Baiyao on it, which soon completely stopped the bleeding.


    Throughout the process, aside from a grunt at the beginning, Lin Qiong remained silent, which impressed Li Yifei with her fortitude. After all, she was just a police officer and a woman at that; the pain must have been quite severe for her.


    "Quite impressive, aren¡¯t you? To bear such pain without a sound," Li Yifei said with a chuckle while wiping the blood from around the wound.


    But there was still no response from Lin Qiong.


    This puzzled Li Yifei. Glancing at her, he immediately felt a rush of bafflement. He had thought this female police officer was extraordinarily tough, but it turned out she had fainted, though he wasn¡¯t sure whether from fright or pain.


    Li Yifei almost laughed out loud. This Lin Qiong, despite appearing quite brave normally, was still just a girl and not much tougher than any other girl. It was just her job that made her seem more assertive.


    One might think the policewomen in novels are like female tyrannosaurs, but clearly, Lin Qiong was not a tyrannosaur, maybe just a little pony that occasionally got furious.


    Li Yifei did not try to wake her, but continued to tend to her wounds, and once he cleaned up all the bloodstains on Lin Qiong¡¯s buttocks, his heart rate accelerated somewhat.


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    But Li Yifei, with his strong self-control, took a couple of deep breaths, shook his head, ran to Lin Qiong¡¯s bedroom, fetched a towel blanket, and covered that tempting buttocks, finally restraining his urge to make a mistake. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did Li Yifei splash some water on Lin Qiong¡¯s face. Startled by the cold water, she instantly woke up. As soon as she tried to move, Li Yifei pinned down her shoulders and said, "You¡¯d better not move now, even though the wound isn¡¯t too big, since it¡¯s on your buttocks, moving rashly could easily cause it to split open, which would be detrimental to your recovery."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes flitted about, her cheeks flushing with color, uncertain whether from embarrassment over fainting or modesty at having her buttocks fully exposed. In a defensive tone, she asked, "Is it all taken care of?"


    "All done. Now, your only task is to rest and heal."


    "Rest? For how long?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened.


    "I guess it¡¯ll take at least two or three days before you can walk properly," he estimated.


    "Good heavens, two or three days... that¡¯s going to delay my plans, isn¡¯t it?"


    "So what if it¡¯s delayed? Do you think you¡¯re in any condition to go out? If you do, I guarantee you¡¯re going to walk like a cripple," he assured.


    Lin Qiong opened her mouth, then slammed her fist onto the sofa, bitterly saying, "What lousy luck, to be injured at home at this time."


    "Heh, it¡¯s a good chance to rest. It¡¯s not a big deal."


    "Alright, alright, it¡¯s not like I have a choice anyway," Lin Qiong conceded, not insisting any further. Time spent sharpening the axe will not hinder the cutting of firewood. In her current state, she truly wasn¡¯t fit to go to work, and certainly not fit to investigate the smuggling case either.


    "But..." Lin Qiong tilted her head towards Li Yifei, her face reddening again as she said, "I guess I¡¯ll be troubling you to take care of me for the next couple of days."


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 Chapter 239 - 241: Taking Care of Lin Qiong

    Chapter 239: Chapter 241: Taking Care of Lin QiongLi Yifei didn¡¯t decline, after all, he was quite good friends with Lin Qiong, and when a friend was in trouble, how could he not help? Besides, this favor was rather enticing. Whenever he was with Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Michelle, he always had some reservations, afraid of playing too hard and leaving the situation unresolved.


    But it was different with Lin Qiong. Although she no longer looked down on him like before, she clearly didn¡¯t have those kinds of feelings for him. At most, they could be considered decent friends. And when it came to relationships, Lin Qiong still very much disdained him. So no matter how much of a fuss he caused with Lin Qiong, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried she would cling to him.


    Just then, Lin Qiong¡¯s phone rang. After glancing at the caller ID, she whispered to Li Yifei, "It¡¯s my mom¡¯s call. These past few days, she¡¯s been calling me non-stop. She even wanted you to listen, but you never caught it. It¡¯s kind of freaking me out."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Well, today¡¯s a good day to chat with her and help you cover up the lie."


    Lin Qiong nodded and took the call. After a couple of greetings, she handed the phone to Li Yifei, saying, "Yifei, my mom wants to speak to you."


    Li Yifei took the phone and politely greeted her, then began to chat with Lin Qiong¡¯s mother.


    When it came to sweet-talking elders, Li Yifei was quite adept. He spoke endearingly and his words were pleasant to hear, making Lin Qiong¡¯s mother very happy. Of course, regarding the specifics of buying a house, Li Yifei maintained the same story as Lin Qiong, saying they were still looking. As for the matter of getting a marriage certificate, he said he had been away on a business trip a few days ago, which was why they hadn¡¯t gotten it yet, but they planned to pick a good day to do so soon.


    "Yifei, don¡¯t you have a computer? Let¡¯s video chat instead. It¡¯ll save on the phone bill."


    Li Yifei promptly agreed eagerly, "Sure, I¡¯ll get on the computer right away."


    After hanging up, Lin Qiong immediately frowned and said, "Why did you agree to video chat with my mom?"


    "You think I could have refused?" Li Yifei countered Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong replied with a pained expression, "But I¡¯m injured. If my mom sees this, she¡¯ll definitely come running over, and then we¡¯ll be in trouble."


    Li Yifei snickered and said, "That¡¯s easy to handle, I guarantee she won¡¯t notice a thing."


    "How will you manage that?"


    Li Yifei leaned in and whispered a few words in Lin Qiong¡¯s ear, causing her to glare fiercely at him, but soon, she resignedly said, "Well, you better get ready quickly then."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and swiftly ran into the bedroom to fetch Lin Qiong¡¯s laptop. After booting it up, he lifted Lin Qiong so she could sit on his legs; with his own legs apart, they kept the injured part of her body from touching anything, which made Lin Qiong feel incredibly embarrassed.


    "I warn you, don¡¯t try anything funny," Lin Qiong said as Li Yifei held her, feeling a bit weak all over. It was her first time being this close to a man, especially with her bottom uncovered, which added a sense of indescribable intimacy.


    Li Yifei chuckled wryly, "You¡¯re in this state, what could I possibly do? I¡¯d have to be a real beast, right?"


    "You are quite the beast," Lin Qiong cast a glance at Li Yifei, but felt somewhat more at ease. Reflecting on that time when she got drunk and stayed over at Li Yifei¡¯s place, he didn¡¯t do anything to her, so she believed he wouldn¡¯t do anything now either.


    "Alright, we¡¯ll discuss whether I¡¯m a beast or not later. Shouldn¡¯t you log into QQ now? Otherwise, your mom will start to worry."


    Lin Qiong then took the laptop, logged into QQ, and immediately received a video call invitation. She gave Li Yifei a look then gritted her teeth and answered the call.


    "What are you two doing?" Lin Qiong¡¯s parents appeared in the video, with her father standing behind and her mother sitting in front of the computer, her face a picture of shock.


    Lin Qiong blushed and said, "It¡¯s nothing; you insisted on video chatting, didn¡¯t you?"


    At that moment, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, seeing her daughter wrapped in a towel and realizing the couple had just been intimate, she quickly replied, "Alright, alright, we can talk another time. You young people, really..."


    Seeing her mother react this way, Lin Qiong, despite feeling shy, suddenly had an idea and quickly said, "It¡¯s okay, Mom, I still need to update you on our house-hunting progress."


    "What¡¯s there to report at this hour? Okay, go on, do what you need to do. Once you¡¯ve chosen a house, your dad and I will come over to take a look."


    "Alright then."


    No sooner had Lin Qiong finished speaking than the other party had already ended the video call. These old folks were a bit overwhelmed. Nowadays, the way young people get intimate, even video chats aren¡¯t free from mishaps; they¡¯ve become rather careless. But evidently, they did understand that Lin Qiong and Li Yifei were very close to each other.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, Lin Qiong shut down the computer and turned to Li Yifei saying, "Haven¡¯t you held me enough?"


    Li Yifei immediately protested, saying, "I¡¯m helping you, alright?"


    "Hmmph, helping, you say? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. When I first met you, you played the weakling to take advantage of me. I haven¡¯t even settled that score with you yet."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt guilty and said with a wry smile, "We agreed to let bygones be bygones, didn¡¯t we? You can¡¯t just burn the bridge after crossing the river, right?"


    Lin Qiong snorted, "I might not bring it up, but the image I have of you in my mind just can¡¯t be erased. So naturally, under these circumstances, I assume you want to take advantage of me."


    "And yet you let me? Are you silly? Ha ha... I get it now. You¡¯ve fallen for me and deliberately allowed me to take advantage," Li Yifei teased.


    "Go die!" Lin Qiong viciously bit towards Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei was already prepared, he stretched out his hand to block Lin Qiong¡¯s forehead and said with a smile, "Don¡¯t be fierce, I was just joking with you."


    "If you dare to crack such a joke again, see if I don¡¯t bite you to death," Lin Qiong threatened through gritted teeth. At this moment, she was still relying on Li Yifei to care for her, so she didn¡¯t dare to do anything to him.


    It had already grown dark outside, and Li Yifei said to Lin Qiong, "It¡¯s getting late, you should rest early, I¡¯m going back now."


    "Go, go, I¡¯ve been sick of you for a while," Lin Qiong waved her hand dismissively.


    Li Yifei chuckled and carried Lin Qiong towards the bedroom.


    "What are you doing?" Lin Qiong screamed in fright.


    "What else can I be doing by heading to the bedroom? Get in bed, of course," Li Yifei answered cheerfully.


    But this time, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, she gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "You really can¡¯t utter anything refined from a dog¡¯s mouth. If you spoke properly, I might actually thank you, but with you talking like this, all I can do is despise you."


    "Despise me if you want, I¡¯ve grown used to your contempt. If you didn¡¯t look down on me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it."


    Li Yifei enjoyed talking such nonsense with Lin Qiong when he was with her, making the policewoman angry beyond words, while he derived a lot of joy from it.


    After placing Lin Qiong on the bed, Li Yifei turned to leave but hesitated for a moment, saying, "Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay after I leave, by yourself?"


    "What could be wrong with me? It¡¯s just some wound, a mere scratch on the skin. Don¡¯t see me as so delicate, and don¡¯t forget¡ªI¡¯m still a police officer."


    "It¡¯s because I¡¯m worried about you being too tough that I¡¯m concerned," Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stay a bit longer and serve you, Madam, for a few more minutes."


    "Who needs your service? I¡¯m not without hands or feet."


    "You¡¯d still need to use them properly, and you still have a butt. Try sitting up and let¡¯s have a look," he teased.


    "You..." Lin Qiong was left speechless.


    "Haha... You rest up, I¡¯ll go clean up the bathroom first. Otherwise, you might injure the other half of your butt later. Even though it would be balanced, you¡¯ll be even less able to move."


    "Your other half of the butt is the one that¡¯s hurt."


    "If I hurt the other half of my butt, then we¡¯d be well matched, haha..."


    "Scram!"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, went to the bathroom, and cleaned up the broken glass on the floor, then tossed a towel toward Lin Qiong for her to use.


    Lin Qiong was actually quite satisfied with such service from Li Yifei and was very grateful for his care, but if it had been someone else, she would have said some polite words. However, when talking with Li Yifei, she never managed to say anything nice, and after wiping her face, she complained, "This towel is so cold, you really need to correct this."


    Li Yifei immediately nodded in agreement, "I definitely will correct it. Next time, I¡¯ll make it hot enough to scald pig hair before I wipe your face with it."


    "You¡¯re the pig," Lin Qiong felt very frustrated. Every time she verbally sparred with Li Yifei, she ended up on the losing side; he was simply her nemesis.


    "By the way, do you need to go to the bathroom again?" Li Yifei asked another question.


    "No need!" Lin Qiong replied without hesitation.


    "If there¡¯s no need, then I will leave. Remember to lie on your stomach when sleeping tonight. You should scab over by tomorrow and at least be able to do some simple movements." Having said that, Li Yifei turned and walked towards the door.


    But just as he reached the doorway, he heard Lin Qiong¡¯s voice: "Wait a minute."


    Li Yifei returned to Lin Qiong¡¯s bedroom, frowning, "What now? Can¡¯t you say everything at once? You don¡¯t need to torment people like this."


    Lin Qiong gritted her teeth and said, "I need to use the bathroom after all."


    "I told you so, didn¡¯t I? Yet you insist on waiting until I¡¯m about to leave to say it." Muttering, Li Yifei picked Lin Qiong up again and took her straight to the bathroom. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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 Chapter 240 - 243 Such Chatting

    Chapter 240: Chapter 243 Such ChattingAfter leaving Lin Qiong¡¯s home, Li Yifei still felt a burning desire that he couldn¡¯t quench. For the past couple of days, he had been living with Xu Yingying¡ªa beautiful woman by his side that he could only look at but not touch¡ªwhich had already filled him with frustration. Coupled with Lin Qiong¡¯s provocations, he now was desperately seeking a way to let off some steam.


    The natural thing to do would be to go to his girlfriend Su Yiyi, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t make that choice. To arouse his desires with another woman and then release them on Su Yiyi seemed inherently unfair to her. Besides, it was Su Yiyi¡¯s first time; Li Yifei wanted to create a very special atmosphere with her, not just act on his urges.


    Of course, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel like looking for a one-night stand in a bar either. Having a girlfriend, he couldn¡¯t go on like he used to.


    However, the fire inside was unbearable, and without some form of release, he feared he wouldn¡¯t sleep well tonight. After hesitating for a moment, Li Yifei made a call to He Fangqing.


    The call connected immediately. Li Yifei said bluntly, "Sister Fangqing, I want to stay at your place tonight."


    He Fangqing was clearly taken aback, but quickly responded, "If you want to come over, do I have a reason to refuse?"


    "Good, I¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes. Go take a bath first." Talking to He Fangqing, Li Yifei was very direct.


    Li Yifei arrived at He Fangqing¡¯s home in less than twenty minutes, where she was wrapped only in a bath towel, obviously having just had a shower.


    With her finger tracing circles lightly on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, He Fangqing said in a sultry voice, "You shouldn¡¯t feel any burden. I won¡¯t disrupt the relationship between you and your girlfriend. We¡¯re all adults here, and I¡¯m well aware of what we¡¯re doing."


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The excitement was peaking for both of them, and neither wanted to stop. However, as the phone kept ringing, He Fangqing took the initiative to pause and said, "Check to see who it is."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to pick up the phone. Seeing that it was Xu Yingying calling, he said, "It¡¯s Yingying. Ignore it."


    He Fangqing hurriedly said, "You should pick it up. What if it¡¯s something important?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before finally answering the call.


    "Yifei, why haven¡¯t you answered your phone for so long?"


    "I¡¯m busy. What¡¯s up? Why are you calling me so late?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s tone suddenly softened, "I can¡¯t sleep, so I thought I¡¯d call you. Could you chat with me for a while?"


    Li Yifei was taken aback and asked, "Chat at this time?"


    "Yes, am I interrupting something?"


    "Who are you with?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice suddenly grew louder.


    "What do you think?"


    "You..." Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing suddenly became heavy. She distinctly heard a woman¡¯s voice, and it was the same kind of voice she herself had made just the other day. Could it be that Li Yifei was getting intimate with another woman?


    At that moment, Xu Yingying felt truly furious. The anger came swiftly, leaving her unprepared, but she was enraged nonetheless. This bastard, at a time like this, was actually cozying up with another woman¡ªutterly shameless.


    "Sister Fangqing? You¡¯re with Sister Fangqing?" Now Xu Yingying finally recognized the owner of the voice, and she exclaimed in shock.


    He Fangqing suddenly felt embarrassed and buried her face in Li Yifei¡¯s chest, biting it lightly and said accusingly, "You jerk, are you doing this on purpose?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "President Xu wants to talk to you."


    Knowing she couldn¡¯t avoid the situation, He Fangqing took the phone, cleared her throat, and said, "Yingying, this guy came on his own. I didn¡¯t look for him."


    When Xu Yingying heard He Fangqing¡¯s voice, she still felt uneasy, but it was better than hearing someone else¡¯s voice. She took a deep breath and said, "Am I interrupting you guys?"


    Knock, knock, knock. After several knocks on the door, Xu Shanshan walked in directly, peeking in and said, "So, how is it going? My brother-in-law didn¡¯t pay attention to you, did he?"


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and lifted her phone, saying, "See for yourself."


    Xu Shanshan took the phone, looked through the chat record, and said in amazement, "It¡¯s over three minutes, could it be that brother-in-law accidentally pressed the phone?"


    Xu Yingying said proudly, "Think whatever you want."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and said, "This isn¡¯t like you, actually chatting with brother-in-law for so long when you usually don¡¯t talk that much with him."


    Xu Yingying felt a pang of guilt inside. If it had been just Li Yifei, she really wouldn¡¯t have known what to talk about, but because it was He Fangqing, that¡¯s why she talked a little more. However, she wasn¡¯t about to admit it at this moment and said, "Don¡¯t think that your brother-in-law doesn¡¯t talk much to me usually, but when we are alone, he has quite a bit to say."


    "Yeah right, then go get your marriage certificate with my brother-in-law before you say that."


    "It won¡¯t be too far off," Xu Yingying said, seemingly filled with confidence at that moment.


    The next day, Li Yifei left He Fangqing¡¯s house early. He still had to check on Lin Qiong. On his way, he bought some breakfast and then went to unlock Lin Qiong¡¯s room.


    "Li Yifei, how did you get in?" The sound of the door opening had already awoken Lin Qiong, but Li Yifei had called out to her when he was unlocking the door, so she didn¡¯t mistake him for a thief.


    "Heh, picking a lock isn¡¯t too difficult for me."


    "Humph, couldn¡¯t you have just used a key? If someone else saw you, they might think you¡¯re a thief."


    "You, madam, would have to give me a key first, right?"


    Lin Qiong had no comeback for that. She was actually quite pleased that Li Yifei had come to see her so early in the morning. The feeling of being cared for and being the center of attention wasn¡¯t bad at all. She pursed her lips and said, "Help me to the bathroom."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Why help when I can carry you? It¡¯s much more convenient." And with that, he extended his arms, picked up Lin Qiong, and carried her into the bathroom.


    "You pervert." Lin Qiong cursed, but she didn¡¯t struggle. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had carried her, so one more time didn¡¯t really matter.


    Before going out, Li Yifei added, "Be careful, don¡¯t split your wound open again like last night."


    "I know, fussing over me like some old lady," Lin Qiong muttered, but when Li Yifei left the room, there was a hint of a happy smile on her face.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s wound had healed a lot overnight and had already scabbed. Moving a little wasn¡¯t a problem, and she could at least go to the restroom on her own.


    After freshening up, Li Yifei carried her out to the bedroom again and took out a first-aid kit, saying, "Let me change your dressing."


    "Is that really necessary?" Lin Qiong¡¯s face flushed red at that moment. The urgency of the situation the day before left her without any choice, but now it didn¡¯t seem as severe, and having Li Yifei change the bandage on her butt was really embarrassing for her.


    "Come on, there¡¯s nothing feminine about your butt, I¡¯m not interested in it at all."


    "You..." Lin Qiong felt utterly humiliated by Li Yifei¡¯s remark, glaring at him with clenched teeth and said, "Dare to say that again?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Heh, if I say you¡¯re feminine and that butt of yours is really attractive to me, and seeing your butt almost turns me into a beast, then you can choose for yourself which attitude you want me to have."


    Lin Qiong was momentarily speechless, glaring at Li Yifei for a while before finally saying resignedly, "Fine, I admit I¡¯m not feminine."


    "That¡¯s more like it. Come on, let¡¯s change that dressing."


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "Just get it over with without all the nonsense," and then lay down on the bed.


    Li Yifei lifted the towel blanket. He was quite satisfied with how Lin Qiong¡¯s wound was healing and applied some more medicine to it. Although Lin Qiong¡¯s butt was as attractive as ever, after the exhausting night with He Fangqing, he wasn¡¯t tempted by Lin Qiong anymore.


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 Chapter 241 - 244: Truly Disgusting

    Chapter 241: Chapter 244: Truly DisgustingLi Yifei finally finished changing the dressing and walked out; only then did Lin Qiong dare to lift her head. Despite her tough talk and harsh tone when speaking to Li Yifei, she was acutely aware of how vulnerable and awkward she felt, letting Li Yifei see her completely uncovered¡ªshe just didn¡¯t wear her embarrassment on her face like most girls would.


    Suddenly, a delectable scent wafted into her nose. Lin Qiong turned her head and saw Li Yifei holding some snacks¡ªwith stuffed buns and fresh pickles¡ªthat made one¡¯s mouth water just by smelling them.


    "Hungry?" Li Yifei said with a smile, placing the breakfast on the bedside table.


    "I¡¯m not hungry at all." Lin Qiong pinched her nose, but her stomach immediately began to growl. Although she had eaten a lot of seafood the night before, it looked abundant yet there wasn¡¯t much meat once it reached her stomach. Moreover, the food that Li Yifei bought was really aromatic, instantly triggering her appetite.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said regretfully, "Oh, so you¡¯re not hungry. I thought you were hungry too, and we could have breakfast together. Since you¡¯re not, I guess I should just take it out and eat by myself."


    "Take it out if you want, who cares." Lin Qiong turned her head away from Li Yifei.


    "Oh, taking it out is too much trouble, I¡¯ll just eat here," Li Yifei said. He picked up a bun and took a bite, chewing loudly.


    Once the bun was bitten into, the rich aroma of the oil and meat wafted out even more intensely. Lin Qiong, smelling this, felt even hungrier. She knew Li Yifei was doing it on purpose to tease her. If she continued to play hardball with him, she would be playing right into his hands. She turned her head back, reached out to grab a bun, took a big bite, and then said with pride, "I¡¯m eating too."


    "Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t eating?" Li Yifei "widened his eyes".


    At Li Yifei¡¯s reaction, Lin Qiong was even more pleased and said with a giggle, "So what if I feel like eating now, is that okay?"


    Li Yifei said disgruntledly, "I¡¯ve never seen such a fickle woman."


    "So I¡¯m fickle, what are you going to do about it? Get me a pair of chopsticks, I want some pickles too."


    Li Yifei handed Lin Qiong a pair of chopsticks, secretly trying to suppress his laughter. Although Lin Qiong was a policewoman, she had maintained her innocence and naivety, her schemes barely holding water, easily falling for Li Yifei¡¯s tricks.


    Thinking of Lin Qiong as the new police chief, Li Yifei pondered how she would handle the inevitable bureaucratic challenges. He wondered whether society would change her or if she would maintain her innocence and sense of justice, potentially leading to her being weeded out by the higher-ups.


    But regardless, Lin Qiong was quite adorable at that moment, so Li Yifei intentionally engaged in a battle of sorts with her over the buns and pickles. Lin Qiong, not one to back down, used not just one hand but both. Eventually, with only three buns left, she held one in her left hand, pinched another in her right, and had the last one clenched in her mouth.


    "Big sister, can you even handle it?" Li Yifei asked, as he stared at the buns in Lin Qiong¡¯s possession and swallowed hard.


    With the bun in her mouth, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t speak, but she still shook her head smugly and mumbled, "It¡¯s your loss for being slow, you deserve to go without."


    Suddenly, Li Yifei reached for the bun in her hand, but Lin Qiong was well-prepared; she withdrew her hands quickly, not allowing him to grab it. She grinned triumphantly at Li Yifei, but in doing so, she inadvertently opened her mouth, causing the bun she had bitten into to fall out.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, quickly caught the falling bun, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously while gloating, "You¡¯re like that foolish crow, losing whatever you have the moment you get proud."


    At this, Lin Qiong was left staring at Li Yifei in disbelief, before she managed to stutter, "That fell from my mouth..."


    "Oh..." It was then that Li Yifei realized a problem and widened his eyes at Lin Qiong, stammering, "You... you¡¯re not sick, are you?"


    "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s sick!" Lin Qiong nearly choked in anger, but then said irritably, "That had my saliva on it, how could you eat it?"


    "If you¡¯re not sick, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?"


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? This is... how could you eat my saliva?" Lin Qiong¡¯s face turned green with disgust, feeling uncomfortable all over, her skin crawling.


    Li Yifei looked at the half-eaten bun in his hand and also felt a bit embarrassed. This bun had been bitten by Lin Qiong, and now that he had continued to eat it, it was as if he¡¯d consumed her saliva, which to a girl, felt almost like an infringement.


    Realizing his mistake, Li Yifei looked at the bun and then stretched his hand to stuff it back into the still-open mouth of Lin Qiong, chuckling awkwardly, "Here, I¡¯ll give it back to you."


    "Mmmph..." Lin Qiong shook her head vigorously a few times before finally spitting out the bun. If looks could kill, Li Yifei would have died a thousand times over by then.


    "Hey, hey... I gave it back to you, so why are you still looking at me like that?" Li Yifei suddenly stood up, scurried to the door, and stopped, nervously watching Lin Qiong.


    "Bastard! You shameless, big bastard!" Lin Qiong flung her hands, hurling two buns toward Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei waved his hands and caught both buns, looked at them, and said, "These don¡¯t have your saliva on them, so I¡¯m not scared of getting infected, and it just so happens I haven¡¯t had enough. Don¡¯t waste them." With that, he took a bite of the bun and turned to leave the bedroom.


    "Asshole! Son of a bitch!" Lin Qiong clenched her fists and pounded the bed furiously. It was bad enough that Li Yifei had snatched a bun from her mouth to eat, at most she could claim he was eating her saliva, which she could still persuade herself to accept. But the bastard had the audacity to stuff the half-eaten bun back into her mouth, which meant she would have to endure eating Li Yifei¡¯s saliva as well.


    What was once a delicious bun now churned her stomach with nausea. She really wanted to drag Li Yifei back and give him a good thrashing to release her anger.


    After stewing in her sulk on the bed for a while, Li Yifei poked his head around the bedroom door and said, "I mean... is there anything else? If not, I¡¯m going to leave."


    "Just go, and never show up in front of me again," Lin Qiong gritted her teeth.


    Li Yifei immediately responded with glee, "That¡¯s great. I¡¯ve been so busy these days, I was worried I wouldn¡¯t have time to help you with that thing. Now I¡¯m off the hook."


    This only infuriated Lin Qiong more, but the matter was too important, and she definitely couldn¡¯t handle it alone without Li Yifei¡¯s help. She hurriedly called out, "No, you can¡¯t just let this go."


    "So do I have to show up in front of you or not?"


    "This... if I¡¯m looking for you, you can show up. If I¡¯m not, you can¡¯t," she declared.


    "How domineering you are. Alright, alright, you¡¯re the police officer, and I don¡¯t want to mess with you," mumbled Li Yifei, turning to leave. But after taking a few steps, he turned back and said, "It would be best if you didn¡¯t wear pants today, or you¡¯ll just be more uncomfortable."


    "Mind your own business!" Lin Qiong huffed and flung a pillow at Li Yifei.


    But Li Yifei had already closed the door ahead of time, and the pillow could only hit the door with a dull thud.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t heed Li Yifei¡¯s advice and put on her pants after he left. It didn¡¯t seem too uncomfortable at first, but soon she realized her mistake. Not wearing pants was fine, but the moment she put them on and moved around, the scabs formed on her buttocks started rubbing against the fabric, causing a persistent pain that was less intense but more unbearable than a sharp one.


    In the end, Lin Qiong had no choice but to take off her pants and recuperate at home, bare-bottomed.


    When Li Yifei arrived at the company, he met Michelle on the first floor, wearing that light green dress she had bought the day before. As she entered the company, the security guards all started to compliment her.


    In the company, Xu Yingying was universally admired as the goddess. She wielded tremendous power over the entire company and was both beautiful and noble. Every man in the company dreamed of Xu Yingying as the perfect romantic partner, but given her status, no man dared to express his fondness for her or even try to please her.


    Although He Fangqing was a divorced woman, her charm was only a touch less than Xu Yingying¡¯s. As a mature woman, her every move and smile had an added sultriness compared to Xu Yingying, exactly what the men adored. However, He Fangqing, as the Finance Director, was the company¡¯s second-in-command. She seemed to have a pleasant temperament, but everyone understood how serious she was about her work. Anyone attempting to cozy up to her during work would definitely be sent packing by He Fangqing.


    Michelle was acknowledged by everyone as the third most beautiful woman in the company. With an agreeable disposition and no airs despite being a department manager, she blended in easily with everyone. Therefore, of the three most attractive women in the company, Michelle had the best people skills.


    Today, with her new dress and a smile brimming with added playful charm, Michelle¡¯s beauty was enhanced, provoking playful comments about whether she had found a boyfriend.


    "No, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend," Michelle blushed as she denied, but turning her head, she spotted Li Yifei and her eyes lit up. She greeted him crisply, "Brother Li, good morning."


    Li Yifei approached Michelle, sized her up, and said with a grin, "Michelle, you really do look gorgeous today."


    Michelle blushed and said softly, "Not really."


    Li Yifei smiled naturally, "You definitely look beautiful, no need to be shy about it. Everyone thinks the same, don¡¯t you?"


    Everyone quickly agreed in unison. Though Li Yifei was just an HR Manager, in this new company, most employees were still in their probation period. Whether they could stay for the long term was uncertain, so no one dared to offend Li Yifei, the HR Manager. Moreover, they sensed that Li Yifei was a key person in setting up the company and was highly valued by Xu Yingying, the boss. Thus, naturally, they strove to please Li Yifei. Even if Michelle was genuinely beautiful, at this moment, if Li Yifei had claimed a sow was beautiful, they wouldn¡¯t dare to contradict him.


    At this, Michelle felt somewhat disappointed. What mattered more to her was how she appeared in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, and his comments now seemed just like flattery, similar to everyone else¡¯s. She wished Li Yifei could look at her with more passion, but unfortunately, his gaze was too indifferent. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 242 - 245 Li Xinyue’s Trouble

    Chapter 242: Chapter 245 Li Xinyue¡¯s TroubleThe two of them walked upstairs together, and by the time they reached the third floor heading towards the office, there were no other people around. Michelle pursed her lips and spoke in a soft voice, "Brother Li, will you be upset that I wore this outfit to work?"


    Li Yifei stopped in his tracks, looking at Michelle in confusion, and said, "How could I possibly be upset? You look so pretty, and it¡¯s a feast for my eyes."


    Michelle bit her lip, speaking somewhat coyly, "But you paid for half of this dress, so I should only... wear it for you to see."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Silly girl, we¡¯re mostly going to see each other at the office, aren¡¯t we? If you don¡¯t wear it there and only wear it at home, how would I ever get the chance to see it? Wouldn¡¯t I miss out on the chance to see a beauty?"


    "Am I a beauty?" Michelle asked, a seemingly naive question.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "If anyone dares to say Michelle isn¡¯t a beauty, I¡¯ll have to have words with him."


    "Pfft!" Michelle suddenly laughed out loud, her mood apparently lifting, and said, "Well then, I¡¯m off to work."


    After nine o¡¯clock, Xu Yingying called him to her office. Li Yifei had already dropped hints to Xu Yingying yesterday, so he figured she probably wouldn¡¯t have those thoughts anymore. After all, what a woman probably detests most is her man being in another woman¡¯s bed.


    When Li Yifei arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s office, he was unexpectedly greeted by the sight of Ye Yunzhu.


    "Old classmate, bet you didn¡¯t expect to see me here, did you?" Ye Yunzhu greeted Li Yifei with a beaming smile.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I honestly didn¡¯t expect you. You didn¡¯t even give me a heads-up before coming."


    "Didn¡¯t I think you might be busy?"


    At that moment, Xu Yingying chirped in with a smile, "Mayor Ye, you really should have let us know first. I could have had Yifei pick you up."


    Ye Yunzhu turned to Xu Yingying and responded, "How could I do that? I¡¯m here to discuss official business. If Yifei were to pick me up, wouldn¡¯t that seem like I¡¯m mixing personal matters with work?"


    Whenever these two women talked about Li Yifei, they always seemed to hint at or imply a certain closeness in their relationship with him. By now, Li Yifei was becoming somewhat numb to it. Taking a cigarette, he sat in a chair opposite Xu Yingying¡¯s desk, watching the two casually brandish concealed daggers in their laughter. This left Li Yifei puzzled as to why they always called him over when they were discussing business.


    Fortunately, the two quickly got down to business. Ye Yunzhu asked, "President Xu, when can we actually start the factory project in our township?"


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "I¡¯ve already met with our chairman about this. She has no objections to setting up the factory, so I can start preparing right away. However, regarding the approval for land use, your side needs to hasten things up too. I hope we can have the factory up and running within three to four months."


    Ye Yunzhu promptly replied, "No problem at all. That¡¯s part of our responsibility."


    The two discussed some more work-related topics, which still had nothing to do with Li Yifei. Feeling somewhat stifled, he took Xu Yingying¡¯s seat, downloaded a game, and began to play out of boredom.


    Finally, their work conversation wrapped up, and Xu Yingying warmly invited Ye Yunzhu to join them for lunch.


    This time, Ye Yunzhu did not hold back and readily accepted the invitation.


    Xu Yingying also invited He Fangqing, and the four of them went to the Yiyun Clubhouse. Although it was expensive to dine there, as a large company, appearances mattered and Xu Yingying had to maintain them.


    The four ordered dishes, and as they ate, they chit-chatted in a rather pleasant atmosphere. The three women discussed topics like shopping and beauty, none of which Li Yifei could contribute to. This spared him from any potential trouble had the conversation turned in his direction.


    An hour or so later, Li Yifei lit a cigarette and stepped out of the private room, strolling in the clubhouse courtyard. The scenery here was quite lovely, with a range of high-end decorative trees and various prized flowers. Additionally, there was a meandering pond throughout the courtyard, where many colorful koi swam. As Li Yifei walked along the bank, the koi followed his steps, likely used to being hand-fed by visitors who came close to the water.


    Not far off, Li Yifei heard voices talking. While normally this wouldn¡¯t merit attention, one woman¡¯s voice caught his ear, as she seemed to be Li Xinyue.


    "Li Xinyue, cut me some slack, won¡¯t you? Won¡¯t you have even a single drink with us?" This statement drew Li Yifei¡¯s interest even more, as it appeared someone was pressuring Li Xinyue.


    "Young Master Song, I really can¡¯t drink anymore. I¡¯ll get too drunk if I do," Li Xinyue¡¯s voice was as pleasant as ever, but also conveyed a sense of refusal.


    Having not seen Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao for several days, Li Yifei had almost forgotten about these two attractive hosts. Now, hearing that Li Xinyue seemed to be in some trouble, he certainly couldn¡¯t be unconcerned and followed the voices.


    One of the ground-floor private rooms had an open window, and Li Xinyue¡¯s voice was coming from there. Li Yifei stood by a small tree outside the window, looking in. If Li Xinyue seemed to be accommodating her company without much reluctance, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t need to interfere. However, if Li Xinyue truly didn¡¯t want to and the other party persisted, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stand by and let her be at a disadvantage.


    There were six people in the room, four men and two women, with a man in his mid-twenties seated in the central seat that conveyed an air of arrogance and superiority. He must be that Young Master Song; all these dandies seem to have that same arrogant demeanor.


    Li Xinyue sat beside Young Master Song. Although there was a smile on her face, her brows were slightly furrowed, indicating her reluctance.


    Young Master Song¡¯s voice rose again, clearly displeased as he said, "Does my face not carry any weight here, not even worth the company of a renowned host for a drink?" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Xinyue gave a forced laugh and replied, "Young Master Song, you must be joking. In Mile City, who would dare not to give Young Master Song face? But I really have had quite a lot to drink. I have a show this afternoon, and it would affect the recording if I continue."


    Young Master Song smirked sinisterly and said, "Then it seems I¡¯ll have to call your station¡¯s director and have this afternoon¡¯s program canceled."


    Li Xinyue hurriedly said, "Young Master Song, this program is very important. It has been specially arranged by the city. I¡¯m afraid even the director wouldn¡¯t dare to delay it."


    "Don¡¯t use the city as leverage against me!" Young Master Song suddenly grew angry, slamming his hand down on the table as he shouted, "Li Xinyue, let me tell you, if you don¡¯t cheer me up today, don¡¯t even think about being a host on TV¡ªnot just recording programs. When Song Ziqiao says something, he means it."


    At this point, another man gestured to Li Xinyue with his eyes and said, "Xinyue, it¡¯s just having a few drinks with Young Master Song. Why are you being so stubborn? Don¡¯t you know Young Master Song¡¯s status? Don¡¯t think that his position in Mile City isn¡¯t high. He¡¯s here just for a stint; he will be promoted tomorrow. In a couple of years, he¡¯ll be called back to the province, and becoming a mayor is not out of the question."


    Li Xinyue looked at Young Master Song. In the past, she really did hope to associate with such a dandy heir, so she could advance further. But after getting to know Li Yifei, her thoughts had changed.


    Although he also came from a powerful and influential background, Li Yifei always conducted himself humbly, always respectful towards her and Song Lianyao. In contrast, Song Ziqiao constantly flaunted his connections and family background, acting as if there was nothing in the world he couldn¡¯t do. Compared to Li Yifei, it was like the difference between heaven and earth, which is why she couldn¡¯t accept a Young Master like him now, no matter what.


    Grinding her teeth, Li Xinyue slowly stood up, picked up her wine glass, and said apologetically to Song Ziqiao, "Young Master Song, I am truly sorry."


    Seeing Li Xinyue holding her wine glass made Song Ziqiao¡¯s face finally soften a bit as he said, "If you had drunk like this earlier, we could have avoided making everyone unhappy, right?"


    "Young Master Song, I hope that after drinking this glass, you can put the past behind us and let me go," she said.


    "What do you mean, ¡¯let you go¡¯?" Young Master Song squinted at Li Xinyue.


    "I¡¯m just a minor character, really not worth Young Master Song¡¯s trouble. Please let me go back and record the program," she pleaded.


    Young Master Song didn¡¯t expect Li Xinyue to leave even after agreeing to share a drink with him and his face suddenly darkened as he said, "You can leave if you want. I am not the sort of person to force others against their will, but... I do have a condition. If you can meet it, then I¡¯ll let you go."


    Without even thinking, Li Xinyue knew that the condition Song Ziqiao would propose would undoubtedly be difficult to fulfill. She said with a bitter smile, "Young Master Song, you have a generous heart; why bother with someone so insignificant as me?"


    "If you can¡¯t meet the condition, then there¡¯s no need for you to leave," said Song Ziqiao as he took a seat, lit up a cigarette, and watched Li Xinyue leisurely, seemingly no longer angry and confident that the situation was well within his control.


    A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Li Xinyue¡¯s mouth as she said, "Young Master Song, isn¡¯t this... a bit too much for Xinyue?"


    "If you agree to my condition, I will definitely let you go. How can you say I¡¯m making things difficult for you?" Song Ziqiao now smiled, no longer seeming angry, exuding certainty that he had everything under control.


    In the eyes of most people, Li Xinyue was a very famous host, but in the eyes of Song Ziqiao, such people were at his beck and call. Whatever he wanted them to do, they stood no chance of refusal. Over the years, he had toyed with too many stars, many of whom were much more famous than Li Xinyue. A city-level host like her had absolutely no right to refuse him.


    Li Xinyue gritted her teeth and with a tender tone, somewhat coquettishly said, "Someone like you shouldn¡¯t be hard on a small woman like me, Young Master Song."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s gaze swept over Li Xinyue¡¯s body, finally resting on her sexy lips as he said with narrowed eyes, "You hosts are skilled with words, so I want to taste that skill of yours."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s face shifted, but she pretended not to understand and said, "Young Master Song, what would you like to hear? I¡¯m best at tongue-twisters."


    Song Ziqiao gave a lecherous smile and said, "Are you pretending to be confused with me? I really don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t understand what I mean."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s acting skills were indeed not bad, and she feigned surprise as she said, "Young Master Song, this is all I¡¯m capable of. Surely you don¡¯t expect us hosts to train in anything else?"


    Song Ziqiao didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush anymore with Li Xinyue and, without regard for the other four people in the room, shamelessly said, "Yes, you should also learn how to serve a man with your mouth."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s face changed instantly. She had not expected Song Ziqiao to be so audacious as to say such a thing in front of others. She wanted to continue pretending, but she could no longer hide her true feelings.

 Chapter 243 - 246 Rejection

    Chapter 243: Chapter 246 RejectionIn the room, the other few people¡¯s faces showed various expressions, the woman looking somewhat embarrassed, but the three men were visibly excited. To witness such a performance would undoubtedly be thrilling, especially when the performer was a beautiful host like Li Xinyue¡ªit gave the men a sense of accomplishment, even if it wasn¡¯t happening to them personally, simply witnessing it was enough.


    "No!" Li Xinyue suddenly stood up. Since Song Ziqiao had been so direct, maintaining a smiling facade was utterly useless.


    "Do you really not want to be a host anymore?" Song Ziqiao didn¡¯t move, but stared at Li Xinyue with a sinister look.


    Li Xinyue bit her lip and took a deep breath before responding, "Young Master Song, I admit, I¡¯ve always wanted to climb higher. I aspire to be a more celebrated host¡ªit¡¯s been a dream of mine..."


    At this, Song Ziqiao¡¯s face broke into a smile. As long as Li Xinyue harbored such desires, he was confident he could play her like a puppet. Despite his not-so-high position in Mile City, merely a Deputy County Head, his trip here was to flaunt his wealth. His family¡¯s background was incredibly strong, not only did they have significant figures in the government spanning a few provinces, but they also owned a large corporate group which included a very famous entertainment company domestically. And for artists seeking to rise in rank, how they wished to flock to his bed.


    Shaking her head, Li Xinyue gave a radiant smile and continued, "If I can achieve my dream through hard work, no matter how difficult, I would have no regrets. But if I have to sell my dignity and self-respect to achieve it, I would rather give up on that dream."


    Li Yifei, listening from outside, was genuinely shocked by Li Xinyue¡¯s words. The impression Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao had left him from their previous encounters was of people who were willing to trade their bodies for advancement. How could she now speak such admirably principled words?


    Meanwhile, inside, Song Ziqiao¡¯s expression was turning exceedingly ugly. He jabbed his cigarette into the wine glass and said coldly, "So you mean you¡¯d rather leave than continue being a host today?"


    Li Xinyue replied with unwavering certainty, "Yes! I apologize, Young Master Song. Everyone makes mistakes in life, but I do not wish to continue making them. I must take responsibility for myself."


    "Very well!" Song Ziqiao clapped his hands forcefully, then gave Li Xinyue a thumbs up, "I must say, I really am impressed with you. I¡¯ve seen too many stars who would do anything for a higher status. In front of me, they are no different from prostitutes. But you, you¡¯re different. I find you even more interesting now. How about this¡ªI marry you."


    This statement stunned everyone in the hall. Song Ziqiao was a person of considerable influence, with countless women longing to marry into the Song Family. Among the younger generation, he was one of the key figures who could potentially take the reins of the family in the future¡ªan even more attractive prospect for women.


    Although Song Ziqiao had toyed with many women over the years, he had never shown the slightest interest in marrying any of them. Now he proposed to Li Xinyue out of the blue. If this were true, it could be a monumental rise for Li Xinyue.


    "I mean my words, don¡¯t think I¡¯m just trying to get you into bed. I, Song Ziqiao, like women, but my wife must be faithful to me and presentable. You meet my criteria completely. Just nod, and tomorrow I can take you home to meet my parents, my family. They¡¯ve been eager to find me a marriage partner, and if I bring you home, they will surely be delighted."


    Song Ziqiao said this casually, not believing Li Xinyue could resist such a temptation.


    Li Xinyue was deeply shocked by Song Ziqiao¡¯s words. Becoming a daughter-in-law of the Song family meant a dramatic change in her status and identity. However, Li Xinyue quickly shook her head and responded, "I apologize! I already have a boyfriend."


    "Xinyue, what nonsense are you saying, you don¡¯t have a boyfriend," another man promptly called out in panic. He worked at the TV station and had been the one to set up this dinner for Li Xinyue to accompany Song Ziqiao. Otherwise, Li Xinyue had hardly attended such events lately.


    After saying this, Li Xinyue felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and smiled slightly, "I really do have a boyfriend. He treats me very well, and I have no reason to betray him."


    "Are you crazy? A boyfriend isn¡¯t the same as being married, and now Young Master Song wants to marry you."


    Li Xinyue looked at Song Ziqiao and calmly said, "Thank you, Young Master Song, for your affection. If someone like Young Master Song is looking for a wife, there are far too many women more outstanding than Xinyue. I am well aware of that and I¡¯m simply not suited to be the Song Family¡¯s daughter-in-law."


    Song Ziqiao laughed, at first softly, then burst into loud, uncontrolled laughter, so unrestrained and arrogant.


    Everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what Song Ziqiao would do next. But they all knew that Li Xinyue¡¯s words had deeply offended him, and if Song Ziqiao truly became enraged, no one could stop him.


    "Do you have no regrets about what you¡¯ve just said?" Song Ziqiao¡¯s laughter abruptly ceased, and he coldly stared at Li Xinyue.


    "I have no regrets. I already deeply regret things I¡¯ve done in the past, and from now on, I must be responsible for my boyfriend. I want to be an upright and honorable woman, even without status or wealth." Li Xinyue slowly closed her eyes, and in her mind¡¯s eye, the image of Li Yifei was so clear, as if he were looking at her with appreciative eyes, and that filled her with even more courage.


    "Young Master Song, I¡¯m sorry for leaving, but I need to see my boyfriend now." Li Xinyue opened her eyes, gave a slight smile to Song Ziqiao, then turned and tried to leave.


    "Crash!" The jarring sound of shattering glass rang out as Song Ziqiao, his face ashen, threw a wine bottle, and shouted at Li Xinyue, "The women I, Song Ziqiao, take an interest in have never been able to escape. I¡¯d like to see how you think you¡¯re going to get out of here today."


    Li Xinyue didn¡¯t turn back, merely paused in her step; after Song Ziqiao finished his words, she continued walking towards the door. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You wretch, stop right there!" Song Ziqiao bellowed furiously, seeing that Li Xinyue wasn¡¯t taking him into account at all.


    This time Li Xinyue didn¡¯t even pause, continuing to walk forward.


    Song Ziqiao was nearly beside himself with rage and took a sudden leap forward, grabbing Li Xinyue¡¯s arm.


    Li Xinyue panicked a little then, struggling while she exclaimed, "Young Master Song, remember you¡¯re the Deputy County Head now, this won¡¯t be good for you if you mess around."


    "You know I¡¯m the Deputy County Head. Well, I¡¯ll tell you this today, there¡¯s nothing that I, Song Ziqiao, wish to do that can¡¯t be done, with you being no exception. Today, whether you agree or not, you will have to agree."


    "If you continue like this, I will scream."


    "Go ahead and scream. I¡¯d like to see who would dare interfere with my business." Song Ziqiao laughed heartily, his manner more wild and reckless.

 Chapter 244 - 247: 500 Million

    Chapter 244: Chapter 247: 500 MillionOthers may not understand, but Li Xinyue knew very well that at Yiyun Clubhouse, ordinary people simply had no right to be there. Only the rich and powerful could enter these premises. Nobody could be unaware of Song Ziqiao¡¯s status. Even if the mayor or the Municipal Party Secretary were present, they too would likely turn a blind eye, considering Song Ziqiao¡¯s significant background. It was rare to find someone in Mile City who could provoke him.


    So screaming was futile and would only result in her humiliation becoming more widely known. But Li Xinyue was not prepared to suffer in silence without fighting back. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Young Master Song, can you be gentle, please? It hurts a lot."


    Seeing Li Xinyue¡¯s tear-filled eyes and her frail appearance, Song Ziqiao laughed and said, "As long as you behave, there¡¯s no need for me to be rough with you."


    Song Ziqiao underestimated Li Xinyue. Her display of vulnerability was designed to make him let his guard down. As soon as he did, she sharply stomped on Song Ziqiao¡¯s foot. Her pointy high heel was like a dagger, almost piercing through his shoe.


    "Ah!" Song Ziqiao cried out in pain and instinctively loosened his grip on Li Xinyue. Seizing the opportunity, she dashed toward the door, trying to pull it open, only to find it locked. She didn¡¯t know who had locked it, and by the time she managed to unlock it, Song Ziqiao had already charged over. It was too late for her to escape.


    At this moment, Li Xinyue felt an overwhelming sadness. She didn¡¯t want to be toyed with by these wealthy people anymore, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t avoid it. Was being a good girl really so difficult?


    She was so close to escaping the clutches of evil, but fate seemed unwilling to grant her such an opportunity. In that instant, Li Xinyue felt a desperate urge to die and considered fighting Song Ziqiao to the death. However, the thought of her family held her back. If she died, they would be devastated.


    If only Li Yifei could be here. His background was definitely no weaker than Song Ziqiao¡¯s, and he would surely help her. But at this moment, she didn¡¯t have time to call Li Yifei.


    Feeling Song Ziqiao¡¯s hand reaching for her hair, Li Xinyue became numb with despair. Her heart had already died.


    "Who are you?" Suddenly, a furious shout came from behind Song Ziqiao.


    Li Xinyue was startled and quickly turned around, only to see a familiar figure standing before her. Although she had met Li Yifei only a few times, she remembered his silhouette vividly. Seeing him now, she immediately knew it was Li Yifei.


    But she couldn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei would appear before her at this moment. It had to be a dream. She quickly rubbed her eyes, but was afraid to open them, fearing it wasn¡¯t real but just a hallucination.


    "I¡¯m just a nobody," the man in front of her suddenly said.


    "Young Master Li... Yifei!" Li Xinyue heard his voice and immediately opened her eyes. In her urgency, she didn¡¯t know what exactly to call Li Yifei. She stretched out her arms and hugged his waist from behind, clinging on tightly as if trying to merge her body into his.


    The person who entered was indeed Li Yifei. He had been watching from outside and his opinion of Li Xinyue had greatly changed as the situation developed. He had not expected Li Xinyue to be so brave. When she was in dire straits, he had no choice but to intervene.


    This wasn¡¯t Li Yifei trying to show off or create a dramatic rescue; he had simply been unsure whether Li Xinyue was playing some kind of game with Song Ziqiao there. Eventually, he was certain that Li Xinyue was genuinely rejecting Song Ziqiao, not employing any tactics.


    Li Yifei gently patted Li Xinyue¡¯s hand and smiled, saying, "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s face pressed gently against Li Yifei¡¯s back as she whispered, "I know, I know. With you here, I¡¯m not afraid of anything."


    Seeing Li Xinyue embracing the man who had suddenly appeared and refusing him harshly, Song Ziqiao grew even more irritated. He spoke in a sullen voice, "Do you know where you are? Do you realize who you are talking to?"


    Li Yifei met Song Ziqiao¡¯s gaze with a faint smile and said, "Of course, I know."


    "Oh, so you know who I am, and you still dare to meddle in my business. Do you have a death wish?" Song Ziqiao, who usually maintained the facade of the Deputy County Head in public and paid some attention to his image, completely abandoned all pretense here, his spoiled rich brat demeanor fully unmasked. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Looking at you like this, I can tell you¡¯re a beast, a piece of trash. What have I to be afraid of with a beast and trash like you?" Li Yifei¡¯s tone was calm, but his words were incredibly sharp.


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face turned ashen with rage as he retorted, "Alright, alright, you¡¯ve got guts. You must be Li Xinyue¡¯s boyfriend then?"


    "Correct, you actually got it right," Li Yifei replied with a smile.


    Li Xinyue stiffened. The boyfriend she had claimed was entirely fictional, and she had never expected Yifei to actually agree with her story. This unexpected agreement sent waves of sweetness through her heart. Even if being Yifei¡¯s girlfriend was only pretend for now, she felt thoroughly content.


    But then she quickly remembered something that made her heart race with anxiety. If Yifei believed he was really her boyfriend, he might be even less inclined to do anything with her. And having claimed a boyfriend only to then seduce Yifei the way she had, she feared he might look down on her even more.


    For a moment, Li Xinyue¡¯s heart was fraught with conflicting emotions, and she didn¡¯t process a single word Yifei and Song Ziqiao were saying.


    "Looking at your dressed-up, white-collar appearance, let me tell you, I have my eye on her. I¡¯ll give you five hundred thousand yuan to leave Li Xinyue," Song Ziqiao now sat down at ease, lit a cigarette, and seemed to have everything under control. He wanted to humiliate this woman by having her boyfriend walk out on her in front of her.


    "Xinyue is only worth five hundred thousand? You really underestimate her," Yifei remarked as he too lit a cigarette and took his time smoking it.


    Song Ziqiao was even more pleased upon hearing Yifei¡¯s response. He crossed his legs and said, "Kid, you really know how to take advantage of an opportunity, huh? Then tell me, how much do you think she¡¯s worth?"


    After a moment of thought, Yifei answered, "Does that mean you want me to name a price?"


    "Exactly, as long as you name a price, I can definitely satisfy you," Song Ziqiao boasted, swaying slightly with pride.


    "Alright!" Yifei nodded, then stretched out his right hand, fingers spread open.


    Song Ziqiao frowned and said, "You really dare to name your price, huh? Five million, hmph, let it be five million then, I¡¯ll give it to you."


    At this, Yifei shook his head and waved his hand.


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes bulged, and he bellowed, "Don¡¯t you dare tell me you¡¯re asking for fifty million from me?"


    "Wrong!" Yifei smiled faintly and said, "It¡¯s not fifty million. It¡¯s five billion. If you give me five billion, I¡¯ll let you take Xinyue away right now."


    "You¡¯re out of your mind for money!" Song Ziqiao shouted furiously.

 Chapter 245 - 248 Conditions

    Chapter 245: Chapter 248 ConditionsLi Yifei said with a look of astonishment on his face, "So, you can¡¯t even come up with five billion either, why the heck are you still putting on airs around here?"


    Song Ziqiao was extremely angry at first, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, he burst into an angry laugh, feeling that the guy in front of him was really full of crap, scoffed, and said, "Can you come up with five billion?"


    Li Yifei said frankly, "Of course I can¡¯t, I¡¯m not a Mr. Tall, Rich and Handsome like you."


    "Fuck, you can¡¯t come up with it and you still expect me to?" Song Ziqiao really thought the guy in front of him was too stupid; he had assumed that Li Yifei was wealthy like him, only to discover he was just a dumb kid.


    "Why should I be like you?"


    "Bullshit, then I can say the same thing, come up with five billion, and you can take Li Xinyue with you."


    "Is that your logic?" Li Yifei asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "Exactly, it¡¯s something anybody should easily understand, you¡¯re just blowing hot air, what the hell are you showing off for?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and all of a sudden dashed towards Song Ziqiao, grabbed his wrist, and swiftly removed his pure gold Rolex, worth over seven hundred thousand, and said, "This is a nice watch, must be worth a lot, huh?"


    Song Ziqiao hurriedly reached out to grab it back, yelling, "Give it back, this damn thing is worth over seven hundred thousand, can you afford it if you break it?"


    "Oh, over seven hundred thousand? Then give me seven hundred thousand, and I¡¯ll give it to you," Li Yifei said with a smirking look at Song Ziqiao.


    "Fuck, it¡¯s my watch, why should I pay you?"


    All of a sudden, Li Yifei glared and shouted, "You idiot, Li Xinyue is my girlfriend, what right do you have to demand five billion from me?"


    Song Ziqiao was flabbergasted, dizzied by Li Yifei¡¯s shouting, but he also realized he had indeed been foolish. The main point was that Li Yifei was making him lose face, and in Mile City, when had he ever suffered such embarrassment? In a fury, he raised his hand and slapped towards Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed Song Ziqiao¡¯s wrist, glared fiercely, and barked, "What¡¯s it going to be, you want to fight? You dare to mess with my girlfriend, and I haven¡¯t beaten you up yet, but you have the nerve to raise a hand to me?"


    "I¡¯ll mess you up so bad, you won¡¯t even know how you died!" Song Ziqiao pulled his arm forcefully and kicked up towards Li Yifei¡¯s groin.


    With a simple push from Li Yifei¡¯s hand, Song Ziqiao immediately lost his balance, leaned back, and crashed onto the dining table, causing several plates to topple and spill. He instinctively struggled, knocking more bottles and glasses to the ground. The few people who had been standing around the table now found themselves in the crossfire, splashed with various things. Song Ziqiao was in an especially sorry state, and by the time he got up, his clothes and face were smeared with greasy soup, an utter mess.


    "Mayor Song, are you alright?"


    "Young Master Song, how are you?"


    The others hurriedly helped Song Ziqiao up. Initially, they hadn¡¯t interjected. With Song Ziqiao speaking, it wasn¡¯t their place to say much, as that would have cost Song Ziqiao face. Even with Li Yifei¡¯s arrival, they hadn¡¯t believed anyone would dare to lay a hand on him. Not to mention Song Ziqiao¡¯s family background, but his current role as Deputy County Head of Mile City wasn¡¯t something anyone could easily provoke. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now that Li Yifei had made Song Ziqiao look so embarrassed, if they didn¡¯t step in, they would offend him in the long run, and this was their chance to show their loyalty.


    Two men, rolling up their sleeves, glared at Li Yifei and shouted, "Kid, do you know who this is? This is Deputy County Head Song Ziqiao of Qingping County, and you dared to hit Mayor Song?"


    Both men, in their forties and officials from the county, had led privileged lives and were not used to fighting. Rolling up their sleeves was just for show. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s imposing figure, they certainly didn¡¯t want to fight with him, so they resorted to flaunting their positions to intimidate him.


    Usually, that was their tactic. As long as they didn¡¯t encounter a higher-ranking official, it worked. They also hadn¡¯t thought Li Yifei was from any governmental sector, since who fights when they are an official?


    Moreover, being high and mighty in their regular lives, nobody dared to show off in front of them. If it weren¡¯t for Song Ziqiao¡¯s presence, they¡¯d have scolded Li Yifei and sent him packing long ago.


    Today, they assumed that just announcing their status would scare a young man like Li Yifei into changing his expression and hastily apologizing before leaving.


    "He¡¯s actually a Deputy County Head? Who do you think you¡¯re fooling?" Li Yifei said, his lips curling in disdain.


    One of the men immediately retorted with scorn, "Fool you? Are you blind or something? I¡¯ll have you know, right now he¡¯s our Qingping County¡¯s Deputy County Head, and before long, he¡¯ll be County Head, County Party Secretary, and then Mayor." The guy got more and more excited as he spoke, as if Song Ziqiao¡¯s grand life path was unfolding right before his eyes, his boot-licking was indeed impressively loud.


    At this moment, aside from feeling agitated, Li Xinyue also felt that stirring up such a big issue might not be good after all, considering that this Song Ziqiao seemed to have quite the backing. Causing Li Yifei to have a conflict with such a person over her, or even bringing more trouble to Li Yifei, would only add to her guilt. She quickly tugged on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and whispered, "Let¡¯s just go."


    Although Li Xinyue¡¯s voice was soft, Song Ziqiao heard every word clearly. At this point, he had somewhat lost his reason and slammed the table, barking, "None of you are leaving today."


    Li Yifei flicked away his cigarette butt, speaking seemingly with a touch of nerves, "So you¡¯re Mayor Song, that¡¯s a real oversight on my part, actually being our Qingping County¡¯s parental official."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s softening stance, Song Ziqiao¡¯s temper flared even more. He snorted and said, "It¡¯s no use talking now. If you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory explanation today, for hitting me, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re locked up for at least three to five years."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened and he asked, "And what would satisfy you?"


    Song Ziqiao glanced at Li Xinyue, sneered, and said, "Simple, you little twerp kneel down, kowtow, apologize, and let Li Xinyue accompany me for a week. Then we¡¯ll call it even."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Mayor Song is really powerful, huh? Why do I feel like this is outright abducting a civilian girl?"


    Song Ziqiao glared, not caring in the least as he said, "I¡¯ll abduct her if I want to; what can you possibly do? Just one word from me and your life is over. Hmph, in my eyes, you¡¯re less than ants; I can crush you however I please, and even if I killed you, you¡¯d have nowhere to take your grievances."


    Li Yifei gave Song Ziqiao a thumbs up and said, "Impressive, really impressive, Mayor Song. This is what I call a true parental official, a real leader."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face darkened as he said, "You have two minutes to consider. If you don¡¯t agree after two minutes... Hmph, you know what¡¯ll happen." Then he took a handkerchief and wiped the grease from his body, which only added to his irritation. He had never been humiliated this much before. If it weren¡¯t for his current status, he would kill Li Yifei to let off steam.


    At that moment, Li Xinyue tugged at Li Yifei and in a lowered voice asked, "What do we do now?"


    Li Yifei turned to face Li Xinyue, his back towards Song Ziqiao and company, winked at Li Xinyue, and said, "No worries."


    Xinyue, upon seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, felt relieved, but still whispered worriedly, "But he seems to have some heavy backing. Won¡¯t your conflict with him bring you any trouble?"


    "No, I refuse to bully others using my background. That¡¯s what the incompetent do. Besides, I don¡¯t want him to know who I am."


    "So what do we do?" Li Xinyue was startled; if Li Yifei planned not to use his status, how could he possibly stand up to someone like Song Ziqiao? It really didn¡¯t seem possible.


    Li Yifei patted Li Xinyue¡¯s shoulder, declaring with certainty, "Don¡¯t worry. If I can¡¯t handle even such a minor character, wouldn¡¯t that be a disgrace?"


    Li Xinyue nodded vigorously, now actually looking forward to seeing how Li Yifei would deal with the situation. Her esteem for Li Yifei rose significantly. She had seen many sons of wealthy and powerful families, all of them so arrogant, but at the first sign of trouble, they¡¯d always pull out their family¡¯s status to resolve things. Only someone like Li Yifei would deal with matters without resorting to his family¡¯s influence, and that was the mark of a true capable person, a real gentleman of noble upbringing.


    Looking at Li Yifei, Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes blazed with even greater ardor. To truly be with someone like Li Yifei, even without any official status, she would willingly accept wholeheartedly.


    Song Ziqiao did not hear what Li Yifei and Li Xinyue were saying, but watching them whispering sweet nothings infuriated him. Impatiently, he interrupted, bellowing, "Have you made up your minds yet? My patience has its limits."


    Li Yifei turned his head around, smiling at Song Ziqiao, and said, "Sorry, but I can¡¯t agree to your terms."


    Song Ziqiao did not expect such a response from Li Yifei and immediately shouted in anger, "Then it seems you won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin. Old Sun, call Director Wang at the sub-bureau. There¡¯s been an assault on me; have them arrest him."


    A man nearby agreed and took the phone but did not immediately dial, instead advising Li Yifei, "Kid, you better be sensible earlier rather than later, lest you ruin your whole life."


    Li Yifei just smiled casually and said, "Go ahead, make the call."


    Seeing Li Yifei still fearless at this juncture, Song Ziqiao could no longer contain himself and shouted, "Call now! Have him arrested; I swear if I don¡¯t lock him up for a few years, my last name isn¡¯t Qiao!"

 Chapter 246 - 249: Secretly Following

    Chapter 246: Chapter 249: Secretly FollowingFollowing Song Ziqiao, the two men who had come over now frowned. As for Li Yifei¡¯s obtuseness, they really were at their wit¡¯s end. They knew that if the matter blew up, it wouldn¡¯t be good. If Li Yifei could agree to Song Ziqiao¡¯s terms, that would be a better way to handle the situation. If they really brought over the Public Security Bureau and someone kicked up a fuss, with how advanced the internet is nowadays, once it got out online, things would be hard to manage.


    But with Song Ziqiao so angry, they couldn¡¯t persuade him; otherwise, they would definitely offend him. So, all they could do was to make the call.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone, however, rang first. It was Xu Yingying calling. He answered straight away, saying cheerfully, "President Xu, what¡¯s happening?"


    "Where did you run off to? Everyone is waiting for you." Through Xu Yingying¡¯s tone, even though there was a hint of reproach, it wasn¡¯t stern¡ªit seemed almost coquettish.


    Li Yifei was a bit overwhelmed by Xu Yingying¡¯s tone. For some reason, when other women spoke to him in that manner, he found it quite pleasant. But when Xu Yingying did it, it made his skin crawl. He hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯m coming right now."


    "If you want to come over, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s happening," Song Ziqiao snorted coldly.


    By then, Li Yifei had already hung up and turned to Li Xinyue, saying, "Alright, someone is calling for me; I won¡¯t play with them anymore."


    "Play..." Song Ziqiao and the others were all thunderstruck by Li Yifei¡¯s words. It turns out Li Yifei has just been playing with them the whole time. What exactly is he relying on? What kind of support does he have?


    "You little punk playing us, you¡¯re just asking for death!" Before Song Ziqiao could speak, his two companions were already so furious they shouted out.


    At this point, Song Ziqiao simply waved his hand and looked at Li Yifei like he was an idiot, saying, "Well, I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯re going to play. The police will be here soon and I don¡¯t mind if you have some proper fun in the station later. Let the police keep you company¡ªI¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a blast. Ha ha..."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to Song Ziqiao anymore; he just walked over to the window, picked something up, turned around, and said to Song Ziqiao, "Fine, you go ahead and call people. I¡¯m about to post an interesting video online."


    "Video?" Song Ziqiao first was taken aback, then his eyes widened as he stared at the cell phone in Li Yifei¡¯s hand, realizing what was happening. Li Yifei had placed the phone by the window and recorded everything that went on here. If this got out online, it would be impossible to cover up. He, a Deputy County Head, had been pressuring a female host; this would surely provoke public outrage. Even if his family had considerable influence, to placate public opinion, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his position, and he might even never be favored by his family again.


    Li Yifei waved the cell phone, saying, "Mayor Song, right? I think many people would love to see how a county head could be so tyrannical and how he could forcefully take a common woman. They¡¯d especially be curious to know why a county head could be so rampant, so disrespectful to others."


    Song Ziqiao turned ashen, and with a roar, he shouted, "Take it from him!"


    As he spoke, he lunged directly at Li Yifei. With such material at stake, he was truly finished if it got out, so even if it meant risking his life, he had to snatch it back. At his roar, the other two men also rushed forward. Although Song Ziqiao was the main perpetrator, the two men had not only failed to stop him but had been egging him on. If word got out, they were equally ruined. So now, both of their eyes turned red, and they flung themselves at Li Yifei, faces contorted with ferocity. At this moment, even if it meant killing Li Yifei, they dared to do it, believing that at least by eliminating Li Yifei, they might be able to smooth things over.


    The three men together believed they could overpower Li Yifei alone. Yet, to their shock, as quick as they came at him, they were repelled faster. In the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had kicked each to the ground with a single swift foot.


    But the three were seeing red; this was a matter of lifetime importance to them. All they could think about was snatching the cell phone; nothing else mattered. So the three immediately got back up and charged at Li Yifei again, their faces hideously twisted. At this point, even if it meant murdering Li Yifei, they were prepared to do so, on the notion that by killing him, they might be able to defuse the situation.


    Li Yifei, by this time, had lost interest in them. With a swing of his left hand, he struck each man¡¯s neck. Although it didn¡¯t knock them unconscious, it left them unable to move for a moment. Then, taking Li Xinyue¡¯s hand, he simply walked out without saying another word to Song Ziqiao and the others.


    "Young Master Li, isn¡¯t this getting too big?" Li Xinyue asked somewhat worriedly once they reached the hallway.


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "It¡¯s okay. With this video, they wouldn¡¯t dare to mess around."


    Thinking of Li Yifei¡¯s identity, Li Xinyue had nothing more to worry about. Su Mengxin was one of the most formidable figures among Huaxia¡¯s younger generation, and Li Yifei, as her cousin, certainly wasn¡¯t lacking. Song Ziqiao¡¯s background was at most influential within the province. So compared to Li Yifei, he was out of his league.


    With her hand in Li Yifei¡¯s grasp, Li Xinyue suddenly felt a sweetness in her heart. Li Yifei had come to rescue her in her most dire moment, and he had even claimed to be her boyfriend. Even though she knew it was a sham, even a pretense was enough to satisfy her.


    Glancing sideways at Li Yifei, she instinctively clutched his hand tightly. She did not want to waste this rare opportunity to be close to him. Even if it lasted just for a short while, even if it was as fleeting as a snowflake in the sun, it was something she would never forget for the rest of her life.


    Li Yifei felt Li Xinyue¡¯s grip on his hand and turned to her with a smile. "Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s really nothing to it. By the way, do you want to come along?"


    "If I go... would it be inconvenient?"


    "There aren¡¯t other people, just our company¡¯s President Xu, Director He, and also my old classmate Mayor Ye Yunzhu, all women."


    Li Xinyue pursed her lips with a smile, and said, "They¡¯re all beauties, aren¡¯t they? Young Master Li really is quite the charmer."


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat and said, "What charmer? I¡¯m just a Human Resources Manager in the company now, and they¡¯re all more senior than me. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have managed to slip out." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Human Resources Manager... Young Master Li, you really are amusing."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Li Xinyue nodded. Even if it was a dragon¡¯s den or a tiger¡¯s lair, as long as she could spend more time with Li Yifei, she was willing to take the plunge.


    Arriving at Xu Yingying and the others¡¯ door, Li Yifei let go of Li Xinyue¡¯s hand. Li Xinyue suddenly felt a sense of loss; how she wished that Li Yifei would hold her hand like this forever, never letting go, but she knew it was just a fond hope. She composed herself, put on a radiant smile, and walked into the private room with Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying and the other two were chatting merrily until they saw Li Yifei bring Li Xinyue in, and they were all momentarily stunned.


    "Hello, President Xu, Director He, and Mayor Ye," greeted Li Xinyue, who knew all three of them, so there was no unfamiliarity as she entered, smiling and saying hello to the three of them.


    The three of them also recognized Li Xinyue. Xu Yingying immediately smiled and said, "Xinyue, come and sit down. How did this guy Li Yifei only take a moment to find you and bring you here?"


    Li Xinyue sat down gracefully, and said with a smile, "We happened to run into each other, and knowing President Xu, Director He, and Mayor Ye were here dining, I had to come and offer a toast. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be rude?"


    "What¡¯s there to be rude about? We were just casually having a meal together. If there¡¯s nothing pressing on your end, join us for a drink."


    "Then I won¡¯t hold back."


    Now there were four women, each a stunning beauty in their own right, and only one man, Li Yifei. For any man, this would certainly be a stroke of extreme fortune, but for Li Yifei, this didn¡¯t seem like much of a good thing.


    Since Mayor Ye Yunzhu was unaware of Li Yifei¡¯s identity as the CEO, Li Yifei was still treated merely as a Human Resources Manager here. Naturally, Xu Yingying took the head seat, flanked by Mayor Ye Yunzhu and He Fangqing, while Li Yifei sat next to Ye Yunzhu and Li Xinyue next to him. They had barely exchanged a few words when the conversation turned to him.


    Ye Yunzhu turned to Li Yifei, raised her glass, and said, "I say, Yifei, you¡¯re surrounded by beauties every day now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re really quite lucky there," and then she drained the beer from her glass in one gulp.


    Li Yifei drank a glass with her, feeling guilty in front of Ye Yunzhu from time to time. Even though Ye Yunzhu had said she wouldn¡¯t constrain Li Yifei with the past, the fact remained that events had occurred, and they had been deeply in love at the time. It wasn¡¯t something that could be easily forgotten.


    Li Yifei had been feeling quite relaxed the past couple of days. The affair with Ye Yunzhu was indeed a burden on his mind, and he felt as if letting go meant the weight was lifted. Yet, he knew it was just self-deception. Every time he saw Ye Yunzhu, his guilt didn¡¯t lessen but instead grew heavier, because he knew that her feelings for him hadn¡¯t diminished, but their different lives had created a divide between them.


    With a forced laugh, Li Yifei said, "What luck do I have? That¡¯s the boss, that¡¯s the director, and I¡¯m just a junior manager."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Xu Yingying a sidelong glance and patted Li Yifei on the shoulder, her face all smiles, "I say, old classmate, that¡¯s not right of you. President Xu has taken a liking to you, how can you keep playing hard to get? Look at President Xu, she¡¯s got the looks, the talent, and the capability. If she¡¯s got her eye on you, it¡¯s the result of several lifetimes of good fortune. What more could you want?"


    At this moment, Li Yifei truly wanted to escape. Ye Yunzhu was smiling on the surface, but her foot was ruthlessly stepping on his, grinding it down, again and again. It would have been easy for Li Yifei to move away, but knowing that Ye Yunzhu was venting her emotions, he let her step on him to release some of her feelings.


    Li Yifei said with a wry smile, "Yunzhu, stop joking. I¡¯m just a poor loser, not someone who goes after White Rich Beauties."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, and said, "I say, Yifei, can you not make a spectacle of yourself? Nobody else is here, I¡¯m not afraid, why are you still hiding and hesitating?" Then she turned to Ye Yunzhu with a slight smile, "Yifei always worries about others gossiping, saying I favor him. So he never admits our relationship. I don¡¯t care, but he¡¯s always so concerned about this and that. I really don¡¯t know what to do with him."


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly, "Really? Then I¡¯ll have a good talk with him later. I know all about his little tricks."


    At this point, Li Xinyue was somewhat speechless, feeling like Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying were clearly carrying a whiff of gunpowder¡ªthere seemed to be a touch of jealousy between them. Young Master Li was truly Young Master Li; even when being low-key, he was certainly surrounded by beautiful women.

 Chapter 247 - 250 Maintenance

    Chapter 247: Chapter 250 MaintenanceSeveral people were talking when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Li Yifei called for the person to enter, and the door opened. Manager Zhao Jing from the Yiyun Clubhouse walked in with a few police officers, accompanied by Song Ziqiao and the two men.


    Seeing the police enter, Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and He Fangqing all frowned simultaneously, also a bit puzzled, while Li Xinyue was somewhat panicked at this point. It was clear Song Ziqiao bringing the police was specifically for Li Yifei and her.


    "That¡¯s the kid, arrest him for me," Song Ziqiao barked angrily the moment he saw Li Yifei.


    The police officers immediately rushed towards Li Yifei, but Zhao Jing, the manager, quickly extended his arms to block them, his face bearing a professional smile, "Mayor Song, could there be some misunderstanding here?"


    Song Ziqiao snorted, "This kid hit me, what misunderstanding could there be? You¡¯d best step aside, or I¡¯ll arrest you as well."


    Zhao Jing spoke calmly and firmly, "Mayor Song, I am but a minor character; arresting me is a simple matter for you. However, since our clubhouse opened, such an incident has never occurred. Now you want to arrest someone inside our establishment; this doesn¡¯t seem quite appropriate, does it?"


    Song Ziqiao frowned. He had been too impulsive earlier and now suddenly remembered that the Yiyun Clubhouse was quite extraordinary, backed by a vice mayor from the city. If it were just a vice mayor, that might still be bearable, but more importantly, the clubhouse was owned by a family with a standing not inferior to the Song family, perhaps even more powerful. He couldn¡¯t afford not to give them face.


    He looked at Zhao Jing and spoke in a deep voice, "This matter has nothing to do with you all; I am solely targeting this kid."


    Zhao Jing gave a slight smile, "As for your personal grievances, Mayor Song, I have no right to interfere. However, everyone who comes here to dine is my guest, and I must take responsibility for my guests. I cannot let them be taken away by the police here unless they really are some sort of fugitives."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face darkened, "So I should just let him get away with hitting me?"


    Zhao Jing chuckled lightly, "Isn¡¯t everyone just having a bit of fun? Why take it so seriously, Mayor Song? How about this: we take responsibility for your outfit, and in addition, today¡¯s bill for you is on the house. What do you say?"


    Song Ziqiao stared at Zhao Jing, suppressing the anger in his heart, "Are you blatantly siding with him?"


    Zhao Jing inwardly despised Song Ziqiao very much. His demeanor was a subtle hint to Song Ziqiao that Li Yifei was not someone to be trifled with, certainly more influential than Mayor Song. Yet, the man seemed not to have caught on. Zhao Jing laughed and said, "Mayor Song, it¡¯s not a matter of taking sides; I am merely following the rules of our clubhouse."


    Song Ziqiao snapped, "I don¡¯t care about your clubhouse¡¯s rules. Today I am taking this kid away, let¡¯s see who dares to stop me!"


    Seeing Song Ziqiao¡¯s adamant stance, the police officers immediately pushed Zhao Jing aside and attempted to arrest Li Yifei once again.


    Xu Yingying was confused, not knowing what Li Yifei had done, but from what she could gather from Zhao Jing¡¯s previous words, it seemed Li Yifei had some conflict with this Mayor Song. Regardless, she couldn¡¯t allow the police to take Li Yifei away.


    Ye Yunzhu shared Xu Yingying¡¯s sentiment, and she stood up first, addressing Mayor Song, "Mayor Song, why make such a fuss? Li Yifei is my classmate. Whatever the issue, let¡¯s talk it over. If it really is Yifei¡¯s fault, I¡¯ll have him apologize to you."


    It was only now that Mayor Song noticed Ye Yunzhu. Lanjia Village belonged to Qingping County, and naturally, as the Deputy County Head, he recognized Mayor Ye, Ye Yunzhu. He had long harbored covetous feelings for her, but he also knew that Ye Yunzhu had a strong background. He definitely could not compare if it came to relying on family support. However, despite not daring to act recklessly with a figure like her here, he had no obligation to give Ye Yunzhu face. Knowing that Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were classmates gave him even more confidence. His face darkened as he spoke, "Mayor Ye, do you know that your classmate just hit me?"


    Ye Yunzhu frowned and stealthily kicked Li Yifei. This scoundrel was causing trouble just like when they were kids, when she was always the one cleaning up his messes. Now he was grown and still the same, causing even bigger problems, giving her a headache.


    She put on a stern face, scolded Li Yifei, "Li Yifei, how can you be so reckless? Do you not realize this is Mayor Song? Apologize to Mayor Ye right away."


    Her tone and expression were just like the times Li Yifei got into trouble at seventeen or eighteen¡ªalways sternly reprimanding him, but deep down, she was still protecting him.


    But today¡¯s Li Yifei was no longer the Li Yifei of the past. He sat there proudly, lit a cigarette, and said indifferently, "Such a man doesn¡¯t deserve my apology. You should just stop bothering, and let him rant all he likes."


    Ye Yunzhu quickly tugged at Li Yifei secretly and gave him a meaningful look, but seeing that Li Yifei was completely indifferent, she knew that there was no way she could persuade him at this moment. She knew Li Yifei too well; if he had kicked up a fuss and caused trouble, he would have apologized immediately after she said a word, but if he believed he was in the right, no matter how angry she got, he would never apologize. It was clear that Song Ziqiao must have done something to thoroughly infuriate Li Yifei.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying said to Song Ziqiao with a stern face, "Mayor Song, Li Yifei is an employee of our company, and I am the general manager. If Li Yifei hit you, there must be a reason for the conflict, right? I don¡¯t believe he would hit you without any cause."


    Xu Yingying now spoke with a lot of confidence, unlike when she was with a small company. Now, she was with a large company, backed by Su Mengxin. Even the top official in the city was within her reach, so she really wasn¡¯t afraid of a Deputy County Head.


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face suddenly became somewhat awkward. How could he brazenly speak of the cause of the incident, especially since he thought Li Yifei had already revealed what had happened? It was now Xu Yingying¡¯s turn to embarrass him. With a cold laugh, he said, "I don¡¯t care what company you¡¯re from; you can¡¯t handle this matter. Take him away."


    Both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu now looked quite displeased. Xu Yingying snorted first and said, "Mayor Ye, it seems I need to reconsider my decision. With such a County Head, I¡¯m afraid that cooperation in your township won¡¯t be pleasant."


    Ye Yunzhu was not offended by Xu Yingying¡¯s words. If the roles were reversed, she would certainly reconsider as well. She said to Song Ziqiao in a stern voice, "Deputy County Chief Song, this is Xu Yingying, President Xu of Dreamfly Company. Their company is planning to invest and build a factory in our township. This is a major event for both our township and our county. If Mayor Song makes this impossible to proceed, I¡¯m afraid..."


    Song Ziqiao frowned slightly. He, as the Deputy County Head, was naturally aware of the investment by Dreamfly Company in Lanjia Village. The county was placing great importance on this, expecting the whole county to support Ye Yunzhu¡¯s efforts to ensure the investment from Dreamfly Company was secured. It would be a significant achievement for both the county and the township. If he was the one to spoil it, he feared that the leadership of the entire county would have a grievance against him. Even if he didn¡¯t take the County Head and County Party Secretary seriously, if he performed poorly here and those people schemed against him, he would certainly face a lot of difficulties.


    At this point, Manager Zhao Jing whispered in Song Ziqiao¡¯s ear, "Mayor Song, Dreamfly Company is backed by people from Capital City, and they¡¯re quite influential."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s expression changed again. With heavyweights from Capital City involved, they were likely more influential than his family. Only now did he realize why Zhao Jing had been siding with Li Yifei all along. It seemed he was really going to eat this loss without recompense.


    Grinding his teeth, Song Ziqiao finally swallowed his pride and said, "Then I will give you some face. Mayor Ye, President Xu, I won¡¯t pursue this matter any further."


    The expressions on Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu softened. Xu Yingying had only intended to scare Song Ziqiao. She nodded and said, "Since Mayor Song is so generous, it looks like we can still invest here in Mayor Ye¡¯s township."


    Song Ziqiao had to feign magnanimity and said, "I can separate personal matters from official business. Official is official, personal is personal. Now that I¡¯m letting it go, can you also hand over that video to me?"


    "Video?" Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu both looked at Li Yifei in confusion.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I can¡¯t give it to him."


    Song Ziqiao looked terribly grim. He had gone to such lengths, and yet Li Yifei was still so uncooperative. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he couldn¡¯t beat Li Yifei, he would truly want to slaughter him on the spot.


    Xu Yingying thought Li Yifei had recorded something inappropriate about Song Ziqiao. She glared at Li Yifei and said, "What are you keeping those things for? Give them to Mayor Song right away."


    Ye Yunzhu also said, "Yes, no more trouble."


    Li Yifei played with his phone in the palm of his hand and shook his head, saying, "He¡¯s a big County Head, and I¡¯m just a small employee. If I don¡¯t have something in hand, what if he comes after me again? Wouldn¡¯t I be dead meat then?"


    Song Ziqiao took a deep breath and said, "Fine, I promise, as long as you give me the video, I will absolutely not trouble you in the future."


    "Really?" Li Yifei looked at Song Ziqiao with a smile. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Song Ziqiao nodded vigorously, gritting his molars, and said, "The words of Song Ziqiao count. So many people are watching."


    Only then did Li Yifei nod in satisfaction. He then said something with a smile that nearly made Song Ziqiao spit out a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 248 - 252 Continuing Past Relations

    Chapter 248: Chapter 252 Continuing Past Relations"Sorry, I didn¡¯t actually take any videos; I was just pretending."


    "What? You didn¡¯t film?" Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, doubting his own ears.


    Li Yifei chuckled slyly, "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to film, but how can you film without a phone? Don¡¯t believe me? Go back and try setting up a phone on your own window sill. Can you really get it to record what¡¯s happening inside the room?"


    The muscles on Song Ziqiao¡¯s face twitched violently a few times before he took several deep breaths and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    He really couldn¡¯t stay there any longer; otherwise, he might actually grab a cop¡¯s gun and put an end to Li Yifei on the spot.


    As soon as Song Ziqiao left, he went straight back to the private room they¡¯d come from. After trying to set it up, he realized it really was impossible to film with a phone from there, which infuriated him even more. In a fit of anger, he smashed his phone onto the ground. He had never been played like this before; this was definitely the most humiliating loss he had ever suffered.


    The two people with Song Ziqiao were a bit puzzled, and one of them asked, "Mayor Song, why didn¡¯t you arrest that guy just now?"


    Song Ziqiao clenched his fist and slammed it down on the windowsill, grinding his teeth as he said, "Dreamfly Company is investing in our county, which is good for me. If I completely offend them, it won¡¯t do me any good."


    "Mayor Song, although Dreamfly Company has a big background, that guy is just a nobody in the company, nothing impressive. Just because we couldn¡¯t deal with him here doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t be able to handle him later without someone backing him up."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes lit up before he burst into laughter, laughing for a while before hitting the windowsill again and saying maliciously, "Li Yifei, huh? Kid, you dare to hit me; I will make sure you pay ten times, a hundred times the price."


    At this moment, Li Yifei was sitting in the private room feeling like he was on pins and needles, as Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and He Fangqing all looked at him with disapproving eyes.


    "Can you guys not look at me like that, please? If you saw it, you¡¯d definitely have done the same as me to that guy." Being watched by three beauties, and getting the attention of an adopted daughter might seem cool, but such looks made him uncomfortable.


    Li Xinyue hurriedly said at this time, "President Xu, this all started because of me. If it weren¡¯t for Brother Li, I would have really been bullied by Song Ziqiao."


    "Oh?" The three women immediately turned their attention to Li Xinyue.


    Li Xinyue also felt immense pressure. As a TV host, she was used to being in the spotlight and wouldn¡¯t normally be flustered by the attention, but because these three beauties seemed to have some kind of relationship with Li Yifei, she felt as if she had been caught as the mistress in an affair, which made her feel guilty.


    But Li Xinyue still cleared her throat and recounted the incident in detail. As someone trained in hosting, her narration was vivid, especially in expressing Song Ziqiao¡¯s despicable demeanor. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well done!" Ye Yunzhu slammed the table after hearing the story, her brows furrowing as she exclaimed, "Such a scumbag being a Deputy County Head, how dare he commit such an act! Yifei, you should have hit him even harder earlier."


    Xu Yingying gritted her teeth and said, "Exactly. Tell me, why were you so gentle? People like him deserve to be killed without remorse."


    Li Yifei was suddenly covered in sweat, while Li Xinyue was dumbstruck, utterly unprepared for such a strong reaction from the two women.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t use language as extreme as Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu, but she still sighed and said, "This world... anyone with a bit of power just doesn¡¯t treat women as human beings."


    This remark of He Fangqing¡¯s summed up the anger of both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu. All four women present were capable and held certain social statuses, and they understood all too well how much more an achievement would cost a woman than a man.


    How many men coveted their beauty, especially those with money and power, who would corner them in various ways, using blackmail to exchange their beauty for favors. All of them had encountered this more than once, so whenever such things happened, their anger was profound.


    The four women then poured out their grievances to one another, sharing the difficulties they faced in their careers, turning the gathering into an intense complaint session.


    As they talked, their moods worsened, and they even began to drown their sorrows in alcohol.


    Li Yifei at first didn¡¯t interject, but after a while, seeing that all four women seemed inclined to drink excessively, he quickly tried to stop them.


    "I don¡¯t need you to worry about me, you stinking man, of course, you¡¯d never understand how it feels," Xu Yingying immediately glared.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand rested on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, her eyes slightly red as she said, "Yifei, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve been so tired these past few years. I just want to let it all out today, I just want to do something reckless, stop fussing over me."


    Although Li Xinyue didn¡¯t touch Li Yifei like Ye Yunzhu did, she also used her watery big eyes to say, "Brother Li, with you here, I¡¯m not afraid to drink a lot. It¡¯s not like being with other men, I¡¯m really scared of drinking too much then."


    He Fangqing chuckled softly and said, "There are four beautiful women here. If all of them get drunk, you¡¯ll be the one taking advantage, what¡¯s there for you to be afraid of?"


    Ye Yunzhu laughed, "Well said, by then you can do whatever you want."


    Li Xinyue seemed even more charming as if she wouldn¡¯t mind at all if it really happened that way; in fact, she was quite looking forward to it. She quickly picked up her glass and said, "President Xu, Director He, Mayor Ye, come on, let me toast you another round."


    Ye Yunzhu and He Fangqing both followed suit and drained their glasses, while Xu Yingying felt a bit nervous inside. If she really got drunk, would Li Yifei dare to do something to her? But she quickly dismissed the thought. Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t do anything to her; he would love nothing more than to break ties with her, he was never the one to initiate anything.


    If Li Yifei did something with He Fangqing after getting drunk, that would be quite normal, but now she actually started to worry that Li Yifei might do something to Ye Yunzhu and Li Xinyue. She wasn¡¯t a fool; judging from the way Ye Yunzhu and Li Xinyue behaved towards Li Yifei, it was clear they were both quite interested in him.


    She felt a bit despondent now. What was so good about Li Yifei anyway, that so many women, and pretty ones at that, were thinking about him? Why hadn¡¯t she noticed so many admirable traits in Li Yifei that other women liked? Instead, she found he had quite a few shortcomings.


    However, under the persuasion of several people, she felt she couldn¡¯t refuse to drink, but she still retained a bit of mindfulness, not wanting to get too drunk.


    Unfortunately, Li Xinyue, Ye Yunzhu, and He Fangqing were all intent on getting drunk. Seeing that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t drinking as heartily, the three persuaded her. Even if Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to get drunk, it became impossible. An hour later, none of the four were sober; all had gotten drunk.


    People show different behaviors when drunk. Xu Yingying just laid her head on the table and fell asleep upon drinking too much. He Fangqing didn¡¯t sleep. Instead, she looked at Li Yifei with watery eyes, oozing seduction and temptation. In her drunken state, she had completely lost her inhibitions.


    Li Xinyue, on the other hand, the usually talkative host, now sat in silence, apparently dwelling on something sad as tears occasionally rolled down her cheeks.


    Ye Yunzhu was different from the other three. She became extremely excited, and although her speech was incoherent, she couldn¡¯t stop talking. While speaking, she held on to Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said things that even Li Yifei couldn¡¯t understand.


    Watching these four drunk women, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. It turned out that even beautiful women could lose their composure when drunk. He called a waiter over and asked for four rooms to be prepared. Then with the waiter¡¯s help, he supported the four women to their respective rooms.


    Because Ye Yunzhu kept holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, he had no choice but to take Ye Yunzhu to a room himself.


    Once in the room, Li Yifei helped Ye Yunzhu onto the bed, saying, "Yunzhu, rest for a bit. I¡¯ll go get you some water to drink."


    Ye Yunzhu stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Li Yifei¡¯s neck. Her breath heavy with the scent of alcohol, she forcefully pulled Li Yifei down. Li Yifei could have struggled free, but Ye Yunzhu¡¯s actions made him hesitant to use force, fearing he might hurt her. He asked urgently, "Yunzhu, what are you doing?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s gaze fixed on Li Yifei¡¯s face, staring intently as she watched him, saying nothing.


    Li Yifei met Ye Yunzhu¡¯s gaze and suddenly felt a pang in his heart. He gently brushed away the hair from her forehead and said softly, "You must be thirsty after all that drinking. I¡¯ll get you some water."


    "I want to drink your saliva," Ye Yunzhu articulated these words very clearly, her eyes burning as she watched Li Yifei, unblinking, waiting for his response.


    Li Yifei felt a momentary daze, as if he had suddenly returned to his high school days. Back then, Ye Yunzhu was like a goddess in everyone¡¯s heart: beautiful, from a good family, excellent in her studies. And Li Yifei was just a poor boy, a troublemaker on top of that. But despite this, when Ye Yunzhu was with Li Yifei, she was so devoted. Whenever they got intimate, she showed no pride but instead clung to him, just like now, fixing Li Yifei with a stare and saying, "I want your saliva."


    That look, those words, seemed to erase the great divide that had existed between Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu. Li Yifei stared numbly back at Ye Yunzhu, while she returned the gaze with a resolute steadfastness.


    With his eyes gently closed, Li Yifei lay down on top of Ye Yunzhu. His arms stretched out and embraced her tightly as he deeply kissed her.

 Chapter 249 - 253: Live Broadcast

    Chapter 249: Chapter 253: Live BroadcastLi Yifei turned around and saw Xu Yingying, who was looking at him with an extremely unpleasant expression.


    Li Yifei put Li Xinyue down, and then turned to ask, "Why are you here?"


    Xu Yingying took a deep breath and said, "Wow, Li Yifei, after playing the hero, you¡¯re ready to jump into bed with her?"


    Li Yifei realized that Xu Yingying had misunderstood, and he initially wanted to explain, but suddenly dismissed the idea, and said with a stern face, "You clearly know the situation, so why did you come here?"


    Xu Yingying was taken aback and glared at Li Yifei, hardly believing that he could be so righteous and confident at this time.


    "Go back and get some sleep, don¡¯t disturb me here," Li Yifei said, and then sat down on the edge of the bed.


    Xu Yingying could hold her liquor well, and although she was drunk today, she sobered up after an hour or so. She was still groggy, but the thought that there were still many things to do at the company made her uneasy resting here, so she decided to return to the company.


    She looked in the two neighboring rooms first. Ye Yunzhu and He Fangqing were both sleeping soundly, so Xu Yingying didn¡¯t disturb them. She just wanted to find Li Yifei to accompany her back, but in the last room, she saw Li Yifei and Li Xinyue hugging each other.


    She had initially thought that Li Yifei was taking the opportunity to do something bad with Li Xinyue and wanted to scold him, but his calm response made her suddenly feel that something was off. Li Yifei was not the kind of person to rush into things, and since Li Xinyue¡¯s clothes were intact and she was obviously asleep, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t done anything to her. Now, by speaking in such a way, he was clearly trying to provoke her, wasn¡¯t he?


    Having figured it out, Xu Yingying¡¯s anger dissipated. She sat down directly on the sofa, crossed her right leg over her left, and said with grace, "Then you continue, I won¡¯t interrupt you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and he said, "Are you serious? Do you want to watch a live show here?"


    "Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen it before, and now I want to see it. You can completely ignore me."


    "I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m really going to take my clothes off," Li Yifei said, pretending to start undressing.


    Xu Yingying, disdainfully curling her lip, said, "Go ahead and strip. We¡¯ve lived together for so long, and I bought most of your underwear. Am I going to be scared of you undressing?"


    Li Yifei felt defeated by Xu Yingying, realizing that if this woman put her mind to it, her thick skin could definitely surpass that of a man. He could only say with a wry smile, "OK, OK, I¡¯m not as shameless as you. I¡¯ll stop, right?"


    Xu Yingying smiled triumphantly and said, "Keep up the act. I don¡¯t mind."


    Li Yifei, annoyed, said, "Hmph, I don¡¯t have time to mess around with you. Just say what you want to do directly, and if you¡¯ve drunk too much, go to sleep."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "I want to go back to the company. You come with me." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fangqing and Yunzhu are still asleep here."


    "Let them rest here then. What could possibly happen in such a big guesthouse?"


    "Alright, sigh, I wish I were drunk too, so I could rest a bit more." Li Yifei stood up in resignation and left the guesthouse with Xu Yingying, who was looking quite pleased with herself.


    Seeing that Li Yifei was about to drive, Xu Yingying quickly said, "Maybe you shouldn¡¯t drive? You also drank quite a bit today."


    "It¡¯s fine, I sobered up a while ago."


    "Really?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "I did a lot of physical exercise, so all the alcohol has already sweated out."


    "A lot of physical exercise?" Xu Yingying was stunned for a moment, but then spat at Li Yifei and turned her head away blushing. She got the implication in his words, but she only thought he had gone to find He Fangqing, so she wasn¡¯t upset, just embarrassed beyond measure that he could talk about such things so brazenly.


    "Disgusting, pervert," Xu Yingying muttered under her breath about Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei got in the car, and after Xu Yingying was seated, he said with a grin, "I am a pervert, but it seems like someone was quite comfortable that day."


    "You... you..." Xu Yingying turned crimson with embarrassment, almost wishing she could squeeze into a crack in the ground. Li Yifei had never mentioned what had happened that day, whereas she had brought it up to confirm their relationship. She didn¡¯t feel it was a big deal when she mentioned it, but now that Li Yifei brought it up, she was overwhelmed with embarrassment and turned beet red, unable to speak.


    Li Yifei blinked his eyes and said, "Now that it¡¯s just the two of us, do you want to find a place where I can make you feel good again?"


    "You bastard!" Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red as she struggled to hold back, finally cursing Li Yifei fiercely before turning her head away, refusing to look at him again.


    "Ah, you women, you clearly enjoy it so much at the time, yet when it comes to talking about it, you act as if you¡¯ve been greatly insulted." Li Yifei shook his head, started the car, and chuckled inwardly. He had realized that with a woman like Xu Yingying, he needed to be a bit of a rogue to handle her; otherwise, he was always one step behind.


    "Shut your mouth!" Xu Yingying practically roared at this point.


    "If you want me to shut up, I¡¯ll shut up. You did it, but you won¡¯t let me talk about it. There¡¯s no one else here anyway."


    "Ah! I¡¯m going crazy!" Xu Yingying tugged at her hair fiercely, scanning the car to find something to grab and put an end to Li Yifei, that bastard.


    Li Yifei felt it was about time, so he began to drive with a sneaky smile, no longer teasing Xu Yingying. He felt that what had happened today was enough.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to speak to Li Yifei anymore. The moment the car reached the company, she bolted out as if running for her life, now too afraid to spend another minute with him.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t get out of the car right away. With this event, he wondered if Xu Yingying would still occasionally say she wanted to be with him, or if he had scared her off completely this time.


    Sitting in his office, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t feeling so triumphant. He had no idea how to wrap up today¡¯s events. Toward Ye Yunzhu, he couldn¡¯t deny the affection they had shared in the past. Even though some of the familiarity had lessened and there was some strangeness now, the feelings between him and Ye Yunzhu, and vice versa, were indelible. This time, their relationship rekindled those suppressed emotions in Li Yifei, bursting forth uncontrollably.


    But what about Su Yiyi? She was so gentle, so lovely, and so compliant toward him. Li Yifei liked her just as much; he always thought Su Yiyi was definitely a lifelong partner worth having. How could he bear to let her go?


    As for Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei felt they were just a bit troublesome; he didn¡¯t feel that burdened. His relationships with them were like playing a game, where the outcome didn¡¯t matter. But with Ye Yunzhu and Su Yiyi, those were real predicaments for Li Yifei.


    A knock sounded at the door. Li Yifei responded, and Michelle pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing the smoke-filled room, she immediately went to open the window and scolded, "Brother Li, why are you smoking so much?"


    Li Yifei extinguished his cigarette butt and smiled sheepishly, saying, "It¡¯s nothing."


    Michelle sat across from Li Yifei, squinting at him and saying, "Don¡¯t lie to me. You might smoke usually, but you¡¯ve never smoked one right after another like this. You must have run into some trouble. Can you talk to me about it? Maybe I can help you analyze it?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, resting his hands on the desk, and said, "Michelle, I¡¯m actually quite troubled right now."


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Michelle had always seen Li Yifei as someone who never let anything trouble him. This was obviously a serious problem. "Is it because of some romantic issue?"


    "How did you know?" Li Yifei asked, surprised.


    "I¡¯ve never seen you troubled over anything else," Michelle said, pursing her lips with a hint of pride at her correct guess.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, feeling rather embarrassed. Indeed, as Michelle had observed, even if he encountered the most difficult situations, he never got so entangled, unlike these matters of the heart. It felt nothing like the old days when he would go clubbing and look for no-strings-attached thrill.


    "Go on, tell me. I¡¯ll help you analyze it." Michelle looked at Li Yifei with a smile. Although she knew Li Yifei¡¯s romantic troubles didn¡¯t include her, she was happy that he was sharing such things with her. It meant Li Yifei still considered her a close and trusted friend.


    Li Yifei then said, "I had already established a romantic relationship with Su Yiyi. She would stay at my place every weekend... But we haven¡¯t been intimate yet." Feeling that he needed to provide details for Michelle to help with the analysis, Li Yifei believed it was better to be thorough.


    Michelle was startled and said, "She stays over at your place and you guys haven¡¯t..." She suddenly blushed, for she was a girl who had never experienced such matters and discussing them was obviously embarrassing for her.


    "Yes, initially she would come to help with chores, and since I wasn¡¯t completely sure about making her my girlfriend, I hadn¡¯t been intimate with her. Lately, because of some issues, we didn¡¯t spend the weekends together. If it weren¡¯t for that, something would have definitely happened by now... cough cough, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned this to you, but I need you to help analyze the situation, so don¡¯t mind me," he said.


    Michelle smiled, saying, "I don¡¯t mind. But Brother Li, you¡¯re truly a good man. If it were any other guy, with a girl coming straight to his door, how could they not...?"


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, saying, "The plan was to marry her if we continued like this. That¡¯s what I was thinking. But then I encountered my high school sweetheart, and we got intimate."


    "Ah!" Michelle gasped, covering her mouth.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and continued, "I know I shouldn¡¯t have done that, but she was very good to me back in high school, we were intimate back then, and now that I¡¯ve met her again, she¡¯s still so good to me. But I feel like our lifestyles are too different now, so reigniting the old flame wasn¡¯t successful. However, she took the initiative to change for me¡ªa township chief who changed for me, and that¡¯s not easy at all. She didn¡¯t disdain me for being just a low-level employee, and now that this has happened, I really don¡¯t know how to handle it."


    Having said that, Li Yifei looked at Michelle, hoping she could offer some good advice.

 Chapter 250 - 254 Michelle’s Advice

    Chapter 250: Chapter 254 Michelle¡¯s AdviceAt this moment, Michelle¡¯s heart was even more chaotic than Li Yifei¡¯s. After learning that Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend was a college student, she had always hoped that Li Yifei would develop feelings for her because she was confident she could win his affection. But now, the sudden appearance of Li Yifei¡¯s first love and the many years of emotional foundation they had only made Michelle feel that being with Li Yifei was fraught with difficulties.


    After waiting a while without receiving an answer from Michelle, Li Yifei became somewhat impatient and said, "Michelle, can you at least give me some advice?"


    Only then did Michelle snap back to reality. She cleared her throat to mask her embarrassment and quickly organized her thoughts before saying softly, "This is indeed a tricky situation for you. You have the girl you currently like, and now there¡¯s also your first love; you can¡¯t bear to let go of either. Being with one will hurt the other¡ªit seems like whichever choice you make will be wrong."


    Li Yifei slapped his hand and said, "Exactly, that¡¯s how I feel right now."


    Having received Li Yifei¡¯s response, Michelle¡¯s thoughts became clearer, and she spoke seriously, "I think Brother Li¡¯s first love must be very beautiful, and as the Township Chief, she must also be a very capable person. A woman like that, be it her approach to work or family, is likely quite assertive, always wanting to arrange everything for Brother Li, right?"


    Li Yifei looked at Michelle in surprise and said, "What you¡¯ve said is completely accurate. Do you know her?"


    Michelle pursed her lips and smiled, "I don¡¯t know her, but ever since I got to know Brother Li, you¡¯ve always gone with the flow, without much pursuit of money or power, just wanting to live a very peaceful life. The disagreement with your first love is obviously because of this."


    Li Yifei gave Michelle a thumbs up and said, "Michelle, I¡¯ve really come to see you in a new light."


    Pleased by Li Yifei¡¯s praise, Michelle¡¯s mood lifted further, and she said, "But after all, you have so many years of emotional ties with her, and a momentary difference of opinion can¡¯t completely bury that emotional foundation. So as long as there¡¯s a catalyst, your feelings for each other are bound to reignite."


    Li Yifei smirked. Today¡¯s incident with Ye Yunzhu had indeed played out just as Michelle had described.


    "And Brother Li, you are someone who acts with integrity. Many years of affection may be put aside due to time, but now that your old feelings have rekindled, you can¡¯t just ignore them and fail to take responsibility. And now there¡¯s also a girlfriend you like and who likes you back, naturally making it difficult for you to choose," she added.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "You are right, but you¡¯ve only helped me analyze the conflicts in my heart, without offering a solution."


    Michelle spread her hands and said, "Brother Li, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but with matters of the heart, even if Lord Bao were to come back to life, he couldn¡¯t clarify it. How can I help you make a choice right now? But I do have a suggestion."


    "Spit it out," Li Yifei immediately urged Michelle with wide eyes.


    Michelle chuckled softly and said, "Brother Li, since you don¡¯t know how to choose right now, why not choose not to choose?"


    "What? Are you telling me to lead two women on?" Li Yifei looked at her incredulously, unable to believe this suggestion came from Michelle.


    Michelle blushed and protested, "That¡¯s not what I meant at all. You are not yet married, and dating is a very normal thing. Right now, you can¡¯t possibly judge which one would be suitable as your wife, who can accompany you for a lifetime. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep company with both of them first? When you finally understand who you truly love in your heart, it won¡¯t be too late to make a decision then."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "But... I feel like that¡¯s being unfaithful to the relationship."


    Michelle hurriedly said, "How can that be unfaithful? While doing this, I advise you to be honest with your girlfriend and also clear things up with your first love. If they both love you, they will give you the chance to choose. They¡¯ll use their love to tie down your heart. If they don¡¯t even think twice before leaving you, that shows they don¡¯t truly love you. Everyone has the right to choose their loved one. By being honest with them, you¡¯ve already shown enough sincerity."


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette and gently tapped the table. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Okay, let¡¯s go with that. It seems like the only thing I can do."


    "Brother Li... I have one more piece of advice..." Michelle¡¯s face suddenly turned red.


    Li Yifei looked at her quizzically and said, "What advice? It¡¯s not going to be awkward, is it?"


    Michelle hurriedly said, "No, not at all. I mean, when you are with your current girlfriend... I suggest that you two... not..."


    "Not do that sort of thing, right?" Li Yifei asked with a smirk.


    "Yes..." Michelle¡¯s face grew even redder.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very clear about that. Previously, I thought I would spend my life with Yiyi, so I had no reservations. But with the current situation, I really can¡¯t do that to her anymore. It¡¯s just too unfair to her. Sigh, even now, it¡¯s already unfair, and I¡¯ve already hurt her."


    "You may have hurt her a bit, but I think she would understand. If I were her, I would definitely understand."


    Li Yifei looked at Michelle, then nodded. Both Su Yiyi and Michelle had similar personalities, and Su Yiyi was even more understanding. If Michelle could do it, Su Yiyi certainly could, but Li Yifei still felt this was a difficult matter to bring up with Su Yiyi.


    At that moment, Michelle added, "Well, that¡¯s my opinion. As for what to do, you still need to think it over, Brother Li. If there¡¯s anything you need from me, just ask, and I¡¯ll do my best to help you."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Alright, Michelle, I really do need to thank you for this."


    "Hehe, thank me for what? We¡¯re good friends after all. When Brother Li has something to talk to me about, I am actually quite happy." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re really a good friend, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal when I get the chance."


    Michelle immediately teased with a playful wink, "You said it, you can¡¯t go back on your word."


    "Definitely, but I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s anything going on tonight. When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll call you. By the way, did you come to see me for another reason?"


    "There¡¯s also a bit of office work," Michelle quickly explained the work-related issue, which was actually just a trivial matter that normally would only require a subordinate to communicate. However, this was also Michelle¡¯s excuse to visit Li Yifei, so naturally, she preferred to handle everything personally.


    After finishing talking about work, Michelle took her leave. Although Li Yifei was still somewhat conflicted, he felt much better and managed to get some work done. When it was time to leave the office, he went straight home.


    No sooner had he arrived home than Li Yifei received a text message from Ye Yunzhu, which made his heart beat with guilt even before opening it.


    "Li Yifei, you bastard, after sleeping with me, you don¡¯t even stay to sleep over. Are you thinking of denying everything now that you¡¯ve pulled up your pants?"


    Li Yifei felt somewhat awkward, and after such an incident, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words became even more aggressive. He quickly replied with a message, "President Xu woke up early and asked me to accompany her back to the company, so I left first."


    "Hmm, let me tell you, don¡¯t think that I cannot marry anyone but you, and don¡¯t think that after sleeping with me, I will cling to you. I, Ye Yunzhu, am not that kind of lowly woman. You listen to me, we¡¯ll date properly, and I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t make you willingly come back to me."


    Upon reading Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words, Li Yifei¡¯s heart relaxed instantly. He liked her fiery spirit the most and smiled as he replied, "No problem, but if you disappoint me, don¡¯t blame me for not choosing you."


    "You bastard, you¡¯re really full of yourself. Alright, I, Ye Yunzhu, will swallow this loss for now. Just wait till we¡¯re married, and I¡¯ll see how I won¡¯t have you on your knees typing every day."


    "Deal, as long as we can get married, I¡¯m willing to wash your feet every day."


    "You said it, and if you don¡¯t when the time comes, hmph."


    Li Yifei could picture Ye Yunzhu¡¯s willful yet cute ways, which greatly improved his mood. With Ye Yunzhu saying this, she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to feel burdened by what happened today. She was a proud girl who wouldn¡¯t ask Li Yifei for anything because of this incident. That was just Ye Yunzhu¡¯s personality. Having been apart from Ye Yunzhu for so many years, Li Yifei had somehow overlooked this aspect of her.


    They chatted through texts for a while, and then Ye Yunzhu took the initiative to end the conversation as she had things to do. Soon after, Su Yiyi¡¯s phone call came through.


    Seeing the caller ID, Li Yifei¡¯s mood soured again. He had come to understand that the person he truly felt guilty towards was Su Yiyi, this gentle girl who he had always been very careful to protect, fearing she would get hurt; but now, he had ended up hurting her nonetheless.


    Taking a deep breath, Li Yifei decided not to discuss this matter with her over the phone. He would wait until the weekend when Su Yiyi visited. Then he would have a proper talk with her face-to-face. If Su Yiyi felt sad then, he could comfort her properly. But if he told her now and Su Yiyi took it too hard, something untoward might happen, and Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of her immediately.


    Su Yiyi spoke softly to Li Yifei, caring about the food he ate and the clothes he wore the past few days, and reminded him to be mindful of the things at home ¡ª all these little domestic concerns. It sounded a little bit like nagging, but Li Yifei knew that Su Yiyi was the kind of girl who always put him first. So in her heart, everything concerning him mattered, even the smallest details.


    Li Yifei felt guilty, but he thought there was some truth to Michelle¡¯s advice. If he couldn¡¯t make up his mind just yet, why force a decision? It would be fairer to wait a little longer before deciding, not just for him but for both Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu as well.


    If it had been the case that he decided to be with Su Yiyi and then pursued Ye Yunzhu, he would have been completely in the wrong. But Ye Yunzhu was his first love, and the feelings had developed before Su Yiyi came into the picture. So if there was any fault, it was that Li Yifei should not have been so quick to establish a romance with Su Yiyi after splitting up with Ye Yunzhu; that would have prevented this current predicament.


    After chatting with Su Yiyi for over ten minutes, Li Yifei said, "Yiyi, are you coming over to my place this weekend?"


    Su Yiyi immediately replied, "I¡¯ll come...If Brother Li...I can even come now."


    Li Yifei was moved. This girl truly loved him deeply. Any request he made, she would never argue against. Yet inviting Su Yiyi over now made Li Yifei feel even more uneasy about facing her. He quickly laughed and said, "Let¡¯s not for today. You have to go to school early tomorrow. Let¡¯s wait until the weekend."


    Su Yiyi made a sound of agreement and said, "Then I¡¯ll come over the weekend. If Brother Li doesn¡¯t have anything else, I¡¯ll hang up now."


    "Okay, goodbye then."


    "Goodbye, mwah..."


    Just before hanging up, Su Yiyi dared to give a kiss over the phone to Li Yifei. This shy girl actually managed such a bold move ¡ª she could only do something like this because of her deep love for Li Yifei.

 Chapter 251 - 255: Having Friends

    Chapter 251: Chapter 255: Having FriendsThe calls seemed endless today. No sooner had Su Yiyi hung up than Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang again¡ªit was Lin Qiong. Li Yifei answered casually, only to hear Lin Qiong¡¯s annoyed voice blast through immediately: "Li Yifei, you asshole, I¡¯m starving to death."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, his face suddenly lined with chagrin. Today¡¯s events had totally slipped his mind¡ªhe hadn¡¯t stopped by Lin Qiong¡¯s after work, and she was still at home nursing her injuries, unable to move around much. Without him dropping by, she likely hadn¡¯t eaten all day.


    "I was swamped with work at the company all day and just finished up. I¡¯ll be right over," he said.


    "You asshole, you definitely forgot about me."


    "Heh, how could I forget about you? Just wait for me, I won¡¯t be more than twenty minutes before I get there," he chuckled.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei quickly threw on his clothes and dashed out the door, then picked up some fast food before heading to Lin Qiong¡¯s place.


    Lin Qiong was lying on her bed, wearing a pajama top and a towel blanket over her lower half, turning her head to glare at Li Yifei with a mix of anger and helplessness.


    Li Yifei sat down beside Lin Qiong and swiftly set out the fast food. "Hungry, huh? Eat up."


    Lin Qiong snorted yet said nothing more, grabbing the chopsticks and starting to eat. She had been too preoccupied with bickering with Li Yifei in the morning to eat much, and now the day had passed. How could she not be hungry? If hunger hadn¡¯t overwhelmed her, she wouldn¡¯t have called Li Yifei.


    After wolfing down the fast food Li Yifei brought, Lin Qiong took a sip of water and looked satisfied. "What kind of care is this? Not bringing me lunch is one thing, but dinner too?"


    Li Yifei laughed lightly. "I was just letting you appreciate the importance of food. Look at you¡ªyou tossed that delicious meat bun this morning like it was nothing. I bet after being hungry like this, you won¡¯t waste food again."


    "Go to hell," Lin Qiong said, giving Li Yifei a look. But deep down, she wasn¡¯t really upset. After all, Li Yifei was just a friend¡ªshe had never helped him, yet he always came to her aid, even putting up with her bad temper. That in itself was no small feat.


    "Here, let me change your dressing," Li Yifei suggested, reaching out to lift the towel from Lin Qiong¡¯s buttocks in order to avoid her scolding.


    Lin Qiong quickly pressed her hand down, saying, "Isn¡¯t it okay not to change it? It¡¯s already scabbed over."


    "I still need to check it. Do you plan to lie in bed forever?" he asked.


    "Well... alright," Lin Qiong conceded, burying her face in her hands, the most embarrassed she could be¡ªhaving a man look at her buttocks was bound to make her feel awkward.


    Li Yifei lifted the towel blanket, taken aback to discover that Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath. He chuckled and teased, "And here I was wondering why you weren¡¯t wearing anything¡ªis this your way of deliberately giving me a show?"


    "Drop dead!" Lin Qiong flushed with angry embarrassment, pinching Li Yifei¡¯s thigh fiercely.


    Li Yifei yelped and jumped up, complaining, "Ouch, that really hurts¡ªyou didn¡¯t have to go so hard."


    "That¡¯s what you get for talking nonsense. The wound is just healing, and it hurts like hell to move with clothes on. How am I supposed to wear anything?" she retorted.


    "I was just joking with you; how could I not understand?" Li Yifei said with a grin, sitting back down next to Lin Qiong to inspect the wound. It had indeed scabbed over and shouldn¡¯t pose a problem. Plus, not wearing pants during the day meant the wound was exposed to the air, which was better for healing. After applying some disinfectant, he covered her again with the towel blanket.


    In the midst of these actions, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but sneak glances at Lin Qiong¡¯s more private areas. Not out of malice, but as a man, to not look would mean he wasn¡¯t a man at all.


    After the ointment was applied, an awkward silence fell between them, and nobody spoke for a while.


    "Li Yifei!"


    "Officer Lin!"


    Both seemed eager to break the silence and called out to each other simultaneously.


    "You first!"


    This time, they said in unison, and then burst into laughter, instantly dispelling the awkwardness.


    Li Yifei stopped laughing first, "You go ahead."


    Lin Qiong nodded and began, "I got a tip today. They¡¯re going to have another big shipment arriving in Mile City soon, so we¡¯ll need to act in the next couple of days. Otherwise, once they¡¯ve sold off this batch, it¡¯ll be a while before we can make another move."


    "But with your injury, can you handle it?" Li Yifei frowned slightly.


    "Didn¡¯t you see I didn¡¯t wear pants today, so I would heal faster?"


    "All right then, when do we act, and what do you need me to do?"


    "Here¡¯s the plan¡ªtomorrow night, we meet with a small distributor working for them. He doesn¡¯t have a lot of product, so we¡¯ll take what he has. If he can¡¯t supply enough, he¡¯ll naturally put us in contact with his bosses," Lin Qiong explained.


    "Cool. But if we¡¯re going together, what about our cover?"


    Lin Qiong bit her lip and glared at Li Yifei, irritated. "You¡¯re a Nouveau Riche, and I¡¯m your mistress."


    "Mistress? Why not wife?"


    "Nonsense. Who brings their wife on this kind of business? That would be a lack of face, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    "Oh, you¡¯ve really thought this through," Li Yifei said with a chuckle, his gaze teasing as he looked at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong felt a shiver run down her spine from his look, and she ground her teeth, snapping, "What do you mean by that look?"


    Li Yifei blinked and said, "Since we¡¯re lovers, shouldn¡¯t you act like one? Lovers can be coquettish and whiny. Can you do that?"


    Lin Qiong raised an eyebrow and said, "What¡¯s so hard about that? I¡¯ve already thought about this. I¡¯ll show you right now."


    "No way?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Lin Qiong had even thought of that, which meant her thoughts were really meticulous.


    "Of course." Lin Qiong lifted her neck proudly, then stretched out her arms, her eyes suddenly filled with a flirtatious look as she spoke in a delicate voice, "Honey, pick me up."


    Li Yifei immediately felt goosebumps all over and quickly jumped aside, staring with wide eyes and saying, "Can¡¯t you talk normally? I can¡¯t handle this."


    Lin Qiong immediately straightened her face and said, "What? Did I not do it well? Don¡¯t I look like a lover?"


    Li Yifei briskly ran his hands along his arms twice before replying, "It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t look the part, but rather that you look too much the part. You never act like this with me normally, so this gives me the creeps."


    Lin Qiong frowned and said, "Then you have to get used to it. What wealthy person with a lover doesn¡¯t like a little coquettishness? Plus, you¡¯re pretending to be a nouveau riche, a really foolish guy. You should like this sort of behavior even more."


    "I¡¯m dizzy. I even have to act foolish? This is really challenging."


    "Otherwise, how could they see you as an easy mark, as someone suitable for this kind of trickery if they don¡¯t sense that from you?"


    "You really do have a point there. Then I... I¡¯ll try my best to adapt," said Li Yifei with a bitter face, nervously sitting on the edge of the bed, perched as if ready to run at any moment.


    "Move in a little. Am I that scary?" Lin Qiong was somewhat exasperated.


    "You¡¯re not just scary, you¡¯re terribly scary."


    "Go to hell!" Lin Qiong pinched Li Yifei fiercely, glaring at him.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "That¡¯s better. This is more like you." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You... you really are a masochist," Lin Qiong said, practically speechless.


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll try to adapt," Li Yifei took a deep breath, his face the picture of a man bravely prepared to sacrifice himself.


    Although Lin Qiong had already practiced how to act coy with Li Yifei at home today, she was still very nervous when actually facing him. However, Li Yifei¡¯s deeply troubled expression actually helped Lin Qiong to completely cast aside her nervousness and shyness. Her biggest worry now was that Li Yifei might mess up the act when the time came.


    So when she started acting cutesy, it was remarkably easy for her; moreover, she had to correct Li Yifei¡¯s mistakes over and over again.


    "Hey, when I lie on your legs, can you not be so stiff? Relax, relax... Brother, having a beauty lie on your legs should be enjoyable!"


    "I¡¯m telling you, you bastard, you obviously wanted to take advantage of me the first time we met. Why are you acting like a shy virgin now?"


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Things change. Besides, it¡¯s not just about taking advantage of you; I also have to venture into the tiger¡¯s den. Can I really be relaxed?"


    Thinking about it, Lin Qiong realized that it made sense. The situation was fraught with danger, so it was normal for Li Yifei to be nervous. She softened her tone and said, "Don¡¯t be anxious. I will ensure your safety."


    "That¡¯s... Can you guarantee your own safety?"


    "Of course, I can. I¡¯m not just the Deputy Director anymore; I¡¯m the Director. If real danger presents itself, I can call on people from the station to support us, and at most, I¡¯ll stop investigating covertly," Lin Qiong reassured Li Yifei.


    "Really?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true."


    With that, Li Yifei finally let out a sigh of relief and said, "Since you say so, I feel relieved."


    "Good, you should be relieved. Now let¡¯s try again, Honey..."


    Li Yifei shivered again, but at least he wasn¡¯t stiff, which somewhat satisfied Lin Qiong. She continued, "Relax, yes, that¡¯s better. But as a lover, how can you just sit there motionless?"


    "Do I need to move?" Li Yifei looked down at Lin Qiong, eyes wide.


    "Of course. How can your hands stay so idle at a time like this? I¡¯m your lover, aren¡¯t I? Shouldn¡¯t you touch me?"


    "Touch you too?" Li Yifei almost exclaimed.


    "Nonsense! I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m letting you touch me without any fuss, so what are you afraid of?"


    "I... I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll hold it against me later."


    "I won¡¯t hold anything against you. Go ahead and touch me."


    "Am I really going to touch you?" Li Yifei raised his hand tentatively.


    "Are you even a man?" Lin Qiong was almost beside herself with frustration. She grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, pulled it down forcefully onto her face, and shouted, "Touch me!"


    "Okay!" Li Yifei shivered again, his fingers spread wide and his palm as stiff as a fan.


    "You..." Lin Qiong felt like she was about to crumble, but she took a deep breath and managed not to lose her temper. In a gentler voice, she said, "Go on, touch me. Just like you used to touch your past girlfriends. Don¡¯t think of me as Lin Qiong. Pretend I¡¯m one of your old lovers. Yes, like that... Hey, where are you touching?"

 Chapter 252 - 256 Cultivating Emotions

    Chapter 252: Chapter 256 Cultivating EmotionsLi Yifei¡¯s hand, at that moment, slid down from Lin Qiong¡¯s face, actually reaching inside her neckline and continuing downward. Lin Qiong, frightened, quickly pulled Li Yifei¡¯s hand out, glaring at him furiously.


    Li Yifei shivered with a start and hurriedly said with trepidation, "Sorry, sorry, I was just following your lead and treated you as a woman I had a one-night stand with, so..."


    Lin Qiong, originally furious enough to want to kill Li Yifei, saw his expression and her anger dissipated instantly. She bit her teeth and said, "Right, that¡¯s the feeling I want." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But now... you won¡¯t let me touch you," Li Yifei complained with a pained expression.


    "It¡¯s fine, this time I¡¯ll let you touch," Lin Qiong said, having decided to go for broke. After all, Li Yifei had already seen¡ªand touched¡ªher bottom; being touched on her chest wasn¡¯t as significant. Besides, if they were to keep up such a pretense, Li Yifei¡¯s actions were appropriate for his role.


    "Really, it¡¯s okay?" Li Yifei asked cautiously.


    "Really, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not scared, what are you afraid of?" Lin Qiong glared.


    "You might not be scared, but I am," Li Yifei responded.


    "What are you scared of?" Lin Qiong asked, puzzled.


    "I¡¯m afraid... don¡¯t get mad when I say it," Li Yifei stammered.


    "Stop being like a woman and just spit it out," Lin Qiong said, growing impatient.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯m afraid that after this is all over, you might cling to me and insist I take responsibility, then I¡¯d really be screwed."


    "Me, make you take responsibility?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, then she burst into boisterous laughter, laughing wildly. It took her a while to suppress her laughter before she said, "Can you not be so full of yourself? Let me tell you, I, Lin Qiong, would rather marry a chicken or a dog than hang on to a fickle radish like you."


    "Then I¡¯m relieved. Let¡¯s do this," Li Yifei instantly broke into a sly grin, appearing relaxed.


    This somehow annoyed Lin Qiong, the mere idea that the guy was afraid of her clinging to him. After all, she was a police officer, even a station head, and this kid was just an employee. Surely, she was worthy of him. She found it difficult to accept Li Yifei¡¯s reasoning.


    At that moment, however, she wasn¡¯t going to squabble with Li Yifei over such issues, and afraid that he might lose that mood again, she quickly said, "Then what are you afraid of? Don¡¯t make me think of you as a wimp."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll soon show you I¡¯m all man," Li Yifei said, feigning a grab with his hands, his face breaking into a lecherous smirk.


    This made Lin Qiong¡¯s skin crawl a bit. She quickly put up her hands to block him and said urgently, "Now listen here, you just need to pretend, don¡¯t get too real."


    "I¡¯m dizzy, so do you want me to touch or not?"


    "This... I wanted you to cultivate that kind of emotion, not to actually touch."


    "So if we encounter that situation tomorrow, should I touch or not?"


    "Tomorrow..." Lin Qiong bit her lip hard and said, "Then touch, I definitely won¡¯t blame you. Then you can treat me as your lover."


    "Alright, since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll certainly not hold back when the time comes," Li Yifei said boldly.


    Lin Qiong snorted. Why did she feel like she was throwing herself into the jaws of the tiger? But for the case¡¯s sake, she was all in. Of course, the main thing was that although she always said bad things about Li Yifei, deep down she considered him a close friend. So if Li Yifei took advantage of her, she could somewhat accept it. If it were someone else, whether she could accept it was indeed a problem.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mood had much improved by now, teasing Lin Qiong and completely relaxing. Suddenly, he saw things more clearly. Love was all about fate, whether with Ye Yunzhu or Su Yiyi, who he would end up with depended on the future. His current struggle was pointless, better to stop worrying and interact openly with both. Eventually, either they would choose him, or he would choose one of them. Wouldn¡¯t that be okay?


    He and Ye Yunzhu might share the feelings of first love, but whether they could be together would depend on future interactions, or more precisely, whether Ye Yunzhu could fit into his current life. As for Su Yiyi, they hadn¡¯t spent much time together, and she was still young, not completely considering everything. She might have different thoughts later on. He kept thinking about choosing between them, but who knew if they would end up with him.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about? Smiling so... sleazily." Lin Qiong had twisted off Li Yifei¡¯s lap by now and was lying on the bed. She turned her head and caught sight of the smile on his face, prompting her to ask.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I¡¯m thinking that tomorrow I can take advantage of you freely, that¡¯s why I¡¯m excited."


    Lin Qiong had cooled down by now and was no longer playing into Li Yifei¡¯s hands. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "Enough, stop pretending to be a hooligan in front of me. I¡¯ve realized something¡ªyou might be a bit of a pervert, but you¡¯ve got taste. You¡¯re not the kind that preys on young girls."


    Li Yifei immediately said proudly, "Exactly, you do have good insight."


    "Otherwise, do you think I would have dared to ask for your help?"


    "This has got to be the most thankless help I¡¯ve ever given."


    "What loss? Aren¡¯t I letting you touch freely tomorrow? What else do you want?"


    "There¡¯s nothing much to touch, and after touching, you can¡¯t do anything else."


    "What else do you want to do?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I don¡¯t want to do anything else, but let¡¯s hurry up and get this done, otherwise, your mom and dad might come running and pressure us into getting married or something. Then I¡¯d really be in trouble."


    "Humph, maybe one day I¡¯ll really put the pressure on you."


    "No way?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "Keep dreaming, I was just teasing you." Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s terrified expression, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily.


    After they joked and laughed, Lin Qiong went over the plans for the next day with Li Yifei once again.


    "Hold on, there¡¯s another important issue. You¡¯re the star of the police force right now; if you were to take action, wouldn¡¯t you be easily recognized?"


    Lin Qiong immediately replied with pride, "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. The best thing I learned at the police academy is makeup. With makeup on, I guarantee even you won¡¯t be able to recognize me."


    "That¡¯s pretty impressive. I¡¯ll need to put on some makeup too; I don¡¯t want them showing up on my doorstep later on."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve thought about that. Come to my place tomorrow afternoon, help me buy some stuff, and then I can turn you into someone else."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "They are powerful; it¡¯s relatively easy for them to investigate someone. If they find out my identity doesn¡¯t match what I told them, wouldn¡¯t that give us away?"


    "I¡¯ve considered that too. The identity I¡¯m giving you is actually of a guy my classmate from the police academy just arrested. He¡¯s not from Mile City, so there¡¯s no need to worry about them checking your identity."


    "But what if they use someone from inside the police station to check?"


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Do you think this is some kind of movie? I¡¯m sure there are quite a few people involved with the smuggling group, but they can only act as their shield. The number of people deeply involved won¡¯t be many, so there¡¯s no way they could exploit our internal systems to investigate or anything."


    "Then I¡¯m relieved."


    Lin Qiong patted Li Yifei¡¯s leg and said, "Don¡¯t worry, no matter what, I¡¯ll ensure your safety."


    Looking at Lin Qiong¡¯s determined gaze, Li Yifei smirked inwardly. Although Lin Qiong was trying to reassure him, whether she could really ensure even her own safety was questionable.


    The next day, Li Yifei again brought Lin Qiong breakfast in the morning before spending half the day busy at the company. He didn¡¯t run into Xu Yingying, and he wondered if the scare he gave her yesterday had deterred her from looking for him. However, when he encountered He Fangqing, she complained that Li Yifei didn¡¯t drive her home the previous day, leaving her disoriented when she awoke in the middle of the night.


    After noon, he took the afternoon off to go to Lin Qiong¡¯s place. By that time, she had already dressed, and while her wound had fully scabbed over and wasn¡¯t a big deal under normal circumstances, she still found walking uncomfortable.


    Yet for the sake of the case, she grimaced and persevered. The only problem was her walk looked awkward.


    "I have a way that can let you walk without being affected."


    "What is it?" Lin Qiong immediately grasped Li Yifei¡¯s arm with excitement.


    Li Yifei took out a band-aid and said with a smile, "Just put this on, and it won¡¯t rub when you walk."


    "Then hurry up and stick it on me." Lin Qiong immediately lay on the bed. Without Li Yifei needing to tell her, she pulled down her pants and revealed her white buttocks.


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat. Lin Qiong undressing in front of him was just too casual, with no regard for the boundaries between men and women.


    He quickly grabbed the band-aid and applied it over Lin Qiong¡¯s wound. Lin Qiong pulled her pants back up and found walking was indeed much more comfortable. She took a few steps joyfully and gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up, saying, "You¡¯ve got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, huh?"


    "That¡¯s right," Li Yifei said proudly.


    However, Lin Qiong¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and she gripped Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying fiercely, "You, you had such a good solution all along. Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? Were you just trying to take advantage of me?"


    Li Yifei quickly pleaded his innocence, "I¡¯m wronged! If I had put this on, it wouldn¡¯t heal, especially in the summer heat. It would have stayed covered and taken forever to heal. I didn¡¯t give it to you so you could heal this fast."


    "Really?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true. Otherwise, try cutting yourself and compare the healing with and without a band-aid to see which heals faster."


    "Forget it, I won¡¯t try that. Fine, I¡¯ll choose to believe you for now."

 Chapter 253 - 257: Disguised

    Chapter 253: Chapter 257: DisguisedAt four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong had already appeared in a teahouse. At this time, Li Yifei¡¯s face was fatter than usual, with a beard on his mouth, looking like a man in his thirties. He wore a gaudy casual shirt and a pair of large shorts, a thick gold necklace around his neck, and a diamond-encrusted watch on his wrist, the true image of a Nouveau Riche.


    Lin Qiong was dressed in a small camisole with spaghetti straps and a dizzying miniskirt that exposed her arms and thighs. With heavy makeup and dripping with jewelry, she was the epitome of a typically kept woman.


    Opposite them was a skinny man in his thirties, his gaze greedily wandering over Lin Qiong¡¯s body, occasionally swallowing his saliva. This guy was named Ma Yiwei, and he was the person Li Yifei and his company were there to meet.


    "Brother Li, your chick is really pretty," Ma Yiwei said, swallowing another mouthful of saliva, his voice laced with envy.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, his hand unabashedly stroking Lin Qiong¡¯s leg. "Isn¡¯t that the joy of being rich? If I didn¡¯t find myself a pretty babe, it would just be letting myself down."


    Lin Qiong cooed and leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, her voice dripping with sweetness, "You¡¯re so bad, and there¡¯s someone else here." By this point, Lin Qiong had mentally prepared herself, knowing that Ma Yiwei was extremely lecherous and had been with numerous women, so she dared not slack off, playing the role of a lover to the hilt.


    Ma Yiwei, eager to please, added, "Hehe, Brother Li, that¡¯s well said. Once I make big money, I¡¯ll definitely get a chick as pretty as your sister."


    Li Yifei waved his hand grandly, saying, "No worries. As long as you help me with this, once I¡¯ve made my money, you¡¯ll definitely get your share."


    Ma Yiwei¡¯s face showed difficulty as he spoke, "Brother Li, to be honest, there¡¯s a lot of people wanting to get into this business now. Everyone knows the smuggling profits are high, and I¡¯ve had many asking me to show them the ropes. The higher-ups have even put out requirements; we¡¯re not accepting any small, unreliable clients anymore."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes flared, "What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?"


    "I¡¯m not looking down on you, Brother Li. But nowadays, the minimum buy-in is half a million per deal, and we only take care of things within Mile City. If it goes beyond Mile City, we won¡¯t be responsible anymore, and the risks aren¡¯t small. You¡¯ve got to think this through, Brother Li."


    "In this day and age, can you make big bucks without taking risks? Besides, I¡¯ve got connections galore. I¡¯ve even got someone at the customs, so there definitely won¡¯t be a problem. The only issue right now is finding a source for the goods, otherwise, why would I bother coming to Mile City?"


    Ma Yiwei still looked troubled as he replied, "Oh, then I¡¯ll mention this to the higher-ups later, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything. Today, let¡¯s just have fun."


    Li Yifei frowned, seemingly unable to grasp Ma Yiwei¡¯s point, while Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a flirtatious glare. "Honey, don¡¯t rush. Since Brother Ma has said he¡¯ll help, he surely will. Let¡¯s take good care of Brother Ma today. How about we go sing some songs later, okay?"


    Ma Yiwei¡¯s eyes lit up, feeling that Li Yifei¡¯s lover was quite obliging. He chuckled, "That would be making Brother Li spend too much."


    Li Yifei immediately waved his hand grandly, "Spend what? I love making friends, and as long as we make this deal, millions and millions to be made later are just a matter of effort. What¡¯s this little expense? Let¡¯s go! Why are we still drinking tea here, it¡¯s already getting dull. Let¡¯s head to the karaoke bar and drink to our heart¡¯s content."


    The three of them settled the bill right away and then arrived at a luxurious karaoke parlor. They booked a lavish private room, ordered some alcohol and fruits, and then a line of hostesses was brought in by the waitstaff. Ma Yiwei didn¡¯t hold back and immediately picked two. Then, grinning at Li Yifei, he asked, "Brother Li, don¡¯t you want another one too?"


    Lin Qiong pouted, gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arm and swaying, her body twisting seductively, "That won¡¯t do. It¡¯s not easy for me to come out with you, and you¡¯re still looking for others?"


    Li Yifei truly admired Lin Qiong¡¯s acting skills; it was almost too convincing, spare no sacrifice for her art. Not only was she clinging to his arm, but her breasts were also rubbing up against it, igniting a burning desire within him.


    Displaying a look of enjoyment on his face, Li Yifei placed his other hand on Lin Qiong¡¯s leg. He chuckled, "Alright, alright. I¡¯ll devote myself to you today, not looking for anyone else. Is that good enough for you? But... tonight you¡¯d better serve me well, you¡¯ll have to be enough for two." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Tonight, you can do whatever you want with me," Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei another coquettish look, leaning in to kiss him voluntarily.


    Li Yifei turned, surprised by Lin Qiong¡¯s actions; there was no need for her to play it up so much with a kiss, was there?


    Lin Qiong hurriedly sent a covert glance to Li Yifei, worried he might blow their cover at this moment. She wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, whispering in his ear, "Don¡¯t forget our roles."


    They looked just like Lin Qiong was whispering some intimate secret to Li Yifei, while Ma Yiwei laughed, "Brother Li, with a stunner like your sister here, one¡¯s plenty for me."


    Li Yifei let out a hearty laugh, "This lady sure is clingy, but she¡¯s good at taking care of people, keeps me comfortable."


    Ma Yiwei continued to flatter, "Exactly, exactly. You can tell at a glance."


    Lin Qiong cursed inwardly, where could he see that she was good at taking care of someone? But on the surface, she continued writhing in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, playing the spoiled girl.


    After a few drinks and a couple of songs, Ma Yiwei was already getting handsy with two of the hostesses, which made Lin Qiong¡¯s brows furrow in disapproval. Witnessing such a real-life show, she realized she had held herself back quite a bit. Although she appeared cozy with Li Yifei, their actions were not as bold as Ma¡¯s; one of his hands was pinching inside the collar of the hostess on his left, while his other hand had found its way up the skirt of the other lady.


    Li Yifei, faced with such a scene, had a strong reaction too. Watching this real-life version of a little film while hugging a dolled-up beauty like Lin Qiong, it would be strange if he had no reaction.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong was sitting on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, partly to show intimacy and partly to avoid straining her buttocks, so she wouldn¡¯t aggravate her injury. Plus, having sat on Li Yifei¡¯s lap once before made the situation less awkward. But when she noticed Li Yifei¡¯s response, she found it hard to bear. Although she didn¡¯t move away from him, her hand pinched him on the lower back.


    She leaned close to Li Yifei¡¯s ear and whispered, "You jerk, behave yourself."


    Li Yifei kissed Lin Qiong on the face before whispering back into her ear, "Big sis, how can I behave? If I keep this up, I¡¯ll die of restraint."


    Physically, she enjoyed the contact, but emotionally, she was still very resistant. She whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear again, "Can¡¯t you hold back a bit?"


    "I¡¯ve held back enough already. If I don¡¯t keep it in check, I might just take advantage of you."


    At this time, Ma Yiwei looked at Li Yifei and laughed, saying, "Brother Li, to be able to hold yourself back with such a hot wife¡ªI¡¯m impressed."


    Li Yifei grabbed his glass and downed a huge gulp, replying, "If it weren¡¯t for keeping company with you, bro, I would have taken her away to cool off long ago."


    Ma Yiwei winked and said, "Why change locations? Let¡¯s do it right here together. It¡¯ll be so much fun."


    Lin Qiong was startled and quickly twisted Li Yifei covertly, while Li Yifei immediately shook his head at Ma Yiwei, saying, "Brother Ma, I¡¯m not one to perform in public. Besides, I¡¯m possessive. I don¡¯t want other men ogling my woman. Business is business, earning money to spend together is fine, but when it comes to women, let¡¯s stick to our own."


    Ma Yiwei laughed heartily and said, "You¡¯re right, I misspoke. Don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Then I¡¯ll excuse myself for now. Waiter, two rooms please."


    The waiter arranged for two rooms, and Li Yifei took Lin Qiong to one, while Ma Yiwei went with the two hostesses to the other. After closing the door, Li Yifei let go of Lin Qiong, but she almost fell over, her legs going weak.


    Li Yifei quickly caught her again and asked knowingly, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t admit that her knees had gone weak from the close contact with Li Yifei; she pushed him away and rushed into the bathroom.


    After splashing water on her face, Lin Qiong managed to calm her body¡¯s chaotic response somewhat. But just then, the door opened and in came Li Yifei. She glared at him, demanding, "What are you doing in here?"


    Li Yifei gestured with his hand and lowered his voice to say, "There are hidden cameras in this room."


    "What?" Lin Qiong frowned and began looking around the bathroom meticulously, asking, "What about here?"


    Li Yifei surveyed the room quickly and said, "Not here."


    "So, what do we do now?"


    "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just not sure if this karaoke place is part of that group¡¯s territory."


    Lin Qiong, brow furrowed, said, "Ma Yiwei was the one who suggested this karaoke place, so it very likely could be their setup."


    Li Yifei added, "That means they¡¯re secretly investigating us, checking to see if we¡¯re really into smuggling. We¡¯ll have to be more careful with what we say now."


    "But..." Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei, her mouth opening but unable to find the words to continue.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "It¡¯s tricky now. There are cameras outside. One false move and we¡¯re exposed. Maybe we should just drop this approach."


    Suddenly, Lin Qiong grabbed Li Yifei, her glare sharp and teeth clenched, making his entire body break out in goosebumps¡ªas if he were a little lamb caught by a starving wolf.

 Chapter 254 - 259: A Good Man

    Chapter 254: Chapter 259: A Good Man"No way!" Lin Qiong squeezed those two words through her clenched teeth, her fingernails digging into the muscles of Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei inhaled sharply and stuttered, "No matter whether it¡¯s okay or not, sis, could you lighten up a bit?"


    It was as if Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t heard Li Yifei at all, and she continued to pinch his arm forcefully, muttering to herself, "Absolutely not, I finally have a chance to catch a big fish, I can¡¯t give up like this."


    "Sis, what exactly do you want to do?" It took a great deal of effort for Li Yifei to pull Lin Qiong¡¯s hand away.


    Lin Qiong suddenly turned to face Li Yifei, took a deep breath, and placed her hands on his shoulders, saying, "Let¡¯s go for it, I¡¯m all in, you get the first-time bargain."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief and after a long pause, he said, "Are you mistaken, this is just for solving the case, if it doesn¡¯t work this time, we still have other opportunities. Do you have to go this far?"


    Lin Qiong nodded firmly and said, "As an undercover agent, for the sake of the case, I have to go all out. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t give such a bargain to those bastards, but to you, I can accept it. Come on." And with that, she leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    "Wait a second!" Li Yifei quickly extended his hand to block Lin Qiong, but his hand ended up on her chest, right on the softest spot. He quickly retracted his hand and said awkwardly, "I didn¡¯t do that on purpose, but I must say, even if we are acting, we don¡¯t need to go that far. Later, when we get to the bed, we can just pull up the covers, and then use the surroundings to block the camera, letting them only see parts of our bodies. That should be enough to cover it up."


    "That will work? Are you sure?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes lit up all of a sudden. As a girl, of course, she still wanted to keep her most precious thing.


    "I¡¯ve been a soldier, and even a scout, so this shouldn¡¯t be a problem. We could even directly cover their cameras without a problem, but I¡¯m worried that might raise their suspicions instead."


    Lin Qiong immediately said excitedly, "Of course, we can¡¯t cover it all, just blocking part of their view is enough."


    "Alright, then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll go out and take care of it first, and then you can follow."


    After getting dressed, the two returned to the bedroom. Li Yifei pulled down the bath towel from the TV, turned on the TV, and the two snuggled up on the bed, discussing their next steps while watching.


    After what happened earlier, Lin Qiong and Li Yifei were much more comfortable getting cozy, so they weren¡¯t afraid of being watched through surveillance. They even deliberately talked about smuggling and how they imagined getting rich once they got back.


    About half an hour later, Ma Yiwei came knocking on their room, and with a giggly look, he said, "Brother Li, you must¡¯ve had a blast just now?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "It was okay, but you, you played with two at once, are you sure you¡¯re up for it?"


    "No problem."


    After chit-chatting for a little while, Ma Yiwei said, "Brother Li, it¡¯s getting late, I¡¯m going to head back now."


    Li Yifei immediately grabbed Ma Yiwei, anxiously saying, "Brother Ma, what¡¯s the situation?"


    Ma Yiwei chuckled and said, "I will definitely try my best to help, but you have to give me some time to make contacts."


    Li Yifei pulled out a stack of money and handed it to Ma Yiwei, saying, "Brother, I¡¯m counting on you for this. When I make the big bucks later, I definitely won¡¯t forget your help."


    Ma Yiwei unceremoniously pocketed the money and then thumped his chest, saying, "With your generosity, Brother Li, I will make sure to get this done for you."


    After Ma Yiwei left, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong settled their bill and left, first taking a taxi to a restaurant. They had only been to the teahouse before and then the karaoke, not having had a proper meal, and they also wanted to see if someone was following them.


    It was indeed necessary for them to do so, as somebody did follow them. Li Yifei, being a skilled practitioner, easily spotted it, and Lin Qiong, being a capable police officer, noticed as well.


    The two acted just like they had when they were with Ma Yiwei, putting on a performance. After eating, they went to a hotel and rented a room. Only then did the person shadowing them leave.


    "Are there any... here?" Lin Qiong asked carefully.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "This is a reputable hotel; they don¡¯t have those kinds of devices here, so we don¡¯t have to keep up the act."


    Letting out a sigh of relief, Lin Qiong flopped down onto the bed, but quickly grimaced, rolled over, and lay face down, exhaustedly saying, "I¡¯m so tired."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and mused, "Tired it is, but I¡¯m worried now."


    "Worried about what?" Lin Qiong turned her head to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled wryly and said, "This last round cost over ten thousand. The money runs through my fingers like water; can you reimburse these expenses later on?"


    Lin Qiong actually also felt uncertain in her heart, but she replied, "As long as we solve the case, the bureau will reimburse me for however much I report. You don¡¯t need to worry about it."


    "Well, that¡¯s a relief. I was really afraid that this money would go to waste, and you¡¯d be in a pickle if you couldn¡¯t account for it when you got back," Li Yifei said. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong felt genuinely comforted upon hearing this and chuckled, "Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯m not that foolish."


    "Heh heh..." Li Yifei suddenly winked at Lin Qiong and said, "Why don¡¯t you report a bit more then? That way I can make a little extra too."


    Lin Qiong found Li Yifei¡¯s antics both amusing and exasperating but nevertheless said, "Alright, if we really crack this big case, then you¡¯re the main hero. I¡¯ll definitely apply for a reward for you, at the very least a bonus of tens of thousands shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    "Not bad at all, my efforts won¡¯t be wasted after all," Li Yifei immediately said with a proud smile.


    "By the way, do you think that person who was trailing us has left?" Lin Qiong suddenly asked.


    "How would I know what you¡¯re up to?"


    "I need to get home."


    "Why go home? The room costs four hundred and eighty per night, and you can¡¯t get a refund if you go home now. You might as well stay here."


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment, then eyed Li Yifei warily and said, "You¡¯re not harboring any ideas, are you?"


    "Come on, sis, can¡¯t you think of me as anything but bad? I had a perfect opportunity just now, if I¡¯d really wanted to do anything to you, could you have stopped me?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face flushed red, and she huffed, "Then let¡¯s just sleep here, I¡¯m going to take a shower first."


    After Lin Qiong took a shower, she came out wearing only a towel. Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he said, "You don¡¯t need to act out any scenes now, why aren¡¯t you dressed?"


    Lin Qiong sat down at the edge of the bed and said, "You¡¯ve seen both what you should and shouldn¡¯t see, what¡¯s there to guard against you for? I¡¯ve been wearing these clothes all day, it would be uncomfortable to keep them on."


    "Alright then, you¡¯re really quite generous," Li Yifei muttered to himself. He also took a shower but, while showering, found Lin Qiong¡¯s washed underwear and realized that Lin Qiong must have been completely bare under that towel.


    "Tonight seems rather difficult," Li Yifei mumbled to himself. Sleeping in the same bed with Lin Qiong like this, it¡¯s strange if one doesn¡¯t feel uncomfortable.


    After the shower, Li Yifei came out in his underwear, too lazy even to wrap a towel around himself. Lin Qiong was already lying on the bed covered with a quilt. The air conditioning was set low, so it wouldn¡¯t be too hot even with the quilt.


    Li Yifei got into bed with no hesitation, and although there were two quilts on the bed, Lin Qiong was using one and he used the other. This way, at least he wouldn¡¯t have to face Lin Qiong¡¯s body.


    Even though they were quite familiar with each other, sharing a bed was a first, and it made Lin Qiong feel somewhat uneasy. She hadn¡¯t spoken since Li Yifei got into bed.


    Li Yifei, however, spoke with a smile, "If there¡¯s nothing going on tomorrow, I¡¯d still like to go to work."


    "Tomorrow we¡¯ll call Ma Yiwei first, see what he says. If there¡¯s no news from him, we can say we¡¯re going out for fun and then play disappearing. But the moment you get a call, you must meet up with me," Lin Qiong directed.


    "No problem, let¡¯s sleep then. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done something this thrilling," Li Yifei said, yawning.


    Lin Qiong now felt less uneasy and turned to look at Li Yifei, saying, "I must say, I didn¡¯t expect it, but you¡¯re really capable. You spotted the cameras in an instant and even thought up such a method."


    Li Yifei smiled proudly and responded, "I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve; you just never noticed them before."


    "You sure have a thick face," Lin Qiong responded disdainfully with a roll of her eyes, though deep down she actually admired Li Yifei. If it hadn¡¯t been for Li Yifei this time, they would have been found out right from the start.


    Li Yifei yawned and declared, "Alright, time to sleep."


    "Yeah, time to sleep."


    With the television and lights off, the room plunged into darkness. Although Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes were closed, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep right away. Today¡¯s events had taken her by surprise; she hadn¡¯t expected the smuggling group to be so cautious, which probably explained why they had evaded capture for so many years.


    The future looked to be filled with difficulties, but the thought of her and Li Yifei on the bed earlier made her cheeks flush. She was prepared to be taken advantage of by Li Yifei, but she had never imagined actually getting into bed. Fortunately, it was all pretend, or else her virginity might have gotten lost to Li Yifei in a bewildered state.


    Turning to glance at Li Yifei, she noticed that he was sound asleep, snoring away. A subtle sense of discontent flitted through her heart¡ªafter what had happened, he didn¡¯t offer even a word of comfort before sleeping as if nothing had occurred.


    But then she thought differently, acknowledging that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t all that bad. Put another man in the same situation, he probably would¡¯ve taken the charade for real, and here they were, sharing a bed, yet Li Yifei could still sleep. That wasn¡¯t something an ordinary man could do.


    Bathed in the faint moonlight, Lin Qiong gazed at Li Yifei¡¯s profile, her face revealing a tender smile. Lying beside this man gave her a sense of security. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 255 - 260 Competition and Cooperation

    Chapter 255: Chapter 260 Competition and CooperationLin Qiong had a habit of getting up at night almost every day, and tonight, having drunk quite a bit, she woke up in the middle of the night, all groggy, to relieve herself. After she was done and returned to bed, she directly lifted the covers and crawled in, yawning. Just as she was about to continue sleeping, something felt off. It seemed like there was someone next to her.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night?" Before Lin Qiong could react, Li Yifei had already spoken up.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t functioning too clearly, but she recognized Li Yifei¡¯s voice. Instinctively, she always spoke to Li Yifei in a fierce tone, and she snapped, "So what if I get into your bed?"


    Li Yifei found Lin Qiong¡¯s response both amusing and frustrating, saying, "Big sister, it¡¯s the dead of night, and you¡¯re lying here bare-bottomed. Are you trying to make me make a mistake?"


    "You¡¯d need the guts first, hmph, as if your bed is that great. I don¡¯t even want to stay in it." Saying this, Lin Qiong quickly flung off the covers, scrambled over Li Yifei, and hastily dove into another quilt.


    "I¡¯m telling you, I need to sleep well, and you¡¯re not allowed to come over here."


    Lin Qiong felt both shame and embarrassment, huffing a sound but not daring to continue the conversation with Li Yifei. Running into Li Yifei¡¯s bed in the middle of the night, and in the nude no less, was truly mortifying. After a good while, she nudged Li Yifei and whispered, "Hey... I got confused in my sleep just now; don¡¯t think I was trying to seduce you."


    Li Yifei replied impatiently, "I know, I know what you¡¯re usually like around me; I wouldn¡¯t daydream like that."


    Lin Qiong heaved a sigh of relief, and her mood lightened. She poked Li Yifei again and said, "At least you know what¡¯s what."


    The next morning when Li Yifei got up, Lin Qiong was still sound asleep. However, the quilt on her body had been kicked off, revealing most of her bust and a large stretch of thigh, a pale expanse. Early in the morning, when a man¡¯s desires were at their peak, the sight made it quite difficult for Li Yifei to look away.


    Perhaps sensing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Lin Qiong¡¯s eyelids suddenly fluttered. Li Yifei immediately averted his eyes, just as Lin Qiong also opened hers. She quickly discovered her exposed state, hurriedly pulled up the quilt to cover her body, and turned to look at Li Yifei, saying fiercely, "Hey, did you see everything?"


    "I¡¯ve seen it all before; it¡¯s no big deal," he replied.


    Li Yifei¡¯s answer nearly twisted Lin Qiong¡¯s nose with rage, but since he hadn¡¯t actually done anything to her, she couldn¡¯t very well do anything to him, and she sulkily pouted, stewing in irritation by herself.


    "Alright, it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen it, so there¡¯s no need to be so sensitive about it. Let¡¯s get up early and tidy up; I¡¯ll call Ma Yiwei in a bit."


    When the topic turned to serious matters, Lin Qiong could no longer afford to be petulant. She quickly got up, grabbed a bath towel to wrap around herself, and briskly entered the bathroom.


    After getting ready, Lin Qiong applied makeup on both herself and Li Yifei, and then they went downstairs for breakfast. Afterwards, Li Yifei called Ma Yiwei to check when there would be results. Ma Yiwei didn¡¯t promise anything immediately but asked Li Yifei to wait another couple of days. Li Yifei informed him that he and Lin Qiong were going out to have fun and that Ma Yiwei should call him immediately once there were any updates. Ma Yiwei agreed promptly.


    The two of them wandered around Mile City for half the day, putting on a show. Then they took off their makeup and went back to their respective homes.


    Li Yifei headed straight for the company. Xu Yingying called him over as soon as he arrived. As soon as he entered, she frowned and said, "Where did you run off to today? I called you several times, and your phone was turned off."


    Li Yifei surveyed Xu Yingying, who had quickly returned to normal after being scared off that day. He moved closer to her with a smile, resting his hand on the back of Xu Yingying¡¯s executive chair, and said with a grin, "What¡¯s the matter? Miss me?"


    Xu Yingying, unafraid of Li Yifei¡¯s roguish demeanor, turned to meet his gaze and said, "Yes, I missed you."


    "Not lonely again, wanting me to help you like last time?"


    Xu Yingying narrowed her eyes slightly, nodded, and replied, "Yes, I quite liked that feeling. Come stay at my place tonight, I want to try it again."


    "Really?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Yes, I¡¯m a normal woman too. Besides, I¡¯ve decided to be with you, and we¡¯d have to do it sooner or later anyway, so why would I be so conservative?"


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll come over tonight," Li Yifei agreed readily.


    "Mm, we¡¯ll leave together tonight. For now, let¡¯s talk about some business matters of the company."


    The reaction from Xu Yingying left Li Yifei baffled. He thought he had grasped Xu Yingying¡¯s intentions ¨C her claim of wanting to be with him was for the sake of her sister, Xu Shanshan. However, given her readiness to agree now, Li Yifei wondered.


    "Alright, my behavior is also rather unusual, so she must think I¡¯m pretending. That¡¯s why she is so certain. Let¡¯s see who can outsmart whom. I don¡¯t believe you can stay composed when I come to your house."


    Determined, Li Yifei then said with a smile, "As for work, you¡¯re the president. You just arrange it as you see fit."


    Indeed, Xu Yingying started discussing company matters with Li Yifei earnestly, and he engaged seriously in the discussion. Soon, half an hour had passed, and Li Yifei¡¯s phone began to ring.


    The call was from Ye Yunzhu, and Li Yifei looked up at Xu Yingying before answering with a smile, "It¡¯s Yunzhu calling."


    "Then you should answer it," Xu Yingying said calmly, waving a dismissive hand.


    Li Yifei answered Ye Yunzhu¡¯s call sitting across from Xu Yingying.


    "Are you busy tonight? If not, let¡¯s have dinner together," Ye Yunzhu spoke directly.


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying again and said, "President Xu has invited me to have dinner at her place tonight."


    "Why would you have dinner there? If you¡¯re dining with your little girlfriend, I won¡¯t stop you, but going there is out of the question. You have to accompany me."


    "But President Xu is sitting right across from me. If I flat-out reject her, won¡¯t she make my life difficult afterward?"


    "Then hand your phone to President Xu. I¡¯ll talk to her."


    Li Yifei passed the phone to Xu Yingying, saying, "Yunzhu wants to talk to you."


    Xu Yingying took the phone and chuckled, "Yunzhu, are you asking Yifei out for dinner?"


    "Yes, catching up as old classmates. You wouldn¡¯t deny some time off, right?"


    "How could I deny that? After work hours aren¡¯t under my control, but under the control of his little girlfriend."


    "Heh, that doesn¡¯t quite sound like your style, President Xu. You¡¯ve said you like this guy, then you should try to grab him for yourself."


    "I do want to, but this guy is pretty good to his little girlfriend, and I don¡¯t have a plan for the moment."


    "Ha ha, if you don¡¯t make a move, then I will. I don¡¯t have as many concerns as you do."


    "Yunzhu, really? You¡¯re not joking with me, are you?"


    "Giggle, I¡¯m serious. I won¡¯t hide it from you; back in high school, Yifei and I had a thing. We split up later due to some issues. I¡¯ve been single all these years because of him. I¡¯d been holding back watching you with him, but yesterday... we... so I still feel I can¡¯t let him go, Yingying. In public, in my role as Township Chief, I can give you the greatest concessions in our cooperation, but in private, as a woman, I need to fight for my own happiness."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched, and her gaze towards Li Yifei was thick with murderous intent. After taking a deep breath, she said, "I was wondering why you looked at Yifei differently, so there was such a story." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I thought we were a thing of the past, so when I saw you with him, I didn¡¯t harbor that kind of thought anymore. But I can¡¯t accept that his girlfriend is just a college student, so I have to fight for him. Hehe, Yingying, if you have any ideas, I won¡¯t be mad. We cooperate in work and compete in love, which is quite an interesting thing."


    Xu Yingying lifted her head and said, "Okay, it¡¯s hard to find you in such high spirits, Yunzhu. Of course, I won¡¯t disappoint you."


    "Giggle... good. Now, here comes the tricky question. Who will this guy spend this evening with?"


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "That¡¯s easy to handle. I¡¯ll put the phone on speaker and let this guy sort it out himself. Hey, you stand right there, you bastard, don¡¯t you run! Yunzhu, he¡¯s running away."


    One Xu Yingying was already enough to give him a headache, let alone adding Ye Yunzhu to the mix. Li Yifei didn¡¯t wait for them to toss this hot potato his way; he had already made a dash for it.


    Rekindling old flames with Ye Yunzhu was now inevitable, but Li Yifei wanted to avoid turning the situation into a ticking time bomb.


    With a quarter of an hour until the end of the workday, Li Yifei slipped out of the company to avoid being caught by Xu Yingying again. But just as he reached the company¡¯s entrance, he saw Xu Yingying standing at the doorway, which scared him into turning around to flee. However, Xu Yingying had already spotted him and called out loudly, "Brother-in-law!"


    Li Yifei paused, turned around with a beaming smile, and approached, saying, "Shanshan, what brings you here?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯m treating you to dinner today," she chirped.


    "You¡¯re treating me to dinner? Any particular reason?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, took hold of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and gave it a gentle shake, saying, "I¡¯ve officially started working; shouldn¡¯t I be thanking you for the job you helped me find?"


    At this time, other than a few security guards on the first floor, there were no other people around, and they didn¡¯t recognize Xu Shanshan at all. They had always thought she was President Xu. Now seeing President Xu being so intimate with Li Yifei, their eyes nearly popped out. The goddess of their hearts was with another man, and they could hardly describe the taste of disappointment in their hearts.

 Chapter 256 - 261 Want to Mess Up

    Chapter 256: Chapter 261 Want to Mess Up"Then why didn¡¯t you call me?" Li Yifei asked Xu Shanshan with a smile.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Your phone is with my sister. I called you and she said a few words."


    Li Yifei then remembered that his phone was with Xu Yingying, no wonder it was so quiet this afternoon. He laughed and said, "I went to your sister¡¯s place earlier and forgot to take it. Let¡¯s hurry out for dinner."


    "Sure." Xu Shanshan linked arms with Li Yifei, and the two walked side by side towards the door.


    They hadn¡¯t walked for long when it was time to get off work. Xu Yingying went to Li Yifei¡¯s office to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. She asked the Human Resources Department and learned that Li Yifei had left more than ten minutes ago, which made her a bit annoyed.


    When she reached the company¡¯s entrance, she noticed that the security guards were giving her strange looks. She immediately frowned and asked, "What¡¯s up with you guys?"


    The guards quickly shook their heads and stammered, "No... nothing at all."


    Xu Yingying had a suspicion and asked, "Did you just see someone here who looks like me?"


    The guards were puzzled by Xu Yingying¡¯s question, but one of them, who was a bit smarter, quickly said, "Yes, yes, we did see a girl who looks just like President Xu leave with Manager Li earlier. That person definitely wasn¡¯t you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened. She waved her hand and walked straight out of the company. The guards immediately whispered to the one who had spoken, "What¡¯s going on?"


    "You guys don¡¯t get it? President Xu doesn¡¯t want others to know about her relationship with Manager Li. Keep your mouths shut! If anyone leaks it, our jobs will be at stake."


    The guards suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly. In a big company, if the boss wanted to keep something private and it got out, they would be in trouble. Whether they could still work there or not might depend on one word from President Xu, and let¡¯s face it, the benefits here weren¡¯t bad. It¡¯s not easy to find better conditions as a security guard.


    Just as Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan reached a Western restaurant, Xu Yingying¡¯s call came through. Xu Shanshan answered it, and Xu Yingying angrily said, "Xu Shanshan, didn¡¯t you promise not to make trouble this month?"


    Xu Shanshan cheekily replied, "I didn¡¯t cause trouble. I was just happy today and wanted brother-in-law to accompany me for a meal. Even if it¡¯s just a meal between friends, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Besides, I still consider him my brother-in-law. Brother-in-law having a meal with his sister-in-law shouldn¡¯t make you angry, right?"


    "You..."


    "Relax, we¡¯re just having a meal. You know I don¡¯t have any friends around here. Do you want me to die of boredom? I need to find some people to hang out with. If you¡¯re not okay with it, I¡¯ll just find some random folks to hang out with."


    "You... better let your brother-in-law accompany you." Xu Yingying instantly caved. Her sister¡¯s previous friends were all unreliable, and they had only just managed to separate her from them. The family was finally at ease. If she were to mix with some questionable friends again, they would be worried sick.


    "Hehe, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just going out to eat and have fun. I promise I¡¯ll return your brother-in-law to you as good as new."


    Xu Yingying said irritably, "Just don¡¯t stay out too late. You have work tomorrow."


    "Got it, sis." Xu Shanshan hung up the phone, winked at Li Yifei with satisfaction, and said, "Settled my sister. Let¡¯s party all night tonight."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You dare to stay out all night? Your big sister will blow up your phone."


    "I¡¯ll just turn off my phone in a bit, and she won¡¯t be able to find us. You didn¡¯t bring your phone either, so we both will be unreachable."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily but then thought of something, "No way, I need to get my phone. It could have important stuff. If your sister picks up a call, it would be a disaster."


    "You¡¯re not... afraid your girlfriend will call, are you?" Xu Shanshan asked with a teasing smile.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "No."


    "So it¡¯s another woman? Brother-in-law, that¡¯s not fair. My sister and I both like you. Are we that bad that you don¡¯t even consider us?"


    Li Yifei playfully knocked Xu Shanshan on the head, "You little brat, what nonsense. I really have important things. Give me the phone; I¡¯ll find your sister to get my phone."


    Xu Shanshan quickly pulled back her hand, "No way. If you go find my sister, it¡¯s like walking into the lion¡¯s den. We won¡¯t make it out." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was amused by her and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to bring you back."


    "Really? What if my sister doesn¡¯t agree?"


    "Then I¡¯ll tie her up and see how she stops us."


    "Haha..." Xu Shanshan laughed so hard she almost fell. After a while, she stifled her laughter. "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s like you want to play naughty games with my sister."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, then helplessly said, "You little devil, who knows what¡¯s in your head?"


    "Hehe, look at my sister¡ªshe¡¯s the classic domineering queen. If she wore leather jackets and skirts, tall boots, and held a whip in her hand, with one foot on a chair, snapping the whip into the air, wouldn¡¯t she look amazing?"


    Li Yifei was exasperated, "I think you¡¯re the one who likes that."


    "No way, I don¡¯t have my sister¡¯s queenly aura. Haha, just thinking about it is fun. Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you want to try it?"


    Li Yifei was thoroughly amused, "I have no interest in that, try it with another man."


    "Would you really let that happen?"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I? Not just with your sister, even you, I¡¯m fine with whoever you want to be with."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re too much. My sister and I are so nice to you."


    When it came to Xu Shanshan treating him well, Li Yifei agreed, but as for Xu Yingying, he didn¡¯t feel she was particularly nice to him. However, debating that would be an endless topic, so Li Yifei snatched the phone from Xu Shanshan and called Xu Yingying.


    "What do you want?" Xu Yingying asked tersely.


    "Where are you? I¡¯ll come to get my phone."


    "I¡¯m home now. You two should come back," Xu Yingying answered readily.


    Li Yifei hung up, and Xu Shanshan waved her small fist, "See? She was eager for us to go home. It¡¯s just a phone. Why insist on retrieving it?"


    Li Yifei turned the car around and smiled, "Let¡¯s go then."


    Over ten minutes later, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan entered the house. Xu Yingying was holding his phone, having just lowered it from her ear, likely having just finished a call, and it was Li Yifei¡¯s phone she had been holding.


    Li Yifei immediately became nervous and asked, "Who called?"


    Xu Yingying frowned at Li Yifei and said, "What have you been up to outside?"


    Li Yifei, hearing Xu Yingying¡¯s tone, realized it must have been Ma Yiwei who called. He had two SIM cards in that phone. When he went out with Lin Qiong, he specially prepared one card and turned off his old one. Upon returning, he reactivated both cards.


    "What did he say to you? And how did you respond?" Li Yifei sat next to Xu Yingying, looking at her seriously.


    Xu Yingying had rarely seen Li Yifei so serious, but recalling the caller¡¯s tone, she grew quite irritated and said, "I say, Li Yifei, how can you associate with such a person? He¡¯s a complete scumbag!"


    Li Yifei was now certain it was Ma Yiwei. The guy was known for his slick talk with women. But at the moment, what mattered most was what Xu Yingying said to him. This was crucial, as if anything slipped here, his and Lin Qiong¡¯s plans would be ruined.


    Lin Qiong had put in so much effort and even tricked her family out of the one million meant for her marriage. Failing because of an accident like this would surely drive her mad.


    "Brother-in-law, is this really serious?" Xu Shanshan cautiously asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded. "Very serious. Yingying, tell me word-for-word what he said to you and what you said to him."


    Xu Yingying could sense the situation was not as simple as she thought but still asked in confusion, "Isn¡¯t he your friend?"


    "Why would I have such a friend? I¡¯m helping the police with a case, and he¡¯s an important informant. I¡¯m using a fake identity. The things you said could reveal my cover."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. She grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said eagerly, "Brother-in-law, this is so thrilling, can I join?"


    Li Yifei shook his head. "These people are extremely dangerous. I can¡¯t risk letting you in."


    Xu Yingying frowned, "You¡¯re not a cop. Why are you involved?"


    Li Yifei, growing impatient, said, "We¡¯ll discuss it later. It¡¯s not just about me; it could lead to deaths. Can you just quickly recap the call?"


    Xu Yingying felt embarrassed by Li Yifei¡¯s reprimand but still took a deep breath and said, "He called, starting with, ¡¯Brother Li, it¡¯s Xiao Ma...¡¯ I told him you left your phone with me and hadn¡¯t taken it with you, and asked him to wait for you to call back. Then he..."


    At this point, anger flashed in Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, and Li Yifei promptly interjected, "I know he didn¡¯t say anything nice, but you can¡¯t skip it. You must tell me."


    Xu Yingying wanted to skip over it, but hearing Li Yifei¡¯s insistence, she could only take a deep breath and said, "He then said, ¡¯Oh, it¡¯s sister-in-law, huh? Hehe, Brother Li just left you alone?¡¯


    "I was puzzled and didn¡¯t immediately respond. He continued, ¡¯Brother Li really shouldn¡¯t have left such a beautiful sister-in-law at home. Sister-in-law, I¡¯m free now. Why not let me take you out for some fun today?¡¯"


    Hearing this, Li Yifei knew there was trouble and urgently asked, "What did you say?"

 Chapter 257 - 262: The Tiger Mother Comes Out of the Mountain

    Chapter 257: Chapter 262: The Tiger Mother Comes Out of the MountainXu Yingying, who was getting nervous with the lead Li Yifei had given, cast aside her shyness and thought carefully before saying, "Hey, who exactly are you?"


    Li Yifei slapped his forehead and said, "Oh no."


    Xu Shanshan shook her head, looking rather helpless as she said, "Seriously, big sis, you¡¯re too silly. At that point, you should¡¯ve just gone along with what he said. Why would you ask who he is? Isn¡¯t that just exposing your identity right away?"


    Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched as she said, "I didn¡¯t know about this in advance like you did. As soon as I heard the disgusting things he said, I got mad on the spot."


    Li Yifei waved his hands and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about that right now. What did he say next?"


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "He said, ¡¯Hey, aren¡¯t you the one Brother Li brought yesterday? Oh, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re Brother Li¡¯s real wife?¡¯"


    After a pause, Xu Yingying¡¯s face became a bit embarrassed, but she still said, "I said I was, and asked which woman that jerk went out with yesterday?"


    "He just laughed and said, ¡¯I was just joking with you, sister-in-law. Brother Li isn¡¯t that kind of person. He¡¯s always praising you in front of me. By the way, sister-in-law, where do you work? I should visit sometime and bring you a gift.¡¯"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t speak, but kept his gaze on Xu Yingying, while Xu Shanshan anxiously said, "You didn¡¯t tell him, did you?"


    Yingying cleared her throat and said, "When I heard him say that, it was obviously a fabrication. You would never tell him I¡¯m your wife, so I sensed he must have had another purpose. Just then, you knocked on the door, so I said you were back and would call him later."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Yingying had at least not said the wrong thing. However, the whole ordeal was supposed to be between him and Lin Qiong, yet now Xu Yingying was dragged into it.


    Xu Shanshan stroked her chin, shook her head thoughtfully, and said, "It looks like the problem isn¡¯t too big; as long as we can disguise my sister as the wife, we should be fine."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then I¡¯ll call him right now."


    He dialed Ma Yiwei¡¯s number, and after just two rings, Ma Yiwei answered with a chuckle, "Brother Li, you back home?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Back home? I¡¯m at the hotel with my wife."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯ve even brought your wife? That¡¯s pretty awesome."


    Li Yifei lowered his voice and whispered, "Awesome my ass, my wife is the awesome one, she¡¯s a real tigress. She¡¯s afraid I¡¯d go out with another woman and came here specially. I¡¯m just trying to make a quick buck with this deal, and I haven¡¯t even dared tell her. Don¡¯t let it slip, or all my efforts will be for nothing."


    Ma Yiwei immediately laughed and said, "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t let anything slip. But since the official wife¡¯s here, I¡¯ve got to give you some face, Brother Li. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have a hard time explaining."


    Li Yifei hastily declined, "No need, I can handle her just fine."


    "How can I not do anything? Sister-in-law is here, and if I, as a brother, don¡¯t entertain you a bit, it wouldn¡¯t be right. So it¡¯s settled, it¡¯s just past five now, see you at seven at the Famous City Hotel."


    "Wait a minute, if that¡¯s the case, then you might as well say you want to help me with the steel deal. I¡¯ll say that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for this time."


    "Got it, got it. I¡¯ve dealt with steel before, I definitely won¡¯t mess it up."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei smiled bitterly at Xu Yingying, "He insists on treating us to dinner."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei in surprise, "You mean... you want me to go with you?"


    "It seems we have no choice but to go. If we don¡¯t, he¡¯ll definitely get suspicious."


    Xu Yingying was still hesitant. Getting involved in such a matter was totally out of her comfort zone, and meeting that kind of disagreeable person was even more irritating.


    That¡¯s when Xu Shanshan quickly said, excitedly, "If my sister doesn¡¯t go, I¡¯ll go with you. Brother-in-law, tell me what I need to do when I get there?"


    Xu Yingying jumped in fright and quickly said, "That¡¯s out of the question. How could you go?"


    Xu Shanshan retorted, defiantly, "Why can¡¯t I go? That guy doesn¡¯t know you, and besides, we¡¯re twins. Even if he knows you, there¡¯s no problem for me to impersonate you. Also, such an exciting and satisfying thing to do, I definitely want to check it out."


    Xu Yingying urgently said to Li Yifei, "Alright, I¡¯ll go with you."


    Xu Shanshan cried out in exasperation, "Big sis, can you make up your mind? I only mentioned going because you didn¡¯t want to. But as soon as I say I¡¯ll go, you insist on going."


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "You keep calling him Brother-in-law; you think that will work? Wouldn¡¯t you give us away right on the spot?"


    Xu Shanshan was at a loss for words, arguing weakly, "I could try to change, couldn¡¯t I?"


    "Is this something to try? Didn¡¯t you hear your brother-in-law say it¡¯s dangerous? If something goes wrong by chance, it would harm everyone. So you can¡¯t go. If anyone has to, it¡¯s got to be me."


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "Stop arguing. If one of us has to go, it should be Yingying. Shanshan, you really aren¡¯t cut out for this."


    Xu Shanshan pouted stubbornly, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and while shaking it, said, "Brother-in-law, just take me with you. I promise I¡¯ll do really well."


    "It really won¡¯t work. You¡¯re too used to calling me by my title; if you had to change it, there would definitely be slips."


    "But my sister, she..."


    "It works because she only calls me by my name."


    "But she¡¯s so fierce."


    "That¡¯s exactly why we need her to play the role of a tigress this time."


    "Oh, a tigress!" Xu Shanshan suddenly burst out laughing, then gave a sly look at Xu Yingying and said, "You¡¯re right; this role really is for my sister."


    "What did you say? You¡¯re saying I¡¯m like a tigress?" Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened.


    Ignoring Xu Yingying¡¯s annoyance, Xu Shanshan giggled and elbowed Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you think she¡¯s like one?"


    Li Yifei gave an awkward laugh. It was best not to agree with such comparisons; otherwise, he¡¯d be playing with fire. Unexpectedly, Xu Yingying herself laughed and said, "You little brat, you¡¯ve got me so flustered, I¡¯m not that harsh."


    Li Yifei hastily said, "But you can¡¯t afford not to be fierce today. You really have to act like a tigress for once."


    Xu Yingying nodded and replied, "I don¡¯t have to be completely fierce, right? Even if I am fierce at home, in front of others, as a wife, shouldn¡¯t I also save some face for you? Otherwise, it would seem unreasonable."


    Xu Shanshan quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "You can¡¯t just be fierce randomly, and you still have to show affection, especially you, Brother-in-law. You can¡¯t treat my sister the way you usually do. Since you¡¯re saying my sister is fierce, then you have to show her both respect and love. Only then can you project a true sense of ¡¯whipped¡¯." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and replied, "Alright, but we should get going; it¡¯s about time. We¡¯ll have to adapt to the situation when we get there. Besides, he doesn¡¯t know what your sister and I are like at home; as long as we act like a normal couple, it¡¯ll be fine."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said excitedly, "Then I wish you both a triumphant victory, success at the first strike!"


    Standing up with her fighting spirit ignited, Xu Yingying declared, "I, Xu Yingying, have never been defeated in business, and I believe I won¡¯t be overwhelmed by this kind of thing either."


    Looking at the twin sisters, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Then let¡¯s set off."


    As they went downstairs, Li Yifei briefly briefed Xu Yingying about the case. Technically, it was a secret that Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t allowed to share with others, but Li Yifei trusted Xu Yingying absolutely. Moreover, since Xu Yingying was involved this time around, it was natural to clarify things with her.


    Xu Yingying had not expected the case to be so significant and said with some concern, "This case is too dangerous. You¡¯re not a police officer, so why get involved?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "A friend needed my help. I had no choice."


    "You really are loyal. Let me guess, it¡¯s a female friend, isn¡¯t it?" Xu Yingying had a sharp intuition.


    Without denying it, Li Yifei answered, "Yes, she¡¯s a police officer, a station chief now, and very righteous. She¡¯s put forward a million yuan from her own pocket to go undercover for this case. It¡¯s a big sacrifice, and I couldn¡¯t refuse to help."


    "There¡¯s really a police officer like that?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei somewhat incredulously.


    "Yes, there is. When you meet her, you¡¯ll understand. Shanshan has met her before. Her name is Lin Qiong."


    "Then I really want to meet her. She¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t she?" Xu Yingying continued to probe.


    "You guessed right again," he replied.


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips, saying, "I knew it. If she were just an ordinary-looking girl, you wouldn¡¯t be so concerned."


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, but Xu Yingying¡¯s words seemed to hold some truth. If the girl had been very plain, he probably wouldn¡¯t have bothered to pay much attention. Everyone likes beauty, and although Li Yifei didn¡¯t necessarily have any special thoughts about a beautiful police officer like Lin Qiong, someone more attractive would make even helping out a more pleasant experience.


    Since they couldn¡¯t drive for this mission, before hailing a taxi, Li Yifei called Lin Qiong to update her on the sudden developments, which left her quite frustrated. She complained about Li Yifei throwing her phone around carelessly, but with the situation as it was, she still took the time to understand Li Yifei¡¯s plan. Knowing that Xu Yingying would be joining in the act eased Lin Qiong¡¯s worries.


    But now, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t be involved. Her role was that of the other woman, and with Xu Yingying arriving as the legitimate wife, she naturally couldn¡¯t make an appearance. This concerned her deeply, but there was nothing she could do except to instruct Li Yifei to make sure nothing went wrong.


    Speaking of things going wrong, Lin Qiong suddenly thought of a serious issue and blurted out, "You haven¡¯t come to get your makeup done yet."


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "The reason I¡¯m calling you is to go over there; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t need to go so early."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yingying felt inexplicably uneasy at the prospect of meeting the female police officer. Subconsciously, she squared her shoulders as a surge of combativeness silently rose in her heart.

 Chapter 258 - 263 Xu Yingying’s Acting Skills

    Chapter 258: Chapter 263 Xu Yingying¡¯s Acting SkillsTen minutes later, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had already arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s place. Li Yifei quickly introduced them to each other. Xu Yingying, with a smile on her face, extended her hand elegantly to Lin Qiong and said, "Hello, we¡¯ve brought you some trouble this time, and I deeply apologize for it. I hope I can make up for my mistake."


    Lin Qiong shook hands with Xu Yingying, sizing her up thoroughly and said with some surprise, "You really are seeing me for the first time?"


    "The one you met before was my sister. Even our parents can¡¯t tell us apart when we¡¯re together."


    "No wonder you¡¯re twins, you look so alike. I¡¯ve really learned something new. Yifei already told me about the situation. As long as you remain composed, I think there shouldn¡¯t be a big problem."


    Li Yifei interjected, "Alright, stop with the small talk and hurry up with the makeup."


    Lin Qiong replied and said to Xu Yingying, "Miss Xu, please take a rest for a while. I¡¯ll do Yifei¡¯s makeup."


    "Sure, go ahead."


    Lin Qiong immediately started to apply makeup on Li Yifei, while Xu Yingying watched with great interest. However, after watching for a while, she began to seriously doubt the nature of their relationship. As Lin Qiong did Yifei¡¯s makeup, her hands were all over Yifei¡¯s face, which was understandable, but her body would also occasionally touch Yifei¡¯s, especially when she asked Yifei to tilt his face up and she stood opposite him with her chest very close. When she bent down, the view down her neckline was probably all visible to Yifei.


    And Lin Qiong didn¡¯t seem to mind Li Yifei¡¯s gaze at all. Had she been focused solely on her work, that would have been one thing, but Xu Yingying felt that Lin Qiong knew very well that Yifei could see and still didn¡¯t mind. To say their relationship wasn¡¯t close would be impossible.


    "This jerk, why does he have so many women around him?" Xu Yingying muttered resentfully in her heart. There¡¯s his girlfriend Su Yiyi, his first love Ye Yunzhu, and now there¡¯s even a policewoman Lin Qiong.


    Originally, Xu Yingying only wanted to prevent her sister from being with Li Yifei, hence why she wanted to be with him. If Yifei was with another woman, that would serve the same purpose. But now, Yingying herself was feeling uncomfortable. Maybe because she didn¡¯t want her sister to lose to another woman, or maybe because she was starting to care more about Li Yifei herself.


    At six twenty, Lin Qiong finished making Li Yifei presentable, and even tidied up Xu Yingying a little, since Yingying was a celebrity in Mile City. If she went with her regular appearance, it would be easy for her to be recognized. After giving them a few more instructions, Lin Qiong let Li Yifei and Xu Yingying leave. They hurriedly took a taxi and arrived at Mingdu Restaurant before seven o¡¯clock.


    Ma Yiwei was already waiting in the restaurant¡¯s hall. Seeing Li Yifei, he immediately came up, smiling, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really punctual."


    Li Yifei shook hands with Ma Yiwei, blinking and said, "Yeah, when little Ma invites me, how could I not come? The steel business is all counting on you." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No problem, leave it to me." Ma Yiwei patted his chest vigorously, his eyes then turned toward Xu Yingying, lighting up instantly, he said, "Sister-in-law is really beautiful, Brother Li, you¡¯re so lucky."


    Even though Xu Yingying had had her makeup done by Lin Qiong, which changed her appearance somewhat, the innate sophistication and elegance couldn¡¯t be concealed. Even if she was only sixty or seventy percent as beautiful as her original self, that was still enough to make her a beauty. No wonder Ma Yiwei had such a reaction.


    Xu Yingying extended her hand graciously and said, "So, you¡¯re little Ma, right? For this business deal of our old Li, we¡¯ll need your extra help."


    Ma Yiwei quickly shook hands with Xu Yingying without lingering, smiling amiably, "You don¡¯t need to worry, sister-in-law. Li brother and I hit it off as good friends; I will definitely help out with this. Besides, it¡¯s an opportunity for us all to make money. How could I not be involved?"


    "That¡¯s good then." Xu Yingying beamed sweetly, looking even more radiant.


    Ma Yiwei couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at Xu Yingying, then said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, sister-in-law, come on, let¡¯s have a drink. Today, this brother is treating, let¡¯s enjoy a good drink."


    Once in the private room, Ma Yiwei this time was indeed quite forthcoming, ordering a lot of dishes. He frequently urged both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to drink more. Xu Yingying handled it all graciously, which only made Ma Yiwei more envious.


    "I¡¯m going to the restroom for a moment." Xu Yingying stood up, smiling apologetically, and left the room.


    Li Yifei let out a long breath, then slapped Ma Yiwei on the shoulder, gratefully saying, "Brother, you¡¯re a true friend."


    Hehe, of course," Ma Yiwei grinned and said, "But you know what, Brother Li, your wife is really something - looks like a proper lady."


    Li Yifei sighed, "She¡¯s great, sure, but that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m under so much pressure. She¡¯s always on my case about this and that, telling me what I can and can¡¯t do ¨C it¡¯s driving me nuts."


    "Heh, I get you. Having a wife like that does put pressure on a man, but that lover of yours sure has taste."


    Li Yifei, startled, quickly looked towards the door, then said nervously, "Be careful what you say; don¡¯t bring up that topic. Otherwise, I¡¯m dead meat."


    "Haha, well your sister-in-law isn¡¯t here, is she? Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t dare say a thing." Ma Yiwei laughed boastfully.


    Just then, the door opened and Xu Yingying walked in, smiling at Ma Yiwei, "What is it, little Ma? What are you saying behind my back that you seem so happy about?"


    Li Yifei quickly made eye signals to Ma Yiwei, but Xu Yingying glared at him and said, "What are you winking at Ma Yiwei for? Ma Yiwei, if you have something to say, just say it, and don¡¯t mind him."


    Ma Yiwei immediately forced a laugh and said, "Sister-in-law, I was just saying when you weren¡¯t around, I¡¯d take Brother Li out to have some fun, but no matter what, Brother Li wouldn¡¯t agree, and you happened to come in just then."


    Xu Yingying then nodded in satisfaction, first smiled at Li Yifei, and then, looping her arm through his, she said, "Our Old Li can indeed still be trusted, but with a bit of money in hand, there will always be social butterflies crowding in. I need to keep a closer eye. Ma Yiwei, I¡¯m going back tomorrow, you will have to help watch over him for me in the future, and make sure he doesn¡¯t fool around outside."


    "Rest assured, rest assured, with me here, Brother Li absolutely won¡¯t go fooling around. Otherwise, you can hold me accountable," Ma Yiwei responded.


    "Mhm, mhm, that¡¯s settled then. Come on, let me toast you."


    After eating and drinking their fill, Ma Yiwei immediately said, "Brother Li, sister-in-law, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go sing some songs."


    Xu Yingying politely declined, "Ma Yiwei, thank you, but you really shouldn¡¯t spend any more on us."


    At this point, Ma Yiwei, whose face was somewhat flushed from the drink, said loudly, "Spend what? I¡¯ve already booked it. Sister-in-law, if you don¡¯t go, that would be really disrespectful to me."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with some difficulty, and Li Yifei immediately said to Ma Yiwei, "Ma Yiwei, I think we should just forget it."


    Ma Yiwei hastily said, "Just going to sing some songs, have a few drinks, we can chat a bit more. There¡¯s a room above the karaoke suite, and I¡¯ve already booked it for you. When you¡¯re tired, you can just go up and rest, no need to go back to the hotel."


    Li Yifei immediately thought of the room he and Lin Qiong had stayed in the day before and realized that Ma Yiwei was still trying to test them. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Wife, Ma Yiwei is offering us a warm invitation, let¡¯s go have some fun."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a white look and said, "Fine then, Ma Yiwei, we won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you."


    Ma Yiwei laughed loudly and said, "What ceremony with me? In the future, once the business is successful, helping me make some money, that is what¡¯s real."


    Taking a cab, the three of them arrived at the karaoke venue they had visited the day before. They got a small private room and played for a little while. Today, since Ma Yiwei didn¡¯t call for singing partners, he wasn¡¯t very enthusiastic. After a while, he suggested that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying go rest.


    This was exactly what Xu Yingying wanted. After performing for so long, facing a person like Ma Yiwei, she had had more than enough. She swiftly agreed, but once she arrived at the prepared room, she suddenly realized a problem. There was only one room, one bed ¨C didn¡¯t that mean she was going to have to share a bed with Li Yifei for the night?


    Sharing a bed with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t a first; it had happened many times before, but it was always at her own home, on her bed. At the very least, it was her ¡¯home turf¡¯, so Xu Yingying felt even if she lived with Li Yifei, she still had the initiative.


    But in such a strange environment, sharing a bed with Li Yifei again, she suddenly felt very uneasy.


    As she was thinking about all this, Li Yifei actually closed the room door, then suddenly embraced her and kissed her lips. Xu Yingying was stunned. Li Yifei had never done this before; it was simply too much for her to take, and she began to struggle forcefully.


    "There¡¯s a camera in this room," Li Yifei¡¯s words were like a bolt from the blue, stunning Xu Yingying.


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, now you can start a quarrel, and it will cover everything up," Li Yifei kissed her cheek and whispered.


    Xu Yingying quickly caught on, and forcefully pushed Li Yifei away, sitting on the bed with a huff, crossing her left leg over her right, and coldly staring at Li Yifei, she said, "Stand up straight for me, I have a question for you."


    Li Yifei immediately approached her with a giggling smile, "Wife, what¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t we be intimate before talking?"


    "Stand still!" Xu Yingying shouted again, and Li Yifei, as if struck by lightning, stood up straight in front of her.


    "Let me ask you, in the past two days, have you done anything else?"


    "No, I¡¯ve just been discussing business."


    "Really? So why did the lobby manager recognize you when we came to this karaoke venue today?"


    "I... came here yesterday, but I was with Ma Yiwei."


    "Just the two of you grown men came here to sing? Do you think I¡¯m a fool?" Xu Yingying said, and then sharply slapped the bed, angrily demanding an answer.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache coming on. Even for a performance, was it necessary to be so fierce? Xu Yingying truly was a company president; the aura of a boss was just too overpowering.

 Chapter 259 - 264: The Tigress Shows Her Might

    Chapter 259: Chapter 264: The Tigress Shows Her MightLi Yifei immediately displayed a demeanor of sincerity and fear, his face betraying a sense of guilt as he wiped his forehead and stammered, "Wife, we were just singing, we didn¡¯t do anything else."


    Xu Yingying squinted her eyes at Li Yifei and said slowly, "It seems you¡¯re unwilling to tell the truth, huh?"


    Li Yifei gulped and swallowed his saliva, cautiously saying, "Wife, I¡¯ll tell you, we hired some girls."


    "And then?"


    "And then... we just sang songs."


    "What did you do while singing?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We... I just touched their hands."


    "Only touched their hands?"


    "I touched their legs too."


    "What else?"


    "Nothing more, nothing more, wife, really nothing more. You know it¡¯s all just a front, if I looked too honest, it would be disrespectful to Ma Yiwei, and it would hinder the business negotiations. But I always remembered your expectations of me, I definitely didn¡¯t touch their sensitive areas, and I certainly didn¡¯t take them to a hotel room."


    "Is that so?"


    "Really, wife, don¡¯t you understand my heart for you by now? I wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to wrong you," Li Yifei said as he embraced Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders, wearing a face full of flattery.


    Xu Yingying snorted and warned, "You better not get caught doing anything bad, or you won¡¯t get a penny from me and will just stay home behaving yourself."


    "No, no, I definitely won¡¯t do anything bad, wife, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s rest."


    Inside a room at this karaoke parlor, three people were present including that Ma Yiwei, who was staring at the monitor, laughing incessantly.


    One of them slapped Ma Yiwei on the shoulder, laughing and saying, "I tell you, Ma, the guy you found is a real piece of work, scared of his wife to this extent."


    Ma Yiwei chuckled and replied, "I didn¡¯t expect this guy to be so afraid of his wife either. You¡¯re right, the kid¡¯s got luck on his side to have a wife so beautiful, no wonder he¡¯s scared."


    "If he had an ugly wife, he wouldn¡¯t be scared at all, would¡¯ve kicked her to the curb already."


    At that moment Ma Yiwei spoke again, "You guys think he is clean right? Otherwise, there¡¯s the wife and the lover."


    The other two nodded in agreement. If Li Yifei were an undercover cop or some sort of journalist, bringing just one woman would be enough; there¡¯s no reason to bring an extra wife to complicate matters. So now they were completely convinced about Li Yifei.


    However, what they were most eager to see was whether any racy scenes would unfold next. Yesterday, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong were here, but they missed the main action, which was a huge disappointment to them.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was appeasing Xu Yingying, saying, "Wife, you¡¯ve also had a long day, go take a bath, I¡¯ll run the water for you."


    "Mmhmm, go ahead."


    Li Yifei scurried off to the bathroom to fill the tub, and soon peeked out to say to Xu Yingying, "Wife, why don¡¯t we shower together?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glare and said, "You deadbeat, let me tell you, I still have to inspect you to see if you¡¯ve done anything naughty."


    Li Yifei immediately patted his chest and boasted, "This is my due to my wife, something I would never waste on someone else."


    "You big oaf!" Xu Yingying replied seductively, tossing a look at Li Yifei before entering the bathroom.


    The people in the surveillance room were somewhat frustrated, with Ma Yiwei saying, "Why didn¡¯t we install a camera in the bathroom too? We¡¯re missing out on all the good scenes."


    Another person commented, "You think this is just for peeping? There are mirrors in the bathroom, and the walls are flat, it¡¯d be too easy to be discovered. Besides, we¡¯re only here to see if there¡¯s anything fishy going on, why bother with that other stuff."


    Although they said this, missing the show in the bathroom was something none of them could help but feel a bit remorseful about, yet there was nothing they could do about it now.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying stood in the bathroom, with Li Yifei first saying, "There¡¯s no camera here, as long as we keep our voices down everything will be fine."


    Xu Yingying immediately asked anxiously, "How was my performance just now? Did I do okay?"


    "You did great," Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying a thumbs up.


    Xu Yingying immediately said with pride, "Well, of course, haven¡¯t you seen who I am?" She had never felt so proud of her accomplishments in the company before.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, you could even win Oscar¡¯s Best Actress Award."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t let it go to her head, but eagerly asked, "So what should we do now?"


    "Now... it¡¯s time for a bath."


    "What?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened, and she pointed at Li Yifei and then at herself, and said, "Us... the two of us... together?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Well, what do you think? We came in here together, is it not only natural that we take a bath together?"


    "But... how could that be appropriate?" Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks were flushed red, and she dared not look at Li Yifei anymore.


    Seeing Xu Yingying like this, Li Yifei teasingly said, "We¡¯re supposed to be a married couple right now. It¡¯s perfectly normal for us to bathe together. If we don¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t that give us away?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face twitched involuntarily. She had considered sharing a bed and even feigning intimacy with Li Yifei, but bathing together wasn¡¯t part of her plan.


    The more difficult Xu Yingying found the situation, the more amusing Li Yifei found it. He said, "So, what do we do? I¡¯m out of ideas."


    "Didn¡¯t you say that they can¡¯t see us here?"


    "But when we go out, we have to look like we¡¯ve bathed, don¡¯t we? You can¡¯t expect us to bathe in our clothes here, can you? How would we go out tomorrow then? Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re going to go out in our wet clothes."


    "This..." Xu Yingying was at a loss for a moment.


    "Alright then, forget it. Let them find out, let¡¯s not bathe and see if we can find an excuse to leave."


    Li Yifei said this and deliberately turned to leave.


    "Wait!" Xu Yingying suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm. Her gaze towards him was complicated as she hesitantly said, "Fine, we¡¯ll bathe here, but separately. You¡¯re not allowed to look when I¡¯m bathing, and I won¡¯t look when you are."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise; he hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to come up with such a suggestion. He had only intended to tease her, anticipating she¡¯d get angry and kick him out. Pretending to have a spousal quarrel was quite normal; after all, it was completely normal for a wife like Xu Yingying, with her strong temperament, not to bathe or even share a bed with her husband as a way to deceive their watchers.


    Yet, Xu Yingying, the fiery-tempered CEO, hadn¡¯t thought of that. Instead, she had come up with such an intimate solution, which was something Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected.


    "I was thinking... this way..." Li Yifei was trying to articulate his own plan when Xu Yingying pushed him aside and began undressing while saying, "Turn your head; you¡¯re not allowed to look."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "No, no, there¡¯s no need for that."


    In the surveillance room, the three watchers had been eagerly anticipating Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s next moves, but they were frustrated when Li Yifei turned off the light. They could barely make out the shapes of the couple getting into bed and covering themselves with a quilt.


    "Damn, they even have to cover up in bed?" Ma Yiwei cursed, extremely displeased.


    Another guy laughed and said, "You don¡¯t get it. Do you think this is like picking up a hooker, where you can do whatever you want, with the light on or off? They¡¯re a normal couple; it¡¯s normal for them to turn off the lights and get under the covers when going to bed."


    "Grandma¡¯s, that was just too unsatisfying to watch."


    "Heh, when a couple is together, there¡¯s not always that much passion. When they first get married, it might be once or even several times a day. But after a few years, it becomes once every few days, and as they get older, once or twice a month isn¡¯t unusual. And even when they do it, it¡¯s often just going through the motions. That¡¯s why they call it ¡¯doing one¡¯s duty.¡¯ There¡¯s no passion left, so whether you watch or not doesn¡¯t really matter."


    At that point, the three had lost interest, but when they saw Li Yifei climb on top of his wife, Ma Yiwei said with a smirk, "This guy must be worried about his wife finding out he was with his lover yesterday, so he wants to put on a good show now."


    "I think so too, but his wife sure has a strong reaction. This guy¡¯s technique must be pretty good."


    "What do you understand? Women at thirty are like wolves, at forty like tigers, and at fifty can ¡¯suck dust from the ground.¡¯ He¡¯s in his thirties, so his wife must be just over thirty, right at that wolf-tiger age, of course, her reaction¡¯s intense. You see, Ma, you should stop chasing those little girls that are all talk; they¡¯ve got no flavor. A real woman is over thirty; that¡¯s where the taste is."


    "Exactly, exactly. Listen to that kind of moaning, it¡¯s so captivating, it¡¯s getting me all turned on."


    "Can¡¯t take this anymore, I¡¯ve got to go relieve myself."


    "Hold up, I¡¯m coming too."


    The three of them hurriedly left the surveillance room to find some girls to vent their frustrations.


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 Chapter 260 - 266: Jealous

    Chapter 260: Chapter 266: JealousThe next morning, when Li Yifei and Xu Yingying woke up, Xu Yingying was already facing Li Yifei. The two were still holding each other tightly. When their eyes met, both appeared a bit embarrassed, but they quickly adopted an indifferent expression. Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei and said, "Get up."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Hmm, I¡¯ll take you back later."


    "No need, you do your thing. I know you¡¯re here on business; I won¡¯t hold you up, I¡¯ll go by myself in a bit."


    "How can I let that happen, my wife is so beautiful, what if someone else starts fancying you?"


    "You deadbeat, at least you know your wife is pretty. You¡¯ve got some conscience after all."


    However, when it was time to get up, Xu Yingying whispered to Li Yifei, "Am I just going out like this?"


    Li Yifei thought about it, indeed Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t just go out early in the morning wrapped in a towel, but neither could she leave just in her underwear and bra, that would be unfair to her.


    "Oh, it¡¯s her loss, not mine," Li Yifei corrected himself internally, but still feeling uncomfortable at the thought of someone else seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s body, he exclaimed aloud, "Wife, I¡¯ll carry you to take a wash."


    "You rascal, wasn¡¯t last night enough? You¡¯re still up for mischief so early in the morning."


    "Haha, I¡¯d rather expend all my energy on my wife, to keep you reassured, right?"


    Amidst laughter, Li Yifei had picked up Xu Yingying and blocked the surveillance camera with his body. At most, the person on the camera¡¯s end would only see Xu Yingying¡¯s legs and head.


    In the bathroom, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but glance at Xu Yingying¡¯s underwear, where there was still a hint of a white stain. Xu Yingying also looked down and saw it, immediately glaring at Li Yifei, "You jerk, how could you do that."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I¡¯m a normal person, if I didn¡¯t do that then, I¡¯d have really suffocated to death."


    "Pervert," Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei, but she wasn¡¯t really angry, it was more of a matter of a woman¡¯s pride, "Turn around, I need to wash quickly."


    Li Yifei promptly turned around obediently; Xu Yingying hurried through a shower, but didn¡¯t touch her face as she was wearing makeup and didn¡¯t want to wash it off.


    After Xu Yingying finished washing up and Li Yifei got ready quickly, he called Ma Yiwei, who was still asleep at the time. Hearing that Li Yifei wanted to take his wife home, Ma Yiwei didn¡¯t bother to get up, responded with a few mumbles, and continued to sleep snuggled up with a couple of hostesses.


    With Ma Yiwei not available to offer a ride, it was less complicated for Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. They took a taxi, made a roundabout, switched to another cab, and directly headed to Officer Lin¡¯s house.


    As soon as Officer Lin saw the two return, she immediately asked anxiously. Li Yifei explained the situation and reassured her that there were no problems, which made Officer Lin breathe a sigh of relief. However, she quickly looked at them with suspicion and said, "You two... did you also stay in that karaoke hall last night?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face instantly flushed, but she felt uncomfortable with Officer Lin¡¯s tone of inquiry and promptly said with a smile, "Yes, pretending to be his wife, I couldn¡¯t possibly not stay with him, right? Plus, there were cameras there, so we had to act like a normal couple."


    Officer Lin¡¯s mouth twitched, and she turned to Li Yifei, saying, "You lucky dog, even the boss became your wife."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "That was all an act."


    Xu Yingying simply smiled without saying a word, but Officer Lin curled her lip and said, "Yeah right, as if I don¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on there." She then turned to Xu Yingying and added, "President Xu, you better keep an eye on this guy."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t deny it at all and replied with an easy smile, "I know, he¡¯s got plenty of women around him, just look at Officer Lin, such a beauty, and so close to him."


    She was aware that Li Yifei and Lin Qiong were pretending to be lovers and had also stayed in that room. So, these two must have gone at least as far as she and Li Yifei did, if not further. Just thinking of that made her feel bitter. After what happened with Li Yifei last night, even if Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to admit it, she knew in her heart that Li Yifei had become the man closest to her.


    Xu Yingying was a rather traditional woman, which made her very conscious about her body. Therefore, all these years, she had maintained her virginity, never having let any other man take advantage of her. Li Yifei was the first man she had ever had physical contact with, and it was such intense contact at that, which is why her feelings for Li Yifei, after this night, truly were fundamentally different. She had indeed begun to accept Li Yifei from the bottom of her heart.


    Once she accepted Li Yifei, she no longer felt indifferent about Li Yifei being with other women as she had before; an acrid feeling of jealousy inevitably sprouted within her heart.


    Lin Qiong also sensed Xu Yingying¡¯s jealousy and quickly said, "President Xu, please don¡¯t get me wrong. I only consider that guy Li Yifei a friend, and I only snatched his lover this time for the case. Once this case is closed, I will definitely draw a clear line with him, and nothing has happened between us. In other respects, I might not have much praise for Li Yifei, but when it comes to dealing with women, although he seems a bit frivolous, he actually has his principles and doesn¡¯t just get involved with women casually."


    Xu Yingying expressed deep agreement with this. Taking last night¡¯s incident as an example, she felt unable to control herself at that time. If Li Yifei had wanted to take things further, she really would have been unable to refuse. But Li Yifei did not proceed, so she believed Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t casually do anything to Lin Qiong.


    Smiling at Lin Qiong, Xu Yingying graciously said, "Alright, then I¡¯ll let Yifei cooperate with you with all his might for the time being. I¡¯ll try to arrange for someone else to handle the company¡¯s affairs." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong immediately expressed her gratitude, "That is really so kind of you, President Xu. I will strive to crack this case as soon as possible and not waste your support."


    Watching the two of them converse in this manner made Li Yifei feel uncomfortable. When did he become Xu Yingying¡¯s man? It seemed he had never agreed to anything with her. But at this time, he wisely kept his mouth shut. Interjecting in this matter, he knew, would only bring more trouble to himself.


    After removing Xu Yingying¡¯s makeup, she went straight back to the company, while Li Yifei stayed with Lin Qiong. Through yesterday¡¯s event, he figured Ma Yiwei must completely trust him by now, which meant that next, they should meet with even higher-ups.


    Before nine o¡¯clock, Ma Yiwei called to say the job was done and wanted to take Li Yifei to meet someone. Li Yifei agreed readily, confirming the appointment to meet at a villa in the suburbs at ten thirty.


    Lin Qiong was overjoyed and immediately prepared with Li Yifei. At ten twenty, they arrived at the villa.


    The villa was named Longyuan, located halfway up a small hillside. The villa itself was serene, with fruit trees dotted throughout the yard and quaint cottages neatly arranged among the orchards.


    Being in the cottages, inhaling the fruit scent, listening to the whispers of insects and calls of birds was indeed refreshing. Both Li Yifei and Lin Qiong lived in Mile City but had never known such a delightful place existed until now.


    Ma Yiwei led them to the innermost cottage. From the outside, it appeared quite small, but once inside, they found it to be more spacious than the private rooms in those luxurious big hotels. The room had a dining hall, bathroom, KTV private room, and even a small bedroom for resting. Although the decorations seemed simple, every item exuded a sense of finesse and luxury.


    At the moment, there were three people in the room. One sat at the head of the round table, a man in his forties with a round face and wearing a casual crewneck T-shirt. He held a cigar, and the rich aroma filled the room.


    Behind him stood two tall and burly men. When Li Yifei and Lin Qiong entered, the two just glanced at them once and then stopped paying any further attention, standing as still as statues.


    Seeing the two men, Lin Qiong felt apprehensive. The way they carried themselves indicated they were trained, and not just ordinary trainers, but likely highly skilled in combat. If it came to a conflict, she was certain she¡¯d be no match for either of them, and while Li Yifei might be somewhat more formidable than her, he would probably still fall short when compared to the two, placing them both in a very dangerous situation.


    What Lin Qiong noted was the pressure the two men projected, but Li Yifei sensed a kind of murderous aura from them, an aura belonging only to those who had truly killed, and not just one person at that. To have killed and still be serving as security here indicated they were almost certainly those retired from some special forces.


    At that moment, Ma Yiwei spoke up, "Fourth Brother, this is Li Yifei. Brother Li, this is Yao Mingyuan, known as Elder Fourth. If you want to do business, you can only proceed if Elder Fourth agrees."


    Li Yifei promptly stepped forward to extend his hand, saying, "Elder Fourth, it¡¯s an honor to meet you. I¡¯m Li Yifei, and I hope for your assistance in the future."


    Only then did Yao Mingyuan stand to shake hands with Li Yifei, saying, "We¡¯re all just trying to make money doing business. As long as it¡¯s mutually beneficial, anything can be arranged."


    "What Elder Fourth said is true. I¡¯m all about making money. What are you standing there for, silly? Do something," Li Yifei bantered with Yao Mingyuan for a bit, then pushed Lin Qiong and scolded her with a stern face.


    Lin Qiong quickly responded in a coquettish voice, "Hello, Elder Fourth."


    Yao Mingyuan nodded but didn¡¯t speak to Lin Qiong. At his level, a small-time lover like Lin Qiong simply wasn¡¯t worthy of his time for small talk.

 Chapter 261 - 267 Reached an Agreement

    Chapter 261: Chapter 267 Reached an AgreementYao Mingyuan had maintained an aloof attitude ever since Li Yifei and Lin Qiong appeared, which had also secretly surprised Li Yifei. Generally, those in the underworld business, including smugglers with a good downstream buyer, would value such a relationship, but Yao Mingyuan seemed indifferent; he acted as if reaching a deal with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t anything significant.


    This also meant that the contraband of this smuggling group was very popular and they always had good sales channels, so they weren¡¯t concerned about finding buyers. It was evident how large this smuggling group was, and their meticulous way of conducting business also demonstrated their strength.


    "Elder Fourth, Little Ma must have told you about my situation. I am a straightforward person. My wife keeps a tight hold on the purse strings, so I don¡¯t have a lot of spare cash. I only have one million right now, and I want to take one million worth of goods this time. I¡¯m not sure whether we can make this deal happen," he said.


    "One million..." Yao Mingyuan looked at Li Yifei with a hint of surprise and said, "Are you sure you want to take goods worth one million in one go?"


    It was only the mention of one million that seemed to pique the other party¡¯s interest. Li Yifei quickly added, "Yes, I want to test the waters this time. If this line of business works out, I can definitely raise more funds. Taking three or five million worth of goods next time will not be a problem."


    Fortunately, he had prepared one million this time. If he had prepared less, it really wouldn¡¯t have attracted any attention from the higher-ups, and he and Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in touch with them at all.


    Yao Mingyuan took a puff of his cigar, and as thick smoke curled from his mouth, he said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit reckless? It¡¯s no problem for me to supply the goods, but selling them may not be so easy, and avoiding trouble is not a simple matter either."


    Li Yifei laughed proudly and said, "Elder Fourth, you¡¯re overthinking it. In my territory, I can definitely take care of customs and police. As long as the goods get there without any issues on the way, I can guarantee that within a month, my one million worth of goods will be sold out."


    "Then Brother Li, what kind of goods do you want exactly?" Yao Mingyuan asked.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Do you have any high-end watches? These items are in great demand in our area, and due to their small size, they¡¯re less likely to cause problems."


    "High-end watches are not only in demand in your area but also here. Although this shipment includes a number of watches, most of them have already been pre-ordered."


    "Ah? Then what about cameras, cell phones, or similar electronics?"


    "We do have those. Tell you what, since it¡¯s our first time doing business, I¡¯ll give you fifty thousand worth of watches, another twenty thousand in cameras, and thirty thousand in cell phones. How does that sound?"


    Excited, Li Yifei slapped the table and stood up, exclaiming, "Okay, okay, I¡¯m really grateful to Elder Fourth for this."


    Yao Mingyuan nodded and said leisurely, "Don¡¯t mention it. I hope we can work together over the long term. However, let¡¯s be clear about the ugly part up front. You need to give me a three-hundred-thousand down payment first before I can prepare the goods. The rest of the payment must be settled upon delivery, and there will be no contracts or receipts of any kind. If you agree, then we have a deal. If you have any doubts, we can drop the matter."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression stiffened and his face changed several times. Yao Mingyuan¡¯s demand was too risky; if he gave the money to Yao Mingyuan and Yao just walked away, that one million would be completely lost.


    After gritting his teeth, Li Yifei slammed his hand on the table again and said loudly, "Fine, let¡¯s do it that way."


    "Are you sure?" Yao Mingyuan asked with a sly smile.


    "I¡¯m sure! In this business, even if I¡¯m given any kind of contract, it¡¯s completely pointless and provides no legal protection at all. So, whether I have it or not makes no difference. I¡¯ll just trust Elder Fourth¡¯s word," Li Yifei affirmed.


    Yao Mingyuan laughed heartily and said, "Good, Brother Li is really straightforward. I like doing business with someone like you."


    With that, Yao Mingyuan gestured to Ma Yiwei and said, "Go ahead and serve the food. Today I want to drink heartily with Brother Li and toast to our successful partnership." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone enjoyed the meal greatly. Li Yifei and Yao Mingyuan drank quite a bit, with Lin Qiong also offering her toasts to Yao. Since the business was nearly settled, Yao didn¡¯t give Lin any unpleasant looks. However, when Lin went to the restroom, Yao Mingyuan patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder earnestly and said, "Look, brother, it¡¯s no problem for a man with money to enjoy himself, but women... they often bring disaster. Many have fallen because of them. If you want to aim for big things in the future, you¡¯d best not bring women into the mix."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Don¡¯t worry about that, Elder Fourth. Little Lin is completely loyal to me. If it wasn¡¯t for me, she¡¯d have been long dead."


    Yao Mingyuan smiled faintly and said, "The minds of women are something men can never quite figure out, and their demands can change at any time. It¡¯s okay to have fun with them, but when it comes to big ventures, involving women is not a good idea."


    At that moment, Li Yifei said humbly, "Elder Fourth is right. Next time I venture out, I won¡¯t bring her along."


    "That¡¯s not necessary. Since she¡¯s already involved in this matter, you need to keep a tight grip on her heart to prevent her from causing trouble later. But as for other women, they cannot get involved," Yao Mingyuan advised.


    "I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Elder Fourth."


    "You¡¯re good, listening to my advice," Yao affirmed.


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Elder Fourth is a senior figure, and I¡¯m just a greenhorn. Your advice is definitely for my own good." He raised his glass, "Elder Fourth, I toast to you."


    "Good!" Yao Mingyuan clinked glasses with Li Yifei and drank heartily.


    The meal didn¡¯t take long, and neither Li Yifei nor Yao Mingyuan drank much. After the meal, Yao Mingyuan said to Li Yifei, "Little Ma, accompany Little Li to get some money. The goods will be delivered at midnight the day after tomorrow."


    Then he said to Li Yifei, "Little Li, I¡¯m pretty busy these next couple of days, so I won¡¯t be able to keep you company. But we¡¯ll still need to keep in touch frequently in the future."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "You¡¯re busy, Elder Fourth. I believe we¡¯ll have plenty of time to get together later."


    Elder Fourth nodded, then left with two bodyguards. Li Yifei and Ma Yiwei headed to the bank, where Li Yifei withdrew three hundred thousand yuan and handed it over to Ma Yiwei, who then left.


    Back at Lin Qiong¡¯s home, Li Yifei said, "There goes three hundred thousand, just like that. It really hurts."


    But Lin Qiong was excited, "Why feel bad? We¡¯ve now hooked a big fish. I¡¯ve long known about Elder Fourth; he¡¯s quite famous in Mile City, with a significant standing in both the legal and underworld scenes. I never imagined he was involved in smuggling."


    "Are you saying he¡¯s the big boss?"


    "No, no, he¡¯s definitely not the big boss. However, within this smuggling ring, he¡¯s certainly a pivotal figure. Did you see those two bodyguards he had with him? They were quite formidable. If his status wasn¡¯t high, he wouldn¡¯t have such strong protection."


    "So if we catch him, can we completely take down this smuggling ring?"


    "Impossible. Yao Mingyuan is important, but without more evidence, we can only arrest him, not hurt the smuggling ring¡¯s foundation. So for now, with him, we can only collect evidence. After this deal is done, we¡¯ll try to make contact with more important figures."


    "Big Sister, once we put a million into this deal, we¡¯ll be out of money. How will we negotiate the next deal?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression stiffened, having not considered this aspect yet.


    "I think it¡¯s about time anyway. Capturing Yao Mingyuan would at least make the others lay low for a while. And by catching such a big fish, you¡¯ve made a significant contribution, with a chance for a promotion or something. Why push yourself so hard?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face darkened, "My aim in cracking this case isn¡¯t for promotion or wealth; I just want to maintain social stability and public peace. If they¡¯re criminals, I want to catch them."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Lin Qiong, "You really are stubborn. Consider your own abilities. You¡¯re just a precinct chief, so you should act according to the role of a chief. You¡¯re attempting to do the work of a bureau chief. What will your leaders think? Moreover, you don¡¯t have that many resources. I know your sense of justice is strong, but I suggest waiting until you move up the ranks, become a Sub-bureau Chief, and then do what a Sub-bureau Chief can. Once at the Municipal Bureau Chief level, you can take on bigger tasks."


    Lin Qiong pondered for a moment, then shook her head resolutely, "In this matter, I don¡¯t necessarily have to be the one doing it. I just need to gather enough evidence, and then I can let the higher-ups take action. That way, I¡¯m not overstepping my authority or offending anyone. It would be like handing them a significant achievement on a silver platter; why wouldn¡¯t they appreciate it?"


    "You really are foolish, working yourself to death only to dress someone else for the wedding."


    "That¡¯s just the way I am. But what do we do next? After we handle this batch of goods, we¡¯ll be out of money."


    "Then we¡¯ll sell the goods, right? This will also earn their trust even more."


    "Sell them? Wouldn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re smuggling too?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened.


    "That¡¯s what I mean by you being stubborn. If we want to gain their trust, we naturally have to sell the goods. That¡¯s what really counts as smuggling. Otherwise, how would they trust us? Besides, it solves our money problem, so why not?"


    "But... if we sell the goods now, wouldn¡¯t it be a huge hassle to seize them later? And the people who bought our goods would suffer significant losses. It¡¯s practically scamming them."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Lin Qiong. This policewoman was always about the law, about principles, with not enough flexibility, which could be quite frustrating.


    Just then, the phone rang. It was Xu Yingying calling. Li Yifei answered, and Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came through, "Honey, how¡¯s the deal going?"


    This endearment of "honey" really sent a shiver down Li Yifei¡¯s spine. It sounded so much like a wife calling her husband that Li Yifei almost believed Xu Yingying was indeed his real wife.

 Chapter 262 - 268: An Unexpected Encounter

    Chapter 262: Chapter 268: An Unexpected EncounterLi Yifei flicked his head and said hurriedly, "I¡¯m back now, at Lin Qiong¡¯s place."


    Xu Yingying immediately changed her tone and asked, "How¡¯s the situation? You didn¡¯t encounter any danger, did you?"


    From Xu Yingying¡¯s words, Li Yifei could feel her concern, which made him feel good. He chuckled and responded, "No danger, everything went smoothly. We can pick up the goods the day after tomorrow." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, does that mean it¡¯s over?"


    "No, we still have to continue. That¡¯s the only way to catch bigger fish."


    "You¡¯re still going on?" There was a hint of worry in Xu Yingying¡¯s tone. She immediately asked, "Do you guys still have that much capital?"


    True to her position as a boss, she got straight to the point. Li Yifei glanced at Lin Qiong and said with a wry smile, "We¡¯re out of money. I¡¯m considering whether or not to sell the goods."


    Xu Yingying exclaimed, "You can¡¯t do that! How about this, I still have some money on hand, I¡¯ll give it to you guys to use first."


    "That¡¯s not a good idea. If we don¡¯t move our merchandise, it will raise suspicions on their side."


    "So what should we do?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got it under control."


    "If you have any trouble, you must tell me."


    "Alright."


    After hanging up, Lin Qiong pouted and said, "Why didn¡¯t you accept her offer? I¡¯m definitely capable of paying her back."


    "Pay back what? If you don¡¯t want to catch a big fish, then do whatever you want. But if you do want to fish for a big one, then we have to sell the goods. I¡¯ll contact some friends and get rid of this batch."


    Lin Qiong had also thought about it previously. To crack this case, they would have to engage in smuggling. Biting her lip, she said, "Alright then, it¡¯s up to you."


    Li Yifei patted Lin Qiong on the shoulder and assured, "Don¡¯t worry."


    Lin Qiong grasped Li Yifei¡¯s arm firmly and declared, "You just relax. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll get implicated in this; you¡¯ll still receive a commendation in the end, I guarantee it."


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and joked, "If I didn¡¯t trust you, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do this, but... can I quietly keep a bit of the money we make this time?"


    "No way!" Lin Qiong instantly said with utmost certainty, "Don¡¯t even think about it. Otherwise, you¡¯d really be involved in smuggling."


    "Stubborn." Li Yifei gave Lin Qiong a disdainful look and said, "Well, I¡¯m leaving."


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going? We need to play disappearing act once we¡¯ve nailed down the deal. Wouldn¡¯t it arouse suspicion if you just leave? We¡¯ll stick together these next few days. Your wife has already given the nod, hasn¡¯t she?"


    Li Yifei immediately waved his hand and objected, "Hold on, Xu Yingying is not my wife."


    "Is that so... but she seems really concerned about you. I think she¡¯s pretty good, you know. She¡¯s a boss, beautiful and rich; that¡¯s like searching with a lantern and finding none."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "We¡¯re just crossing paths; we can¡¯t walk the same road or pee in the same pot. Besides, I already have a girlfriend, you know that. And even if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d choose you over her any day."


    Lin Qiong felt rather pleased, thinking she must mean more to Li Yifei than Xu Yingying. But her expression changed immediately as she glared at him and asked, "From the sound of it, are you saying neither Xu Yingying nor I am really up to par?"


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and said, "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not good, just not suited for me. I still prefer someone as tender and gentle as Yiyi."


    "Tch!" Lin Qiong scoffed at Li Yifei and retorted, "You say you like her, but you¡¯re still entangled with someone else?"


    "Are you talking about you and me?"


    "Get lost, we¡¯re crystal clear. Once this case is cracked, you do your thing, and I¡¯ll do mine... Oh, I mean we¡¯re just good friends, there¡¯s nothing else."


    Li Yifei laughed mischievously and asked, "Then, my little sweetheart, where should we go play? Should we book a room, or should we go shopping?"


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "Women love shopping the most, so let¡¯s go shopping."


    All Li Yifei could do was agree. After all, going shopping with a beauty wasn¡¯t a bad way to pass the time.


    The two of them arrived at Mile City¡¯s biggest mall. Lin Qiong clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her chest occasionally brushing against it, which made Li Yifei quite uncomfortable. He whispered, "Hey, there¡¯s no one else around; do you have to do this?"


    But Lin Qiong was very serious as she said, "How do you know there¡¯s no one from there here? I¡¯m afraid that our photos have already been spread among them. Even if they¡¯re not tracking us on purpose, there¡¯s a big chance they could recognize us accidentally, which will definitely cause problems. Besides, are you really at a loss here?"


    "I¡¯m not at a loss, I¡¯m just worn out, Big Sister. You¡¯re a beauty, you know. Being this close to you, I¡¯m starting to have thoughts," he replied.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze instinctively glanced down at Li Yifei¡¯s trousers, where she saw no evidence of a ¡¯tent¡¯, and she spit at him, retorting, "How come I haven¡¯t noticed that all the big sisters in couples have those kinds of thoughts?"


    "It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t have thoughts, it¡¯s just that they¡¯re not strong, or the woman by their side isn¡¯t attractive enough."


    Lin Qiong felt a surge of triumph, already enjoying the process of shopping with Li Yifei far too much for it to feel simply casual and natural.


    After wandering around for a while, they unexpectedly ran into Ma Yiwei. This fellow was with a woman, dressed rather fashionably¡ªthough her taste was quite questionable. Possibly, having closed a good deal, the chap had received a substantial bonus and thus took the woman out for a spree.


    "Brother Li, Sister-in-law, what a coincidence," Ma Yiwei greeted them with even greater enthusiasm than usual, approaching with the woman, "Say hello, darling."


    The woman immediately spoke in a voice so coquettish it could make one¡¯s bones go soft, "Hello, Brother Li, hello, Sister-in-law."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "What a coincidence indeed. Are you two out shopping as well?"


    "Brother Li, let me be your guide. I¡¯ll definitely take you to see some good stuff."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse and readily accepted. Ma Yiwei led Li Yifei around, specifically to high-end stores, obviously hoping to skim a little off the top from Li Yifei¡¯s purchases.


    Unfortunately, other than the remaining 700,000, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t have any spare cash on them. Even though they were window shopping, neither of them had any intention of making purchases, especially not for items that cost tens of thousands.


    "Honey, I don¡¯t like this item."


    "This doesn¡¯t look authentic."


    "Never mind, can you take me to Hong Kong to buy it instead?"


    Of course, they couldn¡¯t let on that they had no money to spend, so Lin Qiong began to find fault with everything, insisting that nothing was to her liking. This frustrated Ma Yiwei, who had hoped Li Yifei would buy something for Lin Qiong, enabling him to benefit from their purchases as well. But now that Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t buying, he couldn¡¯t exactly expect Li Yifei to buy something for him, could he?


    "Hubby, I¡¯m thirsty. Let¡¯s find a place to have a drink," suggested Lin Qiong, her arm entwined with Li Yifei¡¯s, as she exaggeratedly swallowed her saliva.


    "Sure, off to get some drinks," Li Yifei responded cheekily, pinching Lin Qiong¡¯s face. At this point, Lin Qiong seemed to enjoy anything Li Yifei did to her and didn¡¯t get angry at all. Ever since that night they stayed together after the karaoke, Lin Qiong had stopped fussing about Li Yifei taking liberties with her.


    After arriving at the food and beverage area of the mall, Lin Qiong was picky as always, and finally chose one drink, costing over 300 yuan for four glasses. Li Yifei and Lin Qiong could afford this expense, but spending so much on a drink was quite lavish for them.


    As they sipped their beverages and chatted, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t want to continue accompanying Ma Yiwei, but he seemed intent on sticking around as if he wouldn¡¯t leave until he got something out of it. All four of them had their own agendas, nursing their drinks for a long time.


    Su Yiyi had no classes that afternoon. She was really hoping Li Yifei would call her, but knowing how busy he was recently, she resisted the urge to disturb him.


    Sitting in her dormitory, book in hand, her thoughts were filled with Li Yifei¡¯s image. Song Xiaoli, her cheerful roommate, teased her, "Longing for your boyfriend, are we?"


    "Not at all," Su Yiyi blushed scarlet in response.


    Song Xiaoli laughed merrily, pointing at Su Yiyi¡¯s cheeks, "Yiyi, you¡¯re just not cut out for lying. Take a look in the mirror and see your face, see the look in your eyes¡ªbrimming with the thrill of spring. Yet you say you¡¯re not thinking of him."


    The other roommate, Xiao Ning, suggested suggestively, "Yiyi, if you miss your boyfriend, why don¡¯t you just go see him?"


    Su Yiyi was even more embarrassed, but now that her roommates all knew she had a boyfriend, she softly said, "He¡¯s busy with work; I can¡¯t disturb him."


    Song Xiaoli was a bold girl who was quite close to Su Yiyi. She patted Su Yiyi on the shoulder and said, "Yiyi, I really don¡¯t approve of you dating someone off-campus. It¡¯s too easy to get deceived when you don¡¯t know much about the guy."


    "No way, Brother Li wouldn¡¯t deceive me," Su Yiyi quickly shook her head vehemently, her face flushed red.


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s panic, Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning exchanged looks, both a little helpless. Xiao Ning spoke up, "Yiyi, you¡¯ve been dating your boyfriend for quite some time now, how come you never bring him here for us sisters to meet?"


    Su Yiyi pressed her lips together and said, "Next time I go, I¡¯ll ask Brother Li when he¡¯s free to treat you all to a meal."


    At that moment, Song Xiaoli suggested, "That¡¯s not bad. Hey, let¡¯s go out and shop. I need to buy some stuff."


    Xiao Ning immediately agreed, "Sure, I¡¯m free anyway. Let¡¯s head out together. Yiyi, you might as well stop reading; you¡¯re not absorbing anything anyway."


    After hesitating for a moment, Su Yiyi agreed, and the three of them left the school to browse around the shopping mall. After strolling for quite a while and becoming thirsty, they decided to get something to drink.


    When they arrived at the food and beverage area, Su Yiyi casually glanced around and suddenly saw Li Yifei. Her face lit up with joy, and she prepared to approach him. But after only a couple of steps, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her complexion turning deathly pale.

 Chapter 263 - 269 Mistaken Identity

    Chapter 263: Chapter 269 Mistaken Identity"Yiyi, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Xiao Ning approached Su Yiyi, asking with confusion.


    "It¡¯s nothing... nothing." Su Yiyi bit her lip, tears already streaming uncontrollably because she had not only seen Li Yifei but also witnessed another woman sitting intimately close to him, with her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, which was completely outrageous.


    Song Xiaoli also came over to Su Yiyi¡¯s side and followed her gaze, although there were two tables of customers there, she immediately confirmed that Su Yiyi was looking at the table where Li Yifei was sitting.


    Li Yifei had put on makeup, but that was just for those unfamiliar with him, for Su Yiyi, who was well acquainted with Li Yifei, it was still obvious at first glance.


    "Yiyi, is that man over there your boyfriend?" Song Xiaoli¡¯s eyes widened as she spoke.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body shook as she replied, "No... he¡¯s not." She hastily wiped away her tears and said, "Don¡¯t overthink it, I just got some sand in my eyes."


    "Sand in your eyes?" Both Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning looked at Su Yiyi skeptically, wondering how sand could get into someone¡¯s eyes in such an enclosed shopping mall.


    "Alright, alright, let¡¯s go," Su Yiyi urged them to leave, pulling on the two.


    Xiao Ning immediately said, "We¡¯ve come here to have a drink, why leave?"


    Song Xiaoli also chimed in, "Yeah, Yiyi, we came here to drink, how can we leave?" She firmly pulled Su Yiyi to a seat and sat down, but her eyes once again glanced over towards Li Yifei¡¯s direction.


    Just as Song Xiaoli had mentioned, Su Yiyi simply wasn¡¯t someone who could lie, and they had long noticed something was off with Su Yiyi. They roughly guessed that one of the two men at Li Yifei¡¯s table must be Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend, and the fact that this man even had another woman by his side clearly meant he had deceived Su Yiyi.


    They had always been somewhat against Su Yiyi finding a boyfriend outside of school for fear that she would be deceived. Now, having their suspicions confirmed, they wanted Su Yiyi to realize the true character of this man and not to be fooled by him any longer.


    Therefore, after having Su Yiyi sit down, Song Xiaoli turned to Xiao Ning and said, "Stay here with Yiyi for a moment, I¡¯ll go buy something."


    However, Song Xiaoli didn¡¯t head to buy something right away; instead, she made her way straight to Li Yifei¡¯s table.


    Li Yifei had seen Su Yiyi enter and was inwardly groaning; he felt she had recognized him, not because he feared that he couldn¡¯t explain the situation to her, but because there was simply no opportunity to do so at this moment, which he knew would deeply hurt her. Just as he thought of finding an excuse to leave, Song Xiaoli had already approached, making it too late to do so.


    "Are you Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend?" Song Xiaoli came directly in front of Li Yifei and asked with a cold face.


    Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t yet seen Su Yiyi, and when this girl suddenly came up to Li Yifei to question him, it startled her. She stood up quickly, glared, and demanded, "Who are you?"


    Song Xiaoli looked at Lin Qiong with disdain and sneered, "Humph, Yiyi really must be blind to fall for you. Look at the kind of woman you¡¯re with. Can she compare even a bit to Yiyi?"


    At this moment, for the sake of her investigation, Lin Qiong knew it wouldn¡¯t be good to be recognized, growing frantic to get rid of this girl. She turned into an irate woman, pushing Song Xiaoli and exclaimed, "Who are you? This is my husband, what¡¯s this nonsense about a boyfriend? Are you sick?"


    It turned out that Song Xiaili was just as fiery. Lin Qiong¡¯s push only made her angrier, and she pushed back, eyes wider, and shouted, "Get away from me! I¡¯m talking to this faithless man. I¡¯m telling you, with someone like you, you¡¯re bound to be kicked to the curb sooner or later."


    At that moment, Li Yifei stood up, took Lin Qiong by the hand, and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Ma Yiwei¡¯s eyes lit up, intrigued by the drama unfolding before him, and he quickly said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re quite impressive, having someone here as well. Do you need my help to sort this out?"


    Su Yiyi had been heartbroken all along and dared not look at Li Yifei; otherwise, her heart would completely shatter. But hearing Song Xiaoli start to argue, she rushed over in a panic, grabbed Song Xiaoli, and pleaded, "Little Li, stop talking, let¡¯s go!"


    Ma Yiwei¡¯s eyes brightened further, not expecting Su Yiyi to be so beautiful. What struck him most was her delicate demeanor, which was touching to any man. Such a girl was truly exceptional. He then glanced at Lin Qiong and felt she paled in comparison to Su Yiyi.


    But then he sensed something amiss. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t a local and this was his first time coming here for smuggling; how could it be that he had a kept woman in the area? Instinctively, he turned to look at Li Yifei with doubt in his eyes.


    Li Yifei and Lin Qiong both sensed Ma Yiwei¡¯s suspicion. Lin Qiong felt incredibly anxious, whereas Li Yifei, with a lecherous look, said to Su Yiyi, "Little sister, do you recognize me?"


    Su Yiyi was startled and scrutinized Li Yifei up and down. Li Yifei did look different from usual, but she was so close to him, and they had lived together so many times, that she was more familiar with him than anyone else could be, so she could still recognize that this was indeed Li Yifei.


    "Little sister, you really are pretty. If you think I¡¯m your boyfriend, then I¡¯ll admit it. How about that?" Li Yifei pinched Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek.


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t dodge. She was somewhat dumbfounded, but upon being pinched by Li Yifei, she suddenly realized, Li Yifei had disguised himself like this and even adopted this tone on purpose, clearly intending to hide his identity. Although she didn¡¯t know what Li Yifei was up to, she absolutely could not ruin his plan.


    Furthermore, the way Li Yifei was acting so lewdly made her feel scared. If she really mistook someone else for him, wouldn¡¯t that be a terrible mistake? She hurriedly took a step back, saying in a panic, "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I got it wrong."


    Li Yifei stepped forward to grab Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, saying, "Just because you got it wrong, that¡¯s it? No worries, what I have no shortage of is money. You name a price, and I¡¯ll take care of you."


    Instinctively, Su Yiyi backed away several steps, stuttering, "I really made a mistake, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry."


    Song Xiaoli immediately blocked Li Yifei¡¯s way, angrily saying, "What are you doing? If you keep messing around, I¡¯m going to call the police."


    At that moment, Lin Qiong also spoke up in a sardonic tone, "Little girl, randomly recognizing boyfriends, truly sick in the head. Husband, what¡¯s so good about a girl like this, not an ounce of meat on her body."


    Li Yifei still seemed somewhat reluctant as he gazed at Su Yiyi, appearing quite smitten, and Lin Qiong pouted, swinging Li Yifei¡¯s arm in displeasure, "Husband, what are you doing?"


    Li Yifei then let out a dry laugh, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s go shopping." After walking a couple of steps, he still couldn¡¯t help but look back lingeringly at Su Yiyi.


    Ma Yiwei, who had initially been suspicious of Li Yifei when Song Xiaoli came to confront him, now realized that he had been overthinking it. Seeing Li Yifei looking at Su Yiyi infatuatedly, he knew that it was simply a case of mistaken identity. He glanced at Su Yiyi a few times, thinking that such a girl should be taken advantage of if the opportunity arose in the future, and blinking his eyes, said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you and your sister-in-law have fun. I won¡¯t disturb you two."


    Li Yifei agreed and left the dining area with Lin Qiong. After walking a good distance, Lin Qiong breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "That was close, almost blew our cover."


    Li Yifei gave Lin Qiong a contemptuous look, saying, "Look at the mess you¡¯ve made with your makeup. Yiyi recognized me instantly. If those people were to recognize us, we¡¯d be dead." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong awkwardly twisted her mouth but still argued, "It¡¯s because she knows you too well, even if you wear make-up, she can recognize you. But these people have never had any contact with us before, they surely won¡¯t recognize us."


    "Let¡¯s hope for the best then, otherwise, you¡¯ll be the death of me."


    Back in the dining area, Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning were eyeing Su Yiyi, whose expression was no longer so sad. Song Xiaoli asked in confusion, "Yiyi, was that guy really not your boyfriend?"


    Just as Su Yiyi was about to admit it, her gaze inadvertently caught the man who had been with Li Yifei earlier still lingering around. She immediately shook her head, saying, "No, my boyfriend is younger than him, but they look somewhat similar, I mistook one for the other."


    Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning were both amused and exasperated by Su Yiyi¡¯s mistake, with Xiao Ning saying, "I tell you Yiyi, even a boyfriend can be mistaken, that¡¯s really something."


    Su Yiyi was quite embarrassed, but not because she had recognized the wrong person. She felt guilty for having to lie to her good friends instead of telling them the truth. Apologetically, she said, "I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t see clearly when I came in, and I made Little Li look foolish too."


    Song Xiaoli waved it off, "Forget it, who makes me your good friend? Later, have your boyfriend treat me and Xiao Ning to a meal, that¡¯ll be thanks enough."


    "No problem at all!" Su Yiyi agreed quickly and repeatedly.


    After the three of them finished eating and hung around the mall for a bit, they prepared to head back to school. Seeing Li Yifei today and realizing that what he was doing seemed very unusual, Su Yiyi was quite worried about his safety. She couldn¡¯t help but think about Li Yifei and didn¡¯t dare call him. So after saying a word to Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli, she went alone to Li Yifei¡¯s home.


    Taking a cab, Su Yiyi arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s house to find it seemed like no one had been back for several days. The place was covered in dust. She immediately set about cleaning the house and then sat down on the sofa, her mind full of Li Yifei¡¯s image, all the sweet memories with him. Lost in thought, she couldn¡¯t help but daydream.

 Chapter 264 - 270 Godsend

    Chapter 264: Chapter 270 GodsendBy after eight o¡¯clock, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t returned, and Su Yiyi had no choice but to leave his home. She took the bus back to school, but when she got off the bus and was still a few hundred meters from the school, a man stopped her.


    As soon as she saw him, Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned pale with fright, because it was the man who had been with Li Yifei.


    Today, Ma Yiwei had seen Su Yiyi and was attracted by her beauty and temperament. This guy was always lecherous, he couldn¡¯t live without women, and seeing someone like Su Yiyi, he was even more determined to have her. So, he had been following Su Yiyi all day, but she, preoccupied with her own thoughts, hadn¡¯t noticed anyone was stalking her.


    "Little sister, we meet again." Ma Yiwei looked at Su Yiyi with lust, liking what he saw so much that he really wished he could drag her to his home and pin her down on the bed right then.


    Clutching her chest nervously, Su Yiyi stuttered, "I... I don¡¯t know you."


    "You might not know me, but once is chance, twice is fate, right? Let me introduce myself. My name is Ma Yiwei, a businessman. I make a few hundred thousand a year, and I¡¯m going to make even more. If you come with me, I¡¯ll treat you well," Ma Yiwei said, already reaching out to grab Su Yiyi¡¯s arm uncontrollably.


    Su Yiyi quickly stepped back to avoid Ma Yiwei¡¯s hand and said anxiously, "Don¡¯t touch me, I have a boyfriend."


    "Heh, I know you have a boyfriend, but what of it? With just one word from me, your boyfriend will have to leave you. Do you know what I do? I¡¯m a gangster, with just a word, I can find a dozen or so underlings."


    Su Yiyi looked around. By now, it was completely dark. Although not too far from the school gates, it wasn¡¯t close either, and worst of all, there was no one around at the moment. Even if she cried out for help, it was doubtful anyone could hear her.


    Although Su Yiyi usually appeared very delicate, she was not at a loss at this moment. Clenching her fists, she boldly said, "You better not do anything rash. I¡¯m telling you, my boyfriend is no ordinary person, and if you touch me, he won¡¯t let you off."


    "Oh, is that so? Well, I don¡¯t buy it. In Mile City, I, Ma Yiwei, have never been afraid of anyone." Truth be told, Ma Yiwei wasn¡¯t really much of a character, but in front of a girl he fancied, he naturally boasted. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend was anything special.


    As he spoke, he pressed on towards Su Yiyi, determined to have her today, no matter what.


    "Don¡¯t come any closer. I told you, my boyfriend will not let you off," Su Yiyi said backing away, trying to intimidate Ma Yiwei, but it seemed to have absolutely no effect.


    "Even if your boyfriend is fierce, I still want a taste of you first. I like soft and weak girls like you the best, heh heh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle, and with my skills, I¡¯ll make you experience what real pleasure is."


    "Shameless!" Su Yiyi¡¯s face flushed red and she shouted angrily.


    "Haha, you¡¯ll know on the bed that being shameless is the happiest," Ma Yiwei laughed heartily and suddenly, taking advantage of Su Yiyi being off-guard, lunged forward and grabbed her arm.


    "Let go of me! Help!" Su Yiyi screamed in fear, but with no one around, it was useless. And although Ma Yiwei looked skinny and frail, his strength was not insignificant compared to hers; she couldn¡¯t break free from his grip, even as she struggled desperately not to let him touch any other part of her body.


    However, she knew sooner or later Ma Yiwei would overpower her, filling her with unspeakable grief and anger. She had always planned to save herself for Li Yifei, and now she was about to be ruined by this man. If that really happened, how would she ever face Li Yifei? In a surge of despair and rage, Su Yiyi decided that if Ma Yiwei really attempted to desecrate her, she would fight to the death and absolutely not let this bastard take advantage of her. She¡¯d rather die preserving her chastity for Li Yifei than let it fall into this scoundrel¡¯s hands.


    Just when Su Yiyi felt she was losing strength, a roar suddenly filled her ears: "Let her go!"


    Hearing that voice, Su Yiyi almost thought she was dreaming, because it was Li Yifei¡¯s voice.


    Then she realized it wasn¡¯t a dream, as Li Yifei had already kicked the man to the ground and his strong arms were wrapped tightly around her.


    "Yiyi, are you okay?" Li Yifei held her tightly, yet his tone was very gentle. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Li!" Su Yiyi looked up, seeing the face she thought about countless times every day, her eyes brimming with unstoppable tears.


    "Don¡¯t cry, Brother Li will make it right," Li Yifei said, patting Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, his face full of menace as he glared at Ma Yiwei, who was trying to get up.


    Then, something occurred to Su Yiyi, and she quickly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, urgently saying, "Brother Li, this..."


    "It¡¯s okay, I know." Li Yifei said with a gentle smile, wrapping his arms around Su Yiyi as they came to stand in front of Ma Yiwei, who had just gotten up. With another kick, he sent Ma Yiwei falling back to the ground.


    "Fuck!" Ma Yiwei, clutching his stomach and glaring at Li Yifei with a murderous look, was about to curse when he suddenly felt that Li Yifei looked familiar, somewhat resembling the Li Yifei he was supposed to be working with, which made him pause for a moment.


    "You trash, daring to touch my girlfriend, are you looking to die?" Li Yifei stood his ground, glaring fiercely at Ma Yiwei.


    Ma Yiwei hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother Li, this is a misunderstanding!"


    "Misunderstanding my ass, now¡¯s not the time to cozy up to me, I¡¯m going to skin you alive."


    The way Li Yifei spoke now was completely different from the one Ma Yiwei met during the day. Moreover, Li Yifei was now in his true form, which made him look much younger. This made Ma Yiwei finally realize that this Li Yifei was not the one he knew and understood why Su Yiyi mistook him for someone else, as they did indeed look alike.


    Since he didn¡¯t recognize him, Ma Yiwei¡¯s anger flared as well, and he cursed, "Kid, if you dare touch me again, I¡¯ll immediately get ten or so people to chop you up."


    Li Yifei scoffed and said, "Get ten people? Bring them to me and see. Brother Hu wouldn¡¯t dare to so much as whisper in my presence, let alone fear some little shit like you."


    Ma Yiwei was immediately startled. He was a smuggler and mixed up in the underworld. He knew Brother Hu, who, though not a smuggler, was a recognizable figure and far stronger than characters like him. If Li Yifei knew Brother Hu and spoke so boldly, didn¡¯t that mean he was more powerful than Brother Hu? In front of Li Yifei, he was nothing.


    "Kid, you have two choices: one is to chop off the hand you used to grab my girlfriend yourself; the other is for me to cut off that hand for you." Li Yifei¡¯s voice was grinding through gritted teeth, issuing an indescribably chilling threat.


    Ma Yiwei trembled in terror at the ruthless proposition. Even if Li Yifei had no connections, just based on those two kicks, dealing with him would be a piece of cake, and Ma Yiwei instantly fell to his knees, pleading with a pained face, "Brother Li, I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. I let lust cloud my judgment. Please, just let me go this time."


    "You think I¡¯d let you off just like that after you harassed my girlfriend?"


    "No, no." Ma Yiwei quickly pulled out all the money from his pocket, amounting to a little over ten thousand yuan; it was the benefit he had received after Li Yifei made a deposit earlier. "Brother Li, take this money as a way to calm my sister-in-law¡¯s nerves. Please have mercy on me and don¡¯t hold a grudge against a nobody like me."


    "You know what¡¯s good for you." Li Yifei unceremoniously took the money, and Ma Yiwei immediately felt a sense of relief. Money can be earned again, but if he lost his hand, his future would be over.


    "Then I¡¯ll just destroy one of your hands." Li Yifei reached out and grabbed Ma Yiwei¡¯s right hand, exerting pressure with his fingers; Ma Yiwei screamed like a pig being slaughtered.


    "Brother Li, Brother Li, please no, it hurts! Brother Li, spare me, I¡¯ll do anything you ask, just don¡¯t ruin my hand."


    Su Yiyi tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s arm and whispered, "Brother Li, let it be, he didn¡¯t really do anything to me... "


    Ma Yiwei immediately latched onto what sounded like a lifeline and quickly said, "Sister-in-law, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry. I truly didn¡¯t know you were Brother Li¡¯s girlfriend. I won¡¯t dare to do it again; please let me off."


    Being kind-hearted, Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t bear to watch Ma Yiwei¡¯s misery and looked at Li Yifei with a plea in her eyes.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stand Su Yiyi¡¯s gaze and, knowing he didn¡¯t actually want to harm Ma Yiwei¡ªafter all, Su Yiyi had only been scared, and the fellow was still an important figure in the smuggling case¡ªgrunted and kicked Ma Yiwei hard, sending him tumbling through the air and landing face-first on the ground.


    Ma Yiwei got up, his mouth expelling several teeth. Though he could get fake teeth, a severed hand couldn¡¯t be reattached, so he quickly turned to Li Yifei with a mouthful of blood, bowing and scraping with gratitude, "Brother Li, thank you, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei glared and barked, "Get lost, and don¡¯t let me see you again, or I¡¯ll beat you every time I do."


    "Yes, yes!" Ma Yiwei ran off in a cloud of dust, not daring to make a sound.


    Su Yiyi then wrapped her arms around Li Yifei from behind, choking up, "Brother Li, Yiyi thought she would never face you again, thank goodness you came."


    "Silly girl!" Li Yifei held Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, saying tenderly, "It¡¯s my fault you had to suffer. Come on, Li Yifei will take you back to school."

 Chapter 265 - 271 Different

    Chapter 265: Chapter 271 Different"Yiyi, I¡¯m currently involved in a very important matter, and the person with me today is Officer Lin Qiong."


    Li Yifei, holding Su Yiyi close, slowly walked toward the school, explaining the day¡¯s events to her.


    Su Yiyi nestled by Li Yifei¡¯s side, no longer caring about Ma Yiwei. Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s explanation, her slight grievances vanished, and with a touch of guilt, she said softly, "Brother Li, it¡¯s my fault. I should have trusted you. When you dressed like that, I should have realized you were on a mission. I even caused you trouble; did I not affect your work?"


    A wave of guilt surged in Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Su Yiyi was startled and said anxiously, "Brother Li, did I really mess up your operation?"


    Realizing he had led Su Yiyi to misunderstand, Li Yifei quickly cracked a slight smile, saying, "No, you covered it up really well, and just now when I showed up to rescue you, that guy probably didn¡¯t connect us."


    "Then why... did you sigh?" Su Yiyi was still not quite convinced.


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi a bit tighter, and felt it was really difficult to bring up what happened with Ye Yunzhu. In a gentle voice, he said, "Yiyi, I should have come to find you earlier, so you wouldn¡¯t have had to be frightened. It¡¯s my fault for being late."


    Su Yiyi immediately showed a comforting smile and said, "It¡¯s okay, he only grabbed my arm."


    "Good, that¡¯s good. Yiyi, I¡¯m still going to be quite busy these next few days. I probably won¡¯t have time to be with you," he expressed.


    With a sweet smile, Su Yiyi said, "You¡¯re doing serious work. We will have lots of time together in the future. You go and deal with your things first."


    "Yeah, once I finish up with this matter, I will spend a few good days with you," he assured her.


    "Okay, then I should head back to school now." By this time, they had reached the school gate. Although Su Yiyi was reluctant to leave Li Yifei, she considerately prepared to part ways.


    Li Yifei took her hand, saying, "You¡¯re leaving just like this?"


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Yiyi instantly understood his implication. Her face flushed, she sneakily looked around. Although there were a few other students around, none recognized them. She promptly tiptoed and planted a kiss on Li Yifei¡¯s cheek. Then, half-tender, half-playful, she looked at him, clearly waiting for his response.


    Naturally, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t disappoint Su Yiyi. He lowered his head and lightly kissed her delicately carved lips, whispering softly, "If it weren¡¯t for today¡¯s matters, I really wouldn¡¯t want to let you go back to school."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned completely red, but her eyes were filled with deep longing. Having reached such an intimate stage with Li Yifei, she too was looking forward to the day they could truly be together. Biting her lip gently, she said, "After you finish your business this time, make sure it doesn¡¯t coincide with... my time of the month."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, touched that the usually shy Su Yiyi could make such a joke. He couldn¡¯t resist kissing her cheek again before whispering into her ear, "Don¡¯t worry, this time I¡¯ll be sure to calculate the days right."


    Su Yiyi felt weak all over, as if all her strength had left her. The mere thought of that moment caused a heat to rise from the bottom of her heart. Flushed, she pushed Li Yifei away, saying, "You better have calculated right," and then dashed into the school like a shot.


    Li Yifei did not chase after her but stood at the entrance, watching Su Yiyi leave. After running about twenty meters or so, she turned to look back at him, then waved her hand, took a turn around a corner, and disappeared from Li Yifei¡¯s sight.


    When he saw Su Yiyi today, Li Yifei realized that Ma Yiwei was harboring feelings for her. So, after leaving with Officer Lin Qiong, he promptly looped around and secretly followed Su Yiyi. He was aware when she went to his house, but he didn¡¯t go up. Only after seeing Su Yiyi get on the bus to school did Li Yifei finally feel relieved.


    However, suddenly seeing Ma Yiwei hailing a cab to chase after the bus, Li Yifei was unable to stay calm. He wanted to hail a cab to follow, but at that moment, not a single taxi was available, so he arrived late.


    Officer Lin Qiong was still at the hotel waiting for Li Yifei. They were going to move the goods tomorrow, and for safety¡¯s sake, they had decided not to go home.


    Seeing Li Yifei return, Officer Lin Qiong immediately asked, "Was there any problem?"


    Li Yifei recounted what had happened and concluded by saying, "I think this will make it even less likely for Ma Yiwei to connect Su Yiyi with me. Besides, that guy is just a middleman. Now that I¡¯ve taken away the commission he was earning, he¡¯s even less likely to talk nonsense. If he messes up the deal and they ask him for money, he won¡¯t be able to produce it."


    "You really are ruthless," Officer Lin Qiong chuckled, and although she approved of what Li Yifei had done, she felt apologetic as she added, "I¡¯m so sorry, I almost caused a misunderstanding between you and your girlfriend."


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "No problem, we¡¯ve already talked it through. Besides, Yiyi isn¡¯t someone to make a fuss over trivial matters. It was just that she was suddenly confronted with the situation, so it¡¯s normal for her to need some time to accept it. Didn¡¯t you see how cooperative she was with me then?"


    Officer Lin Qiong nodded and said, "Yiyi is indeed a good girl. You really should treat her right. If you ever wrong her, I won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    Li Yifei looked at Officer Lin Qiong with amusement and said, "You¡¯re not even related to Yiyi, why are you getting involved?"


    Officer Lin Qiong glared at him and retorted, "I may not be related to Yiyi, but we¡¯re both women. Yiyi is such a fragile and gentle girl; if you don¡¯t cherish her, that would make you worse than a brute. How could I not say something?"


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re qualified to criticize me, aren¡¯t you? But there¡¯s no need to insult me like that. Besides, I haven¡¯t wronged Yiyi yet." As he said this, Li Yifei suddenly felt his argument was rather weak. In terms of physical intimacy, he was still involved with He Fangqing and Ye Yunzhu, and emotionally, his relationship with Ye Yunzhu was also ambiguous. If this wasn¡¯t wronging someone, what was?


    "Look at that, even as you say it you¡¯re feeling guilty. Do I really need to say more?" Officer Lin Qiong would have rolled her eyes to the back of her head if it weren¡¯t for her ears in the way. She then gave Li Yifei another glare before her tone softened and she suggested, "Li Yifei, after all, we¡¯re friends. I won¡¯t meddle in your past affairs, but now that you¡¯ve acknowledged Yiyi as your girlfriend, you should break things off with those who have undefined relationships with you. Don¡¯t think a man¡¯s promiscuity is not a crime. It not only harms those women, but eventually, you will suffer too."


    Li Yifei knew Officer Lin Qiong was making sense, but he was still somewhat surprised to hear such straightforward advice from her and said, "You talk with such clarity, could it be that you have a wealth of experience in relationships?"


    Officer Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "Whether I¡¯ve dated or not, don¡¯t you already know?"


    "How would I know whether you¡¯ve dated? I didn¡¯t know you before," Li Yifei replied.


    Officer Lin Qiong glared at him and snapped, "You... when you kissed me, didn¡¯t you feel it? When we slept together, couldn¡¯t you tell then?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Sister, we need to clear this up. When we ¡¯slept¡¯ together, we just shared a bed, nothing more." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Humph, you think I¡¯m going to cling to you, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re way too full of yourself. You can rest easy; I have no interest in you. Besides, explain yourself about just now; could you tell or not?"


    Li Yifei hastily said, "I could tell, I was just joking with you."


    "Humph!" Officer Lin Qiong let out a dissatisfied snort and said, "Enough with this, I¡¯m going to take a shower."


    Li Yifei chuckled and cheekily asked, "Do you want to shower together?"


    "Go wash your own head!" Officer Lin Qiong cursed and quickly entered the bathroom, then firmly closed the sliding door behind her.


    After both had finished their washing up, they lay down on the same bed. There were no surveillance cameras watching them today, so they didn¡¯t have to put on an act as they had the last time. However, their intimacy the other day had been a bit too convincing.


    Neither of them spoke. Li Yifei was someone who could fall asleep instantly¡ªa habit he developed over years. Being able to maintain sufficient energy and strength during missions was crucial, and sleep was indispensable. Thus, he fell asleep shortly after.


    But Officer Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter what. Firstly, they were going to pick up the real merchandise tomorrow, which would allow her to understand the operations of the smuggling group better. Secondly, having Li Yifei, a man, lying beside her was making her think all sorts of things, even recalling the incident from two nights ago.


    Officer Lin Qiong was a fully grown woman. Despite having never dated, that didn¡¯t mean she lacked yearning for such intimacy. The fake affection she¡¯d shared with Li Yifei had stirred her long-suppressed desires. Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s breathing, she felt an intense warmth inside and her thoughts began to wander.

 Chapter 266 - 273 Rejection

    Chapter 266: Chapter 273 Rejection"Ah!" Li Yifei was in full swing when he suddenly let out a low cry, hurriedly raising his head with one hand covering his mouth. His lips were in unbearable pain, and there was a salty taste¡ªLin Qiong had bitten him.


    "Are you a dog or something?" Li Yifei was bitten quite fiercely, and the pain made his desire disappear completely. He glared at Lin Qiong in anger.


    Remorse flickered through Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes, but she quickly retorted with defiance, "I said I didn¡¯t want to play anymore. It¡¯s your own fault for forcing me; this is your lesson."


    "You... you... I¡¯m at a loss with you," Li Yifei muttered, frustrated as he flipped off the bed and went to the bathroom to inspect his wound.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong also tried to sit up but was met with a sharp pain below her abdomen. Her mouth twitched into a bitter smile as she whispered to herself, "This has really gone too far."


    Now that she¡¯d calmed down, Lin Qiong deeply regretted her actions. How could she have done such a thing, especially since Li Yifei had a girlfriend and was ambiguously involved with several other women¡ªhe was far from her ideal life partner.


    And to think she¡¯d given her first time to Li Yifei; it was a huge loss.


    "Sigh, these days, urban men and women don¡¯t take these things too seriously. Isn¡¯t it said that if you want to marry a virgin, you¡¯d have to look in junior high? I think my future husband won¡¯t care either." In the end, Lin Qiong could only come up with an excuse she could barely accept, which somewhat calmed her down.


    Just then, Li Yifei emerged from the bathroom. He¡¯d lingered in there for quite a while, not because of the pain in his mouth, but because he suddenly discovered fresh bloodstains below his belly. As someone who wasn¡¯t inexperienced, how could he not know where the blood came from?


    Having been in touch with Lin Qiong for quite some time, he roughly knew she was likely a virgin, but having it confirmed, and being the one to break it, gave him a headache. How was he going to face Lin Qiong, and how should he handle their relationship from now on?


    Already in an emotional mess, he now regretted not resisting Lin Qiong¡¯s dominance earlier, which he could have surely done.


    Returning to the bedroom, Li Yifei saw Lin Qiong still lying on the bed, covered with a thin blanket. But on the head of the bed, there was Lin Qiong¡¯s bra, and underneath on the floor, her panties. It was clear that Lin Qiong was still naked.


    Rubbing his nose, Li Yifei sat on the edge of the bed. As he was about to choose his words to speak with Lin Qiong, she disdainfully waved her hand, "Don¡¯t act so aggrieved. It¡¯s not like you were taken advantage of. Men¡¯s pride isn¡¯t that precious. Do you have to sulk like a little wife?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and he let out a dry laugh, "I¡¯m not feeling aggrieved."


    "Well, that settles it. But you really aren¡¯t that great. You made it quite uncomfortable for me, and I¡¯ve lost any interest in you," Lin Qiong shook her head, her expression dissatisfied. "Just go to sleep properly. It¡¯s rare to get the chance to lie in; it¡¯d be a shame to waste it."


    Li Yifei now felt somewhat clueless about how to face Lin Qiong. Her comments, at least, made him less embarrassed. Noticing it was still early, he simply climbed onto the bed, lifted the blanket, and slipped in.


    "This pillow is a bit low; lend me your arm to rest on," Lin Qiong said to Li Yifei with a calm and natural look.


    As their gazes met, Li Yifei suddenly understood Lin Qiong¡¯s intention. With a faint smile, he reached out, slid his arm under Lin Qiong¡¯s neck, and pulled her into his embrace, "My chest isn¡¯t bad either. It might be more comfortable for you to hold onto, might help you sleep better."


    "It¡¯s so hard and bony, how is that not bad?" Lin Qiong retorted, yet she still leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s chest and closed her eyes.


    Li Yifei really wanted to ask Lin Qiong why she had done this today, but knowing her personality, she surely wouldn¡¯t tell. So, he pretended to be oblivious and, holding the woman who brought him both tears and laughter, drifted off to sleep.


    They were woken up by Li Yifei¡¯s phone ringing; it was Ma Yiwei calling to pick Li Yifei up.


    Yawning, Li Yifei replied, "I haven¡¯t gotten up yet, wait for me for a while."


    "Heh heh, with a sister-in-law like that to keep Brother Li company, it¡¯s normal to get up late. I¡¯ll wait for Brother Li¡¯s call then."


    Ma Yiwei naturally thought of Li Yifei¡¯s enchantingly appealing lover. If he had such a lover, he¡¯d definitely want to hold onto her and relish the moments every day.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong hurried out of bed. Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but let out a low cry as she rose, clutching her lower abdomen.


    Li Yifei immediately asked with concern, "How is it?"


    Lin Qiong cracked a smile and said, "It¡¯s nothing. If I had known it would be this uncomfortable, I wouldn¡¯t have played along with you."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, saying, "Why don¡¯t you rest today, and I¡¯ll handle it alone."


    "How can that be? I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for so long, I have to go no matter what."


    Li Yifei knew Lin Qiong would not miss it, but he still said with some concern, "Can you handle it then?"


    As if there was absolutely nothing wrong, Lin Qiong puffed out her chest to prove her wellbeing. However, she suddenly realized Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was fixated on her chest. A wave of embarrassment surged through her, and she snapped, "Asshole, what are you still looking at? Haven¡¯t you seen enough of me all night?"


    "Oh... enough," Li Yifei quickly tried to explain, but then, noticing the unpleasant expression on Lin Qiong¡¯s face, he realized how insulting it was for a woman to hear that he had seen enough right after they had been intimate. He quickly corrected himself, "No... I haven¡¯t seen enough."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s reaction, Lin Qiong felt a sudden rush of satisfaction, snorted, and said, "Not enough? Well, you won¡¯t get to see anymore. Hurry up and wash up; I still have to do your makeup."


    Li Yifei quickly agreed and ran to the bathroom as if fleeing the scene.


    More than half an hour later, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong came downstairs. Ma Yiwei had already been waiting in the hall. The poor guy had been beaten up by Li Yifei the day before. He had scraped his face on the ground, tearing up several patches of skin. Now, with ointment applied and scabs formed, he looked truly pitiful.


    "Brother Ma, what happened to you?" Li Yifei pretended to be clueless and let out an exaggerated exclamation.


    Ma Yiwei took a careful look at Li Yifei, feeling that he did indeed resemble the man from yesterday. But, there are many look-alikes in the world, especially with an age difference between them, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "I had too much to drink yesterday and took a nasty fall."


    The moment he spoke, the gap from his missing teeth became visible, reminiscent of a child losing baby teeth¡ªtruly a comical sight.


    "I¡¯m dizzy. You even knocked out several teeth; that was quite a fall," Li Yifei exclaimed with mock surprise.


    Even more embarrassed, Ma Yiwei couldn¡¯t mention yesterday¡¯s humiliating events to Li Yifei as that would be a massive loss of face. So, he chuckled again and said, "Brother Li, we should get ready early today. Tonight we¡¯re going to need cash, and I¡¯ll accompany you to withdraw it."


    Li Yifei understood that the other party was worried he wouldn¡¯t have the money ready when the goods were prepared. So he readily replied, "No problem."


    The three of them left the hall. A jeep was already waiting outside. The vehicle wasn¡¯t great, but it was spacious. The driver was a lean middle-aged man whose pronounced knuckles told Li Yifei that the driver must have been a soldier, and not just any ordinary grunt.


    At the bank, Li Yifei presented his gold card. Without needing to queue, the bank staff immediately attended to him. To show off his wealth and grandeur, he and Lin Qiong had specifically applied for such a gold card while registering, and with ten thousand in hand, the bank was only too eager to issue them this type of card.


    He withdrew six hundred thousand, securing it in a password-protected case. Ma Yiwei then took Li Yifei and Lin Qiong back to the hotel. His task was to personally ensure that Li Yifei had prepared the money. The rest was left to others.


    Back at the hotel, faced with Lin Qiong again, Li Yifei felt somewhat uncertain about how to proceed. However, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t mention a word about the previous night¡¯s events, acting as if nothing had happened. After they had eaten, Lin Qiong went out on her own, telling Li Yifei to stay put and not leave.


    It wasn¡¯t until three in the afternoon that Lin Qiong returned, bringing some items with her and then started fiddling with them in her handbag.


    Li Yifei was quite familiar with these gadgets; they were surveillance devices. Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t just going for an investigation this time, she also needed to gather solid evidence, making these devices indispensable. Initially, they weren¡¯t necessary when interacting with Ma Yiwei, as they could be easily discovered. It wasn¡¯t until the actual deal tonight that Lin Qiong finally brought out the equipment.


    Li Yifei also began to help. Lin Qiong originally thought that Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t understand these devices, but seeing him handle them even more adeptly than her, she simply stepped aside and watched him work.


    Observing Li Yifei¡¯s proficient movements, Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes narrowed. This Li Yifei was really no simple man. The fact that he could discover such concealed cameras in a nightclub had already impressed her, and his ability to deduce how to avoid camera angles was no ordinary skill. Even the specialized instructors at the police academy probably lacked this ability, and it seemed they hadn¡¯t even mastered such a technique.


    As she watched, Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze became increasingly fervent and captivated.

 Chapter 267 - 274 Lin Qiong’s Thoughts

    Chapter 267: Chapter 274 Lin Qiong¡¯s ThoughtsBy the time Li Yifei had finished, the admiration and obsession that had been on Lin Qiong¡¯s face had vanished without a trace, and she said casually, "I hadn¡¯t realized it, but you¡¯re actually quite capable."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "It¡¯s just a trivial matter, but it¡¯s about life and death for both of us. If we¡¯re not careful and the other side discovers us, we won¡¯t even know how we died, so of course, we have to be careful."


    Lin Qiong pouted and said, "Scaredy-cat."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t openly disagree with Lin Qiong¡¯s retort; he now understood that Lin Qiong always had to be contrary to him. Even if he spoke sensibly, Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t admit it at this moment, so he might as well not bother.


    After dinner, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong waited in the room for the call to pick up the goods. Lin Qiong paced back and forth in the room, the young policewoman finally starting to show signs of impatience.


    "Can you stop pacing, please? You¡¯re making my eyes dizzy," Li Yifei finally couldn¡¯t help but remind Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong stopped walking and said, "You¡¯re anxious, too. Why haven¡¯t they called yet? They didn¡¯t discover something¡¯s wrong with us, did they?"


    "Whether they¡¯ve discovered it or not, we can only wait now, can¡¯t we? Please, just sit quietly for a while."


    "Fine." Lin Qiong agreed, sitting down on the sofa, but within five minutes she was up and pacing the room again, leaving Li Yifei with no choice but to realize that she was under tremendous pressure. It was her first time cracking such a big case, and knowing full well the strength and background of the other party was extremely formidable. Whether they could solve this case was really uncertain; then there was the million from her parents that she had tricked them out of. If they couldn¡¯t solve this case, that million would truly be gone for good, and she would have to figure out how to explain it to her parents.


    After more than an hour¡¯s wait, Ma Yiwei¡¯s call finally came through, saying that a car would come to pick them up in twenty minutes, and he himself would not come along. Hearing this, Lin Qiong finally quieted down.


    The sudden silence made Li Yifei feel uncomfortable, as Lin Qiong kept staring at him.


    "Could you please not stare at me like that? I¡¯m really feeling uneasy," Li Yifei said with a dry laugh, feeling a bit creeped out by Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze.


    Lin Qiong bit her teeth and suddenly walked over to face Li Yifei. Then, bending her knees, she half-squatted in front of him, placing her hands on his legs while gazing intently at him.


    "Can we just talk about the matter at hand, please? I really can¡¯t stand you looking at me like this." Li Yifei rubbed his nose, feeling even more uncomfortable.


    Lin Qiong continued to look at him in the same way, her lips slightly parting as she said, "Yifei, promise me one thing."


    "Oh? What is it?"


    "This operation could be dangerous, and if there really is danger, I¡¯ll give my life to help you escape. If you manage to run away and then go back to your former appearance, they¡¯ll certainly never find you again. As for me... my biggest worry is about my parents. I lied to them about the money, and if this doesn¡¯t work out, I won¡¯t be able to honor them anymore. I really feel too ashamed for failing to repay their kindness in raising me..."


    As Li Yifei listened to Lin Qiong speak, it sounded almost like she was making final arrangements, which he found unsettling, and he quickly said, "What are you rambling on about?"


    Lin Qiong shook her head firmly and said, "I¡¯m not rambling. I really don¡¯t have a lot of confidence in this operation, about whether I can make it back. That¡¯s why I need to make it clear with you. If I really can¡¯t make it back, and if you have time, please go see my parents."


    "You..." Li Yifei suddenly thought of what Lin Qiong had done that morning, and his heart gave a jolt. Could it be because of this that she had been so impulsive with him, thinking that if they became intimate, she could then ask him to look after her parents?


    "Yes!" Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to ask outright, as Lin Qiong gave him a definite answer, saying, "This matter was none of your concern to begin with. I dragged you into it, and if we fail, there¡¯s really no benefit to you. The only way I can repay you is with my body. And... since you¡¯re practically my man now, you helping to take care of my parents wouldn¡¯t be too much to ask, I suppose. I don¡¯t expect much; just occasionally visit them, that¡¯s all."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a pang of sorrow, not expecting Lin Qiong to have such foresight, nor to be so concerned about her filial duties to her parents and her determination to solve the case.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, talking about such unlucky things at this time is really bad luck," Li Yifei glared at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong smiled faintly, an inexplicable sadness in her beauty. She leaned her face against Li Yifei¡¯s leg and said softly, "Li Yifei, I know all this is me forcing you, and you¡¯re doing it unwillingly. But I also know that you¡¯re a man of principle, and once you¡¯ve promised something, you¡¯ll see it through."


    "This... I do have some principle, but if you really think it¡¯s that dangerous, maybe we shouldn¡¯t do it. Wouldn¡¯t that be safer? Wait until you have more power, and then you can tackle this case."


    Lin Qiong shook her head with unwavering determination and said, "No! I can¡¯t let them get away with their crimes. This is my duty as a police officer. So tonight, I must go no matter what. Can you agree to my request?"


    Facing Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei¡¯s heart softened like a serene pond. He touched Lin Qiong¡¯s makeup-covered cheek with his hand, nodded, and said, "I promise you. But considering the chances are slim, and you will likely come back safely."


    "You agreed, and of course, I hope to be safe too. I¡¯m only twenty-five and I haven¡¯t lived enough yet."


    "Exactly! You gave me such a hard time this morning, got me all fired up and then just left me hanging. I haven¡¯t even gotten my revenge on you yet."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face flushed with a trace of pink, but her eyes were smiling as she said, "If we can make it back safely this time, I¡¯ll make it up to you properly. Then, you can do whatever you want." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You said it yourself, don¡¯t go back on your word when we get back," Li Yifei said with a wide grin, looking like a lecherous man.


    Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help laughing at Li Yifei¡¯s expression and scolded playfully, "Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m a cop, I¡¯ve even busted prostitution rings before. I¡¯m well aware of all those messy things. I promise you¡¯ll be satisfied when the time comes."


    At this moment, Li Yifei actually found Lin Qiong to be very charming and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he leaned down, stretched out his arm, and pulled Lin Qiong onto his lap, saying, "We¡¯ve still got some time, why don¡¯t we warm up a bit first."


    "Knock it off, you big pervert, always thinking with your lower half," Lin Qiong said, though she didn¡¯t try to escape from Li Yifei¡¯s embrace. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her gaze soft and face as blooming as a peach blossom.


    Li Yifei had just been joking initially, but upon seeing Lin Qiong like this, he couldn¡¯t help himself as his fingers began to wander uncontrollably.


    Lin Qiong let Li Yifei¡¯s hands roam over her body, feeling a stirring in her heart, but at this time, it was impossible for her to let him go all the way. She merely satisfied his touch for a while before, panting, she stopped him from going any further.


    Li Yifei also knew they were running out of time and set off with Lin Qiong.


    The car was waiting outside the hotel, the same driver as the one who came during the day. From this, it seemed the driver¡¯s status might even be higher than Ma Yiwei¡¯s.


    The driver merely nodded at Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, then started the car without a word.


    Half an hour later, the car stopped at a small dock by the seashore, in the vicinity of which there were many warehouses.


    Mile City was a coastal city, but its tourism industry wasn¡¯t very developed because its beaches lacked gentle sand and were mostly mudflats and hidden reefs. With such shorelines not suitable for tourism, the only decent harbor was the main dock, and the rest were scattered with sporadic smaller docks.


    After the car stopped, Lin Qiong visibly became nervous, unconsciously gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arm. Her reaction certainly resembled that of an ordinary woman; indeed, the night here felt decidedly sinister.


    Suddenly lights flared on in the darkness ahead, and two people approached following the light. The driver said to Li Yifei, "The goods have arrived."


    Li Yifei hurriedly got out of the car with Lin Qiong and walked towards the two men. One of them Li Yifei recognized, being the same man who had stood behind Yao Mingyuan at dinner. They shook hands, and the other man said, "The goods are in the car, you should check them out."


    "Sure!" Li Yifei was not shy; with a million in goods, anyone would want to check. He moved towards the light right away.


    It was a large truck with the cargo door wide open. Jumping into the truck, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong saw boxes stacked by the dozens inside.


    Electronic products and watches were relatively small items, so five boxes were about full, whereas the many other boxes were filled with laptops. If those boxes were full of watches, even ten million might not cover them.


    Li Yifei pretended to open a few boxes, then he and Lin Qiong made a show of looking them over. In reality, they were recording everything. Since arriving there, the hidden camera had never been turned off.


    After dawdling for over ten minutes, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong climbed out of the truck. Li Yifei laughed and said, "The goods are definitely fine."


    The bodyguard gave a slight smile and said, "That¡¯s good to hear, Mr. Li. Now if you could settle the rest of the account, you can take the goods away."


    Li Yifei readily responded, "No problem," and handed the case full of cash to the bodyguard.


    The bodyguard briefly checked the contents of the case, then snapped it shut, handed it to the other man, and shook Li Yifei¡¯s hand, saying, "We hope Mr. Li can sell this batch of goods smoothly."


    "No problem, I can handle this batch in just a few days. I just wonder when I can get the next shipment."


    The bodyguard smiled faintly and said, "As long as Mr. Li is willing, he can get in touch with Elder Fourth about that. I¡¯m not too clear on these matters."

 Chapter 268 - 275 Shanshan’s Interrogation

    Chapter 268: Chapter 275 Shanshan¡¯s InterrogationLi Yifei and Lin Qiong were squeezed together on the seats of a big truck, beside a driver, as the vehicle had already entered the highway and was moving steadily at high speed.


    At this moment, Lin Qiong felt almost incredulous that they had managed to transport the goods out so safely and without incident, when she had expected many more people and strict checks.


    In fact, this was Lin Qiong¡¯s first real exposure to smuggling, and although it involved many complications, it was, in essence, a business. Unlike the extremely cautious drug and arms traffickers, who could be executed if caught, smugglers would just face a few years of imprisonment if nabbed.


    Additionally, the most crucial aspect of a smuggling operation was its initial vetting. Because Li Yifei and Lin Qiong had prepared well ahead of time, they managed to lower the group¡¯s guard, leading to the successful deal.


    However, Lin Qiong felt no particular joy, because while they had some evidence of smuggling, such evidence couldn¡¯t really do much, and could at most lead to the arrest of Elder Fourth, Yao Mingyuan. But arresting only Yao Mingyuan would undoubtedly be like scaring off the snake by hitting the grass, losing any chance of capturing others involved later on.


    As the truck driver was clearly one of their people, Lin Qiong had to continue her act with Li Yifei at this point, coquettishly discussing with him about what he¡¯d buy for her with the money they made and where they could go for fun.


    The driver was an old hand, probably used to driving through the night. After several hours, he briefly stopped to have a bite to eat with Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, then continued driving. Lin Qiong was tired by then, and it would seem abnormal if she didn¡¯t sleep, so she laid her head down on Li Yifei¡¯s lap and drifted off.


    Li Yifei engaged the driver in casual conversation, trying to extract some information from him, but the driver was shrewd and didn¡¯t say much, only insisting that he knew nothing beyond his role as a driver. Eventually, Li Yifei gave up, as asking too much might reveal their intentions, so he too closed his eyes to sleep.


    The following dawn, the big truck finally reached its destination. Li Yifei arranged for the goods to be unloaded into a small warehouse, and then the big truck left.


    "Is this place yours?" Lin Qiong asked Li Yifei, puzzled.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Where would I get a warehouse? A friend lent it to me."


    "What friend?"


    "Just a friend, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. Leave the rest to me."


    The corner of Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched. She really didn¡¯t want to be involved in selling the goods, but she urgently needed funds to lure in the bigger fish from above, so she kept silent.


    At that moment, Li Yifei hugged Lin Qiong from behind and said cheerfully, "Shouldn¡¯t you take care of the thing you promised me now?"


    Lin Qiong abruptly pulled away Li Yifei¡¯s hands and turned to glare at him, retorting, "What did I promise you?"


    Meeting Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei said, "Didn¡¯t you promise me compensation after today¡¯s deal was done?"


    "Ah!" Lin Qiong let out a soft cry, her face blushing. She looked up and protested, "Nothing dangerous happened today, why should I compensate you?"


    "You..." Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, frustratedly staring at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong chuckled and said, "When we encounter danger next time, I¡¯ll definitely compensate you. Alright, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. I need to rush back to work."


    With that, she pushed the door open and left. By the time Li Yifei gave chase, he saw Lin Qiong sprinting away, as if fleeing for her life, which made Li Yifei laugh heartily. How interesting this policewoman was.


    After the two-day ordeal, it was Monday by the time Li Yifei returned to Mile City. He hadn¡¯t managed to find time that weekend to have a proper talk with Su Yiyi. Or rather, Li Yifei was somewhat reluctant to face Su Yiyi, so he had intentionally let the weekend slip by before returning.


    Over those two days, Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t forgotten to call him regularly, keeping herself well-informed about the situation. She knew that Li Yifei had successfully offloaded the goods and now had roughly 1.5 million in funds.


    Just one such operation had brought in so much money, which made Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth curve into a smile, understanding that the profit would have been even greater if Li Yifei had sold the goods off slowly rather than to a middleman.


    Before Li Yifei¡¯s return, he had already contacted Elder Fourth to tell him that he had successfully sold all the goods on hand and hoped to get another batch. However, Yao Mingyuan informed Li Yifei that there were no goods available at the moment, and that they would contact him when the next batch arrived.


    This was exactly what Lin Qiong had been hoping for. To crack this case, she definitely needed to fully understand their entire operation, including smuggling routes, sales channels, key personnel, etc., which couldn¡¯t be uncovered with just one or two transactions. She needed multiple deals to build sufficient trust and to present herself as a powerful business associate before she could get close to more senior figures in the operation.


    During these days, she had neglected her duties at the station and put them on hold; she too had some normal police work to attend to.


    On Monday evening, Li Yifei also arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s house. Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan had been on the phone nonstop these past days, continuously checking on him. It was expected of Xu Yingying, but Xu Shanshan had been eagerly waiting for Li Yifei to talk about this matter. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t visit, she would have come to drag him over herself.


    "Brother-in-law, finally you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve missed you to death." As soon as Li Yifei arrived, Xu Shanshan rushed over excitedly and grabbed his arm.


    Xu Yingying had come back with Li Yifei, and at that moment, she pushed the groceries she¡¯d bought towards Xu Shanshan, saying, "Take the groceries to the kitchen."


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t take them, still holding on to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and said, "Hey, I¡¯m talking to my brother-in-law here. Can¡¯t you carry them yourself?"


    Xu Yingying glared at her and said, "Didn¡¯t I say I haven¡¯t changed my shoes yet? Hurry up."


    Xu Shanshan reluctantly let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, took the groceries, but immediately grinned and said, "Brother-in-law, you have to tell me all about it today. Stay over tonight."


    Li Yifei was changing his shoes and laughed, saying, "I can talk, but staying over is unnecessary."


    "Hehe, you¡¯ve stayed with my sister so many times already, this one time won¡¯t make a difference."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed instantly, reminded of the night she had spent with Li Yifei. Previously, cohabitation had been peaceful, but now, if they were to share a bed again, she really wasn¡¯t sure Li Yifei could stay as well-behaved as before.


    At the very least, Xu Yingying was aware that if she were with Li Yifei, as long as he didn¡¯t truly cross the line, she actually didn¡¯t mind, and seemed to even relish, other intimate gestures. These past nights, she had been reminiscing about their closeness with Li Yifei, and it had been quite distressing.


    Xu Shanshan sneaked glances at Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction, seeing her sister¡¯s somewhat bashful face, and couldn¡¯t help but snicker to herself. Her proud older sister was progressively losing her immunity to Li Yifei. Just add a little more fuel to the fire, and wouldn¡¯t their happiness be secured?


    Once they were in the living room, Xu Yingying felt a bit uneasy in Li Yifei¡¯s presence and said, "Sit for a moment, I¡¯ll go to my room to change clothes." Then she dashed into the bedroom and with a slam, shut the door.


    At this time, Xu Shanshan came out of the kitchen, sat down next to Li Yifei, and once again grabbed his arm, urging him, "Brother-in-law, hurry and tell me about what happened these past days. My sister came back and wouldn¡¯t say a word about the thrilling things you¡¯ve been through; it¡¯s really irritating."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying was shy and would never reveal that in order to deceive others, they had to pretend to be intimate to avoid suspicion, let alone mention the intensity of their act.


    "Hehe..." Xu Shanshan blinked her eyes cunningly at Li Yifei and teased, "Tell me, brother-in-law, did you manage to win my sister over?"


    Li Yifei suddenly looked exasperated and said, "Nothing like that happened."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t lie to me. The second day when my sister came back, she was totally besotted. If it wasn¡¯t for being with you..." Xu Shanshan wiggled her thumbs suggestively, her expression growing even more ambiguous.


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "No, nothing happened between your sister and me." But in his mind, he felt quite guilty; after going that far, claiming innocence was a bit far-fetched. Yet since they hadn¡¯t actually taken the final step, Li Yifei still wanted to make some clarifications.


    Xu Yingying hurriedly changed her clothes and rushed out, knowing her sister all too well. That mischievous girl could say anything to Li Yifei when alone. What if she blurted something out?


    And indeed, as she reached the door, she heard Li Yifei defending himself. Hastily, she opened the door and came out, her face stern as she said, "Xu Shanshan, what nonsense are you spouting now?" Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan blinked and responded, "I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I¡¯m just curious about how far you and my brother-in-law have gotten. If there¡¯s no progress between you two, then I might have to make a move. Don¡¯t blame me for lacking sisterly love later; I can¡¯t let such a good brother-in-law slip away."


    Xu Yingying, initially worried Li Yifei might spill the beans about that day, changed her mind quickly. She sat down next to Li Yifei, took his arm, and intentionally let his arm graze her chest. She looked at Xu Shanshan with pride and said, "So you want to know? I¡¯ll tell you then. That night, your brother-in-law and I did sleep together. Everything that should and shouldn¡¯t have been done, was done."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. There were even cameras monitoring us. We had to make it look real to avoid suspicion."


    Li Yifei was about to explain when Xu Yingying stealthily pinched him on the soft flesh inside his arm, seemingly ready to pinch harder if he dared to speak out of turn.


    "No way, older sister, you¡¯re too bold, doing that with brother-in-law right under someone¡¯s watch. Oh my goodness, it¡¯s unimaginable."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s exclamation turned Xu Yingying¡¯s face even redder with embarrassment, wishing she could just disappear into a crack in the floor.

 Chapter 269 - 276: What’s Wrong with Being a Fool Once

    Chapter 269: Chapter 276: What¡¯s Wrong with Being a Fool Once"Brother-in-law, what exactly is going on here?" Xu Shanshan shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm, then pointed her lips toward Xu Yingying, saying, "I don¡¯t believe what my sister says."


    Li Yifei was caught between laughter and tears by the two of them. He also knew that if he didn¡¯t clarify things, Xu Yingying would definitely make the situation worse. So, he straightforwardly recounted the events of that day. Of course, when facing Xu Shanshan, his sister-in-law, he couldn¡¯t be too explicit with the details. However, he still had to explain their attire when going to bed; otherwise, Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    Xu Yingying initially wanted to stop Li Yifei from talking, but after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she let him narrate the whole story without interruption. After Li Yifei finished, Xu Yingying arched an eyebrow at Xu Shanshan and said, "Isn¡¯t that enough?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "I say, brother-in-law, aren¡¯t you a man? In a situation like that, you still held back. I really don¡¯t know how you managed."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect such an evaluation from Xu Shanshan. He let out an awkward laugh and said, "I¡¯m not really married to your sister; how could I do that?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Aren¡¯t you already legally registered? At least in my parents¡¯ eyes, you are their real son-in-law. So if you did something to my sister, they wouldn¡¯t mind at all."


    Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan and said, "Now you¡¯ve heard it. Yifei and I have already reached this point; you should have nothing more to say, right?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at Xu Yingying and said, "Sister, aren¡¯t you a modern person? This isn¡¯t ancient times where having a relationship means you must get married. Nowadays, many people don¡¯t marry even after that, not to mention you two haven¡¯t even actually done it. You¡¯re just seeing something as trivial as a feather as important as a command; it¡¯s really funny." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do you mean I really need to have a relationship with Li Yifei before you¡¯ll give up?"


    Xu Shanshan touched her chin and said, "Pretty much."


    Xu Yingying suddenly stood up and said, "Fine, tonight I¡¯ll have a relationship with him; let¡¯s see what you have to say then."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "But brother-in-law has to agree, right? This isn¡¯t something you can decide unilaterally."


    Xu Yingying immediately turned her gaze to Li Yifei and snapped, "Do you have any objections?"


    Li Yifei quickly nodded repeatedly and decisively, saying, "I do! Yingying, don¡¯t act impulsively. How can you do this out of anger?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately exaggeratedly exclaimed, "See that? Brother-in-law didn¡¯t agree, so it¡¯s just wishful thinking on your part. What¡¯s the use?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red instantly. Li Yifei¡¯s rejection was nothing short of humiliation. As a woman, saying such things only to be directly rejected by Li Yifei, and in front of her sister, no less, made the high and mighty CEO¡¯s eyes redden with tears brimming.


    Li Yifei had never seen Xu Yingying cry before and realized his words had been too hurtful. Although he had never fully believed that Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings for him were genuine, her recent attitude had indeed changed from how it used to be. No longer overbearing, she treated him more like a friend. Hurting Xu Yingying like this seemed a bit excessive.


    "Yingying, I didn¡¯t mean it like that, you..."


    Li Yifei was just about to soften the situation when Xu Yingying angrily shouted, "Leave, I don¡¯t want to see you!"


    "Yingying!" Li Yifei quickly stood up.


    "I don¡¯t want to see you!" Xu Yingying¡¯s tears finally fell, but being a stubborn woman, she wasn¡¯t willing to let Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan see her cry. She turned her head swiftly, rushed into the bedroom, and slammed the door shut forcefully.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan exchanged looks. Xu Shanshan let out a dry laugh and said, "It seems we¡¯ve taken this too far; I haven¡¯t seen her cry in years."


    Li Yifei was caught between laughter and tears and said, "You¡¯re using something like this to play around?"


    Xu Shanshan was taken aback, almost revealing her true feelings. She pouted immediately and said, "What¡¯s the big deal? Anyway, if my sister can¡¯t make you fall for her, I will make you fall for me. I¡¯m only holding back because she¡¯s my sister. Otherwise, I would have made a move long ago. How was I supposed to know she¡¯s so useless? Besides, she¡¯s angry because you provoked her, not me. I¡¯m not involved. I¡¯m warning you, my sister can be very stubborn sometimes. If she gets upset, she might even go to the extreme of doing something drastic."


    After saying her piece, Xu Shanshan dashed back into her bedroom, leaving Li Yifei alone in the living room, rendering him speechless.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei decided he would still try to comfort Xu Yingying. He walked over and knocked on her door, but there was no response at all from inside. He called out a couple of times, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t respond either, which genuinely worried him. He took out his keychain from his pocket and, in just a few motions, unlocked Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom door.


    As he pushed the door open, he saw Xu Yingying sitting up, wiping her eyes. With an unpleasant expression, she snapped at him, "What are you doing here?"


    Despite her unfriendly tone, seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s swollen eyes, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to argue with her. He closed the door, approached, and sat beside her, speaking gently, "Yingying, why do this to yourself?"


    Xu Yingying took a breath, suddenly turned her head, and looked at Li Yifei with sharp eyes as she slowly spoke, "Do you really dislike me that much?"


    Li Yifei quickly shook his head and said, "How could I dislike you?"


    "Then what do you mean by this?" Xu Yingying widened her eyes at him, the anger in her eyes growing more intense.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Yingying, before, I saw you as my boss. Later, as we interacted more, I started to see you as a friend. But when it comes to feelings, we truly don¡¯t have anything. I admit I¡¯m not a good man; I am tempted by pretty women. But with friends, I don¡¯t want to take advantage. I respect you, so I couldn¡¯t accept what you said just now, and I rejected you directly."


    Xu Yingying stared at Li Yifei for a long time without speaking, which made him uneasy. "Yingying, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?"


    Xu Yingying suddenly nodded, her face carrying a hint of a smile, and said, "I understand."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. "That¡¯s good."


    At this moment, Xu Yingying¡¯s smile grew more pronounced, her gaze at Li Yifei becoming increasingly unusual, which made Li Yifei feel uneasy. He shrank back a bit and asked, "Yingying, are you... okay?"


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "I¡¯m fine. Li Yifei, do you know I just made a decision?"


    "A decision?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying in confusion, feeling even less certain. Why did he feel like Xu Yingying¡¯s decision had something to do with him?


    Xu Yingying suddenly patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "I¡¯ve discovered I¡¯m actually starting to fall for you."


    "Really... falling... for... me?" Li Yifei widened his eyes, staring at Xu Yingying. In the past, when Xu Yingying talked about wanting to be with him, he knew it was just a game for her sister, not to be taken seriously. But suddenly, he felt she was genuinely serious this time.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s smile carried a hint of allure as she said, "But it¡¯s just a little. To be completely in love with you, there¡¯s still some distance."


    "Then you..." Faced with Xu Yingying¡¯s confession, Li Yifei suddenly felt a lot of pressure.


    Xu Yingying kept her eyes locked on Li Yifei and said, "Since I¡¯ve fallen for you, I¡¯ll try to see if you can make me fall for you completely."


    Li Yifei froze for a moment, then suddenly stood up, saying, "This won¡¯t work. I don¡¯t want to be your experimental field."


    At this time, Xu Yingying crossed her left leg over her right, her silk nightgown revealing her body beneath. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure when it started, but Xu Yingying stopped caring whether or not she was exposed in front of him. At least, the way she was now was something she wouldn¡¯t show to others at all. But in front of Li Yifei, she was very composed.


    Not only composed, but Xu Yingying was also quite calm. Her mouth curved into a delightful arch as she squinted at Li Yifei and said, "Actually, I found Shanshan¡¯s really got an eye. I hadn¡¯t noticed so many of your strengths before. Now that I have, naturally, I won¡¯t let you go easily."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched a bit and said, "I say, Yingying, can we not play around? I have a girlfriend, you know, and now I¡¯m rekindling things with Ye Yunzhu. I¡¯m already overwhelmed, not knowing how to handle this, so please don¡¯t get involved."


    Xu Yingying gently swung her leg back and forth and said, "You¡¯re still tangled up with Sister Fangqing, not to mention the ambiguity with that police officer, Lin Qiong."


    Li Yifei felt embarrassed and said, "Since you know, why get involved?"


    "Since there are already so many, one more won¡¯t hurt, right? I¡¯m someone who never gives up in the face of challenges. Besides, if so many people see something in you, doesn¡¯t that further prove how outstanding you are? Why wouldn¡¯t I strive for it? If I didn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t that make me a fool?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched again and said, "I think you seem like a fool now."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "People always say a woman¡¯s IQ drops when she falls in love. For so many years, I¡¯ve always been sharp, not letting anyone fool me, without experiencing it. So, even if I play the fool now, it might not be so bad."


    Looking at Xu Yingying, Li Yifei¡¯s mind was racing. No matter how seriously Xu Yingying spoke before, Li Yifei knew she wasn¡¯t being genuine. But this time, even though Xu Yingying spoke as if joking, Li Yifei realized she was serious.

 Chapter 270 - 277 Let’s Compete Together

    Chapter 270: Chapter 277 Let¡¯s Compete Together"Brother-in-law, sister, you¡¯re all right?" As soon as the door opened, Xu Shanshan walked in with a grin.


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Shanshan, today I¡¯m formally telling you, if you like your brother-in-law, you also have the right to fight for it. I, Xu Yingying, won¡¯t rely on my status as an elder sister to pressure you. If you like someone, you should strive for it. I want to defeat you fair and square, so you won¡¯t feel unsatisfied later."


    Xu Shanshan widened her eyes, looked at Xu Yingying, then at Li Yifei, wrinkling her cute little nose and said, "Are you having a fever?"


    Xu Yingying shot her sister a look and said, "I¡¯m giving you a chance now. If you don¡¯t take it, don¡¯t blame me later."


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei again, who immediately said, "Shanshan, don¡¯t listen to your sister¡¯s nonsense. She¡¯s not thinking straight today."


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly and said, "I feel the same. What did you do to my sister to make her like this?"


    Xu Yingying was mildly annoyed by their back-and-forth, huffed, and said, "Shanshan, this is your own choice. Yifei, come on, let¡¯s go cook."


    Saying this, Xu Yingying stood up, hooked her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, and pulled him out of the room.


    Li Yifei initially wanted to pull his arm away, but Xu Yingying held tight. He couldn¡¯t free himself unless he exerted real force, so he could only smile bitterly as he followed her out of the bedroom.


    Xu Shanshan shook her head vigorously, feeling like she couldn¡¯t process any of this. Today, for some reason, Xu Yingying seemed very sincere. Could it be that big sister really had fallen for brother-in-law?


    Thinking about that, Xu Shanshan immediately brightened up. If her sister truly liked Li Yifei, then her brother-in-law would indeed have a real chance.


    "No way! My sister is a klutz and doesn¡¯t know how to date. Even if she likes brother-in-law, she won¡¯t be able to keep him willingly. I still need to turn up the heat so they can actually get together."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes twinkled like a cunning little fox, and she quickly came up with a great idea before running out of the bedroom, shouting.


    Li Yifei wanted to escape, but Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t let him, going so far as to hide his shoes to prevent a getaway. He couldn¡¯t very well leave barefoot, so he made a lavish dinner, hoping that once Xu Yingying, the fake wife, and Xu Shanshan, the fake sister-in-law, were full and satisfied, they¡¯d let him off.


    In the past, when cooking, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t even come to help or even take a look, but today, she donned a little apron and was bustling around the kitchen, assisting Li Yifei.


    "I say, Yingying, my dear Xu president, could you please stop helping here? I can handle it myself." Seeing Xu Yingying was not only unhelpful but actually messing things up¡ªdiscarding the edible parts of vegetables and keeping the inedible ones, creating a mess with the previously prepared ingredients¡ªLi Yifei finally couldn¡¯t stand it and tried to chase her out.


    Xu Yingying was unfazed, smiling as she said, "I know I¡¯m not doing well, but you can teach me how." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re just not the cooking type. You¡¯re better off managing the company."


    "That won¡¯t do. As a woman, I must have a woman¡¯s consciousness. I can¡¯t just not know how to do anything, or you might get angry."


    "Why would I get mad at you? Please, ma¡¯am, hurry up and leave. Shanshan, do you want dinner or not? Quickly, get your sister out of here." Seeing Xu Yingying was determined, Li Yifei had to call on Xu Shanshan for help.


    Xu Shanshan came in, grinning, with her arms crossed, saying to Xu Yingying, "I say, sis, could you stop showing off here? When it comes to this, brother-in-law and I make a better team."


    Xu Yingying glared, "You think you¡¯re better than me?"


    "Of course!"


    Xu Yingying scoffed, "Come on, you don¡¯t know how to cook either."


    Xu Shanshan, raising her delicate chin, said proudly, "Even if I can¡¯t cook, when I¡¯m here with brother-in-law, I chat and keep him company rather than causing chaos like you do."


    Xu Yingying still felt a bit unwilling to give in, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s frustrated expression, she had to say, "Fine, I won¡¯t mess around. I¡¯ll just keep you company with conversation."


    Li Yifei glanced at both of them and said, "The kitchen¡¯s small; if you¡¯re both here, how am I supposed to move around? Plus, with your delicate skin, if you get splattered with oil, then I¡¯ll have to take care of you both, my ladies. Please, leave early."


    Xu Yingying reluctantly left the kitchen. As soon as she did, Xu Shanshan joined her in the living room, dragging her sister to sit down. Xu Shanshan asked, "Sis, was everything you said just now true?"


    Xu Yingying raised her eyebrows, "Of course it was true."


    Xu Shanshan blinked mischievously, "Hehe, aren¡¯t you afraid that if you lose to me, my brother-in-law will marry me?"


    "How many times have I lost to you since we were little? I won¡¯t lose to you this time either." Xu Yingying exuded strong confidence.


    Xu Shanshan wore a similarly proud expression, "Not necessarily. Before, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to compete with you, but I really like brother-in-law now. If you let me fight, this time I might not lose."


    "Really? Whatever you can do, I can do too. Don¡¯t think that you can just cheer up your brother-in-law and I can¡¯t. I just never felt like it before because I wasn¡¯t that into him."


    "Hmmph, I don¡¯t believe you."


    "Believe it or not, I have shared a bed with your brother-in-law many times. At least we don¡¯t have the same hurdles; being together would be a natural progression."


    "Oh please, men love novelty. You no longer fascinate brother-in-law. It¡¯s me who¡¯s new."


    "You... I¡¯ll tell you, you can compete fairly with me, but you¡¯re not allowed to use your body to seduce your brother-in-law."


    "Pfft, what era do you think this is? If both sides are consenting, what¡¯s wrong with getting in bed? It doesn¡¯t have to be a wedding night."


    "No way. If I end up marrying your brother-in-law later and you¡¯ve been with him, what¡¯s that going to look like."


    "Who cares? I wouldn¡¯t mind. Besides, you¡¯ve never let brother-in-law touch you; it just shows he isn¡¯t that attracted to you."


    "What do you mean by not enough? I¡¯m just reserved. That night... your brother-in-law was all over me..." Even facing her sister, Xu Yingying was a bit embarrassed to describe Li Yifei¡¯s behavior that night; it was just too blush-worthy.


    "How was it?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s interest piqued, with a smile that turned eager and worried.


    Not noticing her sister¡¯s expression change, Xu Yingying saw only her worried face, and biting her lip, said, "That time, your brother-in-law didn¡¯t even have clothes on, and ended up all over me. Do you still need more proof?"


    "Ah!" Xu Shanshan gasped and then couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Xu Yingying was mortified, wanting to stop her laughing, but Xu Shanshan only laughed harder, making Xu Yingying frustrated and angry. "What¡¯s so funny?"


    Xu Shanshan tried to suppress her laughter, "Really, sis? That just means I have more chances. If brother-in-law didn¡¯t actually do anything with you then, it just shows you¡¯re not attractive enough. You gotta know that men follow their lower halves; if he could hold back, it means he¡¯s not interested."


    Xu Yingying turned grim. She didn¡¯t believe her sister. That night, Li Yifei was clearly very impulsive, and only held back with great effort--a sign of responsibility. But being misunderstood by her sister, she couldn¡¯t help but feel doubtful. Was she really not alluring enough? Otherwise, why would Li Yifei and He Fangqing act so blatantly, and so loudly each time?


    Seeing her sister quiet, Xu Shanshan chuckled, "You know, sis, maybe you weren¡¯t really invested back then. If it were me, I¡¯d be proactive, even if brother-in-law hesitated."


    "Proactive... hmph, don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m telling you, compete fairly, or I¡¯ll cut you off."


    "Sigh, your mindset¡¯s outdated. I don¡¯t even have to fight you; you¡¯ll get eliminated by brother-in-law on your own."


    "Hmph, I don¡¯t believe it. I can make Li Yifei like me without getting him in bed."


    Xu Shanshan knew her sister was stubborn. Persuading her all at once was impossible. Only by letting her hit a wall a few times would she change. Now she was truly worried. If Xu Yingying kept hesitating, brother-in-law might become someone else¡¯s husband once she realized.


    "I can¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯ll need stronger measures, but can I take it to that level?" As she pondered, the phone rang, and Xu Yingying rushed to answer. It was their mother.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up. Her sister feared their mother¡¯s nagging and was very filial. Strong measures from their parents would be potent.


    She blinked her eyes and thought of a brilliant plan.

 Chapter 271 - 278: Mengxin Returns

    Chapter 271: Chapter 278: Mengxin ReturnsAt dinner, Li Yifei thought it was going to be like last time, with the two sisters secretly teasing him again, but today the sisters were surprisingly well-behaved and didn¡¯t do anything to him, which made him let out a sigh of relief.


    However, Li Yifei felt a sense of loss, as if deep down he had been looking forward to them teasing him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but mock himself, feeling utterly shameless for wanting such things even though he was clearly avoiding the sisters¡¯ affections.


    After dinner, Li Yifei proposed to leave again. This time, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t try to stop him, and brought his shoes out for him, smiling and saying, "Sorry, I just wanted to eat the food you made, so I couldn¡¯t let you go. You can¡¯t blame me, okay?"


    Li Yifei, caught between laughter and tears, said, "Then just say so. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve cooked for you, what¡¯s the big deal?"


    Xu Yingying playfully blinked and said, "It¡¯s different now, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei touched his nose and didn¡¯t pick up on Xu Yingying¡¯s comment, because he knew exactly what she was referring to¡ªher mindset was different now.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan squeezed over and said cheerfully, "Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t we go out and have some fun tonight?"


    "No, I haven¡¯t properly rested these last couple of days. I want to go home and get some good rest tonight."


    Then, Xu Yingying, understanding as ever, said, "You should go back early and rest, then. I¡¯ll find you at the office tomorrow."


    Li Yifei really couldn¡¯t handle Xu Yingying¡¯s sudden change and quickly made his escape from her house.


    Back home, Li Yifei tidied up a bit and was just about to shower when someone knocked on his door. As it was this late, it must be Meng Xiaofei. He promptly went to open the door, but surprisingly, it was Su Mengxin, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for many days.


    "When did you come back?" Li Yifei asked instinctively.


    Dressed in a simple crew-neck T-shirt and a knee-length skirt, her attire was very casual, lacking the usual pomp, but offering a more approachable vibe. Holding a bag in her hand and smiling, she said, "I came over yesterday. What, aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Please, come in."


    "This is for you." Su Mengxin entered and handed the bag to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei took it and saw another ten packs of cigarettes inside. He laughed, "You¡¯re back at just the right time¡ªmy cigarettes were just about to run out."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a look and said, "You smoke quite a lot. The last batch I brought for you would have lasted two months at one pack a day, but you¡¯ve run out in just over a month."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said with a laugh, "I wouldn¡¯t smoke that much myself, but I end up giving them away to friends and colleagues now and then, right?"


    "Do they even know what these cigarettes are, or do they think they¡¯re just some knock-offs?"


    "Indeed, most don¡¯t recognize their worth, but I did meet one person who knew exactly where these cigarettes came from."


    Su Mengxin laughed softly, "Then you¡¯ve got some explaining to do."


    "Exactly."


    The two chatted casually for a while, and Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei, asking, "How have you been at the company recently? I hope you¡¯re not feeling uncomfortable?"


    Li Yifei replied with a wry smile, "Just a bit busy. I was actually thinking about taking it easy."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "You¡¯re watching over my assets for me; you¡¯d be letting me down if you had too much spare time on your hands."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re really stingy, trying to win me over with just a few packs of cigarettes."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said, "How about I give you the entire company? Then you¡¯ll have nothing to complain about."


    "Give me the whole company? Five hundred million?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    Laughing, Su Mengxin said, "If you still feel it¡¯s not enough, I can invest more."


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly waved his hands, saying, "No, no, I don¡¯t want it. Last time it was just a mission; don¡¯t think about repaying me or anything."


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I know you¡¯d feel uncomfortable. I consider you a good friend, so giving you a company to play with is normal, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "To casually hand over five hundred million for someone to play with, only you can wield such a big brush. But I can¡¯t handle that kind of pressure. Rather than that, you might as well kill me. Being the Human Resources Manager is already giving me a major headache."


    Su Mengxin knew she had been a bit hasty. For someone like Li Yifei, who once he¡¯s made a decision is not easy to change, but if she wanted to be with Li Yifei, it was absolutely unacceptable for him to settle for mediocrity. It seemed she would have to take it slow.


    Su Mengxin was truly an exceptionally clever woman. Ever since arriving in Mile City, she had made it a point to learn about Li Yifei without ever revealing the slightest hint of her feelings for him. From what she observed over time, she knew that if she made her feelings known, Li Yifei would definitely be scared off. The disparity in their social statuses was too great; Li Yifei simply wouldn¡¯t accept it.


    So, she adopted a gradual approach, and moreover, she had to slowly bring about changes in Li Yifei until he reached the height where she could be with him in an honorable and justified manner. For this purpose, she couldn¡¯t rush or pressure Li Yifei.


    If she wanted to change Li Yifei, she had to instigate him into making changes on his own through some external factors. Now it seemed about the right time to do so.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t disturb your rest any further. I¡¯m heading back." Although she really wanted to talk more with Li Yifei, she was afraid he might think otherwise, so Su Mengxin stood up to leave.


    Li Yifei walked Su Mengxin to the door and with a smile said, "It¡¯s rare for you to come back. I¡¯ll treat you to breakfast tomorrow."


    "Then I won¡¯t be polite." Su Mengxin gave a happy smile, opened her apartment door, and walked in.


    Li Yifei had no idea of Su Mengxin¡¯s long-term considerations, so after seeing her out, he put away his cigarettes and hummed a tune as he went to take a shower. To smoke the kind of cigarettes only available to senior leaders of the Central Government was a great pleasure for Li Yifei. Just for this reason alone, he was very grateful to Su Mengxin.


    Early the next morning, Su Mengxin came over to Li Yifei¡¯s place. He had grown accustomed to her freeloading, so he simply cooked some porridge and fried some eggs, keeping it simple and without the need for any fancy preparations.


    Su Mengxin seemed to enjoy the meal immensely, finishing a bowl of porridge and two fried eggs before happily wiping her mouth and putting down her chopsticks.


    "Do you have any plans for this visit?" Li Yifei was still sipping his porridge when he casually asked Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin loved watching Li Yifei eat with such a carefree manner. There weren¡¯t many men who had the chance to dine with her, and those who did were terrified of making even the slightest mistake. So they would eat so carefully, nervously unlike Li Yifei, who made noise while drinking his porridge.


    Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s question, Su Mengxin looked up, smiled faintly, and said, "Nothing much, just came to see you and bring you a few cigarettes."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Now I owe you even more."


    Su Mengxin felt slightly miffed in secret; what she had said was actually the truth. As busy as she was, even investing five hundred million here didn¡¯t necessitate her to personally run around. She could only offer a tight-lipped smile in response, saying, "Well, having invested so much, I should come and check on things."


    Li Yifei laughed softly and said, "True, otherwise if your five hundred million went down the drain, that would be a disaster. Oh, but it wouldn¡¯t be a disaster for you. Five hundred million isn¡¯t that big of a deal for you."


    "Money might not be too much, but you¡¯re not taking it seriously enough to help me watch over it, making me have to run over here myself. If you truly took it to heart to manage the company for me, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about this." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m really not cut out for that. I¡¯m already struggling as it is. If I became a CEO on top of that, it would literally be the death of me."


    "Which means, I still have to come here myself."


    Actually, Li Yifei found it somewhat baffling that Su Mengxin didn¡¯t send someone else to look after her investment, but seeing her determination, he felt it wasn¡¯t his place to comment further.


    After finishing their meal, Su Mengxin said with a smile, "I¡¯ll go to the office with you later, but don¡¯t reveal my identity, okay? I just want to take a look around and avoid undermining Yingying¡¯s authority,"


    "No problem. Should I give President Xu and Director He a heads-up?"


    "I¡¯ve already informed them; we¡¯ll just head over in a bit."


    More than half an hour later, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin had arrived at the office. Su Mengxin was dressed in a standard white-collar suit, a white open-neck blouse on top, a tight knee-length pencil skirt below, sheer flesh-colored stockings on her legs, and a pair of black high-heeled sandals. She looked smart and capable.


    What stood out the most was her appearance, her exceptional allure. As soon as she appeared at the company¡¯s entrance, it caught the security guards by surprise. Seeing beauties like Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Michelle was already pleasurable for them, but with Su Mengxin, they realized a woman could be so breathtakingly beautiful, stunning enough to make one¡¯s eyes widen and breath to stop.


    Watching Su Mengxin and Li Yifei enter the lobby together, the guards finally snapped out of their daze.


    "Who¡¯s that beauty? She couldn¡¯t be Manager Li¡¯s girlfriend, could she?"


    "That can¡¯t be, right? Manager Li has been so close to President Xu recently. I saw President Xu hooking her arm through Manager Li¡¯s just the other day."


    "Maybe she¡¯s a new recruit at our company?"


    At that thought, the security guards almost drooled. If such a beauty was working in the building, just one glimpse of her each day could make their day incredibly better.

 Chapter 272 - 279: Ethereal

    Chapter 272: Chapter 279: Ethereal"Li Manager..." A young male colleague came face to face with him, just greeted Li Yifei, but when he saw Su Mengxin, that "Manager" word just wouldn¡¯t come out.


    "Ouch!" A male employee turned his head back and kept looking after Su Mengxin walked by, but completely neglected what was in front of him and ran straight into a wall, causing a large bump on his forehead.


    As Su Mengxin followed Li Yifei from the first floor to the fourth, several incidents like this occurred.


    This left Li Yifei not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and he couldn¡¯t help but admire Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty and its impact on men.


    "Ahem, I now really understand what ¡¯femme fatale¡¯ means," Li Yifei murmured softly while rubbing his nose.


    However, Su Mengxin heard this and sighed, "I don¡¯t want it either, but it¡¯s not like I can just go and make myself uglier, right?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Would you even let those female colleagues survive? If they heard this, they might as well want to die."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Come on, let¡¯s go see your office first."


    "Aren¡¯t you going to meet President Xu and the others first?"


    "Hehe, if I want to work in this company, I have to get through you, the Human Resources Manager, right? Otherwise, how could I be hired?"


    "All right, you¡¯re unbelievable," Li Yifei said, not taking Su Mengxin¡¯s words too seriously.


    But after Su Mengxin made this joke, a bold idea suddenly popped into her mind. Although she was now living close to Li Yifei, the best way to get to know him better was to work with him, so she really did want to come here and work with Li Yifei.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re back," came the sound of high heels tapping quickly on the floor, followed by Michelle¡¯s voice reaching Li Yifei¡¯s ears.


    Li Yifei stopped, turned around to face Michelle, and smiled, "Yes, back now. Haven¡¯t seen you for a few days, Michelle, and you¡¯ve become even prettier."


    Michelle was wearing the same dress she had bought with Li Yifei, and upon hearing his compliment, joy shone in her eyes, sweeter than honey. Her cheeks flushed, she approached Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so naughty, teasing me as soon as you get back."


    Li Yifei responded with a smile, "How am I teasing you? You really are pretty, Michelle."


    Michelle coquettishly twisted her body and was just about to chat with Li Yifei when she saw Su Mengxin beside him. Although Michelle was a beautiful woman herself, she was stunned by Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty. Her gaze was immediately drawn to Su Mengxin. Excited at first by Li Yifei¡¯s compliment, she now felt like an ugly duckling compared to the proud swan that was Su Mengxin.


    "Brother Li, who is this..." Michelle stammered, looking at Li Yifei with a flicker of panic in her eyes. She had never seen Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend Su Yiyi, and if this woman was Su Yiyi, Michelle felt she might not stand a chance at all.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "This is Su Mengxin, she is..." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin interrupted Li Yifei seamlessly and politely said, "I¡¯m here for a job interview."


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment. Su Mengxin had only mentioned she was his friend when she came; now she was suddenly talking about a job interview ¨C what was going on?


    Relief washed over Michelle, and she quickly smiled, "I see, Brother Li, I won¡¯t disturb your work then. Come find me when you have time, okay?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Sure, I¡¯m heading back to the office now."


    Su Mengxin nodded at Michelle and turned to follow Li Yifei.


    As she watched the two leave, Michelle still felt a bit anxious. What if Su Mengxin joined the company and fell for Brother Li too? The thought of competing with Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty drained Michelle of all courage.


    Once they arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s office, Su Mengxin looked around curiously, then sat in the chair opposite Li Yifei, frowned, and said, "Your office is a bit too small, right? They should give you a bigger one. Also, the facilities are too basic; they should all be better."


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "I think it¡¯s quite all right. This is the standard for the mid-level managers in our company."


    Su Mengxin chuckled secretly to herself, realizing she had been setting standards for Li Yifei based on someone of her own level, which obviously made Li Yifei¡¯s office seem woefully inadequate.


    "By the way, why did you say earlier that you came here for a job interview?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled.


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly, her eyes playfully twinkling, "What, is that not allowed?"


    "It¡¯s your company, so you can play however you want," Li Yifei laughed.


    Squinting her eyes at Li Yifei, Su Mengxin said, "Yeah, I¡¯m getting a bit bored with life at the moment. Maybe one day I will come and play the role of a small employee for fun. Luckily, with you here, I won¡¯t have to worry about my safety. That way, I could be free and have a lot of fun."


    The more Su Mengxin talked, the brighter her eyes shone. The more she spoke, the more she felt this was a good idea, which could bring her closer to Li Yifei and also let her experience a whole new life.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately, and he said, "Then I¡¯d be in trouble."


    Su Mengxin giggled, "I¡¯m not thinking about it right now. When I find the time, I¡¯ll come and work for you, the big HR Manager, for a couple of days. You can¡¯t refuse that."


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a look and said, "Do I have the right to refuse?"


    "Anyway, when the time comes, I¡¯ll be under you, doing whatever you tell me to do. I¡¯ll listen to you completely."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "That actually sounds pretty good, being able to command you. That¡¯s probably what every man in the world dreams of."


    "Really? I¡¯ve never felt that from you."


    "I¡¯m a practical person; I don¡¯t want to be a reckless fool."


    Su Mengxin actually hoped Li Yifei would become such a daring fool, but she also knew she liked Li Yifei not only because he had saved her but also because he never lost his reason over her beauty. She laughed, "Not necessarily. Dong Yong got together with the Seventh Fairy, and Niu Lang even married the Weaver Girl."


    "Haha, those two are just fools. Just look what happened to them in the end?"


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face turned dark and she gave Li Yifei a glare, saying, "You really are unromantic, unable to understand the greatness of love."


    "Love can¡¯t be eaten, and it can¡¯t be used to get through an entire lifetime."


    A knock on the door interrupted Li Yifei and Su Mengxin¡¯s conversation as a staff member from the Human Resources Department walked in. He was the Deputy HR Manager, and during Li Yifei¡¯s absence, he had been in charge of the work. Now that Li Yifei was back, naturally, he had to come and report.


    But when he saw Su Mengxin, he was momentarily stunned until Li Yifei coughed lightly, bringing him back to his senses. However, while reporting to Li Yifei, his eyes still kept straying towards Su Mengxin, making him even stumble over his words.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll ask you about it later," Li Yifei waved him off, shooing the Deputy HR Manager out.


    But not even a few minutes passed before another person from the Human Resources Department came asking for work, and upon entering, their gaze intentionally shifted towards Su Mengxin.


    This kind of reporting happened several times, involved not only the HR Department but also other departments. Clearly, word had gotten out that a great beauty was in Li Yifei¡¯s office, and they used the excuse of reporting work as a pretext to have a look at the beauty.


    This made Li Yifei speechless. After sending another away, he quickly stood up and said to Su Mengxin, "We better hurry up and go find President Xu. With you here, my office has turned into a marketplace."


    Su Mengxin was well aware of her appeal, but normally she wouldn¡¯t have so many bold employees coming to look at her. She found it quite amusing, particularly when she saw Li Yifei¡¯s exasperated expression. She was enjoying herself but knew it wouldn¡¯t be right to keep sitting there and ignoring Xu Yingying, otherwise, Xu Yingying might really suspect her reason for the visit.


    When the two arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s office, she immediately offered Su Mengxin a seat respectfully and even poured her tea personally, since Su Mengxin did not want to let the staff know her identity, so she didn¡¯t let the secretary come in.


    With a smile, Su Mengxin said, "President Xu, please don¡¯t be so formal. I¡¯m just here to look around today. We¡¯re just going to chat informally. I¡¯m not here for a work report."


    Xu Yingying was stunned. The chairman coming not to hear work reports but just to have fun was indeed rare, but she understood that Su Mengxin didn¡¯t usually put on airs. At least from the few times she had interacted with her, Su Mengxin always seemed very approachable.


    Su Mengxin chatted casually with Xu Yingying and brought her a gift, which somewhat flattered Xu Yingying.


    Smiling, Su Mengxin said, "President Xu, work is hard, but personal issues also need to be addressed, don¡¯t they? Do you have a boyfriend now? If you do, I¡¯ll have to vet him thoroughly for you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze involuntarily swept towards Li Yifei, and he immediately rolled his eyes, thinking about boyfriends: Why are you looking at me? I haven¡¯t agreed to anything.


    "Chairman, the company is just starting up, and there¡¯s so much to do. Where do I have the time to find a boyfriend? Plus, I¡¯m not in a rush."


    "That¡¯s not too good, you know. You shouldn¡¯t let work affect your love life." Saying this, Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and laughed softly, "I think Yifei is quite good. Haven¡¯t you considered him at all?"

 Chapter 273 - 280 Going to the Beach

    Chapter 273: Chapter 280 Going to the BeachXu Yingying¡¯s face turned bright red all at once, then she looked at Li Yifei with some strangeness. Li Yifei, however, wore an innocent expression, unable to fathom why Su Mengxin would utter such a statement.


    "What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? Don¡¯t you like Li Yifei?" Su Mengxin asked Xu Yingying with a smile.


    Xu Yingying coughed to hide her embarrassment and said, "I used to think this guy was pretty obnoxious, but now that I¡¯ve gotten to know him, he seems quite alright, I¡¯m trying."


    Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes and said, "You need to ¡¯try¡¯ for that kind of thing?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and replied, "Yeah, I am indeed starting to feel a little something for him, but it seems like this guy doesn¡¯t have any such thoughts about me."


    Curious, Su Mengxin turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Could it be that our President Xu doesn¡¯t meet your standards for finding a girlfriend?"


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a look and said, "Stop trying to pair up everyone, you know I have a girlfriend."


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and said, "You¡¯re not married yet, it¡¯s good to have a couple of extra options."


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "Enough is enough, how I date and whom I choose to be with is not something you two need to worry about."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look, while Su Mengxin¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. She hadn¡¯t specifically investigated Li Yifei, but she was generally aware of his situation. As a smart woman, she had no intention of ruining Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with Su Yiyi, but introducing competition to make Li Yifei indecisive was a wise move on her part.


    Even the shrewd President Xu was no match for Su Mengxin, especially in matters of the heart where she was still naive and a far cry from Su Mengxin. At this moment, Xu Yingying had no idea Su Mengxin had such a plan in mind.


    After sitting with Xu Yingying for a while and seeing that people were coming and going from her office now and then, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t stay long and soon suggested leaving.


    "President Xu, I¡¯ll take Yifei with me. I¡¯m going to ask for another day off for him. I have to meet some people today, and it¡¯s inconvenient to bring my own bodyguard, but taking Li Yifei with me is much more convenient."


    Xu Yingying had no reason to disagree; she absolutely didn¡¯t believe anything would happen between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. In her heart, Su Mengxin was of too high caliber, and in comparison even she didn¡¯t know how much she fell short. Li Yifei was an even longer shot.


    After getting into the red Porsche, Li Yifei started the car and asked, "Where do you want to go today?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "You decide, I just want to relax today."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t fathom what someone like Su Mengxin was thinking, but since she had left it up to him, after some thought, he suggested, "Let¡¯s go to the beach then."


    Su Mengxin turned to look at Li Yifei and asked, "You¡¯re not hoping to see me in a swimsuit, are you?"


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t thought that way, but the suggestion suddenly piqued his interest. He laughed and said, "Seeing Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty in a swimsuit would definitely be an exciting event."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Then let¡¯s go to the beach. Honestly, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a sea bath."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Let¡¯s go buy a swimsuit first, heh heh..." Imagining Su Mengxin in a bikini filled his thoughts.


    But Su Mengxin didn¡¯t buy a bikini ¨C she purchased a one-piece swimsuit instead, which left Li Yifei somewhat disappointed, a sentiment that showed involuntarily on his face.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Sorry, I¡¯m not used to wearing bikinis."


    Caught off guard by Su Mengxin¡¯s comment, Li Yifei felt a bit embarrassed and gave a forced laugh, "That¡¯s a real shame. I wonder which lucky man will get to see you in a bikini."


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, remaining silent. If anyone was likely, in her heart, it was naturally Li Yifei, but she dared not say it out loud for fear of scaring him off.


    When they arrived at a small dock, Li Yifei made arrangements for a small speedboat. They put on life jackets, setting off for an island a bit off the coast, where Li Yifei knew there was a nice stretch of beach ¨C a rare find in Mile City.


    No sooner had they settled in when the speedboat took off. The speedboat was quite fast, its powerful engine noise ear-piercing.


    Su Mengxin leaned back and instinctively grabbed on ¨C one hand gripping the armrest, the other Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei turned to Su Mengxin with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, speedboats may feel dangerous, but they are actually very safe."


    Su Mengxin nodded, fully trusting Li Yifei without any hint of nervousness. But after the speedboat had gone a short distance, she began to feel seasick. Her stomach felt terrible, her face turned pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead.


    Li Yifei had indeed overlooked this matter. Many people get seasick, especially in a bumping speedboat. Even those normally unaffected by seasickness might feel ill under these conditions.


    "Give me your hand," Li Yifei extended his palm.


    Su Mengxin placed her hand in Li Yifei¡¯s palm without any hesitation, a gesture that seemed quite ordinary. However, if the young masters and mistresses of the Capital City witnessed this scene, they would be utterly shocked. They could hardly get close to Su Mengxin on a normal day, as she never gave them any chance, but now she was willingly placing her hand in a man¡¯s.


    Li Yifei gripped the base of Su Mengxin¡¯s thumb with both hands, feeling the smoothness of her skin, which was perhaps even more delicate than that of a newborn baby. He wondered how she maintained such tenderness. Her hands seemed so fragile they could break upon touch, making Li Yifei reluctant to press too hard.


    Yet, seeing the pitiable look on Su Mengxin¡¯s face, he steeled himself and applied pressure with his thumb and forefinger. Su Mengxin immediately let out a soft cry and looked at Li Yifei with a pained expression, saying, "That hurts."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "This is the only way to prevent seasickness. You will have to endure it."


    "Alright, could you... be a little gentler?" Su Mengxin asked, knowing it was futile, and braced herself for the throbbing pain in the base of her thumbs.


    After about ten minutes of this, Su Mengxin¡¯s hands were numb and no longer felt the pain. Although the sensation of seasickness had lessened greatly, it was still tough to endure.


    Finally, Li Yifei let go of Su Mengxin¡¯s hands. Although the action seemed simple, sustaining such force would have exhausted anyone else. Even for Li Yifei, his thumbs and forefingers felt a bit stiff. Shaking out his hands, he asked, "Feeling better now?"


    "Much better," Su Mengxin replied with a smile towards Li Yifei, her heart full of satisfaction. With him by her side, there seemed to be no hurdle too difficult to overcome.


    Over an hour later, the speedboat arrived at a small island with its own dock, inhabited by dozens of families.


    Li Yifei jumped off the boat first, and Su Mengxin naturally reached out for his hand, allowing him to help her onto the pier.


    They walked along the path from the dock and soon arrived at a beach. But upon reaching it, Li Yifei sighed, "I thought there wouldn¡¯t be many people here. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so crowded."


    There were already more than twenty people on that patch of sand, and several dozen in the water. Compared to other beach resorts, the crowd here was minimal. Yet in Li Yifei¡¯s view, such a beautiful place was no longer a pristine haven.


    "Why are you sighing?" Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t as concerned. Finding such a secluded beach was already quite a find.


    Looking at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei replied, "Of course I¡¯m sighing. Think about how many people can take advantage of this."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and teased, "Once we¡¯re in the water, who can tell what anyone else looks like? Besides, everyone is dressed the same, so what¡¯s there to see?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then let¡¯s go. I was wondering if we¡¯d need to change behind some rocks, but now, there¡¯s even a place to change clothes. Everything¡¯s taken care of."


    The area had become a pleasant small tourist spot. While the facilities weren¡¯t high-end, they were quite comprehensive. They changed into their swimsuits separately and met at the changing room¡¯s entrance.


    The moment Li Yifei saw Su Mengxin, his eyes went wide. He had never had any thoughts about Su Mengxin but, as any man would, he enjoyed watching beautiful women, especially in swimwear. Li Yifei¡¯s favorite pastime during the occasional break was visiting the beach to admire the women in their swimsuits¡ªa definite treat.


    But now, seeing Su Mengxin in a swimsuit, he realized that future trips to the beach would no longer hold the same interest. Su Mengxin looked stunning; even in an ordinary swimsuit that wasn¡¯t very revealing, her figure was showcased perfectly. The beauty was an undeniable temptation for any man, making Li Yifei feel a rush of desire to push her down and harass her.


    Su Mengxin was pleased with Li Yifei¡¯s reaction. Throughout their time together, his glances had seemed too calm, which had been somewhat disheartening for her. Now, her confidence had returned.


    "What are you daydreaming about?" Su Mengxin asked knowingly, a mischievous smile on her face.


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed Su Mengxin¡¯s hand and said, "Let¡¯s go." With that, he bolted towards the sea.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Su Mengxin was puzzled by his reaction. She ran after him, questioning as she went.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had pulled Su Mengxin into the water, submerging most of her body, that he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That was too dangerous just now." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Dangerous?" Su Mengxin instinctively looked around, but it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was paying her any attention.


    Li Yifei nodded vigorously, speaking earnestly, "Yes, extremely dangerous. If you¡¯d dawdled there and some man had seen you, I guarantee some indecent fool would have harassed you. Wouldn¡¯t that be dangerous?"


    Su Mengxin burst into giggles and said, "You really are amusing. It¡¯s not that serious."


    "Haven¡¯t you ever been harassed before?"


    "No, not really," Su Mengxin replied naturally.


    "You¡¯re so beautiful, like a femme fatale, yet no one has bothered you? That doesn¡¯t make sense," Li Yifei said, looking bewildered, but then it dawned on him. With Su Mengxin¡¯s status, even if men lusted after her, who would dare to harass her? And those who didn¡¯t know Su Mengxin simply had no opportunity to approach her at all. It was the pretty but background-less ones who were more often harassed.

 Chapter 274 - 281 Swimming Together

    Chapter 274: Chapter 281 Swimming TogetherSu Mengxin didn¡¯t quite understand at first, and asked Li Yifei back, "Does a woman have to be harassed just because she¡¯s beautiful?"


    Li Yifei explained to Su Mengxin the reasoning he¡¯d figured out, and Su Mengxin nodded, saying, "I believe what you say. In Capital City, I¡¯ve seen some people harassing those girls, but such things have never happened to me."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s you who harass others, haha. But how could you go on to harass others? If you really did harass someone, that person must be so beautiful that their snot bubbles could pop out."


    Su Mengxin burst out laughing, as she rarely heard such crude words from Li Yifei. Looking at him, she thought to herself that she was actually harassing him right now, but she only pressed this thought in her heart and didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    The weather was exceptionally good today, with a clear sky, blue sea, and a gentle breeze¡ªperfect for swimming.


    Li Yifei noticed Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze becoming fixed and, following her eyes, realized she was staring at his upper body. He promptly squared his arms and struck a bodybuilder¡¯s pose, saying with a smile, "Haven¡¯t seen a handsome man before?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled again, but her eyes were unspeakably tender as she said, "Can I take a look at your wound?"


    "What¡¯s there to see in a wound? It¡¯s embarrassing to talk about. That was the first time I had been shot in years."


    Su Mengxin pouted and said, "I just want to take a look at it."


    "Alright, if you want to take a look, take a look," Li Yifei turned around.


    Su Mengxin then saw the scar on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. The scar was not very large, only the size of a fingernail, but Su Mengxin was very aware that if it hadn¡¯t been for Li Yifei taking that bullet for her, she would no longer exist in this world.


    Her hand slowly reached out, wanting to touch the scar, but at that moment, Li Yifei had already turned back around and said with a smile, "Alright, stop staring at a man, it makes me feel self-conscious."


    Su Mengxin pulled her arm back and flashed Li Yifei a beaming smile. With a spread of her arms and a tilt of her body, she dived into the water and started swimming. Li Yifei followed her, matching her pace. When with others, Li Yifei always regarded himself as an ordinary person, but when with Su Mengxin, whether consciously or subconsciously, he couldn¡¯t help but slip into his role as the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, ensuring Su Mengxin¡¯s safety.


    The two of them swam in the sea for a full hour until Su Mengxin was truly tired, and then they headed back to the beach together.


    Although there were people on the beach, they didn¡¯t go where the crowd was, but chose a slightly more secluded spot. Li Yifei was absolutely convinced that any man who saw Su Mengxin was bound to cause trouble.


    After renting a sun umbrella, Li Yifei set it up, and then they both sat down to rest under it.


    An elderly lady in her sixties, carrying a box, came up to them and said with a heavy local accent, "Young man, young lady, would you like to buy some seafood? I caught it all fresh this morning."


    Su Mengxin immediately perked up, "What do you have?"


    "Take a look, we have conch, whelk, little crabs¡ªall fresh." The lady quickly put down the box, lifted the lid, and showed them the contents.


    Li Yifei kept a watchful eye on the lady. Being with Su Mengxin, he dared not be the least bit careless, though it was clear this old lady wasn¡¯t a threat¡ªjust a local selling seafood.


    Looking at the seafood, Su Mengxin turned to Li Yifei in confusion and asked, "Can we eat these?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, we can eat them. I¡¯ll get you some of each to try."


    The elderly lady was delighted to hear this and quickly bagged up a portion of each. Li Yifei had already pulled out some money when renting the umbrella and paid the lady.


    Su Mengxin looked at the items and said, "Are these all seafood? Why haven¡¯t I eaten them before?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "These are the cheapest seafood. In the past, you were eating abalone and sea cucumber, so how could you eat this kind of stuff? Even when you went to seafood restaurants, you would only eat the expensive items and wouldn¡¯t go for these."


    Picking up a small whelk, Su Mengxin examined it and asked, "How do you eat this?"


    Li Yifei took one of the toothpicks the old lady had left and demonstrated, "Just use this to pick out the meat inside."


    Trying it herself, Su Mengxin easily extracted the meat and her face lit up with surprise. Smiling, she exclaimed, "I actually managed to pick it out."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Remove the little black part at the end, and then it¡¯s ready to eat."


    Repeatedly nodding, Su Mengxin carefully pulled off the little black part at the end and then brought it close to her lips. She gently bit down with her teeth and with a slight pout of her lips, she tasted the meat.


    It must be said that Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty lay not only in her pretty face and provocative figure. Most importantly, it was her air about her that made everything she did seem graceful. Even eating became a visually pleasing experience for others.


    "Not bad at all, really fresh," Su Mengxin smacked her lips, nodding continuously, and picked up another to eat.


    Under the umbrella, sitting on the beach, enjoying seafood, it was an indescribable pleasure.


    Su Mengxin had a small appetite, but the exercise she did that day was substantial, plus these dishes weren¡¯t something she could have every day, she really ate quite a lot. In Li Yifei¡¯s presence, she didn¡¯t need to consider any modesty or ponder whether something was right or wrong, so she felt very relaxed.


    After eating, the two lay on the beach, closing their eyes to savor the warmth of the sand.


    "Shall we go for another swim?" Su Mengxin sat up and asked Li Yifei with a smile.


    "If you want to go, then I¡¯ll accompany you."


    "Don¡¯t be so reluctant. Is it that hard for you to accompany me for a swim?"


    "Not at all, it¡¯s just that there are more people now, and I even spotted a rather annoying guy, probably won¡¯t let us swim anymore."


    Following Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Mengxin saw a group of men not far away, who were pointing and making remarks in their direction. She smiled and asked Li Yifei, "Is that guy an enemy of yours?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That fellow is a Deputy County Head. He tried to pressure Li Xinyue before, and I happened to come across it, so I gave him a good beating."


    "Pressure?" Su Mengxin was surprised. Li Xinyue, the hostess, was eager to climb the ranks, and she noticed last time that both of them were ingratiating themselves with Li Yifei. And since that man was a Deputy County Head, presumably a powerful figure, Li Xinyue would normally try to curry favor, right?


    Li Yifei laughed, "I originally thought that Li Xinyue was someone who relied on her looks to get ahead, but after interacting with her a few times, I realized she has her own resolves. That day, Song Ziqiao also seemed to have a strong background in the province, and normally, Li Xinyue would have no reason to refuse him. But instead, she did refuse, and very decisively so."


    "Oh? Maybe she saw you there and with you being the bigger tree, naturally, she couldn¡¯t cling to the smaller one."


    "Heh, firstly, I¡¯m not a big tree, and secondly, I just happened to be there by chance; she didn¡¯t know I was there, so I could tell she really didn¡¯t want to. That¡¯s why I helped her out and even beat up that Song Ziqiao."


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips and smiled, "Then you played the hero saving the beauty, huh? Did the damsel repay you with her gratitude?"


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a glance and said, "I¡¯m beginning to think you really love playing matchmaker, randomly trying to set me up with people."


    Su Mengxin pouted in grievance and said, "Good intentions taken for donkey liver and lungs."


    "Those good intentions, I really can¡¯t afford."


    While they were talking, Song Ziqiao already approached with two men in tow.


    "Kid, we meet again," said Song Ziqiao, clad only in swim trunks, with eyes full of vengeful fire. Li Yifei was the first person to ever humiliate him this much, and he absolutely despised Li Yifei. After that day, he had thoroughly investigated Li Yifei¡¯s background, only to find that Li Yifei had no powerful connections; his parents had passed away early, and he had no wealthy relatives. The fact that someone like that had intimidated him that day was a disgrace beyond words.


    He had been itching for revenge against Li Yifei all this time but hadn¡¯t found him until today, suddenly encountering him here.


    Li Yifei, still smiling, looked at Song Ziqiao and said, "It¡¯s truly a small world, isn¡¯t it? I run into you, this pest, everywhere."


    Song Ziqiao was nearly bursting with rage at Li Yifei¡¯s brazenness, but even with two men with him, this kid Li Yifei knew how to fight too well. Starting a fight wouldn¡¯t work, and as a County Head, getting into a scuffle in a public place like this could cause trouble.


    "Kid, don¡¯t be so cocky. I¡¯ll let you know soon enough what happens to those who offend me," and as Song Ziqiao spoke, his gaze was unspeakably sinister.


    Li Yifei, with his usual calm demeanor and a serene smile, responded, "Indeed, you being a great County Head, and me, just an insignificant civilian, have troubled myself by offending you."


    "As long as you know. But it¡¯s too late for you now; I won¡¯t let you off easily," Song Ziqiao said with a sinister smile.


    All this while, Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t turned around. The chances of being alone with Li Yifei were few, and she really didn¡¯t want any interruptions. Song Ziqiao¡¯s endless blathering was disrupting her time with Li Yifei, which was already irritating, and now with his arrogance, showing none of the demeanor or style befitting a County Head, she was even more annoyed. She turned her head to face Song Ziqiao and said indifferently, "That¡¯s quite the bold claim, County Head."


    "Hmph, you¡¯ve provoked me..." Song Ziqiao started to bluster, but upon seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty, he was momentarily dumbstruck, and the two men behind him were also staring fixedly at Su Mengxin.


    Their gazes made Su Mengxin even more uncomfortable. She wore a swimsuit only in front of Li Yifei, and now these three men were ogling her unrestrainedly, which was extremely unpleasant. She snorted, stood up, and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Li Yifei immediately followed Su Mengxin toward the changing room, and Song Ziqiao¡¯s group didn¡¯t stop Li Yifei and Su Mengxin from leaving since they had been deeply shocked by Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty and were still processing it, completely forgetting to intercept Li Yifei and Su Mengxin.


    It took a while before Song Ziqiao came back to his senses, violently gesturing and muttering to himself, "I must have that woman, at any cost!"


    Unbeknownst to Song Ziqiao, the moment he harbored this thought, he had already set himself on a path of no return.

 Chapter 275 - 282: Falling into Water

    Chapter 275: Chapter 282: Falling into WaterLi Yifei and Su Mengxin had changed their clothes and did not run into Song Ziqiao when they came out. After all, Song Ziqiao was not the kind of small-time thug or hoodlum who would persistently bother a beautiful woman. He was, at least, a Deputy County Head, so he always had to be somewhat mindful of his actions, especially in front of a large audience.


    "That annoying guy didn¡¯t follow us?" Su Mengxin frowned as she looked around. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed, "What, you were hoping he would follow us?"


    "Hmph, a County Head acting like a hooligan, can such a person even be an official? Hmmph, I¡¯m going to have a talk with the city leadership about this when we return."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Well, it seems this guy¡¯s days as County Head are numbered."


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei and said with a smile, "I¡¯m standing up for you, you know."


    Li Yifei bowed with clasped hands, "Thank you, thank you."


    The two chatted and laughed. In Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes, a person like Song Ziqiao was utterly insignificant. To deal with Song Ziqiao was mostly because the guy had the audacity to interrupt her private time with Li Yifei, and he was Li Yifei¡¯s enemy. If she didn¡¯t take care of him, when she wasn¡¯t around, Song Ziqiao might continue to cause trouble for Li Yifei, which was something Su Mengxin could not tolerate.


    "I was originally planning to swim a bit more, but that guy ruined the mood, so annoying." Su Mengxin grumbled discontentedly as they walked towards the pier.


    "Hehe, if you want to come, we can come back in a few days, it¡¯s not a big deal."


    Su Mengxin immediately laughed, "You said it, next time I want to come, you have to accompany me, no excuses."


    "How could I possibly not want to? With you, the big chairwoman¡¯s commands, accompanying you for fun means I won¡¯t be criticized by President Xu for not working, how great is that?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "You lazy thing, how can you dislike work so much?"


    "Life, you know, too many pursuits can be exhausting. He who desires nothing will be invincible. I feel quite at ease with my life as it is now, and I rather like it."


    Su Mengxin sighed inwardly, finding it not so easy to get Li Yifei onto the same path as her.


    The speedboat they had hired on their way here had already left, but there were many other speedboats available for hire. As Li Yifei and Su Mengxin approached, a young man in his twenties greeted them with a beaming smile, "Looking to hire a speedboat?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Take us back to Mile City."


    "No problem."


    Having agreed upon a price, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin boarded the speedboat, which soon started up and shot out into the sea.


    Although Su Mengxin still felt somewhat seasick, it was not as severe as it had been on the way here. Still, she had Li Yifei press on her Hegu acupoint. It was painful, but she liked the feeling of Li Yifei holding her hand.


    After the speedboat had been running for over twenty minutes, Li Yifei suddenly sighed. Su Mengxin looked at him curiously and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Our trouble is coming."


    "Trouble?" Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei even more puzzled.


    Li Yifei nodded and patted the young man driving the speedboat, "Stop for a moment."


    The young man jolted, turned his head to look at Li Yifei with a nervous expression, and asked, "Why?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Hasn¡¯t someone bribed you to deal with us?"


    "No... no such thing," the young man stuttered.


    Li Yifei grabbed the young man¡¯s wrist and said calmly, "Are you going to talk or not?"


    The young man immediately screamed like a butchered pig, feeling as though his wrist was clamped in a vice, his bones about to break.


    "I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything, but slightly loosened his grip.


    The young man took a relieved breath and hurriedly said, "Somebody approached me just now, asking me to take you out and then let out most of the oil from my tank, so the speedboat could only go twenty nautical miles. Then they would come to ¡¯rescue¡¯ us."


    "Is that all?" Li Yifei gazed into the young man¡¯s eyes.


    "Yes, that¡¯s exactly what he said. He said they wanted to play heroes saving the damsel. Once our speedboat ran out of fuel, they¡¯d come to rescue us, and the lady... the lady here would feel grateful to them."


    Li Yifei could tell from the young man¡¯s gaze that he was telling the truth, but he knew that the young man had been deceived as well. Song Ziqiao was not a good sort, and he wouldn¡¯t let Li Yifei off the hook so easily.


    "So how much fuel do we have left and how far is it to the place they¡¯ve specified?"


    The young man hurriedly said, "We can only go for three more nautical miles, and we¡¯re already very close to that place. Just one more nautical mile should be about enough."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Then just do as they told you, but you don¡¯t have to circle around until you run out of fuel before reaching there. Just head straight to that place, that¡¯s all."


    "What?" The young man suddenly looked dumbfounded, looking at Li Yifei in confusion.


    Li Yifei patted his shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry, just do as I say."


    This time, the young man finally heard clearly and could only obediently agree, but his heart was filled with doubts, not knowing whether Li Yifei was out of his mind. He clearly knew this was a trap set by the others, yet now he was about to walk right into it.


    Su Mengxin watched Li Yifei with a smile on her face. With such danger, having Li Yifei there, she didn¡¯t worry at all; in fact, she was even more eager to see how Li Yifei would handle it.


    The speedboat moved forward another nautical mile or so and then stopped. The boat only had a rope, no anchor, so now that it had stopped, it was drifting aimlessly. If they had two fishing rods, fishing here would have been a delightfully leisurely activity. Unfortunately, there were no fishing rods on the speedboat, so Li Yifei and Su Mengxin could only enjoy the beauty of the blue sky and the azure sea. Su Mengxin¡¯s right hand was placed in the water, gently stirring the cool sea, looking quite at ease.


    From beginning to end, Su Mengxin never asked Li Yifei what to do, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything. Su Mengxin had complete trust in him, and for Li Yifei, such a trivial matter certainly didn¡¯t require preparing Su Mengxin for anything.


    The young man driving the speedboat saw Li Yifei and Su Mengxin on the boat as if on vacation, and couldn¡¯t help but worryingly say, "Those people don¡¯t seem simple, aren¡¯t you going to think of a way to deal with them?"


    Li Yifei suddenly caught a fish with a shiny silver glow with his left hand, which made Su Mengxin excitedly shout with surprise. She carefully took the little silver fish from Li Yifei¡¯s hand, her face beaming with a brilliant smile.


    The young man was momentarily speechless, finding these two to have really big nerves; they were even in the mood to play with fish at a time like this.


    "Yah!" Su Mengxin suddenly let out a startled shout and then abruptly stood up, frantically clawing at her clothes.


    The speedboat was not large, and with Su Mengxin panicking, it began to rock, and she staggered, unexpectedly toppling into the sea.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t anticipated such an accident and quickly reached out to grab Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, trying to pull her back on board, but a wave hit at that moment, making even him lose his balance, and both of them fell into the water.


    If they were on land, Li Yifei would have been perfectly composed, but on a boat, on the water, he was not as capable. The main issue was just how unexpected the situation was; who would have thought that just casually handling a little fish for Su Mengxin could lead to such an incident?


    Having suddenly fallen into the sea, Su Mengxin was flustered and, instinctively, wrapped her arms around Li Yifei. Li Yifei quickly kicked his legs, and soon they both surfaced.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s head emerged from the water and she relaxed. Although she didn¡¯t cling to Li Yifei any longer, she didn¡¯t let go either, and chided him, "You almost made me choke on water."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Did you manage to get the fish out?"


    Su Mengxin blushed and said, "It should have gotten away on its own, I didn¡¯t feel it." It turned out that just as Su Mengxin was playing with the little fish, it suddenly struggled fiercely and she wasn¡¯t prepared, allowing the fish to slip from her grasp. Coincidentally, the fish didn¡¯t fall out of the boat but instead dropped right into the neckline of her shirt. Even though she knew it was just a little fish, the chilly sensation had startled Su Mengxin considerably, which was what caused the commotion.


    "Let¡¯s get back on the boat then," Li Yifei said as he took Su Mengxin towards the speedboat.


    But Su Mengxin stopped him and said, "How can I get on the speedboat looking like this?"


    Li Yifei turned to glance at Su Mengxin, then quickly looked away. Although Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t wearing revealing clothes, actually a professional suit, the fabric was very thin. Soaked, it had become nearly transparent, and through the clear sea water, he could see everything underneath her clothes.


    "So what do we do?"


    "How should I know? You¡¯re the one who comes up with solutions."


    Li Yifei said with a wry smile, "I¡¯ll think of a solution. Then it seems we can only swim back."


    "That¡¯s a good idea," Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes, genuinely tempted by the thought.


    Li Yifei was momentarily speechless and said, "Big sister, we must be more than ten nautical miles from land. With such a distance, swimming back is dangerous, isn¡¯t it?"


    "With you here, I¡¯m not afraid at all. Anyway, I can¡¯t get on the speedboat and let others see me like this."


    Li Yifei was exasperated but speaking truthfully, if Su Mengxin climbed onto the speedboat in her wet clothes for others to see, he himself would feel uncomfortable. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then let¡¯s hijack a speedboat later, just the two of us on it."


    "So you mean I can let you look freely?" Su Mengxin said with a mischievous smile, eyeing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned red, and he laughed awkwardly, "That¡¯s not what I meant, but swimming back, honestly, isn¡¯t very prudent. If we encounter a shark or something, that would be dreadful."


    "You don¡¯t need to scare me. Sharks rarely attack people. And in our coastal waters, there are hardly any sharks left¡ªthey¡¯ve been caught by fishermen and had their fins chopped off. Not to mention the great white sharks."


    Li Yifei¡¯s original plan was to seize a speedboat and take care of Song Ziqiao, then leave with Su Mengxin. But now, he had to abandon that idea. Shaking his head, he said, "Fine then, let¡¯s swim back. But we should still ask him for a lifebuoy, just in case you get tired."

 Chapter 276 - 283: Interested

    Chapter 276: Chapter 283: InterestedUnder the blue sky and emerald sea, swimming in such a boundless ocean brought an indescribable feeling of liberation to Su Mengxin. Although wet clothes made swimming somewhat inconvenient, she still swam with great joy, humming a tune as she went, her voice as melodious and enchanting as any pop star¡¯s.


    Li Yifei stayed by Su Mengxin¡¯s side, a rope tied around his waist, the opposite end of which was attached to a lifebuoy. Their shoes were fastened to it, with cellphones thrown inside them. However, due to falling in the water, the phones got waterlogged and were now completely unusable.


    As Li Yifei listened to the tune, he felt pretty good too, and said with a smile, "You sing pretty well. If you went into singing, you¡¯d definitely be a top-charting pop star, and a talented one at that."


    Su Mengxin said proudly, "Not many people have heard me sing, especially young men."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Then I¡¯m extremely honored."


    Su Mengxin giggled and said, "Now you sing one for me."


    "Don¡¯t I think that¡¯s necessary. My singing sounds like a ghost wailing and wolves howling."


    "Really? Now I want to hear it even more. Go on, sing one for me." Su Mengxin tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s arm as she swam on her back, facing upwards.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t get scared then."


    "Absolutely not, I¡¯m already prepared," she assured.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and as soon as he opened his mouth, a booming sound emerged as if an explosion, "We the soldiers..."


    His voice was so penetrating that even though Su Mengxin was prepared, she was startled enough for her head to submerge with a splash before she resurfaced. By then, Li Yifei had stopped and was looking at her, chuckling.


    "You bad egg, you did that to scare me on purpose," Su Mengxin pinched Li Yifei while chiding him, but still said with a smile, "Not bad, not bad, it truly has the feel of a soldier. Keep singing."


    Li Yifei was just jesting and when he resumed singing, he didn¡¯t do so as loudly. Out here on the open sea, with not a soul in sight, they could sing as loudly as they liked without worrying about disturbing anyone. As Li Yifei continued, he even became quite jovial.


    To anyone else stranded in the sea, thoughts would likely focus on escape, but the two of them were as if on an excursion, their delight ineffable. If someone else saw this, they¡¯d probably think the pair heartless.


    After about half an hour of swimming, Su Mengxin started to feel tired. Li Yifei supported her waist with one hand and her legs with the other. With a little exertion from her arms, Su Mengxin was soon sitting across the lifebuoy.


    "Ah!" Once on it, Su Mengxin immediately clutched her chest, her face blushing as she glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, prepared for this, threw his shirt over to Su Mengxin and laughed, "This way you can¡¯t see anything, and it¡¯ll also block some sun for you. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s not hot in the water; the sun¡¯s rays are actually pretty powerful."


    After adjusting the shirt and making sure all her critical parts were covered, Su Mengxin said, "What about you? Your upper body¡¯s bare."


    Li Yifei laughed, "My skin¡¯s thick, I¡¯ll get healthier with a bit of sun."


    "Then I won¡¯t be polite."


    "It seems you weren¡¯t polite to begin with."


    Su Mengxin suddenly laughed, enjoying how casual Li Yifei was when talking to her. Having a man who could speak freely with her wasn¡¯t easy to come by. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without swimming on her own, Su Mengxin¡¯s speed actually increased. Li Yifei could focus on swimming. As a crucial training item for the Flying Hawk Squad, he could swim in the sea for an entire day. Even now, carrying Su Mengxin, it barely affected him. His arms and legs alternated with powerful strokes, turning the lifebuoy into a swift little boat.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t stop Li Yifei as she knew that as the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, he would not show off his strength to impress her. So no matter how fast he swam, she believed Li Yifei was still conserving energy.


    But Li Yifei hadn¡¯t swum far when he slowed down and said, "Someone¡¯s coming."


    "I don¡¯t see anyone," Su Mengxin looked around, not spotting any boat.


    "Sound travels faster underwater. It must be a few speedboats, probably Song Ziqiao¡¯s guys catching up to us."


    Only then did Su Mengxin finally see four speedboats racing towards them. She smiled and asked, "So, what do we do now?"


    "That depends on whether you want to swim back or ride a speedboat back," he replied.


    After thinking for a moment, Su Mengxin said, "It¡¯s rare to have so much fun, let¡¯s swim back."


    Li Yifei looked over and said, "We have another choice to make. One, we don¡¯t meet them; we dive underwater. Two, I drive them away, and we continue swimming."


    Su Mengxin squinted at Li Yifei with a meaningful look and said, "You said... dive underwater."


    Li Yifei immediately coughed dryly. That time when he had rescued Su Mengxin, the two of them had fled to the river, also submerging themselves underwater. To prevent Su Mengxin from drowning, Li Yifei had even given her mouth-to-mouth respiration. Now that diving was mentioned again, it was natural for Su Mengxin to think of that incident.


    "Forget it, I¡¯ll just drive them away," Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly. That time, he¡¯d done it out of a need to survive, so he disregarded everything else¡ªnot only did he perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with Su Mengxin, but he also tore her dress. But now the situation wasn¡¯t as dire, and to do the same would be to purely take advantage of Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin actually didn¡¯t mind diving with Li Yifei again and even felt some anticipation. But since Li Yifei had already said that, if she insisted on diving, it would seem a bit conspicuous. She gave Li Yifei a glance that conveyed a meaning even she didn¡¯t understand and said, "Then get rid of them quickly. I don¡¯t want to see these annoying people."


    "No problem," Li Yifei agreed heartily, steadying the lifebuoy and waiting for the four speedboats to approach.


    Within less than two minutes, the four speedboats charged over. They had obviously spotted Su Mengxin sitting on the lifebuoy, and as they got closer, they slowed down. By the time they neared, the four speedboats surrounded Su Mengxin and Li Yifei.


    Song Ziqiao was in the middle speedboat. Seeing Su Mengxin sitting leisurely and comfortably on the lifebuoy, her hair wet and without her usual styled look but exhibiting a natural beauty, left Song Ziqiao utterly spellbound.


    Song Ziqiao had seen plenty of beautiful women, but never someone like Su Mengxin who could be so captivating without makeup. This was indeed a first for him. The hearts of the men on the other speedboats also raced, their gaze fixated on Su Mengxin, to the point of automatically ignoring Li Yifei next to her.


    As a significant figure, Song Ziqiao was the first to recover his composure. He flashed what he believed to be his most handsome and charming smile and said, "Miss, I can offer you a ride on my speedboat."


    "No need," Su Mengxin replied flatly, her tone exceedingly cold. Not everyone could get warm words from her, akin to how she spoke to Li Yifei¡ªsuch occurrences were extraordinarily rare. Song Ziqiao had issues with Li Yifei, which gave Su Mengxin all the more reason to not give him as much as a glance.


    Having his approach rebuffed softly, Song Ziqiao wasn¡¯t angry. Such a beauty naturally possessed proud capital. He quickly said, "Miss, in this vast sea, drifting alone is really dangerous. I suggest you come aboard my speedboat for safety."


    Su Mengxin dipped her hand into the water, her tone still cool as she said, "I like the feeling of it, please don¡¯t be so bothersome."


    Song Ziqiao frowned slightly and said, "If you truly like it, I can accompany you and ask the speedboats to follow along. That would also ensure safety."


    "Oh, you like swimming like this too?" A man¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind Song Ziqiao, infuriating him. He was in the middle of flirting with a beauty; who was so blind as to interrupt? Just as he was about to turn and scold them, a kick landed squarely on his behind. His body took flight like a kite let loose, plunging into the water from the speedboat.


    "Ah... glub!" Song Ziqiao, caught off guard, instinctively shouted before falling into the sea, but as he hit the water, a mouthful of seawater rushed in. Struggling, he surfaced and spat out the seawater but still swallowed some. It was both salty and bitter, an indescribably unpleasant feeling.


    "Damn it, who kicked me!" Wiping his face, Song Ziqiao cursed loudly as he turned his head to look.


    "Hey, don¡¯t you like swimming? How come when I help you into the water, you still curse at people?" Li Yifei squatted on Song Ziqiao¡¯s speedboat, asking with a smile, but no one noticed when he had gotten on it.


    "You..." It was only then that Song Ziqiao remembered that Su Mengxin was with Li Yifei, and he said bitterly, "Kid, you¡¯re dead this time."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Is that so? But I feel like it¡¯s very easy for you to die right now. Don¡¯t you feel your clothes getting heavier?"


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face turned pale with shock. His clothes, soaked with water, and his leather shoes were making it extremely inconvenient for him. In his anger, he hadn¡¯t felt anything, but now, as Li Yifei mentioned it, he felt it was hard just to stay afloat, as if he was about to sink.


    "Help!" At this point, where could Song Ziqiao bother about saving face? He immediately called out loudly for help.


    The surrounding speedboats quickly threw life preservers, and Song Ziqiao hurriedly grabbed one, climbing awkwardly onto a boat.


    Seeing Song Ziqiao in such an embarrassing state, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but let out a giggle.


    That laugh was truly captivating, and even though Song Ziqiao knew Su Mengxin was mocking him, he couldn¡¯t help but stare, unable to muster any resentment. This only made him more itching to have her; if he could win this woman, he would gain face wherever he went, and it was likely that his family would agree too. Based on her temperament, she certainly met his family¡¯s standards.


    If Song Ziqiao weren¡¯t blinded by lust, if he hadn¡¯t been too arrogant normally, then he would have realized that someone with such temperament was no ordinary person. Such quality was not innate; it had to be nurtured, something beyond the ability of ordinary families.


    And this beautiful woman was with Li Yifei, so their relationship must be close. Originally, Song Ziqiao just wanted to give Li Yifei a good thrashing, but now he harbored the thought of putting Li Yifei to death.


    Turning his head towards Li Yifei, Song Ziqiao¡¯s face darkened, and he barked, "Kid, do you realize you¡¯ve really angered me?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Is that so? You¡¯ve always seemed like a mad dog to me."


    Su Mengxin laughed out loud again, now realizing that besides being calm and composed, Li Yifei was quite a mischievous guy when it came to provoking others.


    The others with Song Ziqiao immediately started cursing. In their minds, Song Ziqiao was a significant figure, and this Li Yifei was daring to challenge him so openly¡ªhe truly didn¡¯t know whether he was dead or alive.

 Chapter 277 - 284: Saving You

    Chapter 277: Chapter 284: Saving YouSong Ziqiao waved his hand, as he didn¡¯t want to appear graceless in front of Su Mengxin even though he already looked like a drowned rat, devoid of any elegance. He said gravely, "Li Yifei, do you realize that if I hadn¡¯t saved you, you¡¯d be dead by now?"


    Li Yifei fished out a cigarette on the speedboat, lit it, and took a drag. He immediately frowned and tossed it away, having gotten used to the cigarettes given by Su Mengxin. These just didn¡¯t feel right anymore. Glancing at Song Ziqiao, he said, "Seems like I¡¯m already on the speedboat, so your rescue isn¡¯t needed, is it?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s remark instantly fired up Song Ziqiao, who angrily retorted, "You... that¡¯s my speedboat."


    "Oh? Does the registration for this speedboat bear your name?"


    "Nonsense, I hired it."


    "Then why aren¡¯t you on this speedboat, but hopped onto that one instead?"


    "You..."


    Song Ziqiao, infuriated by Li Yifei to the point that his face turned livid, now mindful of his own image, bellowed, "Get off, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude."


    "Fine, I¡¯d like to see just how you¡¯d be rude to me."


    By now, Song Ziqiao had lost all reason to his anger, suddenly pushing aside the pilot of his speedboat. Knowing how to steer it too, he hit the throttle and the speedboat surged toward Li Yifei¡¯s.


    The people around were so frightened that they all started screaming, but Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in a rush to dodge; in fact, he wasn¡¯t planning to dodge at all. He instantly fired up his speedboat and headed straight for the collision with Song Ziqiao¡¯s vessel.


    With a muffled "boom," the two speedboats collided, both launching off the water surface and then capsizing in the sea.


    Li Yifei, at the moment of impact, had already leapt into the water, whereas Song Ziqiao and the others on the speedboat were thrown in, tumbling over each other in a mess.


    When Li Yifei surfaced, he was already by Su Mengxin¡¯s side, laughing heartily, "I¡¯ll stop playing with you guys. You all enjoy yourselves." With that, he grabbed a life ring and started swimming away with Su Mengxin.


    At that moment, Song Ziqiao¡¯s crowd wasn¡¯t concerned about chasing them, busily trying to haul Song Ziqiao and the others back onto the speedboat. By the time they pulled Song Ziqiao aboard, Li Yifei and his companion were out of sight.


    "My speedboat!" Two of the rescued pilots were crying out in misery. Their livelihood, the speedboats, had been sunk to the sea floor within moments, and since speedboats were expensive, the loss was devastating for them.


    "It¡¯s all your fault, you have to compensate us for the speedboats," the two naturally turned to Song Ziqiao, the instigator of the disaster.


    Song Ziqiao, now a ghastly shade of green with rage, yelled, "Stop that noise. They¡¯re just a couple of scrap speedboats. I¡¯ll compensate you later. Now chase after that brat!"


    By this time, those with Song Ziqiao had already explained his identity to the owners of the two speedboats and promised compensation, calming them down for the time being. Although the remaining two speedboats were slightly overloaded, they were still operational, just at a slower speed for fear of capsizing again.


    After swimming away, Su Mengxin reminisced about the recent events and couldn¡¯t help but giggle, saying, "Li Yifei, you really are wicked."


    Li Yifei, now floating on his back, grinned at Su Mengxin, "Such people don¡¯t deserve courtesy. When you get the chance, you have to deal with them."


    Su Mengxin nodded in agreement, remarking, "Putting someone in their place like that is indeed quite amusing."


    They chatted and laughed for a while, but Song Ziqiao¡¯s two speedboats had already caught up, as they hadn¡¯t swum far and the direction was easy to track.


    "Li Yifei, I¡¯m going to kill you, crash into them!" Song Ziqiao, upon seeing the two, bellowed at the top of his lungs, no longer caring about Su Mengxin¡¯s presence. A beauty like her was replaceable, but such a humiliation, if left unaddressed, felt like it would kill him with rage.


    Su Mengxin turned and saw one of the speedboats madly charging toward them. Her face turned pale as she exclaimed in alarm, "He really intends to kill us."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Looks like we¡¯re going to have to take a dive."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes flickered with a hardly noticeable excitement as she said with a sense of grievance, "It seems we have no other choice." As she spoke, she had already twisted her body and plunged into the water.


    Li Yifei quickly untied the rope around his waist and dived into the water as well, grabbing Su Mengxin¡¯s hand. Together, they dove deeper into the clear sea. Glancing back, Yifei saw their lifebuoy rising into the air¡ªif Mengxin had been on it, she would have likely suffered serious injuries from the impact. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mengxin also witnessed everything, her expression turning exceptionally ugly. She had encountered danger before, but it was always from extremely vicious individuals or agents of enemy states. However, she had never faced such peril in her own country, and to have it stem from a deputy county head was now provoking in her an intense urge to kill for the first time.


    Song Ziqiao watched Li Yifei and Su Mengxin leap into the water before he could hit the lifebuoy, so he turned the boat around and glared coldly at the sea surface, ready to ram into them the moment he spotted Yifei and Mengxin.


    "Keep your eyes open, don¡¯t let that kid get on the boat. Today we¡¯re going to play till he dies. I want to see how long he can hide underwater. As soon as he shows his head, we hit him, haha..." As he thought of this plan, Ziqiao couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter, already imagining Yifei exhausted from the game, eventually drowning pitifully.


    Yifei could certainly stay submerged for a while, but he really couldn¡¯t afford to linger in the water much longer, especially Mengxin, who was already struggling to cope after half a minute under.


    Yifei had no choice but to bring them back to the surface.


    "There they are, over here!" someone shouted instantly upon spotting the two of them.


    Ziqiao immediately adjusted the speedboat and charged toward Yifei. Because they were quite some distance away and he needed to change direction, Yifei and Mengxin easily dove back under a second time.


    After several such attempts, Ziqiao truly began to enjoy the game. His accomplices also couldn¡¯t stop laughing, finding it amusing to toy with someone like this. Another speedboat, spurred on by Ziqiao¡¯s lackeys, started to ram Yifei, preventing him from surfacing for air.


    Yifei and Mengxin once again dodged the speedboat. Underwater, Mengxin gestured at Yifei. Understanding that this was no solution, Yifei gestured back, pointing towards the speedboats above.


    Mengxin didn¡¯t understand what Yifei meant, but she nodded resolutely, ready to trust him unconditionally.


    After a while, Yifei and Mengxin surfaced again, drawing wild screams from Ziqiao and his crew, their shouts echoing with unrestrained excitement.


    This time, Yifei and Mengxin immediately dove back down, but as soon as they had submerged, Yifei let go of Mengxin¡¯s hand and with a powerful kick, surged up to the speeding boat above.


    Mengxin was startled, steadying herself just in time to see Yifei moving through the water like a fish, his speed matching the speedboat¡¯s. He not only caught up with it but clung to its side, leaving Mengxin clueless as to his intentions.


    Mengxin hurried to follow Yifei. She knew that whatever Yifei was planning, she couldn¡¯t stray too far from him. But Yifei¡¯s movements were slow this time; it took nearly a minute before he swam back to her.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin felt she was on the verge of collapsing, with no oxygen supply causing her chest pain and her vision to blur with stars. As soon as Yifei grabbed her hand, she wrapped her arms around his waist, and her lips found Yifei¡¯s.


    Yifei quickly opened his mouth, passing a breath of air into Mengxin¡¯s mouth. With his astonishing pulmonary strength, he could usually stay submerged for up to three minutes under normal conditions, and if he pushed himself, he could last for five. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t normally do this, opting instead to breathe through a reed or something similar during stealth operations.


    Having breathed in some oxygen, Mengxin felt the pressure in her chest lessen significantly, and her vision returned to normal. Underwater, she looked at Yifei with a reproachful pout.


    Yifei smiled awkwardly and leaned back slightly, breaking the kiss with Mengxin.


    Mengxin felt embarrassed; she had just failed to let go of Yifei¡¯s lips, perhaps out of a desperate need for oxygen, or maybe because she liked the sensation.


    Yifei pointed towards the surface, then pulled Mengxin upwards, both of them took a breath just as the two speedboats charged at them again.


    Yifei repeated his tactic, diving to avoid the oncoming boats. He released Mengxin¡¯s hand and swiftly pursued one of the speedboats, his purpose unclear. This time Mengxin was quicker to follow, and once Yifei resurfaced, she embraced him to take in air.


    After doing this several times, Yifei and Mengxin coordinated flawlessly; each time Mengxin took a breath from Yifei, she felt intoxicated by the sensation. Each time their lips met, she would feel a burst of excitement.


    When they evaded the speedboats¡¯ attack once again, Yifei didn¡¯t let go of Mengxin. Instead, he pulled her in a direction, surprising and saddening her. She realized that they might not have the chance to share air or to share a kiss with Yifei again.

 Chapter 278 - 285: Drifting at Sea

    Chapter 278: Chapter 285: Drifting at SeaSu Mengxin, after all, was no ordinary person and quickly calmed herself down. As she looked up, she suddenly noticed something unusual¡ªthe water had become very murky and she couldn¡¯t see anything when she looked up.


    Such darkness made Su Mengxin slightly afraid, and she instinctively gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly.


    Li Yifei held Su Mengxin¡¯s hand firmly, then quickly swam forward with her. They soon saw light and swiftly surfaced.


    "Damn, my speedboat is leaking oil!"


    "Fuck, mine too."


    "Quick, shut off the engine, don¡¯t let the oil catch fire."


    People on both speedboats were panicking and shouting. By now, Su Mengxin realized what Li Yifei had been busy with. He had sabotaged the fuel tanks of the two speedboats.


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips and smiled. "Looks like they¡¯re either going to drift at sea or swim back like us."


    Li Yifei let out a hearty laugh. "I reckon they haven¡¯t got the guts to swim back. They¡¯re definitely going to wait for rescue here."


    "Li Yifei, you bastard, wait for me; I won¡¯t let you get away with this!"


    Now that both speedboats were leaking, Song Ziqiao, no matter how foolish, knew Li Yifei was to blame and furiously cursed at him from afar.


    "Mayor Song, take care now!" Li Yifei laughed heartily, swimming ahead with Su Mengxin as if they were two fish.


    Their lifebuoys were gone, so the only option was to swim, but Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t worried at all¡ªin fact, she felt even less constrained.


    After not swimming far, Su Mengxin grew tired and laughed. "I¡¯m getting a bit tired of swimming, what should we do now?"


    In the vast sea, it was very dangerous for them, having no life vests and being unable to swim, but Su Mengxin managed to joke with a charming smile, which impressed Li Yifei. He laughed, "If you don¡¯t mind, then you can climb onto my back."


    "Of course I don¡¯t mind." Su Mengxin chuckled, lay directly on Li Yifei¡¯s back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and clamped her legs around his waist so as not to hamper his leg movements.


    In bed, such a position would be quite intimate. However, in the water, it was a bit better, but Li Yifei, feeling their bodily contact, couldn¡¯t help but have his heart flutter. If it had been anyone other than Su Mengxin, he might have had improper thoughts.


    Even though he was carrying someone, Li Yifei swam even faster. Su Mengxin, lying on his back, could feel the strength of his body; every inch of his muscles seemed to possess endless power. She believed that no matter the difficulty, Li Yifei could definitely handle it. The sense of security she felt was stronger than having a group of bodyguards, transforming the vast sea from a frightening place into an ideal tourist Holy Land.


    After a while, when Su Mengxin had rested sufficiently, she swam on her own until she was tired and then lay on Li Yifei¡¯s back again.


    Li Yifei was swimming in the right direction, but despite the distance being quickly covered by speedboat, they swam for five or six hours. Even Li Yifei, tough as iron, was beginning to feel the strain. The main problem was that the seafood they had eaten at noon was meant as snacks and not a real lunch. Usually, it would have been fine, but with all the exertion, their bodies were using up food much faster.


    By the time they finally reached the shore, it was completely dark, likely past ten o¡¯clock. Climbing onto the shore¡¯s rocky outcrop, both of them were exhausted.


    After resting for over ten minutes, Li Yifei sat up, turned to look at Su Mengxin in the moonlight, and couldn¡¯t help chuckling.


    Su Mengxin was still lying on the rocks without getting up. Though her body was extremely fatigued, her spirit was quite good. She asked with a smile, "What are you laughing at?"


    "Heh, I bet no one would guess you¡¯re the number one beauty of Huaxia now."


    Su Mengxin laughed, knowing that the water near the shore wouldn¡¯t be clear and was full of seaweed and other stuff. Furthermore, when they had come ashore, they had stepped into mud, so she was covered in seaweed and mud. Plucking a piece of seaweed off her face, she said, "Better that they don¡¯t recognize me."


    Li Yifei laughed out loud. "But how are we going to get back looking like this?"


    "Indeed, we¡¯re in such a mess, without even shoes; if we go out like this, we¡¯re definitely going to be mistaken for sea monsters."


    After joking for a bit, Li Yifei said, "I see some houses not too far from here. Let¡¯s go make a phone call. I¡¯ll ask President Xu to pick us up."


    Su Mengxin nodded in agreement, but then quickly added, "First, let¡¯s find a place where I can wash up; otherwise, I¡¯d lose too much face." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei knew women like to look their best and understood it would be hard for Su Mengxin to meet people looking like this. He scanned the surroundings and said, "Let¡¯s go over there; there¡¯s a rock sticking out where you can wash up, and then we can get directly onto the road from the rock without getting dirty again."


    Su Mengxin happily agreed, and they made their way under that rock in the water. The water there was quite deep, too deep to reach the bottom. Li Yifei suggested, "You can sit on the rock and wash up there."


    "How could that work? Can I get clean like that? I need to go down and wash properly."


    "Well, then, I¡¯ll go with you." It was completely dark now, and even with the moonlight, visibility was poor. Li Yifei really didn¡¯t dare let Su Mengxin go down alone. If something were to happen, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face turned red, but in the darkness, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t see it. Hand in hand, they jumped into the sea. Li Yifei steadied himself on a rock and said, "Go ahead and wash."


    Su Mengxin agreed with a nod and started to clean off the grime on her body. As she tidied up, she felt her clothes were filthy inside, which made her hesitate and say, "I need to take off my clothes to wash them."


    "What?" Li Yifei shouted in surprise.


    Su Mengxin chided, "Why are you yelling so loud? My clothes are a mess with all sorts of junk, I need to clean them properly. It¡¯s fine if they are wet, but too dirty is not okay."


    "I mean... I am a man, aren¡¯t you afraid that I might..."


    Su Mengxin let out a light laugh and said, "I would be afraid of other men, but not you."


    "Am I not man enough?"


    Su Mengxin laughed even more joyfully, replying, "Because you are too much of a gentleman, how could you do something as forceful as that to a girl? I am going to undress now."


    Li Yifei quickly turned his head away, saying, "Go ahead, go ahead."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and true to her word, stripped off her outer garments and trousers in the water. Of course, she kept her bra and panties on. Even though she liked Li Yifei very much, the idea of seducing him in such an overt manner was not something she could do. What she wanted was for Li Yifei to truly like her for who she was, not for her looks or her body.


    Li Yifei was still holding onto one of Su Mengxin¡¯s hands. He could feel her every move as she handed him her clothes to place on the rock. How could he not understand what was happening?


    "Look at you, why so awkward? Just think of it as if I¡¯m wearing a swimsuit, you didn¡¯t avoid me then, did you?" Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s discomfort, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but tease him without any reservation.


    "That¡¯s different, wearing a swimsuit is one thing, but you are bathing now."


    "How is it different? Isn¡¯t it almost the same clothes?"


    "Stop teasing me, if you keep this up, I think I am about to turn into a beast."


    Su Mengxin giggled and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you now."


    Quickly cleaning off the filth on her body, Su Mengxin then took her clothes and washed them briefly in the sea. She said to Li Yifei, "Help me up, I¡¯ll dress on the shore."


    Li Yifei quickly suggested, "Just dress in the water."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a look and said, "You might be able to dress in the water, but can I?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment, realized the difficulty, and agreed, "Okay, I¡¯ll help you up."


    Reaching out to catch Su Mengxin¡¯s arm, Li Yifei had already lifted her out of the water. The moonlight reflected off the water droplets on her body, giving her a blurry radiance that momentarily mesmerized Li Yifei.


    With her body out of the water, Su Mengxin attempted to climb onto the rock with Li Yifei¡¯s help. Suddenly feeling the supporting force from below halting, she turned back to see Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, which sent a flurry of anxious joy through her heart. Pretending not to notice, she lingered there, her chest just above the water surface.


    Li Yifei eventually snapped out of his daze, coughed abruptly, and said, "I¡¯ll help you up."


    Feigning ignorance of Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassment, Su Mengxin smiled and replied, "Alright." With Li Yifei¡¯s aid, her body rose again. Her waist had lifted from the water, and with both hands gripping the jagged edges of the rock, she tried to pull herself up.


    But at that moment, Li Yifei could no longer hold her arm. He should have easily been able to assist Su Mengxin by giving her legs a slight push from behind, but he found himself paralysed, unable to reach out his hands. Su Mengxin seemed to radiate a sacred glow, and he felt that touching her would be a desecration.


    Struggling to ascend, Su Mengxin managed to raise her knees above water. Yet, the rock was too slippery, and she realized it was unlikely she¡¯d make it up by herself. Turning her head, she said to Li Yifei, "Could you please give my foot a little lift?"


    Li Yifei nodded without hesitation, extending his overlapped hands out of the water, and Su Mengxin¡¯s right leg went up, her small, porcelain-like foot resting in Li Yifei¡¯s palm.


    The soft, delicate sensation almost made Li Yifei lose his wits again. He quickly gathered his focus and pushed, helping Su Mengxin up as she also climbed with the effort. She was fully above the water now.


    Unexpectedly, at that moment, Su Mengxin turned to look at him, and from Li Yifei¡¯s intense gaze, she realized something. Embarrassed, her limbs gave way, and she let out a cry of alarm as she slipped from the rock and plummeted back into the water.


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 Chapter 279 - 286: A Lifetime

    Chapter 279: Chapter 286: A LifetimeLi Yifei had not expected such an accident to occur, but his reaction was quick enough, as he stretched out both arms and directly caught Su Mengxin. Under the force of gravity, they both sank beneath the surface of the sea until he kicked his legs repeatedly and brought them both back up to the surface again.


    "Hey, are you okay?" Li Yifei emerged above the water and immediately asked Su Mengxin with urgency.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin was clinging tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her entire body cradled in his arms, still shaken. After catching her breath, she complained reproachfully, "It¡¯s all your fault, making me fall down like this."


    Her tone and expression were clearly flirtatious, causing Li Yifei¡¯s heart to flutter even more. Feeling even more vulnerable, he avoided eye contact with Su Mengxin and said, "Be more careful this time."


    "What do you mean ¡¯careful¡¯? It was because you didn¡¯t support me from behind. This time you¡¯re not allowed to let go."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t let go this time."


    The smartest thing about Su Mengxin was that she knew how to give someone an out, and now she had not only provided Li Yifei with a way to save face but also gave him a very good reason to touch her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, when Li Yifei helped her climb over the reef and still seemed reluctant to touch her unnecessarily, Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at him and said, "Stop being so cautious. You already held me, what part of me haven¡¯t you touched already?"


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and decisively let go of his inhibitions, first wrapping his arms around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist, lifting her so she could grab onto the reef, then embracing her lower legs, and finally letting her step onto his shoulders, smoothly helping her onto the top.


    Once Su Mengxin was steady on top, she said to Li Yifei, "You should rinse off too. Let¡¯s head back early; I¡¯ve been soaked all day, and I feel like my body is swollen."


    After soaking in the seawater all day, Li Yifei¡¯s robust body felt uncomfortable, let alone Su Mengxin¡¯s delicate skin. So he didn¡¯t dawdle any longer, quickly washed up, wearing only his pants, and made himself presentable with whatever means available.


    By the time he climbed onto the reef, Su Mengxin was already dressed. The two walked along the sharp rocks toward the shore, both barefoot and finding it quite difficult to move.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then offered, "I might as well carry you across."


    Su Mengxin nodded and leaned onto Li Yifei¡¯s back, asking, "Can your feet handle it?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got calluses on the soles of my feet. This kind of path isn¡¯t a problem."


    "Then I won¡¯t be polite."


    Carrying Su Mengxin on his back, Li Yifei¡¯s hands supported her thighs, and by now, such physical contact didn¡¯t faze him at all.


    Despite Li Yifei¡¯s calluses, walking over the spiky reef still hurt. Once on the road, when he intended to put Su Mengxin down, he discovered she had fallen asleep on his back.


    Li Yifei found this situation both amusing and frustrating. That time he went to protect Su Mengxin, she had fallen asleep in such a dangerous situation on him, and now she had fallen asleep again. He wondered if his back was particularly similar to her bed at home, or if this woman was naturally a heavy sleeper. However, considering the physical strain she faced throughout the day, it made sense that she was tired enough to sleep.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t call out to Su Mengxin. Instead, he walked along the coastal road. This place was quite isolated; although there was a road, no cars passed by at this time, and he had to carry her for over half an hour before he found a coin-operated public phone booth, which was the dwelling he had seen from the sea.


    The presence of a phone booth made things easier, sparing him from having to explain the situation to anyone. Li Yifei still had his wallet, thankfully along with a few coins, which often proved useful, despite how unnecessary it might seem to carry money around.


    At this time, there were a few people who could come to pick him up, but not many knew about Su Mengxin. Hence, Li Yifei decided to call Xu Yingying.


    "Hello!" It took a while for Xu Yingying to answer the call.


    "It¡¯s Li Yifei. I¡¯m in a bit of a situation and need your help."


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice instantly rose, clearly filled with concern.


    Li Yifei truly felt a warmth inside; no matter how much he resisted accepting Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings, her concern managed to bridge the gap between them. He smiled and replied, "Nothing serious, just that where I am there¡¯s no transportation. I need to trouble you to come pick me up."


    "Tell me where you are, and I¡¯ll come to get you immediately."


    "Okay!" Li Yifei looked at the phone booth, which conveniently had an address, and he gave her the location.


    "It¡¯ll take about half an hour for me to get there. Don¡¯t wander off, or I might not find you."


    "I got it. I¡¯ll wait right here at the phone booth for you."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei turned to look at Su Mengxin, who was peacefully sleeping on his shoulder, showing no signs of waking up.


    Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t bring himself to wake her and decided to stand there, carrying her for a full half-hour until Xu Yingying¡¯s car arrived.


    As soon as the car stopped, the passenger door was pushed open first, and Xu Shanshan rushed out like the wind, urgently asking, "Brother-in-law, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan would definitely follow, so he didn¡¯t bother telling Xu Yingying to leave her behind, because Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world. He chuckled lightly and said, "I and she fell into the sea accidentally."


    "Fell into the sea... Who is she?" Xu Shanshan, seeing that Li Yifei was alright, just a bit disheveled, immediately shifted her attention to Su Mengxin.


    Before Li Yifei could answer, Xu Yingying hurried over and asked, "How is Chairman Su?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "She¡¯s fine, just exhausted and asleep."


    Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief and urged, "Then let¡¯s get in the car quickly."


    Carrying Su Mengxin, Li Yifei got into the back of the car, settled her in, and even though Su Mengxin didn¡¯t wake up, her body slipped and she ended up lying on Li Yifei¡¯s legs, letting out a soft hum. Then she wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s waist and continued to sleep soundly.


    Both Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan also got into the car, turning their heads to look at them with equally strange expressions on their faces.


    Li Yifei hurriedly explained, "Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, she¡¯s just too tired, we¡¯re totally innocent."


    Xu Shanshan laughed out loud and said, "Brother-in-law, the fact that you¡¯re explaining it to us means you really care about our opinions."


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a glare and said, "He doesn¡¯t care about us, he cares about me, please be clear about that."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Whether he cares about you, or me, or both of us, huh?"


    Seeing that the sisters were about to bicker again, Li Yifei quickly interjected, "Let¡¯s just hurry and get back, I¡¯m also dead tired."


    Xu Yingying immediately turned her head to start the car, while Xu Shanshan curiously asked about their experience. Li Yifei roughly narrated to Xu Shanshan the day¡¯s events, which made her emotions ebb and flow with the story. When he got to the part where Song Ziqiao hit them with the speedboat, Xu Shanshan was so angry she stared wide-eyed, cursing Ziqiao nonstop. But when Li Yifei mentioned that he had punctured their boat¡¯s fuel tank, stranding them at sea, Xu Shanshan said Li Yifei was too kind and should have punctured their boat even more, leaving them adrift on the sea.


    Upon hearing that Li Yifei and Su Mengxin swam back from such a distance, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face was full of envy, and she pouted, "That¡¯s really romantic, brother-in-law, when will you take me for a swim too?"


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a look and said, "I almost died from exhaustion this time, and you want another go? I¡¯d rather live a couple more years."


    "Then let¡¯s swim less, maybe just a hundred or eighty miles."


    Li Yifei nearly choked on his own spit, and Xu Shanshan immediately burst into joyful laughter.


    The car was filled with laughter and chatter, and Su Mengxin didn¡¯t wake up, sleeping deeply the entire time.


    "Yifei, where shall we go now?" Xu Yingying asked.


    "Let¡¯s go to my place," Li Yifei replied without hesitation.


    "To your home? You¡¯re bringing her home?" Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed in shock.


    "She¡¯s my neighbor."


    "Ah, she¡¯s actually your neighbor?" Xu Shanshan glanced at the lying Su Mengxin and couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was some sort of plot afoot.


    Under Li Yifei¡¯s direction, Xu Yingying drove to the entrance of Li Yifei¡¯s residential area. Carrying Su Mengxin, with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, the twin sisters, following close behind, they reached the door of Li Yifei¡¯s house. Li Yifei had expected Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards to show up, but not one appeared, so he had no choice but to carry Su Mengxin into his home. They would wait for her to wake up before sending her back.


    Xu Yingying helped Li Yifei place Su Mengxin onto the bed in his bedroom, then the two of them stepped out.


    Meanwhile, Xu Shanshan curiously inspected Li Yifei¡¯s home as it was her first time there, eager to see where her admired brother-in-law lived.


    "You guys sit down, I¡¯m going to change," Li Yifei said, grabbing some clothes on his way out from the bedroom. After greeting the two, he entered the bathroom.


    Wearing a pair of boxers and a tank top, Li Yifei came out to find Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan seated on the sofa. He handed them drinks and gulped down a bottle of ice-cold mineral water himself.


    "Brother-in-law, your place is quite nice, not big, but very tidy. Do you clean up yourself usually?"


    Li Yifei took a seat on the sofa, smiled, and said, "At your house, I have to clean up too, so of course, I can¡¯t just leave my own house a mess."


    "Hehe, I thought you were just pretending in front of me, turns out you really have such a habit. Brother-in-law, you¡¯re truly great, not many men clean their rooms these days."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat. It seemed in Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes, his small virtues were magnified infinitely, turning a simple task like cleaning a room into a grand feat.

 Chapter 280 - 287: The House Became a Cafeteria

    Chapter 280: Chapter 287: The House Became a CafeteriaLi Yifei was indeed tired today and wanted to go to bed early, but Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both showed no signs of leaving. Li Yifei knew that Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t woken up and Xu Yingying was worried, while Xu Shanshan seemed to be afraid of Su Mengxin staying over.


    Luckily, Su Mengxin finally woke up, rubbing her eyes and walked out. Although she still looked a bit disheveled, she was in good spirits. She came over barefoot and smilingly said, "Yingying... Eh, why are there two of you?"


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Boss Su, I¡¯m Yingying, this is my sister Shanshan, she¡¯s my twin sister."


    Su Mengxin uttered an "Oh" and said, "You two really do look alike. If I saw Shanshan on the street, I would definitely have mistaken her for you."


    In front of Su Mengxin, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t dare to be mischievous. Xu Yingying had told her about some things regarding this CEO, which made her involuntarily admire Su Mengxin. While Su Mengxin had been asleep, she could still joke and laugh with Li Yifei, but when directly facing Su Mengxin, she honestly said, "Hello, Boss Su."


    Su Mengxin waved her hand and smiled, "Don¡¯t call me that, Shanshan. First, you¡¯re not an employee of my company, and second, we are at Yifei¡¯s home, we¡¯re all Yifei¡¯s friends, so we¡¯re all friends."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s approachability immediately relaxed Xu Shanshan, and she giggled, "Then I¡¯ll call you Sister Mengxin."


    "Sure, by the way, were you the ones who picked us up? I really am embarrassed; I actually slept the entire way and don¡¯t even know when you picked us up."


    Xu Shanshan sat next to Su Mengxin, curiously asking, "Sister Mengxin, how did you meet my brother-in-law?"


    "Brother-in-law?" Su Mengxin turned her head to glance at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "Boss Su, don¡¯t misunderstand. I once had Yifei pretend to be my boyfriend to deceive my parents, and this girl has gotten used to calling him that and still hasn¡¯t stopped."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "Then it seems there really is a possibility of a faux romance turning real."


    Xu Yingying blushed deeply and glanced at Li Yifei, surprisingly not objecting.


    Li Yifei was too lazy to explain his relationship with Xu Yingying anymore. Yawning, he said, "Thank you for today, but I¡¯m really sleepy now. Can I go to sleep?"


    Su Mengxin stood up and said, "Then you rest. Yingying, Shanshan, if you don¡¯t have anything else to do, come over to my place and chat. There¡¯s enough room at my place, you can stay over too."


    The entire floor where Li Yifei lived was mostly small apartments, except Su Mengxin¡¯s, which was the only larger one.


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment, while Xu Shanshan immediately said excitedly, "Yes, yes, having a chat with such a legendary woman as Sister Mengxin is something I¡¯d love to do."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Boss Su has had such a tough day, it¡¯s better not to disturb her."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "No worries, I¡¯m not that tired. In the sea, Yifei was carrying me, and on the way back, I was sleeping on his back, so I¡¯m quite refreshed now."


    Xu Yingying and Shanshan then followed Su Mengxin out of Li Yifei¡¯s home. But before leaving, Xu Shanshan pouted at Li Yifei, whispering quietly, "Bad brother-in-law, taking advantage of Sister Mengxin."


    Li Yifei just rolled his eyes, without any explanation. Once the three of them had left, he immediately took a quick shower to wash off the seawater, and then collapsed on the bed and fell into deep sleep.


    The next morning, Li Yifei did some exercise, took a shower, and was about to prepare breakfast when someone knocked on the door. He went straight to open it, expecting Su Mengxin to come over for breakfast since she had come back.


    But when the door opened, Li Yifei saw not only Su Mengxin but also the twin sisters Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, and even Meng Xiaofei was there.


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, while Xu Shanshan said with a giggly smile, "Brother-in-law, we heard that Sister Mengxin usually freeloads breakfast from you, so we decided to come and freeload too." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Xiaofei playfully stuck out her tongue and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really popular. So many beauties want to have breakfast with you."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, wondering since when his home had become a canteen. But he couldn¡¯t turn them away, so he smiled and said, "Alright, come on in. But I¡¯ll need to go out and buy some things, or else there won¡¯t be enough for all of you to eat."


    Li Yifei made a sumptuous breakfast not because four beauties were present, but because he had expended a lot of energy the day before. Sleeping through the night had restored some of that energy, but without food, he couldn¡¯t fully recover. So, the main reason for the feast was actually for himself.


    "Delicious, delicious! The food always tastes best at Brother Li¡¯s place." Meng Xiaofei stuffed an entire soup dumpling into her mouth. Although Li Yifei had bought these dumplings ready-made, the credit still went to Li Yifei¡¯s account.


    Although Meng Xiaofei was also a beauty and very familiar with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t harbor any hostility toward her, for they didn¡¯t sense any romantic feelings from Meng Xiaofei towards Li Yifei, seeing their interactions as nothing more than friendly companionship.


    "Sister in law, you eat too. If you don¡¯t eat now, there will be none left later," Meng Xiaofei said, as she continued to eat and enthusiastically offered a soup dumpling to Xu Yingying. Ever since she heard Xu Shanshan call Li Yifei brother-in-law, Meng Xiaofei had started calling Xu Yingying sister in law too. This girl was trying to earn her keep at Li Yifei¡¯s place by winning over Xu Yingying.


    Especially when Meng Xiaofei called Xu Yingying sister in law, she would cheekily wink at Li Yifei, as if to say, "I¡¯m keeping the secret about your girlfriend Su Yiyi," which left Li Yifei quite speechless. He felt that any attempt to explain would only make things worse and decided not to bother at all. If they wanted to call her that, let them; it didn¡¯t put him at any disadvantage.


    Xu Yingying felt a mix of embarrassment and pride but glanced at Li Yifei and saw his frustrated expression as he focused on eating. This brought her an inexplicable joy as she said, "I usually eat very little in the morning. You eat more."


    After finishing the meal, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying went straight to the company. Su Mengxin didn¡¯t go to the office that day but chose to rest at home, while Meng Xiaofei went out to have fun.


    Upon arriving at the office, Li Yifei felt all the eyes in the place upon him, and everyone was visibly disappointed to see him show up with Xu Yingying.


    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze, Xu Yingying said somewhat sullenly, "It seems I¡¯m almost on par with Boss Su now, just look at their disappointed faces."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s because you¡¯re seen as unattainable by everyone, while Su Mengxin is just another employee in their eyes. They probably feel they have more of a chance to get close to her, so they are more expectant."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and replied, "Are you trying to comfort me? But rest assured, I¡¯m well aware of where I stand. I have quite a ways to go before I can reach Boss Su¡¯s level." Then she added meaningfully, "And the gap between you and her is even wider."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, his words laced with double meaning as he said, "I¡¯m aware. I never harbor unrealistic hopes for things out of reach. The difference in our statuses is too great, even if we could be together, it wouldn¡¯t last long."


    Xu Yingying glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, and then suddenly kicked Li Yifei while staring at him, "Don¡¯t play the low-status card with me here. You are the CEO of this company, ranking even above me. Even if you¡¯re not the CEO, you¡¯re the Human Resources Manager, and you¡¯re not much less than me."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and replied, "It seems I should just be a low-level employee after all."


    "You... I¡¯ll make you a security guard later, have you stand watch at the door."


    Li Yifei responded with a grin, "That wouldn¡¯t be bad either. I could watch our company¡¯s beauties every day, which is much better than being stuck in the Human Resources Department where no beauties come to my office."


    By now, Xu Yingying was no longer annoyed and said leisurely, "That¡¯s not a bad idea at all. I¡¯ll consider it."


    As someone else approached, Xu Yingying stopped chatting with Li Yifei and went upstairs, while Li Yifei headed toward his fourth-floor office.


    Li Yifei had been sitting in his office for only a short while when noises erupted in the hallway, followed by his office door being barged open as four police officers rushed in.


    "Li Yifei, you are now implicated in a case of intentional injury. Here is our arrest warrant." A police officer swiftly unfolded an arrest warrant, while the other three officers crowded around and handcuffed Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t resist, knowing all too well that this must be Song Ziqiao¡¯s doing. This guy wasn¡¯t your average thug. Using police to make an arrest meant they were following official procedures. If Song Ziqiao was going official, any conflict with the police from Li Yifei¡¯s side would easily result in an assault on an officer charge. Besides, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to cause a scene, so he let the officers cuff him without a fuss.


    "What¡¯s going on? Officer, you must have made a mistake."


    As soon as Li Yifei was escorted out of the office, Michelle rushed over, blocking the police officers and shouting. This girl might seem gentle on an ordinary day, but she was very brave in the face of trouble, as shown by her being the first to stand by Li Yifei when he left Huayang Company.


    "Please step aside and do not interfere with official duties," one officer said firmly, displaying a strictly business demeanor.


    "There must be a mistake; Brother Li would never break the law," Michelle insisted, standing her ground resolutely.


    The other employees in the company also began to make a fuss. To them, Li Yifei, the Human Resources Manager, was approachable and likable, and voicing support for him now didn¡¯t seem like a big deal as they all wanted to curry favor.

 Chapter 281 - 288 Arrested

    Chapter 281: Chapter 288 ArrestedThe policemen were all scowling, and one of them shouted loudly, "By doing this, you are obstructing our law enforcement. If you don¡¯t disperse, I will take you all away."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to involve others and immediately said, "Colleagues, you don¡¯t need to stop them. I, Li Yifei, haven¡¯t broken the law. I¡¯ll go with them, explain everything, and then come back."


    Everyone immediately quieted down, while Michelle was very worried and said, "Brother Li, are you really going to be okay?"


    "Of course, I¡¯ll be fine. When I come back, you¡¯ll have to take me out for a meal."


    Tears suddenly streamed from Michelle¡¯s eyes as she nodded vigorously and said, "Brother Li, no matter when you get out, I will definitely take you out for a meal, you can ask me for anything."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat, Michelle¡¯s words sounded as if he definitely wouldn¡¯t come out. However, he didn¡¯t quibble with her and waved, smiling as he walked out with the policemen.


    The policemen sneered at Li Yifei, thinking that having offended Song Ziqiao, he wished to come out soon, which was really dreaming. But Li Yifei made it easier for them and they were happy not to point it out.


    "Brother Li!" Michelle suddenly shouted loudly., which made Li Yifei halt in his steps and turn to look at her.


    Michelle suddenly rushed over, catching the policemen off guard. She got through to Li Yifei and hugged his waist tightly, looking up at him with determined eyes despite choked up emotions, she said firmly, "Brother Li, no matter when, I will wait for you!"


    The policemen, who were about to pull Michelle away, stopped upon hearing her heartfelt words.


    All the employees on the fourth floor were moved by Michelle¡¯s emotional declaration, many felt a sourness in their eyes, and even a few female colleagues couldn¡¯t help but let the tears flow.


    At that moment, Li Yifei was somewhat stunned, he had not expected Michelle to confess her feelings at such a time. It was so sudden, yet her sincere declaration truly moved him and even gave him a sense of burden. He could ignore the affections of the twin sisters Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan but in such a moment, this definite confession couldn¡¯t be taken lightly.


    "Michelle, don¡¯t worry. I will take you out for dinner tonight, don¡¯t have so little faith in me," Li Yifei said.


    Michelle nodded fervently, her voice choked up as she said, "I will. I¡¯ll keep waiting for you."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, having heard that the police had come to the company, hurried over and just happened to catch the exchange between Michelle and Li Yifei, leaving them both deeply shaken.


    Neither of them had expected Michelle to harbor such deep feelings for Li Yifei, feelings so profound that they felt ashamed. He Fangqing was a bit better off since her relationship with Li Yifei was more about desire than affection, while Xu Yingying was gradually developing a fondness for him, so Michelle¡¯s confession prompted her to reflect deeply.


    Michelle had let go of Li Yifei by then, and as he walked towards the stairwell with the police, Xu Yingying quickly intercepted them, speaking in a serious tone, "I am the general manager of this company, may I know why you are taking away my employee?"


    The police handed the arrest warrant to Xu Yingying and said, "Here¡¯s the arrest warrant. Li Yifei is suspected of assault, which is a personal crime and not related to official misconduct, so it has nothing to do with your company. Please don¡¯t obstruct our official duties."


    As soon as Xu Yingying saw the arrest warrant, she realized she couldn¡¯t stop Li Yifei from being taken away, but she still said, "I won¡¯t obstruct your duties, but as a company leader, I need to understand the whole case."


    "Then you should prepare to hire a lawyer, or go to the Sub-bureau to find out," they replied.


    Before being taken away, Li Yifei said to Xu Yingying, "Song Ziqiao."


    Xu Yingying was taken aback, then quickly understood the situation. It was definitely Song Ziqiao seeking revenge. With her status, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough to make Song Ziqiao release someone, but now with Su Mengxin, a big figure involved, what was there to fear from Song Ziqiao? She immediately took out her phone and called Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei was taken to the Sub-bureau in a police car, while Michelle and He Fangqing followed. Xu Yingying, however, couldn¡¯t leave as she had to calm the situation at the company to prevent rumors from affecting the morale of the employees.


    But Xu Yingying had already called Su Mengxin. Since Song Ziqiao was someone of significance, she sought out Su Mengxin, who had even greater influence. She also felt considerable resentment towards people like Song Ziqiao.


    However, when Michelle and He Fangqing arrived at the Sub-bureau, they were immediately stopped. It wasn¡¯t that the Public Security Bureau denied them entry, but rather they were not allowed to go to the interrogation room, leaving them with no knowledge of what was happening inside.


    This made them both extremely anxious. Nowadays, torture during interrogation is strictly forbidden, but Li Yifei¡¯s arrest was suspicious, and Xu Yingying had already informed He Fangqing that it was retaliation against Li Yifei, so they didn¡¯t believe for a moment that he would be unharmed inside.


    "Director He, what should we do now?" Michelle paced back and forth in the corridor, too anxious to sit or stand.


    He Fangqing¡¯s heart was racing, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "All we can do now is wait. President Xu has gone to find someone, and Li Yifei should be released soon."


    Michelle said urgently, "But he¡¯s already been in there for a while, and I¡¯m really afraid those police officers will beat Brother Li."


    He Fangqing sighed and replied, "I know, but this is the Public Security Bureau. We can¡¯t just storm in. No matter what, we have to wait."


    Tears streamed down Michelle¡¯s face as she choked up and said, "Brother Li..." The thought of Li Yifei being beaten left her unable to speak, and she cried softly.


    Until now, He Fangqing hadn¡¯t realized how deeply Michelle felt for Li Yifei. But at this moment, she didn¡¯t feel jealous, because she had seen how Michelle defended Li Yifei earlier. He Fangqing admired such a girl who dared to love.


    Just then, He Fangqing saw a policewoman come in, looking somewhat familiar. She suddenly remembered that this policewoman was Lin Qiong. Lin Qiong had also seen He Fangqing and Michelle and hurried over, asking, "Michelle, why are you here?"


    Upon seeing Lin Qiong, Michelle immediately felt like she had seen a savior, and she grabbed Lin Qiong¡¯s arm, pleading, "Lin Qiong, it¡¯s terrible, Li Yifei has been taken here. You have to save him."


    Lin Qiong was shocked and asked hastily, "What happened? How did he get taken here?"


    Her first thought was that there was an issue with the batch of goods Li Yifei smuggled, but then she realized that didn¡¯t make sense. They were not dealing with the goods in Mile City; if something went wrong, he should not have been caught here. It was possible that their investigation into smuggling had been discovered. As a police officer, they couldn¡¯t touch her for the time being, so they took Li Yifei first.


    Thus, Lin Qiong seemed even more anxious than Michelle.


    Michelle, sobbing, said, "I don¡¯t know what happened, either. Just this morning, the police came directly to the company and took Brother Li, saying he was suspected of intentional harm."


    Lin Qiong frowned. Intentional harm had nothing to do with their case¡ªunless Li Yifei had caused trouble and beaten someone in the past few days. She thought it was possible; he was not the type to stay out of fights. No matter what, Li Yifei was too important for her to ignore now. She had to get him out. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides, this jerk had been involved with her, and due to a certain sensitivity, Lin Qiong felt the need to protect Li Yifei.


    "Wait here, I¡¯ll go in and check right away."


    Lin Qiong was not part of this Sub-bureau. She had come here only because her department needed to cooperate with the Qingping County Sub-bureau on a case. But as part of the Public Security System, they usually showed some courtesy. If Li Yifei¡¯s issue was not serious, she was confident that she could get him out.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t go to the interrogation room because she couldn¡¯t directly interfere with the case handling here and she didn¡¯t realize that these police officers might use torture to extract confessions, so she went straight to the office of a Deputy Director, someone she had met twice before and was here to liaise with this time.


    "Good to see you, Director Wang." Lin Qiong greeted the Deputy Director upon entering his office. Director Wang, a man in his forties with a square, stern face, exuded a commanding police presence.


    Director Wang had a good impression of Lin Qiong, the ambitious young policewoman who had solved two major cases. Although he was the Deputy Director of a Sub-bureau, he was very polite to her and said with a smile, "Little Lin, come in, take a seat. I¡¯ve been waiting for you."


    After a brief discussion about work, Lin Qiong hurried to bring up Li Yifei¡¯s issue, "Director Wang, I have a friend named Li Yifei who works at Dreamfly Company. He was taken by your Sub-bureau today. May I know what he is charged with?"


    Director Wang immediately frowned, looking somewhat displeased as he said, "This matter is a direct order from above."


    "A direct order from above? Is it that serious?" Lin Qiong¡¯s heart tightened, fearing it might still relate to the case she was investigating.


    Director Wang sighed and said, "Little Lin, are you very close to this Li Yifei? If not, I suggest you don¡¯t get involved."


    Lin Qiong replied urgently, "We¡¯re very close. Regardless, I must take care of his matter."


    Director Wang looked at Lin Qiong skeptically, then gave a bitter smile and said, "Little Lin, please don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s your boyfriend."


    Lin Qiong bit her lip and said, "That¡¯s right. He is my boyfriend."

 Chapter 282 - 289 Interrogation

    Chapter 282: Chapter 289 InterrogationDirector Wang gave a wry smile and said, "Little Lin, your boyfriend has gotten himself into quite a predicament."


    Lin Qiong had just admitted that Li Yifei was her boyfriend and instinctively stepped into the role, especially since they had become involved. It seemed natural to call Li Yifei her boyfriend. She quickly asked, "Director Wang, what trouble has he gotten into exactly?"


    "I don¡¯t know what he did to offend our Deputy County Chief Song, but Deputy County Chief Song specifically ordered his arrest today."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in anger as she demanded, "He offended him, so he gets arrested? May I ask what crime Li Yifei has committed?"


    Director Wang felt rather embarrassed being chastised by Lin Qiong and said, "Little Lin, you haven¡¯t been a cop for long and there are things you don¡¯t understand. Deputy County Chief Song has powerful connections up in the province. Even the County Head has to yield to him. When he speaks, we at the Sub-bureau dare not ignore it."


    "So just because he has a strong background? That means he can arbitrarily arrest people? Are we police serving the leaders or serving the people?"


    Director Wang¡¯s face turned red with Lin Qiong¡¯s accusations as he hurriedly said, "Little Lin, this wasn¡¯t handled by me, and there¡¯s no point directing your anger at me."


    Director Wang was a decent cop. If it had been anyone else, they would have already lost their temper with Lin Qiong¡¯s accusations.


    Lin Qiong took a deep breath and apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, Director Wang, I¡¯m not targeting you, but this random arresting of people, it¡¯s just too..." Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t even find an adjective to describe the absurdity of the situation.


    Director Wang sighed and said, "It¡¯s no use arguing with me here, Little Lin. You¡¯re now the darling of the City Bureau; the Municipal Bureau Chief thinks highly of you. Right now, you should go to him. Only he can stop this. Right now, none of us in the Sub-bureau can do anything, and the sooner the better. Otherwise, I fear your boyfriend will suffer."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Suffer? Are they going to use torture to extract a confession?"


    "Well... I think Mayor Song is out to get revenge on your boyfriend, so it¡¯s very possible."


    Lin Qiong was so furious her eyes reddened, and she burst out of the office door, racing down the stairs to the first floor, bumping into several people along the way. If not for her police uniform, the officers she bumped into might have cursed at her.


    On one side of the first floor corridor were several interrogation rooms. Lin Qiong headed straight for them. Michelle and He Fangqing saw Lin Qiong charging over like a whirlwind. They wanted to ask her what had happened, but Lin Qiong brushed past them in a blink, and as they tried to follow, they were stopped by the police.


    After Li Yifei was brought here, he was immediately handcuffed to a heating pipe, and the police officers left right away.


    Li Yifei casually fiddled with the handcuffs and slipped his hands out. Lighting a cigarette, he smoked leisurely. He wasn¡¯t worried about being here in the slightest. If it weren¡¯t for the high profile, he wouldn¡¯t have let the police capture him at all.


    Plus, being brought here was also part of his plan to pin a crime on Song Ziqiao, which would make dealing with the scoundrel even more effective.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t finished his cigarette when two police officers walked in. Both in their thirties, they were the same two who had apprehended him earlier, one named Zhao Tao and the other Zhang Sheng. Upon seeing Li Yifei still smoking, they were immediately outraged. One glared and barked, "Who let you smoke in here?"


    Li Yifei had put his hands back in the handcuffs when the officers walked in. The cigarette dangled from his mouth as he exhaled and said with a smile, "You didn¡¯t say smoking wasn¡¯t allowed here, did you?"


    "Humph, kid, you really don¡¯t get it even at death¡¯s door. Confess everything you did," they said, sitting down, with one ready to take notes and the other giving Li Yifei a sinister look.


    Song Ziqiao had instructed them to pin some case on Li Yifei and give him a few years in prison. How to do it was up to the police.


    These two officers were the most adept at such tasks in the Sub-bureau. They could easily fabricate a charge, fit it into the process of a previous case, and if Li Yifei didn¡¯t confess, they had many ways to make him. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei sat back against the heater, still with a smile on his face, and asked, "So what do you want me to confess to?"


    Zhao Tao slammed the table and shouted, "Kid, you¡¯d better be sensible if you don¡¯t want to suffer. We¡¯ve been investigating you for a long time; we know everything clearly. If you confess honestly, you could benefit from showing contrition. If you refuse to confess, we have ways to make you."


    "I¡¯d like to see what methods you have to make me confess," Li Yifei said, still calm and cool, not taking these two junior officers seriously at all.


    Zhao Tao stood up abruptly, but Zhang Sheng pulled him back, giving him a look. Zhao Tao then sat down again, and Zhang Sheng asked Li Yifei, "Name."


    "Li Yifei."


    "Age."


    "Twenty-six."


    Li Yifei cooperated with the formal interrogation, curious to see what tactics these police officers planned to use against him.


    After a few basic questions, Zhang Sheng stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and asked, "Where were you on June 8th this year?"


    "Sorry, that was over ten days ago; I can¡¯t remember," Li Yifei replied.


    Wang Tao immediately snorted and said, "Then let me jog your memory, were you at some entertainment club?"


    A smile appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s lips, recognizing that the two officers were beginning to set a trap for him. "I never go to entertainment clubs," he said.


    Wang Tao stood up and slowly said, "Is that so? Well, let me remind you further. That day, you were singing at an entertainment club, and then after going to the restroom, you bumped into a man in his forties. An argument ensued, and in a fit of anger, you stabbed the man with a knife."


    The case was real, and the perpetrator had not yet been caught. Thus, the two officers pinned the case on Li Yifei, solving the crime while also pleasing Song Ziqiao by taking Li Yifei down¡ªkilling two birds with one stone.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. "As I said, I don¡¯t visit entertainment clubs, so of course, I wouldn¡¯t be stabbing someone," he retorted.


    "I see you won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin. You just won¡¯t confess," Wang Tao walked towards Li Yifei, and somehow, he had already acquired a rubber baton in his hand.


    Li Yifei exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing? This is torture to extract a confession. I¡¯m going to report you."


    "You¡¯re mistaken; this isn¡¯t torture to extract a confession. If I hit you, you won¡¯t have any marks on your body. Heh heh, but I assure you, you will be in such ecstasy you¡¯ll wish you were dead." Wang Tao licked his lips, unable to contain his excitement. He had a violent streak and used to enjoy beating up detainees, but recent stricter regulations prevented the casual mistreatment of suspects, which frustrated him. Now, he saw an opportunity to indulge himself on Li Yifei.


    "You can¡¯t do this to me; it¡¯s illegal," Li Yifei continued to shout, his voice growing even louder.


    "Talking law to me? Do you know where you are? This is the Public Security Bureau, and here, I am the law," Wang Tao laughed heartily then swung his arm around, bringing the rubber baton crashing down towards Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    "Ahh!" With the sound of the baton hitting flesh, Li Yifei let out a piercing scream of agony.


    However, beneath Li Yifei¡¯s screams lay a muffled grunt from Wang Tao because that baton had not hit Li Yifei at all. The baton, which was supposed to land on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, missed, and with the full force of the swing, Wang Tao ended up hitting his own leg.


    Zhang Sheng almost laughed out loud. It had been a while since Zhao Tao had made such a blunder, and if word got out, Zhao Tao would be deeply embarrassed. Zhang Sheng did not suspect anything unusual about the incident.


    Zhao Tao, too, thought it was just a mistake on his part. As for missing Li Yifei and the latter¡¯s loud screams, it must have been because Li Yifei was scared. Fortunately, Zhao Tao had controlled his strength before hitting his leg, so the impact wasn¡¯t too severe, but it was still humiliating for him¡ªnot only had he failed to hit a handcuffed man, but he had also injured himself.


    Swinging the baton again, Zhao Tao aimed for Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder with a horizontal blow this time.


    But although the baton seemed to hit Li Yifei, there was no feedback of impact, as if Li Yifei were coated in oil, and the baton just slid right off him.


    The force Zhao Tao used in that swing was considerable, and missing his target felt like throwing a heavy punch into cotton, with no way to release the energy. The baton nearly flew out of his hand before he managed to regain his grip. The feeling was indescribably uncomfortable.


    "Ah, help, murder!" Li Yifei suddenly screamed loudly, leaving Zhao Tao confused. It seemed like he hadn¡¯t hit Li Yifei at all, yet Li Yifei was crying out as if in severe pain. Could it be that, having not used force recently, Zhao Tao had lost his sense of judgment regarding strength, striking so hard that he felt nothing when hitting someone?


    Zhao Tao couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, but the baton in his hand didn¡¯t stop. Each time he swung at Li Yifei, he shouted, "Will you talk or not? If not, I¡¯ll keep hitting you until you do."


    "I haven¡¯t broken the law, what can I say? Ah, it hurts, help!" Li Yifei¡¯s voice was hoarse with exertion, as if he was experiencing great pain. However, Zhao Tao¡¯s swings continued relentlessly, increasingly frustrating since each appeared to hit nothing. Nevertheless, Li Yifei¡¯s cries seemed to confirm impact, and his shrieks simultaneously excited Zhao Tao. Despite the discomfort of his futile blows, the thrill kept him from stopping.

 Chapter 283 - 290: Lin Qiong Shows Her Power

    Chapter 283: Chapter 290: Lin Qiong Shows Her PowerLin Qiong rushed towards the interrogation room and faintly heard screams of agony. The doors of the interrogation rooms were extremely soundproof; unless the screams were particularly loud, they wouldn¡¯t be heard from outside. The fact that the screams could be heard indicated how severe the beating inside must have been.


    Lin Qiong recognized the screams as coming from Li Yifei, feeling as if her heart was bleeding. Her eyes reddened with fury as she followed the sound and found the interrogation room where Li Yifei was held. She violently forced the door open and bellowed, "Stop!"


    Hearing someone shouting, Zhao Tao quickly ceased his actions. After all, beating someone in here was definitely not normal. But upon seeing a young female police officer enter, Zhao Tao¡¯s face darkened and he said, "Who are you?"


    Lin Qiong paid no attention to Zhao Tao and went straight to Li Yifei, examining his condition carefully. She saw Li Yifei appeared to be not too worse for wear and immediately felt doubtful as she asked anxiously, "How are you?"


    Li Yifei managed a pained smile and said, "If you hadn¡¯t come just now, they would have beaten me to death. Such thick sticks, they¡¯ve hit me dozens of times," then he continued to whimper in pain.


    Zhao Tao saw Lin Qiong ignoring him and his face turned extremely ugly. Even if Lin Qiong was a police officer, she couldn¡¯t just disregard him, he said sternly, "Comrade, we are interrogating a suspect, please do not interfere with our work."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Qiong¡¯s anger flared, and she spun around, raging at Zhao Tao, "This is an interrogation? Torture for confessions is explicitly forbidden. You are breaking the law knowingly."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s accusation made Zhao Tao uneasy, but considering the powerful backers he had, and seeing how young the policewoman was, assuming she was no significant figure, especially as she was not from their Sub-bureau, he didn¡¯t think he owed her any respect. A sneer formed on his lips as he replied, "You don¡¯t seem to be my superior, are you? You have no right to give me orders here."


    Clasping her fists tightly, Lin Qiong spoke through clenched teeth, "Whether I am your superior or not, if you break the law like this, I am obligated and entitled to stop you."


    Zhao Tao sneered, "My little comrade, I have been a police officer since before you graduated from the police academy. Coming here to lecture me, you¡¯re still too green. If you know this guy, I advise you not to get involved. He has offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have, and you cannot afford to mess with them."


    Lin Qiong grew even angrier and shouted, "Just because he has offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have, you think you can torture and beat him? Who do you serve as a police officer? For the rich and powerful, or for the common people?"


    Zhao Tao dismissed her with a sniff, "Aren¡¯t you stating the obvious? Of course, we follow our leaders¡¯ orders. Whatever the leaders say, I do. Now get out, and stop causing trouble here."


    Lin Qiong trembled with fury. She had seen police officers shirking their duties, but this was her first encounter with one who not only broke the law but also abetted the wrongdoing.


    "Won¡¯t comply? You¡¯ll have to. Little officer, you still have a lot to learn," Zhao Tao boasted as he saw Lin Qiong was at a loss for words, taking even more pleasure.


    "Thump!" Just as Zhao Tao was gloating with a smile, Lin Qiong suddenly delivered a hook to his jaw.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s punch, driven by anger, was powerful. It sent Zhao Tao¡¯s head jerking back and his body tumbling several steps backward until he hit the wall and finally stopped.


    Like an enraged lioness, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t stop after one punch; she lunged forward and kicked Zhao Tao at the bend of his legs. He fell sideways to the floor with a crash.


    "So I¡¯m breaking the law, am I? You disregard the law, do you? Well today, I won¡¯t play by the rules, and I want to see if you dare arrest me too," she fumed.


    Though Lin Qiong was a woman and not the ferocious type when calm, her temper was genuinely frightening once ignited¡ªespecially since she had some skills, which had improved after some training from Li Yifei. Having seriously practiced since then, her abilities had heightened, and she could handle a couple of regular men with ease. Taking Zhao Tao by surprise, she managed to knock down this man, who weighed over 180 pounds without him being able to fight back.


    Li Yifei was dumbfounded; he had never expected Lin Qiong to be so fierce when provoked. She handled a grown man with such ease. He knew that part of her fury stemmed from her hatred of evil, but also because the one being wronged was him, Li Yifei. He felt warmed by this¡ªit was in times of crisis that true characters were revealed. Normally, Lin Qiong had nothing nice to say to him, but when it mattered, she really stood up for him.


    Zhang Sheng was also stunned, never expecting a fellow officer to attack a colleague so boldly and viciously. It seemed as if she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until Zhao Tao was beaten to death.


    Zhao Tao¡¯s screams and curses finally snapped Zhang Sheng out of it, and he hurriedly moved around the table, shouting loudly, "Stop, please stop."


    Having unleashed her fury on Zhao Tao, Lin Qiong had calmed down somewhat. Hearing Zhang Sheng¡¯s shouts, she stopped her assault and stood by Li Yifei¡¯s side, breathing heavily, yet her eyes still flashed with a bloodthirsty light, ready to attack again at any moment.


    Zhao Tao, with Zhang Sheng¡¯s help, struggled to his feet, his face a patchwork of bruising. He spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with a large clot of blood¡ªyou could tell Lin Qiong had not held back.


    "You... fuck your grandma, I¡¯ll kill you!" Zhao Tao, having been hit by a woman, couldn¡¯t let this slide. Just as he got up, he swung his arms and lunged at Lin Qiong. Zhang Sheng was caught off guard and couldn¡¯t interfere in time. He could only shout out while trying to come over and pull them apart.


    But before Zhao Tao could reach Lin Qiong, he tripped over something and suddenly lost his balance, flailing wildly as he fell forward.


    Seeing Zhao Tao lunging at her, Lin Qiong instinctively kicked out, and her foot connected squarely with his head.


    Zhao Tao, having fallen and been kicked, hit the ground even harder this time. His forehead struck the floor with a thud, and he groaned, passing out.


    Zhang Sheng, sweating bullets, was about to check on Zhao Tao when suddenly several people burst into the interrogation room.


    "Zhang Sheng, what¡¯s going on here?" It was Director Wang and a few officers from the first floor. Since Lin Qiong had come in without closing the door, everyone heard the commotion and rushed in. Seeing the scene, they were all confused, and Director Wang directly asked Zhang Sheng.


    Seeing the Deputy Director, Zhang Sheng hurriedly said, "Director Wang, we were conducting an interrogation when this comrade, I don¡¯t know where she¡¯s from, came in and hit Zhao Tao; he¡¯s fainted now. I think he needs to be taken to the hospital immediately."


    Zhang Sheng and Zhao Tao were partners and usually close. He couldn¡¯t assist when Lin Qiong made her move, so now he naturally spoke in Zhao Tao¡¯s defense.


    Director Wang¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. Although Zhang Sheng might have omitted some details, the fact that Lin Qiong had knocked out Zhao Tao was undeniable. He immediately said, "Get Zhao Tao to the hospital quickly."


    Several officers clumsily went to lift Zhao Tao, who at that moment came to. He had indeed been knocked out momentarily, but his physical condition wasn¡¯t bad. Stirring, he woke up, and the first thing he did was struggle to his feet, turned to find Lin Qiong, and yelled, "You stinky bitch, you dare hit me? I¡¯ll skin you alive today." Then he charged at Lin Qiong.


    Zhao Tao, being a police officer, was used to dishing out the hits, not receiving them, let alone from a woman. This was something he absolutely could not accept. So all he could see was Lin Qiong, his enemy, completely ignoring everyone else.


    "Stop!" Director Wang¡¯s face turned green. Although Lin Qiong had hit Zhao Tao, Zhao Tao¡¯s reaction was unbecoming of a police officer. He had no control over Lin Qiong, but Zhao Tao belonged to their Sub-bureau, and he certainly had authority over him. He immediately shouted for order.


    "Your mother¡¯s stop; if I don¡¯t sort out this woman today, my name isn¡¯t Zhao Tao," Zhao Tao said, his eyes red with rage, failing to recognize it was Director Wang¡¯s voice.


    The officers were all startled and hurried to hold back Zhao Tao, with Zhang Sheng reminding him, "Director Wang is here, don¡¯t be rash."


    "Even if God himself came, I¡¯d still beat this bitch... What... Director Wang..." Zhao Tao¡¯s preceding words were furious, but upon realizing the director was present, he quickly turned around, his fierce expression turning sheepish as he stuttered, "Director Wang... I... I didn¡¯t know you were here." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Director Wang huffed and asked, "Have you calmed down?"


    Zhao Tao answered awkwardly, "Yes, I¡¯ve calmed down. But Director Wang, this woman, she burst into the interrogation room and hit me. You have to stand up for me."


    Director Wang nodded and said, "I¡¯ll handle it. This is Lin Qiong, the current chief of Xinhua Police Station, an exemplar set up by our Mile City. You must have heard of her, right?"


    Zhao Tao had indeed heard of her. Lin Qiong had cracked two major cases within her first year on the force, quickly rising to the role of chief. She might not be influential in other departments, but in the Mile City police force, everyone knew her. Hearing that the person who hit him was Lin Qiong, Zhao Tao¡¯s expression changed instantly. Not to mention Lin Qiong was being groomed by those higher up, just her current rank as a station chief was above his, and he was just a rank-and-file officer.


    But Zhao Tao was a man, and even though Lin Qiong outranked him, she wasn¡¯t from the same Sub-bureau. He couldn¡¯t get over being hit like that and gritted his teeth saying, "Director Wang, so the fact that I was hit just gets forgotten? She interfered with my case by barging into the interrogation room and hitting me; this isn¡¯t just any conflict."


    Director Wang was equally troubled. Though Lin Qiong and Zhao Tao were both lower in rank than him, mishandling the situation could hurt his authority. As he hesitated, another person walked in, patted Director Wang¡¯s shoulder, and said, "Old Wang, you don¡¯t have to handle this; I¡¯ll take care of it."


    The newcomer was another Deputy Director from the Sub-bureau named Qian Liben, who had the best relationship with Song Ziqiao. He was directly instructed by Song Ziqiao to arrest Li Yifei. Seeing Qian Liben, Director Wang was more than happy to pass the hot potato, nodding and saying, "Then I¡¯ll leave it to you, Old Qian."


    Qian Liben nodded, cleared his throat, and said, "Officer Lin, you may leave now. We¡¯d prefer to handle our Sub-bureau¡¯s matters ourselves."


    This was already showing Lin Qiong a great deal of respect, but Lin Qiong, with an unwavering glare, disregarded his rank and said, "No, I must stay here because I believe there is a problem with this case."

 Chapter 284 - 291 Coming to Watch the Play

    Chapter 284: Chapter 291 Coming to Watch the PlayQian Liben immediately frowned. He had already given Lin Qiong enough face by not pursuing the issue of her hitting Zhao Tao, but Lin Qiong still didn¡¯t know when to stop. His face darkened instantly as he said, "Lin Qiong, you need to know when to advance and when to retreat. This is our Qingping Branch Bureau, and it¡¯s not your turn as the head of a police station to direct our work here."


    Lin Qiong knew that Qian Liben was angry, and she calmed down a bit, replying, "Deputy Director Qian, I am not qualified to direct work here, but as a police officer, I cannot just watch my colleague engaging in coerced confessions, which is a violation of law by those who enforce it. For the reputation of our police force and the image of our officers in the eyes of the people, that¡¯s why I need to be here."


    Qian Liben said sternly, "This matter will be dealt with by the leadership of our sub-bureau."


    Lin Qiong still didn¡¯t want to leave, but suddenly there was noise at the door, and two people walked in. One was a man under thirty, brimming with pride, and the other a man in his fifties. Lin Qiong had seen the older man before; he was none other than Sunx Zhengjun, the chief of this sub-bureau.


    And naturally, the young man was Song Ziqiao. Yesterday, he had been embarrassed by Li Yifei, who damaged his oil tank, forcing him to stop at sea. In the end, it was only after the speedboat¡¯s driver called for help that several other speedboats came to take Song Ziqiao and his companions away. Song Ziqiao even compensated for two speedboats; otherwise, those people wouldn¡¯t have let them go.


    Arrogant as Song Ziqiao might be, he wouldn¡¯t stoop to dine and dash. After all, he wasn¡¯t just some street thug, and naturally, he blamed Li Yifei for his losses. Upon returning, he found Qian Liben and had him arrest Li Yifei immediately.


    Qian Liben had served as deputy director for some years and recently saw an opportunity to climb higher up the ladder. However, he lacked connections until he met Song Ziqiao, who represented a great opportunity to advance. He had to cling tightly to those coattails, so when Song Ziqiao mentioned the matter, he wasted no time and immediately led a team today to arrest Li Yifei.


    Today, Song Ziqiao had come specifically to see Li Yifei. After being humiliated by Li Yifei twice, he finally had the chance to get back at him, and there was no way he would miss the opportunity to witness Li Yifei¡¯s downfall and sneer at him in person, to vent the frustration in his heart.


    Given his status and background, even the Qingping Sub-bureau chief dared not disrespect him. Knowing Song Ziqiao was coming, he immediately accompanied him over. Even though he knew there was something fishy about the case, he had to go along with Song Ziqiao¡¯s wishes because if he didn¡¯t show due consideration for Song Ziqiao, and Song Ziqiao bore a grudge, then it could be quite easy for Song Ziqiao to make things difficult for him. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy for him to advance further if Song Ziqiao decided to make him wear "small shoes."


    Full of excitement, Song Ziqiao arrived at the interrogation room, eager to see Li Yifei¡¯s sorry state, but upon entering, he was surprised to see so many people there. Especially when he saw Li Yifei, although handcuffed, was nonchalantly smoking a cigarette, which infuriated him further.


    "Director Sunx, since when has your interrogation room turned into a marketplace?" Song Ziqiao asked Director Sunx Zhengjun with a sardonic tone.


    Sunx Zhengjun frowned, wondering why two deputy directors and six or seven other officers were in the interrogation room, not to mention Lin Qiong, a key figure nurtured by the city. He looked at Qian Liben and Director Wang and said, "What¡¯s going on here?"


    Qian Liben hurriedly explained, "Mayor Song, Director Sunx, this is what happened: Zhao Tao and Zhang Sheng were interrogating a suspect when Lin Qiong suddenly barged in and knocked Zhao Tao unconscious. So we came over to find out what¡¯s going on."


    Sunx Zhengjun¡¯s face darkened instantly. As the sub-bureau chief, Lin Qiong may be a key figure cultivated by the city, but that still didn¡¯t give her the right to run wild in his sub-bureau. He said gravely to Lin Qiong, "Little Lin, what do you mean by this?"


    Lin Qiong faced Sunx Zhengjun¡¯s gaze, neither servile nor overbearing, and replied, "Director Sunx, it was wrong of me to hit someone, but your colleague here, while interrogating, resorted to techniques of coerced confession, and was also rude, which is why I impulsively struck out."


    Song Ziqiao squinted at Lin Qiong. Dressed in her police uniform, she looked spirited and handsome, catching Song Ziqiao¡¯s eye. He had been involved with many women, but he had never had a "police flower." He remarked, "This Officer Little Lin is quite impressive, even able to knock down a man."


    Zhao Tao¡¯s face darkened instantly. Being knocked out by Lin Qiong, especially when mentioned by Deputy County Head Song Ziqiao, was indeed an embarrassing matter, and he couldn¡¯t even vent his anger.


    Lin Qiong ignored Song Ziqiao, whose gaze she found repulsive, and instead said to Sunx Lijun, "Director Sunx, I trust you will handle this impartially. Li Yifei is my friend, and I can step aside for now. As for me hitting someone, I am willing to accept the punishment."


    Having caused such a scene, Lin Qiong also knew there was no benefit for her to stay any longer. She believed that Director Sunx Zhengjun wouldn¡¯t let Zhao Tao and the others act recklessly, or his own reputation as director would suffer.


    Sunx Zhengjun nodded, saying, "I will communicate with your leadership about this. You may go back now."


    Lin Qiong nodded, turned to Li Yifei, her gaze somewhat complex, and finally left the interrogation room.


    With Song Ziqiao¡¯s status, he naturally couldn¡¯t pester Lin Qiong there, but he made a mental note of her. He could always make contact later; as long as he was here, a mere police officer would be easy to handle.


    Turning to Li Yifei, Song Ziqiao¡¯s face darkened again as he said, "It seems that those who you arrest have quite the pleasant stay, even enjoying a smoke."


    Zhang Sheng was alarmed and sensed Song Ziqiao¡¯s displeasure. He quickly lunged forward, reaching for the cigarette in Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, barking, "Who allowed you to smoke? Huh!"


    With a scream, Zhang Sheng¡¯s hand quickly retracted, shaking it vigorously a couple of times, flinging a cigarette butt away in the process.


    He had just snatched the cigarette butt from Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. Initially, he grasped the non-lit end, but as Yifei tilted his head slightly, the butt eluded his grip. At that moment, Yifei suddenly blew a stream of air, propelling the lit cigarette directly into his palm. Moreover, just before blowing, he had taken a strong draw, causing the ember to flare up significantly.


    Even if the ember had grown slightly larger, Zhang Sheng could have pinched it out with his fingers without much harm, given that the skin there is thicker. But it landed in the center of his palm, where the skin is not so thick. The scorching ember brought with it a pain that was too much to bear.


    Others might not know Li Yifei, but Song Ziqiao, having suffered twice at Yifei¡¯s hands, knew full well this was intentional. That made him even more furious. He let out a sardonic laugh and said, "Kid, you¡¯re still so brash even here. It seems you really don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re alive or dead. Deputy Director Qian, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you."


    Qian Liben immediately said, "Mayor Song, rest assured, I will handle this matter thoroughly."


    Song Ziqiao chuckled and said, "Alright then, proceed with the interrogation. I will be watching."


    Understanding what Song Ziqiao meant, Qian Liben promptly told the remaining officers, "Alright, everyone return to your duties."


    The officers quickly retreated, leaving only Zhao Tao and Zhang Sheng. Sunx Lijun hesitated before telling Song Ziqiao, "Mayor Song, I have some other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t be able to keep you company here."


    Song Ziqiao knew Sunx Lijun didn¡¯t want to get involved in this messy situation, but he didn¡¯t care. Qian Liben was convenient for his use; whatever he ordered, Qian would follow. As for Sunx Lijun, being Sub-bureau Chief, he wasn¡¯t as easy to manipulate. It was better that he left. Song Ziqiao replied with a smile, "Director Sunx, go ahead with your work. I won¡¯t need your attention here."


    Director Sunx departed, and so did Director Wang after a brief farewell. Wang resented Song Ziqiao¡¯s methods, but found himself powerless to intervene, opting instead for ¡¯out of sight, out of mind.¡¯


    "Song Ziqiao, what... what are you going to do? You¡¯re the County Head; you can¡¯t abuse your power or arbitrarily arrest people," Li Yifei suddenly exclaimed in terror, a stark contrast to his previous composure.


    Song Ziqiao burst into laughter at this, and after a few hearty laughs, he shouted, "Li Yifei, you¡¯re scared now? Well, I¡¯m telling you, I will abuse my power, and I will arrest whoever I want, simply because I have the strength. You think you can contend with me? How utterly naive, ha ha."


    "You cannot do this, you¡¯re supposed to be the Parental officials of the people, serving them. I¡¯m a taxpayer; you should be protecting me, not targeting me."


    Song Ziqiao found this even more amusing and replied, "Kid, are you an idiot or a fool? Weren¡¯t you pretty defiant earlier? Now you remember I¡¯m an official? And who told you officials are here to serve the people? Do you think all those people who spend money and pull strings to become officials do it to serve the people? Are they fools? You talking about being a taxpayer and needing my protection, that¡¯s just hilarious. In my eyes, you¡¯re nothing but a peon. If I want you alive, even seeking death won¡¯t grant you escape, and if I want you dead, you won¡¯t be able to live even if you wish for it." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Liben and the others, including Zhao Tao and Zhang Sheng, burst into laughter as well. Eager to make a good impression, Qian Liben quickly said, "Kid, do you think you can offend Mayor Song?"


    Zhao Tao, who had refrained from lecturing Li Yifei properly and had even been beaten up by Lin Qiong, was seething with anger. Rolling up his sleeves, he stated, "Mayor Song, let me vent your frustration for you today."


    Song Ziqiao crossed his legs and said, "Sure, go ahead. Don¡¯t hold back. Anything that happens, I¡¯ve got your back."


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Tao felt even more confident and, with a heinous smile, declared, "Mayor Song, I¡¯ll showcase the techniques I¡¯ve honed over the years, starting with ¡¯tortoise shell.¡¯


    "Tortoise shell? What¡¯s that?" Song Ziqiao¡¯s interest was piqued.


    "Mayor Song, please allow me to keep you in suspense. You¡¯ll see in a moment." With those words, Zhao Tao approached Li Yifei, his face aglow with excitement. Inflicting suffering was his utmost delight.


    The so-called ¡¯tortoise shell¡¯ tied a person¡¯s hands and feet together in such a way that the left hand was shackled to the right foot, and the right hand to the left foot. It forced the person to lie face down, curled up, resembling a turtle. It might be bearable for a short time, but within a few minutes, the bound person would be in excruciating pain.


    Li Yifei shouted loudly, "You can¡¯t do this; you¡¯re police officers! You have to abide by the law."


    Song Ziqiao, all smiles, replied, "The law? Now I¡¯ll make you understand whether the law is for peons like you or for us. Quickly, give me a ¡¯tortoise shell¡¯ to see. Ha ha! You¡¯ll be ¡¯turtled¡¯ first, and once I¡¯ve had my way with your woman, you¡¯ll be a real turtle."


    Qian Liben and the other two, Zhao Tao and Zhang Sheng, joined in the laughter. In their eyes, Li Yifei was nothing more than their plaything, and today they intended to take their pleasure in tormenting him.


    Just as Zhao Tao reached Li Yifei, the interrogation room door was suddenly kicked open again. This completely disrupted Song Ziqiao¡¯s mood. He turned around, about to erupt in anger, but the words died in his throat as his expression turned extremely unsightly.

 Chapter 285 - 292 Arrival

    Chapter 285: Chapter 292 Arrival"Who do you think you are, brazenly barging into the Public Security Bureau¡¯s interrogation room like this!" Zhao Tao did not recognize the few people, and as he was about to take action, he was interrupted once again and immediately bellowed angrily.


    "I am Song Zhentao!" the man leading the group said in a deep voice, his expression indescribably unpleasant.


    "I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re Song Zhentao or Song Zhenhai¡ªthis is a police station, so get out!" With Song Ziqiao there, Zhao Tao did not take anyone else seriously.


    "Slap!" A crisp slap sounded, and Qian Liben, with a face ashen with anger, shouted, "You bastard, he¡¯s the Municipal Party Secretary."


    "Ah!" Zhao Tao, touching his face, was suddenly dumbfounded; he had actually just cursed the Municipal Party Secretary¡ªwasn¡¯t this seeking death?


    Song Ziqiao stood up, laughed awkwardly, and said, "Secretary Song, what brings you here?"


    Song Zhentao looked at Song Ziqiao with a stern face and said, "Song Ziqiao, you¡¯ve really got some nerve, turning the Public Security Bureau into a place for seeking personal revenge."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face changed. Although he had backing from the province, he dared not underestimate a Municipal Party Secretary. After all, his future promotion still required a positive assessment from this side. If he had a bad reputation here, even with the great influence of his family¡¯s elder, it would be very troublesome when the time came.


    Normally, his subordinates would flatter him, saying that even the Municipal Party Secretary was not as effective as him, but he knew well that it was his family¡¯s elder whom the Municipal Party Secretary feared, not him. As long as he stayed out of trouble, the Secretary would offer him face, but if he gave the Secretary an excuse, he could easily be dealt with.


    However, even if he were at fault in this matter, there was no need for Song Zhentao to reprimand him so publicly, completely leaving him without any face.


    "Secretary Song, I will give you a detailed report on this matter."


    "Report my ass, this is the Public Security Bureau, what are you doing here? Is this your office?"


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face darkened as Song Zhentao cursed him in public. Where could he tolerate this, he said with a deep voice, "Secretary Song, even if this matter is my fault and I accept your criticism, was there really a need to curse me?"


    Song Zhentao snorted coldly and said, "These gentlemen are from the Discipline Inspection Commission, you can talk to them about any issues later."


    "Discipline Inspection Commission?" Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes widened, unable to believe that Song Zhentao would bring the Discipline Inspection Commission here, intent on dealing him a deadly blow.


    "Song Ziqiao, you are now under ¡¯triple regulations,¡¯ please cooperate with our work," a man stepped forward to Song Ziqiao with a face full of seriousness.


    Li Yifei, who had not spoken until now, suddenly said out loud, "Secretary Song, I have a recording here, I wonder if it can be taken as evidence."


    Song Zhentao immediately responded, "Of course, it can."


    Li Yifei quickly pulled out his mobile phone and said, "I recorded how they were torturing me during the interrogation."


    Qian Liben¡¯s face instantly turned pale with shock. With Song Ziqiao being taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission, even if it was related to this case, it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem for him, but if there was a recording, his involvement in the torture could not be denied.


    Zhao Tao and Zhang Sheng felt even weaker at this moment. This matter could be made a big deal or a small one, and if seriously pursued, they would not only be expelled from the police force but might be implicated in other cases, which would truly be disastrous for them.


    What scared them the most, however, was that it was the Municipal Party Secretary, no less, who had come to deal with the matter, and from the looks of it, he was determined to deal with it harshly.


    Moreover, they regretted not having taken Li Yifei¡¯s mobile phone away from the start, a serious oversight on their part. But even if they were now kicking themselves, it was too late for regrets.


    Song Ziqiao suddenly realized something¡ªLi Yifei had dared to oppose him repeatedly, which did not seem like the behavior of an ordinary person. Now that he had just captured Li Yifei, the Municipal Party Secretary had personally intervened and brought the Discipline Inspection Commission to sort him out. This was surely no coincidence. Furthermore, the manager of the Yiyun Clubhouse had specially told him that Li Yifei was someone with significant backing, yet he had not believed it, until now, when he suddenly did.


    Staring hard at Li Yifei, Song Ziqiao said darkly, "Li Yifei, you¡¯ve won for now, but I really want to know, who exactly are you?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and lit another cigarette, saying, "If you just did your job properly, you wouldn¡¯t need to worry about who I am. But if you abuse your power for wrongdoing, then any person you¡¯ve bullied might turn out to have a very significant background."


    "Fine, fine, you won¡¯t tell me, but I will find out. Let me tell you, you may have won this time, but it doesn¡¯t mean I will always lose. I will take my revenge."


    Secretary Song gave a meaningful glance to his colleagues from the Discipline Inspection Commission, and they immediately took Song Ziqiao away.


    It was only then that Director Sun Lijun, along with several Deputy Directors, hurried over. Just as they were about to speak, Song Zhentao sternly stated, "I need a detailed report, as well as an explanation of how this matter will be handled. I expect to see it in my office tomorrow."


    After finishing, he gave Li Yifei another look and turned to leave.


    Several directors hurried out, leaving only Qian Liben, Zhao Tao, and Zhang Sheng there, dumbfounded.


    "Hey, can I go now?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Each of the three men jolted, unsure of what to do at that moment, but before they could decide, Sun Lijun charged in, shouting loudly, "Aren¡¯t you releasing him yet?"


    Zhao Tao went over with a start to unlock Li Yifei¡¯s handcuffs, and at this time, Sun Lijun was repeatedly apologizing to Li Yifei. He wasn¡¯t aware of Li Yifei¡¯s identity, but today¡¯s incident had started because of Li Yifei. If he didn¡¯t soothe Li Yifei and Li Yifei made a fuss, his position as director would be at great risk.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t make it hard for Sun Lijun. With Song Ziqiao here, these people were also somewhat helpless. As for how to deal with it, that was something for Song Zhentao and the others to decide; it had nothing to do with him.


    As he walked out of the first-floor corridor, Li Yifei saw several beautiful women, all of whom were looking his way. Michelle, in particular, dashed forward two steps and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her eyes reddening as she said, "Brother Li, are you alright?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Do I look like I¡¯m not alright?"


    "Mmhmm!" Michelle nodded repeatedly, suddenly throwing herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms and hugging his waist tightly, starting to cry softly.


    This catched Li Yifei slightly off guard since Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were watching from across the room, not to mention Lin Qiong, who had a weird expression. Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t too much of an issue since nothing had happened between them, but he¡¯d had relationships with both He Fangqing and Lin Qiong. Now, with Michelle hugging him, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit uneasy.


    Yet how could he ignore Michelle¡¯s affection? The promises and sorrow when he was taken away were not something that just any girl could muster. Seeing him released and reacting so emotionally, if he didn¡¯t respond now, he really wouldn¡¯t be a man. He opened his arms and embraced Michelle¡¯s shoulders, patting her gently and saying softly, "Stop crying, see, I¡¯m fine."


    Michelle slowly stopped crying and gently let go of Li Yifei, her cheeks flushed as she said, "It¡¯s good you¡¯re okay, Brother Li, you really scared me."


    "It¡¯s my fault, let¡¯s go; so many people are watching."


    Reminded by Li Yifei, Michelle remembered the others watching and her face turned bright red. She quickly took two steps back and lowered her head, too shy to look at Li Yifei again. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moved, Li Yifei took the initiative to take Michelle¡¯s hand and led her to where Xu Yingying and the others were, saying, "Heh, I appreciate you all rushing over."


    Xu Yingying should have been happy to see Li Yifei come out, but seeing him with Michelle soured her mood, leaving her with an unenthusiastic tone toward Li Yifei. She snorted, "You even know you¡¯ve inconvenienced us, always causing trouble and making us worry about you."


    Li Yifei answered playfully, "Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m so thankful for President Xu¡¯s concern; I promise it won¡¯t happen again."


    "Humph, as long as you know," Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and, turning on her heel, clacked her high heels towards the exit.


    He Fangqing seemed rather amused as she looked at Li Yifei and said, "You guy, it looks like you¡¯re in for a tough time."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "No problem, no problem."


    Both were speaking with double meanings, but neither Lin Qiong nor Michelle caught on.


    "All right, I¡¯m leaving with President Xu first," He Fangqing chuckled again before turning around and following Xu Yingying out.


    Li Yifei took Michelle by the hand to Lin Qiong. Lin Qiong snorted and pulled Michelle over, saying, "Michelle, what are you...?"


    Michelle¡¯s face grew redder, but she bravely met Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze and said, "Lin Qiong, I like Brother Li."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s feelings were hard to describe. "But he already has a girlfriend."


    Michelle bit her lip, resolute as she said, "I know, but I still like him. I won¡¯t force Brother Li; nor will I interfere with his relationship with his girlfriend. However, if things don¡¯t work out with his girlfriend, I will definitely be with him."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched, "Do you even know he¡¯s been involved with other women and even had... relationships?" As she said this, she felt somewhat distasteful, but she couldn¡¯t help saying it anyway.


    Michelle smiled faintly, "I won¡¯t mind Brother Li¡¯s past. Besides, we¡¯re modern people. It¡¯s normal to have relationships when dating. Moreover, I just like Brother Li, and he¡¯s not my boyfriend now, so I have no right to interfere with his freedom."


    Lin Qiong sighed, "You really are foolish." After that, she gave Li Yifei another glance and walked away.


    Michelle savored Lin Qiong¡¯s words; she seemed foolish indeed, but she found this kind of foolishness sweet. What harm is there in being foolish for love just once?

 Chapter 286 - 293: Blessed

    Chapter 286: Chapter 293: BlessedLi Yifei stood next to Michelle, gazing at the pretty girl¡¯s profile, he sighed softly and said, "Michelle, you are really too naive."


    Michelle shook her head gently, her shoulder-length hair swaying beautifully with the movement of her shoulders. She turned to Li Yifei with a brilliant smile and said, "I¡¯m just a silly girl, but Brother Li, don¡¯t take it too seriously. I was too impulsive at the time, it shouldn¡¯t count."


    Despite Michelle¡¯s carefree words, her eyes clearly held a glint of hope.


    Li Yifei knew, Michelle didn¡¯t want to burden him. She was as kind as Su Yiyi, yet bolder than her. They had much in common, yet were different in many ways, each with their own unique charm. But one thing was the same, they were both so likable.


    However, Li Yifei really couldn¡¯t accept Michelle. Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu already left him in difficult straits, and he had gotten involved with Lin Qiong just a couple days before, still not clear about it. Michelle was so kind, he didn¡¯t have the heart to drag her into this mess.


    With a heavy heart, Li Yifei said, "Michelle, thank you for liking me, but... I think it¡¯s better if we just stay friends."


    Michelle¡¯s expression turned a bit ugly at once, she forced a smile and said, "Brother Li, I understand, haven¡¯t we always been good friends?"


    Li Yifei felt a twinge of pain. Michelle¡¯s public confession meant that everyone in the company now knew she liked him, and by rejecting her, it would invite talk and rumors about her.


    This made Li Yifei uncomfortable, but showing softness now would only make Michelle fall deeper. Pretending not to notice her sadness, he smiled and said, "Yes, we are the best of friends. You¡¯re my confidante, and I¡¯m yours."


    Michelle nodded, "Yes, we are confidantes." Her heart ached, and she barely held back her tears. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let¡¯s go, I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer," Li Yifei changed the subject.


    With an "Ah," Michelle hastily followed Li Yifei as they quickly left the place. The Public Security Bureau, a place that was supposed to give people peace of mind, now felt daunting to Michelle.


    After leaving the gates of the Public Security Bureau, Michelle finally breathed a sigh of relief. There, He Fangqing and Xu Yingying were waiting, while Lin Qiong had already left.


    Xu Yingying said, "Li Yifei, get in my car, I have something to tell you."


    Li Yifei welcomed the offer, as he truly didn¡¯t know how to face Michelle at the moment. He smiled apologetically at her, and Michelle immediately said, "You should go, President Xu will definitely scold you for the trouble you¡¯ve caused."


    Michelle said this playfully, smiling at Li Yifei. During the walk from the bureau, she had come to a decision. She couldn¡¯t pressure Li Yifei, so she had already adjusted her mindset. Besides, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t accepted her yet, which only proved how seriously he took relationships, rather than being fickle. That was, indeed, her reason for liking Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to sit in the passenger seat, Xu Yingying told him, "Sit in the back."


    Li Yifei opened the back door and got in, and in Xu Yingying¡¯s car, there was another person, Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei had known that Su Mengxin was in the car, as a few skilled people were following them, either openly or secretly, which made it clear that Su Mengxin was there.


    "Thank you for getting me out," Li Yifei said his thanks, but his expression showed no real gratitude.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, "The trouble was caused by both of us, of course, I couldn¡¯t let you bear it alone. Besides, Song Ziqiao really went too far. With such a person in office, the harm he could cause is far greater than anyone else."


    "Heh, it¡¯s your influence that brought the Municipal Party Secretary here."


    "In his own jurisdiction, such an official¡¯s misdeeds cannot be disconnected from him."


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette and Xu Yingying immediately frowned, saying, "In the car, can you not smoke? Boss Su is here."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and said, "I was the one who gave him the cigarettes, let him smoke."


    Xu Yingying had nothing more to say, but she still gave Li Yifei a look through the rearview mirror. Li Yifei feigned ignorance, lit a cigarette, and said, "Now, that Song Ziqiao must be in a tight spot."


    Su Mengxin replied, "Actually, if you called Song Zhentao yourself, he would¡¯ve also come."


    Li Yifei¡¯s status as Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin was not known to everyone, but the bigwigs of Mile City such as the Municipal Party Secretary and the Mayor were well aware. So, a word from him would have been enough for them to make a move.


    "Forget it, if I ask them myself, then I¡¯d never have a moment¡¯s peace. Besides, my identity is fake anyway. If it¡¯s exposed later, wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing? Better to keep it low key."


    "It¡¯s up to you. Anyway, Song Zhentao didn¡¯t reveal your identity when he went in today."


    "Right! But should I invite him to dinner later?"


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "I think you should. The Municipal Party Secretary personally came for your matter, so naturally, you should invite him."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "That won¡¯t be necessary, I think he should invite us to dinner."


    No sooner had Su Mengxin finished speaking than her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and chuckled: "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."


    Indeed, it was Song Zhentao on the line, apologizing profusely to Su Mengxin and inviting her and Li Yifei to dinner that evening.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t agree immediately but turned her head and asked, "Cousin, what do you think?"


    Li Yifei knew that Su Mengxin had deliberately made that comment for Song Zhentao to hear. He felt he had no choice but to agree, saying, "Let¡¯s go then, Secretary Song really helped me out."


    Only then did Su Mengxin speak into the phone, "Secretary Song, you go ahead and make the arrangements. Also, our President Xu will be joining us."


    After making these arrangements, Xu Yingying drove Su Mengxin home, while she and Li Yifei headed back to the company. Li Yifei¡¯s arrest had created quite a stir, and if they didn¡¯t show up at the office soon, it would definitely lead to rampant speculation and disrupt everyone¡¯s ability to focus on their work.


    This time, Li Yifei sat in the passenger seat, but Xu Yingying¡¯s expression was somewhat displeased. Barely out of the neighborhood, she said to Li Yifei with irritation, "You¡¯re something else, aren¡¯t you? Michelle publicly confessed to you, and now you¡¯ve truly become the talk of the company."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying would bring this up. He sighed and said, "It¡¯s quite a headache to me too. I didn¡¯t expect Michelle to do that, to confess in front of so many people. Everyone in the company will certainly expect that I should accept her now, and if I don¡¯t, Michelle will surely become the laughing stock of the office."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "So what you¡¯re saying is that you should accept her?"


    "Of course not, what about Yiyi if I did?"


    Xu Yingying snorted again and said, "But you were worried about Michelle becoming the butt of jokes, weren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei lighted a cigarette with a gloomy expression and commented, "Man, having too much female attention can be such a headache."


    "Roll on, don¡¯t flatter yourself here," Xu Yingying cursed at Li Yifei before adding, "Anyway, you better handle this matter properly, or I won¡¯t let it go."


    "Isn¡¯t this my personal affair? What¡¯s it got to do with you, President Xu not letting it go?" Li Yifei asked knowingly.


    Xu Yingying turned and glared at Li Yifei, saying, "Are you playing dumb with me?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "I¡¯m not playing dumb, I¡¯m just saying Yingying, give me a break."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei¡¯s distressed face, then tilted her chin up and said, "Not a chance. Unless you¡¯re married, I will not give up. And even if you do get married, I won¡¯t give up because there¡¯s such thing as divorce too."


    Li Yifei suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed, "You must be kidding!"


    Xu Yingying looked even more smug as she said, "Yes! Definitely! Once I, Xu Yingying, make a decision, I do not change my mind. In this life, whether you want to or not, you¡¯ll have to marry me."


    "Nobody¡¯s as domineering as you."


    "You got that right, I am that domineering. You might as well resign yourself to your fate now. As for Su Yiyi, Michelle, and even Mayor Ye Yunzhu, you better cut ties with them early to avoid leading them on."


    Xu Yingying intentionally didn¡¯t mention He Fangqing¡¯s name. To others, she was a competitor, an enemy, but she unconsciously regarded He Fangqing as a partner.


    Thinking of He Fangqing, Xu Yingying said with a smile, "By the way, I can tell you that if you behave and be with me, I will definitely offer you a huge perk in the future, one that will get you excited just thinking about it."


    "There¡¯s a perk? Can¡¯t you give me a hint? I¡¯d consider it," Li Yifei seemed suddenly interested.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s licentious grin, Xu Yingying glared at him and snapped, "Don¡¯t think dirty thoughts, the perk I¡¯m talking about is not Shanshan."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly; he had indeed thought of Xu Shanshan just then. The prospect of being with twin sisters was exciting just to consider, but Xu Yingying immediately shattered that hope by saying in all seriousness, "How could I ever have such dirty thoughts? It¡¯s your mind that¡¯s turned dirty."


    "Hum, hum, it¡¯s clear whose thoughts are dirty," Xu Yingying shot Li Yifei a contemptuous glance, then added with a smile, "I guarantee that once you know what this perk is, you will not regret it."


    "Then spill it out. If you don¡¯t, how would I know whether it¡¯d tempt me?"


    "I can¡¯t tell you now, only if you really decide to marry me, then I will let you know."


    Li Yifei leaned back and said, "Then let¡¯s forget it. I couldn¡¯t possibly give up Yiyi just for that."


    Xu Yingying almost angrily revealed the perk impulsively but managed to hold back. To bind Li Yifei to her using such a perk would mean she, Xu Yingying, had lost to her own tactic.

 Chapter 287 - 294: Caught Red-Handed

    Chapter 287: Chapter 294: Caught Red-HandedOnce Li Yifei arrived at the company, he was immediately surrounded by many people, all of them eager to find out what had happened.


    "It¡¯s nothing, just the Public Security Bureau made a mistake, linking me to a case, but now they know I¡¯m innocent, so I came back," Li Yifei said.


    He didn¡¯t mention the real situation and such an explanation was easier for everyone to accept. Even so, everyone sent their well wishes, as it was certainly something to celebrate to be released unharmed after being taken away by the Public Security Bureau.


    Back in the office, colleagues continuously came to visit him, which touched Li Yifei¡¯s heart. Whether it was genuine or pretense, after all, it was an expression of concern on the surface.


    But what gave Li Yifei a headache was that everyone joked that he had gotten into trouble but managed to win Michelle¡¯s heart, scoring a huge advantage.


    The company¡¯s three beauties¡ªXu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Michelle¡ªwith Michelle being the most down-to-earth. The male colleagues in the company loved to be around Michelle. Now that Michelle was seemingly taken, many were quite disappointed. While joking with Li Yifei, there was an undeniable hint of sourness in the tone of quite a few male colleagues.


    Finally, after sending everyone away, it was noon. Everyone had finished eating in the company¡¯s cafeteria. Li Yifei was thinking about going back to the office to rest when his cell phone rang.


    "Director He, what¡¯s the matter?" Li Yifei asked with all seriousness.


    "Come to my office. I have something to talk to you about," He Fangqing¡¯s voice was quite formal. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei agreed and hung up the phone, said a quick word to two colleagues nearby, and then went to He Fangqing¡¯s office on the fifth floor.


    As soon as he entered, Li Yifei locked the door from the inside. When He Fangqing called him at this time, it wasn¡¯t to talk about work¡ªit must be because she missed him.


    When it came to other women, Li Yifei¡¯s heart would inevitably feel conflicted, but with He Fangqing, he felt very relaxed. Perhaps being with He Fangqing meant not being entangled with emotions.


    At that moment, He Fangqing was sitting on the office sofa. As soon as Li Yifei locked the door, she said with a straight face, "What are you doing, locking the door as soon as you come in?"


    Li Yifei directly sat next to He Fangqing, stretched an arm around her shoulder, leaned in, and gave her face a kiss, saying, "How can I be affectionate with you if I don¡¯t lock the door?"


    He Fangqing felt swayed by Li Yifei¡¯s kiss, elbowed him, and scolded, "Still, last time Michelle almost caught us, and you dare to do this in the office?"


    "It¡¯s noon now, everyone is resting, no one will come."


    Just then, He Fangqing¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She hurriedly picked it up and answered, "President Xu, what¡¯s up?"


    "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯re not in any trouble, are you?"


    "No trouble, I¡¯m fine."


    "You really scared me. I knocked on your door just now, and you didn¡¯t open it for ages, and there was a sound of you calling out."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face turned utterly embarrassed, "No, no, I fell asleep just now, maybe I was having a nightmare."


    "Oh, then I¡¯m disturbing you. I have something to tell you, so please open the door."


    He Fangqing¡¯s face darkened, intending to refuse, but Li Yifei patted her bottom and laughed, "Come on, stop pretending, go open the door."


    "Ah, Li Yifei... you two..." Xu Yingying abruptly exclaimed over the phone.


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a reproachful look and had to stand up, frantically straightening her clothes before moving to open the door.


    Xu Yingying walked in and smelled a strong hormone scent in the office. She hadn¡¯t been familiar with this scent before, but after play-acting with Li Yifei, she had gotten some of "that stuff" from him on her, and she knew the scent well, which immediately made her face turn crimson. Yet, she didn¡¯t leave but instead casually closed the door behind her before coming in.


    "Wow, you two really couldn¡¯t wait, huh? In the office no less..." Xu Yingying had intended to say this with seriousness, but as she spoke, her own face turned red.


    He Fangqing instantly felt awkward and said, "Yingying, we won¡¯t do it again."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "I didn¡¯t mean that, don¡¯t get me wrong, Sister Fangqing, just... keep it down. I could hear your moans from the hallway just now. Luckily there was no one else there; it would have been really awkward if someone had heard."


    He Fangqing felt even more embarrassed and said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll be quieter next time."


    Xu Yingying then turned to look at Li Yifei, who was nonchalantly smoking, his clothes disheveled and unattended to. She gave him a disapproving look and said, "Can¡¯t you pay a little attention to your appearance? This is still the company, after all. I might not say anything about you and Fangqing, but you could at least tidy up your clothes. What would it look like if someone saw you?"


    Li Yifei blew a ring of smoke and laughed, "After a man does this kind of thing, he¡¯s usually very tired. Normally, he should be sleeping. Since I can¡¯t sleep, I have to rest a bit, right?"


    Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei in disgust, "You pervert." Unexpectedly, her mind drifted back to the day when Li Yifei and she had slept together; it seemed like he had also been pretty tired and dozed off rather quickly.


    At this point, He Fangqing had already adjusted her mindset and laughed, "Yingying, you need to keep a tight leash on this guy, or else he¡¯ll never shape up."


    Xu Yingying blushed and said, "You¡¯re the one to keep him in check."


    "I can¡¯t do that; I¡¯ve got no intention of being his wife. You¡¯re the one who wants to be the wife, so if you don¡¯t keep him in check, who will?"


    Li Yifei, looking at the two of them, felt a strange sensation. He had just made love to He Fangqing, and Xu Yingying had caught them, but Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, she was joking with He Fangqing. What kind of pace was this?


    Even as the former second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t figure out what the two women were thinking.


    "By the way, Yingying, did you have something to talk to me about?" He Fangqing pulled Xu Yingying onto the couch to sit down.


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei again. She had wanted to talk to He Fangqing about the benefits after her discussion with Li Yifei earlier, but with Li Yifei right there, she obviously couldn¡¯t bring it up. Moreover, the scent lingering in the room was making her feel somewhat uneasy, and she kept picturing how Li Yifei and He Fangqing had been intimate.


    "Sister Fangqing, when this guy was sitting on the chair... you didn¡¯t do it on the chair, did you?" Xu Yingying didn¡¯t know what got into her, but she blurted out that question.


    He Fangqing was taken aback; she hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to ask such a question and didn¡¯t know how to reply. Li Yifei, on the other hand, casually said, "Yeah, doing it on the chair really does have a special feel."


    "You pervert." Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei again, her face flushing red. She was still a virgin, after all, and couldn¡¯t believe she had asked such a question.


    "Look at you, not making any sense. You¡¯re the one who asked, and when I gave you an answer, you scold me. Women really are unreasonable."


    By then, Xu Yingying could only stiffen her resolve and said, "I was asking Sister Fangqing, not you. What are you blathering about?"


    "Fine, fine, I won¡¯t interfere. Happy now if I just leave?" Li Yifei stood up, stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his clothes, and sauntered out of He Fangqing¡¯s office.


    Once Li Yifei was gone, He Fangqing gave Xu Yingying a strange look, which made Xu Yingying nervous. "Sister Fangqing, why are you looking at me like that?"


    He Fangqing chuckled softly and winked at Xu Yingying, "Yingying, have you and Yifei... already done the deed?"


    "No! Absolutely not!" Xu Yingying quickly denied.


    He Fangqing laughed heartily, wrapping an arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, "Don¡¯t lie to me. You could ask about our intimacy and even did so in front of Li Yifei. If you hadn¡¯t done it, could you have asked such a question? And with Li Yifei¡¯s disheveled clothes, you seemed completely unbothered. If there was nothing between you two, I wouldn¡¯t believe it one bit."

 Chapter 288 - 295: A Promise Counts

    Chapter 288: Chapter 295: A Promise CountsXu Yingying found herself at a loss for words when He Fangqing put it that way.


    But He Fangqing misunderstood, took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, and said earnestly, "Yingying, we are good sisters, I never saw you as an outsider. Let¡¯s speak openly about any concerns so there are no hard feelings. I promise you, I won¡¯t act like this with Li Yifei anymore, so you won¡¯t feel uncomfortable."


    Only then did Xu Yingying come back to her senses and quickly said, "No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant, I haven¡¯t had that kind of relationship with Li Yifei."


    "Really?" He Fangqing teased, winking at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying immediately felt embarrassed under He Fangqing¡¯s gaze, knowing she would never believe her, so she bit her lip and recounted the day she pretended to be Li Yifei¡¯s wife. Because she knew He Fangqing and Li Yifei had just been intimate, she even went into painstaking detail.


    He Fangqing listened with surprise and said, "Li Yifei really can hold himself back in that kind of situation; he¡¯s quite something."


    Xu Yingying smiled awkwardly and said, "Maybe he was afraid of being found out by others."


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "Hehe, I don¡¯t know about that, but the way you two are now, it¡¯s no different from having a real relationship. I won¡¯t meddle anymore and hope that you two end up together."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "That¡¯s not what I mean, Sister Fangqing, I really don¡¯t have the idea you mentioned. I, Xu Yingying, stand by my word, even if I really married Li Yifei, I wouldn¡¯t stop him from being with you."


    He Fangqing laughed out loud, and Xu Yingying gave her a push, chiding, "Don¡¯t you believe what I¡¯m saying?"


    He Fangqing held back her laughter and said, "What are you thinking, being so silly? Who would let their husband fool around with another woman?"


    "But you¡¯re not an outsider, you were with Li Yifei long before me. Normally, it¡¯s only right for you two to be together. I always feel like I¡¯ve stolen him from you, and you haven¡¯t minded it. How could I stop you two from being together? Plus, you said you hadn¡¯t thought about marrying Li Yifei, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems."


    He Fangqing found Xu Yingying¡¯s thoughts peculiar and somewhat naive. Most importantly, she hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to still hold that belief after developing her relationship with Li Yifei to this stage, which touched her deeply.


    Taking Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, He Fangqing spoke with emotion, "Yingying, I don¡¯t know how to thank you enough for your kindness to me. Whatever happens in the future, I, He Fangqing, will never let you down. Just say the word, and I¡¯ll cut ties with Li Yifei completely, with no connection whatsoever."


    Xu Yingying took He Fangqing¡¯s hand in return, smiling as she said, "Don¡¯t worry, Sister Fangqing, I would never do that. I know I¡¯m too proud and not cut out to be a good wife in many ways. I¡¯m counting on you to help keep that guy¡¯s heart in the future."


    He Fangqing laughed heartily and said, "Alright, then I won¡¯t hold back."


    Li Yifei had no idea that Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were discussing this matter. After a joyous time with He Fangqing, he was now refreshed and leisurely returned to his office.


    Since Su Mengxin had said they would dine with the Municipal Party Secretary tonight, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t have dinner with Michelle, so he called her. Michelle was very understanding. After her bold confession today, people at the company had been teasing her, and she still felt somewhat unable to face Li Yifei. Besides, she was worried about causing trouble for Li Yifei, who now had a girlfriend.


    That evening, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying drove to the Yiyun Clubhouse together. For someone of Su Mengxin¡¯s status, going anywhere else would be disrespectful, so the best clubhouse in Mile City was the only choice.


    Besides Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao, the mayor Qin Jiangyuan and the Chief of the Public Security Bureau Ning Changzheng were also present.


    After everyone arrived in the private room, Song Zhentao introduced everyone. They had all dined with Li Yifei and Su Mengxin before, so the main introduction was for Xu Yingying.


    The Chief of the Public Security Bureau, Ning Changzheng, took Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said with a hint of guilt, "Mr. Li, I have failed in my duties, allowing such scum to appear in the Public Security System. Everyone involved has been dealt with severely, especially Qian Liben, Zhao Tao, and Zhang Sheng, who were expelled from the Public Security System and turned over to the Discipline Inspection Commission for investigation."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, not taking the matter to heart, and said, "I¡¯m fine, and it¡¯s already been handled. I know you, Director Ning, are a good cop. A forest is bound to have all kinds of birds, and as a director, it¡¯s natural you can¡¯t know the character of every subordinate, so it¡¯s not your fault."


    The Chief of the Public Security Bureau was indeed an influential figure in Mile City, but in front of Su Mengxin he was of course nothing, and in front of Li Yifei, Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, he was definitely not qualified. Seeing that Yifei was not angry and did not pursue the matter any further, he instantly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Su Mengxin, however, spoke very seriously, "This matter really needs to be dealt with strictly. When enforcers commit such acts, the harm is even greater. The higher-ups are currently taking these kinds of issues very seriously. If you all don¡¯t pay more attention, I¡¯m afraid it might lead to everyone being implicated to some degree."


    If someone else had said this, it might have been considered an exaggeration, but coming from Su Mengxin, these three top officials from the city didn¡¯t dare take it lightly and quickly expressed their determination to go back and rectify the law enforcement and law-breaking issues within government departments.


    Li Yifei found these matters uninteresting, but fortunately, these three leaders didn¡¯t talk too much. Once the dishes were served, they started eating and drinking.


    "Mr. Li, the city is holding a business association event in a few days. Could you attend?" Song Zhentao asked with a smile after clinking glasses with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m not interested in that kind of gathering, so I¡¯ll have to pass."


    Song Zhentao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mr. Li, there are many people who do not know your identity right now. It¡¯s very possible that some people who are ignorant might offend you. I think... it would be better to let everyone know your identity to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Secretary Song, rest assured, I won¡¯t go out of my way to trouble others, nor will I bully anyone. As long as no one provokes me, there won¡¯t be a problem."


    Su Mengxin also spoke with a smile, "My cousin doesn¡¯t like to show off; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have come to Mile City. I think as long as you leaders manage your city well, it¡¯s unlikely that anyone will bother my cousin."


    At this point, the three of them inwardly groaned. There were always some people in the world who believed that a bit of money and power made them the best, which could never be completely eliminated. If such people were to provoke Li Yifei, wouldn¡¯t that be troublesome?


    However, since both Su Mengxin and Li Yifei had expressed their stance, they could say no more. They decided to inform some key leaders afterward, ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t carelessly provoke anyone from Dreamfly Company. As for others, if they were truly foolish, it would simply be their bad luck, and it would also serve to quell their arrogance.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s status was inevitably somewhat different from these three city-level leaders, and although she could dine with them, she could hardly interject, feeling somewhat timid and hesitant to start any conversation with the leaders.


    Seeing Li Yifei interact comfortably and even somewhat dominantly with the three city-level leaders, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but admire him for his poise, which in turn increased her good feelings towards him. A man who did not fear authority naturally possessed a kind of magnetism. Previously, Xu Yingying had not noticed, but now she realized that this kind of bearing could not have been cultivated by military service alone. Unless Li Yifei truly had regular contact with high-level leaders.


    Thinking of this, Xu Yingying became increasingly curious about Li Yifei. She suddenly felt an interest in uncovering the unknown about this man.


    "President Xu, our company is going to develop in Mile City, and in the future we¡¯ll inevitably need to trouble the leaders here. You should at least offer a toast," Mengxin encouraged.


    Su Mengxin interrupted Xu Yingying¡¯s curiosity about Li Yifei, quickly stood up, poured drinks for the three leaders, and then filled her own glass to offer a toast to the leaders.


    The three leaders were very courteous to Xu Yingying, but clearly less cautious than they were towards Su Mengxin and Li Yifei.


    Then, Su Mengxin smiled again and said, "President Xu is someone I highly value. The leaders should also take good care of her."


    This statement from Su Mengxin sent a signal that Xu Yingying was not just someone who helped manage the company for Su Mengxin but was also a confidant. This immediately made the three leaders treat Xu Yingying with a touch more respect.


    The dinner was extremely enjoyable, and it was not until two hours later that it came to an end.


    All three had drunk alcohol and had drivers arranged by Su Mengxin. Xu Yingying had some things she wanted to discuss with Li Yifei, but since Su Mengxin and Li Yifei were going home together, she could only keep her thoughts to herself for the time being. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 289 - 296 Michelle

    Chapter 289: Chapter 296 MichelleThe next day, Li Yifei arrived at the company, and the buzz about Michelle¡¯s confession yesterday had not yet cooled down. The employees were still teasing him about it, and Li Yifei knew he owed Michelle an explanation.


    As the end of the workday approached, Li Yifei finally called Michelle. Even if he couldn¡¯t be with Michelle, considering what she did today, he couldn¡¯t just ignore her¡ªit would be too heartbreaking. Most importantly, he wanted to preserve Michelle¡¯s dignity; he didn¡¯t want her to become the butt of the joke within the company.


    Li Yifei¡¯s Porsche had been left at the dockyard the day before. Although Su Mengxin had sent someone to fetch it back, Li Yifei didn¡¯t retrieve it. Besides, the car belonged to Su Mengxin. It was fine for him to drive it when she wasn¡¯t around, but he felt it natural to return it to Su Mengxin now that she was here.


    After work, Li Yifei walked to the door of Michelle¡¯s office. She came out to greet him immediately with a radiant, sweet smile and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really taking me out for a meal."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yeah, you¡¯re prepared to wait for me a lifetime, how could I not even treat you to a meal."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she shyly said, "I was just anxious then, you don¡¯t have to take it to heart."


    Li Yifei chuckled, took Michelle¡¯s hand, and said, "How could I not take it to heart? No matter what, I¡¯m treating you to a lavish meal tonight."


    Michelle didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to take her hand at this moment. It was time to leave work, and the employees on the fourth floor were all heading out. They all saw them. In full public view, Li Yifei took her hand¡ªoh... Michelle felt like she was about to faint from happiness.


    "Manager Li, where are you taking Manager Mi?"


    "Do you even need to ask? Of course, it¡¯s for a date."


    "Hehe, Manager Li, I¡¯m so jealous of you. Manager Mi is such a beautiful woman, and you just swept her off her feet."


    "We don¡¯t stand a chance now. Once their little world comes to an end, Manager Mi will be Manager Li¡¯s person."


    Listening to the employees¡¯ half-serious, half-joking remarks, Michelle was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Her head bowed so low she was nearly burying her face in her chest. If not for Li Yifei holding her, she might have slammed into a wall.


    The two finally left the company and took a taxi. Only then did Michelle let out a sigh of relief. But when she turned to look at Li Yifei, she was even more bashful, fidgeting with her fingers and timidly said, "Brother Li, you... I..."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Let them talk. Right now, just think about what you want to eat tonight¡ªwhether it¡¯s Western food or seafood. Anyway, you don¡¯t need to worry about saving money for me."


    Michelle hurriedly said, "No need, no need, we can just grab a bite at any restaurant."


    "How could that do? How would I show my sincerity with that kind of thing?"


    "Really, it¡¯s not necessary, those things are too expensive."


    Michelle really knew how to live frugally. Girls like Michelle were indeed rare. Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Then let¡¯s go for Western food. I know a place that isn¡¯t pricey, and the food is quite good."


    "That¡¯s great." Hearing the price wasn¡¯t high, Michelle immediately agreed with delight.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "You, you just know how to save money."


    The driver in front joined in with a laugh, saying, "Buddy, you¡¯ve found a treasure. Girls who know how to live like this are really rare these days, and she¡¯s so beautiful too. Take my wife, for instance; she isn¡¯t much to look at, and she has a fierce temper, spending all day thinking about how to spend money, which really gives me a headache."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red in an instant, and she stole a glance at Li Yifei. Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it and said with a smile, "I think so too."


    This made Michelle even sweeter inside. Li Yifei had actually acknowledged her as his girlfriend. It felt like a dream. Her head was spinning, and she hardly noticed when the car stopped.


    Li Yifei led Michelle into the Western restaurant, and the first thing Michelle did was to pick up the menu to check the prices. Although it was cheaper compared to most Western restaurants, the prices were still pretty high, which made her somewhat regret coming here. But since they were already there, they couldn¡¯t just leave right away. Besides, being able to dine with Li Yifei in such a romantic restaurant was worth a little extravagance, so she ordered a pepper steak and a dessert.


    Li Yifei then added some foie gras and caviar to the order, which made Michelle very anxious, insisting that he should not order them.


    "Alright, let¡¯s have these dishes come up," Li Yifei closed the menu and handed it to the waiter, then said with a laugh to Michelle, "Come on, we usually can¡¯t afford to eat like this, so it¡¯s okay to indulge once in a while. We can¡¯t just work and earn money without spending it, or where¡¯s the charm in that?"


    "But... those things are too expensive, I¡¯m afraid... this meal will cost over a thousand."


    "Silly girl, never mind a thousand, even ten thousand is worth it to have a meal with you," Li Yifei said.


    With those words, Michelle had no argument left, and her heart was even sweeter as if she had eaten honey.


    In a short while, the dishes arrived. Although Michelle had tried Western cuisine before, she had never had things like foie gras or caviar. After a few bites, she indeed found them delicious, but when she thought about their prices, she still felt a pang of distress.


    Li Yifei could tell from Michelle¡¯s expression what she was thinking and said with a laugh, "Still worried about the cost?"


    Michelle put a small piece of foie gras into her mouth, chewing gently, and nodded, "Yeah, it¡¯s really too expensive. This little piece of foie gras costs more than a whole fat goose." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei chuckled softly and said, "Michelle, if you keep thinking about this, I might as well have thrown my money away."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t think about it. This really is delicious," Michelle swallowed the foie gras, a bit embarrassed, and stuck out her tongue.


    For the rest of the meal, Michelle ate with great joy and care. The ambiance made her reluctant to finish too quickly. For her, this could be considered Li Yifei¡¯s first date with her. The last time she went to the movies with Li Yifei didn¡¯t count since she hadn¡¯t confessed her feelings then.


    But Michelle didn¡¯t bring up the matter between the two of them. She was very smart about this, knowing that since she had already made her feelings clear to Li Yifei, it was up to him to take the next step. Talking too much about it would put pressure on him. She liked Li Yifei and didn¡¯t want to burden him with too much pressure. All she had to do was her best, and she would have no regrets, regardless of whether Li Yifei chose her or not.


    Love is selfish, and few can act like Michelle. But undoubtedly, this was the smartest approach. By conceding a little, there was more to gain. Now, she already made an excellent impression in Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and he could not easily ignore her feelings anymore.

 Chapter 290 - 297: Lin’s Father and Lin’s Mother

    Chapter 290: Chapter 297: Lin¡¯s Father and Lin¡¯s MotherAs they were nearly finished eating, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang¡ªit was Lin Qiong calling. In front of Michelle, Li Yifei took the call.


    "Lin Qiong, I¡¯m dining with Michelle right now. Do you want to join us?" Li Yifei immediately mentioned he was with Michelle to prevent Lin Qiong from saying anything inappropriate.


    "Oh, you two are together, huh? Then keep eating. I had something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait until after you finish your meal," she said.


    Li Yifei agreed and hung up, smiling at Michelle. "Lin Qiong, your old classmate."


    Michelle responded with a sweet smile, "It seems you two get along quite well. When she heard you were arrested today, she was really worked up. I heard the police saying she beat up the person interrogating you."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yeah, Lin Qiong certainly has a fiery temper. She didn¡¯t take kindly to those police officers and just lashed out, knocking one guy out cold."


    Michelle grimaced slightly, "I didn¡¯t expect Lin Qiong to be so tough. Back in school, she had a pretty good temper. I really can¡¯t picture her fighting someone."


    Li Yifei laughed, "It¡¯s a pity you didn¡¯t see it, but it¡¯s not good for women to be too violent."


    Thankfully, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t hear Li Yifei¡¯s remark; otherwise, she would have wanted to bite him. There was no reason for Lin Qiong to have gotten so angry if it hadn¡¯t been for him, Li Yifei.


    "After all, Lin Qiong was trying to help you. Now that she¡¯s looking for you, it¡¯s best you go see her soon. She¡¯s not the type to ask for help lightly; if she¡¯s reaching out, it must be for something important," Michelle said.


    Li Yifei also felt that Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t be contacting him without a good reason, and with Michelle being so considerate, he quickly suggested, "Then let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drop you off first, then head over to her place."


    "No need for that. My home isn¡¯t far from here; I can just take a cab alone," Michelle insisted.


    Still concerned, Li Yifei insisted on escorting Michelle to the entrance of her building before driving off to Lin Qiong¡¯s place.


    As the door opened, Li Yifei saw Lin Qiong¡¯s anxious face and asked puzzledly, "What¡¯s the urgent matter that has got you so worked up?"


    Lin Qiong hastily pulled Li Yifei into the house, saying urgently, "My parents are visiting tomorrow. Isn¡¯t that a matter of urgency?"


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and then he cracked a smile, "Seems like it really is quite urgent."


    Pacing in the living room, Lin Qiong said, "Exactly, which is why I hurriedly called you over to discuss. They¡¯re coming here to see the house we bought, but we don¡¯t have a house to show them now, do we?"


    Li Yifei took a seat on the sofa and lit a cigarette, while Lin Qiong also sat down, exclaiming anxiously, "How can you still be in the mood to smoke? You should be thinking of a solution for me!"


    Li Yifei blew out a smoke ring and said, "It¡¯s simple. We just tell them we haven¡¯t settled on a house yet."


    "What about the money? We¡¯ve already spent it," she pointed out.


    "The money¡¯s not a problem. It¡¯s just a million, right? I¡¯ll sort it out for you," he assured her.


    "You can sort it out? We¡¯re talking about a million here, not ten thousand," she said, skeptical.


    "No problem, I might not dare say much more, but I can come up with a million," he reassured her.


    "You can come up with it... I get it now, you¡¯re going to borrow from Xu Yingying. A million shouldn¡¯t be too much for her. Hmph, she really is good to you, even willing to lend you a million just like that," Lin Qiong said with a hint of jealousy.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Do I detect a strong scent of sour grapes in your words?"


    Lin Qiong turned up her nose, "Don¡¯t flatter yourself. Just because something happened between us that day, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get jealous over you. I am who I am, and you are who you are. I wouldn¡¯t bother being jealous over you. Just sort out that million now."


    Li Yifei was just testing Lin Qiong. Knowing she felt this way, he was quite relieved; he had been worried that their relationship might change because of the incident.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll call her right now." Li Yifei said, pulling out his phone and dialing Xu Yingying.


    Contacting Su Mengxin would have been easier, but since Lin Qiong didn¡¯t know Su Mengxin, Li Yifei did not want everyone to be aware of her identity, which wouldn¡¯t have been good for Su Mengxin. Moreover, taking money from Su Mengxin carelessly might make Lin Qiong suspicious of his relationship with Su Mengxin¡ªanother trouble altogether.


    "Yingying, I need a favor from you," he began.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying was at home. When Xu Shanshan saw Li Yifei¡¯s incoming call, she quickly snatched the phone and, after a defiant glance at Xu Shanshan, answered it. Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s request, she responded in a very tender voice, "Tell me, what¡¯s there to be formal about?"


    "Lin Qiong¡¯s parents are coming to visit, and we have already spent the million we got from them. So, we¡¯re short of funds. Could you lend me a million for now, to tide us over until they leave, and then I¡¯ll pay you back?" he explained.


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "I can¡¯t spare more than that, but I do have exactly a million to lend you. I¡¯ll transfer it to you right away."


    Shortly after, Li Yifei received an SMS notification ¡ª a million had been deposited into his bank account.


    Lin Qiong finally heaved a sigh of relief; this could be considered providing an explanation to her parents. However, she immediately added, "They will arrive tomorrow morning, and you¡¯ll need to pick them up since I have an important meeting to attend in the morning and can¡¯t leave."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Absolutely no problem."


    "Oh, right, do I need to prepare anything at home? There¡¯s none of your stuff here."


    Li Yifei was a bit amused and said, "Leave that to me. I¡¯ll move some clothes from my place to yours early tomorrow morning, and then move them back after your parents leave. I¡¯m quite good at this."


    "Good at..." Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei, puzzled.


    Li Yifei simply retold the act of being Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend to her.


    After hearing this, Lin Qiong curled her lips and said, "Now you two really seem to be blurring the lines between pretense and reality."


    "That¡¯s not true. Can we not talk about this?"


    "Fine, won¡¯t mention it. But what¡¯s the deal with you and Michelle? I saw it with my own eyes today. Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s nothing between you two. Hmm, you even had a date with her tonight. Don¡¯t you already have a girlfriend? Aren¡¯t you just playing with Michelle¡¯s feelings?" Lin Qiong grew angrier as she spoke, eventually glaring at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei exhaled deeply and said, "This really caught me off guard; I didn¡¯t expect Michelle to act like this..." He then explained today¡¯s events to Lin Qiong in detail, concluding with, "You see, Michelle confessed to me in public. If I didn¡¯t respond at all, wouldn¡¯t that have made her a laughingstock at the company?"


    Lin Qiong frowned and said, "So what you did spared Michelle from being ridiculed, but what about later? How will you treat her? Are you playing two ends against the middle?"


    "Of course not. I¡¯ve always seen Michelle as a good friend, like a sister, and nothing more. After some time, when this matter isn¡¯t the center of attention anymore, we¡¯ll gradually lessen the contact. I¡¯ll make things clear to Michelle; I believe she¡¯ll understand me."


    "Hmph, such a Casanova."


    "You can¡¯t blame me for that, okay? I never pursued Michelle, and I feel like I¡¯ve never really chased after anyone."


    "So what you¡¯re saying is that those girls shamelessly threw themselves at you?"


    "Seems like it."


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a fierce look; she thought he was feeling too good about himself. However, upon reflection, he had never actively pursued her either, and yet she had somehow ended up getting close to him and had even done that.


    "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back now."


    "Sure, you go back then. I¡¯m counting on you for tomorrow."


    Li Yifei cheerfully agreed and left Lin Qiong¡¯s home. By the time he got back to his place, it was quite late. He first organized some things he would take to Lin Qiong¡¯s house the next day, then washed up and went to bed.


    The next day, Li Yifei was very busy; he first took his belongings to Lin Qiong¡¯s home and placed everything in its proper spot. Then he went to the company, borrowed a company car, and drove to the station to wait for Lin Qiong¡¯s parents.


    Shortly before ten o¡¯clock, Li Yifei finally picked up Lin Qiong¡¯s parents. He did everything a prospective son-in-law should do, bringing Lin Qiong¡¯s parents to her home.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were quite satisfied with Li Yifei, especially regarding respecting the elderly¡ªLi Yifei was certainly doing well on that front. Seeing that Lin Qiong and Li Yifei¡¯s living space was also tidy reassured them greatly since they knew what kind of person Lin Qiong was. Though she wasn¡¯t extremely messy, keeping the house this tidy couldn¡¯t have been her doing alone; clearly, Li Yifei deserved some credit. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Little Li, a few days ago when I talked to Little Qiong on the phone, she mentioned you two had almost settled on a house, so we came to help you two make a decision."


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "We were quite happy with that house initially, but I found a new property in the last couple of days that seems better, so we haven¡¯t decided yet. You came just in time to have a look and give us some advice."


    "Sure thing!" The two elders were eager and, foregoing lunch, urged Li Yifei to take them to see.


    Li Yifei was prepared and took the elders to two newly opened properties for a tour. Although it was his first visit as well, he managed to give the impression that he had been choosing houses there many times before.


    After a busy afternoon, Li Yifei brought the elders back home. Although they had seen houses, naturally, they had to discuss at home which one to purchase.


    No sooner had they returned than Lin Qiong rushed back home; she immediately felt the harmony inside and was greatly relieved. Upon seeing the ¡¯OK¡¯ hand gesture Li Yifei secretly gave her, she felt even more assured.


    The two elders quickly took out the brochures they brought back to discuss with Lin Qiong, with her pretending to study them alongside the elders.


    "Qiongqiong, go buy a few bottles of beer; your uncle and I will have a few drinks tonight." Li Yifei, having almost finished cooking, called out to Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong quickly acknowledged and stood up, but her mother swiftly pulled her back, saying urgently, "You child, you¡¯re pregnant. How can you rush around like that?"


    Lin Qiong sat down again but inwardly groaned in distress. She had completely forgotten about this, and as the pretense hadn¡¯t been planned for, how was she to deal with her parents now?

 Chapter 291 - 298: The Second Time

    Chapter 291: Chapter 298: The Second Time"Qiongqiong, Mom wants to ask, have you gone for a check-up yet?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother took Lin Qiong¡¯s hand and asked lovingly.


    Lin Qiong subconsciously replied, "Not yet."


    Her mother immediately glared with wide eyes and said, "How can this be? You must go for a check-up."


    "No need, no need!" Lin Qiong quickly blurted out. She wasn¡¯t really pregnant; if she went for a check-up, wouldn¡¯t her lie be exposed right away?


    "How can you say no need? The early stage of pregnancy is very important, especially the first three months. If it¡¯s not handled well, miscarriage can easily occur."


    Lin Qiong felt so troubled inside. At the time, her only thought was to deceive her dad and mom, forgetting the lie she had told. Now trying to cover it up, she couldn¡¯t think of a suitable excuse on the spot, mainly because she had absolutely no experience in this area.


    Just then, Li Yifei came out from the kitchen with a dish in his hands and said, "Look at you. I told you to clarify things with your uncle and aunt early, but you insisted on not telling. Now you have to lie yourself into a corner."


    Lin Qiong was startled and looked at Li Yifei with widened eyes, while her parents were both looking at Li Yifei with puzzled faces.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Uncle, aunt, you haven¡¯t eaten much all day. Please come and eat. I¡¯ll have a couple of drinks with uncle, and I¡¯ll explain everything during the meal."


    Lin Qiong hurriedly went to help Li Yifei with the dishes and, while taking the opportunity to go to the kitchen, pinched Li Yifei and said in a low voice, "What are you doing?"


    "Telling the truth, of course. How could this kind of thing be hidden from your uncle and aunt? I told you so before, but you just wouldn¡¯t believe me."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t kept his voice down, and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, who were approaching, heard everything, which made them even more confused and wondering what exactly the young couple were up to.


    After Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were seated, Li Yifei poured some wine for Lin Qiong¡¯s father, and after they had a drink, Li Yifei finally said, "Uncle, aunt, let¡¯s be honest with you, Qiongqiong isn¡¯t pregnant. But we didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. Before our last visit, her period was delayed, and just so happened that she was also feeling nauseous, so we both thought she was pregnant. But a couple of days ago, she got her period again and we realized we were wrong."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were completely dumbfounded, while Lin Qiong herself let out a silent sigh of relief and covertly kicked Li Yifei, but it was a kick of appreciation.


    "Qiongqiong just became a station chief recently, she¡¯s been very busy with work, so she forgot to tell you in the past few days. Uncle, aunt, it was a false alarm, our bad. But don¡¯t worry, we will try hard and strive to have a child as soon as possible."


    Although Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were somewhat displeased upon hearing the pregnancy was a hoax, their dissatisfaction vanished with Li Yifei¡¯s statement.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother glared at her daughter and said, "Look at you, such a grown person, and you can¡¯t even figure out whether you¡¯re pregnant or not."


    Lin Qiong chuckled and said, "Mom, I¡¯ve never been pregnant before, how could I know? I felt like it was similar to being pregnant, so I told you guys."


    "Hmph, you¡¯re really not grown up. Fine, if you¡¯re not pregnant, you¡¯re not pregnant. Sooner or later, you two will have to have children."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father then had another drink with Li Yifei and said, "Actually, not having children so early is fine too. You¡¯re still young, now is the prime time to focus on your careers. Having a child is an extra concern and doesn¡¯t benefit your current development."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately gave a stern look and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? They don¡¯t have to look after the child themselves; I can do it, can¡¯t I? It won¡¯t be any trouble. Besides, it¡¯s better to have a child early and get it over with. If you wait until you¡¯re older to have a child, taking care of them until they grow up will be harder when you¡¯re sixty¡ªhow tough would that be?"


    The family heatedly discussed the matter of having children, and eventually, under the absolute authority of Lin Qiong¡¯s mother, Lin Qiong promised to have a child within the year, which finally appeased her mother.


    Finally, after having settled the elder, it was getting late, and everyone got ready to rest. Lin Qiong¡¯s home happened to have two rooms, so naturally, Li Yifei had to stay with Lin Qiong.


    Once in the room and the door was closed, Li Yifei felt a bit odd. Such situations with Xu Yingying had happened many times before, and he hadn¡¯t entertained any particular thoughts, but now, being with Lin Qiong, he found his mind wandering inappropriately.


    Lin Qiong also felt a bit uneasy at that moment, but still tried to sound casual as she said, "Let¡¯s hurry up and sleep, we still have to work tomorrow."


    Li Yifei agreed, clambered straight into bed, and Lin Qiong turned off the light before she climbed in. They lay on opposite sides, with some distance between them, neither speaking again, but their breathing was clear and a bit erratic.


    "Lin..." Just as Li Yifei was about to say something to Lin Qiong, she suddenly turned over, pinning him down, which gave him quite a start as he quickly asked, "What are you doing?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Doing... you!" Lin Qiong uttered two extremely bold words that were irresistibly thrilling to any man.


    Lin Qiong said nothing more and snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms. However, just as Li Yifei was about to drift off to sleep, Lin Qiong gave him a shove. He had to open his eyes, still half-asleep, and asked, "What¡¯s wrong now?"


    "I want to tell you something."


    "Go ahead."


    "You¡¯re not allowed to tell anyone about our thing, especially Michelle."


    "Got it," Li Yifei readily agreed.


    "Also, from now on, we are still just friends, and you can¡¯t treat me like your woman."


    This suggestion was indeed a relief for Li Yifei, who said, "Does that mean you¡¯ll treat me like your man?"


    "Dream on, I¡¯m not thinking about getting married that soon. But as a woman, it¡¯s a bit lonely being alone, so I¡¯ve decided, you¡¯ll just be my ****."


    "****..." Li Yifei was momentarily speechless. Hearing such words from Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth somehow felt awkward to him.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to get jealous over your other women. But from now on, you¡¯ll come and keep me company once a week."


    "So, do you find the experience of doing ¡¯this¡¯ enjoyable?"


    "It¡¯s ok, moderately acceptable," Lin Qiong said dismissively, but it was clear she meant the opposite.


    Li Yifei pinched Lin Qiong¡¯s cheek, finding Lin Qiong quite adorable at that moment, and laughed, "No problem, as long as you want me, I¡¯ll come over to be with you."


    "That settles it, let¡¯s sleep." After saying that, Lin Qiong simply closed her eyes, though her body still moved a bit closer to Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei gently stroked Lin Qiong¡¯s back a few times, and the question that had been bothering him seemed to suddenly let go. He thought, love is something that should just go with the flow; why be so persistent about it?


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 Chapter 292 - 299: Visiting Yiyi

    Chapter 292: Chapter 299: Visiting YiyiLin Qiong¡¯s parents came to help the couple with the house-buying and also to check if the two were indeed happy together. After all, the elderly had spent their lifetime¡¯s savings, and they were quite worried that their daughter might have been tricked.


    Now it seemed that the couple was still very affectionate, and Li Yifei was also very caring. This reassured them even more. The only regret was that Lin Qiong had not yet conceived, which was a bit of a disappointment. But they believed that she would eventually get pregnant after some time.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents didn¡¯t stay for long, not wanting to intrude on the couple¡¯s private world, and they had work commitments to return to the next day.


    Once her parents had left, Lin Qiong could finally relax. She immediately kicked Li Yifei out of her home with such decisiveness that it left him laughing and crying at the same time.


    In the last few days, Ye Yunzhu hadn¡¯t called Li Yifei, which surprised him. After their last encounter, he thought it odd that she would be so silent, which felt strange.


    After some thought, Li Yifei took the initiative to call Ye Yunzhu. The phone rang a few times and then was abruptly disconnected, which made him even more puzzled, wondering if something had happened to her.


    A while later, Ye Yunzhu called back, and Li Yifei immediately said, "Yunzhu, is something wrong?"


    "No, I¡¯m in the province studying these days."


    "You scared me. You haven¡¯t called these days; I thought something had happened to you."


    "Hmph, I deliberately didn¡¯t call you. I wanted to see if you still remember me at all."


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat. He had been so busy lately that he genuinely hadn¡¯t thought of calling Ye Yunzhu, and he hastily said, "I¡¯ve been busy these days, and sometimes it¡¯s not convenient to answer calls." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re not around some woman again, are you?"


    Li Yifei sweated even more because it seemed he had indeed been busy with women recently.


    "Hmph, I knew it. How didn¡¯t I realize before that you were such a womanizer? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my virginity to you, and now I have to deal with so many rivals."


    Ye Yunzhu still sounded as domineering as ever, which actually made Li Yifei feel more relaxed. He laughed and said, "Not so many. You don¡¯t need to feel so pressured. By the way, when are you coming back?"


    "A few more days. Why, do you miss me?"


    "I miss you. Why don¡¯t you sneak back?"


    "Forget it. You think I¡¯m still like before, running out of the house in the middle of the night just because you say so, to sleep with you?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud. Back in high school after they had their first secret escapade, they relished such adventures. Yet, they couldn¡¯t let their families know, so Li Yifei would often message Ye Yunzhu in the middle of the night, prompting her to stealthily sneak out to meet him, then sneak back home. They did this many times without her parents finding out.


    Remembering those days, they both couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Only their na?ve and fearless youth could have driven them to such deeds.


    "Alright, enough chatting. I should get back. I¡¯m still in class," she said.


    "Okay. Just so you know, I might turn off my phone sometimes these days. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m doing something and can¡¯t have my phone on."


    "Be careful not to have an affair and get caught by someone¡¯s husband."


    "I absolutely won¡¯t. If I were to have an affair, I¡¯d choose someone like Yunzhu who¡¯s not married. I wouldn¡¯t do anything risky."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei still had a smile on his face. Last night he had an epiphany, realizing that whether with Su Yiyi or Ye Yunzhu, he had wanted a marriage-oriented relationship, and this inevitably made him feel more burdened.


    But when it came to marriage, no one could predict the outcome. Love is also so elusive; many couples date for years without ever walking down the aisle. Whether with Ye Yunzhu or Su Yiyi, as long as he was good to them, why worry about whether they would end up together?


    There were no updates on smuggling, and Li Yifei was happy to be left in peace. That was just an episode in his life, like playing a game when bored. Finishing it too quickly would be less enjoyable; taking it slow was also good.


    Tomorrow was Friday, and Xu Yingying called Li Yifei to her office in the morning. Besides Xu Yingying, He Fangqing was also present, suggesting they might discuss something private or a company matter.


    First, Xu Yingying said, "Everyone has been working hard for a long time, and the company is gradually getting on track. To boost employee morale, I¡¯m considering taking everyone to the beach this weekend. What do you guys think?"


    "That¡¯s a good suggestion," He Fangqing immediately responded. "It can make everyone feel the company¡¯s benefits. Organizing some activities can also enhance team spirit and cohesion."


    Both of them had expressed their opinions, then turned to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei spread his hands and said, "You are the boss and the director, so whatever you think is best."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing knew all about Li Yifei¡¯s ways and both rolled their eyes at him before discussing where to go for fun. However, since neither of them was from Mile City, when it came to deciding on a play spot, they both looked to Li Yifei for suggestions.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Let¡¯s go to the island, the same one Su Mengxin and I visited last time; the environment there is pretty good."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing had no objections, and Li Yifei immediately added, "By the way, is it possible to bring along family members this time?"


    Xu Yingying pondered for a moment and said, "I think we can bring them, but only couples and children. Our company is full of young people; it wouldn¡¯t be good to bring the elderly. Besides, the expense would be too great otherwise."


    But He Fangqing looked at Li Yifei and asked, "You¡¯re not thinking of bringing that little girlfriend of yours, are you?"


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "I would like to, but at the moment, everyone in the company believes I¡¯m dating Michelle. If I bring Yiyi along, how would that look to everyone else?"


    The upcoming weekend was supposed to be spent with Yiyi, but it seemed it would be ruined now. His eyes flickered, and Li Yifei said with a cheeky grin, "Can I take a leave and not go?"


    "No way!" He Fangqing and Xu Yingying immediately refused in unison.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, if you say no, then no. Why are both of you shouting?"


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing shared a smile. Xu Yingying then said, "This is a company group activity. Not to mention you¡¯re the president, even as the Human Resources Manager, you still have to organize the folks in your Human Resources Department. Just give up on it."


    Li Yifei said in a dejected tone, "Why do I feel like you two are doing this on purpose, just to prevent me from spending the weekend with Yiyi?"


    Xu Yingying crossed her arms and stated, "That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m thinking. Do you have a problem with that?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, wrapped an arm around He Fangqing¡¯s shoulders, and said, "Then let Fangqing compensate me."


    He Fangqing immediately struggled. Even if Xu Yingying approved of her relationship with Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t cope with Li Yifei being so presumptuous in front of Xu Yingying and urged, "You should let Yingying compensate you instead."


    Seeing Li Yifei flirt with He Fangqing right in front of her, Xu Yingying felt somewhat displeased and gave Li Yifei a disapproving look, saying, "Can¡¯t you be a bit more decent?"


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t know how," Li Yifei continued to tease Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "Fine then, carry on with your performance; I¡¯ll just watch."


    This stunned Li Yifei, who reluctantly let go of He Fangqing and said, "I don¡¯t want to give you a Live Erotic Performance."


    He Fangqing, even more embarrassed, quickly stood up and adjusted her clothes, saying, "Keep dreaming, I would never agree to that."


    Xu Yingying smiled proudly and said, "You have to wait before you can compete with me."


    After a bout of laughter and teasing, Li Yifei left Xu Yingying¡¯s office. Xu Yingying then started arranging the event. Before long, waves of excitement erupted throughout the company. Company-sponsored trips were a great benefit, and everyone was excited.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei had already dialed Su Yiyi¡¯s number. Unable to spend the weekend with Su Yiyi would surely disappoint her, so he was determined to make it up to her today.


    "Brother Li!" Su Yiyi answered the call, her voice filled with surprise and sweetness.


    "Yiyi, do you have plans tonight?"


    "I¡ª" Just as Su Yiyi was about to speak, a burst of girlish laughter came from the background, followed by a girl¡¯s voice reaching Li Yifei through the phone, "Hey brother-in-law, since you¡¯ve taken our Yiyi sister, shouldn¡¯t you treat us to a meal?"


    Li Yifei recognized the voice as belonging to Su Yiyi¡¯s classmate Xiao Ning and replied with a laugh, "Sure, I¡¯ll take you all out for dinner tonight, but you must come."


    "Great, then come pick us up; we¡¯re just figuring out where to eat."


    Su Yiyi then snatched back the phone and hurriedly said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t listen to my roommate¡¯s nonsense; they just like to joke around, don¡¯t mind them."


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "I¡¯ve already promised them, how could I not go? Wouldn¡¯t that make you lose face?"


    "But you¡¯re so busy with work."


    "Regardless of the work, I still need to spend time with my girlfriend, right? Give me half an hour, and I should be able to reach your school, so wait for me at the school gate."


    Su Yiyi hung up the phone, her cheeks flushed, feeling sweeter than if she¡¯d eaten honey. She was increasingly aware of Li Yifei¡¯s affection for her.

 Chapter 293 - 300 Eating at a Buffet

    Chapter 293: Chapter 300 Eating at a BuffetHalf an hour later, Li Yifei had already driven to the school gate to pick up Su Yiyi, in a company Mercedes. It was assigned to He Fangqing, as the Porsche was being used by Su Mengxin. The company had quite a few cars, but Xu Yingying was quite strict with the management of official vehicles, so Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just take any car he wanted. Both Xu Yingying and He Fangqing had their designated cars, but as Li Yifei was going out to meet his girlfriend, borrowing a car from Xu Yingying would obviously be problematic, while He Fangqing was more accomodating.


    Su Yiyi was with her two roommates when Li Yifei drove up to them, got out of the car, and greeted her. Her face flushed with excitement, she said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re here."


    Li Yifei naturally took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and smiled, "I said I would come, and here I am. By the way, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your two roommates?"


    Su Yiyi hurriedly introduced, "This is Song Xiaoli and this is Xiao Ning. There¡¯s also Cao Yue, who you¡¯ve met before, but she¡¯s not here today because she had something to do."


    Li Yifei smiled and greeted the two girls, "I¡¯ve been telling Yiyi that I¡¯d treat all of you sisters to a meal. But I¡¯ve been tied up with work and only now have a chance. I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    From the moment Li Yifei appeared, Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli had been sizing him up. Song Xiaoli then said, "He really does look the part; no wonder Yiyi mistook that guy for you the other day."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yiyi told me about it, I really have to see who resembles me that much someday."


    "Yeah, we need to clear that up. It¡¯s one thing to recognize the wrong person on the street, but in some particular places...that could lead to trouble."


    Su Yiyi was immediately embarrassed and chided, "You¡¯re teasing me again; I won¡¯t talk to you anymore."


    "Don¡¯t be like that. If you don¡¯t talk to us, who¡¯s going to treat us to dinner tonight?"


    Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli chuckled, turning their attention back to the car. Song Xiaoli exclaimed with exaggeration, "Wow, a Mercedes! I say Yiyi, you¡¯ve snagged a golden bachelor."


    Xiao Ning added with envy, "Yeah, a Mercedes! This one must be worth around a million or so."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "This isn¡¯t mine; I borrowed it. I don¡¯t have that much money."


    "Really?" Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli looked at Li Yifei skeptically.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. Pretending to be richer than I am is not something I do. If something came up in the future and someone needed to borrow a car from me, and I couldn¡¯t provide one, that would be even more embarrassing."


    Seeing Li Yifei in a new light, Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli looked at him with admiration. Sure, confident men can easily win over girls, but sincere men seem harder to find. Nowadays, the whole society is restless; those without strength try to show off as if they do. People like Li Yifei are rare but give a sense of security.


    All three got into the car, with Su Yiyi sitting in the passenger seat and Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli sitting in the back. Both girls, coming from ordinary families, couldn¡¯t help but look around curiously at the interior of the car.


    "Ladies, what would you like to eat tonight?" Li Yifei started the car and slowly steered.


    "Can we eat anything we want?" asked Song Xiaoli with a mischievous smile.


    "As long as my wallet can afford it, you can have anything."


    Xiao Ning pouted and said, "Cheapskate."


    Song Xiaoli kept up the playful tone, "So, how much money do you have?"


    "I still have over two thousand yuan in my pocket; I wonder if that¡¯s enough to treat you all?"


    "Two thousand plus is plenty. Let¡¯s spend just that," Xiao Ning no longer called Li Yifei stingy. To them, spending one or two hundred yuan on an outing was already a high expense.


    Song Xiaoli suggested, "Let¡¯s not spend it all; otherwise, he won¡¯t have any money left to buy Yiyi anything. How about we go for a buffet? It¡¯s economical and offers good value, and the food¡¯s pretty tasty too."


    Xiao Ning nodded in approval, "Let¡¯s go to that Haizhongquan buffet restaurant. They have lots of seafood, and they also have all sorts of fruit salads. I especially love their fruit salad."


    While Su Yiyi was usually reluctant to spend money, she had gone there once with her roommates. At ninety-nine yuan per person, it felt extravagant, but now with Li Yifei present, the cost for four wouldn¡¯t exceed four hundred yuan. It was a deal that could satisfy her roommates without breaking the bank, and she felt it was quite economical.


    Li Yifei saw that all three agreed to go there, so he naturally had no objections and drove them there.


    At the entrance, they paid for four people, and then entered the self-service restaurant. The space inside was vast, quite crowded at the time, and the central air conditioning was on high. Even though every table had a hot pot going, the hall still felt quite cool.


    Li Yifei had never been to such a self-service restaurant before. He couldn¡¯t afford it when he was younger, and when he joined the army, the discipline was strict. After he was selected for the Flying Hawk Squad, he had seen many grand scenes, but because of important figures, no one went to self-service restaurants, so this was his first time eating at one.


    Seeing Li Yifei looking like Liu Lao Lao entering the Grand View Garden, Song Xiaoli asked softly, "You¡¯re not telling me this is your first time at a buffet, are you?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "You guessed it right."


    Song Xiaoli slapped her forehead and pushed Su Yiyi, saying, "Teach your boyfriend how to eat his money¡¯s worth here."


    Li Yifei turned his head to look at Su Yiyi, and Su Yiyi¡¯s face instantly reddened, but there was also a hint of excitement. Usually, she followed Li Yifei¡¯s lead, but today it seemed she might have something to instruct Li Yifei on.


    "Brother Li, the priciest things here are seafood and mutton slices. The mutton fills you up easily, so we can¡¯t start with that. We should eat seafood first, and when we¡¯ve nearly had our fill of that, then we can eat the mutton. But we also shouldn¡¯t get too full on mutton, because there¡¯s still fruit salad at the end."


    Li Yifei listened with interest and laughed, saying, "I¡¯ll remember that. It¡¯s good you reminded me, otherwise, if I started with the mutton, I¡¯d get full right away and couldn¡¯t eat anything else, which would be a huge loss."


    "Right, when you go to get seafood, you need to be quick. If you¡¯re slow, the good stuff will be snatched up by others. They restock the seafood every half hour, so if you miss out now, you¡¯ll have to wait for the next half-hour."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, finding this way of eating to seem more interesting than dining in big restaurants.


    They each grabbed a plate at the serving area, and Song Xiaoli quickly whispered, "Head to the seafood section fast, they¡¯re about to bring out the seafood."


    The four hurried to the seafood section, where quite a number of people were already waiting. It seemed that those who often ate at buffets knew how to make the most of it.


    In less than two minutes, several waiters came over pushing carts with several boxes on them. Everyone immediately started pushing forward. Watching Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli struggle to get to the front without any hint of ladylike grace, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Su Yiyi followed beside Li Yifei, whispering, "Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning aren¡¯t kids from wealthy families either, so having a buffet is quite a luxury for them. They naturally want to make sure they eat their money¡¯s worth."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "I didn¡¯t mean to make fun of them. The idea of scrambling for food just makes it seem all the more delicious. Let¡¯s join in the scramble too."


    Su Yiyi nodded, and with Li Yifei¡¯s help, the two of them squeezed to the front, where the waiters had just poured several kinds of seafood onto ice-filled trays. Everyone was busily piling seafood onto their plates. However, because the plates were just regular small dish plates, even filled to the brim, they could only hold two or three crabs, and it wasn¡¯t easy to fit anything else, so many were going back and forth multiple times.


    The restaurant probably limited the plate size to prevent some from taking too much all at once, leaving none for others. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Li, you better hurry up," Su Yiyi urged Li Yifei in a low voice as she saw him moving languidly.


    At that moment, Song Xiaoli had already put three crabs on her plate and said to Li Yifei with a giggly smile, "Having airs doesn¡¯t work here. If you don¡¯t take action, everything will be gone soon. Ah, I can¡¯t talk anymore, I have to take these to our table and come back for more."


    After speaking, Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning hurriedly walked towards the dining area with their plates. When they picked a table and came back, they found Li Yifei and Su Yiyi still at the seafood section. Xiao Ning spoke with some urgency, "You two are so slow. You better not swipe our food later on."


    Su Yiyi immediately said, "We definitely... won¡¯t snatch yours."


    Song Xiaoli and Su Yiyi¡¯s faces changed, and at that moment, it seemed everyone around was looking at Li Yifei. They had stopped taking seafood themselves, and both girls were astonished. When they moved forward two steps and finally saw Li Yifei from the side, they too were stunned, now understanding why everyone was staring at Li Yifei and why Su Yiyi was so sure they wouldn¡¯t snatch their food.


    "Is this a magic trick?"


    "That¡¯s incredible, how is that even possible?"


    "I definitely can¡¯t do it; I tried just now and couldn¡¯t stack it that high no matter what."


    People were now completely entranced by Li Yifei, murmuring their assessments. It was a good thing that Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t there, otherwise she would have been excitedly shouting. Even at a buffet, Li Yifei managed to create such a spectacle, earning one more reason for Xu Shanshan to like him.

 Chapter 294 - 301 Foodie

    Chapter 294: Chapter 301 FoodieLi Yifei held only one plate in his hand, which he carried with his left, while his other hand leisurely picked up a big conch and placed it onto the plate, which already had more than ten crabs and several conchs stacked up to the height of a small forearm.


    Not showing any signs of stopping, Li Yifei then placed about ten clams on top of the conchs before he finally paused, turning his head to Su Yiyi and asking, "Is this enough for us to eat now?"


    "Plenty, plenty," Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly, her excitement and agitation evident, along with a slight embarrassment. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If this were a fancy hotel or similar establishment, Li Yifei¡¯s behavior would be considered hoarding and would likely invite ridicule. But in a self-service restaurant, it wouldn¡¯t be laughed at; instead, it would cause envy and admiration. Others might go back several times and still not gather as much in one go as he did; he was truly a weapon of mass consumption in the buffet.


    "Are you sure it won¡¯t fall off?" Everyone watched Li Yifei stop and their gazes remained fixed on him, doubting he could safely transport all that food to the dining area without incident.


    Song Xiaoli, Xiao Ning, and Su Yiyi all shared this concern. In a buffet, any careless spillage on the floor would lead to a fine, a measure to deter overambitious guests from taking more than they could handle, which could result in significant waste.


    The waitstaff also followed over, stunned by Li Yifei¡¯s food stacking. They had never seen anyone in all their time working there take so much in one go.


    Knowing the restaurant¡¯s rules, Su Yiyi, Song Xiaoli, and Xiao Ning were not only excited but also very worried. Su Yiyi, nervous, moved to Li Yifei¡¯s left, cautiously saying, "Brother Li, this... it won¡¯t fall, right?"


    Li Yifei turned his head to look at Su Yiyi, frightening her so much her heart almost leapt out. She hastily said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t look at me."


    Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli quickly stretched out their hands, guarding Li Yifei¡¯s plate from both sides, anxiously saying, "Be very careful. If it falls to the ground, that¡¯s going to cost us."


    Li Yifei then realized why they were so cautious. Smiling, he said, "Don¡¯t worry, if I can stack it up, it won¡¯t fall down. Lead the way."


    With the three girls fretting intensely, Li Yifei safely delivered the mountain-like plate of seafood to their table. Placing the plate down, the seafood spread out, with some shrimp clams and conchs falling directly into the pot.


    Spilling on the table wasn¡¯t a problem, so the three women sighed in relief. Song Xiaoli, looking at the remaining crabs in the plate, asked, "How did you manage to stack them up? The shells of these crabs are slippery, and they¡¯re still alive. Don¡¯t they move?"


    Xiao Ning tried stacking a couple of conchs, but they kept falling down, then chimed in, "And what about those conchs? Their shapes are even more irregular. It¡¯s impossible to stack two of them, let alone as high as you did. How did you do it?"


    Su Yiyi looked curiously at Li Yifei, feeling quite proud inside. If her roommates struggled with this, it just made Li Yifei¡¯s skill stand out even more.


    Li Yifei put some crabs into the pot and said with a smile, "Actually, it¡¯s quite simple. These crabs may be alive, but if you knock them out, they¡¯ll stop moving. And the conchs, despite their irregular appearance, have very irregular shells. If you just find the right direction and set their position correctly, you can do it."


    "Is it? That sounds pretty easy when you say it," Song Xiaoli attempted a few times following Li Yifei¡¯s explanation but still didn¡¯t succeed.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Move a bit closer, don¡¯t let others hear, or the restaurant¡¯s owner won¡¯t be happy."


    The three girls leaned in closer, and then Li Yifei picked up some conchs, whispering, "You see, stacking these two on top won¡¯t work. But if you place several at the bottom, then you can stack more on top. Besides, if you insert the sharp end into the conch shell, it becomes much more stable."


    Now all three of them saw clearly and started trying it themselves. Although they couldn¡¯t stack several layers as effortlessly as Li Yifei, they were able to stack a few more, which greatly excited them. They kept praising Li Yifei for his cleverness.


    In truth, what seemed simple was far from easy. Li Yifei¡¯s success was entirely due to his martial arts prowess, his excellent vision, and judgment, which allowed him to achieve such a feat. For an ordinary person to reach his level, even if they specifically trained for it, it would take years to match Li Yifei¡¯s ability.


    By showcasing his skill, Li Yifei had not only saved face for Su Yiyi but also quickly improved his rapport with Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning.


    After stuffing a piece of conch meat into her mouth, Song Xiaoli spoke vaguely, "Li Yifei, Xiao Ning and I are both older than Yiyi. Yiyi usually calls us ¡¯big sister¡¯ and ¡¯second sister.¡¯ So you tell me... hehe, shouldn¡¯t you also call us something?"


    Su Yiyi immediately looked at Li Yifei with some embarrassment. Under normal circumstances in terms of addressing others, she was younger, so Li Yifei should be calling Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning ¡¯sister.¡¯ Moreover, at the dorm, Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning often called him ¡¯brother-in-law,¡¯ but Li Yifei was ultimately older than them. Calling them ¡¯sister¡¯ to their faces, she really feared that Li Yifei might not be pleased.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Going by what Yiyi said, I guess I should be calling you ¡¯sister,¡¯ then."


    "Then go on and call us that; we haven¡¯t heard it yet." Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning both looked at Li Yifei with grins plastered on their faces.


    Li Yifei fished out two bright red cooked crabs, handing one to each, "Big sister, second sister, you¡¯ll have to look after this ¡¯brother-in-law¡¯ of yours more from now on."


    "Alright ¡¯brother-in-law,¡¯ we officially acknowledge you now."


    "Mhm, not too shabby. We can rest assured and leave Yiyi in your care."


    The two tried to put on a serious and earnest facade, but before they could even finish speaking, they ended up bursting into laughter.


    Su Yiyi let out a sigh of relief. She was genuinely afraid that her two roommates, with their lack of restraint, would irritate Li Yifei, leaving her stuck awkwardly in the middle. But Li Yifei was very considerate of her, chatting and joking along. No matter how much the sisters teased him, Li Yifei remained unbothered. This set her mind at ease completely, and the atmosphere grew even more boisterous.


    Li Yifei had brought plenty of seafood, so generous that during this one round, the four of them didn¡¯t need to go back for a second helping. After finishing the seafood, Su Yiyi stayed behind to watch over their things, while Li Yifei went with Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli to get more lamb slices¡ªthis required no special technique, just grabbing a full plate of it. Each of them took a plate, amounting to over a pound of meat, which was quite enough. Taking too much would be wasteful, as they wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it all.


    The girls, caring about their beauty, would avoid eating too much for fear of gaining weight. So naturally, they didn¡¯t consume much meat, leaving most of it for Li Yifei.


    "I¡¯m going to burst; why aren¡¯t you guys eating? Isn¡¯t it a waste not to?" Li Yifei, seeing the three barely touching the meat, smiled and asked them.


    Song Xiaoli blinked and said, "We won¡¯t miss out. We still want to eat fruit salad later. Eating more fruits is good for beauty and keeping the skin hydrated. Unlike Yiyi, who¡¯s so pretty with such great skin, we just have to endure not eating meat."


    Su Yiyi, somewhat bashfully, responded, "That¡¯s not true; you¡¯re beautiful too."


    Xiao Ning laughed and said, "Don¡¯t try to flatter us. You¡¯re the beauty of our department. How do we even compare? Besides, if we were more beautiful than you, then wouldn¡¯t ¡¯brother-in-law¡¯ be pursuing us instead? You wouldn¡¯t feel secure."


    Having gotten to know the two girls better, Li Yifei knew they had very straightforward personalities and cared even less about their teasing. He laughed and said, "Even if you were prettier than Yiyi, I still couldn¡¯t pursue you. That would mean betraying Yiyi."


    "Oh... that¡¯s so cheesy." The two of them hugged their arms, shaking off the goosebumps.


    Girls in love like to hear such cheesy words. Su Yiyi felt even sweeter inside, giving Li Yifei a glance and couldn¡¯t help but gently grasp Li Yifei¡¯s hand under the table.


    Standing up, Song Xiaoli laughed, "Alright, alright, you two stop showing off your love. ¡¯Brother-in-law,¡¯ why don¡¯t you show us your amazing skill one more time and grab us some more fruit salad?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "No problem, as long as you can eat it, a small amount is fine too."


    Xiao Ning joined in teasingly, "Alright then, the portion for the four of us all depends on you now."


    "Let¡¯s go, time to conquer the buffet." Li Yifei gestured and headed towards the serving area with Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli, striding as if they were warriors off to battle. But such gusto for just fetching some fruit salad couldn¡¯t help but be a little comical.

 Chapter 295 - 302: Competition

    Chapter 295: Chapter 302: CompetitionThe fruit section was less congested than the seafood area, but if you wanted to get the good stuff, you had to be quick. After all, fruit doesn¡¯t taste as good after sitting out for a while, and the pieces at the bottom were less fresh from being pressed down. So, it was best to wait for fresh fruit to be brought out and immediately grab a bunch.


    The trio arrived, and Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning didn¡¯t even have plates in their hands; they just pointed at the fruits they wanted. Li Yifei, on the other hand, held a tray in one hand and piled on selections for them with the other. In no time at all, their pile reached a height of more than ten centimeters, and it looked quite impressive.


    There was a couple picking out fruit at that moment, and the boy held a plate that was piled just as high, yet his hand was steady, and he looked completely at ease as he said, "What else would you like to eat? Let¡¯s grab some more."


    The girl had thought they had enough, but when she saw how high Li Yifei had stacked his fruit, she suddenly became interested and said, "Let¡¯s get this one, and that one..."


    The boy quickly placed the fruit his girlfriend had pointed out onto his plate. The stack on their plate was soon to surpass the one that Li Yifei had.


    The girl was visibly excited and loudly bragged, "You¡¯re really amazing; your skill is unmatched by anyone." She was clearly saying this for Li Yifei and his friends to hear.


    Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning hadn¡¯t originally noticed the couple, but the girl¡¯s loud remark drew their attention. With the competitive streak that often comes unreasonably among girls, they felt provoked by the girl¡¯s showing off. Song Xiaoli said to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, someone¡¯s looking down on you. Can you outdo him?"


    Hanging out with these two girls, Li Yifei felt much younger and couldn¡¯t help getting into a playful mood. He chuckled, "Let¡¯s try." As he spoke, he added more fruit to the top, which quickly grew taller than the stack that the other boy had made.


    "Dear, let¡¯s get more."


    The girl had been keeping her eyes on Li Yifei¡¯s plate, and at this point, she eagerly urged her boyfriend on.


    The boy wasn¡¯t willing to lose either. Usually, showing off this skill made him a spectacle at the buffet, and now that Li Yifei had outdone him, he couldn¡¯t let it go unanswered. He immediately added more to his plate, and soon, his pile was taller than Li Yifei¡¯s again.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t wait for Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning to urge him on; he also added more to his plate, and within the blink of an eye, he had once again overtaken the other.


    The showdown between the two of them attracted the attention of everyone nearby. To encounter such entertaining competition while dining was a welcome spectacle, especially since having fruit salad generally meant the meal was winding down. Observing the contest was quite the entertaining affair.


    "Both of them are really impressive; I think they¡¯ve both stacked it up to twenty centimeters now."


    "Yeah, how amazing that it¡¯s so high and nothing has fallen off yet. How do they do it?"


    "Haha, they¡¯re competing. We¡¯ve got to see which one can stack it higher."


    The bystanders watched with great enthusiasm, passing comments, while Li Yifei and the other boy continued to layer their plates in silence. Song Xiaoli, Xiao Ning, and the girl were even more anxious and excited than Li Yifei and the boy, cheering on their respective parties. Such a contest was a classic clash of youthful egos.


    Their energetic competition caught the attention of the waitstaff, who watched the two closely. The food they provided for guests had turned into playthings for these two, which was just too excessive. They knew they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to fine either of them the moment something fell.


    When the stacks on the plates reached over twenty centimeters, sweat began to bead on the boy¡¯s forehead. He had never stacked fruit so high in the past, today was him pushing his limit. As he placed each piece, he was extremely careful, not daring to make a single mistake.


    In contrast, Li Yifei remained calm, as if the fruit on his plate was glued together, firm and stable¡ªnothing suggesting his stack was in danger of collapsing.


    "I must say, our restaurant strictly prohibits waste. If you take too much and can¡¯t finish, there will be a fine," the hall manager interjected, unable to watch any further and reminding the two.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xiao Ning and Song Xiaoli and chuckled, "Is that enough?"


    Caught up in the excitement, Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning had not realized just how much Li Yifei had picked; whether they could even finish it all was indeed a question. Plus, it was clear they had already beaten the other guy, so they nodded in agreement, saying, "That¡¯s plenty, that¡¯s plenty."


    Li Yifei nodded, set down the tongs, and announced, "Then let¡¯s go."


    Li Yifei had only taken small steps in the serving area, but now he strode confidently toward the dining area. Spectators had gathered around, hardly believing he could transport his tower of fruit without incident.


    But under the watchful eyes of all, Li Yifei moved like a breeze, his hand as steady as Mount Tai, safely delivering their fruits to their table.


    "Ahh!" A shriek sounded, followed by the clatter of a plate hitting the floor, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to the boy who had been competing with Li Yifei.


    And that guy ended up quite unfortunate. His previous stacking, already exceeding his own norms, was commendable enough to stay upright, but one can¡¯t just hold it up indefinitely, right? Urged by his girlfriend, he tried to carry the food back like Li Yifei did, but the moment he moved, the plate in his hand wobbled, and its contents shifted. Hastily reaching with his other hand to stabilize it, things got even worse¡ªall the food scattered. In a panic, he even dropped the plate.


    The staff immediately surrounded them to prevent the couple from fleeing and, in the end, the two paid a fine before they were allowed to leave.


    As for this incident, it was nothing more than a minor interlude to Li Yifei. He didn¡¯t think much of it, but Su Yiyi, Xiao Ning, and Song Xiaoli¡ªthe three of them¡ªwere all excitedly chirping about what had just happened, as if they had accomplished something truly spectacular.


    Song Xiaoli giggled and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really too cool. If you weren¡¯t my brother-in-law, I would definitely chase after you."


    Xiao Ning said with a mischievous grin, "You don¡¯t even have to chase him. Yiyi is your good sister, and good sisters should share their nice things. Why not let Yiyi share her husband with you?"


    Song Xiaoli stroked her chin, musing, "That¡¯s not a bad idea. Hey, Yiyi, you wouldn¡¯t mind, would you?"


    Su Yiyi was terribly embarrassed. Although she knew her roommates were joking with her, she still didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Song Xiaoli slung an arm over Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, "Oh, Yiyi, don¡¯t be so stingy. I¡¯m not trying to steal your man. If it comes to that, you can be the main wife, and I¡¯ll be the concubine. Look how strong brother-in-law is; there¡¯s no way you could handle him on your own. I can lend a hand."


    Li Yifei broke out in a profuse sweat. Dealing with girls under the age of twenty made him feel really old. Figures like Chu Xiaoyao, and now this Song Xiaoli¡ªthey¡¯re the type who dare to say anything. These statements even made him, a man with a legion of experiences with women, blush.


    "Brother-in-law, you don¡¯t have any objections, do you?" Song Xiaoli teased Li Yifei again.


    Xiao Ning chimed in, "Although our Little Li isn¡¯t as pretty as Yiyi, she¡¯s sexy. Look at that figure, look at those breasts. Most importantly, she¡¯s generous in bed and will definitely keep you in ecstasy."


    "Cough, cough..." Li Yifei had just taken a sip of his drink and was immediately choked by her words, coughing repeatedly.


    Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning burst into laughter at this, completely delighted by the fun and teasing. They were just playful and didn¡¯t mean any harm.


    After some laughter and jokes, the atmosphere improved even more. Su Yiyi and Li Yifei occasionally felt a bit awkward, while the heap of fruit salad was astonishingly devoured completely by the three girls, a feat that made even Li Yifei admire their combat strength.


    However, when the four were about to leave, Li Yifei noticed the three girls were having trouble walking, clearly having eaten too much. Finally seizing his chance, he also teased them a bit, but they were not at all embarrassed. Going to a buffet, after all, meant eating your fill¡ªotherwise, if you could walk away without any difficulty, it would just be too much of a loss.


    Li Yifei drove straight into the school and stopped at the entrance of Su Yiyi¡¯s dormitory. Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning pushed the door open and got out, but Su Yiyi turned to look at Li Yifei.


    With that expectant look in her eyes, Li Yifei understood well and smiled as he said, "If you¡¯re not afraid of being teased by your sisters, you can stay at my place tonight."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red as the evening sky, but she bit her lip and muttered softly, "I¡¯m not afraid."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart swelled; Yiyi was just too adorable at that moment. He rolled down the window and said to Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning, "I¡¯m not going to walk you up, Yiyi and I are heading back."


    Song Xiaoli giggled, "Well, I hope you two have a romantic night. We won¡¯t intrude."


    "Bye-bye!" Xiao Ning waved her hand and slowly headed upstairs with Song Xiaoli.


    Without her roommates, Su Yiyi breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Brother Li, they were teasing you so much; you aren¡¯t upset, are you?"


    "Not at all. I know they mean no harm and they¡¯re really close to you. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t mock us so freely. It¡¯s not easy to have a few good friends in a lifetime." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi nodded and said, "They¡¯ve taken good care of me. When I was in trouble, they always lent me money and looked out for me in other ways."


    "Yeah, then find a chance to treat them to a meal or something in the future. It¡¯s rare to have a true friend in life."


    Suddenly, Li Yifei thought of his comrades from his time in the Flying Hawk Squad. Since he¡¯d left the unit, he hadn¡¯t contacted them and wondered how they were doing now.

 Chapter 296 - 303 Yiyi’s Deep Affection

    Chapter 296: Chapter 303 Yiyi¡¯s Deep AffectionBy the time they arrived home, it was already past nine. Su Yiyi stepped through the door and immediately changed into a set of casual home clothes that Meng Xiaofei had helped her pick out, then she intended to clean up Li Yifei¡¯s room.


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed hold of Su Yiyi, saying, "Yiyi, stop, the house isn¡¯t that dirty, is it?"


    Su Yiyi immediately responded, "But I still need to tidy up. If I don¡¯t do something, I won¡¯t know what I¡¯m good for."


    Li Yifei pulled Su Yiyi hard to sit down on the sofa, cupped her cheeks with both hands, and said softly, "Silly girl, don¡¯t you miss me?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body suddenly turned limp, and she whispered, "I do."


    "If you miss me, then just properly stay by my side. As for the housework, I can do it normally."


    "Mhm!" Su Yiyi nodded gently and nestled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Li Yifei gently wrapped his arms around Su Yiyi¡¯s waist, and the two of them snuggled together without any extra movement. After a while, Li Yifei said, "Yiyi, I have something to tell you."


    Su Yiyi answered softly, "Okay."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Yiyi, I owe you an apology for this matter."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body stiffened, and she slowly lifted her head, her eyes full of fear as she stammered, "Brother Li, you... you don¡¯t want me anymore?"


    A pain struck Li Yifei¡¯s heart, but hiding this matter from Su Yiyi would be even more cruel, so he steeled himself and said softly, "Yiyi, it¡¯s not that Brother Li doesn¡¯t want you. Brother Li has always liked you very much."


    Su Yiyi was still very nervous, her hands clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly, she asked, "Then... what did you mean by... apologizing to me?"


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Brother Li will tell you his story. Before my junior year of high school, I had a happy family too, my parents were very good to me. But then, in my junior year, my parents died in a car accident, and from that moment on, my life fell into darkness..."


    Su Yiyi was instantly engrossed by Li Yifei¡¯s story, and as she listened to the hardships he faced at that time, she couldn¡¯t help but let the tears flow.


    "During that time, there was a girl who was always caring for me, helping me, her name was Ye Yunzhu..."


    Li Yifei recounted to Su Yiyi everything about his past with Ye Yunzhu, and then also told her every detail of what happened after they met again.


    After telling her all this, Li Yifei held Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and said, "Yiyi, I know I shouldn¡¯t have done this, but I really don¡¯t know what else to do. If I don¡¯t tell you these things, then I¡¯m deceiving you, but telling you feels too cruel."


    Su Yiyi did not start to cry as Li Yifei had imagined. Instead, she looked at him with her bright, wide eyes and said, "Brother Li, thank you."


    "Thank me?" Li Yifei was confused by Su Yiyi¡¯s response.


    Snuggling into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, Su Yiyi softly said, "By telling me this, you¡¯re truly considering Yiyi¡¯s feelings. Yiyi is just a poor girl, I have no skills or means, but I know Brother Li is a man of ability. In the future, you will definitely be an important figure. I am not worthy of you at all. Only someone like Ye Yunzhu... my sister, is truly fit for you. She is the one who should be your wife."


    "Yiyi... you..." A pang of pain struck Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    "Brother Li!" Su Yiyi clung tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s waist and continued, "Brother Li, all Yiyi ever wanted was to be by your side for life. When you told me back then to be your girlfriend, I was so happy. But I know I¡¯m not suited to be your wife. I am willing to be your lover, your lover for a lifetime."


    Li Yifei was shaken to the core. He had never anticipated that after telling her everything, Su Yiyi would feel this way. The guilt he felt towards her was indescribable. He wanted to say something to Su Yiyi, but he felt that no matter how eloquently he spoke, it could not compare to the depth of feeling that Yiyi held for him. Next to her affection for him, he felt incredibly small.


    "Brother Li, don¡¯t feel burdened by this. In fact, being with you this way, I feel less pressure. Otherwise, when I¡¯m with you, I always feel like I don¡¯t know anything and can¡¯t do anything for you. I¡¯m always afraid that I¡¯m not doing well enough and that I¡¯m letting Brother Li down. Now it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve become Brother Li¡¯s lover, so I don¡¯t have to carry that burden anymore. As long as Brother Li thinks of me, I can come over to keep you company, talk with you, and... let you hold me like this. That¡¯s all I need."


    "Yiyi..."


    Raising her head, her face flushed and tinged with shyness and anticipation, Su Yiyi softly said, "Brother Li, can you take Yiyi today? I want to let Brother Li know, Yiyi belongs to you, forever..."


    Li Yifei closed his eyes briefly, then looked deeply into Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes. Her gaze was not as fiery as Ye Yunzhu¡¯s nor as domineering as Lin Qiong¡¯s. But the tenderness it held, intricate and profound, wound around Li Yifei¡¯s heart, entangling him completely, unable to break free.


    "Yiyi! I love you!" It was a phrase Li Yifei had said to Ye Yunzhu when he was young, but back then, it was irresponsible, and now, as he said it, he felt it was so pure. It was Su Yiyi¡¯s love for him that purified his own love. He felt that this time, he uttered those three words most earnestly, most passionately, truly from the bottom of his heart.


    "Brother Li, I love you too!" Su Yiyi bravely met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, her head slowly tilting upward, her lips drawing ever closer to his. Yet her eyes remained open¡ªa tremendous feat for a shy girl. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s head also slowly lowered. He had always thought kissing was just kissing¡ªyou do it like they do in the movies, slow motion was nonsense, you just kissed directly. But there he was, moving towards Su Yiyi¡¯s lips in what felt like extreme slow motion.


    As Su Yiyi¡¯s face grew ever closer, as he felt her breath, as he inhaled her subtle scent, Li Yifei was intoxicated. It wasn¡¯t alcohol that inebriated him, but the love Su Yiyi had for him. When their lips finally touched, Li Yifei felt his mind explode, his spirit soaring into the heavens.

 Chapter 297 - 305

    Chapter 297: 305The next day, Su Yiyi woke up to find that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t by her side; instead, sounds came from the kitchen, which filled her heart with an incredibly sweet feeling. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t called for her but was making breakfast instead¡ªcould this be the legendary love-filled breakfast?


    However, Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t the type of girl who just waits to be pampered or adored by a man. In her heart, she believed she should be the one serving Li Yifei. After all, he¡¯s a man destined for great things¡ªhow could he be the one serving her?


    She swiftly sat up but couldn¡¯t help frowning and clutching her abdomen. Even though Li Yifei had been gentle the night before, she still felt a faint pain when she moved.


    After getting used to it a little, Su Yiyi felt much better. She got out of bed, took clothes out of the wardrobe to get dressed, and was about to fold the quilt when she saw a small patch of crimson blood on the bedsheet.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face flushed a deep red again, just like the bloodstain on the bedsheet.


    After taking the bedsheet off, Su Yiyi, holding her pajamas, went into the bathroom, intending to wash the bedsheet. But then Li Yifei came in, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and said, "Why not rest a while longer? You¡¯re up so early and even thinking of washing the bedsheets." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With her hands caressing the back of Li Yifei¡¯s hands, Su Yiyi leaned her head against his shoulder, looked up at him blissfully, and said, "I¡¯m fine now, but there¡¯s blood on the bedsheet... I have to wash it clean."


    Li Yifei felt his heart stir; the sight of blood always induced pride and arrogance in a man. He bent down, kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face, and said, "Don¡¯t wash it. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to keep this bedsheet as a memento?"


    Su Yiyi quickly shook her head and said, "No, no, if Sister Yunzhu finds out about this, she will surely be angry with you."


    Li Yifei stiffened, and Su Yiyi immediately felt it. She turned her head, kissed his face, and said, "Brother Li, Yiyi knows what to do and won¡¯t cause you any trouble. Yiyi loves you, and will love you for a lifetime without any change. Yiyi doesn¡¯t want to put Brother Li in a difficult position, so go ahead and be with Sister Yunzhu."


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi tightly; nothing he could say would compare to the ocean of affection Su Yiyi had for him.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll wash the bedsheets now. I¡¯ll leave the cooking of breakfast to Brother Li today," Su Yiyi said, kissing Li Yifei again with a sweet smile and pulling his hands away.


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Then I will go make breakfast for my Little Yiyi."


    No sooner had Li Yifei stepped out of the bathroom than there was a knock at the door. He hurried to open it and in came Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei, as if even the usually lazy Meng Xiaofei had stopped sleeping in when he was at home.


    The two women made themselves at home. Meng Xiaofei immediately noticed Su Yiyi and exclaimed in surprise, "Yiyi is here too!"


    Just as Su Yiyi had filled the basin with water for the sheets but hadn¡¯t started washing them yet, there was no chance to do so now.


    In the past, when she stayed at Li Yifei¡¯s place, although slightly embarrassed upon encountering Meng Xiaofei, they had met a few times and Su Yiyi had gotten used to it. But today, for some reason, she felt even more uneasy; with a flushed face, she greeted, "Sister Xiaofei is here."


    "Hey, Yiyi, you seem different today," Meng Xiaofei said while standing at the bathroom door, examining Su Yiyi from head to toe.


    "No... not at all," blurted Su Yiyi, who was poor at lying. Under Meng Xiaofei¡¯s scrutiny, she grew even more flustered, unsure where to put her hands or feet.


    "Feeling embarrassed, are you? You must have been up to no good¡ªpeople only blush when they do something naughty," teased Meng Xiaofei excitedly, pulling Su Yiyi out as she spoke. "Come on, confess, what naughty thing did you do?"


    "I... I didn¡¯t do anything," stammered Su Yiyi, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the floor.


    At this point, Su Mengxin also turned her gaze to Su Yiyi. Unlike the frivolous Meng Xiaofei, she understood exactly what was going on just by seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s coyly delightful demeanor. It made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, but her face showed no sign of it.


    As a woman who grew up in the Capital City, she was accustomed to young men of power and privilege who never lacked female companionship. None of them were strangers to multiple relationships before marriage. So, Su Mengxin had come to terms with this reality; she didn¡¯t hinder or disrupt the presence of other women in Li Yifei¡¯s life. What mattered to her was the outcome¡ªwhether he ended up with her in the end, without concerning herself with how many women he had been involved with before their marriage.


    Such a sentiment might seem inconceivable, but Su Mengxin was a woman set apart from the rest¡ªher thoughts were uncommon. Suppressing her discomfort, she smiled, took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, and said, "Yiyi, you look even more beautiful today than before."


    Su Yiyi felt even more awkward, stammering without knowing how to respond.


    "Hehe, looks like you haven¡¯t freshened up yet, go ahead," Su Mengxin encouraged.


    Quickly assenting, Su Yiyi dashed back into the bathroom, but after just a couple of steps, she slowed down.


    Su Mengxin was somewhat puzzled. Su Yiyi had stayed at Li Yifei¡¯s place more than once or twice, so why had she just lost her virginity now? Li Yifei had restrained himself for so long; regardless of the reasons, it was quite remarkable.


    For most women, encountering such a situation would surely ignite jealousy, but Su Mengxin discovered something unique about Li Yifei in these circumstances, which could be attributed to her broad-mindedness and wisdom.


    At this moment, Meng Xiaofei was still clueless about what was happening and said to Su Mengxin with confusion, "Sister Mengxin, why do I feel like Yiyi has done something naughty? Whenever I do something bad, this is how I behave."


    Su Mengxin pinched Meng Xiaofei¡¯s cheek and laughed, "You are pure at heart, that¡¯s why you feel guilty when you do something bad."


    Meng Xiaofei blushed and stuck out her tongue, saying, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m pure at heart, people always tell me that I¡¯m a bit of an airhead."


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but snort with laughter and replied, "Well, you airhead, go get ready for breakfast."


    Li Yifei¡¯s breakfast today was especially sumptuous, with eggs, milk, and a congee made with lean meat and century eggs. During the meal, Li Yifei personally peeled an egg for Su Yiyi.


    "Oh my, I¡¯m so jealous, when will I have a considerate and tender boyfriend like that?" Meng Xiaofei gulped down a big spoonful of congee, looking at Su Yiyi with envy.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I think it would be very easy for you if you were willing."


    Meng Xiaofei took another bite from her egg, having eaten more than half of it in one bite, and mumbled, "Easy what? It¡¯s not easy to find a good man these days, those with money aren¡¯t considerate, those who are considerate don¡¯t have money, sigh, if I really can¡¯t find a good boyfriend..." She trailed off, her eyes rolling back and forth across the faces of Li Yifei and Su Yiyi.


    Li Yifei laughed, "What wacky idea do you have now? Spill it."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Brother Li, Yiyi, can we discuss something?"


    "No way, if you want to negotiate with me, I will definitely be at a loss."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately deflated like a punctured ball and pouted without speaking.


    Su Yiyi hurriedly said, "Sister Xiaofei, just say what you want to." She wasn¡¯t trying to contradict Li Yifei, but she knew he was teasing Meng Xiaofei on purpose.


    Meng Xiaofei, a person with no guile, perked up immediately upon hearing Su Yiyi and cheerfully said, "If I can¡¯t find a good boyfriend in the future, can I hang out with you guys? Hehe, I mean, I will just freeload some food and drinks off you guys, nothing else, I won¡¯t steal your Brother Li."


    Li Yifei responded with amusement, "Aren¡¯t you already freeloading meals off us now?"


    Meng Xiaofei said earnestly, "That¡¯s different. Right now, you aren¡¯t married yet, and Yiyi doesn¡¯t often stay here. If you get married in the future, you¡¯ll find me annoying. That¡¯s why we should arrange this in advance, right? I¡¯ll definitely pay for my meals, and I¡¯ll even buy gifts for you guys."


    "That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, and Sister Mengxin, you should join in too." Meng Xiaofei, anxious about not being persuasive enough, roped in Su Mengxin as well.


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "You want to freeload off them and drag me into it too. Not a bad idea though, I agree. But it seems that the decision isn¡¯t up to me; it¡¯s up to Li Yifei and Yiyi."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately turned her hopeful eyes to Li Yifei and then to Su Yiyi.


    Meng Xiaofei, a woman just a year younger than Li Yifei, was undeniably an adult. Moreover, with her busty figure, she exuded femininity; yet when she looked at him with such eyes, she appeared incredibly cute¡ªadorably so, especially with her long eyelashes fluttering and her eyes twinkling like stars, it was almost too much cuteness to handle.


    "This matter is for Yiyi to decide, I don¡¯t get a say," Li Yifei immediately passed the decision-making to Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi looked toward Li Yifei and saw a sense of encouragement in his eyes, realizing that he was giving her the authority of the lady of the house. In fact, he had already agreed. She felt an immense warmth in her heart and smiled, "Of course, that would be lovely; the more the merrier."


    Meng Xiaofei suddenly shouted with excitement, hugged Su Yiyi, and planted a kiss on her face, exclaiming, "Yiyi, you are just the best, I adore you!"


    Su Yiyi was instantly embarrassed, while Li Yifei and Su Mengxin exchanged amused glances. Meng Xiaofei, despite being an adult, always acted like a child, and somehow, she managed to be adorable while doing so, truly one of a kind.


    After kissing Su Yiyi, Meng Xiaofei, still excited, stretched out her arms toward Li Yifei for a hug. Li Yifei got startled and was about to dodge when Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Never mind, never mind, I won¡¯t hug you, Brother Li, nor kiss you. I don¡¯t want to upset Yiyi, or I¡¯ll have nowhere to freeload meals in the future."


    Li Yifei instantly experienced a sinking feeling. This girl was playing tricks on him.

 Chapter 298 - 306 Manager Li’s Might

    Chapter 298: Chapter 306 Manager Li¡¯s MightAfter sending Su Yiyi back to school, Li Yifei returned to the company, where the employees were still working seriously, and few mentioned the outing planned for tonight.


    Everyone was originally excited about going out to have fun, but under Xu Yingying¡¯s management, the company was so well-run that the employees hadn¡¯t let their minds wander and continued to work diligently.


    By lunchtime, the discussion about the outing became lively, and the cafeteria was abuzz with talk of the trip, with no mention of anything else.


    At Li Yifei¡¯s table sat four people, Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and also Michelle.


    All four were leaders, so it was normal for them to sit together. However, with Li Yifei being the only man at the table and the other three recognized as the most beautiful women in the company, it was inevitable to attract envious stares from other men.


    Xu Yingying took a sip of her soup and asked He Fangqing, "Sister Fangqing, aren¡¯t you bringing someone with you?"


    He Fangqing glanced at Li Yifei and said, "I¡¯m going alone, who else could I bring? What about you?"


    Xu Yingying also glanced at Li Yifei and replied, "I¡¯m bringing my sister along. I have to make her show up once, otherwise, if she randomly comes to the company, it could easily cause trouble."


    After they had this exchange, Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei with a smile and said, "Aren¡¯t you bringing your girlfriend?"


    Michelle¡¯s chopsticks paused, her head still lowered without looking up.


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying was intentionally bringing this up for Michelle to hear, and through Xu Yingying¡¯s words, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing for him to voice his thoughts to Michelle. Smiling, he said, "I¡¯m not bringing her. She has plans for the weekend. Besides, now that everyone in the company thinks Michelle is my girlfriend, if I brought my actual girlfriend, wouldn¡¯t that be like putting a blindfold on Michelle?"


    Michelle raised her head and forced a smile. "Brother Li, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. It¡¯s really nothing."


    Xu Yingying then said with a stern expression, "I don¡¯t think you¡¯re handling this right. Michelle is such a nice girl. If you want to be with her, then be with her. If not, don¡¯t waste her time."


    Before Li Yifei could respond, Michelle quickly said, "President Xu, no, it¡¯s not Brother Li¡¯s fault. I know he¡¯s doing this to save my face. Besides, I¡¯m not planning to have a boyfriend for the time being. This way, I also avoid being harassed by others."


    Xu Yingying shot Li Yifei an annoyed look. "Michelle, I¡¯m trying to help you here, and yet you¡¯re defending him."


    Michelle gave a sweet smile and said, "Thank you, President Xu, but I really don¡¯t mind."


    Xu Yingying felt secretly displeased inside. Michelle might not mind, but she did. However, she couldn¡¯t just say it outright. After all, she was the president and couldn¡¯t openly display jealousy over her subordinates, so she could only glare at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei pretended not to see, and with Michelle already having spoken, he felt there was no need to elaborate further.


    At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Li Yifei was in his office when he heard a knock on the door. He casually said "Come in," and the door opened. Someone outside shouted "President Xu," and then Xu Yingying, dressed in sports attire, walked in.


    Usually Xu Yingying called him to her office and rarely came to his, especially not dressed in sports attire. This immediately led Li Yifei to guess that it was Xu Shanshan, and he said with a smile, "Shanshan, you¡¯re here early."


    Indeed, it was Xu Shanshan who pouted and asked, "How did you recognize me?"


    Li Yifei smiled, ushered Xu Shanshan to the sofa, and handed her a glass of water. "We¡¯re not off work yet, and your sister wouldn¡¯t change into sportswear, would she? How would the other employees focus on their work?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boring, you recognized me just like that," Xu Shanshan complained, pouting.


    "Hehe, next time I¡¯ll pretend to be confused and act like I don¡¯t recognize you," Li Yifei offered.


    "I don¡¯t need that. Next time I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t recognize me," Xu Shanshan said playfully, winking an eye and then grinning, "Brother-in-law, have you prepared everything?"


    Li Yifei sat beside Xu Shanshan and replied, "The office has prepared everything, we don¡¯t need to bring much."


    "We still need to get some snacks though, like chips and stuff. You¡¯ll come with me to buy them, right?"


    "We¡¯re not off work yet."


    "What does that matter, in this company, who would dare to tell you off?"


    "How could there not be, your sister."


    "As if! She wants to be your girlfriend, so how could she manage you? Let¡¯s ignore her and go buy snacks right now," Xu Shanshan said, grabbing Li Yifei without giving him a chance to argue, and forcefully dragged him out of the office.


    There were still some people in the hallway, and when they saw Xu Shanshan pulling Li Yifei, their eyes widened in shock. Then, they all quickly lowered their heads¡ªmessing around with the boss is something they shouldn¡¯t be seeing.


    Li Yifei, seeing his colleagues¡¯ reactions, knew what they were thinking. At this moment, he didn¡¯t bother to explain anything. After all, everyone would find out who Xu Shanshan was today, which would prevent them from harboring any wild thoughts.


    After buying several large bags of snacks with Xu Shanshan, they returned to the company where all the employees were waiting in the parking lot. A few buses had already been waiting in the yard, ready to set off soon.


    Everyone was grouped in threes and fives waiting to board the bus, and some were discussing in private what they had seen between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei that day.


    "Guess what, today I saw Manager Li with someone," whispered an employee from the fourth floor, mysteriously to the colleagues around.


    Li Yifei had been quite the news recently in the company, so when people heard this, they became interested. Someone immediately asked, "With whom was he?"


    "He was with our President Xu."


    "So what if he was with President Xu? They are both leaders. Isn¡¯t it normal for them to be seen together?"


    "What normal! Do you know, our President Xu was holding Manager Li¡¯s hand as they walked out together."


    "Nuh-uh! Are you sure you didn¡¯t see it wrong?"


    "Yeah, wasn¡¯t Manager Li dating Manager Mi?"


    "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t figure it out. A while ago, the security guard at the entrance also saw Manager Li and President Xu together, and they were also holding hands."


    This piece of news had been heard before, but no one had really believed it. However, today, there were some doubts.


    "Here they come, here they come, did you see? President Xu and Manager Li are coming together," someone exclaimed.


    At this point, everyone noticed Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. Normally, the two of them walking together wouldn¡¯t have been an issue as they often did walk together. But today, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face was brimming with smiles as she chatted and laughed with Yifei, which seemed quite different from usual.


    Although they saw, everyone tried to look at the two of them as normally as possible, and some even deliberately avoided looking in their direction. Others cast curious glances toward Michelle. Michelle was exceptional, but compared to Xu Yingying, the boss, she seemed to fall a bit short, so naturally, they thought that Li Yifei would choose Xu Yingying instead.


    Unexpectedly, at this point, Michelle actually walked over to Li Yifei and the one they thought of as Boss Xu Yingying in their minds, and was chatting and laughing with both. Li Yifei looked calm too. No one approached them and wasn¡¯t sure what they were talking about, but even so, this sight was enough to surprise them. Rivals in love meeting, even if they didn¡¯t come to blows, surely they shouldn¡¯t be this friendly, right?


    Michelle had only seen Xu Shanshan twice and naturally couldn¡¯t tell the difference between Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying. But just before coming downstairs, she had seen Xu Yingying wearing a professional suit and had heard from Xu Yingying at lunch that she would send Shanshan over, so when Michelle saw her, she knew it was Xu Shanshan.


    While everyone was confused, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing finally arrived fashionably late. Now, everyone was even more suspicious if they were seeing double¡ªhow could there be two President Xu Yingyings?


    Just then, Xu Yingying also noticed Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei but didn¡¯t call out to them. Instead, she clapped her hands to get everyone¡¯s attention and said, "Dear colleagues, from now on, let¡¯s have a great time. Leave all work matters aside. Get on the bus now; we¡¯re about to leave. Also, I want to remind you that over there is my twin sister, Xu Shanshan. Don¡¯t mistake her for me."


    Everyone responded with a thunderous yes and finally understood what was going on. However, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ª even if the other wasn¡¯t President Xu Yingying, seeing her camaraderie with Li Yifei suggested that their relationship wasn¡¯t superficial. And yet, Michelle was able to coexist with them? What on earth was going on?


    All the employees got on several buses. Li Yifei boarded the first one, and Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, Michelle, and Xu Shanshan sat in it too, along with the Human Resources Department, Office, Accounting Department, and Logistics Department¡ªalmost forty people in total.


    Once on the bus, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing didn¡¯t take their seats up front but settled in the middle. As a boss, it¡¯s not always good to be aloof, and mingling with the employees is much better.


    Li Yifei, Michelle, and Shanshan took the front row seats, but as Li Yifei was hesitating where to sit, Xu Shanshan happily pulled him next to her, saying, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s sit here."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to sit down, while Michelle took a seat across the aisle on the other side.


    "Ah, no, that¡¯s not right, Brother-in-law, you should switch with Michelle," Xu Shanshan said, pushing him again just as his rear end touched the seat.


    This coincided with Li Yifei¡¯s own wish, and he immediately switched places with Michelle. Now Michelle sat next to Xu Shanshan, and he was no longer the centre of attention.

 Chapter 299 - 307: Brother-in-law

    Chapter 299: Chapter 307: Brother-in-lawThe car set off, and the inside quickly became lively. Xu Yingying was undoubtedly a competent leader, actually, an outstanding leader. At this moment, she was leading everyone in games and telling jokes, creating an exceptionally good atmosphere among the group.


    At this point, everyone had fully relaxed, and someone asked Xu Yingying, "President Xu, you and your sister look so incredibly alike, if you didn¡¯t tell us, we wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you apart at all."


    Xu Yingying said with a smile, "Yeah, even my parents often get us mixed up now, so I absolutely can¡¯t work in the same company as my sister. If everyone got confused, it would cause big problems. I believe the few times she sneaked over here, she had already fooled everyone."


    Everyone laughed heartily. As for the rumors about Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, this was a self-solving mystery.


    Xu Shanshan was still very well-behaved on the bus, chatting with Michelle and snacking. The two got along quite harmoniously.


    Before long, the coach arrived at the pier, where staff from the office had arranged for two small passenger ships waiting there. Everyone got off the bus and boarded the ships, heading out to the island.


    Xu Yingying was also worried about Xu Shanshan getting too close to Li Yifei here, as it could easily lead to some thoughts among the employees. Therefore, she pulled Xu Shanshan along with her. Although Xu Shanshan was reluctant, she had promised Xu Yingying before coming and had to stick with her sister now.


    Li Yifei and Michelle stood by the ship¡¯s rail. The wind was quite strong today, blowing Michelle¡¯s smooth hair about and occasionally tossing it onto Li Yifei¡¯s face, tickling him.


    Michelle spread her arms and closed her eyes slightly, savoring the feeling of the sea breeze on her face, and said excitedly, "Brother Li, once you get out to sea, you feel your spirits broaden."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yeah, when you¡¯re on a ship, it¡¯s very easy to feel this way. This vast ocean makes people feel very small in comparison."


    Suddenly, Michelle said with surprise, "Brother Li, look, there are fish in the sea."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. Of course, there were fish in the sea, and Mile City was a place where the fishing industry was very developed. The nearby water wasn¡¯t a normal fishing area and was full of fish. He chuckled, "You¡¯re from Mile City, and you don¡¯t know about our abundance of fish?"


    "I am from Mile City, but it¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve been out to sea on a boat like this, and I was always in school before and never really played by the sea."


    "Heh, well, enjoy yourself today, then."


    "Mmm."


    The passenger ship wasn¡¯t as fast as a speedboat; it took a full two hours to reach the island, and it was beginning to get dark. There were no large hotels on the island, just two small inns that simply couldn¡¯t accommodate so many people, and no one wanted to stay in the inns anyway. Everyone had prepared tents, the large kind that could fit four people each. They set up tents on the beach and lit a bonfire. This set up was even more atmospheric. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was relieved. He shared a tent with three male colleagues, freeing him from having to accompany Michelle and the others.


    Young people are fond of fun and excitement. Even at night, no one wanted to go to sleep right away. They gathered around the bonfire, singing and dancing until past eleven o¡¯clock. Only then, with some reluctance, did everyone return to their tents to rest.


    Li Yifei, joining in the fun with everyone else, felt much younger. During this time, he played with Michelle, Xu Shanshan, and others, but in such a vibrant atmosphere, where men and women frolicked together, nobody minded at all.


    After sleeping for a night, everyone got up early the next day because it was low tide, and catching seafood at low tide is absolutely one of the most interesting things to do.


    However, there was not much to catch on such a sandy beach; they needed to go to the muddier areas further away, where there were many more things. The men all wore swim trunks, looking virtually the same and not much of an attraction. The women, on the other hand, wore swimsuits, colorful and varied. Especially a few bold female colleagues who even wore bikinis, causing the men to shout excitedly like a pack of starved wolves.


    The twin sisters, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, were wearing identical swimsuits at this time, making it impossible to tell who was who. However, Xu Shanshan wore a radiant smile on her face, appearing lively and adorable, and easy to get along with. Xu Yingying, on the other hand, seemed more dignified and noble. When she spoke, people could still tell the two apart.


    He Fangqing, a mature woman, wore a two-piece swimsuit that was neither too revealing nor too conservative. Her outfit showcased her figure to perfection. If one were to judge simply by physique, among the company¡¯s beauties, He Fangqing was the best.


    Michelle was clad in a petite floral one-piece swimsuit. Her figure, though not strikingly voluptuous, was fairly attractive, particularly her pale skin, which made her look like a blossoming white lotus, drawing the gazes of numerous men.


    Everyone also received a small bamboo basket with a lid on top, convenient for storing the seafood they caught.


    Groups were formed freely, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t escape even if he wanted to¡ªhe was promptly snatched up by Xu Yingying for their group, which included three older men from the company, causing the younger guys in their early twenties to brim with envy.


    Of course, the group also included He Fangqing, Xu Shanshan, and Michelle¡ªthree beauties, making it a balanced combination of four men and four women.


    After crossing the beach, walking became more challenging due to the rocky terrain, and everyone had to navigate around it. Following the shoreline for about twenty minutes, they arrived at a muddy seaside area, an ideal spot for gathering seafood. Some people were already there hunting for it. There weren¡¯t many locals on the island since these creatures weren¡¯t very valuable, and locals, being accustomed to them, didn¡¯t find them alluring. Most of those present were vacationers seeking fun.


    The group eagerly dived in to look for various small crabs, shells, and occasionally some tiny fish and shrimp in shallow pools. Whether male or female, young or old, everyone became childishly excited at the scene, with cries of joy erupting whenever someone found a shell or caught a fish. However, screams often followed an encounter with a crab.


    Despite their small size, the crabs were tricky to catch; their tiny pincers could inflict quite a bit of pain when they pinched a hand, even drawing blood from two girls¡¯ fingers.


    Yet, this only added to the abundance of fun, with everyone playing even more merrily.


    Xu Shanshan was arguably the happiest among them¡ªbeing from an inland city, she had been to beaches but only touristy ones and had never experienced gathering seafood. Everything here was new and exciting to her.


    "Brother Li, Brother Li, come help me. There¡¯s a little crab here!" Xu Shanshan spotted a crab and, after a few attempts scared by its raised pincers, she hesitated to reach out and had to ask Li Yifei for help.


    The three men in Li Yifei¡¯s group were astonished by Xu Shanshan¡¯s call. It seemed they had overheard her address for Li Yifei. Such a title was shocking indeed; "Brother Li" implied he was the husband of Shanshan¡¯s sister, Xu Yingying. Could it be that President Xu was already Li Yifei¡¯s wife?


    Xu Yingying also heard her sister¡¯s shout. She wasn¡¯t afraid of Shanshan calling him that in front of He Fangqing, Lin Qiong, or Ye Yunzhu, but in front of their colleagues, she preferred to keep it a secret. First, because she and Li Yifei weren¡¯t really in that kind of relationship just yet¡ªif they ended up not together, it would become the butt of jokes. Second, she didn¡¯t want her colleagues to think she was fighting with Michelle over Li Yifei, as that would be demeaning.


    So she immediately walked over, saying loudly, "What are you shouting for? It¡¯s just a crab," while shooting Xu Shanshan a stealthy glare.


    Xu Shanshan, having been warned repeatedly by Xu Yingying at home, knew she had misspoken and stuck out her tongue, saying, "Li Yifei, come quickly and help me."


    Li Yifei himself hadn¡¯t yet realized there was anything inappropriate in Xu Shanshan calling him "Brother Li"; he had grown so used to her calling him that, hearing his name instead felt odd.


    He squatted down beside Xu Shanshan but didn¡¯t see the little crab. Xu Shanshan pouted, "It¡¯s all your fault for coming too slowly; the little crab ran away."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then I¡¯ll help you find it again." Digging his hands into the mud in front of Xu Shanshan, a small crab ran out, as if sensing danger. The little creature moved quickly on its six legs, scuttling sideways to escape.


    Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed, "Ah, ah, there it is! Quickly, catch it!"


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand shot out, and he caught the crab by its back shell, the tiny pincers waving furiously but failing to pinch his hand.


    "Put it in, put it in, quick, put it in the basket," Xu Shanshan cried excitedly like a child, opening the lid of the basket and beaming with pride as Li Yifei placed the crab inside¡ªit was her first catch of the day.


    The three men in Li Yifei¡¯s group continued to glance surreptitiously at him and Xu Shanshan, who refrained from calling him "Brother Li" again and just used his name. However, she was noticeably very close to Li Yifei, almost revolving around him. Even Michelle found it hard to get close to Li Yifei, which gave everyone a strange impression that Xu Shanshan seemed more like Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend than Michelle. But seeing Xu Yingying not being very intimate with Li Yifei, instead talking regularly with them, they concluded they must have misheard. Otherwise, Li Yifei should surely be closer to Xu Yingying, his legitimate wife, right?

 Chapter 300 - 308: Betraying a Friend

    Chapter 300: Chapter 308: Betraying a Friend"Ah!" Xu Yingying suddenly exclaimed, then quickly bent down and walked over to her, He Fangqing hurriedly asked, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face showed a pained expression as she said, "I got poked in the foot."


    He Fangqing quickly steadied her, and let her lift her right foot halfway up; Xu Yingying¡¯s foot was covered in mud, but a trickle of fresh blood was seeping from the center of her foot.


    "Ah, there¡¯s blood." He Fangqing saw the blood and got a bit panicked, and started shouting loudly.


    Li Yifei and a few others immediately surrounded them, and Xu Shanshan, seeing the wound on her foot, suddenly had an idea and loudly said, "This is bad, it must be a deep puncture, we have to clean the wound quickly."


    Everyone agreed, each showing great concern, since Xu Yingying was the president¡ªthey had to show enough care for their boss if they wanted to work in this company.


    "Brother... Li Yifei, please carry my sister quickly to find a hospital to treat her," Xu Shanshan almost let out a "brother-in-law" but managed to change her words in time.


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "It¡¯s nothing serious, shouldn¡¯t be that bad."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "How can it not be serious? There¡¯s blood, who knows how deep it is, and there¡¯s also mud, which can lead to infection."


    "That¡¯s right, President Xu, you better treat the wound quickly. There¡¯s a lot of bacteria in mud, it¡¯s really easy to get an infection."


    "Yes, President Xu, we¡¯ll go with you."


    Seeing everyone saying so, Xu Yingying was somewhat worried, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay then, but Shanshan, you stay and accompany me back."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "How can that be? I finally got out to have fun, I¡¯m not going with you. Let... let Li Yifei go with you, he¡¯s strong and can carry you just fine."


    At that moment, He Fangqing chimed in, "Yeah, better to let Yifei go."


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment and then nodded, saying, "Alright, I¡¯ll go get it treated, and I¡¯ll be back soon, you guys keep having fun."


    He Fangqing immediately said, "Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me." Then she winked at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying knew what He Fangqing meant; she was giving her the chance to be alone with Li Yifei. But the enthusiasm Xu Shanshan showed in having Li Yifei accompany her was confusing to Xu Yingying; her sister had always liked Li Yifei, and now it seemed as if she was helping her.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze made Xu Shanshan feel it instantly, realizing she had gone too far, she quickly made a regretful expression and hurriedly said, "Sister, I think someone else should take you, let Li Yifei stay and play with me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s suspicion vanished at once; apparently Xu Shanshan only wanted Li Yifei to take her because she was looking for fun, and now she had thought better of it, hummed, and said, "No need, let Li Yifei take me. Li Yifei, please, trouble you to carry me over."


    What could Li Yifei say at this point? He just moved in front of Xu Yingying, while she leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s back, bracing herself on his shoulders. Even though their bodily contact was excessively close, she still needed to maintain her decorum in front of the company employees.


    At that moment, He Fangqing said, "Yifei, take good care of President Xu, and there¡¯s no need to rush back. I¡¯m here, I promise to keep everyone entertained."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯m off." Carrying Xu Yingying, he headed towards the direction of the tents.


    Michelle opened her mouth as if wanting to say she would follow, but Xu Shanshan had already pulled her along, saying, "Michelle, come on, let¡¯s continue crabbing."


    Michelle reluctantly let herself be led away by Xu Shanshan.


    Watching Li Yifei carrying Xu Yingying away, the employees who were unaware of the situation were all puzzled, some even thought it was some kind of game. And what a thrilling game it was; how had Li Yifei ended up there, why hadn¡¯t it been someone else?


    But they quickly found out that Xu Yingying had hurt her foot. Some suggested they all go back to check on her, but He Fangqing stopped them. She was eager for Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to get closer, so why would she let everyone spoil the chance for the two to be alone?


    "Are you tired? Do you need to take a break?" Xu Yingying, being carried by Li Yifei out of the employees¡¯ sight, asked.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Carrying a beautiful woman like you, how could I be tired?"


    Xu Yingying hesitated, then said, "But my arms are getting tired from holding up like this, can I lie on you?" As she said this, she blushed, feeling as though she was deliberately tempting Li Yifei.


    "Who told you to hold your arms like that, afraid that I would take advantage of you?"


    "What am I afraid of, haven¡¯t you taken enough advantage already?" Saying this, Xu Yingying had already lain upon Li Yifei¡¯s back, her hands resting on his chest.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Are all these really accidents? Do we need to take them so seriously?"


    "I never said you had to take responsibility for anything, so you don¡¯t need to worry. I, Xu Yingying, am not the kind of person to cling to someone desperately," she retorted.


    "Heh, that¡¯s good then."


    Xu Yingying snorted and added, "But don¡¯t think you got lucky for nothing."


    "So what do you want me to do, then?"


    "Nothing in particular, just remember this happened."


    As they walked not too far ahead, they encountered a couple. The girl, upon seeing them, promptly said, "Look how nice that guy treats his girlfriend, carrying her on his back. You should carry me too."


    "What?" The boy¡¯s face turned green immediately. He was just a bit over a hundred pounds, skinny as a rail, while his girlfriend, though not exactly fat, was certainly solidly built, easily weighing in at one hundred thirty to forty pounds. Carrying her would be no easy feat.


    Even though Li Yifei carried Xu Yingying past them, she still overheard the couple¡¯s conversation. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she realized the implicating intimacy of having Li Yifei carry her, but she truly didn¡¯t want to get down. Not because of her foot, but because being carried by Li Yifei felt really comfortable.


    It dawned on Li Yifei as well, the realization that he was carrying a beautiful woman on his back. Where his hands rested, was Xu Yingying¡¯s thighs, which were neither fat nor thin, but full of resilience with smooth and delicate skin¡ªa delight to touch. Xu Yingying¡¯s body was pressed against his back, which let him feel her front¡¯s softness, and his mind wandered back to the time they played a couple in the karaoke bar and the charade they acted. His fantasies started to drift.


    "Hey, don¡¯t you dare think about anything inappropriate," Xu Yingying remarked, sensing something odd in Li Yifei¡¯s breathing. Glancing down, she saw the outline of a tent in Li Yifei¡¯s swim trunks, her face turning bright red as she pinched his shoulder.


    Caught in the act, Li Yifei knew he couldn¡¯t explain this away, so he chuckled nervously without another word but quickened his pace.


    Xu Yingying appeared shy, but Li Yifei¡¯s large hand on her leg kept moving with his steps, causing her a sensation that was indescribable, recalling the night he made her lose her composure.


    Back then, besides Li Yifei¡¯s culpable hands, there was the matter in his tent that pressed against her, creating a unique sensation. So now, she didn¡¯t see anything particularly wrong with that part of him; she understood it could excite a woman, even through clothing, let alone what it would be like inside¡ªXu Yingying couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine.


    The more she thought, the more embarrassed she felt, burying her face in Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. They looked even more like a couple, drawing the sideways glances of passersby who offered kind smiles.


    At last, they arrived at the beachfront, where a local was in charge of watching over the tents, ensuring nothing would be stolen.


    Upon entering her tent with Xu Yingying still on his back, he set her down before heading to the tent for office staff, where he found a simple first aid kit and quickly returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s tent.


    Xu Yingying was sitting by the tent, having regained her composure, and was rinsing the mud off her feet with water.


    Taking the water bottle from her, Li Yifei said, "You sit. I got this," and then took hold of Xu Yingying¡¯s calf to rinse her foot with water.


    After two bottles of water were used, Xu Yingying¡¯s delicate feet were revealed in their natural state, with a small wound on the sole. Even though the cut wasn¡¯t large and had already stopped bleeding, there was still some mud that needed to be cleaned out.


    Li Yifei shifted his grip to Xu Yingying¡¯s ankle, saying, "Bear with me, I need to get the dirt out."


    Xu Yingying nodded, then clenched her fists, bracing for the pain to come.


    Li Yifei, with a cotton swab dipped in medical alcohol, gently cleaned the mud from the wound. Xu Yingying¡¯s foot reflexively jerked back, but Li Yifei held firm, preventing her retreat though she couldn¡¯t help but cry out softly.


    "It hurts so much," Xu Yingying, usually so dominant, now sounded somewhat weak.


    "You have to endure it, it¡¯ll be over soon," said Li Yifei, utterly lacking compassion as he tightly held her ankle and quickly wiped the sensitive spot on her foot, causing a mix of pain and ticklishness, an indescribably uncomfortable sensation that made her want to laugh and scream at the same time. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But as Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and lunged onto his shoulder, biting down on it.


    "Ow, are you a dog or something?" Li Yifei turned his head to glare at her with widened eyes.


    "That¡¯s for making it so unbearable, hurting and tickling me," Xu Yingying let go of his shoulder, seeing the deep bite marks she left and feeling guilty, yet she refused to admit her mistake.


    "So you bite me, huh? I can¡¯t believe you, I should just leave you alone," Li Yifei said as he let go of her foot and stood up.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s foot hit the sand, and she nearly tumbled forward, exclaiming in dissatisfaction, "Li Yifei, can you even handle this? You say you¡¯ll leave me and then you actually do?"

 Chapter 301 - 309: Preventing Sunburn

    Chapter 301: Chapter 309: Preventing Sunburn"It doesn¡¯t matter anymore; who was it that bit me in the first place?" Li Yifei vanished from Xu Yingying¡¯s sight before she could react.


    "Hey, Li Yifei, don¡¯t leave me here all alone!"


    "Jerk! If you have the guts, don¡¯t come back. If you dare to return, just wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you!"


    After shouting a few times and seeing no sign of Li Yifei, Xu Yingying was both angry and annoyed. She had no idea where Li Yifei had run off to, likely out of earshot of her words, and could only resentfully grab the medicine kit to tend to her foot by herself.


    "Oh, it¡¯s already been taken care of." Xu Yingying lifted her injured right foot onto her left knee, only to discover that the sole of her foot had already been treated. Although it wasn¡¯t bandaged, there was some iodine dabbed on the wound. She knew that her injury wasn¡¯t serious, just a sharp object that had punctured and scraped her foot, so this treatment was sufficient.


    "This jerk just treats it and then dumps me here. So irresponsible! Any woman who marries you is really down on her luck." Xu Yingying muttered, but as she looked up, she saw Li Yifei and was startled, scolding with her hand on her chest, "Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s terrifying to scare someone like that? Can you make some noise next time you show up?"


    Li Yifei was puffing on a cigarette; he had just gone back to get it. He smiled at Xu Yingying and said, "You do make some sense with what you¡¯re saying. Looks like you definitely won¡¯t be the one out of luck."


    Xu Yingying felt uncomfortable with Li Yifei¡¯s expectant gaze. Why did he have to be so fond of her? To assist him with that case, she nearly lost herself to him, yet here he was, looking at her with a teasing tone and anticipation.


    But Xu Yingying was not about to make Li Yifei¡¯s wish come true. Her lips curved into a faint smile as she said lightly, "I¡¯m sorry, having met you was being unlucky for one lifetime. Knowing you was two. Pretending you¡¯re my boyfriend makes it three. You working in my company is four. Leaving the job and joining the same company as you makes it five. Pretending to be your wife that day is six. Now I¡¯ve got six lifetimes of bad luck¡ªI¡¯m not afraid of a couple more."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Xu Yingying, then he gave her a thumbs-up and said, "The boss really talks like a boss. What you said is so on point, it¡¯s like tongue twisters."


    "Don¡¯t worry about whether it¡¯s a tongue twister or not; just resign yourself to it."


    Li Yifei chuckled and sat down next to Xu Yingying, casually throwing his arm around her shoulders. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t dodge; such physical contact was too commonplace for her, hardly triggering any defensive reaction. Instead, she turned her head and looked at Li Yifei without any air, asking, "What do you want?"


    Li Yifei tossed away the cigarette butt and said, "I¡¯m ready to accept my fate and see what it¡¯s like to have eight lifetimes of bad luck."


    Xu Yingying raised her eyebrows and said, "Alright then, come on. It¡¯ll be a while before they come back, so we should have enough time."


    Li Yifei stared at Xu Yingying, and she stared back. Their faces were very close, and neither was willing to back down. But in the end, it was Li Yifei who retreated. Xu Yingying could be frighteningly bold, potentially unafraid of getting intimate with him. And after what they had done, he guessed she might genuinely not be averse. Most importantly, she had said she would be his girlfriend. If he did something more to her, he would be truly stuck.


    "Alright, you win," Li Yifei conceded as decisively as ever, letting go of Xu Yingying and lighting another cigarette, blowing out two smoke rings.


    Xu Yingying huffed and said, "Could you please not scare me like that again in the future? One, I¡¯m not afraid of your scares, and two, if you¡¯re serious about it, I won¡¯t reject you. Then you¡¯d have no reason not to let me be your girlfriend."


    Li Yifei shook his head and spoke slowly, "Yeah, I realize that now. That¡¯s why I conceded so easily."


    Xu Yingying had the upper hand over Li Yifei, but it brought her no joy, for he always maintained a distance from her, treating even Michelle better than her.


    "I¡¯m going to sit by the sea, it¡¯s too stuffy here." Xu Yingying shoved Li Yifei.


    "Then let¡¯s go."


    "I¡¯ve injured my foot; you carry me."


    "For such a small injury... do you really need to be carried?"


    "Yes, I do."


    After exchanging looks for a moment, Li Yifei had no choice but to carry Xu Yingying, grumbling, "You¡¯re a big CEO, and you don¡¯t care about keeping up appearances, always making me carry you. Aren¡¯t you afraid your employees will see?"


    "Let them see if they see. If it comes to that, I¡¯ll just admit you¡¯re my boyfriend. What, am I not allowed to have a boyfriend?"


    "Couldn¡¯t you pick someone else?"


    "Haven¡¯t found the right one. Why don¡¯t you introduce someone to me?"


    "Fine! I think our Little Wang is pretty good¡ªtall, handsome, and articulate. Lot of girls in our company like him."


    "Hmph, that guy¡¯s already married."


    "Ah, married? I didn¡¯t know that." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei felt no burden bantering with Xu Yingying. What he feared the most was those serious, earnest talks about life and love with her.


    Due to the tide going out, the sea level had significantly receded from the night before. Li Yifei carried Xu Yingying a fair distance before they reached the seaside.


    But there was no longer a fine sandy beach here, and there were some rocks visible on the sea floor. So Li Yifei didn¡¯t carry Xu Yingying into the water.


    Xu Yingying was quite enjoying the sensation of being carried by Li Yifei, her arms now looped around his neck as she said, "What now? We¡¯ve got to find something fun to do, or it¡¯ll be too boring."


    Li Yifei said with annoyance, "Then what else do you want to do?"


    "We¡¯ll fish, of course. That big rock over there looks great for sitting and fishing," came the excited reply.


    This suggestion was actually not bad, so Li Yifei readily agreed, "Then wait here for me while I go get the fishing rods."


    "Carry me back with you, I still have to get some stuff."


    "Carry you again? Are you addicted to being carried or something?"


    "You guessed right," Xu Yingying admitted cheerfully, wrapping her arms tighter around Li Yifei¡¯s neck as if afraid he might drop her.


    "I can¡¯t believe an executive like you would act so childishly, I¡¯m truly impressed," he commented.


    With a giggle, Xu Yingying said, "I might be an executive at the office, but I am also a woman, right? Acting childish is a woman¡¯s prerogative, don¡¯t you understand?"


    "I really can¡¯t be bothered with you," Li Yifei muttered.


    Xu Yingying was even happier, getting carried back by Li Yifei to retrieve the fishing rods. Then the two of them returned to the seaside, climbed onto the big rock, and finally, Xu Yingying got down from Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    Li Yifei baited the hook and cast the line while Xu Yingying applied sunblock.


    "Hey, help me with my back," Xu Yingying nudged Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Yingying, then pointed at himself and asked, "You want me to apply it... to your back?"


    Xu Yingying shoved the sunscreen into Li Yifei¡¯s hands and said, "Obviously, I can¡¯t reach it myself. It¡¯s just the two of us here; if you don¡¯t do it, who will?" Then she turned around, presenting her back to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei looked at the sunscreen in his hand, then at Xu Yingying¡¯s back, feeling an indescribable sensation. Logically, any man should be excited at the prospect of applying sunscreen to a beautiful woman, but with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei felt like he wasn¡¯t entirely willing.


    "Hurry up, or I¡¯ll get sunburned," Xu Yingying urged, looking over her shoulder at Li Yifei.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei said, "Alright, I¡¯ll do it."


    "Look at you, so reluctant. Does it really aggrieve you that much to put sunscreen on me?"


    "It¡¯s not about feeling aggrieved; it¡¯s like a weasel paying a New Year¡¯s visit to a chicken¡ªno good intentions at all. Surely you¡¯ve got some ulterior motive to harm me later," he jested.


    "Death by you, huh," Xu Yingying retorted, slightly frustrating Li Yifei with her fussiness.


    Li Yifei chuckled and poured some sunscreen into his palm, then began to apply it to Xu Yingying¡¯s back.


    Li Yifei had touched Xu Yingying¡¯s skin so many times that thinking about it amused him. He didn¡¯t harbor those kinds of feelings for Xu Yingying, not even the amorous ones, yet there had been so many physical encounters between the two. Even Su Yiyi probably hadn¡¯t had as many as Xu Yingying.


    Even though Li Yifei had no such feelings for Xu Yingying, each time he touched her, he had to admit her skin was exceptionally smooth and silky, a pleasure to touch, making the act of applying sunscreen even more enjoyable.


    Especially when rubbing the sunblock over Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, as she leaned forward, accentuating the curves of her hips, the caress became even more tempting.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dwell on this enjoyment and quickly finished applying the sunscreen before drawing his hands away.


    Only then did Xu Yingying turn around, her face slightly flushed. Li Yifei was the first man she had ever been close to, and with his hands, she had experienced a delightful feeling. Now his hands moving across her back felt like electric currents stimulating her skin, spreading the sensation through her body, stirring feelings within her and making her wish for more movement from his hands.


    But Li Yifei finished so quickly, leaving her feeling slightly disappointed. Naturally, she would never reveal such thoughts to Li Yifei¡ªthat would be too embarrassing.


    "Why haven¡¯t we caught any fish yet?" Xu Yingying deliberately changed the subject to avoid the awkward moment.


    "Fishing isn¡¯t that easy. It¡¯s an activity that truly tests your patience. If you caught a fish with every cast, it¡¯d lose much of its charm. It¡¯s the anticipation of catching a fish that¡¯s the most thrilling part of fishing," he explained.


    Xu Yingying laughed, "Is that so? I just hope all your anticipation doesn¡¯t end up being just that¡ªanticipation."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s definitely not going to happen."


    Ordinarily, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t enjoy men smoking, but now, with Li Yifei smoking right in front of her, she felt no urge to stop him. Instead, she found the faint tobacco scent emanating from him rather pleasant.


    "Fish on!" Li Yifei suddenly stood up, lifting the rod as the float plunged down and the line went taut. This energized Xu Yingying as well, her eyes glued to the water¡¯s surface, anticipating the moment the fish would be reeled in.


    With a sharp flick of the rod, Li Yifei pulled up a small fish, a few inches long. After taking it off the hook, Xu Yingying eagerly snatched it up to look at it closely.


    But the small fish suddenly flipped its tail, leaping out of Xu Yingying¡¯s hands. She let out a shriek, flailing her arms, her face turning pale with alarm.

 Chapter 302 - 310: The Silverfish Attack

    Chapter 302: Chapter 310: The Silverfish AttackWhen a living creature suddenly drops into your clothes, even if it¡¯s a completely harmless goldfish, it¡¯s definitely going to give you the creeps. Xu Yingying experienced just that, when a silver little fish jumped into her clothing. Considering she was wearing merely two items, naturally, it fell right into her swimsuit top.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s bosom was not small, and her swimsuit normally clung tightly to her body. But just now, as she was holding the little fish, she struck a pose that inadvertently led to a small gap opening up at the top of her bra, and the little fish, as luck would have it, wriggled in through that gap.


    The moment the fish wriggled in, Xu Yingying¡¯s body tensed up in fright, making it impossible for the fish to escape. But a living thing, of course, would not just wait to die. Inside, it struggled nonstop, cold and slimy.


    And Xu Yingying was there, shrieking, even though she knew that it was just a little fish that had made its way in, she was too scared to reach in and grab it.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen the specifics, and Xu Yingying¡¯s cries startled him. He quickly supported Xu Yingying, asking urgently, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    "This... this here! Get it out quickly!" Xu Yingying¡¯s face was devoid of color as she pointed to her chest, stuttering as she spoke.


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment, then pointed to Xu Yingying¡¯s chest and said, "Here?"


    "Yes yes, right there... Hurry, it¡¯s moving again." Xu Yingying was trembling all over, almost about to cry.


    At this point, Li Yifei was staring at Xu Yingying¡¯s swimsuit where it kept moving, and putting her words together with what he was seeing, he finally understood what was going on. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "It¡¯s just a little fish, you can take it out yourself."


    "Aah! I can¡¯t do it, you quickly help me take it out," begged Xu Yingying, holding up her hands pitifully towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei by now realized Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t faking it and found the whole situation even funnier. President Xu, who usually intimidated everyone and whom the hundred or so employees in the company feared, was now terrified by a harmless little fish, even allowing him to touch such a sensitive part of her body.


    The situation had Li Yifei in knots of laughter, remembering how last time with Su Mengxin, they had encountered a similar situation. But Su Mengxin wore regular clothes, and the fish that had gotten into her clothing quickly fell out. He was only afraid that Su Mengxin would get scared and fall into the sea. Now, as for Xu Yingying, she couldn¡¯t get it out and needed him to help. This time was definitely going to be more thrilling than the last.


    Since Xu Yingying was so frightened, Li Yifei did not think she was trying to seduce him. Besides, even though Xu Yingying always said she wanted to be with him, she had never resorted to using seduction. So, without hesitation, he reached out his hand, directly slipping it into the top of Xu Yingying¡¯s swimsuit.


    But as soon as his hand went in a little, it couldn¡¯t go any further, which puzzled Li Yifei even more ¨C how had the little fish gotten in there?


    "Take a deep breath, I¡¯m going to reach inside," Li Yifei reminded Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying, being very cooperative at this point, immediately took a deep breath. Her chest receded a bit, allowing Li Yifei¡¯s hand to reach further inside. But with that extra space, the little fish slid down a bit further.


    Li Yifei had to reach in deeper, his palm now completely enclosing Xu Yingying¡¯s right breast, his palm resting on that little cherry on top. It was truly indulgent. Even though this wasn¡¯t the first time he had touched Xu Yingying¡¯s chest, feeling her up under these circumstances still left Li Yifei enthralled, almost forgetting what he was initially supposed to do.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t aware of any impropriety in Li Yifei¡¯s actions. His hand was far less frightening than the little fish. She asked anxiously, "Haven¡¯t you caught it yet?"


    "Almost got it," Li Yifei hastily stopped dawdling and reached further down, his fingers finally touching the little fish.


    But the little fish, struggling fiercely at that moment, slid out from the bottom of Xu Yingying¡¯s swimsuit, flapped its tail a few times on the rocks, and then slid down into the water.


    Li Yifei found it somewhat amusing; in the end, it wasn¡¯t he who got the fish out after all. If a fish could be extricated that easily, Xu Yingying could have done it all by herself.


    With the fish out, Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief, but then she realized Li Yifei¡¯s hand was still there. She glared at him and demanded, "Haven¡¯t you had your fill of touching?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, "You asked me to catch the fish, now why blame me?" With that, he started to withdraw his hand.


    But before he could pull his hand out, they heard a cry of surprise. He quickly turned his head and saw Michelle standing below the rocks, gaping at the two of them in disbelief.


    Xu Yingying saw Michelle too, and with Li Yifei¡¯s hand still inside her swimsuit, she felt utterly embarrassed and started yanking on Li Yifei¡¯s arm desperately.


    Seeing Michelle, Li Yifei also realized he needed to pull his hand out, but as he pulled to the right and Xu Yingying pulled to the left, it looked as though Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want his hand to come out, while Li Yifei appeared unwilling to withdraw it.


    "Get it out quickly!" Xu Yingying had not anticipated that Li Yifei would act this way. It would have been fine if they were alone, but now that Michelle had arrived, and he still wouldn¡¯t withdraw his hand ¨C did he intend to keep touching her in front of Michelle?


    "Don¡¯t pull on me!" Li Yifei also shouted.


    Both realized they were exerting their force in opposite directions. Instinctively, they tried to pull away from each other once again, but the result was the same. Their efforts were opposing, and Li Yifei¡¯s hand remained firmly in place.


    Both of them finally realized what was happening, and Xu Yingying quickly let go, allowing Li Yifei to withdraw his hand.


    But to Michelle, it seemed like Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were being very affectionate, and it took quite a while for Li Yifei to remove his hand.


    This was beyond Michelle¡¯s imagination. Hadn¡¯t Li Yifei said that his relationship with Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t serious? What was this situation then? If their relationship hadn¡¯t progressed to that extent, why would Xu Yingying allow Li Yifei to reach into her clothes and touch such an intimate area?


    Michelle wasn¡¯t afraid of Su Yiyi; she believed she had the capability to compete. Even if she eventually failed and Li Yifei didn¡¯t choose her, she still had the courage to compete. However, if it involved Xu Yingying, then Michelle felt she truly lacked the courage to compete. Xu Yingying was so beautiful, so elegant, talented, and the president of a big company¡ªMichelle didn¡¯t have anything to compete with her on.


    "Cough cough, Michelle, things aren¡¯t what you imagine," said President Xu, even though she was a president, she still said the most clich¨¦d line.


    Michelle struggled to show a forced smile and said, "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you two," and then turned to leave.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She quickly pushed Li Yifei hard and urged, "Go and explain to Michelle, quick!"


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "What should I explain to her? That there¡¯s nothing between us, and that I like her?"


    Xu Yingying paused for a moment, then stood up and said, "I¡¯ll go tell her," and then climbed down the rocks, shouting, "Michelle, wait for me," as she hopped on one foot after Michelle.


    Michelle stopped and turned around when she saw Xu Yingying chasing after her. She hastened back to support Xu Yingying, showing a forced smile and said, "President Xu, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault, I didn¡¯t know about you and Brother Li, I¡¯ve caused you trouble."


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "Just now Li Yifei caught a fish that accidentally slipped into my swimsuit. I was scared, so I asked him to help me get it out."


    "Ah!" Michelle¡¯s face instantly showed a surprised and pleased expression.


    Xu Yingying patted Michelle¡¯s shoulder and said, "Things really aren¡¯t as you imagined, but there is one thing I must clarify to you¡ªI do like Li Yifei, and I really do want to be with him."


    Michelle¡¯s face immediately changed again, her lips twitched, but she couldn¡¯t utter a sound.


    Xu Yingying laughed softly and said, "Michelle, I¡¯m just like you. I like him too, but as you know, he has a girlfriend. We¡¯re in the same situation. Whether we can end up with him still depends on our own efforts. What? Are you thinking of backing out now? Do you lack courage that much?"


    Michelle¡¯s face changed several times, finally she bit her lip and said, "President Xu, what you mean is, you don¡¯t oppose me... competing with you?"


    "Having so many people like him just proves how outstanding he is, just like in business. If everyone wants to do business, then it must be profitable, but whether you can succeed still depends on your ability. I certainly hope to not see any of my employees shrink back when facing a challenge."


    Michelle looked at Xu Yingying and nodded firmly, saying, "President Xu, I understand. I, Michelle, am not someone who gives up easily either."


    "That¡¯s the spirit. Love is an irrational thing; no one can tell who is right for someone else. I have a chance, and so do you."


    "Great! Thank you, President Xu." Michelle¡¯s face finally bore a smile, a brilliant and confident one, nothing like the forced smile she showed before.


    Xu Yingying patted Michelle¡¯s shoulder again and asked, "Why did you come back first? Where are the others?"


    Michelle blushed and said, "Brother Li wasn¡¯t there, and I found it boring without him, so..."


    "Well, then let¡¯s go fishing together."


    "Yes, let¡¯s go together." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, unable to hear the low conversation between Xu Yingying and Michelle, was clueless when the two women climbed back onto the rock and sat down beside him, one on each side, as Michelle still showed him a sweet smile. This left Li Yifei completely baffled; what on earth had Xu Yingying said to Michelle to elicit such a reaction?


    "Brother Li, I¡¯ll join you in fishing too if you don¡¯t mind," said Michelle, noting the confusion in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes. She and Xu Yingying exchanged knowing smiles before she addressed Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, still unclear about what was happening and not eager to inquire further, couldn¡¯t believe Xu Yingying and Michelle would form any alliance. He laughed and said, "Of course, I don¡¯t mind. Having two beautiful women join me for fishing would make all those coworkers of mine green with envy."


    Xu Yingying watched Li Yifei chat and laugh with Michelle and suddenly felt a twinge of regret. If she had let Michelle leave earlier, she would have had one less rival in love. Yet, she had given Michelle another chance.


    But Xu Yingying quickly accepted the situation; to achieve what she Xu Yingying wanted, even if there were more opponents, she had nothing to fear.

 Chapter 303 - 311 Mischievous Michelle

    Chapter 303: Chapter 311 Mischievous MichelleThe three of them hadn¡¯t been fishing long on the rocks, less than an hour, when the tide had already come in, submerging the rocks under water.


    The three had long since returned to the beach, where Xu Yingying still insisted on being carried on Li Yifei¡¯s back, and even in front of Michelle, she continued to wrap her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck.


    As the tide rose, it also signified the end of beachcombing, and soon the company¡¯s larger group returned. Seeing Li Yifei sitting with Xu Yingying and the beauty Michelle, the male colleagues couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of Li Yifei.


    Everyone came over to inquire about Xu Yingying¡¯s injury. Although a company differed greatly from government agencies, one aspect remained very similar, which was the subordinates¡¯ need to express loyalty and flattery towards their superiors. With the boss having injured her foot, if you didn¡¯t show concern, how could you expect to make your way up in the company?


    Even though Xu Yingying always put competence first in her management, for the employees, performing well at this moment was naturally a very important matter.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s foot was injured, but Xu Shanshan hardly paid any attention to it. If Xu Yingying¡¯s injury had been serious, she wouldn¡¯t be able to casually sunbathe on the beach right now. She knew her sister too well and thus didn¡¯t bother to show concern.


    What she cared most about now was whether Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had made any progress during this short time. Pulling Li Yifei aside, Xu Shanshan asked with a stern face, "Did you do something to my sister just now?"


    Since the last time she took too much interest in Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s affairs, which raised Xu Yingying¡¯s suspicions, Xu Shanshan felt her actions were a bit too obvious, so her attitude toward Li Yifei today was like that of a girlfriend questioning her boyfriend.


    Between the twin sisters Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei was closer to Xu Shanshan, so even with her tone of voice like that, he replied with a grin, "What could I possibly do with your sister?"


    "Hmph, just letting you know, you better not mess around with my sister, or else I won¡¯t stand for it," she said.


    "You little imp, what can you do if you don¡¯t ¡¯stand for it¡¯? Come on, let¡¯s see how much you¡¯ve gathered. I¡¯m counting on you for today¡¯s lunch," he said.


    At that, Xu Shanshan instantly perked up, lifting the basket beside her with pride, "Look at this, I¡¯ve filled it right up."


    Li Yifei lifted the lid to look inside. Indeed, it was packed full, and with good seafood to boot. He chuckled, "It turns out Shanshan is quite the expert, almost like someone born and raised by the sea."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "You think I am that capable? It¡¯s all thanks to my sister¡¯s blessing. The employees are trying to butter me up by giving me all the good stuff they catch."


    Li Yifei was already aware of that, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s frank admission showed that this girl wasn¡¯t one to be vain. He laughed, "Then I guess I¡¯ll also be able to enjoy the benefits."


    "No problem, I¡¯m handing this basket over to you. I¡¯m relying on you to cook for me at noon." Imagining Li Yifei¡¯s chef-like skills made Xu Shanshan swallow her saliva. In order for herself to enjoy this treat, she had to ensure her sister got together with Li Yifei so he wouldn¡¯t slip away.


    It wasn¡¯t even ten o¡¯clock yet, the sunshine was plentiful, the sea water had risen and it had gotten warm, making it a perfect time for swimming. Everyone rushed into the sea to swim.


    Xu Yingying had wanted to swim with Li Yifei, but Li Yifei had dashed into the sea early on, leaving her without recourse. As a company president, she couldn¡¯t very well call out specially for Li Yifei to come and take care of her.


    As long as Li Yifei wasn¡¯t with Xu Yingying, he felt relaxed, swimming back and forth in the water. When some female colleagues saw how fast Li Yifei was swimming, they screamed in excitement. Some even wanted him to teach them swimming but seeing Michelle was not far away, they teasingly pushed her towards Li Yifei.


    "Brother Li, let¡¯s... swim together," Michelle said, her face blushing red. The conversation she had with Xu Yingying that day gave her even more courage.


    In front of the others, Li Yifei, of course, couldn¡¯t reject Michelle and smiled, "Sure, let¡¯s swim towards the deeper part. I¡¯ll look after you."


    "Okay!" Michelle¡¯s eyes lit up, and she swam ahead. She could swim just enough to stay afloat without technique or speed, but with Li Yifei beside her, she was fearless and would even dare to swim to the deepest part of the sea.


    Li Yifei leisurely followed by Michelle¡¯s side, quickly covering some distance. The sea here was quite deep, standing up, you couldn¡¯t touch the bottom at all.


    "Michelle, the water is deep here, let¡¯s swim back," suggested Li Yifei.


    Michelle couldn¡¯t talk while swimming. She clumsily began to turn around in the water. However, as she turned her head, she realized how far she was from the shore. Panic instinctively set in, draining her strength, which caused her to struggle momentarily, feeling suddenly weak.


    Seeing this, Li Yifei quickly swam over and grabbed Michelle¡¯s arm. Michelle then clung to Li Yifei¡¯s neck, hanging onto him completely.


    Li Yifei, treading water with just his legs, remained steady on the surface and laughed, "Michelle, are you trying to be a koala?"


    Michelle, clinging to Li Yifei, immediately felt calmer, but blushed with embarrassment at his teasing. She wanted to let go but didn¡¯t dare; holding on, she felt too intimate with Li Yifei.


    "Alright, relax a bit, I¡¯ll hold your arm, and I¡¯ll swim back with you."


    Michelle quickly agreed, letting go of Li Yifei¡¯s neck. Although she had strong feelings for him, embracing Li Yifei like this made her feel incredibly embarrassed.


    Li Yifei held Michelle¡¯s arm with one hand, and with no effort on her part, she could already float on the surface of the water. With a little paddling of her hands and feet, she could easily swim away. This was truly effortless.


    "Michelle, what did President Xu say to you just now?" Li Yifei asked, smiling, as he slowly swam with Michelle.


    "President Xu said..." Michelle turned her head to look at Li Yifei, then suddenly let out a mischievous smile and said, "Why don¡¯t you go ask President Xu?"


    Li Yifei looked at Michelle in surprise and said, "You¡¯re actually telling me to go ask President Xu?"


    Michelle, giggling, replied, "Yes, you are so familiar with President Xu, if you ask her, she will definitely tell you."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Michelle, you¡¯ve learned to be bad, really bad."


    Michelle chuckled and responded, "Is this what you call being bad?"


    Li Yifei, feigning a heartbroken tone, said, "Of course it is. You used to be such an honest, such a gentle girl, and now you¡¯ve even learned to keep secrets."


    Michelle¡¯s laughter became a series of light, bell-like giggles. After laughing heartily for a moment, she said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t tempt me like this, I really can¡¯t say."


    Li Yifei was amused by Michelle¡¯s laughter. Such a Michelle was even more adorable than the one who would just listen to everything he said. He replied, "Alright, if you don¡¯t want to say, then don¡¯t say it."


    When Michelle saw that Li Yifei stopped asking, she felt a bit embarrassed. She pursed her lips and said softly, "I can only tell you that I also know President Xu likes you." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She really has the nerve to say that. Alright, I guess you two must have formed some kind of alliance. I can¡¯t be bothered to ask anymore, but Michelle, you better not learn from President Xu, otherwise, I¡¯ll really be afraid of you."


    "No way, I¡¯m just being myself."


    Michelle smiled sweetly, and from Li Yifei¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t feel any rejection from him, which pleased her greatly.


    After returning Michelle back, she was quite tired and unable to swim anymore, so she started playing in the shallow area with her colleagues. Having this private swim with Li Yifei alone was enough to satisfy her.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to enjoy a good swim, someone kicked his leg. He turned around and saw He Fangqing glaring at him before she turned and swam toward the deep water area.


    Li Yifei immediately followed. Once they were far enough away from everyone, he swam up next to He Fangqing, placing his hand on her waist, and smiled, "Fangqing, what did you call me over for?"


    "Oh, so you still remember I exist? With one on your left and one on your right, I thought you had completely forgotten about me," He Fangqing said with a tangy undertone.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand slid lower, squeezing He Fangqing¡¯s bottom twice as he laughed, "How could I? With just one look from you, didn¡¯t I obediently come over?"


    He Fangqing threw Li Yifei a flirtatious look and said, "Is that so? Then why did you come over here with me?"


    Li Yifei glanced around and then embraced He Fangqing in the water, whispering in her ear, "Do you want to try what it¡¯s like in the sea water?"


    "Ah!" He Fangqing¡¯s face turned crimson as she looked at Li Yifei, but excitement was clearly etched on her face. She looked around and said, "How can we do it here? What if someone sees us?"


    "No one will. There¡¯s a rock formation over there, we can hide behind it," Li Yifei pointed to the rocks.


    He Fangqing pinched Li Yifei¡¯s swimming trunks, pretending to be exasperated, "You big lecher, always thinking about this kind of thing."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "With a beauty like Fangqing by my side, if I didn¡¯t think about it, that would be the real problem." Saying this, he took He Fangqing¡¯s hand and dived into the sea water, swiftly swimming toward the rocks.


    He Fangqing nearly choked on water, but Li Yifei¡¯s lips were already blocking hers. Kissing her while somehow supplying her with air, this thrilling sensation made He Fangqing wrap her arms and legs around Li Yifei like an octopus clinging to him.

 Chapter 304 - 312: Can See the Boss Now

    Chapter 304: Chapter 312: Can See the Boss NowHe Fangqing and Li Yifei were a dazzling duo in bed, stirring such excitement in her every single time, but she never expected Li Yifei to be just as inventive underwater.


    Even though the buoyancy of the water made Li Yifei¡¯s movements less forceful, and hers a bit weaker, the unique environment and novel approach were thrilling for her, perhaps even more so than the bed. It didn¡¯t take long before Li Yifei had brought her to release several times. When Li Yifei finally stopped, had she not been holding onto the edge of the reef, she wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to stay afloat.


    "You¡¯ve completely worn me out, you jerk. Can¡¯t you leave me alone even when we¡¯re swimming?" He Fangqing adjusted her swimsuit. They hadn¡¯t taken off their swimsuits; they just pulled them aside to make it less embarrassing in case someone came by. That way, even if someone saw them, she could claim she was just resting there, unable to swim any longer, and Li Yifei could slip away at any moment.


    By then, He Fangqing¡¯s swimsuit was still properly in place, which was very convenient.


    Li Yifei also pulled up his trunks. This exhilarating new experience was also a first for him, and he was incredibly satisfied, chuckling as he fondled He Fangqing¡¯s chest again. "I¡¯m just trying to prevent a certain someone from getting jealous over there," he said.


    "Jealous, my ass," He Fangqing slapped away Li Yifei¡¯s hands, scolding him, "Stop it. I need to calm down, or else everyone will notice when we get back."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t mess around anymore. Being thick-skinned himself, it wouldn¡¯t bother him if others found out, but for He Fangqing, a woman, especially the financial director of the company, who kept her dignity and seldom joked with the staff, such a rumor could greatly affect her reputation.


    Li Yifei was indeed considerate towards those close to him.


    They didn¡¯t swim back together but instead went separately to scuba dive. This way, nobody paid them any special attention. After playing a while longer, they started preparing lunch.


    Lunch was the morning¡¯s catch from the sea. They set up grills, fired up a few stoves, with some food being boiled and some barbecued. Everyone had a blast.


    At that time, Li Yifei was quite busy. Xu Shanshan was all over him, hogging the delicious treats he made, not even sharing with Xu Yingying, monopolizing them all to herself.


    However, there were no overly affectionate gestures between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei. To everyone else, though they seemed close, their relationship appeared more like carefree good friends. Moreover, given Xu Shanshan¡¯s identity as the sister of CEO Xu Yingying, even Michelle, Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend, could not complain much.


    That afternoon, Li Yifei received a call from Yao Mingyuan, informing him about the arrival of a new batch of merchandise and inquiring how much Li Yifei was interested in.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "I made some profits last time so I¡¯m looking to get more this round. Is that okay?"


    "As long as Mr. Li has the money, we have the goods."


    "Great, I¡¯ll take twenty million worth this time."


    "Twenty million?" Yao Mingyuan¡¯s tone immediately rose significantly.


    "Yes. You don¡¯t have that much stock, do you?"


    "We definitely have the stock, but Brother Li, can you handle it all by yourself?"


    "It¡¯s not just for me this time. My friends and I pooled together this much money, aiming to hit it big."


    "Brother Li, you really should think this through. You¡¯re new to this business, and the risks are huge. Such a large amount of goods can also attract a lot of attention. If by chance you get caught, you¡¯ll lose everything."


    "Relax, relax. As long as there¡¯s no trouble from your end, I guarantee there won¡¯t be any problems on mine."


    "Well... I¡¯ll have to check with my people then. I can¡¯t make a call on a twenty million deal on my own."


    "Really?"


    "Brother Li, just wait for my call. I¡¯ll get back to you as soon as possible."


    "Alright, but Yao, you¡¯ve got to help me out here. I¡¯ve already made promises to my friends, and they¡¯ve given me the money. If I can¡¯t get the goods, I¡¯ll lose a lot of face."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll help. I¡¯ll call you back tonight."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei joined Xu Yingying, who was lounging on the beach soaking up the sun. She glanced at him and asked, "Is something up?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Got some news, I need to head back now."


    Xu Yingying sat up, removing her sunglasses, "Then be careful. This isn¡¯t really your fight. You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously."


    "Ha, a friend asked for help, I can¡¯t just ignore that. Besides, I¡¯m already involved this far, I can¡¯t just back out now. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine."


    "Hmm, then you should head back," Xu Yingying nodded.


    Li Yifei stood up, turned around to change his clothes, and then rented a speedboat back to the downtown area. On the way, he called Lin Qiong, who was now at home.


    "What? You want twenty million worth of goods at one time..." Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as she looked at Li Yifei, somewhat stupefied.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I feel that doing this bit by bit is just too slow. It¡¯s better to reel in the big fish all at once."


    "But where are we going to get that much money?"


    "I¡¯ve already sold the goods we had, adding up to nearly two million. Plus the one million Xu Yingying lent me that I haven¡¯t paid back yet, that comes to almost three million. This amount, as a deposit, shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? The most important thing is that we need to gather evidence. This time, I estimate we might come into contact with higher-ups, and if we record the whole process, I think we¡¯ll have enough evidence. You don¡¯t expect the two of us to just go and arrest those people, do you?"


    Lin Qiong paced around the room a few times and finally stopped in front of Li Yifei, bit her lip, and said, "Alright, let¡¯s do that."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯m finally about to complete this task."


    But Lin Qiong was still somewhat nervous. Things had escalated this quickly; she really wasn¡¯t sure whether they would succeed.


    The two waited at home for Yao Mingyuan¡¯s call. Lin Qiong was anxious, while Li Yifei had already crashed on Lin Qiong¡¯s bed and fallen fast asleep. Having already been intimate with Lin Qiong, he felt no reservations in her home.


    He was sleeping soundly when Lin Qiong woke him up. She had stripped off her clothes and was pulling down his pants.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was puzzled. Before he went to sleep, Lin Qiong had been restless, and now she was initiating intimacy with him.


    "I¡¯m feeling irritated. Is it wrong to seek relief with you?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei and then yanked down his underwear.


    "Big sister, can¡¯t we build up some mood first?"


    "What mood? This is perfect as it is," Lin Qiong said as she already mounted Li Yifei, forcing his not yet fully erect member inside her.


    Li Yifei was speechless. Being with Lin Qiong always left him mixed with emotions. But since she wanted it, he, as a man, naturally couldn¡¯t refuse. The main thing was Lin Qiong¡¯s wildness and uniqueness always gave Li Yifei a sense of thrill, and he quickly became excited.


    They were getting into it when Li Yifei¡¯s phone started ringing. He quickly grabbed the phone, saw that it was Yao Mingyuan calling, and promptly gestured for Lin Qiong to stop.


    Lin Qiong immediately lay on top of Li Yifei, her ears perked, listening to his call.


    "Brother Yao, how are things going?" As soon as the call connected, Li Yifei asked. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yao Mingyuan laughed and said, "Almost there. Our boss said, as long as you transfer a three-million deposit, we can talk."


    Li Yifei laughed, "No problem, that¡¯s only fair. Last time the collaboration was so pleasant, I completely trust Brother Yao."


    Yao Mingyuan immediately replied, "Brother Li acts decisively. Our boss likes doing business with people like Brother Li. I¡¯ll give you the account number; transfer the money, and tonight, our boss wants to invite Brother Li to dinner."


    Li Yifei pretended to be surprised and said, "To meet your boss? I¡¯m not prepared for that."


    "What¡¯s there to prepare for? With a big client like Brother Li, it would be rude of our boss not to meet you. We hope for a long-term cooperation in the future."


    "Alright, alright, that¡¯s settled then. Send me the account number."


    After hanging up, Yao Mingyuan sent the account number via text message, and Li Yifei immediately transferred three million.


    Li Yifei actually had his own money, but he hadn¡¯t used it. It was all in a Swiss Bank. He had also paid back the one million to Xu Yingying, and now the money he was using was Su Mengxin¡¯s.


    Su Mengxin had once given him a gold card to use for communications with city leaders, but Li Yifei hadn¡¯t used it, so he forgot about it. It was only a couple of days ago when he saw the card in his wallet that he remembered the money, and upon checking, there was twenty million in it, and it could overdraw another twenty million. It was an incredibly powerful card, one that few people in Mile City might have.


    He didn¡¯t want to spend Su Mengxin¡¯s money but using it for emergencies didn¡¯t bother him. So he threw out the bait of twenty million to finish things sooner. He didn¡¯t tell Lin Qiong about this to spare her the pressure.


    When Lin Qiong heard they could meet the smuggling group¡¯s boss, she became incredibly thrilled. After Li Yifei completed the transfer via mobile banking, she started moving wildly on top of him.


    This time, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t just please herself and disregard Li Yifei. When he pinned her beneath him, she cooperated with him, reaching the pinnacle of pleasure.

 Chapter 305 - 313 Accident Exposed

    Chapter 305: Chapter 313 Accident ExposedAt 7 p.m., Li Yifei and Lin Qiong had already arrived at the Yiyun Clubhouse. The fact that they were invited to dine here also reflected the other party¡¯s regard for the two of them. It seemed that a bait of twenty million was enticing enough to make the whole group interested.


    Smuggling is a highly lucrative business, but it generally isn¡¯t easy to handle. For this smuggling group, a single shipment was worth about twenty to thirty million, and after their goods arrived, they still had to distribute them. If all buyers were retail customers, it would consume a lot of manpower and resources. If there were a transaction worth millions, that would be significant enough to capture their attention.


    And with twenty million, that was almost tantamount to taking all their goods, which meant they could specifically smuggle the goods over. As for distribution and the like, it would save them a lot of trouble. If they were to transport goods a couple more times each month, their profits would increase substantially. Having such a partner was undoubtedly something they could only wish for.


    During their last cooperation, their wariness of Li Yifei had already decreased quite a bit. This time, Li Yifei had swiftly transferred a three million deposit into their account, which made them trust Li Yifei completely.


    Inside the Yiyun Clubhouse, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong finally met the legendary big shot¡ªa man around fifty years old named Qian Wanjun. He was not tall, with a thin face, but his eyes were sharp and shrewd, as if a single glance could pierce through someone¡¯s thoughts.


    Those involved in smuggling truly required higher intellect compared to the underworld figures. This boss was clearly one of high intelligence.


    Qian Wanjun greeted Li Yifei with warmth and laughter, "Brother Li, I was too busy to meet you during your last visit, which was really impolite of me. Today, I¡¯ve prepared a modest drink to make amends. I hope Brother Li won¡¯t take it to heart."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Boss Qian, to meet such a distinguished figure is my honor. Initially, I did not intend to go big, but then I met two friends who were extremely interested. They entrusted me to handle it, leading to this large scale operation. I hope Boss Qian will give me some face and spare me from losing it in front of my friends."


    Qian Wanjun patted Li Yifei¡¯s hand and sized up both Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, "That¡¯s impossible. How could I, Qian Wanjun, fail to give face to someone I¡¯m doing business with?"


    Li Yifei laughed again, "Boss Qian is truly deserving of his reputation, decisive in his dealings. I just love doing business with characters like Boss Qian."


    Once everyone sat down, the food and drinks were served. Qian Wanjun probed subtly about how Li Yifei planned to sell the goods and what kind of connections he had.


    Li Yifei had already discussed this with Lin Qiong, so he was ready with answers, adopting an arrogant tone that might have sounded boastful but fit the character he was portraying.


    It could be said that Li Yifei and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t slip up at all, and the dinner went very pleasantly. Lin Qiong had secretly recorded everything. Once they left, she could hardly contain her excitement. With such evidence, they were more than halfway there. Now, if they could capture the upcoming delivery on tape, they would have a complete set of evidence, and Qian Wanjun would be helpless, even if he had protectors.


    The next evening, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong arrived at the dock again, the same dock, but this time the other side¡¯s setup was elaborate¡ªthree large container trucks, more than a dozen bodyguards, and Qian Wanjun himself came to handle the transaction with Li Yifei, a sign of his high regard.


    After inspecting the goods in the truck, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong met with Qian Wanjun, who laughed heartily, "Brother Li, how are the goods? Not bad, right?"


    Li Yifei gave a thumbs-up, "Indeed excellent. With these goods, I¡¯m going to make a fortune. Boss Qian, I hope we¡¯ll have the chance to work together frequently in the future."


    "No problem, but please, Brother Li, settle the remaining payment."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "No problem." He then pretended to transfer the money on his phone, but after fiddling around for a while, he suddenly looked horrified and exclaimed, "Damn, there¡¯s a problem with my account. I can¡¯t transfer the money!"


    Qian Wanjun¡¯s face darkened instantly, "Brother Li, you aren¡¯t joking with me, are you?"


    Li Yifei forced a smile, "How could I dare to joke about this? I¡¯ve already paid a three million deposit. Boss Qian, there¡¯s an issue with the money today; I¡¯ll get it sorted and transfer it to you tomorrow. I won¡¯t take the goods now, to avoid any insinuations that I¡¯ve cheated you."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s statement, Qian Wanjun¡¯s expression softened a little, "Brother Li, don¡¯t say I¡¯m not righteous. It¡¯s a large sum; without payment, I can¡¯t let you just take the goods."


    "I¡¯m not that kind of person. Wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m being dishonorable? I¡¯ll definitely get the money sorted out tomorrow. I¡¯ll send it over during the day. I trust Boss Qian won¡¯t tamper with the goods."


    "Of course not. We¡¯ve done business more than once or twice. Boss Qian won¡¯t tarnish his own reputation. Since that¡¯s settled, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves again tonight."


    Li Yifei readily agreed, and the group headed to the same karaoke bar they were at before. First, they sang and had fun, and after 11 p.m., they left the KTV room, planning to go upstairs to rest. But in the hallway, someone approached them and suddenly exclaimed with surprise, "Brother Li, what are you doing here?"


    Lin Qiong felt a shock in her heart. She now realized that the person was Meng Xiaofei, and she also felt thoroughly frustrated. Though people who were not familiar with her and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t recognize them in disguise, anyone who knew them could still identify them at a glance. This meant that their disguising technique was a resounding failure.


    "Brother Li, do you have a sweetheart here in Mile City?" Qian Wanjun poked Li Yifei, with a mischievous smile on his face.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, trying to convey a message to Meng Xiaofei, but she was already excitedly running over. Before she even got close to Li Yifei, she shouted, "Brother Li, what are you up to? Why have you made yourself look like this? You look several years older."


    Qian Wanjun¡¯s expression changed instantly, and turning to Li Yifei, he said, "So you¡¯re younger than you appear now."


    What was even more disastrous was that Meng Xiaofei also saw Lin Qiong at that moment and burst into laughter, saying, "Officer Lin, why have you ended up looking like this?"


    "Police!"


    Qian Wanjun¡¯s face turned pale, and with a wave of his hand, he commanded in a deep voice, "Take them all!" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, Lin Qiong was truly annoyed. As long as they could get away from Qian Wanjun that day, their task would have been accomplished, but at this crucial moment, a fatal problem had arisen.


    Li Yifei, on the other hand, took a quick step to pull Meng Xiaofei to his side. Now that their cover was blown, he had to ensure Meng Xiaofei¡¯s safety first.


    "Brother Li, Officer Lin, what... what in the world is going on here?" Meng Xiaofei also sensed that something was abnormal and stammered the question.


    Li Yifei chuckled softly and said, "You¡¯ve messed up our plans, and now they want to catch us, putting you in danger too."


    "Ah, I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were in the middle of something," Meng Xiaofei said, sticking out her tongue, but she didn¡¯t seem very scared.


    Lin Qiong and Li Yifei stood back-to-back, tense, as Lin Qiong said, "You have to take the merchandise out no matter what."


    Li Yifei asked, "Just the two of us, do we have a chance of getting out?"


    Clenching her fists, Lin Qiong replied, "We have to make it work. It must work, or I won¡¯t rest in peace even if I die."


    Before they could finish their conversation, Qian Wanjun¡¯s bodyguards had already charged at them. The two bodyguards brought by Yao Mingyuan were formidable, and Qian Wanjun¡¯s bodyguards, being as he was the boss, were even more formidable. If the corridor hadn¡¯t been too narrow to fight effectively, Lin Qiong would have already been captured.


    "You break out, don¡¯t worry about me!" Lin Qiong said as she engaged with a bodyguard, realizing she had no chance of escaping on her own as her adversary was simply too strong. It was too late to call for backup, so her only hope was that Li Yifei could break out.


    Meng Xiaofei was terrified by now, not expecting that her own shout could lead to such a major trouble. She stood frozen between Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, unable to move an inch.


    Qian Wanjun¡¯s bodyguards were indeed formidable, but everything is relative. Compared to Lin Qiong, they were naturally very strong, but next to Li Yifei, they were seriously outclassed. Li Yifei could easily take them all down if he wanted to.


    Li Yifei did not want to reveal his full strength, but given the current situation, if he did not show some real skill, it would be difficult for them to escape, let alone protect Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei. Sighing inwardly, his hands flashed out like lightning, striking the necks of two opponents facing him.


    The two men grunted, their bodies immediately collapsing limply to the ground. Li Yifei¡¯s palm edges had hit the nerves in their necks, instantly knocking them out. Lin Qiong knew that striking this part of the body could knock someone out, but it required enough strength and precision. She might manage it if someone stood still, but in actual combat, she simply lacked the skill.


    After Li Yifei had taken down two men, he grabbed a nearby trash bin, spun around, and threw it in front of Lin Qiong, blocking the people in front of her. He then quickly pulled Meng Xiaofei and Lin Qiong, toppling the two men in their path, and dragged them as he sprinted towards the exit of the ballroom.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t know what had happened; Li Yifei had already pulled her out of the encirclement. But now she didn¡¯t have time to ask Li Yifei what was happening, as she sprinted with all her might, well aware that everything she had done was related to the life and death of the smuggling group, and they would definitely not let them go easily.

 Chapter 306 - 314: Show Strength and Escape Trouble

    Chapter 306: Chapter 314: Show Strength and Escape Trouble"Catch them!" Qian Wanjun hadn¡¯t expected that Li Yifei would still be able to break out with Lin Qiong amid the besiegement of a dozen bodyguards. He bellowed furiously, and since this karaoke bar was one of their bases, most of the people here were his men. Upon his shout, some waiters and the security staff in the bar all rushed over trying to block Li Yifei and Lin Qiong.


    But these staff members were far weaker than Qian Wanjun¡¯s bodyguards. They had intended to block Li Yifei and his group, but Li Yifei charged into them, grabbing one person and throwing them behind him, then another and another. The bodies he threw created barriers that actually blocked the pursuit of the more skilled bodyguards behind them.


    Lin Qiong could handle this sort of situation as well. Seeing Li Yifei do this, she also started to do the same. However, she didn¡¯t have the strength to throw people behind her, she could only push them. Though her actions were slower, it still helped impede those chasing them from behind.


    Yet, when the three of them burst into the lobby, there were several experts blocking the way. The karaoke bar was not a single passage and, seeing that direct pursuit didn¡¯t work, the experts had circled around to the lobby to wait for Li Yifei and his companions.


    "Nice, it turns out we had police coming undercover to my place," Qian Wanjun said with a sinister smile, his gaze fixed deadly on Li Yifei and Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong shouted, "You know I¡¯m a police officer, and you still dare to block our way?"


    Qian Wanjun spat viciously on the ground and said malevolently, "It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a police officer. Even if it were God blocking my financial path, I would still ruin him today. Everyone, attack, and kill them outright."


    By that time, the thugs were all gripping their weapons, which were military daggers about three feet long, just like bayonets mounted on rifles. On the battlefield, they were meant to take the enemy¡¯s life directly, with sharp tips and deep grooves on both sides. Once they pierced the body, blood would flow along the grooves. Even if they didn¡¯t hit a vital spot, the accelerated blood loss could easily lead to death from excess bleeding.


    Li Yifei was very familiar with such things; he had always liked playing with military daggers. Seeing them now stirred a sense of familiarity in him. But Lin Qiong was thoroughly startled. Seeing that the other side had revealed such weapons, it was clear they were intent on killing them. But she and Li Yifei were not much stronger than their opponents, and they were unarmed, which was extremely dangerous.


    At that moment, she suddenly thought of that mysterious person. If that person were here, he would surely be able to resolve this trouble effortlessly. But under the current circumstances, with no sign of him, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t harbor much hope.


    For Meng Xiaofei, her mind was in complete disarray at this moment. She had never encountered such a situation in her life. It seemed like such things only happened in movies and TV shows, making her feel as though she were on a film set, witnessing a movie being shot, rather than facing reality.


    "Li Yifei, it¡¯s my fault this happened to you! I¡¯m sorry," Lin Qiong sighed, then grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm from behind, a strong sense of guilt rising within her.


    Li Yifei took out his cigarette pack, flicked a cigarette into his mouth with a smooth motion, and lit it with a lighter, saying, "Talking about this now is useless. We should think about how we can leave this place."


    Lin Qiong gave a wry smile and said, "We have no chance now. But there¡¯s something, before I die, that I still need to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    "Actually... I think you are not that bad."


    Li Yifei was momentarily speechless, but he understood the implication behind Lin Qiong¡¯s words. She was not the type to express herself well. She had always been verbally abrasive towards him, and even though they had shared an intimate moment, she had never once acknowledged it. Now, her true feelings were revealed.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "For that comment alone, I can¡¯t let you die here. Come on, I¡¯ll take you two out of here today." With a cigarette hanging from his lips, he spread his arms¡ªone hand grabbing Lin Qiong, the other Meng Xiaofei¡ªand strode toward the exit.


    With a wave of his hand, Qian Wanjun ordered his thugs to charge at Li Yifei and the two women. They thrusted their military daggers mercilessly, not sparing Li Yifei, Lin Qiong, or even Meng Xiaofei.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, not letting go of Meng Xiaofei and Lin Qiong¡¯s hands. His feet lashed out in a series of kicks, guiding the two away from the thugs¡¯ blades while his kicks landed ruthlessly on the assailants.


    Back in the city, Li Yifei had never felt the urge to kill, even when facing frustrating situations, he generally dealt with them using standard methods. But now, facing these vicious people, he felt a true murderous impulse. The force in his kicks was tremendous, and they landed on the thugs¡¯ vital points.


    "Thud! Thud! Thud!" In that moment, Li Yifei was like a tiger breaking free from captivity, and those blocking his path seemed like a flock of helpless sheep, not standing a chance to fight back. In the blink of an eye, the opponents¡¯ thugs had been knocked down, and Li Yifei had already reached the door of the karaoke bar.


    "Stop him! Kill him!" Qian Wanjun was completely unable to keep his composure any longer. A single man, accompanied by two women, had put down seven or eight of his expensive bodyguards. Was this man even human?


    By then, Li Yifei had already dashed out the main door, quickly blending into the night and leaving his pursuers far behind.


    "You bunch of trash, you can¡¯t even handle one person! Didn¡¯t you boast about how tough you were? What are you playing at now, get up and chase him!" Qian Wanjun roared, kicking the bodyguards lying on the ground, but they showed no response at all.


    "Boss, they... they seem to have fainted," some subordinates who checked the bodyguards reported back, secretly alarmed. A single strike powerful enough to knock someone out, a little more force and they would be dead.


    Li Yifei had indeed shown mercy. If he wanted, he could have killed them all. But he was no longer the second-in-command of Flying Hawk Squad, killing for a mission. Now, he was just an ordinary city dweller, and killing was no longer an option. So, he held back at the last moment, just incapacitating them temporarily.


    This time they had gathered enough evidence to ensure these people couldn¡¯t escape. The law would naturally deal with them soon, so why should he go the extra step and cause trouble for himself?


    Li Yifei, with Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei in tow, darted one way, then another, and quickly lost the pursuing thugs. They then hopped into a taxi, heading straight to Lin Qiong¡¯s home.


    When they arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s place, she aggressively gulped down two large glasses of water before she could calm herself down. First, she took out all the surveillance equipment and seeing that they were intact, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she turned her burning gaze towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"


    Lin Qiong suddenly grabbed Li Yifei by the collar and snapped, "You¡¯re so tough. Why did you keep that a secret from me?"


    Li Yifei lifted his head proudly and replied, "I¡¯ve always been tough. That day in the bar, I took down seven or eight thugs all by myself, didn¡¯t you know?"


    "I knew about that, but the people we were up against this time had military knives. How can you compare them to those street thugs? So many people... I can¡¯t even imagine how we could have gotten out safely."


    Li Yifei said with doubt, "Were they that tough? I didn¡¯t feel it. They seemed pretty average. Maybe My Little Universe exploded?"


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t believe the reasons Li Yifei gave. She thought she already knew him well but now realized there were many things about him she didn¡¯t know.


    "Ah!" A scream suddenly rang out behind the two, startling both Li Yifei and Lin Qiong. They turned to look at Meng Xiaofei, whose face was pale and tears were streaming down her face.


    "Xiaofei, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei hurried to Meng Xiaofei¡¯s side and checked her over, but she didn¡¯t seem to be injured anywhere.


    "Brother Li!" Meng Xiaofei turned to look at Li Yifei, then suddenly threw herself into his arms and clung tightly to his waist, sobbing loudly.


    Li Yifei patted Meng Xiaofei¡¯s back and said with a smile, "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of now."


    "Brother Li, it¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t yelled out like that at that moment, you wouldn¡¯t have faced such danger. I¡¯m so sorry."


    Had it not been for Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong would have completed their mission perfectly. But there was no use blaming Meng Xiaofei now, especially since she was so frightened. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear to upset her further and, caressing her hair, he said softly, "It¡¯s okay. We completed our mission. It was just a minor slip-up at the end, which didn¡¯t really affect anything."


    "Really?" Meng Xiaofei quickly lifted her head, gazing at Li Yifei with hope. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. When have I ever lied to you?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Never. Brother Li never lies to me." Meng Xiaofei immediately brightened up, and in her excitement, she suddenly leaned forward and kissed Li Yifei on the cheek.


    "Hey, hey, no need to get that excited, right?" Li Yifei said, a little embarrassed.


    Meng Xiaofei was the carefree type. Once Li Yifei had mitigated her responsibility, she felt as though she wasn¡¯t to blame, laughing and said, "It doesn¡¯t matter since Yiyi isn¡¯t here. Kissing you once isn¡¯t a big deal."


    Li Yifei was speechless. Yiyi wasn¡¯t here, but Lin Qiong was around. You couldn¡¯t just ignore her presence. He laughed awkwardly and said, "You really are playing around. Alright, rest here for a bit, I need to speak with Officer Lin."


    "Okay, you talk. I won¡¯t interrupt," Meng Xiaofei said, suddenly acting very obedient.


    Li Yifei and Lin Qiong exchanged glances, then both entered the bedroom and closed the door. Lin Qiong immediately crossed her arms and glared at Li Yifei, "Wow, you¡¯ve hooked up with a stewardess now."


    Li Yifei hastily said, "There¡¯s nothing between us. You saw it, she kissed me on impulse, and I didn¡¯t respond at all."


    "Humph, that¡¯s what you say. If you dare have any designs on her, I¡¯ll..." Lin Qiong said, making a scissor gesture with her fingers and motioning in the area between Li Yifei¡¯s legs.


    Li Yifei instinctively crossed his legs and said with a wry smile, "Can we not be so violent?"


    Lin Qiong ignored him and continued, "Now that we¡¯ve been discovered, we need to send this evidence up fast. Otherwise, if they run away before we get them, it won¡¯t be easy to catch them."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "It¡¯s not a matter of whether they¡¯ll run away now. What I¡¯m worried about is... whether those people above will come after us first to stop us from being a threat to them."


    Lin Qiong was startled, having not considered this problem before, but what Li Yifei said was very likely. The smuggling group had deep connections. Now that they knew they were going to be exposed, would those implicated take drastic measures?


    "Knock, knock!" Just then, someone knocked on the anti-theft door outside. Lin Qiong and Li Yifei looked at each other and simultaneously managed a bitter smile.

 Chapter 307 - 315: Fugitive

    Chapter 307: Chapter 315: Fugitive"What do we do now?" Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "If we want to live, we can¡¯t let them take us. We have to escape."


    "But what if they¡¯re police?"


    "Even if it¡¯s the police, we have to run. Them coming to arrest us at this time, do we even need to talk about what it means?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened, and she said, "How can police run away? Are we supposed to assault the police?"


    "Then what do you suggest we do? Just surrender and let them take the evidence? Not only would all our efforts be in vain and the money lost, but once we¡¯re in, we can forget about getting out. Even if we don¡¯t die, we¡¯d spend a lifetime in prison for a crime we didn¡¯t commit. It¡¯s your choice."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes bulged out, listening to the increasingly urgent knocking at the door. Finally, she clenched her teeth and swung her fist fiercely, saying, "Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you."


    Li Yifei grunted in acknowledgment, "Okay, let¡¯s get ready to open the door."


    Lin Qiong quickly added, "However, we¡¯d better not hurt anyone. After all, these officers might not know what¡¯s going on and just followed orders."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "No problem. If we end up injuring the police and even if we clear things up later, it would be hard to explain."


    Relieved by Li Yifei¡¯s agreement, Lin Qiong stepped out of the bedroom with him. Meng Xiaofei was already frantically pacing. She didn¡¯t dare to make a sound in the room, unsure whether to open the door or answer. After making a mistake today, she dared not talk recklessly anymore.


    Meng Xiaofei quietly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and whispered, "Brother Li, could it be those people who have chased us here?"


    Li Yifei looked at Meng Xiaofei and sighed, "Xiaofei, it might not be those people outside, it could be the police."


    "The police? That¡¯s good, then I¡¯m relieved," Meng Xiaofei patted her chest, her sizable bosom quivering slightly¡ªa sight to behold.


    However, Li Yifei had no mood to admire the view, stating, "It is the police, but they might be here to arrest us."


    "What? Why?"


    "It¡¯s a long story and we don¡¯t have time to explain. We¡¯re about to flee, and you¡¯ll have to come with us."


    "No way?" Meng Xiaofei was dumbstruck.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It¡¯s necessary. If you don¡¯t escape with us, you¡¯ll definitely be taken by the police and will be treated as one of us. You¡¯ll suffer for sure, that¡¯s why I have to take you with us."


    Meng Xiaofei bit her lip and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll go with you. After all, I know Brother Li wouldn¡¯t harm me."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Meng Xiaofei to agree so readily. He continued, "But think carefully. Once we flee, it might be a long time before we can live normally again, and you could even lose your job."


    "If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone; I¡¯m tired of that job anyway. I can always find another job later. Besides, as long as Brother Li is fine, I can always mooch food and drink from you. As long as I don¡¯t starve, I¡¯m okay." By the end, Meng Xiaofei was teasingly smiling at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t know what to say about Meng Xiaofei¡ªshe was either too carefree or thoughtless.


    But there was no time to analyze Meng Xiaofei¡¯s mindset now. He turned to Lin Qiong and said, "Alright, Lin Qiong, go open the door."


    Lin Qiong nodded, first peeked through the peephole, turned back to Li Yifei with a wry smile, and whispered, "It really is the police."


    Li Yifei nodded at her, and only then did Lin Qiong open the door. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The door swung open, and four officers burst in, guns in hand, pointing at the three people in the room. They commanded, "Don¡¯t move."


    Lin Qiong was taken aback, never expecting the officers to draw their guns as soon as they entered. All she could do now was obediently raise her hands, saying, "I¡¯m a police officer too. What are you doing?"


    The man in front, in his thirties, said sternly, "I know you¡¯re a police officer, a station chief, but you¡¯re now implicated in a major smuggling case. We have an arrest warrant, so please cooperate. For the sake of being colleagues, don¡¯t force us to get rough."


    "Wait, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re arresting me because of smuggling?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Perhaps out of respect for a fellow officer, the policeman nodded and said, "Correct, you¡¯re accused of smuggling with a criminal group."


    Lin Qiong immediately relaxed, saying, "Then I¡¯ll go with you. I went undercover for the smuggling operation, and I recorded the whole process."


    The officer nodded and said, "Good. If you can clear things up, that¡¯s best. Show us the evidence."


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment before saying, "This won¡¯t do, I have to give it to Director Ning."


    The four police officers looked at each other, and the leader immediately said, "Okay, you take the stuff and follow us."


    The three of them followed the four police officers downstairs, with Lin Qiong still smiling as she asked, "Which department are you guys from? I¡¯ve never seen you before."


    "We¡¯re from the criminal police team."


    "No wonder, I haven¡¯t been working for long, and I haven¡¯t had much contact with your criminal police team. I admire you guys the most, always cracking big cases, unlike us at the police station, dealing with trivial matters."


    "Hmm, but we are more dangerous."


    "Dangerous it is, but that¡¯s something a police officer should really be doing. Just thinking about catching those ruthless criminals gets me uncontrollably excited."


    At this, the expressions on the faces of the four officers became somewhat uncomfortable. Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t noticed, but Li Yifei saw it clearly. When people¡¯s faces flush, they¡¯re generally encountering something embarrassing, having their lies exposed, or speaking about a private matter deep inside them.


    And it was because of what Lin Qiong said that they looked uncomfortable, which meant that what they were doing right now was not what real police officers should be doing. It was pretty obvious; these four police officers knew that coming here to arrest Lin Qiong was not normal.


    When they reached the downstairs, two police officers took the lead and two followed, escorting Li Yifei and the others towards a police van parked in front of them. When they reached the van, the two officers in front stopped and waited for Lin Qiong and the rest to get in the car first.


    At that moment, Li Yifei suddenly made his move. His hands flashed out like lightning, striking the necks of the two men in front, and before the two behind could react, he had already slammed his elbow into their abdomens.


    Then he quickly pulled Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei into the car, while he jumped into the driver¡¯s seat and started the vehicle swiftly.


    It wasn¡¯t until the car started that Lin Qiong recovered her senses, asking in urgency, "What are you doing?"


    As Li Yifei sped away in the car, he explained, "Those four policemen are in cahoots with the smuggling group. If they caught us now, we would be lambs to the slaughter."


    "Is that so? Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?"


    "Even if I am mistaken now, we can¡¯t just easily trust anyone. The main thing is, don¡¯t you find the arrival of these four too strange? We had just gotten home not long ago, and they showed up, even claiming to have an arrest warrant. Doesn¡¯t that mean they knew about our smuggling operation in advance?"


    By now, Lin Qiong also realized that the arrival of these four was too unreasonable, and she immediately felt dejected.


    While driving, Li Yifei said, "Let¡¯s think about how to get the evidence into the hands of someone we can trust."


    Lin Qiong said despondently, "Now I don¡¯t even know who to trust. Such a big case has gone unchecked for so long, I don¡¯t know how many people are involved. Contacting anyone could end up with us in an inescapable situation."


    Lin Qiong had thought that collecting sufficient evidence would allow them to wipe out the smuggling group in one fell swoop. But now, she realized that it wasn¡¯t as simple as she¡¯d imagined. She, too, had anticipated some difficulties, but compared to reality, those were minor; now she was truly perplexed and unsure of what to do next.


    Li Yifei, who previously had little contact with local issues, had also not expected the situation to be this complicated. He originally believed that with his own abilities, he could easily help Lin Qiong out, but now it seemed necessary to utilize some other forces.


    The most direct option now was to find Su Mengxin. As long as they could get the evidence to Su Mengxin, no one in Mile City would be able to touch her, and no matter how powerful the backers were, Su Mengxin could take them down.


    Picking up the phone, Li Yifei called Su Mengxin without using her name, directly asking for her assistance with something urgent.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s response was succinct, "What do you need me to do?"


    "I have important evidence about the Mile City smuggling group in my hands, and investigating this group is bound to involve some important figures in Mile City. Right now, the police and the smuggling group are chasing me, Lin Qiong, and Meng Xiaofei."


    "Where are you now? I¡¯ll come to your aid."


    "I¡¯m on the road, but there are police cars pursuing us already. We¡¯ve just commandeered a police car to escape."


    Su Mengxin let out a soft laugh, saying, "That¡¯s your specialty, on the run again."


    "Yes, and I¡¯m going to hand over that important piece of evidence to you now. Then with your clout, we should be able to come out of this."


    "All right, pick a place, and I¡¯ll send someone over."


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "I¡¯m currently on Weiguo Road; get someone in a Porsche to meet me on Youth Avenue, and I¡¯ll throw the stuff into your car when I get there."


    "Okay, keep them at bay for now."


    After hanging up the phone, Su Mengxin¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile, with a touch of longing. She really wished she could experience that thrill of escape with Li Yifei again. As for Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t worry about him at all. He had protected her safely through escapes from countless ruthless assassins before, so what could an ordinary smuggling group and a bunch of policemen do to Li Yifei?

 Chapter 308 - 316: Drifting Minivan

    Chapter 308: Chapter 316: Drifting Minivan"There are two police cars chasing us from behind, and two private cars as well. It looks like they¡¯re also after us," Lin Qiong kept her eyes on the rearview mirror as she alerted Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was handling the police van, and although he couldn¡¯t shake off those vehicles right away, they also couldn¡¯t catch up to him immediately. This gave Lin Qiong a brief sigh of relief, but her brows were still furrowed with worry¡ªwhere should they run to under these circumstances?


    "Right, the person you reached out to just now, can they really help us?"


    "Absolutely, just relax. As long as we can avoid being caught by them for now, we¡¯ll be out of trouble soon."


    Despite some doubts about Li Yifei¡¯s words, Lin Qiong had no choice but to trust him unconditionally at that moment.


    At an intersection, the van turned right onto Youth Street. Li Yifei scanned the area, searching for Su Mengxin¡¯s Porsche. He quickly spotted it. The Porsche was speeding from the opposite direction, with its roof completely down, carrying three people¡ªSu Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards.


    As the two cars passed each other, Li Yifei raised his hand, poised to drop a package onto the other car. Neither vehicle slowed down during the exchange, and everyone except Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei failed to see Li Yifei toss something out.


    Watching the package be thrown away stirred an indescribable feeling inside Lin Qiong. It was evidence they had painstakingly acquired, and now it was entrusted to someone unknown. How could she feel at ease about this?


    At that moment, Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t concerned about the importance of the item. She turned to look at the pursuing police cars, excitedly shouting, "Brother Li, speed up, faster! Let¡¯s lose them."


    "Aren¡¯t you scared anymore? You seem quite excited," Li Yifei asked Meng Xiaofei with a smile.


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Not scared. This kind of highway chase is something you¡¯d only see in movies, and now I¡¯m experiencing it firsthand. It¡¯s incredibly thrilling and satisfying. If I tell others about this, how much face will I gain!"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face darkened. Meng Xiaofei turned a dangerous situation into a game, and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t know what to say to her.


    "Damn it, the fuel light¡¯s on," Li Yifei suddenly announced, causing Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei considerable dismay.


    "What do we do now?" Lin Qiong panicked.


    "What else can we do? While there¡¯s still some fuel left, we run as far as we can. We can¡¯t really go refuel, can we?"


    Li Yifei said this while fiercely stepping on the gas, making the van surge forward. The police cars and private vehicles behind them hastily accelerated as well, ensuring that Li Yifei still couldn¡¯t shake them off.


    At another intersection, Li Yifei decelerated slightly, and the cars behind quickly closed in. But just as they were about to catch up, Li Yifei suddenly slammed on the brakes and floored the gas, turning the steering wheel sharply. The van drifted dramatically, taking a left onto a highway.


    "Damn, drifting with a van? That guy is insane."


    The police cars and private vehicles all overshot, ending up on the opposite side of the road. By the time they managed to turn around, Li Yifei¡¯s van had vanished without a trace. This left the drivers utterly speechless. It¡¯s one thing to be able to drift, but using a van is another¡ªafter all, few people could manage that since vans are tall and top-heavy, making them prone to tipping over during a drift. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wow, Brother Li, you¡¯re just too cool. Drifting and losing them just like that," Meng Xiaofei exclaimed.


    Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but admire Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities the more she got to know him. She used to think that in a fight, he was about the same level as her, perhaps just slightly better. But today she realized he was far superior. And driving a tanker, to be able to pull off drifting maneuvers like this, she wondered where he had learned such skills. Could military service really turn someone into a decathlete?


    "You still need to figure something out. There are surveillance cameras on the streets, and although we¡¯ve temporarily lost them, our vehicle is still on camera. So, they¡¯ll quickly find out where we are," Lin Qiong said.


    Li Yifei nodded, "I know, this is just a temporary respite. We¡¯ll get off the road up ahead."


    Approaching a small intersection, Li Yifei quickly steered onto it, then swerved into a narrow alley before bringing the van to a stop.


    The three of them got out of the car quickly, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t lead them forward; instead, he took them back not far, and turned into a residential district, taking so many turns that Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei felt totally disoriented.


    However, Lin Qiong understood that Li Yifei¡¯s actions made perfect sense. The car was parked there, and conventional thinking would be to run forward, but they did just the opposite. Moreover, the routes Li Yifei chose were all avoiding the surveillance cameras on the streets, making them undetectable even by Mile City¡¯s citywide surveillance system.


    Qian Wanjun was furious at this moment. His smuggling syndicate had grown into a tightly-knit network over the years, earning him profits well over two hundred million a year. Of course, he had to grease various palms, and in the end, if he could keep one hundred million, that was about right.


    Qian Wanjun was shrewd. To make money long-term, those overseeing him, those who helped him, needed to benefit. So, when it came time to throw money at his superiors, he was never stingy, and he was also generous in sharing profits with his subordinates. Hence, his business in the industry was stable¡ªprotected by people above, with many loyal subordinates willing to risk their lives for him.


    If there was any hint of trouble, he was informed early on so he could evade danger. But this time, the knowledge that a police officer had gone undercover, and after some digging, discovering it was a solo act, made him so angry he felt like his lungs would explode.


    As angry as he was, he didn¡¯t panic. Just a lowly cop, after all¡ªhe had so many connections, any one of which outranked Lin Qiong, the police station chief. He had already notified his contacts in the Public Security Bureau, who said they¡¯d handle it immediately, ensuring the situation would be contained, and that cyber police were constantly monitoring the internet, ready to delete any related information the moment it appeared.


    Moreover, his subordinates were also making every effort to capture Lin Qiong and Li Yifei, so he simply couldn¡¯t believe that a small police station chief and a lad could topple his empire.


    Qian Wanjun, having weathered many storms, was methodical in his dealings and now felt everything was under his control. Once he captured Lin Qiong and Li Yifei, he¡¯d make sure they understood just how pitiful it was to cross him.


    However, the information from his men annoyed him¡ªthey had lost track of their targets, and even the police force had temporarily lost sight of them.


    "I¡¯ll tear this place apart if I have to, but I will dig you out," Qian Wanjun said venomously as he slammed the ashtray onto the ground, his eyes flashing a terrifying cold light.


    At that time, Li Yifei, together with Lin Qiong and Meng Xiaofei, had already found a place to hide. However, they weren¡¯t in any bushes or other obscure spots, nor in a hotel, but rather had slipped into a newly built residential community.


    This community had only been handing out keys for two or three months, and most of the apartments were newly decorated, with hardly any occupants yet. The trio found one apartment, and Li Yifei easily opened the door. Inside, he found the place quite nice¡ªwith floors and other basics in place, only lacking furniture and appliances.


    Li Yifei looked around the room and said with a smile, "Not bad. There¡¯s water, a toilet, so no problem going to the bathroom. No shower though, and no beds. Looks like the three of us will be sleeping on the floor tonight."


    Seeing how relaxed Li Yifei was, Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t worried either and even took the time to admire and comment on the apartment¡¯s decor.


    But Lin Qiong, at that moment, couldn¡¯t be so carefree. She asked, "Li Yifei, can the person you gave those things to really help us solve our current problem?"


    "Of course they can, don¡¯t worry. By the way, have you and Xiaofei turned off your cell phones? We don¡¯t want to be traced by our location."


    Lin Qiong was startled and hurriedly turned off her phone. Meng Xiaofei obediently did the same. Seeing Li Yifei also turn off his phone, Lin Qiong, frowning, said, "You turned off your phone too. How will that person contact you if they need to?"


    "It¡¯s late. He¡¯s not going to sort this out now. It can wait until tomorrow morning. We should just get some good sleep and wait for news from those people tomorrow," Li Yifei said as he already lay down on the floor.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched as she sat next to Li Yifei, nudging his shoulder, "I just don¡¯t feel at ease. What exactly does the person you¡¯re relying on do?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "My background is pretty powerful, you know. Even the mayor has to treat me with respect. It¡¯ll be easy to solve with just anybody I call."


    Lin Qiong knew Li Yifei wasn¡¯t willing to reveal more, and she felt somewhat displeased. After all, she had been intimately involved with him, and yet he still kept secrets from her.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t want to publicize her identity in Mile City. Aside from a few key city leaders, no one else knew she was there, so Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just casually reveal Su Mengxin¡¯s identity. If he wanted to be high-profile about it, he could¡¯ve easily called the mayor or gone directly to Su Mengxin to see who dared to arrest them.


    There was also another thing: Li Yifei was teaching Lin Qiong a lesson. Lin Qiong, the policewoman, was indeed a justice-driven officer, but she was far from mature in her actions, impulsive with just her passion. This experience was meant to teach her that it¡¯s not just about being headstrong, and could hopefully make her policing more savvy in the future.


    Unaware of Li Yifei¡¯s intentions, Lin Qiong sat there brooding.

 Chapter 309 - 317 Achievements

    Chapter 309: Chapter 317 AchievementsSu Mengxin was very calm, and only the next morning did she make a call to Song Zhentao, the Municipal Party Secretary. She was not worried at all that Li Yifei would encounter any problems overnight. If he couldn¡¯t even handle a situation like this, then he was not the man she, Su Mengxin, had chosen.


    Song Zhentao was quite flattered, and even a little nervous, that Su Mengxin had come to his office in person. It was the first time Su Mengxin had visited his office, and she said she wanted to show him something and asked him to gather Mayor Qin Jiangyuan and Chief of Public Security Bureau Ning Changzheng as well.


    The three were waiting in the office for Su Mengxin, all puzzled about what she might want to do. But one thing was clear to them: Whatever Su Mengxin wanted with them, it was surely a matter of great importance, or she wouldn¡¯t have chosen such a setting.


    When Su Mengxin arrived, the three major officials of the city welcomed her in. Su Mengxin simply smiled and said, "It seems Mile City really does produce talent."


    Secretary Song¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hastened to say, "Miss Su, I don¡¯t know who has offended you, but we will handle it seriously."


    "Secretary Song, you misunderstand," she said. "I¡¯m talking about a female police officer from Mile City named Lin Qiong. She went to investigate a smuggling group on her own and obtained a significant amount of evidence. Here is the evidence. Take a look."


    A shock went through Song Zhentao¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of the smuggling group in Mile City. Although he had not taken part, the group¡¯s protection network was so vast, involving many leaders from different departments of Mile City, that even he, as Municipal Party Secretary, did not dare to act rashly.


    Now that Su Mengxin had found out and even brought forth evidence, he knew full well that no matter how extensive the protective umbrella was, action had to be taken.


    At this moment, Ning Changzheng was sweating profusely. This was within the scope of his responsibilities, and although he hadn¡¯t directly taken benefits from Qian Wanjun, he didn¡¯t refuse when those associated with Qian gave him advantages.


    Su Mengxin was all too familiar with the ways of officialdom. She could read plenty from their expressions but did not expose them. It wasn¡¯t about overthrowing the entire power structure of Mile City. With things said to this extent, it was enough. How deep they wanted to investigate and whether they sought scapegoats was none of her concern.


    Mayor Qin Jiangyuan was particularly despondent at that moment. He was due to retire after his term, and he did not want trouble now. He immediately said with a stern face to Ning Changzheng, "Director Ning, handle this matter immediately. Regardless of who is involved, the investigation must be thorough, and there will be no leniency."


    Director Ning immediately declared loudly, "I will ensure that all individuals involved are brought to justice; there will be no escapees."


    With Su Mengxin involved, he dared not show any negligence.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and said, "Besides these issues, the Public Security is still hunting for Lin Qiong and my cousin Li Yifei. Both of them are still fleeing. Perhaps you should also expedite handling this matter."


    At this moment, the faces of Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao, Mayor Qin Jiangyuan, and Chief of Public Security Bureau Ning Changzheng were all extremely grim. They now understood why Su Mengxin was particularly concerned about this case; it turned out that Li Yifei was involved. And Ning Changzheng¡¯s face was the most troubled; with the Public Security Bureau going after Li Yifei, as the chief, he was certainly accountable.


    "I know this is all nonsense done by those below," she continued. "You just need to handle it. You also know what kind of person my cousin is. He doesn¡¯t like to use his status. He bears some responsibility for causing such a situation."


    Having said that, Su Mengxin stood up and added, "Well, I must be going now. I won¡¯t keep you leaders from your work."


    The three hurriedly escorted Su Mengxin out. Once back, they immediately began arranging various affairs: arresting Qian Wanjun, withdrawing the orders to capture Lin Qiong and Li Yifei, arresting the deputy head of the criminal police team who had issued the order, and then taking control of all the involved officers.


    To disassociate himself from the case, Ning Changzheng was exceptionally harsh this time, not leaking a whisper of the operation beforehand. It was only when the team led by him arrived at Qian Wanjun¡¯s home that everyone realized they were there to arrest Qian.


    Lin Qiong had a tough night. She hardly closed her eyes, her greatest heartache being that as a police officer whose duty was to arrest criminals, she had to flee from the police herself. Where was justice, where was fairness?


    She thought a lot and came to many realizations. She knew that with her own passion and status as a police officer alone, not everything could be accomplished. She needed power, people to mobilize, and support from leadership above.


    The three got up early, washed their faces, and left the place. Who knew whether someone might come early in the morning; it would not be pleasant to be cornered at home.


    "What do we do now?" Meng Xiaofei followed beside Li Yifei, clutching his arm with both hands, head slightly bowed, looking around nervously.


    Li Yifei tapped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and scolded, "Can¡¯t you stop acting like a thief?"


    Meng Xiaofei looked at Li Yifei in confusion and asked, "But we¡¯re wanted now, what if we¡¯re recognized by others?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Even so, you can¡¯t act like a thief¡ªthat would just make it even more obvious that you¡¯re up to something."


    Meng Xiaofei tilted her head, thought for a moment, then broke into a grin, proudly saying, "I get it now. We have to act as if nothing¡¯s wrong. That way, to others, we¡¯ll just seem like three ordinary people, and most wouldn¡¯t pay us any attention."


    "At least you have some brains." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, I¡¯m not dumb, you know. I just don¡¯t like to use my brain too much usually. Life is just too tiring to think too much about everything."


    Li Yifei truly resonated with Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words. He had returned to the city just to live a life of ease, but lately, weighed down by emotional issues, he felt genuinely tired, whereas Meng Xiaofei was carefree, thinking only about how to be happy, thus living a more joyful life than anyone else.


    The trio found a steamed bun shop, ordered several baskets of dumplings, a bowl of porridge each, and some salted vegetables. Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei ate with relish, although Meng Xiaofei still claimed it wasn¡¯t as good as Li Yifei¡¯s cooking at home.


    Lin Qiong, however, found her food tasteless. She took a steamed bun and only ate half of it after a long time; the incident had indeed dealt her a heavy blow.


    Li Yifei offered no comfort. For a girl like Lin Qiong, sometimes too fixated on certain things, she had to come to terms with these matters on her own. No amount of persuasion would help if she couldn¡¯t understand on her own.


    After dinner, Li Yifei turned on his phone, and soon Su Mengxin¡¯s call came through.


    "The issue has been resolved."


    "I¡¯ve troubled you again."


    "Heh, aware that you¡¯re troubling me? Then you¡¯d better make me some delicious food as a reward when I get back."


    "No problem."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei stretched lazily and said, "All¡¯s well, Lin Qiong. It looks like you¡¯re set to receive great recognition once more."


    Lin Qiong had been distracted and hadn¡¯t noticed Li Yifei making the call. Startled, she suddenly looked up and asked, "What did you say?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "I said you¡¯re about to be commended again. Turn on your phone."


    Lin Qiong was initially stunned, but then an ecstatic smile quickly spread across her face as she exclaimed, "You mean the issue has been resolved?"


    Li Yifei nodded, and Lin Qiong hurriedly turned on her phone. A bunch of missed call alerts popped up, with the last several from the Municipal Bureau Chief, Ning Changzheng.


    Lin Qiong hastily returned the call, and Ning Changzheng¡¯s voice came through urgently, "Little Lin, are you alright now?"


    "I¡¯m fine, Director Ning. I..."


    "I know you¡¯ve been wronged. The wanted notice has been canceled. Come to the City Bureau right away. Also, we¡¯ve already captured Qian Wanjun."


    "That¡¯s wonderful." As Lin Qiong spoke, she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing.


    "Little Lin, it was my mistake that you suffered injustice, a mistake of our entire City Bureau. Rest assured, you¡¯ve made a significant contribution this time. The leaders of the City Bureau, including the Municipal Party Secretary and the mayor, all want to meet you."


    Lin Qiong kept affirming and finally hung up the phone.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, you head to the City Bureau. I need to go home and get a good sleep. It¡¯s really uncomfortable to have slept on the floor all night."


    Meng Xiaofei then let out a gasp, "Oh no, I didn¡¯t deal with flying because I thought we were going to be on the run. I was supposed to fly today, ah no, I¡¯m running out of time."


    Lin Qiong hurriedly said, "Alright then, you two go ahead, I¡¯m off to the City Bureau." Her demeanor finally relaxed.


    Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei quickly caught a cab home, and Meng Xiaofei dragged Li Yifei into her room. She started to wash up and put on makeup, asking Li Yifei to pack her suitcase.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind helping Meng Xiaofei, but she actually gave him the task of packing items like bras, panties, and stockings into her suitcase, which left him somewhat baffled.


    The girl was really too trusting of him, carelessly allowing him to handle such private items. But considering he had already come across such things while cleaning up with Su Yiyi in her room, and she had just laughed it off, plus he had already seen her sleeping naked twice, Li Yifei felt that these things weren¡¯t really a big deal anymore.


    Finally, having sent Meng Xiaofei off, Li Yifei went home and caught up on his sleep.


    Lin Qiong arrived at the City Bureau, where the Municipal Bureau Chief, Ning Changzheng, first comforted her, and then followed with a string of praises.


    "Little Lin, the evidence you¡¯ve collected is truly remarkable. We¡¯ve wanted to take action against Qian Wanjun for a long time, but lacked solid proof. Now with this evidence, we can definitely convict him. You have made an outstanding contribution to the Mile City Public Security System."


    Lin Qiong blushed slightly and said, "Director Ning, I acted too impulsively in this matter. I should have communicated with the City Bureau earlier, and I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation."


    "Little Lin, our system is in desperate need of someone with your courage and resolve. We in the City Bureau leadership will further discuss this and give you a more significant role to take on. You should be prepared for that."


    Lin Qiong paused, then hurriedly responded, "Director Ning, that... wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, would it?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with that?" Director Ning smiled warmly at Lin Qiong. He no longer saw her just as an ordinary subordinate police officer¡ªshe was with Li Yifei, and associated with Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin had personally stood up for Lin Qiong¡¯s issue, indicating that her relationship with Li Yifei was certainly not ordinary.


    Given such an opportunity, why wouldn¡¯t he promote Lin Qiong? Building goodwill now meant Li Yifei and Su Mengxin would look after him in the future.


    Lin Qiong, of course, had no inkling of Ning Changzheng¡¯s ulterior motives and hesitated, "It¡¯s only been a year since I started working, and I¡¯ve already been made a station chief. If I¡¯m promoted further, wouldn¡¯t it have a negative impact?"


    "Under normal circumstances, a promotion might lead to grumblings. But your case is different. Within a year of starting work, you have caught two major fugitives and cracked a significant smuggling case. With these merits, if you were promoted again, who could reasonably object? Furthermore, this sets an example that promotions are about skill and performance, not about seniority. We need young officers like you now more than ever."


    This time, Lin Qiong stood up without further objections and saluted formally, feeling a surge of emotions. With such a promotion, she could better exercise her desire for retribution.

 Chapter 310 - 318: The Cook

    Chapter 310: Chapter 318: The CookAt three in the afternoon, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were in a supermarket, with Li Yifei pushing a shopping cart and Su Mengxin walking beside him. She occasionally picked items from the shelves on either side and placed them into the cart.


    "Have you never been to a supermarket before?" Li Yifei asked with a mix of amusement and curiosity, as he watched Su Mengxin¡¯s joyful excitement.


    Smiling, Su Mengxin replied, "Yes, this is my first time. Do I seem pitiful? I¡¯ve never even been to a supermarket."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It is quite pitiful, but also easy to understand. You¡¯re always followed by a whole entourage. It would be inconvenient for you to visit the supermarket. Besides, there¡¯s nothing you lack that would necessitate a supermarket trip."


    "But then life would be missing so much fun," she remarked.


    "Good thing nobody else heard you say that, or you would definitely be criticized."


    Su Mengxin pretended to look around cautiously, then giggled, "Luckily, it¡¯s just the two of us."


    As they continued shopping, Li Yifei felt an immense pressure; Su Mengxin was simply too beautiful. Every man who saw her couldn¡¯t help but take a few extra glances, and even women did the same. As the guy at her side, Li Yifei was naturally included in the onlookers¡¯ scrutiny.


    Li Yifei was used to being the center of attention while protecting officials and dignitaries, but no one noticed him then since he was just a bodyguard. Now it was different. He and Su Mengxin walked together, chatting and laughing like a couple, which inevitably made everyone curious about the man with such a stunningly beautiful woman.


    Finally, after completing their shopping and paying at the checkout, they left the supermarket and got into the car. Su Mengxin, laughing, said, "Why the long face? Don¡¯t you enjoy going to the supermarket with me?"


    "It¡¯s not that I mind it," he said. "I can¡¯t stand those stares, though. It¡¯s like they¡¯re all thinking, ¡¯A fine flower stuck in cow dung.¡¯"


    Su Mengxin burst into laughter, saying, "Who speaks so poorly about themselves?"


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei replied, "I¡¯m usually quite confident, but next to you, you make me look so inferior."


    Su Mengxin paused, reflecting on their relationship which had lasted a while. She¡¯d always been modest and never boasted in front of Li Yifei, nor did she use her status to pressure him. Still, she felt a great distance between them, having never truly entered Li Yifei¡¯s world.


    Li Yifei¡¯s words revealed to Su Mengxin why she couldn¡¯t really enter his life. Even without leveraging her status, the gap in their identities was still there, making Li Yifei instinctively exclude her from his circle of life.


    With a light laugh, Su Mengxin said, "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re lacking, but you always see me as Su Mengxin from Capital City. Why can¡¯t you just see me as your neighbor Su Mengxin?"


    "Aren¡¯t you my neighbor?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled.


    With a pout, Su Mengxin realized Li Yifei didn¡¯t understand her implication. It wasn¡¯t the right time to explain too thoroughly, so she said, "Alright then, my good neighbor. I¡¯m hungry, so let¡¯s hurry home and cook."


    Unable to break down the barriers in Li Yifei¡¯s mind, Su Mengxin decided to make a change herself. If she could get him to see her as just a friend, they could move to the next step.


    Li Yifei grinned, "No problem."


    When they arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s place, he got ready to cook. Just as he started, Su Mengxin appeared in the kitchen wearing an apron that belonged to Su Yiyi.


    "What are you doing?" Li Yifei asked in surprise, staring at Su Mengxin. The sight of such a beautiful woman of high status, now dressed with an apron as a little chef, was a shock to the system.


    Pleased with Li Yifei¡¯s reaction, Su Mengxin twirled the apron ties and said, "I¡¯m here to help you cook. How does this apron look on me?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "It looks good, quite a different flavor actually."


    Su Mengxin smiled proudly, "Then let me help you."


    "Your help... maybe not. Better wait to eat once it¡¯s done," Li Yifei hesitated.


    "No way; I really want to learn by doing. A woman needs to know how to cook to keep her future husband content."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, "You don¡¯t need to resort to that, do you?"


    "Of course, I¡¯ll also have to be someone¡¯s wife someday. As a wife, I have to be able to cook. Since I have some free time lately, you¡¯d better teach me well."


    Li Yifei was surprised by Su Mengxin¡¯s attitude. During his time with the Flying Hawk Squad, he had met many Second Generation Officials and Rich Second Generations. None of those girls enjoyed cooking; they were all about enjoyment and fun.


    However, Su Mengxin was not an ordinary woman, or she wouldn¡¯t have such a high reputation domestically, so having such an idea only highlighted her uniqueness even more.


    Thinking this way, Li Yifei no longer found it difficult to comprehend and chuckled, "Okay then, since you have this idea, I¡¯ll teach you."


    "I knew you were the best pal," Su Mengxin patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, seeming very casual with him, and said, "What should I do now?"


    "Let¡¯s start with something simple. You can take on today¡¯s dish¡ªstir-fried shrimp with celery and cashews."


    "Sure, sure!" Su Mengxin exclaimed with joy.


    As Li Yifei organized the other ingredients, he instructed Su Mengxin on how to prep. Su Mengxin was very serious about learning and about doing the work. Following Li Yifei¡¯s instructions, she washed the shrimp and the celery thoroughly.


    Watching Su Mengxin¡¯s slender hands washing the vegetables in the sink, Li Yifei had a weird feeling. Those hands didn¡¯t seem like they should be there, but there they were.


    Next, Su Mengxin went to chop the celery. Watching her clumsily wield the kitchen knife, Li Yifei truly felt a sense of alarm, as if she might accidentally cut her own hand.


    And his worry soon became reality.


    "Ah!" Su Mengxin let out a faint cry as her left hand quickly retreated from the celery, her index finger bleeding profusely from a cut.


    Li Yifei was speechless and immediately grabbed Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, sticking her injured finger in his mouth. Minor cuts like these were usually not a big deal; all you had to do was suck on it for a while, as saliva has strong antibacterial properties.


    Su Mengxin stared blankly at Li Yifei, not expecting him to do something like that. With her finger in Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, she felt a tingling sensation that spread from her fingertip to her palm, then to her arm, and turned into a warm current that flowed through her body, causing her face to turn red, her heart rate to accelerate. Undeniably, she enjoyed the feeling and really liked the concentrated expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    "Sigh, you¡¯re just not cut out for this, come on and let me wrap it for you." Li Yifei opened his mouth and pulled out Su Mengxin¡¯s finger. The cut wasn¡¯t very big or deep; it should be fine.


    Submissively, Su Mengxin followed Li Yifei to the living room, letting him bandage her hand. Realizing that an injury could garner Li Yifei¡¯s attention this way made Su Mengxin think about getting "injured" more often.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Li Yifei looked up to meet Su Mengxin¡¯s unusual gaze and asked, puzzled.


    Su Mengxin immediately beamed a smile, examined her hand briefly, then looked at Li Yifei and asked, "What does my blood taste like?"


    Li Yifei was completely taken aback by the question and said with a mixture of laughter and resignation, "What could your blood taste like? It¡¯s a bit fishy, a bit salty, I guess." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, so it doesn¡¯t taste good?"


    "Of course not, why would you even want to know what human blood tastes like? You¡¯re not a vampire, are you?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "I was just really curious. Alright, let¡¯s get back to cooking."


    "You¡¯re still going?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Su Mengxin tilted her head with childlike stubbornness and said, "Of course I¡¯m going. A little injury shouldn¡¯t scare me away. It¡¯s just an accident, I¡¯ll be very careful next time."


    "You¡¯ve just had your hand bandaged, you can¡¯t get it wet."


    "Anyway, the vegetables are all washed, we won¡¯t be needing any more water, right? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be really careful this time."


    Unable to persuade Su Mengxin, Li Yifei could only let her continue cooking. However, he decided to stop his own work and watch over Su Mengxin, just to prevent her from hurting herself again.


    "How do I light the stove?"


    "When do I pour the oil?"


    "How much should I add?"


    For someone completely clueless about cooking, everything required a question. Things like ¡¯add a suitable amount,¡¯ as recipes often suggest, sounded like a Heavenly Book to a novice¡ªit was entirely unclear how much ¡¯a suitable amount¡¯ was, so Su Mengxin had to ask about everything.


    Watching Su Mengxin nervously holding the oil bottle, pouring oil into the pan, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. He reached from behind to grab her right hand, gently tilting the bottle and pouring the oil into the pan.


    But he didn¡¯t notice that in doing so, he was practically embracing Su Mengxin, his chest already pressed against her back.

 Chapter 311 - 319 Dinner

    Chapter 311: Chapter 319 DinnerAt the time, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t notice; she was just focused on how much oil to pour into the pot. She was unaware of how intimate the moment with Li Yifei had been when he stopped pouring and set the oil bottle aside.


    Watching the oil in the pot start to smoke, Su Mengxin held the spatula tightly in her right hand and asked, "Can I put the celery into the pot now?"


    Li Yifei said, "Wait a moment, put it in when the oil really heats up." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, but how will I know when it¡¯s heated? Please remind me," said Su Mengxin, who was also holding a plate of celery with her left hand, her nervousness evident.


    Li Yifei watched her posture, especially the way she held the plate up high, and finally stood behind Su Mengxin, saying, "Don¡¯t hold the veggies so high, or when you pour them into the pot, the oil will splatter. If it gets on your face, it could cause some serious harm."


    "Ah!" Su Mengxin quickly lowered the plate, cautiously asking, "Is this okay?"


    "Let me help you. If you were to get burned and disfigure your beautiful face, I¡¯d have destroyed Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty and probably be hunted down by countless men," Li Yifei said as he grasped each of Su Mengxin¡¯s hands from behind.


    Su Mengxin instantly felt more at ease. With a little force from Li Yifei¡¯s left hand, she followed his motion and poured the plate of celery into the pot.


    "Sizzle..." Although the washed celery had been left for a while and contained little water, there was still some moisture in it, and once it hit the hot oil, a piercing sound ensued, along with a few specks of oil splattering.


    Su Mengxin jumped at the sound, instinctively pulling back but bumped into Li Yifei¡¯s chest. Li Yifei, steadying her right hand, said, "Don¡¯t be scared. The more frightened you are, the more likely you¡¯ll get burned. Now stir-fry with this spoon, and it won¡¯t splatter anymore."


    Su Mengxin quickly began to stir-fry the celery in the pot, and as expected, the oil stopped splattering. She felt delighted, waving the spoon back and forth as if she was a child playing with a beloved toy.


    After stir-frying for a while, Li Yifei instructed, "Now add the shrimp."


    Su Mengxin promptly poured the shrimp into the pot, and after just a few stirs, Li Yifei advised her to add salt and seasoning. Once again, Su Mengxin was unsure of the amounts, necessitating Li Yifei¡¯s hands-on teaching.


    Once Su Mengxin added the cashews, Li Yifei told her to turn off the heat and dish out the food. However, worried that Su Mengxin might not be able to handle the wok and end up spilling everything, he still held her hand.


    At last, a dish had been made with Su Mengxin¡¯s hands. Seeing the tender green celery, the pink shrimp, and the yellow cashews put together, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva, remarking, "It looks like it must be delicious."


    "Of course," said Li Yifei, "the first dish you make yourself always brings a special sense of achievement. Let me have a taste first." He then grabbed a piece of shrimp and put it in his mouth. Su Mengxin quickly turned to look at Li Yifei, only to realize she was leaning on his chest. As she turned her head, her face almost touched his.


    Instinctively leaning her head back a bit, Su Mengxin stayed put and smiled at Li Yifei, asking, "How is it? Is it edible?"


    Li Yifei smacked his lips twice and shook his head.


    "What? Is it not tasty?" Su Mengxin immediately became nervous.


    "It¡¯s not about being inedible; the taste is also okay. It just doesn¡¯t compare to mine," Li Yifei then said.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes shone as she pinched a piece of celery with her fingers, which were as white as spring onions, and put it in her mouth. After chewing it briefly, she nodded with satisfaction and said, "This is my first time cooking; I haven¡¯t been at it as long as you. But this is nearly as good as yours, and I believe the next time I do it, it will be almost the same."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying, "I¡¯m truly looking forward to that. In the future, I won¡¯t always have to prepare meals for you; instead, I can mooch meals and drinks at your place."


    Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes, replying confidently, "I believe that day won¡¯t be far."


    The thought of preparing a full table of food for Li Yifei to enjoy after work filled Su Mengxin with bliss.


    "Okay, you go rest now; I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Otherwise, by the time I¡¯m done, the dish you made will be cold," Li Yifei suddenly realized their current position was too intimate and quickly stepped back.


    Su Mengxin felt a pang of disappointment but didn¡¯t show it. Smiling sweetly, she carried the plate to the dining table, her mind replaying the moments of cooking with Li Yifei.


    Being with someone she liked, even doing something as simple as cooking, was a joyful experience, intoxicating, almost impossible to resist. If she could just keep cooking with Li Yifei every day, the happiness would be beyond words.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin¡¯s thoughts were free of her nation or career, and she was simply an ordinary woman basking in the joy of love.


    After daydreaming for a while, Su Mengxin returned to the kitchen and said with a beaming smile beside the busy Li Yifei, "I won¡¯t intervene this time. I¡¯ll just watch you cook."


    Li Yifei had no reason to refuse, and frankly, no desire to. Having Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty like Su Mengxin by his side while cooking was something to make any man envious.


    Watching Li Yifei cook with expertise, Su Mengxin was further mesmerized as the kitchen knife and spoon seemed to come alive in his hands.


    This is a common condition among girls in love: through their eyes, everything their lover does is so handsome, even the most ordinary tasks seem incredibly great. To them, their partners have no flaws, and every little thing can make their hearts flutter. The intelligence of a woman in love seemingly decreases, just like Su Mengxin, the most beautiful woman in Huaxia with an extremely high IQ, who has also become somewhat foolish at this moment.


    Finally, the table was set with dishes and Li Yifei even opened a bottle of red wine. He poured a glass for Su Mengxin and one for himself, and then raised his glass, saying, "I owe you for the help with this affair, this glass is to you."


    Su Mengxin grinned and said, "Didn¡¯t you say we are friends? Thanking me for helping out seems a bit much, doesn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "You¡¯re right. But having you as a friend has really been a big benefit for me, Li Yifei."


    Gently swirling her wine glass, Su Mengxin said, "Actually, I feel I¡¯ve struck a good deal too. Having you as a friend has allowed me to experience a happiness I¡¯d never even dreamed of before. Come on, let¡¯s drink to that."


    Their glasses clinked, and they both downed the wine in one go. Su Mengxin picked up her chopsticks and said, "Today¡¯s meal includes my efforts, I¡¯ll definitely enjoy it even more."


    Li Yifei began by tasting the dish Su Mengxin made and commented, "You really do have a talent for cooking. If you practiced more, you could be a great chef."


    Su Mengxin smiled proudly and said, "Of course, I always excel at anything I set my mind to."


    As they ate and sipped their red wine, the atmosphere was truly romantic. But after eating for a while, Su Mengxin suddenly said with a mischievous smile, "Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re missing something here?"


    "Missing something?" Li Yifei looked at her, puzzled.


    Holding her wine glass with a leisurely gesture, Su Mengxin said, "Fine wine and good food... if we had some candlelight, this could be quite the romantic candlelit dinner."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "We¡¯re not a couple, why the need for romance?"


    Pouting her lips in a playful manner, Su Mengxin¡¯s charm transformed into a different kind of beauty, yet still too stunning to look directly at, she said, "Who says only couples can have candlelit dinners? Can¡¯t we have one if we¡¯re not a couple?"


    "Well... there¡¯s no rule against that, actually."


    Her interest piqued, Su Mengxin proposed, "Exactly, we don¡¯t have anything else planned tonight, why not have a candlelit dinner?"


    "I don¡¯t have any candles at home, do you?"


    "I don¡¯t either, but we can go buy some."


    "Go buy them now..." Li Yifei was somewhat speechless; women always had such special ideas, "By the time we get the candles, the food will be cold."


    "If it gets cold, we can heat it up, or just have it as a late-night snack." Su Mengxin was truly insistent today.


    With no other choice, Li Yifei nodded and said, "All right then, you wait here, I¡¯ll go buy the candles now."


    "I¡¯ll come with you, it¡¯ll be more fun that way."


    They left the apartment and as soon as they descended the elevator, two people followed them. Su Mengxin shook her head, and the two immediately backed off.


    Li Yifei saw the two men and understood they were Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards. Knowing she desired freedom and with his protection, there was no need for other bodyguards.


    After leaving the residential area, they went straight to the supermarket to buy candles. However, as they were leaving, Su Mengxin excitedly pointed to a spot not far away and said, "Look, there are fireworks over there, let¡¯s go watch."


    They were setting off celebratory fireworks, likely for some happy occasion. It was a tradition in Mile City to shoot off fireworks the night before a wedding¡ªthe amount indicated the family¡¯s financial status. Births were also grand occasions celebrated with fireworks, thus all year round fireworks were common in Mile City, though not always nearby to be seen.


    Although Su Mengxin usually had plenty of opportunities to see fireworks, today she seemed extremely thrilled. Perhaps it was because people react differently when their mood changes.


    Seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s excitement, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to disappoint her and joined her at the site of the fireworks. It was at the entrance of a nearby residential complex, laden with numerous boxes of fireworks. Aside from the big celebratory fireworks, there were other colorful and eye-catching, though less prominent, fireworks.


    Su Mengxin was immediately captivated by these fireworks, dragging Li Yifei to the front, her face aglow with the splendor of the fireworks, unspeakably enchanting.


    Even after the fireworks show was over, Su Mengxin lingered and looked back nostalgically. Li Yifei thought that although she usually seemed so intelligent, she appeared quite childlike in that moment.


    But just then, Li Yifei suddenly sensed a killing intent, causing his nerves to instantly tense up. This killing intent was intense, not something an average thug could emit, but that of a master, and not just any master, but one who had taken many lives.

 Chapter 312 - 320 Assassin

    Chapter 312: Chapter 320 AssassinLi Yifei did not alert Su Mengxin and did not look around either. His body was not tense but completely relaxed, yet his nerves swiftly identified the source of the killing intent. It was a man, an ordinary-looking man, but also an extraordinarily uncommon one.


    To say he was ordinary was because his appearance was such that anyone who glanced at him would forget him instantly. To say he was uncommon was because of the aura of killing intent he emitted, which definitely could not be matched by just anyone. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the killing intent was strong, it wasn¡¯t bursting forth from the man. Instead, it seemed he was deliberately concealing it. However, Li Yifei was particularly sensitive in this regard. Having served in the Flying Hawk Squad, he had completed so many missions without a single failure. His only injury was from taking a bullet for Su Mengxin, and a significant reason for his unblemished record was his sensitivity to this kind of killing intent.


    Sensing the killing intent in advance allowed him to prepare and greatly reduced the risk of being ambushed. On real battlefields, direct assaults were rare, with stealth and ambush being preferred for their efficiency and minimal loss.


    Using this sense, Li Yifei had evaded one ambush after another and often managed to catch his opponents off guard. Just imagine, the enemy thinking they had laid the perfect trap, only to fall into Li Yifei and his team¡¯s counter-trap without any preparation. The outcome was not hard to imagine.


    Li Yifei also sensed that this person¡¯s target was not him, but Su Mengxin. In other words, this man had no idea that Huaxia¡¯s strongest special forces operative was also present.


    Turning to look at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei said with a smile, "You seem in high spirits today. I¡¯ll take you out for some good food."


    "What are we eating?" Su Mengxin immediately perked up at Li Yifei.


    "Hehe, you¡¯ll know when we get there. I bet you¡¯ve never had this kind of food before."


    "Really? You better not trick me." Su Mengxin¡¯s mood improved even further. It was late, and Li Yifei was in the mood to take her out to eat, which added an interesting element to the evening. As for a candlelit dinner, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to have it.


    Walking along the pedestrian path, they took a turn, and Li Yifei pointed to a small pathway ahead, saying, "Through here, and we¡¯re right across."


    "Great, let¡¯s hurry over."


    The small path lay between two old residential districts, probably a result of poor planning which left only a narrow alley that barely fit one car, and the streetlights were dim. At night, few people would choose this route.


    "It¡¯s so dark here," Su Mengxin muttered a few steps in, observing the tall residential walls on both sides. Their shadows cast by the street lamps stretched along the walls, and their footsteps echoed, adding a sinister feel to the alley¡ªexactly why people generally avoided this place at night.


    With Li Yifei by her side, Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t afraid¡ªnot here, nor anywhere else. However, the ambiance made her, a woman, want to appear a bit vulnerable, to highlight a man¡¯s bravery and strength. Besides, given the chance, she wanted to use her perceived weakness to get closer to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei did not disappoint her. Taking her hand, he chuckled, "Don¡¯t be afraid. The public security in Mile City is actually very good. It¡¯s just a bit dark here, but we¡¯ll be out soon."


    "Mm." Su Mengxin instinctively grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm with her other hand, and they walked slowly down the dark alley like an intimate couple.


    The man Li Yifei had sensed followed after them, but hesitated at the entrance of the alley. Confident in his abilities, Su Mengxin being alone would have been the perfect chance for him to strike. However, for some reason, he felt danger lurking, as if entering after them meant no return.


    Could it be that man who posed the danger?


    The man quickly dismissed the idea. He felt neither a fierce aura nor the presence of an expert from Li Yifei, so how could such a person possibly threaten him?


    As for the possibility of concealed bodyguards protecting Su Mengxin, that too was unlikely. This operation wasn¡¯t a solo effort; if there were other bodyguards around Su Mengxin, his associates would have noticed and informed him immediately.


    Casting aside those absurd thoughts, the man rushed into the alley. He was fast, reaching right behind Li Yifei and Su Mengxin in the blink of an eye. His target was Su Mengxin, but since Li Yifei was there, to avoid future troubles, he had decided that Li Yifei must die.


    He made his move, not against Su Mengxin but Li Yifei. With a dagger in hand, he reached from behind aiming for Li Yifei¡¯s throat. A simple pull back would slice open Li Yifei¡¯s windpipe. Not only would it be lethal, it would silence Li Yifei before he could even make a sound.


    In movies and TV shows where an arrow shot to the chest leaves a person silent before they die¡ªit¡¯s all nonsense. Even if one¡¯s heart is hit, they would not die instantly, so the best method for an assassin wanting to take a life silently is to cut the victim¡¯s throat.


    He was very confident in his move, a technique he had practiced tens of thousands of times. As long as he could gauge the opponent¡¯s height, he could slice through their throat with his eyes closed. He had executed it on real people several times before, never once failing.


    So, after making the motion to kill Li Yifei with his right hand, his left hand had already slashed towards Su Mengxin¡¯s neck. He wasn¡¯t there to kill Su Mengxin; he was there to abduct her.


    But this time he made a mistake; he underestimated Li Yifei¡¯s strength. He shouldn¡¯t have divided his attention, or rather, he shouldn¡¯t have made a move at all. If he had immediately fled, Li Yifei truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave Su Mengxin behind to chase him.


    By the time he realized his mistake, his sternum had already suffered a heavy blow. He could even feel several ribs breaking. Having failed his sneak attack, he had been counterattacked by Li Yifei.


    The man was undeniably skilled. Although the heavy strike caused him searing pain, he managed to immediately use the momentum to retreat backward and, at the same time, threw the dagger in his hand lightning-fast towards Su Mengxin, not targeting Li Yifei but her.


    He knew very well that he had encountered a master, and one stronger than himself to boot. The thrown Flying Dagger couldn¡¯t possibly do anything to Li Yifei; his aim was to delay Li Yifei¡¯s pursuit. Now that it was hurled at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei would definitely come to her rescue. This would be much more difficult for him than simply dodging, giving him a chance to buy a bit more time.


    His tactic was not wrong and was indeed clever. But he was facing Li Yifei, a master far more adept than himself. With a stretch of his hand, Li Yifei had already caught the Flying Dagger, then with a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying back faster than it had come.


    The man had never anticipated the Flying Dagger would be turned on him, so all his calculations were for escape, not evasion. By the time he saw the Flying Dagger heading towards him, it had already buried itself deep in his chest.


    He neither screamed nor fell. He staggered back a few steps, stood still, fixed his gaze on Li Yifei, mouth agape, trying to say something, but no words came out. Then, with a thud, he fell to the ground.


    From the moment the man made his move to being killed by Li Yifei, not even half a minute had passed. Su Mengxin only realized what was happening when Li Yifei¡¯s elbow struck the man¡¯s chest. By the time she turned her head, he was already dead.


    "Let¡¯s go," Li Yifei said softly, then reached out his arm and wrapped it around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist, striding forward.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t say anything. In such a situation, she knew all of Li Yifei¡¯s decisions were correct. She couldn¡¯t afford to offer any suggestions, as that could easily put her in greater danger.


    As they left the alley, no one else made a move, but Li Yifei already felt the presence of two masters on the walls. For Su Mengxin¡¯s safety, the only option was to lead her out of the alley and not concern himself with the man he had killed.


    The two people didn¡¯t engage, obviously underestimating Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities. Now realizing that any attempt would be futile, they ultimately decided against taking action. As soon as Li Yifei left, they quickly removed the dead man¡¯s body.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin was not worried. She disregarded all dangers and assassins; being held by Li Yifei just like in the dense forest, she felt immense safety. In fact, she found herself wishing for another attack, just so she could stay in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace forever.


    But no one attacked again, and shortly after, Li Yifei released her, whispering, "It¡¯s safe now."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s heart was still racing, but she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to notice. She straightened up, lightly brushed her slightly messy hair back from her forehead, and smiled warmly. "Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d take me for some good food?"


    Li Yifei returned the smile. "It¡¯s just up ahead."


    Following Li Yifei¡¯s pointed finger, Su Mengxin¡¯s face lit up with a radiant smile. "Stinky tofu, huh? I¡¯ve heard this stuff is pretty smelly."


    "Yes, it is quite smelly, but the smell is just on the surface. It¡¯s really tasty once you start eating it. Do you want to try?"


    "Sure, I¡¯ll try. And if it¡¯s not good, I¡¯m going to hold you accountable."


    "No problem."


    The two exchanged smiles and walked together towards the stinky tofu stall. Despite the dangers they had just faced, neither of them seemed troubled about it now. It was normal for Li Yifei not to be bothered, but for a woman like Su Mengxin to show such courage was truly admirable.

 Chapter 313 - 321 People get drunk on their own without the wine intoxicating them

    Chapter 313: Chapter 321 People get drunk on their own without the wine intoxicating themThis stinky tofu is not the traditional kind; it¡¯s a type of fried tofu. If you want it to be stinky, you have to brush on some stinky sauce after frying it.


    Su Mengxin and Li Yifei each bought a bag, but Su Mengxin¡¯s bag did not come with stinky sauce; she was genuinely afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to stomach it.


    Each of them held a bag of fried tofu in one hand and a toothpick in the other, strolling down the sidewalk, eating as they walked.


    "This is really quite good," Su Mengxin took a bite and immediately praised it. The fried tofu was only average in taste, but it was her first time eating street food while walking down the road, and that in itself was enough to make her happy. Plus, having Li Yifei¡¯s company added a unique charm to the experience.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already eaten two pieces with the stinky sauce and laughed, "Do you want to try this? It tastes better than yours."


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei; she could already smell the stinky sauce and couldn¡¯t help but lightly cover her nose, saying, "Can you really eat this? I ..."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Do I smell now? Should I stand a bit further away from you?"


    "That won¡¯t be necessary; I¡¯m not so delicate, but thinking about the taste of this in my mouth does put some pressure on me."


    "Hehe, then I won¡¯t force you. I¡¯ll enjoy it myself," he said.


    The two continued walking, Su Mengxin nibbled at her own while watching Li Yifei eat, and the way he relished it made her ask again, "Is it really that tasty?"


    "It really is good, and now there are only a few pieces left. If you want some, there¡¯s still time, otherwise, I¡¯ll finish them all by myself soon," he said.


    Su Mengxin bit her lip and said, "Then give me a small piece, I¡¯ll try it."


    Li Yifei found Su Mengxin¡¯s behavior quite amusing, and quickly speared a small piece with a toothpick. Just as he was about to raise it, he realized that it was the toothpick he had used. To offer it to Su Mengxin would be rather unsanitary. He was about to suggest that Su Mengxin take a piece herself with a toothpick, but she had already grabbed his hand and placed the small piece of stinky tofu in her mouth.


    Su Mengxin had been hesitant about trying the stinky tofu, but she wanted to share more in common with Li Yifei, to have more shared likes and interests. So she had reluctantly decided to give it a try, but upon seeing Li Yifei about to feed her with his toothpick and sensing his hesitation, she feared he would ask her to eat by herself, so she eagerly grabbed his hand and ate the piece of stinky tofu.


    It was all because she wanted to share a toothpick with Li Yifei, which led her to naturally overlook the stinkiness of the tofu.


    Su Mengxin might seem like an unattainable woman in typical circumstances, with a status and wealth envied and resented by countless women, but she was also somewhat pitiable. Just like falling in love with Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t easily express her feelings and had to use methods like this to enjoy closeness with him.


    As the stinky tofu entered her mouth, a stench filled it, and she almost spat it out right away. But having shared a toothpick with Li Yifei, no matter how bad it tasted, she couldn¡¯t bear to spit it out and stubbornly chewed a couple of times.


    After a couple of bites, she suddenly felt that the stench was not so unbearable anymore, and to her surprise, a different taste began to emerge in her mouth. She smacked her lips, realizing that this taste was actually quite nice, and after carefully chewing a few more times, she finally swallowed.


    "Not bad at all, it¡¯s really tasty. I want more," Su Mengxin said, opening her mouth to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei watched Su Mengxin¡¯s reactions change from frowning to slowly relaxing and then savoring the taste. Now she was opening her mouth, waiting to be fed, which he found incredibly adorable. In his heart, Su Mengxin seemed like a mischievous little sister, and he naturally picked up a piece of stinky tofu and fed it into her mouth.


    "Mmm... Delicious, delicious," Su Mengxin mumbled her praises while chewing, and after finishing, she turned to Li Yifei asking for more.


    Li Yifei quietly fed Su Mengxin, piece by piece, feeling completely serene. The slight malice that had arisen from killing people had vanished entirely.


    "Another piece," Su Mengxin turned her head once again, waiting for Li Yifei to feed her. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s all gone," Li Yifei showed her the empty package.


    Instantly, Su Mengxin pouted and complained, "I¡¯ve hardly had a few pieces, and it¡¯s all finished. It¡¯s your fault for eating too fast."


    "Haha, you¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t want to eat it at first."


    "I don¡¯t care; I still want to eat."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Alright then, let¡¯s go back and buy some more."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile, and she naturally linked her arms through Li Yifei¡¯s, cozying up as they walked back.


    At this moment, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel there was anything inappropriate about Su Mengxin clinging to his arm. He had already come to regard Su Mengxin as a charming little sister, not as the most beautiful woman in Huaxia.


    The two arrived at the stinky tofu stall, only to find the owner packing up; the stinky tofu had sold out. Su Mengxin felt rather disappointed. Having an extra bag of stinky tofu for Li Yifei to feed her all the way home would have been such a blissful experience.


    "Let¡¯s go. If you want to eat it, I¡¯ll bring you here again tomorrow," Li Yifei said with a laugh as he patted Su Mengxin¡¯s hand.


    Only then did Su Mengxin reluctantly agree, "You¡¯ve promised now, you have to bring me here tomorrow."


    "No problem, let¡¯s head back. We¡¯ll have a candlelight... midnight snack at home."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes lit up. "That¡¯s right, we have a midnight snack at home, let¡¯s go."


    Turning back, Su Mengxin and Li Yifei chatted incessantly on the way home, which was very unlike her usual composed demeanor.


    It was something Su Mengxin had only just realized, that when with Li Yifei, acting a bit naive and childish made him take special care of her. She suddenly understood men had a strong desire to protect, and if a woman was too strong, it could diminish that desire, creating a gap between them.


    Take Su Yiyi for instance, with her water-like gentleness, she particularly charmed Li Yifei. In theory, Xu Yingying was superior in every way compared to Su Yiyi, yet Li Yifei liked her so much. And Su Mengxin herself was even stronger than Xu Yingying, which meant the distance between her and Li Yifei was greater, so he was less casual with her.


    Now that she understood this, Su Mengxin naturally wanted to exploit it. As for acting childish, she could do it well if she put her mind to it. It wasn¡¯t that she was being fake, but for the person she liked, she was willing to change.


    Arriving at Li Yifei¡¯s house, Su Mengxin sat on the couch with her legs to the side, casually turning on the TV. "I¡¯m not very hungry right now. Can we eat later and watch TV for a bit first?" she suggested.


    Li Yifei agreed readily, sitting beside Su Mengxin and lighting a cigarette.


    Su Mengxin seldom watched TV. She already knew more than what the Central Government broadcasted, so there was no need. Entertainment programs often annoyed her, and soap operas felt too drawn-out and uninteresting, not to mention a waste of her time.


    However, watching TV with Li Yifei today, she found that these time-wasting activities could actually be quite fun.


    "Keep watching, I¡¯ll make a call," said Li Yifei after a while, standing up with his phone.


    "Alright, go ahead," Su Mengxin nodded, aware that Li Yifei would likely call Su Yiyi. She felt a bit sour but didn¡¯t show it.


    Li Yifei indeed called Su Yiyi, who was thrilled to pick up and showered him with sweet nothings, especially since they were alone. After talking for about half an hour, they ended the call reluctantly when Su Yiyi¡¯s roommate returned.


    When Li Yifei came back, he was still smiling. Su Mengxin teased, "Looks like you and Yiyi are really affectionate."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "It¡¯s not bad."


    "I¡¯m so envious. Come and watch TV with me," she beckoned.


    Not until after ten o¡¯clock did they heat up the food. Su Mengxin lit candles on the table and turned off the lights in the room, filling it with a soft, flickering glow.


    The candlelight danced, casting Su Mengxin¡¯s face in alternating light and shadow, shrouded in a mysterious aura.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty was enchantingly unique. Most women possess one standout trait, like Su Yiyi¡¯s gentle allure, Xu Shanshan¡¯s playful vivacity, Xu Yingying¡¯s noble elegance, or Lin Qiong¡¯s wild and stubborn character. Yet Su Mengxin seemed to embody all those traits, able to master any given aspect and even blend multiple traits together into something indescribable yet utterly enthralling.


    Looking at Li Yifei, Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze grew infatuated. She found him so handsome and manly, she wanted to throw herself into his arms and let him take liberties with her. But she knew she shouldn¡¯t, as it might overwhelm him, possibly making this their last supper together.


    So, she raised her glass with a flirtatious smile, "Yifei, in this romantic atmosphere, let me drink to you on Yiyi¡¯s behalf."


    Hearing Su Mengxin say this, Li Yifei felt his distance with her greatly reduced, clinked glasses with her, and downed his wine.


    Under the romance of candlelight, Su Mengxin spoke softly; the wine was intoxicating. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t drunk much, yet he found himself unknowingly drunk; truly inebriated. If the guys from the Flying Hawk Squad knew that less than a bottle of red wine had done this to him, they¡¯d laugh their heads off.


    Su Mengxin was also drunk, happily inebriated by the atmosphere and the joy of sharing a candlelit dinner with Li

 Chapter 314 - 322 Little Wind Chime

    Chapter 314: Chapter 322 Little Wind ChimeAlthough both of them were drunk, they didn¡¯t lose their virtues because of alcohol and didn¡¯t end up in bed. Instead, they supported each other to the couch, and after spouting some nonsense, they fell asleep next to each other on the couch.


    When Li Yifei woke up the next day, he found Su Mengxin sleeping soundly, hugging his thigh, and his own feet were, astonishingly, propped against Su Mengxin¡¯s chest, allowing him to feel the amazing elasticity of her chest.


    Li Yifei rubbed his forehead, somewhat caught between laughter and tears. He couldn¡¯t believe he got so drunk after such little alcohol; he almost suspected that Su Mengxin had spiked his drink, but of course, that was impossible.


    Such a posture was unavoidably ambiguous, especially with Su Mengxin, the number one beauty of Huaxia. This added a lot of pressure on him, and his stinky feet were even more desecrating for they were propped on the holy peaks of Su Mengxin.


    He gently moved his feet away and then sat up. Li Yifei cradled Su Mengxin¡¯s head and placed a pillow under it, intending to pull her arm away so he could move his foot that had unjustly taken advantage all night.


    But at that moment, Su Mengxin¡¯s lips smacked together, and she hugged Li Yifei¡¯s leg even tighter, as if she found this sleeping position very comfortable.


    Looking at Su Mengxin¡¯s sweet sleeping face, Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit reluctant to disturb her. The number one beauty of Huaxia may be aloof when she¡¯s awake, but at that moment, she was just a little woman.


    "Fine then, if you want to hug, just hug," Li Yifei shook his head, laid back down, and closed his eyes to rest.


    Over half an hour later, Su Mengxin finally woke up, and found herself hugging Li Yifei¡¯s leg all night. She swiftly felt embarrassed, quickly let go of his leg, sat up, straightened her clothing, and said, "How did I drink so much."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I also drank too much. It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate."


    Su Mengxin playfully slapped Li Yifei¡¯s leg and said, "How would I know if you did anything? I was so drunk last night, you could have done anything and I wouldn¡¯t be aware."


    "You don¡¯t think I really did anything, do you?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Su Mengxin lifted her chin, "Yeah, that sort of thing, you might not have done. But as for touching me, or kissing me, how would I know?"


    "I would have liked to, but I didn¡¯t dare," Li Yifei acknowledged Su Mengxin was joking and played along with her words.


    "You¡¯re really a coward, huh? A man shouldn¡¯t be so timid," she teased.


    "So you¡¯re encouraging me? Next time I get you drunk, I¡¯ll definitely do it," he threatened playfully.


    "Hehe, then I¡¯ll just wait for the next time you get me drunk," she said, joining in the banter.


    After a few more jokes, Li Yifei warned Su Mengxin, "Someone might be out to get you. Although only one person acted yesterday, there were two more nearby, possibly others as well. Be very careful in the next few days, and it¡¯s best to bring more bodyguards when you go out."


    Deeply touched by Li Yifei¡¯s concern, Su Mengxin nodded and said, "I know, but I have to return to Capital City today."


    "Hmm, it¡¯ll be better in Capital City. Those forces will find it very difficult to infiltrate there." Capital City is a strategic location, heavily guarded by numerous defense agencies. Apart from the elite Flying Hawk Squad, there are many other agencies almost as powerful as Flying Hawk. Any forces attempting to act in Capital City would be spotted by these agencies before they could even make a move.


    What Su Mengxin was actually looking forward to the most was Li Yifei asking when she would return, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t ask, leading her to feel a bit disappointed. However, she understood that even though their relationship took a step forward last night, becoming as close as Su Yiyi and receiving the same caring treatment from Yifei would take more time.


    "This time when I go back, there¡¯s quite a bit of business to handle. I won¡¯t be returning for a while. If there¡¯s anything you need, you can call me directly."


    "Sure, if I run into any official issues, I¡¯ll have you take care of it."


    "Hehe, considering who you are..." Su Mengxin started to say, thinking of the clout Li Yifei now had as her fake cousin, but stopped herself, not wanting to wound his pride.


    Li Yifei chimed in with a laugh, "I forgot that I¡¯m your cousin. Mayors, Municipal Party Secretaries¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t give me face."


    Seeing how at ease Li Yifei was, without the slightest sense of inferiority, Su Mengxin laughed. This was the man she liked¡ªunfettered, composed, and confident. "Alright then, I¡¯m going home now. Oh, and remember to treat me to stinky tofu next time I come back."


    "No problem, we won¡¯t have dinner. We¡¯ll just eat stinky tofu."


    "Giggle, it¡¯s a deal then."


    Su Mengxin got up and left Li Yifei¡¯s home, while Li Yifei tidied up a bit before heading to work.


    Today was Tuesday, and the weekend outing had greatly boosted the morale of the company¡¯s staff. When Li Yifei arrived at the office, he could already sense the employees¡¯ lively and spirited atmosphere.


    Compared to his colleagues, Li Yifei felt like he was the most relaxed person in the company, working for three days and then slacking for two.


    As soon as he settled into his office, Xu Yingying¡¯s phone call came through, and Li Yifei had to get up again to go to Xu Yingying¡¯s office.


    "How did it go?" There was a hint of concern in Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "It¡¯s all taken care of."


    "It¡¯s over just like that?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei in surprise and asked, "How did it end?"


    Li Yifei briefly described the whole incident, but Xu Yingying, with her keen sense, felt the danger involved. As soon as Li Yifei finished, she glared at him and said, "You¡¯d better not get involved in such dangerous matters in the future. There are police to handle cases, it¡¯s not your place to step in." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei could feel Xu Yingying¡¯s concern, so he wasn¡¯t bothered by her bossy attitude and smiled, "I was just helping a friend out, and besides, it was quite thrilling."


    "Yeah, so thrilling, spending time with a beautiful policewoman every day, even pretending to be lovers, you must have taken a lot of advantage of that opportunity."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter, knowing he couldn¡¯t hide it from Xu Yingying. The other day, Xu Yingying had pretended to be his wife and had gone to such lengths, so it was natural for Lin Qiong, the lover, to get intimate with him.


    "By the way, my dad¡¯s birthday is in a couple of days, and he wants us to come home. Is that going to be a problem for you?"


    "Your dad¡¯s birthday, what do you need me to go back for?"


    "Don¡¯t play dumb. Remember, as far as they¡¯re concerned, we¡¯re married. It would look bad if you didn¡¯t go, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    "Oh... I actually forgot about that. Sigh, when will this ever end," Li Yifei lamented with a look of dejection.


    Xu Yingying was displeased. Li Yifei was kind to everyone else but always seemed reluctant when it came to her. This made her feel like a failure. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Just stick it out. At the very least, I¡¯m your friend, right? You did such dangerous things for Lin Qiong, your police friend. You wouldn¡¯t refuse to help me with this, right?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll help, okay? Isn¡¯t that enough?" he replied.


    "Then it¡¯s settled. This Friday, we¡¯ll go home and come back on Sunday."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, "Can¡¯t we pick another day?"


    "Is there an option to reschedule birthdays?"


    "Well, there really isn¡¯t. Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go," he conceded.


    "Hmph, does this interfere with your rendezvous with your little girlfriend?"


    "You know about that?" Li Yifei replied grudgingly.


    Xu Yingying was quite smug. Last weekend, she prevented Li Yifei from being with his girlfriend during the company trip, and this weekend, they would be going home for her father¡¯s birthday, still ensuring that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be with Su Yiyi.


    However, Xu Yingying quickly scorned herself. If she was going to compete for someone¡¯s attention, she would do so fair and square. Sabotaging their time felt underhanded and winning that way wasn¡¯t honorable.


    Lifting her head, Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, "This is purely coincidental. I didn¡¯t mean to ruin things between you two. If I were to compete, I would never resort to such tactics."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It would be even better if you didn¡¯t compete at all."


    "Don¡¯t you dare think that will happen," Xu Yingying, her anger rekindled by his comment, glared fiercely at Li Yifei.


    "Suit yourself, then. I¡¯m taking off," Li Yifei said and left Xu Yingying¡¯s office to return to his.


    As noon approached, Michelle came to his office with a beaming smile, "Brother Li, you¡¯re back."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Yes, I¡¯m back. I came as soon as I had finished with everything." Seeing Michelle reminded him of a secret between her and Xu Yingying that he had forgotten to ask about earlier. It seemed he would need to inquire about it when he had the chance.


    "Take a look at what this is?" Michelle held out a box to Li Yifei.


    "A gift, too?" Li Yifei received it chuckling.


    "Open it up and see," Michelle said, standing with her hands clasped behind her back, leaning slightly forward, her face radiating sweetness.


    Li Yifei sat on the sofa, opened the box, and inside was a beautiful array of seashells strung together with silk thread, forming a lovely seashell wind chime.


    "Brother Li, I saw these seashell wind chimes being sold on the island, but they weren¡¯t very nice, so I picked some shells myself and made one. I thought it would be nice to hang this wind chime in your office. When the wind blows, it should make a pleasant jingling sound," said Michelle, lifting her hands as she spoke. Li Yifei, however, suddenly grabbed her hand. Michelle tried to pull her hand back, somewhat embarrassed, "Brother Li... I... I..."


    Li Yifei¡¯s action wasn¡¯t to get intimate with Michelle but because he noticed she seemed to be injured. Holding her left hand in his palm, he saw many needle-like wounds on her fingers and palm, which made his heart ache. These were certainly wounds from making the wind chime.


    Looking at the wind chime, Li Yifei felt a heavy, moving sensation in his heart. The wind chime might be inexpensive, and such seashells were ubiquitous on the beach, but that chime was imbued with Michelle¡¯s deep affection, profoundly touching Li Yifei¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 315 - Three Hundred and Twenty-Three: A Woman’s Heart

    Chapter 315: Chapter Three Hundred and Twenty-Three: A Woman¡¯s HeartThe beautiful wind chime hung in front of Li Yifei¡¯s office window. When the breeze blew, the shells knocked against each other, making a series of pleasant chimes that lacked rhythm, and even often sounded chaotic. But to Li Yifei, it was like a beautiful piece of music, a love song of affection.


    Li Yifei was very much aware that Michelle liked him, but he never expected her affection to be so persistent, so intense, and Michelle¡¯s love never came with any expectations or demands for anything in return. She just silently gave, silently liked.


    Looking at the string of wind chimes, Li Yifei let out a soft sigh. Michelle was not bad; in fact, she was very good. Out of the girls he knew, aside from Su Yiyi, Michelle was indeed the most suitable to be a wife. But at present, he didn¡¯t even dare to give Su Yiyi a definitive promise, let alone want Michelle to get involved too.


    "Brother Li, you don¡¯t need to think too much. I just like doing this. By doing this, I am happy," Michelle had said to Li Yifei as she left his office after giving him the wind chimes. This lovely girl, when she fell in love, gave her all and expected nothing in return.


    There was a knock on the door, and Li Yifei invited the visitor in with a word. As he turned around, He Fangqing pushed the door and entered. The sound of the wind chime immediately caught her attention, and she walked straight to the window, saying with a bit of amusement, "Yifei, for a man, having a string of wind chimes in the office, isn¡¯t that a bit too girlish?"


    In front of He Fangqing, Li Yifei always felt unburdened. He shook his head and sighed, "This was given to me by Michelle. She made it herself. Those shells are very hard; to make holes in them for the threads, her hands were covered in pinpricks."


    He Fangqing looked at the wind chimes again, and suddenly they seemed to take on a special significance. Turning back to Li Yifei, she said, "That really is a token of that girl¡¯s affection. The gift may be light, but the sentiment is heavy."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Exactly, that¡¯s why I¡¯m feeling uncomfortable now. I can¡¯t be with her, and her affection is being wasted on me. Won¡¯t I end up hurting her?"


    He Fangqing sat next to Li Yifei, smiling slightly, "You still don¡¯t understand a girl¡¯s heart. When a girl falls in love, she often does so without looking back. And this kind of love is a form of happiness. Even if she doesn¡¯t get anything in return, when she looks back on it later in life, it will be one of the most important colors of her life. Indeed, by rejecting her directly, you would avoid a lot of trouble, but you would also crush a girl¡¯s fantasies and hopes for love."


    Li Yifei looked at He Fangqing and said, "Since you¡¯ve explained it so clearly, can you give me a suggestion?"


    "A suggestion? Just go with the flow, I guess. You don¡¯t have to deliberately avoid Michelle, nor do you need to express anything to her. Just act like before. This way, you won¡¯t hurt her, nor will she be too upset if you can¡¯t end up together. There¡¯s also another thing, what if you do end up together later?"


    "Your idea sounds like no idea at all, but it seems like that¡¯s the only way to go for now. By the way, what did you want to see me for?"


    He Fangqing glanced at Li Yifei and said, "You sure change your tune fast. Can¡¯t I visit you if there¡¯s nothing going on? Are you also afraid that I¡¯ll cling to you?"


    "How could that be? Even if Fangqing clung to me for a lifetime, I¡¯d be happy to let her."


    "Nice words. If a man¡¯s words were to be believed, pigs could climb trees."


    After joking for a bit, He Fangqing suddenly fell silent. Li Yifei patted her hand, and said, "What¡¯s wrong? Is there something you can¡¯t talk to me about?"


    He Fangqing forced a smile and said, "If it were anything else, I¡¯d ask you without hesitation. But... it¡¯s about my ex-husband."


    "About your ex?" Li Yifei looked at He Fangqing, waiting for her to continue.


    "It¡¯s like this. When my ex-husband and I got married, we had our households registered together. We didn¡¯t separate them when we divorced. I¡¯ve been busy and didn¡¯t care about it, but now that I have a bit of free time, I¡¯m planning to move my household registration. I don¡¯t want to have any connection with him anymore. Besides, I want to set up residence in Mile City. Without the household registration book, I can¡¯t go through with these procedures."


    A smile appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face immediately, "So that¡¯s what this is about. I¡¯ll get it for you. If he doesn¡¯t hand it over, I¡¯ll make him hand it over by beating him up."


    "Hey, you just had a serious expression, are you angry thinking I want to get back with my ex-husband? Now that you know it¡¯s about this, you¡¯re happy again."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned red, "I did feel that way, actually."


    "You men, you¡¯d like it if I didn¡¯t cling to you but get upset if you see me with someone else, typical male chauvinism."


    Li Yifei just gave a dry laugh in response to He Fangqing¡¯s words which genuinely reflected his feelings just now.


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a look, "Alright then, I¡¯m not planning on getting remarried, so I¡¯ll let you off the hook. But when I ask you to come with me, it¡¯s for you to flex some muscle, in case that woman with him starts nagging at me again. It¡¯s really annoying to deal with."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "No problem, when do you want to go?"


    "How about tomorrow? I¡¯ve made an appointment with him to pick up the household registration book at his house. Now that he and that woman are living in Mile City, there¡¯s no need to run to the provincial capital."


    Now, He Fangqing¡¯s ex-husband, Chen Mingsheng, and that fat woman, Su Juan, had already taken over Huayang Company, naturally, they also had to live in Mile City.


    Just thinking about those two made Li Yifei feel disgusted. A man could degrade himself for money and power to such a shrew, it was truly disgraceful. And that Su Juan, being fat wasn¡¯t the problem, but she had to be pretentious, acting like a shrew and occasionally trying to display the coquettishness of a young girl, which was the most disgusting of all.


    "No problem, I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow and make sure they give you the household registration book obediently. If that¡¯s still not enough for you, we can ruin their company later and watch them cry."


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "Is it that serious? I just don¡¯t want to have anything to do with them anymore. Ruining their company would just make it seem like I can¡¯t stop thinking about Chen Mingsheng. Besides, Huayang Company was built up by Yingying herself. If we ruin it, how would that make Yingying feel?"


    Li Yifei thought about it and realized that, given Xu Yingying¡¯s personality, she was indeed very attached to that company. Ruining Huayang Company would definitely not sit well with her. He chuckled and said, "I was just talking. We don¡¯t really have the power to ruin someone else¡¯s company just like that."


    "Really? It seems like a certain someone is the president of this company. If he were to use a few tens of millions to play dirty, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Li Yifei thought to himself that he didn¡¯t need to use the company¡¯s money, the money left by Su Mengxin was more than enough to ruin Huayang Company. But, thinking of this money made him realize that in the past few days he spent with Su Mengxin, he never thought about returning it to her. He shouldn¡¯t let her think he was embezzling it.


    But on second thought, Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t care about this sum of money at all. In the past, she had mentioned that it was meant for him to use for non-company expenses when necessary. Returning it to Su Mengxin would actually seem like he wasn¡¯t being a good friend. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing nudged Li Yifei and teased, "Hey, Mr. President, what are you daydreaming about? Don¡¯t always take advantage of me. You¡¯ve got to reward me too, don¡¯t you? Maybe get me a sports car worth a few million to drive."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "No problem. Don¡¯t even mention a sports car, I can even get you a plane if you want."


    "A plane... I think you¡¯re better off playing with your own ¡¯plane¡¯."


    "So you know about that too, huh? Want to help me ¡¯fly¡¯ it once?" Li Yifei wrapped his arm around He Fangqing¡¯s shoulders.


    He Fangqing pinched Li Yifei¡¯s crotch and said, "I¡¯m afraid of exhausting you to death. You better save your energy. After tomorrow¡¯s task is done, I¡¯ll reward you properly."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up, "That¡¯s what you said. If you don¡¯t satisfy me then, I won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    "I can satisfy you? You¡¯re like a beast, strong as an ox. You always leave me exhausted to near death."


    "Haha, men have to be strong, right? How else can we make women submit?"


    "Submit to your big ghost," He Fangqing shot Li Yifei a flirtatious look and then turned and walked out.


    After fooling around with He Fangqing, Li Yifei was in a great mood. Every time he was with her, he felt the most relaxed, with no burden on his heart, just boundless happiness.


    Perhaps that was the very reason why He Fangqing captivated him so much.


    Sitting at his desk, Li Yifei lit up a cigarette and thought about the next day¡¯s task of getting the household registration book from Chen Mingsheng. Perhaps Chen still harbored feelings for He Fangqing and would not make things too difficult, but as for that woman, Su Juan, she would undoubtedly take this opportunity to thoroughly humiliate He Fangqing.


    This made Li Yifei truly not understand the woman¡¯s heart. Su Juan had stolen someone else¡¯s husband, and yet she was still relentless towards He Fangqing, as if the two had some deep hatred.


    Li Yifei still didn¡¯t understand women. Su Juan¡¯s hatred for He Fangqing was because she knew she couldn¡¯t compare to He Fangqing in any aspect besides having money. Even now that Chen Mingsheng was her husband, she knew she was far less important to him than He Fangqing.


    Therefore, she wanted to humiliate He Fangqing and make her look bad in front of Chen, seeking a bit of consolation for herself.


    Li Yifei now had to prepare to prevent He Fangqing from being embarrassed and to properly deal with that couple of adulterers. He Fangqing was his woman now, and he wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to bully her.

 Chapter 316 - 324 Chen Mingsheng’s Thoughts

    Chapter 316: Chapter 324 Chen Mingsheng¡¯s ThoughtsChen Mingsheng had been living quite gloriously these days. Previously, he was just a minor employee in the head office, but now he had become the general manager of a branch company, with its total assets almost reaching a billion and nearly two to three hundred employees under his command. Everyone in the company had to act according to his facial expressions; a stern look from him and there was no one who wouldn¡¯t be afraid.


    The former general manager of the company, Xu Yingying, used to drive just a Buick, but now, he had already switched to a BMW X5. For such a large company, a general manager ought to drive a car of this caliber.


    Money, power, status¡ªChen Mingsheng seemed to have acquired them all at once. For a man, that was indeed quite impressive. This was social status, this was what he had always been after, and now he had finally got his hands on it.


    Yet, Chen Mingsheng was also somewhat uncomfortable because although everyone outwardly showed a lot of respect for their boss and flattered him, behind his back, they all said he climbed to his position by relying on a woman¡¯s connections. A few times, he even accidentally overheard the employees discussing this, the disdain and contempt in their expressions.


    This was a thorn in Chen Mingsheng¡¯s side, a sore spot in his heart. Although it was the truth that he had climbed to this position thanks to the woman Su Juan, he still couldn¡¯t stand it when others spoke of it in such a way.


    What made Chen Mingsheng increasingly embarrassed was his current wife, Su Juan, who was simply a shrew. At home, she was utterly domineering and bossy towards him, and even at the company, she behaved the same way. She lost her temper whenever she felt like it, giving no regard to his dignity as the general manager.


    That¡¯s how people are. Before possessing something, they would do everything they could to acquire it, and once they have what they want, they start to think about what they¡¯ve lost. Lately, Chen Mingsheng often thought of He Fangqing, remembering how she used to treat him, and then considering how Su Juan treated him now, which made him value He Fangqing¡¯s goodness all the more and find Su Juan unbearable.


    If possible, Chen Mingsheng truly wanted to be with He Fangqing again, and to kick the annoying Su Juan to the curb.


    When He Fangqing called to ask for the household registration book to change her hukou, it made Chen Mingsheng even more nostalgic about the time they were happily putting their hukou together.


    Originally, Chen Mingsheng planned to meet with He Fangqing alone, so he could have a proper talk with her. He wanted to tell He Fangqing that their separation was a last resort, simply to lay the groundwork for their future together, hoping she would forgive him. He didn¡¯t believe that He Fangqing could have forgotten him by now; after all, they had been so affectionate when they were together.


    He had it all planned out. He would first play along with Su Juan, and once he had made enough money here, he would kick her to the curb and then get back together with He Fangqing. For now, he just wanted He Fangqing to become his lover. Since she had been his wife before, He Fangqing would probably not refuse.


    Chen Mingsheng had his plans nicely laid out, but just after he had arranged to meet with He Fangqing, Su Juan barged in. He hadn¡¯t even had the chance to delete the call logs on his phone. Su Juan, who was extremely suspicious of Chen Mingsheng, immediately began to sift through his phone and saw He Fangqing¡¯s number. She became furiously confrontational and demanded an explanation from Chen Mingsheng.


    Chen Mingsheng had no choice but to tell her about He Fangqing¡¯s plans to move her hukou the next day. Still skeptical, Su Juan doubted that Chen Mingsheng was over He Fangqing. After much persuasion and explanation, Su Juan finally let it go.


    However, much to Chen Mingsheng¡¯s surprise and delight, Su Juan didn¡¯t insist on waiting at home together for He Fangqing the next day but instead had arranged to play mahjong with a few ladies. She continued to warn Chen Mingsheng, though, not to talk too much to He Fangqing the next day and to get He Fangqing to relocate her hukou quickly to be done with it.


    The following morning, once Su Juan had left, Chen Mingsheng immediately took out the household registration book. Then, after thinking for a moment, he called He Fangqing to tell her to meet at the Dream Origin Coffee Shop, where he would be waiting for her.


    He Fangqing and Li Yifei had just left the company. Upon receiving the call, He Fangqing frowned and said, "I don¡¯t know what Chen Mingsheng is up to, changing the location like this."


    Li Yifei, driving the car, commented, "A coffee shop, that¡¯s quite a romantic place..."


    Hearing the tone of Li Yifei¡¯s voice, He Fangqing chuckled and said, "What¡¯s wrong, jealous?"


    "Very jealous," he said. "A coffee shop¡ªthat¡¯s a place for lovey-dovey talk, not for transferring hukous."


    He Fangqing smiled slightly but then let out a soft sigh, "I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to, but after all, he and I were husband and wife for over a year. It hurts to think about how he has changed."


    Li Yifei patted He Fangqing¡¯s hand and said, "I understand. It shows you¡¯re a person of empathy and fidelity. But that guy really didn¡¯t know how to cherish what he had; he deserves to lose his good fortune."


    He Fangqing clasped Li Yifei¡¯s hand in response, "It¡¯s all in the past; he and I are completely over."


    Li Yifei grinned, "So, I reap the benefits, huh?"


    "You even know when you have the advantage, at least you still have some conscience."


    "Of course, I¡¯m well aware that a woman as good as Fangqing, with her appeal in bed, would fascinate any man."


    "You big lecher, that¡¯s all you think about."


    He Fangqing playfully twisted Li Yifei¡¯s arm and smiled.


    The car stopped at the entrance of the coffee shop. Li Yifei said to He Fangqing, "Since you chose this place, I think that Su Juan probably isn¡¯t here, so I won¡¯t go in. You talk to him and have a good chat."


    He Fangqing looked at Li Yifei and after a moment, nodded heavily and said, "There¡¯s nothing much to talk about. I¡¯ll just get the household registration book and come out." Then she opened the car door and stepped out.


    Inside the coffee shop, Chen Mingsheng wore a sharp suit and sported a Swiss watch worth hundreds of thousands on his wrist. With his good build and handsome face, he truly looked the part of a successful man.


    When He Fangqing entered, Chen Mingsheng quickly stood up and gestured to her with his hand.


    He Fangqing walked confidently towards Chen Mingsheng who promptly pulled out a chair for her, the picture of genteel courtesy, and said, "Fangqing, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for quite a while."


    "Thank you!" He Fangqing sat down with ease. The past was like smoke; she was doing well now, so she harbored no hatred towards Chen Mingsheng, nor was there a need for a cold front. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Mingsheng sat down, looking at He Fangqing across from him. Her beautiful hair was piled into a bun behind her head, her exquisitely delicate face lightly made up, and a slender platinum necklace adorned her graceful neck. She hadn¡¯t worn the gold one he had bought her before. Outfitted in a black professional suit, He Fangqing looked extremely sharp.


    Even when dating He Fangqing, Chen Mingsheng was drawn by her beauty, but after marriage, he cared less about such things. He was more concerned with climbing the ladder, with standing out. Now, divorced from He Fangqing and with someone like the porcine Su Juan, upon seeing He Fangqing again, he felt as if he were back in the days when they were in love. He found He Fangqing beautiful and captivating; his breathing even became rapid at the sight of her.


    "Fangqing, you look truly beautiful today," Chen Mingsheng¡¯s intense gaze fell on He Fangqing, his face showing an infatuated smile. To him, her being dressed so prettily seemed to be just for him.


    He Fangqing smiled faintly and said, "Thanks for the compliment. Did you bring the household registration book? I took the morning off to settle this.""


    Chen Mingsheng felt a sudden pang of disappointment as He Fangqing brought up the household registration book straight away, like a bucket of cold water poured over him. But having this rare chance to be together with He Fangqing again, he still said with a smile, "I¡¯ve brought it, but there¡¯s no rush. I just had dinner with a friend from the police station the other day. As long as I go with you, there¡¯s no need to queue, we can get it done quickly."


    He Fangqing sensed that Chen Mingsheng was being particularly solicitous that day, yet she immediately refused, "There¡¯s no need, I can manage on my own. Just hand me the household registration book, and I¡¯ll return it to you once I¡¯m done."


    At this moment, a waiter brought over two cups of coffee. Chen Mingsheng rushed to say, "There¡¯s no need to hurry. This is your favorite Blue Mountain coffee, I ordered it especially for you."


    He Fangqing glanced at the coffee and said, "Sorry, but I¡¯ve changed my habits. I rarely drink coffee now."


    Chen Mingsheng¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, then with an expression of deep sorrow, he said, "Fangqing, I know you hate me, hate that I left you for Su Juan, but it wasn¡¯t truly of my own volition, I was forced by Su Juan."


    He Fangqing looked at Chen Mingsheng and said, "Is that so? However, it has nothing to do with me anymore."


    Chen Mingsheng reached out to grab He Fangqing¡¯s hand, but she had already moved her hands under the table, leaving him to grasp at empty air, and reluctantly withdrew his hand, saying, "Fangqing, this absolutely involves you. You know, as a man, it is my duty to provide a good life for us, but I wasn¡¯t making progress in my career. Su Juan used this to lure me in, forcing me to be with her. I thought, I could use her as a stepping stone first, climb up the ranks in my career, then leave her and get back together with you. Everything I did, I did for our future."


    Chen Mingsheng became more emotional as he spoke; his eyes even turned red, seeming as though tears were about to fall. His besotted gaze on He Fangqing was truly convincing, making it appear as though he was indeed helpless and had struggled deeply.

 Chapter 317 - 325 Shameless Man

    Chapter 317: Chapter 325 Shameless ManHe Fangqing also felt somewhat upset by Chen Mingsheng¡¯s words; after all, he was the man she had deeply loved. Otherwise, she would not have married him. She sighed and said, "Since everything has already happened, I don¡¯t want to bring it up again. You¡¯re remarried now, and you¡¯ve also become the general manager of Huayang Company. Your wish has been fulfilled. I should congratulate you."


    "No! Fangqing, what you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t right. I used to think that this was what I wanted, but now I realize I¡¯ve lost so much more, the most important thing being... I¡¯ve lost you." Chen Mingsheng gazed intently at He Fangqing. Back when they were passionately in love, he used to look at her with the same gaze, and at that time, He Fangqing always felt very intoxicated.


    Unfortunately, He Fangqing was not intoxicated today; instead, she avoided his gaze, gently stirring her coffee with a spoon and spoke slowly, "This is life. You win some, you lose some. Nothing is perfect."


    "It¡¯s not, but I can still try my best. Fangqing, give me a chance to make up for this mistake."


    "Make up for it?" He Fangqing looked at Chen Mingsheng somewhat puzzled.


    Chen Mingsheng nodded vehemently, with the most earnest and sincere expression and tone, he said, "Fangqing, I¡¯ve been reflecting a lot recently. I¡¯ve realized that it¡¯s only you I love; in my heart, you are the only one I truly care for. Looking at that Su Juan makes me sick. So give me a chance, let¡¯s start over."


    He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened as she asked slowly, "How do we start over?"


    Seeing that He Fangqing had not immediately refused, Chen Mingsheng¡¯s heart swelled with joy, and he quickly said, "Here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking: I plan to put up with Su Juan for now. Once I¡¯ve saved up enough capital, enough money for our future, I will divorce her, and we can be together again. Then I¡¯ll take you around the world, buy you whatever you want. In short, everything you want, I¡¯ll give you."


    He Fangqing smiled. She suddenly smiled brilliantly, which made Chen Mingsheng even more ecstatic, as he said eagerly, "Fangqing, does that mean you agree?"


    Lifting her coffee cup, He Fangqing took a delicate sip, her posture elegant, and said, "So what you¡¯re saying is... you want me to be your mistress now?"


    "Yes! Ah, no, not a mistress, you were always my wife. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have a marriage certificate anymore. We can still be like we were before."


    "What a wonderful idea," He Fangqing said, her smile deepening, but within that smile was a deep disdain.


    Unfortunately, Chen Mingsheng, now blinded by joy, failed to see the disdain in He Fangqing¡¯s smile, and instead saw only her smile as he excitedly said, "You agree it¡¯s a good idea, so we can do this. Rest assured, I will quickly make a lot of money, and then we can elope to live the life we love."


    "Chen Mingsheng! You bastard!"


    Just as Chen Mingsheng was basking in excitement, a roar suddenly came from behind him, followed by a looming shadow, and two chubby hands with sharp nails swiped at his face.


    At the sound of the shout, Chen Mingsheng nearly lost his soul, for the voice belonged to his legal wife, Su Juan. Instinctively dodging, he put up his arms to block, and luckily, his face was spared, but several scratches immediately marred the back of his hands.


    "Wi... wife... how... how did you get here?" Chen Mingsheng, no longer minding the pain in his hands, turned pale and stammered his question. What he wanted to know most was when Su Juan had arrived and what exactly she had overheard.


    Su Juan, with her eyes glaring furiously as if they could shoot out flames, stood with one hand on her hip and the other chubby finger pointing at Chen Mingsheng, she raged, "You¡¯re such an ungrateful wretch, Chen Mingsheng. After all the effort I¡¯ve made to get you to be the general manager, you¡¯re thinking of dumping me, huh? Well, let me tell you, there¡¯s no way out unless I get bored of you, otherwise don¡¯t even think about leaving."


    "Wife, wife, you¡¯ve misunderstood. It¡¯s not what you think. You¡¯re the only one in my heart. How could I think of leaving you?" Chen Mingsheng grabbed Su Juan¡¯s plump hands, making a face that pleaded for forgiveness.


    "Really? Then what was the meaning behind your words just now? Let me tell you, from the moment you walked in, I¡¯ve been hiding behind you, and I¡¯ve heard every single word you¡¯ve said, loud and clear. Don¡¯t think you can pull any tricks on me."


    Chen Mingsheng felt a chill run down his spine, wondering how he had failed to notice Su Juan following him. That¡¯s right, it must have been because he saw Su Juan leave with his own eyes this morning, so the thought of her following him never crossed his mind. Moreover, he had been preoccupied with how to coax He Fangqing, neglecting the people around him.


    Glancing around, he could feel the gaze of everyone in the caf¨¦ on them, which made Chen Mingsheng wish he could find a hole to crawl into. He was a general manager of a company after all, and if this got out, he would be even more looked down upon at Huayang Company. But for now, pride was the least of his concerns. If he couldn¡¯t placate Su Juan, he feared he¡¯d be packing up and leaving his job tomorrow.


    "Juan, Juan, let¡¯s go home and talk this over properly. I¡¯ll explain everything to you," Chen Mingsheng wrapped his arms around Su Juan¡¯s shoulder. Before she could shake him off, he whispered urgently into her ear, "I have my reasons; we can¡¯t talk about this here."


    Su Juan was having none of it, pushing Chen Mingsheng away with a slap and shouting, "What reasons could you possibly have, except wanting to get back with your ex-wife? Do you take me for a fool? Hmph, you shameless woman, even after the divorce, still seducing my husband. Have you no shame?"


    He Fangqing had wanted to leave as soon as this woman, Su Juan, showed up, knowing it was impossible to reason with her. Besides, this woman had overheard what Chen Mingsheng had said, which would surely turn her anger towards He Fangqing. She had been looking for a way out, but Su Juan was blocking her path, and unless she pushed past Su Juan, there was no escaping. And now, Su Juan was already directing her fury at her.


    Despite the turn of events, He Fangqing wasn¡¯t scared, certainly not weak. She replied coldly, "Since you heard everything we said, you should understand that all of this was unrequited on your husband¡¯s part."


    "It takes two to tango. If it weren¡¯t for you seducing him, would he spare you a second thought? You whore..." Su Juan, true to her shrewish nature, unleashed a torrent of abuse that left onlookers in the caf¨¦ wide-eyed with shock at her gutter language.


    Other customers might have been entertained, but He Fangqing could not stand it. She was the one being insulted, and even someone as good-natured as her had her limits. Her complexion grew paler by the second until, all of a sudden, she flung the steaming cup of coffee in her hand onto Su Juan¡¯s face.


    This move surprised everyone. He Fangqing, who had remained silent, seemed fragile, and in the eyes of the onlookers, she was the "other woman" caught by the legal wife. Yet now she displayed such defiance that it was completely unexpected.


    It seemed to everyone that the caught mistress should be anxious and unsettled. Moreover, Su Juan¡¯s loud and crass demeanor was off-putting, despite being the wronged legal wife. He Fangqing, on the other hand, appeared educated and cultured, a refined mistress. Yet, this outburst caused the bystanders to lack sympathy for her.


    He Fangqing¡¯s sudden retaliation caught Su Juan off-guard, after which she burst into a frenzied tirade. "You Ungrateful Wretch, if you were able, you¡¯d have kept your husband in check; if not, you shouldn¡¯t be seducing him now, with a face like a slut, you... you [] of thousands..."


    After hurling a few insults, Su Juan, hissing and baring her claws, lunged at He Fangqing, her nails slashing toward He Fangqing¡¯s face as she venomously continued, "You stinking bitch, I¡¯ll disfigure you today, and we¡¯ll see if you still seduce someone¡¯s husband after that."


    Chen Mingsheng had been terrified by Su Juan¡¯s behavior and was now just thinking about how to appease her when he got back. Seeing Su Juan attack He Fangqing, he astonishingly didn¡¯t make a move to intervene. To him, He Fangqing was someone he would have liked to keep as a secret lover if possible, but now that Su Juan had discovered them, any relationship with He Fangqing was utterly impossible. So, he thought only of how to protect himself.


    He Fangqing, however, was prepared, knowing this woman would resort to violence. She had been sitting on the outermost of two chairs, and upon standing up, she was now between them. As Su Juan reached out to attack, He Fangqing retreated further in and pushed the chair slightly outward with her foot, effectively blocking Su Juan¡¯s advance.


    Su Juan, with her bulky frame, couldn¡¯t reach He Fangqing right away, but He Fangqing herself was feeling tense. This madwoman was completely unreasonable, and trying to argue would be futile. As for fighting, how could she contend with such a woman? She couldn¡¯t help but glance instinctively at Chen Mingsheng, her ex-husband, hoping he would stop Su Juan from hitting her. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Chen Mingsheng was avoiding He Fangqing¡¯s gaze, hastily pulling out a household registration book and tossing it at her, declaring righteously, "Here¡¯s the household registration book you wanted. I had it ready for you, and let me tell you, in my heart, there¡¯s only Juan. No matter what you do, I¡¯ll only be with Juan. Do not harass me again in the future."


    He Fangqing was stunned for a moment, then she burst into laughter, a laugh full of self-derision. She could hardly believe how long she had lived with such a shameless man.

 Chapter 318 - 326: In a sorry state

    Chapter 318: Chapter 326: In a sorry state"He Fangqing, although we have had a marriage, I wasn¡¯t happy with you during that time. However, I also admit that by leaving you, I wronged you. That¡¯s why I said those words to you, as a way to express my apology. I wanted to offer you some sort of compensation, but I¡¯ve realized that I was wrong. Compensating you would mean being unfaithful to Juan, and would denigrate my true love for Juan. So, I can only say sorry to you, and let¡¯s bring our matters to a close with this. From now on, you should take care of yourself."


    Chen Mingsheng puffed out his chest, his words fervent and yet sorrowful, with such a righteous air.


    Then he wrapped an arm around Su Juan¡¯s shoulder and said softly, "Juan, I¡¯m sorry, my heart is just too kind. I always feel guilty towards her, that¡¯s why I acted this way. I won¡¯t do it again. I realize that by doing so, I am even more in the wrong to you, even more untrue to your love."


    Su Juan was that type of person with a simple mind and a volatile temper ¨C plainly speaking, somewhat dim-witted. Otherwise, Chen Mingsheng would not have been able to fool her with such ease. Now, hearing Chen Mingsheng speak like this in front of He Fangqing, her anger towards him promptly reduced quite a bit.


    But a decrease in antipathy towards Chen Mingsheng did not mean lesser animosity towards He Fangqing. In her heart, He Fangqing was a vixen, a constant threat as long as she existed. He Fangqing¡¯s beauty and elegance were beyond her reach, even if she were to chase after it.


    "Is that so? Then prove it to me," Su Juan said, glaring venomously at He Fangqing.


    Chen Mingsheng¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. This had already happened once before. Last time, at the headquarters¡¯ entrance, Su Juan demanded he hit He Fangqing, but was thwarted by that Pretty Boy, Li Yifei. At the time, he actually felt somewhat relieved. He truly did not have the heart to hit He Fangqing.


    But this time was different. If he didn¡¯t actually hit He Fangqing, his death was certain this time, all his efforts would be wasted. As long as he maintained his marriage with Su Juan, he could keep his current status. In time, money and status would be his, and finding a few beautiful women would be an easy task.


    Clenching his teeth fiercely, Chen Mingsheng pulled Su Juan aside, moved the chair in front of He Fangqing out of the way, and stepped in front of her. But as soon as he met her gaze, Chen Mingsheng knew his relationship with He Fangqing was utterly over. The last time he was about to hit He Fangqing, her eyes were filled with tears of humiliation, indicating her deep sorrow, sorrow that their marital bond had come to such a pass. But this time, it was different. He Fangqing¡¯s eyes held only disdain, and intense scorn.


    This made Chen Mingsheng feel very uncomfortable. After all, He Fangqing was once his wife, and now she felt no affection for him at all ¨C that shouldn¡¯t be!


    Such was the selfish side of Chen Mingsheng ¨C he had been so merciless and heartless towards He Fangqing, yet he still expected her to hold affection for him. If a person could be so shameless, even the gods would be at a loss to help.


    Since He Fangqing had no affection for him, he had nothing to hold back for. To prove there was nothing between them, he had to hit her. This time, his decision was not as conflicted, nor was it as painfully difficult as the last. He swung his arm back and aimed a blow at He Fangqing¡¯s face.


    As Chen Mingsheng made his move, Su Juan felt her heart leap with joy. Her hostility towards He Fangqing stemmed from her knowledge that Chen Mingsheng had never stopped pining for He Fangqing, that he had once been deeply involved with her emotionally. She feared a revival of their relationship, which is why she was so determined to make Chen Mingsheng hit He Fangqing. That way, He Fangqing would no longer be a part of Chen Mingsheng¡¯s life.


    The shrew has her own method of dealing with things; though hard to accept and infuriating to witness, it couldn¡¯t be denied that her method was effective. Regardless of the fact that He Fangqing had long since given up on Chen Mingsheng, even if she hadn¡¯t, she would surely come to loathe him profoundly after this.


    She waited to hear the sound of Chen Mingsheng¡¯s slap on He Fangqing¡¯s face, waited to see He Fangqing¡¯s anger and hatred, waited to see the fresh bruise on her cheek. All of this excited her immensely.


    The onlookers, listening to Chen Mingsheng and Su Juan¡¯s noisy quarrel, had more or less understood the situation and the relationships between the three. It turned out He Fangqing was Chen Mingsheng¡¯s ex-wife, while this woman, Su Juan, was Chen Mingsheng¡¯s current wife.


    This revelation left everyone incredibly perplexed. He Fangqing had both beauty and a fine figure, an elegance and dignity that outshone Su Juan by streets. How could a man like Chen Mingsheng leave such a beautiful wife, only to marry such a brutish woman?


    Thinking it over, they had more or less guessed why ¨C nowadays, women like to attach themselves to the wealthy, and similarly, some wealthy women like to keep a Pretty Boy. This shrew-like woman, by her dress, was clearly affluent. Evidently, she belonged to those who foster Pretty Boys, and Chen Mingsheng¡¯s abandonment of a beautiful wife could not have been for true love, but surely because the woman was wealthy.


    Thus, everyone felt very sympathetic towards He Fangqing. Seeing that Chen Mingsheng still wanted to hit He Fangqing at this time made everyone even more furious. There were even two men who couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and loudly shouted, "Stop!"


    But after all, they were just onlookers, only capable of shouting; they couldn¡¯t possibly intervene. However, their reluctance to help didn¡¯t mean He Fangqing was defenseless. Just as Chen Mingsheng¡¯s hand was about to strike He Fangqing¡¯s face, a hand suddenly reached out from behind the booth next to He Fangqing. That hand effortlessly flicked Chen Mingsheng¡¯s arm, causing his hand to slide past He Fangqing¡¯s nose without hitting her.


    This isn¡¯t the end of it. With his momentum not yet dissipated, Chen Mingsheng spun half a turn. His swinging arm couldn¡¯t be retracted in time, and soon there was a sharp "smack" ¨C the unmistakable sound of a palm striking a face.


    It might seem slow when told, but everything actually happened very quickly. Everyone just saw Chen Mingsheng swing his hand in a hard slap, then as though he put too much strength into it, spun around and ended up with his hand on Su Juan¡¯s face. Nobody could tell whether the sound of the slap was from hitting He Fangqing or Su Juan.


    He Fangqing had already resigned herself to the slap, feeling utterly despondent. As a fragile woman, she was no match for Chen Mingsheng and couldn¡¯t avoid being hit. But when Chen Mingsheng¡¯s slap not only missed her face but actually landed on Su Juan¡¯s, she saw the person behind the booth next to her grinning at her ¨C Li Yifei.


    At that moment, He Fangqing suddenly felt like crying, not because of Chen Mingsheng, but because of Li Yifei¡¯s timely arrival. It was like a child who had been bullied suddenly seeing their parent. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nevertheless, He Fangqing held back her tears, distracted by Su Juan¡¯s piercing scream and the continuous barrage of curses that followed.


    "Chen Mingsheng, you bastard, how dare you hit me! So it turns out you¡¯re in cahoots with this stinky bitch. I¡¯m going to make you pay!"


    "I... I... It was not on purpose... Ah, my Juan, it really wasn¡¯t on purpose. I was aiming for her, I don¡¯t know how... Ouch, I really didn¡¯t mean to hit you."


    Chen Mingsheng tried to explain, but Su Juan, in her raging fury, was not listening to any of his excuses. Her chubby hands with long nails scratched violently at Chen Mingsheng, and in the blink of an eye, his face was clawed to shreds.


    "Not on purpose? I¡¯ll show you ¡¯not on purpose¡¯! You think I am blind? Or are you just stupid? You couldn¡¯t hit the person in front of you, but me, standing behind you, you could hit perfectly fine? And you still say it wasn¡¯t intentional?" Su Juan continued to curse and scratch Chen Mingsheng mercilessly.


    The crowd, seeing the scene turn out this way, began to laugh heartily. Unconsciously, they had come to see these two as villains, and a fight between such characters was naturally entertaining.


    Seeing the situation turn against him, Chen Mingsheng knew no explanation would suffice. If things continued, Su Juan might actually kill him. He quickly looked for an opening, squeezed past Su Juan, and ran for the exit.


    "Don¡¯t run, stop right there! I swear I¡¯ll skin you alive!" Su Juan, with her short legs, chased after him.


    "Ow!" Just a few steps into her pursuit, Su Juan suddenly tripped over something and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Her plump body rolled on the floor like a bouncing ball before coming to a stop.


    "Ouch! Ouch! I¡¯m going to die!" Su Juan cried out in agony, calling to the heavens, while the waitstaff hurried over to help her up. However, she brushed the waitstaff¡¯s hands away and sat on the ground, crying and causing a scene.


    Chen Mingsheng rushed back, helped Su Juan up, and this time, she stopped hitting him. While still swearing at him, she limped out.


    Watching the pair help each other out in such a sorry state, someone in the shop laughed first, followed by a contagious burst of laughter from everyone else. It was rare to witness such an incident in a cafe, especially when two such detestable people ended up with such a fitting comeuppance ¡ª true poetic justice.


    But nobody noticed that when Su Juan fell, her foot had stumbled upon a cup. No one knew how that cup had ended up beneath her foot.

 Chapter 319 - 327 Misunderstanding

    Chapter 319: Chapter 327 MisunderstandingHe Fangqing and Li Yifei didn¡¯t speak in the cafe, not because she didn¡¯t want to, but because when she went to look for Li Yifei, he had already disappeared. It wasn¡¯t until she came out that she saw Li Yifei in the car.


    "Why didn¡¯t you wait for me?" He Fangqing sat in the passenger seat, buckling her seat belt while looking at Li Yifei to ask.


    Li Yifei snuffed out his cigarette and said with a smile, "I saw there were so many people in the cafe supporting you. If I had popped up, wouldn¡¯t they have started gossiping again, affecting your reputation?"


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "You think I care how they see me?" She then laughed sarcastically and added, "In their eyes, I¡¯m probably just a cast-off wife, just an ex who can¡¯t let go."


    Li Yifei took He Fangqing¡¯s hand and smiled, "When others attack you, if you get angry or sad, that means they¡¯ve achieved their goal and made them happy. What you need to do is not let them reach their goal, not let them be happy."


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, He Fangqing¡¯s lips slowly curved into a smile. Then, with a snort of laughter, she said, "You¡¯re right, that woman just wants to make me angry, to make me sad. What else could make me happy at this moment and make her uncomfortable?"


    "Exactly, Fangqing is indeed Fangqing, truly smart."


    "Stop flattering me. Thanks for cheering me up. Now come with me to transfer my household registration."


    Li Yifei drove He Fangqing to the police station, and as soon as the car stopped, they saw Lin Qiong. This police station was under Lin Qiong¡¯s jurisdiction. Even though she was about to be promoted, she had to wrap up this smuggling case before she could truly be recognized for her work and then be promoted.


    "What are you guys doing here?" Seeing He Fangqing with a household registration book, Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei with an unfriendly gaze. Many people came to the police station with a household registration book, but most of the time, young men and women came here to handle residence registration because of marriage.


    He Fangqing was no little girl. From Lin Qiong¡¯s unfriendly gaze, she instantly read something unusual. Holding up her household registration book, she said to Lin Qiong, "Officer Lin is here, that¡¯s great. We were just about to handle some residence registration. Can you help us out?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face darkened even more. He Fangqing¡¯s words pushed her thoughts in a certain direction. She couldn¡¯t believe that scoundrel Li Yifei was actually going to marry He Fangqing. She gave Li Yifei a fierce glare and said, "I¡¯ve never taken shortcuts. Just go inside and talk to the clerical staff. They¡¯ll process it normally."


    He Fangqing, deliberately provoking Lin Qiong, remarked, "Officer Lin, you seem to be in a bad mood. It looks like you and our Yifei are on good terms. Why wouldn¡¯t you help with such a small favor?"


    Li Yifei now realized a problem: it seemed that lately, the women who had been in contact with him would inevitably clash whenever they met. But in the presence of these two women, both of whom had had relationships with him, he wisely chose to say nothing, to avoid fanning the flames.


    Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t as crafty as He Fangqing. While she displayed some intelligence when solving cases, she was outmatched by He Fangqing when it came to playing mind games. Lin Qiong had just recently become involved with Li Yifei, and even though she outwardly claimed to have no attachment to him and hadn¡¯t thought about their future, she would naturally find it hard to see Li Yifei marry another woman. This discomfort was involuntarily reflected in her face and her words to He Fangqing were hardly pleasant.


    "What do you mean I¡¯m in a bad mood? I¡¯m in a great mood. However, I¡¯ll warn you: this man is unreliable. You¡¯d better think it over," Lin Qiong said.


    He Fangqing almost burst out laughing, barely holding it back. Pretending to be unaware, she said, "No way, Yifei is quite good. Officer Lin, weren¡¯t you working on a case with our Yifei just a while ago? How come you¡¯ve quickly turned your back on him?"


    Lin Qiong retorted irritably, "That was official business and has nothing to do with what I said. Anyway, I¡¯ve said my piece. Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you."


    Having said that, she turned around and walked into the police station, ignoring both Li Yifei and He Fangqing.


    Once Lin Qiong had gone inside, He Fangqing finally couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Then, winking at Li Yifei, she said, "Tell me, Yifei, you and this Officer Lin seem to have quite a special relationship, huh?"


    Knowing Lin Qiong¡¯s behavior, Li Yifei realized that He Fangqing must have noticed. He let out a wry chuckle without denying it and said, "Pretty much."


    "Seeing how jealous she was just now, you say it¡¯s pretty much? I bet you two definitely had... a relationship that goes beyond friendship," He Fangqing teased.


    Li Yifei admitted openly, "That¡¯s right, but it could only be considered an accident, not really something substantial."


    "Sure, you men always say that, finishing up and then wiping your mouth like nothing happened," He Fangqing scoffed.


    "I¡¯m not exactly disclaiming responsibility..." Li Yifei began to say but felt a bit guilty as he did. If he really had to take responsibility for everyone, his life would be full of countless women, which was an overwhelming thought.


    "Look at you, who knows how many bad things you might¡¯ve done." He Fangqing pouted then tugged at Li Yifei, saying, "Alright, I don¡¯t care about all your messy issues, come with me to take care of something."


    Li Yifei obediently followed He Fangqing to the police station. There weren¡¯t many people handling affairs there, so the two of them quickly finished registering their residence and then left.


    After the two left, Lin Qiong immediately went over to the registrar and cleared her throat, asking, "What were those two here for just now?"


    The registrar was one year older than Lin Qiong, also a girl, but despite nearly two years on the job, she was still just a registrar. Lin Qiong, on the other hand, had not even been there a year and was already their director. This made her feel both admiration and some jealousy, but since Lin Qiong¡¯s promotion was truly earned through her merits, she couldn¡¯t help but accept it. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Director Lin, those two people just came to register their residence."


    "Register their residence." Lin Qiong murmured under her breath, her face growing even more unsightly.


    "Director Lin, could this be a big case?" The registrar¡¯s eyes lit up. Lin Qiong had earned merits repeatedly, so if this was another big case and she could get involved, maybe she¡¯d gain some recognition too.


    "Oh... it¡¯s not any case. I just suspect something. Tell me in detail about how they handled their affair," said Lin Qiong. She had not intended to ask initially, but given the registrar¡¯s question, if she didn¡¯t respond that way, wouldn¡¯t it imply she was paying special attention to that guy, Li Yifei? So she asked somewhat reluctantly.


    "Oh, it was like this: the woman had transferred out from another residential registration and then settled in our local area."


    The registrar went into the details, and upon hearing them, Lin Qiong¡¯s face relaxed all of a sudden. It turned out He Fangqing was just registering her own residence, not with Li Yifei. This meant the two were not getting married. She felt there was no need for the anger she had felt.


    "Director Lin, did you discover something?" Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s change in demeanor, the registrar¡¯s eyes shone even brighter.


    Lin Qiong came back to her senses and said, "I found out that I was mistaken, it was just a regular residence registration. I made a mountain out of a molehill."


    The registrar instantly looked disappointed as she watched Lin Qiong leave.


    Lin Qiong returned to her office, immediately picked up the phone, and was about to call Li Yifei to berate him for not explaining earlier and causing her to misunderstand.


    But as she brought up Li Yifei¡¯s number and was about to call, she put the phone back down. She had already told him she didn¡¯t want anything to do with him. If she confronted him now, wouldn¡¯t that just make it look like she was clinging to him?


    "Hmph, what kind of person am I, Lin Qiong, to cling to you? Don¡¯t think that just because we had a relationship, I will follow you. You can be with whoever you want; I am not going to chase after you, you heartbreaker," Lin Qiong snorted, her stubborn nature causing such a reaction.


    After returning to the company, He Fangqing and Li Yifei immediately went to Xu Yingying¡¯s office and recounted the encounter with Lin Qiong.


    After finishing, He Fangqing said with some concern, "Yingying, I think Li Yifei and that Lin Qiong really have an unusual relationship. You should be careful."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I know, but I, Xu Yingying, refuse to believe I would lose to her. Don¡¯t worry about it."


    He Fangqing saw Xu Yingying¡¯s confident demeanor and her worries disappeared, saying, "It¡¯s good that you have this confidence. But Li Yifei has too many women around him, you¡¯d better make your move sooner rather than later."


    Xu Yingying nodded, saying, "I understand." But inwardly, she was somewhat troubled. She now admitted that her feelings for Li Yifei were quite good, and being with him didn¡¯t cause any repulsion. However, the idea of expressing love to Li Yifei like other girls did was a hurdle she couldn¡¯t easily cross. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t like Li Yifei, she just didn¡¯t know how to do it.


    Moreover, as a business owner with a new company and so many things to take care of, she wished she could use each minute twice ¨C she had no time for romancing Li Yifei.


    Another point was that Li Yifei himself still had a resistant attitude towards her, always keeping his distance, which frustrated her.


    "Right, going home this weekend to celebrate Mom¡¯s birthday is actually a good opportunity. Maybe it can help progress the relationship between us."


    Thinking of this, Xu Yingying suddenly realized that when she went back this time, she would surely have to share a room with Li Yifei, and then... maybe something real would happen between them to break the

 Chapter 320 - 328 Xu Shanshan Reports

    Chapter 320: Chapter 328 Xu Shanshan ReportsOn Friday, on the flight to Pingyang, Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan were sitting in economy class.


    Xu Yingying usually traveled in the first class cabin, but Xu Shanshan insisted on economy class for one reason, the first class cabin had two seats per row, while economy class had three, allowing the three of them to sit together in one row. She also insisted that Li Yifei sit in the middle.


    Xu Yingying had generously said before that she didn¡¯t mind her sister competing with her, so she couldn¡¯t say anything now. She had to let Li Yifei sit in the middle and enjoy the blessings of being surrounded by beautiful sisters.


    The three of them were really eye-catching, a pair of twin sisters who looked identical and were both so beautiful. No matter where they were, people would be envious. And sitting between the two was Li Yifei, which made others even more envious.


    As soon as they got on the plane, Xu Shanshan started chatting away with Li Yifei, talking about everything under the southern sky, and the two of them seemed to always find common ground. This left Xu Yingying with little opportunity to join the conversation, and she didn¡¯t understand why Li Yifei had so much to talk about with Xu Shanshan, yet when with her, they could only discuss company matters.


    This made Xu Yingying a bit frustrated. She tried to join the conversation multiple times, but Li Yifei just responded to her briefly before continuing to chat with Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan kept calling him "brother-in-law," which obviously implied that Li Yifei and the beauty next to him were the couple. The closeness between a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law made people suspicious of their three-way relationship. Some indecent minds even thought that Li Yifei had conquered both beautiful sisters.


    Fortunately, the situation that displeased Xu Yingying changed when they arrived home. The parents were delighted with the three of them returning. Xu Yingying¡¯s mother held her hand, asking about this and that, mostly related to them being a couple, when the wedding was, and if she was pregnant. At this time, Li Yifei could only join Xu Yingying in dealing with her mother.


    "Ahem... why are you not pregnant yet? You two don¡¯t have any problems, do you? Should you go to the hospital for a check-up?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother asked persistently while coughing.


    Xu Yingying was quite afraid of this topic and quickly responded, "We¡¯re fine, but it¡¯s not that easy to have a child. Some people can¡¯t conceive even after a year or two. Oh, right, Mom, why are you coughing so much? Have you gone to the hospital for a check-up?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just the weather has been a bit strange these past couple of days, the wind¡¯s been choking."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "That¡¯s not good. You haven¡¯t stopped coughing since I got home. I¡¯ll take you for a check-up tomorrow."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go tomorrow and, by the way, take both of you for a check-up too." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face immediately turned dark, "You should get your check-up, not us." She dared not go for a check-up, as that would reveal everything since she was still a virgin.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother glared at her, "If you don¡¯t check, I won¡¯t check."


    Xu Yingying now really had a headache, urgently looking to Li Yifei for help. Li Yifei immediately said, "Mom, if Yingying and I need check-ups, we also have to go to a specialized hospital, and it¡¯s not urgent. Your health can¡¯t be neglected. Let¡¯s go for a check-up tomorrow."


    Even though they had a marriage certificate, albeit fake, Li Yifei had switched to calling Xu Yingying¡¯s parents Mom and Dad.


    "Then I¡¯m not going tomorrow either; it¡¯s my birthday tomorrow. Who goes to the hospital on their birthday? I¡¯ll just get some cough medicine later."


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare discuss this issue further to avoid being sent to the hospital for check-ups. Besides, it was just a common cough, probably nothing serious, just a minor cold.


    Xu Yingying had never really had the urge to go back to her room with Li Yifei before, but today she couldn¡¯t endure her mother¡¯s nagging and went to rest a while after dinner. Her mother¡¯s coughing made it impossible to set up the mahjong table either. Moreover, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents were eager to have grandchildren, so they sent Li Yifei to Xu Yingying¡¯s room.


    Watching her mother cough persistently, Xu Shanshan had a twinkle in her eye as a mischievous idea formed.


    "Mom, I have something to tell you," Xu Shanshan said after entering her parents¡¯ room and closing the door.


    "What do you have to report?" Xu Zhenguo and his wife both looked at Xu Shanshan puzzled.


    Xu Shanshan jumped onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and lowered her voice, "Promise me first, you can¡¯t raise a fuss, and definitely can¡¯t shout and disturb sister and brother-in-law."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed, "What¡¯s so secretive? Is it about your boyfriend?"


    "No, no, it¡¯s about sister and brother-in-law."


    "What about them?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother frowned, then coughed twice.


    "Mom, Dad, I¡¯m telling you, sister and brother-in-law never actually registered their marriage."


    "What?" The couple was so shocked their eyes widened, and they couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. But Xu Shanshan had already prepared for this, quickly covering their mouths with her hands.


    "I told you, you can¡¯t shout," Xu Shanshan cast her parents an annoyed glance.


    "What is going on?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother hurriedly asked after pulling Xu Shanshan¡¯s hands away.


    Xu Shanshan explained the entire situation about Li Yifei and Xu Yingying faking a marriage certificate, which made the couple¡¯s eyebrows furrow deeply. They had been expecting grandchildren, and it all turned out fake. Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother angrily said, "How could Yingying do this? How could she?"


    With a giggle, Xu Shanshan said, "Don¡¯t worry, I actually have a solution. I know sister likes brother-in-law, but they don¡¯t seem to be making any progress. Without strong measures, they simply won¡¯t move forward."


    "Strong measures? What strong measures?" Xu Zhenguo and his wife both looked at Xu Shanshan in confusion, knowing how full of mischief this daughter was.


    With a mischievous grin, Xu Shanshan said, "If you¡¯re not willing to sacrifice, you won¡¯t catch a wolf; if you¡¯re not willing to risk mother, you won¡¯t catch a brother-in-law."


    Xu Zhenguo lightly slapped her arm, "What nonsense are you spouting now, you mischievous child?"


    Proudly, Xu Shanshan stated, "This is a perfect opportunity. Come closer."


    After Xu Shanshan whispered her plan to them, her parents had odd expressions. Xu Zhenguo hesitantly asked, "Is this okay?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother glared, "What¡¯s wrong with it? I like Yifei; I want him as my son-in-law. Anyway, Yingying has been pretending and living with him so many times. Who else would she marry?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly."


    Laughing awkwardly, Xu Zhenguo said, "But I still feel that using such a method... isn¡¯t it a bit too much?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother totally agreed with Xu Shanshan¡¯s approach and waved her hand, "Nothing is too much. It¡¯s not your responsibility; if they complain, they can blame me. Just don¡¯t mess it up."


    The decision was finalized, and Xu Shanshan reminded them once more before triumphantly returning to her room. Thinking about what was going to happen next, Xu Shanshan was so excited that she couldn¡¯t fall asleep, tossing and turning for quite a while.


    It wasn¡¯t even nine o¡¯clock yet, and Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were also wide awake. They were both lying in their pajamas on the bed. Xu Yingying wore a silk nightgown with a low neckline and no bra, and being in front of Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t mind much. After all, they had been together long enough for him to have seen everything, and they had done almost everything.


    Lying on the same bed with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying felt quite at ease, just like a married couple sharing a bed. She frowned and said, "You don¡¯t think my mom is sick, do you?"


    Li Yifei casually replied, "It¡¯s just a cough from a cold, what could be wrong?"


    "My mom is usually very healthy, even when she catches a cold, it hasn¡¯t been this serious. The weather is fine, yet she keeps coughing, I¡¯m really a bit worried."


    "Then let¡¯s have her properly checked out. If she doesn¡¯t go tomorrow, we¡¯ll accompany her the day after."


    "We need to get back the day after; there are so many things at the company."


    "Then leave Shanshan behind; let her stay with Mom and check on her."


    "Hmm..." Xu Yingying nodded, though worried about her mom, her worry wasn¡¯t strong since it wasn¡¯t anything severe. Then, looking at Li Yifei, she smiled, "You¡¯re getting good at calling her mom."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "All to help you."


    "Well, since you¡¯re so familiar with calling her Mom, you won¡¯t have to change it."


    "Unless you mind me having multiple mothers-in-law, I don¡¯t care."


    "Get lost!" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a kick and glared at him.


    Li Yifei chuckled, stretched lazily, "Enough with the jibber-jabber, time to sleep."


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei, her face suddenly flushed, and she reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.


    After more than ten minutes, Xu Yingying heard Li Yifei¡¯s soft snores, which made her feel a bit unhappy. She was still a beauty, right? Yet he lay there, unmoved, without a hint of temptation. Was her allure that weak?


    The more she thought, the more dissatisfied she became. Her slender fingers reached over, gently scratching Li Yifei¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t sleep, so she wasn¡¯t letting him sleep peacefully either.


    After a few scrapes, Li Yifei indeed woke up, but he swiftly turned and pressed her underneath, scaring Xu Yingying into a fluster. Stammering, she said, "You...what are you doing?"

 Chapter 321 - 329 Be Honest

    Chapter 321: Chapter 329 Be HonestLi Yifei gave a sly smile, his hands gently caressing Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, and said, "You won¡¯t let me sleep; isn¡¯t it because you want me to do something with you? I¡¯ll do as you wish."


    Xu Yingying quickly placed her hands on her chest, lowered her voice, and said anxiously, "I just can¡¯t sleep, not because I want to do anything with you. You better not mess around."


    "What do you mean by messing around? I¡¯m a man, you¡¯re a woman, we¡¯re on the same bed. If you don¡¯t let me sleep, isn¡¯t that having thoughts? How can I let a beautiful woman be disappointed?" As he spoke, Li Yifei¡¯s hand slid down and touched Xu Yingying¡¯s hips.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s hips weren¡¯t particularly full, but they weren¡¯t bony either, and felt quite nice to the touch. Although Li Yifei had been intimate with Xu Yingying a few times, even the most daring times, he never randomly touched Xu Yingying¡¯s body. It was the first time he touched her hips.


    Xu Yingying naturally felt it too and realized that this was a place Li Yifei had never touched before, which made her feel that today was different from before. It seemed that Li Yifei really wanted to do that kind of thing this time.


    Xu Yingying was a traditional woman, especially in this regard. Before coming back, she had considered that something might happen with Li Yifei, but when it came to the moment, she instinctively hesitated and quickly whispered, "Yifei, no, please, no."


    "What do you mean by no?" Li Yifei stopped, his eyes glowing with a fiery light.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes had already adjusted to the darkness of the room, so she could fully see the look in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, which made her heart race. She said anxiously, "Yifei, we can¡¯t be like this. I... we really can¡¯t right now."


    "Why not? Don¡¯t you like me? Don¡¯t you want to be with me? Then doing this kind of thing seems perfectly fine, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "No way... how about... you come down, I¡¯ll let you touch, but... you can¡¯t do that." Xu Yingying felt that saying such words made her want to find a hole to crawl into, but since she already let Li Yifei touch her and even let him use his hands to help her reach that extreme pleasure, she could accept such things.


    "What¡¯s the point in that? I touch you, you feel good, but I¡¯ll still feel uncomfortable, so I won¡¯t play with you anymore." With that, Li Yifei turned over and lay down on his side, turning his back to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying let out a sigh of relief, but after a moment, when Li Yifei didn¡¯t make a move, she felt a bit guilty. She turned and gently nudged Li Yifei, asking, "Are you mad?"


    "No, I want to sleep."


    "Don¡¯t be upset. It¡¯s just... I feel it¡¯s a bit early. Don¡¯t you want to get all of me on our wedding night?"


    "Alright, then we¡¯ll wait for that day," Li Yifei readily agreed.


    Xu Yingying was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood Li Yifei¡¯s meaning. Didn¡¯t this mean that if Li Yifei never married her, he wouldn¡¯t do anything more with her? She was a bit annoyed, snorted, and suddenly moved closer, hugging Li Yifei¡¯s waist from behind, pressing her chest against his back.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body stiffened for a moment but said nothing and did nothing.


    Xu Yingying also didn¡¯t make any other moves. Proactively hugging Li Yifei like this had already reached her psychological limit. She was really afraid that Li Yifei would do something.


    However, Li Yifei did nothing, and Xu Yingying slowly relaxed, and at that moment she suddenly felt quite good. Hugging a man, that taste was comforting, and without realizing it, she fell asleep. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, the two remained in the same position, only Xu Yingying was holding on tighter, her leg draped over Li Yifei¡¯s leg, and one hand was even inside Li Yifei¡¯s shirt.


    "You female perv, molesting!" were the first words Xu Yingying heard upon waking up.


    This made Xu Yingying rather embarrassed, but she still didn¡¯t let go of Li Yifei. Instead, she playfully touched Li Yifei¡¯s chest a couple of times before saying, "Not bad, feels quite comfortable to hold."


    Li Yifei was speechless; when a woman got bold, she was more shameless than a man. He pulled Xu Yingying¡¯s hand away and said, "Alright, get up quickly, it¡¯s after seven."


    "Ah, so late." Xu Yingying quickly sat up. Normally, she wasn¡¯t in the habit of sleeping this late. Today, she had slept so late that she could hear her parents talking outside. She hurriedly sat up and hastily changed her clothes.


    And when her nightgown was halfway off, she suddenly stopped because she remembered there was still Li Yifei beside her. She turned her head towards Li Yifei, finding that he was staring at her. Their eyes met, and he turned his face away.


    This made Xu Yingying very embarrassed, but letting Li Yifei see her body didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. She didn¡¯t go out and just turned around, changing her clothes with her back to Li Yifei.


    They had a simple breakfast in the morning, and Xu Yingying¡¯s mother would cough from time to time, while Li Yifei felt that Xu Yingying¡¯s parents looked at him and Xu Yingying a bit differently today, but he had no idea that Xu Shanshan had already sold them out.


    After breakfast, the family set up a mahjong table. Li Yifei accompanied Xu Yingying¡¯s parents and Xu Shanshan in playing mahjong, while Xu Yingying only stayed for a while before returning to the bedroom to busy herself.


    After playing a couple of rounds, a small foot landed on Li Yifei¡¯s instep. Such situations Li Yifei was quite familiar with; he immediately slipped his foot out of the slipper, letting Xu Shanshan¡¯s small foot step on it, occasionally receiving signals from that little foot and playing the tiles Xu Shanshan wanted.


    Xu Shanshan soon continuously won tiles, cheering triumphantly.


    "You cheeky girl, dare to win against me today; see how I¡¯ll deal with you later," Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother teased, scolding Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and giggled, "In a casino, there¡¯s no parent-child sentiment, so of course, I have to win. But for your birthday, I won¡¯t win too much."


    Li Yifei had overlooked this earlier, laughing, "Mom just hasn¡¯t shown her might yet; when her luck kicks in, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll keep self-drawing the winning tile as the dealer."


    "Yifei can talk," Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother praised Li Yifei, recognizing Xu Shanshan¡¯s idea all the more. Where could one find such a good son-in-law? They must secure him by all means.


    At this point, Li Yifei stopped feeding tiles to Xu Shanshan, making it harder for her to win, and indeed Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s luck was excellent. A few tiles and she was already listening for a win, self-drawing in no time, sitting as the dealer for three rounds straight.


    Xu Shanshan praised her mother, after all, it was her mom¡¯s birthday, pleasing her thoroughly made everyone happy.


    Both of them didn¡¯t need any secret signals now. Li Yifei wanted to retract his foot, but as soon as he moved it, Xu Shanshan stomped forcefully, not letting him take it back.


    Li Yifei thought Xu Shanshan still wanted to play tricks, so he had to leave his foot there.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s little foot, stepped on his instep, began to rub slowly. This was different from giving a signal; giving a signal was tapping with her toes on Li Yifei¡¯s instep, while now she was using the arch of her foot to caress his instep. That soft sensation was like an electric current spreading throughout his body from his instep, making Li Yifei feel all sorts of mixed-up emotions.


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Shanshan; the girl had rosy cheeks and watery eyes. How could Li Yifei not see that this was a sign of being moved? His heart stirred even more, and he couldn¡¯t help but extend his other foot over, treading on Xu Shanshan¡¯s instep.


    Xu Shanshan shivered, dropping the tile she had just drawn. Her mother immediately said, "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling a bit unwell? You look a little pale."


    Li Yifei was startled, quickly retracting his other foot, feeling reckless for having done such a thing to Xu Shanshan. If Xu Shanshan got angry, it would really end badly.


    "Nothing, it¡¯s just a bit hot in the room."


    "Is it hot?" Xu Zhenguo was puzzled but still got up and said, "I¡¯ll turn up the air conditioning."


    After adjusting the air conditioning, Xu Zhenguo sat back down, and the four of them resumed playing. Li Yifei initially worried that Xu Shanshan might be upset, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot never left his, even occasionally rubbing against it. Yet her expression wasn¡¯t as uneasy as before.


    This gave Li Yifei more courage. Once more, he placed his other foot on Xu Shanshan¡¯s instep, and this time although Xu Shanshan¡¯s body slightly trembled, she didn¡¯t seem as tense as before. Instead, she extended her other foot, stepping on Li Yifei¡¯s other foot.


    While mahjong was being played above the table, below, four feet were stepping on each other, rubbing against one another. Although it was just foot contact, it was more thrilling than an affair, and Li Yifei found himself unconsciously lost in it, not even considering whether it was right or wrong.


    Pretty soon, both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan lost a lot. With what they were up to, how could they focus on playing tiles? It was no surprise they kept losing, but despite losing, they were incredibly happy, with a sweet smile constantly on Xu Shanshan¡¯s face.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother laughed warmly and said, "It¡¯s rare; today I finally won against you folks, and best of all, our little Shanshan hasn¡¯t been upset despite losing. She¡¯s really grown up."


    Xu Shanshan smiled proudly, saying, "Of course, I¡¯ve grown up, but you always treat me like a child."


    Li Yifei thought to himself, "She really has grown up; even the sister-in-law is starting to flirt with her brother-in-law."

 Chapter 322 - 330 The Big Crash

    Chapter 322: Chapter 330 The Big Crash"""\


    They played mahjong all the way until four in the afternoon. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan lost badly, while Mother Xu won big, which made her grinning from ear to ear. Xu Shanshan immediately pouted and said, "Not satisfied, not satisfied. Let¡¯s play again tonight."\


    Mother Xu chuckled, "Playing again tonight, huh? Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll lose all your money? I won¡¯t hold back today."\


    "I¡¯m not afraid. If I lose everything, I¡¯ll just live off my brother-in-law and sister from now on. Brother-in-law, you won¡¯t abandon your sister-in-law, right?" Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei pitifully.\


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a flutter in his heart. How could he possibly refuse such a sister-in-law, he thought with a smile, "No problem. Then I¡¯ll make sure Auntie wins it all."\


    "You¡¯re the best, brother-in-law." Xu Shanshan jumped over and affectionately hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, swaying it a couple of times.\


    Xu Zhenguo and his wife didn¡¯t think much of Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei¡¯s closeness. They were all family, and it was normal for a brother-in-law and sister-in-law to share a joke. The main thing was that Xu Shanshan had been actively bringing Xu Yingying and Li Yifei together, so naturally, they wouldn¡¯t think Xu Shanshan harbored any feelings for Li Yifei.\


    However, what they didn¡¯t know was that the brother-in-law and sister-in-law had just been up to sneaky tricks under the mahjong table.\


    Usually, when Li Yifei was around, everyone ate at home, but they were having so much fun today they hadn¡¯t even bought any groceries. So, they decided to eat out.\


    Pingyang City wasn¡¯t a huge city, just a prefecture-level city, not as big as Mile City, but still quite prosperous. The five of them drove to a nice restaurant nearby and got a private room. Xu Yingying made sure to order some good dishes and wine. The Xu Zhenguo couple weren¡¯t the kind of older folks who were too thrifty; they were quite accepting of a little indulgent spending.\


    Everyone was eating, drinking, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Li Yifei also drank quite a bit with Xu Zhenguo, but after drinking, he felt the need to use the restroom. Saying he¡¯d be right back, he left the room and asked a waiter for directions to the restroom.\


    After he was done, he bumped head-on with a man in his fifties while walking out.\


    "Yifei!" the man exclaimed in surprise and delight.\


    Seeing who it was, Li Yifei almost jumped in shock. It was none other than Lin Qiong¡¯s father, Lin Zhenhai; he hurriedly said, "Lin... Dad, what are you doing here?"\


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father, Lin Zhenhai, laughed and said, "Little Qiong¡¯s mother and I came here to visit relatives. Little Qiong said you were supposed to be on a business trip this weekend, so you didn¡¯t come with us, but here you are, on a business trip in this same place."\


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a headache. What a coincidence. Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about this beforehand, but then, how could Lin Qiong have known she¡¯d run into him here?\


    Luckily, he wasn¡¯t out with Xu Yingying¡¯s father. Otherwise, if the two fathers-in-law met, it would be disastrous. He quickly smiled and said, "Dad, I¡¯ll come by later to offer a toast, and I¡¯ll settle your bill. I¡¯ve got a client over here."\


    "It¡¯s good to drop by when you can. We¡¯re all family; getting to know each other is never bad, but don¡¯t let it disrupt your work."\


    "It won¡¯t. Why don¡¯t you tell me your room number, and I¡¯ll come by later after I speak to my client?"\


    Lin Zhenhai gave him the room number and let Li Yifei get back to his business. The Lin family liked Li Yifei a lot, and now they just had the excuse to introduce him to their relatives, also letting him settle the bill would bring face to them.\


    Being a government official himself, though not a high-ranking one, Lin Zhenhai valued such things, so he didn¡¯t think it inappropriate for Li Yifei to cover the bill. They had already given their savings to Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, so it wasn¡¯t about making him spend money, just about face.\


    Li Yifei hurried back to the Xu family¡¯s private room, smiling, "Sorry, I ran into an old acquaintance outside, chatted with him for a bit."\


    Xu Zhenguo asked curiously, "You know other people in Pingyang?"\


    Li Yifei quickly said, "He¡¯s also from Mile City, just here visiting relatives, and I¡¯m going over to offer a toast later."\


    Xu Zhenguo said immediately, "Makes sense. Take Yingying with you; it¡¯ll be more polite that way."\


    Li Yifei agreed readily. He did have to mention it to Xu Yingying, and they especially needed to avoid meeting each other¡¯s group of people.\


    After leaving the room with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei whispered, "Lin Qiong¡¯s family is here."\


    "What?" Xu Yingying was startled, "How did they end up here? My parents mustn¡¯t meet hers; it would be a disaster."\


    Li Yifei nodded, "Exactly. I¡¯ll go offer a toast and see when they¡¯re done. If they¡¯re just starting, we¡¯ll leave early. If they¡¯re almost done, we¡¯ll linger a bit longer."\


    "Understood. I¡¯ll wait for you by the restroom."\


    Li Yifei parted ways with Xu Yingying and headed toward Lin Qiong¡¯s room, seeing Lin Qiong waiting for him in the hallway.\


    Lin Qiong hurried forward with delight, "What are you doing here?"\


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Yingying¡¯s parents live in Pingyang, and we¡¯re here for her mother¡¯s birthday, eating in a room over there."\


    "Ah!" Lin Qiong¡¯s smile disappeared instantly, "That¡¯s quite the coincidence."\


    "Yeah, too much so. We¡¯re almost done eating, give it another half hour."\


    "We¡¯re about the same."\


    Then they both spoke simultaneously, "We¡¯ll leave first; you guys drag it out."\


    They paused and exchanged a bitter smile. Li Yifei said, "You probably have more people here, so the decision isn¡¯t up to you. We¡¯ll drag it out."\


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t argue, nodding in agreement.\


    They entered the room, which was quite large, with a big round table surrounded by more than ten people, mostly older, with only four around Lin Qiong¡¯s age.\


    "This is Little Qiong¡¯s fianc¨¦, Li Yifei. Little Qiong, introduce him to everyone."\


    Lin Qiong blushed, not from embarrassment but sheer ordeal, and quickly smiled, "Yifei, this is my uncle, my aunt, my second aunt, and second uncle..."\


    Lin Qiong introduced each of them to Li Yifei, who greeted them one by one. He had to put on a brave face and play the good son-in-law.\


    Finally, introductions over, Li Yifei poured everyone a drink and said, "Since you¡¯re all Qiongqiong¡¯s family, you¡¯re my family, too. I hope we all get along well."\


    With that, Li Yifei downed a glass of beer.\


    Everyone else drank with him, immediately showering him with praises. Li Yifei looked good and spoke well, had a nice demeanor, and people were easily charmed. Plus, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents had mentioned Li Yifei was a company manager now, which added to their approval.\


    Lin Zhenhai said, "Yifei, if you¡¯re busy, handle your thing first. We¡¯ll have a proper get-together for New Year¡¯s."\


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Sure thing, apologies to everyone; my client is important today, but I¡¯ll cover the tab here. Enjoy yourselves."\


    Lin Qiong escorted Li Yifei out, finally breathing a sigh of relief, "Phew, that was close."\


    Li Yifei smiled, "No big deal. I¡¯ll head out now."\


    Lin Qiong parted her lips, but didn¡¯t say anything, motioning him to leave.\


    Li Yifei felt she had something to say, asked, "Is there anything else?"\


    Lin Qiong finally said, "I¡¯m not leaving tonight. I¡¯m afraid my parents might ask you to come over."\


    "I¡¯ll just say I have to return to Mile City tonight."\


    "Okay, let¡¯s go with that."\


    After separating from Lin Qiong, Xu Yingying immediately came over, whispering, "How¡¯s it going?"\ S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They¡¯re almost done eating too. We¡¯ll stay a bit longer."\


    Xu Yingying nodded, "When we get back, just stay put. No wandering around, or we might run into trouble."\


    They agreed and returned to the room together. Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Brother-in-law, why did you take so long?"\


    Li Yifei laughed, sat down, and said, "Gotta offer a toast and say a few words; otherwise, it¡¯d be impolite."\


    Xu Shanshan retorted, "Whatever, today¡¯s mom¡¯s birthday, and she¡¯s the boss. You can¡¯t run off again."\


    Yesterday, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet were a bit unruly. In the presence of this fake sister-in-law, he felt a peculiar sensation but later regretted how he had let his desires get the best of him with Xu Shanshan. One Xu Yingying was headache enough; throwing Xu Shanshan into the mix, how would he ever resolve this mess?\


    These two were nothing like He Fangqing, who from the beginning had a defined position, nor like the gentle and compliant Su Yiyi, who considered everything for him.\


    So, today, Li Yifei dared not indulge in any ambiguous acts with Xu Shanshan, saying, "Alright, I¡¯ll be good today and stay with Mom. Not going anywhere."\


    After all, they needed to stall for time, hanging around until Lin Qiong¡¯s party left.\


    "I need to use the restroom," Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to leave, but a moment later, Xu Zhenguo went out again.\


    But just as Xu Zhenguo stepped out, Li Yifei heard his joyous exclamation, "Old Lin, what are you doing here?"\


    """

 Chapter 323 - 331 Old Comrades Meet

    Chapter 323: Chapter 331 Old Comrades Meet"Old Xu! Haha... I really didn¡¯t expect to see you here. I thought you old rascal had kicked the bucket," another man¡¯s hearty laughter came from outside.


    "You¡¯re not dead, how could I be?"


    "Exactly, you old sod. You¡¯re still quite the specimen, not much different from when you were younger."


    When Xu Zhenguo went out, the door to the private room wasn¡¯t closed properly, so the few people inside heard the exchange between the two men. Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and said, "This must be another one of my dad¡¯s army buddies. They always talk so loosely."


    Xu Yingying agreed wholeheartedly. Her father normally spoke quite properly to others, occasionally even putting on airs, but as soon as he met an army buddy, he would definitely take on this kind of tone.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head and laughed, "Who knows who that is, but it looks like your dad¡¯s going to sneak out tonight again."


    The three women commented on Xu Zhenguo with a playful attitude, but at this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s expression was extremely odd because he realized that Xu Zhenguo¡¯s army buddy was none other than Lin Qiong¡¯s father.


    Now things were really getting out of hand. If the two old men came in together and saw him, the boyfriend of both daughters, the situation would truly become a spectacle.


    Most importantly, he was neither Lin Qiong¡¯s husband nor Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, which made carrying this blame even more grievous.


    "Sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Xu Shanshan asked Li Yifei, noticing his odd expression.


    Xu Yingying and her mother both looked at him, leaving Li Yifei with no way to explain. He had to say, "It¡¯s nothing. Maybe I just had a bit too much to drink."


    "I don¡¯t believe that," Xu Shanshan retorted doubtfully. "We didn¡¯t drink that much."


    "I guzzled a bit too fast when I went to toast in the other room," Li Yifei quickly explained before surreptitiously winking at Xu Shanshan.


    Although Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t understand why Li Yifei did that, his wink made it clear that he didn¡¯t want her to ask any more questions, which also meant that they didn¡¯t want their mom to know what was up.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately said, "Then let¡¯s go. Yifei, you should head home and get some rest."


    Li Yifei was startled, knowing that if they left now, they would really be in for it, so he hastily retorted, "How could we? Mom¡¯s birthday is today; we should stick around and drink some more."


    "Why keep drinking? We have a birthday every year, and anyway, we¡¯re just family here. Do we really need to get drunk? We¡¯ve all eaten our fill. That¡¯s good enough," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said, already standing up.


    Li Yifei inwardly groaned. He knew Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was being considerate, but her timing was truly terrible. He blurted out, "Dad hasn¡¯t come back yet. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer."


    "He¡¯s just outside," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother replied instantly. "Let¡¯s go out and take a look. It would be rude not to greet his army buddies."


    Drat! Now Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was set on going out and Li Yifei, at a loss for a suitable excuse, frantically signaled to Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan with his eyes.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan felt puzzled. Li Yifei was obviously trying to keep their mother from going out. Could there be something out there she mustn¡¯t see?


    As women, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan suddenly thought of a reason. Could it be that their father had someone on the side and was with her right now, and it just so happened that Li Yifei knew and was now covering for their father?


    If that was the case, while their father was in the wrong, as his children, they naturally couldn¡¯t make a big fuss about it. The first thing to do was to help hide it from their mother, and then persuade their father to have a change of heart and break it off with the other woman.


    This was essentially the first reaction of most children, and Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, the twin sisters, thought and decided the same.


    However, Xu Zhenguo was still unaware that a mere glance from Li Yifei had given the two women such thoughts. If he ever found out, he would feel even more wronged than Dou E.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, the twin sisters, each took one of their mother¡¯s arms, one on the left and one on the right. Xu Shanshan immediately cooed, "Mom, it¡¯s your birthday today, and you¡¯re the most important. Even if Dad¡¯s war buddies came over, they should come in to see you, right? How could the birthday star go out to them?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying also quickly added, "Yeah, exactly. You don¡¯t know how Dad is. He¡¯s definitely going to bring them in."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother insisted, "That would be so impolite, and your dad¡¯s war buddies have a very close relationship with him. If I don¡¯t go out, wouldn¡¯t that make your dad lose face?"


    Xu Shanshan gave her mother¡¯s arm a little shake and said, "What does face matter? Dad¡¯s war buddies aren¡¯t that fussy. Besides, I haven¡¯t had enough to eat yet. If you go out now, we¡¯ll have to go with you. Leaving the table full of food untouched, that would be too cruel."


    Following Xu Shanshan¡¯s lead, Xu Yingying said, "Yeah, I was so busy chatting just now; I barely ate anything. I want to eat some more."


    "You two kids, really." Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was very fond of her daughters, and upon seeing that both said they hadn¡¯t eaten enough, she reluctantly sat down again.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both secretly sighed with relief, but Li Yifei at that moment didn¡¯t dare relax at all. Lin Qiong¡¯s father and Xu Yingying¡¯s father were war buddies, and it would be all too easy for the two to start talking about their children, after which the conversation might inevitably turn to their son-in-law.


    "Eh, that¡¯s not right. You two girls are clearly not letting me go out. What are you really up to?"


    Before Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan could breathe a sigh of relief, their mother was already frowning at them with a suspicious look. A mother knows her daughters best; she knew exactly what they were normally like. Their abnormal behavior just now, insisting she not go out, must mean there was something outside they didn¡¯t want her to see.


    Since Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were women, their mother, also a woman with more life experience, naturally thought of the same possibilities. Her complexion changed immediately, her body shook slightly, and she said with a dry voice, "Are you keeping something from me?"


    "No, not at all!" Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan immediately shook their heads together, looking utterly earnest.


    "What do you mean, no? Is there someone outside... someone you don¡¯t want me to see?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s voice trembled slightly.


    "Not at all! Dad is just chatting with his war buddy outside," Xu Shanshan tried to explain, but at that moment she felt extremely guilty and quickly looked to her sister Xu Yingying for help, knowing that their mother would believe her more.


    Xu Yingying felt troubled but managed a faint smile and said, "Mom, what are you thinking? There¡¯s nothing outside you need to be afraid of seeing."


    "No, I have to go out and see for myself." As soon as Xu Yingying¡¯s mother finished speaking, she suddenly stood up, the reactions of her two daughters having made her extremely unsettled.


    But just at that moment, the front door opened, and Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai, the two men, appeared in the doorway.


    Seeing these two, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were both startled; there seemed to be nothing alarming about them either, so why did Li Yifei not want their mother to go out?

 Chapter 324 - 332 Li Yifei Disappeared

    Chapter 324: Chapter 332 Li Yifei Disappeared"Old lady, look who this is," Xu Zhenguo, still unaware of what the three women at home had imagined him as, brought Lin Zhenhai in with great enthusiasm and called out loudly.


    "Sister-in-law, long time no see. You¡¯re still as beautiful as ever; Old Xu is really lucky," Lin Zhenhai laughed heartily, greeting Xu Yingying¡¯s mother.


    When Xu Yingying¡¯s mother saw the two men come in with no one else following, she was somewhat puzzled. She had met Lin Zhenhai before, even though it was over a decade ago, but since Xu Zhenguo often showed her photos of his comrades, she recognized him at a glance.


    Standing up, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said with a smile, "I¡¯m over fifty now, and my daughter is married off. There¡¯s no need to talk about being beautiful or not; you¡¯re making fun of me."


    "Here are our daughters, Yingying, Shanshan. Quickly, come say hello," Xu Zhenguo beckoned his two daughters.


    "Hello, Uncle Lin!" Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both hurriedly greeted him politely.


    Lin Zhenhai was also taken aback when he saw Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, not out of any inappropriate thoughts, but anyone would be shocked by the identical-looking pair of sisters. "Very nice, I knew you had twin daughters, but I didn¡¯t expect them to have grown so big and still look so alike; it¡¯s really a pleasure to see."


    "This is... Huh, where did Yifei go?" Xu Zhenguo was just about to introduce Li Yifei to Lin Zhenhai but turned around to find that Li Yifei had disappeared.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother looked back and was also confused. Just a moment ago Li Yifei was sitting next to Xu Yingying; how could he have vanished in the blink of an eye? S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying was stunned for a moment, and Xu Shanshan was also at a loss. How did the person who was in the room just a moment ago suddenly disappear?


    "Maybe he just stepped out," Xu Yingying could only vaguely explain.


    Xu Zhenguo didn¡¯t think much of it and said with a smile, "Yifei is my son-in-law, he just stepped out, he¡¯ll be back in a bit."


    Lin Zhenhai laughed heartily, "Your son-in-law¡¯s name is Yifei? Haha, what a coincidence, my son-in-law is also called Yifei, Li Yifei."


    Xu Zhenguo said with a look of surprise, "Really? My son-in-law is also called Li Yifei; what are the odds?"


    Even Lin Zhenhai was now surprised, "Yes, yes, that¡¯s right, his name is Li Yifei. To think, we comrades have sons-in-law with the same name."


    As they were speaking, the door was knocked, and everyone turned to look, only to see two women standing at the door ¡ª a woman in her fifties and a spirited, strikingly beautiful woman in her twenties, it was Lin Qiong and her mother.


    "Lin Qiong!"


    "Xu Yingying!"


    At that moment, both Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying called out in disbelief. Neither expected to meet each other here, nor to be so startled and panicked as they were now.


    Xu Yingying also suddenly understood why Li Yifei looked so strange just now, and why he had disappeared without a trace ¡ª he was clearly avoiding Lin Qiong and her family.


    "You know each other?" Lin Zhenhai and Xu Zhenguo were both surprised to see their daughters¡¯ reaction.


    Xu Yingying, after all, was a CEO and had a much better ability to react on the spot than Lin Qiong, and quickly said with a smile, "Yes, we both work in Mile City, and we¡¯ve had some interactions."


    With Xu Yingying leading the way, Lin Qiong finally regained her composure and said, "Uh-huh, we¡¯re quite familiar with each other."


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai exchanged glances and then both burst into hearty laughter.


    Xu Zhenguo patted Lin Zhenhai on the shoulder, "Old Lin, this is really too much of a coincidence. But this is also our fault, we comrades should keep in touch more often. Only if our children also interact would our friendship grow stronger, right?"


    Lin Zhenhai nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, our children know each other and they don¡¯t even realize their fathers are comrades."


    After a few words, Lin Zhenhai introduced his wife to Xu Yingying, and Xu Zhenguo introduced his wife to Lin Qiong.


    "Today is your sister-in-law¡¯s birthday. We¡¯re here to celebrate her birthday," Xu Zhenguo explained.


    As soon as Xu Zhenguo said this, Lin Zhenhai immediately exclaimed, "That¡¯s such a coincidence. This is a rare opportunity; we must have a few drinks here no matter what."


    "Sounds good, sounds good. It¡¯s been ages since us brothers got together; let¡¯s have a few more drinks."


    Seeing that Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai actually wanted to continue drinking here, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were both shocked, along with Lin Qiong. If they started drinking and Yifei carelessly burst in later, everything would be ruined. Even if Yifei had slipped away and wasn¡¯t coming back, there was no guarantee they wouldn¡¯t bring up Yifei in conversation, which would surely give the game away.


    Besides, Yifei had abruptly run out, and they needed some sort of excuse for that. After all, for a son-in-law to skip out on his mother-in-law¡¯s birthday celebration, that would be way over the line.


    Xu Yingying was the first to stand up, saying, "Dad, we¡¯ve almost finished our meal here. How could we let Uncle Lin and his family eat leftovers? Let¡¯s change the venue, maybe to a bar or a KTV, where we can have fun and sing, wouldn¡¯t that be better?"


    Xu Zhenguo clapped his hands and said, "Exactly, if it was just Old Lin himself, eating leftovers wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but with his brother¡¯s wife and niece here, how could we? Let¡¯s switch to another place to drink."


    Lin Zhenhai immediately said, "No need, no need. We just finished eating; there¡¯s no need for more food. We¡¯ll just add a couple of dishes in a bit, that¡¯s enough. The most important thing is to chat and have a drink together, everything else doesn¡¯t matter."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "Uncle Lin, that wouldn¡¯t be appropriate; we¡¯d be rude."


    Lin Zhenhai laughed heartily, "My dear niece, if there¡¯s any rudeness, it¡¯s on us. We came empty-handed to your aunt¡¯s birthday party. Isn¡¯t that even more disrespectful? The main thing is, our flight is in three hours, so by the time we head to the airport, we only have about an hour left. If we change venues, we¡¯ll spend all that time on the road."


    Hearing Lin Zhenhai say this, Xu Zhenguo added, "If Old Lin doesn¡¯t mind, then let¡¯s not change places. We¡¯ll just have a drink here. But why the rush? Can¡¯t you stay for another day?"


    Lin Zhenhai grinned and replied, "I didn¡¯t expect to see you here either, it¡¯s been over ten years since our last meeting. I didn¡¯t know you were in Mile City. If I had known, I would definitely have stayed a couple more days."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed, "Then just cancel your plane ticket. You¡¯re not short of money, are you, Old Lin?"


    Lin Zhenhai laughed heartily, "It¡¯s not about the money. We really have something important tomorrow; we have to rush back. Anyway, now I know you¡¯re here. Leave me your phone number, and whether you like it or not, I¡¯ll barge into your house in the future."


    "Well, since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s just have some drinks and chat here." Xu Zhenguo signaled everyone to sit back down.


    The table in this private room wasn¡¯t very large, just a normal eight-person round table, covered with a red velvet cloth that nearly touched the floor, with a glass Lazy Susan on top.


    Now, as the seven people sat down, Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai, old comrades-in-arms, sat together. Their wives sat beside each other, busy with family chatter, while Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan sat on either side of Lin Qiong.


    But as soon as Shanshan sat down, she suddenly stood up with a yelp, as if she had been startled by something.


    "What happened?" Everyone looked at Shanshan with puzzled expressions.


    At that moment, Shanshan stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and said, "Sorry, there was a fishbone on my chair that poked me."


    Yingying¡¯s mother gave her a disapproving look, "You¡¯re such a big girl, still making such a fuss, it¡¯s embarrassing."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately laughed, "What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? I envy you for having such daughters."


    Shanshan giggled and sat back down, then lifted the velvet cloth over her lap. In that brief moment, she spotted someone hiding under the table¡ªit was her brother-in-law, Li Yifei, who had vanished.


    The table wasn¡¯t entirely hollow underneath; it was supported by six thick wooden legs that were quite sturdy, preventing any wobble on the tabletop. However, this design also diminished the space underneath, especially with everyone¡¯s legs naturally extending under it. Yifei had very little room to hide.


    Fortunately for Yifei, as he had hidden, he had predicted that Shanshan and the others would take their seats closer to the door, so he positioned himself accordingly, right where Shanshan ended up sitting.


    Shanshan had bumped Yifei in the leg as soon as she sat down, and instinctively let out a gasp realizing someone was under there. But her reaction was quick, as she guessed it was likely her missing brother-in-law. She immediately covered it up.


    She gave Yifei a light kick with her foot, struggling to contain her laughter. Her formidable brother-in-law was hiding under the table¡ªhow amusing!


    Yifei was stuck between the two table legs and directly beneath Shanshan, so he couldn¡¯t avoid detection. He let her give him a little kick. It seemed to Shanshan that this was an opportunity for mischief; she kept nudging him playfully with her feet and, while speaking above, laughed every now and then, clearly enjoying herself.


    Yifei had been frustrated enough hiding there, and it would have been justified if he were actually two-timing. But since both son-in-law identities were fake, it felt quite unfair to him.


    Suddenly there was a sharp pain in his lower abdomen as Shanshan¡¯s foot stretched out even further, and she accidentally kicked him right between the legs in a sensitive area.

 Chapter 325 - 333: Almost Succeeding

    Chapter 325: Chapter 333: Almost SucceedingXu Shanshan hadn¡¯t been using much force from the beginning. Her little foot had never really exerted strength when playfully kicking Li Yifei. But Li Yifei had been so preoccupied with his melancholy just now that he hadn¡¯t noticed how much Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot had slipped inside. By the time he snapped back to attention, the tip of her little foot had made intimate contact with a very delicate part of him.


    For a man, this area was extremely fragile. Even though Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t kicked hard, Li Yifei still felt the pain.


    However, Xu Shanshan was completely unaware that her kicking had reached a restricted level. Her foot swung back a little and then kicked forward again.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare let Xu Shanshan kick him any longer, so he quickly reached out and caught her mischievous little foot.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot was caught by Li Yifei, but she refused to settle down, wriggling a few times in Li Yifei¡¯s hand. He gently tapped on the back of her foot as a warning to stop her nonsense and then let go.


    Xu Shanshan withdrew her foot, but shortly afterwards, it stretched out again¡ªthis time without a shoe, just a flesh-colored stocking.


    This time, she wasn¡¯t kicking Li Yifei; instead, she was gently pressing on his leg, massaging it up and down, just like the movements she made the day before while playing mahjong at home.


    Even in such a cramped and stifling space, Li Yifei found himself being teased by Xu Shanshan¡¯s little foot to the point where he began to daydream. His mind was filled with the sneaky little antics they did under the table yesterday, and his right hand subconsciously grasped Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot.


    Li Yifei could clearly feel Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot stiffen for a moment before relaxing. She didn¡¯t struggle, allowing him to hold it, which implicitly meant she was leaving things to his discretion.


    But at this moment, Li Yifei started to feel a bit awkward about taking further action. Xu Shanshan was adorable, and being with her always brought joy. She made it easy to forget any burdens or unhappiness. Precisely because Xu Shanshan was such a cheerful girl, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t deceive her. So even though he was quite reluctant, he gently pushed her foot forward, indicating that she should pull it back.


    However, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t retract her foot but continued to extend it forward.


    "Just now Old Lin said that Little Qiong¡¯s husband is also named Li Yifei, and our Yingying¡¯s husband is called Li Yifei too. What a coincidence," one of the mothers said.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother had been chatting, and inevitably, they started talking about their daughters¡¯ boyfriends. Li Yifei, overhearing the conversation, temporarily forgot about Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot and pricked up his ears to listen.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother laughed, "Yes, what a coincidence! And they are both from Mile City. Little Qiong, Yingying, since you two know each other, perhaps they do as well?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong quickly shook her head vigorously in denial, but Xu Yingying nodded. This puzzled both mothers, who looked at the two daughters in bewilderment.


    Lin Qiong inwardly cursed the bad turn of events and was about to explain when Xu Yingying said with a smile, "Although I know Little Qiong, we only interact professionally and don¡¯t socialize much privately. As for our Li Yifei and Little Qiong¡¯s husband, they are indeed both employees at our company. Both are exceptional in their own right, and they even look somewhat similar in stature and appearance. We thought they might as well be twins like us!"


    Xu Yingying was clever. Although she didn¡¯t know what identity Li Yifei had used when he went to Lin Qiong¡¯s house, she couldn¡¯t imagine that Li Yifei would have expected Lin Qiong¡¯s parents to meet hers. So, he wouldn¡¯t have concocted another identity and surely represented himself as an employee from their company. By stating this in advance, it would lead the parents to think there were many commonalities between the two Li Yifeis. By giving this explanation beforehand, she could dispel any doubts they might have.


    She then glanced at Lin Qiong and continued, "I do know Little Qiong¡¯s husband has a girlfriend, but I don¡¯t inquire much about his private life. It¡¯s only now that I realize he is Little Qiong¡¯s husband, hehe."


    Lin Qiong hastily said, "What a coincidence indeed. My husband has never mentioned anyone with the same name at his company."


    Xu Yingying chuckled, "Your Li Yifei, although he can be quite sharp-tongued at times, doesn¡¯t gossip much, unlike the one in our house, who never stops blabbing nonsense all day."


    With Xu Yingying¡¯s explanation, the parents from both families laughed heartily. But after their laughter, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother suggested, "Yingying, give Yifei a call and see where he¡¯s gone to; why has he not come back yet after such a long time."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother quickly said, "Little Qiong, you call Yifei too, to see if he¡¯s gone back. If he hasn¡¯t, then have him come over here to visit Uncle Xu¡¯s family." She added a meaningful look towards Lin Qiong, hinting that now that there was this connection, and considering Li Yifei worked at Xu Yingying¡¯s company, they hoped Xu Yingying could take extra care of him in the future.


    Xu Yingying immediately laughed, "That¡¯s true. Your Li Yifei should actually be on a business trip in Mile City right now. Hehe, if I had known about this gathering earlier, I would have sent someone else to handle the business."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother quickly added, "Hehe, we weren¡¯t aware of this relationship before, but now we do. Yingying, you¡¯ll have to look after our Yifei from now on."


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t even replied when her mother preempted her, saying, "Of course, it¡¯s all the same who you use, but when it¡¯s one of our own, we must take good care of them. Yingying, your Uncle Lin was your father¡¯s old comrade-in-arms."


    Xu Yingying quickly responded with a smile, "I know, didn¡¯t I know before? Now that I do, of course, things are different. Alright, you all keep eating. Lin Qiong, let¡¯s go make a call and find out where these two rascals have run off to."


    Lin Qiong promptly followed Xu Yingying out of the private room, silently admiring Xu Yingying¡¯s adaptability. She knew she couldn¡¯t match that, and had Xu Yingying not been there today, Lin Qiong was afraid she would¡¯ve given them away with just a few words.


    After the two left, Lin Qiong immediately whispered, "Where did Li Yifei run off to?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "I have no idea. Who knows where he went? He was just in the room a moment ago. When you all came in, I was worried that your parents would see him. But as soon as you came in, he vanished without a trace."


    Being a police officer, Lin Qiong was quite sensitive to such matters. Frowning, she considered the situation in the room and said, "The room is quite simple. Aside from under the table, there¡¯s nowhere else to hide. But the table is only so big, and neither you nor I noticed anyone, neither did your parents or mine, nor did Shanshan. So, it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯s under there, meaning he must have left the room. We were at the door and he didn¡¯t leave through it, so he must have escaped through the window."


    "Escaped through the window? This is the fourth floor," Xu Yingying exclaimed, her eyes widening.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she said, "Don¡¯t worry, even though this is the fourth floor, Li Yifei is quite skilled. Climbing down from here should be no problem at all for him."


    "Really?" Xu Yingying still found it hard to believe.


    "Of course, if someone had fallen, there would be a commotion downstairs by now, but since there isn¡¯t any noise, it means he¡¯s probably fine."


    That made sense to Xu Yingying, but she was still worried and said, "Then I¡¯ll check the window later, just in case he¡¯s hiding somewhere. Wouldn¡¯t want him to have an accident."


    Lin Qiong was actually also concerned and harbored the same thought, but she still restrained Xu Yingying, saying, "Later on, we¡¯ll explain why Li Yifei isn¡¯t here."


    After a moment of thought, Xu Yingying said, "We¡¯ll say that your Li Yifei had an important client to deal with and he just happened to run into our Li Yifei, so they went together to accompany the client."


    Lin Qiong nodded; this excuse was quite good. For young people, work comes first, and such a reason is always plausible.


    Returning to the room, Xu Yingying let out a sigh and said, "The two of them are together now, Lin Qiong¡¯s husband isn¡¯t with a client? That¡¯s a tough customer to deal with. He happened to see our Yifei, so he pulled him along to help. When those two start working, they are so earnest. I called them, and they said it would take at least a few hours to get things sorted out."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately said apologetically, "Our Yifei is really something, how could he drag your Yifei away like that? It¡¯s your sister-in-law¡¯s birthday, after all."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother chimed in with a laugh, "What¡¯s the big deal about a birthday? I¡¯m not seventy or eighty years old. Missing one day is no issue; we can celebrate next year. Young people should prioritize their careers. It¡¯s actually a good thing."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother also added, "That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s gather again after some time, and then we must bring both Yifeis along, and not let them run off again."


    Finally, they had resolved the issue, and both Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong breathed a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, neither of them could rest easy, so, pretending it was casual, they walked to the window. Looking out, they saw no sign of Li Yifei.


    What relieved them, though, was that there were many exterior-mounted air-conditioning units outside. If Li Yifei had indeed left this way, there were plenty of footholds for him, so it seemed unlikely there would be any problems.


    At that moment, Li Yifei could finally relax, grateful that Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were clever enough to smoothly cover for his unexpected disappearance.


    Only when he relaxed did Li Yifei realize that Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot was still in his hand. He seemed to have been inadvertently rather naughty, as he had removed Xu Shanshan¡¯s stocking, and was now playing with her foot.


    Startled, Li Yifei wondered how he could have absentmindedly done such a thing and instinctively pushed away Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot.


    "Ouch!" At that moment, Xu Shanshan let out a cry of surprise as her body, along with the chair, toppled backward. Her foot kicked up involuntarily, lifting the blanket, and Li Yifei was suddenly completely exposed...

 Chapter 326 - 334: Finally Muddled Through

    Chapter 326: Chapter 334: Finally Muddled ThroughLi Yifei hadn¡¯t used any real strength, in theory, he should have been unable to push Xu Shanshan over.


    But he had only been paying attention to what Xu Yingying and the others were saying, so he didn¡¯t notice what his hand was doing at all; in fact, at that time, his hand was quite restless, rubbing and pinching Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot.


    And Li Yifei, the wily old fox of the romantic thickets, had quite an impressive technique. Xu Shanshan, usually bold, was oddly inexperienced in matters of love, and she had an unspoken fondness for her brother-in-law, Li Yifei. His playfulness with her foot sent her into an emotional whirlwind, filling her with an indescribable delightful sensation, and her body slumped into the chair as if boneless.


    Li Yifei suddenly released her foot, causing her to lose balance, and this led to her falling backwards.


    By this time, Li Yifei could no longer hide, but everyone¡¯s attention was naturally on Xu Shanshan, so there was an extremely short moment for him to remain unrecognized, prompting him to quickly duck down and dart out like an arrow.


    Moreover, Li Yifei¡¯s position was near Xu Shanshan and their side, the elders from both families had just glimpsed someone under the table and then saw a shadow rushing out of the private room.


    Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were directly facing the direction where Li Yifei had been, and being quite familiar with him, they both recognized him at a glance.


    This time, Lin Qiong reacted extremely quickly, immediately crying out, "Thief!" and then charged out like the wind.


    Xu Yingying was greatly shocked, not expecting that Li Yifei would actually be hiding under the table, even she hadn¡¯t noticed. However, what she was most worried about now was whether both sets of parents had recognized that it was Li Yifei. Reacting quickly as well, she hurried to help Xu Shanshan, anxiously asking, "Shanshan, are you okay?"


    However, everyone had been startled by Li Yifei suddenly darting out, and the four elders hadn¡¯t really seen it was him, they only felt that the figure looked somewhat similar to Li Yifei. Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying successfully diverted everyone¡¯s attention. So now, there was no time to think about the thief as they all rushed over and clumsily helped Xu Shanshan up.


    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, quickly check if anything¡¯s been stolen." Struggling to her feet, Xu Shanshan pretended to pat down her pockets.


    Her words once again shifted everyone¡¯s attention, and they all checked their belongings, relieved to find that nothing was missing. This reaction also relieved Xu Yingying, knowing they hadn¡¯t recognized Li Yifei.


    "Shanshan must have been frightened, look, even her shoes and socks came off," Lin Qiong¡¯s mother said with concern at the moment, and everyone immediately looked down at Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips quivered, "I must have scraped it on the table just before I fell." While saying this, she put on her socks and then slipped her shoes back on.


    Everyone didn¡¯t think too much about it; shoes coming off during a fall was normal, but socks coming off too¡ªif they were more observant, that might have seemed strange.


    "Shanshan, that thief was right under you, such a big person, and yet you didn¡¯t notice?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother asked, frowning.


    Xu Shanshan pouted her lips, "I wasn¡¯t paying attention, who would think there¡¯s someone hiding under the table? Besides, I didn¡¯t stretch my feet inward."


    Everyone lifted the tablecloth and looked underneath. If the legs weren¡¯t stretched inward, it would indeed be difficult to spot a person hiding in the middle, so no more was said.


    Xu Yingying looked towards Xu Shanshan with a hint of suspicion now, for just a moment ago they had both looked under the table; that small space¡ªXu Shanshan must have certainly noticed Li Yifei. It was normal for her not to mention it, but when Xu Yingying thought about their feet that had been teasing Li Yifei in the past, both placing their feet on top of Li Yifei¡¯s, she couldn¡¯t help but suspect what sort of things they might¡¯ve been up to underneath the table.


    However, she naturally couldn¡¯t ask Xu Shanshan about it here and could only press this question down in her heart.


    Before long, Lin Qiong returned, and Xu Yingying hurriedly asked, "Was the thief caught?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong instantly understood and, realizing she hadn¡¯t been recognized, pretended to be annoyed and said, "He ran too fast, I didn¡¯t catch him. Did anyone lose anything?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately said, "Nothing¡¯s missing, let¡¯s just leave it be. It just gave Shanshan a scare."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "Exactly, it really scared me to death. I had no idea there was a thief right under my table all along."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother looked everyone over and let out a sigh of relief, saying, "It¡¯s a good thing everyone is wearing pants."


    If they had been wearing skirts, there would¡¯ve been an embarrassing exposure. If that thief wasn¡¯t there to steal, but was there to take pictures, that would¡¯ve been truly disgusting.


    Lin Qiong was unaware that Xu Shanshan was also eyeing her brother-in-law. She also knew that Xu Shanshan had been aware of Li Yifei¡¯s presence there earlier and felt a kind of gratitude towards Xu Shanshan, while secretly rejoicing that she had managed to bluff her way through this ordeal.


    A thief had evidently dampened everyone¡¯s spirits, and since Lin Zhenhai indeed had other matters, he proposed leaving first. The Xu Zhenguo couple didn¡¯t persist in asking them to stay any longer at this time because after all, there would be future opportunities to meet, and it wouldn¡¯t be good to hold up Lin Zhenhai¡¯s business.


    Before leaving, everyone said they should keep in touch and meet up more often in the future. This wasn¡¯t good news for Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong, but it was something they couldn¡¯t prevent. They couldn¡¯t possibly ask these old comrades not to interact at all.


    The Xu family hadn¡¯t left yet since Li Yifei hadn¡¯t returned, and they wanted to wait. The Lin family had only been gone for a few minutes when Li Yifei rushed in, frowning as he entered and said, "What happened? When I came in just now, they said a thief had broken in here."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother immediately said, "It¡¯s fine, it just gave Shanshan a fright, but nothing was stolen."


    At this, Li Yifei showed even more annoyance, exclaiming, "That little rascal got lucky. If I had been here, I would¡¯ve given him a good beating."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, anyway, we¡¯ve finished eating and didn¡¯t lose anything. Yifei, how did you handle your matters?"


    "Not bad, so I rushed back. Mom, I¡¯m sorry for going out during your birthday."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately beamed and said, "A birthday can be celebrated any year, and you were only gone for a while, what¡¯s the big deal? Alright, it¡¯s about time, we should head home. We still have to make another eight rounds at the karaoke."


    Li Yifei secretly wiped away a bead of sweat, relieved that he had managed to smooth over the situation.

 Chapter 327 - 333 Xu Shanshan’s Persistence

    Chapter 327: Chapter 333 Xu Shanshan¡¯s PersistenceLi Yifei drove to the entrance of the neighborhood, and everyone got out of the car. Xu Shanshan called out, "Hey, I want to buy something. Brother-in-law, come with me, okay?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, not suspecting any ulterior motives, laughed and said, "You can drive yourself. Why have your brother-in-law follow you?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "We¡¯re not driving. We¡¯re just going to the supermarket at the entrance to buy some things."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed and said, "Then you two go ahead, but come back quickly so we can continue playing."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan left the neighborhood. Xu Shanshan immediately clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pinched it, and scolded, "Naughty brother-in-law, why did you push me?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face went a bit red. He cleared his throat and said, "Shanshan, back then, I..."


    Xu Shanshan interrupted him with a glance, pouting, "Annoying, if you want to touch, just touch. I never stopped you. Suddenly doing that, who could handle it?"


    Li Yifei wanted to explain, but this was really hard to explain. Could he say it was unintentional at that time? Yet, unintentional or not, he had taken off Xu Shanshan¡¯s socks and touched them for quite a while.


    "Hee hee, I¡¯m not mad at you. My sister seems to like you more and more now, and you¡¯re really good at touching." Xu Shanshan mischievously winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned even redder, and he could only give a dry laugh in response.


    "Brother-in-law, so tell me, do you prefer touching my feet or my sister¡¯s?"


    "Well..."


    "Come on, no lying allowed."


    "Alright, your sister¡¯s foot was injured that time, and I helped clean the wound. Other than that, I haven¡¯t touched it."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up, and she spoke smugly, "So, you mean you still prefer touching mine?"


    Li Yifei found this question truly hard to answer. To say he didn¡¯t like it would be dishonest, as every time he touched Xu Shanshan¡¯s little feet, he became mesmerized. But to say he liked it, how could he face Xu Shanshan?


    "Do you like it or not?" Xu Shanshan gently shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her voice sweet and sticky.


    "Alright, I admit I like it, but Shanshan..."


    Xu Shanshan immediately interrupted him, laughing, "As long as you like it, I won¡¯t care about anything else."


    "Shanshan..." Li Yifei wanted to say more.


    But Xu Shanshan tugged at his arm, urging, "Let¡¯s hurry, so we can buy something and go back to continue playing mahjong. I lost so much during the day; I have to win it back tonight."


    Li Yifei shook his head helplessly. Xu Shanshan really wasn¡¯t giving him a chance to explain, nor did she want to hear it. What on earth was this girl thinking?


    When they returned home, they immediately set up the mahjong table. Li Yifei had to join in again, but he made sure not to stretch his legs forward. He felt it would be too wicked if he continued like this.


    "Bamboos two!" Xu Shanshan played a tile forcefully, banging it on the table with a loud noise.


    Xu Zhenguo gave her a stern look and said, "Why all the noise just for playing mahjong?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "I just can¡¯t seem to win. Can¡¯t I smash the tiles to change my luck?"


    Xu Zhenguo drew a tile and said, "Mahjong has its own spirit. The more you smash the tiles and show your dissatisfaction, the less likely it is to give you good ones. You have to coax them, praise them, only then will good tiles come your way."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother laughed and said, "I say, Shanshan, you¡¯re always winning. This time, taste the bitterness of losing for once."


    "Hmph, I won¡¯t lose. This chair is so uncomfortable." She slid down almost lying in the chair.


    "You silly girl, sit properly. What kind of posture is that?" Xu Zhenguo scolded his daughter.


    Xu Shanshan just laughed mischievously, "I¡¯m comfortable like this."


    Xu Shanshan had been annoyed because Li Yifei¡¯s foot hadn¡¯t stretched over yet. Now in this position, her foot reached across the table to him, leaving Li Yifei no room to dodge.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s playful antics, Li Yifei was both amused and helpless. If he didn¡¯t meet her demands, who knew what she would do next, so he had to stretch his foot forward.


    Xu Shanshan immediately caught on, straightening up a bit. When Li Yifei¡¯s foot reached the middle, she sat up and smugly said, "There, I¡¯m sitting properly now, so stop nagging me." She even winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei could only respond to this fake sister-in-law with a smile.


    Li Yifei was well-versed in playing these little games under the table with Xu Shanshan. Their feet teased each other below, making the game unimportant. Tonight, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother won big, making her very happy.


    Finally done with the mahjong, it was already after eleven. Li Yifei did a simple wash-up and returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom. Xu Yingying was sitting on the bed with a laptop on her lap, engrossed in it, unaware that much of her left shoulder was exposed.


    A few strands of hair hung over her forehead, and Xu Yingying exuded a mix of seriousness and a lazy charm, with her bare shoulder adding an element of allure.


    After playing all night with Xu Shanshan in such mischief, Li Yifei was feeling quite uneasy. Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s tempting appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at her a few times, feeling a fire burning inside him.


    Though he had always kept a respectful distance from Xu Yingying, it wasn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t beautiful or captivating, but rather because he felt they were on different paths and couldn¡¯t walk together.


    Yet, Xu Yingying still attracted him, and the fire Xu Shanshan had ignited made him feel a strong urge to embrace Xu Yingying and press her beneath him.


    Xu Yingying looked up and asked, "Are you done playing?"


    "Finished, Mom won again."


    "For Mom¡¯s birthday, let her win a bit. It makes her happy." Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Did you lose all your money?"


    "Not all, but almost. You have to cover it for me." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying closed the laptop, placing it on the bedside table. She hugged her shoulder and laughed, "I¡¯m not covering you. Losing some money to your mother-in-law as her son-in-law doesn¡¯t need my covering, does it?"


    Li Yifei got into bed, lay down, and stretched lazily. "Now you¡¯re not only not compensating me, but you¡¯re not even covering the money I spent. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?"

 Chapter 328 - 336: No Matter What, Can’t Make It Clear

    Chapter 328: Chapter 336: No Matter What, Can¡¯t Make It Clear"I feel quite normal about it," Xu Yingying said with a proud smile, casually turning off the bedside lamp. "If you don¡¯t have money, you can just tell me."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I definitely will," Li Yifei yawned and then turned his back on Xu Yingying.


    It wasn¡¯t two minutes before Xu Yingying was hugging him from behind again, which made Li Yifei inwardly groan. Was this trying to kill him? Playing mahjong earlier, Xu Shanshan had already worn him out, and now with Xu Yingying doing this, wasn¡¯t it tempting him to make a mistake?


    "Today was really close, almost got caught," Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior today was much more natural than yesterday¡¯s, leaning against Li Yifei¡¯s back, she could still chat with him.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "I¡¯m not doing this job anymore; it¡¯s too depressing, having to hide under the table for so long."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s fingers lightly traced across Li Yifei¡¯s chest twice and she said, "You took quite a few liberties though, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re at a loss."


    "Don¡¯t try to seduce me with a beautiful woman. Even if you entice me again, I¡¯m not doing this. Plus, your dad and Lin Qiong¡¯s father are comrades-in-arms; the truth will come out sooner or later."


    Speaking of this matter, Xu Yingying also furrowed her brows and said, "So what should we do?"


    Without even thinking, Li Yifei said, "Just say you¡¯ve broken up with me."


    "Then why don¡¯t you say you¡¯ve broken up with Lin Qiong?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lin Qiong and I have already..." Li Yifei almost blurted out that he had slept with Lin Qiong but quickly stopped himself.


    However, Xu Yingying immediately pressed, "Already what? Hmph, you didn¡¯t have that kind of thing with her, did you?"


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t hide it any longer, Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Correct."


    "You..." Xu Yingying¡¯s breath caught, and she pinched Li Yifei hard, angrily saying, "How could you do this?"


    "Why can¡¯t I do this?" Li Yifei retorted.


    "Don¡¯t you have a girlfriend? How could you still get involved with Lin Qiong like that?"


    "That can only be considered an accident, and it doesn¡¯t affect my relationship with Yiyi. And as you¡¯ve seen, I¡¯m a philanderer; I¡¯m truly not worth your concern."


    If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t said that, Xu Yingying would have remained quite angry, but after he said it, she just snorted and replied, "So what, it¡¯s just sleeping together, I don¡¯t care."


    Li Yifei was truly at a loss for words and after a long moment, he turned around to face Xu Yingying, saying, "Big sister, are you out of your mind? I¡¯m fickle-hearted, irresponsible when it comes to feelings, just not a good man at all."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth curved up into a pretty arc and she said, "If you¡¯re aware of your own shortcomings, then it proves you can be taught. I have confidence that I can make you into a faithful and good husband."


    Rolling his eyes, Li Yifei turned away again, ignoring Xu Yingying. He really couldn¡¯t figure out what Xu Yingying was on, why she was fixated on him.


    Xu Yingying giggled, hugging Li Yifei from behind once more, and even gently rubbed her face against his back, but then suddenly asked, "Shanshan¡¯s socks came off today, was it you who did it?"


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat at once, but naturally, this was something he would never admit to, immediately saying, "That¡¯s nonsense, I was hiding under the table and didn¡¯t dare to move an inch."


    "Really?"


    "Of course, don¡¯t believe me? Go hide there for a while and try it yourself, the stuffiness could suffocate someone. How could you be in the mood to do anything else?"


    "I¡¯m not going to try. But you¡¯d better be honest with Shanshan, if you dare to mess with her, I definitely won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    "Alright, alright, How could I do such a thing? Go to sleep."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t say anything more, adjusted her position, and just like that, she hugged Li Yifei and went to sleep peacefully.


    Yet Li Yifei still restrained himself, forcing himself into a state of deep sleep. Although it was torturous, he soon fell asleep.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying tidied up and prepared to head back to Mile City, while Xu Shanshan stayed behind to take her mother for a thorough check-up on Monday. After Xu Yingying gave a few more instructions, they left with Li Yifei.


    On Monday morning, when Li Yifei arrived at the office, it wasn¡¯t long before one of his subordinates came into his office. The employee was a 25-year-old young man named Chen Xingrui, with a baby face that was quite appealing, and he also had a good temper, which made him quite popular with the women at the company.


    "Manager Li, good morning," Chen Xingrui said with a grin as he approached Li Yifei¡¯s desk.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Morning," then asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Manager Li..." Chen Xingrui chuckled again and said, "It seems like there¡¯s a file missing from our department."


    "Missing a file?" Li Yifei looked at Chen Xingrui, puzzled.


    Chen Xingrui said seriously, "Yes, I¡¯ve never seen the file of that beauty you brought in a while ago."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter, Su Mengxin¡¯s appearance at the company had left an impression. He teased, "You little rascal, you¡¯re just pining for that beauty. What do you mean a file is missing?"


    Chen Xingrui hehe¡¯d and scratched his head, saying, "Manager Li, you are too aware, but seriously, everyone¡¯s been paying attention to this matter. You showed her to everyone once, and then she was never seen again. Everyone thought you were going to keep her as your secretary, but it¡¯s been over a week now, and she hasn¡¯t appeared."


    Li Yifei tossed a cigarette to Chen Xingrui, who quickly caught it. The employees from the Human Resources Department could occasionally mooch a premium Little Panda cigarette from Li Yifei, but they didn¡¯t know the perks of this smoke, only thinking it tasted quite good.


    "Don¡¯t hold your breath, she doesn¡¯t meet our company¡¯s hiring standards, so I didn¡¯t hire her."


    "What?" Chen Xingrui immediately exclaimed, anxiously saying, "How could she not meet them? She has the looks, the poise, do you know how many people in the company were fixated on her after she appeared? You¡¯ve shattered countless men¡¯s fantasies, I represent all the men in the company to despise you."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "You¡¯re going to regret what you said today, kid."


    Chen Xingrui got a scare, suddenly realizing that he had just spoken out of turn to his boss, his face turned pale, and he chuckled awkwardly, "Manager Li, I lost my composure. It¡¯s just that beauty is so fine, she¡¯d have a considerable unifying effect in any department in the company."


    "I¡¯m exactly worried about her overwhelming unifying effect, drawing you little monkeys to her side every day, causing you to abandon your work."


    After getting rid of Chen Xingrui, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself. Su Mengxin was indeed an excessively beautiful woman, and there really was one word to describe her: Femme Fatale.

 Chapter 329 - 337 Mother Xu’s Last Hope

    Chapter 329: Chapter 337 Mother Xu¡¯s Last HopeSu Mengxin, the beauty who wasn¡¯t hired by Li Yifei, soon became the talk of the company, and when Li Yifei went to have lunch, he noticed that nearly all the employees were glaring at him with hostility.


    "What did you do to upset everyone?" Sitting at the same table with Li Yifei were Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Michelle. They all noticed the situation, and He Fangqing looked at Li Yifei with puzzlement and asked.


    Before Li Yifei could answer, Michelle burst out laughing and said, "Brother Li brought a beauty to the company last time, and many people saw her. Everyone was hoping she would work here, but who knew Brother Li wouldn¡¯t hire her, so now all the men in the company collectively despise him."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Who knew such a thing could offend people, sigh!"


    Both Xu Yingying and He Fangqing knew they were talking about Su Mengxin. They couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and Xu Yingying said, "Then just get her back."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying a look and said, "I don¡¯t have that ability, why don¡¯t you, President Xu, do it."


    The group joked and laughed, naturally not taking it seriously. After all, Su Mengxin was someone important; the whole company belonged to her. Those employees who fancied her were really like toads lusting after a swan¡¯s meat.


    At noon, Li Yifei took a lunchtime nap, sleeping sweetly, when the door to his office was suddenly knocked loudly and urgently. Clearly, whoever was knocking was in a big hurry. Li Yifei had no idea what it was about and got up to open the office door, only to be surprised to find Xu Yingying outside.


    Xu Yingying looked extremely upset at that moment, her face pale and her eyes slightly red, which startled Li Yifei. He first closed the door, then quickly asked, "What happened to you?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and suddenly burst into tears, then threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    Li Yifei was completely baffled. Xu Yingying had always given the impression of being strong; she had never been this frail. If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t just seen her at lunch, he might have thought she¡¯d been assaulted. He quickly patted Xu Yingying¡¯s back, trying to help her catch her breath, and said, "Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, what happened?"


    "My... my mom... sob..." Xu Yingying looked up, managed to say these words, then buried herself in Li Yifei¡¯s chest again, crying.


    Li Yifei was startled and urgently asked, "What happened to your mom? Wasn¡¯t she fine when we got back yesterday?"


    "She... she has... cancer." Xu Yingying finally got to the point.


    "What?" Li Yifei jumped, then urgently said, "Could there be a mistake? Wasn¡¯t she just coughing yesterday?"


    Xu Yingying tried to hold back her tears but still choked up as she said, "Today Shanshan took her for an examination, and then they found out she has lung cancer, and it¡¯s... terminal."


    "What?" Li Yifei cried out again, shocked. Cancer was difficult to cure, and lung cancer was one of the most difficult types. Out of a hundred people, it was good if one or two could be cured, especially in the late stage, where there was basically no hope.


    "Sob... What am I supposed to do?" Xu Yingying cried again, lying on Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    Li Yifei wanted to find comforting words to console Xu Yingying, but he felt that anything he said would be empty. Hearing that her mother had succumbed to such a serious illness would unsettle anyone.


    "No, I have to go back right away." Xu Yingying suddenly pushed Li Yifei away and started to leave.


    Li Yifei, concerned, immediately followed her out. The corridor was empty due to the lunch break, but at the stairway on the second floor, they came across an employee who hurriedly stepped aside to let them pass. After Xu Yingying and Li Yifei left in a rush, the employee was utterly puzzled. President Xu was crying, and Li Yifei was following her. Could it be that Li Yifei had done something to upset Xu Yingying, the boss?


    This quickly spread throughout the company. In no time, various gossip and rumors flew around. Even elite employees couldn¡¯t avoid this gossipy spirit ¨C after all, it is one method to relieve work-related stress.


    At the moment, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were unaware of the rumors back in the company. Since the earliest flight was three hours later, and seeing Xu Yingying was anxious, Li Yifei had no choice but to drive her back.


    In the car, Xu Yingying finally calmed down quite a bit. She gave He Fangqing instructions on the company¡¯s affairs and then became somewhat listless, apparently lost in thought.


    After six hours, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying arrived home, which was actually later than if they had flown, but Xu Yingying felt a bit better traveling by road, mostly dreading the wait for a flight.


    As soon as they entered the house, there was a gloomy atmosphere. Xu Zhenguo sat on the sofa smoking. When he saw them return, he merely nodded without saying a word.


    Xu Yingying had adjusted her mindset in the car, not wanting to add too much pressure to her mother¡¯s heart, but seeing her father like this, she became flustered again. She kicked off her shoes and sat next to her father, grabbing Xu Zhenguo¡¯s arm and choking up as she said, "Dad, don¡¯t be too sad."


    Xu Zhenguo took a couple more drags of his cigarette and then said, "It¡¯s okay, you should go see your mom."


    Xu Yingying agreed, stood up, and with Li Yifei, entered her mother¡¯s bedroom.


    At that time, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was lying on the bed, looking very weak. Upon seeing Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, she struggled to sit up, but seemed to lack the strength and collapsed back onto the bed. Xu Shanshan quickly helped stabilize her, and Xu Yingying also rushed forward to support her mother. Her lips trembled for a few moments, and before she could speak, tears were already flowing.


    "Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, everyone has to die; it¡¯s just a matter of sooner or later," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother gently patted the back of Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, forcing a weak smile.


    "Mom!" Xu Yingying suddenly cried out, then shook her head furiously as she pleaded, "No, you won¡¯t die, Mom. I¡¯ll take you to the best hospital, with the best medicine, and we¡¯ll definitely cure you."


    "Silly child, Mom knows your filial piety, but it¡¯s already too late. The doctor has said there¡¯s no cure. If I keep a good mood, I can live a few more months, but if I¡¯m not, I¡¯ll pass away quickly. Staying in the hospital all the time, undergoing ¡¯Chemotherapy,¡¯ and seeing those patients will only worsen Mom¡¯s mood. So, while I can, I¡¯d rather do what I wish at home."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s grief deepened. As a chief executive, her decision-making ability was naturally exceptional, and her considerations for situations were comprehensive. She knew very well what her mother was talking about; for an incurable disease like this, a patient would have immense psychological pressure in the hospital, often accelerating their demise, whereas the pressure could be much less outside the hospital. As her mother had said, there was still a chance to live a bit longer.


    "Mom, I still suggest we go to a major hospital for a thorough checkup. Maybe it was a misdiagnosis," Li Yifei suggested at that moment.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes brightened immediately, and she hurriedly said, "Right, right, what if it¡¯s a misdiagnosis? The medical standards in Pingyang are just average. We should get a checkup at a big hospital."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother gave a slight smile and said, "No need, dear. Life and death are destined. If it¡¯s not meant to be, I can recover at home. If it is, going there would just be one more ordeal."


    "But if it isn¡¯t," Li Yifei interjected, "wouldn¡¯t it mean you would have no more psychological pressure?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head and said, "Yifei, you¡¯re a good kid. Right now, my biggest wish is for you and Yingying to get married."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "But I am already married to Yifei, aren¡¯t I?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother gave her a stern look and said, "Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done? You and Yifei aren¡¯t really married, and that marriage certificate is fake."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were petrified, then simultaneously turned their gazes toward Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan gave a wry smile and said, "I had no choice, Mom¡¯s already like this, I didn¡¯t want to lie to her anymore."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother took Li Yifei¡¯s hand, gesturing him to sit by her side, and spoke softly, "Yifei, even though you used to be Yingying¡¯s fake boyfriend, we¡¯ve been living together for so long, and I really like you. I truly hope that you can become our family¡¯s son-in-law and really be with Yingying. My biggest wish is for you and Yingying to marry and then have a child. If Mom can see her grandchild born on the day before she closes her eyes, this life would be worthwhile."


    "Mom!" Xu Yingying suddenly threw herself onto her mother¡¯s lap and burst into tears. She had always thought her mother¡¯s nagging about her getting married was meddling with her freedom. But only now did she realize that not marrying earlier and not having a child sooner was the greatest filial piety.


    "Stop crying, stop crying. Just tell Mom the truth, can you really get married? And don¡¯t let Mom hope in vain anymore, leaving her with just a fleeting joy," her mother said.


    Xu Yingying lifted her head and looked helplessly at Li Yifei, while Li Yifei also gazed back at her, now truly struggling to make a decision.


    This time it wasn¡¯t like the pretend play of the past; if he really agreed, he would have to truly marry Xu Yingying, he would become her husband for real, and would need to take up the responsibilities of a husband and do everything a husband is supposed to do. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he already had feelings for Su Yiyi, and even if Su Yiyi did not demand any status, it would be unfair to her. What about Ye Yunzhu, how could she be content? By doing this, he would be betraying both of them.


    Yet to refuse, in the face of an old woman whose life was nearing its end, how could he utter a word of rejection? It would be depriving an old person of their last hope, a sheer cruelty.


    "Yifei, Mom understands your hesitation. A forced union isn¡¯t sweet, I won¡¯t force you anymore," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said with a bitter smile on her lips, an indescribable look of desolation on her face.


    "Mom, I promise you, I¡¯ll marry Yingying!" Li Yifei finally said these words, feeling an inexplicable bitterness in his heart, but with no regret.

 Chapter 330 - 338 Marriage and Childbirth

    Chapter 330: Chapter 338 Marriage and ChildbirthThis time, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying handled their marriage registration with lightning speed. The next day, Li Yifei returned to Mile City to take care of some related paperwork and returned to Pingyang on the same day to obtain their marriage certificate with Xu Yingying at the Civil Affairs Office.


    There was no joy between the two holding the marriage certificate. They didn¡¯t even feel anything about it and hurried home to hand it over to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother flipped the marriage certificate over and over, scrutinizing it carefully; then she looked at the two with concern and asked, "It¡¯s not fake this time, is it?"


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Mom, it¡¯s definitely not fake this time. This is a marriage certificate from Pingyang, and since Dad works at the Public Security Bureau, we couldn¡¯t possibly fake it." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother nodded repeatedly, her face beaming with joy. "Good, good, now that you¡¯re married, I can finally rest easy."


    Xu Yingying, with reddened eyes, said, "Mom, as long as you¡¯re happy, anything is fine."


    "Pfft..." Xu Shanshan burst out laughing at an inopportune moment.


    Xu Yingying immediately looked displeased at her sister. "What are you laughing at?"


    Xu Shanshan hurriedly said, "Nothing, nothing, I¡¯m not laughing at anything."


    Xu Zhenguo then said, "Alright, your mom¡¯s worries are settled, and you¡¯ve been off work for two days. Get back to work quickly."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother echoed, "Yes, I¡¯m fine now, so you don¡¯t need to stay home with me. Get back to work."


    Xu Yingying was truly conflicted at that moment. Logically, with her mother gravely ill, she should stay by her side at all times. However, her phone had been ringing off the hook, and even though He Fangqing was managing things at the company, there were numerous issues that required her attention as the CEO.


    Xu Shanshan carelessly said, "Alright, alright. Mom won¡¯t pass away in just one or two days, so we¡¯ll come back to visit in a few days."


    Xu Zhenguo quickly waved his hand, saying, "You should go back. I¡¯m still at home, after all, and work is important."


    After much persuasion from the Xu Zhenguo couple, Xu Yingying finally agreed to return to the company temporarily, while Xu Shanshan stayed home.


    As soon as Li Yifei and Xu Yingying left, Xu Zhenguo put on a stern face and said, "Is this okay? We¡¯re forcing Yifei to marry Yingying. What will Yifei think later?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother swiftly pulled the blanket off, sat up neatly, and said, "What¡¯s wrong with that? Our Yingying is not an ordinary girl. She¡¯s a CEO and beautiful, after all. She¡¯s good enough for Yifei. Besides, once they have the rice cooked, get used to married life, he won¡¯t have any thoughts of leaving."


    "But this is deception. I feel uncomfortable about it," Xu Zhenguo said, lighting a cigarette in frustration.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "It¡¯s alright. My sister and brother-in-law don¡¯t hate each other. They¡¯ve just been unable to cross that threshold, so we helped them over it. Everything will be fine. In about ten days or half a month, we can say there was a misdiagnosis. By then, they¡¯re already a married couple. They can¡¯t divorce."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother nodded continuously and said, "Yes, by then, Yingying might be pregnant, which means they definitely can¡¯t separate. I¡¯ll get to hold my grandchild."


    Xu Zhenguo felt helpless against the two women. As the head of the family, he often had no choice but to comply with the majority. Besides, he did admire Li Yifei, or he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to such a plan.


    Li Yifei drove the car with Xu Yingying sitting in the passenger seat, her face showing no smile. Her mother¡¯s illness was like a heavy burden on her heart, leaving her no room for anything else.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know how to console Xu Yingying. Her mother¡¯s illness pained him as well. His mother-in-law had always treated him well, never treating him as an outsider, so he felt a sense of long-lost family affection. When he saw Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s hopeful gaze, he lacked the courage to refuse and finally agreed to marry Xu Yingying.


    Furthermore, there were complicated matters waiting for him now¡ªSu Yiyi, Ye Yunzhu, and Lin Qiong were sure to have different reactions to his marriage to Xu Yingying, especially Ye Yunzhu, whose reaction would likely be the strongest and most difficult for Li Yifei to face.


    "Why did my mom get such a disease?" Xu Yingying sighed deeply. She had accepted the reality over the past two days, but the pain in her heart hadn¡¯t lessened at all.


    Li Yifei also sighed and said, "There¡¯s nothing we can do. We didn¡¯t want Mom to get this disease, but since she did, we have to think about how to make her remaining time as good as possible."


    "I know, but my mom worked hard her whole life, was kind and honest, and never quarreled with anyone. How could someone so good get sick? Sigh, it¡¯s all my fault for not paying attention to her health. If I had discovered it earlier, at least there might have been a chance to treat it. But now, there¡¯s no chance for treatment at all. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m an unfilial daughter."


    Seeing Xu Yingying getting tangled in her own thoughts, taking responsibility for her mother¡¯s illness, Li Yifei tried to comfort her, "No one can predict illnesses. Auntie¡¯s health was always good. Who would have thought she¡¯d get sick?"


    "I should have been better to her and listened to her more. She wanted me to get married early, but I didn¡¯t. If I had, I might have already had a child. Now, even if I want one right away, I don¡¯t know if my mom will live to see the child being born."


    "This... she should be able to, right?" Mentioning this issue made Li Yifei a bit uneasy. They had received their marriage certificate, but he still didn¡¯t feel like a husband. Now suddenly talking about having a child felt unprepared. On top of that, as Xu Yingying mentioned, her mother was already in the late stage of lung cancer, and having a child would take at least ten months. Whether she could hold on for ten months remained uncertain, and most likely, she wouldn¡¯t make it to that day.


    Suddenly, Xu Yingying grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said urgently, "No, Yifei, we must start trying for a child today. Even if my mom can¡¯t see the birth, she needs to know I¡¯m pregnant. Maybe having a child to look forward to will strengthen her will to live. I¡¯ve done a lot of research these past two days. A person¡¯s will to live largely determines how much longer they can survive."


    Li Yifei felt extremely awkward and coughed, saying, "Having a child isn¡¯t something... we can just decide to do. We need to prepare."


    "Prepare for what? Don¡¯t we just need to go to bed together to have a child?"


    "Well... we need to consider many things, like I smoke, and that¡¯s not good for a child. I must quit smoking first. Our health conditions affect the child¡¯s health. We must consider the responsibility towards the child, not just for Mom."


    Xu Yingying was taken aback and said, "Then you should quit smoking immediately."


    "I can quit smoking, but I¡¯ve accumulated a lot of toxins from smoking, and it takes time to cleanse them out. This isn¡¯t something we can rush."


    "When will that be? I¡¯m afraid my mom won¡¯t hold on till then."


    "I think... maybe we should pretend you¡¯re pregnant to reassure her for now."


    "Pretend..."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, it¡¯s easy. We can get a fake hospital certificate¡ªshouldn¡¯t be difficult. Then you can fake some pregnancy symptoms, and in a couple of months, pad your belly a bit. That should do it."


    Xu Yingying frowned, firmly shook her head, and said, "No, I can¡¯t deceive my mom again. She¡¯s already in this state, and if I lie again, it would be too unfair. It wouldn¡¯t let her leave in peace."


    Li Yifei frowned internally. Registering the marriage with Xu Yingying felt like being pushed into a corner, entirely against his true wishes. If they even ended up having a child, he would have to become true lifelong partners with her, spending the rest of his life with her.


    The thought made Li Yifei¡¯s scalp tingle. In theory, having a beautiful wife like Xu Yingying should be appealing, yet for reasons he couldn¡¯t comprehend, he felt no such desire. The idea of spending his life with Xu Yingying made him uneasy.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason for this feeling. Was there something wrong with Xu Yingying? No, there wasn¡¯t. Xu Yingying was beautiful, carried a good demeanor, and was presentable anywhere. She was also a CEO, highly capable, and apart from not being able to cook and having a temper, she had no faults.


    Yet, Li Yifei just didn¡¯t feel a spark with Xu Yingying. For instance, with Su Yiyi, he always felt protective over her. Being with Ye Yunzhu brought wild passion and unforgettable first love feelings. Even Lin Qiong¡¯s awkwardness had its charm. Then there was Michelle, whose gentleness easily captivated him, although he kept his distance to avoid hurting her. And He Fangqing, with whom things felt effortless. Not least of all, Xu Shanshan, his playful and endearing sister-in-law, who also made his heart skip.


    Besides Su Yiyi, Ye Yunzhu, Lin Qiong, and He Fangqing, he had the most intimate encounters with Xu Yingying. Apart from that final step, they¡¯d done nearly everything. They had already broken the usual boundaries of friendship. Yet perhaps any of those women could force him to marry, and it wouldn¡¯t bother him as much; with Xu Yingying, though, it was awfully awkward, especially considering having a child together just made it more uncomfortable.

 Chapter 331 - 339 There’s Another One

    Chapter 331: Chapter 339 There¡¯s Another OneXu Yingying didn¡¯t notice how conflicted Li Yifei was; she was still thinking about having a child early to make her mother happy. She hadn¡¯t thought about how she could get pregnant, nor realized that she was really married now and had truly become Li Yifei¡¯s wife. She hadn¡¯t considered that even if she wasn¡¯t with Li Yifei, she¡¯d bear the stigma of a divorced woman.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t slept well for the past two days, constantly accompanying her mother. Now, sitting in the car, she drifted off to sleep unknowingly. Li Yifei initially wanted to have a good talk with her, but he didn¡¯t get the chance.


    The car drove all the way to Mile City, and Xu Yingying still didn¡¯t wake up. She was really too tired.


    Li Yifei parked the car, gently nudged Xu Yingying, and said, "We¡¯re home, wake up."


    "Mm... we¡¯re home," Xu Yingying groggily opened her eyes and pushed open the car door, but she didn¡¯t get out immediately. Instead, she rubbed her forehead and said, "My head feels a bit dizzy."


    Li Yifei touched Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead. It wasn¡¯t warm, but she looked uncomfortable. He got out of the car and helped Xu Yingying out.


    Xu Yingying walked a bit unsteadily, seemingly very uncomfortable, which worried Li Yifei as he said, "How about I take you to the hospital?"


    "No need, I¡¯m just too tired these past two days. I¡¯ll be fine after resting a bit at home."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying¡¯s stubbornness. When she decided on something, no one could stop her. He felt that she should be okay, so he supported her all the way to her home. Along the way, Xu Yingying almost leaned on Li Yifei the whole time, her eyes too lazy to open.


    Helping Xu Yingying onto the bed inside, she plopped down and said, "I¡¯m a bit thirsty, could you get me a glass of water?"


    Li Yifei agreed. When he returned, Xu Yingying struggled to sit up, appearing very weak. Li Yifei helped her sit properly and brought the cup to her lips. She took a couple of sips before shaking her head, saying she didn¡¯t want any more.


    "I¡¯m still sleepy, I¡¯ll nap for a bit," Xu Yingying said and lay back down.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "Aren¡¯t you going to change clothes before sleeping?" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying muttered an "Oh," and started undressing right on the bed.


    Watching a beautiful woman undress in front of him was something that could excite a man. If it were a few days ago, Li Yifei would have looked on with appreciation, but today, he felt a sense of fear, and quickly turned around, not daring to look at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying took off her outer clothes and her pants, wearing only a bra and panties, then pulled the blanket over herself.


    She had been mentally absent these past few days, not paying attention to things she normally would. Besides, she had been staying in the same room with Li Yifei for the past few days, and having had intimate moments with him, she didn¡¯t care about exposing herself in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head and walked out of the bedroom, sitting on the living room sofa, still pondering how to deal with their sudden relationship. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn¡¯t come up with a good solution.


    Seeing it was getting late, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom and felt Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead again. It was not hot, so she shouldn¡¯t have a fever, and probably nothing was wrong. Just as he was about to leave, Xu Yingying¡¯s phone rang outside. Li Yifei quickly stepped out and found Xu Yingying¡¯s phone.


    Doing this was usually considered impolite and a breach of privacy, but Li Yifei was afraid the ringtone would wake Xu Yingying. He wanted to check the caller ID, answer if it was someone he knew, or silence it if he didn¡¯t.


    It was Xu Shanshan calling, so Li Yifei answered immediately and said, "Shanshan, what¡¯s up?"


    Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, are you both home?"


    "We¡¯re home. Your sister is too tired and already asleep."


    Xu Shanshan murmured a reply and said, "You¡¯re both asleep, so I must be disturbing you." Though she said this, she didn¡¯t seem to want to hang up.


    Li Yifei said, "I¡¯m not asleep. Is it about mom¡¯s health...?"


    "Mom¡¯s fine. I just wanted to ask if you¡¯re home. Also, mom¡¯s waiting for you to have a baby, so you¡¯d better work hard."


    Li Yifei wiped away a sweat, thinking it was a bit ambiguous for a sister-in-law to bring this up to a brother-in-law. Besides, he had shared some ambiguous moments with this sister-in-law recently, making this topic even more awkward.


    "We¡¯ll try." At this, Li Yifei felt at a loss for words with Xu Shanshan, perhaps because these past few days had been too heavy-hearted.


    "Brother-in-law..." Xu Shanshan hesitated after calling him and then fell silent.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked subconsciously.


    "Nothing, I should have wished you a happy marriage today."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly and said, "Thanks."


    Xu Shanshan asked again, "Brother-in-law, are you still feeling reluctant?"


    "Shanshan, don¡¯t say such things. If mom hears, she¡¯ll be upset."


    "I¡¯m in my room, mom can¡¯t hear. Tell me, are you unwilling to marry my sister?"


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "It¡¯s not exactly unwilling, but there¡¯s a sense of discomfort with getting married like this."


    "Hehe, you¡¯ll get used to it. My mom said that couples in the past often didn¡¯t see each other much before marriage, yet they lived happily. My sister isn¡¯t bad either. Adapt to her slowly, and you¡¯ll soon feel happy."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Hopefully."


    "Brother-in-law..." Xu Shanshan¡¯s tone suddenly turned a bit coquettish and she said, "If my sister isn¡¯t doing well... she has a younger sister, you know."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Xu Shanshan¡¯s words were too... suggestive. What did she mean by another sister? Was she implying that if her sister didn¡¯t do well, her younger sister would make up for it, which would mean...


    Considering the recent ambiguous interactions with Xu Shanshan, who had always been very nice to him, often more so than him initiating, this made Li Yifei especially excited.


    "Shanshan..." Li Yifei was about to say something when he realized Xu Shanshan had already hung up the phone.


    Holding the phone, Li Yifei felt a mess of emotions. The marriage with Xu Yingying had always left him conflicted and depressed, and now, for the first time, he felt an indescribable excitement and anticipation.

 Chapter 332 - 341: Shotgun Wedding

    Chapter 332: Chapter 341: Shotgun WeddingLi Yifei didn¡¯t feel like he was married, and Xu Yingying¡¯s home didn¡¯t give him the feeling of home either. It was the rented cottage that made him feel at home, so he still returned to his own place.


    When he got back to his place, he turned on the light as he entered, and Li Yifei immediately noticed the sparkling cleanliness of his home, which let him know that Yiyi had been here.


    However, when he saw the shoes at the door, his heart skipped a beat, because they were Su Yiyi¡¯s shoes, which meant that Su Yiyi was here in the house.


    Hurrying to turn off the light, he tiptoed into the bedroom. By the moonlight, he saw Su Yiyi sleeping on the bed, covered with a thin blanket, one arm exposed above the cover, her delicate face and sweet sleeping posture making Li Yifei like looking at her more and more.


    Quietly undressing, Li Yifei carefully got into bed, lifting the thin blanket and pressing his body against Su Yiyi¡¯s.


    "Ah!" Su Yiyi¡¯s body suddenly jolted, and she cried out in alarm.


    Her reaction startled Li Yifei, and he quickly sat up saying, "Yiyi, don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s me."


    "Ah! Brother Li, you¡¯re back," Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes had slightly adjusted by then, and seeing Li Yifei, she joyfully threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly and said excitedly, "Brother Li, you really scared me to death. I thought a bad person had come in."


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Yiyi¡¯s back, apologetically saying, "I¡¯m sorry, Yiyi. I should have called out to you earlier, so I wouldn¡¯t have scared you."


    Shaking her head gently in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, Su Yiyi whispered, "I know Brother Li was afraid to wake me."


    Hugging Su Yiyi, Li Yifei bent down to kiss her on the top of her head and asked, "Why did you come here alone?"


    "There was nothing much at school today, and I missed Brother Li, so I came here. I was also afraid that there might be someone at Brother Li¡¯s house until I asked Sister Xiaofei. She said there was no one at your house, so I dared to come in."


    Li Yifei felt a pang in his heart. Su Yiyi was such a considerate girl, but now he was already married and had become someone else¡¯s husband. Holding Su Yiyi tightly, he wanted to say some words of apology but found that no matter how touching the phrases might be, they could not compare to the depth of Su Yiyi¡¯s affection for him, vast like the sea.


    "Brother Li... I missed you," said Su Yiyi, her body growing warm, her little mouth gently caressing Li Yifei¡¯s sturdy chest.


    This was the first time Su Yiyi had been so proactive and so passionate. Li Yifei felt that at this moment, other than expressing his fondness for her through action, anything else would be superfluous.


    Li Yifei was tired at this moment, but he said with some worry, "Yiyi, I didn¡¯t wear a condom, don¡¯t get pregnant."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face flushed even more, and she spoke softly, "I... bought medicine."


    Only then did Li Yifei feel relieved. He kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face a few times before rolling off and even took a tissue to help Su Yiyi clean up, which embarrassed her greatly. Although they were already so intimate, having Li Yifei do this still made her shy. But she had no strength left in her body, so she had to let Li Yifei help her.


    After cleaning up, Li Yifei lay down and cuddled Su Yiyi, and she curled up in his arms like a kitten, both still savoring the wonderful feeling from just now.


    After a while, Su Yiyi said softly, "Brother Li, do you not like children?"


    "No, I like them very much."


    "Then why are you afraid of me... getting pregnant? Oh, Brother Li, I don¡¯t mean anything by it. I¡¯ve thought it through; I want to have a child for Brother Li in the future. I just want a token of our love, not to use a child to ask for anything from Brother Li."


    Gently stroking Su Yiyi¡¯s back, Li Yifei said, "Silly girl, you¡¯re really foolish. It¡¯s not that Brother Li doesn¡¯t want children, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re still in university, and it¡¯s not the right time to have a child right now."


    "That¡¯s not a problem, the law has made it clear, right? During university, not only can you get married, but you can also have children. I can take a leave of absence from school."


    "Even so, that¡¯s not okay. Yiyi, you¡¯re still so young. Having a child so early would make your life revolve around the child, and that¡¯s too tiring. I¡¯d rather you enjoy a few more years of happy days, and then we can have children later."


    Lightly nodding her head, Su Yiyi said, "Then I¡¯ll listen to Brother Li. By the way, what about Sister Yunzhu? When the time comes, just let her have a child with you earlier."


    Li Yifei let out a wry smile and said, "It¡¯s no longer about your Sister Yunzhu now."


    "Ah?" Su Yiyi lifted her head, looking at Li Yifei in surprise. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei then told Su Yiyi everything about Xu Yingying¡¯s mother being diagnosed with cancer and his marriage to Xu Yingying.


    Listening, Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened, and she spoke with a choked voice, "Sister Xu¡¯s mother is really pitiful. Then you should have a child with Sister Xu sooner, to fulfill her last wish."


    "If she has other wishes, I will naturally try my best to fulfill them, but having a child is too important. I don¡¯t have that kind of feeling for Xu Yingying in the first place, and getting married was already forced. If we have a child, there will be no turning back."

 Chapter 333 - 341: A Shotgun Wedding_2

    Chapter 333: Chapter 341: A Shotgun Wedding_2"Brother Li, do you dislike Sister Xu?"


    "It¡¯s not that I dislike her, but being with her doesn¡¯t give me the same feeling as being with you, so right now, I¡¯m really troubled."


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t need to hear anything more. With a sweet smile, she said, "Brother Li, no matter what you do, I¡¯ll support you." Then she nestled her face into Li Yifei¡¯s chest, her heart filled with nothing but sweetness.


    The next morning, Li Yifei dropped off the clingy Su Yiyi back at her school. On the way, he received a call from Xu Yingying asking him to pick her up and take her to the company.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to drive to Xu Yingying¡¯s apartment complex. She was waiting for him at the gate, got into the car as soon as he pulled up.


    This time, Xu Yingying was once again the image of efficiency and sharpness, her hair was done up into a bun and she was in a professional suit. She seemed to betray no signs of the exhaustion and helplessness of the last two days, but Li Yifei could still see a hint of anxiety in her eyes.


    "Why did you leave yesterday?" Xu Yingying asked as soon as she got into the car, turning to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt a bit unsteady under Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze and said, "I saw you were sleeping deeply yesterday, so I went home."


    With an indisputable tone, Xu Yingying said, "You¡¯re my husband now, how can you not be living with me? Today you¡¯re going to cancel the lease on that room and move in with me."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched and he said, "There¡¯s no need for that, I like my place, and I¡¯m used to living there."


    "Fine, if you won¡¯t move in with me, I¡¯ll move in with you. Although your place is smaller, as long as there¡¯s a bedroom, it¡¯s enough."


    Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "Yingying, can you give me some time to adjust? Right now, I really don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m married."


    "No, you¡¯ve already promised my mother to have a child. If we¡¯re not living together, how am I supposed to get pregnant?"


    Li Yifei took a deep breath, met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, and said slowly, "Yingying, I hope you won¡¯t pressure me. Having a child is a big deal¡ªit¡¯s a life, not a tool. We can understand mother¡¯s wish, but we must also be responsible for our future child. Think about it, if you were born because of some purpose and were not genuinely wanted by your parents, how would you feel? Moreover, what if we¡¯re not ready and have a child with health issues? Wouldn¡¯t we feel guilty towards that child for the rest of our lives?"


    Xu Yingying looked into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and saw an unwavering determination that she had never seen before. He had always been easy-going, but on this matter, she felt an unyielding resolve from him.


    "What about my mother, though? What if she gets upset about me not getting pregnant and her condition worsens?"


    "I¡¯ll talk to her about this, I promise to keep her from getting upset or worried. What do you say?"


    "Really? Can you manage that?"


    "Trust me, there¡¯s nothing I, Li Yifei, promise that I can¡¯t do."


    Xu Yingying looked him in the eye once more, and finally, she nodded, saying, "Alright, if you can¡¯t do it, then you have to get me pregnant."


    "No problem," Li Yifei agreed readily and started the car.


    They arrived at the company parking garage, where Li Yifei turned off the engine, but Xu Yingying didn¡¯t get out immediately. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she said, "Yifei, I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s something else I need to discuss with you."


    "Go ahead."


    "It¡¯s like this, I don¡¯t want people in the company to know we¡¯re married. If everyone knows about our relationship, it will affect their perception of you and also affect some work efficiency and attitudes. I don¡¯t want them to say that the company is our husband-and-wife¡¯s shop."


    Li Yifei readily replied, "No problem, as long as you don¡¯t say anything, I won¡¯t either."


    Xu Yingying sighed with relief and said, "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    As they entered the company, the employees greeted them, but there was still a hint of something strange in their gazes. Xu Yingying¡¯s hasty departure the other day and her tears had already sparked much gossip. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were as yet unaware of this.


    After reaching the office, Xu Yingying immediately discussed company matters with He Fangqing. Once they had finished with the business, He Fangqing asked with concern, "How is your aunt¡¯s illness?"


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "Not good, I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t have many days left."


    He Fangqing offered a few words of comfort, but in these matters, truly there was nothing that could be done.


    "Sister Fangqing, Yifei and I have already registered our marriage," Xu Yingying suddenly brought up the subject.


    "Registered? What kind of registration?" He Fangqing didn¡¯t think of marriage at first.


    Li Yifei spoke with some bitterness, "I¡¯m saying we¡¯ve already gotten... our marriage license, it¡¯s real this time."


    "What?" He Fangqing exclaimed in surprise, her expression suddenly becoming a bit unnatural. Although she had always maintained that her relationship with Li Yifei was just so and had harbored little expectation, the news of Xu Yingying suddenly marrying Li Yifei deeply shocked her.

 Chapter 334 - 341: Shotgun Wedding_3

    Chapter 334: Chapter 341: Shotgun Wedding_3Xu Yingying looked out of the window and sighed, saying, "My mom¡¯s last hope is to see me get married, to see me have a child. I can¡¯t fail to fulfill this wish of hers."


    He Fangqing organized her scattered thoughts and asked, "What does Yifei say?"


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "He didn¡¯t say anything when we went to get our marriage certificate, but when it comes to having kids, he has never agreed."


    "Why won¡¯t he agree?" He Fangqing looked at Xu Yingying, feeling somewhat nervous.


    Xu Yingying turned her head and repeated Li Yifei¡¯s rationale, then said with furrowed brows, "I¡¯m the one who has to give birth, not him. He has so many reservations; it really makes me anxious."


    He Fangqing patted Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder and said, "Yingying, I can understand your desire to have a child for your mother¡¯s last wish, but... I can also understand Yifei¡¯s way of thinking. He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong."


    Xu Yingying asked, puzzled, "Why? Is it that difficult to help me have a child?"


    "Yingying, is having a child only your affair? You¡¯re the mom, but doesn¡¯t that make Yifei the dad? Once the child is born, can he be without responsibility? You don¡¯t have a child now, so you don¡¯t have a mindset of being responsible for a child. Plus, you should also understand how difficult it is to raise a child nowadays¡ªeducation, health, and so on, which are enough to keep a couple frantically busy¡ªit¡¯s not all solved by just having the child."


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth. If Li Yifei had said these words, she wouldn¡¯t have listened at all and would have just thought he was making excuses. But coming from He Fangqing, she couldn¡¯t help but take them seriously.


    "Yingying, since you and Yifei are already married, even if it¡¯s for that reason, as husband and wife, you need to consider each other more and not just act on your own impulses. Otherwise, it will lead to conflict," she said.


    "But my mom doesn¡¯t have much time left, and I¡¯ve been unable to get pregnant. She¡¯ll definitely be anxious," Xu Yingying countered. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You haven¡¯t truly understood your mother¡¯s mentality. What she really wants is to see you happy. As long as you and Yifei are loving, she¡¯ll know that you will have children sooner or later. That¡¯s enough for her. If you haven¡¯t even figured out your relationship with Yifei, then even if you were to get pregnant, how would your mother feel happy seeing the two of you not even looking like a married couple? She would probably be even more worried about what would happen to you both from then on. If you were to separate, with a child between you, it would actually be a heavy burden."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t speak, lost in thought. To tell the truth, she didn¡¯t feel like she was married, nor did she have the consciousness of being Li Yifei¡¯s wife. The idea of dealing with her relationship with Li Yifei in the mindset of a married woman was truly difficult for her.


    He Fangqing knew that these weren¡¯t issues Xu Yingying could resolve just because someone urged her to. She stood up and said, "These things take more than a day or two to figure out. I only understood them after I got divorced. You shouldn¡¯t dwell on it too much. Just remember one thing¡ªyou can¡¯t always be selfish; think more about Yifei, and you won¡¯t be wrong."


    He Fangqing left, and Xu Yingying remained in a daze for a while longer, still unable to come to terms with it all. Shaking her head, she decided to focus on work for the time being.


    In Li Yifei¡¯s office, Michelle was sitting beside him, her eyes wide and her face a little pale, but she forced a strained smile and said, "Brother Li, then I must congratulate you for marrying such an outstanding woman like President Xu."


    Although Xu Yingying had said not to tell anyone in the company, when Michelle came over today, Li Yifei still told her about his marriage to Xu Yingying. It wasn¡¯t for any other reason; he just didn¡¯t want Michelle to fall deeper.


    "Heh, thank you," Li Yifei laughed, but his smile seemed somewhat forced.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re married now, why don¡¯t you seem especially happy?" Michelle immediately noticed something off in Li Yifei¡¯s expression and asked with curiosity.


    Li Yifei laughed again and said, "Isn¡¯t it just a little adjustment period? I¡¯ve been single for so long, and suddenly I¡¯m someone¡¯s husband."


    Michelle stared at Li Yifei and slowly asked, "Brother Li, is it that you... don¡¯t really want to marry President Xu?"


    Li Yifei laughed it off and said, "That¡¯s not the case at all."


    "Don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯ve had classmates who got married. When they did, they were especially happy, their faces glowing with joy, but you seem somewhat weary. That¡¯s not the normal look of a newlywed. Maybe... you were forced into it, ah... you¡¯re not... married because of a pregnancy, right?" Michelle covered her mouth, looking at Li Yifei with an even more peculiar expression.


    Married because of a pregnancy... Li Yifei suddenly felt Michelle¡¯s metaphor hit the nail on the head. Usually, people get married because of a pregnancy when they¡¯re already expecting and have to get married, but his situation with Xu Yingying was different, they had to get married first to have a child.


    "So I did hit the mark... I never expected President Xu to be pregnant with your child already, I¡¯m so envious of her..."


    Michelle¡¯s words left Li Yifei somewhat speechless. To think she would use the word "envious" under these circumstances; could it be that her feelings for him hadn¡¯t changed at all?

 Chapter 335 - 341: Chu Xiaoyao’s Parents Come Knocking

    Chapter 335: Chapter 341: Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Parents Come KnockingBefore leaving work that evening, Li Yifei wanted to leave the company early. He was really afraid that Xu Yingying would ask him to stay at her place, even though he had stayed with her countless times before. But now, Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t face Xu Yingying alone, especially in the enclosed space of her home.


    But before Li Yifei could leave, his phone rang. It was Xu Yingying calling.


    Li Yifei wanted to ignore the call, but knowing that wasn¡¯t a solution, he reluctantly answered, "President Xu, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Xu Yingying was succinct, "Wait for me to finish work."


    "I have plans tonight, going to have dinner with some friends," he said.


    "Then I¡¯ll join you."


    "Isn¡¯t that a bad idea? There will be colleagues from our company there; don¡¯t you want to keep it a secret?"


    "Anyone who goes out to dinner with you must have a good relationship with you, so I don¡¯t think they will gossip."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and resignedly said, "Suit yourself then."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s tone softened, "Yifei, don¡¯t avoid me. I won¡¯t pressure you, but you have to give us time to be together."


    "Are you really not pressuring me?"


    "Mhm, I¡¯ve thought about it, and I can¡¯t just think about myself. I also have to consider your feelings, and I realize we need to adapt to each other."


    "Since you say so, then I¡¯m relieved," Li Yifei sighed with relief.


    "Okay, so where shall we go, your place or mine?"


    "Well... let¡¯s go back to my place," Li Yifei felt more comfortable returning to his own home.


    Xu Yingying quickly agreed.


    Since Xu Yingying still had some work tasks at hand, when they left the company, there were hardly any people around. Inside the company, they didn¡¯t say much to each other, and even after getting into the car, they remained silent. Now they had to interact as husband and wife, which was equally awkward for both of them. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Driving the car silently, Li Yifei stopped outside the residential area and said, "I¡¯ll go buy some groceries."


    Xu Yingying eagerly offered, "I¡¯ll come with you."


    This was the first time Xu Yingying accompanied Li Yifei grocery shopping. Even when they were at her place, Li Yifei usually shopped alone or with Xu Shanshan. Xu Yingying had never wasted time on such trivial matters as grocery shopping.


    Today, despite having an abundance of work, Xu Yingying had decided to go grocery shopping with Li Yifei after leaving the office. She wanted to show him that she intended to be a good wife and ease his mind, fostering their togetherness and the conception of a baby.


    The two entered the supermarket, with Li Yifei pushing a cart and Xu Yingying following by his side. After a few steps, Xu Yingying took hold of his arm.


    They had done this numerous times, but Xu Yingying grabbing his arm still made Li Yifei stiffen. Without turning his head, he glanced at Xu Yingying from the corner of his eye and felt her discomfort, even more so than when they first pretended to be a couple.


    Only the two of them could understand this feeling. To outsiders, they looked like a loving couple, making some men who saw them cast envious glances at Li Yifei. He shook his head in secret, knowing only too well how uncomfortable it was to be with Xu Yingying.


    As for grocery shopping, Xu Yingying was clueless. She could only watch as Li Yifei made selections, and he casually picked out a few items and was ready to leave.


    Xu Yingying suddenly said, "Wait, I need to buy something else."


    "Sure," Li Yifei nodded and followed her, but halted when he saw the destination¡ªshe was heading to the lingerie section.


    "Come on," Xu Yingying tugged at Li Yifei.


    "Isn¡¯t that unnecessary?"


    "What do you mean unnecessary? I¡¯ve always bought your underwear for you. Can¡¯t you come with me to buy some? After all, I¡¯m your... wife now," Xu Yingying spoke the word "wife" with a blush creeping over her face. No matter what she had said before, it hadn¡¯t mattered, but now, the word "wife" carried much more meaning.


    "Wife..." Li Yifei murmured to himself, wondering why the word sounded so frightening.


    Xu Yingying chose two sets of lingerie and another nightgown. Too shy to let Li Yifei help choose, just selecting these things in front of him made her feel indescribably odd.


    Having settled accounts with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei was about to leave when Xu Yingying suddenly stopped and said, "You go back first, I still need to buy some things."


    Li Yifei did not ask further and nodded before leaving first. When he got to the elevator in the residential complex, a couple who looked to be in their forties entered with him. Both faces were filled with urgency, as though they had encountered some sort of emergency.


    After Li Yifei entered the elevator, he pressed the floor number, and the couple glanced at it but did not press any other buttons, which surprised Li Yifei. Could it be that they were going to his floor? Other than him, there were only Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei on that floor. But these people definitely weren¡¯t looking for Su Mengxin and it couldn¡¯t be him since he didn¡¯t know them at all, so they must have been looking for Meng Xiaofei.


    He wanted to greet them, but seeing their expressions, they seemed uninterested in talking, so Li Yifei just nodded.


    However, looking at the woman, Li Yifei felt she looked somewhat familiar, like he had seen her somewhere before. The people he recognized usually turned out to be women he had been involved with in the past, but this woman was older, and it appeared he hadn¡¯t been with such an older woman before.


    The elevator stopped, and Li Yifei stepped out, followed immediately by the couple. They glanced at the doorplate and then surprisingly stood in front of Li Yifei¡¯s door.


    Li Yifei became even more puzzled and asked, "Excuse me, are you looking for me?"


    "Do you live here?" both of them asked dubiously while looking at Li Yifei, the man asking the question.


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yes, this is my home."


    The couple glanced at each other, their expressions changing dramatically, and it was the man who spoke again, "Do you live alone?"


    "Yes," Li Yifei nodded once more.


    "Then how long have you been living here?"


    Li Yifei guessed the couple was looking for someone who had lived here before. With a slight smile, he said, "I¡¯ve lived here for over half a year."


    He expected that this statement would leave them disappointed, but instead, they became enraged, the man grabbed Li Yifei by the collar and the woman started yelling loudly, "Give me back my daughter, return my daughter to me."


    Confused by the couple¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei sized them up again and suddenly exclaimed, "Are you Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s family?"


    "It is you indeed! Hurry up and return our daughter!" The woman became even more agitated and lunged at Li Yifei, hitting him.


    Meanwhile, the man roared, his eyes widened with fury, and aimed a slap at Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Li Yifei, somewhat speechless, saw the couple¡¯s aggressive demeanor and figured Chu Xiaoyao must have run into trouble, but this was none of his business. Yet now they were here demanding a person from him. However, it was clear he couldn¡¯t just let them beat him for no reason. Li Yifei dodged the man¡¯s punch and, with a swift move, brought the man in front of himself to shield against the woman¡¯s blows.


    "Please calm down. Chu Xiaoyao hasn¡¯t been here for a long time, and I haven¡¯t been in contact with her for a while."


    After the man¡¯s punch missed, he raised his hand for another slap and shouted furiously, "You¡¯re still lying to us; you said my daughter lived with you for some days. If you hadn¡¯t taken her, how would she have disappeared?"


    Li Yifei had to grab his wrist and, with a stern face, said, "Although Chu Xiaoyao lived here for a while, I didn¡¯t do anything to her, and she¡¯s not here now."


    But the couple wouldn¡¯t listen to Li Yifei¡¯s explanation and continued crying and making a fuss, insisting Li Yifei hand over Chu Xiaoyao. This left Li Yifei feeling quite helpless. If he were facing an enemy, he could easily handle them, but these two weren¡¯t enemies and were Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents. Li Yifei always regarded Chu Xiaoyao as an immature child, without any other intentions, and he wasn¡¯t inclined to quarrel with the couple.


    Just then, the elevator doors opened and Xu Yingying came out. Seeing the couple entangled with Li Yifei, she rushed over and commanded, "Stop it, what are you doing?"


    The couple turned to look at Xu Yingying, who was dressed in a professional suit and had an imposing aura, realizing that this woman must be someone of stature and stopped instinctively. The woman seemed to have found a sympathetic ear and began crying, "This man took our daughter; she¡¯s only eighteen and still in high school."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "They are Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents."


    Xu Yingying frowned and replied, "I think you¡¯re mistaken. Li Yifei has been with me all this time; he couldn¡¯t have taken your daughter."


    "And who are you to him?" the man asked immediately.


    "I... I¡¯m his wife," Xu Yingying said as she walked over to Li Yifei and took his arm.


    The couple was startled. With Xu Yingying being such a beautiful and dignified wife, it seemed less likely that Li Yifei had abducted their daughter. Plus, with a couple like them, it seemed their daughter wouldn¡¯t be harmed if she came here.


    "That¡¯s not right, he just said he lived alone, you¡¯re lying to me," Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother suddenly cried out.


    The man also glared at Xu Yingying with an angry expression, clearly not believing Xu Yingying¡¯s words, and said sternly, "Regardless of your relationship, our daughter is missing and you two are under major suspicion."

 Chapter 336 - 340 Kidnapped?

    Chapter 336: Chapter 340 Kidnapped?Xu Yingying spoke in a deep voice, "If you have suspicions, you can report this to the police, and the police will naturally come to investigate."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was intimidated by Xu Yingying¡¯s composure, weakening a bit, and knowing his daughter would not be here if the police were allowed to come.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother immediately said, "Then let us go in and have a look."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "No problem," and opened the door to let them in.


    Li Yifei¡¯s house was not large, with just one bedroom, and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents could see at a glance that their daughter was not there.


    "My daughter, where are you... oh..." Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother sat down on the sofa and couldn¡¯t help but cover her face and cry.


    At this point, Xu Yingying sat down next to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother and softly said, "Auntie, Xiaoyao and Yifei know each other. Why don¡¯t you tell us what exactly happened, and we can see if we can help."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother, desperate, immediately grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s arm and said, "I can see you are capable. If you help us, we¡¯ll have a better chance of finding Xiaoyao."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I do know some people. I have friends at the Public Security Bureau, but you¡¯ll have to tell me the whole story."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother nodded and said, "Recently, Xiaoyao stayed here for a while, you know that, right?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I know."


    Li Yifei immediately interjected, "It was her who called you last time; you should remember that."


    It had been Su Yiyi who made the call. Although her voice was different from Xu Yingying¡¯s, it was distorted over the phone, and with the passage of time, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother naturally could not tell, immediately saying, "I remember, I remember."


    Xu Yingying, unaware of this, couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled, but she couldn¡¯t question Li Yifei to his face or expose him, and she didn¡¯t even change her expression.


    "After she returned last time, she was well-behaved for a while, and her academic performance improved. But a couple of days ago... her dad and I argued again..." At this, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother glared bitterly at her husband.


    Li Yifei knew Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father had a mistress, which was why the couple constantly argued over it. Probably Xiaoyao¡¯s pacification recently had been due to some promise her father made, but later there was contact with that woman, which her mother came to know about.


    Li Yifei¡¯s guess was not wrong; that was precisely what was going on in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s family.


    "After our argument, Xiaoyao ran away from home in anger. At that time, we were both too angry to care, but today, when we tried to call her friends and classmates, none of them had seen her, and that¡¯s when we thought of you and came to look here." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei frowned slightly. This couple¡¯s discord had inflicted great harm on their child, and during arguments, it was easy to neglect the child, adding to Yifei¡¯s reluctance about having a child with Xu Yingying, prompting him to glance at her.


    But Xu Yingying didn¡¯t share Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts at all, and didn¡¯t make anything of the look he gave her.


    Li Yifei said, "It should be nothing serious. Chu Xiaoyao is quite rebellious. That time she came here, if I hadn¡¯t forced her, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to call you. I think she might be out playing right now and will return once she¡¯s had enough."


    At this, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents both looked a bit uneasy. As parents, their discord meant they hadn¡¯t cared enough for Xiaoyao. In a normal family, even a brief absence would worry parents, yet Xiaoyao had been absent overnight without much concern from them.


    At that moment, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father said, "However, this time Xiaoyao ran away, and it¡¯s a bit different. She used to tell us where she was going or whose house she was at, but this time she went to school in the morning, and her classmates saw her there. In the afternoon, she vanished without a trace and didn¡¯t tell any of her classmates."


    Tears streamed down Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother¡¯s face again as she choked up, "We suspect she might have been... kidnapped by traffickers."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "That seems unlikely. Although I haven¡¯t had much contact with Chu Xiaoyao, she strikes me as a very smart girl, not someone who could be easily deceived by others."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother immediately cried out anxiously, "Then where could she have gone? It¡¯s been over a day and there¡¯s no sign of her."


    Li Yifei naturally wouldn¡¯t argue with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother and said, "Have you checked her calling records with the telecom company?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents were momentarily stunned, and Li Yifei could tell they had not done so. He said, "Then let¡¯s go check now and see who she¡¯s been in contact with these past few days."


    Xu Yingying chimed in, "It¡¯s after hours now, can we still get that information?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father immediately said, "No problem, no problem. I have friends at the Public Security Bureau; they should be able to help."


    "Then we should go right away," Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother stood up immediately.


    Li Yifei quickly stood up and said, "I¡¯ll come with you."


    Xu Yingying also stood up. Although she had only met Chu Xiaoyao once and didn¡¯t have much impression of the girl, since Li Yifei was going to help, she decided she should lend a hand as well. It might also be an opportunity to improve their relationship.


    The four of them went downstairs. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father drove a new model Langyi that cost over a hundred thousand, but when he saw Li Yifei¡¯s flashy Porsche, he was momentarily speechless. To think someone who drove such an impressive car lived in such a modest house. But considering Li Yifei¡¯s impressive demeanor, he no longer suspected Li Yifei of kidnapping his daughter, at worst assuming he¡¯d just charmed his daughter.


    Through the contacts they had, they were able to get Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s call records, but there had been no records of communication since noon yesterday, which meant that Xiaoyao had not been in contact with anyone during this period.


    At this point, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents became even more frantic. If their daughter had been calling someone, there would be at least some lead to follow. Now, with no calls made, it was very likely that something serious had happened.


    Li Yifei, too, felt that the situation had become very unusual. Chu Xiaoyao was not the quiet type; even if she had run away from home, she wouldn¡¯t be this subdued. Just like last time when she had come to his place¡ªit was easy for Li Yifei to think of kidnapping under these circumstances.


    But more than a day had passed since then. A typical kidnapping would have resulted in contact with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents by now, but with no news yet, it seemed unrelated to kidnapping.


    "It¡¯s all your fault, you¡¯re the one who made Xiaoyao not want to stay at home. You scoundrel, there will be retribution for you!" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother cursed her husband amidst sobs.


    Just then, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father received a call. Seeing the number, his face turned pale with panic. Xiaoyao¡¯s mother, witnessing his reaction, immediately snatched the phone, and after answering, she started berating, "You vile woman, if you call again, I¡¯ll rip your mouth... What? Don¡¯t you dare... don¡¯t you dare."


    Li Yifei immediately felt that something was amiss, and Xiaoyao¡¯s mother anxiously handed the phone to her husband. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father quickly took the call. After just a couple of sentences, his expression changed dramatically with rage, "How could you do this? Just... I¡¯ve seen your true colors now. How much do you want, just don¡¯t harm my daughter... That¡¯s too much..."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother quickly cried out, "Don¡¯t argue over the money, just give her whatever she wants as long as she doesn¡¯t hurt Xiaoyao."


    "She wants two million; I don¡¯t have that kind of money!" Chu Xiaoyao shouted at his wife, then yelled into the phone, "I definitely can¡¯t come up with that much, you¡¯ve known me for a long time. Although I have some money, do you think I have that much?... Three hundred thousand, I can only manage a maximum of three hundred thousand... I really can¡¯t come up with more... I might at most scrape together just under four hundred thousand... Okay, I¡¯ll borrow some more from friends, fifty thousand, that¡¯s it, I¡¯ll gather it right away; you must not harm Xiaoyao... I know, I know, I definitely won¡¯t report it to the police."


    As Xu Yingying listened to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father haggling with the person on the other end, her heart pounded like a drum. Even though she was a CEO, the experience of a kidnapping and extortion occurring so close was still frightening, and she subconsciously grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, which comforted her somewhat.


    After hanging up the phone, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his forehead, while Xiaoyao¡¯s mother glared at her husband with gritted teeth, looking like she wanted to tear him apart. It turned out that the caller was a woman Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father had recently met.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was an okay person otherwise, but he was particularly drawn to beautiful women, which was something beyond correction. He had been kept in check by his wife for a while after a recent uproar, but then he got involved again with a beautiful young woman and lost his senses. That led to the recent spats between him and his wife, but he never anticipated that this woman would kidnap Chu Xiaoyao and demand such a hefty sum. He was filled with both regret and rage.


    Xiaoyao¡¯s mother, at this moment, loathed her husband to the bone, bitterly saying, "If anything happens to Xiaoyao, I will definitely kill you, definitely!"


    Her words were delivered with a chilling tone, causing Xu Yingying to feel a shiver run down her spine. She was taken aback by the level of hatred a child could invoke in a woman, which made her suddenly reflect on Li Yifei¡¯s words and gain some understanding of why he was currently reluctant to have children.

 Chapter 337 - 344 Rescue

    Chapter 337: Chapter 344 RescueLi Yifei interjected at this point, "Have you decided to pay them?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father nodded and said, "For Xiaoyao¡¯s sake, I must give them the money, and I ask you two not to call the police."


    Li Yifei said, "I can help you, to rescue Chu Xiaoyao."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother immediately said excitedly, "Can you really save Xiaoyao?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "It shouldn¡¯t be a big problem, but I will still need your cooperation."


    However, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father shook his head and said, "No, I can¡¯t take that risk. As long as I give them the money, they won¡¯t harm Xiaoyao. If we act rashly, it could easily anger them, and then Xiaoyao would be even less safe."


    If Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father thought of any other way, he would definitely consider going to the police first, let the police handle it. Now that he doesn¡¯t even trust the police, naturally, he would not trust someone like Li Yifei either.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t insist and said, "Well, if you need my help, you can call me."


    Watching Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents leave in a hurry, Li Yifei turned to Xu Yingying and said, "I¡¯m going to help them."


    "How can you help? Didn¡¯t they just refuse your help?" Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei, puzzled.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I have my ways. You go home first, I¡¯ll follow them secretly."


    Xu Yingying hesitated a moment, then nodded and said, "Then be careful."


    Li Yifei nodded, hailed a taxi on the road, and followed in the direction of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s house.


    The sudden incident with Chu Xiaoyao actually gave Li Yifei a sense of relief. It was a good reason for him to leave the house and not face Xu Yingying alone.


    For ordinary police officers, a kidnapping case like this might be a rare encounter, but Li Yifei had experienced many such cases before, and those were highly strategic, well-planned kidnappings of significant figures. Li Yifei had successfully rescued the victims before, so he was quite confident about this smaller kidnapping case.


    Of course, this was on the premise that Chu Xiaoyao was still safe; otherwise, no matter how capable Li Yifei was, rescuing a dead person would be pointless.


    Sitting in the taxi, Li Yifei fiddled with the watch on his wrist. Though it looked ordinary, not appearing to be worth even a hundred yuan, Li Yifei¡¯s tinkering triggered a detailed map to appear, with a small dot now displaying at the center of the map.


    As the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei naturally had access to a number of advanced technological devices. This inconspicuous watch was equipped with a satellite positioning system. Earlier, when Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was on the phone, Li Yifei had used the watch to lock onto the location of the caller. Now, he could directly approach their hideout.


    Directing the taxi driver to the location indicated on the map, Li Yifei arrived only to discover that the place was a garbage bin, and moreover, it was in front of a large shopping mall. Without a doubt, the kidnappers had thrown the SIM card into this garbage bin after the call.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly; it appeared the kidnappers knew a thing or two about anti-tracking techniques, which momentarily caused him to lose track of their target.


    However, Li Yifei was not in the least bit worried about this. Any kidnapper would think of doing this, otherwise, they would be nothing short of a foolish criminal.


    The watch beeped twice at that moment. Li Yifei moved to a secluded spot and pressed a small button on the watch. To his surprise, it transmitted the voice of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father. The watch even had the capability to eavesdrop on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father¡¯s phone calls¡ªa truly powerful feature.


    But at the moment, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was merely calling friends to borrow money. Getting his hands on five hundred thousand all at once was definitely a challenge for him.


    After buying two hamburgers, Li Yifei casually sat on a bench by the roadside, eating and then smoking a couple of cigarettes. Finally, the kidnappers called Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father again.


    Li Yifei quickly located the position of the call, which wasn¡¯t far, only about two kilometers away. Yet, he didn¡¯t head there immediately.


    Another hour passed, and another call was made to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father. The location this time shifted slightly south, but it was still not far from Li Yifei. Through these three calls, Li Yifei had roughly deduced that the kidnappers were not too far from this area. Although they were constantly changing locations, they weren¡¯t straying too far from their lair.


    The kidnappers demanded that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father assemble the funds by midnight, or they would kill the hostage. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father managed to gather the money by eleven o¡¯clock and then designated a small square, more than ten kilometers away, for the exchange.


    Even though Li Yifei heard the call, he didn¡¯t rush over. This was obviously another diversion. Once Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father arrived there, he would surely be directed to change locations.


    Li Yifei was now more concerned about the location from which the calls were made.


    After Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was compelled to change locations twice, Li Yifei had completely pinned down the kidnappers¡¯ location because the calls had not switched locations; it seemed they felt the money was about to be in hand, and there wasn¡¯t enough time to change locations again.


    Alternatively, they must have had someone watching Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, and seeing that no police had appeared near his home, they believed he hadn¡¯t gone to the authorities and thus grew bolder.


    The site wasn¡¯t far from here¡ªLi Yifei made it there in just over ten minutes on foot.


    This was a special place, nestled between two residential compounds was a small patch of single-story houses, about six or seven in total. In the city, most such houses had been relocated for the construction of high-rises, but some households demanded exceedingly high compensation during relocation. Developers, rather than meet these demands, had two options: force the relocation or simply leave them be. Although it sometimes led to a less-than-ideal overall layout for the compound, it avoided excessive costs.


    It seemed the developer of this area hadn¡¯t opted for forced relocations, and those who demanded too much were left with an awkward situation. With the surrounding area already reconstructed, their little patch of land lost value, eventually becoming a unique cityscape.


    The location from which Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was called was the second house on the left. A dim light shone through the room, as if the curtains were drawn tightly closed.


    Li Yifei moved to the back of this single-story house. Its wall was quite high, about two meters, but for Li Yifei, it wasn¡¯t much of a barrier. With a hand on the top of the wall and a light push off the ground with his feet, he was atop the wall in no time, though he didn¡¯t climb over entirely, only peeking over to scout the area first.


    The backyard was full of fruit trees that blocked Li Yifei¡¯s view, but they also obscured him from others¡¯ sight. With a push against the wall, he climbed over fully and quickly grabbed a tree branch, climbing onto the tree.


    Like a nimble monkey, Li Yifei rapidly moved to a position below the back window and heard voices inside.


    A man¡¯s laughter followed by his words, "Hehe, Lili, we¡¯re about to get our hands on fifty thousand. We¡¯re really hitting the jackpot."


    A woman¡¯s voice chimed in, "Look at you, so easily satisfied with just fifty thousand. I thought this guy was loaded, but all we could shake out of him was this little bit."


    "This was just us testing the waters. Next time, we¡¯ll target a big fish and aim to take millions off him in one go. Then won¡¯t we live the high life wherever we go?"


    "Humph, you good-for-nothing, having your own woman sleep with some other man."


    "Hehe, a bit of sleep doesn¡¯t cost us anything. If I didn¡¯t offer up my wife, how could we lure in the pervert?"


    "Enough talk. Make the call to that guy; it¡¯s almost time for us to get the money."


    "And what about this little girl?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What a stupid question; why would we keep her? She has seen our faces. Just get rid of her quickly, once and for all."


    "Ah, it¡¯s a pity though, such a pretty little thing... How about I have a bit of fun with her before I finish her off?"


    "Are you asking to die? Just kill her now, and let¡¯s take the money and scram."


    "Alright, alright."


    When the two mentioned killing Chu Xiaoyao, whimpering could be heard from inside, likely her mouth being gagged.


    Li Yifei could no longer wait; with a push off the ground, his body shot toward the window like a cannonball. The glass shattered instantaneously, spraying outwards, and in the next moment, Li Yifei had burst into the room.


    By the sound of their voices, Li Yifei had deduced that neither of them was near this window, nor was Chu Xiaoyao, which is why he dared to crash in like this; otherwise, the glass shards would have marred Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face.


    The interior of the house was bare, with only a table and a few chairs. Chu Xiaoyao was bound against the wall on one side, her mouth sealed with transparent tape. Her expression instantly transformed from fear to elation, her body wriggling forcefully, making muffled noises through the gag.


    There was a man close to Chu Xiaoyao, holding a rope, seemingly preparing to strangle her. The man, in his mid-twenties, was tall and ruggedly handsome. The woman, about the same age as the man, was also very attractive¡ªno wonder Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father had been tempted by her.


    However, both were now wearing expressions of shock. The woman stuttered, "Who... who are you?" But a gleam of cold light was revealed in the hand she kept behind her: a specially crafted dagger, a lethal weapon typically used by assassins.

 Chapter 338 - 345: Female Assassin

    Chapter 338: Chapter 345: Female AssassinLi Yifei did not speak, but walked straight towards Chu Xiaoyao. Meanwhile, the two kidnappers began to retreat step by step, as if they were extremely afraid of Li Yifei.


    "Stop... don¡¯t come any closer, or I will... I will kill her," the man said with a fearful bluster, shaking the rope in his hand.


    Li Yifei let out a cold laugh and said, "Then go ahead and make your move."


    "You... don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare!" The man moved closer to Chu Xiaoyao and shook the rope, gesturing near her neck, but his gaze was fixed outside the window.


    The woman, too, was looking outside with a panicked expression, as if it was not Li Yifei¡¯s entrance that frightened her, but the fear that Li Yifei had brought many people with him.


    Facing the rope that was only a dozen centimeters from her neck, Chu Xiaoyao showed no fear at all. With Li Yifei there, she did not believe she could be killed. She thought she was doomed this time, but unexpectedly her "uncle" turned out to be a godsend, suddenly coming to her rescue.


    During her time being kidnapped, she fantasized that Li Yifei, the formidable "uncle," would come to save her. But she also knew that Li Yifei had no idea she had been kidnapped, and even if he had known, how could he possibly find this place? Yet against all odds, Li Yifei had arrived. For Chu Xiaoyao, the emotional impact was immense. At that moment, Li Yifei was her savior, her hero. The little girl¡¯s hero-worship complex made her eyes sparkle with adoration as she looked at him.


    Li Yifei had no patience for people who thought about both extorting money and committing murder. He took a simple step forward, a seemingly ordinary motion, but his body moved as smoothly as flowing clouds and water, reaching the man¡¯s side.


    The kidnapper tried to react instinctively, but as he barely moved, Li Yifei¡¯s palm had already struck his neck. The tall man instantly crumpled to the ground like a lump of mud.


    Chu Xiaoyao let out an excited cheer. At that moment, her "uncle" was not only impressive but also so handsome. The more she looked at him, the more excited and fond of him she became.


    "No... don¡¯t kill me..." The woman started to back off, her speech stuttering.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "If you¡¯re afraid of being killed by others, why were you thinking of killing someone just now?" Outside the room, he had already heard the woman¡¯s heartless nature, so even as she wore a pitiful look, Li Yifei had no intention of letting her go. He wouldn¡¯t kill her, but knocking her out and leaving her for the police to capture suited him just fine.


    "Big brother, big brother, please let me go. I know I was wrong, please, I beg you. If you let me go, I¡¯ll do anything you ask, I¡¯ll even sleep with you if you want," the woman pleaded desperately as she retreated, her face streaked with tears, a picture of sorrow.


    But Li Yifei remained expressionless. Dealing with such a villain, he was not about to soften because of her pitiful appearance. He cornered her against the wall, said nothing, and aimed a palm strike at her neck.


    The woman appeared frail and beautiful, and as Li Yifei swung his hand, she screamed as if truly terrified.


    But at that moment, the woman¡¯s body suddenly moved, with extreme speed. Her right hand shot out from behind her back, striking directly towards Li Yifei¡¯s heart. Fast and accurate, had it hit, Li Yifei would have had no chance of survival.


    Such agility was clearly not that of a feeble woman. Even someone trained in martial arts, or even an ordinary special forces soldier, would not match her skill. The way she wielded the dagger was lethal, the technique of an assassin specializing in killing.


    And most importantly, the woman had acted so scared all along, continuously begging Li Yifei for mercy. Even as she struck, her face still wore an expression of fear. Who would have thought that such a woman could possess such skill, to attack so suddenly and dangerously? Her action was entirely unexpected, catching one entirely off guard.


    Li Yifei indeed had not anticipated that his adversary was an expert, and not an ordinary one at that. But as Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s second-in-command and a seasoned super-special-forces soldier, he responded instinctively. As the woman¡¯s arm moved, he reacted, changing the direction of his palm strike from her neck to her shoulder.


    Li Yifei¡¯s reaction was incredibly fast. If the woman had continued to thrust forward, her arm would have met his palm. Her dagger would not have reached his chest before his hand struck her arm, leaving her unable to harm Li Yifei and susceptible to injury from his strike. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman reacted quickly, retracting her arm while flicking her wrist upward, targeting Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei turned his palm and stretched out his fingers, reaching for the woman¡¯s knife-wielding wrist.


    In an instant, the two had exchanged several moves. Li Yifei had been caught off guard, but his superiority was evident, quickly gaining the upper hand.


    Chu Xiaoyao, though bound and gagged, managed to turn her head to see Li Yifei and the woman exchanging blows. She could not see clearly but realized the woman held a dagger. Her heart leaped to her throat as she dared not even breathe, afraid of distracting Li Yifei and putting him in harm¡¯s way.


    Realizing she was no match for Li Yifei after the failed sneak attack, the woman feigned another move with her dagger towards him, then threw the weapon instead, but her target was not Li Yifei¡ªit was Chu Xiaoyao.


    The room wasn¡¯t large, and the distance between the woman and Chu Xiaoyao was no more than three meters. The woman¡¯s grip was evidently strong, and the dagger transformed into a streak of cold light as it flew towards Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t seen the dagger coming; to her, it seemed as if a beam of light was flying toward her.


    At that moment, Li Yifei just needed to reach out his hand to capture the woman, but Chu Xiaoyao would definitely be injured, or even lose her life. He couldn¡¯t do that. Without a second thought, he pushed off the ground with force, darting toward Chu Xiaoyao like a cannonball. Just as the dagger was about to reach ten centimeters from Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s chest, he grabbed it.


    "Clang..." A crisp sound came from behind him, and countless shards of glass flew towards him again.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to lift Chu Xiaoyao along with the chair to avoid the swirling glass, and by the time all the glass had fallen to the ground, the woman had vanished from the room.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t chase after her, knowing that in such a place, even if he did go after her, he surely wouldn¡¯t catch her. The kidnapping of Chu Xiaoyao filled Li Yifei with doubts.


    With the woman¡¯s skills, there was no need for such petty kidnapping tricks. She could have used too many other methods to make money. And the woman had been thinking about escaping the moment he showed up, which had been extremely easy for her. Yet she hadn¡¯t escaped; instead, she had kept him guessing and struck at the last moment.


    Li Yifei believed that had he been slightly careless at that time, he would have likely fallen at that woman¡¯s hands. Her meticulous planning made Li Yifei feel this kidnapping was targeted at him.


    He had carried out countless missions with the Flying Hawk Squad; naturally, he had many enemies. But back in Mile City, only a few knew about his return. The state definitely wouldn¡¯t let such information about a key member of Flying Hawk Squad leaving the team get out, so it seemed improbable for his enemies to find him.


    However, to say that the woman was just acting in self-defense, Li Yifei absolutely didn¡¯t buy it. This was definitely a conspiracy, but whom it could be targeting him was something Li Yifei couldn¡¯t figure out for the time being.


    "Whimper... whimper..." The sound of Chu Xiaoyao sobbing came from his chest, and Li Yifei remembered he hadn¡¯t untied her yet. He hastily untied Chu Xiaoyao and then tore the tape from her mouth.


    "Uncle! Wah..." Chu Xiaoyao suddenly embraced Li Yifei and started to cry bitterly. Even if she was usually mischievous, being kidnapped had caused her considerable emotional trauma, and now she finally let it all out.


    Li Yifei patted her back and didn¡¯t try to console her; he had rescued hostages several times, and they usually had similar reactions. Letting her cry was actually good for her.


    After Chu Xiaoyao had cried for a while, Li Yifei helped her to her feet and said, "Alright, it¡¯s okay now. I have something to tell you."


    With tears in her eyes, Chu Xiaoyao nodded.


    Li Yifei said, "I don¡¯t want others to know it was me who did this. When the police come, just say you don¡¯t recognize me."


    Chu Xiaoyao, still in a daze from the shock, sniffled and asked, "Why?"


    "I just don¡¯t like dealing with the police. Now, I¡¯m going to call Lin Qiong to take care of this. It¡¯s enough that you and she know about this."


    After the day¡¯s scares, Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t as mischievous as before and obediently nodded, saying, "I¡¯ll listen to you, Uncle."


    "That¡¯s a good girl." Li Yifei patted her shoulder again, then took out his phone and called Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong picked up quickly, and Li Yifei detailed the situation to her, making sure to mention he didn¡¯t want others to know. If it had been before, Lin Qiong certainly wouldn¡¯t have listened to Li Yifei, but now that they were involved, she subconsciously respected his requests.


    Soon, Lin Qiong left with her team. Before she did, Li Yifei had already left, taking the still unconscious thug with them. Lin Qiong then called Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father to come get his daughter.


    Seeing their daughter unharmed and the kidnapper caught, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents were overjoyed. Not only had they found their daughter, but they had also saved their money.


    The police at Lin Qiong¡¯s station were secretly thrilled; a kidnapping was a major case, and now it had been solved effortlessly. They were sure to be commended. No wonder rumors had begun to circulate that Lin Qiong was a "Godsend"; working with her meant many opportunities for recognition.


    Now that seemed to have come true, and the credit came so easily, it was as if it had been picked up off the ground. Cash rewards and commendations were certain.

 Chapter 339 - 343: Going Home

    Chapter 339: Chapter 343: Going HomeLi Yifei was standing at the base of his apartment building, having smoked several cigarettes by now. He had been standing there for quite a while, not wanting to go upstairs.


    For one, he wanted to think about what had happened today, who might be coming after him; secondly, he didn¡¯t know how he would face Xu Yingying once he went up.


    Just then, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang, surprisingly from Chu Xiaoyao. He casually answered and immediately heard Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s crying voice. The girl sobbed while saying, "Uncle, come and get me. I want to stay at your place."


    "What happened?" Li Yifei frowned.


    With a voice strained by shouting, Chu Xiaoyao yelled, "They¡¯re fighting again, non-stop. I¡¯m going crazy."


    Li Yifei could still hear Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents arguing in the background over the phone, but his initial instinct was to refuse. However, as he was about to speak, he changed his mind, "Would your parents agree to it?"


    "I don¡¯t care whether they agree or not. If they don¡¯t, I¡¯d rather be kidnapped again," she replied.


    "Alright, I¡¯m coming to get you now," Li Yifei said.


    Li Yifei hung up, tossed away the cigarette butt, and went to get his car. It wasn¡¯t long before he arrived downstairs at Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s place, where her parents and Xiaoyao herself were already standing. To his surprise, Xiaoyao had a small suitcase at her feet.


    "Mr. Li... I¡¯m really sorry to have to trouble you with Xiaoyao again," said Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, his face full of embarrassment, and with scratch marks visible, clearly inflicted by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother.


    Li Yifei sighed, "You should talk things over properly."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father was even more embarrassed, while her mother took a deep look at her daughter, then gave Li Yifei a forced smile and said, "From now on, we¡¯ll leave Xiaoyao in Mr. Li¡¯s care."


    Li Yifei was speechless. They had just brought their daughter back from a kidnapping, and now they were back to non-stop arguing, seemingly without considering their daughter¡¯s feelings. Yet, he felt he had no right to lecture them. He nodded, picked up Xiaoyao¡¯s suitcase, and placed it in the trunk of his car.


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted and, without even glancing at her parents, opened the car door and sat inside.


    At that moment, Xiaoyao¡¯s mother leaned against the car window on Xiaoyao¡¯s side, her eyes red as she said, "Xiaoyao, you must listen to Uncle Li."


    "Yeah, yeah," Xiaoyao said impatiently, waving her hand dismissively. Then to Li Yifei, she added, "Uncle, let¡¯s go."


    Li Yifei greeted both parents and then drove off with Xiaoyao.


    All the way home, Xiaoyao was still fuming, venting to Li Yifei about her parents¡¯ incessant arguing. Li Yifei casually responded while he felt a sense of relief. Now that Xiaoyao was at his house, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t be able to bring up anything about wanting a child.


    Back at home, as soon as Li Yifei had unlocked the door, Xu Yingying rushed to the entrance. Relieved to see Li Yifei unharmed, her expression immediately turned to confusion upon spotting Chu Xiaoyao following him.


    Xiaoyao was also surprised to see Xu Yingying and her expression quickly turned angry. Clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm, she demanded, "Uncle, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Why is there a woman in the house?"


    Xiaoyao had seen Xu Shanshan before, but she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between her and Xu Yingying. She remembered Xu Shanshan and knew she had a close relationship with Li Yifei. Seeing her at his home, Xiaoyao¡¯s jealousy surged.


    Xu Yingying would normally not take offense at a child¡¯s words, but Xiaoyao¡¯s tone was clearly accusatory. Feeling somewhat unhappy, she replied coolly, "I am Li Yifei¡¯s wife. Shouldn¡¯t I be living here?"


    "You¡¯re Li Yifei¡¯s wife? Are you kidding me?" Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Xu Yingying shrugged and said, "If you don¡¯t believe me, ask him."


    Eagerly, Xiaoyao grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, insisting, "Uncle, tell me quickly, she¡¯s lying to me."


    "Heh, she¡¯s lying, just joking with you. You had such a scare today; go wash up, and then get some rest early." Then, he gave Xu Yingying a meaningful look.


    By then, Xu Yingying remembered the girl had been kidnapped that day and didn¡¯t understand why Li Yifei would bring her to his place instead of her parents¡¯. But she realized she probably shouldn¡¯t argue with a little girl under the circumstances and thus said with a laugh, "I was just teasing you. Yifei and I are good friends, and I¡¯m just staying here for a few days."


    Xiaoyao then lifted her head proudly, strutted into the living room, and asked, "Then do you know what I mean to the uncle?"


    "What do you mean?" Xu Yingying looked at Xiaoyao, puzzled.


    "I am Uncle¡¯s mistress," Xiaoyao declared with pride, clearly very proud of herself.


    Xu Yingying shot a glance at Li Yifei and then said to Xiaoyao with a smile, "Is that so? Well, you must be quite something."


    Chu Xiaoyao became even more smug and said, "That¡¯s right, let me tell you, if you want to be Uncle Li¡¯s woman, you¡¯d have to wait in line as the fourth or fifth one."


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "I had no idea, Yifei, it¡¯s really not easy to be your woman, the line is that long." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "Alright, Xiaoyao, go tidy up a bit and get ready for bed."


    It was then that Chu Xiaoyao strode confidently into the bathroom.


    "Oh? What about the mistress?" Xu Yingying asked with her arms crossed and a displeased tone as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "She just likes to make a fuss. After I rescued her, I told her to go home, but it turned out that her parents were still fighting. The girl insisted on not staying at home and called me to pick her up. Considering she was emotionally unstable at the moment, I didn¡¯t dare refuse her and brought her back."


    "I¡¯m not asking about that; what does this ¡¯mistress¡¯ thing mean?" Xu Yingying pressed, staring at Li Yifei.


    "Haven¡¯t I said? She likes to stir up trouble. Knowing that I have a girlfriend, she claimed she wanted to be my mistress. I didn¡¯t agree, though. I may not be much, but I wouldn¡¯t lay a hand on a child like that."


    One questioned, the other explained, but suddenly both grew quiet. It was a strange feeling neither could put into words¡ªit almost felt like the dynamics of a married couple.


    "Uncle, I¡¯m done washing up," Chu Xiaoyao announced as she came out of the bathroom, breaking the awkward silence.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Just go to sleep then."


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head and said, "Wait until I¡¯ve put away my things." She then entered the bedroom dragging her little suitcase.


    Xu Yingying frowned and asked, "Does she intend to stay here permanently?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and replied, "Looks like she doesn¡¯t want to go home for now." But inwardly, he couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. The longer Chu Xiaoyao stayed, the less he¡¯d have to confront that troublesome issue.


    "Uncle, there¡¯s no more room in the closet," Chu Xiaoyao called out from the bedroom.


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei immediately went into the bedroom, where they saw the wardrobe doors flung open but already filled to capacity.


    When Li Yifei had been living alone, most of the closet had been empty. However, when Su Yiyi occasionally stayed over, he had bought her some clothes, which she hadn¡¯t taken to school and instead hung in the closet.


    Then, today, Xu Yingying moved in. She hadn¡¯t brought much, but after buying some underwear and the like from the supermarket, the closet was nearly full. With the addition of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s clothes, the small wardrobe was clearly overstuffed.


    Looking at the array of women¡¯s clothing, Li Yifei felt a headache coming on. It seemed his home was too small, but now that he had Xu Yingying, his legally wedded wife, it seemed inappropriate for others¡¯ clothes to hang there. But Su Yiyi¡¯s clothes were a different matter; he couldn¡¯t possibly have her take them away. In his heart, Su Yiyi¡¯s place was even more significant than that of Xu Yingying, his wife in name.


    "These clothes belong to Sister Yiyi, right?" Chu Xiaoyao asked Li Yifei, tilting her head.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, they are."


    Xu Yingying had already noticed the clothes and knew they belonged to Su Yiyi, which made her feel uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t touch them. She was well aware of her current relationship with Li Yifei¡ªit was just a certificate. And that certificate was for her mother¡¯s sake. When it came to the nature of their relationship, it was nowhere close to Su Yiyi¡¯s.


    She knew Li Yifei was just trying to help her, so she should be grateful and not interfere with his love life, but having that certificate and sensing Li Yifei¡¯s relationships with other women always made Xu Yingying uncomfortable.


    Li Yifei then squeezed some space in the closet and managed to hang a few of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s clothes inside, folding the rest and placing them at the bottom. "There, now you can go sleep," he said.


    "Uncle, I want you to sleep with me," Chu Xiaoyao pouted, biting her lip with a pitiful look.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "That won¡¯t do; you sleep with your Sister Yingying."


    "No, I will definitely be scared, and... I¡¯m afraid of beautiful women," Chu Xiaoyao said, glancing at Xu Yingying and even showing a hint of fear on her face. It wasn¡¯t an act; the woman who had kidnapped her had left a deep impression and caused her psychological trauma. Seeing a beautiful woman like Xu Yingying triggered an instinctual fear in her.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Our home is only so big; there¡¯s only one bed. I can¡¯t possibly let her sleep on the sofa. Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa outside."


    "Then... then let¡¯s all sleep together," Chu Xiaoyao suggested.


    This proposal shocked Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, leaving them completely flabbergasted.

 Chapter 340 - 347 Discussion Discussion

    Chapter 340: Chapter 347 Discussion DiscussionLi Yifei wasn¡¯t a stranger to such preposterous behavior, having indulged in it years before to distract himself from the urge to kill, also because life was so uncertain¡ªno one knew if they would still be alive the next day. So, his actions were unrestrained, but back then it involved women of easy virtue or those picked up in bars, so he never gave it much thought.


    But now, the ones here were Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Yingying. Moreover, the main reason he had brought Chu Xiaoyao back was precisely to avoid being with Xu Yingying, so how could he possibly agree to such a ludicrous suggestion?


    After some persuasion, Chu Xiaoyao finally agreed to share a bed with Xu Yingying, and Li Yifei ended up sleeping on the sofa.


    That night, Xu Yingying slept poorly. Though Chu Xiaoyao did fall asleep, her body would occasionally jerk violently or she would suddenly cry out.


    Xu Yingying knew Chu Xiaoyao was scared, so it was no surprise she was having such reactions. Xu Yingying felt sorry for her. Despite being worn out from the night, she bore no grudges. Besides, she suddenly understood how hard raising children could be; worrying incessantly if it were her own child.


    You don¡¯t know the cost of living until you run a household, nor the love of parents until you raise a child. Xu Yingying had never thought having a baby was all that complicated, but now she had gotten a glimpse of understanding. Maybe giving birth might be easy, but raising a child was the real challenge.


    The next day, Li Yifei accompanied Chu Xiaoyao to the Public Security Bureau. They were not received by Lin Qiong, but by the criminal police team. Although Lin Qiong¡¯s police station had cracked the case, it had become a criminal matter and so had been transferred here.


    Chu Xiaoyao recounted the previous day¡¯s events, only she described Li Yifei as some stranger. After all, the man didn¡¯t recognize Li Yifei either, so it seemed plausible.


    The police also interrogated the man, whose account matched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s closely. Li Yifei actually wanted to get some different information from the police, but since they didn¡¯t recognize him, naturally they didn¡¯t share anything.


    Li Yifei was with Chu Xiaoyao the whole time, listening to everything she recounted clearly.


    In Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s case, he didn¡¯t get any useful information. In front of Chu Xiaoyao, the female assassin just seemed like any ordinary woman, revealing nothing unusual about herself.


    After completing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s statement, Li Yifei took her to school. Chu Xiaoyao originally didn¡¯t want to go, but Li Yifei hoped she would interact more with classmates to recover from the trauma of being kidnapped.


    This time Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t insist. It seemed that the experience had subdued her mischief and she was somewhat more willing to listen to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately went to Lin Qiong¡¯s police station, and before long Lin Qiong came out and got into his car. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You give this credit to me, and now I feel really awkward," Lin Qiong complained as soon as she got in the car.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Aren¡¯t you a police officer? With such credit, if I don¡¯t give it to you, who should I give it to?"


    Lin Qiong glared at him and said, "Don¡¯t think that just because we had a relationship, and you give me some benefits, I¡¯ll let you off easy. Let me tell you, there is no chance between us, I have someone in my heart."


    "You have someone in your heart?" Li Yifei was somewhat startled at that time. He had known Lin Qiong for a while, and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t been close with anyone else; if anyone, it would be him.


    "Exactly, that mysterious person. He is the real hero in my heart. If I were to marry, it would be him." Speaking of the mysterious person, Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of infatuation, which she never showed when she was with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt like banging his head against the wall and said, "So you say you want to marry him, but you still slept with me?"


    Lin Qiong turned to look at Li Yifei and said, "I know saying this makes you uncomfortable. You men are so chauvinistic, wanting to take advantage of women without marrying them. But then if a woman has someone else in her heart, you guys feel bad."


    "You haven¡¯t answered my question yet."


    "Well... it¡¯s simple, I had water on the brain those days."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s response left Li Yifei speechless, but he wasn¡¯t angry. Firstly, the mysterious person was none other than himself, and secondly, he could tell that a large part of why Lin Qiong spoke this way was due to her nature; she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to think that their relationship changed because they had been intimate.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to dwell on the matter and asked, "Lin Qiong, do you know the specifics of the case interrogation?"


    "What are you planning to do?" Lin Qiong immediately became wary, eyeing Li Yifei.


    "I feel like there¡¯s something fishy about this case. The woman who escaped doesn¡¯t seem like she would kidnap for just a few hundred thousand yuan. It feels like she has another purpose." Li Yifei didn¡¯t reveal that the woman might be targeting him¡ªit would be hard to explain if Lin Qiong started asking questions.


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes and said, "That¡¯s the police¡¯s business. Why are you so concerned?"


    Li Yifei glared at Lin Qiong and replied, "I did contribute to solving the case, didn¡¯t I? Can¡¯t I know a bit about the situation?"


    Lin Qiong snorted before continuing, "I was also involved in the interrogation yesterday. That guy spilled everything as soon as we asked. He¡¯s known the woman for just over two months. More than ten days ago, she cozied up to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, and then the two of them thought they could get some money from Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, so they came up with the idea of kidnapping and extortion."


    "What about the woman¡¯s identity?"


    Lin Qiong went on to say, "That guy isn¡¯t very clear about the woman¡¯s identity either. He said they met in a nightclub and then got together."


    Li Yifei frowned. Although what Lin Qiong said didn¡¯t seem particularly noteworthy, to Li Yifei, it was almost enough. This woman wasn¡¯t a local, meaning her arrival here had a purpose, and being with that man served as cover for her identity. Kidnapping Chu Xiaoyao was a trap meant to kill him.


    If Li Yifei had been a bit careless at that time, he would¡¯ve indeed fallen into that woman¡¯s trap.


    "What¡¯s wrong? What are you thinking about?" Lin Qiong poked Li Yifei when he fell silent.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Nothing. I just think that woman is quite suspicious."


    "We¡¯re in the process of apprehending this woman, but based on the man¡¯s testimony, we can¡¯t confirm her identity. It¡¯s really not easy to catch her right now."


    Li Yifei was aware that with the woman¡¯s skills, the police wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of capturing her. Furthermore, if this woman wanted to kill him, it was very likely she had been instructed or hired by someone, meaning she probably had some significant backing. How then were the police supposed to find her identity?


    "Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, I won¡¯t keep you from your work."


    Lin Qiong immediately pushed open the car door. If it hadn¡¯t been for Li Yifei coming to find her, she wouldn¡¯t have come out during work hours. But just as she was about to get out of the car, she turned back, closed the door, and said, "The money from last time hasn¡¯t come through yet. Are you short on cash right now? I¡¯ve got some spare."


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "No need, I have enough."


    Lin Qiong nodded and remarked, "Okay, good. Oh, and let me remind you, don¡¯t get any ideas about Michelle. She¡¯s my classmate. It would be so awkward if we met up later."


    Li Yifei asked with a teasing smile, "What would be awkward between you two?"


    Lin Qiong glared at him and retorted, "What a stupid question. If you get her into bed, wouldn¡¯t it be awkward when we meet? Are we supposed to discuss how it was to sleep with you?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "That¡¯s not a bad idea."


    "Get lost!" Lin Qiong roared and then pushed the door open to get out. She knew that it was Michelle who liked Li Yifei, while he hadn¡¯t really done anything to Michelle. Her words were a warning to Li Yifei. After all, any man would be tempted by a girl like Michelle with such tender feelings.


    Li Yifei¡¯s return to Mile City was for the sake of leading a quiet, ordinary life, but the appearance of the assassin made it clear to him that this tranquil life was likely to be disrupted.


    Dealing with this unknown enemy was also a headache for Li Yifei. There¡¯s an old saying, ¡¯A thief can¡¯t be vigilant a thousand days, but a homeowner needs to be vigilant every day.¡¯ The best approach would be to find this hidden enemy and take care of them. However, now that he was no longer a member of the Flying Hawk Squad, he couldn¡¯t make use of their reconnaissance systems to quickly ascertain the enemy¡¯s identity and motivations.


    It seemed he could only wait and watch, hoping they would come after him again. Then he could capture one alive and extract the information about who was targeting him, allowing for a targeted resolution of the problem.


    "Sigh..." Li Yifei heaved a light sigh. It wasn¡¯t that he feared enemies coming after him. No matter how formidable the enemy, he was confident he could handle them. But he had come to like this peaceful, ordinary life, and it was a real displeasure to have to return to those days of constant tension.


    Just then, Xu Shanshan made a phone call. As Li Yifei saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s name on his phone screen, he suddenly thought of someone¡ªthe foreigner he had seen at Qiao Ya¡¯s place. Although he still hadn¡¯t figured out who that foreigner was, could it be possible that the female assassin was related to him?


    Regardless of any connection, Li Yifei felt it was necessary to investigate that foreigner. After all, the man had exuded a dangerous aura that Li Yifei sensed. Besides, the very presence of such a person in Mile City was abnormal in itself.

 Chapter 341 - 348 Qualified

    Chapter 341: Chapter 348 QualifiedAfter making the decision, Li Yifei remembered that he still hadn¡¯t called Xu Shanshan back, so he quickly dialed, saying, "Shanshan."


    "Brother-in-law, why did it take you so long to answer the phone?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s tone carried a hint of complaint, along with a bit of coquettishness.


    "Hehe, I was driving, just had a little situation, wasn¡¯t convenient to answer."


    "Liar, your driving skills are so good, no matter how dangerous the situation, it wouldn¡¯t prevent you from answering the phone. Come on, tell me, were you up to something bad?"


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat; Xu Shanshan had seen through his lie immediately. He laughed and said, "I was thinking about something just now, so I forgot to answer. By the way, has Qiao Ya come back during this period?"


    "Nope, if she were coming back, wouldn¡¯t she contact you?"


    "True. So, what¡¯s the reason you called, how¡¯s Mom doing?"


    "No real reason, just miss you, so I called. My mom is doing fine."


    If Xu Shanshan had said she missed him before, Li Yifei would have just laughed it off, assuming Xu Shanshan was joking. But this time, after playing mahjong with Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei truly understood that Xu Shanshan¡¯s feelings for him were not the same as before.


    He chuckled dryly and said, "As long as Mom is okay. This weekend, we¡¯ll go back to see her."


    "Sounds good. You should also come pick me up and take me back."


    "If you come back, wouldn¡¯t it be hard on Dad to take care of Mom alone?"


    "It¡¯s no big deal. My mom¡¯s fine now."


    "How can she be fine?" Li Yifei frowned immediately.


    "Oh, oh, I meant my mom looks alright on the outside although she is ill, she¡¯s eating and sleeping well, doesn¡¯t need me to take care of her too much for now."


    Li Yifei said incredulously, "How is that possible?"


    "Hehe, why not? My mom saw you and my sister really got married and you¡¯re giving her a grandchild, so her spirits are high. Don¡¯t you know the power of the human spirit is extremely strong?"


    Li Yifei believed in the power of the spirit, especially for someone like him, a super special forces soldier. In times of distress, having a strong will to survive determined whether they could come back alive. Some illnesses that appeared severe might even recover without medicine due to the patient¡¯s optimistic and cheerful spirit. However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother had late-stage lung cancer; relying solely on spiritual strength seemed unlikely to have much effect.


    "Alright, you don¡¯t need to worry. Your most important task now is to focus on making a baby with my sister. Really, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so slow in that regard."


    Li Yifei broke into another sweat, saying, "Having a baby isn¡¯t that easy."


    "You need to at least take action. How can you have a baby if you¡¯re not even doing that?"


    "How do you know we haven¡¯t... done that?" Li Yifei exclaimed in surprise.


    Xu Shanshan coughed dryly a few times and then chuckled, "I am Zhuge Kongming, you see. Just a little calculation, and I know you haven¡¯t done it. Brother-in-law, you¡¯re a man, why are you so hesitant about this? I really look down on you."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, realizing Xu Shanshan had tricked him out. He said, "We will get on it soon."


    "You better hurry, I¡¯m also waiting to hold my nephew. Brother-in-law..." Xu Shanshan suddenly stopped mid-sentence.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Hehe, nothing. You be careful driving, I¡¯m hanging up." Xu Shanshan hung up after speaking.


    Li Yifei shook his head; this mischievous sister-in-law really left him scratching his head.


    Driving, Li Yifei arrived at the entrance of the community where Qiao Ya lived. The security here was quite tight; without an access card or someone from inside notifying, the main gate was impassable.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t go through the main gate. After parking, he found a secluded spot and climbed over, avoiding the surveillance cameras. They seemed to have no blind spots, but Li Yifei knew that although the cameras were densely arranged, they weren¡¯t perfectly professional, leaving some blind spots.


    After circling the yard twice, Li Yifei didn¡¯t see that blonde foreigner. It seemed he¡¯d have to inquire about the foreigner¡¯s situation through Qiao Ya later.


    Since there were no leads on this side for now, Li Yifei returned to the company. As they were leaving work, Xu Yingying still arranged to leave with Li Yifei. However, they waited until most of the regular employees had left before they went out together.


    It was already mid-May. Since Chu Xiaoyao had exams coming up soon, she was attending evening classes and wouldn¡¯t be out until half-past eight, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to pick her up at this time.


    "Let¡¯s go to my house first." Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei after getting in the car.


    "Your house..." Li Yifei¡¯s expression turned a bit strange.


    Xu Yingying shot him a look. "No need for that expression. I¡¯m not going to force you. I need you to pick up some stuff from my house."


    "You wouldn¡¯t want to stay at my place, would you?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Why not? Don¡¯t forget, we are married now. Aren¡¯t married couples supposed to live together?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, "Our marriage... isn¡¯t exactly real, right?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mood had stabilized a bit over the past couple of days. Plus, with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s situation, she understood that having a child was a significant matter, not something that had to happen immediately, so she faced their current relationship squarely.


    Xu Yingying knew that Li Yifei married her, got the marriage certificate, all because of her mom. She was quite grateful to Li Yifei, but she didn¡¯t want to express that directly. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, "To you, I might not be considered your wife, but we have indeed registered the marriage certificate. Legally, I am your lawful wife, and we can¡¯t divorce for now, so why not give it a try? Perhaps we could become a real couple."


    "No need to try; we¡¯re not compatible," Li Yifei replied very straightforwardly.


    "Why?"


    "It¡¯s simple. Our lifestyles and pursuits are different. I prefer a simple life, have no ambitions, just want some quiet days, chatting with friends, going out for a drink, relaxing however I please. But you, you pursue a career, you seek a sense of accomplishment. This all conflicts with each other. As friends, maybe there¡¯s no problem, but if we actually became a couple, lived a real life together, there¡¯d definitely be lots of conflicts."


    "I just don¡¯t believe that a career woman can¡¯t be a good wife." Xu Yingying¡¯s stubbornness flared up immediately.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t be a good wife. If you marry into a wealthy family, you¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to showcase your talents and live well, but with me, it¡¯s not suitable."


    "If you¡¯re so certain, then why not try? If we really don¡¯t get along, I¡¯ll give up on this hope."


    Meeting Xu Yingying¡¯s persistent gaze, Li Yifei gently shook his head, saying, "You really are determined to go your own way. As you said, we are a couple for now, so let¡¯s try it."


    "Hmph, I¡¯ll prove to be a good wife, making you completely convinced."


    Li Yifei smiled and didn¡¯t argue with Xu Yingying. The concept of a good wife doesn¡¯t just depend on how good a woman is, but whether she can be suitable for the man.


    After fetching some clothes from Xu Yingying¡¯s house, they returned home. When Xu Yingying was hanging clothes, she noticed the ones belonging to Su Yiyi in the wardrobe. "Does she still come to stay with you now?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She does, visits from time to time."


    "And in the future?"


    Li Yifei replied decisively, "She will continue to come by." Then he waited for Xu Yingying to get angry.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned somewhat unpleasant but surprisingly she suppressed it quickly, saying, "Should I avoid her?"


    Li Yifei was a bit taken aback and continued, "It¡¯d be best if you do, but if you don¡¯t, we can book a hotel room."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s chest heaved a couple of times but she still nodded, saying, "If she¡¯s coming, make sure to tell me in advance so I can prepare."


    "Mm, if she¡¯s coming, I¡¯ll definitely inform you."


    "Thanks." Xu Yingying nodded, "Now I¡¯ll tidy up the room, I can¡¯t cook yet, so you¡¯ll have to handle that for a while until I learn."


    "Sure." Holding back laughter, Li Yifei walked out of the bedroom. He could tell how frustrated Xu Yingying was when she said those words, and having to hold it in was surely difficult.


    While Li Yifei cooked, Xu Yingying actually tidied up the room. Watching her busy figure, Li Yifei suddenly realized this was probably the first time Xu Yingying had done such house chores in front of him. Her actions were quite swift, and her work was orderly, not completely unlike her usual dignified and stern boss self.


    Li Yifei specially stewed an old hen; though it took a long time, it would be ready when Chu Xiaoyao returned. A little after eight, he drove to pick up Chu Xiaoyao.


    When Chu Xiaoyao came out of the school, she seemed a bit subdued, but as soon as she saw Li Yifei, she skipped over happily. Youth is often unfazed by worries; even though she was shocked at that time, it hadn¡¯t impacted her too severely. Mostly because aside from being tied up, she hadn¡¯t faced any abuse or seen any bloody scenes, so the fright wasn¡¯t too intense.


    Grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm, Chu Xiaoyao affectionately linked her arm with his, walking towards the car. This felt a bit awkward for Li Yifei at first, but seeing the parental exchanges around him and the closeness between parents and children, he relaxed. After all, he was essentially a guardian to Chu Xiaoyao now. Her being close to him wasn¡¯t inappropriate at all.

 Chapter 342 - 349: Embarrassing Friendly Fire

    Chapter 342: Chapter 349: Embarrassing Friendly FireAfter returning home, the three of them had dinner, and Chu Xiaoyao started chattering about things at school. Although she was somewhat clinging to Li Yifei, with Xu Yingying around, she didn¡¯t go too far.


    At 9:30, Li Yifei grabbed his keys and said, "All right, it¡¯s time for you to go to bed, I¡¯m off to sleep as well."


    "Where are you going?" both Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Yingying asked in unison.


    Li Yifei lifted the keys in his hand, "I certainly don¡¯t want to sleep on the couch again, I¡¯m going to stay at Xiaofei¡¯s place next door."


    Chu Xiaoyao was very familiar with Meng Xiaofei and didn¡¯t think there was anything inappropriate, but Xu Yingying frowned, "You¡¯re going to stay at a girl¡¯s house without her permission?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "If you think that¡¯s inappropriate, then you can go stay at her place."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, it¡¯s also not bad for Sister Yingying to stay there."


    Xu Yingying was far from agreeing, if she went to stay there, wouldn¡¯t she be leaving Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao alone here? If anything happened between the two of them when they were left alone, who knows what they might do. She couldn¡¯t have interfered with Li Yifei¡¯s affairs with other women before, but now that she was Li Yifei¡¯s wife, she wouldn¡¯t permit him such an opportunity.


    In the end, Li Yifei still ended up at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s place. Seeing the mess inside the house, he could not help shaking his head ¨C how could this girl be so sloppy? He really wondered how she would ever get married.


    But Li Yifei was too lazy to clean up for her. He just picked things up a bit, cleared some space on the bed suitable for a person to sleep, and by doing just this little bit, he ended up gathering a bunch of things like stockings and bras.


    Having seen such items often, Li Yifei didn¡¯t think too much of it now; he threw them all into the washing machine, then after washing up a bit, he collapsed onto the bed.


    He was sound asleep when the sound of a key in the lock woke him up. That female assassin had already robbed Li Yifei of the peace of mind he used to have.


    However, hearing the footsteps, Li Yifei knew it was Meng Xiaofei returning. Checking the time, it was already past one in the morning.


    He hurriedly got out of bed and put on his pants. He hadn¡¯t gotten his shirt on when Meng Xiaofei already pushed the bedroom door open, and upon seeing a man in the room, instinctively screamed out loud.


    Li Yifei quickly covered Meng Xiaofei¡¯s mouth, screaming so loudly in the middle of the night, if neighboring Xu Yingying heard, it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    "Xiaofei, it¡¯s me, oh..." Li Yifei covered Meng Xiaofei¡¯s mouth and called out, but immediately let out a groan. His eyes bulged as he glared at Meng Xiaofei, quickly letting go of her mouth to cover his lower abdomen.


    "Ah! It¡¯s Brother Li!" Meng Xiaofei was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly supported Li Yifei, anxiously asking, "Brother Li, are you ok?"


    Right now, Li Yifei wished he could just head-butt himself to death or find a hole to crawl into. Since joining the Flying Hawk Squad, apart from taking a bullet for Su Mengxin, he hadn¡¯t been hurt again ¨C even with that female assassin disguised so well and attacking so swiftly, he had been able to evade her with ease.


    But this time, his reputation was ruined by Meng Xiaofei. When he covered her mouth, she had quickly kneed him in the most vulnerable part of a man between his legs.


    Li Yifei was indeed very skilled; his body would instinctively react to minimize damage when hit, but no matter how tough he was, that part had not been trained and remained vulnerable. Meng Xiaofei¡¯s knee was forceful enough to leave Li Yifei gasping for air, sweating profusely, and unable to form words.


    "Brother Li, I really didn¡¯t know it was you, I thought it was a pervert." Supporting Li Yifei to sit on the bed, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes kept darting to the area of Li Yifei¡¯s groin, feeling endlessly apprehensive, "Brother Li, it¡¯s not... ruined, is it? Oh my, if it¡¯s ruined that¡¯s the end, you won¡¯t be able to get married or have kids, it would be like I¡¯ve caused you to lose your lineage." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You..." Li Yifei was already in enough pain, and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words made him laugh and cry at the same time.


    "Brother Li, how are you feeling really? Tell me... oh, no, we should go to the hospital right away, it might still be salvageable," Meng Xiaofei said as she frantically tugged at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei promptly flung Meng Xiaofei onto the bed; moving around would only magnify the excruciating pain, but at least now he could speak, he said irritably, "Stop talking nonsense, I... I¡¯m okay."


    "But you¡¯re still saying you¡¯re okay? Look how much you¡¯re sweating; it must be painful," Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes, now red-rimmed, filled with tears.


    Li Yifei gritted his teeth, "Enough already, just let me lie down and rest for a bit."


    "Ok, ok!" Meng Xiaofei promptly helped Li Yifei back onto the bed, her gaze still fixed on his groin area.


    Li Yifei felt awkward under her stare and suddenly pulled the blanket over himself, "What are you gawking at? Haven¡¯t you seen a man before?"


    "I¡¯ve seen men, but that part... I haven¡¯t seen before," Meng Xiaofei¡¯s cheeks flushed a deep red.


    Li Yifei was at his wits¡¯ end with Meng Xiaofei, "Even if you haven¡¯t, you¡¯re not allowed to look."


    "Oh, oh... I won¡¯t look!" Meng Xiaofei quickly turned her head away and then asked again, "Feeling any better?"


    Being no ordinary man, Li Yifei, with his exceptional stamina, endured for a while and the pain eased somewhat. Annoyed, he said, "It¡¯s manageable, at least you haven¡¯t cost me my lineage."


    "Really? That¡¯s such great news." Meng Xiaofei immediately turned back with joy.


    "You little rascal, you¡¯ve got quite the heavy hand, don¡¯t you?" Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "I¡¯ve learned self-defense before, and I wasn¡¯t very good at it during practice, but for some reason, I just blurted it out just now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "So I¡¯m just that unlucky, huh?"


    "It¡¯s my fault, not looking clearly at who it was before I acted. By the way, Brother Li, why did you come to sleep in my bed?"


    "I had no place to sleep at my home because of two people there. Knowing you weren¡¯t home, I thought I¡¯d bunk here for the night. Who knew you would come back? It¡¯s also my fault for not calling you before coming over. I have only myself to blame."


    "It¡¯s not Brother Li¡¯s fault, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t look clearly and..." Sticking out her tongue again, Meng Xiaofei said apologetically, "Brother Li, how are you feeling now?"


    "Much better." Li Yifei smiled forcefully. The pain here wasn¡¯t going to disappear that quickly.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re lying to me. Look how ugly your smile is," Meng Xiaofei pouted.


    "Alright, it still hurts quite a bit."


    "What do we do then... Oh right, ice might help. I¡¯ll go get some ice for you." As soon as Meng Xiaofei finished speaking, she dashed out without waiting for Li Yifei¡¯s reply. Then the sound of a refrigerator opening followed by the sound of ice being crushed could be heard from outside. Soon after, Meng Xiaofei returned with a plastic bag full of ice cubes.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened and he said, "I did say icing would help with the pain, but you didn¡¯t have to bring a whole big bag, did you?"


    Meng Xiaofei looked at the bag in her hands, a supermarket shopping bag, and realized it was indeed much too large. She stuck out her tongue, quickly ran back out, and shortly returned with a smaller plastic bag. Looking at Li Yifei, she asked, "Is this better now?"


    "It¡¯s fine now," Li Yifei nodded.


    "Great, let me help you apply it." Receiving approval from Li Yifei, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she reached out and yanked off the blanket.


    Li Yifei got a start and hurriedly said, "No need, no need, I can do it myself." He quickly pulled the blanket back over himself.


    Only then did Meng Xiaofei remember that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to help in that particular spot. She stuck out her tongue and said, "Then you do it."


    Taking the ice pack, Li Yifei looked at Meng Xiaofei and said, "Could you step out for a moment?"


    "No way, I have to see if it works. Otherwise, how can I be at ease? Hehe, Brother Li, you¡¯re not feeling shy, are you? Don¡¯t worry, my skin isn¡¯t that thin. When you come over to my place, I even sleep bare butted."


    Li Yifei instantly felt a headache coming on. What was she even talking about? But considering that he was still under the covers and actually needed the ice now, he didn¡¯t send Meng Xiaofei away. He took the ice pack beneath the blankets and placed it against his groin area over his trousers.


    The cool sensation immediately lessened the pain, and Li Yifei¡¯s facial expression relaxed significantly.


    Meng Xiaofei kept her gaze on Li Yifei and immediately said with delight, "Brother Li, it seems to be really effective."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "It is, but don¡¯t worry about me. Go tidy up; I¡¯ll head home once it gets better."


    "Head home? Isn¡¯t there no place for you to sleep at yours?"


    Li Yifei gave Meng Xiaofei a look and said, "I can still sleep on the couch at home. Here, I don¡¯t even have a couch to sleep on."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. Her couch was indeed cluttered with all sorts of stuff and had no space to sleep. But then she immediately lit up with excitement and clapped her hands, saying, "Then just sleep in the bed."


    "If I sleep in the bed, then what about you?"


    "Oh... there¡¯s also me. I forgot about myself." Meng Xiaofei once again stuck out her playful tongue.


    Li Yifei was speechless. How could someone forget about themselves like that? He had no idea how Meng Xiaofei¡¯s brain worked.


    All of a sudden, Meng Xiaofei exclaimed with alarm, "Hey, Brother Li, you really can¡¯t leave right away. You¡¯ll have to test it out later to make sure it still works. What if you can¡¯t have kids?"


    Li Yifei nearly slammed his head onto the bed below. Was that something you could just ¡¯test¡¯?

 Chapter 343 - 350 Inspection Check

    Chapter 343: Chapter 350 Inspection CheckSeeing Li Yifei¡¯s vacant stare, Meng Xiaofei solemnly said, "Brother Li, you really can¡¯t be careless with this matter. I¡¯m worried that even though it doesn¡¯t hurt now, you might have an internal injury. What if you can¡¯t have children in the future? Wouldn¡¯t my sin be great?"


    "This matter... how do we test it?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes grew even wider.


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Just wait a second." Then she ran out with a clatter.


    Li Yifei wanted to shout after Meng Xiaofei but was too late. He quickly raised his voice and said, "Xiaofei, don¡¯t do anything rash." Surely this girl wasn¡¯t going to come in naked, was she?


    A moment later, Meng Xiaofei came back, not naked, but holding a laptop, which immediately relieved Li Yifei.


    Meng Xiaofei placed the laptop beside Li Yifei and said with a grin, "I found a video for you. Check it out on your own."


    Upon glancing at the laptop, Li Yifei was at a loss for words¡ªit was a video, paused at a scene where a woman was undressing. Without a doubt, this was an adult movie. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. So this was Meng Xiaofei¡¯s method of ¡¯testing.¡¯ Not only had she come up with such an idea, but he also felt somewhat guilty about his prior thoughts. Meng Xiaofei had always treated him as a good friend, and here he was suspecting her otherwise. It was truly unfair to her.


    Shaking his head with a bitter smile and pointing at the laptop, Li Yifei said, "Isn¡¯t this unnecessary?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately glared at him and insisted, "Of course it¡¯s necessary. If it doesn¡¯t work, then you have to get treatment immediately. It¡¯s better to treat it while it¡¯s a minor issue. If you wait too long, it¡¯ll be a huge problem."


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei with such a serious expression was rare for Li Yifei. The most memorable time was when she insisted on being a witness for justice. And Li Yifei knew when Meng Xiaofei wore that expression, she was in dead earnest.


    "All right, all right, I¡¯ll give it a try, but could you please step outside first?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯m certainly not going to watch this kind of stuff with you. I¡¯m such a pure girl."


    Li Yifei gave Meng Xiaofei a look and said, "You¡¯re pure? Yet you got a video so quickly. I think you¡¯ve already downloaded this."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and replied, "It was an accident, an accident. I downloaded the wrong movie that day." Then she ran out.


    Amused by Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei started to laugh. With his mood lightened and the pain alleviated by the ice pack, he was no longer worried about any underlying issues. Having not seen such movies in many years, since he had always been involved in the real deal, he found the idea of watching now quite interesting and casually hit play.


    During his high school years, Li Yifei was curious about sex and had watched many such movies clandestinely, especially with Ye Yunzhu when they watched them together. However, after joining the military, the opportunity to watch such things had disappeared. Watching now, it felt somewhat nostalgic.


    After watching for a while, Meng Xiaofei suddenly poked her head in, blinked with a hint of nervousness, and asked, "Brother Li, is it working?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat. Admitting a reaction at this time seemed somewhat embarrassing, so he subconsciously said, "No."


    "Ah! That¡¯s terrible! This is the trendiest this year, rated as the most satisfying by netizens, and you have no reaction at all? It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. You can¡¯t be a man anymore. What are we going to do?" Meng Xiaofei rushed in and started pacing around the room anxiously.


    Li Yifei rubbed his forehead, saying, "Surely it¡¯s not that bad?"


    "What do you mean, not that bad? You watched such a film and still had no reaction. Doesn¡¯t that mean something is broken? Aye yai yai, it was my fault. What do we do now? Yiyi will kill me for this. So young, and she¡¯ll have to live like a widow."


    Sweating even more, Li Yifei was about to say he had a reaction, but Meng Xiaofei suddenly flipped back the blanket covering Li Yifei, exclaiming, "Let me see... Ah!"


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s face reddened to the point of looking like a monkey¡¯s butt, and he let out an awkward laugh, saying, "I was just kidding."


    To Li Yifei¡¯s absolute surprise, Meng Xiaofei then reached out, grabbed onto Li Yifei¡¯s private part, and even shook it a couple of times before exclaiming, "It looks like it really works, oh!"


    She let out a shriek and immediately let go, casting a glance at Li Yifei before dashing out of the room.


    Drenched in sweat, Li Yifei thought lifting his blanket was surprising enough, but never expected Meng Xiaofei to actually grab and shake it. This girl was absolutely nerveless to do such a thing.


    Now that the ordeal was over, Li Yifei hurriedly put on his shirt and stepped out of the bedroom, only to see Meng Xiaofei sitting on a cluttered sofa, her face buried in her knees.


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei like this, Li Yifei actually found it quite amusing, but still felt embarrassed as he said, "I¡¯m fine now, I¡¯m going back."


    Meng Xiaofei made a strange noise without lifting her head, and buried it even deeper.


    Li Yifei slunk away from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house and then went back to his own. Although Su Mengxin¡¯s room next door was also empty, and she certainly wouldn¡¯t mind if he stayed there, Li Yifei just didn¡¯t want to. Perhaps in his heart, he felt closer to Meng Xiaofei and much more distant from Su Mengxin.


    Lying on the couch, he thought about what had happened at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house and couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Himself, the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, had been attacked by an ordinary girl, and he was hit in a vital spot at that. It was simply too embarrassing. This incident was something he would take to the grave, for if his former comrades found out, he would truly lose all face.


    Then, thinking about how Meng Xiaofei played that little movie for him and did that... check, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help shaking his head, even though he felt a bit titillated.


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, Li Yifei woke up early the next morning, prepared some breakfast, and soon Xu Yingying got up too. Seeing Li Yifei in the kitchen, she immediately asked in confusion, "When did you come back?"


    "I came back in the middle of the night. With Xiaofei returning last night, I had to come back and sleep on the couch," Li Yifei said candidly, because he knew that girl, Meng Xiaofei, would definitely come here today looking for a free meal after what happened last night.


    Xu Yingying uttered an "oh" and said, "You came back, and I didn¡¯t know at all."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yeah, I bet someone could steal you away in the middle of the night, and you wouldn¡¯t even wake up."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "I don¡¯t sleep that soundly. I¡¯m going to wash up first."


    After Xu Yingying got ready, she went to wake up Chu Xiaoyao, who now loved to sleep in, lingering in bed for a long time before unwillingly getting up.


    Li Yifei thought that Meng Xiaofei, having come back late yesterday, surely wouldn¡¯t get up early this morning, but to his surprise, she knocked on their door just as they were about to have breakfast.


    Meng Xiaofei was quite familiar with Chu Xiaoyao, but she had only met Xu Yingying once, and that was when Xu Shanshan was also there, so they hadn¡¯t had much interaction. Moreover, seeing Xu Yingying left her quite amazed. She looked Xu Yingying up and down and asked, "Are you President Xu or Shanshan?"


    "I¡¯m Xu Yingying," Xu Yingying answered with a smile.


    "Ah? It¡¯s actually President Xu. What brought you to stay at Brother Li¡¯s place?" Meng Xiaofei asked in astonishment. A president like her would usually live in a mansion or villa and drive fancy cars, so it seemed strange to her that Xu Yingying would come to Li Yifei¡¯s small house.


    Xu Yingying chuckled and replied, "I think it¡¯s quite nice here, so I came to experience life."


    "Oh, so you think it¡¯s nice here at Brother Li¡¯s place too? Haha, you must also want to freeload off Brother Li¡¯s cooking," Meng Xiaofei laughed triumphantly.


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Yeah, having someone cook, and it¡¯s really delicious too, so I decided to stay."


    "Great, great, the more the merrier," Meng Xiaofei chirped, and after exchanging a few words with Chu Xiaoyao, she dashed into the kitchen.


    "Rare, isn¡¯t it? You actually came into the kitchen? Don¡¯t tell me you came to steal a bite," Li Yifei teased Meng Xiaofei with a smile.


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and glanced outside the kitchen before sneakily asking, "Brother Li, how¡¯s it down there?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened and he responded tersely, "It¡¯s fine."


    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. I was still worried last night. If I truly had crippled Brother Li Yifei, I would never have lived with myself, and how could I ever face Yiyi."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face grew even darker. This was the most embarrassing thing he had ever experienced, and this girl was bringing it up again after talking about it last night, deliberately rubbing salt into his wounds. Annoyedly, he said, "Go on, get out already, don¡¯t interfere with my cooking."


    "Oh, then I¡¯m leaving." Meng Xiaofei agreed, heading for the door, but just as she reached it, she turned back and her gaze drifted toward Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    As Li Yifei carried things out of the kitchen, Meng Xiaofei continually scrutinized him, her eyes frequently lingering on his legs, focusing on his most crucial area, as if checking to see if he was normal.


    Li Yifei felt his face heating up and had no choice but to pretend not to notice. With a girl like Meng Xiaofei, you simply couldn¡¯t get angry at her. She was genuinely guileless, acting on whims and, it seemed, on pure instinct.


    "Did you do something to Meng Xiaofei last night?" Xu Yingying asked with a frown when Li Yifei had dropped off Chu Xiaoyao and was about to drive the car into the company garage.

 Chapter 344 - 351 Red

    Chapter 344: Chapter 351 Red"What did you think?" Li Yifei asked with calm detachment.


    "If you think about it normally, your relationship with Meng Xiaofei is very good, so good that you could just stay at her place anytime, and she eats here every day. You two must have had ¡¯that kind of thing¡¯ happen already, but Meng Xiaofei is a girl without any schemes, and although you¡¯re quite a charmer, you have strong principles when it comes to certain things. You probably wouldn¡¯t do anything with her," Xu Yingying said while watching Li Yifei¡¯s face, but she couldn¡¯t make out any changes in his emotions. Pausing for a moment, she continued, "The reason I asked you that was because I felt that something unexpected must have happened last night, otherwise Meng Xiaofei wouldn¡¯t be giving you that kind of strange look."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire Xu Yingying¡¯s keen observation and said, "There was a little incident, but it¡¯s nothing."


    Seeing that Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to talk about it, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t inquire further. She was just confirming whether Li Yifei had been involved with Meng Xiaofei in ¡¯that way,¡¯ and now she had gotten the answer she wanted. Nothing else mattered.


    Although they had planned to go back for the weekend, an important issue came up at the company at the last minute, so Li Yifei and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t return to Pingyang. By the time they had dealt with everything, it was already Tuesday afternoon. They went straight home, and as soon as they walked in, they sensed that the atmosphere was off.


    Normally, with their mother¡¯s serious illness, the house had been quite somber, but today, there was a joyful atmosphere as soon as they stepped in.


    "Sis, it¡¯s great news, great news," Xu Shanshan came over and affectionately linked arms with Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying was secretly annoyed with her sister¡¯s heartlessness. What could be so joyful to make her this happy, as if she had forgotten about their mother¡¯s illness? But Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to appear too gloomy either; that would only add more to their mother¡¯s emotional burden. Smiling, she asked, "What¡¯s the good news?"


    "Ha ha... I took Mom for another check-up today. Guess what the doctor said?" Xu Shanshan winked at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s heart suddenly began to race uncontrollably, and she excitedly rushed over to her mother. Grasping her smiling mother¡¯s hands, she asked urgently, "Could it be they made a wrong diagnosis last time?"


    The mother said cheerfully, "Yes, I actually just had pneumonia caused by a cold. The cold went away these past few days and so did the shadow. Nowadays, hospitals are really irresponsible with their diagnoses."


    "Great! Great! This is just so wonderful!" Xu Yingying said, but despite her words, tears involuntarily streamed down her face.


    Xu Zhenguo looked at his daughter¡¯s sadness and immediately scowled at his wife. They had conspired together to create this ruse, making him feel uncomfortable these past days and causing their daughter such distress.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother secretly glared back at her husband and then patted Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Alright, this is good news. Why are you crying?"


    "Yes!" Xu Yingying wiped her eyes forcefully and started chattering away with her mother.


    Since starting work, Xu Yingying had been less talkative at home. Seeing her true emotions flow like this today, Li Yifei was witnessing it for the first time. However, Li Yifei was now pondering over his relationship with Xu Yingying. Now that Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was better, perhaps the marriage between him and Xu Yingying could also be dissolved?


    The thought made him feel a sense of release, and a radiant smile appeared on his face.


    Xu Shanshan then said, "Today is such a happy day. Dad, Mom, brother-in-law, let¡¯s play a few rounds now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart swayed instantly. Playing mahjong with Xu Shanshan had always been quite exciting, but at this moment, Xu Zhenguo said, "We¡¯re happy today, so we should drink a few. Yifei, we didn¡¯t drink properly last time you were here. Today the two of us should really enjoy a good drinking session." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan immediately pouted, "Drinking is so boring. Playing mahjong is much better."


    Xu Yingying glanced at her sister and said, "All you think about is playing. I want to have a good chat with Mom."


    Although playing mahjong with Xu Shanshan could be very exciting, Li Yifei was actually a bit scared of that kind of excitement. He also said, "Yeah, yeah, let¡¯s just have a few good drinks tonight to celebrate. I¡¯ll cook; I¡¯ll make a few extra delicious dishes for Mom today."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes darted around as she said, "Alright then, let¡¯s have a few good drinks tonight, no mahjong."


    Li Yifei was in a good mood and prepared a table full of dishes. He then opened a bottle of good white spirit with Xu Zhenguo, while Xu Yingying and her mother opened a bottle of red wine.


    The Xu Zhenguo Couple didn¡¯t need to pretend anymore, so they felt at ease. Xu Yingying was genuinely delighted that her mother was not sick, and Li Yifei was comfortable with the possibility of resolving his issue with Xu Yingying. Only Xu Shanshan kept rolling her eyes, seemingly plotting something.


    "Brother-in-law, come on, let me pour you a drink. Sister, you have some more too. Forget about work for today and just enjoy some family bliss," Xu Shanshan was constantly pouring drinks for Li Yifei and Xu Yingying today, showing an eagerness that was truly beyond words.


    Li Yifei had already drunk more than half a bottle of white spirit, and normally he could handle his liquor, but today he felt dizzy, as if he was already drunk.


    Meanwhile, Xu Yingying had gotten so drunk that she had gone back to her room to sleep, and the Xu Zhenguo couple were quite tipsy as well. Only Xu Shanshan was still full of energy.


    Li Yifei and Xu Zhenguo had another drink before they too became unconscious from the alcohol. Xu Zhenguo and Xu Shanshan then helped Li Yifei to Xu Yingying¡¯s room before the Xu Zhenguo couple went back to their own room to rest.


    Xu Yingying had also gone back to her room, but more than half an hour later, she sneaked out again. With great caution, she opened Xu Yingying¡¯s room, went in, and after more than ten minutes, she slipped out with a look of triumph on her face. Then her cheeks flushed with a shy glow ¨C who knows what she saw or did in the room.


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up, rubbing his temple, which was still aching. It had been a long time since he felt like this after drinking.


    But after rubbing his forehead a few times, Li Yifei stopped, because he felt someone lying beside him. In Xu Yingying¡¯s family home, it was normal for him to stay with Xu Yingying, but what was abnormal was... neither he nor Xu Yingying were wearing any clothes, not a single piece.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart beat faster as he tried to remember what happened last night, but besides what he could remember before getting drunk, the rest was a complete blank.


    Carefully lifting the covers, he peered at the sheets beneath them and Li Yifei¡¯s head started throbbing. On Xu Yingying¡¯s side of the bed, there was a distinct crimson stain on the sheet. What the two of them did was clearly proven.


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know what to think. He thought his relationship with Xu Yingying was about to be clarified, but now, things had turned out like this. He had actually had an intimate encounter with Xu Yingying, who turned out to be a virgin.


    Although the idea of taking responsibility after sex might be clich¨¦d, Xu Yingying was already twenty-six, and the fact that she was still a virgin showed how much she valued herself. This also meant that she cared a great deal about her first time, and now that he had taken it, it would be utterly irresponsible of him to not take responsibility.


    "Mm..." Xu Yingying made a sound, then opened her eyes and frowned.


    Such a reaction was clearly the normal response after a first intimate experience.


    "Ah! You..." Xu Yingying also realized they were both naked and sat up abruptly. She took one look at the sheet and her face turned very ugly.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Sorry, I drank too much last night and somehow..."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t scream or cry; instead, she looked dazedly at the sheet, sighed, and said, "It¡¯s nothing, just the result of drunkenness."


    This made Li Yifei feel even more awkward as he said, "I really drank too much last night, I don¡¯t know what I did."


    "I don¡¯t know either." Xu Yingying laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "Just a few days ago, I was thinking about how to sleep with you to have children, but now there¡¯s no hurry. We¡¯ve become intimate in such a muddled way, it¡¯s quite funny."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched. He found some clothes on the floor, lit a cigarette, and took several drags in succession, saying, "Yingying, this might have been an accident, but I will take responsibility."


    Being a man, he had to be honorable, even for an accident; it wasn¡¯t something he could just walk away from, so Li Yifei still made such a statement.


    Xu Yingying had already lain down and was looking at Li Yifei from her side. "Do you think I¡¯m the type of person who would use such relations to make you take responsibility for me?"


    Li Yifei took a puff of his cigarette. Obviously, he still hoped that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t need him to take responsibility, but such accidents couldn¡¯t simply be shrugged off. "I know you¡¯re not, but you¡¯ve still been hurt. A woman definitely loses a lot in these situations."


    "Hmph, what age are we living in? You can¡¯t possibly be so out of touch. Come on, get up. I need to get myself together too," Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a push.


    Xu Yingying looked very relaxed, but Li Yifei knew clearly that she was just disguising her vulnerability, not wanting to show weakness in front of him. Xu Yingying was a strong woman, and she couldn¡¯t accept the idea of being tied to Li Yifei just because of intimacy.


    Logically, Li Yifei should have felt relieved by this, but he felt far from relaxed. Being intimate with a conservative woman brought much more pressure than being with a hundred casual ones.

 Chapter 345 - 352: To Leave or Not to Leave

    Chapter 345: Chapter 352: To Leave or Not to LeaveIn front of Xu Yingying, Li Yifei got dressed, turned his head to look at Xu Yingying, and wanted to say something but in the end, he just shook his head and walked out of the bedroom.


    Having lived with Xu Yingying for so long without their relationship escalating to this point, the irony of getting together with Xu Yingying just when he was about to be free of it was not lost on him.


    After freshening up, Li Yifei came out of the bathroom only to see Xu Shanshan, who cheerfully said to him, "Brother-in-law, did you sleep well last night?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Of course, I did, I¡¯ve been worried about Mom¡¯s illness these days, and now that there¡¯s nothing wrong, I finally had a good night¡¯s sleep."


    Xu Shanshan squinted at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, you really are filial. If my mom heard this, she¡¯d be moved to tears."


    Laughter from Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother followed from behind, "That¡¯s right, Yifei all by himself is more filial than both of you combined. Hmph, I¡¯ve really wasted my years raising you two."


    Xu Shanshan turned around and looped her arm through her mother¡¯s, saying with a smile, "Yeah, brother-in-law is so great, with him here in the future, my sister and I can be free."


    "What freedom? Didn¡¯t you say you found a boyfriend? Bring him over quickly, let me take a look. Now that your sister¡¯s situation is settled, I still have to worry about you."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, Mom, you really burn the bridge after crossing the river, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ve barely...¡¯barely¡¯ sorted out my sister¡¯s situation, and now you¡¯re rushing me."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother cleared her throat and said, "Now that your sister is settled, naturally it¡¯s your turn."


    Li Yifei felt like Xu Shanshan had been about to say something else just now but ended up changing her statement, and it seemed related to him. Moreover, the mother and daughter both clearly understood the nature of his and Xu Yingying¡¯s relationship¡ªas if brought together by the illness¡ªyet now that the illness had passed, they seemed to have utterly forgotten the reason for his and Xu Yingying¡¯s union.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying came out, and upon seeing her mother and sister, her expression suddenly became unnatural. Xu Shanshan immediately stepped forward, looking at Xu Yingying with a grin, "Xu Yingying, you seem different from usual today." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying felt panicked inside, but managed to say calmly, "Of course it¡¯s different, isn¡¯t Mom cured? "


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head and scrutinized Xu Yingying, "No, it¡¯s not that you¡¯re happy; you seem unnatural. You didn¡¯t do something bad, did you?"


    Xu Yingying was even more flustered, coughed dryly, and said, "Nonsense, what bad thing could I possibly do? Excuse me, I need to wash my face." With that, she pushed past Xu Shanshan and headed for the bathroom.


    Then Xu Shanshan called out from behind, "Hey, Mom, doesn¡¯t my sister walk a bit awkwardly today?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother nodded, "Really? I didn¡¯t notice."


    "Definitely, I just feel my sister walks a bit uncomfortably. Sister, you¡¯re not feeling discomfort in your legs or something, are you? Let brother-in-law take you to get it checked out."


    Xu Yingying actually didn¡¯t feel any discomfort walking, but she had read some books on physiology and knew that a woman might feel uncomfortable after her first time. So, with Xu Shanshan bringing it up like that, she indeed started to feel as if her walk was different from before, which made her even more uneasy. "Nonsense, don¡¯t say such things." She quickly entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.


    Then Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother nodded, "Now that you mention it, she does seem to be walking a bit uncomfortably."


    "Brother-in-law, what¡¯s really wrong with my sister?" Xu Shanshan asked Li Yifei with her big eyes blinking innocently.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother also looked towards Li Yifei, which made Li Yifei extremely uncomfortable. He naturally knew why Xu Yingying was acting this way, but it was not something he could voice out loud. After clearing his throat, he said, "It¡¯s nothing, she just twisted it a bit."


    "That¡¯s good then." Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei, her smile suggesting a more profound meaning.


    Li Yifei felt that Xu Shanshan must have realized what had happened, and she was deliberately making it awkward for him and Xu Yingying. But what had happened had happened, there was no point trying to cover it up now. If she had figured it out, she had figured it out.


    Since Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was now all right, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying finished their breakfast and prepared to leave.


    However, before they left, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother and Xu Zhenguo called the two into the living room, with Xu Shanshan sitting by her mother¡¯s side, smilingly watching them.


    Then Xu Yingying¡¯s mother fixed her gaze on Li Yifei and spoke softly, "Yifei, what do you think of our Yingying?"


    Li Yifei was quite uncomfortable under Mother Xu¡¯s scrutiny and knew what she was about to say. "Yingying is a good woman, beautiful, and very capable," he said.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother nodded, "I know your marriage this time was for me. Now that I¡¯m not sick anymore, I don¡¯t know if you two can still be together. Can you be honest with me, will you leave Yingying just because I¡¯m cured?"


    Li Yifei had not yet answered when Xu Yingying cut in, "Mom, you don¡¯t need to worry about our affairs, we will handle them ourselves."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother glared, "You can handle it? If you could have handled it, I wouldn¡¯t have had to fake an illness to get you married!"


    "What?" Xu Yingying and Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as they looked at Xu Yingying¡¯s mother.


    Only then did Xu Yingying¡¯s mother realize she had blurted out too much in her agitation, her face turning awkward. Xu Zhenguo then chuckled, shaking his head, "I told you not to do this, but you insisted. You just can¡¯t keep your mouth closed. Yifei, blame us if you must. This was indeed a deceit we plotted because we genuinely thought you were a good kid, but since there was no progress with Yingying, we came up with this idea."


    At this point, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time; it was never expected to be a complete scam, but this scam surprisingly didn¡¯t repulse him. He gave a bitter smile and said, "Mom and Dad, you¡¯ve really gone to great lengths."


    Xu Yingying, however, was somewhat angry, stomping her foot as she said, "You really are something. Do you have any idea how much is going on at my company? With your meddling, do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused me?"


    But her mother¡¯s eyes widened, "It was me who lied to you, so what now? Am I not anxious for you? You¡¯re already twenty-six and not in a hurry to get married, so when? Do I really need to fall ill before you consider marriage, before you think of having children?"


    At her words, Xu Yingying was rendered speechless. Suddenly, seeing Xu Shanshan covering her mouth and giggling, Yingying immediately turned her irritation towards Shanshan, huffing, "Was this all your idea, or not?"


    Xu Shanshan looked up, "Yes, it was my idea, what about it?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother waved her hand, "We admit our mistake. Now give us a clear answer, are you staying together, or not? Don¡¯t keep me guessing."


    "Staying!"


    "Not staying!"


    Both Xu Yingying and Li Yifei spoke at the same time, but their answers were polar opposites: Li Yifei gave a positive response, while Xu Yingying gave a negative one.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents and Xu Shanshan were all surprised to hear their responses. Logically, Li Yifei was the one coerced, and after Xu Shanshan¡¯s recounting, Xu Yingying did have intentions for Li Yifei, but it was Li Yifei who kept refusing. So, shouldn¡¯t it have been Li Yifei who would say no? Why had it now become Xu Yingying?


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying exchanged glances, with Yingying quickly saying, "Since mom isn¡¯t sick, our marriage agreement naturally doesn¡¯t count anymore. How can we live together after that?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "We..."


    Xu Yingying hastily cut him off, "I said we can¡¯t stay together, and that¡¯s final. You don¡¯t need to persuade me. Let¡¯s get the divorce procedures started when we go back."


    At this, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother suddenly became furious, smacking the couch and shouting, "Xu Yingying, are you trying to anger me to death? Yifei now wants to have a proper life with you, and you¡¯re the one backing out. You, a woman, hardly started and already thinking of a second marriage? If you keep this up, I might really get sick because of you!" As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t hold back a cough¡ªnot feigned, as her pneumonia hadn¡¯t completely healed and the anger was preventing her from catching her breath, her face turning crimson.


    Xu Yingying was startled and quickly went to rub her mother¡¯s chest, "Mom, please, don¡¯t be angry. This is forcing him. If I live with him like this, he¡¯ll always have a knot in his heart. Can we really be happy?"


    "Why can¡¯t it be a happy life? With men and women together, feelings will develop over time. Yifei, tell me, were the words you just said sincere?"


    If it had been yesterday, Li Yifei would have immediately said he wanted to separate from Xu Yingying, but last night¡¯s events had made it impossible for him to say the same now. Looking at Xu Yingying, he said, "Yingying, let¡¯s try it. As mom said, if we separate now, you¡¯ll have to rush into a second marriage without even starting the first."


    Seeing her mother getting very angry, Xu Yingying finally nodded, "Alright then, we¡¯ll give it a try."


    A smile immediately spread across Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s face, "That¡¯s more like it. A couple¡¯s love is cultivated. Just live together, and you¡¯ll be fine."


    Xu Zhenguo sighed, "Yifei, this matter is a lifelong commitment. We¡¯ve tricked you once; we can¡¯t force you again. If you can live with Yingying, we¡¯ll be happy, but if you two can¡¯t get along, we¡¯ll support you if you decide to separate later."


    Xu Shanshan jumped up and exclaimed, "Don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t just separate easily now. The cooked rice is already made, and after a while, when there¡¯s a baby, they¡¯ll be even less likely to split."


    Xu Yingying was instantly embarrassed; the raw rice had been cooked without her realizing it, and she was incredibly uncomfortable with the situation. Meanwhile, Mother Xu chuckled, "Yes, yes, having a baby sooner is good, having a baby sooner is good."


    At that moment, Xu Yingying suddenly remembered a concern; she wasn¡¯t in her safe period, and though last night was a blur, an accidental pregnancy was the last thing she needed now.


    Li Yifei could only give a dry laugh at this point, realizing he truly was a married man now. Su Yiyi was one thing, but explaining this to Ye Yunzhu was going to be a challenge.

 Chapter 346 - 353 Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 346: Chapter 353 Xu ShanshanLi Yifei was seated in the middle on the plane back, with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan on either side of him.


    Xu Yingying remained silent after boarding the plane, while Xu Shanshan was all smiles, chatting non-stop with Li Yifei. Even though it was mostly her talking with Li Yifei occasionally chiming in, Xu Shanshan¡¯s enthusiasm remained high.


    "Brother-in-law, this time you really are my brother-in-law."


    "Yeah, you kept calling me that, and now it¡¯s come true."


    Xu Shanshan gave a mischievous smile and said, "Brother-in-law, you better be good to me from now on. I went through a lot of trouble to bring you and my sister together."


    "Oh, really?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan in surprise, and at this moment, Xu Yingying also glanced at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan proudly declared, "I knew my sister too well; even if you tried to pursue her, she wouldn¡¯t be moved. In her eyes, there¡¯s nothing but her career. So, I said I liked you and wanted to pursue you. This way, she¡¯s afraid I¡¯d end up with you and can¡¯t explain it at home, so she can only be with you herself. Without my efforts, could you two be together?"


    Although Li Yifei had sensed Xu Shanshan¡¯s intentions, he was left speechless now that Xu Shanshan had said it out loud.


    Xu Yingying, on the other hand, felt an inexplicable sensation in her heart. She had always thought of her sister as a child who wasn¡¯t ambitious and always wanted to take advantage of her. However, she hadn¡¯t expected Xu Shanshan to do this entirely for her. She was touched but also felt awkward about being bound to Li Yifei this way.


    Xu Shanshan continued proudly, "So I¡¯m your matchmaker, and you can¡¯t just throw the matchmaker over the wall once you¡¯re in the bridal chamber."


    Li Yifei said, a bit exasperated, "All right, all right, I¡¯ll definitely be grateful to you, my little sister-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and said, "You better be. If you¡¯re not grateful, I¡¯ll despise you. I can bring you together, but I can also stir things up."


    Xu Yingying glared, saying, "Can¡¯t you think of something more serious? Why are you always meddling in my affairs?"


    Xu Shanshan rested her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and leaned in front of his face, grinning, "I¡¯m just following orders to supervise you two. If you don¡¯t live well with my brother-in-law, I¡¯ll bring Mom over."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "You should worry more about yourself. Once I¡¯m done here, Mom will focus on you."


    Xu Shanshan immediately made a face, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and shook it lightly, "Brother-in-law, can you help me too? Pretend to be my boyfriend when we go back and fool my mom."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "But I¡¯m already your brother-in-law, how can I fool her?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Isn¡¯t it simple? Just say you¡¯ve found your long-lost twin brother. You¡¯re twins, we¡¯re twins, it couldn¡¯t be more perfect."


    With such an idea, only Xu Shanshan could come up with it, and both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were left speechless.


    With Xu Shanshan¡¯s antics, the journey wasn¡¯t so dull for Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    After getting off the plane, the three went to Xu Yingying¡¯s house first, then Li Yifei prepared to head home. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, brother-in-law, aren¡¯t you staying here?" Xu Shanshan immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei halted, "I have things to handle at home."


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t let go, "What could be more important than living with my sister as your wife?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying. Despite everything that had happened, they still didn¡¯t feel like a couple. Xu Yingying quickly intervened, "There¡¯s a girl back home he needs to take care of."


    "What? You¡¯re married to my sister, and you¡¯re taking care of another girl?" Xu Shanshan opened her eyes wide.


    Xu Yingying rushed to add, "She¡¯s a high school student."


    "Oh, I know. That¡¯s the girl... Xiaoyao, right? That girl seems quite interested in him. Today¡¯s young girls are wild, I don¡¯t feel comfortable with him going back."


    Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, "Relax, she¡¯s been staying for four or five days. Her parents should be better by now, and I¡¯ll send her home today."


    "That¡¯s more like it. I¡¯ll come with you," Xu Shanshan insisted, acting as if she were the real wife here.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse, "All right. Your sister also has some clothes at my place; we can bring those back too."


    "What do you mean ¡¯bring back my sister¡¯s stuff¡¯? Yours too."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "Fine, we¡¯ll bring everything back." Since agreeing to be with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei no longer wanted to avoid it. Perhaps this was fate; he¡¯d never seen Xu Yingying as his wife, yet she became one.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t follow Li Yifei this time; after packing briefly, she headed to the office.


    It was noon, and Li Yifei called Chu Xiaoyao, who quickly came out of school.


    Seeing Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, she mistook Xu Shanshan for Xu Yingying and greeted her warmly.


    Xu Shanshan played along, pretending to be Xu Yingying.


    "Xiaoyao, I can¡¯t let you stay at home for a while, so I need to send you back," Li Yifei got straight to the point.


    "Huh? Why?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened, pouting her lips.


    "I¡¯m going on a business trip, so I can only send you back."


    "Okay..." Chu Xiaoyao reluctantly agreed. At Li Yifei¡¯s house, she¡¯d escaped her parents¡¯ arguments and had been able to stay with her favorite ¡¯uncle.¡¯ She wished it could last forever. But since Li Yifei was going away, she¡¯d be left alone, with no one to cook or wash clothes for her, so she had to return home.


    Li Yifei went home, helped Chu Xiaoyao pack her clothes, gathered some of his own, as well as Xu Yingying¡¯s clothes, loaded them into the car, and delivered Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s things back home first.


    Li Yifei only took some clothes for now, leaving most things behind, just temporarily. Even though he and Xu Yingying were technically married, her house still didn¡¯t feel like home to him. This small place was what felt like home.


    Moreover, even after marrying Xu Yingying, he couldn¡¯t leave Su Yiyi. Despite potentially angering Xu Yingying, this spot remained a place to reunite with Su Yiyi.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother was home. On seeing Chu Xiaoyao, she forced a smile and thanked Li Yifei. From her demeanor, Li Yifei could tell she and her husband hadn¡¯t reconciled. However, it was their family matter, and there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it. Maybe having Chu Xiaoyao back would make them notice each other and ease the tension.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan returned home, where Xu Shanshan helped Li Yifei hang clothes, a radiant smile plastered on her face.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I have to ask, Shanshan. Why are you the happiest about your sister and me getting married?"


    Xu Shanshan turned to him with a brilliantly bright smile, "Of course I¡¯m happy. If you marry my sister, I can see you every day, eat your cooking daily, chat and play with you every day. Isn¡¯t that great?"


    Li Yifei said, "But I¡¯ll be with your sister, not you."


    "I¡¯m living here; you can¡¯t ignore me. Anyway, I¡¯m sticking with you. Now that you¡¯re officially my brother-in-law, don¡¯t even think about leaving."


    "Why do I feel like you¡¯re keeping a closer eye on me than your sister does?"


    "My sister¡¯s just a dummy. If she can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll have to."


    Watching Xu Shanshan¡¯s happiness, Li Yifei was truly baffled by her thoughts. At Xu Yingying¡¯s house, Shanshan claimed her actions were purely for her sister, and Li Yifei believed it halfway. However, he couldn¡¯t fully accept it. He thought back to their card games and Xu Shanshan¡¯s antics under the table. Was that really to provoke Xu Yingying? He doubted it, especially since she wasn¡¯t even present. It clearly seemed like something she genuinely wanted to do.


    But now, as he and Xu Yingying were officially a couple, Shanshan surely couldn¡¯t continue, or it would look like she was seducing her brother-in-law.


    After tidying up, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan sat on the sofa. Xu Shanshan opened her phone, wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and rested her head on his shoulder, which made Li Yifei somewhat uneasy, "Shanshan, are you tired?"


    "I¡¯m not tired; I¡¯m just happy. I want to be like this, don¡¯t you mind?"


    Li Yifei was initially just giving Shanshan a reason, but she said it so bluntly that he awkwardly responded, "Shanshan, it¡¯s not that, but isn¡¯t this... a little inappropriate?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with it?" Xu Shanshan grinned at Li Yifei, "Is it that since I¡¯m your sister-in-law, I shouldn¡¯t be close to you?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I mean," Li Yifei admitted honestly.


    "So what? I like my brother-in-law. Being with you makes me happy. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have worked so hard to get you and my sister hitched."


    "But you..."


    "What but? After helping her this much, can¡¯t I get a little closer to my brother-in-law?"


    Li Yifei was dumbfounded by Xu Shanshan¡¯s rationalization, sweeping him off his feet. Xu Shanshan then unexpectedly burst into laughter, "Brother-in-law, look how scared you are. I¡¯m not going to fight my sister over you. We¡¯re family, right? Family should be closer, no?" After saying that, she nestled her head back on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, holding his arm even tighter.

 Chapter 347 - 351 Strategic Alliance

    Chapter 347: Chapter 351 Strategic Alliance"Family..." Li Yifei let out a soft sigh.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I say, brother-in-law, you¡¯ve even made it official with my sister, got the certificate, and yet you still don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re family with her?"


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "Shanshan, I¡¯m not lying to you. I really don¡¯t have that feeling with your sister. I haven¡¯t even had the realization that I¡¯m married. I don¡¯t feel like she¡¯s my wife. Now that we¡¯re suddenly family, I really can¡¯t adapt."


    Xu Shanshan turned her head, resting her chin on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. Her breath, carrying a faint fragrance and warmth, blew on Li Yifei¡¯s face as she said with a smile, "Husbands and wives get familiar through intimacy."


    At this, Xu Shanshan had a strange smile on her face, but because she was so close to Li Yifei, he didn¡¯t feel comfortable turning his head to face her, so he didn¡¯t see that peculiar smile.


    Li Yifei felt Xu Shanshan¡¯s sweet breath on his face and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit intoxicated. Being with Xu Shanshan always gave him a sense of guilt, but this feeling of guilt was precisely what excited men the most, Li Yifei included. Yet he shook his head, trying to distance himself from Xu Shanshan¡¯s face, and said, "It¡¯s not that easy. Sigh, I always feel like I¡¯ve been pushed into marriage without thinking it through, just muddling into it with your sister and forming a relationship."


    "Brother-in-law, can¡¯t you stop being so conflicted? Even if you¡¯re twisted up inside, didn¡¯t you still marry my sister? So why not open your heart and get along with her?"


    "I know it¡¯s for the best, but... I¡¯m not emotionally ready. You know I still have my first love, and Yiyi, I don¡¯t even know how to deal with them."


    "What¡¯s so hard about explaining? I can help you cut through the mess quickly. A little pain now will make you feel better later."


    Li Yifei had thought about this, but as for Yiyi, he couldn¡¯t just break it off. That gentle girl had given so much for him. Even if he couldn¡¯t truly marry her, he should at least take care of her for life. And Ye Yunzhu, his first love, wasn¡¯t someone who would give up easily. Even though Li Yifei had married, she wouldn¡¯t let go so easily, and he couldn¡¯t be cruel to her either. With all those sweet memories from high school and her deep affection for him now, what could Li Yifei do?


    Xu Shanshan laughed and said, "Alright, alright, I know it¡¯s difficult for you, so take it slow. You will eventually feel that my sister is the right one for you. Besides, who else has such a wonderful sister-in-law like me? It¡¯s like ¡¯buy one, get one free¡¯ for you. You¡¯re getting a great deal."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Shanshan, who was winking at him with a playful smile, which made his heart flutter. Xu Shanshan had grown too close to him lately. It really felt like a "buy one, get one free" situation.


    Thinking of the two twin sisters together, Li Yifei¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but wander. It was truly enticing.


    "Ahem..." Li Yifei cleared his throat twice and said, "Shanshan, let¡¯s not joke like this anymore. I need to go out now; I¡¯ve got some things to take care of."


    "Let me join you," Xu Shanshan said, clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm even tighter.


    "This... might not be very convenient."


    Xu Shanshan released Li Yifei, pouting, and said, "Oh, aren¡¯t you just going to see those old flames? Go ahead. I¡¯m not stingy, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell my sister."


    Li Yifei quickly slipped out of Xu Yingying¡¯s house, which technically was his home now. Once outside, he didn¡¯t know where he should actually go.


    Xu Yingying was at the company, diligently dealing with the work she had left behind over the past few days. Once she finished her tasks and relaxed a bit, she couldn¡¯t help but think about her relationship with Li Yifei.


    Because of her mother¡¯s illness, she married Li Yifei without any hesitation. But who knew that the illness was fake, just a trick to make her marry Li Yifei. This made her feel uncomfortable, like she was unmarriageable and had to force Li Yifei to marry her. For Xu Yingying, this was hard to accept.


    She admitted she had feelings for Li Yifei now but certainly not to the point of being unable to live without him. A marriage that began this way wasn¡¯t what she wanted.


    Yet, unexpectedly, last night she went further in her relationship with Li Yifei, which genuinely troubled Xu Yingying. She told Li Yifei she didn¡¯t care, but she really did. To give herself to him just like that, without even any feeling, was tough. If she divorced Li Yifei and looked for another man to marry, that wouldn¡¯t make her comfortable either.


    So should she just spend her life with Li Yifei? Xu Yingying didn¡¯t know if she should.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" A hand rested on Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, making her look up quickly. She saw it was He Fangqing, and smiled apologetically, "I was thinking about something and didn¡¯t notice you coming in."


    He Fangqing softly said, "You were so deep in thought. I knocked, but you didn¡¯t hear. I came over and called you several times, and you didn¡¯t respond. Is there something troubling you? Can you talk to me about it?"


    Xu Yingying hesitated, then stood and pulled He Fangqing to the sofa, giving a bitter smile, "I really don¡¯t know what to do now."


    "Is it about Yifei?" He Fangqing immediately asked with a smile.


    "Yes." Xu Yingying blushed and bit her lip, "My mom isn¡¯t sick. She tricked me and Yifei into marriage."


    He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened, then she burst into laughter, "Your mom sure values Yifei, going so far as to use such a method."


    "I don¡¯t know why they think so highly of him. I can¡¯t see what¡¯s so great about him," Xu Yingying complained.


    "Heh, if Yifei wasn¡¯t good, why did you want to marry him before?"


    "At that time, it was for my sister. Who knew she was deliberately trying to provoke me to be with Yifei?"


    "Haha... Shanshan is really something. With such a sister, you should feel lucky."


    "But being married to Yifei like this, I really can¡¯t get used to it."


    "Is Yifei disagreeing? Wanting to divorce now?"


    "Sigh... If not for last night, I think... we might have divorced."


    "What happened last night?" He Fangqing kind of guessed but still asked.


    Xu Yingying was quite embarrassed, but given that He Fangqing was her closest confidante and keeping it all inside was unbearable, she blushed and said, "Everyone was pretty happy last night, so we drank a bit more. Then... we ended up... together."


    He Fangqing chuckled, "I guessed it. You¡¯ve gotten married, and the relationship is serious; just live happily together."


    Having let it out, Xu Yingying became more open, realizing that He Fangqing often did such things with Li Yifei, there was no need to be embarrassed, "I don¡¯t know how to face him now. I don¡¯t even know what he¡¯s thinking. Fangqing, could you ask him for me?"


    "Ask him?" He Fangqing pointed at herself, "This is between your husband and you; why involve me?"


    Xu Yingying quickly grabbed He Fangqing¡¯s hand and said eagerly, "Didn¡¯t you promise that even if I married Li Yifei, you¡¯d still stay close? Tonight, have him over at your place and ask him, I think he¡¯ll tell you."


    "You¡¯re married to Yifei, and you still want... him... at my place?" He Fangqing¡¯s eyes widened. Though they¡¯d talked about it before when Xu Yingying was unmarried, as a married woman, it seemed like she was joking or speaking in earnest back then. But married, surely such thoughts had changed.


    But Xu Yingying wanted her to stay with Li Yifei now, and He Fangqing couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I meant it. And I consider you a sister, so being with him could help me. Besides, I know he¡¯s still involved with others; I need help. On my own, I have no confidence." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Weren¡¯t you always confident? How come you¡¯re lacking now?" He Fangqing was surprised.


    Xu Yingying gave a bitter smile, "I have confidence in running a company, but in matters of love and marriage, I have none. Most importantly, I don¡¯t know what to do."


    "But... you know what we¡¯d do if Yifei came over?"


    Xu Yingying spat at He Fangqing, "Of course I¡¯m not stupid!"


    Staring into Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, He Fangqing slowly said, "Honestly, won¡¯t you feel uncomfortable? Yifei is your husband now; it¡¯s not like before."


    Xu Yingying paused, thought carefully, and said, "If it were someone else, I might feel uncomfortable, but with you... I really don¡¯t."


    Inside, He Fangqing felt a joy she couldn¡¯t express. She couldn¡¯t expect to marry Li Yifei but had considered living independently. Yet, she was quite captivated by Li Yifei. Knowing that a married man normally curbed his relationships, she feared that wouldn¡¯t work with them.


    But with Li Yifei married, and Xu Yingying, his wife, inviting her relationship with him, things seemed reasonable and legitimate, with no mental burden.


    "Sister Fangqing, will you or won¡¯t you?" Xu Yingying urged again.


    He Fangqing nodded with a smile; this opportunity was too good to pass up.

 Chapter 348 - 355 Threat

    Chapter 348: Chapter 355 ThreatLi Yifei walked down the street, aimlessly strolling when Lin Qiong¡¯s call came through.


    "Li Yifei, where are you now? I have something important to tell you," Lin Qiong said in a very serious tone as soon as the call connected.


    Li Yifei rarely heard such a tone from Lin Qiong before, clearly indicating something important had happened, and he replied, "I¡¯m in Mile City."


    "I¡¯m at the police station. Come and pick me up right away."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei went back to get his car and soon arrived at the police station. He called Lin Qiong, who quickly came out.


    Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s somber face, Li Yifei joked, "What kind of big issue has occurred to make our Director Lin look like this?"


    Lin Qiong turned her head and said, "Qian Wanjun has escaped."


    "Escaped? How could a serious criminal like him manage to get out?" Li Yifei asked in surprise.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression was unnatural, but it was overshadowed by sadness as she spoke with a choked voice, "Because Qian Wanjun is a serious criminal involved with many people, the higher-ups decided to interrogate him elsewhere. Last night, the police car transporting Qian Wanjun was ambushed. Not one of the four police officers survived; they were all shot dead, and Qian Wanjun escaped."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow and said, "Does Qian Wanjun still have such powerful forces on the outside?"


    Lin Qiong spoke in a low tone, "Qian Wanjun¡¯s own power isn¡¯t much now, but he has a brother who is quite the contrary. His brother is an important member of the J Country Yamaguchi Group. In recent years, his brother has put forth significant effort in smuggling. We suspect that it was his brother, Qian Wanwei, who intercepted Qian Wanjun. Otherwise, it¡¯s unlikely that anyone within the country would dare ambush a police car."


    Li Yifei acknowledged with an "Oh," and said, "Then the police really have a headache now."


    "Catching them is certainly the police¡¯s duty, but what I¡¯m worried about now is that Qian Wanjun¡¯s smuggling operation, which took so many years to build, has been destroyed because of us two. It¡¯s very likely that he will seek revenge. As a police officer, there¡¯s nothing to be said if I¡¯m targeted, but it¡¯s my fault that you¡¯ve been dragged into this."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Why are you saying such foolish things? Aren¡¯t we in this together?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s lips twitched, she closed her eyes, squeezed her eyelids hard, and then opened her eyes to say, "You can¡¯t joke about this now. From today on, you must be extremely cautious. The police will assign someone to protect you."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Do you think those cops will be of any use?"


    Lin Qiong opened her mouth, speaking bitterly, "Yes, I suddenly feel that we police are too weak in front of those terrorists. Four officers, their heads were blown apart; they were too cruel."


    Li Yifei knew that Lin Qiong was shaken by the event. Although she was a police officer, she was still a young woman. How could she accept such a grizzly scene? Moreover, there was a very good chance she was imagining that if a vendetta were unleashed, she might be targeted, and if she met the same fate as those police officers, she had every reason to be scared.


    However, Li Yifei was now thinking about another issue¡ªthe assassin from a few days ago, could it have been Qian Wanwei who sent her? Li Yifei had dealt with the Yamaguchi Group before and knew they harbored many skilled individuals.


    But it still didn¡¯t quite add up for Li Yifei; the female assassin¡¯s skills were extremely proficient, and her cover was so deep, she must have been plotting against him for a long time and probably knew about his capabilities. Otherwise, with the female assassin¡¯s skillset, there was no need to employ such tactics against an ordinary person.


    Lin Qiong saw that Li Yifei was silent, thinking he was scared too. She sighed softly and said, "I told you this so you would be more careful. Don¡¯t go wandering around at night. That way, you¡¯ll be much safer. The police should be able to catch them soon."


    Through the deep concern in Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes, Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯ll be fine, but you should be more cautious. If you encounter any danger, remember to notify me."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "I should notify you. If something happens to me, they will definitely seek revenge on you, too. Maybe... you should just stay at my place for the time being. That way, we can look after each other. Don¡¯t think I have any ulterior motives¡ªI want to protect you."


    If this had been suggested a few days earlier, Li Yifei would have agreed readily, firstly for Lin Qiong¡¯s safety, and secondly, because he enjoyed her company¡ªplus, after their previous encounter, living together naturally held certain appeals. But now that he was married, even if he didn¡¯t feel strongly towards Xu Yingying, a marriage certificate made Li Yifei subconsciously feel less free than before.


    He chuckled and teased, "With your skills, it seems you want me to protect you."


    Lin Qiong glared at him and retorted, "Humph, you used to be a little stronger than me, but I¡¯ve been making progress recently. It¡¯s hard to say who would win now. Shall we test it out?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, let¡¯s give it a try... Oh, no, I can¡¯t, I have something to do today, I can¡¯t go with you."


    Lin Qiong was originally excited, but upon Li Yifei¡¯s sudden change of heart, she was greatly disappointed and huffed, "I don¡¯t even care to need you." Then she pushed the door open, got out of the car, and stormed into the police station.


    Li Yifei shook his head and lit a cigarette, taking a couple of draws. He used to not care much about Lin Qiong, but now that they had a relationship, even if they couldn¡¯t end up together, Li Yifei still couldn¡¯t bear to see Lin Qiong get hurt.


    Directly protecting Lin Qiong was the safest option, but Li Yifei also knew that he couldn¡¯t protect her like this forever. Given Lin Qiong¡¯s strong personality, the people she would offend in the future would definitely not be few, so the best method was to find a way to improve Lin Qiong¡¯s own strength.


    The phone rang and Li Yifei saw it was He Fangqing¡¯s number. He casually answered it, and He Fangqing¡¯s crisp voice came through.


    "Yifei, are you busy tonight?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Whether I¡¯m busy or not, if Fangqing needs something, then you are the priority."


    "Then, come to my place tonight..."


    Li Yifei paused. The matter of his marriage to Xu Yingying was probably shared with He Fangqing too, and now that He Fangqing was asking him to stay over, could it be Xu Yingying testing him? Regardless of whether it was a test or not, Li Yifei nodded and said, "Okay, then wait for me. I¡¯ll be able to get there around nine o¡¯clock. I¡¯ve got a little something to do tonight."


    "Hehe, you agreed so readily. Aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will scold you?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I think Yingying is right beside you, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be calling me."


    As Li Yifei guessed, Xu Yingying was sitting right next to He Fangqing. Hearing Li Yifei agree so readily, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit conflicted. Even though she didn¡¯t mind Li Yifei being with He Fangqing, he didn¡¯t have to agree quite so quickly.


    But now that Li Yifei had immediately mentioned her presence there, Xu Yingying felt both embarrassed and surprised. Embarrassed because she was there while He Fangqing made the call, suggesting a dubious purpose, and surprised because Li Yifei guessed her presence so quickly.


    He Fangqing, equally surprised, said, "You knew she was here, and you still agreed?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "Since she could have you call me, why can¡¯t I agree? Plus, you haven¡¯t said what you want to do with me. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t socialize with other women now that I¡¯m married, right?"


    He Fangqing chuckled and said, "You¡¯re quite justifiable. Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you tonight."


    After hanging up, He Fangqing turned to look at Xu Yingying, who cleared her throat and said, "Don¡¯t look at me like that. I won¡¯t regret it. Whatever you two want to do tonight, just do it."


    He Fangqing¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly and she said, "Then I won¡¯t hold back. Just don¡¯t blame me later."


    "I, Xu Yingying, am not someone who goes back on her word. But this guy, Li Yifei, how did he know I¡¯m here?" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have no idea, but this guy has always been this incredible. Anyone who underestimates him is bound to suffer a huge loss. You should know, he once saved Su Mengxin. With someone like Su Mengxin, she¡¯s certainly not without bodyguards. When she¡¯s in danger, it must be a serious trouble, not something her bodyguards can handle, but Li Yifei managed to save her, which just shows how impressive he really is."


    Xu Yingying paused, feeling a little stunned. Although she always felt there was something different about Li Yifei, deep down, she thought he was quite ordinary and not that remarkable. Now, she felt she had to reassess Li Yifei properly.


    "Yingying, since you¡¯re already Yifei¡¯s wife, let me remind you that he really is a rare, outstanding man. If you focus only on his flaws, he might not be the best choice, but if you see his merits, then you¡¯ll feel that marrying such a man is truly a blessing."


    As she spoke, He Fangqing herself was a bit infatuated, thinking about spending the evening with Li Yifei made her feel all soft and warm inside.


    Xu Yingying nodded gently and said, "You¡¯re right, I should get to know him properly. Oh, Fangqing, what¡¯s with you? You¡¯re not getting emotional just talking about him, are you?"


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t deny it, giggling, "You¡¯ve already been to bed with Yifei. Don¡¯t you know that he¡¯s very capable of satisfying a woman in that aspect?"


    Xu Yingying immediately blushed, not having felt anything at all from the night before.

 Chapter 349 - 356: Lin Qiong Meets the Mysterious Person Again

    Chapter 349: Chapter 356: Lin Qiong Meets the Mysterious Person AgainLin Qiong had to work overtime until past eight o¡¯clock tonight, and only then did she drive her weary body back to the residential complex where she lived.


    Yet, at this moment, she was extremely vigilant; Qian Wanjun¡¯s escape posed a great threat, and she believed that Qian Wanjun would certainly not let her off the hook.


    Even though she had reached inside the complex, she did not relax at all. It wasn¡¯t until she opened her front door and entered her home that she finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Just as she was about to turn on the light, a sense of crisis suddenly surged up, and she saw a dark figure lunging at her.


    Even though Lin Qiong was greatly startled, she didn¡¯t panic. She ducked her body to one side and delivered a kick to the assailant¡¯s abdomen.


    Lin Qiong had been training very hard recently and had made significant progress in her martial arts. The kick she launched was not only powerful but also very fast¡ªshe fully believed that there wouldn¡¯t be many in the entire Public Security System of Mile City who could dodge her kick under these circumstances.


    But the assailant proved to be incredibly skilled, simply tilting their body to avoid her kick and, without slowing down, delivered a palm strike toward her neck.


    Lin Qiong was terrified, rolled on the spot away from the person, and barely avoided the incoming palm strike.


    But even having avoided the strike, Lin Qiong was sweating¡ªafter just two exchanges, she knew that the other person was far too strong for her to handle. After rolling away, she quickly stood up, assuming a defensive stance, while thinking about how to escape.


    The other person, however, did not continue to attack. As the light in the room suddenly turned on with a click, Lin Qiong was taken aback.


    "Ah! It¡¯s you!" Lin Qiong squinted, adjusting to the light in the room, and then saw who it was, immediately crying out in surprise and joy.


    The person who had arrived was the mysterious savior who had saved Lin Qiong twice before¡ªit was Li Yifei. Li Yifei had decided to use this disguise to improve Lin Qiong¡¯s abilities, as his real identity would have been somewhat inconvenient to reveal.


    "Not bad, you¡¯ve made a lot of progress," Li Yifei said with an expressionless face, but he still nodded in approval.


    "Thank you! I¡¯ve been practicing diligently with the moves you taught me last time." Lin Qiong was indescribably happy to see this mysterious person. Especially with the worry she had today, she now completely cast it aside. With the mysterious person present, she believed that he could handle any number of men brought by Qian Wanjun¡¯s brother.


    Li Yifei nodded again and said, "Hmm, I can see that. You¡¯ve taken it seriously, which makes teaching you worthwhile."


    Lin Qiong took two excited steps forward and said, "This... you have helped me so much, but I still don¡¯t know how to address you."


    "A name is but a code; anything will do."


    "But you must have a name. Can¡¯t you tell me?"


    "Heh, then you can call me Hawk."


    "Hawk..." Lin Qiong raised her eyebrows but understood that the other party did not wish to reveal his true identity. She figured it would be futile to press for it, "Then can you tell me why you are helping me?"


    "At first, it was merely a chance encounter. Afterward, I felt you were a decent police officer, so I decided to help you out."


    "Thank you for the compliment, but I¡¯ve just run into a troubling matter..."


    "You mean that Qian Wanjun issue... For such a small matter, it¡¯s better for you to handle it yourself."


    "But the other side is very powerful, and it¡¯s very likely they will try something like assassination. I really don¡¯t have much confidence in myself."


    "Confidence is built through experience. If you don¡¯t go through some things, you¡¯ll never have confidence. I will now teach you some things, and once you¡¯ve learned them, you should have no problem dealing with them."


    "Can you teach me in time?" Lin Qiong said in surprise.


    "That depends on your comprehension. I don¡¯t have much time, so it¡¯s best not to waste these moments on other issues."


    "Alright!" Lin Qiong tensed up, not asking any more questions immediately, as this was a rare opportunity for her. She did not want to waste a single moment on other issues. Though she was curious about the mysterious person¡¯s identity, there would always be a chance to find out later.


    Both seated in the living room, Li Yifei started explaining some knowledge about assassination to Lin Qiong¡ªinformation she could not have learned at the police academy.


    Lin Qiong listened intently, occasionally taking notes. Li Yifei was quite thorough in his explanations. Knowing the methods of assassination made it easier to guard against them. There are many ways to assassinate, but Li Yifei could now only teach Lin Qiong some methods that the Yamaguchi Group commonly used.


    Every organization in the world has its strengths, and Li Yifei had studied these in detail. Knowing the strengths of the opponents allowed him to prepare in advance, which was one of the reasons for his success over the years.


    Being strong alone doesn¡¯t guarantee dominion over the world, Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities were certainly strong, but he was well aware that even the strongest could be killed by someone much weaker if they didn¡¯t handle their opponent properly.


    After talking for over an hour, Li Yifei finally stopped, and Lin Qiong listened as if in a trance. Only now did she realize how superficial the knowledge she had learned at the police academy was, and that there was so much she, as a police officer, had never touched upon.


    "Ask more questions if you have any," Li Yifei said without immediately leaving, sitting there quietly watching Lin Qiong.


    After pondering for a while, Lin Qiong immediately started asking questions with a booklet in hand, and Li Yifei provided her with detailed explanations.


    Another hour passed before Li Yifei stood up, and Lin Qiong also rose, knowing Li Yifei was leaving. She truly didn¡¯t want to part, bit her lip, and said, "Can I ask you a question?"


    "Sure!"


    "By helping me like this... do you want something from me? I know you¡¯re very powerful, and I¡¯m nothing in your eyes, but if you have any demands of me, just say it."


    At that moment, a strange thought suddenly popped into Li Yifei¡¯s mind, and he looked at Lin Qiong slowly and said, "I want you to be my woman."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s body stiffened instantly, her face becoming visibly uncomfortable. Biting her lip, she said, "If it was a month ago, I would have agreed to your demand, but I already have a man now."


    "Is it that Li Yifei? A very pathetic guy. You won¡¯t agree to me because of him?"


    Lin Qiong was startled, not expecting this mysterious person to even know about Li Yifei. She was truly afraid that the mysterious person, in a fit of anger, might just kill Li Yifei, and hurriedly said, "He has no interest in me, and I have no feelings for him. Our being together was an accident."


    Li Yifei said indifferently, "Well then, since that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re a virgin or not. What other concerns do you have?"


    "This..." Lin Qiong¡¯s face went through several changes, finally shaking her head and saying, "I¡¯m sorry, I really can¡¯t agree to this. You have been kind to me, and I, Lin Qiong, should repay you, but I can¡¯t use my body as payment. If you ask me to do anything else that doesn¡¯t breach the law, I¡¯ll agree."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t anticipated such an answer from Lin Qiong. He stared at her for a while before saying, "Won¡¯t you regret it?"


    "I won¡¯t regret it!" Lin Qiong bit her lip, struggling to utter these four words. She knew by saying them, the mysterious person might never help her again. Yet if she agreed, then this powerful person might always be there to help her. Not only would she likely never face danger again, but with his assistance, she could indeed make great achievements in the police force.


    But she just couldn¡¯t agree. She couldn¡¯t explain why; she used to have immense admiration for this mysterious person¡ªsleeping with him or doing anything else was no issue. But after having been with Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t agree to those terms anymore.


    The gaze of the mysterious person made Lin Qiong very nervous. She even began to avoid eye contact with him. Nevertheless, she bit her teeth, forcing herself to maintain her gaze, not to retract or flee. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just when Lin Qiong thought she couldn¡¯t withstand the mysterious person¡¯s gaze any longer, Li Yifei nodded and said, "Good, you really haven¡¯t disappointed me."


    Lin Qiong let out an "Ah" of surprise and said, "Were you testing me?"


    "Not exactly a test. If you had agreed, of course, that would have been best. If not, whether I help you will be up to fate," he said.


    The surprise on Lin Qiong¡¯s face disappeared instantly. Without the mysterious person, she would lose significant support. Her lips moved, but she didn¡¯t say the words to agree.


    Watching the mysterious person now at the door, Lin Qiong suddenly called out, "Wait."


    Li Yifei turned around and asked, "What¡¯s up? Have you thought it through?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s lips were white from biting, then looking into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, she said, "I agree to your request, not for you to help me, but to protect someone else, is that possible?"


    Li Yifei was deeply moved and said slowly, "You¡¯re agreeing to me, not for yourself, but for someone else?"


    "Exactly!" Lin Qiong took a deep breath and said, "I want you to protect Li Yifei. If you can protect him, then I¡¯ll agree to your demand."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. Although he had sensed that Lin Qiong was talking about him, hearing it from her directly shook him deeply. He had not expected Lin Qiong to make such a great sacrifice for him.


    "Is it worth it for you to do this for a man, especially one who doesn¡¯t like you?" Li Yifei asked with a hoarse voice.


    "I don¡¯t expect him to like me. This guy, despite being whimsical and fickle, has shared life and death with me, and stood by my side during my toughest times. Moreover, the danger this time arose because he helped me. I can¡¯t let him be in danger. I know I can¡¯t be with him for life; he has his own woman, so I¡¯ll trade my body for his lifelong safety," Lin Qiong recounted Li Yifei¡¯s faults fluently, but her gaze softened as she spoke, her words taking on a dreamy quality.


    Watching Lin Qiong like this, Li Yifei was truly at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He had only wanted to tease her, but unexpectedly discovered the depth of Lin Qiong¡¯s feelings for him.

 Chapter 350 - 357: Go Ask Her

    Chapter 350: Chapter 357: Go Ask HerLin Qiong felt a sudden jolt in her body as Li Yifei left; the overwhelming pressure the mysterious person exerted on her was simply too much to bear. In their previous two encounters, she felt that the mysterious person was quite kind to her, always offering assistance, so she hadn¡¯t been particularly fearful of him; in fact, she harbored some inexplicable affection towards the enigmatic figure.


    But this time, she spent the longest period with the mysterious person and felt the pressure emanating from him. While studying with him was manageable, it was during the negotiation of terms that she really had to force herself to keep it together.


    Sitting on the sofa, Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed that the mysterious person didn¡¯t end up demanding to sleep with her. She felt fortunate about that, yet she was dismayed that he didn¡¯t agree to protect Li Yifei. Although that guy had some skills, she feared he¡¯d be unable to protect himself against ruthless retaliation, and this filled Lin Qiong with immense worry.


    Lin Qiong used to think the mysterious man was just the type she liked, but after becoming involved with Li Yifei, she felt the mysterious person was too distant. Li Yifei, who normally seemed rather annoying, now appeared more real to her, and so her heart unavoidably leaned towards him.


    As her thoughts settled, Lin Qiong suddenly sensed that something was amiss. The mysterious man had made a special trip to teach her kung fu, clearly intending to help her; it was unmistakably a kind gesture. But then why would he make such excessive demands later? This behavior just didn¡¯t seem like something the mysterious man would do.


    "Ah, could he be testing me?" Lin Qiong suddenly had this thought, which grew stronger. The mysterious man was so powerful; getting any woman he wanted would be easy. Why would he threaten her?


    This consideration excited Lin Qiong, and she convinced herself that since she had suggested protecting Li Yifei, the mysterious man would surely help. If she didn¡¯t have parents, she would really start to wonder if she had a special background and if the mysterious man had been sent to protect her. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, of course, wouldn¡¯t use his mysterious identity to possess Lin Qiong¡¯s body. After she made her statement, he laughed out loud, then quickly left her home. Joking like that seemed so unfair to Lin Qiong, and he felt he had lost the face to appear before her as the mysterious man again.


    Unless there was no other choice, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to use that identity to help Lin Qiong anymore.


    As soon as he stepped out, Lin Qiong called. Li Yifei answered casually and said with a laugh, "What¡¯s up? Missing me this much that you¡¯re calling me so late?"


    Lin Qiong spat at Li Yifei, though she was in a good mood, saying, "I do miss you, come over."


    "Really?" Li Yifei asked with a teasing smile. He knew Lin Qiong was meant to be practicing her martial arts and wouldn¡¯t normally call him.


    "Hmph, do you think you¡¯re that great? Don¡¯t flatter yourself. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve found someone very strong to protect you. You can rest easy for a while."


    "Is it that mysterious person you talked about? With the way he¡¯s helping you, he couldn¡¯t possibly have designs on you, could he?"


    "Hmph, judging others by your own sordid standards? Do you think everyone is as shameless as you?"


    "Then how come I haven¡¯t felt anything?"


    "Nonsense, if you could see him just like that, would he still be a mystery? But, you¡¯d better behave yourself these days. I¡¯ve said it, you¡¯re my man. If I find out you¡¯re doing something messy, and he gets angry, he might slap you to death, and I won¡¯t care."


    "Ah!" Li Yifei feigned surprise with a shout.


    "What are you yelling about? It took me a lot of effort to get him to agree to protect you. Don¡¯t be ungrateful."


    "You¡¯re not... offering yourself to him, are you?" Li Yifei¡¯s lips curved into a sly smile.


    "Hmph, you think everyone¡¯s as shameless as you? And you, you jerk, do you think I¡¯m Lin Qiong for nothing?"


    "Oh, no, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re just easy with me," Li Yifei chuckled dryly, feeling even guiltier about how he had teased her before.


    "Enough, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. She taught me quite a bit, and I need to study it well. Hmph, if you ever cross me again, I¡¯ll beat you till you can¡¯t find your teeth," Lin Qiong said before hanging up. Now that Li Yifei was out of her concerns, she devoted all her attention to what the mysterious person had taught her. The more she studied, the more alarmed she became. She was realizing there were so many criminal techniques, particularly murder methods that were almost impossible to defend against. If not for the mysterious person¡¯s guidance, she would¡¯ve been clueless about her own demise in such situations.


    At that moment, Li Yifei had arrived at He Fangqing¡¯s place. Wearing a thin nightgown that displayed her round thighs and hinted at the treasures within, her silhouette clearly outlined, He Fangqing greeted him provocatively. As soon as Li Yifei entered, he was enraptured by her attire and, closing the door, immediately embraced He Fangqing and began caressing her.


    He Fangqing, her arms wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, initiated a passionate kiss. Having arranged to meet Li Yifei at Xu Yingying¡¯s urging, she was also immensely excited. Before his arrival, she prepared thoroughly for a romantic night: she sprinkled on Li Yifei¡¯s favorite perfume, took a luxurious bath, and slipped into the seductive nightgown.


    He Fangqing was exceptionally passionate that evening, joyfully reaching the summit of pleasure again and again with Li Yifei.


    Finally calming down, Li Yifei held He Fangqing and smiled, "Fangqing, you were really passionate today."


    With a seductive smile, He Fangqing replied, "Well, yes. Having an affair with a good friend¡¯s husband is quite thrilling, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Is there such a saying?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s dexterous little hands played with Li Yifei¡¯s softened manhood, her smile beaming as she said, "It does seem true. When I was with you before, I didn¡¯t have any other thoughts in my mind, just happiness. But now that you are Yingying¡¯s husband, sleeping with you should be considered a bad thing, right? Yet Yingying knows about this and she still agreed. I can¡¯t quite describe this feeling. It¡¯s definitely thrilling. What about you? When you sleep with your wife¡¯s good friend, do you feel anything special?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Not really. The main thing is, I still don¡¯t have... the feeling of having a wife."


    He Fangqing laughed softly and said, "Then why do you continue to stay with Yingying? Is it just because you¡¯ve been intimate?"


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "To be honest, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking at the time. Being intimate with her was one part of it, and her parents¡¯ kindness towards me was another. They gave me a sense of family that I¡¯d been missing for a long time. Seeing the anticipation in her parents¡¯ eyes and knowing how earnest they were, I really couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that I wanted a divorce from Yingying."


    "But... this is marriage. You can¡¯t be led by emotions alone. You¡¯re meant to spend a lifetime with Yingying. If you don¡¯t love her, won¡¯t the two of you be miserable together?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Love is what you talk about before getting married. After marriage, is there that much love left? Isn¡¯t it mostly about familial affection?"


    He Fangqing, having been married before, naturally understood this well. Her ex-husband had been indescribably good to her, but after marriage, it was no longer about love; life itself was what mattered most.


    "So, you¡¯re certain you want to spend your lifetime with Yingying?" He Fangqing stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei took a breath and said, "Yes, I¡¯ve made my decision."


    "What about your little girlfriend then?"


    Li Yifei took another drag of his cigarette and said, "Yiyi¡¯s demands are not high. I¡¯ve already told her about marrying Yingying."


    "And she didn¡¯t get angry? She didn¡¯t want to leave you?"


    "No, Yiyi is too kind. She never wants to make things difficult for me, but by acting this way, I am really doing her a disservice."


    "So, what are you planning to do for her?"


    "Heh... I will take care of her for the rest of her life."


    "Tsk, you men are always like this, enjoying what¡¯s in the bowl while still eyeing what¡¯s in the pot."


    Li Yifei smiled. This situation was indeed irregular, but nobody else could understand his feelings for Yiyi. Therefore, he had made this decision and had never regretted it.


    "What if Yingying finds out?"


    "I know she definitely won¡¯t accept it, but I don¡¯t have any other option right now. I can only keep things as they are for the time being. Perhaps in the future, if Yiyi no longer wants to live this way and wants to find someone to marry, I might get back to normal."


    "Would you be able to let her go?"


    "Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want to, but I¡¯m already married to Yingying. How could I continue to selfishly tie Yiyi down? That would be unfair to her."


    He Fangqing blinked and said, "What about your first love then? I see she won¡¯t give up easily, and she¡¯s also not as easygoing as your little girlfriend."


    When it came to Ye Yunzhu, Li Yifei did feel somewhat troubled and said, "I don¡¯t know. Regarding her, I can only take things one step at a time."


    He Fangqing laughed lightly and said, "It seems like your feelings for each other are indeed very deep, huh?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it. Speaking with He Fangqing was actually quite burden-free for him.


    He Fangqing¡¯s hand gently massaged Li Yifei there, her enchanting gaze casting a spell as she said, "What about me then?"


    "You..." Li Yifei pinched He Fangqing¡¯s cheek and said, "Being with you is the most carefree I can be. You¡¯re so flavorful, how could I give you up? But what I¡¯m most curious about is how you and Yingying talked about this. I¡¯m really wondering how she could allow you to be with me. Could she really be that generous to let me have other women on the side?"


    A triumphant smile crossed He Fangqing¡¯s face as she said, "Well, you can always go back and ask your dear wife about that."


    "Ask her?" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin. Asking his own wife about such a matter really didn¡¯t seem quite right.

 Chapter 351 - 358: The Night

    Chapter 351: Chapter 358: The NightIt was past eleven when Li Yifei parked his car beneath Xu Yingying¡¯s apartment building, which he supposed could also be called his home. After all, his wife¡¯s belongings were his, and her home was his too.


    After chatting and sharing a passionate moment with He Fangqing, she didn¡¯t let Li Yifei stay but insisted he go home instead.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much in response; perhaps it was because they were married that he felt it was excessive to stay out, even with Xu Yingying¡¯s knowledge of it.


    Yet, standing outside the building, Li Yifei smoked two cigarettes in quick succession before slowly making his way upstairs. After all, this home still lacked a certain feeling of home for him.


    He had the keys to Xu Yingying¡¯s place and didn¡¯t want to disturb her or Xu Shanshan by knocking at such a late hour. However, upon entering, he realized neither of them was asleep. Xu Shanshan was watching TV in the living room, and the door to Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom was open with the light on.


    Xu Shanshan stood up and walked over to Li Yifei, speaking sternly, "Brother-in-law, is this okay with you, coming home so late? You¡¯ve just started married life, and you¡¯re already not returning at night?"


    Li Yifei responded with an awkward smile, "I had some things to deal with tonight, so I came back late."


    "Be mindful next time. You¡¯re not allowed to come back this late again," Xu Shanshan playfully winked at Li Yifei and then pursed her lips toward the bedroom, "My sister has been waiting for you this whole time."


    Li Yifei, unsure of what to say, smiled again and said, "I¡¯m going to take a shower."


    "Go ahead." Li Yifei headed straight for the bathroom, passing by Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom door and glanced inside instinctively, meeting Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes just as she turned her head away, a blush rising to her cheeks.


    Li Yifei quickly entered the bathroom, feeling incredibly awkward whenever he faced Xu Yingying.


    After a quick shower, Li Yifei realized he hadn¡¯t brought a change of clothes. As he was considering whether to make do with his old ones, someone knocked on the bathroom door twice.


    "Your clothes," Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came from outside.


    Li Yifei cracked open the bathroom door slightly and reached out his hand, and a set of clothes was promptly placed in it.


    Taking the clothes inside, the door closed from the outside. Such things had happened before, but they were for show back then, and Li Yifei would feel quite natural; now, however, he found it strangely different.


    After his shower, the living room lights were out, and Xu Shanshan came over grinning, "Brother-in-law, ready to rest?"


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and replied, "Yes, you should rest too. You have work tomorrow."


    Xu Shanshan smiled suggestively at Li Yifei and said, "Of course I need to sleep early, otherwise, I¡¯d disturb you two, and tonight is supposed to be your wedding night," then darted back to her own bedroom.


    Xu Yingying was already lying in bed, wearing a thin nightgown, her heart pounding uncontrollably at the thought of Li Yifei entering the bedroom and joining her in bed soon, making her indescribably anxious.


    Logically, she and Li Yifei had shared a bed many times, and almost everything that should happen between them had happened, whether she was awake for it or not. In front of Li Yifei, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t feel too embarrassed even if she wore only a bra and panties.


    Just days ago, she had wanted Li Yifei to sleep beside her and to conceive a child. However, after their unexpected encounter, the idea of Li Yifei coming in filled her with a mysterious dread.


    "What should I do if he comes in later and wants to...?" Xu Yingying found herself struggling with the dilemma.


    "We are already husband and wife and have done that deed, so if he has such a request... I shouldn¡¯t refuse."


    "But... I don¡¯t feel like a wife, and if we were to do that, I really wouldn¡¯t be content."


    She could then hear the exchange between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei outside, and Xu Yingying¡¯s heart thumped even more. "Wedding night" ¨C it seemed that today should indeed be such a day, possibly the first day of her and Li Yifei¡¯s true marital relationship. It would be quite normal for Li Yifei to have such a request.


    Yet, after a long wait, there was no sound of the door, nor did Li Yifei come in, which shifted Xu Yingying¡¯s anxiety and fear to confusion. After a while, with still no movement outside, her patience was wearing thin, and she was tempted to go out and check.


    Before Xu Yingying could get up, however, Xu Shanshan¡¯s door opened. Xu Yingying halted, perking up her ears to listen to the sounds from outside.


    "Brother-in-law, how come you ended up on the couch?" As soon as Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice rang out, Xu Yingying¡¯s heart felt stifled. Li Yifei actually planned to sleep in the living room¡ªwhat did that mean? It meant that Li Yifei didn¡¯t consider her his wife at all. He didn¡¯t take their marriage seriously, and it might even suggest he found it repellent.


    "It¡¯s cooler in the living room. I¡¯m just sitting here for a while," Li Yifei¡¯s voice answered.


    Xu Yingying tiptoed to the door and, pressing her ear against it, intended to hear what Li Yifei would say.


    By now, Xu Shanshan had already sat down beside Li Yifei, pouting. "Is there something bothering you? If it¡¯s inconvenient to talk to your wife, my sister, you can talk to me about it."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan was feigning ignorance. He lit a cigarette and said, "There¡¯s nothing bothering me. I¡¯m just sitting smoking a cigarette here because your sister doesn¡¯t like it when I smoke in the bedroom."


    "So, brother-in-law really cares a lot about my sister, huh? After you finish smoking, are you going back to sleep? Hehe, it¡¯s your wedding night. You¡¯re not going to spend the whole night here smoking, right?"


    Li Yifei had intended to sleep in the living room the entire night, but with Xu Shanshan¡¯s emergence, he knew it was no longer possible. After a few puffs, he extinguished the cigarette and stood up, saying, "Okay, I¡¯m getting ready to go to sleep now."


    With a giggle, Xu Shanshan said, "Then I¡¯ll extend my blessings to you now. I hope you and my sister have a child soon, so I can hold a big nephew early."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Then you might have to wait a bit." He then strode to the bedroom door, pushed it open, and walked in.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to enter so quickly. She was still eavesdropping at the door. As Li Yifei pushed the door open, she was knocked off balance and nearly fell, but she didn¡¯t care about that at the moment and quickly sat down on the edge of the bed.


    Still by the door, Xu Shanshan chuckled and called out, "Sis, brother-in-law, good night!" Then she casually closed the bedroom door.


    The room was very quiet. Only the sounds of Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s breaths were audible. Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing was somewhat disordered, and her pounding heart seemed almost loud enough to hear. Her face was also red as the evening glow in the sky, carrying a touch of shyness and helplessness.


    Seeing Xu Yingying like that, Li Yifei felt more relaxed. "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping at this late hour?" he asked.


    Xu Yingying was even more nervous. Now, she didn¡¯t possess the composure and presence she normally had as a CEO¡ªshe was just a shy little woman, stammering, "I was just about to sleep."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Then go to sleep." Saying so, he turned off the hallway lights and came to the bedside.


    He climbed onto the bed, laid down on the side near the window, stretched lazily, and said, "It¡¯s late; let¡¯s sleep now. Otherwise, we won¡¯t have any energy for work tomorrow."


    "Mm-hmm!" Xu Yingying replied, turning off the bedside lamp. She moved slowly and cautiously to lie down on the bed. The bed was one meter eighty broad, and they lay on opposite sides, with over half a meter of space between them.


    Actually, Xu Yingying was quite surprised that Li Yifei came home tonight. He had gone to He Fangqing¡¯s place, and logically, Li Yifei should have stayed the night there. But this guy unexpectedly came back¡ªprobably He Fangqing felt awkward about keeping him overnight. Regardless, Li Yifei¡¯s return made Xu Yingying incredibly nervous.


    "This guy must have had his fill at Sister Fangqing¡¯s place. After a man has done that sort of thing, he usually wouldn¡¯t think about it again. He probably won¡¯t touch me tonight." Xu Yingying consoled herself internally.


    But then she immediately contradicted herself. Li Yifei had a lot of stamina. She had clearly heard from next door that they were active for half the night on one occasion, and she was certain this guy still had enough energy to come to her now.


    "If this guy is coming back so late, does he really consider me his wife? Otherwise, there was no need for him to come back at all."


    "But I really don¡¯t know how to be a good wife to him, and besides, marrying him and spending a lifetime together¡ªI¡¯m not prepared at all."


    These thoughts had been troubling Xu Yingying since she returned home earlier that evening. When Li Yifei came back, she became troubled all over again, but after what felt like ages of restless thought, sleepiness overcame her, her eyelids heavy. Li Yifei made no further move and even his breathing became steady.


    "Can it be? This guy has actually fallen asleep?" Xu Yingying, quite familiar with Li Yifei, knew this meant he was sound asleep. Slowly turning her stiff body, she looked toward him and, indeed, saw that he was fast asleep.


    "This jerk, he must be worn out from being at Sister Fangqing¡¯s place, and now he¡¯s sleeping like a dead pig. Hmph, do you even see me as your wife?"


    Seeing Li Yifei asleep like that, Xu Yingying suddenly felt a mixture of grievance and irritation. She even wanted to wake him up and confront him right there. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A woman¡¯s heart is so peculiar; if Li Yifei made a move on her, she would be afraid and conflicted. Now that he didn¡¯t, she felt uneasy about it again.

 Chapter 352 - 359 I Don’t Mind

    Chapter 352: Chapter 359 I Don¡¯t MindXu Shanshan lay in bed, filled with anticipation. She waited and waited, but after more than half an hour, there was still no sign of any movement from the room next door.


    "What¡¯s going on? What are those two up to? Why aren¡¯t they getting intimate?" she muttered to herself, turning over. Then she continued to talk to herself. "I get it, they¡¯re probably just afraid of me hearing them, so they¡¯re holding back. Let¡¯s see how long they can resist. Hehe."


    After waiting a while longer with still no response from next door, Xu Shanshan could hardly stand it anymore. Annoyed, she said, "This silly brother-in-law, you¡¯re a man, aren¡¯t you? How can you not take the initiative now? You¡¯ve already had that kind of relationship with my sister, so what are you afraid of now?"


    Thinking of this, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but smirk. What happened that night was entirely her doing, and whenever she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Now, what she anticipated the most was the moment when Li Yifei and Xu Yingying would be together, knowing that would be more thrilling. She had waited so long just to not miss such a good show.


    But Xu Shanshan waited until she didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep, still not hearing any sounds from next door.


    The first ray of dawn sunlight shone through the curtains onto the big bed in the bedroom as Xu Yingying opened her eyes. She hadn¡¯t slept well all night, worried about when Li Yifei might try to touch her. Their relationship had changed, leaving her unsure of what to think.


    Now, as the sun rose, she woke up quickly and instinctively looked over at Li Yifei. She saw him lying on his back, his pajamas rolled up to his chest, revealing a small part of his abdomen, adorned with a bit of black hair around his navel. He appeared to be sleeping soundly.


    This sight made Xu Yingying sigh with relief, yet she soon felt a bit displeased. They weren¡¯t pretending to be a married couple or boyfriend and girlfriend as they used to, so why was he still sleeping so soundly? Was she not attractive to him at all?


    However... this guy really was quite fit. He even had a six-pack. How had she not noticed that before?


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face blushed immediately. She couldn¡¯t believe she was beginning to pay attention to Li Yifei¡¯s physique, and promptly shifted her gaze elsewhere.


    But for some unknown reason, she couldn¡¯t help but glance back at Li Yifei, observing him from head to toe. She suddenly realized that, in terms of appearance, Li Yifei was indeed quite masculine, strong without being out of shape. His exposed arm wasn¡¯t too thick, yet each inch of muscle carried an explosive power. Like what her friends used to say when discussing men, such a man was the best kind.


    Chiding herself inwardly, Xu Yingying carefully sat up, then quietly tiptoed out of the bedroom. After washing up, she was surprised to find it was only six o¡¯clock. In summer, it got light early, and the sun was already up by four.


    But Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t sleepy anymore. She considered working on her computer but hesitated, instead quietly changing clothes and heading out from her home.


    When Li Yifei got up, he found that Xu Yingying was no longer in bed. As he rose to wash up, he smelled something fragrant from the kitchen, which made him a bit surprised. After brushing his teeth, he looked into the kitchen and saw Xu Yingying placing some small steamed buns on a plate.


    "You got up to buy breakfast?" Li Yifei asked, surprised. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying flashed a generous smile and said, "Yes, I saw you sleeping soundly, so I got up to buy breakfast. I can¡¯t just rely on you like before." On her way to buy breakfast, Xu Yingying passed through the neighborhood, breathing in the fresh air and greeting the elderly morning exercisers, which put her in a great mood. Plus, since it wasn¡¯t nighttime, she could face Li Yifei without any anxiety.


    "That¡¯s really nice, I can just eat without any effort," Li Yifei felt relaxed by Xu Yingying¡¯s natural demeanor.


    Xu Yingying smiled again, saying, "Go wake Shanshan to eat. She has to work today too."


    Li Yifei acknowledged it and went to knock on Xu Shanshan¡¯s door, calling out, "Shanshan, time to eat."


    But there was no sound from inside, and after several calls, Xu Shanshan finally grumbled in response.


    When Xu Shanshan emerged, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying looked at her in surprise, noticing her red eyes and dark circles, a clear sign of a poor night¡¯s sleep.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t sleep well last night?" Li Yifei asked first.


    "Ha..." Xu Shanshan yawned widely, covering her mouth, and replied wearily, "Yeah, went to bed late last night."


    "Why were you up so late? Don¡¯t you know you have to work today?" Xu Yingying frowned.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "It¡¯s because of you two."


    "Because of us?" Xu Yingying blushed but quickly said, "What nonsense, nothing happened last night; how did we affect you?"


    Xu Shanshan mumbled, "It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t make any noise that I couldn¡¯t sleep well."


    "We didn¡¯t make any noise, and you couldn¡¯t sleep... were you just waiting to hear something?" Xu Yingying felt both annoyed and embarrassed, but deep down she knew that was exactly the case.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Is that not allowed?"


    Both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s faces darkened instantly. Xu Yingying wanted to say something, but Li Yifei quickly interjected, "Hurry and eat."


    Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan, not saying anything more, but her mind was troubled. She knew the soundproofing in their apartment wasn¡¯t great, as she had overheard Li Yifei and He Fangqing before. So, if she did anything with Li Yifei now, Xu Shanshan would definitely hear it.


    The thought of her sister being in the next room, listening to the two of them, made Xu Yingying feel extremely uncomfortable. They really needed to find a place with better soundproofing.


    "Why am I even thinking about doing anything with him?" Xu Yingying suddenly realized this thought, her face reddening again.


    Xu Shanshan sneaked a peek at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s expression. She smirked but didn¡¯t tease her sister further. Compared to that event, no other fun was worth anticipating.


    After breakfast, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying each drove to work, while Xu Shanshan eagerly got into Li Yifei¡¯s car.


    "You should ride with me," Xu Yingying immediately called out to Xu Shanshan.


    "I don¡¯t want to ride your car, it¡¯s too boring in a regular Mercedes. Riding my brother-in-law¡¯s Porsche is way cooler," she finished, already seated in Li Yifei¡¯s car, shutting the door with a thud.


    Xu Yingying was helpless with her sister. She told Li Yifei, "Drop Shanshan off and come back to work directly. There are lots of things to handle at the company today."


    Li Yifei nodded, started the car, and drove out of the underground garage.


    "Brother-in-law, sigh..." Xu Shanshan sighed.


    "What are you sighing about?" Li Yifei, without looking at Xu Shanshan, asked casually.


    "I¡¯m talking about you... didn¡¯t you say you wanted to live well with my sister? Why haven¡¯t you even touched her? You know there¡¯s a term for that, called family cold violence. Between a husband and wife, if you never touch your wife, that¡¯s a kind of cold violence. It¡¯s cruel, you know?"


    Li Yifei internally wiped his brow. Xu Shanshan sure was good at throwing around heavy accusations. But he understood that in a marriage, while emotions were important, having a harmonious intimate life was crucial. A lack of it could lead to a breakdown between them.


    However, things still felt awkward between him and Xu Yingying.


    Xu Shanshan continued, "I mean, brother-in-law, if you¡¯re a man, you should do things decisively. If you want to be with my sister, then be with her wholeheartedly. If not, then just break it off cleanly. Stop making it seem like a cold war. Even I¡¯m getting uncomfortable watching it."


    Li Yifei gave a wry laugh but found truth in Xu Shanshan¡¯s words. "You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t be like this."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Xu Shanshan clapped her hands excitedly, eyes shining. "But I gotta warn you, the soundproofing in our place isn¡¯t great. Whatever you do, I¡¯ll hear some of it. Don¡¯t think you can fool me, and by the way, I¡¯m tasked by mom to oversee you two. This is my right, and if you don¡¯t like it, you can take it up with my mom."


    "Should I just do it in front of you then?" Li Yifei asked, half-joking, half-serious.


    Xu Shanshan blushed, but she tilted her chin up and said, "If you two are okay with it, I don¡¯t mind."


    Li Yifei was instantly defeated, coughing several times. This made Xu Shanshan giggle gleefully. By that time, the car had reached her workplace. She patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, smiling, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m counting on you. Go for it."


    Li Yifei watched his sister-in-law walk with a light step inside, finding himself smiling. Being with this sister-in-law was undoubtedly easy, without the pressure he felt with Xu Yingying. They could even casually talk about things like that.


    Back at the company, Li Yifei got out of the car and headed in. Ahead of him was a man in a white shirt and black trousers. As the Human Resources Manager, Li Yifei recognized that this man wasn¡¯t part of the company, as all new hires went through him.


    The company had one elevator that people generally avoided using during busy times. But otherwise, it was a common means of going up and down. At this time, Li Yifei entered the elevator with the man.


    Li Yifei pressed the button for the fourth floor, while the man pressed for the sixth. The sixth floor housed the offices of General Manager Xu Yingying and Financial Director He Fangqing, as well as the finance department and the office. This man, dressed so impeccably and appearing to be around thirty, seemed like a successful individual. Li Yifei¡¯s instinct told him he was there to see Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 353 - 360

    Chapter 353: 360After working for a while, Li Yifei had some business to attend to in the office, so he went straight up the stairs. When he arrived on the sixth floor, he saw Xu Yingying standing in front of the elevator with the man from before.


    With a smile on her face, Xu Yingying said, "Cao Bin, I won¡¯t see you out."


    Cao Bin, the man, also wore a graceful smile and replied, "Then I won¡¯t bother you any further. When you¡¯re not busy, you must give me that honor. Otherwise, my cousin back home will have a good reason to deal with me."


    Xu Yingying, having noticed Li Yifei coming up, felt an inexplicable panic, and her smile faded somewhat as she said, "Okay, then. That¡¯ll be all for today."


    Sensing the change in Xu Yingying¡¯s expression, Cao Bin glanced at Li Yifei, then turned back to shake hands with Xu Yingying before he entered the elevator.


    "He¡¯s a cousin of a university classmate of mine who works for a large company. He was here to discuss business with us," Xu Yingying offered an involuntary, quiet explanation as Li Yifei walked over. However, once she spoke, she felt awkward. Why did she need to explain anything to Li Yifei? She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    Li Yifei gave a grin and said, "I have something to take care of in the office, President Xu, you¡¯re busy."


    When Xu Yingying heard footsteps approaching, she straightened up her posture, nodded, and returned to her own office in her high heels.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pay much attention to Cao Bin. Even if he was interested in Xu Yingying, that was a testament to her charm. For a beauty like Xu Yingying to have suitors was only normal.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang just as he descended the stairs. It was Ye Yunzhu calling, and he answered promptly.


    "Come to my place immediately."


    "You¡¯re back? What¡¯s the matter? Why the urgency?" Li Yifei asked in surprise, unleashing three questions at once.


    "If you don¡¯t come soon, I¡¯ll leave with someone else. There¡¯s a Mr. Tall, Rich and Handsome asking me out right now."


    Li Yifei laughed lightly, "That sounds good. Better than a short and poor guy like me."


    "Cut it out. You have half an hour to get here, or I¡¯ll come looking for you at your company."


    After saying that, Ye Yunzhu hung up the phone.


    Less than half an hour later, Li Yifei had already arrived at the Lan Family Township Government. He had visited this place several times with Xu Yingying, so he was familiar with the route and went straight to the entrance of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s office.


    Although she was just a township chief, Lanjia Village was still one of Mile City¡¯s larger townships, governing dozens of villages with a quite developed economy. Therefore, the Village Government building was quite impressive, and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s office as township chief was also very spacious, but the decor inside was far from luxurious.


    The door to the office was open. Ye Yunzhu was sitting behind her desk, and opposite her sat a man around thirty years old. He wore a beige shirt, light grey trousers, and his shiny leather shoes reflected light. With a slicked-back hairdo, it was obvious he had applied something to make it glisten.


    At that moment, the man had his hands propped on the desk, his back towards the door, and his face was not visible to Li Yifei.


    "Yunzhu, where shall we go for lunch? Just name it. No matter how far it is, I¡¯ll take you there," he said.


    Ye Yunzhu kept her eyes on the documents on the table and replied indifferently, "I¡¯m not hungry."


    "Even if you¡¯re not hungry, you still need to eat lunch, right? How else will you have the energy to work in the afternoon?"


    Ye Yunzhu did not respond this time; clearly, she was becoming very impatient.


    "Yunzhu, I know you don¡¯t have feelings for me yet, but feelings can be cultivated. Uncle and Aunt think highly of us, and I really like you. Why not spend some time with me? It could help to build our relationship," he insisted.


    Without looking up, Ye Yunzhu said, "Sorry, Young Master Lin, the person getting married is me, not my parents. If my parents like you, they can figure it out themselves. I¡¯m not going to marry you, so you might as well get that idea out of your head." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yunzhu, how can you say that? Our Lin family and your Ye family are longstanding friends. My grandfather and your grandfather shared a life-and-death friendship. Our union would bring our families closer, strengthening both our powers. That would certainly make it easier for you in your career," he argued.


    Finally looking up, Ye Yunzhu said, "I¡¯ll get as far as my own abilities take me. I have no interest in climbing up using these sorts of connections." Seeing Li Yifei at the door, she stood up and said, "Excuse me, my boyfriend is here to pick me up. Young Master Lin, please feel free to do as you wish."


    Circling the desk, Ye Yunzhu quickly reached Li Yifei¡¯s side and took his arm, giving it a gentle shake as she chided, "Why did you take so long?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You asked me to be here in half an hour, and I flew here as fast as I could."


    Ye Yunzhu pouted, "Good, you have some sense. If you hadn¡¯t shown up, see if I would bother with you again."


    At this moment, Ye Yunzhu lacked the authority and composure she usually had as a township chief, resembling a little girl fallen in love, her smile radiant beyond compare.


    "Ye Yunzhu, who is this?" The man from before suddenly stood up, glaring at Li Yifei with a predatory look.


    Ye Yunzhu tilted her chin up and said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you? This is my boyfriend."


    "Your boyfriend?" The Lin surname guy sized up Li Yifei and said coldly, "I don¡¯t care who you are, but I¡¯m warning you now, better stay away from Yunzhu, or you¡¯ll regret it."


    Li Yifei also sized up the man, who appeared to be in his late twenties with fair skin and a somewhat haggard face. He did have a bit of a handsome look, but his upward-slanting eyes and overbearing demeanor were off-putting.


    However, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered with such a person, whose very words had already ruined any favorable impression Ye Yunzhu could have had of him all the way to the eighteenth level of hell.


    "Yunzhu, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go eat something together."


    "Sure!" Ye Yunzhu agreed without giving the Lin surname guy another glance, linking arms with Li Yifei and walking out.


    "Ye Yunzhu, stop right there!" A roar came from behind them.


    Ye Yunzhu stopped in her tracks, turned her head, and the Lin surname guy immediately yelled furiously, "Ye Yunzhu, be clear about this. Your grandparents, your parents, they¡¯ve all agreed to our engagement, and we¡¯re going to formalize it in a couple of days. You are going to be part of the Lin family. Keep some dignity for yourself. Don¡¯t make me go to your family to complain."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face darkened as she said, "Young Master Lin, if you want to complain, go ahead. And let me reiterate, I will not engage nor marry you. And you better not try anything with my boyfriend, or I, Ye Yunzhu, will definitely show you what I¡¯m capable of."


    "Are you sure about that?" Lin surname guy¡¯s face darkened as he glared at Ye Yunzhu.


    "I don¡¯t even have to think about it," replied Ye Yunzhu, resolutely.


    "Fine, since you treat me this way, you¡¯re slapping the Lin family¡¯s face. You¡¯ll regret this when the time comes, and I will make sure you¡¯ll be begging to marry me, haha..." After laughing maniacally, the Lin surname guy glared at Li Yifei and spat out, "Kid, Lin Sihao¡¯s woman isn¡¯t someone just anyone can touch. Better watch your back...and she won¡¯t be able to protect you."


    After saying this, the Lin surname guy strode away with arrogance.


    Sitting in Li Yifei¡¯s car, Ye Yunzhu said with regret, "I really shouldn¡¯t have had you come today."


    "What¡¯s up?" Li Yifei asked as he started the car.


    "Well, that guy just now, his name is Lin Sihao, from the Lin family. In A Province, we have the Eight Great Clans."


    "A Province has the Eight Great Clans?" Li Yifei chuckled, inserting a comment. He had been in contact with high-level figures in Capital City over the years and knew that across Huaxia, there were many powerful families. These families were not separate from the government; rather, they had numerous people in political circles, many in important positions. For instance, Su Mengxin was from the Su Family, the largest and most powerful in Huaxia, which was why she had such a powerful background. But Li Yifei wasn¡¯t very familiar with such family forces at the provincial level.


    These family powers constantly struggled against each other, yet relied on each other. Unlike the underworld¡¯s blatant violence, their ways of fighting were even more dangerous. A single defeat could potentially lead to the annihilation of the entire family.


    "Of course, there are. Our Ye family is one of the Eight Great Clans, so I know very well. However, our family is definitely the weakest among them, and my parents being from a collateral branch do not hold high status within the family. Lin Sihao¡¯s family is ranked fourth among the Eight Great Clans, much stronger than ours, and he¡¯s from the main line of the Lin family. Provoking him is sure to cause trouble later on."


    As Li Yifei drove, he squinted and asked, "Then why did you provoke him just now?"


    "Even if I provoked him, he can¡¯t really do anything to me; even though I¡¯m from a collateral Ye family branch, we don¡¯t let ourselves be bullied. Most importantly, if the Lin family takes action against us, others will definitely seize the opportunity to cause trouble for them. You know, the Eight Great Families have maintained a delicate balance in A Province, one that no one dares to upset lightly."


    "Oh, then what are you worried about?"


    "I¡¯m worried about you. What if that guy goes after you?" Ye Yunzhu furrowed her brows deeply, genuinely regretting her rash actions just now.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "So what? What¡¯s done is done, and worrying is pointless. If they come, we¡¯ll handle them. If the earth gives way, we¡¯ll cover it."


    "Eh! How come you weren¡¯t at all surprised when you heard about the Eight Great Families just now?" Ye Yunzhu suddenly felt as though she didn¡¯t quite know Li Yifei anymore. He was acting far too composed.

 Chapter 354 - 361 Retching

    Chapter 354: Chapter 361 RetchingLi Yifei chuckled and said, "After all, I served as a soldier in Capital City, and I¡¯ve heard some things about family affairs, but I never realized your family background was so powerful, Yunzhu."


    Li Yifei¡¯s explanation was easily accepted by Ye Yunzhu, who said, "I didn¡¯t tell you before because I was afraid it would put pressure on you. I originally wanted you to make some achievements in the political arena, so that when we were together, it wouldn¡¯t be so stressful. But seeing that you¡¯re not interested in holding office, I won¡¯t force you."


    "Thanks for not pushing me into it, otherwise I really would have suffocated."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a look and said, "And you can still laugh about it, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s worried to death now."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just a minor character, and they probably won¡¯t take me seriously anyway. It would be beneath them to pick a fight with me."


    "That¡¯s actually very possible. Those from prestigious families are prouder than one another. In their eyes, they are like the nobility in the United Kingdom, not taking ordinary people seriously at all. Haha, I¡¯m not looking down on you, though."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course, I know. If Yunzhu looked down on me, you wouldn¡¯t have bothered with me in the past. Are we going to drink mutton soup again tonight?"


    "Sure, I haven¡¯t gone in a long time. How about we go to the one we used to visit?"


    "That place is still around?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s an old brand, and business is booming now."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei was quite excited. Near their high school, there was a mutton soup restaurant they both liked to visit. The soup was affordable, costing only a few bucks per bowl. Each of them would have a bowl of steaming mutton soup, with a couple of steamed buns on the side, and it made for a great meal.


    In fact, Ye Yunzhu had quite a lot of pocket money back then, but she never flaunted her superiority in front of Li Yifei. Moreover, she would often let Li Yifei treat her. Although Li Yifei would always call Ye Yunzhu stingy, he secretly felt proud and pleased.


    Now, the two came to the place called Three Stars Mutton Soup Restaurant again. The original low-rise building was gone, replaced by a storefront under a residential complex, two floors adding up to more than three hundred square meters. At the entrance, two pretty receptionists welcomed the guests ¨C a far cry from the old mutton soup eatery.


    It was mealtime, and they had wanted to find a private room, but they were all booked. They didn¡¯t switch locations, however, and settled down in a spot on the first floor instead.


    This time, in addition to ordering mutton soup and steamed buns, they also added lamb blood and fried lamb ribs, and then waited for the dishes to arrive.


    Ye Yunzhu took out a napkin from her bag to wipe their plates and chopsticks, saying with a smile, "Haha, not getting a private room is actually better. It feels more like the days when we used to eat here. It was always so bustling."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yeah, this atmosphere makes the food taste better. If it were just the two of us, I¡¯m afraid we wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy that same flavor."


    Before long, their ordered dishes were served. The two didn¡¯t ask for any alcohol and simply nibbled on the steamed buns and sipped their mutton soup, as if they were taken right back to their high school days.


    Even though the air conditioning was on in the mutton soup restaurant, the soup itself was piping hot. Sprinkling some chili oil, they soon were sweating profusely, but that didn¡¯t stop them from eating.


    Just like them, most other diners were enjoying their mutton soup in the summer heat, which is when it¡¯s best enjoyed and brings out the right atmosphere. In contrast, not many people like to drink it in the winter.


    After eating their fill, they stepped out of the soup restaurant. Once in the car, Ye Yunzhu patted her belly and said, "I¡¯m so stuffed. I seem to be eating more and more lately. I hope I don¡¯t gain weight."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Your figure is still so good; even if you gain a bit, it¡¯s no big deal."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a seductive look and said, "Really? You think I have a good figure?"


    "Of course, Yunzhu¡¯s figure is definitely praiseworthy." Li Yifei looked at Ye Yunzhu with a beaming smile.


    "Hmph, what good does having a nice figure do? I¡¯m not that young girl anymore, someone has lost interest."


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "Not that I¡¯ve lost interest, it¡¯s just a different kind of flavor now."


    "You have good taste. Now, we have an hour before I have to go to work. Where shall we go?"


    The mention made Li Yifei¡¯s heart flutter, pulling him back to their high school days when they had about an hour after meals. Back then, they would always find a secluded place to get intimate.


    Originally, Li Yifei had been quite conflicted about meeting Ye Yunzhu this time, but with all these memories, he temporarily put aside the fact that he had been married, his eyes only for Ye Yunzhu.


    "How about... we find a hotel room?" Li Yifei asked with a sly smile.


    "Finding a room might be a bit of a waste of time, how about... we just do it in the car?"


    "Do it in the car..." Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, then he burst out laughing, saying, "Yunzhu, you are as bold as you were back then."


    That was just Ye Yunzhu¡¯s personality¡ªdaring in action, never hiding her intentions in front of Li Yifei.


    "But doing it in the car in broad daylight, isn¡¯t that likely to attract onlookers?" Li Yifei asked with a grin.


    "I know a place, it¡¯s very secluded, definitely won¡¯t be harassed, and it¡¯s not far from here either, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s hurry." Ye Yunzhu was actually urging Li Yifei eagerly.


    Under Ye Yunzhu¡¯s direction, it took Li Yifei less than ten minutes to drive the car into a small alleyway between two factories. The alley was a dead end, now overgrown with weeds, a sign that barely anyone ever came by. Moreover, getting into this alley required making several turns, so it was unlikely anyone would know about it.


    "How do you know such a place?" Li Yifei asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "These two factories used to belong to my family, but they shut down due to poor management. It is absolutely quiet here," Ye Yunzhu said as she adjusted the seat back, quickly turning it into what resembled a simple single bed.


    With Ye Yunzhu taking the initiative like this, how could Li Yifei maintain any pretense of reserve? He twisted around and was already on top of Ye Yunzhu. Without a word, he had begun kissing her.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s arms immediately wrapped around Li Yifei, kissing him back passionately.


    The last time Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were together in a hotel, even though they had done the same thing, they had both had quite a bit to drink and were not entirely clear-headed. But now, both of them were completely sober, it felt as if they hadn¡¯t done something like this for seven or eight years, and the passion was simply indescribable.


    This was also a major reason why Ye Yunzhu had cast aside her reserve and become so bold and proactive.


    However, since they still had to work in the afternoon, after kissing for a while, Ye Yunzhu pushed Li Yifei away and took off her clothes properly, fearing that they might get too carried away and tear the clothes in the heat of the moment.


    Li Yifei looked at her perfect body, and his breathing became even more rapid. Ye Yunzhu was plumper than when she was in high school, but not fat; it was the kind of fullness that comes with a woman¡¯s maturity. Her chest was fuller, her hips fleshier, yet her waist was still as slender. With such a woman in front of him, how could he possibly restrain himself?


    The red Porsche shook violently, finally calming down after a while.


    Some time later, the car slowly pulled out of the alley. Inside, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were both dressed, but Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face was still flush with a satisfied, blissful expression, her eyes half-closed in delight.


    "Ugh!" Ye Yunzhu suddenly turned pale and retched.


    Li Yifei quickly asked, "What¡¯s wrong, is your stomach feeling a bit upset?"


    "Yeah, a little."


    "Do you need to go to the hospital?"


    "It¡¯s nothing. My stomach has been a bit off lately."


    "Then you should take extra care, drink less alcohol."


    Ye Yunzhu sighed and said, "I don¡¯t want to, but there are just too many drinking events in this political field, and most of the time I can¡¯t refuse, or else I¡¯d stand out too much."


    "What¡¯s so good about being an official? You¡¯re a Township Chief, but above you there¡¯s the County Head; if you become a County Head, there¡¯s the Mayor; even if you were the Mayor, above you would be the Provincial Governor. There¡¯s always someone above you, always someone you need to please."


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled and said, "Throughout life, whether you¡¯re an official, a businessman, or even the most ordinary person, there¡¯s always someone in charge, always someone you need to please, right? You get used to it... Ugh..."


    Li Yifei frowned again and sighed, "With you retching like this, I was worried you might¡¯ve gotten pregnant right after we did it."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking? There¡¯s no way to feel it right after doing it." But as she spoke, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face suddenly changed. It had been almost a month since the last time with Li Yifei, but her period seemed to have missed this past month. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu was very busy normally, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to her menstrual cycle or remember the dates; she wasn¡¯t clear whether her period was due yet or not.


    Li Yifei then said, "No jokes now, let¡¯s go to the hospital to have a look. It¡¯s not good to keep retching like this; it¡¯s better to treat an illness early."


    Ye Yunzhu felt a wave of panic for no particular reason and said, "No need, I still have to work this afternoon."


    Li Yifei glared and said, "What¡¯s more important, work or health? Work is for the state, but your body is your own. Which is more important?"


    "You... which do you say is more important?" Ye Yunzhu was rendered speechless by Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    "Of course, your own well-being is more important. Even if you love your country, if you don¡¯t take good care of yourself, how can you love your country? So now, don¡¯t say anything else, we are going to have a health check."


    "Okay, okay, let¡¯s go for a health check, but let me make it clear, if they insist on doing a gastroscopy, I won¡¯t do it."


    Li Yifei knew that undergoing a gastroscopy was indeed unpleasant, so he said, "We are just going to take a look, a simple check-up is all, it¡¯s not necessarily a gastroscopy."


    Only then did Ye Yunzhu agree, and they soon arrived at the hospital. After telling the doctor about the situation, several tests were immediately ordered, including a urine test.


    After the tests were completed, the results had not yet come back when Li Yifei was called away by a phone call, leaving Ye Yunzhu alone waiting for the result.

 Chapter 355 - 362 Ye Yunzhu

    Chapter 355: Chapter 362 Ye YunzhuYe Yunzhu waited for a while before receiving the test results. Upon seeing them, she couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly; she was actually pregnant.


    Needless to say, this was the result of the relationship they had after drinking too much that day. This outcome was truly unexpected for Ye Yunzhu.


    Back in high school, when she had a fling with Li Yifei, she got pregnant. Afraid of her parents finding out, she secretly went for an abortion, which resulted in severe bleeding. It also exposed her affair with Li Yifei and led to him joining the military.


    This time, it was still an accident. She wasn¡¯t prepared to have a baby at all.


    After thinking for a while, Ye Yunzhu took out her phone and called Li Yifei. He quickly answered and asked, "How were the test results?"


    "I¡¯m pregnant." Ye Yunzhu uttered four words.


    "What? Are you kidding me? Don¡¯t tease me, what¡¯s really happening?"


    "Hehe, just joking with you. It¡¯s nothing. By the way, I wanted to ask, what if I really were pregnant?"


    "What to do..." Li Yifei hesitated immediately. Now that he was married to Xu Yingying, albeit reluctantly, he was still her husband. If Ye Yunzhu had his child, how should they handle it?


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not really pregnant. Look at how nervous you are. I won¡¯t bother you anymore; I have to get back to work." After finishing, Ye Yunzhu hung up the phone.


    In her heart, Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t want a child right now. Her career was at a critical point. She was about to step up after this study trip to school. Getting pregnant at this moment would certainly affect her promotion. However, if Li Yifei really liked the idea of having a child, she would rather give up this opportunity and have the baby.


    Li Yifei¡¯s indecisive attitude made her realize that he wasn¡¯t ready to be a father either, so she decided not to keep the child.


    Without leaving the hospital, she went directly to the obstetrics and gynecology department, planning to terminate the pregnancy. The child was still small, only about a month old. Whether through surgery or medical abortion, it wasn¡¯t a severe issue. After a few days of rest, she could return to work, and no one would know.


    Abortions also required some tests, but when she got the results, the doctor¡¯s words threw her into chaos.


    "You can¡¯t have another abortion. The last one already caused substantial damage to your uterus. If you undergo another abortion, you might never be able to have children again."


    A woman may temporarily not want a child, but she cannot go childless for life. Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t have the mindset of never wanting children.


    "Sigh, how did I get pregnant just like that? This guy is too accurate!" Ye Yunzhu felt some regret but quickly made up her mind. She had to have the baby; it was her only chance to experience motherhood, her only opportunity to have a child with Li Yifei.


    "Judging by his attitude, if I tell him now that I¡¯m pregnant, he¡¯d be really shocked. I¡¯d better not tell him for now. I¡¯ll hint at it gradually, making him mentally prepared for fatherhood, and then tell him."


    Ye Yunzhu, befitting her role as a village leader, quickly made this decision.


    Li Yifei remained unaware that he was about to become a father. He was currently with Lin Qiong at the City Bureau.


    After cracking a big smuggling case last time, the funds Lin Qiong and he invested were finally being returned. Li Yifei naturally needed to be present for this matter.


    Since these transactions involved large amounts of money, the City Bureau conducted a thorough investigation. When it finally came time to disburse the money, there were many procedures involved. After a busy afternoon, Li Yifei finally got all the money in his hands.


    He and Lin Qiong immediately headed to the bank. Lin Qiong had to withdraw the one million yuan; it was the money her parents had saved their entire lives, so it should be returned to them now that it was used.


    "Now you can give the money to your parents, and you don¡¯t have to hide it anymore. I believe they¡¯ll be proud of you," Li Yifei jokingly teased Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Yes, once I return the money to them, I don¡¯t have to say I have a boyfriend, and I¡¯ll be free again."


    Hearing this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. He asked, "Are you saying our relations will be completely cleared?"


    "What do you want then?" Lin Qiong stared at him and said, "Just because we had a thing, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m your woman. I did it for my career, understand?"


    Meeting her gaze, Li Yifei didn¡¯t back down, matching her stare.


    "Alright, if that¡¯s what you want, I have nothing to say. We¡¯ll still be friends, right?" Li Yifei smiled at her decision but felt a bit lighter inside, knowing he wouldn¡¯t owe Lin Qiong anything. Yet, he also felt a pang of loss, as he had begun to develop feelings for this awkward policewoman.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re catching feelings for me?" Lin Qiong suddenly posed this question.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh, "What more could I want? I¡¯m already married."


    "Married? To whom?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in anger.


    Somewhat reluctant to meet her gaze, Li Yifei said, "Xu Yingying."


    "Xu Yingying... ha, you really did it, married a CEO. You¡¯re really made now." Unexpectedly, Lin Qiong chuckled and punched him on the chest, but her smile seemed forced.


    "I worried you¡¯d be really upset, but since you want to let everything between us go, I¡¯m relieved." Li Yifei said.


    Lin Qiong curled her lip in disdain, "You think you¡¯re so valuable? Now that you have a wife, behave yourself, don¡¯t be philandering around, especially with Michelle."


    "I already told her."


    "Good, at least you still have some conscience left. Now it¡¯s past five; hurry home, or your wife won¡¯t forgive you for being late."


    Lin Qiong opened the car door and got out, walking briskly away without looking back, turning a corner and disappearing from Li Yifei¡¯s sight.


    Li Yifei sighed. Resolving matters with Lin Qiong in this way was perhaps the best outcome and drove directly back to Xu Yingying¡¯s house.


    Before returning home, Li Yifei had mentally prepared himself. Now that he was married to Xu Yingying, had said he wanted to spend his life with her, and they had been intimate, he needed to act like a proper husband rather than a stranger with Xu Yingying.


    He specially bought some groceries before heading home. Although it was after work hours, neither Xu Yingying nor Xu Shanshan had come back, so he started getting busy in the kitchen.


    In just over ten minutes, Xu Shanshan arrived, running straight into the kitchen excitedly: "Brother-in-law, came back so early to cook for us, huh?"


    Li Yifei, feeling content, replied with a smile, "Yes, tidy up and call your sister; see when she¡¯s coming back."


    Xu Shanshan agreed and quickly called Xu Yingying. She soon returned to the kitchen, having changed into a sleeveless top and shorts, excitedly saying, "Brother-in-law, my sister said she¡¯ll be back in half an hour."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Then I¡¯ll start cooking now, so she can eat as soon as she gets back."


    Standing beside him, Xu Shanshan looked curiously at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, what¡¯s up with you today? Suddenly being so nice to my sister?"


    Li Yifei continued what he was doing, smiling, "Your sister and I are a couple, of course, I should be nice to her. Otherwise, what kind of a husband would I be?"


    "But you... haven¡¯t truly fallen in love with my sister yet?"


    "We¡¯re married, what¡¯s love got to do with it? Love is for those unmarried like you."


    "Giggle... Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really not bad like this. I was worried you¡¯d keep being awkward with my sister."


    "Why be awkward? Your sister is beautiful, talented, and wealthy. Even if I don¡¯t work, she can support me. What man wouldn¡¯t want a wife like that? I sure got lucky."


    "Pfft..." Xu Shanshan laughed, patting his shoulder, "Brother-in-law, stop joking. You got lucky? I¡¯d say my sister¡¯s the lucky one. As long as you can think this way, I¡¯m relieved. I was worried you¡¯d be unhappy being with us."


    "Heh, I¡¯m not unhappy. I¡¯m quite happy."


    "Plus, you have a sister-in-law like me; you have to be happy, or you¡¯d be letting me down."


    Li Yifei pretended to be stern, "I married your sister. What does that have to do with you?"


    "Hee-hee, everyone says a sister-in-law is half an important to her brother-in-law. When you got married, it included me too."


    Li Yifei was left speechless. Jokes between a brother-in-law and sister-in-law were normal, especially in rural areas where it was a common thing, but they were just that¡ªa joke. Very few ended in anything more. Yet Xu Shanshan, as a sister-in-law, somehow seemed excessively close to him. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother-in-law... my sister won¡¯t be back for a while. My feet are tired. Could you massage them for me?" Xu Shanshan unexpectedly made a request that both made his heart race and left him awkward.

 Chapter 356 - 363 Exhausted Every Effort

    Chapter 356: Chapter 363 Exhausted Every Effort"Didn¡¯t you see I¡¯m cooking?" Li Yifei directly refused Xu Shanshan¡¯s tempting proposal.


    Xu Shanshan grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pouting as she pleaded, "Just for a little while? It won¡¯t interfere with your cooking. Besides, my sister said she¡¯d be back in half an hour, but with her workaholic tendencies, who knows if she can even make it back in that time. Come on, brother-in-law, just give me a little massage. I¡¯ve helped you and my sister so much; this is like leaving the matchmaker behind after entering the bridal chamber!"


    Li Yifei found it both amusing and annoying, saying, "I¡¯m your brother-in-law. How would it look if I massaged your feet?"


    Xu Shanshan straightened her neck, tilting her head up, "Then why did you rub my foot with yours when we played mahjong?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly flushed; they had already done that numerous times, and each time, Xu Shanshan acted as if it was nothing. Mentioning it suddenly now put Li Yifei in an awkward spot.


    "Dear brother-in-law, I¡¯m not going to hold it against you. I just want a massage. I¡¯ve been teaching kids to dance all day, barely sat down, and my feet are sore and tired. Don¡¯t you feel any pity?" Xu Shanshan shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm, speaking softly and sweetly.


    Li Yifei had really been worn down by Xu Shanshan. He could only put down the vegetables in his hand, saying, "Alright, let¡¯s do it for a while. I still need to cook afterward."


    "Alright, just for a little while." Xu Shanshan immediately dragged Li Yifei towards the living room but let go halfway, giggling as she said, "I¡¯ll wash my feet first, so you can¡¯t say they stink."


    Li Yifei was amused by Xu Shanshan¡¯s playful demeanor, and his previously awkward feelings eased.


    Xu Shanshan quickly washed her feet and sat on the sofa, placing her two soft, pale feet on Li Yifei¡¯s lap with a grin, "I even used scented soap specially; take a sniff, it shouldn¡¯t smell." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei leaned in for a sniff, keeping a straight face as he said, "How can it not smell? The scent is quite strong."


    "Ah! There¡¯s still a smell?" Xu Shanshan immediately sat up, grabbed her foot, and sniffed closely, "There¡¯s no smell?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, saying, "I meant the fragrance, not a bad smell."


    Xu Shanshan burst out laughing, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so mean, teasing me on purpose." Then she lay back on the sofa, placing her feet back on Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, taking Xu Shanshan¡¯s left foot in both hands. Her freshly washed foot was still a bit cool, soft and silky, feeling remarkably exquisite in his hands, as if it could slip away like fine silk if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t have a foot fetish, but he had to admit he really liked Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet. Kicking them under the mahjong table numerous times, but holding them in his hands only initially met Xu Shanshan because she sprained her ankle.


    The sensation of touching with hands differed entirely from using feet. Feet weren¡¯t as sensitive as hands, and while touching Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet with his, his eyes couldn¡¯t see. Holding and looking at them now made the impact strong.


    "Brother-in-law, what are you doing? I didn¡¯t ask you to hold; give me a massage." Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot gave a gentle twist in Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei quickly began to massage seriously. He was quite skilled, having practiced in the army. As he worked, he felt Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet were genuinely tired, with tense muscles, undoubtedly uncomfortable, making him realize she wasn¡¯t trying to seduce him and take it even more seriously.


    Xu Shanshan squinted, placing a dish of cherries on her stomach, picking one up and putting it in her mouth. "Mmm, brother-in-law, your massage feels so good. Can you massage my feet every day?"


    "It¡¯s no problem massaging your feet, but if your sister sees, she might get upset."


    "Why would she get mad at you massaging my feet...oh right, any wife would be miffed if her husband massaged another woman¡¯s feet." Xu Shanshan spit out a cherry pit with a giggle, "It¡¯s no biggie, we can do it secretly. She¡¯s always busy and comes home late. Just massage them when she¡¯s not around."


    "Alright, as long as your sister doesn¡¯t see, I¡¯ll do it." Li Yifei really didn¡¯t have any other thoughts at this point. He got along well with Xu Shanshan, this sister-in-law. As long as she wasn¡¯t deliberately tempting him, he didn¡¯t mind pampering this cute sister-in-law a bit.


    "I knew my brother-in-law was the best. It was worth the effort to persuade you to marry my sister," Xu Shanshan said, leaning forward to hand a cherry to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    Li Yifei smiled and opened his mouth, while Xu Shanshan playfully touched his lips with her fingers before placing the cherry inside.


    An action like this should feel intimate, causing ripples between a new or less familiar pair, but Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were well accustomed, making them rather comfortable without checking each other¡¯s thoughts.


    So Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a foot massage while she occasionally fed him cherries, creating a harmonious atmosphere between them.


    "Alright, it¡¯s been over ten minutes. Your sister will be back soon; I need to get back to cooking." Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s calf, moving her feet off his lap.


    Xu Shanshan retracted her feet, shaking her adorable toes, "Not bad, really comfortable. They don¡¯t feel sore or tired anymore. Having a brother-in-law like you is great."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re the only one who would bully me. I haven¡¯t even given your sister a foot massage yet."


    "Just go ahead and massage her; you¡¯re a couple. Anything you do is normal." Saying this, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face lit up with a sly grin, as if she had thought of something particularly amusing.


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan, puzzled, "Why are you so excited about me and your sister being together?"


    "Because I have a good brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan sat up, placing the cherry dish on the coffee table, "Watching TV with you here, it¡¯s really comfy."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t buy this explanation, but since Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t want to say more, he didn¡¯t press. Everyone has privacy, especially a young woman¡¯s.


    By the time Li Yifei finished cooking, Xu Yingying returned home. Before coming back, she felt quite uneasy. She had spoken with He Fangqing today and knew about the conversation between Li Yifei and He Fangqing from the day before. She understood that Li Yifei intended to spend his days with her but still held onto Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu.


    Regarding Li Yifei wanting to spend his days with her, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t pinpoint her feelings. After being with Li Yifei for this long, she admitted she liked him too, but if Li Yifei was with her merely out of responsibility, she would insist on a separation. Xu Yingying had her pride, and she didn¡¯t want to bind Li Yifei with such ties.


    However, since Li Yifei was this determined, she felt he wasn¡¯t acting purely out of obligation. So, she decided to live well with Li Yifei.


    Concerning Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu, surprisingly, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t angry. If Li Yifei were heartless, she would look down on him. Since Li Yifei couldn¡¯t let go of Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu, once their relationship deepened, she believed he would treat her well.


    As for how Li Yifei would handle Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu in the future, Xu Yingying had her considerations. She didn¡¯t doubt her own ability to hold Li Yifei¡¯s heart. If they lived well together, naturally, his bonds with them would fade. Moreover, they knew Li Yifei was married; surely they wouldn¡¯t cling to him forever.


    So when Xu Yingying returned home, she felt relaxed, even a little excited. Unlike the pretend boyfriend act of the past, this was a real marriage; something she had never experienced, naturally full of longing and anticipation.


    Walking in, smelling the aroma of food, Xu Yingying felt an indescribable happiness, heading directly to the kitchen. Hearing footsteps, Li Yifei turned to glance at her, "Go wash your hands, the food¡¯s almost ready."


    Xu Yingying nodded and turned to leave, finding the feeling quite nice. Li Yifei¡¯s attitude was markedly different from the day before.


    She quickly washed up and changed into pajamas. When she returned, Li Yifei had already prepared the meal and was sitting with Xu Shanshan, waiting for her.


    "Sis, hurry up! I¡¯m starving. I wanted to start, but brother-in-law insisted on waiting for you," Xu Shanshan pouted, complaining to Xu Yingying while grabbing a piece of braised pork rib with her chopsticks.


    Naturally, Li Yifei had never said such a thing, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s vivid reenactment made Xu Yingying believe it, looking gratefully at Li Yifei, "Yifei, in the future, once the food is ready, you can start without waiting for me."


    Since Xu Yingying said so, Li Yifei saw no need to clarify he hadn¡¯t said that, simply smiling, "We¡¯re a family; dining together brings the sense of home."


    Xu Yingying paused, then broke into a radiant smile. Indeed, this place had gained the essence of a home.

 Chapter 357 - 364 Husband and Wife

    Chapter 357: Chapter 364 Husband and WifeThe dinner didn¡¯t take long, just a normal family dinner. After the meal, Xu Yingying took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes.


    "I tell you, sis, marriage really changes things, huh? You never used to do chores before," Xu Shanshan said as she followed along to help, teasing Xu Yingying with a chuckle.


    Xu Yingying shot her sister a glance and said, "The past is the past. At home, I had our parents, and outside, I rarely ate at home."


    "But even when Yifei lived here before, I didn¡¯t see you lifting a finger?"


    "Back then, I paid him; why would I do the chores? Would I be that stupid?"


    "True, you¡¯re not spending money now, so you have to work more. But... hehe..." Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "Now you pay even more, in money and in person, all going to Yifei."


    Xu Yingying gave Xu Shanshan a look and said, "Don¡¯t say that; Yifei isn¡¯t after those things."


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly and said, "Yeah, if Yifei cared about your money, he would have swept you off your feet a long time ago. I wouldn¡¯t have needed to put in so much effort."


    After cleaning up, Xu Yingying would usually go back to her bedroom and work on her laptop, but today she suggested, "We just ate; let¡¯s go downstairs for a walk."


    Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed, "Sure..." but then, with a turn of her eyes, quickly added, "Ah, but I¡¯ve got to watch TV. You two go ahead."


    Li Yifei obviously understood that Xu Yingying wanted to alleviate some of the awkwardness between them and adjust their feelings, so he simply smiled and said, "Let¡¯s go downstairs."


    After changing their clothes, they walked out the door and entered the elevator. Alone in the elevator, both of them suddenly fell silent.


    "Yifei!"


    "Yingying!"


    When they reached around the tenth floor, both spoke at the same time and then laughed together, which eased much of the awkwardness.


    "Becoming husband and wife like this, I¡¯m really not used to it yet. Give me some time," Li Yifei was the first to speak.


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "Actually, I wanted to say the same. Becoming a couple so suddenly, I¡¯m not prepared either."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯m just afraid you might think I¡¯m reluctant."


    "I know you don¡¯t mean it that way. Sister Fangqing already told me," Xu Yingying candidly mentioned that He Fangqing had told her.


    Speaking of He Fangqing, Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Yingying, since you consider me your husband, how come you still let me... "


    Blushing, Xu Yingying interrupted, "Isn¡¯t it nice for me to let you have a lover on the side?"


    "It¡¯s nice, but... it does make me feel like you don¡¯t care much."


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care, it¡¯s just that Fangqing was with you first. Even though I¡¯m married to you now, I still feel like I took you away from Sister Fangqing, and I feel somewhat guilty about it. She and I are good friends, and I don¡¯t want this to affect our relationship. Once Fangqing remarries, the two of you will naturally break things off, so why should I be the villain?"


    Li Yifei stared at Xu Yingying in shock; women were supposed to be rather selfish, but Xu Yingying¡¯s magnanimity was something he had never imagined.


    Just then, the elevator reached the ground floor. Xu Yingying linked arms with Li Yifei and said, "Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t overthink it, or I¡¯ll regret it."


    At this moment, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare inquire further about the subject. Besides, the couple had already reached the residential community, where many people were out strolling and it wasn¡¯t the right place to continue their conversation.


    The residential community where Xu Yingying lived was upscale, with excellent green spaces, shaded by trees and bedecked with blooming flowers, and an artificial lake meandering among the high rises. Taking an evening stroll here was truly refreshing and pleasurable.


    The two walked slowly along the small pathways that wound between the trees and flowers, Xu Yingying holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm. She wasn¡¯t uncomfortable with this at all, as they¡¯d often walked together like this when they¡¯d been a fake couple.


    "Yifei, I think we need to push the progress of the project with Ye Yunzhu; shouldn¡¯t you go take a look?"


    "You want me to check on it?"


    "Isn¡¯t Ye Yunzhu an old classmate of yours? It would be much more convenient for you to handle it."


    "Well... okay then."


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t understand what Xu Yingying meant by arranging this, so he could only agree for now.


    "I¡¯ll come along too," Xu Yingying added.


    A smile immediately appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face, "Okay, then let¡¯s go together."


    "Aren¡¯t you worried?" Xu Yingying tilted her head and looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, "She is my first love, and you¡¯re my wife. You wouldn¡¯t be at ease if you didn¡¯t go." However, he thought about how he had a car date with Ye Yunzhu just today, but since He Fangqing had already told Xu Yingying, he also wanted to see Ye Yunzhu¡¯s attitude.


    Li Yifei never really thought about having both, but since he was already registered as married to Xu Yingying and they were intimate, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to mention divorce. But as for Ye Yunzhu, he also truly couldn¡¯t let go just yet, so for now, he could only let things take their course.


    Xu Yingying raised her eyebrows, "You still remember you have a wife, yet it¡¯s never-ending with them."


    Discussing this with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei was at a loss for words, simply keeping his head down in silence.


    "Alright, I¡¯m not pressuring you. Let¡¯s go, take a walk over there," Xu Yingying said, stopping there.


    Xu Yingying did not press Li Yifei to make a statement, which allowed him to relax a little. But Li Yifei himself felt differently; if he hadn¡¯t been married, his feelings would have been undecided, and going with the flow would have been normal. But now that he was married, he felt he was in a complicated situation with Ye Yunzhu, which was quite stressful.


    Some say marriage is a shackle, and Li Yifei really did feel it faintly.


    The two arrived at the artificial lake in the middle of the residential area. The air here was fresher, and combined with the fountain and mist, the scorching air was cooled, creating a refreshing atmosphere. Many people in the community liked to rest by the lake, and there were a lot of people around at the moment.


    Li Yifei really wanted to find a topic to chat about with Xu Yingying, but he found that he genuinely didn¡¯t know what to say to her.


    Xu Yingying was actually feeling the same, but she too didn¡¯t know how to start a conversation that could put them both at ease. Seeing that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t talking, she felt rather down. Before they were married, Li Yifei would always chat about anything with her.


    After watching the fish by the lake for a while, the two returned home. Xu Shanshan was on the living room sofa, munching on snacks and watching TV. When they walked in, she said with a giggle, "You two strolling under the moon and flowers¡ªit¡¯s quite romantic, isn¡¯t it?"


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a look, "We just went out for a walk, nothing about moon and flowers. Stop talking nonsense."


    Xu Shanshan popped a cherry into her mouth, chewed a couple of times, spit out the pit and said, "You two are kinda like dating after marriage, moon and flowers would be fitting."


    "Can¡¯t be bothered with you," Xu Yingying snorted, "I¡¯ve got some things to take care of." The latter part of her statement was addressed to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei responded, "Go ahead with your work, I¡¯ll watch TV with Shanshan."


    Xu Yingying nodded, turned around, and went into the bedroom without closing the door.


    Li Yifei went to the bathroom to change into pajamas, then returned and sat down next to Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan grabbed a handful of cherries for Li Yifei and laughed, "Brother-in-law, have some cherries."


    Li Yifei took them and asked with a smile, "What are you watching?"


    "Just flipping channels aimlessly. Whatever you want to watch is fine, I can watch anything. It¡¯s all about passing time," she replied.


    "Then let¡¯s watch this," Li Yifei said, also feeling like he was just killing time because he didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    "Alright, let¡¯s watch this. Hehe, let¡¯s speak softly, sister is working over there, let¡¯s not disturb her."


    Xu Yingying was in the bedroom, really listening with her ears perked up to their conversation. Although Xu Shanshan had previously expressed interest in Li Yifei for her sake, and it seemed like everything was done to bring her and Li Yifei together, Xu Yingying knew very well that Li Yifei attracted Xu Shanshan quite a bit. She didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to get involved with her sister on top of not having sorted out his relationships with other women.


    However, hearing that their conversation was normal, she was relieved. Besides, she still had a lot of work to do and started working seriously on her laptop.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan watched TV for a while, but suddenly his lap grew heavy; he looked down to see Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet resting on his legs, with her lying flat on the sofa and not looking at him, but watching TV from the side.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s actions made Li Yifei think of the word ¡¯seduction¡¯. As much as he thought about taking her feet down, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so, and simply pretended not to notice, keeping his eyes on the TV.


    But after a while, Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet started to shake slightly and kicked Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen. When he turned to look at her, she was also looking at him, pouting her lips, and gesturing with her hands as if to signify a massage. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei immediately got the hint¡ªXu Shanshan wanted him to massage her feet. He hesitated for a moment before finally grasping Xu Shanshan¡¯s small feet and started to gently knead them.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was constantly on the doorway to Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom, and his ears were alert to any movement from her side. If Xu Yingying came out, he was determined to move Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet away instantly.

 Chapter 358 - 362 Really

    Chapter 358: Chapter 362 ReallyXu Yingying hadn¡¯t come back yet, and when Li Yifei was massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, he already felt quite excited. But now, with Xu Yingying at home, the excitement felt by Li Yifei was even greater. It was like the thrill of having an affair, a sensation difficult to put into words, only understood through emotion rather than spoken language.


    Aside from keeping an eye on Xu Yingying, Li Yifei was also watching Xu Shanshan from the corner of his eye. At that moment, Xu Shanshan seemed to be staring at the TV, yet her little face was flushed with a bewildered look, as if she had no idea what was being shown on the screen.


    "Haha, that¡¯s really funny." Xu Shanshan suddenly laughed loudly twice and then immediately covered her mouth as if she was afraid of being too loud.


    Li Yifei paused, glancing at the TV, which was just showing a commercial, nothing funny at all. Turning to look at Xu Shanshan, she winked at him playfully.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Clearly, she was pretending to laugh for Xu Yingying¡¯s benefit, to show that she was diligently watching TV.


    This reminded Li Yifei of the time they were playing Mahjong together when Xu Shanshan kept a poker face while engaging in a teasing little game with her feet under the table.


    Li Yifei also found the game quite entertaining, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s little feet felt so good in his hands that he couldn¡¯t bear to let go. He would rub them, pinch them, and caress them, truly enjoying every moment.


    "Brother-in-law, my sister is working so hard. Aren¡¯t you going to get her some fruit?" Xu Shanshan suddenly retracted her feet and winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, having heard Xu Yingying getting up, took the opportunity to stand as well and moved a couple of steps to the side, saying, "I¡¯ll go get her some right now."


    "No need, I¡¯m tired myself. I¡¯ll come out for a bit," Xu Yingying said as she appeared at the doorway and walked towards the sofa.


    Although Xu Shanshan was lying on the couch at that moment, Li Yifei had moved far away from her, seemingly seated on the adjacent daybed. Thus, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t give it much thought and sat down by Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, patting her leg, "Move a bit that way."


    With a mutter, Xu Shanshan moved her legs slightly but remained lying down.


    Sitting down, Li Yifei asked, "Do you want some fruit?"


    Xu Yingying offered a smile, "I¡¯ll get it myself."


    Li Yifei nodded, but found himself at a loss for what to say to Xu Yingying. She, on the other hand, picked up a cherry and began to eat quietly.


    At that point, Xu Shanshan let out a giggle, "You know, sister, brother-in-law, you two remind me of a phrase."


    Expecting nothing good from her sister, Xu Yingying still asked sternly, "What phrase?"


    "As polite as guests, look at how formally you two are speaking, just like guests. Isn¡¯t that being as polite as guests?"


    Both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying felt a bit embarrassed at that moment; a husband and wife shouldn¡¯t be so formal with each other, which indeed felt a bit off. Yet, for them to act intimately seemed even more challenging to achieve immediately.


    Xu Shanshan blinked her big, round eyes playfully, "Hehe, actually I understand that you both are still not used to being a married couple. But I can teach you a trick to instantly overcome this awkwardness and become a loving couple."


    Li Yifei had an inkling of what Xu Shanshan¡¯s suggestion might be, while Xu Yingying, clueless, asked eagerly, "How?"


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s seriousness, Li Yifei felt a bit sheepish, as it seemed that Xu Yingying was more committed to changing the dynamics of their relationship than he was.


    "Hee hee, get into bed. Once you do, you¡¯ll wake up the next morning very much in love," she suggested.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned beet red, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, as she retorted, "You crazy girl, what nonsense are you talking about?" before standing up and running into the bathroom.


    Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Xu Yingying looked at her flushed face, feeling all kinds of turmoil inside.


    Even though she and Li Yifei had been intimate while drunk that day, she truly had no recollection of it, so the thought of actually being with Li Yifei brought a nervousness she couldn¡¯t describe. However, she also understood that Xu Shanshan¡¯s suggestion wasn¡¯t altogether a bad one. In fact, the progress in her feelings for Li Yifei was indeed a result of the few intimate encounters they had had.


    "So, is tonight the night you¡¯ll be with him..." Xu Yingying suddenly covered her face, embarrassed by the thought of such a thing.


    In the living room, Xu Shanshan had already sat up and was looking at Li Yifei with a mischievous smile, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not still going to be so reserved tonight, are you?"


    Li Yifei coughed twice, discussing such a topic with Xu Shanshan felt awkward, especially since he had just been fidgeting with her tiny foot moments earlier.


    "Hehe, Brother-in-law, go for it," Xu Shanshan encouraged him with a laugh, continuing, "I want you to win over my sister tonight. I¡¯m rooting for you!" She then stood up, adding, "To avoid disturbing you two, I¡¯ve decided to go to bed now."


    Xu Shanshan took a shower first and then returned to her room, while Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, "You should take a shower first; I still have some things to finish up before I do. I¡¯ve changed your clothes and placed them on the washing machine."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s words truly sounded like those of a wife speaking to her husband, warming Li Yifei¡¯s heart. He smiled and replied, "Okay, don¡¯t work too hard."


    "Um, I¡¯ll be done quickly. Go take a shower."


    After his shower, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom to find that Xu Yingying had already shut down the computer. As their eyes met, a blush crept across her cheeks, and she said softly, "I¡¯m going to take a shower," then hurried past Li Yifei. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei lay in bed, feeling unexpectedly stirred up. He and Xu Yingying were legally husband and wife and had already been intimate. Being together again was nothing out of the ordinary.


    Especially after Xu Yingying¡¯s shy behavior earlier, it was clear she wouldn¡¯t refuse him tonight; he could do as he pleased.


    Such a Xu Yingying was truly endearing, and Li Yifei found himself looking forward to her return. As a husband, it was his duty to fulfill his marital obligations¡ªit would be unacceptable not to.


    However, Xu Yingying lingered, taking more than half an hour before returning to the bedroom. She wore a thin, sheer, strappy nightgown, revealing much of her skin. Fresh from her bath, her skin had a slight reddish hue, adding to her allure and causing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze to be unwaveringly fixed on her.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart raced as he watched Xu Yingying. She had spent all that time in the bath gathering her courage, and now she was ready, his admiring gaze only intensifying her resolve.


    Standing by the door, Xu Yingying took several deep breaths before finally saying, "I¡¯m... turning off the lights."


    "Uh-huh," Li Yifei responded as he turned on the bedside lamp, and Xu Yingying then turned off the lights before slowly walking towards the bed.


    As Li Yifei watched Xu Yingying¡¯s bashful demeanor, he suddenly thought of ancient times when couples had no contact before the wedding night. On that night, they truly came together, and they must have been as nervous as he and Xu Yingying were now.


    Couples from that era managed to share a loving relationship; perhaps he and Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t fare too badly, either. With a smile, he said to her, still standing at the edge of the bed, "Come to bed. You don¡¯t plan to stand the entire night, do you?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone was light and easygoing, never too passionate nor too distant. This helped Xu Yingying relax a bit. She quietly agreed, sat down on the edge of the bed, and then lay down, still keeping a large distance between them and Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was no novice; he had plenty of experience in bed, and although he hadn¡¯t been with many virgins, Ye Yunzhu, Lin Qiong, and Su Yiyi were, so he wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with the situation. He knew Xu Yingying was nervous.


    At this moment, expecting Xu Yingying to take the initiative was downright impossible, so Li Yifei simply turned over and embraced her from behind.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s body tensed up instantly, her breathing became very rapid, but she didn¡¯t dodge or resist; she let Li Yifei hold her.


    Li Yifei tightened his arm slightly and said, "Move a bit closer, or you¡¯ll fall off the bed. If people found out that I, as a husband, pushed my wife to the floor, they would laugh at me."


    Xu Yingying obligingly moved closer, but her nervousness didn¡¯t seem to lessen by much.


    Li Yifei moved forward a bit, closing the gap between their bodies, and spoke softly, "Yingying, tonight should count as our wedding night."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s neck tingled with the warm breath from Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, and as he drew closer, she was reminded of the wonderful, exciting, and utterly rapturous feelings from before. Her nerves had been tight, but now they were giving way to

 Chapter 359 - 366: What’s wrong?

    Chapter 359: Chapter 366: What¡¯s wrong?The bridal chamber, where a man seeks the ¡¯cave¡¯ and a woman seeks the ¡¯home¡¯. This has become the nature of the relationship between many married couples. For men, aside from love, the primary thing about marriage is sex, while for women, aside from love, having a home is a must.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying did not marry for sex, but now that they were together, that was what they were supposed to do.


    Xu Yingying then stretched out her arms and embraced Li Yifei, their lips naturally finding each other in a kiss.


    This kiss should be considered Xu Yingying¡¯s first. The two of them were really like an old-time couple who would kiss only on their wedding night.


    What followed seemed to happen naturally. Both were very moved, when suddenly Xu Yingying cried out in pain and pushed Li Yifei away forcefully.


    "It hurts so much!" Xu Yingying¡¯s hand was unexpectedly stained with some fresh blood.


    "How could this happen?" Li Yifei was startled. He had already been intimate with Xu Yingying before, so why was she still a virgin now?


    Xu Yingying¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed, utterly panicked. She wasn¡¯t as clear about the situation as Li Yifei, but she was very aware of her own body. Anxiously, she said, "Could it have broken?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment but then shook his head. Having experienced so much, he understood that Xu Yingying must have just lost her virginity, causing this situation. He swallowed hard and said, "It¡¯s broken, but what¡¯s broken is your... hymen."


    "What?" Xu Yingying was stunned and after a long pause she said, "How could it be? I bled that night already, doesn¡¯t that mean it was already broken? Can it break a second time?"


    Some women¡¯s hymens are exceptionally thick, and it might not break on the first or second attempt. Li Yifei considered this possibility but immediately dismissed the idea. He had been drunk that night, and people who are drunk during such an act are unlikely to be gentle, and since there was bleeding that night, it was certain that the membrane had been broken. There shouldn¡¯t have been blood this time.


    "Is it possible that you¡¯ve just started your period?" Li Yifei thought of another possibility.


    "No, it¡¯s only been half a month since the last one, and I¡¯m usually very regular," Xu Yingying invalidated that possibility as well.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Then what¡¯s going on? I¡¯m confused, too. Could it be some kind of problem? How do you feel right now?"


    "It¡¯s a bit painful, but I can bear it. It looks like it¡¯s not bleeding anymore." Xu Yingying sat up and checked her body without avoiding Li Yifei¡¯s gaze. Since they were already husband and wife and had just done that, there was no point in being shy anymore.


    "Let¡¯s go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow then. It¡¯s best if there¡¯s nothing wrong, but if there is something, we should treat it early. I reckon it¡¯s just some gynecological issue."


    "That¡¯s possible," Xu Yingying nodded, and then she said apologetically to Li Yifei, "It¡¯s my fault for ruining the mood."


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders, tenderly kissed her on the face, and said, "We have a long life ahead of us, one day won¡¯t make a difference."


    "Mm-hm," Xu Yingying nodded, then cleaned her body and said, "Let¡¯s go to sleep."


    They lay down together, Xu Yingying snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, and even though they hadn¡¯t fully enjoyed each other just then, she still felt much closer to Li Yifei after reaching this stage with him.


    Li Yifei also held Xu Yingying. She was his wife now, the one he would hold for a lifetime.


    The next morning, Li Yifei got up early to prepare breakfast. Soon after, Xu Yingying also got up, freshened up, and went into the kitchen. Smiling flirtatiously at Li Yifei, she said, "Good morning, husband."


    Xu Yingying felt the word "husband" might embarrass her to say, but after their loving intimacy the night before, the word now came out naturally.


    "Good morning, wife," Li Yifei replied with a warm smile, and leaned in for a kiss on Xu Yingying¡¯s face.


    Xu Yingying returned the kiss, her demeanor even more enticing, making Li Yifei want to be intimate with Xu Yingying again right then.


    "Sister, brother-in-law, good morning!" Xu Shanshan ran out of the bedroom, excitedly greeting the two.


    "Eh, why are you up so early?" Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan in surprise. Her little sister was notorious for sleeping in; every morning, Yingying had to call her multiple times before she would get out of bed. Today, she had gotten up all on her own, and so early at that¡ªit was as if the sun had risen in the west.


    Xu Shanshan surveyed the two of them with a mischievous smile and said, "I¡¯m in a good mood today."


    "Why are you in such a good mood? Is there some good news?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly burst into a hearty laugh, but after laughing twice, she forcefully stifled it and said, "Seeing you two so affectionate, you must have consummated the marriage, right? Isn¡¯t that a happy event?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she glared at Xu Shanshan, "None of your business, hurry up and wash up, so we can eat."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and took another look at Xu Yingying, "Sis, haven¡¯t you noticed anything off?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan with confusion and asked, "What¡¯s off?"


    "That... When you two went to bed, wasn¡¯t there something off?" Xu Shanshan asked slyly again.


    "We went to bed...you little pest, don¡¯t tell me you were hiding somewhere and eavesdropping?" Xu Yingying was both angry and embarrassed, glaring fiercely at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s facial expression became somewhat peculiar, "Are you really not aware something¡¯s off?"


    "Enough! Do you want me to kick you out and not let you live here anymore?" Xu Yingying roared.


    Xu Shanshan scratched her head and mumbled something incoherent to both of them, then turned and walked out.


    "That darn Shanshan." Xu Yingying cursed, then turned to face Li Yifei with flushed cheeks and said, "Honey, let¡¯s move to a new house, this one doesn¡¯t have good soundproofing."


    Now that he and Xu Yingying were truly husband and wife, Li Yifei replied with a smile, "Okay, we¡¯ll pick out a bigger one later."


    Xu Yingying had actually been worried that Li Yifei might feel wounded in his pride by her suggesting to buy a house since he didn¡¯t have money currently, and it would have to be her spending the money to make the purchase. However, seeing Li Yifei agree so naturally put her at ease. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the three of them had eaten, Li Yifei said to Xu Yingying, "Wife, let¡¯s go to the hospital later for a check-up."


    Xu Shanshan had been acting very unusually this morning, stealthily glancing at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. Li Yifei thought Xu Shanshan¡¯s behavior was because she knew he and Xu Yingying had slept together, so he didn¡¯t make much eye contact with her. But when Li Yifei said that, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red as she said, "Isn¡¯t that unnecessary? I¡¯m fine now."


    "No, you must be checked. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be at ease," Li Yifei said with determination.


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded under Li Yifei¡¯s intense gaze, "Then let¡¯s go for a check-up."


    Right then, Xu Shanshan loudly said, "I¡¯m coming too."


    Xu Yingying glared at her, "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at work?"


    "You¡¯re going to the hospital, how can I, your sister, not accompany you?"


    "It¡¯s just a minor issue. I don¡¯t need you there making a fuss."


    "I won¡¯t! I just want to accompany you. How can you not trust your sister¡¯s concern for you?"


    Xu Yingying was definitely going for a gynecological check-up, and she felt too embarrassed to have Xu Shanshan accompany her, but Shanshan insisted on tagging along and even managed to get in Li Yifei¡¯s car. In the end, all three of them headed to the hospital together.

 Chapter 360 - 367 This is the Real

    Chapter 360: Chapter 367 This is the RealRegistering and waiting in line, Xu Yingying finally entered the gynecological clinic.


    The doctor, a woman in her forties, asked after Xu Yingying sat down, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Xu Yingying blushed and stammered, "I... I bled last night."


    "Bleeding? Tell me more about it," the female doctor, who had seen many such patients, spoke gently.


    Xu Yingying glanced back; since this was the gynecology department, the door was closed. She bit her lip and recounted what happened last night.


    The doctor was momentarily speechless and said, "From what you¡¯ve described, it seems to be a hymen rupture. Are you really unaware of this?"


    Feeling embarrassed, Xu Yingying still said, "I am aware, but my husband and I were drunk that day and had relations already. How could it rupture again?"


    "Oh, I see. Well, let¡¯s take a look," the doctor took Xu Yingying to the examination room next door, asked her to remove her pants, conducted a careful examination, and said impatiently, "This is clearly just a hymen rupture, nothing serious."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in shock, "Doctor, are you sure about this?"


    The doctor pulled a stern face and said, "If you think my examination is inaccurate, you can go to another hospital to have it checked."


    Xu Yingying felt truly dumbfounded and walked out of the examination room, not knowing what to think.


    Seeing Xu Yingying looking lost, Li Yifei was startled. He quickly hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders and asked anxiously, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Yingying, not fully there, replied, "She said... it¡¯s caused by a hymen rupture."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Haha... hahaha... hahaha..." Suddenly, Xu Shanshan laughed loudly, grabbing Xu Yingying¡¯s attention.


    "What are you laughing at?" Xu Yingying was bewildered and annoyed, especially seeing her sister laughing like that.


    Xu Shanshan rubbed her eyes, tears streaming from laughter, and tried to stop herself. "Nothing, nothing, let¡¯s hurry and leave, there are too many people here."


    Xu Yingying, even more annoyed, said, "You know there are many people, yet you¡¯re laughing here like a lunatic." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan let out a few more laughs, then tightly covered her mouth, walking quickly ahead, but her shoulders kept trembling from laughter.


    Li Yifei suddenly understood a lot and had the strangest expression on his face. Xu Yingying hooked onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "This girl is truly incorrigible. I wonder what she finds so funny."


    In Li Yifei¡¯s car, Xu Shanshan immediately flopped onto the back seat, bursting into laughter, pounding the seat as she laughed without restraint.


    "What are you laughing at? Tell me clearly," Xu Yingying was about to go mad by now, but perhaps it was reasonable for her sister to laugh. They thought she and Li Yifei had relations, but nothing had happened before, and this time was the first time¡ªshe didn¡¯t even know if she was a virgin. It was truly shameful.


    "You... hold on... let me laugh enough first," Xu Shanshan said and burst into laughter again; after three or four minutes, she sat up to wipe her tears, but her body kept trembling.


    Finally, after Xu Shanshan finished laughing, the girl wiped her tears again, looking at the two with a grin, saying, "Brother-in-law, sis, you didn¡¯t do it last time."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened, "What did you say?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Sis, you didn¡¯t drink too much that day, right?"


    Despite being in disarray, Xu Yingying recalled carefully, "I really didn¡¯t drink much that day."


    Xu Shanshan turned to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, you couldn¡¯t have been drunk after just a little, right?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face went blank, "Did you drug our drinks?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed triumphantly, "Yes, I slipped sleeping pills into your drinks. My sister fell asleep without any fuss, but you¡¯re something else. I started with two pills, and you were fine, so I added two more, and still nothing. Finally, I put in four at once and you finally knocked out."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mind was a mess, and streaks of black appeared across his face, "Weren¡¯t you afraid of overdosing me?"


    Li Yifei felt deeply frustrated. As the second in command of the Flying Hawk Squad, he had endured tough drug-resistance training. Normal drugs had little effect on him, and no one had drugged him before. Yet Xu Shanshan caught him off guard with ordinary sleeping pills.


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue, "I didn¡¯t think much at the time. I even thought the drugs might be fake."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.


    Xu Shanshan proudly added, "Once I knocked both of you out, I undressed you."


    "But you said we didn¡¯t... so what about the blood?" Xu Yingying glared at her sister.


    Xu Shanshan swayed her head, "I wanted to use some red dye, but feared you¡¯d see through it. Luckily, we slaughtered a chicken at home that day, so I used some chicken blood... hehe, and sprinkled it on your bed. You didn¡¯t notice, haha..."


    Li Yifei was left speechless. Xu Shanshan had tricked him, and he didn¡¯t have a clue. It was simply humiliating. What was worse, even knowing it was Xu Shanshan¡¯s doing, he couldn¡¯t muster any anger toward her.


    Xu Yingying, upon hearing this, burst with anger, "Xu Shanshan, how could you do such a thing?"


    Xu Yingying straightened her neck, "Blame yourselves for being so slow. With Mom pretending to be sick and urging for a child, you two were still dawdling. If I didn¡¯t give you a push, would you be husband and wife now? Hmph, now you¡¯re so loving, and you¡¯re turning your back on me. Do you even have a conscience?"


    Xu Yingying found her younger sister¡¯s actions ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Yet last night¡¯s tender moments with Li Yifei felt rather blissful, and thinking about scolding her sister, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it.


    Li Yifei, at this moment, was indeed torn between laughter and tears. During his time with the Flying Hawk Squad, he encountered countless schemes, none of which caught him. Yet Xu Shanshan managed to scheme him, a sister-in-law, and entangle him for life.


    Yet Li Yifei wasn¡¯t angry. Holding Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, he smiled, "Don¡¯t be angry. Shanshan did it for our good. Besides, we¡¯re husband and wife now, and Shanshan is our matchmaker. How can we blame her?"


    Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t angry anymore. Li Yifei¡¯s words gave her an excuse, and she huffed, "This girl¡¯s really mischievous."


    Xu Shanshan ignored Xu Yingying, leaning forward and hugging the back of Li Yifei¡¯s seat, grinning. "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re the best for not scolding me."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Right, with such an attentive sister-in-law, how could I bear to scold you?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Exactly, where else would you find a great sister-in-law like me?"


    Xu Yingying, annoyed, said, "Stop flattering yourself. Husband, hurry and drop her off at work."


    Li Yifei complied and started the car. Not long after driving, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter again. The whole incident was too dramatic and amusing, especially recalling Xu Yingying and Li Yifei¡¯s shocked faces upon finding out it was their first time, making her laugh just thinking about it.


    Li Yifei also laughed. Having such a sister-in-law was delightful, sparking no feelings of dislike inside him. Besides, looking back, it was quite funny.


    Xu Yingying, however, couldn¡¯t laugh. It was too embarrassing. Her own first time, and she hadn¡¯t realized. No wonder the doctor looked at her as if she was an idiot¡ªit was truly shameful. But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to hate Xu Shanshan.


    Moreover, Xu Yingying felt torn. Since she and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t actually had relations that day, and her mother¡¯s illness was fake, did Li Yifei genuinely want to marry her? Did she deceive him, leaving a thorn in Li Yifei¡¯s heart?


    But with Xu Shanshan in the car, Xu Yingying kept her questions to herself for the time being.


    "Brother-in-law, sis, hehe, you have to treat me to a big meal tonight. Let¡¯s celebrate your happy union," before getting off, Xu Shanshan teased from behind Li Yifei¡¯s seat.


    Li Yifei smiled, "Sure, no problem. I¡¯ll pick you up tonight, and we¡¯ll have a big meal together."


    "I knew brother-in-law was the best." Xu Shanshan smiled cheerfully, got off, and skipped to her workplace. A few steps away, she burst into laughter again before rushing inside.


    "Yifei..." This time, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t call him "husband." She bit her lip, slowly asking, "Do you regret it?"


    Li Yifei had started the car, turned around, and joined the main road. He patted Xu Yingying¡¯s leg and smiled, "How could I possibly regret it?"

 Chapter 361 - 368 Ye Yunzhu’s Heartache

    Chapter 361: Chapter 368 Ye Yunzhu¡¯s Heartache"But that day we didn¡¯t really have a relationship, so you don¡¯t have to be responsible for me; you don¡¯t have to marry me for real."


    Li Yifei placed his hand on Xu Yingying¡¯s leg, gently rubbing it as he said, "I won¡¯t deny that if we hadn¡¯t done that that day, I wouldn¡¯t still be maintaining this marriage with you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.


    "But this isn¡¯t about our feelings; it¡¯s just that my feelings weren¡¯t settled, and there¡¯s still Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi ¡ª these are issues I can¡¯t avoid. To become your husband, I need to maintain a husband¡¯s mindset, but it was indeed too hasty. I need some time."


    "Do you mean that you used to... like me?" Xu Yingying asked nervously, looking nothing like a boss and more like a little girl afraid of losing something.


    "I didn¡¯t realize it before. I thought we were just friends, not truly in love. But after opening my heart and being with you yesterday, I felt that I do really like you. When this feeling developed, I¡¯ve no idea; I just never faced it directly."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s heart felt sweet as she gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei, in turn, gripped Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and said, "So after we really became husband and wife this time, I don¡¯t regret it at all. My only feeling is that it was too rushed, and I didn¡¯t handle my relationships well, which makes me feel a bit sorry for you."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "It¡¯s okay; I¡¯m not in a hurry. I know you¡¯re a person who values feelings, and if you decisively cut ties with them immediately for me, it would be too heartless."


    Li Yifei flashed a radiant smile and said, "Your words set my mind at ease."


    "But don¡¯t take too long, okay? I¡¯m your wife now."


    "Yes, my dear wife, I¡¯ll handle it." Li Yifei said with a chuckle, his heart uneasy and conflicted. If he wanted to be a truly good husband, it seemed he should sever ties with his past relationships. Yet he couldn¡¯t bear to part with Su Yiyi, and the years-long bond with Ye Yunzhu was equally unbreakable.


    "Honey, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m just joking. I won¡¯t push you. Take your time, and I believe in you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s gentle words made Li Yifei feel a bit more relaxed, though he felt even guiltier towards her.


    Reaching the company parking lot, Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment before apologetically telling Li Yifei, "Honey, I want to discuss something with you."


    "Hehe, is it that we can¡¯t reveal our relationship at the company?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes. I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª"


    Li Yifei interrupted Xu Yingying softly, "I understand this kind of thing. Couples at the office might make employees think things, so it¡¯s normal not to say. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t hold you back."


    Xu Yingying moved her lips gratefully and then leaned over to kiss Li Yifei¡¯s face, saying, "Thank you, honey."


    "Alright, get out of the car. This is still the company¡¯s premises; if someone sees us, it would be troublesome."


    Xu Yingying playfully smiled and said, "Then I¡¯m going up," before opening the door and stepping out. At this moment, Xu Yingying felt truly like a newlywed wife, no longer exuding the usual authoritative aura she had in the company, and her charm was extraordinarily captivating.


    Li Yifei waited for Xu Yingying to go upstairs, smoked a cigarette, and then entered the company.


    After being busy for a while, Li Yifei, with nothing more to do, sat on the office sofa, pondering today¡¯s events, still finding them too absurd. Xu Shanshan, that sister-in-law, was quite unbelievable. No one would have thought she could do such a thing.


    A breeze passed, and the crisp sound of wind chimes rang in his ears. Li Yifei turned to look at the wind chime by the window, thinking of Michelle. Recently, Michelle rarely came by after learning he married Xu Yingying, maintaining her distance. But seeing the wind chimes made Li Yifei think of the needle marks on Michelle¡¯s hand, leaving him with an indescribable feeling.


    However, it¡¯s just as well, he thought, to prevent Michelle from getting more deeply involved and hurt. After some time, she would come to terms with it.


    After lunch, Li Yifei gave Ye Yunzhu a call, planning to visit the factory. Ye Yunzhu agreed readily.


    This time Li Yifei didn¡¯t go alone; a few others from the company went as well. Since this was work-related, he naturally couldn¡¯t go alone.


    Ye Yunzhu wasn¡¯t alone either; a few township officials accompanied her.


    The factory construction had begun, with full support from Township Chief Ye Yunzhu. There was no delay at all from city officials, so getting the land approved was easy. Some relocation households were a bit problematic, but compensation was sufficient, making it easy to resolve.


    Now, building the factory was Li Yifei and his team¡¯s responsibility. Ye Yunzhu and her team¡¯s involvement indicated the factory¡¯s importance.


    The factory was estimated to take over two months to begin production, so after checking the progress, Li Yifei and his team prepared to leave.


    At that moment, Ye Yunzhu smiled and told Li Yifei, "Old classmate, the work¡¯s done, let¡¯s take care of some personal affairs this afternoon, shall we?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "No problem."


    Their straightforward manner didn¡¯t raise suspicion among others; after all, they did have an old classmate relationship, and so Ye Yunzhu got into Li Yifei¡¯s car.


    "Yifei, accompany me to the orphanage today."


    Li Yifei was surprised by Ye Yunzhu¡¯s request and asked, "Why go there?"


    "The children in the orphanage are so pitiful. I occasionally visit them."


    Li Yifei had never done such a good deed before and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll check it out too."


    There was only one orphanage in Mile City, located in the urban area, and soon Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu arrived there.


    Inside, there were many children, most abandoned, and some with physical issues. Ye Yunzhu played games and told stories with them, donating some money as well. Her demeanor completely different from her usual fiery and capable self, radiating maternal warmth.


    As they left, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but say with a smile, "If you ever have children, you¡¯ll be a great mother."


    Ye Yunzhu fixed her gaze on Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, saying, "Then why don¡¯t we have one?"


    "This... cough, cough... Yunzhu..." Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.


    Ye Yunzhu frowned slightly and asked, "You don¡¯t like children?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like children, it¡¯s just..."


    "Just what?" Ye Yunzhu stared intently at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly, finally sighed, and said, "I have already... gotten the license with Yingying."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face turned pale abruptly, her teeth biting hard into her lip, draining all color from it.


    "Yunzhu... I¡¯m sorry!" Seeing her like this, Li Yifei felt incredibly pained. This stubborn girl had been with him since high school, never looking down on him. She had been waiting for him all these years, but he hadn¡¯t married her, making Li Yifei feel overwhelmingly remorseful.


    He wanted to say something to comfort her, but found it impossible to come up with the right words. Finally, he sheepishly uttered the clich¨¦d "I¡¯m sorry."


    Ye Yunzhu closed her eyes briefly, her lips trembling slightly before finally stopping her harsh bites. She suddenly showed a brilliant smile and said, "Then I should wish you well."


    Li Yifei understood Ye Yunzhu too well; her reaction meant she was heartbroken to the extreme. But what could he do now? Divorce Xu Yingying to be with Ye Yunzhu? That¡¯d hurt Xu Yingying instead. He could only sigh and say, "Thank you."


    Ye Yunzhu flicked her head back and punched Li Yifei¡¯s chest, angrily saying, "You bastard, not telling me about your marriage sooner ¡ª so unbrotherly of you. When¡¯s the wedding? I have to inform our classmates for a proper celebration at your place."


    Li Yifei felt a deeper pain but could only say, "We¡¯ll talk about it later."


    "You¡¯ve got the license; better not delay the wedding. It¡¯s a woman¡¯s dream for a lifetime. How can you be so vague abou¡ªbleegh..." she was saying with a smile when she suddenly dry-heaved, bending over and clutching her stomach.


    Already feeling guilty, Li Yifei was more distressed seeing her like this. He quickly supported her and said, "Why are you vomiting again? Didn¡¯t you go for a check-up yesterday?"


    Ye Yunzhu squatted, vomiting several more times, even bringing up some sour liquid. Only after waving her hand did she slowly stand up and say, "It¡¯s nothing, just... an upset stomach, bleegh..." Not finishing her sentence, she began retching again.


    Li Yifei carefully patted her back and said, "If your stomach¡¯s in bad shape, did you take medication? Vomiting so hard, how can that be okay?"


    After several heaves, Ye Yunzhu finally calmed down. Li Yifei supported her, asking, "Isn¡¯t it the wrong medication? Shall I take you to the hospital again?"


    "No need!" Ye Yunzhu suddenly flung his hand away, shouting, "What does it matter to you? You¡¯re someone else¡¯s husband. Why care about me? I can do what I want without your involvement."


    With those words, she ran to the roadside and hailed a taxi, getting in.


    Li Yifei could have easily stopped her, but he knew Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t easily digest the fact he was married now. She must have felt wretched, and even if he caught up now, it would only make her more miserable. Better to let her calm down and then talk things through later.

 Chapter 362 - 369 Xu Shanshan Excited

    Chapter 362: Chapter 369 Xu Shanshan ExcitedLi Yifei knew that Ye Yunzhu was a very strong woman. Even if she was hurt, she would never do anything foolish. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have let Ye Yunzhu leave; at the very least, he would have taken her home.


    Actually, even if Ye Yunzhu calmed down, Li Yifei still didn¡¯t know what to talk about with her. Saying, "We can still be friends in the future"? That¡¯s just a joke. After hurting Ye Yunzhu so deeply, could everything be resolved with just a single line of jokes?


    With a sigh, Li Yifei finally gave up. Perhaps he was simply destined not to be with Ye Yunzhu. It was like this in high school and still the same now. It was just fate playing its tricks.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and returned to the company.


    After two knocks on the door, Michelle walked in, still wearing her sweet smile, and said, "Brother Li, our logistics department needs two more people."


    Li Yifei gestured for Michelle to sit down and said, "Any requirements?"


    "These are the job requirements." Michelle handed two sheets of paper to Li Yifei. After a quick look, Li Yifei said, "All right, I¡¯ll go to the job market later. It¡¯s just as well since other departments are also short of a few people. I¡¯ll recruit them all at once."


    "Okay!" After discussing work, Michelle didn¡¯t seem inclined to leave. After a brief hesitation, she asked, "Brother Li, how¡¯s President Xu¡¯s mother doing?"


    Li Yifei replied, "She¡¯s fine. It was a misdiagnosis, a false alarm."


    "That¡¯s great news." Michelle exclaimed happily.


    "Yes, it was quite scary."


    Michelle paused for a moment, pursed her lips, and asked, "And you and President Xu..."


    Li Yifei felt the passionate gaze from Michelle. Perhaps this girl thought that now that Xu Yingying¡¯s mother was not ill, his marriage with Xu Yingying could be dissolved, giving her another chance.


    "Michelle, Yingying and I are still together, and we will continue to be together."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned pale, but she quickly forced a smile and said, "That¡¯s great. Only an outstanding woman like President Xu is worthy of Brother Li. I wish you both well."


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly and said, "Thank you, Michelle."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be too sad. President Xu is so exceptional; how could I compare to her? Seeing you two together, I¡¯m happy for you, Brother Li. But you shouldn¡¯t avoid me in the future, okay? We are still good friends."


    Although Michelle spoke lightly, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but sense a hint of bitterness on her face. Love can really be hurtful.


    "To friendship!"


    In a private room at Yiyun Clubhouse, Li Yifei was dining with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, a pair of twins. The newly-married couple, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, hadn¡¯t even had much to say when the sister-in-law, Xu Shanshan, was already toasting excitedly.


    After talking with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t resentful of Xu Shanshan. Instead, she was grateful for her mischievous sister. Xu Shanshan was so loud that Xu Yingying didn¡¯t reprimand her like she usually would; instead, she said teasingly, "All right, we haven¡¯t even eaten much of the food, and you keep toasting. Won¡¯t you get drunk soon?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Getting drunk can add to the romance when you two go home later."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed instantly. Even though she had already had such a relationship with Li Yifei, it was just their first day together. How could a girl like her not feel embarrassed to talk about it? She gave Xu Shanshan a playful scolding, "What nonsense are you talking about?" But she subconsciously glanced at Li Yifei, catching his amused look. This made Xu Yingying feel even more flustered. She secretly pinched Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction. The reason he used to keep his distance from Xu Yingying was that he thought President Xu lacked a womanly touch. Now, he realized that Xu Yingying had plenty of femininity; it just hadn¡¯t been brought out before.


    "You¡¯re still laughing?" Xu Yingying asked, even more embarrassed, as she glared at Li Yifei. But with Li Yifei¡¯s thick skin, he didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    "Brother-in-law, aren¡¯t you thankful to me now?" Xu Shanshan asked with a mischievous smile.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, I really should thank Shanshan. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten together with your sister. I¡¯ll toast to you."


    Xu Shanshan clinked her glass with Li Yifei¡¯s and downed her beer in one gulp, teasing, "Just one toast?"


    "What more could you want?" Li Yifei asked with a playful smile.


    "Well..." Xu Shanshan touched her chin and said, "If I asked you for money, that¡¯d be too boring. After all, you have money, so I wouldn¡¯t lose out."


    Xu Yingying immediately glared and said, "You earn your own money. Why are you always thinking about ours?"


    Xu Shanshan seemed to ignore Xu Yingying and continued, "If I asked for something else, you¡¯d give it to me even if you weren¡¯t grateful."


    "Wishful thinking," Xu Yingying remarked, but Xu Shanshan still pretended not to hear.


    Xu Yingying felt a bit frustrated, but she didn¡¯t bother arguing. This younger sister of hers always used her stuff as if it were her own, without any hesitation. As her older sister, how could Xu Yingying really mind? Occasionally scolding Xu Shanshan was just to encourage her to work harder, but it never seemed to have much effect.


    "Brother-in-law, have you read ¡¯The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber¡¯?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I haven¡¯t read the book, but I¡¯ve watched the TV series."


    "That¡¯s fine. Do you remember Zhao Min helping Zhang Wuji and asking him to promise her three things?"


    Li Yifei barely managed to hold back a smile and replied, "Are you going to make me promise you three things?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I do want you to promise me three things. What do you think?"


    Xu Yingying hurried to interject, "You can¡¯t agree to her. This girl is sneaky and will surely make you do something difficult."


    Xu Shanshan immediately protested, "Sister, I¡¯ve helped you and haven¡¯t asked you for anything. I only mentioned this condition to Brother-in-law. And I¡¯m not a bad person. I wouldn¡¯t make him do anything illegal, so why are you so scared?"


    With a tug on Xu Yingying¡¯s arm, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Okay, Brother-in-law agrees. But I¡¯m not as stingy as Zhang Wuji. As long as you can make your requests, I¡¯ll fulfill them."


    Xu Shanshan exclaimed excitedly, "I knew Brother-in-law was the best, not stingy like my sister. Come on, Brother-in-law, cheers!"


    Li Yifei clinked glasses with Xu Shanshan and quickly finished his drink.


    Xu Yingying, knowing her sister far better than Li Yifei, realized that agreeing to Xu Shanshan¡¯s three requests would surely lead to her sister causing all sorts of trouble. But she couldn¡¯t stop them, as her sister and her husband both had a stake. Besides, seeing how fond Li Yifei was of Xu Shanshan, she was in a pretty good mood.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan drank quite a bit of alcohol, while Xu Yingying only had two drinks at the start and then stopped. One of them needed to drive home, so she had to stay sober.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t know how much she¡¯d drunk by then, her eyes already looking dazed, and she said, "I¡¯m really happy right now, really happy."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression changed slightly because there was a foot suddenly resting on the top of his foot. Without a doubt, it was Xu Shanshan¡¯s. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if Xu Yingying weren¡¯t there, but Xu Yingying was sitting right beside him. Yet, this sister-in-law dared to rest her foot on his foot, which startled Li Yifei for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled, saying, "What¡¯s making you so happy?"


    Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t wearing shoes, putting her barefoot on Li Yifei¡¯s shoe. It was uncomfortable, so she raised her foot, and it slipped into the leg of Li Yifei¡¯s pant and rubbed against his calf. With a mischievous grin, she said, "Seeing you and my sister getting along so well makes me happy. You know, you¡¯re the best man I, Xu Shanshan, have ever had eyes for, so I can¡¯t let you go; you must stay with my sister."


    Xu Yingying felt overjoyed by such words and was grateful to her sister. Xu Shanshan had gone to great lengths to help her and Li Yifei get together. If the roles were reversed, and Xu Shanshan were to meet a guy she liked but who didn¡¯t have much interest, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t have helped like Xu Shanshan did.


    Little did Xu Yingying know that her admirable sister currently had her small foot under the pants leg of her husband.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Xu Shanshan to be so bold. He wanted to withdraw his leg but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Besides, he suspected that Xu Shanshan might just be teasing him; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t help him and Xu Yingying be together. If Xu Shanshan really had romantic feelings for him, she wouldn¡¯t have done anything to assist Xu Yingying.


    Thus, Li Yifei simply let Xu Shanshan fool around, jokingly saying, "Thank you, Shanshan, for valuing me so much."


    "Hehe, I have my own selfish motives too. Having a brother-in-law like you means that if anyone ever bullies me, I can go to my brother-in-law for help, right?"


    "Of course, Shanshan¡¯s requests are those I¡¯ll naturally fulfill, being your brother-in-law. But you should count this as part of your three requests."


    "No way, no way! This is what a brother-in-law is supposed to do. Wouldn¡¯t you, as the brother-in-law, help your sister-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and wiggled, being playful like a mischievous little girl. Her foot extended further upward, slipping into the leg of Li Yifei¡¯s pants.


    Li Yifei found it hard to handle that. Xu Shanshan¡¯s small feet were a feature of hers that Li Yifei had always appreciated. But now, under Xu Yingying¡¯s nose, silently slipping them into his pant leg, gave him a shockingly delightful feeling. If it weren¡¯t for his excellent self-control, he might have lost composure.

 Chapter 363 - 370: What Should A Family Fear

    Chapter 363: Chapter 370: What Should A Family Fear"Alright, alright, let¡¯s not count it then." Li Yifei chuckled and agreed, then raised his glass and said, "Shanshan, that¡¯s about enough, let¡¯s head back."


    Xu Yingying also immediately said, "Yeah, it¡¯s already past nine, I¡¯ve still got things to handle when I get back."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "How about drinking a bit longer?"


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "If you drink any more, you¡¯ll get too drunk, and your brother-in-law isn¡¯t going anywhere. Whenever you want to drink in the future, just let your brother-in-law keep you company."


    Xu Shanshan was still a bit reluctant, but at that moment she could only pout and say, "Alright, alright."


    Xu Yingying immediately signaled the waiter to come over for the check. After paying, she stood up, and Li Yifei also stood up, but Xu Shanshan rushed to say, "Wait for me a moment, I have to put on my shoes."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "You really are something, taking off your shoes even when you¡¯re eating. Don¡¯t you have any sense of image left?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "There¡¯s no one else here, just you and my brother-in-law. Why do I need to worry so much about my image?"


    "Hmph, that¡¯s still no good. You¡¯ve been out all day, don¡¯t your feet have a smell? It¡¯s really affecting my appetite."


    Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei and asked, "Brother-in-law, do you think my feet have a smell?"


    Li Yifei suddenly broke into a sweat and hurriedly said, "Not at all."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said proudly, "See, even my brother-in-law says so. You¡¯re the only one with such fussy problems."


    Li Yifei felt even more of a headache, as Xu Shanshan¡¯s mischief was truly too much to handle. To ask him such a question, especially since Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet had been inside his pant leg earlier, was quite something. Yet, in asking this way, she indeed prevented Xu Yingying from overthinking things. Shanshan¡¯s mental tactics were not bad.


    Sure enough, Xu Yingying did not think much of it and said helplessly, "Alright, I can¡¯t be bothered with you anymore. Let¡¯s go, hurry home."


    Xu Shanshan took a few steps but stumbled, nearly falling over. Li Yifei, with quick reflexes, immediately caught her.


    Xu Yingying also rushed to support Shanshan from the other side, frowning as she said, "I told you not to drink so much, but you just had to."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "I haven¡¯t been this happy in a long time. Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this day? I¡¯ve been looking forward to you two getting into bed, then finding out that it was all fake before - that would have been so funny. But I waited and waited, and you two just wouldn¡¯t do it. It was driving me crazy. Today, I finally got what I was waiting for, how could I not be excited?"


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying immediately turned glum, understanding what it feels like when someone commits an act, knowing it will lead to an amusing consequence, yet stubbornly refrains from following through, leaving one in an itch they cannot scratch.


    "Giggle, so I¡¯m happy today, it¡¯s been such fun. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll find something more entertaining than this in the future."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "With this one time, you nearly played me to death. If you pull another stunt like this, I might not die, but I¡¯ll definitely come out worse for the wear."


    Xu Shanshan leaned heavily on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and blinked at him, saying, "Brother-in-law, that¡¯s not necessarily the case."


    A sudden thump in his heart, Li Yifei pondered. Xu Shanshan had been teasing him for some time now; could it be another trick up her sleeve? He¡¯d have to be more cautious. Otherwise, if he fell for her scheme again, it would really be the death of him.


    Li Yifei, supporting Xu Shanshan, watched as Xu Yingying let go since she was now carrying all three of their bags. There wasn¡¯t anything heavy, but managing three bags was quite a handful, so she simply stopped supporting Shanshan.


    If it had been before, Xu Yingying would have been upset to see Li Yifei so close to Shanshan, worried about what might happen between them. But now, since Shanshan had helped bring her and Li Yifei together, Xu Yingying no longer suspected that Shanshan had any interest in Li Yifei. The closeness to Li Yifei was acceptable now that he was her brother-in-law, and with Shanshan being so drunk, Xu Yingying could not blame her.


    The three of them thus left the private room, but upon exiting, they ran into Song Ziqiao.


    He was no longer serving as Deputy County Head and had also been confined at home for some time, feeling utterly frustrated. He knew very well that his future prospects were ruined, and there was no longer any chance for him to be valued by his family again.


    And all of this was because of that bastard Li Yifei, so after being released by his family, Song Ziqiao went straight to Mile City, determined to find a way to properly deal with Li Yifei and soothe the hatred in his heart. Today, he had dinner with a few fair-weather friends from Mile City, but just after the meal, he ran into Li Yifei.


    Seeing Li Yifei, Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes turned green with envy. It was Li Yifei who had brought him to this low state. If it weren¡¯t for that scumbag Li Yifei, he would never be in such a plight. He was taken down directly by the city authorities, and his family naturally wanted to clarify what had happened. They found out through certain channels that Li Yifei¡¯s backing came from the Capital City and it belonged to a big family that their provincial family couldn¡¯t afford to provoke.


    Song Ziqiao was aware of these things, but he was still not willing to give in. In his eyes, how formidable could a family from Capital City be compared to his? Surely, they could not be more influential than his own family. Besides, Li Yifei was not the direct heir of that big family, so even if they dealt with that kid, could the big family really trouble his for it?


    But now he couldn¡¯t do anything to Li Yifei. Having been bested once, this kid had learned his lesson. Another direct conflict with Li Yifei, and he would be at the losing end again, so he learned to be patient. Then he would find a way to properly take care of his arch-enemy, Li Yifei. Yet, his fiery gaze kept glancing towards Li Yifei from time to time.


    "Young Master Song, those two chicks are pretty hot, and they¡¯re twins to boot," said a man in his twenties next to him, his eyes sweeping over Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, grinning as he spoke.


    Another fellow immediately laughed and said, "No kidding, didn¡¯t you see Young Master Song¡¯s eyes almost pop out of his head?"


    The voices of these two speaking were not low, and they were somewhat unrestrained. Both of them came from wealthy and influential families, and they never took others seriously on ordinary days. Even though Li Yifei and the Xu twins Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan appeared in the Yiyun Clubhouse, they still didn¡¯t care.


    Song Ziqiao recognized Xu Yingying and knew that her status was not something ordinary people could provoke. However, his fair-weather friends, who never applied themselves to learning, did not recognize Xu Yingying.


    This turned out to be a very well-exploitable opportunity. He immediately shook his head and let out a sigh, saying, "All right, stop it. I¡¯m feeling uncomfortable." Then he turned and left.


    The few fellows immediately followed him. In Mile City, these guys indeed had some influence, but compared to someone from a big provincial family like Song Ziqiao, they were far behind. Plus, although Song Ziqiao was currently cast aside by his family, the Song Family certainly would not publicize that, so in their eyes, they still looked up to Song Ziqiao.


    As for the reason behind Song Ziqiao leaving Mile City, besides a few city leaders who understood the situation, the rest of the people had no clue as to why Song Ziqiao suddenly left Mile City. And upon his return, he certainly did not publicize such embarrassing matters, so others were even more in the dark.


    Song Ziqiao led the few people away from Li Yifei and their sight, and then he let out a sigh, saying, "You guys just drop it. I already had my eyes on those two chicks, but I got called back this time and didn¡¯t get the chance to make a move. Moreover, our family patriarch said it¡¯s a critical time for me and I can¡¯t mess around, so I can only watch that kid hang out with those two chicks."


    "Damn it, Young Master Song, who are you and who is that kid to dare to compete with you for women!" one of the lads immediately said indignantly with his eyes widening. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Song Ziqiao made a face and said, "That kid is just a minor manager at Dreamfly Company, not worth a damn."


    Hearing Song Ziqiao say this, those lads looked down on Li Yifei even more. Another one quickly said, "Young Master Song, are you still interested in those two chicks?"


    "What can my interest do? One of them is Xu Yingying, the general manager of Dreamfly Corporation and her status is not low. I can¡¯t act rashly, and the other is her younger sister. Even though she just teaches dance at a dance school, she is still Xu Yingying¡¯s sister," said Song Ziqiao, who was well aware of the details regarding the people around Li Yifei. Saying this deliberately, he was egging on those ignorant fools.


    These fellows also knew about Dreamfly Corporation and were aware that it was gaining traction in the city. They had heard some about Xu Yingying¡¯s reputation, but they still did not take her seriously. One of them said, "Young Master Song, Xu Yingying may be the manager of Dreamfly Corporation, but in the end, she¡¯s just an employee, what¡¯s so great about that?"


    "I know they¡¯re not a big deal, but I still have to be cautious. If it affects my future, it would be a huge loss," he replied.


    "So are you still interested in these two women?"


    "Nonsense, I¡¯ve had my eye on them for a long time, and I¡¯ve been envious," he said.


    "Well, that¡¯s easy, leave it to us brothers. We¡¯ll certainly take care of those two women for Young Master Song, but don¡¯t forget us afterward, okay?"


    Song Ziqiao was elated and thumped his chest, saying, "If you could really do that, I, Song Ziqiao, will certainly watch over you guys in the future."


    Since now he couldn¡¯t directly deal with Li Yifei, he would target the women close to him instead. If he could get his hands on Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, who were quite close to Li Yifei, he would surely infuriate Li Yifei to death. Thinking of this, he was uncontrollably excited.


    The Xu twins, Yingying and Shanshan, were top-notch. If he could really get them, it would be an especially thrilling affair for him.


    The group of lads hanging out with Song Ziqiao were old hands at this kind of thing. Ideas came readily to them, and soon they had a plan in place and burst into loud laughter together.

 Chapter 364 - 371 Two Degrees

    Chapter 364: Chapter 371 Two DegreesLi Yifei and the others were already in the car at this moment. Xu Yingying was driving, while Li Yifei helped Xu Shanshan to the back seat. Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t know if she was truly drunk or pretending; she pulled Li Yifei to the back.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to sit in the back with Xu Shanshan. At this time, Xu Shanshan leaned sideways onto Li Yifei¡¯s lap, pouting and saying, "Brother-in-law, my head hurts. Help me rub it."


    Xu Yingying looked back, frowning, and said, "Sit properly. You¡¯re a big girl now, lying on your brother-in-law¡¯s lap. How do you look?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I helped you get brother-in-law, and you won¡¯t even let me borrow him for a bit? Stingy!" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You..." Xu Yingying was at a loss for words, glancing guiltily at Li Yifei. Ever since being with Li Yifei, she always felt like she had tricked him into being with her.


    Li Yifei secretly felt a headache too, but if he acted embarrassed at this moment, it would only make Xu Yingying overthink. He smiled and said, "Alright, Shanshan drank a lot, why are you bothering her? I¡¯ll help her rub her head, and you just focus on driving."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law is the best." Then she contentedly closed her eyes.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan behaving herself, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t say more. She started the car, driving while occasionally glancing at the two of them in the rearview mirror. Seeing Li Yifei behaving properly and helping Xu Shanshan with her head, she refrained from overthinking, but frowned and said, "That person just now seemed to be Song Ziqiao. Wasn¡¯t he removed from his position as deputy county head? Why is he here again?"


    Rubbing Xu Shanshan¡¯s head, Li Yifei said indifferently, "Who knows why he ended up here again."


    Xu Yingying, worried, said, "You still need to be careful. The way he looked at you was quite vicious, probably seeking revenge."


    Xu Shanshan opened her eyes excitedly, saying, "Brother-in-law, so you have someone wanting revenge too? That¡¯s so exciting."


    Xu Yingying sternly said, "Shanshan, Song Ziqiao is not a small character. He has strong backing from the province. Originally he was the deputy county head here, and now because of your brother-in-law, he¡¯s been removed. He won¡¯t let it go easily, so it¡¯s nothing fun."


    Li Yifei squinted slightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. He can¡¯t do anything to me."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s calm and composed demeanor in the rearview mirror, Xu Yingying suddenly felt that Li Yifei was indeed different from ordinary people. Facing such matters, most would be a bit flustered, but despite knowing Song Ziqiao¡¯s background, Li Yifei remained so calm. This kind of calmness made her feel very secure. Having such a husband was indeed a blessing.


    Thinking of this, Xu Yingying¡¯s face suddenly turned a bit red. Li Yifei was now her real husband. Remembering last night¡¯s intimacy, but due to some bleeding, things ended unsatisfactorily, and she could feel how cautious Li Yifei was. After understanding the matter today, she feared that evening Li Yifei would...


    Although Li Yifei treated Song Ziqiao with apparent disregard, he did not underestimate him in his heart. As a super special forces soldier, Li Yifei knew all too well that underestimating any enemy might lead to a heavy price. Although he hadn¡¯t experienced it firsthand, he had seen too many such cases.


    No, he had experienced it firsthand. Someone as harmless as Meng Xiaofei had already wounded him critically, which could have been deadly if it were an enemy. And Xu Shanshan, this sister-in-law, had schemed so well against him that he had no defenses and had already become Xu Yingying¡¯s husband.


    If Song Ziqiao faced him directly, he had nothing to fear. However, he worried that Song Ziqiao might use underhanded tricks or target people around him, which would be very troublesome.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were usually with him, so he wasn¡¯t too concerned about Ye Yunzhu, given her strong background and her position as township chief. Song Ziqiao probably wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move lightly. But Su Yiyi, still at school, if someone targeted her, it would be easy. So, for a while, he indeed needed to ensure Su Yiyi¡¯s safety.


    The sudden touch of warmth in his palm brought Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts back to reality. He noticed Xu Yingying glaring at him fiercely in the rearview mirror. Looking down, he felt embarrassed; his hand had shifted from rubbing Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead to her cheek.


    Xu Shanshan was undoubtedly faking sleep; otherwise, her breath wouldn¡¯t be so hot.


    He quickly moved his hand back to Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead, awkwardly saying, "I was just thinking of something else."


    Xu Yingying, knowledgeable in psychology, saw Li Yifei¡¯s eyes appear a bit blurred when he touched her younger sister¡¯s face, suggesting he was deep in thought. Although she felt a bit uncomfortable, she didn¡¯t blame Li Yifei, teasingly saying, "We¡¯re home¡ªaren¡¯t you getting out?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly carried the pretending-to-sleep Xu Shanshan out of the car. Xu Shanshan acted so convincingly, as if she were genuinely drunk and at Li Yifei¡¯s mercy.


    However, when Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t paying attention, her small hand pinched Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder a few times, and Li Yifei had to feign ignorance.


    Back home, Li Yifei carried Xu Shanshan to her bedroom, laid her on the bed, and left the room.


    After tidying up, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying returned to their bedroom, both wearing thin pajamas. Such scenes had happened countless times, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t pay much attention to it normally. But today, she felt a bit shy.


    Usually, before bed, she would work on her laptop for a while, but today she didn¡¯t have the mind for it and went straight to bed, avoiding making eye contact with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had already opened up his heart, turned off the main lights, leaving only the bedside lamp, and lay down beside Xu Yingying, slipping an arm under her neck to pull her into his embrace.


    Yingying snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, her heart pounding uncontrollably.


    Li Yifei stroked her hair without speaking, then slowly moved his hand down, caressing Xu Yingying¡¯s back.


    Tasting the sweetness of love for the first time, her body suddenly felt weak, and her breathing became heated, yet she bit her lip, raising her head to say to Li Yifei, "Yifei, being together like this... Do you feel wronged?"


    Li Yifei paused, smiling and saying, "Why should I feel wronged?"


    "Being together with me, initially it was my mom fooling you about being sick to get you to marry me, then Shanshan tricked you into believing you had a relationship with me. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll think our family is forcing you to be with me."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I got such a good deal. People marry wives and need a house and a car. Look at me, no house, no car, not only do I have a wife, but also a house and a car. I saved decades of hard work!"


    Yingying, still a bit worried, said, "I know you¡¯re not incapable of making money; you just don¡¯t care about it. I¡¯m worried you might still have grudges."


    Li Yifei suddenly flipped over and pinned Xu Yingying beneath him, saying, "I do have a grudge now. I haven¡¯t even gotten to love my wife properly yet."


    "Ah..." Xu Shanshan let out a low cry, but it was quickly silenced by Li Yifei¡¯s lips.


    That night, Xu Yingying truly felt what a strong man could bring to a woman, as if her soul had left her body. She understood why once a couple shares a bed, their emotions deepen.


    "Oh no, I didn¡¯t use any contraception!" After passion, both were utterly exhausted, but Xu Yingying suddenly gasped, looking nervously at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "No protection is fine. If you get pregnant, we¡¯ll just have the baby."


    "But... Weren¡¯t you not thinking about having kids yet?"


    "Before, we weren¡¯t real spouses, so naturally, there was mental pressure. But now, we¡¯re truly a couple; having a kid is normal."


    "No, no, you haven¡¯t quit smoking! If I get pregnant, it¡¯ll affect the baby¡¯s health. Plus, you drank so much tonight; we can¡¯t have a baby now."


    Li Yifei wiped his brow in fake sweat, realizing that the excuses he used to avoid having kids were now being used against him. He laughed and said, "So what should I do?"


    "Since you... since you did it, you should go and buy contraceptive pills."


    "So late, do you want me to go?"


    "Good husband, please go. I really can¡¯t get pregnant right now. If I get pregnant, I won¡¯t be able to abort it, and if there¡¯s any health issue, we¡¯d regret it forever."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "Alright, I¡¯ll go now."


    Yingying kissed Li Yifei on the cheek and gave him a sweet smile. "Okay, hurry up."


    Li Yifei reluctantly got up, put on his clothes, and left.


    Contraceptive pills were available at pharmacies, and Li Yifei remembered one near Xu Yingying¡¯s house, so he just walked over.


    The pharmacy was open twenty-four hours, but to Li Yifei¡¯s disappointment, while there were contraceptives, there were no emergency contraceptives, so he had to try another place.


    When he couldn¡¯t find it after checking several places, he found himself quite far already and returning for the car would have been troublesome. Spotted a store selling adult products in an alley and thought they might have them, so he went in to ask.


    They did have them, so Li Yifei bought a pack, along with some condoms. Although he wasn¡¯t fond of using them, given their situation, they made sense right now.


    Carrying these items out of the shop, Li Yifei noticed two police cars speeding over. A group of police officers rushed out and stopped at a storefront, led by none other than Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong, still a station head at the time, hadn¡¯t yet been promoted, though Li Yifei knew it was imminent.


    Lin Qiong was no longer the inexperienced young officer she used to be. Standing by the car, she said in a low voice, "Old Li, Little Liu, you two watch the back. The rest of you, come with me."


    Two officers moved to the back, and Lin Qiong led the others into the store. Li Yifei was close by, but Lin Qiong didn¡¯t notice him.


    Soon, there was a bout of noise from inside, but it quickly quieted down in a rather eerie way, and a bloody smell wafted out. Alarmed, Li Yifei rushed inside, realizing Lin Qiong must have encountered trouble...

 Chapter 365 - 372 Ambush

    Chapter 365: Chapter 372 AmbushLi Yifei and the others were already in the car by then, with Xu Yingying driving. Li Yifei helped Xu Shanshan into the back seat, and without knowing whether she was truly drunk or pretending, Shanshan suddenly pulled Li Yifei to the back with her.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to sit in the back with Xu Shanshan, who then leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s legs, pouting and saying, "Brother-in-law, my head hurts so much, rub it for me, will you?"


    Xu Yingying turned her head and frowned, saying, "Sit properly. You¡¯re such a big girl, lying on your brother-in-law¡¯s legs, what would that look like?"


    With a grin, Xu Shanshan replied, "I helped you get your husband, can¡¯t you lend him to me for a bit? You¡¯re such a miser."


    "You..." Xu Yingying suddenly choked on her words and glanced at Li Yifei with a bit of guilt. Being with Li Yifei, she always felt as if she had tricked him into being with her.


    Li Yifei was also inwardly troubled, but at this time, if he acted prudish, it would only make Xu Yingying overthink. He said with a smile, "Alright, since Shanshan drank so much, don¡¯t scold her. I¡¯ll rub her head; you just focus on driving."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law¡¯s the best," and then closed her eyes contentedly.


    Seeing that Xu Shanshan was behaving, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t say anything else. She started the car and glanced at them in the rearview mirror from time to time. Seeing Li Yifei rubbing Shanshan¡¯s head in a proper manner, she stopped worrying and with a furrowed brow, said, "That person just now seemed like Song Ziqiao. Wasn¡¯t his position as Deputy County Head taken away? How come he showed up here again?"


    While rubbing Xu Shanshan¡¯s head, Li Yifei said indifferently, "Who knows why he¡¯s here again."


    Xu Yingying expressed her concern, "You still need to be careful. The look in his eyes just now was quite vicious; I think he¡¯s out for revenge against you."


    Xu Shanshan immediately opened her eyes, excitedly saying, "Brother-in-law, so you actually have enemies seeking revenge on you? That¡¯s so exciting."


    Xu Yingying said seriously, "Shanshan, this Song Ziqiao is no small fry. He has a strong background in the province, used to be the Deputy County Head here, and now he¡¯s been taken down because of your brother-in-law, so he¡¯s certainly not going to let it go easily. It¡¯s not something to be excited about."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "Don¡¯t worry, he can¡¯t really do anything to me."


    Xu Yingying, looking through the rearview mirror, saw Li Yifei¡¯s calm and composed expression. Suddenly, she felt that Li Yifei was truly out of the ordinary. Faced with such a situation, most people would be somewhat panicked, but knowing Song Ziqiao¡¯s background, Li Yifei remained unflustered. His composure gave her a strong sense of security. Having such a husband was indeed a blessing.


    Thinking this, Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks suddenly flushed. Li Yifei was now her real husband, and last night the two of them were so affectionate. But because of the bleeding, things were rather unsatisfactory. She could feel that Li Yifei had been very careful all along. Now that he had figured out what happened, tonight Li Yifei was probably going to...


    On the surface, Li Yifei did not take Song Ziqiao seriously, but in his heart, he did not look down on Song Ziqiao at all. As a former super-special soldier, Li Yifei was well aware that underestimating any enemy could lead to severe consequences. Although he had not experienced it personally, he had seen too many such examples.


    No, he had indeed experienced it personally. Meng Xiaofei, who seemed as harmless as a person-cattle combo, had hit his vital points. If she had been an enemy, Li Yifei would have probably lost his life. There was also Xu Shanshan, this little aunt who had plotted so well that he hadn¡¯t been on guard at all, and now he had ended up as Xu Yingying¡¯s husband.


    Furthermore, if Song Ziqiao straightforwardly sought someone to deal with him, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t fear a bit. However, he was worried that Song Ziqiao might resort to scheming or target someone close to him, which would be very troublesome to deal with. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were fine since they were always with him, and he wasn¡¯t too worried about Ye Yunzhu either, as her background was also quite strong and she was a Township Chief. Song Ziqiao probably wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly against her. But Su Yiyi was in school, and if someone targeted her, it would be very easy to do so. Therefore, he really needed to take care of Su Yiyi¡¯s safety for a while.


    Suddenly feeling a burst of heat in his palm, Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts returned to reality. The first thing he saw was Xu Yingying¡¯s furious glare at him from the rearview mirror. Looking down, he immediately felt a bit embarrassed; his hand was no longer rubbing Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead but was now on her cheek.


    Xu Shanshan must be pretending to sleep; otherwise, her breath wouldn¡¯t feel so hot.


    Hastily, he moved his hand back to Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead and said awkwardly, "I was just thinking about something else just now."


    Xu Yingying, adept in psychology, had seen Li Yifei¡¯s hand move to her sister¡¯s face, and his gaze seemed distracted as if he were deep in thought. Though she felt a bit uncomfortable, she didn¡¯t blame Li Yifei and playfully said, "We¡¯re home now, aren¡¯t you getting out?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly carried the still ¡¯sleeping¡¯ Xu Shanshan out of the car, and she played her part convincingly, limp as if truly unconscious, letting Li Yifei handle her as he pleased.


    However, when Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t paying attention, Xu Shanshan pinched Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder a few times. Li Yifei could only pretend to be unaware of it.


    Back at home, Li Yifei carried Xu Shanshan to her bedroom, placed her on the bed, and then left her room.


    After freshening up, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying both returned to their bedroom, each wearing thin pajamas. Such a scene had occurred countless times between them, to the point that Xu Yingying didn¡¯t even think much of it anymore. But today, Xu Yingying felt somewhat shy.


    Normally, before bed, she would work on her laptop for a while, but today she didn¡¯t have the mindset for it at all and went straight to bed, not daring to look directly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had let go of his inhibitions, turned off the main light, leaving only the bedside lamp on, and lay down beside Xu Yingying. With an outstretched arm, he reached under her neck and pulled her into his embrace.


    Xu Yingying snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, her heart racing uncontrollably.


    Li Yifei caressed her hair and did not speak. Then his hand slowly moved down, stroking Xu Yingying¡¯s back.


    Xu Yingying, tasting the flavor of romance for the first time, suddenly felt weak and her breath turned hot, but she still bit her lip and looked up at Li Yifei, "Yifei, us being together like this... don¡¯t you feel wronged?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand stopped, and he said with a smile, "Why should I feel wronged?"


    "Us being together, it started with my mom deceiving you about being ill to get you to register our marriage, and then Shanshan tricked you into thinking you¡¯d been intimate with me. I¡¯m afraid you might think our family forced you into this relationship."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Well, I¡¯d say I hit a jackpot. People usually need a house and a car when they marry, but look at me, no house, no car, and yet I managed to get a wife, a house, a car - everything. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve skipped decades of struggle."


    Xu Yingying still worried, said, "I know you¡¯re capable of making money, you just don¡¯t care about these things. I¡¯m just afraid you have some misgivings. Do you really have no misgivings now?"


    Li Yifei suddenly rolled over, pinning Xu Yingying beneath him, "I do have a misgiving right now, and it¡¯s that I haven¡¯t loved my wife properly yet."


    "Ah..." Xu Shanshan let out a low cry, but before she could finish, Li Yifei¡¯s lips had sealed hers.


    That night, Xu Yingying truly understood what a strong man could give to a woman. She felt as if her soul had left her body, realizing why the emotional bond deepens once a couple shares a bed.


    "Ah, I didn¡¯t use contraception." Passion spent, both exhausted, Xu Yingying suddenly exclaimed softly, a nervous look in her eyes towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "No contraception, no problem. If you¡¯re pregnant, we¡¯ll have the baby."


    "But... haven¡¯t you not considered having children just yet?"


    "Before, we weren¡¯t truly husband and wife, so naturally there was some psychological pressure to have a child. But now that we¡¯re truly husband and wife, having a child is perfectly normal."


    "Ah no, that won¡¯t do. You still haven¡¯t quit smoking, and if you got pregnant, it could affect the baby¡¯s health. Plus, you drank so much tonight; this is definitely not the time to have a baby."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat. These were the excuses he had used to fend off Xu Yingying before, and now she was throwing them right back at him. He smiled and asked, "What should we do then?"


    "Well... you¡¯ve finished inside, so hurry up and go buy emergency contraception."


    "It¡¯s so late, you wouldn¡¯t have me go out and buy it now, would you?"


    "Please, darling, go buy it. I really can¡¯t get pregnant now. If I did, I couldn¡¯t bear to have an abortion, and we¡¯d regret it forever if the child had any health issues."


    Li Yifei gave a resigned smile, "Alright, I¡¯ll go buy it now."


    Xu Yingying kissed Li Yifei on the face and gave him a sweet smile, "Okay, hurry up."


    Having no choice, Li Yifei got up, dressed, and left the house.


    Contraception is always available at pharmacies; Li Yifei remembered there was one nearby, so he didn¡¯t bother taking the car and simply walked there to buy it.


    The pharmacy was open twenty-four hours, but to Li Yifei¡¯s frustration, while it did carry contraception, it didn¡¯t have the morning-after pill, necessitating a visit to another store.


    Who would have thought that after visiting several stores, he still couldn¡¯t find it, and by now Li Yifei had walked quite a distance. Going back for his car would have been too troublesome. Then he spotted a sex shop in a small alley and figured it might have what he needed, so he went in to ask.


    They did have it, so Li Yifei bought a box, and also picked up some condoms. Although he didn¡¯t like using them, they were necessary since it wasn¡¯t the right time for them to have a child.


    Just as he was walking out with his purchases, Li Yifei saw two police cars rushing over. A bunch of officers jumped out and stopped in front of a shop, one of whom was Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong, still a station head at that moment with her promotion not yet finalized, stood by the car and ordered sternly, "Old Li, Little Liu, you two cover the back. Everyone else, follow me inside."


    Two officers quickly moved to the rear while Lin Qiong led the rest of the police into the shop. Even though Li Yifei was close by, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t notice him.


    Noises burst from inside, but they soon quieted down, casting an eerie silence, accompanied by the smell of blood drifting from the shop. Alarmed, Li Yifei dashed inside in a flash, certain that something had befallen Lin Qiong...


    Lin Qiong was on duty tonight and received a report just after ten o¡¯clock, saying that a group of people were gambling here.


    In a world full of mahjong parlors, such places are generally ignored by authorities. Although gambling is illegal, those playing in mahjong parlors tend to gamble only small amounts, making it more of a form of entertainment, so the police station often turns a blind eye unless someone reports it.


    However, the tipoff today mentioned high stakes gambling, which Lin Qiong could not ignore. Thus, she purposely brought six police officers along to handle the situation.


    Raiding a gambling operation is typically unremarkable work; culprits are usually fined and the gambling funds confiscated without much resistance. So, Lin Qiong and her team were fairly relaxed, not even carrying guns as they covered the front and back doors, intent on preventing escapes.


    But once Lin Qiong led her team inside, they were caught off guard. The six men inside turned out to be experts¡ª in an instant, they had knocked them all down, with two officers suffering head injuries, bleeding profusely.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong found herself cornered by two strong men, shock filling her heart as she shouted angrily, "You dare assault a police officer!"


    One of the brutes sat at the mahjong table, fiddling with a delicate dagger, while holding an apple in his other hand. The tip of the dagger rested on the apple, which was rapidly spinning in his hand, and within seconds, the apple peel was neatly sliced off. After taking a bite, he finally said, "Officer Lin, do you think we dare not?"


    Even more alarmed, Lin Qiong suddenly realized who the man was and exclaimed, "You¡¯re Qian Wanwei!"


    The man was indeed Qian Wanjun¡¯s brother, Qian Wanwei. Throwing the dagger and apple on the table, he clapped his hands and chuckled, "Police are indeed sharp; you¡¯ve identified me so quickly."


    Lin Qiong immediately retorted, "You¡¯ve got some nerve, kidnapping a felon like that!"


    "Ha ha... Thank you for the compliment, Officer Lin!" Qian Wanwei stood up and approached Lin Qiong.


    The two men cornering Lin Qiong stepped aside at this point.


    Clenching her fists tightly, Lin Qiong¡¯s thoughts flashed back to the pitiable state of her four colleagues. Facing such a vicious criminal, she felt not fear, but an overwhelming rage, and gritting her teeth, she vowed, "Qian Wanwei, you deranged bastard, I will catch you!"


    "Ha... Officer Lin, since you dared to go undercover at my brother¡¯s place and bust his operation, I believe you have the guts. But unfortunately, you won¡¯t have that chance," he replied with a smirk.


    "If you want to kill me, then you¡¯ll have to see if you have the skill," Lin Qiong said, regulating her breath. She sensed the strength of these men; except for Qian Wanjun, any of them would be a match for her, and with Qian Wanjun as their leader, his skills were surely even greater.


    Lin Qiong was not fearless but was so consumed by anger that she disregarded her own life. At that moment, all she wanted was to take Qian Wanjun down and bring him to justice. She had to prepare herself to be at her strongest, for all her colleagues had been defeated, and if she couldn¡¯t subdue these criminals now, her colleagues would meet the same fate as the other four officers.


    "It appears Officer Lin wishes to test my skills. To ensure you die with your eyes closed, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you can force me back even half a step, I¡¯ll let you go," he taunted.


    Feeling deeply disrespected, Lin Qiong roared with fury and thrust a fierce punch toward Qian Wanwei¡¯s chest.


    With casual ease, Qian Wanjun raised his left hand and blocked Lin Qiong¡¯s punch, producing a crisp sound.


    Lin Qiong had gathered her full strength for that punch, while Qian Wanwei had merely lifted his palm casually, not even directly facing her fist. Logically, her punch should have pushed his hand against his chest.


    But when Lin Qiong¡¯s fist hit Qian Wanwei¡¯s palm, it was as if it had been frozen in place. His palm didn¡¯t move back an inch, and her fist felt like it struck an iron plate, her own hand bones seemingly shattered upon impact.


    Alarmed, Lin Qiong knew Qian Wanwei was strong, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated this level of power. She tried to withdraw her fist, but with a clasp of his hand, Qian Wanwei had caught it in his palm, rendering all her efforts futile.


    "Not bad at all. I really didn¡¯t expect Officer Lin¡¯s palm to be so smooth. I thought with your training, it would be rougher," he sneered, "but now, I suddenly don¡¯t feel like killing you right away. I plan to enjoy this a bit; it would be a pity to kill a beautiful police officer like you too swiftly."


    While speaking, he pulled his hand inwards, and Lin Qiong found herself involuntarily falling into Qian Wanwei¡¯s embrace.


    At this moment, Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes split with rage. In her current predicament, she knew escape was unlikely, yet she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being insulted by this brute before her death. However, in the face of Qian Wanwei, she felt utterly powerless to resist.


    As she was about to fall into the enemy¡¯s clutches, Lin Qiong felt the depths of despair, and yet she was helpless to change her fate.


    But just as she was about to be embraced by the man, Qian Wanwei¡¯s body suddenly recoiled back, releasing Lin Qiong. Stumbling backwards, she looked up in confusion at what had caused Qian Wanwei to retreat, only to see not him, but the tall figure of another person.


    "The mysterious person!" Lin Qiong cried out in surprise and delight. The figure¡¯s silhouette belonged to the mysterious savior she had hoped for but wasn¡¯t sure would appear. And now, in this dire moment, the mysterious person had indeed arrived.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel how serendipitous the situation was¡ªhe had not anticipated that a simple errand to buy some contraceptives would lead him to Lin Qiong, especially during her time of danger.


    "Who are you?" Qian Wanwei, standing two meters across from Li Yifei, asked with a glower. The moment Li Yifei had walked in, Qian Wanwei felt an immense pressure, which made him realize that any further indecency toward Lin Qiong would result in injury. So, he wisely pushed Lin Qiong away and retreated.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond but turned to Lin Qiong and said, "What a waste of my teaching if you can¡¯t handle even this."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, but she replied softly, "He¡¯s strong, be careful."


    "Strong? He¡¯s nothing more than a flock of pheasants and mongrel dogs."


    Though Qian Wanwei resided in J Country, he was a Huaxia person, and Chinese language was his mother tongue. He understood every word Li Yifei said. Li Yifei¡¯s contempt made Qian Wanwei bristle with annoyance. He snorted coldly, "Then I¡¯d like to see just how formidable you are."


    With a step forward, Qian Wanwei¡¯s presence surged. Even at Li Yifei¡¯s side, Lin Qiong could feel the tremendous pressure, which alarmed her even more. Now she realized just how formidable Qian Wanwei truly was¡ªfar beyond her imagination.


    Pulled by the arm, Lin Qiong involuntarily retreated behind Li Yifei, and the oppressive weight on her instantly lifted. Clearly, the mysterious person had taken the brunt of the force for her.


    Lin Qiong had always had tremendous faith in this mysterious person, as he had never faced an enemy stronger than he was. Today, however, she felt unnerved, uncertain whether the mysterious person could match up against Qian Wanwei.


    "Ah!" Suddenly, Qian Wanwei bellowed and threw a punch straight at Li Yifei¡¯s chest. This punch was devoid of trickery, and while it seemed like a mere straightforward blow, it carried an aura of inevitability, as if dodging would result in being pummeled relentlessly.


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze flickered. Qian Wanjun did possess some skill to merit a place in the Flying Hawk Squad with such strength.


    But that was just enough to join the Flying Hawk Squad. To Li Yifei, the squad¡¯s second-in-command, Qian Wanwei was clearly outclassed.


    Li Yifei parried with a palm strike from below, meeting Qian Wanwei¡¯s fist head-on, neutralizing the stone-shattering force of the attack as though it were nothing.


    Qian Wanwei was shocked, his horror several times greater than Lin Qiong¡¯s. While Lin Qiong was aware of her own strength, she also knew it wasn¡¯t overwhelming¡ªslightly stronger than an average man¡¯s¡ªso when Qian Wanwei intercepted her attack, she could only recognize his strength.


    Qian Wanwei, however, knew his own power intimately. Within the entire Yamaguchi group, fewer than ten people could withstand his punch, and even they wouldn¡¯t do it with ease.


    Not only had Li Yifei caught his punch, but he had done so with such ease that it signified Li Yifei must be stronger than the most formidable fighters within the Yamaguchi group¡ªQian Wanwei could not help but be astounded.


    Eager to retreat, Qian Wanwei realized he stood no chance¡ªthe few men at his side would be no match for this plain-looking opponent. No longer was he contemplating how to kill Lin Qiong, but instead, he was focused on escaping.


    Unfortunately for him, Li Yifei gave him no opportunity. Li Yifei grasped, already seizing Qian Wanwei¡¯s fist.


    Qian Wanwei was not Lin Qiong; he knew that being pulled in meant certain defeat. He quickly diffused all power from his right arm, a risky and startling tactic¡ªhad Li Yifei applied even the slightest force at that moment, Qian Wanwei¡¯s arm would have broken. But this was his trump card, a momentary scare to gain an instant¡¯s advantage. With his left hand, he extended a shining dagger, stabbing towards Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen.

 Chapter 366 - 373: Killing Them All

    Chapter 366: Chapter 373: Killing Them AllLi Yifei¡¯s eyes held a trace of surprise, the audacity to "cut off one¡¯s arm to save the body" was not something anyone could easily do. This Qian Wanwei, with his training from J Country¡¯s Yamaguchi Group, was truly ruthless.


    However, ruthlessness was not always useful, it was only effective when the difference in strength was marginal. Unfortunately for Qian Wanwei, his power still fell far short of Li Yifei¡¯s. Even though his unexpected move momentarily stunned Yifei for a split second, the lethal dagger inflicted no harm on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dodge, but instead grabbed Qian Wanwei¡¯s hand and pulled it sideways. Qian Wanjun¡¯s arm involuntarily intercepted between Yifei and Qian Wanwei¡¯s dagger.


    Qian Wanwei had committed himself to an irreversible attack, but coupled with Li Yifei¡¯s astoundingly quick actions, the dagger ended up stabbing firmly into his own right arm, piercing through from one side to the other.


    "Bang!" In that moment, Li Yifei unleashed a powerful kick. Qian Wanwei could only slightly dodge, avoiding a fatal blow, but still took the full brunt of Yifei¡¯s kick.


    The kick sent him flying several meters away until he slammed into a wall and came to a stop. He remained standing, with his left hand still firmly gripping the dagger, but his right arm placed oddly in front of his chest.


    "You... so... strong..." Having said those three words, Qian Wanwei spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and then his body went limp and collapsed to the floor.


    Li Yifei¡¯s kick had not hit a vital spot, but the immense force behind it had still shaken Qian Wanwei¡¯s internal organs. That he could speak those three words was already impressive, but then his eyes closed, and he limply slid to the ground, motionless.


    Lin Qiong was simply dumbstruck by the scene. Qian Wanwei was so strong, yet he was so easily defeated by this mysterious man. How strong was this person, really? Lin Qiong found it beyond her imagination. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The five men who came with Qian Wanwei, all hardened by countless killings, found themselves unnerved at the sight of their comrade being dispatched so effortlessly by the man before them. Their faces turned exceedingly grim.


    "Hmph, a bunch of little Japanese dare to run wild in Huaxia! They deserve to die!" Li Yifei snorted coldly, moving like a blur around the room, delivering punches that reverberated against flesh, before reappearing beside Lin Qiong.


    It was only then that the five men slowly collapsed, limp. In a split second, Li Yifei had delivered a punch to each one, so fast it seemed as though he had thrown only a single punch.


    "I don¡¯t want others to know I did this," Li Yifei said indifferently, then turned to leave.


    "Wait, if you don¡¯t want others to know it was you, how am I supposed to explain this?" Lin Qiong quickly called out.


    Li Yifei turned his head to look at Lin Qiong, furrowed his brow, and said, "These men resisted arrest. In the fight, you weren¡¯t able to hold back and ended up killing them. It¡¯s as simple as that."


    "But... but..."


    "There are no buts. If you want my help in the future, you better do as I say."


    After speaking, Li Yifei had already dashed out of the storefront. By the time Lin Qiong ran out, there was no sign of him.


    This left Lin Qiong feeling somewhat lost. This mysterious person always seemed to appear when she was in the gravest danger. She wondered if he was following her around the clock.


    "Ah!" The thought made her face flush with embarrassment. That would mean the mysterious person had also witnessed her fooling around with Li Yifei.


    "Thump!" Lin Qiong¡¯s foot hit something. She immediately looked down and saw a box of condoms.


    The presence of such an item in this place was not unusual, but Lin Qiong had an inkling that it was dropped by the mysterious man.


    "No way, does this mysterious person actually use these?" Holding the box of condoms, Lin Qiong could not help but be astonished.


    "Director Lin! What... what happened here?" A colleague¡¯s voice jolted Lin Qiong out of her reverie, and she instinctively pocketed the box of condoms.


    "Are you alright?" Lin Qiong quickly inquired.


    "Just a bit dizzy, oh, these people..." The colleague finally noticed the bodies scattered on the ground¡ªmore than ten people, including his fellow officers and six criminals.


    Remembering the mysterious man¡¯s words, Lin Qiong had no choice but to respond, "These men knocked you down just now. I fought with them, and in the end, I managed to take them down. Check how they are."


    The police officer checked over the scene with a tinge of nervousness, but as he continued, the sweat on his forehead began to stream down; all six of the people were dead.


    When they had charged in, they had been taken down by the six without any opportunity to fight back, clearly indicating that these men were not weak. But for Lin Qiong to have killed them all by herself was like something out of a television drama featuring a female warrior; it was simply too impressive.


    At this time, the rest of the police officers also gradually came to their senses and likewise discovered that all six criminals were dead.


    Their reactions were similar to that of the first officer; they were all terrified, but they also held immense admiration for Lin Qiong. They had previously privately criticized Lin Qiong¡¯s rapid promotion and suspected that the beautiful policewoman must have formed a connection with some high-ranking official, which was why she was promoted so quickly.


    But now they realized that Lin Qiong truly had strength. With such skill, her promotion was completely justified.


    With six lives at stake and the involvement of the Yamaguchi Group¡¯s Qian Wanwei, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t simply handle the scene on her own; she immediately called Director Ning Changzheng. Ning Changzheng swiftly arrived at the scene with the criminal investigation team.


    The recent kidnapping of Qian Wanjun had already put tremendous pressure on Ning Changzheng. This was a major criminal being taken during transport, a rare occurrence within the country, and four police officers had been killed, escalating the pressure. If he couldn¡¯t solve this case, he would bear a significant responsibility, and he might even lose his position as director.


    However, now that Qian Wanwei had been shot dead, at least there was an explanation to give.


    The criminal investigation team inspected the scene and found the weapons of the criminals, along with several guns. They also confirmed Qian Wanwei¡¯s identity from a bag he was carrying.


    By a stroke of luck, Qian Wanjun had called Qian Wanwei just then, and the police immediately tracked Qian Wanjun¡¯s location through the phone. It took less than two hours to capture him.


    Qian Wanjun, previously a significant figure in smuggling, indeed had clout, but he only excelled in smuggling and lacked personal combat skills. Without Qian Wanwei, it was much easier for the police to apprehend him.


    In the director¡¯s office, Ning Changzheng personally poured a glass of water for Lin Qiong, took a deep breath, and said, "Little Lin, I really must thank you this time."


    Lin Qiong, somewhat startled by the favor, replied, "Director Ning, this is what I should do as a police officer."


    Ning Changzheng took a seat opposite Lin Qiong and said, "Little Lin, these criminals were so formidable that none of our Mile City police could handle them. Yet you managed to kill all six of them by yourself. You¡¯ve truly earned a great deal of respect for our Mile City police force."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face flushed red, and she clenched her teeth, "Director Ning, it wasn¡¯t me who killed them; it was that mysterious person."


    "I thought so," Ning Changzheng said with a slight smile.


    "Director Ning, you already knew?" Lin Qiong asked in surprise.


    Ning Changzheng lit a cigarette and said, "Although you¡¯re quite good at martial arts, Little Lin, in our Mile City, you¡¯re not the top, and Qian Wanwei was a master. How could you have defeated him, let alone killed all six of them?"


    Lin Qiong hastily interjected, "Director Lin, even though the mysterious person¡¯s actions technically broke the law by killing others, and no matter how strong he is, he shouldn¡¯t have killed them so directly. But in that situation, to protect me and my colleagues, he had to kill them. So I¡¯m asking, Director Ning, to keep this... under wraps."


    Ning Changzheng laughed heartily, "You worry too much, Little Lin. I not only won¡¯t pursue this matter, but I won¡¯t even bring it up. That mysterious person, although ruthless, has shown from his actions he was protecting you and helping you. He hasn¡¯t been known to act maliciously. Such a person is very beneficial to our Mile City police force. Why would I pursue him? Heh, since he helped you this way, the credit still goes to you."


    Lin Qiong insisted, "No, no, I can¡¯t accept this credit."


    Ning Changzheng chuckled, "This case has caused quite a stir. Now that we¡¯ve apprehended both Qian Wanjun and Qian Wanwei, we have to report the merits. When reporting, should we explain that it was done by a mysterious person... or will we say you did it?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched. Considering the mysterious person certainly wouldn¡¯t covet any credit, and even if she told others, it was unlikely they would believe her. Moreover, mentioning the mysterious person could bring unnecessary trouble for him.


    So, after weighing the options, Lin Qiong could only reply with a wry smile, "Taking such unclear credit makes my face turn red even now."


    Ning Changzheng roared with laughter, "Why blush over it? Since that mysterious person has helped you to this extent, you¡¯ll surely solve many more significant cases in the future. There isn¡¯t much difference between those cases and the ones you¡¯ll solve."


    In truth, Ning Changzheng had considered another possibility¡ªthat the mysterious person was a man. For a man to go to such lengths to help Lin Qiong indicated that he must share a deep connection with her. Knowing that Lin Qiong had no family background to speak of, what the man represented was already quite clear.

 Chapter 367 - 374 To Quit or Not to Quit

    Chapter 367: Chapter 374 To Quit or Not to QuitLi Yifei returned home to find Xu Yingying still awake. She spoke with concern, "I made you run so far so late, I¡¯m really sorry." On the way, Xu Yingying had called Li Yifei, and he had mentioned that medicine was hard to find at this time, so he wasn¡¯t worried about coming home late.


    "When the wife gives an order, how could I not comply?" Li Yifei said with a smile as he poured Xu Yingying a glass of water and gave her the birth control pills. There was no need to tell Xu Yingying about Lin Qiong¡¯s dangerous situation.


    Xu Yingying took the pills and immediately felt relieved. "Then let¡¯s quickly go to sleep."


    Li Yifei washed his face and went straight to bed. Xu Yingying snuggled voluntarily into Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Having already been intimate for two consecutive days, Xu Yingying naturally lost much of her reserve in front of Li Yifei and was now open and relaxed with him.


    That night, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying did nothing more but sleep in each other¡¯s embrace.


    Li Yifei had killed Qian Wanwei directly, feeling he was a trouble and a potential danger. He wasn¡¯t afraid of these people, but Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, Su Yiyi, and especially Lin Qiong might easily become their targets, so Li Yifei killed Qian Wanwei and his subordinates outright.


    For a normal person, killing someone would surely bring immense psychological pressure, at the very least fearing the legal ramifications.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t carry such burdens. While on missions with the Flying Hawk Squad, he had killed more people than he could count. When he protected Su Mengxin, he had taken out dozens alone, so killing a few more was no big deal to him.


    Although now a civilian and retired from the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei retained some of the squad¡¯s privileges, though he seldom used them. Moreover, he could return to the Flying Hawk Squad anytime he wished; the rules of ordinary people didn¡¯t apply to him.


    While Qian Wanwei¡¯s issue was resolved, the sudden appearance of Song Ziqiao still left Li Yifei somewhat anxious. Song Ziqiao didn¡¯t confront him directly yesterday, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t think Song Ziqiao feared him. These children of prominent families couldn¡¯t easily swallow such grievances; they learned to endure. A person who could endure, backed by a powerful family, was formidable and troublesome.


    So, the next morning, after dropping Xu Yingying at her company, Li Yifei also took Xu Shanshan to her workplace.


    "Hee hee, you really look more and more like a real brother-in-law now," Xu Shanshan said gleefully, leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s seat after Xu Yingying got out of the car. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Does taking you to work make me a brother-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan lightly twirled Li Yifei¡¯s hair with her finger, "It¡¯s not about taking me to work; you obviously care about me more now. A fake brother-in-law wouldn¡¯t pay attention to me."


    Li Yifei felt both bemusement and embarrassment at Xu Shanshan¡¯s intimacy, "Shanshan, let me tell you something. Don¡¯t go out with others these days. I¡¯ll try to pick you up after work, and if I can¡¯t, head straight home."


    "Are you worried about that Song Ziqiao?" Xu Shanshan cheekily flicked Li Yifei¡¯s forehead.


    Li Yifei waved her hand away, "Don¡¯t mess around, I¡¯m serious. That Song Ziqiao is quite cunning now. While I¡¯m not afraid of him, if he wants to target you, he easily could."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that naive. I won¡¯t go out with them. Besides, with you living with my sister and me every day, I¡¯m eager to go home; there¡¯s no way I¡¯d go out."


    Li Yifei felt awkward about Xu Shanshan¡¯s words, which seemed suggestive yet supportive. Xu Shanshan fully endorsed his marriage to Xu Yingying, even appearing quite thrilled. He couldn¡¯t fathom what she was thinking.


    Fortunately, the car had arrived at Xu Shanshan¡¯s workplace. Li Yifei quickly said, "Alright, hurry up and get to work. Remember what I said, and don¡¯t leave your workplace during the day."


    "Got it, my good brother-in-law." Xu Shanshan giggled, opened the car door, and ran into the building like a happy little bird.


    Li Yifei shook his head. Xu Shanshan appeared more excited than he and Xu Yingying about their becoming a couple, which puzzled him.


    Back at the office, Chen Xingrui, that little chubby guy, ran into Li Yifei¡¯s office excitedly, "Manager Li, is our company hiring again?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yes, today you can check out the job market."


    Chen Xingrui blinked, "Why not hire that beautiful woman?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. This chubby guy hadn¡¯t forgotten Su Mengxin. "I don¡¯t even know how to contact her now. How can I hire her? Besides, it¡¯s been a while; who knows if she already found a job?"


    Chen Xingrui looked unconvinced, "No way! Our company should have records, including her phone number."


    Li Yifei snorted, "She visited the company in an unusual way and didn¡¯t leave a number."


    Chen Xingrui looked dejected, "Manager Li, how could you? She¡¯s my ideal goddess! How could you not even keep a contact? Even if you¡¯re not interested, leave us some hope."


    Li Yifei glared, "Are you here to work or to chase women?"


    Chen Xingrui withdrew his neck in fright. Usually, Li Yifei was approachable, and Chen got along well with him, speaking without formality. But if Li Yifei glared, he had to heed. With an awkward laugh, he said, "I never let work slip."


    Li Yifei glared at him again, "Then go and hire people."


    As soon as Chen Xingrui left, Li Yifei unexpectedly received a call from Su Mengxin, which he found amusing. If Chen Xingrui knew, he¡¯d probably be so mad that his eyes would roll back.


    "Miss Su, why did you think of calling me today?"


    "Why are you calling me Miss Su again? Didn¡¯t we agree you¡¯d call me Mengxin?" Su Mengxin corrected Li Yifei regarding his address.


    "Oops, I forgot. Mengxin, are you not busy today?"


    "I¡¯m quite busy, but I remembered I haven¡¯t been back for a long time and was wondering if you¡¯ve run out of cigarettes. If so, I¡¯ll have someone bring you more."


    "Uh... maybe not for now, I plan to quit smoking."


    "Quitting smoking? Why?" Su Mengxin sounded surprised.


    "Well... I plan to have a child."


    "A child? Did you get married?" Su Mengxin exclaimed in surprise.


    "Yes, with Yingying," Li Yifei admitted straightforwardly, since Su Mengxin was the company¡¯s chairwoman and both he and Xu Yingying worked for her, there was no need to hide it.


    "Why did you get married so soon?" Su Mengxin¡¯s words carried an indescribable tone.


    "Hehe, it¡¯s quite unexpected; you can ask Yingying later. Since we¡¯re married, we thought of having a child sooner. Smoking isn¡¯t good for kids, so I plan to quit."


    Su Mengxin paused briefly, then laughed, "I should really congratulate you, hehe. I¡¯ll come over in two days to give you a proper celebration."


    "Please don¡¯t go to so much trouble. We didn¡¯t hold a wedding, just registered."


    "Oh, being so discreet! I was about to ask why you didn¡¯t invite me for the celebration."


    "Invite you when we hold a ceremony later. For now, we¡¯re keeping it low-key."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll hang up now and call Yingying."


    During lunch, Li Yifei went to Xu Yingying¡¯s office. Newlyweds, Li Yifei¡¯s mindset had indeed changed; before, he rarely sought out Xu Yingying on his own.


    After closing the door, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei sat on the sofa together. Xu Yingying began complaining slightly, "Why did you tell Boss Su about our marriage, and even mention we¡¯re planning for a child?"


    Li Yifei pulled out a cigarette and then put it back, "What¡¯s wrong with telling her? I think it wouldn¡¯t be right to keep it from her."


    "Marrying is one thing, but why did you say we¡¯re planning for a child? I haven¡¯t thought about having children yet."


    "You don¡¯t want to?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying in surprise.


    Xu Yingying took Li Yifei¡¯s hand, apologetically saying, "Honey, listen to me. It¡¯s not that I dislike kids or fear childbirth, but think about it. Boss Su entrusting the company to me, it¡¯s just getting started. If I were pregnant, it would impact work, and during childbirth, I¡¯d need to take a long leave. The company can¡¯t do without me now."


    "This... it isn¡¯t Boss Su who asked you to do this, is it?" Li Yifei frowned.


    "Boss Su didn¡¯t say that. She encourages me, even saying she¡¯d rather the company¡¯s progress slow than impact me having a child. How can I let her down with such trust? I must wait until the company is on track before having kids."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, "Looks like I won¡¯t quit smoking for now."


    Xu Yingying quickly took his cigarette, "Quitting is good for you, after all."


    Li Yifei took back his cigarette, "I know quitting is healthy, but if it¡¯s not for the kid, I¡¯m not quitting now. I have just this one hobby; don¡¯t take it away."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t snatch it back, realizing Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t have many vices. He didn¡¯t drink excessively, didn¡¯t frequent bars, and she found his faint tobacco scent not unpleasant.


    "Alright, go ahead and smoke, but I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t smoke too much each day."


    "I know. These Little Panda cigarettes are a rare treat. Even our Mr. Deng lived to be over ninety while smoking them."


    "You always have a reason. Boss Su is so good to us; we must help her. So, don¡¯t hold any grudges about having kids."


    Li Yifei felt a bit pressured because Su Mengxin was so kind to him.

 Chapter 368 - 375 Yiyi’s Deep Affection

    Chapter 368: Chapter 375 Yiyi¡¯s Deep AffectionThe sound of knocking arose, and Xu Yingying got up to open the door. Very few people came to her place at this time, and most of them were He Fangqing.


    Indeed, it was He Fangqing who entered. Upon seeing that Li Yifei was also there, she immediately said with a beaming smile, "I hope I¡¯m not interrupting your lovely couple¡¯s sweet talk?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face instantly reddened as she retorted, "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯re still teasing me. You two have had your share of romances and sweet nothings already."


    This turned the tables and now He Fangqing was the one feeling awkward. She hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to say such things in front of Li Yifei, and now she was caught in a difficult position, not knowing whether to stay or leave.


    "Sister Fangqing, come on in," Xu Yingying insisted, pulling He Fangqing into the room and seating her on the couch next to Li Yifei, while she took a seat on his other side.


    Although Xu Yingying¡¯s action seemed casual, it made He Fangqing and Li Yifei look somewhat uneasy, as if Xu Yingying should be the one sitting next to Li Yifei and He Fangqing should be the one pulled over to sit by her side.


    Then Xu Yingying said with a laugh, "Yifei, Sister Fangqing is your old flame after all. You¡¯re not embarrassed just because I¡¯m here, right?"


    Li Yifei cleared his throat, not daring to join in the conversation. Now that Xu Yingying was officially his wife, sneaking around with another woman was one thing, but flirting with He Fangqing in front of Xu Yingying would be like slapping his wife¡¯s face.


    This made Li Yifei feel like Xu Yingying was testing him, and he became even more reluctant to say anything out of place.


    Xu Yingying wrapped her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, leaned forward slightly across Li Yifei to He Fangqing, and asked, "Sister Fangqing, did you need something from me?"


    He Fangqing, now quite embarrassed, could only force a smile and say, "It¡¯s nothing much. I just couldn¡¯t sleep at noon and thought of having a chat with you. Little did I know that the two of you would be here, and now I¡¯m just being a third wheel."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed slightly. Although she had now truly become Li Yifei¡¯s wife and their affection over the past two days had made her behavior around him unconsciously more intimate, she was still a bit overwhelmed by He Fangqing¡¯s teasing remarks and released Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying, "He just came here because he had nothing better to do. I don¡¯t care much for it."


    Li Yifei quickly interjected, "Then I¡¯ll leave first, and you two can chat."


    This time Xu Yingying let Li Yifei go, and he hurriedly slipped out. After leaving, he took a deep breath. One was his wife, the other his lover; being caught between the two of them was immensely stressful.


    However, seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude, Li Yifei was even more puzzled by her than ever before. She was able to treat He Fangqing with such a manner, without a hint of jealousy, which was quite out of the ordinary.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei had nothing to do, and since it was Friday, he decided to return to his former small home. Staying at Xu Yingying¡¯s place now was different from before, so he needed to take more of his belongings back to her place.


    When he opened the door, he saw a pair of shoes at the entrance, which made his heart skip a beat, and right then, Su Yiyi hurried out of the bedroom. First, she nervously glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s side, and then she immediately said with joy, "Brother Li, how come you¡¯re back?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t miss the range of emotions that crossed Su Yiyi¡¯s face. It pained him to see that Su Yiyi was looking to see whether Xu Yingying was with him.


    Though Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen Su Yiyi recently, he had been in contact with her every day. Maybe he could let go of Ye Yunzhu, but for Su Yiyi, the fragile girl, he couldn¡¯t bear to cut ties completely.


    So Su Yiyi knew that Li Yifei had now moved into Xu Yingying¡¯s home.


    "I came back to check on things." Li Yifei replied and closed the door behind him, then he embraced Su Yiyi in his arms.


    Su Yiyi immediately clung to Li Yifei, not saying a word, just holding him tightly.


    "Yiyi, have you been doing well at school these past days?" Li Yifei asked while holding Su Yiyi, settling on the couch with her in his arms, not letting go, letting her sit on his lap.


    Su Yiyi lifted her head, her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, and with a sweet smile, she said, "Very well."


    "Then why have you lost weight?" Li Yifei gently stroked Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek.


    At that, Su Yiyi¡¯s heart raced as she knew Li Yifei had married Xu Yingying. Even though her lips claimed that she wasn¡¯t good enough for Li Yifei and supported his decision, how could her heart not feel despondent? These days, she¡¯d lost her appetite for food and drink. This afternoon, with no classes, she couldn¡¯t resist coming to Li Yifei¡¯s place. She didn¡¯t expect to see Li Yifei here, but being in this place, soaking up his presence, felt utterly intoxicating.


    "Not at all, I¡¯ve just been really busy with studies since the exams are only a month away. I¡¯m buckling down now," she explained.


    Li Yifei naturally didn¡¯t believe this excuse, but he struggled to find words to comfort Su Yiyi. Anything he could say felt inadequate, so in the end, he could only hold Su Yiyi tight and softly say, "You really are a silly girl."


    With her hands gently holding Li Yifei¡¯s face and her eyes brimming with tenderness, Su Yiyi reassured, "Brother Li, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m truly fine. I originally came here just to look around, but unexpectedly seeing you made me even happier."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart was deeply pierced again, his lips quivered, and he bent down to kiss Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body stiffened, and then she responded to Li Yifei with enthusiasm. Her fragile frame suddenly exploded with incredible strength, and in an instant, she had Li Yifei pinned down on the sofa.


    Su Yiyi was full of passion, and Li Yifei, feeling a need to atone and genuinely missing her, shared an intense connection with her. It was a long while before they finally calmed down. Su Yiyi¡¯s bare body was covered in fine beads of sweat, but her face was filled with bliss, satisfaction, and happiness.


    "Brother Li... will you and your wife come here?" Su Yiyi asked cautiously.


    "No, she hasn¡¯t finished work yet."


    "I don¡¯t mean now, I mean in the future..."


    "In the future... she probably won¡¯t come here, I guess."


    "Then... can I come here often to stay in the future?"


    "Of course, you can. I had no plans to give up this apartment anyway. You can stay as long as you like whenever you want to. I¡¯ll come back to stay from time to time."


    "Really?" Su Yiyi exclaimed in surprise.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. When have I ever lied to my little Yiyi?"


    "Mmm, oh, but that won¡¯t do. If you come to stay here at my place, won¡¯t you be unable to accompany your wife at home? If later on, she feels that you¡¯re always out and about, it might affect the relationship between you two. No, no, you can¡¯t come here to stay."


    Li Yifei found his eyes growing moist and, embracing Su Yiyi, said, "Yiyi, I¡¯ve already wronged you so much, how can you still be so considerate of me?"


    "Because I love Brother Li, and I want you to live well."


    "You are so silly!"


    "I don¡¯t think I¡¯m silly, because I am happy. Knowing that I have a place in Brother Li¡¯s heart is enough for me." Su Yiyi¡¯s voice was soft, yet it shook Li Yifei¡¯s soul time and again. Having such a woman was truly his fortune.


    "Alright, Brother Li, it¡¯s getting late. Your wife will be off work soon, and if you don¡¯t get home in time, she might start to worry." Su Yiyi then nudged Li Yifei, her face still wearing a sweet smile.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment but soon got up decisively. He didn¡¯t want to let down Su Yiyi¡¯s kind intentions. Su Yiyi also quickly got up, and without even getting dressed, she started helping Li Yifei straighten his clothes.


    "I don¡¯t wear perfume, so you shouldn¡¯t have my scent on you. But you have to check your hair thoroughly. I believe your wife has curly hair, and mine is straight. If she finds my hair on you, you¡¯ll be in trouble."


    While speaking, Su Yiyi carefully checked Li Yifei¡¯s clothes and indeed picked out a few strands of hair. Still not reassured, she checked several more times before finally letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "Okay, there shouldn¡¯t be any left."


    Li Yifei spread his arms to give Su Yiyi a farewell hug, but she quickly stepped back, flashed a mischievous smile, and said, "No way, what if you get more hair on you? Hurry up and go." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had to lower his arms and said, "Then I¡¯ll come back to see you in a couple of days."


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about me too much. Also, when you call me, make sure to delete the call logs afterward."


    One by one, Su Yiyi instructed Li Yifei, thinking of everything that could cause him trouble and taking care of it.


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "The way you¡¯re acting, it¡¯s as if you¡¯re going to leave me."


    Su Yiyi was taken aback for a moment, then looking into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, she said, "Brother Li, Yiyi will be yours in this life, and will never be with another man, will never leave you. Even if Brother Li doesn¡¯t want Yiyi anymore, I¡¯ll still silently wait, forever and ever, just for you."


    Li Yifei had only meant his words as a joke, but they brought forth such a heartfelt declaration from Su Yiyi. It made his heart simultaneously sour and pained. He nodded profoundly and said, "Yiyi, I promise you too, no matter what, I will never abandon you. In this life, you are my woman, and I am your man."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly smiled sweetly and said, "Brother Li, then you will have a burden. I don¡¯t wish for that at all. It¡¯s good enough if you can just think of me. Alright, alright, you should go now, otherwise, there won¡¯t be enough time. If your wife finds out, it will be even more troublesome for us to be together in the future."

 Chapter 369 - 376 Xu Shanshan’s Nose is Very Sharp

    Chapter 369: Chapter 376 Xu Shanshan¡¯s Nose is Very SharpLi Yifei first went to Xu Shanshan¡¯s workplace. He hadn¡¯t waited for more than two minutes when Xu Shanshan ran out of the building, found Li Yifei¡¯s car, opened the passenger door, and sat inside.


    As she fastened her seatbelt, Xu Shanshan laughed and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really punctual."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Well, of course. How could I dare to be late picking up my sister-in-law?"


    "Exactly, if you don¡¯t keep this sister-in-law happy, I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t have a good time with my sister. I can make you a loving couple, or make you arch enemies."


    Li Yifei was amused by Xu Shanshan and said, "If your sister heard that, she¡¯d be furious."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m not afraid even if she hears it. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s ever thanked me yet, huh..." Xu Shanshan suddenly moved closer to Li Yifei, sniffed a few times, and frowned, "Brother-in-law, this isn¡¯t good."


    "What is it?" Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit guilty.


    "You really don¡¯t know? Did you see another woman this afternoon?" Xu Shanshan tilted her head, her lips puckering.


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat. He had just come from Su Yiyi¡¯s place, and Su Yiyi had been very cautious; how did Xu Shanshan still manage to notice?


    "Hmph, don¡¯t deny it. I¡¯m telling you, I have a keen nose. Not only do you have another girl¡¯s scent on you, but also that... hormonal smell, clearly indicating you did something naughty."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes popped open like light bulbs. "Is it really that obvious?"


    Xu Shanshan said smugly, "Of course it is. My sister isn¡¯t as sharp as I am, so if you want to misbehave, you need to get past me first. Otherwise, I¡¯ll report to my sister, and you¡¯ll be in deep trouble."


    As the second figure of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei had executed many missions, including special ones. Disguise was second nature, and he was well-versed in psychology. From Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression and eyes, Li Yifei knew she was telling the truth. He chuckled dryly and said, "I went back to get some clothes this afternoon, and Yiyi was there."


    "So it¡¯s your old little girlfriend, huh?" Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Even after marrying my sister, you still can¡¯t cut ties with her. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?"


    At this point, Li Yifei felt rather at ease and said, "Shanshan, if it weren¡¯t for your sister, I would have already planned to marry Yiyi after she graduated. Yiyi is the girl I like most besides Ye Yunzhu for so many years. She knows I¡¯m married to your sister, yet she remains with me without a word of complaint. How could I just abandon a girl like that?"


    "Really? She knows you¡¯re married and still stays with you, unfazed?" Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei in astonishment.


    "Yes!" Li Yifei nodded heavily, lit a cigarette, and said, "Yiyi is a good girl."


    "Then I must have a good chat with her. How could there be such a silly girl in this world?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t try to force her, would you?" Li Yifei frowned.


    "Of course not. Such a good girl, I couldn¡¯t bear to do that. I need to scrutinize on behalf of my brother-in-law. If you want a mistress, you have to pass this legitimate sister-in-law first, otherwise, it won¡¯t do."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan as if she were an alien, thoroughly confused by her.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I know you¡¯re struggling with my sister. If you don¡¯t sort out these worries, you¡¯ll end up divorcing her sooner or later. Then all my efforts would be for nothing. Besides, it¡¯s just a mistress; it¡¯s not a big deal. As long as it doesn¡¯t affect the relationship between you and my sister, I support you."


    "Shanshan..." Li Yifei felt like he couldn¡¯t keep up with Xu Shanshan¡¯s thinking.


    "Don¡¯t thank your sister. Your sister is just a legend." Xu Shanshan giggled again, "Aren¡¯t I a great sister-in-law?"


    "You are! Absolutely fantastic." Li Yifei sincerely nodded repeatedly. In the world of sister-in-laws, none could compare to Xu Shanshan. Helping him hide things while provocatively flirting was quite something.


    "Just remember to thank me properly in the future. Alright, it¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s go pick up my sister. Otherwise, she¡¯ll be unhappy."


    Li Yifei finally started the car and headed for the company. Along the way, Xu Shanshan chattered on about things at work, joyful and innocent, not mentioning anything about Su Yiyi, as if she¡¯d forgotten about it.


    When they got to the office building, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan waited in the car for Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying said she¡¯d need another twenty minutes before coming down, and told Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan to go home first, but Li Yifei still waited downstairs. With Xu Yingying returning home alone these past few days, he felt a bit uneasy.


    Xu Shanshan slipped her feet out of her shoes, took off her stockings, and lifted her legs to bring her foot to her nose. As expected from a dancer, her flexibility was indeed impressive.


    "No smell, fortunately," Xu Shanshan giggled and then leaned against the door, stretching her legs and placing her feet on Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    Li Yifei was startled and said, "Don¡¯t mess around; we¡¯re at the entrance of the company."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? There¡¯s a solar film on this car, people outside can¡¯t see in. Besides, I¡¯m just asking you to massage my feet, not anything else. What are you afraid of? Oh, brother-in-law, are you thinking of doing something to me?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face immediately turned dark. "I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    "Hehe, you say you wouldn¡¯t dare, meaning you have thoughts, huh?"


    "No! Don¡¯t try to trap me. I was already trapped into marrying your sister by you; what more do you want?" Li Yifei tapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot, putting on a serious expression.


    Xu Shanshan burst into laughter, her small feet bouncing on Li Yifei¡¯s legs twice. "Hurry and massage them, or my sister will be upset when we get home."


    Li Yifei was both exasperated and amused, but he genuinely enjoyed this little task. He gently took Xu Shanshan¡¯s petite foot and began to rub it.


    Xu Shanshan narrowed her eyes, looking thoroughly content.


    After more than ten minutes, Li Yifei saw Xu Yingying walking out of the company¡¯s main door and quickly said, "Your sister is coming out."


    Xu Shanshan swiftly retracted her legs and sat upright. Without putting her stockings back on, she slipped on her shoes and gave Li Yifei a mischievous smile.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. Having been used to this sort of interaction with Xu Shanshan, he felt no mental burden at all.


    Xu Yingying approached and opened the passenger door. Xu Shanshan cheerfully said to her, "You sit in the back."


    Xu Yingying had no choice but to sit in the back. She didn¡¯t mind her sister sitting in front and said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to go home first? Why are you still waiting here for me?"


    Xu Shanshan turned her head and cheerfully replied, "I was worried you wouldn¡¯t feel at ease if we were at home alone, so we waited here for you."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but quiver inside; Xu Shanshan was indeed quite an actress. Not only did she say it so openly, but if he weren¡¯t caught in the situation himself, he would have definitely been fooled by her.


    "What do I have to worry about?" Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at her sister. She did feel uneasy before, but now everything between her and Li Yifei was due to Xu Shanshan¡¯s efforts. How could she suspect her sister has any designs on Li Yifei?


    Li Yifei started the car, and the three of them went to the supermarket to buy some groceries. A man accompanied by a pair of twin sisters naturally attracted a lot of attention.


    There are plenty of twins in the world who look very alike when young but start to differ as they grow up. Their habits and attire will significantly differ, making it rare for people to confuse them. Yet, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan still looked identical, with no difference in weight or form. What¡¯s more, Xu Shanshan now had the same wavy hair as Xu Yingying. Apart from their clothes, they were virtually indistinguishable, leaving everyone amazed.


    Once home, Li Yifei began cooking, with Xu Yingying joining in to help, but he eventually shooed her out. Cooking was a pleasure for him, and having Xu Yingying there made things chaotic.


    Xu Shanshan then took a call and continued to chat endlessly.


    "Shanshan, you must come tomorrow! Our principal¡¯s party is at his place. If you don¡¯t go, it¡¯ll be so rude!" The caller, a colleague of Xu Shanshan in Mile City who was also a dance teacher named Cui Yueying, had a good relationship with her.


    Xu Shanshan lay on the couch, wearing a comfortable nightdress that reached just below her thighs, as she kicked her feet and popped a grape into her mouth, talking with her mouth full, "Will it be fun?"


    "Of course it will! Our principal was in the arts before and knows many people. Many celebrities were his students, and I heard some stars would be there tomorrow. Don¡¯t you just want to see them? Besides, you¡¯ve just started working and took time off not long ago; the leaders might be dissatisfied. If you skip this event, they may be more unsatisfied."


    "Then I¡¯ll go. Do you know which celebrities will be there?"


    "I don¡¯t, but you¡¯ll see once you¡¯re there. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day."


    "Then I¡¯ll be there tomorrow. Do I need to prepare any gifts?"


    "I don¡¯t think so. Principal Wang doesn¡¯t lack anything. He¡¯s holding this party because his son returned from abroad and they¡¯re celebrating."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be there at four tomorrow afternoon then."


    Xu Shanshan hung up and ran barefoot to the kitchen, saying to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, our principal is throwing a party tomorrow, and my colleagues want me to go, so I agreed to them."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Attending a colleague¡¯s party is normal."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "I was afraid you¡¯d disagree since you said I shouldn¡¯t run around unnecessarily."


    Li Yifei poured sauce over a braised fish and said, "I meant suspicious invitations. An invitation from your principal shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and said, "Then brother-in-law, you should come with me."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and replied, "Ask your sister. If she agrees, I¡¯ll go with you."


    S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 370 - 377 Lin Qiong’s Discovery

    Chapter 370: Chapter 377 Lin Qiong¡¯s DiscoveryAs for Xu Shanshan¡¯s participation in such an event, Xu Yingying naturally had no objections. Previously, it was because Shanshan always hung out with those unconventional youths.


    "My dear big sis, can I borrow my brother-in-law for a bit tomorrow?" Xu Shanshan swayed Xu Yingying¡¯s arm, wearing a look of flattery.


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment and said, "It¡¯s an event organized by your school. Wouldn¡¯t it be inappropriate for your brother-in-law to go with you?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Cui Yueying has already said that we can bring a partner."


    Only then did Xu Yingying say, "Well, let¡¯s have your brother-in-law go with you. By the way, didn¡¯t you say that you also fancied a guy? Why aren¡¯t you taking him along?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I don¡¯t fancy him anymore, I kicked him to the curb a long time ago."


    Xu Yingying gave Xu Shanshan a sidelong glance and said, "I knew you were fooling Mom."


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "I don¡¯t have your skills, bringing back a fake brother-in-law first and then turning him into a real one. I need to make sure before I bring someone home."


    Li Yifei then called the two to dinner. As they approached the dining table, Xu Shanshan excitedly said, "Brother-in-law, my sister agreed. You have to come with me tomorrow."


    Li Yifei said with a chuckle, "Sure, if Shanshan commands, I dare not refuse."


    Being with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei truly felt a sense of home, and spoke with them quite casually.


    That night, during an intimate moment with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei wanted to get a condom but found that the ones he had bought yesterday were missing. He asked Xu Yingying, "Did you pick up the condoms I bought yesterday?"


    Xu Yingying, who was fine with the intimacy, still felt somewhat embarrassed directly speaking about such things. Blushing, she said, "Yesterday, you only brought back the medicine. I didn¡¯t see the ... condoms you mentioned."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "They must have been dropped along the way."


    At this moment, Xu Yingying, already in high spirits from Li Yifei¡¯s attentions, gently pushed him and said, "If they¡¯re lost, they¡¯re lost. We¡¯ll buy more tomorrow. Tonight ... I¡¯ll still take the pill."


    Li Yifei of course wouldn¡¯t fret over a lost box of condoms, and not using condoms felt even better. Using them instead of pills was actually for Yingying¡¯s health, as after all, medication has its side effects, and continuously taking contraceptives isn¡¯t good for one¡¯s health.


    While Li Yifei hadn¡¯t paid much attention to this box of condoms, Officer Lin had kept a close watch in her heart. She had already sent the contraceptives to the City Bureau¡¯s technical department to have fingerprints compared.


    If they had been left by the mysterious individual, his fingerprints would definitely be on them. By then, comparing them in the fingerprint database could possibly reveal the true identity of this mysterious person.


    Lin Qiong always felt this mysterious individual must have a normal identity. Since he was in Mile City, he couldn¡¯t possibly live without eating or drinking. She wanted to find out what kind of person he was in everyday life.


    However, Lin Qiong had not shared this matter with anyone, nor had she reported it. If the identity of the mysterious person were exposed, it could greatly affect his life. Moreover, given that the mysterious person had killed before, if his actual identity were to be found, it would be quite troublesome.


    As a mysterious figure, he seemed free of legal responsibilities, but as an ordinary person, he should face legal consequences. Officer Lin, despite knowing it was wrong for the mysterious person to have killed, didn¡¯t want to arrest him since he had helped her so much.


    Fingerprint comparison isn¡¯t particularly difficult technical work. After the technicians extracted fingerprints from the box, they input them into the computer for matching.


    But the result surprised Lin Qiong, yet also gave her some relief, because they hadn¡¯t matched the fingerprints of the mysterious person.


    Although Huaxia had a fingerprint database, not everyone¡¯s fingerprints were stored there. It¡¯s an immense foundational project. Typically, fingerprint comparison involves matching fingerprints collected at crime scenes with those of suspects, and some individuals with criminal records also have their fingerprints on file.


    Finding no fingerprints meant that this mysterious person had never been recorded in criminal files before, at least proving he was someone with a clean background.


    Lin Qiong asked the technicians to remove the extracted fingerprints and didn¡¯t keep them in the database, but she made a backup for herself.


    Having been aided by the mysterious person several times, each time at her most perilous moments, Officer Lin knew he was either constantly shadowing her or was someone very familiar to her, allowing him to show up so timely. Therefore, she still planned to covertly collect fingerprints from those close to her, to see if they might belong to the mysterious person.


    Thinking carefully about the people around her, Lin Qiong¡¯s first thought was actually Li Yifei. While the appearance of the mysterious person was completely different from Yifei¡¯s, the stature and profile seemed quite similar. Moreover, Li Yifei was quite capable in a fight, and most crucially, Lin Qiong still didn¡¯t know the extent of Li Yifei¡¯s fighting skills.


    The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed, Lin Qiong¡¯s heart was unspeakably excited. If Li Yifei really was that mysterious figure, and if she still had that sort of relationship with Li Yifei, then it made perfect sense for Li Yifei to help her.


    Li Yifei had stayed at her place numerous times, and seizing the competency expected of a police officer, Lin Qiong started to search for Li Yifei¡¯s fingerprints in her own home.


    However, it had been quite some time since Li Yifei had visited, and any fingerprints he might have left before had essentially been covered up by now. She really couldn¡¯t find an appropriate fingerprint to use.


    Digging out her phone, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t care whether Li Yifei was asleep or not and directly dialed him.


    At that moment, Li Yifei was deeply engaged in the most wonderful activity between husband and wife with Xu Yingying, making the ringing of the phone particularly grating.


    He had intended to ignore it, but Xu Yingying reached out, grabbed the phone from the nightstand, looked at the caller ID, and snorted, saying, "It¡¯s your policewoman lover calling."


    Before he and Xu Yingying were officially married, Li Yifei had told her that he had been involved with Lin Qiong. At that time, he just wanted Xu Yingying to back off, but now it had turned into leverage against him. He could only give a dry laugh and said, "That¡¯s in the past, let¡¯s continue." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t hesitate to answer the call and then put the phone to Li Yifei¡¯s ear. Li Yifei was suddenly speechless and could only say, "Officer Lin, what¡¯s up so late? I¡¯m asleep."


    Lin Qiong was not concerned with that and hurriedly said, "Li Yifei, come to my place right now."


    "How about no? What time is it anyway? What do you need from this elderly lady?" But inside, he was secretly praying that this grand lady wouldn¡¯t spout nonsense.


    "What could I possibly need from you? I¡¯m lonely by myself, and I want you to come over and keep me company."


    Li Yifei immediately felt Xu Yingying¡¯s fierce glare and a pain in his waist. He chuckled nervously and attempted to cover up by saying, "It¡¯s the middle of the night. It¡¯s not good for us to be alone together like this¡ªa single man and a single woman."


    Normally, Lin Qiong would have understood that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t alone, but at this moment, she was so eager to get Li Yifei¡¯s fingerprint that she could hardly wait and didn¡¯t catch the hint in his words. She barked, "A single man and a single woman are perfect for you to be up to no good! Li Yifei, after being with me, I didn¡¯t make you take responsibility. Now I¡¯m asking you to come over, do you dare not to?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately. Now that Lin Qiong had said it, there was no way to cover it up anymore. He gritted his teeth and could only say, "Lin Qiong, let¡¯s not bring up the past, alright? I¡¯m now... I¡¯m married to Yingying."


    "So what if you¡¯re married? I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re married or not. I want you to come over, so you¡¯d better come over... What? Did you say you¡¯re married?" Lin Qiong was throwing her weight around when her tone suddenly shot up several octaves.


    That piercing sound nearly deafened Li Yifei. He moved the phone away, and when Lin Qiong¡¯s shouting stopped, he brought it back to his ear and said, "Lin Qiong, really, I¡¯m with Yingying right now, and moreover... we¡¯ve gone to sleep. I really can¡¯t go to your place now."


    "Beep beep..." Suddenly, a busy tone came from the phone; Lin Qiong had actually hung up on him directly.


    "Well, well, she¡¯s seeking you out in the middle of the night. Seems like it¡¯s more than just a fling, huh?" As soon as Li Yifei put down the phone, Xu Yingying spoke with narrowed eyes. Although there was a smile on her face, her sharp gaze made Li Yifei feel utterly weak.


    "Yingying, you know about Lin Qiong and me. Can we not dwell on the past?" he said.


    "I haven¡¯t dwelled on your past, but what¡¯s this situation now?" she asked.


    "This... I¡¯ve just made it clear to her, haven¡¯t I?" he replied.


    "Really? How come I feel like someone wasn¡¯t very firm in his statement?" she remarked.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Wife, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not firm; it¡¯s just that Lin Qiong and I are still on good terms. Even if we can¡¯t be lovers, we can still be friends, right? No need to be so stiff."


    "You wish. I think you just want to keep a backup plan. Keeping your red flag flying at home, while colored flags flutter outside," she said.


    Li Yifei immediately sat up straighter and said, "I¡¯m not that kind of person. With a wife like Yingying, I have all I need." As he said this, his hand began to caress Xu Yingying¡¯s body again, and his body restlessly began to move.


    Even as they spoke on the phone, the two had not separated. Li Yifei¡¯s movements made Xu Yingying struggle, freshly experiencing this feeling and completely without resistance. "You bastard, don¡¯t think... you can get away with this... jerk, hmm..." she protested.


    By then, Li Yifei had pulled out all the stops, driving Xu Yingying to the peak time and again. A woman newly married could hardly withstand such methods. Once Li Yifei finally stopped, Xu Yingying was completely limp, closed her eyes, and quickly drifted off to sleep.


    At last, he¡¯d managed to preoccupy Xu Yingying temporarily from asking about Lin Qiong, though he too was quite exhausted. If it were not for his extraordinary stamina, he would have been worn out by now. Holding Xu Yingying, he too quickly fell asleep.

 Chapter 371 - 378: Extracting Fingerprints

    Chapter 371: Chapter 378: Extracting FingerprintsLi Yifei was sleeping soundly and sweetly at the time, yet Lin Qiong was tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.


    "You jerk, to actually get married just like that, not even giving me a heads-up," Lin Qiong punched the pillow over and over, venting her dissatisfaction.


    She had said that she didn¡¯t want to further develop her relationship with Li Yifei, but that didn¡¯t mean Li Yifei could just go ahead with it. And even if you were to get married, was there a need to hurry so much and not even tell her about it?


    Now look what happened, she actually called them while the couple was in bed, and even asked Li Yifei to stay over at her place for the night. How was she supposed to face Xu Yingying from now on? After all, she was somewhat acquainted with Xu Yingying, their fathers were comrades-in-arms; just thinking about a future encounter made Lin Qiong¡¯s face flush with heat.


    Lin Qiong was not only angry but extremely embarrassed; how could she possibly sleep in such a state?


    The next day was the weekend. Lin Qiong really wanted to call Li Yifei, drag him out, and demand an explanation as to why he had married without informing her, and she also wanted to get Li Yifei¡¯s fingerprints. This was a matter of utmost importance, and she would not rest until she figured it out.


    But she feared that Li Yifei might be with Xu Yingying right now, and calling would make it even more awkward, so she picked up the phone several times, dialed Li Yifei¡¯s number, but couldn¡¯t muster the courage to actually call.


    After dithering at home for a while longer, Lin Qiong finally couldn¡¯t resist the impulse to know the truth. She clenched her teeth and dialed, but it wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s number¡ªit was Xu Yingying¡¯s.


    The call connected quickly. Lin Qiong tried to sound as casual as possible, "President Xu, I¡¯m really sorry about last night, for disturbing you two. But I desperately need to talk to Li Yifei about work, please don¡¯t misinterpret. Could you let Li Yifei come over? After I talk to him about this today, I will definitely not bother him again."


    Lin Qiong blurted all this out in one breath, then waited for Xu Yingying to respond.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying was sitting next to Li Yifei. After hearing Lin Qiong¡¯s words, she first gave Li Yifei a look before saying, "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll send him over now."


    "Thank you so much. I promise I won¡¯t do anything inappropriate, and he won¡¯t be at my place for more than ten minutes."


    Lin Qiong repeatedly assured her, which somewhat embarrassed Xu Yingying. Although she wasn¡¯t very close with Lin Qiong, their fathers had a good relationship, and they were bound to see each other in the future. It wouldn¡¯t be good if things got too stiff between them. But she definitely couldn¡¯t say anything too generous. She couldn¡¯t exactly tell her to have her husband go and keep Lin Qiong company. She simply smiled and said, "Hehe, he will be right there."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei immediately said, "I don¡¯t want to go, don¡¯t look at me."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another sharp look and said, "Go on, stop pretending. But I¡¯m warning you, if you mess around with Lin Qiong again, don¡¯t blame me for not letting you in bed tonight."


    Xu Yingying said this naturally, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she blushed. How could she, an educated and sophisticated woman, threaten her husband with bedroom privileges? But the words were already out there, and she certainly couldn¡¯t take them back now.


    Seeing her say this, Li Yifei quickly responded, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mess around. It¡¯s probably about a case, so I¡¯ll go now."


    "Go on, no need to keep up pretenses here."


    Twenty minutes later, Li Yifei arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s place. She opened the door for him and then glared at him with displeasure.


    Feeling a bit guilty, but still smiling, Li Yifei said, "You called me for something? You even ended up calling Yingying¡¯s phone."


    Lin Qiong crossed her arms and looked at Li Yifei coldly, grinding her teeth as she said, "Nice one, getting married just like that without giving me a heads up."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly and said, "That matter was indeed a bit complicated. If you¡¯re willing to hear it, I¡¯ll tell you everything."


    Lin Qiong turned and sat on the sofa, saying, "I¡¯d like to hear how touching a story you can come up with."


    Li Yifei sat opposite Lin Qiong, lit another cigarette, took a couple of drags, and then recounted the events before and after his marriage to Xu Yingying to Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong listened very carefully. After Li Yifei finished, she frowned and stared at him, "If you already knew Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s illness was fake and you hadn¡¯t been intimate with her, then why maintain such a marriage?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Initially, there was no intimacy, but later on, it happened. And that¡¯s not the main point. Honestly, being with Yingying feels right, she¡¯s pretty great. Now that we¡¯re married, I don¡¯t want to divorce on a whim."


    Lin Qiong said sarcastically, "Hmph, a beautiful president became your wife, and she isn¡¯t demanding a house or car from you. How could you not be over the moon?"


    The earlier cigarette had long been finished. Now, lighting another one, Li Yifei said, "It must be fate, Lin Qiong. You and I have our own destiny, but perhaps it just hasn¡¯t reached the level of marriage."


    "Don¡¯t try to fool me with that theory. Let me tell you, I never even contemplated marrying you. Oh gosh, it¡¯s almost half an hour. Get out now, before your wife thinks we¡¯ve done something."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s reaction at least saved Li Yifei from a splitting headache. He promptly left Lin Qiong¡¯s house.


    As soon as Li Yifei left, Lin Qiong rushed to her bedroom like a leopard, pulled out professional fingerprinting equipment, and took over ten fingerprints from the table and door handle. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She compared these fingerprints with those found on the contraceptive box that day, and at first glance, they seemed exactly the same.


    This made Lin Qiong¡¯s heart pound wildly. She hurried out, intending to go to the City Bureau for a computerized comparison, as this would provide an accurate result.


    But as she reached the City Bureau¡¯s building, Lin Qiong began to hesitate. If that mysterious person truly was Li Yifei, what then? This was something Lin Qiong just couldn¡¯t reconcile in her heart.


    After hesitating at the door of the City Bureau for quite some time, Lin Qiong gritted her teeth and went upstairs. Luckily, the technician on duty today was from her department; she didn¡¯t need to find someone else.


    Lin Qiong was currently a rising star in the Public Security System of Mile City; everyone knew her as the promising young police officer. So the technician quickly assisted Lin Qiong with the comparison.


    Soon enough, the result was out, and upon seeing it, Lin Qiong was completely stunned, unable to move for a long while.

 Chapter 372 - 379 The Big Star’s Enemy

    Chapter 372: Chapter 379 The Big Star¡¯s EnemyLi Yifei would never have imagined that a dropped box of condoms could betray his identity.


    Of course, this was also absolutely a coincidence. If anyone else had picked up the box, it would have been utterly useless. They certainly wouldn¡¯t think to do a fingerprint comparison. Even if another police officer happened to find the box and did a fingerprint comparison, they wouldn¡¯t go on to obtain Li Yifei¡¯s fingerprints.


    The most important factor was Lin Qiong, who had seen him numerous times and had seen the mysterious person a few times, managed to overlap the two in her mind, ultimately discovering that the mysterious person was in fact Li Yifei.


    Although Lin Qiong had suspected that Li Yifei was the mysterious person, she was still deeply shocked when she saw the proof. That playful and smiling Li Yifei, who was indulgent in life, turned out to be such a powerful individual. There was no way Lin Qiong could reconcile the two images.


    But fingerprint comparison doesn¡¯t make mistakes. The mysterious person was definitely Li Yifei. Lin Qiong didn¡¯t plan to tell anyone this secret. Now, Lin Qiong was suddenly conflicted about how to treat Li Yifei.


    To the mysterious person, Lin Qiong felt admiration, which was an admiration for power and capability. As for Li Yifei, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint her feelings. If she said she liked him, every conversation with this guy would infuriate her, even drive her half mad. If she said she didn¡¯t like him, she would still think about him from time to time. Happy or unhappy, he was always the first person she thought of to confide in.


    So, combining the two made Lin Qiong feel incredibly conflicted.


    For the entire day, Lin Qiong stayed at home and didn¡¯t go out, didn¡¯t even eat. Until four in the afternoon, she suddenly had an epiphany, and a smile appeared on her face, then she burst into laughter a few times, seemingly very excited.


    Nor could anyone know what exactly she was thinking.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was unaware that Lin Qiong had already discovered he was the mysterious person. He had just arrived with Xu Shanshan at a villa on the outskirts of the city.


    The main building of the villa had three floors and covered roughly one thousand square meters. Additionally, there were two smaller annex buildings and a garage. The yard itself spanned about five acres, that is over three thousand square meters, filled with lush green trees and colorful flowers, neat lawns, all exuding the grandeur and prestige of the villa.


    Such a villa, if located in Capital City or any first-tier city, would be worth hundreds of millions. Even in Mile City, those who could own such a villa were definitely few.


    This wasn¡¯t a question of money. Constructing such a villa would certainly cost a hefty sum, but the difficulty lay in obtaining the land approvals. Without the appropriate status, no amount of money could secure a plot for building such a villa.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had driven there, but not in the flashy Porsche. Instead, they used a Mercedes from the company.


    A Mercedes 350L, which was already quite a nice car. Although it wasn¡¯t the top configuration, including all the fees and insurance, it would cost nearly a million. Generally, it would definitely look impressive going out.


    But in this place, the Mercedes 350L didn¡¯t stand out much. Here, there were several more Mercedes and BMWs, with extremely high configurations, and a few more prestigious sports cars¡ªMaserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini¡ªall appeared here.


    "Wow, so our principal is really something," Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but exclaim before even entering the yard, seeing the cars parked at the gate.


    "Yeah," Li Yifei said with a smile, "it looks quite impressive. Seems like your job has a lot of prospects."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I don¡¯t care much for any job, nor making a lot of money. Happiness is all that matters. By the way, brother-in-law, we have an agreement that here you can¡¯t say you¡¯re my brother-in-law. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be laughed at by others."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "I know."


    On the way here, Xu Shanshan had pleaded with Li Yifei to pretend to be her boyfriend, which made him cry and laugh. Why did both sisters come up with this act? However, after Xu Shanshan¡¯s persistent cajoling, he couldn¡¯t refuse and ended up agreeing.


    Of course, Xu Shanshan¡¯s actions would avoid entanglements by some people. Li Yifei was very aware of Xu Shanshan¡¯s charm, which would definitely attract many men. And now, there would surely be some Rich Second Generation and wealthy people here. If they got entangled with Xu Shanshan, it would be quite troublesome. So, pretending to be Xu Shanshan¡¯s boyfriend now didn¡¯t seem so bad to him anymore.


    At the gate, a girl in her twenties came over to greet them, excitedly saying, "Shanshan, you¡¯re finally here. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so long. Hey, who is this?"


    Xu Shanshan linked arms with Li Yifei naturally and with poise, saying with a smiling face, "Let me introduce you. This is Cui Yueying, a good friend from my new workplace. Yueying, this is my boyfriend, Li Yifei."


    "Such a handsome boyfriend, no wonder you didn¡¯t care about the male teachers in our school who pursued you," Cui Yueying immediately exclaimed exaggeratedly. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook hands with Cui Yueying, showing great politeness. However, he was well aware that despite being considered alright overall, he wasn¡¯t so handsome as to make girls scream in excitement.


    Xu Shanshan sweetly leaned her head against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I think, too."


    Cui Yueying giggled and said, "Alright then, let¡¯s go in. I just saw several big stars, you know? Even Ning Xin¡¯er is here."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes immediately lit up as she excitedly asked, "Really? For real?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. Did you see that? The sky-blue Lamborghini over there is hers. I wanted to ask for her autograph, but just now everyone was crowding around her, and I couldn¡¯t get close to her at all. After we go in, I need to get her autograph."


    "I want one too! Ning Xin¡¯er, just thinking about it is exciting."


    The two were talking excitedly, paying no attention to Li Yifei, whose smile now seemed a bit unnatural.


    The three of them entered the villa¡¯s gate, and someone led them to the yard in front of the three-story building. At that moment, rows of tables were set up on the grass, lined with food and drinks, and several people in white uniforms were there specially to serve the guests.


    Groups were gathered in twos and threes, each holding a glass of wine, and from time to time laughter erupted.


    "Teacher Xu, Teacher Cui, over here." Someone called out to Xu Shanshan and Cui Yueying, who quickly walked over.


    These people were teachers from the school, and in this party, they seemed to be the most ordinary group.


    Principal Wang Jiuzhe was indeed a social celebrity, and he had students everywhere, but the teachers in his art school were mostly ordinary people. In such a setting, they felt somewhat out of place, with too many celebrities and stars around, so they didn¡¯t dare approach and could only gather to chat quietly, their eyes revealing a mix of envy and jealousy.


    Li Yifei noticed that Xu Shanshan was quite popular among the people at the school, as everyone was greeting her. Xu Shanshan, too, responded with a smile, as familiar with middle-aged men in their forties as with young men in their twenties.


    This was characteristic of Xu Shanshan¡¯s personality. She wasn¡¯t like her sister¡ªso noble and imposing that people were afraid to approach. Being with Xu Shanshan, everyone could feel relaxed.


    Xu Shanshan introduced Li Yifei to everyone, and immediately everyone teased her a bit. Xu Shanshan just laughed and, far from getting angry, she appeared very happy, holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm without letting go.


    After all the greetings were done, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan sat down at the edge of a table. Li Yifei immediately whispered, "Shanshan, I¡¯m not really comfortable in this setting. I think I¡¯ll leave now."


    Xu Shanshan looked surprised at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re kidding, right? You just got here and now you want to leave?"


    Li Yifei glanced at the celebrities and said, "Seeing those stars, I feel really pressured."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s expressive eyes surveyed Li Yifei up and down and said, "Tell me, brother-in-law, is there someone here you don¡¯t want to meet?"


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re just too smart. There¡¯s an enemy of mine here."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she said, "No way! You have an enemy here? Who is it? I¡¯ll go beat them up for you."


    Li Yifei pointed to a group of people who had just come out of the villa and said, "It¡¯s that Ning Xin¡¯er."


    "What?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes grew even wider, staring at Li Yifei as if she were looking at an alien.


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly crouched down, almost lying on the table, as he said, "Keep your voice down, don¡¯t let her see me."


    At this point, Xu Shanshan burst into laughter and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really too funny. Ning Xin¡¯er is like one of our country¡¯s top ten big stars, with the best personality. How could you possibly make an enemy of her? Even if you¡¯re trying to tease me, you could pick someone else, right?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. It¡¯s true that Ning Xin¡¯er was known for her good nature in public, smiling at everyone, but only those who really knew her understood that this woman was truly not to be messed with, and was incredibly domineering. He said, "I¡¯m not joking. I really have a conflict with her, and if she catches me, I¡¯m dead."


    By now, Xu Shanshan was already leaning on the table, trying not to laugh out loud and appear rude. Holding her stomach with one hand and patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder with the other, she said, "Brother-in-law... I had no idea you had such a sense of humor."

 Chapter 373 - 380

    Chapter 373: 380Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected to say that, and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t believe it either. At this moment, Cui Yueying sat down beside Xu Shanshan, grinning and said, "I¡¯m not interrupting you, am I?"


    Xu Shanshan sat up, shook her head, and rubbed her face, laughing, "No worries, we¡¯re just joking around."


    Cui Yueying looked at the two enviously and said, "You really are a loving couple, even your chats are so joyful."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "My sister... Yifei is really funny. He always jokes around to make me happy. He just said that Ning Xin¡¯er has a grudge against him, which cracked me up."


    Cui Yueying suddenly burst out laughing and said, "That¡¯s hilarious. There are so few men in this world who would have a grudge against Ning Xin¡¯er. But come to think of it, becoming an enemy of Ning Xin¡¯er is quite a happy thing for a man."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. What kind of damn logic was this? Being enemies with Ning Xin¡¯er and still being happy? That was because they hadn¡¯t really made an enemy of Ning Xin¡¯er. If they had, they would know how serious the consequences of offending Ning Xin¡¯er could be.


    At this time, Xu Shanshan tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s hand and whispered, "Principal Wang has come out, let¡¯s head over."


    Li Yifei really felt like running away at this point. Although he was a highly skilled fighter with few equals, there were still a handful of people whom Li Yifei feared like snakes and scorpions, and Ning Xin¡¯er was clearly one of them. He really didn¡¯t want to see her now, but Xu Shanshan was gripping his hand tightly, making it impossible for him to leave.


    Besides, the main door had already closed. Trying to get out now would also be a hassle, adding to Li Yifei¡¯s headache.


    However, on second thought, he hadn¡¯t seen Ning Xin¡¯er in more than three years. Whether she could still remember him was uncertain. Moreover, with so many people around now, as long as he stayed alert and avoided Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    A small stage had been set up in the courtyard, and Wang Jiuzhe had already taken his place on it. He was holding a microphone¡ªa man in his fifties, wearing a large T-shirt and floral shorts, dressed simply and casually yet looking quite youthful.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t known this Wang Jiuzhe before. Qiao Ya however had a good relationship with him, but through Xu Shanshan, he had learned that this guy was no simple character. He ran several large companies with assets totaling at least a billion.


    The most famous of these was a film and television company, from which many popular stars had emerged.


    His art school was established to supply his film and television company with talent, and he took on the role of principal himself.


    Wang Jiuzhe then cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, I¡¯m truly delighted to have you all here today. Among us are my friends, my students, and the teachers of my Mile City School. Today, let¡¯s eat, drink, and be merry to our heart¡¯s content. Otherwise, you¡¯d be disrespecting me, Wang Jiuzhe." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The crowd burst into laughter, and Wang Jiuzhe laughed along, adding, "Actually, my main purpose today is to introduce my son to everyone. This is my son Wang Libang, who has just graduated from Oxford University. He will join my company and gradually take over my position. I hope you will support Libang in the future just as you have supported me."


    Xu Shanshan and her friends didn¡¯t make much of it, but those big stars were truly shocked. For heirs of wealthy families, even if they were to take over the family business, it tended to happen when the patriarch was in his seventies and could no longer handle the responsibilities. But here was Wang Jiuzhe, still in his prime, passing on the heavy responsibility to his son¡ªa move that required immense courage.


    "Now, let my son say a few words to you all." Wang Jiuzhe passed the microphone to Wang Libang.


    Wang Libang, 28 years old and about 1.8 meters tall, was slightly lean. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, not looking nerdy but rather distinguished. After a light cough, he said, "Hello everyone, I¡¯m Wang Libang. I have just graduated from university and my father has handed me this heavy responsibility, which makes me somewhat apprehensive. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t do as well as my father."


    After a brief pause, Wang Libang continued, "But I believe I possess my father¡¯s excellent genes, and as long as I put in the effort, I won¡¯t fall short of him. Of course, most importantly, I hope everyone will support me the same way you have supported my father."


    The audience immediately applauded, showing their support for Wang Libang.


    "Wang Libang is so handsome," Cui Yueying hugged her chest, looking quite smitten.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Then go after him. He¡¯s going to be our principal, so you might have a chance."


    Cui Yueying immediately gave a wry smile and said, "I¡¯m just talking. Look at all those stars in front, how could I stand a chance?"


    At that moment, Wang Libang loudly announced from the stage, "The PARTY tonight officially begins," and the music followed suit.


    The people in front quickly paired off and began to dance. Xu Shanshan also took hold of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, smiled, and said, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s dance too."


    Li Yifei met Xu Shanshan¡¯s expectant gaze and certainly couldn¡¯t refuse her. He smiled, wrapping one arm around Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist and taking her hand in his.


    Xu Shanshan immediately flashed a sweet smile and placed her other hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, and the two began to dance slowly to the music in unspoken harmony.


    "Brother-in-law, I thought you were going to say you can¡¯t dance."


    "I learned before, and it seems I haven¡¯t forgotten." Not only could Li Yifei dance, but he was also quite good at it. Attending various functions was a normal part of his past missions, and not knowing how to dance would have limited his methods to disguise his identity.


    As they danced for a bit, Li Yifei noticed Ning Xin¡¯er, who was also dancing, was getting very close to him. He quickly twisted his body to turn his back on Ning Xin¡¯er and, leading Xu Shanshan, started dancing away from her.


    This movement was subtle; Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t notice, and Ning Xin¡¯er, too, didn¡¯t see him at all, which made Li Yifei secretly breathe a sigh of relief.


    Felt a weight on his shoulder, Xu Shanshan had now rested her head there, her hand releasing his and instead wrapping around his waist.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to encircle Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist with his arms as well.


    Normally, dancing wasn¡¯t considered that intimate, but this posture was very intimate indeed. Xu Shanshan¡¯s upper body was now pressed against Li Yifei¡¯s, prompting him to say with some embarrassment, "Shanshan, are you tired?"


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t take the hint Li Yifei offered but instead looked up with a smile, "I¡¯m not tired at all, I just like dancing with brother-in-law this way."


    "Shanshan, isn¡¯t this..." Li Yifei struggled to find the right word to express himself.


    Xu Shanshan narrowed her eyes, her voice both sweet and sticky as she said, "Is it because we are too intimate?"


    "It seems so..."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t forget, today you are supposed to be my boyfriend, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense if you weren¡¯t intimate with me."


    "But does it have to be this way?" Li Yifei swallowed hard.


    "Just think of me as my sister. However you would treat my sister, that¡¯s how you should treat me now, so you won¡¯t feel uncomfortable, at least not appearance-wise. I don¡¯t look that different from my sister, so it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you, right?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned a shade greener. Looking at Xu Shanshan, he couldn¡¯t help but think of Xu Yingying. The two of them were practically identical. But in his heart, it was indeed very difficult to think of Xu Shanshan as Xu Yingying. Besides, he and Xu Yingying were truly husband and wife now, free to do as they pleased, which clearly wasn¡¯t the case with Xu Shanshan.


    "Brother-in-law... you are so bad," Xu Shanshan said, drawing even closer to Li Yifei, her breath hot and her eyes watery and alluringly misty.


    Li Yifei was extremely embarrassed at this moment, as Xu Shanshan had noticed the change in him.


    Li Yifei quickly shifted his hips back a bit to avoid further contact with Xu Shanshan, and said with a bitter smile, "Shanshan, I¡¯m really sorry."


    Unexpectedly, at that moment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s body pressed forward, her alluring eyes fixed on him as she said, "No problem, is this the only way you can think of me as my sister? If you had no reaction, then I would¡¯ve felt like a failure."


    "Shanshan, please spare me," said Li Yifei, wanting to pull back even more, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s arms around his waist tightened, making it impossible for him to move away.


    "It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s just dance," Xu Shanshan said, burying her face in Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and gently swaying her body.


    But then, the music stopped, and the dance was over. Everyone was dispersing, and Li Yifei quickly let go of Xu Shanshan, saying, "Shanshan, I think I¡¯ll go have a smoke."


    Xu Shanshan let go of Li Yifei as well, narrowing her eyes and hooking her arm in his, "Sure, I¡¯ll accompany you."


    Li Yifei promptly started walking away, but Xu Shanshan glanced at him and couldn¡¯t help laughing. Li Yifei looked down and saw that his old face had turned even uglier than a pig¡¯s liver. He¡¯d never been this embarrassed in front of a woman before.

 Chapter 374 - 381 Magnanimous Young Master Li

    Chapter 374: Chapter 381 Magnanimous Young Master LiLi Yifei had been with Xu Yingying for so long just now, so his body naturally had some reactions. When a woman is aroused, she secretes fluids to facilitate a man¡¯s entry, and when a man is aroused, that place also secretes fluids. This is the law of nature, the reproduction of mankind, something no one can change.


    However, it¡¯s normal on the bed, but in this situation, Li Yifei was a bit embarrassed. In the summer, the pants are naturally thin, and the amount of fluid he released not only soaked through his underwear but also left a small wet patch at the front of his trousers.


    If someone discovered that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face anyone. He hurriedly pulled Xu Shanshan to an area with fewer people and plopped down on a chair. Fortunately, today¡¯s center of attention was those celebrities; no one noticed him, which allowed Li Yifei to finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Xu Shanshan sat next to Li Yifei. At first, she squinted her eyes and quietly laughed, then covered her mouth and laughed uncontrollably.


    At this moment, Li Yifei wished he could find a hole to hide in. If it were someone else, it would have been fine, but Xu Shanshan was his sister-in-law. To have such an incident happen, he felt he had no face to sit next to Xu Shanshan.


    Noticing the uncomfortable expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face, Xu Shanshan quickly stopped laughing and apologetically said, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t be mad, I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you."


    Li Yifei forced a bitter smile and said, "You don¡¯t need to comfort me. Just look at yourself in the mirror."


    Xu Shanshan knew her face must be full of laughter, and she couldn¡¯t hold it in. She lightly shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm and softly said, "Brother-in-law, I may laugh, but I don¡¯t blame you. This is a natural reaction, isn¡¯t it? My sister and I look identical, so when you hug me, you naturally think of my sister. These past few days you¡¯re newlyweds, so of course, you¡¯d let your mind wander. Besides, when you playfully touch my feet, I quite enjoy it. So, isn¡¯t this normal?"


    Normal... Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t feel it was normal. However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s words somewhat eased his embarrassment. He took out a cigarette, and Xu Shanshan snatched the lighter and lit it for him, acting as if she was genuinely afraid he might be angry.


    After taking two puffs, Li Yifei finally calmed himself down, feeling a lot more at ease. At this point, the music started playing again, and Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, shall we dance again?"


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "No dancing, definitely not."


    "Don¡¯t worry, this time I¡¯ll keep my distance." Xu Shanshan chuckled again, but there was always a hint of flirtation in her smile.


    Li Yifei firmly shook his head and said, "No way, you¡¯d just make me embarrass myself again."


    Xu Shanshan glanced at the unmistakable damp spot on Li Yifei¡¯s trousers, which wasn¡¯t very dignified if seen by others, and said, "Alright, we¡¯ll just sit here. By the way, do you want something to eat? I can get you some."


    At this moment, Li Yifei wanted nothing more than to send Xu Shanshan away. He hurriedly said, "Just grab anything."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, stood up to get some food but suddenly stopped, nervously checked her own clothes, and then worriedly asked Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, check for me, is there anything here?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, but he still carefully checked Xu Shanshan¡¯s clothes below her abdomen. If it was wet there too, he would be even more embarrassed. Luckily, there was no issue, so he quickly said, "It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re not wet there."


    "Then I¡¯m off." Xu Shanshan mischievously winked at Li Yifei again and called over two colleagues to head to the dining area to get some food.


    Li Yifei shook his head, unsure of how to handle Xu Shanshan, this sister-in-law who constantly teased him, often quite provocatively, and never got mad. He worried that if it went on like this, his primal instincts might one day compel him to put Xu Shanshan in an awkward position.


    "Young Master Li!" A voice full of surprise sounded nearby, and two women, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, arrived in front of Li Yifei.


    "Oh, it¡¯s you two!" It was Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue. Both had faces full of excited surprise. Li Yifei greeted them and moved his chair forward a bit so that his legs could be completely hidden under the table, avoiding detection of certain areas.


    "Young Master Li, why are you here alone?" Li Xinyue asked, looking at Li Yifei affectionately.


    "I came with Shanshan, President Xu¡¯s sister."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were passionate spokespersons and were familiar with Xu Yingying. Thus, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t pretend to be Xu Shanshan¡¯s boyfriend.


    "Then, Young Master Li, would you mind if we kept you company here?" Song Lianyao winked at Li Yifei. Though she had fewer opportunities to interact with him, she was bolder than Li Xinyue.


    Li Yifei thought that with these two keeping him company, Xu Shanshan might be a bit more careful, saving him from further embarrassment. He smiled and said, "Sure, but here I¡¯m just acting as Shanshan¡¯s fake boyfriend, not some Young Master Li. Just call me by my name."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao quickly pulled up chairs to sit next to Li Yifei, causing him to smile wryly and say, "Do you two have to sit so close? People will overthink if they see this."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both looked a bit embarrassed but only smiled at Li Yifei, moving their chairs slightly farther away.


    "Li... Yifei." Li Xinyue almost called him Young Master Li but quickly corrected herself and smiled apologetically at Li Yifei. "Have you been busy lately?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Not too busy."


    Song Lianyao pouted and said, "Then why haven¡¯t you ever called? I thought you were really busy."


    Li Xinyue also said, with a face full of grievance, "Yes, I¡¯ve been longing for you to call me, thinking each time the phone rings it might be you, but each time I¡¯m so disappointed."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless. Xu Shanshan had just left, and now Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were laying it on thick. It was exhausting, though not as stressful handling Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao; he smiled and said, "You two are busy hosts with tight schedules. I thought calling might disturb your work."


    Song Lianyao said with a hint of grievance, "Oh, come on. What work do we have? Besides, even if work is busy, as long as it¡¯s Young Master Li¡¯s call, I¡¯d rush over no matter what."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, since you both say so, when I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll call you to hang out."


    Li Xinyue seized Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gently shook it, and said, "Promise us this time. Don¡¯t just brush us off. Before, you said you¡¯d call us, but never did."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t lie to you this time." Li Yifei agreed pleasantly. Though these two appeared somewhat opportunistic, they had their charms, especially Li Xinyue¡¯s firm refusal of Song Ziqiao last time, making him see them in a new light. While he harbored no ill will toward them, having a friendly relationship was completely fine.


    At this point, the music started playing again. Li Xinyue immediately said, "Yifei, would you honor me with a dance?" After chatting for a while, Li Xinyue felt natural enough to drop the surname from his name.


    Li Yifei could not agree, quickly saying, "I¡¯m not feeling well today, so no dancing."


    Song Lianyao, unwilling to give up, said, "You just said you wouldn¡¯t lie to us. Now you¡¯re lying¡ªyou¡¯re perfectly fine, not unwell at all."


    Li Yifei, of course, couldn¡¯t reveal his predicament and apologized, "Really, I don¡¯t want to dance today. However, if you want to chat, I¡¯m all ears."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s firm stance and his openness to chatting, the two wisely didn¡¯t press him to dance. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lianyao, what are you doing here?" A man approached with a furrowed brow.


    Song Lianyao immediately looked at Li Yifei, her face somewhat embarrassed, and introduced, "Yifei, this is Director Qin Handong."


    Beside her, Li Xinyue also explained, "Director Qin favored Lianyao, wanting her in his film crew as a supporting actress." Clearly, an explanation of Qin Handong¡¯s identity.


    Director Qin Handong hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Li Yifei initially. He recognized the celebrities present, and this man looked unfamiliar, likely just a teacher from the art school where he saw him mingling. Even with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao sitting with him, he assumed it was just an acquaintance.


    But realizing Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue hadn¡¯t first sought to curry favor with him but explained to this man instead, Director Qin felt this man might be someone significant. Extending his hand, he introduced himself, "I¡¯m Qin Handong."


    Li Yifei offered a handshake, saying, "Li Yifei."


    Director Qin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Even when meeting a big shot, it seemed impolite to remain seated for a handshake; it felt disrespectful.


    But in the eyes of Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, it was different. Young Master Li was indeed so. Even facing Qin Handong, a well-known director in the country, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to stand for a handshake. What¡¯s grandeur? This was what genuine grandeur was like, looking at Li Yifei with even more ardent admiration.


    Had it not been for the occasion, they would have wanted to throw themselves into his arms; even if it was just for a single night with Li Yifei, they would do so without complaint.


    However, only Li Yifei knew he was inconveniently unable to stand at the moment.

 Chapter 375 - 382 The Embarrassed Great Director

    Chapter 375: Chapter 382 The Embarrassed Great DirectorQin Handong sat across from Li Yifei. Li Yifei was so impressive, so dismissive of him, which made Qin Handong feel that he might really be as powerful as he seemed. For his movies and TV shows, he needed to connect with these wealthy business owners to secure investments; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to manage on his own.


    With a humble smile, Qin Handong said, "Mr. Li, forgive my boldness. I know some of the well-known figures in Mile City, but I have never had the pleasure of meeting you, Mr. Li. May I ask what line of business you¡¯re in?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Then you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not in business."


    "So, are you with the government?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile deepened. "No, that¡¯s not it either."


    "Then you are..." Qin Handong frowned, perplexed. Nowadays, to be truly impressive, one had to be either an official or a merchant.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "I¡¯m just an ordinary employee."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao looked at Li Yifei with even greater admiration. Usually, those Second Generation Officials and Rich Second Generation made sure everyone knew about their status and how powerful they were. Only Li Yifei, clearly so capable, preferred not to let others be aware of it. He wasn¡¯t pretending to be something he wasn¡¯t; he was genuinely calm and composed, not treating social status as a big deal.


    Now that¡¯s a real man!


    But now Qin Handong¡¯s expression changed. Still, he managed to say with patience, "May I ask what position you hold within the company?"


    Li Yifei flicked away some ash and replied, "I¡¯m just an ordinary department manager. It¡¯s hardly an important position."


    Hearing this, Qin Handong felt a rush of anger well up inside. A mere department manager acting so arrogantly towards him was simply unacceptable. Yet it would demean him to lose his temper with Li Yifei. Instead, with a stern face, he said to Song Lianyao, "Lianyao, I still need to introduce you to some important people. How can you spend time chatting here with a mere department manager? Do you not understand what¡¯s important?"


    Using Song Lianyao as a scapegoat, he vented his frustration and simultaneously took a jab at Li Yifei. In his eyes, a department manager was beneath his notice.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Lianyao, if you¡¯re busy, go ahead."


    Even though Song Lianyao saw Li Yifei¡¯s smiling face, Qin Handong¡¯s words were clearly mocking him, which could offend Li Yifei. Even though Qin Handong could likely help her career progress further, Li Yifei¡¯s status in her heart was apparently much higher than Qin Handong¡¯s.


    Without even contemplating internally, Song Lianyao smiled at Qin Handong and said, "Director Qin, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d rather stay and chat with Yifei. You go ahead with your business."


    "What?" Qin Handong could hardly believe his ears. A TV host from Mile City was outright refusing him, a famous director.


    Li Xinyue also smiled and said, "Director Qin, I¡¯m terribly sorry, but we haven¡¯t seen Yifei for a long time, and we¡¯d like to catch up."


    Influenced by Li Yifei, Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue spoke to Qin Handong in a calm and even tone, which essentially gave him the boot.


    This made Qin Handong¡¯s expression extremely ugly. He was a well-known director whom actors vied to please. Except for a few top-tier stars within the country, the other actors did whatever he said without dare to go against him¡ªeven if he demanded they sleep with him, those female stars would have stripped and served him willingly.


    Particularly the expressions from Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue were unbearable for him. The pair seemed so composed, as if they didn¡¯t think much of him at all.


    Standing up abruptly, Qin Handong said viciously, "Fine, Song Lianyao, let me tell you now: don¡¯t expect to ever have a chance to appear on screen through me."


    Still, Song Lianyao¡¯s smile was radiant. "That¡¯s fine. If I can¡¯t appear on screen, so be it."


    Qin Handong felt as though he¡¯d thrown all his might into a punch, only to land it on a pile of soft cotton. It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling. To an aspiring actress, a ban should be a harsh punishment. In his view, when he uttered those words, Song Lianyao should have at least shown shock, if not begged for his forgiveness with tears. But to his astonishment, Song Lianyao was still smiling radiantly, not taking the threat of being blacklisted seriously at all.


    This was simply the utmost contempt for him; he felt that his heavy punch wasn¡¯t nearly forceful enough as he angrily shouted, "Fine, then let me tell you something else. You won¡¯t just be out of the picture with me, you¡¯ll have no chance at all in this industry anymore."


    If Yifei hadn¡¯t been here, Lianyao would have really believed Qin Handong¡¯s words, but now, with Yifei present, what Qin Handong said carried no threat at all. She kept on smiling and said, "Being on camera isn¡¯t all that great, and if you then force me into those unspoken rules, wouldn¡¯t I be at a great loss? Isn¡¯t that right, Yifei?"


    Yifei knew all too well that Lianyao was trying to curry favor with him and acting cute, seeing him as the all-powerful young elite of the Capital City, but under the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t say she was wrong - instead, he just smiled lightly and said, "You¡¯re right, the showbiz circle is indeed a bit chaotic. Being a host is quite good for you."


    Lianyao nodded repeatedly and said, "Hmm, then I¡¯ll just listen to Yifei. I¡¯ll be content with being a host from now on and won¡¯t consider all that messy stuff anymore."


    Qin Handong only felt a tightness in his chest and a salty taste in his throat; his usual effective intimidation tactics were suddenly ineffective against a local station host like Lianyao.


    At this moment, Xinyue said to Qin Handong, "Director Qin, I¡¯m sorry, but you really shouldn¡¯t bother with us small-timers. We¡¯re just here to have a chat."


    "Fine, we¡¯ll see about that." Qin Handong threw out a menacing remark, yet he left in a most embarrassing manner.


    Lianyao then grabbed Yifei¡¯s arm, gently shook it twice, and said in a coquettish tone, "Yifei, I¡¯ve now given up my future prospects, you can¡¯t just ignore me."


    Before Yifei could answer, Xinyue hurriedly interjected, "Yifei, don¡¯t take her seriously, Lianyao is just joking with you; we never really liked acting in dramas anyway." As she spoke, she gave Lianyao a meaningful glance.


    Lianyao immediately regretted her actions; Yifei wasn¡¯t one of those dissolute rich young men who could be easily swayed by a bit of coquetry. She quickly tried to remedy the situation, saying, "Young Master Li, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have acted like that." Yet her face had already involuntarily begun to show signs of panic.


    In fact, Yifei didn¡¯t blame Lianyao at all. As hosts, what they did best was to use body language to express their needs. He hadn¡¯t had much interaction with Lianyao and didn¡¯t understand her very well, but he did trust Xinyue, and since Lianyao had always been so close to Xinyue, he, by association, had a favorable impression of her as well.


    "Ha, because of me, you¡¯re ruining your future, and I should be the one saying sorry to you, yet you are apologizing to me."


    Lianyao still felt uneasy, and whispered, "But just now, it seemed like I was trying to win your favor."


    "That¡¯s nothing to worry about. If you really have thoughts of progressing in this direction, I could help you out, but you should think it over carefully. Although entering this industry might seem glamorous, the price to pay is actually quite hefty. Oh, and you¡¯re already a host, so you should be familiar with this circle."


    Lianyao, hearing Yifei speak like this, was overjoyed inside. She wanted to agree immediately, but as the words reached her lips, she hesitated, biting her lip and saying, "Can I... not make a decision right now?"


    Yifei nodded approvingly and said, "That¡¯s wise. It¡¯s best not to rush into decisions, especially when it comes to important life choices. Once you¡¯ve made up your mind, just give me a call."


    Lianyao nodded repeatedly, looking delighted as she said to Yifei, "I knew Yifei would never abandon me."


    Xinyue shook her head, feeling a tinge of pity for Lianyao; Lianyao¡¯s ambitions were still wilder than her own ¨C she aspired to become a top-tier star, which was why she hesitated. If it had been her, Xinyue, she would have immediately declined any thoughts of stardom. Winning Yifei¡¯s favor was more important than anything else.


    Even the best of friends can¡¯t have the exact same thoughts; they only share most interests and preferences. Everyone has the right to choose their path in life. Xinyue¡¯s dream was to become Yifei¡¯s lover, while Lianyao placed a higher value on her career.


    Yifei was chatting with the two beautiful hosts and was in a good mood. However, he started feeling that something wasn¡¯t quite right. Why hadn¡¯t Shanshan come back yet? It wasn¡¯t like her to be away this long, particularly when there were two beauties next to him; she should have come back much earlier to keep an eye on the situation.


    He looked around and finally caught sight of Shanshan. She was at the buffet table, chatting with a woman. The woman had her back turned to Yifei, so he couldn¡¯t see her face, but judging from her clothes, Yifei recognized that this woman must be Ning Xin¡¯er.


    This shocked Yifei. He had already mentioned his feud with Ning Xin¡¯er, yet Shanshan still went to talk to her. Knowing Shanshan as well as he did, it was likely that she was talking about this very issue with Ning Xin¡¯er at that moment.


    And as if to confirm his fears, Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly turned around and looked his way.

 Chapter 376 - 383: Slip Away

    Chapter 376: Chapter 383: Slip AwayLi Yifei sat in a position directly facing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s location, knowing that if she turned her head, she would definitely see him. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed Li Xinyue and used her to shield his face.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced over, then turned her head back, while Xu Shanshan was completely baffled. She had just seen Li Yifei there, so how had he disappeared in the blink of an eye?


    "Li... Young Master Li..." Li Xinyue stammered.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t move."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s body froze, her face turning so red it looked like it could drip blood.


    Song Lianyao stared wide-eyed at Li Yifei and Li Xinyue. Young Master Li was really bold, and too eager for his own good. To be embracing Li Xinyue at such a time, burying his face into her bosom, was he actually planning to stage a Live Erotic Performance right here?


    But Li Yifei finally sensed the odd atmosphere and suddenly became aware that his face was pressed against something soft. He quickly pushed Li Xinyue away, his face flushing red as he said, "Sorry, I lost my composure in a moment of panic."


    However, he had no time to explain to Li Xinyue at that moment, because he had seen Xu Shanshan approaching with Ning Xin¡¯er. He quickly crouched down, using the surrounding tables for cover as he scurried aside, then spotted a nearby swimming pool with only a few people swimming¡ªit was the perfect hiding place.


    Wang Jiuzhe had thoughtfully considered that guests might enjoy a swim, so he had prepared plenty of swimsuits. There were even staff members on hand to assist. Li Yifei, unable to show himself in his pants, changed into a pair of swim trunks and jumped into the pool, reasoning that Ning Xin¡¯er was unlikely to come swimming and that he would be safe. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For Xu Shanshan, this was her first close encounter with Ning Xin¡¯er, and the excitement in her heart was indescribable. She struck up a conversation with Ning Xin¡¯er, who seemed like a charming girl.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, who had initially little interest in attending the gathering and had come only because she couldn¡¯t decline, found the conversation with the seemingly adorable Xu Shanshan not at all objectionable.


    "My boyfriend just said he had a grudge against you, which is hilarious. With a personality like yours, Ning Xin¡¯er, the whole world knows how gentle and lovely you are. How could you possibly have any enemies?" Xu Shanshan, aware that ordinary topics might not pique Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s interest, decided to share the joke Li Yifei had made earlier.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She had been in the shadows for over two years and, indeed, in the eyes of the public during that time, she had been a good person. In the past, she had always appeared very well-behaved in front of others. However, those who truly knew her understood that she was an unmistakable demon and that she had an enemy in her life whom she had been trying to find for years without success. Xu Shanshan¡¯s mention of it now instinctively brought that enemy to mind.


    "Where is he? Let me see what my enemy looks like," Ning Xin¡¯er said casually with a smile on her face.


    Xu Shanshan immediately pointed to where Li Yifei had been, but Ning Xin¡¯er turned to see only two women there, with no man in sight.


    "Huh, where did that guy run off to?" Xu Shanshan muttered, then smiled at Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "He might have stepped away for a moment. He¡¯ll be back soon, and I¡¯ll introduce you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and said, "Sure."


    Xu Shanshan was thrilled that Ning Xin¡¯er had agreed so readily and said excitedly, "Then I¡¯ll go find him."


    "No need, I¡¯ll go with you," Ning Xin¡¯er replied.


    Xu Shanshan was even more elated and quickly led Ning Xin¡¯er over, but when they arrived, they saw only Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao.


    "President Xu!" Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao stood up promptly. They hadn¡¯t met Xu Shanshan before, so naturally assumed her to be Xu Yingying.


    Xu Shanshan, not in the mood to pretend to be her sister today, smiled and said, "I¡¯m her twin sister. By the way, have you seen Li Yifei?" Since they knew her sister, they might also know Li Yifei.


    Hearing the name Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit disappointed. That enemy of hers didn¡¯t go by that name.


    Li Yifei had slipped away just before, and both Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao sensed that it might have been because of Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arrival. To others, Ning Xin¡¯er might seem out of reach, but clearly, she wasn¡¯t to Li Yifei.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s obvious attempt to flee and not wanting Ning Xin¡¯er to see him, both started imagining a rather melodramatic scenario that Ning Xin¡¯er was the fianc¨¦e arranged by Li Yifei¡¯s family, which he opposed, leading to his leaving home. Now, of course, they couldn¡¯t let Ning Xin¡¯er find Li Yifei, let alone give him away.


    Li Xinyue quickly smiled and said, "When we arrived, we didn¡¯t see Li Yifei either. Did he come too?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said, "Yeah, that guy really, I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s run off to now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er knew this Li Yifei was not the enemy she was looking for; her interest dwindled. She smiled and said, "Then let¡¯s leave it at that. I have a few friends I need to chat with, so I¡¯ll head over there first."


    Xu Shanshan felt somewhat disappointed, but considering Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s status, the fact that she got to talk with her for a bit and even received her autograph made her quite happy. She smiled and said, "Thank you for spending so much time chatting with me."


    "It¡¯s nothing, goodbye," Ning Xin¡¯er waved her hand, nodded at Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, and turned to walk away.


    Xu Shanshan searched for a while but couldn¡¯t find Li Yifei. At that moment, her colleague Cui Yueying and a few others pulled her along to get autographs from celebrities; she became excited and went with them instead of looking for Li Yifei.


    After Xu Shanshan left, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao headed to the pool, changed into swimsuits, and got into the water. Li Yifei swam over to them and asked, "What did they say?"


    Li Xinyue chuckled and said, "That Ning Xin¡¯er isn¡¯t your fianc¨¦e, is she?"


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, we knew each other before, but I don¡¯t want to see her."


    Without getting the reason from Li Yifei, the two women knew there must be some history between him and Ning Xin¡¯er. By keeping his secret, they naturally felt closer to Li Yifei. Li Xinyue said with a playful smile, "Yifei, we¡¯ve helped you out. You should thank me, you know."


    "Ha... no problem. I¡¯ll treat you two to a meal later," Li Yifei replied.


    Song Lianyao immediately said excitedly, "I¡¯ll hold you to that. If you don¡¯t treat us, I¡¯ll take the initiative to find you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Sure, it seems my words often fall short with you two."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao burst into giggles.


    Li Xinyue, always attentive, added, "By the way, President Xu¡¯s sister just mentioned your name earlier. I was worried, but after Ning Xin¡¯er heard your name, she didn¡¯t seem to react at all."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "She doesn¡¯t know my name is Li Yifei. I gave a fake name."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao exchanged glances, and Song Lianyao laughed softly, "I bet you must have bullied her, Young Master Li. You¡¯re quite mischievous, bullying someone and then giving a fake name."


    Now Li Yifei¡¯s face turned crimson; Song Lianyao had indeed guessed it right. He cleared his throat and said, "Let¡¯s not bring up the past. If you two run into her in the future, please don¡¯t mention me."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were both surprised, realizing they had hit the nail on the head, and hurriedly promised not to say a word.


    "Let¡¯s swim for a while; the water temperature is nice, and it¡¯s very clear," Li Yifei suggested, not wanting to dwell on the topic and quickly swam away.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao swiftly followed him, swimming alongside Li Yifei, which was quite exciting for them. They accompanied him like two beautiful mermaids, occasionally brushing against his body.


    Wearing swimsuits, more of their bodies were exposed, and every touch was skin-to-skin. Li Yifei found himself enjoying quite a bit of harmless flirting in the pool, which seemed entirely appropriate given the setting, so he indulged without guilt, accepting the playful attention they offered.


    Meanwhile, the gathering gradually dispersed as people chose activities they were interested in; some went to play cards, others chatted, and naturally, some came to swim as well.


    Soon more people filled the swimming pool, including some celebrities. The arrival of these stars excited the art school teachers present; wearing swimsuits, sex goddesses and pure beauties appeared quite different than usual.


    Yet Li Yifei, instead of leaving due to the crowd, found it preferable. The more people there were, the less likely Ning Xin¡¯er was to notice him. He knew she wasn¡¯t fond of swimming, so he felt safest here.


    Today¡¯s attendees were celebrities, especially the female stars with amazing figures who drew lots of attention in their swimsuits. This provided a feast for the eyes for Li Yifei, as well as for Xu Shanshan¡¯s colleagues, who were thrilled to swim with so many celebrities.


    However, it was unfortunate that photography was not allowed at the pool. Given the private nature of the gathering, with even journalists barred, no one wanted the risk of pictures circulating from the event.


    Xu Shanshan had also arrived, but without changing into a swimsuit yet. She noticed the pool and immediately looked for Li Yifei. True enough, in the pool, there he was, having fun with two beauties.


    This caused Xu Shanshan to pout, but she didn¡¯t call out to Li Yifei. Instead, she changed into her swimsuit, got into the water from the other side of the pool, and stealthily dived towards Li Yifei. The naughty brother-in-law indeed had come here secretly, and she was determined to give him a good scare.

 Chapter 377 - 384 Hello

    Chapter 377: Chapter 384 HelloLi Yifei was playing in the water with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Not only them, but some usually reserved big stars were also having a blast here. These celebrities, who always put on a remarkable facade in front of the media and fans, showed much of their suppressed nature in private settings.


    As long as Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t around, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind and didn¡¯t notice someone was already diving toward him underwater.


    Xu Shanshan loved dancing and sports, and swimming was something she enjoyed too. She had been taking swimming classes since she was seven and was proficient in various swimming styles and good at diving. At this moment, she dived near Li Yifei, surfaced to catch her breath, then reassessed Li Yifei¡¯s exact position. Xu Shanshan dived again and reached out to grab Li Yifei, intending to give him a good scare.


    Li Yifei was leisurely swimming freestyle, his body almost floating on the water¡¯s surface. Suddenly, a hand reached for him from below, catching him completely off guard. It wasn¡¯t that Li Yifei lacked vigilance; he had scanned his surroundings and found no experts around, so he relaxed his guard.


    Moreover, he noticed Xu Shanshan, but didn¡¯t worry about this mischievous sister-in-law. He had just put some distance between himself and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao to avoid Xu Shanshan¡¯s comments, not expecting this sister-in-law to come underwater to ambush him. Her ambush was precise, grabbing him unexpectedly in a sensitive spot.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body immediately sank, while Xu Shanshan surfaced, still holding on, shaking water from her head as she angrily said to Li Yifei, "You jerk, you went swimming and left me behind."


    "Shanshan, can you... let go of my hand?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with a wry smile.


    Xu Shanshan paused and realized what she had grabbed. She gasped and released her hand, forgetting to tread water in her panic, causing her to sink into the two-meter-deep section of the pool.


    Shanshan didn¡¯t grab hard, so Li Yifei felt only a slight pain. He quickly reached out, embraced Xu Shanshan, and brought her head above water.


    However, their current position had Xu Shanshan facing away from Li Yifei, who was holding her from behind, and most embarrassingly, Li Yifei¡¯s hand was on Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest.


    "Oh, brother-in-law, you¡¯re so naughty." Xu Shanshan felt weak, having just grabbed Li Yifei in that place, and suddenly Li Yifei was touching her chest. It was too much for a girl to handle.


    Li Yifei realized his hand was in an inappropriate place and quickly slid it down to Xu Shanshan¡¯s belly, awkwardly whispering, "Shanshan, I didn¡¯t mean to."


    Xu Shanshan gently paddled twice to steady herself, turned, and spat at Li Yifei with a blush, saying, "You did it on purpose."


    "I really didn¡¯t mean to, Shanshan, don¡¯t accuse me."


    "Well, I still think you did it on purpose." Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei and kicked off like a mermaid, swimming away.


    Li Yifei was embarrassed, wanting to follow, but Li Xinyue swam over, smiling, and said, "It seems President Xu¡¯s sister gets along well with you."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, saying, "Indeed, quite well." Then he swam after Xu Shanshan.


    While playing in the pool, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t bring up the earlier incident. She and Li Yifei chased each other, having a grand time. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao also wanted to get close to Li Yifei, but with Xu Shanshan there, they didn¡¯t get too close. However, Li Yifei had agreed to take them to dinner later, where they could seek a chance to get closer to him. Ruining things between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan now would only make Li Yifei unhappy.


    After about an hour of fun, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan went ashore, enjoying delectable drinks while lounging on deck chairs, truly relaxing.


    "Brother-in-law, life for the wealthy sure is different; they really know how to enjoy themselves."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Your sister is rich too."


    "My sister isn¡¯t all that wealthy. She¡¯s just a worker, not the boss. Look at Principal Wang¡¯s house, with a villa and a swimming pool. When will our family have that?"


    "If you like it, just have your sister buy it."


    "What do you mean have my sister buy it? You¡¯re my brother-in-law, you two should buy it, and I¡¯ll just tag along." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei quickly apologized, "Sometimes I forget that concept. I am married to your sister, so house matters are indeed ours."


    "Exactly, my sister¡¯s money is your money. But do you know how much money my sister has?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I really don¡¯t know, I have never asked."


    "For a couple, don¡¯t you know the family finances?"


    "Well, I¡¯ll ask your sister later to see if we can afford a villa like this. If we can, then we¡¯ll buy one."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s more like it."


    They joked for a while before Xu Shanshan teased, "I heard you say Ning Xin¡¯er is your enemy, but when I mentioned your name to her, she didn¡¯t know you. You¡¯re quite the bragger."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Who knew you¡¯d actually ask her?" He thought if Xu Shanshan ever discovered the truth about him and Ning Xin¡¯er, she might actually ask for confirmation, so it was better to admit he was bluffing. Xu Shanshan would likely forget soon.


    Li Yifei felt at ease mainly because he had seen Ning Xin¡¯er leave ahead, so he had nothing to worry about.


    As a well-known director, Qin Handong was upset all night after being embarrassed by Song Lianyao earlier. Drinking, he brooded on how to vent his anger.


    "Director Qin, what¡¯s wrong?" a charming voice sounded behind him, followed by a delicate hand on his shoulder.


    Qin Handong turned to see a tall beauty standing behind him. He recognized her as Zhao Yue, a second-tier star. She wasn¡¯t very famous but had some recognition, clearly eager for a good director to give her a role.


    "Come, have a drink with me." Qin Handong gestured to the seat opposite him.


    Zhao Yue was overjoyed, quickly sitting across from Qin Handong, trying to appear more seductive, and said, "Director Qin, it¡¯s an honor to drink with you. Cheers."


    Qin Handong drank several cups with Zhao Yue, then asked, "Why are you here?"


    Zhao Yue promptly said, "I have relatives here and have been staying these days. I heard Principal Wang was hosting a party, so I came over."


    "You know anyone here?" asked Qin Handong, his interest piqued.


    "I don¡¯t really know anyone, but my cousin has connections in Mile City and knows most people."


    "Is he in the business?" Qin Handong squinted.


    Zhao Yue was a bit embarrassed but nodded, "Yes, he is."


    "I have a film missing a female lead. Want to try?" Qin Handong suddenly dangled a big opportunity.


    Zhao Yue was thrilled. She had been dreaming of this moment but was smart enough to know such opportunities weren¡¯t easily given. She said, "Of course I want to, Director Qin. Just let me know what you need, and I will fulfill it."


    Qin Handong glanced around, leaned forward, and said, "The host at Mile City TV, Song Lianyao, disrespected me, and I want your cousin to bring her to me somehow."


    Zhao Yue immediately understood, though she had reservations. If her cousin did this, it would surely succeed, but kidnapping a TV host like Song Lianyao might have consequences.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I just want to vent and play with her a bit. What can she do? Help me get this done, and I will make you a big star."


    Hearing this, Zhao Yue had no more hesitations. She smiled and said, "If Director Qin values me this much, it would be ungrateful not to complete the task."


    Qin Handong glanced at the poolside again, secretly cursing: Song Lianyao, you wretched woman. I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson this time.


    As Wang Jiuzhe¡¯s son, Wang Libang was the main attraction all night, surrounded by stars. However, he had no interest in them.


    His family owned an entertainment company. To him, stars had no special glamour. The more famous, the less he respected them, knowing they often paid heavy prices, accompanying directors, producers, and writers, to ascend in their careers.


    Such stars didn¡¯t attract him, not even for a fling.


    But Wang Libang saw a girl at today¡¯s party who intrigued him. She had a constant genuine and playful smile, unlike the fake smiles of stars.


    He wanted to talk to her but was always surrounded. Only now he had some free time, yet saw her with a man, causing him to frown.


    The girl was Xu Shanshan, unaware that without saying a word to Wang Libang, she already caught his attention.

 Chapter 378 - 385

    Chapter 378: 385Until his departure, Wang Libang did not exchange a single word with Xu Shanshan. Wang Libang is a man with great schemes; otherwise, Wang Jiuzhe would not have entrusted such a considerable family business to him at such an early stage.


    Since Xu Shanshan was at the PARRT, it meant that she must be someone from within the company, and the fact that she spoke a lot with people from the art school proved that she was a teacher there.


    With this in mind, things would be easier. From now on, he could find her at the art school, so there was no fear of her escaping his grasp.


    However, regarding Li Yifei, who was with Xu Shanshan, Wang Libang had not yet figured out what his identity and background were. This was why he had not approached Xu Shanshan to talk. He wanted to understand everything before making his move, as this would make it easier to get Xu Shanshan.


    It wasn¡¯t until after nine o¡¯clock at night that Li Yifei left Wang Jiuzhe¡¯s villa with Xu Shanshan, and accompanying them was Xu Shanshan¡¯s colleague, Cui Yueying.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao knew better than to impose themselves on Li Yifei; they were always so considerate, afraid of causing him any trouble.


    "Wow, Shanshan, your family has a Mercedes to ride in, too," Cui Yueying exclaimed as soon as she boarded the car.


    Li Yifei responded with a smile, "This is a car from the company, I borrowed it to drive."


    "Oh, it¡¯s from your company. Here I thought it was yours, and I was happy for Shanshan for nothing," she said.


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Do you have to have a nice car to be happy? I feel pretty good right now. The car belongs to the company, but I get to ride it often, and we don¡¯t have to pay for gas or the expensive costs of maintaining a car."


    Cui Yueying chuckled, saying, "Shanshan really knows how to live." But inwardly, she was somewhat disdainful. In this day and age, a person¡¯s status is definitely symbolized by their car. A man without a nice car, how can he be considered successful?


    Before long, Li Yifei dropped Cui Yueying off at her house, and then he headed home with Xu Shanshan.


    Throughout the journey, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t stop talking about the celebrities she saw that day, the autographs she managed to get, especially emphasizing how delightful it was to chat with Ning Xin¡¯er. Her ceaseless chatter made Li Yifei feel happy as well.


    After alighting from the car and entering the elevator, Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze drifted to Li Yifei¡¯s pants, her face showing a hint of redness, "Brother-in-law, are your pants dry?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat. Xu Shanshan had not brought this up throughout the ride, and he had felt relieved. Who knew that just as they were about to enter their home, she would mention it? Nevertheless, he lowered his head and checked carefully. Although there were still some marks, they were not wet.


    "There¡¯s a mark. Have you thought about what to tell my sister?" Xu Shanshan asked softly.


    "This... let¡¯s just say some drink spilled on them," Li Yifei said with a straight face, not daring to admit that it was because he got too excited while dancing with Xu Shanshan that he had a secretion.


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s pants again and teased with a giggle, "That doesn¡¯t look like a drink spill. My sister is your wife, she should be able to tell, right?"


    Li Yifei felt even more embarrassed and insisted, "It¡¯s fine, she won¡¯t notice." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the elevator arrived, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan stepped out and went to the door. Xu Yingying walked out of the bedroom, took Li Yifei¡¯s bag, and said, "You¡¯re back early. I thought you wouldn¡¯t return until midnight." She truly had the air of a gentle and virtuous wife.


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "There wasn¡¯t much going on. Most of the celebrities had left, and Shanshan wanted to come back."


    "Shanshan didn¡¯t cause you any trouble, did she?" Xu Yingying asked.


    Xu Shanshan immediately objected, "Sister, are you serious? Why do you always think I¡¯m the troublemaker whenever I go out?"


    "Aren¡¯t you?" Xu Yingying shot her sister a knowing look.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Shanshan behaved very well today, graceful and appropriate. I think the teachers from her school quite like her."


    Xu Shanshan proudly raised her eyebrows at Xu Yingying, bragging, "See, even my brother-in-law says so. In your eyes, I¡¯m always a child who doesn¡¯t grow up."


    At that moment, Li Yifei was thinking about heading to the bathroom when Xu Yingying quickly interjected, "Let me get you some clothes; go take a shower."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "There¡¯s no need for a shower. We went swimming today, so we showered after that."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "Then we¡¯ll sweat when we come back anyway, so let¡¯s wash up now and get ready for bed."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That¡¯s what I was thinking." He now wanted to quickly go to the bathroom and change his pants, so that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t see them.


    "Oh, right!" Xu Shanshan suddenly exclaimed at that moment, "Big sis, your husband¡¯s pants got juice spilled on them, you¡¯ll have to wash them for him."


    Li Yifei¡¯s footsteps immediately became erratic, and he almost tripped over himself. Xu Shanshan was clearly doing this on purpose, surely aiming to embarrass him. This darn girl, what was she playing at?


    Xu Yingying immediately walked up to Li Yifei and inspected his pants, saying, "There really is juice on them. Quick, take them off, I¡¯ll wash them for you. If we don¡¯t wash the juice off quickly, it will stain."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat internally, relieved that Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t noticed anything else. Otherwise, it would have been truly troublesome. He swiftly entered the bathroom, but before doing so, while Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t paying attention, he glared at Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan, however, was covering her mouth and giggling without a trace of embarrassment, instead looking quite pleased with herself.


    Li Yifei took off his clothes and turned on the shower to start bathing. The bathroom at Xu Yingying¡¯s place wasn¡¯t large and didn¡¯t have a tub, so he could only stand under the shower.


    But as he applied shampoo on his head, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open. With his eyes closed at the moment, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t see who it was and quickly turned his back to the door.


    "Do you... do you need help?" a soft voice asked.


    Accompanied by the sound of running water, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Xu Yingying or Xu Shanshan speaking. The sisters¡¯ voices were so similar, usually distinguished only by Xu Yingying¡¯s briskness and Xu Shanshan¡¯s more casual tone, but now this unfamiliar tone made it hard for Li Yifei to differentiate.


    Yet at home, with both sisters around, Xu Shanshan surely wouldn¡¯t have the boldness to come here, so it had to be Xu Yingying. Although they were now truly husband and wife, Li Yifei still felt a bit awkward being naked in front of Xu Yingying in the bathroom, and said, "No need."


    "Then I¡¯ll... wash the clothes," Xu Yingying added.


    Li Yifei rinsed the foam from his hair and turned to look at Xu Yingying, saying, "Can you wait until I finish my shower before you start washing?"


    Xu Yingying looked up at Li Yifei, her face also blushing, but upon seeing Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassed expression, she laughed and said, "Are you afraid I¡¯ll look? I¡¯m already your wife."


    Li Yifei glanced at the doorway and said, "But ShanShan is at home too. It wouldn¡¯t be proper."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face reddened as she said, "It was that girl who forced me to come in. She said you were taking a bath and I wasn¡¯t helping; that I wasn¡¯t a qualified wife, so I came in."


    Since that was the case, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t so bashful anymore. He comfortably bathed in front of Xu Yingying, while she washed his clothes for him. His pants were bought for him by Xu Yingying¡ªcosting more than a thousand yuan per pair¡ªso they couldn¡¯t be machine washed, and Xu Yingying had to gently rub them by hand. With Li Yifei showering next to her, any newlywed woman¡¯s mind would inevitably wander, and Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but glance at him from time to time.


    In the last few days with Li Yifei, they had always turned off the lights on the bed, and Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t really seen Li Yifei¡¯s body that well. It was only now that she noticed how sturdy his build was. He had broad shoulders with muscles that formed lines defining each movement with a sense of strength.


    The muscles on his chest weren¡¯t very prominent, but were as firm as two pieces of iron. And then there was his abdomen, where he surprisingly had a six-pack, though not very conspicuous, it was enough to show his strength.


    Some might think that the pronounced six-packs on bodybuilders are what indicate great strength, but that¡¯s a misconception. Muscle development in bodybuilders is achieved through specialized training, and while aesthetically appealing and not weak, it isn¡¯t indicative of true strength.


    Li Yifei¡¯s power didn¡¯t just show in his muscles; he had also trained in martial arts, which was a more potent source of strength. Superficially, things like abdominal muscles might seem less impressive.


    "No wonder he¡¯s so strong; he¡¯s got such a great body," Xu Yingying thought to herself, unable to help but wonder. At twenty-six, she knew quite a bit about the matters of men and women. Most men didn¡¯t last very long, but this guy Li Yifei could go for as long as half an hour each time, and his speed and frequency seemed consistent from beginning to end, to the point where she sometimes couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Li Yifei suddenly flashed Xu Yingying a grin and said, "How about it? Your husband¡¯s physique is not bad, right?"


    Xu Yingying blushed, spat at Li Yifei, and scolded, "What¡¯s so great about it? You look like a bull."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then I¡¯m a bull in heat. Wife, come on, let¡¯s shower together."


    "Ah! No way!" Xu Yingying suddenly stood up, nervously looking at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t mess around, Shanshan is home. It wouldn¡¯t look right."


    Knowing that Xu Yingying was shy, especially since she wouldn¡¯t even let him turn on the bedside lamp when they made love, Li Yifei knew there was no way she would be intimate with him in the bathroom, so he smiled and said, "Then I¡¯ve finished washing, I¡¯ll go back to the bedroom and wait for you."


    Xu Yingying spat at him again, but the thought of rolling in bed with Li Yifei shortly made her body heat up and her legs go weak. It had to be said, within just three days, she had truly fallen for the taste of being intimate with Li Yifei.

 Chapter 379 - 386 Still No Diamond Ring

    Chapter 379: Chapter 386 Still No Diamond RingNewlyweds are often in a period of intense affection, and men and women in their twenties have high needs in this regard¡ªtoday was no exception for Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, whose trip to bed turned into another session of passion.


    But as they were in the heat of their activity, Li Yifei suddenly stopped and listened intently to some sound.


    Xu Yingying, lost in the moment, found it unbearable when Li Yifei abruptly ceased his movements. Writhing, she wrapped her arms around him and pleaded, "Husband, don¡¯t stop."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression turned odd for a moment, but he quickly regained composure and resumed his efforts, all the while straining his ears to discern the noise outside.


    He finally made out what the sound was¡ªit was a woman¡¯s suppressed moan, emanating from the room of Xu Shanshan, who lived next door.


    To Li Yifei, this sound was all too familiar, much like the noises Xu Yingying was making at the moment. But who would have thought that Xu Shanshan, who lived alone, could also produce such sounds?


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t find anything amiss. After all, Xu Shanshan was twenty-six years old; it was normal for her to have such needs. While women might not crave sex as much as men at this age, the occasional masturbation was perfectly natural.


    Moreover, the soundproofing in the house wasn¡¯t great. With him and Xu Yingying being intimate here, Xu Shanshan could probably hear everything, which was likely an additional stimulus for her. Under these circumstances, her actions were quite normal.


    But for Li Yifei, this was an intense stimulation. Lying beneath him was the twin sister, and he could hear the barely-there sounds of the younger twin sister, almost as if he was with Xu Shanshan in front of her sister.


    This made Li Yifei¡¯s movements increasingly fierce, driving Xu Yingying to the brink again and again.


    "Husband, you¡¯re really going to wear me out," Xu Yingying said, finally settling down after the climax, and exhaustedly snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, feeling as if her body was falling apart.


    Men love to hear women say such things, and Li Yifei was no exception. He chuckled, "Seems like someone was quite excited just now."


    "You¡¯re one to talk. If you keep going like this, it won¡¯t be long before you really do wear me out. And I don¡¯t understand how Sister Fangqing can withstand it. Whenever you go to her place, she seems so vibrant the next day."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a pang of guilt and didn¡¯t dare to continue that line of conversation.


    Xu Yingying playfully smacked Li Yifei and chided, "Look at you getting all scared. I¡¯m not trying to dig into your affair with Sister Fangqing."


    Li Yifei, peering at Xu Yingying¡¯s expression in the moonlight, sensed that she was truly not angry, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief and he chuckled awkwardly, "Thank you, wife. I knew you¡¯re the best."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and then said softly, "I¡¯m having some regrets."


    "About what? Regret marrying me?"


    "No, it¡¯s about the promise I made to Sister Fangqing."


    Li Yifei had always been curious about the relationship between Xu Yingying and He Fangqing. It seemed that despite Xu Yingying being married to him now, she should be somewhat wary of her old flame, He Fangqing, yet Xu Yingying still seemed to get along with her quite well.


    "That... I¡¯m not going to tell you," Xu Yingying smiled, then snuggled closer into Li Yifei¡¯s arms and said, "I¡¯m tired, let¡¯s sleep."


    Li Yifei wanted to ask more, but since he felt that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t divulge anything, he didn¡¯t bother to push any further. As long as Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t turning He Fangqing into an enemy, why should he insist on getting to the bottom of it?


    The next day was the weekend. Xu Yingying spent the morning handling some work from the company at home, and in the afternoon, she went shopping with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t been fond of shopping before, something Li Yifei knew from when they first met. But now, as a married couple, strolling through the mall with her arm linked through Li Yifei¡¯s was quite a romantic thing to do. However, the presence of Xu Shanshan, the tag-along little sister who also clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, caused Xu Yingying some annoyance. She complained a few times, but Xu Shanshan remained headstrong, completely ignoring her sister¡¯s objections, leaving Xu Yingying no choice but to turn a blind eye.


    Xu Yingying was no longer as paranoid as before regarding the closeness between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei. Considering how her sister had helped them get together, it was unlikely that she harbored any feelings for Li Yifei. Putting herself in her sister¡¯s shoes, if Xu Shanshan were with Li Yifei and she also liked him, she wouldn¡¯t even think of helping Xu Shanshan, let alone disrupt things. Therefore, she now believed Xu Shanshan must be treating Li Yifei like family, like a brother-in-law, which was why she was so affectionate.


    Confronting Xu Shanshan about this would make her seem ungrateful and petty.


    "Brother-in-law, a diamond ring! You married my sister but haven¡¯t bought her a diamond ring yet," said Xu Shanshan, as the three of them had reached the jewelry section. Women love these things, and seeing the sparkling diamond rings, Xu Shanshan immediately winked at Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s reminder made Xu Yingying realize that her marriage to Li Yifei was incredibly simple. Li Yifei had merely brought a few clothes over to live with her, without a wedding, a proposal, or any moonlit romance, let alone the diamond ring symbolizing marriage. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Xu Yingying still said, "I don¡¯t like those things."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Stop kidding yourself; you clearly like them. You used to discuss with me, saying that when you get married, you must get a diamond ring of at least two carats."


    Xu Yingying glared at her sister in complaint and said, "Yifei, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. If I liked it, I would¡¯ve bought it myself."


    At this moment, Li Yifei felt quite touched. Xu Yingying¡¯s words obviously stemmed from knowing that he had no money in his pocket and couldn¡¯t afford such an expensive diamond ring. A regular diamond ring was manageable, as one could be bought for just a few thousand yuan, but for someone of Xu Yingying¡¯s status, wearing such a ring would be unfitting. So if she were to wear one, it had to be worth over a hundred thousand to be appropriate.


    Now that they were husband and wife, theoretically, they should share their finances. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind Li Yifei spending her money, but when it came to a diamond ring, having Xu Yingying use her own money to buy it would seem insincere. That¡¯s why she was worried Li Yifei would feel pressured.


    Li Yifei understood Xu Yingying¡¯s intentions and felt somewhat guilty. No matter what had happened before, Xu Yingying was now his wife, and buying her a diamond ring was an unquestionable duty. He laughed and said, "Now that Shanshan has brought it up, I really do think I should buy a diamond ring for my wife. Otherwise, if we go out and others don¡¯t see the ring on your finger, they might think you¡¯re single and attract a bunch of suitors. That¡¯d be a loss for me."


    Xu Yingying secretly pinched Li Yifei and said in reproach, "Let¡¯s wait and buy it when we hold our wedding ceremony."


    "All right, then I¡¯ll give you one at that time," Li Yifei conceded.


    Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief. She was truly afraid that Li Yifei would feel inferior, which would not be good for their relationship as a couple.


    Although Xu Yingying might be a bit proud, she had truly become more accommodating since marrying Li Yifei, always considering him. Just for this, Li Yifei felt that having Xu Yingying as his wife was wonderful.


    Xu Shanshan had been watching the pair with a grin. Then, she whispered to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, do you feel a lot of pressure being married to a wealthy wife?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "There is some pressure, but I¡¯m easy-going. Having a rich wife means I don¡¯t need to work so hard, right?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "I admire your attitude, brother-in-law. Those petty men always say that a man should earn money to support his wife¡ªtypical male chauvinism. We¡¯re all family. It doesn¡¯t matter who earns the money. I support you in taking good care of the home. Otherwise, I won¡¯t get to enjoy the meals you cook."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Shanshan, that aligns perfectly with my thoughts. I might as well become a full-time househusband."


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a look and said, "Full-time won¡¯t do. Then you¡¯d become idle, and eventually, you¡¯d find it boring. Better to work at the company. At least you can help me out. Besides, aren¡¯t you afraid that if you¡¯re not by my side, I might be bothered by some people?"


    Li Yifei grinned, wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, and said, "My wife is so good to me; how could she ever stray? I have confidence in you."


    The three chatted and laughed, continuing their stroll until they reached the men¡¯s clothing section. A man came towards them, looked at Xu Shanshan with surprise, and said, "Yingying! What a coincidence."


    "Sis, he¡¯s looking for you," Xu Shanshan pointed out, gesturing towards Xu Yingying, who was turning back around.


    By this time, Xu Yingying saw the man, appeared a bit surprised, but quickly smiled and said, "Mr. Cao, what are you doing here?"


    "I¡¯m here to buy some clothes. And you are..." Cao Bin said, turning his gaze to Li Yifei, especially noting Xu Yingying¡¯s hand linked with Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned slightly red, but she nevertheless said, "Let me introduce you. Yifei, this is my university senior, Cao Bin. Cao Bin, this is my husband, Li Yifei."


    "Husband?" Cao Bin¡¯s expression changed instantly as he looked more closely at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and stretched out his hand, saying, "Hello, Senior Cao, we¡¯ve met once at the company."


    Cao Bin had no recollection of Li Yifei and shook his hand, saying, "Sorry, last time I visited Yingying, she didn¡¯t introduce us. That was my mistake."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, instantly noticing that Cao Bin was interested in Xu Yingying. He hadn¡¯t seen any suitors around Xu Yingying before their marriage, but now, after they were wed, suitors seemed to be emerging.

 Chapter 380 - 387 Everything’s the Same

    Chapter 380: Chapter 387 Everything¡¯s the SameAt this moment, Cao Bin didn¡¯t show any hostility on his face, and could even smile at Li Yifei, revealing that he was indeed a person with great self-control.


    "I¡¯m older than you, so I¡¯ll take the liberty of calling you Yifei."


    "Of course."


    "Yifei, you really make me envious. Yingying was the campus queen at our school, pursued by countless admirers, yet they all failed. Now you¡¯ve taken the lead. If those admirers from college knew, who knows how many hearts would be broken."


    Li Yifei turned and smiled at Xu Yingying, saying, "I¡¯ve always considered myself very fortunate that Yingying could marry me, it indeed makes me very proud."


    Xu Yingying met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, and a blissful smile appeared on her face. She involuntarily tightened her grip on Li Yifei¡¯s hand. Truly, cultivating feelings between a couple was easy; after only a few days together, she and Li Yifei were already as close as glue.


    Cao Bin¡¯s expression changed again. Earlier, he harbored hopes that Xu Yingying might be pretending, but seeing their affection, especially the sweetness and happiness in Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes when she looked at Li Yifei, it was clear that Xu Yingying had truly married this Li Yifei.


    "Hehe, well, then I won¡¯t interrupt your shopping. Oh, and Yingying, I¡¯ll stop by your company on Monday. I hope you¡¯ll consider the collaboration."


    Talking about business, Xu Yingying immediately turned serious, saying, "Senior Cao, I will definitely consider this matter carefully. However, this isn¡¯t my company, and I¡¯m just an employee. Whether we can collaborate successfully isn¡¯t solely my decision."


    Cao Bin nodded and said, "I understand, in business, we speak of business. I¡¯m confident in the terms of our collaboration."


    "Alright, then let¡¯s discuss it on Monday."


    Cao Bin left, and Xu Shanshan, holding Li Yifei¡¯s arm, said playfully, "Brother-in-law, this is your rival."


    Xu Yingying immediately said anxiously, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I have nothing to do with him. He¡¯s started a company now, and it¡¯s suitable for collaboration with ours, so we just talked about that."


    Xu Shanshan smiled mischievously and said, "I didn¡¯t say you had anything to do with him, I just said he wants to pursue you. Didn¡¯t you see how heartbroken he looked when he heard you got married?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei even more anxiously. Li Yifei squeezed her hand reassuringly and said, "I know. With my beautiful wife, if no one pursued her, I wouldn¡¯t believe it. But what they do is their business, it¡¯s not your fault."


    Xu Yingying felt a weight lift from her heart; she was truly afraid Li Yifei might overthink. She squeezed his hand back sweetly, and they continued shopping.


    After the men¡¯s section, Li Yifei¡¯s hands were filled with bags of clothes bought by Xu Yingying for him, with input from Xu Shanshan. This girl was even more enthusiastic than Xu Yingying when it came to buying clothes for Li Yifei. Every time Li Yifei tried on clothes, Xu Shanshan would give her opinion, seemingly more serious than Xu Yingying, his wife.


    They went up one floor to the women¡¯s section where Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan thrived. Xu Yingying previously bought things swiftly, buying them as soon as she liked them. But this time, she was picky, making Li Yifei evaluate each outfit.


    Women in love do change in some ways, and Xu Yingying, who was experiencing both marriage and romance, changed even more.


    After choosing a professional outfit, Xu Yingying was about to swipe her card to pay. Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Make it two."


    "You want one too?" Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan curiously.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I feel wearing the same thing as you is quite nice. From now on, whatever you buy, I¡¯ll buy too."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at her sister and said, "We¡¯ll see if you even wear it after buying it."


    Xu Shanshan glanced secretly at Li Yifei and said, "Of course I will wear it. How could I not? When we were kids, we always wore the same things and amazed people every time we went out. I miss that feeling and want to try it again."


    Xu Yingying seemed to reminisce about the past and smiled too.


    However, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Xu Shanshan might have other motives, especially related to him. Perhaps Xu Shanshan would play her sister¡¯s role someday. That... might be tricky. What if he accidentally mistook Xu Shanshan... Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Xu Shanshan.


    In the lingerie section, Li Yifei stopped, but Xu Shanshan pulled him inside, giggling, "You¡¯re choosing lingerie for my sister, what¡¯s there to be shy about?"


    Li Yifei thought to himself, with you here, of course, but he had already been dragged inside. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei had bought lingerie before, back when Li Yifei posed as her boyfriend. But the feelings were different now. Back then, she was embarrassed for him to see; now, she wanted his input, because, after all, only he would see what lingerie she wore.


    Yet with Xu Shanshan present, Xu Yingying was uncomfortable asking for Li Yifei¡¯s help, so she took Xu Shanshan along to choose, with Li Yifei trailing behind as a bodyguard.


    Watching the two of them pick out lingerie, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit heated. Although Xu Yingying was his wife, she was still quite conservative. Until now, he hadn¡¯t truly appreciated her figure. Looking at Xu Shanshan, a wicked thought crossed his mind. How would Xu Shanshan look wearing these?


    The weekend was very relaxing for Li Yifei. After shopping with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, they stopped for a meal before returning home. Once home, Xu Shanshan immediately pulled Xu Yingying into her bedroom. Shortly after, they came out together.


    Li Yifei was stunned. Though they spent time together daily, they never dressed identically. Today, they wore the same clothes, had the same hairstyle, and even their smiles matched perfectly. They stood in front of Li Yifei, clearly waiting for him to tell them apart.


    Li Yifei looked at the one on the left, then the one on the right. They were identical; he couldn¡¯t discern who was Xu Yingying and who was Xu Shanshan. He had no choice but to say with a smile, "Wife, Shanshan, don¡¯t tease me. I really can¡¯t tell you apart."


    The one on the left giggled and blinked at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, this isn¡¯t good. You can¡¯t even recognize your own wife. What if one day, you mistake me for your wife?"


    The one on the right, Xu Yingying, scolded Xu Shanshan, "Are you stupid? If he wants to take advantage of you, you just let him?"


    Xu Shanshan grinned cheekily, "He¡¯s my brother-in-law. What¡¯s a little taking advantage? We¡¯re sisters, so his wife is my wife; I don¡¯t mind."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a sweat drop. This sister-in-law was too much.


    Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t angry; she was already used to her sister¡¯s antics. Besides, she was in a great mood today, so she joked as well, "Go ahead if you want to take advantage. One is my sister, and one is my husband; both are my dearest ones."


    Xu Shanshan laughed heartily and hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying, "Then your husband is mine now."


    "Take him. I¡¯m too lazy to deal with you." Saying this, she turned and went back to the bedroom.


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, now that my sister¡¯s given you to me, come, and massage my legs."


    Li Yifei tapped her on the head and said, "First, clear your head."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, released his arm, and said, "I¡¯m going to try on some clothes." She then ran into the bedroom without even shutting the door.


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes and said, "You brat, close the door."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Are you afraid of letting brother-in-law see?"


    "Why should I be afraid with you here?"


    "I¡¯m not afraid either."


    "How thick-skinned you are."


    "Hehe, because he¡¯s my brother-in-law. Brother-in-law, come close the door."


    Li Yifei shook his head. This Xu Shanshan was something else. But knowing she hadn¡¯t changed clothes yet, he went over and closed the door, thinking, "With this sister-in-law, life sure has its ups and downs."


    After lighting a cigarette, Li Yifei leaned back on the couch and casually opened the phone. Regardless, he liked this kind of life now: having a beautiful, capable wife and a playful, cute sister-in-law. The house was filled with endless joy. Living like this for a lifetime didn¡¯t seem too bad.


    The phone rang; Li Xinyue was calling. Li Yifei looked at the door of the bedroom and then answered.


    Once connected, Li Xinyue quickly said, "Young Master Li, something¡¯s wrong. Song Lianyao has been taken away."


    Li Yifei frowned, "Was it Qin Handong?"


    "No, tonight Song Lianyao attended an event, drank something, and passed out. Then a suspicious-looking guy took her to the Maple Forest Hotel. Song Lianyao¡¯s friend called me about it, saying something seemed off with that guy; he might mean harm to Song Lianyao."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll head there immediately." Li Yifei stood up; this was most likely Qin Handong¡¯s doing. Since it stemmed from him, he had a responsibility to deal with it.

 Chapter 381 - 388: The Domineering Li Yifei

    Chapter 381: Chapter 388: The Domineering Li Yifei"Brother-in-law, do you think this outfit looks good on me?" Xu Shanshan changed into a new set of clothes and ran out of the bedroom, just to see Li Yifei had already opened the front door and hurriedly asked, "Brother-in-law, where are you going?"


    Li Yifei replied, "I have to go out and take care of something, I¡¯ll be back soon."


    "Hey, wait for me, I¡¯ll come with you."


    "I¡¯ll be back soon, just let your sister know," Li Yifei said as he was already closing the anti-theft door behind him.


    "Stinky brother-in-law, going out without taking me with him," Xu Shanshan stomped her foot in frustration, but by now it was already too late to chase after him. She could do nothing but wait for Li Yifei to come back.


    Xu Yingying also came out of the bedroom at this time and asked, "Where did your brother-in-law go?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted her lips and replied, "He didn¡¯t say, probably off to meet some paramour."


    Xu Yingying furrowed her brows and said, "He might have something urgent to attend to, don¡¯t talk like that about your brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan hugged her sister¡¯s arm and said with a giggle, "Getting married and being someone¡¯s wife really changes a person, you¡¯re already sticking up for your husband."


    Xu Yingying playfully spat at Xu Shanshan but internally, she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Li Yifei running out this late without saying what he was up to, hmph, he must definitely be meeting someone like Su Yiyi, Ye Yunzhu, or Lin Qiong.


    Although Xu Yingying felt discontent, she didn¡¯t show it. She had to give Li Yifei time, otherwise, it would only deepen the rift between them. However, she was aware that this tolerance would surely cause her pain for some time.


    After more than ten minutes, Li Yifei had already arrived at the entrance of Maple Forest Hotel. Li Xinyue was anxiously waiting there and, upon seeing Li Yifei, she quickly rushed over, grabbed his arm, and said urgently, "Young Master Li, Song Lianyao has been taken to room 502, and she¡¯s been inside for over twenty minutes now. I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Follow me inside."


    "Young Master, there are quite a few people over there, and I saw some thugs, they¡¯re not good people. We should find someone to come with us," Li Xinyue hurriedly held on to Li Yifei.


    "No need," Li Yifei answered indifferently, then continued walking inside.


    "Young Master, don¡¯t be rash!" Li Xinyue was extremely anxious. Although she was worried about Song Lianyao, if Li Yifei charged in just like that, he was likely to be at a disadvantage in a conflict. If something really happened, wouldn¡¯t she be to blame for getting Li Yifei into trouble?


    "Don¡¯t worry, I can handle this alone," Li Yifei patted Li Xinyue¡¯s hand and even gave her a reassuring smile.


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile instantly calmed Li Xinyue. Although she didn¡¯t know where this confidence came from, she was sure that if it was something Li Yifei wanted to do, there was nothing he couldn¡¯t accomplish. She quickly followed him and hurried into the lobby. The security guard at the door saw them rushing and quickly stopped them, saying, "Are you two looking to stay?""


    Li Xinyue immediately said, "We¡¯re here to see someone."


    "If you¡¯re here to see someone, please register at the front desk. You are... Li Xinyue..." The security guard recognized Li Xinyue at that moment and became excitedly vocal.


    Li Xinyue gave him a smile and said, "Yes, please make it quick. It¡¯s urgent."


    The guard hastened to press the elevator button for Li Xinyue. She was his dream girl, a TV hostess; surely she wasn¡¯t here to cause trouble.


    It had to be said that Li Xinyue did have some fame in Mile City, as many people liked her. Like that time when Li Yifei attended a classmate¡¯s wedding with her and Song Lianyao, it was considered quite an honor. However, her fame was limited to Mile City; in the provincial city, or Capital City, Li Xinyue couldn¡¯t compare at all.


    The two of them took the elevator to the fifth floor and headed straight for room 502. The door was open, and several people were walking out from inside.


    "Director Qin, the time has come; you can enjoy yourself now," said a man in his thirties with tattoos covering his muscular frame and a shiny bald head, looking quite intimidating. He laughed lasciviously at Qin Handong.


    Qin Handong laughed back and said, "Well, I won¡¯t be polite then. Go back and tell Zhao Yue that I¡¯ll make sure to handle the matter she asked about."


    "Yeah, I knew Director Qin was a man of his word. We won¡¯t disturb you further, have fun," the man laughed loudly and prepared to leave.


    Just then, Li Yifei and Li Xinyue had arrived, and seeing the scene, they knew that Song Lianyao was probably still okay. Li Xinyue couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, Qin Handong noticed Li Yifei at that moment, and his expression changed drastically, never expecting Li Yifei to show up at this time.


    "Zhao Gang, wait a moment, there¡¯s another thing I need to trouble you with." Qin Handong called out to the bald man who was about to leave.


    The bald man, named Zhao Gang, stopped in his tracks and asked, "What else would you have me do, Director Qin?"


    Qin Handong looked at Li Yifei and said, "There¡¯s another little bastard who¡¯s trying to screw up my plans. Please take care of him for me."


    Zhao Gang looked at Li Yifei, then burst into laughter, saying, "No problem, I¡¯ve got this small matter covered." He and his two brothers headed straight for Li Yifei.


    With his arms crossed, Qin Handong leaned on the doorway and said to Li Yifei, "Kid, you really are like a bad penny."


    Li Yifei gave him a cold glance and continued walking toward the doorway without stopping.


    "Stop right there, kid!" Zhao Gang blocked Li Yifei¡¯s path with his broad body, effectively stopping his advance.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and ordered, "Get lost!" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhao Gang laughed it off, finding it hilarious. After all, he was someone of status, and here was someone telling him to get lost. The idea was so amusing to him. "Ha! Quite arrogant, aren¡¯t you, kid? What if I decide not to get lost today, what can you do to me?" He chuckled.


    At this moment, Li Xinyue¡¯s heart panicked again, and she hurriedly tugged on Li Yifei, shouting at Qin Handong, "Qin Handong, you¡¯re a well-known director, and yet you could do such a thing. Do you realize that if this gets out, your career is over?"


    Qin Handong laughed audibly. "I, Qin Handong, have had my way with many female stars, and it seems my future has never been ruined. But your words remind me, if it¡¯s exposed just once, I could actually make a good hype out of it."


    "You are truly shameless." Li Xinyue was furious, clenching her fists, saying, "I¡¯ve already called the police, they¡¯ll be here in five minutes."


    Qin Handong smirked mockingly. "Well, if you¡¯re not afraid to make a big deal out of this, neither am I. Go ahead and call the police then."


    For a female star, being exposed for being raped meant the end of her career, and as a hostess, Li Xinyue understood this well, which is why Qin Handong didn¡¯t believe she would actually call the police.


    Li Yifei had long been impatient. He had no patience for wasting words with these people. He continued toward the doorway, and Zhao Gang, with a glaring eye, reached out to shove Li Yifei in the chest and barked, "Kid, are you looking to die? Do you think I do not exist?"


    But as soon as his words died, his wide frame was already airborne, sliding over two meters after hitting the ground before coming to a stop.


    Li Yifei¡¯s sudden move startled everyone. The key point was that no one expected Li Yifei to make a move at this time.


    Without stopping, Li Yifei punched the underling to his left in the abdomen, causing the man¡¯s body to curl up like a shrimp. The other one hadn¡¯t even reacted when Li Yifei¡¯s foot swept across his shins, toppling him horizontally to the ground like a sack with a dull thud.


    In the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had laid three men flat. Qin Handong¡¯s smile immediately froze on his face. Seeing Li Yifei approaching, he let out a yell and turned to run into the room, attempting to shut the door. But the door had only closed halfway before Li Yifei kicked it, the immense force far beyond Qin Handong¡¯s ability to fend off, especially unguarded. Recoiling from the door, he was struck in the face and let out a yell as he flew out, blood already spurting from his nose as he was airborne.


    Li Xinyue watched, astonished. She knew Li Yifei was formidable, being a Young Master from Capital City, but she had no idea that Li Yifei was also so skilled, and he displayed such dominance. In the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had floored three men, nullifying the opponents¡¯ advantage in numbers, and Qin Handong¡¯s pitiful state only emphasized Li Yifei¡¯s dominance.


    For a moment, Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes filled with fervor as she looked at Li Yifei, his image growing even taller in her mind.


    "Close the door," Li Yifei said indifferently.


    "Okay!" Li Xinyue snapped back to reality, quickly shut the door, and followed into the room.


    "What... what are you going to do?" Qin Handong clutched his nose, blood streaming despite his lack of concern for it, frightened of Li Yifei striking him again. His panic was evident; no trace of a great director¡¯s demeanor remained.


    Li Yifei cornered Qin Handong against the wall, reached out to grab the collar of his neck, and lifted him off the ground with one arm. Qin Handong¡¯s face turned a congested red as his arms desperately tried to pry Li Yifei¡¯s hand away and his legs flailed wildly. But no matter how much he struggled, he was utterly unable to break free from Li Yifei¡¯s grip.


    Seeing the color of Qin Handong¡¯s face turn from red to blue, his eyes bulging as though they might pop out, Li Xinyue was shocked. Li Yifei was about to kill Qin Handong, and despite being a famous director, causing trouble for Li Yifei would be very problematic. She rushed to Li Yifei¡¯s side and softly said, "Don¡¯t kill him."

 Chapter 382 - 389: United

    Chapter 382: Chapter 389: UnitedLi Yifei didn¡¯t want to kill Qin Handong, but such scum deserved a lesson; he couldn¡¯t feel appeased otherwise. That¡¯s why he choked Qin Handong to near-death before finally letting him go.


    As soon as Li Yifei¡¯s grip loosened, Qin Handong collapsed on the floor, gasping for fresh air through his open mouth. He had never realized how vital breathing was until that moment; inhaling fresh air now seemed like the greatest joy.


    The room was a suite, with a bedroom inside in addition to the outer living room. At that moment, a sound came from the bedroom¡ªit was the moaning of a woman in the throes of passion, and it belonged to Song Lianyao.


    Without even looking, Li Yifei knew that Song Lianyao must have been drugged with an aphrodisiac by Qin Handong. Lianyao¡¯s disdain grew towards Qin Handong, and with a fierce kick, he said, "Xinyue, go check on her."


    Xinyue complied and quickly ran into the inner suite. At this point, she would do anything Li Yifei asked without question.


    "Mr. Li, big brother, you... you mustn¡¯t kill me," Qin Handong finally managed to catch his breath and looked at the chilling face of Li Yifei, filled with even greater terror. Having come so close to death, he was unspeakably afraid of Li Yifei, who, in his eyes, was nothing short of a murderous demon.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and coldly regarded Qin Hansheng, saying, "Give me one reason to let you live."


    "I¡¯ll give you money, lots of money. A million, no, no, no, I¡¯ll give you five million! Ten million! I beg you, spare me!" Qin Handong crawled forward. In his life, money was essential, and he believed it could solve everything. By offering ten million, he thought Li Yifei couldn¡¯t resist.


    "Hmph, do you think I¡¯m in need of money?"


    Qin Handong¡¯s face darkened immediately. If Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in need of money, then the situation was tricky. All he could say was, "Big brother, you name it, I¡¯ll do whatever you want."


    "Is that so...?"


    "Yes, yes!" Qin Handong nodded vigorously, desperately trying to prove his sincerity, then raising his hand, he swore, "I, Qin Handong, swear that every word I speak is true. If I go back on my word, may I be struck by thunder from the heavens."


    Li Yifei snorted, "I never trust a person who swears lightly."


    "Then... what do you want me to do, big brother?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Qin Handong again, suddenly delivered another kick to his abdomen, and then commanded, "Get lost."


    Qin Handong felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen but didn¡¯t pay it much mind. This little pain was nothing compared to his life. Stammering, he asked, "Big brother, are you really letting me go?"


    "If you don¡¯t leave now, I might change my mind."


    Qin Handong moved faster than a rabbit, leaping up suddenly and rushing out of the room in the blink of an eye.


    Li Yifei was not that merciful. Although he had complicated relationships with several women, all were consensual, never forced. He abhorred the forcing of women the most. He had already dealt Qin Handong a hidden blow, which Handong had yet to discover. Soon, he would feel the effects.


    Li Yifei walked into the suite and stopped abruptly when he saw Qin Lianyao, half-naked with a body revealing reddish hues ¨C a clear reaction to the aphrodisiac.


    What really caught Li Yifei¡¯s attention was Song Lianyao, who was tightly embracing Xinyue in a most inappropriate manner.


    Xinyue was also in utter embarrassment. As soon as she entered, Song Lianyao had pounced on her. She hadn¡¯t dared to call for Li Yifei, not wanting Qin Handong outside to witness their predicament. She quickly said, "Young Master Li, please help me, Lianyao¡¯s strength is overwhelming."


    Li Yifei hastened over to pull Song Lianyao away, freeing Xinyue. Song Lianyao then immediately latched onto Li Yifei.


    With a swift move, Li Yifei struck Song Lianyao¡¯s neck, causing her to groan and collapse onto the bed. Li Yifei turned and walked out, saying, "Get her dressed."


    Xinyue quickly helped Song Lianyao into her clothes, which, despite Song Lianyao¡¯s confused state, hadn¡¯t been torn.


    "Young Master Li, I¡¯ve dressed Lianyao."


    Li Yifei replied and re-entered the suite, carrying Song Lianyao away, then escorted both women out of the room.


    At the doorway, Zhao Gang and his two companions were nowhere to be seen. Although they hadn¡¯t passed out, they weren¡¯t foolish either. Li Yifei alone had knocked all three of them down with ease, hinting that he was far more formidable than them and certainly not someone they could provoke. Thus, the moment Li Yifei entered the room, they had fled. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei brought the two women back to their home, a place he had been before. Last time, he had almost been seduced into a threesome with them, and it took a phone call to interrupt the encounter.


    This time, Li Yifei no longer had that mindset, for he was already a married man. Things of flirtatious nature that could be done in the past were now out of bounds¡ªhe couldn¡¯t just casually entangle with women anymore.


    Li Yifei placed Song Lianyao on the bed and said, "Run some hot water, give her a warm bath, let her sweat out the drug. She¡¯ll be better after a while."


    Li Xinyue, being worldly and experienced, quickly said, "Young Master Li, the drug Lianyao took is an aphrodisiac. If you leave her like this, could she end up having problems?"


    Li Yifei confidently replied, "Don¡¯t believe everything those novels say¡ªhow one must engage in that kind of activity to counteract an aphrodisiac. This drug simply stimulates a person¡¯s sexual desire, making them uncontrollable under its influence, but as time passes, the drug¡¯s effects will gradually wear off. Even without engaging in that kind of activity, it¡¯s not a big deal. Having a man by her side can actually make it harder for her to control herself."


    "Oh, but you knocked Lianyao out. How am I supposed to get her to the bathroom?"


    Li Yifei had indeed forgotten about this detail. He picked up Song Lianyao again and carried her to the bathroom. Although Li Xinyue¡¯s home was small, it had a bathtub in the bathroom, which was perfect for Song Lianyao to sweat out the drug.


    Li Xinyue initially hoped Li Yifei would help undress Song Lianyao, but by then, Li Yifei had already left. She had no choice but to help Song Lianyao undress herself. It was a bit strenuous, but she managed to do it on her own.


    After bustling about for a while, Song Lianyao woke up. With the addition of soaking in a hot bath, she wasn¡¯t as impulsive as before.


    "Xinyue, how did I get home?" Song Lianyao initially took a sedative and then fell unconscious. After that, she was fed another drug, an aphrodisiac, and had no idea what had happened to her.


    Seeing that Song Lianyao had woken up, Li Xinyue said a bit helplessly, "You were really not careful. Someone drugged you."


    "Ah! Then did I..." Song Lianyao exclaimed in alarm, quickly checking her body, but what she first noticed was an intense need within herself, causing her complexion to turn deathly pale.


    "Don¡¯t worry, no one did anything to you. I got the message and immediately found Young Master Li. If not for Young Master Li, you would have truly been ruined by Qin Hansheng today."


    "Ah! It was Young Master Li who saved me." Song Lianyao cried out in surprise, then couldn¡¯t help writhing her body. This feeling was unbearable. If it weren¡¯t for Li Xinyue being there, she would have taken care of it herself.


    Li Xinyue nodded her head and said, "Yes, who else but Young Master Li would dare to beat up Qin Hansheng and then take you away?"


    "Where is Young Master Li now?"


    "He¡¯s gone, and he told me to give you a hot bath. By the way, how are you feeling now?"


    Blushing, Song Lianyao replied, "So uncomfortable, right now I really want a man. If only Young Master Li were here."


    Li Xinyue laughed softly and said, "Serves you right. Anyway, Young Master Li said you¡¯d be fine if you just endure it. I won¡¯t bother with you anymore, you¡¯ve given me enough trouble all night."


    By the time Li Xinyue left, Song Lianyao¡¯s hands were already involuntarily caressing her own body, her mind filled with imaginings of Li Yifei¡¯s appearance, and soon she was emitting soul-piercing, bone-deep moans of pleasure.


    Li Xinyue heard it all from outside, knowing it was the drug taking effect, and didn¡¯t take it seriously. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Li Yifei¡ªhis usually easy-going nature made him seem approachable to Li Xinyue, but when he truly exerted himself, his domineering presence was incomparably compelling to her, firmly capturing her heart.


    However, she also felt some self-resentment. She had boyfriends during college and had been intimate; she had dated two other boyfriends and had relationships with them too, so she was far from being a virgin. How could someone like Li Yifei possibly fancy someone like her?


    "Sigh." Li Xinyue couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.


    At some point, Song Lianyao had come out, still flushed, and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were close friends, so she didn¡¯t hide her feelings, "I really regret not being more self-respecting in the past. If I were still a virgin now, I would seriously pursue Young Master Li."


    But Song Lianyao was more open-minded than Li Xinyue and said, "Who doesn¡¯t have a history before marriage these days? Young Master Li isn¡¯t that old-fashioned, is he?"


    "He may not be old-fashioned, but with someone like Young Master Li, if I have flaws, I already lack any confidence."


    Sitting beside Li Xinyue, Song Lianyao laughed softly and suggested, "On our own we might not be enough, but we are two people. Men really like that sort of thing. Together, we can surely capture Young Master Li¡¯s heart."


    "The two of us together..." Li Xinyue was instantly tempted; she and Song Lianyao had always been as close as sisters and had no inhibitions in this regard. If it really came to that, she wouldn¡¯t mind teaming up with Song Lianyao.

 Chapter 383 - 390 Director Qin’s Depression

    Chapter 383: Chapter 390 Director Qin¡¯s DepressionAfter Qin Handong fled, the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, and the more he brooded. He, a renowned director, had been humiliated in Mile City, a second-tier city, which was something he found hard to accept.


    However, he couldn¡¯t openly seek revenge on Li Yifei for this incident. The guys he had hired were like useless trash, as they were all beaten by Li Yifei without even putting up a fight.


    "Director Qin, what happened to you? How did you get hurt like this?" Zhao Yue pushed the door open and came in, exclaiming at the sight of Qin Handong¡¯s nose, which was swollen and obviously beaten.


    Qin Handong, who was already angry, became even more furious when he saw Zhao Yue. Glaring at her, he said, "Look at the useless people you found! They got me beaten."


    "What? Gangzi is quite a name in Mile City. How could he let this happen to you? Did the other side have a lot of people?" Zhao Yue hadn¡¯t received a call from Zhao Gang and didn¡¯t know the situation.


    "What do you mean, a lot of people? It was just one person, damn it¡ªa lousy teacher from an art school that pissed me off."


    Zhao Yue still didn¡¯t fully understand, but she realized that Qin Handong had a rough time, and the people she found didn¡¯t help at all. Fearing that her chance for a lead role would slip away if she angered Qin Handong, she sat beside him, speaking softly, "Director Qin, it must be because Gangzi was careless. I¡¯ll make sure he gathers more people. Even if his men are no good, he has a big brother with many experts under him. We¡¯ll have them take action and make sure that lousy teacher is beaten so badly his own grandmother wouldn¡¯t recognize him."


    Hearing Zhao Yue¡¯s words, Qin Handong¡¯s spirits lifted immediately. "Really? Are there experts? That guy is really good at fighting. The Zhao Gang you mentioned brought two people, and they were all floored by him alone without even striking back."


    "No problem. Brother Zhao Gang has several experts who can take on multiple people by themselves. A few people against him, we¡¯ll definitely handle it. I¡¯ll have Zhao Gang arrange it tomorrow, and I¡¯ll make sure to help you get back at him." As Zhao Yue spoke, she began tracing circles on Qin Handong¡¯s chest with her hand.


    Qin Handong finally felt a bit better. He gave Zhao Yue a slap on the butt and said, "Alright, as long as you help me get back at him, I¡¯ll pick two big movies for you to star in."


    "Thank you, Director Qin!" Zhao Yue was overjoyed and threw herself onto Qin Hansheng.


    Qin Handong laughed heartily, his hands exploring Zhao Yue¡¯s body.


    The two quickly got undressed and lay on the bed, but when Qin Handong was about to get started, a sudden pain hit his lower abdomen. He didn¡¯t think much of it and wanted to continue, but the pain intensified to the point that he couldn¡¯t bear it, and sweat started to drip down.


    Zhao Yue was also startled and said urgently, "Director Qin, let¡¯s go to the hospital quickly."


    Qin Hansheng, though in discomfort, forced himself to bear it and said, "No, I can¡¯t go to the hospital for this kind of thing. If someone recognizes me, it¡¯ll be trouble. Maybe it was just that kid¡¯s attack earlier. Resting a bit should make it better."


    After a while, the pain subsided. Zhao Yue tried to cuddle up to him again, but when Qin Hansheng wanted to take it seriously, the pain in his abdomen became unbearable again.


    This time, the pain was even more severe than before, and Qin Hansheng didn¡¯t dare to push through. Fearing it might be some internal injury, like a ruptured organ, he quickly got dressed and rushed to the hospital with Zhao Yue.


    But after a check-up, nothing came up except for a slight bruise; everything else was normal.


    After some tossing and turning, the two returned to the hotel. Qin Hansheng wasn¡¯t really in the mood anymore, but he was worried about whether he had a problem, so he tried being intimate with Zhao Yue again. However, while doing so, the pain struck once more.


    At this point, Qin Handong was truly bewildered. Normally, there¡¯s no issue, but he felt pain whenever he got intimate with a woman. What kind of mysterious ailment was this? And the hospital didn¡¯t know either.


    "Could it be that kid who did this?" Zhao Yue asked cautiously.


    Qin Handong also considered this possibility. But if the kid had landed a blow, it should have shown up in a hospital examination.


    "If it really was that kid, then we can¡¯t let him get away with it."


    "Bullshit, of course I won¡¯t let him get away with it. But if there¡¯s something wrong with me, what¡¯s the point of even killing him? No, I¡¯m going to a big hospital tomorrow for a more thorough examination."


    Qin Handong had originally wanted to go after Li Yifei for revenge immediately, but at this moment, he had no mind for that. The next day, he hurriedly went to a big hospital for a thorough check, but nothing was found.


    Qin Handong tried with other women too; as soon as things got real, the pain would hit, gradually becoming more intense. This made him truly panicked. How did I get this strange ailment?


    "Ah! Could it have been that kid who put a curse on me?" The thought suddenly crossed Qin Handong¡¯s mind, and sweat immediately started trickling down his forehead.


    It was indeed Li Yifei who did it. For someone like Qin Handong who was so despicable, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t let him off easily without teaching him a lesson. This was a special meridian-blocking technique Li Yifei had learned, a part of Huaxia martial arts.


    However, such martial arts were mostly lost already. Even those who knew about it rarely mastered it, and the technique of meridian-blocking was quite profound, with no more than five people in Huaxia capable of it.


    Li Yifei had used this meridian-blocking technique to block one of Qin Handong¡¯s meridians, such that whenever Qin Handong engaged in any intimate activity, it caused extreme pain due to blocked blood circuits, and medical equipment couldn¡¯t detect it. Unless Li Yifei personally unblocked the meridian, or another expert in the technique was found to help resolve it, it couldn¡¯t be fixed.


    But those who knew such meridian-blocking techniques were not ordinary people, and how could Qin Hansheng find them easily?


    After dropping off Qin Lianyao and Li Xinyue, Li Yifei headed straight home. However, after all the running around, it was two hours later by the time he got home¡ªalready past eleven o¡¯clock.


    Xu Shanshan was already asleep, but Xu Yingying was still awake. As soon as Li Yifei got into bed, Xu Yingying asked, "What happened? You rushed out so suddenly."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t hide anything and recounted the day¡¯s events truthfully.


    "Song Lianyao is our company¡¯s spokesperson. If something happened to her, it wouldn¡¯t look good for our company either. Helping out was the right thing to do, and that Qin Hansheng is so despicable; giving him a beating is too lenient. He deserves to be arrested and jailed." Xu Yingying was a very passionate woman and had a strong dislike for a man like Qin Hansheng who bullied women.


    "I¡¯m just glad you don¡¯t blame me." Li Yifei sighed in relief. After all, he was now married, and frequently going out of his way to help other women could understandably evoke feelings in Xu Yingying.


    "I never said I wouldn¡¯t blame you, but next time you encounter something similar, could you at least give me a heads-up? It makes me worry all the time."


    "Alright, next time there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll definitely seek my wife¡¯s permission first." Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t really mad. He grinned and started feeling his way around Xu Yingying.


    "Stop it, it¡¯s that time of the month." Although Xu Yingying enjoyed Li Yifei¡¯s affection, she still reminded him.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Well, at least let me cuddle."


    Xu Yingying looked at him with spring in her eyes and said, "If you can control yourself, go ahead."


    That night, Li Yifei could only hold back his desires. But a woman has to go through those days every month, and as a husband, he had to be understanding. The next morning, Li Yifei specifically went out to buy some pig liver and made pig liver porridge to help Xu Yingying with her blood replenishment. Xu Yingying was very touched by how considerate and loving he was; it was much better than having a lot of money or power.


    "Brother-in-law, pig liver porridge tastes terrible." Xu Shanshan pouted, voicing her first complaint about Li Yifei¡¯s cooking.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Your sister needs some blood replenishment these days." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh..." Xu Shanshan gave Xu Yingying a meaningful glance, then cheerfully said, "Then I must be cautious not to let Brother-in-law know when my time comes, or he might make that horrible pig liver porridge for me, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat it."


    Li Yifei awkwardly cleared his throat. Keeping track of his wife¡¯s days was perfectly normal, but keeping track of his sister-in-law¡¯s days would definitely be over the line.


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Xu Shanshan and said, "If you don¡¯t want it, your brother-in-law wouldn¡¯t bother making it for you anyway. Now hurry and eat; we have work."


    It was Monday, and everyone had to go to work. Li Yifei first dropped Xu Shanshan off at the art school before heading back to the company. Naturally, Xu Yingying left for the company first to prevent any gossip about them being together.


    Previously, since they weren¡¯t a real couple, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t care so much about these things, but now that was different. She was even more keen on not letting others talk.


    As soon as Li Yifei arrived at the office, Chen Xingrui came over, engaging him in some office gossip. This kid loved talking about the company¡¯s beauties and always chatted with Li Yifei about them. Over time, they developed a good relationship, and the pudgy Chen Xingrui essentially became Li Yifei¡¯s sidekick.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. It was Li Xinyue calling, worried that Qin Handong might still cause trouble for Song Lianyao. After all, with someone like Li Yifei, it¡¯s clear that Qin Hansheng would eventually give up, but Song Lianyao was different. In Qin Hansheng¡¯s eyes, a small TV station anchor was nothing.


    "Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be long before that Qin Hansheng calls to apologize to Lianyao."


    Li Xinyue thought Li Yifei must have used some powerful influence to intimidate Qin Handong without realizing that the story of Li Yifei being the Young Master of the Capital City was fake. So how could he simply use his influence?

 Chapter 384 - 391: Lin Qiong Forces a Marriage

    Chapter 384: Chapter 391: Lin Qiong Forces a MarriageJust before finishing work at noon, Lin Qiong called and said she needed to talk to Li Yifei about something at noon, asking Li Yifei to come to her house.


    Li Yifei wanted to refuse, but Lin Qiong didn¡¯t give him a chance to do so before hanging up the phone.


    After thinking it over, Li Yifei decided to visit Lin Qiong¡¯s place. Although the two had become intimate, their relationship hadn¡¯t reached that level of emotional attachment. If Lin Qiong could let go, they could remain good friends in the future, so he believed it was appropriate to have a good talk with her.


    When he arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s home, she also seemed to have just come in, having only changed half of her clothes, sporting a simple T-shirt on her upper body and still wearing her police uniform pants.


    "Take a seat, I¡¯ll change my clothes," Lin Qiong said as she stood in front of Li Yifei and promptly took off her trousers, hanging them on the coat rack by the door. Her backside was obscured by the T-shirt, but her firm, wheat-colored thighs were fully exposed without any hesitation in front of Li Yifei.


    Lin Qiong decided not to bother with pants and sat down next to Li Yifei, saying, "Now that you have a wife, you don¡¯t care about me anymore."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile, replying, "When you have a wife, you have to be careful. Otherwise, she¡¯ll get angry."


    "Hmph, you¡¯re not afraid of me getting angry?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh, saying, "Can we not joke about this kind of thing?"


    "Who¡¯s joking with you? I¡¯m telling you, my parents are still pushing us to buy a house. I¡¯ve already found one, just waiting for you to come and consult," she said.


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, "Didn¡¯t you say you were going to tell your parents the truth? Why are you still buying a house?"


    A rare coquettish smile appeared on Lin Qiong¡¯s face as she said, "I didn¡¯t tell them."


    "What do you mean by this?" Li Yifei had a very bad premonition.


    Seeing the panic on Li Yifei¡¯s face, Lin Qiong actually felt a thrill of excitement. This guy was that formidable, mysterious person she had seen exhibit such strength. Now, in front of her, showing such an expression, it seemed as though even that powerful, mysterious man was at her mercy.


    "What do you think I mean?" Lin Qiong¡¯s body slowly leaned towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei hastily retreated from Lin Qiong, stammering, "Lin Qiong, you... remain calm, didn¡¯t you say... we weren¡¯t going to get serious?"


    "What if I regret it?" Lin Qiong¡¯s body moved forward.


    "You might regret it, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m already married," Li Yifei continued to lean back.


    "So what if you¡¯re married? You can get a divorce. I know your marriage to Xu Yingying isn¡¯t sincere. Divorce her, and I¡¯ll marry you," Lin Qiong¡¯s body moved closer to Li Yifei.


    "This... Lin Qiong..." At this point, Li Yifei was cornered and toppled back onto the sofa.


    Lin Qiong pounced on top of Li Yifei, her face only inches away from his, her eyes flickering as she said, "You can¡¯t be so heartless. I gave you my first time, how can you be so irresponsible?"


    "Haha..." Li Yifei suddenly burst into laughter and embraced Lin Qiong, laughing heartily.


    "What¡¯s so funny?" Lin Qiong asked, feeling a bit unnerved by Li Yifei¡¯s laughter.


    "Well, Lin Qiong, since when did you learn to play such games? I¡¯d never have thought, you being a police officer who¡¯s always so fierce to me, would also enjoy playing these games," he said.


    Looking at the smiling Li Yifei, Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened, and she said with emphasis, "I¡¯m not playing any game with you, I¡¯m serious."


    "Stop kidding, I know you too well. You never thought highly of me, how could you possibly want to marry me? Hehe, it¡¯s getting late, we should both head back to work. Shall we play again some other time?" Li Yifei said while trying to push Lin Qiong away to stand up.


    Lin Qiong forcefully kept Li Yifei pinned on the sofa, staring straight into his eyes, she articulated, "I... am... serious...!" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The smile on Li Yifei¡¯s face froze, and looking back into Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes, he managed a bitter smile after a while and said, "What are you playing at here?"


    "I didn¡¯t plan to be serious with you at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt I was losing out. I gave you my first time, so if I marry someone else, he won¡¯t get the original goods. How could that be fair to me? So you, this guy, have to marry me for my peace of mind."


    Li Yifei wanted to laugh, but his facial muscles twitched, and his smile looked uglier than a frown, "Lin Qiong, can we cool down a bit, please? Our intimacy happened due to some special reasons, right? Moreover, marriage has to be between two people who match temperaments and can live together. If we end up fighting every day after marriage, how could that life be bearable?"


    "Don¡¯t think that I always have a bad temper; it¡¯s just that I used to have a bad impression of you, which is why I was short-tempered. You can ask around at the station, am I, Lin Qiong, known for having a fiery temper?"


    Li Yifei knew Lin Qiong was telling the truth. This female police officer usually wasn¡¯t a person with a bad temper, nor was she fierce. It was just that ever since their first meeting, Lin Qiong had established an attitude towards Li Yifei, which led to her consistent hostility towards him.


    "But marriage is really a big deal, can you give me some time, please?"


    "Don¡¯t avoid the question. I want your stance now. Are you going to divorce Xu Yingying or not? Are you going to marry me or not?"


    Li Yifei met Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze and said, "Qiongqiong, although we¡¯ve had relations, we have to admit that it only happened under certain specific conditions at certain times. To say that I like you, I do have some feelings, but that¡¯s not love."


    Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei and said, "And you have love with Xu Yingying?"


    After thinking for a moment, Li Yifei replied, "I have to say that we do have love, although it¡¯s not that intense. But I do like the slow-burning kind of relationship that develops over time."


    "Enough, stop making things up. You¡¯ve liked so many people. You also like Su Yiyi, and you¡¯ve told me countless times that you like her. But in the end, you married Xu Yingying. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot, like a naive little girl that you can just deceive whenever you want?"


    Li Yifei was suddenly left embarrassed by Lin Qiong¡¯s rapid-fire scolding, particularly at the mention of Su Yiyi, which put him even more on the back foot. He decided not to argue with Lin Qiong any longer and said, "Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Now that Yingying and I are married, I can¡¯t just divorce her casually. I can¡¯t fulfill your request."


    "Oh, so you¡¯re giving me attitude now?"


    "I¡¯m not giving you attitude; I¡¯m just out of options. It¡¯d be great if we could just be friends, or even lovers, wouldn¡¯t it? Why must we become husband and wife? It¡¯s so tiring."


    "You bastard!" Lin Qiong gritted her teeth and suddenly began to tear at Li Yifei¡¯s clothes.


    "Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Li Yifei quickly yelled, trying to stop Lin Qiong.


    "Didn¡¯t you say being lovers was fine? I¡¯m just playing a lover¡¯s game with you now, is that not allowed?" Lin Qiong¡¯s resistance made her even more excited, and a powerful strength erupted from within her, completely disregarding Li Yifei¡¯s attempts to stop her, she began to frantically strip off his clothes.


    "Stop, stop... OK, OK, I give in, alright? Don¡¯t tear my clothes; I still have to go to work this afternoon... Mmm..."


    Lin Qiong was relentless today, completely ignoring any of Li Yifei¡¯s pleas. She took the initiative over and over again on Li Yifei¡¯s body.


    Under Lin Qiong¡¯s fierce onslaught, there was no way Li Yifei could genuinely resist. He soon gave in to Lin Qiong¡¯s passion, and the two rolled from the sofa to the floor, then to the bed, and finally went crazy in the bathroom.


    Once Lin Qiong finally stopped, Li Yifei lit a cigarette and took a couple of drags, saying, "Little Qiongqiong, you were really something today."


    Lin Qiong lay on top of Li Yifei, her body already limp from exhaustion. She had been overly excited today; just thinking about that powerful, mysterious man engaging in such acts with her made her unable to control her emotions. Moreover, since she was the one taking the initiative, she felt as if she was even more powerful than the mysterious man, bringing an added sense of satisfaction.


    Snatching the cigarette from Li Yifei to take a drag, Lin Qiong immediately started coughing.


    Li Yifei patted her back and said, "Why the need to smoke all of a sudden?"


    "If you smoke, I¡¯ll smoke too. Don¡¯t you like it?"


    "It¡¯s not that I dislike women smoking, but it depends on what they¡¯re smoking. If an elegant woman has a lady¡¯s cigarette, that truly can be a delightful sight. But you, Qiongqiong, are too wild, so it doesn¡¯t suit you to smoke."


    "Alright then, if you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t smoke anymore." Lin Qiong then put the cigarette back into Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    "You¡¯re quite obedient, aren¡¯t you?" Li Yifei¡¯s body was satisfied, but his mind was filled with worry. If Lin Qiong persisted in demanding marriage, that would be troublesome, indeed.


    "Don¡¯t think you can sweet-talk me; I¡¯m not giving up. I will make you marry me," Lin Qiong¡¯s words confirmed Li Yifei¡¯s fears.


    "Qiongqiong, this is really difficult for me. Yingying and I just got married; if I divorce her now, she¡¯ll be considered a divorcee. I would be ruining her life."


    "But you¡¯ve already been with me. How am I supposed to get married in the future?"


    In his mind, Li Yifei muttered, it seems like every time, it¡¯s you who plays me. But he kept these thoughts to himself and didn¡¯t voice them out. Now Lin Qiong seemed quite serious, and it was driving him up the wall.


    If his relationship with Lin Qiong was just a fling, he might be able to find it in himself to cut her off. But having spent a lot of time with her, he had developed an inexplicable fondness for this female police officer. How could he possibly say such heartless things?

 Chapter 385 - 392 Lin Qiong

    Chapter 385: Chapter 392 Lin Qiong"Hmph, don¡¯t look so miserable, I¡¯m not pushing you that hard," Lin Qiong¡¯s tone suddenly shifted.


    Li Yifei was overjoyed, sensing there was room for negotiation, and hurriedly said, "So what do you mean..."


    Watching Li Yifei, this strong fellow, having to be mindful of her mood, Lin Qiong felt an indescribable comfort and said, "I can let you not divorce right now, but don¡¯t think you can dump me. Do you have a problem with that?"


    Now, as long as Lin Qiong didn¡¯t force him to divorce, that was relief enough for him. He quickly replied, "No problem." Knowing Lin Qiong surely had more to say, he watched her, waiting for her to continue.


    "When I look for you in the future, you can¡¯t refuse to come, otherwise I¡¯ll go find you at your company, or at your home."


    Li Yifei grinned, guessing that with Lin Qiong¡¯s personality, she could really do something like that, and said, "Okay, but sometimes I¡¯m not available, you¡¯ll have to understand."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that unreasonable," Lin Qiong felt even more pleased and said, "Then this afternoon, come with me to look at houses."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he said, "Really look at houses?"


    "Of course, seriously look. Our home, naturally, we both should pick out."


    "Qiongqiong, can we put off this matter for a bit?"


    Lin Qiong tilted her head to think and said, "Okay then, I¡¯ll take another step back. We won¡¯t choose the house for now, but in a few days, let¡¯s go see my parents. You don¡¯t have a problem with that, right?"


    Seeing that Lin Qiong had made concessions, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to make any more demands and gritted his teeth as he said, "No problem."


    "Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll call you when the time comes."


    Finally having achieved her goal, Lin Qiong let go of Li Yifei, her heart brimming with joy. This powerful, mysterious man, in front of her, still was utterly helpless. The excitement made Lin Qiong want to laugh out loud.


    But for fear Li Yifei would notice something amiss, she forced herself to hold back.


    Li Yifei sat up and wrapped his arms around Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulders, sweet-talking her, "Qiongqiong, I¡¯m not trying to shirk responsibility, but let me ask you, your father and Yingying¡¯s father were comrades-in-arms. If you take me to see them, we¡¯re bound to collide sooner or later. I managed to deceive them the last time, but the next time it won¡¯t be so easy, and if we¡¯re exposed, it will break Yingying¡¯s parents¡¯ hearts, as well as yours."


    "I don¡¯t care. In front of my parents, you¡¯re my boyfriend, my husband. It¡¯s up to you to figure out things with Yingying."


    "That¡¯s difficult..."


    "I¡¯m not even forcing you to divorce Yingying now, what more do you want? Are you not even going to satisfy this request of mine?" Lin Qiong bit her lip, her eyes reddening.


    "Okay, okay, I agree. Isn¡¯t that enough?" Li Yifei hurriedly cajoled Lin Qiong, his heart aching, but he didn¡¯t realize that Lin Qiong, at this moment, had turned her face away, barely containing her laughter.


    Just then, the phone rang. Li Yifei hurriedly ran to the living room to find his own mobile phone. It was his wife Xu Yingying calling, which made him nervous, not daring to answer; if Lin Qiong were to make any noise at that moment, it would be quite troublesome.


    "Go ahead and answer. I won¡¯t make it that difficult for you." Lin Qiong had reached her goal for the day and didn¡¯t dare push Li Yifei further, as she began to get dressed. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei then answered the call, and Xu Yingying immediately said, "Husband, what are you doing?"


    The way she called him husband was quite charming; Li Yifei found it comforting but felt even more guilty, saying, "I¡¯m out handling some business, I¡¯ll be back at the company soon."


    "Oh, I was wondering why you didn¡¯t come to me at noon. Well, you go ahead with your work," Xu Yingying said as she was about to hang up, but suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice came through the phone, prompting her to press the phone back to her ear and ask with a frown, "Who are you with?"


    Li Yifei gave Lin Qiong a reproachful look, while Lin Qiong was smirking at him and said, "Tell your wife, we¡¯re discussing work."


    Lin Qiong was not quiet, and Xu Yingying heard her, recognizing Lin Qiong¡¯s voice, which immediately brought a sour feeling to her heart. "You¡¯re with Lin Qiong?"


    "Yeah, there were some details from the last case that needed my attention, so I came over," Li Yifei could only admit.


    "Discussing work at noon?" Xu Yingying was not easily fooled, also aware of Li Yifei¡¯s past relationship with Lin Qiong.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong snatched Li Yifei¡¯s phone, scaring him to the point his heart nearly jumped out, while she sat beside him, took the phone and said, "President Xu, are you worried I¡¯m going to do something with your Yifei here?"


    Hearing Lin Qiong¡¯s voice, Xu Yingying¡¯s mood actually calmed down, and with a faint smile, she said, "Officer Lin, what do I have to worry about? Your affair with Yifei is all in the past, I trust Yifei."


    Lin Qiong immediately laughed, "No wonder this guy married you. You¡¯re really smarter than me. Rest assured, I¡¯m just discussing some work with Yifei. I have a case that needs his help, and I might need to occasionally borrow your husband. Hehe, if you¡¯re worried, then I¡¯ll find someone else."


    Li Yifei thought to himself: You¡¯re not stupid either, knowing how to retreat in order to advance.


    Xu Yingying promptly said pleasantly, "No problem at all, cooperation between the police and civilians, right? How could I refuse?"


    "I really appreciate it, President Xu. You¡¯ve got such a generous spirit, unlike those petty women who bind their husbands to their side, terrified they¡¯re going to cheat."


    Xu Yingying was fairly satisfied at this point, as Lin Qiong¡¯s words implied that Li Yifei had already told her they were married. She smiled and said, "Then I won¡¯t disturb you two anymore."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll treat you and your husband to a meal sometime."


    After hanging up, Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei with a cheeky smile and said, "How was that? Did I do well?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Not bad, quite good actually."


    "Hmph, you scoundrel, I was giving you face. I didn¡¯t want to make things too difficult for you, but you better not go back on your promise to me."


    "Sure, sure, I definitely won¡¯t go back on it," Li Yifei nodded repeatedly.


    "Then get dressed already. What, do you plan on staying here indefinitely?"


    It was then that Li Yifei remembered he was still undressed. He quickly put on his clothes, but looking at his current state, with several buttons torn off his shirt and his trousers all wrinkled, he couldn¡¯t help but wryly say, "Look at my clothes, can I even wear these?"


    "Heh heh, that¡¯s your problem. You figure it out," she teased.


    Li Yifei gave Lin Qiong a look and said, "I¡¯m off, then."


    "Go ahead, I won¡¯t see you out."


    As soon as Li Yifei left, Lin Qiong jumped onto the sofa and excitedly exclaimed, "Oh yeah! Mysterious man, you¡¯ll never be able to shake me off for the rest of your life."


    In the past, Lin Qiong had been quite conflicted. She didn¡¯t know why she had slept with Li Yifei, nor why she had taken a liking to him. Yet her admiration for the mysterious man stopped her from fully accepting Li Yifei, thinking he was too weak. Therefore, she didn¡¯t want to develop real feelings for him.


    But now that she knew Li Yifei and the mysterious man were one and the same, she found herself inexplicably fond of Li Yifei, intertwining her feelings and admiration. By not revealing the truth, she could continue to torment Li Yifei, the mysterious man, whenever she wanted, which gave her an indescribable sense of achievement.


    Li Yifei left Lin Qiong¡¯s place and sat in his car, somewhat speechless. He had thought that Ye Yunzhu would be the most upset upon learning of his marriage, but she had been silent these past days, while Lin Qiong¡¯s place turned out to be the source of trouble. Fortunately, the situation with Lin Qiong gave him some breathing room and time to think of a solution.


    Obviously, he couldn¡¯t go back to the office in these clothes. If anyone saw him, they¡¯d know straight away he hadn¡¯t been up to any good. The only option was to drive home and change.


    Li Yifei pushed open the door and saw Xu Shanshan.


    "Shanshan!"


    "Brother-in-law!"


    Both exclaimed simultaneously, then Xu Shanshan started staring at Li Yifei without blinking.


    "Shanshan, I need to change my clothes." After speaking, Li Yifei tried to sneak back to the bedroom.


    "Hold on!" Xu Shanshan swiftly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, looking him up and down before saying with ill intent, "Brother-in-law, where have you been?"


    "I haven¡¯t been doing anything," Li Yifei forced a laugh.


    "Not doing anything? Then why are there buttons missing from your clothes, and why are your pants all wrinkled?"


    "Well... I was in a fight. Don¡¯t tell your sister," he said.


    "A fight?" Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei skeptically and said, "You¡¯re really good at fighting, brother-in-law. Could you really get messed up like this?"


    "The other guy was a master too," he said.


    "Really? Then why are there water stains on your clothes, and in patches no less?"


    Li Yifei inwardly sweated bullets; Lin Qiong had been crazy earlier, kissing him even through his clothes, which were now smeared with her saliva. He glanced down and said, "I really don¡¯t know how it happened. The fight was too intense to notice."


    "Oh, I see. Well, go change your clothes," Xu Shanshan finally released Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei let out a sigh of relief, hurriedly slipped into the bedroom, and frantically changed into a new set of clothes. He then came out holding the clothes he had switched out of, ready to throw them into the washing machine.


    Xu Shanshan stood in the living room watching Li Yifei bustling about. However, once he was finished, she walked over to him, casually draping her arm over his shoulder, and said with a grin, "Brother-in-law, which woman was it that got this crazy with you? Such a fierce battle, don¡¯t tell me it was my sister, huh?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly, knowing Xu Shanshan had seen through him.


    "Heh heh, brother-in-law, you¡¯re really something else. Having a wife like my sister and you still sneak around. If I tell her about this, I wonder what she would do?"

 Chapter 386 - 393 Xu Shanshan’s Conditions

    Chapter 386: Chapter 393 Xu Shanshan¡¯s ConditionsLi Yifei felt that denying it at this point was unnecessary. The main thing was Xu Yingying must not find out, and his sister-in-law Xu Shanshan, who always had a good relationship with him, might be convinced to keep it a secret for him.


    Once a man got married, his mindset naturally changed. Before marriage, he needn¡¯t explain who he was with to anyone else, nor fear being discovered. But now it was different; he absolutely had to hide this from his wife.


    "Shanshan," Li Yifei put on a flattering smile and said to Xu Shanshan, "Your brother-in-law made a mistake. Could you not tell your sister?"


    Xu Shanshan grinned and replied, "How could that be? She¡¯s my own sister, we¡¯re siblings from the same parents. If I help my brother-in-law cover up his infidelity by keeping it from my sister, wouldn¡¯t that be turning my back on family?"


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s attitude, Li Yifei felt reassured. If Xu Shanshan had shown anger, he would have been in more trouble.


    "Shanshan, you know your brother-in-law is always good to you, going along with you in everything. This time I made a mistake, I admit. But it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t love your sister anymore. It¡¯s just an unresolved issue from before, and I need some time to handle it."


    "Men always seem to have plenty of reasons for their infidelity." Xu Shanshan continued smiling.


    Li Yifei gave a dry cough and said, "Shanshan, can we sit on the sofa and talk slowly?"


    "Okay!" Xu Shanshan readily agreed.


    The two sat on the sofa. Xu Shanshan immediately put her legs on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, lay back on the sofa, and looked at Li Yifei with a smile.


    Li Yifei, taking the hint, grasped Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot and gently massaged it. He was about to speak but saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s slightly displeased expression, her gaze shifting towards her own foot. He paused for a moment, then realized what she wanted and quickly took off her socks.


    Xu Shanshan smiled contentedly and said, "Go on."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, continuing to massage her foot. "Shanshan, I met with Lin Qiong today at noon. You know her, the daughter of your dad¡¯s old comrade."


    "Hmm!" Xu Shanshan squinted her eyes, not making clear if she was responding to Li Yifei or just enjoying the massage.


    "You¡¯re aware of the case I helped her with before. To deceive those smugglers, we had to get involved."


    "I know most of what happened before. Just tell me why you met her again today."


    Li Yifei naturally couldn¡¯t disclose Lin Qiong¡¯s request. "We were supposed to discuss business, but considering I¡¯m married to your sister now, it wouldn¡¯t be right to keep it from her. I told her, which upset her a lot. You know how people can act irrationally when they¡¯re angry. That¡¯s how I ended up in this situation."


    "Ah, I see. So, you¡¯re saying she forced you?"


    Li Yifei nodded eagerly, "Exactly."


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so capable. Lin Qiong shouldn¡¯t be able to force you, right? If you didn¡¯t want to, how could it happen? Besides, if a man isn¡¯t willing, that part wouldn¡¯t work, would it?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s face suddenly flushed.


    Li Yifei blushed deeply and said awkwardly, "Yes, yes, the main issue is my lack of resolve."


    "Alright, seeing you¡¯re sincere in admitting your mistake, I¡¯ll give you a chance."


    Li Yifei was overjoyed and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re the best. If you ever need anything, your brother-in-law will be there without hesitation."


    "Be gentle, bad brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan exclaimed, frowning.


    Li Yifei realized he had been too enthusiastic and applied too much pressure, so he began massaging more carefully.


    Xu Shanshan relaxed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes, saying, "Brother-in-law, earlier you said if I ever need anything, you¡¯d be there, right?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He had really spoken too much and was sure to be caught by Xu Shanshan now. But he had no choice but to brace himself and say, "Yes, you¡¯re Yingying¡¯s sister, which makes you like my sister. We¡¯re family."


    "Don¡¯t try to win me over, family is family, money is money, and requests must be made."


    Li Yifei conceded, "Alright, alright, Shanshan, go ahead."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s big eyes twinkled mischievously as she said, "You¡¯ve got to give me a foot massage every day."


    "No problem, I already do that for you every day, don¡¯t I?"


    "That¡¯s different. I want you to do it in front of my sister."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan pouted prettily, "This way, when you massage my feet, it feels like we¡¯re having an affair, so awkward. Find a way for my sister to see you massaging my feet and not react, and I¡¯ll agree to keep your secret."


    Li Yifei felt that this was truly a daunting challenge, complaining, "Shanshan, isn¡¯t that too difficult?"


    "You¡¯re my brother-in-law, so you have to figure it out. That¡¯s my only condition. If you can¡¯t agree, then all bets are off."


    Li Yifei was speechless for a moment but suddenly got an idea. He grinned and said, "Alright, consider it done."


    Xu Shanshan sat up excitedly and said, "You really have a way?"


    "I have a way, but why are you so excited?"


    Xu Shanshan blinked her big eyes and giggled, "That means you¡¯ll massage my feet daily. You know us dancers, our feet are the most worn-out every day." Then she lay back on the sofa, squinting contentedly, "This is so comfortable."


    No matter how hard Li Yifei tried, he couldn¡¯t quite understand Xu Shanshan¡¯s reaction. But given his uncertainty about her real intentions, he decided to play dumb and said, "But you¡¯ll have to cooperate with me when the time comes."


    "Sure, I¡¯ll do whatever you say." Xu Shanshan readily agreed.


    Li Yifei immediately explained his plan, and Xu Shanshan listened with great interest, finally bursting into laughter and said, "Brother-in-law, this trick is just like how I fooled you into marriage!"


    "Well, I learned it from you," Li Yifei replied with a wry smile.


    "Hehe, it seems I¡¯m still a bit smarter than my brother-in-law."


    "By the way, Shanshan, why did you come home?" Li Yifei changed the topic.


    "The school is conducting some survey and needs an ID card. I didn¡¯t bring mine, so I came back to get it."


    "Isn¡¯t it about time for you to head back?"


    "Oh, you¡¯re right." Xu Shanshan quickly drew back her feet and jumped up to put on her shoes.


    "You haven¡¯t put on your socks yet," Li Yifei reminded.


    "Hurry, toss them to me," Xu Shanshan demanded from the door.


    Li Yifei picked up Xu Shanshan¡¯s socks and walked over. Holding his sister-in-law¡¯s socks had a certain ambiguous feel, but after massaging her feet so often, this wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Xu Shanshan efficiently slipped on her socks, while Li Yifei said, "Alright, don¡¯t rush, I¡¯ll give you a ride. We should make it in time."


    "Oh, I forgot about that," Xu Shanshan said, slowing down with a sweet smile at Li Yifei.


    Once Li Yifei had his shoes on, they left the house. Xu Shanshan immediately linked arms with him, appearing even closer than Xu Yingying did with him. Li Yifei, somewhat used to it, let her hold on as they walked.


    "Brother-in-law, make sure you act on your plan quickly," Xu Shanshan reminded him in the elevator.


    "Sure, how could I not?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯m not threatening you, just joking. You don¡¯t mind, do you?" Xu Shanshan sweetly pleaded while shaking his arm.


    "Haha, of course, I don¡¯t mind. You¡¯re my sister-in-law. It¡¯s normal to tease your brother-in-law. Besides, I really owe your sister an apology."


    "Hmm, hmm, it¡¯s still something to note. Now that you¡¯re with my sister, you should cut ties with those other women. If you let things drag on, you¡¯ll only get more entangled, and eventually my sister will find out, then you¡¯ll be in big trouble."


    "Shanshan, aren¡¯t you being disloyal to the family?"


    "You¡¯re my brother-in-law; it¡¯s just like being close to my sister."


    Li Yifei dropped Xu Shanshan off at the school gate. Just as a car arrived at the school entrance¡ªa Mercedes as well¡ªXu Shanshan got out. The other car stopped, and its window rolled down to reveal the face of Wang Jiuzhe¡¯s son, Wang Libang, who was now the principal overseeing the whole art school.


    "Hello, Principal Wang!" Xu Shanshan greeted warmly.


    Wang Libang got out of the car and said to Xu Shanshan, "Hello, Teacher Xu. Where are you coming from?"


    "I just went home to get something."


    "Oh, well, it¡¯s almost class time. Let¡¯s head in."


    "Alright!" Xu Shanshan agreed before waving to Li Yifei and walking into the school with Wang Libang.


    Li Yifei had seen this Wang Libang on Saturday night at the party. He seemed like a capable person, stable, and able to keep a poker face¡ªdefinitely someone who could handle big responsibilities. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, if such a person planned to do something wrong, it would be difficult to guard against. Seeing Xu Shanshan with him made Li Yifei slightly worried.


    Yet, Li Yifei didn¡¯t worry that Wang Libang would do anything to Xu Shanshan right away. After all, Wang Libang wasn¡¯t a thug, and doing something reckless would affect his reputation. To subtly lure someone in, he would likely maintain a gentlemanly demeanor. At least for a short time, he wouldn¡¯t harm Xu Shanshan.


    Of course, Li Yifei might be worrying unnecessarily. With a film company in his family, if Wang Libang wanted to pursue stars, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. He might not have any thoughts about Xu Shanshan at all.

 Chapter 387 - 394: Supreme Quality

    Chapter 387: Chapter 394: Supreme QualityBack at the company, Li Yifei first went to Xu Yingying to touch base, but it was almost time for work, so Xu Yingying didn¡¯t say much and let Li Yifei leave.


    There wasn¡¯t much happening in the office that afternoon, until Chen Xingrui, the chubby guy, came over to chat with Li Yifei for a bit.


    "Boss, this cigarette of yours is not bad, I see it¡¯s Special Tribute," Chen Xingrui the chubby guy helped himself to one of Li Yifei¡¯s cigarettes, smoking contentedly without any reservations.


    "You know this cigarette?" Not many people recognized that cigarette, prompting Li Yifei¡¯s question.


    "Not familiar, just feel that it¡¯s smooth and the smell doesn¡¯t linger strongly on the clothes. If all cigarettes were like this, they wouldn¡¯t be so distasteful. Boss, can you get me a couple of cartons?"


    "Get lost, a couple of cartons? Once I finish these, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll get more," Li Yifei scoffed.


    "Then how about just a pack?"


    "Not even a pack. Consider yourself lucky to mooch a couple off me when you can."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know why, but he had this feeling that now that he and Xu Yingying were married, Su Mengxin might stop supplying him with cigarettes in the future. Yet, the thought seemed absurd, as if Su Mengxin had any thoughts about him and was jealous knowing he got married to Xu Yingying.


    But regardless, Li Yifei now found himself more reluctant to smoke these cigarettes. If Su Mengxin really stopped providing him with cigarettes in the future, he might as well quit once and for all. It would also be a good time to have a child with Xu Yingying.


    "By the way, Xingrui, where are you from? You don¡¯t seem to be from Mile City."


    Chen Xingrui chuckled, "My family is from the provincial capital."


    "Isn¡¯t there more opportunity for you there than here?"


    "Boring, I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s much more comfortable working here, getting to shoot the breeze with the boss every day. How fun is that?"


    "Get lost! The company pays you to work, not shoot the breeze all day. Watch it or you might get fired," snapped Li Yifei.


    Chen Xingrui giggled, "I roll with the boss. How could the boss bear to let go of his buddy, right?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t really get angry with this shameless guy, and somehow, having someone to talk to every day was quite entertaining.


    They were in the middle of their conversation when a knock on the door interrupted them. Li Yifei promptly said, "Come in."


    Chen Xingrui also promptly sat down properly on one side.


    As the door opened, a woman clad in a white dress stepped in, making Chen Xingrui¡¯s eyes widen to the fullest. His cheeks, normally plump with flesh, suddenly trembled, and he made an odd noise in his throat. With his mouth agape, it looked like it could fit a whole goose egg. He even started drooling uncontrollably.


    The one who could cause such a reaction in Chen Xingrui was none other than Su Mengxin.


    Days earlier, Su Mengxin said she would visit, but ended up delaying, citing some matters to attend to. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected her to arrive today, entirely unannounced like this.


    "Hello, Manager Li, I was wondering if there are any positions available. I¡¯ve given it some thought and would like to work at your company," Su Mengxin approached Li Yifei with a gentle smile on her face.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what act Su Mengxin was putting on, but clearly, she didn¡¯t want others to know her identity. He quickly replied, "Well, I¡¯ll have to see if there¡¯s a suitable position for you."


    "There is! There is!" Chen Xingrui suddenly shouted eagerly.


    "What¡¯s there? Get back to your own work," Li Yifei shot a glare at Chen Xingrui, who hadn¡¯t even thought to wipe the drool from his mouth. It was downright embarrassing.


    "Boss, we really do have positions open. You must keep this... this lady, even if it means doing the same job as me."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he glared and snapped, "Aren¡¯t you going out yet? Or do you want to embarrass yourself even further?"


    It was then that Chen Xingrui realized how he looked, yelping in horror as he dashed out. To have behaved so disgracefully in front of his dream woman, he felt he had lost face completely.


    Once Chen Xingrui had left, Li Yifei went to close the door and turned the lock, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. He then turned to Su Mengxin and said, "What are you playing at, showing up without even giving me a heads-up?"


    With a slight smile, Su Mengxin replied, "I¡¯m here for a job interview. You weren¡¯t supposed to pick me up, were you?"


    "A job interview? Ha, this is your own company, you know?"


    "I don¡¯t want to be the boss anymore. I want to try being a regular employee, just like you left the good life at Flying Hawk Squad to become a minor manager here. It¡¯s a different kind of life."


    "You can¡¯t be serious?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "I am serious, Manager Li. You won¡¯t deny me this opportunity, will you?"


    "Big sis, can you not joke around? This isn¡¯t funny at all," Li Yifei immediately rolled his eyes in frustration.


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "I¡¯m telling the truth, Manager Li. Please arrange a position for me."


    "You..." Li Yifei now realized that Su Mengxin was not joking and could only respond with a wry smile, "I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. Anyway, the company is yours; you can go wherever you want, it¡¯s your call."


    Su Mengxin said with a smile, "Then why not let me be your secretary?"


    "Be my secretary?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes bulged in surprise once more.


    "Yes, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m fit for the role?" Su Mengxin asked, her smile beaming as she looked at Li Yifei.


    At this point, Li Yifei was utterly dumbfounded and, after a long pause, he chuckled dryly and said, "Can we discuss this with Yingying first, is that alright?"


    "Sure, let¡¯s go then."


    As the two left the office, Li Yifei saw the staff from the adjacent Human Resources Department sticking their heads out the doorway, especially the chubby little Chen Xingrui, who looked absolutely infatuated.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered with them, but now at every office doorway, several men were peeking out. Seeing Su Mengxin, each one seemed dazed and distracted, which left Li Yifei feeling rather helpless. It wasn¡¯t as if Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t beautiful, but did they all have to wear that kind of expression?


    Finally, they arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s office. Xu Yingying was greatly surprised to see Su Mengxin, promptly inviting her to sit on the sofa and even pouring her a glass of water herself. Xu Yingying¡¯s hospitality wasn¡¯t an attempt to curry favor with Su Mengxin, but rather a mark of genuine respect, as Su Mengxin had recognized Xu Yingying¡¯s worth by entrusting her to manage such a large company.


    Li Yifei sat on the side. Seeing his bitter face, Xu Yingying was quite puzzled, but it wasn¡¯t the right moment to ask. She sat next to Su Mengxin and said, "Boss Su, why didn¡¯t you let me know before you came?"


    Su Mengxin answered with a light laugh, "I came here to apply for a position in the company; I couldn¡¯t possibly tell you about that."


    "Apply for a position?" Xu Yingying, much like Li Yifei when he first heard the news, gaped at Su Mengxin in disbelief.


    "The companies I¡¯ve been managing are already on the right track and don¡¯t really need my involvement anymore, so I have plenty of free time. I want to live a free life, but everywhere else people recognize me, which is why I came to Mile City, where I think I can be more at ease."


    Xu Yingying chuckled bitterly and said, "But how could you... how could you work here as a low-level employee?" Now she understood why Li Yifei had a look of dismay.


    Su Mengxin explained, "In my own company, at the very least, I won¡¯t have to worry about being harassed. Plus, I plan to be Li Yifei¡¯s secretary, so I¡¯ll have some assurance of safety when I go out. Yingying, you don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei exchanged glances and nodded, "I have no objections."


    "Thank you, Yingying. But rest assured, I won¡¯t get involved in your work at all; I¡¯ll just focus on my secretarial duties. And please don¡¯t treat me as the chairwoman of the company¡ªor as if I don¡¯t exist at all."


    Xu Yingying gave a wry smile and said, "That might be a bit challenging."


    Su Mengxin nodded in satisfaction and said, "Well, that¡¯s settled. I must be going. It¡¯s rather inappropriate for a mere employee like myself to receive so much attention from the boss. I¡¯ll come to work tomorrow; for today, I should leave. There¡¯s no need to escort me out; I have my own security downstairs. Oh, and Yifei, perhaps you should pick me up tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to use those bodyguards anymore."


    "No problem at all," Xu Yingying quickly agreed.


    After Su Mengxin left, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying looked at each other. With a wry smile, Li Yifei said, "Wife, why did you agree to that? Having her as my secretary is like asking for my demise."


    Xu Yingying spread her hands in a helpless gesture and replied, "What could I do, say no?" Then she smiled and added, "But actually, I think it¡¯s a good thing. With Boss Su here, you won¡¯t be able to slack off, and forget about going out and about¡ªthat¡¯s definitely off the table."


    Li Yifei sighed. Having Su Mengxin as his secretary was indeed going to be a big burden since he would surely have to be on guard for her safety from now on.


    Leaving Xu Yingying¡¯s office, Li Yifei went straight back to his own human resources department, where Chen Xingrui and the other men immediately surrounded him.


    "Manager Li, how did it go? Did you hire her?"


    "This can¡¯t be like last time when you didn¡¯t hire her, right?" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Manager Li, if you don¡¯t hire her this time, we¡¯ll all disdain you." These were Chen Xingrui¡¯s words; he was the only one who could speak to Li Yifei with such irreverence.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "It¡¯s precisely because you all act like this that I firmly cannot hire her." After that, he entered his office and slammed the door shut with a bang.


    Listening to the grumbling and even some discreet cursing from the folks outside in the Human Resources Department, Li Yifei was both amused and helpless. Su Mengxin was truly a femme fatale; such a woman was indeed a headache to deal with.

 Chapter 388 - 395: In a Dilemma

    Chapter 388: Chapter 395: In a DilemmaThis afternoon, Li Yifei faced quite a few cold looks at the company. Since Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t hired, the blame naturally fell on him as the Human Resources Manager. In no time, accusations of Li Yifei being a pervert and having abnormal sexual orientation were everywhere, as a tide of slanderous words seemed to pour down on him.


    Li Yifei had not expected that his offhand remark would stir up so much trouble, but he was too lazy to pay attention to those jerks. Once Su Mengxin arrived at the office tomorrow, they would naturally stop cursing.


    At this moment, Michelle came into Li Yifei¡¯s office. Li Yifei gestured for Michelle to take a seat, and she couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    Li Yifei laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "You¡¯re not here to scold me as well, are you?"


    Recently, Michelle¡¯s face seemed thinner, a bit more fragile, somewhat resembling the delicateness of Su Yiyi.


    "What would I scold you for? I just came to see how you are holding up against the slander from all the male colleagues. Besides... people in the company still think I¡¯m your... well, it wouldn¡¯t be nice if I didn¡¯t come to see you," Michelle said, seeming a bit downcast.


    Last time the police came to arrest Li Yifei, Michelle had boldly confessed her feelings, which became a popular story. Li Yifei, for the sake of Michelle¡¯s pride, had never denied it, so everyone believed that the two were a couple.


    But now, Li Yifei found it tough to explain himself. He gave a dry laugh and said, "It¡¯s okay, if it¡¯s out of sight, it¡¯s out of mind. Whatever they say, I pretend not to hear."


    Michelle didn¡¯t dwell on this topic any further and instead smiled saying, "Then just keep her. That will boost the company¡¯s morale."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and responded, "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t keep her, it¡¯s that President Xu assigned her to be my secretary. Now I¡¯m going to become the target of those brutes again."


    "Your secretary..." Michelle giggled and said, "President Xu really trusts you. That beauty, I saw her too, she really is stunningly beautiful."


    Of course, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t reveal Su Mengxin¡¯s true identity. He smiled bitterly and said, "Stop teasing me. Having such a beauty for a secretary is absolutely a torment for me."


    "But I trust you, Brother Li, and I¡¯m sure President Xu does too, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have chosen such a beauty to be your secretary." As she spoke, Michelle looked up at the wind chimes at the window, a smile appearing on her face.


    Even though Li Yifei was married, Michelle¡¯s feelings for him hadn¡¯t lessened in the slightest; in fact, they had grown stronger. She berated herself, knowing that Li Yifei was married and that she shouldn¡¯t harbor extra thoughts, yet she couldn¡¯t help but visit Li Yifei, just for a glance, a few words, which would bring her great comfort.


    The wind chimes at the window that Li Yifei had never taken down made her feel that he was not heartless towards her; it was only because Xu Yingying was more outstanding that he didn¡¯t choose her.


    Li Yifei was well aware of Michelle¡¯s feelings for him, but he could only pretend ignorance. At that moment, he laughed and said, "By the way, you haven¡¯t mentioned why you came to find me."


    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing much, I just came to check on you. I¡¯ll be going now." Standing up, Michelle said her goodbyes.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much more and walked Michelle out. He was empathetic towards Michelle, a good girl, and that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t bear to hurt her.


    After work, Li Yifei went to pick up Xu Shanshan and then Xu Yingying, preparing to head home together. At that moment, Su Mengxin¡¯s called Xu Yingying. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a brief chat with Su Mengxin, Xu Yingying hung up and said, "Boss Su is coming to our house today, let¡¯s buy some groceries. Honey, I need your help cooking again."


    Li Yifei readily agreed. Now that Su Mengxin was coming over, she was a guest, and as the host, he naturally couldn¡¯t neglect to entertain her.


    After Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan got out of the car and Li Yifei was about to do the same, Xu Yingying quickly added, "Right, Boss Su asked you to pick him up. Shanshan and I will head home to get things ready first."


    Going to pick up Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t stressful for Li Yifei, he just drove straight there. However, downstairs he saw not just Su Mengxin but also the flight attendant Meng Xiaofei.


    When Meng Xiaofei saw Li Yifei, she pouted her sexy lips and said indignantly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so unfair. You got married without notifying me, moved without telling me. I nearly went without food for days. If Sister Mengxin had not told me, I¡¯d still be clueless."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I haven¡¯t really moved away, I¡¯m keeping this place. The marriage was just about getting the certificate; there wasn¡¯t a reception or anything."


    "Well, today I¡¯ll go with Sister Mengxin to congratulate you. You don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course not."


    To Li Yifei, the flight attendant neighbor Meng Xiaofei was like a younger sister, and he spoke with her candidly, never feeling any inhibition. Su Mengxin just smiled faintly at Li Yifei, nodded, and got in the car.


    Once home and seeing that Meng Xiaofei had also come, Xu Yingying hurriedly welcomed her warmly. Although she had met Meng Xiaofei only a few times, she had no hostility towards the flight attendant. The girl was guileless, with her emotions plainly visible on her face; if she had any designs on Li Yifei, Xu Yingying would have spotted it long ago.


    "Yifei, Yingying, this is for you." Holding out two boxes, Su Mengxin offered them to Xu Yingying.


    With a word of thanks, Xu Yingying opened them up straight away. Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed, "Ah! A Rolex with fully diamond-encrusted dial!"


    "What a huge diamond, it¡¯s really beautiful!" Meng Xiaofei also loudly praised it. As a flight attendant who traveled around the world, she regularly encountered wealthy people wearing such watches, so she indeed knew her stuff.


    Rolex¡¯s ¡¯Starlight¡¯ model is one with the dial filled with diamonds, just like a sky full of stars. Due to the differences in the diamonds, the price varies; a basic ¡¯Starlight¡¯ could cost tens of thousands, while a high-quality one could run into the hundreds of thousands.


    The two watches Su Mengxin had gifted clearly had large and bright diamonds inset. Under the light, they exuded a rainbow of sparkles, obviously belonging to the extremely valuable kind within the ¡¯Starlight¡¯ range. It was feared that the pair of watches wouldn¡¯t cost less than a million.


    "Boss Su, this gift is too valuable," one said about the gift. Not accepting it would be improper, but accepting it also brought a considerable pressure to one¡¯s conscience.


    Su Mengxin said with a smile, "I¡¯m still counting on you all to help me grow my company and make money for me. The money you¡¯ll earn for me won¡¯t just be a little bit like this. Don¡¯t tell me Yingying lacks even that much confidence?"


    Su Mengxin truly was a clever leader. With just those words, she made Xu Yingying feel compelled to accept the gift. Xu Yingying¡¯s chest puffed out involuntarily as she said, "Then I won¡¯t be polite." It was a sort of tacit promise.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said, "Come on, put them on quickly. These are couple¡¯s watches, you know, ¡¯Starlight¡¯ couple¡¯s watches. I¡¯ve rarely seen anyone wearing them."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying each took one and wore them on their wrists. When they stretched out their hands, one robust and the other delicate, the watches on their wrists dazzled even more under the light.


    "So beautiful!" Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t help but express their admiration.


    Both of their family backgrounds were pretty good, but they were far from Su Mengxin¡¯s level. Therefore, such watches were still too luxurious for them.


    At that moment, Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "I haven¡¯t bought a gift yet, I¡¯m going to lose face now."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I don¡¯t see any embarrassment on your face; you¡¯re just here to freeload meals and drinks. I try to avoid you from so far away, yet I still can¡¯t."


    Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t get angry at Li Yifei¡¯s words and chuckled, "I¡¯m going to spend all my salary this month, I can¡¯t afford a gift. Once I get paid next month, I¡¯ll definitely buy something for us, to make it up to you."


    Li Yifei knew that Meng Xiaofei would really go and buy something. Not to mention that each time she went out, she would bring him something, and the watch he was wearing was originally bought by Meng Xiaofei.


    "Alright, with that little salary of yours, it¡¯s good enough that you can spend it. Don¡¯t bother buying me anything," he said.


    Xu Shanshan curiously asked, "Isn¡¯t a flight attendant¡¯s salary quite high?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "That depends on who you¡¯re talking about. Other people can save a good amount despite earning so much, but for her to get to the end of the month is already quite an achievement."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "I used to be able to mooch meals off you. Now that I don¡¯t even have a place to eat, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be even shorter on money."


    Everyone laughed. Sometimes Meng Xiaofei seemed very adorable, and although it seemed somewhat inappropriate for someone in her twenties to be so cute, it didn¡¯t feel pretentious at all. She was naturally likable.


    Then Xu Yingying invited Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei to look around her home, while Li Yifei went to the kitchen to cook.


    Today¡¯s dinner was sumptuous, and with many people, it was lively. Unfortunately, it was all women except for the lone man Li Yifei, resulting in a gender imbalance. The four women chattered noisily, occasionally teasing Li Yifei, who was without an ally. Even Xu Yingying, his wife, wouldn¡¯t side with him, leaving him at the mercy of the women¡¯s teasing.


    "Manager Li, starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll be my direct superior. I¡¯ll be counting on your care," Su Mengxin said teasingly to Li Yifei, her usual grace replaced with a smile.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "With you as my secretary, you have no idea how much pressure that adds. Today, I mentioned not hiring you, and already I¡¯m despised by all the men in the company."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Then when I go to work tomorrow, won¡¯t they stop despising you?"


    "They¡¯ll despise me even more. They¡¯ll think I saw how beautiful you are and made you my secretary under false pretenses; they¡¯ll believe I¡¯m exploiting my position for personal gain," he replied.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m sure they will."


    Li Yifei sighed dramatically, "Do you see how unjust this is? Whether I keep you or not, if you were to leave, they would definitely say you couldn¡¯t stand my harassment and resigned. No matter what, I end up as the villain, destined to bear this infamous reputation."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "That¡¯s perfect; no more girls will want to come near you. I think that¡¯s quite good."


    Li Yifei grimaced and said, "Wife, aren¡¯t you being too harsh?"


    "With someone like you, only such measures will work," Xu Yingying was unforgiving, and the women giggled again. However, behind Su Mengxin¡¯s smile was a meaning not so easily discerned...

 Chapter 389 - 396 On Duty

    Chapter 389: Chapter 396 On DutyAfter finishing her meal, Su Mengxin stood in front of the living room¡¯s floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the scenery of the neighborhood outside, saying, "This complex seems nicer than the one I¡¯m living in now."


    Xu Yingying stood by Su Mengxin¡¯s side and said, "It is indeed nicer. This is the newest complex, while the one you live in has been around for a few years."


    "Then how about I move here tomorrow? That way I can go to work with you guys every day and won¡¯t need those bodyguards anymore. Otherwise, even going to work means having bodyguards follow me, and without doing much, my colleagues in the office start sensing something¡¯s up."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "That¡¯s great, then you can come over to our place for a chat and all, so you won¡¯t feel lonely."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "I could even freeload and eat at your place."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "That¡¯s absolutely fine. It just means Yifei has to cook a bit more."


    Meng Xiaofei, the foodie, immediately jumped over at the mention of freeloading food and asked, "Where can I snag a free meal?"


    Su Mengxin laughed, "I¡¯m planning on moving in here and scrounging off Yingying¡¯s meals."


    "Ah, then that leaves me alone living over there. I¡¯ll move over too! Sister Yingying, are there any other apartments for rent here?"


    Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes and said, "Since Xiaofei also wants to come over, I¡¯ll take care of it."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately exclaimed in excitement, "Yay, then I can freeload off Brother Li¡¯s meals too!"


    Xu Yingying laughed, "That¡¯s certainly fine."


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s agreement, Meng Xiaofei quickly ran over and sat next to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Li, Sister Mengxin said she¡¯ll move over to this complex with me, and Sister Yingying has agreed too. From now on, I can eat your cooking again."


    Li Yifei had already heard what Su Mengxin said and smiled, "You little foodie, you really can¡¯t be gotten rid of, no matter where you go."


    "Hehe, I almost did get rid of you, but I¡¯ve caught up again."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head was indeed simple; she didn¡¯t care how Su Mengxin would find an apartment, as that matter was left to Su Mengxin.


    In Huaxia, there weren¡¯t many who could let Su Mengxin help them so assuredly; apart from Meng Xiaofei, it would be hard to find others. Sometimes having a simple mind is indeed a blissful thing.


    It was getting late, so Li Yifei sent Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei home, and he also went to check on his own place. Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t there, but the house was tidied up neatly, spotless; Su Yiyi must have come by today nonetheless.


    For Su Yiyi, Li Yifei would preserve this home even if it means hiding the beauty in a golden house.


    The next day, Li Yifei had an extra task, which was to pick up Su Mengxin. That was indeed quite inconvenient; of course, it was better for everyone to live in the same complex.


    Today, Su Mengxin was dressed in a professional suit, a tight-fitting blouse, and a pair of grey straight-leg pants, with silver high-heeled leather sandals on her feet, and her toenails painted with light pink nail polish, nearly the same color as her skin, just a tad shinier.


    Her outfit was simple but didn¡¯t affect Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty in the slightest, and it made her even more captivating. Regardless of how Su Mengxin dressed up, even as a beggar, she would still be strikingly dazzling.


    Upon arriving at the company, from the security guards at the entrance to the employees inside, everyone was excited and also puzzled; Li Yifei had said just yesterday that Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t hired, but today the beautiful woman had returned, and from her outfit, it seemed like she had come to work.


    Li Yifei directly took Su Mengxin to his office and then phoned Michelle to arrange for a set of office furniture and some supplies to be delivered.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Michelle arrived with someone, bringing the items. Seeing Su Mengxin, Michelle couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by her beauty. In front of Xu Yingying, Michelle hadn¡¯t felt inferior, but in front of Su Mengxin, she suddenly felt somewhat ashamed.


    "This is our company¡¯s Manager Mi, Manager Mi, this is my new secretary, Su Mengxin," Li Yifei introduced them to each other.


    Su Mengxin immediately extended her hand generously and said, "Nice to meet you, Manager Mi. I hope for your guidance in the future."


    Michelle quickly shook hands with Su Mengxin, saying, "Not at all, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, feel free to ask me anytime."


    At this time, Li Yifei had already instructed the two logistics staff members to set up Su Mengxin¡¯s desk and chair near the office door; this is usually where a secretary would be positioned. Since Su Mengxin was to be a secretary, she couldn¡¯t be an exception.


    Usually, a secretary wouldn¡¯t need to be in the same office as Li Yifei, but considering Su Mengxin¡¯s special status and the fact that someone had specifically targeted her before, Li Yifei decided it was best to arrange for Su Mengxin to be in his office to ensure her absolute safety.


    After Michelle left, Su Mengxin tidied up her seat, and Li Yifei came over to help. Su Mengxin immediately said, "You¡¯re the manager, I¡¯m the secretary, how could I let you help? You better attend to your own tasks; it wouldn¡¯t look good if someone else walked in and saw."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to stop and, after returning to his desk, he sat down. However, watching Su Mengxin bustling about while he was idle made him feel quite uncomfortable.


    Just as Su Mengxin had said, hardly had Li Yifei settled into his seat when Chen Xingrui, the chubby guy, knocked on the door and slipped in. He came in with a serious look, but his eyes swept over Su Mengxin and then couldn¡¯t pull away.


    "Ahem!" Li Yifei coughed loudly, snapping Chen Xingrui out of his trance.


    "Manager Li, this is the personnel requirement sent over from the marketing research department. Take a look," Chen Xingrui reported, pretending to work. Then he winked at Li Yifei and jerked his chin toward Su Mengxin¡¯s desk, signalling he wanted to know what was going on.


    Li Yifei ignored him completely, waved his hand dismissively, and said, "You can go."


    Chen Xingrui lingered reluctantly before finally leaving.


    By this time, Su Mengxin had finished organizing her desk. Her movements were quick and efficient. She even came over to pour Li Yifei a cup of tea, saying, "Your tea isn¡¯t good, I¡¯ll bring you some better tea later."


    Li Yifei felt awkward having Su Mengxin pour his tea as well, but upon hearing she would bring him tea, he readily agreed. The tea Su Mengxin could get would certainly be top-notch; even getting some premium Red Robe Tea would be no problem for her. It seemed like having Su Mengxin around would be quite enjoyable after all.


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll introduce you to the Human Resources Department colleagues. Otherwise, these guys won¡¯t stop coming in."


    Su Mengxin smiled and agreed, following behind Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt an immense pride at that moment, that he could have Su Mengxin as his follower; surely, not many in Huaxia had such an honor.


    Before they even entered the Human Resources Department office, they heard Chen Xingrui¡¯s voice rising from inside.


    "Wow, that beauty is actually in Manager Li¡¯s office, and there¡¯s even a desk for her! I think she¡¯s going to work here, and she might even be Manager Li¡¯s secretary!"


    "That¡¯s just amazing, now we can see a beauty every day!"


    "Manager Li¡¯s move is brilliant. Yesterday he pretended he wouldn¡¯t keep the beauty, and that was to keep other managers from knowing. Look at Manager Sun from the procurement department; he¡¯s usually so arrogant and lecherous. If he knew such a beauty had joined the company, he¡¯d certainly fight Manager Li for her. But now, the beauty has become Manager Li¡¯s secretary, and he can only watch enviously."


    Manager Li instantly felt a headache coming on from their wild imaginations. He turned to Su Mengxin, who seemed to have heard the conversation and offered Li Yifei a mischievous smile.


    "Ahem!" Li Yifei coughed lightly at the door, and the room instantly fell quiet. Only then did he walk Su Mengxin into the Human Resources Department¡¯s office.


    The employees in the office all turned to look, Li Yifei knew they weren¡¯t really looking at him; their attention was on Su Mengxin behind him, the women included. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Colleagues, this is Su Mengxin, my new secretary and now part of our Human Resources Department," he announced.


    "Oh yeah!" Everyone started to cheer and shout.


    Chen Xingrui didn¡¯t lose his soul like the first couple of times he¡¯d seen Su Mengxin. He dashed up to her, extended his hand, and said, "My name is Chen Xingrui. I joined the company when it was just founded, to some extent, am an old-timer here. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, feel free to ask me."


    Su Mengxin shook hands with Chen Xingrui graciously, but his feigned composure vanished instantly as she withdrew her hand, leaving him holding his up foolishly, staring at her.


    Li Yifei kicked Chen Xingrui¡¯s butt, embarrassed by his behavior, and scolded, "What are you spacing out for?"


    Chen Xingrui snapped out of his daze and, blushing, ran back to his desk.


    The others weren¡¯t as impulsive as Chen Xingrui; Li Yifei went on to introduce them to Su Mengxin, who greeted everyone with a smile.


    Then, Chen Xingrui called out, "Manager Li, we have a new colleague in Human Resources. Aren¡¯t you going to treat us tonight?"


    This was a normal request; when a new person joined a department, a meal out was customary to help everyone get acquainted and to foster good working relationships. Li Yifei readily agreed to host the meal.


    A round of cheers ensued, and Su Mengxin¡¯s face lit up with a happy smile. This simple kind of joy was something she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to before.

 Chapter 390 - 397 Goddess

    Chapter 390: Chapter 397 GoddessBack in the office, Su Mengxin smiled and said, "I really like this atmosphere, it seems you¡¯re quite good at leading your troops. The Human Resources Department seems very lively."


    Li Yifei felt a bit guilty; though he worked in the Human Resources Department, he had only put in genuine effort at the beginning and later on, he didn¡¯t really apply himself. He usually just delegated the general tasks to others and practically became a hands-off manager. He said, "Each of these guys has their own personality. It¡¯s because you¡¯re here that there¡¯s such great cohesion. The beauty effect really is powerful."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Everyone has a love for beauty; you can¡¯t blame them for that. Oh, Manager Li, your tea has gone cold. Let me get you a new cup."


    "You don¡¯t need to do that," Li Yifei said, feeling a bit uncomfortable as he watched Su Mengxin changing his tea.


    "But I am your secretary. If I don¡¯t take good care of my manager, you might fire me, and then wouldn¡¯t I be in a sorry state?"


    Li Yifei thought to himself: "It¡¯s more likely that you would fire me. Who would dare to sack you?"


    However, as Su Mengxin seemed willing to play along, Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything more. His ability to adapt was extremely strong and, having seen people even more significant than Su Mengxin in the past, his attitude became relaxed and he accepted the situation comfortably.


    Seeing Li Yifei acting all lordly actually made Su Mengxin quite happy. Having seen too many people trying to please her before, she grew to like him more and more as he treated her ordinarily.


    Of course, there was also a preconceived reason, as she had harbored a secret affection for Li Yifei for a while. So, whatever Li Yifei did, she viewed it appreciatively, and even the smallest things made her see his good points.


    "Manager Li, what should I do now?" Su Mengxin sat down and asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei looked at the personnel application reports that various departments had sent over and said, "I have some personnel application reports here. You help me go through them and see which ones are necessary and which ones are not."


    Su Mengxin quickly came over to take them and started working diligently.


    And Su Mengxin, she was capable of managing several large companies, so dealing with these small matters was naturally no problem. Even if she wasn¡¯t familiar with this company, her experience alone was enough to make sound judgments.


    Within less than twenty minutes, Su Mengxin had already organized everything and came over to stand beside Li Yifei. She said, "Manager Li, I¡¯m done. These are completely suitable, these are optional, and these are completely unnecessary."


    Li Yifei flipped through them and immediately smiled, saying, "Not bad, not bad at all." Then he swiftly signed his name and handed them to Su Mengxin, saying, "You take these to Axingrui, let him handle it."


    With a nod, Su Mengxin proceeded out of his office with a light step.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel that Su Mengxin, when being given orders, still seemed excited. Could it be that Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, used to ordering others around and being in a position of authority, was now becoming addicted to being a subordinate?


    Regardless of what Su Mengxin might be thinking, Li Yifei preferred not to speculate. After all, just treat it like a game, he thought, with the added perks of work becoming easier and the pleasure of having a beautiful woman around, why not enjoy it?


    Actually, there wasn¡¯t much to do in the Human Resources Department nowadays, and as a manager, he was even more at ease. Now with a capable female secretary, Li Yifei found himself with even less to do, spending the morning playing games on the computer, smoking, and drinking water¡ªquite comfortably indeed.


    Su Mengxin really was a qualified secretary, from time to time refilling his tea and emptying the ashtray, keeping his desk neat and tidy. Li Yifei completely ignored her hard work and let her stay busy.


    Li Yifei was at ease, but Xu Yingying was constantly worried. The Chairman had actually come to work at the company as a low-level employee and to be her husband¡¯s secretary, which was bizarre. Especially concerning Li Yifei, who was usually a bit unruly¡ªwhat if he did something to offend Su Mengxin?


    Busying herself in the office for a while, Xu Yingying grew more anxious and decided to go downstairs to Li Yifei¡¯s office.


    As she entered, she saw Su Mengxin pouring tea for Li Yifei, who was sitting back with his legs crossed, completely at ease and focused on his computer.


    "President Xu!" Su Mengxin immediately greeted Xu Yingying. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After closing the door, Xu Yingying finally said, "Boss Su, why are you still pouring water for this guy?" Then she glared at Li Yifei and said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you last night? With Boss Su here, shouldn¡¯t you be taking care of her instead of having her wait on you? Do you really think you¡¯re the boss here?"


    Li Yifei was being scolded by his wife, and while it might not have been entirely reasonable, it had a distinct flavor to it. This was a completely different feeling from the past when Xu Yingying was his superior, and he was just a subordinate. Now, as his wife, even her complaints and criticisms came with an element of care, a warm familiarity only found within one¡¯s own family.


    Su Mengxin quickly said, "President Xu, I¡¯m now Manager Li¡¯s secretary, and this is part of my job. If I¡¯m here and still have Manager Li take care of me, then what¡¯s the point of my being here?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look, then smiled at Su Mengxin and said, "It¡¯s just for show in front of others, but when we¡¯re alone, why do you still cater to him? This guy really knows how to act like a big shot, and you shouldn¡¯t indulge him."


    With a smile, Su Mengxin said, "Whatever I do, I like to fully commit to it. If I¡¯m a secretary, then I want to be the most qualified one, so President Xu, don¡¯t worry too much. Just consider me as Manager Li¡¯s secretary¡ªdon¡¯t keep thinking of me as some sort of chairman or something, otherwise, I¡¯d feel uncomfortable staying here."


    Su Mengxin was the kind of person with leadership charisma. Her words were gentle yet firm, and at that point, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t say much more, saying, "I know that Secretary Su is serious about her work, but you can¡¯t spoil someone too much otherwise you¡¯ll definitely end up being bullied."


    Laughing lightly, Su Mengxin said, "I will still take good care of myself, and I won¡¯t let a certain manager take advantage of his position to bully me."


    Xu Yingying was a bit embarrassed, while Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said contentedly, "Look, wife, you don¡¯t need to worry about this."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glance and said, "You can¡¯t call me that in the company. You should call me President Xu."


    "Alright, alright, President Xu. If you don¡¯t have anything else, you can go back to work. No need to waste time here. Secretary Su, please show President Xu out."


    Xu Yingying really wanted to pinch Li Yifei, as he was now putting on airs as if he was the boss and she was just a department manager. If there were others present, she would have had to reprimand Li Yifei with a straight face, but with just the three of them there, she, as his wife, couldn¡¯t bring herself to publicly reprimand her husband. She only managed to say, "You better work hard, and if I catch you slacking off again, I¡¯ll kick you out of the company."


    After Xu Yingying left the office, Li Yifei resumed his role as the boss, and Su Mengxin continued to be her diligently responsible secretary. Although they didn¡¯t talk much, both were quite comfortable with the arrangement.


    During lunchtime, Su Mengxin¡¯s presence caused a stir in the company. The bolder ones came over to talk to Su Mengxin, hoping to leave a good impression and possibly get a chance to develop a relationship with her.


    The company did have its beauties, such as Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Michelle, each of them top-tier. But Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were the company¡¯s top two leaders, whom ordinary employees wouldn¡¯t dare to pursue, not even daring to give an extra glance normally.


    Michelle was known for her good temperament, and initially had many suitors. However, after Michelle openly confessed to Li Yifei, the number of her suitors greatly decreased. Michelle was a manager, and so was Li Yifei. Offending either of them meant there would be consequences later on.


    It was different with Su Mengxin, who was just an ordinary employee. That meant there was no distinction of rank, and people could boldly pursue her.


    By morning, news of Su Mengxin coming to work had spread throughout the company. However, other than visiting the Human Resources Department twice, she hadn¡¯t appeared again, spending the rest of her time in Li Yifei¡¯s office, leaving everyone with no opportunity to approach her.


    This made the company¡¯s single men despise Li Yifei. He had already taken the most lovable Michelle for himself, and now he had made Su Mengxin his secretary and kept her in his office, preventing others from interacting with her, which they found highly disdainful.


    Yet no one knew that Michelle and Su Mengxin, whom everyone thought Li Yifei had claimed, were actually not related to him anymore, while the two women in the company who could only be admired from afar, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, had become Li Yifei¡¯s wife and lover, respectively.


    Su Mengxin treated those enthusiastic male colleagues with a constant smile, showing no signs of impatience, which delighted everyone even more. By the afternoon, she had already been deemed the goddess of the company, surpassing the popularity of Xu Yingying and He Fangqing.


    At the end of the workday, Li Yifei took a group of people from the Human Resources Department out to enjoy themselves. They were all excited eating at Li Yifei¡¯s expense, and with a beauty like Su Mengxin among them, everyone was thrilled just thinking about it.


    Xu Yingying had wanted to join, but Li Yifei had outright vetoed her attendance. It was a gathering for colleagues in the Human Resources Department; there was no need for a president like her to join in. With no other choice, Xu Yingying had to go home on her own.

 Chapter 391 - 398

    Chapter 391: Chapter 398 "MeFirst, we went to a restaurant for a meal, and then everyone strongly requested to go to karaoke, and Li Yifei could only take everyone to a karaoke hall.


    By this time, Su Mengxin was already a bit tipsy, but still very excited. Living like an ordinary person was something she hadn¡¯t truly experienced before.


    Su Mengxin sat next to Li Yifei, with the chubby Chen Xingrui on the other side. Su Mengxin was Li Yifei¡¯s secretary, always by his side, and no one could really say anything about it.


    "Manager Li, start us off with a song, will you?"


    In this group, Li Yifei was the leader, so as soon as they entered the karaoke hall, everyone was urging him on.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin was also excitedly urging Li Yifei on, she had never heard Li Yifei sing before. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unable to evade, Li Yifei took the microphone and sang "True Hero." Although his voice wasn¡¯t that great, it was full of strength, which gave his performance a powerful presence, perfectly fitting the song. After all, Jackie Chan, the original singer, didn¡¯t have a great voice either, yet he made the song extremely popular.


    After Li Yifei finished his song, he immediately received a round of enthusiastic applause, especially from Su Mengxin, who clapped so forcefully that it resonated loudly, and her eyes shone with a special kind of light.


    Li Yifei sat down, and Su Mengxin immediately handed him a beer. He drank it in one gulp and said, "Alright, I¡¯ve sung, now everyone else can do whatever they want, just have fun."


    After hearing Li Yifei sing, everyone turned their attention to Su Mengxin. Li Yifei laughed and said, "Xiao Su, it¡¯s your first day with us, and everyone is welcoming you. You should sing a song for us first."


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t play coy and sang a song boldly. To Li Yifei, Su Mengxin¡¯s singing was very pleasant, even though he wasn¡¯t familiar with the song.


    When Su Mengxin finished singing, the applause lasted for quite some time, partly because of the adoration for a beautiful lady and partly because Su Mengxin¡¯s singing was truly delightful, almost on par with the original singer.


    After that, everyone relaxed a lot. Those who liked to sing kept on singing, and those who liked to toast did just that, of course not forgetting to try to win Su Mengxin¡¯s favor.


    Su Mengxin handled the pestering of her male colleagues with ease, neither letting them take advantage of her nor appearing too cold. Li Yifei was impressed by her skill at navigating this. Of course, from time to time, Li Yifei had to intervene to guard her, otherwise, those young men could get really crazy.


    It wasn¡¯t until after 10 pm that Li Yifei suggested calling it a night, considering they had work the next day. Although some were slightly reluctant, they knew it was about time to stop. Having had such a great time with Su Mengxin was already satisfying enough for them.


    Everyone left the private room and walked along the corridor. A group of people also emerged from another private room up ahead at that moment.


    Normally, such an encounter wouldn¡¯t mean much¡ªpeople would just make way for each other and that would be the end of it. But the individuals from the other group were clearly quite drunk, and they seemed like they were trying to act tough, stumbling and swaying as they walked, suddenly bumping into the chubby Chen Xingrui.


    Chen Xingrui frowned slightly, not wanting to make a fuss, but the person who bumped into him glared at Chen Xingrui and said, "What¡¯s the matter? You got a problem with that?"


    On a regular day, Chen Xingrui would have let it go, but not when Su Mengxin was around watching. Not standing up for oneself when bullied was not how a man should behave, plus with some alcohol in him, he immediately glared back and retorted, "Are you blind?"


    "Fuck you, asking for a beating!" The aggressor, a man in his thirties, swung his arm and punched toward Chen Xingrui.


    Chen Xingrui had not expected the man to start hitting immediately without warning. The punch landed on his chest, sending him stumbling back two steps. Chen Xingrui got angry, cursed back, and lunged forward, swinging his fist at the man.


    "You little bastard, dare to fight back? I¡¯ll beat you to death!" The man was clearly experienced in fighting, and although he was drunk, his reflexes were much quicker than Chen Xingrui¡¯s. He sidestepped Chen Xingrui¡¯s punch, tripped him, and sent him tumbling to the ground.


    "Haha..." The others with the man laughed out loud, their jeering words incessant.


    Men have their pride, and the Human Resources Department, which Li Yifei belonged to, had eight people in total. Apart from Su Mengxin and the other two women, there were five others. Seeing there were only four men in the other group, they all got riled up. The three male colleagues charged forward in anger, and Chen Xingrui also got up, swinging wild punches as he fought back.


    Li Yifei did not join in the fight because he was observing the other group. Although they were somewhat agile, they only seemed a bit stronger than the average person. They had a violent aura but not a murderous one, so Li Yifei quickly judged they were just the fighting kind you¡¯d find among hoodlums.


    Li Yifei had become much more cautious after Su Mengxin¡¯s previous assault and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s kidnapping to lure him into a trap. He didn¡¯t want to capsize in the gutter. Most importantly, he wasn¡¯t alone anymore, being a married man now.


    In just a short while, Chen Xingrui and the others were beaten back, each taking several hits. If it weren¡¯t for the liquor and Su Mengxin watching from behind, they might have already turned tail and run.


    "Give us a hand, please?" Su Mengxin smiled and winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to waste any more time here, so he nodded and charged over. However, this time he didn¡¯t manage to knock these four men down as neatly as before. Instead, he appeared slightly more ferocious than they were, pretending to be hit by a couple of punches and then knocking one of them to the ground. With that, it was five against three, and they quickly gained the upper hand, eventually taking down the three men.


    Chen Xingrui and his group were not the fighting type, and even after knocking their opponents down, they kept throwing punches and kicks. It could lead to trouble if this continued. Just then, Li Yifei noticed security guards approaching. He quickly called everyone to leave, and they all ran outside.


    When they got to the bar counter and saw a group of security guards blocking the way, Li Yifei immediately took out a thousand yuan and threw it over. The security guards cleared a path. They were worried Li Yifei and his group would dash off without paying and didn¡¯t care about their fight.


    "Quick, get in the car and go home. That bunch might get reinforcements."


    After Li Yifei said this, the guys who had been fighting fiercely a moment ago felt a little intimidated and hurriedly got into a taxi, fleeing in a flash, leaving only Li Yifei and Su Mengxin behind.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t driven because he planned on drinking today, so now he waited for a taxi. Unfortunately, there were none in sight, and a group of about seven or eight people, including the four who had been beaten earlier, charged out from behind.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t understand at all and asked cheerfully, "What do we do now?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Run!"


    "Okay! Run!" Su Mengxin readily agreed.


    Li Yifei grabbed Su Mengxin and started running, with the group chasing after them, yelling and cursing.


    In fact, even if there were eighteen or eighty ordinary people, Li Yifei could easily take them down, but there were CCTV cameras all over the street. Fighting them off would lead to trouble for himself, and with Su Mengxin around, it was even less convenient to reveal himself, so Li Yifei ran with Su Mengxin in tow.


    Amusingly to Li Yifei, Su Mengxin was not only devoid of complaints in this embarrassing situation, but also seemed to be thrilled by it.


    Unfortunately, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t get far before her high heels almost caused her to twist her ankle, eliciting a startled cry.


    "Carry me on your back!" Su Mengxin suggested generously.


    Without a word, Li Yifei picked up Su Mengxin and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest snugly against his back. She enjoyed the feeling, liking to lie on Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    With someone on his back, Li Yifei didn¡¯t slow down at all. In fact, he sped up, quickly losing the pursuers after darting into an alley. They were soon out of sight.


    "Hey, it¡¯s okay now," Li Yifei informed Su Mengxin.


    "I¡¯m sleepy, let me sleep for a while," Su Mengxin mumbled drowsily, her lips smacking twice.


    "You can¡¯t be serious, you fell asleep?" Li Yifei said with a sigh.


    "Good Yifei, don¡¯t put me down. I feel so dizzy, I just want to sleep," Su Mengxin¡¯s soft voice swayed Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and he gave a wry smile, saying, "It doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯re close to your place. I can¡¯t possibly carry you home, can I?"


    "I live next door to you now."


    Li Yifei was caught off guard and asked, "Next to my place?"


    "It¡¯s where you and Yingying live now. I¡¯ve bought the two houses next door¡ªone for me and one for Xiaofei. I¡¯m so sleepy, don¡¯t talk to me. Let¡¯s go home." After saying that, Su Mengxin hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck tighter, pressing her face against his neck, and drifted off to sleep.


    Li Yifei was completely speechless. What exactly was Su Mengxin up to? Even if she wanted to live in the same community, there was no need to be neighbors. He guessed that the families who originally lived on either side of Xu Yingying must have received a nice reward to move out so swiftly. In just one day, their homes had changed hands.


    Looking around, Li Yifei saw they weren¡¯t too far from home, so he decided to carry Su Mengxin back without hailing a taxi.


    On the quiet streets at night, a young man was carrying a stunningly beautiful woman that you¡¯d only expect to see in paintings. It was a romantic and warm scene¡ªor at least, that¡¯s what Su Mengxin, feigning sleep, believed. Eventually, Su Mengxin truly fell asleep on Li Yifei¡¯s back, finding it even easier to doze off there than in her own bed.

 Chapter 392 - 399 Almost There

    Chapter 392: Chapter 399 Almost ThereLi Yifei carried Su Mengxin to the building¡¯s entrance, where a man immediately emerged from a hidden spot and handed Li Yifei a set of keys.


    Li Yifei knew this was Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguard. Given that Su Mengxin lived here, the bodyguards likely occupied the units above and below as well, which was truly quite extravagant.


    After taking the keys, the bodyguard promptly vanished back into the darkness, and Li Yifei carried Su Mengxin straight into the elevator.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s building also had three apartments per floor, with her unit in the middle and Su Mengxin¡¯s to the left. Li Yifei used the keys to open the apartment door and turned on the lights to find all-new furniture inside, surely all recently purchased. The efficiency was astonishing; indeed, money makes things happen.


    Seeing Su Mengxin sleeping soundly, Li Yifei didn¡¯t call out to her and simply carried her into the bedroom, where he carefully placed her onto the bed.


    As Su Mengxin lay on the bed, she didn¡¯t release her arms, so Li Yifei gently pried her hands away.


    Just as he stood up and was about to leave, he hesitated, went back to remove Su Mengxin¡¯s shoes but didn¡¯t proceed to take off her clothes and change her into pajamas, as that would¡¯ve been inappropriate.


    The air conditioning in Su Mengxin¡¯s apartment was off, making the room a bit warm, so Li Yifei turned it on and set it to a comfortable temperature. Then he pulled up the covers over Su Mengxin, retreated slowly, and turned off the lights as he left.


    The sound of the anti-theft door closing woke Su Mengxin, who opened her eyes with a dreamy charm, turned over softly, closed her eyes again, and hugged another pillow¡ªlike she was embracing Li Yifei¡ªher face breaking into a sweet smile.


    Li Yifei returned home to find Xu Yingying still awake, who immediately furrowed her brows and said, "Why are you back so late?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and replied, "After dinner, we went to sing karaoke. Everyone was having a good time, so it got late."


    "You really shouldn¡¯t, especially with Boss Su. Going out to such complicated places at night."


    "Haha, everyone was enjoying themselves, and I couldn¡¯t dampen their spirits."


    Xu Yingying understood that it was a way for leaders and staff to bond, but with Su Mengxin present, she couldn¡¯t help but worry, "You made sure Boss Su got home safely, right?"


    "Safe and sound. Oh, I accidentally took the keys with me; I should return them to her."


    "It¡¯s so late, and you¡¯re going back again?"


    "She¡¯s right next door."


    "What?" Xu Yingying exclaimed in surprise.


    "Didn¡¯t you know she¡¯s already moved in next to us? And that girl Meng Xiaofei. One to the left and one to the right, they¡¯ve both become my neighbors."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened as she took a while to respond, "I had no idea."


    "Now our home has two more freeloaders. Never mind; I¡¯ll return it tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s go to bed," said Li Yifei as he put his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, reaching down to her chest.


    Even though they had been married for a few days, Xu Yingying still blushed at such intimate touches outside of bed and quickly pulled Li Yifei¡¯s hand away. Anxiously glancing at Xu Shanshan¡¯s room, she said, "Stop it. Shanshan has just gone back to her room. You reek of alcohol; go take a shower."


    "What¡¯s there to be shy about? You are my wife, and I am your husband," Li Yifei reached for her again.


    "No way!" Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei away like a thief and quickly ran back to the bedroom.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. Xu Yingying, a woman who appeared so composed, was quite shy in this aspect. But he quite liked it; if she couldn¡¯t relax with her own husband, naturally she would be even more reserved with other men.


    After a quick shower, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom wearing only his underwear.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed, then she chastised, "You should be more careful. Shanshan is still here. What if she came out and saw you? How embarrassing."


    Li Yifei really wanted to say that if Xu Shanshan did see him like this, she probably wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed at all, as she was quite uninhibited with him. But, of course, he couldn¡¯t say that out loud. As he got into bed, he said, "I¡¯ll be more careful next time."


    After embracing Xu Yingying, Li Yifei¡¯s hand slipped inside her sleepwear and cupped her breast. This time, Xu Yingying did not stop him but stayed in his arms, somewhat shyly whispering, "Don¡¯t mess around."


    "I know, I¡¯ll be the one feeling uncomfortable later," Li Yifei really didn¡¯t dare to go too far. Xu Yingying was having her period these days, and it would be really uncomfortable if he got aroused and couldn¡¯t proceed.


    Previously, when with other women, there were other ways for Li Yifei to release his desires. But Xu Yingying was too shy even for the most basic positions and definitely wouldn¡¯t entertain the thought of doing anything else, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to put himself through that discomfort.


    The next morning, while Li Yifei was preparing something in the kitchen, Xu Yingying had already finished washing up and was applying makeup in the bedroom. Although she was already beautiful enough, as the boss of a company, maintaining her image was crucial, so a bit of light makeup was still necessary.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan yawned as she entered the kitchen and kicked Li Yifei.


    "What¡¯s wrong with you? Why so listless?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with curiosity.


    Xu Shanshan said angrily, "Who let you come back so late last night?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Your sister didn¡¯t blame me, but you¡¯re blaming me instead."


    "My sister is my sister, I am me. Anyway, it¡¯s fine as long as you come back late. Come back earlier in the future, and do something serious for a change. Because of you, I didn¡¯t sleep well all night."


    "What do you mean by doing something serious? And how did I prevent you from sleeping?" Li Yifei was very surprised, not understanding what Xu Shanshan meant by that.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s face suddenly flushed with a wave of redness. She coughed lightly, as if trying to hide something, then gave Li Yifei a glance and said, "And you say it. I was waiting for you to come back to give a foot massage yesterday. You just wouldn¡¯t come back. Plus, when exactly are you going to implement the method you talked about?"


    "Alright, alright, we¡¯ll implement it tonight. With that, it¡¯s settled, right?" Li Yifei felt that Xu Shanshan had been complaining about him first thing in the morning, and it seemed like it was not just about this matter¡ªin fact, it was supposed to be Xu Shanshan who took the first step, wasn¡¯t it?


    Xu Shanshan immediately nodded, "Then let¡¯s start tonight."


    "What are you two whispering about over there?" Xu Yingying came out and asked as she saw Xu Shanshan standing next to Li Yifei, speaking softly.


    Xu Shanshan instantly turned around with a giggly smile and said, "I was checking out what my brother-in-law is cooking."


    "Not even combing your hair or washing your face, and you¡¯re already thinking about eating. Go get ready quickly."


    Xu Shanshan tugged at her own hair, tilted her head, and asked Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, do I look ugly like this?"


    Li Yifei scrutinized Xu Shanshan from head to toe. Although she hadn¡¯t combed her hair or washed her face and her hair was somewhat messy, her natural beauty couldn¡¯t be concealed. He smiled and said, "Our Shanshan would look good no matter what."


    Xu Shanshan immediately burst into a happy smile, turned her head, and made a face at Xu Yingying, "See, brother-in-law said I look pretty."


    Xu Yingying glared at her sister and said, "Boss Su will come for breakfast soon. How can you be like this? Hurry and get ready."


    "Boss Su is just Boss Su. She¡¯s your Boss Su, not mine. Besides, this is our home, is it not? Do I have to watch her mood?"


    "So much nonsense, are you going or not?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll go. It¡¯s only you who always snaps at me. My brother-in-law would never do that." Grumbling, Xu Shanshan finally ran into the bathroom.


    Xu Yingying stood next to Li Yifei and said, "You shouldn¡¯t spoil Shanshan so much. If you give this girl an inch, she¡¯ll take a mile, warm her up a bit, and she¡¯ll make herself right at home."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You can be tough on her, but I¡¯m her brother-in-law. How can I say anything to her? We¡¯re all family; a little spoiling won¡¯t hurt."


    Xu Yingying also knew that Li Yifei spoke the truth. She hadn¡¯t been able to control her for so many years, and as a brother-in-law, Li Yifei would definitely end up being bossed around by Xu Shanshan.


    There was a knock on the door, and Xu Yingying quickly went to open it. Su Mengxin then said brightly, "Yingying, I came over for a meal."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said with a smile, "Boss Su, you¡¯re too polite. Please come in."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Yingying, at home, you still call me this. I will feel uneasy coming over to your place in the future. Just call me by my name."


    After a brief hesitation, Xu Yingying genially replied, "Then I¡¯ll call you Mengxin from now on."


    "Great, now I can really feel at ease, like I¡¯m at a friend¡¯s home without any reservations."


    "I feel more relaxed too. Please have a seat, we¡¯ll be able to eat in a bit."


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan finished washing and came out. She greeted Su Mengxin and then ran into the kitchen.


    "Brother-in-law, why do I feel like that Su Mengxin is interested in you?" Xu Shanshan asked softly, standing next to Li Yifei.


    "Stop it. Even if you think your brother-in-law is great, in her eyes, your brother-in-law is nothing. What intentions could she possibly have?"


    "But she¡¯s a woman, always cozying up to you for no reason, and she always has that smile when she looks at you, clearly up to no good." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei tapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s head lightly and said with a smile, "You silly girl, even your sister isn¡¯t keeping such a close eye on me, yet here you are, watching me so closely. Am I your sister¡¯s husband, or your husband?"


    "It¡¯s pretty much the same." Xu Shanshan rubbed her head with a mischievous smile.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. Such a thing could hardly be considered ¡¯pretty much the same¡¯, but it was just like Xu Shanshan to say something so outrageous.

 Chapter 393 - 400 Xu Shanshan’s Trick Succeeded Again

    Chapter 393: Chapter 400 Xu Shanshan¡¯s Trick Succeeded Again"Why hasn¡¯t Xiaofei come over?" Li Yifei asked during dinner. That little foodie would usually come over at the mere smell of food, so her absence today was clearly unusual.


    Su Mengxin took a sip of porridge and said, "She had her flight mission this morning, so she left early. She doesn¡¯t even know that I helped her move house yet."


    Xu Shanshan had no idea that Su Mengxin had moved in, so she immediately asked curiously. Li Yifei explained a bit, and Xu Shanshan pouted and kicked Li Yifei under the table.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice and didn¡¯t pay any attention to Xu Shanshan.


    After dinner, everyone headed to the company. Recently, Li Yifei had stopped driving Su Mengxin¡¯s Porsche because it was a bit too flashy. Instead, he drove one of the company¡¯s cars to and from work. Su Mengxin had initially left quite a few cars, so basically, each manager could be assigned a car.


    However, Xu Yingying managed the company quite strictly. Recently, she issued an order prohibiting the personal use of company cars. Even if Li Yifei needed to use a car, he had to register it in the office.


    Although this seemed somewhat troublesome, it prevented a lot of wastage. It¡¯s important to understand that maintaining vehicles is a significant expense for a company.


    But Xu Yingying, being the company¡¯s president, had some privileges. Occasionally, a car would still be used, but it was always strictly documented. The car Li Yifei drove was Xu Yingying¡¯s.


    In the past few days, Xu Yingying had even discussed purchasing a car with Li Yifei. In this regard, Xu Yingying handled the matter admirably. Even though it was his money, she always discussed any household purchases seriously with Li Yifei and never acted high-handedly because of it.


    Yet, they hadn¡¯t had time recently or chosen a suitable car, so buying one was postponed.


    There weren¡¯t many tasks at the company today. Su Mengxin fully performed the duties of a secretary, making it very comfortable for Li Yifei, the manager.


    There were too many male employees in the company interested in Su Mengxin, frequently swinging by Li Yifei¡¯s office, which annoyed him. So, he simply posted a notice at the door: anyone found entering the office without a valid work reason would have their bonus deducted. This warning suddenly made those male colleagues much more well-behaved, though it also left them rather resentful towards Li Yifei.


    The Human Resources Department people fully supported Li Yifei¡¯s action. When they went to Li Yifei¡¯s office, it was completely legitimate: it¡¯s totally normal for us to report work or consult issues with the manager. However, other departments didn¡¯t have as many excuses.


    Off work, Li Yifei still drove a car, but this time it was Su Mengxin¡¯s. It was just a Mercedes-Benz 350L, priced a bit over a million, completely brand-new. After learning about Xu Yingying¡¯s company policy, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t say anything but secretly admired it, so she purposely got a car to make it convenient for everyone to travel.


    As they watched Li Yifei and Su Mengxin leave together and get into a car, all the employees secretly wondered about the relationship between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. They arrived at work together, left together, and worked in the same office, practically inseparable.


    However, Xu Yingying also left with Li Yifei, which confused everyone. Perhaps they guessed that Su Mengxin might be some relative of President Xu, hence leaving together. At this point, Li Yifei was simply considered a driver.


    As Xu Yingying had Su Mengxin with her, she wasn¡¯t worried about what others said. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t imply anything about her and Li Yifei, so she left work with him.


    The three of them went to pick up Xu Shanshan, who pouted as soon as she got in the car.


    Li Yifei asked with a smile, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Today, an expert came to the school and said that because of all the years of dancing, my foot has some injuries. If I keep going like this, it might even affect my walking in the future." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying was shocked to hear this and said, "How could this happen?"


    Xu Shanshan turned around, her eyes a little red, and said, "The expert said that for us dancers, the most damage is done to our feet and legs. If we regularly take care of them and have frequent massages, there won¡¯t be any problem. But I never knew before; I didn¡¯t pay attention. Now, what do I do?"


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "From now on, after you start working, go for a massage every day. I¡¯ll sponsor it." No matter how much she scolds Shanshan, they are deeply bonded sisters. If Shanshan faced any real issues, Xu Yingying would be the first to worry.


    "But going to a massage place after work is too much trouble." Xu Shanshan immediately pouted again.


    At this point, it should have been Li Yifei offering to say he could give massages, but Su Mengxin beat him to it, saying, "Then I¡¯ll hire a professional masseuse to come home every day to give you a massage."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "That would be wonderful, thank you so much, Boss Su."


    Xu Shanshan was a bit dumbfounded, as the script she had planned with Li Yifei suddenly changed due to Su Mengxin¡¯s intervention.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself and didn¡¯t hurry to interject, curious to see how his sister-in-law would handle the situation.


    Xu Shanshan gave a slight smile to Su Mengxin and said, "Thank you, Boss Su, but having someone come to the house is too much trouble. How could I trouble you?"


    Su Mengxin¡¯s smile became even sweeter as she said, "It¡¯s no trouble at all. Leave everything to me."


    "But it¡¯s not possible. It¡¯s just my sister, brother-in-law, and me at home. We¡¯re used to being casual at home. If you invite a man, I¡¯ll be uncomfortable, and neither will my sister. If it¡¯s a woman, my brother-in-law will be uncomfortable."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "What¡¯s important? What¡¯s more important than your own health? This isn¡¯t negotiable; we have to hire someone."


    Seeing her sister get angry, Xu Shanshan appeared even more aggrieved, her eyes turning red as she said, "I¡¯m dealing with a physical issue, and I¡¯m not in a good mood, only to be yelled at."


    Xu Yingying softened her tone immediately, "I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you; I¡¯m just worried about you."


    "You did yell at me. You¡¯re just bullying me," Xu Shanshan pouted like a child throwing a tantrum.


    This left Xu Yingying somewhat helpless. Finally, Li Yifei timed his intervention perfectly, saying, "Actually, I know how to massage too."


    Xu Yingying immediately said excitedly, "Really?"


    Li Yifei, driving while speaking, said, "When I was in the army, I trained with muscles even tougher than Shanshan¡¯s. To relieve muscle fatigue, we all learned massage techniques. Soaking feet in warm water at night and mutual massages relieved fatigue effectively."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "That¡¯s great, Shanshan! You can let your brother-in-law give you massages from now on. You won¡¯t have an issue, right?"


    However, Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Yes, there is an issue. Even though my brother-in-law knows how to massage, he¡¯s my brother-in-law, not my husband. How can I let him casually massage my feet? What would that look like?"


    Li Yifei was left speechless. Xu Shanshan spoke with such righteousness, yet how many times had he massaged her little feet already?


    Xu Yingying, unaware of the underlying story, gave her sister a disapproving look and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? He¡¯s your brother-in-law. What¡¯s wrong with massaging your feet? Yifei, make a statement."


    Li Yifei could only comply and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll massage Shanshan from now on."


    Xu Shanshan reluctantly agreed, and Xu Yingying sighed with relief. However, Li Yifei caught Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze in the rearview mirror, meeting his eyes with an intriguing expression, which made him uneasy. Could this clever woman have figured everything out?

 Chapter 394 - 401 Rightfully So

    Chapter 394: Chapter 401 Rightfully SoXu Shanshan was unusually well-behaved tonight. She was proper before dinner, ate quietly during the meal, and afterward, she went straight to her bedroom, shut the door, and even locked it from the inside.


    Su Mengxin left after dinner too. The clever woman knew when to do what, and staying here would only make Li Yifei uncomfortable.


    Xu Yingying went over and knocked on her sister¡¯s door, "Shanshan, why did you lock the door?"


    From inside, Xu Shanshan exclaimed, "I¡¯m sleepy, I¡¯m going to sleep."


    "It¡¯s so early, and you¡¯re going to sleep?"


    "Can¡¯t I be sleepy just for today?"


    "Open the door. You still need your massage."


    "No massage, I¡¯m going to sleep."


    Xu Shanshan stubbornly refused to open the door, and Xu Yingying got a little angry, shouting, "I told you to come out, did you hear me? You refused to go to the massage parlor, refused the person we found for you, and now your brother-in-law is personally offering, and you still won¡¯t come out. What exactly do you want? Should your foot get so bad that mom and dad worry about you before you¡¯re happy?"


    Inside, Xu Shanshan suddenly went silent, but Xu Yingying, still annoyed, shouted, "Are you coming out or not? If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t care about you anymore. Do whatever you like."


    The door finally opened, Xu Shanshan pouted, looking down like a child who had done something wrong, twisting her shirt hem, "See, I¡¯m out now."


    Xu Yingying huffed and sternly said, "The water¡¯s ready for you, go soak your feet."


    Xu Shanshan muttered something under her breath, clearly reluctantly heading to soak her feet.


    Only then did Xu Yingying return to the living room, still somewhat annoyed, she said to Li Yifei, "This girl is always so worrisome."


    Li Yifei quickly consoled, "It¡¯s okay. Shanshan¡¯s mood is probably bad knowing her foot¡¯s like this. Criticizing her more would only make it worse." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying sighed and turned to Li Yifei apologetically, "Husband, I¡¯ll be troubling you again."


    "It¡¯s no trouble at all, not a big deal anyway." Li Yifei said casually.


    "Husband!" Xu Yingying leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, gently saying, "You cook at home every day, pick us up for work, and handle a lot of the house chores. You¡¯re really hardworking."


    This was Xu Yingying¡¯s first time sincerely expressing herself, which made Li Yifei feel a warm sense of happiness. He embraced Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder and said, "I¡¯m your husband, doing such things is normal. Besides, you work so hard at the company and have to work overtime at home, if I also had you do chores, wouldn¡¯t you be even more tired?"


    "But you also work. You have a job every day too, which makes me feel guilty. Oh, husband, here¡¯s my bankbook, I¡¯m giving it all to you." Xu Yingying said and handed a bankbook to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei took it, opened it, and said, "Wife, you¡¯re really well off, over two million."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "I also have some stocks and bonds, I¡¯ll give you the account passwords later, review them for me when you¡¯re free."


    Li Yifei readily agreed. Xu Yingying entrusted her finances to him, which made Li Yifei realize that Xu Yingying was genuinely treating him as family. As her husband, there was no need to decline, that would be hypocrisy, not manly. Since he married Xu Yingying, he should accept everything about her, including her money.


    If it were someone else, they might call Li Yifei unambitious or spineless, but Li Yifei wasn¡¯t short on money. If he wanted, making tens of millions would be easy for him, so he found this enjoyable, being a housekeeper was another kind of fun.


    Xu Yingying really feared Li Yifei might feel awkward, but surprisingly, Li Yifei accepted with ease, filling her heart with a sweet warmth.


    Around then, Xu Shanshan hesitantly emerged from the bathroom, Xu Yingying quickly sat up straight; she still wasn¡¯t used to being affectionate with Li Yifei in front of others, even her own twin sister.


    "Come over, what are you standing there for?" Xu Yingying saw Xu Shanshan hesitate by the coffee table, reluctant to approach, and called out to her.


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "Sis, maybe not, I¡¯ll feel embarrassed."


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? He¡¯s your brother-in-law, not a stranger, and it¡¯s just a foot massage, not anything else, why are you so shy?"


    Xu Shanshan reluctantly ambled over, and Xu Yingying hurriedly stood up, pressing her down onto the couch, "Alright, just stay put and let your brother-in-law massage it. Yifei, take care of Shanshan¡¯s foot."


    Li Yifei felt a bead of sweat; his wife was treating him really well now, but he and Xu Shanshan schemed together to deceive her, feeling a bit guilty, but knowing Xu Yingying¡¯s own sister was involved gave him some peace of mind.


    Clearing his throat, Li Yifei said, "Shanshan, don¡¯t worry, your brother-in-law knows his stuff, all that intense training before left no lasting damage. If I massage you for a while, I guarantee there won¡¯t be any issues."


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, will it hurt?"


    "At first, it will hurt a bit, but once you¡¯re used to it, it¡¯ll be fine. Just bear with it, and it¡¯ll pass."


    "Then I don¡¯t want the massage," Xu Shanshan said and prepared to stand up.


    "Are you afraid of a little pain?" Xu Yingying immediately pressed Xu Shanshan back onto the couch and turned to Li Yifei, saying, "Husband, go ahead, let¡¯s see if she refuses."


    Li Yifei found himself both amused and exasperated, having no choice but to sit down by Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, though hesitant to start. Massaging his sister-in-law¡¯s feet in front of his wife felt awkward.


    Xu Yingying urged again, "Hurry up, husband, it¡¯s for Shanshan¡¯s foot, for her health."


    Only then did Li Yifei extend his hand to hold Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot. Her leg immediately tensed, despite having played pranks several times with Li Yifei, this time, her brother-in-law holding her foot under her sister¡¯s persuasion felt indescribably exciting, thrilling, and slightly nerve-racking.


    Xu Yingying chuckled, "See, it¡¯s not a big deal. Why put up such resistance? Where does it hurt?"


    Li Yifei awkwardly said from behind, "I haven¡¯t even applied pressure yet."


    Xu Yingying laughed awkwardly, "Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt much, then."


    "It¡¯s not you who¡¯s hurting," Xu Shanshan pouted.


    "Alright, alright, your brother-in-law never even gave me a foot massage, but he¡¯s giving you one. You should be grateful."


    "Shanshan, bear with it, I¡¯m starting now." Li Yifei warned, and began to apply pressure with his fingers.


    "Ow! Brother-in-law, you¡¯re pressing so hard, it hurts!" Xu Shanshan cried. This time, she genuinely felt pain in her foot.


    Xu Yingying held Xu Shanshan and said, "Why are you yelling? You¡¯re grown up now, can¡¯t stand a bit of pain? What else can you do?"


    Xu Shanshan squirmed and shouted, "It¡¯s not you feeling the pain. Ouch, brother-in-law, be gentler! If you¡¯re not afraid of pain, you try it."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "Of course, I¡¯ll let your brother-in-law massage me. You¡¯re the one with the problem, just endure it."


    Xu Shanshan gritted her teeth, "You two are bad guys, just you wait, I¡¯ll get back at you."


    The reason Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan gave was mainly to trick Xu Yingying, but it wasn¡¯t entirely groundless. Massaging tired feet indeed offered benefits, as the foot was the body¡¯s second heart. Soaking and massaging them before bed was one of the secrets to health.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet were indeed under considerable strain. Li Yifei, who hadn¡¯t thought so much before, genuinely massaged Xu Shanshan this time, applying quite a bit of pressure.


    Xu Shanshan cried out for a while before adapting. Xu Yingying stood up, "Alright, stay put. I have to get back to work. Husband, thank you for your trouble. If this girl won¡¯t let you massage, don¡¯t be polite with her."


    Li Yifei nodded with a smile, while Xu Shanshan secretly raised her fist at Xu Yingying.


    Once Xu Yingying entered the room, Xu Shanshan excitedly winked at Li Yifei, who felt both amused and helpless. This sister-in-law was full of ideas, yet he couldn¡¯t fathom her intentions entirely.


    "Wicked brother-in-law, why did you apply so much pressure just now?" Xu Shanshan whispered in a low voice to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Massaging you needs pressure, otherwise what¡¯s the point of a massage?"


    "Oh, now I get it. Brother-in-law is clever, or it wouldn¡¯t seem like one."


    Li Yifei internally rolled his eyes; he indeed gave a genuine massage. He didn¡¯t bother explaining to Xu Shanshan, though.


    "Brother-in-law, this position is uncomfortable. I want to watch TV. Let¡¯s move a bit, okay?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice rose significantly with this request.


    Li Yifei agreed, turning on the TV for Xu Shanshan. She stretched out on the daybed, raised her legs, waiting for Li Yifei to return. Once he sat down, she immediately rested both feet on his lap, grinning, "Brother-in-law, this is much better."


    Li Yifei shook his head, helpless against this mischievous sister-in-law, especially with leverage she held over him.


    Meanwhile, Xu Shanshan was overly pleased with herself, her small feet restlessly moving in Li Yifei¡¯s hands, sometimes wiggling, sometimes clamping his fingers with her toes.


    Given the circumstances, Li Yifei stopped being polite, forgoing the massage and simply toying with Xu Shanshan¡¯s small feet, and quite enjoying it.

 Chapter 395 - 402: Benefits Are Coming

    Chapter 395: Chapter 402: Benefits Are Coming"How is it? Feeling better?" Xu Yingying, after watching something on her computer in the bedroom for a while, still felt uneasy and came out. She saw that although the two of them had changed positions, Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot was still on Li Yifei¡¯s leg. She didn¡¯t think much about it and sat on the main sofa.


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said, "Much better, sis. My brother-in-law¡¯s method is really good. Although it hurt a bit at first, now it feels quite comfortable."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at her sister and said, "You really can¡¯t handle any pain, huh. Hubby, is Shanshan¡¯s foot injury severe?"


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Xu Shanshan gave him a strong wink, so he said, "It¡¯s still somewhat serious. It might need a period of massage."


    Xu Yingying let out a sound of surprise and said nervously, "Then you must massage her every day. Don¡¯t let it delay."


    Li Yifei nodded, while Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "It¡¯s going to take a while, it¡¯s really frustrating."


    Li Yifei thought to himself, "Frustrated? You seem quite happy to me." However, it seemed he didn¡¯t mind this task and even enjoyed it, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t reveal Xu Shanshan¡¯s secret.


    "Sis, do you want to try?" Xu Shanshan smiled as she looked at Xu Yingying. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying was somewhat tempted, and Li Yifei already laughed and said, "Honey, you wear high heels to work every day. Your feet must be tired too. I¡¯ll give you a massage later."


    "No need." Xu Yingying blushed and said, "You¡¯re working hard enough. You don¡¯t even have a moment to rest. Just massage Shanshan."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Then I¡¯ll massage you before bed."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "That can also spice things up, add a little romance."


    In matters like these, Xu Yingying was indeed quite shy. She immediately felt both embarrassed and awkward, glared at Li Yifei, and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I¡¯m going back to work." After speaking, she hurriedly ran back to the bedroom and closed the door.


    Xu Shanshan was even more pleased now. She gripped one of Li Yifei¡¯s fingers with her toes and whispered with a grin, "Brother-in-law, now our sis won¡¯t come out for a while."


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s slightly shy yet coquettish expression, Li Yifei felt a stirring in his heart. With Xu Shanshan saying that, wasn¡¯t she telling him he could do whatever he wanted?


    But Li Yifei still didn¡¯t dare make any moves on Xu Shanshan. He was already married to Xu Yingying; if he messed around with his sister-in-law, Xu Yingying would never forgive him. Playing with Xu Shanshan¡¯s little feet was the furthest he dared to go.


    "Brother-in-law, someone sent me flowers today," Xu Shanshan suddenly blurted out.


    Li Yifei made a sound of acknowledgment and smiled, "Our Shanshan is so pretty, surely there are many admirers."


    "There are a few admirers, but I haven¡¯t liked any of them. But this time, it seems like a big shot, guess who sent me flowers?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "If you want me to guess, then it must be someone I know or at least someone I¡¯ve met. And if they¡¯re a big shot, that narrows it down quite a bit. You¡¯ve not been here long, so besides people from our company, it should be someone from your school. That shrinks the pool even more, perhaps it¡¯s your new principal, Wang Libang?"


    Xu Shanshan widened her eyes at Li Yifei, taking a while before saying, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really amazing. I thought you¡¯d have to guess a few times, but you got it right on the first try."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Didn¡¯t Wang Libang enter the school with you that day? Judging by his look, he seemed interested in you, so I guessed it was him."


    "Then what do you think... of him?" Xu Shanshan squinted at Li Yifei, while her little foot wiggled around, almost hitting the sensitive area beneath Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen.


    Li Yifei quickly withdrew his abdomen. Having been playing with Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot, he had already reacted physically, and it would have been awkward if she kicked it. He then held Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot to stop her from moving and said, "One must look at this person from two perspectives. If he¡¯s pursuing you openly and fairly, I support it. But if he has some underhanded schemes, then I don¡¯t support it."


    Xu Shanshan placed another cushion behind her back and said, "So you don¡¯t think much of him, brother-in-law?"


    "I haven¡¯t had any interactions with him, but he¡¯s quite young, and for his father to hand over such a significant family business to him, his ability must not be in question. But precisely because of his strong abilities, he¡¯s likely quite scheming and hard to figure out. Being with someone like him may be exhausting. You¡¯ll never know if he¡¯s happy or angry."


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and sighed, "I thought I¡¯d found a golden goose, but after what you said, I guess I should give up."


    Li Yifei patted Shanshan¡¯s instep and said, "I¡¯m just offering an opinion. Don¡¯t take everything I say to heart."


    "Hehe, I don¡¯t have any fondness for him anyway. I don¡¯t want to look for a boyfriend right now. Spending time with you every day makes me very happy. I plan to cling to you and my sister for life, never getting married."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "If you never get married, mom might tie you up to get you hitched."


    Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be as foolish as my sister. I¡¯ll definitely be able to sweet-talk mom when the time comes."


    As the two of them chatted and laughed, Li Yifei relaxed a lot, and his body¡¯s reaction disappeared. Sensing that a good amount of time had passed, he patted Shanshan¡¯s foot and said, "Alright, let¡¯s stop here for today."


    "What? It¡¯s over? Could you massage me a little longer?" Shanshan pouted, refusing to remove her little foot from Yifei¡¯s leg.


    Li Yifei lowered his voice and said, "It¡¯s already been a while. Don¡¯t make your sister overthink."


    "Oh..." Shanshan reluctantly withdrew her foot.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, but Shanshan got up first, resting her arm on his shoulder, her mouth close to his ear, and softly whispered, "Brother-in-law, have I been overthinking too?"


    Li Yifei instantly felt embarrassed, while Shanshan giggled and ran off to the bathroom.


    Li Yifei shook his head. This sister-in-law was really something else. He felt as if he was firmly in her hands.


    After nine o¡¯clock, Li Yifei entered the bedroom. Xu Yingying was sitting on the bed with a laptop on her legs. She looked up at him and smiled, "Hubby, you¡¯ve worked hard."


    "Worked hard? I finished massaging Shanshan a while ago. I didn¡¯t want to disturb your work, so I didn¡¯t come in. It seems like you¡¯re the busy one, even at home."


    Xu Yingying said apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t been able to spend quality time with you. There¡¯s still too much going on at the company, and I just can¡¯t slack off. But once the company is on track, I¡¯ll definitely spend more time with you, okay?"


    "You don¡¯t need to feel burdened. Since I¡¯m your husband, I naturally need to be understanding. Come, let me massage your feet too."


    Xu Yingying blushed and said, "You¡¯re tired as it is, no need to massage me."


    "I¡¯m not tired, let me massage you." As he spoke, Li Yifei had already grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s feet.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s feet tensed right away, making Li Yifei laugh and say, "Still so sensitive? I¡¯m your husband, you know."


    Feeling slightly embarrassed, Xu Yingying said, "It¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t done this before, so I¡¯m... still a bit unused to it."


    "All right, you¡¯ll get used to it over time." While saying this, Li Yifei began to massage her feet gently.


    Giving his wife a foot massage, Li Yifei certainly didn¡¯t skimp on effort. Xu Yingying initially made a couple of pained noises but soon felt her feet relaxing and started to feel comfortable. She praised, "Hubby, your massage is really quite good."


    "Of course, I¡¯ll massage you every day from now on."


    "Thank you, hubby. You¡¯re so good to me. I really feel that marrying you was the wisest choice I¡¯ve made."


    "Ha, I love hearing that." Li Yifei laughed heartily, feeling a bit proud.


    After a while of massaging, Li Yifei¡¯s hands started to wander. With such a beautiful wife in front of him, unlike with Shanshan, he had no reservations, so his hands began lightly caressing Xu Yingying¡¯s feet.


    "Hubby, are you feeling uncomfortable?"


    "Yes!" Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s affectionate expression, Li Yifei felt a burst of excitement. Could it be that Xu Yingying would be bold and help him out?


    "Then, hubby, you should go find Sister Fangqing."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock, exclaiming loudly.

 Chapter 396 - 403 Hello

    Chapter 396: Chapter 403 HelloLi Yifei stared at Xu Yingying, then let out a dry laugh and said, "Wife, I know I was irresponsible before and made a mess of things. Can you just let it go and not hold it against me?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red as she spoke, "I¡¯m not blaming you. Seeing how distressed you are and knowing I can¡¯t satisfy you, isn¡¯t it just right for you to turn to Sister Fangqing?"


    "Wife, can we not joke about this kind of thing?" Li Yifei said with a bitter smile on his face.


    Xu Yingying saw the look on Li Yifei¡¯s face and felt quite pleased. They had communicated about this not long ago, when Li Yifei said he couldn¡¯t yet cut ties with Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu. Now, Li Yifei clearly cared a lot about her feelings.


    "Husband, I¡¯m not joking with you. I¡¯m serious," she said.


    Li Yifei could tell Xu Yingying didn¡¯t seem to be joking but still found it hard to believe that such a thing could be true. He thought she might be testing him. Laughter escaped him as he replied, "I¡¯m a married man now. How could I engage in such nonsense?"


    "Thanks, husband. But I¡¯m really the one letting you go. Your relationship with Sister Fangqing was so good before. If it weren¡¯t for me, you¡¯d definitely keep that kind of relationship with her. Besides, Sister Fangqing already told me she wouldn¡¯t affect our marriage and didn¡¯t want anything from you. I always felt like I stole you from her, so I¡¯m already grateful she doesn¡¯t resent me. Therefore, even if you maintain that kind of relationship with her, it won¡¯t make me angry," she said.


    "No way... Wife, you wouldn¡¯t get angry about this kind of thing?" At this point, Li Yifei was genuinely stunned. Xu Yingying¡¯s magnanimity was something he found hard to believe.


    "Hmph, you don¡¯t believe me? Fine then, forget it. I won¡¯t bother with you anymore." Having said that, Xu Yingying turned over, showing her back to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly hugged Xu Yingying from behind and said, "Don¡¯t be angry, wife. But this matter seems really absurd to me."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "You think I don¡¯t know? Even if I didn¡¯t let you two be together, do you think you wouldn¡¯t sneak around with Sister Fangqing?"


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh, unable to deny it.


    "Hmph, speechless now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re not the heartless type, and Sister Fangqing is so infatuated with you. If you sneaked around and I found out, I¡¯d be upset. It¡¯s better if you¡¯re upfront about it so I can be prepared."


    "This... Wife... I..." Li Yifei was truly at a loss for words.


    Xu Yingying turned back around and hugged Li Yifei, saying, "Husband, we¡¯ve only been husband and wife for a few days, but I really can¡¯t live without you. I¡¯ve even found you a lover, so you can¡¯t wrong me anymore."


    Li Yifei was about to agree with Xu Yingying, promising not to get involved with any other women, but when he thought of Su Yiyi, he couldn¡¯t say the words.


    "You jerk, there¡¯s still Su Yiyi, Ye Yunzhu, and what about Lin Qiong?" Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei frustratedly.


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "Yingying, you¡¯ve been so good to me, I really shouldn¡¯t be like this. But I genuinely can¡¯t be so heartless right now. Give me some time, I¡¯ll handle things slowly. And I promise you, if I¡¯m with them, I will tell you."


    "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t tell me. It would hurt me too much. Go ahead and keep it a secret."


    "Wife, you are truly wonderful. I, Li Yifei, hereby solemnly promise you that I will treat you well for the rest of my life." Li Yifei wasn¡¯t one to make promises lightly, but once he did, he would go through great difficulties to keep them.


    Xu Yingying seemed to feel the weight of Li Yifei¡¯s promise, and said softly, "Alright, go on now. Sister Fangqing hasn¡¯t been with you for some days. If you don¡¯t see her, she¡¯ll think I don¡¯t keep my word."


    "I still don¡¯t understand what the agreement between you and Sister Fangqing was," Li Yifei said, his curiosity about the matter unabated.


    Xu Yingying blushed slightly before explaining, "Back then when I wanted to marry you, I just didn¡¯t want you to be with Shanshan, so I thought even if we got married, I wouldn¡¯t let you touch me. Then I suggested Sister Fangqing take my place... since you two were always like that anyway."


    Li Yifei was immediately at a loss for words.


    "Later, the more I felt for you, the more Sister Fangqing said she would cut off relations to avoid affecting my feelings for you. She¡¯s been so good to me, I couldn¡¯t bear to upset her. So I told her she could be your lover from now on."


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and said, "Wife, I feel like you are being too generous. It¡¯s like you¡¯re willing to share your husband with someone else."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t care about you. I care about you so much now that I indulge you, but who knows, in a few years, I might not be able to stand it and won¡¯t let you fool around with anyone anymore."


    Li Yifei laughed dryly, as he couldn¡¯t continue with that conversation.


    "Alright, hurry up and go. I still have unfinished work, and you¡¯re just causing trouble. I¡¯ll just work overtime tonight, so don¡¯t bother me," she said.


    Under Xu Yingying¡¯s repeated urging, Li Yifei finally mustered the courage to get out of bed, but after freshening up in the bathroom, he went back to the bedroom.


    Xu Yingying thought Li Yifei was going to change clothes, but he just lay down on the bed. She pushed him and said, "Why aren¡¯t you going?"


    "My dear wife, if I go now, it would be too cruel to you. I think I should just sneak up on you." Then he hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s waist and said, "You work, and I¡¯ll just sleep like this, holding you." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How am I supposed to work like this? Move back a bit." Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei slightly but her face was already filled with a smile. She wasn¡¯t testing Li Yifei but genuinely suggesting that he go to He Fangqing. However, had Li Yifei really gone, she would surely have felt uncomfortable. Li Yifei¡¯s decision to stay made her extremely content.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I can¡¯t sleep without holding you."


    Xu Yingying touched his face and said, "Fine then, sleep, you have so many annoying habits."


    Without saying another word, Li Yifei just held Xu Yingying and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Her generosity and tolerance made him, who had initially been somewhat reluctant about the marriage, more and more comfortable with it.


    The next morning, when Li Yifei saw Xu Shanshan getting up, he greeted her with a smile, only to be met with a glare, and when Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t paying attention, she pinched him hard, complaining, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really bad."


    "I¡¯m bad?" Li Yifei was baffled by Xu Shanshan¡¯s complaint.


    "You¡¯re just bad, totally bad." Xu Shanshan pinched Li Yifei again and then ran into the bathroom.


    Li Yifei was utterly confused; last night Xu Shanshan seemed cheerful before going to bed, but this morning she was accusing him of being bad, even though he didn¡¯t recall doing anything to her. Where was this coming from?


    At that moment, Xu Yingying came out and asked, "What did Shanshan say to you just now? It felt odd."


    "She just called me bad, and I really don¡¯t know why."


    Shanshan came out with a toothbrush in her mouth, glared at Li Yifei again, and mumbled, "Last night I dreamed that a bad guy was bullying me, and you didn¡¯t help me at all. You even watched the fun. Aren¡¯t you bad?"


    Both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were speechless. Xu Yingying was used to her sister¡¯s nonsensical ways and could only roll her eyes at her, while Li Yifei felt that Xu Shanshan¡¯s words weren¡¯t entirely true, as though there was another reason.


    Su Mengxin came over as usual for breakfast in the morning and then, after tidying up, the four of them drove to work.


    However, during the drive, Chu Xiaoyao called Li Yifei.


    "Uncle, it¡¯s my College Entrance Exam today; come and keep me company." Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t been in touch with Li Yifei for several days, to the point where he almost forgot about her.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "I have to go to work, though."


    "Uncle, this is my College Entrance Exam, a major milestone in life. If you don¡¯t accompany me and I fail, what am I going to do?"


    "Well, alright, I¡¯ll come to your school in a bit."


    "I knew you were the best, Uncle. I¡¯ll wait for you at the school gate."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei explained the situation to Xu Yingying, who was very supportive. After all, this was Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s first major turning point in life. Not attending upon her request could potentially affect her mood and her exam results, a matter of lifelong importance.


    With Xu Yingying¡¯s blessing, after dropping the three off at their respective places, Li Yifei drove straight to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s school gate.


    Even though a college degree isn¡¯t as valuable as it used to be, the College Entrance Exam is still highly valued by every family. Thus, throngs of people crowded outside the exam center, and the traffic was heavy, with several police officers maintaining order.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to park his car at a distance and walk over, quickly locating Chu Xiaoyao at the school entrance.


    "Uncle!" Chu Xiaoyao immediately rushed over and plunged into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, clinging tightly to his waist.


    When Li Yifei saw Chu Xiaoyao, he also saw her parents. The girl¡¯s daring plunge into his embrace left him feeling extremely awkward.


    "Uncle, I knew you were the best and that you¡¯d come to accompany me for the exam." Chu Xiaoyao let go of Li Yifei, then held his hand with a bright smile on her face.


    "Haha, this is a major event in your life. I wouldn¡¯t dare not come. Stop fooling around; so many people are watching you. You¡¯re a big girl now; you should be more aware of yourself."


    At that moment, Li Yifei acted like a kind elder, lest others think he was a lecherous uncle.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents also came over to greet Li Yifei. They didn¡¯t seem upset about Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s closeness with Li Yifei, but Li Yifei felt that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother had an odd look on her face, which was somewhat puzzling.

 Chapter 397 - 404: Encountering Ye Yunzhu Again

    Chapter 397: Chapter 404: Encountering Ye Yunzhu AgainLi Yifei offered a few words of encouragement to Chu Xiaoyao, who was even happier and said, "Uncle, I haven¡¯t been naughty this period, I¡¯ve been studying hard at home and I haven¡¯t bothered you, isn¡¯t that well-behaved?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Indeed, you¡¯ve been well-behaved, you deserve praise."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately asked, "So, if I do well this time, shouldn¡¯t you reward me?"


    "No problem, whatever you want, just tell me, I will definitely satisfy you."


    Chu Xiaoyao mischievously winked at Li Yifei and said, "I haven¡¯t decided yet, I¡¯ll think about it slowly after the exams."


    At this time, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father said, "Xiaoyao, it¡¯s about time, hurry and go in."


    Chu Xiaoyao shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm and insisted, "Uncle, you can¡¯t leave, okay? I want to see you when I come out after the first exam."


    Li Yifei cheerfully agreed. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s behavior at the moment was quite good, not at all like the past which used to give him a headache. Moreover, since Chu Xiaoyao was currently facing a critical moment, he should indulge her a little.


    Thinking back, he hadn¡¯t finished high school and had joined the military instead, not having experienced the College Entrance Exam. This could be considered a regret in life. Now, experiencing the atmosphere of the College Entrance Exam from outside the examination hall could be seen as making up for a shortfall in his life.


    Turning his head with the intention to talk to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents, he discovered that although they were standing together, their expressions were not as good, not at all like the warmth they had shown just a moment ago.


    This caused Li Yifei to dismiss the idea of speaking with them; it was obvious the couple was still in a dispute. They only showed affection for the sake of not affecting Xiaoyao during her College Entrance Exam. Starting a conversation at this time could stir up trouble unnecessarily, which would be unwarranted.


    "Yunzhu!" Li Yifei stepped back a few paces, had just lit a cigarette when he saw Ye Yunzhu speaking with a woman. As soon as he called out her name, she turned her head around.


    "Yifei!" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face lit up at first, but then fell immediately, she sniffed and turned her head away from him.


    Li Yifei was about to quickly approach Ye Yunzhu, but then he involuntarily paused. He was already married, and he could no longer be with Ye Yunzhu. The harm this had caused Ye Yunzhu was indeed not minor. He had failed her before, and he was still failing her now. Even if he went over, what could he possibly say to her?


    With that thought, Li Yifei¡¯s steps came to a complete halt. He sighed softly and took a deep look at Ye Yunzhu, then turned his head and walked away slowly.


    Ye Yunzhu seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. Just as Li Yifei looked at her with a complex gaze, her body involuntarily trembled lightly. Her heart truly hurt. She was originally going to share the news of the baby she had with Li Yifei, but the cold reality of Li Yifei¡¯s marriage was like a bucket of cold water poured over her, how could she not be heartbroken?


    These past few days she had been thinking nothing but to abort the baby, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t bear to do it. Not because aborting would make her infertile, but because the child was hers and Li Yifei¡¯s. Even if Li Yifei was cold-hearted towards her, apart from hatred, she still had deep love for him.


    "Bastard, how dare you not marry me and go marry another woman; I¡¯ll take it out on your son," Ye Yunzhu muttered furiously after finding a reason to keep the baby, she herself found it somewhat humorous. But this steadfastly confirmed her decision to keep the child.


    However, Ye Yunzhu was also a very proud person. Even if she was carrying Li Yifei¡¯s child, she wouldn¡¯t use it to blackmail him, and she didn¡¯t even want to tell the jerk. Yet upon seeing Li Yifei just now, she couldn¡¯t help but call out excitedly.


    But seeing Li Yifei only made her hate him even more, which is why she ignored him again so quickly. When Li Yifei walked away, she felt a deep, sharp pain in her heart.


    "Yifei? Is that the kid from your high school?" The woman with Ye Yunzhu was a woman in her forties, her aunt. She knew about Ye Yunzhu¡¯s miscarriage in high school, so the family was aware of Li Yifei.


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and said, "No, it¡¯s not him."


    "That¡¯s for the best. I¡¯m telling you, Yunzhu, you have a bright future ahead. The family really appreciates your abilities. Even if you¡¯re from a collateral branch, they still value you highly and will support you even more in the future. That little rascal, how could he be a match for you? By the way, how are things going with Sihao?"


    Ye Yunzhu, though she didn¡¯t look back at Li Yifei, had her thoughts still with him and didn¡¯t hear a word her aunt said, staying silent.


    "Hey, Yunzhu, what are you thinking about?"


    "Ah! Nothing, just a bit distracted. What were you saying?"


    "I was asking about you and Sihao. Sihao is a direct descendant of the Lin family and someone they¡¯re focussing on grooming. Now that both families are matching you two up, you should understand the significance of that. It¡¯s a rare opportunity for you; you can¡¯t let it slip by."


    Ye Yunzhu knew if she admitted that she hadn¡¯t been paying any attention to Lin Sihao, her aunt would go on endlessly, so she just smiled and said, "It¡¯s okay."


    "What do you mean ¡¯it¡¯s okay?¡¯ You need to take this seriously yourself. I see that Sihao is quite satisfied with you. Just take the initiative and you¡¯ll make it happen. After that our Ye family and Lin family can collaborate much more effectively, which will be of great benefit to both of us."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s aunt grew more and more excited as she spoke but failed to notice that Ye Yunzhu wasn¡¯t listening to a single word at that moment.


    "Ugh..." Ye Yunzhu suddenly bent over and retched twice. Her aunt patted her back in a hurry, asking anxiously, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    After retching a few times, Ye Yunzhu felt a bit better. She cursed Li Yifei in her heart once again. It was all this bastard¡¯s fault that she was like this, but she still forced a smile and said, "It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve been drinking too much lately, so my stomach isn¡¯t so great."


    "Sigh, once you¡¯re in the bureaucracy, you can¡¯t avoid drinking. You must be more careful, eat breakfast in the morning, and have something to eat before drinking, otherwise, your stomach really won¡¯t be able to handle it."


    Ye Yunzhu hummed along with her aunt¡¯s words, but in her mind, she felt a bit of satisfaction. When she looked up after her bout of retching, she had glanced at Li Yifei. The guy, after all, didn¡¯t seem so bad, looking concerned. He even shifted on his feet like he was about to come over.


    "Hmph, gets married and loses all his courage, doesn¡¯t even dare to come over." She felt a little bit of happiness, but Ye Yunzhu was even more annoyed.


    The first subject was about to be finished, and parents had crowded at the entrance of the examination hall, waiting for their children to come out and find out how they did.


    Some children handed in their papers early, which made their parents both angry and worried. They hurriedly asked their kids how it went. Seeing their children say they did well put smiles on their parents¡¯ faces. But if the answer was that they didn¡¯t do too well, the parents¡¯ faces would immediately sour. Most, however, held back and simply told their children to focus on the next subject without any pressure.


    During this time, almost all parents were incredibly gentle, fearful of affecting their children¡¯s mood.


    That girl Chu Xiaoyao also came running out before time was up. Li Yifei and her parents quickly walked over. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother immediately chastised her, saying, "Didn¡¯t I tell you, don¡¯t hand in the paper before time is up?"


    Chu Xiaoyao made a triumphant victory gesture, boasting, "Don¡¯t worry. I did very well. I checked it twice. Uncle, aren¡¯t you going to praise me?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Xiaoyao is so smart, of course, there won¡¯t be any problems."


    "That¡¯s because Uncle believes in me." Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s smile blossomed like a flower.


    "Of course, I have full confidence in you. But don¡¯t come out so early next time; stay a little longer. What if you suddenly find a mistake?"


    "Alright, next time I¡¯ll make sure to hand in the paper when time¡¯s up." Chu Xiaoyao playfully stuck her tongue out at Li Yifei, looking adorable and well-behaved.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know why Chu Xiaoyao had changed and wasn¡¯t as mischievous as before, but she sure was likeable this way, and no longer a source of headaches like before. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then another girl ran over, and Chu Xiaoyao excitedly asked, "Little Yue, how did you do?"


    "I did well, and you?"


    "Me too, hehe."


    The girl called Little Yue was quite lively and beautiful, not the least bit inferior to Chu Xiaoyao. At that moment, she called out to the outside, "Mom, Cousin, I¡¯m over here!"


    "Little Yue, how did it go? Tell me quickly." Ye Yunzhu¡¯s aunt rushed over, asking the girl called Little Yue with concern.


    Li Yifei stiffened, turned his head to look at Ye Yunzhu, but she acted as if she hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei at all, chatting with the girl called Little Yue with a smile.


    Little Yue exchanged a couple of words with Ye Yunzhu and then teasingly pulled at Chu Xiaoyao, whispering with a giggling voice, "Xiaoyao, is this your ¡¯handsy¡¯ uncle?"


    "Yes, what do you think, isn¡¯t he handsome?" Chu Xiaoyao proudly lifted her chin.


    Little Yue glanced at Li Yifei and chuckled lightly, "He¡¯s so-so."


    "Tsk, you just don¡¯t see it. Uncle¡¯s charm is not just about his looks; it¡¯s more about his inner qualities. If you really got to know Uncle, you¡¯d understand how handsome he actually is."


    Their voices were low, plus they were walking towards the examination hall, so no one heard their conversation. However, when Li Yifei felt Little Yue glancing at him, he knew their talk must be related to him.


    If it were any other time, he wouldn¡¯t care, but with Ye Yunzhu there, he felt particularly guilty and couldn¡¯t help but look at Ye Yunzhu again.


    Yet, Ye Yunzhu still didn¡¯t give him as much as a glance, treating him like a complete stranger.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart ached in an indescribable way, but at that moment, there was nothing he could do. Since he had already married Xu Yingying, he couldn¡¯t marry Ye Yunzhu. And since Ye Yunzhu wouldn¡¯t be like Su Yiyi, let her hate him. Perhaps that would be the best ending.

 Chapter 398 - 405: The End

    Chapter 398: Chapter 405: The EndAt noon, Li Yifei accompanied Chu Xiaoyao and her parents for lunch. Xiaoyao was chattering non-stop, clearly very happy, while her parents maintained smiling faces and conversed with Xiaoyao throughout. To outsiders, they would appear to be a loving family of three.


    However, when Xiaoyao re-entered the examination room that afternoon, her parents once again became strangers to each other. Xiaoyao¡¯s mother seemed to want to say something to him several times but ultimately remained silent.


    Li Yifei guessed that Xiaoyao¡¯s mother might suspect something between him and Xiaoyao, and wanted to inquire about it, but she was probably worried about affecting Xiaoyao¡¯s performance in the College Entrance Exam, so she held back.


    Li Yifei had a clear conscience about the whole matter, so there was no need for him to explain anything to them. If she didn¡¯t ask, there was even less need for him to bring it up proactively.


    Ye Yunzhu had left early in the morning after her second exam, which greatly relieved Li Yifei. Now, facing Ye Yunzhu, he still felt significant pressure. Even though Yunzhu had never said anything to him, hadn¡¯t come to blame or scold him, he felt the same way.


    Although Yunzhu had left, her aunt took the initiative to find Li Yifei that afternoon.


    "You are Li Yifei, right?" Yunzhu¡¯s aunt was dressed in elegant worldwide famous brands, immediately recognizable as a person of great taste.


    "Yes." Li Yifei nodded, smiling slightly.


    "I am Yunzhu¡¯s aunt, Ye Mei."


    Li Yifei greeted her politely, "Hello, Aunt."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s aunt frowned slightly and said, "I am Yunzhu¡¯s aunt, not yours."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take offense, knowing that she had come either to blame him or to warn him, so he replied calmly and confidently, "I understand."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s composed response, Yunzhu¡¯s aunt was somewhat surprised. She had come with a somewhat high and mighty attitude, which would have overwhelmed most young men, yet Li Yifei remained unfazed. This was something she had to appreciate.


    "I know about your past relationship with Yunzhu. She hasn¡¯t mentioned it over the years, so I had forgotten, but now you two have met again."


    "Yes, I haven¡¯t been back to Mile City for long."


    "That¡¯s fine; I won¡¯t beat around the bush. You were young and could be forgiven for whatever happened then, but now that you¡¯re older, you need to think things through more carefully."


    "Yes, I understand," Li Yifei continued to nod with a smile.


    This attitude of Li Yifei both pleased and slightly discomforted Ye Mei. She was pleased because Li Yifei agreed with everything she said, but discomforted because she didn¡¯t feel like she had any control over him. As someone from a wealthy and powerful family, she expected ordinary people to feel intimidated when speaking to her.


    "Then you should also be aware of Yunzhu¡¯s status in our family. I hope you won¡¯t continue to affect her. Moreover, she already has a boyfriend now, and our family has already arranged their marriage. They will be getting married soon."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart quivered as if pierced by a sharp knife, an indescribable pain, but his face retained a faint smile as he said, "Then I should wish her happiness."


    "If you can think like that, it¡¯s good."


    "Well, Ms. Ye, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave."


    "Hmm, you know what¡¯s good for you, so I won¡¯t say more."


    Li Yifei turned and walked away, then pulled out a cigarette to light, but after a couple of puffs, it didn¡¯t light. Upon closer examination, he realized he had held the cigarette backward.


    After discarding the cigarette, Li Yifei let out a soft sigh. Suddenly, he understood how Yunzhu must have felt when she learned he had gotten married¡ªa similar heart-stabbing pain. And since Yunzhu had deeper feelings for him, her pain must have been even worse.


    But what could he do now? Go and tell Yunzhu that he had always thought of her, that he always loved her? What right did he have now that he was already married?


    Li Yifei just felt incredibly stifled in his heart, but couldn¡¯t express it.


    Shortly after, Li Yifei laughed to himself, realizing how foolish he had been. The words of Yunzhu¡¯s aunt were completely false. He had seen that Lin family boy, Lin Sihao, and knew Yunzhu had no interest in him whatsoever; it was impossible for them to be together.


    It was a classic case of confusion caused by concern. He hadn¡¯t immediately seen through the falsehood in Yunzhu¡¯s aunt¡¯s words and even felt heartbroken¡ªit was completely unnecessary.


    Chu Xiaoyao was finishing her exams in the afternoon when Xu Yingying called Li Yifei, asking him to pick up He Fangqing. She mentioned that Fangqing had business at the Tax Bureau and would later be having dinner with people from the bureau.


    Li Yifei knew that Yingying was creating an opportunity for him, which made him appreciate his wife even more. He would never have thought before marrying Yingying that she could do this for him. As her husband, he felt extremely fortunate.


    Xiaoyao performed well in the exams. After she finished, Li Yifei told her that he had matters to attend to that evening and couldn¡¯t accompany her for dinner. Although Xiaoyao was somewhat reluctant, just having Li Yifei with her for the day had made her very happy.


    After calling Fangqing, she asked Li Yifei to wait for her outside the Tax Bureau. Li Yifei arrived there and in less than five minutes, Fangqing descended the building with two others.


    Following introductions, Li Yifei drove them to Yiyun Clubhouse.


    The dinner was quite normal, mainly to build relationships. For the Tax Bureau leaders, dealing with major taxpayers like Dreamfly Company required careful handling, and they conducted themselves with civility, discussing only routine work matters.


    Just after eight, Li Yifei dropped off both leaders, leaving only him and He Fangqing in the car.


    "I¡¯ll take you home," Li Yifei said with a smile as he looked at He Fangqing.


    "If you don¡¯t take me home, am I supposed to walk back by myself?" He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a white look, her eyes and brows oozing with a seductive charm.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart swayed, and the words Xu Yingying had said to him last night came to mind. He laughed, "Okay, then I¡¯ll take you home."


    Soon, the two of them arrived downstairs at He Fangqing¡¯s place. Li Yifei turned off the car, and He Fangqing smiled, "Are you planning to walk me upstairs too?"


    "That¡¯s a must. How can I say I¡¯ve taken a lady home if I don¡¯t walk her to the door?"


    "Then I¡¯ll give you that opportunity," He Fangqing said with a smile, pushing open the car door and getting out.


    When they reached He Fangqing¡¯s front door, she took out her keys and unlocked it, but instead of entering, she turned with a playful grin and said, "You¡¯ve already brought me home. Thank you."


    Li Yifei, now like a perfectly courteous gentleman, smiled and said, "Won¡¯t you invite me in to sit for a while?"


    "It¡¯s just me at home, and it¡¯s not quite appropriate for a man to come inside," she replied.


    "Isn¡¯t it more romantic when it¡¯s just the two of us? Don¡¯t you think?"


    "I don¡¯t want to be branded as someone who seduces her friend¡¯s husband. Besides, aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will be unhappy?"


    Li Yifei placed an arm around He Fangqing¡¯s waist and said, "I¡¯ve already applied for permission from my wife."


    "You can apply for this kind of thing?"


    "Of course, you can. If it had gotten too late, I would¡¯ve come over in the middle of the night," Li Yifei said as he scooped He Fangqing up in his arms, stepped inside her home and kicked the door closed behind him. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Over half an hour later, He Fangqing was snuggled against Li Yifei, her face flush with the afterglow of warmth, and she playfully hit him saying, "What¡¯s with you, huh? You¡¯ve already got a wife. Why are you still like someone who hasn¡¯t touched a woman in ages, practically killing me."


    Li Yifei, feeling content, smoked a cigarette and said, "Yingying is indisposed these last few days."


    "No wonder you came looking for me, couldn¡¯t get satisfied at home, huh?"


    Holding a cigarette in one hand and gently caressing He Fangqing with the other, Li Yifei said, "It¡¯s not for that reason I came looking for you, it was actually Yingying who sent me."


    "Yingying really sent you? Don¡¯t lie to me."


    Xu Yingying had indeed told He Fangqing several times that she would never forbid Li Yifei from seeing her, but He Fangqing still found it hard to believe. At most, Xu Yingying would turn a blind eye to their affair, but He Fangqing couldn¡¯t imagine her actually encouraging Li Yifei to pursue it.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s true that Yingying sent me. I doubted it too and thought she was testing me, but I can feel that she¡¯s sincere."


    He Fangqing rolled onto her side, leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, and said, "Yingying is really open-minded then. But this makes me worry about how I¡¯ll face her tomorrow."


    Li Yifei, who was feeling much less burdened by guilt, smiled and said, "That¡¯s not a problem. You two can just be as you always are. Since Yingying has agreed we can be this way, she won¡¯t get angry with you. If she were truly uncomfortable, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have let me come see you, and you know what Yingying is like."


    He Fangqing nodded and said, "I understand, but this really is beyond my expectations. And the more she behaves this way, the more I feel guilty. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t see each other anymore?"


    Li Yifei tilted up He Fangqing¡¯s chin and asked, "Could you bear that?"


    He Fangqing hit Li Yifei and then lowered her head to take one of his fingers into her mouth, her voice muffled, "I could bear it because you¡¯re such a bad guy, always wearing me out."


    "Hey, hey, you¡¯re whining about being worn out yet you¡¯re still teasing me like this?" Li Yifei¡¯s finger tingled from the sucking as his body responded instantly.


    With eyes full of allure, He Fangqing said, "Let¡¯s consider it our final crazy fling."


    "Do you think I¡¯m scared of you?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and after extinguishing his cigarette, he swiftly pinned He Fangqing beneath him.


    The "final crazy fling" He Fangqing mentioned was just for tonight. When they paused later, He Fangqing pushed him and said, "Okay, you beast, now that you¡¯ve had your fun, hurry home to be with your wife."


    Li Yifei, actually intending to return home that night, didn¡¯t want to bring it up first for fear of upsetting He Fangqing. Now that she mentioned it, it made him all the more appreciative of her thoughtfulness. He kissed her deeply and said, "Then I¡¯ll be leaving."


    "You can¡¯t even pretend to stay? I despise you," He Fangqing said, pushing him away and turning her back to him.


    Li Yifei laughed, giving her pert, pale buttocks a gentle slap and said, "Do we really need those pretenses between us?"


    "Go on, get out, you¡¯ve exhausted me," He Fangqing yawned, grabbed the blanket to cover herself and added, "Don¡¯t forget to lock the door on your way out, or if a petty thief comes in to ¡¯pick flowers¡¯ at night, it¡¯ll be your loss."


    Li Yifei laughed again. A lover like He Fangqing was truly a man¡¯s blessing.

 Chapter 399 - 406: Stealing Leisure from a Busy Schedule

    Chapter 399: Chapter 406: Stealing Leisure from a Busy ScheduleLi Yifei got home before ten o¡¯clock, and it was Xu Shanshan who opened the door, who immediately exclaimed with a surprised face, "Brother-in-law, weren¡¯t you not coming home tonight?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Staying out late is one thing, not coming home at night is hardly the mark of a good man."


    Xu Shanshan let out a surprised "Ah" and exclaimed, "Ah, you¡¯re not going to give me a foot massage today, are you?"


    Li Yifei had actually forgotten all about that, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s exaggerated cry both made him laugh and feel helpless. She was clearly reminding him to massage her feet with that scared expression, obviously putting on a show for Xu Yingying to see.


    By that time, Xu Yingying had already come out, and there was also a look of surprise on her face upon Li Yifei¡¯s return. She had created this opportunity for Li Yifei and He Fangqing, and she hadn¡¯t intended for Li Yifei to come back tonight. However, she was too shy to show that in front of her sister and instead gave Xu Shanshan a stern look, saying, "What¡¯s all the shouting for? Your brother-in-law is doing this for your own good. You act like it¡¯s some kind of torture every single day."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, feeling wronged as she said, "I know, I know. I¡¯m going to soak my feet right now, isn¡¯t that enough?"


    Li Yifei watched as Xu Shanshan scurried off to the bathroom, not looking the least bit aggrieved, clearly eager for the massage. He couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    Xu Yingying sat down with Li Yifei on the living room sofa, her face beaming with joy that she couldn¡¯t hide, and asked, "How come you came back?"


    "Isn¡¯t this my home? As a husband, how can I not come back at night to be with my wife?" Li Yifei said as he gently wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders.


    Xu Yingying leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. She had felt a bit sour about the idea of Li Yifei doing ¡¯that¡¯ sort of thing with Sister Fangqing, but now the feeling had completely dissipated. She whispered, "You really are a good husband."


    "With a good wife like you, how could I not be a good husband?" he replied.


    Xu Yingying turned her head and gave Li Yifei a light kiss on the face, saying, "Not bad, here¡¯s a reward for you."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and turned to kiss Xu Yingying back, but she pushed him away playfully and chided, "Stop it, Shanshan is about to come out."


    "Hee hee, shall I wash a bit longer then? You two warm up enough, and I¡¯ll come out after?" Xu Shanshan had already come out by then, looking at the two of them with a grin.


    Xu Yingying suddenly felt quite awkward, quickly standing up and urging, "Hurry over here."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "What¡¯s there to be shy about? You are brother-in-law¡¯s wife, isn¡¯t it right for brother-in-law to kiss you? Besides, didn¡¯t you two do everything last night?"


    Xu Yingying was even more embarrassed. But living under the same roof with her sister, how could Xu Shanshan not know their situation? Xu Yingying just didn¡¯t respond and said instead, "Hurry over for the massage. Do I need to supervise you?"


    "No need, I can¡¯t escape anyway." Xu Shanshan pouted and slowly laid down on the lounge chair.


    "Husband, I¡¯m sorry for making you work hard again," Xu Yingying said, squeezing Li Yifei¡¯s hand apologetically.


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "It¡¯s okay, Shanshan is my sister too."


    Sitting at the foot of the lounge chair, Li Yifei took hold of Xu Shanshan¡¯s left foot and applied a bit of pressure. She immediately let out an extravagant yell.


    Xu Yingying glared immediately and said, "Your brother-in-law massaged me last night too, and it wasn¡¯t this painful."


    "Your feet didn¡¯t have any problems, of course it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much. These are my feet okay?" Xu Shanshan retorted with an annoyed look at her sister and then clenched her teeth, as if enduring intense pain.


    Li Yifei found it amusing, as today he hadn¡¯t applied nearly as much pressure as he had the day before; Xu Shanshan shouldn¡¯t have been in that much pain. She was really acting quite convincingly.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t call out Xu Shanshan, so he just held her foot gently and began to massage it, with Xu Yingying watching on the side. Images of Li Yifei massaging her the previous day flashed through her mind, causing her face to blush slightly. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She could see that Li Yifei was genuinely massaging Xu Shanshan, not teasing her like he did yesterday, so she didn¡¯t think there was anything inappropriate about him massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet.


    Xu Yingying had finished her work for the day and decided to sit there with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. Though well-intentioned, Xu Shanshan was a bit anxious. With Xu Yingying there, how could Shanshan let Li Yifei massage her feet the way she liked? Sure, the massage felt nice, but she loved the sensation of Li Yifei¡¯s palm gently stroking her feet even more.


    "Sister, since I¡¯ve already let my brother-in-law massage me, why are you still sitting here watching?"


    Xu Yingying casually turned on the TV and said, "Watching you? I thought I¡¯d watch TV today and keep you company."


    Xu Shanshan quickly asked, "Have you finished all the work at your company?"


    "Company work is never truly finished. Some things can just as well be done tomorrow."


    "Huh, big sis, when did you learn to slack off? This isn¡¯t like you at all."


    "Heh... Before, I put work first, but now that I¡¯m married, of course, I have to spend time with your brother-in-law. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t I be an unqualified wife and let down your help for me and your brother-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes. It looked like Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t planning to leave today, so she wouldn¡¯t get to enjoy that wonderful feeling.


    "Sis, I fancy an apple. Could you wash one for me?"


    "Aren¡¯t there some in the fruit bowl?"


    "The ones out here have been sitting too long, they¡¯re not cool anymore. I want one from the fridge."


    Xu Yingying immediately got up to fetch the apple. Such requests from her sister were pretty normal, and she never suspected that there might be a little scheme behind it.


    As Xu Yingying turned her back and walked to the kitchen, Xu Shanshan twisted her foot slightly and gave Li Yifei a knowing look.


    Li Yifei got the hint, though he was caught between laughter and tears. Xu Shanshan was clearly demanding special attention from him, and he knew he couldn¡¯t escape. He had no choice but to caress and rub Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot.


    Xu Shanshan immediately squinted her eyes in pleasure and a blissful expression washed over her face.


    But before she could enjoy it for even ten seconds, Xu Yingying returned with an apple. Li Yifei promptly resumed his serious massage, only to start playing with Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot again when Xu Yingying turned back to wash the apple in the sink.


    Xu Shanshan was quite pleased with Li Yifei¡¯s performance. She gently squeezed his finger with her toes, and although she said nothing, the happiness was unmistakable on her face.


    "Here you go! Honey, this one¡¯s for you." Xu Yingying handed a washed apple each to Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei, but her tone differed noticeably between them¡ªindifferent to her sister, yet tender to her husband.


    Xu Shanshan took the apple and pouted, "It¡¯s true, women always favor outsiders. Once married, the treatment towards little sisters and husbands is just not the same."


    Xu Yingying was somewhat accustomed to her sister¡¯s teasing and replied, "You¡¯ll understand when you get married. Honey, I¡¯ll feed you. You¡¯re massaging this girl¡¯s stinky feet; you shouldn¡¯t touch the apple."


    Xu Shanshan retorted with a curl of her lip, "My feet don¡¯t stink at all, right, brother-in-law?"


    Li Yifei took a bite of the apple Xu Yingying offered and said with a smile, "Right, Shanshan¡¯s feet aren¡¯t just free of stink, they¡¯re quite fragrant actually."


    Xu Shanshan immediately boasted, "See, even my brother-in-law says so."


    "Hmph, your brother-in-law is just humoring you. You really take it to heart, huh? You¡¯ve got some thick skin there," Xu Yingying teased.


    With a giggle, Xu Shanshan replied, "As long as brother-in-law doesn¡¯t mind."


    While talking, Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze at Li Yifei suddenly became somewhat misty, with a hint of excitement, which made Li Yifei feel a trace of unease. This girl always had some cunning plan in mind, he was sure, and it definitely involved him.


    Xu Yingying stayed with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, which annoyed Xu Shanshan quite a bit. She could only contrive a few excuses to send Xu Yingying away and secretly relish that delightful sensation for a little while.


    But Xu Yingying had indeed changed nowadays, no longer the workaholic she once was. Today, she was determined to keep her husband company, so even when she was sent away, she quickly returned. Taking care of Li Yifei wasn¡¯t a chore for her; instead, she found it enjoyable. Looking after her beloved and seeing his happy smile filled her with unmatched joy.


    After massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, the three of them watched a bit of television and chatted for a while, then Li Yifei went to take a shower and prepare for bed.


    As soon as they were in bed, Xu Yingying snuggled up to him and whispered, "Honey, did you enjoy today?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and hugged Xu Yingying, saying, "Thank you."


    "As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy too. But thinking about it does give me a bit of heartache. I knew before that you and Sister Fangqing... well, but I didn¡¯t know what it was like. Now that I do, when I think of you getting naughty with Sister Fangqing, I just... get anxious."


    Li Yifei chuckled again, at a loss for words. This was indeed unfamiliar territory for him.


    "Honey, did you... did you use protection with her?"


    "No..." Li Yifei was even more embarrassed now.


    "What if Sister Fangqing gets pregnant then?"


    "Fangqing has an IUD; she won¡¯t get pregnant."


    "Oh, but she hasn¡¯t had any kids yet, so why would she use an IUD?"


    "Fangqing didn¡¯t plan on having children when she got married, so she got it. When they¡¯re ready for kids, they can just remove it."


    "Then... should I get an IUD too? I don¡¯t feel comfortable when you... when you wear a condom," Xu Yingying confessed, her face flushing red. This was the first time she had discussed such intimate matters with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "That won¡¯t work. An IUD is for those planning not to have kids for an extended period, at least a couple of years. We might want kids soon, and it would be a hassle to remove it later."


    "Oh... then I won¡¯t get one," Xu Yingying said, now the very image of an obedient wife, with none of the domineering air of a CEO.

 Chapter 400 - 107: Gratitude for Acquaintance

    Chapter 400: Chapter 107: Gratitude for AcquaintanceNovelFire.c¦Ò?The next day, Li Yifei went to accompany the exam again, but today Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t come, which inevitably left Li Yifei feeling a bit disappointed. He was truly conflicted inside; he wanted to see Ye Yunzhu, but when he did see her, he couldn¡¯t say anything to her, just felt immense guilt.


    Chu Xiaoyao performed well again today. She was inherently bright and clever, it was just the poor relationship of her parents that had affected her. Recently, though, their relationship had suddenly improved; they stopped arguing and spent every day helping her study, which made her very happy. Therefore, she studied very seriously, and her grades had increased considerably.


    However, Li Yifei only accompanied Chu Xiaoyao to finish lunch before returning to the company. There were many things to attend to that afternoon, and Su Mengxin had called him, so he had to go back to handle them.


    Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t upset at all, since Li Yifei had already spent a day and a half with her, which made her very happy. Before Li Yifei left, she grabbed his arm and said, "Uncle, my exams will be over soon. Can I come to visit your house?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to dampen her spirits and smiled, "Of course, when that time comes, I¡¯ll have Yiyi accompany you."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted slightly, but in front of her parents, she didn¡¯t dare to express her wish to be alone with Li Yifei, and said, "It¡¯s a deal then."


    "Yeah, if you do come over, give me a call. The company is really busy during this period; I often have to work overtime."


    "Got it, you can go now."


    By the time Li Yifei returned to the company it wasn¡¯t even one o¡¯clock yet, and the afternoon didn¡¯t start until one-thirty. Therefore, the people in the company were either out and about or resting in the office, with only a few offices where the noise was louder; they were playing games together.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t completely forbid employees from going online to play games, but they could only play during their lunch break. After all, they were all young people, and playing games could help relax the mind. Additionally, those team-based games could also foster a spirit of teamwork.


    Li Yifei went straight back to his own office, he pushed the door, found it locked, then took out the keys, opened the door, and went in.


    As soon as Li Yifei entered, he immediately quieted his movements because Su Mengxin was lying on the sofa taking a nap.


    Today, Su Mengxin wore a suit dress, a tight-fitting blazer, and a skirt that barely reached her knees, with flesh-colored stockings on her legs. Now, lying flat on the sofa with a cushion beneath her head, her hands crossed over her abdomen, her legs also crossed, she wasn¡¯t wearing shoes. Through the semi-transparent stockings, one could glimpse the pale red color of her toenail polish.


    Even if a woman is beautiful, she doesn¡¯t necessarily look graceful while sleeping, especially with Meng Xiaofei as a counterexample; that girl has no image to speak of when sleeping. Even considering Xu Yingying or Su Yiyi, Li Yifei didn¡¯t believe they would look much different in their sleep, as their hair would be messy and their faces could be pressed out of shape¡ªlosing some degree of their appearance regardless.


    But looking at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei had to admit that even in sleep, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman, which made him think of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. She seemed even more beautiful than the Sleeping Beauty in the story.


    Therefore, Li Yifei simply couldn¡¯t bear to interrupt such beauty, and was about to leave, but after hesitating for a moment, he still went in and sat down in his own chair.


    The sound of Li Yifei sitting in the chair immediately woke up Su Mengxin, who sat up swiftly, brushed away a few strands of hair from her forehead with an apologetic smile, and said, "I fell asleep."


    "I woke you up. There¡¯s still some time before we start working. If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep a little longer," Li Yifei offered.


    Su Mengxin stood up, "No need to sleep. You, the big manager is back, and here I am, a little secretary still sleeping¡ªwhat would that look like?" She said, smiling, then went over to brew a cup of tea for Li Yifei and placed it on his desk.


    Li Yifei said with a mix of amusement and annoyance, "You, as a ¡¯little secretary¡¯, aren¡¯t someone anyone can afford to hire."


    Su Mengxin pressed her lips together and said very seriously, "I¡¯m just a working secretary, Manager Li, please don¡¯t fire me. If there¡¯s anything I¡¯m not doing well, just point it out, and I¡¯ll definitely improve."


    Seeing Su Mengxin acting this way, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, suddenly feeling whimsical, he said, "Well, I¡¯m a bit tired today, my shoulders are sore. Help me rub them, will you?"


    "Okay." Su Mengxin agreed without hesitation and then walked behind Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei thought that Su Mengxin was only joking, but then she actually placed her hands on his shoulders and started kneading.


    "Mengxin... I was just kidding," Li Yifei somehow felt uncomfortable now.


    Su Mengxin said earnestly, "Manager Li, you work so hard every day. It¡¯s only right for me as your little secretary to give you a shoulder massage. Isn¡¯t it the duty of a secretary to allow the leader to devote themselves wholeheartedly to their work and to resolve all other matters for them?"


    "Mengxin... alright then, go ahead and massage," seeing how immersed Su Mengxin was in playing the role of the little secretary, Li Yifei simply didn¡¯t bother to say more. But a thought suddenly crossed his mind, wasn¡¯t there a saying, when there is work, the secretary works, when there¡¯s no work, work on the secretary? If that were put into practice, that would be...


    Of course, Li Yifei just thought about it. Not to mention Su Mengxin¡¯s status as a secretary, even if she were just a common little secretary, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t harbor such thoughts anymore.


    His past romantic debts were one thing, but if he got involved with another woman now, how could Xu Yingying possibly tolerate that?


    The relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying was different from that with any other woman because it was based on marriage, which was why Li Yifei felt an even stronger sense of responsibility toward Xu Yingying, even more so than toward Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu.


    Although Su Mengxin¡¯s massage technique wasn¡¯t very good, the touch of her small hands on his shoulders was a pleasure in itself. Add to that the close proximity of Su Mengxin and her faint body scent, it was intoxicating.


    Su Mengxin was massaging Li Yifei while talking about the work over the past two days. Li Yifei listened attentively and soon became fully engaged, taking his work very seriously. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The door was knocked once, and Xu Yingying pushed the door and came in. She was taken aback when she saw the position of Su Mengxin and Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei instantly felt a bit awkward and said, "Yingying, I..."


    With a smile to Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin took over the conversation, "Yingying, am I doing a satisfactory job as a little secretary? I still need to massage the manager¡¯s shoulders."


    Xu Yingying had indeed instinctively felt uneasy, but seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s calm face, and thinking about her identity, that sour feeling vanished. She glared at Li Yifei and said, "You really know how to enjoy yourself, taking Mengxin as your secretary for real?"


    This time, Li Yifei reacted very quickly and smiled, "Even if she were really a secretary, I couldn¡¯t just let her massage my shoulders. I wanted to see if Mengxin was really putting her heart into being a secretary, just teasing her."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Mengxin, I have something to ask you about right now, you can stop being a secretary temporarily."


    Only then did Su Mengxin remove her hands from Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, and she took a seat on the couch with a smile, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Xu Yingying sat down beside Su Mengxin and discussed her thoughts about the company. These issues were very important, involving not just about money, but also critical decisions for the company¡¯s development, which she couldn¡¯t make on her own.


    Su Mengxin listened attentively but did not immediately express her opinion. Instead, she looked at Li Yifei and asked, "Yifei, what do you think?"


    Li Yifei had been with Xu Yingying every day for some time and knew her thoughts; he had some understanding of company management, but it wasn¡¯t his forte. He laughed, "Asking me is pointless; I don¡¯t understand these matters. Yingying spoke about it at home, and it was like listening to the ¡¯Heavenly Book¡¯ to me. As the Human Resources Manager, which doesn¡¯t involve running the company, I can just about get by; otherwise, I¡¯m just cut out to be a security guard."


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "I think you just don¡¯t like this stuff, otherwise you could have done it. Okay, I won¡¯t ask you then. Yingying, your ideas are excellent, and if you can implement them, they will be greatly beneficial to the company¡¯s early development. Go ahead and do it. If there are any difficulties, I¡¯ll help you resolve them."


    Yingying immediately agreed with excitement. Her ideas were highly challenging, especially getting government approval¡ªif the authorities wouldn¡¯t approve it, then there was no way to proceed. And if she relied solely on her own abilities for such matters, it would be extremely troublesome, not only costing a lot of money but also consuming plenty of energy and time, which would be a headache.


    In the years that Xu Yingying had been managing the company, she had been confident in her abilities, but the most troublesome part was dealing with government departments. The more senior the officials, the more challenging it was. Now with Su Mengxin, these tasks instead became the easiest, which encouraged her to take bold steps.


    Xu Yingying confidently said, "Boss Su, as long as these issues are resolved, I believe I can make the company profitable within a year."


    Su Mengxin nodded, "When I asked you to help me manage the company, I saw your capabilities. I have absolute confidence in you. Just go ahead."


    "Thank you, Boss Su." At that moment, Xu Yingying was genuinely touched. A capable person¡¯s biggest fear is not finding a good mentor, just like her previous experience at Huayang, where the head office¡¯s decisions often made her want to grab the decision-makers and give them a beating. But with Su Mengxin, she truly felt she had found someone who understood her, and the gratitude was beyond words. Now, if Su Mengxin were to ask her to die, she would agree without hesitation.

 Chapter 401 - 408 Getting More and More Outrageous

    Chapter 401: Chapter 408 Getting More and More OutrageousIn the absence of Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin resumed her role as Li Yifei¡¯s little secretary, attending to him with utmost care. The dull and monotonous work that Li Yifei once found tedious now seemed to have gained some flavor. At least time seemed to pass swiftly, and before he knew it, the workday was over.


    During dinner, the household acquired an additional foodie, Meng Xiaofei. Her belongings had been moved here, and Su Mengxin had already informed her. This girl had a straightforward personality; although she was deeply grateful, she quickly brushed it aside and spoke to Su Mengxin as if nothing had happened.


    No one seemed to mind Meng Xiaofei¡¯s demeanor; instead, they found her endearing and easy to get along with.


    "Brother-in-law, did you know that Qin Handong, whom you beat up last time, still wants to seek revenge on you?" Xu Shanshan asked Li Yifei during dinner.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face immediately changed. She asked urgently, "What does he intend to do?"


    Su Mengxin continued eating gracefully, but her gaze flickered to Li Yifei with a faint smile.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately retorted, "Who dares to provoke Brother Li? Brother Li should just pummel him!" Meng Xiaofei, who was direct to a fault, regarded Li Yifei as a genuinely good person. Anyone causing trouble for Li Yifei was instantly classified as a bad person in her book.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "It¡¯s nothing much. Our school principal found out about it and directly warned Qin Handong not to stir up trouble here, leaving Qin Handong to slink away dejectedly."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you still close with that Wang Libang?"


    Xu Yingying, feeling reassured, became curious about Wang Libang and asked, "Who is this Wang Libang?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Let Brother-in-law tell you. He knows him too."


    Xu Yingying immediately shifted her attention to Li Yifei. Li Yifei then replied, "Wang Libang is the principal of Shanshan¡¯s school, around thirty years old. He looks decent and comes from a good background. His father, Wang Jiuzhe, is a local tycoon with billions and also owns a film and entertainment company."


    "His conditions aren¡¯t bad at all," Xu Yingying said with a hint of excitement.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "But I¡¯m not optimistic about Wang Libang. He¡¯s too deep, too scheming. Shanshan is naturally playful; if they got together, I worry she¡¯d suffer."


    "Really? I think a man being deep shows sophistication and maturity," Xu Yingying said, frowning slightly, disagreeing with Li Yifei¡¯s perspective.


    Li Yifei remained steadfast in his opinion, stating, "Maturity in a person shows through action, but they must also be genuine. Wang Libang doesn¡¯t let people see his true nature, which can be frightening. You¡¯ll never know what he¡¯s thinking. How could Shanshan, with her straightforward personality, endure that?"


    Xu Shanshan clapped her hands and said, "Brother-in-law does know me well, I don¡¯t like Wang Libang."


    Xu Yingying glanced reproachfully at both of them, saying, "Does it mean I, as your sister, understand you less than your brother-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Though you both mean well for me, your approach is different. Sister, now that you¡¯re married, you¡¯re like Mom, eager to see me married off. Brother-in-law, on the other hand, is focused solely on what¡¯s best for me."


    Su Mengxin chimed in, "I think Yifei is right. Such a man isn¡¯t suitable for Shanshan."


    Xu Yingying conceded, "Alright, alright. Since you¡¯re all saying this, I won¡¯t think much of it. But Shanshan, if you have no feelings for Wang Libang, keep your distance to avoid misunderstandings."


    "I know. He invited me to dinner, but I didn¡¯t accept it. With Brother-in-law cooking such delicious food at home, why go out?"


    Meng Xiaofei excitedly nodded in agreement, her mouth full of food, mumbling, "Yes, yes, Brother Li¡¯s cooking is delicious."


    Everyone laughed seeing Meng Xiaofei like this, and she quickly swallowed her food, sticking her tongue out and saying, "Don¡¯t laugh at me, I¡¯m just a foodie."


    Everyone paused, then laughed until their stomachs hurt.


    "By the way, Brother Li, since you¡¯ve married Sister Yingying, what about Yiyi?" Meng Xiaofei suddenly asked, drawing everyone¡¯s gaze to Li Yifei.


    Realizing her faux pas, Meng Xiaofei hurriedly said, "I spoke nonsense, Sister Yingying, don¡¯t mind me. Yiyi... is a guy..."


    "Pfft..." Despite the initial awkwardness due to Meng Xiaofei¡¯s sudden question, her last comment dispelled the tension, prompting another bout of laughter.


    Not wanting to embarrass Li Yifei, Xu Yingying suppressed her laughter and said, "I know about Yiyi and my brother-in-law, so no need to cover it up."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, saying, "So you know too? That¡¯s a relief," patting her chest and sticking her tongue out at Li Yifei.


    However, after dinner, Meng Xiaofei quietly approached Li Yifei and whispered, "Brother Li, I saw Yiyi when I went back to my old house today."


    Li Yifei nodded, "I left the house for her. She often goes back."


    "But Yiyi is so nice, why don¡¯t you marry her? Not that Sister Yingying isn¡¯t good, but it¡¯s unfair to Yiyi."


    Patting Meng Xiaofei¡¯s shoulder, Li Yifei replied, "I¡¯ll sort it out. Yiyi is wonderful, and I certainly won¡¯t hurt her."


    "So, are you thinking of making Yiyi your mistress?" Meng Xiaofei gasped loudly, raising her voice.


    The sound reached Xu Yingying and the others in the living room, but none of them seemed to have heard, not glancing toward the kitchen.


    Realizing her volume, Meng Xiaofei nervously glanced toward the living room. Seeing no reaction, she thought they hadn¡¯t heard and continued watching Li Yifei, waiting for his answer.


    Li Yifei, feeling a bit awkward, said, "Xiaofei, I¡¯m not toying with Yiyi¡¯s emotions. I genuinely love her. There are special reasons behind my marriage to Yingying, and I need time to manage their relationship."


    "Oh..." Meng Xiaofei, with a simple mind, half-understood and half-didn¡¯t, said, "Anyway, I really like Yiyi and don¡¯t want her to be hurt. If she marries you, she can help me tidy my house."


    Li Yifei gave Meng Xiaofei a sidelong glance and said, "Is that the only thing you like about her?"


    Sticking her tongue out, Meng Xiaofei said, "No, it¡¯s just that I feel relaxed around Yiyi, but a bit pressured in front of Sister Yingying."


    "What pressure? She¡¯s just your brother-in-law¡¯s wife."


    "Yes, yes, thinking like that eases the pressure. No matter how capable she is, she¡¯s still your wife, haha. I¡¯m off!"


    After chatting a bit more, Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei left. Meng Xiaofei, in particular, had yet to stay even once in this new house. Naturally, she intended to tidy it up a bit, though it would likely end up messier once she was done.


    With just the three of them left in the house, they all sat on the sofa. Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan occupied either side of Li Yifei. Xu Shanshan moved to the long sofa today, nudging Li Yifei and saying, "Brother-in-law, lying on the chaise lounge to watch TV is uncomfortable. Can you massage me today?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, unsure of what tricks his sister-in-law might be up to, said, "You¡¯re becoming more demanding."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "It¡¯s all the same either way, I might as well make myself comfortable."


    Xu Yingying shifted to the chaise lounge and said, "Honey, just agree to her demands. Otherwise, she¡¯ll never stop."


    Having no other choice, Li Yifei moved toward Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan immediately lay down on the sofa, placing her little feet on Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan and asked, "Can¡¯t you maintain some decorum?"


    "Why bother with decorum in front of you two when I¡¯m not looking for a boyfriend?" Xu Shanshan said, wiggling her feet and making Li Yifei anxious. If Xu Yingying disapproved, they would both be in for it.


    Fortunately, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t seem to mind, saying helplessly, "Alright, little missy, since your feet are troublesome, you¡¯re in charge. Honey, just bear with her."


    What else could Li Yifei do? This was clearly a ploy devised by him and Xu Shanshan to trick Xu Yingying, so he could only chuckle awkwardly and start giving Xu Shanshan a foot massage.


    "All right, continue massaging Shanshan. I need to organize what I discussed with Boss Su today."


    Li Yifei nodded. Xu Yingying, feeling a bit sympathetic, wanted to give him a peck, but felt too shy in her sister¡¯s presence. She settled for patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder before heading back to the bedroom.


    "Phew, she¡¯s finally gone," Xu Shanshan exhaled, wiggling her little feet and winking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei slightly slapped the top of Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot, producing a crisp sound, startling Xu Shanshan. She quickly stopped moving, glanced nervously at the bedroom, and after confirming that Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t returned, playfully glared at Li Yifei and began acting up again.


    Not only did her actions grow bolder, but today, Xu Shanshan pulled another trick. After about twenty minutes, she loudly said, "Brother-in-law, my calves feel uncomfortable too. Can you massage them?"


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly said, "No."


    "Why not? Can¡¯t you massage calves? Is foot massage all you can do?" Xu Shanshan continued in a loud voice.


    "It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t¡ªyour calves just feel a bit sore. Resting will alleviate it, and my massage won¡¯t help."


    Li Yifei decisively refused this time. Playing with Xu Shanshan¡¯s tiny feet daily was bad enough. Massaging her calves would soon lead to thighs, and beyond... Li Yifei dare not imagine further.


    So, Li Yifei decided to stop this before it went any further. He couldn¡¯t let them fall deeper, as it would damage not only Xu Shanshan but also Xu Yingying, and by extension, her family, in the process.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and suddenly called out in the direction of the bedroom, "Sis, aren¡¯t you going to control Brother-in-law? I asked him to massage my legs, and he¡¯s ignoring me."


    Li Yifei was left speechless, thinking, "Shanshan, can¡¯t you be a little less shameless?"

 Chapter 402 - 409: It’s Yours

    Chapter 402: Chapter 409: It¡¯s Yours"Okay, my little aunt, I¡¯ll give you a massage. Your sister is busy, so don¡¯t call her." Li Yifei glared at Xu Shanshan and put his hand on her leg.


    Xu Yingying had already come out, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s hand on her sister¡¯s leg. Hearing his words, she immediately glared at her sister and said, "Your brother-in-law works hard all day, can¡¯t you stop bullying him?"


    "Hehe, if I don¡¯t bully him, it¡¯s a waste. Who else would I bully if not my brother-in-law? If he were someone else¡¯s brother-in-law, I wouldn¡¯t get the chance."


    It was universally acknowledged that a sister-in-law teasing her brother-in-law was natural, so Xu Shanshan spoke confidently. Xu Yingying, feeling sorry for Li Yifei, said, "Just ignore her."


    Li Yifei really couldn¡¯t ignore it this time. He smiled and said, "It¡¯s not a big deal, and I¡¯m not busy with anything. Since I¡¯m just sitting here watching TV, I might as well give Shanshan a massage."


    Xu Shanshan proudly said again, "Plus, I can keep an eye on brother-in-law to stop him from smoking. He doesn¡¯t smoke when he massages me. Once he quits smoking, you guys can have kids. Isn¡¯t that a great achievement for me?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said, "That¡¯s great. Let your brother-in-law massage you a bit longer."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Isn¡¯t this smoking cessation method too cruel?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Brother-in-law, just bear with it. For my cute little nephew and for my health, you should massage me diligently."


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly and said, "Didn¡¯t you say you need to quit smoking for the sake of the kids? Start working hard now."


    Xu Yingying returned to the bedroom, while Xu Shanshan covered her mouth, giggling nonstop. Feeling a bit stifled, Li Yifei retaliatorily stroked Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg lightly.


    Only after two strokes did Xu Shanshan make a sound like a kitten. Her gaze towards Li Yifei changed, and her legs slightly trembled, showing obvious emotion.


    Li Yifei was startled by her unexpectedly sensitive reaction, worried he was playing with fire. He quickly changed his technique, not daring to be too excessive.


    "Brother-in-law, do it like just now..." Xu Shanshan gazed at Li Yifei with watery eyes, her look filled with affection.


    Li Yifei felt a stir in his heart, almost following Xu Shanshan¡¯s request. Thankfully, he managed to hold back in the end and said, "Stop fooling around."


    Xu Shanshan sensed Li Yifei was genuinely a bit upset and pouted, saying, "Okay then, just do it however you want."


    Li Yifei looked at his nose, his nose at his heart, not daring to mess around anymore. The temptation from this sister-in-law was indeed too great. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he felt he might fall into eternal damnation.


    Although Xu Shanshan was a bit unwilling, seeing Li Yifei like this, she obediently behaved. She truly fancied this brother-in-law in her heart and had another reason she couldn¡¯t tell anyone, which always made her want to get close to Li Yifei whenever they were together. Otherwise, she was a self-respecting girl and couldn¡¯t casually get so close to a man without any concerns.


    "Sis, aren¡¯t you done yet?" Before bed, Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying were both in the bathroom washing up. Xu Shanshan, seeing Xu Yingying changing her pad, frowned and pouted.


    "Almost. It should be over tomorrow. Why are you concerned about this?" Xu Yingying looked at her sister, puzzled.


    "Why do you have this problem for no reason? It¡¯s really annoying." Xu Shanshan muttered.


    "Why are you annoyed by my problem? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t get yours." Xu Yingying found Xu Shanshan¡¯s question quite strange today.


    "Forget it, I¡¯m going to sleep." After saying that, Xu Shanshan ran out of the bathroom, leaving Xu Yingying somewhat puzzled. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t been over to the factory there, and today¡¯s matters in the company weren¡¯t particularly urgent, so she took Li Yifei and a few others from the company to the construction site.


    Before coming, Xu Yingying called Ye Yunzhu, who was already waiting for them at the site.


    Xu Yingying had always kept business and personal matters separate. Although she knew about the emotional entanglement between Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, she still chatted and laughed with Yunzhu, discussing the situation at the construction site.


    After finishing business talks, it was routine to have a meal. Besides Xu Yingying¡¯s company personnel, there were also some township cadres there, leaving no opportunity for Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu to speak privately.


    However, after the meal, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei went to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s office for some matters that weren¡¯t suitable for public discussion.


    "Ugh..." Ye Yunzhu dry heaved a few times, disrupting their conversation.


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Mayor Ye, if you¡¯re not feeling well, we can leave today¡¯s matters. You should see a doctor, and we¡¯ll talk another day."


    Ye Yunzhu waved her hand and said, "It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll be fine in a moment."


    "Mayor Ye, I know you¡¯re someone who prioritizes work, but health is most important. This can¡¯t go on. I noticed at lunch you didn¡¯t eat much and didn¡¯t touch your drink."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes involuntarily turned to Li Yifei, causing his heart to skip a beat with a deeply unsettling thought.


    "Mayor Ye, I was wondering... it couldn¡¯t be..." Li Yifei thought of it, and Xu Yingying thought of it too. Yet, the question seemed too abrupt to voice, and as she spoke, she, too, couldn¡¯t help but glance at Li Yifei, her heart also pounding uncontrollably.


    Ye Yunzhu took a breath and said, "Yes, I¡¯m pregnant."


    Li Yifei was instantly petrified, staring blankly at Ye Yunzhu, while Xu Yingying¡¯s face changed drastically, stammering, "Who... who is it?"


    Ye Yunzhu smiled faintly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not your husband¡¯s."


    Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief but quickly apologized, saying, "I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have thought that."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled slightly, saying, "It¡¯s understandable. After all, Yifei and I did have a past. Meeting again would naturally stir old feelings. If he weren¡¯t your husband now, I might still want to bring him to my side. But you guys are married, and I, Ye Yunzhu, would never destroy your family."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit embarrassed by Yunzhu¡¯s words.


    "Alright, let¡¯s continue with business." Ye Yunzhu changed the topic, obviously not wanting to dwell on it. Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t inquire further, and she was actually quite joyful. Since Yunzhu was pregnant, it meant there was another man in her life, so she wouldn¡¯t have any more entanglements with Li Yifei.


    At a little past two in the afternoon, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying left the township. Xu Yingying saw Li Yifei silent beside her, gave him a sidelong glance, and asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"


    Li Yifei forced a smile and said, "Yingying, I¡¯m sorry, I do feel a bit disturbed."


    "I can understand. After all, Yunzhu had deep feelings for you. Do you want to talk to her? You didn¡¯t get a chance to speak to her earlier."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, saying, "I want to see her."


    "Alright!" Xu Yingying readily agreed. Li Yifei¡¯s willingness to tell her now was better than secretly meeting Ye Yunzhu.


    "You can drive back, and I¡¯ll take a cab."


    Xu Yingying agreed without hesitation. Even as Li Yifei got out of the car, she harbored no dissatisfaction. This minor matter paled in comparison to the joy she felt knowing Ye Yunzhu was having someone else¡¯s child.


    Ye Yunzhu stood by her office window, her eyes a bit red. Over the years, she¡¯d learned to be strong. Even when deeply hurt inside, she refused to let her tears fall.


    She kept recalling her moments with Li Yifei, some memories seeming immature due to youthful recklessness, but all so sweet in retrospect. The guy she¡¯d loved to her very bones, the father of the little one growing inside her, was now someone else¡¯s husband.


    Lost in thought, she didn¡¯t realize someone had entered her office until a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, startling her into instinctively struggling.


    "Don¡¯t move, be careful of the baby¡¯s health." A voice, familiar beyond measure, spoke from behind, making her body instantly go soft.


    But she quickly put on a cold face and said, "Why did you come back?"


    "I just found out I¡¯m going to be a dad, yet I didn¡¯t even know. How could I not come back to see?" Li Yifei held Ye Yunzhu, his voice indescribably gentle.


    "Stop being delusional. The child in my belly isn¡¯t yours."


    "That drunken night we spent together, how could this child not be mine?"


    "Tch, just because I was with you doesn¡¯t mean I was only with you. Any healthy man can get me pregnant, it¡¯s that simple."


    Li Yifei gently touched Ye Yunzhu¡¯s small belly and said, "Stop lying to me, if you truly had other men, how could you be sure this child isn¡¯t mine? At the very least, you wouldn¡¯t know who the father is."


    "I had a DNA test."


    "The child¡¯s too young, and you didn¡¯t collect my DNA, so what did you test?"


    "You... hmph, it¡¯s just not yours."


    "Fine, not mine; if you say it isn¡¯t, then it isn¡¯t. Is that better?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s doting words made Ye Yunzhu¡¯s body go soft again. Many years ago, when Ye Yunzhu threw tantrums at Li Yifei, he¡¯d coax her just like this until her anger turned to joy.


    Turning to face Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu said fiercely, "Knowing it¡¯s your kid, what do you want to do?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression froze, confronted by a tremendous dilemma once again.

 Chapter 403 - 410 Two Paths

    Chapter 403: Chapter 410 Two Paths"Hmph, nothing to say now, huh? You bastard, marrying someone else but having me bear your child, do I owe you anything in this life?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s anger surged again as she saw the expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Li Yifei quickly embraced Ye Yunzhu tightly and pleaded, "Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry, let¡¯s talk this through calmly."


    "Are you worried about the child or me?" Ye Yunzhu glared stubbornly at Li Yifei, waiting for his answer.


    "Of course I¡¯m worried about you. If we lose the child, we can try again, but if the child¡¯s birth harms your health, I¡¯ll be heartbroken."


    The saying goes ¡¯a pregnant woman¡¯s needs come first¡¯, so Li Yifei could only put Xu Yingying aside and focus on soothing Ye Yunzhu wholeheartedly at this moment.


    Women are often more irritable than usual during pregnancy, which is a normal reaction. But Ye Yunzhu, feeling aggrieved, became even more irritable. She twisted Li Yifei¡¯s arm forcefully and said through clenched teeth, "Easy for you to say. If I lose this child, I might never be able to get pregnant again for the rest of my life."


    Li Yifei was taken aback and held Ye Yunzhu even tighter, being careful not to squeeze her stomach, as he asked cautiously, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Humph, scared now? I knew you wouldn¡¯t want this child once you were married, but at the hospital they said this might be my only chance to have a child. The operation I had for you when I was younger left me with aftereffects. It¡¯s already a miracle that I got pregnant this time."


    "Then we¡¯re even luckier than if we had won the lottery. We¡¯ve only been intimate twice, and the last time was just the other day. Are you saying it took just one shot?"


    "Get out, you still have the mood to crack jokes. What are you going to do now? I must have this child; I can¡¯t live without becoming a mother in this life. I can¡¯t let this child come into the world without a father, can I?"


    "That¡¯s definitely not okay," Li Yifei replied decisively.


    "Then you divorce Xu Yingying now, and we get married," Ye Yunzhu stated just as firmly.


    Li Yifei was immediately troubled by her demand. If he hadn¡¯t married Xu Yingying, he would definitely marry Ye Yunzhu right now, but since he was already married, the idea of divorce and remarriage made him truly feel that he couldn¡¯t make this decision at once.


    "Hmph, I knew your affections were phony," Ye Yunzhu huffed, pushing Li Yifei away and walking towards the couch.


    Li Yifei quickly followed her step by step, ready to catch her in case she fell.


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s tension, Ye Yunzhu felt a small sense of happiness, but when she thought about his marriage to Xu Yingying, she was considerably angry again.


    Having sat down, Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei and said, "Now you have two options. One is you divorce Xu Yingying and marry me. The other is I just randomly marry some man to give the child a cheap father. I believe even if they knew the child wasn¡¯t theirs, there would be someone willing to take it."


    "No way!" Li Yifei immediately barked back with wide eyes. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you yelling for?" Ye Yunzhu retorted with a glare of her own, "Are you saying the first option is impossible, or the second, or both are impossible?"


    Ye Yunzhu knew very well that Li Yifei¡¯s outcry was because of the second option. She had said it intentionally to provoke him as she¡¯d been feeling upset lately, and making Li Yifei angry seemed to improve her mood.


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette and was about to light it but hastily tossed it onto the table. This prompted a slight smile from the corners of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mouth. She knew Li Yifei did that because she was pregnant and he did not want to smoke in front of her.


    "Yunzhu, this is really difficult for me... Can you give me some time, please?"


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s troubled expression, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s heart suddenly softened, and with a gentle sigh, she said, "Alright, I won¡¯t pressure you anymore. Do what you can, and don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t find a cheap father for our child. No matter how tough it gets, I, Ye Yunzhu, will raise this child."


    "Yunzhu!" Li Yifei grabbed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand, and his voice suddenly choked.


    Ye Yunzhu hugged Li Yifei, letting his head rest on her lap. The gesture was so natural, and even after not doing it for seven or eight years, it didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit awkward.


    "Stop feeling bad, I was just snapping at you to rile you up on purpose. You¡¯re such an adult, and yet you still cry like that."


    Ever since Li Yifei had joined the army, he had never cried again, but at that moment, he really wanted to. In front of Ye Yunzhu, he never had to pretend to be so strong, because she had been with him at his most vulnerable, and she had seen all his weaknesses.


    If Ye Yunzhu had kept getting angry at him, hitting and scolding him, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have felt good, but at least it would have let Ye Yunzhu vent a little and lighten his guilt. However, Ye Yunzhu wasn¡¯t angry but was instead comforting him, which made Li Yifei¡¯s heart ache, and his guilt towards her deepened.


    And now, laying his head on Ye Yunzhu¡¯s lap and holding onto her waist brought Ye Yunzhu back to the past and reminded Li Yifei of the times when he was bullied and she comforted him in the same way. With his face against her stomach, Li Yifei¡¯s heart suddenly became tranquil, as if even the unborn child inside Ye Yunzhu could feel it.


    The door opened, and Lin Sihao walked in, holding a big bundle of fiery red roses. However, seeing the position Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were in, his face turned ashen, he clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as if he was about to shred Li Yifei to pieces.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t get up, nor did Ye Yunzhu ask him to. Her palm continued to gently stroke his face as she said to Lin Sihao, "Young Master Lin, you¡¯ve arrived."


    This calm tone practically drove Lin Sihao mad. He roared furiously, "Ye Yunzhu, what do you mean by this?"


    Ye Yunzhu smiled lightly and said, "I don¡¯t mean anything. I am with my man. Do I need to ask for Young Master Lin¡¯s permission?"


    "Nonsense, do you have any idea what your status is now?"


    "Of course, I do. But even if I am a township chief, I still have the right to date and show affection to my man, don¡¯t I?"


    "You... don¡¯t forget that we are about to be engaged." Lin Sihao harshly threw the roses onto the coffee table.


    Ye Yunzhu smiled faintly and said, "You also know that it¡¯s only about to happen. It seems as long as we¡¯re not married, I have the right to be with other men."


    "You... you bitch!" Lin Sihao was furious. With his status, he could have any kind of woman he wanted, there were plenty more beautiful than Ye Yunzhu. But he cared so much about dating Ye Yunzhu not just because of his family¡¯s reasons but because she always kept him at arm¡¯s length, and it was that unattainable feeling that made him insist on marrying her.


    He could endure Ye Yunzhu¡¯s indifference because once she became his wife, she would naturally get better. But to see another man lying on her lap, he just couldn¡¯t take it. Furious, he raised his hand to slap her face.


    But a hand suddenly shot out, grabbing his wrist, and then Li Yifei slowly sat up with a chilling light in his eyes, enunciating each word: "Don¡¯t touch my woman!" With each word Li Yifei uttered, he sat up a little more, twisting his hand, and Lin Sihao¡¯s body involuntarily twisted with it.


    By the time Li Yifei fully sat up, Lin Sihao had already knelt down with a thud, not out of fear but because Li Yifei was twisting his arm so much it felt like it would break.


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s tyrannical and cold words, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes immediately became infatuated. The Li Yifei she knew never had such dominance. This unfamiliar assertiveness might have seemed strange to her, but she utterly adored it. This was no longer the boy who needed her protection and comfort but a true man standing tall and proud.


    "Let go! Let go! Goddamn it, let go of me!" Lin Sihao knelt on the ground, struggling, but any movement caused excruciating pain in his arm, so he could only curse through gritted teeth.


    Li Yifei¡¯s wrist shook slightly, and Lin Sihao¡¯s head almost hit the ground. He cried out, stopped cursing, and hurriedly propped himself up with his other hand.


    "You dare hit me, you dare hit me!" Lin Sihao screamed hoarsely. He had always bullied others, and this act of being made to kneel had always been something he forced upon others. Now, being forced to kneel before Li Yifei was something he simply couldn¡¯t accept. He was at a loss for words, repeating the same four words over and over again.


    Ye Yunzhu had been enjoying a tender moment with Li Yifei, but the sudden turn of events had left her panicked. With Lin Sihao¡¯s powerful family background, taking down Li Yifei would be easy. She quickly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, urging him: "Let him go quickly."


    Li Yifei was completely obedient to Ye Yunzhu at that moment and immediately released his grip, asking softly, "Did I scare you?"


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a stern look, which initially carried blame but then softened with tenderness. She knew perfectly well that Li Yifei had acted because Lin Sihao came to hit her.


    At that moment, Lin Sihao got up, rubbing his wrist with his left hand, his facial muscles twisted in pain. Grinding his teeth, he spat out, "Alright, kid, I let you off last time, but this time you dare to hit me¡ªIf I, Lin Sihao, don¡¯t break you, then my surname¡¯s not Lin."


    Lin Sihao wasn¡¯t just trying to scare Li Yifei; he truly harbored a killing intent at that moment. He wanted to destroy Li Yifei to vent the rage in his heart.

 Chapter 404 - 411 Ye Yunzhu’s Rage

    Chapter 404: Chapter 411 Ye Yunzhu¡¯s RageYe Yunzhu showed an apologetic smile and said, "Young Master Lin, don¡¯t be so angry. I apologize to you on Yifei¡¯s behalf."


    "You apologize for him?" Lin Sihao looked at Ye Yunzhu, his expression growing uglier.


    Ye Yunzhu was genuinely worried now. She understood full well the extent of the Lin¡¯s family power. If Lin Sihao genuinely wanted Li Yifei dead, what could Li Yifei possibly do to protect himself? Even if she wanted to save him, it would be impossible. So, at this moment, her only option was to plead with Lin Sihao to quench his anger, smiling as she said, "Young Master Lin, what kind of person are you? You¡¯re from the Lin family. How can you bother with a commoner? Wouldn¡¯t that be beneath your dignity?"


    Lin Sihao suddenly smiled coldly and said, "You know what kind of person I am? Then why are you still with this bastard? Aren¡¯t you just slapping me in the face?"


    Ye Yunzhu inwardly cursed her luck, clenched her teeth, and said, "Young Master Lin, I am just a collateral member of the Ye family, not a significant figure in the Lin family. I¡¯m utterly unworthy of you, Young Master. I know my place."


    "Very well then, I happen to have taken a fancy to you. You want me to spare this little punk, right? Fine, come with me right now. Sleep with me today, and I¡¯ll... let this son of a bitch off the hook." Lin Sihao, saying this, didn¡¯t look at Ye Yunzhu but stared at Li Yifei instead. His intention was to repay the humiliation he had just suffered, double, upon Li Yifei.


    Aren¡¯t Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu having an affair? Then Lin Sihao would shame Ye Yunzhu right in front of him, which is the ultimate insult to a man.


    Li Yifei stood up, fixed his gaze on Lin Sihao with an expressionless face. His equanimity was beyond Lin Sihao¡¯s reach. Simple insults he could easily brush off, but since Lin Sihao had insulted Ye Yunzhu, Li Yifei had no intention of letting Lin Sihao off easily.


    Lin Sihao became even more viciously said, "Yunzhu, you can refuse. I, Lin Sihao, don¡¯t necessarily need you, but... this punk, heh, even if I discard a woman, I won¡¯t allow anyone else to play with her. Whoever does, I¡¯ll take his life."


    Ye Yunzhu, already livid at Lin Sihao¡¯s words, suppressed the anger in her heart when she thought of Li Yifei¡¯s safety, and said, "Young Master Lin, don¡¯t be angry anymore. I will just stop interacting with him, and I won¡¯t marry anyone in my entire life. How about that?"


    Lin Sihao broke into a smile at the beginning of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words, but her last statement made him even angrier. Her words meant that no matter what, she would not marry him.


    "So, you¡¯d rather remain single for this little punk¡¯s sake than marry me, is that it?" Lin Sihao stared at Ye Yunzhu.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Lin, but I can¡¯t marry you. You surely wouldn¡¯t want a ¡¯damaged flower,¡¯ right?"


    "Ha ha... Very well! Since you don¡¯t want to marry me but still want to save this punk, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you do this thing, I¡¯ll let you both go," Lin Sihao suddenly sat down in the chair.


    Although Ye Yunzhu knew that whatever Lin Sihao would ask her to do could not be easy, she still asked, "What is it?"


    Lin Sihao pointed in front of himself and said, "It¡¯s simple. Serve me right in front of this punk today, and I¡¯ll... let you both go."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face instantly turned ashen, her body shaking uncontrollably as she pointed at Lin Sihao, too angry to speak.


    "Ha ha, you can refuse. Then just wait and see how I¡¯ll kill this little punk. I¡¯m curious to see if your feelings for him are as deep as you say if you really would do anything for him."


    "Go to hell!" With a furious shout, a heavy slap landed on Lin Sihao¡¯s face.


    The one who slapped Lin Sihao wasn¡¯t Li Yifei but Ye Yunzhu herself. Known to be stubborn and fierce, Ye Yunzhu had already been pushed to her limit for Li Yifei¡¯s sake. But Lin Sihao¡¯s demand was too much for her to bear, and she struck him with a slap full of force and indignation.


    With a crisp sound, Lin Sihao and his chair toppled to the ground, and he didn¡¯t get up for a long time.


    Li Yifei was shocked. He quickly supported Ye Yunzhu, gently patting her back, and anxiously said, "Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry, how can you let yourself get so agitated? What if you upset the baby?"


    Ye Yunzhu, who had been about to kick Lin Sihao a few more times, was doused with a bucket of cold water by Li Yifei¡¯s words. Her body softened, and her heart began to race uncontrollably as she stuttered, "Really?"


    Li Yifei quickly helped Ye Yunzhu to the sofa and gently stroked her chest, following her breath, and nervously said, "How do you feel now? Are you experiencing any discomfort?"


    Ye Yunzhu took two deep breaths and gently placed her hands on her belly, then shook her head and said, "It seems like nothing¡¯s wrong."


    "You really scared me to death. Hitting someone is something I should be doing, not you. You¡¯re pregnant."


    "All right, I know now. I won¡¯t be getting that angry anymore," said Ye Yunzhu with a sweet smile blossoming on her face.


    Lin Sihao got up, watching the two being lovey-dovey. He was already feeling terrible, but hearing that Ye Yunzhu was pregnant infuriated him even more. In today¡¯s society, whether a woman is a virgin is not important. When he planned to marry Ye Yunzhu, he didn¡¯t expect her to be a virgin given that she was already twenty-six years old. However, the Lin and Ye families had been discussing this marriage, and now Ye Yunzhu was pregnant, which was a great insult to him and the Lin family. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What bothered him most was that Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were acting as if he were invisible. When had Young Master Lin ever been treated with such contempt? Not to mention someone ordinary like Li Yifei, even Ye Yunzhu treating him as air was something he couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    "Ye Yunzhu, you¡¯ve done well. I¡¯ll discuss this matter with the Lin family. I want to see how your Ye family can explain it to us," Lin Sihao spat out before turning and striding away. He feared he might go mad if he stayed any longer.


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu acted as if they hadn¡¯t heard him at all, with Li Yifei still caressing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly and softly chiding her not to lose her temper or hit people, while Ye Yunzhu kept reflecting on her actions.


    "Oh no, it¡¯s your fault. Now that I¡¯ve hit Lin Sihao, what do we do?" Ye Yunzhu suddenly became aware of the gravity of the situation after a moment of affection.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "There¡¯s nothing to do about it. You just need to take good care of your pregnancy."


    "What pregnancy to take care of? Do you think the Lin family is that easy to bully? I only hit him; at most, they¡¯ll force me to apologize. The Lin family won¡¯t dare to do much to me, but it¡¯s different for you. They have countless ways to corner you. I don¡¯t want our child to be born without a father," she said.


    Li Yifei wrapped an arm around Ye Yunzhu¡¯s shoulders and said, "Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just the Lin family. What can they do to me? Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s backing Dreamfly Corporation. The Lin family probably can¡¯t hold a candle to Su Mengxin, right?"


    "Ah, right. You just need to stay put at the company during this period and let them know who¡¯s behind the company. The Lin family wouldn¡¯t dare to touch Dreamfly Corporation. The bigger the family, the more they value relationships between families, especially with someone like Su Mengxin; they really can¡¯t afford to provoke her."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Feel better now?"


    "No, no!" Ye Yunzhu shook her head again and said, "Even if they don¡¯t dare to directly challenge Dreamfly Company, they will target you. If they get rid of you, Su Mengxin won¡¯t turn against the Lin family just for one person. That won¡¯t do. Without Su Mengxin stepping in to hold them back, which is impossible..."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose. It was actually quite easy. Su Mengxin was eating at his place every day and was his secretary at the company. There was no way she would let anything happen to him.


    Besides, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t afraid of the Lin family at all. When the Flying Hawk Squad was in Capital City, even the great families there didn¡¯t dare to underestimate them, let alone a provincial-level family. But he didn¡¯t want to discuss these matters with Ye Yunzhu.


    "Don¡¯t worry anymore, okay? Have you forgotten? Yingying is the general manager of Dreamfly Corporation. Even if Su Mengxin doesn¡¯t give me face, she has to give Yingying face, right?"


    "Yes, yes, you¡¯re right," she agreed. "You are Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, and with her word, Su Mengxin can¡¯t ignore the situation. And it would be a simple word for her to curry favor by stepping in."


    "Right, so there¡¯s no need to worry anymore," Li Yifei said with a gentle tweak of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s nose. "Anger and worry can affect the baby. What you need to do now is keep in good spirits, ensuring the baby¡¯s healthy growth."


    Ye Yunzhu nodded, feeling the weight lifted from her heart. With Su Mengxin, the Lin family wouldn¡¯t dare to let out a peep, and without her involvement, their hitting Lin Sihao and her pregnancy would be a tremendous insult to the Lin family. But with a word from Su Mengxin, it would all amount to nothing.


    No longer tense, Ye Yunzhu turned her head and glared at Li Yifei before biting down on his shoulder.


    "Hey, why are you biting me?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to move, allowing Ye Yunzhu to bite him.


    Ye Yunzhu let go and said resentfully, "You jerk, no wonder you didn¡¯t divorce your wife. Considering her powerful background, you must think you¡¯re too good for me, don¡¯t you?"

 Chapter 405 - 413 Xu Shanshan saw it again

    Chapter 405: Chapter 413 Xu Shanshan saw it againLi Yifei had no confidence when this matter was brought up, and said, "Yunzhu, I didn¡¯t mean it that way."


    Ye Yunzhu glared and said, "Then what do you mean? I¡¯m already having your child, and you won¡¯t marry me but marry her instead?"


    "Don¡¯t get angry, don¡¯t get angry, watch your pregnancy," Li Yifei said, panicked, as he rubbed her back and patted his chest.


    This cautious manner of Li Yifei soothed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mood, and she said, "Alright, don¡¯t act like a eunuch, I¡¯m not Empress Dowager Cixi."


    "If I were a eunuch, how could the Empress Dowager be pregnant?"


    "Hmph, you¡¯re not one now, but if I ever get really mad, I¡¯ll make you a real eunuch," Ye Yunzhu said, reaching out to grab Li Yifei¡¯s crotch.


    "No, no, my dear, please let me go, it hurts."


    "Hmph!" Ye Yunzhu shot a look at Li Yifei, her hand not releasing but changing her grip to a gentle squeeze.


    "Yunzhu... you..." Li Yifei immediately reacted to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s actions, his breath becoming a bit unruly.


    "I want you," Ye Yunzhu said, her eyes filled with allure, gazing at Li Yifei.


    "This is the office... Isn¡¯t this inappropriate?"


    Ye Yunzhu gestured to her wristwatch and said, "Haven¡¯t you noticed it¡¯s already past office hours?"


    Only then did Li Yifei notice it was already past five, and the entire Village Government building was indeed very quiet.


    With a move, he wrapped Ye Yunzhu in his arms and kissed her lips, to which Ye Yunzhu responded passionately.


    In this intense round of kissing, Li Yifei was deeply involved. Knowing Ye Yunzhu was carrying his child filled him with joy and guilt, so he compensated Ye Yunzhu with such devotion.


    Only close to seven did Li Yifei return home. Once inside, he saw Xu Shanshan sitting in the living room. Changing his shoes, he said, "Where¡¯s your sister?"


    "My sister found out you¡¯re sneaking around, and you made her leave in anger," Xu Shanshan said, puffing her cheeks and glaring at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately sat beside Xu Shanshan, grinning, and said, "Shanshan, why are you so angry?"


    "Hmph, you have such a wonderful wife like my sister yet always sneak around outside. How can I not be angry? If you want to sneak around, you can sneak with me."


    "Ah-ah," Li Yifei coughed repeatedly, nearly choking on his words. Despite past temptations, the peril of indulging in such proximity with his sister-in-law held him back.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Am I less than those random women outside?" Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re so adorable, how could you be less than other women outside? I went to see Ye Yunzhu today; it¡¯s because your sister asked me to, so no more overthinking."


    "My sister asked you to? She must be crazy, knowing you two had a fling before, yet still asking you to meet ¡ª isn¡¯t that just rekindling your old romance?"


    "Well... my wedding with your sister was certainly hasty. I need some time to settle my own affairs; your sister agreed. Don¡¯t be upset; I¡¯ll cook for you." Then he hurriedly went to the kitchen.


    Xu Shanshan followed him in, standing behind Li Yifei, and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum; I just want to ask you one question."


    "Go ahead." Li Yifei keenly chopped the vegetables.


    "Have you really never thought about sneaking with me?"


    "Thump!" Li Yifei¡¯s knife sloped off, nearly cutting his hand.


    "No lying, now! Liars get eaten by wolves," Xu Shanshan asked with a giggle.


    "No, absolutely not. You¡¯re my sister-in-law, and I see you as my own sister. How could I sneak with you?"


    "You¡¯re lying; men always like sneaking with their sisters-in-law. Some just lack the courage."


    Li Yifei coughed dryly again, finding it impossible to continue such a conversation. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you don¡¯t want to sneak around, then why do you look so blissful every time you touch my feet? Hmph."


    At this, Li Yifei felt utterly embarrassed. Typically their tacit games with Xu Shanshan felt enjoyable, but now that she openly stated it, he desperately wished he could vanish into thin air.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Brother-in-law, there¡¯s no need to feel awkward. I¡¯m not blaming you; I actually enjoy how you treat me. If you suddenly stop, I¡¯d be quite frustrated. If you ever act up again, not only would I not help you, I¡¯d sabotage your plans. Even if you¡¯re pretty clever, I¡¯d ensure you don¡¯t get any more sneaky chances. Forget about Su Yiyi or Ye Yunzhu."


    "Um... Shanshan..."


    "Hehe, my naughty brother-in-law, harboring desires, but lacking the temerity."


    "Ahem."


    "Haha, I¡¯m just teasing you. My sister¡¯s out bathing; she should be back soon."


    "Why out? Why not at home?"


    "She said she wants a good soak outside, maybe a milk or rose bath, to make herself smell wonderful for the evening with you; this way, she can win your heart and keep you from sneaking out."


    Li Yifei knocked Xu Shanshan gently on the head and said, "You¡¯re speaking nonsense again."


    "Regardless, my sister is so good to you, so you should stay home more often."


    A knock on the door interrupted, and Xu Shanshan quickly went to open it, revealing Xu Yingying walking in.


    "Sis, brother-in-law is back; I¡¯ve already interrogated him, and he didn¡¯t do anything bad," Xu Shanshan said as she took the bath basket from Xu Yingying, smiling brightly.


    Xu Yingying looked towards the kitchen, smiling at Li Yifei, then asked Xu Shanshan, "How did you check?"


    "I smelled whether he had any woman¡¯s scent on him. You know my nose is quite sharp. Though he has a woman¡¯s scent, it¡¯s not the kind of scent after wrongdoing; ergo, no wrongdoing."


    Xu Yingying looked suspiciously at her sister and said, "How come I never knew you could tell such scents apart?"


    "I didn¡¯t know either, but when it comes to you two, I discovered it. Whenever you and brother-in-law are up to no good, I can smell it."


    Xu Yingying flushed red immediately, feeling her personal affairs were entirely bare to Xu Shanshan, making her incredulously embarrassed.


    But after the embarrassment, Xu Yingying grew somewhat annoyed and grabbed Xu Shanshan¡¯s arm, shouting, "Stop sniffing me and your brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I don¡¯t have to try; I can tell when you walk by."


    "You... then you move out, and no more staying here."


    "Haha... big sis, I was joking. I don¡¯t actually have that ability."


    "You..." Xu Yingying was left speechless with anger at her sister.


    Li Yifei stepped to the kitchen door, saying, "Honey, are you really mad at Shanshan? She just loves joking around."


    "This crazy girl, making jokes like that ¡ª does she still act like a proper lady?"


    That evening, since Li Yifei came home late, neither Su Mengxin nor Meng Xiaofei came over. It wasn¡¯t like before; back when Li Yifei was single, they would drop by Li Yifei¡¯s house without a second thought. But now, this was Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s home; it¡¯s not that casual anymore.


    In the evening, Li Yifei dutifully massaged Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet and legs, but still couldn¡¯t help recalling her words, "If you want to sneak around, you can sneak with me."


    This sister-in-law was truly alluring. To say he had no such thoughts would have been rubbish; seeing such a gorgeous girl near him daily, dressing casually, letting him handle her small feet and caress her fine legs ¡ª it was all too tempting.


    Fortunately, that evening, Xu Shanshan got absorbed in a TV show, behaving more composed than usual. Li Yifei ended his tantalizing, yet tormenting, task early.


    Finally retreating to the bedroom, Li Yifei found himself perplexed; Ye Yunzhu was indeed expecting his child, and it couldn¡¯t be terminated, which meant he had to be a father. Knowing Ye Yunzhu well, he was sure she wasn¡¯t lying; even if she was desperate, she wouldn¡¯t fabricate such a reason.


    Yet he was married to Xu Yingying. Could he abandon her to marry Ye Yunzhu? It seemed an impossible thing to say.


    "Is Yunzhu doing okay?" Xu Yingying asked as she sat on the bed and waited for Li Yifei to lie down.


    Li Yifei nodded, lay beside Xu Yingying, and said, "She¡¯s fine."


    Xu Yingying also lay down, casually switching off the bedside lamp, nestling into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, and said, "Don¡¯t be sad. Even though you can¡¯t give her a marriage now, allowing her to have her own life might not be a bad thing."


    Li Yifei sighed. If things were as Xu Yingying said, even if he felt uneasy for a moment, he would eventually accept it. But it wasn¡¯t like that; it made things difficult for him.


    "Honey, I took a bath today," Xu Yingying said, gently nudging Li Yifei.


    "Oh, I know," Li Yifei replied casually.


    "You... you¡¯re annoying; I said I took a bath today."


    Li Yifei paused, then suddenly understood what Xu Yingying meant, instantly becoming excited.

 Chapter 406 - 415 Su Yiyi’s Father Gambles Again

    Chapter 406: Chapter 415 Su Yiyi¡¯s Father Gambles AgainOn Friday noon, Li Yifei arrived at the entrance of Su Yiyi¡¯s school. It wasn¡¯t long before Su Yiyi ran out from inside, her forehead adorned with a layer of fine sweat beads.


    Dressed in a flowing white dress, she approached Li Yifei like a drifting white cloud.


    Li Yifei took out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Su Yiyi¡¯s forehead, and with a hint of distress he said, "Silly girl, what¡¯s the rush for?"


    Receiving such affection from Li Yifei, Su Yiyi¡¯s face was filled with a sweet smile. She tilted her face upward to let Li Yifei wipe her sweat, saying, "I was afraid Brother Li might be anxious, so I hurried out."


    Li Yifei casually pinched Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek and said, "Silly girl, why would I be anxious? Waiting for my Little Yiyi is a pleasure. Remember to come out later next time. Girls should be reserved, making their boyfriends wait a bit longer."


    Su Yiyi chuckled and replied, "I got it, next time I¡¯ll make you wait... one more minute."


    "Haha..." Li Yifei burst into a joyful laugh, put his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, and said, "Let¡¯s go, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to visit your father today?"


    There were quite a few people at the school gate. Seeing Su Yiyi being embraced by Li Yifei and getting into a Mercedes car broke many male students¡¯ hearts. Had Su Yiyi found a boyfriend at school, they would feel slightly better. But with someone from outside the school picking her up, it seemed to them as if Su Yiyi had been swept away by a wealthy man, which was devastating.


    Su Yiyi had long heard the gossip within the school about how she was being kept by someone, but she never took it seriously. On the contrary, her heart felt even sweeter because she knew, even if she were to be kept by Li Yifei, she would be the happiest one. Because Brother Li liked her with all his heart, and she, deep in her bones, liked Li Yifei just as much.


    The two arrived at Su Yiyi¡¯s home. It was Li Yifei¡¯s first visit, and he had brought some gifts. Although Su Yiyi¡¯s father was irresponsible, after all, he was Su Yiyi¡¯s father, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t disrespect him as it would embarrass Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi lived in Stream County, which was developing quite well. The streets on both sides were lined with many buildings under construction. However, behind the tall buildings, there were still many single-storey houses, and Su Yiyi lived near the edge of the county in one of these areas.


    The alleys in this area were too narrow for cars, so Li Yifei and Su Yiyi parked at a spot not too far away and walked in with their gifts.


    "Brother Li, it¡¯s so dirty here, but you still insisted on coming with me," Su Yiyi said with a slight complaint in her voice, but her heart felt even more delighted.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "My Little Yiyi is walking with me. How could I not come and see for myself? What would the neighbors think? I have to come and show my face."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s smile grew sweeter when a woman in her forties came along, greeting her upon seeing her.


    "Oh my, Yiyi, you¡¯re a grown lady now. You¡¯ve become so beautiful in such a short time," Auntie Wang said, heaping praise on Su Yiyi as soon as she approached.


    Feeling a bit shy, Su Yiyi responded, "Hello, Auntie Wang."


    "Hehe, all good here. Oh, Yiyi, who¡¯s this?" Auntie Wang then turned her attention to Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi turned to look at Li Yifei, not knowing quite how to introduce him at that moment. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Hello, Auntie Wang. I¡¯m Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend."


    "Ah!" Auntie Wang¡¯s eyes lit up, sizing up Li Yifei, and said, "Yiyi actually has a boyfriend now, not bad at all. You¡¯re a fine-looking young man, very impressive."


    Hearing the neighbors compliment Li Yifei, Su Yiyi felt like her heart was blooming with joy, her small face unable to conceal it. Most importantly, Li Yifei, in front of others, claimed her as his girlfriend, which pleased her more than anything else.


    Along the way, many neighbors greeted Su Yiyi, and she responded to each one. Everyone was also paying attention to Li Yifei, and now Su Yiyi could confidently introduce him as her boyfriend.


    They returned home happily, but before they even opened the door, she heard the rattling sound of mahjong tiles from inside, making her smile disappear instantly.


    "Brother Li..." Su Yiyi suddenly clung weakly to Li Yifei¡¯s arm. She rarely went home these days, happy each time her father claimed he would stop gambling. But before coming home today, she did not call her father, hoping to surprise him, only to be doused in cold water without even entering: her father was gambling at home.


    Li Yifei also frowned slightly. He had given Su Yiyi¡¯s father a lesson last time, hoping the man would remember the beating, yet he turned out to be incorrigible. However, he still managed a slight smile, took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, and said, "Let¡¯s go inside."


    "Brother Li... let¡¯s go, I don¡¯t want to go home," Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened. With a father like hers, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of inferiority. Her father was, after all, the man who brought her into this world, and as his daughter, she would have to look after him in the future no matter how irresponsible he was. But she did not want him to become a burden to Li Yifei.

 Chapter 407 - 415 Su Yiyi’s Father Gambles Again_2

    Chapter 407: Chapter 415 Su Yiyi¡¯s Father Gambles Again_2Li Yifei¡¯s eyes were filled with encouragement as he said, "Since we¡¯ve come all this way, how can we not go in?"


    "But..."


    "There are no buts. No matter what, he is still your father." Li Yifei took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and pushed open the courtyard gate.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s courtyard was not very large; in the middle was an open space that should have been planted with vegetables or fruit, but instead, it was overgrown with weeds. The surroundings were also in disarray, cluttered with all sorts of junk, and there was an unpleasant smell coming from somewhere.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s complexion grew even worse. She stomped her foot and said angrily, "I cleaned it up the last time I was here, how did it get like this again?"


    At this moment, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be angry with Su Yiyi, feeling only sympathy for her. To have such a father was indeed a very distressing matter for a daughter.


    Grasping Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, don¡¯t be angry now. Don¡¯t forget, if it weren¡¯t for your father, we wouldn¡¯t have met each other at all."


    Su Yiyi forced a smile. What Li Yifei said made sense. If it hadn¡¯t been for her father¡¯s irresponsibility, she would not have gone to that small place for money and would not have met Li Yifei, nor would she have become Li Yifei¡¯s woman.


    But her father had clearly said that he would not gamble anymore, yet he was actually lying to her, which was very hard for her to accept.


    Encouraged by Li Yifei, Su Yiyi finally mustered the courage to push open the door of the house, and was immediately assaulted by a pungent smell of cigarette smoke mixed with the odor of stinky feet.


    Even though Li Yifei smoked, he found the smell somewhat overwhelming.


    The people in the room all turned to look at Li Yifei and Su Yiyi at once. Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s face changed drastically, and his body trembled involuntarily.


    There were six people inside, four playing mahjong, and two watching the fun. Apart from Su Yiyi¡¯s father, those playing mahjong were men in their forties. The two spectators were slightly younger. All of them were locals and recognized Su Yiyi. One of them noticed the change in Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s face and teasingly said, "Old Su, what¡¯s wrong with you? Your daughter is back, are you so frightened?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father immediately stood up and said in a hurry, "Go, go, no more playing, no more playing."


    "Come on, Old Su, what are you doing? We agreed to play sixteen rounds, and we haven¡¯t even played eight. Can you even keep it together?"


    "Exactly, Old Su, don¡¯t be such a spoilsport."


    At this time, Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s lips were trembling as he pushed the men one after another toward the door, urging, "Go, go, hurry up and go, no more playing, no more playing." It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of his daughter, but he recognized Li Yifei ¨C a man like the god of death. Last time, he had beaten up the formidable Sun Li so badly; he was genuinely frightened by Li Yifei.


    Although the others were reluctant and cursed under their breath, they could only walk out.


    At this moment, Su Yiyi stomped her foot hard, and said with frustration, "Dad, didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t play anymore?" As she spoke, tears she had been holding back finally flowed down her face.


    "I... I..." Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s legs were wobbly as he bowed his head, anxiously tidying the mahjong table and not daring to look at Su Yiyi or, to be more accurate, at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly. He was very angry with Su Yiyi¡¯s father, but in front of Su Yiyi, he naturally couldn¡¯t show it. Smiling, he said, "Hello, Uncle, I¡¯m Li Yifei, Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend. I hope I¡¯m not intruding by coming to see you and interrupting your game."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s legs shook with fright, and he said in haste, "I won¡¯t play anymore, and I won¡¯t ever play again. If I play again... I¡¯ll chop off my fingers." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had no faith in such words. Promises made by people who took oaths so lightly were worthless, just like farting. He handed over a bag of items he was carrying to Su Yiyi¡¯s father and said, "Uncle, it¡¯s my first time visiting, and I wasn¡¯t sure what you¡¯d like, so I bought you some things. I hope you find them to your liking."


    "Much obliged, much obliged." Su Yiyi¡¯s father felt that Li Yifei spoke very politely. Finally, he dared to raise his head and look at Li Yifei and saw that Li Yifei was neither glaring at him nor angry, just smiling amiably and behaving very courteously. Then, looking at his daughter, a new thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    Although Li Yifei was formidable, he seemed to treat his daughter quite well. After all, he was Yiyi¡¯s father, which also made him this man¡¯s future father-in-law. Does a father-in-law need to be so humble in front of his son-in-law? If he annoyed him, he wouldn¡¯t let his daughter marry him.


    Sometimes people are like that, suddenly finding a kind of self-assurance. Whether or not this confidence is justified, it can instantly change a person¡¯s mindset.


    With a chuckle, Su Yiyi¡¯s father said, "Come, come, have a seat. It¡¯s a bit of a mess in here, don¡¯t mind it." Then he turned to Su Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, you and this young man, bringing home a boyfriend and not introducing him to me sooner, so I can see if he¡¯s worthy of you. Our Yiyi is so beautiful, many rich folks have their eyes on her."

 Chapter 408 - 415 Su Yiyi’s Father Gambles Again_3

    Chapter 408: Chapter 415 Su Yiyi¡¯s Father Gambles Again_3"Dad, what nonsense are you spouting again?" Su Yiyi became even angrier, glared at her father, wiped away her tears, and said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, come into this room here."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s home had three rooms, with the central living room in the middle and one room on each side. The mahjong game had just been in the living room, and Su Yiyi directly opened the door to the left room, pulling Li Yifei in, then closed the door with a bang.


    "Yiyi, I¡¯ll go buy some groceries. I¡¯ll have a drink with Little Li later, you take good care of him," called out Su Yiyi¡¯s father from the living room, and then he left with a smile on his face.


    "Brother Li..." Su Yiyi twisted the hem of her clothes, tears streaming down her face. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei pulled Su Yiyi into his arms, wiping away her tears as he spoke, "Don¡¯t cry, what¡¯s there to feel wronged about?"


    Looking aggrieved, Su Yiyi said, "Why does he always have to lie to me, saying he won¡¯t gamble anymore, but look at him, he¡¯s gambling again right here. He clearly used to gamble too, it¡¯s just that he cleaned up beforehand because he knew I was coming."


    "It¡¯s not so easy for a person to change, especially with something like gambling, which is like a drug, addictive. Give him some time. At least he knows better than to do it in front of you. He probably didn¡¯t have those concerns before, right?"


    Su Yiyi nodded slightly, feeling a bit better, and whispered, "Brother Li, a family like mine..."


    "People don¡¯t have the right to choose their parents. Some are born as Second Generation Officials, Rich Second Generation, who don¡¯t have to do anything and will never have to worry about food and clothing, but some are born into poor families, and they have to rely on their own efforts to change our lives. We need to make sure our children become the Rich Second Generation, don¡¯t we?"


    Su Yiyi was suddenly embarrassed but her eyes revealed a look of hope and longing. She said, "Brother Li, would you really let me have your child?"


    "Of course, I can¡¯t let you be with me all your life and not have a child."


    "That¡¯s wonderful, I was worried Brother Li, once you got married, you might fear that having a child with me would become a burden."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt awkward and said, "Yiyi, rest assured, I won¡¯t abandon you in this lifetime, and besides, I do have some money. Taking care of you and the child is absolutely not a problem."


    Having said that, Li Yifei felt his face turn red; by doing this, wasn¡¯t he actually going to be taking care of Su Yiyi?


    However, Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t thinking that much. Excited, she said, "As long as Brother Li wants me to have the child, I will earn money to support the child myself in the future. I won¡¯t be a burden to Li Yifei, so you don¡¯t have to worry about explaining it to your wife."


    Li Yifei felt deeply moved. Su Yiyi was such a good girl, truly rare. He hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "Your Brother Li still has some Private Money, taking care of you is absolutely no problem."


    Su Yiyi chuckled softly and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad, secretly saving Private Money."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Naturally, for my Little Yiyi, I have to save up. It was supposed to be a wedding savings, but now that I¡¯ve married Yingying, this rich wife, I don¡¯t need it, so I¡¯ll give it to Yiyi."


    Su Yiyi blushed, and not feeling unhappy at all about Li Yifei mentioning Xu Yingying, she looked up at him and said, "Brother Li, I don¡¯t want money; I just want Brother Li to like me."


    "Mhm, Li Yifei will like you for a lifetime, and that will never change," Li Yifei gave Su Yiyi a promise, one he would keep for a lifetime and never change, no matter how difficult things got. He would never back

 Chapter 409 - 416 Help Me Out

    Chapter 409: Chapter 416 Help Me OutThe two were whispering in the room when a noisy commotion came from outside.


    "Old Su, are you fucking kidding me? If you don¡¯t come up with the money today, I¡¯ll skin you alive."


    "I¡¯m telling you, my son-in-law has loads of money. Your little amount doesn¡¯t even catch my eye. What¡¯s the rush? Give me three days, and I¡¯ll pay you back."


    "You think I¡¯m a fool? You used to brag that your son-in-law is some kind of underworld boss. Well, get him to bring his gang over and flatten me, if you dare. I¡¯m sick of listening to your bullshit."


    "Ha, Old Su, if your son-in-law is so tough, why doesn¡¯t he just pay off your debt?"


    "Humph, you¡¯d best not push me. I¡¯m not bluffing. Piss off my son-in-law, and he¡¯ll knock your teeth out."


    A group of people arguing noisily entered the courtyard, causing Su Yiyi¡¯s expression to darken once again. Li Yifei had given her some money lately, which she barely spent, mostly giving it to her father for his living expenses. The money should have been enough for him, yet now he had somehow landed himself in debt again.


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Yiyi on the shoulder and sighed, "I¡¯ll settle your dad¡¯s problem."


    "No!" Su Yiyi suddenly hugged Li Yifei, biting her lip and saying, "He has to learn his lesson. If you help him this time, it will never end. If he relies on you, he¡¯ll only get worse."


    Su Yiyi understood her father all too well. She wasn¡¯t being heartless; her father had already deeply hurt her. This was the first time she bravely made such a decision.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Then let¡¯s see how it goes. He can have a taste of hardship, but we can¡¯t let him get hurt."


    Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly, "Then I¡¯ll listen to Brother Li."


    The few men were scuffling as they pushed Su Yiyi¡¯s father into the main room. Li Yifei and Su Yiyi also entered the main room. There were four men from the other side, making it rather crowded now with seven people in total.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father chuckled dryly at her and said, "Yiyi, I was going to buy some vegetables, but they cornered me on the way back and insisted that I repay them."


    Su Yiyi coldly responded, "Well, just pay back the money you borrowed."


    Her father was startled. In the past, whenever he said such things to his daughter, she¡¯d feel aggrieved. Even if she scolded him a bit, she¡¯d still help him, whether by borrowing from classmates or otherwise. She would always help him in some way. But now Su Yiyi¡¯s indifference signaled trouble for him.


    The four men demanding money from Su Yiyi¡¯s father used to be his friends, but they didn¡¯t live nearby. One of them, Wu Baolai with a shiny bald head, had started doing some business and made a bit of money. This bit of wealth changed his attitude significantly, and he boasted a lot, as well as being lecherous. Su Yiyi¡¯s father was a pretty good friend of his before he became wealthy, which was why her father could borrow money from him.


    At that moment, Wu Baolai looked at Su Yiyi in surprise and said, "Old Su, I never imagined, given your sorry state, that you could have such a lovely daughter."


    A young man behind Wu Baolai laughed out loud, "I¡¯m telling you, Old Su, is she really your child? I doubt she is, haha..."


    The rest burst into raucous laughter.


    At this, Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s eyes widened, and he cursed, "You four bastards, this is my daughter."


    Wu Baolai glanced at Su Yiyi again, his heart uncontrollably racing. He frequented women, but only in karaoke bars and saunas, where he¡¯d pick up prostitutes. He had thought about keeping a mistress, but his wife tightly managed the money, and he couldn¡¯t afford much. With his financial power, if he spent thirty to fifty thousand yuan a year on a mistress, he could barely make it; spending more would leave him broke. And the kind of woman he could get for that money was naturally not very high-class.


    Now, considering that Old Su owed him money, he saw an opportunity. If he played his cards right, he might get his hands on Su Yiyi. Having a girl like her on his arm would be a huge status symbol.


    Filled with these thoughts, Wu Baolai glared at Su Yiyi¡¯s father, "Old Su, we were friends, which is why I lent you the money. You promised to pay it back in a month, and now it¡¯s been almost two months, yet you haven¡¯t repaid a cent. Paying debts is only right and proper. Give me the money now."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father immediately looked at Su Yiyi imploringly and pleaded, "Yiyi, can you help me repay it? I swear, I¡¯ll never gamble again."


    Although he was looking at Su Yiyi, he was stealing glances at Li Yifei. He naturally knew his daughter had no money, and the only one with the means was Li Yifei. So, he wanted to see Li¡¯s reaction, but from Li¡¯s expression, he could not discern anything.


    Su Yiyi turned her head away from her father and said, "I don¡¯t have money. I¡¯m still in university, and I don¡¯t earn money. Where would I get the money to pay your debts?"


    "Then... how about the son-in-law... you see..." Su Yiyi¡¯s father rubbed his hands together, looking at Li Yifei with a grin and said, "Could you please do me a favor?"


    Li Yifei looked indifferently at Su Yiyi¡¯s father and said, "I don¡¯t have money either."


    The color drained from Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s face, while Wu Baolai turned his attention to Li Yifei. He had been speculating about Li¡¯s identity, and now that he knew Li was Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. Su Yiyi was such a beautiful girl, and he had already contemplated taking her for himself. Naturally, he wanted to drive away her boyfriend.


    "Old Su, didn¡¯t you say your son-in-law is rich? How come he can¡¯t even come up with twenty thousand?" Wu Baolai inflated his chest, looked disdainful, and said, "I think you¡¯re too naive. As a father, how could you not be cautious for your daughter? How could you agree to someone without money?"


    Li Yifei could see Wu Baolai¡¯s intentions for Su Yiyi in his eyes. His brow furrowed slightly. Although Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t his exclusive possession, Li absolutely refused to allow anyone to harbor inappropriate designs on her. If some young man pursued Su Yiyi out of affection, even if Li felt uncomfortable, he wouldn¡¯t blame him. But for someone like Wu Baolai to covet Su Yiyi was absolutely unacceptable to Li.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father ignored Wu Baolai. Even though his attitude had changed and he dared to speak to Li Yifei, he still felt intimidated by Li, because Li had struck him hard once, and it had taken him a long time to recover. So, he spoke to Su Yiyi instead, "Daughter, I know it¡¯s wrong for me to gamble, but even if I want to mend my ways, I have to pay off my debts first, right? If they keep coming to collect every day, how am I supposed to reform?"


    Su Yiyi pouted her lips in annoyance and said, "I¡¯ve heard this so many times from you, but when have you ever followed through?" S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s different this time, isn¡¯t it? You were a child before, and I didn¡¯t need to care. But now you¡¯re an adult, you even have a boyfriend. How can I still behave like that? Look at you, you picked a boyfriend, and I didn¡¯t interfere, right? Do you know that people like Manager Qian and Manager Zhao have approached me, and I never agreed? If I were really after money, just saying yes to them would mean they¡¯d bring me loads of money, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said, "I am a person, not an item. Even if I am your daughter, you can¡¯t sell me."


    Her father nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t do it, see? I¡¯m not totally corrupt. You should give your dad a chance to reform."


    "Really? If it weren¡¯t for Brother Li¡¯s help last time, you would have already sold me." Su Yiyi sneered, her expression unspeakably ugly. She didn¡¯t want to mention this matter, but her father was continuously glorifying his own image, which made her increasingly angry the more she listened.


    "That... that was in the past," Su Yiyi¡¯s father gave a dry laugh.


    Upon hearing Su Yiyi¡¯s words, Wu Baolai¡¯s eyes lit up. If Su Yiyi¡¯s father disagreed, it would be tricky, but it seemed that he didn¡¯t care about his daughter at all, which meant it would be easier to handle. Although Su Yiyi had a boyfriend, Wu Baolai didn¡¯t think much of him. If he really had money, he would have offered it long ago to please his girlfriend.


    "Old Su, let¡¯s have a talk," Wu Baolai said as he wrapped an arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s shoulder and led him outside.


    Once outside, Wu Baolai offered a cigarette to Su Yiyi¡¯s father and even lit it for him, which made her father feel somewhat flattered and he asked, "Old Wu, what do you mean by this?"


    "Old Su, we go way back, don¡¯t we? I wouldn¡¯t press you for money if it weren¡¯t for my wife pushing me."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father was no fool, by that time he was warily eyeing Wu Baolai and said, "Old Wu, don¡¯t beat around the bush with me. We both know what¡¯s what."


    Wu Baolai took a puff of his cigarette, smiled, and said, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s speak plainly then. I have my eye on your daughter."


    "What?" Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes went wide, then she curled her lip and said, "Old Wu, you¡¯re over forty and you¡¯re still eyeing my daughter? What nonsense is this? Besides, aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will tear you to shreds?"


    "Why fear her? Which rich man doesn¡¯t keep a mistress these days? I¡¯m not saying I want to marry your daughter."


    "Dammit, my daughter is so beautiful, you think you, Old Wu, deserve to keep her? Do you think you¡¯re that rich?"


    These words were an affront to Wu Baolai, and with his eyes widening in anger, he retorted, "Old Su, I¡¯m showing you respect here. If you agree, I won¡¯t demand the money you owe me, and I¡¯ll even give you three thousand a month. I¡¯ll cover all your daughter¡¯s expenses. What more do you want?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s eyes darted around, and he said, "Alright, let¡¯s go inside and talk to my daughter."

 Chapter 410 - 417 Get out!

    Chapter 410: Chapter 417 Get out!"Yiyi, Boss Wu said he¡¯s going to take care of you, and I don¡¯t have to repay any of my debts. He¡¯ll even give me three thousand a month, and he¡¯ll cover all your expenses too. What do you think?"


    After going inside, Su Yiyi¡¯s father recounted Wu Baolai¡¯s offer directly to her. Then, he glanced at Li Yifei. Li Yifei had just said he didn¡¯t have any money, which was a deliberate move to provoke him. Now that his daughter was with Li Yifei, he expected some money to show filial piety, didn¡¯t he?


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face immediately turned red with anger as she exclaimed, "You agreed?"


    "I haven¡¯t agreed yet, but this matter has to be settled. I can¡¯t repay the money, and he harasses me about the debt every day. What am I supposed to do?" As he spoke, Su Yiyi¡¯s father glanced at Li Yifei again.


    Li Yifei truly felt sorry for Su Yiyi at that moment. Such a good girl saddled with such a rubbish father. Had Su Yiyi not been there, he would have certainly pinned the guy down and given him a good thrashing again.


    Wu Baolai hadn¡¯t expected Su Yiyi¡¯s father to blurt out the situation so candidly, causing some awkwardness, but since it was out, he shamelessly grinned at Su Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, as long as you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want in the future. I¡¯ll even pay for your university education. I¡¯ll take care of your dad too. Isn¡¯t that a great deal?"


    "Shameless!" Su Yiyi roared in fury. To imagine a frail girl driven to bellow that way revealed the extent of her anger.


    Without any shame, Wu Baolai continued, "I¡¯m doing this for your good. Think about it, how much does your education cost each year? Your dad will never be able to afford it. I..."


    Su Yiyi immediately interrupted Wu Baolai, "I have Brother Li to help me, so I don¡¯t need your concern. I will repay my father¡¯s debt to you. Please leave."


    Su Yiyi initially wanted her father to suffer some consequences, but with Wu Baolai targeting her, she couldn¡¯t stand it and decided to take the debt upon herself instead.


    At this, her father brightened up and quickly said, "Daughter, that¡¯s really great. Pay off the money quickly, so I can have some peace."


    Wu Baolai¡¯s expression darkened as he said, "Fine, pay up. As soon as you give me the money, I¡¯ll leave. But if you can¡¯t produce the money, hmph!"


    Wu Baolai was glaring menacingly, and the three lackeys behind him were all staring wide-eyed, trying to intimidate Su Yiyi with their bluff.


    Su Yiyi was so angry that her chest was heaving, but when Li Yifei took her hand in his palm, her heart suddenly calmed down. She turned to Li Yifei, gave an apologetic smile, and said, "Brother Li, I..."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll help you sort this out."


    Su Yiyi nodded and didn¡¯t say much more. Li Yifei was her man; it was his place to resolve difficulties for her, and she felt no undue burden about that.


    Wu Baolai sneered and said, "Good for you, young man, you¡¯ve got some guts. Now bring out the money, thirty thousand, not a penny less, and I¡¯ll be on my way."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father immediately widened his eyes and shouted, "I only borrowed twenty thousand from you, how did it become thirty thousand?"


    Wu Baolai glared and bellowed, "Nonsense, there¡¯s interest when you borrow from a bank, isn¡¯t there? Did you think there wouldn¡¯t be any interest borrowing from me?"


    Unconvinced, Su Yiyi¡¯s father argued, "But not that much interest. Even at usurious rates, it wouldn¡¯t be that much, would it?"


    "I say it is! Hmph, Old Su, I¡¯m giving you face by only asking for thirty thousand. If I didn¡¯t give you face, it wouldn¡¯t be just thirty thousand. Hurry up and pay or else I¡¯ll take your daughter as payment for the debt."


    Wu Baolai was really just trying to scare Li Yifei because of his youth. If Li Yifei got scared off, Wu Baolai would take advantage of Su Yiyi. But if Li Yifei paid up, he could make a quick buck either way¡ªit was a win-win for him.


    Above all, he didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei had much clout, so he didn¡¯t fear bullying him.


    Li Yifei looked coldly at Wu Baolai and said, "It seems you¡¯re pretty greedy."


    "Quit wasting time, bring out the money, punk. And let me tell you, you better not try any tricks on me. I have connections in both the underworld and the officialdom. If I want to get rid of you, it¡¯s too easy."


    Li Yifei suddenly moved, striding over to Wu Baolai in a flash. With a swing of his right arm, he punched Wu Baolai just above the navel, right where the stomach is. Though the punch wasn¡¯t very forceful, it was strategically delivered, causing a spasm in Wu Baolai¡¯s stomach.


    Wu Baolai felt as if his abdomen had been churned by a knife. Sweat immediately poured from his forehead, he wanted to curse, but the pain was so severe that he couldn¡¯t even make a sound. With both hands over his stomach and bent over, he would have fallen if not for leaning on one of his lackeys.


    "Your appetite is too big, so I have to let you know that having too big an appetite isn¡¯t a good thing," Li Yifei said coldly, before bringing his elbow down once more, pinning Wu Baolai to the ground.


    With two swift and decisive moves from Li Yifei, Wu Baolai¡¯s three accomplices were still confused about what had happened when Wu Baolai was already sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.


    "F*ck!" cursed one of the youngsters brought by Wu Baolai, and with a loud shout, "I¡¯ll f*cking kill you, brat," he clawed his way toward Li Yifei.


    The other two finally regained their senses. Although they weren¡¯t gangsters, they mixed with Wu Baolai every day. Now that Wu Baolai had been beaten, if they didn¡¯t make a move, they wouldn¡¯t be able to mix with Wu Baolai after this. Even if Li Yifei had knocked Wu Baolai down, they thought that three against one would be a piece of cake.


    However, they were still overconfident. With a sudden kick, Li Yifei sent the first to move flying, rolling on the ground several times, and then with a punch he hit another guy in the face, covering him in bruises and knocking him straight to the ground.


    The last one, slightly slower, saw his companions go down in the blink of an eye. His steps halted, and his raised fist remained frozen in mid-air, motionless as he stared at Li Yifei.


    "Scram!" Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother hitting him again and just growled.


    The youngster¡¯s body shook violently, then with a weird scream, he ran towards the outside. People like him were fine with bullying the weak, but when facing tough opponents, they could only play dead.


    "You... you dare to hit me; this isn¡¯t over, it¡¯s not over!" Wu Baolai struggled to get up, shouting at Li Yifei, but he hastily made his way to the doorway.


    "You¡¯re not leaving?" The cold light in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes flashed.


    Wu Baolai shivered, turned around, and ran back, but failed to watch his step and tripped over the threshold of Su Yiyi¡¯s house, tumbling head over heels.


    The other two guys followed suit, tripping over Wu Baolai, ending up in a heap, then scrambling out of Su Yiyi¡¯s home in a most pathetic state.


    "Son-in-law, I knew you could solve this for me," Su Yiyi¡¯s father exclaimed excitedly at that moment.


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi¡¯s father coldly, and said slowly, "You actually remembered, but I think your memory isn¡¯t very good."


    The smile vanished from Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s face, and he took a step back, plumping down on a chair. He was now realizing his thoughts might have been too simplistic. Although his daughter was with Li Yifei, and Li Yifei treated her well, it did not mean that he, as the father-in-law, could boss Li Yifei around. His lips quivered and he said anxiously, "I... I remember now, I really do."


    "Hmph, it¡¯s best you do," Li Yifei said indifferently, then turned and walked over to Su Yiyi, draping an arm over her shoulder and softly saying, "Don¡¯t be scared, it¡¯s all right now."


    Su Yiyi leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and choked up, "Brother Li, um..."


    "Stop crying. I believe your father will change for the better; we have to give him some time and keep a little faith," he said, glancing at Su Yiyi¡¯s father once more.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father felt as if Li Yifei¡¯s glance had plunged him into an ice pit, chilling to the core, and with trembling lips he said, "Yiyi, I will change, I truly will this time."


    Su Yiyi, thoroughly disappointed in her father, had no faith left and turned despondently to walk into her room, not wanting to speak with her father anymore. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei followed her in, and while Su Yiyi¡¯s father wanted to follow, the door closed with a "bang," leaving him waiting outside resignedly.


    Most sons-in-law would be apprehensive at meeting their father-in-law, fearing his disapproval, but with Li Yifei and Su Yiyi¡¯s father, the roles were completely reversed; it was Su Yiyi¡¯s father who was terrified of him.


    After Li Yifei comforted Su Yiyi for a while, her mood improved slightly. Although Li Yifei had been violent when he fought, it only made her like him even more, knowing that Li Yifei genuinely cared for her.


    When the two of them came out, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was already cooking, wearing an apron and surprisingly looking the part. He smiled at the couple and ingratiatingly said, "Yiyi, Yi... Yifei, I made a couple of dishes, let¡¯s eat at home in a bit."


    Li Yifei did not refuse. Although Su Yiyi¡¯s father wasn¡¯t much to speak of, he was Su Yiyi¡¯s father, after all. He couldn¡¯t be too harsh and had to save face for Su Yiyi.


    This pleased Su Yiyi¡¯s father immensely, but his joy was short-lived. The front door was suddenly forced open and a dozen or so people rushed in. Wu Baolai, in a brash tone, yelled, "Brat, if I don¡¯t skin you alive today, my name isn¡¯t Wu!"

 Chapter 411 - 418 Big Brother

    Chapter 411: Chapter 418 Big BrotherSeeing so many people outside, Su Yiyi¡¯s legs turned to jelly, and she almost collapsed onto the ground, her face instantly paling as she gripped Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly. In panic, she said, "Brother Li, what are we going to do?"


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and said, "It¡¯s okay, with Brother Li here."


    As Su Yiyi met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, she felt as if she had taken a tranquilizer, but the sight of those dozen fearsome people still sent her heart into a flutter.


    "Old Wu, you¡¯ve really outdone yourself this time, just one kid has beaten you to this state," a man followed behind the group, taunting Wu Baolai.


    Wu Baolai gave a dry laugh and said, "Brother Li, this kid is quite the fighter; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have had to call you over. You have to take revenge for me this time."


    "No problem, I want to see which kid is so blind as to hit my brother."


    Now bolstered by his backup, Wu Baolai was exceptionally bold. Pointing at Li Yifei, he roared, "You little bastard, come out and kowtow to admit your wrongs right away, and I might consider letting you live. Otherwise, I¡¯ll skin you alive today."


    At that moment, Li Yifei let go of Su Yiyi and stepped out from behind the door curtain.


    Due to the poor lighting in the house, it was very dark inside, so the people outside couldn¡¯t see what Li Yifei looked like when he was in the room. Now that Li Yifei had come out, everyone could see clearly.


    Wu Baolai was even more arrogant, saying, "Damn, you actually have the guts to show up. Good, hurry up and kowtow to admit your mistake, and let me take Su Yiyi away, and I¡¯ll spare your life."


    His words had hardly hit the floor when Li Yifei, initially at the doorway, had already swiftly moved right in front of him. Reaching out, he grabbed Wu Baolai¡¯s neck and lifted him off the ground with one arm.


    With his neck being squeezed, Wu Baolai couldn¡¯t catch his breath, his face quickly turning purple from the strain, his hands desperately pulling at Li Yifei¡¯s wrist and his legs kicking wildly. Yet Li Yifei¡¯s grip was like a tiger vise, no matter how much Wu Baolai struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free.


    Wu Baolai had never thought about what death was like, but at this moment, the word "death" suddenly came to mind. The fear was indescribable, especially since his brain wasn¡¯t completely muddled, but he couldn¡¯t suck in any air into his chest, making him realize how vital air was to him.


    "Damn it! Stop!" Wu Baolai¡¯s men, who had come with him, were now in an uproar as they saw Wu Baolai being choked in front of them by Li Yifei. This was a direct slap in their faces, utterly disregarding their presence.


    Although they were noisy, none of them moved forward. Even the dullest among them could see that it took tremendous strength for Li Yifei to lift a man with one hand. This was a sign of a ruthless man, apparently one willing to risk life itself. They were simply thugs and had never intended to stake their lives against someone.


    But Li Yifei, at that moment, raised his hand and flung Wu Baolai to the ground with great force, like throwing a sack of potatoes. Wu Baolai¡¯s body landed on its side with a thud, dust billowing up high from the ground.


    However, Wu Baolai couldn¡¯t care less about that now; as his neck was released, he started to breathe deeply, greedily replenishing the oxygen in his body. Life was more important than pain.


    Sun Li was the leader of this bunch, relatively well-known in the area as a thug and a figure in the criminal world. He had some connections with Wu Baolai and had come to show his support after being called upon by Wu Baolai. In his view, dealing with one kid with so many people was a walk in the park, and he saw an opportunity to gain some benefits, so he came without even asking who the trouble was with.


    But when Sun Li saw Li Yifei, his calves nearly seized up in fear, never expecting to face Li Yifei, the person he feared the most. And seeing Old Su, Su Yiyi¡¯s father, behind him, he inwardly lamented. Had he known this was Old Su¡¯s home, he wouldn¡¯t have come looking for trouble even if it killed him.


    He had been hanging back, and when Li Yifei lifted Wu Baolai, he became even more terrified, quickly lowering his head, fearing that Li Yifei might see him, and began to slowly move backward, ready to make a run for it.


    "Stop right there!"


    At the shout, Sun Li was like a statue, the foot he had lifted refusing to come back down; he just stood there, one foot in the air, slowly turning around. Upon facing Li Yifei, his face was plastered with a smile, as he stuttered, "Bi... Brother... I had no idea you were here, otherwise, I would never have dared come."


    All the thugs were dumbfounded. Sun Li actually called Li Yifei "Brother"¡ªand it was not only the address but his attitude and expression that clearly showed his fear. Who was this young man, to command such respect and fear?


    Li Yifei said coldly, "So, you mean to say if I weren¡¯t here, you could just bring people over?"


    "No, no!" Sun Li immediately raised his hand and slapped himself twice, the sound so crisp it was obvious he wasn¡¯t faking it¡ªit really hurt. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "You know what to do now, right?"


    "Yes! I know!" Sun Li quickly nodded, then swung his hand and ordered, "Drag this Wu Baolai out for me."


    The underlings reacted quickly at this point, swarming over to lift Wu Baolai, some by the arms, some by the legs, and hauled him out.


    Wu Baolai had just caught his breath and realized he was being lifted by the people Brother Lii had brought. He immediately shouted, "Brother Lii, what are you doing? You have to stand up for me."


    "Stand up for your ass!" Brother Lii cursed loudly, stormed over, and slapped Wu Baolai twice hard across the face, sending a tooth flying out. He thought to himself, if it weren¡¯t for this bastard, would I have offended someone even Brother Hu wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke?


    "Brother Lii... Brother Lii!" Wu Baolai still didn¡¯t understand what was going on and cried out in panic.


    But he was already dragged out by Brother Lii¡¯s men.


    Brother Lii approached Li Yifei, trembling. Now that Li Yifei had seen everything, he had no choice but to settle this matter. Otherwise, if this ruthless man were to trouble him again, he would be in big trouble. "Brother, I will definitely take good care of Wu Baolai and make sure you¡¯re satisfied," he said.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Don¡¯t take his life, and give him another twenty thousand yuan. I¡¯ll reimburse you later."


    "No need, no need, this little amount of money is nothing. Consider it a token of respect for not knowing you were coming, Brother," Brother Lii said.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. Dealing with someone like Brother Lii, there was no need for courtesy. He turned to look at Su Yiyi¡¯s father, who was beaming with joy, frowned slightly, and said to Brother Lii, "Do another thing for me."


    "Sure, Brother, whatever you say."


    "If anyone gambles with him again, break their hands," Li Yifei said coldly.


    Brother Lii glanced at Su Yiyi¡¯s father and nodded repeatedly, "I will make sure no one ever gambles with him again."


    Inwardly, Brother Lii muttered to himself, thinking how ruthless Li Yifei was. The main problem with gambling lay with Old Su himself not having any self-control, yet now the responsibility was being pushed onto others. Whoever dared to gamble with Old Su now was really unlucky.


    "Then let¡¯s go. Come have a drink with me in the city sometime," Li Yifei said, waving his hand.


    "Thank you, Brother!" Brother Lii nodded repeatedly and then respectfully backed out. The underlings quickly followed out, their minds filled with respect for Li Yifei. This was what a true boss looked like; a display of sheer dominance.


    The courtyard became silent in an instant. Li Yifei turned and entered the living room, looking at Su Yiyi¡¯s father, and said, "You heard what I said, right?"


    "I heard, I heard!" Su Yiyi¡¯s father wiped the sweat from his brow, but he was well aware that while Li Yifei¡¯s warning seemed to target those who gambled with him, it was actually a warning to himself. If he were to gamble outside, his son-in-law would probably take action against him.


    Li Yifei handed over two thousand yuan to Su Yiyi¡¯s father and said, "This money is for you to get by for the time being, but you also need to earn your own living. I can take care of Yiyi, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to support you, especially at your age."


    Yiyi¡¯s father carefully took the money, saying, "Yes, yes, I will support myself. I will find a job right away."


    Li Yifei nodded, took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, and said, "Yiyi, if there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s go."


    Su Yiyi nodded, then looked back at her father, bit her lip, and said, "You better not disappoint me again. If you do... then I¡¯ll stop worrying about you."


    "I won¡¯t, I¡¯ll be good," Su Yiyi¡¯s father assured them as he walked them to the gate, softly saying, "My daughter, take care."


    Yiyi turned her head, looking somewhat dazed at her father. It had been seemingly ages since he had shown this level of concern. The last time he cared this much was four or five years ago, which instantly made her eyes redden. No matter what, he was still her father. If he could truly change for the better, then Su Yiyi would be genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart.


    "As long as you¡¯re good and stay away from gambling, I will certainly come back to see you," Su Yiyi said, her eyes reddening as she turned to leave. She didn¡¯t want her father to see her moved to tears at this moment.


    Li Yifei nodded at Su Yiyi¡¯s father and followed Su Yiyi towards the car.


    In reality, he had noticed that Su Yiyi¡¯s father was saying all this just to please him. To call him beyond help might be a bit harsh, but indeed, he was only thinking of himself. He didn¡¯t bother exposing him simply to avoid hurting Su Yiyi¡¯s feelings.

 Chapter 412 - 419: Can I try too?

    Chapter 412: Chapter 419: Can I try too?Li Yifei settled into his car, with Su Yiyi leaning weakly against the seatback, her eyes still somewhat red.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t start the car immediately, instead gently holding Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, and said, "Yiyi, don¡¯t be sad anymore."


    Su Yiyi turned to look at Li Yifei, her lips quivering slightly before she suddenly buried herself in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and began to cry softly.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t try to console Su Yiyi with words; he just gently patted her back. With such a father, the pressure Su Yiyi faced was indeed not small, especially when facing him, Su Yiyi might even have felt somewhat inferior.


    "My little Yiyi, don¡¯t cry. If you keep crying, Brother Li is really going to cry from heartache," Li Yifei said after a while as he stroked Su Yiyi¡¯s long hair to comfort her.


    The crying stopped for a moment, then after two more sobs, Su Yiyi lifted her head. Li Yifei raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her face, saying, "It¡¯s all in the past, hasn¡¯t your dad said he would change?"


    "I really don¡¯t trust his words that much; he¡¯s said such things so many times before."


    "Hehe, maybe this time it¡¯s true. You¡¯ve believed him so many times before, it won¡¯t hurt to believe him one more time. Besides, even if he wants to gamble now, there¡¯s probably no one left to gamble with him. Is he going to play with his fingers alone?"


    Su Yiyi wanted to laugh, but her smile looked forced and strained. After a pause, she asked, "Brother Li, why does Sun Li listen to you? I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s a very formidable person."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "No matter how formidable he is, if there¡¯s someone more formidable than him, he has to be afraid."


    Surprised, Su Yiyi looked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re actually more formidable than Sun Li? I thought you were relying on someone else to pressure Sun Li. Ah, Brother Li, you¡¯re not from the underworld, are you?"


    "If I were, what would you do?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Without any hesitation, Su Yiyi declared, "Even if Brother Li is from the underworld, I will still follow you. I know Brother Li is good to me. In my heart, Brother Li is the best man."


    "Silly girl," said Li Yifei, moved as he embraced Su Yiyi tenderly. "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Li won¡¯t get involved with the underworld. It¡¯s just that last time, I gave Sun Li a beating. People like him are only afraid when your fist is harder than theirs."


    "So that¡¯s how it is, that¡¯s really great." Knowing that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t involved with the underworld, Su Yiyi immediately perked up. She had resolved to follow Li Yifei no matter what he did, but obviously, if he were really involved with the underworld, it would be a great pressure on her.


    Li Yifei leaned down and kissed Su Yiyi lightly on the forehead, saying, "Yiyi, let¡¯s go then."


    "Mhm." Su Yiyi sat back and buckled her seatbelt.


    As Li Yifei was driving back into the city, and they were nearing his former home, Su Yiyi checked the time and said to Li Yifei with blushing cheeks, "Brother Li, it seems... you still have an hour until you get off work."


    A surge of emotion swelled in Li Yifei¡¯s heart; he knew full well what Su Yiyi meant by that, and said with a smile, "Are you missing Brother Li?"


    "Yes!" Su Yiyi, the shy girl, bravely nodded her head, her affectionate gaze meeting Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and said, "I¡¯m missing Yiyi too."


    Upon arriving home, they had barely taken off their shoes before they were tightly wrapped in each other¡¯s embrace, lips naturally finding one another, with a bashful Su Yiyi showing boundless passion.


    With his arms around Su Yiyi¡¯s waist, Li Yifei lifted her till her feet left the ground, and Su Yiyi¡¯s legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. Su Yiyi could even assume such a daring pose, which somewhat surprised Li Yifei, yet it also exhilarated him even further, as he held her tightly, as if he wished to melt her into his body.


    Su Yiyi cherished every moment with Li Yifei, unable to spend entire evenings with him like before. Therefore, every second she spent with him was filled with such investment and fervor, expressing her longing and love for Li Yifei through this kind of intimacy.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s ardor also ignited a fervent response from Li Yifei. From the living room to the bedroom, traces of their lovemaking were left everywhere. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was when Li Yifei was finally holding Su Yiyi in the bathroom, lathering her with shower gel, when a knock on the door sounded.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t turned the water on yet, so they could hear the noise from outside. Su Yiyi instantly became nervous, stammering, "Could it be Sister-in-law... who¡¯s come?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, it shouldn¡¯t be Yingying. She probably wouldn¡¯t come here."


    "Then who could it be? Sister Mengxin and Sister Xiaofei have moved out. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone else coming over. It must be Sister-in-law. What do we do?" Su Yiyi panicked.


    Li Yifei gently embraced Su Yiyi and said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, even if Yingying really did come, you don¡¯t have to be scared, I won¡¯t let her hurt you."


    "No, no, I can¡¯t affect your relationship with your wife; if I did, I would really be a bad mistress. Brother Li, if it really is your wife, I¡¯ll say it was me who seduced you. You must not speak well of me. Just let your wife hit and scold me."


    Li Yifei felt great distress and spoke softly, "It won¡¯t happen, Yingying isn¡¯t that kind of person. When I married her, I told her about you. She knows, and she wouldn¡¯t have come here to find you specifically. It might just be someone from the property management or something."


    "But the knocking was so urgent. If it were the property management, they would have stopped knocking by now."


    Li Yifei was also somewhat puzzled. Who could it be? He patted Su Yiyi, saying, "Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ll go have a look."


    "Brother Li!" Su Yiyi suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, stuttering, "Brother Li..."


    "Silly girl, I¡¯m here, and I¡¯ll protect you no matter what." Having said this, he pulled away Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, wrapped a towel around himself, and went to the door.


    Looking through the peephole, Li Yifei was a bit amused and opened the door, saying, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re here. Why didn¡¯t you give me a call?"


    The visitor was none other than Chu Xiaoyao, who said indignantly, "I called you for a long time, and you didn¡¯t answer. I¡¯ve been knocking for ages, and you didn¡¯t open the door. And you¡¯re blaming me?"


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat. Just now, in the heat of passion with Su Yiyi, he seemed to have heard the phone ringing but had ignored it. He forced a smile and said, "Alright, come on in."


    Chu Xiaoyao dragged a small suitcase inside, glanced at Li Yifei, and her eyes sparkled as she said, "Brother Li, are you taking a shower? Perfect, I¡¯ve worked up a sweat too, and I need a shower."


    Li Yifei laughed, "After Sister Yiyi and I are done."


    "Ah! Sister Yiyi is here too?" Chu Xiaoyao first pouted and then called out excitedly.


    "Looks like you¡¯re planning to stay for a while, go get settled. I¡¯ll go finish up the shower with Sister Yiyi first." With that, he pulled open the bathroom door, went in, and then firmly closed it with a bang.


    "Ah, you two are so shameless. The mistress is still here, and you go taking a couple¡¯s bath together. You really don¡¯t take me into account at all," Chu Xiaoyao shouted loudly from outside.


    Su Yiyi, who had been so scared her legs were weak, finally relaxed a bit upon knowing it was Chu Xiaoyao. However, she was too embarrassed to come out, and then Li Yifei entered again, making her feel both ashamed and flustered as she said, "Brother Li, why did you come back? What about Xiaoyao?"


    "Don¡¯t mind that girl. Here, let me continue to help you wash." Li Yifei smiled slightly, pulled off the towel, turned on the shower and continued to help Su Yiyi rinse off the lather.


    Alone with Li Yifei, Su Yiyi could let herself go, but now with someone else in the house, and not knowing whether Xiaoyao might suddenly burst in, she hastily finished showering and wanted to leave. Then she realized there were no clothes for either of them in the bathroom, just a single towel. Otherwise, she would have left when Li Yifei answered the door.


    Grabbing the towel, Li Yifei dried Su Yiyi¡¯s body and then helped her wrap up, whispering, "Alright, you go out first and bring back my clothes."


    Su Yiyi nodded and walked out with a blushing face.


    "Sister Yiyi, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so open-minded, taking a mandarin duck bath with the uncle," Su Yiyi barely stepped out when Chu Xiaoyao started teasing her with a grin.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned even redder as she stammered, "No... it¡¯s not like that."


    "Not like that? Then how else would you need to shower?" Chu Xiaoyao said with a grin, moving closer to Su Yiyi, and whispered, "Sister Yiyi, doing that with the uncle, is it satisfying?"


    Su Yiyi was caught completely off guard by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s question. Her mouth hung open, her face blushed so deeply it was as if she could bleed, and she didn¡¯t know how to answer, but in her heart, a voice kept repeating: I really like being with Brother Li like this.


    "No answer means yes, doesn¡¯t it? Let me try someday too. I¡¯m almost off to college, and I¡¯m of age. How about it, Sister Yiyi?" Chu Xiaoyao playfully shook Su Yiyi¡¯s arm.


    "You want to try? Try what?" Su Yiyi widened her eyes in shock.


    "Of course, trying out that thing. I¡¯ve grown up so much and haven¡¯t done it even once. You¡¯re the main girl, and I¡¯m the mistress; I should at least get to truly play the part of the mistress, right? Hehe, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fight with you. You¡¯re the uncle¡¯s wife, and I¡¯m just the mistress."


    Su Yiyi was dumbfounded, speechless, as Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s request was simply too outrageous, utterly unimaginable for her.

 Chapter 413 - 420

    Chapter 413: 420"I¡¯m going to get Brother Li¡¯s clothes." Su Yiyi finally snapped out of her daze and hurriedly ran to the living room as if escaping, the clothes the two had taken off were still in there.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately followed her like a persistent shadow, clinging to Su Yiyi and pleading, "Sister Yiyi, please agree to it, I promise I won¡¯t compete with you to be uncle¡¯s wife, plus I¡¯ll be going to college soon, and I won¡¯t be able to come back all the time, what else are you worried about?"


    "I... I..." Su Yiyi faced this kind of situation for the first time, if she really was Li Yifei¡¯s wife, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but she could only consider herself as Li Yifei¡¯s lover, which made it even harder to know what to say.


    "Sister Yiyi, what would it take for you to agree?"


    Being pestered by Chu Xiaoyao left Su Yiyi with no choice but to stop what she was doing and look at Chu Xiaoyao with a blushing face, she said, "Brother Li is already married, I¡¯m not his wife."


    "What?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice suddenly rose by an octave.


    "Brother Li¡¯s wife is Xu Yingying, his boss, and I¡¯m also Li Yifei¡¯s lover, so I can¡¯t agree to you."


    "Ah?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened, and it took a moment for her to digest the news, then angrily said, "Sister Yiyi, how can this be? Hasn¡¯t uncle always liked you the most? Why won¡¯t he make you his wife?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s mood had by then calmed down, and she said with a smile, "Xiaoyao, uncle is such an outstanding person, how could I be suitable to be his wife? To be Brother Li¡¯s lover and for him to care about me, I¡¯m already very content. I¡¯ve seen Sister Yingying before, she truly fits Brother Li; she¡¯s so graceful and talented, the perfect choice to be Brother Li¡¯s wife."


    "Nonsense!" Chu Xiaoyao bellowed in anger, "What¡¯s so good about that woman? I haven¡¯t seen her being better than you in any way. No, I must ask uncle why he didn¡¯t marry you." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi quickly grabbed hold of Chu Xiaoyao, saying, "Xiaoyao, if you like uncle, you can¡¯t keep causing trouble for him. There are some reasons why Brother Li married Sister Yingying, and I completely understand. Besides, I feel really good right now, Brother Li is still as good to me as before, I don¡¯t feel neglected by Li Yifei at all."


    Chu Xiaoyao stamped her feet, fuming, "Sister Yiyi, this is not right. If you were uncle¡¯s wife, I would be okay being the other woman, you definitely wouldn¡¯t be truly mad at me. I could even stick around here without any issues. But with that Xu Yingying, she won¡¯t let me come here at all, and then I¡¯d truly have no chance."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly explained, "If you cause trouble for Brother Li, you really might end up with no chance. I understand Brother Li well, he doesn¡¯t succumb to pressure. If you force him, it will only make him resent you more."


    Chu Xiaoyao stopped her stomping, tilted her head and thought for a while, then said, "That seems true. When I used to be naughty, uncle didn¡¯t like it and always glared at me. Even if he didn¡¯t glare, he¡¯d just ignore me. But after I started behaving, he doted on me more."


    "Exactly." Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly.


    "Thanks, Sister Yiyi, now I know what to do." Chu Xiaoyao smiled sweetly at Su Yiyi, then clenched her fist resolutely, saying, "Sister Yiyi, let¡¯s join forces from now on. We will be the best mistresses, the most outstanding ones. Eventually, we¡¯ll steal uncle away, and by then, I¡¯ll let you be in charge."


    Su Yiyi was flabbergasted by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, feeling both amused and annoyed as she replied, "Alright, just don¡¯t keep troubling Brother Li."


    "Of course not. I¡¯ll use a gentle strategy, making him willingly revolve around us, hee hee. Sister Yiyi, if uncle really marries you in the future, you can¡¯t drive me away, okay? When I come over, you can¡¯t prevent uncle from sleeping with me. At worst, we can sleep together, that¡¯s what men love the most anyway."


    Su Yiyi immediately blushed, embarrassed by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s daring words. Just the thought of it¡ªa scenario where Li Yifei would be intimate with her, while Chu Xiaoyao watched, was far too mortifying.


    "Yiyi, bring the clothes here." Li Yifei¡¯s voice called out from the bathroom.


    "Coming!" Su Yiyi responded and walked towards the bathroom holding the clothes.


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly followed, snatched the clothes, and said cheerfully, "I¡¯ll deliver them to uncle."


    "You..." Su Yiyi was taken aback, but Chu Xiaoyao had already dashed to the bathroom door, pulled it open, and went inside.


    "Ah!" A yell from inside the bathroom followed immediately, then the door reopened, and Chu Xiaoyao was tossed out.


    Chu Xiaoyao landed on the floor, bottom first. Although her rear hurt, she giggled and said, "Uncle, I caught you in the act; now you have to take responsibility for me."


    Li Yifei, having gotten dressed, stepped out of the bathroom, while Chu Xiaoyao had already gotten up, waiting at the doorway, beaming at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was also quite embarrassed at this moment, but he still glared and said, "Stop fooling around."


    Chu Xiaoyao reached out to grab Li Yifei¡¯s arm, laughing as she said, "Uncle, don¡¯t be so stingy. I¡¯m your mistress, right? What¡¯s there to be scared of when checking it out?"


    Li Yifei dodged, preventing Chu Xiaoyao from seizing his arm, and with a glare, he repeated, "Stop fooling around."


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t catch Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and her lips promptly pouted as she complained, "Uncle, you¡¯re too mean. You already have Sister Yiyi as your lover; why don¡¯t you want me, your mistress?"


    "What do you know, you little girl?" Li Yifei said in annoyance.


    "What do you mean, ¡¯little girl¡¯? Uncle, I have finished my College Entrance Exam, and in just over two months, I¡¯ll be going to university. Plus, I am now eighteen years old; I¡¯m truly an adult."


    Li Yifei glanced at Chu Xiaoyao, and with her words, he indeed started to see that Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t just a little girl anymore, but a young woman. He shook his head and said, "In my eyes, you¡¯re still a little girl. If you behave, you can stay here. But if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll send you back home immediately."


    Chu Xiaoyao bit her lip, stamped her foot hard, and with a turn of her body, she protested, "Uncle, don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s unfair. Sister Yiyi is also a university student, and you¡¯re so nice to her, but you¡¯re always gruff with me."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That¡¯s because you¡¯re always so mischievous. By the way, did you tell your parents you¡¯re coming here?"


    "I did! Don¡¯t you see that I brought my things with me? I didn¡¯t run away from home; I came here openly and honorably."


    "Then stay here. Yiyi is also off for the next couple of days, so she¡¯ll keep you company."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted but didn¡¯t pester Li Yifei anymore. Meanwhile, Su Yiyi told Li Yifei, "Brother Li, it¡¯s about time. You should head back now."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yiyi, come here for a second." He took Su Yiyi into the bedroom, and Chu Xiaoyao quickly followed.


    Li Yifei turned to glance at Chu Xiaoyao but eventually didn¡¯t send her out. He took out the laptop he¡¯d left there, opened it, and said, "Yiyi, I¡¯m going to transfer some money to you."


    "Brother Li, no need. I still have a little money on hand for now, and it¡¯s enough. Plus, I can also earn some by tutoring; I really don¡¯t need you to give me money."


    Li Yifei held Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and said softly, "Don¡¯t worry. This money isn¡¯t your sister-in-law¡¯s, nor is it my salary, it¡¯s money I earned before."


    Su Yiyi dared not accept Li Yifei¡¯s money, fearing it could cause a quarrel between him and his wife over financial issues. Besides, she wasn¡¯t the greedy kind. His words relieved her, but she still hesitated, "But... Brother Li, I really don¡¯t need the money."


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly interjected, "Sister Yiyi, you¡¯re so silly. Uncle is giving you money and you don¡¯t want it. We¡¯re his lovers, aren¡¯t we? It¡¯s only right for him to support us. If we still have to go out and work to earn money, then what¡¯s the point of being his lover? Besides, if someone else takes advantage of us while we¡¯re out, wouldn¡¯t Uncle lose out even more?"


    Li Yifei was both annoyed and amused as he tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the head, "You girl, always spouting nonsense all day long."


    By that time, the computer was already booted up. Li Yifei opened a webpage, and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, "It¡¯s all in English, Uncle, what are you doing?"


    "Transferring money," Li Yifei replied casually as he continued with the operation.


    "Wow, Uncle, you¡¯re so good at English! I only know a little." Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed dramatically. Her high school English scores were decent, but that was just enough to get by on tests. When it came to real-world application, she was lacking, especially with specialized online banking like this, which she didn¡¯t understand at all.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s command of English was slightly better than Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s, enough that she could understand a bit. She saw that Li Yifei had logged into a Swiss Bank online account, which greatly surprised her. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t keep their money in Swiss Bank; it seemed to be a place only for the very wealthy, which meant that Li Yifei was truly rich.


    Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t considered the origin of Li Yifei¡¯s money. In her heart, Li Yifei was always an incredibly capable person. He must have been a very impressive individual in the past, so having money was to be expected.


    This realization made Su Yiyi¡¯s initial astonishment evaporate quickly, replaced by the notion that it was normal for Li Yifei to have such a bank account. It would have been strange for him not to have one.


    "Wow, wow... Uncle! Uncle! You¡¯re... you¡¯re really so rich!" At this moment, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes were wide open, her mouth agape in shock, so much so that it could have fit an egg. Although she couldn¡¯t understand Li Yifei¡¯s specific actions, she could see the numbers clearly.

 Chapter 414 - 421 Take a Day Off

    Chapter 414: Chapter 421 Take a Day OffSu Yiyi also looked at the string of numbers at this moment, and was immediately dumbstruck, stammering, "Brother Li, this... this..."


    Li Yifei had already pressed enter by that time, and with a slight smile, he said, "You¡¯re in charge of this money; use it however you want."


    "But... this is too much." Su Yiyi shook her head vigorously, terrified by such a large figure.


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulders, and said softly, "Yiyi, although I can¡¯t give you the title of a wife, in my heart, you are my wife. It¡¯s normal for a wife to handle the money. Besides, I haven¡¯t given you all my money, so you shouldn¡¯t feel any burden."


    "Brother Li!" Li Yifei¡¯s words were so moving that tears flowed from Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes, and she leaned softly against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    "I want it too, I want it too, Uncle, I¡¯m also your wife, and I don¡¯t need a title either," Chu Xiaoyao knelt on the bed, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and shook it vigorously.


    Li Yifei slapped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s butt with his hand and said, "What are you messing around for? If you want to spend money, ask Yiyi for it."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said with delight, "So you mean, this money is for both Sister Yiyi and me?"


    "No!" Li Yifei said irritably: "You¡¯re here, and I can¡¯t always manage you, so of course, Yiyi has to take care of you. If you¡¯re not obedient, Sister Yiyi won¡¯t give you money to spend."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s big eyes whirled around, and then she started giggling, "Sister Yiyi won¡¯t spend it, I can help her spend it. A million, and in dollars too, now we¡¯re rich! I¡¯ve become a White Rich Beauty, Uncle, I love you to death." As she spoke, Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.


    Li Yifei was speechless and tried to push Chu Xiaoyao away, but the girl clung on tight, so he said, "I don¡¯t like this gold-digging behavior of yours."


    "I¡¯m not gold-digging! Even if someone else offered me more, I wouldn¡¯t care. But the money you give... oh, the money for me and Sister Yiyi, I don¡¯t feel any pressure. We¡¯re both your women, right? It¡¯s only right to spend your money. Hehe, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t use your money to keep a Pretty Boy."


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. This girl always made shocking remarks, but he knew that Chu Xiaoyao, despite her unfiltered words, was a genuinely nice girl at heart. What youth isn¡¯t a bit mischievous? What girl doesn¡¯t harbor a bit of vanity? With proper guidance, there¡¯s certainly no problem.


    "Xiaoyao." Li Yifei turned to look at Chu Xiaoyao with a serious expression.


    Chu Xiaoyao, who had been hugging Li Yifei¡¯s neck cheerfully, saw his expression and gradually sobered up, timidly saying, "Uncle, don¡¯t send me away, I¡¯ll be good."


    Li Yifei patted her waist and said softly, "Xiaoyao, I¡¯m not sending you away, I have something to say to you, and I hope you¡¯ll listen seriously."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯m listening." Chu Xiaoyao let go of Li Yifei and sat down obediently, her legs folded beneath her, indescribably well-behaved.


    Li Yifei was very satisfied with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s behavior and said, "I know you like to be with me, but you¡¯re too young, and you can¡¯t even tell what love is. It might just be your admiration for me that makes you think you like me."


    Chu Xiaoyao thought hard and then, meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, said, "Uncle, you might be right, but I really like being with you now, and I like the kisses. Even if you let me sleep with you, I¡¯d be happy. But believe me, I¡¯m not that kind of girl. Lots of boys at school chase me, but I don¡¯t even bother with them. Some try to take advantage of me, and I never give them the chance. I just like it when you take advantage of me, truly."


    Li Yifei was somewhat embarrassed by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words and quickly said, "It could also be because I¡¯m older and you don¡¯t get disciplined properly at home, so I might seem like a father figure to you, and that¡¯s why you like kissing me."


    "Is that so? Then I don¡¯t know."


    "Yes, so now you¡¯re not clear on it, and that means I need to be responsible for you. You can stay here as long as you want, and I will come to see you and Yiyi often. But you can¡¯t mess around. There are some things in life you only get one shot at, and once lost, you cannot get them back." As he said this, Li Yifei¡¯s tone sank, as he thought of his parents. A child wishes to support their parents who are no longer there; when young, he made them angry, and now he wanted to take good care of them but lost the chance forever.


    Chu Xiaoyao, sensing Li Yifei¡¯s low spirits, became even more nervously softly saying, "Uncle, I¡¯ll really be good."


    "Mmm." Li Yifei was just emotionally adrift for a moment, but he had already recovered, and with a smile said, "I knew Xiaoyao was a good girl, that¡¯s why I spoil you so much. Otherwise, I really would have sent you away long ago."


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "Uncle is the best."


    "Mmm, and about spending money, you need to listen to Yiyi. If Yiyi doesn¡¯t agree, you can¡¯t force her to buy things for you."


    "I will, I¡¯ll certainly listen to Sister Yiyi¡¯s words. Even though we¡¯re both your lovers, Yiyi is still the boss."


    Li Yifei tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the head and teased, "You little rascal, always so naughty."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, rubbing her head. Li Yifei¡¯s words seemed somewhat stern, but they made her happier because she, like Yiyi, knew Li Yifei¡¯s secret. Probably even Li Yifei¡¯s wife didn¡¯t know about his wealth.


    "Okay, I¡¯m leaving, Yiyi. The money is for you to spend, don¡¯t save it all, understand?"


    Su Yiyi had been silent just moments before, but now she replied with a wry smile, "Brother Li, this is really too much. I¡¯m actually a bit scared."


    "Scared of what? You can just take out some cash when you need it and exchange it for Huaxia currency."


    "Alright, I understand. Brother Li, let me help you tidy up your clothes."


    After packing up, Li Yifei reached the doorway where Chu Xiaoyao was holding his hand and pouting, "Uncle, are you coming tomorrow?"


    "I can¡¯t say for sure when I¡¯ll have time, but I¡¯ll try to come by often. Go have fun wherever you want. You¡¯ve just finished the College Entrance Exam; there must be a lot of gatherings with your classmates. But remember not to come back too late and don¡¯t drink too much. It¡¯s very dangerous for a girl to get drunk."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded vigorously, then immediately giggled, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you a cuckold, Uncle."


    Li Yifei was used to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s whimsical words, and he gave Su Yiyi a hug, kissing her gently on the forehead before turning to leave.


    "What about me! Me! What about me!" Chu Xiaoyao shouted anxiously from the side.


    With no choice, Li Yifei gave the young girl a hug as well, though he omitted the kiss. Chu Xiaoyao pouted, but she accepted it; she could feel that the Uncle was no longer keeping her at arm¡¯s length like before. This meant she had a chance.


    Before Li Yifei even opened the door, his phone began to ring; it was Xu Yingying. Su Yiyi spotted the name on the phone, and quickly said to Li Yifei, "You go ahead and take the call."


    Li Yifei stepped out of the room before answering the call.


    "Husband, I have to attend a gathering tonight. I probably won¡¯t be able to come home; I¡¯ll be taking Shanshan with me."


    "Oh, do you need me to act as your bodyguard?"


    "No need, just go and do whatever you have to do."


    Li Yifei had gone to find Su Yiyi around noon, and he had informed Xu Yingying. Now, with her bringing up such a matter at this time, Li Yifei found it incredibly surprising. Could it be that she was actually indulging him to be with Su Yiyi?


    "Wife, drink less. If anything happens, call me, and I¡¯ll rush over immediately."


    "Mm, I know, but there probably won¡¯t be any problems. This gathering is organized by the city. Apart from business people, there will also be some government officials, so nothing should go wrong."


    "Heh, my wife is so beautiful, I really am a bit worried," Li Yifei teased with a chuckle. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just be careful not to end up bringing another child home for me, or else I will not let you off the hook."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat, "Wife... this... "


    "Alright, no need to explain. I¡¯m giving you a day off today. I¡¯m hanging up now."


    Xu Yingying hung up the phone, and Li Yifei stood holding the phone, somewhat dazed. Her intention was all too clear; she was letting him meet his old flame tonight. What kind of rhythm was this? He couldn¡¯t understand Xu Yingying¡¯s thinking any longer.


    But one thing Li Yifei was clear on was that Xu Yingying genuinely wanted to live life with him. Perhaps because their marriage was too hasty, Xu Yingying knew that forcing him to cut ties with his exes might only create bigger conflicts between them. It might be better to indulge him for now, allowing him to come back on his own, which would also benefit their marital relationship.


    Li Yifei thought that Xu Yingying was incredibly clever in this regard. It required great wisdom and an even greater breadth of mind, something most women couldn¡¯t manage.


    And now Li Yifei¡¯s feelings for Xu Yingying were indeed growing deeper. With her treating him so well, how could he not feel it?


    He knocked on the door, which was promptly opened. Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were both standing at the entrance as if they had been eavesdropping on his phone call.


    "I have the night off and nowhere to go. I wonder if the two beauties would take me in?" Li Yifei said with a grin, waving his phone in the air.

 Chapter 415 - 422: Sleepy, Go to Sleep

    Chapter 415: Chapter 422: Sleepy, Go to Sleep"Awesome!" Chu Xiaoyao immediately let out an excited shout and dragged Li Yifei inside.


    Su Yiyi hurriedly got Li Yifei his slippers. Although she didn¡¯t say anything, the joy on her face clearly showed her thoughts.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I won¡¯t come in, let¡¯s go out to dinner tonight."


    Su Yiyi quickly said, "Why don¡¯t we just eat at home?"


    Li Yifei smiled, "That works too, but we need to go out to buy groceries, right?"


    "Yes, yes!" Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly, she had always loved shopping for groceries and cooking with Li Yifei. Ever since Li Yifei got married, she hadn¡¯t had such an opportunity.


    Scarcity breeds value. What was once an ordinary activity becomes something precious when it¡¯s hard to come by, and Su Yiyi cherished it all the more for that. She looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, smiling happily as they shopped in the supermarket.


    However, today was not like before, because Chu Xiaoyao was also with them. She wanted to be like Su Yiyi, but Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have it, so in the end, she could only pout and follow along beside Li Yifei.


    After shopping, Li Yifei chased Su Yiyi out of the kitchen, insisting on cooking for the two of them personally. Su Yiyi was initially reluctant, but a single sentence from Li Yifei made her leave the kitchen.


    "In my heart, you¡¯re also like my wife. A husband cooking for his wife, won¡¯t you agree?"


    Today was truly blissful for Su Yiyi. Not only did Li Yifei cook for her, but he also gave her money. It wasn¡¯t the amount that mattered, but the fact that Li Yifei said she should manage that money, which signified that she really was like Li Yifei¡¯s wife.


    Although she could not be with Li Yifei every day as his officially recognized wife like Xu Yingying, having just this one day was enough for her.


    Especially eating the meal Li Yifei made, Su Yiyi felt even happier. She hardly ate a few bites, her gaze fixed lovingly on Li Yifei the whole time.


    "Yiyi, you should eat too," Li Yifei said warmly, understanding the affection in Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes and tenderly serving her food.


    "Mm," Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and began to eat.


    At that moment, Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "Uncle, when will you be as nice to me as you are to Sister Yiyi?"


    At this time, Su Yiyi felt a closeness to Chu Xiaoyao, perhaps because neither could be Li Yifei¡¯s wife officially, so there was no reason for jealousy. She laughed softly and said, "If you behave, Brother Li will be nice to you."


    "I am being good," Chu Xiaoyao replied, "Uncle, can you share a little of the kindness you show to Sister Yiyi with me, just a little bit?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile at Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s pleading look and said, "Alright, come here, Uncle will also serve you some food."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mouth opened wide and she said, "I want Uncle to feed me."


    "You¡¯re really pushing your luck," Li Yifei said with a laugh. In his good mood, he fed the food to Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately began chewing happily, saying, "Uncle, you¡¯re so nice, I finally feel like you¡¯re also a little nice to me."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You, I really don¡¯t know what to do with you."


    The meal was sweet not just because of the food, but also because of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s playful antics in the middle, which added even more joy, making Li Yifei feel quite relaxed.


    After the meal, the three of them sat on the couch, with Li Yifei in the middle. Su Yiyi sat on his left, leaning her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, while Chu Xiaoyao, since Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t hug her, simply lay down with her head on Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    "Uncle, I¡¯ll wash some fruit for you," said Chu Xiaoyao as she lay watching TV for a while before jumping up and running to the kitchen.


    Su Yiyi turned her head, looking puzzled, and said, "What did Xiaoyao just say?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "She said she¡¯s a maid. She¡¯s just being playful."


    Su Yiyi laughed softly, "She is quite mischievous. But to make such a playful girl call herself a maid, that¡¯s not easy."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "I just hope she doesn¡¯t focus on me so much. It could affect her whole life."


    "An impact isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, it¡¯s because Brother Li is so good."


    "You little scamp, now you¡¯re siding with Xiaoyao," Li Yifei laughed and lightly slapped Su Yiyi¡¯s butt.


    Su Yiyi let out a soft whimper. After being with Li Yifei, any physical contact from him always made her very sensitive. With a look of sultry eyes, she said, "Brother Li, I didn¡¯t do that. I just feel Xiaoyao truly likes you."


    "Are you not even a little jealous?"


    "I¡¯m not jealous. I don¡¯t even get jealous of your wife, so why would I be jealous of Xiaoyao?"


    Chu Xiaoyao ran back at this time, still holding a plate of grapes in her hands, and said excitedly, "Master, your servant has washed the grapes for you, let me feed them to you, ouch!"


    The girl was too excited and didn¡¯t watch her step, which caused her to trip over the slippers on the ground and hurl forward, heading straight for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei could tell that the girl really didn¡¯t do it on purpose and quickly reached out to hold her, while his other hand scooped up the plate of grapes, flipping and turning it so that not a single grape fell out.


    "Xiaoyao, are you okay?" Su Yiyi asked anxiously.


    Chu Xiaoyao was indeed startled at first, but now being held by Li Yifei, she was no longer scared, yet she still clung tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s waist, saying, "You scared me to death, my legs are all wobbly."


    Li Yifei placed the grape plate on the coffee table and then playfully slapped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s butt, laughing, "Stop playing the fool, get up or I¡¯ll spank you harder."


    Chu Xiaoyao remained wrapped around Li Yifei without letting go, cooing, "Uncle, if you want to spank me then do it, I¡¯m willing to let you."


    This tone, this voice, was indescribably coquettish, causing Li Yifei¡¯s heart to flutter. The hand raised to spank her, how could it possibly come down now, especially since Chu Xiaoyao was wearing so little at the moment¡ªjust a tank top and a pair of shorts. The shorts were those thin cotton ones, and when his hand slapped down, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s not so plump butt would tremble, creating quite a charming scene.


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t spank you anymore. But you also can¡¯t keep holding me like this, it¡¯s uncomfortable for me."


    Chu Xiaoyao raised her head, pursed her lips, and asked, "Then how should I hold you so it¡¯s not uncomfortable?"


    "Fine then, I¡¯ll hug you like I hug Yiyi, is that alright now?" Li Yifei had indeed become unable to stay stern with Chu Xiaoyao like before, choosing instead to compromise.


    "Good, good!" Chu Xiaoyao immediately sat up and then leaned her head against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, stretching one hand around his waist to hold him. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to wrap his arm around Chu Xiaoyao too. Now he truly had an armful on either side. Chu Xiaoyao looked sweetly content while Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t the slightest bit upset. As long as Li Yifei was with her, she really didn¡¯t mind everything else.


    "Brother Li, have a grape." Su Yiyi took a grape, peeled it, and held it to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth and ate it up, and soon Chu Xiaoyao followed suit, peeling a grape and bringing it to his lips, a full face of eagerness.


    Li Yifei also opened his mouth and ate it up, while the playful Chu Xiaoyao kept her little hand at his mouth, waiting for him to spit out the seed, the service was simply impeccable.


    In this house, Li Yifei was like an ancient landlord, with Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao attending to him so comfortably. In contrast, when he was with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, he was the one doing the attending.


    Two homes, two different feelings, but Li Yifei seemed to like both. Being with the people he liked, whether attending to them or being attended by them, was bliss.


    Time quickly reached ten o¡¯clock, and Chu Xiaoyao yawned, saying, "Uncle, I¡¯m sleepy, I want to go to sleep."


    "Then go to sleep." Li Yifei ruffled Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hair. After hugging her for so long, he had grown more casual with his gestures.


    "I want you to sleep with me."


    "Ah... no way!" Li Yifei immediately shook his head in refusal.


    "I don¡¯t mean doing ¡¯that kind of thing¡¯ with you, I just want you to hold me as I sleep, Sister Yiyi too. Whatever you two want to do, just do it."


    "That¡¯s not okay either." Li Yifei still refused.


    "No? Uncle, you can¡¯t be here every day. When others want to see you again, who knows when that will be? Can¡¯t you even agree to this small request? Besides, the sofa is so uncomfortable to sleep on, do you really have the heart to make me sleep on it?"


    "You and Yiyi sleep on the bed, I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa."


    "Uncle, you have a rare day off to spend good time with Sister Yiyi, and you want to sleep on the sofa? Isn¡¯t your heart a little too hard?"


    Chu Xiaoyao left Li Yifei speechless with her argument, after a long pause, he said, "Xiaoyao, this really isn¡¯t proper."


    "There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. I promise, I¡¯ll fall asleep soon, and I sleep really deep, so you two do whatever, I won¡¯t hear a thing, hehe." She said, then pulled Li Yifei by the hand toward the bedroom, while saying to Su Yiyi, "Sister Yiyi, don¡¯t be shy, it¡¯s a rare opportunity, wouldn¡¯t you regret not being with your Brother Li?"


    Su Yiyi was simultaneously shy and embarrassed, but in the end, she followed them to the bedroom.


    By this time, although Li Yifei felt like he had no control over the situation, if he truly wanted to refuse, ten Chu Xiaoyaos wouldn¡¯t be able to drag him. But such a situation was really too enticing for him, so his refusal was never really firm, resulting in a half-hearted ascent onto the bed.


    Lying on the bed, seeing Su Yiyi hesitating by the door, unwilling to get on the bed, Li Yifei suddenly let go and motioned to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, come on, the bed is big enough for three."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red, and at last, she turned off the light and groped her way onto the bed.


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 Chapter 416 - 423 Crisis of the Xu Family Sisters

    Chapter 416: Chapter 423 Crisis of the Xu Family SistersLi Yifei didn¡¯t do anything to the two girls; he just fell asleep holding them. First, he couldn¡¯t do anything to Chu Xiaoyao, and second, he had already been intimate with Su Yiyi during the day. In such a situation, if he did anything to Su Yiyi, she would probably feel very embarrassed. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to do such things in front of Chu Xiaoyao; at most, he would dote on her a little, but he never considered going too far with her.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure how long he had slept when he suddenly heard the ringtone of a cell phone. He quickly slid his arms from beneath the necks of the two girls, got out of bed without waking either of them, and went to find his phone.


    He quickly located his phone, which displayed Xu Shanshan¡¯s number. Li Yifei answered the call, and before he could speak, Xu Shanshan¡¯s anxious voice came through, "Brother-in-law, something¡¯s wrong. Someone is planning to harm us; please, come save us quickly."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart tightened as he responded, "I¡¯m on my way. Take care of yourselves."


    "Brother-in-law, you have to hurry. I¡¯m making this call secretly while using the restroom. Those people won¡¯t let my sister and me leave, and they clearly have bad intentions."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes flashed with a cold light as he quickly instructed Xu Shanshan on a few self-defense techniques. While speaking, Li Yifei had already put on his clothes, opened the door, and, like a swift cheetah, dashed out.


    Eden is a splendid resort, a beautiful sanctuary with top-notch facilities. The front part is open to regular guests, but there¡¯s a large area in the back that¡¯s exclusively for the wealthy, offering superior services and luxury.


    It was at the garden in the back of Eden where Xu Yingying was attending a cocktail party.


    At first, the party seemed normal enough, with officials making speeches and business discussions, but around 9 pm, some people left while many young people stayed behind.


    If it were a usual day, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t have stayed, but since Li Yifei had gone to meet Su Yiyi, and although she had agreed without making much of a fuss, the situation had put her in a poor mood. Therefore, she planned not to go home that evening to avoid being upset by Li Yifei not returning.


    Also, among the people Xu Yingying was chatting with that day were a few she held in high regard. These individuals had solid foundations in Mile City and even the province. Especially Hongji Company had some connections to the development of her current company. If she could foster a good relationship with them, it would greatly benefit her company¡¯s operations.


    As someone experienced in the workplace, Xu Yingying would normally be able to predict people¡¯s intentions, but Director Fang Yeyu of Hongji Company had always acted appropriately. He didn¡¯t show any untoward intentions, just the shrewdness of a businessman, so Xu Yingying didn¡¯t expect at all that Fang Yeyu would do anything to harm her.


    Xu Shanshan found such business discussions utterly dull and had wandered off to play outside long ago. There was plenty to do, so she wasn¡¯t bored.


    Feeling tired from playing, Xu Shanshan casually sat down behind some flower bushes to rest. If someone approached from the front, they would see her immediately, but from behind, she was completely out of sight.


    As Xu Shanshan rested, she overheard a man¡¯s voice; he was on the phone.


    "Young Master Song, the person you wanted has taken the bait and is getting along well with me. When should we make our move?... Okay, then let¡¯s wait until midnight before I slip something into her drink... No problem, I¡¯ll make sure this goes smoothly for Young Master Song and won¡¯t let any mistakes happen."


    Out of curiosity, Xu Shanshan peeked out to look at the man, but she was shocked as soon as she did. The man was none other than Fang Yeyu, who had been discussing business with her sister. That meant the person Fang Yeyu intended to drug was her sister, Xu Yingying.


    Now panicked, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t feel like playing anymore and hurriedly took out her phone to call Xu Yingying, but Xu Yingying¡¯s phone was turned off. Xu Shanshan had no choice but to run to the small lounge where Xu Yingying was.


    The men in the lounge greeted Xu Shanshan warmly as she entered. They all seemed quite gentlemanly, and had Xu Shanshan not overheard that phone call, she wouldn¡¯t have believed they had any ulterior motives.


    "Sis, you¡¯re not done talking yet? I¡¯m getting sleepy," Xu Shanshan said as she sat next to Xu Yingying, yawning and looking very tired.


    Xu Yingying replied, "If you¡¯re sleepy, go ahead and sleep; hasn¡¯t your room been prepared for you?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s interruption during her business talk slightly displeased Xu Yingying.


    Xu Shanshan muttered to herself about her sister¡¯s naivety and nudged her, saying, "Sis, I can¡¯t remember the way; take me there," and she also tried to give Xu Yingying meaningful glances secretly.


    Sadly, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t notice Xu Shanshan¡¯s signals at all; if she had, she would surely have realized her sister had something to tell her. She said, "Find a waiter, and they¡¯ll take you. Go on, don¡¯t make trouble here, I still have some things to discuss."


    "Shanshan, how about I escort you there?" a man named Cheng Dong said with a smile to Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and responded, "No need, I¡¯ll stay with my sister."


    "Well then, if Shanshan is bored, how about I play a game with you?" Cheng Dong took a seat next to Xu Shanshan.


    Regarding the enthusiasm of these people, Xu Shanshan understood that they just wanted to hold them back. Seeing that it was getting late, if things continued like this, it would become dangerous for her and her sister.


    "Ouch, my stomach hurts." Xu Shanshan always had a head full of tricks and quickly came up with a plan. Then, holding her stomach, she ran into the restroom.


    Everyone didn¡¯t pay much attention, and that¡¯s when Xu Shanshan secretly called Li Yifei.


    After notifying Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t afraid anymore. As long as her brother-in-law was around, none of these so-called successful people were his match. Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t a child anymore, and she shouldn¡¯t have been in the phase of blind worship, but her adoration for Li Yifei was truly blind. It seemed like as long as her brother-in-law stepped in, there was nothing in the world that couldn¡¯t be settled, even if all these people had strong backgrounds, they were no longer a concern for her.


    Back in the living room, Xu Shanshan said cheerfully to Xu Yingying, "Sis, I¡¯ve already called brother-in-law."


    Xu Yingying frowned and asked, "Why did you call him?"


    "He said he will be here soon," said Xu Shanshan, glancing at the faces of the men.


    Fang Yeyu and Cheng Dong¡¯s expressions both changed, but Fang Yeyu¡¯s face quickly showed a smile as he said, "Little sister Shanshan is really clever."


    Xu Shanshan winked at Fang Yeyu and responded, "Yeah, of course, I have to be smart. Otherwise, what if you put something in our drinks and do something to us later?"


    Fang Yeyu laughed heartily and asked, "How did little sister Shanshan come to know I had such an idea?"


    Xu Shanshan was taken aback, not expecting Fang Yeyu to admit it. Her initial statement was deliberate to make it harder for them to act, and also to remind Xu Yingying. But to her surprise, Fang Yeyu admitted directly, which disrupted her rhythm.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression changed, but she immediately said with a smile to Fang Yeyu, "Director Fang, that joke isn¡¯t very funny."


    Fang Yeyu squinted his eyes and responded, "President Xu, I¡¯m not joking here. Didn¡¯t you notice that the wine you just drank tasted a bit off? Also, aren¡¯t you feeling a bit dizzy now?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned pale rapidly, and she truly felt dizzy. Glaring fiercely, she shouted, "Fang Yeyu, you dare!"


    Fang Yeyu chuckled and said, "President Xu, I¡¯ve already done it. What is there for me not to dare? But you don¡¯t have to be angry. Someone has long harbored admiration for you and resorted to this strategy. Actually, this matter has no downsides for you at all. Once that person starts taking great care of you, you, President Xu, will no longer be someone else¡¯s employee but the true owner of a fortune worth billions."


    "Bastard!" Xu Shanshan suddenly stood up and splashed a cup of wine across Fang Yeyu¡¯s face with a flick of her wrist.


    Fang Yeyu just dodged subconsciously and was drenched from head to toe, but he didn¡¯t get annoyed and simply laughed lightly, "Little sister Shanshan, your sister is a dish on someone else¡¯s plate, but I have a special fondness for you. I like your wildness."


    "Keep dreaming!"


    At that moment, Xu Yingying pulled Xu Shanshan back and coldly said to Fang Yeyu, "Director Fang, I never thought that someone of your standing would stoop to such actions. I advise you to stop now. Doing this will do you no good."


    Fang Yeyu simply smiled and replied, "President Xu, I feel that doing this benefits me greatly."


    "Really? Perhaps you don¡¯t know who my backer is?" said Xu Yingying, her gaze icy as she looked at Fang Yeyu.


    "Your backer? I¡¯m all ears," said Fang Yeyu with the same faint smile on his face.


    "Su Mengxin from Capital City. My company belongs to Su Mengxin. If you dare to lay a finger on me, I will make sure Su Mengxin deals with you. Your power might not be weak, but compared to Su Mengxin... hmph." Xu Yingying started to feel increasingly dizzy, and a warm current surged in her body, a sensation she was all too familiar with, one that she felt every time she slept with Li Yifei. She realized that she had ingested not only a drug but also likely some kind of aphrodisiac. This startled her, so she immediately brought up Su Mengxin, trying to intimidate Fang Yeyu.


    Fang Yeyu¡¯s face finally shifted, and he said in a heavy tone, "You¡¯re one of Su Mengxin¡¯s people?"


    "That¡¯s right!" Xu Yingying replied resolutely. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fang Yeyu¡¯s expression changed repeatedly, clearly daunted by the name of Su Mengxin.

 Chapter 417 - 424: The Unyielding Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 417: Chapter 424: The Unyielding Xu Shanshanfre§×webnovel.com"Director Fang, if you back off now, I¡¯ll let this go. But if you persist in your obstinance, you won¡¯t be able to handle the consequences," Xu Yingying said as she stood up. Xu Shanshan immediately supported her sister, sensing that Xu Yingying was feeling quite unwell.


    At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Song Ziqiao strode in with a laugh, saying, "Who are you trying to scare, really? Sure, Su Mengxin is impressive, but you¡¯re just one of her employees. What¡¯s she gonna do to us? Besides, today, I¡¯ll have my way with you. We¡¯ll be a day married with affection for a hundred days, and you¡¯ll need to side with me, haha."


    "Song Ziqiao, so it¡¯s you," Xu Yingying looked at this guy with anger.


    "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me. That bastard Li Yifei pissed me off, and today I¡¯m going to have a good time with his woman, haha..."


    If it were someone else, Xu Yingying might have tried to scare him off, but this was Song Ziqiao, who had a notable grudge against Li Yifei. And last time, he learned about the close connection between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. If he still dared to trouble her now, mentioning Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    Moreover, the background of Song Ziqiao¡¯s family was very powerful too, albeit not as strong as Su Mengxin¡¯s. But Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t easily eliminate the Song Family. Song Ziqiao probably relied on this backing to dare to lay hands on her.


    "Song Ziqiao, you better not act recklessly; otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off," Xu Yingying¡¯s body grew weaker, her internal cravings heightened. She used to find these men extremely detestable, but now she felt an urge for them to surround her.


    This frightened Xu Yingying, making her bite her tongue tip quickly, clearing her mind considerably.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it fiercely against the coffee table, startling everyone. Then, as they glanced at Xu Shanshan again, she had only half a bottle in her hand, its jagged edge gleaming coldly like a multi-edged dagger.


    This was a technique Li Yifei had just taught her: if facing threat, be more ruthless than the opponent. Unless the opponent was a desperado, they wouldn¡¯t risk their lives against them.


    Xu Shanshan brandished the half-bottle, her eyes fierce like a provoked tigress, gritting her teeth: "You bastards, get the hell away from me! If anyone dares to approach, I¡¯ll fight to the death!"


    Everyone instinctively backed off. Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s demeanor, they didn¡¯t dare to step forward; they weren¡¯t desperados and valued their lives.


    "Sis! Let¡¯s go!" Xu Shanshan grabbed Xu Yingying and headed for the door.


    At this moment, all the burly men looked at each other, feeling embarrassed by being intimidated by a girl. Yet none dared to rush forward to snatch the wine bottle, fearing for their lives. As Xu Shanshan advanced, they retreated until they were pushed to the door.


    "Move!" Xu Shanshan shouted again, feeling proud. Brother-in-law¡¯s method worked well; so many men were forced back by her.


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face turned seriously grim. He had put considerable thought into this matter. In the past, his friends had invited Xu Yingying out using various excuses, but she always refused. Now, he finally managed to lure Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan out together, and even drugged them. Letting them leave now would mean losing this rare opportunity.


    However, just like others, he found no options in this situation. Facing a desperate woman, even men dared not to confront her head-on.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying felt increasingly uncomfortable, sensing her mind growing more blurred. Even after biting her tongue several times, blood trickling from her mouth, it was ineffective. The overwhelming, unbearable sensation dominated her mind, filling her thoughts with visions of intimacy with Li Yifei.


    "Hubby!" Xu Yingying murmured, suddenly embracing Xu Shanshan tightly.


    That embrace was so tight that it pinned Xu Shanshan¡¯s arms down. She was startled, and the half-bottle slipped from her grasp onto the floor.


    Everyone stood frozen. They could only watch as Xu Shanshan was about to leave with Xu Yingying, but the weapon in her hand was dropped by her sister.


    "Sis!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed in shock. Without the bottle, she couldn¡¯t intimidate these men. Even if she wanted to flee now, Xu Yingying hugged her too tightly to run. Though the door was so close, it seemed an unreachable distance.


    Song Ziqiao and the others snapped back to reality and blocked the door. Xu Shanshan had no chance to escape now.


    With a laugh, Song Ziqiao triumphantly said, "Go ahead and run away!"


    Xu Shanshan quickly moved her sister to lean against the wall, fiercely saying, "Don¡¯t get cocky! My brother-in-law is coming soon, and you¡¯ll be done for!"


    A violent glint flashed in Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes as he gritted his teeth, "Good! I hope he does come. Then I¡¯ll violate his woman and sister-in-law in front of him, haha, I bet he¡¯ll love it."


    Xu Shanshan angrily retorted, "In your dreams! If you dare touch us, my brother-in-law will definitely kill you!" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph! Who do you think he is? Just a little manager in my eyes¡ªa piece of trash. Don¡¯t mention Su Mengxin! She may do minor favors for you, but if she really wants to oppose my family, she needs to think carefully, huh!"


    "My brother-in-law doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s patronage. He¡¯s the greatest man in the world. You¡¯re just trash, not even worthy to tie his shoes. Wise up and get out of the way, or your death day will come," Xu Shanshan held her head high, fearlessly meeting Song Ziqiao¡¯s gaze, her eyes full of pride.


    This infuriated Song Ziqiao. He was a direct descendant of the Song Family¡ªa vast and powerful family that could cause a tremor with a stomp in the provincial capital¡ªwhile Li Yifei was nothing but a small-time manager. Yet Xu Shanshan, a beauty, spoke so highly of him and called Song Ziqiao trash.


    "Alright, I¡¯d like to see what he can do. Today, I¡¯ll have my way with his woman, haha..." Song Ziqiao laughed and took a leap forward, reaching for Xu Yingying¡¯s arm.


    "Get away!" Xu Shanshan twisted her body, dragging Xu Yingying to avoid Song Ziqiao¡¯s grasp.


    "I¡¯ll get away, but it will be with you two sisters on the bed. Think how thrilling that¡¯ll be," Song Ziqiao said, stepping forward again. This time he reached not for a hand but directly for Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s arms were pinned by Xu Yingying and she couldn¡¯t pull free to resist. Cornered at the wall, she couldn¡¯t evade. Watching as Song Ziqiao¡¯s hand neared her chest, she turned green with fury.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression, Song Ziqiao felt elated. He could nearly imagine the soft feeling of grabbing her chest.


    "Ah!" Yet when his hand was nearly there, suddenly he cried out, clutching his crotch and bending over.


    While Xu Shanshan¡¯s arms were restrained, her legs were free. She kicked fiercely between Song Ziqiao¡¯s legs; it worked, stopping him cold. But she didn¡¯t stop there. Seeing him bent over, she sharply raised her knee, striking his face.


    Song Ziqiao let out a wail, his body leaning back, crashing to the ground with a thud.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s moves flowed seamlessly, naturally like a trained martial artist. In two strikes, she KO¡¯d Song Ziqiao.


    Fang Yeyu quickly helped him up, exclaiming, "Young Master Song, are you okay?"


    With blood flowing from his nose and mouth, Song Ziqiao was in a pitiful state. The pain below was excruciating. If not for dodging slightly when Xu Shanshan kicked, his testicles might have been shattered.


    "You fucking bitch!" He spat out blood and cursed, furious. "Grab that bitch and strip her! I¡¯ll kill her today!"


    Cheng Dong and two others rushed to capture Xu Shanshan. They had shed their masks, becoming beasts. As men of the Song Family, they followed Song Ziqiao¡¯s every command. Even if they couldn¡¯t personally enjoy the twin sisters, it was still a thrill to watch¡ªor even feel them up.


    Xu Shanshan kicked wildly, resisting with all her might. But at this point, she couldn¡¯t catch them off guard. As a young woman, how could she fight off three men?


    When her kicks proved futile, Xu Shanshan turned to her teeth, ready to bite if any hand dared approach.


    This held off the three men, wary of losing a chunk of flesh to her sharp teeth.


    "You idiots!" Song Ziqiao finally regained himself, charging up to Xu Shanshan. He raised his arm, slapping Xu Shanshan across the face.


    Cry out in pain, Xu Shanshan still stared defiantly at him with deep hatred. "Song Ziqiao, you dare hit me! My brother-in-law will kill you¡ªhe will!"


    "Then I¡¯ll rape you first!" He slapped her other cheek, knocking her head against the wall, smearing it with blood.

 Chapter 418 - 425: Brother-in-law Avenges You

    Chapter 418: Chapter 425: Brother-in-law Avenges You""" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan turned her head, her left temple stained crimson, with bright red fingerprints on her face. It was truly tragic to behold. However, her gaze remained steadfast, unyielding as she stared at Song Ziqiao, speaking each word firmly, "You... are... dead...!"


    Song Ziqiao had already raised his hand for another slap, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes gave him pause. He suddenly felt a chill run through him and couldn¡¯t bring himself to strike her.


    "Young Master Song, perhaps... we should let this go?" Fang Yeyu whispered in Song Ziqiao¡¯s ear.


    "Let it go? Impossible! That bastard ruined my future, and you think I¡¯ll just let it go? No way!" Song Ziqiao screamed hysterically, seething with rage, "Hold this bitch down for me, I¡¯m going to rape her."


    Two men promptly seized Xu Shanshan¡¯s arms and dragged her toward the sofa. By this time, Xu Yingying was already unconscious, merely clinging to Xu Shanshan. If she wasn¡¯t holding onto that last shred of sanity, she¡¯d probably be hugging the men in the room instead.


    "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan suddenly shouted loudly.


    "Haha, are you calling for me?" Song Ziqiao felt that he had broken Xu Shanshan¡¯s mental defense by now; he laughed loudly and asked.


    "Ptooey, you bastard! Look at yourself in the mirror! Even if you became my grandson, I¡¯d be ashamed of your ugliness. Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law! If you don¡¯t come, I¡¯m doomed!"


    Xu Shanshan had already been pushed onto the sofa. Song Ziqiao, sitting next to her, grinned and said, "Do you think your brother-in-law is quite the fighter?"


    "Exactly! He could crush you with just one finger!" Xu Shanshan tilted her head, glaring viciously at Song Ziqiao.


    "And do you know why I haven¡¯t assaulted you yet? I¡¯m waiting for your brother-in-law to come. I¡¯ve already set up several experts outside. I¡¯m even worried he won¡¯t show up. But once he does, my experts will greet him thoroughly, then capture him and force him to watch as I have my way with you and your sister."


    Song Ziqiao laughed menacingly, his face flushed, his laughter as sinister as a ghost¡¯s.


    "I bet your brother-in-law has already had his eye on you, his little sister-in-law. Have you two ever played around?"


    "Get lost, you scoundrel!"


    "So you haven¡¯t played around yet, huh? Hehe, this time, I¡¯ll beat him to it, and he¡¯ll be so furious!"


    "Bang!" At this moment, the door was suddenly smashed open, and a man stumbled in.


    Song Ziqiao turned his head and frowned immediately, saying, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to catch that guy outside?"


    "Young Master Song..." The man couldn¡¯t finish his sentence before his body flew backward again, crashing into the wall, then sliding down limply, his head falling to one side in silence.


    "Brother-in-law! Is that you?" Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t see behind her, but she immediately shouted in excitement.


    "Brother-in-law is here!" Li Yifei¡¯s voice sounded next to Xu Shanshan¡¯s ear, and then she felt her arm loosen as she found herself in a man¡¯s embrace.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t need to look up to know it was Li Yifei. She immediately hugged him and started sobbing. The recent peril was something Xu Shanshan had never experienced, enduring it was already quite an accomplishment. Now that Li Yifei was finally here, her tension melted away as she cried like a little girl.


    Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s back, speaking softly, "Shanshan, don¡¯t cry." Then his tone turned deathly cold, "I¡¯ll make them pay back the suffering they gave you a hundredfold."


    Xu Yingying also heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice; whatever was left of her sanity crumbled instantly. She called out "husband," and then hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck from behind, her lips nuzzling against his neck. The aphrodisiac was at its peak, and the only thought in her head was to make love to Li Yifei.


    With his wife drugged and his sister-in-law beaten, Li Yifei¡¯s expression was eerily calm, but his cold gaze sent shivers down Song Ziqiao¡¯s spine.


    "Young Master Song, is this the guy?" Fang Yeyu stood by Song Ziqiao¡¯s side, curiously watching Li Yifei.


    "This is the guy." Song Ziqiao¡¯s expression was uncertain. The man who was just knocked in was one of the experts he had brought. Now he lay on the ground, his fate unknown, which rattled Song Ziqiao. His greatest assurance against Li Yifei was these experts, and now he wondered what had happened to the rest.


    "He doesn¡¯t look like much." Fang Yeyu sneered, taking a step forward, "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts. Do you know who this is?"


    Li Yifei shifted his gaze to Fang Yeyu and said calmly, "Who are you?"


    "I¡¯m Fang Yeyu, a friend of Young Master Song. How dare you provoke Young Master Song! Don¡¯t you know he¡¯s from the Province City Song Family? If you know what¡¯s good for you, apologize now and Young Master Song might spare you. Otherwise, one spit from the Song Family could drown you."


    There was strength in Fang Yeyu¡¯s words, reinflating Song Ziqiao¡¯s confidence. Being from the Song Family, how could he let a nobody bully him? He stepped forward and glared at Li Yifei, sneering, "Boy, don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t deal with you before because I¡¯m afraid of you. I didn¡¯t want to ruin my reputation while I was developing in Mile City. But now, you¡¯ve left me with nothing in Mile City, so I have no more reservations."


    "Young Master Song!" At this moment, several men rushed in quickly, surrounding Song Ziqiao.


    There were four men, all in their thirties, with stern faces and upright postures. They stood like spears, making it clear they were formidable.


    Song Ziqiao initially thought all the experts he brought were dealt with by Li Yifei. Seeing the four now boosted his courage. He laughed aloud, "Li Yifei, aren¡¯t you a tough guy? I¡¯d like to see just how tough you are. I can tell you, all four of these men by my side are experts."


    Li Yifei merely gave Song Ziqiao a cold look, then turned his attention to Xu Shanshan, gently wiping the blood from her forehead. Xu Shanshan winced from the pain but didn¡¯t move as Li Yifei cleaned her wound.


    "Shanshan, brother-in-law arrived late," Li Yifei spoke with indescribable tenderness.


    "Why didn¡¯t you come sooner? I got hurt," Xu Shanshan pouted in grievance.


    "Was it him who hit you?" Li Yifei pointed at Song Ziqiao.


    "Yes! It was him. He slapped me twice, and it still hurts. My head hit the wall, and now it¡¯s very painful too." Xu Shanshan spoke, feeling wronged again, tears brimming in her eyes. This was the first time in her life she had been hit. In the urgent situation before, she hadn¡¯t felt much, but now she was overwhelmed with grievance.


    Li Yifei spoke apologetically, "It was brother-in-law¡¯s fault. Now brother-in-law will get justice for you." As he spoke, Li Yifei moved like a shadow, and suddenly a loud slap echoed. Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying suddenly felt an emptiness next to them, then Li Yifei was back before them in a blink, still holding Xu Shanshan, with Xu Yingying hugging him from behind. His movements were so ghostly it left them wondering how he went and returned.


    "Ah!" Song Ziqiao screamed, teeth flying from his mouth. In just an instant, Li Yifei had slapped him no less than twenty times. So fast were the slaps that they blended into one, and so swift that Song Ziqiao¡¯s face went numb before he felt pain.


    "Are you all dead?" Song Ziqiao was furious, even more so because despite being protected by his experts, he had still been struck.


    The four experts felt a chill in their hearts. When Li Yifei rushed over, the two in front had reacted, but as they extended their arms, they felt a powerful force knock them away. Before they could counter, Li Yifei had already attacked and returned.


    Li Yifei¡¯s prowess terrified them. Even if all four of them teamed up, they couldn¡¯t match him. Where did such an expert come from? Even in the entire Song Family, there might not be more than two people like him.


    "Shanshan, I¡¯ve collected a bit of interest for you." Li Yifei didn¡¯t look at Song Ziqiao and company at all but spoke softly to Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan gazed at Song Ziqiao, who could barely speak as his face swelled like a pig¡¯s head¡ªclearly Li Yifei¡¯s handiwork.


    Slowly turning to look at Li Yifei, her eyes filled with excitement and admiration, she said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re amazing."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "Don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s like you¡¯re scolding your brother-in-law, I did let you get hurt."


    "Hehe, it¡¯s okay. Now that you¡¯ve avenged me, I won¡¯t be mad anymore." Xu Shanshan playfully winked at Li Yifei.


    Yet, Li Yifei felt even more troubled. Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t have been attacked by Song Ziqiao if not for him.


    "Shanshan, you say how I should help you get even, I¡¯ll agree to anything, even if it means killing them." Li Yifei¡¯s tone remained gentle, yet it sent chills down their spines.


    Song Ziqiao was infuriated and pointed at Li Yifei, shouting, "You bastard, you want to kill me? I¡¯ll kill you today! Get him, all of you, slaughter this kid for me!"


    """

 Chapter 419 - 426: Experts Are As Common As Dogs

    Chapter 419: Chapter 426: Experts Are As Common As DogsAlthough the four men sensed Li Yifei¡¯s strength, the fact that Li Yifei had managed to strike Song Ziqiao under their protection was a huge insult to them. Additionally, as members of the Song Family, their entire duty was to serve the family and ensure the safety of its members. Now that Song Ziqiao was injured, it meant they had failed in their duties. If they couldn¡¯t regain control of the situation, they would face severe punishment upon returning home.


    Therefore, they immediately leaped into action and charged at Li Yifei, refusing to believe that they couldn¡¯t subdue him when working together.


    Gently patting Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei said in a soft voice, "Shanshan, go take care of your sister. Your brother-in-law will handle these dogs."


    Jolted by his touch, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but stagger back several steps, settling steadily onto the sofa, while Xu Yingying also collapsed beside her. Yingying quickly wrapped her arms around her sister, and, being unable to discern genders in her state, instinctively clung to anyone nearby, writhing in their embrace.


    Xu Shanshan was too concerned to care about propriety; her eyes fixed on Li Yifei and the four men as they clashed. The five of them were now embroiled in combat, with Li Yifei surrounded in the center, which made her rather worried. Even without an understanding of martial arts, the ferocity of the four attackers was evident, and she knew they must be formidable.


    Song Ziqiao, accustomed to witnessing such expert combatants, was most concerned with the outcome and kept shouting persistently, "Beat him to death! Kill him for me!"


    Fang Yeyu and the others were left dumbstruck, having seen their fair share of tough individuals; usually, these were just brawlers who weren¡¯t afraid to strike, with impressive physiques. However, the scene unfolding before their eyes resembled an action sequence from a martial arts film¡ªmeasured advances and retreats, rapid punches and kicks, leaving them dazzled.


    Li Yifei had previous interactions with such families and was aware that they harbored highly skilled individuals who were fiercely loyal to their families, protecting important members and sometimes undertaking unsavory tasks.


    However, Li Yifei never truly believed that the experts within these families were that strong. He was now forced to concede that their prowess was undeniable. Any one of these four individuals was remarkably skilful, comparable to top-tier assassins from the killer syndicates.


    Moreover, these four men knew some team combat tactics, aiding one another with lethal strikes that made them hard to handle.


    Yet in comparison to individuals of differing strengths, they still seemed weak in Li Yifei¡¯s view. He had refrained from using deadly force simply to gauge the strength within these prominent families. Now that he knew their limit, he had lost interest in prolonging the fight.


    "Break!" Li Yifei suddenly bellowed, hurtling a punch directly at the expert in front of him.


    The punch, charged with unstoppable momentum, alarmed the man facing him. He knew very well that Li Yifei¡¯s fist was not something he could parry, immediately retreating.


    Those beside him felt pressured by Li Yifei¡¯s formidable aura and couldn¡¯t approach, while the man behind shouted forcefully, launching an attack at Li Yifei in a bid to force him to defend himself and relieve the pressure on the man in front.


    But Li Yifei¡¯s body accelerated suddenly, causing the man behind to miss his mark, and his punch landed firmly on the chest of the man opposite.


    The man, struck with terror, hastily crossed his arms and shouted in an attempt to block Li Yifei¡¯s punch.


    Upon impact, a sound of bones shattering was heard; the expert¡¯s shout was cut short as he was lifted off the ground, flew over the heads of Song Ziqiao and the others, crashed against the wall, and finally dropped to the floor.


    "Pugh!" A mouthful of blood sprayed out, and his head tilted as he collapsed, silent on the ground.


    Li Yifei¡¯s punch, while not lethal, had shattered the man¡¯s arm bones and spared not even his chest bones, breaking at least six or seven of them. In such a state, remaining conscious would be surprising.


    With one man downed, the four-man team attack crumbled. Already unable to best Li Yifei when they were united, they stood even less chance without their coordinated assault and one man down.


    "Young Master Song, we must go, the enemy is too strong," a martial expert shouted.


    Song Ziqiao, realizing the tide had turned against him, also thought of fleeing. If Li Yifei eliminated his protectors, he would be left to face retribution.


    "Young Master Song, we¡¯ll hold him off, you run!" The three martial experts, feeling increasingly pressured, urgently encouraged Song Ziqiao.


    Song Ziqiao didn¡¯t dare linger and immediately sprinted for the door, with Fang Yeyu and his group hastily following suit. If Song Ziqiao was fleeing, they dared not remain there.


    But they didn¡¯t get the chance to escape. Li Yifei roared, hastening his punches and kicks. The three experts were like kites with snapped strings, flying out one after another, each coughing up blood, severely injured.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei had swiftly moved behind Song Ziqiao and reached out to seize him by the hair.


    "Ah!" Song Ziqiao, still running forward, felt as if his scalp was being torn off. He screamed in pain, abruptly halting his steps.


    "Let go of me! Let go! If you dare touch me, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re dead," Song Ziqiao bellowed with his usual arrogance, threatening Li Yifei instinctively.


    Li Yifei responded with a cold smile, grasping Song Ziqiao¡¯s head and slamming it against the wall with a dull thud.


    "Ah!" Song Ziqiao screamed once more. Li Yifei¡¯s blow hadn¡¯t knocked him out, just left a bloody gash on his head. The pain brought tears to his eyes, mixing with the blood and streaming down his face.


    "Stop right there!" Li Yifei shouted once more.


    Already at the door, Fang Yeyu and the others now stood as if under a spell, no longer daring to move forward even one step.


    "This... this is not our business, it was all arranged by Young Master Song," Cheng Dong, his face quivering, stuttered to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Is that so?"


    Cheng Dong immediately responded, "Yes! Absolutely! Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have known your wife, how could we harm them."


    "That reason isn¡¯t good enough for me to let you go," Li Yifei replied coldly.


    The men looked at each other, and Cheng Dong stammered, "Then what... what do we need to do for you to let us go?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Song Ziqiao and said coldly, "Each person slaps Song Ziqiao ten times, and then you can leave."


    "Ah!" The men were dumbfounded.


    Song Ziqiao shouted angrily, "You bastards, if you dare to hit me, I¡¯ll skin you alive."


    Li Yifei spoke leisurely, "You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to; then I¡¯ll do it myself." With a swing of his hand, he struck Fang Yeyu¡¯s face, sending the guy crashing into the wall. Fang Yeyu¡¯s pretty-boy face immediately bore five bright red finger marks.


    From the moment he entered, Li Yifei had been observing everyone¡¯s reactions. He sensed that Fang Yeyu was not as simple as he appeared, subtly aggravating the conflict with Song Ziqiao. It seemed the boy had ulterior motives, which was why Li Yifei decided to make an example of him first.


    While Li Yifei was furious with these men and even harbored thoughts of killing them, he was no longer the second-in-command of the Flying Hawks Squad; hence, killing was not something he could do lightly. Having them slap Song Ziqiao, on the other hand, meant that Song Ziqiao was bound to harbor deep resentment, and they would get their comeuppance from him without Li Yifei¡¯s intervention.


    As for Song Ziqiao himself, Li Yifei certainly wasn¡¯t going to let him off easily. After all, he had dared to use such tactics against Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan; if Li Yifei didn¡¯t give him a thorough punishment, it would not quell the rage in his heart.


    Getting even with Song Ziqiao would inevitably offend the Song Family, but Li Yifei no longer cared. Even if he hadn¡¯t beaten Song Ziqiao today, the feud had been set, and their issues with the Song Family had become irreconcilable, so there was no need to hold back in teaching Song Ziqiao a harsh lesson.


    "Are you going to hit him or not?" Li Yifei glared and shouted at the men.


    Seeing Fang Yeyu clutching his face, unable to utter a sound after being hit by Li Yifei, they were all terrified. If that slap had been on their faces, they couldn¡¯t imagine how painful it would be.


    "Young Master Song... sorry, he forced us," Cheng Dong gritted his teeth and went over to Song Ziqiao.


    Song Ziqiao immediately glared back furiously and roared, "Cheng Dong, you dare hit me?"


    With clenched teeth, Cheng Dong said, "Young Master Song, he forced me. Don¡¯t blame me." Then he raised his hand and slapped Song Ziqiao across the face.


    Then came a series of slaps, as Cheng Dong relentlessly struck Song Ziqiao¡¯s face until he had slapped him ten times. Li Yifei barked an order, "You can go now."


    Overjoyed, Cheng Dong pushed open the door and ran out.


    The rest, seeing that Li Yifei was true to his word, made their excuses to Song Ziqiao before mercilessly slapping him as well, then turned tail and fled.


    Even Fang Yeyu ended up slapping Song Ziqiao before leaving.


    "Good, you bastards! How dare you hit me? I won¡¯t let you go," Song Ziqiao was practically about to explode with rage. Being hit by Li Yifei was one thing, but being slapped by his own friends, his own underlings, drove Song Ziqiao to the brink of madness.


    "Now there¡¯s only you left," Li Yifei said slowly, his gaze fixed on Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes.


    Song Ziqiao shuddered, only now remembering he had to face Li Yifei alone. His earlier menacing attitude turned into panic as he stuttered, "What else do you want?"


    Li Yifei snorted, "Quite simple, I¡¯ll break your legs." With that, his foot flickered, landing blows on both of Song Ziqiao¡¯s legs.


    Song Ziqiao screamed miserably and fell to the ground, clutching his legs and wailing like a slaughtered pig.


    sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 420 - 427 Poor Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 420: Chapter 427 Poor Xu ShanshanHolding Xu Yingying and pulling Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei swaggered out of Eden. No one stopped him, nor did anyone question them on the way.


    After placing Xu Yingying in the back seat, Li Yifei had Xu Shanshan take care of Xu Yingying and quickly rushed home.


    Along the way, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t say much. Today had been shocking for her too, especially when Li Yifei dealt with those people at the end. It was an extremely violent method, making her feel Li Yifei had suddenly become a stranger. The gentle and caring brother-in-law she used to bully was surprisingly so violent, leaving her heart pounding.


    Li Yifei noticed Xu Shanshan¡¯s flickering gaze in the rearview mirror but didn¡¯t say anything until they got home. Then he said to Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, get some rest. If there¡¯s anything, talk to me tomorrow. Your sister is like this, so I need to take care of her first."


    Xu Shanshan responded and went straight into the bathroom.


    Li Yifei carried Xu Yingying into the bedroom and placed her on the bed. Ever since they got out of the car, Xu Yingying had been kissing Li Yifei¡¯s cheek, and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t responded. But now there was no need to think so much. Li Yifei quickly took off his clothes and then took off Xu Yingying¡¯s clothes, and the two of them immediately fell into a frenzy.


    Though Xu Yingying had been able to loosen up a bit these past few days, it was only a little, and she didn¡¯t have many tricks. But today, under the effect of the drug, her restraint was completely gone. Not only was she under Li Yifei, but she also turned over him, taking on the position of being on top.


    For a full half-hour, Li Yifei was almost exhausted, finally lulling Xu Yingying into a deep sleep.


    After lying on the bed for a while, Li Yifei got up to go to the bathroom to take a shower. But as he came out, he saw Xu Shanshan also emerging from her room.


    "Shanshan, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?" Li Yifei asked instinctively. Then he suddenly realized he wasn¡¯t wearing anything and exclaimed, quickly turning and running back to the bedroom.


    After a while, Li Yifei came out wearing pajamas, finding the light in the living room still on. He went to the living room and awkwardly said to Xu Shanshan, who was sitting on the sofa, "Shanshan, I..."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Brother-in-law, so your butt looks quite nice too."


    Li Yifei was immediately covered in a cold sweat, too embarrassed to know what to say to Xu Shanshan.


    Today, Xu Shanshan had been deeply impressed by Li Yifei, feeling a bit of fear towards him. But seeing Li Yifei now embarrassed and ashamed from her teasing, the fear quickly dissipated. She pouted and said, "Brother-in-law, my head wound hasn¡¯t been treated yet, and my face still hurts."


    Speaking of this, Li Yifei was no longer embarrassed and immediately said, "Sit still; I¡¯ll fix it for you right away."


    After setting a few eggs to boil, Li Yifei brought over the medicine box to treat Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead wound.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead had just a small cut. Although the bleeding had looked scary at the time, it wasn¡¯t serious. Li Yifei cleaned the wound and applied some medication, so it was nothing serious¡ªjust a bump there, which was a bit distressing.


    "Those bastards, hurting Shanshan like this. I should have beaten them harder!" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily as he massaged the swelling on Xu Shanshan¡¯s face. Her beautiful face was now red and swollen, which made him really feel heartache.


    "Brother-in-law, you care about me, don¡¯t you?" Xu Shanshan, sitting on the sofa next to Li Yifei, their faces close together, squinted her eyes and asked.


    Li Yifei gently massaged her face with an egg and said, "Of course I care. You¡¯re my sister-in-law, like a real sister to me. When someone hits you, how could I not care?"


    "Brother-in-law, were you so angry and beat them so hard because they hit me?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, you¡¯re my family. No matter who bullies my family, I won¡¯t let them go."


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan looked into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, suddenly extended her arms, wrapped them around his waist, and rested her head on his chest, softly saying, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so good."


    Li Yifei gently patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s back and said, "Shanshan, don¡¯t be afraid. I promise I¡¯ll never let you be bullied like that again."


    "Mm, I trust you, Brother-in-law." Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei even tighter.


    "Alright, let me reduce the swelling, or your face will be worse tomorrow morning." Li Yifei steadied Xu Shanshan by the shoulders, making her sit up straight.


    Xu Shanshan obediently let Li Yifei continue reducing the swelling, keeping her eyes fixed on his face.


    "Is there a flower on my face?"


    "There¡¯s no flower on Brother-in-law¡¯s face. I just remembered how manly you looked back then. I¡¯m so glad my sister married you. Otherwise, where would I ever find such a good brother-in-law?"


    "Hehe, you can also find me a good brother-in-law in the future."


    "That¡¯d be hard! Where can I find a man better than Brother-in-law? If I can¡¯t, I¡¯d rather not get married."


    "Silly girl. Alright, go sleep."


    "Mm, good night, Brother-in-law." Xu Shanshan smiled sweetly, stood up obediently, and went into the bedroom.


    Li Yifei returned to the bedroom, where Xu Yingying was sleeping soundly. He lay down, holding Xu Yingying, and drifted into his dreams. Today¡¯s events were nothing for him with such conviction.


    But for Xu Shanshan, she didn¡¯t have that strong of a heart. She was awoken by a nightmare in the middle of the night. The curtains¡¯ movement even startled her, and she jumped out of bed and ran to Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s room.


    As Xu Shanshan opened the door, Li Yifei woke up, already knowing she had come. Before he could ask, Xu Shanshan had already leapt into bed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and stammered, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m scared to death."


    The motion startled Li Yifei, but fortunately, Xu Yingying remained deeply asleep. Although the sedative was no longer a problem, the sleeping drug kept her in a deep slumber.


    "What happened?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t pull away Xu Shanshan¡¯s hands, instead patting her shoulder.


    "I felt like there was someone in my room, and I¡¯m scared to go back." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We live so high up; who could climb up here? Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here; if any bad guys came in, I would have chased them away."


    "I¡¯m not going back! No matter what you say, I¡¯m staying here to sleep with you."


    "This... or you sleep with your sister and I¡¯ll sleep in your room?"


    "No, no! If you leave, I¡¯ll still be scared." Xu Shanshan clung tighter to Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Normally, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t mind Xu Shanshan sleeping here, but today Xu Yingying was undressed. Allowing Xu Shanshan to sleep here felt awkward. "Shanshan, stop messing around. Go back to sleep."


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m really not messing around. I tried my best, but the more I stayed in my room, the more scared I got. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all. I¡¯m really afraid to sleep alone. Please, Brother-in-law, don¡¯t make me leave. Let me sleep here."


    Li Yifei was seeing Xu Shanshan so vulnerable for the first time, and his heart softened. He said, "Alright, but you can¡¯t sleep holding me, right? What if your sister sees? What would that look like?"


    "Oh!" Xu Shanshan let go of her arm and said, "I¡¯ll sleep next to my sister. Is that okay?"


    "This... alright." Li Yifei was somewhat embarrassed, as Xu Shanshan would find out Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t dressed. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t matter between sisters, but with him as the brother-in-law, it was a bit awkward.


    Xu Shanshan scooted over quickly, lifted the thin blanket, and lay beside Xu Yingying, hugging her, and raised her head to say, "Brother-in-law, you can¡¯t leave. Please."


    Li Yifei saw Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t have much of a reaction, so it wasn¡¯t as awkward. He said, "I won¡¯t leave, but I need to fetch your blanket."


    "Then hurry up." Xu Shanshan urged him.


    Li Yifei had to go fetch Xu Shanshan¡¯s blanket and covered her with it. Though she had her own blanket, she still reached her arm into Xu Yingying and Li Yifei¡¯s blanket to hug her sister.


    Like this, Li Yifei finally felt a bit more at ease and comforted Xu Shanshan a few times. She finally closed her eyes.


    However, Xu Shanshan slept very restlessly throughout the night. She would frequently wake up in fright, unlike earlier when she self-assuredly fought with Song Ziqiao and the likes. But after the anger subsided, the fear gradually overtook her.


    Every time Xu Shanshan woke up, Li Yifei would also wake up and have to comfort her back to sleep, only for her to wake up again shortly. This was exhausting for Li Yifei, and ultimately, he held her hand to provide comfort, which helped her settle down.


    "Shanshan, why are you sleeping here?" Early the next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Xu Yingying woke up. Feeling pressed by Xu Shanshan¡¯s arm on her chest and a bit stifled, she woke up first.


    "Sis, let me sleep a bit longer. I fell asleep really late last night." Xu Shanshan murmured, opening her eyes briefly before closing them again, not loosening her grip on her sister¡¯s arm.


    Embarrassed, Xu Yingying suddenly realized she wasn¡¯t wearing anything. Recalling the events of last night, her heart raced, and she pushed both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, saying, "Wake up, wake up. What¡¯s going on here?"

 Chapter 421 - 428: Will you do it or shall I?

    Chapter 421: Chapter 428: Will you do it or shall I?Li Yifei had also awakened by this time and said, "Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I rushed over later."


    Xu Yingying said anxiously, "I¡¯m really fine? I remember they drugged me last night, and it was an aphrodisiac. I was kind of... losing control."


    "Shanshan protected you the whole time, not letting them touch you. Shanshan was really brave. If it weren¡¯t for her, the consequences would have been unimaginable," Li Yifei was also feeling a sense of residual fear. If Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t been so valiant, by the time he would have arrived, Xu Yingying might indeed have been violated.


    Even if he had killed Song Ziqiao and all the others, the fact would still have happened. He might not care, but Xu Yingying likely couldn¡¯t have borne it, and he dared not imagine what she might have done in that situation. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Really? Husband, you¡¯re not lying to me, are you?" Xu Yingying stared at Li Yifei with a face full of panic.


    "How could I lie to you? You¡¯re my wife," Li Yifei said gently as he stroked Xu Yingying¡¯s face.


    "Then why am I... not wearing any clothes?"


    "Of course, it was me who undressed you."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything more at this point, as he didn¡¯t know if Xu Shanshan was asleep or not, and it was inappropriate to discuss such matters.


    Xu Yingying saw nothing amiss in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and finally let out a sigh of relief. If Li Yifei had undressed her, then even if she had done something because of the drug, it was with her own husband, and that was completely fine. But then she suddenly thought of another problem, quickly pulled away Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and chided, "Stop it."


    Li Yifei quickly withdrew his hand. It was really inappropriate to be intimate with Xu Yingying with Xu Shanshan there.


    "Why did you let Shanshan sleep here?" Xu Yingying whispered to Li Yifei, her face flushing with embarrassment.


    Li Yifei replied, "Shanshan kept having nightmares last night. She was too scared to sleep alone, so she ended up coming to our room."


    Xu Yingying turned her head to look at Xu Shanshan and then noticed the bandage on her forehead, and exclaimed in surprise, "Shanshan is injured?"


    "Yes, she got a little cut. I¡¯ve already treated it, and it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem."


    "Those bastards!" Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned an angry shade of pale, extremely incensed. She knew she was unharmed and wasn¡¯t so upset anymore, but seeing that Xu Shanshan had gotten hurt, she couldn¡¯t hold back.


    "Sis, don¡¯t make noise, let me sleep a bit more," Xu Shanshan opened her eyes and looked aggrieved.


    "Alright, alright, you sleep, I won¡¯t talk anymore." At this moment, Xu Yingying felt both heartache and gratitude toward her sister. It wasn¡¯t just about letting Xu Shanshan sleep a bit longer, she would have readily agreed to even more outlandish requests.


    "Okay, everyone hasn¡¯t had a good sleep, let¡¯s all sleep a bit more," Li Yifei said.


    Xu Yingying nodded, reached out to hold Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and then closed her eyes.


    Although three people were in one bed, with Xu Yingying undressed, all three slept quite naturally until past seven o¡¯clock when Li Yifei was woken by the phone.


    Li Yifei hurriedly got out of bed and went to the living room to find his phone. Seeing the call was from Chu Xiaoyao, he quickly answered.


    "Uncle, where have you been?" Chu Xiaoyao started by checking in on Li Yifei right away.


    Li Yifei said in a low voice, "Some things came up last night, and I left in the middle of the night."


    "Bad uncle! Where are you now?"


    "I¡¯m already back home."


    "Annoying!" Chu Xiaoyao said and then hung up.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Chu Xiaoyao to not say much more, but it was better that way. After what had happened last night, he was feeling quite regretful and had somewhat indulged Chu Xiaoyao. Now that he was married, he should be a responsible husband. The situation with Su Yiyi was already complicated enough, so he couldn¡¯t afford to make things even more complex.


    "Was it Yiyi?" Xu Yingying came into the living room, now wearing her pajamas.


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly and said, "No, it was Chu Xiaoyao. She¡¯s on break and went to my house last night, oh, the one I used to live in."


    "Oh, did she do well on her tests?" Xu Yingying sat next to Li Yifei, looping her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder.


    "She should be doing well. That girl is quite smart. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s been influenced by her parents. If we ever have kids, we must not fight, it¡¯s bad for the children."


    "I¡¯m not going to fight with you. If you annoy me, I¡¯ll ban you from leaving the house for a whole year."


    "Phew, wife, you¡¯re really ruthless."


    "Hmph, it¡¯s because you have so many unseverable ties of affection. By keeping you locked at home, you become honest."


    Li Yifei coughed twice and said, "Wife, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m working hard now to be a good husband, and I will definitely handle everything properly."


    "I believe you." Xu Yingying took Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei reciprocated by holding Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart. The feeling of home was becoming stronger in his heart. Wives and girlfriends were indeed different. He felt a sense of responsibility towards Xu Yingying that he absolutely had to follow through on.


    "How is that Song Ziqiao doing?" Xu Yingying asked.


    Li Yifei recounted the previous day¡¯s events, though he omitted the struggles with those experts, which were still somewhat remote to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying voiced her concerns, "You fought Song Ziqiao, and now this problem might be even harder to resolve. I know now that he¡¯s from the Province City Song Family, a major clan of the city. If he comes back for revenge, that would be really troublesome."


    Li Yifei said with ease, "Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ll handle it."


    Xu Yingying turned around, took Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and said seriously, "Husband, we¡¯re husband and wife. No matter what we encounter, we should face it together. I don¡¯t want you to play the hero and bear all the pressure alone. Although I¡¯m just a woman, I can still help you bear it."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "I understand. I¡¯ll talk to Su Mengxin later to see if she can put some pressure on the Song Family, so they stop troubling us."


    "Right, Sister Mengxin is indeed the only one with such capabilities. When she comes over later, let¡¯s talk to her together. Oh, and husband, you did a great job making those people slap Song Ziqiao. He definitely won¡¯t let them off the hook. Without lifting a finger, you¡¯ve taken care of them too, which is quite satisfying."


    After discussing for a while, there was a knock on the door. Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei arrived together. Meng Xiaofei was still giggling away, while Su Mengxin was as graceful and composed as ever. It was the same story when both of them came over ¨C they were here for a free meal.


    During the meal, Su Mengxin noticed Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries. Though Xu Shanshan¡¯s face wasn¡¯t swollen, there were still some bruises, and because her skin was so fair, the bruises were all the more conspicuous.


    "Shanshan, what happened?" Su Mengxin asked, puzzled.


    Xu Shanshan immediately puffed up with anger and recounted last night¡¯s events, causing Su Mengxin¡¯s brows to furrow instantly.


    Xu Yingying said, "Mengxin, that Song Ziqiao is so detestable. I¡¯m very worried that Yifei¡¯s fight with him will provoke an even crazier retaliation."


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei, who winked at her, and she quickly caught on. She said with a stern face, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll speak to the Song Family elders about this. This behavior is just unacceptable. What kind of people is the Song Family raising?"


    With Su Mengxin¡¯s words, Xu Yingying felt relieved and said, "Then thank you, Mengxin."


    Su Mengxin said with mild reproach, "Thanks for what? I eat at your place every day, and I feel like you¡¯re my family. How could we let outsiders bully our own people?"


    At this moment, Xu Yingying was truly grateful to Su Mengxin, and Mengxin¡¯s words touched her even more. Although she had recently been addressing Su Mengxin by her name directly, in her heart, she still couldn¡¯t consider Su Mengxin as a friend. Yet, Mengxin seemed to genuinely treat her as a friend, even considering her place as home and the hired help as her family members.


    Xu Shanshan then pouted and said, "Sister Mengxin, you must help me get even. Look what that jerk did to me, my face still hurts."


    Su Mengxin nodded and responded, "I will definitely do so."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s answer was very simple, but Li Yifei understood that such a promise from Mengxin could lead the Song Family into disarray. Mengxin¡¯s capabilities were simply not something the Song Family could match, not just in terms of money, but more importantly, Mengxin¡¯s background was something the Song Family couldn¡¯t come close to even if they tried.


    It was Saturday, and no one had to go to work. After the meal, Su Mengxin said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, come help me with something."


    Li Yifei readily followed her, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t come along. If it were another woman alone with Li Yifei, she might think more about it, but she would never suspect anything between Su Mengxin and Yifei.


    Once they were at Su Mengxin¡¯s place, seated on the sofa, Su Mengxin asked Li Yifei, "What do you want to do?"


    "I don¡¯t particularly want to do anything. I already broke both of Song Ziqiao¡¯s legs yesterday, and I¡¯ve vented my anger sufficiently. If the Song Family comes after me, then let them come. But if they dare to touch Yingying or Shanshan again, I won¡¯t be polite to them."


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and asked, "So, would you like me to restrain them, or do you prefer to handle it yourself?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "With you, Miss Su, taking action, naturally, I can relax. Why wouldn¡¯t I be happy about that?"


    "The second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad is getting lazy now," Su Mengxin teased with a hint of humor in her voice.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and answered, "Yes, life is so comfortable now. I¡¯m very content. I no longer like dealing with the life of violence and killing."


    Su Mengxin gazed at Li Yifei, her eyes flickering for a moment, and then she picked up the phone.

 Chapter 422 - 429: The Song Family’s Reaction

    Chapter 422: Chapter 429: The Song Family¡¯s ReactionSong Ziqiao¡¯s leg was broken, and although the several martial experts with him were also seriously injured, they could still carry on. They hastily took Song Ziqiao to a major hospital in the provincial city, and on the way, they had already informed his father, Song Xiaojie.


    "Son, son!" Just as Song Ziqiao¡¯s car arrived at the hospital entrance, an elegant middle-aged woman rushed over, shouting anxiously. She was Song Ziqiao¡¯s mother, Wang Yuejiao.


    "Mom! My leg¡¯s broken, my leg¡¯s broken!" Song Ziqiao had been enduring the pain stoically in the car, boiling with hatred for Li Yifei. Now, seeing his mother, he instinctively cried out loudly. The sense of aggrievement, accompanied by tears, burst forth and his previous strength was nowhere to be seen.


    "Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, the doctor will surely cure you. I¡¯ve already found the best doctor for you, there won¡¯t be any problems." Seeing her son¡¯s face swollen to the point of being unrecognizable, Song Ziqiao¡¯s mother initially felt heartache, then a strong surge of anger rose within her.


    The doctors quickly wheeled Song Ziqiao into the operating room. Wang Yuejiao immediately grabbed her husband¡¯s hand, choking up as she said, "Ziqiao¡¯s leg won¡¯t have any problems, right?"


    Song Xiaojie said gravely, "With the advancements in medical technology today, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems."


    "Who is the bastard that dared to beat up our Ziqiao? This is utterly outrageous. I will not let that person off. Song Hui, tell me, what happened?"


    Song Hui was one of the five martial experts, and at that moment, with his head bowed and face full of guilt, he said, "Second Master, Second Mistress, we failed to protect the young master. The man is from Mile City, named Li Yifei, the Human Resources Manager of Dreamfly Corporation. He used to be a soldier."


    Song Xiaojie asked in a deep voice, "How many people did he bring with him?"


    "Just... one!" Song Hui, still somewhat shaken at the thought of Li Yifei¡¯s terrifying skills, replied, "That Li Yifei¡¯s martial prowess is too extraordinary. Song Ming was first injured by him. The rest of us four teamed up to attack him, yet he still managed to injure us."


    Song Xiaojie¡¯s complexion instantly soured as he said, "There is such a skilled person?"


    Song Hui nodded emphatically, "Yes! Every word I say is true. That Li Yifei is definitely a super martial expert, and I fear he is no less skilled than any of our Song Family¡¯s top fighters."


    Wang Yuejiao, now furious, said, "You bunch of good-for-nothings, to be beaten by one person and still speak of it. What use is the Song Family raising you for?"


    Song Hui¡¯s face turned an ugly shade, yet he still said, "Second Mistress¡¯s rebuke is deserved. It is our incompetence."


    Song Xiaojie waved his hand, "Don¡¯t blame yourselves, it was the opponent who was too strong. Alright, Yuejiao, you stay here and take care of Ziqiao. I need to take them back and report to the elder."


    The Song Family¡¯s martial experts, although they always followed the Song Family¡¯s orders, were not the kind to give their lives wholly to the Song Family. With their strength, they would be extremely welcome in any family, so Wang Yuejiao¡¯s direct reprimand could easily hurt these people¡¯s feelings, hence Song Xiaojie hurriedly intervened.


    The ancient residence of the Song Family was situated in a bustling district of the provincial city, a large garden-like estate that was a distinctive landmark amidst the surrounding high-rise buildings, further emphasizing the extraordinary status of its inhabitants.


    The rise of the Song Family, through a hundred years of warfare and political turmoil, yet standing tall, evidenced the strength of the Song Family. It was also due to the emergence of talented individuals in past generations who made the right decisions at critical moments.


    Now, the helmsman of the Song Family was Song Shucheng, sixty-nine years old, soon to reach the venerable age of seventy. He was still vigorous and imposing, currently seated in a grandmaster¡¯s chair, looking coldly at the five martial experts brought before him, and said, "Explain the reason."


    Song Hui, who might have shown slight defiance towards other members of the Song Family, was completely respectful and forthright with the Song Family elder, not hiding a thing as he recounted the conflict between Song Ziqiao and Li Yifei.


    Song Xiaojie¡¯s expression darkened, aware of his son¡¯s usual recklessness and though he wanted to discipline him, his wife¡¯s indulgence and his own lack of serious concern, given the Song Family¡¯s vast power, had let things slide. To Song Xiaojie, Ziqiao¡¯s indiscretions, such as playing with women, were normal, and any trouble was easily settled with some money afterward.


    But in the presence of the elder, it was easy to anger him, for Elder Song has always been strict, always hoping for talent to emerge from his family line, not spoiled rich kids.


    "Xiaojie, is this how you raise a son?" Elder Song, as expected, exploded in anger, his gaze piercing as he turned towards Song Xiaojie.


    Song Xiaojie immediately replied in fear and trepidation, "Father, it is my failure in discipline."


    "Hmph, the Song Family has prospered for a hundred years. What is it that sustains us? It is because every generation works diligently to manage the Song Family, putting its development first and pleasure second. Ziqiao last time already ruined a great future because of a woman, and now he nearly lost his life over one. This is an utter disgrace to the Song Family."


    Song Xiaojie¡¯s forehead was slick with sweat, and he could only keep nodding and saying yes. In the Song Family, the elder¡¯s authority was unquestionable. Moreover, now that the elder was nearly seventy and would need to establish a new head of the Song Family in a couple of years, his six brothers all had a chance. Naturally, no mishap could be afforded.


    Wang Yuejiao burst in, knelt with a thud before Song Shucheng, and cried, "Dad, it¡¯s true that Ziqiao was spoiled by me and caused trouble. All the blame lies with me. But no matter what, Ziqiao is still a member of the Song Family. Now that an outsider has beaten him like this, it is an utter disgrace to our Song Family. Dad, can you really stand by and watch a member of the Song Family be humiliated like this?"


    Wang Yuejiao was indeed a calculating woman, usually shrewder than her husband. After staying in the hospital for a while, she became anxious and hurried back, just in time to see the elder scolding her husband. In great alarm, she rushed out to take the blame on herself.


    Song Shucheng waved his hand and said, "Get up quickly. How could someone from our Song Family be bullied at will? I scolded Xiaojie to remind you all to discipline the children properly. Our future lies in their hands."


    Only then did Wang Yuejiao rise, wiping away her tears, and said, "Dad, you haven¡¯t seen Ziqiao. He¡¯s in a terrible state; his face is swollen, his head is bloody from a wound, and both his shins are broken. If he can¡¯t be cured, Ziqiao will become disabled. They simply didn¡¯t put our Song Family in their eyes."


    Although Song Shucheng knew that Song Ziqiao¡¯s legs were broken, he hadn¡¯t realized just how badly beaten he was. His expression turned quite ugly at this point. Over the years, even when clashes occurred with other families in the province, everyone would leave face for each other and not beat someone to such an extent. Now, a minor figure had beaten Song Ziqiao so badly, and as the head of the Song Family, he could not tolerate it.


    "Bring Third Tribute here," Song Shucheng ordered Song Hui.


    Song Hui immediately acknowledged and hurried out, while Wang Yuejiao and Song Xiaojie both looked pleased, knowing that the elder was truly enraged this time, even ordering the Tributes to be summoned.


    Before long, Song Hui returned with a man in his fifties, dressed in a white Tang suit, with a gaunt face, a goatee, and an expressionless demeanor. Even when seeing Song Shucheng, he merely nodded.


    "Third Tribute, someone has now dared to trample on the Song Family. I must trouble you to take care of this and teach that kid a lesson," Song Shucheng said.


    The Third Tribute nodded without saying anything.


    Wang Yuejiao immediately said with red eyes, "Third uncle, that person beat up Ziqiao, breaking his legs and swelling his face like a pig¡¯s. Even Song Hui and the other four were beaten. I think only third uncle can handle that kid."


    The Tributes enjoyed an extraordinary status within the Song Family, and even Song Xiaojie¡¯s generation had to refer to them respectfully as uncle.


    Third Tribute¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he said, "Alright, tell me where he is. I¡¯ll go see him."


    Song Hui promptly recounted Li Yifei¡¯s situation. Third Tribute nodded, seeming intrigued by Li Yifei. For a master like him, worthy opponents were hard to come by, and now an opportunity arose to confront such a skilled adversary, which was truly exciting.


    At that moment, Song Shucheng said, "Break his legs and his right arm. Ruin his martial arts, but don¡¯t kill him."


    Third Tribute nodded and glided out.


    Right then, the telephone began to ring. Everyone looked curiously at Song Shucheng since this was his private line. Very few people could directly call him, and it was a mystery who would at this time.


    "Who is this?" Song Shucheng looked at the number, also puzzled. The number was completely unfamiliar, but he still answered.


    "This is Su Mengxin." The voice of Su Mengxin was always so pleasing.


    "Su Mengxin... Su Mengxin of the Capital City?" Song Shucheng¡¯s face suddenly changed.


    "It¡¯s me. Xu Yingying is my General Manager at Dreamfly Company in Mile City, and Li Yifei is my man. I¡¯m already aware of this incident. If Elder Song has any complaints, he can discuss them with me."


    Su Mengxin spoke evenly, yet her words were sharp, along with an oppressive aura.


    Song Shucheng¡¯s face changed again. Su Mengxin¡¯s words effectively took all the responsibility upon herself. If the Song Family wanted to act, they would be directly confronting Su Mengxin. Although formidable, the Song Family simply wasn¡¯t on the same level with the Su Family of the Capital City. He knew she was pressuring him, yet found himself utterly unable to become angry. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 423 - 430: Su Mengxin’s Man

    Chapter 423: Chapter 430: Su Mengxin¡¯s ManSong Shucheng chuckled, "This is just a matter among the children, a little conflict isn¡¯t anything significant."


    Su Mengxin managed a slight smile, "Elder Song doesn¡¯t need to be so polite. If Li Yifei has hit someone from your Song Family, and you just swallow this insult, it would seem like I¡¯m the one pressing you too hard. Please, feel free to take revenge on Li Yifei. However, I have one condition, and that¡¯s that you cannot go after Li Yifei¡¯s family and friends. You must confront Li Yifei directly."


    Song Shucheng was completely stunned at first, but soon grasped the meaning behind Su Mengxin¡¯s words and chuckled, "Since Miss Su has said so, I would be disrespectful to decline."


    "Let¡¯s leave it at that. In the future, if Elder Song is in Capital City or Mile City, you can just give me a call. I¡¯ve always looked up to Elder Song¡¯s grace."


    "Certainly, certainly!"


    After hanging up the phone, Song Shucheng¡¯s expression darkened as he said, "Ziqiao really is a fool. Knowing full well that Li Yifei has a close relationship with the Su Family, he still dared to provoke him recklessly."


    Wang Yuejiao¡¯s face changed drastically as she hurriedly said, "Dad, you¡¯re not planning to abandon Ziqiao, are you?"


    Song Shucheng snorted, "You all have grown too arrogant. Although our Song Family is strong enough in the province, there are many more powerful families than ours on a national scale. The Su Family is one of the great Capital Families, and Su Mengxin is now known as the number one beauty of Huaxia. She¡¯s not just beautiful, but also extremely capable; we simply can¡¯t afford to provoke her."


    "Then... then Ziqiao was beaten for nothing."


    Song Shucheng waved his hand dismissively, "You all should leave. I will handle this matter; you don¡¯t need to create any more trouble."


    After sending Song Xiaojie and the others out, Song Shucheng¡¯s fingers gently tapped on the armrest. He was still digesting Su Mengxin¡¯s words. A person like Su Mengxin would not easily stand up for someone else, and if she did, it indicated a significant relationship. Normally, after receiving such a call from Su Mengxin, he would have to endure it.


    But Su Mengxin also said she wouldn¡¯t mind if they confronted Li Yifei head-on, which seemed to show extreme confidence in Li Yifei¡¯s abilities.


    "Since you¡¯re so confident, then I¡¯ll just go with the flow. If the Third Tribute ends up hurting Li Yifei, she can¡¯t blame me."


    Although Song Shucheng had warned his son that they couldn¡¯t afford to provoke the Capital Families, having had no conflicts with them in the past years, he wasn¡¯t aware of their actual strength. He wanted to test the gap between his family and those in the Capital City. Attempting this without risking anything major was not unacceptable.


    So in the end, Song Shucheng did not call the Third Tribute back, instead letting him meet Li Yifei. If he could deal with Li Yifei, great; if not, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss.


    At Su Mengxin¡¯s home, Su Mengxin was smiling at Li Yifei, who in turn gave her a white look and said, "I¡¯m telling you, how could you deal with things so hastily and even leave loose ends? This is deliberately causing trouble for me."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "I think you¡¯ve been too relaxed lately. If this continues, you¡¯ll lose all your skills. So, I¡¯m finding you something to do to keep you in shape. Isn¡¯t that good?"


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette, was about to light it, but then he threw it onto the coffee table. Su Mengxin asked in confusion, "What? You don¡¯t like smoking these anymore?"


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like smoking, but I¡¯m planning to have a child soon, so I need to quit."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly, "Planning to have children so soon?"


    Li Yifei shrugged, "I¡¯m not exactly in a rush, but Yingying¡¯s parents are pushing us, and besides, we¡¯re not getting any younger. Having one would be good."


    When the topic of children came up, Li Yifei thought of Ye Yunzhu, who was carrying his child, and moreover one that must be born. He couldn¡¯t take responsibility for her, and the situation was really unfair, so he picked up the cigarette and lit it again.


    "Why are you smoking again?" Su Mengxin asked, puzzled, once more.


    Li Yifei sighed, "I¡¯ll just put it off for a while."


    "That¡¯s not like you."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin, "Mengxin, I¡¯m in a difficult situation right now and I need your advice."


    "Must be about love affairs," Su Mengxin said with a smile. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded, "I¡¯m married to Yingying now and since we¡¯re married, I want to live a good life with her. But Yunzhu is now pregnant with my child, and if she has an abortion, she won¡¯t be able to have children in the future, so she has to have the baby."


    Su Mengxin frowned. The marriage of Li Yifei and Xu Yingying was troubling enough, but now with Ye Yunzhu pregnant, it added another complication to her hopes of being with Li Yifei.


    "What do you think about it yourself?" Su Mengxin met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei took a drag of his cigarette and said, "I can¡¯t figure it out now, either. If things were normal, given Yunzhu¡¯s situation, and she¡¯s my first love, I should be with her. But I¡¯m already married to Yingying, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to divorce her either."


    "Have you ever considered what Yingying would think if she found out you and Yunzhu have a child together?"


    "She would definitely be very troubled."


    "Don¡¯t you think Yingying would be very heartbroken?"


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment. He had actually never thought about that. It seemed that since Xu Yingying married him, she had been quite indulgent towards him. She knew he was still entangled with several other women, so Li Yifei had ignored the fact that Xu Yingying might be heartbroken.


    "Actually, no matter what you do now, you¡¯re going to hurt someone. And it seems like being with Yunzhu might hurt less?"


    "Why?" Li Yifei asked.


    "If you stay with Yingying, then Yunzhu will have a child without a father. Yunzhu will definitely suffer. And sooner or later, Yingying will find out you have a child with Yunzhu. Will she feel good about it? Will she easily accept it? If you are with Yunzhu, Yingying will still be heartbroken, but at least Yunzhu won¡¯t be hurting anymore, and the child will have a father. That way, you¡¯ll only hurt one person."


    Li Yifei took two quick drags of his cigarette and felt that Su Mengxin made sense. He forced a smile and said, "But now, if I have to tell Yingying I want a divorce, I can¡¯t bring myself to say it."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Then I¡¯m out of ideas. Matters of the heart are really difficult to handle. Of course, the best solution is to marry both Yingying and Yunzhu. That way, neither of them would be sad."


    "Marry both?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yes, it¡¯s not such a difficult thing. Many people from big families have several wives. Like my second uncle has four, and my third uncle has three."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "That¡¯s... a bit absurd, isn¡¯t it?"


    "It all depends on what you think. There¡¯s nothing too hard for the willing heart. If you really think that way, I can help you ensure that they both get a lawful status. But what¡¯s most important is whether you can settle things with them, and their families, and how you can make them accept it."


    "That sounds incredibly challenging," Li Yifei said with a bitter laugh, completely lacking confidence in dealing with matters of the heart.


    "What? Have you learned to back down when faced with a challenge?" Su Mengxin teased as she looked at Li Yifei provocatively.


    Li Yifei puffed up his chest. Since joining the Flying Hawk Squad, he had never feared any difficulty, and even in the face of the most dangerous situations, he always found a solution.


    Seeing Li Yifei straighten his back, Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes sparkled. She still liked Li Yifei¡¯s fearless, manly spirit the most.


    But then, to her surprise, Li Yifei slumped again, smiling bitterly. "Facing a hundred assassins would be easier than dealing with this kind of situation."


    Su Mengxin felt both annoyed and amused, saying, "You¡¯re right. Even in the hail of bullets, I¡¯ve never seen you panic, but now, because of a woman, you¡¯ve turned into an indecisive little man."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "The Tender Country is the hero¡¯s downfall. Women truly are the most difficult creatures in the world to deal with. Otherwise, why would so many ancient emperors lose their kingdoms over women?"


    "Giggling, then why not become a true hero? As for women, they¡¯re just the backdrop to a hero. There are so many tales of heroes and their ladies. If you care too much, you¡¯ll lose your heroic mettle. Change your mindset. Don¡¯t take women too seriously, and you won¡¯t suffer as much."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin with a strange expression and said, "You¡¯re a woman too, you know. Your thinking is quite odd."


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Mengxin said slowly, "If there¡¯s a man I truly like, then I would willingly be his backdrop."


    "No way? With your status and position, where is there a man who could surpass you?"


    "Strength isn¡¯t what¡¯s important. What matters most is that he makes me happy and worth giving up something for. I also hope to be a woman who relies on her beloved man, to serve him coffee while he works, to massage his shoulders when he¡¯s tired, and to sleep on his chest at night..." As she spoke, Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes became misty, but she kept her gaze fixed steadily on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "If there were such a man, he¡¯d be really lucky. But let¡¯s not talk about that... could you stop looking at me that way? It makes me feel like the lucky man is me."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze intensified as she looked at Li Yifei and said with a radiant smile, "You¡¯re not bad, either. You quite fit my criteria."

 Chapter 424 - 431: This Joke Isn’t Funny

    Chapter 424: Chapter 431: This Joke Isn¡¯t FunnyLi Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Your joke is really hilarious. If you really fell for me, I would walk away with you right now."


    "Alright! I¡¯ve taken a fancy to you, come away with me." Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei with a smile in her eyes.


    Li Yifei laughed even happier and said, "Mengxin, I bet no one would imagine you could joke like this with a man. If other men saw this, they would be green with envy."


    Su Mengxin revealed a mischievous grin and asked, "How do you know I¡¯m joking?"


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a sideways glance and replied, "I¡¯m not stupid. What kind of person you are, what kind of person I am, why would you fall for me? Besides, I¡¯m a married man now, so it¡¯s even less likely."


    "Those who have experienced marriage can have a deeper understanding of it. That¡¯s what a real man is. It¡¯s those young guys, who after getting married, are more likely to make people uneasy."


    "Really? Are you saying you would consider someone divorced?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Su Mengxin chuckled and teased, "Why not? Think about it. If you divorce Yingying, I¡¯ll walk away with you."


    "Alright, alright, that¡¯s worth considering. Marrying you means one less lifetime of struggle, having endless money to spend, and a status that commands respect from countless people. Just thinking about it feels great."


    "Stop it, when did you become so materialistic?"


    "Am I just a little opportunist right now?"


    The two of them chatted and laughed for a while. Su Mengxin was half-serious, half-joking, while Li Yifei didn¡¯t take what Su Mengxin said seriously at all.


    A knock on the door interrupted them. Su Mengxin went over to open the door and greeted Xu Yingying with a smile, "Yingying, you couldn¡¯t be worried that I¡¯m stealing your husband, could you?"


    Blushing, Xu Yingying hastily said, "Nothing of the sort. Any other person, I might be dubious, but how could you ever fall for this guy, Mengxin?"


    "It seems like Yifei is still a very excellent husband in Yingying¡¯s eyes. You¡¯d better keep an eye on him, don¡¯t let him run off with someone else."


    Feigning annoyance, Xu Yingying shot Li Yifei a glance and retorted, "With him being like this, whoever likes him can take him away, save me the trouble of getting irritated at home."


    Li Yifei immediately protested, "Wife, I haven¡¯t annoyed you though."


    "I say you¡¯ve annoyed me, you have. Okay?"


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ve annoyed you." Li Yifei quickly put on an appeasing face, and Xu Yingying burst into laughter, feeling more and more satisfied with her husband.


    Today was the weekend. Aside from Xu Yingying, who still wanted to carve out some time for work, everyone else seemed free of plans. Su Mengxin then said to Xu Yingying, "Yingying, I¡¯d like you to lend me your husband today for a little bit. I need to go out and buy some things."


    Xu Yingying agreed readily, "No problem at all. Husband, you accompany Mengxin today."


    After getting ready, Li Yifei drove Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei to the airport. Meng Xiaofei had a flying mission today; otherwise, she would have gone shopping with Li Yifei and the others.


    "When will I ever stop jetting back and forth? I¡¯m really yearning to go shopping with you guys." Meng Xiaofei sat in the car with a look of wistfulness.


    Su Mengxin replied softly with a laugh, "If you don¡¯t want to fly, then don¡¯t."


    "But I can¡¯t do anything else. If I don¡¯t work, I¡¯ll starve."


    "You can always freeload your meals at Yifei¡¯s place; you definitely won¡¯t starve."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes brightened, "Yeah, yeah, I definitely won¡¯t starve." But then she immediately shook her head, "Having a place to eat is fine, but Li Yifei can¡¯t support me for my whole life. Ah, Brother Li, you should earn more money. If you had a million or two, then I¡¯d let you support me. How nice would that be?"


    Li Yifei almost choked, "Since when did you entertain such thoughts?"


    "Hehe, with men being so unreliable nowadays, even if I wanted to find a husband, it¡¯s not that easy. Either the good men are already married or they are too old. It¡¯s really hard to find a good catch."


    Li Yifei said grumpily, "That doesn¡¯t mean she should let someone keep her, does it? If you really have that idea, hurry up and find someone to take care of you. I can¡¯t be bothered with you anymore."


    Meng Xiaofei saw that Li Yifei seemed a bit angry and immediately said with a giggle, "Brother Li, don¡¯t be mad, I wouldn¡¯t be so casual. I just feel that Brother Li is very nice to me, and it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to be taken care of by you. If it were someone else, I wouldn¡¯t do it."


    Li Yifei found himself even more embarrassed by what Meng Xiaofei said, while Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, saying, "Xiaofei, if Yingying hears what you¡¯re saying, you might not have a place to freeload meals anymore."


    Meng Xiaofei was startled and said, "Thank goodness you reminded me. It seems I can¡¯t say things like that in the future. Brother Li, I don¡¯t need you to take care of me, and besides, you don¡¯t have that much money. Even if you wanted to, you couldn¡¯t afford it, hehe..."


    Li Yifei was helpless with Meng Xiaofei; the girl was carefree, and her words were without guile, speaking whatever came to her mind. When they arrived at the airport, he glared at Meng Xiaofei and said, "Hurry up and get out of the car."


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled, jumped out of the car, and walked towards the airport, dragging her suitcase. At the entrance, she turned back and waved at Li Yifei, her flight attendant uniform drawing the gazes of countless men passing by.


    As Li Yifei started the car again, Su Mengxin chuckled softly, saying, "You see? There really are a lot of people interested in you now."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You took Xiaofei¡¯s words seriously? She¡¯s just a girl without any schemes, only thinking about mooching meals at my place."


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true. Oftentimes, once a simple-minded girl sets her sights on someone, it becomes very difficult to change her mind. Maybe Meng Xiaofei really does want to stick with you for life."


    "Oh, don¡¯t scare me. My life is chaotic enough as it is. If I take what you said seriously, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to let her freeload at my place anymore." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s lips curled into another smile, "Alright, let¡¯s pretend I never said anything, or else if Xiaofei loses her place for free meals, she¡¯ll blame me."


    Li Yifei had thought that Su Mengxin wanted to discuss something important today, but it turned out she was just on a regular shopping trip and had bought a lot, none of which were big-name brands; many items were actually very cheap street stall goods.


    "So these clothes are really cheap," Su Mengxin remarked, still shopping enthusiastically and tirelessly.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of being laughed at for wearing these clothes out?"


    "Laughed at for what? These clothes look good and the quality is decent too. In fact, those branded clothes are mostly selling the brand. When it comes to quality and craftsmanship, they¡¯re not necessarily better than these."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Besides, it depends on the person wearing the clothes. On you, even the most ordinary clothes would look a notch above. If you wore these to a party, you might even start a new trend."


    "Giggle, that does have one advantage, for sure: no risk of wearing the same outfit as someone else."


    As they chatted and laughed, they continued their stroll. Li Yifei may have seemed casual, but his eyes were constantly scanning the people around them. Su Mengxin was no ordinary person; there was no telling when danger might strike, and he had to be as vigilant as he was when he was second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Su Mengxin, on the other hand, seemed very relaxed, not worrying about it at all, even looping her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s. Li Yifei didn¡¯t think much of it; in fact, he felt it helped him protect Su Mengxin better. After all, the closer she was to him, the easier it was for him to keep her safe.


    "Ah!" A shout accompanied by a figure charging toward Li Yifei. Li Yifei almost instinctively kicked the person flying but ultimately stopped himself, as it turned out to be Chen Xingrui from the Human Resources Department.


    "Manager Chen, what are you..." Chen Xingrui rushed up to them, staring wide-eyed, then rolled his eyes at Li Yifei, saying, "I get it now, why you wanted Su Mengxin to be your secretary. You were just making the first move.


    Li Yifei gave the plump young man a look and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense here."


    Su Mengxin smiled kindly and said, "Chen Xingrui, what a coincidence to bump into you here."


    Red-faced, Chen Xingrui glanced at Su Mengxin then grumpily said, "Su Mengxin, as your colleague, I feel I ought to remind you¡ªour Manager Li already has a girlfriend. You can¡¯t bow to evil powers."


    Su Mengxin laughed out loud, looking at Li Yifei playfully, "What can I do? He¡¯s the manager, and I¡¯m his secretary. What can I do?"


    Chen Xingrui had only meant his remark as a joke, as he always spoke freely with Li Yifei, who was quite unassuming. But Su Mengxin¡¯s response made it sound as if she was actually affirming her relationship with Li Yifei. Startled, Chen Xingrui¡¯s eyes widened as he said, "Really? Su Mengxin, how can you succumb to his lechery? Just say the word, and all the male staff in our company will stand by your side, resolutely overthrowing Manager Li!"


    With an even brighter smile, Su Mengxin replied, "Thanks for that, but I think Manager Li is pretty nice. He takes good care of me, and I actually feel happy being with him."


    "Ah, ah..." Chen Xingrui covered his forehead with his hand, looking heavenward for a good ten seconds before turning back to Su Mengxin with a look of tragedy, "You¡¯re the goddess in the hearts of all the male employees in our company¡ªgoddesses are supposed to be pure. How can you let yourself be tainted? This really breaks my heart."


    Glancing at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei said, "Xingrui, don¡¯t listen to Mengxin¡¯s nonsense. I¡¯m just helping her shop for some stuff."

 Chapter 425 - 432 Third Tribute

    Chapter 425: Chapter 432 Third Tribute"Manager Li, are you not deceiving me? You two aren¡¯t... that kind of relationship?" Chen Xingrui stared at Li Yifei with surprise, but as he saw Su Mengxin still holding Li Yifei¡¯s arm, his gaze filled with contempt.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Mengxin is my cousin, what relationship do you think we have?"


    "Cousin?" Upon hearing this, Chen Xingrui immediately felt overjoyed. That way, whatever intimacy there was between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin could be explained, and the fact that Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were in the same office wasn¡¯t a problem anymore.


    Su Mengxin pinched Li Yifei and said with a smile to Chen Xingrui, "That¡¯s right, Yifei is my cousin. Otherwise, how could I commute to and from work with him every day? I live at his place."


    "Ahaha... Manager Li, I don¡¯t have anything particular to do today, how about I visit your home?" Chen Xingrui immediately started to ingratiate himself, blinking at Li Yifei.


    There was no way Li Yifei could let Chen Xingrui visit his home; wouldn¡¯t that just expose Xu Yingying, his wife? He immediately glared and said, "I¡¯m busy."


    "Manager Li, don¡¯t be so stingy. We¡¯ve wanted to visit your home for a long time now. Look at me, serving under you; how could I not pay a visit to my leader?"


    "Why didn¡¯t you think of visiting me before?"


    "Before, I didn¡¯t realize that having a good relationship with the leader would be greatly beneficial to my work. I¡¯ve just come to realize it now. Manager Li, you can¡¯t deny me this opportunity."


    "Get lost, Mengxin and I have other things to do later. Go do whatever you¡¯re supposed to, or I won¡¯t let Mengxin come to work tomorrow."


    "You... tough guy, fine, I¡¯m leaving, OK?" Chen Xingrui finally walked away, reluctantly at heart.


    As Chen Xingrui left, Su Mengxin frowned and said to Li Yifei, "Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before?"


    "Seen him where?" Li Yifei immediately asked with a cautious heart.


    "I can¡¯t recall clearly, but I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t at the company, nor was it in Mile City; it must have been somewhere else, probably two or three years ago."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow and said, "Are you certain?"


    "I can¡¯t be certain. After all, I¡¯ve seen too many people; I wouldn¡¯t remember ordinary folks, but if he can leave me with some impression, it must have been an important occasion."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he said, "It seems this little fatty¡¯s identity isn¡¯t simple at all."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s possible."


    Li Yifei had always felt that Chen Xingrui was quite to his liking; this kid also had a carefree personality and seemed to enjoy life while working. Thus, Li Yifei rather liked that this kid would pop into his room for idle chats when he had nothing else to do.


    But now it seemed that he really needed to be more cautious about this kid Chen Xingrui. If he was just some rich kid or a Second Generation Official out to play around, that would be one thing, but if he had some ulterior motive, then Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just let it be.


    However, from what he had observed so far, Li Yifei didn¡¯t quite believe that Chen Xingrui was someone with ulterior motives. Li Yifei¡¯s perception was extremely sharp; the guy had been around him every day, and if there had been any bad intentions, he trusted that he would have noticed, unless Chen Xingrui was hiding them well enough that even he didn¡¯t know what those intentions might be.


    After finishing their shopping spree and lunch, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were coming out of a fast-food restaurant when they saw an elder in a Tang suit with a goatee standing in their path.


    "Are you Li Yifei?" The elder gazed at Li Yifei and slowly uttered these words.


    Li Yifei responded with a faint smile, "Indeed, I am."


    "Then let¡¯s find a place," the elder said, his words still exceedingly brief and leaving no room for Li Yifei to refuse.


    Li Yifei looked towards Su Mengxin, who then tightened her grip on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "I¡¯ll go too." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to say, "All right then, it seems the Song Family has really made a quick move."


    The goateed elder was actually the Song Family¡¯s Third Tribute, who looked at Li Yifei with interest and said, "You¡¯re quite a clever young man."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "There¡¯s no need for your compliment; I¡¯ve always been quite clever. Let¡¯s go; I need to put the things I bought in the car first."


    The Third Tribute nodded and followed behind Li Yifei, hands clasped behind his back, truly bearing the demeanor of an immortal.


    At the parking lot, Li Yifei placed the things he had purchased into the trunk of the car. Then he winked at Su Mengxin, and once she was seated in the car, he slowly got in as well. However, just as the elder was about to get in, Li Yifei suddenly started the car and sped off.


    Caught off guard, Third Tribute almost got thrown off by Li Yifei, but he managed to hook his hand around the car door, and his body floated up to the roof like a leaf.


    However, at that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s car was really moving fast. Third Tribute, lying on top of Li Yifei¡¯s car, couldn¡¯t roll back inside, and due to the speed of the car, the door shut on its own. If Third Tribute wanted to get inside now, he would have to break the window.


    At that instant, Third Tribute really did entertain such a thought. He lifted his leg, then slammed his knee hard against the rear windshield. Ordinary car glass would have shattered instantly upon such an impact.


    But this car belonged to Su Mengxin, and its window glass was all high-quality bulletproof glass. Even with a gun, it would take seven or eight shots at the same spot to possibly penetrate it. Third Tribute¡¯s strength was huge, but it clearly wasn¡¯t as powerful as the force of bullets, so not only did the glass not break, but he also felt a terrible pain in his knee.


    "Bastard!" Third Tribute cursed in anger, then stopped trying. Even if he used all his strength to continuously hit it for a while, he might break the glass, but the consumption of energy was too great. It was far more efficient to lay on the roof, so he made a wise and intelligent choice.


    A Mercedes sped along the road, with an old man in a Tang Suit lying on the roof, attracting quite a lot of attention. But Li Yifei¡¯s car was so fast that before people could understand what was happening, he had already sped away.


    Fifteen minutes later, Li Yifei had parked the car on a small hillside. It was a hill commonly used for leisure, where many people would come to exercise in the evening.


    But it was now June, and the midday weather was incredibly hot, the ground practically ablaze. Naturally, no one came to exercise, so the place was quite serene.


    Li Yifei opened the car door, feigned surprise as he looked at Third Tribute, and said, "Elder, you¡¯re really impressive, you know. The speed of those legs of yours is just as fast as my car."


    Su Mengxin almost burst out laughing. She had always seen the domineering side of Li Yifei, but now this childlike mischief gave her a fresh feeling. Especially when facing a strong opponent, this playful banter and nonchalance didn¡¯t affect Li Yifei¡¯s image in her eyes at all; on the contrary, it added a bit of charm.


    "Kid, you¡¯re quite sly, but good thing these old bones are tough enough," Third Tribute said. Although he was furious inwardly, he didn¡¯t show it at all and remained quite calm.


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "No matter how tough your bones are, it won¡¯t work, old man. At this age, the bones naturally soften. I advise you to avoid intense exercise. It¡¯s easy to break an arm or a leg at your age, and that can be really uncomfortable."


    Third Tribute snorted and said, "We¡¯ll see if your fists are hard enough. I came today to break your legs and arms, so go ahead and try your best. I won¡¯t hold back."


    Li Yifei curled his lip and said, "Who do you think you are, old man? Dressed in a Tang Suit, with a goat beard to boot... You think you¡¯re a martial arts master?"


    "Kid, verbal tricks are useless. Trying to distract me in this way is pointless. I¡¯ve heard your kung fu is pretty good. I¡¯ll give you a chance; if you can last a minute without falling under my hand, I¡¯ll turn a blind eye and let you go. After all, fewer and fewer people know martial arts these days, and even fewer have top-notch skills. I¡¯m actually feeling a bit sentimental about talent. But if you really annoy me, then I won¡¯t be polite."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Since the elder values me so much, then I won¡¯t hold back either. Take this!" With a loud shout, Li Yifei threw a punch straight at Third Tribute¡¯s chest.


    "Not bad, strong enough, and fast enough," the Third Tribute nodded, his left hand behind his back, and with a circulate and flick of his right hand, he had already neutralized Li Yifei¡¯s attack.


    "Watch the leg!" Li Yifei retracted his arms, spun his body, and a sweeping leg kick was already targeting the Third Tribute¡¯s waist.


    "This leg has some technique to it, come again!" The Third Tribute still deflected the attack with his left hand, seeming very relaxed.


    Li Yifei was also slightly surprised; this Third Tribute really had some strength. Such skill would at least match up to the rookies who had just joined the Flying Hawk Squad. It seemed the Song Family was not so simple, after all.


    But Li Yifei was merely brushing up against the Third Tribute without using his full strength. Although he occasionally showed some of his abilities, they were only slightly better than an average person¡¯s, not his true skill. Since he¡¯d left the Flying Hawk Squad, he did not want to always use such tremendous power, as that would distance him too much from society.


    "If this is all you have, then I¡¯m really disappointed," the Third Tribute shook his head at this point, originally thinking that if Li Yifei could injure several of the Song Family¡¯s experts, he must be extraordinary. But now it seemed he was only a bit better than those experts; he wasn¡¯t worth the Third Tribute¡¯s effort.


    "Then you can go. I don¡¯t have the time to play with you," Li Yifei said with a smile, withdrawing his hands.


    The Third Tribute was stunned momentarily, thinking that if Li Yifei attacked again, he would simply disable Li Yifei¡¯s arms and legs¡ªa fitting report to carry back. But with Li Yifei not making a move, attacking him seemed a bit like bullying.


    "You¡¯re not fighting anymore?" The Third Tribute frowned, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That¡¯s right, you seem to be stronger than me. I can¡¯t beat you, so what¡¯s the point of fighting?"


    The Third Tribute¡¯s frown deepened; this was his first time encountering such a situation, and somewhat irked, he said, "Aren¡¯t you a little too spineless, young man?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he replied, "Pride is never as important as one¡¯s own life. This world is so wonderful, I haven¡¯t enjoyed enough of it yet. To die by your hands would be too unworthy." With that, he turned around and walked away, leaving his back exposed to the Third Tribute.


    At this moment, the Third Tribute was truly dumbfounded. Li Yifei was simply a rascal¡ªwhere was the bearing of a master? His face darkened, and he said, "Young man, don¡¯t go." With a swift movement, he tried to intercept Li Yifei from the front.


    The Third Tribute saw himself as superior to Li Yifei and disdained attacking from behind. Even if he wanted to deal with Li Yifei, he had to give Li Yifei a chance face-to-face. This was the grace of a master, as well as the pride.


    But just as he was moving past Li Yifei, Li Yifei suddenly acted, aiming an elbow strike at his chest, powerfully and swiftly.

 Chapter 426 - 433: Encountering the Nemesis

    Chapter 426: Chapter 433: Encountering the Nemesisfreewe?n?vel.comAs the Third Tribute charged forward, Li Yifei lashed out with an elbow strike behind him. Even though Li Yifei¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t particularly fast, the attack was still incredibly rapid due to their relative motion. What¡¯s more, the swiftness of his movement made it impossible for the Third Tribute to react in time, even though he had seen it coming.


    However, being a real expert, the Third Tribute managed to make the smartest decision in such a short time span. He violently leaned back, sucking in air into his abdomen, and concentrated all his strength in his chest, ready to forcefully withstand Li Yifei¡¯s blow since he couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    But to his surprise, Li Yifei¡¯s elbow move was a feint. The real killer move was underfoot: his right foot pivoted, and his left foot swung out in a sweeping arc.


    The Third Tribute¡¯s strength was all focused on his chest, leaving his legs to charge forward out of inertia. Even when he realized what was happening, he could only scramble to redirect the strength from his chest to his legs.


    Yet his reaction was too hasty. He couldn¡¯t concentrate much power, and upon the collision of their legs, his felt as though struck by a massive hammer. Without any control over them, his feet left the ground, and his body suddenly lifted into the air.


    At that moment, Li Yifei changed his elbow strike into a downward sweep, hitting the Third Tribute square in the chest.


    These two moves were executed with incredible speed. The sounds they generated were almost simultaneous. And now, the Third Tribute lay on the ground with a leg fractured, three broken ribs, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and a fierce glare fixed on Li Yifei.


    He accepted his defeat acknowledging that with his current state, he had no strength left to fight again.


    But his defeat felt extremely humiliating. He hadn¡¯t even managed to land a single blow on Li Yifei before the younger man deceitfully took him down.


    "Kid, you¡¯re very clever!" Although the Third Tribute was filled with rage, his tone remained calm. He now completely understood Li Yifei¡¯s tactics, which involved feigning weakness to lower his guard and then striking unexpectedly. He also realized that Li Yifei, even if slightly weaker than him, was a formidable opponent that would¡¯ve required considerable effort to defeat in a head-on confrontation.


    Li Yifei chuckled at the Third Tribute and said, "Sorry about that. If we¡¯d fought head-on, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve been the one lying here. I hope you won¡¯t take it too personally, old man."


    The Third Tribute took a breath, causing a sharp stab of pain in his chest. He nearly coughed out loud but managed to suppress it, saying, "Since you¡¯ve won, do as you please¡ªkill me or let me be."


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "We live in a society governed by laws now; how could I kill you? But you should find your own way to leave. I¡¯ll be heading off first."


    After speaking, he pulled Su Mengxin into the car and vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Only then did the Third Tribute allow himself to cough, feeling incredibly frustrated. What vexed him the most was his helplessness; without a mobile phone and no one around, getting assistance was an ordeal.


    He lay there for over an hour before someone finally arrived and found him. By then, the Third Tribute was not only in pain from his injuries but had also been scorched by the sun for more than an hour, nearly peeling a layer of skin off.


    The Third Tribute was transported back to the Song Family household, causing everyone there to be utterly shocked. He might not have been the top fighter in the Song Family, but he was certainly one of the elite. Having been defeated so miserably made them realize just how formidable Li Yifei must be. No wonder Su Mengxin did not stop them from confronting Li Yifei directly.


    Song Shucheng was furious, yet he managed to suppress his anger. The family¡¯s guardians were precious assets, only to be deployed for serious matters. If they took a loss because of someone like Li Yifei, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it. So, in the end, Song Shucheng chose not to send out any more guardians, and the matter was dropped there.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin sat in the car. Suddenly, Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yifei, that man is quite old. How could you sneak attack him like that?"


    Li Yifei grinned and responded, "That old man is quite skilled. Dealing with him directly would have been so troublesome. The simplest method to knock him down was to conserve my energy. Besides, I¡¯m just an ordinary person now. Getting too involved in trouble would be even more problematic."


    Su Mengxin softly shook her head and replied, "You are not an ordinary person, even if you try to be one, it won¡¯t be easy."


    "Anyway, I quite like my life as it is now. I prefer not to get involved in these violent matters, unless someone deliberately provokes me."


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei but said nothing more. Instead, she proposed, "We still have time this afternoon. Come and help me buy some things. I need to bring gifts back for Yingying and the others. Since I borrowed their husband, I should at least show some gratitude."


    Li Yifei readily agreed and drove to a large shopping mall with Su Mengxin.


    With a light chuckle, Su Mengxin teased, "Wow, picking a place like this to buy things for your wife, aren¡¯t you trying to fleece me?"


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "With all the money you have, a little fleecing won¡¯t hurt you. It would be a shame not to."


    "Heh, okay, today I¡¯m going to splurge a bit and make you happy."


    The two of them walked around inside, buying things, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with Su Mengxin, allowing her to buy quite a few things. There were not only gifts for Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan but also for Meng Xiaofei. Far from minding, Su Mengxin was actually very happy, enjoying the chance to shop with Li Yifei and live like an ordinary person for once. In fact, she found herself quite liking it.


    "I¡¯m going to the bathroom." When they reached the third floor¡¯s bathroom, Su Mengxin entered.


    Li Yifei waited outside, and a woman wearing oversized, tea-colored sunglasses emerged from the bathroom and bumped into Li Yifei. At the sight of this woman, Li Yifei jumped in shock and quickly turned his head away.


    The woman brushed past Li Yifei and walked out. He sighed in relief, thinking that she hadn¡¯t recognized him.


    But before Li Yifei could enjoy his relief for a few seconds more, he suddenly realized that the woman had turned around and was heading straight back toward the bathroom. A sense of alarm flooded him; he knew she must have recognized him.


    This woman was one of the females Li Yifei feared the most¡ªNing Xin¡¯er, whom he had encountered at Wang Jiuzhe¡¯s gathering. That time, Li Yifei had managed to avoid Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze. He never thought they could bump into each other in Mile City, let alone at a shopping mall. The world was indeed too small.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had just brushed past Li Yifei. She had glimpsed him briefly without much thought, but after walking a few steps, she suddenly remembered that detestable man. She halted, realizing that the man she just passed might be that bastard.


    The more she thought about it, the faster she wheeled around and rushed to the bathroom entrance, only to find that Li Yifei was not there.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was very close to the bathroom entrance, and the bathroom itself was tucked away in a corner. For Li Yifei to leave, he would have to pass by her. Not seeing Li Yifei meant he had certainly gone into the bathroom.


    "You bastard, I¡¯ve finally caught you; let¡¯s see where you can run now," Ning Xin¡¯er muttered viciously to herself, clenching her small, pale hands into fists and staring intently at the men¡¯s section.


    However, after waiting a while and watching more than ten people come and go, she hadn¡¯t caught sight of Li Yifei.


    And a woman staring at the men¡¯s bathroom door made the men coming in and out feel uncomfortable, prompting them to take a few extra looks at Ning Xin¡¯er.


    At this point, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t care anymore and just stared fixedly at the bathroom, "You bastard, I refuse to believe you can hold it in there forever."


    But as she waited and waited, after more than ten minutes, she still hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei come out, which made Ning Xin¡¯er start to doubt whether he had already slipped away.


    Yet she had been watching the whole time and hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei leave at all.


    Biting her lip in frustration, Ning Xin¡¯er said to a man who had just entered, "Big brother, could you please keep watch for me? I¡¯m looking for someone." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though Ning Xin¡¯er was wearing large sunglasses that covered most of her face and had some makeup on, the man did not recognize her as a famous star. However, her beauty alone and her sweet voice was enough to make the man readily agree.


    After blocking several men in this fashion, Ning Xin¡¯er sent another man to check if there was anyone left inside. Shortly after, the man returned and reported, "There¡¯s no one inside anymore."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was stunned; that was simply impossible. That bastard Li Yifei had definitely gone into the bathroom.


    Unwilling to give up, Ning Xin¡¯er barged into the men¡¯s bathroom and pushed open every door, only to find that there indeed wasn¡¯t a single soul inside. This left Ning Xin¡¯er utterly baffled.


    "Miss, have you finished looking? I¡¯m in a hurry," called a man from the entrance at Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Embarrassed, Ning Xin¡¯er hurried out, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and nearly fleeing the scene. But just as she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped and went straight into the women¡¯s bathroom.


    That bastard Li Yifei was exceedingly cunning. She had seen Li Yifei, and he must have seen her too. If he spotted her, he would naturally hide. He would have been found in the men¡¯s bathroom, but perhaps he had run into the women¡¯s bathroom.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had not paid any attention to the women¡¯s bathroom before, but she was sure only women had been going in and out. So if Li Yifei had gone in there, he must not have come out yet.

 Chapter 427 - 434 Caught by Ning Xin’er

    Chapter 427: Chapter 434 Caught by Ning Xin¡¯erThe women¡¯s restroom was quite full, with nearly all of the ten or so stalls occupied. Ning Xin¡¯er scrutinized each one. The first few were vacated quickly, revealing no sign of Li Yifei. However, the last two stalls remained closed.


    Each stall had a door that could be locked from the inside, and beneath each door was a gap, allowing a view of the feet of the person inside. The innermost of the final two stalls showed feet wearing high heels, but the other revealed no feet at all.


    Ning Xin¡¯er approached the second-to-last stall. Seeing no feet, she knocked on the door but received no response; she then pushed the door open to find it empty.


    Ning Xin¡¯er furrowed her brow and tried the last door, which was locked.


    "What are you doing?" came a woman¡¯s voice from inside.


    "Oh, I¡¯m just checking to see if it¡¯s occupied," Ning Xin¡¯er quickly explained.


    "Are you visually impaired or something? Can¡¯t you see it¡¯s taken?" the woman¡¯s voice from inside sounded rather irritated. "Are you crazy? Can¡¯t even poop in peace."


    Ning Xin¡¯er frowned slightly, finding the voice inside quite pleasant despite the rudeness of the words. She apologized and turned to leave.


    The persons occupying the restroom were none other than Su Mengxin and Li Yifei. They were in a strange position: Su Mengxin was seated on the toilet, while Li Yifei appeared to sit on her lap, though his legs were in fact stretched out against the wall behind him, with his hands braced on the stall partitions, suspending him in the air.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin¡¯s arms were wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s waist, looking up at him with a cheerful grin.


    "Finally, she¡¯s gone!" Li Yifei exhaled with relief before setting his feet on the ground. He had intended to stand up, but Su Mengxin didn¡¯t let go, resulting in him accidentally sitting on her lap.


    Su Mengxin frowned, and Li Yifei hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to."


    "You¡¯re so heavy, you¡¯re nearly crushing me," Su Mengxin said with a glare, releasing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly stood up, finding it extremely awkward to be in a restroom stall with Su Mengxin, particularly recalling his abrupt entry.


    Right after Ning Xin¡¯er turned around, Li Yifei knew trouble was imminent, so he rushed into the restroom. However, considering Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s personality, there was a ninety percent chance she would barge into the men¡¯s restroom to check, so he darted into the women¡¯s instead.


    At the time, there were still a few other women in the restroom, but Li Yifei moved too quickly and cleverly concealed his face; they felt someone rush in but couldn¡¯t discern whether it was a man or a woman. By the time Li Yifei entered a stall, they had no idea what was going on.


    When Li Yifei entered the stall Su Mengxin was in, she had just stood up, her pants still around her knees. Su Mengxin was wearing a petite top that barely covered her navel, so with her pants down, everything else was exposed.


    Despite being caught in such a state, Su Mengxin did not scream out, thanks to her strong mental fortitude. As she quickly pulled up her pants, she recognized Li Yifei, and any irritation she had dissipated instantly. She looked at Li Yifei, her glance questioning him.


    Having seen something he shouldn¡¯t have, Li Yifei was quite embarrassed, but considering Ning Xin¡¯er, he set aside his embarrassment for the moment and leaned toward Su Mengxin, his face drawing close to hers.


    Su Mengxin appeared even more puzzled, as Li Yifei seemed to be making a move on her. However, she didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei would do something like that, so she remained still, watching him.


    "I¡¯m hiding from someone, so I ran in here. Cover for me, will you?"


    Surprise registered on Su Mengxin¡¯s face; Li Yifei had been frightened into hiding in the women¡¯s restroom, and had even burst in during her private moment¡ªwhomever he was hiding from must have been quite intimidating. She couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of woman could scare Li Yifei to such an extent.


    But at that moment, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t ask questions; she simply nodded.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and listened for any sounds from outside while the two of them remained in the small space, one standing, one sitting.


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin and saw a mischievous smile on her face. He could only laugh dryly, knowing she must be wondering who the person was. He cracked a smile, deciding to explain to Su Mengxin after they had evaded Ning Xin¡¯er.


    When Ning Xin¡¯er finally came to check the women¡¯s restroom, Li Yifei immediately struck such a pose to evade her.


    Listening at the door again, Li Yifei said to Su Mengxin, "Go see if there¡¯s anyone outside."


    Su Mengxin nodded, pushed the door open, and walked out. At that moment, aside from those at their respective spots, there was no one outside. She turned back and signaled to Li Yifei, who promptly dashed out, with Su Mengxin following closely behind, out of the restroom.


    No sooner had they left than Li Yifei felt someone¡¯s gaze fixed on him, which startled him. He quickly pulled Su Mengxin aside, but he could feel that someone was catching up to them. This greatly alarmed him, and his intuition told him it was Ning Xin¡¯er. This girl was stubborn indeed; having left the restroom, she was still waiting for him not far from the door.


    This girl¡¯s scheming had become deeper than before and was even more difficult to deal with.


    "Ouch!" Su Mengxin suddenly cried out in pain, her body swaying to the side as she grimaced, "I¡¯ve twisted my ankle."


    Li Yifei was truly speechless. Su Mengxin¡¯s timing for twisting her ankle, neither sooner nor later, was just at this moment. With Su Mengxin in this condition, it was impossible for him to walk quickly, unless he carried her, which would draw too much attention and make it even harder to shake off Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "This way," Su Mengxin gestured towards an emergency exit nearby.


    Li Yifei quickly helped Su Mengxin towards the exit, but as soon as they entered, they were dumbfounded; the exit was blocked, effectively a dead end. But attempting to leave meant facing Ning Xin¡¯er, who was hurrying their way, leaving Li Yifei with no way out.


    Two arms suddenly wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, and a small mouth planted a kiss on his lips. Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, astounded that Su Mengxin would kiss him at such a time.


    But then Su Mengxin was giving him significant glances, and Li Yifei understood what she meant. She was covering for him; a couple who finds a secluded spot to kiss naturally wouldn¡¯t be scrutinized too closely by others.


    But it seemed there was a better way. Yifei really wanted to tell Su Mengxin, however, she was already kissing him now, and holding him so tightly, he could not use any other method even if he wanted to. He could only respond by wrapping his arms around her, pretending to be absorbed in kissing her back. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin had done such a thing before, but it was underwater and meant for breathing. Plus, his own state of mind had not allowed him to truly taste kissing Su Mengxin.


    Today, however, it was different. Their actions were exactly those of kissing, and Su Mengxin, perhaps to be more convincing for Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s benefit, was not just pressing her lips to his but had slipped her small, sweet tongue into his mouth, accompanied by soft moaning sounds typical of passionate kissing.


    Li Yifei was indeed feeling dizzy; Su Mengxin was too engrossed this time. Kissing was no small matter, and she was letting him take quite the advantage.


    Even if Li Yifei were as insensible as a stone, facing a goddess-like woman kissing him with such ardor would undoubtedly draw him in. His heart was still aware of Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s location, but his lips and tongue were already entwined with Su Mengxin¡¯s involuntarily.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, having recognized Li Yifei from his back when he entered, followed without hesitation, only to find a couple deeply engaged in a passionate kiss. The man¡¯s clothes were exactly what she had seen on that scoundrel, solidifying her belief that this was indeed Li Yifei. In her heart, though, the name she held for Li Yifei was different.


    "Shuai Mingsheng!" Ning Xin¡¯er tried to get a look at Li Yifei¡¯s face, but as she moved around them, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, seemingly lost in their kiss, moved their heads to and fro, preventing her from seeing his face. So she tentatively called out.


    However, neither Li Yifei nor Su Mengxin showed any reaction.


    "Shuai Mingsheng, I know it¡¯s you," Ning Xin¡¯er called out again, testing.


    Su Mengxin knew it would be implausible to continue pretending at this point and let go of Li Yifei. She turned to Ning Xin¡¯er and shouted angrily, "Are you sick? Can¡¯t you see what we¡¯re doing here? Where¡¯s your sense of decency?"


    "Ah... you..." Ning Xin¡¯er was taken aback as she looked at Su Mengxin, her face a picture of disbelief.


    In truth, Su Mengxin had not twisted her ankle. She had pretended to do so out of curiosity about the person who could make Li Yifei afraid. That¡¯s why she had resorted to such a tactic, eager to see what this person looked like.


    After ending up in the dead end with Li Yifei, she too acted on impulse, using a kiss to help cover for him. Once she applied such a method, she invested her true feelings into it. She had often fantasized about an impassioned intimacy with Li Yifei but had never managed to make it a reality. Today, her wish was fulfilled in such a manner, leading her to become more and more devoted and emotional with each moment. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s interruption truly angered her.

 Chapter 428 - 435 Old Acquaintance

    Chapter 428: Chapter 435 Old AcquaintanceBut when Su Mengxin actually saw the person who could make Li Yifei so scared, she was somewhat stunned because not only did she recognize Ning Xin¡¯er, but she had also interacted with her a few times. Ning Xin¡¯er definitely recognized her, and with her appearance, one wouldn¡¯t be able to find a second person like her in the whole of Huaxia. Even if she didn¡¯t admit it, it would be useless.


    "Su Mengxin!" Ning Xin¡¯er only managed to utter these three words after a long while.


    Su Mengxin could only respond with a wry smile, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I really didn¡¯t expect to see you here." She never imagined that the person she had been so keen to meet would turn out to be someone she already knew. Now things were truly awkward, especially since Ning Xin¡¯er had seen her kissing Li Yifei, which was a confusing situation that was hard to explain.


    "Yeah! Really didn¡¯t expect it..." Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled dryly. In her heart, Su Mengxin was like a goddess, and even though her own looks weren¡¯t that much worse than Su Mengxin¡¯s, Su Mengxin¡¯s demeanor and abilities still made Ning Xin¡¯er feel inferior. But seeing a goddess passionately kissing a man like any ordinary person, she felt as though Su Mengxin¡¯s halo had somewhat faded.


    It was very awkward for Su Mengxin to be caught kissing Li Yifei by Ning Xin¡¯er, but she never cared about what others thought of her and wouldn¡¯t bother with how they saw her. However, since they were now acquaintances, Li Yifei seemed unable to avoid her, and it was very likely that there was some entanglement between Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er, which made things even more chaotic.


    "Mengxin, who is this?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice suddenly rang out beside Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin jumped in surprise, having not expected Li Yifei to not only avoid hiding but to even initiate conversation. However, Li Yifei¡¯s voice sounded different. When she turned her head, Su Mengxin got another shock. The man beside her might still have Li Yifei¡¯s build, but his face was completely different. Li Yifei was at least a very stylish man, but the one now was just too ordinary, so much so that Su Mengxin had a hard time accepting it.


    "Mengxin, do you have friends in Mile City too?" Li Yifei held Su Mengxin¡¯s hand and asked again.


    Only then did Su Mengxin confirm that the man beside her was indeed Li Yifei, almost causing her to react inappropriately. How could a person¡¯s face change so quickly? But now wasn¡¯t the time to ask, so she merely responded with a smile, "This is Ning Xin¡¯er, a friend from Capital City. I didn¡¯t expect to run into her here."


    Li Yifei smiled as he extended his hand to Ning Xin¡¯er, saying, "Hello, my name is Li Yifei, Mengxin¡¯s boyfriend."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was staring intently at Li Yifei at this moment. The guy in front of her was definitely not the person she despised so much. It seemed she really had mistaken him for someone else. But this man was too inferior, right? How could Su Mengxin fancy such a man? And from the looks of it, Su Mengxin clearly had a close relationship with him, which was very unexpected to her.


    After shaking hands with Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er let go immediately. She really didn¡¯t want to have any more interaction with such a man. But she was curious about this man named Li Yifei. What on earth made Su Mengxin fall for him?


    "Ning Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re actually that big star Ning Xin¡¯er? This can¡¯t be a dream, right?" Li Yifei exclaimed with an exaggerated expression.


    Su Mengxin was both annoyed and amused. Li Yifei was really putting on quite a show, "Yeah, do you want me to get her autograph for you again?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "Of course, that would be great. Ning Xin¡¯er, our country¡¯s top star."


    Although Ning Xin¡¯er was a famous star, she couldn¡¯t really rank that high nationally. After all, she hadn¡¯t been in the industry for long. Additionally, she was not like some superstars who would pay any price for fame. She sang and acted in movies because they were her hobbies; she would only perform if she liked the piece, so her on-screen appearances weren¡¯t very frequent.


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt even more uncomfortable being praised by Li Yifei. She thought this man was really shallow. Someone of Su Mengxin¡¯s stature would be courted by big stars, yet her man was seeking an autograph from a celebrity, which felt degrading.


    "Su Mengxin, I¡¯m really sorry for interrupting. I¡¯ll take my leave now. We can catch up some other time." Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. After speaking to Su Mengxin, she turned and quickly walked away.


    Watching Ning Xin¡¯er leave, Li Yifei finally breathed a sigh of relief. Su Mengxin immediately turned her head and stared at Li Yifei¡¯s face, "How did you turn into this look?"


    Li Yifei glanced in the direction Ning Xin¡¯er had left and, seeing she was gone, relaxed his facial muscles, quickly returning to his original appearance. He smiled, "How about now?"


    Su Mengxin stared at Li Yifei dumbfounded, having just witnessed his face slowly changing right in front of her eyes. This was truly amazing. She reached out with both hands and suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s face, pulling and pinching as she asked, "Which one is the real you?"


    Li Yifei, made to chuckle by Su Mengxin¡¯s childish behavior, replied, "Of course, I am the real me now. The look just now was because I changed the muscles on my face to create that appearance."


    "Oh, this is so fun!" Su Mengxin still wouldn¡¯t let go, continuing to knead Li Yifei¡¯s face a bit more.


    "Stop pinching it, or else you might peel off the skin," Li Yifei pulled Su Mengxin¡¯s hand away, making a joke.


    "It¡¯s better this way, just think if I had to kiss you when you looked like that earlier, I would really feel sick," Su Mengxin gently patted her chest.


    As she spoke those words, the two suddenly fell into silence. After a while, Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Thanks for helping me just now."


    Su Mengxin brushed aside a couple of stray strands of hair from her forehead, "If I had known you were going to handle things this way, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered kissing you to help. Now I¡¯m really at a loss¡ªmy first kiss is gone."


    "This..." Li Yifei was greatly embarrassed, not knowing what to say at the moment, but he certainly didn¡¯t believe Su Mengxin kissed him because she liked him. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a light laugh, Su Mengxin said casually, "Giggle, don¡¯t make such a face. You swindled my first kiss a long time ago, don¡¯t you remember? That time in the jungle, you kissed me underwater, that was my real first kiss. And then there was that time in the sea, you took me along, who knows how many times you kissed me. So this one time doesn¡¯t make much difference."


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, "Then I¡¯ve really gained a huge advantage."


    "Yeah, what did you think? Let¡¯s go," said Su Mengxin, linking her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s, showing no sign of displeasure on her face.


    As Li Yifei followed Su Mengxin out, he felt somewhat uneasy inside. Su Mengxin, being hailed as Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, was kissing him. It would be one thing if Su Mengxin was a casual woman, but she clearly wasn¡¯t that kind of person. Could it be that she really had some special feelings for him?


    That thought flashed through Li Yifei¡¯s mind only briefly before he promptly dismissed it.


    Having lost the desire to continue shopping in the mall, the two made their way directly out, but what Li Yifei did not notice was a woman on the third floor, holding binoculars and looking down at him and Su Mengxin. That woman was Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Son of a bitch, so it really was you!" Ning Xin¡¯er had gone off feeling that something was not right. The voice she had heard in the restroom was undoubtedly Su Mengxin¡¯s. Su Mengxin was clearly covering for someone by saying those words. Plus, a woman like Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t casually kiss a man in an emergency passageway in the mall. It was all too abnormal, so there must be something fishy about that man.


    Although she left Su Mengxin, she immediately bought a pair of binoculars and was now secretly watching from this spot, and indeed, she saw Li Yifei and Su Mengxin before they left the mall.


    "You bastard Shuai Mingsheng, you think you can just deceive me and walk away scot-free? Not so easy!" Ning Xin¡¯er gritted her teeth, then snorted and muttered to herself, "So now you¡¯re calling yourself Li Yifei, huh? Li Yifei, if I don¡¯t avenge this grudge, my name isn¡¯t Ning Xin¡¯er."


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin got into the car, and Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei. He started the car and said, "I met Ning Xin¡¯er on a mission, back when I was still young. Because of the outstanding achievements of the Flying Hawk Squad, I was quite arrogant."


    This was the first time Su Mengxin had heard Li Yifei talk about his past, and she listened eagerly, "And then what happened?"


    Lighting a cigarette, Li Yifei held the steering wheel with one hand and opened the sunroof before he continued, "The mission was to ensure the safety of a leader¡¯s family, and Ning Xin¡¯er was a friend of that leader¡¯s child. That¡¯s how I met her. Back then, she was a very mischievous girl, always playing pranks on me, and I, full of youthful vigor, kept competing with her, neither of us willing to back down."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said wistfully, "You must¡¯ve been quite the character back then."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Not so much interesting as I was stubborn. That night, the girl was even more infuriating, stealing my clothes while I was showering, leaving me to stay in the bathroom for over half an hour until someone finally brought me clothes. Because of that, I even got scolded by the leader."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s smile deepened, playing the part of a good audience, she asked, "So, what did you do next?"


    "Of course I wouldn¡¯t take that lying down. The day she took a shower, I sneaked in and stole her clothes too. That girl was much bolder than me; she just wrapped a towel around herself and charged into my room to settle the score. We started arguing and in just a few words, she lunged at me wanting to hit me. I couldn¡¯t just let her, so I dodged, and she ended up falling onto the bed... and then the towel came loose, exposing her body."


    At this point, Su Mengxin did not interject; she had already roughly guessed what had happened next.


    Li Yifei drew another puff from his cigarette, tossed the butt away, and then said, "After that, I... well, I just lost my head for a moment and ended up having a relationship with her." As he said this, Li Yifei himself couldn¡¯t help but chuckle ruefully. Of all the women, Ning Xin¡¯er was the one he compelled into a relationship.

 Chapter 429 - 436: Past with Ning Xin’er

    Chapter 429: Chapter 436: Past with Ning Xin¡¯er"No wonder Ning Xin¡¯er hates you so much," Su Mengxin said with a puzzled look at Li Yifei. "But since she hates you to that extent, you must have had a lot of trouble at the time."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Afterwards, I was really scared. Arguing with her was one thing; nobody cared about that. But sleeping with her was a huge mistake. I thought for sure I would get kicked out, but there was no reaction at all. Nobody in the squad talked to me about it, as if nobody even knew it happened." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then it seems Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t tell anyone about it," Su Mengxin said. "For a girl to talk about such a thing would naturally be very embarrassing for her."


    "That must be it, but every time she saw me after that, she looked at me like I was her sworn enemy, like she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until she had tormented me to death. I felt guilty, so I could only take whatever she threw at me. Not until the mission was complete and I returned to the squad did I stop seeing her."


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t ask if Ning Xin¡¯er had sought out Li Yifei again. She was well aware that for organizations like the Flying Hawk Squad, which are state secrets, only those with a high enough clearance knew about the squad¡¯s existence. The rest of the people had no idea about it, and Li Yifei was certainly on his missions under a different identity, so Ning Xin¡¯er could never find out his true identity.


    "But it looks like Ning Xin¡¯er hasn¡¯t given up on getting back at you," Su Mengxin teased as she smiled at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Yeah, I¡¯ve been avoiding her ever since. Even though I saw her a few times, she never recognized me. Who would have thought I¡¯d run into her again in Mile City?"


    "Hehe, if she knew your identity, then I¡¯m afraid you would be even less at peace. I also know a bit about Ning Xin¡¯er. Once you¡¯ve offended her, it seems she won¡¯t let it go so easily."


    Li Yifei shivered and said, "Luckily I managed to bluff my way through this time. You¡¯re not going to tell her my identity, are you?"


    "That depends on your performance," Su Mengxin said playfully.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin. Su Mengxin¡¯s childish charm was extremely adorable and made her instantly likable. He laughed and said, "Alright, make a request. As long as I can do it, I¡¯ll agree to it."


    "Okay, then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony. In a while, I¡¯ll have to go back to Capital City. When I do, you¡¯ll accompany me, alright?"


    "Accompany you to Capital City..." Li Yifei hesitated for a moment.


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips and said, "Look at you, so eager just a moment ago, and now you¡¯re thinking of going back on your word."


    Li Yifei gave a forced laugh and said, "Alright, to Capital City it is. I¡¯m just an attendant; it doesn¡¯t really matter."


    "I haven¡¯t decided on what role you¡¯ll play. I¡¯ll let you know when the time comes."


    "You can¡¯t be serious?" Li Yifei turned his head, widened his eyes, and looked at Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and said, "Maybe I¡¯ll have you pretend to be my boyfriend like Yingying did."


    "That... I¡¯m afraid no one would believe it," Li Yifei replied.


    "Why not?"


    "Why not? You¡¯re Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty; even if you were to find a boyfriend, it would have to be some scion of a major family. An ordinary Joe like me posing as your boyfriend, who would believe that?"


    "Why must I only find such so-called ¡¯geniuses¡¯? Can¡¯t I just find a man I like?" Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei with a meaningful gaze.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Don¡¯t tell me about true love. With your kind of status, how could you possibly find true love? Besides, an ordinary person, could they really catch your eye? Even if you did take a fancy to someone, the difference in your lifestyles is too great. How could you be happy together? The wealthier party would suffer from the hardship of daily life; even if they could take money from their parents to improve the living conditions, the other person would lose their self-respect. Inevitable grievances would arise, and conflicts would grow larger and larger until they parted ways."


    With disbelief, Su Mengxin said, "Aren¡¯t you being a bit one-sided? "


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "My view might be one-sided, but if you were to seek your own love, that man would feel immense pressure. I¡¯m afraid an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t have the courage for it."


    Glancing at Li Yifei, Su Mengxin said half-jokingly, "You seem pretty brave to me."


    "I... haha, with all the thought I¡¯ve put into this, why would I go looking for that kind of trouble? In fact, with the emotional foundation that Yunzhu and I have, it would seem natural for us to be together. Yet, both of our lifestyles have changed. I cherish my freedom and being unrestrained, whereas she wants me to strive and stand out from the crowd. So a chasm has developed between us, preventing us from walking the same path."


    "And yet you still got Ye Yunzhu pregnant."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "We¡¯re all adults here, besides, even though we might not be suited as husband and wife, our feelings for each other are still there. It seems normal for such a thing to happen, doesn¡¯t it?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "But by doing this, you¡¯ve gotten yourself into a big trouble." In her heart, however, she was wondering how to resolve this mess in the future. She wasn¡¯t a vile woman; since Yunzhu could only have this one child, naturally, it should be allowed to be born. But if she wanted to be with Li Yifei, other issues might be set aside, though she still had to help Li Yifei raise another child, which inevitably felt a bit awkward.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what Su Mengxin was thinking. If he had, he probably wouldn¡¯t have believed it. Su Mengxin not only had always liked him but was even thinking about how to arrange for him and another woman¡¯s child¡ªa thought process of an extraordinary woman that ordinary people would find incomprehensible.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s magnanimity and tolerance was what earned her recognition from many people. It was the same grandeur that made her subordinates loyal to her. She loved Li Yifei, wanted to be with him, and considered everything for Li Yifei. She wouldn¡¯t fuss about anything Li Yifei did before her; all she wanted was the end result. Moreover, to live happily with Li Yifei in the future, she wouldn¡¯t cause him more trouble. She was determined to help him resolve any past issues completely.


    Before they reached home, Li Yifei received a call from an unknown number, slowing the car as he answered it.


    "Is this... Mr. Li Yifei?" A man¡¯s voice came from the other side.


    Li Yifei responded, "Yes, it¡¯s me. Who¡¯s this?"


    "I am Qin Handong, Mr. Li. I would like to know if you¡¯re available right now. I would like to visit you," Qin Handong quickly became urgent, yet his tone was inexplicably respectful.


    Li Yifei had actually forgotten about this Qin Handong, and only at this moment did he remember. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he said, "What do you want to visit me for?"


    "Mr. Li, this is all my fault. I admit my mistake, Mr. Li, I¡¯m begging you, please let me off."


    "Do you really know your mistake?" Li Yifei asked indifferently.


    "Yes, yes, I really do. Mr. Li, please give me a chance."


    Li Yifei then said, "Whether you get a chance or not will depend on whether Lianyao agrees."


    "Mr. Li, then I..."


    "Alright, find a place and then call me. We¡¯ll meet there with Lianyao in an hour."


    "Thank you, Mr. Li, thank you," Qin Handong kept thanking him profusely, while Li Yifei had already hung up.


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "Don¡¯t you dare leave me behind; I¡¯m coming with you."


    Li Yifei indeed had been planning to drop Su Mengxin off at home first, but seeing her insistence, he could only laugh and say, "Alright then, I¡¯ll take you along."


    "You can¡¯t just ditch me if there¡¯s something fun happening. I need a break. If I stay at home all day, I¡¯ll really get bored."


    Li Yifei felt Su Mengxin, in that moment, was like a mischievous and adorable girl, almost like Xu Shanshan. He found himself feeling closer to Su Mengxin, not just because she was the number one beauty of Huaxia, and he no longer felt the need to maintain a distance from her.


    It took less than five minutes for Qin Handong to call Li Yifei back with a location¡ªthe Yiyun Clubhouse in Mile City. It was the best place around, and Qin Handong, now seeking a favor from Li Yifei, naturally didn¡¯t dare to pick anywhere subpar.


    Li Yifei called Li Xinyue, since he didn¡¯t actually have Song Lianyao¡¯s number, and then, after forty minutes, met with Li Xinyue and Qin Lianyao at the entrance of Yiyun Clubhouse.


    "Li... Yifei!" Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue had arrived earlier than Li Yifei and were waiting at the entrance. When they saw Li Yifei get out of the car, they immediately came over from each side and grabbed his arms. They had wanted to call out "Young Master Li" but then remembered it wouldn¡¯t be proper, so they quickly used his name instead.


    By this time, Su Mengxin had also gotten out of the car and was leaning on the door, smiling and saying, "Tell me, Yifei, you¡¯re really something, charming two of our company¡¯s brand ambassadors into losing their wits."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao had only been focused on Li Yifei just then, not expecting that he would bring someone with him when asking them to come out. But when they turned their heads and saw Su Mengxin, they were shocked and quickly let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, no need to be tense. I called you out today to have a good time."

 Chapter 430 - 437: Director Qin Asks for a Favor

    Chapter 430: Chapter 437: Director Qin Asks for a FavorSu Mengxin approached Li Yifei and took his arm, laughing, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m just Yifei¡¯s cousin. I¡¯m just here to join in on the fun today."


    Hearing Su Mengxin say this, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao knew that Su Mengxin didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity. They quickly nodded and followed behind Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. With Su Mengxin there, they certainly didn¡¯t dare to act recklessly.


    "Young Master Li!" Qin Handong had driven over and, seeing that Li Yifei and the others had already arrived, was startled. He had invited them over, and yet here he was, arriving late; it was truly impolite. Afraid that Li Yifei would be angry, he stopped the car and hurried over, calling out anxiously before quickly explaining, "I¡¯m not familiar with the roads in Mile City, I took a wrong turn and arrived a bit late. Please, Mr. Li, don¡¯t be angry."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were startled to see Qin Handong. To them, the identity of this big-shot director was quite formidable. Usually, Qin Handong carried himself with an air of arrogance in front of them, but now he was bowing and scraping before Li Yifei.


    But they soon understood. What kind of figure was Li Yifei, and with Su Mengxin there, this big-shot director Qin Handong could only be regarded as a minor character in front of these two. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After greeting Li Yifei, Qin Handong immediately turned to Song Lianyao and said, "Miss Song, hello, Miss Li, hello."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were genuinely surprised this time. It made sense for Qin Handong to be so courteous to Li Yifei, but now he was speaking to them in such a tone as well, akin to how newcomers at the television station tried to please them. What was this all about?


    Li Yifei waved his hand, saying, "Let¡¯s not talk here, let¡¯s go inside."


    Qin Handong quickly agreed and led the way, bending at the waist like a doorman.


    "Yifei, this Qin Handong..." Li Xinyue, more familiar with Li Yifei, fell a step behind and walked side by side with him, softly asking a question.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "It¡¯s nothing. He¡¯s here to apologize to Lianyao."


    "Ah..." Li Xinyue gasped softly, instantly understanding, feeling even more touched inside. Although this matter had nothing to do with her, Song Lianyao had always been a good friend of hers and had been quite fearful after offending Qin Handong last time. Even though Li Yifei had stood up for her then, she couldn¡¯t run to him for everything, nor was she sure if he would always come to her aid.


    Not only had Li Yifei intervened, but he had also done so thoroughly. Today, it was clear that Qin Handong was here to offer his apologies.


    Considering who Li Yifei was, if he were to call upon any big stars, they would all flock to him. Yet for them, mere local hosts, Li Yifei didn¡¯t look down on them, and whenever they ran into trouble, he¡¯d help them out. Last time she had a run-in with Song Ziqiao, Li Yifei directly drove the guy out of Mile City. She was still unaware that Li Yifei had broken both of Ziqiao¡¯s legs. If she knew, her gratitude would be boundless.


    The five of them entered a private room, and Qin Handong promptly pulled chairs out for the four of them, serving them so attentively that one could call it meticulous. Li Yifei and Su Mengxin naturally took the head seats, and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, after hesitating for a moment, also sat down. Having a big-shot director like Qin Handong waiting on them was truly exhilarating.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao might have had a bit of fame in Mile City and seemed like stars in the eyes of ordinary people, but they were acutely aware of their true status. They often had to dine with leaders and businessmen, in front of whom they had no status at all and were always the objects of harassment. This life carried unspeakable grievances, yet sometimes they simply couldn¡¯t refuse.


    Now, in the presence of someone like Qin Handong¡ªsomeone they couldn¡¯t afford to offend on a regular day¡ªthey felt vindicated. The feeling was just too good, and all of it was thanks to Li Yifei. Even with Su Mengxin there, they couldn¡¯t help but steal passionate glances at Li Yifei now and then.


    After Qin Handong seated everyone, he respectfully handed the menu to Li Yifei and said, "Mr. Li, I don¡¯t know what you like to eat, so I didn¡¯t dare to order in advance. Would you please choose something?"


    Li Yifei, not standing on ceremony, casually ordered a few dishes. Qin Handong then hurriedly asked Su Mengxin to order. He was quite sharp; though Li Yifei hadn¡¯t introduced Su Mengxin to him, her closeness with Li Yifei indicated that their relationship must be exceptional.


    Furthermore, he¡¯d noticed something else. That such a beautiful woman as Su Mengxin could be with Li Yifei, and the respect Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao showed toward him, sufficiently illustrated that Li Yifei¡¯s identity was no simple matter. Though he hadn¡¯t discovered exactly who Li Yifei was, it was likely that his status was too high for ordinary people to know.


    So now, Qin Handong wasn¡¯t just avoiding offending Li Yifei because of the underhanded tactics he had employed; he had truly come to hold a kind of reverence for Li Yifei in his heart.


    The food and drinks were quickly served, and Qin Handong immediately said to Li Yifei, "Mr. Li, this time it was me, Qin Handong, who was blind to your greatness and offended you. Here, I apologize to Mr. Li first."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "You didn¡¯t offend me."


    Qin Handong chuckled awkwardly and immediately turned to Song Lianyao, saying, "Miss Song, I, Qin Handong, am not a man, daring to covet you. This is a token of my sincerity. I hope you can forgive my pettiness and not hold it against me." As he spoke, Qin Handong passed a box to Song Lianyao.


    Song Lianyao looked immediately at Li Yifei. Li Yifei smiled and nodded, and only then did Song Lianyao take the box and open it, her eyes lighting up as she saw that it contained a diamond brooch.


    The most notable feature of the diamond brooch was the extraordinary diamond upon it. The stone was roughly five carats¡ªa considerably large diamond. By current market prices, this diamond alone would be worth at least five to six hundred thousand. Moreover, the value of diamonds increased exponentially with size, and this size was indeed rare, making it probably worth around one to one hundred and eighty thousand.


    Song Lianyao did have some money¡ªenough to afford one hundred and eighty thousand. However, she would never dream of spending such a sum on a diamond herself, and even among the polite gifts she had accepted, anything worth eighteen thousand was deemed quite good. Facing a gift worth a million, she wasn¡¯t sure whether to accept it, and subconsciously, she looked to Li Yifei for guidance.


    Seeing that Song Lianyao hadn¡¯t immediately accepted the brooch, Qin Handong grew anxious and hurriedly added, "Miss Song, I know this diamond brooch cannot make up for my fault, but I can guarantee you the main female role in my next movie. Moreover, I assure you that no one in the crew will dare to covet you."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "If it¡¯s Director Qin¡¯s kind intention, Lianyao, you should accept it."


    Song Lianyao joyfully accepted the gift. If being humiliated could lead to a diamond worth a million, she mused she wouldn¡¯t mind being bullied more often. But she knew such thoughts were foolish¡ªsuch good fortune only came with Li Yifei around.


    Yet Song Lianyao wasn¡¯t foolish, and she quickly said, "Director Qin, I accept your gift gratefully, but as for acting, I¡¯d rather not. I¡¯ve always wanted to go in that direction, but now I feel the industry is too complicated. I¡¯ve lost interest and would rather stick to hosting."


    Seeing that Song Lianyao had accepted the gift and her tone was favorable, Qin Handong felt somewhat relieved. He quickly responded, "Thank you, Miss Song. As you said, the entertainment industry is indeed too murky. It¡¯s just as well to stay out of it. With Mr. Li watching over you, whatever you wish to do is but a word away; why bother wading into troubled waters?"


    Observing Li Yifei defending Song Lianyao, Qin Handong naturally assumed that she was with Li Yifei. Similarly, Li Xinyue seemed to be in the same boat. For someone as impressive as Li Yifei, having several women was quite normal, so Qin Handong wasn¡¯t surprised.


    Song Lianyao, however, felt a burst of happiness upon hearing this, and she cast a meaningful glance at Li Yifei, her eyes brimming with affection, wishing she could throw herself into his arms.


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "Alright, let¡¯s eat."


    But Qin Handong was far from in the mood to eat. These past few days had been like years to him. As a man, and a famous director at that, countless beauties surrounded him every day. Yet, ironically, during this time, his abilities were completely nullified. He visited hospitals, searched for folk remedies, but alas, nothing helped.


    Later, he happened to encounter someone proficient in true martial arts. After one look, the person was shocked and told him that someone had resorted to dark means, cutting off his meridians, which led to his predicament.


    Qin Handong begged the person for help, but he was told that although the individual knew of such methods, he merely heard of them and did not understand them at all. In this world, people capable of such means were few and far between.


    Qin Handong was terrified by this revelation. He had thought of getting even with Li Yifei once his health improved, but now he didn¡¯t even dare entertain the thought, which led him to seek Li Yifei out.


    However, Li Yifei was just dining and chatting softly with the three beauties, with no hint of solving his problem. This made Qin Handong extremely anxious, yet he didn¡¯t dare disturb Li Yifei and could only sit aside, feeling like he was being fried in oil.

 Chapter 431 - 438 Ning Xin’er Comes to Visit

    Chapter 431: Chapter 438 Ning Xin¡¯er Comes to VisitAfter a satisfying meal, Li Yifei stood up, patted Qin Handong¡¯s shoulder, and said, "Thanks for the hospitality, we¡¯re leaving now."


    "Mr. Li, I..." Qin Handong became anxious; if Li Yifei abandoned him, wouldn¡¯t his life be ruined?


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Just be careful in the future, you¡¯re not young anymore, stop messing with those young girls."


    With a bitter face, Qin Handong said, "Mr. Li, I definitely won¡¯t anymore, but... I still need to..."


    "It won¡¯t affect anything; it¡¯s already fine now." After saying this, Li Yifei took Su Mengxin and walked out straightaway.


    "Fine?" Qin Handong¡¯s eyes widened immediately; he hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei do anything to him. However, since Li Yifei was not attending to him, he didn¡¯t dare to force him.


    But since Li Yifei said it, he held onto a bit of hope, and soon found a woman at the club. When the woman undressed, he was extremely nervous, but he soon vaguely felt a reaction there. Though it wasn¡¯t strong, it was entirely different from the pain he used to feel at just the thought of it.


    This made him overjoyed; lying on the bed being served by the woman, he soon regained his vigor and became a qualified man once more.


    After the satisfaction, thinking of Li Yifei made sweat pour down Qin Handong¡¯s head. Li Yifei was truly formidable, as if he could decide life or death. Now, he felt nothing but reverence for Li Yifei and vowed to curry favor with Mr. Li at any opportunity; he absolutely could not afford to offend him.


    As Li Yifei came out of the club, everyone got into his car. Su Mengxin smiled and said to Li Yifei, "Young Master Li, how about I go home by myself, and you can send these two beautiful ladies home?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao felt both shy and happy upon hearing this. They weren¡¯t casual women, but regarding Li Yifei, they wished he would agree.


    "No need, I¡¯d better hurry home; I¡¯ve been out all day, and my wife will get angry."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were greatly disappointed, but Li Xinyue still smiled and said, "Young Master Li, you got married, and you didn¡¯t even inform us so we could send our congratulations."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "We didn¡¯t hold a wedding. When we do hold a wedding, we will certainly inform you."


    "Then take us to see your wife." Song Lianyao blinked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You already know my wife, no need to see her."


    "We know her? Who¡¯s so lucky?" Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both looked surprised.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "You¡¯ll find out on the wedding day. It¡¯s a secret for now."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both pouted at Li Yifei¡¯s refusal to take them. They dared not have any thoughts, and even coquettish methods they dared not use on Li Yifei. In their hearts, Li Yifei was like a deity, and even being by his side was enough for them; they dared not wish for more.


    After sending Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao home, Su Mengxin curiously asked about Qin Handong¡¯s matter.


    Li Yifei briefly recounted Qin Handong¡¯s situation to Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin listened with great interest and longingly said, "What a pity I wasn¡¯t there; it must have been interesting to see."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "You¡¯re interested in everything as if you¡¯re not from this world. Oh, it seems you¡¯re really not from our world. Your level is too high; you can¡¯t appreciate the pleasures of ordinary people."


    "Yeah, I now find the things I used to chase quite boring. Now, I¡¯m increasingly fond of being an ordinary person. Maybe I won¡¯t go back and just continue being your secretary."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That would be great. Having a secretary like you, nothing else said, is a feast for the eyes every day."


    Li Yifei took it as just a joke from Su Mengxin and didn¡¯t take it seriously, but Su Mengxin, with squinted eyes, looked out the window, lost in thought.


    After wandering outside for a day, they returned home. Xu Shanshan sat pouting, looking very displeased. This sister-in-law clung more to Li Yifei than Xu Yingying, the legitimate wife. Li Yifei didn¡¯t spend the weekend at home with her, which made her feel uneasy.


    "Brother-in-law, why were you gone so long? I¡¯m injured, and you weren¡¯t home to take care of me." Xu Shanshan pulled Li Yifei onto the sofa with a face full of grievance.


    Xu Yingying poured a glass of water for Li Yifei and said, "Wasn¡¯t I at home? Besides, you¡¯re bouncing around; what do you need your brother-in-law to take care of you for?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "It¡¯s my fault; I took your brother-in-law out. To make up for it, I bought you some gifts. See if you like them, Shanshan. Your brother-in-law chose them for you."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Shanshan immediately brightened up, eagerly accepting the gifts from Su Mengxin and opening them for appreciation.


    Xu Yingying pulled Su Mengxin to sit down and said, "Why did you buy gifts?"


    "It¡¯s nothing special, just bought some things while shopping. Besides, I borrowed your husband; otherwise, Yifei would be at home with you guys." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei took a sip of water, smiled, and said, "Don¡¯t be so polite. With a tycoon like Mengxin, taking advantage of her should cause no guilt at all."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "You certainly aren¡¯t shy about it."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yifei is just fine this way. I don¡¯t have many friends, and spending time with you, I truly treat you as friends. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me, or I¡¯d be embarrassed to come over for meals in the future."


    "Ah, brother-in-law, my sister and I haven¡¯t had dinner yet," Xu Shanshan called out again.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Alright then, brother-in-law will cook for you."


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t stay for dinner that evening. After the three of them had their meal, they all sat on the sofa watching TV. Xu Shanshan rested her feet on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, letting him massage her feet right in front of her sister.


    Xu Yingying chatted idly with Li Yifei. The family felt increasingly homely and warm.


    But such a setting made Li Yifei think of Ye Yunzhu, who was pregnant and experiencing severe reactions. Under normal circumstances, he should have been taking care of her, but he couldn¡¯t, making him feel uneasy.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xu Yingying sensed Li Yifei¡¯s distraction and nudged him.


    Li Yifei turned to Xu Yingying, smiled, and said, "Nothing, just thinking of some trivial matters."


    "Is it something you can tell me?" Xu Yingying tentatively asked.


    "It¡¯s probably nothing; just drifted off a bit. When you asked, I couldn¡¯t say what I was thinking." Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to fabricate a lie to deceive Xu Yingying, but he genuinely didn¡¯t know how to bring up Ye Yunzhu¡¯s situation.


    "Brother-in-law, what are you thinking about? Not thinking of some beauty, are you?" Xu Shanshan kicked Li Yifei, assuming his distraction was due to massaging her foot, and quickly reminded him.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t ask further. She leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and softly said, "Husband, remember I am your wife; we can face anything together."


    Li Yifei felt a warmth in his heart. Since marrying Xu Yingying, he increasingly felt that she was nothing like her strong persona at work; she was becoming more of a gentle and good wife.


    Tonight, Xu Yingying never went to the bedroom; they stayed in the living room watching TV. Although Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t mess around with Li Yifei, she was already satisfied letting him massage her feet in front of her sister.


    At around ten, they prepared to rest. Xu Shanshan wanted to sleep with the two, but Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t agree. Last night she knew nothing; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have let Xu Shanshan join, as it was too awkward.


    Xu Shanshan grumbled a couple of sentences but didn¡¯t insist and obediently went to sleep in her room.


    The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully. Li Yifei didn¡¯t go out again and stayed home with his wife and sister-in-law. Su Mengxin also came over for a chat, and the day flew by quickly.


    On Monday, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin arrived at the office together. The chubby Chen Xingrui sneaked over, knowing Su Mengxin was Li Yifei¡¯s cousin. He attempted to cozy up to Su Mengxin, but Li Yifei soon sent him away.


    In fact, both he and Su Mengxin paid more attention to Chen Xingrui, but Su Mengxin still could not recall who Chen Xingrui actually was.


    During some work in between, Li Yifei called Su Mengxin to the office. Since Su Mengxin liked being a secretary, he truly treated her as one at the office.


    Shortly after Su Mengxin left, the office door was knocked on. Li Yifei, engrossed in his work, didn¡¯t lift his head and said, "Come in," continuing with his task.


    The door opened, and the sound of high heels clicking on the floor reached his ears. Assuming it was Su Mengxin, Li Yifei didn¡¯t pay much mind.


    Now with more employees in the company, Xu Yingying requested the Human Resources Department to create a more detailed management plan. Li Yifei was working on it, which was no small effort for him, so he had to laboriously manage it.


    After a few minutes, Li Yifei sensed something amiss. The person seemed to be standing in front of his desk the whole time, which shouldn¡¯t be Su Mengxin. Moreover, there was a noticeable sense of menace, a strong sense of danger, that made Li Yifei tense, thinking it might be an assassin, like the female assassin who had kidnapped Chu Xiaoyao before.


    Li Yifei slowly lifted his head, and upon clearly seeing the woman¡¯s face, he suddenly leaned back violently, almost toppling the chair. Even the sight of the most dangerous enemy did not frighten him as much as seeing Ning Xin¡¯er!

 Chapter 432 - 439: Let Me Take a Look

    Chapter 432: Chapter 439: Let Me Take a Look"Shuai Mingsheng!" Ning Xin¡¯er squeezed three words through clenched teeth.


    "Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else," Li Yifei said, his face full of confusion as he patted his chest, looking like he had just had a scare. "You really scared me to death, standing there without making a sound."


    "Mistaken? Shuai Mingsheng, you bastard, even if you turned to ashes, I would still recognize you." Ning Xin¡¯er placed both hands on the office desk, her chest heaving rapidly, her face extremely pale, her bright eyes looked as if they were about to shoot flames.


    "Miss, my name is Li Yifei, not Shuai Mingsheng, you must be mistaken," Li Yifei continued to feign confusion.


    "Li Yifei... huh, fine, I finally know your real name. You can keep pretending with me, but let¡¯s see how long you can keep it up," Ning Xin¡¯er leaned forward, gritting her teeth tightly.


    "Hey, miss, you¡¯ve definitely got the wrong person, there are many people in this world who look alike, I¡¯m definitely not that Shuai... what¡¯s his name... Mingsheng that you¡¯re looking for."


    "Fine, fine, keep pretending then. Do you dare to take off your clothes?" Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly straightened up, then walked around the desk and came directly in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Miss, what do you want to do? I¡¯m telling you, this is an important company area, you can¡¯t mess around, or I¡¯ll have to call security."


    "Hmph, I¡¯m not going to strip all your clothes, I just want to see your shoulder. If there¡¯s a mole there, then you¡¯re the person I¡¯m looking for, if not, then you¡¯re not. Do you dare let me take a look?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mind raced, he hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Miss, you really have mistaken me for someone else."


    "Cut the nonsense, if there¡¯s no mole on your shoulder, then I¡¯ll leave immediately. But if there is one, hmph, Shuai Mingsheng, you bastard, just you wait and see."


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "Miss, it¡¯s really not right to take off clothes. It makes it look like I¡¯m going to do something to you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er clenched her fists tightly and angrily said, "Hmph, will you take them off or not? I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve run off here to be a petty manager, I can¡¯t find you. No matter how much you pretend, you can¡¯t escape from the palm of my hand."


    Li Yifei wore a look of bitter amusement and said, "Miss, there really isn¡¯t a mole on my shoulder, I don¡¯t know about any, you¡¯ve truly mistaken me."


    "You..." As Ning Xin¡¯er saw Li Yifei dodging and refusing to undress, she grew increasingly irritated. She reached out and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s collar, using both hands to start tugging at his clothes.


    "Don¡¯t...that¡¯s not good, really not good," Li Yifei struggled feebly, hardly putting any strength in his hands, looking like a man in a shameful quandary upon encountering a beautiful woman.


    This made Ning Xin¡¯er even more convinced that Li Yifei was Shuai Mingsheng. She pulled even harder on his clothes, but just then, someone knocked on the door. Li Yifei got a shock, thinking that if Su Mengxin were to return now, it would spell trouble.


    As the knocking sounded, the door was pushed open, and Michelle¡¯s figure appeared at the door. Normally, when she came to Li Yifei¡¯s office, she would knock and wait for permission before entering. But when Ning Xin¡¯er had closed the door earlier, she had done so casually and not secured it properly. With Michelle¡¯s knocking, the door simply swung open.


    Seeing the scene inside, Michelle stopped dead in her tracks. Li Yifei sat on the office desk with a woman tugging at his clothes. It looked as though the two were being intimate, yet it didn¡¯t quite seem right, leaving Michelle awkwardly unsure whether to enter or retreat, extremely embarrassed. Most importantly, she felt slighted, her affection for Li Yifei fully known to him, but he had never clearly reciprocated. After Li Yifei married Xu Yingying, Michelle had more or less given up hope. To now see Li Yifei entangled with such a woman, it left a very sour taste in her heart.


    "Manager Li..." Michelle bit her lip and called out softly, her eyes starting to turn red. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei hastily called out, "Michelle, you¡¯ve arrived just in time. This woman has mistaken me for someone else, insists that I¡¯m some Shuai Mingsheng, and claims there¡¯s a mole on my shoulder. Come and help prove that I¡¯m not this Shuai Mingsheng."


    Upon hearing this, Michelle¡¯s feeling of being wronged dissipated quickly. She hurried in and closed the door behind her. It would not look good for others to see such a thing, and if Xu Yingying saw it, it would cause big trouble for Li Yifei.


    "Madam, you¡¯ve really got the wrong person. This is our company¡¯s Manager Li, his name is Li Yifei, I¡¯ve always been his colleague, and I can vouch for him," Michelle hurried over to the desk and quickly explained to Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er frowned, still holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s clothes without letting go, and said, "What do you know? This guy told me his name was Shuai Mingsheng when he was deceiving me. Li Yifei is his real name. There is a mole on his shoulder; I remember it vividly. Do you know for sure whether or not there¡¯s a mole on his shoulder?"


    Michelle suddenly froze for a moment, staring straight at Ning Xin¡¯er before stuttering, "Ning... Ning Xin¡¯er?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was taken aback, as she came here wearing sunglasses and had not been recognized by anyone. Unexpectedly, she was identified by a girl here, and as a celebrity, being found looking for a man in such a place could greatly tarnish her reputation if word got out.


    But if it were any other matter, Ning Xin¡¯er would have given up. Yet, seeking revenge on Li Yifei had always been a thorn in her heart. Now that she had finally found Li Yifei, she wouldn¡¯t give up for anything. She nodded at Michelle and said, "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me."


    "Ning Xin¡¯er, you... how can you do this to Brother Li?" Michelle was even more astonished. Ning Xin¡¯er, the big star, had always given people the impression of being a sweet girl, speaking with a gentle voice and moving softly. Now why was she being so violent, insisting on stripping off Li Yifei¡¯s clothes?


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er felt embarrassed, but her hatred made her clench her teeth and say, "I must see this guy¡¯s shoulder, unless he takes off his clothes himself and lets me see."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Alright, alright, can¡¯t I take it off myself? You doing it makes me quite uncomfortable. I¡¯m only agreeing because you know Michelle. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to call security to take you out."


    When Ning Xin¡¯er saw Li Yifei actually agree, she began to doubt herself and stared into his eyes, asking, "Are you really letting me see?"


    "If I don¡¯t let you see, you probably won¡¯t give up. It¡¯s just a shoulder, not any other place. Let¡¯s make this clear; you can¡¯t look anywhere else."


    "Hmph, I wouldn¡¯t want to look anywhere else even if you let me," Ning Xin¡¯er said, finally letting go of his clothes.


    Li Yifei straightened his clothes, also fearing Su Mengxin might return at that moment, which could really blow his cover. After all, the day before, Ning Xin¡¯er had seen Su Mengxin kissing a man, also named Li Yifei. If Su Mengxin showed up now, there would be no doubt that he was indeed Shuai Mingsheng.


    Undoing his buttons, Li Yifei exposed his right shoulder. Ning Xin¡¯er immediately widened her eyes to look, but upon seeing it, her expression changed completely¡ªthe mole was not there.


    "See, I told you I¡¯m not your so-called Shuai Mingsheng, really," Li Yifei said quickly as he began to put his clothes back on.


    "Wait! That¡¯s not right. There¡¯s a scar here. You must have removed the mole," Ning Xin¡¯er once again grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s clothes.


    "Big sister, are you mistaken? A mole¡ªI would need to cut it off, right?" Li Yifei gave Ning Xin¡¯er a blank look.


    Ning Xin¡¯er thought about it; it was true, Li Yifei would never have expected one day she¡¯d use the mole to identify him, and it really wasn¡¯t necessary to go to such lengths. Although Ning Xin¡¯er remembered a mole on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, pinpointing its exact location was impossible. She started to doubt her own judgment. Could this Li Yifei really not be her archenemy, Shuai Mingsheng?


    "Michelle, don¡¯t you know her? Explain it to her again," Li Yifei urged Michelle.


    Michelle¡¯s face twitched slightly as she said with a wry smile, "Brother Li, she¡¯s Ning Xin¡¯er, a famous national star. Don¡¯t you really know her?"


    "Ah?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Ning Xin¡¯er, his face brimming with excitement as he stuttered, "Ah, so you really are Ning Xin¡¯er. I¡¯m such a fan of yours, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you, I... I..."


    Li Yifei seemed too excited to speak.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s reaction, Ning Xin¡¯er became even more unsure of her judgment and instinctively let go of his clothes.


    "Ning Xin¡¯er, quick, quick, give me an autograph," Li Yifei hurriedly picked up a pen from the table and took out a piece of paper but then set it back down, saying, "You were tugging at my clothes just now, so I¡¯ll let you sign my clothes instead. It will be more meaningful. Ning Xin¡¯er, you must agree."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, in no mood to sign anything for Li Yifei, frowned and said, "Then I really did mistake you for someone else, sorry, I¡¯ll be going."


    At this point, Ning Xin¡¯er was truly flustered. She was supposed to have found that jerk, but her efforts were in vain, and her hopes were dashed in an instant, driving her nearly mad.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er leaving, Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. This lady was not one to be trifled with, and if she recognized him, he could forget about having any peace.


    Just as Ning Xin¡¯er reached the door, Li Yifei began to feel nervous again. At that moment, the last thing he wanted was another complication. He prayed that the heavens let her leave without further trouble.


    But just then, as the office door opened, two women walked straight in, bumping head-to-head with Ning Xin¡¯er as they entered.


    Li Yifei inwardly screamed, "It¡¯s over!"

 Chapter 433 - 440 You Can Never Make Up for It in Your Lifetime

    Chapter 433: Chapter 440 You Can Never Make Up for It in Your Lifetime"Ning Xin¡¯er!"


    "Su Mengxin!"


    The people who came in were Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying, and as soon as Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er saw each other, they subconsciously called out each other¡¯s names.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart was in agony at this point. If Su Mengxin had come in alone, it would¡¯ve just been a conflict between Ning Xin¡¯er and him, but now that Xu Yingying had followed, what would Ning Xin¡¯er do when she knew Xu Yingying would get involved, and that his marriage was no secret to Ning Xin¡¯er anymore? He had no idea what Ning Xin¡¯er would do next.


    At this moment, Ning Xin¡¯er swiftly turned around, took a few steps to Li Yifei¡¯s desk, placed her hands on the desktop, gritted her teeth, and squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, "What do you have to say for yourself this time?"


    Since he had been discovered, Li Yifei immediately calmed down, lit a cigarette, and said with a smile, "I have nothing to say."


    "You..." Li Yifei¡¯s attitude infuriated Ning Xin¡¯er even more, making her want to bite a piece of flesh off his body. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying felt something was off, as Ning Xin¡¯er seemed like a woman who had been dumped by a faithless lover, so she quickly closed the door, walked up to Li Yifei¡¯s side, placed a hand on his shoulder, and faced Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze, saying, "Husband, what¡¯s going on here?"


    Before Li Yifei could answer, Ning Xin¡¯er cried out in disbelief, "Bastard, you¡¯re married?"


    Li Yifei nodded, patted Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, and said, "That¡¯s right, this is my wife Xu Yingying. Yingying, this is Ning Xin¡¯er, someone I had a bit of a squabble with before."


    Xu Yingying nodded and extended her hand to Ning Xin¡¯er, saying, "Hello."


    Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t extend her hand and instead stared at Xu Yingying, slowly saying, "So you married this bastard. You really are blind."


    Seeing that Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t reciprocate the handshake, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t embarrassed. She simply withdrew her hand and said, "I know very well what kind of man my husband is. Whatever he did in the past, he is now my husband. Whatever issues arise, I will face them with him. Miss Ning, if my husband has wronged you in the past, feel free to talk to me, and I will provide an explanation."


    Li Yifei was moved beyond words. Normally, a woman would be extremely angry if another woman showed up at her husband¡¯s door, but Xu Yingying didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, she was defending him. He really had an amazing wife.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile and she said, "You¡¯ll give me an explanation? What right do you have? This bastard toyed with me years ago, ruined my innocence. Tell me, what explanation can you give?"


    Michelle stood to the side, somewhat stunned, not expecting Ning Xin¡¯er to have a past with Li Yifei. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s revelation shocked Michelle so much that her jaw dropped. Brother Li was too incredible, having had an affair with a big star like Ning Xin¡¯er, who even came looking for him. She didn¡¯t know how to describe her feelings, but one thing she knew was that even though she found out that Li Yifei had relations with Ning Xin¡¯er, she wasn¡¯t the slightest bit unhappy. Instead, she felt a bit smug, knowing that every woman associated with Li Yifei had high status. Her liking for Li Yifei just proved that she had good taste.


    Su Mengxin also found herself in an awkward spot. She had just barely managed to fool Ning Xin¡¯er on Saturday, only for Ning Xin¡¯er to show up at the door on Monday.


    Coming to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s side, she took her arm and said softly, "Ning Xin¡¯er, calm down. Let¡¯s sit and talk about whatever¡¯s bothering you."


    Suddenly, Ning Xin¡¯er turned her head towards Su Mengxin and burst into laughter, "Su Mengxin, didn¡¯t you say this guy was your boyfriend? Weren¡¯t you kissing him just yesterday? But he already has a wife. You, the number one beauty of Huaxia, becoming the other woman for this guy, isn¡¯t that a joke?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face changed abruptly, looking at Su Mengxin in shock; that comment was overwhelmingly surprising to her.


    With a bitter smile, Su Mengxin said to Xu Yingying, "Didn¡¯t I do that the day before yesterday just to trick you? So, we had to pretend. Yifei and Yingying are both my good friends."


    If someone else had said this, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t have believed it so readily, but Su Mengxin¡¯s own words were immediately believed by Xu Yingying because Su Mengxin¡¯s status was too esteemed for Xu Yingying to doubt that she would have any interest in Li Yifei.


    "Is that so? Yet, I saw how engrossed you both were in that kiss. You couldn¡¯t be that engrossed without some feelings, could you? I¡¯m telling you, wife of Li Yifei, your husband isn¡¯t anything good. It would be better for you to leave him sooner rather than later."


    Having heard Su Mengxin¡¯s explanation, Xu Yingying no longer cared about the hurtful words from Ning Xin¡¯er. In fact, under the current circumstances, she couldn¡¯t possibly care about those words anymore. Ning Xin¡¯er was now her greatest enemy. With a slight smile, she said, "Perhaps my husband wasn¡¯t a good person in the past, but I know he is a good husband now, and that¡¯s enough for me. It seems he truly did something wrong to you, but it¡¯s all in the past. Getting angry isn¡¯t a solution. If you have any demands, why not just state them clearly? Let¡¯s discuss this together."


    At this moment, Ning Xin¡¯er shifted her gaze to Xu Yingying, whose recent behavior had surprised her. She had thought that bringing this up would cause great trouble for Li Yifei, but she didn¡¯t expect his wife to defend him so staunchly.


    Dragging a chair over, Ning Xin¡¯er sat down, crossing her left leg over her right. Her expression had calmed, and coupled with her graceful demeanor, she was once again the big star Ning Xin¡¯er, no longer the angry and brash woman from before.


    "Alright, so you¡¯ve married this scoundrel and now want to stand up for him. If you want to talk, then let¡¯s talk," Ning Xin¡¯er said, her tone no longer as fierce as before.


    At this point, Li Yifei, however, started to worry. He found Ning Xin¡¯er easier to deal with when she was angry. If she became composed, she would undoubtedly be much harder to handle. The main issue was that he had indeed done her wrong, which left him feeling guilty and uncertain.


    Although Michelle wanted to stay and look after Li Yifei, she was concerned about him. But with one being Li Yifei¡¯s wife, one his former lover, and another his secretary, she felt superfluous. She quickly said, "President Xu, I¡¯ll go out first."


    Xu Yingying nodded and instructed, "Don¡¯t mention what happened here, and don¡¯t tell anyone Ning Xin¡¯er was here either. It could cause a bad impact. Also, make sure no one else comes in."


    Michelle promptly agreed, then took another worried glance at Li Yifei before she exited his office.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t leave. She could still act as a mediator in this situation, as she knew both parties well.


    Xu Yingying stood by Li Yifei¡¯s side, her hand resting on his shoulder, and with a light smile, said, "Miss Ning Xin¡¯er, there¡¯s no one else here. You can make your demands known now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei and then at Xu Yingying, her anger growing. Li Yifei, that scoundrel, had ruined her and then simply left. Now he was here, married and living a cozy life. She snorted and said, "I¡¯d really like to hear what this scoundrel has to say?"


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and admitted, "Ning Xin¡¯er, that incident was indeed my fault. But it¡¯s been so long since it happened, and we¡¯ve both started new lives. I hope you can let go of it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened as she furiously retorted, "You make it sound so easy! You took advantage, dusted off your pants, and just left. Don¡¯t you know how important a woman¡¯s first time is? Now you want to deny it?"


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "I know I¡¯ve hurt you, and what you did to me back then was also quite harsh¡ªI nearly died at your hands. Any debt I owed you has been nearly paid off. If you¡¯re still unrelenting like this, I can only say there¡¯s nothing more I can do."


    Li Yifei had never spoken of the difficulties he faced. With his declaration about nearly dying at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hands, it was clear she must have put him through a lot, and even if he¡¯d been wrong, he had made nearly enough amends. Therefore, Xu Yingying felt more confident and squeezed Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, supporting his somewhat tough stance and said to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Miss Ning Xin¡¯er, arguing over who was right or wrong in the past doesn¡¯t mean much anymore. So tell us, what exactly do you want now?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted. She knew what she had done to Li Yifei, but even then, she still bitterly said, "Do you think you¡¯ve made amends by suffering back then? Do you have any idea of the hardships I¡¯ve endured since then? Do you know how I wandered alone without anyone to care for me, unable to make money, renting a tiny room, each day eating hard steamed buns, drinking cold water, and curling up on a bed, struggling? You caused all of this. The hatred I have for you will never fade in this lifetime."


    Li Yifei responded in surprise, "No way, why did you have to wander? That incident shouldn¡¯t have been known by anyone, right?"


    Grinding her teeth, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Humph! You ran off here to live the high life, how would you think about the miserable state I was in? Shuai Mingsheng, no, Li Yifei, you should know you¡¯ll never be able to make up for what you owe me in this lifetime."


    Su Mengxin, seeing Ning Xin¡¯er getting increasingly agitated to the point where she lost her composure, quickly patted her shoulder and asked, "Ning Xin¡¯er, what exactly is going on?"


    She sensed that Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hatred for Li Yifei stemmed more from her subsequent life alone, which seemed to be the real issue. To unravel the knot between Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er, they needed to understand this matter clearly.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, then slowly uttered a few words, leaving Li Yifei and Xu Yingying dumbstruck.

 Chapter 434 - 441: I Gave Birth to a Daughter for You

    Chapter 434: Chapter 441: I Gave Birth to a Daughter for You"Because... I was pregnant."


    When Ning Xin¡¯er said these words, it was like a thunderclap that made Li Yifei¡¯s ears buzz incessantly. Only now did he understand why Ning Xin¡¯er had gone through so much hardship. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s family was also quite prominent, and the Ning Family disciplined their children strictly. For a girl like Ning Xin¡¯er, an unplanned pregnancy was a very serious matter. Since Ning Xin¡¯er was pregnant, naturally, she dared not tell her family and had decided to run away secretly.


    As a woman, Xu Yingying knew all too well the incredible pain that came with an unplanned pregnancy, but now what concerned her even more was another issue, which she asked with a trembling voice, "What happened then?"


    Seeing the horrified expressions of Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly felt an unspeakable sense of satisfaction. She lifted her head with a twist of her mouth and said, "Of course, I gave birth to the baby."


    "What?" Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and Su Mengxin all exclaimed loudly at the same time.


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt even better now and said leisurely, "I hate you, but since I couldn¡¯t find you, I decided to give birth to your child and then beat him every day, letting your son atone for your sins."


    Li Yifei felt a chill down his back; this woman¡¯s thoughts were just too malicious.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin remarked, "Ning Xin¡¯er, you¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for the past two years and we¡¯ve never seen you with a child."


    Ning Xin¡¯er curled her lip and said, "Mixing in the entertainment industry, how could I let others know that I¡¯d had a child? And to top it off, a child out of wedlock ¡ª that would have been the end of my career. Hmph, it¡¯s just a pity that I wanted a son to torture, but fate decided to give me a daughter instead, which really infuriates me."


    Li Yifei was somewhat relieved to hear this; this meant Ning Xin¡¯er wouldn¡¯t take her anger out on the daughter. Anxiously, he asked, "Where¡¯s the child now?"


    "Hmph, it was hard enough for me to secretly give birth to the child, you think I¡¯d raise her too? I¡¯ve already given your daughter away."


    "What?" Li Yifei slammed the table and stood up abruptly.


    "What? Are you angry? You got me pregnant, and you, the father, just ran off, thinking I¡¯d raise the child all by myself? What a beautiful thought you had."


    "Then whom did you give her to?" Li Yifei was now somewhat furious.


    "I won¡¯t tell you. If you can, go find her yourself," she retorted.


    The angrier Li Yifei got, the happier Ning Xin¡¯er became. At this moment, she swung her legs triumphantly, her face beaming with a bright smile.


    Xu Yingying could tolerate Li Yifei¡¯s past indiscretions, but now that a child was involved, it was something she found hard to accept, and her complexion began to look grim.


    Su Mengxin was puzzled at this moment and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, if you were an ordinary person, I might believe that you secretly went out and had a child, but with your status, slipping away to have a child without anyone knowing seems a bit too difficult."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s words suddenly reminded Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying immediately said, "Don¡¯t try to blackmail my husband with a child. If you really have a child, then just bring them here. At that time, my husband will naturally acknowledge them. But if you can¡¯t bring the child, it only means you are lying."


    Li Yifei also calmed down. He felt that with Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s personality, she might do something so extreme, but if Ning Xin¡¯er had given birth, it seemed impossible for her to now be mixing in the entertainment industry. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing their disbelief, Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly stood up and lifted up her top, revealing a part of her lower abdomen, and said, "You don¡¯t believe me, do you? Then look at this. I had a cesarean section. Because I had no one to take care of me, I left the hospital before my wound healed properly, and it even got infected."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying could see directly from the front, and Su Mengxin, who was beside Ning Xin¡¯er, also leaned over to look. Indeed, there was a horizontal scar on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lower abdomen. Although it wasn¡¯t particularly noticeable, it was visible at a glance.


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Maybe you had surgery for something else?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er curled her lips and said, "You are a woman too. You should know what this place is. This is the uterus. Other than giving birth, surgery here means a woman is seriously ill. If I were sick normally, wouldn¡¯t my family send me to the hospital? Su Mengxin, with your capabilities, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to check out my medical records, right?"


    Su Mengxin nodded her head, actually believing that Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s scars were indeed caused by childbirth. If Ning Xin¡¯er had become ill, she would definitely be at home, and the Ning Family would surely send her to a major hospital for treatment. That hospital would definitely have a medical record, and if she wanted to look it up, it would be too easy.


    Li Yifei was also aware of this and slumped back into his seat, taking a couple of hard drags on his cigarette, and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I am sorry, but how can you take your anger out on a child?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er, seeing Li Yifei like this, felt a surge of resentment suddenly turn into excitement. Squinting her eyes, she said, "I just want you to understand what sort of price you have to pay after you hurt someone."


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "Alright, are you satisfied now?"


    "Not at all! Far from it! To have this child, I didn¡¯t dare let my family know. I had to hide, and couldn¡¯t even hide in the city. So I hid alone in a remote little mountain village. I had never lived on an earth kang before, and I had never slept in a room without air conditioning. Back then, I couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well, and every night, mosquitoes buzzed around me, causing me to barely sleep a few hours. The next day, my body would be covered with mosquito bites, and I had to endure the strange looks from others. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to keep going? Do you know what kept me going?"


    For Li Yifei, the hardships Ning Xin¡¯er was describing were nothing, but for a delicate girl like her, they were unbearable suffering. He sighed and said, "I admit that it wasn¡¯t easy for me, but the child is always innocent. If you don¡¯t want to raise this child, tell me where she is. I will take care of her. She was born without me fulfilling my responsibilities as a father. Now, I can¡¯t just watch her suffer."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it," Ning Xin¡¯er replied resolutely.


    At this point, Xu Yingying interjected, "Ning Xin¡¯er, what exactly do you want to do now?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Xu Yingying, then turned to Li Yifei, and suddenly cracked a smile, saying, "It¡¯s very simple. Make this bastard marry me."

 Chapter 435 - 442

    Chapter 435: 442Su Mengxin did not speak. Ever since Ning Xin¡¯er mentioned this child and saw Xu Yingying, she knew Ning Xin¡¯er would make such a request.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She turned her head to look at Li Yifei. Being married to him, she had always felt very happy, and she realized that she had truly fallen in love with Li Yifei. But who would have expected such a thing to happen?


    If it had only been that Ning Xin¡¯er had a relationship with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying could handle that. But since Ning Xin¡¯er had already given birth to Li Yifei¡¯s child, it would be entirely normal for Li Yifei to divorce her out of responsibility, and then marry Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Impossible!" But Li Yifei was very resolute, he shook his head and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, that¡¯s absolutely impossible. I¡¯m already married. I cannot leave Yingying to marry you."


    A fierce light flashed in Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes. She said, "Your love seems quite deep. However, if you don¡¯t agree, you can forget about ever seeing your daughter. You¡¯ll never get to see her for the rest of your life."


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I don¡¯t blame you for hating me..."


    "What right do you have to blame me?"


    "Yes! I have no right. Whatever you do to me, I will accept, but you can¡¯t treat our child like this!" Li Yifei also grew angry, his voice rising, almost as if he was shouting.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Are you angry?" Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly began to chuckle, laughing for a while until she said, "You have two choices: either marry me to have the child, or you don¡¯t even have to think about seeing the child."


    "Fine, then you can leave. I will find my child." Li Yifei¡¯s voice turned cold, and the look he gave Ning Xin¡¯er was filled with killing intent. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s actions had made him completely furious. At this moment, he felt no guilt towards Ning Xin¡¯er, only hatred.


    "Do you think you can find her? Keep on dreaming. Not just you, even if Su Mengxin tries, it would be absolutely impossible to find my child." Ning Xin¡¯er sneered.


    Li Yifei suddenly stood up, grabbed Ning Xin¡¯er by the collar, and lifted her up, hissing through clenched teeth, "You wicked woman, do you believe I could kill you?"


    "Go ahead, then kill me. You¡¯ve already ruined me once; living is suffering for me. Killing me will finally give me peace." Ning Xin¡¯er forced out these words, her face turning beet red. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin quickly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and Xu Yingying, also frightened, pulled on Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    "Husband, don¡¯t be impulsive!"


    "Yifei, calm down."


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er stared each other down, Li Yifei not letting go, and Ning Xin¡¯er showing no hint of fear in her eyes. As their gazes clashed, it was almost as if sparks were flying.


    "Husband! Let go!" Xu Yingying suddenly shouted, slapping Li Yifei hard on the shoulder.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body shook, and his grip gradually loosened. Ning Xin¡¯er promptly sat back down in the chair, coughing several times, but even as she coughed, she chuckled with tears streaming down her face, "Li Yifei, do you really hate me that much? I¡¯m so happy. At least I can make you hate me, rather than you just walking away, haha... cough cough... I¡¯m really happy, truly happy."


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er cry and laugh like this, both Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying felt somewhat sympathetic. This woman, even if her methods were extreme, was still quite pitiable. Su Mengxin patted Ning Xin¡¯er on the back, saying, "Ning Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s all in the past. Let¡¯s discuss this properly. Hatred won¡¯t solve anything."


    Ning Xin¡¯er wiped her tears and suddenly screamed almost hysterically, "Hatred won¡¯t solve anything, but I¡¯ve been looking for this guy for so many years just to tell him, even though I may hate him, I like him. That¡¯s why, no matter how difficult, I wanted to have his child. But what about him?" Ning Xin¡¯er pointed at Li Yifei, shouting furiously, "He¡¯s already married now. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do? Tell me?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s outburst and demands to Li Yifei, even the revelation of having a child, did not shock everyone quite as much as these words did. Love runs deep, as does hatred. Ning Xin¡¯er might¡¯ve been unconventional, but it all stemmed from her liking Li Yifei. Suddenly, her actions seemed explainable.


    The one most affected was Xu Yingying. She was prepared to face with Li Yifei whatever Ning Xin¡¯er hated about him. But to her surprise, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s endgame was her liking for Li Yifei, leaving Xu Yingying unsure of what to do, especially since Ning Xin¡¯er had also borne Li Yifei¡¯s child.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face twitched. He had not expected Ning Xin¡¯er to actually like him. During their time together, they had always been fighting and bickering. Ning Xin¡¯er used every trick in the book to tease him, and he always thought of her as a little witch, a woman who was scary to even look at.


    But thinking about it now, Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t very old back then. If she was expressing love in her own way, it was just like how little boys act naughty and troublesome towards girls they like, specifically to annoy them. Li Yifei had done this himself when he was in middle and high school. He just never thought that what usually boys did, a girl like Ning Xin¡¯er could do as well.


    And then there was the time he impulsively got involved with Ning Xin¡¯er. Even though she resisted at first, she soon became very accomodating. If she really despised him, Ning Xin¡¯er could have just yelled out, and he would have been doomed.


    After the fact, Ning Xin¡¯er, although she¡¯d constantly sought trouble with him and tormented him considerably, this woman seemed to always occasionally tempt him. At that time, because he felt guilty, he¡¯d been ignoring it, but now, giving it some thought, he suddenly understood Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s feelings.


    "Xin¡¯er... I..." Li Yifei¡¯s voice suddenly became hoarse.


    "Don¡¯t call me that, you¡¯re a married man. Why do you still call me like that? Li Yifei, I hate you, I¡¯ll hate you for the rest of my life." Ning Xin¡¯er shouted, then suddenly turned around and rushed out of the office.


    Although Michelle had left Li Yifei¡¯s office, she was still watching at the door, fending off several people who had attempted to enter Li Yifei¡¯s office in just that short time.


    At this moment, the chubby Chen Xingrui was pestering Michelle to get in, but Michelle resolutely refused, leaving Chen Xingrui quite frustrated.


    Ning Xin¡¯er burst out, startling both Michelle and Chen Xingrui, but Ning Xin¡¯er ran so fast that in the blink of an eye, she¡¯d already disappeared without a trace.


    "No way, our Manager Li is too ruthless, isn¡¯t he? I wonder which woman he has bullied?" Chen Xingrui could tell that the woman wasn¡¯t Su Mengxin, but a woman running out of Li Yifei¡¯s office made Chen Xingrui think crooked thoughts.


    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, or you¡¯ll be sorry." Michelle glared at Chen Xingrui, her heart, however, was tumultuous as she naturally recognized the fleeing figure to be Ning Xin¡¯er, clueless about the situation.


    The door was open at this point, and Michelle saw Li Yifei sitting in the boss chair, with Xu Yingying standing by his side, while Su Mengxin stood with her back to the door, next to the office desk. Judging from the expressions on Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s faces, both looked quite awful.


    This made Michelle very worried, not knowing whether Xu Yingying would lose her temper with Li Yifei or if it would affect their marriage.


    "What happened here? Why is President Xu here too?" Chen Xingrui peeked inside, his face full of confusion.


    "Get out!" Michelle pushed Chen Xingrui away, then quickly closed the office door.


    Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying looked at each other in dismay, while Li Yifei sat there in a daze; none of them had expected the situation to have turned out like this.


    The sound of Michelle closing the door snapped the three back to reality. Li Yifei exhaled deeply, Xu Yingying sighed, and at her sigh, Li Yifei immediately brought his thoughts back to the present. Ning Xin¡¯er had arrived, and his wife Xu Yingying was there¡ªhow could Xu Yingying not be affected by this?


    "Yingying!" Li Yifei turned his head to look at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying forced a smile and said, "I¡¯m sorry, my mind is a bit of a mess right now, I need some quiet." And with that, she walked out with a blank expression.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth but ultimately did not call out to Xu Yingying¡ªthere was simply no way for him to explain the situation.


    Su Mengxin closed the door and poured a glass of water for Li Yifei, saying with a wry smile, "I really didn¡¯t expect Ning Xin¡¯er to be so strong-willed."


    Li Yifei downed the glass of water in one gulp, took a deep breath to calm himself, and furrowed his brows, "Do you think what Ning Xin¡¯er said is true?"


    Su Mengxin hesitated for a moment, then said, "I feel that she probably did have a child. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have a scar on her stomach. But whether the child survived, I can¡¯t be sure."


    Li Yifei nodded, "I have my doubts about this too. If this child was really still around, Ning Xin¡¯er wouldn¡¯t have the energy to muddle through the entertainment industry. I don¡¯t quite believe she¡¯d just give the child away."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s fingers lightly tapped the desktop, "Then I¡¯ll investigate it for you later, it¡¯s not convenient for you."


    Li Yifei gratefully said, "Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you."


    "Why be so polite with me, but... regardless of whether the child is still here or not, that¡¯s not the urgent issue we need to face. The main issue now is Yingying. The impact of this affair on Yingying will definitely not be small. Whether or not you can get Yingying to tolerate this matter is the most important thing."


    Li Yifei sighed deeply, with no certainty at all about this matter.

 Chapter 436 - 443 Michelle’s Comfort

    Chapter 436: Chapter 443 Michelle¡¯s ComfortThroughout the day, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t try to persuade Li Yifei anymore, nor did she offer him any advice. Li Yifei¡¯s love life was in such chaos that it even gave Su Mengxin a headache. By not giving him any suggestions, she was keeping herself out of the situation for the time being because she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to think she had meddled and damaged his relationships with other women if they no longer ended up together. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin merely fulfilled her responsibilities as a secretary: she poured water for Li Yifei, talked to him about work, or made small talk to help him relax and prevent his mood from becoming too cluttered.


    During lunch, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t come to the canteen. When Li Yifei called her, Xu Yingying just said she had eaten something in her office and didn¡¯t want to come down. Although her tone didn¡¯t betray any anger, it did convey a sense of distancing to Li Yifei.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s willfulness hadn¡¯t led Xu Yingying to bear any resentment towards Li Yifei, but Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s sadness was more than Xu Yingying could bear.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t try to persuade her further; it was something Xu Yingying had to figure out on her own.


    Michelle, He Fangqing, and Li Yifei were eating at the same table with Su Mengxin. Michelle really wanted to ask Li Yifei what was going on, but with He Fangqing present, and considering the location, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to ask for explanations.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t seem to notice anything; she had been busy with the financial statements for the month all morning and had no idea such a big incident had occurred with Li Yifei. Besides, she hadn¡¯t been flirting much with Li Yifei recently. Even with Xu Yingying¡¯s promise, He Fangqing knew when to back off. As Xu Yingying¡¯s good friend, and now that Li Yifei was Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, she restrained herself for the sake of their friendship and to avoid making things difficult for Li Yifei in the future.


    Having already experienced a failed marriage, He Fangqing had much stronger self-control than Michelle. She understood that love didn¡¯t represent everything. What truly proved the feelings between a man and a woman was marriage, and whether they could live happily together after marriage. That was true love; otherwise, it was merely an emotional game.


    Li Yifei had sensed the change in He Fangqing too and knew she was doing the right thing. Maintaining their friendship might be the best outcome.


    "Director He, could you check on President Xu later? She seems to be in a bad mood today," Li Yifei whispered to He Fangqing after they had finished eating.


    He Fangqing was startled for a moment and whispered back, "What¡¯s the matter, did the lovebirds have a tiff?"


    Li Yifei wanted to laugh but didn¡¯t manage to, and he said with a somewhat unnatural expression, "Just keep her company."


    "No problem, but you know, young man, you¡¯d better not be caught cheating by your wife because I can¡¯t help you with that."


    Li Yifei chuckled bitterly to himself. It wasn¡¯t cheating this time, but a child had come into the picture, which was a far more serious matter than an affair.


    When he returned to the office, Michelle followed him. Su Mengxin immediately smiled and said, "I¡¯ll step out for a moment; you two chat." She then walked straight out.


    "Brother Li, what on earth is going on?" As soon as Su Mengxin left, Michelle quickly sat down next to Li Yifei and asked anxiously.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er and I had a connection in the past, but it wasn¡¯t really romantic. I didn¡¯t like her, so I ran away. Who knew she was pregnant with my child and even gave birth to it."


    "What! That... that..." Michelle was shocked. Like Xu Yingying, she could accept Li Yifei¡¯s past relationships, but the sudden appearance of a child was too much for her.


    Li Yifei shook his head and laughed, "Heh, I don¡¯t even know how I became a dad."


    "Ning Xin¡¯er actually had a child with you? That¡¯s really..." Michelle didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. She was a fan of Ning Xin¡¯er and always considered her a chaste celebrity. She had never heard any news about her dating, and even if there was the occasional scandalous news, it would quickly prove unfounded. Little did she guess that not only had Ning Xin¡¯er had a man, but she had also had a child.


    And what was most crucial was that this man who fathered Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s child was the man she had always liked; she didn¡¯t even know how to feel about it.


    "Do you think I was too casual in the past?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Michelle quickly shook her head vigorously and said, "No, it¡¯s because you¡¯re so outstanding, Brother Li, that many girls want to be with you, like me. Even though I know you¡¯re married, I still want to talk to you."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile gently and said, "Doesn¡¯t that make you silly?"


    With a sweet smile, Michelle replied, "I¡¯m not silly. When you like someone, you want them to be happy. Even though I¡¯m not the one making you happy, seeing you cheerful every day makes me happy too."


    Li Yifei was touched by her words and said softly, "Michelle, you¡¯re a good girl. You¡¯ll definitely meet a great man who will love you with all his heart someday."


    "I hope so, but with you as comparison, Brother Li, it feels so difficult to find someone who can measure up to you."


    "Where have I done well? I¡¯m not diligent in my work, and my career isn¡¯t a success."


    "Whether a career is successful or not isn¡¯t the standard by which a man¡¯s success is measured, Brother Li. You¡¯re kind to others, capable too. Besides, it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t want to have a career¡ªyou just prefer a peaceful life. A man like that truly understands living. If I were to live with you in the future, I¡¯d certainly be very happy."


    As Michelle spoke, she found herself daydreaming about living with Li Yifei. A blush spread across her delicate face, an indescribable charm.


    Li Yifei was caught between laughter and tears. Technically, given Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s appearance, the women who had feelings for him should despise him and call for his ostracism. But to his surprise, Michelle still liked him so much. And suddenly, Li Yifei realized that Michelle really understood him.


    "Brother Li, no matter what decision you make, I¡¯ll support you. However, I feel like since President Xu is the one who got hurt, you¡¯d better make it up to her. She¡¯s a girl after all, and girls always hope their husbands will pamper them. As long as you can make her happy, she won¡¯t hold the past against you anymore."


    "Hmm, thank you, I will," Li Yifei nodded earnestly.


    "Brother Li, don¡¯t feel burdened by what I just said. It¡¯s enough if you still consider me a good friend. Otherwise, I¡¯d really be sad. Even if I can¡¯t be your girlfriend, I still hope to be your life-long friend."


    "Yeah, we will definitely be life-long friends," Li Yifei nodded again earnestly. With someone as considerate as Michelle, what reason did he have to deny her this simple request?


    After work, Li Yifei wanted to go home with Xu Yingying, but she had told Su Mengxin earlier that she had some work to finish and would be going home late. She asked Li Yifei and the others to leave without her.


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying was temporarily unsure of how to face him, and he didn¡¯t know how to face her either. Perhaps it was better for them not to see each other for a while.


    With Su Mengxin, he then went to pick up Xu Shanshan from school.


    As Xu Shanshan came out, there was someone with her¡ªnone other than the school principal Wang Libang. He looked refined and respectful, maintaining a certain distance from Xu Shanshan, which seemed to be the mark of a very principled man, yet it subtly communicated his fondness for Xu Shanshan.


    "Principal Wang, my boyfriend has come to pick me up. Goodbye," Xu Shanshan said, pointing to Li Yifei¡¯s car before hurrying over to it.


    Li Yifei was standing beside the car. When Xu Shanshan arrived, she immediately took his arm, waved to Wang Libang, and said, "Principal Wang, I have to go now."


    Wang Libang waved back at Xu Shanshan and then nodded to Li Yifei with a smile always on his face.


    Li Yifei nodded back at Wang Libang and then got into the car with Xu Shanshan.


    As soon as Xu Shanshan sat in the car, she started chattering, "Brother-in-law, I said that on purpose just so he would know I have a boyfriend and stop pursuing me."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying, "That¡¯s good, it¡¯s best to have as little contact as possible with that man."


    "Got it, I knew my brother-in-law would be the most concerned about me. Brother-in-law, I want to eat crabs today, can we go buy some?"


    "Okay!" Li Yifei agreed heartily. Although he was currently having relationship issues with Xu Yingying, he didn¡¯t want Xu Shanshan to know about it.


    After buying a few pounds of crabs and steaming them at home, a delicious aroma soon filled the air. Xu Shanshan then called Xu Yingying, urging her to come home for dinner. Xu Yingying told her she would stay at He Fangqing¡¯s place tonight to work on something urgent.


    After hanging up the phone, Xu Shanshan came into the kitchen, bent over, and looked Li Yifei up and down, making him feel somewhat uneasy. "Shanshan, what are you looking at?" he asked.


    "Did you and my sister have a fight?" she inquired.


    "No," Li Yifei replied, not wanting to admit it to avoid worrying Xu Shanshan.


    "That¡¯s not right, there must have been a conflict. Otherwise, my sister wouldn¡¯t fail to come home, and it¡¯s a major one at that. Oh no, you¡¯re not getting a divorce, are you? This is bad, really bad. Brother-in-law, please don¡¯t ever divorce my sister," Xu Shanshan said, noticeably agitated, as if the potential divorce between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying was her primary concern.

 Chapter 437 - 444 Xu Shanshan is Anxious

    Chapter 437: Chapter 444 Xu Shanshan is AnxiousXu Shanshan suddenly ran out again, grabbing Su Mengxin¡¯s arm while she was sitting in the living room, and asked anxiously, "Sister Mengxin, what on earth is going on? Why are my sister and brother-in-law having a conflict?"


    Su Mengxin turned her head to glance at Li Yifei in the kitchen and smiled, saying, "I don¡¯t really know. Their marital issues are beyond my understanding. But you don¡¯t need to worry; couples argue all the time. It¡¯s always a quarrel at the bedside and reconciliation at the foot of the bed."


    "It¡¯s not like that. My sister isn¡¯t even staying at home; how can they make up in bed then?"


    Su Mengxin shrugged and said, "It¡¯s up to them then. But it¡¯s normal for couples to fight. How many couples in this world never argue?"


    Su Mengxin stole another glance at Li Yifei, feeling a bit wistful in her heart. If she were with Li Yifei, what would they argue about? Daily necessities wouldn¡¯t be an issue for them, nor would household chores. Even if they didn¡¯t hire a maid, she would gladly tidy up their home with Li Yifei. It would be an enjoyment, so why would they get angry?


    The only issue could be with their feelings. For instance, if Li Yifei were to cheat in the future. But Su Mengxin was open-minded about that. If a man liked to cheat, was it because the wife didn¡¯t satisfy the husband at home, or was the wife not doing well in some way? She believed she would do well and make Li Yifei enjoy being at home.


    So after thinking it over, she couldn¡¯t find a reason for Li Yifei to argue with her. But wouldn¡¯t that make their life a bit boring? It seems she would have to deliberately provoke Li Yifei to add some atmosphere to their home.


    "Sister Mengxin, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why didn¡¯t you respond when I was talking to you?" Xu Shanshan nudged Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin came back to her senses and apologized, "I remembered something, and my mind wandered a bit. What did you say just now?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes, realizing Su Mengxin zoned out while she was talking. She said, "I was asking you if there¡¯s a chance my sister and brother-in-law might get a divorce?"


    "They won¡¯t," Su Mengxin shook her head.


    Xu Shanshan patted her chest and said, "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. If they got divorced, it would ruin everything."


    Puzzled, Su Mengxin looked at Xu Shanshan and said, "You don¡¯t even know the nature of their conflict, so why are you so afraid they might divorce? If your brother-in-law did something to wrong your sister, wouldn¡¯t you want them to get divorced?"


    "He¡¯s doing things that wrong my sister anyway, and I¡¯ve grown used to it. You have no idea how much effort it took to get them married. I can¡¯t let them divorce; otherwise, all my efforts would have been for nothing."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s reasoning seemed convincing, but no matter how she thought about it, Su Mengxin felt that Xu Shanshan¡¯s justification wasn¡¯t her true feelings. However, she figured Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t reveal more even if asked, so she didn¡¯t press further.


    During dinner, Xu Shanshan kept staring at Li Yifei. Li Yifei shot her a look and said, "If you don¡¯t eat properly, I¡¯ll finish everything."


    Xu Shanshan, holding a crab and mindlessly twisting off its claws without eating, replied distractedly, "Go ahead, I don¡¯t really have an appetite."


    At that moment, Su Mengxin stood up and said, "Alright, I¡¯ve eaten enough. I¡¯m heading back now."


    Li Yifei got up to see Su Mengxin out. As soon as he closed the door, Xu Shanshan had already come up, grabbing his arm and forcefully pulling him down onto the sofa. She stared into his eyes and said, "Now, tell me what¡¯s actually going on with you and my sister."


    Facing Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but wonder how his sister-in-law was so perceptive. As it seemed impossible to deceive her, and since he would need her help to coax Xu Yingying, he had no choice but to recount everything that happened today.


    Xu Shanshan listened in shock, until finally she exclaimed, "Oh my, Ning Xin¡¯er actually gave you a child. This sounds like a fairy tale. Brother-in-law, are you having some fantasy?"


    Li Yifei, helplessly amused, said, "Do I have that much time to spend on fantasies? She¡¯s really giving me a headache now."


    "This is quite a bit of trouble. If Ning Xin¡¯er just hated you, my sister wouldn¡¯t be so upset. After all, this happened several years ago, and you have no real feelings for her. But the fact that she had a child with you and says she likes you, that¡¯s what truly bothers my sister."


    Indeed, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t disappoint as Xu Yingying¡¯s twin. She instantly figured out the reason for her sister¡¯s distress.


    "She may like me, but I don¡¯t have any feelings for her. Back then, we were more like enemies."


    "But the most important issue is that she had a child, your child, so you can¡¯t ignore it as a father. Naturally, my sister has to consider this. If she continues to stay with you, she¡¯d have to accept the child, and Ning Xin¡¯er, as the child¡¯s mother, has declared her feelings for you. Wouldn¡¯t my sister also have to accept her?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s reasoning was accurate, which was why Li Yifei felt it was a deadlock.


    "This is difficult. How could Ning Xin¡¯er, a star, be so irrational to have a child with you?" Xu Shanshan pouted, continuously criticizing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s actions.


    Seeing that Xu Shanshan showed no signs of stopping, Li Yifei had no choice but to pat her leg. Although the action was a bit ambiguous, both were too familiar for Li Yifei to worry about it. He said, "Stop talking about it now. What should I do?"


    Xu Shanshan shrieked, "Oh, yes, what should I do now? I surely can¡¯t let you and my sister divorce. What would I do then?"


    "What would you do?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled, looking at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan giggled mischievously, saying, "I finally found a brother-in-law I¡¯m satisfied with. If you and my sister divorced, who would pamper me like this, rub my feet so comfortably, chat, and hang out with me? If it were someone else, I¡¯d go crazy."


    Li Yifei immediately broke into a cold sweat and said, "Shanshan, can¡¯t we stop talking about this?"


    Xu Shanshan replied with an "oh," then grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, saying, "Brother-in-law, you must stay with my sister for a lifetime. I beg you."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "I¡¯ll try, but whether your sister can forgive me, I have no confidence."


    Xu Shanshan immediately tilted her head to brainstorm ideas for Li Yifei, but he didn¡¯t adopt any of her suggestions, which all involved deceiving Xu Yingying in one way or another. Li Yifei, however, didn¡¯t want to lie to Xu Yingying anymore. These matters might cover up troubles for a while but couldn¡¯t do so for a lifetime. When exposed, the harm to Xu Yingying would be even greater, so Li Yifei decided to face everything head-on.


    Moreover, Li Yifei had already prepared to lay everything bare, including Ye Yunzhu¡¯s pregnancy. With the trouble Ning Xin¡¯er already caused, if Ye Yunzhu kept the child, Xu Yingying would perhaps be unable to accept it.


    That night, Li Yifei slept alone in the room, feeling somewhat empty¡ªnot because there was no woman beside him, but because he had grown accustomed to Xu Yingying sleeping by his side. Even if they did nothing, just hearing Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing or smelling her scent put his mind at ease. Without Xu Yingying in the bed, everything seemed missing, which was terrifying.


    The next day, Li Yifei arrived at the company, settling in his office for a while before He Fangqing called him in. He promptly made his way to He Fangqing¡¯s office, glancing at Xu Yingying¡¯s office door as he passed. It was firmly shut; he had no idea if she was inside.


    Upon entering He Fangqing¡¯s office, he received a sideways glance from her as she remarked, "What are you even thinking, ending up with a child?"


    After a night, Li Yifei had adjusted his mindset well, smiling slightly as he said, "I was quite surprised myself."


    He Fangqing poured a cup of water for Li Yifei, sat with him on the sofa, and jokingly scolded, "Now you¡¯re in trouble, leaving traces of your feelings everywhere and now seeds too."


    "I had no choice. She didn¡¯t even consult me about this. How is Yingying doing now?"


    "What do you think? She can¡¯t accept it. She¡¯s been quite tolerant of you already; she never pressured for immediate cutoffs with your former lovers. Who knew this would result in a child, but a daughter too. If she accepted this, it would be strange."


    Li Yifei calmly asked, "Did Yingying say what she wanted to do?"


    "She said she wants to divorce you and let you be with Ning Xin¡¯er. She doesn¡¯t want the child to be born without a father."


    "Is that all?"


    "But she can¡¯t let go of you. She didn¡¯t explicitly say it, but I can see it. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so torn."


    Li Yifei realized that Xu Yingying would feel this way, responding, "I¡¯ll respect Yingying¡¯s decision no matter what." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing frowned and asked, "Don¡¯t you want to earnestly fight for it? If you sincerely reconcile with Yingying, she might forgive you."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "I certainly will try, but it¡¯s not just Ning Xin¡¯er who has my child. Ye Yunzhu is also pregnant, and aborting it would mean she can¡¯t have kids anymore. It needs to be born. Now without doing much, I have two children outside. How can I gain Yingying¡¯s forgiveness?"


    He Fangqing was momentarily dumbfounded before saying, "Then it¡¯s not just two. I have one too."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, staring blankly at He Fangqing.


    Suddenly, He Fangqing snickered, "I was kidding. I wouldn¡¯t be that silly, having a child for no reason and inviting trouble."


    Li Yifei, becoming startled by even a whisper of children, felt both exasperated and amused as he said, "Fangqing, please don¡¯t scare me. Hearing the word child in the past few days makes my heart falter."


    "That¡¯s what you get for leaving traces of affection everywhere. Had you been straightforward, there wouldn¡¯t be so many problems."


    "Yes, anything done comes with consequences. My previous recklessness is catching up now, one after another."


    Seeing Li Yifei looking tired, He Fangqing felt bad. She purposely joked earlier to relax Li Yifei¡¯s mind, yet it seemed he was heavily burdened by relationship issues these days. Subconsciously, she embraced Li Yifei, gently saying, "Don¡¯t be too conflicted; let it go with the flow. If you feel weary, come rest here. I promise you won¡¯t feel pressured."

 Chapter 438 - 445: Ambushed

    Chapter 438: Chapter 445: AmbushedFor two consecutive days, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t returned home, which left Xu Shanshan extremely anxious, while Li Yifei¡¯s mood had finally settled down. He had thought that returning to the city would allow him to lead a tranquil life, to find a wife and live a modest existence, but evidently, his romantic life was not going smoothly. He feared this young man couldn¡¯t carry on much longer.


    Knowing that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t be coming home tonight either, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel like returning home. Although Xu Shanshan was adorable, she was not his wife after all. Now that things with Xu Yingying had turned out this way, he was even less inclined to have any ambiguous interactions with Xu Shanshan.


    It had been a long time since he had been to a bar. Today, Li Yifei decided once again to visit one, to have a few drinks and unwind, which seemed like a good choice.


    If Li Yifei made a call now, he could easily find many people to join him for drinks, Lin Qiong, Michelle, and others, but he just felt like drinking alone.


    "Sir, here¡¯s your drink!" At this early hour, the bar was sparsely populated, and a server approached with a tray, on which sat a bottle of white spirit, a drinking glass, and some nuts and dried fruits.


    Li Yifei nodded his head in acknowledgement. The server was about to set the tray on the table, an utterly normal movement, but a sudden alarm went off in his mind and instinctively, he leaned quickly backwards just as he noticed a streak of cold light aiming for his chest.


    It was a sharp dagger, not long in the handle or the blade, but exceedingly keen and aimed straight for a vital part of Li Yifei¡¯s chest. The move was rapid and forceful; Li Yifei was cognizant that if the dagger hit its mark, his life would be over there and then.


    Such a swift backward lean afforded him enough time to act. With nowhere further to dodge due to the backing of the booth, his hand had already shot out, latching onto the wrist of the server.


    The server¡¯s hand shook, and like a snake changing direction, he redirected the attack towards Li Yifei. Mid-stab, however, he abruptly retreated as a large tabletop was hurtled towards him.


    Li Yifei¡¯s response to danger was incredibly fast. Even if he¡¯d been neglecting his training these days, it hadn¡¯t affected his reactions. As his hand reached for the assassin¡¯s wrist, his foot kicked up the table. Any object near him could become his weapon.


    The table forced the server back, and Li Yifei had already sprung up, charging at the server. For someone seeking to end his life, he certainly wasn¡¯t about to pull his punches.


    After his initial failure, the server didn¡¯t attempt to flee. His left hand flipped around, revealing another dagger identical to the one in his right. He let out a low shout and pounced towards Li Yifei.


    As the server lunged, two dark figures suddenly sprang from the side, thrusting long knives at Li Yifei, and together with the attacker in front, their assault was relentless, like mercury spilling across the floor, indefensible.


    Li Yifei was internally shocked. Not only were the trio¡¯s skills formidable, but their very presence, which he hadn¡¯t sensed beforehand, betrayed their exceptional ability to conceal murderous intent.


    The fact that these three were lying in wait inside the bar was even more bewildering. It had been a long time since he¡¯d been to such a place. How could they have known that he would come here today?


    But this was not the time for Li Yifei to ponder such questions. The most pressing issue was to neutralize these three assailants. With a fierce shout, he twisted his body peculiarly, evading the long knife from the man to the left, then ramming into his chest to avoid the dagger thrust from the man in front, while the knife from the man on the right couldn¡¯t reach him.


    The man on the left, whose knife was better suited for distance, found himself outmaneuvered at close range by Li Yifei, rendering the weapon ineffective. He was quick to react, letting go of the knife and aiming two punches at Li Yifei¡¯s face and chest, hoping to push him back so his comrades could continue their assault; otherwise, he himself would merely serve as Li Yifei¡¯s human shield.


    Li Yifei had anticipated this move and wouldn¡¯t allow him to succeed. He tilted his head, dodging one punch, and with a shoulder butt, he collided with the assailant¡¯s other punch.


    The adversary had hastily thrown his punches, splitting his force between two hands, thus diminishing their power. Li Yifei, on the other hand, had calculated his response with care, using a full-powered shoulder thrust that sent the puncher crashing back as if he had hit a boulder.


    "Whoosh!" Sensing the peril, the man used the momentum from Li Yifei¡¯s hit to propel himself backward, successfully dissipating some of the force before he smashed onto a table, which instantly shattered to pieces.


    The table was sturdy, and ordinarily, it would not break under a person¡¯s weight, but combined with the power from Li Yifei¡¯s strike, it couldn¡¯t withstand such a formidable force and crumbled apart.


    In the time it took for one person to be thrown out, Li Yifei had already clashed with the other two assailants. Though they wielded sharp weapons, Li Yifei fought with bare hands; not only did he not fall behind, but he also forced the two of them to retreat step by step. Li Yifei¡¯s entire body was a weapon, and any part that touched those two would cause no less damage than their own blades.


    Meanwhile, the man Li Yifei had sent flying had now bounced back into the fray. Despite his injuries, he was truly a skilled fighter, and the wound was not grave. Plus, with the three of them working together, they had managed to corner Li Yifei into getting hurt, which was humiliating for him. Enraged, he bellowed and rejoined the battle.


    With the three of them closing in, their combat strength increased once more, and Li Yifei seemed to be pushed into a defensive position. However, he didn¡¯t panic at all; in fact, he had not been exerting his full strength. He was waiting, waiting for the rest of their group. If these three had come to ambush him, they must have figured out his capabilities, yet Li Yifei knew nothing of them. He disliked being at such a disadvantage and was determined to uncover the identity of this gang, convinced there were others behind these three.


    However, it seemed the others had great patience, as they had yet to reveal themselves. They appeared to be waiting for him to slip up, so Li Yifei decided to oblige and show them an opening.


    "Go to hell!" Li Yifei roared and launched a straight punch toward the man in front of him.


    The man in front was the same one who had been injured earlier. He had picked up his long blade again, and upon seeing Li Yifei¡¯s relentless punch, he too shouted and thrust his blade straight at Li Yifei¡¯s fist. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other two aimed their attacks at Li Yifei¡¯s sides, intending to corner him into a face-to-face collision with no chance to dodge.


    Li Yifei seemed to play right into their hands, his punch remaining unstoppable. In the blink of an eye, it met the blade.


    "Swoosh!" The blade met no resistance, seemingly piercing straight through Li Yifei¡¯s fist and arm.


    The two others rejoiced, thinking Li Yifei had doomed himself by injuring his own arm, leaving him defenseless against their encirclement.


    "Ah!" However, accompanied by a scream, the man in front was sent flying, still clutching his long blade, which had no blood on it.


    This man broke another table as he fell, but this time he was incapable of getting back up. Li Yifei¡¯s punch had shattered at least six or seven of his ribs, and the broken bones had punctured his chest cavity. There was no external bleeding, but internally it was a mess, and his survival was doubtful.


    The unexpected turn of events stunned the two companions, causing them a moment of distraction.


    In a high-level fight, there is no room for the slightest hesitation, and since these two were not as strong as Li Yifei, they found themselves overwhelmed. By the time they realized Li Yifei had launched an attack, it was too late to mount an effective defense, and they were quickly forced to retreat.


    "Thud, thud!" Two successive sounds, and both were sent flying by Li Yifei. After landing, they coughed up blood, and although they struggled to their feet, their wavering stance revealed the severity of their injuries.


    "You truly overestimated yourselves. You thought you could ambush me?" Li Yifei stood before the two men, his fierce gaze sweeping over them. He demanded, "Who are you?"


    Blood trickled from the corners of their mouths, their expressions were ferocious, but neither spoke; they simply glared hatefully at Li Yifei.


    "Will you talk or not!" Li Yifei stretched out his hand and seized one man by the throat, lifting him up.


    The man¡¯s breath grew labored from the chokehold, yet he struggled not at all, continuing to glare at Li Yifei with eyes filled with hatred.


    This look caused Li Yifei to frown. The man¡¯s gaze conveyed sheer hatred, indicating they bore a deep grudge against him. As a member of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei had completed many missions and killed numerous enemies. Making enemies was only natural, but back then his identity was hardly known. After retiring, his past was a secret, yet now, back in the city, it seemed enemies were still tracking him down.


    And as Li Yifei¡¯s attention was briefly diverted, a black dagger suddenly hurtled toward his back, glinting coldly in the light. The dagger was small and quiet, making no sound as it flew through the air. Unaware, Li Yifei didn¡¯t notice as the dagger plunged deep into his back, right up to the hilt.

 Chapter 439 - 446: So it’s you

    Chapter 439: Chapter 446: So it¡¯s youLi Yifei¡¯s hand loosened, and the person in his grasp suddenly fell to the ground, while Li Yifei himself turned around with difficulty, his face contorted in pain as one hand subconsciously reached behind him, seemingly to pull out the dagger.


    A person slowly emerged from the shadows of the bar, over six feet tall, with golden hair, a muscular build, and eyes filled with a vengeful glare.


    Li Yifei had seen this man before when he and Xu Shanshan went to that upscale neighborhood. He had a feeling of familiarity but couldn¡¯t quite place who he was. After the attack on him, Li Yifei suspected this man, but when he went looking, he couldn¡¯t find him at all.


    "Who are you?" Li Yifei squeezed a few words through gritted teeth, his facial muscles twisting again as if he was holding on to his last breath.


    The blonde man stopped three meters in front of Li Yifei and, with a ruthless look, scanned him before speaking coldly in Chinese, "You should remember Stryker from the Congo Jungle, shouldn¡¯t you?"


    "Stryker? Are you a relative of Stryker¡¯s?" Li Yifei frowned slightly. He certainly remembered Stryker from the Congo Jungle. He was a leader of a terrorist organization, a truly formidable man. Not only was he highly skilled in combat, but he was also exceedingly cunning, having committed numerous evil deeds while always managing to be a thorn in the side of governments worldwide.


    This time, Li Yifei, with a team of elite multinational special forces, pursued Stryker into the Congo Jungle. The cat-and-mouse chase lasted three days, costing the multinational forces over ten men while annihilating Stryker¡¯s subordinates. Li Yifei finally confronted Stryker and killed him on the spot. Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t get injured, he was nearly depleted of his energy, which made the fight with Stryker one of his toughest.


    Joseph nodded, his eyes seething with hatred as he looked at Li Yifei and said, "Correct. I¡¯m Stryker¡¯s brother, Joseph. Golden Eagle, I¡¯ve been looking for you for years and finally avenged my brother."


    Li Yifei was Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s Number Two. In Huaxia, he would introduce himself simply as Flying Hawk Squad Number Two, but abroad, he had a more resonant nickname: Golden Eagle.


    "I... can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t find you back then..." Li Yifei¡¯s body swayed, and just as he tried to say something more, his mouth moved several times, but then he could no longer speak, his body fell forward stiffly.


    At that moment, however, Joseph suddenly leaped backward with an extremely agile move and then quickly retreated, shouting, "Golden Eagle, I may not kill you this time, but I¡¯ll definitely kill you in the future. I will have my revenge."


    The body of Li Yifei that was initially falling forward suddenly sprang up. He wasn¡¯t really injured; even though the dagger was silent, he still sensed it. He didn¡¯t dodge, instead, he contracted the muscles in his shoulder, making it appear as though the dagger had struck his back. In reality, it had hit between his arm and ribs, allowing him to clamp it with his arm. His intention was to draw Joseph out and then take advantage of his carelessness to kill him on the spot.


    But Joseph was as cunning as a fox. Even with Li Yifei¡¯s plan, Joseph didn¡¯t dare to get too close, and when Li Yifei lunged, Joseph somehow sensed the impending attack and escaped.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t chase after Joseph. The man¡¯s movements were indeed masterful. If Li Yifei¡¯s lunge, prepared as he was, hadn¡¯t been so easily avoided, there would¡¯ve been a chance. But Joseph had dodged it, which meant that even if Li Yifei gave chase, catching up to Joseph was not guaranteed.


    However, if Joseph was to confront him head-on, Li Yifei was confident that he could kill him then and there.


    Turning around, the two men behind him were already lying on the ground, black blood flowing from the corners of their mouths. They weren¡¯t injured by Li Yifei; they had taken poison and committed suicide.


    Sirens then sounded outside, making Li Yifei frown. It was obvious that other people in the bar had called the police. With three dead bodies underground, encountering the police was not ideal, so he dashed out of the bar without hesitation.


    Upon exiting the bar, Li Yifei saw two police cars parked at the entrance and several policemen rushing inside, including Lin Qiong. Li Yifei didn¡¯t leave, unsure if Joseph had more tricks up his sleeve, and if Lin Qiong was targeted, he couldn¡¯t stand by.


    But nothing of the sort happened. The police conducted their investigation, and ambulances soon arrived, but of course, it was to no avail; they could only carry out three corpses.


    Only then did Li Yifei leave, but he hadn¡¯t gone far when his phone rang. It was a call from Lin Qiong.


    Li Yifei was puzzled. Why would Lin Qiong call him at this time? During the fight, everyone in the bar had hidden, the lighting was very dim, and Li Yifei had noticed early on that the cameras were destroyed, so there should be no video evidence of him, and others wouldn¡¯t remember his appearance.


    "Qiongqiong, why are you looking for me?" Li Yifei teased Lin Qiong as he used to.


    "Li Yifei, where are you?"


    "I¡¯m strolling outside. Are you missing me?"


    "Yes! I miss you. Come to my place now; I¡¯ll be back in half an hour."


    Li Yifei said in a hurry, "Qiongqiong, I¡¯m a married man now, I have to go home, otherwise my wife will scold me."


    "I don¡¯t care about your wife, I¡¯m telling you to go now, and if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll go and tell your wife myself." Lin Qiong¡¯s tone was incredibly domineering.


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go," Li Yifei could only compromise. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These past few days, Li Yifei had been troubled by emotions and was already feeling upset. Logically, he didn¡¯t want to see Lin Qiong, but her calling him at this time made him feel somewhat strange.


    Arriving at Lin Qiong¡¯s place, Li Yifei lay on the couch for a while before Lin Qiong hurried back home and sat down next to him, staring at Li Yifei.


    Protecting his chest, as if Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze was making his hair stand on end, Li Yifei said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t speak, still staring at Li Yifei, who quickly sat up and scooted back, saying, "Qiongqiong, I didn¡¯t provoke you, did I?"


    Lin Qiong took a deep breath and said, "Nothing, I just encountered a big case tonight and I¡¯m feeling a bit agitated. I wanted to talk to you about it."


    "A big case? What kind of big case?" Li Yifei asked, feigning ignorance.


    "There was a homicide at Maple Bar, three people died."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "There are always brawls in bars, but it¡¯s not often that people get killed. Whoever did this was really ruthless."


    "It wasn¡¯t a brawl, but a martial fight. These three men ganged up on one guy, but ended up getting killed by him on the spot. And they didn¡¯t use guns, they used knives and daggers, pure kung fu."


    Li Yifei straightened up, his eyes shining as he said, "No way, I¡¯m pretty good myself. Knocking people down is one thing, but killing them must be difficult, right? And against three people, how is that even possible?"


    Lin Qiong inwardly scorned Li Yifei. From what she saw of the situation and from witness accounts, she knew it was this guy who had done it, yet here he was putting on an act in front of her.


    Lin Qiong sighed and said, "Now that such a big case has happened, I¡¯m under a lot of pressure. Plus, with them using real kung fu, it feels all the more unusual. Can you help me analyze this and see how I should approach the case?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "You¡¯re the cop, not me, how would I know?"


    Lin Qiong cursed Li Yifei in her heart again, shook her head, and said, "It¡¯s not the same. You¡¯re someone who knows kung fu. Don¡¯t you have any insights about such kung fu masters?"


    "Kung fu masters, huh..." Li Yifei tilted his head, pondering, and said, "I did meet a few kung fu practitioners back in the army, and their skills were really good. With just one palm strike, they could split several bricks, and having a gun pressed against their necks didn¡¯t bother them at all... They were incredible."


    Lin Qiong kicked Li Yifei and said, "I¡¯m talking about real kung fu, not the kind of performance you see from street performers."


    "Well, I¡¯m clueless about that. The kung fu I practiced was taught in the army, straightforward and simple. What you¡¯re talking about sounds like something out of a martial arts movie, we didn¡¯t have that in the army."


    "Quit it. Remember the last time we cracked that smuggling case? Then his brother came for revenge, and I was ambushed by them. Those guys had real kung fu and were very formidable. If it hadn¡¯t been for... that mysterious person¡¯s help, I¡¯d definitely be dead now, so I totally believe in the existence of real kung fu," Lin Qiong said, giving Li Yifei a meaningful look.


    Li Yifei felt there was something off about how Lin Qiong was speaking today; it seemed like she suspected he was that mysterious person. He tilted his head to look at Lin Qiong, then chuckled and said, "I say, Qiongqiong, you don¡¯t suspect I¡¯m that mysterious person, do you?"


    Being directly questioned by Li Yifei caught Lin Qiong completely off guard, and she almost nodded in agreement, but then she thought if she directly exposed Li Yifei¡¯s identity, he might start avoiding her. So she just rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Just look at yourself, you think you can compare to that mysterious person? You really think too highly of yourself."


    Now Li Yifei was really confused by Lin Qiong; if she truly suspected him, she should have kept questioning, right? But now she didn¡¯t believe it at all, so what was Lin Qiong doing looking for him instead of working on the case?

 Chapter 440 - 447 Running Away from Home

    Chapter 440: Chapter 447 Running Away from Home"Not convinced, huh?" Lin Qiong raised her eyebrows at Li Yifei, speaking with smug satisfaction, "Just look at that mystery man. Although he¡¯s not that handsome, he has a kind of calm and dominance rarely seen in men. Even the strongest enemies seem like nothing to him. With just a move of his hand, he can turn them to dust. And look at you, always hanging around women¡¯s bellies. When something happens, you shrink back without putting up much of a fight. Ah, why is there such a disparity when comparing with others?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "If you admire him so much, why don¡¯t you just offer yourself to him?"


    "Humph, someone of his caliber wouldn¡¯t be like you, only thinking about those trivial things. I¡¯ll have you know, last time he was testing me, I could tell, so I didn¡¯t agree. If I have the chance again, I would accept him without hesitation."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "Then I wish you¡¯ll get what you desire."


    Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei with a sneaky smile, "You jerk, aren¡¯t you jealous? Am I giving you a green hat to wear?"


    "I am jealous, but in your heart, that mystery man is so powerful, I can¡¯t compare at all. There¡¯s nothing I can do."


    "Humph, I think you just want me to dump you, so you won¡¯t be bothered. Let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about it."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "If you¡¯ve got the mystery man, what do you need me for?"


    Lin Qiong said proudly, "So it¡¯s okay for you to have a wife and still mess around with other women? If you can, of course I can, too."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened at once. Lin Qiong¡¯s way of thinking was truly impressive, but he didn¡¯t feel too bad about it inside. After all, that mystery man was him. All this playing around was just with himself.


    "Yifei, what do you think about when you and that mystery man are both here, and we play together?" Lin Qiong snuggled up to Li Yifei and winked at him.


    "Play together? Damn, you don¡¯t mean a threesome, do you?"


    Lin Qiong said with a mischievous smile, "What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t we? You¡¯re a man I like, and so is he. Wouldn¡¯t it be perfect for all of us to come together?"


    As she said this, Lin Qiong truly laughed inwardly, this bastard had been deceiving her and until now hadn¡¯t given away a hint; she had to pose him a tricky question to see what he would say.


    "That... isn¡¯t that a bit too much?" Li Yifei gave a dry laugh, his face somewhat dark.


    Lin Qiong glanced at Li Yifei, "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never thought about having two women at the same time? So why can¡¯t you accept both of you serving me together?"


    "No way, no way, I can¡¯t accept it, don¡¯t even think about it." Li Yifei glared.


    "Stingy!" Lin Qiong huffed, seeing the expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face made her even happier inside.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong¡¯s phone rang. She quickly answered and upon hearing what was said, she immediately stood up and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll be right there." Then she rushed to the door.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    Lin Qiong, busy putting on her shoes, looked up and said, "There¡¯s been a development in the case. A camera caught sight of that person."


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly stood up, saying, "I¡¯ll go with you."


    "Why would you come with me, I¡¯m on a case." After saying that, Lin Qiong had already rushed out the door.


    Li Yifei got to the doorway and put on his shoes, but he didn¡¯t immediately follow her. If he had been caught on camera, then this matter would have to be made public, and there would be no big deal. If he hadn¡¯t been caught, he could continue to stay hidden.


    Before Lin Qiong returned, Li Yifei had already thought a lot. Joseph coming after him this time without killing him meant he definitely wouldn¡¯t give up easily. And Joseph, being part of that Terrorist Organization, was capable of anything. The people around him were in great danger, like Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, and also Su Yiyi and the others.


    Before encountering Joseph, Li Yifei thought he could protect the women around him even if he faced trouble. But now he suddenly felt his presence made them more endangered; the closer their relationship with him, the greater the danger.


    The best course of action now was to take out Joseph, to ensure he couldn¡¯t affect him anymore, but that was not likely on his own strength.


    He picked up the phone and dialed a number he had not called for a long time, but one that he always remembered deep in his heart, a number he would never forget.


    "Golden Eagle!" The call was answered after just two rings, and an excited shout came from the other end.


    "Silver Eagle, could you not be so excited, please." A surge of excitement rose in Li Yifei¡¯s heart, but he suppressed his emotions and said with a chuckle.


    "Damn it, you just up and left without a word, not even a goodbye. Aren¡¯t you being too inconsiderate?"


    "If I had said goodbye to you guys, then I would¡¯ve never been able to leave. That¡¯s why I had to sneak off."


    "That¡¯s not treating us like brothers at all. The guys have been wanting to find you and give you a good beating."


    "Haha, my skin is too tender now to withstand the tortures you beasts come up with. Let¡¯s not talk about that now, I¡¯ve run into a bit of trouble and need your help. It¡¯s a personal matter, but it¡¯s also a duty of the Flying Hawk Squad."


    "Cut the crap, as if there¡¯s so much to discuss with me. It¡¯s perfect timing¡ªwe don¡¯t have any missions these days, and we can use this as an excuse to take a little vacation over at your place."


    The strong bond of brotherhood made Li Yifei feel a bit sentimental; compared to the complicated feelings he had with women, this brotherly affection was much more relaxing. He laughed and said, "Alright then, pick a few good hands to come over. The guy is Stryker¡¯s brother who¡¯s taken over his Terrorist Organization. He¡¯s now in Mile City to take revenge on me, and I can¡¯t take them down by myself."


    "That guy, huh? But if Stryker was killed by you, what¡¯s his brother going to do? We¡¯ll treat it like a vacation. We¡¯ll be there by tomorrow afternoon."


    The moment he stepped out of Lin Qiong¡¯s door, the home phone rang. Li Yifei casually answered, but there was silence on the other end, immediately letting him know it was Xu Yingying. He sighed inwardly and said, "Yingying, you¡¯re home." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, come back. I want to talk to you."


    "Okay!" Li Yifei readily agreed and then hung up the phone.


    Twenty minutes later, Li Yifei was sitting on the sofa at home with Xu Yingying, while Xu Shanshan sat next to her sister, looking worried.


    "Yifei, I¡¯ve been thinking about our relationship these past few days..." Xu Yingying¡¯s tone was somewhat heavy.


    Li Yifei calmly looked at Xu Yingying. Since she had not called him ¡¯husband,¡¯ he had already guessed Xu Yingying¡¯s decision. "Yingying, I know I¡¯ve really wronged you, so I don¡¯t want to say much. Whatever decision you make, I have no objections."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face twitched, and her eyes, full of complexity, locked onto Li Yifei. She took a deep breath and said, "I can accept that you¡¯ve had emotional entanglements with other women before, but now Ning Xin¡¯er is carrying your child. I, for one, cannot accept it, and secondly, I don¡¯t want a child to be fatherless, so..."


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "Yes, this is something I must face. Even though I¡¯ve never liked Ning Xin¡¯er, that child is mine after all, and I must take responsibility for that. But even if I find the child, I won¡¯t marry Ning Xin¡¯er. Whether two people can live together is not something that can be decided solely by a child."


    On hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, Xu Shanshan immediately grabbed her sister¡¯s arm excitedly and said, "Sis, did you hear that? My brother-in-law is not going to be with Ning Xin¡¯er. I think we should find the child and take care of it together. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll look after her¡ªwhy can¡¯t I be her mother? Please don¡¯t divorce my brother-in-law."


    Xu Yingying became somewhat hesitant, but Li Yifei merely smiled softly and said, "Shanshan, this is my responsibility. I have no reason to let you and your sister bear it for me."


    Looking tenderly toward Xu Yingying, Li Yifei said with gratitude, "Yingying, thank you for the life we¡¯ve had together these past days, you made me feel like I had a home. You¡¯re a good wife, and I had a very happy time, but I am not a good husband. All I can say is that I owe you, and I¡¯ll never be able to repay it in this lifetime."


    Xu Yingying bit her lip, facing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze with a heart full of turmoil. Li Yifei was the only man for her now, and how could she easily let go? But Ning Xin¡¯er was already carrying his child; she couldn¡¯t let a child be without a father.


    "Yingying, Shanshan, truly, thank you!" After speaking, Li Yifei stood up, gave both of them a long look, and quietly turned to leave.


    "Brother-in-law! You can¡¯t go!" Xu Shanshan got up excitedly, caught up to Li Yifei, and hugged his waist tightly from behind, bursting into tears and saying between sobs, "Brother-in-law, please don¡¯t go. Shanshan is begging you. My sister loves you, she really does. She¡¯s just angry for the moment; she¡¯ll cool down soon."


    Li Yifei gently patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, saying, "Shanshan, I love your sister too, but love doesn¡¯t necessarily mean living together. I need to go now." With that, he used a trick to break free from Xu Shanshan¡¯s grip, quickly opened the door, and dashed out.


    "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan chased after him, but the elevator showed no sign of him. She ran to the stairway but could see no trace of Li Yifei. Heartbroken, she leaned against the wall, choking up, "Brother-in-law, how can you leave... Shanshan can¡¯t bear to lose you!"


    From inside the house came Xu Yingying¡¯s crying, so full of sorrow.

 Chapter 441 - 448: Reunion with Ning Xin’er

    Chapter 441: Chapter 448: Reunion with Ning Xin¡¯erSu Mengxin stepped out from next door and quickly hurried to Xu Shanshan¡¯s side, supporting her, and asked with great surprise, "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    "Sister Mengxin..." Xu Shanshan suddenly hugged Su Mengxin and said weakly, "My brother-in-law has left..."


    "Left? Where did he go?"


    "He¡¯s going to divorce my sister. Wah..." As soon as Xu Shanshan finished speaking, she began to cry loudly.


    Patting Xu Shanshan¡¯s back, Su Mengxin frowned; she really had not expected Li Yifei to actually seek a divorce from Xu Yingying. To her, this was indeed a good thing, but she was still not clear on the details, and it seemed that Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t enough to drive Li Yifei to such a decision.


    After coaxing Xu Shanshan into the house, Su Mengxin saw Xu Yingying lying on the sofa, her shoulders shaking nonstop. Although there were no sobs, it was clear that she was still crying.


    "Yingying!" Su Mengxin sat down next to Xu Yingying and gently patted her shoulder.


    Xu Yingying quickly sat up, her face streaked with tears. She quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe her face and said listlessly, "Mengxin, you¡¯re here."


    "Was it you who mentioned divorce to Yifei?" Su Mengxin got straight to the point.


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "I had that idea, for him to raise the child with Ning Xin¡¯er, but Yifei said that even if he took the child, he wouldn¡¯t be with Ning Xin¡¯er. I then planned not to go through with the divorce, but he... he just left."


    Upon saying this, Xu Yingying suddenly became annoyed, clenching her teeth and saying, "He¡¯s the one who did wrong, how can he act like this? Doesn¡¯t he care about me at all?"


    Su Mengxin furrowed her brow and said, "Yifei is definitely not the heartless type; there must be some hidden circumstances."


    "Hidden circumstances?" Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both called out agitatedly.


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Definitely. Think about it, did Yifei¡¯s reaction when he came back today seem abnormal?"


    After thinking, Xu Yingying said, "It seems like he was too calm today, totally like he had decided to divorce me. Other than feeling sorry, he did not fight for it, which is infuriating."


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "That¡¯s exactly the issue. I¡¯ve been with him during the day for the past two days, and he never showed any desire to divorce you; he was just waiting for you to calm down before discussing it with you. His sudden departure now means there definitely has to be some problem."


    At this point, Xu Shanshan excitedly said, "Yes, yes, something must have happened that forced brother-in-law to leave home. He would never be so cruel as to abandon us... oh, to abandon my sister." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Convinced by Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan, Xu Yingying¡¯s anger towards Li Yifei dissipated considerably, and as a CEO herself, her analytical skills were naturally strong. She took a deep breath and said, "Could it be that he has encountered some difficulty and doesn¡¯t want us involved?"


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "It¡¯s very likely."


    "Then I¡¯ll call him. I want clarity; if there¡¯s a problem, I should face it with him," Xu Yingying hastily reached for her phone.


    Su Mengxin quickly pressed down on Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and said, "Don¡¯t make that call just yet. Yifei is a man, and if he wants to face something alone, then we should let him face it. We, especially you, Yingying, shouldn¡¯t pressure him right now. Let¡¯s not show our hand for now and secretly help him instead. That might be the better approach."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly became excited and said, "Right, right, we¡¯ll secretly help brother-in-law. He¡¯ll definitely be happier when he realizes."


    After a moment of hesitation, Xu Yingying said, "Okay, let¡¯s do that, although I have no idea what he¡¯s gotten into."


    "Leave that to me. I¡¯ll investigate and should be able to find out soon," Su Mengxin assured.


    Su Mengxin knew that the situation Li Yifei had encountered must be tremendously troublesome and potentially very dangerous, or he wouldn¡¯t have taken such drastic action. This excited Su Mengxin somewhat, as she relished seeing Li Yifei display his manly courage in overcoming powerful enemies.


    Li Yifei was reluctant to leave Xu Yingying; although they had only been married for about a month, the sense of home had really endeared him. Every day there was a place he looked forward to returning.


    If Joseph hadn¡¯t shown up at his door tonight, Li Yifei would have discussed with Xu Yingying how to solve the issue, but being with Xu Yingying now would not only fail to make things better for her, but it could also potentially bring her great danger. Thus, Li Yifei ultimately made the heart-wrenching decision to separate from Xu Yingying, so he could concentrate on dealing with Joseph¡¯s issue.


    Apart from Joseph, Li Yifei also thought of the female assassin who had tried to kill him. He was still unclear whether she was associated with Joseph or someone else seeking vengeance, which would be another great danger.


    With a soft sigh, Li Yifei knew that he still couldn¡¯t return to a peaceful life. Without eliminating these potential dangers, his desire to live quietly would endanger the people close to him.


    However, Li Yifei did not expect that his decision had already been seen through by Su Mengxin, who had also informed Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan.


    After leaving home, Li Yifei found himself without a destination¡ªhis previous home now housed Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, and he wanted to be with neither Xu Yingying nor Su Yiyi.


    He didn¡¯t take his car and just wandered aimlessly through the streets, feeling somewhat better amidst the night scenery of Mile City.


    A red Mazda zoomed past him and then quickly reversed to stop beside him. The window rolled down, and there was Ning Xin¡¯er wearing sunglasses, who appeared in Li Yifei¡¯s view.


    "Hey, wandering the streets alone so late at night, were you kicked out by your wife?" Ning Xin¡¯er said, tilting her dainty chin, a smile tugging at her lips.


    Li Yifei directly opened the car door and sat down before responding, "Isn¡¯t this what you like to see?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er leaned on the steering wheel, twisting her body to look at Li Yifei, and then burst into giggles, saying, "This is just perfect. You finally got dumped by a woman."


    Li Yifei cracked a faint smile and said, "Find a place, I want to sleep."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes shifted as she said, "You¡¯re not trying to find a place to make me reveal where the child is, are you?"


    Li Yifei scoffed, "Please, you think if you say the kid is mine I¡¯d believe it? Plus, even if you do have a kid, who knows whose it is; you expect me to just acknowledge it?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly became angry, roaring, "Li Yifei, you bastard, that is your seed! I, Ning Xin¡¯er, have only ever let you, the scoundrel, touch me, and no other man."


    "Give it a rest, you¡¯re a big star. Don¡¯t you act? Modern dramas have all sorts of kissing and bed scenes¡ªa dime a dozen."


    "That¡¯s a body double! I myself absolutely have not!" Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, teeth gritted.


    "Oh? Really now?" Li Yifei looked at Ning Xin¡¯er with a smile in his eyes.


    "Jerk!" Ning Xin¡¯er cursed, suddenly slamming on the gas, and the car shot forward like an arrow.


    The car stopped in front of a villa in the suburbs. Ning Xin¡¯er turned around, glared at Li Yifei, and commanded, "Get out of the car."


    Li Yifei pushed open the car door and got out, stretching his arms and leisurely taking in the surroundings. The villa wasn¡¯t very big, with a small two-story building in the center, but the surrounding yard was quite spacious, with many fruit trees planted and grass laid beneath them. The fence was simply constructed from hedge, creating a very relaxed atmosphere.


    "Not bad, pretty charming. Who did you borrow this from?"


    "Why do you assume it¡¯s borrowed? Can¡¯t it be mine?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked indignantly while standing next to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei responded dismissively, "You have this kind of taste?"


    "You... don¡¯t always look down on me. I¡¯ll have you know, I am someone with taste now. Haven¡¯t you seen what people are saying about me?"


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t watch entertainment news or TV, nor do I go online. How others see you, I truly have no idea, but I do know how I see you."


    "You..." Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s chest heaved with emotion, but she quickly suppressed her anger and chuckled, "You¡¯ve really gotten better with your words these past few years."


    "No way? How do you know I¡¯m good with my words? Is it because you could tell from that one time?"


    "Yes, isn¡¯t a woman¡¯s first time unforgettable?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Haven¡¯t seen you in years, and I notice you¡¯ve changed quite a bit."


    "Really? In what way?" Ning Xin¡¯er flirtatiously flicked her hair.


    "I¡¯m not talking about your looks. I¡¯m saying your skin has gotten thicker, and there¡¯s something wrong with your IQ too. You can¡¯t even distinguish flattery from slander anymore."


    Still unangered, Ning Xin¡¯er let out a light laugh and said, "How could my skin be anything but thick? I even had a child for you. If I were thin-skinned, I wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to give birth."


    "Whatever, I¡¯ve never seen it, so I don¡¯t feel much about it," Li Yifei remarked with an indifferent air.


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled, "You don¡¯t have to numb me with your words. I¡¯m telling you, unless you satisfy me, don¡¯t even think about seeing your child."


    "If I don¡¯t see it, so be it. I¡¯m not infertile. I can just find another woman to bear a child for me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er responded with a disdainful snort, "You¡¯ve been kicked out by your wife, who else are you going to have bear your child? Keep dreaming."


    "Given who I am, Li Yifei, I could have a whole slew of women bear my child if I wanted. It¡¯s just that having a child involves too much these days, and I¡¯m not eager to have one just yet. Honestly, I used to feel tied down by marriage. Now, I truly owe you one for letting me escape the bitter sea," Li Yifei said as he stretched his arms out, a relaxed and content look upon his face.


    Ning Xin¡¯er furrowed her brow. To say she truly understood Li Yifei was simply not possible. Back when they were young, it was just a spur-of-the-moment action that led her to insist on giving birth to the child. Now, seeing Li Yifei like this, she felt the need to reevaluate him again.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei turned around, his gaze lecherous as he looked at Ning Xin¡¯er, "Alright, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s hurry inside to rest. Didn¡¯t you say you like me? Tonight... let¡¯s reminisce about old times. How does that sound?"

 Chapter 442 - 449: Shadows of the Past

    Chapter 442: Chapter 449: Shadows of the PastNing Xin¡¯er instinctively took a step back. She had managed to remain pure in the entertainment industry all these years because she always kept to herself, never feigning interest in any man. Even though she had been involved with Li Yifei and her feelings for him were unclear, Li Yifei¡¯s sudden advance was too much for her to accept.


    "It¡¯s been many years since we¡¯ve seen each other. Now you¡¯re a big star. Having a star as a woman must be quite nice," Li Yifei said as he stepped towards Ning Xin¡¯er, extending his arm to embrace her.


    Ning Xin¡¯er jumped in fright and took a large step back, holding her hands up in front of her chest, angrily shouting, "Don¡¯t touch me!"


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Didn¡¯t you always say you liked me? That you had a child for me because of that affection? Now that I want to touch you, you won¡¯t even let me?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was stunned for a moment, then glared at Li Yifei fiercely, "So you think you can touch me whenever you want? Where were you, bastard, when I needed you? All these years, I¡¯ve suffered so much, did you ever care about me? You just want to take advantage of me, dream on!"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fine, if you don¡¯t want to be touched, that¡¯s that. No need to make so many excuses. I¡¯m going to sleep." Then he headed for the interior of the two-story building.


    Ning Xin¡¯er stood still for about ten seconds, watching Li Yifei¡¯s retreating figure, then suddenly stamped her foot fiercely and called out, "You bastard, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. You¡¯re just trying to scare me, huh! To wheedle out my daughter¡¯s whereabouts from me, well, you can forget about it."


    Li Yifei¡¯s steps paused slightly. He harbored significant doubt about whether his child was still alive, but Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words made him somewhat believe it. Ning Xin¡¯er had spoken the words "my daughter" very naturally, and with a protective tone. If it hadn¡¯t been for a mother, it would not have been so. At least, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t say it, and although Ye Yunzhu was only recently pregnant, the glow of motherhood had already begun to show.


    The two-story building looked ordinary from the outside, but upon entering, Li Yifei found it to be a world of its own. A large living room housed an expansive set of leather sofas. The light-colored leather wasn¡¯t exactly luxurious, but it brought a lively atmosphere to the hall. Paired with some green shrubs in the living room, it made the space feel vibrant. It was clear that the decorator must be young.


    "How about it? Nice, isn¡¯t it?" Ning Xin¡¯er sat down on the sofa gracefully.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s smug look, Li Yifei knew this was her home. He immediately curled his lip and said, "You really have no taste. White sofas are not high-end at all. You should¡¯ve bought dark-colored ones, and you also need a big crystal chandelier overhead. That¡¯s how you show status."


    Ning Xin¡¯er rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, "You can¡¯t possibly be that tasteless. That¡¯s the decoration style of nouveau riche. I like this kind of fresh and clean vibe."


    "You still like fresh and clean? You¡¯re not getting any younger. I remember you¡¯re almost thirty, right?"


    "Bastard, I¡¯m a year younger than you," Ning Xin¡¯er immediately flared up, offended by Li Yifei¡¯s suggestion that she was nearly thirty.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "So you are twenty-five, huh? Round it up, and that¡¯s almost thirty."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was stunned, then froze, a surge of anger rising within her. She had been only twenty-one when she met Li Yifei, and now in the blink of an eye, she was already twenty-five. Grinding her teeth, she said, "You have the nerve to say that, you wasted my youth."


    "Aren¡¯t you a big star? Even Andy Lau had a secret wedding. Even if you were married now, you couldn¡¯t admit it. What wasted?" Li Yifei said as he lit a cigarette, crossed his legs, and casually flicked ash onto the floor.


    "Ah! Bastard, that¡¯s my new Persian carpet down there!" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes went green, and she yelled.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that¡¯s your fault for not having an ashtray ready."


    "How was I supposed to know a bastard like you would be here? I live here alone, why would I prepare an ashtray?" Ning Xin¡¯er retorted while she grabbed a can of soda, poured out the contents, and handed the empty can to Li Yifei, "Flick it in here."


    Li Yifei took it, "That¡¯s more like it. As a woman, you should learn to serve a man."


    "Serve your big head ghost," Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, cursing him inwardly. How did this bastard become so shameless?


    "Ah! No, that¡¯s not right. This guy isn¡¯t shameless, he¡¯s obviously provoking me. I won¡¯t fall for it," thought Ning Xin¡¯er, who was quite clever. She swiftly figured out Li Yifei¡¯s intention. Realizing this, a smile spread across her face, "Hey, stop pretending. No matter how much you pretend, you can¡¯t fool me. You should be asking me why I live here alone. Why didn¡¯t I bring my daughter over?"


    Li Yifei, caught by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s perception, simply sat up and met her gaze. "Ning Xin¡¯er, I just want to ask you one thing. Is my daughter alive?"


    "Of course she¡¯s alive! She¡¯s flesh from my own body, how could I bear to kill her?" Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a big eye roll.


    Li Yifei nodded, "That¡¯s all I needed to hear. Just take good care of her."


    "What do you mean? You don¡¯t want this daughter anymore?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes immediately widened.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I¡¯m not ready to be a dad yet, so I¡¯ll pass for now. Having you as a mom to take care of her is definitely better than having a dad who suddenly pops up out of nowhere."


    "Hmph, you don¡¯t have to put on this carefree act. I know you still want this daughter. Your behavior that day totally gave you away. You were so eager to take the daughter from me in front of your wife; that was your true intention."


    "Alright, I admit it, when I suddenly found out I had a daughter, I was indeed very excited. But you should also know that because of you, my wife has kicked me out, and I¡¯m homeless now. How can I have the mood to care for a daughter? I might be jobless soon and then what? Should my daughter join me in enjoying the Northwest wind?"


    "You¡¯re going to be that miserable? That¡¯s a joke. With your capability, it¡¯s too easy for you to make money. Look at yourself... Li Yifei, hmph, what a lousy name you chose before, ¡¯Shuai Mingsheng.¡¯ I truly despise you." Ning Xin¡¯er sneered before continuing, "It¡¯s good that your wife kicked you out. Just sweet-talk me into a good mood, and I may shelter you."


    "I don¡¯t need your charity. You¡¯re a witch. Being with you, I wouldn¡¯t even know when there would be a spider or something in my bed..."


    Ning Xin¡¯er burst into laughter and said flirtatiously, "You still remember, huh? After you bullied me and then gave me the cold shoulder, how could I not retaliate?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "So you wanted to burn me to death?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er stuck out her tongue and replied, "It was an accident, okay? I saw you enter the warehouse, and I just locked you in there. I only wanted to create some smoke outside to scare you, but somehow I ended up starting a fire."


    It was only then that Li Yifei realized the true story behind that incident, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time, saying, "That was a bit too extreme."


    "Hehe, but think about it, when you came out, it was really funny. Your hair was singed, your face was black with soot, and the funniest part was your pants had burned through at the back, exposing your charred behind, haha... it was too hilarious."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, he had never been this disheveled in front of his formidable opponents, but with Meng Xiaofei, Xu Shanshan, and especially with Ning Xin¡¯er, he had been.


    "Hey, did it leave a scar on your butt?" Ning Xin¡¯er kicked Li Yifei playfully, a mischievous smile on her face. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do you want to check?" Li Yifei squinted at Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly nodded, "Of course, I do. You¡¯re my daughter¡¯s father; why would I be scared to see your butt?"


    "Really want to see?" Li Yifei¡¯s gaze grew lecherous.


    "I want to see!" Ning Xin¡¯er involuntarily dodged his gaze but still nodded her head.


    Li Yifei stood up and reached for his belt buckle.


    Ning Xin¡¯er watched Li Yifei with a mix of nervousness and excitement, her breathing sped up involuntarily, and her chest heaved. Although not exceptionally large, her breasts were well-shaped, and their rise and fall at that moment were truly distracting.


    Having grown a lot over these years, Ning Xin¡¯er was now a big star. When she wasn¡¯t angry at or opposing Li Yifei, she was a sweet beauty who could make any man¡¯s heart race.


    Such a beauty eagerly waiting for you to undress; that was an intense temptation. Even if Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel much for Ning Xin¡¯er, he found his mouth dry and his heartbeat quickening.


    "Hey, are you going to undress or what?" Ning Xin¡¯er teased Li Yifei with a wink and a laugh, "There¡¯s only the two of us here, our daughter¡¯s parents. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?"


    Li Yifei gave a sly smile and suddenly said, "I¡¯ll take a shower first. If you¡¯re so eager, why don¡¯t you come to the bathroom to get an eyeful?"


    Without waiting for an answer, Li Yifei sprinted into a room next to the first floor, having already identified it as the bathroom when he came in.


    Ning Xin¡¯er stomped her foot, realizing she had been teased by Li Yifei again, yet a smile spread across her face. Li Yifei¡¯s mischief reminded her of the old Li Yifei, and it felt endearingly familiar.

 Chapter 443 - 450: In Which Room?

    Chapter 443: Chapter 450: In Which Room?Ning Xin¡¯er did not enter the bathroom. Although the entanglement between her and Li Yifei had caused her to hate him for many years, she could not clearly explain her own feelings. Sometimes, when she was alone, she would reflect on whether she was too impulsive in bearing a child for Li Yifei.


    Although she sometimes questioned her actions, she had no regrets. She was a stubborn girl who, once she made a decision, would hold to it without regret, even if it was a mistake. Whenever she suffered or faced difficulties, she would think of Li Yifei, that bastard, and seeking revenge on him had been her unwavering belief over the years.


    But now that she was actually facing Li Yifei, she suddenly realized that she did not truly hate him. Her behavior was like that of their past times together, teasing Li Yifei and competing with him for attention.


    "Hey hey, do you have any men¡¯s clothes here?" After pondering for who knows how long, Ning Xin¡¯er heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice from the bathroom.


    "Nonsense, I don¡¯t have a man in the house, so how would I have men¡¯s clothes?" Ning Xin¡¯er went to the bathroom door and said with a chuckle, "How about I give you a couple of my clothes to make do?"


    "I don¡¯t want to turn into a transvestite. Forget it if you don¡¯t have any, it¡¯s fine. I like to sleep naked anyway. Hey hey, I¡¯m coming out now." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come out then, as if I haven¡¯t seen it before." Although Ning Xin¡¯er said this, she still hurriedly turned her head away.


    The bathroom door opened, and Li Yifei poked his head out, laughing heh heh at Ning Xin¡¯er, who had her back to him, "Why are you still here? I¡¯m really coming out now."


    Without turning her head, Ning Xin¡¯er shouted, "Just come out and stop the chatter. You can stay in the second room on the sunny side upstairs."


    Li Yifei agreed, saying, "It seems that it¡¯s not your bedroom then. Years without seeing each other and you don¡¯t even sleep in the same room with me. That¡¯s really a mood killer."


    "Scram!" Ning Xin¡¯er roared.


    "Haha..." Li Yifei laughed loudly and took the stairs with big strides.


    Listeing to the sound of Li Yifei¡¯s footsteps climbing the stairs, Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t restrain herself and quickly turned around, only to see Li Yifei wrapped in a white bath towel, clearly not bare-assed.


    Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly; that bastard still liked to scare her just like before.


    "Ah, that¡¯s my towel, how come he¡¯s wrapped in my towel?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face went hot, as that was the towel she usually used. Now that Li Yifei had used it, didn¡¯t it mean there was an indirect contact with her body?


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei were impulsive that one time. To be truly honest, she had never really experienced the kind of intimacy that exists between men and women, the normalcy for couples of sharing anything, even a towel. But to Ning Xin¡¯er, this felt like an incredibly ambiguous matter.


    Covering her flushed face, Ning Xin¡¯er entered the bathroom. The room was still filled with steam, giving it a misty appearance, and the thick vapor made its way into her nostrils. Ning Xin¡¯er thought she could even smell Li Yifei¡¯s scent, and as she pictured him recently bathing there, her heartbeat quickened and her fair cheeks turned crimson.


    The bathtub was brimming with water, topped with bubbles from the bath foam. Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and said, "That bastard, he didn¡¯t even drain the water after bathing." Then she moved to let out the water.


    But just as her hand reached the bathtub, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s movement suddenly halted, and her face went through a series of changes. She remained like that for two full minutes before standing up, then tiptoed to the bathroom door, peered outside to see if there was any sign of Li Yifei, and upon finding none, she pulled the door closed and locked it before stripping off her clothes.


    Ning Xin¡¯er truly had an excellent figure: slender and upright, with curves in all the right places. Even though there was a light scar above her abdomen, it didn¡¯t detract from her beauty at all.


    After stripping, Ning Xin¡¯er went back to the door and carefully listened for any noise. Still not hearing Li Yifei¡¯s voice, she breathed a sigh of relief, gazed at the bathtub, and finally slowly lifted her legs and stepped into it.


    Submerging her whole body except for her head, Ning Xin¡¯er performed this action countless times, yet today it felt peculiar.


    The water was neither too hot nor too cold. It made Ning Xin¡¯er feel embraced in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, and she instantly became intoxicated, squinting her eyes and letting out a soft moan, her entire body experiencing indescribable sensations.


    When Ning Xin¡¯er was first with Li Yifei, his actions were quite rough, with her pain surpassing pleasure. Until now, she didn¡¯t really know what pleasure between a man and a woman was like, nor did she know what being hugged by a loved one felt like. Now, soaking in the bathwater Li Yifei had used, she seemed to gain some sense of that feeling.


    It wasn¡¯t until the water grew cold that Ning Xin¡¯er reluctantly got up, dried her body, and looking at herself in the mirror, her face suddenly blushed. She wondered whether that guy, if he saw her like this, would be as impulsive as that time.


    "Ah, I¡¯ve got a scar on my stomach now, he won¡¯t despise me, will he? I heard that after a woman gives birth to a man¡¯s child, the man loses interest in her."


    As she thought of this, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but grow tense; while caressing the scar on her stomach, her eyebrows twisted into a knot.


    After a long while, Ning Xin¡¯er finally stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a silk pajama set, her entire being like a lotus emerging from the water, indescribably beautiful, and truly deserving of her many fans.


    Tiptoeing upstairs, Ning Xin¡¯er looked at the two doors in front of her¡ªthe first was her own room, and Li Yifei must be in the second one. So, should she stay in her room tonight, or go to Li Yifei¡¯s?


    "Hmph, this bastard, after all he¡¯s put me through for so many years, does he think I¡¯ll forgive him that easily? No way."


    "But if I don¡¯t go, what if this guy runs away tomorrow morning, and I never find him again?"


    "He knows I bore him a daughter, even if he doesn¡¯t care about me, he has to care about his own daughter, he will definitely come looking for me."


    "That bastard ran away last time, and now that he knows there¡¯s an extra burden, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll hide even farther away."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mind was waging an ongoing battle, making her want to go to Li Yifei¡¯s room, yet not daring to enter; her footsteps hesitantly moved toward Li Yifei¡¯s door, only to retreat each time.


    After biting her lip, Ning Xin¡¯er finally made a decision, pushed open Li Yifei¡¯s door, and shouted loudly upon entering: "Bastard, what are you doing? Eh..."


    However, upon entering, she found Li Yifei was not in the room at all; the bed was empty, and the room didn¡¯t even look like anyone had been there.


    "Li Yifei! You bastard, you dare to run away!" Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly yelled in anger, turned, and dashed out, directly running downstairs, but the courtyard was filled with evening breeze and not a trace of Li Yifei.


    "Bastard, son of a bitch, you dare to run! You dare to run!" Ning Xin¡¯er stamped her foot fiercely, her face turning an angry shade of blue.


    After venting her spleen, Ning Xin¡¯er, having no other choice, moodily headed back upstairs. But as she reached the bathroom door, a thought struck her; she hurriedly rushed into the bathroom¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s clothes were all there. There were no men¡¯s clothes here, and not only were Li Yifei¡¯s outer garments in this place, even his underwear was here. For this guy to run out, wouldn¡¯t he have had to streak?


    Of course, Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that way. She immediately ran upstairs, but upon reaching her own room¡¯s doorway, Ning Xin¡¯er hesitated once more. If Li Yifei was in her room, what should she do? Kick him out, or just let him sleep here?


    "You dead pervert, huh, so you¡¯ve shown your true colors. Do you think I¡¯m that easy? You think you can just do whatever you want with me?" Ning Xin¡¯er gritted her teeth and made up her mind in her heart. If Li Yifei was indeed in her room, she would definitely kick this bastard out and certainly not show him any kindness.


    Taking a deep breath, Ning Xin¡¯er pushed open her own room door and turned on the light in an instant.


    But there was no sign of Li Yifei in the room, and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face immediately took on an ugly expression. If Li Yifei had been there, she had already figured out how to lash out at him and drive him away, but his absence left her with an indescribable sense of loss.


    Angry and agitated, she left her room and went to the third and fourth rooms searching for him but to no avail¡ªLi Yifei was nowhere to be found. She then ran downstairs and searched the two rooms below yet again, still not finding Li Yifei.


    After much agitation, Ning Xin¡¯er was both angry and annoyed. She returned to her room and collapsed onto the bed, angrily cursing Li Yifei to herself. But with no other solution, she closed her eyes and soon fell into a fitful sleep.


    It was unclear how long she had slept when Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly heard some noise. She had always been a light sleeper, often troubled with insomnia, and these last few days, upon seeing Li Yifei, her sleep was even less restful. So, when there was a noise outside, she woke up immediately.


    The sounds were footsteps, which initially scared Ning Xin¡¯er, making her think a thief had entered. But she quickly grinned; it had to be that bastard Li Yifei, who evidently had hidden somewhere earlier and had now finally come back.


    "Hmph! You bastard, I¡¯ll see which room you go into, and if I don¡¯t sort you out properly, my name isn¡¯t Ning."


    However, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s smile vanished quickly, as the footsteps weren¡¯t just one person¡¯s, but several, and there were also sounds of drawers being rifled through¡ªit seemed that the ones who had come in... were indeed thieves.

 Chapter 444 - 451 Two Little Thieves

    Chapter 444: Chapter 451 Two Little ThievesNing Xin¡¯er pricked up her ears, listening intently to the sounds outside. In the quiet of the night, the noises became increasingly clear. Ning Xin¡¯er had confirmed that intruders had entered, and there were two of them. Not only were they rummaging through things, but they were also talking.


    "Boss, be gentle, don¡¯t wake up the people here."


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯ve done my homework, there¡¯s only a woman living in this house. If she doesn¡¯t wake up, that¡¯s fine; if she does, we¡¯ll just have a little fun with her."


    "There¡¯s a car parked downstairs, she¡¯s definitely at home. Besides, boss, we¡¯re just here to steal, if it turns into rape, the crime is much more serious."


    "Nonsense, look at you, all scared. By becoming thieves, we¡¯re already breaking the law. What¡¯s rape but just a bigger crime? Besides, just by looking at this woman¡¯s status, you can tell she¡¯s not an ordinary person. She lives in a villa like this, has her own car, she won¡¯t care about losing some money. And if she gets raped, you think she¡¯d dare to talk about it? She¡¯d be the one shamed."


    "But what if..."


    "What if my ass. Hurry up and search for valuables, and after we¡¯re done, we¡¯ll go find that woman."


    "What if she hears us and calls the police?"


    "How can you be so dumb? Didn¡¯t you see this cellphone? The woman¡¯s phone is all in the living room, what can she use to call the cops?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was scared out of her wits. In fact, the house wasn¡¯t hers but a friend¡¯s. Her friend had recently gone abroad and, seeing as she was in Mile City, she decided to stay here. Who would have thought she¡¯d run into burglars?


    If it were just about losing some money, she naturally wouldn¡¯t care, but those two seemed to have other ideas about her, which was what worried her the most. Worst of all, she hadn¡¯t brought her phone upstairs with her; otherwise, she¡¯d have had enough time to call for help.


    Jumping out of bed quickly, Ning Xin¡¯er locked the bedroom door. She then tried to use something to barricade it, but the bedroom was spartanly furnished, with nothing but a bed and a built-in wardrobe that was completely embedded into the wall, immovable.


    Now, all she could hope for was that the lock would keep the burglars out.


    Lying on the bed with her head covered, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart pounded uncontrollably, but her ears picked up the footsteps of the thieves drawing nearer to her door.


    "Click!" The sound of the door handle being twisted nearly made Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart leap out of her throat.


    Thankfully, the sound was just that, a sound; then the footsteps moved toward the next room. This sparked a glimmer of hope in Ning Xin¡¯er. If they searched the next room and failed to open her door, perhaps they would leave.


    Listening as the other doors were opened one by one followed by the sound of their contents being tossed around, every moment for Ning Xin¡¯er felt like an eternity.


    The thieves seemed to have finished their search and approached her door again, only for their footsteps to suddenly stop. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face went pale; it was clear they were still intent on getting in, and if they actually did...


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er instinctively pulled the quilt over her head, completely terrified and at a loss for what to do.


    However, the thieves turned out to be master lock-pickers, and in less than two minutes, the door swung open with a "click." Hearing this, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart turned cold, and with that coldness came a surge of calmness. She threw off the quilt, and in an instant, she dashed toward the window. She should have thought to escape through the window earlier. Although it was the second floor, it wasn¡¯t very high. If she could just get outside, she could scream for help.


    The villa was detached, set some distance away from the neighboring houses. She had chosen to stay here precisely because of its quietness, but this also meant that even if she were to call for help from the window, no one would hear her.


    "Miss, don¡¯t jump!" The two thieves had just entered and saw Ning Xin¡¯er rushing to the window. One of them dashed towards her and reached out to grab her arm.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s room had air conditioning, so the windows were usually closed. To jump out, she needed to open them, and due to this delay, she hadn¡¯t climbed onto the windowsill before the thief caught up to her.


    "Help!" Ning Xin¡¯er instinctively yelled out loud and desperately shook her arm before trying to scramble up onto the windowsill.


    "Haha, play with us, girl. As long as you make us happy, I promise we won¡¯t hurt you," the thief laughed, then reached out to pull Ning Xin¡¯er again.


    However, Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly froze at that moment, and the thief¡¯s hand was about to touch her arm when a large hand suddenly reached in through the window and firmly grasped his wrist.


    This was exceedingly eerie. Imagine the pitch darkness outside, and a hand suddenly reaching in¡ª even the bravest of people would probably be scared out of their wits at this point.


    "Ah!" The thief let out a strange cry, desperately trying to pull his arm back, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free. His hand was clamped down as if caught in the jaws of a tiger, completely immobile.


    "Blockhead, come and help me!" the thief struggled and shouted back.


    The one called Blockhead hurried over, but when he got there, he saw a man sitting on the windowsill wrapped in a bath towel, clutching his brother¡¯s wrist, and immediately barked, "Kid, let go of my brother."


    The person who had come in was none other than Li Yifei. He had actually been in the building all along¡ªwhen he first came upstairs, he was on the second floor. However, when Ning Xin¡¯er ran to his room, he hid outside the window. Not finding him there, she instinctively didn¡¯t search that room later on, so Li Yifei got to sleep there quite peacefully.


    As soon as the two thieves entered, Li Yifei was aware, but since he had just moved in and these two thieves showed up, he couldn¡¯t help suspecting they had other ulterior motives and thus did not make himself known, letting them rummage around. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And when these two scoundrels even dared to attempt to assault her, Li Yifei could no longer refrain from intervening. Besides, he had discerned that they were genuine thieves, something he could tell from their movements. If they had been true experts, Li Yifei was confident he could have recognized it.


    "You bastard, you knew to come out?" Ning Xin¡¯er saw Li Yifei, and the fear that filled her dissipated instantly. She did not know the extent of Li Yifei¡¯s real abilities, but being capable of protecting important figures surely meant considerable skill¡ªthese two petty thieves were no match for Li Yifei.


    Fear was no longer an issue, but her anger surged forth, infuriated that this jerk had been there all along but hadn¡¯t captured the thieves sooner, leaving her in fear for so long.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I thought the view out here was really nice, so I took a walk outside. Who knew that a couple of petty thieves would show up at my door."


    "Get lost, nobody believes you. Hurry up and take care of them, then I¡¯ll settle the score with you."


    "No problem!" Li Yifei laughed heartily, then turned to look at the thief whose wrist he held. The thief was about twenty-six or twenty-seven, with a small chin and the face of a rat¡ªa look that screamed thief. His smile waned and he said sternly, "Kid, stealing is one thing, but to dare attempt assault, you truly don¡¯t know whether to live or die."


    "You... you can go to hell!" Seeing Li Yifei still sitting on the windowsill, the thief found his courage and charged forward, his other hand pushing at Li Yifei, hoping to knock him out of the window in one go.


    But at this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s grip suddenly loosened, and he nimbly dodged, making the thief lunge at empty air and hurl himself toward the window.


    The thief let out a horrified yell, trying to stop himself from falling out, but something tripped him at that moment, causing him to lose his balance and shoot out of the window without a touch on the window or sill, in a singularly clean and decisive action.


    "Thump!" A dull sound was heard as the thief landed solidly on the ground. Below the window was a concrete ledge, and he¡¯d fallen out sideways. Even though it was only the second floor, this fall left him quite injured; he groaned and struggled to get up for a while without success.


    Li Yifei turned his gaze to Blockhead, speaking coldly, "Should I throw you out, or would you prefer to jump yourself?"


    "I... I..." Although Blockhead was usually slow-witted, he wasn¡¯t stupid. Seeing that Li Yifei faced the two of them without a hint of fear, he knew Li Yifei was not someone to be trifled with. And now, the real choice was to run. If Li Yifei caught them, they¡¯d end up in the police station.


    "I¡¯ll jump!" The kid made his decision quickly, rushing to the window, attempting to climb onto the sill.


    But Li Yifei grabbed the kid with one hand, hoisted him up, and tossed him out the window.


    The first thief, who had finally caught his breath and was attempting to rise, was crashed into by the falling Blockhead, now plummeting from above.


    "Ah!" After a heart-wrenching scream, there was silence.


    "Big brother, big brother, how are you?" Blockhead, terrified, quickly got up. Seeing his brother had fainted, he tried to help him up, only to realize with excruciating pain that he seemed to have broken several fingers in the fall.


    Li Yifei had no mercy for such petty thieves. Had it not been for him, Ning Xin¡¯er might have been violated today. He had viciously injured the hands of both culprits, ensuring that even if they weren¡¯t completely disabled, theft would be much harder for them in the future.

 Chapter 445 - 452 Be a Bad Guy

    Chapter 445: Chapter 452 Be a Bad GuyBlockhead struggled to get up, bearing the pain in his hand as he carried his elder brother on his back, and then they fled in a panic. Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t even take another look at them, instead, she turned on the light in the room and stared straight at Li Yifei.


    "Hey, I just saved you, why are you looking at me like that?"


    "You bastard, where have I been?" Ning Xin¡¯er clenched her tiny fists, glaring at Li Yifei with teeth gritted.


    Li Yifei timidly said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you? I went to enjoy the night."


    "Get lost! Do you think I¡¯m a child? Trying to deceive me? You get into bed now and you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere else." Ning Xin¡¯er pointed at her own bed and yelled loudly.


    Li Yifei crossed his arms and said, "Queen of the Amazons, please spare me, take into account that I saved your life, you can¡¯t treat me this way."


    "Go die!" Ning Xin¡¯er, however, did not show a trace of a smile because of Li Yifei¡¯s clowning around, but forcefully grabbed Li Yifei, pressing him down onto the bed and said resentfully, "I am your woman, if you really can stand letting me be raped by another man, then I will let you go! Tell me, if you dare, say you can bear it."


    "This..." Li Yifei raised his hands above his head, chuckled dryly and said, "Anyway, I couldn¡¯t just watch a woman being raped by two scoundrels, could I?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er sneered and said, "You can¡¯t stand watching it happen, so you think it¡¯s all right if you do it yourself, right?"


    With this brought up, Li Yifei suddenly lost his temper and said with a wry smile, "This was my fault, I¡¯ll admit it."


    "You think it¡¯s over just because you admit it?"


    Li Yifei seemingly helpless said, "What exactly do you want then? I said I want a daughter, you don¡¯t give me one, now my wife has kicked me out, you¡¯ve already made me like this, you should be satisfied by now, right?"


    "Not satisfied!" Ning Xin¡¯er answered very straightforwardly.


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "Well, tell me what would satisfy you, but let¡¯s get it straight, you can¡¯t force me to marry you."


    This time, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t explode in anger, but instead stared at Li Yifei and said, "That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking. If you want your daughter back, then you have to marry me. I can¡¯t let my daughter call another man daddy, nor can I allow her to call another woman mommy."


    Li Yifei gently placed his hands on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s shoulders, and spoke in as gentle a tone as possible, "Let¡¯s not get angry with each other today, I just want to talk to you properly, okay?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Li Yifei, her eyes reddened, and tears began to flow down like a string of pearls.


    Li Yifei was startled, hurriedly wiping away Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s tears and said, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"


    "Hmph!" Ning Xin¡¯er let Li Yifei wipe her tears, but said even more aggrievedly, "Back then, you never spoke to me so gently."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s appearance of feeling wronged actually made Li Yifei feel a little heartache as he said, "Back then you were so naughty, and so fierce towards me; you were a rich girl, I was just a soldier, how could I dare to speak to you gently?"


    "It was because you always ignored me back then." Ning Xin¡¯er pouted, then slowly sat up and said, "Tell me, how should we talk?"


    Li Yifei also sat up, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, honestly, you bore me a daughter, and you¡¯ve suffered so much, as a man, I should take responsibility, for the sake of our child, to be with you." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up and said, "Are you serious?"


    "Let me finish what I¡¯m saying..." Li Yifei paused, then continued, "I¡¯ve been married before, and I understand all too well that marriage is no child¡¯s play. It¡¯s not just about responsibility, but about whether we can truly live together harmoniously. The issues that arise after marriage are much more numerous than one can imagine."


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t always think about how fierce I was to you; that was because you kept avoiding me. These past few years in the entertainment industry, I¡¯m known for being sweet. Do you think I can¡¯t be a gentle wife?"


    Li Yifei smiled gently and said, "In front of strangers, everyone wears a mask, like the people you meet outside; you can only see their shiny side, see their merits. But at home with family, a person will completely relax. That¡¯s when many of their flaws are exposed, just like me. Do you know my flaws?"


    "This... I don¡¯t know." Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head.


    "Exactly, if we really got together, then you would find out many of my flaws, and then you might not be able to tolerate them. You simply do not know that I¡¯m not right for you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er hesitated for a moment, but suddenly glared at Li Yifei and said, "How do you know you¡¯re not suitable for me? We¡¯ve never really been together; you¡¯re just making excuses. You bastard, after all is said and done, aren¡¯t you just trying to convince me to let you go?"


    Li Yifei felt somewhat frustrated inside. Ning Xin¡¯er was indeed harder to deal with now than before, but of course, he could not admit that. Instead, he smiled and said, "That¡¯s my experience talking. Actually, Yingying and I also felt very suited for each other, but once problems arose, our feelings weren¡¯t so unbreakable anymore."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and responded, "That¡¯s her. When Ning Xin¡¯er is set on something, I will follow through no matter what, so if you¡¯re trying to shake me off, there¡¯s no way."


    Li Yifei¡¯s head was aching. He genuinely felt an instinctive aversion to Ning Xin¡¯er. The impression she had left on him back then couldn¡¯t be erased. If he had to be with Ning Xin¡¯er, he really couldn¡¯t do it.


    Moreover, no matter what, Ning Xin¡¯er had borne him a daughter. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t harm her, and lately, he¡¯d been even less inclined to get entangled with her. Since Ning Xin¡¯er was so stubborn about it, he could only let her keep hating him. Lighting a cigarette, Li Yifei said, "Alright, if you¡¯re so persistent, then I don¡¯t care to bother with you. But I can tell you clearly, you want me to marry you? That¡¯s not happening. I probably won¡¯t ever get married again in this lifetime. If you want to follow me, that¡¯s fine, but you¡¯d better not interfere too much with what I do."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t even think about it. I won¡¯t let you be with another woman."


    Li Yifei spoke unyieldingly in return, "Then don¡¯t even think about it. I¡¯m Li Yifei, and I¡¯m just that kind of person. As for you, Ning Xin¡¯er, trying to tie down my heart¡ªit¡¯s definitely not happening."


    The two stared each other down, neither willing to back down, like two fighting roosters.


    For most people, to hold eye contact with Li Yifei for twenty seconds would be hard enough, yet Ning Xin¡¯er managed to hold his gaze for a full minute and a half until her eyes tired and she blinked twice. Li Yifei had to admit he was impressed by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s willpower. A woman with such strength usually meant she was equally persistent and stubborn, just as Ning Xin¡¯er had said¡ªif she¡¯s set on something, not even nine bulls could pull her back.


    "Li Yifei, I¡¯m telling you, if you dare to get involved with another woman in the future, I¡¯ll cut you..." Ning Xin¡¯er made a snipping gesture with her fingers.


    Li Yifei disdainfully said, "Your threats are useless on me. I¡¯m Li Yifei; I wouldn¡¯t be with you anyway, so you won¡¯t even get the chance."


    "Bastard, have you really made up your mind to abandon your daughter and me?"


    "What do I need you for? Being with you, this fierce woman, I have no sense of safety, and with another encumbrance. Will I ever have any freedom in the future?"


    "You... you... you¡¯re really shameless." Ning Xin¡¯er, enraged, raised her hand to strike Li Yifei.


    But Li Yifei quickly grabbed Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arm, pulled her onto the bed causing her to fall there, then stood up and said coldly, "In the future, you¡¯d better not provoke me, or I¡¯ll definitely make you regret it." He then strode out of Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s room.


    "Li Yifei, remember this, I will never let you go!" Ning Xin¡¯er shouted angrily, then threw herself on the bed and sobbed bitterly.


    Listening to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s crying in the next room, Li Yifei also felt quite distressed. But with the current situation, not only could he not reveal any affection for Ning Xin¡¯er, but it was also impossible to tell her the truth. Otherwise, Ning Xin¡¯er would definitely want to be with him. Joseph was a tough adversary, and knowing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s relationship with him, he would likely target her and even her daughter. He couldn¡¯t bring them any danger.


    The next day, Li Yifei left Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s house early, not wanting to see her again.


    After having breakfast outside, he didn¡¯t go to the company or pick up Xu Yingying for work but called Su Mengxin directly.


    "Mengxin, could you tell Yingying for me? I won¡¯t be working at the company anymore. Oh, right, the company is yours, so it makes sense to tell you directly."


    "Could it be that bad? You¡¯re leaving the company just like that?" Su Mengxin exclaimed in surprise.


    "Haha, going to the company would be awkward, and it would upset everyone. Why bother? I¡¯m thinking of traveling for a while," he explained.


    "Hey, have you run into some trouble? Tell me about it." Worrying Li Yifei might hang up, Su Mengxin quickly pressed for an answer.


    "No worries, I just want to have some fun. Goodbye." Li Yifei said and then hung up the phone, turning it off as well.


    At two in the afternoon, Li Yifei arrived at the airport. Today, members of the Silver Eagle would be coming, and thinking of meeting these brothers who had fought through life and death with him, Li Yifei¡¯s heart surged with emotion, pushing aside his relationship woes.


    The plane from Capital City to Mile City landed at the airport, and soon a group of people reached the exit. Four men quickly entered Li Yifei¡¯s view. They were all around 1.8 meters tall, well-built, and full of vigor, their commanding presence evident at a glance.


    This caused Li Yifei to frown. Why were it these four guys? These four were known in the Flying Hawk Squad for being flamboyant, dubbed the "Four Show-offs" by the squad, loving to make a scene¡ªa trait somewhat mismatched with the squad¡¯s principles. But their abilities were indisputable, which is why they had remained in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Seeing these four, Li Yifei knew that Joseph and his people were in for trouble this time.

 Chapter 446 - 453: Generous Comrades-in-Arms

    Chapter 446: Chapter 453: Generous Comrades-in-ArmsThese four rascals were currently surrounding a few flight attendants, making their way out together. The flight attendants often encountered situations like this, so they were able to chat and laugh with these four guys. However, among them, one flight attendant had a stone-faced expression and remained silent throughout.


    "Beauty, can I have your number?" Silver Eagle, also known as Zheng Mingrui, was the third in the Flying Hawk Squad, right after Li Yifei, the squad¡¯s second-in-command. He was eyeing the silent flight attendant; she wasn¡¯t just beautiful, but also had the biggest chest. Her uniform was stretched snugly across her chest, making it impossible for him to take his eyes off her without drooling.


    "No!" The flight attendant had already been pestered by Zheng Mingrui for quite a while, and finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and spit out two words.


    "Beauty, don¡¯t be so stingy. I just want to make friends with you. You¡¯ll gradually find that I¡¯m really a great guy, definitely the type you¡¯d like."


    The beautiful flight attendant huffed, "Please stop bothering me. If you keep this up, I¡¯ll have my brother come to pick me up, and you¡¯ll be sorry then."


    Zheng Mingrui laughed, "Is your brother that impressive?"


    The beautiful flight attendant held her head high, proudly stating, "Of course, my brother is the best at fighting. Don¡¯t think you four stand a chance; my brother could lay all of you out with just one hand."


    Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter again, turning to his buddies, "This gorgeous flight attendant claims her brother can knock all four of us down."


    The other three guys also erupted in hearty laughter. Zheng Mingrui winked at the beautiful flight attendant, "How about we make a bet, then? I¡¯m also very good at fighting. If your brother can beat me, you can ask me to do something for you. If I defeat your brother, then you¡¯ll have a meal with me. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a meal, I absolutely have no other intentions."


    The beautiful flight attendant snorted, "I¡¯m too lazy to bet with you."


    "How about I agree to three requests from you, no matter what they are? I always keep my word," Zheng Mingrui upped the ante.


    "Not interested."


    "Beauty, don¡¯t be like that. Either you don¡¯t have confidence in your brother¡¯s skills and you¡¯re afraid he¡¯ll lose," Zheng Mingrui used reverse psychology.


    The beautiful flight attendant fell for the bait and snorted, "My brother would never lose to you."


    "Then let¡¯s take the bet. Don¡¯t worry, if you lose, I really just want to have a meal with you, and it will be in a public place, how about that?"


    "Fine, then I¡¯ll call my brother, and you just wait to lose," the beautiful flight attendant glared fiercely at Zheng Mingrui, then took out her phone.


    By this time, everyone had reached the exit. The beautiful flight attendant suddenly exclaimed with delight, "My brother is here, haha, you¡¯re in for it now."


    Zheng Mingrui grinned, "No problem, let me first meet my bro. Beauty, be sure to wait for me."


    "Brother Li!" But the beautiful flight attendant didn¡¯t even bother with Zheng Mingrui; she grabbed her suitcase and ran off towards the exit.


    "Boss!" Zheng Mingrui and his three buddies also shouted, quickly making their way to the exit.


    The flight attendants had a dedicated passage so they got out faster. By the time the four guys made it outside, they saw the beautiful flight attendant excitedly chattering to Li Yifei, and Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face turned black immediately.


    The big-chested pretty flight attendant was none other than Meng Xiaofei. She was grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pointed at Zheng Mingrui, and loudly said, "Brother Li, this is the guy who wouldn¡¯t stop bothering me, and he even said he wants to challenge you in martial arts. Give him a good lesson for me."


    "Haha..." The three buddies by Zheng Mingrui¡¯s side immediately burst into laughter, pushing Zheng Mingrui to the front, "Mingrui, we¡¯re rooting for you."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face turned all shades of awkward. He had casually made offers to Meng Xiaofei, thinking that there were few in Huaxia who could best him in a fight¡ªa flight attendant¡¯s brother wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against him. Little did he know that this flight attendant¡¯s brother was Li Yifei, the very person he feared the most. He chuckled awkwardly, "Boss, sorry about that. I didn¡¯t know the lady was your sister-in-law, heh heh..."


    Meng Xiaofei paused, then asked Li Yifei in confusion, "Brother Li, you know them? Why are they calling me sister-in-law?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, but with a serious face, he said, "So, young man, were you making a bet with my little sister? Come on, let¡¯s see about that."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face darkened, "Boss, don¡¯t make fun of me, I want to enjoy a few more days here. I really don¡¯t want to be beaten so bad that I can¡¯t leave my bed for days; that would ruin my trip."


    Li Yifei smirked, "So are you a man of your word or not?"


    "Boss, come on, it was just a joke," Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Hmph, my little sister isn¡¯t someone to joke with. Xiaofei, remember this, this guy¡¯s name is Zheng Mingrui, he¡¯s filthy rich. Since he promised you three conditions, you exploit him to the fullest. If he doesn¡¯t comply, just tell me, and I¡¯ll take care of him."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue cutely and said with a giggle, "I didn¡¯t know they were Brother Li¡¯s friends after all, so let¡¯s just forget about it."


    Zheng Mingrui, seeing Meng Xiaofei say this, instantly blushed and chuckled, saying, "Sister-in-law, you¡¯re looking down on me. I, Zheng Mingrui, stand by my words. If sister-in-law thinks of any conditions later, I¡¯ll certainly take care of them for you. I was in such a hurry that I didn¡¯t buy much, but take this as a meeting gift for sister-in-law."


    As he spoke, Zheng Mingrui took out a box and handed it to Meng Xiaofei.


    "No, no!" Meng Xiaofei quickly waved her hands and even shrank behind Li Yifei, she felt a bit embarrassed being called sister-in-law by these people and was too shy to accept their gifts.


    Li Yifei, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t shy at all, took it forcefully, and stuffed it into Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hands, saying, "If it¡¯s given to you, just take it, they don¡¯t lack this little thing."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again and said, "But I¡¯m not your wife, they¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else, how could I accept it?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Aren¡¯t you my sister?"


    Only then did Meng Xiaofei, delighted, take it and upon opening it, let out a gasp.


    The few flight attendants who had come out with Meng Xiaofei hadn¡¯t left, as they were originally there to watch the drama unfold. Now, seeing Meng Xiaofei receiving a gift and gasping, they immediately crowded around out of curiosity.


    "Wow, it¡¯s so beautiful, that can¡¯t be a real diamond, can it?"


    "It¡¯s so big, how much would that be worth if it¡¯s a real diamond?"


    "I think it must be real, look how beautiful it is under the light."


    The flight attendants exclaimed with excitement, as women generally have a weak resistance to diamonds, especially ones so big and so beautiful, they were somewhat out of control.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect Zheng Mingrui to be so generous, but Meng Xiaofei holding such a big diamond was indeed too conspicuous, and he quickly said, "What an idiot I am, bringing over a fake diamond to fool my sister, that¡¯s just too much."


    The flight attendants immediately quietened down, all looking at Zheng Mingrui.


    Zheng Mingrui had worked with Li Yifei for so long, he understood Li Yifei¡¯s intention from a single glance. Immediately, he grinned and said, "It just looks good, right? If it were a real diamond, I definitely couldn¡¯t afford it."


    Meng Xiaofei breathed a sigh of relief, stuck out her tongue, and said, "You really scared me to death. If it were a real diamond, I¡¯d have so many sleepless nights worrying about losing it, what a pity that would be."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately, knowing her careless nature, having such a diamond would indeed be a heavy burden for her. However, if she thought it was a fake, she would probably have no idea where she threw it in a few days.


    "Boss, you haven¡¯t introduced us yet, who exactly is she?" Zheng Mingrui then asked with a teasing look at Li Yifei, not feeling the slightest heartache for a diamond worth nearly a million.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "This is my neighbor, Meng Xiaofei, she¡¯s also my sister." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Mingrui winked at Li Yifei playfully, saying, "So she¡¯s the boss¡¯s sister, I won¡¯t have any ideas then."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother to explain further; these four guys had filthy thoughts, and they wouldn¡¯t believe his relationship with Meng Xiaofei was just neighbors and siblings. No matter how he explained, they would still believe there was something unusual about Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s relationship.


    The square-faced Zhao Qing handed Meng Xiaofei a bracelet and said, "Sister Xiaofei, it¡¯s our first meeting, and this is my meeting gift."


    "This is mine," the sharp-chinned Tian Dong also handed Meng Xiaofei a small box.


    "You all have given something, I can¡¯t be the one who doesn¡¯t," the chubby-faced Zhou Qiang handed Meng Xiaofei a jade pendant.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately looked at Li Yifei, who laughed and said, "They¡¯re just little trinkets, just take them and play with them."


    In his heart, Li Yifei was touched by his brothers¡¯ generosity. The bracelet Zhao Qing gave to Meng Xiaofei was made of top-grade red coral, Tian Dong gave a very rare black pearl, and Zhou Qiang¡¯s gift was high-quality jade. Each of these items was likely worth a million.


    Members of the Flying Hawk Squad like Li Yifei, when carrying out missions, would travel all over the world, picking up local specialties wherever they went. Going to South Africa naturally meant bringing back diamonds, and to Myanmar, surely jade.


    While it was difficult for others to procure these items, for them, it was much easier. They dealt with significant figures, and each was tremendously wealthy. Those individuals were rich in assets, so when members of the Flying Hawk Squad appropriated a few items on the side, nobody cared. The higher-ups turned a blind eye to these warriors who risked their lives, allowing them to keep some benefits. Over time, each member became extraordinarily wealthy, with countless treasures to their name.


    Yet Meng Xiaofei was unaware of this. The other flight attendants, while impressed by the beauty of the gifts Meng Xiaofei received, didn¡¯t believe they were real. Even young masters of wealthy families couldn¡¯t give such valuable gifts upon a first meeting, let alone these four individuals who, despite looking decent, were not those kinds of prodigal sons. How could they be so generous?

 Chapter 447 - 454: Four Bad Friends

    Chapter 447: Chapter 454: Four Bad FriendsAs soon as Meng Xiaofei had accepted the gift, Li Yifei said to her, "Xiaofei, you can go home now. I won¡¯t walk you out since my friends are here."


    Meng Xiaofei gave an "Oh" in response and then asked Li Yifei, "Brother Li, are you coming home tonight?"


    "I... won¡¯t be coming back."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and said, "Ah, then I won¡¯t get to eat the food you make tonight. I haven¡¯t had it for quite a few days now."


    Upon hearing Meng Xiaofei say this, Zheng Mingrui and the others were even more convinced that Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei were living together. How else could she eat Li Yifei¡¯s cooking? Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "Sister Xiaofei, if you don¡¯t mind, how about we come over to your place and have dinner tonight?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately responded with joy, "Sure, sure, you¡¯re all very welcome."


    Li Yifei immediately put on a stern face and said, "No, we have things to do. Xiaofei, you should head home now. Remember, go straight home and don¡¯t run off anywhere else."


    Meng Xiaofei agreed somewhat reluctantly and pouted again.


    Li Yifei pulled Meng Xiaofei aside and whispered, "Xiaofei, don¡¯t mention what you saw about me to Yingying or Su Mengxin."


    "Why? Ah, did you sneak out to have fun?" Meng Xiaofei was at first taken aback, then covered her mouth and started to giggle.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "It¡¯s not like that. You¡¯ll know when you see Yingying. But you must listen to Brother Li. You absolutely cannot say you saw me, nor them."


    Seeing Li Yifei being so serious, Meng Xiaofei subconsciously nodded her head.


    Li Yifei was truly not at ease with Meng Xiaofei. He added another piece of advice, "Also, don¡¯t show the things they gave you to anyone. Although they¡¯re fakes, they look incredibly real at first glance. If others found out you were carrying something so valuable, you¡¯d be asking for trouble."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t tell real from fake either; they look so alike."


    "Remember, it¡¯s as if you never saw me today, and you absolutely must not tell Yingying or Su Mengxin, got it? Otherwise, Brother Li will never cook for you again, nor will he consider you a friend from now onwards."


    Meng Xiaofei eagerly nodded and said, "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll remember what you said, Brother Li. I won¡¯t tell Sister Yingying and Sister Mengxin that I saw you."


    "Not just the two of them, but also Sister Shan and anyone else," he added.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again and said, "I was just about to ask if I could tell Sister Shan."


    Li Yifei was startled, grateful for his quick thinking. If there was any slip in his words, the secret-keeping Meng Xiaofei would definitely have spilled the beans to Xu Shanshan.


    "When Brother Li comes back, he¡¯ll make sure to thank you properly, and I¡¯ll make you lots of delicious food, remember that," Li Yifei offered Meng Xiaofei another sweet morsel of promise.


    "Mhm, I¡¯ll remember," said Meng Xiaofei, nodding repeatedly before leaving under Li Yifei¡¯s worried gaze.


    After Meng Xiaofei left, Li Yifei directly took them to a hotel.


    All huddled in one room, Zheng Mingrui complained, "Hey, boss, you¡¯re too stingy. We come all the way here and you don¡¯t even invite us to your house to hang out."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Go back to what home? I¡¯m homeless now. We can only stay in a hotel."


    "No way?" everyone looked at Li Yifei in disbelief.


    Li Yifei knew it was impossible to keep his affairs secret from them, so he simply said, "My wife kicked me out, so now I¡¯m without a home."


    Zheng Mingrui and the others paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Zheng Mingrui bumped Li Yifei with his shoulder, barely holding back his laughter, and said, "Did your affair with that Sister Xiaofei get discovered by your wife?"


    "Nonsense. Ning Xin¡¯er, that woman, actually had a kid for me, then showed up at my door. What else could my wife do?" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ning Xin¡¯er... Isn¡¯t that the girl who clung to you during our mission a few years back, the one who later became a big star? When did she have a child for you?"


    During that mission, Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui had worked together. Back then, Zheng Mingrui was fawning over Ning Xin¡¯er, though she had no interest in him and instead fancied Li Yifei. This had made Zheng Mingrui quite irked. Later, after Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei were involved, Zheng Mingrui was aware of it, as Li Yifei was the only one who had told him.


    "That one time, and she got pregnant, then she actually went ahead and gave birth to the child," said Li Yifei with a bit of gloom when he mentioned this.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes immediately widened, then he gave a big thumbs up and said, "Brother is truly the boss, you really are the man, I¡¯m totally in awe of you. With Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s family background and looks, she still secretly had your child without being able to find you, that¡¯s some deep feelings right there."


    The other three were still in the dark about Li Yifei¡¯s affair with Ning Xin¡¯er. At this moment, they all looked at Li Yifei with admiration. Tian Dong said, "I tell you, Brother, I really admire you to the core. I¡¯m also a fan of Ning Xin¡¯er, and to think she already has your seed, you¡¯ve got to snag me a couple of autographs."


    Li Yifei replied with a wry smile, "Looking at her now just gives me a headache, please don¡¯t bring it up anymore."


    Zheng Mingrui then said, "We won¡¯t bring it up if you say so, but now that we¡¯re here, isn¡¯t it time for you to treat us to a good time out?"


    Li Yifei immediately agreed enthusiastically, "No problem, today I¡¯ll make sure you guys have a blast."


    These guys didn¡¯t mention a single serious matter since arriving, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t bring it up either. Even if that Joseph was formidable, they were now a group of five, and they simply didn¡¯t consider Joseph a threat. It wasn¡¯t arrogance, but confidence in their strength. Plus, with the deep bond they had with Li Yifei, naturally, the plan was to catch up on old times.


    These four had been to all sorts of fancy places, in Capital City or around the world, leaving their footprints in luxurious venues. Therefore, in Mile City, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to take them anywhere special, instead he led the four to a roadside barbecue. They took off their shirts, bared their arms, unconcerned about appearances, grilling meat and drinking dregs-filled beer ¨C they were truly enjoying themselves.


    Since returning to Mile City, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t once gone out to drink so freely with friends, but being with these comrades-in-arms meant letting loose, the boldness bred in the military shone through.


    "Brother, we¡¯ve had about enough to drink, is it time to hit up a nice place for some fun?" Zheng Mingrui winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei knew what this guy meant. Just like them, he used to unwind at entertainment venues, drinking and finding women, after completing missions in the past.


    "No problem, it¡¯s all on me for however you guys want to play today."


    "Hehe, as the local boss, you¡¯ve got to show us a good time then," they teased.


    Li Yifei still didn¡¯t take them to a place like the Yiyun Clubhouse for a good time because people there might recognize him. He didn¡¯t want to attract attention, and certainly didn¡¯t want those who knew him to see them.


    He took the four to a sauna where they had a soak. Filled with energy, these four, along with Li Yifei, went upstairs. While getting a foot massage, they started teasing the female masseuses. In this regard, these men were experts at flirting, making the four women giggle non-stop.


    "Hey, get us some girls," Tian Dong began brazenly seeking female company.


    The attendant quickly approached, asking, "Sir, how many would you like?"


    Tian Dong replied without delay, "Can¡¯t you see there are five of us here? Get five."


    Li Yifei quickly waved his hand and said, "No need, just find four. I don¡¯t want one."


    Zheng Mingrui and the others looked at Li Yifei as if he were a monster, Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "Brother, your wife has already been sent away, are you still planning to remain pure as jade, huh? Besides, even after getting married, that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t have fun, right?"


    Li Yifei blew out a smoke ring, saying, "I¡¯m turning over a new leaf now. I won¡¯t be doing stuff like this anymore; you guys go have fun."


    "We scorn you!" All four made a rude gesture at Li Yifei, then they dragged him into a private room, insisting on having the attendant send someone in.


    At this point, Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse anymore; otherwise, these trouble-making friends would never let him off the hook. But he truly had no interest in the kind of women one finds at such places. When a girl came in, he just had her massage his legs and chatted with her.


    The girl was quite surprised, but getting paid for simply keeping company wasn¡¯t something she would decline.


    In that moment, Li Yifei suddenly thought of Su Yiyi. If Su Yiyi had encountered someone other than him, he didn¡¯t dare to imagine what path she could have ended up on.


    Fortunately, Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t gone astray, but she had ended up with him. Right now, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure whether letting Su Yiyi stay with him without a clear understanding was beneficial for her.


    Suddenly, a commotion of disordered footsteps sounded from outside. Li Yifei¡¯s eyebrows immediately furrowed. Such commotion wasn¡¯t a good sign. Obviously, something unusual had happened.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t think that Joseph¡¯s people could have found him here so quickly because last time, Li Yifei had killed several of their experts. With high-caliber fighters like that, Joseph wouldn¡¯t have too many of them and would be unlikely to send a large force against him.


    "Police! Nobody move!" As the door was busted open, a loud shout left Li Yifei both crying and laughing ¨C he had the bad luck of being caught in a police raid against soliciting prostitutes.

 Chapter 448 - 455: Sister-in-law, it’s all our fault

    Chapter 448: Chapter 455: Sister-in-law, it¡¯s all our faultLi Yifei and the others were taken to the police car. With their skills, the cops definitely couldn¡¯t handle them, but they couldn¡¯t just fight against the police either, or they would attract too much attention.


    Li Yifei and his group were brought to the sub-bureau. However, quite a lot of people had been caught, and they hadn¡¯t been recorded for testimony yet. They were all locked in a room with Zheng Mingrui and his company.


    "Hey, boss, this is your territory. You handle it," said Zheng Mingrui with a smirk, smoking a cigarette.


    Li Yifei said nonchalantly, "Just pay the fine."


    With a mischievous grin, Zheng Mingrui said, "Paying a fine is fine for a few of us, but you, being from Mile City, will probably have to have your wife come to pick you up."


    At that, Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly. What Zheng Mingrui said was indeed the police¡¯s usual tactic after catching someone soliciting. If he didn¡¯t ask his wife to come, wouldn¡¯t he have to call Xu Yingying? That would really be a huge loss of face.


    "Hurry and get someone to bail us out. Look at you, inviting us out and even getting caught by the police, how embarrassing for you," Zheng Mingrui kept teasing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and quickly took out his phone to call He Fangqing. Now was the perfect time for her to bail them out.


    But He Fangqing¡¯s phone rang for a long time without an answer. Li Yifei thought about it, he definitely couldn¡¯t call Xu Yingying or Xu Shanshan, nor Meng Xiaofei. Even Su Mengxin was not an option, as that would be even more embarrassing.


    Calling Su Yiyi wouldn¡¯t upset her, but it would undoubtedly diminish his image in her eyes, so that was also out of the question.


    Then there was Lin Qiong. If that girl saw him caught by the police for solicitation, she would mock him for the rest of his life, so that was a no-go as well.


    And Ye Yunzhu... let¡¯s not even go there. She would freak out if she had to deal with this situation.


    Ning Xin¡¯er... better not. If it fell into her hands, there would be endless trouble afterwards.


    In the end, it seemed there was only one person he could turn to, and that was Michelle. This girl was a nice girl, and Li Yifei had always hated the idea of hurting her, yet she had always been deeply in love with him, even after he was married, and that didn¡¯t change. It was obvious from the way Michelle looked at him normally. Asking her to help him out this time could also change her impression of him, and maybe then she would start to dislike him, so she wouldn¡¯t think about him anymore.


    Thinking it over, Michelle really was the best choice. Li Yifei immediately dialed Michelle¡¯s number.


    "Brother Li, how come you¡¯re calling me?" Michelle¡¯s surprised voice came through as soon as the call connected.


    "Heh, Michelle, I got caught by the police, and I need you to bail me out. Also, bring some extra cash. I¡¯ve got four friends here too, and they all need money to get bailed out."


    "What happened?" Michelle suddenly cried out in alarm.


    "We... were caught in a sauna bath."


    Even though Li Yifei didn¡¯t spell it out, Michelle fully understood, and after a gasp, it took her a while to timidly say, "Brother Li, how... how could you do this?"


    Li Yifei said impatiently, "I don¡¯t have time to explain now, just come and bail me out quickly. Remember to bring more money."


    Michelle agreed, then asked for the location before hanging up.


    "Boss, who¡¯s this Michelle?" Zheng Mingrui poked Li Yifei.


    "My coworker."


    "No way, you¡¯re so blunt with just a coworker. She must be your chick."


    "She¡¯s not, but you guys better not get any ideas about her."


    "Why would we? She¡¯s your woman, boss."


    In less than twenty minutes, Michelle arrived and paid a fine of three thousand yuan per person, bailing out all five of them.


    The moment Zheng Mingrui and the others saw Michelle, they were secretly impressed with Li Yifei. They had seen many beautiful women, but Michelle seemed quite pure and innocent, and that made them quite envious.


    Michelle had never met Zheng Mingrui and his group, and was a bit puzzled in her mind. However, she suspected they were Li Yifei¡¯s clients whom he had accompanied for business entertainment.


    Pulling Li Yifei aside, Michelle whispered, "Brother Li, how could you be so careless."


    Li Yifei thought Michelle must be very upset, but to his surprise, she actually spoke to him in a slightly reproachful tone. He looked at Michelle in amazement and said, "Michelle, I just got busted for soliciting."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red as she chided, "I know it¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯ve already asked the police. They said you were just talking with that lady and didn¡¯t actually... do that thing."


    "I¡¯m dizzy, they haven¡¯t even taken my statement yet. How come they believe what that lady said first?" Li Yifei was also somewhat puzzled.


    "Hehe, you wouldn¡¯t know this, but I have a relative here. He¡¯s the one responsible for taking the lady¡¯s statement. That woman insisted that you didn¡¯t touch her, and normally, a lady like her wouldn¡¯t deny it, because they get fined anyway, and most of them are from sauna baths, so they aren¡¯t afraid at all. For her to say that, it must be true."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he rubbed his nose and said, "I didn¡¯t have time... I wanted to create some ambiance first."


    "Stop it, stop talking nonsense. You have a wife like President Xu; how could you be interested in a woman like that? I don¡¯t believe you would come here to fool around."


    Li Yifei was somewhat at a loss for words. He had hoped to use this opportunity to change Michelle¡¯s opinion of him, but who knew that he would run into Michelle¡¯s relative here. He could only give a wry smile and said, "Alright, don¡¯t mention seeing me here when you get back. Now, I¡¯m going to withdraw some money to pay you back."


    "No rush, I¡¯m not in need of money right now."


    "Hehe, I still have to pay you back what I owe. Let¡¯s go." Li Yifei took Michelle and headed over to the four brothers and said, "You guys go back to the hotel first; I¡¯ll take her home."


    Zheng Mingrui paid no attention to Li Yifei but turned to look at Michelle. He sighed heavily, looking utterly remorseful, and said in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, I¡¯m really sorry. We hadn¡¯t seen the boss for a long time, so we drank too much upon meeting, and insisted on dragging the boss out for some fun. The boss kept refusing, but we were so excited, we forcibly took him out, leading to this mess. We guarantee, the boss didn¡¯t mean to do this, his feelings for you are absolutely genuine, without a single lie. If you want to be angry, take it out on the four of us, but please don¡¯t be mad at our boss."


    Tian Dong immediately chimed in, "Sister-in-law, while we were dragging the boss out, he kept saying he couldn¡¯t do anything to betray you. Ah, it was all our fault, forcing the boss to make a mistake. If you¡¯re upset, feel free to vent it on us."


    Zhao Qiang slapped his chest in anguish and said, "Sister-in-law, if you look up to our boss, that¡¯s truly the blessing from his past eight generations. We¡¯re such bastards, the boss having such a beautiful wife and we still took him out to misbehave. We¡¯ve wronged you."


    Zhao Qing wiped his eyes, already filled with tears, and choked up, "Sister-in-law, you mustn¡¯t divorce our boss, I beg you, I¡¯ll even kneel if I have to!" With that, he actually began to bend over, seeming to genuinely want to kneel to Michelle.


    Michelle was dumbstruck by what she¡¯d heard. These four men were actually calling her sister-in-law, which implied she was Li Yifei¡¯s wife. This... was it a misunderstanding, or something Li Yifei had said? But when she saw Zhao Qing about to kneel, she was suddenly scared and hurriedly grabbed Zhao Qing, urgently saying, "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t... I¡¯m... I¡¯m not angry."


    Zhao Qing clutched Michelle¡¯s arm, excitedly saying, "Sister-in-law, you¡¯re really not angry? You can¡¯t lie to us, and then turn around and be mad at our boss. We¡¯d never be able to atone for our guilt."


    "No! No! I¡¯m really not angry!" Michelle was taken aback by Zhao Qing.


    "Get lost!" Li Yifei kicked Zhao Qing away and said to Michelle, "Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t mind them."


    "Sister-in-law, take care! When you¡¯ve straightened out our boss, we¡¯ll all come apologize to you together," the four young men shouted after them.


    Li Yifei took Michelle to a taxi, and she was still in a daze for a while, wanting to ask Li Yifei what all this was about. But because the taxi driver was there, she held back. However, once they got out of the car, she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. With a mix of shyness and a bit of sweetness, she said, "Brother Li, who are those people? Why do they call you boss, and call me... "


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and explained, "They are my former comrades-in-arms. They came to see me this time, so I took them out for fun."


    Of course, what Michelle cared most about wasn¡¯t that. Blushing, she looked at Li Yifei with hope in her eyes and stammered softly, "Oh, then why... why do they call me that?"


    Seeing Michelle like this, Li Yifei knew things were getting messier and explained, "To get us out of there, I naturally had to get my wife to vouch for us. But Yingying and I have some... issues right now, so I couldn¡¯t ask her. That¡¯s why I had to ask you to pretend for a bit."


    "No wonder they called me that." Michelle felt sweet inside. Li Yifei actually had her pretend to be his wife. It was a nice feeling, but when she heard about the issues between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, she was suddenly shocked and said, "What¡¯s wrong with you guys?" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, it¡¯s complicated, just some problems. I won¡¯t go to the office or turn on my phone these days. If there¡¯s anything, we¡¯ll talk when I get back."


    "Ah! It¡¯s that serious? Is it because of Ning Xin¡¯er?" Michelle got excited and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    "Yes, I¡¯ve got another son now. Isn¡¯t that serious enough?"


    Michelle bit her lip but gently shook her head, saying softly, "If it were me, I would definitely forgive you."


    Li Yifei laughed softly and said, "Yingying isn¡¯t you. I need to go." He hailed a taxi, opened the door, and was about to get in.


    "Brother Li, no matter when, I will... wait for you!"


    Li Yifei paused, simply waving his hand before getting into the car.

 Chapter 449 - 456: One word, fight!

    Chapter 449: Chapter 456: One word, fight!Li Yifei went straight back to the hotel, where his four rascally buddies immediately swarmed him with questions. It took Li Yifei quite a while to fend them off before he could finally climb into bed to rest.


    Although all five men were now together in a large suite, none of them felt sleepy. The bonds between these comrades were forged in the crucible of life and death. Back then, even a hint of selfishness could have landed them all in dire straits. They trusted each other implicitly, to the point of being willing to expose their backs to their comrades, confident that even if their friends could not eliminate the danger from behind, they would shield them with their own bodies from incoming bullets.


    This type of bond is a matter of life and death, a trust so profound you would put your life in the other person¡¯s hands. It is a far cry from mere fair-weather friends. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boss, after you left, problems started cropping up in the Flying Hawk Squad," Zheng Mingrui, puffing on a cigarette, suddenly let out a sigh.


    "How could that be?" Li Yifei furrowed his brow and said, "The comrades in the Flying Hawk Squad are closer than blood brothers. How could there possibly be problems?"


    Zhao Qing chimed in, "If it were our original comrades, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems for sure. But after you left, Number One brought in some new guys. These punks are clearly here just for the glory. They strut around like they own the place, hiding in the back whenever there¡¯s danger, but as soon as there¡¯s an opportunity for recognition, they rush to the forefront more fiercely than anyone. Damn them."


    "Just thinking about those punks pisses me off. If you were still here, Boss, you¡¯d have kicked them out long ago," Zhou Qiang said angrily, slamming his fist on the bed frame.


    Li Yifei¡¯s brow creased even more. From the moment he joined the Flying Hawk Squad, he prided himself on being a part of Huaxia¡¯s strongest military force. Every member possessed exceptional abilities. But most importantly, they were united as brothers¡ªready to risk their lives for one another without hesitation¡ªa tradition of the Flying Hawk Squad.


    But even such a squad, for political reasons, had to be subjected to military leadership. This leader was responsible for organizing the squad¡¯s missions and controlling members¡¯ activities¡ªan individual known as Flying Hawk Number One. He didn¡¯t need to have strong combat abilities, only the organizational skills to be a good leader.


    As the second-in-command of the squad, Li Yifei was the soul of the Flying Hawk Squad, the strongest among them. Outside, Number Two might have been just a soldier, but within the squad, he held absolute authority. That¡¯s why he was referred to as "Boss" by the others.


    Li Yifei¡¯s decision to retire was largely influenced by the new Number One, whom he really couldn¡¯t stand. That guy exuded a strong sense of bureaucracy, completely different from any previous Number One. The predecessors might not have been strong in combat, but they were all staunch figures capable of integrating with the squad.


    Tian Dong said indignantly, "Hmph, the current Number One is a total bastard. The missions he arranges make our blood boil. Last time, some privileged brat got into a conflict and was beaten up. So he sends me to get revenge for that spoiled kid. Since when has the Flying Hawk Squad become mere thugs?"


    Zhou Qiang also spoke up angrily, "You were just serving as a thug, but I had an even more frustrating time. Some guy heard that there were people after him, so he made me act as his bodyguard. That guy was nothing but a worthless brat, throwing his weight around because of his father¡¯s position. He was so obnoxious, it made me want to slaughter him right then and there."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression had grown utterly dark as he said, "Mingrui, what¡¯s this all about? I¡¯ve left, and now you¡¯re Number Two of the squad. You¡¯ve got full authority to reject these missions."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face twitched, while Zhao Qing quickly spoke up, "It¡¯s not Mingrui¡¯s fault, Boss. Ever since that Number One came, he¡¯s gradually stripped away our internal power within the squad. Now, even Mingrui can¡¯t control the squad. Plus, with those guys who got in through connections, the team¡¯s atmosphere has turned completely toxic."


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "If the Flying Hawk Squad continues like this, it¡¯ll soon degenerate into a third-rate outfit."


    Zheng Mingrui nodded, "Exactly, which is why we still hope you¡¯ll return, Boss. Only you have the prestige to maintain the squad¡¯s status and kick out that Number One."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Don¡¯t you understand? It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to kick him out, but instead, he managed to kick me out. When it comes to combat, he¡¯s nothing, but when it comes to politics and schemes, all of us combined are no match for him."


    "So, Boss, you¡¯re just going to watch as our squad goes to ruin?" Zheng Mingrui said, a tinge of desperation in his voice.


    Li Yifei blew a smoke ring and replied, "I don¡¯t see it as a big deal. Haven¡¯t you noticed how carefree I am now? If you guys are tired of the squad, you can come and follow me instead."


    "Great! Then I¡¯m with you, Boss. When we go back this time, we¡¯ll apply for discharge," Zhao Qing said enthusiastically.


    Zhou Qiang and Tian Dong also echoed their agreement, but Zheng Mingrui frowned and countered, "Wouldn¡¯t doing this be somewhat inappropriate?"


    "Mingrui, the boss, you¡¯re not getting all sentimental about becoming number two, are you?" Zhou Qiang immediately furrowed his brows.


    Li Yifei instantly glared and said, "Zhou Qiang, what are you talking about? Doubting Mingrui like this, is that the spirit of our Flying Hawk Squad?"


    Zhou Qiang was taken aback and quickly said, "Boss, I¡¯m not doubting Big Boss Mingrui, just a bit anxious, that¡¯s all."


    Zheng Mingrui waved his hand and said, "I understand. To tell the truth, sometimes even I start doubting some people now. The environment has changed, and we¡¯re no longer that unbreakably united squad we used to be."


    Li Yifei then smiled and said, "Mingrui, now you¡¯ve truly matured more than before. Honestly, many good friends can fall out over some issues. In our squad, can any of the fifty members guarantee they have absolutely no personal agenda? Even I have my own motives, which is normal. But given the current state of our squad, here¡¯s my advice: those with a hot temper should leave first, to avoid trouble. Those who can control themselves can stay, ensuring the squad¡¯s foundation remains intact. We¡¯re not looking to start factions, but it would be truly sad if the glory of the Flying Hawk Squad were to be destroyed by our generation."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes brightened as he said, "Boss is the boss, always thinking more comprehensively than me. So your departure this time, is it also about avoiding the sharp edge?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Honestly speaking, I do feel a bit tired. Plus, I can¡¯t keep overshadowing you. I know you¡¯re someone with dreams, and if I always hinder you from achieving them, we, as good brothers, might end up as enemies."


    Zheng Mingrui didn¡¯t feel awkward but laughed heartily, "Boss, you truly understand me. But even if you stay in the squad, one day I will definitely defeat you and take the number two spot for myself."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, not the slightest bit offended by Zheng Mingrui¡¯s ambition. Having ambition is what drives a person to strive. Zheng Mingrui was that kind of person, but he would never resort to scheming; he would fight for it fair and square. So Li Yifei had always considered Zheng Mingrui a true brother.


    Zhou Qiang, Zhao Qing, and Tian Dong all laughed out loud. In their Flying Hawk Squad, they never used to care about connections; the strongest got the highest rank. It was only after two years in the Flying Hawk Squad that Li Yifei had become number two. Even though there was competition among them, it was always fair and aboveboard; no one would resort to despicable tactics. Such competition genuinely motivated everyone to practice hard and become stronger.


    Thanks to such a good competitive mechanism, the Flying Hawk Squad always remained the strongest. Anyone who slacked off in the squad would end up at the bottom and eventually leave the Flying Hawk Squad. It seemed cruel, but for everyone in the squad, it was definitely a good thing. Their hard work was why they had the lowest mission failure rate among the top-tier forces of various countries.


    And even in failure, the personnel losses within the Flying Hawk Squad were minimal, with no more than five members lost each year.


    Considering the top-tier nature of the Flying Hawk Squad and the extreme danger of the missions they undertook, such a low casualty rate was incredibly difficult to achieve.


    At this point, Zheng Mingrui spoke again, "Boss, give me another piece of advice. How should I deal with number one? He¡¯s already taken away most of my power. If it continues like this, I won¡¯t have any authority left, and I won¡¯t be able to take care of our brothers."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, and slowly exhaled a single word, "Fight!"


    "Fight?" Zheng Mingrui was startled, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.


    Zhou Qiang quickly said, "Boss, you¡¯re telling us to fight number one, won¡¯t that get us kicked out of the Flying Hawk Squad directly?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "There are many ways to fight; you just need to think about it yourselves."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s mouth curled into a cold smirk, "Boss, I understand. I¡¯ll make sure to teach that bastard a good lesson this time."


    Li Yifei laughed and patted Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder, "Mingrui, I never did this myself, but now I¡¯m letting you do it."


    Looking puzzled, Zheng Mingrui looked at Li Yifei, "Boss, if you had such thoughts, why didn¡¯t you do it at that time?"


    "For one, he hadn¡¯t gone too far at that time, and secondly... I truly wanted to live an ordinary life. I¡¯m really tired after all these years."

 Chapter 450 - 357: They Came Together

    Chapter 450: Chapter 357: They Came TogetherThe next day, Li Yifei and the four brothers had all vanished, leaving no trace behind in Mile City, and no one saw them again.


    Xu Yingying had slept poorly last night; she had grown accustomed to having Li Yifei by her side, enjoying the embrace, fondling his robust body, and smelling his scent. But now, it all seemed gone as she tossed and turned before finally falling asleep.


    Awoken by the alarm clock in the morning, Xu Yingying sat up abruptly. Throughout this time, being woken up by Li Yifei had become a habit, and the sudden alarm sound was something she was unaccustomed to.


    Looking at the time, she realized it was getting late. She hurried out of bed to get ready, and along the way, she knocked on Xu Shanshan¡¯s room, telling her to rise earlier as well.


    Once Xu Shanshan got up, she appeared with eyes like a panda¡¯s, clearly having slept poorly. Though the slap marks on her face had healed, the gash on her forehead was still not completely recovered and was covered by a Band-Aid.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan yawned and headed to the living room first, where she would normally greet Li Yifei. He would respond with a smile, "Shanshan, you¡¯re up, go wash up, breakfast will be ready soon."


    But there was no movement today, and it was then Xu Shanshan realized that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t home. The good mood she woke up with vanished instantly.


    "Hurry up and get ready, or we¡¯ll be late for work," Xu Yingying emerged from the bathroom and urged her sister.


    Xu Shanshan responded sluggishly, washed up lackadaisically, and then came out looking dispirited. Glancing at the kitchen, she said, "Sis, I¡¯m hungry."


    Xu Yingying glared at her, saying, "It¡¯s early in the morning, what¡¯s there to be hungry about?"


    Pouting, Xu Shanshan complained, "I¡¯ve gotten used to eating breakfast every morning recently."


    Xu Yingying opened her mouth, then sighed, "Quit your yapping and get changed already."


    "It¡¯s all your fault for driving brother-in-law away. He was so good, and only you were so petty," grumbled Xu Shanshan, huffily muttering as she turned to enter her bedroom.


    Xu Yingying sighed again. Now that things had turned out this way, she felt very uncomfortable.


    As she left home, she ran into Su Mengxin, who was flanked by two bodyguards. Without Li Yifei¡¯s protection, she now had to rely on her own bodyguards.


    Su Mengxin gave Xu Yingying a slight smile and said, "Yingying, without Yifei coming back, I won¡¯t go to the company either. It would be too troublesome, and I have some other matters to deal with recently anyway."


    "Okay," Xu Yingying quickly replied.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Yifei will be fine. And he¡¯ll be back soon. You should take this time to calm down as well."


    "Mm," Xu Yingying nodded. Li Yifei had only been gone for a day, and she was already completely unaccustomed to his absence.


    "Didn¡¯t Xiaofei come back? Why didn¡¯t I see her coming over this morning?" Xu Shanshan looked at another room door.


    With a faint smile, Su Mengxin said, "That girl knows there¡¯s no breakfast when Yifei isn¡¯t home, so how could she possibly wake up so early?"


    They all went downstairs together. Then, Xu Yingying drove Xu Shanshan to school and returned to the company herself. The busy morning helped her temporarily forget Li Yifei. In the afternoon, she went to Lanjia Village again, as she was very concerned about the engineering projects there. The sooner the factory could start, the sooner the company could operate.


    Ye Yunzhu received her, and they discussed business matters. However, on several occasions, Ye Yunzhu wanted to ask why Li Yifei didn¡¯t come this time, but it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to ask about someone¡¯s husband in front of his wife, especially considering her own past with him.


    "Has Yifei contacted you these last two days?" It was Xu Yingying who brought up Li Yifei first.


    "No, why do you ask?" Ye Yunzhu looked at Xu Yingying curiously, noticing the odd expression when she mentioned Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying gave a wry smile and said, "Yifei has been away from home for two days now, and his phone is off. No one can reach him."


    "Left home? He¡¯s run away from home?" Ye Yunzhu was shocked, her eyes widening.


    "Yes! He really has run away from home."


    "How is that possible? That guy is so thick-skinned, how could he run away from home? He¡¯s definitely not capable of doing something like that," Ye Yunzhu shook her head in disbelief.


    With another bitter smile, Xu Yingying said, "He voluntarily left this time because of the divorce."


    "Divorce?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes lit up, but she immediately felt her reaction was overly enthusiastic and smiled awkwardly, saying, "Really? He¡¯s never thought about that before."


    Ye Yunzhu recounted what Ning Xin¡¯er had come to tell her, leaving Ye Yunzhu with her eyes wide in shock, before she added hatefully, "That bastard, having a love child like that." After she finished, she coughed involuntarily. She was carrying Li Yifei¡¯s child now; to Xu Yingying, that would be another love child.


    Xu Yingying said, "I can¡¯t accept this either. After all, we¡¯ve only just married and he¡¯s already got a child on the way. He hasn¡¯t come home for two days, and even though I wanted to have a proper talk with him, he barely said a few words before he left. He seemed eager to divorce me, which broke my heart even more. I thought he might come to talk to you, but it turns out you haven¡¯t seen him either."


    "Hmph, that jerk is definitely with Ning Xin¡¯er right now," Ye Yunzhu gritted her teeth. Her anger was at its limit; Ning Xin¡¯er was having his baby, and she herself was pregnant with his child, yet the guy had left home. Not only had he not shown up here, but he hadn¡¯t even called. Was she, Ye Yunzhu, invisible to him?


    At this point, Xu Yingying felt extremely depressed and failed to notice Ye Yunzhu¡¯s distress. She sighed and said, "If he is really with Ning Xin¡¯er, then I¡¯ll accept it."


    "Accept it? How could you say that? Who does Ning Xin¡¯er think she is? Just because she¡¯s having Li Yifei¡¯s baby, does she think she can command princes by controlling the emperor? I¡¯ll go with you to find him; we can¡¯t let that bastard be with that woman," Ye Yunzhu declared.


    As she spoke, Ye Yunzhu grabbed Xu Yingying by the arm.


    In this aspect, Xu Yingying was not as bold and decisive as Ye Yunzhu and hurriedly said, "Yunzhu, don¡¯t do this. If Yifei is really there, wouldn¡¯t that embarrass him?"


    "He abandoned his wife to mess around with another woman. Are you still worried about embarrassing him? Listen to me: we¡¯re going to drag him back. Once I catch him, I swear I¡¯ll smack him right across the face," said Ye Yunzhu.


    Xu Yingying originally held animosity towards Ye Yunzhu, after all, Ye Yunzhu was Li Yifei¡¯s first love, and first loves are hard to forget, just as Li Yifei was for her. No matter how wrong Li Yifei was, she couldn¡¯t let go of him.


    But since she learned the child Ye Yunzhu was carrying wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s, her animosity vanished. She began to see eye to eye with Ye Yunzhu because they were both strong women; feeling a sense of kinship, she started to regard Ye Yunzhu as a friend.


    "But... I don¡¯t know where Ning Xin¡¯er is," Xu Yingying said.


    "You don¡¯t know? Can¡¯t you find out?"


    "How?"


    "Wait, I¡¯ll find someone to help us," replied Ye Yunzhu.


    Just as Ye Yunzhu was about to make a call, Xu Yingying¡¯s phone rang. It was a completely unfamiliar number. Xu Yingying answered it, and on the other end was Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s voice: "Xu Yingying, I want to talk to you."


    Xu Yingying was overjoyed to hear this, but quickly composed herself. Facing her rival, she didn¡¯t panic. When doing business, Xu Yingying was always like this; the more challenging the opponent, the more cool-headed she became. She said simply, "Okay."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately gave her address, which pointed to her villa in Mile City. She didn¡¯t have many friends and, since it was Xu Yingying¡¯s turf, she felt more secure at her own place.


    Xu Yingying readily agreed and, after hanging up, told Ye Yunzhu, "Ning Xin¡¯er wants to talk. I¡¯m heading there right now."


    "I¡¯m coming with you," Ye Yunzhu quickly said.


    "You don¡¯t need to..."


    "What do you mean I don¡¯t need to? What if you can¡¯t handle her alone? I must help you; I can¡¯t let you suffer."


    Without further discussion, Ye Yunzhu pulled Xu Yingying along as they walked out. Xu Yingying felt that bringing Ye Yunzhu to negotiate with Ning Xin¡¯er seemed inappropriate, but Ye Yunzhu¡¯s intentions were clearly benevolent, and refusing her offer would seem ungracious.


    Half an hour later, Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu had arrived at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s villa. They parked the car and walked into the yard together, where Ning Xin¡¯er was sitting on the lawn, dressed in a simple home leisure outfit, her hair tied casually at the back of her head. No matter how you looked at her, Ning Xin¡¯er was just a sweet girl.


    "Here you are, come and sit. Why did you bring backup? Are you afraid I¡¯ll hit you?" Ning Xin¡¯er greeted Xu Yingying with a smile.


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and glared at Ning Xin¡¯er, saying, "We would dirty our hands hitting you." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pulling Ye Yunzhu by the arm, Xu Yingying approached Ning Xin¡¯er. Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t stand up, just waved her hand, and Xu Yingying sat down on the grass. Ye Yunzhu hesitated for a moment before sitting down as well, still glaring fiercely at Ning Xin¡¯er.


    With a light laugh, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Xu Yingying, who did you bring with you? She seems to hate me even more than you do. Could it be she¡¯s another woman abandoned by that jerk?"


    That comment struck a nerve with Ye Yunzhu, who angrily replied, "Do you think that if Yifei abandoned you, he would abandon me as well?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression changed, and she became furious, saying, "Oh, really? That bastard is really capable, isn¡¯t he? His wife and mistress getting along peacefully."

 Chapter 451 - 358 I Also Have Yifei’s Child

    Chapter 451: Chapter 358 I Also Have Yifei¡¯s ChildYe Yunzhu was even more infuriated. As someone from the officialdom with a strong background, she had always been a very assertive person. She wasn¡¯t like Xu Yingying, who had to mix truth and lies when doing business and negotiating, so her patience was far inferior to Xu Yingying¡¯s. Being openly called a mistress by Ning Xin¡¯er was something she couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    "You¡¯re the mistress, Yifei¡¯s wife is right here," Ye Yunzhu managed to keep her cool amidst the anger, bringing Xu Yingying into the argument.


    Ning Xin¡¯er curled her lip and said, "How long has Yifei been married? My daughter is already three years old. Xu Yingying, you just have a marriage contract with Li Yifei, and in reality, you are the mistress, you know?"


    At that moment, Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, there¡¯s no need to provoke me, it¡¯s useless. No matter what, my marriage with Yifei is protected by the law. I acknowledge that you have Yifei¡¯s child, and we can definitely discuss the issue of the child¡¯s upbringing. As for marriage or anything like that, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s no use even if you think about it, Yifei won¡¯t be with you just because you have his child."


    "Is that so? Didn¡¯t you kick Yifei out? How come now you want him back?" Ning Xin¡¯er pouted her lips again.


    "He came to your place?" Xu Yingying hoped Yifei wouldn¡¯t come here on her way over.


    "Yeah, he¡¯s with me. He¡¯s been staying here for the past few days," Ning Xin¡¯er stretched lazily, speaking with a flirtatious tone, "After so many years, this guy is really like a starved wolf."


    Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying both knew full well that Li Yifei was quite strong in that aspect and could always take them to the peak of happiness. Hearing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words, both couldn¡¯t help but subconsciously believe that Li Yifei was indeed there.


    "Where¡¯s that bastard? Get him out here!" Ye Yunzhu hissed through gritted teeth.


    At this, the smile on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face grew even brighter as she said, "Unfortunately, Yifei has gone out and won¡¯t be back until tonight. If you¡¯re willing to wait, you can wait for him to come back tonight."


    As she spoke, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes glanced at the clothes hung in the courtyard. Both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu inadvertently followed her gaze, only to spot, among the women¡¯s clothes, a pair of men¡¯s underwear and some socks. Xu Yingying recognized them at first glance¡ªthey were the brand she often bought for Li Yifei. Her complexion immediately changed, which clearly proved that Li Yifei was indeed staying there.


    Taking a deep breath, she said, "Since Yifei is willing to be with you and raise your child together, I have no objections. Then, please tell him, when he returns, to come find me to go through the divorce procedures."


    A complex expression flickered across Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes. Although she used to be quite a troublemaking girl, she had changed a lot over the years, and with maturity, her mind had become much more sophisticated. Her mental battle with Xu Yingying this time was all to get Li Yifei back by her side. Now seeing the sadness and pain in Xu Yingying, she genuinely felt reluctant to cause her sorrow.


    But for Li Yifei¡¯s sake, she hardened her heart and said, "Then thank you. I know this is also hurtful for you. If you have any requests, Yifei and I will certainly fulfill them." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying forced a smile and replied, "He doesn¡¯t owe me anything. Come if it suits, leave if it doesn¡¯t."


    Seeing Xu Yingying like this, Ning Xin¡¯er finally spoke apologetically, "I¡¯m truly sorry, but I have Yifei¡¯s child, and I can¡¯t help but consider my daughter."


    "I understand," Xu Yingying nodded and was about to stand up and leave.


    But at that moment, Ye Yunzhu suddenly grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and stared intently at her, saying, "Are you sure, you want to leave Yifei?"


    Xu Yingying forced a bitter smile and said, "What can I do? He chose to be with the child and its mother for the sake of the child, which is only right and proper."


    Ye Yunzhu took in a deep breath and said, "Alright, since you¡¯re stepping back, then I will be the one to compete with her, Ning Xin¡¯er!" Ye Yunzhu then turned to Ning Xin¡¯er, touched her own stomach, and said, "I¡¯m telling you now, the child in my belly is also Yifei¡¯s."


    "What?" Xu Yingying cried out in shock, staring blankly at Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu turned her head towards Xu Yingying, smiled apologetically, and said, "It was an accident, I didn¡¯t expect to be carrying his child. I thought about terminating the pregnancy at the hospital, but the doctor said this might be my only chance to become a mother, so I had no choice but to keep it. I didn¡¯t tell you before because I didn¡¯t want to affect your life, but now that you¡¯ve chosen to step aside, I have no choice but to fight for a father for my child and me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s lips twitched a few times, but she was unable to utter a word.


    Meanwhile, Ning Xin¡¯er was staring at Ye Yunzhu, not expecting that after just convincing Xu Yingying, another competitor in Ye Yunzhu would suddenly emerge.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Ning Xin¡¯er a faint smile and said, "Did you not say you¡¯ve known Yifei for a long time? Well, I can tell you that Yifei and I were high school classmates. Back in high school, he turned me from green rice into cooked rice, so to speak. Tell me, isn¡¯t our time together even longer than yours?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted and said, "So what? Yifei is still living with me now, isn¡¯t he? He still wants to be with me, doesn¡¯t he?"


    This matter also greatly annoyed Ye Yunzhu, but she managed a laugh and said, "So what if he lives with you? That might just be seen as compensation to you. We both have Yifei¡¯s child, can you be so sure whom Yifei will end up with in the end?"


    "Of course I can be sure," Ning Xin¡¯er retorted, flipping her hair in a display of allure and said, "He told me he will raise our child with me, making up for what he owes us."


    "Forget it, you¡¯re a big star now. Not to mention having a child with Yifei, even if it gets out that you¡¯re dating him, your acting career would be over."


    Yet, Ning Xin¡¯er still said with a smile, "Being a star is just an idle game for me. Now that I¡¯ve found Yifei, I¡¯ve long stopped wanting to be a star and just want to be with Yifei."


    "Fine, even if you could give up your career, but the number of days you and Yifei have been together is limited, how could he possibly love you? What happiness can there be in a family formed out of obligation? I¡¯m different, Yifei and I have been childhood sweethearts since we were little, our feelings are deeply rooted. You could ask Yifei whether he returned to Mile City for me, and whether he hasn¡¯t married all these years because of me. I think he wouldn¡¯t tell you these things, because I am his first love, irreplaceable by anyone else."


    At these words, Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help feeling immensely proud. On this front, no other woman could compare to her, and she suddenly realized she had such an advantage in competing for Li Yifei.


    "Hmph, childhood sweethearts? That¡¯s just childish ignorance. A first love is merely a memory. Look around and see how many couples come from first loves. You¡¯re just another of Yifei¡¯s memories. Although I haven¡¯t been with Yifei for very long, or even just that once before, now I¡¯ve given him a fresh perspective on me. Plus, I¡¯m a star after all, which gives a man a certain sense of achievement. Can you match that?"


    As Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er engaged in their war of words, Xu Yingying stood there in a daze, Ye Yunzhu unexpectedly also had Li Yifei¡¯s child, Ning Xin¡¯er had already given birth to Li Yifei¡¯s daughter, and she, as the wife, only had a marriage contract with Li Yifei, seemingly lacking everything else. She felt so disadvantaged and seemingly didn¡¯t even have the right to compete anymore.


    Dejectedly standing up, Xu Yingying silently walked out. Ye Yunzhu quickly sprang up, glared at Ning Xin¡¯er, and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, just you wait, Yifei will definitely come back to my side." Then she hurried after Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 452 - 359: Ye Xu Alliance

    Chapter 452: Chapter 359: Ye Xu AllianceYe Yunzhu didn¡¯t let Xu Yingying drive, since Xu Yingying¡¯s state was simply too awful at the moment. So, she took the initiative to drive, occasionally glancing at Xu Yingying while driving. Xu Yingying kept her head turned, staring out of the window as if she hadn¡¯t moved at all.


    Ye Yunzhu parked the car by the side of the road and let out a gentle sigh, saying, "Yingying."


    Xu Yingying, bitter and oblivious, continued to stare blankly outside.


    Ye Yunzhu reached out and gently pushed Xu Yingying, who then jolted and turned her head around, at first appearing somewhat dazed, then forcing a smile and said, "What¡¯s up?"


    Ye Yunzhu spoke apologetically, "Yingying, I¡¯m really sorry. I meant to help you, but now I¡¯ve just added salt to your wound."


    Xu Yingying took a deep breath, her eyes no longer dull, and said, "Yunzhu, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s my own doing. Marrying Yifei, we actually didn¡¯t have any real emotional foundation, and Yifei was forced into marrying me. In truth, you were the ones who got hurt."


    "But now... now you and Yifei are married, and we..."


    "It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ve come to terms with it. In doing this, I¡¯m actually being unfair to Yifei. He wasn¡¯t ready for marriage at all, and yet I forced him to become my husband. This is the bitter fruit of my own making, so I can only swallow it myself."


    "Yingying, don¡¯t say that. If Yifei didn¡¯t care about you, he definitely would have left you after finding out I was pregnant. But he didn¡¯t do that, which means he really cares about you."


    "Ah... He knows the child in your belly is his?" Xu Yingying suddenly exclaimed a bit uncomposedly.


    "Of course, he does. That bastard got me pregnant and then ran off to marry you. At that time, I really wanted to chop him up to alleviate my anger. But every time I see him, I can¡¯t bring myself to stay angry. Who can blame him, when the child was also conceived when we weren¡¯t prepared. I can¡¯t blame him."


    "Then... he found out about your child after marrying me, right?" Xu Yingying asked nervously.


    "Yes, he married you, and I didn¡¯t plan to tell him about the child. Still, he figured it out. He knows I¡¯m not one to sleep around, so how could I be pregnant with someone else¡¯s child?"


    Xu Yingying clenched her fists subconsciously, her throat feeling a little dry, her voice even a bit hoarse as she asked, "What did he say to you at the time?"


    Ye Yunzhu looked at Xu Yingying and said with a faint smile, "It seems you still can¡¯t let him go."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit uncomfortable under Ye Yunzhu¡¯s gaze but still met her eyes and said, "Like you said, a first love is the hardest to forget. Yifei is my husband and also my first love. No matter how many mistakes he¡¯s made, how could I just let go easily?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu nodded and said, "It seems you can¡¯t let go either. When you said you could, I was considering fighting it out with Ning Xin¡¯er, but now you¡¯ve turned back, and I feel a bit embarrassed."


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth as she said, "I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly then. But the final decision on this matter still lies with Yifei. If he truly chooses you, I won¡¯t hold any grudges. After all, you¡¯re carrying his child, but..."


    "But what?" Ye Yunzhu looked at Xu Yingying with interest.


    "But if Yifei ultimately stays with me, then we will definitely take responsibility for your child. I will treat him no differently than my own."


    "Wow, I really have to admire you for that. No matter what, you are Yifei¡¯s legal wife now. If you don¡¯t agree to a divorce, neither of us can do anything."


    "I, Xu Yingying, am not that lacking in self-respect either. If Yifei doesn¡¯t want to be with me, it¡¯s pointless for me to cling onto him."


    "Just for that, I, Ye Yunzhu, am willing to make friends with you. No matter who ends up with that jerk in the end, I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re my friend."


    "Since you haven¡¯t used the child to threaten me, I¡¯m also willing to become your friend."


    Their hands came together and held each other, genuinely feeling a sort of kindred spirit.


    They shared a smile, then released hands. Ye Yunzhu furrowed her brows and said, "We can discuss our issues later. The most pressing matter is Li Yifei, that jerk. He actually ran off to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s place. The first thing we need to do is drag this guy back."


    By now, Xu Yingying¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t so gloomy anymore. Crossing her arms, she said, "He¡¯s with Ning Xin¡¯er, so we¡¯re not too worried. But since he¡¯s not answering our calls and nobody can find him, even if we want to drag him back, it¡¯s going to be difficult. We can¡¯t just go to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s house and snatch him back, can we?"


    Ye Yunzhu narrowed her eyes and said, "I do have a method. We could leak the news that Ning Xin¡¯er is staying there. Once the media and some fans get wind of it, they¡¯ll definitely flock to her door. That way, Li Yifei, that bastard, won¡¯t be able to stay there even if he wants to."


    Xu Yingying thought for a moment and said, "I¡¯m afraid that might not be a good idea. If Ning Xin¡¯er simply acknowledges her relationship with Yifei, it would actually leave Yifei with even less room to maneuver."


    Ye Yunzhu frowned and said, "That¡¯s true. Right now, we really can¡¯t corner that bastard Yifei into a dead end."


    Xu Yingying continued, "Yeah, that¡¯s why we can¡¯t force the issue between him and Ning Xin¡¯er. It would be best to get Yifei to meet with us so we can have a proper talk."


    "Humph, just thinking about it makes me angry. I¡¯m pregnant with his child as well, but look at him. After coming out from your place, he didn¡¯t even bother to tell me, not even a word. He¡¯s completely disregarding me."


    Xu Yingying gave Ye Yunzhu a smile and said, "That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re waiting for now. Yifei is definitely not that heartless. How could he possibly not come to see you? His reason for being with Ning Xin¡¯er is because she has his child, so he can¡¯t ignore her, especially since Ning Xin¡¯er hasn¡¯t let him know where his daughter is. Yifei has to see his own daughter. Moreover, when he left that night, he made it clear to me that he would not be with Ning Xin¡¯er. Today, when I saw Ning Xin¡¯er, I thought Yifei was lying to me, but thinking about it, Yifei probably wouldn¡¯t lie to me. If he says he won¡¯t be with Ning Xin¡¯er, then he certainly won¡¯t be, at most just temporarily together for the sake of the child. So, you really shouldn¡¯t be angry at all."


    Ye Yunzhu nodded and said, "That guy may not be good at other things, but he definitely counts as a man. His words do carry weight."


    Xu Yingying gave a slight smile and said, "Then just wait for him. That guy will definitely look for you; it¡¯s just going to take some time, that¡¯s all."


    Ye Yunzhu suddenly sighed and said, "Yingying, what is so good about this guy anyway? Look at you, a company president, and Ning Xin¡¯er, a major celebrity, yet you¡¯re both insisting on vying for this bastard."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she said, "I used to think Yifei was nothing special. I even looked down on him. But the longer I¡¯m in contact with him, the more I feel he¡¯s a really good man. The more time I spend with him, the more flavorful it gets, and the more I want to be with him. If you ask me what his strengths are, I genuinely can¡¯t pinpoint them, but being with him just feels comfortable."


    Ye Yunzhu pouted and said, "He has changed so much over the years. There are things I no longer understand about him. In my heart, he¡¯s always that mischievous troublemaker from high school."


    "You¡¯ve already got a big advantage. The purest times of Yifei were all spent with you."


    As the two chatted and laughed, the atmosphere was quite harmonious. Suddenly, Xu Yingying checked her watch and said, "Oh no, it¡¯s getting late. I must hurry back to the company. I still have a meeting today."


    "Indeed, I¡¯ve also got things to do this afternoon. Today has been completely disrupted by that Ning Xin¡¯er. Let¡¯s go. As for how to deal with Ning Xin¡¯er and bring Yifei back, we¡¯ll carefully consider it later."


    Xu Yingying drove Ye Yunzhu back to the village before she hurried back to the company. Today there was a middle management meeting. Normally, Li Yifei, the manager of the Human Resources Department, would attend, but now the department was temporarily run by the former Deputy Manager.


    After the meeting, Xu Yingying went straight back to her office. Before long, Michelle came in. She first discussed some company business with Xu Yingying, then stood in front of the desk somewhat hesitantly looking at Xu Yingying.


    "Michelle, you¡¯re an old colleague who came here with me. Is there something you can¡¯t talk about?" Xu Yingying asked, a bit puzzled.


    Michelle hesitated for a moment and said, "President Xu, are you really going to divorce Brother Li?"


    It was then that Xu Yingying remembered that Michelle had always had a soft spot for Li Yifei. If Li Yifei was truly going to get a divorce, this girl might have a chance, which explained her nervousness. Looking at Michelle with a gentle smile, she said, "Michelle, I¡¯m sorry. Although Yifei and I have been quarreling recently, I really have no intention of divorcing him."


    Michelle exhaled deeply, patting her chest lightly and said, "That¡¯s really a relief."


    Seeing Michelle act this way, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and said, "If I really divorced Yifei, you might very well end up together with him, right? You should be disappointed now, shouldn¡¯t you?"


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red as she said, "President Xu, I do like Brother Li, but what I really want is for Brother Li to be happy. I¡¯ve always thought that only you, President Xu, are truly suited for Brother Li. If you did divorce Brother Li, I would definitely try my best, but if you don¡¯t divorce him, I¡¯m also happy for him."


    Xu Yingying felt a little sheepish inside. Michelle¡¯s affection for Li Yifei was indeed unwavering, always thinking of giving without expecting anything in return. With this in mind, Xu Yingying felt even more affectionate towards Michelle and said, "Then I really thank you."


    Michelle smiled sweetly and said, "During this time, I¡¯ve been going to chat with Brother Li when I have nothing else to do. That you¡¯re not angry with me, President Xu, makes me so grateful."


    "I¡¯m not so petty. Oh, you mentioned just now that you go to chat with Yifei when you have nothing else to do. Have you been in contact with him these past few days?"


    Michelle¡¯s complexion immediately turned unnatural, and Xu Yingying instantly noticed, leaning on the table and asking excitedly, "Did you see Yifei in the past couple of days?"

 Chapter 453 - 460 Still Said It

    Chapter 453: Chapter 460 Still Said ItMichelle took a step back, alarmed by Xu Yingying¡¯s agitated demeanor, and stammered, "President Xu, I..."


    "You... you must have seen Yifei, tell me quickly, where is he now?" Xu Yingying sprang to her feet, rushed around the desk, and tightly grabbed Michelle¡¯s arm.


    "President Xu... I... I..." Michelle¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears. Li Yifei had told her that she absolutely must not let Xu Yingying know that she had seen him. But now Xu Yingying was so worried about Li Yifei, which put Michelle in a difficult position.


    "Michelle, you must tell me, what on earth is he doing? I¡¯m really anxious," Xu Yingying said, gripping Michelle¡¯s arm, her face full of urgency.


    Michelle made a pained face and said, "Brother Li... he told me not to tell."


    "So you really did see him!" Xu Yingying got so excited she almost shouted. She took a deep breath, showed a warm smile, pulled Michelle to the couch, and holding her hand, said, "Michelle, do you really not want Yifei and me to be together?"


    Michelle shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No, no, I really hope Brother Li and you are together."


    "That¡¯s the spirit. We¡¯re having a conflict right now, and I want to ease the tension between us, so he can come back home properly. But he¡¯s avoiding me, so our disagreement can¡¯t be resolved. You see, I¡¯m in such a hurry, and it¡¯s definitely not because I want to bring him back to argue. I just want to face the problem with him and help him solve it. It¡¯s also something we, as husband and wife, should face together."


    After hearing Xu Yingying say this, Michelle bit her lip and said, "Last night, Brother Li... called me, asking me to bail him out."


    "Bail him out? What happened to him?" Xu Yingying was immediately startled.


    "He..." Michelle thought about it and felt it was laughable, her face reddening as she said, "He went to take a bath with four friends, and then got arrested by the police."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened, and she asked, "Did he go to look for prostitutes?"


    "Not at all. They arrested everyone who was there. Brother Li just had a massage. I have a relative at the Public Security Bureau who confirmed it for me."


    "Oh..." Relief flooded through Xu Yingying, thinking that after having so many women friends, if he still went out to find prostitutes, that really would be too much for her to handle.


    "Wait, you said he took four people with him? People from our company?"


    "No, I don¡¯t know those four people. They even called Brother Li ¡¯Boss,¡¯ and Brother Li said they were his former comrades-in-arms." Remembering how those men had called her ¡¯sister-in-law,¡¯ Michelle¡¯s face showed a sweet smile.


    Xu Yingying, however, didn¡¯t notice the smile on Michelle¡¯s face; otherwise, she would have certainly asked more about it. Currently, Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Yifei¡¯s comrades-in-arms? He¡¯s never mentioned them before."


    "Anyway, Brother Li said that, but looking at those four, they all seemed very strong and fierce. They must have been soldiers," Michelle replied.


    "That¡¯s settled then. Oh, you said Yifei went out for a sauna yesterday. What time did he leave?"


    "When I picked them up, it was already past eleven o¡¯clock."


    Xu Yingying narrowed her eyes, and a smile appeared on her face. Li Yifei had been with his friends yesterday, which meant he hadn¡¯t been with Ning Xin¡¯er, proving that Ning Xin¡¯er had made up the whole story. At most, Li Yifei had met her and let her know he had left home, but he hadn¡¯t stayed at her place.


    "President Xu... What¡¯s going on?" Michelle was puzzled by the smile on Xu Yingying¡¯s face and asked cautiously.


    "It¡¯s nothing, thank you, Michelle. You really helped me a lot this time."


    "Oh? I didn¡¯t do much though?"


    Xu Yingying hugged Michelle¡¯s shoulder and smiled, "You¡¯ve helped me unravel a knot in my heart, what could be more important than that?"


    Michelle still didn¡¯t fully understand, but seeing how happy Xu Yingying was, she knew she definitely wouldn¡¯t be angry with Brother Li. Her mood improved as well. She had been anxious about not following Li Yifei¡¯s instructions, but now she felt it was better to be scolded by Li Yifei since she should have spoken to Xu Yingying anyway.


    After Michelle left, Xu Yingying immediately called Ye Yunzhu and shared the incident with her, and Ye Yunzhu was also very happy upon hearing it.


    Xu Yingying then made a call to Su Mengxin.


    "Mengxin, Yifei went out with four comrades-in-arms yesterday. I¡¯ve always been unclear about what Yifei did in the army. Could it have been something special?"


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "Are you sure?"


    "Yesterday Michelle saw Li Yifei, saw him with four guys, Yifei said they were his comrades-in-arms. Yifei doesn¡¯t usually have any male friends to go out with in Mile City, so they must be okay, right?"


    "If they are Yifei¡¯s comrades, then they must be on some special mission. Yifei¡¯s former unit was quite special, and their operations needed to be kept confidential, so he¡¯s bound to switch off his phone these days, and that¡¯s why we can¡¯t reach him."


    "Ah, is that so? Then, could there be any danger?"


    "Hehe, that definitely won¡¯t be the case. Haven¡¯t you seen how I¡¯m always surrounded by bodyguards, but as long as Yifei is there, I don¡¯t take them with me? If Yifei can protect others without a problem, what could possibly happen to him?"


    "Then I can rest assured. I just don¡¯t know when he will be able to finish the task."


    "It won¡¯t take too long. I think about a week should be about right, at most it shouldn¡¯t exceed half a month." If it were a mission assigned by the state, Li Yifei would still need to keep it a secret, but he wouldn¡¯t bring his four comrades here. That¡¯s why Su Mengxin had already deduced that although the task Li Yifei had to do was somewhat tricky, it wasn¡¯t a mission assigned by the state, but rather Li Yifei had some special business to handle. And judging by Li Yifei¡¯s abilities, within half a month, he should have everything pretty much sorted out.


    After a pause, Su Mengxin added, "Yingying, during this time, you should stop trying to find Yifei to avoid causing him trouble, which could lead to unnecessary risks."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "I know, I definitely won¡¯t try to find Yifei. Even if I see him, I¡¯ll pretend I don¡¯t recognize him."


    Xu Yingying had a deep understanding of this. Last time Li Yifei was helping Lin Qiong with a case, just because she answered a call from Li Yifei, she had inadvertently brought him a lot of trouble and danger. So now, hearing that Li Yifei might be on a secret mission, she was even less daring to act recklessly.


    After hanging up the phone, Xu Yingying realized that she really didn¡¯t understand her own husband at all. What indeed had he done before, what kind of person was he? It seemed that Li Yifei was not an ordinary person; he was indeed shrouded in mystery. If others didn¡¯t understand Li Yifei, it would be one thing, but she, as his wife, hadn¡¯t taken the time to deeply understand her own man. She was truly doing a bad job of it.


    When a man possesses an aura of mystery, the allure for a woman can be quite powerful. Xu Yingying was now filled with curiosity about Li Yifei, and she no longer harbored fear regarding his past. She resolved in her heart that once Li Yifei returned, she would thoroughly question him about his past, and she would also clarify things about those women from before. She did not want to deal with someone like Ning Xin¡¯er again, bringing her a child of Li Yifei¡¯s out of the blue. The thought alone was enough to overwhelm her.


    That evening, she didn¡¯t go to pick up Xu Shanshan since Xu Yingying returned home a bit late. As soon as she opened the door, she saw an excited Xu Shanshan at the doorstep. However, after glancing behind her, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face dropped to disappointment and she quietly turned to sit on the sofa in the living room.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mood had now improved significantly. She came over and sat next to her sister, saying, "What¡¯s with that expression when you see me? Is your brother-in-law more important to you than your sister?"


    Clutching her knees and pouting, Xu Shanshan whispered, "Anyway, without brother-in-law at home, I just feel like something¡¯s missing."


    Xu Yingying tapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s head lightly and chuckled, "He is my husband. Why are you acting like this?"


    "Is he still your husband now? Didn¡¯t you send brother-in-law away?" Xu Shanshan gave Xu Yingying a sidelong glance.


    "Who said he¡¯s gone? He¡¯s just out handling some business and will be back soon. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely bring your brother-in-law back home."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan suddenly hugged her sister¡¯s shoulders in thrill.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. What use would lying to you be? Wait... why are you so excited?" Xu Yingying looked perplexed at Xu Shanshan, who seemed overly enthusiastic.


    With a giggle, Xu Shanshan said, "Can¡¯t I just be happy? I like brother-in-law. If you don¡¯t want him, I¡¯ll have him as my husband." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Putting her sister¡¯s silly talk aside, Xu Yingying pushed Xu Shanshan away and said irritably, "Get out of here, I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as you."


    Giggling, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law is coming back, that¡¯s really great! Sis, aren¡¯t you mad at brother-in-law anymore?"


    "Of course I am mad. I¡¯m mad because he never told me anything about his past until things couldn¡¯t be concealed anymore. Does he even consider me his wife? Shouldn¡¯t I be angry? Shouldn¡¯t I blame him?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded vigorously, "Right, right, he definitely deserves blame. We have to dig up his entire past. How dare he be not forthright; that¡¯s simply disloyalty to my big sister. I¡¯ll definitely help you. By the way, when is brother-in-law coming back?"


    "Within half a month."


    "That long..." Xu Shanshan immediately pouted again.


    "What else can we do? Your brother-in-law is off doing important things; he can¡¯t just come back so quickly. Don¡¯t cause any trouble these days, otherwise there will be no one to help you."


    "I got it." Xu Shanshan chuckled, happy in the knowledge that Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t leave this home.

 Chapter 454 - 461: Flying Hawk Squad Deployed

    Chapter 454: Chapter 461: Flying Hawk Squad DeployedNanhua City was only a little over 200 kilometers away from Capital City. Although it was not particularly large, its proximity to Capital City also made it incredibly bustling.


    Even at night, Nanhua City was very lively. It was not until midnight that it slowly quieted down.


    In a three-story building near the bustling district, darkness had also descended. The place served as an office for a company. In Nanhua City, there were many such companies, and nobody paid them much attention.


    But tonight, it seemed this company was about to become extraordinary.


    Two shadows, nimble as civets, darted to the front of the company¡¯s building, crouching beneath a window each. One of them gestured with a wave of the hand while the other, holding something in hand, drew a small circle on the glass. Placing another hand on the glass and giving a gentle pull, he managed to extract a small circular piece.


    Reaching inside, he softly unlocked the window and opened it as smoothly as flowing water, without dragging his feet or making the slightest sound.


    Once the window was open, they did not immediately move but instead listened intently for a while. One after another, they slipped inside the room, landing without a sound.


    Walking cautiously a few steps, one of the trespassers pointed to a location high on the side wall. The other nodded; to most it appeared as a regular ceiling panel, but to them, a hidden camera lay there. The camera was so well concealed that an ordinary person would not notice it, yet they spotted it before even approaching. The camera¡¯s angle covered the corridor, and passing through that area would surely place them within its line of sight.


    "Thud!" Suddenly, a muffled sound erupted from outside. Silently counting to three, they then rapidly dashed forward, likely leaving only fleeting shadows in the camera¡¯s view.


    In a security room on the first floor, two people were chatting and watching the monitors.


    Ordinarily, security guards in such surveillance rooms wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to the monitors¡ªmore often than not, they served as a recording tool to check in the event of an incident. A casual glance every now and then would suffice.


    However, these two were clearly much more attentive than the average guard; when one looked away, the other¡¯s gaze certainly remained fixed on the monitor screens without missing even a second.


    From this, one could tell that these two guards were definitely of the most professional sort, and also very serious. If the guards were this extraordinary, it seemed likely that the other people and even the building itself were not so ordinary.


    With a "thud," a burst of sparks erupted inside one of the monitors, causing both to tense up and observe closely. It showed an electrical outlet in the courtyard, seemingly short-circuiting and plunging the corner into darkness.


    Now, their attention captured by this monitor, they missed the sight of two figures swiftly crossing another screen. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What¡¯s going on, why are there sparks all of a sudden? It couldn¡¯t be some kind of accident, could it?" one guard muttered, frowning.


    "What could possibly happen? We¡¯ve been here a long time without any incident. It¡¯s just an accident. We¡¯ll get an electrician to fix it tomorrow."


    "Still, we can¡¯t be careless. You know how strict the organization is. If any problems arise because of our negligence, we will surely face severe punishment."


    "Ha-ha... I fear punishment, of course, but think about it, how long have we been undercover here? Has anyone ever suspected us? Plus, in Huaxia, we¡¯ve always been very secretive; no one would dare target us."


    As they spoke, a sound suddenly came from outside the door: "Squeak, squeak..."


    "Damn rats, running in here now," one guy cursed irritably.


    "How did a rat get in?"


    "Who knows? In this world, there¡¯s no place a rat can¡¯t reach. They¡¯re the most annoying creatures. Oh, I need to put away my sausage before those damn rats steal it."


    While talking, one of the guys approached the security room door and casually opened it.


    But just at that moment, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him. Before he could react, a heavy blow landed on his neck, and his brain instantly lost consciousness. His body, however, remained standing because the person in front had caught him by now.


    "Hey, what are you doing standing there?"


    Another person asked, but his companion didn¡¯t respond at all and immediately stood up. However, before he could reach his partner, a dagger was already flying towards him.


    This guy turned out to be a master. Despite the surprise and haste, he still managed to react a bit, but the dagger came too quickly. He didn¡¯t completely dodge it, though he avoided vital areas.


    "Ah!" With a scream, the man quickly retreated backward, his hands slapping a button on the table.


    "Damn!" As a loud curse rang out, a figure had already reached behind the man, a dagger swiftly slicing across his throat, but it could not stop him from sending a signal.


    "I say, Twenty-Nine, your level is really mediocre."


    "Cut the talk, you¡¯re not much better than me. We¡¯ve moved from ambush to direct attack now, it¡¯s even more exciting."


    The two men who had entered were Tian Dong and Zhou Qiang, members of the Flying Hawk Squad. As trained by Li Yifei, they were never careless in their undertakings. However, even they hadn¡¯t anticipated that they would encounter someone with such skill in this place, and so a small tactical mistake was made.


    If this had been a major mission, they would have retreated immediately after such an error to avoid being surrounded. But this time, they had already mapped out the situation here. There were definitely no more than twenty terrorists, and with their skills, they could take on these twenty-something people even in a frontal assault.


    Li Yifei was outside, and receiving Zhou Qiang¡¯s signal, he glanced at Zheng Mingrui. Mingrui frowned slightly; it seemed like there was already a problem at the start of the mission, and his performance as the Team Leader of Flying Hawk Squadron did not seem up to par.


    "Damn it, these two blockheads, to be so careless. I¡¯ll have to make them go through extra training later." Zheng Mingrui muttered, yet he wasn¡¯t really embarrassed. He knew he was always a step behind Li Yifei, a gap he was clear about and continually striving to close. Moreover, it was his first time commanding with Li Yifei observing by his side. If anything was amiss, Li Yifei could offer guidance, which would be a tremendous benefit for him.


    "Quickly charge to the third floor and capture their key personnel," Zheng Mingrui ordered briskly.


    Tian Dong and Zhou Qiang acknowledged and immediately rushed upstairs. At the second-floor stairwell, they encountered resistance from the enemy.


    There were four men, two Huaxia people, while the other two, despite being Asian with yellowish skin, had slightly darker complexions, were shorter, and had defining cheekbones, suggesting they were not Huaxia People but perhaps Vietnamese or Indonesian.


    The four had rushed down from the third floor, their movements incredibly swift, clearly not weak. Upon seeing Tian Dong and Zhou Qiang, they said nothing and charged straight at them.


    While Tian Dong and Zhou Qiang¡¯s martial skills might have been somewhat inferior to Li Yifei¡¯s, as members of the Flying Hawk Squad, they were unquestionably strong. To others, these four men might be considered skilled, but compared to the Flying Hawk members, they fell short. Even in a two-on-four situation, Tian Dong and Zhou Qiang had little trouble killing three and seriously wounding the fourth.


    Without delay, they continued their charge to the upper floors. Their main objective here wasn¡¯t just to kill; more importantly, it was to find useful information to help completely uproot the Terrorist Organization¡¯s foundation in Huaxia.


    But when the two men got to the top, they faced unexpectedly weak resistance and easily took down everyone there.


    When Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei arrived inside the villa and assessed the situation, Mingrui furrowed his brow and said, "It seems they were prepared in advance, and the important figures have already left."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "This Joseph is quite a clever guy, guessing that I would definitely find his branch here and evacuating the people early." Then, he looked at Zheng Mingrui with a smile.


    Mingrui¡¯s face changed abruptly under Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, and he said urgently, "We need to retreat."


    The group immediately leaped down from the third floor and rushed outside. Before they reached the main gate, a tremendous blast sounded behind them, followed by a powerful explosion, the wave hitting them from behind. The small building on the third floor had been filled with high-grade explosives, which in the blink of an eye turned into rubble.


    However, because they reacted quickly enough, they managed to escape unscathed despite being covered in dust and grime. Even so, the incident severely annoyed them; it was rather humiliating to end up in such a disheveled state while dealing with a branch of a Terrorist Organization.

 Chapter 455 - 462 Brushing Past Each Other

    Chapter 455: Chapter 462 Brushing Past Each Other"This Joseph is really fucking ruthless, blowing up his own people!" Zhou Qiang cursed as he got up. However, he didn¡¯t show a hint of panic. Such danger was a trifle to them. Having skirted the edge of life and death for too long, even the most perilous situations had left them numb.


    Zheng Mingrui snorted and said, "Boss, I¡¯ve really embarrassed myself, almost got the brothers killed."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "But in the end, didn¡¯t you realize what was going on?"


    Zheng Mingrui shook his head and said, "If you hadn¡¯t given me that last look, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of it. On my own turf, I got a bit careless. Next time, I must be more vigilant so as not to endanger the brothers because of my momentary negligence." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei just patted Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder and said no more. Zheng Mingrui had always lived in his shadow, and now he was charging ahead, especially with him present, he couldn¡¯t help but feel restrained. It wasn¡¯t that Zheng Mingrui lacked capability, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to say much more. He believed that Zheng Mingrui would be able to grow quickly.


    Li Yifei had come this time to take out Joseph¡¯s base in Huaxia as a warning. If Joseph dared to come again, he would show no mercy. But now it seemed that such methods were of no use. Joseph had deliberately set this trap, and from now on, it would be a fight to the death between the two.


    The sound of fire engines and police cars got closer, and the group quickly left the scene, not bothering to stick around for the aftermath.


    Joseph was a sly fox of a man. As the leader of a terrorist organization, he was very smart. Having failed once, he had no intention of targeting Li Yifei again soon. After all, attacking someone like Li Yifei twice in quick succession without success would be suicidal.


    So, Joseph immediately left Mile City, left Huaxia. Now that he was exposed, his presence in Huaxia was extremely dangerous. Though he held a grudge against Li Yifei, revenge was not something to be rushed.


    Moreover, he had deliberately left a loose end, exposing his branch in Huaxia. He believed Li Yifei would definitely come knocking. If he could have killed Li Yifei with the explosion, that would have been great. But even if the attempt failed, he could make Li Yifei understand that Joseph would not give up so easily.


    Back at his headquarters, his subordinates quickly brought him a message in haste. Their organization¡¯s branch in Huaxia had been discovered; except for a few who were not present at the time, all others were killed.


    Joseph already knew this news but had not disclosed it to others. He didn¡¯t want them to know that he had set up the situation, sacrificing his men¡¯s lives for it. If he had succeeded in killing Li Yifei, the Golden Eagle, he would have announced it. However, since the news indicated that Li Yifei was unharmed, there was no benefit in publicizing the incident.


    Upon hearing this news, the high-ranking members reporting to Joseph all frowned. Ramos, known as Blood Wolf, slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Holy one, these Huaxia people are despicable. They¡¯ve caused our organization significant losses. Our first holy one was also killed by Huaxia¡¯s Golden Eagle. I want to kill that Golden Eagle myself."


    Another nicknamed Blood Fox, Daru, spoke indifferently, "These were our people, who had been embedded in Huaxia for a long time, costing us so much effort. It¡¯s a real shame to have them undone by Huaxia. But our organization is short on talent right now. We should not engage in large-scale terrorist activities. I suggest we bide our time."


    Ramos, impetuous and the most combative member of the organization, immediately glared and retorted, "Daru, our prestige has plummeted since the ascension of our previous holy one. If we don¡¯t make a significant move now, our organization will only lose more of its standing."


    With his long fingers tapping on the table, Blood Fox Daru said, "Are you questioning the ability of our holy one?"


    Ramos was startled and hurriedly said to Joseph, "Holy one, I didn¡¯t mean that. But I hope you give me a chance. I want to fight the Golden Eagle from Huaxia. I will certainly kill him on the spot."


    Joseph shook his head and said, "Blood Wolf, I recognize that I am powerful. This time I met the Golden Eagle, and his strength is indeed formidable. Even with four holy envoys, he killed one on the spot. Do you think you could single-handedly take on four holy envoys?"


    The Blood Wolf laughed and said, "Holy one, of course I would not have been able to in the past, but recently my power has surged. The four holy envoys are no match for me."


    Joseph¡¯s eyes brightened and he said, "This is a big deal. If you really have such strength, then you may indeed have the power to battle the Golden Eagle."


    "If the holy one does not believe me," Ramos laughed arrogantly, "then feel free to let the holy envoys test me."


    Joseph shook his head again and said, "No, even if you have the ability, you can¡¯t go yet. You won¡¯t have the chance to face off with the Golden Eagle alone. The moment you appear, Huaxia¡¯s police will be alerted. Finding the Golden Eagle will require another opportunity."


    "Holy one, do you not believe in my ability?" Blood Wolf Ramos clenched his fists tightly, his eyes bulging like bull¡¯s eyes.


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but this matter you must obey the organization¡¯s arrangements."


    Blood Wolf clenched his jaw tightly and took a deep breath before saying, "Holy one, then I¡¯ll go back first."


    "Go ahead, take some time to cool down. Being impulsive is not conducive to handling matters well."


    As Blood Wolf Ramos left, Blood Fox Daru said, "Holy one, Ramos is still too impulsive. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t listen to you and will go off on his own."


    Joseph sipped on a glass of red wine, showing not the slightest hint of impatience on his face. With a faint smile, he said, "It¡¯s nothing, just have someone keep an eye on him for now. For the time being, we still need to press him. His abilities are there, especially with his recent progress in martial arts. I¡¯m afraid he holds me in even lower regard now. If he insists on going, there¡¯s no need to stop him. Let him suffer a setback at the hands of Golden Eagle, and he¡¯ll behave."


    "I¡¯m just afraid that once he¡¯s in Huaxia, his life will be in danger," said Blood Fox Daru with a face full of worry.


    "A person like Blood Wolf must either recognize his own limitations and not be so impulsive, or... I¡¯d rather forsake him." This ice-cold statement, filled with a deep chill, revealed the heart of a leader. Joseph was even more outstanding than his brother, and his ruthlessness was the most important attribute.


    Li Yifei rounded up a few comrades-in-arms. Aside from dealing with this Joseph, he also had his comrades carry out several other tasks, all highly secretive and known only to the parties involved.


    After all this, Li Yifei returned to Mile City. He had been away for nearly ten days, cutting off all contact with everyone back home. Once again standing on Mile City¡¯s soil, he truly felt a wave of warmth wash over him.


    However, standing at the airport¡¯s entrance, Li Yifei hesitated, not knowing where to go.


    For the moment, the issues had been resolved, and those around him should be safe from danger because of him. But this was only temporary. Unless he completely eliminated these key enemies, he would never be able to lead a normal life. Being with anyone would put her in great danger.


    But by now, he was already very close to some people. If his enemies were truly bent on revenge, they would probably understand these relationships by now. Even if he stayed away from Xu Yingying and the others, the enemies would likely come after them anyway. Hence, even avoiding Xu Yingying and the others would be useless for Li Yifei now.


    What made Li Yifei hesitate now was that he still didn¡¯t know what Xu Yingying¡¯s thoughts were. Additionally, he hadn¡¯t dealt with Ning Xin¡¯er yet. After all, the child was his own. And what about Ye Yunzhu? She already had his child, could he really remain indifferent?


    Combining all these issues, Li Yifei simply didn¡¯t know where he should go.


    "Brother Li!" A joyous exclamation came as Meng Xiaofei, dragging her luggage, ran toward him like the wind, dressed in a stewardess uniform with black high-heeled shoes. Particularly eye-catching was her full bosom, which trembled up and down with her rush.


    "Don¡¯t run, be careful not to fall," Li Yifei hurriedly shouted.


    But it was already too late. Meng Xiaofei stumbled, let out a cry of alarm, and fell to the side. Li Yifei quickly dashed forward, his arm stretching out to catch Meng Xiaofei in his embrace.


    Meng Xiaofei instinctively clung to Li Yifei, tightly shut her eyes, and after a while, she exclaimed in surprise, "Why doesn¡¯t it hurt?"


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words amused Li Yifei, who helped her up and said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to be careful?"


    Meng Xiaofei stood up, stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei, and said, "I was just too excited to see you."


    "Excited to the point of falling over?" Li Yifei¡¯s face was full of smiles. Seeing Meng Xiaofei had lightened his heart in a way he couldn¡¯t describe.


    "Of course, it¡¯s worth it. Now that you¡¯re back, I can freeload off your cooking again. Also... these last few days have been killing me. Seeing Sister Yingying and Sister Shanshan anxious when they talked about you, I was so worried but couldn¡¯t say anything. It felt terrible."


    Li Yifei could well imagine how difficult this situation must have been for Meng Xiaofei. He laughed and said, "Alright, now that I¡¯m back, you no longer have to feel so distressed."


    "Too bad the timing isn¡¯t good. I have a flight to attend to today, so I can only come back to enjoy a meal made by Brother Li. Oh my, it¡¯s getting late, if I don¡¯t go in now, I¡¯ll be late." Saying this, Meng Xiaofei waved hurriedly at Li Yifei, then rushed toward the airport with her luggage.


    "Hey, hey, slow down!" Li Yifei called out.


    Meng Xiaofei turned her head, stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei again, and then changed from running to walking quickly as she headed inside.


    Just reaching the airport entrance, Li Yifei unexpectedly saw Xu Yingying, which surprised him greatly. Seeing Xu Yingying stirred an indescribable excitement in his heart, for she was his wife, the closest person to him, no matter what.


    But he managed to maintain a calm expression. He was still unsure of Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude.


    Xu Yingying was there to see off an important client that day. Just as she sent the client inside and was ready to head back to the company, she spotted Li Yifei at the airport entrance. Overjoyed at the sight, she wanted to rush into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, but with a glance, she saw two men beside him, both dressed in black suits, seemingly not-so-simple characters.


    This made Xu Yingying¡¯s heart sink, and she immediately remembered what Su Mengxin had told her before she left. Li Yifei was currently engaged in a special mission that required absolute secrecy, and she shouldn¡¯t interfere. So although she yearned for Li Yifei, she had to restrain herself and, without sparing him a glance, walked past him as if he were a stranger.


    Watching Xu Yingying act so indifferently, Li Yifei¡¯s heart abruptly chilled. He opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t make a sound, simply watching as Xu Yingying walked away.

 Chapter 456 - 463: Beating You to Death, You Big Pervert

    Chapter 456: Chapter 463: Beating You to Death, You Big PervertLi Yifei had no idea that the casual presence of a couple of Passer-by A¡¯s by his side would lead Xu Yingying to believe he was still up to some secret affairs, and he certainly did not anticipate that Xu Yingying¡¯s apparent disregard for him at the moment was not a lack of affection or indifference, but rather a form of her cherishing him.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude led Li Yifei to believe that she had completely given up on him, which also signified that their marriage had come to an end.


    With a self-deprecating laugh, Li Yifei shook his head gently. He hadn¡¯t expected the marriage to end so soon. Indeed, he had some difficulty letting go of Xu Yingying, but since she had made her decision, he did not wish to coerce her into staying. Forced relationships were never sweet, and with his current entanglements, having this marriage was really too much for Xu Yingying to accept.


    Letting out a sigh, Li Yifei¡¯s mood lightened somewhat. Free from the shackles of marriage, he no longer needed to consider so much.


    Turning on his phone, it buzzed with endless messages, amounting to no less than a hundred, mostly missed call alerts, the majority from Ning Xin¡¯er, along with some from Su Yiyi. There were only a very few calls from Su Yiyi; even if she missed Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t dare to call too often, for fear of disrupting his life. Those few calls had been made in the past couple of days, probably because she was getting worried after not being able to reach him for so long.


    There were also messages from Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, but only from right after he had left Mile City. Thereafter, there were no more, further confirming Li Yifei¡¯s suspicion that Xu Yingying had truly given up on him, thus not even bothering to call him anymore.


    Ye Yunzhu also hadn¡¯t called, and this didn¡¯t surprise Li Yifei. After becoming pregnant with his child, her pride had grown even stronger. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t reach out to her, she was resolute in not contacting him.


    Dialing Su Yiyi¡¯s number, Li Yifei made the call. The phone only rang twice before Su Yiyi answered, "Brother Li, you... why have you been turning off your phone these past few days?"


    Hearing the worry in Su Yiyi¡¯s voice, Li Yifei felt a warm guilt inside and said apologetically, "I¡¯ve been out these past few days and it wasn¡¯t convenient to have my phone on, sorry for making you worry."


    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good."


    Li Yifei could imagine Su Yiyi soothingly touching her chest, relieved, and felt even warmer inside. Regardless of how others treated him or what he had done, Su Yiyi was unwavering in her care for him.


    "Yiyi, was today busy for you?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not busy, not at all!" Su Yiyi said excitedly.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Then I¡¯ll pick you up at the school gate in a bit."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll head out now."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei took a taxi straight to the entrance of Su Yiyi¡¯s school. There, Su Yiyi was already standing, faster than Li Yifei, but her heaving chest and the sweat on her forehead showed that she had run all the way there.


    "Brother Li!" Upon seeing him, Su Yiyi called out and quickly ran towards him, but when she got close to Li Yifei, she instinctively halted her steps and looked around.


    Li Yifei extended his arms, his smile warm as he watched her. A blush appeared on Su Yiyi¡¯s face, her lips pursed slightly, and then she suddenly threw herself into his arms, hugging Li Yifei¡¯s waist tightly, as if wanting to melt into his body.


    Holding Su Yiyi in his arms, Li Yifei felt indescribably happy. Being with Su Yiyi was effortless; she was devoted and loving with never a stray thought.


    Especially here at the school gate, for Su Yiyi, a shy girl, to make such a bold move without regard for her classmates¡¯ stares, required even greater courage on her part.


    Bending down to kiss her hair lightly, Li Yifei said tenderly, "Yiyi, let¡¯s go home."


    Then Su Yiyi lifted her head, her cheeks even more flushed, but her eyes and brows expressed an added enchanting charm. She nodded gently and took Li Yifei¡¯s arm. Here, Li Yifei belonged only to her, and she was no longer afraid of others¡¯ gazes.


    But just then, the sound of a door being unlocked suddenly reached Li Yifei¡¯s ears. It was the distinct sound of a key turning in a lock. Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t hear it, but in recent times, Li Yifei had regained his sharp senses, so even at this crucial moment, he still heard it.


    And if someone could enter so blatantly, it had to be none other than the girl, Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Sister Yiyi!" Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t stayed here the past couple of days, having gone on a trip with her parents. She returned yesterday and couldn¡¯t wait to come here today. But upon entering, she heard Su Yiyi¡¯s cries.


    The cries seemed to be of extreme pain, startling Chu Xiaoyao, who feared Su Yiyi might be in danger. This daring girl immediately ran to the bathroom to arm herself with a mop, then stormed into the bedroom. There, she saw a man on top of Su Yiyi and swung the mop at Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    Li Yifei thought that at this time, Chu Xiaoyao would either be too embarrassed to come in or would just come in and throw a small tantrum. Little did he expect that the girl would rush in and start hitting people with a mop with such speed that he hadn¡¯t even had time to get off of Su Yiyi.


    "I¡¯ll kill you, you pervert! Sister Yiyi, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here to save you!"


    Li Yifei quickly reached out to grab the mop handle, as he couldn¡¯t just let Chu Xiaoyao beat him. He said, "Xiaoyao, it¡¯s me."


    As soon as Chu Xiaoyao heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice, she froze for a moment, then threw the mop away, leaped onto the bed, and pounced on Li Yifei, excitedly yelling, "Uncle, I¡¯ve missed you so much."


    After taking a bath, Li Yifei felt refreshed and, together with Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, left the house to buy groceries at the supermarket.


    Su Yiyi hung onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm like usual, and this time, Chu Xiaoyao also learned from Su Yiyi and took hold of Li Yifei¡¯s other arm. After what happened today, Li Yifei simply didn¡¯t refuse Chu Xiaoyao anymore and let her be wild.


    The two beauties, though not very old, were particularly eye-catching, especially since both of them were clinging to Li Yifei¡¯s arms, which earned him envious glances from other men.


    After buying the groceries, the three of them went home and made a beautiful dinner. They savored their meal, and then all sat on the sofa watching TV.


    Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei for several days and, because Li Yifei had gotten married, it was very difficult to spend time with him. She didn¡¯t know if Li Yifei would return that evening, so she snuggled up to one side of him, trying to enjoy the satisfaction that came from having him beside her.


    Chu Xiaoyao, now imitating everything Su Yiyi did, saw her snuggling up and cuddled up to Li Yifei¡¯s other side in a similar manner. Li Yifei, seeing that Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t doing anything excessive, could accept this, so he enjoyed the warmth he hadn¡¯t felt for many days, with an arm around each girl.


    The time quickly approached past eight, and the sky gradually darkened. Su Yiyi sat up straight and said softly, "Brother Li, you should go back."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and replied, "I¡¯m not leaving."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately exclaimed excitedly, "That¡¯s great!"


    But Su Yiyi immediately said, "Brother Li, you don¡¯t have to keep us company like this. If you don¡¯t go back, your wife will know, and she¡¯ll be angry with you."


    Li Yifei, remembering how Xu Yingying had seemed like a stranger when she saw him today, couldn¡¯t help but sigh and said, "She no longer needs me to go back."


    "What happened?" Su Yiyi asked, looking at Li Yifei in surprise.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "I¡¯m not suitable for her, so she¡¯s not with me anymore. But my Yiyi is good; she never nags about my faults."


    Chu Xiaoyao got even more excited and, shaking Li Yifei¡¯s arm, said, "Uncle, you don¡¯t need to be sad. If she¡¯s not with you anymore, that¡¯s even better. From now on, we¡¯ll be with you. You can marry Sister Yiyi as your wife, and I can be your mistress. The three of us together, how happy would that be?"


    However, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t feel the same way and said anxiously, "Brother Li, did you two have a misunderstanding? You should explain it properly."


    Li Yifei shook his head and responded, "There¡¯s no need to explain. Some things cannot be explained just by explaining."


    Chu Xiaoyao, getting antsy, made urgent eye signals to Su Yiyi and said, "Exactly, she doesn¡¯t know how good you are, Uncle. You don¡¯t need to care about her. Anyway, Yiyi and I are here. The two of us being with you every day is better than just her alone, right?"


    Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom and laughed, "Go ahead and make a fuss. I don¡¯t want to get married for now, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like Yiyi, it¡¯s just that I have some things to do."


    Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t disappointed. She had always felt she wasn¡¯t suitable to be Li Yifei¡¯s wife. She just nestled into his embrace and whispered, "Brother Li, whatever decision you make, I support you. But no matter what, I never want you to be affected by me."


    Li Yifei held Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and felt an indescribable sense of emotion. In this world, there were many girls prettier than Su Yiyi, but he felt he could never find another girl as good as Su Yiyi.


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^6

 Chapter 457 - 466: Shocking Bad News

    Chapter 457: Chapter 466: Shocking Bad NewsAs they were talking, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Officer Lin Qiong, Chu Xiaoyao immediately leaned over, trying to eavesdrop on Li Yifei¡¯s call. Li Yifei flicked Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s forehead and stood up to walk to the side before casually answering, "Officer Lin, long time no see."


    But Officer Lin Qiong¡¯s tone sounded rather heavy, "Are you with Chu Xiaoyao right now?"


    Li Yifei was immediately surprised, "She¡¯s at my place, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "You better be prepared, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents are both gone."


    "What?" Li Yifei exclaimed in shock.


    "There¡¯s a suicide note, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother had always been extremely angry about her father seeing other women, but for Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s sake, she never made a scene. Now that Xiaoyao did well on her exams, she¡¯s sure to get into a good university, so she felt she had no more ties holding her back. She poisoned her husband with a strong pesticide and drank it herself, too. They¡¯re both... dead now. Bring Xiaoyao back home," Officer Lin Qiong said.


    Li Yifei was stunned by the news. During Xiaoyao¡¯s college entrance exam, her mother always seemed hesitant to speak and even said a couple of cryptic things to him, telling him to take good care of Xiaoyao in the future. Little did he know that she had already made up her mind to join her husband in death by then.


    "Uncle, what¡¯s wrong?" Chu Xiaoyao stood in front of Li Yifei, playfully waving her little hand in front of him with a mischievous face.


    Looking at Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s smile, Li Yifei felt as if a needle had pricked his heart. He extended his hand to gently hold Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand, took a breath, and asked, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re an adult now, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Of course, I am. I¡¯ve already had my eighteenth birthday; I¡¯m a grown-up now. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t dare tease you like this, Uncle," Chu Xiaoyao boasted proudly, her smile radiant.


    Li Yifei sighed again lightly, but found he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak the words on the tip of his tongue.


    By now, Chu Xiaoyao realized something was off with Li Yifei¡¯s expression and suddenly felt nervous. She stammered, "Uncle, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not really going to... kick me out, are you?"


    Feeling even more distressed, Li Yifei suddenly pulled Chu Xiaoyao into his arms and said, "Uncle will never drive you away again."


    "Huh?" Chu Xiaoyao froze. If she had heard Li Yifei say these words before, she would have been overjoyed, but today she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to be happy, sensing that something must have happened.


    Su Yiyi also sensed that something was amiss. Clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm, she asked, "Brother Li, has something happened?"


    Li Yifei took another deep breath, hugged Chu Xiaoyao tightly, and said, "Yiyi, since you¡¯re an adult now, you have to stay calm when you face problems. Uncle has something to tell you."


    "Un... Uncle, you... don¡¯t scare me, what on earth is going on?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s body trembled slightly.


    "Your parents... have passed away." Li Yifei managed to say these difficult words, then held onto Chu Xiaoyao tightly.


    Chu Xiaoyao was dazed for a moment, then suddenly started to giggle, playfully hitting Li Yifei, "Uncle, don¡¯t joke with me like this. It¡¯s not funny at all."


    "Xiaoyao, Uncle¡¯s not lying to you. Officer Lin Qiong just called me. Your parents committed suicide by taking poison. Let¡¯s go home now; their affairs are up to you to handle."


    Chu Xiaoyao looked up, her eyes slowly reddening, then suddenly widened in anger, "Uncle, you¡¯re lying to me, you must be lying! When I left, my parents were fine; these past days, they even took me on a trip. They¡¯ve always been loving towards each other; how could they possibly be dead?"


    Li Yifei held Chu Xiaoyao tightly and said, "Xiaoyao, I wish it were untrue, let¡¯s go check."


    "It¡¯s definitely a lie, definitely that damn Officer Lin Qiong trying to trick you because she knows I¡¯m with you, so she¡¯s doing this to upset me. Hmph, I won¡¯t fall for it, and you shouldn¡¯t either, Uncle. Let¡¯s go home and expose her right to her face," Xiaoyao said, fuming.


    Chu Xiaoyao, so young and never having thought about how close death could be to her, certainly never imagined the loss of her beloved parents. She pulled Li Yifei along in a hurry to leave.


    Su Yiyi also quickly followed. She knew Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t make up such a lie; her heart was also in turmoil, scared that Xiaoyao couldn¡¯t bear the blow of witnessing the truth.


    When they arrived at the entrance to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s apartment building, two police cars were stationed downstairs. As soon as Chu Xiaoyao saw the police cars, her face turned pale instantly, and her legs went weak. If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been holding her, she would have collapsed to the ground.


    Officer Lin Qiong was there and nodded at Li Yifei. At a time like this, it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to say much to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded back at Officer Lin Qiong, then took Chu Xiaoyao upstairs. The closer they got to her home, the weaker Chu Xiaoyao became, but when they reached the door, she suddenly burst with a great strength, broke free from Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, and rushed into the house, screaming, "Dad, Mom!"


    Li Yifei followed quickly, rushing into the bedroom, only to see Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents lying in bed, their facial skin twisted in pain, evidencing the immense suffering they must have endured at death. The floor was scattered with filth, presumably the result of them vomiting up the poison they had ingested.


    "Dad... Mom..." Chu Xiaoyao whispered, then swayed and fainted.


    Li Yifei quickly caught Chu Xiaoyao and pinched her philtrum, and she soon woke up. After another glance at her parents on the bed, she burst into tears.


    A girl of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s age had never faced much adversity, and now confronted with such a calamity, the blow was too great. She cried hysterically, and Li Yifei and Su Yiyi could only keep comforting her, but that was of no use, until Chu Xiaoyao cried herself into unconsciousness once more.


    Officer Lin Qiong came over and said, "The forensic doctor has completed the examination; this is a clear case of suicide by poisoning. The family can now make arrangements for the aftermath."


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "Thank you."


    Officer Lin Qiong sighed, "Take good care of her. I¡¯m leaving now, call me if you need anything."


    With the police gone, Li Yifei began contacting the funeral home. Soon enough, the hearse arrived. When the people came up to move the bodies, Chu Xiaoyao desperately tried to stop them, but in the end, it was Li Yifei who forcibly pulled her away, enabling her parents¡¯ bodies to be carried to the vehicle.


    According to the traditions of Mile City, the death of a relative involved various ceremonies, but Chu Xiaoyao just sat silently in front of the crystal coffin for three days, weeping quietly while watching her parents. All these matters had to be managed by Li Yifei and Su Yiyi. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were fortunate to get some contact numbers for Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s relatives; the following day, her family members arrived one by one, helping to handle the funeral.


    During the cremation of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, she cried frantically, her sobs so heart-wrenching that all present couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. An eighteen-year-old girl experiencing the death of both parents, who could understand such sorrow?


    Finally, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents were buried, and she became utterly withdrawn, clinging tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s arm. Her vulnerable state tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s heart. Although he was an outsider in the presence of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s relatives, he couldn¡¯t bear to leave her in such a fragile state as she clung to him.


    After the funeral, Chu Xiaoyao and her relatives gathered at her home, which had already been tidied up, making for a gathering of some twenty people.


    However, Li Yifei noticed at a glance that they were divided into two camps: one was Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father¡¯s family, and the other was her mother¡¯s side.


    Chu Wenqiang, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s paternal uncle and evidently the representative of the Chu family, cleared his throat and said, "Xiaoyao is still young, and there are some matters we need to consider for her. If the in-laws have any opinions, let¡¯s discuss them."


    Wang Junyou, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s maternal uncle and her mother¡¯s side representative, nodded, "Yes, we really should talk things over."


    After a round of formal exchange, Chu Wenqiang finally got to the point, "The death of my brother and sister-in-law is heartbreaking, but since they have passed, we need to be clear about some things. They have left behind quite an estate, and as the eldest uncle, I normally wouldn¡¯t speak of this, but we also have Xiaoyao¡¯s grandmother with us, and she has inheritance rights. Therefore, we need to allocate a share of the inheritance."


    Wang Junyou agreed, saying, "This is explicitly stipulated by the inheritance law; parents, spouses, and children are the first-order heirs. Both spouses have passed away, so now it¡¯s just Xiaoyao and the grandparents. My idea is to divide the estate into three parts, one for each of the elderly to provide for their old age, and the remaining third for Xiaoyao."


    Chu Wenqiang nodded, "That¡¯s what I think too. Although our younger brother was drugged by his wife, he indeed did wrong things, and that drove his wife to drastic measures. We won¡¯t pursue his wife¡¯s responsibility anymore. Let¡¯s divide it this way."


    "Xiaoyao, do you have any opinions? After all, you are eighteen now, and everyone will take care of you," Wang Junyou asked, and then everyone looked at Chu Xiaoyao.


    Li Yifei understood very well what both sides were saying; they had come to divide the property. This was all reasonable, as both sides had elderly people, and the law stipulated this. It wouldn¡¯t be bad if everyone discussed it amicably. Chu Xiaoyao at the moment seemed oblivious, as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything at all. The usually mischievous girl was now quiet, which made Li Yifei feel even more sympathetic. But with such matters of dividing the estate, Li Yifei, an outsider, was even less disposed to step in and make decisions for Chu Xiaoyao.

 Chapter 458 - 467: Fighting for the Inheritance

    Chapter 458: Chapter 467: Fighting for the InheritanceEveryone was waiting for Chu Xiaoyao to express her stance when there was a knock at the door. Someone immediately went to open it, and Lin Qiong walked in.


    "Xiaoyao, this is what your parents left for you." Lin Qiong approached Chu Xiaoyao, handed her a document folder.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t move an inch, so Li Yifei took the folder from Lin Qiong¡¯s hands and said to Chu Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, take a look at these, they are what your parents left for you."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s body trembled, and she quickly snatched the folder, tremblingly opened it, and began to examine each item inside.


    Chu Wenqiang and Wang Junyou also leaned in to look, but the expressions on their faces quickly turned uglier and uglier, as it turned out to be a will, along with some property deeds.


    To their shock, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents had already transferred all their property into Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s name, extinguishing any hope they had of dividing up the inheritance.


    Li Yifei, looking at these documents dated within the last few months, roughly understood that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother had long planned to seek death along with her husband. To protect her daughter from being bullied after her death, she had arranged over those months for her husband to transfer the property into Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s name.


    As for Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, he naturally had no objections to transferring the property to his daughter. He probably agreed because his wife feared he would squander the property on other women if she died, and because she treated him quite well at that time.


    After delivering the items to Chu Xiaoyao and knowing that Li Yifei was there to prevent any trouble, Lin Qiong excused herself and left. As soon as Lin Qiong was gone, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s relatives exploded in anger. Although the Chu family was not extremely wealthy, the combined properties were worth three to four million. If this sum was divided into three parts, they would each receive about one million¡ªa sum nominally for the elders, but ultimately going to them.


    While they had all made plans for this, they now found their efforts had come to naught, as there was nothing left for them. Neither side of relatives could accept this reality, and they became noisy, one side criticizing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father and the other blaming her mother. Eventually, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s paternal relatives condemned her mother¡¯s actions and even talked of suing her, while her maternal relatives vigorously listed the wrongs her father had done.


    As both sides argued fiercely, Chu Xiaoyao seemed deaf to the noise, repeatedly poring over her parents¡¯ belongings, especially her mother¡¯s suicide note, which explained the reasons for her death and contained many apologies to Chu Xiaoyao, urging her to be strong.


    After a while, everyone calmed down. Over the past two days, they had been studying inheritance law to divide the fortune, and they now understood that no matter how much they argued, they would not get a share of the property unless Chu Xiaoyao decided to give it to them willingly.


    Chu Wenqiang cleared his throat and said, "Xiaoyao, we are all your elders. Your parents have passed away, but we still have a duty to take care of you. How about this, you come and live with your great-uncle, so it¡¯s easier for him to look after you."


    Wang Junyou grew anxious upon hearing this, quickly interjecting, "Xiaoyao, didn¡¯t you always love visiting your grand-uncle¡¯s house as a child? From now on, you should live with your grand-uncle. He will definitely not let you suffer any injustices."


    Chu Wenqiang waved his hand and said, "Junyou, you¡¯re not being fair. After all, Xiaoyao is a member of the Chu family by surname. It is only right for us, the Chu family, to look after her." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Junyou countered, "Mother¡¯s brother is most important, a tradition since ancient times. Besides, Xiaoyao has always been closer to our side of the family. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Xiaoyao herself. She will definitely want to come to our house."


    Chu Wenqiang signaled to the younger members of the family on his side. They immediately began to invite Chu Xiaoyao to stay with them, while Wang Junyou¡¯s side was equally determined, with a group of female cousins all surrounding Chu Xiaoyao, chirping persuasively.


    Chu Xiaoyao looked up at everyone, her lips twitching. She had spent the past few days crying, speaking very little, as if she no longer knew how to talk.


    The room instantly fell silent, everyone watching Chu Xiaoyao nervously, as her decision would determine the fate of the family wealth amounting to millions.


    "I am not going anywhere," Chu Xiaoyao finally uttered those five words.


    Chu Wenqiang immediately responded, "What? That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re so young, how can you live alone? We can¡¯t be at peace with that decision. Besides, your grandmother has been constantly thinking about you."


    Wang Junyou also said urgently, "Xiaoyao, you can¡¯t just do as you please. You come to your uncle¡¯s, and you¡¯ll get to see your grandmother every day. She¡¯s been the kindest to you from the start."


    However, Chu Xiaoyao remained firm and shook her head, saying, "I know grandma and granny both love me, and I also know all of you want to split some money. It¡¯s right for my parents to support grandma and granny, and even though they have passed, I won¡¯t shirk that responsibility. I¡¯ll give them some money eventually, but I am not going anywhere now. I want to stay with Uncle Li. He will take care of me."


    Chu Xiaoyao tightly gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand, her eyes pitiful as she said, "Uncle, you must not disregard me."


    Li Yifei sighed. Xiaoyao could even handle things like this at such a time; it was indeed quite rare. However, in the end, she directed all the blame at him, but he too couldn¡¯t shirk his responsibility at this moment. He gripped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand back and nodded firmly, saying, "Your uncle will take care of you."


    "I knew Uncle wouldn¡¯t disregard me," Chu Xiaoyao snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and began to sob softly again.


    Everyone had been seeing Li Yifei over the past couple of days and they were very curious about him. People didn¡¯t stop inquiring about who Li Yifei really was, but Chu Xiaoyao was virtually unable to speak by then, and Li Yifei would only say he was Xiaoyao¡¯s friend.


    This made everyone suspect that Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yifei¡¯s relationship was not shallow. They had wanted to speak up these last few days, but never found the opportunity, and now that Chu Xiaoyao had directly asked Li Yifei to take care of her, it further stoked everyone¡¯s anger.


    "No! This is absolutely unacceptable!" Chu Wenqiang immediately shouted loudly, glaring at Li Yifei, and barked, "Xiaoyao absolutely cannot be with you. Xiaoyao is only eighteen, and how old are you? Xiaoyao doesn¡¯t understand things, but we cannot let you deceive her."


    Wang Junyou also glared at Li Yifei, saying, "Right, no matter who you are, it¡¯s absolutely not okay for you to deceive Xiaoyao."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I know you all are worried about me. Actually, this matter is easy to solve. Later, I will sign a document with Chu Xiaoyao, certifying that I will absolutely not use a penny of Xiaoyao¡¯s money. What¡¯s hers is hers."


    However, Chu Wenqiang and Wang Junyou just wouldn¡¯t believe it. Chu Wenqiang frowned and said, "What¡¯s the use of signing such a document? If you run off with Xiaoyao¡¯s money, where would I find you then?"


    Wang Junyou also said anxiously, "This is absolutely not possible. We don¡¯t know you. On what grounds could you be responsible for taking care of Chu Xiaoyao?"


    This question really stumped Li Yifei momentarily, as he indeed had no official status to take care of Chu Xiaoyao. At this time, Xiaoyao suddenly sat up straight and said loudly, "Uncle is my man, what of it? My possessions are his, and I am willing to give them to him; you have no say in this."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart broke into a sweat; with those words, Xiaoyao was pushing him further into the fire.


    The crowd was even more enraged. Chu Wenqiang slammed the table and bellowed, "Xiaoyao, you are being far too foolish! You¡¯re just eighteen, you¡¯ve only just graduated from high school, and you¡¯re already finding a man? And this man is so much older than you; it¡¯s clear he¡¯s deceiving you. How could you be so naive?"


    Chu Xiaoyao lifted her chin and said, "I am already eighteen, I¡¯m an adult. I have the right to make my own decisions, and besides, my dad and mom both knew Uncle. You can look, my mother mentioned it in her will, to let Uncle take care of me."


    Li Yifei forced a smile. Xiaoyao¡¯s words were actually true; her mother had indeed mentioned in her will that Li Yifei should take care of Chu Xiaoyao, which left Li Yifei puzzled as to what the mother was thinking. Why would she trust him so much, preferring him over her own relatives, and even an outsider like him?


    Wang Junyou shouted angrily, "Your mom was out of her senses then. She poisoned her own man and sought death herself. Could she possibly make a rational decision?" Xiaoyao¡¯s mother was his sister. Typically, women tend to side with their maternal family, but Xiaoyao¡¯s mother had entrusted Xiaoyao to a stranger and hadn¡¯t given her maternal family any benefits. This truly infuriated him.


    Chu Xiaoyao rose to her feet, her face ashen, and declared loudly, "Whether you agree or not, that¡¯s your business. In any case, I will be with Uncle no one can stop me. My possessions are his, and if you think of taking them away, that¡¯s not going to happen."


    "She¡¯s mad, completely mad."


    "Xiaoyao, how can you be so foolish? He¡¯s clearly deceiving you."


    "We are your relatives; how could we not want what¡¯s best for you? You need to think this through."


    The crowd tried to persuade Chu Xiaoyao, but she was unmoved. Outgoing by nature, once a girl has a man in her heart, all her thoughts are focused on him. Especially a rebellious girl like Xiaoyao, once she has made up her mind, no one can persuade her to change it.


    "Enough, all of you! If you keep this up, I won¡¯t give you a single cent. This money can only be managed by me alone, and nobody else can touch it." With those words from Chu Xiaoyao, everyone was silenced. Even if Xiaoyao was young, she indeed had the sole authority over the substantial family wealth.

 Chapter 459 - 468: Take Care of You for a Lifetime

    Chapter 459: Chapter 468: Take Care of You for a LifetimeEveryone knew that Chu Xiaoyao was a stubborn girl, and at this time, going against her really wouldn¡¯t do any good. So they each started coming up with their own ideas.


    Chu Wenqiang cleared his throat and said, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯ve got it wrong. We¡¯re not after your money. You are my niece, and I just want what¡¯s best for you. Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, we¡¯ll support you. But you¡¯re still young and about to start university; you can¡¯t possibly manage the company your father left behind. I think it¡¯s better if I help manage your company. This way, no one else can embezzle your money. Don¡¯t you trust your uncle?"


    Wang Junyou, a little slower to react, immediately caught on at these words and hastily said, "That won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve always been working there and am quite familiar with the company, so I¡¯ll just work harder and help Xiaoyao manage the company. There¡¯s no need to trouble her uncle then."


    Now that directly acquiring Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s custody seemed unfeasible, they all came up with the same idea: take over the company left by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father. In the company, they could siphon off the money.


    As for this matter, Chu Xiaoyao really had no idea what to do. After all, she barely understood the business. She knew where her father¡¯s company was located but not even what the company actually did. She had never considered how to run the company she inherited.


    So, not knowing what to do, she looked to Li Yifei for help. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, who naturally didn¡¯t care about the money, squeezed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand and said, "I think it¡¯s best if both uncle and uncle-in-law manage the company together."


    Everyone had thought Li Yifei would stop them, but they didn¡¯t expect him to agree so readily.


    Chu Xiaoyao also hurriedly said, "Then it¡¯s settled, uncle, uncle-in-law, you¡¯ll manage the company."


    Chu Wenqiang and Wang Junyou exchanged glances. Although they hadn¡¯t directly taken the company for themselves, it also hadn¡¯t fallen into the hands of Li Yifei, an outsider. Even though things wouldn¡¯t be convenient in the future, since both parties probably had the same goal, they could discuss and come to an agreement, so they both nodded and accepted the arrangement.


    Seeing that no one objected, Chu Xiaoyao felt her strength leaving her and collapsed, but Li Yifei quickly caught her, and she ended up sitting on his lap. Li Yifei, feeling it wouldn¡¯t be right to put her down immediately, just held her in his arms.


    Although everyone felt a bit uncomfortable looking at this, they had already achieved some of their goals and didn¡¯t want to upset Chu Xiaoyao by saying more, so they exchanged pleasantries and left one after another.


    Soon, only Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei, and Su Yiyi were left in the house. Seeing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s gaunt appearance, Li Yifei said softly, "Xiaoyao, you haven¡¯t had much sleep these past few days. Go and get some rest."


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head and said, "Uncle, I want to go back to your place to sleep."


    Li Yifei knew that Chu Xiaoyao would only feel more sorrow here, so he agreed. Chu Xiaoyao forced a smile towards Li Yifei, closed her eyes, and immediately fell asleep. These few days had truly taken a toll on her, and it was remarkable that she had managed to hold on for so long.


    Li Yifei then carried Chu Xiaoyao and, together with Su Yiyi, went back to his little home.


    After laying Chu Xiaoyao on the bed, Li Yifei let out a soft sigh and sat down on the sofa with Su Yiyi.


    "Yiyi, you¡¯ve had a tough time these past few days."


    Having accompanied Chu Xiaoyao throughout, Su Yiyi leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said sadly, "Xiaoyao is really too pitiable. She lost both of her loved ones overnight."


    Gently stroking Su Yiyi¡¯s hair, Li Yifei said, "Yes, she¡¯s a pitiable child."


    In a soft voice, Su Yiyi said, "Brother Li, let¡¯s take good care of Xiaoyao from now on and not drive her away again."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "I can take care of her, but..."


    Turning to face Li Yifei, Su Yiyi said, "Xiaoyao really needs comfort right now. Don¡¯t make her sad again. After all, she¡¯s also an adult now, eighteen years old."


    Li Yifei replied awkwardly, "That still wouldn¡¯t be right. I can¡¯t offer her marriage, and I feel like that would be doing her a disservice."


    "Not necessarily. I feel very happy, and if Xiaoyao ever meets a boy she likes and wants to marry, if he truly loves her, he won¡¯t mind her past. Besides, even girls who have boyfriends can¡¯t be sure that they¡¯ll marry them, and they seem to do ¡¯that¡¯ as well."


    "You are quite open about it. Does that mean you¡¯ll also find a boy you like and get married one day?"


    Su Yiyi shook her head decisively and said, "No, in my heart, Brother Li is the man of my life. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be with you, Brother Li."


    As an adult with plenty of experience, Li Yifei didn¡¯t take the declarations of a young girl too seriously; nobody can predict the future or be certain of what will happen. But while he may not believe what others say, he never doubted Su Yiyi¡¯s words for a moment. Even if he were to marry, he couldn¡¯t cut ties with Su Yiyi¡¯s feelings, knowing that if he ever rejected her, she would certainly not seek anyone else. Despite her fragile appearance, she was incredibly determined inside.


    "You should also get some rest," said Li Yifei, not saying much more. Some things didn¡¯t need to be spoken; they both understood.


    "Yeah, let¡¯s all rest, you¡¯ve been working too hard these past two days."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t gotten much sleep over the past three days either. Although his body was perfectly fine, it¡¯s always good to get some rest. He said, "We should take a bath before sleeping."


    Su Yiyi nodded but found herself being pulled into the bathroom by Li Yifei to bathe together.


    The two of them simply bathed without doing anything else, mainly because they were both quite tired. Then after putting on simple clothes, they went to the bedroom. Li Yifei still lay in the middle, embracing Su Yiyi on one side and Chu Xiaoyao on the other, and soon drifted off into sleep.


    This sleep lasted until dawn the next day before the three of them woke up. Li Yifei had awoken midway but seeing the other two sleeping so soundly, he didn¡¯t want to disturb them. Besides, he too needed to recover enough strength.


    Chu Xiaoyao also woke up and, upon seeing Li Yifei beside her, stared blankly at him and then said, excitedly, "Uncle, so we were just sleeping. I just had a nightmare and it really scared me."


    Both Li Yifei and Su Yiyi felt a pang in their hearts. Li Yifei hugged Chu Xiaoyao, saying compassionately, "Xiaoyao, think of it as just a nightmare."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s body stiffened, and looking up at Li Yifei, she stuttered, "Uncle... this isn¡¯t a dream?"


    Li Yifei sighed and still shook his head, "Your parents are indeed gone."


    "Uncle... wah..." Chu Xiaoyao suddenly burst into tears again.


    All Li Yifei could do was hold Chu Xiaoyao, gently patting her back, to stop the little girl from becoming too emotional. Sooner or later, it would be troublesome.


    After crying for more than ten minutes, Chu Xiaoyao gradually calmed down. She had already cried too many times in the past three days, been too heartbroken, and by now she was somewhat numb.


    Having cried enough, Chu Xiaoyao punched Li Yifei¡¯s chest discontentedly, sobbing, "Uncle... why didn¡¯t you lie to me? You could have just told me that all of this was just a dream, and then I¡¯d just stay here and never go home and never know about my parents¡¯ passing. You¡¯re so mean, you¡¯re so mean."


    Li Yifei let Chu Xiaoyao vent, saying tenderly, "Yes, uncle is very mean, it¡¯s all uncle¡¯s fault."


    Chu Xiaoyao gradually quieted down, leaning quietly against Li Yifei¡¯s chest. After a long while, she lifted her head and asked, "Uncle, will you ever abandon Xiaoyao in the future?"


    "Never. I will take care of you for a lifetime." Li Yifei answered this very promptly. Although taking care of Chu Xiaoyao was very troubling for him, now that he had made the decision, he was at peace with it.


    "Uncle..." Tears welled up in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes again as she choked up, "I don¡¯t have mom and dad anymore. If you abandon me, Xiaoyao won¡¯t want to live anymore."


    "That won¡¯t happen. Yiyi is here too. Ask Yiyi if you don¡¯t believe me; I¡¯ve already told her that as long as you want to stay with uncle, I will always take care of you."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately leaned over Li Yifei to ask Su Yiyi, who was on the other side, "Sister Yiyi, is that true?"


    Su Yiyi gently caressed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cheek and softly said, "Yes, it¡¯s true. Brother Li and I have agreed that we will take care of you for a lifetime."


    "Thank you, Sister Yiyi!" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice choked up again.


    Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Stop crying. What¡¯s done is done; we need to start a new life now. We haven¡¯t been eating well these past two days, so I¡¯ll go buy some stuff and we¡¯ll have a good meal later."


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head and said, "No, I just want to lie here on Uncle¡¯s chest."


    "All right, all right, if you want to lie down, then do so. But you haven¡¯t bathed for several days, and the smell is really becoming somewhat..."


    "Ah!" Chu Xiaoyao gasped. No matter what had happened, girls always loved to be clean. Her sadness had made her overlook her hygiene, but once Li Yifei reminded her, she immediately sat up.


    "Haha, go take a bath, and then you can eat."


    "Oh, oh, then I¡¯m going!" Chu Xiaoyao hurriedly ran into the bathroom.


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi exchanged glances, both relieved. They had been afraid that Chu Xiaoyao would be inconsolable upon waking, but now it seemed she was beginning to accept the reality. She would still be heartbroken, of course, but as long as they continued to care for her this way, she would likely bounce back soon.


    However, to help Chu Xiaoyao recover more quickly, they needed to keep her company, involve her in various activities, and distract her mind. Perhaps they should take Chu Xiaoyao out, away from this sorrowful place. Maybe she would find it easier to recover that way.

 Chapter 460 - 469: You Help Me Change Clothes

    Chapter 460: Chapter 469: You Help Me Change ClothesLi Yifei had bought some breakfast and returned, Chu Xiaoyao had already taken a bath, and she looked much more refreshed. However, her gaze would sometimes appear vacant, which was a normal reaction. If she hadn¡¯t shown such responses, that would actually have been more worrying.


    "Brother Li, I haven¡¯t been back to school for several days, and I want to return today. The exams are coming up, and I need to attend classes. After classes this afternoon, I¡¯ll come back," said Su Yiyi after breakfast, as she proposed returning to school. Although she was concerned about Chu Xiaoyao, with Li Yifei here, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. She had always been serious about her studies and placed a lot of importance on exams.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then you should go back. Don¡¯t worry about Xiaoyao. I¡¯ll take care of her these next few days, and you can stay at the school in the evening to study if you want to."


    "No need, I can read just as well at home." Su Yiyi then turned to Chu Xiaoyao and said, "Xiaoyao, I¡¯m heading to school first."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded and responded, "Sister Yiyi, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not that fragile, and besides, Uncle will take care of me. When you¡¯re not around, I can have him all to myself."


    If Chu Xiaoyao had said something like that under normal circumstances, Li Yifei would definitely have glared at her, but this time he gently stroked her hair instead. Whatever Chu Xiaoyao wanted to do, he didn¡¯t want to go against her wishes.


    After Su Yiyi left, only Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao remained at home, but nothing indecent happened. Although Chu Xiaoyao still nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, there wasn¡¯t any flirtatious mood.


    For Li Yifei, communicating with a young girl like Chu Xiaoyao was somewhat lacking. Apart from encouraging her to move on, he really didn¡¯t know what else to talk about with her.


    "Xiaoyao, how about we go on a trip together after Sister Yiyi finishes her exams in a couple of days?"


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded and said, "Okay, wherever Uncle goes, I¡¯ll follow."


    "Right, let¡¯s go check out the city where you¡¯ll go to university first then."


    "I... I want to go to college in Mile City."


    "Mile City is a small city, and the schools there aren¡¯t particularly outstanding. It seems like your grades this time are quite good; you should be able to attend a better school."


    "No, I want to be in Mile City, at the same university as Sister Yiyi, so that I can come home to be with you every evening."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, knowing it was no use to argue with Chu Xiaoyao at this point. He tried to switch topics but realized he couldn¡¯t find another one. Fortunately, at that moment, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s phone rang, sparing him further effort.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t pick up the phone, but Li Yifei did, and saw a message from Little Yue. He remembered this girl, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin, who was very close to Chu Xiaoyao.


    "It¡¯s Little Yue calling, answer it quickly."


    Only then did Chu Xiaoyao take the phone and upon answering it, Little Yue¡¯s crisp voice came through, "Xiaoyao, what are you doing? Why haven¡¯t you come to school yet? Today is the day to fill in our university preferences."


    Chu Xiaoyao uttered a sound of acknowledgment and said, "Help me fill it out."


    "Are you crazy? Choosing university preferences is important, you can¡¯t just ask me to do it for you. Come here quickly."


    Li Yifei hastily said, "You must go to this, I¡¯ll take you there. You won¡¯t have many more chances to gather with your high school friends."


    Chu Xiaoyao looked at Li Yifei and then agreed, "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After Chu Xiaoyao hung up the phone, Li Yifei helped her to sit up properly and said, "Go change your clothes."


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Chu Xiaoyao said, "Uncle, I want you to help me change." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This..."


    "Didn¡¯t you say you wanted me, so why haven¡¯t you agreed yet?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes immediately filled with tears, the girl was astonishingly sensitive right now.


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll help you change. I meant what I said."


    "Then hurry up." Chu Xiaoyao immediately stood up, pulling Li Yifei towards the bedroom.


    In the bedroom, Chu Xiaoyao stood by the bed, her large eyes brimming with tears, a hint of excitement mixed with much more shyness, but she bravely kept her gaze on Li Yifei.


    For the past couple of days, Chu Xiaoyao had been pitifully sad, steeped in the depths of sorrow, so seeing her like this, even though the request she made was rather troubling for Li Yifei, he still approached her with a smile, saying, "How big are you now, still needing me to help you change your clothes?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone was filled with an indulgent tone, which made Chu Xiaoyao freeze, her complexion suddenly turned a bit ugly, and her eyes reddened a little. Li Yifei knew immediately that his words carried a tone of parental care for a child, which reminded Chu Xiaoyao of her deceased parents.


    "Haha, then I¡¯m really taking advantage, getting to see a beauty¡¯s body." Li Yifei quickly added another sentence.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face immediately recovered, and she winked at Li Yifei, saying, "Then why don¡¯t you take advantage quickly, or it¡¯ll be void after the expiry date."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes still had a misty layer, and making such a playful expression, it tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s heartstrings, yet he didn¡¯t show it on his face, instead extending his hands, saying, "Then here I go."


    "Come on, who¡¯s afraid of who," Chu Xiaoyao pouted.


    After changing her clothes, Chu Xiaoyao hooked her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, saying, "Uncle, you take me there."


    With no car at hand, Li Yifei could only hail a taxi to deliver Chu Xiaoyao to school. As she got out of the car, Chu Xiaoyao said to Li Yifei, "Uncle, will you wait for me, okay? I¡¯ll be home after I finish filling out the application."


    "I can wait for you, but don¡¯t rush. This might be your last time to be with so many high school classmates, it¡¯s good to chat more, right?"


    "Oh, I don¡¯t want to talk to them. I just want to be with you," she replied.


    "We have plenty of time, no rush."


    As they were speaking, Little Yue hurried over from the gate, calling out, "Xiaoyao, why are you so slow? How can you be late on such an important day? I can¡¯t believe you."


    Chu Xiaoyao turned around and gave Little Yue a forced smile, saying, "Little Yue."


    "Eh, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Little Yue noticed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s haggard look and the red around her eyes, immediately grabbing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arm, then glaring fiercely at Li Yifei, said, "Xiaoyao, did this uncle bully you? Tell me, I¡¯ll vent your anger for you."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a head full of black lines; this Little Yue really had some of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s feisty spirit.


    "It¡¯s not the uncle, he¡¯s been really nice to me."


    "Then what happened? You clearly just cried, and you came together with him. If not him, who else bullied you?"


    Tears sprung out of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes as she hugged Little Yue and cried, "My mom and dad... just passed away."


    "What?" Little Yue was taken aback all of a sudden.


    "I am an orphan now." Chu Xiaoyao added, and then burst into loud crying.

 Chapter 461 - 470

    Chapter 461: 470Little Yue was suddenly bewildered. For her, the death of her parents was something she couldn¡¯t imagine, and she just hugged Chu Xiaoyao, at a loss for words.


    Li Yifei let out a sigh and said, "Little Yue, Xiaoyao has been very sad these past few days. Talk to her more."


    "Oh." Little Yue nodded subconsciously.


    "Xiaoyao, Uncle is waiting for you at the school gate. If you want to go out with classmates, I¡¯ll leave later; if not, we¡¯ll head back home later."


    Chu Xiaoyao let go of Little Yue, wiped her tears, and said to Li Yifei, "Uncle, I¡¯m going in now."


    "Go ahead, I know you¡¯re strong, Xiaoyao. We don¡¯t need the pity of our classmates."


    Chu Xiaoyao wiped her eyes again, holding back her tears, and said, "I will be strong." But the tears still uncontrollably rolled down her cheeks.


    "Go on inside, Uncle will be right at the school gate. You¡¯ll see me as you come out, and if you don¡¯t, just give me a call."


    "Okay!" Chu Xiaoyao nodded once more and then entered the school with Little Yue.


    Li Yifei stood at the school gate, his thoughts drifting to his own parents who had also passed away suddenly. He felt as helpless then as Chu Xiaoyao did now. It was during that time that Ye Yunzhu cared for him, comforted him, and helped him through his darkest days. Now, Ye Yunzhu was carrying his child, and Xu Yingying¡¯s resolve seemed so firm that he really should be with Ye Yunzhu and raise their child properly.


    It was still a bit early for that, though. He¡¯d wait a little longer, settle his affairs first, then he could deal with these matters with a clear conscience. He didn¡¯t want to bring any danger to the people in his present because of his past. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying happened to be driving past Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s school gate today and spotted Li Yifei standing there, smoking. She was overjoyed and wanted to pour out her feelings about their separation, but Li Yifei hadn¡¯t contacted her, and after what she saw at the airport yesterday, she thought that Li Yifei still had unfinished business and dared not greet him.


    But she couldn¡¯t bear to just drive by. Upon reaching the side of the road by the school gate, she parked her car and walked into a shop on the roadside, keeping an eye on Li Yifei with her peripheral vision. She fervently hoped that Li Yifei knew she was watching over him.


    After buying a bottle of water, Xu Yingying slowly got back into her car. Although she felt Li Yifei¡¯s gaze on her, she was afraid any reaction from him would affect whatever he was involved in. She acted as if they were strangers meeting by chance, glaring fiercely at Li Yifei before driving off.


    Having done all this, Xu Yingying felt genuinely triumphant. She was wholly convinced that her behavior just then wouldn¡¯t arouse any suspicion, and the sweet thrill of having seen Li Yifei added to her delight.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that she was once again sending the wrong signal to Li Yifei. He had been considering approaching Xu Yingying to talk, but her glaring look instantly chilled his heart. If Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t possibly forgive him after all, then he too had to give up on their relationship. In a way, this was a release; if Xu Yingying always had a grudge, being together out of obligation would only lead to more misery.


    After waiting for about an hour, Chu Xiaoyao emerged with many classmates, a forced smile on her face. Though it was strained, at least it wasn¡¯t as sorrowful.


    "Xiaoyao, Little Yue, are you really not going?" Everyone stopped at the school gate, and a boy approached Chu Xiaoyao and Little Yue.


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head and said, "I¡¯m not going, I have things to take care of and need to go home first."


    Little Yue added, "I¡¯m going to accompany Xiaoyao. You guys have fun. We can still have classmates gatherings in the future."


    The two then greeted their classmates again and walked towards Li Yifei.


    Approaching Li Yifei, Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "Uncle, Little Yue is coming over to our place, is that okay?"


    "Of course." Li Yifei readily agreed. It was good for Xiaoyao to have someone her age like Little Yue to talk to; they¡¯d surely have more in common and it would help distract Xiaoyao from thinking about her parents.


    He called a cab, and Li Yifei took them back to his modest home. Fortunately, there were a pair of Slippers that belonged to Su Yiyi, which he gave to Little Yue to wear.


    Little Yue looked around Li Yifei¡¯s home and teasingly said to Chu Xiaoyao, "So you are really living with him?"


    Chu Xiaoyao replied proudly, "Yes, we sleep together every night."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. Older girls were usually more private about such matters, but younger girls like Chu Xiaoyao seemed to boast about it instead.


    "Oh my gosh, you really have become impure. I can¡¯t be friends with you anymore." Little Yue recoiled, but still sat down on the couch.


    Chu Xiaoyao handed Little Yue a drink and sat down beside her, saying, "You¡¯re just jealous. Uncle is really nice to me."


    Li Yifei, wanting to give Chu Xiaoyao a bit of face, smiled and asked, "Do you want to eat in or go out for lunch?"


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly responded, "We want to eat in. I love the dishes Uncle makes."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go out and buy some groceries. You two have fun at home."


    Once Li Yifei left, Chu Xiaoyao pulled Little Yue into the bedroom for a tour. Tongue in cheek, Little Yue said, "I thought you were joking, but you¡¯re really serious, huh? With just this one bedroom, it looks like you do live together every day."


    Chu Xiaoyao, not boasting too much in front of Little Yue but with playful pride, touched her chest and said, "Not really, Uncle just touched here today."


    "Touched there? And you let him?"


    "Why not? It feels nice. You just haven¡¯t had a man touch you before ¨C it¡¯s a really good feeling. If you hadn¡¯t rushed me today, I could have let Uncle touch me more, but tonight I¡¯ll definitely make up for it."


    Little Yue curled her lips and said, "You really have some nerve, letting a man touch a girl¡¯s chest like that."


    "Of course, you can¡¯t just let anyone touch it, but Uncle is different, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m head over heels for him. I pestered him for so long before he agreed, but I¡¯m really worried that he¡¯s just going along with it because he doesn¡¯t want to break my heart. I¡¯m afraid that after some time, he¡¯ll be just like he was before."


    As she spoke, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mood sank again. Little Yue hastened to reassure her, "That shouldn¡¯t happen. Xiaoyao, you¡¯re so pretty and have such a great figure, once Uncle has touched you, he¡¯ll definitely like it."


    "I hope so. Anyway, now that my parents are gone, I¡¯m sticking to him. He can¡¯t get rid of me even if he wants to."


    Little Yue noticed that whenever they talked about other things, Chu Xiaoyao seemed disinterested and would usually end up thinking about her deceased parents. But whenever Li Yifei was brought up, Chu Xiaoyao would brighten up. Plus, she was really curious about the relationship between Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao, so she continued to ask, "Xiaoyao, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ve been living together for a while? Hasn¡¯t he touched you before?"


    "He never touched me, otherwise why would I like him? Uncle is not the kind of man who takes advantage; no matter how I tempted him, he always resisted. But a few days ago... heehee, I finally did something really amazing."


    "What did you do?" Little Yue¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity.


    "I... grabbed Uncle¡¯s JJ."


    "What?" Little Yue¡¯s face turned bright red instantly.


    "I¡¯m saying I grabbed that thing on a man, heehee, and it wasn¡¯t through his pants either; I went straight for it. Uncle¡¯s thing is so big, hard like an iron rod. Do you think it would really hurt if it went inside my body?"


    Little Yue blushed even more and spat at Chu Xiaoyao, scolding, "You¡¯re really shameless."


    "With Uncle, I have to be thick-skinned. Tell me, Little Yue, you¡¯ve never touched a man¡¯s that, have you?"


    "No, no..." Little Yue waved and shook her head repeatedly.


    "It¡¯s really fun, you know. It starts off pretty soft and not big, but after I touched it for a bit, it got bigger and harder, heehee. Anyway, you wouldn¡¯t understand since you don¡¯t have a boyfriend."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s smug look made Little Yue feel a bit embarrassed. Raising her chin defiantly, she said, "Who says I don¡¯t understand? That¡¯s just how men are, it gets like that because it¡¯s engorged."


    "Ah? How do you know? Have you seen it before?"


    With a twist of her mouth, Little Yue said, "Do I need to see it? I know that much from reading books."


    "But you haven¡¯t experienced it for real, so you still don¡¯t know as much as I do."


    "Humph, that¡¯s because I choose not to. If I, Little Yue, just said the word, plenty of boys would let me touch."


    "Sure, you¡¯re all talk. If it actually came down to it, you¡¯d run away in a heartbeat."


    "Psh, that was before. I¡¯m about to go to university; I¡¯ll be an adult. Why would I be afraid of that?"


    "Really? How about when Uncle comes back, I¡¯ll let you try it out?"


    "Back off, that¡¯s your Uncle, not mine."


    "We¡¯re best friends, aren¡¯t we? I won¡¯t be that petty. I¡¯ll let you have a go. You wouldn¡¯t be scared, would you?"


    "Who says I¡¯m scared?" Little Yue glared, not wanting to be thought less of.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "I don¡¯t believe it. You¡¯ll definitely run away when the time comes."


    "I most certainly will not."


    "How about we make a bet?"


    "Fine, let¡¯s bet. It¡¯s me touching him, not the other way around. If anyone¡¯s at a loss, it¡¯s you."


    "Okay, let¡¯s bet then. If you get scared, you have to... bark like a dog three times."


    "If I go through with it, then you have to bark like a dog three times."


    "Alright, we¡¯ll see who ends up barking."


    "It¡¯ll definitely be you!"


    "It¡¯ll definitely be you!"


    The two girls had a whale of a time with their teasing. Young people are always so daring, especially when it comes to things they¡¯ve never tried. Even girls who seem reserved in public can be incredibly bold in private.

 Chapter 462 - 471 The Girl’s Show-off

    Chapter 462: Chapter 471 The Girl¡¯s Show-offLi Yifei brought groceries home, and Chu Xiaoyao burst into giggles while Little Yue¡¯s face instantly turned red. When the two girls were together, they would chat without any reservations, but now, as they were talking about a grown man like Li Yifei and saw him come in, Little Yue couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    Li Yifei had no idea that the girls had just been discussing such a topic and laughed, "What are you chatting about? Seems like you¡¯re having lots of fun."


    "Uncle, Xiaoyao and I just made a bet, and we bet that..." Chu Xiaoyao immediately began excitedly, but before she could finish, Little Yue hurriedly interrupted, "We were just kidding," and then dragged Chu Xiaoyao aside.


    "Little Yue, what¡¯s up? Are you admitting defeat already?"


    "I..." Little Yue stiffened, ready to say something defiant, but upon glancing at Li Yifei, her courage drained away instantly. Pouting, she said, "Fine, I admit defeat."


    "Haha...then hurry up and bark like a dog," Chu Xiaoyao said with a smug shake of her head.


    "I can bark, but you can¡¯t tell anyone about our bet," Little Yue bargained.


    "Alright, I know," Chu Xiaoyao giggled, seemingly making the promise without much sincerity.


    With Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s urging, Little Yue finally barked three times. Her voice was crisp, and even her attempt at barking sounded quite pleasant. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t interested in the girls¡¯ bet, as long as Chu Xiaoyao was happy, cheerful, and no longer that sad, that was all that mattered.


    It was getting late, and Li Yifei started cooking dinner. Before long, the aroma of the food wafted out from the kitchen. Little Yue had not expected much from Li Yifei¡¯s culinary skills, but now, smelling the fragrance, she couldn¡¯t help but express her surprise, "Xiaoyao, your uncle seems to really know his way around cooking, huh?"


    Upon hearing this, Chu Xiaoyao became even more proud and said, "That¡¯s right, my uncle¡¯s cooking skills are beyond reproach. Even a five-star hotel¡¯s chef might not make food tastier than my uncle¡¯s. Once you¡¯ve tried it, I guarantee you¡¯ll want to come here often to enjoy a meal."


    Little Yue pursed her lips and said, "Aren¡¯t you exaggerating a bit? If that were true, your uncle would be off working as a chef at a five-star hotel. The chefs there are quite impressive, you know. I heard they make tens of thousands a month."


    "Pfft, who do you think my uncle is? What¡¯s so great about a five-star hotel anyway? It still just serves people. My uncle only cooks for those he cares about, it¡¯s not just anyone who gets to eat his food."


    Little Yue¡¯s pout reached all the way to her ears as she teased, "Yeah, yeah, your uncle cooks only for you. Are you satisfied now?"


    "No need to be so envious. You¡¯ll see my uncle¡¯s skills for yourself soon. Then, when you bite your tongue, don¡¯t blame me," Chu Xiaoyao chuckled.


    Of course, Little Yue didn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei had such high culinary skills. Her mother was from the Ye family, and though her father wasn¡¯t from an influential clan, he was quite successful in government and held a significant place in Mile City. With a refined lifestyle, she considered herself a girl with discerning taste.


    When Li Yifei finished cooking and called them to eat, Little Yue had a few bites and, though she wouldn¡¯t admit it openly, she had to acknowledge Li Yifei¡¯s cooking skills. It wasn¡¯t just Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s big talk; the fact that he could bring out such flavors in homestyle dishes was indeed impressive.


    "Xiaoyao, are you not going anywhere this holiday?" Little Yue mumbled while eating.


    "In a while, I¡¯ll be traveling with my uncle. Do you plan to come over every day for free meals? Let me tell you, my uncle is very busy. He doesn¡¯t have all that spare time to cook for you," Xiaoyao replied.


    Little Yue swallowed her mouthful and grabbed a huge bite with her chopsticks. Before putting it in her mouth, she found the time to say, "I¡¯m just worried you¡¯d be lonely. I thought to find you to hang out."


    "Oh, please, you¡¯re just being a stubborn duck, not admitting you¡¯re here for the free meals," Chu Xiaoyao giggled. She felt very proud that Li Yifei was making a good impression in front of her friend. "Alright, I¡¯ll do you a favor. Come over every day to keep me company. But just to be clear, no dinner provided, you¡¯ll just be a third wheel then."


    "I got it. I¡¯m not as thick-skinned as you are."


    After the meal, Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect Chu Xiaoyao to help him clean up. He busied himself with the dishes in the kitchen while Chu Xiaoyao and Little Yue ran off to the bedroom.


    Little Yue lay on the bed, rubbing her round belly, and said, "I¡¯m so stuffed. It seems having an uncle like yours is pretty nice. I¡¯m kind of jealous."


    Chu Xiaoyao lay on the bed as well, boasting, "Of course. My uncle has a lot going for him. The more time I spend with him, the more I like him. I¡¯d be willing to do anything for him."


    "Yeah, you¡¯d do anything. You¡¯d even sacrifice yourself. By the way, do you guys wear clothes to bed at night?" Little Yue turned her head, grinning at Chu Xiaoyao. Girls their age were extremely curious about such matters.


    Chu Xiaoyao lifted her chin proudly and challenged, "What do you think?"


    "I bet you do wear clothes. It must be so awkward sleeping next to a man without wearing any," Little Yue speculated.


    "What¡¯s so awkward about it? You really are naive," Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "It¡¯s really uncomfortable to wear clothes when you¡¯re with a man. You don¡¯t know how enjoyable it is to hug an uncle and touch his strong body."


    "You really have thick skin," Little Yue also pouted, glanced at the door first, then turned sideways, and whispered to Chu Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, do you really plan to do that with the uncle? He¡¯s so much older than you, and you¡¯re not even in college yet. By the time you graduate, he¡¯ll be in his thirties. Could you really be his wife?"


    "So what if I can¡¯t, I just can¡¯t. Anyway, I like the uncle right now, and I¡¯m happy when I¡¯m with him."


    Little Yue hesitated for a moment and said, "Xiaoyao, you really need to think this through. A girl¡¯s first time, once it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone. The uncle seems nice, but as a playmate, that¡¯s fine. But giving yourself to him completely, I think that¡¯s somewhat of a loss."


    "Whatever, you don¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m getting the better deal here. With Uncle being such a flirtatious man, lots of women are after him¡ªcompany CEOs, flight attendants, police officers. Each one is stunningly beautiful. If I don¡¯t make my move early, I won¡¯t stand a chance later."


    Little Yue didn¡¯t believe what Chu Xiaoyao said, thinking that she was just infatuated with Li Yifei right now. If she knew that her cousin Ye Yunzhu also had an affair with Li Yifei and was even pregnant with his child, she didn¡¯t know what she would think.


    "Do you want some fruit?" Li Yifei came to the door, smiling and asking the two.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately sat up and said to Li Yifei, "Uncle, come here for a sec."


    Li Yifei walked over to her side and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    Chu Xiaoyao knelt by the bed, suddenly hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, and with a "smack" planted a kiss on his face, saying, "Uncle, I just wanted to kiss you."


    Li Yifei was suddenly at a loss for words, with Chu Xiaoyao behaving like this in front of another little girl, he was quite embarrassed, and said, "Stop fooling around."


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t let go of Li Yifei¡¯s neck, giggling and saying, "Uncle, I just like you. Kiss me back, or else I won¡¯t let you go."


    Li Yifei was really speechless. Without guessing, he knew Chu Xiaoyao was just showing off in front of Little Yue. But Little Yue was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin, and if he ended up with Ye Yunzhu, and had to see Little Yue again, it would be even more awkward. Taking care of Chu Xiaoyao was one thing, but explaining after kissing her in front of Little Yue seemed impossible.


    "Uncle, kiss me," Chu Xiaoyao swayed, rubbing her chest against Li Yifei¡¯s, a wronged expression on her face.


    Seeing Chu Xiaoyao like this and fearing she would be sad again, he finally kissed her on the face and said, "Okay now, go play with your classmate."


    "I knew the uncle was the best. Tonight, I¡¯ll serve you well," Chu Xiaoyao giggled, let go of Li Yifei¡¯s neck, but before she sat down, she suddenly reached out and touched between Li Yifei¡¯s legs.


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat, and Little Yue was watching them, mouth agape, having clearly seen Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s action.


    Li Yifei knew this would definitely be a big problem later on, but there was nothing he could do now except to give Chu Xiaoyao a helpless glare and walk out.


    "See, didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯ve touched it?" Chu Xiaoyao then turned to Little Yue and proudly boasted.


    Little Yue nodded repeatedly, admiring Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s audacity and feeling full of curiosity. If Chu Xiaoyao really did it with Li Yifei, she would have to ask in detail about how it felt.


    With Little Yue there to spar with, Chu Xiaoyao was indeed in a good mood that day, and even when her mind occasionally drifted, Little Yue would immediately find a topic to engage in playful banter, making Li Yifei quite appreciative of Little Yue. The little girl was clearly trying to distract Chu Xiaoyao, not wanting her to think of her deceased parents. Her ability to read the room and subtly shift Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s attention was indeed impressive.


    Having a friend like Little Yue was truly fortunate for Chu Xiaoyao. It¡¯s rare in life to have such a confidante, and even rarer to make a lifelong friend.


    By three o¡¯clock, Little Yue suggested leaving, and Chu Xiaoyao walked her out, making plans to meet again the next day.


    As soon as Little Yue left, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s spirits quickly dimmed because Li Yifei didn¡¯t have much to talk to her about, and she was no longer chirping away at him like before.


    However, fortunately, Su Yiyi returned soon after. Although Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t much of a talker, the two girls had Li Yifei as a common topic to bond over, so they still found things to talk about. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mood started to improve considerably.


    Chu Xiaoyao brought her laptop, and Li Yifei had bought one for Su Yiyi as well, although he rarely used his own.


    In times of sorrow, what one fears most is the nighttime, so Li Yifei suggested the three of them play computer games together to prevent Chu Xiaoyao from thinking about her late parents.


    After playing for a while, Su Yiyi went to read in the living room, while Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao played until after ten before they both took showers and prepared to rest.


    S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 463 - 472: Chu Xiaoyao

    Chapter 463: Chapter 472: Chu XiaoyaoChu Xiaoyao¡¯s smile vanished in an instant, and her eyes quickly reddened as she said softly and weakly, "Uncle, do you not like Xiaoyao?" sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly said, "How could that be, Xiaoyao is so cute, how could I not like her."


    "Then why do you do that kind of thing with Sister Yiyi but not with me? You just don¡¯t like me. Now I don¡¯t even have parents anymore, if Uncle doesn¡¯t want me either, I won¡¯t have anyone to care for me anymore... Sob..."


    Li Yifei had been made somewhat sensitive by Chu Xiaoyao these past few days. Seeing that Chu Xiaoyao was about to cry, he hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, how could Uncle not care for you? It¡¯s precisely because I care so much about you that I don¡¯t want you to get hurt."


    "You¡¯re lying, you always say that. You just don¡¯t like me anymore, you think I¡¯m a burden and don¡¯t want to take care of me." Chu Xiaoyao said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.


    Li Yifei knew that Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t pretending; the girl was just too sensitive at the moment, especially with Su Yiyi around. He was very casual with Su Yiyi, but he always had reservations when it came to Chu Xiaoyao, which is why the girl felt the difference in how he treated them.


    Su Yiyi propped herself up and said, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t cry, Brother Li really likes you a lot, why else would he have brought you back home?"


    "No, he doesn¡¯t like me. He just pities me, thinks I¡¯m a child with no parents. He doesn¡¯t actually like me. Sob..."


    Su Yiyi gave Li Yifei a meaningful look and said, "How could that be possible? If Brother Li didn¡¯t like you, he wouldn¡¯t sleep in the same bed with you, right? Only the closest people can do that."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile to Su Yiyi, feeling that words were indeed insufficient to appease Chu Xiaoyao. He retracted his left arm and hooked it back over Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s chest. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s sobbing suddenly stopped; this move was truly effective.


    Gently kneading, Li Yifei said, "Do you feel liked now?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face immediately turned red, and she nodded eagerly like a pecking chicken.


    "Xiaoyao, it¡¯s not that Uncle doesn¡¯t like you, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been with your Sister Yiyi for a long time, so everything is very casual now. I haven¡¯t known you for as long, so naturally, I can¡¯t be like that."


    "Then... can you hurry up?" Chu Xiaoyao gently twisted her body, her breath becoming a bit rapid. Although she, a young girl, understood the matters between men and women, she had never genuinely experienced it. Li Yifei¡¯s true caressing of her sensitive places elicited a very sensitive response.


    "Silly girl, this requires a process. To hastily consume you wouldn¡¯t be as meaningful. Let me give you an example. You must have asked your parents for toys when you were little, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded but clearly did not understand why Li Yifei would say this.


    "Think about it, if you got what you wanted very easily, wouldn¡¯t you grow tired of it in a couple of days? But if you had to work hard to get it, wouldn¡¯t you cherish it a lot?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pondered for a moment and her expression suddenly became distant, making Li Yifei sweat inwardly, wondering why he¡¯d brought up her parents again.


    "I remember my favorite toy was a set of Barbie Dolls. We didn¡¯t have much money back then. I wanted to buy it, but my parents were reluctant. I begged for many days, but they didn¡¯t agree. They said if I scored in the top five on the final exams, they would buy it for me. But at that time, my grades weren¡¯t good; I was always around the twentieth place. However, for that Barbie Doll, I studied diligently every day, stopped playing outside, just to get a good score and earn that doll. Finally, in the year-end exams, I got second place in class, and my parents bought me the doll. That doll later didn¡¯t seem to be the best toy, but it was my favorite."


    After a pause, Chu Xiaoyao continued, "Back then we were poor, but my parents really loved each other. We never fought at home. But after we got money, my dad started seeing other women, and our home was never peaceful again..."


    Feeling Chu Xiaoyao slip back into sadness, Li Yifei let out a soft sigh and said, "Xiaoyao, that¡¯s why Uncle doesn¡¯t want to rush things with you. Uncle has to treasure you like a precious treasure so that I can always like you."


    Chu Xiaoyao looked up and forced a smile at Li Yifei, "Uncle, you don¡¯t have to comfort me. Can I really wait for you to pursue me, then refuse you several times before finally agreeing? By then, you would have run off, I¡¯m not that foolish."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned red at once; the girl was still so clever even at such a time.


    "But I also understand what you mean, Uncle. Things that are obtained too easily are never cherished. Like my dad and mom, they¡¯re gone, and only now do I know how important they were to me. Before, I just wanted to leave them, stay far away, to never have to listen to their nagging or their arguing. Now, I feel that if I could hear them quarreling by my ear, listen to my mom nagging behind me, that would be so happy."


    Chu Xiaoyao muttered, causing both Li Yifei and Su Yiyi to feel quite heavy-hearted.


    Chu Xiaoyao buried her face in Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said softly and weakly, "Uncle, now you are my closest person. My parents have left me, and I couldn¡¯t stop them. But if you leave me too, I¡¯ll truly be all alone, and I won¡¯t want to live anymore."

 Chapter 464 - 472 Chu Xiaoyao_2

    Chapter 464: Chapter 472 Chu Xiaoyao_2Li Yifei¡¯s heartfelt words caused Chu Xiaoyao much distress, and as he lifted his hand to caress her face, he softly said, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t worry, your uncle will never leave you."


    "I believe you." Chu Xiaoyao smiled faintly, pulled down Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and placed it on her chest, whispering, "Uncle, I¡¯m sleepy. Just touch me here; I like it. When I fall asleep, then you can be with Sister Yiyi like that."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face blushed, but she was more worried about Chu Xiaoyao. However, after she and Li Yifei watched over Chu Xiaoyao for a while, Xiaoyao actually fell asleep. Despite not appearing too grief-stricken that day, in reality, she was only pretending, and such pretense was exhausting. Thus, as soon as she relaxed, her weariness overwhelmed her, and she fell into a deep sleep.


    "Xiaoyao really is a pitiful child. Who knows when she¡¯ll be able to move on from this sadness," Su Yiyi sighed softly.


    Li Yifei, stroking Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek, said, "It may take a very long time, sigh..." He had been through similar loss and, being a man, it had still taken him some time to recover. Chu Xiaoyao, just a girl, naturally had a lesser capacity to endure. To truly overcome the period of mourning for lost loved ones would require even more love and care. Further, she was very sensitive during this time, simultaneously longing for attention and fearing others¡¯ pity. Even a single word could wound her fragile nerves, making it a particularly difficult time to provide care.


    Su Yiyi, leaning gently against Li Yifei¡¯s chest, said, "As long as we treat her well, I believe Xiaoyao will recover soon. The love of a man can be the best medicine for her wounds."


    In the morning, Su Yiyi went back to school, and Little Yue, the young girl, came over bright and early. After the College Entrance Exam, these kids were like birds freed from their cage, eager to go out and have fun every day.


    However, soon after Little Yue¡¯s arrival, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s phone started ringing. It was her uncle, Chu Wenqiang, calling, asking her to visit her father¡¯s company. Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t want to go, but Li Yifei still signaled her to agree.


    After hanging up, Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "I don¡¯t want to go. My uncle and the others used to treat me well, but this time, they seem too greedy for the inheritance. It makes me uncomfortable."


    Li Yifei seriously told Chu Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, that¡¯s human nature. After all, everyone has to look out for themselves. They haven¡¯t done anything excessive, and it¡¯s fairly understandable. The important thing is that they don¡¯t try to take over the company and assets your father left behind."


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head and said, "But I doubt they¡¯ll restrain themselves."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "It¡¯s actually quite simple to resolve this. If you want to keep the company and aren¡¯t afraid of falling out with relatives, then we can hire two professional accountants and a career manager to take care of it. You won¡¯t have to worry too much. But if you don¡¯t want to hurt family relations over the company, then it might be better to just give it to them. I can take care of you without a problem."


    Chu Xiaoyao hesitated before saying, "I don¡¯t know what to do. However, my mom intentionally left this to me, surely because she was worried about my future livelihood. If I give the company to them, then my mom¡¯s efforts would be wasted."


    "There¡¯s another option: sell the company to them at a discount. It allows them to benefit while you can have peace. After all, they¡¯re still relatives, and you have grandma and your other grandmother, so you¡¯ll have to keep in touch in the future."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes brightened and she said, "That might work, but I¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t want to buy."


    "They will. After all, your father¡¯s company makes money. If they continue running it, they will surely keep making profits. If they take over, they¡¯ll definitely manage it well. But if they keep running it like they are now, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before they run it into the ground."


    "Alright! I¡¯ll listen to uncle," Chu Xiaoyao agreed with Li Yifei¡¯s opinion.


    Having made up her mind, Li Yifei, accompanied by Chu Xiaoyao and Little Yue, headed to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father¡¯s company. It was a trading company with fixed assets of over one million yuan, and some accounts receivable amounting to about one or two hundred thousand yuan. The company didn¡¯t have much in the way of liquid funds, only about two hundred thousand yuan.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s uncle had asked her to come because he had not been involved in the company¡¯s management previously, which had been run by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s other uncle. Without Chu Xiaoyao, she carried no weight in the company.


    Once in the office, Chu Xiaoyao got straight to the point with her uncle and her other uncle, "Uncle, big uncle, I have an idea. I¡¯m thinking of selling the company to you both, and I don¡¯t want to be involved anymore."


    Both Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s uncle and her other uncle were taken aback. They had been relatives through marriage, and because of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents, they had considered each other family. But once Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents passed away, this sense of family quickly faded. Now, both men were eyeing a share of the company. When Chu Xiaoyao had initially suggested that they manage it together, they had already begun plotting against each other behind the scenes.


    Now that Chu Xiaoyao was suggesting selling the company, it meant whoever could buy it would own it outright. It was like a goose that laid golden eggs, and both men coveted sole ownership.


    "Xiaoyao, how could you sell it? This was your father¡¯s life¡¯s work."


    "Yes, you need to think this through carefully," they advised her, almost in unison this time. There was a reason for this: neither had the financial strength to buy the company alone, and relatives on both sides of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s family included no particularly successful individuals. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s uncle and other uncle could scrape together a few hundred thousand yuan at most but buying the company outright was unlikely.


    Moreover, Chu Xiaoyao was still young. If they purchased the company and paid too much, they¡¯d be resentful; if they paid too little and gained a bargain, they could be scorned by other relatives. At the very least, they had not yet become so heartlessly greedy as to ignore family ties. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 465 - 474: Family is Very Important

    Chapter 465: Chapter 474: Family is Very ImportantChu Xiaoyao spoke decisively, "I¡¯ve already made up my mind. I¡¯m young and still need to go to college. I have no intention of managing my dad¡¯s company. If you force me to take over, every time I see these things, I¡¯ll be reminded of my dad and feel upset. So I¡¯m definitely going to sell the company. If Uncle and Grand-Uncle have no plans, I¡¯ll sell it to someone else." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Xiaoyao, how can you say that? Your dad worked hard for half his life to build the company to its current size. If you sell it, he wouldn¡¯t be happy even in the afterlife. Have you thought about how much you want for it?"


    Chu Xiaoyao only knew about the company¡¯s fixed assets and working capital, but she didn¡¯t know its real value. Moreover, she had discussed it with Li Yifei beforehand, and now she said, "Uncle, Grand-Uncle, we are family. You decide the price."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Grand-Uncle was very familiar with the company and immediately said, "Xiaoyao, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like to take over. After all, I¡¯ve been working in this company all this time and know the situation well. There won¡¯t be much problem continuing to run it."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Uncle, Chu Wenqiang, quickly became anxious, "You can¡¯t say that, Grand-Uncle. Just because you¡¯ve always been in this company doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d be any less capable. I also want to buy the company."


    "But can you afford it?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Grand-Uncle, Wang Junyou, lit a cigarette and asked with a smiling face.


    "Of course, I can."


    "Then how much are you willing to pay?"


    "Why should I tell you? How much are you willing to pay?"


    They argued after just a few words, neither willing to reveal their bottom line for fear that the other would get the upper hand.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately grew impatient and called out, "Stop arguing. Just tell me, do you want to buy it or not?"


    Seeing that Xiaoyao was getting impatient, both men promptly stopped. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Grand-Uncle said, "Xiaoyao, this is no small matter. I need to think it over carefully. Besides, this is not a small amount of money. Even if I decide to buy it, gathering the funds will take time."


    At this point, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Uncle also said, "Yes, Xiaoyao, this is the business that your dad, my own brother, worked hard for most of his life. How could I let it fall into someone else¡¯s hands? I, of course, also want to buy it, but this matter is really big, I need to go home and discuss it with your Aunt."


    Chu Xiaoyao stood up and said, "Fine, then you discuss it and let me know." Then she left the company with Li Yifei.


    Just as the three of them got home, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s phone rang. It was her Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou who wanted to come over to see her.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want others to visit his home again, so he suggested to Chu Xiaoyao to meet somewhere else, and Chu Xiaoyao agreed.


    In a teahouse, after meeting everyone, including Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou and his wife Liu Ying, Grand-Uncle poured out his affection for the family and expressed concern for Chu Xiaoyao before getting to the main point, "Xiaoyao, your Aunt and I have considered it and really want to take over the company. You decide how much to charge your Grand-Uncle. You know I don¡¯t have much money. If you ask for too much, I won¡¯t be able to afford it."


    Chu Xiaoyao said directly, "Grand-Uncle, if you really want it, then two million."


    "Two million, Xiaoyao, that¡¯s really too much. You probably don¡¯t understand the company very well. The fixed assets in the company are worth about a million, but many of these things are old. If we sell them off after depreciation, they¡¯re not even worth half a million. There¡¯s also a bit over two hundred thousand in liquid assets and about a million in debts. Though it seems like a lot, I¡¯ve been with the company long enough to know that much of it can¡¯t be collected. We¡¯d be lucky to get half a million in hand. So altogether, the company is worth about a million. Asking for two million from your Grand-Uncle is really a bit much."


    Normally, the figures mentioned by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou had no problems and seemed reasonable and justified, leaving Chu Xiaoyao somewhat at a loss for words.


    However, Li Yifei frowned and said, "That¡¯s not the right way to put it. The value of a company is not just its tangible assets. There are also many intangible assets. Besides what you¡¯ve mentioned, Xiaoyao¡¯s father¡¯s company also has its reputation, clientele, and future prospects, among other things. The company¡¯s current profits are also about half a million a year. All these are valuable, and we can¡¯t estimate its value the same as we would for a bankrupt company."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Li Yifei¡¯s words were very clear to him. If we were to really discuss value, the company, even if it sold for three million, would attract many buyers. He thought that Chu Xiaoyao, being young and inexperienced, wouldn¡¯t understand these things, but he didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to be so knowledgeable.


    She glanced sideways at Li Yifei, and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eldest maternal uncle said sardonically, "This is a family matter between Xiaoyao and me, it¡¯s not convenient for an outsider like you to say too much, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "What my uncle says represents my own thoughts. His word is final." Indeed, as extroverted as girls come, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s heart truly had room for only Li Yifei now.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s aunt quickly added, "Xiaoyao, no matter what, your great uncle is still your mother¡¯s own brother. Do you really think he¡¯d deceive you?"


    Li Yifei saw that Chu Xiaoyao was in a difficult position and then, with a smile, said, "Xiaoyao isn¡¯t saying she doesn¡¯t trust her great uncle. She wants to sell the company to relatives precisely because she doesn¡¯t want others to take advantage of it. It¡¯s normal for you to gain some advantage, but the price of two million is indeed not high. Even if you take over and sell it immediately, you¡¯d stand to make a hefty profit. I believe the great uncle is well aware of the company and understands these things. "


    "This..." Li Yifei¡¯s words couldn¡¯t have been clearer. This is to let you take advantage, thought Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eldest maternal uncle. Even if he was ungrateful, he could hear it all too well, but still hesitated, saying, "Xiaoyao, but I really can¡¯t come up with two million."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "If you can¡¯t come up with it, you could look for partners. Actually, what Xiaoyao means is that she wants you and her eldest paternal uncle to take over together. She could have sold the company directly and divided some money among you, which would have been simpler. But she has offered you a way to make money. It¡¯s better to teach someone to fish than to just give them a fish. I think you would probably prefer to run the company, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao also nodded repeatedly, feeling that Li Yifei spoke very well, and said, "Great uncle, think about it, would you prefer that I just sell the company and give you some money, or would you prefer to run the company and earn more?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eldest maternal uncle was genuinely moved and quickly nodded, saying, "That¡¯s a good idea. If both parties can raise some money, we can come up with the two million, but it will be tough, and the future working capital would also be a problem. Besides, I don¡¯t know whether your eldest paternal uncle would agree."


    As they were talking, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eldest paternal uncle called, also wanting to speak with Chu Xiaoyao alone. She simply invited him over. Although Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eldest paternal uncle felt somewhat uneasy seeing Wang Junyou there, his interest was piqued when he heard the plan from Chu Xiaoyao. After all, his family couldn¡¯t come up with two million on their own, not even if they pooled all the siblings¡¯ money together. But the two major Chu and Wang families could certainly raise the total amount.


    "Let¡¯s do this, then. One and a half million. I¡¯m only keeping half of the company¡¯s funds, and the rest is for you. Great uncle, eldest uncle, this should settle it, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s last offer left her eldest paternal uncle, Chu Wenqiang, and eldest maternal uncle, Wang Junyou, with nothing to say. Such a generous offer, were they not clear on it? They happily accepted the proposal.


    "Great uncle, eldest uncle, it truly breaks my heart that my parents ended up this way. Without them, I know that your two families have grown apart, but I¡¯m still here. I¡¯m the child of both families. I still hope that you, great uncle and eldest uncle, can be like before, good relatives who don¡¯t let a little money cause conflicts."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words once again stunned Chu Wenqiang and Wang Junyou. Looking at Xiaoyao, they both felt somewhat ashamed, then glanced at each other and said in unison to Xiaoyao, "Don¡¯t worry, we will always be your family."


    "Also, great uncle, eldest uncle, I know you¡¯ve been worried about me being with Yifei and concerned that Yifei might cheat me out of my money. But rest assured, Yifei has a lot of money, much more than me. He really doesn¡¯t care about my money. I¡¯m very happy with him, so you don¡¯t have to worry."


    After parting with her great uncle, Chu Xiaoyao felt relieved of a burden. Although her parents¡¯ inheritance was left to her, she still cared about familial affection and distributed the wealth in such a way. Although this went against her mother¡¯s wishes, she hoped her mother wouldn¡¯t blame her, and perhaps her father would be happier about it from the other side.


    Li Yifei quite agreed with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s decision. While money was important, family was equally so. He didn¡¯t want Xiaoyao to fall out with these relatives over money; without her parents, these relatives were even more important to Chu Xiaoyao.


    Some people don¡¯t value kinship, but Li Yifei did, as he lacked it and yearned for familial care or the chance to help a relative. But since his parents had no siblings and his grandparents had passed away early, even if he wished to seek out a relative, he wouldn¡¯t know where to start.


    Back home, Little Yue pulled Chu Xiaoyao into the bedroom and whispered, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re really generous."


    Chu Xiaoyao, lying on the bed, said, "My parents are gone, but they are still my family. It¡¯s nice to give them something. Besides, Yifei isn¡¯t short on cash, so I really don¡¯t have to worry about running out of money."


    "Yifei has money? If he¡¯s rich, why does he live in such a small house?" Little Yue curled her lip, clearly not believing what Chu Xiaoyao said.


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips and said, "What do you know? The smaller the house, the cozier it is. Do you think having a huge house is a good thing? When one person sleeps in one room and you talk in another, the other can¡¯t hear a thing. What¡¯s the point?"


    Little Yue paused then said, "That does seem true."


    "Besides, Yifei is not the kind of person to show off. Unlike those rich ones who flaunt it as soon as they get a little money, with fancy cars and mansions, wearing big gold chains around their necks as if afraid others won¡¯t realize how wealthy they are. I despise such people the most. A person should be like Yifei, who doesn¡¯t flaunt their wealth no matter how rich; that¡¯s a man of real substance and depth."

 Chapter 466 - 475: Xu Yingying is Coming

    Chapter 466: Chapter 475: Xu Yingying is ComingIn the following days, Li Yifei stayed at home, keeping Chu Xiaoyao company. Zhou Xiaoyue also came by often, and Su Yiyi was there in the evenings, so Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t feel lonely at all. Gradually, she started to overcome the grief of her parents¡¯ passing. Although she couldn¡¯t be as carefree as before, at least her smile wasn¡¯t as forced anymore. However, she still couldn¡¯t be left alone, or her mood would worsen.


    These days, even though Li Yifei still shared a bed with Chu Xiaoyao, she became much more behaved. Every night she would just snuggle up in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, only occasionally getting mischievous by touching his private parts, without making any further requests.


    This gave Li Yifei a lot of relief. Otherwise, being too intimate with such a beautiful girl was always a bit too hard to handle.


    Having seen Zhou Xiaoyue around quite a bit, Li Yifei became familiar with her and learned her full name. She wasn¡¯t particularly mischievous, just lively, and quite empathetic. With her company, Chu Xiaoyao could more quickly walk out of her sadness.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s company was sold to her uncle and her elder maternal uncle, but it wasn¡¯t just the two of them who partnered up to buy it. Both extended families pitched in together. The asking price of 1.5 million was beyond what the two families could afford alone, but they were optimistic about the company¡¯s future and found the price to be very reasonable, so everyone was happy with the deal.


    Having received 1.5 million, Chu Xiaoyao gave it all to Li Yifei, who accepted the money. Now he was her guardian, even if not legally, but since Chu Xiaoyao needed his care, he had to take responsibility for her. It wasn¡¯t good for a girl to have too much money on her hands, so managing it for her was naturally not a problem.


    However, Li Yifei passed all the money to Su Yiyi. Within their small family, Su Yiyi was in charge of managing the finances. If Chu Xiaoyao needed money, she would ask Su Yiyi, and Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t mind this arrangement at all.


    During these days with Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei had received a few calls from Lin Qiong but surprisingly, no other calls came through, which astounded him.


    Xu Yingying remained indifferent during the two meetings they had. Her not calling was one thing, but Xu Shanshan had always been on good terms with him, even to the point of ambiguity. Yet if Xu Yingying was resolved to leave him, it was normal for Xu Shanshan to not make contact.


    But it was strange that Ye Yunzhu hadn¡¯t called at all, and even Michelle hadn¡¯t checked in on him once, which was abnormal.


    And there was no word from Ning Xin¡¯er either. Could it be that she had given up on him? But there was still a child in question.


    When he thought of his child with Ning Xin¡¯er, Li Yifei remembered Su Mengxin. Right after dinner, while Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi were playing games in the bedroom, he immediately called Su Mengxin. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you done with your business?" The tone in Su Mengxin¡¯s voice was gentle and carried subtle care, which Li Yifei found soothing to hear. During their time together, Su Mengxin¡¯s care had been like drizzle, gradually nourishing his heart.


    "I finished it a while ago. Recently, Xiaoyao¡¯s parents passed away, so I¡¯ve been looking after her."


    "So it¡¯s like that."


    Confused by Su Mengxin¡¯s tone, Li Yifei asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Heh, everyone thought you were still busy, so no one called you, I guess?"


    "Sweat, I was wondering why my phone has been so quiet these days." Su Mengxin¡¯s words instantly cleared up Li Yifei¡¯s confusion.


    "Right, the child matter you asked me to look into, I¡¯ve done some preliminary investigation. It looks like Ning Xin¡¯er hasn¡¯t gone out to meet any child alone over these years. However, her neighbors, a young couple, have a three-year-old daughter. Although they have a birth certificate, the couple used to be just ordinary, but now they live in the same high-end district as Ning Xin¡¯er, which is unusual. I suspect that the girl might be your daughter. This way, Ning Xin¡¯er can see her daughter conveniently without raising suspicion outside."


    Li Yifei immediately felt an indescribable sensation and asked, "Where exactly is the address? I¡¯d like to go there and see for myself."


    "Okay." Su Mengxin promptly provided Li Yifei with an address.


    After silently committing the address to memory, Li Yifei said sincerely, "Mengxin, I really appreciate your help."


    "Why be so formal with me? Don¡¯t chat too long. You should hurry up and call Yingying and the others. They must be really anxious by now."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Yingying... I¡¯ve seen her twice, but she treated me like a stranger. I think it¡¯s better to just let it be."


    "You really are clueless. Yingying thinks you¡¯re on some special mission, so she didn¡¯t dare to talk to you, isn¡¯t it? I had told her that you¡¯d settle everything in about half a month."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, "Is that so?"


    "Yes, go on, you as a husband really don¡¯t understand your wife."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, exchanged a few more words with Su Mengxin, and then ended the call.


    With the phone in hand, Li Yifei hesitated for a while, but finally decided to call Xu Yingying first.


    "Husband!" The phone rang only once before it was answered, followed by Xu Yingying¡¯s excited cry.


    Li Yifei had been somewhat worried, but that "Husband" instantly swept away all his concerns, and he couldn¡¯t help but get excited as he said, "Wife, I¡¯m back."


    Xu Yingying spoke anxiously, "You¡¯re back? Where are you, I¡¯ll come to pick you up."


    "I¡¯m at our old home."


    "Ah... you... you¡¯re with Yiyi?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice suddenly became flustered.


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "Yes!"


    "Why... why didn¡¯t you come home? Are you still angry with me?"


    Xu Yingying, such a strong woman, was actually speaking to Li Yifei in such a fragile tone, which really moved him. He had called Xu Yingying and had been honest about being with Su Yiyi, hoping it would make Xu Yingying angry so that they would part ways, sparing her any hurt.


    But Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction made him suddenly feel that his behavior was a display of shirking responsibility. As the leader of the Flying Hawk Squad, who had protected so many dignitaries and important figures without a single failure, he would be a complete failure if he couldn¡¯t even protect his own woman.


    "Wife, I¡¯m not angry. Xiaoyao¡¯s parents passed away, and I¡¯ve been taking care of her these last few days. The day I got back I saw you, you ignored me, and I thought you were mad at me, so I didn¡¯t dare to contact you."


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying exclaimed, unsure if she was surprised by Li Yifei¡¯s explanation or taken aback by the news of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents¡¯ demise.


    "Wife, Xiaoyao is very emotionally unstable right now, and she¡¯s especially attached to me. If I leave, she would be very upset, so I need to take care of her for a couple more days."


    "Okay! Then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to come over and see her, right?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Come on over, the more the merrier, someone to talk to her will be good."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."


    "I¡¯m coming too!" Another voice shouted over the phone, likely Xu Shanshan¡¯s, who must have been eavesdropping by Xu Yingying¡¯s side.


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei walked into the bedroom and smiled at Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, "Yiyi, Xiaoyao, Yingying and Shanshan will be coming over in a bit."


    "Ah!" The mouse slipped from Su Yiyi¡¯s hand onto the bed, she tossed the laptop aside, and said in a fluster, "Then I must hurry up and leave!"


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s panicked reaction, Li Yifei felt a pang in his heart, held her shoulders, and firmly said, "No need to leave."


    "No, no... Brother Li, this won¡¯t do." Su Yiyi shook her head vigorously, stuttering, "Your wife will be mad at you, and you won¡¯t be able to reconcile."


    Li Yifei pulled Su Yiyi into his arms and said, "Yiyi, I can¡¯t treat you like this. Even if I can¡¯t give you a marriage, I can¡¯t let you live in the shadows."


    "Brother Li... I¡¯m not scared, I really can¡¯t meet your wife, I¡¯m afraid, please let me go, Brother Li," Su Yiyi was so anxious she started to cry.


    Chu Xiaoyao then jumped up, saying excitedly, "Sister Yiyi, you don¡¯t need to be afraid, I¡¯m here too. Didn¡¯t Brother Li say it, his wife is going to leave him, so why should we be afraid of her?"


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "Xiaoyao, I misunderstood, my wife has no intention of leaving me."


    "Ah?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened in shock, but quickly retorted, "Then we¡¯re not afraid either. Even if we¡¯re mistresses, we¡¯ll do it openly and never compromise with your wife."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Stop talking nonsense." Then, tenderly, he spoke, "Yiyi, even if Yingying gets angry, I won¡¯t let you down. Let¡¯s face her openly today."


    "No, absolutely not!" Su Yiyi was adamant, struggling hard, and said emotionally, "Brother Li, I can agree to anything else, but I really can¡¯t agree to this. I am scared, I am truly too scared, please, let me go."


    Looking at Su Yiyi¡¯s pitiful appearance, Li Yifei sighed and said, "Alright then. But you don¡¯t have to leave; the two rooms next door are always vacant. I¡¯ll open one up for you to stay in briefly, will that be okay?"


    "Yes, yes!" The thing Su Yiyi was most afraid of was meeting Xu Yingying, and as long as she wasn¡¯t made to meet Xu Yingying, she was willing to be anywhere.

 Chapter 467 - 476 Reconciliation

    Chapter 467: Chapter 476 ReconciliationLi Yifei settled Su Yiyi in the house where Su Mengxin used to live. He had the keys, and even without them, the ordinary door was no obstacle to him.


    As soon as she entered, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t look around and said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, please leave."


    Li Yifei felt even guiltier towards Su Yiyi, holding her hand, he said, "Yiyi..."


    "Brother Li, you don¡¯t need to say anything more. Yiyi understands, don¡¯t worry, Yiyi is not sad. I¡¯m already very happy that you are treating me like this." As she spoke, Su Yiyi tiptoed and gently kissed Li Yifei¡¯s face, then hastily wiped his face, exclaiming, "Oh no, if there¡¯s a mark, that wouldn¡¯t be good."


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi tightly and said, "You didn¡¯t put on lipstick, how could there be a mark? You just left an indelible mark in my heart."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body softened, she hugged Li Yifei for a moment, then forcefully pushed him out and closed the door with a bang.


    Li Yifei shook his head, his love for Su Yiyi deepening. He was sure there was no other girl in the world better than Su Yiyi, at least for him.


    Back at home, Chu Xiaoyao pouted and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying, "Uncle, why did your wife come here? Is she going to make you go home?"


    With a slight smile, Li Yifei said, "No, she just came to see you."


    "I don¡¯t need her to see me, nor do I need her pity." Chu Xiaoyao tilted her head, her small face showing stubbornness.


    Li Yifei lovingly ruffled Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hair and said, "She didn¡¯t come to pity you. She¡¯s my wife, and she cares about those I care about."


    "Well, I don¡¯t need her concern anyway. In any case, Uncle, you cannot leave."


    "I won¡¯t leave."


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. Li Yifei went to open it, and Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan appeared in his sight. They were wearing the same clothes, had the same hairstyle, and even the excited expressions on their faces were identical, making it impossible for Li Yifei to tell who was his wife and who was his sister-in-law.


    Chu Xiaoyao stood behind Li Yifei, poking her head to look at the two. She was initially hostile towards Xu Yingying¡¯s arrival, but upon seeing the identical twins, her attention was captivated. It was common for twins to look alike when young, but to still look exactly the same at this age was truly rare.


    "Wife, Shanshan, you don¡¯t need to test me like this, do you?" Li Yifei looked at them with a smile, still unable to recognize which one was his wife.


    "Husband!" A voice called out, and Xu Yingying on the left shivered her lips and rushed into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan on the right also called out, coming over to hold Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei finally recognized the two, embraced Xu Yingying, and apologetically said, "Yingying, I¡¯m really sorry."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been so willful."


    With just this exchange, the couple reconciled. Li Yifei held Xu Yingying and, pulling Xu Shanshan along, went to the living room to sit down, while Chu Xiaoyao continued to pout, seeing that Li Yifei ignored her, turned around, and went back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut.


    The sound startled Li Yifei and the others awake, Xu Yingying was suddenly a bit embarrassed and said, "Xiaoyao is angry."


    In the past, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have paid attention to Chu Xiaoyao, but now he didn¡¯t dare ignore her. He hurriedly said, "I¡¯ll go persuade her."


    "Go ahead." Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a push, her face glowing with happiness. Being together with Li Yifei once more, she was more tolerant than before.


    Li Yifei went in and opened the door to see Chu Xiaoyao sitting angrily on the bed. When she saw Li Yifei, her eyes betrayed a hint of joy, but she quickly said with grievance, "Why did you come in? Why don¡¯t you go to your dear wife?" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei sat next to Chu Xiaoyao, put his arm around her shoulders, and smiled, "Silly girl, it¡¯s been so long since I last saw my wife. Absence makes the heart grow fonder; isn¡¯t it normal to be affectionate when we meet? Why are you angry?"


    "Of course, I¡¯m angry. In your eyes, there¡¯s only your wife, not me. Ever since they came in, you haven¡¯t looked at me once."


    This little girl was indeed sensitive. Li Yifei could only admit his fault, saying, "Yes, yes, I neglected you. Isn¡¯t this me coming to apologize? Don¡¯t be angry anymore. In a couple of days, when Sister Yiyi¡¯s vacation starts, I¡¯ll take you all out to play."


    "Your wife is here, and you¡¯re still going to take us out?"


    "Of course I¡¯ll take you. Uncle keeps his promises. Alright, don¡¯t be angry anymore. If you want to talk to them, go out. If you don¡¯t, just stay in the room."


    "Why should I hide from them? I¡¯m not as timid as Sister Yiyi. I¡¯ll go out!" Chu Xiaoyao said as she stood up.


    Li Yifei stood up with her, and they walked out of the bedroom together, with Chu Xiaoyao immediately hugging Li Yifei¡¯s arm, defiantly moving towards Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan knew that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents had just passed away, so they wouldn¡¯t argue with her. Besides, they were both eight years older than Chu Xiaoyao and still considered her a child.


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Xiaoyao, it¡¯s not our first time meeting. Surely you recognize me?"


    "You¡¯re a big liar. Last time you said you weren¡¯t Uncle¡¯s wife." Chu Xiaoyao wouldn¡¯t relent, starting to question Xu Yingying immediately.


    Xu Yingying, having faced many challenges, wasn¡¯t fazed by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words. She smiled and said, "Yes, it was my fault for not saying it last time."


    Initially, Chu Xiaoyao wanted a confrontation with Xu Yingying, but faced with Xu Yingying¡¯s smile and her admission of fault, she felt as though her punch was hitting cotton. She didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    Xu Yingying then said, "Xiaoyao, I¡¯m just here to see Yifei today. We¡¯ll be leaving in a while, so Uncle is still yours. That should be fine, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao was even more surprised and looked at Xu Yingying in confusion, "You¡¯re not going to take Uncle away?"


    Xu Yingying continued to smile, "Why would I take him away? He¡¯s my husband. If he wants to take care of you, of course, I support him."


    "But...but I like Uncle. I want to be his woman." Chu Xiaoyao puffed up her chest, her face blushing red. Even though she was bold, facing Xu Yingying, Li Yifei¡¯s legitimate wife, and Xu Yingying¡¯s elegant demeanor, put her under pressure. She simply voiced her feelings to bolster her courage.


    Xu Yingying laughed, "My husband is popular with girls. There¡¯s nothing I can do. My job is to let him know I¡¯m a good wife and where his home is. As for everything else, I don¡¯t care." As she spoke, Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt a bit awkward. Xu Yingying was clearly addressing him, showing her stance. Her magnanimity was almost unbelievable to him.


    "Are you really not going to care?" Chu Xiaoyao still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Of course, I won¡¯t. Even if Yifei and I are married, couples should have their own privacy. I respect him."


    Li Yifei felt deeply touched. Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude was clear. She didn¡¯t hold grudges from the past and even allowed space for him now and in the future. With such a wife, Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mouth twitched. She pouted and muttered, "No matter what you think, I still want to be Uncle¡¯s woman."


    Xu Yingying chuckled, "If you¡¯re not afraid of suffering losses, I have no objection. My husband having a young girl like you is quite a gain for him, and if he gains, doesn¡¯t that mean I gain too?"


    Chu Xiaoyao gave Xu Yingying a sidelong glance and said, "You¡¯re so open-minded." Yet Xu Yingying was so kind that she couldn¡¯t help but feel bad about confronting her, so she let go of Li Yifei and sat obediently to one side.


    Li Yifei sat between Xu Yingying and Chu Xiaoyao. Looking at him, Xu Yingying seemed less poised than she was with Chu Xiaoyao and found herself at a loss for words.


    "Brother-in-law, you didn¡¯t even talk to me." Xu Shanshan pouted accusatorily at Li Yifei from the other side of Xu Yingying.


    "It¡¯s my fault. You must have been worried these days."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Yes, you¡¯re really bad. You disappeared for so many days, leaving me and sister worried every day. And the most irritating part is you didn¡¯t contact us when you returned. That¡¯s even worse."


    "Yes, yes, I was wrong. I apologize to you both."


    "Just an apology won¡¯t do. You have to promise to report to us wherever you go in the future."


    "I¡¯ll definitely report to the leaders. When we get back, I¡¯ll take care of cooking, laundry, and cleaning for you every day."


    Only then did Xu Shanshan smile and say, "You said it yourself, so you¡¯ll wash all my clothes from now on."


    "No problem." Li Yifei agreed straightforwardly. Xu Shanshan, his sister-in-law, was very good to him, so doing some laundry for her didn¡¯t matter. However, would this girl also have him wash her underwear?


    Thinking about this, Li Yifei glanced again at Xu Shanshan, suddenly feeling it was inevitable. Xu Shanshan was always bold when with him, often teasing him a little, and she probably wouldn¡¯t miss this chance to tempt him.

 Chapter 468 - 477 Stealthily

    Chapter 468: Chapter 477 Stealthily"Wasn¡¯t Yiyi here?" After talking for a while, Xu Yingying suddenly asked about Su Yiyi.


    Li Yifei coughed abruptly and said, "No, she knew you were coming, and she was too scared to stay."


    Xu Yingying said coquettishly, "I¡¯m not a man-eating tiger, why is she so afraid of me?"


    "You are my legitimate wife, how could she not be afraid?" Li Yifei laughed awkwardly; when discussing Su Yiyi with Xu Yingying, he always felt he lacked confidence.


    "It¡¯s all your fault. I don¡¯t know how you charmed that girl so much. Alright then, I¡¯ll leave so Yiyi won¡¯t be too afraid to come back."


    Li Yifei hurriedly stood up and escorted Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan downstairs.


    On the path in the residential area, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan stopped and turned to look at Li Yifei. Li Yifei¡¯s heart trembled; earlier, with Chu Xiaoyao present, Xu Yingying gave him face, but now was she going to make things difficult?


    "Honey, when are you coming home?" Xu Yingying held Li Yifei¡¯s hand, her eyes filled with yearning.


    Li Yifei felt a stir in his heart and said, "I don¡¯t know when Xiaoyao will recover."


    "Then I¡¯ll wait for you. Hurry back, I... miss you."


    Xu Yingying could say such affectionate words, which made Li Yifei¡¯s heart stir even more. He stretched out his arm and hugged Xu Yingying, saying, "Yingying, my good wife."


    Xu Yingying hugged Li Yifei back, but only for a short while before gently pushing him away, saying, "Alright, don¡¯t worry about things here. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Oh, and if there¡¯s nothing to do during the day, you can go back to the company for work."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯ll talk to Xiaoyao and see if she¡¯ll let me go out during the day."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t insist, nodded, and was about to leave when Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ve been worried about you too, and you didn¡¯t even hug me."


    Li Yifei chuckled warmly, opened his arms generously, and said, "Come on, give me a hug."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, walked over, and hugged Li Yifei, but naturally, she couldn¡¯t embrace him tightly like Xu Yingying did. She just symbolically hugged Li Yifei but she was like a little seductress; even in this simple hug, she moved her body slightly, rubbing her chest against Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s flustered expression, Xu Shanshan giggled, winked at him mischievously, and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m leaving. You better hurry back home. I haven¡¯t eaten the food you cooked for days, and I¡¯ve lost weight."


    Li Yifei accepted his little sister-in-law¡¯s antics and could only laugh, "Alright, once I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll make sure you gain some weight."


    He watched Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan leave, both looking back every few steps, their longing plain to see. Li Yifei really wanted to go with them, cuddle his wife lovingly, and share some flirtations with his sister-in-law.


    Back home, Su Yiyi was already there. However, when Li Yifei opened the door, her face was still pale. Only when she saw Li Yifei alone did she pat her chest in relief, that look of lingering fear made Li Yifei¡¯s heart ache.


    "Yiyi..."


    Li Yifei was about to speak when Su Yiyi smiled at him and said, "Brother Li, why didn¡¯t you go back with your wife?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pulled Su Yiyi aside and said angrily, "Sister Yiyi, how can you be so foolish?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Your sister Yiyi isn¡¯t foolish; it¡¯s a great kind of love."


    "Great love?" Chu Xiaoyao was somewhat confused and pouted, "Sister Yiyi is foolish. She could obviously make Uncle like her so much, yet she doesn¡¯t want to be the legitimate wife. Now I can¡¯t even rank as a mistress; I¡¯m falling to fourth or fifth place."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and teased, "This girl has no ambition; all she wants is to be a mistress. Why don¡¯t you aim to be the legitimate wife?"


    Chu Xiaoyao rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "If I wanted to be your wife, would you take me? Hmph, you don¡¯t even want me as a mistress. To be your wife... you¡¯d be scared away long ago."


    Li Yifei, in a good mood today, playfully patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s little bottom and said with a smile, "That might just be the case. Alright, it¡¯s late. Let¡¯s wash up and go to sleep."


    Though Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t talk much more that night, Li Yifei felt her hold him tighter as if afraid he would run away. He knew Xu Yingying¡¯s arrival made Chu Xiaoyao anxious that he might leave her. Though this little girl seemed slightly better emotionally now, the hurt in her heart hadn¡¯t healed; she was still afraid of losing the closest person around her again.


    Li Yifei could only hold her tighter, placing his hand gently on her chest to assure her he wouldn¡¯t leave, helping her slowly fall asleep.


    Once Chu Xiaoyao fell soundly asleep, Li Yifei gently released her. Seeing no reaction from her and her breathing still steady, he turned softly towards Su Yiyi, hugged her into his arms, and kissed her lips.


    Su Yiyi had been asleep, but Li Yifei¡¯s kiss quickly woke her up. She instinctively responded, but soon stopped, touching Chu Xiaoyao as she embraced Li Yifei.


    "Brother Li, we can¡¯t... Xiaoyao is still here," Su Yiyi softly reminded Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei whispered in return, "She¡¯s asleep; it¡¯s fine," his hand already caressing Su Yiyi.


    The next day, Li Yifei went with Chu Xiaoyao to the cemetery. It had been seven days since her parents passed away. There was a custom here to visit the graves on the seventh day. Standing before her parents¡¯ grave, tears flowed from Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes, while Li Yifei held her shoulder. At this moment, all he felt for Chu Xiaoyao was affection; this poor child reminded him of himself then, creating an empathetic bond in his heart. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Dad, Mom, you¡¯re gone, leaving me all alone. Xiaoyao really misses you... Dad, you messed around with women; if you hadn¡¯t, and lived a good life with mom, how nice it would have been. Mom, you were really heartless; no matter how bad Dad was, you could have just divorced him. Why did you have to kill him and then yourself? Didn¡¯t you think you still had a daughter?"


    Though she grieved her parents¡¯ passing, there was a bit of resentment in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words. Both had acted too extremely. Listening to her, Li Yifei felt guilty; it was never his intention to fool around, but there were just too many women around him, he didn¡¯t know when he could resolve all these emotional entanglements.


    "Mom, although I hold some resentment towards you, for setting this up, I still thank you. You know I like Uncle, having him take care of me. Uncle is really nice to me, so don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll always listen to Uncle and won¡¯t make things difficult for him."


    Li Yifei gently patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder. Though she had been a little mischievous these days, Li Yifei felt she had matured significantly. One must go through certain experiences to grow, just as he did after losing his parents and trained intensely until he was selected into the Flying Hawk Squad.


    "Dad, Mom, I¡¯m leaving now. Rest peacefully, and if there¡¯s another world, I hope you continue to love each other."


    Walking down the cemetery¡¯s path with Chu Xiaoyao, they reached a relatively narrow road. A car came speeding down from the hill, honking loudly from a distance.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t think much of it, but Chu Xiaoyao, in her bad mood, snorted, "So annoying."


    Li Yifei pulled Chu Xiaoyao aside, making way for the car. Unexpectedly, the car stopped suddenly after passing, then reversed back beside them.


    The car door opened, and a young man in his twenties jumped out, dressed in casual attire. Though he looked average, his clothes seemed well-made, and the car was an Audi A4, indicating he might be quite well-off.


    "Xiaoyao! It¡¯s really you. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here," the young man exclaimed excitedly, face flushed.


    Chu Xiaoyao scrutinized the young man and asked in confusion, "Who are you?"


    "I¡¯m Wu Jianye, a year ahead of you. We performed together at a school talent show."


    Chu Xiaoyao seemed to not remember and smiled awkwardly, "Sorry, I don¡¯t recall."


    "No problem, you never noticed me back then. I kept a low profile. But we¡¯re schoolmates. I¡¯m now at Capital City University, you must have finished the College Entrance Exam. Which school are you planning to attend?"


    Wu Jianye mentioned Capital City University with pride, knowing it¡¯s a renowned institution in Huaxia. Attending such a prestigious school was indeed a point of pride.


    "I applied to Mile City University," Chu Xiaoyao replied plainly.


    "What? Why did you choose such a school?" Wu Jianye exclaimed, then immediately felt awkward and said, "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to look down on Mile City University. It¡¯s close to home, after all. By the way, Xiaoyao, my dad gave me this car as a reward for getting into Capital City University. Want a ride?"


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head, hooked her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, and said, "Not interested. I¡¯m going home."


    Only then did Wu Jianye notice Li Yifei; in his excitement to see Chu Xiaoyao, he had overlooked the person standing beside her.

 Chapter 469 - 479: Return to the Capital City again

    Chapter 469: Chapter 479: Return to the Capital City again"Sorry, I¡¯m Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s high school classmate. My father is Wu Ziqiang, the chairman of New Flight Company," Wu Jianye said to Li Yifei, noticing that he looked somewhat older, definitely an adult, but not too old, making it unclear to him what Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with Chu Xiaoyao was. So, he took the initiative to introduce himself, and even specifically mentioned his father, as if everyone should recognize his father¡¯s name.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t oppose boys pursuing Chu Xiaoyao, but Wu Jianye was just average-looking, and although his family seemed well-off, someone who constantly dropped their father¡¯s name, even if they were good in their studies, probably wouldn¡¯t make it big. Plus, Chu Xiaoyao clearly wasn¡¯t into this kid, so Li Yifei simply smiled faintly and said, "Oh, I don¡¯t know him."


    Normally, upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s response, people would drop the topic, but Wu Jianye wore an incredulous look and said, "You actually don¡¯t know my dad? Our New Flight Company is one of the top ten enterprises in Mile City, with assets almost reaching ten billion, and my dad is even a member of the People¡¯s Congress."


    Li Yifei found it amusing and said, "Then I still don¡¯t know him. Alright, you¡¯re busy, Xiaoyao and I are leaving."


    "But... but... sir, I still don¡¯t know your name," said Wu Jianye as he hurried after them, noticing that Chu Xiaoyao seemed to listen to Li Yifei and wanting to engage in conversation with him.


    Chu Xiaoyao was already impatient and said, "This is my husband. Is there something you need?"


    "Hus... husband?" Wu Jianye¡¯s mouth gaped open as if it could fit a goose egg, though honestly, considering the size of his mouth, an egg would probably be more fitting.


    Seeing Wu Jianye¡¯s stunned expression gave Chu Xiaoyao a sense of triumph. She tilted her head and leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, blissfully saying, "Yeah, this is my husband. We¡¯re already living together."


    Wu Jianye¡¯s eyes bulged even wider, and after a long pause, he said, "You... Xiaoyao, how is that possible?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao batted her eyelids and said, "Why not? I¡¯ve always liked older men, and Uncle hits the spot, so I moved in with him."


    Wu Jianye shook his head and suddenly chuckled, saying, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re still so fond of joking. Haha, this must be your cousin, right?"


    Li Yifei saw Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face turn gloomy and nearly burst into laughter, while Chu Xiaoyao glared at him and snapped, "What cousin? This is my husband!"


    Wu Jianye looked even more smug and said assuredly, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s say he is. Xiaoyao, where are you two heading? Can I give you a lift?"


    "We¡¯re not sitting! Who wants your crappy car?" Chu Xiaoyao snorted. Her family had a car, one that her father previously owned, worth only about two hundred thousand, but Li Yifei used to drive Porsches and Mercedes, so to her, an Audi A4 was a pretty good car for others, but not something she valued.


    "Xiaoyao, maybe there¡¯s a misunderstanding. I admit I¡¯ve always been fond of you, but I¡¯ve only wanted to pursue you earnestly, with no other bad intentions. My family may be rich, but I¡¯m no wastrel, right? You¡¯re about to go to university, and you have the right and freedom to be in a relationship. I¡¯m sure this... your husband wouldn¡¯t mind, right?" Wu Jianye said.


    Li Yifei found it entertaining. This guy called him as such and turned around to pursue Chu Xiaoyao while asking whether he minded. This guy might not be a wastrel, but he really was pretty dense.


    Chu Xiaoyao gave Wu Jianye a contemptuous look and said, "That¡¯s none of my concern. I¡¯m not the least bit interested in you. And you¡¯re asking my husband for permission to chase me? You really are thick-skinned. If it weren¡¯t for my husband¡¯s good temper, he would have slapped you by now."


    Wu Jianye¡¯s face turned red, but still, with a forced smile, he said, "Don¡¯t be like that, Xiaoyao. Look, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, and I just got back and saw you. Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re destined? Give me a chance, will you? I¡¯m an only child, and someday the New Flight Company will be mine. Think about it, you could be the lady of the New Flight Company."


    "Will you ever stop?" Chu Xiaoyao shouted, stamping her foot in frustration at Wu Jianye¡¯s brazenness.


    "No, no, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll leave first, and I¡¯ll call you later," Wu Jianye retreated quickly, seeing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s anger, and then jumped into his car, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re the one I like, Wu Jianye, and I¡¯ll surely win you over."


    "Asshole!" Chu Xiaoyao bent down to pick up a stone and threw it at Wu Jianye¡¯s car.


    Wu Jianye stepped on the gas, and the car sped away, fortunately not being hit by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s stone. After driving off, his face turned dark, and his eyes glinted ominously as he sneered, "You little brat, my liking you gives you face. You¡¯re pulling this stunt on me? The woman I, Wu Jianye, set my eyes on, can¡¯t escape so easily."


    This Wu Jianye, although he seemed a bit foolish before, now appeared quite sinister. This kid was certainly not simple; hiding his true intentions so well, he was likely one of the best among his peers, and even those who have lived for many years probably can¡¯t match his cunning.


    Wu Jianye left, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud. Chu Xiaoyao immediately scolded, "Uncle, what are you laughing at? Someone wants to pursue your wife, and you still laugh."


    "Hehe, I was just finding that kid quite amusing."


    "Amusing my foot! He¡¯s so annoying. Next time you see him, just drive him away. I¡¯m so frustrated with it all! Humph, don¡¯t think for a moment I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re plotting. You just want me to get swept off my feet by someone else and then leave you, don¡¯t you? Well, forget it. Even if he comes with mountains of gold and silver and is handsomer than those big stars, I wouldn¡¯t give him a glance. I only like you, Uncle."


    "I didn¡¯t mean that at all. Xiaoyao, you¡¯ve been so kind to me, how could I not understand that?" Li Yifei said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder. "Let¡¯s go, shall we? Let¡¯s go shopping today and buy you some more things. In a few days, we can head out for a trip."


    Upon hearing this, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mood immediately lifted, and she urged Li Yifei to walk faster while holding onto his arm.


    "Uncle, are you burdened with worries?" After some shopping, Chu Xiaoyao tilted her head and pouted at Li Yifei.


    "Not at all..." Li Yifei was somewhat insincere.


    "Uncle, I¡¯m not forcing you. If you don¡¯t like it, then we can just go home, or we can do whatever you like, okay?"


    "Xiaoyao..." Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then said, "I want to take a trip to the Capital City."


    "Ah? What for? How long will you be gone?" Chu Xiaoyao immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her face filled with anxiety.


    Li Yifei forced a smile and replied, "Then let¡¯s forget about it."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s lips curled into a pout as she said, "Then you go, Uncle. I know you¡¯re worried I won¡¯t like it, concerned that I¡¯ll be sad without you. But really, you don¡¯t need to worry so much, Xiaoyao is not that weak."


    "Alright, stop being brave. What if I said I¡¯m taking you with me, would you come?" Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder. After all, he was going to see his daughter, and taking Chu Xiaoyao along wasn¡¯t a big deal, so he decided to go check it out.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes brightened instantly, and she said joyfully, "Oh yes, yes! Uncle, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? I thought you were going to leave me at home."


    "Hehe... If I really left you at home, you¡¯d probably be crying every day, wouldn¡¯t you?" Li Yifei said affectionately as he pinched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s nose.


    "I... definitely would," Chu Xiaoyao giggled.


    The following morning, Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao had already set foot in the Capital City. Chu Xiaoyao had been to the Capital City before, but that was when she traveled there with her parents, following a tour group. It was a rushed visit, not as leisurely as it was now.


    Moreover, being alone with Li Yifei made it even more exciting for her. As for what they were doing there, she didn¡¯t much care. As long as she could be with Li Yifei, nothing else mattered.


    Li Yifei was all too familiar with every aspect of Capital City. Although he wasn¡¯t from there, during his missions, he knew every street and household inside and out. Having left Capital City only half a year ago, the city hadn¡¯t changed much, and everything was much the same as when he left.


    Li Yifei exhaled softly, frowning at the air quality of Capital City, which seemed much worse than that of Mile City. Even though this metropolis was far more bustling¡ªa comparison Mile City couldn¡¯t hold a candle to¡ªthe air quality simply couldn¡¯t match that of Mile City. This was one of the main reasons Li Yifei disliked the Capital City.


    The address Su Mengxin had given him was already etched in his mind, and he was eager to see it for himself. However, he still reined in his impatience. Before he could get a clear picture, he needed to do some investigating; otherwise, a misunderstanding could be embarrassing and potentially cause unnecessary trouble.


    First, he found a hotel for Chu Xiaoyao and himself. There was no need to skimp, so they stayed in a five-star hotel and even shared a double room. Since they lived together at home, there was no point in pretending otherwise when abroad.


    Once settled in, Li Yifei made a phone call to Zheng Mingrui. Although Su Mengxin was influential, her main strength lay in her powerful background and personal abilities. For actual tasks, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t compare to the Flying Hawk Squad. Especially in terms of investigations, she fell short of Zheng Mingrui.

 Chapter 470 - 480: Visiting My Daughter

    Chapter 470: Chapter 480: Visiting My Daughter"Boss, if that girl is refusing our investigation, she¡¯s 100% your seed," came the voice over the phone, and Zheng Mingrui burst into laughter.


    Li Yifei had already guessed that the girl was his daughter after getting information from Su Mengxin. Now, with Zheng Mingrui¡¯s words, he had no doubt in his mind. He asked, "How is she doing now?"


    "Your daughter is currently being taken care of by a young couple. The man¡¯s name is Li Qiang, and the woman¡¯s name is Yang Shuyao. Both are from Shanxi and studied at Capital Foreign Studies University. They are lovers and didn¡¯t find jobs they liked after graduation, so they quit and now they dedicate all their time to taking care of your daughter. Sometimes, money is transferred to their bank account, but not frequently, and the remittance account isn¡¯t fixed. However, it always ends up with Ning Xin¡¯er."


    No wonder Ning Xin¡¯er was confident that Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be able to find her daughter. That woman was really quite scheming, using various methods even to remit money to the couple. Of course, others wouldn¡¯t be able to track it down, but for the Flying Hawk Squad, it was too easy. However, Li Yifei had lost interest in this detail and said, "What about my daughter?"


    "Our little princess is now three years and two months old. She just started kindergarten two months ago and is in class four. Her name is Li Yufei."


    "What?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t understand. Why did his daughter¡¯s name sound like his?


    "Heh, Ning Xin¡¯er must still have deep feelings for you. Boss, you¡¯re the boss, to have won over such a big star. Not only did she secretly have a daughter for you, but she also named her Yufei. ¡¯Yu¡¯ as in remembrance, and ¡¯Fei¡¯ as in self-deprecation. Isn¡¯t that obviously her way of missing you?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mind became a little chaotic at the moment. Ning Xin¡¯er giving their daughter such a name wasn¡¯t an act of hatred; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen it. But he quickly rejected that thought. At the time, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t know his name, so it was really just a coincidence.


    Yet, whenever Li Yifei thought of Ning Xin¡¯er, he always felt extremely cautious, unable to really feel her goodness towards him.


    After hanging up the phone, Chu Xiaoyao said to Li Yifei with a grin, "Uncle, are we going to pick up your daughter now?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "You heard it all."


    "Yeah, I¡¯m saying Boss Yifei, you¡¯re too awesome. You have a daughter in Capital City, do you have any more in other places?"


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly and said, "There¡¯s one that hasn¡¯t been born yet."


    "Really, you have another one?" Chu Xiaoyao immediately pouted and asked, "Is it Xu Yingying?"


    "No, it¡¯s Ye Yunzhu."


    "Ye Yunzhu... Ah, Little Yue¡¯s older cousin?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s her. She¡¯s pregnant now."


    Chu Xiaoyao blinked her big, furry eyes a few times and then suddenly said with a smile, "So Little Yue¡¯s cousin is also your woman. Does that mean Little Yue should call you brother-in-law in the future?"


    "That¡¯s true... but..." Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know how to handle his relationship with Ye Yunzhu in the future. He couldn¡¯t marry Xu Yingying and then marry Ye Yunzhu, so whether Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family would recognize him as a brother-in-law was still a big question.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t bother with those complications and said with a grin, "So if I¡¯m also your woman, and Little Yue is calling you brother-in-law already, what should she call me in the future?"


    This question stumped Li Yifei for a moment. There seemed to be such dilemmas in ancient times, but he¡¯d never read books of that sort. Even if there were such books, there was no guarantee they¡¯d offer a clear answer.


    "To call me sister-in-law seems incorrect, so what should it be?" Chu Xiaoyao was also frowning, looking puzzled.


    Li Yifei knocked on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head and said, "Stop letting your mind wander here. I have to go see my child."


    At that moment, his phone rang, and he received several MMS messages. He opened them to find photos of Li Qiang and his wife, along with a picture of a little girl.


    "Wow, she¡¯s so cute! Ah, Uncle, she really looks like you," Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed loudly.


    Looking at the photo of the little girl, Li Yifei immediately felt a sense of closeness. With her mushroom haircut and a face carved like jade, her big watery eyes were exactly like Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s. But her face shape and ears were very much like his. Without a doubt, this was his daughter with Ning Xin¡¯er, Li Yufei.


    "Uncle, hurry and take me to see her. She¡¯s your daughter, and she¡¯s like mine too. I¡¯m her stepmom, right? Aiyaya, I should always buy her gifts when I see her. What do you think I should buy for her?"


    Chu Xiaoyao was agitated, scratching her head and turning in circles around the room.


    Li Yifei suddenly snapped to attention; this was his precious daughter, after all. As a father, how could he meet his daughter without bringing a gift?


    Usually, buying a gift wasn¡¯t a big deal for Li Yifei, but because it was for his daughter, he suddenly had no idea what to give. Like Chu Xiaoyao, he became so anxious that he scratched his head and paced around the room in circles.


    In the end, Li Yifei had no choice but to ask Chu Xiaoyao what she liked when she was young. With the newfound insight, the two bought a cloth doll costing over two thousand yuan and then headed to the kindergarten together.


    Upon reaching the kindergarten gate, Li Yifei stopped in his tracks with a wry smile. His daughter was indeed inside this kindergarten, he knew which class she was in and what her name was, but how would the kindergarten know who he was? There was no way they would let him see his daughter.


    The two could only wait outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the child, but the children¡¯s play area wasn¡¯t visible from the entrance at all.


    It was clear they wouldn¡¯t be able to see the child here, and even if they went to his daughter¡¯s home, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to see her. Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao waited until around four o¡¯clock before heading directly to the community where Ning Xin¡¯er lived. However, it was a high-end community, and without access cards, they couldn¡¯t enter. Li Yifei immediately called Li Qiang.


    "Who is this?" Li Qiang asked politely.


    "Hello, Ning Xin¡¯er has sent me to deliver some money to you."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll come out right away." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had noticed that Ning Xin¡¯er rarely transferred money to Li Qiang and supposed she mostly gave him cash, which is why he used that excuse, and Li Qiang indeed believed him immediately.


    Soon, a man in his twenties came out from the community. He was quite tall, and handsome with a pair of black-framed glasses, looking around uncertainly as he stepped out.


    Having already seen a photo of this Li Qiang, Li Yifei approached him at once, saying, "Hello, I¡¯m Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s new assistant."


    Li Qiang immediately smiled and said, "Hello, hello."


    With Li Qiang¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei was sure about his identity, and a surge of excitement welled up inside him. Suppressing his emotions, he said with a smile, "Let¡¯s talk inside. Ning Xin¡¯er also asked me to take a couple of photos to bring back to her."


    "Of course, of course, but the child is at kindergarten right now, my wife has gone to pick her up, she should be back soon," Li Qiang hurriedly replied.


    "No problem, I¡¯ll just wait in your house."


    Li Qiang didn¡¯t refuse, and led Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao to his home.


    The house was a three-bedroom apartment with beautiful decorations. The first impression was like stepping into a fairy tale kingdom. Every aspect of the decor seemed to be for a child, which was odd. Generally, after a couple buys a house, they would decorate it to their taste. Even if there¡¯s decorating done for the child, it would typically be just their room. But this home was entirely focused on the child, indicating the importance of the child was paramount.


    Seeing the house, Li Yifei was quite pleased; at least he felt Ning Xin¡¯er had not treated his daughter poorly.


    Li Qiang¡¯s wife wasn¡¯t at home, just Li Qiang who warmly gestured for them to take a seat and brought them water, then sat beside Li Yifei saying, "We¡¯ve always treated Yufei well. Whatever she needs, we provide it. You can see, everything here was prepared for Yufei."


    "Hmm, it is nice, I will tell Ning Xin¡¯er about it. May I take a look at the child¡¯s room now?"


    "Absolutely," Li Qiang quickly agreed, viewing Li Yifei as Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s assistant who had come to inspect how Li Yufei was being cared for.


    Upon entering the daughter¡¯s room, Li Yifei was struck speechless, while Chu Xiaoyao stood there agape. As a girl herself, she always liked to decorate her room, but this room¡¯s decor was even more childlike, with a variety of toys that were dazzling, almost like a toy store.


    Li Yifei took out his cellphone and pretended to take a few pictures, loitered around for a bit, until finally, the door was opened. Both Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s gazes immediately fixated on the doorway.


    A young woman walked in, holding a little girl¡¯s hand. The woman was fashionably dressed and seemed pretty, but Li Yifei barely glanced at her. His eyes were locked on the little girl with eyes just like Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ¨C his daughter, flesh of his flesh.


    "Wife," Li Qiang quickly said, "this is Miss Ning¡¯s assistant, here to see Yufei."


    Li Qiang¡¯s wife Yang Shuyao uttered an "oh" and then said with confusion, "Assistant? Why isn¡¯t Miss Ning back yet? She just called, said she¡¯d be back soon. She¡¯s not back, so why would her assistant be here?"


    At that moment, Li Qiang turned his questioning gaze to Li Yifei, who was still staring at his daughter, paying no attention to their conversation, and completely unaware that they had started to doubt him.

 Chapter 471 - 481 Ning Xin’er’s Request

    Chapter 471: Chapter 481 Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s Request"Who the hell are you?" Li Qiang, seeing Li Yifei staring straight at Li Yufei, suddenly became tense. He leaped up and blocked the front of his wife and Li Yufei, loudly questioning Li Yifei.


    Only then did Li Yifei snap back to reality and said, "I¡¯m Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s assistant, aren¡¯t I?"


    Li Qiang, protecting his wife and Li Yufei, took a couple of steps back and said with a heavy voice, "What assistant? Ning Xin¡¯er just called and said she was coming back. If you¡¯re her assistant, you should have come back with her."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t heard the conversation between the two earlier and didn¡¯t expect to be exposed so quickly. Chu Xiaoyao burst out laughing and said, "You¡¯ve been found out."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "So quickly found out, then forget it. You mentioned Ning Xin¡¯er is coming back, so I¡¯ll just wait here for her. I have something I need to discuss with her anyway." Then he turned his gaze back to his daughter.


    At this moment, the little girl wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She peeked her head from behind Li Qiang¡¯s legs, curiously sizing up Li Yifei. Li Yifei, meanwhile, took a large doll from Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arms and said, "Yufei, this is for you, do you like it?"


    Li Yufei blinked her big eyes and pouted her lips, saying, "Like it."


    "Then it¡¯s yours," Li Yifei said with a beaming smile, pushing the doll forward.


    "No! Mom and Dad said not to take things from strangers," Li Yufei shook her head and said in her babyish voice, which was indescribably sweet.


    A tremor went through Li Yifei¡¯s heart. He was the child¡¯s father, but his own daughter was calling someone else ¡¯Daddy¡¯. That feeling was really hard to swallow.


    By this time, Yang Shuyao had gotten through to Ning Xin¡¯er on the phone and anxiously said, "Miss Ning, someone claiming to be your assistant is at our place right now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was startled when she heard this and urgently said, "No, I definitely didn¡¯t send any assistant over there. You must protect Yufei."


    "Alright, then you¡¯d better come quickly, otherwise I¡¯ll have to call the police."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was about to respond when suddenly, a voice came through the receiver, a voice she could never forget. She shouted excitedly, "Is the person there Li Yifei?"


    Yang Shuyao didn¡¯t know Li Yifei¡¯s name yet and nudged Li Qiang, asking, "What¡¯s his name?"


    Li Qiang hadn¡¯t asked, but Li Yifei said with a smile, "My name is Li Yifei. You can tell Ning Xin¡¯er." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Shuyao immediately relayed to Ning Xin¡¯er on the phone, "He says his name is Li Yifei."


    "That bastard, you don¡¯t need to be scared, he won¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯ll be back soon, have him wait there," Ning Xin¡¯er said.


    Having received Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s instructions, Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao finally relaxed, but they still watched Li Yifei warily. They had always been responsible for taking care of Li Yufei. Over the years, Ning Xin¡¯er had treated them well, giving them a lot of money, much more than they would have made working elsewhere. So they had worked diligently and earnestly, and now with Li Yifei¡¯s identity unclear, they didn¡¯t dare to be careless. They feared that any harm to the child would mean the end of their fortunate situation.


    Less than twenty minutes passed, and there was a knock on the door. Yang Shuyao hurried over and quickly opened it. Ning Xin¡¯er dashed in, glaring at Li Yifei, and demanded, "What are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and replied, "I¡¯m here to see the child."


    "This is Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao¡¯s child, what¡¯s there for you to see? Just get out," Ning Xin¡¯er said as she began to pull Li Yifei¡¯s arm to drag him outside.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t struggle and allowed Ning Xin¡¯er to pull him out of the house, meanwhile, Chu Xiaoyao stood by looking stunned. Although Li Yifei said he was there to see his daughter, he hadn¡¯t said that she was the child he had with Ning Xin¡¯er, the big celebrity. Although she had heard Li Yifei mention Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s name, she had never connected this Ning Xin¡¯er with the famous celebrity Ning Xin. To the public, Ning Xin¡¯er was a sweet little sister, scandal-free. She couldn¡¯t fathom that Ning Xin¡¯er, the star, had already had a child, and with the older man she admired no less.


    "Ning Xin¡¯er, let¡¯s talk at your place," Li Yifei said, after coming outside, staring at Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips and retorted, "You want to talk to me now? Do you want me?"


    "Can¡¯t we sit down and have a proper talk?" Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor was surprisingly amiable. Seeing his own daughter and knowing that Ning Xin¡¯er was her mother, his aversion towards Ning Xin¡¯er had lessened considerably.


    Pleased by Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, Ning Xin¡¯er gave him a white look, turned on her heel, and went to the door next door. She took out her keys and unlocked the door.


    Li Yifei also followed inside, but just as he was about to close the door, Chu Xiaoyao rushed over, saying loudly, "Wait, wait, uncle, wait for me."


    Li Yifei stopped in his tracks and waited for Chu Xiaoyao to enter before finally closing the door.


    Ning Xin¡¯er frowned slightly and said, "Well, well, you¡¯ve got a new love interest, and she¡¯s so young too."


    Chu Xiaoyao was stunned for a moment, not expecting Ning Xin¡¯er to say such harsh words. It was clear that Ning Xin¡¯er was extremely jealous, which excited Chu Xiaoyao even more. She never thought that one day a big star like Ning Xin¡¯er would be jealous of her.


    With a giggle, Chu Xiaoyao said to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I¡¯m actually a fan of yours. I really couldn¡¯t believe that you had a child with uncle. I¡¯m so thrilled."


    After Chu Xiaoyao said this, Ning Xin¡¯er was not in a good position to lose her temper at Chu Xiaoyao. Instead, she felt somewhat embarrassed and said, "Don¡¯t believe his nonsense. That¡¯s not true."


    Excited, Chu Xiaoyao stepped closer to Ning Xin¡¯er, somewhat flustered, she said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, we all saw uncle and your daughter already. She is so pretty, with eyes like yours, and her nose and mouth like uncle¡¯s. It¡¯s definitely undeniable, congratulations! This is so wonderful. Now it means I¡¯ll often see you and can even talk to you! Hee hee, Little Yue always says she gets to see big celebrities, but now, a big star like you is a part of our family. That¡¯s just so amazing."


    Having grown accustomed to her fans¡¯ incoherent babbling, Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of closeness to Chu Xiaoyao as she asked, "What do you mean by ¡¯a part of the family¡¯?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately puffed out her chest and said, "I¡¯m uncle¡¯s mistress. Since you¡¯ve had a child with uncle, we¡¯re naturally a family now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was suddenly at a loss for words. What kind of logic was this? Annoyed, she looked at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re something else, even going after such a young girl."


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and said, "Xiaoyao just likes to stir up trouble. Xiaoyao, go sit over there. I have something to discuss with Ning Xin¡¯er."


    "Okay!" Chu Xiaoyao quickly agreed eagerly and took a seat obediently. Her eyes roamed around Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home; she had never imagined visiting a celebrity¡¯s home before. The excitement was incredible.


    Ning Xin¡¯er sat with her arms crossed, her left leg resting on her right knee, and glanced sideways at Li Yifei. "You¡¯ve been avoiding me all this time. What now? You want to talk to me about what?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Xin¡¯er, I came to see our daughter. You can¡¯t deprive me of my rights as a father."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted and replied, "As I said, she¡¯s not my daughter. She belongs to someone else. Why are you randomly claiming her?"


    "Denial is useless. I¡¯ve already investigated, Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao have never had a child. This child is ours."


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a glare but didn¡¯t deny it anymore. Li Yifei had seen their daughter, so how could he not recognize her?


    Li Yifei coughed lightly, then said, "Here¡¯s what I think. You are a star and it¡¯s inconvenient for you to take care of our daughter. But as her father, I don¡¯t have much on my plate. It would be better for our daughter if I took care of her personally."


    "No way!" Ning Xin¡¯er glared fiercely at Li Yifei and said, "She was born to you yet you never cared for her a single day. Do you know the struggles I went through to raise her to this age? And you think you can just take her away with a simple word? Absolutely not."


    Li Yifei hastily waved his hands, "You¡¯re misunderstanding, Xin¡¯er. I don¡¯t intend to snatch her away. After all, a child should be cared for by her biological father. If you were raising her yourself, I would never take her. But Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao are not her biological parents. No matter how good they are to her, they miss out on the kind of innate warmth that only real parents can provide. It¡¯s just their job, and that¡¯s not good for our daughter¡¯s future development."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mouth twitched, but she still shook her head and said, "That still doesn¡¯t work. You haven¡¯t spent a day with our daughter; she doesn¡¯t even know you. How can she adapt if you take her away?"


    Li Yifei was taken aback, realizing that Ning Xin¡¯er made a good point. To his daughter, he was a stranger. To get his daughter to recognize him would take a very long time to adjust. He wanted to take his daughter back to care for her properly, not to cause her more harm.


    "If you really want to live with our daughter, that¡¯s easy. Just agree to one condition, and I¡¯ll let her live with you right away," Ning Xin¡¯er said with a grin.


    Li Yifei was initially overjoyed, but knowing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s personality, he had an inkling of what she was about to propose and his heart sank, "Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re not suggesting that I should live with you guys again, are you?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er lifted her chin and said, "Exactly, that¡¯s what I mean. If you want our daughter, then the three of us should live together. Didn¡¯t you also say it would be healthy for the child to have both parents around? It¡¯s the only way she can be happy. Otherwise, how can she be happy?"


    This left Li Yifei in a dilemma. At that moment, Chu Xiaoyao, filled with urgency, ran to Li Yifei¡¯s side, grabbed his arm, and shook it vigorously, saying, "Uncle, please agree quickly!"

 Chapter 472 - 482: Forming Factions

    Chapter 472: Chapter 482: Forming Factions"This..." Li Yifei naturally knew that for the sake of the child, living with Ning Xin¡¯er seemed appropriate, but now it wasn¡¯t just about the child, there was also the issue of being with Ning Xin¡¯er. He always felt that being with Ning Xin¡¯er was a rather terrifying prospect, and there were also Xu Yingying, and right, the pregnant Ye Yunzhu.


    "Uncle, how can you be so silly? Sister Xin¡¯er is a big star, the dream goddess of countless men. Now that she¡¯s with you, it¡¯s such a lucky thing. Yet you still won¡¯t agree, it¡¯s really infuriating,"


    Xiaoyao was now somewhat exasperated, vigorously shaking Li Yifei¡¯s arm, urging him to agree.


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips and said, "This guy is so heartless, claiming it¡¯s for his daughter¡¯s sake but he doesn¡¯t want to give up at all. He¡¯s just a selfish ghost."


    Li Yifei sighed and meeting Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze, said, "Xin¡¯er, I¡¯m not being selfish, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m truly in a tough position. I won¡¯t hide it from you, Xu Yingying is currently my legal wife, Ye Yunzhu is also pregnant with my child, and then there¡¯s Yiyi, who has always given to me selflessly. I can¡¯t repay their kindness, and I don¡¯t know how to choose. Being with you is for your and your daughter¡¯s sake, but what about them? What should I do?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted. She knew about Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu, but she didn¡¯t know about Su Yiyi. Now that another one popped up, it made her mood even worse.


    "Uncle...there¡¯s also me," Xiaoyao, having heard Li Yifei mention those three women¡¯s names, had been looking expectantly at Li Yifei the whole time. But after he finished talking about those three, he didn¡¯t mention anyone else, and her eyes immediately turned red with grievance.


    "Right! There¡¯s also Xiaoyao. I can¡¯t just abandon Xiaoyao either," Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he realized the girl was very sensitive at that moment, and he couldn¡¯t upset her. He quickly reached out and patted her on the head.


    That brought a smile to Xiaoyao¡¯s face, and she hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly, sweetly saying, "I knew Uncle wouldn¡¯t abandon me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei and said, "Suit yourself, but my daughter and I are one. If you want her, you have to take me as well. If you don¡¯t want me, then don¡¯t bother with my daughter. I won¡¯t let her become a child without a mother."


    Li Yifei had anticipated Ning Xin¡¯er would say this, and now he spoke seriously, "Xin¡¯er, I know this seems like the best solution, setting aside others, the main point is whether the two of us are really compatible. If we really get together, it¡¯ll be as husband and wife living our lives, and it won¡¯t be as simple as acting on righteousness."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said excitedly, "How do you know we¡¯re not compatible? Do you just think I have a bad temper? I told you, it was all to get your attention. After all the suffering you¡¯ve put me through, and when I finally see you, you won¡¯t even let me be angry? If we end up together, I will treat you well naturally. I can do laundry, I can cook, and I¡¯ll make sure both you and my daughter are well cared for."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately chimed in anxiously, "Yes, Uncle, you¡¯ve got to give it a try to know, right? Maybe Sister Xin¡¯er is perfect for you, you two could be really affectionate together, couldn¡¯t you? You can¡¯t judge things with the same old mindset. I used to be very naughty, but look at me now, aren¡¯t I well-behaved?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave Chu Xiaoyao another look, truly puzzled by this young girl. From the closeness she observed between Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yifei, it seemed they had a significant relationship, yet Xiaoyao didn¡¯t try to monopolize Li Yifei. She even encouraged him to be with Ning Xin¡¯er. Regardless, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s support left a very good impression on her.


    For Chu Xiaoyao, the thought of fighting to be Li Yifei¡¯s wife hadn¡¯t crossed her mind. As long as she could be with Li Yifei, it didn¡¯t matter to her whom he married. Xu Yingying¡¯s presence was rather intimidating, and since Xiaoyao shared nothing in common with a company CEO like her, naturally, she supported Li Yifei being with Ning Xin¡¯er. Plus, by helping Xin¡¯er like this, it might mean that if Xiaoyao were with Li Yifei in the future, Xin¡¯er would probably not get angry. The girl sure had some crafty ideas.


    However, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words had indeed got through to Li Yifei. Keeping Ning Xin¡¯er hanging like this, and seeing her not giving up, might as well truly be with her for a while. Letting Ning Xin¡¯er realize on her own that they weren¡¯t suitable would naturally lead her to back off. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Okay, I agree to it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei in surprise and said, "You really agree?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "I agree, but I have one condition."


    Ning Xin¡¯er said excitedly, "Name it! As long as you agree to be with me, I will agree to anything."


    At this point, Li Yifei felt somewhat guilty, he sighed and said, "Xin¡¯er, I agree to be with you, but you can¡¯t interfere with my freedom, the freedom I speak of... you understand, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er frowned slightly, then glared at Li Yifei and retorted, "You sure know how to plan ahead, keeping an eye on the pot while eating from your bowl and staring at the jug, huh? It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t let go of your wife and that Ye Yunzhu, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t worry, I, Ning Xin¡¯er, am not the least bit intimidated by them. As long as you treat me well, I believe you will eventually let them go."


    Chu Xiaoyao, at this moment, cautiously said to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Sister Xin¡¯er, could you please not make Uncle dump me?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was feeling quite pleased at the moment, as Li Yifei had finally agreed to be with her and to take care of their daughter together ¨C something she had long hoped for. She glanced at Chu Xiaoyao and then at Li Yifei and asked, "What¡¯s going on with her?"


    Li Yifei, finding the situation quite awkward and seeing Xiaoyao¡¯s pitiable expression, didn¡¯t have the heart to be harsh and could only say, "Xiaoyao really likes me and has always wanted to be with me."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately grasped Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand, gently shook it, and said weakly, "Sister Xin¡¯er, I really like Uncle so much, I can¡¯t be without him or I¡¯ll die. If you and Uncle are together, I won¡¯t cause any trouble. I¡¯ll just quietly follow you both. I¡¯ll help you with chores, pour tea, and take care of the children. I¡¯m really good with kids, they all love playing with me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was both annoyed and amused as she looked at Chu Xiaoyao, saying, "What sort of love potion has this guy given you? How can you be so hopelessly devoted to following him?"


    Seeing that Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t that angry, Chu Xiaoyao quickly buttered her up, "Sister Xin¡¯er, just agree with me, okay? From now on, I¡¯ll do whatever you ask me to, even if it¡¯s to provide you with foot-washing water every day and wash your feet daily. Just treat me like a little maid."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei and said, "You really are something, I¡¯m truly impressed."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and replied, "When you were with me, you weren¡¯t much older than Xiaoyao, as I recall."


    "You bastard, all you do is lead young girls astray! I say Chu..."


    "Chu Xiaoyao!" Chu Xiaoyao quickly emphasized her name.


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded and said, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re still young, what are you doing mingling with a guy like this? You¡¯ve seen what he¡¯s like, very fickle, with a whole bunch of women. What good can come from following him?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said with passion, "Uncle is not like that at all. He¡¯s really nice to us. He¡¯s good to Sister Yiyi and good to me too. Yiyi and I have already discussed this, no matter who becomes Uncle¡¯s wife, we will both be his mistresses."


    "Mistresses..." Ning Xin¡¯er went dark in the face and kicked Li Yifei, saying, "Aren¡¯t you going a bit too far?"


    Li Yifei managed a wry smile and said, "There¡¯s not much I can do, sometimes, I just have that kind of charm."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was amused by Li Yifei¡¯s words; after all, she had a child with him, and now she was clinging to the idea of being with him¡ªhadn¡¯t she been unwittingly bewitched by Li Yifei?


    "Sister Xin¡¯er...will you agree or not?" Chu Xiaoyao once again gently shook Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arm, her eyes full of pleading. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er cleared her throat and replied, "Then, I agree."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened with excitement, and she stammered as she spoke, "Sister Xin¡¯er...you...you really agree?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded, saying, "I agree."


    "Oh yeah!" Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed excitedly, then hugged Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s shoulders and planted a kiss on her face.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was startled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s enthusiasm and yet again glared at Li Yifei, annoyed.


    "Sister Xin¡¯er, besides me, there¡¯s Sister Yiyi. She¡¯s a really nice girl, very gentle, and just as devoted to Uncle. Since you¡¯ve taken me in, why not take Sister Yiyi in as well?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face darkened as she complained, "How come this never ends?"


    "Sister Xin¡¯er, Sister Yiyi is truly wonderful. If you meet her, you¡¯re sure to like her. Moreover, Yiyi and I have already decided, we stick together through thick and thin. I can¡¯t get your approval and then just abandon Sister Yiyi, that would be really mean of me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er blinked and conceded, "All right, then I agree to take Yiyi in too. But from now on, you girls better listen to me, or else I¡¯ll change my mind."


    "Of course, of course, we¡¯ll definitely listen to you from now on. Whatever you tell us to do, we¡¯ll do. Sister Yiyi will definitely agree as well, I can guarantee that," promised Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Well, then it¡¯s settled," agreed Ning Xin¡¯er cheerfully, and then she winked at Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark. Ning Xin¡¯er agreeing with Chu Xiaoyao clearly signified they were forming alliances. This likely meant he would have an even harder time dealing with them in the future.

 Chapter 473 - 483 Reconciliation

    Chapter 473: Chapter 483 ReconciliationLi Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Xin¡¯er, let¡¯s talk about the child."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was in a good mood, responding, "What about the child?"


    Li Yifei said seriously, "Xin¡¯er, when you see our daughter, what identity do you assume?" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s seriousness, and also because he agreed to spend time with her, began to consider how she could rightfully bring their daughter home, responding, "Usually, I visit her as her godmother. She still doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m her birth mother."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "The girl is already over three years old; she¡¯s beginning to recognize family. This makes things difficult for us."


    Ning Xin¡¯er also felt a bit guilty, responding, "I didn¡¯t think much about it before. But now I realize that although my daughter is quite affectionate towards me, in her heart, Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao are her parents. This is very troubling for me."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Now we must separate our daughter from them and have her stay with us. She¡¯s still young; at the very least, we can gradually correct this. If we wait until she¡¯s older, it will be even harder."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded, a mix of blame and self-reproach in her voice, "Then I¡¯ll listen to you. I didn¡¯t think much about this before; I didn¡¯t even know when I would find you, so I didn¡¯t dare to take her with me."


    "I think this might work, since you¡¯re her godmother, why not take her to live with us? That way, she shouldn¡¯t feel any aversion. Then we can find an excuse for Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao to leave. She¡¯s young and though she may miss them, having you as her godmother by her side, I think she¡¯ll adapt quickly. If we persist for a while, she will gradually forget Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao and accept us."


    Ever since meeting Li Yifei, although Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t verbally disclose the whereabouts of their daughter, in her heart, she hoped that Li Yifei would find her and they could live together. So, how to make their daughter recognize her as her birth mother and accept Li Yifei as her father had been on her mind for quite a while. Now that Li Yifei had come up with a solution, she was wholeheartedly in agreement.


    After discussing and agreeing on the details, Ning Xin¡¯er was very compliant with Li Yifei, never raising her voice, occasionally looking at him with tender affection, entirely devoid of the resentment she had shown in previous days. This gave Li Yifei an indescribable feeling, one thing for sure, it was awkward.


    The cause of the awkwardness was the stark contrast. In his memory, Ning Xin¡¯er had always been that headstrong girl. Now, with her gentle sweetness, she seemed like an entirely different person.


    After finalizing everything, Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Chu Xiaoyao went next door together. Chu Xiaoyao was now like Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s shadow, forsaking Li Yifei to follow Ning Xin¡¯er. To a girl her age, a celebrity held an irresistible charm.


    Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao, the couple, had an uneasy expression on their faces. Li Yifei¡¯s arrival today and the way he looked at Little Yifei made them feel that he might indeed be Yifei¡¯s father. Before, Ning Xin¡¯er had been the only concern, but now with the father here, they feared the child would be taken away. They had developed a special bond with Li Yifei after caring for her up to the age of three, and they were reluctant to let her go. Moreover, having the child with them had brought in a substantial income, and taking her away meant they would have to find jobs, which would not be as carefree as before.


    Li Yufei, the little girl, was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons. Upon seeing Ning Xin¡¯er, she sweetly called out "godmother." Ning Xin¡¯er sat down next to Li Yufei, lifted her onto her lap, where the little girl obediently sat and continued watching cartoons. Her evident familiarity and closeness to Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei great confidence in taking Li Yufei with him.


    "Dear daughter," Ning Xin¡¯er said, holding her little hand, "this is your godfather. Say hello."


    Li Yufei looked at Li Yifei, not quite understanding what "godfather" meant, but obediently called out "godfather."


    Li Yifei felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this; it was his own daughter calling him ¡¯dad.¡¯ Even though there was a "god" prefix, it still thrilled him. He eagerly responded, "Sweet daughter," but he didn¡¯t know what to do next. This was his first child, and they were strangers to each other; he had no idea how to communicate with his daughter.


    The little girl didn¡¯t take it seriously, but Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao exchanged a look, their eyes filled with complicated emotions.


    After speaking with the girl for a few words, which the distracted child watching cartoons barely answered, Ning Xin¡¯er set her down and said to Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao, "Li Qiang, Shuyao, let¡¯s go inside. I have something to tell you."


    The four entered the bedroom inside, while Chu Xiaoyao stayed with Li Yufei, watching cartoons. Although Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t young, her childlike innocence remained, so she enjoyed the cartoons and played along with Li Yufei.


    "Li Qiang, Shuyao, this is Yufei¡¯s father, his name is Li Yifei," Ning Xin¡¯er introduced Li Yifei to the couple.


    Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao both greeted Li Yifei, each revealing an expression of fear and loss.


    "Li Qiang, Shujing, we are very grateful to you for taking care of Yifei these past three years. Now that Yifei¡¯s father has come, we have been considering that we cannot let this go on, so we have decided to raise Yifei ourselves."


    Li Qiang didn¡¯t speak. Yang Shuyao, however, turned tearful and began to cry.


    Ning Xin¡¯er sighed and said, "I know this must be hard for you. You have raised Yifei for three years as your own daughter, and I understand that. But after all, Yifei has her own biological parents. These past three years, I haven¡¯t taken good care of her, and I already feel guilty about it. I can¡¯t let this continue. I must take on the responsibility of a mother and have Yifei live with us."


    Yang Shuyao turned her head and sobbed on Li Qiang¡¯s shoulder. Li Qiang then said, "Miss Ning, we understand, but we are just having a hard time letting go. After all, we¡¯ve been with Yifei for so long, and suddenly she¡¯s leaving us¡ªit¡¯s really hard for us to accept all at once."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded but still spoke carefully, "I can understand how you feel. But I have to tell you, you must leave tomorrow, and for a short time, you cannot appear around Yifei again. I must let her fully accept us, and then you can come to see her again, and we won¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t want you coming to see her secretly from time to time¡ªit¡¯s really not good for her to accept us."


    Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao were both stunned, and Yang Shuyao¡¯s tears flowed even more quickly.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Thank you for taking care of my daughter for so long. I will give you one million yuan as compensation."


    Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao were both completely stunned. Yang Shuyao had been crying continuously until then, but she was shocked by Li Yifei¡¯s generous offer. Ning Xin¡¯er had been generous to them, giving them twenty thousand yuan a month, and aside from what was spent on the child, the rest was theirs. Over three years, it amounted to seven or eight hundred thousand yuan. But that was given monthly, and with expenses, they could save only a little each month. Now, they had only about three hundred thousand left, whereas Li Yifei suddenly offered them one million. The feeling of receiving that sum in one go was completely different from getting it in installments.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was also surprised by Li Yifei¡¯s generosity, but since Li Yifei had already offered, she had no objections. These years, she had not earned little, and she could still afford several million yuan. Besides, the Ning Family was also very rich, giving her plenty of money. She smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, if my husband said so, he will definitely give it to you. This is also a reward for taking care of Yifei these last three years."


    Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao hurriedly thanked her. Suddenly having one million yuan in their hands eased some of their reluctance to part with Yifei. After discussing a bit more, they all stepped out of the bedroom.


    Chu Xiaoyao was playing happily with little Li Yufei at that moment, and did not pay attention to the four adults coming out. Li Yifei looked at his adorable daughter and truly liked her from the bottom of his heart.


    However, he knew today was not the day for being too involved with his daughter. With Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao there, his daughter wouldn¡¯t grow close to him, a stranger. After watching Ning Xin¡¯er affectionately interact with their daughter, the three of them returned to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home.


    Sitting in the living room, Ning Xin¡¯er said with a beaming smile to Li Yifei, "We¡¯ve settled things, we can bring our daughter home tomorrow."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yes, indeed, that¡¯s great. My daughter is so adorable."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s smiling face, Ning Xin¡¯er felt even happier. Sometimes she wondered if Li Yifei would be annoyed seeing this daughter, but now it seemed he really liked his daughter, and that set her mind at ease.


    "Oh, let me cook for us. We¡¯ll eat at home tonight. Ah, there are no groceries at home. Yifei, would you accompany me to buy some food?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t hesitate, but he was somewhat puzzled as he asked, "You, a big star, can still go grocery shopping?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er responded with a radiant smile, "I was a big star before, but from now on, I¡¯m not anymore, right? I¡¯m your wife and our daughter¡¯s mom now."


    Before Li Yifei could respond, Chu Xiaoyao had already excitedly shouted, "No, no, Sister Xin¡¯er, being a big star is so great. You can¡¯t just stop being one. I will be the mother to your and Uncle¡¯s daughter; you keep being a big star."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, while Ning Xin¡¯er was caught between laughter and tears. She wasn¡¯t very familiar with Chu Xiaoyao, but she knew that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s admiration was due to her status as a star.

 Chapter 474 - 484: Together

    Chapter 474: Chapter 484: TogetherEven if Ning Xin¡¯er no longer aspired to be a big star, she was still in the public eye. Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to draw too much attention, and fearing that there were numerous paparazzi lurking at the neighborhood entrance, he decided to apply some makeup on Ning Xin¡¯er before they left the house together.


    After they stepped outside, Li Yifei discovered that the paparazzi weren¡¯t just outside the complex, but also within it. Although Ning Xin¡¯er hadn¡¯t acted in many productions, her popularity was quite high, and she attracted considerable attention.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was in high spirits today, and as soon as they came out, she took Li Yifei¡¯s arm, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.


    "What¡¯s with that expression? Does it bother you that I¡¯m holding your arm?" Ning Xin¡¯er raised her eyebrows in displeasure and pinched Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Indeed, I¡¯m not quite used to it."


    "You¡¯ll get used to it eventually." Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t dwell too much on the issue. She was aware that although they had a daughter together, their past interactions hadn¡¯t been pleasant. Even if she harbored special feelings for Li Yifei, her efforts were initially one-sided. Now, their relationship hinged solely on their daughter. To truly harmonize with Li Yifei, she¡¯d have to put in more effort.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was a very persistent girl. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have secretly had Li Yifei¡¯s child¡ªrequiring great courage. Now that she had resolved to be with Li Yifei, she was prepared to make significant changes for him, something not just anyone could do.


    Today, Chu Xiaoyao had completely defected, no longer sticking to Li Yifei as she used to. She was on the other side, holding hands with Ning Xin¡¯er and walking with her head held high. Li Yifei, watching this with barely concealed amusement, couldn¡¯t understand the mentality of fans, but Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s behavior was probably what a true fan would look like.


    They went grocery shopping, cooked, and then had their meal. The three of them managed to coexist peacefully, even warmly. Li Yifei had to admit, rather surprised, that although Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t as good as his, it wasn¡¯t bad at all.


    After the meal, Li Yifei went downstairs alone and called Xu Yingying. He had to discuss this matter with Xu Yingying, after all, she was his wife. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Honey, I¡¯m in Capital City, and I¡¯ve found my daughter." Li Yifei didn¡¯t hide anything and just came out with it.


    Xu Yingying fell silent for a moment before saying, "Then bring your daughter back home. I¡¯ll treat her as if she were my own, and I definitely won¡¯t let her be wronged."


    Li Yifei immediately explained the situation in detail to Xu Yingying, who listened quietly until he finished. Then she said, "So... are you planning to be with Ning Xin¡¯er?"


    Li Yifei sighed, "Honey, there¡¯s no such feeling between Ning Xin¡¯er and me, but our daughter is indeed ours. I must give her a normal family, whether it be with me or with Ning Xin¡¯er. Therefore, I need some time to establish my role as her father."


    "What you mean is, you don¡¯t want to be with Ning Xin¡¯er?" Xu Yingying¡¯s tone became much more urgent.


    "Yes, what we are doing now is all for the child¡¯s sake. I¡¯ve also made it clear to her that once we settle the question of who the child will be with, I will come back. If the daughter comes with me, I hope you won¡¯t be angry."


    Without any hesitation, Xu Yingying responded, "No! I absolutely won¡¯t be angry. Your daughter is my daughter, and I will treat her as such."


    Li Yifei was deeply moved and said, "Honey, thank you."


    "Thank me for what? I¡¯m your wife. Shouldn¡¯t such matters between husband and wife be taken for granted, without needing a word of thanks?"


    "Yes!" Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much more, now realizing more than ever that Xu Yingying embodied the virtues of traditional women. He appreciated his wife even more and longed to be with her.


    "Then take good care of our daughter. Don¡¯t worry about things back home; I¡¯m waiting for you to return."


    "All right, I will definitely come back," Li Yifei replied very firmly.


    When he returned to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s place, both Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao had already taken their baths and were chatting on the sofa. Chu Xiaoyao looked excited, likely because she had established a good relationship with Ning Xin¡¯er. Li Yifei also noticed that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s sadness from losing her parents seemed to have diminished a lot due to her time with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Yifei, go take a shower," Ning Xin¡¯er got up with a smile and said, "I¡¯ve prepared the towel and change of clothes for you."


    Li Yifei nodded and entered the bathroom with a smile. Even though Ning Xin¡¯er was very nice to him now, he still didn¡¯t feel that spark. To put it bluntly, there was no electricity.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home was quite large - a three-bedroom, two-living room, and two-bathroom apartment of over 130 square meters. In a place like Capital City, such a house could easily cost millions.


    After showering, Li Yifei sat in the living room with Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao for a while. He still didn¡¯t have much to say to Ning Xin¡¯er, with their daughter being the only common topic. Ning Xin¡¯er knew this and brought out their daughter¡¯s photo album to share with Li Yifei.


    Looking at the sequence of photos of his daughter from birth until now felt like watching her grow up. Li Yifei felt a warm sentiment, yet regret pervaded him for not having watched her grow up and not having cared for her in person. Even if he could make up for it in the future, the time that had passed was already lost.


    When it was past ten, Ning Xin¡¯er closed the photo album and said, "It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s call it a night; tomorrow we have to pick up our daughter."


    Li Yifei nodded in agreement but didn¡¯t know which room he should sleep in.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and pointed to a bedroom, saying, "That¡¯s my bedroom. Are you going to sleep with me tonight?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "Of course, you should, uncle. I won¡¯t sleep with you tonight, lest I interfere. I¡¯ll sleep alone, and join you again tomorrow night."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face turned red at first, and then she said to Chu Xiaoyao in surprise, "Are you planning to sleep with us in the future?"


    "Of course, Sister Yiyi and I always sleep with the uncle," Chu Xiaoyao said proudly with her chin up.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face darkened as she glared at Li Yifei and said, "You really live a licentious life."


    Li Yifei really couldn¡¯t explain this. Even if he said that he didn¡¯t do anything even though he slept with Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, Ning Xin¡¯er probably wouldn¡¯t believe him.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Forget it, I¡¯ll sleep alone tonight."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted and said, "What, you lead such a wanton life at home, but now you¡¯re pretending to be shy when you come to my place?"


    Li Yifei had no choice but to say, "Xin¡¯er, give me some time, please. I need some time to adapt."


    Ning Xin¡¯er rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "You think I¡¯m that kind of cheap woman? Hmph, it¡¯s not that easy to get into my bed, even though I¡¯ve given birth to a daughter for you."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and quickly slipped into the adjacent bedroom.


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Chu Xiaoyao and asked, "Are you going to sleep with your uncle tonight?"


    "No need, I¡¯ll sleep with Sister Xin¡¯er," Chu Xiaoyao immediately wrapped her arm around Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded in satisfaction and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Lying in bed, Ning Xin¡¯er said to Chu Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, do you really support me being with your uncle?"


    "Of course I support you, a hundred, a thousand times over!" Chu Xiaoyao promptly nodded vehemently.


    "That¡¯s good, you¡¯ll have to be on my side from now on. I¡¯ve promised you that if Yifei and I get together, I¡¯ll let you join us. If you stand with me, others might not agree to let you."


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely stand with you. Whatever you tell me to do, I¡¯ll do it. Shall we both go to uncle¡¯s room and give them a ***? Uncle might not say it, but he definitely likes that kind of thing," Chu Xiaoyao said, sounding a bit annoyed.


    Ning Xin¡¯er instantly felt a headache. She had never let another man touch her all these years, which already proved that she was a woman of integrity. The last time she stayed in that villa with Li Yifei, she felt torn inside when she wanted to seek him out. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s suggestion made it even harder for her to accept.


    With a light cough to cover up her embarrassment, Ning Xin¡¯er then said, "Xiaoyao, is that all you three ever do?"


    "No way, even though we three sleep on the same bed, uncle has never touched me, you know. Even when he is with Sister Yiyi, it¡¯s only when I¡¯m asleep that he sneakily does anything," Chu Xiaoyao responded.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and asked, "He hasn¡¯t touched you?"


    "Yeah, I¡¯m still a virgin. This darn uncle, he refuses to touch me no matter how I seduce him. He¡¯s made up his mind not to."


    Ning Xin¡¯er narrowed her eyes, thinking how this was more like the Li Yifei she remembered. Although she always teased him, it was actually a form of temptation. She wanted Li Yifei to invade her again like he had once lost his temper, but Li Yifei hadn¡¯t laid a finger on her since then.


    "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re so young, why did you fall for this guy?" asked Ning Xin¡¯er curiously. After all, Li Yifei was a good eight years older than Ning Xin¡¯er, and as a young girl, she didn¡¯t seem to have much in common with him.


    "I don¡¯t know. I just like uncle, and I¡¯m really happy when I¡¯m with him."


    Ning Xin¡¯er continued to inquire, "You¡¯re so beautiful, there must be a lot of guys chasing you, right?"


    "Those boys are nothing compared to uncle. Just like you, Sister Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re a big star, but you still like uncle."


    That left Ning Xin¡¯er speechless. It seemed true that by status, she was much higher than Li Yifei, but for his sake, she had even borne a child.

 Chapter 475 - 485: Seeing Comrades in Arms

    Chapter 475: Chapter 485: Seeing Comrades in ArmsThe next day, Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao left, and in the evening, Ning Xin¡¯er, Li Yifei, and Chu Xiaoyao went together to pick up their daughter.


    When Ning Xin¡¯er held Li Yufei in the car and saw that only Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao were there, the little girl asked in a milky voice, "Godmother, why didn¡¯t Daddy and Mommy come to pick me up?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Yufei, your parents have some things to do and will be away for a few days. During this time, will it be okay if Godmother and Godfather look after you?"


    "Oh... where did they go?" the little girl continued to ask.


    "They went to work. They have to work so they can buy Yufei lots and lots of yummy food and toys."


    "Oh, then it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just stay with Godmother."


    Although the little girl did not know that Ning Xin¡¯er was her birth mother, she had already grown very familiar with Ning Xin¡¯er. Usually, when Ning Xin¡¯er came home, she would occasionally take her daughter to sleep with her, so the girl felt no reluctance to be with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. He had really feared that his daughter might cry and make a fuss upon knowing that Li Qiang and the others were not there, which would have really given him a headache.


    Chu Xiaoyao, sitting in the front seat, turned her head to Li Yufei and said, "Yufei, I¡¯ll also play with you these days, okay?"


    Li Yufei immediately replied with joy, "Yes, yes." Chu Xiaoyao had made her very happy playing with her the day before. Usually at home, Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao treated her like a little princess, perhaps too cautiously, so they couldn¡¯t be as intimately close as ordinary parents with their daughter. But even though Chu Xiaoyao herself was only eighteen, she was still quite fun and just right for the little girl¡¯s temper.


    "Yufei, what do you want to eat tonight? Godfather will take you out," Li Yifei asked with a smile, also trying to close the distance with his daughter.


    Unfortunately, his daughter clearly felt most unfamiliar with him. At that moment, she timidly looked toward Ning Xin¡¯er, who immediately said, "Yufei, Godfather will love you just like Godmother does, so if there¡¯s anything you want, just tell your Godfather."


    "Oh, then can we go to KFC?"


    "Yes, of course." Li Yifei, even though he knew such food wasn¡¯t necessarily good for one¡¯s health, naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse since his daughter had asked for it.


    The three of them took the little girl to KFC. As they all queued up, Ning Xin¡¯er held her daughter, who wriggled in her arms, looking here and there, which made Li Yifei enviously watch and say to his daughter, "Yufei, would you let Godfather hold you?"


    The little girl turned her head to look at Li Yifei, blinked, and said, "You can¡¯t, I am a girl, and girls shouldn¡¯t be held by you."


    Li Yifei was suddenly at a loss for words, while Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao both laughed.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s eager yet disappointed look, Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "Yufei, this is your Godfather, not a stranger. It¡¯s okay for him to hold you. Besides, we are all short. Only your Godfather is tall. If he holds you, you can see further and choose more delicious food, right?"


    Li Yufei immediately stretched out her little arms and said to Li Yifei, "Godfather, hold me."


    Li Yifei was overjoyed, so excited that he hardly knew what to do, and quickly reached out his arms to carefully hold his daughter.


    Li Yifei had never quite understood what it felt like to have a blood connection, but upon holding Li Yufei, his own daughter, he suddenly got it. It was an indescribable feeling, stirring his heart immensely. Holding his own daughter, it seemed there was nothing else in the world worthy of his attention ¨C just this little treasure in his arms.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this filled Ning Xin¡¯er with pride. If Li Yifei cared for and loved his daughter, she felt even more confident about being with Li Yifei. A sweet smile emerged at the corners of her mouth.


    Right then, Li Yifei wished he could buy everything in KFC for his daughter, just to make her happy.


    Even while sitting down to eat, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear to put his daughter down and let her sit on his lap, personally feeding her. His attentiveness indeed qualified him as a good father.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, holding a chicken wing, smiled as she watched them both, a scene she had fantasized about countless times that had finally come true, making her feel as if she were in a dream.


    "Is Godfather good?" Ning Xin¡¯er took a napkin to wipe her daughter¡¯s mouth, asking with a smile.


    "Good!" the little girl nodded vigorously, turning to give Li Yifei a sweet smile.


    Li Yifei felt ecstatic and quickly said, "Yufei, whatever you want in the future, Godfather will get it for you, okay?"


    "Wow, godfather is so great, even better than my dad," she exclaimed.


    The comment made Li Yifei¡¯s heart swell with pride, thinking that this meant his daughter would more easily accept him.


    Children are simple creatures; they like whoever treats them well, unable to distinguish between close and distant relationships. Li Yifei was nice to her, so naturally, she considered him a good person. Furthermore, having Ning Xin¡¯er, a godmother she was very familiar with, made her feel comfortable despite the absence of Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao.


    After eating, Li Yifei took his daughter directly to the toy store and let her pick whatever she wanted¡ªanything she set her eyes on, he would buy for her.


    In doing so, Li Yifei was not exactly behaving like a qualified father. A qualified father should not only love his daughter but also discipline her. However, Li Yifei was indulging her; if she wanted the stars in the sky, he would find a way to pluck them for her.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault. His daughter¡¯s arrival was unexpected, and he wasn¡¯t prepared to be a father. In his rush, he thought only of love, plus his feelings of indebtedness to his daughter made him all the more eager to make it up to her. So, naturally, he ended up spoiling her.


    Back at home, Li Yufei was overjoyed, laying out all of her toys. Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Chu Xiaoyao all played with her, making her incredibly happy, so much so that she completely forgot about Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao.


    After they tired out from playing, Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao helped bathe Li Yufei. Li Yifei had initially wanted to join in, but ultimately, he decided against it. It was one thing for his daughter, but with Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao there, it just wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him, a grown man, to squeeze into the bathroom as well.


    Li Yufei fell asleep quickly; Ning Xin¡¯er shared a room with the daughter while Li Yifei, after his bath, went back to his room. Soon, Chu Xiaoyao came into his room wearing a thin nightgown.


    "Don¡¯t you have your own room?" Li Yifei said, slapping Chu Xiaoyao on the buttock as she climbed onto him.


    "I want to sleep with you," retorted Chu Xiaoyao, kissing Li Yifei¡¯s face and wriggling her body.


    "No, that¡¯s not right. If Ning Xin¡¯er sees us together, what would it look like?"


    "What¡¯s there to fear? After all, I¡¯m your ¡¯mistress¡¯, and she has agreed to it. She takes care of the daughter, and I come to sleep with you. It¡¯s all normal," she said.


    "Stop messing around and go back to bed," he insisted.


    "I won¡¯t," Chu Xiaoyao declared. Her hand had already reached for Li Yifei¡¯s sensitive part, she said teasingly, "If you want to send me away, then you¡¯ll have to make love to me."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and replied, "Then just stay here."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled triumphantly, pulled his arm under her neck for a pillow, entwined her legs with his, and her hand made its way familiarly into Li Yifei¡¯s pants.


    "Why are you still doing this?" Li Yifei was already turned on by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s touch.


    "Hehe, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t force you, Uncle," she said playfully. "It¡¯s just fun to touch; I¡¯ve gotten used to it. Without it, I won¡¯t be able to sleep."


    Because of Li Yifei¡¯s leniency in recent days, Chu Xiaoyao had indeed been behaving this way continuously. Seeing that she was now in much better spirits, he wanted to stop her, but it was too late, as she had already become accustomed to it. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, aside from her wandering hand, Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t make any further moves, allowing Li Yifei to fend off further temptation. But the situation was still quite uncomfortable.


    The next day, Li Yifei once again personally took his daughter to kindergarten. Thanks to his generosity the day before, his daughter no longer felt estranged from him. While they were not extremely close, she was much more familiar with him, which made Li Yifei in an even better mood.


    Having nothing else to do during the day, and with Ning Xin¡¯er keeping Chu Xiaoyao company, Li Yifei decided to call up Zheng Mingrui for a meeting. Zheng Mingrui didn¡¯t have any missions at the time, so he and a few comrades from the squad met up with Li Yifei at a bar.


    Even though bars are mostly open at night, they still welcome customers during the day, and it was quite peaceful. Besides the brothers from the last time, there were a few others who hadn¡¯t been to Mile City the last time¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s old comrades-in-arms. Seeing Li Yifei again, they were all extremely excited.


    When comrades meet, they drink to their heart¡¯s content, and they did just that, drinking happily from morning until after two in the afternoon, everyone a bit tipsy.


    Just then, more customers entered the bar, and upon the arrival of a group of about ten people, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Everyone looked where Zheng Mingrui was gazing, each with a strange expression on their face. Li Yifei also looked at the group. They were all young, none older than thirty, and the youngsters were over twenty. There were seven men and four women. One of the women, with her long hair and shapely figure, particularly her long legs, was mesmerizing, and she was definitely a beauty. It was this woman that Zheng Mingrui had his eyes fixed on.


    Of the seven men, Li Yifei recognized two of them as members of the Flying Hawk Squad, who had joined after he had left. They were sent by a significant family for gold training, which Li Yifei particularly disliked.

 Chapter 476 - 486 Conflict

    Chapter 476: Chapter 486 Conflictfree????ebnovel.comAt that moment, those people also spotted Li Yifei and his group. The seven men immediately walked over, and one of them, with a smile plastered on his face, said to Zheng Mingrui, "Captain Zheng, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here too. Yo-ho, isn¡¯t this our former captain?"


    Within the Flying Hawk Squad, members typically addressed each other using their numbers, but when outside, they used the terms "captain" and "squad member." The one greeting Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui spoke in a frivolous tone, clearly showing no respect for Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui.


    This would have been absolutely unthinkable in the past; within the Flying Hawk Squad, strength commanded respect. Those who were more formidable were treated with immense respect. Unlike this guy, who dared to speak with such a tone.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face darkened as he said, "So you still remember that I am your captain."


    "Haha, Captain Zheng, why so hot-tempered? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be snatching your captain¡¯s position anytime soon."


    A few squad members abruptly stood up, angrily shouting, "Sun Dongming, what do you mean by that?"


    "As if you could take the captain¡¯s position? I could knock you down with one hand."


    This youngster, named Sun Dongming, hailed from a major family clan in Capital City. The strength of families that could be considered major clans in Capital City was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. The fact that Flying Hawk Squad had previously kept its distance from the major clans, and now someone like Sun Dongming had penetrated their ranks, not only demonstrated his family¡¯s strength but also showed that the Flying Hawk Squad was no longer as untouchable as before.


    Sun Dongming sneered disdainfully, "Just you guys? I can¡¯t even be bothered with you¡ªa bunch of muscle-heads with simple minds."


    Standing beside Sun Dongming was Cao Yibo, who also hailed from a powerful background. At this moment, he let out a cold laugh and said, "Don¡¯t think too highly of yourselves just because you¡¯ve been in the squad for a few more years. After all, you¡¯re just a bunch of grunts, nothing more. If you want to fight with us, we¡¯ll play you till you drop."


    "Haha, just a bunch of grunts thinking they can challenge us; they really have no idea how over their heads they are."


    "Pack up and consider retiring back home, will you? Just look at the old captain; he knows what¡¯s practical, knows when to fold ¡¯em."


    All seven of these men were new members of the Flying Hawk Squad. To be accepted here, each one had to have substantial influence behind them, and indeed, they did not take the original members of the squad seriously in the least, speaking arrogantly and dismissively.


    At this point, the eyes of Li Yifei and his people were practically spitting fire with rage, yet Li Yifei himself was remarkably calm. Although Zheng Mingrui also felt furious, he managed to control his anger. The rest, all elite members, would have remained composed when facing the enemy despite any provocation. However, these people were also members of the Flying Hawk Squad, and their words were more than they could bear, prompting them to retaliate with taunts.


    "A bunch of trash¡ªthat¡¯s what you are, just relying on your families¡¯ clout. What¡¯s so great about that?"


    "You couldn¡¯t even muster individual prowess to save your lives, and you dare to strut before us? Let¡¯s have a one-on-one fight in the squad, and I could beat you to the ground looking for your teeth with just one hand."


    "You¡¯re wrong; one hand, and I could have all of you together on the ground looking for your teeth. Look at these guys, each one a Pretty Boy with no real skills."


    In truth, the individuals sent to join the Flying Hawk Squad were not weak at all; they were meticulously selected from their families and were very strong compared to ordinary people. They would not be at a disadvantage even against average special forces soldiers. However, when compared to the other members of the Flying Hawk Squad, they just didn¡¯t measure up.


    On one side were the people with influential backgrounds who looked down upon the original members of the squad, seeing them as nothing but grunts. On the other side, the original members despised these newcomers who got in through connections. When Li Yifei was still there, things were somewhat manageable, but now, their relationship had deteriorated to the point of being like fire and water, not even bothering to conceal their disdain for each other. As soon as they met, they would bicker and quarrel.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected the Flying Hawk Squad to have devolved into this state and sighed inwardly. If things continued this way, the Flying Hawk Squad would soon lose its identity. However, he did not interject at that moment. He was no longer the second-in-command of the squad, and the internal matters of the Flying Hawk Squad were best left to Zheng Mingrui and the other members to resolve.


    Seeing a quarrel brewing between the two groups, and with signs of a physical altercation imminent, the bar owner quickly tried to smooth things over. However, upon recognizing Sun Dongming and his entourage, he immediately recoiled. Although he didn¡¯t know all of them, he recognized a few as well-known figures in Capital City, far beyond his means to provoke. Moreover, for the other group to stand up against these young masters, they surely weren¡¯t to be trifled with either. As a mere bar owner, how could he dare to mess with either side? Even if they wrecked his bar, he¡¯d have no choice but to swallow the loss.


    "Mingrui!" As the two groups were causing an uproar, one of the three women who came with Sun Dongming hurriedly stepped between them and called out to Zheng Mingrui.


    Her exclamation was out of the blue, and everyone¡¯s attention suddenly shifted to the woman. Li Yifei curiously observed her, noticing that although Zheng Mingrui should have been watching Sun Dongming and his rivals, he had been fixated on the woman¡ªclearly indicating that there was a story between them.


    "Wanqing..." Zheng Mingrui let out a strained smile.


    "It¡¯s really you!" The woman, named Wanqing, cried out joyously and quickly approached Zheng Mingrui, scrutinizing him closely from head to toe.


    "It¡¯s me, I really didn¡¯t expect that after a few years of not seeing you, you¡¯ve become so beautiful."


    "Do you mean... that I wasn¡¯t beautiful before?"


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face turned red, and he appeared somewhat awkward and embarrassed as he said, "No, no, you were beautiful before too,".


    Li Yifei looked at Zheng Mingrui in surprise. After all, this guy was only a bit less capable than Li Yifei, and he was definitely a strong presence within the squad. Plus, he had his fair share of flirting with women. In front of women, Li Yifei had never seen him this shy.


    Li Yifei also noticed that Sunx Dongming¡¯s face had gotten even uglier by this time, it seemed that he also had some relationship with this woman named Wanqing, and now it looked like the conflict was going to escalate even further.


    "Wanqing, you actually know him?" Sunx Dongming came to the woman¡¯s side, frowning as he asked.


    "Yes, he saved me before, and I¡¯ve always wanted to find him to express my gratitude, but I never saw him again. I really didn¡¯t expect to run into him here."


    Sunx Dongming nodded, looked at Zheng Mingrui, and said, "I really didn¡¯t expect you to know my fianc¨¦e. Out of respect for my fianc¨¦e, I won¡¯t hold a grudge against you."


    The way he spoke was still so arrogant, as if sparing Zheng Mingrui his grudge was a favor to Zheng Mingrui, not something expected of him as a squad member.


    "Sunx Dongming, watch yourself, who is your fianc¨¦e?" The woman named Wanqing glared at Sunx Dongming, clearly annoyed.


    Sunx Dongming¡¯s expression turned sour as he said, "Lin Wanqing, this is just a matter of time; our families had already arranged it."


    Lin Wanqing snorted and said, "What does that have to do with me? Whom I want to marry is my business, and nobody else¡¯s decision counts."


    Sunx Dongming¡¯s face grew even uglier. While Lin Wanqing was indeed beautiful, she wasn¡¯t to the extent of being devastatingly so. However, because of her family background, he had always regarded her as his future wife. And even though Lin Wanqing didn¡¯t like him, he had considered her his private property.


    At this moment, Lin Wanqing was publicly humiliating him, and being the kind of man he was, Sunx Dongming couldn¡¯t take it. In a fury, he raised his hand to slap Lin Wanqing across the face, shouting, "You wretch!"


    If that slap had connected, Lin Wanqing¡¯s fair face would definitely have suffered; she too was startled, not having expected Sunx Dongming to dare to hit her at this moment. Overcome with anger and panic, she forgot to dodge.


    Just as Sunx Dongming¡¯s hand was about to hit Lin Wanqing¡¯s face, Sunx Dongming¡¯s body suddenly flew backwards, only stopping when he hit someone behind him.


    The one who acted was Zheng Mingrui; he glared with bloodshot eyes and angrily said, "Sunx Dongming, are you even a man? How can you hit a woman!"


    Lin Wanqing was stunned for a moment, looking gratefully at Zheng Mingrui who stood protectively in front of her. Her thoughts quickly went back to the time Zheng Mingrui had saved her, which stirred her emotions deeply.


    Struggling to his feet, Sunx Dongming held his abdomen, glaring at Zheng Mingrui with vengeance and gritted his teeth: "Zheng Mingrui, you dare hit me!"


    Zheng Mingrui uttered a cold snort and said, "What I hit was exactly somebody like you who deserves it."


    With a sinister look, Sunx Dongming nodded twice and said, "Very well, very well, then we shall see. If you had been a bit smarter, I would have considered keeping you in the squad. Now I will not only kick you out but also make sure you die a terrible death. I will make sure you die with nowhere to bury."


    Once again, Zheng Mingrui snorted coldly and replied, "Use whatever tricks you have, if Zheng Mingrui is scared of you, then I¡¯m not a man." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Lin Wanqing was deeply alarmed. She knew very well who Sunx Dongming was. For Zheng Mingrui to go against Sunx Dongming would surely be suicidal. She quickly stepped in front of Zheng Mingrui and said to Sunx Dongming, "If you have a problem, take it up with me. Why take it out on him?"


    Her defense of Zheng Mingrui made it clear where her sympathies lay, which only infuriated Sunx Dongming further. In his eyes, Zheng Mingrui was a despicable rival who was after his woman. Pointing at Zheng Mingrui, he said, "Zheng Mingrui, I¡¯m telling you now, you¡¯re finished. I, Sunx Dongming, will make sure you die without a place to be buried!"

 Chapter 477 - 487: You Can’t, But I Can

    Chapter 477: Chapter 487: You Can¡¯t, But I CanZheng Mingrui sneered and said, "Sunx Dongming, if you¡¯ve got the guts, just try me. If Zheng Mingrui is scared of you, I¡¯ll write my Zheng upside down."


    Sunx Dongming¡¯s face grew even colder; he leaned in close to Zheng Mingrui and said sinisterly, "That¡¯s right, you¡¯re not afraid to die, I believe that. But some people do fear death. For example, some older folks, and some younger ones. If I recall correctly, don¡¯t you have a sister? I¡¯d really like to have a taste of her." As he spoke, Sunx Dongming licked his lips and looked down on Zheng Mingrui with a contemptuous gaze.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face instantly changed color; he reached out and grabbed Sunx Dongming by the collar, furiously shouting, "You dare!"


    "Do you think I dare or not?" Sunx Dongming raised his hands with a grin, still looking at Zheng Mingrui with a smirk.


    Zheng Mingrui was so angry his face turned blue, he balled up his fist ready to hit Sunx Dongming, but Sunx Dongming didn¡¯t even try to dodge, still smiling at Zheng Mingrui. Li Yifei, with a quick step, rushed over and grabbed Zheng Mingrui¡¯s wrist.


    "Boss!" Zheng Mingrui turned his head to look at Li Yifei, his fists cracking with the force of his grip. It was only because Li Yifei had stopped him; nobody else could have.


    "Don¡¯t act rashly, if you do this, you¡¯ll be fired on the spot," Li Yifei said, pointing to a person hiding at the back on the opposite side. That guy was skulking behind, busy filming it all on his cellphone.


    There are some rules within the Flying Hawk Squad. It¡¯s fine to beat each other into pig heads during training in the squad, but private fighting outside is strictly forbidden. If discovered, dismissal is certain. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Zheng Mingrui was currently the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, his power had been greatly diminished lately. Plus, the current number one really wanted him out. If the video of Zheng Mingrui hitting someone was sent back, his dismissal would be assured.


    The previous altercation had been too sudden for anyone to film, but now the setup was complete, just waiting for Zheng Mingrui to lose his cool.


    Sunx Dongming provocatively looked at Zheng Mingrui and said, "What¡¯s up? You chicken out? I thought you guys believed that only strength mattered? If you have the guts, hit me again."


    Zheng Mingrui glared at Sunx Dongming hatefully and slowly let go. If he really hit him here, he would certainly be dismissed from the Flying Hawk Squad. For a member of the squad, being dismissed would hurt more than death.


    Sunx Dongming straightened his collar, addressing Zheng Mingrui, "Wow, so you backed down. And to think you¡¯re the team captain. Heh, but considering you¡¯re at least aware of the real deal, when I play with your sister, at most I¡¯ll bring two guys, not too many, so she won¡¯t be overwhelmed."


    "Fuck!"


    "Sunx Dongming, you son of a bitch!"


    "Are you even a man?"


    The members of the Flying Hawk Squad started cursing. Sunx Dongming¡¯s behavior was despicable. Not only had he infuriated Zheng Mingrui, but the others were seething to the point their lungs might explode. They all wanted to rush in regardless of the consequences, intent on beating Sunx Dongming to a pulp first and foremost.


    Li Yifei spread his arms to stop them, bellowing, "All of you, hands off!"


    "Boss! Let us beat this punk. Even if we get fired, I need to smack him one," Zhou Qiang roared angrily.


    Another member shouted, "Exactly, boss, don¡¯t hold us back! I can¡¯t take this humiliation; I¡¯ll leave the squad if I have to, but I must hit him."


    Sunx Dongming took a step back. Although he had wanted to see this, the situation was getting heated, and if these people really gave him a beating, his life might be at stake.


    "Shut up, all of you!" Li Yifei suddenly yelled.


    All the members fell silent. They had the utmost respect for Li Yifei, their captain, and even though they were still seething inside, they stopped.


    Seeing Li Yifei manage to contain the impulsive bunch, Sunx Dongming felt disappointed, yet he also let out a sigh of relief. He laughed, "Old captain, you still command quite the presence, quieting everyone down with just a word."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face remained calm as he looked at Sunx Dongming, saying nothing.


    Sunx Dongming chuckled, "Old captain, I¡¯ve been around since your time in charge. I ought to show some respect, but this guy dared to seduce my fianc¨¦e. I have to ruin him; I can¡¯t sell you that respect."


    Lin Wanqing furiously exclaimed, "Sun Dongming, haven¡¯t you had enough, do you find this amusing?"


    With a haha laugh, Sun Dongming¡¯s laughter abruptly ceased, and with a dark look on his face, he said, "Of course, it¡¯s amusing. The girl I, Sun Dongming, take a fancy to cannot be touched by anyone else. Not only will I deal with him, but his family too, no one will be spared."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s body shuddered again, but Li Yifei steadied him by the shoulder, gave him a slight smile, and as Mingrui met Yifei¡¯s gaze, he took a deep breath and nodded. He completely trusted Yifei and understood that acting impulsively now would not be of any benefit to him.


    Seeing that under his verbal assault, Zheng Mingrui still didn¡¯t retaliate, Sun Dongming felt even more irritated and spoke with added malice, "Zheng Mingrui, are you even a man, having such little courage? Don¡¯t you have your eyes set on my fianc¨¦e? In front of a woman, you turn into a spineless wimp. And you still want to chase after my fianc¨¦e? That¡¯s like a toad lusting after a swan¡¯s flesh, haha. Or maybe after I¡¯ve had my way with your sister, you can try yourself, I bet that¡¯s all the courage you have, to only dare to set your sights on your sister."


    "Boss, don¡¯t hold me back, I want to kill him!" Zhou Qiang begged Li Yifei, veins popping on his forehead with anger behind Yifei.


    "Exactly, boss, don¡¯t stop us, we can¡¯t take this lying down."


    Li Yifei turned around, looked at his former comrades-in-arms and smiled faintly, "Have you thought about it? If you act on impulse like this, you¡¯ll definitely be kicked out of the squad."


    "Boss, I¡¯d rather not be in the squad. Even if I become an ordinary person, I can¡¯t stand to tolerate him!"


    "Boss, worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll just follow you after. Staying in this squad isn¡¯t meaningful to me anymore."


    Everyone was clamoring, determined to deal with Sun Dongming and his cronies, when Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened, "If you beat up this guy, and the squad ends up being dominated by such jerks afterward, have you thought about what will become of it? Do you really want to stand by and watch a squad with years of glory crumble at our hands?"


    The crowd fell silent, unable to speak. The Flying Hawk Squad had always been their pride; every member took pride in belonging to the Flying Hawk Squad. If the Flying Hawk Squad were to fall because of them, they would be eternal sinners, unable to face the squad¡¯s ancestors even in death.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei declared, "Remember, you are members of the squad, the squad is your honor, and no one can destroy your squad!"


    This roused everyone¡¯s emotions instantly; all members, including Zheng Mingrui, snapped to attention, standing ramrod straight.


    Li Yifei nodded in satisfaction, "Good, you¡¯ve all done well. But don¡¯t think our brothers can be bullied by just anyone."


    The men¡¯s eyes lit up. If Yifei said that, it meant he was going to strike back, something all were well aware of. Yet under these circumstances, they were all filled with anticipation, not knowing how Yifei would proceed.


    "You¡¯re squad members, but I¡¯m not. You can¡¯t fight your squad mates, but I can beat up anyone I don¡¯t like. Today, I¡¯ll avenge the grievances you¡¯ve suffered for you."


    With these words, Li Yifei turned into a hunting leopard, and with a swift twist, he had already charged towards Sun Dongming.


    Feeling the imminent threat as Li Yifei spoke, Sun Dongming hurriedly backed away. Were it any other squad member, he might have found some room to maneuver, but he was far less skilled than any real member of the squad, and his reaction speed was lacking. As soon as he moved, Li Yifei had already collided into his embrace.


    Sun Dongming felt as if he had been hit by a tank; his legs involuntarily left the ground, and his body flew out like a cannonball. It was only while airborne that he felt a sharp pain in his chest, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out of his mouth mid-air.


    Li Yifei did not let up; his feet pushed off, chasing after Sun Dongming¡¯s airborne body, and his hands flew in a flurry, a series of crisp slapping sounds ensued until Sun Dongming¡¯s body hit the ground, and the slapping ceased.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop after hitting Sun Dongming. He immediately rushed towards the others who came with Sun Dongming, throwing punches and kicks, hitting his targets with every move. In the blink of an eye, six more were laid out on the ground by Yifei.


    "You... you..." Sun Dongming¡¯s face was swollen like buns, his entire face resembled a pig¡¯s head, and as he spit out another mouthful of blood, he pointed at Li Yifei, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He had not expected that Li Yifei would lay a hand on him after holding back the Flying Hawk Squad members.


    "You lot of scum, it¡¯s one thing to bully others in the squad, but to lord it over others here too? Today I¡¯ll beat you up to see what you can do about it."


    Sun Dongming pointed at Li Yifei, gasping in anger without drawing breath until his head lolled, and with a thud, he collapsed to the ground, passed out.


    Zheng Mingrui and the others cheered, crowding around Li Yifei. Today, Yifei had vented their rage, the old squad leader still had that domineering style, and watching the sorry state of the others, they felt an immense satisfaction.


    However, at that moment, Zheng Mingrui started to worry. Yifei wasn¡¯t part of the Flying Hawk Squad anymore, and by beating up Sun Dongming and his crew, things might get even more troublesome.

 Chapter 478 - 488: Ning Xin’er’s Decision

    Chapter 478: Chapter 488: Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s Decision"Boss, you hit them, they might come after you for trouble," Zheng Mingrui said to Li Yifei with some concern after the excitement had passed.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing. Although their backgrounds are strong, my relationship with Su Mengxin has always been good. If anything happens, Su Mengxin will stand up for me."


    "Su Mengxin!" Everyone exclaimed, in the small place of Mile City, Su Mengxin simply seemed influential, but not particularly powerful. However, in Capital City, Su Mengxin¡¯s influence was even more significant¡ªa notch below some of the senior leaders, her influence wasn¡¯t any less than those of ministerial-level officials. Sun Dongming and his cohort of Second Generation Officials and Rich Second Generation just couldn¡¯t compare with her.


    "Boss, you¡¯re so badass, having Su Mengxin as your backer. We won¡¯t worry then. But, Boss, is there something going on between you two? Heh heh, Su Mengxin is still single now."


    Li Yifei laughed, "What do you guys think?"


    Of course, no one believed that something romantic happened between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin because Su Mengxin¡¯s background was still too strong. Even if Li Yifei was mighty, he was not in the same league as Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei mentioned Su Mengxin only to keep everyone from worrying. After joking about it, he sat down with everyone to continue drinking, while Sun Dongming and his bunch had already left with their tails between their legs.


    Here, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried at all about Sun Dongming and the others getting the police to trouble them. Not to mention that every single person here was not to be trifled with by the police. Besides, Sun Dongming and the rest were members of the Flying Hawk Squad. If word got out that they were beaten up, they would lose all face. So how could they use such a method to trouble Li Yifei and the others?


    Originally, there were four girls who had come with Sun Dongming¡¯s group. Three of them left with Sun Dongming, but Lin Wanqing stayed and sat next to Zheng Mingrui.


    "Mingrui, aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?" Li Yifei transitioned the topic to Zheng Mingrui with a smile.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face turned red, and he looked at Lin Wanqing, saying, "This is Lin Wanqing. I once saved her by chance during a mission, and then we got to know each other."


    Lin Wanqing seemed very composed and said, "That¡¯s right. If it hadn¡¯t been for Mingrui, I would have been dead."


    "Tell us the details!" The other members began to urge on, as everyone had experienced dangerous and exciting incidents and was used to such things. However, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s story was obviously laced with romance, and they naturally wanted to dig deeper.


    Zheng Mingrui was somewhat embarrassed to speak, while Lin Wanqing took over, "That one time I was on a cruise for fun, never expecting to encounter terrorists on board. Those terrorists were really vicious, killing people without batting an eye. Without much ado, they had already killed more than ten people, scaring everyone to the point of being paralyzed with fear. I, along with others, was herded into a hall guarded by several gunmen. I really thought I was done for, but then..."


    Lin Wanqing turned her head to look at Zheng Mingrui, smiling slightly, "Mingrui was right beside me at the time, taking care of me, encouraging me, which helped me calm down a bit. To my surprise, one of the criminals pointed a gun at me and wanted to take me away. I thought it was over for me, and my legs had gone weak. That¡¯s when Mingrui made his move and subdued the criminal. Then he killed the rest of them."


    Lin Wanqing made it sound simple, but the actual event was far more dangerous than what she described. However, everyone was not interested in the peril they faced but were curious about what happened next.


    Lin Wanqing glanced at Zheng Mingrui again, chuckled, and said, "I had injured my foot at that time and couldn¡¯t walk. Mingrui continued to take care of me until our ship returned to port, and he didn¡¯t leave until then. It was only then that I found out he was a soldier. Later on, I wanted to find Mingrui to express my gratitude, but I never saw him until today, which made me so happy."


    Her narrative was just as simple, but everyone began to let their imaginations run wild. After going through adversity together and owing a life-saving favor, it was normal for romantic feelings to blossom. They all looked at Zheng Mingrui with knowing, teasing eyes, and Li Yifei was no exception. Although he was no longer keen on getting involved with women, hearing about his buddies¡¯ romantic encounters was still exciting for him.


    Zheng Mingrui felt uneasy under everyone¡¯s gaze and coughed awkwardly before saying, "Don¡¯t look at us like that. Under those circumstances, of course, I had to take care of Wanqing. She had no friends or relatives on that boat."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, patted Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder, and said, "You¡¯re a real man; why so bashful? If you like her, just go for it boldly. We all support you."


    Zheng Mingrui was even more embarrassed but couldn¡¯t help looking towards Lin Wanqing.


    Lin Wanqing¡¯s face also turned red, and with a smile, facing Zheng Mingrui¡¯s gaze, she said, "I might give you a chance, you know."


    A chorus of catcalls went up from the group, and Zheng Mingrui blushed with excitement, at a loss for words.


    Watching Zheng Mingrui like this, Li Yifei shook his head secretly to himself. The Tender Country really was the grave of heroes; Zheng Mingrui had become entangled in Lin Wanqing¡¯s web of romance, although he used to be like the rest of them¡ªplaying the field but never getting serious. Now, he had fallen deep.


    But Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help sneering at himself right away, as the very thing he found most troublesome right now was love.


    "Alright, alright, we¡¯ve drunk enough for today. Let¡¯s make a move, brothers."


    With a shout from Li Yifei, everyone promptly got up and made to leave. Zheng Mingrui hastily called out, "Wait for me."


    "You¡¯re treating this meal, you settle the bill," Li Yifei laughed loudly and left with his squad.


    Zheng Mingrui stopped in his tracks, glanced at Song Wanqing with an awkward smile, and said, "Those guys, they sure ran off fast."


    Song Wanqing was no fool; she could tell that those people had left to give them a chance, and as for her feeling toward Zheng Mingrui, it was indeed quite strong. With a slight smile, she said, "Now that it¡¯s just the two of us, should we find another place to sit down and have a good chat?"


    "This... that..." Zheng Mingrui rubbed his hands, uncertain whether he should agree or not.


    "Hmph, are you even a man? Acting all coy like this." Song Wanqing rolled her eyes at Zheng Mingrui, grabbed his arm, and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Hiding to one side, Li Yifei and the others laughed heartily as they watched Zheng Mingrui and Song Wanqing leave together. They all knew that Zheng Mingrui¡¯s plight would definitely become a favorite topic amongst the brothers.


    After finishing his drink, Li Yifei took a bath outside, sobering up completely before picking up his daughter from school; he didn¡¯t want his daughter to smell alcohol on him. This level of care wasn¡¯t even present around his wife, Xu Yingying; a daughter¡¯s influence was truly unmatched.


    "Godfather!" Seeing Li Yifei coming to pick her up, his little girl Li Yufei bounced happily towards him. After spending a day with her, Li Yifei had already made considerable progress in bonding with her.


    Li Yifei scooped up his daughter and asked, "Did you miss godfather?"


    "No."


    Li Yifei was instantly at a loss for words. His own daughter was too blunt, which was quite a blow, but children say the darndest things. Besides, they had only been together for a little over a day, and this level of closeness was already quite good.


    Once in the car, Li Yufei looked around and asked, "Godfather, where are my mommy and daddy?"


    "They are on a business trip."


    "Then why haven¡¯t they come back yet?"


    "They will be gone for a few days and will be back soon."


    The little girl immediately pouted and said, "The are bad," then went silent, her lips pursed in discontent no matter how Li Yifei tried to cajole her.


    His daughter¡¯s behavior made Li Yifei realize that reuniting with his daughter was indeed a long and arduous task. He would have to make an even greater effort.


    Fortunately, once they got home, with Ning Xin¡¯er, her godmother, present, and Chu Xiaoyao as a playmate, the little girl eventually began to cheer up. One thing about children is that as long as there¡¯s something that catches their interest, they can quickly forget their displeasure.


    After dinner, Li Yifei was reading a comic book and telling his daughter a story. She listened attentively and asked questions from time to time, which Li Yifei patiently answered. Ning Xin¡¯er sat on the bed, watching them, her eyes filled with bliss.


    This was the happy time for a family of three, a dream come true many times over. Ning Xin¡¯er felt it almost too surreal to believe. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s cellphone rang. She checked the number and stepped out to answer it. Li Yifei didn¡¯t think much of it and continued telling his daughter the story.


    After a while, Ning Xin¡¯er came back in. Li Yifei had just finished telling a story and the little girl ran out to play with Chu Xiaoyao.


    "There¡¯s a cocktail party tomorrow, and I¡¯ve been invited to attend," Ning Xin¡¯er said, sitting next to Li Yifei, a particularly sweet smile on her face.


    Li Yifei, still lying on the bed, asked, "Is there a problem with this cocktail party?"


    "No problem, it¡¯s just that I want to announce something at the cocktail party."


    "You¡¯re not thinking of acknowledging that you already have a daughter, are you?"


    "Yes! That¡¯s exactly what I want to do." Ning Xin¡¯er nodded vehemently. "These past years I¡¯ve always refused to reveal that I have a daughter, so I couldn¡¯t be with her. I owe her too much. Now that you¡¯re here, I can¡¯t let my daughter keep living like this."


    Li Yifei immediately sat up and shook his head, saying, "Not yet, it¡¯s not time."


    "Why?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s smile froze as she stared at Li Yifei.

 Chapter 479 - 489 - Professional Fake Boyfriend

    Chapter 479: 489 Chapter Professional Fake BoyfriendLi Yifei met Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze and said, "You are now a public figure, and every move you make is watched by people. Those around you are even more the focus of journalists¡¯ attention. If you reveal anything about your daughter, then she will definitely be targeted by those journalists. She¡¯s only so young; how could she stand being surrounded by reporters every day? And if those other children learn that she is the daughter of the big star Ning Xin¡¯er, how would they treat her?"


    "Is it really that serious? Our daughter is only in kindergarten, and those kids won¡¯t understand the concept of a star, will they?"


    "What about the teachers then? And the other parents? In short, as soon as you release this news, wherever your daughter goes, she will likely be watched, which definitely won¡¯t be good for her development."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression suddenly turned ugly, but she knew that Li Yifei was right. She had always avoided revealing that she had a daughter, not wanting people to know, but wasn¡¯t it also out of fear that it would negatively impact her daughter?


    "So what you¡¯re saying is that I could never mention I have a daughter for the rest of my life?" Even though she understood, Ning Xin¡¯er still felt uncomfortable inside and retorted to Li Yifei with irritation.


    "That¡¯s not necessarily the case. If you later withdraw from the public eye for a while and no one pays attention to you anymore, then talking about your daughter wouldn¡¯t draw any interest."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately asserted decisively, "Then fine, I¡¯ll announce my retirement from show business tomorrow, so no one can suspect that someone took advantage of me while I was acting." She then gave Li Yifei a disdainful look.


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "I was just suggesting, don¡¯t take it to heart. However, regarding your retirement from show business, it might be better to take it slow. If you announce it like that, it will surely draw even more attention to you, and more journalists might target you, which would not be good for bringing our daughter home."


    "Nothing¡¯s right with you, what exactly do you want me to do?" Ning Xin¡¯er frowned deeply in dissatisfaction as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "That¡¯s simple. My suggestion is, if you sincerely want to leave show business and escape the public¡¯s eye, then you should start now. Don¡¯t take on any more roles, and try not to attend events with media presence. That way, you¡¯ll gradually fade from public attention, and later on, no one will concern themselves with what you do."


    "I see... that¡¯s actually a good idea. You really are full of tricks," Ning Xin¡¯er praised Li Yifei before saying cheerfully, "Then I¡¯ll have no way to make money, and both our daughter and I will have to depend on you."


    Li Yifei froze for a moment before realizing that his suggestion meant he would have to directly support Ning Xin¡¯er, which was indeed like shooting himself in the foot.


    Seeing his reluctant expression, Ning Xin¡¯er snorted, "As if I couldn¡¯t support myself. I¡¯ve managed to save up some money over the years; there¡¯s no problem ensuring we three live comfortably for the rest of our lives."


    Li Yifei did not explain, simply smiling at Ning Xin¡¯er, who didn¡¯t press the issue further. She said, "I¡¯m also hoping to step away from the public eye soon; it¡¯s really uncomfortable now. I regret so much that I entered this industry."


    "There¡¯s no use regretting things you¡¯ve done."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately glared and asked, "Are you saying you have always regretted what happened between us?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and replied, "I used to regret it quite a bit, but not anymore. How else would I have such an adorable daughter?"


    "You know what¡¯s good for you, hmmph. I¡¯m going to be with our daughter; I won¡¯t talk to you anymore."


    These days, Ning Xin¡¯er had not been bothering Li Yifei, which allowed him to feel a lot more at ease. After all, they had a daughter together, so even if Ning Xin¡¯er wanted something from him, it seemed normal. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the following days, Li Yifei continued to be a qualified father, playing with his daughter, and dropping her off and picking her up from school. He had thought their relationship would only get better, but to his surprise, while things had been fine for the first couple of days, the daughter began to act up in the following days, missing Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao, the two she had come to know as her parents, and becoming insistent on seeing them.


    No matter what strategies Li Yifei or Ning Xin¡¯er employed, they could only momentarily distract their daughter. As soon as things quieted down, she would think of Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao and especially at night, she would fuss over wanting her mother and father, causing both Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er great stress.


    Ning Xin¡¯er at this time was filled with self-blame; if only she hadn¡¯t let Li Qiang and Yang Shuyao take care of her daughter, this situation might have been avoided.


    Li Yifei did not blame Ning Xin¡¯er, as there was no point in resenting what had already happened. The main issue now was helping their daughter forget her original parents, a task that seemed to require even more patience and care.


    After more than a week on this side, Li Yifei gathered again with Zheng Mingrui and the others, with Zheng Mingrui appearing full of vigor this time. After the previous conflict with Sun Dongming¡¯s group, Zheng Mingrui had stopped holding back. Since he couldn¡¯t get along with those team members who came with backgrounds, he stopped tolerating them, and within the team, the two groups started to butt heads.


    After all, Zheng Mingrui was the number two person in the Flying Hawk Squad, responsible for the training inside the squad. Number one couldn¡¯t interfere with that, so Zheng Mingrui vigorously trained the team members. Although the newcomers like Sun Dongming were physically fine, compared to the original members like Zheng Mingrui, they were far inferior and were soon worn out by Zheng Mingrui¡¯s intensive training.


    These people naturally didn¡¯t accept this and resisted by refusing to train. Zheng Mingrui was straightforward, directly subjecting them to physical punishment. In the Flying Hawk Squad, physical punishment wasn¡¯t against the rules, and he even confined a few still defiant members to solitary, not giving face even when number one interceded.


    In the past, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s methods weren¡¯t forceful enough, which led to his authority being pushed back more and more by number one, almost leading to the ruin of the Flying Hawk Squad. But after receiving guidance from Li Yifei, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s decisive actions quickly restored his prestige in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    With Zheng Mingrui doing so, number one was somewhat at a loss, as everything Zheng Mingrui did was normal. Even if there was a dispute, Zheng Mingrui had the upper hand. As for Sun Dongming and the others, they couldn¡¯t catch any handle on Zheng Mingrui, so toppling him wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    The Flying Hawk Squad, being one of the country¡¯s strongest special forces units, was always taken very seriously by those above. While behind-the-scenes maneuvers might be one thing, a public confrontation was out of the question, even for the backers of Sun Dongming and his group.


    This was Zheng Mingrui¡¯s first piece of good news, and the second was his relationship progression with Lin Wanqing. He was now brimming with pleasure and had, after drinking with his colleagues, even stopped his prior licentious visits to places like saunas.


    Li Yifei was very happy for Zheng Mingrui. Someone as skilled as Zheng Mingrui definitely had the ability; sending him to execute missions would undoubtedly be problem-free. What he lacked was experience leading the Flying Hawk Squad, which now seemed to be no issue. So, Li Yifei was not too worried about him anymore.


    As for relationships, Li Yifei was just as happy for Zheng Mingrui. Those in their Flying Hawk Squad, used to debauchery, were not easily settled. Lin Wanqing, who at a glance appeared to be a good girl, would be a fine match for Zheng Mingrui, indeed a good thing.


    After finishing the drinks, Li Yifei was ready to go home but received a call from Su Mengxin. He had talked to Su Mengxin about the Sun Dongming incident before, and having Su Mengxin exert some pressure on Sun Dongming¡¯s group was beneficial. He knew these Second Generation Officials were extremely arrogant; if they caused trouble, it would be more difficult than dealing with terrorists. Having Su Mengxin¡¯s support to rely on every now and then wasn¡¯t a disgraceful thing.


    "Yifei, are you free tonight? Some friends want to meet up, can you come and help me out?"


    "Me, help you out?" Li Yifei exclaimed in surprise.


    "Yes, you¡¯ve got to help me. These people are trying to set me up with boyfriends. Without your support, I¡¯ll have trouble dealing with them."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "Mengxin, anything but playing the role of a boyfriend, that seems tough for me?"


    "Aren¡¯t you good at it?" Su Mengxin laughed softly.


    "That¡¯s different. Pretending to be Yingying¡¯s and Lin Qiong¡¯s boyfriend was easier; their parents were manageable. But you, with your status, who will believe that I¡¯m your boyfriend?"


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true. Looking for a boyfriend, I don¡¯t need to find someone well-matched, do I? As long as I like him, it¡¯s okay. You just need to fool those friends of mine, stop them from introducing me to more guys in the future."


    "This... I feel too much pressure."


    "This is a small matter I¡¯m troubling you with, you won¡¯t leave me hanging, right?" Su Mengxin¡¯s tone was a bit pleading, with a hint of grievance.


    Li Yifei was immediately defeated, and quickly responded with a wry smile, "Alright, I¡¯m now officially the go-to for playing the fake boyfriend, it seems."


    Su Mengxin giggled, "That just shows how professional you are. Otherwise, why would I dare to ask you?"


    Since Su Mengxin trusted him so much, Li Yifei naturally couldn¡¯t make more excuses. In Mile City, Su Mengxin had given him plenty of help and had always been very good to him; even the cigarettes he smoked now were provided by her. Regardless of anything else, if only for these cigarettes, Li Yifei had to help her.


    But Li Yifei indeed felt pressured. Su Mengxin, amongst the younger generation in the country, was absolutely top tier. The friends who could make contact with her, nobility and status-wise, none were weak¡ªprobably all were children of central government-level leaders. Fooling them wouldn¡¯t be easy.

 Chapter 480 - 490 This Boyfriend Is Not Easy to Be

    Chapter 480: Chapter 490 This Boyfriend Is Not Easy to BeIt wasn¡¯t long before two cars pulled up in front of Li Yifei, and as the rear window rolled down, there was Susanna¡¯s peerless beauty, saying, "Get in, my boyfriend."


    Li Yifei smiled generously, got in the car, and sat next to Su Mengxin. This car was one of those bullet-proof, stretched Mercedes, very spacious at the back, and separated from the driver by a partition. So unless a switch was pressed, the driver couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the back at all.


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei with a beaming smile but didn¡¯t say a word, which made Li Yifei somewhat uneasy. He gave a dry laugh and said, "Do I not quite meet the standards?"


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "It¡¯s not about not meeting the standards¡ªit¡¯s that you meet them too well. Someone like you is exactly the standard I¡¯m looking for in a boyfriend."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Really? Your standards might be a bit too low then."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a disdainful glance and said, "Then what kind of man do you think I should be looking for?"


    "That would have to be... the child of a major leader, right?"


    "Forget it, we no longer need to rely on marriage alliances to secure our family¡¯s interests. Besides, Central Government leaders aren¡¯t allowed to engage in such things, only the big families like to use marriage alliances to consolidate their status."


    Without missing a beat, Li Yifei continued, "Then it should be someone ridiculously handsome, right?"


    "What¡¯s the use of being handsome? The most important thing for a man is to have a manly spirit. From a genetic point of view, a strong man with a smart brain is the real assurance for better offspring. Being handsome is the least useful attribute."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "The way you put it, I seem to be quite up to scratch..." He paused, looking at Su Mengxin with a puzzled expression, "You don¡¯t really fancy me, do you?"


    With a suppressed smile, Su Mengxin replied, "What do you think?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I¡¯d say that¡¯s definitely not possible."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a scornful glance. How could he not feel her affection for him, considering how well she treated him? However, Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t admit it outright; she wanted Li Yifei to truly feel and understand, to be drawn to her heart through her actions.


    The car soon stopped, and Su Mengxin and Li Yifei got out. They were at an upscale shopping mall where nothing was priced below a thousand, and items often cost tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. Li Yifei had been very familiar with this place when he was in Capital City.


    Li Yifei himself was quite wealthy, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to his attire, so he had never shopped here before. Today, Su Mengxin¡¯s visit was clearly intended for buying him clothes.


    "Hehe, we¡¯ve got some time, so accompany me for a bit of shopping, will you? I haven¡¯t gone shopping without you for a quite some time," Su Mengxin said naturally as she took Li Yifei¡¯s arm and headed straight into the mall.


    Even if Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to admit it, every time Su Mengxin got close to him like this, he felt a sense of accomplishment. She was Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, the dream woman of countless men, and here he was, arm in arm with her, undoubtedly the envy of countless others.


    In Mile City, people were mostly struck by Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty without knowing who she was, but in Capital City, Su Mengxin was a household name. Moreover, the clientele here in the high-end mall were all either rich or noble, and most of them recognized her.


    Those who knew Su Mengxin were aware that she had always been single, never even having had a boyfriend. Now here she was with a man, intimately clutching his arm. This sight aroused immense surprise and curiosity among the onlookers, all wondering who this man could be to Su Mengxin.


    Nevertheless, the majority of them instinctively assumed Li Yifei was just a relative of Su Mengxin. After all, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t particularly handsome and dressed rather plainly. Standing beside Su Mengxin, they seemed like an improbable match, unlikely to be boyfriend and girlfriend.


    Fortunately, no one came over to disturb the two, as people were generally wary of approaching someone of Su Mengxin¡¯s stature.


    Su Mengxin was having a great time shopping, frequently picking out garments to try on and then asking Li Yifei for his opinion. A beauty like Su Mengxin could make a burlap sack look chic, let alone the clothes here, designed by top-tier global designers, which only accentuated her loveliness.


    Li Yifei was dazzled by the sight. Even if he had no designs on Su Mengxin, watching her showcase her beauty before him was intoxicating, and he found it impossible to tear his eyes away from her.


    Su Mengxin was quite satisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s behavior, yet she didn¡¯t attempt any seduction. As a woman of her caliber, her approach to conquering a man was certainly different from that of ordinary women.


    During this time, Su Mengxin also picked out some clothes for Li Yifei, but she didn¡¯t select any suits that cost hundreds of thousands. Instead, she chose two sets of ordinary casual outfits for him, which still amounted to over ten thousand yuan each in that place.


    "You¡¯re really stingy, you know that? I thought you were going to buy me clothes worth a few hundred thousand, but in the end, you only spent a bit over twenty thousand," Li Yifei teased Su Mengxin with a laugh after they came out.


    With a light chuckle, Su Mengxin said, "Those suits don¡¯t suit your style, do they? If I bought them and you wouldn¡¯t wear them, what would be the point?"


    Li Yifei felt very relaxed around Su Mengxin, partly because even though she was wealthy, she had taste and understood him. In his heart, Su Mengxin did indeed feel like a close female confidant.


    When the time came, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin arrived at a clubhouse, which usually gave off the impression of a place where the wealthy went to find entertainment. However, this clubhouse had class and was situated on a hillside with an excellent surrounding environment. There was no loud music or scantily clad women, only serene courtyards dotted throughout the premises.


    This clubhouse had some similarities to the Yiyun Clubhouse in Mile City, but it was certainly more atmospheric and classy.


    Su Mengxin led Li Yifei to the most secluded courtyard inside, where there was a gazebo. Three young women and a man were sitting inside, drinking tea in the gentle breeze. The courtyard, blooming with flowers, exuded a fragrant aroma that was indescribably charming.


    "Mengxin, you finally arrived," the group greeted her with beaming smiles as they approached. Seeing Su Mengxin holding Li Yifei¡¯s arm, the three women looked at him in surprise. A girl with short hair and a short skirt blurted out, "Mengxin, who is this?"


    With a slight smile, Su Mengxin replied, "This is my boyfriend, Li Yifei. Yifei, let me introduce you. This is Su Mengfei, my cousin, this is Xiao Ling¡¯er, and this is Zheng Yuling, all good friends of mine."


    Li Yifei quickly smiled politely and said, "Hello everyone, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all."


    The short-haired girl, Xiao Ling¡¯er, frowned slightly and said, "Mengxin, this is your boyfriend? How come I don¡¯t recall ever seeing him? He¡¯s not from Capital City, is he?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a slight smile, Su Mengxin said, "He¡¯s from Mile City."


    "Mile City? That sounds like a small town. Hey, handsome, what do you do for a living? And what does your family do?"


    The question was somewhat impolite, but Li Yifei, already familiar with the temperaments of Second Generation Officials, didn¡¯t take offense and replied calmly, "My parents have passed away, and I¡¯m just an ordinary citizen."


    "What?" The three girls exclaimed, giving Li Yifei a once-over. Nothing about Yifei¡¯s appearance gave off the impression of wealth, meaning he truly was an ordinary person.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pulled Su Mengxin aside, saying discontentedly, "Mengxin, this isn¡¯t right. I came today to be your matchmaker, and now you suddenly bring out a boyfriend. Aren¡¯t you slapping me in the face?"


    Su Mengxin quickly apologized, "Ling¡¯er, I¡¯m really sorry, but you never believed me when I said I had a boyfriend. If I hadn¡¯t brought him, you¡¯d still be worrying about my future. Is this the one you wanted to introduce to me?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted and said, "Yes, this is the person I wanted to introduce, Wei Ziang from the Wei Family in South Su, the most distinguished person of his generation."


    Wei Ziang stood about one meter eighty-five, with a tall build and a handsome face. He was an extremely attractive man; based on looks alone, he matched Su Mengxin very well. His expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he still politely said to Su Mengxin, "Miss Su, I have long heard of your name, and having the honor to meet you in person is truly my privilege."


    Extending her hand, Su Mengxin shook hands with Wei Ziqiang, smiling as she said, "Mr. Wei, I¡¯ve also heard about some of your accomplishments in South Su. With the Wei Family¡¯s growth over the years, your contributions are undeniable. I¡¯m very happy to meet you as well."


    Modestly, Wei Ziqiang replied, "Miss Su flatters me, the little that I¡¯ve done hardly compares to your achievements."


    At this moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and said, "It seems you two do have a kind of mutual admiration. There might still be a chance for something to happen between you. Oh, and this Li... what¡¯s his name again? Don¡¯t be mad, I¡¯m just joking around." The remark carried no respect and clearly dismissed Li Yifei as insignificant.


    However, Wei Ziqiang reached out to Li Yifei at that moment, "Mr. Li, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you." He wore a smile, but Li Yifei knew he wasn¡¯t really pleased¡ªWei Ziqiang clearly saw him as a rival.

 Chapter 481 - 491: Kiss if You are a Couple

    Chapter 481: Chapter 491: Kiss if You are a CoupleLi Yifei reached out and shook hands with Wei Ziqiang, still speaking with neither servility nor overbearance, "To meet someone as important as Mr. Wei is also a pleasure for me."


    Wei Ziqiang laughed heartily and said, "Mr. Li, you really have a way with words. You are Miss Su¡¯s boyfriend, and she is the important one. I can¡¯t compare to Miss Su, so please don¡¯t make fun of me."


    Although this was a self-deprecating remark, it suggested that Li Yifei only got to meet him because of his association with Su Mengxin, showing an underlying disdain for Li Yifei. However, being a man of schemes and high caliber, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be so direct in his speech.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m just an ordinary guy. To have met Mengxin, I¡¯ve always thought myself to be dreaming, and even now, I feel like the dream hasn¡¯t ended."


    Miss Su, the cousin of Su Mengxin, was dressed in a jumpsuit gown and was a stunning beauty herself, barely any less admirable than Su Mengxin, but lacked the aura that Mengxin carried, making her seem somewhat less significant. She had been curiously watching Li Yifei and interjected, "Are you really dating my cousin?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengfei, reminding him of the sprite-like Xu Shanshan, knowing that the cousin must have her doubts, he said, "Not quite, I guess?"


    The remark left everyone momentarily stunned, all looking at Su Mengfei and Li Yifei in confusion, while Su Mengxin herself appeared utterly serene, even wearing a smile. Su Mengfei quickly pressed on, "What do you mean ¡¯not quite¡¯? Either you are, or you¡¯re not."


    Li Yifei turned to Su Mengxin, his eyes slightly narrowed and his gaze filled with happiness and intoxication. He said, "Mengxin is so beautiful and of such noble status, while I¡¯m just an ordinary man. Yet now I can be with Mengxin, so I always refuse to believe that this is real."


    Su Mengxin took Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said softly, "Whether it¡¯s a dream or reality, I, Su Mengxin, said I would be with you, and I will. Nobody can stop us."


    Her words were filled with sincere emotion, and even Li Yifei could not detect a hint of falsity in them. They made him involuntarily enter the role, clasping Su Mengxin¡¯s hand back and locking eyes with her, full of tender love. He said softly, "I believe, even if many people look down on me, thinking I¡¯m a toad lusting after a swan, I won¡¯t give up."


    The two were hand in hand, gazing deeply at each other, effectively ignoring the other four people in the room.


    Inside, Wei Ziqiang felt particularly uneasy. Getting introduced to Su Mengxin this time filled him with ambitious dreams. If he could win the beauty, the Wei family would soar like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. They wouldn¡¯t just rise in South Su; they would be influential all across Huaxia.


    Wei Ziqiang was confident in his abilities and looks, even when facing Su Mengxin, and with relatives like Xiao Ling¡¯er ready to assist, he felt even more assured. But now Li Yifei had appeared out of the blue, and from the looks of it, his relationship with Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t superficial - not someone Su Mengxin had brought along just to make up numbers.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er frowned slightly and said, "Hey, hey, could you two not treat us like we¡¯re invisible?"


    Only then did Li Yifei and Su Mengxin turn to look at her, still with their hands clasped together. A blush spread across Su Mengxin¡¯s face as she said, "Sorry about that."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er snorted and said, "I say, Mengxin, I really can¡¯t understand how you can be together with him. No offense, but I really don¡¯t see anything particularly outstanding about him."


    Su Mengfei nodded vigorously in agreement, "Yeah, cousin, it doesn¡¯t seem right to me either. He¡¯s just too ordinary. How could you have picked him?"


    Su Mengxin turned apologetically to Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, don¡¯t mind them. They¡¯re all my close friends. They¡¯re used to speaking jokingly; they don¡¯t mean to look down on you."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I understand, and I can relate to them. If it were me, I would probably think the same."


    It was then that Su Mengxin spoke to Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others, "Actually, I don¡¯t understand it either. Perhaps it¡¯s just fate. I just feel very relaxed and comfortable with Yifei, a happiness I¡¯ve never known before."


    This explanation was too vague, and clearly, everyone was not very satisfied. Xiao Ling¡¯er wanted to inquire further, but Zheng Yuling, who had been silent, smiled and said, "Alright, since everyone is here, let¡¯s go inside and have some tea, chat for a while, and we can gently prod Mengxin later."


    Wei Ziqiang felt a bit awkward at this point. By rights, he should have left, but upon seeing Su Mengxin, he had become completely captivated. It would be too regretful to give up now, especially since Xiao Ling¡¯er was signaling him discreetly. So, he still followed them into the room.


    And within those few steps, Wei Ziqiang made a decision. He still wanted to pursue Su Mengxin. Although she now had a boyfriend, in his eyes, the boyfriend was too unsatisfactory. He was fully confident he could steal Su Mengxin for himself. If it were one of the high officials¡¯ sons from the Capital City, it might be difficult, but Li Yifei was so mediocre that it would undoubtedly be much easier. This was an opportunity for him, too good to pass up.


    This courtyard was not a small building, but rather resembled a courtyard house. After crossing the front lawn and passing through a large gate, one would come face to face with a screen wall. Skirting the screen wall, the houses on the front and both sides came into view, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an ancient charm.


    Wei Ziqiang immediately praised, "The environment here is truly nice, it has the charm of a courtyard from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Compared to those skyscrapers, this place has a unique touch of ingenuity. No wonder Miss Su and everyone like to come here. It¡¯s really an elegant place to be. Just look at this couplet; it complements the courtyard so nicely. Remarkable, truly remarkable."


    Li Yifei listened to this guy speak and felt something off. It was as if, upon entering this courtyard, this guy¡¯s way of talking became all literary. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t read much, he was perfectly fine dealing with combat and violence, but when it came to literary grace, he was really out of his league.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er clapped her hands and said immediately, "Ziqiang, you really are talented. I¡¯ve been here a few times and never felt anything special about this place. But after hearing you describe it, I think I need to take a good look around."


    Wei Ziqiang smiled modestly and said, "Ling¡¯er, you flatter me. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t been here before, and I find it quite novel." His words were humble, but one could subtly sense the pride in his tone.


    After a pause, Wei Ziqiang turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Mr. Li, what do you feel?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and others immediately turned their gaze to Li Yifei, and Su Mengxin also looked at him expectantly.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I¡¯m really sorry, but in my eyes, a house is just a place to shelter from wind and rain. There¡¯s no real difference between skyscrapers and country huts." He couldn¡¯t articulate what was so good about the house, so he simply chose not to say anything.


    But Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said, "That¡¯s well said. All things are natural, and fame and wealth are like fleeting clouds. If one pursues too much of the material world, they might neglect what¡¯s natural. Yifei, your detached perspective is truly appealing to me."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mean it that way, but with Su Mengxin¡¯s interpretation, he seemed to be above worldly matters, even loftier than Wei Ziqiang¡¯s state of mind. Knowing that Su Mengxin was intentionally misinterpreting his words to impose this highbrow sentiment on him, he could only smile slightly and pretend that was what he meant, saying, "Mengxin, you truly are my confidante."


    Su Mengxin smiled sweetly and said, "It¡¯s hard to find a lover in life, and even harder to find a confidant. You embody both for me, and I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more."


    Wei Ziqiang rolled his eyes covertly. He didn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei held such a high sentiment, but Su Mengxin¡¯s explanation was so rounded that he couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with it for the moment.


    Everyone moved to the living room, where the furniture was modern sofas. They all took their seats and were served tea by waitresses dressed in cheongsams, who then withdrew to the doorway.


    Li Yifei naturally sat next to Su Mengxin, and her hand held his, easy and natural without any forcefulness, as if they had held hands countless times before.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel there was anything improper about Su Mengxin holding his hand. In fact, he felt quite at ease, and under Su Mengxin¡¯s lead, he had completely forgotten that he was only pretending to be her boyfriend at the moment.


    Su Mengfei said with a smile, "Cousin, over the years, our family and friends haven¡¯t stopped introducing you to talented young men. I think any of them seem to be better than... him. No offense, I¡¯m just speaking the truth. Yet, you didn¡¯t take a fancy to any of them. Why him?"


    Su Mengfei¡¯s question was also what everyone wanted to know. What was so special about this Li Yifei that he won the heart of Mengxin, the most beautiful woman in Huaxia?


    Su Mengxin turned to Li Yifei, her eyes filled with tenderness, and said, "I¡¯ve said it before, maybe it¡¯s fate. I just like Yifei, like his lack of greed, his manliness, like the way he treats me."


    "Then how did you meet?"


    "I have business in Mile City, and Yifei works in my company. That¡¯s how we met."


    "There must be a reason you fell in love, right?" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One after another, Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling bombarded them with questions, seemingly trying to unearth every detail of Su Mengxin and Li Yifei¡¯s relationship. Su Mengxin, however, was more than capable of responding to their questions without any sign of reluctance.


    "Alright, you¡¯ve made it hard for us to find fault. If you two really are a couple, then kiss in front of us, and we¡¯ll believe you," Su Mengfei finally proposed with a mischievous smile, catching Li Yifei completely off guard.

 Chapter 482 - 492 Mengxin

    Chapter 482: Chapter 492 MengxinLi Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Su Mengfei to make such a demand. He instinctively looked towards Su Mengxin, who was also turning her gaze towards him, her face revealing a hint of redness. After making brief eye contact with Li Yifei, Su Mengxin gave her cousin a glare and said, "What are you messing around for? How can you perform such a thing in public?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately said, "What¡¯s the big deal? In France, couples kiss passionately in the streets all the time. Mengxin, haven¡¯t you been there quite often these years? You can¡¯t still be that conservative, can you?"


    Su Mengfei giggled and said, "I¡¯m telling you, cousin, if you¡¯re too scared to do it, then it just proves that your relationship is fake. You¡¯re the best at pretending, and if you have a fake boyfriend, we definitely won¡¯t be able to tell by normal means."


    Zheng Yuling chuckled softly and said, "Mengfei¡¯s suggestion is really good. Given what we know about you, bringing up a boyfriend out of the blue really makes us suspicious. Now, you not only have to kiss, but you also can¡¯t just do it perfunctorily, and it must be a French-style deep kiss."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Su Mengfei immediately began to shout excitedly, but at this moment, Wei Ziqiang¡¯s feelings were a mix of excitement and nervousness. He was excited at the prospect of exposing the relationship between Su Mengxin and Li Yifei, which would allow him to pursue Su Mengxin openly. However, he was nervous that if Su Mengxin really kissed Li Yifei with a French-style deep kiss, he might actually lose his mind.


    Su Mengxin turned to look at Li Yifei again, then smiled and said, "See that? There¡¯s nothing I can do. If we don¡¯t go along with them, they¡¯ll definitely think you¡¯re a fake."


    Li Yifei¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t change, but inside, he was secretly shouting, "This can¡¯t be for real."


    "Kiss! If you don¡¯t, then we won¡¯t believe you," Su Mengfei said, even more excited, as she stood in front of the two of them, hands on her hips, looking triumphant.


    Su Mengxin gave Su Mengfei an unhappy glare and said, "You naughty girl, always trying to embarrass me and Yifei, aren¡¯t you?"


    Su Mengfei said with a giggle, "Not at all, I am just trying to prove it. If Yifei is really your boyfriend, then I¡¯d have to start calling him brother-in-law, right?"


    Su Mengxin snorted and then turned to nestle into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, her eyes watery with emotion as she looked at Li Yifei and whispered, "Yifei, you see, if we don¡¯t do what they want, they surely won¡¯t let us off."


    By now, Li Yifei had realized Su Mengxin was truly intending to kiss him. This was going to be a real kiss, and it seemed like the game was escalating too far.


    Just as he thought of another excuse to refuse her, Su Mengxin stretched out her arms and had already wrapped them around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her face slowly moving towards his.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened. For a full three seconds, his mind went completely blank¡ªa deadly lapse for a supreme special forces soldier, where on the battlefield, such a lapse could mean death a dozen or more times over. But the shock of Su Mengxin¡¯s actions was simply too great. There she was, Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman, about to kiss him in front of others, and furthermore, it was supposed to be a French kiss, which caused Li Yifei¡¯s brain to operate abnormally.


    During the moment of Li Yifei¡¯s stupor, Su Mengxin¡¯s lips had already touched his. His body shuddered involuntarily, and his mind became even more muddled.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he had kissed Su Mengxin. In the jungle, to transition breathing while underwater, they had indeed come mouth to mouth. Later, Su Mengxin claimed that this was how Li Yifei had taken her first kiss. Then, on their island trip, they spent hours swimming in the sea, where mouth-to-mouth was quite frequent. But that could only be described as mouth-to-mouth, not a real kiss.


    That time, to avoid Ning Xin¡¯er, they technically had their first kiss, but Li Yifei was far from invested, and even though Su Mengxin buried herself in it, the sensation wasn¡¯t the best.


    Now, with Su Mengxin¡¯s lips against his, it was a truly genuine kiss. Although it was just a touch, the sensation it brought Li Yifei was already profoundly different. Women¡¯s lips come in thin and thick, some sexy, some soft, but generally, the difference isn¡¯t that great¡ªat least not for Li Yifei who had recently encountered top-tier beauties whose lips were quite tempting. However, the magic of Su Mengxin¡¯s kiss lay mainly in the feeling it stirred in the heart, too exhilarating for even Li Yifei to remain unaffected.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s feelings for Li Yifei were even stronger. Since the moment she fell for Li Yifei and decided to be with him, she had envisioned nearly everything about their future together, including such intimacy. This true, heartfelt kiss was also something she had long hoped for. She had thought she would have to wait until Li Yifei truly fell for her before such a kiss would happen, yet fate brought it about sooner than expected.


    Given this opportunity, Su Mengxin had no intention of letting it slip away. Otherwise, she certainly had ways to tactfully avoid it, but now she wanted to truly and properly kiss Li Yifei, even if it was in front of everyone.


    Being mentally prepared, Su Mengxin¡¯s reaction was much more proactive than Li Yifei¡¯s. After their lips touched for a few seconds, her little tongue tentatively reached out, gently touching Li Yifei¡¯s lips.


    Li Yifei, already somewhat out of his senses, felt Su Mengxin¡¯s tongue probe, and at that moment, he forgot where he was. His mouth opened and he completely covered Su Mengxin¡¯s sensual and delicate lips, and with a suck, Su Mengxin¡¯s tongue got involuntarily pulled into his mouth. His own tongue came out to capture Su Mengxin¡¯s and began to entwine with it.


    Li Yifei was undoubtedly a master at kissing. After Su Mengxin¡¯s initial initiative, she was now completely led by Li Yifei. That time in the sea when he kissed her, she was enraptured by him. Now, employing his kissing skills, he made Su Mengxin instantly intoxicated by the wonderful feeling. She no longer cared if others were around, she just wanted Li Yifei to kiss her, again and again, until the end of time. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling were all dumbstruck. In their eyes and even to her close friends and relatives, Su Mengxin was an untouchable paragon, not someone ordinary men could get close to. Even someone as outstanding as Wei Ziqiang wasn¡¯t considered good enough for her.


    But now, Su Mengxin was kissing Li Yifei right before their eyes, engaging in a passionate French kiss. The two held each other tightly, and Su Mengxin even let out alluring sounds during the kiss. It was unmistakably real. To their shock, Su Mengxin was truly kissing Li Yifei, a man they had looked down upon.


    This completely turned their perception of Su Mengxin on its head. They realized that even a fairy could descend to the mortal realm, that Su Mengxin was also a normal woman who kissed the man she loved, who embraced a man tightly, letting her sanctified body press closely against his.


    The three women were surprised and shocked, while Wei Ziqiang felt an unbearable mix of heartache, sorrow, and anger. He had braced himself for Su Mengxin not fancying him, and even if she ignored him or sternly rejected him, he would have thought it normal. However, seeing Su Mengxin kiss a man so much lesser than him was something he could not accept at all; it felt like an insult.


    Wei Ziqiang¡¯s face was twisted with emotion. He dared not look at Li Yifei and Su Mengxin any longer, fearing he might lose control and throw a punch at Li Yifei. Although the man deserved a beating, Wei Ziqiang couldn¡¯t afford to do that. It would leave a terrible impression on Su Mengxin and ruin any chance with her in the future.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei, and Zheng Yuling simply stared at the kissing couple, even forgetting to breathe. Although Wei Ziqiang wanted to stop this sooner, he could not bring himself to do so. As a genteel man, interrupting someone¡¯s kiss was exceedingly rude. For the sake of his future chances with Su Mengxin, no matter how agonizing it was for him, he stayed silent.


    Thus, the only sounds in the room were the murmurs of Li Yifei and Su Mengxin¡¯s kissing, which seemed so enchanting and caused the three women to blush.


    Su Mengxin truly wished she could keep kissing Li Yifei forever, but reason prevailed. After a little over two minutes, she reluctantly pulled away from Li Yifei¡¯s lips. Her cheeks were flushed, and her body felt limp and powerless. The sensation of that kiss was just too delightful.


    As their lips parted, Li Yifei felt a tinge of reluctance but upon seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s face, his heart skipped a beat. He realized how foolish he had been. This was Su Mengxin, not Xu Yingying, not Ye Yunzhu or Lin Qiong. By acting this way, wasn¡¯t he being too presumptuous with Su Mengxin? His impersonation of her boyfriend had gone a bit too far.


    But looking at Su Mengxin, he saw that she wasn¡¯t the least bit displeased; her expression told the experienced Li Yifei clearly that she had truly enjoyed the kiss, something that couldn¡¯t be faked.


    "Could Su Mengxin actually have feelings for me?" The thought suddenly crossed Li Yifei¡¯s mind. Almost immediately, he dismissed the notion. How could Su Mengxin possibly be in the same league as him, or even like him? She must have been so swept up because she had never kissed someone like this before, and his exceptional kissing skills had dazzled her. Once she came to her senses, she would probably return to normal.


    Li Yifei found a very good excuse for himself, but what he didn¡¯t know was that Su Mengxin was sincerely invested, and her affection for him was genuine.

 Chapter 483 - 493: Gone Crazy

    Chapter 483: Chapter 493: Gone CrazySu Mengxin still nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace at that moment, her eyes brimming with profound affection, and playfully said, "Now do you all believe it?"


    Su Mengfei chuckled and said, "We do believe it, cousin, but you really surprised us by keeping it a secret for so long."


    Su Mengxin brushed away a few stray strands from her forehead, flirtatiously replying, "Do I need to report my love life to each of you?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted, saying, "Of course you need to report it! I always thought you didn¡¯t have a boyfriend, so I introduced someone to you. Now look, you¡¯ve brought someone yourself. Doesn¡¯t this make Young Master Wei feel embarrassed?"


    Su Mengxin apologized to Wei Ziqiang, saying, "Mr. Wei, I¡¯m really sorry for making you uncomfortable. I sincerely apologize to you here."


    "No worries, no worries." Wei Ziqiang laughed it off; at this moment, even saying something sarcastic would lower his status. It was better to be gracious and leave a good impression on Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Wei is indeed a remarkable person, naturally not holding a grudge against me and Li Yifei over such a small matter. Even if we don¡¯t have a chance at romance, we can still be friends. I¡¯ve always wanted to expand to South Su. If I go there, I will definitely visit Mr. Wei. I hope you¡¯ll give me this honor."


    Wei Ziqiang laughed loudly and said, "It¡¯s my honor that Miss Su considers me a friend. To lose on one side and gain on the other, I feel I¡¯ve profited greatly."


    Su Mengxin nodded lightly, saying, "Mr. Wei truly has a big heart."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s compliments to Wei Ziqiang were intentional. She knew well that men love their face, and while she and Li Yifei might not directly affect Wei Ziqiang, he was bound to harbor some resentment toward Li Yifei. At that time, he might create trouble for Li Yifei. With Li Yifei¡¯s abilities, he wouldn¡¯t fear Wei Ziqiang, but it would certainly be a nuisance. She asked Li Yifei to pretend to be her boyfriend to explore emotional development, not to bring trouble upon him.


    "Alright, alright, today is a day for celebration. Our cousin has finally found her sweetheart; we must have a drink for that." Su Mengfei shouted joyfully.


    With the dishes served, Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling were all eager to pour drinks for Li Yifei.


    Out of politeness and to give face to Su Mengxin, Li Yifei naturally had to drink. With the trio taking turns toasting him, he soon finished a bottle of white spirit.


    This bottle of white spirit was quite a lot for Li Yifei; he felt a bit dizzy. However, the three women couldn¡¯t handle their liquor as well. Even though there were three of them, they were now six or seven parts drunk.


    "My dear brother-in-law..." With enough alcohol, Li Yifei¡¯s lively personality was more pleasing to Su Mengfei. She draped her arm around his shoulder and said with a smile, "I now realize you¡¯re quite something."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind Su Mengfei being close to him, knowing that Xu Shanshan, the little sister-in-law at home, was even more outrageous than Su Mengfei. He said with a smile, "Thank you for recognizing me, Mengfei. I was quite anxious coming here, worried that Mengxin¡¯s family might not accept me."


    "Hehe, our Su Family doesn¡¯t lack anything; we don¡¯t need to marry for gain. Therefore, we can decide on our marriages. As long as my sister likes you, your relationship is pretty much settled. Come on, let¡¯s have another drink."


    Seeing that Li Yifei had already drunk quite a bit, Su Mengxin quickly stopped him and said to Su Mengfei, "Do you really want to get Yifei drunk?"


    Su Mengfei blinked her eyes and said, "Getting him drunk is good! Don¡¯t you know that men are more impulsive when they¡¯re drunk, making things more exciting?"


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face flushed immediately, and she playfully scolded, "You little rascal, you¡¯re talking nonsense!"


    Su Mengfei widened her eyes and said, "I¡¯m not talking nonsense; what I¡¯m saying is true. Hehe, tell me, cousin, have you two not done it yet?"


    Su Mengxin was momentarily speechless, let out a soft hum, and said, "We still have outsiders here, and you¡¯re talking nonsense."


    Wei Ziqiang felt embarrassed instantly; as the ¡¯outsider¡¯ mentioned, he clearly realized they were talking about him. During this time, the three women had focused all their attention on toasting Li Yifei, unintentionally neglecting him. Moreover, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others were Su Mengxin¡¯s close friends, and teasing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin was normal, leaving him no room to speak. Growing up, it was his first time being so disregarded, yet with everyone else¡¯s background far stronger than his, he dared not express his displeasure.


    Standing up, Wei Ziqiang forced a smile and said, "Haha, everyone, I¡¯ve already had enough to eat. I won¡¯t disturb your fun any longer. Let¡¯s get together when we have time."


    At this moment, no one had any intention of keeping him; they exchanged a few courteous words. Xiao Ling¡¯er showed him to the door. Even though she was related to Wei Ziqiang by blood, under such circumstances, he had no chance, and she could only offer a few consoling words before sending him off.


    Without Wei Ziqiang, the three girls became even wilder. Zheng Yuling, with eyes full of allure, said, "Hey, Mengxin, with such a strong boyfriend, is he really as strong in that sense too? Is that why you¡¯re with him?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed with squinted eyes and said, "I think that¡¯s definitely the case! Our Mengxin, if wanting a handsome guy, could easily pick one from all over the country. Yifei isn¡¯t that handsome, so it must be his exceptional skills in this area."


    Li Yifei sweated profusely; these women went wild and were bolder than men, able to make such remarks. Despite having a thick skin, he found it hard to take, while Su Mengxin¡¯s face turned crimson as she playfully scolded, "Can you guys talk about something proper?"


    Su Mengfei laughed so hard she shook, saying, "Hey, cousin, earlier you said there were outsiders around; now there aren¡¯t any. Why feel shy? Tell us, how long do you guys do it at a time? How many times a night? Do you go on all night?"


    Su Mengxin felt defeated by her three friends. Knowing the more she explained, the less they¡¯d believe, she simply said, "You all figured it out. Why keep asking?"


    Su Mengfei immediately exclaimed, "Wow, it¡¯s true! It¡¯s over! Our Mengxin isn¡¯t pure anymore!"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er elegantly raised her glass to Li Yifei and said, "Come on, Yifei, another drink. May you and Mengxin grow old together."


    The abrupt normalcy of this wish left Li Yifei slightly unprepared. He quickly raised his glass to toast with Xiao Ling¡¯er, who then chuckled and asked, "Yifei, tell us, is Mengxin playful in bed?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark as he glanced at Su Mengxin, unsure of how to respond.


    Zheng Yuling, giggling, added, "Yes, Mengxin always acts so noble in front of us, as if she¡¯s a celestial being untouched by the mortal world. We want to know how she is in bed, whether she¡¯s like a normal person."


    Li Yifei coughed repeatedly, not daring to utter a single word.


    Su Mengxin shot a glance at them and said, "Are you guys done yet? Want us to show you?"


    "Alright, alright!" The three clapped their hands excitedly and shouted, "That¡¯s a great idea! There¡¯s a room right here; you two can go at it now. We¡¯d love to be the audience."


    "Shame on you!" Su Mengxin felt utterly defeated by her three friends. She was merely making a casual comment, never expecting all three to take it seriously. Not to mention she and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t done anything yet, even if they had, they couldn¡¯t possibly do such a thing in front of three people. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the trio hung on to Su Mengxin¡¯s casual remark, making it incredibly awkward for both Li Yifei and Su Mengxin.


    After a while, seeing they couldn¡¯t persuade Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, the three, emboldened by the alcohol, started dragging Li Yifei and Su Mengxin toward the bedroom, giggling and teasing each other as they tugged at their clothes.


    This scared Li Yifei quite a lot. Although he could handle these three women with one hand, he couldn¡¯t exactly get physical. Finally, he had a bright idea; after entering the bedroom, he quickly pulled Su Mengxin inside and shut the door, locking it from within.


    The three outside immediately began clamoring, demanding they open the door, yet neither Su Mengxin nor Li Yifei dared to unlock it.


    "Hmph, if you two don¡¯t come out, we¡¯ll just sit here and listen," they declared.


    True to their words, the three pulled chairs to sit by the door, leaving Li Yifei and Su Mengxin unable to come out.


    Inside the bedroom, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin stared at each other. Li Yifei chuckled wryly, "How did we end up like this?"


    Su Mengxin sat on the bed and also let out a soft laugh, saying, "They¡¯re not usually like this. Who knows why they are acting this way today? Oh well, let them fuss. As long as we stay inside and don¡¯t go out, they¡¯ll wear out eventually, then go to sleep."


    Resigned to the situation, Li Yifei sat at the edge of the bed, massaging his temples, "They really got me drunk today. My head¡¯s aching."


    The bed shook a little, and then two small hands pressed against his forehead. Su Mengxin¡¯s voice came from behind, "Let me give you a massage."


    "No need, I¡¯ll be fine after a while," Li Yifei hurriedly tried to pull Su Mengxin¡¯s hands away.


    Su Mengxin playfully insisted, "I¡¯ve never massaged your head before. Let me try, so I can learn to serve my husband properly in the future."


    With Su Mengxin saying that, Li Yifei found it hard to refuse. He laughed, "Whoever marries you will be serving you instead of the other way around."


    "When I get married, I plan to be a good wife. I¡¯ll make my husband the happiest man in the world."

 Chapter 484 - 494: Attending to the Number 1 Beauty

    Chapter 484: Chapter 494: Attending to the Number 1 BeautyLi Yifei laughed, "Whoever marries you is already the happiest man in the world."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "Really? If you married me, would you feel the happiest too?"


    Li Yifei just took it as a joke and laughed, "I¡¯m not worthy of marrying you."


    "Hehe, I¡¯m just making a hypothetical situation. Think about it, would you feel happy simply because you married me for my status and looks, or would you feel happier marrying someone who will take care of you?"


    After considering it for a moment, Li Yifei had to admit that he felt the happiest with Su Yiyi. Su Yiyi had always taken care of him, her attentiveness was impeccable. However, the feeling of happiness was much less intense when he was with Xu Yingying, the CEO of the company. Nevertheless, recently Xu Yingying had changed a lot too, learning to take care of him.


    "Alright, I admit it, I do prefer a woman who can take care of me."


    Su Mengxin chuckled again, "See, that¡¯s why I need to practice a lot. I usually don¡¯t have anyone to practice on. You let me practice today, so I won¡¯t be unskilled when I get married and need to take care of my husband."


    With nothing better to do and Su Mengxin making such a request, Li Yifei agreed, laughing, "What do you want to practice?"


    Su Mengxin adjusted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders and said, "You should lie down first."


    Li Yifei kicked off his shoes and lay down contentedly on the bed, while Su Mengxin also took off her shoes, came to the side of Li Yifei¡¯s head, straddled her legs, and sat above him, looking down at Li Yifei with a smile, "Let me start with a head massage for my hardworking husband."


    "Um... can you call me by my name?"


    "No way, I¡¯m learning to take care of my husband here, so I need to get into character. Otherwise, where¡¯s the feeling? If I don¡¯t do well, you have to point it out, but no laughing at me," Su Mengxin winked playfully at Li Yifei.


    At first, Li Yifei felt a bit awkward, but with Su Mengxin acting so playfully, it felt like a game. These wealthy and powerful people sometimes have their quirks, and perhaps this was Su Mengxin¡¯s quirk. He had always considered Su Mengxin a good friend, and if Su Mengxin wanted to play like this, he was happy to play along.


    "Fine, then, make sure you do it well. If it¡¯s not good, I won¡¯t hesitate to criticize you." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, okay." Su Mengxin nodded enthusiastically, and her hands were already back on Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    After a few presses, Su Mengxin asked in a sultry voice, "Hubby, is the pressure okay?"


    Li Yifei shivered. Su Mengxin speaking to him in such a tone was too much, even surpassing those naturally alluring women who didn¡¯t have Su Mengxin¡¯s impish tones.


    "A bit harder would be even better."


    "Then, Hubby, how about now?"


    "Better now."


    "Hubby, does it feel good?"


    "Feels good."


    Every time Su Mengxin spoke, she started with ¡¯Hubby.¡¯ Li Yifei initially found it very awkward to hear, but after a while, he got used to it, and it even gave him a sense of achievement. Even if it was just a game with Su Mengxin, being called ¡¯Hubby¡¯ by the most beautiful woman in Huaxia was something that would make countless men envious.


    "Hubby, turn over, and let me massage your shoulders," Su Mengxin¡¯s hands left Li Yifei¡¯s head and gently pushed him.


    At that moment, Li Yifei was thoroughly enjoying himself. Su Mengxin¡¯s soft hands kneaded his shoulders and then moved to his waist. The soft touch of her hands was indescribably comfortable, and with the fragrance of Su Mengxin¡¯s body and her heavenly voice, it truly felt like being in a celestial palace, served by a fairy.


    "Hey, hey, you don¡¯t need to rub there, do you?" The moment Su Mengxin¡¯s hands landed on Li Yifei¡¯s buttocks, he quickly twisted and called out.


    Su Mengxin laughed gently, "Hubby, I was going to massage your legs, so of course, I have to rub here too."


    "Hey, why do I feel like you¡¯re taking advantage of me?" Li Yifei cracked a joke.


    But this sentence really hit the nail on the head. Su Mengxin was indeed taking advantage of Li Yifei. She liked Li Yifei so much that she was now at a point where she couldn¡¯t extricate herself. She couldn¡¯t say it outright and could only get close to Li Yifei this way. Having her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s body already made her feel extremely satisfied, and when her hand reached his buttocks, she found herself feeling a rush of extreme excitement.


    When a man touches a woman¡¯s body, he usually feels a surge of excitement, while women tend to feel embarrassed or even angry when they touch men. But, undeniably, women feel excitement too. For someone like Su Mengxin, who liked Li Yifei, touching his body was even more stimulating.


    As she kept pressing, Su Mengxin unconsciously turned her pressing into caressing. Because the action changed gradually, Li Yifei initially didn¡¯t notice anything strange until the comfort started to feel different, and he began to feel a sexual impulse. That was when he realized it was Su Mengxin¡¯s hand doing something naughty there.


    Glancing sideways at Su Mengxin, he noticed her eyes were squinted and her face flushed, but the squinted eyes clearly harbored a light of excitement and intoxication, which left Li Yifei somewhat baffled. What did this mean? What, exactly, was Su Mengxin doing?


    Sensing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Mengxin¡¯s expression suddenly became awkward as she said, "Sorry, I was imagining you were my husband, and I got a little carried away."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei had an epiphany. Su Mengxin had just said she would serve him as her husband for the time being. She must have gotten too into the role, which is why she behaved like that toward him. He laughed, "Well, your husband is really lucky to enjoy such a treat. It must be the fortune of a hundred lifetimes."


    Su Mengxin giggled, replying, "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s gotten the advantage first."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You¡¯re right, I must have the fortune of fifty lifetimes."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s laughter rang out again as she said, "Doesn¡¯t that mean I also have the fortune of fifty lifetimes to be serving you like this?"


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a thumbs-up, "Mengxin, just for that, you really are outstanding. Talking to you always makes a person feel comfortable inside out. Men love to save face, and you always manage to elevate that face-saving to the highest level."


    "I¡¯m not doing it on purpose. You should give face to your own husband, right? Hurting your husband¡¯s self-esteem is the root cause of conflict, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei truly admired Su Mengxin. This woman held a powerful position and was brimming with talent, but she was also so humble. In this regard, no one could match Su Mengxin.


    The two of them joked around for a while before Li Yifei said, "We can¡¯t possibly spend the whole night here, can we?"


    Turning to look at the door, Su Mengxin said, "We could go out, but if we do now, they¡¯re probably still waiting to question us. I think it¡¯s better to wait a bit longer. They¡¯ve had quite a bit to drink and will surely want to sleep soon. It will be a good time for us to leave then."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Then let¡¯s wait. Ha, sharing a room with Mengxin is also a kind of pleasure. Even if it¡¯s for a long time, there won¡¯t be any problem."


    In the midst of talking, Li Yifei yawned. He had drunk a fair amount that day, and now, pampered by Su Mengxin¡¯s care, he felt utterly relaxed and wanted to sleep well.


    "If you¡¯re sleepy, take a nap. I¡¯ll wake you when it¡¯s time to go," said Su Mengxin considerately, noticing Li Yifei¡¯s fatigue.


    Li Yifei gave a grateful smile, "Alright, then I¡¯ll take a quick nap."


    "No problem, I could use a break too," Su Mengxin answered as she lay down beside Li Yifei without a trace of shyness or hesitation.


    Although Li Yifei felt a bit awkward sharing a bed with Su Mengxin, he was very familiar with her. It didn¡¯t seem inappropriate, plus there was another reason: he never felt that kind of desire for Su Mengxin, treating her more like a good friend. In this way, sharing a bed was quite comfortable.


    Li Yifei quickly fell asleep. Su Mengxin, listening to his even breathing, felt an indescribable satisfaction. She turned to look at his straight nose and sharply contoured face. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t as handsome as Wei Ziqiang, nor did he have the rugged masculinity of some men, yet Su Mengxin found herself liking Li Yifei more and more.


    Recollecting their kiss from earlier that day sent Su Mengxin into a blissful reverie. That feeling was just too wonderful, and now she longed to experience it again with Li Yifei. However, she knew that doing so would certainly wake him up, leaving her with a lot to explain.


    She understood that Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel that way about her yet. If he sensed her feelings, he might very well run away. Thus, she had to keep her feelings for Li Yifei hidden and reveal them little by little. Slowly but surely, she believed that one day Li Yifei would understand her feelings. By then, she was convinced, Li Yifei would not be able to live without her.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s rationality was truly beyond the ordinary, especially when it came to love, which often made a woman act foolishly. But in Su Mengxin¡¯s case, her wisdom only grew sharper. She was indeed a rare woman in this world, and yet she had fallen for Li Yifei.


    Unfortunately, it was still a case of unrequited love, with Li Yifei oblivious to her affections. When would the day come when he truly felt the depth of Su Mengxin¡¯s love and genuinely liked her for who she was?

 Chapter 485 - 496: The Wives Group Comes Over

    Chapter 485: Chapter 496: The Wives Group Comes OverSu Mengxin didn¡¯t take the opportunity to spend the night in bed with Li Yifei, just sleeping beside him for a while was enough to satisfy her. Around eleven, when the other three close friends had also gone to sleep, she left with Li Yifei.


    First, Li Yifei took Su Mengxin home. Her home in Capital City was well-known, the Su Family Courtyard, an ancient courtyard house. This courtyard house had about twenty sections and occupied a vast area. It was definitely a sight to behold in the Capital City, but it was not a place just anyone could enter, not even Li Yifei could sneak into the courtyard unnoticed.


    With a big family and big business and a strong official background, security was extremely tight in the Su Family estate, though ordinary people outside could not feel it.


    By the time Li Yifei got home, it was past midnight. When he opened the door and went in, Ning Xin¡¯er hadn¡¯t slept yet and was sitting on the couch.


    "Why haven¡¯t you slept yet? Is our daughter asleep?" Li Yifei asked casually as he came in.


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a look and said, "You went off to have a grand time with Su Mengxin, and you still care about us mother and daughter?"


    Li Yifei came over and sat down on the chaise lounge next to Ning Xin¡¯er, saying, "What grand time? I was just helping Su Mengxin with some matters." However, the help he provided Su Mengxin today could definitely be described as indulging, but these words he could not share with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er stared into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and said with disbelief, "I can see you have quite a special relationship with Su Mengxin. I¡¯ve never heard of her getting so close to any man before."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and replied, "If you don¡¯t believe it, that¡¯s up to you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted slightly and said, "What is this attitude? I have given birth to our daughter, and I can¡¯t even ask?"


    "Sure you can ask, but you don¡¯t need to overthink it."


    "If I don¡¯t want to think about it, then I won¡¯t," Ning Xin¡¯er said. Her biggest fear was Li Yifei having feelings for Su Mengxin, understanding all too well that she was no match for Su Mengxin. She simply couldn¡¯t compete, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, it seemed there really was nothing between him and Su Mengxin. As long as there was no Su Mengxin, Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t afraid of Xu Yingying or Ye Yunzhu, confident that she could keep Li Yifei tied to her side.


    "Alright, it¡¯s late, we should go to sleep," Li Yifei said, standing up and yawning.


    Ning Xin¡¯er also stood up, approached Li Yifei, and looking up, she asked, "I waited for you until this late, and you don¡¯t even have a gesture before going to bed?"


    Li Yifei looked down at Ning Xin¡¯er and asked, "What kind of gesture do you want?"


    "Why are you like this? Can¡¯t you be nicer to me, give me a kiss, isn¡¯t that alright?" Ning Xin¡¯er puckered her lips, looking at once displeased and pleased, a far cry from the bratty little girl she used to be.


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and said, "Xin¡¯er..."


    "Mwah..." At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er took the initiative to tiptoe and kissed Li Yifei. Her face immediately turned as red as if her blood would seep out, and she dashed back to her and her daughter¡¯s room.


    Li Yifei was stunned, not by the kiss itself, but by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s reaction. Even as a mother, she blushed like a shy girl after kissing him, which seemed rather odd indeed.


    But after a moment¡¯s thought, Li Yifei understood. Even though Ning Xin¡¯er was a mother, she was still so naive about love. She had never truly been in love with him. Her feelings for him in the past were twisted, and now, living with him for their child seemed to have sparked Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s real experience of being in love, hence such a reaction.


    It had to be said, this side of Ning Xin¡¯er was quite adorable.


    Returning to another bedroom, Chu Xiaoyao was sleeping soundly, sprawled out gracelessly on the bed.


    These past few days, Li Yifei had been sleeping in the same room as Chu Xiaoyao, and Ning Xin¡¯er hadn¡¯t said a word about it. Moreover, she had developed a surprisingly good relationship with Chu Xiaoyao. He wondered what she was really thinking.


    Pushing on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s legs a bit and pulling the thin blanket over her abdomen, Li Yifei felt he had to cover her. She was wearing only a thin nightgown that had rolled up, revealing her underwear and part of her stomach. For one thing, it was too tempting, and for another, he was worried she might catch cold.


    Though Chu Xiaoyao was soon to attend Mile City University, in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, she was still a child, so no matter how she misbehaved, he didn¡¯t want to do anything to her.


    In the morning, Chu Xiaoyao was all smiles. Not only did Ning Xin¡¯er notice, but even Li Yufei, the little girl, saw it and asked in her babyish voice, "Aunt, why are you so happy?"


    The little girl used to call Chu Xiaoyao "sister", but since Chu Xiaoyao was determined to be Li Yifei¡¯s woman, how could she let his daughter call her sister, wouldn¡¯t that confuse their relationship? So, she made Li Yufei call her aunt, and the little girl complied.


    Chu Xiaoyao replied cheerily, "Aunt is just happy today because Yufei is being so good."


    Immediately, Li Yufei said joyfully, "So it¡¯s thanks to me! Then aunt, you have to buy me a gift." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, whatever you want, aunt will buy for you," Chu Xiaoyao laughed even happier.

 Chapter 486 - 496 The Wives Group Is Here_2

    Chapter 486: Chapter 496 The Wives Group Is Here_2The trio had just dropped off Li Yufei at kindergarten when Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao took seats in the back. Ning Xin¡¯er asked Chu Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, why are you so happy today?"


    With a proud smile, Chu Xiaoyao said, "This morning, I helped Uncle do ¡¯that kind of thing¡¯."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, unable to believe Chu Xiaoyao would actually boast about such a thing.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression shifted slightly, but she didn¡¯t get annoyed and said, "You mean you made love?"


    Chu Xiaoyao, giggling, said, "No, I just used my mouth..."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face immediately turned bright red, and she spat at Chu Xiaoyao, "You guys are really disgusting."


    Still proud, Chu Xiaoyao said, "Sister Xin¡¯er, let me tell you, when you like someone, no matter what you do, it won¡¯t feel disgusting. I thought I¡¯d be disgusted too, but seeing Uncle¡¯s content face, I felt so happy I didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit disgusted. Really, why don¡¯t you try it?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s cheeks flushed even redder as she retorted, "I¡¯d rather not, just thinking about it disgusts me to death." However, she glanced at Li Yifei, her eyes betraying a trace of grievance. She had been living under the same roof with Li Yifei every day, yet he had never initiated any closeness with her. Instead, he spent every night with Chu Xiaoyao.


    Batting her eyelashes, Chu Xiaoyao said, "Sister Xin¡¯er, Uncle is just like that. If you wait for him to make a move, who knows how long it¡¯ll be. A woman has to be a bit tough on herself. You should take the initiative."


    This time, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t respond. She took Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words to heart, thinking that Li Yifei seemed to be a complete blockhead. If she didn¡¯t make a move, this guy might really never progress their relationship, even if they had a daughter. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to win over Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    Li Yifei could feel Ning Xin¡¯er staring at him, making his hairs stand on end. Chu Xiaoyao, that girl, was just too quick to speak. If Ning Xin¡¯er took her words to heart, he feared he¡¯d be in over his head again.


    Before they could reach home, Li Yifei¡¯s phone began to ring. It was Xu Shanshan¡¯s number. He quickly answered, and her excited voice came through, "Brother-in-law, we¡¯ve arrived at the Capital City. Come pick us up."


    Startled, Li Yifei exclaimed, "What? You¡¯re in Capital City already? Who all came?"


    "Me, my sister, Ye Yunzhu, Michelle, He Fangqing, Meng Xiaofei."


    Li Yifei cried out in shock, "What? How did you six get together?"


    With pride in her voice, Xu Shanshan said, "My sister, Sister Fangqing, and Michelle came for work. Ye Yunzhu also had some matters, and Meng Xiaofei just happened to be on a flight to Capital City and won¡¯t be flying out until tomorrow. We all just grouped together."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face fell. These people were clearly banding together to confront Ning Xin¡¯er. All that was missing was Su Yiyi. Oh, and Lin Qiong shouldn¡¯t be counted in.


    "Alright, wait for me and I¡¯ll come get you."


    "Then hurry up, we¡¯re right at the airport entrance."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei said to Ning Xin¡¯er, "My wife is here."


    Ning Xin¡¯er huffed, "I heard."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "I¡¯ll go pick them up."


    "With one car, how will you pick up six people? I¡¯ll drive another car to pick them up as well."


    "You¡¯re going too?" Li Yifei felt guilty.


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Are you afraid they¡¯ll eat me up, or are you afraid I¡¯ll argue with them?"


    "Well..."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I, Ning Xin¡¯er, am no shrew. Even if it means fighting over a man, I¡¯ll do it fair and square." Ning Xin¡¯er puffed out her chest, her pride evident. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing it was no use to refuse, Li Yifei agreed. They went home, and Ning Xin¡¯er took another car. Of course, Chu Xiaoyao refused to stay home alone. The three of them hurried to the airport.


    At the airport terminal entrance, a group of six stunning women stood there, dazzling onlookers.


    Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and He Fangqing were all dressed in professional suits. Although the styles varied, each one made them look sharp and sophisticated, typical white-collar beauties; Michelle wore the dress Li Yifei had bought her, pure and innocent; Meng Xiaofei donned a flight attendant uniform, radiating a strong ******** allure; Xu Shanshan was in a short skirt and tee, exuding youthful vigour from head to toe.


    Looking at the six of them, desire stirred within Li Yifei. He hurried forward and exclaimed excitedly, "What brings you all here together?"


    Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu both approached Li Yifei, but Ye Yunzhu was half a step behind, letting Xu Yingying embrace Li Yifei first. Xu Yingying then said, "Husband, I¡¯ve missed you."


    Xu Yingying, who had always been so proud, now uttered such words upon seeing Li Yifei, moving him deeply. Embracing her, he said, "I¡¯ve missed you too."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, her eyes moistening slightly, then she broke into a radiant smile. Even without saying anything more, everything was communicated in her eyes.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er stood beside Li Yifei, wearing large sunglasses that covered most of her face, and said to Xu Yingying, "We meet again."

 Chapter 487 - 496: The Wives Group is Coming_3

    Chapter 487: Chapter 496: The Wives Group is Coming_3Xu Yingying turned her head to look at Ning Xin¡¯er and smiled slightly, saying, "Yes, thank you for taking care of Yifei during this time."


    "It should be me saying thank you. In the past, it was you who took care of Yifei all the time."


    Both of them wore smiles on their faces, but as they spoke, there was a hint of tension, making Li Yifei inwardly groan.


    "You actually arrived before me." The voice of Su Mengxin came from behind, instantly breaking the stiff atmosphere.


    "Mengxin, why did you come yourself?" Xu Yingying immediately greeted Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly and said, "If I hadn¡¯t come, I was afraid you two might have started fighting, so I thought it better to help Yuanyuan out."


    Xu Yingying instantly felt a bit embarrassed and said, "That wouldn¡¯t happen."


    Ning Xin¡¯er replied with a sweet smile, "How could I be so lacking in manners."


    With Su Mengxin present, the atmosphere finally eased as everyone said hello to Li Yifei in turn. Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a big squint; she had always been quite direct and had never been satisfied with him.


    He Fangqing merely nodded at Li Yifei. Her relationship with Li Yifei was much simpler, never having asked for much, and she didn¡¯t want to make Xu Yingying uncomfortable. With them present, she always actively maintained a distance from Li Yifei.


    Michelle called Li Yifei¡¯s name with tenderness, then stepped aside, but her eyes remained fixed on him. Among all the women with complicated relationships with Li Yifei, each held a high status; she knew she couldn¡¯t be with him, yet she couldn¡¯t help but harbor feelings for him.


    Meng Xiaofei pursed her lips and greeted Li Yifei with a look of amusement, the most straightforward and happiest of the group, even winking teasingly at him.


    Xu Shanshan came over and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, pouting as she said, "You stinky brother-in-law, you haven¡¯t returned home for so long. Don¡¯t you want to be good anymore?" She was the only one who could be affectionate with Li Yifei so openly in this setting.


    Li Yifei apologetically said, "I¡¯ve been doing this for the sake of the child."


    "Where¡¯s the little darling?" Xu Shanshan looked around eagerly.


    "At kindergarten."


    Xu Shanshan said anxiously, "Then pick her up quickly. I want to see how cute our family¡¯s darling really is."


    "What do you mean ¡¯your family¡¯s darling¡¯?" Chu Xiaoyao interrupted with a snort. "That¡¯s Uncle and Sister Xin¡¯er¡¯s child."


    Among these people, Chu Xiaoyao was unwavering in her support for Ning Xin¡¯er. Firstly, she was a fan of Ning Xin¡¯er, and secondly, Ning Xin¡¯er had not opposed her being with Li Yifei. To her, anyone who competed with Ning Xin¡¯er for Li Yifei was an enemy.


    Xu Shanshan shot Chu Xiaoyao a glare and said, "He¡¯s my brother-in-law¡¯s child, so of course, he¡¯s part of our family."


    Su Mengxin stepped in to mediate, saying, "Alright, we¡¯re too conspicuous here. Let¡¯s go."


    This group of beauties indeed attracted too much attention, so they promptly headed to the parking lot. Su Mengxin had brought an extended Lincoln, and everyone fit inside comfortably without feeling cramped. The car that Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er had brought was driven away by the bodyguards that Su Mengxin had brought.


    Inside the car sat a total of ten people, nine women and only one man, Li Yifei. As soon as the doors closed, the scent of perfume filled the air, making Li Yifei feel as if he were in the Country of Fragrances.


    Being with so many beauties should have been a blessing for a man, but Li Yifei felt uneasy. The most unexpected presence was that of Ye Yunzhu. She didn¡¯t know yet that Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu had reached an alliance, so he feared that given Ye Yunzhu¡¯s straightforward nature, not tolerating any nonsense, the presence of all these women closely connected to him might lead to a complete uproar.


    S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 488 - 497: 3-on-3

    Chapter 488: Chapter 497: 3-on-3But Ye Yunzhu just sat there, glaring at Li Yifei, She didn¡¯t go ballistic like Li Yifei had imagined, but this made Li Yifei feel even more uneasy because he didn¡¯t know when Ye Yunzhu would blow up.


    On either side of Li Yifei sat Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er, It was as if they were two factions, with Li Yifei as the dividing line, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.


    "This car is really big, It¡¯s my first time riding in a motorhome," Fortunately, there was Meng Xiaofei, This girl started looking around the moment she sat in the car and began chattering away excitedly.


    Su Mengxin laughed, "This car is too eye-catching, I don¡¯t really like to use it usually, I only took it out today because I knew there would be a lot of you," In truth, this car was only used by Su Mengxin to meet presidents of big international corporations and the like, It was a symbol of status that was clearly defined in her company¡¯s regulations, Today, she broke her own rules for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was well aware of how things worked in Capital City, He knew a lot about people like Su Mengxin and appreciated the purpose of the car, He was very grateful to Su Mengxin.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately asked, "Sister Mengxin, where are you taking us?"


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei and chuckled, "Since everyone is here for Yifei, of course, it¡¯s up to Yifei to decide, I¡¯m just responsible for providing the car."


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er gave a slight smile and said, "Since everyone is here for Yifei, let¡¯s go to the house I share with Yifei."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t object but instead agreed, "Okay."


    When they arrived at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home, as the hostess, Ning Xin¡¯er immediately began looking after everyone and said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, bring a few more pairs of slippers from the changing room."


    Although it was just a simple sentence, she was announcing that Li Yifei was also the man of the house.


    Li Yifei quickly fetched the slippers while Chu Xiaoyao busied herself helping out, This smart girl sensed that this time she and Ning Xin¡¯er were up against formidable enemies, She was fully prepared for battle, determined to help Ning Xin¡¯er defeat these adversaries today.


    Once everyone was seated in the living room, Ning Xin¡¯er said with a smile, "We don¡¯t usually have visitors here, but ever since Yifei moved in, the place has become livelier, I¡¯m delighted to have you all visit our home, and I hope you make yourselves comfortable."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t be polite, My brother-in-law will be back in a few days, and when you come to visit the kids at our place, we¡¯ll treat you warmly too."


    Xu Yingying tugged at Xu Shanshan¡¯s arm and said with a smile to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Ning Xin¡¯er, my sister is straightforward, Please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled sweetly, "Not at all, after all, you all lived with Yifei for a while."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately chimed in, "Exactly, What you had was just temporary, while Sister Xin¡¯er will be with uncle forever."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "Xiaoyao, why do you have such a big problem with me?"


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face flushed, Xu Yingying had actually been good to her too, She had openly known about her feelings for Li Yifei and even had Li Yifei look after her during the College Entrance Exam, When her family had issues, she had Li Yifei take care of her throughout, Her attitude towards Xu Yingying felt somewhat ungrateful, but compared to Ning Xin¡¯er, she obviously leaned towards supporting Ning Xin¡¯er, Her lips pursed slightly as she said, "It¡¯s not that I have anything against you, I¡¯m just making my stance clear, I support Xin¡¯er."


    "Why is that?" Xu Yingying was quite curious.


    Chu Xiaoyao puffed out her chest and said, "Because Sister Xin¡¯er promised me, If she gets together with uncle, she¡¯ll let me be with him too."


    Xu Yingying suddenly understood and turned to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Ning Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re really generous."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled faintly, "Xiaoyao and I get along really well, She likes Yifei so much, so I don¡¯t have the heart to ruin what she has with Yifei."


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao worked together to leave Xu Yingying and the others in shock; even though Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu had formed an alliance, they hadn¡¯t considered sharing Li Yifei, In the end, they still had to vie for superiority, But to everyone¡¯s surprise, while they were still fighting their individual battles, Ning Xin¡¯er had already started playing doubles.


    At that moment, Meng Xiaofei exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Brother Li, you¡¯re amazing, managing to play doubles."


    Li Yifei was sweating and glaring at Meng Xiaofei, he said, "You go over there and stay put."


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled and said, "I won¡¯t talk anymore, I¡¯ll just watch." Then she picked up an apple and unabashedly began to eat it, truly a glutton at heart.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s shocked expressions, Ning Xin¡¯er took Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand and said, "This isn¡¯t about being generous or not, Xiaoyao and I are like sisters, and we¡¯re very happy together with Yifei. As you can see, our home isn¡¯t large, our daughter has one room, and the three of us have always lived together."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched as she looked at Li Yifei, who spread his hands and said, "That¡¯s not the case."


    Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief, but Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "Yifei, although it¡¯s not the case now, I won¡¯t have any objections in the future. Xiaoyao, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly and said, "Exactly, we¡¯ll surely have a threesome with Uncle in the future. I wholeheartedly approve." She then tilted her chin proudly towards Xu Yingying.


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Ning Xin¡¯er, then at Chu Xiaoyao, and finally at Xu Yingying before resting her gaze on Li Yifei; her facial expression turned a bit odd, but at that moment everyone else¡¯s attention was focused on Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Chu Xiaoyao, so nobody noticed her.


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei but addressed Ning Xin¡¯er, saying, "Ning Xin¡¯er, these tactics won¡¯t work. Ultimately, who Yifei ends up with is for him to decide. These little tricks can¡¯t fool us. I could say Yingying and I might have a threesome with Yifei."


    Li Yifei suddenly had a headache as Ye Yunzhu actually managed to say such a thing, and even brought Xu Yingying into it, completely surpassing his understanding of Ye Yunzhu. Thinking about how Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu showed up together, it seemed like Ye Yunzhu might have an understanding with Xu Yingying.


    Then Ye Yunzhu said, "All you¡¯re counting on is that you have Yifei¡¯s child. Now I¡¯m carrying Yifei¡¯s seed too." She rubbed her belly proudly and continued, "So you don¡¯t have any advantage at all. Moreover, Yingying is still Yifei¡¯s lawful wife, and if you don¡¯t let Yifei take the child away, the most you can get is some child support. You can¡¯t compete with Yingying¡¯s status as a lawful wife."


    True to her official background, Ye Yunzhu spoke confidently, making Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face turn sour, and she said in an annoyed tone, "Yifei, state your position. Do you want your daughter and me, or do you want to be with your wife?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and shook it forcefully, saying, "Right, Uncle, who is it going to be? Sister Xin¡¯er, Sister Yiyi, and me, or are you going to be with your wife?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as she said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, you really are formidable, promising not only this little girl but also another one. You¡¯ve made a strong alliance there."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled smugly and replied, "Yeah, Yiyi and Xiaoyao don¡¯t compete with me for anything. They just want to be with Yifei, and of course, I¡¯ll grant them that. If you don¡¯t fight for any status, I won¡¯t fight with you either. What do you think?"


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and said, "If you don¡¯t care about status either, I¡¯ll leave you a spot." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled and said, "I can¡¯t stand the drama with you. Right now, it¡¯s three against two in our favor, no matter how you look at it."


    Chu Xiaoyao also said triumphantly, "Exactly, three against two, victory is in our grasp."


    Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying, both proud women, initially didn¡¯t intend to clash with her upon arrival; they simply wanted to help Li Yifei take the child away. However, when the two sides met, they immediately clashed. Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao, being rather shameless in their ways, didn¡¯t bother with reasoning at that point, leaving Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying at a disadvantage.


    He Fangqing, seeing Xu Yingying at a disadvantage, was about to speak when Michelle suddenly interjected, "We also have three people on our side. There¡¯s me too."


    Everyone¡¯s gaze instantly shifted to Michelle, whose face blushed crimson like blood, she bit her lip but still said, "I support President Xu. If you¡¯re going to rely on having more people, then I would rather be the ¡¯other woman¡¯ without any status to be with Brother Li."


    Michelle¡¯s crush on Li Yifei was known to Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Xu Yingying, but they had not expected her to declare such at this critical moment. This seemingly innocent and shy girl would always stand up for Li Yifei when it mattered most, as she did when Li Yifei was taken away by the police, suddenly confessing her feelings for him. Her timing was always surprising, yet her affection for Li Yifei was undeniably genuine.


    "Yifei, what do you have to say!"


    This exclamation surprisingly came out simultaneously from Ning Xin¡¯er, Xu Yingying, and Ye Yunzhu, along with Chu Xiaoyao, with every word the same, absolutely in unison.


    At this moment, everyone turned their gaze toward Li Yifei. The whole dispute revolved around him, and now they were all waiting for Li Yifei to make his stance clear.

 Chapter 489 - 498 I’m Done With This

    Chapter 489: Chapter 498 I¡¯m Done With ThisLi Yifei looked at each of the women¡¯s faces one by one, not missing anyone. In Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, he saw panic; in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes, there was annoyance; Michelle¡¯s face revealed shyness and nervousness, while Ning Xin¡¯er had an expression of triumph, yet that triumph was more of a guilty pleasure.


    Chu Xiaoyao remained as proud as ever. In her heart, Ning Xin¡¯er was a big star, and Li Yifei would definitely choose Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Meng Xiaofei still wore an expression as if she were watching an exciting drama, but despite the smile on her face, she could not really smile during such a tense moment.


    He Fangqing, on the other hand, was pretty calm, just smiling at Li Yifei and making a helpless shrugging gesture. To her, it made no difference who ended up with Li Yifei. However, since she was closer to Xu Yingying, she naturally hoped that Li Yifei would end up with Xu Yingying.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan seemed to have fallen into a daze, not looking at Li Yifei but her face alternating between red and white, leaving everyone clueless about what she was thinking.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s expression remained indifferent as always, but in reality, her heart was in turmoil, though nobody could tell.


    But then, Li Yifei suddenly laughed, a bright and splendid laugh, and he abruptly stood up and loudly declared, "I quit, go find someone else if you want," and before anyone could react, he pushed the door open and walked out.


    By the time everyone came to their senses, Li Yifei had already left the house, leaving them looking at each other in bewilderment. No one had expected such a reaction from Li Yifei in the end.


    "That bastard! He actually dared to run away!" Ning Xin¡¯er was the first to stamp her foot in anger.


    Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but curse as well, "Li Yifei you bastard, just you wait, I¡¯ll make you pay."


    The expressions on everyone else¡¯s faces were also extremely odd...


    Only at this time did Su Mengxin secretly smile. Li Yifei¡¯s actions were definitely the wisest choice. At this moment, showing any stance would be utterly wrong. While running away might be cowardly, in today¡¯s situation, not running away would be idiotic.


    After Li Yifei left, he turned off his phone and called Zheng Mingrui over with just one phone call.


    "Boss, what¡¯s the urgent matter?" Inside a small restaurant, Zheng Mingrui saw Li Yifei and eagerly asked.


    Li Yifei gestured with his hand and said, "Nothing much, just wanted to drink with you."


    "Drinking? Boss, you can¡¯t be serious?" Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Enough chitchat, come on, let¡¯s down the first one." Li Yifei said and then chugged a large glass of draft beer.


    Zheng Mingrui sat down, looked at Li Yifei, and then chuckled, "Boss, you can¡¯t be heartbroken, can you?"


    "Heartbroken... if only it were just heartbreak." Li Yifei shook his head and took another big gulp of beer.


    "Then what on earth happened? What could make even the boss so despondent?" At this moment, Zheng Mingrui was full of curiosity, rarely seeing Li Yifei like this, he naturally wanted to tease him a bit, as it was indeed a rare occasion.


    Li Yifei took a bite of a fatty skewer, which was so greasy that oil ran down with every bite, and he didn¡¯t bother to wipe it away, saying, "Right now, I really miss the days in the squad."


    Zheng Mingrui was even more thrilled. Li Yifei actually wanted to come back; something must have upset him outside. What could have disturbed Li Yifei to this extent? This was too tempting a mystery.


    "If you want to come back, that would be great. The brothers all miss you," Zheng Mingrui deliberately didn¡¯t ask and took a sip of liquor with Li Yifei.


    "Back then, even though we were always in danger, life was pretty good. When there were no missions or training, we could drink when we wanted, eat meat when we craved, or chase girls when we felt like it. So carefree."


    "Aren¡¯t you living quite freely now? Lazing around every day, never lacking for beauties by your side."


    "Don¡¯t mention those beauties; just thinking about them gives me a headache. I tell you, aren¡¯t you fancying that Lin... what¡¯s her name?"


    "Lin Wanqing!" Zheng Mingrui immediately reminded him, but then said coyly, "Boss, don¡¯t talk nonsense, there¡¯s nothing definite between her and me yet."


    "Look at you, you¡¯re all soft. You obviously fancy her, don¡¯t you, or else why would you lose all your manliness at the mere mention of her?" Li Yifei shook his head, patted Zheng Mingrui¡¯s shoulder, and said, "Let me tell you, Mingrui, if you really like her, just focus on her alone. Even if you see another woman who¡¯s even better, don¡¯t think about her, and even if someone actively pursues you, you must be determined and not give them any chance."


    "Hehe... Boss, as expected, you really have been hurt in love, haha..." Zheng Mingrui slapped Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder hard, laughing so hard he was almost crying.


    "Boss, come on, tell me, what exactly happened?"


    Li Yifei knew that if he told this guy, Zheng Mingrui, his embarrassing stories, he would be made fun of, but his family was in chaos now, and he really couldn¡¯t handle it alone. He had to bring his wife back home, so he told him about the endless conflicts between the two sides going on now.


    Zheng Mingrui listened, dumbfounded, and after a while said, "Damn, Boss, you¡¯re too fierce. It hasn¡¯t been that long, just about half a year, and you¡¯ve got so many women."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "When I got back, I was just fooling around like I used to in the army. Who knew I would get into so much trouble? That¡¯s why I reminded you, if you have a target, don¡¯t go messing with other women in the future, especially don¡¯t get emotionally involved. Having too many women is a real headache."


    Zheng Mingrui nodded repeatedly and said, "Seeing you like this, I wouldn¡¯t dare. This is simply asking for trouble, hehe..." As he spoke, Zheng Mingrui again wore a mischievous smile. The only people who could make Li Yifei feel so helpless were these women. All Li Yifei¡¯s former opponents, even with all their tricks, had never made him frown. If terrorists and the elite special forces from other countries knew that this was the way to defeat Li Yifei, what kind of expressions would they have?


    "Hey, you, I¡¯m asking you for advice, what are you daydreaming about?" Li Yifei smacked Zheng Mingrui without any good grace.


    Zheng Mingrui hurriedly said, "I¡¯m telling you, Boss, it¡¯s hard for an upright official to settle family disputes. This is your family matter; what can I do? But who do you like the most now?"


    Li Yifei took a sip of his drink and said, "If I have to say who I like the most, I rather like Yiyi, but I¡¯m also growing fonder of Yingying, Ning Xin¡¯er has given me a daughter, and she¡¯s already three, Ye Yunzhu is even pregnant with my child, and I can¡¯t just ignore Chu Xiaoyao either..."


    Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, saying, "Boss, that means you¡¯re still in the same boat, you can¡¯t let go of any of them. Why don¡¯t you just take all of them? With your ability, handling two in one night shouldn¡¯t be a big problem, right?"


    Li Yifei said annoyedly, "Take all of them? Do you think this is ancient times, with three wives and four concubines?"


    "So what will you do? You like this one, can¡¯t let go of that one; you can¡¯t bear to part with them. How do you expect me to react? If you want to marry multiple women, it¡¯s not that difficult nowadays. Just find a country in Arabia, or join some sect, and you can take several wives easily. Even the USA has sects practicing polygamy. Besides, although Huaxia has monogamy, the number of men keeping mistresses and second wives is just too many. Why are you getting so worked up? If a woman wants to be with you, keep her; if she doesn¡¯t, just tell her to get lost."


    "Forget it. It¡¯s simply impossible. Keeping them might be easy, but once you have more women, there¡¯s bound to be endless squabbling. Just dealing with them all day would be a nightmare. Forget it, forget it. There¡¯s no point in discussing this with you; you won¡¯t come up with a good solution. Let¡¯s just drink instead."


    Zheng Mingrui had suggested this, and Mengxin also discussed it with him. Yifei knew it could be a solution. Like Su Yiyi, whether she stayed with Yingying or anyone else, he would never just abandon her. Or rather, that¡¯s what he was doing now.


    Then there was Chu Xiaoyao. This girl stood with Yiyi, and it would probably remain so in the future.


    But apart from these two, others like Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, Lin Qiong, Ning Xin¡¯er, all had strong personalities. How could they possibly tolerate such a situation? So it was utterly impossible.


    Now he was out of options. Going back wouldn¡¯t solve anything. His presence might only escalate the women¡¯s conflicts. At least Yifei believed one thing: these women were all of high quality. They might argue and mock each other, but they would never make a big scene or get into physical fights. Moreover, with Mengxin there, an incredibly wise woman, she would probably calm things down. So he simply decided to have a good drink with Mingrui.


    Unconsciously, Yifei had become quite dependent on Mengxin. It seemed that with her around, everything was especially reassuring.


    After drinking for most of the day, Yifei was thoroughly drunk. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but escaping like this actually relaxed him. Later, when several comrades joined in, they drank even more happily¡ª not getting drunk would have been a disservice to them.


    When Yifei woke up, he found a woman by his side. He quickly sat up and realized it was Mengxin lying next to him. Although he was only in underwear, Mengxin was fully dressed, just with some wrinkled clothes from lying on the bed.


    As Yifei moved, Mengxin also woke up. She sat up and said, "Awake? Have another glass of water." She reached for a glass of water from the bedside table and handed it to Yifei. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yifei took it and drained the glass, asking, "Why are you taking care of me yourself?" When he left yesterday, he knew Mengxin¡¯s bodyguard was following him, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that Mengxin found him. The real surprise was that Mengxin had actually taken care of him while he was drunk. The room was enveloped in darkness, probably indicating it was well into the night.


    Mengxin brushed some stray hairs from her forehead and replied, "Being with anyone else would probably upset them, so I had to take care of you. How did I do? Not bad, right?"


    With gratitude, Yifei smiled and said, "Being taken care of by Huaxia¡¯s foremost beauty¡ªhow could that be wrong?"

 Chapter 490 - 499 Don’t Leave

    Chapter 490: Chapter 499 Don¡¯t LeaveAfter relieving myself, which took more than a minute given the amount of beer I had consumed, it was clear that Li Yifei¡¯s kidney function was still quite strong. After washing my face, I returned to the bedroom. Wandering around, I realized this place must be a hotel, but the room wasn¡¯t any kind of luxury suite, just a standard room. Apart from the bathroom, there was only the bedroom, which had just a single bed.


    "It¡¯s already past one in the morning, I should take you back home," Li Yifei said as he got his clothes, ready to slip them on.


    However, Su Mengxin lay in bed without moving and said, "You know it¡¯s past one already. I¡¯ve been taking care of you until now and just closed my eyes. You¡¯re making me get up again? You really wear out a person. I¡¯m not leaving."


    "You¡¯re not leaving? We¡¯re going to sleep together?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and he stood frozen with his clothes in hand.


    "I¡¯m not scared, what are you afraid of? Do you think you could assault me?" Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a disdainful look.


    "Well... it¡¯s just that it doesn¡¯t seem quite right for the two of us to stay here together, does it?" Li Yifei said, feeling a bit awkward.


    "What¡¯s not right about it? You stripped off your own clothes, why are you being so coy now? Just get to sleep, I¡¯m tired to death; I don¡¯t want to move a muscle," replied Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment but eventually climbed onto the bed. Although he was a bit soberer now, his head still ached. Since Su Mengxin had put it that way, any further protests might seem like he had ulterior motives.


    The bed was quite big, and Li Yifei lay on one side without the worry of bumping into Su Mengxin. As soon as he lay down, she reached out and switched off the light, plunging the room into darkness. Then came the rustling sound of her undressing.


    "You¡¯re undressing?" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Of course, how else could I sleep comfortably?" Su Mengxin answered naturally.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "Aren¡¯t you making it too easy for me to turn into a wolf?"


    "Giggle, if you really wanted to transform, I wouldn¡¯t mind," Su Mengxin chuckled.


    "Alright, alright, you win," Li Yifei said, breaking into laughter at Su Mengxin¡¯s easy laughter. Her composure and poise made it impossible for him to have any improper thoughts.


    After Su Mengxin finished undressing, she lay back down on the bed. There was only a thin blanket, which she pulled over herself, then said to Li Yifei, "I¡¯ll give you half."


    "No need, really, I¡¯m not cold."


    "It¡¯s fine, just pretend we¡¯re at the beach, both wearing swimsuits."


    "That... seems rather hard to imagine, doesn¡¯t it?"


    By the sound of her voice, Li Yifei guessed Su Mengxin was now in her bra and panties. In the summer heat, stripping down to just that left about as much covered as a swimsuit, but lying in a hotel bed, how could one feel the same as in a swimsuit?


    "Giggle, just teasing you. Alright, I¡¯m going to sleep. If you get cold, you can come under the covers," she said.


    If any other woman had said such a thing, Li Yifei would have taken it as a come-on. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to follow through; now, he was more inclined to flee, as he didn¡¯t want to take on any more emotional debts. But with Su Mengxin, he didn¡¯t feel the same. He could only consider Su Mengxin a trustworthy good friend, and therefore, he couldn¡¯t harbor any disrespectful thoughts toward her.


    So, Li Yifei slept soundly. He closed his eyes, and within two minutes, he had fallen into a deep sleep.


    But Su Mengxin had a hard time falling asleep. After waiting a while, seeing that Li Yifei didn¡¯t come under the blanket and hearing his steady, long breaths, indicating he was asleep, she couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Li Yifei being this way was one of the reasons she liked him. Carefully, she shifted to get closer to him, then turned on her side, pulled over the blanket, and covered Li Yifei with half.


    Even though there was no physical contact with Li Yifei, just lying there on the same bed, under the same blanket, brought waves of sweetness to Su Mengxin. Inhaling the scent of tobacco and alcohol on Li Yifei, she felt intoxicated and quickly drifted off to sleep.


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up with a start¡ªas he found himself not only hugging Su Mengxin but also with his hand on her breast, having pushed her bra up, truly feeling her.


    "You¡¯ve turned into a wolf after all," Su Mengxin said, surprisingly awake and watching him.


    Li Yifei hastily withdrew his hand, embarrassedly saying, "I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to."


    With a slight smile, Su Mengxin said, "I know, you must be used to it."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly in agreement and said, "Yes, yes, I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Why would I take it to heart? You¡¯ve already touched, what good would it do me to be upset? Come on, let¡¯s lie down for a while longer."


    "Still lying down ..." Li Yifei¡¯s body was somewhat stiff.


    "It¡¯s not even six o¡¯clock yet, I¡¯ve slept for less than five hours. You want me to get up this early?"


    It indeed was quite early, but faced with Su Mengxin¡¯s suggestion, Li Yifei felt a bit uneasy. He wanted to get up, but it seemed like doing so would be too harsh on Su Mengxin.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin naturally pulled down her bra, and then nestled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace again, saying, "Alright, let me sleep a bit more. I haven¡¯t had such a peaceful sleep for a long time. I¡¯ve been suffering from insomnia lately. It¡¯s rare for me to catch some good sleep. If you don¡¯t let me get enough, that would be too cruel."


    As she yawned, she closed her eyes again. Her neck was still resting on Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and she didn¡¯t pull it away.


    Seeing Su Mengxin like this, Li Yifei suddenly felt an urge to protect her. Despite Su Mengxin¡¯s high status and power, envied by countless women and pursued by countless men, she lived a life that was too exhausting, unable to even have a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Su Mengxin then opened her eyes again and said, "Lend me that hand of yours too."


    Li Yifei immediately and happily stretched out his arm to hug Su Mengxin, but he just rested it on her arm¡ªof course, he couldn¡¯t place it on any sensitive areas again.


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, turned to her side, and hugged him too. Li Yifei¡¯s hand naturally slid down to her back, while Su Mengxin¡¯s chest was pressed fully against his. Their legs were intertwined as well.


    "This really is comfortable," Su Mengxin murmured.


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Mengxin¡¯s back and said, "Then sleep well, don¡¯t think about anything today. Sleep as late as you want."


    "Mmm!" Su Mengxin agreed with a sound, and quickly entered dreamland.


    Li Yifei, holding Su Mengxin, Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, and feeling her enchanting body that could bewitch any soul, did not harbor any inappropriate thoughts. Just holding her like this made him feel incredibly peaceful, and he fell asleep again without realizing it¡ª and he slept very soundly at that.


    When he woke up again, Su Mengxin stretched lazily, gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, and said, "I slept so well."


    At that time, Su Mengxin was lying on the bed, arms stretched up, waist arched. Her breasts were even more prominent, displaying a lazy yet charming demeanor that made Li Yifei a little dazed. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How¡¯s that? My figure isn¡¯t bad, is it? How does it compare to your wife¡¯s?" Su Mengxin turned her head to look at Li Yifei¡¯s dazed expression and asked with a smile.


    Li Yifei sincerely praised, "You truly deserve to be Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty. Your figure is beyond words, Yingying is not your match."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "If Yingying heard that, she might never let you into her bed again." But in her heart, she was delighted. Always praised as Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, she was naturally quite confident about her looks and figure. However, no matter how much others praised her, it was never as satisfying as a compliment from Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "Yingying won¡¯t mind. I am praising you, after all. I doubt any woman in this world could bear to compare herself with you, right?"


    "Am I really that good?" Su Mengxin gently stroked her own face, looking at Li Yifei, and said, "This is bad, I¡¯ve suddenly grown fond of sleeping with you. What am I going to do if I can¡¯t fall asleep without you from now on?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "That¡¯s easy. You can just come sleep at my place from now on. We can sleep together."


    Su Mengxin giggled and lightly hit Li Yifei, saying reproachfully, "So you mean for me and Yingying to share a bed with you?"


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "That doesn¡¯t seem quite right."


    "You, spending all this time with Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao lately, are you always thinking about threesomes?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly explained, "Absolutely not, I haven¡¯t had any intimate contact with Ning Xin¡¯er, and I have been living with Xiaoyao all this time."


    "Oh, I thought you were into that kind of thing now."


    Li Yifei coughed dryly, discussing this topic with Su Mengxin in bed seemed a bit too intimate.


    Su Mengxin chuckled again and said, "You know, Yifei, when you said earlier about taking me and your wife together, does that mean you still prefer to be with Yingying after all?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I won¡¯t deny it. I¡¯m married to Yingying, and I don¡¯t want to be separated from her, but now Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er indeed leave me uncertain about how to arrange things with them."


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and said, "There will always be a way." There was a hint of mischief in her smile.


    "I hope so," Li Yifei said, having not noticed Su Mengxin¡¯s sly smile, could only utter a phrase to soothe his anxiety.

 Chapter 491 - 500 Ning Xin’er Gives In

    Chapter 491: Chapter 500 Ning Xin¡¯er Gives InAfter spending a night with Li Yifei, Su Mengxin acted naturally in front of him. She didn¡¯t bother getting dressed in the morning, simply wearing her underwear as she freshened up and then dressed in front of him.


    Su Mengxin behaved this way, and Li Yifei looked at her calmly. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t quite explain his mindset; with such a beautiful woman in front of him, he somehow managed to act as if he were Liu Xiahui.


    Always hiding wasn¡¯t a solution, so Li Yifei returned home. However, since Su Mengxin needed to discuss some Mile City Company matters with Xu Yingying and the others today, Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Michelle were persuaded to leave by Su Mengxin.


    Meng Xiaofei had a flight mission today, so she also left directly. When Li Yifei returned home, only Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao were there, along with Xu Shanshan and Ye Yunzhu. It seemed these people had all stayed over the previous night.


    "Uncle, where did you go? You weren¡¯t home last night. Without someone to hold, I couldn¡¯t sleep well." As soon as Li Yifei walked in, Chu Xiaoyao clung to his arm, coquettishly rubbing her small chest against him.


    Li Yifei allowed Chu Xiaoyao to mess around and, leading her to the sofa, laughed, "You all were so lively that I could only get away to avoid the storm."


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Everyone is here because of you, and you still have the nerve to leave?"


    Li Yifei stretched out his hand to wrap Ye Yunzhu¡¯s shoulder, smiling, "Anyway, you all won¡¯t start fighting."


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t brush away Li Yifei¡¯s hand; rather, she felt something unusual in his reaction and asked, "What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you so crazy?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I figured it out. Since I have no way out, I might as well let things happen as they will."


    "What kind of attitude is that?" Ye Yunzhu suddenly got a bit annoyed.


    Li Yifei quickly and cautiously caressed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly, saying, "Don¡¯t get mad. You¡¯re pregnant, and being upset is bad for the baby."


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. When she was pregnant, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t known, let alone taken care of her like this. Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s unhappiness, Ye Yunzhu instead proudly stuck out her belly and said, "Oh, you remember I¡¯m carrying your child, yet still don¡¯t give me peace all day long?"


    "Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault. Please don¡¯t get mad." Li Yifei had originally just wanted to come back and create some chaos to disrupt their hostility. However, once he touched Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly, he felt a familial bond surge in his heart, making these words genuinely heartfelt.


    "If you want me not to be mad, then make things easier for me. You tell me, you got married to Yingying; I didn¡¯t force you, did I? But look at you now, left and right, making everything a mess. In the future, how should I explain to my child, that his father is just a big-hearted man?"


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely behave from now on." Li Yifei continued to smile apologetically.


    "Bang."


    Ning Xin¡¯er angrily kicked the coffee table, glaring viciously at Li Yifei.


    Everyone was startled, and Li Yifei quickly guessed why Ning Xin¡¯er was so furious. If Ning Xin¡¯er had been competing with Xu Yingying and the others, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention. However, his actions towards Ye Yunzhu touched Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s sore spot, leaving Li Yifei feeling quite guilty.


    "Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t be mad either. I didn¡¯t know when you were pregnant, so I didn¡¯t take care of you like this. Otherwise... how about having another child, and I¡¯ll make it up to you?"


    "Who... who wants to have another child with you?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s anger vanished, replaced by shyness, and she stuttered slightly. Besides that one time when Li Yifei forced her, she hadn¡¯t been touched by any man. To put it simply, she was like a young girl, unable to handle such words from Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯ve already had one with me, what does it matter if you have another?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er blushed even more, spat at Li Yifei, and pouted, "You rogue, you spent the night out and come back talking nonsense; what exactly do you want?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s playful antics successfully eased the anger of both Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er. He smiled and said, "Yunzhu, Xin¡¯er, you are both mothers of my children. I treat you no differently. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to do right now. Even if you all fight to the death, I wouldn¡¯t be able to decide anything. How about we all get along peacefully and discuss any issues calmly?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted and said, "Of course, I hope for that. I¡¯ve never intended to make trouble with them."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s reaction quite surprised Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, and Chu Xiaoyao also couldn¡¯t understand. Yesterday, Ning Xin¡¯er seemed determined not to give up until she had Li Yifei, so why was she so reasonable today?


    Ning Xin¡¯er was actually a very smart woman. When she first found Li Yifei, she did feel a mix of love and hatred towards him, leading to some extreme actions. But after spending time with Li Yifei and sleeping in the same bed with her daughter every day, her maternal instincts calmed her heart, and her thoughts became less radical.


    For her daughter, and in some ways for herself, she indeed needed to be with Li Yifei. But competing all the time wouldn¡¯t win any affection from Li Yifei; rather, it would make him worry constantly, only widening the gap between them. So, after having a good row with Xu Yingying and the others, she chose to retreat and should now face less resistance from them, leaving a better impression on Li Yifei.


    "What? You¡¯re still not satisfied with my approach?" Ning Xin¡¯er said with a face full of grievance.


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, saying, "Of course I¡¯m satisfied, very satisfied."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯ve also thought it over in the past two days. The daughter isn¡¯t mine alone; I can¡¯t be that selfish. Plus, I have some things to deal with recently and can¡¯t stay home all the time, so I¡¯m considering letting you take the daughter for a while."


    "Are you serious?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice suddenly rose.


    "Of course I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re the girl¡¯s father; you¡¯re not planning to evade this responsibility, are you?"


    "Of course not, definitely not." Li Yifei enthusiastically rubbed his hands together.


    "Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll occasionally come to visit our daughter, and you better not let your wife bar me from the door."


    "Absolutely not. Yingying isn¡¯t like that."


    "Alright, Yunzhu, actually we¡¯re the last two who should be fighting. Our fates are the same; we both had children for this guy and still can¡¯t be with him. No matter how much we fight, what¡¯s the point of it in the end?"


    These words truly resonated with Ye Yunzhu¡¯s heart, and she rolled her eyes at Li Yifei without saying more.


    Li Yifei never expected things to turn around so quickly and, excitedly, he told Ning Xin¡¯er, "Xin¡¯er, thank you so much."


    "Why be so polite with me? Even if I can¡¯t become your wife, I¡¯m still the mother of your daughter, aren¡¯t I?"


    "Yes, yes," Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, changing his impression of Ning Xin¡¯er greatly.


    Meanwhile, Chu Xiaoyao was pouting, looking at Ning Xin¡¯er with grievance. Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled softly, saying, "Xiaoyao, you don¡¯t need to be upset. No matter who Yifei is with, he can¡¯t just abandon you, right, Yunzhu?"


    Ye Yunzhu snorted; she was still displeased with how Chu Xiaoyao behaved yesterday, but after hearing Xu Yingying explain Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s situation, she couldn¡¯t hold a grudge against her. After all, dealing with the sudden death of both parents at such a young age, longing for someone was normal. The main reason for her snort was that Ning Xin¡¯er bought all the goodwill, and she couldn¡¯t say no, feeling at a disadvantage.


    Chu Xiaoyao clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm and pouted, saying, "Uncle..."


    "Alright, alright, I promise I won¡¯t abandon you." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I knew Uncle was the best." Chu Xiaoyao immediately wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck and gave him a kiss.


    With Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s sudden goodwill, the atmosphere at home instantly became much more harmonious, and Li Yifei naturally felt very comfortable, even feeling a bit of smug pride in openly embracing both.


    At noon, Li Yifei, very cheerfully, intended to make lunch for everyone, and Xu Shanshan insisted on going out with him.


    Since yesterday, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t really spoken a few words to Xu Shanshan. Now that Xu Shanshan wanted to come along, he knew she must have something to say.


    "Shanshan, are you very angry with me?" Li Yifei asked Xu Shanshan with a smile as soon as they exited the elevator.


    Xu Shanshan pouted slightly, "Sort of. I was really upset seeing you causing trouble with so many women, but you finally decided to be with my sister, so I¡¯m not mad anymore." Then she wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s.


    It had been quite a while since Li Yifei had been this close to Xu Shanshan, and with her, he felt a special closeness, saying, "Shanshan, I didn¡¯t want it to be like this either, but I have too many past debts. It¡¯s all my fault."


    Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm tighter, saying, "Stop talking about it. As long as you¡¯re good to my sister, that¡¯s all that matters; I¡¯m not concerned with the rest."


    Li Yifei could feel his arm pressing against Xu Shanshan¡¯s abundant chest. This sister-in-law was always so intimately close with him, and he smiled, "I knew Shanshan treats me the best."


    "Of course, you¡¯re my brother-in-law after all. But brother-in-law..." Xu Shanshan pouted slightly and, with a grievance, said, "Since you haven¡¯t been home for so long, no one has been there to massage my feet."


    "When I get back this time, I¡¯ll massage them every day. How about that?"


    "Then it¡¯s settled." Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed happily.


    "Your brother-in-law wouldn¡¯t deceive you."


    "Brother-in-law is the best." Xu Shanshan, excited, suddenly leaned in and gave Li Yifei a kiss on the cheek.


    "Shanshan... isn¡¯t this a bit too much excitement?" Li Yifei said, half amused, half vexed.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "What¡¯s wrong with kissing you? You¡¯re my brother-in-law, and sisters-in-law are practically half butts of their brothers-in-law."


    Li Yifei glared at Xu Shanshan, "Stop talking nonsense, or your sister will find out and spank you."


    Xu Shanshan laughed gleefully, "My sister is too busy dealing with external threats now. She doesn¡¯t have time for me. If I don¡¯t take advantage now, when she settles the external threats, I¡¯ll have no more chances."


    Xu Shanshan joyfully clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm as they entered the supermarket, always wearing a bright smile. Everyone who saw them would think they were a couple, rather than brother-in-law and sister-in-law.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei silently wondered why Xu Shanshan still wanted some kind of opportunity.

 Chapter 492 - 501: Ties

    Chapter 492: Chapter 501: TiesAt noon, Li Yifei prepared a simple meal, but by evening, Xu Yingying and the others had returned, and he truly showed off his skills with a full table of dishes. Each dish was a product of Li Yifei¡¯s meticulous thought and his best recipes, satisfying everyone thoroughly. Even Little Yifei, who was quite picky, kept saying how delicious it was.


    Thanks to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s concession, the atmosphere today was much more harmonious. Ning Xin¡¯er lifted her glass towards Xu Yingying and said, "Yingying, about the past, I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart. It was my bad mentality, please try not to mind it."


    Xu Yingying, quite surprised and flattered, also raised her glass and replied, "I had my faults in the past too, you should not dwell on it either."


    "Of course, I won¡¯t mind. Here I want to ask you for something. In the future, when Yifei is living with you, I hope you will treat her kindly," Ning Xin¡¯er said, her eyes softening as she looked at her daughter.


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "Rest assured, I will treat Yifei as if she were my own daughter. You can also visit Yifei anytime, and if she ever feels wronged, you know to come to me."


    "That puts my mind at ease. This drink is to you," Ning Xin¡¯er said, and gulped down her beer in one go.


    After Xu Yingying had finished her drink, Ning Xin¡¯er poured another glass and turned to Ye Yunzhu, saying, "Ye Yunzhu, this drink is for you. I hope we can leave past matters behind and become friends, as two people who can empathize with each other¡¯s lot."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cup wasn¡¯t filled with alcohol but a soft drink. She said, "I¡¯ll accept your toast, but I can¡¯t drink for that reason, as I don¡¯t think I have anything to pity about myself."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and replied, "You¡¯re right, that¡¯s my mistake. We women don¡¯t have to be dependents of men, and even if we have children without a husband in name, we can still live wonderfully."


    Only then did Ye Yunzhu take a sip of her drink.


    Having toasted the two of them, Ning Xin¡¯er moved on to Michelle, saying, "Michelle, although we¡¯re not close, your sudden appearance proved your deep feelings for Yifei, so I toast to you as well."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned bright red. She had indeed stepped forward then, but as Li Yifei¡¯s women had become harmonious all of a sudden, she felt embarrassed and clumsily said, "I... I... I just blurted it out."


    "Oh, those aren¡¯t words one simply blurts out carelessly. For your bravery alone, I must properly toast to you," Ning Xin¡¯er insisted.


    Michelle¡¯s face grew even redder, extending to her neck, as she hastily lifted her glass and drank without daring to raise her head again.


    No one teased Michelle. This girl usually came forward only when it mattered the most, usually watching Li Yifei from the shadows. Such emotions seemed even more precious.


    But Li Yifei could only belong to one, and they couldn¡¯t possibly give him up to Michelle just because they admired her.


    After dinner, Ning Xin¡¯er spoke up, "Everyone, Yifei will soon take Yufei away, and our family of three doesn¡¯t know if we¡¯ll have another chance to be together, so we would like to spend tonight as a family. Do you have any objections?"


    Before Li Yifei had a chance to speak, Xu Yingying said, "No objections. It¡¯s normal for your family of three to stay together, and it¡¯s good for the child."


    "Yingying," Ye Yunzhu called out to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying chuckled lightly and said, "This is what Yifei owes to Xin¡¯er and Yufei. I don¡¯t want to leave any regrets in Yufei¡¯s heart."


    Seeing Xu Yingying say so, Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t say anymore, and reflected with a sense of comfort. If Li Yifei couldn¡¯t divorce Xu Yingying in the future, then because of the child in her womb, wouldn¡¯t Li Yifei also be able to be with her openly?


    Yet, she felt a bitterness, knowing that Li Yifei was her first love and she was carrying his child. Why should she not only fail to become Li Yifei¡¯s rightful wife but now also seek Xu Yingying¡¯s forgiveness?


    Then Xu Yingying nudged Li Yifei and said earnestly, "Yifei, make sure to keep Yufei company tonight. Let the child understand the joy of her parents being together."


    "Wife..." Li Yifei took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, truly moved.


    Xu Yingying smiled sweetly again, "Go on. We will all stay here tonight, and your family of three can use the house over there."


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er, holding Li Yufei, went to the neighboring house. As soon as Li Yufei returned to this home, she excitedly bounded around. In her memory, this was her home, where all her things were.


    But after a short while, she pouted and asked, "Godfather, godmother, when are my mom and dad coming back?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er picked up her daughter, kissed her gently on the cheek, and said, "They are very busy right now and won¡¯t be back for a long time. But aren¡¯t your godfather and godmother here to take care of you?"


    "But I still miss Mommy and Daddy," the little girl pouted. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei appeased her at this time, saying, "Good daughter, how about godfather takes you to have fun tomorrow?"


    The little girl¡¯s mood changed swiftly, and she excitedly responded, "Yes, yes! Where will we go?"


    "Godfather will take you to the seaside, to swim, to pick up seashells, to catch little fish, and even little crabs."


    "Godfather, I want to go, I want to go!" The little girl immediately stretched out her hands, wanting Li Yifei to hold her.


    Li Yifei quickly picked up his daughter, saying, "If you want to go, godfather will take you, we¡¯ll go tomorrow."


    "Yay, godfather is the best." The little girl excitedly pecked Li Yifei¡¯s cheek with a kiss.


    Li Yifei burst into happy laughter. Though tempted by the fun ahead, his daughter¡¯s closeness still gave Li Yifei a real sense of accomplishment.


    "Godfather, if I go to the seaside with you, what about kindergarten?"


    "We¡¯ll have a great time first, then we¡¯ll go to the kindergarten afterwards."


    "Okay, okay." The little girl nodded vigorously.


    She was so excited tonight, constantly chattering to Li Yifei about the seaside. At three years old, she had never been to the seaside, so she was very curious about the ocean. Li Yifei patiently told her many interesting stories about the seaside, and she hung on his every word.


    Meanwhile, Ning Xin¡¯er was helping her daughter pack, glancing at her from time to time with a smile of happiness on her face. Yet behind that joyful smile, there was an inevitable sense of reluctance.


    "Yifei, now that our daughter is going with you, you must treat her well and not let her feel wronged." After finishing packing and bathing the little girl, who then lay down and fell asleep on the bed, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er sat on either side of their daughter, and Ning Xin¡¯er whispered to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, looking at his daughter¡¯s adorable face, nodded and said, "She¡¯s my own flesh and blood; how could I let her suffer?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er added, "I know you won¡¯t be bad to our daughter, but Xu Yingying isn¡¯t her birth mother. She might treat her well for a short time, but as time goes on, or if she has her own children, I still worry that she won¡¯t treat our daughter kindly."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Yingying won¡¯t do that, she¡¯s not that type of person."


    "She may not deliberately mistreat our daughter, but once she has her own children, her attention will naturally be on them. Put it this way, if someone else¡¯s child was left for me to raise, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be as good to them as I am to my own daughter."


    Li Yifei paused, thinking that Ning Xin¡¯er made a good point; considering the situation from her perspective, it was entirely normal.


    Ning Xin¡¯er let out a sigh, "If it really were best for our daughter, of course, it¡¯d be better for us to be together. But... never mind, a melon forced off its vine is never sweet. At least we aren¡¯t enemies now. If I really forced you to be with me, you¡¯d always harbor resentment in your heart. Forget it, let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. Anyway, if our daughter isn¡¯t happy with you, I¡¯ll take her back."


    Li Yifei sighed, nodded, and said, "I understand. I will do my utmost to provide our daughter with a warm family, and besides, you can come to see her anytime. Really, I think Yingying would understand."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded, "Alright then, let¡¯s sleep."


    After turning off the light, they lay down on either side of their daughter. Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t suggest any intimacy with Li Yifei, simply lying on her side, gazing unblinkingly at their child.


    At that moment, Li Yifei suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Having insistently taken his daughter away, he knew how hard it must be for Ning Xin¡¯er; it seemed like a cruel act.


    Ning Xin¡¯er lifted her head, looked at Li Yifei, and with a radiant smile said, "I guess this is our karmic bond. You bullied me back then, and I got pregnant out of sheer spite. Now, I¡¯ve burdened you with a big responsibility. If it weren¡¯t for this child, I could be living peacefully with your wife."


    Li Yifei exhaled deeply, "Xin¡¯er, I¡¯ve never blamed you. In fact, I should thank you for giving me such a lovely daughter."


    "Heh, I just liked you at that time and didn¡¯t know how to express it. That¡¯s what led to this outcome. If I hadn¡¯t made a fuss and had just explained my feelings to you, maybe things wouldn¡¯t be like this now. People grow up only after they¡¯ve been through things. Oh well, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. It¡¯s useless to say anything now. Today is a way to make it up to me, to let me experience a true family of three for once."


    As she spoke, Ning Xin¡¯er took one of their daughter¡¯s hands, and Li Yifei held the other. An odd sensation flooded Li Yifei¡¯s heart. This was his and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s daughter, a bond linking him and Ning Xin¡¯er. Even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, it was clear that he could never really be separate from Ning Xin¡¯er in this life.

 Chapter 493 - 502 Xu Shanshan’s Eccentricities

    Chapter 493: Chapter 502 Xu Shanshan¡¯s EccentricitiesNing Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t break her promise and took everyone to the airport the next day. Before passing through security, Ning Xin¡¯er held her daughter close, showering her with kisses, unwilling to let go.


    "My good girl, when you get there, you must listen to your godfather and not be naughty," she instructed.


    "My good girl, you can¡¯t be picky with your food at mealtime, or you won¡¯t grow tall. Drink less soda and more plain water," she continued.


    "If you feel unwell, you must tell your godfather," she added.


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave her daughter one instruction after another, but the little girl wasn¡¯t paying attention at all. It was her first time flying, and she was anxious to get inside the big airplane.


    As the time for boarding drew near, with only a little more than half an hour left, Ning Xin¡¯er finally released her daughter. She turned to Xu Yingying with red-rimmed eyes and said, "Yingying, I hope you can be kind to Yufei. If you don¡¯t like her, just tell me straight away. I will come to pick her up and won¡¯t cause you any trouble."


    Xu Yingying, witnessing the deep maternal love between Ning Xin¡¯er and Little Yufei, felt a complex mix of emotions and nodded heavily, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely treat Yufei well."


    "Thank you," Ning Xin¡¯er bit her lip, finally uttering the words she least wanted to say, "You... you all should go."


    Everyone went through security while Ning Xin¡¯er stood at the checkpoint, unable to leave, as if she had lost her soul.


    Su Mengxin stood by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s side and gently patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Alright, let¡¯s go. You can visit anytime."


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave a forced smile and replied, "Yeah, I can go and see her."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, the big star holding her daughter so affectionately, would normally have been the focus of attention by now, but with Su Mengxin there, paparazzi were chased away by bodyguards early on. Moreover, everyone was gathered around Ning Xin¡¯er, so this moment at the airport did not catch any journalists¡¯ attention. Otherwise, the news of Ning Xin¡¯er having a daughter would certainly have caused a huge stir.


    The entire First Class Cabin was booked by Li Yifei¡¯s group. His daughter and Chu Xiaoyao ended up sitting together. Chu Xiaoyao had supported Ning Xin¡¯er, but in the end, it turned out like this, which made her feel she had lost face. As a result, she didn¡¯t talk much to the others and kept company with Little Yufei instead. Luckily, Little Yufei had become quite close to her over the past days; this connection with Chu Xiaoyao helped restore some of her dignity.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying sat together, finally sitting down for a proper talk after almost a month apart.


    "Ah..." Xu Yingying suddenly let out a sigh.


    Li Yifei asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Yingying forced a smile, glancing at Li Yufei to her side, and said, "I just feel like I¡¯ve become a villain." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei held Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and replied, "We¡¯ll just have to be extra good to our daughter from now on."


    "Mhm," Xu Yingying nodded and gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand back, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, what I promised Ning Xin¡¯er, I promised to you as well."


    Li Yifei squeezed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand firmly and said, "I believe you."


    When Xu Yingying turned to look at Li Yifei, she saw Ye Yunzhu and quickly assured her, "Yunzhu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll treat your child the same way."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mouth twitched and she replied, "There¡¯s no need for that, I can take care of my own child just fine."


    Xu Yingying wanted to say more, but at that moment the plane began to accelerate for takeoff, so she had to hold her words.


    An hour and a half later, Li Yifei and the others had already landed in Mile City. They left the airport, and Ye Yunzhu promptly got into her car, which was driven by a colleague to pick her up. After a brief goodbye, she left.


    Li Yifei too had some things he wanted to say to Ye Yunzhu, but now was not the moment. They could always get in touch with her, so there was no rush.


    The rest of the group quickly dispersed. He Fangqing went straight home, and Michelle followed suit and left. Chu Xiaoyao was very straightforward; she went straight to the home of Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    After a month away, as Li Yifei stepped into this house once again, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of belonging; he had to admit that unconsciously, he had come to regard this place as his home.


    Little Yufei, however, was quite unfamiliar with this place. She clung to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand, looking around nervously. Xu Yingying immediately squatted down in front of Little Yufei and asked, "Yufei, how about living here from now on, okay?"


    "No good!" the little girl promptly shook her head and said, "There are no toys here, no dolls."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly offered, "In a moment, auntie will take you to buy loads of toys and dolls, okay?"


    The little girl blinked her eyes and agreed, "Okay, but... this place is so small, where will I put them?"


    Xu Yingying was stunned for a moment, then said, "That¡¯s true, so I¡¯ll buy a big house specially for Yifei to put her toys and stuffed dolls, okay?"


    "Yay!" The little girl finally cheered up.


    Upon hearing this, Chu Xiaoyao immediately smiled with joy. In this place, there clearly wasn¡¯t room for her, but if they were to move to a bigger house, there would be a spot for her. She quickly said, "Then I¡¯ll chip in too, I have to be part of it."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "We¡¯re buying a house for our family, why would we need your money?"


    Chu Xiaoyao held her head high and said, "This is Uncle buying a house, okay? If Uncle is buying a house, of course, I should be included."


    Xu Shanshan was about to respond when Xu Yingying said, "You don¡¯t need to chip in, but if you want to come live with us, I definitely won¡¯t have any objections."


    "Really?" Chu Xiaoyao looked at Xu Yingying dubiously.


    Xu Yingying revealed a gentle smile and said, "Your uncle has promised to take care of you, so naturally, it¡¯s also my responsibility. Our home is your home too."


    Chu Xiaoyao was still skeptical as she looked at Xu Yingying, "But I¡¯ve been opposing you these past few days, why are you still so nice to me?"


    Xu Yingying touched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head and said, "In my eyes, you¡¯re also a child. Why would I be angry with you?"


    "I am not a child, I¡¯m eighteen already, I am Uncle¡¯s mistress," retorted Chu Xiaoyao, shaking off Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm with a proud expression.


    Xu Shanshan curled her lip, and seeing this, Chu Xiaoyao immediately said excitedly, "Although I haven¡¯t made love with Uncle, I helped everyone out with my mouth the night before last, doesn¡¯t that count as being a mistress?"


    Li Yifei instantly felt a headache, Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned crimson with annoyance as she shot Li Yifei a look, while Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes actually revealed a look of surprise.


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t talk nonsense. You shouldn¡¯t say such things in front of Yifei."


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue, then winked triumphantly at Xu Yingying, "You¡¯re Uncle¡¯s wife, but even if you try to kick me out, it won¡¯t work, I¡¯m here to stay with Uncle."


    "Alright, I definitely won¡¯t kick you out," Xu Yingying was overwhelmed by Chu Xiaoyao. They needed to end this topic, or who knows what else the young girl might say next, which wouldn¡¯t be good for Yifei.


    Although their home wasn¡¯t very spacious, it was enough to accommodate Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yufei. Li Yifei and Xu Yingying shared one room, Chu Xiaoyao moved into Xu Shanshan¡¯s room, and their daughter, Little Yifei, stayed with Chu Xiaoyao. The young girl wasn¡¯t accustomed to sleeping with Li Yifei yet, and being with Chu Xiaoyao was more to her liking.


    Even though Little Yifei had switched to a new place, she didn¡¯t cry or fuss. For one, there were many people around¡ªXu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao could play with her. Secondly, Li Yifei had promised to take her to the beach the next day, so she was too excited to remember her fake parents or Ning Xin¡¯er.


    After ten at night, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were already lying in their bedroom. Xu Yingying was curled up in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, not even wearing a nightgown, bare on top, wearing only underwear, while Li Yifei was also only in his underwear.


    "Wife... I..." Li Yifei, holding Xu Yingying, felt he had a lot to say, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn¡¯t utter a single one.


    Xu Yingying covered Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, her face flushing as she said, "Husband, you don¡¯t have to say anything. No matter what you¡¯ve done in the past, no matter how complicated your past relationships were, I only know you¡¯re my husband, and I¡¯m your wife."


    Li Yifei was moved and hugged Xu Yingying tightly.


    "Husband, love me!" Xu Yingying said as she delivered a kiss.


    What else could Li Yifei say then? Any other woman would have probably turned against him long ago, but Xu Yingying, without a word of complaint and still treating him so well, only left Li Yifei with one option: to kiss her fervently, showing her in action that he also cared for her.


    Reunion was sweeter than a honeymoon; that night, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying enjoyed the greatest conjugal bliss. The couple¡¯s affection, after the separation of a month, had grown even deeper.


    The next morning, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying got up early. It was the weekend and they could have slept in, but having promised Little Yifei a trip to the beach, they had to rise earlier.


    Li Yifei came out to prepare some breakfast only to find someone lying on the living room sofa, which surprised him. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Xu Shanshan, who, hearing his footsteps, also opened her eyes and stretched with a languid "Good morning, brother-in-law, you¡¯re up."


    Li Yifei asked in confusion, "Did you sleep on the sofa last night?"


    "Yeah," Xu Shanshan sat up, smiling flirtatiously, her eyes bright and spirited.


    She had the same look as Xu Yingying when she woke up in the morning, the look of someone who had been pampered; so what was the deal with Xu Shanshan? Why did she too have that flirtatious air about her?

 Chapter 494 - 503 Underwater

    Chapter 494: Chapter 503 Underwater"You had a bed but chose to sleep on the couch? It couldn¡¯t be that..." Li Yifei furrowed his eyebrows.


    Xu Shanshan immediately jumped up. Her little nightgown barely hid her charms, but she didn¡¯t mind at all. She even hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm coquettishly and said, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like Little Yufei, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to sleeping alone usually. Adding two more people makes me uncomfortable. Look how nice I am, giving up my bed for your daughter; don¡¯t you think I deserve some praise?"


    When Li Yifei heard Xu Shanshan say that, he felt a bit apologetic. Earlier, he did suspect that Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t like Yufei, and that¡¯s why she was sleeping outside in a fit of pique. He immediately ruffled Xu Shanshan¡¯s hair and said, "Shanshan is the best. When we go out to play today, if you want anything, just tell me, and I¡¯ll get it for you."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I knew brother-in-law was the best. It¡¯s been a long time since I went out to play with you. I¡¯m just happy for a family outing; I don¡¯t need anything else."


    Li Yifei felt that Xu Shanshan was in an especially good mood today, with an alluring charm that was truly captivating. He laughed and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll make breakfast for you all, so hurry up and get ready. Let¡¯s set off early."


    "Yes, sir!" Xu Shanshan giggled as she ran into the bathroom to compete for space with her sister.


    It was the weekend, and Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t need to work. Everyone went out together, first by car and then by boat. Li Yifei and the others arrived at the small island they¡¯d visited a few times before.


    During preparations, Chu Xiaoyao suggested bringing Su Yiyi along, which made Li Yifei quite uncomfortable. Now that Chu Xiaoyao was settled here, he couldn¡¯t do much, and Xu Yingying more or less understood Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s situation and wouldn¡¯t say anything for now. But if they called Su Yiyi as well, it would truly feel like they were forming a harem.


    "Uncle, you said you¡¯d be with Sister Yiyi," Chu Xiaoyao said with a pout when she saw that Li Yifei hadn¡¯t responded. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and smiled, "Then why don¡¯t you give Yiyi a call?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and replied, "Forget it, she won¡¯t come. Last time, when you went over, she was too scared even to come out." Xu Yingying¡¯s current attitude puzzled Li Yifei. Her tolerance over this period seemed too good to be true, not quite in line with her personality.


    Chu Xiaoyao remembered that day too but still pouted and said, "If it were Sister Xin¡¯er, Sister Yiyi wouldn¡¯t be so scared."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "Xiaoyao, I know you have issues with me, but as Yifei¡¯s wife, I¡¯ve been more than tolerant."


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips and didn¡¯t dare say more. Now that Li Yifei was with Xu Yingying, she couldn¡¯t afford to turn against Xu Yingying, or she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay here.


    Xu Shanshan cheerfully remarked, "Alright then, even with more people, we couldn¡¯t all fit in the car. We don¡¯t have Sister Mengxin¡¯s RV, you know."


    Finally appeasing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s little grievances, they set off. First, they drove to the seaside, then hired a speedboat to reach the island.


    Little Yufei was riding on a boat for the first time. At first, she was quite scared, but soon she began to giggle with delight, swaying from side to side, insisting on sitting next to him.


    Li Yifei obliged, holding her waist and letting her dip her hands into the seawater, which thrilled the little girl even more.


    However, upon reaching the island, Li Yifei realized how much had changed. There were not many visitors to the island in the past, but today, the swimming-friendly beach area was bustling with people, turning into a mini tourist spot.


    Yet, none of this dampened their enthusiasm. More people made it livelier, and it seemed even more fun. They rented a sun umbrella and left valuable items at a local¡¯s house. Li Yifei and the group changed into their swimsuits and hit the beach.


    Three beautiful women in swimsuits were truly eye-catching, especially Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan. Their swimsuits were the same, their hairstyles matched, their figures and appearances identical. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t even tell which was his wife and which was his sister-in-law.


    Little Yufei, in her adorable little swimsuit, watched with wide, curious eyes at Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan.


    "Godfather, the two aunts look exactly the same."


    Li Yifei laughed, "How about we play a game?"


    "Yes, yes!" The little girl, excited by the idea of play, shouted eagerly.


    "We¡¯ll play a guessing game. Can you figure out which one is Aunt Yingying and which one is Aunt Shanshan?"


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both squatted down. The little girl walked up to them, feeling each of their faces and hands. Pouting, she shook her head and said, "Which one is Aunt Yingying?"


    Xu Yingying chuckled and said, "It¡¯s me."


    The little girl immediately grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, smiling brightly, "Godfather, I recognized her! This is Aunt Yingying."


    Everyone burst into laughter. This little girl was such a clever sprite, irresistibly adorable.


    Today, Li Yufei was the star, and everyone centered around her, playing with her. Since the little girl would live here in the future, Xu Yingying, as the stepmother, needed to win her over early. Meanwhile, Chu Xiaoyao, hoping to establish herself in Li Yifei¡¯s home, saw Li Yufei as a small supporter, insisting on winning her favor. However, Xu Shanshan had no such deliberate intent; for her, the little girl was just fun to play with.


    Seeing the three gathered around Little Yufei, Li Yifei found he had no chance to play with his daughter. But that was fine; he hoped Little Yufei would accept Xu Yingying sooner.


    Having been worn out by romantic entanglements recently, Li Yifei finally felt much relaxed. With nothing to do, he swam into the sea to stretch his legs.


    After swimming for a while, someone followed him. "Honey, wait for me. I¡¯ll swim with you."


    Li Yifei turned to see Xu Yingying approaching. He stopped and smiled, "Why aren¡¯t you playing with Yufei?"


    Xu Yingying hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck and said, "I¡¯m exhausted. If I couldn¡¯t catch up with you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to swim anymore."


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around Xu Yingying¡¯s waist and said with a smile, "Then take a break."


    Xu Yingying gave a sweet smile and said, "Shanshan and Xiaoyao are digging for little crabs with Yufei. I came to keep you company."


    The water was quite deep here, with not many people around. Li Yifei leaned over and gently kissed Xu Yingying on the cheek. "You¡¯re so good to me."


    "You¡¯ve noticed, huh?" Xu Yingying blushed and playfully said, "You better treat me even better."


    "I¡¯ll surely treat my wife better." Li Yifei chuckled, already slipping a hand underwater to her chest.


    "Honey..." Xu Yingying blushed even more, buried her face in his shoulder, and had no strength, floating only with his support.


    Li Yifei gently massaged her and teased, "You can¡¯t be thinking about that now, can you?"


    "Stop it..." Xu Yingying kissed Li Yifei¡¯s neck softly.


    Seeing Xu Yingying so enraptured, Li Yifei felt his own desire stirred. Remembering his time with Su Mengxin in the ocean, he whispered to Xu Yingying, "Honey, I¡¯ll take you somewhere romantic."


    "Really?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei excitedly.


    Li Yifei chuckled, lowered his head, and kissed Xu Yingying¡¯s lips. They both dove beneath the water with a kick of his feet.


    Xu Yingying was initially startled when her head went underwater. She clung tightly to Li Yifei, flailing. But she quickly realized there was no danger, and the air shared from Li Yifei¡¯s mouth was more than sufficient.


    Li Yifei led Xu Yingying further into deeper waters, around ten meters deep, but here the water was clearer. She opened her eyes to see the underwater scenery.


    Feeling completely at ease, Xu Yingying watched the underwater world while kissing the man she loved, held in his arms. It was incredibly romantic, and her heart soared with joy.


    Li Yifei pushed off the ocean floor, and they surfaced. Holding her in his arms, he asked, "How was it?"


    "It was beautiful!" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she clung to Li Yifei¡¯s neck. "Let¡¯s go back down quickly."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, took a deep breath, and dived back underwater with her.


    Holding hands, they plunged to the bottom again. The sea was so clear that nearly all of the underwater world was visible. Every ten or twenty seconds, Li Yifei would share a breath with Xu Yingying, allowing them to stay submerged for several minutes at a time.


    After several dives, they submerged once more. When Li Yifei shared air with Xu Yingying, she locked him in a passionate kiss, clutching him tightly around the waist.


    Such romance, such reaction, was what Li Yifei had anticipated. It filled him with a deep sense of accomplishment. Xu Yingying had given so much to him recently, and he felt an intense desire to offer her some form of recompense, something that would ease his persistent guilt.


    Lost in a fervent kiss underwater, today¡¯s embrace felt different from those they shared before. But being underwater, combined with Xu Yingying¡¯s heightened emotions, made it all seem perfectly natural.


    Kissing Xu Yingying, Li Yifei¡¯s hands roved her body. Since their marriage, they¡¯d had little romance outside the bedroom. It was almost as if they were dating post-marriage, finding their rhythm amidst sun and sea.

 Chapter 495 - 504: Uncomfortable

    Chapter 495: Chapter 504: UncomfortableOnly when Li Yifei felt suffocated did they surface again, gazing deeply into each other¡¯s eyes in a moment of undeniable passion and love.


    He had swum like this with Su Mengxin underwater, but back then, Li Yifei had no lustful thoughts; now, with his wife, he had no such reservations. His hand was already on Xu Yingying¡¯s full chest, gently kneading, while his own swimsuit seemed ready to burst from the pressure.


    Xu Yingying blushed furiously. They had been husband and wife for some days, yet in this romantic moment, she still felt shy. Her body was soft and yielding, and her affectionate gaze almost melted Li Yifei.


    "Husband!" Xu Yingying called out softly, and their lips met once more before they dove back underwater.


    Time and again they repeated this, and Xu Yingying was thoroughly enjoying herself with no intention to stop. Li Yifei, however, was struggling, not from tiredness, but from his desire, which he could no longer control.


    He brought his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Wife... let¡¯s go behind those rocks over there."


    "What for?" Xu Yingying asked with affectionate curiosity.


    "Look at me here... it¡¯s so uncomfortable. Over there, no one can see us."


    Xu Yingying nodded subconsciously, and Li Yifei was overjoyed. He embraced her and was ready to dive, knowing that they had been intimate many times in bed. But having a wild escapade outside was still new to him, an incredibly thrilling prospect, only hindered by the buoyancy of the water that prevented him from taking things further right there.


    "Ah! No!" Xu Yingying suddenly cried out.


    Li Yifei stopped urgently, "Wife, what¡¯s wrong now?"


    "I can¡¯t..." Xu Yingying shook her head in panic.


    Li Yifei thought she was just shy. Taking her hand, he placed it on his swimsuit and said pitifully, "Wife, look, I¡¯m so desperate. If you don¡¯t let me now, I really might die from this."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s hand trembled slightly on Li Yifei¡¯s swimsuit as she stuttered, "We can¡¯t... we really can¡¯t. We¡¯ve been here too long, and soon Sister... Shanshan and Xiaoyao will miss us. How embarrassing that would be."


    Li Yifei did not notice Xu Yingying¡¯s hesitation as he frowned and asked, "So what am I supposed to do?"


    "Hehe, just bear with it a bit, and tonight I¡¯ll take good care of you," Xu Yingying said as she suddenly let go of Li Yifei and swam enthusiastically toward the shore.


    Li Yifei was speechless. His wife was still reserved, but he couldn¡¯t force her, so he just followed her back to the shore.


    Once in the shallows, Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei with a giggle, "You wait here for a bit. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be embarrassing when we go back."


    Li Yifei was still not himself, but he agreed, watching as Xu Yingying swam to shore and ran over to join Xu Shanshan, Chu Xiaoyao, and their daughter Li Yufei playing.


    Shaking his head, he submerged once more, his ardor cooling without Xu Yingying by his side, and then he swam toward the shore.


    "Godfather, look at the little crabs I caught! I caught them myself!" Li Yufei ran over excitedly with a small bucket filled with lively little crabs as soon as she saw Li Yifei returning.


    "My smart girl, you are amazing for catching so many!" Li Yifei squatted down, enthusiastically praising his daughter.


    The little girl boasted proudly, "The little crabs were really tough! Their claws pinched my hand and it hurt so much, but Yufei didn¡¯t cry."


    "Wow, that¡¯s impressive! When Godfather was young, I cried when a crab pinched me."


    "Giggle, Godfather, you¡¯re such a wimp, not as tough as Yufei."


    "That¡¯s right, Yufei is the bravest and the strongest."


    "Yes, Yufei is the bravest!"


    Standing tall with utmost pride, the little girl then pulled Chu Xiaoyao back into the hunt for crabs.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up. His encouragement of Li Yufei was sure to instill persistence in the little girl, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t be too fussy even without her real parents nearby, and with time she would gradually adapt.


    Sitting next to Li Yifei, Xu Yingying said with a smile, "Yufei is really adorable. I like her so much."


    Li Yifei smiled back, "I¡¯m glad you like her."


    "Are you still worried about me? I¡¯ve been playing with her all day, and now she¡¯s grown quite fond of me."


    Just as the two had exchanged a couple of words, Xu Shanshan called out from the side, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, I want to eat seafood," interrupting Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s conversation.


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a look and said, "Yifei hasn¡¯t had enough fun yet, what seafood do you want to eat?"


    Xu Yingying pointed to an old lady carrying a basket nearby and said, "Isn¡¯t she selling some over there? Brother-in-law, can you buy some for me?"


    Li Yifei stood up and smiled, "Alright then, wait a moment, I¡¯ll go get you some."


    "I¡¯m coming with you," Xu Shanshan sprang up, tugging on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and hopping along like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, brimming with excitement.


    It had been a while since Li Yifei had spent time with Xu Shanshan, and there was indeed a sense of affection. He bought some of the seafood the old lady was selling and brought it back to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Shanshan shouted to Li Yufei, "Little Yifei, come and eat, it¡¯s all fresh seafood!"


    Li Yufei immediately ran over excitedly, and Xu Yingying quickly got the little girl ready, washing her hands with mineral water before letting her eat.


    Although the little girl had eaten seafood before, she hadn¡¯t tried these little snacks. Xu Yingying was teaching her earnestly how to eat them, looking very much like Little Yifei¡¯s real mom. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was reassured by this; he worried that Xu Yingying had acted on impulse when she took Yifei in and that she might get tired of her eventually, but now it seemed that Xu Yingying¡¯s care for the child was genuine.


    "Uncle, I can¡¯t get this conch out," Chu Xiaoyao pouted, handing a conch to Li Yifei and sitting down beside him.


    Li Yifei picked the meat out of the conch with a toothpick and handed it to Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t take it with her hands but opened her mouth and said, "I want you to feed me."


    Li Yifei said with an embarrassed smile, "Eat it yourself."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes immediately reddened, and she said in a hurt voice, "Uncle, you¡¯re not nice to me anymore. You promised to take care of me for life, but now that you have a wife, you don¡¯t want me. Mom and dad left me behind, and now you¡¯re abandoning me too."


    Xiaoyao had just been throwing a little tantrum on purpose, but mentioning her parents brought up her sorrow, and she genuinely became upset.


    In the days since her parents¡¯ death, Xiao Yao hadn¡¯t been as sad as she was in the first few days, and Li Yifei had somehow forgotten about it. Seeing her like this, he hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll feed you. I never said I would stop caring for you."


    Xiaoyao turned her head away, refusing the conch meat Li Yifei offered, and said, "You¡¯re so reluctant; you¡¯re not as nice to me as you were before. You just want to abandon me."


    Li Yifei awkwardly looked towards Xu Yingying, who sighed and said to Li Yifei, "Husband, what are you doing? You need to follow through on what you say; how can you be mean to Xiaoyao? Xiaoyao, don¡¯t be angry. Isn¡¯t it just because your uncle has a daughter now, so he¡¯s more concerned with her? Haven¡¯t you noticed he doesn¡¯t even take care of me?"


    Li Yifei also said quickly, "Xiaoyao, you wouldn¡¯t compete with my daughter, would you?"


    Both Xu Yingying and Li Yifei tried to console her, which somewhat improved Xiaoyao¡¯s mood. She turned her head and ate the conch meat, but her spirits were visibly lower, and it wasn¡¯t an act.


    Xu Yingying shook her head at Li Yifei with a sense of helplessness and then gave him a look, signaling him to comfort Xiaoyao. Acknowledging with a grateful glance, Li Yifei then put his arm around Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulders and said, "Come on, have another one. You little rascal,"


    This time, Li Yifei took the initiative, and right in front of Xu Yingying, instantly improving Xiaoyao¡¯s mood. A smile spread across her face, and leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, she said sweetly, "Uncle, you¡¯re really nice."


    Li Yifei ruffled her hair and said, "Only if you¡¯re good will I be nice to you. No more mischief, okay?"


    "Got it. I won¡¯t make you angry anymore, nor will I make Sister Yingying angry."


    Chu Xiaoyao was the kind of girl without much guile. Her mood flared up and died down quickly; a little kindness from Li Yifei was all it took for her to stop sulking.


    After finishing the seafood, Li Yifei resumed playing with his daughter.


    The child wasn¡¯t interested in swimming; her favorite activity was catching little crabs and fish by the water. Then, Li Yifei helped her build a big sandcastle, which delighted the little girl to no end.


    Many parents brought their children to play today, and the grand sandcastle that Li Yifei made for his daughter was quite large and impressive, attracting lots of other children to join in the fun.


    Since children of the same age were playing with Li Yufei, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying sat aside, letting their daughter play with those little friends, hoping to make her even happier.


    But after a while, the children started to quarrel. One of the boys suddenly rushed forward and with hands and feet destroyed Li Yufei¡¯s sandcastle. Li Yufei, enraged, pounced on him and knocked the boy over, leaving him sitting on the ground and crying.


    It was just a minor conflict among the children that would usually not amount to much, but unexpectedly, this small issue ignited a major conflict.

 Chapter 496 - 505 Shrew

    Chapter 496: Chapter 505 Shrew"Son! Son! What happened to you?"


    No sooner had the little boy cried out a few times than a woman rushed over, lifted the boy up, and started asking questions.


    "He pushed me!" The little boy sniffled, pointing at Li Yufei.


    Normally, as parents, when they see children of about the same age, they would simply comfort their own child and let it go. But this woman told her son, "Don¡¯t cry, son. Mommy will hit her for you."


    The little boy immediately stopped crying, pointed at Li Yufei, and called out triumphantly, "That¡¯s for pushing me, now my mom will hit you."


    Li Yifei had just witnessed why the two children were arguing. Li Yufei had this castle, naturally wanting to show it off, while the little boy didn¡¯t have such a castle and demanded Li Yufei give it to him. Li Yufei naturally refused, and the boy, in a huff, pushed the castle over, proving to be a barbaric and domineering little brat.


    But to Li Yifei, what the children were like was of no consequence. The woman¡¯s words were also a bit off-key, but he took it as her way of cajoling her own son, not an actual intent to hit Li Yufei. It seemed more like a pretense.


    Nevertheless, Li Yifei was afraid his daughter would be frightened and moved closer to her side.


    To his surprise, the woman actually reached out and pushed Li Yufei to the ground, glaring and cursing, "You little liar! Where did this bastard child come from? You dare to hit my son? Are you tired of living?"


    This completely caught Li Yifei off guard. He was unable to prevent the woman from pushing his daughter, and could only watch helplessly as she fell to the ground.


    A surge of anger filled Li Yifei instantly. His daughter, the person he protected so dearly, had never before been injured under his watch. Now, his daughter was hit by someone else. It was not only an insult to him but also a profound sense of guilt for not being able to protect his own daughter.


    Li Yifei held his daughter in his arms, and Little Yufei immediately began to cry loudly, clinging tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s neck, the epitome of wretchedness.


    "Don¡¯t cry, baby..." Li Yifei gently patted his daughter¡¯s shoulder, looking towards the woman.


    The woman, seeing Li Yifei, didn¡¯t show any discomfort. Instead, she glared at Li Yifei and started yelling, "What kind of parent are you, raising a child without any manners, daring to hit our precious son?"


    Li Yifei had encountered some odd people before but had never met a woman as outrageous as this one. A children¡¯s fight is trivial, yet here was a parent getting physically involved and then having the audacity to blame him.


    "Hurry up and have your daughter apologize to my son, did you hear me? Have your daughter apologize to my son right now!" The woman, seeing Li Yifei had not spoken, glared with those eyes and shouted again.


    With his daughter being bullied, Li Yifei was already furious. Now with the woman relentless, he was on the verge of slapping her, but Xu Yingying held back Li Yifei and gave him a meaningful look. Then she turned her head to the woman and said sternly, "Your son first destroyed my daughter¡¯s castle before my daughter pushed him, and even with a bit of shoving between children, no harm would come. Is such behavior really necessary?"


    Xu Yingying, accustomed to authority, naturally spoke with a formidable presence that intimidated most people. Upon encountering her, people would normally realize she was not to be trifled with.


    But this woman was completely impervious to such an attitude. Her eyes, like those of a dead fish, widened, and she started shouting, "Nonsense! Who is my son? And what trash is your daughter? Comparing your daughter with my son is simply ignorance of your own limitations. Stop talking this nonsense to me and make your daughter apologize to my son now, or you¡¯ll have me to answer to."


    Here was a typical case of a scholar coming up against a soldier, where reason fails to prevail. Xu Yingying had originally been concerned that Li Yifei might react impulsively out of sympathy for his daughter and get into a conflict, but this woman was so outrageously aggressive that she couldn¡¯t be reasoned with, leaving Xu Yingying at a loss.


    Xu Yingying might not be up to handling this, but Chu Xiaoyao certainly was. The girl rushed over, lividly rebuking, "You crazy old hag, stop your damned yelling! What if I hit your son? No wonder he¡¯s so fierce, destroying other people¡¯s castles. With a crazy hag like you for a mother, what kind of son could you raise?"


    The woman, berated by Chu Xiaoyao, became even more infuriated. Her eyes bulged as if they might pop out and she cursed, "I¡¯ll screw your grandmother, you little scam artist, you slut! Just a vixen waiting for someone to sleep with, calling others names. Do you know who I am?"


    "So what if I¡¯m the ¡¯other woman?¡¯ Do you even have what it takes? With your fish-like face, even if you wanted to be, no man would have you. Not for wanting you, and not for licking toes, let alone for anything else. You¡¯re just a madwoman, babbling about how tasty someone¡¯s ass is after licking it, a classless lunatic," Chu Xiaoyao said, hands on her hips, not the least intimidated by the woman. When she used to mess around online, she had picked up quite the vocabulary for cursing. While she didn¡¯t normally use such language, now in the heat of argument, she found the words coming to her naturally.


    "I¡¯ll rip you apart, you little tramp!" The words of Chu Xiaoyao hit the woman right where it hurt. She was already self-conscious about her unattractive appearance and those dead fish eyes only made it worse. Coupled with her shrewish demeanor, if it weren¡¯t for her father¡¯s backing, she would have had no chance of marriage at all.


    To this woman, no one else mattered, not even a child was safe from her wrath. So, against Chu Xiaoyao, she showed no courtesy, cursing and angrily swinging her hand at Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face.


    Chu Xiaoyao had never expected the woman to actually try to hit her, and she let out a startled scream, shrinking her neck, but it was entirely too late to dodge the woman¡¯s palm.


    However, the woman¡¯s palm had not yet touched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face when a crisp slap sounded on her own face, sending her staggering and falling onto the sandy beach.


    Some people say that a man who hits a woman is no real man, but Li Yifei always sneered at this. Many assassins are women, and their skills in murder and power of destruction are no less than that of men. In this world, among the top three assassins, the second-ranked one is a woman, and Li Yifei had no certainty he could handle her.


    If it¡¯s an enemy, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t care if it was a man or a woman. This woman not only hit his daughter but was about to hit Chu Xiaoyao and was rude to Xu Yingying, so naturally, he treated her like an enemy.


    There are also some women who are even more aggressive than men, cursing and hitting at the drop of a hat, just like the woman in front of him. She had already hit someone, and if he didn¡¯t hit back because she was a woman, wouldn¡¯t that just mean passively watching his loved ones suffer?


    Therefore, Li Yifei showed no mercy as he slapped the woman hard across the face.


    The woman fell to the ground with a thud, but was not hurt, and the child she was holding was not harmed at all. Li Yifei¡¯s force was skillfully measured, only intending to make her face pain, with no desire to injure her further.


    "You... you actually dared to hit me?" the woman pointed at Li Yifei, her lips trembling, seemingly in utter disbelief that this was really happening.


    Just having been frightened, Chu Xiaoyao was now seething with rage and shouted, "You got what you deserved for hitting someone like that; a crazy woman like you should be beaten to death."


    "You... you¡¯re all going to die, you¡¯re all dead!" Saying this, the woman suddenly sprang up, then stamped her foot and yelled, "Kong Libo, you bastard, someone has hit me, and you still won¡¯t come and take revenge for me."


    When Li Yifei had acted, he had made sure his daughter didn¡¯t see. Now, seeing the woman making a scene, and afraid it might scare his daughter, he passed his daughter to Xu Yingying and said, "Yingying, take our daughter away first."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "I¡¯ll move to the side. Try not to have too much conflict."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and replied, "Don¡¯t worry."


    As Xu Yingying turned to leave, the woman suddenly charged to block her path and yelled, "No one¡¯s leaving today. After hitting me, if I don¡¯t skin you all today, I might as well write my name upside down."


    Li Yufei happened to catch a glimpse of the woman¡¯s fierce demeanor and started crying loudly in fear, which got Xu Yingying quite angry. The woman was truly detestable. If it weren¡¯t for holding the child, she herself would feel an urge to slap her.


    Li Yifei reached out and grabbed the woman¡¯s arm, took her down with a swift move, and again flipped her over. This time, Little Yifei stopped crying and with a loud voice said, "Godfather is awesome, hit her! Hit the bad person."


    At that moment, the little girl¡¯s eyes were wide open, her little fists swinging vigorously, her small face taut, looking rather like the twenty-something Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Li Yifei smiled and patted his daughter¡¯s head, saying, "Daughter, you go with auntie to the side. Godfather will avenge you and give her a good lesson."


    Just as Xu Yingying was walking away with the child, four men rushed over rapidly, all in swimwear. One of the men was slim and wore glasses, appearing gentle and somewhat handsome. The other three were robust, with menacing faces.


    "Wife, wife, what¡¯s the matter?" The slim man arrived beside the hysterical woman and asked nervously.


    "Fuck your mother!" The woman raised her hand and slapped the man, furiously saying, "Didn¡¯t you see your wife and son were hit? And you still have the nerve to ask?"


    This left Li Yifei and the others dumbfounded. The woman¡¯s husband had come to help but ended up receiving a slap from her first. Just how fierce could this woman be? It was hard to imagine how the man could tolerate such a wife.


    Then the woman pointed at Li Yifei, gritting her teeth as she cursed, "Beat him up, it¡¯s this damned man. Break his legs for me; if you can¡¯t break his legs, tonight you¡¯ll be damned."


    This arrogance and tyranny, even the Underworld might not have someone as outrageous as her.


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 Chapter 497 - 506

    Chapter 497: 506The woman¡¯s husband, named Kong Libo, is now a public servant working in the finance bureau of a district, while this woman herself is named Wang Yajuan, and her father is the Deputy Captain of the City Urban Management Brigade.


    Kong Libo was originally a college graduate from a mountain village and a schoolmate of Wang Yajuan. As he was quite handsome, many female students pursued him in school. However, since Wang Yajuan could arrange a job for him, he eventually married her, albeit reluctantly. Thanks to his father-in-law, it took only a few years for him to rise to the position of a section chief.


    His father-in-law is only in his early fifties and can work for a few more years, so Kong Libo¡¯s future promotions will still depend on his father-in-law. That¡¯s why, even though his wife has always been commanding and abusive toward him, cursing and hitting him as she pleases, he could only submit to her demands.


    When his wife got into a conflict, he knew for certain his wife was the one causing trouble. Yet under these circumstances, he could only obey his wife and came to Li Yifei, saying with a stern face, "You actually dared to hit my wife; you must really be tired of living."


    Having been a public servant for a few years and having his father-in-law¡¯s support, Kong Libo couldn¡¯t stand up to his wife. However, in front of others, he often vented the frustration he faced at her, now glaring at Li Yifei with a menacing frown.


    Li Yifei had originally thought Kong Libo to be a henpecked man, one who didn¡¯t dare to fart when hit by his wife; he even felt a bit of sympathy for him. But now, seeing this guy acting all high and mighty in front of him, his sympathy vanished in an instant. He coldly said, "I¡¯m really impressed with you, having such an outstanding wife and still keeping your composure after being slapped."


    Kong Libo¡¯s face grew uglier. Having such a wife was already a sore point for him. He had just been slapped in public by his wife, which had been humiliating enough, and now with Li Yifei¡¯s comment, he felt even more ashamed. His shame quickly turned into anger, and he cursed and swung his fist at Li Yifei, clearly very bold.


    When he started fighting, the other three men also rushed forward. Li Yifei was in his swimwear, and his chest muscles and abs were very prominent. It was clear he was quite strong. Kong Libo obviously was no match for Li Yifei, and the other three were naturally going to help him out.


    "Hit him! Hit him hard!" Wang Yajuan shouted loudly, pulling her son along.


    And to everyone¡¯s surprise, her son also shouted loudly, "Go for it! Make sure to draw blood!"


    At this point, quite a few people had gathered around and were watching this scene with the same fascination one might have for a freak show. The son was just a few years old, maybe three or four, and already so fierce. They could only imagine what he would be like when he grew up. But then, looking at his mother, they felt it was normal; with a mother like that, what else could her son be like?


    Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao watched the four men attack Li Yifei without the slightest worry. Instead, their faces were filled with excitement. Both had seen Li Yifei in action before, but it had been a while since they last saw it. Even though these few men were not much of a challenge, watching Li Yifei throw a few punches was enough to satisfy their craving for action.


    Li Yifei was indeed very annoyed at this moment. If these people had simply insulted him, he might not have cared. But this woman had dared to lay hands on his daughter, which was crossing Li Yifei¡¯s line of no forgiveness.


    So, Li Yifei threw punches and kicks, and in no time, he had all four men lying on the ground. He hadn¡¯t been excessively rough, but the pain he inflicted was surprisingly severe. The four grown men lay there, howling like pigs to the slaughter, completely disregarding any sense of dignity.


    Li Yifei ignored the four men and went straight towards Wang Yajuan. Wang Yajuan was now frightened, not expecting that her side couldn¡¯t even touch Li Yifei, and she took two steps back, protecting her son and stuttered, "What do you want to do?"


    Xu Yingying, seeing that Li Yifei had dealt with the four men, hurried over while holding Li Yufei and urged, "Yifei, let it go."


    Li Yifei nodded, took his daughter, and the little girl¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. She hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, gave him a peck on the cheek, and excitedly said, "Godfather, you are so awesome."


    Having his daughter look up to him with such admiration, Li Yifei felt an indescribable joy. He smiled faintly and said, "If godfather wasn¡¯t strong, how could I protect Little Yifei?"


    "Yes, yes, godfather has to protect Yifei always. Then Yifei will never be bullied again, and I won¡¯t be afraid even if adults bully me."


    Li Yifei turned to Wang Yajuan and said indifferently, "Apologize to my daughter." His voice was not loud, but because he had just knocked down the four men, his words carried an unspoken authority.


    Wang Yajuan, true to her fierce nature, although somewhat frightened, stuck out her chest and shouted, "Fine, you dare to hit me? Do you know who my father is?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately chimed in, "Such a grown person, still running to daddy for help, how utterly shameless."


    Wang Yajuan snorted, "My dad is the Deputy Captain of the City Urban Management Brigade, you dare to hit me, just wait and see how you¡¯ll regret it."


    Li Yifei suddenly found it very amusing. Nowadays in Huaxia, although there¡¯s still a hierarchy favoring officials, where being an official means you¡¯re more important than the common folk, the slogan promoted from above is still ¡¯serve the people¡¯. So, showing off your power in your own office to those who came to you for help is one thing¡ªno one would say anything about that. But to flaunt your dad¡¯s position as an official to intimidate others in public, that¡¯s really shooting yourself in the foot.


    For a daughter to be so arrogant, her dad mustn¡¯t be a good sort either. Usually, Li Yifei would just scorn someone like this, but since she had hit his daughter, he saw this as an opportunity to let this woman dig her own father¡¯s grave. Once her dad got into trouble, she¡¯d lose her backing.


    "Wow, your dad is the Deputy Captain of the Urban Management Brigade?" Li Yifei immediately adopted an expression of seeming guilt.


    Seeing Li Yifei act like this, Wang Yajuan grew bolder, puffed out her chest, and stated arrogantly, "Now you realize it, but it¡¯s too late. You hit me, and you¡¯re going to pay for it."


    "Don¡¯t scare me. The Urban Management Brigade might be an authoritative department, but there are several Deputy Directors, and those ranked lower aren¡¯t so frightening."


    Wang Yajuan puffed out her chest even more, her eyes rolling upwards in a dead-fish manner, oozing pride as she said, "My dad is second in command, you get what ¡¯second in command¡¯ means? Plus, the Chief Captain will retire soon, then my father will be the top dog. Do you understand what it means to upset me? I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t even stand on your feet in Mile City." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Second in command... No way, I remember the Urban Management Brigade has quite a few surnamed Wang. You¡¯re not impersonating someone to deceive people, are you?"


    Wang Yajuan¡¯s eyes bulged with anger, "My dad is Wang Hongmin, you¡¯re blind."


    "Ah, then there¡¯s no mistake." Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and turned to smile at Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao were both giving Li Yifei knowing glances by now. When Li Yifei suddenly changed his tone while talking to this woman, he had already signaled with his eyes. They both got the hint right away. Chu Xiaoyao stealthily took out her phone and turned on the recording function. Although she hadn¡¯t recorded everything from the beginning, she did capture the woman revealing who her father was.


    "Alright, since your dad is the Deputy Captain of the city¡¯s Urban Management Brigade, let¡¯s just forget about this whole thing," Li Yifei said, pretending to speak casually.


    "What? You think you can just say ¡¯forget about it¡¯ and it¡¯s done?" Wang Yajuan¡¯s eyes snapped open in outrage.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "Then what do you want? It¡¯s just a kids¡¯ fight, it¡¯s no big deal. As their mother, you should¡¯ve educated your child properly instead of hitting my daughter. Do you think because you have a powerful dad, you can bully us common folk as you please?"


    Li Yifei only pointed out what was wrong with Wang Yajuan, naturally not mentioning a word about him hitting her or the four men.


    Wang Yajuan was a complete airhead and hadn¡¯t realized that she had walked right into Li Yifei¡¯s trap. She continued on pompously, "What¡¯s it to you if I bully you? Kowtow to me obediently and admit your wrongs, have your daughter do the same to my son, and on top of that, pay 20,000 yuan for medical expenses since you hit someone. Do that, and I¡¯ll let you off the hook. Otherwise... hmph!" With two cold huffs, Wang Yajuan looked down on Li Yifei, sure that she had him cornered.


    Even if Li Yifei had intended to let this woman bring her father down, he hadn¡¯t expected her to make such an outrageous demand. Not only was he taken aback, but Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Chu Xiaoyao all showed anger on their faces. The surrounding onlookers were left speechless too, finding the woman¡¯s arrogance unbelievable. Her father might be a Deputy Captain of the Urban Management Brigade, but surely she couldn¡¯t be so excessive?


    "Are you sure about this?" Li Yifei¡¯s face clouded over again.


    Wang Yajuan, having initially succeeded in intimidating Li Yifei with the mention of her father, didn¡¯t take him seriously at all now. She lifted her head and boasted, "Kid, do you realize who my father is? With one phone call, I can bring a hundred city enforcers here, taking you down would be child¡¯s play. Be wise and kowtow to apologize, or you¡¯re finished."

 Chapter 498 - 507: I’ll Have the Baby for You

    Chapter 498: Chapter 507: I¡¯ll Have the Baby for YouLi Yifei snorted and took the cellphone from Chu Xiaoyao, saying, "I recorded everything you said, and I¡¯ll post it online later. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s going to be done for."


    The woman¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Although she was arrogant, she wasn¡¯t stupid and knew what it would mean if this got out on the internet. Her earlier bravado was because everyone was wearing swimsuits, so no one had their cellphones on hand, which is why she was unafraid of being secretly recorded. But now that Li Yifei had produced a phone, if he really had recorded it, her father could indeed be in trouble.


    "Fuck your grandma, give me the phone!" Despite the situation, the woman remained just as arrogant, swearing at Li Yifei and threatening him, "If you don¡¯t give it to me, I¡¯ll make your life hell."


    Her husband, Kong Libo, was so scared that he jumped up abruptly. No longer caring about the pain in his body, he hurried over, bowed and scraped to Li Yifei, imploring, "Brother, it¡¯s our fault. Please, can you delete the video?"


    Li Yifei just looked at the couple coldly, without saying a word.


    Wang Yajuan reached out and slapped Kong Libo and angrily said, "What the hell are you playing at, get the video back now!"


    Kong Libo was inwardly seething. If it were possible to take back the video, he would have done so, but their earlier scuffle with Li Yifei had shown that they were no match for him¡ªthey had been quickly put on the ground, and he was still in pain. To try and take the video from Li Yifei now would be like an egg smashing against a rock.


    Still smiling obsequiously at Li Yifei, he said, "Brother, my wife¡¯s just a bit foolish. Please overlook the slight, I apologize to you on her behalf. Whatever your conditions are, just state them, I¡¯ll fulfill them."


    Before Li Yifei could respond, the fierce Wang Yajuan lunged at Kong Libo, yelling, "You son of a bitch, how dare you call me ¡¯the wife¡¯? Have you taken a fancy to those little tarts? Do you want to get into bed with those whores? Fuck your grandma, I get beaten, and you fucking don¡¯t care, instead cozying up to those floozies, I¡¯ll kill you."


    Wang Yajuan was naturally ugly, and she was extremely jealous of beautiful women. Usually, if Kong Libo dared to glance at a pretty lady, she would pick a fight with him. Now, although Kong Libo was trying to appease Li Yifei, the fact that three charming beauties were standing next to Li Yifei had ignited her jealousy, and her mouth blurted filthy curses while her hands swung towards Kong Libo.


    Even in such a moment, she ignored the video in Li Yifei¡¯s hand and chose instead to attack her husband, displaying her recklessness, arrogance, and stupidity.


    Forced into a corner by his wife, Kong Libo kept retreating. He wanted to smooth things over with Li Yifei, but her sharp fingernails forced him to constantly back away. No matter what he said, Wang Yajuan wouldn¡¯t listen.


    Watching this farce unfold, Li Yifei was utterly speechless. He didn¡¯t want his daughter to witness such ugliness, so he picked her up, turned around, and walked away. Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Chu Xiaoyao looked disdainfully at the couple and followed Li Yifei.


    "Godfather, I want to build a bigger castle," Little Yufei voiced her concern over the castle Li Yifei was building for her just before the conflict started, showing no sign of being affected by the altercation.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Alright, godfather will build you an even bigger one."


    "Bigger than the one before."


    "Okay, we¡¯ll make it bigger than before."


    Finding a slightly secluded spot, Li Yifei put his daughter down and moved the sun umbrella over. As for the problematic couple, they had vanished without a trace, whereabouts unknown.


    Li Yifei, with his daughter, busily worked on the sandcastle on the beach, sticking out his bottom assiduously. Chu Xiaoyao helped beside them, while Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan sat under the sun umbrella.


    It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t want to join in, but after Xu Shanshan accidentally damaged part of the castle they had built, the little girl was not pleased. She couldn¡¯t differentiate between Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, so she simply drove both of them away.


    Xu Shanshan kept her eyes on Li Yifei and said, "Sister, seeing how patient brother-in-law is with children, you can tell he¡¯s a good dad, and surely a good husband too."


    Xu Yingying, smiling, replied, "I think so too."


    "Hehe, then you need to keep a closer eye on him so nobody else snatches him away," Xu Shanshan joked.


    Mentioning this made Xu Yingying smile bitterly, "I used to be very confident, but now my confidence is shaken. With Ning Xin¡¯er and Ye Yunzhu, and both of them are carrying his children."


    "Hehe, then why don¡¯t you get pregnant? When you carry brother-in-law¡¯s child and with you two being legally married, how could he leave you?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up, but then she shook her head, "I¡¯m too busy with work to have a child now."


    "Is work that important? Even if you work hard, isn¡¯t it just to have a better life? Your life is already good, and right now, brother-in-law is what matters most. If he really leaves, no matter how much money you make, it will be pointless."


    Xu Yingying sighed, "My work isn¡¯t just about making money, nor is it only to prove myself¡ªit¡¯s more like a way of life. Besides, Boss Su has been so good to me, and the company needs me too much right now. I can¡¯t just abandon a big company for my own sake."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "You¡¯re a workaholic."


    Xu Yingying shook her head, declining to comment further. She wasn¡¯t a child who could make rash decisions and discard everything on a whim. She had to consider everything thoroughly. Having a child for Li Yifei might be a good way to keep him, but she wasn¡¯t ready for kids this early. Besides, even if a child could bind Li Yifei to her, it felt like coercion, and with her personality, it wasn¡¯t an approach she wanted to take.


    Then, Xu Shanshan leaned in closer to Xu Yingying and said with a mischievous grin, "Sis, I have an idea."


    "What idea?" Xu Yingying turned to look at her sister, knowing full well she often had cunning plans up her sleeve.


    "If you and my brother-in-law have kids, I¡¯ll go be the boss at the company."


    "You think you¡¯re up to the task?" Xu Yingying glared at her sister with annoyance. The sister was smart, sure, but she had never put her sharp mind to proper use, and she¡¯d never managed a company before. How could she trust such a large company to her sister¡¯s management?


    "Hehe, I know I¡¯m not up to it, but I can just pretend, right? I¡¯ll be there to hold down the fort for you, and whenever there¡¯s a decision to be made, you can just remote control me. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll call you, and you tell me what to do. That would work, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a look and said, "That¡¯s some wild imagination you have. Do you think everything can be discussed over the phone? A lot of decisions need to be made on the spot. And what about important negotiations? Could you handle that for me?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out and said, "Seems like my idea isn¡¯t going to work."


    "Of course it won¡¯t."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes spun as she giggled and said, "Since I can¡¯t pose as you at the company, then I¡¯ll do it at home and have a baby for you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at Xu Shanshan like she was a monster.


    Xu Shanshan immediately laughed and said, "Don¡¯t look at me like that. I was just joking with you."


    Xu Yingying sighed at her sister and said, "Your thoughts really run wild. You¡¯re no longer a little girl. You should be more considerate."


    Xu Shanshan raised her hand in a pause gesture and said, "Stop, stop. Don¡¯t lecture me like mom. I was just messing with you. Are you really taking it so seriously?"


    Xu Yingying gave her sister another look and said no more. In the past, she would have been worried about her sister joking like this, but now she truly wasn¡¯t worried about what Xu Shanshan might do with Li Yifei. After all, her sister played a significant role in bringing her and Li Yifei together.


    After two hours, Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao finally completed a big castle for Little Yifei. The castle even had a few small gateways propped up with branches for the little girl to crawl through; her laughter filled the air as she happily scurried around inside, absolutely delighted.


    Li Yifei was deeply moved. He had always thought of Chu Xiaoyao as a youngster, treating her like a child. But now, he could truly feel that not only had she grown up, but also her feelings for him ran very deep. Normally, few women, even those who had been married for many years, would agree to such things. Yet Chu Xiaoyao, for his sake, did so naturally to please him.


    Gently stroking Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hair, Li Yifei said softly, "You really are a silly girl."


    "I want to be your silly girl forever," Chu Xiaoyao murmured, and then she suddenly giggled, "Uncle, you¡¯re up again, how about it?"


    "I¡¯m good, no need."


    "Oh no, we¡¯ve got to do it. I need to take good care of you and show you that whatever your wife can¡¯t do, Xiaoyao can."


    When the two returned to the beach, Little Yifei immediately called Chu Xiaoyao to play together. Chu Xiaoyao ran over happily. Having obtained Xu Yingying¡¯s tacit approval for what happened today with Li Yifei, she felt very satisfied and didn¡¯t need to cling to Li Yifei anymore.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying sat down beside Li Yifei, gave him a look, and asked, "Feeling good now?"


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile, at a loss for what to say.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression shifted slightly as she lowered her voice and asked, "Did you two actually do it?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No..."


    "But the way you look, you¡¯re obviously satisfied. You think I can¡¯t tell?" Xu Yingying was growing slightly upset. She had given her consent to Li Yifei, and yet he was still trying to hide things from her, which was unsettling.


    "Well... We didn¡¯t do it like you and I do, Xiaoyao just used... her mouth to help out."


    "What?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened, and her face flushed red instantly. She spat at Li Yifei, chiding, "You better not expect me to do that."


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei relaxed quite a bit, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and whispered in her ear, "We¡¯re husband and wife, of course we do it for real."


    "Get out of here. You guys just love that stuff, so gross," she retorted.


    But inside, she was contemplating. Although her relationship with Li Yifei was passionate, it had always been the traditional male-dominant position, and only occasionally would she be on top. As for other positions, they had never tried them, let alone oral methods.


    "Yingying, you¡¯re not mad, are you?" Li Yifei asked nervously when Xu Yingying stayed silent.


    Xu Yingying hurriedly replied, "No, not at all," yet her cheeks turned even redder. She had just been thinking about whether she should give it a try. After all, men are creatures driven by their lower half, and if they¡¯re not satisfied in that aspect, they¡¯re more likely to stray. But such acts were enough to make her blush just at the thought. For now, she couldn¡¯t sever the relationships between Li Yifei and the other women, so she¡¯d let them satisfy him in that manner.

 Chapter 499 - 509 The Shrew Seeks Help

    Chapter 499: Chapter 509 The Shrew Seeks HelpAfter playing on the beach for half the day, they caught the tide going out, so Li Yifei led a few people to do some tide pooling again. This thrilled Little Yifei to no end. Before, Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Qiang, the couple, were tasked with looking after her, and they were afraid of letting her get even a scratch, so they didn¡¯t dare to let her do anything that was the slightest bit dangerous. They were so worried that even a minor scrape could upset Ning Xin¡¯er that they never dared to bring her to the beach, let alone go tide pooling.


    Little Yifei was having an absolute blast, quickly getting covered in mud, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her. Xu Yingying initially wanted to remind the little girl to be clean, but Li Yifei said that a child playing in the mud was a way of getting close to nature and wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Xu Yingying reconsidered and let Little Yifei be.


    Everyone was a bit tired, and Li Yifei and his group did not plan to return home that evening. By this time, there were fewer and fewer people on the beach. Before coming, Li Yifei had brought a big tent that could sleep six or seven people. Now with only five of them, they were sure to sleep comfortably.


    As they were setting up the tent, a group of people suddenly ran over. Li Yifei recognized the shrew from that morning among them. Clearly, they had come to snatch the video.


    Xu Yingying and the others also saw these people, and Xu Yingying immediately became a bit flustered. However, Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes gleamed, each gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arm, one on each side. Xu Shanshan excitedly called out, "Brother-in-law, we¡¯ve got troublemakers here!"


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t want to be outdone and said, "Uncle, let me enjoy the show this time."


    Xu Yingying suddenly had a face full of exasperation. It was one thing for the younger Chu Xiaoyao to be so reckless, but Xu Shanshan was roughly the same age and still behaved so immaturely.


    "Yifei, should I call the police, or contact some people from above?" Xu Yingying was different from before. She often met with the mayor and the Municipal Party Secretary, and these two top officials in the city were quite friendly towards her. Although it was because of Su Mengxin, a call from Xu Yingying would definitely not be ignored.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Calling now would just let them off too easily. Let them make a scene, the bigger the uproar, the harsher the handling."


    "You mean..." Xu Yingying asked, surprised as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded firmly and stated, "Such scum, I won¡¯t give them a chance to turn over a new leaf or to lord over others again. If they dare to touch my daughter or my family, I will not let them go."


    Xu Yingying suddenly felt a warmth in her heart. When choosing a man, the most important thing was whether he could give her a sense of security. Li Yifei was now giving her a strong sense of safety, as if no matter how dangerous a situation was, as long as Li Yifei was there, nothing would happen to her.


    Chu Xiaoyao looked at Li Yifei with eyes full of stars. This kind of uncle was definitely her favorite type. Her affection for Li Yifei had started because of his strength, and now the more she looked, the more she adored him, wishing she could throw herself into his arms and cuddle with him right away.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes sparkled with brilliant colors, and although her reaction wasn¡¯t as obvious as Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s, she didn¡¯t try to hide her fondness for Li Yifei.


    "Alright, you three go inside the tent. I¡¯ll deal with them," Li Yifei said, smiling at the three women.


    Xu Yingying nodded, carrying Little Yifei into the tent. The young girl hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the people who had come over, as the tent had captured her great interest, and she had been eager to go in.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan, however, were reluctant to go in, as opportunities to stand by Li Yifei¡¯s side in the face of so many people were rare. They didn¡¯t want to miss any exciting moment.


    Li Yifei did not refuse them. To him, these people seemed fierce, but in his eyes, they were nothing but chickens and dogs, not in the least bit threatening. And if he couldn¡¯t protect Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan by his side, he would not be worthy of being the strongest in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    There were more than twenty people in the group. Aside from Wang Yajuan, most of the others were young people in their twenties or thirties. There were only two older men, both unlikely to be over forty, who immediately surrounded Li Yifei upon arrival.


    "Brother Li, it¡¯s him," Wang Yajuan pointed at Li Yifei and said to a middle-aged man near her.


    The middle-aged man nodded, approached Li Yifei with a grave face, and said, "Young man, hand over the video."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes. The middle-aged man was blunt and imperious, demanding the video directly, and did not give Li Yifei room to refuse, yet his demeanor was not as fierce as that of the underworld; these people had to be city management officials.


    "What video?" Li Yifei asked nonchalantly.


    The middle-aged man glared and barked, "Don¡¯t play dumb, young man. Hand over the video and we¡¯ll call it even. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame us for not being polite."


    Wang Yajuan immediately shouted, "Brother Li, why talk to him? Beat him up and take it by force. If anything happens, my dad will handle it. Just treat them as if they were street vendors."


    Li Yifei feigned surprise and exclaimed, "Treating us as street vendors, you must all be city management, right? Oh, I get it now. This woman¡¯s father is the deputy head of the city management team, and all of you are city management."


    The middle-aged man¡¯s brow furrowed in annoyance. His name was Li Dongfang, and he was indeed a city management enforcer, and moreover a division-level cadre. With the deputy squad leader having had an incident, it now fell to him to deal with the situation. This was a sign of trust, and naturally, he couldn¡¯t shirk the responsibility, but he still harbored some reservations regarding issues like this. That¡¯s why he came in plain clothes; he didn¡¯t want others to know they were from the city management squad. Yet, Wang Yajuan, this woman, outright revealed their identities, and now, even if he wanted to keep it a secret, it was impossible.


    "What a nincompoop," Li Dongfang cursed inwardly. He was really annoyed with this woman, but since she had a powerful father, who also happened to be his direct supervisor, he had no choice but to treat her courteously.


    Turning to Li Yifei, Li Dongfang, with a stern face, said, "Since you know we¡¯re from the city management squad, then hand it over quickly."


    At this moment, Chu Xiaoyao puffed out her chest, saying, "Just hand it over because you said so? Is the city management squad that great? We¡¯re just doing business here, no illegal constructions; do we even need you city management squad to intervene?"


    Xu Shanshan chimed in, "If you want to take something from us, then call the police. As long as the police come, we¡¯ll hand over the things."


    This video in the hands of the police might not immediately bring Wang Yajuan¡¯s father down, but it would definitely have a bad influence. If the higher-ups got wind of it, it would likely affect Wang Yajuan¡¯s father¡¯s chances of fighting for the position of head squad leader. Xu Shanshan saying this was indeed infuriating.


    "Brother Li, what¡¯s the matter with you? Do I need to call my dad before you start grabbing stuff? What a waste, you can¡¯t even handle such a trivial matter efficiently."


    Li Dongfang¡¯s face twitched, really wanting to give Wang Yajuan a good slap, but of course, that was just wishful thinking, and he certainly couldn¡¯t actually do it. Glaring at Li Yifei, he said, "I¡¯m asking you one more time, are you giving it or not?"


    "No!" Li Yifei answered very straightforwardly.


    "Get him," Li Dongfang said sharply. Since the issue couldn¡¯t be resolved amicably, they would have to resort to force.


    The city management squad members were very adept at seizing vendors¡¯ goods. At a wave of Li Dongfang¡¯s hand, a few who were eager to show off immediately charged at Li Yifei, and it wasn¡¯t even about seizing anything; they went straight to beating him. In their minds, seizing goods was less effective than just beating someone into submission. After that, wouldn¡¯t they hand over whatever you wanted?


    "City management is beating people up!" Li Yifei shouted, pulling Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan as he evaded the assailants, raising his voice.


    And those men were not the least bit afraid of Li Yifei¡¯s shouting; when beating people in the past, they did it in broad daylight, even in uniform. Who had they ever been afraid of? And now they were still after Li Yifei, trying to hit him.


    Li Yifei continued shouting, "Stop hitting me, or I¡¯ll have to fight back."


    "Ouch, are you going to keep hitting me? I really will fight back."


    After shouting several times, Li Yifei drew the attention of the people still on the beach. With such warnings, if he fought back, it would be in self-defense. Li Yifei dealing with a bunch of city management wouldn¡¯t necessarily be problematic, but doing so justifiably would indeed put a bigger dent in Wang Yajuan¡¯s father¡¯s reputation.


    "Uncle, uncle, I want to hit, I want to hit!" Chu Xiaoyao was the first to cry out.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. Chu Xiaoyao was still a child at heart, and he was very comfortable with the care she provided today. Plus, he had felt her affection for him, so now he couldn¡¯t help having a tender spot for Chu Xiaoyao. He laughed and said, "Okay, you can hit them. Swing your hand forward."


    There was no one directly in front of Chu Xiaoyao, which confused her. Thinking only of Li Yifei¡¯s instruction to hit, she aimed at a man to her right and swung her hand toward him.


    At that moment, the man who had been in front of Li Yifei stumbled toward her. She quickly withdrew her fist and struck out at the man in front of her, hitting him, but on the shoulder. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Didn¡¯t I tell you to hit straight ahead?" Li Yifei moved Chu Xiaoyao to the side.


    Chu Xiaoyao suddenly understood. She needed to strike wherever Li Yifei directed, so she could hit correctly. She eagerly said, "Let¡¯s try again."


    Li Yifei laughed, "This time if I say hit the face, punch straight out, if I say slap, then swipe with an open palm. Got it?"


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly answered, "Got it, got it."


    Xu Shanshan said anxiously, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m in too."


    "Same for you, whoever I call out, that¡¯s who throws the punch."

 Chapter 500 - 510: Usually Hit the Face

    Chapter 500: Chapter 510: Usually Hit the FaceLi Yifei was deftly leading the two women to dodge left and right, and those men just couldn¡¯t lay a finger on the three of them. He was even teaching them how to fight back. However, the outsiders couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. They watched in frustration as their group of six couldn¡¯t land a hit on Li Yifei and the women. They kept moving around them in circles. An infuriated Wang Yajuan yelled, "What are you all doing? Do you not want to work anymore? Wait and see, I¡¯ll tell my dad and have you all fired!"


    The six men were both angry and annoyed, and also extremely frustrated. They couldn¡¯t figure out why they couldn¡¯t hit Li Yifei and his companions.


    "Xiaoyao, hit the face!" Li Yifei suddenly shouted.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t even bother to look if there was someone in front of her, she just raised her hand and struck forward. And one guy, as if intentionally moving his face towards Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand, received her fist right as he put his face out there.


    With a "thump," Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s punch solidly landed on the guy¡¯s nose.


    Although Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s fist didn¡¯t have much strength, a person¡¯s nose is quite fragile. With that punch, the man¡¯s nasal bone broke instantly, blood spraying out from his nose, stars in his vision, and tears flowing due to the reflexive action of his tear glands being stimulated as well.


    "Shanshan, slap him."


    Xu Shanshan immediately swung her arm, and then there was a crisp "snap" as another man received a solid slap from Xu Shanshan. The precision was absolutely one hundred percent.


    "Shanshan, hit the face!"


    "Xiaoyao, slap him!"


    Li Yifei would intermittently give commands, and both Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan would start throwing punches with their delicate fists from both sides, bombarding these burly men continuously.


    Although the girls¡¯ fists weren¡¯t strong and their destructive power wasn¡¯t significant, they aimed for the face with every strike. Whether it was the nose or a slap across the cheek, these were all hits to one¡¯s face. In no time, the six men who had surrounded them all had blood flowing from their noses and swollen cheeks, looking pitiful and wretched.


    "Trash! All trash! What are you doing, haven¡¯t you eaten? To be beaten by two women¡ªdo you fancy these two sirens or what?" S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were already depressed about being hit, and with Wang Yajuan¡¯s constant scolding, it made them feel like they had completely lost face.


    Those who were beaten felt disgraced, and Li Dongfang also felt humiliated then. Normally when they went out, it was they, the urban management, who did the beating. They were never on the receiving end. Furious, he barked, "Everyone, get in there!"


    The rest rushed up all at once. Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao were still fearless; with Li Yifei by their side, no matter how many people were there, they weren¡¯t afraid. Besides, they were having too much fun fighting to easily stop now.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t send them away either. Although there were many on the opposing side, the ones who really could get to them were only a few in close range. They were merely restricting their movement, nothing more.


    With their mobility constrained, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t move as freely as before. Holding the two women, he continued to direct their attacks while he himself would kick out from time to time, toppling those who threatened Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan to the ground, still with an effortless ease.


    About twenty people ganged up on one man, Li Yifei, and two beauties, but they were utterly unable to handle all three. Instead, they were being pummeled quite miserably, especially by the two women who aimed specifically for faces, either slapping them or punching their noses.


    There¡¯s a saying not to hit the face when beating someone, nor to expose someone¡¯s shortcomings when scolding them, yet these two beauties aimed solely for the face. They were even punching tear ducts, causing a bunch of grown men to bleed from their noses and cry from their eyes, presenting a rather pitiful sight.


    "You little punk, you dare to violently resist the law!" Wang Yajuan had long learned the urban management¡¯s ways. Seeing that her party was not getting the upper hand and that cursing was useless, she started to pin a serious accusation on Li Yifei.


    Chu Xiaoyao, sharp-tongued, immediately retorted, "Is this how you enforce the law? Have we not heard that urban management enforces the law like this? Did we set up a street stall? Or have we constructed illegal buildings? Watch the fist." While arguing with Wang Yajuan, Chu Xiaoyao still managed to punch a guy¡¯s nose to the point that blood flowed freely.


    Wang Yajuan was always an arrogant person. She was so choked by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s retort that she glared and snapped back, "You little vixen, what do you know about the law? I am the law. If I say you¡¯ve broken the law, then you¡¯ve broken the law. Now, to have the audacity to lay hands on urban management, that¡¯s all the more reason for violent resistance to the law. We¡¯ll arrest you, and that will be enough to lock you up for a few years."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "Oh, look at the power and prestige. Are you saying the police don¡¯t need to do their job anymore and everything is handled by you city management? It looks like there¡¯ll be no need for the Public Security Bureau in the future, as you can just use your city management team to arrest and beat up anyone you like."


    When Li Dongfang arrived, he thought the issue could be resolved easily. With so many people rushing over, they could have intimidated the other party into giving the video back. But now, over twenty people tried to snatch it and still got beaten badly. Their usual bullying tactics weren¡¯t working in the face of resistance.


    And Wang Yajuan continued to steer city management into the fray, making the situation even more difficult to diffuse. Hurriedly, he called Wang Yajuan¡¯s father. The phone was quickly connected, and Wang Yajuan¡¯s father said in a stern voice, "Did you get the video back?"


    Li Dongfang hastily replied, "Captain Wang, it¡¯s not going well. The guy won¡¯t budge, not by soft tactics or by force. I brought over twenty people, and we still can¡¯t beat him. We can¡¯t snatch the video either."


    "What? What are you all good for then? Does he have three heads and six arms or what?"


    "Captain Wang, it¡¯s really true. More than ten of us are already injured, but those on the other side are barely affected. We should consider other options."


    "Idiots, complete idiots!" Wang Yajuan¡¯s father, Wang Hongmin, exploded in anger.


    "Yes yes, I¡¯m an idiot. But Captain Wang, it¡¯s tough to handle by force. Unless the police intervene, we really can¡¯t manage him."


    "Damn it, can this be dealt with by the police? Wouldn¡¯t that be a total loss of face for me?"


    "However, if we don¡¯t stop it now, and the video gets posted online, that would be problematic. There¡¯s a whole bunch of reporters just waiting for stuff like this to appear online, and then there are the netizens. Once they catch wind of an incident like this, they come swarming in..."


    "Bullshit, as if I don¡¯t know that. I don¡¯t care what you have to do, you must stop him from posting that video online. I¡¯ll arrive in another half an hour myself."


    After hesitating for a moment, Li Dongfang carefully said, "Captain Wang, I really feel that the main issue here is... with Yajuan. If Yajuan were to apologize, perhaps all would be well."


    Wang Hongmin had long understood that his daughter was in the wrong. Whenever his daughter caused trouble, it was always her fault. But he had always been a tough man, and his daughter inherited his temperament, never willing to admit fault even when she was wrong. So, when trouble arose this time, his first thought was to use his power to suppress the situation. He had never considered Li Dongfang¡¯s suggestion.


    However, this wasn¡¯t just another incident. Nowadays, when news about those Second Generation Officials who relied on their parents to bully others hit the internet, it would certainly draw the attention of higher-ups. If the issue was leaked online, the backlash he would face could be substantial. Now, the government stresses serving the public and has zero tolerance for official repression of the people. Even if in the past such matters could be suppressed after being exposed online, these days they would most certainly be taken seriously and investigated.


    "Give the phone to Yajuan," Wang Hongmin took a deep breath, struggling with the decision, his heart feeling extremely heavy.


    As soon as Wang Yajuan took the phone, she shouted loudly, "Dad, who are these people you sent? A bunch of useless idiots. Over twenty people and they still couldn¡¯t beat one guy and two lying girls. Send some more people over quickly, pick those who can fight, and what about those day laborers? They can fight better, right? Get them all here. I have to vent this anger today."


    Wang Hongmin grunted and cut off his daughter¡¯s tirade, "You go apologize to that person."


    "What?" Wang Yajuan jumped as if stung by a wasp, her outcry piercing the sky, heard loud and clear by everyone present.


    "I said you get them to apologize," Wang Hongmin said with a hint of resignation, feeling utterly powerless against his daughter. He had spoiled her when she was little, and now she was out of control.


    "Dad, are you kidding me? He hit your daughter, his daughter hit your grandson, and he¡¯s beaten up so many of your men. Who are we? We are city management. When have we ever backed down?"


    Wang Hongmin patiently replied, "Daughter, the video is in his hands, and you said those things. If it gets online, I might not be able to keep my position, and then who will protect you? Listen to me, apologize to them properly, get the video back. That¡¯s the most important thing. Once we have the video, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to deal with him later. In Mile City, how hard can it be for us to deal with one person? When the time comes, I¡¯ll personally take care of this vendetta for you."


    "Dad, think of another way, will you? I¡¯ve never apologized to anyone in my life. How can I even start? No way, just get a couple of friends from the Public Security Bureau and have them arrest him directly. Isn¡¯t he just a commoner? There¡¯s no way he can turn the sky upside down," Yajuan argued.


    The volume of her voice was still loud, causing many onlookers who overheard to feel indignant. What did she mean by ¡¯just a commoner¡¯? As if officials could disregard common people so casually and arrest anyone as they pleased. However, considering Wang Yajuan was accompanied by so many people, the onlookers dared not speak up, fearing to draw the fire upon themselves. They couldn¡¯t afford to be beaten as they did not possess the same skills as the person in their midst.

 Chapter 501 - 511 Lawless

    Chapter 501: Chapter 511 LawlessWang Hongmin was truly enraged at this point and barked out, "Now you¡¯re on the island, if I go and find people to rush over, will it be in time? If he uploads the video to the internet, will it be any use if I catch him then? If I tell you to apologize, you¡¯ll apologize. If you don¡¯t want your dad to step down, then go apologize."


    When Wang Yajuan heard her father was angry, she knew that not apologizing was not an option. If her father really did step down, then no one would fear her, and her superior living conditions would vanish into thin air. Gritting her teeth, she told Li Dongfang, "Tell them to stop." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Dongfang let out a sigh of relief and hastily shouted, "Everyone, stop!"


    The city management team did not want to fight anymore at that point; the fight was just too depressing. Although the injuries weren¡¯t severe, being covered in blood was utterly miserable. Hearing Li Dongfang say this, they all retreated to one side with a swoosh.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately cried out, "Hey, why did you stop? I haven¡¯t had enough of the fight yet."


    Xu Shanshan followed up, saying, "What¡¯s with you bunch of grown men, stopping just like that? Are you even men?"


    Once the group retreated, the onlookers realized they were backing down. Hearing the two women calling out, the crowd immediately grew bolder, joining in the hullabaloo. Some offensive comments were blurted out, leaving Li Dongfang¡¯s group red-faced with embarrassment, each one wishing they could crawl into a hole in the ground, all inwardly cursing Wang Yajuan for causing them such loss of face.


    At this moment, Wang Yajuan¡¯s face shifted between shades of white and green. She had never apologized to anyone before in her life, and now having to apologize to Li Yifei was truly harder than death for her.


    But for the sake of her father¡¯s official position, she had no choice but to suppress her anger, darkening her face and moving toward Li Yifei reluctantly, step by grudging step. Rolling her dead fish eyes and opening her mouth, she was unable to utter a word.


    Chu Xiaoyao had an intense dislike for this woman, rolling her eyes and saying, "Hey, you crazy woman, what are you doing here? Trying to start a fight?" With that, she shook her arms, looking ready for action, thinking that if she could beat up this woman, it would really be a relief.


    Wang Yajuan stepped back two paces, warily eyeing Chu Xiaoyao, actually fearing that Xiaoyao might hit her. Glaring, she shouted, "You little ****, curse me one more time, and I¡¯ll skin you alive."


    Chu Xiaoyao took two steps forward, puffing her chest out and saying, "Crazy woman, crazy woman, I¡¯m cursing you. What about it? If you¡¯re brave enough, come on, I¡¯d love to beat you up."


    Wang Yajuan backed off another two steps. Honestly, if it were a one-on-one with Xiaoyao, she was certain she would win due to her size. Xiaoyao, although not short, was much thinner. But having seen so many people around and being beaten by Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan, she felt as if those two were protecting Li Yifei, which put Xiaoyao on the level of a heroine in her mind, so she dared not really engage with Xiaoyao.


    At this point, Li Dongfang was cursing Wang Yajuan¡¯s ancestors for eight generations in his heart. She was supposed to be apologizing, yet before she could even start, she got into an argument. Could this matter still be handled well? He quickly coughed a few times to remind Wang Yajuan.


    Only then did Wang Yajuan remember why she was there, her face immediately turning even uglier, taking a deep breath and putting on an expression uglier than crying, she said to Xiaoyao, "I¡¯m not talking to you, you little girl. That, that... that... I¡¯m sorry about this matter, now give me back the video."


    Wang Yajuan had a really hard time uttering "I¡¯m sorry" those three words, and right after, she breathed a long sigh of relief and extended her hand towards Li Yifei. In her mind, having said those three words meant she had given Li Yifei a great deal of face, and he would surely give her the video now.


    Unfortunately for her, this was just her own presumption. In the eyes of others, her apology lacked any hint of sincerity. Xu Shanshan curled her lip and said, "What are you trying to do? Apologize?"


    Wang Yajuan glared and yelled, "I already said I¡¯m sorry. What more do you want?"


    "Oh, this is your attitude for apologizing?"


    "Exactly, look at that face, you¡¯re obviously demanding it. There¡¯s no sign of apologetic intent."


    "I¡¯ve lived for this long and never seen such an attitude when apologizing. With that kind of attitude, you expect others to forgive you? I really wonder how your parents raised you."


    "Her father is the head of the city management team¡ªthese people never reason with anyone. How could their daughter be any different, right? Just saying ¡¯I¡¯m sorry¡¯ is like doing you a big favor."


    "Too bad we don¡¯t care for her ¡¯favor.¡¯ If she¡¯s so tough, then let¡¯s fight again. If they can beat us, we¡¯ll give them the video."


    "So you say ¡¯I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ and we¡¯re supposed to forgive you? Why should we?"


    "Right. Who do you think you are¡ªWu Zetian or Empress Dowager Cixi¡ªbelieving that your words are decrees that we must follow?"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan joined forces, leaving Wang Yajuan¡¯s face an ashen iron hue, nearly causing her to explode with rage several times. Li Dongfang quickly held on to Wang Yajuan¡¯s arm, just managing to prevent her from hurling more insults.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this issue is indeed our fault. We¡¯re here to offer you an apology and we hope you¡¯ll be magnanimous enough to not hold a grudge against an insignificant person and not to lower yourself to arguing with a woman."


    Li Dongfang came forward to mediate, speaking politely, but Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan were not about to give him any face. Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "If you could beat us today, would you still apologize to us?"


    Li Dongfang was suddenly speechless, his face turning beet red. They never reasoned first when dealing with matters, but given the current situation, all they could do was to wear a plastered smile and say, "I understand everyone here is a notable personage; we were indeed blind."


    Chu Xiaoyao pointed at Wang Yajuan and said, "This woman had the nerve to demand that we kneel and apologize to her, and she wanted our precious daughter to kneel to her son as well. We won¡¯t stoop to her level of no breeding, nor will we trouble the child. Now, let this woman do what she demanded of us. If she does it, we¡¯ll let her off the hook."


    Xu Shanshan looked at Chu Xiaoyao with admiration and also said to Wang Yajuan, "Yeah, isn¡¯t this woman just bullying others because she has backing? Today, we¡¯ll let her taste her own medicine of being bullied."


    If Li Yifei and the rest had made this demand directly, it would indeed have been humiliating. But since it was something Wang Yajuan had previously forced on Li Yifei and his group, having Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan turn the tables didn¡¯t seem humiliating at all, rather it felt immensely satisfying. Even the onlookers began to jeer along at this point.


    "Right, if you demand others to kneel and kowtow to admit their wrongs, then when you apologize, you should kneel too."


    "If she doesn¡¯t kneel, we can¡¯t forgive her. Such a person needs to be dealt with harshly."


    "Otherwise, she¡¯ll never learn her lesson. Thinking she¡¯s all that because she has an official for a father, treating others as less than human¡ªnow let her taste what it¡¯s like to be treated that way."


    "Kneel, kneel!"


    The more the crowd talked, the more agitated they became. Though Wang Yajuan hadn¡¯t clashed with the others, her arrogance and overbearing nature, coupled with the general dislike for urban management officers, meant that while usually people held their tongues, they were now delighting in kicking her while she was down.


    Wang Yajuan had no way to handle Li Yifei and his group, but the jeering crowd didn¡¯t scare her. Hearing them mock her, she instantly exploded in a rage, jumping up and down and cursing, "Fuck your grandmas, do you all want to die? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll skin all of you alive."


    Seeing Wang Yajuan¡¯s unabashed attitude, the public¡¯s indignation grew even further, condemning her en masse.


    "Beat them up, beat them all! Attack these rioters!" Wang Yajuan yelled at the urban management officers.


    But none of the officers made a move. Although they were usually arrogant, they weren¡¯t foolish; they had incited public outrage, and any violence against the crowd now could truly ignite mass unrest. Far from taking action, they even took a couple of steps back.


    "Fuck your grandmas, you bunch of bastards! You dare disobey me? Do you believe that once I tell my dad, he¡¯ll fire all of you?"


    The officers were even angrier. This woman used to lord over them with her father¡¯s power, dictating orders. Now, instead of trying to defuse the situation, she was angling to make things worse, which was truly throwing someone under the bus.


    "Li Dongfang, are you dead? What kind of team are you leading? You don¡¯t need to bother coming back to your post as section chief." Wang Yajuan, unable to get the urban management officers to act, took out her anger on Li Dongfang.


    Li Dongfang clenched his fists tightly, flames nearly shooting from his eyes as he suddenly bellowed, "Shut up! How I run my team is none of your business. Without my word, no one is allowed to lay a hand on anyone, everyone back off!"


    "You... you... Li Dongfang, you¡¯ve turned against me," Wang Yajuan said, furiously stamping her feet. The urban management officers usually acted like her servants, doing whatever she asked, but now none of them listened to her, which she couldn¡¯t bear.


    Li Dongfang snorted coldly and said, "You figure it out. However, I should remind you that if you don¡¯t resolve this matter properly, Captain Wang¡¯s position may not be secure anymore."


    The color drained from Wang Yajuan¡¯s face as she suddenly remembered something terrifying. If her father¡¯s influence truly diminished, the officers would no longer heed her commands, as was evident now. The frustration of being unable to command them was unbearable¡ªif this continued into the future, she couldn¡¯t imagine living this way.


    Finally ceasing her tantrum, Wang Yajuan slowly turned around, facing Li Yifei once more, but her facial expression remained ugly, her skin twitching uncontrollably, as if she was making an important decision.

 Chapter 502 - 512 Really a pitfall father

    Chapter 502: Chapter 512 Really a pitfall father"Kneel!"


    "Kneel!"


    Once again, the crowd unanimously shouted out, but Wang Yajuan stood there like a stake. Even though she knew kneeling down could provide a turning point, the idea of kneeling before so many people was more unbearable to her than death itself.


    "Dad!" While on the verge of going insane, Wang Yajuan suddenly spotted someone and cried out in surprise. Then she immediately started sobbing uncontrollably, crying and saying, "Dad, your daughter has been bullied to death, you must stand up for me. Also, these people, they simply won¡¯t listen to me, you have to avenge me."


    Although Wang Hongmin had sent Li Dongfang and others, he still felt uneasy. Therefore, he hurried to the island afterward, and on the way, he had already heard the report from Li Dongfang. He was extremely anxious as modern cell phones could easily broadcast all this information online.


    Even though he was aware of his daughter¡¯s temperament, he had no choice but to make her apologize first to calm down the other party. Once he retrieved the video, it would be much easier to deal with them later on.


    Arriving on the scene to hear a crowd chanting for kneeling and seeing his daughter standing stiffly in the middle like a post, his heart instantly caught fire. Hearing his daughter¡¯s cries only fueled his rage.


    Seeing Wang Hongmin¡¯s face darken, Li Dongfang felt a tremor in his heart. This deputy squad leader was his direct superior, and angering him could make life difficult in the Urban Management Brigade.


    "Director Wang, just now Yajuan¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t quite right, which stirred up the public¡¯s emotions. I feared it would trigger a mass incident, which would be even harder to handle, so I asked everyone to step back."


    Wang Hongmin snorted, and seeing the situation, he knew Li Dongfang had handled it well, but the humiliation his daughter suffered was still unbearable for him.


    Patting his daughter¡¯s back, Wang Hongmin said, "Stop crying, I¡¯ll handle this."


    Wang Yajuan wiped away her tears, immediately turned her head, and arrogantly said to Li Yifei, "Kid, my dad is here. Hand over the video nicely, or else you¡¯ll regret it."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "So what if your dad has arrived? What if we don¡¯t hand it over? What can you do about it?"


    "You little slut, how dare you?" Wang Yajuan immediately cursed.


    Chu Xiaoyao pointed at Wang Yajuan and shouted, "Crazy woman, don¡¯t think you¡¯re anything special just because your dad¡¯s an official. Today, we won¡¯t hand it over, and what¡¯s more, we¡¯ll post it online. I want the whole of Huaxia to see, and then I¡¯ll see how you can still be arrogant."


    Wang Hongmin frowned, pulled his daughter back, and gave her a meaningful glance. He then walked straight up to Li Yifei and the other two, with quite a commanding presence, and said sternly, "Who are you?"


    As a man opposed him, Li Yifei no longer let Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao speak but moved them behind him and said calmly to Wang Hongmin, "We are just ordinary citizens of Huaxia, ordinary taxpayers."


    Wang Hongmin stared at Li Yifei, but couldn¡¯t recall such a person in his memory, meaning Li Yifei was not a significant figure in the city. He said, "I¡¯m Wang Hongmin, and I hope you can give me some face and let this matter slide."


    "Give me a reason," Li Yifei replied just as calmly.


    Wang Hongmin¡¯s face grew even darker. Except for those with higher authority than him, he seldom had to provide reasons for his actions. He said, "Young man, don¡¯t be too overbearing. Hand over the video to me, and I guarantee I won¡¯t pursue this any further."


    A smile appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face as he said, "Indeed, I don¡¯t like showing off, but I¡¯m really not afraid of your pursuit. As long as I post the video, I think the Discipline Inspection Commission and the like will definitely come looking for you. If you can raise such a despicable daughter, you¡¯re probably no good either. When the time comes to grab you, it would not be surprising to get you locked up for ten or eight years, if not executed by firing squad. Then, with what will you pursue me?"


    Wang Hongmin¡¯s complexion turned green and then white at Li Yifei¡¯s words; it was exactly what he feared the most. Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s speech, the onlooking crowd began to cheer enthusiastically, chanting, "Don¡¯t give him the video, just post it online. This kind of corrupt official needs to be dealt with."


    "Exactly, I fully support you with both hands and feet."


    "Such people deserve more than ten or eight years, maybe a direct execution. Why should we be afraid of him? Young man, you must not give it to him. We rely on that video to deal with such a corrupt official."


    Wang Hongmin turned his head and glared at the crowd. Usually, a glare from him would scare anyone senseless, but today, none of them backed down, instead looking at him with a mocking gaze.


    This left a bitter taste in his heart. After taking a deep breath, he said to Li Yifei, "Young man, let¡¯s find a place to talk."


    Li Yifei faintly smiled and said, "Everything should be transparent and above board. If you have anything to say, just speak your mind here."


    "Yeah, if there¡¯s something to say, say it to my face; don¡¯t go pulling any shady moves."


    "You¡¯re planning to intimidate this guy behind the scenes, huh? No way, that¡¯s not going to fly. Everybody¡¯s watching. Young man, you can relax. We¡¯ve all got your back. Whatever happens, we¡¯ll vouch for you."


    Wang Hongmin¡¯s face turned even uglier. The young man before him was really troublesome. He said, "Then state your terms, I will do my best to meet them."


    Li Yifei looked at Wang Hongmin and smiled, "So I can ask for anything?"


    "That¡¯s right!" Wang Hongmin nodded and said, "As long as Wang Hongmin promises you something, I can definitely make it happen."


    Now the onlookers were starting to worry, and someone immediately said, "Young man, we can¡¯t just make any demands willy-nilly. A person like him should be taken down. Otherwise, he¡¯ll definitely come after you later, and he surely won¡¯t keep his promises."


    "Exactly. Look at how arrogant his daughter is. If it wasn¡¯t for his indulgence, would she be like this? It shows that he must be a corrupt official. We¡¯ve got to release the video and let the Discipline Inspection Commission investigate him."


    "With the way officials are nowadays, if you investigate one, they¡¯re definitely done for. Guaranteed."


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "You¡¯ve seen the reaction of the crowd. So, I¡¯m not going to take any conditions from you. I¡¯m just going to post this video online."


    "Are you trying to force my hand?" Wang Hongmin glared at Li Yifei with a vicious look.


    Li Yifei simply smiled and said, "Think about the people you¡¯ve bullied. Think about the people your daughter has bullied. Were you ever lenient? Did you ever show a hint of compassion? As a local official, rather than doing good for the people, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re corrupt or not, but just allowing your daughter to move around employees at will, using your position, that¡¯s a great evil. There would be no problem taking you down for that."


    "Haha..." Wang Hongmin suddenly burst into laughter, very loudly, then the laughter stopped abruptly. He glared at Li Yifei and said, "Kid, you¡¯re thinking too simply. Do you really think that with just a video, you can bring me down? I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not that simple. And let me tell you, in a moment I can have someone ruin you." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and responded, "Quite the authority you have. But I believe you won¡¯t have that chance anymore."


    "Humph, I¡¯ve already notified the network supervisor. As soon as they see any video about me, it will be deleted immediately. If I didn¡¯t have that much power, do you think I, Wang Hongmin, would be sitting around doing nothing? Kid, we¡¯re enemies now. If I let you get a foothold in Mile City, then I¡¯m not Wang Hongmin."


    Everyone¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Although Huaxia¡¯s internet was an open network, it was also under state surveillance. There were network supervisors everywhere who had contact with major forums. If they were prepared in advance, they could delete a post as soon as it was uploaded. Now that Wang Hongmin had made such preparations, it would not be easy to spread the video on the internet.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Posting it online seems boring to me, so I sent the video directly to Song Zhentao."


    "Song Zhentao?" Wang Hongmin was taken back, his face suddenly turning pale as he exclaimed, "You mean Secretary Song?"


    "Exactly." Li Yifei smiled faintly.


    Wang Hongmin laughed again and said, "Kid, you really have some guts. Do you think Secretary Song is that easy to contact? You¡¯re really overestimating yourself."


    "We¡¯ll see," Li Yifei said. "I sent it only a few minutes ago; I believe Secretary Song has probably finished watching it by now."


    Wang Hongmin snorted, not believing a word Li Yifei said, but just then his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his face drained of color. It was the personal number of the Municipal Party Secretary, Song Zhenyuan. Given his position, he couldn¡¯t speak directly with Secretary Song, but he had to know that number.


    However, Wang Hongmin still couldn¡¯t believe that Secretary Song was contacting him over this matter. Hurriedly, he answered, "Secretary Song..."


    Song Zhentao roared immediately, "Damn you, Wang Hongmin! Being in such an important position, yet you indulge your daughter, allowing her to use the urban management team as her private minions. This is totally lawless. Get yourself to the Discipline Inspection Commission immediately and clearly confess your wrongdoing."


    "Ah!" Wang Hongmin cried out, his face turning ashen as the phone slipped from his hand. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground.


    "Dad! Dad! What¡¯s wrong?" Wang Yajuan rushed to her father¡¯s side, asking in panic.


    Wang Hongmin turned to his daughter, swallowed with difficulty, and said with a hoarse voice, "Now I really understand what it means to be ¡¯screwed over by your own child.¡¯ You¡¯ve really screwed me over, haven¡¯t you?"

 Chapter 503 - 513 Harmony

    Chapter 503: Chapter 513 HarmonySong Zhentao was also a Municipal Party Secretary, holding a significant amount of power, even though his status still fell short of Su Mengxin¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t so much that whatever Li Yifei said went. That said, with Huaxia¡¯s increasingly intense anti-corruption campaign, being a secretary meant being particularly sensitive to such matters. With Wang Hongmin indulging his daughter to such an extent, if this was to leak online, it wasn¡¯t just Wang Hongmin who would be unlucky¡ªthere would be significant pressure on the whole municipality.


    Li Yifei sending the video directly to him was a way of saving face for him, enabling him to deal with the situation directly without causing a national uproar that would be difficult to contain. Therefore, he immediately made a decision.


    Although Wang Hongmin was usually arrogant, a phone call from the Municipal Party Secretary meant his career was utterly doomed, and once he got to the Discipline Inspection Commission, he might as well forget ever leaving prison again; the man was so deflated he didn¡¯t display any of his usual haughtiness.


    "Dad! Dad! What¡¯s actually going on?" Wang Yajuan, still oblivious, asked loudly.


    "My daughter, I¡¯m finished. The Municipal Party Secretary has already called me, asking me to report to the Discipline Inspection Commission."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Yajuan also sat on the ground with a thud, speechless in shock, understanding that if her father was finished, it spelled disaster for her as well.


    Chu Xiaoyao said disdainfully at this time, "This is what they call ¡¯as a man sows, so shall he reap.¡¯ You are getting your just deserts now."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay them any more attention. In the past, he had left a way out for people, but this time Wang Yajuan had been too arrogant, so he didn¡¯t leave them any room to maneuver, instead pushing them into a corner with no escape.


    The onlookers were all jubilant, witnessing the downfall of a high official firsthand felt like a personal achievement, as if they had a hand in the official¡¯s demise.


    Li Dongfang quickly left with his people, certainly keen to distance himself from Wang Hongmin. The urban management officers also followed suit, leaving behind Wang Hongmin, who was no longer their leader and whom they no longer needed to flatter¡ªespecially after such a public humiliation, all thanks to Wang Yajuan. They considered it polite not to beat her up right there and then.


    The crowd dispersed slowly, with Wang Hongmin and Wang Yajuan supporting each other as they left. At that moment, Wang Hongmin clung to a shred of hope that perhaps Song Zhentao was just trying to appease public anger and that he might not face serious consequences after all. In the past, several officials had been taken down only to be transferred to other departments after some time.


    Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed the moment he arrived at the Discipline Inspection Commission, where he was detained. The procuratorate also intervened immediately, stripping him of any chance of turning things around.


    Wang Yajuan was no saint either; taking advantage of her father¡¯s connections, she had embezzled quite a lot at her job and was naturally taken into custody. Her husband, who wasn¡¯t in serious trouble and hadn¡¯t been arrested, immediately filed for divorce. He had tolerated his wife thus far, but now he was finally free of the burden.


    But these are digressions for another time. At the moment, Li Yifei and others were continuing their vacation by the sea. The incident had excited Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan tremendously, and they sat together chatteringly nonstop.


    "Sister Shanshan, I felt so good punching that guy earlier, his nose gushed blood with just one punch, and the funniest thing was that the guy actually cried¡ªa grown man crying after getting hit."


    "Giggle, mine was even more interesting. I just slapped him, and he actually cried out loud."


    The battle made Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan fast friends as they laughed and recounted the episode, the previous distance between them no longer there.


    "Ouch, my hand hurts." Chu Xiaoyao tried to grab a bottle of water, and as soon as she gripped it, she cried out in pain.


    Xu Shanshan also said with her mouth agape, "It turns out hitting someone not only hurts a thousand times, but also wounds yourself eight hundred times. My hand hurts too."


    Xu Yingying said both amused and annoyed, "Look at you two, just like a couple of violent women."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "I am a tomboy."


    Li Yifei sat between Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao, "Give me your hands. I forgot how tender your hands are; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have let you hit anyone. After all, there are bones in the face. How could it not hurt? Come, let me rub them so they don¡¯t swell up like little buns and you end up unable to hold anything."


    They both obediently stretched out their hands, which were already somewhat swollen. Li Yifei grabbed one in each hand and began to rub them.


    "Uncle, it hurts a lot."


    "Brother-in-law, be gentle."


    They cried out immediately.


    "Bear with it a bit, or it will hurt even more later." Li Yifei didn¡¯t let go and continued to massage their hands.


    They had no choice but to tough it out, and after a while, it felt much better. They went back to discussing the earlier incident, likely a topic they would repeat for days to come.


    As he rubbed Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, Li Yifei suddenly felt something hook his palm. Turning to Xu Shanshan, he saw her wink at him, her face playful.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. He had always had a little secret flirtation with Xu Shanshan; they hadn¡¯t seen much of each other for a month, and such flirtations had naturally ceased. To engage in this playful banter once more was indeed a joy for Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan saw that Li Yifei didn¡¯t object and played even more joyously. Her little fingers danced in the palm of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, as if they were a little snake poking here and there. Yet her face kept a very casual expression, pretending as if nothing was amiss.


    "Daddy, I¡¯m hungry," Li Yufei ran up to Li Yifei at this moment, and Li Yifei let go of their hands and lifted his daughter, smiling, "Then shall Daddy grill some meat for you?"


    "Yay, yay, barbecue," the little girl immediately cried out in excitement. It was also an experience she hadn¡¯t had before.


    When they arrived, they had already prepared the barbecue materials, and Li Yifei was well-practiced in this sort of thing. In no time, he got everything ready, and then everyone gathered around the charcoal, grilling meat, chatting, and playing with Li Yufei, truly having a great time together.


    After eating their fill, Little Yufei soon grew sleepy. Xu Yingying held her, and she fell asleep in Xu Yingying¡¯s arms. After a day¡¯s interaction, the little girl had really hit it off with Xu Yingying, and this made Li Yifei the happiest.


    Everyone was pretty tired that day, and by just after nine o¡¯clock, everyone had retreated to the tents to rest.


    But in this one tent, there was only one man, Li Yifei, who should have been sleeping on the very edge, next to his wife, Xu Yingying.


    However, Chu Xiaoyao insisted on being next to Li Yifei, so he had to let Chu Xiaoyao sleep on the edge, then he was next to Xu Yingying, with Little Yufei on the other side, and Xu Shanshan on another side.


    They had brought only thin blankets, three in total. It would have been normal for Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to share one, but Xu Yingying, worried Little Yufei might kick off the blankets in the night, shared one with her. Li Yifei ended up sharing a blanket with Chu Xiaoyao, and since he had been living with Chu Xiaoyao recently, Xu Yingying was aware that not letting them share a blanket now would be nothing more than a sham.


    But for Chu Xiaoyao, this held a special meaning. Her impression of Xu Yingying improved significantly. Lying on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, she said to Xu Yingying, "Sister Yingying, you¡¯re really nice. I¡¯ll definitely listen to you from now on and won¡¯t make trouble for you anymore. I¡¯ll stand by your side."


    Xu Yingying was a bit torn between laughter and tears as she said, "Should I thank you for that?"


    "Hehe, no need, you¡¯ve been so good to me. I¡¯m not ungrateful. I¡¯ll definitely repay you. If someone else tries to snatch Uncle away again, I¡¯ll help you," Chu Xiaoyao playfully responded.


    Xu Yingying tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the forehead and said, "Really, I don¡¯t know how you can be so silly."


    "As long as I¡¯m with Uncle, I¡¯m willing to be a fool forever," Chu Xiaoyao laughed, resting her face against Li Yifei¡¯s neck.


    Even though Xu Yingying knew Li Yifei had relations with other women, seeing Chu Xiaoyao getting intimate with Li Yifei still made her feel a sour twinge in her heart.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately noticed and said with a giggle, "Sister Yingying, don¡¯t be jealous, eh? I¡¯m just sneakily taking a little advantage. Uncle is still your husband."


    Having her feelings exposed by Chu Xiaoyao made Xu Yingying a bit embarrassed. She huffed and said, "If you¡¯re not afraid of losing out, then go ahead."


    "Then I won¡¯t be polite," Chu Xiaoyao said happily, chuckling again, as her hand reached towards Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    Li Yifei quickly caught Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand. Flirting with another girl beside his wife made him feel quite uncomfortable.


    "Alright, let¡¯s sleep. We wouldn¡¯t want to wake Yufei," Xu Yingying said at the moment, closing her eyes.


    Li Yifei had wanted to say something to Chu Xiaoyao, but with Xu Yingying saying that, he too closed his mouth, while Chu Xiaoyao, the little rascal, twisted her hand, insisting on reaching inside Li Yifei¡¯s pants. Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to make too much noise and alert the others, so he let her hand slip in. Chu Xiaoyao, holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s ¡¯thing,¡¯ settled down.


    Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t do anything more. Being able to cuddle with Li Yifei next to Xu Yingying was an indescribable satisfaction for her. She believed there would be other opportunities in the future but also knew she couldn¡¯t rush things.


    However, in the middle of the night, a rustling sound woke Li Yifei up. Although it was dark in the tent, he could see it was Xu Shanshan getting up.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing?" Li Yifei asked quietly.


    "I need to use the restroom. Brother-in-law, will you come with me?" whispered Xu Shanshan.


    "Of course," Li Yifei replied immediately. The beach was rather deserted at night, with only a few groups camping, and he was not comfortable letting Xu Shanshan go out alone.


    They crawled out of the tent and headed to the nearby communal toilet. The night breeze blew, and Xu Shanshan shivered, saying, "It¡¯s so cold!" as she turned to look at Li Yifei. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei also felt it was quite chilly outside, especially since Xu Shanshan was dressed in very light clothing, so he extended his arm. Xu Shanshan immediately smiled sweetly and leaned against Li Yifei, hugging his waist, and he naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulders.


    The restroom here was just a wall with men¡¯s facilities on one side and women¡¯s on the other, very rudimentary, and sounds from one side could easily be heard on the other. Li Yifei also relieved himself, but just as he came out, he heard a scream from the other side¡ªit was Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 504 - 514: Do You Have a Sister Like This?

    Chapter 504: Chapter 514: Do You Have a Sister Like This?Li Yifei was startled and quickly dashed toward the women¡¯s restroom, just as Xu Shanshan was rushing out, immediately falling into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    "What happened? What happened?" Li Yifei glanced inside the women¡¯s restroom but didn¡¯t see anything, so he hurriedly asked.


    "Brother-in-law, I was scared to death, scared to death," Xu Shanshan clutched Li Yifei tightly, her body still trembling.


    "What really happened, tell your brother-in-law, don¡¯t scare me," Li Yifei was also a bit panicked and quickly patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s back.


    At last, Li Yifei¡¯s comfort had some effect, and Xu Shanshan was finally a bit more composed, saying, "I don¡¯t know what it was, just something dark, suddenly ran past me."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "That could have been a rat, right?"


    "Definitely not a rat, it was so big," Xu Shanshan immediately gestured with her hands.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Then it was probably a stray cat or dog or something."


    It seemed as if to confirm Li Yifei¡¯s words, a cat¡¯s meow sounded from not too far away.


    "It turns out it was a stray cat, it really scared me," Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue.


    "Okay, okay, let¡¯s go back," Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan as they began to walk back, but just as they took a step, Xu Shanshan stumbled a bit, then pushed Li Yifei away, shyly saying, "Brother-in-law, I haven¡¯t pulled up my pants yet."


    Li Yifei instinctively looked down and immediately felt awkward as he saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s bare behind. In his heart, he thought, "This girl, really, why mention it if you hadn¡¯t pulled up your pants completely, you just wanted me to see, didn¡¯t you?"


    Xu Shanshan quickly pulled up her pants, stuck her tongue out at Li Yifei, and said, "I was so scared earlier, I ran out without pulling up my pants properly."


    Li Yifei only could sternly say, "You¡¯re bold enough to say that, such a big girl, and you still don¡¯t know shame."


    "You¡¯re my brother-in-law, not a stranger. If you see, you see, besides, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen before."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat. Xu Shanshan was just that bold and always said unexpected things, but he couldn¡¯t help but recall the first time they met, back then at Xu Yingying¡¯s parents¡¯ house, he had also seen Xu Shanshan¡¯s behind, so it wasn¡¯t the first time.


    "Hehe, what¡¯s the throat-clearing for? I don¡¯t mind if you look anyway."


    Li Yifei was even more at a loss for how to respond.


    Xu Shanshan no longer embarrassed Li Yifei, but when they were by the tent, she stopped, saying to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, how about we sit by the seaside, I¡¯m not sleepy now."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, let¡¯s just sit nearby. If we¡¯re too far from the tent, I¡¯m worried if something happens here, I wouldn¡¯t know."


    "Alright, we¡¯ll just sit here for a bit," Xu Shanshan took a few steps forward, sat on the beach, about ten meters from the tent.


    That distance was definitely okay, so Li Yifei followed and sat down next to Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan stretched out her arms, held onto Li Yifei¡¯s left arm, then tilted her head, resting it on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, softly asking, "Brother-in-law, do you know what my ideal partner is like?"


    Li Yifei was quite curious about this and promptly asked, "What kind of person? Tell me, so your brother-in-law can help you look for him."


    Xu Shanshan squinted her eyes and said, "When I was little, my sister and I were out playing, and some little boys bullied us. That time, we were bullied to tears, until later when my dad arrived, they got scared and ran away. Since then, I¡¯ve admired my dad a lot."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You don¡¯t have an Electra complex, do you?"


    "When I was young, I thought my dad was the strongest, as long as he was there, he could protect my sister and me. But as I grew older, I knew I couldn¡¯t rely on my father¡¯s protection forever, I needed to find a strong man to protect me. So, when I¡¯m looking for a boyfriend, he must be a very strong man."


    "Heh, it shouldn¡¯t be that hard to find, right?"


    "How is it not hard?" Xu Shanshan turned to look at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, I originally thought it wasn¡¯t very difficult, but who knew you¡¯d appear? If I¡¯m looking, I have to find someone stronger than you, otherwise, if you bully me, wouldn¡¯t I have no one to protect me?"


    "How could I bully you? I couldn¡¯t protect you enough," Li Yifei gently stroked Xu Shanshan¡¯s hair.


    "I know," Xu Shanshan said with a mischievous smile, "So now I have someone to protect me, I don¡¯t need to find a boyfriend anymore, brother-in-law, you won¡¯t abandon me, will you?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s only right to protect you, but you can¡¯t stay unmarried and live with me and your sister forever, right?"


    "Why not?"


    "It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, but generally, a woman needs a husband to love her."


    "Hehe, then I¡¯ll just consider you my husband."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly darkened. Though there was often ambiguity between him and Xu Shanshan, and he had a lot of affection for this sister-in-law, he really never had any intention of having any relationship with Xu Shanshan.


    "Hey, I¡¯m just teasing you. Others can compete with my sister for her husband, but I can¡¯t. Otherwise, my sister would kill me. Besides, you¡¯re my brother-in-law, you¡¯ve been so good to me, why would I have to fight to make you my husband?"


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, "Shanshan, you almost scared me to death."


    Xu Shanshan leaned her head back on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, softly saying, "Brother-in-law, as long as you¡¯re with my sister, I¡¯m happy. You must promise me, no matter what happens, don¡¯t separate from my sister."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Since I¡¯m already married to your sister, I won¡¯t separate from her."


    "That¡¯s good then, as long as you can protect this point, even if you sneak around, I¡¯ll cover for you."


    "You girl, what kind of sister are you, not standing by your sister¡¯s side but by your brother-in-law¡¯s."


    "¡¯Cause standing by my brother-in-law is better, it¡¯s for her own good too. My sister can have such a good man like you as her only legitimate husband, that¡¯s already her blessing."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said nothing more, as a man, hearing Xu Shanshan praise him like that, naturally, his mood improved.


    Neither of them spoke for a while, listening to the sound of waves hitting rocks, watching the starry sky, which made Li Yifei¡¯s heart become exceptionally clear.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but he could hear Xu Shanshan¡¯s even breathing by his ear. Li Yifei carefully turned his head to see Xu Shanshan¡¯s sweet sleeping pose; her sleeping resemblance to Xu Yingying was nearly identical, so looking at Xu Shanshan felt just like looking at his wife, with no discomfort.


    Carefully, Li Yifei picked up Xu Shanshan, brought her inside the tent, laid her down, then kissed his sleeping daughter and wife before returning to his spot. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arm and leg immediately wrapped around him; this girl¡¯s antics were already something he was used to, and he could only follow suit.


    The next day, Li Yifei and the others played for another half-day. After having lunch, they headed home. Little Yufei had a great time playing but was also a bit tired, falling asleep on the boat.


    At home, everyone rested again. While Chu Xiaoyao and the little girl were playing with the computer in the bedroom, Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, "Hubby, I have to work tomorrow, shouldn¡¯t Yufei go to kindergarten?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "She indeed should go."


    "But I¡¯m afraid Yufei will disagree."


    Li Yifei was also a bit worried, "I could look after her when I¡¯m home, but it¡¯s not a long-term solution."


    Previously, they only thought of bringing their daughter back, but now that she¡¯s home, they¡¯re encountering problems.


    "So what do you suggest? I do want to stay home with Little Yufei, but with so much happening at the company, I simply can¡¯t stay home." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded, "Wife, I¡¯m already very grateful you don¡¯t blame me for bringing Yufei back, how could I let you be troubled further?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, "I¡¯ve said, Yufei is like my own daughter now; I naturally have to take responsibility for everything about her."


    Li Yifei was extremely grateful, but saying more at this moment would just be insincere. After a thought, he said, "Then these few days, I¡¯ll try to send her to kindergarten, let her slowly adapt, she will get used to it."


    Settling this, Li Yifei temporarily took on the role of a full-time dad. For his daughter, he had to do this, and in truth, being a full-time dad didn¡¯t feel bad, but Li Yifei knew he might be busy anytime, and suddenly leaving his daughter would be even more unsettling for her.


    The next day, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan went to work, while Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao took Li Yufei to kindergarten.


    Little Yufei wasn¡¯t too willing, she wasn¡¯t done playing, plus she had already gone to kindergarten in Capital City, and now had to adapt to a new environment without familiar friends.


    Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao persuaded her with kind words and promised many benefits. Only then did the little girl reluctantly go to kindergarten, and Li Yifei worriedly waited outside the kindergarten all day, afraid something might happen to his daughter or she might cry inside.


    Fortunately, Li Yufei was quite independent; although in a new environment, she could adapt without crying.


    At around four, Li Yifei picked up his daughter, fulfilled all the promises of the morning, and made the little girl very happy, who also agreed to go to kindergarten again the next day.


    This made Li Yifei breathe a sigh of relief; it seemed like a good start.


    In the evening, Xu Yingying, despite her heavy workload, spared time to do some kindergarten parent-child activities with Li Yufei, refusing to let Chu Xiaoyao or Xu Shanshan replace her, wanting to foster a mother-daughter bond.


    The little girl was asleep before nine. Xu Yingying returned to her room to work, while Xu Shanshan, in the living room, said to Li Yifei with a hint of grievance, "Brother-in-law, my foot hurts."

 Chapter 505 - 515 Restart

    Chapter 505: Chapter 515 RestartChu Xiaoyao, having aligned with Xu Shanshan yesterday, suddenly found their relationship greatly improved. She curiously asked, "Sister Shanshan, what happened to your foot?"


    "I teach dance and have to practice every day, so my feet bear a lot of weight and hurt daily," Xu Shanshan replied naturally.


    "Oh, then why are you calling Uncle?" Chu Xiaoyao continued to inquire.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and replied, "I know how to massage, so I¡¯m going to give Shanshan a massage."


    "Oh, I see," Chu Xiaoyao nodded in understanding.


    Xu Shanshan immediately lay down on the sofa and said with a cheeky smile, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ve already washed my feet."


    Li Yifei sat down at her feet, and Xu Shanshan first pulled back her legs. Once Li Yifei was seated, she skillfully placed both her calves on his thighs. Despite the month apart, there was no awkwardness in her movements.


    Li Yifei naturally took hold of Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot and gently began to rub it.


    Chu Xiaoyao leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s side, watching them curiously.


    "Sister Shanshan, you¡¯re all exposed like that," Chu Xiaoyao suddenly blurted out after a while.


    Li Yifei instinctively turned to look. Xu Shanshan¡¯s thin nightgown top was short, normally just covering her navel, and now that she lay on the sofa, it naturally shifted upward. The loose buttons created a gap, through which he could glimpse a bit of her bra.


    Xu Shanshan looked up, glanced at herself, and casually pulled at her top, saying, "What are you talking about, you scared me."


    Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed, "That doesn¡¯t count as exposed? Your bra is showing!" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But it¡¯s not like anyone else saw it, just Brother-in-law and you."


    "Um, Brother-in-law isn¡¯t your husband. Isn¡¯t this inappropriate?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with it? I¡¯m not completely naked. We¡¯re under the same roof every day; seeing a bit is normal. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to dress heavily every day, and that would kill me in this heat."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded and said, "You¡¯re right. Running the air conditioning all the time isn¡¯t good, and not running it while wearing more clothes is really uncomfortable. Hehe, Uncle, seeing your sister-in-law like this every day, don¡¯t you have any thoughts?"


    Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s leg and laughed, "Stop talking nonsense. You know she¡¯s my sister-in-law. If I had any thoughts, wouldn¡¯t Yingying kill me?"


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "True, it¡¯s different with me. If Sister Shanshan wanted to be with you, Yingying definitely wouldn¡¯t agree."


    Xu Shanshan immediately interjected, "Why is it okay for you but not for me?"


    "I could be Uncle¡¯s mistress; I wouldn¡¯t mind, so it¡¯s okay. But you and Sister Yingying have the same parents. Which parents would let both their daughters be with one man? Hehe, you¡¯re destined to just be a sister-in-law. Wanting to be Uncle¡¯s woman isn¡¯t going to happen."


    "Hmph, what¡¯s so great about being Brother-in-law¡¯s woman? I just like being the sister-in-law, and he¡¯s still nice to me."


    Chu Xiaoyao boasted, "That¡¯s different. As the sister-in-law, Uncle can only be nice to you on the surface, but as Uncle¡¯s mistress, he can treat me well in other ways."


    Li Yifei, hearing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s increasingly absurd remarks, knocked her on the head gently, saying, "Stop your nonsense, or I¡¯ll get angry."


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue again and said, "Okay, I won¡¯t say anymore."


    "That¡¯s better." Li Yifei patted her head again.


    "Then I want a foot massage too. I see Sister Shanshan is quite enjoying it."


    "Alright, go wash your feet."


    "Got it." Chu Xiaoyao immediately dashed to the bathroom.


    Xu Shanshan kicked Li Yifei slightly, saying, "Stinky Brother-in-law, now I can¡¯t enjoy this treatment by myself."


    Li Yifei caught Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot with a laugh, "You¡¯re quite a unique sister-in-law."


    "That¡¯s true." Xu Shanshan immediately felt proud, humming a little tune as she enjoyed herself immensely.


    Before long, Chu Xiaoyao returned, mimicking Xu Shanshan by lying on the sofa and tossing her feet onto Li Yifei¡¯s lap. Fortunately, the sofa was long enough, so neither of them felt uncomfortable. However, Li Yifei ended up with four fragrant little feet on his lap, making the situation quite enticing.


    Unlike Xu Shanshan, who only flirted subtly, this little girl kept making small moves. Her feet constantly rubbed against Li Yifei¡¯s most sensitive area. Even though Li Yifei pulled her foot away several times, Chu Xiaoyao persisted.


    Finally, Li Yifei had no choice but to let it be. But it made him even more uncomfortable. The temptation of one sister-in-law was strong enough, and now with the addition of Chu Xiaoyao, this little temptress, if this continued, they¡¯d wear him out before anything else happened.


    At night, Xu Shanshan decided to sleep on the sofa, no matter what Chu Xiaoyao said. Fortunately, the family¡¯s sofa was spacious enough for one person to sleep comfortably, so no one bothered her.


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei had another intimate moment that night. Feeling that Li Yifei seemed even more vigorous, Xu Yingying gave him a sideways glance afterward and asked, "Did something happen to provoke you?"


    Li Yifei let out an awkward laugh, "Xiaoyao¡¯s teasing was the cause."


    "The next time she teases you, don¡¯t come to me. I¡¯ve become your outlet."


    "You¡¯re wrong, darling. Aren¡¯t you the one who enjoys it most?"


    "I¡¯m not enjoying it at all. You¡¯re just exhausting me."


    "Hehe, it seemed like someone was being quite loud just now."


    "Ah! This house isn¡¯t soundproof. Didn¡¯t they all hear? Oh no, in a few days I¡¯ve got to look into getting another house, or else it¡¯ll be terribly embarrassing."


    A little bit of post-coital teasing further strengthened their bond, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t bring up Li Yifei¡¯s dealings with others, sparing him some difficulty.


    Perhaps it was the bond between flesh and blood, or maybe because little Li Yufei was still very young, or perhaps because Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Chu Xiaoyao were all so good to her, the little girl mentioned her parents less and less. And after Li Yifei took her to the kindergarten a few times, she didn¡¯t object to attending kindergarten there.


    Half a month passed, and Li Yifei finally managed to get his daughter into kindergarten regularly, freeing him from being a full-time dad.


    Just as he was thinking about returning to work the next day, Ye Yunzhu called him.


    "Li Yifei, my family found out I¡¯m pregnant, and they all want to know who the father is. I can¡¯t hold them off any longer. You have to do something."


    Given Ye Yunzhu¡¯s strong character, her saying that indicated the severity of the situation she faced. Naturally, Li Yifei felt an obligation to help and hurriedly headed for the provincial capital.

 Chapter 506 - 516: Everything Has Me

    Chapter 506: Chapter 516: Everything Has MeLi Yifei hurried to the provincial capital and met up with Ye Yunzhu, who told him the whole story.


    Ye Yunzhu was indeed the best of her generation in the Ye family, the one they focused on developing. At only twenty-six, she had already reached the rank of Township Chief, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before she could be promoted. The Lin family greatly contributed to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s career, which was why the Ye family valued the marriage alliance with them so much and were eager for Lin Sihao to marry Ye Yunzhu.


    Lin Sihao was quite fond of Ye Yunzhu, which made the Ye family believe there would be no issues with this matter. To their surprise, Ye Yunzhu suddenly disclosed that she was pregnant.


    If the child was Lin Sihao¡¯s, then the Ye family wouldn¡¯t have made a fuss about it. It could actually hasten the marriage. But Ye Yunzhu claimed the child wasn¡¯t Lin Sihao¡¯s, which threw the Ye family into turmoil, prompting them to immediately demand that Ye Yunzhu terminate the pregnancy.


    For Ye Yunzhu to have a relationship with another man before marriage wouldn¡¯t raise too many eyebrows; after all, it¡¯s pretty normal for young people nowadays. What mattered the most was whom she would marry. As long as Ye Yunzhu got rid of the child and kept it from the Lin family, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    But Ye Yunzhu flat out refused to abort the child, even presenting her hospital diagnosis, which infuriated the elders of the Ye family even more. If Ye Yunzhu aborted the child and couldn¡¯t get pregnant again, why would the Lin family accept such a daughter-in-law? And if she didn¡¯t abort the child, then the Lin family would be even less inclined to have her join their family. Even ordinary people wouldn¡¯t deal with such complications, let alone a prominent family like the Lin family.


    So, just like that, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s arranged marriage with the Lin family was off. In their anger, the Ye family naturally wanted to meet the man who impregnated Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu had initially refused, but the elders of the Ye family would not agree to that. If they couldn¡¯t find out who the father of the child was, how could they possibly let Ye Yunzhu give birth to a bastard? That would be a disgrace to the Ye family.


    Finding herself out of options, Ye Yunzhu had no choice but to call for Li Yifei.


    "It¡¯s all your fault, you bastard. As for what follows, I don¡¯t care anymore, you deal with it," Ye Yunzhu said from the passenger seat, giving Li Yifei a fierce glare.


    Li Yifei took Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand and said, "No problem, I¡¯ll sort your family out for you."


    Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei and said, "With what will you sort it out? Even if Su Mengxin is considered your friend, she¡¯s just that, your friend, which doesn¡¯t mean anything."


    "Do I always have to rely on others? Can¡¯t I get your family¡¯s approval by myself?"


    "Get lost. If you could get my family¡¯s approval, why would we have ever split up? All they focus on in our family is the family¡¯s interests and which prominent family we can marry into to gain more benefits. What do you have to offer to satisfy them?"


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t mince words, but Li Yifei wasn¡¯t offended. Knowing how Ye Yunzhu had always been, he spoke with nonchalance, "Times change, don¡¯t they? After all, I am a manager, aren¡¯t I?"


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes and responded, "Your manager title might fool a naive girl, but trying to impress our family with that is simply a pipe dream."


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "So what should I do? I¡¯ve got nothing impressive to offer."


    "You... you¡¯re driving me mad. I asked you here to help me come up with a solution, but instead, you couldn¡¯t care less. Now I see that you¡¯re just dying to cut ties with me and live happily ever after with your wife."


    The moment she mentioned this, Li Yifei felt guilty and chuckled awkwardly, "That¡¯s not what I mean at all. You are the mother of my child, and no matter what, I can¡¯t just neglect you, right? Don¡¯t be angry. Getting angry might harm the baby. In our lifetime, we can only have this little treasure, and I don¡¯t want anything to happen."


    As Li Yifei spoke, Ye Yunzhu felt somewhat pleased despite giving him another glare, "At least you have a bit of conscience."


    "Don¡¯t I know you well? Given your temperament, it¡¯s really not easy for you to tolerate me being with Yingying. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely sort things out with your family so you can have this baby."


    Ye Yunzhu looked at Li Yifei with skepticism, "Do you really have a solution?"


    "Of course," Li Yifei firmly nodded.


    Staring at Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu suddenly realized that he really had changed from the immature youngster she remembered. Back when she had the miscarriage and almost bled to death, Li Yifei had been scared out of his wits. Yet now, facing this troublesome matter, he remained composed and emanated a manly stature.


    "So what¡¯s your plan?" Ye Yunzhu asked, probing.


    "I have many plans. It will depend on the situation when the time comes."


    "You¡¯re full of it. If you can¡¯t do it, I might as well just die, ¡¯two lives with one death¡¯."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he retorted, "Your life is not your own to take. If you want to die, you need my permission first."


    A smile spread across Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face, growing more and more radiant. Even if Li Yifei was different from before, she had to admit she was incredibly fond of him.


    Ye Yunzhu led Li Yifei to a courtyard house in the suburbs. Although it was called a courtyard house, it was extremely spacious, with numerous sections. Even for the suburbs, this was quite large. Given this was in the provincial capital, the value of such property was significant, which clearly demonstrated the depth of the Ye family¡¯s resources.


    The car Li Yifei drove today was a Mercedes left here by Su Mengxin. When Su Mengxin was not around, her car was always at Li Yifei¡¯s disposal.


    After entering the large compound, Ye Yunzhu took Li Yifei through several courtyards before arriving at an antique-looking one. Just by looking around, Li Yifei could tell that this must be where the most important members of the Ye family resided.


    A middle-aged couple was waiting at the entrance of the courtyard. Upon seeing Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei approaching, they immediately greeted them. Li Yifei recognized these two people¡ªthey were Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents. Although it had been many years since he last saw them and they no longer looked as young, Li Yifei recognized them at a glance.


    Back then, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu had to secretly keep their relationship from them. Moreover, the beating he took was from Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, which left an indelible impression on him.


    "Hello, Uncle and Auntie, I am Li Yifei," greeted Li Yifei, approaching and taking the initiative to say hello.


    They didn¡¯t immediately recognize Li Yifei, as he had grown much more robust since then, and his demeanor had greatly changed. However, after carefully observing him, they recognized him.


    "It¡¯s you?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents exchanged a glance. Their expressions turned sour.


    Ye Yunzhu had never mentioned who the father of the child in her belly was. They assumed, considering Ye Yunzhu was now the Township Chief and mingling with important figures, the father would be someone of status. Even if not on par with Lin Sihao from the Lin family, at least someone with considerable influence, someone who could be accepted by the Ye family¡¯s elders. But who would have thought it would be Li Yifei, a man they had investigated before and found had nothing to his name, certainly not a suitable match for Ye Yunzhu.


    They both just nodded at Li Yifei, and then Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother pulled Ye Yunzhu aside, frowning as she said, "What have you done? How did you get involved with this boy again?"


    Ye Yunzhu, who was no longer the little girl she once was, simply smiled and replied, "Mom, I¡¯ve set my heart on him. I¡¯ve never let go of him over these years, so I still want to be with him."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother¡¯s frown deepened as she said, "This is nonsense. Haven¡¯t you considered your current status? You¡¯re the Township Chief now, and your rank will only climb higher. You¡¯re from two different worlds now. You were young and naive back then; how can you still be so immature after all these years and some time spent in officialdom?"


    Ye Yunzhu maintained her smile and responded, "Mom, people change. The past is the past, and now is now. You can¡¯t judge Yifei with an outdated perspective." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Really? So what achievements has he made now?"


    Ye Yunzhu turned to look at Li Yifei and said, "Achievements don¡¯t really matter. All I know is that I¡¯m happy with Yifei, and I wouldn¡¯t be happy in a political marriage."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father also coldly looked at Li Yifei and remarked, "I never imagined you¡¯d end up together with Yunzhu again."


    Li Yifei faced Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father¡¯s gaze and said, "I would like to thank Uncle Ye here."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father snorted and replied, "Thank me? Don¡¯t be so na?ve. Don¡¯t think that just because Yunzhu is pregnant with your child, I¡¯ll agree to let you be together."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "My thanks to Uncle Ye aren¡¯t for that reason. I¡¯m thankful because you hit me back then. If it weren¡¯t for that, I might have continued seeing Yunzhu in secret, eventually settled for an ordinary university, earned a degree, and gotten a mediocre job."


    "From your words, it seems you¡¯ve made some achievements over the years," remarked Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, looking puzzled at Li Yifei.


    "I wouldn¡¯t say achievements, but if I¡¯m with Yunzhu, I think I won¡¯t be too far off the mark," replied Li Yifei.


    "That¡¯s a bold statement. Do you know the standards the Ye family has for choosing a son-in-law?"


    "I¡¯m aware. The Ye family looks for a son-in-law either rich or powerful, someone who can bring benefits to the family."


    "You do understand quite well. Now, I¡¯m curious. What benefits can you bring to the Ye family?"


    "What I can bring to the Ye family won¡¯t be something an ordinary family can provide."


    "What an audacious claim," laughed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, his smile filled with mockery and disdain. The Ye family was now a prominent family in the province; what they needed was not something a naive young man could provide. He didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei¡¯s words at all. Thus, he naturally took Li Yifei to be boasting. Already displeased with Li Yifei from years ago because of his relationship with Ye Yunzhu, now he was even more offended by Li Yifei¡¯s presumptuousness.


    "Cousin, have you brought him? Let¡¯s see who this man is that wants to be my brother-in-law," called out a cheerful voice. A girl about seventeen or eighteen years old ran out excitedly.


    Upon seeing the girl, Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, because she was none other than Little Yue¡ªChu Xiaoyao¡¯s good friend, who had not infrequently visited Li Yifei¡¯s house recently. Upon discovering that Little Yue was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin, Li Yifei thought it would be troublesome to encounter her here in the future. However, since she was surnamed Zhou and her mother¡¯s surname was Ye, she would normally be with the Zhou family. He had not expected to see Zhou Xiaoyue on his very first visit to the Ye family, creating an awkward situation for him.

 Chapter 507 - 517: Ignoring Li Yifei

    Chapter 507: Chapter 517: Ignoring Li YifeiYe Yunzhu pulled Zhou Xiaoyue along, laughing, "See for yourself, it¡¯s him." She said, pointing at Li Yifei.


    "Ah! Uncle?" Zhou Xiaoyue exclaimed, surprised as she looked at Li Yifei.


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s face was adorned with a faint smile as he said, "Little Yue, we meet again so soon."


    At this time, it was pointless for Li Yifei to deny anything. The time he had accompanied Chu Xiaoyao to her College Entrance Exam, Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s mother had also seen him. Since Zhou Xiaoyue was here, her mother was likely around as well. Now it all depended on Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s attitude.


    "You know each other?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother asked, looking puzzled at Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Zhou Xiaoyue blinked her large eyes, took another look at Li Yifei, and said, "Yes, we know each other. I have a very good friend named Chu Xiaoyao. This uncle is the one who has always taken care of Xiaoyao. I used to visit his house often recently."


    Li Yifei laughed, "That¡¯s right, Little Yue is such a good girl. She has been a big help to me in the past while."


    Zhou Xiaoyue then smiled at Li Yifei and said, "I really didn¡¯t expect it, you¡¯ve actually become my cousin-in-law."


    Li Yifei could tell that Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s words had an underlying meaning. In his house, Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue didn¡¯t hold back on any topic, even bragging about sharing a bed with Li Yifei. The little girl had always thought that Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao were a couple. And now, here she was, popping up to play the role of his cousin-in-law.


    However, Li Yifei was slightly relieved that Zhou Xiaoyue did not directly reveal the nature of the relationship between Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao, which meant there was still plenty of room to maneuver.


    "Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Grandfather is asking for you inside," Zhou Xiaoyue said to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents at this point.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents glanced at each other and then both shook their heads. Their daughter¡¯s choice of Li Yifei made them lose all confidence. Now they were certain to be lectured by the old master again.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandmother wasn¡¯t her grandfather¡¯s first wife, but a concubine, so Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father and his siblings were not the core of the Ye family. It was only because of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s excellence that they had managed to gain some attention in the family again. If Ye Yunzhu were neglected by the family because of Li Yifei, their status would plummet as it had before.


    In Huaxia, where the country had been founded for over sixty years, polygamy was not initially forbidden. So scions of great families like Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather could take multiple wives. However, in such prominent families, there was a significant difference between the first wife and concubines. Children born from concubines were normally not the core of the family and were subject to exclusion.


    Yet since the Old Master had called, they had no choice but to brace themselves and let Li Yifei in. They sighed and shook their heads.


    At that moment, Ye Yunzhu walked up to Li Yifei, took his arm, and said boldly, "Let¡¯s go, my man."


    Li Yifei flashed a comforting smile at Ye Yunzhu and then followed her inside.


    Zhou Xiaoyue walked beside Ye Yunzhu, occasionally stealing glances at Li Yifei, her thoughts inscrutable.


    After rounding a decorative partition and passing through a small courtyard, Li Yifei and the others entered a spacious living room. The living room was devoid of comfortable sofas, instead furnished with antique rosewood furniture. A man in his seventies sat in the center with several middle-aged men sitting on either side. The women stood at the back, none seated, portraying the grandeur of an ancient affluent family.


    "Dad, they¡¯re here," Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father entered and respectfully addressed the old man seated at the center.


    The Old Master of the Ye Family nodded, turning his gaze to Li Yifei and then frowned slightly, "It seems I have seen you somewhere."


    Li Yifei responded with a polite smile, "Grandpa, hello, my name is Li Yifei, I was Yunzhu¡¯s high school classmate."


    Li Yifei had indeed met the Old Master of the Ye Family before. Known as Ye Jingfeng, he had been the third ranking official in the province before his retirement, a very eminent position. During an emergency incident, Ye Jingfeng had been held hostage along with a few other high-ranking officials more important than himself, and Li Yifei had been responsible for the rescue. Li Yifei had researched those involved at the time and remembered him, but he had not been aware that he was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather.


    In this setting, however, Li Yifei preferred not to disclose such a connection; he was no longer the Team Leader of Flying Hawk Squadron, and even if he were to reveal his former identity, it was uncertain whether the old man would recognize him.


    But the Old Master of the Ye Family continued to scrutinize Li Yifei, slowly stating, "Yunzhu was only in her teens when she was in high school, that was seven or eight years ago. But I feel like I¡¯ve seen you, and it must have been no more than four years ago. Who exactly are you?"


    Everyone looked at the old master in surprise, knowing that despite his age, his memory was excellent. However, the old master was a man who rarely paid much attention to ordinary folks, and if someone had made an impression on him, that person must have had a significant status.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents¡¯ eyes lit up, but their excitement quickly faded. They knew Li Yifei too well; his family had no background to speak of. In today¡¯s society, without a background, it¡¯s incredibly difficult¡ªif not impossible¡ªto rise above others. Thus, they could only assume that the Old Master had mistaken Li Yifei for someone else who resembled him.


    "Grandpa, I am Li Yifei, Yunzhu¡¯s classmate."


    The Old Master sized up Li Yifei again but still couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen him before. He even began to doubt his own memory and asked, "Is it your child that Yunzhu is carrying in her womb?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, it is indeed my fault. I should have come to visit earlier, but now I¡¯ve ended up letting Yunzhu suffer humiliation."


    The Old Master stared at Li Yifei and asked, "I only want to know, why should Yunzhu follow you?"


    Li Yifei met the Old Master¡¯s gaze firmly and said, "Grandpa, I know if I speak of love, you would surely look down upon me. I also think that talk of love is for children, for those who are immature and have not grown up."


    The Old Master narrowed his eyes, seemingly intrigued by Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei paused for a moment then continued, "I want to be with Yunzhu not only because I like her but also because I¡¯ve caused her pain and humiliation. I need to make amends, to ensure she has a happy life henceforth. This is my responsibility as a man."


    "You talk a good game. Yunzhu is now a leader in her own right, with access to money and power, not to mention the backing of the Ye family. I think you¡¯re just trying to take advantage of her," a man in his fifties seated below the Old Master scoffed disdainfully.


    Another elder, also around fifty, commented, "Young man, your words are always so grand-sounding, talking about a man¡¯s responsibility. But you also need the ability to back it up. Can you elevate Yunzhu¡¯s position even higher?"


    "Third brother, what kind of upbringing is this for your child? We in the Ye family value Yunzhu so much because we want her to rise swiftly. Now she¡¯s not only involved with someone who has nothing to offer her career but is also pregnant, which will delay her at least a year."


    "Do you think the positions in the official ranks are waiting for us? A year¡¯s time could mean missing out on countless opportunities, and who knows how long it will be after that year before we come across such opportunities again?"


    As the two spoke, not only did they berate Li Yifei, but they also gave Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father a piece of their mind, causing his face to shift between shades of green and white. However, since both men were his elder brothers and held higher status within the Ye family, he couldn¡¯t protest, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. He could only nod in meek agreement.


    Although Li Yifei knew about many large families, he had never engaged with them. Now he was discovering that significant conflict was inherent within such families, and living within them was no easy task.


    Ye Zhenlong, the eldest of the Ye family who also held an important position in the province, said, "We¡¯ve seen the man now, and he clearly doesn¡¯t meet the Ye family¡¯s requirements. Furthermore, our original plan to have Yunzhu marry into the Lin family is now out of the question. Whether or not Yunzhu has the child, it will be impossible for her to marry into another prominent family. In fact, this can be seen as a good thing. If Yunzhu doesn¡¯t marry, she will remain a member of the Ye family indefinitely. Otherwise, if she marries and follows her husband, she would be preparing a dowry for someone else¡¯s benefit."


    The Old Master of the Ye Family, Ye Jingfeng, looked towards the most accomplished of his sons and asked slowly, "What do you suggest then?"


    Ye Zhenlong glanced at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents, then at Ye Yunzhu herself, and said, "I think we should do this: Have Yunzhu terminate the pregnancy. Isn¡¯t it just about not being able to bear children? The Ye family doesn¡¯t lack heirs; it doesn¡¯t matter if she remains childless. Then, our family will continue to fully support Yunzhu. With the Ye family¡¯s influence, even without using others, Yunzhu¡¯s prospects won¡¯t be too bleak."


    Ye Jingfeng turned to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father and asked, "Third brother, what do you think?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, named Ye Zhenyang, promptly said, "I agree with Big Brother¡¯s opinion."


    Ye Jingfeng also nodded and said, "Hmm, this solution is not bad. Although it falls short of our initial expectations, it¡¯s still the best interim solution."


    Li Yifei was inwardly fuming. So, his earlier words had been completely disregarded by these people, and the decisions they made didn¡¯t even consider Ye Yunzhu¡¯s opinion. The autocratic nature of the large family was clearly evident here.


    At that moment, however, Ye Yunzhu suddenly became impassioned and blurted out, "No, I don¡¯t agree. The child is mine, and I want to give birth to him."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother quickly grasped her daughter¡¯s arm, pleading, "Don¡¯t be foolish; this is about your future for the rest of your life. If you keep this child, it would be the ruin of your entire life."


    At this point, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father also spoke up, "Yunzhu, just terminate this child, and after that, you can be with whomever you want. Our family won¡¯t interfere, even if you¡¯re with this young man, so long as you don¡¯t get married, that¡¯s fine." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu was momentarily swayed and turned to look at Li Yifei.

 Chapter 508 - 518: A Promotion Through a Phone Call

    Chapter 508: Chapter 518: A Promotion Through a Phone Call"Yifei, what do you think?" Ye Yunzhu gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly. This family decision wasn¡¯t a bad thing for her; she could be with Li Yifei in the future without anyone to stop them. Besides, Li Yifei was already married. Being with him wasn¡¯t exactly honorable; the circumstances were awkward. If keeping the child would bring hardship to both of them, then perhaps it was better not to have it and to lessen the burden for both.


    Li Yifei held Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand firmly and said, "Yunzhu, I¡¯ll only ask you one thing¡ª do you like the child?"


    Ye Yunzhu hesitated, then replied, "I can¡¯t really say."


    "Then let me ask you another question¡ªif you don¡¯t have this child and can never have another for the rest of your life, would you regret it ten or twenty years from now when you have no children to enjoy?"


    Ye Yunzhu opened her mouth but found herself unable to speak. She had never been particularly fond of children, but since she had gotten pregnant, touching her belly every day, it felt like she could sense the life inside her. It was a mother¡¯s innate nature. She had begun to look forward to the birth of this child.


    Indeed, she could abandon this child for her career and to be with Li Yifei, but as Li Yifei said, what if she remained childless? Would she feel an immense sense of loss as she grew older?


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother quickly interjected, "Silly child, when you¡¯re older and you want a child, you can always adopt one. You can take one that¡¯s just been born, and then they won¡¯t know whether you¡¯re their biological mother, and it will be just like they¡¯re your own."


    Li Yifei responded with a faint smile, "Auntie, I know that you want what is best for Yunzhu, but as a woman, being deprived of the right to be a mother is absolutely unfair to her. Biological and adopted children are different. Without carrying a child for nine months, without that flesh and blood connection¡ªeven if the child doesn¡¯t know, could the feelings of a parent be the same?"


    At this, Ye Zhenlong slammed his hand on the table and barked, "Kid, what are you really up to? Let me tell you, even if Yunzhu has a child with you, don¡¯t expect any advantage from the Ye family."


    Li Yifei met Ye Zhenlong¡¯s gaze and said, "The Ye family might be wealthy and influential, but to me, Li Yifei, I have not given it a thought."


    "Quite big talk!" Ye Zhenlong became even more incensed. If he were not in such a high position that required some self-control, he would likely have resorted to cursing.


    Ye Jingfeng had been silent all this time, but then he looked at Li Yifei and said, "Young man, since you claim to be unconcerned with the Ye family, let me ask you. Yunzhu is currently a Township Chief and her rank might rise even higher in the future. Don¡¯t tell me you believe love alone will suffice for you to be together. When there is a disparity in status, serious conflicts will arise. How would you resolve them?"


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile, "Grandfather, is what you are going around in circles for simply to find out what capabilities I have to be deserving of Yunzhu?"


    Ye Jingfeng nodded, "Exactly."


    Li Yifei smiled proudly, "In that case, grandfather, you may propose a condition, and we shall see if I can meet it."


    Ye Jingfeng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "Alright, I want Yunzhu to be promoted to Deputy County Head within a month. If you can achieve that, I¡¯ll let her be with you."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s complexion changed. She indeed had a great chance to advance, but not so quickly¡ªit would take at least a year. To accomplish this task within a month seemed an immense challenge. Moreover, Li Yifei was not part of the officialdom; how could he make it happen? She clenched her fists and said, "Grandfather, the conditions you set are too harsh. Even the Lin family wouldn¡¯t have such capability."


    Ye Zhenlong quickly added, "That¡¯s a good suggestion. To take someone from the Ye family, if you don¡¯t have some ability, don¡¯t even think about it."


    The others also watched Li Yifei as if anticipating a show. Li Yifei had sabotaged the marriage alliance between the Ye family and the Lin family. They all found Li Yifei extremely distasteful, and this was an opportunity to trouble him and vent their frustration. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Li Yifei offered a slight smile, "Why a month? I can settle this matter right now, within a week Yunzhu can report to the county office."


    "Ha ha..." The Ye family nearly all laughed at this. Ye Zhenlong looked at Li Yifei disdainfully and said, "Young man, you¡¯re really overestimating yourself. Do you think you run Huaxia¡¯s bureaucracy? Not even the Municipal Party Secretary could make such a rash decision, plus it involves balancing many aspects. The post of Deputy County Head is coveted by numerous people; if it were so easy to secure, our Ye family would have done it already."


    "Indeed, the kid¡¯s talk is just too big, absurdly funny."


    "Truly clueless about the scale of heaven and earth, how naive."


    As her relatives mocked, Ye Yunzhu frowned secretly. How could Li Yifei speak so arrogantly? But in a situation like this, she couldn¡¯t muster the courage to rebuke him and shot him a reproachful look. Deep down, she decided if things didn¡¯t work out, she would terminate the pregnancy. She could simply be with this good-for-nothing in the future. After all, Li Yifei now had a daughter, and she could regard the girl as her own in the future.


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes sparkled as she watched Li Yifei. When with Chu Xiaoyao, she would always mention how incredible this "uncle" was, but Zhou had never taken it seriously. She had kept quiet just to appease Chu Xiaoyao, but watching Li Yifei stand his ground calmly in front of the Ye family without a hint of fear, Zhou found herself quite taken with him.


    With a serene smile still on his face, Li Yifei said, "Grandfather, I need to step outside to make a phone call."


    Ye Jingfeng nodded, and Li Yifei walked out with his head held high.


    After waiting for over ten minutes without Li Yifei returning¡ªalthough the younger members had gone out and seen him still in the yard¡ªthe family inside resumed their taunting of Ye Yunzhu.


    "That kid isn¡¯t trying to run away, is he?"


    "Heh, he probably realized he spoke too boldly and can¡¯t take it back now."


    "Sigh, I¡¯ve seen braggers before, but never one like this. Yunzhu, look at the person you¡¯ve chosen. How are you so blind?"


    "Yes, Yunzhu, can¡¯t you see his true colors yet? Such a man is just too unreliable."


    At that moment, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face alternated between pale and flushed. She didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei could accomplish such a thing either, and hearing her family speak like this only made it sound more grating.


    Just then, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing the number, her eyes immediately widened in shock because it was a call from Secretary Song Zhentao of the Municipal Committee. She quickly said to her grandfather, "It¡¯s a call from the Municipal Party Secretary."


    Ye Jingfeng gestured with his hand, and everyone immediately fell silent, but no one believed the call had anything to do with Li Yifei.


    "Secretary Song, hello." Ye Yunzhu answered the phone and respectfully greeted him.


    "Xiao Ye, your work in the township has been very good. The Municipal Committee has decided to give you more responsibilities. Do you have the courage to take them on?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes widened even more. The implication of these words was clearly a promotion. She excitedly said, "Secretary Song, I have the courage."


    "That¡¯s good to hear. You¡¯ve been working in Lanjia Village and are quite familiar with Qingping County. So now, we are planning to transfer you to Qingping County to take on the role of Deputy County Head. Do you have any objections?"


    "No... no..." Ye Yunzhu stammered in her response.


    "Haha, it¡¯s settled then. The transfer order will be issued to you tomorrow. Spend the next few days wrapping up your work in the village well and prepare to hand over your duties to the next Township Chief."


    "Alright, thank you Secretary Song."


    "Haha, let¡¯s leave it at that."


    After hanging up, Ye Yunzhu stood there holding the phone, speechless for a long time.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother, who was standing beside her daughter, had heard the content of the call and was equally astonished.


    Unable to contain himself, Ye Zhenlong asked, "What¡¯s going on?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother swallowed hard and said, "Yunzhu... has been promoted to Deputy County Head."


    "What?" Everyone in the hall exclaimed in unison.


    "That¡¯s impossible! How could this be possible?" Having spent many years in the bureaucracy, Ye Zhenlong knew all too well how difficult it was to climb each step, even for someone with a major family backing. It was difficult enough, and the leap from a deputy township chief to a deputy county head was even more arduous. Therefore, even if it was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother who said it, he still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Ye Yunzhu took a deep breath and said, "Grandpa, that¡¯s what Secretary Song said. The transfer order will come tomorrow, and he¡¯s asked me to prepare for handing over my duties."


    Ye Jingfeng nodded and said, "I understand."


    At some point, Li Yifei had arrived next to Ye Yunzhu and said with a smile, "Grandpa, now you won¡¯t oppose me and Yunzhu being together, will you?"


    A smile crossed Ye Jingfeng¡¯s face as he said, "Not anymore."


    Ye Zhenlong quickly interjected, "Wait, Dad, could this be a coincidence? I absolutely don¡¯t believe that just one phone call from him could result in Yunzhu being promoted from Township Chief to Deputy County Head."


    "Right, it must be a coincidence, certainly a decision that the city had already made, just happening to coincide with this."


    "There¡¯s also a possibility that this kid heard some news from somewhere and deliberately said so. This definitely isn¡¯t his doing."


    Ye Yunzhu, who had been stunned by the news, suddenly became agitated upon hearing her uncles talk like this and said, "Grandpa, no matter what, you¡¯ve already said so¡ªyou can¡¯t go back on your word."


    Ye Jingfeng nodded and said, "Our Ye family always keeps our word. Whether it¡¯s a coincidence or Yifei really has the capability, this matter is settled."


    Ye Yunzhu let out a cheer of joy, hugged Li Yifei tightly, and began to cry with happiness.


    Meanwhile, the members of the Ye family looked at each other in bewilderment. The situation was just too bizarre. Wasn¡¯t this kid a classmate of Ye Yunzhu? There was no major family in Mile City that could provide significant backing. How could just one phone call elevate Ye Yunzhu from Township Chief to Deputy County Head? It was utterly astounding.

 Chapter 509 - 519 Tender Moments

    Chapter 509: Chapter 519 Tender Moments"Yifei, let¡¯s have a simple family dinner at home later," the old man said with a smile.


    Li Yifei happily agreed immediately, and the old man smiled again before turning to walk towards the back hall.


    Some of the older members of the Ye family also left, but the looks they gave Li Yifei were very strange; they simply couldn¡¯t believe that a single phone call from Li Yifei could turn Ye Yunzhu from a Township Chief into a Deputy County Head.


    At this moment, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents wanted to say something, but they said nothing. They didn¡¯t know what to say. Regardless, the old man had agreed to Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with Ye Yunzhu, and their objections would be futile. Moreover, seeing their daughter so happy, they were actually quite content. As parents, how could they not wish for their daughter¡¯s happiness? It¡¯s just that in a large family, many decisions are made for the benefit of the family.


    "Can I start calling you brother-in-law now?" Zhou Xiaoyue ran up to Li Yifei with a cheeky smile and winked at him.


    Li Yifei felt most uneasy around Zhou Xiaoyue in this household, but at this time, he still chuckled lightly and said, "I would like to, but it still depends on whether your cousin agrees, right?"


    "Hehe, with the way my cousin is so happy, how could she disagree?"


    Ye Yunzhu playfully scolded Zhou Xiaoyue but held onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm even tighter, saying, "What do you know, you little girl?"


    "How do I not understand? I¡¯m about to go to college, I can start dating as well." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since when does going to college mean you can start dating? Who told you that?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue pouted, "I¡¯m saying, cousin, you started dating brother-in-law in high school, so why can¡¯t I in college?"


    Ye Yunzhu was at a loss for words and gave Zhou Xiaoyue a stern look, saying, "Stop talking about this with me, Yifei, let¡¯s go."


    "It¡¯s always fine for officials to start fires, but not for the common folk to light lamps, hmph," Zhou Xiaoyue mumbled as she waved her fists and then merrily followed them.


    Ye Yunzhu led Li Yifei to a room in a courtyard nearby; the setting here was much more modern, with sofas, a coffee table, and a TV, among other things.


    The two sat down on the sofa, while Zhou Xiaoyue took a seat on the side sofa, her round, curious eyes scanning over Li Yifei, making him feel quite uneasy.


    With Zhou Xiaoyue there, Ye Yunzhu found many topics inconvenient to discuss with Li Yifei. She glared and said, "Go do whatever you need to do. What are you doing here?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue chuckled, "Am I in the way? What could you possibly be up to in the middle of the day anyway?"


    Ye Yunzhu replied irritably, "You don¡¯t need to worry about what we¡¯re doing. You¡¯re just in the way here, go play somewhere else and stop bothering us."


    Zhou Xiaoyue sulked and said, "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll leave now. You two do whatever you please." She took a couple of steps towards the door, then turned back with a giggle and said, "Cousin, you better be careful now, remember there¡¯s a child in your belly."


    Ye Yunzhu grabbed a cushion and threw it at Zhou Xiaoyue, who immediately laughed and ran out, then closed the door behind her.


    Now alone in the room with Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu reached out and grabbed his ear, speaking sternly, "What¡¯s the deal with today¡¯s event? Explain it to me properly."


    Li Yifei quickly cried out in pain, making a face, "My dear wife, what are you doing? We just got the family¡¯s approval, and you¡¯re already dishing out punishment."


    Ye Yunzhu yanked harder on his ear, grinding her teeth, "You scoundrel, you actually have such connections, and you¡¯ve been pretending otherwise this whole time."


    Li Yifei gave a nervous laugh, "If I said it was just a coincidence... would you believe me?"


    "What do you think?" Ye Yunzhu put a bit more strength into her grip.


    "Alright, alright, I admit it. I saved a senior leader while I was in the military, which was part of my duty then. However, that leader owed me a favor and told me to reach out if I ever needed anything. I was just trying my luck today; I didn¡¯t expect him to actually take care of it so swiftly and decisively. I was surprised myself," he explained.


    "A senior leader, what kind of leader has that kind of power? Even people from the province need to be top officials to pull something like that off, don¡¯t they? Otherwise, who would dare to make such direct promotions? It must be someone from the Central Government."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s someone from the higher-ups," Li Yifei admitted, knowing he couldn¡¯t keep it from Ye Yunzhu, though he didn¡¯t go into details.


    Ye Yunzhu saw that Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to reveal who that person was, so she didn¡¯t ask any further. She didn¡¯t think Li Yifei was hiding something from her; it was just that these higher-ups coming to handle this type of matter was already quite inappropriate. Her family would definitely ask her about it when she got back, and if she knew, it would be difficult to avoid answering, so it was better not to know.


    "It seems that you haven¡¯t been mingling for nothing in the military these past few years, having such a deep connection with Su Mengxin and even relations with some higher-ups. That¡¯s really something."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, saying, "I was just in a special department, so I could come into contact with these people, but when it comes to relationships, there isn¡¯t really any. I¡¯m just a soldier, and they wouldn¡¯t take me seriously."


    "Special department? I really don¡¯t understand much about the military. Hmph, anyway, you¡¯re just not nice to me, keeping so many things from me. I always thought you were just a regular soldier who retired and came back."


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, but behind that roll was thick joy.


    "Hehe, see, it¡¯s like this, your family has agreed now, so come on, let¡¯s kiss first."


    Ye Yunzhu raised her hand to block Li Yifei, chiding, "You think you can just kiss whenever you want? Go home and kiss your own wife."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly filled with chagrin. He hadn¡¯t thought about Xu Yingying today while he came here to help Ye Yunzhu with her problems. Now that Yunzhu brought it up, he remembered that he was already married.


    Yunzhu snorted again, saying, "Nothing to say now, huh? You¡¯ve snatched me away in my family¡¯s eyes. How are you going to explain this to your wife when you go back?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, saying, "Explaining does seem to be quite a problem."


    "Do you want me to explain it for you, to tell Yingying about this matter?" Ye Yunzhu teased, winking at Li Yifei.


    "This... that..." Li Yifei was left speechless.


    "Hmph, you looked so domineering just now, but when this matter comes up, you turn into a soft egg. Anyway, it¡¯s not my problem. Now that everyone at home knows you¡¯re my man, if you were to abandon me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face anyone."


    Li Yifei was actually getting a headache at that moment. The Ye family was a major clan, and by winning over Yunzhu at the Ye family¡¯s home, they naturally considered her to be his woman now. And being the daughter of the Ye family, she couldn¡¯t just vaguely follow him¡ªthey would definitely have to take some action, like having a wedding. If he were to reveal that he already had a wife at this point, wouldn¡¯t the Ye family chase him out with sticks? Most importantly, it would be embarrassing for Yunzhu.


    "Alright, don¡¯t be so troubled. You¡¯ve helped me with this hard issue, I¡¯m much more relieved. How could I still make things difficult for you? I¡¯ll resolve the family matters."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, embracing Ye Yunzhu, and said, "Yunzhu, I¡¯m really sorry."


    "Who told me to be so unlucky, first you ruined my body, then I got pregnant with your child, and it just so happens it¡¯s after you got married. Alright alright, let¡¯s not talk about these depressing matters. I¡¯m happy today, do you want me to reward you with something?"


    "Reward?" Li Yifei looked into Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes.


    Ye Yunzhu suddenly hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, chiding, "You, you¡¯ve become so well-behaved now. Before, whenever you saw me, it was like you couldn¡¯t wait to devour me."


    Thinking back to the past, Li Yifei also got lost in memory. When they first tasted the forbidden fruit, it was pure bliss that they couldn¡¯t get enough of, and whenever they had the chance, they would stick to each other and then sneak off to do that thing.


    Their lips pressed tightly together, and then they started kissing passionately, but Li Yifei was still very careful, always mindful of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s stomach.


    After being intimate for a while, Ye Yunzhu became aroused, with one hand already reaching into Li Yifei¡¯s pants, looking at Li Yifei seductively and saying, "Yifei, I want it."


    Li Yifei was also aroused, but still restrained himself, saying, "It¡¯s not okay now, is it? You¡¯re not even two months along."


    Ye Yunzhu said somewhat annoyed, "When is it going to be okay? I¡¯m suffering here. Why don¡¯t you use your mouth to help me?"


    Ye Yunzhu had always been this way. When they were together before, when Yunzhu wanted it, she would have Li Yifei attend to her, instead of being completely passive. On this point, none of the girls around Li Yifei were like Yunzhu.


    "This..." Li Yifei pinched Ye Yunzhu¡¯s nose, saying, "That¡¯s also not okay. Right now, we should be most afraid of not me entering and hitting something, but that you might get too excited, causing the uterus to have spasms. Hold on a little longer, in just another month, there should be no problem."


    Ye Yunzhu pinched Li Yifei¡¯s thing hard, almost looking annoyed as she said, "Another month? You weren¡¯t around for years, I had no man, and at least you came back. After only messing around a couple of times, I ended up with this little one inside me, just suffocate me why don¡¯t you."


    Li Yifei uttered a low cry, saying, "Stop it, the more you stir, the more uncomfortable you¡¯ll feel."

 Chapter 510 - 520 The Ye Family Disagrees

    Chapter 510: Chapter 520 The Ye Family DisagreesThe sound of knocking interrupted the moment, and Li Yifei with Ye Yunzhu swiftly tidied up before she hurried to open the door. Standing outside were her parents, whom she quickly invited in.


    After sitting down, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents both fixed their gaze on Li Yifei. With a faint smile, Li Yifei said, "Uncle, Auntie, please feel free to ask whatever you want."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother nodded and said, "Yifei, you¡¯ve been with Yunzhu since high school, and we¡¯ve investigated you back then, no offense. But about Yunzhu¡¯s job, did you really make it happen?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yes, I did."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents exchanged a look before her father, Ye Zhenyang, spoke up, "Yifei, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, but this is just too astonishing. For a Township Chief to become a Deputy County Head isn¡¯t a several-level promotion, but in today¡¯s bureaucratic environment, moving up even one step is not that easy. How did you manage it? Could you tell us?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Uncle Ye, all I can say is I know an important person up there who owed me a favor. He promised to help ensure Yunzhu¡¯s career goes smoothly. That settled the favor he owed me, and I can¡¯t ask him for anything more."


    Li Yifei deliberately kept his explanation vague to avoid the Ye family seeking his help in the future for other promotions, which could complicate things. Helping Yunzhu was one thing, but aiding an entire family was quite another, not as simple, nor something he would do. These large families often needed a balance of power, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to disrupt it casually, as it could lead to various social issues, a warning he had already received from that influential person.


    Ye Zhenyang quickly said, "I¡¯m not asking you to help push the Ye family further; I just wanted to confirm this matter. Now that you¡¯ve put it this way, I¡¯m relieved. As long as Yunzhu¡¯s career path is secure, we ask for nothing more."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Ye Yunzhu tenderly and said, "I owe so much to Yunzhu already. Being able to do something for her is my way of making up for the hurt I¡¯ve caused her."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled softly at Li Yifei and said, "As long as you know. If you ever treat me badly in the future, I won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    Watching the couple¡¯s affectionate exchange, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents felt a comforting reassurance. Clearing his throat, her father said, "Yifei, about the time I hit you..."


    Li Yifei swiftly interrupted Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, saying, "Uncle Ye, I don¡¯t hold it against you at all, really! I¡¯m going to be a father myself, and if my daughter were involved with a boy like that, I¡¯d beat that kid up too."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes blazed with fervor as he spoke about disciplining, which brought smiles to everyone there, including Ye Yunzhu and her parents. Every parent¡¯s heart is the same; no one wants their daughter to be treated unfairly.


    At that moment, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother added earnestly, "Yifei, we are entrusting Yunzhu to you. She has a strong character and a bit of a temper, so I expect there might be some arguments between you two. If anything comes up, just bear with her a little more, and if you really can¡¯t stand it, come back to me, and I¡¯ll tell her off for you." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu protested at once, "Mom, I¡¯m not that bad."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You¡¯re not bad, you¡¯re really tough. But now I¡¯ve got Auntie to back me up, so I¡¯ll have somewhere to turn if I¡¯m wronged in the future."


    "Stop it, if you dare to snitch, I¡¯ll make you kneel on the keyboard," Ye Yunzhu playfully threatened Li Yifei with a little fist.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father felt happy inside but kept a straight face and said, "You little rascal, where¡¯s your decorum? You¡¯re not just anybody; you¡¯re a person of significant status now, a Township Chief, no, a Deputy County Head. If you made your own husband kneel on a keyboard, you¡¯d be the joke of the official circles."


    Ye Yunzhu pouted and said, "I was just joking. But really, Dad, whose daughter am I, or is he your son? You¡¯ve already taken his side."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother chuckled lightly and said, "A son-in-law is also half a son, right? Our family has only one daughter, and Yifei is without parents, so he¡¯s practically like our own son."


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "Absolutely, I will definitely honor you both as my own parents."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents burst into hearty laughter, which was essentially their complete approval of the relationship between Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu.


    The Ye family¡¯s banquet was lively, with dozens of family members gathered together. Besides the Old Master of the Ye Family, there was also Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father¡¯s generation, which included six brothers and four sisters. They were all present that day, and each of the ten siblings was accompanied by their spouse, totaling twenty people. Additionally, there were over a dozen children, and even some grandchildren who were married and had their own kids. So, from the Ye family alone, there were more than forty people.


    This was a truly large family, and Li Yifei was completely an outsider here. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Li Yifei, but he didn¡¯t feel uneasy at all. He had been in many big events and had met many important figures, and although the Ye family members were quite capable, they were far from matching the key players Li Yifei had encountered.


    After the banquet, the Old Master called Li Yifei to his study alone, which was quite a surprise to the younger generation of the Ye family. They hadn¡¯t been there when Li Yifei helped Ye Yunzhu with her job transfer, and some of those who were married had never received such treatment ¨C the Old Master had never summoned any of them alone.


    After a servant poured tea for them and left, Li Yifei and the Old Master sat opposite each other on two mahogany chairs, with a small mahogany table in between. The Old Master leisurely took a sip of tea and said, "Try it."


    Li Yifei took a sip, squinted his eyes, and said, "Not bad, premium Red Robe Tea. This isn¡¯t something just anyone can enjoy."


    "Excellent, you identified it with just one sip. Are you also a tea connoisseur?" the Old Master¡¯s eyes shone with interest.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Grandpa, I¡¯m afraid I have to disappoint you. I¡¯m no expert on tea, but given your status, the tea you drink naturally wouldn¡¯t be second-rate. Besides, you specifically asked me to try it, so apart from the best, premium Red Robe Tea, it couldn¡¯t be anything else."


    The Old Master was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Very good, very good. This kind of judgment really is strong. Among young people, I¡¯ve never seen such a thing."


    Li Yifei offered a modest smile, "You flatter me, Grandpa. I was just guessing."


    "So, changing jobs for Yunzhu¡ªwas that also a guess?"


    Li Yifei knew he couldn¡¯t hide such matters from the Old Master, who surely had more discernment than the rest of the Ye family. Taking another sip of tea, he said, "Whatever you believe, Grandpa."


    The Old Master didn¡¯t press further on the matter and squinted at Li Yifei, pushing a stack of papers on the table towards him, saying, "Take a look."


    Li Yifei glanced at the top page, which contained his information. He didn¡¯t have to read it; those documents didn¡¯t include his time with the Flying Hawk Squad. His r¨¦sum¨¦ had been altered when he left the squad, and except for the squad members and some high-ranking officials, no one else could access Li Yifei¡¯s real record. The Old Master of the Ye Family clearly didn¡¯t have that level of access. He said, "Grandpa, I know I can¡¯t conceal this from you. What do you think about it?"


    The Old Master also took a sip of tea and replied, "That depends on your intentions. Our Ye family¡¯s children certainly wouldn¡¯t be played with, right?"


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 Chapter 511 - 521 The Old Master’s Request

    Chapter 511: Chapter 521 The Old Master¡¯s RequestLi Yifei knew that the Old Master would ask such a question, and he didn¡¯t conceal anything as he spoke, "Grandfather, to be frank, when Yingying and I got married, I never intended to divorce her, and I even have a child outside, whom we have now brought back."


    The Old Master¡¯s face darkened as he asked, "So you mean to say, you cannot marry our Ye Family¡¯s Yunzhu?"


    Li Yifei sighed, not because the Old Master was getting angry, but because he felt guilty towards Ye Yunzhu, saying, "Yunzhu was my first love, and I remained unmarried all these years precisely because of her. But after meeting again, some accidents happened, preventing us from being together. Since I am already married to Yingying, I cannot neglect my responsibilities towards her."


    "Yunzhu is even carrying your child, and you don¡¯t want to take responsibility for her?" The Old Master set down his teacup and stared at Li Yifei with a sharp glint in his eyes, as if ready to explode if he didn¡¯t get a satisfactory answer.


    Li Yifei shook his head and responded, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take responsibility for Yunzhu, but I am now caught between a rock and a hard place. To leave Yingying would hurt her, yet not to marry Yunzhu would hurt her as well."


    "A real man makes decisive decisions, not dilly-dallying like this."


    A smile appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face as he said, "Grandfather, if matters of the heart could also be handled so clearly, the world would be much quieter."


    "What exactly do you mean, then?"


    "Grandfather, can you give me some time on this matter? I¡¯ll handle it slowly. Besides, this is a matter for us young people. Why should you trouble yourself with it?"


    "You brat, are you saying I¡¯m too old now?"


    "That¡¯s not it. But really, there¡¯s no point in your getting involved in such things. We might as well make our own decisions."


    Li Yifei remained neither servile nor arrogant, maintaining the same attitude regardless of whether the Old Master bristled with anger or banged the table.


    "Fine, fine, you¡¯re as hard and as stinky as a stone in a ditch," the Old Master conceded, no longer pressuring him. "However, if you think our Ye Family¡¯s Yunzhu will continue to be with you without any clarity or honor, then you will have to solve a problem for our Ye Family."


    Li Yifei chuckled inwardly, knowing the Old Master had been making a fuss to lead up to this very thing, but he didn¡¯t let the amusement show as he replied, "Tell me what it is, Grandfather. As long as it¡¯s not too difficult for me, I will do my best to help."


    "You¡¯re even setting conditions with me now," the Old Master grumbled as he gave Li Yifei a displeased look before slowly saying, "You know about the large families in our provincial city, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "I do know a bit, but I¡¯m not that familiar with their actual strength. The only conflict I¡¯ve had was with the Song Family, Song Ziqiao had me break his leg."


    A smile appeared on the Old Master¡¯s face as he said, "The thing I want you to do is to deal with the Song Family. You have a grudge with them already, so you shouldn¡¯t object, right?"


    Li Yifei took a sip of tea and replied, "If the Song Family plans to target the Ye Family, I can lend a hand, but if they have not done anything to the Ye Family, I will not take the initiative to target them. Grandfather, this is my principle: I do not provoke others unless provoked. I just want to live a normal life."


    The Old Master also sipped his tea and spoke methodically, "Among the major families in our provincial city, our Ye Family is currently the weakest, while the Song Family is the strongest. We wanted Yunzhu to marry into the Lin family to form an alliance to confront the Song Family. Now, without the Lin family¡¯s support, the Song Family will definitely move against us. Our Ye Family doesn¡¯t have the strength to contend with the Song Family. By getting Yunzhu pregnant, you have deprived us of a support, and naturally, it¡¯s up to you to make up for it."


    Li Yifei had no good impression of the Song Family; Song Ziqiao¡¯s arrogance alone showed what kind of family the Songs were. Now, for Ye Yunzhu¡¯s sake, he ought to lend the Ye Family a hand, although he did not wish to become their enforcer. He said with a smile, "Alright then, if the Song Family come knocking, I¡¯ll help out."


    "Good, then let¡¯s agree on that," the Old Master of the Ye Family said, laughing proudly like a crafty old fox.


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Well then, Grandfather, I shall take my leave. And it might be best not to disclose my identity; I¡¯d like to keep living quietly."


    Both men had not mentioned Li Yifei¡¯s identity from the beginning, yet Li Yifei was well aware that the Old Master must have remembered who he was; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have entrusted such an important task to him. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Old Master laughed heartily and also stood up, patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and saying, "Now, you are Yunzhu¡¯s man, which makes you part of the Ye Family. When the Ye Family has troubles, it¡¯s not about helping¡ªit¡¯s your responsibility. Don¡¯t worry, your identity, I won¡¯t even tell my son, but whether you tell Yunzhu or not, that¡¯s up to you."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, really wanting to curse the crafty old man, but after all, this was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather. Moreover, he understood that for the sake of a major family clan, he had to be ruthless; otherwise, it would be impossible for such a family to hold its ground in a city full of formidable opponents.


    As soon as he came out, Ye Yunzhu anxiously took hold of Li Yifei¡¯s hand and asked, "How did it go? What did Grandfather say to you?"


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "Grandfather told you to treat me better, right, Grandfather?" he asked, turning to the Old Master who had followed him out.


    The Old Master laughed heartily, replying, "Exactly! Yunzhu, you¡¯ve been spoiled by our family, but now that you have a man, you need to adjust your temper."


    Ye Yunzhu was suddenly very embarrassed and said, "Grandpa, I haven¡¯t." Then she twisted Li Yifei¡¯s arm and scolded, "You dare to tattle on me."


    Li Yifei pretended to cry out in pain, which set the old master off into another round of hearty laughter.


    It was clear from the old master¡¯s attitude toward Li Yifei that he extremely approved of his granddaughter¡¯s husband. This reassured Ye Yunzhu considerably, but it also amazed the rest of the Ye family. What exactly was special about Li Yifei that made the old master hold him in such high regard?


    But no matter what, with the old master¡¯s approval, no one else dared to make cold remarks to Li Yifei anymore. Ye Zhenlong had been quite unfriendly to Li Yifei at first and now felt somewhat embarrassed, so as an elder, he simply avoided meeting Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei did not leave that day but was surrounded by some young people from the Ye family. The younger generation of the Ye family was a mixed bag, with not many outstanding ones¡ªmost were mediocre or prodigal sons¡ªwhich explained why the Ye family placed so much importance on Ye Yunzhu.


    Zhou Xiaoyue finally found an opportunity to pull Li Yifei aside, stood with her hands behind her back, and puffed out her chest. She said, "Hey, cousin-in-law, don¡¯t you have something to say to me?"


    Looking at Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s haughty demeanor, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "What should I have to say to you?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes widened instantly and she exclaimed, "You heartless playboy, you got my cousin¡¯s belly big. Then you¡¯re with Xiaoyao. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll expose you? When that happens, you¡¯ll lose everything, catching neither."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t you know what Xiaoyao has always claimed to be to me?"


    "A mistress... I¡¯m dizzy. She actually knows about your relationship with my sister?" Zhou Xiaoyue blinked in astonishment, her mouth wide enough to fit an egg.


    "Knows." Li Yifei nodded.


    "Crazy, this is insane!" Zhou Xiaoyue shook her head forcefully and stared at Li Yifei, unable to believe this was true. Chu Xiaoyao, even if claiming to be Li Yifei¡¯s mistress, made Zhou Xiaoyue think she was just saying it deliberately, never having imagined Chu Xiaoyao was serious.


    Li Yifei just smiled and didn¡¯t speak. This matter was indeed ridiculous, and he didn¡¯t know how to explain it.


    "Wait, does my sister know about Xiaoyao?" Zhou Xiaoyue suddenly thought of another key point.


    Li Yifei nodded again, thinking that not only did your sister know about Chu Xiaoyao, she also knew about Xu Yingying and Ning Xiner. But naturally, he was not going to discuss such matters with Zhou Xiaoyue.


    The skin on Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face twitched twice as she said, "The world has gone mad, Xiaoyao has gone mad, my cousin too!"


    "Heh, as long as you¡¯re not crazy, that¡¯s good," Li Yifei said with a chuckle.


    Zhou Xiaoyue shook her head vigorously and said, "I¡¯m going crazy too because of you all."


    Li Yifei was amused by Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s antics and said, "Alright, do you have anything else to ask?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue shook her head subconsciously, then quickly said, "I¡¯m coming back with you guys tomorrow. I want to see Xiaoyao. It¡¯s been days since I last saw her."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyelid twitched. "There¡¯s no need. Xiaoyao is quite fine now."


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. "You don¡¯t want me to see Xiaoyao. Could it be you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll find something out? No, no, I must go."


    Li Yifei laughed dryly and said, "Okay, if you want to go, then go."


    "Hehe, are you really letting me go?" Zhou Xiaoyue looked as excited as if she had discovered a new world.


    "Why not let you go?"


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s candid face, Zhou Xiaoyue felt confused again. However, she resolved that when she saw Chu Xiaoyao tomorrow, she had to clear up everything. The world was just too crazy.


    That night, Li Yifei stayed in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room. This was the first time since Li Yifei had returned that he had openly shared a room with Ye Yunzhu. Naturally, the two were indescribably intimate and affectionate, but Ye Yunzhu was both content and melancholic. She wanted to be tender with Li Yifei, but because of the child in her belly, she felt restrained and uncomfortable.


    However, talking about the past and reminiscing funny stories, it was as if they had returned to their high school days. The feeling was inexplicably wonderful, and any strangeness or distance from being apart for so many years no longer existed.

 Chapter 512 - 522 What Do You Mean

    Chapter 512: Chapter 522 What Do You MeanLi Yifei drove Ye Yunzhu and Zhou Xiaoyue to Mile City the next day because Ye Yunzhu had to report to the Municipal Organization Department in the city in the morning, so they left the provincial city just after 4 AM. Unexpectedly, Zhou Xiaoyue, the little girl, had also gotten up early. It was not possible to leave her behind.


    There were three people in the car, with Zhou Xiaoyue sitting in the back, leaning between the two front seats, and cheerfully saying, "Cousin-in-law, I have something to ask my cousin. You won¡¯t mind, will you?"


    Li Yifei knew what she wanted to ask and said with a smile, "Go ahead and ask."


    Zhou Xiaoyue, seeing that Li Yifei really didn¡¯t make excuses, knew that Ye Yunzhu must be aware of the matter but still asked, "Cousin, do you know Chu Xiaoyao?"


    Ye Yunzhu turned her head and gave Li Yifei a glare before saying to Zhou Xiaoyue, "How could I not know her? Aren¡¯t you good friends with her? You must know about that girl¡¯s relationship with Yifei."


    Zhou Xiaoyue immediately widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Wow, cousin, you actually know? Doesn¡¯t that mean cousin-in-law is keeping a mistress outside? And you agree?"


    Ye Yunzhu snorted, "I thought about not agreeing, but only if that were possible." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Really? If you didn¡¯t agree, cousin-in-law wouldn¡¯t be so ruthless to still keep a mistress, right?"


    Talking about this made Ye Yunzhu feel annoyed. She wasn¡¯t even Li Yifei¡¯s official wife yet; she was the mistress. As for Chu Xiaoyao, she could only be the mistress number four. Besides, this jerk Li Yifei had not just Chu Xiaoyao, but also Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi. That¡¯s five women, and oh, there¡¯s Michelle too, who had spoken out in front of everyone that day.


    Seeing that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s expression was not good, Zhou Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue and said, "It seems that you don¡¯t really agree, cousin."


    Ye Yunzhu patted Zhou Xiaoyue on the head and said, "You¡¯re just a kid, why are you meddling in such things?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue tilted her neck and said, "I¡¯m not a kid anymore. Haven¡¯t you seen my classmate Chu Xiaoyao becoming cousin-in-law¡¯s mistress? Can¡¯t I have a relationship then?"


    "Relationship my foot. If you dare to date, I bet your aunt will flay you alive."


    Zhou Xiaoyue pouted. Her mother didn¡¯t care much about other things, but she was very strict about dating. In high school, her mom had warned the teachers that if she got too close to any boy, the teachers would report to her mom, and then she¡¯d face an interrogation. Still defiant, she said, "That was high school, okay? I¡¯m about to go to college now. I¡¯ll be living on campus, and she won¡¯t be able to control me anymore."


    "Alright, alright. Take care of your own business, and stop worrying about mine."


    "I¡¯m not worried, okay? I¡¯m just really curious. Plus, cousin, if you really don¡¯t want cousin-in-law to be with Xiaoyao, I can seriously talk to Xiaoyao. Despite you being my cousin and my allegiance is with you, I don¡¯t want to see you fight my good friend."


    "Am I that kind of person?" Ye Yunzhu said, rolling her eyes in irritation.


    "You bullied me plenty when I was little; I know what you¡¯re like," Zhou Xiaoyue retorted with a pursed lip.


    Li Yifei, however, chuckled at this. Ye Yunzhu was quite feisty in high school, and before they dated, he had been on the receiving end of her bossiness several times.


    Ye Yunzhu felt embarrassed and glared at Li Yifei, "What are you laughing at? Do you think I¡¯m too tough?"


    Li Yifei laughed out loud and said, "Not at all. I knew you were tough from the start. I¡¯m used to you bullying me. If you didn¡¯t, I would feel uncomfortable."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words flattered Ye Yunzhu, who proudly said, "That¡¯s because you need a good handling to feel comfortable."


    "That¡¯s right, Yunzhu should keep me in line in the future."


    Zhou Xiaoyue watched them, growing even more puzzled. It seemed that Ye Yunzhu should be able to keep Li Yifei in check, yet he still managed to keep a mistress outside. What kind of rhythm was this?


    Zhou Xiaoyue wanted to ask more, but Ye Yunzhu had closed her eyes and said, "I¡¯m going to sleep, sleep. We got up so early, and if you¡¯re not tired, I am. I still have to get to the Municipal Committee today, so don¡¯t disturb me."


    Zhou Xiaoyue knew that her cousin wouldn¡¯t say anymore. Although she felt reluctant, she knew today was a very important day for Ye Yunzhu and didn¡¯t dare disturb her sleep. Zhou Xiaoyue pouted and closed her eyes too. Despite waking up excited that morning, as soon as she closed her eyes, sleepiness overtook her, and she quickly fell asleep.


    When Zhou Xiaoyue woke up again, it was Li Yifei waking her, and she mumbled, "Cousin-in-law, have we arrived?"


    "We¡¯ve arrived. Where are you going now?" Li Yifei turned his head to look at Zhou Xiaoyue.


    "My cousin has already left, so of course, I¡¯m going to see Xiaoyao. Hurry up and take me there," Zhou Xiaoyue instantly became excited.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "All right then."


    Li Yifei directly took Zhou Xiaoyue to his original home, where he had already notified Chu Xiaoyao to wait for them. He also instructed Chu Xiaoyao not to mention Xu Yingying. Chu Xiaoyao, although not completely obedient to Li Yifei and could be mischievous, understood the gravity of the situation. She would usually fool around, but she knew not to mention it at this time.


    The two girls embraced each other exuberantly as soon as they met. Since Chu Xiaoyao had gone to Capital City with Li Yifei, they hadn¡¯t seen each other at all.


    The two chattered for a few moments, then Chu Xiaoyao pulled Zhou Xiaoyue to the sofa, smiling as she said, "Little Yue, how come you¡¯re here?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue glanced at Li Yifei, rubbed her nose, and replied, "Your uncle went to my grandfather¡¯s house, so I came back with him."


    "To your grandfather¡¯s house? But didn¡¯t uncle go to the provincial city?" Chu Xiaoyao looked puzzledly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei actually found Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s ability to lie quite impressive, with not even a blink, and he laughed, "I did go to the provincial city, that¡¯s where Little Yue¡¯s grandfather lives."


    "What were you doing at Little Yue¡¯s house?" Chu Xiaoyao asked, completely befuddled.


    Zhou Xiaoyue giggled and asked, "Xiaoyao, do you know who your uncle¡¯s legitimate wife is?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s Ye Yunzhu, isn¡¯t it?" Chu Xiaoyao responded without hesitation, even rolling her eyes at Li Yifei.


    Zhou Xiaoyue burst into hearty laughter, boastfully said, "Then do you know what Ye Yunzhu is to me?"


    "What is she to you?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened.


    "She¡¯s my cousin, hehe, your uncle is my cousin-in-law now. So, if you want to be the mistress, you better start currying favor with me," Zhou Xiaoyue crossed her legs, looking even more proud.


    Chu Xiaoyao cried out in surprise, "No way? Can it really be such a coincidence?"


    "It¡¯s exactly that coincidental, hehe, Xiaoyao, by that logic, we¡¯re relatives now."


    "That counts as relatives? Alright then, relatives it is. I must say, Sister Xiaoyue, you can¡¯t mess up my good thing, okay?"


    Watching Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s ingratiating appearance, Zhou Xiaoyue became even more triumphant, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she said, "That depends on how you behave. If you do well, I might put in a good word for you and keep my cousin from giving you trouble."


    "Absolutely, Sister Xiaoyue, are your legs tired? Let me give you a massage?"


    "Hmm, not a bad idea." Zhou Xiaoyue promptly rested her feet on the coffee table, and Chu Xiaoyao began gently massaging Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s legs.


    Watching the two play around, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, Xiaoyao, you take care of Xiaoyue. I have things to do and need to leave first."


    "Okay, you go ahead with your things," Chu Xiaoyao immediately responded obediently.


    Zhou Xiaoyue was displeased and said, "Hey, cousin-in-law, you¡¯re just going to leave me here and not care?"


    "If you need anything, give me a call."


    "That¡¯s not what I meant. I meant aren¡¯t you going to stay and keep us company?"


    "I have something to do. For lunch, you and Xiaoyao go out to eat. If you¡¯re going home tonight, I¡¯ll come to take you."


    "Ew, how dull." Zhou Xiaoyue pouted her lips, her body swaying as she coquettishly said, "Cousin-in-law, I¡¯m not leaving today, I¡¯m going to stay here."


    Chu Xiaoyao, however, glared and said, "Why would you stay here? There¡¯s only one bed here, and do you think I want to be uncle¡¯s mistress too?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face turned crimson, and she slapped Chu Xiaoyao lightly, scolding, "What nonsense are you spouting? I¡¯m not like you and my cousin, treating him like some treasure. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that great."


    Chu Xiaoyao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Good, if you wanted to be uncle¡¯s mistress too, that would be a problem for me. What should I do, agree or not? You¡¯re my good friend; it would be rotten of me not to agree, but if I did, my cousin surely wouldn¡¯t agree, and if it came to blows, that would be trouble."


    "Go on, as if you¡¯ve got that thick a skin."


    Li Yifei watched the two women bicker and just laughed, saying, "Well then, I really must leave now. You two have fun."


    This time, Zhou Xiaoyue dared not say anything else; who knew what else Chu Xiaoyao might come up with. After Li Yifei left, the two stopped quarreling and instead began to chat non-stop, with Zhou Xiaoyue inquiring about Chu Xiaoyao and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s affairs. Chu Xiaoyao related the events of her time with Xu Yingying in an increasingly exaggerated and vivid manner for Zhou Xiaoyue to hear.


    Zhou Xiaoyue listened with rapt attention, a young girl at an age where love was a deep yearning. Although Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s relationships with Li Yifei were somewhat unconventional, they made for an interesting tale to hear.


    There was another thing; while her father¡¯s side of the family didn¡¯t have any problems, the Ye family¡¯s history included a grandfather with three wives. Although they were all gone now, it was no secret within the Ye family. While her mother¡¯s generation was quite normal, among her generation, several male cousins, due to the family¡¯s influence, had mistresses even if they were married. Thus, she had grown quite accustomed to such situations.

 Chapter 513 - 523 Security Department Manager

    Chapter 513: Chapter 523 Security Department ManagerLi Yifei arrived at the company, and it had been a whole month since his last visit. The security guards at the entrance were quick to greet him warmly when they saw him. Although Li Yifei was one of the company¡¯s managers, he never put on airs, which is why he was so well-liked.


    Along the way, he greeted various employees and then headed straight to Xu Yingying¡¯s office. People in the company were still unaware that he and Xu Yingying were married, so upon his return, even if just for appearances, he had to check in with Xu Yingying.


    When Xu Yingying saw Li Yifei come in, she immediately put down what she was working on and sat with him on the sofa, smiling as she asked, "Is Yunzhu¡¯s issue resolved?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose awkwardly and said, "It is resolved, but now it¡¯s turned into a bit of a hassle."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Did they force you to marry Yunzhu?"


    Li Yifei quickly shook his head, "No, that didn¡¯t happen. They¡¯ve accepted my relationship with Ye Yunzhu, but I don¡¯t know what to do in the future."


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei a little, somewhat annoyed, "So what do you want to do?"


    Li Yifei put his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, apologetically saying, "Wife, to be honest, I also don¡¯t know what I should do now. I¡¯ve always thought about living a good life with you, but I couldn¡¯t ignore what was happening at that time."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another look, "All right, don¡¯t put on that troubled face in front of me. I won¡¯t hold it against you."


    "Is that it?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, puzzled. This was no small matter; shouldn¡¯t Xu Yingying have more to say?


    "What else can I do? Should I now go tell Yunzhu to stay away from you?"


    Li Yifei laughed dryly, feeling indescribably grateful for Xu Yingying¡¯s magnanimity and said, "Wife, you are really so good to me. I promise, no matter what happens in this life, you will always be my wife, and I will never leave you."


    "That¡¯s all I need to hear. Well, now that you are back at the company, just focus on your work. However, since you¡¯ve been away for a month, the Human Resources Department has already assigned someone else, so you can¡¯t go back there."


    "Oh, then you just arrange it."


    "I think it would be better to have you go to the Security Department. I feel that it might be more suitable for you, how about it?"


    "Sure, that was actually my old job," Li Yifei agreed with a smile.


    "Hmm, then in the future, when you go out with me, it will be more justified. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t look good for a Human Resources Manager to always accompany me, it could cause idle talk among the company staff, which isn¡¯t good for the company."


    Li Yifei jumped to his feet, stood at attention, and saluted Xu Yingying, loudly declaring, "I will definitely ensure the leader¡¯s safety."


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but smile, standing up to straighten Li Yifei¡¯s collar, "Husband, don¡¯t disappoint me."


    Li Yifei nodded. Xu Yingying¡¯s words had a double meaning, but no matter what she was referring to, he didn¡¯t want to disappoint Xu Yingying. She was his wife; they were family.


    The Security Department was on the first floor, responsible for the entire building¡¯s security, and had twelve security staff. Previously, it was managed by the Logistics Department, which was under Michelle¡¯s supervision. Now that Li Yifei was taking over, it became independent.


    Naturally, Li Yifei had to go to Michelle for a handover. He knocked on the door of Michelle¡¯s Logistics Department office, and her voice promptly invited him in, "Please come in."


    Li Yifei opened the door and entered to find Michelle looking at him with a joyful surprise before standing up excitedly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re back?"


    Li Yifei closed the door behind him and smiled, "Yeah, I just got back, and right off the bat, I have to split a part of your Logistics Department."


    Before Michelle could ask, the phone rang. She quickly answered it, and it was Xu Yingying discussing the matter of separating the Security Department.


    After hanging up, Michelle looked at Li Yifei with a beaming smile and said, "Brother Li, this is great. Those security guards are all men; I found it hard to manage them. Now I can finally pass on this headache-inducing issue."


    Li Yifei laughed, "But that means you¡¯re losing quite a bit of power."


    "What power, who cares about that? I just like working here, like following President Xu, and besides..." Michelle glanced at Li Yifei, a blush spreading across her face.


    Even without her saying it, Li Yifei knew she meant she was happy to spend time with him, but that wasn¡¯t something he dared to follow up on. With already so much emotional debt, he couldn¡¯t afford to lead on a good girl like Michelle.


    "Michelle, let¡¯s quickly finish the handover then. I¡¯ve been away from the company for so long that if I don¡¯t get serious, I¡¯ll feel bad about earning my salary."


    Michelle chuckled and said, "What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? Boss Su is your good friend, President Xu is your wife, this company is pretty much your own now."


    Li Yifei broke out in a silent sweat and replied, "Then I definitely can¡¯t be negligent; otherwise, I¡¯d really be letting Boss Su down."


    Michelle didn¡¯t say much more and gave Li Yifei all the security-related documents. While working, she occasionally stole glances at Li Yifei, who could only pretend not to notice.


    Not receiving any reply from Li Yifei, Michelle wasn¡¯t the slightest bit disappointed. On the contrary, it made her like Li Yifei even more. Many men she interacted with looked at her with a certain discomforting desire, but she felt comfortable around Li Yifei. She didn¡¯t have to fear him harassing her and even found herself wishing he would make a move on her.


    After grabbing the documents, Michelle and Li Yifei went down to the first-floor office, where the security personnel were located, to announce that Li Yifei would be the new manager of the security department. The security guards didn¡¯t really have any particular thoughts on this; they worked here mainly for the good salary, and who became the manager didn¡¯t affect them much. They had many chances to interact with Michelle, their beautiful manager, but they also really liked Li Yifei, who never put on airs.


    Li Yifei finally sorted out all the matters of the security department after a full day.


    The security department had a total of twelve guards, with eight working during the day and four at night. All of them were ex-servicemen, which was a requirement Xu Yingying had when choosing security personnel.


    As soon as Li Yifei mentioned that he had served in the military too, he became even closer to the security guards, and managing the department became even more comfortable for him.


    In the evening, Li Yifei took the group of security guards out for drinks¡ªalthough there were four on duty that night, so he only brought eight with him.


    "Manager Li, come on, let¡¯s have another toast to you," said Sun Tao, the youngest at twenty-three. He raised his cup to Li Yifei with a flush face.


    By this time, Li Yifei no longer knew how much he had drunk. Being with these people felt relaxed, not as restrained as with his colleagues in the Human Resources Department, so even though he knew these guys were deliberately getting him drunk, he still happily clinked cups with Sun Tao. He had already been toasted by everyone and had been drinking white spirit, so he was getting quite drunk.


    "Manager Li, you really are the company¡¯s golden boy. Everyone¡¯s so envious of you," Sun Tao said after drinking from his cup, looking up to Li Yifei with admiration.


    "Envious of what?" Li Yifei lit a cigarette and asked with feigned indifference.


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? Michelle is one of the prettiest girls in our company and she¡¯s become your girlfriend."


    Li Yifei let out a laugh and said, "That¡¯s nothing."


    "That¡¯s nothing?" Wang Gang, who was in his thirties, slapped the table and exclaimed, "Manager Li, do you realize how many male colleagues in our company have a crush on Michelle, yet you were the one who got her first? They¡¯ve got big issues with you."


    Li Yifei joined in the banter with these guys as if he were back in the military. Glaring and slapping the table too, he started to boast, "What¡¯s Michelle? If I wanted to woo any of the beauties in the company, I could do it easily."


    Wang Gang glared and retorted, "Come on, Manager Li! We can put up with a lot, but blowing hot air like that isn¡¯t on. We¡¯ll give it to you with Michelle, but the company has two other beauties. One is President Xu and the other is Director He. You reckon you can win them over too? That¡¯s rubbish."


    Sun Tao giggled and added, "Exactly. Manager Li, I know you came over with President Xu and Director He. Since Director He is divorced, it might be somewhat believable if something was going on between you two. But as for President Xu¡ªshe¡¯s the boss of our company! You might be a manager here, but there¡¯s a huge gap between a manager and the president. With just one word, President Xu could have you packing your bags and leaving. I just don¡¯t buy it."


    "Boss, we should make our boasts a bit more believable. How could you even claim President Xu? She¡¯s our goddess. We mere mortals shouldn¡¯t even dream about it."


    Everyone was pretty drunk and didn¡¯t really treat Li Yifei as a manager, taking turns to tease him.


    Li Yifei, his mouth clasping a cigarette, his eyes glaring and his beard bristling, declared confidently, "You lot with no ambition or insight, listen up. With just one phone call, President Xu would come to get me. Believe it or not?"


    "Ha, Manager Li, if you can actually get President Xu here with a single call, we¡¯ll truly be impressed."


    "Yeah, if you can call President Xu over, then we¡¯ll pay for this meal."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes at everyone and said, "Are you guys serious with that?"


    "Of course, but what if you can¡¯t call her?"


    Li Yifei slammed the table and declared, "If I can¡¯t make her come, I¡¯ll treat you guys for a whole week."


    "Ha, let¡¯s see it then! We really want to see if you can get President Xu to come here."


    Li Yifei quickly picked up the phone and pressed a couple of buttons, but then he turned to the group and said, "Wait up, I¡¯m going to make the call outside."


    After Li Yifei left the room, the others burst out laughing, taking his statement as a joke. They didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei could really get Xu Yingying to come. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 514 - 524: Kissed the Wrong Person

    Chapter 514: Chapter 524: Kissed the Wrong PersonLi Yifei walked out of the private room and suddenly sobered up a bit. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of emotions. Why did he make such a bet with those security guards out of boredom? After thinking about it, he understood. Ever since he returned to the city, he hadn¡¯t been living extravagantly; rather, he felt more at ease hanging out with those military men. So, he brought out the old military rules. Back then, after finishing a mission, they would brag about their romantic conquests.


    Shaking his head, he initially didn¡¯t want to make the call. At worst, he¡¯d just let the security guards tease him a bit later. But a thought suddenly struck him, and he decided to dial Xu Yingying¡¯s number. Perhaps a drunk man being picked up by his wife could be a part of a couple¡¯s playful exchange.


    Between couples, it shouldn¡¯t always be just mutual respect; sometimes, you need to throw each other a little trouble. That¡¯s what Li Yifei thought at that moment. Perhaps he had drunk a bit too much, or perhaps he felt that his life with Xu Yingying had been too cautious, and he wanted to spice things up a bit.


    The phone rang twice before Xu Yingying picked up, and Li Yifei immediately said, "Honey, I drank too much."


    Xu Yingying chided playfully, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to drink less? Can you make it on your own? Should I come to pick you up?"


    "You really have to come pick me up. I just boasted to them that one call, and you¡¯d come pick me up. If you don¡¯t come, I¡¯ll lose face."


    "You... you didn¡¯t tell them about our relationship, did you?"


    "No, I just said I¡¯d call you to pick me up, didn¡¯t say you¡¯re my wife. Hehe, when men get together, they like to brag a little."


    "Pfft..." Xu Yingying burst into laughter. Li Yifei¡¯s antics truly gave her a special feeling, and she said teasingly, "Fine, I¡¯ll immediately..."


    Before Xu Yingying could finish, Li Yifei heard the door of the private room open, so he quickly said, "All right, it¡¯s settled then." Then he cheerfully hung up the phone.


    "Manager Li, is President Xu coming to pick you up later?" It was Sun Tao and Wang Gang, both smiling widely at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed loudly and said smugly, "Of course. You¡¯ll see for yourselves later. If I, Li Yifei, couldn¡¯t even do that, how could I be your manager?"


    The two of them pulled Li Yifei back into the private room. Sun Tao said nervously, "Manager Li, don¡¯t mess around with this. Even if you brought President Xu here under some unusual pretense, if she gets angry later, how will you manage at the company?"


    Wang Gang also voiced his concern, saying, "Manager Li, you can¡¯t fool around with this. You know President Xu¡¯s temper; she can¡¯t stand any impropriety. Six or seven people who weren¡¯t working seriously have already been fired."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "They are them, and my relationship with President Xu isn¡¯t ordinary. If I ask her to pick me up, she¡¯ll come."


    "Manager Li, what kind of relationship do you have with President Xu?" Wang Gang looked at Li Yifei hesitantly.


    Li Yifei smiled proudly and said, "When the company was first established, there weren¡¯t many people. It was us veterans who helped out. She wouldn¡¯t just kick down the bridge after crossing it over such a small matter, right?"


    "Manager Li, you can¡¯t do that. President Xu might think you¡¯re becoming arrogant from your favored status. Even if she doesn¡¯t fire you, she might start having issues with you, which doesn¡¯t do you any favors. We were just joking earlier. Why are you taking it so seriously?"


    Everyone tried to persuade Li Yifei to stop Xu Yingying from coming, not realizing Li Yifei had another plan in mind. Thus, he didn¡¯t listen to them at all, insisting that Xu Yingying come over.


    Seeing their persuasion fail, they started feeling a bit nervous. The mood for drinking dissipated. In less than fifteen minutes, the door to the private room was knocked, and everyone¡ªall except Li Yifei¡ªstood up in unison.


    As the door opened, Xu Yingying appeared at the doorway, and everyone said in unison, "Hello, President Xu."


    Xu Yingying lightly waved her hand, frowned a bit, and said, "This place is like an opium den with all this smoke. Can¡¯t you smoke a bit less?"


    Everyone glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond.


    Li Yifei then chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty, and said, "President Xu, you¡¯re here."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "You asked me to come. How could I not? Have you had enough to drink? I¡¯ll take you home."


    Li Yifei swayed as he got up and proudly told his pals, "All right, I¡¯m leaving now. Use this money to settle the bill. Don¡¯t say I¡¯m not generous."


    These security guards saw Li Yifei and Xu Yingying out. Each was secretly worried for Li Yifei; President Xu¡¯s tone was unfriendly, and they wondered if she¡¯d make things difficult for Li Yifei later.


    Li Yifei got in the car, buckled his seatbelt, and Xu Yingying already had the window down, saying, "The smell of alcohol is strong. You really drank a lot today."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I couldn¡¯t help it. I just joined the Security Department, and I need to build rapport with them. It¡¯ll be easier to manage later, don¡¯t you think? They really can drink; they even got me a bit tipsy."


    "All right, you better rest a bit. When we get home, I¡¯ll make you some hot tea."


    Li Yifei agreed and closed his eyes. Having his wife take care of him like this felt quite comforting. And apparently, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t upset. She even seemed a bit excited, as if she was happy he had her pick him up.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the car reached the parking lot in the community. Xu Yingying helped Li Yifei into the elevator. It was just the two of them, and as soon as the elevator door closed, Li Yifei suddenly hugged Xu Yingying and kissed her without a word.


    "Mm..." Xu Yingying obviously wasn¡¯t prepared for such a surprise attack, staring wide-eyed at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s tongue slipped into Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth, and his hands started moving up and down her back.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s body trembled slightly, and after a minor struggle, she kissed Li Yifei back.


    Unfortunately, the elevator moved too fast, reaching the floor in just a few seconds. Li Yifei let go of Xu Yingying, who gave him a sideways glance, her face showing a mischievous smile.


    That mischievous smile made Li Yifei feel something was off. Xu Yingying usually didn¡¯t smile like that, and just as he was about to ask, Xu Yingying already opened the apartment door.


    "Shanshan, you brought your brother-in-law back?" came another Xu Yingying¡¯s voice from inside.


    Li Yifei was startled, realizing in his heart with a bad feeling. She wasn¡¯t Xu Yingying, it became clear; he really messed up this time. He¡¯d been so careless as to kiss her without confirming.


    "He¡¯s back. Brother-in-law, what are you dazing about? Come in quickly." Xu Shanshan tugged on Li Yifei, casting him a sneaky glare.


    Li Yifei felt utterly awkward, yet of course couldn¡¯t show it at this time. Suddenly struck by an idea, he decided to pretend he was really drunk, swaying and holding onto the doorframe. "I... I really drank too much."


    "You... why did you drink so much?" Xu Yingying cried out, stepping over to help with Xu Shanshan as they moved Li Yifei to the living room. She personally took off his shoes and let him lie down on the couch.


    Li Yifei waved his hand, saying, "Honey, I¡¯m really happy today. You saved my face. You didn¡¯t let me down."


    Xu Yingying teased, "Why bring that up? I¡¯m your wife. If I don¡¯t uphold your honor, who will? Shanshan, go get a wet towel. I¡¯ll make some tea for your brother-in-law."


    Having his wife and sister-in-law fussing over him, Li Yifei kept stealing glances at Xu Shanshan. However, Xu Shanshan showed no signs of displeasure, darting about attending to him. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, after taking their daughter to kindergarten, he drove Xu Yingying to the office and was finally left to take Xu Shanshan to school.


    Li Yifei had intended to play dumb about last night¡¯s incident, but the thought of acting oblivious seemed too underhanded. So, he decided to clear things up with Xu Shanshan, and while driving slowly, he awkwardly said, "Shanshan, about last night, I..."


    "Naughty brother-in-law, why did you kiss me?" Xu Shanshan turned her head, glaring playfully at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "I thought you were your sister. You didn¡¯t say you were Shanshan on the way back, so I..."


    "So, you mean to say if you knew it was me, you wouldn¡¯t have kissed me to save your life?"


    "Yes, yes, absolutely not," Li Yifei nodded earnestly.


    "You naughty brother-in-law, this wasn¡¯t the first time you kissed me!"


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, straining to recall, but he couldn¡¯t remember ever kissing Xu Shanshan. Hesitating, he said, "Shanshan, that can¡¯t be right. Just this once when I misunderstood, and I had drunk too much."


    "Who says so? Think again." Xu Shanshan winked playfully at Li Yifei.


    "Uh... I really can¡¯t think of it, Shanshan. Stop teasing me." Li Yifei felt a chill down his spine. It was one thing to flirt with his sister-in-law, but kissing was definitely crossing the line.


    Xu Shanshan sniffed lightly and said, "I¡¯m not holding you responsible, so why are you so scared?"


    "How can I not be? If your sister knew I kissed you, she¡¯d be furious, maybe even kick me out."


    Xu Shanshan laughed gleefully, "I was just teasing you! It was only last night."


    "Really?"


    "Believe it or not, that¡¯s up to you."


    Li Yifei felt a huge relief. After all, he really had drunk too much last night. Even if Xu Yingying knew, it could be explained away. But the thought lingered at the back of his mind that maybe Xu Shanshan was tricking him after all. It seemed that the two of them really had kissed before, hadn¡¯t they?

 Chapter 515 - 525 Xu Shanshan is hard to deal with

    Chapter 515: Chapter 525 Xu Shanshan is hard to deal withLi Yifei originally wanted to ask more questions, but the car had already reached Xu Shanshan¡¯s school entrance. Xu Shanshan opened the car door and got out, waving to Li Yifei and saying, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m off now. Pick me up in the evening."


    "Got it," Li Yifei agreed, watching Xu Shanshan walk into the school with a spring in her step.


    Li Yifei shook his head with a wry smile. Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t hold him accountable for kissing her, which should have been a relief for him. But Li Yifei was increasingly worried about one issue: that his relationship with Xu Shanshan was getting closer and closer, going beyond the normal feelings between a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law.


    This time, Li Yifei kissed her, and she didn¡¯t mind. So, next time, if he touched her, would she not care either? Or perhaps, even if it came to going further with this sister-in-law, she wouldn¡¯t mind at all?


    Thinking about this, a clear answer emerged in Li Yifei¡¯s mind. Even if that happened, Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t get angry. This answer made Li Yifei feel a bit scared; he didn¡¯t even know where his confidence came from.


    "No, I must keep some distance from Shanshan from now on. I can¡¯t do anything that would make Yingying sad again."


    After making this decision, Li Yifei finally went back to the company to go to work.


    As soon as he entered the security room, everyone gathered around Li Yifei. Zhao Gang was the first to ask, "Manager Li, did President Xu say anything to you last night?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "No, such a small matter. What else could she say? Besides, I was drunk; she wouldn¡¯t take offense. Do you think President Xu is such a petty person?"


    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. The brothers were worried about you yesterday."


    "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s get to work. I¡¯ve just taken over the Security Department; you guys better not embarrass me."


    Everyone loudly promised, and Li Yifei began to truly work as the manager of the Security Department.


    He had just returned to the city and started working as security, so he was quite familiar with this line of work. Compared to the tasks he used to carry out, this kind of security work was too simple, making Li Yifei feel very comfortable. It was even more comfortable than being a manager of the Human Resources Department.


    Chen Xingrui, that little chubby guy, came to find Li Yifei today, partly to see his old boss and partly to ask where Li Yifei¡¯s cousin secretary had gone.


    Li Yifei casually made up a reason, saying that Su Mengxin had changed jobs and gone to work elsewhere. This left Chen Xingrui quite depressed. It wasn¡¯t just him; all the men in the company were exasperated. Su Mengxin, being a super goddess, had excited the men in the entire company for countless nights. Even though they couldn¡¯t get intimate with her, just being able to see her and chat a bit was a kind of happiness. However, this happiness was too short-lived; in less than half a month, this super goddess had left.


    Today, Zhou Xiaoyue was with Chu Xiaoyao, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t pick up Chu Xiaoyao. In the evening, he picked up Xu Shanshan and his daughter, while Xu Yingying drove back home herself. Their relationship with Li Yifei had become closer, so she didn¡¯t want everyone to see how close they were. As the general manager of a company, that was understandable.


    "Daddy, look, this is the little red flower I got today." As soon as they entered the house, Li Yufei took a small notebook out of her backpack, excitedly showing off to Li Yifei.


    During this period, Li Yifei¡¯s greatest achievement was not only helping his daughter adapt to life here but also getting her to change her address, now calling him "Daddy."


    Xu Yingying immediately came over, took the notebook, looked at it carefully, and patted Little Yifei¡¯s head, praising her, "Good girl, how should Daddy and Mommy reward you?"


    She called Li Yifei "Daddy" and, by extension, called Xu Yingying "Mommy." The little girl, being so young, initially thought of going with Li Qiang and his wife, but as time passed, she gradually forgot. Furthermore, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying treated her well and often played with her in ways she had never experienced before. Naturally, she regarded them as her biological parents.


    "I want to go to the beach and catch crabs," Little Yifei immediately shouted excitedly.


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "Two little red flowers aren¡¯t enough. There¡¯s still three more days until the weekend; you need to earn a few more little red flowers."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll definitely be obedient and listen to the kindergarten teacher to earn more little red flowers."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying an approving thumbs-up. His wife, although she hadn¡¯t given birth, had a knack for disciplining children. Even though she doted on Little Yifei, she corrected some of her bad habits and made this daughter even more well-behaved.


    After dinner, the family of four took a stroll around the neighborhood. When they returned, Little Yifei took an early bath and went to sleep. Xu Yingying also went to her room to review some materials.


    Xu Shanshan also took a bath first, then lay down on the sofa, saying, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s my turn now."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Shanshan, I¡¯m kind of tired today, so I won¡¯t give you a massage."


    "Tired?" Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei in confusion, and then her eyes twirled a few times.


    Li Yifei said with some guilt, "Yeah, I¡¯m feeling a bit tired."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly jumped up and ran straight into Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom, loudly saying to Xu Yingying, "Sis, look at Brother-in-law; he¡¯s not giving me a foot massage today."


    Li Yifei was speechless, really not expecting Xu Shanshan to run to Xu Yingying to complain. He quickly followed her in, saying, "Shanshan, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you a massage; it¡¯s just that I¡¯m really a bit tired today."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "You¡¯re lying. You seem perfectly fine today; where do you look tired?"


    Xu Yingying also looked at Li Yifei in puzzlement, asking, "Honey, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Xu Shanshan interrupted, "Sis, I know what¡¯s wrong with Brother-in-law; he¡¯s clearly tired of me, disturbing your family of three. Fine, I¡¯ll move out tomorrow to avoid bothering you all."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Your brother-in-law doesn¡¯t mean that; don¡¯t overthink it."


    Li Yifei was truly defeated by Xu Shanshan, so he had no choice but to say, "Yeah, that¡¯s not what I meant."


    Xu Shanshan said with a grievance, "You used to be happy to give me a foot massage, but today you won¡¯t. Clearly, you have something in mind. So tell me, why won¡¯t you give me a massage? And don¡¯t say you¡¯re tired; with a body like yours, how could you be tired?"


    Li Yifei awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "Shanshan, I¡¯m your brother-in-law; giving you foot massages all the time isn¡¯t really appropriate."


    Xu Shanshan sniffed and said, "That¡¯s just an excuse. Didn¡¯t you give me massages before? Hmph, do you have any dirty thoughts?"


    Xu Yingying immediately stared at Li Yifei, who awkwardly said, "No, absolutely not."


    "Then what are you afraid of? If you¡¯re upright, you shouldn¡¯t fear shadows. Fine, fine, I won¡¯t let you massage me anymore. I¡¯ll just let my feet break," said Xu Shanshan as she turned and walked out.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. Xu Shanshan¡¯s antics were bound to prompt Xu Yingying to speak up, and Xu Yingying quietly asked, "What¡¯s going on?"


    Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "I just feel like constantly giving Shanshan foot massages isn¡¯t proper, considering she¡¯s my sister-in-law."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re overthinking it. Shanshan went to a lot of effort for us to be together. She definitely doesn¡¯t have any ulterior motives. As long as you¡¯re straight with your intentions, there won¡¯t be any issues."


    Li Yifei thought to himself that his intentions were straight, but Xu Shanshan seemed a bit off. However, it wasn¡¯t convenient to tell Xu Yingying that, so he said, "I treat Shanshan like a real sister."


    "That¡¯s good then. Why worry so much? We¡¯re a family, and I usually don¡¯t have time to look after her. As her brother-in-law, you should take care of her a bit more."


    Li Yifei wanted to say more, but Xu Yingying leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "If you feel it¡¯s tiring to give Shanshan foot massages, I¡¯ll... compensate you well later tonight."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at Xu Yingying with a mischievous grin, saying, "Really?"


    "You big rascal, I¡¯ll be on top tonight, okay?"


    "Sure, sure," Li Yifei nodded eagerly. In the past with those other women, they were always trying new things. But with Xu Yingying, although she also enjoyed it, she had always kept the traditional position. Now, just talking about switching positions got Li Yifei all excited. Truly, the more elusive, the more precious something becomes.


    Li Yifei went to the living room, where Xu Shanshan was sitting on the sofa with a smug look on her face.


    Li Yifei sat down at her feet, and she immediately threw her feet onto Li Yifei¡¯s lap, fluttering her eyes and pouting, "Bad brother-in-law, aren¡¯t you going to care for me?"


    Li Yifei knew full well Xu Shanshan was saying this for Xu Yingying¡¯s benefit, so he could only respond, "Aren¡¯t I here to care for you?"


    "Hmph, I don¡¯t need you," Xu Shanshan said, but her little foot playfully twisted on Li Yifei¡¯s leg.


    "Alright, alright, my little mistress, I was wrong, okay? I¡¯ll massage you every day from now on; just don¡¯t pick fault with your brother-in-law," Li Yifei said, half seriously, half jokingly.


    Xu Shanshan smiled smugly and whispered, "Okay then, since you¡¯re so sincere, I¡¯ll let you give me a massage." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei grabbed Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot and suddenly pressed hard, causing her to cry out in pain, "Bad brother-in-law, you¡¯re retaliating!"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "That¡¯s for tattling to your sister."


    Xu Shanshan quickly pleaded, "No, no, Brother-in-law, be gentle."


    Li Yifei then softened his touch, his hands massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot with care. Xu Shanshan closed her eyes in extreme enjoyment. Looking at this mischievous little sister-in-law, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what else to say.

 Chapter 516 - 526 Make a Baby

    Chapter 516: Chapter 526 Make a BabyIt was past nine thirty. Xu Yingying had finished her tasks and blushed at the thought of her promise to Li Yifei. Recently, she had been pondering ways to improve the harmony between her and Li Yifei, so she secretly read some books about couples.


    From her reading, she learned that the main reasons for disharmony between couples, apart from emotional incompatibility, involved an unsatisfying intimate life. Men always liked novelty, so in this aspect, they particularly enjoyed things that were new and different. Whenever she was with Li Yifei, she hesitated, which likely prevented a certain kind of satisfaction, making it easier for him to seek other women outside.


    Although Xu Yingying was lenient about Li Yifei spending time with other women, it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t care. As a CEO and a high-IQ woman, she knew that making a scene with Li Yifei, trying to force him not to be with those women, would only backfire.


    What she needed to do now was to make Li Yifei appreciate her, to become increasingly attached to their home, and to elevate her position in his heart. Ultimately, this would lead him to willingly leave those women, thereby prolonging their marriage.


    So, in their intimacy, this was also an area she wanted to change. While she didn¡¯t want to become a wild seductress, she aimed to satisfy Li Yifei¡¯s curiosity as much as possible.


    However, she couldn¡¯t immediately give Li Yifei anything he wanted, as that would leave him with nothing to look forward to. She wanted Li Yifei to occasionally think about her and satisfy him every now and then. In business terms, this was a very clever tactic, and this senior white-collar worker applying economic theories to her personal life was indeed a genius.


    Leaving the room, she saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet still resting on Li Yifei¡¯s lap while he held them. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind, sitting down next to Li Yifei and said, "Still not letting go of you?"


    Li Yifei let out a bitter smile and said, "Who told me to upset her today? She said she wouldn¡¯t let go unless I went to sleep."


    Xu Yingying lightly tapped on Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg and teased, "Enough is enough. Do you think your brother-in-law is a servant? If you keep bullying him, watch out, I might spank you."


    Xu Shanshan quickly retracted her feet, stuck her tongue out at Xu Yingying, and said, "You got married, so now you don¡¯t want your sister anymore."


    "Your brother-in-law is so good to you, yet you still throw tantrums every day. You really have no conscience."


    Xu Shanshan immediately sat up and hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, giggling, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m not mad at you anymore. You¡¯ve worked hard."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Serving my sister-in-law is not hard."


    "Hehe, I knew brother-in-law treats me the best. All right, you both should quickly go back to your room. Don¡¯t worry, I sleep very soundly. No matter what noise you make, I won¡¯t hear a thing."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face immediately turned beet red, while Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but cough.


    Xu Shanshan yawned and said, "Hurry up and leave, I¡¯m so sleepy. I want to fall asleep." She looked extremely tired.


    This girl¡¯s ability to shift gears was amazing. Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had no choice but to leave the living room, while Xu Shanshan, once they left, wore an excited and mysterious smile on her face.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying each took a shower before returning to the bedroom. Li Yifei embraced Xu Yingying and said cheerfully, "Wife..."


    Xu Yingying puckered her lips at Li Yifei and complained, "Shanshan isn¡¯t asleep yet; let¡¯s wait until she¡¯s asleep."


    Li Yifei also knew the room¡¯s soundproofing wasn¡¯t great, so he waited for a while longer before saying, "Shanshan must have been really tired then; she¡¯s probably asleep by now."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a flirtatious look and said, "You¡¯re such a rascal."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t they say women love a bit of bad in men?" With a slight pull of his arm, Xu Yingying readily laid on Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    The next morning, Xu Yingying felt a bit lazy. She was really exhausted from the night before, and her bones still felt as if they had fallen apart. Li Yifei told her to sleep a little longer, while he got up to make breakfast.


    Leaving the bedroom, he saw Xu Shanshan sleeping soundly on the sofa. The thin blanket had fallen to the floor, and although she was wearing pajamas, the pajamas couldn¡¯t hide her figure. Li Yifei thought to leave her be but felt uneasy, so he simply picked up the blanket and covered her.


    Xu Shanshan opened her eyes, sleepily gazing at Li Yifei, and said, "Brother-in-law."


    "It¡¯s nothing, I was just covering you. Sleep a little longer; there¡¯s still time." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, then I¡¯ll sleep a while more. I¡¯m truly exhausted." Xu Shanshan muttered, and then she turned over, hugging the blanket, and fell back asleep. Her smooth legs wrapped around the blanket, the thin pajama pants outlining the curve of her rounded bottom, and even the edge of her underwear could be seen.


    Li Yifei¡¯s nose twitched; such a posture was too tempting. He quickly turned around and left.


    After making breakfast, Li Yifei called Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan to get up, then went on to dress his daughter. He particularly loved doing this, since having his daughter cling to him gave him an indescribable sense of enjoyment.


    At breakfast, Li Yifei noticed that Xu Yingying still had a tired look on her face. He showed a mischievous smile, causing Xu Yingying to be at a loss, giving him a white-eyed glance. But she noticed Xu Shanshan also looked tired, so she frowned and said, "Shanshan, Xiao Yao is not at home these days. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping in your room, sleeping so badly?"


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei, giggled, and said, "I didn¡¯t sleep poorly. I slept very well, but I awoke in the middle of the night and played on my phone for a while."


    "Playing on your phone in the middle of the night. From now on, you need to sleep well. You¡¯re looking so tired that you¡¯re making it hard to work during the day."


    Xu Shanshan took a sip of milk and said, "Look who¡¯s talking. Look at yourself; aren¡¯t you looking exhausted too? Didn¡¯t you sleep well last night?"


    Xu Yingying suddenly blushed and hurried to cover up, saying, "I was reviewing some materials last night. Can¡¯t I do even a bit of serious work compared to you, who doesn¡¯t have any proper business?"


    "Oh, everything you do is serious, and nothing I do is proper," Xu Shanshan laughed and chuckled.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan laughing like that, Xu Yingying felt even more flustered. Knowing her sister so well, she realized that her sister was hinting about her and Li Yifei being serious last night.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said again, "Hehe, but what you said does make sense. Making a baby is serious business."


    Xu Yingying was so embarrassed that she wished she could crawl under the table. She quickly said, "You¡¯re babbling this nonsense in front of Yufei."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and lowered her head to eat, still sneaking mischievous glances at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    At this moment, Little Yufei curiously asked Xu Shanshan, "Aunt Shanshan, what does making a baby mean?"


    Xu Yingying suddenly felt mortified, while Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "It¡¯s just your mom and dad playing a game."


    "A game? Then I want to join in. Tonight, I want to sleep with mom and dad. I want to see how they make a baby."


    Xu Shanshan laughed so hard that she nearly fell over, while Li Yifei and Xu Yingying both had expressions of complete dismay. Little Yufei, on the other hand, was tugging Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and asking, "Mom, is that okay?"


    Xu Yingying was too embarrassed to find anything to say, so Li Yifei smiled and said, "Sleeping with mom and dad at night is totally fine, but Aunt Shanshan is just teasing you. We weren¡¯t making a baby; we were just reading books and looking at the computer."


    The little girl immediately turned to look at Xu Shanshan and said, "Aunt Shanshan, did you really trick me?"


    Xu Shanshan saw Xu Yingying giving her a look that could kill and quickly stuck out her tongue, saying, "Yes, yes, Aunt Shanshan was just teasing you. Today Aunt Shanshan will buy you some modeling clay, and we¡¯ll make some figures to play with. How about that?"


    "Okay, okay, Aunt Shanshan is the best." Little Yufei was really delivering the quirky charm that Ning Xin¡¯er had, with a mouth as sweet as honey.


    Watching Xu Shanshan and Li Yufei discussing how many little figures to make and in what shapes, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying exchanged a look. Xu Yingying immediately shot Li Yifei a meaningful look, while Li Yifei chuckled, then winced in pain, as Xu Yingying stealthily pinched him. However, Li Yifei actually found this more enjoyable¡ªthis was what home truly felt like.

 Chapter 517 - 527 Proof for You to See

    Chapter 517: Chapter 527 Proof for You to SeeYe Yunzhu, even after she had reached the Municipal Organization Department, still felt some uncertainty in her heart, but when the organization handed her the official transfer order, she finally believed it was real. However, for her, it all seemed like a dream. With the Ye family¡¯s capabilities, they had no way to promote her from Township Chief to Deputy County Head so quickly. Li Yifei¡¯s single phone call had made it happen, which was truly miraculous.


    Since Li Yifei¡¯s call, Ye Yunzhu had always thought about relying on her own connections to get Li Yifei into politics, to help him climb the ladder step by step, but now she suddenly realized something. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t unable; he simply didn¡¯t wish to. Otherwise, with the ease he arranged her transfer, if he had wanted to pursue a political career directly, he would have probably secured a decent position for himself. Yet, he chose to be a security guard at a company.


    Now, Ye Yunzhu felt that she really needed to re-evaluate Li Yifei. This man had changed too much and was no longer the naive young boy she once knew. He had become a man of depth, and to see Li Yifei with her former perspective would be fundamentally wrong.


    Moreover, she had to admit that the current Li Yifei was indeed a real man, a man of depth, a man who fascinated her even more.


    Now, carrying Li Yifei¡¯s child, the two of them were inseparably bound. Even if Li Yifei had a wife, she would not back down. She was determined to keep this man tied to her forever.


    After completing the handover tasks in the township, she did the same upon arriving at the county. The only difference was that one was handing over her previous responsibilities while the other was taking on new ones. Although she was not the Standing Deputy County Governor and ranked lowest among the Deputy County Heads, she was in charge of several important departments. This was not at all normal. If it weren¡¯t for someone with heavenly connections above, such a situation would be utterly impossible. Naturally, this was also the result of Li Yifei¡¯s single phone call.


    Sitting in her spacious office, Ye Yunzhu took out her cell phone and began scrolling through the contact list, eventually dialing Xu Yingying¡¯s number.


    "Mayor Ye... Oh no, now I should call you Deputy Mayor Ye, congratulations," Xu Yingying joked with Ye Yunzhu right from the start.


    Ye Yunzhu let out a soft laugh and said, "Yingying, even a big CEO like you is joking with me. What Deputy Mayor Ye? If it weren¡¯t for your husband, how could I have become a Deputy County Head?"


    "Hehe, why be so modest? It¡¯s what he should do," Xu Yingying replied.


    Ye Yunzhu admired Xu Yingying a lot, not because of the great achievements Xu Yingying had made in business ¨C in that regard, Ye Yunzhu believed she would not be inferior ¨C but she admired that Xu Yingying could talk so cheerfully with her, despite knowing that she was pregnant with Li Yifei¡¯s child. Ye Yunzhu herself could not manage to do that.


    "Well, he is your husband now. How about dinner tonight? Are you free?" Ye Yunzhu asked.


    "That¡¯s not necessary, isn¡¯t that a bit too polite?"


    "What, are you afraid that if I see your husband, I¡¯ll run away with him?"


    "Giggles, looks like I can¡¯t refuse then."


    "Then it¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll call you after work."


    Ye Yunzhu was not content to be ambiguously involved with Li Yifei for life, but facing someone like Xu Yingying, she didn¡¯t want to resort to despicable means. Even if it was a competition, she wanted to fight fairly and openly.


    In this respect, Xu Yingying felt the same. Both were outstanding women in many aspects, naturally very proud, and if there had to be a contest of who was better, it had to be based on one¡¯s own abilities.


    Li Yifei spent the morning comfortably at the company. At noon, he went to his old little home, where Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue, these two girls, had been playing for two days without a visit from Li Yifei. They had become somewhat upset, so Li Yifei decided to take them out for lunch today.


    "Uncle, you look so handsome in your uniform," Chu Xiaoyao said, her eyes lighting up upon seeing Li Yifei in his security guard uniform.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and asked, "Do I look handsome in a security guard uniform too?"


    "That¡¯s handsome too," Chu Xiaoyao said, her eyes filled with little stars. Indeed, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; no matter how Li Yifei looked, she found him handsome.


    Zhou Xiaoyue looked at Li Yifei in surprise and said, "Cousin-in-law, how come you¡¯ve become a security guard?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "What¡¯s wrong with being a security guard? It¡¯s quite a good job. Besides, I¡¯m the manager of the security department."


    Zhou Xiaoyue pouted and said, "Come on, Uncle, are you serious? With your capabilities, it wasn¡¯t hard for you to move my sister from Township Chief to Deputy County Head, and it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for you to become a department head or something. But you chose to be a security guard. What¡¯s this all about?"


    Chu Xiaoyao lifted her chin and asserted, "That¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand. Uncle is being low-key. Do you know what low-key means? A truly remarkable person knows the value of keeping a low profile. You¡¯re just a young girl; you should learn this."


    Zhou Xiaoyue argued defiantly, "You¡¯re the same age as me. If I don¡¯t understand it, how do you?"


    "Of course, I understand. Don¡¯t think that because you¡¯re the same age as me, you get it. I am Uncle¡¯s mistress, which means I¡¯m fully an adult. But you¡¯ve never even been in love, so you¡¯re still a little girl, what do you know?" Chu Xiaoyao said with a confidently smug expression.


    "Tsk!" Zhou Xiaoyue replied disdainfully, "What kind of mistress are you? You¡¯re still untouched. A real mistress would have... been through everything."


    "Even if I¡¯ve never done it with Uncle, I¡¯ve helped him with my mouth before. Doesn¡¯t that count?"


    "Pfft, you¡¯re probably just bragging. Anyone can say that, it¡¯s just using your mouth. I could say I¡¯ve done it with my mouth for someone else too, since there won¡¯t be any evidence either way."


    Chu Xiaoyao glared and said, "So do you want me to do it right now for you to see?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue sniffed defiantly, "Sure, if you dare to do it, I dare to watch."


    Li Yifei just felt a ton of sweatdrops falling from his forehead. How could young girls nowadays be so open about these things, daring to say anything? Back in his days, he never did such things. He brushed away Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand that was reaching for him and coughed, saying, "Stop messing around, and let¡¯s go eat. I have to go back to work in the afternoon."


    Zhou Xiaoyue immediately giggled and said, "See, I¡¯ve exposed you. My brother-in-law definitely hasn¡¯t done it with you."


    Chu Xiaoyao grew even more aggrieved, stamping her foot and saying, "Uncle, why are you stopping me? I want to show her, so she knows I¡¯m truly your mistress. This person has been doubting it for days, and I must make her believe."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "My dear niece, I¡¯ll give you confirmation. We¡¯ve done it, no need for a live show."


    Only then did Chu Xiaoyao turn her head and say to Zhou Xiaoyue with satisfaction, "You see, Uncle has admitted it."


    "Yeah right, cousin-in-law is just scared you¡¯ll make a scene," Zhou Xiaoyue said, still unconvinced.


    Li Yifei inwardly cursed his luck. Chu Xiaoyao was the last person who could stand such provocation, and before he could say anything, Chu Xiaoyao had already pounced on him on the sofa, grabbing at Li Yifei¡¯s belt and shouting, "I¡¯ll let you see. I¡¯ll let you see."


    Li Yifei hurriedly grabbed his belt, exclaiming, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t be ridiculous!"


    "I won¡¯t, I must make her admit it," Chu Xiaoyao snapped back, trying to pry Li Yifei¡¯s fingers away.


    Li Yifei was far stronger than Chu Xiaoyao and wouldn¡¯t let her pry his grip open, but seeing her current emotional state, trying to explain might actually make matters worse. He quickly turned to Zhou Xiaoyue and said, "Little Yue, you are being ridiculous too. Surely you don¡¯t really want to watch a live performance?"


    When Li Yifei put it that way, Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face flushed red, and she hurriedly said, "No, no, Xiaoyao, I believe you, okay?"


    Chu Xiaoyao fixed her gaze on Zhou Xiaoyue, "You might say you believe it, but you actually don¡¯t."


    "No, really, I do believe it!" Zhou Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes flicked around, "No, I can¡¯t let you use this to talk about me in the future. I have to prove it to you."


    At this point, Li Yifei got a bit annoyed and smacked Chu Xiaoyao on the head, saying, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re being too ridiculous."


    Chu Xiaoyao suddenly turned around and stared straight at Li Yifei, tears welling up in her eyes. This instantly threw Li Yifei into a panic. He began rubbing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head soothingly, saying, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t cry. I was wrong to hit you just now."


    "Uncle, you¡¯re being mean to me," Chu Xiaoyao said as tears streamed down her cheeks.


    "How could I ever be mean to you? I am so good to you," Li Yifei sat up, hugged Chu Xiaoyao, and kissed her on the face, saying, "Is this okay now? I¡¯m kissing you right in front of Little Yue." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She¡¯ll still think you were forced by me," Chu Xiaoyao said with a pitiful look.


    Li Yifei was exasperated, "Then what exactly do you want? Just to be clear, I¡¯m definitely not up for a live performance."


    "That¡¯s fine, as long as you don¡¯t perform live, right?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly wiped her tears away and looked at Li Yifei excitedly.


    Li Yifei felt uneasy under her gaze but still nodded his head.


    "Then Uncle, come with me," Chu Xiaoyao said as she jumped up, pulling Li Yifei into the bedroom. Then at the doorway, she said to Zhou Xiaoyue, "You wait here, I¡¯ll prove it to you in a bit." With that, she slammed the door shut.


    Zhou Xiaoyue was somewhat confused; Chu Xiaoyao said she would prove it to her, yet the two of them hid away in the bedroom. How was she supposed to prove it then?


    Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoyue felt a surge of excitement, eagerly waiting for the two to come out. She really wanted to see how Chu Xiaoyao would prove her claim.

 Chapter 518 - 528

    Chapter 518: 528About fifteen or sixteen minutes later, the bedroom door was yanked open, and Chu Xiaoyao ran out like the wind, heading straight for Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Zhou Xiaoyue was startled and noticed that Chu Xiaoyao was fully dressed and hadn¡¯t taken off her clothes. But at this point, she didn¡¯t dare to tease Chu Xiaoyao anymore. She felt she may have taken the joke too far just now. Considering that it had only been a month since Xiaoyao¡¯s parents had passed away, and her emotions were still unstable, how could she, as a good friend, provoke her like that.


    "Um... I will prove it to you right now," said Chu Xiaoyao, her cheeks puffed out, her words muffled as she spoke.


    Zhou Xiaoyue was quite amazed now and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Chu Xiaoyao suddenly opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, then pointed at her own tongue. Zhou Xiaoyue saw something milky white and sticky on her tongue and instantly blushed, stammering, "You... Is that from... just now..."


    Zhou Xiaoyue was already eighteen years old. Back when she was studying seriously, her parents were strict and she didn¡¯t watch any inappropriate content on the computer outside of her studies. However, during the time since finishing high school, she had come across similar types of videos by accident and now understood what was in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mouth.


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded her head quickly, proudly raising her chin, while her tongue was still not back in her mouth.


    "Eww, that¡¯s really gross," Zhou Xiaoyue said with twitching lips, urging urgently, "Okay, okay, I believe you, I really do."


    Satisfied at last, Chu Xiaoyao closed her mouth and smacked her lips a few times, then went over to have a couple of sips of water.


    Zhou Xiaoyue stared at Chu Xiaoyao, dumbfounded, and after a long while said, "You... You... You actually ate it?"


    Chu Xiaoyao said proudly, "Yes, I ate it. Haven¡¯t you heard that one drop of semen is worth ten drops of blood? This stuff is too good to waste, right?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue grimaced and shook her head repeatedly, saying, "You¡¯ve really gone mad. You actually believe that?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and replied, "Of course not. I know it¡¯s just some proteins and stuff. But men like this sort of thing, and if I eat it, uncle is satisfied. So I just eat it. Besides, it doesn¡¯t taste bad. Once you fall in love with someone, you¡¯d willingly eat it. Forget it, you¡¯re still a kid, you wouldn¡¯t understand."


    Chu Xiaoyao waved her hand dismissively, truly speaking as if she were an adult addressing a child.


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re the adult, I¡¯m the child. Is this okay now?" Zhou Xiaoyue was genuinely convinced now.


    It was then that Li Yifei finally emerged slowly, his gaze unable to meet Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s. Even if Zhou Xiaoyue had not witnessed what Chu Xiaoyao had done with him, Xiaoyao¡¯s bragging to her was almost as if she had, especially considering that Zhou Xiaoyue was also Ye Yunzhu¡¯s younger cousin. This made Li Yifei particularly embarrassed.


    Fortunately for him, Zhou Xiaoyue was feeling rather embarrassed herself and wasn¡¯t as playful as she had been with Li Yifei the other day. Only Chu Xiaoyao was in high spirits, clinging to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, chattering away nonstop to Zhou Xiaoyue.


    For lunch, he took them to KFC, where Chu Xiaoyao was even more excited. Li Yifei had a thick skin and quickly got over the embarrassment. But when the ice cream arrived with its cream topping, Zhou Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue and, no matter what, refused to eat.


    This left Li Yifei with a face full of black lines, feeling extremely awkward, while Chu Xiaoyao just laughed heartily, persistently urging Zhou Xiaoyue to eat, turning Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face bright red until she finally collapsed and fled in a panic.


    After Zhou Xiaoyue left, Li Yifei took Chu Xiaoyao back to the house he shared with Xu Yingying, and then he returned to the company.


    He hadn¡¯t been seated long when he got a call from an old classmate, Su Peng, who said that they should have dinner together the next evening. Li Yifei readily agreed. Apart from one class reunion, he had only gathered with his classmates once more for a wedding, after which he hadn¡¯t had a chance to meet up with them again.


    Li Yifei was quite nostalgic when it came to classmates. After all, the friendships from those days did not involve any interests and were the purest, similar to the camaraderie between comrades-in-arms. Maintaining such friendships was indeed a fine thing.


    The afternoon at the company passed without anything special occurring, particularly in the security department, until the end of the day.


    He was aware that Ye Yunzhu had invited them to dinner that evening. Recently, Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu had gotten along well. Moreover, now that everything was out in the open, he was even less worried about any issues arising between them. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the choice of location for dinner had changed to Xu Yingying¡¯s home, which left Li Yifei alternating between laughter and tears: was it Ye Yunzhu who was treating them, or was it he and Xu Yingying who were hosting?


    Since dinner was at home, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just relax. After picking up his daughter and Xu Shanshan, he started grocery shopping and preparing. Soon after, Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying came home together.


    "Honey, Yunzhu originally wanted to treat us to a big meal outside, but I felt that the meals out there couldn¡¯t compare to your cooking, so we decided to eat at home instead. It¡¯s a bit of a hassle for you, though," Xu Yingying said with a smile as she entered, apologizing to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Eating at home is clean, and everyone can be more comfortable. It¡¯s less stuffy than eating out," he said, glancing toward Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu playfully rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Well aren¡¯t you something, keeping a trick up your sleeve! We¡¯ve been together for so long and I¡¯ve never had the chance to taste a meal made by you. Being a wife really is different, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and responded, "I didn¡¯t know how to cook before, did I? Since I¡¯ve been back, there hasn¡¯t been an opportunity. Come in and have a seat, dinner will be ready in an hour. I¡¯ll show off my skills."


    Xu Yingying smiled, inviting Ye Yunzhu to sit down in the living room. Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao also came out, and their hostility towards Ye Yunzhu had diminished since all three women had been on the same side during the confrontation with Ning Xin¡¯er. Ye Yunzhu was now considered a comrade from the same trench.


    At that moment, Little Yifei ran out excitedly and said, "Mommy, mommy, I earned another little red flower today."


    "Well aren¡¯t you a good girl! It looks like I¡¯ll need to take you to the beach this weekend," Xu Yingying immediately lifted Little Yifei onto her lap.


    "Oh yeah!" Little Yifei exclaimed with excitement, hugging Xu Yingying¡¯s neck and planting a kiss on her cheek.


    Seeing how close Xu Yingying and Little Yifei were, Ye Yunzhu was taken aback and remarked, "Yingying, you and the child seem so close already?"


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "I treat Yifei just like my own daughter."


    "That¡¯s admirable. I have to say, I really respect you for that," Ye Yunzhu said sincerely as she gave Xu Yingying a thumbs-up.


    Xu Yingying smiled again and said, "I have no choice, do I? She¡¯s Yifei¡¯s child. How could I not look after her? By the way, after you give birth, would you like me to help take care of the baby too?"


    Ye Yunzhu touched her belly and replied, "I couldn¡¯t possibly trouble you, a busy CEO, with babysitting. Besides, I¡¯m not as heartless as Ning Xin¡¯er. I should take care of my own child."


    "Hehe, but you can¡¯t do it all alone either. The father has to take responsibility too. Of course, I can¡¯t back down, so let¡¯s do it together."


    Ye Yunzhu knew Xu Yingying¡¯s words were still a way of asserting Li Yifei¡¯s authority, but she found herself speechless against such a statement and just laughed, "You¡¯re very generous. When you have your own child, I¡¯ll help you out too."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "To have the County Head help out, hehe, maybe by then you¡¯ll be a City Mayor, taking care of our children. What an honor for the kids."


    Their conversation was amicable, lacking any verbal sparring, but still contained subtle probing and jousting.


    Ye Yunzhu stood up and asked, "Would you mind if I took a look around your place?"


    "Sure, come on in." Xu Yingying led Ye Yunzhu to her and Li Yifei¡¯s bedroom first, "This is Yifei¡¯s and my bedroom."


    Ye Yunzhu looked around the room and felt a twinge of envy. She and Li Yifei didn¡¯t have a bedroom of their own like this. Just this fact alone filled her with longing, but she kept her expression neutral and joked, "It seems like you¡¯re missing something here. It doesn¡¯t quite look like a newlywed¡¯s room."


    "Hehe, Yifei and I haven¡¯t had our wedding yet, and there are a lot of things we haven¡¯t prepared. We¡¯ll just have to wait and see."


    Then they moved on to another bedroom, and Xu Yingying said, "This bedroom was originally Shanshan¡¯s, but now Yifei and Xiaoyao are staying here."


    "What about Shanshan?"


    "Shanshan has been sleeping on the couch lately, hehe. The house feels a bit small now. I¡¯ll look for a more spacious one in a few days. Yifei needs her own room. Plus, I can¡¯t keep letting Shanshan sleep on the couch."


    Ye Yunzhu blinked and whispered, "You live with Yifei every day, doesn¡¯t that little girl mind?"


    Xu Yingying knew Ye Yunzhu was referring to Chu Xiaoyao and chuckled lightly, "Xiaoyao is pretty good about it, she¡¯s doing well here."


    "Hey, are you playing dumb with me? You know full well how Xiaoyao feels about Yifei, and she¡¯s always been bold. She wouldn¡¯t pester Yifei to live together? So what, this kind of thing is too awkward to discuss with me?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed slightly. She indeed struggled to disclose such personal matters, but recalling that Ye Yunzhu was also intimate with Li Yifei, she openly said, "What¡¯s so awkward about it? I don¡¯t care what the two of them sneak around doing, as long as they don¡¯t do it in front of me, I won¡¯t interfere."


    Ye Yunzhu gave her a thumbs-up and said, "You really are open-minded. So if I¡¯m not too excessive later, you won¡¯t mind, right?"


    Hearing this, Xu Yingying felt a complex emotion, but she still chuckled and replied, "As long as you¡¯re comfortable with it, I don¡¯t have any objections."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed heartily and said, "Then I won¡¯t hold back."

 Chapter 519 - 529: Discovered

    Chapter 519: Chapter 529: DiscoveredYe Yunzhu and Xu Yingying chatted away. Although their conversations occasionally carried a hint of rivalry, most of the time, they laughed together in harmony. They shared mutual admiration and respect, unlike typical jealous women.


    Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao, on the other hand, didn¡¯t enjoy the work-related discussions and dashed off to the kitchen.


    "Uncle, need me for anything?" Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist from behind, stood on tiptoe, and stretched her head from his neck side, planting a kiss on his cheek.


    Li Yifei was used to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s antics and said, "I¡¯ll be thankful if you don¡¯t cause any trouble here."


    "Giggle, how could I be causing trouble? I¡¯m here to cheer you up, see how nice I am."


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re too nice. Could you please let go of me? I need to cook."


    "Hee hee..." Chu Xiaoyao giggled mischievously, let go of Li Yifei, but stuck close behind him.


    Xu Shanshan was much more composed than Chu Xiaoyao. She was washing vegetables and said, "Brother-in-law, we¡¯re really having a feast today, it¡¯s so lavish."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It¡¯s been a long time since I cooked such a big meal, today you¡¯ll all get to eat to your heart¡¯s content."


    Xu Shanshan put the washed vegetables aside, dried her hands, and said, "I knew brother-in-law is the best." Then she walked past Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt a hand graze his behind and looked at Xu Shanshan, who acted as if nothing had happened, leading him to think she had accidentally touched him, so he paid it no mind.


    But soon after, Xu Shanshan brushed past him again and unexpectedly touched him once more. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression was unchanged, Li Yifei realized she was doing it on purpose.


    Suddenly Li Yifei broke into a sweat. This sister-in-law had started taking liberties with him, but with Chu Xiaoyao there, he didn¡¯t dare say anything to Xu Shanshan.


    That meal was extraordinarily lively. With a clingy Chu Xiaoyao by his side, who didn¡¯t care about anything and openly clung to him, even touching his sensitive areas when his back was turned to Xu Shanshan.


    Behind him, Xu Shanshan occasionally snuck touches, driving Li Yifei to distraction.


    Thinking about how he used to flirt with beauties, he now found himself being flirted with by two beautiful women, unable to do anything but endure it. He became increasingly flustered.


    "Uncle, didn¡¯t I relieve you just this afternoon? Why are you worked up again?" Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, whispered in his ear.


    Li Yifei broke into a light sweat, turned to glare at Chu Xiaoyao, and said, "Stop messing around, or I¡¯ll kick you out."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled, "Alright, I won¡¯t fool around anymore."


    Xu Shanshan, however, mumbled, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re too much."


    Chu Xiaoyao burst out laughing, beamed at Li Yifei, who glared at Xu Shanshan, thinking to himself, you¡¯ve played a part in this. But he said nothing.


    Xu Shanshan blushed, returned Li Yifei¡¯s glare, and said to Chu Xiaoyao, "I say, Xiaoyao, whatever you do with brother-in-law in front of my sister, I don¡¯t mind, but in front of me, can¡¯t you hold back a bit? Consider my feelings, will you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue, "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t fool around."


    The two finally stopped taking liberties with him, giving Li Yifei a sigh of relief, allowing him to focus on cooking.


    More than half an hour later, Li Yifei finally finished cooking, and just as everyone was about to eat, there was a knock on the door. Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to guess to know it was surely Meng Xiaofei. She had a knack for showing up every time he prepared a feast.


    Chu Xiaoyao went to open the door, and sure enough, Meng Xiaofei was there, jokingly saying: "Sister Xiaofei, your nose is really sharp."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled proudly, "Looks like I came just at the right time, it¡¯s a feast today. I¡¯m in for a treat." Then she noticed the others, stuck her tongue out, "Sister Yunzhu¡¯s here too, good thing you¡¯re not strangers, or I¡¯d be too embarrassed to join."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Even if there were strangers, I¡¯d still have to let you eat. Otherwise, you¡¯d probably drool all over."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck her tongue out, "Brother Li knows me well; if you made delicious food without letting me eat, I¡¯d be devastated."


    Aside from Ye Yunzhu and Li Yufei, everyone was familiar with Meng Xiaofei, so they invited her to join the meal, and she did so without reservation.


    With Meng Xiaofei, the atmosphere was quite lively. Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t keep referencing Li Yifei in their conversations. Additionally, Xu Yingying had to take care of Li Yufei, who was young and needed assistance with her meal, a responsibility that naturally fell to her mother.


    Ye Yunzhu, being pregnant, couldn¡¯t drink alcohol either. They all opted for juice or soft drinks, while Li Yifei had a bottle of beer.


    After a few bites, Li Yifei felt a warmth on his leg, his chopsticks paused, and his gaze landed upon Xu Shanshan across the table. She appeared engrossed in her meal with a natural demeanor, but that familiar sensation on his foot could only be hers. Xu Shanshan frequently played footsie with him under the table, which had become routine.


    Li Yifei wanted to pull back his foot, but he knew if he did, this sister-in-law might pull some new trick, causing him further headaches. So he decided it was less risky to let her foot stay. The table wasn¡¯t like a mahjong table with something blocking view underneath, making the situation precarious and somewhat nerve-wracking.


    If it caught Xu Yingying¡¯s attention, or even Ye Yunzhu or Chu Xiaoyao, it would stir up a heap of troubles.


    Shanshan was something else; in private, they shared playful ambiguity, but she liked to spar when it was riskiest, intentionally testing Li Yifei¡¯s fortitude.


    Fortunately, the conversations were engaging; everyone enjoyed chatting while eating and weren¡¯t watching beneath the table, preserving the facade.


    The table was square, not the commonly seen rectangular kind in homes. Each side accommodated two people; Xu Yingying and Li Yufei shared one side, Li Yifei sat with Chu Xiaoyao on another. Ye Yunzhu sat by herself, while Li Yifei was sandwiched between Xu Yingying and Chu Xiaoyao. Opposite were Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei.


    Usually, at home, even without Meng Xiaofei and Ye Yunzhu, they sat this way. Despite knowing about Ye Yunzhu¡¯s relation to Li Yifei, Chu Xiaoyao, styling herself as a mistress, didn¡¯t shy away from sitting beside him, leaving others¡¯ opinions out of consideration.


    Even though Xu Shanshan typically sat across from Li Yifei, she never played footsie. Today, with more people present, she boldly did so.


    As Li Yifei worried, a hand warmed his thigh. Without further thought, it could only be Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mischievous hand, startling him briefly as he sneakily pushed her hand away.


    But soon, her hand returned, so Li Yifei glanced at her, who merely gave him a cheeky smile, ignoring his warning.


    After this back-and-forth, Li Yifei decided to ignore Chu Xiaoyao. Given her open relationship with him, it wouldn¡¯t matter if others saw it.


    "Yingying, you¡¯re really good to Yufei," Ye Yunzhu observed Xu Yingying lovingly tending to Li Yufei, amazed at her genuine fondness, despite doubts about the authenticity since Yufei wasn¡¯t her biological daughter.


    Xu Yingying smiled, "As a mom, how could I not be good to her?"


    Ye Yunzhu nodded, "But reaching your level isn¡¯t easy."


    "Hehe, thank you for the compliment. Sweetheart, want anything else?" Xu Yingying asked.


    "I want a big shrimp!" Little Yufei pointed to a plate of braised prawns; she harbored a particular fondness for seafood.


    Xu Yingying immediately peeled a big shrimp for Yufei, placing it on her plate. Instead of feeding her directly, avoiding pampering her, which Xu Yingying handled well.


    Yufei then asked for a crab ball, which Xu Yingying fetched. However, it slipped, dropping to the floor, so she bent down to pick it up, wanting to avoid a mess if someone stepped on it.


    As she bent over, she saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot pressing down on Li Yifei¡¯s, causing her to pause.


    At that moment, Li Yifei internally panicked; Xu Yingying¡¯s sudden movement caught him off guard. He¡¯d reacted too late, his heel bumping into the chair with a thud, failing to retract in time, and Xu Shanshan was engrossed in conversation with Meng Xiaofei, unaware.


    This spelled disaster, revealing his intimate play with Xu Shanshan to Xu Yingying. Li Yifei¡¯s face fell as the realization hit him.

 Chapter 520 - 530 Finally Got Through Again

    Chapter 520: Chapter 530 Finally Got Through Again"Uh, uh, Yingying..." Li Yifei tried to say something, but at this moment he knew how to explain it. Even if Xu Shanshan was the one who initiated it, as her brother-in-law, if he had maintained a firm stance and not given Shanshan any opportunities, it wouldn¡¯t have gone this way, so he bore a significant responsibility.


    But just then, Xu Shanshan heavily stomped on his foot, then withdrew her foot and said, "Brother-in-law, mind your manners, okay? There¡¯s so many people here."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, while Chu Xiaoyao removed her hand from his leg, giggling, "I didn¡¯t do anything."


    Xu Yingying had already sat up by now. Initially, when she saw Xu Shanshan step on Li Yifei¡¯s foot, she was extremely shocked. Her first instinctive reaction was to think they were doing something indecent under the table. But then Shanshan heavily stomped on Li Yifei¡¯s foot and said what she did, followed by Xiaoyao¡¯s comment.


    She tossed aside her previous thoughts and believed Shanshan was simply warning Li Yifei because she had seen Xiaoyao bothering him.


    Understanding the crux of the matter, Xu Yingying secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, saying, "Just eat properly."


    Seeing Xu Yingying like this, Li Yifei knew she had been fooled by Xu Shanshan. This sister-in-law was really quick-witted; with this kind of skill, she could be qualified for training even in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    At this point, Chu Xiaoyao mischievously laughed and said, "Sister Yingying, don¡¯t blame Uncle; I¡¯m the one being naughty."


    Xu Yingying really couldn¡¯t do anything about Xiaoyao now and said in a scolding tone, "But you still have to be mindful, Yunzhu and Xiaofei are not outsiders. What would it look like if others saw?"


    "I know!" Chu Xiaoyao immediately agreed obediently. Xu Yingying allowed her to stay in the house, overlooking past issues and didn¡¯t mind her occasional antics with Li Yifei, so Xiaoyao held a lot of respect for her.


    Xu Shanshan successfully shifted the conflict onto Xiaoyao, and now everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Chu Xiaoyao, leaving Xu Shanshan unnoticed. Shanshan slyly winked at Li Yifei, feeling immensely proud.


    This crisis was finally resolved, and Li Yifei secretly let out a breath, feeling cold sweat on his back. He was increasingly concerned about his marriage with Xu Yingying and didn¡¯t want any problems.


    Everyone knew about the relationship between Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yifei, so even if they noticed some petty actions between them, they just shrugged it off with a smile because even Xu Yingying, the legitimate wife, didn¡¯t mind, so no one else had a reason to.


    Thus, it could only be considered a small episode, and everyone continued eating as if nothing happened.


    Li Yifei thought nothing more would occur, but unexpectedly, Xu Shanshan stretched her foot over again to step on his, raising the hairs on his body in fright. He glanced at Shanshan with a look of plea, wondering why this sister-in-law couldn¡¯t settle down even after the situation they were in.


    However, Shanshan seemed even more excited than before, making Li Yifei realize that Xu Shanshan liked playing such thrilling games. The more dangerous the situation, the more excited she got, but this stimulation was unbearable for Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    Li Yifei also wanted to move his foot away, but Shanshan kept chasing his foot, showing no intention of giving up. With all the feet under the table, he didn¡¯t dare move recklessly in case he bumped into someone else¡¯s foot and the situation blew up.


    This meal was quite a nerve-racking experience for Li Yifei. Not waiting for everyone to finish eating, he stood up promptly and said, "You all eat; I¡¯m going to smoke," then slipped into the kitchen.


    After only smoking half a cigarette, Xu Shanshan followed him in, playfully nudging his shoulder, saying, "Scaredy-cat brother-in-law, you¡¯re so timid."


    Li Yifei glanced outside, seeing everyone still happily eating and no one noticed him and Shanshan, he whispered, "Shanshan, spare your brother-in-law; I can¡¯t handle such games."


    "Oh please, weren¡¯t you pretty thrilled just now?"


    "That wasn¡¯t thrill; that was fear, okay? Shanshan, you¡¯re Yingying¡¯s sister, and I¡¯m your brother-in-law. This kind of thing..."


    "So what? I didn¡¯t do anything with you. Why so tense?" Xu Shanshan pouted, then leaned closer to Li Yifei with a mischievous smile and said, "If you dare ignore me, I¡¯ll tell my sister that you¡¯re always secretly bullying me."


    "When did I ever bully you in secret?"


    "You kissed me in the elevator that day."


    "Shh..." Li Yifei hurriedly covered Shanshan¡¯s mouth, then turned to check outside the kitchen. Luckily, no one was looking their way, so he said with a bitter face, "Shanshan, my little ancestor, what do you want from me?"


    "I don¡¯t want anything from you, brother-in-law. Don¡¯t think I want to be your woman too, do you?" Shanshan widened her eyes in a seemingly surprised expression.


    Shanshan¡¯s words left Li Yifei a bit baffled. He forced a smile and said, "I didn¡¯t think that. But what we¡¯re doing is beyond a brother-in-law and sister-in-law relationship, isn¡¯t it?"


    "I just enjoy it this way. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go overboard. That¡¯s my sister; I don¡¯t want to fight her over a man. Husbands can be changed, but sisters are a blood bond you can¡¯t change."


    "You really think so?" Li Yifei asked, a bit skeptical as he looked at Shanshan.


    "Of course. I just feel playing like this with you is exciting. My good brother-in-law, is that not okay?"


    "Fine, fine, but your brother-in-law can¡¯t handle such excitement."


    "Hehe, alright, I¡¯ll let you off today. Don¡¯t worry anymore." Shanshan winked at Li Yifei and swayed her hips as she pulled open the kitchen door.


    Li Yifei put out the cigarette and followed her out. Even though he was a bit on edge rejoining the group of women, Shanshan did stop her antics, allowing Li Yifei to gradually relax. It seemed Shanshan was playful and liked excitement, something he knew when he first met her, as she often hung out with other young people of her kind.


    With chatting and eating, it was nearly nine o¡¯clock when Ye Yunzhu suggested leaving, and Xu Yingying immediately said, "Yifei, why don¡¯t you give Yunzhu a ride?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly, saying, "Yingying, you¡¯re really generous. Aren¡¯t you afraid he might not come back tonight?"


    "He¡¯s the father of the baby in your belly, so it¡¯s right," Xu Yingying, still as composed.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh without replying and left the house with Ye Yunzhu.


    In the car, Ye Yunzhu looked at Li Yifei and said, "Your wife is quite a character."


    "Is she? I didn¡¯t really see it."


    "I don¡¯t mean she¡¯s fierce. I mean her tactics. She clearly knows about our relationship, yet she generously lets you drive me. Doesn¡¯t that make me hesitate to ask you to stay over tonight?"


    "Well... don¡¯t overthink it."


    "Overthinking? I think to win you over, I really need to put more effort in; otherwise, I can¡¯t compete with your wife."


    For this problem, Li Yifei indeed found it hard to answer, so he said, "Yunzhu, the future is uncertain, so don¡¯t take it too seriously. The main thing is to ensure the baby¡¯s health and deliver it smoothly."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled without any sarcasm, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, the baby¡¯s in me, so I¡¯m more concerned than you are."


    After driving for a while, Ye Yunzhu asked, "Yifei, what are your current goals?"


    "Why such a serious question?" Li Yifei asked, turning to Ye Yunzhu with a smile.


    With a slight smile, Ye Yunzhu said, "I used to think a man had to have either power or money, as these defined a man¡¯s value. If he had neither, he was unworthy. But now I don¡¯t think that way. If you wanted to acquire money and power, it wouldn¡¯t be hard, yet you¡¯re uninterested, so I feel a man might have other pursuits."


    Li Yifei chuckled, saying, "Once you have money, you just want more. But no matter how rich, there¡¯s always someone richer. With power, you aim higher, but there¡¯s always someone with higher authority. It¡¯s exhausting, so I¡¯d rather not chase anything, just lead a simple life with family around¡ªa warm home with my wife and kids¡ªthat¡¯s my pursuit."


    "Is that so? That seems a bit unambitious." In the past, if Yunzhu had heard Li Yifei say this, she¡¯d have sternly lectured him, but now she said it with a smile, not retaining her previous mindset.


    "Ambitious or not, we live a lifetime, and the most important thing is living comfortably. I don¡¯t like a life of toil."


    Ye Yunzhu shot a glance at Li Yifei and said, "In other ways, maybe you¡¯re relaxed, but in some aspects, you seem pretty worn."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh, knowing Yunzhu referred to his relationship situation, replying, "A bit."


    "That¡¯s your own doing, and don¡¯t expect me to lighten your load. The child in my belly is yours, so if you want to ease pressure, look elsewhere."


    "I wouldn¡¯t bear to," Li Yifei joked, patting Ye Yunzhu¡¯s leg.


    "You rogue, I feel you aren¡¯t so burdened now; in fact, you seem quite at ease."


    Li Yifei paused; it seemed he indeed wasn¡¯t as conflicted as before.

 Chapter 521 - 531: The Rules Set by Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 521: Chapter 531: The Rules Set by Xu ShanshanLi Yifei returned to the city, his initial thought was to see how Ye Yunzhu was doing. If Ye Yunzhu still liked him, then he would marry her and they would spend their life together. However, he somehow got entangled with several women, leading to a massive headache, feeling that relationships had truly become a mess.


    But during this time, it seemed like he had also been involved with several women, yet his heart didn¡¯t feel as troubled anymore. Whoever he was with, he felt quite natural. This seemed quite different from his thoughts before.


    Why had this come about? Had he become increasingly fickle and irresponsible?


    It seemed not. Xu Yingying was his wife, and he didn¡¯t want to divorce her, so he should be responsible for Xu Yingying. Ye Yunzhu was pregnant with his child, so he couldn¡¯t just abandon Ye Yunzhu. Chu Xiaoyao was now helpless and dependent, and he was essentially her guardian. Su Yiyi, such a delicate girl, had given everything for him and never asked for more, so how could he bear to abandon her?


    "What are you thinking about? You¡¯re not harboring the thought of gathering everyone and sharing a big bed, are you?" Ye Yunzhu, seeing Li Yifei silent and his expression changing, couldn¡¯t help but tease him.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It seems like that¡¯s also an option."


    "Get lost, as if you can be so lucky. Do you think this is ancient times with multiple wives and concubines? Let me tell you, don¡¯t think that just because some people today have more than one woman, they can bring them all home; that¡¯s very rare. Do you think today¡¯s women are like the old days, following the Three Obediences and Four Virtues? By that time, daily quarrels will annoy you to death."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "I was just joking. Women¡¯s status is so high now, and moreover, the gender ratio is imbalanced, with fewer men and more women. It¡¯s a miracle if there¡¯s not one wife with multiple husbands, let alone one husband with multiple wives. Isn¡¯t that just dreaming?"


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled and said, "That¡¯s a good idea. I think I might as well find a Pretty Boy to marry, and then you can be one of my harem."


    "That¡¯s not okay. I can¡¯t let my child acknowledge a cheap stepfather."


    With narrowed eyes, Ye Yunzhu said, "So you mean, you¡¯re going to marry me later?"


    "That..." Li Yifei suddenly found himself at a loss for words.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a big eye roll and scolded, "Typical male chauvinism. You hog me, yet don¡¯t want me, and you also forbid me from finding other men. It¡¯s outright imperialism. I¡¯ll resist, and I¡¯ll unite with others to resist. In the end, your forehead will be covered with green hats, one on top of the other."


    Li Yifei¡¯s forehead was covered with black lines. One green hat was enough to make a man miserable, let alone stacks of them. Is there any way to live with that?


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s face darken, Ye Yunzhu laughed heartily again.


    When they reached Ye Yunzhu¡¯s doorstep, she smiled and said, "Do you want to come in and sit?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Of course, I want to go in."


    Ye Yunzhu blinked her eyes and said, "If you come in, I won¡¯t let you leave tonight."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ve already requested leave."


    After taking a shower, Li Yifei brought Ye Yunzhu back into the bathroom, where they cuddled in bed, whispering sweet nothings. Ye Yunzhu also asked about how Li Yifei had lived these past years.


    He couldn¡¯t tell Ye Yunzhu about the Flying Hawk Squad, as it was classified, and he didn¡¯t want to lie to Ye Yunzhu, so he said, "The special department I went to, its affairs can¡¯t be discussed."


    "To have been in such a secretive special department, you must have suffered a lot these years." Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t pry further, gently stroking Li Yifei¡¯s cheek, looking quite caring.


    Li Yifei was familiar with such a look. When Li Yifei¡¯s parents passed away, Ye Yunzhu looked at him with that same caring expression, which is why he liked Ye Yunzhu, the fiery girl of the time. It was also because of that look that Li Yifei always thought of Ye Yunzhu while in the army. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In bed, Ye Yunzhu was like a seductress, taking Li Yifei three times in a row, leaving him somewhat worn out. Only then did she let Li Yifei off, kicking him lightly and saying with a laugh, "Now go home. I¡¯m curious to see what expression Yingying will have when you¡¯re with her but not as vigorou as before."


    Li Yifei was driven out and headed straight home. It was already midnight, and he tiptoed in through the door to see the living room lights on. Then he heard the excited voice of Xu Shanshan, "Sister, see, I told you my brother-in-law would definitely come back."


    Xu Yingying had already come to the doorway, her face beaming with a radiant smile. "You were right. Honey, why did you come back?"


    Li Yifei, looking at Xu Yingying, his wife, felt remorse in his heart and said, "This is my home, of course, I had to come back."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s smile grew even sweeter, "Do you want to eat something before you sleep?"


    "No need, I¡¯m not hungry. It¡¯s already midnight, and I have to work tomorrow. Let¡¯s go to bed."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Brother-in-law, you did well this time. Going to see an old flame and still knowing to come home, you didn¡¯t let my sister and me down."


    Li Yifei smiled at Xu Shanshan and said, "Yeah, otherwise you might kick me out in the future and not let me in the door."

 Chapter 522 - 531 The Rules Set by Xu Shanshan_2

    Chapter 522: Chapter 531 The Rules Set by Xu Shanshan_2Xu Shanshan spoke with her nose in the air, "You¡¯re smart to realize that. I can forgive you for other things, but staying out all night is something I¡¯ll never forgive."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. "Your sister hasn¡¯t set that rule for me yet, and here you are, making rules for me?"


    "Of course, my sister is too embarrassed to say it, so I have to set it straight. This rule is absolutely non-negotiable. If you dare to stay out all night, severe punishment awaits you."


    Li Yifei laughed, "What if I have things to do and I can¡¯t come home at night?"


    "No exceptions!" Xu Shanshan declared firmly.


    "Really? That¡¯s harsh. So, what if I do stay out all night? What kind of severe punishment are we talking about?"


    "Well... hmm, you¡¯ll be punished by doing laundry and mopping every day, serving me and my sister until we¡¯re satisfied."


    "Isn¡¯t that what I do every day anyway?" Li Yifei muttered under his breath.


    Xu Shanshan waved her little fist menacingly, "At the moment, we¡¯re letting you off easy, we haven¡¯t made things difficult for you. You¡¯ll see how terrifying our punishment can be when the time comes."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll make sure to come home every day from now on, no matter how late it gets. Are you happy now?"


    "That¡¯s more like it. That¡¯s how a good brother-in-law should behave," Xu Shanshan brightened immediately, radiating charm that was indescribably enticing.


    In the evening, Li Yifei received a call from Su Peng and after work headed to an upscale hotel. The hotel was obviously not cheap, and it was somewhat extravagant for a class reunion to be held there.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t lack money, but many of his classmates weren¡¯t wealthy. If someone was treating, it would be okay, but if it was split bills, some classmates would probably feel the pinch.


    Upon arriving at the reserved private room, Li Yifei pushed the door and entered. Four people were already there: Su Peng, Qian Feifei, another classmate named Zhao Yuqiang whom Li Yifei was not very familiar with, and another man who looked somewhat familiar but whose name he couldn¡¯t recall, likely another classmate Li Yifei had not seen during the previous reunions. Back in high school, he hadn¡¯t interacted much with this person, which was why he couldn¡¯t remember his name.


    "Yifei, why are you dressed like this?" Su Peng was surprised to see Li Yifei in a security uniform and called out loudly.


    Qian Feifei also asked with a puzzled look, "Old classmate, weren¡¯t you the boss¡¯s driver last time? How did you become a security guard now?"


    The last time they had met, Dreamfly Company had not been established yet, and Li Yifei was just Xu Yingying¡¯s personal driver. They didn¡¯t know he was a manager at Dreamfly Company, so he responded with a laugh, "No choice, the boss didn¡¯t like me and sent me to the security department."


    Su Peng frowned and said, "You really are something, not even able to serve a leader well."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, knowing that he was in fact serving the leader very well, catering to her needs not only during the day at the company but also in bed at night. However, he did not need to share this with his classmates; disclosing such a personal status seemed somewhat like showing off. He replied with a laugh, "It¡¯s fine, the salary is almost the same. It¡¯s the same work anywhere."


    Just then, the classmate Li Yifei didn¡¯t recognize said with a laugh, "Don¡¯t look down on being a security guard. It¡¯s an honest job, after all." The comment sounded like a consolation to Li Yifei, but the tone carried an air of condescension.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t bothered and replied with a smile, "Yes, being a security guard is pretty good. I only know you¡¯re my classmate, but I just can¡¯t remember your name for the moment."


    Qian Feifei immediately said, "How could you forget? This is Wu Shentong, our class academic committee member."


    Li Yifei voiced in realization, "Oh, I remember now. You were the best student in our class back then. But I didn¡¯t care much for studies at the time, so I was too embarrassed to interact with you studious folks."


    Qian Feifei, always the lively one, immediately continued, "Not only was Wu Shentong good at studies in high school, but he also excelled in the university. He has just graduated from his postgraduate studies and is about to be assigned back to town, directly appointed as a section-level official."


    Wu Shentong smiled smugly, trying to sound modest, "Just a minor section-level official, hardly worth mentioning."


    Several other classmates entered one after another, and they all seemed to know Wu Shentong. On hearing about his official appointment, they all appeared envious. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The majority of Li Yifei¡¯s high school classmates had their own jobs, but not many were in good positions. After all, they had only graduated a couple of years ago, and were still inexperienced. Only those who had become government employees, like Cao Yingbo, were considered to be doing well. Cao Yingbo¡¯s father was the Deputy Director of the Minghu District Environmental Protection Bureau, and he himself was a civil servant, which was already quite enviable. With Wu Shentong coming out of school directly as a section-level official, Cao Yingbo couldn¡¯t compare, and to others, that truly seemed impressive.


    About a dozen people showed up, one after another, and everyone chatted together. The conversation naturally revolved around Wu Shentong, and Li Yifei, still in his security uniform, wasn¡¯t given much attention.


    It wasn¡¯t until Tao Yizhong arrived that things changed. Seeing Li Yifei, Tao Yizhong eagerly came over to greet him, expressing his gratitude, "Yifei, you really helped me out last time. My wife and I even rewatch video of our wedding from time to time¡ªit¡¯s unforgettable."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I just happened to be there, don¡¯t be so courteous. You thank me every time you see me, I will almost be afraid to meet you again."


    Tao Yizhong laughed heartily and patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder forcefully, "Then I won¡¯t be polite anymore, after all, we¡¯re old classmates."


    Apparently stealing Wu Shentong¡¯s thunder, Wu Shentong frowned and said, "Yizhong, I was just busy with graduation stuff when you got married and couldn¡¯t make it back in time for your wedding. I¡¯m really sorry about that."


    Tao Yizhong replied with a smile, "No worries, no worries. When my wife has a baby and we have the full-moon party, just make sure you come."


    "Of course, I am returning to Mile City for work, so there¡¯s no way I could miss it anymore. By the way, how did Yifei help you? You¡¯re so grateful to him."


    Qian Feifei immediately jumped in, recounting the story of Li Yifei inviting the popular Mile City hosts Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao to MC Tao Yizhong¡¯s wedding. Wu Shentong didn¡¯t seem to take it seriously, brushing off the deed as merely Li Yifei capitalizing on his boss¡¯s connections, believing his own abilities were far superior.

 Chapter 523 - 533: Dispatching Officials

    Chapter 523: Chapter 533: Dispatching Officialsfreewe?novel.c?m"Wu Shentong, now that you¡¯re back, where are you working?" Cao Yingbo asked at this moment.


    Wu Shentong pretended to speak casually, "This time, I¡¯ve returned for a proper position. I need to start with some grassroots experience, so I¡¯m headed to work in Lanjia Village."


    Qian Feifei immediately said excitedly, "Lanjia Village, that¡¯s where Ye Yunzhu is the Township Chief, aren¡¯t you going to be working with her now?"


    Cao Yingbo laughed heartily, "Yunzhu used to be our class monitor, and you were the study committee member. Now you¡¯re going to be working in the same village, that¡¯s really a coincidence."


    Wu Shentong came over as soon as he heard there was a class reunion. Although his job had already been set, he hadn¡¯t reported to the village yet because he wanted to show off among his classmates. He didn¡¯t know that Ye Yunzhu was the Township Chief of Lanjia Village.


    Upon hearing that Ye Yunzhu was the Township Chief there, his eyes lit up and he said, "I had no idea Yunzhu was the Township Chief there, that¡¯s really great."


    At this time, Su Peng glanced at Li Yifei with a hint of concern. In the class, he was one of the few who knew about the relationship between Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu. He also knew that Wu Shentong had secretly liked Ye Yunzhu back in the day; even though the guy had been focused on his studies and hadn¡¯t made a move, now that they would be working in the same village, Wu Shentong would have an advantage. Su Peng was worried that Li Yifei might get upset after hearing this.


    Seeing how Wu Shentong was acting, Li Yifei knew the guy was after Ye Yunzhu. However, he didn¡¯t care much about it, thinking that a woman like Ye Yunzhu was bound to have suitors, which was not surprising. But knowing that Ye Yunzhu was pregnant with his child, he felt he had nothing to worry about. So he gave Su Yue a reassuring look.


    Someone else then asked, "Wu Shentong, it seems that a Township Chief like Yunzhu is just a division-level cadre. If you¡¯re going to the village, you¡¯re not there to be the secretary, are you?"


    Wu Shentong shook his head, "No, I guess I¡¯ll just be a deputy chief in charge of a sector. After all, I still need some experience. As long as I don¡¯t make any mistakes, I can move to another department for a substantial position after one or two years of training, and then I¡¯ll be on par with Yunzhu."


    Everyone was full of envy. Division-level cadres might not seem much, but nowadays, as long as one holds power, even a minor cadre can end up quite wealthy, let alone division-level ones. Besides, ordinary Township Chiefs and the likes, such as county or district-level department heads, are all at division level, so if you do well at this level, it¡¯s indeed a remarkable position.


    Moreover, Wu Shentong was a division-level cadre who had been sent down, so there was a possibility he could be promoted even faster in the future. By then, he might even become a County Head or, more impressively, a Mayor, so it was necessary to curry favors with him now or else one might be at a disadvantage later.


    Compared to the previous two magnificent times, Li Yifei, now in a security guard¡¯s uniform, was completely marginalized. He wasn¡¯t uncomfortable with this as people are practical, and Wu Shentong, young and already a regular official, was seen as someone with a bright future. With a higher starting point and better prospects, it was natural for others to envy him.


    "By the way, why hasn¡¯t Yunzhu come yet?" Now that Wu Shentong, a capable person, was present, naturally, everyone hadn¡¯t forgotten about Ye Yunzhu. Even if Wu Shentong had a bright future, he couldn¡¯t compare to Ye Yunzhu, who was already a Township Chief and, moreover, had family connections, ensuring an even more impressive future than his.


    Qian Feifei immediately said, "I called Yunzhu today. She mentioned she had something on tonight and wasn¡¯t sure she could make it. She¡¯ll have to see how things go."


    If it were someone else, it would have surely stirred up some disapproval for not attending the class reunion, but not for Ye Yunzhu. Firstly, her position warranted understanding, and secondly, as a beauty, she definitely warranted everyone¡¯s forgiveness. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the dishes were served, everyone began to eat and drink, creating a lively atmosphere. Although Li Yifei wasn¡¯t the center of attention, chatting with his classmates was still a happy occasion.


    "Wu Shentong, did you get sent down because of some connections?" Qian Feifei asked curiously after they had been eating and drinking for a while.


    Wu Shentong smiled, "In today¡¯s society, can anything be accomplished without connections? I have an uncle who¡¯s the Deputy Director of the Finance Bureau in the city."


    "Wu Shentong, you really have quite the background. I¡¯d never heard you mention it before."


    "What¡¯s there to say? Without my own efforts, even having such a relative wouldn¡¯t guarantee their help. I had to pass several exams, and had I not done well, my uncle wouldn¡¯t have been able to assist. He only helped me find a better place after I passed."


    By saying this, Wu Shentong played down the significance of his connections while highlighting his own abilities.


    The crowd offered their compliments again, followed by more drinking. However, they couldn¡¯t always talk about Wu Shentong. A classmate named Cui Tianwei took a seat next to Li Yifei and asked, "Yifei, can you still manage to invite Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao over?"


    Right beside them, Qian Feifei said, "I tell you, Cui Tianwei, aren¡¯t you putting Yifei in a tough spot? He doesn¡¯t even drive for the boss anymore; how could he ask favors from the boss?"


    Cui Tianwei gave an embarrassed smile and said, "I¡¯m just giving it a try, Yifei, don¡¯t feel pressured. If we can get them, that¡¯s great, but if not, then let¡¯s just drop it. The worst that can happen is my wife complains a bit."


    Li Yifei smiled and responded, "I could make a call and give it a try."


    "That would be great, Yifei. Whether it works out or not, you¡¯re awesome for trying."


    Just then, Wu Shentong happened to overhear the conversation. By now, he was also a bit tipsy, and he interjected, "Tianwei, don¡¯t trouble Yifei with this. I¡¯ll take care of it for you. It¡¯s just a couple of TV hosts, right? I¡¯ll fix it up."


    Cui Tianwei was immediately excited. "Shentong, can you really handle it?"


    Wu Shentong slapped the table and declared, "What do you mean ¡¯can I¡¯? Let me tell you, although I haven¡¯t taken up my post yet, I¡¯ve still got my uncle. He¡¯s been paying a lot of attention to me lately. If I ask him to handle this, he surely won¡¯t refuse such a small favor."


    "Then... then that¡¯s fantastic. It¡¯s all on you, Tianwei."


    Wu Shentong immediately picked up the phone and dialed. The call connected quickly, and he said, "Uncle, it¡¯s me, Shentong... Heh, I¡¯m at a class reunion today, eating with everyone. Didn¡¯t you say that after joining work, I should network more? That¡¯s how you build connections, right... Yes, exactly, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. Uncle, a classmate of mine is getting married and wants to invite Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao from the TV station to host. Can you help out?"


    As Wu Shentong spoke about the matter at hand, everyone tensed up. Wu Shentong then turned to Cui Tianwei and asked, "Tianwei, which day is it?"


    Cui Tianwei replied hastily, "It¡¯s next Saturday, the 8th of August."


    Wu Shentong repeated the date and then hung up the phone, smiling contentedly. "My uncle said he¡¯ll ask around. Don¡¯t worry, with my uncle stepping in, how could those two TV hosts refuse to give face?"


    Everyone agreed, and Cui Tianwei was beaming with delight, showering Wu Shentong with compliments.


    After about ten minutes, Wu Shentong¡¯s phone rang. The chatter ceased instantly as Wu Shentong answered the call. After a few words, his brow furrowed. "Uncle, it can¡¯t be such a coincidence, right?... Alright then, I¡¯ll let my classmate know."


    Hearing this, everyone sensed that the situation was hopeless. Wu Shentong, with a frown, told Cui Tianwei, "Tianwei, it¡¯s really unfortunate, but on that day, both hosts already have engagements and absolutely cannot possibly free up. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, but it¡¯s just really bad timing."


    Cui Tianwei replied in a hurry, "There¡¯s nothing that can be done, it¡¯s just bad luck that my wedding collided with their schedule, sigh..." His face couldn¡¯t hide the disappointment.


    Wu Shentong felt a slight sting to his pride, as this was the first time a classmate had asked him for a favor, and he hadn¡¯t been able to deliver. Naturally, if his uncle was unable to help, he was even more powerless.


    Li Yifei, seeing Cui Tianwei like this, felt a tinge of sympathy. They were all old classmates, after all, and if he could help, he should. He smiled and asked, "Tianwei, what time is your wedding? I¡¯ll see if I can arrange things so that it doesn¡¯t clash with Li Xinyue¡¯s schedule."


    Cui Tianwei¡¯s eyes lit up. "The wedding was initially set for eight in the morning. If we could get Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao to come, we wouldn¡¯t mind adjusting the time. As long as the ceremony can be held in the morning, that would be fine. Yifei, do you think that¡¯s doable?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯ll give it a try, but I can¡¯t make any promises."


    Seeing Li Yifei take on a task he hadn¡¯t managed to accomplish, Wu Shentong¡¯s face fell, and he said with furrowed brows, "Li Yifei, aren¡¯t you joking? My uncle just told me that on that day, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao are participating in an event organized by the Provincial Television Station, a significant opportunity for their careers. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll be available to host a wedding. Don¡¯t waste your efforts."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei immediately told Cui Tianwei, "Tianwei, then I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing I can do either. I¡¯m really sorry."


    Li Yifei knew very well that with just a word from him, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao would drop everything to come over, but since this involved the advancement of their careers, how could he possibly interfere? That would simply be too presumptuous.


    Cui Tianwei gave a dry laugh and said, "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine."


    Wu Shentong, seeing that a single comment made Li Yifei back off, felt he regained some face. Otherwise, it would have felt quite embarrassing. The group continued drinking, while Cui Tianwei sat with a gloomy expression. The last time Tao Yizhong had a wedding, it was hosted by two famous hosts, and his wife had seen it. Both being his classmates, Tao had celebrities hosting, but he couldn¡¯t manage the same. He¡¯d be embarrassed in front of his classmates at the wedding, not to mention the difficulty he¡¯d face with his wife.

 Chapter 524 - 534

    Chapter 524: 534More than an hour later, everyone had already drunk quite a bit, but apart from Cui Tianwei, the rest were still in high spirits, so there was no intention of ending the gathering.


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. Seeing that it was Xu Shanshan calling, he stepped out to take the call, as he wasn¡¯t ready to announce his marriage yet.


    "Brother-in-law, why haven¡¯t you come back yet?" As soon as the call connected, Xu Shanshan started questioning Li Yifei. However, despite her fierce tone, there was a certain charm to it that made her scolding feel anything but unpleasant.


    "Still drinking, probably need a bit more time," Li Yifei replied with a smile, "I promise to the boss, I¡¯ll definitely be home before midnight."


    "Hmph, midnight won¡¯t do. You have to be back by ten, or else I¡¯ll be asleep already. I¡¯m so tired today, and my feet are sore."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll try to come back earlier."


    "Heehee, I knew you were the best, brother-in-law. Also, bring some late-night snacks back for us."


    Li Yifei cheerfully said, "No problem, what would you like?"


    After a brief chat, Xu Shanshan finally hung up. Li Yifei shook his head; when it came to watching over his outings, Xu Shanshan, his sister-in-law, was much stricter than Xu Yingying, his wife. Anyone who didn¡¯t know better would definitely think Xu Shanshan was his wife.


    Just as he was about to go back in, he saw Qian Feifei walking over, presumably returning from the restroom, so Li Yifei waited to enter the private room with her.


    However, as Qian Feifei reached the door of a private room, a few people came out. She initially stepped aside to let them pass but then excitedly called out, "Li Xinyue, Song Lianyao!"


    It was indeed Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao who emerged, along with several of their friends. Hearing someone call their names, both women habitually smiled, prepared to leave, but their steps soon halted as they looked at Qian Feifei.


    Qian Feifei, even more excited, said, "I¡¯m Qian Feifei, we had dinner together last time."


    Li Xinyue suddenly recalled who Qian Feifei was and quickly said, "You¡¯re Li... Yifei¡¯s classmate."


    Qian Feifei, more thrilled, replied, "Yes, yes, I¡¯m his classmate Qian Feifei."


    Li Xinyue squinted and said, "So you¡¯re out dining with Li Yifei." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, yeah! Class reunion, having dinner together."


    Song Lianyao immediately said with a smile, "You don¡¯t mind if we come over and toast, do you?"


    "Toast?" Qian Feifei was momentarily confused. Who were Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao going to toast if they joined them?


    Li Yifei heard this from behind and was speechless, so he stepped forward and said, "Xinyue, Lianyao, let¡¯s skip the toasting."


    "Li... Yifei!" Upon hearing his voice, both women turned around simultaneously and rushed to Li Yifei, grabbing hold of his arms on either side.


    Qian Feifei was stunned, and so were the girls who came with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Who was this guy that made Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao act so inappropriately and affectionately?


    Li Yifei bitterly smiled and said, "Can¡¯t we not be so excited?"


    Only then did Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao realize they might have overreacted. However, since they were already holding onto him, letting go immediately would seem awkward. Li Xinyue teasingly said to Li Yifei, "We haven¡¯t seen you for so long; can we not be excited?"


    Song Lianyao looked at him with a hint of grievance, "It¡¯s been such a long time, and you haven¡¯t even called us. That¡¯s really not fair."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t blame them and, with a smile, said, "Alright, alright, that¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll definitely remember to call you in the future."


    Li Xinyue playfully said, "That¡¯s more like it, then we won¡¯t blame you."


    Song Lianyao glanced at his outfit and said, "Yifei, why are you dressed like this?"


    Li Xinyue also noticed, let out a light laugh, and said, "Are you attending a costume party?"


    Li Yifei puffed out his chest and said, "I¡¯m currently an excellent security guard."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao immediately burst into laughter. Li Yifei in a security uniform seemed so amusing, especially paired with his demeanor, which was humorously exaggerated. They didn¡¯t know Li Yifei was indeed a security guard¡ªthe manager of the security department.


    After joking for a moment, they released his arms and noticed their bewildered companions and Qian Feifei.


    "Xinyue, Lianyao, who¡¯s this?" Finally, someone snapped back to reality and asked Li Yifei, staring at him.


    Knowing Li Yifei liked to keep a low profile, Li Xinyue didn¡¯t dare reveal his identity and simply smiled, "Yifei is a friend of ours; we get along quite well. You could say he¡¯s our good-guy friend."


    "Good-guy friend?" A girl laughed and came over to pinch Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying, "Not bad, very strong. He¡¯s not your kept pretty boy, is he?"


    All of the girls giggled, and another one even touched Li Yifei¡¯s chest playfully, "Really nice, these strong pecs; I bet your skills are quite good too?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were shocked. Their friends often joked around, but their antics could upset Li Yifei, which would be problematic.


    Li Yifei, however, laughed and said, "Ladies, I¡¯m a decent person, so please don¡¯t tease me."


    Everyone laughed again. Relieved, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao realized he wasn¡¯t upset.


    "Alright, alright, you all move on. We¡¯ll go over to liven up things with Yifei," Song Lianyao said.


    Although reluctant, seeing Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s familiarity with Li Yifei, the others didn¡¯t linger and turned to leave, not forgetting to make a few more teasing remarks.


    "Yif... Yifei... you and they are so close?" Qian Feifei finally comprehended and asked Li Yifei, stammering.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Didn¡¯t you see? We do have a pretty good relationship."


    Qian Feifei looked at Li Yifei, especially in that security uniform, and then at the glamorous Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. It seemed unlikely that they should be so close, but what she witnessed was indeed two glamorous TV station hostesses getting cozy with Li Yifei.


    Since Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao stayed behind, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t send them away, so he brought them back to their private room.


    As soon as Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao entered, the room fell silent.


    Contrary to her earlier excitement, Qian Feifei now proudly said, "What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you recognize them?"


    Tao Yizhong swallowed and said, "Li Xinyue, Song Lianyao, why are you here?"


    Li Xinyue let out a light laugh, "Last time, we still hosted your wedding. Why so unwelcoming now?"


    Tao Yizhong was immediately embarrassed, "No, no, just surprised. We were just talking about you, and you showed up so quickly."


    "What were you saying about us?" Song Lianyao immediately asked with excitement. Talking about them in Li Yifei¡¯s presence piqued their curiosity and thrill.


    Qian Feifei quickly chimed in, "Last time, you hosted Tao Yizhong¡¯s wedding. Our soon-to-be wed, Cui Tianwei, also wanted to invite you to host his wedding, but we knew you were unavailable that day."


    "Unavailable? Who said we were unavailable?" Li Xinyue immediately inquired in confusion.


    "August 8th, don¡¯t you have an event at the Provincial Television Station?" Wu Shentong, who was also from Mile City, although he had never met Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao in person, recognized them from TV. He immediately added.


    Song Lianyao laughed, "August 8th, it seems there is such an event, but since it¡¯s Yifei¡¯s classmate getting married, we must lend a hand, no matter what."


    Li Xinyue also smiled, "Yes, we¡¯ll be there."


    Cui Tianwei was dumbfounded, stammering and unable to respond. Initially, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t planned to ask them, but since they volunteered, he couldn¡¯t turn them down. Otherwise, Cui Tianwei would despise him. This, however, made everyone perceive Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with the women was extraordinary.


    Li Yifei could only smile and say, "If you take on Cui Tianwei¡¯s wedding, you might not dodge hosting for everyone here when they marry."


    Li Xinyue chuckled, "Why do we need to dodge? To be honored with hosting weddings is our privilege."


    Song Lianyao also winked at Li Yifei and added, "I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll not invite us to host when it¡¯s your turn."


    Li Yifei understood these two used this opportunity to get closer to him, secretly hoping for more of his bachelor classmates.


    "Have a seat, don¡¯t be shy now that you¡¯re here," Li Yifei said, pulling out a chair.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao quickly sat on either side of Li Yifei, comfortably, as if this was a rehearsed routine.


    From others¡¯ perspectives, though, it meant something different. These two likely should¡¯ve sat together, yet they flanked Li Yifei instead, obviously centering him.


    Wasn¡¯t Li Yifei just a security guard now? How did he warrant Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s favor? It was puzzling, making him seem like some top-tier young master, enjoying the best of both worlds here.

 Chapter 525 - 535: Can’t Keep a Low Profile Even If I Wanted To

    Chapter 525: Chapter 535: Can¡¯t Keep a Low Profile Even If I Wanted ToEveryone took their seats, and Qian Feifei, curious, asked, "Can you really host Heaven¡¯s Might¡¯s wedding that day?"


    Li Xinyue replied with a smile, "We promised we would, so naturally we must follow through. Otherwise, Yifei would blame us later."


    The meaning of her words couldn¡¯t be more obvious, they were doing this because of Li Yifei. It was all for the sake of Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    At this point, Wu Shentong¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Yifei¡¯s face is really something, isn¡¯t it? Just now, my uncle called you, and you said you had to attend an event in the province on the eighth."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao had always been at the TV station, and they attended many social events. Once Wu Shentong said this, they understood that their actions had offended Wu Shentong, as well as Wu Shentong¡¯s whatever uncle. But they were not afraid, for the sake of Li Yifei, they were not afraid to offend anyone.


    However, they didn¡¯t know what Li Yifei¡¯s stance was, whether he had a grudge against this speaking man, or if the conflict between the two was unintentional. So, they all turned to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shot Li Xinyue a reproachful look, and she immediately got the hint. She said to Wu Shentong, "I¡¯m sorry, we really have been busy lately. There is an event on the eighth, and we¡¯ve recently announced that we won¡¯t be taking any wedding hosting jobs for now. It¡¯s been the TV station and our friends who have been making excuses for us. We didn¡¯t receive any calls looking for us today, otherwise, how could we refuse to give face?"


    This statement finally gave Wu Shentong a way to step down, but the more calculating could understand that if it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao would still have refused. That is to say, in their hearts, Li Yifei was more important than any bureau chief.


    With Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao there, the class reunion seemed like a fan gathering for the two of them. Most of the conversation revolved around them, and then there was the puzzling relationship between them and Li Yifei. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Feifei was the first to bring up the question, "Li Xinyue, Song Lianyao, how did you two famous hosts get so close to Yifei?"


    Wu Shentong, seeing Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao stealing his limelight, wasn¡¯t bothered. After all, being known as close to the two celebrity hosts was something to be proud of. However, their good relationship with Li Yifei annoyed him. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t be inferior to a security guard, could he?


    So he immediately voiced his confusion, "Yeah, I¡¯m quite puzzled too. Yifei is just a security guard. You¡¯re not exactly on the same level."


    This was somewhat derogatory towards Li Yifei, but since it was also a fact, an issue everyone was curious about, no one took offence.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind either. It was normal among classmates to joke and tease each other. Besides, with his mindset, he wasn¡¯t going to argue with someone like Wu Shentong who clearly lacked worldly experience.


    But when Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao heard this, it sounded rather unpleasant to them. However, both being experienced in social matters, their faces didn¡¯t betray their feelings. Li Xinyue said with a beaming smile, "Yifei is someone you need to get to know well to appreciate his worth. Don¡¯t just see him as a security guard now¡ª I guarantee that sooner or later, he will soar high. We¡¯re making a long-term investment by building a relationship with Yifei early on, so we won¡¯t come off as purely sycophantic when he makes it big and it¡¯s too late to get to know him."


    Song Lianyao placed her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder with a beaming smile, "Yifei, you can¡¯t forget about us when you strike it rich in the future, or we¡¯ll be upset."


    Song Lianyao¡¯s voice was soft and seductive, coupled with a gentle sway, her expression was playfully charming, endearing her to everyone. But all this attention was directed at Li Yifei, stirring up a mix of admiration and envy among the others.


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re looking at me all wrong this time. I¡¯m a simple guy with no grand ambitions; I¡¯m quite content being a little security guard."


    At this moment, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao secretly admired Li Yifei. That was style, that was magnanimity. To be so high in status yet remain so calm and collected, such composure was not common, and their affection for Li Yifei deepened.


    Wu Shentong felt even more frustrated. What were these hosts thinking? Seeing something worth in Li Yifei, a nobody security guard, baffled him. He really didn¡¯t see what was so great about Li Yifei.


    "Look, Yifei, everyone values you so much, how can you be without ambition?" he said. "You gotta strive harder and not just be a security guard. After all, being a security guard is a dead-end job, which essentially means spending your whole life just opening the door for others."


    Wu Shentong¡¯s statement was straightforward, clearly targeting Li Yifei, and all eyes turned to him, concerned whether he would react, especially in front of the two beauties, where men tend to be more sensitive about losing face.


    Just then, the door opened and someone came in, chirping, "Who wants to spend their lifetime opening doors for others?"


    "Yunzhu!"


    "Why have you just arrived?"


    Ye Yunzhu was the one who entered. She had heard Wu Shentong¡¯s comment at the door but hadn¡¯t realized it was about Li Yifei. Thinking it was just classmates joking around, she said it while entering.


    Everyone was greeting Ye Yunzhu, even Wu Shentong stood up, since Ye Yunzhu was going to be his immediate superior in the future. It was essential to foster a good relationship. Moreover, upon seeing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s beautiful face and elegant figure, which were even more appealing than during school days, his eyes lit up, and his heart became more spirited.


    Eagerly speaking to Ye Yunzhu, he said, "Yunzhu, long time no see, do you still remember me?"


    "You... oh, Wu Shentong, how could I forget you? You were always the top student in our class, a true nerd," Ye Yunzhu chuckled, half-jokingly.


    Wu Shentong felt even better upon hearing this and said, "I¡¯ve also come back to start working, and I¡¯ll be working in your township, too."


    "Really? That¡¯s great. The township is really a good place to gain experience."


    Ye Yunzhu seemed very warm to Wu Shentong; after all, they were classmates.


    But to Wu Shentong, it was as if Ye Yunzhu was looking at him in a new light, and he said even more proudly, "I¡¯m being dispatched this time, likely as a deputy township chief or something. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not sure about, Yunzhu, you¡¯ll have to give me plenty of advice."


    "Oh my, the old classmate is doing quite well, aren¡¯t you? Reading a few more years of books really makes a difference," Ye Yunzhu said with interest.


    Wu Shentong laughed heartily, "Haha, but I¡¯m still not as good as you. Back in school, you were our class president, and now you¡¯ll be my leader. You¡¯ll be leading me for a lifetime."


    After exchanging pleasantries, Ye Yunzhu turned to Li Yifei. She had seen Li Yifei come in and noticed Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao by his side, which really irked her. This jerk was bringing two beautiful hosts to a class reunion; it was simply infuriating.


    However, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s uniform took her by surprise, as she was unaware that Li Yifei had gone to the security department. Smiling at Li Yifei, she asked, "Hey Yifei, what¡¯s this about? Why did you become a security guard?"


    Though others might think Ye Yunzhu was joking and cheerful, Li Yifei could sense the murderous look in her eyes. However, it wasn¡¯t convenient to explain at the moment, so he just smiled, "I had no choice, I didn¡¯t take good care of the boss, so they demoted me to be a security guard."


    Upon hearing this, Ye Yunzhu burst into laughter, thinking Li Yifei had been worn out by her the previous night and had failed to take good care of Xu Yingying, leading to Xu Yingying giving Li Yifei a hard time. No longer concerned about Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao beside Li Yifei, she leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s chair, smiling and said, "I have a good relationship with your boss, do you want me to say a word on your behalf?"


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "No need for that, I think being a security guard is quite nice, much more relaxing than attending to the boss before."


    "Well, you¡¯d better be careful. If your boss gets mad next time, you might not even be allowed to work as a security guard, maybe you¡¯ll end up sweeping floors or cleaning toilets."


    "That wouldn¡¯t happen, right? You wouldn¡¯t let an old classmate suffer like that, would you?"


    "Giggle, that¡¯ll depend on your performance."


    Standing up straight, Ye Yunzhu addressed Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, "You two major hosts, what brought you here to hang out and drink with this scoundrel Yifei today?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, not fully aware of the relationship between Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu but sensing the clear ambiguity between them¡ªlast time at dinner, Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying were subtly confronting each other¡ªnaturally didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble for Li Yifei. Li Xinyue replied with a smile, "We just happened to be here today, and Yifei¡¯s classmate needed hosts, so we came uninvited."


    Ye Yunzhu nodded, "I appreciate it, but I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have the clout to invite you, would I?"


    Song Lianyao immediately said, "Mayor Ye, you¡¯re joking. If you just say the word, we¡¯d drop any important work that we have."


    "Mayor Ye?" Now that Wu Shentong was also about to embark on his career, he was very sensitive to titles. Song Lianyao¡¯s reference made him exclaim, "Yunzhu, you¡¯re a county head now?"


    Ye Yunzhu smiled slightly, giving Li Yifei a glance, "The appointment came down a couple of days ago, and I ended up working in the county somewhat bewilderedly."


    Everyone gasped in amazement, and Qian Feifei, in shock, blurted out, "I say, Yunzhu, you¡¯re being too modest. We¡¯re all classmates, but you¡¯ve become a county head, and we¡¯re still nobodies. You¡¯re the big shot now, take care of me, will you?"


    Ye Yunzhu giggled and said, "You can forget it, Yifei, but are you interested in letting me take care of you?"

 Chapter 526 - 536: Just Like You to Be in Charge

    Chapter 526: Chapter 536: Just Like You to Be in ChargeLi Yifei laughed heartily and said, "With Mayor Ye as our parental official, how could I dare to disagree with such a request?"


    Ye Yunzhu raised her hand and patted Li Yifei on the head, saying, "Dream on. If anyone is going to be kept, it should be you keeping me. How can a lowly security guard like you make such a grand statement?"


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words sounded hurtful, but among friends teasing each other like this often meant they were really close. If they weren¡¯t close, jokes could easily lead to hurt feelings. This indicated that she and Li Yifei had the deepest relationship.


    Once Ye Yunzhu arrived, she stole all the limelight, becoming the life of the party as everyone centered around her.


    At this point, Li Xinyue said, "Everyone, carry on. We have something else to attend to and must leave first."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately said, "Don¡¯t do that! You¡¯re leaving just as I arrive; it looks like I¡¯m driving you away. Stay a bit longer. Besides, look at someone who¡¯s really enjoying themselves; if you leave now, isn¡¯t it going to disappoint a certain someone?"


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both felt a bit awkward, but Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, Yunzhu, stop belittling me. Xinyue, Lianyao, let¡¯s stay a bit longer."


    With Li Yifei¡¯s approval, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao sat down again. As long as Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind, they naturally wanted to spend more time with him. However, with Ye Yunzhu present, they didn¡¯t dare speak carelessly anymore, to avoid causing any trouble for Li Yifei.


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t sit next to Li Yifei. The main seat had already been vacated out of respect for her, and she was seated next to Wu Shentong. In their class, these two were the most esteemed.


    Everyone congratulated Ye Yunzhu on her promotion to Deputy County Head, and Wu Shentong was the first to raise his glass, saying, "Yunzhu, I wanted to follow in your footsteps, but now you¡¯ve left me several streets behind. This glass is for you, and I hope you¡¯ll look out for me in the future."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled lightly and said, "Old classmates will definitely be taken care of, but I¡¯ll pass on the drink. I¡¯ve given up alcohol recently."


    "Given up alcohol?" Wu Shentong looked at her with confusion, twitching his lips.


    Ye Yunzhu smiled again and said, "Don¡¯t overthink it; I¡¯ve indeed given up drinking. I¡¯ve been feeling unwell lately and can¡¯t drink." Then she glanced meaningfully at Li Yifei, who could only touch his nose and pretend ignorance.


    Cao Yingbo chimed in, "Yunzhu, that¡¯s not easy; you¡¯re a Deputy County Head now, with surely more banquets to attend. Without drinking, won¡¯t you miss out on opportunities to communicate with other leaders?"


    Ye Yunzhu shook her head and said, "The higher-ups are currently cracking down on extravagant eating and drinking, and everyone is being careful about it. Besides, if you are competent, you don¡¯t necessarily need to rely on building relationships at the dining table to get things done." Her comment was a veiled hint at Wu Shentong and Cao Yingbo, who, as civil servants and old classmates, would surely seek her help in the future.


    Cao Yingbo caught the implication in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words, but unfortunately, Wu Shentong, being less worldly, completely missed it.


    A few more dishes were added, and Ye Yunzhu simply ate a few bites of the vegetables. However, when greasy dishes came her way, she frowned and quickly turned them away.


    Li Yifei knew that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s pregnancy symptoms were severe and greasy foods would make her uncomfortable, so he was careful to keep the lighter dishes in front of Ye Yunzhu while others took their turns at the table.


    Qian Feifei saw Li Yifei diligently rotating the dishes and laughed, "Yifei, turning the table when the leader is picking dishes, no wonder you¡¯re not good at serving leaders."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You¡¯re actually right, I do like to turn the table when the leader is picking dishes." With that, he turned the table again.


    Wu Shentong was turning the dishes towards Ye Yunzhu to let her try some local specialties when Li Yifei spun them away, which annoyed him, and he said, "Come on, Yifei, what are you doing? Yunzhu has barely had anything to eat; I just offered her some dishes, and you turned them away. Are you intentionally keeping her from eating?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "The stuff you¡¯re turning is too greasy, and Yunzhu probably wouldn¡¯t like it."


    "Yunzhu hasn¡¯t even tasted it; how do you know she wouldn¡¯t like it? You really lack discernment. It¡¯s right for the leaders to have you as a security guard, no, actually, you¡¯d be more suited to sweeping floors."


    Ye Yunzhu, who knew Li Yifei was taking care of her, was pleased inside; but Wu Shentong¡¯s words about Li Yifei made her uncomfortable. As a naturally forthright woman, she could tease Li Yifei, but she wouldn¡¯t stand for anyone else doing so. She would be the first to jump to his defense. However, after being an official for a few years, she had mellowed out and responded with a laugh, "Shentong, you¡¯re not as observant as Yifei. He saw that I¡¯ve only been eating vegetables and knew I didn¡¯t like greasy food. So, every time there¡¯s greasy food at my end of the table, he turns it away. I appreciate that. Yifei, what if I spoke to your boss and got you to come work for me as my secretary instead of with her? How about that?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "If you can get the personnel, then I¡¯m fine with it."


    "Hmph, trying to provoke me, aren¡¯t you? Knowing how stingy your boss is, she definitely wouldn¡¯t agree."


    Everyone felt something was off as they listened. Li Yifei always had a hint of flirtation when joking with Ye Yunzhu, who seemed decidedly lukewarm toward Wu Shentong, her face shifting from red to white. Instead, she appreciated Li Yifei, a mere security guard. He couldn¡¯t understand what a broken-down security guard had that could possibly compare to him.


    But Su Peng noticed something, and when Yifei went to the restroom, he followed and clapped him on the shoulder, "Hey Yifei, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re back with Yunzhu?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Not exactly back together, but we¡¯re in contact quite a bit."


    Su Peng said excitedly, "Man, you¡¯re impressive. I thought with Yunzhu¡¯s status now, there¡¯s no way you two could get together. I didn¡¯t expect her to stay the same." He was genuinely happy for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei could feel Su Peng¡¯s joy and was grateful for his friend, "Let¡¯s keep this between us. After all, Yunzhu is the Deputy County Head now. Everything she does gets a lot of attention."


    "I get it, and I really wish you the best," said Su Peng as he patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder again before adding, "Hey old classmate, what¡¯s with those two beautiful hosts? They seem to be quite close to you. Though they are attractive and any man would be tempted, the girls in that circle tend to be a bit too easy. They¡¯re not your type. You can¡¯t let Yunzhu down."


    Li Yifei secretly grimaced, for he wasn¡¯t just letting Ye Yunzhu down, he was doing it quite badly. But he couldn¡¯t say that, so he simply smiled, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao are just good friends of mine."


    "That¡¯s good, but why do I feel you don¡¯t act like a security guard? You come off more like a Rich Second Generation or Second Generation Official."


    "Is that possible?"


    "Impossible!" Su Peng immediately shook his head, knowing well that Li Yifei¡¯s parents had passed away.


    "Bro, I may be a nobody, but even a nobody has his pride. You should learn from that," Li Yifei jested.


    "Haha, kid, I have a lot to learn from you."


    When it was past nine o¡¯clock, Xu Shanshan called Li Yifei again, and he had to prepare to leave early. Ye Yunzhu burst out laughing, "Then I¡¯ll be going too. You can take me home and we can discuss the matter of me keeping you."


    Everyone laughed, disbelieving that Mayor Ye, now in such a high position, could have any real connection with a security guard.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao naturally planned to leave with Li Yifei, and the four of them left the hotel together. While Li Yifei¡¯s departure was one thing, Mayor Ye, Li Xinyue, and Song Lianyao definitely needed a proper send-off, considering they might be called upon to host weddings in the future.


    At the door, Ye Yunzhu looked at Li Yifei and said, "I didn¡¯t bring a car, so you¡¯ll have to take me."


    Li Yifei shrugged, "I didn¡¯t drive either, knowing I¡¯d be drinking tonight."


    Li Xinyue promptly said, "I drove and I haven¡¯t been drinking at all. I¡¯ll take you." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, then, it would be trouble for you."


    Li Xinyue quickly went to fetch the car, with Song Lianyao following. When they walked away, Ye Yunzhu suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s ear, snapping, "You scoundrel, daring to speak nonsense again?"


    "I¡¯ve been wronged, truly," Li Yifei hastily clutched at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s wrist. She was twisting his ear rather forcefully. No matter how skilled he was in martial arts, his earlobes had never been trained, and he tilted to the side to avoid having them torn.


    "Hmph, don¡¯t think just because your wife spoils you that no one else will discipline you. If you dare to flirt around outside again, you¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    "I won¡¯t, definitely not!" Li Yifei hastily assured her, truly facing the genuine Ye Yunzhu. This discipline from her gave him a special feeling, reminiscent of high school with Yunzhu, when she would punish him severely if he as much as glanced at other girls when they were alone.


    An intoxicated smile spread across Li Yifei¡¯s face, which Ye Yunzhu noticed and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "You still have that cheeky side to you; someone disciplines you, and yet you smile about it."


    Li Yifei gently kissed Yunzhu¡¯s hand, "But it has to be you disciplining me, Yunzhu. If it were someone else, I wouldn¡¯t care whether they tried to or not."


    Just as Ye Yunzhu was about to reply, she felt a piercing gaze upon her. Turning her head, she saw Lin Sihao, and her expression soured slightly.

 Chapter 527 - 537 The Domineering Li Yifei

    Chapter 527: Chapter 537 The Domineering Li YifeiLin Sihao had been feeling quite depressed these days. The Ye family had actually rejected his marriage proposal with Ye Yunzhu. Although the Ye family had already apologized and the Lin family had agreed to it, to him, Lin Sihao, it was a great humiliation. Who was he, Lin Sihao? No woman had ever been able to reject him, not even those from the Lin family.


    He knew about the good relationship between Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei, but he believed that no matter how much Ye Yunzhu liked Li Yifei, after all, Li Yifei was just a poor loser. Compared to him, there was a huge gap. The Ye family would definitely not agree to Ye Yunzhu being with Li Yifei which meant that in the end, they would still force Ye Yunzhu to marry him.


    But the Ye family had truly rejected the Lin family¡¯s proposal, there must have been another reason. Upon inquiring in Mile City, he was astonished to find out that Ye Yunzhu had been directly promoted from Township Chief to Deputy County Head. Such a promotion was not even easy for the Lin family to facilitate, so didn¡¯t this mean the Ye family had found an even more powerful backer?


    He reported this matter to the elders of the Lin family, and they too were somewhat alarmed. The large families in the provincial city, although some were strong and some weak, had always maintained a balance. With the Ye family suddenly finding a strong backer, it was very likely to rise up abruptly, which was not good news for the Lin family. Therefore, they immediately sent Lin Sihao to Mile City to investigate.


    In the past two days of his investigation, Lin Sihao hadn¡¯t found out the reason. This matter was orchestrated by the Municipal Party Secretary, Song Zhentao, who wasn¡¯t part of these large families and was about to retire soon. Thus, he didn¡¯t comply with these families, including the Lin family. Approaching Song Zhentao directly to gather any information was impossible.


    He came here to dine today, only to see Ye Yunzhu after finishing the meal, also flirting with Li Yifei, instantly igniting his fury. If he couldn¡¯t have that woman, then no one else should, especially not a poor loser like Li Yifei. That was even more intolerable for him.


    Striding straight up to Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, Lin Sihao¡¯s face was as cold as water as he glared at Li Yifei and said, "Kid, you really think your life is too long."


    Ye Yunzhu quickly stepped in front of Li Yifei, snorted coldly, and said, "Lin Sihao, what are you trying to do?"


    Lin Sihao huffed, "Kid, don¡¯t think that with her protection, you can live safely forever. I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯ll definitely make sure you die a terrible death."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes narrowed angrily, "Lin Sihao, will you ever stop? Our issue has been settled by both our families. Why are you still pestering us? Is it fun?"


    Lin Sihao turned his gaze toward Ye Yunzhu, leaning his head forward slightly. Ye Yunzhu immediately took a half step back, getting further away from Lin Sihao.


    The anger on Lin Sihao¡¯s face deepened, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as he said, "I¡¯ll tell you, any woman that Lin Sihao can¡¯t have, nobody else will think about having her. If anyone dares to fancy you, I will ensure they die uglier."


    Ye Yunzhu glared sharply at Lin Sihao, "Lin Sihao, I advise you not to be so conceited. Do you think I, Ye Yunzhu, am easy to bully?"


    "You might not be easy to bully, but he... ha." Lin Sihao looked disdainfully at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei pulled Ye Yunzhu aside, smiled faintly, and said, "You think I¡¯m easy to bully?"


    "No, no, no..." Lin Sihao shook his head, smiling slyly as he said, "You¡¯re not easy to bully, you, in my eyes, are barely worth a fart."


    Truly angered, Ye Yunzhu could not tolerate Lin Sihao¡¯s insults anymore. She raised her hand to slap Lin Sihao across the face, cursing, "You bastard."


    Lin Sihao, who had trained in some martial arts, raised his hand to grab Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand, but suddenly felt a numbness in his elbow. His hand had only raised halfway and could not reach any further, failing to prevent Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand, nor could he dodge in time. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s slap landed firmly on his face.


    The slap was crisp and its sound traveled a good distance, attracting several nearby onlookers to turn their heads toward them.


    Enraged, Lin Sihao hadn¡¯t the time to wonder why he hadn¡¯t blocked Ye Yunzhu¡¯s slap. He raised his hand to slap her face, shouting, "You dirty bitch, you¡¯re like a worn-out shoe, even if you were given to me for free I wouldn¡¯t want you. You really think you¡¯re so great?"


    But his slap was only halfway through when Li Yifei grabbed his wrist. Lin Sihao glared furiously at Li Yifei, bellowing, "Kid, fuck your grandma, let go of me."


    The ferocity in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes flashed. With his other hand, he suddenly grabbed Lin Sihao¡¯s collar. With a slight exertion of his arm, Lin Sihao was lifted up.


    Lin Sihao was shocked and tried to struggle, but before he could, Li Yifei had already stepped quickly towards the trash bin at the entrance of the restaurant. With a push of his arm, he dumped Lin Sihao into the trash bin and, simultaneously pressing down on Lin Sihao¡¯s head and legs, Lin Sihao ended up seated at the bottom of the bin, with his head and limbs sticking out.


    The trash bin wasn¡¯t big, roughly the size of a bucket. At this moment, Lin Sihao looked as if he had been stuffed inside forcefully and tightly. He struggled a few times but could not extricate himself.


    "Bastard, let me out!" Lin Sihao shouted angrily.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Before you think of killing someone, you should consider the possibility of being killed by someone else."


    At that moment, a hotel waiter was on his way over with a tray full of trash, which included things like napkins and broken chopsticks. He was at a loss for what to do when he saw the situation unfold.


    Yet Li Yifei stretched out his hand and took the tray.


    Lin Sihao¡¯s face changed drastically as he yelled desperately, "You wouldn¡¯t dare!"


    Ye Yunzhu was also taken aback, unable to fathom that Li Yifei would actually stuff Lin Sihao into a trash bin. That was already going too far, but to think that Li Yifei was about to dump the trash on Lin Sihao¡¯s head¡ªthat would be a great insult. Offending Lin Sihao was one thing, but this was practically offending the entire Lin family. She hurriedly called out, trying to stop Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s hand shook, and all the trash poured onto Lin Sihao¡¯s head.


    "Ugh..." Lin Sihao wanted to dodge, but there was simply nowhere to hide. He wanted to yell, but he feared that the debris would fall into his mouth. He didn¡¯t dare open his eyes and could only use his awkwardly positioned hands to guard his face, shaking his head repeatedly.


    After Li Yifei finished dumping the trash, he handed the tray back to the waiter, who quickly ran off, fearing he¡¯d be hit by the repercussions.


    "Yifei, you..." Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t know what to say to Li Yifei at that point. The guy was still so impulsive, just like a teenager.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, wrapping his arms around Ye Yunzhu¡¯s waist as they got into the car driven by Li Xinyue. Li Xinyue immediately started the car and drove off.


    Lin Sihao finally wiped off the filth from his face and cursed loudly, "Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu, today¡¯s humiliation, I swear I will get back a hundred, a thousand times over!"


    Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei in annoyance and said, "You, how could you be so impulsive? Do you realize that by dealing with Lin Sihao like this, you¡¯ve completely offended the Lin family? They definitely won¡¯t take this lying down and will surely seek revenge against you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Didn¡¯t you hear what he said? He wanted to kill me. Why should I give him any face? With some people, if you show them kindness, they think you¡¯re afraid of them, so it¡¯s better to just take care of them directly."


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes and said, "It would have been one thing if it were only Lin Sihao coming after you, but now you¡¯ve made the entire Lin family your enemy. How easy is the Lin family to deal with? Even if the Ye family were to put in all our efforts, I fear we might not be able to contest the Lin family, not to mention we don¡¯t even know if the Ye family can mobilize all its resources."


    Li Yifei knew that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s reproach was her way of comforting him, so he smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, a small Lin family can¡¯t do much to me."


    That was a bold statement, but suddenly, Ye Yunzhu remembered that Li Yifei was no longer the person he used to be. He had enough power to move her from a Township Chief to a Deputy County Head, which seemed to be even greater than the Lin family¡¯s. This realization excited her; she still had yet to realize the full extent of Li Yifei¡¯s power. She was eager to see how far this guy had come over the years. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re the big man, do as you please. I¡¯ll listen to you," she acquiesced.


    Ye Yunzhu suddenly changed her attitude, and Li Yifei smiled back at her, saying, "That¡¯s more like it. You have to trust your man."


    "Fine, I trust you. You¡¯re no longer that little boy that needed my protection. From now on, you protect me. I can enjoy that for a change."


    When Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao arrived with the car, they had witnessed Li Yifei stuffing Lin Sihao into the trash bin, which puzzled them. After overhearing the conversation between Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei, they realized how powerful Lin Sihao must be. Li Yifei¡¯s audacious move to stuff his opponent into a trash bin showed remarkable dominance, which only increased their admiration for him. This was what a real man was like, and being with such a man would leave them wanting for nothing in this lifetime.


    Having dropped Ye Yunzhu off at the entrance of her building, Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "Your wife wants you back early; I won¡¯t ask you to come up. And don¡¯t linger anywhere else. If your wife ends up blaming the time on me, I¡¯m not covering for you."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s faces immediately turned red. The looks they gave Li Yifei changed, and how could Ye Yunzhu not notice?

 Chapter 528 - 538 Two Hosts

    Chapter 528: Chapter 538 Two HostsAfter dropping off Ye Yunzhu, Li Xinyue started the car and didn¡¯t ask Li Yifei where to go, just slowly driving along at a speed less than twenty miles per hour, and kept glancing in the rearview mirror at Li Yifei who was sitting in the back. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Song Lianyao had drunk some wine today and, taking advantage of her tipsiness, she undid her seatbelt and moved from between the two front seats to sit beside Li Yifei. She bit her lip and with a seductive look on her face said to Li Yifei, "Young Master Li, I... I..." and then she threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose. He was very clear about what Song Lianyao wanted and he was also clear about the feelings both women had for him. He didn¡¯t regard their initiative as a sign that they were fallen or that they wanted to be with him for some ulterior motive.


    Direct rejection is quite hurtful, so Li Yifei gently stroked Song Lianyao¡¯s hair and said softly, "Lianyao, Xinyue, I know what you feel for me, but I won¡¯t hide it from you; I¡¯m already married now."


    Song Lianyao clung to Li Yifei, her body trembling slightly. This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t push her away, which excited her. She hurriedly said, "I know, both Xinyue and I are aware that we can¡¯t become your wife, Young Master Li. We truly don¡¯t ask for anything; we just hope to have the chance to be with you, even if just occasionally when you feel lonely and come to see us, that would be enough for us."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Thank you both for being so good to me, but I really can¡¯t do this anymore. My wife is very good to me; I cannot betray her again. You¡¯ve seen there¡¯s Yunzhu and others; I already owe my wife so much."


    Song Lianyao quickly said, "Since you already have someone else, what¡¯s the difference if you include us two as well? Young Master Li, we really like you so much. These past days, Xinyue and I have been thinking about you every day, always hoping you¡¯ll remember us. We want to see you, but we¡¯re afraid of affecting you, so we dare not even call you. Please pity us and agree just this once."


    Song Lianyao spoke with such tender feelings, and she even made herself sound so pitiful that Li Yifei listening found it heart-wrenching. For a man to refuse a beautiful woman speaking in such a pleading tone was truly heartless.


    But Li Yifei really didn¡¯t want to incur any more emotional debts now. With women in the past, after a night together he would never see them again the next day, so he felt no burden; however, recent women he had become involved with were not the type with whom he could behave as in the past, which made him feel unconsciously responsible. If he agreed to them today, he¡¯d naturally have to shoulder the responsibility towards them in the future.


    He sighed softly and said, "Xinyue, Lianyao, to tell you the truth, you do attract me, but I have my principles. If I were to get involved with you, I¡¯d see you as my women. I couldn¡¯t accept you being with other men..."


    Li Xinyue abruptly hit the brakes, stopping the car, turned around, and urgently said, "No, absolutely not! We will never be with other men. We will be Young Master Li¡¯s women for life, and we won¡¯t let any man touch us."


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "But I have a wife, and I cannot be with you often. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be even less than lovers."


    Song Lianyao hugged Li Yifei tightly and said, "We¡¯re not afraid. As long as you can come to see us once a month, no, even if it¡¯s just once a year, we would be contented."


    "Isn¡¯t that too foolish?" Li Yifei was truly moved; he didn¡¯t doubt the sincerity of their words.


    Li Xinyue looked into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and said softly, "Young Master Li, we used to chase after things for fame and for gain, but since meeting you, we realized how meaningless pursuing those things is. Now we just hope to become Young Master Li¡¯s women; that would be our greatest happiness."


    Song Lianyao nodded repeatedly, lifting her head to look at Li Yifei with deep affection.


    Li Yifei looked at Li Xinyue and then at Song Lianyao and finally shook his head, saying, "I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t agree to your request."


    Both of their faces turned extremely desolate, and tears started flowing from their eyes, which made Li Yifei feel quite awkward. He hurriedly said, "When I say I can¡¯t agree to you, I mean I can¡¯t agree to have you follow me like this, but I will certainly consider you both as good friends. If you have any issues, feel free to call me, or even if there¡¯s no problem, we can chat or have meals together, that¡¯s fine. But to have you as my women, I really can¡¯t agree. It would be too unfair to you; besides, it would weigh heavily on my conscience. I¡¯m too sorry for you."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei say this, both had a look of joy on their faces. Although they were initially disappointed at Li Yifei¡¯s rejection, they liked him even more now. If they could truly get Li Yifei to accept them, he definitely wouldn¡¯t disappoint them. And now that Li Yifei had promised this, they would have many opportunities to be with him in the future. They were confident that with both of their efforts, they could touch Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    Song Lianyao pouted and said, "Young Master Li, you can¡¯t deceive us."


    Seeing that the two had stopped crying, Li Yifei finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Of course I won¡¯t deceive you. I will do what I say."


    Li Xinyue blinked her eyes and said, "But you have a wife, right? If you go out, wouldn¡¯t your wife complain?" Her eyes still had tears, but she playfully blinked, squeezing out some more tears, looking both mischievous and sad, which was unspeakably endearing.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then we won¡¯t go out at night. For instance, during lunchtime, we could go out to eat, and then my wife won¡¯t have anything to say."


    "Okay, okay, lunchtime it is, hehe, I guess Young Master Li is also afraid he can¡¯t resist the temptation of us two at night." Song Lianyao was still nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, twisting her body slightly and winking at Li Yifei, adding, "We¡¯re two people, you know, a threesome."


    Li Yifei immediately coughed dryly, as this was definitely a very strong temptation for him. He had been living with Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao for some time, but he had controlled himself with both of them, not daring to cross the line. But if he were really to be with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao together, that would definitely be limitless passion, just thinking about it could excite anyone tremendously.


    Li Xinyue immediately giggled, saying, "Young Master Li, it seems you¡¯re tempted too."


    Li Yifei glared at her and said, "Don¡¯t tempt me like this, or else I won¡¯t dare to go out with you anymore."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao laughed even louder, now both in great spirits. This also counted as a big step forward in their relationship with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei helped Song Lianyao up and said, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s start driving. If I get home late, my wife will scold me."


    Li Xinyue didn¡¯t continue to mess around and obediently started the car, "Young Master Li, you¡¯re married already? Who is your wife? We really want to know who¡¯s so lucky."


    Li Yifei touched his nose and said, "I can¡¯t tell you that, it¡¯s not public yet."


    Song Lianyao reproached, "You won¡¯t even tell us?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "Well then, I¡¯ll tell you. My wife is Xu Yingying."


    "Ah! It¡¯s President Xu!" Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao exclaimed in unison, but they weren¡¯t surprised. With Li Yifei¡¯s status, only a woman of Xu Yingying¡¯s caliber would be a match. They were genuinely convinced; if it had been an ordinary woman, they wouldn¡¯t have been convinced.


    "Heh, don¡¯t go spreading it around. Only my best friends know that we¡¯re married, and all together there are fewer than ten people who do."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words made both women quite happy, meaning that he truly regarded them as his best friends.


    Now, they also felt reassured knowing the bottom line; in the future, if they were to seek Li Yifei, they just needed to avoid Xu Yingying, and in front of Xu Yingying, they¡¯d have to be careful not to show their affection for Li Yifei.


    "By the way, Young Master Li, how many lovers do you have now?" Song Lianyao poked Li Yifei lightly and winked.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and replied, "Ye Yunzhu is one, but she doesn¡¯t really count as my lover, as our relationship isn¡¯t clearly defined yet."


    Li Xinyue immediately said, "Indeed amazing. She¡¯s the Deputy County Head, and I¡¯ve heard that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s career is set to advance even further. To have her as your lover, Young Master Li, you are truly remarkable."


    "Who else is there?" Song Lianyao continued to press.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Don¡¯t ask about others, I won¡¯t tell."


    "Miser," Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao didn¡¯t ask further, understanding that if Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to talk, pressing further would just be inappropriate. Besides, they were only afraid of Li Yifei¡¯s wife, not his lovers.


    After dropping off Li Yifei outside his residential complex, the two left reluctantly, while Li Yifei waved to them before entering the complex.


    As soon as he entered the house, Xu Shanshan, watching the clock, said to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re pretty on time, there are still two minutes left before ten o¡¯clock."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile; he hadn¡¯t intentionally timed it that way. He smiled and said, "Shanshan, you gave me a strict order, I didn¡¯t dare to come back late."


    "Good to know you¡¯re aware. Come here and massage my feet." Xu Shanshan ran to the couch, stretching out her little feet, while Chu Xiaoyao was also on the couch waving her little feet smugly at Li Yifei.

 Chapter 529 - 539 Lin Sihao Who Came for Revenge

    Chapter 529: Chapter 539 Lin Sihao Who Came for RevengeLin Sihao was about to go insane. He had never felt so humiliated, being stuffed into a trash can by Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, covered in garbage. It was an immense insult. If it had been only Li Yifei, it might have been tolerable, but with Ye Yunzhu involved, he naturally hated her too.


    He didn¡¯t immediately tell his family about such a shameful incident. He wanted revenge, to make Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu repay him a hundred or a thousand times over, only then would his heart¡¯s hatred be quelled.


    In Mile City, the Lin family had little power, so Lin Sihao immediately called people from the nearby Kun City, gathering more than a dozen people.


    He intended not only to deal with Li Yifei but also Ye Yunzhu. After suffering such humiliation, even if he did something to Ye Yunzhu, his family would back him, and the Ye family wouldn¡¯t dare say anything.


    While Lin Sihao was making these moves, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t na?ve. On the contrary, he understood these playboys very well. If they wanted to target someone, they would use any means necessary.


    So Li Yifei also made some preparations. If Lin Sihao was solely targeting him, he wouldn¡¯t be concerned, but he didn¡¯t want Lin Sihao to harm the people around him. This was the main reason Li Yifei had been more restrained recently.


    However, Li Yifei did not let Xu Yingying and the others know. Although Xu Yingying was a CEO, she was essentially still an ordinary person. She hadn¡¯t been exposed to so much darkness, and in her heart, the world was still a bright place, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t want her to know about these things.


    After the last attack, although Li Yifei appeared to have the Flying Hawk Squad help him solve the issue, he couldn¡¯t keep relying on them. So he brought over a force from abroad.


    This force was a very powerful mercenary organization. Li Yifei had collaborated with them during a particularly dangerous mission, which nearly wiped out the entire organization, including its leader.


    Before the leader passed, he greatly admired Li Yifei and became fast friends with him. On his deathbed, he entrusted the mercenary organization to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to take over the mercenary organization. With his formidable capabilities, he led the remaining members on a few more missions and rebuilt the organization, gaining their strong trust. But since Li Yifei was still a member of the Flying Hawk Squad, he couldn¡¯t do too much, so he later handed the organization to others within it to manage. Over the years, it hadn¡¯t declined.


    Nobody else knew about this, and Li Yifei never intended to develop in this direction. Those missions he undertook were more out of a promise to a friend.


    Mercenary organizations weren¡¯t officially recognized by countries, but many exist independently. They differ greatly from terrorist organizations, engaging in dangerous tasks but not threatening national security. Consequently, they were not targeted for suppression. In fact, some countries even hired them for specific tasks.


    Hiring mercenaries was simply a matter of money, unlike deploying one¡¯s own troops or staff, which could lead to significant consequences in case of losses. Hence, hiring mercenaries was far more practical.


    Among the world¡¯s famous mercenary organizations, all were considered friendlies to various nations. Although Li Yifei¡¯s organization wasn¡¯t as renowned, it was not weak in strength. If he¡¯d chosen to pursue this path, with his ability, he could easily place it among the top twenty worldwide, if not at the top.


    Returning to domestic matters, he faced some troubles, so he again utilized the personnel from this organization to handle special situations efficiently.


    With such helpers to assist him, Li Yifei remained at ease, managing as the security manager at the company during the day, enjoying time with his wife and daughter at night, and playfully teasing his sister-in-law and Chu Xiaoyao. It was a life he found unexplainably enjoyable.


    Three days after dealing with Lin Sihao, Li Yifei received news that Lin Sihao had brought people to Mile City. Yet, Li Yifei took no immediate action against him, instructing his subordinates to keep an eye on Lin Sihao to observe his next move.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t being passive; he simply wanted to see what consequences Lin Sihao should face. If Lin¡¯s actions proved excessive, Li Yifei¡¯s counterattack would be equally severe.


    The phone rang, displaying a fixed number from the provincial capital but unfamiliar. Li Yifei went somewhere quiet before answering.


    "Troublemaker, you¡¯re really a magnet for disaster, aren¡¯t you?" A hoarse voice full of vigor came through as soon as the call connected.


    Li Yifei immediately recognized it as Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather, Ye Jingfeng. He smiled and said, "Grandpa, to what do I owe this accusation?"


    The old man shouted, "Don¡¯t play dumb with me! I asked you to handle the Song family, so why did you provoke the Lin family first?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You can¡¯t blame me for this. The kid was rude to Yunzhu and kept insisting on dealing with me. Even if I hadn¡¯t beaten him up, he would have caused trouble for me, so why not give him a beating and get some relief too?"


    "Hooligan!" The old man first scolded Li Yifei, then burst into hearty laughter. "You¡¯re quite bold, kid. I¡¯ll leave this matter for you to handle. Our Ye family can¡¯t show up right now, or it will cause a major conflict between the two families, which doesn¡¯t benefit us. It may even draw attention from higher-ups."


    "No problem, Grandpa. How could I trouble you with this? Leave it to me. When there¡¯s an advantage to gain, you can step in."


    "Are you implying that I¡¯m going to reap the benefits?"


    "Hehe, consider it my gift for you. After all, if I take Yunzhu away, I¡¯m afraid others in the Ye family won¡¯t be convinced. I can¡¯t have Yunzhu go back and face criticism either, nor can I let anyone doubt your decisions."


    "You¡¯re saying you¡¯re doing it for me?"


    "Of course."


    "Troublemaker, I realize now you¡¯re quite the sly one."


    "Exaggerated praise, just back and forth."


    Old Master Ye laughed again. Li Yifei was cheekily insinuating he was sly, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of displeasure in his heart. The Ye family¡¯s younger generation lacked such adaptability. A person capable of leading a large family must adapt to changing situations.


    Li Yifei had long predicted the Ye family wouldn¡¯t act rashly. They were unsure of his true strength, and rashly conflicting with the Lin family posed too high a risk, so they allowed Li Yifei to handle it alone first.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want the Ye family involved either, as that would risk exposing some of his secrets to them.


    Lin Sihao was an arrogant person; his actions were equally arrogant. He intended to directly capture Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, humiliate them severely, then kill Li Yifei. As for Ye Yunzhu, he planned to violate her before throwing her back to the Ye family. Their refusal to marry had shamed him, and this would restore some pride.


    In front of Li Yifei¡¯s company, in broad daylight, there were two vans waiting¡ªLin Sihao¡¯s people, ready to capture Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t disappoint them. Around noon, he emerged. As he reached the door, the van opened, and four men rushed out. Two of them held a black cloth bag, quickly covering Li Yifei¡¯s head. The four men swiftly lifted him into the van, which sped away within less than a minute.


    Employees leaving with Li Yifei were stunned into silence, then they shouted loudly and eventually remembered to call the police.


    Xu Yingying received the news, only frowning slightly. Though concerned, she wasn¡¯t overly worried because Li Yifei had told her earlier he was going to pretend to be kidnapped to help Lin Qiong with a case, so she shouldn¡¯t worry.


    However, to say she wasn¡¯t worried at all would be untrue. She could only hope internally that nothing bad would happen to Li Yifei.


    Meanwhile, Lin Sihao¡¯s other group failed to find Ye Yunzhu, ultimately giving up.


    Lin Sihao hated Li Yifei most, and having captured Li Yifei now, he didn¡¯t necessarily need to capture Ye Yunzhu too. He simply called her on the phone.


    "Yunzhu, I have some good news for you," Lin Sihao said with a smile, though his gaze was icy cold.


    "Lin Sihao, I advise you not to act recklessly, or there will be no good end for you," Ye Yunzhu replied tersely, not wasting words on Lin Sihao.


    Lin Sihao laughed, "Are you threatening me?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t dare threaten you, Young Master Lin. But society is law-based. Consider your actions carefully. The Lin family is strong, but not above the law. If anything happens, not even the Ye family could cover for you."


    "Haha, I¡¯d like to see who has that capability. But now, I¡¯m telling you that your man has already been captured by me. Aren¡¯t you interested in coming to have a look?"


    S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 530 - 540 Unlucky Lin Sihao

    Chapter 530: Chapter 540 Unlucky Lin SihaoYe Yunzhu immediately shouted angrily, "Lin Sihao, what are you trying to do?"


    Upon hearing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s outcry, Lin Sihao felt exceedingly pleased and said with pride, "What do you think I want to do?"


    "Lin Sihao, if you dare to touch a single hair on him, you and I are never going to be done."


    "Sorry to disappoint you, but I won¡¯t touch a hair on him. I¡¯ll simply carve the flesh from his body piece by piece and feed it to dogs right in front of him. It will be quite fun. Tsk tsk, watching your own flesh being eaten by dogs is so thrilling."


    "Lin Sihao, you are a pervert."


    "Yes, I am a pervert. Do you want to come over and see? It¡¯s quite a show."


    "You better not lay a finger on him. I¡¯m coming over right now. Where are you?"


    "You¡¯re quite clever, trying to find out where I am. If you really want to come over, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. There¡¯s a van waiting right outside the gate of your county committee courtyard. You have ten minutes. Don¡¯t be late. And another thing, you¡¯d best not think about having someone tail you. If that happens, I¡¯ll kill the kid straight away. As for the cops you bring along, huh huh, those police aren¡¯t brave enough to touch me."


    After that, Lin Sihao hung up the phone. It was better if Ye Yunzhu came, but if not, he would still enjoy playing with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was already tied to a chair at this moment, his head covered with a black hood. Lin Sihao approached Li Yifei, waved his hand, and immediately one of his men tore off the hood from Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    Sitting there motionless, Li Yifei had been under the influence of the anesthetic inside the hood, which would knock a person out once placed over their head.


    "Wake him up!" Lin Sihao looked at Li Yifei, his eyes flashing with hatred that quickly turned into excitement.


    Someone grabbed a bottle of mineral water and poured it over Li Yifei¡¯s head. Li Yifei¡¯s body jerked, and he instantly opened his eyes, only to discover that he was tied up, and he began shouting in panic, "Why have you tied me up?"


    Lin Sihao then sat down in front of Li Yifei, with crossed legs, grinning at him, and said, "Why do you think I¡¯ve tied you up?"


    "Lin Sihao, it¡¯s you?" Li Yifei exclaimed in shock.


    "Yes, it is me, Li Yifei. Didn¡¯t expect to fall into my hands so soon, did you?"


    "Lin Sihao, do you realize that kidnapping is illegal?"


    Lin Sihao laughed proudly and said, "Even if I kidnapped you, what can you do about it? You can guess why I¡¯ve kidnapped you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched and he said, "What do you want?"


    "I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re dumb or playing dumb. You threw me into a trash bin that day, and now you still ask what I want? I told you that day I would definitely kill you. Haven¡¯t you forgotten?"


    "Kill me? Lin Sihao, murder is a capital offense. If you kill me, you¡¯re finished too."


    Lin Sihao laughed out loud as if he had heard the best joke, turned to his underlings, and asked, "Do you think I¡¯d be finished if I killed him?"


    One of the underlings laughed arrogantly and said, "Kid, listen up. Nobody will know we caught you, let alone who did it. Even if they find out Young Master Lin killed you, it won¡¯t matter. If Young Master Lin kills you, it¡¯s like stepping on an ant. You deserved death for offending Young Master Lin."


    Li Yifei shouted loudly, "Lin Sihao, you... you can¡¯t kill me, I just stuffed you into a trash can."


    "Is that so? Do you realize that I, Lin Sihao, have never suffered such humiliation in all my life? The way you treated me, only killing you can quell the hatred in my heart. Also, how dare you, a piece of trash, covet Ye Yunzhu? A toad lusting after a swan¡¯s meat¡ªI am going to make you suffer and let that bitch Ye Yunzhu know if she doesn¡¯t marry me, she won¡¯t be able to find another man. If she gets involved with someone, I¡¯ll kill them one by one." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei seemed to still be struggling, trying to reason with Lin Sihao: "This is a society ruled by law. You can¡¯t just do whatever you want, you will definitely be caught if you murder someone."


    "You really are persistent. Do you want me to call over a couple of policemen now to crush your hopes?" asked Lin Sihao, teasing Li Yifei with a smirk. He was in no hurry to deal with Li Yifei. He wanted to break Li Yifei¡¯s spirit first and then slowly punish him when Ye Yunzhu arrived. That would hurt Ye Yunzhu even more, to see him suffer.


    "You... I don¡¯t believe it. I don¡¯t believe the police would let you kill me," Li Yifei cried out hoarsely.


    "Ha ha... You¡¯re really amusing. Such a pity you won¡¯t be able to see any of this. You¡¯re certain to die today, but if you have consciousness after death, you can watch me live freely without a care. Also, you can watch how I play with Ye Yunzhu later."


    Li Yifei glared, his teeth clenched in anger, and said, "Lin Sihao, you sick, heartless bastard, you will not have a good end!"


    Lin Sihao said with a grin, "Whether you have a good ending or not, you definitely won¡¯t get to see it, because you¡¯re going to die. Oh right, do you have any last words? If they aren¡¯t too excessive, I might just grant your wish."


    "No! No! You can¡¯t kill me, I don¡¯t want to die."


    "Whether or not you want to die isn¡¯t up to you, it¡¯s up to me. Oh right, if you really don¡¯t want to die, there is a way."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face immediately lit up with hope as he asked anxiously, "What is it?"


    "You have to kowtow and admit your wrongs, and then lick my toes. No, not just mine, lick everyone¡¯s toes here, and then eat the shit that everyone pulls, and I might consider sparing your life."


    "You... you..." Li Yifei glared, his eyes bulging with rage.


    "What¡¯s the matter, you¡¯re not willing? You need to think carefully, eating shit might taste bad, but at least you won¡¯t die. If you refuse, then you¡¯re dead. It¡¯s your choice whether you want to live and eat shit."


    Li Yifei shouted angrily, "Don¡¯t you dream about it."


    "Hehe, now that you say that, I actually find it quite amusing. You guys, hurry up and go take a dump for me," Lin Sihao gestured to several people around him.


    Those people immediately burst into laughter, one of them said, "Young Master Lin, I don¡¯t have to shit, is it alright if it¡¯s just piss?"


    "That¡¯ll work too. We can¡¯t just let him eat the dry stuff, that¡¯ll be too uncomfortable. We need to give him some liquid to smooth it out. Hurry up and go."


    The group hurried off to one side with snickers and laughter, pulling down their pants to start the deed. Lin Sihao quickly commanded, "Go, go, do it outside. You want to stink me to death?"


    The men hastily pulled up their pants and ran out. In no time, two of them came back, each pinching their noses and holding a plastic bag, stinking up the warehouse.


    Lin Sihao pinched his nose and cursed, "Damn it, who¡¯s shit stinks so bad?"


    One of the guys chuckled and said, "Young Master Lin, my stomach has been upset these past few days, so it smells worse."


    Lin Sihao laughed heartily and responded, "Good lad, stinking it up nicely! The more it stinks, the better taste it would have for this punk. Go on, feed it to him."


    Although they felt that something like this might backfire on them, the prospect of force-feeding someone feces, especially in front of Lin Sihao, meant that no one backed down. Immediately, two men restrained Li Yifei, with one of them even pinching Li Yifei¡¯s nose so he couldn¡¯t breathe through it, forcing his mouth to open involuntarily.


    "Wang Erhu, feed him, damn it!" Once they had Li Yifei under control, they yelled at a guy holding the bag of feces.


    Wang Erhu, with a pained expression, said, "How am I supposed to feed him? There¡¯s no spoon."


    Lin Sihao immediately retorted, "Dammit, are you an idiot? You¡¯re not here to serve him. Just pour it into his mouth. Pour it, and then go take another dump. Let¡¯s make sure he gets his fill today."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Erhu complied at once. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of reaching into the bag to feed Li Yifei with his hands¡ªit would make him sick. He hoisted the plastic bag high and aimed it above Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    To Wang Erhu¡¯s surprise, one of the guys next to him suddenly went limp, toppling onto Wang Erhu and crashing heavily against him.


    Wang Erhu, who was terrified of the feces touching his hands and therefore wholly focused on the bag, hadn¡¯t been prepared for an impact from his side. The collision caused him to lose his balance and fall to the side.


    The bag in his hands flung backward, and the feces inside scattered like blossoms thrown by a heavenly maiden, flying everywhere.


    Lin Sihao had been watching with glee, ready to see Li Yifei eat feces, laughing so wide that his mouth could hardly have been wider when, by a twist of fate, a chunk of feces flew right towards him and stuffed itself into his open maw. Most troublesome was the fact that this particular chunk was from the guy with the upset stomach.


    As the feces entered his mouth, Lin Sihao instinctively bit down, slicing the piece in half, with one half staying in his mouth.


    You might not have tried stinky tofu before, but its taste is enough to cause distress. However, at least it tastes better after the initial bite. But with feces, not only does it get smellier, it¡¯s just unbearably disgusting.


    Lin Sihao felt an unbearable churning in his stomach, his mouth gaping open as he vomited and retched, emptying the bile from his belly without being able to stop.


    Lin Sihao was the worst off, but several others were also quite unlucky to suffer the shitstorm. Although they did not ingest the feces, they were splattered with it, including two who got their faces smeared. Initially, they weren¡¯t as nauseated as Lin Sihao, but when they saw him vomiting wildly with shit in his mouth, they couldn¡¯t hold back and began to throw up as well.


    Li Yifei, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have a single issue, but he frowned deeply; the smell in the room was truly unbearable. He didn¡¯t want to stay in this stinking place and carry on with the play. Where was Lin Qiong? The play had gone on long enough; it was time for her to show up. With Lin Sihao implicated in a kidnapping, he should be locked up for a few years. Surely, that charge was enough, right?

 Chapter 531 - 541: Lin Qiong

    Chapter 531: Chapter 541: Lin QiongLin Qiong finally appeared, accompanied by the sound of police sirens as a group of officers stormed in. But as soon as they entered, they were wrinkled their brows at the stench in the air. Some were still violently vomiting to the point of nearly collapsing, not understanding what was going on.


    Gazing upon this scene with her nose covered, Lin Qiong also scrunched her face in disgust, unable to figure out what had happened. She quickly made a hand gesture, saying, "Arrest them all."


    However, the people weren¡¯t scared. Someone had already gone over to help Lin Sihao up, glaring as they spoke, "What are you doing? This is Young Master Lin of the Provincial city Lin¡¯s family, do you dare to arrest him?"


    Lin Qiong glared back and retorted, "I don¡¯t care whether you are from Lin¡¯s family or not. You are suspected of kidnapping, and everything you say now could be used as evidence."


    Seeing the police arrive, Lin Sihao quickly suppressed his urge to vomit and said in a feeble voice, "I need to make a phone call first."


    Although Lin Sihao claimed to be unafraid of the police, he didn¡¯t recognize any of these officers in Mile City. And these junior cops probably wouldn¡¯t know what the Lin family did, so he decided to call his family first to sort the matter out. He didn¡¯t want to spend even a moment in the Public Security Bureau¡¯s custody.


    But Lin Qiong didn¡¯t give him the chance, barking, "Take him away. What phone call? You can talk to the judge about whatever you have to say."


    Immediately, an officer snatched Lin Sihao¡¯s phone away. At that moment, Lin Sihao¡¯s eyes rolled back in anger, but he lacked the strength to lose his temper at Lin Qiong and could only clench his teeth and say, "It¡¯s useless to arrest me, I¡¯ll be released soon."


    "Keep dreaming. Kidnapping is a serious crime. You can think about getting out in a few years," Lin Qiong scoffed coldly, and then a bunch of officers shoved Lin Sihao and his group into the police car, much to the officers¡¯ distress as several of them reeked so badly. They ended up stripping off their stinky clothes and throwing them away to somewhat ease the situation.


    Li Yifei settled himself in Lin Qiong¡¯s car. Driving the car herself, Lin Qiong was now a Deputy Director of the district Public Security Bureau. Considering the career of these officials, it was nearly unheard of for someone who had just graduated over a year ago to be promoted to Deputy Director. It was something irreproducible, even Ye Yunzhu had not risen as rapidly as Lin Qiong.


    "Why did you come so late?" As soon as he got into the car, Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Lin Qiong.


    Starting the car, Lin Qiong shot Li Yifei a look and replied, "I¡¯m already compromising by getting involved in your schemes; I had no desire to handle it. You should be grateful I came at all, and now you want me to have arrived even sooner?"


    "But Lin Sihao is up to no good. It¡¯s great to arrest someone like him. Besides, you¡¯ve cracked a major case, and you have all reasons to be pleased about it."


    "Don¡¯t flatter yourself. This is your personal vendetta. Humph, all for snatching a woman, damn it, and now I have to help you with this. It irritates me just thinking about it."


    Li Yifei dared not continue that line of conversation. His relationship with Lin Qiong had become somewhat ambiguous. He had assumed that Lin Qiong was the kind of woman who could let things slide and that they could just leave things as they stood. But Lin Qiong had later insisted on being his woman, making Li Yifei feel somewhat guilty. So, during this period, he hadn¡¯t dared to have much contact with Lin Qiong, contacting her only to deal with Lin Sihao through proper channels.


    "Hey, what happened just now? Why did it smell like a toilet in there?" Lin Qiong didn¡¯t dwell on that topic and smoothly changed the subject.


    Li Yifei recounted the events that had just unfolded. After hearing the details, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted and glared at Li Yifei, asking, "Did you orchestrate this?"


    "I wish I had the means! If I did, I would have taken care of Lin Sihao myself."


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance, thinking to herself, "Keep pretending with me; if you don¡¯t have the means, then no one else does either." She knew that Li Yifei was the mysterious figure, so seeing him acting ignorant each time thrilled her.


    Once at the Public Security Bureau, an interrogation began. Naturally, those people refused to admit anything and were quite arrogant. But to their surprise, Lin Qiong had obtained a video capturing the entire warehouse incident, leaving them no room to deny their actions. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Sihao had not informed the Lin family about his plan, so they were still unaware of his arrest, meaning no one came to intercede on his behalf. However, the following day would likely begin a power struggle, and it was uncertain whether Lin Qiong could withstand the pressure then.


    Although Li Yifei was the victim, he still had to cooperate with giving his statement. After finishing everything, he wanted to leave but Lin Qiong caught him and dragged him into her car, pulling him all the way to her home.


    "Qiongqiong, it¡¯s late, I really should be getting home," Li Yifei said with a wry smile, standing at Lin Qiong¡¯s doorstep.


    Grabbing Li Yifei by the clothes, Lin Qiong pushed him into the house, staring intently, "What home? You are not allowed to go back tonight."


    "Qiongqiong, if I don¡¯t go home, my wife will have my head. Let me off this time, please."


    Ignoring Li Yifei¡¯s plea, Lin Qiong took out her phone and called Xu Yingying, "Yingying, I need to borrow your husband for tonight. Some matters are still unresolved... Yes, don¡¯t worry, the dangerous part is over, there¡¯s no more risk involved, but there¡¯s a need for your husband¡¯s cooperation for a bit longer... Mhm, thank you, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner some other day."


    After hanging up, Lin Qiong looked triumphantly at Li Yifei and boasted, "You heard that, right? I¡¯ve already gotten your wife¡¯s leave for you. No excuses now, okay?"


    Li Yifei could only offer a helpless smile, "Qiongqiong, this is..."


    "What ¡¯this¡¯ and ¡¯that¡¯? You had your fun with me, now you want to back out?" Lin Qiong pushed Li Yifei onto the couch and hovered over him, glaring down.


    Li Yifei raised his hands defensively and said with a pained expression, "Qiongqiong, you¡¯re a director now, can¡¯t we be a little less violent?"


    "Director or not, can¡¯t I find a husband?"


    "I am a married man, if you continue like this, the consequences for your reputation could be severe if this got out, right?"


    "You do realize that¡¯s bad? Then why are you still ambiguous with Ye Yunzhu, who¡¯s a Deputy County Head?"


    "Well..." Li Yifei was suddenly at a loss for words.


    "Hmph, you bastard, after eating your fill you want to wipe your mouth and deny it? Not happening." Lin Qiong lowered her head as she spoke and then kissed Li Yifei on the face.


    "Hey hey, that¡¯s not okay, you¡¯re raping me."


    "I am raping you! If you¡¯re not convinced, just try complaining. In our country, a woman raping a man isn¡¯t a crime."


    "Oh my God, is there no justice left? This is clearly inequality between men and women."


    "Cut the crap and lift your butt. Lift it or not... that¡¯s a good boy..."


    An hour later, a completely worn-out Li Yifei rolled off Lin Qiong¡¯s body, lit a cigarette, and took two deep drags before saying, "My dear granny, you¡¯re going to work me to death. You¡¯re acting like a woman starved for it."


    With her face flush with the afterglow yet filled with satisfaction, Lin Qiong¡¯s arm and leg were still pressing down on Li Yifei. She glared at him and said, "Nonsense, you¡¯re with your wife every day, and haven¡¯t come to see me for over a month, how could I not be frustrated?"


    "It can¡¯t go on endlessly like this, hey hey, really no more, please let me go." Li Yifei started to panic as he felt Lin Qiong beginning to wriggle and touch him again, quickly crying out in fear.


    Lin Qiong squinted at Li Yifei, "Do you admit defeat?"


    "I admit, I admitted it long ago." Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, as fast as he could.


    "Fine then, I¡¯ll let you off for now, let you rest before we go again."


    "Damn, rest and then we go again? Is it ever going to end with you? Are you not going to stop until you¡¯ve drained me dry?"


    "Exactly, you got it right. I want to exhaust you so much that you can¡¯t even be intimate with your wife for a few days." Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes shone with extreme excitement. Li Yifei was that mysterious man, a truly powerful person, yet in bed, she could still overpower him, leave him in disarray, and that gave Lin Qiong an indescribable sense of satisfaction.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes. This sounded all too familiar; both Ye Yunzhu and Lin Qiong liked to say it, seemingly as a way to get back at Xu Yingying for not being able to be with Li Yifei every day. It was erotic, sure, but for a man, too much eroticism became a burden.


    After a lot of persuasion, Lin Qiong finally let Li Yifei go, but she wouldn¡¯t let him leave. Since he had already taken the day off, Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother going back, mainly because he was genuinely tired and simply didn¡¯t want to get up from the bed.


    "Oh right, there¡¯s something else I need to tell you."


    Li Yifei immediately asked anxiously, "What now?"


    "Look at how scared you are." Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a contemptuous look. "My dad¡¯s birthday is next week, and we need to go back to celebrate with him."


    "Another birthday celebration? Will Yingying¡¯s dad be there?"


    "Yes, he¡¯s invited some old comrades to gather as well."


    "Then I¡¯m definitely not going."


    "How can you not go? You¡¯re my husband, and if you don¡¯t attend your father-in-law¡¯s birthday, how is that proper?"


    "But if Yingying¡¯s dad goes, how am I going to explain it there? Won¡¯t that blow my cover? You should let me live a couple more years. The last time with the car accident I was so ragged and almost got busted, this time is sure to be a disaster."


    Lin Qiong glared, "I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ve already told my dad that you¡¯re coming with me. If you don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll just tell Yingying¡¯s dad that his son-in-law is my husband."


    Li Yifei looked at Lin Qiong through gritted teeth, but she met his gaze without a hint of backing down. In the end, he had no choice but to relent, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go."

 Chapter 532 - 542

    Chapter 532: 542The next day, someone from the city came to greet Lin Qiong, asking him to release Lin Sihao. However, Lin Qiong refused, saying the matter hadn¡¯t been fully investigated yet and things needed to be clearer before any release, neither agreeing nor completely rejecting the favor.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t have much of a scheming mind. Given her personality, encountering a spoiled young master like Lin Sihao who disregarded others¡¯ lives, she would want severe punishment. However, Li Yifei taught her not to be so direct. In the officialdom, there were many subtleties; being too rigid could lead to breakage, so she needed to learn to be a bit smooth.


    Moreover, he wanted to drag things out to force the Lin family to genuinely step forward, rather than just find someone to get Lin Sihao out. Because Lin Sihao was already threatening his family, Li Yifei had to deal with this kid to avoid future troubles.


    It was already the weekend, and Li Yifei had promised his daughter that he would take her to the beach. Even if there were other important matters, Li Yifei did not want to break his promise to his daughter, so he set off with her.


    Xu Yingying had lots of things going on that weekend and couldn¡¯t make time, so she didn¡¯t go along. Only Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao went with them.


    Li Yifei had actually wanted to find Su Yiyi too. He hadn¡¯t visited her recently, which made him feel quite guilty. However, he couldn¡¯t find the time. But Su Yiyi wouldn¡¯t come, fearing to meet any women related to Li Yifei other than Chu Xiaoyao. Yifei was helpless and could only tell Su Yiyi that he would find time in a couple of days to spend with her properly.


    On the island, little Li Yufei had even more fun. Having been there once before, she was already familiar with the place, letting her enjoy herself more freely.


    With two beauties accompanying him, Li Yifei was very content. After building a big sandcastle for his daughter, he gathered a few kids of the same age, and they played together, relieving Li Yifei and the others from needing to supervise them. Li Yifei lay on the beach while Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao started burying him in sand again.


    With Xu Yingying not around, these two dared to play more boldly. Every time Chu Xiaoyao tossed a handful of sand, she pretended to dust off her hands while actually touching Li Yifei inappropriately, clearly taking advantage. And though Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t as blatant as Chu Xiaoyao, her little hands occasionally poked or groped.


    Li Yifei had no way to deal with Xu Shanshan. If he attempted to stop her, he always ended up feeling humiliated and couldn¡¯t prevent it in the end. Since it couldn¡¯t be stopped, he chose to let it be. Fortunately, Xu Shanshan only played a bit of affectionate tease and didn¡¯t want to do anything more, unlike other women who sought emotional involvement. Moreover, she was wholeheartedly loyal to her sister, worried that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s relationship might have issues. Just for that, Li Yifei felt at ease with Xu Shanshan.


    Chu Xiaoyao grinned and said, "Sister Shanshan, today you can¡¯t go swimming with Uncle. I won¡¯t stay here alone."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes flustered immediately, and she replied, "Swimming? I didn¡¯t think about swimming. Isn¡¯t playing with the sand good enough?"


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Hmph, last time Yingying and I were watching Yufei here, and you ran off to swim with Uncle. That¡¯s not fair. Even if someone goes swimming, it should be my turn with Uncle this time."


    Li Yifei quickly looked at Xu Shanshan, who stuck out her tongue at him and gently pressed his head down, saying, "Don¡¯t move. If you move, the sand will fall."


    "Xu Shanshan..."


    "Hehe, no talking. Your belly moves when you talk. See, see, the sand fell."


    Xu Shanshan began evasively steering the conversation away, ignoring Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    Li Yifei glared at Xu Shanshan and inwardly sighed. No wonder Xu Shanshan said the time in the elevator wasn¡¯t the first time they kissed; it was because when he had swum in the sea with someone, it wasn¡¯t Xu Yingying but Xu Shanshan, yet he didn¡¯t realize it. He had thought it was his wife, Xu Yingying, so he naturally kissed and touched freely. Only now did he understand that it was his sister-in-law he had kissed and touched.


    And this sister-in-law didn¡¯t expose it then and even cooperated with him. This sister-in-law was truly a little monster. Fortunately, when Li Yifei proposed that request, Xu Shanshan refused, which was fortunate among misfortunes. Otherwise, who knows how it could have ended.


    Imagine if Xu Yingying found out he had a relationship with Xu Shanshan; she would have exploded in rage, and their divorce would be inevitable.


    But with Chu Xiaoyao here, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t reproach Xu Shanshan.


    "Auntie, Auntie, come quickly!" At this time, Li Yufei called out, making Chu Xiaoyao stand up immediately. Now, Li Yufei addressed her as Auntie.


    Xu Shanshan quickly jumped up too, saying, "I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go," and darted off, clearly not daring to face Li Yifei alone.


    Chu Xiaoyao paused, puzzlingly looking at Li Yifei, asking, "What¡¯s up with Sister Shanshan? She¡¯s not usually this eager."


    Naturally, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t tell Chu Xiaoyao about this matter. He thought no one could talk about it, so he smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry about her. Let her go if she wants to."


    The next day when they woke up, Xu Shanshan no longer avoided Li Yifei, giving him a chance to be alone with her.


    "Shanshan... that day, why did you..." Although he knew talking would be fruitless, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but want to discuss it with Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan smiled warmly at Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, you took advantage of me, and I haven¡¯t held it against you. What do you want to talk about?"


    Li Yifei was left speechless, rolling his eyes, saying, "If you¡¯d said you were Shanshan, would I have misbehaved with you?"


    "I just didn¡¯t want to say. I wanted to see if you really loved my sister or not, is that okay?"


    "But can you test it in another way?"


    "You can¡¯t catch a tiger without entering its den; you won¡¯t catch a villain without sacrificing something. If I didn¡¯t give anything, how would I know if you were really in love with my sister?"


    "You..." Li Yifei was left bewildered by Xu Shanshan¡¯s words. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan held Li Yifei¡¯s arm, shaking it lightly, and cheerfully said, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s really okay. I genuinely don¡¯t mind. As long as I know you and my sister are happy, I¡¯m happier than anything else. Look at me, I¡¯m not even upset that you¡¯re close with Xiaoyao, and I don¡¯t leak your secrets to my sister. Look how good I am to you, and why do you always find fault with me?"


    "Shanshan, but this thing between us... isn¡¯t it going a bit too far?"


    "It¡¯s fine; a sister-in-law is like half a wife to a brother-in-law. As long as we don¡¯t cross the line and don¡¯t make my sister sad, it¡¯s all good."


    "This..."


    "Besides, I quite like it. If you dare keep a distance from me, I¡¯ll tell my sister you kissed and touched me back then."


    "You..." Li Yifei widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "Giggling, just joking. Anyway, you¡¯re not losing anything, so why overthink it? Oh, I get it, Brother-in-law. You¡¯re thinking of taking both of us sisters, huh? Brother-in-law, that¡¯s too vile. I¡¯m warning you; you can take advantage, but you can¡¯t think like that."


    Watching Xu Shanshan say such things so righteously left Li Yifei stunned. How could someone speak so brazenly? This sister-in-law was indeed peculiar.


    "Shanshan, don¡¯t say such things randomly. You¡¯re going to kill your brother-in-law at this rate."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, hugging Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gently rocking it, sweetly saying, "Brother-in-law, you can¡¯t take what happened that day to heart."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t take it to heart." Li Yifei quickly surrendered, unable to handle his arm brushing against Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest.


    "I knew my brother-in-law was the best. Are we going swimming later?" Xu Shanshan blinked playfully.


    "Going again?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Xu Shanshan immediately burst into laughter, saying, "Brother-in-law, how could you say you¡¯re not thinking messy thoughts? I just said swimming, not like holding and kissing you as we did that day. What are you afraid of?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s teeth ground tightly. This sister-in-law seemed intent on driving him crazy. She had just mentioned that incident, and now swimming ¨C who wouldn¡¯t think astray?


    "Don¡¯t put on a sour face; I¡¯m just teasing. I know you see me as a real sister, just like I see you as a real brother. Some affection between brothers and sisters isn¡¯t a big deal, right?"


    "Well, of course, it¡¯s not an issue if it¡¯s not excessive. If it goes too far, it¡¯s hard to justify." Li Yifei refrained from saying the words "incest."


    Xu Shanshan, being sharp-witted, instantly caught his drift, giggling softly and saying, "Oh, that¡¯s true too. It¡¯s more comfortable being a brother-in-law and sister-in-law."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, realizing Xu Shanshan was determined to keep their flirtation going regardless of what he said.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m hungry; hurry and prepare something to eat. Xiaoyao, Yufei, food¡¯s ready!" Xu Shanshan laughed, running toward Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yufei.


    The three of them laughed together without Li Yifei knowing what they were discussing.


    Li Yifei shook his head repeatedly, having anticipated this outcome. However, he didn¡¯t expect Xu Shanshan would state the ambiguity between them so explicitly: it¡¯s no big deal, taking advantage is fine. Is there really such a sister-in-law in the world?


    Yet, Li Yifei encountered one. Moreover, this sister-in-law was the twin of her sister. The thought of it even made Li Yifei feel a bit hot inside.

 Chapter 533 - 543: Domineering

    Chapter 533: Chapter 543: DomineeringToday was Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s happiest day. She and Li Yifei finally made a breakthrough, and Li Yifei even started to touch her. On one hand, she was excited, and on the other, Li Yifei¡¯s technique was really good. The young girl hadn¡¯t even done much, and the climax suddenly arrived. Unable to hold back, she let out a sound.


    Li Yifei was startled and kissed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mouth, trying to stop her, but it was already too late. Xu Shanshan suddenly turned around.


    Li Yifei quickly stopped his actions, while Chu Xiaoyao was still in that state of extreme excitement and had no idea that Xu Shanshan was already awake. She twisted her body, wanting Li Yifei¡¯s hand to continue moving.


    "Giggle, brother-in-law, keep going. Can¡¯t you see how uncomfortable Xiaoyao is?" Xu Shanshan whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear inside the dark tent. Her voice was so soft that even Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t hear it.


    Li Yifei felt very awkward. Doing such a thing and being caught by Xu Shanshan on the spot was always uncomfortable.


    "Uncle, uncle, I¡¯m dying of discomfort, please help me," Chu Xiaoyao murmured beseechingly to Li Yifei, completely enraptured.


    Xu Shanshan whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear again, "Hurry up, how can you be so heartless? Just pretend I¡¯m asleep."


    Li Yifei was really speechless. How could he pretend she was asleep? But he was well aware that Xu Shanshan had certainly pretended to sleep today, trying to catch him and Chu Xiaoyao in the act. By that time, he wouldn¡¯t be able to blame her for what happened between them in the sea. This girl was really too cunning.


    Since it was like this, and this little misstep was caught by Xu Shanshan, not tending to Chu Xiaoyao at this moment would indeed be an act of great cruelty. So he simply went along with it, using his fingers to bring Chu Xiaoyao to that peak of extreme excitement.


    Although Chu Xiaoyao was very excited and tried hard to suppress herself, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a sound now and then. At this point, she could only proactively kiss Li Yifei¡¯s mouth to prevent Xu Shanshan from hearing. She still didn¡¯t know that Xu Shanshan was awake and knew everything.


    After Chu Xiaoyao reached her climax, she breathed heavily for a while, kissed Li Yifei again, and whispered, "Uncle, that was so amazing. Xiaoyao loves you to bits." Then her body shrank, wanting to go down and help Li Yifei release.


    Li Yifei quickly stopped Chu Xiaoyao. Puzzled, Chu Xiaoyao asked, "Uncle, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Your uncle feels embarrassed."


    Upon hearing Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice, Chu Xiaoyao was taken aback and said, "Sister Shanshan, you weren¡¯t asleep?"


    Xu Shanshan suddenly lay on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, pinched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cheek, and said with a giggle, "Xiaoyao, you really don¡¯t know what shame is, calling out so loud just now."


    Although Chu Xiaoyao usually had a bold personality and a thick skin, she was, after all, a girl. Being caught in such a situation by Xu Shanshan, she was so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a hole. She quickly buried her head into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, wiggling her body, and said, "Sister Shanshan, you¡¯re so bad, you¡¯re so bad."


    Xu Shanshan giggled again and said, "How can you blame me? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being so loud and waking me up."


    At that moment, Li Yifei only felt a soft sensation on his chest that was both comfortable and uncomfortable. That was precisely Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest pressing down on his. Except for that one mistaken identity incident, he hadn¡¯t had such intimate contact with Xu Shanshan. This left him with an indescribable feeling. He wanted to push Xu Shanshan away, but she and Chu Xiaoyao were joking around and seemed unaware of it. If he pushed Xu Shanshan, it would seem like he was being too obvious.


    "Shanshan, aren¡¯t you embarrassed? I¡¯m the uncle¡¯s mistress. It¡¯s normal for me to be intimate with him. How could you be eavesdropping?" After being teased by Xu Shanshan a couple of times, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shyness faded away, and she began to retaliate.


    These words hit the nail on the head, leaving Xu Shanshan speechless. Chu Xiaoyao grew more pleased with herself and simply hugged Li Yifei, saying, "I feel good, but Uncle hasn¡¯t yet. I still have to serve Uncle. Do you want to watch?"


    Xu Shanshan slid back away from Li Yifei, pouting, "Who has skin as thick as yours? Hmph, wait until I fall asleep before you continue. Don¡¯t pollute my ears."


    "Hee hee, Sister Shanshan feels embarrassed. What¡¯s the big deal? **** Right, right, Sister Shanshan doesn¡¯t even have a boyfriend yet, so she hasn¡¯t tasted this kind of pleasure. What a pity."


    Seeing Xu Shanshan at a loss for words, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile too. However, he didn¡¯t want Xu Shanshan to be too embarrassed, fearing it might strain Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan¡¯s relationship, which would ultimately make him the most uncomfortable. So he quickly gave Chu Xiaoyao a playful smack on the butt, saying, "Don¡¯t fool around, Shanshan is still your sister. Don¡¯t tease her anymore."


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said to Xu Shanshan, "Sister Shanshan, I¡¯m just joking around. Don¡¯t really get mad at me. I¡¯m thick-skinned and shameless."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯m going to sleep," Xu Shanshan grunted, regaining some face.


    Once Chu Xiaoyao experienced this kind of pleasure for the first time, she naturally found it irresistible. She waited patiently for over half an hour until Li Yifei was sure that Xu Shanshan had really fallen asleep. Only then did Chu Xiaoyao ask Li Yifei to let her experience that pleasure again. However, this time they controlled it well. When Chu Xiaoyao got too excited, Li Yifei kissed her small mouth, ensuring that she no longer made those provocative sounds.


    With Chu Xiaoyao satisfied, she served Li Yifei with extraordinary diligence, making Li Yifei feel very comfortable. Moreover, Chu Xiaoyao seemed to become more skillful and experienced in this area after experiencing the pleasure herself.


    The next day, Xu Shanshan no longer avoided Li Yifei, giving him a chance to be alone with her.


    "Shanshan... why did you do that the other day?" Although he knew it was futile, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but want to talk with Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei with a sly grin, "I must say, brother-in-law, you took advantage of me, and I haven¡¯t even held you accountable. What do you want to say to me?"


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words, rolling his eyes, and said, "If you had told me you were Shanshan, would I have dared to mess with you?"


    "I just didn¡¯t want to say it. I wanted to see if you¡¯re truly in love with my sister."


    "There¡¯s no need to watch it like that."


    "Without entering the tiger¡¯s den, how can you catch a tiger cub? If you¡¯re reluctant to part with your wife, how can you snare a rascal? Without a little sacrifice, how could I know if you and my sister are truly in love?"


    "You..." Li Yifei was rendered speechless by Xu Shanshan¡¯s words.


    Xu Shanshan clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gently rocking it back and forth, and said with a playful smile, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s alright, I really don¡¯t mind. As long as I know you¡¯re doing well with my sister, I¡¯m happier than anything. Look at me, I don¡¯t hinder you with Xiaoyao, nor do I tell on you to my sister. I¡¯m so good to you, yet you keep finding fault with me."


    "Shanshan, but between us... this is going too far."


    "It¡¯s nothing. A sister-in-law is like half a brother-in-law, right? As long as we don¡¯t go overboard and don¡¯t make my sister sad, it¡¯s fine."


    "That..."


    "Anyway, I quite like it. If you dare to keep your distance from me or something, I¡¯ll tell my sister about you touching and kissing me that day."


    "You..." Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Giggle, just kidding. In any case, you¡¯re not losing out. Why worry so much? Ah, I get it, you have feelings for me, you want to have both sisters at the same time. Brother-in-law, your thoughts are too lascivious. I¡¯m warning you, you can take advantage of me, but you absolutely can¡¯t have such thoughts."


    Looking at Xu Shanshan¡¯s upright and serious expression as she said those words, Li Yifei was dumbfounded. How could such things be said so matter-of-factly? This sister-in-law was really unique!


    "Shanshan, don¡¯t say such things lightly. This could get your brother-in-law in big trouble."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, rocked it gently, and said in a soft voice, "Brother-in-law, you must not take what happened that day to heart."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t take it to heart," Li Yifei quickly conceded, unable to endure the constant brushing against Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest with his arm.


    "I always knew that brother-in-law is the best. So shall we go swimming later?" Xu Shanshan blinked her eyes.


    "Swimming again?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Xu Shanshan burst into laughter and said, "Brother-in-law, you dare say you don¡¯t have any inappropriate thoughts? I just mentioned swimming, without saying it would be like that day when you embraced and kissed me, so what are you afraid of?"


    Li Yifei gritted his teeth. This sister-in-law was trying to drive him crazy, wasn¡¯t she? She brought up swimming right after they talked about this matter. Anyone would look at it sideways, right? S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t make that face, I¡¯m just teasing you. I know brother-in-law has always seen me as a real sister, and I see you as a real brother too. So, don¡¯t you think the closeness between a brother and sister is no big deal?"


    "This... it¡¯s no big deal if it¡¯s not excessive, but if it is, then it¡¯s incomprehensible." Li Yifei didn¡¯t utter the words ¡¯incest.¡¯


    Clever and mischievous, Xu Shanshan immediately caught on and chuckled, "Ah, you¡¯re right. Then, it¡¯s better for a brother-in-law and sister-in-law to be free with each other."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes. Apparently, Xu Shanshan intended to keep the flirtation between them going regardless of what he said.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m hungry. Hurry up and rustle something up. Xiaoyao, Yufei, it¡¯s time to eat!" Xu Shanshan disregarded Li Yifei, laughing, and dashed toward Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yufei.


    Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yufei, and Xu Shanshan gathered together, chatting about something that made all three giggle.


    Li Yifei shook his head repeatedly. Although he had anticipated such an outcome, he hadn¡¯t expected Xu Shanshan to spell out the ambiguous relationship between them even more plainly. Essentially, she was saying they could keep things flirtatious without crossing the line. Are there any other sisters-in-law like this in the world?


    But Li Yifei encountered one, and this happened to be a twin sister to the elder sister. This thought left Li Yifei feeling oddly warm inside.

 Chapter 534 - 546 Lin Qiong’s Pressure

    Chapter 534: Chapter 546 Lin Qiong¡¯s PressureToday, playing on the island didn¡¯t run into any more trouble, and everyone had a great time. After having lunch here, we then headed back home. In fact, apart from the headache that Xu Shanshan caused him, Li Yifei truly enjoyed such a life. Going to work on weekdays and spending weekends with his wife and kids¡ªa simple and safe life¡ªthat was the greatest happiness.


    But he knew there were still many things preventing him from having a simple life. Only by resolving those issues could he truly live as ordinarily as he wished.


    However, these issues weren¡¯t so easy to resolve, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have called over some of the mercenaries. He had never intended to mobilize them again before, hoping to step back from the organization to some extent.


    When he got home, Xu Yingying was already there. After chatting for a while, Chu Xiaoyao said, "Uncle, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve visited Sister Yiyi. Shall we go see her today and see if she¡¯s doing alright?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly became a picture of embarrassment as he looked towards Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying also looked at Li Yifei and said lightly, "Then you guys should go."


    Li Yifei felt incredibly guilty. Asking his wife for permission to visit another woman, even though before marrying Xu Yingying he had told her about Su Yiyi and admitted he couldn¡¯t let go of his feelings for her, now, his feelings for Xu Yingying were deepening, and he couldn¡¯t be as candid as before.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s guilt, Xu Yingying felt somewhat relieved. It indicated that Li Yifei cared more and more about her, about her feelings, and about her attitude. This was progress.


    She smiled a little and said, "Go ahead, I¡¯m not angry."


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and said, "Let¡¯s change it to another day."


    Still smiling, Xu Yingying said, "No need, if you don¡¯t go today, Xiaoyao might think I prohibited it and then I¡¯d seem like a villain."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s neck excitedly and said, "Sister Yingying, you¡¯re really the best. I promise, I¡¯ll listen to you from now on, and so will Sister Yiyi, she¡¯s even better behaved and will surely listen to everything you say."


    Xu Yingying gently slapped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand away and scolded playfully, "Weren¡¯t you always supporting Ning Xin¡¯er before?"


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t let me be with Uncle. If I had known you were this nice, I would have supported you from the start."


    "You little traitor." Xu Yingying teased with a smile.


    "No way, actually I think Sister Xin¡¯er is quite good too. She even had a child for Uncle. You might as well agree to it."


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "Now you¡¯re really getting ahead of yourself here. Do you think that Ning Xin¡¯er can be like you and Yiyi?"


    "That... I can¡¯t..." Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue again.


    "I might let it slide with you and Yiyi because you pose no threat to me. But if one day you, little traitor, get any other ideas, I¡¯ll kick you out just the same."


    "No way, no way, how could I be so ungrateful? You¡¯ll always be Uncle¡¯s wife, and me? I¡¯m content to be the other woman."


    "Enough with the flattery, hurry up and go."


    Chu Xiaoyao hugged Xu Yingying, planting a big kiss on her face before excitedly jumping up and dragging Li Yifei out the door.


    "Wife..." Li Yifei hesitated in his steps, looking towards Xu Yingying.


    "Go on. Don¡¯t come back tonight, I¡¯ll take Yifei to kindergarten tomorrow morning."


    Li Yifei opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say to Xu Yingying. Her generosity left him at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Chu Xiaoyao had already dragged him out the door.


    The Lin family!


    Old man Lin slammed his hand on the table and raged, "This is outrageous, can¡¯t handle such a small matter properly."


    The four Lin brothers stood before the old man with anger etched on their faces. Lin Zhengyong, the second eldest and father of Lin Sihao, frowned and said, "Dad, there¡¯s something fishy about this case. Even if Sihao¡¯s kidnapping accusation is true, I had already asked our contacts in the Public Security Bureau of the provincial city to give Mile City a heads-up. Yet they¡¯re still dragging their feet and not releasing him. I¡¯m sure someone is backing them up in Mile City; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t dare to offend our Lin family like this."


    The old man Lin snorted and retorted, "You fools, and Sihao even more so. Not only is he messing up such a simple matter, but he also got himself arrested. How have you been raising him?"


    Lin Zhengyong repeatedly acknowledged his fault and added, "Dad, it¡¯s not entirely Sihao¡¯s fault. I¡¯ve figured it out. What angered Sihao the most was the Ye family calling off the engagement and that Ye Yunzhu ended up with some guy from Dreamfly Company. What infuriated him even more was that this guy stuffed him into a trash bin, a clear sign of no respect for our Lin family. So, Sihao took some men to kidnap that guy as payback. This shouldn¡¯t have been a big deal, but he was unfortunately caught by the police in Mile City."


    After a pause, Lin Zhengyong continued, "That Dreamfly Company belongs to Su Mengxin from Capital City. We now suspect that Li Yifei is Su Mengxin¡¯s man, and with her backing, that¡¯s why the folks in Mile City refuse to release him."


    The old man Lin did not utter a word; he had already considered this angle. Although the incident related to Ye Yunzhu, he did not believe the Ye family would directly challenge the Lin family. The two families were of comparable strength, with the Lin family being slightly superior. A direct conflict with the Lin family would be suicidal and utterly advantageous for the Ye family.


    Moreover, while others might not know why Ye Yunzhu broke off the engagement with Lin Sihao, he was well aware. The old master of the Ye family had sought his forgiveness by confiding that Ye Yunzhu was pregnant with someone else¡¯s child, and aborting the baby would leave her infertile. Such a woman was not someone the Lin family could accept.


    At this point, Lin Zhengyong, the eldest son, spoke up, "Dad, no matter the reason, we must get Sihao out. It concerns the face of our Lin family. If we don¡¯t secure Sihao¡¯s release, what will other families think of us?"


    The old man Lin harrumphed and ordered, "Naturally, Sihao must be released. Now, apply pressure on the Municipal Bureau Chief of Mile City immediately."


    Lin Zhengyong promptly agreed and began making arrangements on his phone.


    Since becoming the Deputy Director, Lin Qiong had never felt such immense pressure. In the past few days, calls from influential figures kept pouring in¡ªone more untouchable than the next. Yet that bastard Li Yifei had dumped the whole mess onto her, leaving her at her wit¡¯s end.


    And today, she was directly summoned by Ning Changzheng, the Municipal Bureau Chief.


    "Little Lin, how¡¯s the job going? I¡¯ve heard all about it; promoting you was certainly no mistake," Ning Changzheng began with praise as soon as she entered.


    Lin Qiong hastily replied, "Director Ning, I still have much to learn and many areas where I lack understanding. I am too young."


    Ning Changzheng chuckled and said, "Being young is normal, lacking experience. By the way, you¡¯re handling Lin Sihao¡¯s case. What are your thoughts? Tell me."


    Lin Qiong knew Ning Changzheng had sought her out for this very issue and gave a wry smile, "Director Ning, the evidence of Lin Sihao¡¯s kidnapping is quite substantial, enough for a conviction."


    Ning Changzheng tapped his fingers lightly on the desk before speaking, "Little Lin, are you aware of Lin Sihao¡¯s background?"


    "I¡¯m aware, he is from the Lin family of the provincial city. The Lin family has been putting a lot of pressure on me lately. I didn¡¯t even know such families existed before this. Only now do I realize there are indeed families with such immense power."


    Ning Changzheng nodded and explained, "These families have been established over many years, and they have extensive networks within various government sectors. Even if their family members in official positions are few, they still wield significant influence over the government. Little Lin, is there a way to downplay this case a bit?"


    Clenching her fists, Lin Qiong countered, "Director Ning, with the evidence against Lin Sihao so conclusive, if I fail to bring him to justice simply because he¡¯s from a prominent family¡ªand let him off the hook¡ªthat would only embolden him and others to act recklessly. That wouldn¡¯t be good for the long-term stability of our society."


    Ning Changzheng gave a wry smile and said, "Of course, I understand that, and I also know this is a conflict between him and Li Yifei. This is basically a fight between two deities, and it¡¯s making it difficult for us in the middle."


    "What? Li Yifei is a deity?" Lin Qiong was startled, thinking Ning Changzheng knew of Li Yifei as the mysterious person.


    "Oh, you don¡¯t know?" Ning Changzheng smiled and shared, "Li Yifei is no simple character. He¡¯s Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, and the real person in charge of Dreamfly Company in Mile City is actually him. You must know about Su Mengxin, right? China¡¯s number one beauty, with considerable influence in Capital City, she is by no means someone the Lin family can match." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Li Yifei is Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin?" Hearing this, Lin Qiong¡¯s expression turned very odd. This guy really had multiple identities¡ªnot only was he extremely capable, but he also had such a significant background.


    "That¡¯s why this case is difficult. Logically, Li Yifei has the stronger background, but since the Lin family is from our province and so well-connected, their influence over us is greater since we all work in Mile City. Even if we were transferred, we couldn¡¯t leave the province, so the Lin family holds more sway over us. If we seriously offend them, it will cause us great trouble at work later," Ning Changzheng explained.


    Furrowing her brow and standing tall, Lin Qiong declared, "Director Ning, I don¡¯t want to know what backgrounds they have. All I know is this: whoever breaks the law, I will apprehend. We stick to that principle, and I refuse to believe anyone can do anything to us."


    With a sigh, Ning Changzheng suggested, "Ah, there are many intricacies in officialdom. Little Lin, perhaps we can mediate between the two parties. Let¡¯s have the Lin family and Li Yifei sit down and talk. Let them decide how to resolve this in the end."


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 Chapter 535 - 547: Just Not Giving You Face

    Chapter 535: Chapter 547: Just Not Giving You FaceAt Lin Qiong¡¯s home, she shared the news with Li Yifei and then stared at him, saying, "Impressive, you little brat actually turn out to be some big shot from Capital City, and here you are playing the fool to catch the wise."


    Li Yifei touched his nose and said, "Can I say that this identity of mine is fake?"


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "Yeah, sure, all your identities are fake. Then tell me, what is your real identity?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "I¡¯m the Chairman of the United Nations."


    "Buzz off, not a single word is serious. But since you¡¯re supposedly some Young Master from Capital City, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re very wealthy? You bastard, last time when I went to investigate a smuggling case, you didn¡¯t give me a dime and even told me to go scam money from my parents. You¡¯re utterly despicable."


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and said, "I really didn¡¯t have any money on me at the time."


    "I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m your woman now, and you should at least give me a few million for my spending."


    "Get lost, millions, do you think I¡¯m an ATM? Besides, you¡¯re now the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau, how can you be short of money?"


    "Nonsense, how much is my salary anyway? I¡¯m not corrupt or taking anything I shouldn¡¯t, where would I get extra money? Come on, give me some living expenses."


    As she spoke, Lin Qiong tackled Li Yifei onto the couch, and he chuckled, "Hey little miss, can¡¯t you be a bit subtler? You¡¯re really acting like a mistress here."


    "Get lost, I won¡¯t be your mistress. If I were to do it, I¡¯d be your wife. Divorce your wife and then marry me."


    "No way!" Li Yifei slapped Lin Qiong¡¯s butt in annoyance.


    "Hmph, then you¡¯re just taking advantage of me for nothing. I¡¯ve been with you, and now you just want to dump me and deny everything."


    "Every time it¡¯s you forcing me, okay? I¡¯m already being nice not asking you for living expenses."


    The two bantered for a while, and after Lin Qiong had her way with Li Yifei again, she put on her clothes and then spoke seriously, "What are you planning to do about this matter?"


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "It¡¯s simple, I must deal with Lin Sihao. Just locking him up for a few years would let him off too easy. Otherwise, he will only end up worse. Anyone who wants to mess with my family, I definitely won¡¯t let them off lightly."


    "That¡¯s pretty domineering. I like it. Alright then, no matter who comes to plead, I¡¯m not releasing him."


    "Right, but if the Lin family wants to meet me, then let them come see me."


    "I really want to see what it¡¯s like when you, this Young Master from Capital City, negotiate with those guys. The world is truly crazy. I just randomly picked a man, and he turned out to be Mr. Tall, Rich and Handsome."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "So is that your good luck or mine?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course it¡¯s your good luck. Don¡¯t you know how hard it is to find a virgin these days? You¡¯ve definitely scored big time."


    Li Yifei actually quite liked Lin Qiong¡¯s personality. As her rank increased, her way of speaking became more direct and bold, yet her sense of righteousness never diminished. Although she always talked about marrying her, she never really clung to Li Yifei. She only called for him when there was an issue, taking the opportunity to get close to him. So when Li Yifei was with her, he never felt any pressure.


    "By the way, how have you and Michelle been lately?" As they were both about to leave, Lin Qiong turned to ask Li Yifei.


    "Same as before, colleagues and good friends."


    "You, you, I¡¯ll remind you once again, don¡¯t you dare mess with Michelle. Now you¡¯ve got a wife, and there¡¯s Chu Xiaoyao, and then there¡¯s Su Yiyi, geez, and Ye Yunzhu too. You already have your hands full. If you go stirring up trouble with Michelle, I¡¯ll castrate you."


    Li Yifei, exasperated, said, "I won¡¯t, I¡¯m well aware of how messed up my current situation is. Getting involved with Michelle now would just be harming her."


    "I¡¯m just worried that girl¡¯s too na?ve. Don¡¯t let her gentle exterior fool you; she can be incredibly stubborn. Once she¡¯s fixed on something, not even eight bulls can pull her back."


    Although Lin Qiong¡¯s assessment of Michelle might have been a bit exaggerated, Li Yifei knew very well that Michelle was indeed a very determined girl. Although she didn¡¯t behave in any special way towards him now, every time she saw him, her adoring gaze almost melted him.


    That very night, Li Yifei met with Lin Zhengyong, Lin Sihao¡¯s father.


    The two sat in a teahouse, accompanied by Ning Changzheng and Lin Qiong, the mediators, and Ye Yunzhu sat beside Li Yifei.


    Lin Zhengyong kept watching Li Yifei, having learned from Ning Changzheng that Yifei was actually Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, which had given the Lin family an enormous headache. Therefore, he now dropped his arrogant demeanor and looked at Yifei with a calm expression.


    "Young Master Li, on behalf of my son Sihao, I offer you an apology. Young people can be impulsive in their actions, and he has already been detained for a few days, which has served as a lesson. Might you consider letting him off the hook?"


    Lin Zhengyong¡¯s attitude was already very humble.


    Li Yifei leisurely sipped his tea and looked at Lin Zhengyong, saying, "I only want to ask Mr. Lin, if I were not Young Master Li, just an ordinary person, what would you have done then?"


    Lin Zhengyong¡¯s breath hitched¡ªif Yifei were just an ordinary person, they would certainly have forced him to agree and would have given him a hard time.


    Yifei said indifferently, "I think if I were just an ordinary person, then your Lin family would definitely not let me off, nor would you be sitting here talking with me like this, right?"


    Lin Zhengyong took a deep breath and said, "Young Master Li, indeed, it is our Sihao who is in the wrong here. If Young Master Li has any requests, please feel free to make them. Our Lin family will definitely provide compensation."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Ye Yunzhu and said softly, "Yunzhu is my person, and Lin Sihao not only wanted to deal with me but also with Yunzhu. Such a ruthless person will not be content after getting out; I think he might as well stay in prison for a few more years to temper his arrogance and reflect properly, to prevent him from causing even more trouble for your Lin family in the future."


    Lin Zhengyong was shocked and abruptly stood up, saying, "Young Master Li, are you determined not to let Sihao off?"


    Li Yifei did not even lift his head, his fingers playing with the teacup as he spoke slowly, "That¡¯s right, I do not wish to let him off. No matter who it is, if they clash with me, I can overlook it, but if anyone dares to target my family or the people around me, then I will definitely not show mercy."


    Lin Zhengyong clenched his fists tightly and said, "Young Master Li, you haven¡¯t been injured, and Yunzhu wasn¡¯t harmed either. Our Lin family has already said we will compensate you. Can¡¯t you let bygones be bygones?"


    Li Yifei slowly shook his head and said, "That¡¯s right, and another piece of advice for the Lin family, manage your own children properly. Although your Lin family¡¯s power is not weak, if the family is filled with such worthless young masters, then your Lin family is on its way to decline."


    Lin Zhengyong felt a surge of anger rush to his head and almost slammed the table in fury, but Yifei¡¯s status made him dare not to act so. In this province, their Lin family could indeed dismiss the vast majority of people, but if they were to openly defy the Su Family from the Capital City, it would no doubt be a futile effort.


    "Today, my meeting with you was a reminder not to let such vast family business ruin in the hands of such a scoundrel," Yifei said again indifferently, then stood up, wrapped an arm around Ye Yunzhu¡¯s shoulder, and walked out.


    Lin Qiong watched Yifei flaunting his closeness with another woman right in front of her, which didn¡¯t sit well with her, yet she also felt that Yifei was truly domineering. Lin Zhengyong was a high-ranking official in the province, and even the Municipal Party Secretary of Mile City would have to curry favor with him, but Yifei just wouldn¡¯t give him face and even carried an intimidating tone. That was impressively brazen.


    However, at this moment, it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for her to follow them out, so she stayed behind with Ning Changzheng.


    At this time, Ning Changzheng looked at Lin Zhengyong and said, "Deputy Director Lin, how do you propose we handle this matter?"


    Lin Zhengyong took several deep breaths, slowly calming down his restless emotions, before saying, "Handle it normally." Then, with a swing of his arm, he too left.


    Ning Changzheng gave a wry smile, looked at Lin Qiong, and said, "It seems the arm from the Capital City is still thicker."


    Lin Qiong raised her head and asserted, "If Lin Sihao broke the law, then he should be dealt with in this way." Inside, though, she was filled with boundless pride¡ªno matter if Yifei was with Ye Yunzhu, Yifei was still her man.


    Ye Yunzhu got into the car with Li Yifei and said with a smile, "So you¡¯re the Young Master from the Capital City, truly remarkable." Others might not know of Yifei¡¯s past, but how could she not? Of course, she knew that Yifei¡¯s identity as the Young Master from the Capital City was fake.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It was Su Mengxin who saddled me with this identity. Whether I have such a background or not, you should know."


    Ye Yunzhu pouted and suddenly stretched out a hand to pinch Li Yifei¡¯s ear, glaring as she demanded, "What exactly is your relationship with Su Mengxin?"


    "What relationship could I have with her? We¡¯re just good friends," Li Yifei hurriedly explained with a pained expression.


    "Good friends? You¡¯re fooling ghosts? Good friends would give you so many benefits, pretty much gifting you a company, and always covering for you. When we went to the Capital City, she even particularly came to pick us up in her car. Would someone of her stature do all that for just a friend?"


    "Yunzhu, you should think about who Mengxin is, how could she be involved with me? We really are just friends," he protested.


    "Really? You didn¡¯t sleep with her, did you?"


    "No, absolutely not! I wouldn¡¯t dare," he denied vehemently.


    "As if there¡¯s anything you wouldn¡¯t dare to do. Ning Xin¡¯er isn¡¯t easy to mess with either, and yet you managed to get her pregnant, didn¡¯t you?"


    "But I really have nothing to do with Su Mengxin, I don¡¯t understand why you always suspect there¡¯s something between Mengxin and me," Li Yifei complained, somewhat irritated. Yunzhu was not the only one who doubted his relationship with Su Mengxin. How could Mengxin possibly fancy him? It was a ludicrous thought.

 Chapter 536 - 548 Ghost Girl Chu Xiaoyao

    Chapter 536: Chapter 548 Ghost Girl Chu Xiaoyaofre§×webno?el.comFor everyone who doubted the relationship between him and Su Mengxin, Li Yifei found it amusing. Even if Su Mengxin got along well with him, Li Yifei just thought that it was only because they clicked well, or maybe Su Mengxin found a kind of lifestyle and happiness with Li Yifei that she hadn¡¯t experienced before, which had nothing to do with feelings at all.


    Ye Yunzhu was also quite busy at this time. Li Yifei gave her a few more reminders, telling her not to drink and not to work too hard, which made Ye Yunzhu leave very happily.


    The matter with the Lin family was temporarily settled. He used the identity of Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, which was enough to suppress the Lin family. They¡¯d better not release Lin Sihao from prison too early. With Lin Sihao¡¯s character, he definitely wouldn¡¯t give up easily. In that case, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t handle him as gently as this time, and he might even make him disappear from this world.


    That night, when Xu Yingying came home, she had a pout on her lips, which was quite unusual. Li Yifei immediately asked, "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong? Did someone bully you?"


    Xu Shanshan huffed and puffed, saying, "No one bullied me. It¡¯s just that the school wants me to take the class out for a performance, and I¡¯ll be away for half a month."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Isn¡¯t that a good thing? It shows that your class is doing well."


    "The class is doing fine, but I don¡¯t want to go. It¡¯s so comfortable at home. It¡¯s too hard outside. At home, my brother-in-law cooks for me and massages my feet in the evening. Outside, no one takes care of me."


    Xu Yingying said to Xu Shanshan in a huff, "Do you have to take your brother-in-law everywhere you go?"


    "Alright, why don¡¯t you come with me, brother-in-law?" Xu Shanshan immediately clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm and gently shook it.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened instantly. "You little girl, can you behave? Can¡¯t you tell what¡¯s good from bad?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "That¡¯s not my fault. I ignore the bad part and only listen to the good."


    "You..." Xu Yingying was left speechless. The greatest skill of this sister of hers was being a shameless rogue, and as her older sister, she was powerless against her. She said, "Your brother-in-law has to work, and he also has to take care of Yifei at home. You¡¯re quite grown up. What are you scared of going out for? Besides, you have your colleagues from work, don¡¯t act like a child."


    Li Yifei also laughed, "Alright, just go by yourself and have fun. If you lack money, just tell your brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan pouted a little unhappily and went off to talk to Yifei.


    In the evening, Li Yifei was giving Xu Shanshan a foot massage, while Chu Xiaoyao lay on Li Yifei¡¯s back watching TV. The other day, Shanshan had caught her being affectionate with Li Yifei; now, she was unrestrained in front of Shanshan but behaved in front of Xu Yingying.


    "Smelly brother-in-law, do you wish I wouldn¡¯t stay at home?" Xu Shanshan kicked Li Yifei at this moment, pouting heavily.


    "There¡¯s no such thing. Why wouldn¡¯t I want you to stay at home?" Li Yifei laughed in explanation, though he actually thought so in his heart. If this sister-in-law was out, he¡¯d have much more ease.


    "You¡¯re lying. Look at how happy you¡¯re smiling. You clearly want me to go. Brother-in-law, be honest, do you think I¡¯m a nuisance?"


    Li Yifei wanted to say that it was indeed inconvenient for a sister-in-law to stay with her sister and brother-in-law, but seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s aggrieved expression, how could he dare say that? He squeezed Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot gently, saying, "I¡¯m laughing because you¡¯re still like a child, worrying about going out, needing an adult to accompany. If Shanshan were not at home, wouldn¡¯t there be less fun? I¡¯m even thinking if Shanshan gets married one day, your sister and I will feel lost for quite a while."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan exclaimed excitedly.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true."


    Xu Shanshan swung her little feet happily. "Hee hee, I knew brother-in-law was the best. Then, I won¡¯t get married for life and will stay with you forever." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao, with her head resting on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, turned to look at Xu Shanshan with a giggle. "Sister Shanshan, so you always wanted to be the old man¡¯s woman?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Xiaoyao, I won¡¯t lie to you. If my sister hadn¡¯t acted first, your uncle would have been my man. But this is my sister. If it were someone else, I¡¯d have taken brother-in-law away early on."


    Chu Xiaoyao blinked, "It can still work now. Sisters sharing a husband, the old man would be very happy."


    Xu Shanshan shook her head, sighed, "Not anymore, my sister is brother-in-law¡¯s wife now. If I come in, my sister won¡¯t agree, and she¡¯s my own sister. I can¡¯t upset her; sisterhood is for a lifetime."


    Chu Xiaoyao kept giggling, "What¡¯s wrong with that? Real sisters, all the more you share the old man, you¡¯ll be closer."


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s blackened face and laughed, "Don¡¯t frighten your uncle anymore. Although brother-in-law is great, being a sister-in-law is more fun, being a woman isn¡¯t."


    Li Yifei felt relieved about Xu Shanshan¡¯s way of thinking. He patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot, "Exactly, only you, this sister-in-law, can bully me every day."


    "Exactly, exactly, I just want to bully you forever. I don¡¯t want you to bully me. Look at my sister. Where¡¯s all her previous authority? And Xiaoyao, always flattery with you, so dull."


    Chu Xiaoyao protested, "You don¡¯t understand how good the old man is. I just love to flatter him. Old man, would you like Xiaoyao to serve you tonight? I secretly noticed that Sister Yingying is on her period."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly, "Can you do nothing else all day?"


    "Giggle, I¡¯m doing nothing but keeping an eye on this."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat, "Don¡¯t babble nonsense in front of Shanshan."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said no more. Xu Shanshan pouted, and it was unclear why she was unhappy again.


    After ten o¡¯clock, when everyone was about to sleep, Xu Yingying said she would sleep with her daughter. Li Yifei quickly whispered, "Honey, being with you isn¡¯t necessarily for that. Let¡¯s still sleep together."


    Xu Yingying said softly, "Xiaoyao will soon be going to college. Stay with her."


    Chu Xiaoyao originally wanted to enroll at Mile City University. Nonetheless, under the persuasion of Li Yifei and Su Yiyi, the girl chose the same school as Zhou Xiaoyue, a reputable one in the provincial capital. After school started, she would stay there, so Xu Yingying had been quite indulgent with Chu Xiaoyao lately, while also reminding Li Yifei not to do anything overboard.


    "Well... Yingying, let¡¯s forget it." Li Yifei still shook his head. At home, fooling around with Chu Xiaoyao was always behind Xu Yingying¡¯s back, and if Xu Yingying was around, Chu Xiaoyao was well-behaved. Now, suddenly staying together, it felt uncomfortable to Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glance, opened the door, and Chu Xiaoyao almost stumbled in. "Don¡¯t eavesdrop; come in."


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue, "Sister Yingying, I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping, I just passed by, just by."


    Xu Yingying lightly flicked Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head, "Alright, come in. I¡¯ll sleep with my daughter tonight."


    "Sister Yingying..." Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened, as she threw herself into Xu Yingying¡¯s arms, holding her waist and sobbing.


    "Xiaoyao... What¡¯s wrong?" Xu Yingying was flustered, not expecting Chu Xiaoyao to cry.


    Chu Xiaoyao cried and looked up at Xu Yingying, "Sister Yingying, you¡¯re so good to me. Even my mom isn¡¯t so good to me. When I thought my mom and dad were dead and uncle married you, I thought I wouldn¡¯t have a home again. But Sister Yingying, you haven¡¯t driven me away and treat me like this, I really appreciate you."


    Xu Yingying saw the tears in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes and her pitiful look, feeling a pang in her heart. She gently stroked Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head, speaking softly, "Don¡¯t cry, this is your home too."


    "Sister Yingying, thank you!" Chu Xiaoyao hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s waist tightly once more before letting go, then stole a glance at Li Yifei, her face blushing shyly.


    "Okay, I¡¯m going to sleep now; you two sleep too." Xu Yingying patted Chu Xiaoyao on the shoulder and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.


    Chu Xiaoyao suddenly threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, pulling him onto the bed with her. "Uncle, this is so good, now I can sleep with you at home."


    Li Yifei hugged her shoulder briefly, "Then sleep well."


    "Mm." Chu Xiaoyao let go of Li Yifei, quickly stripped off her clothes, and lay on the bed, pulling the quilt over herself with delight. "This is your and Sister Yingying¡¯s bed, so comfortable."


    This bed and the one next door were the same, with no difference in sleeping comfort; the main thing was the feeling in the young girl¡¯s heart. Sleeping here might give her a sense of gaining access to an inner sanctum.


    As Li Yifei lay down undressed, Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "Was my act earlier well-done? Sister Yingying won¡¯t feel bad anymore."


    "Were you pretending just now?" Li Yifei widened his eyes at Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao said bashfully, "Half and half. Sister Yingying has been so kind to me; I¡¯m truly grateful, and I genuinely miss my parents."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words. This girl was too sneaky, using such tactics. Still, he had to admit, her performance indeed made Xu Yingying far more natural than when she spoke to him earlier.


    In the next room, Xu Yingying, while holding on to Li Yifei¡¯s heart, was also watching Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s every move, unknowingly using her own way to protect her status.

 Chapter 537 - 549 The Father-in-law Has Arrived

    Chapter 537: Chapter 549 The Father-in-law Has ArrivedIn the next two days, Chu Xiaoyao was all about pleasing Xu Yingying. Whenever Xu Yingying was working, Xiaoyao was there to serve her tea and water, and if Yingying decided to take a seat in the living room, Xiaoyao would be at her side, massaging her legs and shoulders.


    Actually, Xu Yingying was quite uncomfortable with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei. Which woman could feel comfortable seeing her husband in bed with another woman? However, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s actions had somewhat eased her discomfort.


    "You know, Xiaoyao, you don¡¯t have to do this. You¡¯re acting like a maidservant from ancient times attending to her master," Yingying said.


    Chu Xiaoyao gave Xu Yingying a sweet smile and said, "I am akin to a concubine from the olden days. I must serve you, the chief wife, well, otherwise, you could send me away with just one word."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t send you away," Yingying conceded.


    "But that¡¯s not good enough. You have been so kind to me, I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. If I didn¡¯t serve you well, I¡¯d feel guilty," Xiaoyao insisted.


    Li Yifei found Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s behavior both amusing and exasperating, but he still said to Xu Yingying, "Just let her do it."


    Xu Yingying shot Li Yifei a look and said, "You are the one who should be serving me! Come here and massage my feet too. I¡¯ve been wearing high heels all day, and I¡¯m quite tired."


    "Yes, ma¡¯am!" Li Yifei immediately came over and massaged Xu Yingying¡¯s feet, which made Xu Shanshan laugh with a snort from the side, "I¡¯ll say, big sis, you¡¯re really living it up. You¡¯re quite the madam now. Maybe my brother-in-law should bring a couple more women home, then you¡¯d be even more comfortable."


    Xu Yingying replied indignantly, "That¡¯s some bad advice you¡¯re giving there."


    Xu Shanshan laughed heartily, then winked at Li Yifei, leaving the meaning behind her gesture a mystery.


    "By the way, honey, my parents called today saying they would arrive here tomorrow," Yingying mentioned.


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Is something the matter?"


    "Nothing in particular. They just said they wanted to visit an old army buddy this weekend and decided to stop by our place first on Thursday," Yingying explained.


    Li Yifei suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "That means they¡¯re going to Lin Qiong¡¯s father¡¯s place. It¡¯s Lin Qiong¡¯s father¡¯s birthday this weekend, and she has asked me to keep pretending to be her boyfriend. If our parents go there, wouldn¡¯t that blow my cover?"


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "You¡¯re still going to pretend to be Lin Qiong¡¯s boyfriend?"


    Li Yifei suddenly felt guilty and coughed awkwardly, "Didn¡¯t I just help her crack a case a few days ago? She told me she still hasn¡¯t revealed the truth to her parents."


    Xu Yingying, slightly dissatisfied, said, "What is Lin Qiong thinking? Knowing that I¡¯m married to you, she still asks you to go. Isn¡¯t that just asking for trouble? When the time comes, will you be my parents¡¯ son-in-law or her boyfriend?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately raised her little fists and said, "Exactly, Sister Yingying is your wife, how can you foolishly agree to such requests from others? Uncle, you must apologize to Sister Yingying." With other women around, Chu Xiaoyao was unwaveringly on Xu Yingying¡¯s side now; Yingying¡¯s willingness to let her and Li Yifei stay together for the past two days had completely won Xiaoyao over.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Yingying, then I¡¯ll find an excuse not to go."


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment and then replied, "That¡¯s probably for the best, otherwise it would never be justifiable. I wouldn¡¯t mind too much if we got found out, but it would be embarrassing for my parents, and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents would be extremely uncomfortable. It wouldn¡¯t be doing Lin Qiong any favors; it would actually be sabotaging her."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded vigorously, "Look how thoughtful Sister Yingying is. That Lin Qiong is just a fool."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Lin Qiong has helped you a lot in the past."


    "Hehe, with other things, I wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for her. But on this matter, I am resolutely on Yingying¡¯s side. Any person Yingying doesn¡¯t like, I will resolutely dislike too," Xiaoyao said playfully.


    Xu Yingying then playfully slapped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand away, scolding, "Stop trying to please me like that. When my parents come, you¡¯ll have to leave."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately agreed enthusiastically, "I know. A mistress like me mustn¡¯t let the uncle and aunt find out, otherwise, they would blame you and uncle for sure. I¡¯m aware of what¡¯s at stake."


    Xu Yingying nodded in approval, "Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you for a few days."


    "It¡¯s no trouble at all. I¡¯ve already had a very fulfilling couple of days," Xiaoyao said with genuine contentment. Xu Yingying had been very good to her, and she was more than happy to repay the kindness.


    Looking at the door to Li Yufei¡¯s bedroom, Xu Yingying gave a wry smile and said, "Yifei, I haven¡¯t mentioned Yufei¡¯s situation to my parents yet. I have no idea how they will react when they see her."


    This was indeed a matter that gave Li Yifei no confidence in how it would unfold, while Xu Shanshan laughed lightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already spoken to them about it. Why else do you think they¡¯re coming over?"


    "Ah, you told Mom and Dad?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "Yes, I did. We couldn¡¯t have kept this from them forever, and it¡¯s better they know sooner rather than later. Plus, they adore children, so it¡¯s better they see their granddaughter sooner to stop pressuring you to have a baby and me to find a boyfriend."


    "What did Mom and Dad say?" Li Yifei asked anxiously.


    "They didn¡¯t say much, just asked me what exactly happened. I told them everything in detail. I think they don¡¯t really blame Brother-in-Law, but I guess they definitely want him to make a statement now."


    Even though Xu Shanshan said this, Li Yifei still felt quite uneasy. After all, this matter was very significant to the elders; it was as if Li Yifei married Xu Yingying while bringing a child into the marriage. If they had known about Li Yifei¡¯s daughter in advance, they probably wouldn¡¯t have let Xu Yingying marry Li Yifei.


    With this uneasy heart, Li Yifei finally awaited the arrival of Xu Yingying¡¯s parents. However, Xu Yingying was busy with work and didn¡¯t come to pick up her parents; it was Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan who went together.


    In the car, the two elders had stern faces, making Li Yifei even more nervous. It wasn¡¯t until they got home that Li Yifei sat down dutifully in front of the two elders, ready to be scolded.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother started the confrontation, "Yifei, let me ask you, did you know you had this daughter before marrying Yingying?"


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Mom, I really didn¡¯t know. The thing between me and Ning Xin¡¯er happened years ago, and it was my fault. But I had no idea she had given birth to my child."


    "You¡¯re really something, managing to have a big star like Ning Xin¡¯er have your child. She¡¯s beautiful, didn¡¯t you ever think about living with her because of the child?"


    Li Yifei said earnestly, "Mom and Dad, I don¡¯t have that kind of feelings for Ning Xin¡¯er. Although we have a child together, we still can¡¯t be together. I¡¯ve already communicated this to Yingying. But the child is indeed mine, and I must take up that responsibility. I truly owe Yingying a lot for this."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother snorted, "Our Yingying is a fine young woman. By marrying you, she has become a stepmother so directly. It really doesn¡¯t sit well with me."


    "I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I will treat Yingying even better," Li Yifei could only respond in this way.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Mom, stop pretending. I know you¡¯ve forgiven Brother-in-Law. If you hadn¡¯t, you would have scolded him by now, right?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother glared and retorted, "You girl, always elbowing out. Aren¡¯t I just fighting for your sister¡¯s sake, to give your brother-in-law a little warning, so he doesn¡¯t cause any trouble with your sister because of the child?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her mother¡¯s arm, "Aren¡¯t you just longing for a grandchild? Little Yifei is really adorable and cute. Once you see her, you¡¯ll definitely fall in love."


    "Where is the child?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother looked around.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Yifei is at the kindergarten."


    "Kindergarten? Go get her quickly. I want to see my granddaughter," she insisted.


    Li Yifei quickly stood up and said, "I¡¯ll go get her right now."


    When Li Yifei brought Little Yifei back, the old couple was immediately smitten. This was mainly because Little Yifei resembled Li Yifei quite a bit; she was also so well-behaved and lovable that she instantly captured their hearts.


    Seeing this, Li Yifei finally felt relieved. If Xu Yingying¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t liked Little Yifei, it would have added so much uncertainty to his and Xu Yingying¡¯s marriage, but fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    As his spouse played with their granddaughter, Xu Zhenguo sipped tea with Li Yifei, saying, "Yifei, ever since you and Yingying have been together, I¡¯ve always treated you like my own son." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "Yes, I¡¯ve always considered you my real parents as well."


    "We won¡¯t dwell on the mistakes you made when you were younger since you were just a kid back then. But now that you are married to Yingying, you need to grasp the concept of family. Whatever you do, you need to think it over more carefully, considering your wife and now your daughter too. You¡¯re a father now, which means your responsibility has increased even more."


    "Dad, rest assured, I will take good care of Yingying. The way Yingying treats Yifei, even if I spent my whole life repaying her, it wouldn¡¯t be enough."


    "That¡¯s good to hear. However, I don¡¯t want you to always feel like you owe Yingying something; that¡¯s not healthy for a marriage. I just hope you two can live a happy life together."


    Li Yifei looked at Li Yufei with a slight smile and said, "Dad, I understand your feelings. Now that I have a daughter, if someone were to bully her in the future, I would definitely slap them hard as well."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily. Li Yifei always knew how to get on his good side, which was why he liked this son-in-law so much, and was willing to forgive him even when he made mistakes.

 Chapter 538 - 550: Comrades Meet Comrades

    Chapter 538: Chapter 550: Comrades Meet ComradesXu Yingying came home in the evening, seeing the family enjoying themselves, she breathed a sigh of relief. Li Yifei once again showcased his culinary skills, making his father-in-law and mother-in-law beam with smiles.


    "Yingying, Yifei, it¡¯s Old Lin¡¯s birthday this weekend, you should come with us," Xu Zhenguo, though not having drunk much, still had a rosy face and casually mentioned.


    "What?" Xu Yingying and Li Yifei both exclaimed immediately.


    Xu Zhenguo was startled, glaring at them, "What¡¯s wrong with you two, Old Lin is Little Lin¡¯s father, whom you know, and my old comrade-in-arms. It¡¯s only polite for you to show up."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Dad, I¡¯m so busy with work, I don¡¯t have the time."


    "If you¡¯re busy on regular days, that¡¯s acceptable, but what¡¯s there to be busy with on a weekend?" Xu Zhenguo impatiently waved his hand, "Everyone is bringing family this time, and if you don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll lose face." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "But Dad, there really is a lot going on at the company right now, I simply can¡¯t step away."


    "Fine, if you can¡¯t come, then Yifei certainly can. Let Yifei come with us."


    Xu Yingying urgently said, "No way, Yifei is also busy; if I work over the weekend, he¡¯d have to take care of Yufei."


    "We¡¯ll take Yufei with us."


    "How is that possible?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, while coaxing Li Yufei to eat, heard Xu Yingying say this and immediately glared, "Why can¡¯t you leave Yufei with us? I just tell people she¡¯s my own grandchild. These old comrades haven¡¯t seen each other in years; they don¡¯t know when you and Yifei got married, and what¡¯s so weird about having a child?"


    Li Yifei then smilingly said, "Alright, I¡¯ll go with Mom and Dad. We can¡¯t let Mom and Dad lose face."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother complained, "At least Yifei is sensible. Yingying, this girl is just focused on work, and there¡¯s more to work than can be done in just a day or two."


    Xu Yingying stared wide-eyed at Li Yifei, "You¡¯re really going?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Of course we have to go. It¡¯s rare for our family to go out together; it¡¯ll be lively and fun."


    Li Yufei immediately waved her spoon excitedly and shouted, "Yes, yes! Yufei loves excitement."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll see what I can do. If possible, I¡¯ll try to go as well." Xu Yingying was not completely comfortable letting Li Yifei go alone, but she didn¡¯t firmly commit to attending; she hadn¡¯t comprehended Li Yifei¡¯s full plan and thus spoke ambiguously for flexibility later.


    That night, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying returned to their room. Once they closed the door and lay in bed, Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei and chided, "Why did you agree to my dad? What are we supposed to do when we get there?"


    "Didn¡¯t I mention before that I look a lot like Lin Qiong¡¯s boyfriend? I can manage it for now, right?"


    "But still, Lin Qiong also invited you. How will you explain that?"


    "I¡¯ll just dodge it. I can tell her you wanted me to go there, and I couldn¡¯t refuse you over her."


    Xu Yingying thought, that made sense, "You better make sure to tell Lin Qiong, make sure not to slip up."


    Li Yifei felt it might be a bit awkward explaining this to Lin Qiong, but this was his wife and his in-laws, after all. Once he explained the situation, Lin Qiong shouldn¡¯t have too much to say about it.


    The next day, Li Yifei called Lin Qiong and explained that Xu Yingying¡¯s parents insisted he attend, which made Lin Qiong rather displeased, but she had no choice and had to think of a solution herself.


    On Saturday, Li Yifei and his family sat in a van with Li Yifei driving, Xu Shanshan in the passenger seat, while Xu Yingying, her parents, and Little Yufei sat in the back. Little Yufei had never really had older relatives before, and Xu Yingying¡¯s parents were very kind to her, making Little Yufei feel very close to them. Besides her parents, what children like are grandparents, whom she had only heard other children talk about how their grandparents doted on them, making her envious. Now that she had her own grandparents, she didn¡¯t think about the fact that these grandparents weren¡¯t her biological ones but felt an inexplicable closeness to them.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s home in Mile City wasn¡¯t close, and Li Yifei had been there with Lin Qiong before, so he wasn¡¯t unfamiliar now. Hearing the laughter from the backseats, he felt that a family outing was indeed a very pleasant thing.


    Li Yifei chatted idly with Xu Shanshan, taking care to maintain propriety in the car.


    However, after driving for over two hours, Xu Shanshan suddenly lit a cigarette, startling Li Yifei. Xu Shanshan never smoked, so what had gotten into her, especially with her parents in the car?


    "Here! Brother-in-law, wake yourself up a bit," Xu Shanshan handed the cigarette to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei realized that Xu Shanshan had lit the cigarette for him, but she had lit it herself first and then gave it to him; wasn¡¯t this an indirect kiss?


    Sneaking a glance in the rearview mirror, he saw Xu Yingying and the others were happily playing with Little Yufei, so he quickly took the cigarette.


    Seeing Li Yifei put the cigarette in his mouth and take a puff, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face lit up with a radiant smile, as if she had accomplished something very satisfying.


    Li Yifei also felt that smoking this cigarette had a unique flavor, reminiscent of Xu Shanshan¡¯s sweet lip balm; also, pulling this trick right under his wife¡¯s and in-laws¡¯ noses added an extra thrill.


    "Giggle, how is it? Does it taste good?" Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shot Xu Shanshan a glance, "It tastes good."


    Xu Shanshan giggled deviously, "Of course, you wouldn¡¯t dare say it doesn¡¯t."


    Reflecting on the times he had mistakenly kissed Xu Shanshan, and that time they went too far in the sea, he felt there was no need to dwell on a cigarette. Besides, smoking while driving did help keep him alert, something crucial since the lives of six family members were in his hands.


    After over four hours, Li Yifei drove into the city where Lin Qiong¡¯s family lived. At this point, he couldn¡¯t pretend to know where Lin Qiong¡¯s house was, so Xu Zhenguo called Lin Qiong¡¯s father for directions and had Li Yifei drive directly to the location.


    For Lin Qiong¡¯s father¡¯s birthday, many old comrades were invited, most bringing their families, so his home was insufficient. They had rented a mountain lodge that had quite the ambience, booking the entire floor with over twenty rooms.


    After they parked at the lodge, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents and Lin Qiong were already waiting at the entrance. When the Li family stepped out of the car, Lin Qiong¡¯s family eagerly greeted them, with Lin Zhenhai warmly hugging Xu Zhenguo.


    Lin Qiong saw Li Yifei and shot him a glare, but Li Yifei pretended not to notice to avoid arousing her parents¡¯ suspicion.


    After brief introductions, Lin Zhenhai and his wife¡¯s attention turned to Li Yifei, who looked exactly like their daughter¡¯s boyfriend. For a moment, they didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Xu Yingying quickly said with a laugh, "Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, doesn¡¯t our Yifei resemble your Yifei too much?"


    The Lin Zhenhai couple nodded with interest, "Indeed, if he had come with you, we¡¯d have mistaken him for Little Qiong¡¯s boyfriend."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said to Lin Qiong, "Officer Lin, it¡¯d be lively if your Yifei had been here too."


    Lin Qiong giggled, "Yes, but it¡¯s quite inconsiderate of you two; my dad¡¯s birthday, and you sent our Yifei away, not letting him celebrate."


    Xu Yingying felt embarrassed, while Lin Qiong¡¯s father quickly commented, "Little Qiong, that¡¯s not fair; work is important, and that¡¯s trust in Yifei."


    Xu Zhenguo chimed in, "Indeed, that was our Yingying¡¯s fault; for such an important day, how could she send Old Lin¡¯s son-in-law away?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, the elders from both families kept mentioning "Yifei," referring to him. It really made him feel uneasy, especially with Lin Qiong casting resentful glances at him from time to time, making him even more anxious.


    At this point, more comrades arrived, and Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai, as old pals, went to greet them, with their wives following suit, leaving the younger generation behind.


    Xu Yingying approached Lin Qiong and said apologetically, "Lin Qiong, I¡¯m really sorry, but I had no choice."


    Lin Qiong smiled faintly, "It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s your husband, of course he should listen to you." Then she turned her gaze to Li Yufei, puzzled, "Who is this child?"


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly, "My daughter."


    "Your daughter?" Lin Qiong was startled, looking between Little Yufei, Xu Yingying, and Li Yifei. The little girl resembled Li Yifei, indicating she was undoubtedly his daughter. But Xu Yingying had only recently married Li Yifei, so where did this child come from? Could it be they had a child before getting married?


    Xu Yingying picked up Li Yufei and said, "Yufei, this is Aunt Lin, say hello."


    Li Yufei promptly said in a clear voice, "Hello, Aunt Lin."


    Lin Qiong immediately smiled at Little Yufei, "Good girl, Auntie didn¡¯t prepare a meeting gift, but I¡¯ll take you shopping next time."


    "Thank you, Aunt Lin," Little Yufei responded politely.


    After Xu Yingying put Yufei down, Lin Qiong curiously asked, "Is she really your child?"


    Xu Yingying felt a little awkward, "Not really, she¡¯s Yifei¡¯s child, but I treat her like my own. The child is young, best not to bring up her situation too much, or she might face issues when she grows older."


    Lin Qiong nodded, then gave Li Yifei a glance before saying to Xu Yingying, "You¡¯re really something, raising his child with someone else."


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly without further explanation; Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, thinking if this were her, she might not so easily accept a child like this.

 Chapter 539 - 551: Let’s Change Husbands

    Chapter 539: Chapter 551: Let¡¯s Change HusbandsEntering the hall, the old comrades warmly greeted each other. The feelings shared between comrades were truly different¡ªmore genuine and memorable¡ªthan those formed with colleagues met through work afterward.


    Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan went to meet these elders first, then gathered with a group of younger people.


    There were a total of eight old comrades at this gathering, and apart from two who did not bring their families, the other six had their families with them. The younger generation was all about the same age, but Xu Yingying was the only one who was married, and there was only one child among them.


    Among these people, aside from Lin Qiong, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan being female, the other four young individuals were male. They had never met the Xu sisters or Lin Qiong before, and upon seeing these three beauties, it was inevitable that they found it hard to look away.


    Zhao Yangwei, who had started his own business and had made good progress in the past two years, earning over a million, was considered quite an achiever among his peers. Coupled with his handsome appearance, he felt he should be the most outstanding one here. Since Xu Yingying was married and had a child, he wouldn¡¯t pursue her, but Xu Shanshan and Lin Qiong were still single, naturally making them targets of his advances.


    At that moment, he deliberately flaunted his car keys, belonging to a Crosstour worth over two hundred thousand, and cheerfully asked Lin Qiong, "Lin Qiong, where do you work now?"


    The question seemed perfectly normal. Everyone was over twenty-five and should be working by then, and discussing work when gathering was nothing out of the ordinary.


    As the hostess, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t neglect her guests. With a slight smile, she said, "I work at the Mile City Public Security Bureau."


    Zhao Yangwei immediately responded, "Oh, you¡¯re in Mile City? I actually do some business there and know a few friends, including two from the City Bureau. If you ever need anything at the Public Security Bureau, just call me, and I¡¯ll definitely help out."


    Lin Qiong nodded and thanked him.


    Given Lin Qiong¡¯s age and gender, Zhao Yangwei naturally assumed she was a junior clerical worker in the police system. He chuckled, "It¡¯s really hard to get promoted these days. Without pulling some strings, it¡¯s probably impossible to move up in a lifetime."


    Lin Qiong nodded once more and said, "It¡¯s indeed not easy." She then looked at Li Yifei. If it weren¡¯t for him pretending to be that mysterious person who helped her a few times, she wouldn¡¯t be a Deputy Director now¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t even have dreamt of becoming a station chief, resigned to being just a lowly officer at her station.


    Zhao Yangwei, eager to show off, persisted, "Lin Qiong, which Sub-bureau do you work at? Let me see if I can speak directly to my friend; if you¡¯re in the same district, it would be even more convenient."


    Lin Qiong replied, "No need, I¡¯ll work my way up slowly."


    "But how can that be? Our fathers are old comrades, and the bond between old comrades is the most genuine. We are like brothers and sisters, and I am your brother. If I can help, I must. My dad would scold me if I didn¡¯t. Just tell me which district you¡¯re in, and I¡¯ll call you right away."


    Due to Zhao Yangwei¡¯s enthusiasm, Lin Qiong had no choice but to reveal her district.


    Once Zhao Yangwei heard which district Lin Qiong mentioned, he got a sense of certainty. To showcase his clout, he immediately dialed a number. As soon as the call connected, he said, "Brother Li, it¡¯s Zhao Yangwei. It¡¯s been a long time... I¡¯ve been thinking about you, and I¡¯ll be visiting Mile City in a few days. Definitely going to treat you to a meal... Oh, also, I have a small matter to discuss. There¡¯s a sister of mine working in your district¡¯s Public Security Bureau. Please take good care of her... Haha, of course, after all, who are we if not buddies? If you don¡¯t help me out, I¡¯ll never forgive you... Her name is Lin Qiong... What... What! I¡¯m not joking... What? She¡¯s... your Deputy Director?"


    Zhao Yangwei shouted out loud and then turned around, gaping at Lin Qiong.


    Another man named Wu Ran, puzzled, nudged Zhao Yangwei and said, "Brother Zhao, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Zhao Yangwei snapped his jaw shut before finally closing his mouth, his facial skin twitching, "Lin Qiong, you¡¯re actually the Deputy Director there, and you didn¡¯t tell me."


    Lin Qiong simply smiled and said, "You never asked me. I¡¯m just a Deputy Director; I can¡¯t exactly announce it all the time, can I?"


    Suddenly, everyone looked up to Lin Qiong with admiration. Becoming a Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau, even for career police officers who had served for decades, was an incredibly challenging achievement. And for Lin Qiong to reach that position at her young age, she must have had substantial backing.


    Lin Qiong pointed at Xu Yingying and said, "Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m just a Deputy Director. Xu Yingying here is a big boss with assets worth hundreds of millions. Now, that¡¯s truly impressive."


    "Hundreds of millions!" The men couldn¡¯t help but exclaim loudly again.


    Xu Yingying let out a light laugh and said, "Lin Qiong, you¡¯re teasing me. I¡¯m just a worker after all."


    Zhao Yangwei swallowed his saliva and said, "Xu Yingying, what kind of company is that?"


    Yingying grinned slightly and said, "Dreamfly Company, just newly set up; everything is still not on the right track."


    Zhao Yangwei¡¯s eyes lit up¡ªthis was a business opportunity. He immediately started talking with Yingying about her company¡¯s operations and also introduced his own company, but at this point, he completely shed his arrogance and began engaging with Yingying in a much humbler way.


    Even if the company wasn¡¯t Yingying¡¯s, but as the boss, her authority was tremendous. If he wanted to do business with the company, he naturally needed Yingying¡¯s approval. Moreover, as a senior executive like Yingying, with an annual salary of over a million¡ªthis was quite normal¡ªit was much more money than he could make in his own business.


    At this moment, Wu Ran said to Li Yifei, "Li Yifei, since you¡¯re Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, you must be pretty impressive too, right?"


    Yingying and Lin Qiong both wore smiles, looking towards Li Yifei, who said in his composed manner, "I¡¯m nothing special; I¡¯m just a security guard at Yingying¡¯s company." He didn¡¯t even claim to be the Security Department Manager. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stop joking, with Xu Yingying¡¯s capabilities, how could you possibly just be a security guard?" The men clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I¡¯m really just a security guard. Yingying says I can¡¯t do anything right, so I can only work as a guard, then go home everyday, cook, and take care of the kids¡ªthat¡¯s about it."


    Zhao Yangwei and the others immediately looked at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying with a strange gaze, but Yingying didn¡¯t want others to look down on Li Yifei and smiled, "Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. He¡¯s the manager of the security department. He used to be the Human Resources Manager at my company and he¡¯s one of the original members who helped start this company. It¡¯s just that now the child has grown up, and one of us had to give up their career to take care of our child. Yifei chose to give up his career. For this, I¡¯m very grateful to my husband."


    In saying this, Yingying indeed elevated Li Yifei, but Zhao Yangwei and the others still felt that Li Yifei was riding on her coattails. They didn¡¯t show it on their faces, but inside they looked down on Li Yifei.


    However, seeing how good Yingying was to Li Yifei, always by his side without a hint of domineering posture, they were all very envious. To be a man like Li Yifei, that was indeed an achievement.


    Seeing Zhao Yangwei showing interest in her, Lin Qiong took the initiative and said, "Yingying, you took away my husband, and here you are flaunting your affection; isn¡¯t that a bit inconsiderate?"


    This time, Yingying understood that Lin Qiong was just giving a hint to Zhao Yangwei and the others, so she just laughed, "I didn¡¯t force him to leave. This business deal is something he negotiated on his own. I didn¡¯t interfere. And these next couple of days are crucial; he really can¡¯t get away."


    "Sigh, these men are all about their career, their career. I wish my husband were like yours, waiting for me at home every day. How nice that would be. Otherwise, let¡¯s trade husbands, shall we? After all, they both look the same; no one would notice the difference."


    Yingying chided, "How can you even say such a thing? Can husbands even be swapped?"


    "Who asked your husband to be so good, always able to accompany you everywhere, really makes me envious, jealous, and resentful."


    "Alright, alright, next time I¡¯ll make sure your husband stays, and I¡¯ll let my husband take his place at work."


    "You¡¯re saying it, I¡¯m taking it seriously."


    "Has Xu Yingying ever gone back on her word?"


    The two spoke quite naturally, and naturally, no one else could discern anything, but Li Yifei fully comprehended the hidden meanings in their words. However, it was better not to intervene in this matter; Lin Qiong was full of resentment, and provoking her was not a wise thing to do.


    But with Lin Qiong and Yingying¡¯s conversation, everyone understood that Lin Qiong was also spoken for, and so they couldn¡¯t be too enthusiastic towards her anymore. Their focus shifted to Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan had a playful and mischievous personality; those men didn¡¯t have any bad intentions, so she chatted away with them openly. Still, she didn¡¯t give them any opportunities, hinting through her conversation that she wasn¡¯t considering having a boyfriend at the moment.


    Lunch was a lively affair. After a while, these old comrades in arms were a bit tipsy, their spirits even higher as they spoke about business, their children, and reminisced about the past.


    Li Yifei excused himself to the bathroom mid-meal and was returning to the private room just when Lin Qiong suddenly clung to his arm, startling Li Yifei. Just as he was about to pull away and ask Lin Qiong what she was doing, Lin Qiong had already pushed open the door to the room and loudly said, "Mom, Dad, Yifei specially rushed back to celebrate your birthday."


    The room suddenly quieted down, all eyes were fixed on Li Yifei and Lin Qiong.

 Chapter 540 - 552: Lin Qiong Gets Jealous and Acts Foolishly

    Chapter 540: Chapter 552: Lin Qiong Gets Jealous and Acts FoolishlyLin Qiong¡¯s move completely caught Li Yifei off guard; he never anticipated that Lin Qiong would suddenly claim he was her boyfriend. Xu Yingying was even more surprised and found herself speechless, her mind racing with worry. How could Lin Qiong be so bold? This was going to blow their cover.


    However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes were filled with amusement. She wanted to see how her brother-in-law would handle such a big problem.


    At this point, Li Yifei had to say something. His face first revealed a guilty smile as he said to Lin Qiong¡¯s father, "Uncle Lin, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I only just managed to get here for your birthday. Here, I hope Uncle stays healthy and lives a long life."


    Lin Zhenhai laughed heartily and said, "It¡¯s no problem at all! We¡¯re all family, no need for such formalities. It¡¯s good you could make it. Come, let me introduce you to Uncle Xu, who is also our boss¡¯s dad."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Uncle Xu, hello, I¡¯ve always heard about you from Yifei. He says you¡¯re a fantastic father-in-law, just like Uncle Lin is."


    Xu Zhenguo looked at Li Yifei in astonishment, feeling that this Li Yifei really appeared to be his son-in-law. Not only did they share a striking resemblance, but even their clothes were identical. He said, "You really do look exactly like our Yifei, don¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, it¡¯s really a coincidence. Not only do we look alike, but we also have the same name and work at the same company. In this whole wide world, it must just be the two of us."


    Another old comrade-in-arms, confused, said, "What¡¯s going on here? How can this young man be Old Xu¡¯s son-in-law one minute, and then turn out to be Old Lin¡¯s daughter¡¯s boyfriend the next?"


    Lin Qiong then chimed in, "There are actually two Li Yifeis here, just like Yingying and Shanshan who look alike and share the same names, but they are two different people."


    The comrade rubbed his forehead and said, "Are they twins, too?"


    Lin Qiong replied, "We¡¯re not really sure about that. They don¡¯t come from the same place, and their parents are no longer around, so no one can confirm. Unless they do a DNA test. However, Yingying and I do feel that they might be twins since they look so much alike."


    "This is truly a strange occurrence. Looks like Old Lin and Old Xu, you¡¯ve become relatives now," remarked the comrade.


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, it seems so!"


    With Lin Qiong pulling him along, Li Yifei was introduced to everyone politely, not letting Lin Qiong down one bit. Meanwhile, Lin Qiong clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her smile brimming with pride.


    After all the introductions were finished, just as Li Yifei and Lin Qiong were about to walk away, Lin Zhenhai laughed and said, "By the way, Old Xu, where is your son-in-law?"


    Li Yifei immediately interjected, "I just saw him outside making a phone call. Seems like he has some matters to attend to."


    One of the old comrades quickly said, "Let him come in later; it will be quite interesting. Two sets of twins, two pairs... Oh, not that, I mean, Old Lin, don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m just finding it funny. There¡¯s no other implication."


    Having managed to deal with the elderly, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong went over to the table with the younger guests. These young people were also left wide-eyed; they hadn¡¯t expected Lin Qiong¡¯s boyfriend to be the spitting image of Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend. If it weren¡¯t for Lin Qiong¡¯s earlier admission, they would have definitely mistaken this Li Yifei for Xu Yingying¡¯s husband.


    "President Xu," Li Yifei said as he sat down, offering Xu Yingying a greeting accompanied by a wry smile.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a blank look and said, "You really are something, being busy with work on your girlfriend¡¯s father¡¯s birthday."


    "Didn¡¯t I rush back? But I¡¯ll have to leave soon anyway; The situation there just can¡¯t be neglected."


    Lin Qiong grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and shook it gently, complaining, "Can¡¯t you just not go?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I can¡¯t do that. This is too important. If I don¡¯t handle it well, President Xu might just fire me."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "I wouldn¡¯t dare. If I fired you, Lin Qiong would definitely give me a hard time." She watched as Lin Qiong snuggled up to Li Yifei, clutching his arm so tightly that her chest pressed against it, a sensation that made Xu Yingying feel quite uncomfortable.


    However, Lin Qiong was quite content. She had been watching Li Yifei and Xu Yingying being all lovey-dovey, which made her feel rather jealous. Finally, she could give Xu Yingying a taste of her own medicine.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying stood up and said, "I¡¯m going to see why my other half isn¡¯t back yet." Throwing a reproachful look at Lin Qiong, she walked out.


    Soon after, Lin Qiong¡¯s phone pinged with a text message from Xu Yingying.


    "What do we do now?"


    Looking at the text, Lin Qiong instantly regretted her actions. In a fit of jealousy, she impulsively dragged Li Yifei into the situation. Now, with their parents and all the elders waiting to see the two Li Yifeis, she wondered what to do.


    Seeking help, she glanced at Li Yifei. He rolled his eyes and gave her a glare. Lin Qiong, feeling guilty, gently shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm and whispered into his ear, "Think of something quick."


    Li Yifei leaned in and whispered back, "You know this is a mess. Why did you do it?"


    "I was just jealous, okay? How could I stand to watch you and Xu Yingying being so sweet together?"


    The two of them were whispering to each other like a couple sharing secrets, and the guys across were looking on with envy. After all, Lin Qiong was a Deputy Director at the Public Security Bureau. Marrying her could mean a lifetime of glory.


    Li Yifei then stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go out and have a look as well." He took Lin Qiong¡¯s hand and led her out of the private room.


    "Why did everyone leave? Hey, Old Lin, Old Xu, do you guys find this odd? There¡¯s only supposed to be one guy, but he keeps popping in and out. Don¡¯t let him fool you guys," a comrade whispered to Lin Zhenhai and Xu Zhenguo.


    Xu Zhenguo immediately responded, "That¡¯s impossible. Our Yifei and Yingying are truly in love."


    "Exactly," agreed Lin Zhenhai, "Our Lin Qiong is the Deputy Director at the Public Security Bureau. She wouldn¡¯t miss something like this. She couldn¡¯t possibly be fooled by someone."


    Although they said this, they both felt uneasy, finding the situation too coincidental. How could there be two identical Li Yifeis? And these two Li Yifeis had never appeared together; whenever one showed up, the other would vanish.


    The comrade then suggested, "Why not have both of your daughters¡¯ boyfriends come over? That will clear things up." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s right, Old Lin, Old Xu, hurry up and get your sons-in-law in here."


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai exchanged nervous glances. If this turned out to be true, the two would be absolutely furious.

 Chapter 541 - 553: The Real and Fake Li Yifei

    Chapter 541: Chapter 553: The Real and Fake Li YifeiXu Zhenguo immediately called out to Xu Shanshan, "Go call your sister and your brother-in-law in here."


    Xu Shanshan quickly agreed with a voice and ran out. It wasn¡¯t long before the private room door was pushed open, with Xu Shanshan entering first, wearing an intriguing smile on her face.


    "Where¡¯s your sister and brother-in-law?" Xu Zhenguo, seeing his daughter¡¯s expression, actually felt a bit relieved.


    "Dang, dang, dang, my sister and brother-in-law are making their entrance," Xu Shanshan exaggeratedly gestured, and then the two walked in hand in hand, exactly Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    "And Little Qiong?" Xu Zhenhai¡¯s heart sank, and he asked anxiously.


    "Dang, dang, dang, Lin Qiong and her husband are making their entrance," Xu Shanshan playfully shouted again.


    Then two more people walked in from outside, and there they were, Lin Qiong and another Li Yifei.


    They stood in a row, Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong in the middle, while the two Li Yifeis stood on either side. Looking at the two men¡¯s faces, they indeed appeared nearly identical, but the Li Yifei beside Lin Qiong was slightly shorter than the one beside Xu Yingying.


    The onlookers were flabbergasted, then they all marveled. Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai breathed sighs of relief; with both their sons-in-law present, that really proved there were two Li Yifeis.


    The people here had only seen Li Yifei a few times so they couldn¡¯t spot much difference. Even Lin Qiong¡¯s parents thought the same, naturally assuming the man beside Lin Qiong was her boyfriend.


    However, there was one person who could immediately recognize Li Yifei, and that was Xu Shanshan. Although the Li Yifei looked very much like the real one, there were still some differences, such as height and a certain unique aura of Li Yifei, that simply could not be impersonated.


    Xu Shanshan, though also greatly surprised, marveled at how Li Yifei could produce a fake so quickly to deceive them. She was amazed at how convincing the impostor was. Had he stood alone, she might not have been able to tell the difference; he was certainly good enough to fool most.


    This made Xu Shanshan even more interested. At that moment, she really wanted to drag the fake Li Yifei over for a deep investigation.


    Not only was Xu Shanshan amazed here, but so were Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the three had gone out, Lin Qiong apologized guiltily to Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, "President Xu, Yifei, I¡¯m really sorry. I acted impulsively just now and caused such a mess without considering the consequences."


    Xu Yingying was also quite frustrated, thinking Lin Qiong was too reckless. Frowning, she said, "What do we do now? Everyone is waiting to see your boyfriend and my husband appear together."


    "Then... then..." Lin Qiong, faced with Xu Yingying¡¯s criticism, ran out of confidence and stammered, "Maybe we can say that something urgent came up with my boyfriend and he had to leave. At worst, I¡¯ll just let my parents scold me a bit."


    Xu Yingying sighed and responded, "It¡¯s not that simple. Before I came out, I already sensed they were suspicious. If your... Li Yifei runs off now, won¡¯t that only arouse more suspicion and give us away?"


    "What should we do then?" Lin Qiong stamped her foot, looking extremely vexed. She had really created a mess.


    Li Yifei glanced at Lin Qiong and said, "Now you realize you¡¯ve bitten off more than you can chew?"


    Lin Qiong grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and pleaded, "Yifei, come up with a solution, please. If you can smooth this over, I promise not to cause you such trouble ever again."


    Li Yifei patted Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder and replied, "You said it yourself."


    "Yes, yes, as long as today¡¯s issue is solved, I won¡¯t act recklessly again. Next time anything comes up, I¡¯ll definitely discuss it with President Xu first."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes. Discuss with me? It¡¯s clear she still means to rely on Li Yifei. How can a husband be borrowed back and forth like this? But now she didn¡¯t have the luxury to fuss over these things and instead turned to Li Yifei, "You have a solution?"


    "Of course I do."


    "What¡¯s the solution?" Both Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying eagerly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I¡¯ll find another boyfriend for Lin Qiong."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened in protest, "No, no, you¡¯re kidding. I¡¯ve just been in there, and now to find another boyfriend? What would that look like? Besides, if you brought someone else, how could I stand it? No way, absolutely not."


    With Lin Qiong¡¯s vehement reaction, Li Yifei immediately felt a pain in his arm; the one pinching him was naturally Xu Yingying. He laughed awkwardly and didn¡¯t dare to tease any longer, "Just wait a minute, and I¡¯ll fetch you another Li Yifei."


    Li Yifei then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Without even making a call, in less than thirty seconds, a person appeared in front of the three, and Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying stared at the newcomer in disbelief. It was another Li Yifei, except he looked a size smaller.


    "This... this... Honey, you don¡¯t actually have a twin brother, do you?" Xu Yingying finally managed to ask after a moment.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched, and although she didn¡¯t speak, it was obvious she was also flummoxed by another Li Yifei suddenly popping up.


    "Qiongqiong, how can you not recognize me?" That Li Yifei reached out and wrapped his arm around Lin Qiong¡¯s waist, his voice also had little difference from the real Li Yifei.


    Lin Qiong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly flung the person¡¯s arm away, her face turning red as she stammered, "Don¡¯t touch me, I won¡¯t do this, Yingying, let him pretend to be your husband."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened as she said, "If you won¡¯t do it, you think I can?" She quickly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm; Li Yifei was her husband, and whatever happened between them was acceptable, but she absolutely couldn¡¯t stand having some strange man wrap his arm around her waist.


    Lin Qiong anxiously said, "This isn¡¯t right, I can¡¯t stand being touched by someone else, it¡¯s not okay."


    At this point, neither of them wanted the fake Li Yifei to touch them, which made Li Yifei secretly pleased with himself; he chuckled and said to Lin Qiong, "A touch won¡¯t make you lose any flesh, are you overreacting that much?"


    Lin Qiong glared at him, "Nonsense, if it¡¯s not you, who can touch me casually?"


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei and scolded, "Are you willing to let your wife be touched by someone else?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "A little touch doesn¡¯t matter."


    "You bastard." Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong both glared at Li Yifei, and they both fiercely pinched his arm.


    Li Yifei howled in pain, making grimaces as he said, "Stop pinching, how could I be willing to let another man touch you, she¡¯s a woman."


    "Qiongqiong, how can you not recognize me?" At that moment, that Li Yifei spoke again, but her voice was clearly a woman¡¯s.


    Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying immediately widened their eyes, and Lin Qiong hesitantly said, "Are you really a woman?"


    That Li Yifei said, "Yes, and Miss Lin, you can verify my identity."


    Lin Qiong, listening to that Li Yifei¡¯s voice which truly sounded soft and delicate like a woman¡¯s, was a bit convinced. As both Li Yifeis were wearing high-collared clothes and their Adam¡¯s apples were not showing, she couldn¡¯t tell at a glance; her gaze then fell on the chest area, which also did not seem full on the outside, and she said, "May I touch it to check?"


    "Sure."


    Lin Qiong quickly extended her hand and felt that Li Yifei¡¯s chest, and though it wasn¡¯t very big, it was indeed soft, clearly a woman¡¯s breast. She sighed in relief and then marveled, "You couldn¡¯t be Li Yifei¡¯s twin sister, could you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "That¡¯s for me to know, let¡¯s hurry in, or else your parents and Yingying¡¯s parents will start to worry."


    Thus, the four of them entered the private room, stunning everyone present.


    The fake Li Yifei acted very composed, responding appropriately, without giving away any slip-ups, which mused Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying. It seemed as if this Li Yifei had practiced numerous times.


    The fake Li Yifei stayed for more than half an hour before excusing herself to leave, but this time Lin Qiong¡¯s parents weren¡¯t upset, they were actually very happy. After all, such a busy son-in-law still made time for his father-in-law¡¯s birthday, which showed that he valued the old man greatly.


    While the older generation continued drinking and chatting, Li Yifei and the others returned to their room. Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Lin Qiong, the three beauties, sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Li Yifei as if he were a strange creature, while Little Yifei was watching a cartoon at that moment.


    "Husband, can you give me an explanation?" Xu Yingying asked first.


    Li Yifei touched his nose and said, "I knew something might go wrong today, so I arranged in advance for a woman to be made up to look like me just in case. If there was an emergency, she could step in. I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d actually be needed."


    Xu Yingying crossed her arms and said, "Fine, you¡¯re quite thorough with your plans, even thinking of something like this. But who is this woman anyway?"


    Lin Qiong also humphed and glared at Li Yifei, saying, "This woman obviously knows a lot about us, you must have a very good relationship with her to share our matters with her, perhaps even a very intimate one. Am I right?"


    Li Yifei immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, saying urgently, "Wife, Qiongqiong, I¡¯ve really been wronged here. She¡¯s just a friend, and there¡¯s no such relationship between us."


    Xu Yingying humphed, "Then how come I don¡¯t know this friend of yours?"


    "Well... she¡¯s usually not in the country, she¡¯s only come back recently to help me with some stuff, so I haven¡¯t brought her around."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up and she said, "Brother-in-law, could this person be one of your subordinates?"


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with some surprise; the girl had hit the nail on the head.

 Chapter 542 - 554 Revealing to the Wife

    Chapter 542: Chapter 554 Revealing to the WifeThe woman was from the mercenary organization run by Li Yifei, and her greatest skill was makeup artistry. This time, when Yifei brought people over, she followed as well. He had originally wanted her to do something else, but given the planned birthday celebration for Lin Qiong¡¯s father, he felt that they might need two Yifeis to show up, so he had arranged everything in advance. It turned out this really came into play.


    Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong both kept asking the woman if she was romantically involved with him, while Xu Shanshan hit the nail on the head with her guess. Yet, Yifei didn¡¯t want them to know he had another force at his disposal. He smiled and said, "She¡¯s not my subordinate, but my comrade-in-arms. We used to be in the same military unit. Later, she went abroad, and just recently, she returned to handle some matters. It just happened that we met up, and I was just taking precautions."


    Xu Yingying continued to gaze at Yifei, saying, "Husband, must you hide everything from me?"


    Yifei met Yingying¡¯s look, one filled with grievance and unwillingness, which made him feel somewhat uneasy. Many people knew about his affairs, but not his wife, which truly wasn¡¯t fair to Yingying.


    Glancing at Lin Qiong, he said, "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. She really is my subordinate. I have a company abroad, and she works for it."


    Mentioning the mercenary organization would definitely be unacceptable to Yingying, but talking about a company seemed fairly normal.


    "You have a company abroad?" Lin Qiong exclaimed in surprise, but then she realized it was completely normal for someone as impressive as Yifei to have a company overseas. Seeing Yingying¡¯s reaction, it seemed she knew less about Yifei than she did, which gave her an indescribable sense of pride.


    Yifei nodded and explained, "Yes, I have a security company overseas, but it¡¯s not really mine. The original owner died in an accident and asked me to manage it for him. He was my friend, and at the time, I couldn¡¯t refuse his request. After managing it for a while and getting it back on track, I left, and now I don¡¯t even hold a share in it. But the people there still respect me a lot, and if I need anything, they would still listen to me."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said excitedly, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really so cool."


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips and asked, "Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?"


    Yifei replied with guilt, "Wife, I didn¡¯t mean to keep it from you. When I married you, I wanted to live an ordinary life, to be your husband, to say goodbye to the past. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you about my past."


    Yingying felt more comfortable hearing this but still said with a slight sense of grievance, "Then you could¡¯ve told me about your past as stories, right? Now, it makes me look like a fool, knowing nothing about your past."


    Yifei nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, that was my mistake. When we get home, I¡¯ll tell you my story."


    Lin Qiong and Xu Shanshan spoke in unison, "I want to hear too."


    After saying so, Lin Qiong felt a bit embarrassed¡ªafter all, it wasn¡¯t her place to listen to stories under the covers between a couple. But she couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat slighted, thinking why Yingying could hear it and not her, since she, too, was one of Yifei¡¯s women.


    Fortunately, Yingying didn¡¯t dwell on the implications of their words. The fact that Yifei was willing to share his past with her meant that their relationship was taking a step forward. She reproached him lightly, "Now you¡¯re my husband, and since I¡¯ve accepted you, I naturally have to accept your past. Haven¡¯t you seen that I¡¯ve even accepted Yifei? What¡¯s there not to accept?"


    Yifei really wanted to hold Yingying in his arms, but with Lin Qiong and Xu Shanshan present, he had to refrain.


    That night, they stayed in the hotel. Yifei and Yingying shared a room, while Little Yifei was taken away by Yingying¡¯s mother, who was quite fond of her new granddaughter. After all, in front of others, she didn¡¯t want anyone to know the child wasn¡¯t Yingying¡¯s biological daughter.


    That night, Yifei also told Yingying quite a lot about his mercenary work, though only about some security tasks. In reality, the most frequent assignments the mercenary organization took on were those with a very high level of danger, but he feared worrying her by discussing such matters.


    All this was completely new to Yingying, as she had not been exposed to these kinds of stories before. She listened with great interest, mainly because she could learn more about Yifei.


    The next day, Yifei and the others bid farewell. Yingying¡¯s parents also returned home. They had wanted to take Little Yifei with them, but Yingying didn¡¯t agree, knowing full well how much her parents loved children. If Little Yifei went with them, she¡¯d surely be spoiled, which wouldn¡¯t be good for her development, so she firmly declined the suggestion.


    This made the elderly couple somewhat dissatisfied, but seeing that both Yifei and Yingying had decided, they had no choice but to leave reluctantly.


    On the drive back, Yingying and Little Yifei, due to not sleeping well the previous night, fell asleep in the backseat, leaving only Yifei and Xu Shanshan in front.


    Xu Shanshan lit a cigarette for Yifei, who naturally accepted and started to smoke. Shanshan chuckled softly and asked, "Brother-in-law, is it good?"


    Yifei coughed dryly, and said, "It¡¯s the same old flavor."


    "You¡¯re lying; it¡¯s clearly smoother than usual."


    Yifei knew he had to play along with Shanshan, or she wouldn¡¯t let it go, and so he conceded, "Yes, it¡¯s smoother than usual."


    "What exactly makes it smoother?" Shanshan continued to press Yifei, quietly asking another question.


    Yifei glared at Shanshan and replied vaguely, "It has the taste of your lips."


    Only then did Shanshan laugh satisfactorily, humming a tune, quite pleased with herself.


    "What are you two talking about? It sounds so happy," Yingying¡¯s voice suddenly came from the back.


    Both Yifei and Shanshan were startled, with Shanshan swiftly turning around and saying with a grin, "I was just talking to my brother-in-law about that fake Yifei."


    Yingying yawned and said, "You two really should keep it down, Yifei has just fallen asleep. Don¡¯t wake her."


    Xu Shanshan busied herself, "I know, go to sleep, we¡¯ll call you when we get there."


    "Then you should chat with your brother-in-law, don¡¯t let him fall asleep. If he¡¯s tired, he should pull over at a rest area for a break."


    "I got it, go to sleep. My brother-in law won¡¯t fall asleep that easily," she replied confidently.


    After Xu Yingying agreed with a nod, she closed her eyes again and soon fell asleep. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan weren¡¯t lonely, and Xu Shanshan was even lively and chatty, resembling a happy Little Swallow.


    Back at home, Li Yifei went to pick up Chu Xiaoyao. After staying away for two days, the girl had no complaints. But now that Xu Yingying¡¯s parents weren¡¯t there and she wasn¡¯t allowed to return, she surely wouldn¡¯t stand for it.


    On Monday, Xu Shanshan was set to go on a business trip, and she pouted all evening, clearly unhappy.


    "You silly girl, going on a business trip isn¡¯t a bad thing. Are you really that bothered by it?" Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t quite understand Xu Shanshan¡¯s behavior.


    "Anyway, I don¡¯t like going on trips now," mumbled Xu Shanshan, and then turned to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, you can¡¯t give me foot rubs for the next half-month, so you¡¯ll have to rub them a lot tonight."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll rub your feet. Don¡¯t look so glum. If something comes up, just call me, and I¡¯ll be right there to help you."


    "That¡¯s why I like my brother-in-law the best," Xu Shanshan finally smiled happily.


    With a stern expression, Xu Yingying cautioned, "I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t have your brother-in-law come over for trivial matters, and don¡¯t wear him out like that." She knew her sister all too well; if Xu Shanshan became upset, she might indeed call Li Yifei over, and since he indulged her, he couldn¡¯t refuse. It was important for Xu Yingying to set the record straight in advance.


    With a light laugh, Xu Shanshan replied, "I know."


    That night, Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a lengthy foot rub until she fell asleep on the couch, and only then did he return to the bedroom.


    "This Shanshan is all grown up and still acts like a child," said Xu Yingying, shaking her head with a look of resignation. She would have struggled to stay awake now, if she hadn¡¯t napped in the car during the day.


    "Being able to keep such a mindset is also a form of happiness. Isn¡¯t it true that people are happiest when they¡¯re immature? It¡¯s only when you grow up that you have so many worries."


    "That¡¯s true. Shanshan is indeed happier than me; I¡¯ve never seen her worried about anything."


    Holding Xu Yingying close, Li Yifei spoke softly, "Don¡¯t work too hard. Take it easy with the company stuff. We¡¯re not short on cash."


    But at the moment, Xu Yingying was staring at Li Yifei with a smile, inquiring, "You, mister, have run a company before, so you shouldn¡¯t be poor, right? Come clean, how much are you really worth?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before replying, "I have tens of millions, but... I¡¯ve left a portion for Yiyi."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression became slightly stiff as she asked, "You gave some to someone else?"


    "No, honey, I¡¯m giving the rest to you," he assured.


    Though Xu Yingying felt a bit uncomfortable, she wasn¡¯t greedy for Li Yifei¡¯s money. It was just that the idea of her husband¡¯s money going to another woman didn¡¯t sit well with her. Fortunately, Li Yifei had only given it to Su Yiyi, and that was somewhat justifiable since Su Yiyi was indeed important in Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    "Oh, you¡¯re still quite rich. I¡¯m just realizing that I¡¯ve snagged quite a bargain," she said more light-heartedly, and Li Yifei finally relaxed, replying, "What¡¯s mine is yours, but I feel that the life we¡¯re leading now is quite good. I¡¯ve never thought about using that money. Having too much of it doesn¡¯t necessarily make one happy."


    Her concept of money had changed considerably from the time when she had just graduated, when she was especially keen on earning. Now that she was earning well every year, she naturally cared less about it, and said, "If you don¡¯t want to touch it, then let it be. Save it for Little Yifei. Oh, and Yunzhu¡¯s child too. You, as a father, should take responsibility."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and asked, "What about our own children?"


    Blushing, Xu Yingying scolded playfully, "I haven¡¯t considered having kids so soon. Husband, do you really want me to have a child too?"


    "Not really. But as a couple, we¡¯re going to have a child sooner or later."


    "Then let¡¯s wait a few more years. I want to struggle a bit more, not for money, but as a sort of personal life goal."


    "Alright, whenever you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll have one."


    "Yeah, since we already have Little Yifei, and soon there¡¯ll be one more, you won¡¯t lack for children to take care of as a father," she reasoned.


    Xu Yingying knew about Li Yifei¡¯s financial situation but didn¡¯t demand his money. Tightening the reins too much would only create a breach between them, so she instead chose to indulge him.


    S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 543 - 556: You Go Pursue Su Mengxin

    Chapter 543: Chapter 556: You Go Pursue Su MengxinXu Shanshan was away on business, and Chu Xiaoyao was about to leave as well¡ªher university classes were about to start. These past few days, she clung to Li Yifei fiercely, and even in Xu Yingying¡¯s presence, she would find ways to express her affection for Li Yifei from time to time.


    At this point, Xu Yingying turned a blind eye, knowing that the young girl would soon be off to college and wouldn¡¯t be able to stick around Li Yifei every day. Once in university, surrounded by so many outstanding young men, engaging with them more might just shift her interest away from an older man like Li Yifei. This situation might resolve itself; there really wasn¡¯t a need for her to play the bad guy anymore.


    The next day, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi drove Chu Xiaoyao to her school. Throughout the journey, Xiaoyao was bubbling with excitement as she talked about the passion of the previous night. Although Su Yiyi had let loose last night, such matters, once done in secret, were done. But to speak openly about them¡ªshe couldn¡¯t quite handle that.


    Smiling, Li Yifei said, "Xiaoyao, can we dial it back a bit? These kinds of things shouldn¡¯t be boasted about."


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and replied, "I know, I know. I¡¯m only talking about it with the three of us here. I wouldn¡¯t talk about it if anyone else was around."


    Li Yifei gave her a stern look and said, "I don¡¯t believe you. You can¡¯t possibly keep it from Zhou Xiaoyue, can you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and responded, "I won¡¯t say a word. She¡¯s Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin. If I tell her about the threesome with Uncle and Yiyi and she tells her cousin, then you¡¯d be in trouble. I¡¯m not that stupid."


    "You¡¯re at least clever in that regard," Li Yifei replied, relieved. That was precisely what he was worried about.


    As they drew closer to the school, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mood began to dip, and she looked towards Li Yifei with a sigh. "Uncle, once I start university, I won¡¯t be able to be with you every day. Won¡¯t you not want me anymore?"


    "Silly girl, how could I not want you? Haven¡¯t I already told you? I want to look after you for a lifetime. When have I ever gone back on my word?"


    "But... but it¡¯ll be a while before I can come back. You have so many women around you, by then you might not like me anymore."


    "That won¡¯t happen. With others, it¡¯s not like I can have threesomes like I do with you. That¡¯s too thrilling of an experience¡ªI want to enjoy it more."


    "Really? Oh that¡¯s wonderful. Looks like my decision last night was downright brilliant," Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed excitedly, then suddenly hugged Su Yiyi¡¯s arm, giggling, "Sister Yiyi, when I come back, you have to join Uncle and me for a threesome."


    Su Yiyi was incredibly embarrassed but still nodded faintly.


    "I knew Sister Yiyi was the best," Xiaoyao cooed with a giggle. "Uncle, what do you say about me coming back once a week?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "While the distance isn¡¯t far¡ªjust a few hours by car¡ªuniversity life is rich in activities, especially over the weekends. If you come back, you¡¯ll miss out on a lot of fun."


    "No matter how fun university can be, it¡¯s not as great as being with you, Uncle. I much prefer to spend time with you."


    "Silly girl, I¡¯ve never gone to university in my life, and that is truly one of my biggest regrets. I don¡¯t want you to have the same regret. We still have plenty of time to be together; there¡¯s no need to be so anxious."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and said, "Then you must come to visit me often, Uncle."


    "Mm-hmm, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll come to see you whenever I have the time."


    When they arrived at Yanshan University in the provincial capital, Li Yifei looked at the grand entrance and the students coming and going, feeling a twinge of regret. People say the years in university are the happiest time in one¡¯s life, but back then, he was in the military, risking his life, with no chance to enjoy those happy moments.


    "Xiaoyao!" A crisp voice called out, and Chu Xiaoyao was already in the arms of a girl¡ªit was Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s parents accompanied her¡ªLi Yifei had met her mother once and encountered her father during his last visit to the Ye family.


    "Hello, Aunt, Uncle," said Li Yifei, promptly greeting them. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s parents naturally remembered Li Yifei; after all, with a single phone call, he managed to get Ye Yunzhu transferred from Township Chief to Deputy County Head. The old man approved of Li Yifei as the prospective grandson-in-law, so they too accepted him as a relative.


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s mother smiled and asked, "Yifei, what brings you here too?"


    Li Yifei pointed to Chu Xiaoyao and said, "I¡¯m here to drop off Xiaoyao."


    "Oh... that¡¯s really considerate of you, taking on the role of her guardian." Zhou Xiaoyue had shared the news of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents¡¯ passing with her own, so they knew that Li Yifei was currently taking care of her.


    Li Yifei sighed and replied, "I wouldn¡¯t say guardian, just temporarily looking after her."


    "And who is this...?" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s mother then turned her gaze to Su Yiyi.


    Li Yifei quickly introduced, "This is Xiaoyao¡¯s friend, who also came along to see Xiaoyao off."


    "Oh..." Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s parents were slightly surprised by Su Yiyi¡¯s delicate beauty but didn¡¯t think much of it.


    Su Yiyi also came forward to offer her greetings, and then they all proceeded to help Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue with their registrations.


    Zhou Xiaoyue, however, sidled next to Li Yifei and teased, "Cousin-in-law, you¡¯re here too?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Of course, I had to come."

 Chapter 544 - 556: You Go Pursue Su Mengxin_2

    Chapter 544: Chapter 556: You Go Pursue Su Mengxin_2"Heh heh..." Little Yue giggled mischievously, suddenly stood on tiptoe, and whispered in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "You¡¯re quite impressive, bringing both your side chicks here, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell my cousin?"


    Li Yifei cleared his throat, glanced at Little Yue¡¯s parents, both of whom were smiling. In their eyes, Little Yue¡¯s behavior was typical of a sister-in-law seeing her brother-in-law with a mix of curiosity and mischief. The Ye family was large, and when Little Yue¡¯s mother saw her own brother-in-law back then, she was also mischievous and would embarrass him.


    "You¡¯d better bribe me well, otherwise, one day, if I can¡¯t keep my mouth shut, I¡¯ll spill the beans," Little Yue winked twice at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "No problem, just tell me what you want. Just let me know later, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied."


    Only then did Little Yue say with satisfaction, "That¡¯s more like it. I haven¡¯t thought of what I want yet. Once I do, I¡¯ll let you know."


    Little Yue¡¯s mother laughed at this moment, "You little girl, you¡¯ve caught your brother-in-law¡ªyou¡¯re looking for some benefits, aren¡¯t you?"


    Little Yue laughed proudly, "Of course, if I don¡¯t take advantage now, I¡¯ll miss out! You snatched my cousin away; if I don¡¯t get some benefits, I¡¯d be at a loss."


    Little Yue¡¯s parents both laughed heartily. The interaction between Little Yue and Li Yifei was simply a display of familial affection, something the Ye family greatly valued. In their view, a family without close bonds wouldn¡¯t be a good example.


    Little Yue and Chu Xiaoyao were both beauties, especially since they had been raised in comfort. The clothes they wore were quite expensive, adding a few points of allure. So, upon entering the school, they immediately attracted the gazes of many male students. A group of sophomore and junior boys eagerly gathered around to help them with the registration process.


    Although Su Yiyi was two years older than Little Yue and Chu Xiaoyao, she still looked like a college student. Others even mistook her for a freshman and approached her to chat, which made Su Yiyi feel somewhat embarrassed. Only when she mentioned she was there to drop off her sister did the boys leave, disappointed.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Little Yue found these experiences intriguing, and didn¡¯t stop the boys from trying to please them, which saved Li Yifei quite some effort by just following them while the boys helped take care of the other matters.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Little Yue, who had been high school besties, were now studying the same major and in the same class at university. They were even assigned to the same dorm, which made Li Yifei feel quite relieved. Compared to Chu Xiaoyao, Little Yue was more sensible. With her looking after Chu Xiaoyao, at least Chu Xiaoyao wouldn¡¯t get too reckless.


    Besides, although Chu Xiaoyao seemed quite happy recently, Li Yifei knew that she still hadn¡¯t fully moved past the shadow of her parents¡¯ passing. In very quiet moments, she¡¯d zone out, thinking about them. But now, with Little Yue by her side, she wouldn¡¯t get too melancholic over their death.


    Little Yue¡¯s parents had some errands to run in the morning, said goodbye to Li Yifei, and left first. As they were leaving, they reminded Li Yifei to visit the Ye family, and he agreed readily. After all, being in the provincial capital, it would be impolite for a prospective son-in-law like him not to visit Old Master of the Ye Family.


    Having settled the dorm, Li Yifei accompanied Chu Xiaoyao and Little Yue in purchasing other daily necessities. The two girls were completely captivated by the fresh university environment, so they didn¡¯t cling to Li Yifei. Instead, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi strolled leisurely around the campus, adding a romantic touch.


    After lunch, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were about to leave when Chu Xiaoyao once again showed her attachment to Li Yifei, holding onto his arm and tearfully saying, "Uncle, you have to visit me often."


    "Silly girl, don¡¯t cry. Aren¡¯t you the strongest one?" Li Yifei embraced Chu Xiaoyao, gently stroking her hair to comfort her.


    Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist tightly and said, "I don¡¯t want to be strong, I just want Uncle."


    "Heh heh, alright, alright, Uncle promises to visit you often. But after a month at school, it¡¯ll be the National Day holiday, and you can go home then."


    "Mmm." Only then did Chu Xiaoyao release Li Yifei, reluctantly watching as Li Yifei and Su Yiyi drove away.


    "So sentimental." Little Yue nudged Chu Xiaoyao, teasing with a smile.


    Chu Xiaoyao turned her head, snorted, and said, "Little brat, what do you know?" S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two gradually drifted apart, starting their happy university life. However, the first topic they discussed wasn¡¯t about school but rather how to get cozy with Li Yifei, which seemed a bit much. Luckily, when they talked, they did so quietly away from others, otherwise, they¡¯d be looked at like oddballs.


    Li Yifei first settled Su Yiyi at a hotel and then went to the Ye family. Old Master of the Ye Family was home and immediately invited Li Yifei into his study.


    As soon as he entered, Old Master of the Ye Family excitedly said, "Good lad, you¡¯re quite something, dealing with the Lin family like that, and they didn¡¯t dare make a peep and accepted it just like that."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Without solid skills, I wouldn¡¯t dare set foot on Liang Mountain."

 Chapter 545 - 556: You Go Pursue Su Mengxin_3

    Chapter 545: Chapter 556: You Go Pursue Su Mengxin_3The Old Master of the Ye Family laughed heartily and said, "Very well, if you hold the Lin family in such light regard, then dealing with the Song Family should be no problem at all."


    "They haven¡¯t offended me yet, have they?" Li Yifei said with a grin as he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. In front of such a sly old man, there was no need for pretense.


    The Old Master of the Ye Family didn¡¯t mind and said, "That¡¯s true, we should always have a just cause for our actions."


    Li Yifei, with his legs crossed, said, "How to have a just cause, that¡¯s your affair, Old Master. I won¡¯t bother myself with that worry."


    "Hmm, you needn¡¯t worry about that. It turns out you are so closely related to the Su Family; no wonder you have such strength. The Su Family, ah..." The Old Master narrowed his eyes, looking contemplative and yearning.


    As the helmsman of a great family, his most desired achievement was to elevate his family to new heights. Over the years, he had spared no effort, but he had only managed to maintain the Ye family¡¯s status among the top families of the provincial city. To reach another level was extremely difficult. Families like the Su Family in Capital City were what he aspired to. If he could also take the Ye family to that level, his life would truly be worthwhile.


    "Yifei, do you think our Ye family could forge ties with the Su Family?" The Old Master¡¯s face suddenly held a hint of supplication.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Old Master, let me be frank with you. Personally, I have some acquaintance with Su Mengxin; she can stand up for me in certain matters, but in fact, I don¡¯t have any real connection to the Su Family."


    "What are you talking about? Although Su Mengxin isn¡¯t the helmsman of the Su Family, she¡¯s absolutely the most outstanding figure of her generation. Even as a daughter, she controls the majority of the Su family¡¯s enterprise. Having a good personal relationship with her naturally equates to having a relationship with the Su Family," the Old Master argued.


    Li Yifei gave the Old Master a sidelong glance and said, "Personal relationships are just that, personal. I don¡¯t want to mix them with business interests, or it would sour our relationship. If that happened, we probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to be friends anymore, and that might be worse than how things are now."


    The Old Master thought for a moment, then said, "That¡¯s also true. A family like the Su Family isn¡¯t one to be easily swayed by interests, nor do they need any benefit we could offer. In fact, they probably wouldn¡¯t even care for it. Personal relationships are indeed more reliable."


    Seeing that the Old Master had reasoned it out, Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much more. He didn¡¯t want the Ye family to try and climb the social ladder through Su Mengxin.


    "So what exactly is your personal relationship with Su Mengxin?" the Old Master asked, curious like a gossip.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes again and said, "Of course, just good friends." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good friends between a man and a woman? That doesn¡¯t sound too convincing," the Old Master shamelessly winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say, "Grandfather, you¡¯re of such an age, can¡¯t we maintain some integrity? My relationship with Su Mengxin is just friendship. Otherwise, do you think if I were already married, she would have any sort of relationship with me, become my mistress?"


    "That is true!" The Old Master nodded, realizing his thoughts were indeed improper, but soon he slapped his thigh and said, "Silly boy, you¡¯re wrong; who is Su Mengxin? She has never been reported to have any excessively intimate relationships with any man, yet she is quite close with you. That clearly shows she has feelings for you, and someone of her stature naturally wouldn¡¯t express them directly."


    Li Yifei was startled by the Old Master¡¯s wild speculations, and said, annoyed, "Grandfather, can we not jump to wild conclusions?"


    "We must jump to wild conclusions; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yifei, I think that Su Mengxin clearly has feelings for you. Someone like her, once she takes an interest in someone, won¡¯t easily let go. And you, clueless about romance, should take the initiative," the Old Master asserted.


    "I should take the initiative?" Li Yifei¡¯s face twitched, "Not to mention whether that¡¯s true or not, even if it were, I¡¯m already married and even have a child with Yunzhu. Are you seriously suggesting I pursue Su Mengxin?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with that? If you married Su Mengxin, and our Yunzhu became your second wife, that would make even more sense. In our Huaxia, is there any woman of higher status than Su Mengxin? If she became the main wife, who could object?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the Old Master as if looking at a monster, utterly speechless at the suggestion.

 Chapter 546 - 557 Are You Stupid?

    Chapter 546: Chapter 557 Are You Stupid?"Hey, hey, what are you daydreaming about, kid? If you catch up with Su Mengxin, then you¡¯ll be Su Mengxin¡¯s man, at that time, you¡¯d be a part of the Su Family. With the resources that Su Mengxin controls from the Su Family, it¡¯s as if you¡¯d have the Su Family in your hands. In Huaxia, do you realize what kind of status that would be?"


    The old man spoke animatedly, as if it wasn¡¯t Li Yifei who was pursuing Su Mengxin, but himself.


    "Hold on! Wait a minute!" Li Yifei hurriedly waved his hands to stop the old man¡¯s wild fantasies and said very decisively, "That¡¯s impossible."


    "What do you mean impossible?" The old man suddenly got anxious and said excitedly, "It¡¯s absolutely possible."


    "Grandpa, can we stop dreaming? My relationship with Su Mengxin is indeed quite good, but that¡¯s because I once escorted her back to the country. In the end, it was just me alone protecting her on the way back. She¡¯s somewhat grateful to me. Later, she went to Mile City, started a company there, and we really became friends since she didn¡¯t know anyone there."


    The old man was not at all offended by Li Yifei¡¯s irreverent words. Instead, he said with a smile, "If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s analyze it bit by bit. You said you were the only one escorting her back, and everyone else died. That protection must have been a matter of life and death, right? And with just the two of you, you must have had to hold and carry her back, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Of course." At that time, not only did he hold and carry Su Mengxin, but he also tore her dress, and when they were underwater, he kissed her.


    "See? A girl being held and carried by you like that might seem normal protection to you, a way to save lives, but for a girl, can it be the same?"


    Li Yifei did not pay any attention to the crazy old man¡¯s words. As the old man saw that Li Yifei didn¡¯t believe him, he immediately continued, "Let¡¯s talk about the company she started in Mile City. Is there anything special about Mile City? Any unique resources? Convenient transportation? A booming market?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment. Although Mile City was a coastal city, it didn¡¯t have any big seaports, maritime transport wasn¡¯t developed, and there were no unique resources. Su Mengxin¡¯s investment in this place had all departments thrilled, which itself indicated that Mile City didn¡¯t have much to attract foreign investment.


    Seeing Li Yifei not speaking, the old man, with his eyebrows dancing, said, "This is already quite strange. Su Mengxin starts a company there but doesn¡¯t manage it herself. Instead, she lets you be the named CEO. Tell me, what¡¯s the reason for that? If it¡¯s not because she wants to find opportunities to be in contact with you, would she go to such lengths?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. With the old man¡¯s analysis, he also felt that Su Mengxin went to Mile City indeed for him. He had had this thought before, but he never truly believed that a woman like Su Mengxin could have feelings for him.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei remembered a most important issue, and said urgently, "But... but... at that time, Yingying and I were not married yet. If she had any thoughts, why would she just watch me marry Yingying?"


    The old man laughed heartily and said, "It¡¯s normal for you not to understand. A woman like Su Mengxin, how could she force you to be with her? She wouldn¡¯t want to rely on her status to make you be with her either. What she wants is for you to fall for her without even realizing it. That¡¯s the pride of someone in her position, and it¡¯s also an extraordinary thing that an extraordinary person would do."


    If Su Mengxin heard what the old man had said at that moment, she would have really admired him. The old man hadn¡¯t seen it, but just by relying on some information, he could figure out her purpose of coming to Mile City. He truly was an impressive character.


    Li Yifei gulped down a mouthful of tea, his mind replaying all of his interactions with Su Mengxin. Her arrival in Mile City, their chance encounters, and then becoming his neighbor, coming over to his house for meals every day, always bringing him Special Tribute cigarettes to smoke.


    Li Yifei also recalled going out to eat stinky tofu with Su Mengxin, her happiness at the time, their trips to the seaside, crossing the ocean together, the Breathing Transition under the water, hiding from Ning Xin¡¯er by passionately kissing Su Mengxin, pretending to be Su Mengxin¡¯s boyfriend, which led to another passionate kiss, and her taking care of him in the room.


    All these memories made Li Yifei realize that Su Mengxin¡¯s feelings for him were truly extraordinary, far exceeding ordinary friendship.


    "Haha... kid, got nothing to say now, do you?" The old man was quite proud at that moment, holding his teacup leisurely as he took a sip.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Although I don¡¯t quite believe what you¡¯re saying, I also can¡¯t deny that your analysis makes a lot of sense." Li Yifei had always been a person with strong analytical skills. Being Number Two of the Flying Hawk Squad wasn¡¯t something he had achieved through anything less than rigorous training. He had previously convinced himself it was impossible, blinding himself to the reality. Now, with the old man pointing it out, if he still couldn¡¯t see it, then he would be incredibly dense.


    The old man laughed heartily and said, "Now that you believe it¡¯s good, what are you waiting for? Go straight for her, take down Su Mengxin, and you¡¯ll not only control the Su Family but also a prominent figure in Huaxia."


    Li Yifei, however, just smiled slightly and then slowly shook his head, saying, "Grandpa, that won¡¯t work."


    The old man¡¯s laughter came to an abrupt halt. He stared at Li Yifei and demanded, "What won¡¯t work? That¡¯s Su Mengxin we¡¯re talking about, Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty. There¡¯s not another woman in Huaxia who can compare to her. You¡¯re not being foolish, are you?"


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, took a leisurely drag, and said, "How is this foolish? I¡¯ve got a wife. I have Yunzhu. Why would I concern myself with the number one beauty of Huaxia? Am I just idle with nothing better to do?"


    The old man¡¯s eyes widened as if he was looking at an alien. Then his face quickly reddened with anger, and he bellowed, "Are you out of your mind? That¡¯s Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty we¡¯re talking about! She has the looks and is the most outstanding talent of the Su Family. Marrying her would be like hitting the jackpot, especially since she likes you, and you still don¡¯t want her? If that¡¯s not foolish, what is?"


    Li Yifei blew a smoke ring, poured the old man a cup of tea, and said, "Grandpa, cool down. Even if, as you say, Mengxin likes me, it¡¯s hard for me to feel the same way about her as I do for my wife and Yunzhu. If two people are together just for profit, what joy is there to talk about?"


    "What¡¯s there not to be joyful about? When two people are together for a while, feelings naturally develop. Besides, with a woman like Su Mengxin, how could it be anything but joyful to be with her?"


    "Alright, even if what you said holds true, but what kind of person is Su Mengxin? Can she humble herself? Wouldn¡¯t that mean I have to divorce Yingying to marry her? That¡¯s something I could never do." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What nonsense. I never said you should leave your current wife. Just let her give up her formal status. Since Su Mengxin could stand by and watch you marry your wife, she probably wouldn¡¯t delve too deep into your ongoing life with your wife afterward. Nowadays, which man of substantial households doesn¡¯t have a few women outside? This helps to flourish the family. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know that?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Grandpa, you sure think liberally, don¡¯t you?"


    "Nonsense. If I wasn¡¯t open-minded, would I let Yunzhu be with you? Our Ye family is a great clan anyway, and despite how outstanding Yunzhu is, I haven¡¯t forced you to marry her, have I?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Grandpa, I always feel uncomfortable when feelings get entangled with interests. Like with Yunzhu, I¡¯ve never been with her for her being from the Ye family. Plus, the pressure from being with Su Mengxin is too much for me. I can¡¯t handle it."


    After a pause, Li Yifei continued, "Being with Yunzhu already brings me so much trouble from you. If I were with Su Mengxin, the problems I¡¯d come back to would be even greater. I really wouldn¡¯t have peace. So, this is something I absolutely won¡¯t do."


    The old man, fuming with fury, stared at Li Yifei with his mustache puffing and his eyes bulging, but seeing Li Yifei¡¯s indifferent demeanor, he found himself at a loss, and he could only keep calling Li Yifei a fool and a dunce.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t upset, though. He truly understood the old man¡¯s mentality. The old man had lived his life for the strength of the Ye family, willing to give up everything personally beneficial if it was good for the family. If Li Yifei were to be with Su Mengxin now, that would be a tremendous opportunity for the Ye family. How could he not be anxious to see the family rise in Mile City during his lifetime? The allure was indeed immense.


    Finally, seeing that Li Yifei steadfastly refused to agree, the old man had no choice but to temporarily give up. However, by his demeanor, it was clear he hadn¡¯t truly given up at all, and he was certainly thinking of other methods.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t afraid of the old man using Yunzhu to threaten him. That would certainly backfire. The old man was cunning as a fox and wouldn¡¯t make such a foolish move.


    Noticing it was getting late, Li Yifei suggested leaving. The old man insisted he stay for dinner, clinging to Li Yifei¡¯s arm to keep him there, leaving Li Yifei no choice but to agree.


    Today, there weren¡¯t many from the Ye family around. During the meal, the old man was visibly absent-minded, causing those present to worry and repeatedly ask what was wrong. But the old man didn¡¯t answer, just glaring at Li Yifei, making everyone think Li Yifei had somehow offended him.


    Li Yifei just kept his head down and ate, determined to refuse the old man¡¯s proposal no matter what.

 Chapter 547 - 558: Unexpected

    Chapter 547: Chapter 558: UnexpectedLi Yifei left the Ye family and headed to a hotel in the Provincial City Center, where Xu Shanshan was currently staying. Since he came to the provincial city, it was only natural to visit his sister-in-law.


    He called Xu Shanshan, and not long after, she came running out of the hotel. As soon as she saw Li Yifei, she immediately opened her arms and rushed toward him.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to open his arms to catch Xu Shanshan and give her a big hug.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ve missed you so much!" Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei tightly before releasing him and excitedly exclaimed while holding his hand. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat. The way this sister-in-law greeted him felt like reuniting with a long-lost lover. He said, "Didn¡¯t I come to see you now?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and linked her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s affectionately, saying, "If you hadn¡¯t come to see me, I surely wouldn¡¯t have let you off when you got home."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to dwell on this topic and asked, "Have you had dinner?"


    "Knowing you¡¯re coming, how could I eat alone? I¡¯m starving right now."


    "Then I¡¯ll take you out to eat. What do you want to eat?"


    "Well... I want some street food. I know there¡¯s a street nearby with some really good snacks."


    Li Yifei readily agreed, and they walked out of the hotel together. Just as he was about to hail a cab, Xu Shanshan pulled him and said, "No need to get a cab; we can walk there."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Then let¡¯s walk."


    "Hee hee, I knew brother-in-law was the best," Xu Shanshan said sweetly, pulling Li Yifei¡¯s arm along the sidewalk, heading to the right.


    All along the way, Xu Shanshan chattered about everything that had happened over the past few days, sharing every little detail she could remember with Li Yifei, filled with joy.


    Though Xu Shanshan said it wasn¡¯t far, it took Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan over half an hour to get to their destination.


    It was a small street lined with little restaurants, with various street foods filling the roadside. By this time, it was getting dark, and many people were there to eat.


    Xu Shanshan, like a happy child, first found a kebab stall and said, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s get some kebabs."


    "Okay, but I¡¯ve already had dinner."


    Xu Shanshan pouted but quickly smiled and said, "Just have a little then. Just keep me company. Boss, ten skewers, please."


    Before long, the kebabs were ready. Li Yifei took a bunch of lamb skewers and handed them to Xu Shanshan, saying, "Eat up."


    Xu Shanshan, indeed hungry, took a big bite and, while chewing, said to Li Yifei, "You should eat too."


    Li Yifei took a symbolic bite of a skewer and then stopped, finding these kebabs not as tasty as his own.


    After Xu Shanshan had eaten two skewers, she took another one and bit into it but found the piece too fatty after pulling the meat to the skewer¡¯s tip. She released it from her mouth and offered the skewer to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, this piece of meat is too fatty. I can¡¯t eat it."


    Li Yifei nonchalantly said, "If you don¡¯t like it, then don¡¯t eat it."


    "But there¡¯s lean meat underneath; you eat the fatty bit for me." Xu Shanshan pushed the skewer towards Li Yifei¡¯s mouth again, smiling sweetly at him.


    Li Yifei widened his eyes at Xu Shanshan, his mouth slightly twitching, and said, "Then just throw away the fatty part."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, her shoulders lightly jiggling as she coquettishly said, "No way, that¡¯s not hygienic. Just eat it for me, brother-in-law. You don¡¯t think I¡¯m dirty, do you? You even kissed me that day..."


    "I¡¯ll eat it, I¡¯ll eat it." Li Yifei was sweating profusely, fearing the girl would continue, and quickly opened his mouth to bite off the fatty piece, chewing it twice before swallowing.


    Xu Shanshan giggled, saying, "Actually, the fatty bit isn¡¯t bad, but I¡¯m afraid of getting fat."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan was deliberately teasing. He rolled his eyes at her and said, "You little rascal, are you just messing with me for fun?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, lightly shaking Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and said, "Brother-in-law, I just like it this way. Stop being so stern."


    Li Yifei had no recourse against this sister-in-law. If he got angry, she¡¯d act coy; if he ignored her, she¡¯d be shameless. If really provoked, it would be all threats and coercion. In short, unless she achieved her goal, she wouldn¡¯t let him off.


    Still, although Xu Shanshan often created ambiguous situations, she never went too far, unlike Chu Xiaoyao. This was why Li Yifei went along with her; if she were like Chu Xiaoyao, wanting to be his woman, he¡¯d truly be wary of this sister-in-law.


    Afterward, the two ate some more snacks, with Xu Shanshan always giving Li Yifei a bite after a few bites herself. Initially, Li Yifei resisted the idea but gradually became accustomed to it. Eventually, Xu Shanshan would buy just one portion of whatever they were eating, and they¡¯d share.


    "Brother-in-law, there¡¯s a place selling ice porridge ahead; let¡¯s buy some," Xu Shanshan suggested, pointing to a dessert shop ahead.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Can you still eat more?"


    Xu Shanshan patted her stomach, smiling, "I suppose I can only manage one more serving of ice porridge."


    "Then let¡¯s go."


    Once inside, they ordered a serving of ice porridge and found a quiet corner to sit down.


    Xu Shanshan stirred the ice porridge with a small spoon and took a bite, praising, "Not bad, not bad. It¡¯s very cold and tasty."


    Li Yifei had never tried such things before; when he was with Ye Yunzhu, ice porridge wasn¡¯t popular yet, typically opting for ice cream. Later, with Xu Yingying, they rarely had romantic outings or even simple strolls, and never had they ventured to a place like this for street food.


    "Brother-in-law, you try some." Xu Shanshan scooped up a spoonful and held it to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    Although they had shared food earlier, it was dry snacks, whereas now they were eating with the same spoon, making it seem somewhat more intimate.


    "Try it; it¡¯s really good." Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei with a sweet smile.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to open his mouth, and Xu Shanshan promptly fed him the spoonful of ice porridge. Once he swallowed it, she reclaimed the spoon and had a bite herself, letting the spoon linger in her mouth for a while, smiling at Li Yifei with a delighted expression.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Shanshan, you..."


    Xu Shanshan removed the spoon, interrupting him with a cheeky grin, "Don¡¯t worry, I know my boundaries. No need to fret; she¡¯s my sister after all. I wouldn¡¯t want to make her sad."


    Her words left Li Yifei momentarily speechless, forcing a smile as he replied, "Still, it just doesn¡¯t feel right."


    "If I don¡¯t care, why should you? Brother-in-law, I really enjoy this; don¡¯t refuse me. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m planning to sleep with you, so don¡¯t overthink it."


    Li Yifei coughed a couple of times, finding his sister-in-law¡¯s words quite blunt.


    "Hee hee... have another bite." Xu Shanshan offered another spoonful of ice porridge to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei glared at her but ate it nonetheless, while Xu Shanshan began to laugh joyfully.


    Since things were already like this, they continued sharing the ice porridge, each taking turns with the spoon. Xu Shanshan was jubilant, grinning from ear to ear with her gaze fixed on Li Yifei. Initially, Li Yifei was a bit uneasy, but gradually he also started enjoying himself. Since Xu Shanshan promised to mind the boundaries, he decided to treat her as a sister, feeling that some sibling closeness was acceptable.


    It took them quite a while to finish the bowl of ice porridge, half an hour in total, before Xu Shanshan was satisfied.


    When they left the dessert shop, it was already past eleven. The street had thinned out, with stall owners packing up, and Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan leisurely strolled forward.


    As they passed by a barbecue shop, four men emerged, each swaying slightly, evidently having drunk a lot. The group staggered toward Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, practically taking up the whole width of the street.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan moved aside, knowing it was pointless to reason with the drunkards, intending to let them pass.


    But though they wished to avoid trouble, the four drunks took an interest in them.


    One of the men, on Li Yifei¡¯s side, noticed Xu Shanshan and brightened up. As he staggered near, he suddenly stumbled and lurched towards Xu Shanshan.


    Li Yifei had already pulled Xu Shanshan to the roadside, yet this man bypassed him to target her. It was clearly intentional.


    Frowning, Li Yifei sidestepped to shield Xu Shanshan, raising a hand to block the man.


    However, the man¡¯s shoulder barely brushed against Li Yifei before he dramatically sat down, loudly cursing, "Kid, are you ****** blind? Can¡¯t you walk properly with your eyes open?"


    Li Yifei shook his head. Some people just seemed to court trouble for no reason, and he hadn¡¯t even spoken when Xu Shanshan glared and retorted angrily, "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s blind. This road is wide enough; why crash into me?"


    "Feisty girl, but he pushed me down. What do you say to that?" The fallen man got up, and he and the others circled Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan menacingly, eyes gleaming with malice.

 Chapter 548 - 559: Call Your Boss Here

    Chapter 548: Chapter 559: Call Your Boss HereXu Shanshan, if alone or with others when encountering such a situation, would definitely be afraid. But with Li Yifei, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She had seen all kinds of rich kids¡ªwhy would she fear a few drunkards?


    Clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm, Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "You guys better be smart and go do whatever you need to do, instead of hanging around here courting death."


    "Hah! This little girl sure has a big mouth!" The guy in front, who had intentionally bumped into Xu Shanshan, squinted at her and said, "Even if we¡¯re not smart, what can you do? Do you know who we are?"


    Although they were from the same province, the provincial capital was over three hundred kilometers away from Mile City, so there were still some accent differences. Hearing Xu Shanshan speak, the four of them immediately recognized her as an outsider. Indeed, there were some locals they couldn¡¯t afford to offend, but two outsiders were completely insignificant to them.


    Xu Shanshan curled her lips dismissively and said, "And who are you supposed to be?"


    "Let me tell you, we¡¯re from the Qinglong Clan, and this area is our territory. If you don¡¯t wise up, we¡¯ll chop you up, and no one would dare say a word."


    Originally, there were still some people on this street, but after these four surrounded Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, the street suddenly became deserted, as if everyone had hidden away. This showed that these men indeed had a notorious reputation¡ªit wasn¡¯t just bluster.


    Li Yifei glanced at the twenty-something-year-old punk in front of him, with a Green Dragon tattooed on his shoulder, knowing he was no good. He gave a slight smile and said, "So, what do you intend to do?"


    "At least you¡¯ve got some sense," the punk sneered and said, "Our Qinglong Clan is always reasonable. You knocked me down, so you owe me five thousand bucks."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened instantly, and she said, "You want five thousand just for a shove? Why don¡¯t you just rob us?"


    The guy turned again to Xu Shanshan and said, "Little girl, you¡¯re right. We are robbing you¡ªwhat can you do about it? And not only that, I want to have my way with you. You¡¯re looking so fresh, I like you. Spend a night with us, and I¡¯ll show you what a real man is like, let you know what true pleasure is, ah..."


    He was getting carried away when a resounding slap accompanied by a cry of pain rang out.


    The guy had been spewing vile words at Xu Shanshan, and Li Yifei rewarded him with a grand slap, causing the punk to stagger back a few steps and fall to the ground with a thud.


    Regardless of how close Xu Shanshan was to him, simply because she was his sister-in-law, Li Yifei had already considered her family. He might tolerate these four punks for his own sake, but if they dared to insult Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei would never allow it.


    Seeing Li Yifei start to fight, Xu Shanshan excitedly pulled at him and shouted, "Brother-in-law, let me handle them, let me!"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. The last time on the island, he had let Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao enjoy a fight, and now Xu Shanshan was eager again.


    Fondly grasping Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, Li Yifei laughed and said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting your hand?"


    "Not at all¡ªnot this time. There are fewer of them, so it won¡¯t hurt," Xu Shanshan said, waving her little fists in anticipation.


    The punk that Li Yifei hit had already gotten up, teeth bared, lunging at Li Yifei. The other three weren¡¯t polite either, insulting as they swung their fists at Li Yifei. In their eyes, even if Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were two people, they had the upper hand with four against two. More so with a delicate girl, it was practically four against one. They expected to subdue Li Yifei in no time and have their way.


    "Go for the face," Li Yifei murmured, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s right fist shot out straight.


    "Pow!" The punk in front took a punch to the nose from Xu Shanshan.


    "Slap him."


    "Smack!" The punk beside him took a slap from Xu Shanshan.


    In a short time, these four punks had faces covered in blood, all flowing from their noses, and their faces swollen by Xu Shanshan¡¯s blows.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s punches were not heavy, causing no serious injuries. Fueled by alcohol, they seemed not to feel pain, but after taking numerous hits, they still charged forward, howling.


    This allowed Xu Shanshan to indulge fully, pounding the four punks fiercely. Li Yifei had no sympathy for them either. Seeing them cause trouble just by sighting others implied they often bullied people. Dealing with such characters, there was no need for mercy.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan had enough fun, Li Yifei stepped in with four quick kicks, all landing on their shins. Instantly, all four were on the ground, clutching their shins and wailing. Li Yifei¡¯s kicks had already fractured their shins.


    "My leg! My leg is broken!"


    "Screw you, you broke my leg! Our Qinglong Clan won¡¯t let you off!"


    The four punks howled on the ground but remained quite arrogant. Xu Shanshan unceremoniously kicked each of them a few more times and said angrily, "You think you¡¯re so great with your Qinglong Clan? I could kick you to death."


    Li Yifei said calmly, "Go ahead and make your call. I¡¯d like to see your Qinglong Clan."


    Xu Shanshan thought Li Yifei would simply take her away, but when she realized he wanted to continue, she got excited again and kicked another one, yelling, "Did you hear that? Call your boss."


    This left the four punks stunned. The fact that the opposite party had beaten them and wasn¡¯t finished, even wanting to meet their boss, was astonishing. From another perspective, it showed these two people were incredibly tough, not fearing their boss. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t dare speak like that.


    The ringleader restrained his leg pain, hesitantly asked, "Big brother... who are you?"


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "You are not worthy to know who I am. Have your boss come."


    Li Yifei¡¯s attitude left the four of them flustered. If they had provoked someone they shouldn¡¯t have, whom even their boss feared, they¡¯d be bringing trouble. If they got their boss in trouble, he might end up skinning them.


    Thinking this way sobered them from their drunkenness. The ringleader, with a bitter expression, said, "Big brother, we¡¯re sorry, we¡¯re sorry. We didn¡¯t recognize greatness when we saw it. We drank too much. Please be magnanimous and don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Li Yifei looked at the guy and said coldly, "Isn¡¯t your Qinglong Clan supposed to be impressive? Why don¡¯t you call your people?"


    The guy realized now he was in over his head, and stubbornness would only bring more pain upon himself. With a dry laugh, he said, "Big brother, we were just drunk and bragging."


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "At least you know what¡¯s good for you. Let¡¯s go," and pulling Xu Shanshan, they walked away in triumph.


    Xu Shanshan, highly excited, clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gleefully declaring, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really cool, beating them and planning to deal with their boss too! Those guys got scared witless."


    Li Yifei fondly replied to her, "We beat them today. If they¡¯re not satisfied and come looking for you later, wouldn¡¯t it be a hassle? That¡¯s why I intend to take care of their boss too, to prevent you from getting bullied while you¡¯re in the provincial city these days."


    Shanshan tilted her head to look at Li Yifei, suddenly rose on her toes, stretched her neck, and gave Li Yifei a peck on the cheek.


    The unexpected gesture caught Li Yifei off guard, leading Shanshan to succeed in her sneak attack. He turned to her, stared and said, "Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t try anything?"


    "I didn¡¯t do anything out of line. This is within my limits," Shanshan naughtily winked at him, then hugged his arm and laid her head on his shoulder, softly saying, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really good to me. Having you is my greatest luck."


    "Okay, stop with the sappy talk. I¡¯ll take you back to the hotel."


    "Hmm!" After walking a short distance, Shanshan stopped, pouting and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m tired." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Then let¡¯s take a taxi back."


    Shanshan twisted her body slightly and said, "No, I don¡¯t like taking cabs."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "Carry me, will you?"


    "Carry you?" Li Yifei exclaimed loudly.


    "Hehe, that¡¯s right. Carry me."


    "No, we can¡¯t. We¡¯re out here on the street¡ªhow would that look?"


    "I don¡¯t care. I just want you to carry me," Shanshan said coquettishly, shaking his arm. Without waiting for his agreement, she moved behind him and leaped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Shanshan was already on his back, so he had no choice but to support her thighs with a hand and said with an exasperated smile, "You troublemaker, all you do is mess around. Look, everyone is watching us."


    With her arms tightly around his neck, legs clinging to his waist, her chin resting on his shoulder, face pressed against his, Shanshan giggled and said, "I don¡¯t care what others think. I just like it when you carry me."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I really can¡¯t do anything with you. If you want a piggyback, so be it. I¡¯m just unlucky to have a sister-in-law like you."


    Shanshan lightly brushed her cheek against his and said gleefully, "Hehe, having you as a brother-in-law is the happiest thing in my life."


    Shanshan¡¯s cheeks were tender and soft against him, an indescribable comfort. Being sprawled on him like this, he could clearly feel the fullness and firmness of her chest. Plus, with her wearing shorts today, her smooth thighs were a sinful delight. After just a few steps, Li Yifei found himself distracted.

 Chapter 549 - 560 Good Night

    Chapter 549: Chapter 560 Good Night"Brother-in-law, you better not have any wild thoughts," Xu Shanshan suddenly whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear.


    Li Yifei was instantly embarrassed, his face turning red. He coughed a few times and said, "What wild thoughts could I possibly have?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled softly and said, "Even your breathing is a bit rapid."


    "Carrying you isn¡¯t exhausting? Of course, my breathing would be rapid," Li Yifei naturally refused to admit.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Then why is your hand still moving around on my leg?"


    "Well..." Li Yifei hadn¡¯t even noticed his hand already making little movements. He quickly stopped, still arguing, "Haven¡¯t I gotten into the habit of massaging your feet and legs? When my hand touches your leg, I just rub it a couple of times."


    "You¡¯re lying," Xu Shanshan said, then surprisingly opened her mouth and bit Li Yifei¡¯s earlobe.


    Li Yifei shuddered, his steps unconsciously slowing down. Xu Shanshan, this little minx, would play him to death if this continued. He quickly pleaded, "Shanshan, it¡¯s Brother-in-law¡¯s fault. Please let me go."


    Xu Shanshan then released Li Yifei¡¯s earlobe, adjusted her head¡¯s position, and with her face still against Li Yifei¡¯s, softly said, "Brother-in-law, as long as you don¡¯t think about sleeping with me, you can treat me however else you want."


    Not sleeping with her but everything else was okay? Did that mean touching and kissing were fine too, just like now with Chu Xiaoyao? This thought made Li Yifei¡¯s heart feel hot.


    "Brother-in-law, can you carry me? I want to sleep now." Xu Shanshan yawned as she spoke.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly stopped tempting him and instead acted like a child. This made Li Yifei feel tender and protective. He said, "Sleep then, Brother-in-law can carry you."


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re the best. Then I¡¯ll sleep now," Xu Shanshan said, closing her eyes as if to fall asleep.


    Li Yifei adjusted his pace, trying not to jostle her, be it Xu Shanshan¡¯s love or attachment. He and Xu Yingying were a couple; thus, he felt a responsibility to take care of this sister-in-law. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the road, many couples saw Li Yifei carrying Xu Shanshan, causing many girls to be envious and want their boyfriends to carry them too.


    As Li Yifei walked, more couples behind him started carrying each other. The strong ones were okay, but the weaker ones were suffering, especially those whose girlfriends were also strong. They silently cursed Li Yifei countless times.


    Li Yifei carried Xu Shanshan all the way to the hotel and to her room. Li Yifei knew which room it was, so he went straight to the door. He reached into Xu Shanshan¡¯s shorts pocket and pulled out the key card. Just as he opened the door, the door opposite suddenly opened, and a man came out.


    Li Yifei turned his head to look at the man and recognized him as Principal Wang Libang from Xu Shanshan¡¯s school.


    "Oh, what¡¯s wrong with Shanshan?" Wang Libang frowned at first upon seeing Li Yifei, but then asked with concern.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Shanshan fell asleep."


    "Oh, I thought she wasn¡¯t feeling well. You must be Shanshan¡¯s boyfriend, right? I¡¯ve seen you twice."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, I¡¯ve also seen you a few times. I know you¡¯re Shanshan¡¯s principal."


    "Hmm, I won¡¯t bother you two then." Wang Libang smiled at Li Yifei and turned back into his room.


    Li Yifei carried Xu Shanshan into the room and closed the door, feeling a bit worried. Wang Libang had always had intentions towards Xu Shanshan. Now, living opposite her made Li Yifei genuinely concerned for her.


    Although Xu Shanshan had no thoughts about Wang Libang, Li Yifei worried about what dirty tricks Wang Libang might try. If he really did harm Xu Shanshan, killing Wang Libang afterward would be too late. It seemed he¡¯d have to arrange for someone to protect Xu Shanshan.


    He placed Xu Shanshan on the bed, helped her take off her shoes, and pulled a thin blanket to cover her.


    Xu Shanshan opened her sleepy eyes and said, "Brother-in-law, I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth or washed my face yet."


    "You¡¯re already asleep. Why bother washing? Just sleep."


    "No, that¡¯s uncomfortable," Xu Shanshan insisted as she got out of bed, went to the bathroom, washed up briefly, then returned to bed, ready to sleep.


    Seeing her like this, Li Yifei said, "Shanshan, Brother-in-law will leave now. You sleep well."


    "Brother-in-law, help me take off my clothes. It¡¯s uncomfortable to sleep like this."


    Li Yifei widened his eyes and said, "Don¡¯t be ridiculous. How can I take off your clothes?"


    "What¡¯s the big deal about taking off clothes? I didn¡¯t ask you to do anything else. Besides, we were swimming the other day, and you touched me. Are you afraid to take off my clothes now?"


    Thinking about that, Li Yifei felt guilty. Back then, he didn¡¯t know she was Xu Shanshan and they were in the sea. Now, they were alone in a room, so doing such a thing would be too risky. So, Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s butt and sternly said, "Stop fooling around, or Brother-in-law will really get angry and not dare to approach you anymore."


    Xu Shanshan gasped and pouted, "Why are you spanking me, Brother-in-law?"


    "Disobedient kids need a spanking, or else you¡¯ll turn the house upside down."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue, "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t ask you to take them off. Don¡¯t want to tempt you and make you unable to resist."


    Li Yifei was simultaneously angry and amused, "You know it too. Remember, don¡¯t go out alone with Wang Libang in the future. When you return to the hotel, don¡¯t eat anything he sends you. Better yet, just don¡¯t eat anything anyone else gives you. If you want something, go buy it yourself."


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei with suspicion, "Principal Wang wouldn¡¯t do that, would he?"


    Li Yifei gently said, "Never intend to harm others, but always guard against them. These wealthy people often resort to any means to do bad things. Besides, our Shanshan is so beautiful. What man wouldn¡¯t be tempted? If he can¡¯t have you straightforwardly, he might resort to dirty tricks."


    "Hehe, so you¡¯re saying you¡¯re tempted by me?" Xu Shanshan playfully ignored the rest of Li Yifei¡¯s words and looked at him with a smile.


    Li Yifei immediately put on a serious face and said, "Shanshan, this is not a joking matter. If you really get violated by him, even if I kill him, it wouldn¡¯t remedy the harm done to you. Listen to Brother-in-law and be careful."


    Seeing Li Yifei was serious, Xu Shanshan nodded earnestly, "Okay, I definitely won¡¯t be alone with Principal Wang. When I come back at night, I¡¯ll only eat what I buy myself at the time. Is that alright?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s good."


    "Hehe, if someone¡¯s going to take advantage, I¡¯d rather it be you, Brother-in-law. That way, I won¡¯t be so foolish."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. Xu Shanshan, who was serious just now, reverted to her usual self. He ruffled her hair and said, "Alright, sleep well, I¡¯m leaving."


    "Brother-in-law." Just as Li Yifei was about to leave, Xu Shanshan called out to him again.


    "What is it this time?" Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Shanshan, seeing her eyes shimmering. He immediately felt apprehensive and quickly said, "Shanshan, I can promise you anything else, but Brother-in-law cannot stay here overnight."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "It¡¯s not a big deal to stay here, and it shouldn¡¯t be scary. We live together at home all the time."


    "That¡¯s different. We weren¡¯t in the same room then."


    "Silly, I just want you to keep me company. Fine, fine, I won¡¯t ask you to stay. But you said that except for staying, you¡¯d agree to anything else, no backing out."


    Li Yifei saw the cunning look in Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes and feared she¡¯d come up with a special request again. He said, "Shanshan, don¡¯t make it hard for Brother-in-law."


    "Hehe, I won¡¯t. I just want you to give me a goodnight kiss. That¡¯s not too much, is it?"


    "This..." Li Yifei hesitated.


    "Have you forgotten hugging and kissing before?"


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan and finally shook his head, "You, little rascal, are always like this, trying to make Brother-in-law do bad things."


    "This isn¡¯t wrong. A goodnight kiss isn¡¯t a big deal. Even strangers kiss in Western culture."


    "Alright, alright, but no other requests after this."


    "There won¡¯t be any more." Xu Shanshan opened her arms but then shouted, "Wait!" She withdrew her hands under the blanket, and rustling sounds followed.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was startled.


    "Hehe, I¡¯m taking off my clothes." Xu Shanshan lifted her hand, flinging a pair of shorts.


    "Why are you undressing?" Li Yifei quickly took a step back.


    "Hehe, you¡¯re scared. I sleep better with a goodnight kiss, and taking off clothes after that would disturb my sweet dreams." As Xu Shanshan spoke, she had thrown out her T-shirt.


    Li Yifei understood, rolled his eyes at Xu Shanshan, and said, "Troublemaker."


    "Hehe!" Once again, Xu Shanshan extended her arms, this time flinging a bra.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face went dark. Xu Shanshan stretched out her arms; her chest was partly exposed, showing a deep cleavage, easily leading him to imagine the view beyond. Even though it wasn¡¯t fully revealed, it was enticing enough.


    "Brother-in-law, come on," Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei expectantly.


    Li Yifei lowered his head and gently pecked Xu Shanshan¡¯s cheek. But before her arms could wrap around him, he lifted his head and said goodnight, darting out of the room.


    Xu Shanshan stared at the closed door, first in surprise, but then she hugged her blanket and giggled. She truly adored this brother-in-law, loved him down to her bones.

 Chapter 550 - 561 Accompanying Yiyi to See Relatives

    Chapter 550: Chapter 561 Accompanying Yiyi to See RelativesLi Yifei fled from Xu Shanshan¡¯s room as if escaping, and only when he came out did he breathe a sigh of relief. This kind of sister-in-law was just too tempting; even he had almost lost control earlier. This couldn¡¯t continue, and in the future, he couldn¡¯t indulge Xu Shanshan anymore. Some things, he absolutely couldn¡¯t compromise with her on.


    It was almost midnight when Li Yifei returned to the hotel where Su Yiyi was staying. Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t slept yet and was lying on the bed watching TV. As soon as Li Yifei returned, she eagerly got up.


    Li Yifei immediately said to Su Yiyi, "You don¡¯t need to get up. I¡¯ll wash up, and then we can go to sleep."


    Su Yiyi nodded and lay back down.


    Worn out, Su Yiyi snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and fell asleep. Although Li Yifei was also a bit tired, he still couldn¡¯t sleep. It wasn¡¯t because of Xu Shanshan, but because of Su Mengxin.


    He had always regarded Su Mengxin as a very good friend, but suddenly he realized that Su Mengxin had those kinds of feelings for him. It was truly unbelievable for him. How could someone like Su Mengxin like him?


    Previously, he hadn¡¯t really thought much about Su Mengxin, but when Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather pointed it out, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but think of her, recalling the snippets of their past interactions. Although there was nothing earth-shattering, it was undeniable that Su Mengxin had subtly integrated into his life. The company he was in belonged to Su Mengxin, and his status in Mile City was also due to her. Even his wife and those around him had become good friends with her.


    Li Yifei always felt that he and Su Mengxin were people from two different worlds. But now, Su Mengxin was merging into his world, showing just how invested she was. However, if someone asked Li Yifei now if he liked Su Mengxin, he could confidently answer that his current feelings for Su Mengxin were definitely not love.


    Since there was no love yet, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to develop further with Su Mengxin. He already had a wife and two unofficial lovers, Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. Ye Yunzhu, Lin Qiong, and Ning Xin¡¯er already made him feel a bit overwhelmed; he didn¡¯t want to add a more powerful Su Mengxin to complicate his emotional life further.


    "In the future, it¡¯s best to keep some distance from Su Mengxin," Li Yifei decided, feeling much lighter at heart, then fell asleep.


    The next day, after Li Yifei and Su Yiyi got up and while eating breakfast, Su Yiyi said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you should head back first today. I won¡¯t go with you."


    "Why?" Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi in surprise.


    Su Yiyi said, "My second aunt lives in the provincial capital, and I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time. Since I¡¯m here, I want to visit her."


    "Then why don¡¯t you let me go with you?"


    "I¡¯m... afraid you have things to do," Su Yiyi said with a touch of anticipation and excitement on her face.


    "Silly girl, your relatives are also my relatives. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to visit them? Since I¡¯m already out, I¡¯ll accompany you to visit our second aunt today."


    Su Yiyi immediately showed a sweet smile. Of course, she wanted to take Li Yifei to meet her relatives, but she also feared it might be inconvenient for him. Now that Li Yifei agreed, she was naturally very happy.


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi went to buy some gifts. During this time, Li Yifei also learned about Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s mother passed away early, and although her second aunt was also not well-off, she cared for Su Yiyi greatly and took good care of her. But later, because of Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s gambling addiction, about 90% of the money and things given to Su Yiyi were gambled away by her father. This made her aunt furious. Although she pitied her niece, she didn¡¯t want to throw all the money at Su Yiyi¡¯s unreliable father. But during Su Yiyi¡¯s university time, she did sponsor some of her tuition fees. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, Su Yiyi was very grateful to her second aunt. Previously, she couldn¡¯t repay this aunt due to circumstances, but now that Li Yifei had given her a lot of money, she no longer worried about clearly separating her finances from his. She believed she would never leave Li Yifei in her life. So, spending some of Li Yifei¡¯s money didn¡¯t make her too anxious, especially since she was never extravagant and was very measured with spending. This time, visiting her second aunt, she wanted to buy some gifts.


    But knowing how well the second aunt treated Su Yiyi, Li Yifei was not going to be stingy and wanted to get her some nice gifts.


    Su Yiyi, however, stopped Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, this won¡¯t work. My second aunt is just a simple person. Buying too nice things, she won¡¯t be willing to use them. It¡¯s better to buy some ordinary, practical ones."


    Li Yifei respected Su Yiyi¡¯s opinion and bought her second aunt some cosmetics, four packs of good cigarettes for her uncle, and a handheld computer for her cousin, who was in high school.


    This all added up to over five thousand, and although Su Yiyi felt it was still a bit much, she was still very happy.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt lived in an old neighborhood without even a main gate. The yard in the neighborhood was cluttered with cars and things, showing that Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt¡¯s family was indeed just average. Taking care of Su Yiyi like this was already not easy.


    Following a dim staircase, the two went up to the sixth floor. Su Yiyi gently knocked on the door and then glanced at Li Yifei, with a hint of nervousness on her face.


    "Who is it?" A woman¡¯s voice came from inside.


    "Second aunt, it¡¯s me, Yiyi."


    The door opened immediately, and a woman in her forties appeared in front of Li Yifei. This woman¡¯s eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to Su Yiyi¡¯s, but the marks of time and less favorable living conditions made her look more like a middle-aged aunt.


    "Second aunt!" Su Yiyi immediately called out crisply, with a bit of excitement.


    "Ah, it¡¯s Yiyi. Why are you here?" Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt excitedly pulled Su Yiyi into the room.


    "I came to see you," Su Yiyi said as Li Yifei immediately handed over the gift he was holding, smiling, "Hello, second aunt."


    "Oh, is this your boyfriend?" Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt immediately focused her gaze on Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi blushed and softly said, "Yes."


    "Looks nice, but he seems a bit older, doesn¡¯t he?" Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt was really straightforward.


    Li Yifei was twenty-six, and Su Yiyi was only twenty-one. Having endured many hardships in the military, Li Yifei naturally looked a bit weathered, seeming a bit older than his actual age. Someone could believe he was thirty.


    "No, Yifei is only twenty-six, just five years older than me," Su Yiyi hurriedly explained.


    "That¡¯s okay, a difference of five years is fine. Come on in," Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt invited them into the living room.


    Li Yifei glanced around; Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt¡¯s home had a two-bedroom, one living room layout; the living room seemed quite small, the furniture and appliances were relatively old, and there were many scratches on the floor.


    "Yiyi, it¡¯s enough for you to come and see your second aunt. I¡¯m already very happy," Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt instantly began to reprimand when she saw the gifts Li Yifei placed on the coffee table.

 Chapter 551 - 562 Uncle-in-Law Loses His Job

    Chapter 551: Chapter 562 Uncle-in-Law Loses His JobYiyi immediately said, "Auntie, if it weren¡¯t for your care over the years, I wouldn¡¯t know where I¡¯d be by now. Yiyi has always been very grateful to you. In the past Yiyi couldn¡¯t repay you because I lacked the means, but now with Yifei, my circumstances have improved a lot. How could Yiyi forget you, Auntie?"


    "You dear child, having that intention is enough. Now making money is so difficult; how can you spend it so recklessly? Sigh, your Uncle and I together don¡¯t even make four thousand a month, and now things are even tighter, with your Uncle about to be laid off again."


    With that, Yiyi¡¯s aunt let out a heavy sigh.


    Yiyi asked with concern, "Doesn¡¯t Uncle work at the Tax Bureau?"


    "He used to be okay there, but as you know, your Uncle is just a driver, and not a regular staff member. Despite having worked at the Tax Bureau for over twenty years, being non-regular staff means he¡¯s basically a temporary worker. Not only does he earn less, but they can also let you go whenever they want without any recourse."


    Yiyi frowned and said, "Uncle¡¯s been working there for over twenty years. According to labor law, shouldn¡¯t he have been made a permanent employee by now?"


    "Labor law, that¡¯s just a tool to fool people. A few days ago, they started some kind of labor outsourcing. Those shameless bastards at the Tax Bureau transferred all their original employees to an outsourcing company, which then sends them back to work at the Tax Bureau. So, although they¡¯re working at the Tax Bureau, they have no real connection with it anymore, and nobody cares about any labor law."


    "But that¡¯s a government law enforcement agency. How can they knowingly break the law?" Yiyi exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.


    "It¡¯s precisely because these law enforcement agencies don¡¯t obey the law that there¡¯s no solution. If it were some company breaking the law, you could still go to the Labor Bureau to complain, but since they¡¯re a law enforcement agency themselves, the Labor Bureau doesn¡¯t care at all. Just tell me, after working so hard for so many years, my husband gets dismissed just like that. Is there any justice in that?"


    Yiyi¡¯s aunt grew more agitated and angry as she spoke, while Yiyi felt utterly helpless. She somewhat understood how things worked with jobs, especially for sought-after departments like the Tax Bureau, where becoming part of the permanent staff was incredibly difficult. Now, if her uncle lost his job, relying only on her aunt¡¯s casual labor earnings would be absolutely insufficient.


    At this moment, the sound of a door unlocking and opening was heard, and a middle-aged man entered with a dejected expression, his head lowered, not even noticing Li Yifei and Yiyi.


    "Uncle," Yiyi stood up and greeted him.


    This man was, of course, Yiyi¡¯s uncle. Hearing Yiyi¡¯s greeting, he lifted his head, a look of surprise showing on his face, and said, "Yiyi, what brings you here?"


    Yiyi¡¯s aunt chimed in, "Yiyi came over with her boyfriend to see us. By the way, what did your workplace say?"


    Yiyi¡¯s uncle gave Li Yifei a nod and forced a smile, then sighed heavily again, saying, "What can they say? They just tell you they don¡¯t need you anymore and that they¡¯ll give some compensation, maybe ten or eight thousand yuan."


    He then flopped onto the couch with a look of despair and pulled out a cigarette.


    Li Yifei quickly offered his own cigarettes, saying, "Uncle, have one of these." As he brought out the cigarettes, he suddenly remembered Su Mengxin; these were still the cigarettes Mengxin had left him.


    Yiyi¡¯s uncle took a cigarette, and Li Yifei lit it for him. Taking a deep drag, not really discerning the quality of the cigarette, he said, "It¡¯s useless arguing with them. I¡¯m thinking of looking for another job."


    Yiyi¡¯s aunt slapped her thigh in anger, exclaiming, "Those damn bastards, all they do is take and take, never caring about other people¡¯s lives. Nowadays, all the leaders can drive themselves; they fear drivers are inconvenient and dismiss them all. Sooner or later, I hope each of them crashes their car and dies."


    Auntie Yiyi¡¯s personality was clearly rather fiery, quite different from Yiyi¡¯s. But as ordinary people, aside from venting at home and cursing those in power, what else could they do?


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t understand labor law and whether this situation was compliant or not, so he didn¡¯t interject unnecessarily. Helping Yiyi¡¯s relatives didn¡¯t have to mean getting involved with that Tax Bureau again. Working elsewhere would do, like at the Ye family¡ªbig family, big business. If he introduced them to a driver, they would certainly not refuse.


    "Enough about that. I¡¯m a grown man. Even if I stop working here, I won¡¯t be unable to find a job. If all else fails, I¡¯ll just drive a taxi. I can make three or four thousand a month, easy. I¡¯ve already looked into it."


    Yiyi¡¯s uncle was a down-to-earth man. Although he was extremely upset about losing his job, he didn¡¯t want to worry his wife too much and puffed out his chest, showing the demeanor a man should have.


    At this point, Li Yifei joined in, saying, "Uncle, if you¡¯re looking for a job, I might be..."


    Li Yifei was about to offer his help, but Auntie Yiyi suddenly slapped her thigh excitedly, interrupting, "Yes, yes, I just remembered someone. He¡¯s an old classmate of mine, works at the Tax Bureau, and is apparently an official. I¡¯ll go talk to him, see if I can plead our case."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle-in-law¡¯s eyes lit up and he said, "Why didn¡¯t you mention this before?"


    Filled with excitement, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt exclaimed, "I just didn¡¯t think of it until now. As soon as I saw Yiyi, it suddenly came to me. I¡¯ll call and ask right now."


    Although Li Yifei really didn¡¯t understand why seeing Su Yiyi reminded her aunt of that old classmate, since Yiyi¡¯s aunt didn¡¯t offer any explanation, he didn¡¯t feel it was his place to ask.


    After getting through on the phone and chatting for a bit, Yiyi¡¯s aunt hung up, visibly thrilled, and announced, "I¡¯ve made arrangements with him already. We¡¯re inviting him to lunch today."


    Yiyi¡¯s uncle-in-law asked eagerly, "Did he say it was feasible?"


    Yiyi¡¯s aunt, beaming with joy, replied, "Absolutely. He said it was no big deal, that the Tax Bureau wouldn¡¯t care about the tiny sum they pay you monthly. It¡¯s just that most of the leaders drive their own cars, but he can take care of it with just one phone call."


    Seeing the couple¡¯s enthusiasm, Li Yifei felt no need for further comment. Looking at them, he realized that even though he wished to be an ordinary person, he hadn¡¯t truly managed to become one yet. Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle were truly ordinary folks, struggling and toiling for a living, enduring hardships for a bit of money, with their moments of joy but also their sorrows.


    After the excitement subsided, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt took her hand and said, "Yiyi, it¡¯s your visit to our place with your boyfriend, and I should really treat you properly. But with your uncle¡¯s current situation, we¡¯ll just have something simple at home for lunch. I¡¯ll cook something special for you in the evening."


    Su Yiyi quickly responded, "It¡¯s no trouble at all. You and uncle have your hands full. Yifei and I just came to see you both, we¡¯ll be leaving shortly anyway."


    "How can that be? It¡¯s not every day you come to your aunt¡¯s, and you¡¯ve even brought your boyfriend. We can¡¯t just let you leave like that. Your boyfriend might think your aunt doesn¡¯t value you."


    Yiyi¡¯s uncle-in-law quickly intervened, "We¡¯ll all go together for lunch then. It will show that we take this seriously."


    Thinking it over, Yiyi¡¯s aunt nodded and agreed, "That makes sense, let¡¯s all go together."


    Su Yiyi hesitated, "Wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her aunt laughed it off, "It¡¯s fine, let¡¯s all go together."


    With her anticipations set, Yiyi¡¯s aunt shifted the conversation to Li Yifei, inquiring about his background. Upon learning he was a department manager at a company, she was thoroughly pleased with him.


    "Yifei, Yiyi is a wonderful girl. It¡¯s just that her father is quite a handful. I know Yiyi is a dutiful child, and eventually, her father will likely cause you some trouble. Please, for Yiyi¡¯s sake, try to be patient with him."


    Li Yifei immediately assured her, "Don¡¯t worry, Auntie. Uncle Su has already kicked his gambling habit."


    "He¡¯s quit gambling?" Yiyi¡¯s aunt said, skeptical. She had a strong disdain for her brother-in-law. If it weren¡¯t for him, her sister wouldn¡¯t have passed away so soon, and her niece wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much.


    Su Yiyi quickly interjected, "Auntie, my dad really has stopped gambling. He hasn¡¯t gone for a long time now. He even found a job as a night watchman. He doesn¡¯t earn much but he doesn¡¯t cause me trouble anymore."


    Yiyi¡¯s aunt¡¯s eyes widened with surprise and delight, exclaiming, "That¡¯s wonderful news! You¡¯re a good child; I was worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to find a good family because of your father. Now, I can rest assured."


    Li Yifei declared earnestly, "Auntie, don¡¯t worry. Someone as wonderful as Yiyi, I¡¯ll definitely treat her well. I will not allow her to suffer any injustices. Yiyi¡¯s father is also my father, and I will take good care of him."


    It was true that Su Yiyi¡¯s father had given up gambling, but only because Li Yifei had managed to intimidate him. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for him to quit. A son-in-law like Yifei was indeed hard to come by.


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Seeing Yiyi so happy puts my mind at ease."


    After chatting until eleven o¡¯clock, the four of them left the house and took a taxi to a moderately-priced restaurant in the provincial capital. They couldn¡¯t afford to dine at a high-end establishment; even eating at a place like this might cost over a thousand, which was already quite luxurious. If it weren¡¯t for the work-related matter, Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle would never willingly come here to eat.


    Once they had secured a private room, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle, along with Yiyi and Li Yifei, waited in the lobby. It wasn¡¯t long before they saw the people they were waiting for arrive. There were two of them: one was Yiyi¡¯s aunt¡¯s classmate, and the other looked quite young, not even thirty. Upon seeing Su Yiyi, the man¡¯s eyes sparkled, betraying a strong desire to possess her.

 Chapter 552 - 563: A Very Awesome Section Chief

    Chapter 552: Chapter 563: A Very Awesome Section Chief"Old classmate, this is Chu Minghui from the Municipal Revenue Department, a Deputy Division Chief, quite promising indeed, I specifically asked him to put in a good word for us. With Chief Chu¡¯s support, the sub-bureaus below won¡¯t dare to refuse."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt¡¯s classmate was named Zheng Long, who now held a section chief position at a sub-bureau, though not the same one as Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle. In a sub-bureau, personnel management was dominated by the bureau chief, especially for temporary workers¡ªit all came down to the chief¡¯s say. However, a section chief of a sub-bureau couldn¡¯t wield much influence over chiefs of other sub-bureaus. In contrast, a deputy division chief from the City Bureau did have such authority.


    It wasn¡¯t that a deputy division chief from the City Bureau ranked higher than a sub-bureau¡¯s bureau chief, but the City Bureau often inspected sub-bureaus. During these inspections, someone like Chu Minghui could cause a sub-bureau to rank lower in evaluations, which significantly impacted a bureau chief¡¯s achievements.


    Moreover, if a City Bureau¡¯s deputy director were to be transferred laterally, that person could become a deputy director at a sub-bureau and had a great chance of being promoted within the City Bureau. If Chu Minghui were promoted to division chief within a couple of years, he would be on the same level as a sub-bureau chief and could even be transferred to lead a sub-bureau if he played his cards right.


    Thus, although Chu Minghui didn¡¯t have as much power as a sub-bureau chief, generally, sub-bureau chiefs would still show him respect.


    Another point was that Chu Minghui had some notable backing, and it was said that his promotion to division chief was imminent. Most people in the system were aware of this, so they were even more cautious not to offend him.


    When Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle heard Zheng Long reveal Chu Minghui¡¯s identity, he became extremely agitated, realizing that this matter was practically resolved.


    Everyone gathered in the private room, where Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt introduced Li Yifei and Su Yiyi. Chu Minghui gave Li Yifei a look of disdain but turned a much more fervent gaze upon Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi was certainly beautiful, but there were others who could compare, though not common. However, the kind of temperament Su Yiyi possessed was rare. Su Yiyi¡¯s gentle, soft nature evoked a man¡¯s protective instinct and the feeling that marrying a girl like her would guarantee a blessed life. Chu Minghui took one look at Su Yiyi and set his sights on her. Although she already had a boyfriend, just a manager of a company department in Mile City, he was nothing compared to Chu Minghui. Winning Su Yiyi over didn¡¯t seem like a difficult task.


    Li Yifei, who had sized up countless individuals as the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad, often safeguarding VIPs, was adept at reading people¡ªa must-have skill. He immediately noticed Chu Minghui¡¯s interest but, considering Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt, and since Chu Minghui hadn¡¯t shown any overt behavior yet, Li Yifei felt no need to confront this man.


    As the food and drinks were served, Zheng Long chuckled and said, "I¡¯ll tell you, old classmate, I went out of my way to bring Chief Chu here. The success of this matter depends on his say. You guys better make sure Chief Chu enjoys himself."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt promptly lifted her glass and said, "Chief Chu, this drink is for you. We¡¯re counting on you for Old Zhao¡¯s situation."


    Chu Minghui laughed heartily and replied, "It¡¯s not really a big deal. Even if Old Zhao hadn¡¯t worked at this department for so many years, just a word to their bureau chief about getting him a spot would be an absolute breeze."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt brightened even more and bumped glasses with Chu Minghui, "Then I must trouble you, Chief Chu. I¡¯ll drink to you first."


    Chu Minghui too drank a glass and said, "No problem, I¡¯ll call their bureau chief later."


    After some drinks and a bit of food, Su Yiyi asked, "Chief Chu, isn¡¯t there a regulation in the labor law that if you work in the same place for more than ten years, you should enjoy regular employee benefits? My uncle has been working for almost twenty years, so why hasn¡¯t he been made a permanent worker?"


    Chief Chu had been looking for an opportunity to chat with Su Yiyi, and now that she had initiated the conversation, it played right into his hands. He turned to Su Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, you do know quite a bit about the law. But, you see, some laws in our society aren¡¯t really meant for the average Joe. We are law enforcement departments, after all. What we do is ultimately up to us."


    "Wouldn¡¯t that be breaking the law in the name of law enforcement?" Su Yiyi frowned slightly.


    Chief Chu chuckled lightly. From Su Yiyi¡¯s words, he could tell she was naive about the world and responded, "You could say that, but who is going to enforce the law on us? Those labor laws apply to enterprises, which our law enforcement agencies can naturally manage. If your uncle were in some other enterprise, he might use the law to contend, but within the Tax Bureau, that¡¯s simply not feasible."


    Su Yiyi found such words hard to hear, and she unconsciously furrowed her brow.


    Seeing that Su Yiyi was displeased by his remarks, Chief Chu quickly added, "Yiyi, you¡¯re young and there¡¯s much about society you don¡¯t yet understand. In today¡¯s world, laws are set for the common people. Those with privileges truly stand above the law. Take your uncle¡¯s case; whether using the law or not, it all comes down to a single say. If we really wanted to make your uncle a permanent worker, relying on the law would be impossible, but other methods could work."


    At this, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt burst out excitedly, "Chief Chu, such things are doable?"


    No wonder Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt was excited. Her husband¡¯s salary at the Tax Bureau was less than two thousand a month, without any benefits. Yet, the official staff of the Tax Bureau made around four thousand or more, on top of various benefits and bonuses, plus unseen earnings. To earn a hundred thousand a year was easy, which was worlds apart from the conditions of a temporary worker.


    Chief Chu saw that Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and her husband were both so excited, and Su Yiyi herself was also brimming with excitement. He took a sip of beer and with a show-off air, he said, "Yes, this matter can indeed be done, but it all depends on whether there are people in high places. If someone up there speaks out, then it can be carried out according to labor law. So, the most important thing is to have such a powerful person. It¡¯s like how I could ensure Old Zhao continues to work with just a word and avoids being dismissed. A person higher up in rank could make Old Zhao a regular employee with just a single word."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt nervously asked, "Chief Chu, can you find someone to get this done?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Minghui squinted his eyes, appearing to be in a difficult position, and said, "Such matters are no easy feat."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt, however, was quite astute and immediately said, "Chief Chu, I know this kind of thing is definitely not easy, and it will certainly cost money. We will pay for it, as long as we can get our Old Zhao a permanent position."


    Chu Minghui glanced at Su Yiyi and said, "If it were just a matter of money, many people could handle it, but the money has to be delivered to the right place, doesn¡¯t it? Even the City Bureau couldn¡¯t deal with this; it would require connections at the Provincial Bureau."


    Zheng Long then spoke up, "Chief Chu, isn¡¯t your dad at the Provincial Bureau?"


    Chu Minghui nodded and said, "My dad is indeed at the Provincial Bureau, but he is not in charge of personnel matters, so this is very difficult to manage."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt hurriedly said, "Chief Chu, we¡¯re relying on you for this. If you can get this done, our entire family will be grateful to you."


    Chu Minghui chuckled and said, "It seems only you and Old Zhao would be drinking with me so far."


    Su Yiyi was not foolish, and she quickly raised her glass and said, "Chief Chu, I toast to you and hope that you can help my uncle become a permanent employee."


    Chu Minghui laughed heartily and said, "With Yiyi¡¯s words, I would seem insincere if I didn¡¯t help. However, this matter is indeed difficult. I can only do my best and can¡¯t guarantee success."


    Although he wanted to show off his power in front of Su Yiyi, turning a temporary worker into a regular employee was definitely not a trivial matter, and Chu Minghui wasn¡¯t foolish enough to make a firm promise on the spot.


    Then, changing the subject, he said, "Although your uncle¡¯s case is difficult, it is much easier for a college graduate to get directly into the Tax Bureau. Yiyi, have you considered working at the Tax Bureau?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt immediately became excited and said, "Chief Chu, Yiyi will graduate in another year. Can you arrange for her to get into the Tax Bureau?"


    "That¡¯s not a difficult thing at all. As long as Yiyi wants to join the Tax Bureau, just come to me, and I will make sure it happens." With jobs being so hard to find nowadays, a civil service position is the dream of many, and a good agency like the Tax Bureau is a place countless people are desperate to get into. He didn¡¯t believe that Su Yiyi would be indifferent.


    As long as Su Yiyi was interested in this job, he would have many opportunities to interact with her in the future, and then he could win her over.


    Before Su Yiyi had the chance to express her stance, her aunt eagerly said, "That would be wonderful. Just let us know what¡¯s needed. We will spend where we need to spend. I understand how these things work and will make sure you don¡¯t make efforts in vain."


    Chu Minghui generously waved his hand and laughed, "Talking about these things seems impolite. I¡¯m helping you, initially because of Zheng Long¡¯s face, but having seen your family, I do feel a good vibe and wanted to offer my help proactively. Consider it a good deed. Yiyi, rest assured, as long as I have agreed to it, I will definitely be able to get it done for you, and I can even arrange for you to be placed in the provincial capital. Even if you can¡¯t join the Provincial Bureau, getting into the City Bureau will be no problem."


    This was definitely a tempting offer. For any average college graduate, it would be an irresistible lure. Su Yiyi really did want to find a job on her own after graduation and did not want to rely totally on Li Yifei. Finding a job in Mile City would be acceptable, but she would staunchly refuse to move to the provincial capital. She wouldn¡¯t go to the Tax Bureau, let alone a better agency, no matter what.


    However, not wanting to offend Chief Chu, Su Yiyi tactfully said, "Thank you, Chief Chu, but I still have one year until graduation. I¡¯m not in a hurry."


    Chu Minghui quickly replied, "What do you mean you¡¯re not in a hurry? You really don¡¯t understand how difficult it is to get a job. You should start preparing now. If you wait until you¡¯ve graduated to begin, it will be too late. You won¡¯t know how many people will be competing for such a position then, and the resistance will be much greater. If you get started now, you¡¯ll have the upper hand, and later you can even choose a good place. No, that won¡¯t do. I must arrange for you. Tonight, I¡¯ll take you to meet some higher-ups, which will give us a better chance."


    After looking at Li Yifei, Su Yiyi turned to Chief Chu and said, "Chief Chu, I¡¯m sorry, but my boyfriend is in Mile City, so I just want to find a job here and don¡¯t wish to go to the provincial capital."


    Chu Minghui looked at Li Yifei. Since Li Yifei had been mostly silent, he didn¡¯t take him seriously. So, he said calmly, "You should be more realistic. Once you¡¯re in the Tax Bureau in Mile City, finding any kind of boyfriend you want will be easy. Why insist on staying with just him?"

 Chapter 553 - 564 I Helped You Handle It

    Chapter 553: Chapter 564 I Helped You Handle ItChu Minghui¡¯s words were extraordinarily sharp, openly displaying his disdain for Li Yifei. Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt and her husband¡¯s faces suddenly turned awkward. Technically, Chu Minghui¡¯s remarks about Li Yifei also meant a loss of face for them, but since they were in a position of asking for favors from him, they dared not offend him at this moment.


    At this point, Su Yiyi furrowed her brows and said, "Chief Chu, the Tax Bureau is indeed a good workplace, but for me, I believe that being with the man I love would make me even happier. I appreciate your kind offer, but I only want to be with my boyfriend. If a job means I can¡¯t be with my boyfriend, then no matter how great the job, I wouldn¡¯t want it."


    Chu Minghui clapped his hands twice and said, "Indeed, love triumphs over all." He then shook his head in a manner that suggested he was annoyed by her lack of ambition and added, "You¡¯re still young after all, unaware of the dangers that lurk in society and of how hard it is to find a job. You¡¯ll eventually understand how tough it is to earn money."


    Su Yiyi smiled slightly and replied, "It¡¯s true that earning money isn¡¯t easy, and being without money won¡¯t do, but being with Brother Li, even if it¡¯s just simple tea and meals, even if it¡¯s a modest house, I would still be very happy."


    Chu Minghui looked at Li Yifei and asked, "Young man, you¡¯re not bad, managing to make Yiyi so devoted to you. I¡¯m curious, how much salary do you make a month now?"


    Li Yifei found this Chu Minghui somewhat amusing. He was just a minor deputy chief, yet he acted as if he was all that important. Li Yifei had casually met people who were leagues above him in status before.


    "Not much. Mile City is just a small place; I can only get a salary of around three thousand yuan a month."


    "Hmm, three thousand yuan, that¡¯s indeed not too low for Mile City. It¡¯s enough for one to get by on their own. But I¡¯m curious, do you have a house there?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m just renting a place."


    Chu Minghui let out a sigh and said, "You don¡¯t even have a house, how can this be acceptable? These days, what girl doesn¡¯t want to marry someone with both a house and a car? Without a house, what can you offer for marriage?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "We¡¯ll save up slowly. There will always be opportunities."


    Chu Minghui shook his head again and said, "Old Zhao, we¡¯re in the same system after all. If there¡¯s anything, I ought to look out for you. I see your niece is quite a catch. If she were to work in the Tax Bureau, her prospects would be much brighter. Some leaders in the Provincial Bureau still have children who are unmarried. I can introduce her to them at that time. With a job and her looks, she would easily marry into one of these leaders¡¯ families. Then, Old Zhao, you would have great backing, and getting your position regularized would be much easier. Later, wouldn¡¯t it also be a straight path for your own children to get into the Tax Bureau?"


    Chu Minghui had his eye on Su Yiyi, but he couldn¡¯t outright say that he was interested, so he dangled this attractive offer instead. If Su Yiyi and Li Yifei¡¯s relationship fell through, she could come to him for a job, and then it would be perfectly timely for him to make his move.


    These words from Chu Minghui indeed tempted Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt. Su Yiyi¡¯s father hadn¡¯t been doing well, and if one were to consider the family¡¯s circumstances, then Su Yiyi would have been considered a burdensome student. However, her father had since quit gambling, lightening that burden. If Su Yiyi were to work in the Tax Bureau, with her looks, she really would be an outstanding girl. Then, when it came to choosing a boyfriend, someone like Li Yifei, just a minor manager, would not be a suitable match for her.


    It wasn¡¯t that Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt was overly materialistic, but as an elder, who wouldn¡¯t want their family¡¯s child to marry into a good household, especially given Su Yiyi¡¯s promising prospects. She didn¡¯t want Su Yiyi to give those up.


    Yet, this meant urging Su Yiyi to break up with Li Yifei, something she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say, so she subconsciously looked at Su Yiyi without uttering a word. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the excitement in the eyes of Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and her husband, Chu Minghui felt secretly pleased and said, "Yiyi, one doesn¡¯t necessarily have to marry their first love. Having more options is never a mistake. Young man, it¡¯s not that I look down on you, but if you truly like Yiyi, then you should consider her future. Think about what you can offer her. Don¡¯t tell me about ¡¯love.¡¯ When two people live together, it ultimately comes down to material things. Without good material conditions, life becomes friction-filled, and even the best of relationships can¡¯t withstand such strain. Forgive my bluntness, but with what you have achieved now, you can¡¯t promise Yiyi a better life."


    Su Yiyi was usually easygoing and never contended with others, but now, with Chu Minghui speaking so poorly of Li Yifei, she was truly annoyed. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Chu Minghui was going to help her second aunt¡¯s husband with his job, she would have walked out immediately. After taking a deep breath to quell her anger, Su Yiyi spoke indifferently, "Chief Chu, perhaps you¡¯re right, a couple does need material security. But I, Su Yiyi, have endured much hardship since childhood, so no matter how hard it gets, I can bear it. Being with Yifei, even if it means eating coarse food, would still make me feel happy. On the contrary, if I were with a man I don¡¯t like, even if I had luxurious food every day, I wouldn¡¯t be happy. Thank you for your concern."


    Li Yifei was truly seeing Su Yiyi express her thoughts so boldly for the first time. He clapped his hands appreciatively and said, "Yiyi, you¡¯ve spoken well."


    Chu Minghui¡¯s face took on an unpleasant look as he said, "Really doesn¡¯t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is. Old Zhao, it seems that even though I wanted to do a good deed, I can¡¯t manage it after all. With your niece being so disrespectful to me, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t concern myself with your matters either."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt and uncle¡¯s faces drained of color in an instant, regretting that they had brought Su Yiyi to this dinner. Her second aunt immediately said, "Chief Chu, please don¡¯t be angry. The child doesn¡¯t understand and doesn¡¯t know about your kindness. I apologize to you on her behalf."


    Chu Minghui said with a dark face, "No need, it¡¯s truly the first time I¡¯ve tried to do a good deed and the other party is ungrateful. It seems I can¡¯t do this good deed. Forget it, forget it, you¡¯ll have to think of something else yourselves, I¡¯m out of this."


    At this moment, Li Yifei looked at Chu Minghui and then said to Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt, "Second aunt, second uncle, don¡¯t worry. In fact, this matter doesn¡¯t need him to handle it. I can take care of it for you."


    "You¡¯ll handle it?" Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt and uncle immediately widened their eyes in surprise at Li Yifei.


    Chu Minghui burst into laughter, pounding the table hard as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, and said, "That¡¯s quite a big statement. Well, I really want to see how you¡¯re going to handle it."


    Li Yifei ignored Chu Minghui and smiled at Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle, "Second uncle, you¡¯ve been working at the Tax Bureau for over twenty years; it¡¯s high time you were made a regular employee. How about I make that happen for you?"


    "This... this..." Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle was at a loss for what to say.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt frowned and said with a bitter smile, "Yifei, I know what you¡¯re trying to do. Let¡¯s not be so stubborn. Chief Chu is just trying to be kind. We should apologize to him, that¡¯ll be the end of it."


    With a grand wave of his hand and in a sardonic tone, Chu Minghui said, "That¡¯s not necessary. The young man speaks with such confidence. He must have his ways. I certainly don¡¯t have the influence he claims to possess."


    Chu Minghui would never believe that Li Yifei could accomplish such a thing. Even if Li Yifei had significant connections, Chu Minghui¡¯s own father was a leader at the Provincial Bureau and wouldn¡¯t dare claim he could turn a temporary worker into a permanent staffer so easily. How could Li Yifei, a Mile City native and merely a small company manager, have such power?


    At this point, Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt really started to panic. If Chu Minghui truly decided not to help her husband, her husband might really lose his job. And here was Li Yifei making big claims which could only make the situation tenser. Her face set firm, she said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, you can¡¯t be so impulsive. Your second uncle has worked at the Tax Bureau for so many years; he definitely couldn¡¯t handle moving to a new place. It¡¯s not easy to get Chief Chu¡¯s help; we can¡¯t afford to offend him. Hurry up and apologize to Chief Chu." As she spoke, she gestured to Su Yiyi behind Chu Minghui, hoping Su Yiyi would persuade Li Yifei as well.


    Su Yiyi understood Li Yifei better than anyone. She knew he wasn¡¯t the kind to make empty promises. Since he said he could resolve her second uncle¡¯s job situation, then he would undoubtedly make it happen. She smiled at her second aunt, casting a reassuring glance.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt didn¡¯t comprehend the meaning behind that look. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t believe Li Yifei could really achieve such a thing. If Li Yifei could handle such a big matter, would he still just be a minor manager in a company?


    Chu Minghui leisurely took a sip of his drink and said, "Hey, kid, didn¡¯t you say you would handle it? Then go ahead and take care of it now. I want to see what kind of capable persons you can find to carry out such a task."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly, "It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just a phone call away."


    Chu Minghui¡¯s face turned cold as he retorted, "That¡¯s quite the bold claim. Then hurry up and make that call. If you can resolve this with a single phone call, then my name Chu can be read upside down."


    Li Yifei casually took out his phone and said, "Sorry, whether you turn it upside down or not, has nothing to do with me."


    His words carried an unmistakable edge of discourtesy. Chu Minghui¡¯s expression grew even more unsightly. He snorted, "Boy, don¡¯t be too arrogant. This is the provincial capital, not a small city like Mile City. Some people here you can¡¯t afford to offend."

 Chapter 554 - 565: No One Believes It

    Chapter 554: Chapter 565: No One Believes ItLi Yifei directly dialed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather¡¯s phone, thinking that the old man wanted him to handle some affairs for the Ye family. Didn¡¯t he have to give them something to do when there was nothing pressing? If it were about fighting for some important positions, the Ye family might not be able to handle it, but it was just about arranging someone into the Tax Bureau. If they couldn¡¯t manage that, then they had no business mixing in this province anymore, let alone be considered a prominent family.


    The old man¡¯s phone was quickly connected, and he went straight to the point, "Kid, you¡¯ve made up your mind."


    Li Yifei knew he was referring to the matter of pursuing Su Mengxin and said in an annoyed tone, "Made up my mind about what? I¡¯m calling you for something else."


    "You¡¯re really thick-headed, what¡¯s up?" the old man immediately cursed Li Yifei but didn¡¯t forget the matter Li Yifei was talking about.


    "It¡¯s like this, I have a relative who has been a temp worker at the Tax Bureau for over twenty years, and now they¡¯ve been squeezed out."


    "Is that all, such a trivial matter? Do you really need to call me for that?"


    "Heh, I was worried that maybe one day they might get squeezed out again, so just handle it to become a regular staff, that way no one can squeeze them out again."


    "Smart guy, that¡¯s going to take some doing," replied the old man.


    "That takes doing? How have you all been getting by all these years?" Li Yifei retorted.


    "Slick kid, no need to provoke me. I¡¯ll handle it, just tell me the name, which Sub-bureau."


    Li Yifei told him about Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle-in-law¡¯s situation, and the old man hung up the phone right away.


    Putting down the phone, Li Yifei said, "Uncle-in-law, it¡¯s taken care of. You just wait for the news."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle-in-law looked at Li Yifei in surprise, and her stammering aunt asked, "Just like that?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yeah, it¡¯s not a big deal."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle-in-law were suddenly ecstatic and so excited they didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Although Chu Minghui heard what Li Yifei said, he didn¡¯t hear what the person on the other end said. He laughed and said, "Kid, you really can put on quite the show, making it sound so convincing. But do you realize you¡¯re overdoing it a bit?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Is that so? I haven¡¯t noticed."


    Chu Minghui huffed, "Do you know how many temp workers we have in our system? Every Sub-bureau has dozens, and those who have worked for over ten years are even more common. If we make Old Zhao a formal employee, what about the others? Unless everyone gets it, which is not happening, the rest will surely make a fuss. No leaders would want to deal with that." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing Chu Minghui¡¯s words, the joy on Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle-in-law¡¯s face disappeared as if it had never been there. There were several others in his unit who had worked for over ten years. If he became a regular employee and the others did not, there would certainly be a commotion. So, after all, it seemed impossible.


    Seeing her husband¡¯s expression, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt¡¯s smile also faded, and she suddenly became annoyed with Li Yifei, "Yifei, how could you do this? This is a life-changing matter for your uncle-in-law, not something you use to show off."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of amusement and dismay, saying, "Aunt, uncle-in-law, it¡¯s true, don¡¯t worry, there must be a way." Chu Minghui knew about this, so how could the Ye family not know? They would surely find a solution.


    Su Yiyi also quickly added, "Aunt, uncle-in-law, don¡¯t worry, Yifei can definitely manage your husband¡¯s work."


    But even with Su Yiyi saying this, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle-in-law simply didn¡¯t believe it. The main issue was that Li Yifei made it seem too simple. If it were just continuing as temp workers at the Tax Bureau, that would be one thing, but to suggest he could get a regular position, that seemed too easy.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Chu Minghui felt even happier inside. This would likely lower Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle-in-law¡¯s opinion of Li Yifei even further. If it didn¡¯t work out, Su Yiyi would think him unreliable, and they might break up immediately. The thought of then being able to make a move on Su Yiyi made his mood even better.


    Gently swirling his glass, Chu Minghui smiled and said, "Young man, when can you expect a reply from your contact? I¡¯m looking forward to some good news here."


    Immediately, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt appealed, "Chief Chu, please don¡¯t take offense with the kid. We really need your help with this matter. We don¡¯t need an official regular position; as long as we¡¯re not cut off, we¡¯d be extremely grateful."


    Chu Minghui said with a chuckle, "That won¡¯t do, how can he keep working as a temp after landing a permanent role? Old Zhao, this time you¡¯re really in, and you¡¯re gonna have good days ahead. Your niece really found herself a good boyfriend."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt listened to Chu Minghui¡¯s mocking tone and was even angrier at Li Yifei. She scolded him with a stern face, "You kid, why can¡¯t you understand the bigger picture? Hurry up and apologize to Chief Chu. Do you really want your uncle to lose his job chance?"


    Li Yifei was incessantly nagged by Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and truly didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Especially since even if he explained, the other side wouldn¡¯t believe him, he had no choice but to say, "It¡¯s not a big deal being a temp anyway. If I can¡¯t get it done, then just let my uncle find another job, for sure it won¡¯t earn less than what he would as a temp there."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt grew even angrier and said, "What do you understand? Working at the Tax Bureau isn¡¯t just about making money, it¡¯s also about status. Mentioning a job at the Tax Bureau carries clout anywhere, while working elsewhere is just laboring for someone else. Even if you earn more, it¡¯s still without prestige."


    Chu Minghui laughed heartily and said, "No worries, this kid might even get you a permanent position. That¡¯s even more prestigious."


    Since Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt saw that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t apologizing and Chu Minghui still had the air of enjoying the drama, she could only cast pleading glances at Zheng Long. Zheng Long himself could only offer a wry smile as the situation had escalated to this point. Even if Chu Minghui agreed to help now, it would look like losing face, and he didn¡¯t feel it was his place to say anything.


    Moreover, Zheng Long himself was a bit of a lecher, a fact about which Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt was well aware. She rarely contacted him, only thinking of this lecher when she saw Su Yiyi. Both Zheng Long and Chu Minghui were of the same ilk, and naturally, Zheng Long could tell that Chu Minghui was interested in Su Yiyi. He wouldn¡¯t want to spoil Chu Minghui¡¯s prospects. Besides, he also felt that a beauty like Su Yiyi, ending up with Li Yifei, seemed like a loss and was even less inclined to speak up for Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt.


    "Kid, why don¡¯t you call again to hurry them up? See if they¡¯ll do it or not?" Chu Xiaoyao crossed her legs and sarcastically watched Li Yifei.


    Before Li Yifei could speak, his phone rang. It was a call from Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather, and he quickly answered. On the other end, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather immediately said, "I¡¯ve sorted it out, but dealing with such matters within the same bureau is a bit taboo, so I¡¯ve arranged for your relative to be transferred to the North City Branch."


    Li Yifei replied cheerfully, "That works too, the North City Branch it is, then."


    "Kid, why do I get the feeling that you¡¯re not too pleased?"


    "No, I wouldn¡¯t dare be dissatisfied."


    "That¡¯s more like it. By the way, think over what I told you, will you?"


    "Got it," Li Yifei said, quickly ending the call. He didn¡¯t want to listen to the old man nag about Su Mengxin.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei said to Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle, "Auntie, Uncle, it¡¯s all sorted now. Uncle is transferred to the North City Branch."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle looked at the relaxed expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face and his informal way of speaking. Wanting to believe yet not daring to, and not wanting to believe, but fearing what if it were true?


    "Yifei, this is serious; please don¡¯t joke with your aunt and your uncle," Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt said cautiously to Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi herself was a bit displeased and interjected, "Auntie, you can trust Yifei in handling matters. If he says it¡¯s done, then it¡¯s done."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt was familiar with Su Yiyi¡¯s character, but the matter was so difficult that she couldn¡¯t believe Li Yifei could secure it with just a phone call.


    Chu Minghui snorted and said, "You actually believe that? If Old Zhao really gets transferred to the North City Branch, then I¡¯ll write my Chu character upside down." He seemed to think his Chu character carried some weight, as it was the second time he made such a remark.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with him, stood up and said, "Auntie, Uncle, we¡¯ve almost finished eating. Even if it¡¯s been sorted, the paperwork will take some time, and since this matter isn¡¯t exactly by the book, you¡¯d better not spread the word."


    Chu Minghui immediately said, "What, kid, you¡¯re thinking of leaving now? If you go, I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ll completely wash my hands of this affair."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and replied, "Thank you, but we really don¡¯t need your help anymore."


    Chu Minghui huffed and felt like there was no fun in staying any longer. He thought when Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle couldn¡¯t get the transfer, extending a hand then might bring him closer to Su Yiyi. With a swing of his arm, he walked directly out of the private room.


    No sooner had he left than he stopped in his tracks, respectfully greeting one of a few passing individuals, "Hello, Uncle Ye."


    The person returned the greeting with a smile, which surprised Chu Minghui. Uncle Ye was a powerful and influential figure who didn¡¯t take much notice of him. To be greeted so warmly was unexpected and raised his status in front of others, possibly showing Su Yiyi that he was a man of capability. Hurrying over, his face wore a modest smile, but inwardly he was filled with pleasure.

 Chapter 555 - 566: So It’s True

    Chapter 555: Chapter 566: So It¡¯s TrueChu Minghui quickly approached Uncle Ye, stopped in his tracks, and extended his hand, wanting to shake hands with the other party. Normally, at this moment, Uncle Ye would also cease his stride and reciprocate with a handshake.


    Yet, to his surprise, Uncle Ye did not stop at all, but walked straight past him, completely ignoring his presence.


    Chu Minghui¡¯s hand was halfway extended before he could no longer reach out; it turned out he had misjudged the situation¡ªUncle Ye was not there to see him at all. This was exceedingly embarrassing, but even though he felt humiliated, he didn¡¯t dare say anything. His own family did have some power, but compared to Uncle Ye¡¯s, it was not on the same level. Even if he harbored any resentment, he dared not show the slightest hint of it, let alone the fact that he had failed to ascertain his own position¡ªwhy should someone come with a smile to shake hands with him?


    With a resigned expression, Chu Minghui slowly retracted his hand and turned around, curious to see whom Uncle Ye was actually greeting.


    But upon seeing the sight, he was nearly astounded¡ªUncle Ye was shaking hands with Li Yifei at that moment, with his other hand patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder with evident warmth.


    That man was the Ye family¡¯s fourth son, Ye Zhenwu. Li Yifei had met him before; after later visiting the Ye family, he had shared a meal with Ye Zhenwu. Li Yifei¡¯s conduct within the Ye family had led to their acceptance of him. Although they were not very clear about his capabilities, the fact that he managed to transfer Ye Yunzhu from Township Chief to Deputy County Head was enough to warrant their serious attention.


    Li Yifei now laughed and said, "Uncle, what a coincidence to run into you here."


    Ye Zhenwu chuckled and replied, "You rascal, how come you didn¡¯t come home for dinner when you were in the provincial city?"


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "I went back last night, but you weren¡¯t home, Uncle."


    "Really? That¡¯s unfortunate. I was busy with some matters last night."


    Watching the two of them chatting amiably, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle-in-law didn¡¯t feel anything particularly amiss, only thinking that Li Yifei¡¯s uncle seemed very imposing.


    At that moment, Ye Zhenwu said, "The next time you come back, make sure to give your Uncle a call. I¡¯d like to have a good chat with you."


    "Of course, next time I¡¯ll definitely call you, Uncle. You must be busy, so I¡¯ll let you go," Li Yifei replied.


    After Ye Zhenwu left, Chu Minghui stood rooted to the spot, silent for a long while. To think that Li Yifei actually called Ye Zhenwu Uncle, and Ye Zhenwu had mentioned Li Yifei going home, suggesting that Li Yifei was a member of the Ye family.


    Chu Minghui was aware to some extent of the extensive influence of the Ye family. No wonder Li Yifei had such bravado, being able to secure a job with just a phone call. And there he had been, mocking Li Yifei just moments ago. Was this not courting death? If Li Yifei genuinely held a grudge against him, and decided to get even, his father wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it.


    This thought alone was enough to make Chu Minghui break out in a sweat. He decisively stepped in front of Li Yifei, looking eager to please as he said, "I was wrong just now. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted your abilities."


    Chu Minghui¡¯s attitude left Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt and uncle-in-law perplexed, staring dumbfounded at him. Su Yiyi reacted swiftly, addressing Chu Minghui, "Chief Chu, there¡¯s no need to stoop to a child¡¯s level."


    Apparently, she thought Chu Minghui was deliberately trying to trouble Li Yifei, so she had come over to smooth things over.


    Chu Minghui managed a wry smile and replied, "It¡¯s Mr. Li who shouldn¡¯t lower himself to my level. I am but a petty man pretending to be clever, completely unaware of Mr. Li¡¯s strength. Mr. Li, please don¡¯t stoop to my level. I am not worth your discontent."


    Li Yifei, of course, wouldn¡¯t bother himself with someone like Chu Minghui. He simply smiled indifferently and remarked, "It¡¯s nothing."


    Chu Minghui was unsure of what Li Yifei¡¯s indifferent response truly meant. When he saw the waitress coming over, he quickly blurted out, "Waitress, the bill, please."


    After the waitress announced the amount, Chu Minghui immediately took out his wallet to pay. Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt was startled and hurriedly said, "I¡¯ll pay, I¡¯ll pay. We can¡¯t let Chief Chu pick up the tab."


    Chu Minghui, however, insisted on stuffing the money into the waitress¡¯s hand, saying urgently, "It should be me, it should be me. It¡¯s an honor to have a meal with Mr. Li. How could I let you pay?" He promptly turned and left after that. Now that he had lowered his stance and insisted on paying the bill, he had made a kind of apology. He hoped Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t bear a grudge against him. Additionally, before departing, he gave Zheng Long a meaningful look, hoping Zheng Long would put in a good word for him.


    "Yifei, what was that about...?" Despite being fairly astute, Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt was totally confounded at that moment.


    Zheng Long immediately interjected, "Old classmate, you¡¯re really pulling my leg here. With a son-in-law who has such capabilities, why would you need my help?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt turned her puzzled gaze from Li Yifei to Zheng Long and stammered, "Then, the thing about Old Zhao transferring to the North City Branch... is that true?"


    Zheng Long laughed heartily and declared, "Of course, it¡¯s true. Old classmate, there¡¯s no room for doubt. But you really took this joke too far."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s aunt shook her head vigorously, still finding it hard to believe. Zheng Long then continued, "Old classmate, Chu Minghui is also quite a good friend of mine, just a bit too brash at times. Don¡¯t take offense at his actions."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "No way."


    Only then did Zheng Long breathe a sigh of relief and said, "That¡¯s good, then. I have some things to take care of, so I¡¯ll be taking off first. Old classmate, in a few days let¡¯s have a class reunion, and you¡¯ll be in charge of picking up the tab. Everyone is also going to celebrate for Old Zhao."


    "Sure, sure!" Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt kept nodding in agreement.


    After Zheng Long left, the four of them took a taxi home. All along the way, Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt and her husband didn¡¯t say a word. Both were clearly still bewildered, not even sure if they were dreaming or not.


    Back at home, Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She pulled Su Yiyi to her side and said excitedly, "Yiyi, tell your aunt this isn¡¯t some kind of joke at my expense, right?"


    Su Yiyi said with a smile, "Auntie, even if I were to tease someone, I couldn¡¯t possibly tease you."


    "Then... what about your uncle¡¯s job?"


    "Of course, that¡¯s true too. Uncle is definitely going to get that official position."


    Tears suddenly filled Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt¡¯s eyes, startling Yiyi who quickly asked, "Second Aunt, why are you crying now?"


    "I¡¯m just so overwhelmed," Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt wiped away her tears and turned to Li Yifei, her voice a mixture of excitement and guilt, "Yifei, it¡¯s all my fault. Back then, I didn¡¯t even believe what you were saying and kept criticizing you. Please don¡¯t hold it against me."


    Li Yifei immediately replied with a smile, "Look at what you¡¯re saying, Second Aunt. You¡¯re Yiyi¡¯s aunt, which makes you just like my own aunt. It¡¯s only right for elders to scold or even spank me if needed." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt nodded repeatedly and said quite a few words of agreement, then, holding Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, she sincerely added, "Yiyi, you¡¯ve really found yourself a good man. I¡¯m so happy for you and for your late mother as well."


    At the mention of her deceased mother, Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes also reddened as she softly said, "I think my mom would have supported me too."


    "Absolutely, Yifei is such a good kid. If your mom could see him, she would be over the moon with joy." Feeling that the topic was getting too somber, Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt quickly shifted the conversation, "Today is a day for happiness. Old Zhao, we barely ate earlier at the restaurant. I¡¯ll cook up some more dishes, and you and Yifei can enjoy a few drinks."


    Her husband readily agreed, "Then please go ahead. I really wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat at the restaurant, especially not with Chief Chu there. It¡¯s much more comfortable at home."


    Su Yiyi also went to help her second aunt cook several dishes, and then the four of them sat down again to eat and drink.


    "Yifei, is this really happening? I¡¯m not doubting your word, but it all feels like a dream to me. I can hardly believe it¡¯s true." After a glass of wine, Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt was both excited and a bit nervous as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei knew that for these people, becoming an official employee at the Tax Bureau required tremendous pull. Without a call from the Human Resources Department, it was natural for them to feel anxious and doubtful.


    Just then, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang again, and it was his grandfather. This time, his grandfather didn¡¯t ramble on; he directly gave Li Yifei a phone number and told him to have Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle call this person to handle his employment.


    Li Yifei guessed the number was likely provided during his previous call with his grandfather, but he had hung up early to avoid his grandfather¡¯s nagging and missed the chance to get the details then.


    Li Yifei recited the number and had Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle write it down, urging him to make the call.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle was so nervous that his hands trembled, and he stuttered, "Should I really call?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course, you should call."


    Meanwhile, Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt gave her husband a stern look and said, "Look at you, no ambition! Just make the call already." Yet her own hands couldn¡¯t stop shaking, rapping against the table without her even realizing it.


    Gritting his teeth, Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle dialed the number.


    "Hello, I¡¯m Zhao Qingfa... Yes, yes... Okay, okay..." Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle had barely introduced himself before he began nodding incessantly, unclear about the response from the other side. This left Su Yiyi¡¯s second aunt beside herself with anxiety, and as soon as her husband put the phone down, she hurriedly asked, "How did it go? How did it go?"


    Lifting his glass to take a big gulp, Su Yiyi¡¯s uncle then burst into laughter, wrapping his arms around his wife with tears streaming down his face and exclaimed, "It¡¯s done! I¡¯ve really got the job!"

 Chapter 556 - 567: Wrong Person Again

    Chapter 556: Chapter 567: Wrong Person AgainOn the way back to Mile City, Su Yiyi¡¯s face was alight with a smile, her sweetness and happiness completely on display. Li Yifei¡¯s help for her second aunt and uncle made her even happier than if he had helped her personally. Li Yifei easily resolved what others saw as very difficult matters; especially when her second aunt thanked her and Li Yifei, it filled Su Yiyi with immense joy. She was certain she had chosen the right man. Even if she couldn¡¯t be his wife, she was content to be his lover for life.


    Having returned to Mile City, Li Yifei dropped Su Yiyi off at her original small home and then hurried back to his own house. Currently, there was only Xu Yingying at home to take care of Little Yifei. With Xu Yingying being so busy, he naturally couldn¡¯t stay out and enjoy himself anymore.


    Now, there were only three people at home. This was an almost nonexistent situation since Li Yifei and Xu Yingying got married. After Little Yifei fell asleep, it seemed there were just the two of them, leaving Li Yifei and Xu Yingying feeling somewhat unaccustomed.


    The two sat in the living room, with Xu Yingying leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. She said, "Xiaoyao has left, do you miss her a little?"


    Li Yifei gently caressed Xu Yingying¡¯s hair and replied, "Xiaoyao should have her own life, I¡¯m just happy for her. I don¡¯t really miss her."


    Xu Yingying turned her head to look at Li Yifei and said with a smile, "There are plenty of temptations in college, and with Xiaoyao being so beautiful, she¡¯s sure to have lots of suitors. What if Xiaoyao truly falls for someone?"


    Li Yifei met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze and responded, "If that¡¯s the case, I wouldn¡¯t consider it a bad thing."


    "Would you be willing to let go?" Xu Yingying asked further, her expression tinged with mischief.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I won¡¯t deny it, I have a bit of male chauvinism. If Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t been so close to me before, I wouldn¡¯t have felt reluctant, but now... I really do feel a little reluctant."


    A flicker of disappointment crossed Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, but she quickly concealed it. However, Li Yifei still noticed it. He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, saying, "But as much as I¡¯m reluctant, I can¡¯t delay Xiaoyao¡¯s lifelong happiness. If she really finds true love, I will certainly support her. After all, I have you as my wife; continuing to hold onto her would be irresponsible to her and unfair to you."


    Now, a smile appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, unhidden. She said, "Then I truly hope Xiaoyao can find a boy she likes. Her current situation, living with us like this, is somewhat improper by social standards. If others don¡¯t know about it, it¡¯s fine. But if they found out, who knows what they would say about us. The pressure of public opinion would make it difficult for me to lift my head."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I know, which is why I have never truly had a relationship with her. I was afraid of just that."


    "At least you got that part right," Xu Yingying praised Li Yifei, but immediately followed with a wistful remark, "My own husband being close with other girls, and I can¡¯t object. There hasn¡¯t been a real relationship, yet I still need to commend you. Tell me, what kind of wife does that make me?"


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "It¡¯s all my fault."


    "Forget it, who asked us to get married so hastily? All these women were entangled with you before that," Xu Yingying did not pressure Li Yifei at this time. Rice needs to be eaten one mouthful at a time, and the women around Li Yifei also needed to be dealt with one by one. Now that Chu Xiaoyao had left, it was already a good start.


    With Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao not in the house, the couple thought about having a good, intimate evening. However, just as they had undressed and were about to begin, Little Yifei¡¯s voice came from outside the door, "Daddy, Mommy, I¡¯m scared."


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei quickly threw on their clothes and opened the door to bring Little Yifei inside. While patting Little Yifei¡¯s back, Xu Yingying asked, "What¡¯s wrong, sweet daughter?"


    "Mommy, I don¡¯t want to sleep alone. I¡¯m scared."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Daddy and Mommy are home."


    "It¡¯s too dark, and I¡¯m all by myself. I won¡¯t do it." Little Yifei shook her head and clung tightly to Xu Yingying¡¯s neck.


    Although Little Yifei interrupted Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s intimate moment, there was nothing they could do about it, since their daughter was more important. They allowed Little Yifei to sleep in the middle, with one parent on each side. Little Yifei was delighted; she had never before slept in the same bed with Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. For a time, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep, tossing and turning for a long while before she finally drifted off to sleep.


    By this time, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were also feeling tired, and with their daughter in between them, they no longer engaged in any activity.


    It was fine for a day or two, but Little Yifei insisted on sleeping in the same bed with Li Yifei and Xu Yingying for four consecutive days. This caused both Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to feel slightly frustrated. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t love Little Yifei, but they needed some space to be intimate. Besides, the little girl was a light sleeper; any slight noise from the couple at night would wake her up. Even if they tried to be affectionate while she was asleep, they couldn¡¯t succeed. Therefore, they tried encouraging Little Yifei to go back to sleep on her own.


    Yet, for all other matters, the little girl would be obedient with just a bit of praise, but she refused to compromise on this specific matter. No matter what, she would not agree to sleep separately.


    Both of them had thought that with no one else at home, they could finally enjoy some lovey-dovey time. Who would have expected such a situation to arise? This even made Xu Yingying somewhat nostalgic about the times when Chu Xiaoyao was there, since Little Yifei would sleep with her then, and Li Yifei and she could be affectionate every night. Although they always had to be somewhat cautious, not daring to make too much noise, it was still better than now when they couldn¡¯t do anything at all.


    But their daughter was ultimately important, so Li Yifei and Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t harbor any negative thoughts about Little Yifei just because they couldn¡¯t be affectionate at night. Besides, with the little girl around, they indeed found a lot more joy. After picking up their child in the evening, the family of three could stroll around downstairs, creating a truly happy family atmosphere.


    In the meantime, Ye Yunzhu was very busy, not even making a phone call to Li Yifei. Lin Qiong was also occupied with some case, not coming to trouble Li Yifei, so he lived a simple and ascetic life these few days, which was rare for him since returning to the city.


    On Wednesday, Xu Yingying went to a business negotiation meeting in the province and wouldn¡¯t be back until the next day. Now, the household was simply left to Li Yifei alone to look after their child. But Li Yifei didn¡¯t find it difficult; he was equally adept at taking care of Little Yifei, sending her to kindergarten in the morning, picking her up in the evening, cooking for her, bathing her, helping with her learning, playing games, telling stories, and by nine o¡¯clock, he had put Little Yifei to bed.


    The next morning, Li Yifei dropped Little Yifei off at kindergarten again. He spent half the morning at the company, and since there was nothing urgent in the afternoon, he simply took the day off. Xu Yingying was going to come back today and possibly return earlier than usual, which was a rare opportunity for the two of them, naturally warranting some preparation so they could finally be affectionate.


    Just after two o¡¯clock, the sound of keys unlocking the door rang out, and Li Yifei jumped up from the sofa, rushing to the entrance. He immediately embraced the entering Xu Yingying, kissed her on the face, and said, "Honey, you¡¯re finally back." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying quickly pushed Li Yifei away, scolding, "What are you doing? Why aren¡¯t you at work?"


    "I knew you would be back early today, so I rushed home to wait for you, heh, realizing it¡¯s just the two of us," Li Yifei said, his hand already caressing Xu Yingying¡¯s back.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s body instantly went limp and she leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t about to be polite; he¡¯d been pent up for days and promptly carried Xu Yingying to the bedroom, threw her down on the bed, pressed against her, and showered her lips with kisses.


    "Don¡¯t!"


    Hearing this, Li Yifei was somewhat bewildered; it wasn¡¯t their first time, so what was there to refuse.


    "Brother-in-law... Don¡¯t!"


    When he heard those words, Li Yifei felt as if struck by lightning, and he stood up with a jolt, staring at the person lying on the bed, unable to distinguish whether it was Xu Yingying or Xu Shanshan.


    "Brother-in-law, stop it," Xu Shanshan pouted, giving Li Yifei a coquettish look.


    At that moment, Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, but suddenly, the sound of keys unlocking the door reached his ears, causing both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s faces to change dramatically; clearly, Xu Yingying had truly come back.

 Chapter 557 - 568 Too Dangerous

    Chapter 557: Chapter 568 Too DangerousIf Xu Yingying saw Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan looking like this, the consequences would be obvious, and there was completely no time to let Xu Shanshan put on her clothes now.


    Although Xu Shanshan usually seemed like a playful spirit, now she was completely flustered, anxiously searching for her clothes, hoping to get dressed before Xu Yingying came in.


    It was all about Li Yifei¡¯s reaction speed at this moment. He suddenly swept Xu Shanshan up in his arms and dashed to the bathroom door, thrust her inside, threw in her clothes as well, then closed the bathroom door before he walked toward the entrance.


    And just as he finished all this, Xu Yingying had already opened the door and walked in.


    "Eh, what are you doing at home?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with some surprise.


    Li Yifei immediately embraced Xu Yingying and whispered in her ear, "Wife, I knew you were coming back early today and wanted to get cozy at home with you, but who would¡¯ve thought Shanshan would return first."


    Xu Yingying felt her body go limp when she heard the first part; she had also been longing to get intimate with Li Yifei these past days and couldn¡¯t help harboring such thoughts today when she returned early, but the latter part of his sentence also brought her down¡ªa return of her sister meant their hope of getting intimate immediately burst like a bubble.


    "Where¡¯s Shanshan?" Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei away a little and asked.


    Li Yifei casually replied, "Taking a shower, she just got back as well."


    "Oh, so the girl has come back too," Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes showed a hint of disappointment, and her lips puckered slightly.


    Li Yifei understood why she was disappointed. If Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t come back, the two of them could have used this time to get intimate. Now, that was off the table.


    "Husband, now that Shanshan¡¯s back, tonight we can..." Xu Yingying looked slightly resentful at Li Yifei and gently kissed him on the face.


    Li Yifei hugged Xu Yingying tight and said, "I¡¯ve been dying here."


    Xu Yingying was quite content with Li Yifei¡¯s reaction; he hadn¡¯t sought comfort from anyone else during these days they couldn¡¯t be intimate and chuckled, "I¡¯ll make it up to you tonight, please bear with it a little longer now."


    Only then did Li Yifei let go of Xu Yingying, who then walked toward the bedroom.


    Li Yifei followed her in and immediately noticed a pink bra on the floor, which sent shock waves through his mind. That bra was the one he had just removed from Xu Shanshan, but in his haste, he had only grabbed Xu Shanshan¡¯s outer clothes and failed to take the bra with him. Fortunately, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t seen it, as Li Yifei walked in, turning her head to scold, "I¡¯m changing clothes, why are you following me in?"


    Li Yifei stretched out his hand to grasp Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, laughed softly, and said, "It¡¯s precisely because you¡¯re changing that I followed you in. Can¡¯t I satisfy my craving even if I can¡¯t actually eat?"


    "Shanshan might come in soon," Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei away, her face blushing, but there was a clear sense of temptation in her eyes.


    "Shanshan has just started showering; we might still have enough time to make it quick if we¡¯re fast."


    "That¡¯s out of the question!" Xu Yingying exclaimed in shock, hitting Li Yifei lightly, "Don¡¯t fool around, or I¡¯ll make you go out."


    "I know, I know. We¡¯re an old married couple, yet you still can¡¯t let loose."


    In just that short time, Li Yifei had managed to kick the pink bra under the bed with his foot. Thankfully, the bed wasn¡¯t seamless with the floor, or else it would have been even more troublesome to deal with.


    While Xu Yingying was changing, Li Yifei naturally couldn¡¯t resist a little fooling around, and Xu Yingying, shy and hesitant, let Li Yifei have his way. She actually enjoyed his attention, but with Xu Shanshan at home, she feared her sister might come out suddenly, which would be quite embarrassing.


    Before long, Xu Shanshan came out, and Xu Yingying had finished changing. With a grin, Xu Shanshan said, "Sister, are you afraid I¡¯ll steal your husband? The moment I came back, you also rushed home."


    Xu Yingying spat at her sister playfully, scolding, "Can you survive a day without spouting nonsense?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed and hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s arm, saying, "I really missed you guys. These days away just weren¡¯t comfortable at all. It¡¯s so much better at home, and maybe I¡¯ll finally get a good night¡¯s sleep tonight."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Xu Shanshan and said, "You just can¡¯t handle a bit of hardship. With your brother-in-law doting on you at home, of course you feel at ease."


    "Only my sister gets me. Brother-in-law, I want a feast tonight. How about we go out together and buy some tasty food? What do you say?"


    "Shouldn¡¯t you change into some clothes first then?" Xu Yingying rolled her eyes again at her sister, who was still just wrapped in a bath towel.


    "You¡¯re just afraid that my brother-in-law will see my body, right? Actually, mine is just like yours, having seen yours, he¡¯s seen mine too, right, brother-in-law?" Xu Shanshan said while winking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately coughed, he dared not continue on that topic, mainly because he felt guilty. Before Xu Yingying returned, he had completely stripped off Xu Shanshan¡¯s top. He had not only seen her upper body in full but had also kissed and touched it.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t detected anything amiss between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. Mainly because Xu Shanshan often teased Li Yifei at home and was always crossing boundaries when they played around. Yingying never thought that Shanshan would have any inappropriate involvement with Li Yifei.


    She glared at her sister and said, "You girl, you¡¯re getting more and more out of line. Go and change your clothes quickly."


    Xu Shanshan giggled before she ran into another bedroom, closed the door, and went to change her clothes.


    After getting ready and noticing it was still early, the three of them went to the supermarket together. Li Yifei walked in the middle, with Xu Yingying hanging on his arms, one on the left and one on the right. Yingying was already accustomed to this; she had warned Shanshan before, but Shanshan always did as she pleased and never listened to Yingying. Knowing that Shanshan didn¡¯t have any ideas about Li Yifei and just liked being close to him, Yingying didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it.


    Even though they were sisters, normally if a younger sister clung to her brother-in-law like that, Yingying would definitely be on alert. But Shanshan had always been tirelessly supportive of her sister being with Li Yifei, which made Yingying unable to suspect Shanshan¡¯s feelings towards Li Yifei. She just figured since they didn¡¯t have a big brother or younger brother at home, it made sense for Shanshan to be somewhat attached to her brother-in-law.


    Today, Shanshan was holding Li Yifei¡¯s arm and occasionally sneakily pinched him. When Yingying wasn¡¯t paying attention, she gave Li Yifei looks that seemed to scold him. Li Yifei was afraid Yingying would notice something was wrong and also felt guilty towards Shanshan, making the feeling quite uncomfortable for him. He dared not show any reaction and kept his expression natural while Shanshan mischievously pinched him.


    After they finished buying groceries and the time was almost up, Yingying took the initiative to say she would tidy up the room at home and suggested Li Yifei go pick up the child. Shanshan immediately jumped out and said she wanted to go too, as she hadn¡¯t seen Little Yifei in a long time.


    Yingying didn¡¯t suspect anything, so she let the two of them go.


    As soon as they were in the car, Shanshan stretched out her hand and pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pouting her lips and saying, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so bold, daring to do that to me."


    Li Yifei quickly chuckled awkwardly and said, "Shanshan, I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were your sister back then. If I had known it was you, I wouldn¡¯t have dared." But inside he was muttering to himself that if she had revealed earlier she was Shanshan, he wouldn¡¯t have done it. Yet she said nothing; she wanted it to happen.


    Xu Shanshan sniffed and said, "In any case, you are bad. You took off my clothes and even kissed my... chest."


    Li Yifei was sweating over that thought, but the memory of that moment brought an indescribable thrill and excitement, and his gaze involuntarily shifted to Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest again.


    "Ah ah, brother-in-law, you¡¯re so naughty. Are you thinking about doing something bad again?" Xu Shanshan immediately cried out when she discerned Li Yifei¡¯s intentions from his gaze.


    Li Yifei got a fright, glanced quickly to the side, and then realized they were alone in the car, and no one would hear them. He awkwardly said, "Shanshan, I¡¯m really sorry."


    Xu Shanshan kept a stern face and said in a reproachful tone, "Is just an apology enough? You did this to me, and you think it¡¯s all settled with just an apology?"


    Li Yifei knew Shanshan wasn¡¯t truly angry; if she were, she wouldn¡¯t speak in such a tone. He also knew she must be about to set a condition, but he had no choice but to respond, "Shanshan, you say what to do. As long as your brother-in-law can do it, I¡¯ll agree."


    Xu Shanshan immediately raised her eyebrows triumphantly, then grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said with a smile, "Really?"


    "Really, but Shanshan, don¡¯t ask for something too difficult, okay?"


    "Hehe, you¡¯re my dearest brother-in-law, how could I make things difficult for you? But from now on, you¡¯ll have to listen to me in everything."


    "Ah? That... listening to you isn¡¯t impossible, but what if you ask me to do something difficult, what should I do then?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, how could I make it difficult for you? Then you¡¯d start disliking me. For example, if I ask you to play with me, you have to play with me, or if I ask you to go out, you can¡¯t refuse because you¡¯re accompanying other women."


    "This... alright," Li Yifei guessed that Shanshan simply didn¡¯t want him to be with other women, hence the condition. Considering he seldom went out nowadays and usually stayed at home, and when he did go out, it was for a reason, and Shanshan wouldn¡¯t be looking for him then, so it wasn¡¯t impossible to agree to this condition.


    Xu Shanshan laughed happily, shaking Li Yifei¡¯s hand gently again, a flirtatious expression suddenly crossing her face, "Brother-in-law, since you¡¯ve promised me, I won¡¯t let you lose out, you know. In the future... I can let you treat me the way you did today again."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and after a moment, he managed a smile, "Shanshan, that¡¯s not right."


    "What¡¯s not right? Are you saying that my figure is not as good as my sister¡¯s?"


    "Not at all!" Li Yifei quickly shook his head denying it, as Xu Shanshan¡¯s figure was almost identical to Xu Yingying¡¯s. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been clueless at that moment.


    "Then do you dislike me?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes suddenly welled up, instantly leaving Li Yifei feeling rather helpless.


    Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 558 - 569 Finally

    Chapter 558: Chapter 569 FinallyTwo tears suddenly flowed from Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes. She shook off Li Yifei¡¯s hand and turned her head toward the window, angrily saying, "You just hate me."


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed Xu Shanshan¡¯s shoulder and said, "Shanshan, how could I hate you? I just feel like we¡¯re crossing the line more and more, and it¡¯s unfair to your sister."


    Xu Shanshan abruptly turned her head, glaring at Li Yifei, and said, "Do you feel guilty towards my sister when you¡¯re with Su Yiyi? How about when you¡¯re with Ye Yunzhu? Or Chu Xiaoyao?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched. Xu Shanshan¡¯s questioning left him speechless, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "Shanshan, being with them is different from being with you. I am too close to you, and it feels really wrong for your sister. If she finds out, how could we face her? More importantly, how could you face her?"


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "That¡¯s just an excuse. If we don¡¯t tell her, how would she know? Besides, we¡¯re not actually making love. Even if we do some intimate things, what¡¯s wrong with that? Also, as long as we¡¯re careful, my sister won¡¯t find out. She¡¯s so busy with work every day. When would she have time to keep an eye on us?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Shanshan, there¡¯s no wall that doesn¡¯t let the wind through. It¡¯s really difficult to keep this from your sister. Just like today when she almost found out, imagine how heartbroken she would be."


    "Forget it. If you¡¯re really afraid of hurting my sister, then you shouldn¡¯t be with any other women. Fine, if you can break up with all of them, then I¡¯ll just be your proper sister-in-law."


    Li Yifei immediately lost his nerve. How could he manage that? Not to mention Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu, he couldn¡¯t break up with them right now.


    "Hmm, I didn¡¯t even plan on doing that kind of thing with you. What are you afraid of? It doesn¡¯t matter to me."


    Even though Xu Shanshan was being unreasonable, this girl didn¡¯t make Li Yifei dislike her. Hesitating for a moment, he softened his tone and said, "Shanshan, how about we control ourselves a bit? I am not a saint. If I get too close to you, I¡¯m afraid I might do something I shouldn¡¯t."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s face immediately lit up with a charming smile, "Brother-in-law, that¡¯s exactly what I love to hear. Since you said it like that, I won¡¯t make it hard for you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll restrain myself too. Otherwise, if you do something bad to me, I¡¯d really be letting my sister down."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression, he realized that even if something did happen between them, she wouldn¡¯t really mind¡ªit was just because of her sister that she didn¡¯t want it to happen.


    "Alright, alright, let¡¯s go quickly, or we¡¯ll be late to pick up Little Yifei." Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a push.


    Seeing the time, Li Yifei quickly started the car. He had been so caught up in the issue with Xu Shanshan that he forgot about picking up Little Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan was in a great mood in the car, playing music and tapping to the beat with her head bobbing.


    This left Li Yifei both amused and helpless. This little sister-in-law was truly a marvel; she had him utterly wrapped around her finger. Both Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying were strong-willed, but neither had him as entangled as this sister-in-law did. Was this karma?


    Arriving at the kindergarten, it was already open, and parents were starting to pick up their kids. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan quickly parked the car and went to pick up Little Yifei.


    As soon as Little Yifei saw Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, she sweetly called out, "Mommy and Daddy."


    Xu Shanshan immediately picked up Little Yifei, laughing and saying, "Good girl."


    Little Yifei, hugging Xu Shanshan¡¯s neck, planted a kiss on her cheek and said, "Mommy, I got a Little Red Flower today."


    "Such a good girl, but Yifei made a mistake today. I¡¯m Aunt Shanshan, you know." Xu Shanshan also kissed Little Yifei, laughingly saying.


    "Ah, it¡¯s Aunt Shanshan! But you look so much like my mommy; I always get confused. How about I just call you Mommy too?"


    This surprised both Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei. Xu Shanshan¡¯s astonishment quickly turned to delight as she said, "Sure, I can be your mommy too."


    "Yay, I have two mommies now." Xu Shanshan shouted excitedly.


    There were still some parents around picking up kids. Hearing Little Yifei¡¯s words, they all looked at Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan in surprise, each speculating whether the beautiful woman was a stepmom or the other woman.


    Xu Shanshan paid no heed to the unusual looks from those around, joyfully carrying Little Yifei back to the car.


    Back at home, Little Yifei rushed to Xu Yingying and said, "Mommy, Aunt Shanshan is also my mommy now."


    Xu Yingying picked up Little Yifei, looking at Xu Shanshan in confusion. Xu Shanshan immediately responded with a mischievous smile, "Yifei thought it was too tiring to distinguish us, so she decided to call me Mommy too."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "Isn¡¯t that not quite right? What if someone who knows about it sees? How will you find someone to date in the future?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "I don¡¯t plan on looking for a boyfriend anytime soon. In a couple of years, Yifei will be older, and we can explain it then. Right now, we just want Yifei to be happy."


    Xu Yingying thought for a moment and agreed. There was no need to overthink it; after all, at home, it didn¡¯t matter what Little Yifei called her.


    Li Yifei prepared a lavish dinner. Both Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan had good appetites, Xu Yingying feeling pleased that she would finally get to be intimate with Li Yifei tonight, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s happiness was a mystery to everyone.


    After dinner, they went downstairs for a walk before returning home.


    Although Xu Yingying was looking forward to the evening, she still had work to do. She returned to her room early to finish her tasks, hoping to be free for some affection with Li Yifei later.


    Xu Shanshan stayed with Li Yifei to entertain Little Yifei. The house was lively today, especially with the playful Xu Shanshan, making Little Yifei very happy. After playing for a good while, it was finally time for Yifei to bathe and sleep, and today, Xu Shanshan had agreed that they would share a room. Little Yifei had no objections, as she was used to sleeping with a mommy.


    Little Yifei went to sleep before it got to nine o¡¯clock. Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t finished her work yet, but Xu Shanshan, after taking a bath, lay expectantly on the sofa waiting for Li Yifei. Li Yifei knew he couldn¡¯t avoid it and sat at Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, massaging them.


    After a few moments of massage, Xu Shanshan said to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, my feet aren¡¯t that uncomfortable today, but my legs are." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Xu Shanshan but scooted over as she placed both her legs on his lap, giving him a playful smile, "Massage now. After all, I¡¯m a beauty, aren¡¯t I? You¡¯re just reluctant to touch my legs."


    Li Yifei was speechless. Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t speaking too loudly, but loud enough for Xu Yingying in the room to hear, making her less likely to suspect anything. He had to go along with Xu Shanshan¡¯s words, "Why don¡¯t you go find yourself a boyfriend soon so I can skip doing this?"


    "Teehee, it¡¯s not the same. A boyfriend would be taking advantage of me; you¡¯re just giving me a massage."


    "Behave yourself, or I¡¯ll stop."


    "It¡¯s a little sore. Can you be gentler?"


    Xu Yingying heard every word, shaking her head slightly. Her sister was indeed a bit too free with Li Yifei, but Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t worried. Once Xu Shanshan found a boyfriend, things would naturally change.


    That night, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t cling to Li Yifei like she usually did. After less than half an hour, she called into the bedroom, "Sister, are you done yet?"


    "Almost there. What¡¯s up?" Xu Yingying replied from inside the room.


    "Nothing, just seeing you working so hard. Brother-in-law, that¡¯s enough. Go keep my sister company. She¡¯s exhausted, and you, as her husband, should care for her."


    Li Yifei was more than happy to be excused. He immediately stood up and said, "I¡¯ll go check on your sister."


    "Go on, go on. I¡¯m sleepy. I¡¯ll head to bed." Xu Shanshan also stood up, stretched her arms, arched her back, and yawned. Her pajamas slid up, revealing a bit of her belly and even her adorable belly button.


    Not daring to look more, Li Yifei went straight into the bedroom, and surprisingly, Xu Shanshan also went back to her room and even closed the door behind her.


    Li Yifei also closed the door casually, putting his hands on Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders, and said, "Honey, there¡¯s always work to do. Leave it for tomorrow?"


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment, then nodded, giving Li Yifei a teasing look, "I¡¯ll go take a shower."


    "Hurry up. I¡¯ll tidy things for you." Li Yifei quickly pulled Xu Yingying up.


    "You perv." Xu Yingying playfully scolded Li Yifei, but her steps were light as she went for her shower.


    After a short wait, Xu Yingying returned, and turning off the lights, they got into bed. Although they weren¡¯t newlyweds, their passion was still hot as ever, and having not been together for a while made them a bit eager, quickly embracing and kissing passionately.


    Lovemaking between a married couple is one of life¡¯s greatest pleasures. Even though Xu Yingying was still a little shy, tonight was nothing short of fiery passion, and they loved each other several times.

 Chapter 559 - 570: Kidnapping Case

    Chapter 559: Chapter 570: Kidnapping CaseAfter several days of calm, that day Li Yifei was chatting idly with his security guards in the company lobby when a piercing siren sounded from outside. And not just one vehicle, it sounded like something major had happened.


    "Boss, what¡¯s going on, is there a big case?"


    Li Yifei glanced outside and said, "Who knows?" He couldn¡¯t help but think of Lin Qiong, that girl who¡¯d been out of touch lately, seemingly working on a case. Could this have something to do with her?


    "Boss, Boss, something big really happened." A security guard exclaimed as he burst through the door of the monitoring room.


    Li Yifei immediately entered the monitoring room, where there was a television broadcasting a live report¡ªit was the scene of a kidnapping.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, an important robbery and hostage-taking incident has occurred inside the Mile City Museum. The police have now surrounded the museum, and the specifics of the situation are still unclear. We will try to get to the very front line to bring you the most direct reports," the broadcast stated.


    On the TV, Li Xinyue was holding a microphone, reporting as a journalist, which puzzled Li Yifei. Wasn¡¯t Li Xinyue a host? How did she end up reporting from the scene?


    The guards in the monitoring room were also somewhat puzzled, with one saying, "Isn¡¯t Li Xinyue our company¡¯s image spokesperson, and she is supposed to be a host, right? Reporting on the scene like this doesn¡¯t seem like her job, does it?"


    However, Li Xinyue on the television did not address these questions but continued, "This time at the Mile City Museum, several antiques of incalculable value were on display, and a group of criminals targeted these antiques. They are said to have powerful weapons and went straight to the museum to rob it. However, they were discovered by our police, and a firefight ensued. Now, three police officers have bravely sacrificed their lives, but the criminals have been cornered inside the museum. They have taken hostage dozens of visitors there, as well as some museum staff. The situation is extremely critical."


    Normally, after such an incident, the police would seal off the news. If they can¡¯t break the case, the police would bear a great responsibility, and the government departments also don¡¯t want to make it too big. When the higher-ups investigate, quite a few people will be in trouble. Li Xinyue dared to report such an incident, and it was unclear whether it was because the local TV station had a conscience or the higher-ups hadn¡¯t had the time to handle it yet.


    But by the time Li Xinyue and the other reporters arrived at the entrance of the museum, they were no longer able to enter. The police had completely sealed off the area, strictly forbidding anyone to enter.


    Li Xinyue and her fellow reporters went to a residential building opposite the museum, where they filmed the situation inside the museum from a higher vantage point.


    With the camera zoomed in, the TV screen showed a group of people squatting on the ground, each holding their heads. They were in a courtyard of the museum, but there were no signs of the criminals. It seemed the criminals were quite professional, not exposing themselves to sniper rifles. But those people were shivering as they squatted there, which meant the criminals were still around.


    This intense scene left the guards staring in astonishment. They were all former soldiers, but only ordinary ones. In times of peace, they had not been in real combat, and it was already an accomplishment to have attended military exercises. Such situations seemed to only exist in movies from the past.


    However, Li Yifei frowned when he saw the hostages because Lin Qiong was among them. She wasn¡¯t wearing a police uniform, and it was unclear how she had gotten mixed up in this. Although she was holding her head like the others, she sneakily glanced around from time to time, obviously up to something.


    Li Yifei could have ignored the incident, but now that he saw Lin Qiong there, he couldn¡¯t help but get involved. He told the guards he was heading out, then hailed a taxi and quickly arrived near the museum, making his way to where Li Xinyue was.


    Li Xinyue was talking to a photographer, who was nervously shouldering the camera, excitedly saying to Li Xinyue, "Li Xinyue, don¡¯t be reckless. We¡¯re just here to shoot some scenes, not to risk our lives. If you want to go, go ahead, but I won¡¯t follow you."


    Li Xinyue urgently responded, "Brother Chen, if we climb up that big tree, we can get even better footage. This is first-hand material."


    "Sorry, I¡¯m not taking that risk. I only earn a few thousand a month, it¡¯s not worth risking my life. You should have seen, one of the criminals had a gun. If they discover us, one shot could take me down."


    It was then that Li Yifei spoke up, "Alright, Xinyue, I¡¯ll be your cameraman."


    Li Xinyue turned and saw Li Yifei, her surprise evident as she said, "Brother Li, what are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I saw this excitement on TV, so I thought I¡¯d join in the fun."


    Li Xinyue didn¡¯t believe what Li Yifei said but didn¡¯t ask further due to the presence of the photographer. She turned to the photographer and said, "Since you don¡¯t want to take the risk, I¡¯ll go with my friend."


    The photographer hesitated, "You can¡¯t damage the camera. If it breaks, I can¡¯t afford to pay for it."


    "Don¡¯t worry, if it gets damaged, I¡¯ll pay for it. And if there are any honors from filming something, you¡¯ll get them too," Li Xinyue had no idea why Yifei was here, but she was certain that he wouldn¡¯t be interested in any fame. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have kept such a low profile for so many years. Besides, for someone like Yifei, such minor honors were completely meaningless; he couldn¡¯t care less about them, so she just made the decision for him.


    The cameraman was secretly thrilled to hear this. Such a dangerous assignment, if reported on time, could be a massive credit to him. And now he didn¡¯t have to take the risk, which made it even more appealing. Although it felt a bit shady, he was not willing to risk his life for the meager salary he got. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as the cameraman left, Li Xinyue excitedly asked, "Brother Li, what on earth are you planning to do?"


    Li Yifei pointed at the situation below and said, "I came to see if I could be of any help."


    "Ah, Brother Li, you actually came to help." Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes shone bright, but then she quickly became anxious, "Brother Li, there are so many criminals down there, and some of them have guns. The special police are here and they don¡¯t have a solution either."


    Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Yeah, it¡¯s indeed a tough situation, but for now, we can just watch."


    Li Yifei was looking for Li Xinyue precisely because of her camera, which had a lens that worked similarly to a telescope. Not very familiar with the Mile City Museum, he had to understand the situation before he could consider going in. No matter how strong he was, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to recklessly enter the enemy¡¯s firing range; that would be suicide.


    Seeing Yifei handling the camera like a pro, Li Xinyue found it amusing, "What are you looking at?"


    Yifei casually replied, "Nothing much, just that a camera can give a clearer view of such a thrilling event."


    "But they are waiting for me to go live. You can¡¯t just film the inside; you have to film me too. I need to explain the situation to the audience."


    Yifei laughed and said, "I actually forgot about that."


    Li Xinyue quickly taught him how to operate it, and then they reported on the scene together again. However, at this point, she couldn¡¯t capture anything more detailed than the ongoing standoff.


    Just as they finished this live broadcast, several police officers charged up and immediately chased them down from the building. It was no surprise that if Li Xinyue, a celebrity, could think of the rooftop as a vantage point, the special police would consider it too. And so the SWAT team set up sniper rifles up there. She was well known, and the police recognized her; otherwise, they might have been detained.


    Once downstairs, Li Xinyue pouted at Li Yifei, "What do we do now? We can¡¯t film the scene anymore."


    Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "If we can¡¯t see, we can¡¯t see. Let¡¯s just watch the excitement from outside. When there¡¯s an outcome, we can film that, and it¡¯ll be fine."


    "But we won¡¯t have the first-hand material," Li Xinyue said, somewhat disappointed.


    Yifei turned to look at her and said, "Since when did you suddenly become a reporter?"


    Li Xinyue smirked and replied, "I got into the TV station intending to be a reporter. Who knew I¡¯d accidentally become a host instead. Today, all the reporters were out, and I stumbled upon such a big event. So I became a temporary reporter, fulfilling a dream of mine."


    Pausing for a moment, Li Xinyue looked at Yifei with sparkling eyes, "I never thought my first time as a reporter would be side by side with you in a battle. It makes me so happy."


    "Heh, I¡¯m honored as well. But it¡¯s frustrating not being able to get the first-hand material. How about we find a way to sneak in?"


    "Really?" Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Yifei.


    Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Of course. You wait in that building over there, and I¡¯ll be back soon."


    Li Xinyue nodded quickly in agreement, and Yifei escorted her over. It was a government office building, now mostly empty as many had gone out to watch the situation at the museum.


    Yifei told Xinyue to wait there and left her with the camera before stepping out. A few minutes later, he returned, carrying two bags.

 Chapter 560 - 571: Uniform

    Chapter 560: Chapter 571: Uniform"What¡¯s that you got?"


    After Li Yifei entered an empty office with Li Xinyue, she eagerly asked.


    Li Yifei shook the contents of the bag out onto the table. Li Xinyue exclaimed with surprise, "Police uniforms?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, police uniforms. If we wear these, we can definitely blend in. You have a pinhole camera, right?"


    "Yes, yes!" Li Xinyue nodded her head excitedly in agreement.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then let¡¯s get moving, hurry up and change."


    "Right here?" Li Xinyue smiled cheekily at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I¡¯ll stand watch at the door, make sure no one barges in."


    Li Xinyue chuckled softly and said, "You¡¯re not allowed to leave, okay?"


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and quickly walked to the door, standing with his face outwards.


    Watching Li Yifei¡¯s back, Li Xinyue¡¯s mouth curved slightly, and a sweet smile appeared. Even though Li Yifei was still so careful with her, being this close with him made her very happy. She quickly changed clothes and then said to Li Yifei, "I¡¯m done."


    Only then did Li Yifei turn his head and said, "Now you keep a lookout."


    Li Xinyue nodded with a smile and also went to the door, facing outwards. Li Yifei then stripped off his clothes and trousers, leaving only his underwear. But at that moment, Li Xinyue suddenly turned her head back around.


    Li Yifei swiftly pulled the police uniform in front of him while Li Xinyue chuckled, "I¡¯ve seen it before; what¡¯s there to be shy about?"


    "When did you see?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    "During swimming," Li Xinyue blinked her eyes.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes. Time was of the essence; the criminals were already surrounded, so they could do anything. Every extra minute increased the danger for the hostages inside. He didn¡¯t bother to argue with Li Xinyue anymore and quickly started to put on the uniform. Li Xinyue didn¡¯t turn her head back the whole time, and her gaze was full of admiration as she watched Li Yifei change.


    Just as they had both finished changing, someone entered from outside and was startled to see them.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "We¡¯re police officers, just preparing some equipment here," and then he and Li Xinyue strode out.


    The person scratched their head, quite puzzled, unsure of why these two officers had turned up in their space.


    "Brother Li, you look really handsome in a police uniform!" After walking a few steps, Li Xinyue tilted her head and whispered in Li Yifei¡¯s ear.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Li Xinyue. She was naturally beautiful, but in a police uniform, she had a charming charm with a hint of valor, causing Li Yifei to be taken aback.


    Li Xinyue immediately said with a grin, "Brother Li, do I look good in uniform?"


    Li Yifei nodded and sincerely said, "You really do look good."


    Li Xinyue covered her mouth and giggled, "So Brother Li is a uniform enthusiast, huh?"


    Li Yifei almost stumbled and fell, and Li Xinyue laughed even louder, "See, I hit the nail on the head, didn¡¯t I? Look how excited you are."


    Li Yifei, both amused and annoyed, glanced at Li Xinyue and said, "You¡¯re not afraid of being seen. If they knew a major host like you said such things, it would shock all your fans."


    "What do I even matter? If someone like you, Brother Li, isn¡¯t afraid, then I care even less."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s somewhat embarrassed expression, Li Xinyue leaned in again and whispered in his ear, "Hey, Brother Li, why don¡¯t you come over to my place tonight? Lianyao and I can both wear uniforms for you. Whether you prefer police, nurse, or flight attendant, we¡¯ve got you covered."


    Li Xinyue was dangerously tempting, and Li Yifei knew if she kept this up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on anything else. He lifted his hand and slapped her on the buttocks, "We¡¯re here on serious business, stop fooling around."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s behind was slapped; besides a bit of pain, she also felt a tingling, numbing sensation that immediately gave rise to a strange feeling inside her. Her body softened, and she instinctively grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her eyes sultry and filled with irrepressible spring fever.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Li Xinyue to react this way. He quickly stopped in his tracks. If he continued and people saw Li Xinyue acting this way next to him in public, that just wouldn¡¯t do. He asked quietly, "Are you okay?"


    Li Xinyue, with her face blushing, glanced at Li Yifei and said shyly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so mean, hitting someone¡¯s... butt."


    Li Yifei looked at Li Xinyue puzzledly and said, "It was just a slap; it shouldn¡¯t have this effect, right?"


    "My behind is sensitive." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She said this with such coquettish charm that it sent a ripple through Li Yifei¡¯s heart. But by then, Li Xinyue had already stood up and said, "Now that you know my secret, you have to take responsibility."


    Li Yifei found the situation quite intriguing. Every woman has her sensitive spots, but Li Xinyue seemed exceptionally so. Just one slap had her in this state; he couldn¡¯t help but imagine what would happen if he were to slap her twice in bed. The thought was captivating.


    For those with a bit of a sadistic streak, a woman like Li Xinyue would certainly be a rare find. Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t have such inclinations, he thought some light play in bed could certainly spice things up.


    Putting aside his fanciful musings, Li Yifei and Li Xinyue left the building. He dragged Li Xinyue this way and that until they blended into a group of policemen.


    For a major case like this, regular police officers would rarely have any experience. The officers from Mile City were no different. Several departments were already on the scene, so it was quite normal for the officers not to recognize each other. Amidst the crowd, not a single officer questioned Li Yifei and Li Xinyue¡¯s presence.


    On top of the mixed personnel, the policemen were extremely tense. They may have been brave when handling minor cases, but the criminals inside were not only extremely vicious and holding hostages, but also armed. Who knew if they would start shooting at the police? In the event of gunfire, who could say for certain if a stray bullet wouldn¡¯t find its way to them? After all, how many become policemen truly for the duty, as opposed to having a respectable job that allows them to wield authority? When it came to risking their lives to apprehend criminals, nine out of ten would likely back down.


    In addition to the average officers, some important city officials were also present, such as Mile City¡¯s Chief of the Public Security Bureau, Ning Changzheng. Naturally, he had to be there to take personal command of the situation; with a major incident like this, he would have no place in his role otherwise.


    The spot Li Yifei had picked was near where Ning Changzheng and the others were located. Before, he had only been able to get a rough idea of the entire museum using Li Xinyue¡¯s camera. To understand the specific situation inside, however, he needed to get information from Ning Changzheng and his team.


    Meanwhile, Ning Changzheng was rather livid as he demanded, "Why haven¡¯t we gotten a clear picture of the situation inside?"


    Another policeman, who seemed to be a leader of some sort, promptly responded, "Director Ning, these criminals are extremely cunning. Once they realized they couldn¡¯t escape, they immediately found cover and hid. They also have people specifically controlling the hostages, and they¡¯ve even destroyed the surveillance cameras inside. I don¡¯t believe these are ordinary criminals; they must have received specialized training."


    Ning Changzheng furrowed his brows. From the current situation, he, of course, could tell that they were not ordinary opponents. The fact that they were cornered yet remained unflustered was proof enough.


    At that moment, a man suddenly walked out of the museum with his hands raised high. He was pale, covered in sweat, and trembling. He stuttered, "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t shoot."


    The moment he emerged, countless gun barrels were aimed at him. It would be strange if he weren¡¯t nervous, and indeed, he was no criminal but a hostage. Behind the hostage, another figure followed, with a black hood over his head that left only his eyes exposed, and a handgun pressed against the back of the hostage¡¯s head.


    "Let your boss come out and talk," the criminal barked while holding the hostage by the shoulder with one hand and brandishing his gun with the other, keeping his body hidden behind his captive.


    Director Ning immediately declared, "I am Ning Changzheng, the Chief of Public Security Bureau of Mile City. I warn you, drop your weapons and surrender now. Continual defiance will only make your charges heavier..."


    "Bang!" Director Ning hadn¡¯t finished when a gunshot cut him off, and the police suddenly scattered for cover, with a few unable to keep their cool and firing off several shots in return.


    However, their marksmanship left much to be desired, as only one bullet hit the hostage in the thigh, while the rest missed entirely.


    The hostage cried out in pain, but the criminal roughly yanked him up by the collar, pressing the gun barrel hard against his neck, silencing any further resistance.


    Director Ning roared in anger, "Who gave the order to shoot?"


    The few policemen who had opened fire went pale. Firing recklessly and wounding a hostage, they had clearly broken protocol.


    "Chief Ning, seems like the quality of your Mile City police isn¡¯t all that great, is it?" the criminal mocked.


    Director Ning¡¯s face reddened with rage. This incident was indeed embarrassing for the Mile City police, but in the face of a criminal, he had no need for further words. He said coldly, "This is a warning to you. If you continue to resist, we will stop at nothing to take you down."


    "Chief Ning, can we not make such lofty statements? What if all these hostages were to die, could you handle the consequences? Don¡¯t bother with those grand principles; I don¡¯t like hearing them. Let¡¯s keep it simple. Get us two vans with full tanks and let us leave. Otherwise, we will kill a hostage every ten minutes."


    The criminal spoke with such calm and confidence, revealing that he wasn¡¯t just an experienced hand but also someone with an exceptional mental fortitude.

 Chapter 561 - 572: Arrogant Thugs

    Chapter 561: Chapter 572: Arrogant Thugsfreew§×bno¦Íel.com"You can think I wouldn¡¯t dare!" the criminal said indifferently, "If you catch us, even being executed a hundred times wouldn¡¯t be enough. So, surrendering or anything of that nature is utterly useless. Unless you kill us all, we will never be captured by you."


    Director Ning Changzheng said angrily, "You absolutely cannot kill the hostages, or we will never let you go."


    "Haha... whether we kill the hostages or not, the outcome if we get caught is the same. So, save your breath. I¡¯m giving you ten minutes to think it over, or after ten minutes, you can start collecting corpses."


    This put Director Ning in a difficult position, agreeing to the criminal¡¯s demands would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, and they would bear a great responsibility. But not agreeing and resulting in harm to the hostages would be equally their responsibility.


    "Ten minutes will pass quickly," the criminal added, then he dragged the hostage back inside. As he reached the door, suddenly there was a gunshot, and the hostage¡¯s body lurched forward.


    However, the hostage hadn¡¯t died, but another bullet had hit one of his legs, and he lay on the ground wailing in pain.


    "I just wanted to show you that we dare to act. This time it¡¯s only a leg; next time, we will definitely send out a dead body." Another criminal¡¯s voice came from within.


    "Save me! Save me!" the hostage lay on the ground, waving his arms and shouting at the police.


    Director Ning raised his hand and ordered, "Quick, save the hostage."


    Regular police officers didn¡¯t dare to move forward at this point, but fortunately, there were special forces. Immediately, four special forces rushed over, and Li Yifei swiftly followed them.


    No one noticed who he was in the tension, all eyes fixed on the museum¡¯s entrance. If the criminals inside opened fire now, the five people going to save the hostage would all be in danger.


    But the criminals didn¡¯t shoot, and the five quickly brought the hostage back. Li Yifei didn¡¯t help carry the hostage, but instead quickly surveyed the inside of the building. However, just inside the museum¡¯s entrance, there was a wall that blocked the view from outside, and once past this barrier, anyone attempting to rush through the main entrance would be exposed with no cover, making it impossible to infiltrate through the front.


    After they had retreated, people gathered around the hostage, still not paying any attention to Li Yifei. Li Xinyue also surreptitiously captured the scene of rescuing the hostage with a pinhole camera; this was a rare shot.


    "Director Ning, what shall we do now?" a few leaders gathered around Ning Changzheng, all frowning deeply.


    At this moment, Director Ning was also wrestling with the decision. After some thought, he said, "Let¡¯s delay for now. Lin Qiong is inside; let¡¯s see if she can come up with something."


    If Li Xinyue could capture the situation inside with Lin Qiong, these police officers could certainly get the information. And since Lin Qiong had solved major cases in such short time before, everyone had some hope in her.


    Then, a special forces member hurried over to Director Ning and whispered, "Chief of Public Security Bureau, Lin Qiong secretly signaled us that there are eight criminals inside with six handguns, a micro assault rifle, and they¡¯ve also found two grenades."


    Director Ning was shocked by the news; it was crucial information, but also astonishing. This wasn¡¯t a movie, and the control of firearms in the country was very strict. To obtain even one handgun was extremely difficult, yet these eight people had so many weapons, including a micro assault rifle and grenades ¨C practically a small battle squad.


    With such criminals, even a full assault would likely lead to casualties, especially because they held hostages, making the situation even more delicate.


    The voice of the criminal inside called out again, "Director Ning, five minutes have passed, only five more minutes, and we will start killing hostages."


    Director Ning immediately shouted, "You must give us some time, this matter cannot be decided by me alone, I need to consult with the leaders of the Municipal Committee."


    "What leaders of the Municipal Committee? You¡¯re the Chief of the Public Security Bureau, this is your call. Five minutes, if you¡¯re not ready, we¡¯ll start killing hostages."


    "Five minutes is too short, even if I agree to your demands right now, we can¡¯t prepare that quickly. Give us ten more minutes."


    "Four minutes left," the other side paid no heed to Director Ning and continued counting down.


    "Director Ning, what do we do?"


    Director Ning was still hesitating at this point.


    "I don¡¯t think we can agree to their demands, if we let them get away, it would be a dereliction of our duty."


    "But what if they kill the hostages if we don¡¯t agree?"


    "We can only do our best to protect the hostages. If we release such violent and extreme criminals, they will commit larger crimes in the future. So even if the price is high, we must bring them to justice."


    "That would mean completely disregarding the safety of the hostages and going in guns blazing. If we opt for any other method, we cannot instantly kill them all at once. Any remaining criminal will definitely retaliate against the hostages, and if they detonate the grenades, the casualties could be enormous."


    Now, some supported complying with the criminals¡¯ demands, while others did not, and both sides had their reasons.


    "Bang!" While Director Ning and the others had yet to decide, suddenly a gunshot rang out from inside the museum, and then a body was flung out, rolling on the ground twice before lying motionless, blood gushing from the forehead.


    "That¡¯s the first one. I¡¯ll give you ten more minutes. If you don¡¯t agree by then, this time we¡¯ll kill two. After all, we have plenty of hostages. We could keep killing for an hour or so," the criminal inside laughed wildly.


    Director Ning¡¯s complexion turned ashen, and he bellowed, "Fine, I agree... Don¡¯t hurt any more hostages."


    In this situation, they could only prioritize the safety of the hostages. They had indeed been testing whether the criminals dared to kill, but their gamble was wrong; not only did the criminals dare to kill, but they also did it decisively.


    Li Xinyue, witnessing the murdered man, felt an upheaval in her stomach, nearly vomiting, gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei grabbed Li Xinyue¡¯s hand and pressed hard on the base of her thumb, causing her pain that nearly made her cry out, but it significantly alleviated her discomfort.

 Chapter 562 - 573 Cunning Villain

    Chapter 562: Chapter 573 Cunning VillainLi Xinyue clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly, burying her head in his shoulder, and said tremblingly, "It¡¯s too terrifying... they... they really kill people."


    Li Yifei gently patted her on the back and said, "Then you should leave. This place isn¡¯t suitable for you."


    "No!" Li Xinyue suddenly gripped Li Yifei¡¯s arm tighter, raised her head, and said, "I want to stay here."


    "What are you going to do here? I¡¯m afraid there might be more killings soon."


    "Then I¡¯m not leaving. Such major news, I have to keep filming. Besides... with you here, I¡¯m not afraid." Although Li Xinyue¡¯s face was still pallid, her intense gaze displayed her resolute heart.


    Li Yifei actually admired Li Xinyue¡¯s courage and said with a smile, "Alright then, stay here."


    Li Xinyue gave a strained smile and asked, "You will protect me, right?"


    "With so many police officers around, do you still need my protection?"


    Li Xinyue leaned toward Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and said, "I only feel safe with you here." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei quickly straightened his arms to support her shoulder, to prevent her from really leaning into his arms, and said, "There are so many police officers here."


    Only then did Li Xinyue remember where they were; she stuck out her tongue and stood up straight. Thankfully, the police officers nearby were all distracted by the murdered hostage and no one noticed them. Otherwise, two police officers, a man and a woman, hugging each other would definitely have drawn everyone¡¯s attention.


    At that time, Li Yifei was not in the mood for joking with Li Xinyue. Now that the criminals had started killing hostages, if Lin Qiong had bad luck and was chosen by the criminals, that would be dangerous. The best course of action now was to prevent them from killing more hostages.


    The hostage they had seized was shot in the head and was dead beyond doubt. This outraged all the police and special forces. Each one of them was grinding their teeth in anger at the criminals.


    It was not that the police lacked a sense of justice, but they hadn¡¯t encountered such a situation before. Faced with this scenario, their sense of justice was fully ignited. Many officers began to volunteer for action.


    "Director, let us go in. We will definitely capture all the criminals."


    "Director, let us take the lead. We will surely complete the mission."


    At this time, Ning Changzheng himself wished to capture all the criminals, but under these circumstances, a direct approach would undoubtedly lead to more hostages being injured or killed. The most prudent strategy was to temporarily agree to the criminals¡¯ demands.


    "Prepare the vehicles!" Ning Changzheng took a deep breath and issued the order.


    Immediately, someone excitedly said, "Director, these criminals are so ferocious; we can¡¯t let them get away."


    Ning Changzheng clenched his fists and said, "We are not letting them go. By agreeing to their conditions, they will have fewer hostages, which means even if there is a confrontation, it won¡¯t result in more casualties. Our priority now is to ensure the safety of the hostages."


    While arranging for the vehicles, they also planned how to intercept these few cars. All the police officers quickly sprang into action.


    Li Yifei agreed with such arrangements. In situations like this, unless there was certainty, charging in recklessly was not a wise choice. This plan offered some leeway.


    However, those criminals were all seasoned. Ning Changzheng might protect the hostages with such a strategy, but catching those criminals would probably be difficult.


    Li Yifei had come here mainly because of Lin Qiong. As long as Lin Qiong was safe, he didn¡¯t want to interfere with Ning Changzheng and his team¡¯s handling of the case.


    For the safety of the hostages, the police were highly efficient. Soon, two police vans stopped in front of the museum entry.


    A criminal, using the vehicle for cover, came to the entrance and shouted outside, "Clear the road for us now. If it¡¯s not done within two minutes, we will kill a hostage."


    Ning Changzheng¡¯s face twitched as he waved his hand, and the caution tape across the road was quickly removed.


    "Director Ning is indeed decisive. Rest assured, we are after money; as long as you don¡¯t forcefully confront us, we won¡¯t kill any more hostages," the criminal then added before signaling with his hand. Two people then came out from inside the museum and directly got into the driver¡¯s seats of the vehicles.


    Following closely, seven more thugs walked out, each holding a hostage. There were not eight, but ten thugs in total, as Lin Qiong had not seen the two that were initially hidden.


    Among the seven hostages, there were five women and surprisingly, children. It was clear that the kidnappers preferred women and children as hostages, believing them to be easier to manage than men. Among these hostages was Lin Qiong herself.


    With hostages in hand, although several sniper rifles were set up on the rooftop, the officers dared not take the shot. They simply didn¡¯t have enough snipers, and even if they could hit their targets, they couldn¡¯t kill all the thugs at once. The remaining kidnappers would certainly kill the hostages in retaliation.


    Moreover, the kidnappers were using the hostages to shield themselves, making it impossible to take a shot without hitting a vital spot.


    The hostages could no longer even cry at this point; they were trembling, legs weak from fear. These were armed kidnappers who had already killed hostages, and they didn¡¯t know if they would be the next victims.


    Lin Qiong was now a hostage, which was what she had hoped for, but now she had no choice but to act like the others, not daring to resist.


    Rescuing hostages was Li Yifei¡¯s forte. From his professional perspective, these kidnappers were not weak; they were truly skilled. Unless they were willing to risk the hostages¡¯ safety, a frontal rescue was an impossible mission.


    As the second-in-command of Flying Hawk, a frontal hostage rescue would only be attempted in the direst of circumstances, risking other hostages¡¯ lives to save one. In this situation, although Lin Qiong was the most important person to Li Yifei, he had returned to the life of an ordinary person in the city and could not disregard the safety of others¡¯ lives. Besides, if there was any chance to save the hostages, why wouldn¡¯t he do everything possible?


    So, Li Yifei could only wait for an opportunity.


    The kidnappers had already gotten into the cars by this point. One of them rolled down a window, pulled down his mask to uncover his nose, made a gun with his hands in front of his mouth, and suddenly blew, making a "bang" sound. Immediately, two vans zoomed off.


    The police officers also hurriedly got into their cars to give chase. One officer had just pulled open his car door when someone suddenly pushed him out of the way. Before he could figure out what happened, his police car had already sped off.


    "Who? Who took my car?" The officer was left bewildered, wondering who had driven his car away. But with chaos already unfolding at the museum entrance, it was anyone¡¯s guess who took the car; all he could tell was it was someone in a police uniform.


    "Boom!" Just then, a loud explosion suddenly erupted from inside the museum. The ground shook, sending bricks and stones flying into the air, then crashing back down onto several cars. Following this were flames and thick smoke billowing from the museum.


    The kidnappers had planted bombs inside the museum, which they detonated upon their departure.


    "Quick, go rescue the hostages!" Director Ning was about to get into his car when the blast nearly knocked him off his feet. Seeing what had happened, he was outraged and quickly issued orders. Most of the police officers immediately rushed toward the museum.


    Although the bomb had not exploded directly among the hostages inside the museum, it was still close enough to affect them all. Thankfully, none were killed, but there were many serious injuries, and cries of agony filled the air.


    This explosion had significantly split the police forces, and now only three cars were left chasing the two vans.


    Li Yifei and Li Xinyue were in the last of these three vehicles, having commandeered one of the police cars earlier.


    "Brother Li, these criminals are ruthless," Li Xinyue said, clenching her fists, her brows tightly furrowed.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t reply, focusing intently on driving and keeping his eyes on the vans ahead. The kidnappers¡¯ driving skills were surprisingly good; despite the heavy traffic, their speed did not drop below eighty miles per hour and was still increasing. The two police cars ahead were struggling to keep up, and soon, Li Yifei had overtaken them, the only one able to follow the leading van.


    Excited, Li Xinyue exclaimed, "Brother Li, you must catch them. These kidnappers are so despicable. If they get away, they will harm even more people. And we don¡¯t even know how many died in that explosion."


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t get away," as he maneuvered the wheel and passed several more cars.


    Although the criminals were driving fast, the cars were tracked by satellite positioning, and there were cameras along the roads. The traffic control center had already been notified and was monitoring the two vans. Therefore, Li Yifei¡¯s car radio was constantly reporting the position of the vans, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t lose them. Additional police cars joined the pursuit, but aside from keeping up for a while, there was little they could do. The kidnappers had hostages and guns, and most of the SWAT team was at the museum, leaving mainly traffic police in the chase, limiting their effectiveness.


    "We¡¯ve lost satellite tracking on the leading car; we cannot pinpoint their exact location anymore," the command center reported suddenly.


    Li Yifei knew the other side must have sophisticated electronic jamming equipment. These weren¡¯t ordinary criminals; they were akin to mercenaries. This only made Li Yifei more suspicious of their origins. Regardless of who they were, they had abducted Lin Qiong, and Li Yifei was determined to deal with them.


    Without satellite positioning, relying solely on road condition photos and location reports provided by the traffic officers, updates were no longer timely. Soon, except for Li Yifei¡¯s car, the rest of the police vehicles had been left behind.


    Although Mile City was not a major metropolis, it was still a sizable city with considerable traffic flow. During rush hours, traffic jams were common. Without the satellite system, the only chance to keep up with the van was if someone like Li Yifei was following closely behind.

 Chapter 563 - 574 Insight

    Chapter 563: Chapter 574 InsightLi Xinyue sat in Li Yifei¡¯s car, initially focusing intently on the two vehicles of the criminals, but as Li Yifei drove at breakneck speed, nearly colliding with other cars several times, her heart leaped to her throat. Yet after a while, she noticed they were gradually falling behind the criminals¡¯ vehicles and couldn¡¯t help urging anxiously, "Brother Li, hurry up, we¡¯re being left behind."


    In a calm tone, Li Yifei said, "Now we need to let them think they¡¯ve shaken off the police, only then will they make their next move. They can¡¯t possibly keep driving these two police vans forever. If they don¡¯t believe they¡¯ve lost the police, they¡¯ll just stay in these two vehicles. Even if they run out of gas and we manage to stop them, we still can¡¯t do anything since they have hostages."


    Li Xinyue, worried, asked, "But if we can¡¯t catch up to them, what if they manage to get away later on?"


    "They won¡¯t, I know where they are heading," Li Yifei said with a faint smile on his face.


    "You know?" Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Li Yifei nodded and explained, "Although it seems like they are just driving around aimlessly and taking different routes, no matter how much they twist and turn, they¡¯ve never strayed far from Huafeng Street. There¡¯s an automotive repair shop near Huafeng Street where two vans are parked--that¡¯s where they are headed."


    Li Xinyue stared at Li Yifei, astonished, and asked, "Brother Li, when did you figure that out?"


    "Heh, I just guessed. Following them closely now is not very helpful. Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m right," Li Yifei chuckled, then abruptly swerved to stop an Audi A4 that had just pulled out from a gas station.


    Li Yifei leapt out of the car, flashed an ID in front of the driver, and said, "Police business. I need to requisition your car."


    The driver, a young man in his twenties, was taken aback. He didn¡¯t get out of the car but instead tried nervously to roll up the window. An ordinary person would find it quite troubling to have their car commandeered by the police, and with so many scammers around these days, some even impersonating police, his instinct was to think that Li Yifei was trying to deceive him, intending to steal his car.


    Li Yifei frowned, about to pull the guy out and simply hijack the car, when Li Xinyue smiled at the driver and said, "I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience. I¡¯m Li Xinyue from the TV station. We¡¯re currently filming a program. Please cooperate with us."


    The driver actually recognized Li Xinyue in an instant, and exclaimed with surprise and delight, "You really are Li Xinyue!"


    Li Yifei smiled again, winked at the driver, and said, "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me. This is part of a police operation that I am assisting with for a shoot. Please help us out. You drive our police car to the City Public Security Bureau, and we¡¯ll return your vehicle there later. You¡¯ll even get to be on TV."


    "Alright!" The driver eagerly got out of the car, unable to hide his excited smile.


    Without another word, Li Yifei got into the car, and Li Xinyue followed suit. Before leaving, she shook hands with the driver, leaving the young man absolutely thrilled.


    The car started once more, and Li Xinyue, with a beaming smile, said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you see, I can be useful too."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly, replying, "Indeed, the effect of a beautiful woman is quite significant. Otherwise, why would there be something called the ¡¯Beauty Trick¡¯?"


    "As long as I¡¯m not useless in your eyes, that¡¯s all that matters," Li Xinyue said, happily shaking her head.


    Li Yifei drove the car to the opposite side of the automotive repair shop he had mentioned earlier. Less than two minutes passed before the two police vans drove in. Li Xinyue exclaimed excitedly, "Here they come, they really are coming!"


    The two vans entered the repair bay and came to a stop. The criminals swiftly brought out the hostages and then dove into two other vans. The repair shop staff rapidly drove the original police vans away while the others left in the new vehicle.


    This time they drove without haste, and without speeding. Li Yifei followed casually from behind, keeping several cars between them, unafraid of being detected.


    Li Xinyue, still thrilled, turned to Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re amazing. You only followed them for a short while and figured out where they were going to switch cars."


    Previously, Li Xinyue liked Li Yifei for his low-profile demeanor and his assertiveness, but she had no idea about the true extent of Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities. Now she realized that Li Yifei¡¯s abilities were not just confined to his identity and status; his personal skill was formidable, and she was incredibly attracted to that.


    After a moment of excitement, Li Xinyue expressed her concern again, "Brother Li, shouldn¡¯t we inform the police?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, don¡¯t tell them. I don¡¯t want you to mention this to anyone else either; I¡¯ll handle it myself."


    Li Xinyue cried out in alarm, "Brother Li, there are ten people over there, and they¡¯re armed with guns ¡ª it¡¯s too dangerous. We should tell the police."


    Li Yifei said, "The kidnappers have a hostage, so large-scale operations won¡¯t work. To rescue the hostage, we¡¯ll need a stealthy approach, thus more people won¡¯t really help."


    "But... but it¡¯s just the two of us, how are we... how are we supposed to confront those armed bandits?" Li Xinyue stammered.


    "It¡¯s not the two of us, it¡¯s just me. Once they¡¯ve settled in, you wait, and I¡¯ll come get you after I¡¯ve handled things."


    "Just you?" Li Xinyue looked at Li Yifei in even more astonishment.


    Li Yifei reached over and patted his arm gently, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be in trouble. They¡¯re just ten small-time crooks, they can¡¯t hurt me."


    "This..." Li Xinyue¡¯s mouth twitched, and although Li Yifei was so certain, the fact that it was just Li Yifei alone made it hard for her to imagine him taking on so many bandits, "Brother Li, what if something happens to you?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re not hoping something happens to me, are you?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But it¡¯s too dangerous."


    "Danger is what makes it thrilling. Come on, don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯m not the type to joke with my own life, and I certainly won¡¯t let you down."


    Seeing how resolute Li Yifei was, Li Xinyue, despite her worry, finally held back and started to think that Li Yifei was truly handsome¡ªa man facing ten armed bandits alone, like a great hero from the movies.


    The bandits¡¯ vehicle smoothly left the city and then headed toward the seaside. It was a straight road and they accelerated quite a bit, while Li Yifei floored the gas and the Audi A4 surged past the two vans.


    "Brother Li, why did you overtake their cars?" Li Xinyue asked, puzzled.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "What I¡¯m driving now is, after all, an Audi A4. If we keep following right behind the two vans, do you think they¡¯ll get suspicious?"


    "That¡¯s true, but... what if they change direction unexpectedly?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "That won¡¯t happen. Their intentions I¡¯m not quite sure of, but after such a big incident, they definitely won¡¯t stay in Mile City. Escaping by land isn¡¯t an option; the two police cars won¡¯t distract the police for long. Whether it¡¯s highways or regular roads, there will surely be police checkpoints, and the nearby counties and cities will assist in the investigation. They simply can¡¯t get away by land, and taking a plane is even less feasible. Hence, their only choice is the waterway. Large docks are out of the question, so it has to be one of the smaller docks. Also, they don¡¯t have much time; once the police realize they¡¯ve been duped, they will check even the smaller docks. Therefore, they need to leave by the shortest water route possible. There¡¯s a small dock up ahead on this road, and that¡¯s where they¡¯re likely headed."


    Listening to Li Yifei¡¯s analysis, Li Xinyue was stunned and after a long while, she gave Li Yifei a thumbs up, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really incredible. Such analytical skills are truly admirable. I really don¡¯t know how you came up with that."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "As long as someone acts with a purpose, there¡¯s always a trail to follow. Just look carefully, and you¡¯ll find it."


    Li Xinyue frowned slightly, as if contemplating, then after a moment, suddenly turned her head and winked at Li Yifei, "So have you figured out what my intentions toward you are?"


    Li Yifei coughed dryly. As for Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s little schemings, of course, Li Yifei was very clear ¡ª they had indeed harbored a great deal of expediency in wanting to follow him at first, but as time spent together increased, this expediency had faded and they were growing fonder of him.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t conceited but had a keen sense of judgment. From the way the two women behaved around him, he could tell what their true intentions were. Except for Su Mengxin, who managed to pull the wool over his eyes just that one time, as her status was too noble, making Li Yifei inherently biased in a strong act of self-suggestion. Apart from Su Mengxin, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistake again.


    Li Xinyue pouted, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really heartless, you know? Lianyao and I have been waiting for you, but you just wouldn¡¯t come. You promised us last time, but you went back on your word."


    Li Yifei smiled, "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve been caught up with some matters recently, so I didn¡¯t visit you. But I definitely won¡¯t go back on my word about what I promised you."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to get involved with the two women any further, but he saw them as good friends and didn¡¯t want to fall out with them either.


    Li Xinyue immediately said, "Don¡¯t fool us this time. If you fool us again, we will come to your house."


    Li Yifei coughed dryly. It seems that women nowadays all have this trick up their sleeve.

 Chapter 564 - 575

    Chapter 564: 575Li Yifei parked the car not too far from the dock and asked Li Xinyue to wait inside. Li Xinyue was worried and suggested going with Yifei, but he dismissed the idea with a single sentence, "You being there will only slow me down. Just wait here."


    Li Xinyue wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t grasp the gravity of a situation, and she completely understood Yifei¡¯s words. She was extremely disappointed that she couldn¡¯t witness Yifei in his element, but in the end, she obediently waited in the car.


    There was a hill next to the dock, dotted with trees that weren¡¯t very tall. Although it was just the beginning of September, the branches were thick with leaves, making Yifei hard to spot as he blended into the background.


    Observing the dock from the hillside, Yifei noted a speedboat moored there, likely the thugs¡¯ getaway vehicle. They seemed ready to hop into the boat and take off without a delay. To rescue the hostages, Yifei had to make his move before the boat set out or sneak on board before it started. Once the boat was moving, it would be much harder to catch up.


    A few minutes had passed since he arrived, and two vans were nearly at the dock. Time was running out.


    Yifei walked down the hill and directly toward the speedboat.


    "Stop, this is a private vessel," two men on the dock called out to Yifei, their faces wary.


    Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "I¡¯m looking to charter a speedboat for the high seas. Name your price."


    "We don¡¯t do rentals. Look somewhere else if you want to rent a speedboat," one of the men replied coldly, a fierce expression on his face trying to intimidate Yifei away, while the other reached for something under his shirt, where the outline of a gun was unmistakably visible.


    The behavior of these two confirmed for Yifei that they were indeed the thugs he was after. He curled his lips, dissatisfied, and said, "If it¡¯s not for rent, fine, no need to be aggressive about it."


    "Get lost!" one of the men shouted at him.


    In the time it took to exchange these words, Yifei had closed in on the pair and, seizing the moment, he struck each of them on the neck with a palm.


    Immediately, the two men¡¯s bodies went limp, about to collapse to the ground, but Yifei had already stepped in, catching them around their waists. With a firm grip, he walked them toward the speedboat, making it seem as if they were old buddies walking arm in arm.


    "Baldy, why¡¯d you bring a stranger here?" As soon as Yifei stepped onto the speedboat with the two men, two more emerged from inside, frowning and questioning.


    But before they could fully articulate their concerns, Yifei was upon them, his hands once again striking at their necks swiftly, silently bringing them down to the deck without a sound.


    Yifei quickly surveyed the boat and found that these were the only four men aboard. He swiftly stuffed them into the cabin and slipped into their clothes before standing by the railing.


    In less than half a minute, the two vans had arrived at the dock. Ten thugs got out, dragging with them seven hostages, among whom was Lin Qiong.


    No police or other people were in sight, making the thugs somewhat more relaxed. They weren¡¯t guarding the hostages as strictly as before; instead, they allowed the hostages to walk together, with only two men pointing guns at them from behind.


    The seven hostages were visibly panicked, the unpredictability of their fate leaving them at a loss, each crying softly, not daring to raise their voices, clearly having been warned by their captors.


    With high spirits and an air of ease, the thugs walked up the boarding ramp onto the speedboat, their faces relaxed, not engaging in talk, but also not perceiving any potential danger in the situation.


    The first four thugs boarded the speedboat and then hustled the hostages on board. Here, they didn¡¯t seem to intend to abandon the hostages, likely planning to use them as leverage in case they encountered police at sea, to threaten and facilitate their escape.


    Although the men noticed Yifei, none realized he wasn¡¯t one of their own. For one thing, Yifei was dressed in their accomplice¡¯s clothes; for another, his position on the speedboat made them subconsciously identify him as an ally. Most importantly, at this moment of lax attention focused on the hostages, they overlooked Yifei.


    They might have missed him, but Lin Qiong didn¡¯t. She had been searching for an opportunity¡ªthere wasn¡¯t one in the museum nor in the van¡ªbut here, she suddenly found a great chance. She recognized the man on the speedboat; she saw the face of that mysterious figure, which was none other than Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was so tough that even if the thugs had guns, they were definitely no match for him. The main issue now was whether he could ensure the complete safety of the hostages.


    However, what puzzled Lin Qiong was how the bastard Li Yifei ended up here. Could this guy always be following her? Otherwise, how could he arrive just in time every time she ran into danger?


    Thinking that Li Yifei was always following her, Lin Qiong felt sweet inside. Even though this bastard might be she was married, even though he always said he wanted to maintain a distance from her, he still cared about her when it really mattered.


    Normally, the thugs would lock up the hostages in the cabin. As long as they kept the hostages in there, Li Yifei would be free to take action.


    It seemed the thugs were thinking along the same lines, and someone immediately ordered the hostages to be locked in the cabin. However, one of them said, "Boss, we¡¯ve been on edge for so long, it¡¯s time to relax a bit. These chicks aren¡¯t bad. Let the brothers have some fun."


    The one known as the boss was a burly fellow who grunted and said, "We¡¯re not out of the woods yet. Once we reach the high seas, you can do whatever you want."


    "Boss, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, we¡¯ve already shaken off the cops. They are so slow to react; by the time they figure out we took off by sea, we will already be on the high seas. Where will they even look for us, hehe. Let¡¯s let the brothers have some fun," someone urged.


    The boss hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, three at a time, everyone else stay on guard."


    "Oh yeah!" The thugs immediately let out a strange cry, all of them scrambling for the five female hostages.


    "Damn it, I said three at a time!" shouted the boss angrily.


    Li Yifei had been watching these guys for an opportunity to strike, and now the chance had finally come. They were preoccupied with grabbing the women, which meant most of them had put away their guns. Only two were still holding guns but were not aiming them at the hostages.


    The hostages, hearing that the thugs wanted to violate them, started screaming in panic, which only added to the chaos.


    Although the thugs were ruthless and had a well-thought-out plan, in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, they were not particularly strong. Even compared to mercenaries, they fell short. This opportunity was all he needed.


    With a push off his feet, Li Yifei¡¯s body darted out like a cheetah, a punch and an elbow strike hitting the two gunmen.


    Li Yifei showed no mercy against such thugs, and with those strikes, he sent both men flying off the speedboat. In mid-air, they were already dead without even uttering a scream.


    Li Yifei¡¯s sudden move took the thugs completely by surprise. In the moment they were stunned, Li Yifei had already taken down two more.


    Lin Qiong reacted quickly too, bumping her right elbow hard into the chest of the thug beside her. Although her combat skills had improved recently, her foundation was still weak. The hit caused the thug immense pain, but it was neither lethal nor did it incapacitate him.


    The things Li Yifei had trained for were techniques that could kill directly, while Lin Qiong had learned in police academy how to subdue opponents. Being a woman, and not some abnormal "Heroine," her ability to overpower one or two petty thugs with her bare hands was already impressive. It was impossible for her to do what Li Yifei did. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By now, the remaining thugs had snapped out of it. Amidst their shouts, they frantically went to reach for their weapons, but Li Yifei wasn¡¯t going to give them the chance. With a flick of his hand, two stones flew out and hit two thugs in the head. The small pebbles, carrying tremendous force, pierced their skulls like bullets, drilling into their brains and killing them.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body had already slammed into another thug, who instantly flew outward, crashing into another. That thug hadn¡¯t even drawn his gun before he was knocked out cold, showing how powerful Li Yifei¡¯s impact was. The one he had hit directly was dead on the spot.


    In the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had killed eight thugs, leaving only two. One was tangled up by Lin Qiong, who, while not gaining much advantage, was enough to prevent him from drawing his gun.


    The boss, instead of attacking Li Yifei, had leapt from the side of the boat into the water below with a splash. This man was decisive, knowing that even if he could kill a hostage or two, he would surely die here.

 Chapter 565 - 576 I am the First

    Chapter 565: Chapter 576 I am the FirstThe remaining thug, seeing that eight of his comrades had died and their leader had jumped into the sea to escape, lost all will to fight and also wanted to make a run for it by jumping into the water.


    He and Lin Qiong were evenly matched to begin with, and having been caught off guard by her sneak attack at the start and sustaining some injuries, he had been at a disadvantage throughout. Now, utterly devoid of fighting spirit, he fared even worse. Just as he tried to turn and jump into the sea, Lin Qiong¡¯s leg whip crashed into his thigh, sending him thudding down onto the deck. Lin Qiong¡¯s right knee bent as she knelt on the thug¡¯s back, her hands seizing his right arm and twisting it forcefully away, rendering him powerless to struggle.


    Killing wasn¡¯t her forte, but incapacitating like this, Lin Qiong was quite adept.


    "Hey, you, go catch that boss who ran off!" Having subdued the last thug on the ship, Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei, who was still standing on the deck, and instantly yelled out, nearly blurting out Li Yifei¡¯s name, though she managed to change it just before it slipped out.


    Li Yifei, hands clasped behind his back, looked out to sea and said, "Are you ordering me around?"


    If it were the usual Li Yifei, Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t have minded giving him orders. After all, he was her man. But as Li Yifei was currently in the guise of a mysterious persona and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t want to blow his cover, she of course couldn¡¯t command him. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s nonchalant stance and how he seemed to be putting on quite a front, Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat amusing. The rascal was quite the actor.


    Softening her tone, Lin Qiong said, "That guy who fled is the main figure among them; we must catch him or he¡¯ll continue to harm others." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I definitely won¡¯t go jumping into the sea for some trash."


    Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei fiercely from behind and said, "How about I beg you? Please catch that guy for me."


    "What¡¯s in it for me?" asked Li Yifei, uninterested.


    "Whatever benefit you want, I¡¯ll provide," Lin Qiong blurted out without thinking.


    "Alright, then. I want you to accompany me tonight."


    "Deal!" Lin Qiong answered swiftly, without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Inwardly, she felt a sly triumph: So, you rascal want me to accompany you tonight? I¡¯ll agree. Let¡¯s see how you come looking for me later.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect such a quick reply from Lin Qiong. He looked at her quizzically and asked, "I¡¯m not joking. Do you really agree?"


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Lin Qiong firmly said, "Of course, I agree. You¡¯ve helped me so many times, saving my life even. If you want to be with me, why would I refuse?"


    A twinge of annoyance unexpectedly sprang up in Li Yifei¡¯s heart. Frowning, he said, "Didn¡¯t you say last time that you already have a boyfriend and that you didn¡¯t want to betray him?"


    Seeing Li Yifei mildly upset, Lin Qiong felt even more delighted. Pretending to be huffy, she said, "That bastard, that son of a gun has other women, so why can¡¯t I have other men? Besides, I¡¯ve always greatly admired you. For you, I¡¯m willing to give everything."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t yet realized that Lin Qiong had recognized him. With regard to such remarks, he genuinely felt displeased. He had been with Lin Qiong only a handful of times, but he had taken her virginity. Even if he couldn¡¯t marry Lin Qiong, unconsciously, he had come to regard her as his own. Now, the thought of his woman sleeping with another man was abhorrent to him.


    "Quick, go catch him! If you catch him, I¡¯ll do whatever you ask tonight," Lin Qiong urged Li Yifei again.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes with a huff. Initially determined to catch the thug, he now found himself reluctant to make a move.


    "You jerk! If you don¡¯t help me catch him, you¡¯ll pay for it," Lin Qiong shouted angrily when she saw Li Yifei still hadn¡¯t budged.


    At Lin Qiong¡¯s outburst, Li Yifei felt his irritation fading. He suspected that she was only saying all this to catch the thug. With a flick of his wrist, there was a cry from the sea, then he turned back to Lin Qiong and said, "There, I¡¯ve injured her. How to haul him in is your problem."


    Lin Qiong had mixed feelings about Li Yifei; she both adored and despised him. He was so formidable, beyond her wildest imagination, but sometimes his pretenses were so aggravating that it made her teeth itch. Now, she was curious what his reaction would be the day she exposed his ruse.


    Having the other hostages bring some rope, she tied up the thug she had subdued, then quickly drove the speedboat to the spot where their leader had surfaced. The man was floating motionless on the water, whether dead or unconscious from Li Yifei¡¯s attack. It was hard to tell.


    After hauling this guy up, Lin Qiong drove the speedboat back to the dock. Li Yifei said there were still four thugs in the cabin, and then he jumped off the speedboat, saying, "Wait for me at home tonight, I¡¯ll come to find you," before leaving.


    Lin Qiong stared after Li Yifei¡¯s retreating figure for a moment and then a smug smile spread across her face. However, she didn¡¯t have the luxury to think too much about it as she quickly contacted the police using the speedboat¡¯s radio.


    Within twenty minutes, a large group of police officers had arrived. Fourteen thugs in total; six alive, and eight were dead, yet not a single hostage was harmed. Everyone was completely dumbfounded.


    Lin Qiong was called into the car by Ning Changzheng, who inquired about the details. Lin Qiong didn¡¯t conceal anything; other hostages had witnessed what happened, and there was no possibility to hide it. Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to take credit for something she hadn¡¯t done and reported the entire event as it happened, though she omitted the part about the mysterious person coming to see her later that night.


    Ning Changzheng, seeing the scene, already guessed that it must have been that mysterious helper who had assisted Lin Qiong again. He was extremely curious about this mysterious person. However, since the individual hadn¡¯t caused any trouble for the police¡ªaside from helping Lin Qiong¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to look for trouble with this person. Besides, if not for the mysterious helper¡¯s intervention, the police might have faced significant problems: a museum robbery, hostage casualties, and the possibility of the criminals escaping could have made it questionable for him to retain his position as the Director.


    "Little Lin, you have made another great contribution this time," Ning Changzheng said. "But honestly, I don¡¯t know how to promote you further. You are already the Deputy Director of the Sub-bureau. If you were promoted again, it would be too fast. I¡¯m thinking of awarding you with a first-class merit and after accumulating two more years of service, we could then consider a further promotion."


    A blush crept onto Lin Qiong¡¯s face as she said, "Director Ning, I already feel uneasy being this Deputy Director. If I were promoted further, I couldn¡¯t handle it. I really don¡¯t have that kind of capability."


    Ning Changzheng smiled faintly and replied, "Capability is cultivated. In our Mile City, even throughout the country, there is absolutely no one who has solved such major cases within just over a year of service. Promoting you would raise no objections from anyone."


    Solving this case had also greatly relieved Ning Changzheng. If they had failed to capture these criminals, it would have been a dereliction of duty. But having caught them was a tremendous accomplishment, and it was very possible that Ning Changzheng himself might be promoted again.


    However, during the process of taking statements from the hostages, they mentioned the mysterious person¡¯s request to Lin Qiong, which made the officers taking their statements look at Lin Qiong with ambiguous expressions. It was only then that Lin Qiong remembered she hadn¡¯t instructed the hostages to keep quiet about it. Now, her relationship with that mysterious person was known to everyone.


    But Ning Changzheng didn¡¯t want such gossip to spread far and wide and immediately ordered the officers taking the statements not to divulge the incident, as it concerned the reputation of Lin Qiong, the police officer.


    As for the hostages, even if they spoke about it, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal¡ªit would be considered just gossip.


    Although eight lives were taken, Ning Changzheng chose to overlook it, pretending Lin Qiong had shot the criminals at that moment. It would look better when reported that way. Reporting the involvement of a mysterious person would lead to an investigation from higher-ups, which would be troublesome.


    Ning Changzheng¡¯s actions were as Li Yifei had anticipated. At this moment, he was driving leisurely with Li Xinyue, on their way back.


    All along the way, Li Xinyue¡¯s curiosity was ablaze as she inquired about how Li Yifei had dealt with the thugs.


    Li Yifei drove off the main road onto a small fork. This was a lane leading to a private villa, seldom used by anyone, and it was very quiet at this time.


    After stopping the car, Li Yifei turned to look at Li Xinyue and said, "Xinyue, I have something to tell you, and you must keep it a secret for me."


    "Sure, sure. I will definitely keep your secret," Li Xinyue nodded rapidly, like a pecking bird.


    Only then did Li Yifei slowly say, "I killed eight of those thugs just now. As for the remaining two, they were captured in cooperation with a police officer. However, I wasn¡¯t in my true appearance at the time, so nobody can recognize me."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and she said excitedly, "Then... is there anyone else who knows about that identity?"


    "No one knows. You¡¯re the first," Li Yifei lit a cigarette and took a couple of leisurely puffs. Explaining this to Li Xinyue had been unavoidable. Since he had come to the boat with Li Xinyue, she naturally knew that he had gone aboard to help. As a TV presenter, she would be able to find out what happened on the boat if she inquired. A simple deduction would lead her to understand that the man was Li Yifei, so he decided it was better to tell her himself.


    "I¡¯m... the first... I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m the first..." Li Xinyue repeated the phrase over and over, her gaze toward Li Yifei growing more intense.


    Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her stare, Li Yifei said, "Xinyue, what are you doing? Don¡¯t look at me with that kind of gaze."


    Suddenly, Li Xinyue threw herself onto Li Yifei and said excitedly, "I don¡¯t care anymore, Brother Li, I want you today. Even if you think I¡¯m disgraceful, even if you say I have no shame, I still want you!" As she spoke, her lips moved toward Li Yifei¡¯s face, and her hand reached directly for a particularly sensitive area.

 Chapter 566 - 578 Going on a Business Trip

    Chapter 566: Chapter 578 Going on a Business TripLi Yifei¡¯s previous double datings didn¡¯t count, that was all nonsense, it didn¡¯t really mean anything, but when he was with Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi, these two girls really made him enjoy that incomparably heart-stirring flavor. Although he still maintained a bit of rationality with Chu Xiaoyao, when he was with Su Yiyi, Li Yifei had no reservations whatsoever. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just now, when he was with Li Xinyue, even though she wasn¡¯t a virgin, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind, after all, women like Xu Yingying who were in their mid-twenties and had never had a boyfriend were definitely a minority, and nowadays, it was rare for a girl with a boyfriend not to have a sexual relationship.


    While virgins were seen as a symbol of purity, if you really talked about the joy of making love, it was the mature women who had more allure. People like Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, they were both beautiful by nature, and being presenters, they added more charisma and charm. Playing double with these two, just think about it was incredibly thrilling.


    But Li Yifei still said to Song Lianyao, "Lianyao, I definitely won¡¯t have time today, I still have to go back to the company. I will definitely come over in a few days, within a week, and if I don¡¯t show up, you can come to the company and catch me, how about that?"


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m not trying to force you, I¡¯m just in a hurry, you¡¯ve been with Xinyue, which makes me so envious. She¡¯ll definitely show off to me when she gets home tonight, wouldn¡¯t that make it even harder for me to bear?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then just don¡¯t bother with her."


    Once he let go of his worries, Li Yifei started chatting and laughing with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao on the phone, until he reached the city, and then he hung up.


    After parking the car, Li Yifei explained some things to Li Xinyue and then took a taxi back to the company himself. In the company, as the security manager, no one really asked about him unless it was Xu Yingying looking for him.


    Li Xinyue delivered the car to the City Bureau, where the car owner was waiting at the Public Security Bureau at the time, today a sudden incident happened, and when she explained the situation, the police actually thought it was possible, but didn¡¯t know who did it.


    When Li Xinyue returned the car, of course, she had to give a statement. She told them exactly as Li Yifei had taught her, saying it was a policeman she didn¡¯t recognize. At that time, she was thinking about getting the news, so she hurriedly followed the policeman, but later due to the emergency situation, the policeman got out of the car, and she didn¡¯t know what to do, so she had to bring the car back.


    Li Xinyue had a reputation there, so her words were naturally more credible, plus at this time the whole system was quite chaotic, so this incident was not really a big deal and was eventually dropped.


    When Li Yifei returned to the company and turned on his mobile phone, he heard a series of notification sounds. Checking the numbers, they were all from Xu Yingying, so he immediately called her back.


    "Come to my office." Xu Yingying said this one sentence and then hung up the phone.


    Li Yifei hurried to Xu Yingying¡¯s office, closed the door, and smiled, "What¡¯s up? You called me so many times."


    Xu Yingying came to stand in front of Li Yifei, sniffed him carefully again, and frowned as she said, "Who did you go see again?"


    Li Yifei felt guilty inside, but how could he tell her about what happened with Li Xinyue? He laughed and said, "When I was out, I saw a big kidnapping case, just so happened to bump into Li Xinyue, we took some photos together, the scent must be from her."


    Having heard what Li Yifei said, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t doubt it and rolled her eyes at him. She straightened Li Yifei¡¯s collar and said, "Husband, I won¡¯t pursue your past affairs, just settle down now."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, haven¡¯t you seen that I haven¡¯t been going out these days?"


    Xu Yingying leaned over and kissed Li Yifei¡¯s face, saying, "My husband is performing very well now, keep it up in the future."


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, winked, and said, "Wife, there¡¯s nothing else this afternoon, so why don¡¯t we just... in this office?"


    "No way, no way!" Xu Yingying quickly pushed Li Yifei away, her face blushing as she rolled her eyes at him. Although they had been husband and wife for some time and being intimate at home was normal, she dared not mess around in the office.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I knew you were shy, so what did you want to see me about?"


    Xu Yingying punched Li Yifei lightly, scolding, "You gave me a fright, you¡¯re really annoying. The company needs to purchase some items, I¡¯m worried Michelle won¡¯t be able to handle it, so I wanted you to go with her."


    "Me go with her?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, puzzled, "You don¡¯t know that Michelle has always had thoughts about me? And you still want me to go on a business trip with her?"


    Xu Yingying snorted, "Would I not know that? But this matter is indeed very important, I am not at ease letting others handle it. Besides, this is also a test for you. If you can¡¯t even withstand this kind of test, then I¡¯ll have to kick you out."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll withstand the organization¡¯s test."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face revealed a smile as she said, "With others, I might be worried, but Michelle, although she likes you, has always been very restrained. So, I know that even if you wanted to take advantage, Michelle wouldn¡¯t agree."


    Li Yifei now understood Michelle quite well. This girl, while deeply affectionate and loyal to him, had always managed to control her emotions and had never caused Li Yifei any trouble. Moreover, she idolized Xu Yingying so much that she would never betray her.


    At that moment, a knock at the door sounded. Xu Yingying said, "Come in," and Michelle pushed the door open, greeted Xu Yingying, and then glanced at Li Yifei.


    "Manager Mi, please take a seat," Xu Yingying invited Michelle to sit down, and Michelle took a seat next to Li Yifei but maintained a certain distance from him.


    Xu Yingying went straight to the point and said, "Manager Mi, this time when you go to North Ocean with Yifei, you¡¯ll be in charge of everything. Yifei will only be there to assist you."


    Surprise appeared on Michelle¡¯s face as she said, "I¡¯m going with Brother Li?"


    "Yes, Yifei isn¡¯t too busy within the company, and since the items to be acquired this time are not only valuable but also located outside the city, I¡¯m not comfortable with you going alone. So, I¡¯ve decided to have Yifei accompany you."


    Michelle sneaked a glance at Li Yifei, bit her lip, and firmly stated, "President Xu, don¡¯t worry, I will handle this matter well, and I definitely won¡¯t let you down."


    Her words carried a double meaning, and both Xu Yingying and Li Yifei understood. Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Of course, I believe in you. That settles it then. Prepare today and leave tomorrow. If there are any details to be discussed, the two of you can figure it out together."


    Michelle quickly stood up, nodding eagerly with excitement.


    Li Yifei and Michelle left Xu Yingying¡¯s office together. Once outside, Li Yifei smiled at Michelle and said, "Manager Mi, this time I¡¯m really riding on your coattails, getting to travel at the company¡¯s expense."


    Michelle smiled sweetly at Li Yifei and joked, "Brother Li, you¡¯re quite the jester. We have important matters to attend to this time, and I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be any time to play." But in her heart, she felt that a business trip with Li Yifei was as delightful as a vacation.


    The two arrived at Michelle¡¯s office, where she seriously explained the details of the procurement task to Li Yifei.


    For this procurement, they were tasked with purchasing machinery worth nearly fifty million yuan. For any company, this was a major purchase, and Xu Yingying¡¯s entrustment to Michelle reflected the immense trust in her. Michelle dared not take this lightly; even alone with Li Yifei, she put personal feelings aside and prioritized work.


    The machinery to be purchased was specialized equipment, manufactured only by a large mechanical factory in North Ocean. The most important task for them now was to understand the mechanical plant and grasp the true value of the machinery, so they could negotiate the best price.


    Focused on the task, Michelle was serious, and Li Yifei followed suit, no longer faced with the amorous glances she usually sent him, which made him feel more relaxed.


    By the afternoon, they¡¯d nearly completed their research. After work, Li Yifei went home, where Xu Yingying gave him further instructions, although she didn¡¯t delve much into his relationship with Michelle.


    This made Li Yifei feel the breadth of Xu Yingying¡¯s tolerance. Having such a wife truly made him feel fortunate.


    Xu Shanshan was a hundred times unhappy about Li Yifei¡¯s business trip. With pursed lips, she looked quite upset.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression, Xu Yingying, feeling both amused and annoyed, said, "Why the long face just because your brother-in-law is going on a business trip?"


    "Harumph," Xu Shanshan snorted, "Without my brother-in-law around, who¡¯s going to cook for us? I don¡¯t even like going out to eat now, and there¡¯ll be no one to rub my feet in the evening. Plus, you¡¯re letting Brother Li go out with that Michelle; aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll steal his soul away?"


    Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei and said, "If your brother-in-law¡¯s soul were so easily snatched away, he would have been spirited away many times by now."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly; with his less than spotless reputation and ambiguities with several girls, there was nothing he could do but brace himself against Xu Yingying¡¯s words.


    And tonight, he had to go out again. He wanted to check on Lin Qiong, who had left him feeling quite awkward today. If he didn¡¯t clear the air, he wouldn¡¯t be at ease.

 Chapter 567 - 579: Identity Exposed

    Chapter 567: Chapter 579: Identity ExposedLi Yifei said he had to go out that evening, and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t stop him. Li Yifei had rarely gone out recently, which was already quite good. If he occasionally wanted to go out and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t allow it, then their currently good relationship could easily encounter problems.


    Arriving at Lin Qiong¡¯s place, Li Yifei adopted that ordinary look that was hard for anyone to remember. He didn¡¯t knock either, just directly opened Lin Qiong¡¯s Home Door and walked in.


    Lin Qiong was in the living room, still wearing a revealing nightgown that left her shoulders, thighs, and arms bare. She showed no surprise at Li Yifei¡¯s entrance and didn¡¯t cover herself up, but instead seemed very excited as she said, "You guy, you really came, huh?"


    Li Yifei was somewhat displeased with Lin Qiong¡¯s reaction, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face and said, "Of course, I told you I would come to see you today."


    "Hehe, I, Lin Qiong, am also a person of my word. I always keep my promises. Come in and sit, do you want something to drink?"


    Li Yifei spoke indifferently, "No need, I like to get straight to the point."


    "Don¡¯t you want to set the mood a bit?" Lin Qiong approached Li Yifei, resting a hand on his shoulder, giving him a suggestive look. She knew that the powerful, mysterious man in front of her was none other than that bastard Li Yifei, and to be intimate with him felt natural. At this moment, she didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit awkward, and in fact, found Li Yifei¡¯s role as a mysterious person very exciting.


    Li Yifei had no idea what Lin Qiong was thinking. Seeing Lin Qiong behaving seductively made him even more irritated. Lin Qiong, who usually spoke so nicely to him, was now acting like this with a mysterious man. For a man, this was simply intolerable.


    A sudden surge of violent emotion welled up inside him, and Li Yifei picked Lin Qiong up in one swoop. Lin Qiong let out a surprised shout, immediately wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and blew gently on his neck, saying coquettishly, "In such a hurry, are we?"


    Lin Qiong was always very assertive when she was with him, nothing like the gentleness and charm she was exhibiting now. And the thought that this charm was being directed at another man fueled Li Yifei¡¯s rage. Without a word, he carried Lin Qiong to the bedroom and threw her onto the bed.


    Lin Qiong let out a shout of surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to be so forceful, but this was a kind of excitement she had never enjoyed with him before. After her exclamation, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "You¡¯re too rough. How could you treat me like this?"


    "Hmph, that¡¯s exactly how I¡¯m going to treat you." Li Yifei snorted coldly and pounced onto Lin Qiong.


    Seeing Lin Qiong sweaty and looking languorous, Li Yifei felt a bit better. If she had still been full of energy, he would¡¯ve felt even more defeated.


    But Lin Qiong obviously enjoyed it, which once again made Li Yifei feel stifled. The thought that Lin Qiong could be so intimate with another man besides him was too much to bear, even though both men were him. It just felt wrong, as if Lin Qiong was cheating on him behind his back.


    After venting his frustration, Li Yifei rolled off Lin Qiong¡¯s body, but she immediately turned over and clung to Li Yifei like an octopus, looking at him with allure and saying, "You really are so fierce."


    Li Yifei grunted, "You¡¯re quite the wanton one."


    Lin Qiong instantly detected Li Yifei¡¯s displeasure from his tone. At first, she was startled, but then quickly realized why he was acting this way, finding it amusing and thrilling. The bastard obviously thought she was cheating on him.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this gave her a sense of revengeful pleasure. This bastard entangled himself with several women and even married Xu Yingying. She felt uncomfortable thinking about it usually and had no way to respond, but now the tables had turned. He was feeling the discomfort, so she decided to aggravate it a bit more.


    "Did you know that besides you, I just have one other man? That¡¯s the bastard Li Yifei."


    "Is that so?" Li Yifei responded indifferently but was quite interested in hearing more, especially now that Lin Qiong was bringing him up.


    "That guy is nowhere near as strong as you. He¡¯s always so prissy, like a woman, without any style. And that bastard has a wife. Hmph, he¡¯s just a complete asshole."


    Listening to Lin Qiong criticize himself to his face made Li Yifei furious, but he still held back and asked, "Then why are you still with him?"


    Lin Qiong twisted her body and said in a seductive voice, "Because you don¡¯t come to see me very often. If you were to always come look for me, then I wouldn¡¯t bother with that bastard anymore."


    Li Yifei slapped Lin Qiong¡¯s butt and said, "Fine, from now on, you¡¯ll cut off all ties with that guy named Li Yifei."


    Lin Qiong let out a soft cry, her eyes brimming with thick springtime allure as she said, "If you promise to see me once a week, I¡¯ll completely sever ties with that bastard." Cursing Li Yifei to his face with such reckless abandon felt incredibly thrilling.


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "I don¡¯t have that much time on my hands."


    Lin Qiong said with a chuckle, "If you don¡¯t have that much time, then I might still miss that guy a little."


    "You... Can¡¯t you be fully devoted to a single person?" Li Yifei glared at Lin Qiong fiercely.


    Lin Qiong felt amused inside and continued to provoke Li Yifei. She asked, "Then can you marry me?"


    Li Yifei suddenly felt choked up and said, "I can¡¯t."


    "See, you can¡¯t marry me, nor can you always be by my side, yet you expect me to remain chaste for you. Tell me, is that fair to me?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid that Li Yifei will find out you¡¯re sleeping with another man?"


    "Pfft, as if that guy has time to care about me. He has his own wife, plus other women. He¡¯s just a jerk. I¡¯m with him just because I¡¯m lonely and for fun."


    The anger was building inside Li Yifei. How had he never noticed Lin Qiong¡¯s fickleness before? When had he failed to see that she never took feelings seriously?


    Wait a second... Li Yifei suddenly remembered the first time he and Lin Qiong had been intimate¡ªshe was a virgin then. What did being a virgin imply? It meant she wasn¡¯t promiscuous. When they were together in the past, even though she threw little tantrums, she hadn¡¯t been insincere with him. Yet now, she was showing an entirely different side of her personality to this ¡¯mysterious man¡¯¡ªsomething wasn¡¯t adding up.


    "Do you know who I am?" Li Yifei suddenly glared at Lin Qiong and asked.


    A sly look flashed in Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes as she said, "You¡¯re the mysterious man, right?"


    Li Yifei was speechless, glaring at her fiercely, and said, "You know my identity, don¡¯t you."


    Lin Qiong shrank her neck and defended herself, "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand."


    "Still playing dumb with me, you wretched woman? If you didn¡¯t know who I am, why wouldn¡¯t you be curious? It doesn¡¯t match your personality."


    Lin Qiong wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her eyes seductive, and said, "I¡¯m already your woman, why would I care who you are? Just don¡¯t even think about denying it. I¡¯ll cling to you for a lifetime. You don¡¯t have to marry me, but I won¡¯t let you go."


    Even if Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t admit it, Li Yifei knew that Lin Qiong was aware of his identity. At that point, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to pretend anymore and revealed his true self. Lin Qiong¡¯s face showed no surprise; she laughed and said, "You jerk, not pretending anymore?"


    Li Yifei flipped and pinned Lin Qiong underneath him once more, looking at her fiercely, he said, "You little slut, dared to provoke me just now; let¡¯s see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    "Come on, as if I¡¯d be scared of you, bastard. Today, if I don¡¯t exhaust you to the point where you can¡¯t get out of bed, then my last name isn¡¯t Lin."


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 Chapter 568 - 580: On a Business Trip with Michelle

    Chapter 568: Chapter 580: On a Business Trip with MichelleOn the flight to North Ocean, Michelle sat shoulder to shoulder with Li Yifei. She looked at him worriedly and said, "Brother Li, are you feeling unwell?"


    Li Yifei opened his eyes, which still showed some signs of fatigue. He smiled and said, "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m quite alright."


    "Look at you, you have no energy at all. You¡¯re not sick, are you?" Michelle resisted the urge to touch Li Yifei¡¯s forehead.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I just didn¡¯t sleep well last night."


    Yesterday during the day, Li Yifei had a car encounter with Li Xinyue. It was Li Xinyue¡¯s first time being with Li Yifei, and she was extremely excited. Although it didn¡¯t last long, her tenderness was enough to satisfy Li Yifei. At night, when he went to Lin Qiong¡¯s place, she clung to him vengefully, engaging with him several times. If it weren¡¯t for his strong stamina, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle it.


    But when he got home later that night, considering he would be away for a few days, Xu Yingying, his wife, also had her needs. Even though he had already been involved outside, he couldn¡¯t dare to skip paying his dues at home. Otherwise, it would have looked like he was up to no good outside, so he rose to the occasion and took very good care of Xu Yingying.


    As a result, Li Yifei had relations with three different people in a single day. Lin Qiong, in particular, seemed to almost drain him dry. Every time Li Yifei was ready to rest, she would immediately use various methods to get him going again. It was more than Li Yifei could handle. If it weren¡¯t for his extraordinary stamina, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of bed at all today.


    However, this was something he couldn¡¯t possibly discuss with Lin Qiong.


    "Then get some good sleep, and when we arrive at North Ocean, I¡¯ll wake you up," Michelle immediately said considerately, and then asked a flight attendant for a blanket to cover Li Yifei¡¯s legs.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t try to be tough this time. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep, only to be woken by Michelle when they arrived at North Ocean.


    After resting for an hour and a half, Li Yifei¡¯s spirits had recovered quite a bit. At least in Michelle¡¯s eyes, he appeared back to normal, which eased her worries.


    At the airport exit, someone was holding a sign with the names of Michelle and Li Yifei. They were from a machinery factory in North Ocean. To the factory, Li Yifei and Michelle were significant clients, and naturally, they were given a lot of attention.


    The pair who came to receive Michelle and Li Yifei were a man and a woman. The man was the Vice-president of the machinery factory, and the woman was his secretary. This machinery factory had assets over a billion, so the position of Vice-president was not a low one. The fact that they came personally to welcome Michelle and Li Yifei showed significant respect.


    The Vice-president, named Qian Wantong, was in his forties, sharp and efficient, and appeared to be very enthusiastic. He led Li Yifei and Michelle to a hotel, and while checking in, he asked with a smile, "Manager Mi, Manager Li, are you booking one room or two?"


    Li Yifei and Michelle, a man and a woman together, made it easy for people to sense that their relationship was not shallow. Otherwise, why would the two of them come out together? Besides, with colleagues from the company often engaging in small affairs and taking opportunities during business trips, it was not unusual. Hence, he asked such a question.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned bright red, and she quickly said, "Two rooms, two rooms!"


    Qian Wantong saw that before Michelle answered, she clearly stole a glance at Li Yifei. She did not seem angry or displeased; she was just shy. It was apparent that there was some relationship between them, but they probably felt uncomfortable admitting it in front of others. He didn¡¯t point it out and laughed, "Then two rooms it is. Our company is not afraid of spending a bit more on hospitality."


    The two were given adjacent rooms. Although not presidential suites, they were high-end suites, complete with a private living room outside and the bedroom inside. Moreover, the room facilities were quite luxurious. The cost of staying for one night was definitely not low.


    "Rest up for a bit, both of you. We¡¯ve already arranged lunch at noon, and I¡¯ll come pick you up. Our company¡¯s President will also come to welcome you."


    Li Yifei and Michelle¡¯s flight was at six in the morning. By the time everything was arranged in the hotel, it was just nine o¡¯clock. It was too early for a meal, so allowing them to rest a bit was very thoughtful.


    Li Yifei and Michelle each returned to their own rooms. Li Yifei only brought a few clothes, his belongings were very simple, and he quickly settled in. Then, he sat on the comfortable sofa in the living room and watched TV.


    After a while, there was a knock at the door. Li Yifei went to open it, and there was Michelle, smiling and saying, "All settled in?"


    "There wasn¡¯t much to settle. There¡¯s nothing to do at this hour. Brother Li, you don¡¯t mind if I come over to chat with you, do you?"


    "How could I? Having a beautiful woman like Michelle to chat with me is my honor."


    Michelle smiled sweetly and entered the room, while Li Yifei casually closed the door behind her and sat down with her on the sofa.


    They said they were going to chat, but now sitting there, both of them fell into silence, seemingly not knowing what to say.


    "Brother Li!" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Michelle!"


    A moment later, both of them spoke at the same time, which made them both laugh and broke the awkwardness between them. Li Yifei said with a smile, "You go first."


    Michelle pressed her lips together in a smile and said, "It¡¯s my first time going on a business trip with Brother Li, and it¡¯s making me a bit nervous."


    Li Yifei laughed, "What¡¯s there to be nervous about? We¡¯re here for work."


    "Yeah, but do you think we can succeed this time? I heard their company is very big. I¡¯m afraid they might take advantage of us and not lower the prices."


    "Even though their company is not small, ours isn¡¯t small either. With assets of five hundred million, we¡¯re definitely considered a big company as well. We should have confidence."


    When the conversation turned to the company, Li Yifei suddenly remembered Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin, with her big investments, was completely hands-off. If it wasn¡¯t for him, he truly couldn¡¯t find any other plausible reason.


    "Brother Li, why do you think Boss Su decided to start this company? She¡¯s such an important figure. If she were to start a company, she should do so in a big city. Instead, she went to our Mile City and left it to run itself. I¡¯ve never seen a boss like that."


    As Li Yifei was thinking about Su Mengxin, Michelle brought her up. Clearing his throat, he said, "With someone of her status, how she thinks is beyond us. After all, we¡¯re just employees. As long as we get paid, we just need to earn our wages."


    Michelle spoke earnestly, "Since Boss Su has entrusted us with so much freedom, we should live up to her expectations. I actually want to achieve some results."


    Li Yifei smiled at Michelle, "Michelle, why do you, a girl, have to be so ambitious?"


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Michelle said, "I¡¯m not ambitious. Doesn¡¯t everyone have to work to earn a living? If I¡¯m earning a salary, I naturally want to do my job well. Besides, the company treats us very well, so I have to try even harder. Otherwise, if I don¡¯t perform well and the company doesn¡¯t make money, I won¡¯t have such good benefits, right?"


    Michelle hadn¡¯t always been so ambitious; she was just serious about her work. However, after falling for Li Yifei, she started viewing Xu Yingying as her role model. Li Yifei was with Xu Yingying, probably admiring Xu Yingying¡¯s capability. If she had the same abilities, maybe Li Yifei would like her too.


    Even though she wanted Li Yifei to like her, she had never thought about making Li Yifei divorce Xu Yingying to be with her. Love isn¡¯t necessarily about possession. Just being able to watch over him quietly, to see the person she loved often, to talk to him from time to time¡ªthat was happiness to her. Others may not understand, but that¡¯s what Michelle always believed.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Silly girl, you¡¯ve only seen Yingying¡¯s glory. You haven¡¯t seen her hard work. She¡¯s busy with the company all day, and when she gets home, she still has to think about work. She hardly has any free time."


    Michelle immediately said, "Doesn¡¯t that mean President Xu doesn¡¯t have much time to spend with you?"


    "That¡¯s pretty much it. She works at home and works at the office."


    "So, Brother Li, do you have any complaints?"


    "Not at all. Since she¡¯s ambitious, I just take more care of the home. I actually like this relaxed lifestyle. If I had to be like you, constantly thinking about work, I couldn¡¯t stand it."


    Still focusing on Li Yifei, Michelle said, "But when two people are together, they should have some romantic times like watching movies and eating out, right?"


    "This... we actually haven¡¯t watched a movie together. We rarely go out to eat too, haha. They like the food I cook, so most of the time, we eat at home."


    "Hmm, I¡¯ve heard Brother Li is a good cook, but I¡¯ve never had a chance to try it. I really hope I can get the chance someday."


    "That¡¯s no big deal. Once we¡¯re back and when there¡¯s time, just come over to our place as a guest. I¡¯ll cook for you, I don¡¯t mind one more mouth to feed."


    "Really? That would be great!" Michelle immediately exclaimed excitedly, but then she became a bit embarrassed and said, "But wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate, imposing on the boss¡¯s hospitality? What if President Xu is unhappy about it?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "What¡¯s there to be unhappy about? We¡¯ve always had lots of people come over to eat. Whenever Su Mengxin comes to Mile City, she definitely eats at our house. Meng Xiaofei, she probably spends more days eating at our place in a year than she does eating out."


    Thinking about his home, it really was a bit like a big dining hall, yet it was always filled with beautiful women. Somehow, he seemed to have a certain affinity with beauties now.

 Chapter 569 - 581: Accident

    Chapter 569: Chapter 581: AccidentWu Fengnian, the head of Zhenglong Machinery Company, was fifty-two years old. He started doing business at thirty and transformed a small machinery factory on the brink of bankruptcy into a large company with an annual sales volume of three billion and assets of over one billion. He was certainly a man of considerable strength.


    Even though the company¡¯s annual turnover reached three billion, Wu Fengnian still highly valued the deal with Li Yifei and his colleagues. After all, a single deal worth around fifty million was not something they came across very often in a year.


    At noon, everyone had lunch together. Seeing that Li Yifei and Michelle were both so young, Wu Fengnian couldn¡¯t help but look down on them somewhat. He thought that these two youngsters, a boy and a girl, could hardly compare to an old hand like him, so he somewhat showcased his seniority during the meal.


    Li Yifei and Michelle didn¡¯t take it to heart; they were just managers in the company, while Wu Fengnian was the boss. It was quite normal for someone of higher status to speak to them in a condescending tone.


    During lunch, no one talked about the cooperation. In the afternoon, Wu Fengnian arranged for Qian Wantong to take Li Yifei and Michelle out to have fun. Although Michelle was reluctant to waste such time, Li Yifei hinted to her not to be in a hurry to talk about the contract, as that would only put them in a passive position.


    Michelle was indeed serious about her work, but she wasn¡¯t as smooth as Li Yifei. She naturally followed Li Yifei¡¯s lead. Having the rare opportunity to spend time with Li Yifei without Xu Yingying around was a treat for Michelle, so she ended up having a great time with him in the afternoon.


    The next day, the negotiations officially began. Both Michelle and Li Yifei recognized the machinery factory¡¯s capability; the main issue was the difference in price. The Zhenglong side stuck to a price of fifty-five million, while Li Yifei and his team were unwilling to pay that much and only willing to offer forty-five million.


    The gap of ten million between the two parties led to a stalemate in the negotiations.


    Although the negotiations didn¡¯t conclude immediately, Li Yifei and his team were still treated to a lavish dinner that evening. After Li Yifei and Michelle returned to the hotel, Qian Wantong paid them a visit.


    "Let¡¯s speak frankly," he said. "A price of fifty-five million is definitely reasonable under normal circumstances. If you agree to this price, our boss has said that he can give you a five percent rebate."


    Michelle was immediately shocked, her mouth agape. Five percent of fifty-five million was two hundred and seventy-five thousand. This meant if they agreed to the price, she and Li Yifei could gain two hundred and seventy-five thousand for nothing.


    Her own annual salary and bonus combined wouldn¡¯t exceed one hundred thousand. The prospect of so much money was truly shocking.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s astonished expression, Qian Wantong¡¯s face broke into a smile, knowing that such an amount of money would definitely stun the two of them. Li Yifei and Michelle were so young; they surely hadn¡¯t seen much money. He didn¡¯t believe they would refuse such a rebate.


    Li Yifei said with a chuckle, "That really isn¡¯t a small amount, two hundred seventy-five thousand. We wouldn¡¯t earn that much in twenty years." Then he turned to look at Michelle.


    Michelle shook her head rapidly and said, "No, no, we can¡¯t take that money."


    Qian Wantong immediately said, "Manager Mi, taking such a rebate is completely normal. You don¡¯t need to have any scruples about it. Think about it, that¡¯s more than two hundred thousand in an instant. You and Manager Li would each have over a million. In the blink of an eye, you¡¯d be millionaires, and buying a car or a house would be a breeze. If you rely on your salaries, it won¡¯t be that easy to save so much money."


    Michelle continued to shake her head, saying, "Vice-President Qian, we work for the company, and we can¡¯t harm the company¡¯s interests for our own benefit. We will absolutely not agree to such a thing."


    Qian Wantong laughed heartily and said, "Manager Mi, no offense, but we work to consider the company¡¯s interests. As long as it doesn¡¯t do any major harm, why not look out for your own benefits as well?"


    Michelle¡¯s expression grew even more serious as she replied, "Vice-President Qian, thank you for your kindness, but for others, taking a kickback might be normal. For me, taking such money is equivalent to stealing from the company. It would make me feel very uncomfortable, so I absolutely can¡¯t accept it. If you can truly offer us a rebate, it would be better to give us a discount on the price instead."


    Qian Wantong furrowed his brows, not expecting Michelle to be so firm. He said, "Manager Mi, you should really think this through. If we can¡¯t finalize the deal this time, your company might send someone else, and then the benefit will go to them."


    But Michelle still shook her head, "I can¡¯t control what happens if others come in to negotiate, but as long as I¡¯m the one negotiating, I absolutely won¡¯t agree. Although our company urgently needs this equipment, there are definitely other companies in our country that can produce it. If you don¡¯t agree, then we may consider approaching other companies."


    Qian Wantong tried another approach, "We can add two more points and raise the total rebate to four million."


    "Even if you offered us a ten million rebate, we wouldn¡¯t agree. We only want the real price. I hope Vice-President Qian can understand."


    Qian Wantong, his nose put out of joint, had no choice but to leave. However, he knew that to seal the deal, they would have to do it fair and square at the negotiation table. Trying to rely on such methods was definitely not going to work.


    After Qian Wantong left, Li Yifei sighed and said, "Michelle, you let my two million fly away."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she said with a pout, "Brother Li, you really wanted it that badly?"


    Li Yifei said, "Of course I did. It was two million we¡¯re talking about. Even Yingying¡¯s annual salary isn¡¯t that much, and this would have been pure profit."


    Michelle looked at Li Yifei in astonishment, then suddenly burst out laughing and said, "I don¡¯t believe it. Brother Li is not someone who can be brought down by money."


    "Am I that noble?" Li Yifei touched his nose.


    Michelle puffed up her chest proudly and said, "Of course you are; I absolutely believe that."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Alright, alright. Just for that comment, I guess I¡¯ll have to be noble just this once."


    In the next two days, both parties haggled back and forth, finally agreeing on a price of forty-seven million. Michelle let out a long sigh of relief. The company¡¯s bottom line had been fifty million, so she had saved the company three million, which was something to be proud of.


    With the contract negotiated, Michelle was naturally overjoyed. A five-day trip was now shortened by a day, and at the warm invitation of Zhenglong, Li Yifei and Michelle spent an extra day sightseeing in North Ocean, also buying some souvenirs to take back. After all, they were on a business trip; it was customary to bring something back for colleagues.


    This time they were accompanied by Qian Wantong¡¯s female secretary and a driver. The driver was only responsible for driving them around, while the secretary generally took care of things like buying tickets. As for joining in the sightseeing, she did not, seemingly to avoid getting in the way of the two of them.


    Michelle was having a blast today. Firstly, the business negotiations had gone smoothly, and Xu Yingying was quite pleased when informed over the phone. Secondly, being out and about with Li Yifei alone, though he only occasionally and gentlemanly took her hand, made her very happy.


    By three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, as they were riding back, Michelle felt tired and fell asleep in the car, while Li Yifei also dozed off with his eyes closed.


    With a piercing screech of brakes accompanied by a violent crash, Li Yifei and Michelle both felt a sudden jolt, completely unable to control their bodies as they were thrown onto the back seat.


    The accident came so unexpectedly that Li Yifei had no time to prepare. Without waiting for the car to stabilize, he quickly surveyed the situation: a taxi was skewed against the side of their car, with only a driver inside and no passengers, which immediately put him at ease, recognizing it as an ordinary accident. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hurrying to help Michelle up, she was pale-faced, clenching Li Yifei¡¯s arm without knowing what had happened.


    Li Yifei patted the back of her hand with his other hand and said, "It¡¯s okay; we just had a car accident. How are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"


    "I ... I think I¡¯m okay, oh, my ankle hurts." As soon as she mentioned the pain, sweat beaded on Michelle¡¯s forehead, clearly in a lot of pain.


    Li Yifei promptly lifted Michelle¡¯s leg and rolled up her trousers to reveal her calf. There were no external injuries, but when he pulled down her socks, her ankle was somewhat bruised.


    "Can you move it at all?" Li Yifei asked.


    Michelle tried to move it and immediately inhaled sharply, wincing in pain, "It hurts."


    Li Yifei, not wanting to move her recklessly, said, "There are two possibilities: it¡¯s either a sprain or there is a slight fracture, but either way, it¡¯s not a big issue. We¡¯ll get it checked at the hospital in a bit."


    By then, the secretary and the driver had also come to their senses. They were uninjured and quickly inquired about Michelle¡¯s condition before swiftly arranging for another company vehicle to take her to the hospital.


    By that time, Michelle¡¯s ankle had swollen up, and she dared not put her foot down. Li Yifei helped her out and then turned his back to her, saying, "Come on, let me carry you."


    This took Michelle by surprise, her face flushing, but she obediently lay on Li Yifei¡¯s back. He firmly held onto her thighs and lifted her up, immediately feeling how her leg muscles tensed up.

 Chapter 570 - 582: Charity Dinner

    Chapter 570: Chapter 582: Charity DinnerLi Yifei carried Michelle for some tests, and the final result was a relief for both Li Yifei and Michelle. It was just a muscle strain, and she would be fine with a few days of rest. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, these few days, Michelle definitely couldn¡¯t move around freely.


    The machinery company felt very sorry and even bought some things for Michelle, yet she didn¡¯t mind at all. It was just an accident caused entirely by a taxi cutting lanes and speeding.


    Moreover, even though she had twisted her ankle, Li Yifei had been carrying her around the hospital, which left her with an indescribable feeling of happiness.


    Back at the hotel, Li Yifei carried Michelle directly to her room and then placed her on the bed. Li Yifei wanted to keep Michelle company, but at that moment, Michelle said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, can you leave for now?"


    "Me leave? You¡¯re on your own?" Li Yifei looked at Michelle, puzzled.


    "I¡¯ll be fine on my own, really, you don¡¯t need to." Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she urged him anxiously, "Brother Li, please go out."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what Michelle was up to, but since a girl was asking him to leave, lingering around would seem like he had ulterior motives. So, he stood up and walked out, but just as he reached the doorway and hadn¡¯t closed the door yet, he heard a cry of alarm from inside. He quickly turned around and walked back in, only to see Michelle fallen on the ground, supporting herself with her hands, a pained expression on her face.


    "What did you do? How are you?" Li Yifei rushed over and immediately picked Michelle up.


    "I... I¡¯m okay." Michelle allowed Li Yifei to pick her up, a sensation very different from being carried on his back, which made her so embarrassed she couldn¡¯t lift her head.


    "Oh, I get it, do you need to use the bathroom?" Li Yifei suddenly realized and immediately asked.


    Michelle buried her head into Li Yifei¡¯s chest, whimpering and not answering, which was as good as a confirmation.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, saying, "You, if you wanted to go to the bathroom, you should¡¯ve said so earlier, why make me go out?" Li Yifei carried Michelle straight to the bathroom.


    "Brother Li..." Michelle saw Li Yifei carrying her in and felt completely flustered.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll carry you in, then you can manage on your own, and afterwards, I¡¯ll carry you back out. I won¡¯t peep, so what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?"


    Michelle¡¯s face turned even redder, letting Li Yifei carry her to the bathroom, after which he set her down by the toilet and directly walked out.


    At that moment, Michelle didn¡¯t care if Li Yifei was outside, hurriedly pulled down her pants to relieve herself, but after she was finished, she was so mortified she wished she could disappear into a crack in the floor. Pulling up her pants, she felt too embarrassed to call for Li Yifei.


    "Are you done?" Li Yifei asked from the doorway.


    Michelle felt even more embarrassed, just as she had pulled up her pants, and Li Yifei asked, which meant he might have heard everything from outside¡ªthis was truly embarrassing. But still, she meekly answered.


    Li Yifei immediately opened the door and walked in, picking up Michelle again, saying, "See, still embarrassed about it? Everyone has emergencies, it¡¯s all normal. Besides, when you go to the restroom usually, there are often shared entrances for men and women, haven¡¯t you encountered men before?"


    "But... but..." Michelle couldn¡¯t really articulate anything, just feeling embarrassed about having Li Yifei wait outside while she was relieving herself.


    "There¡¯s no ¡¯but¡¯. I came out with you; you¡¯re hurt, how could I not take care of you?" Li Yifei said with a smile as he placed Michelle on the bed.


    Michelle lay on the bed, her face red, not daring to look at Li Yifei.


    "Alright, you¡¯re the patient now, and I¡¯m here to take care of you. There¡¯s not much else to it. Do you want to do something else? Shall I turn on the TV and watch something together?"


    "Okay," Michelle agreed.


    Li Yifei turned on the TV, then returned and set up the pillows on the bed, helping Michelle lean against them. This was more comfortable.


    This time, Michelle didn¡¯t refuse Li Yifei, letting him do as he pleased, occasionally stealing glances at him. The feeling of being cared for by Li Yifei filled her with immense happiness. She didn¡¯t know how many times she secretly dreamt of what it would be like to be together with Li Yifei. Today, her dreams suddenly came true so unexpectedly that she felt completely at a loss.


    "What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?" Li Yifei asked Michelle with a smile.


    "Ah!" Caught by Li Yifei, Michelle was immensely embarrassed.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily. Sometimes Michelle was very bold, like when she had openly waited for him in front of many people when he had an accident. Yet, when alone with him, she became so shy, truly an adorable girl.


    Li Yifei¡¯s laughter made Michelle even more bashful, and she gave him a light hit, chiding, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad, teasing me."


    Li Yifei stopped laughing, his eyes crinkling with mirth, "How could I tease you, Little Snow, when you¡¯re this cute?"


    "Then why... were you smiling so happily just now?"


    "Just seeing you like this makes me feel happy. Now, be good and watch some TV. I¡¯ll stay here and take care of you tonight."


    "Ah? You... you¡¯re staying here tonight too?" Michelle¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yifei, an anxiousness in her gaze.


    "What are you thinking?" Li Yifei gently tapped on Michelle¡¯s head and laughed, "I said I¡¯ll take care of you until you fall asleep. Once you¡¯re asleep, I¡¯ll go back and sleep."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned as red as an apple, and she stuttered, "Brother Li, I... I... I didn¡¯t mean anything else."


    "I know, no need to be embarrassed. If you need to use the bathroom tonight, just call me and I¡¯ll come over to help you."


    "Mhm!" Michelle softly replied, feeling enveloped in happiness.


    The two watched TV for a while. Li Yifei even poured water for Michelle and prepared some fruit for her, taking care of her with extraordinary attention to detail.


    "Brother Li, Sister Yingying is so lucky." After eating half a mango, Michelle looked at Li Yifei.


    "Why do you say that?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Michelle, basking in the moment, said, "You¡¯re so caring. Of course, Yingying is lucky. Nowadays, very few boys care for others like you do. They¡¯re mostly very self-centered."


    "Heh, I¡¯m just putting on an act. If I had to take care of someone every day, I couldn¡¯t handle it."


    "I don¡¯t believe that. Brother Li, when you care for someone, everything is so natural. There¡¯s not a bit of reluctance. Besides, just being this caring is impressive. A few classmates of mine told me that when they were sick, their boyfriends hardly took notice of them and just played video games."


    "Then it seems I really am a decent man, huh? You¡¯ve given me quite a confidence boost there."


    Michelle let out a laugh, saying, "Of course, Brother Li is definitely a top-tier good man. Whoever marries you will be truly blessed. I¡¯m really envious of Sister Yingying."


    "Heh, you¡¯re a good girl too. You¡¯ll find a better man to take care of you someday."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes suddenly filled with melancholy as she said softly, "That won¡¯t be easy. There aren¡¯t many men as good as Brother Li."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t quite dare to continue on this topic, well aware of Michelle¡¯s feelings for him. He quickly changed the subject, "By the way, we haven¡¯t had dinner yet. What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll go buy it for you."


    Michelle knew Li Yifei was deliberately changing the subject. Though she was incredibly fond of Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t want to make him feel awkward, so she too smiled and said, "Brother Li, do you agree to anything I want to eat?"


    Li Yifei patted his chest and said, "Of course, you¡¯re the patient here. Today, your wish is my command, whatever you want to eat, I¡¯ll get it for you."


    A mischievous glint appeared in Michelle¡¯s eyes, "Then I want to taste the food you cook."


    Li Yifei paused for a moment, then stood up and said, "Then wait here."


    Seeing Li Yifei really about to leave, Michelle quickly said, "I was just joking with you. Anything you buy is fine; I¡¯m not picky."


    Li Yifei smiled at Michelle and said, "Just wait here." Then he left the room.


    Michelle waited in the room for a full hour without seeing Li Yifei, which made her anxious. She wondered why it was taking him so long to buy dinner.


    Being alone with Li Yifei was a rare opportunity, and every minute was precious to her. However, with Li Yifei not returning, she didn¡¯t feel right urging him to hurry.


    As she lay on the bed struggling with the wait, there was a knock on the door. Michelle was about to ask who it was when the door was pushed open, and a hotel service cart was wheeled in.


    "Ah! Brother Li! What... why did you buy so much?" Seeing that the person pushing the cart was Li Yifei, Michelle was overjoyed. Upon noticing there were seven or eight covered dishes on the cart, she couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Little Snow wanted to taste my cooking, so of course, I had to make several dishes for you. I even borrowed the hotel¡¯s kitchen."


    "Ah? You actually made all of this by hand?" As Michelle spoke, her eyes suddenly moistened.


    Li Yifei wheeled the cart to the center of the room, then came over to lift Michelle up, seating her by the cart. He then uncovered the dishes one by one and said, "I really didn¡¯t know what you¡¯d prefer, so I made a variety of dishes, both meat and vegetables. Let¡¯s see if they suit your taste."


    "Brother Li..." Michelle looked at Li Yifei and let out a low cry, then stretched out her arms and tightly hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist.

 Chapter 571 - 583 Massage

    Chapter 571: Chapter 583 MassageLi Yifei gently patted Michelle¡¯s shoulder, chuckled, and said, "Michelle, it¡¯s just a dinner I made for you, aren¡¯t you overreacting a bit?"


    Michelle hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist tightly once more before letting go of her arms, wiped the tears from her face, and gave him a sweet smile, "I am moved, I really didn¡¯t expect you to cook for me, Brother Li, you¡¯re so nice to me."


    Li Yifei inwardly cursed his luck. The only reason he had cooked for Michelle was that she mentioned it offhandedly, so he did it without much thought, not realizing it would provoke such a strong reaction from her. And seeing how Michelle reacted, he could feel that his actions had made her feelings for him deepen even further.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, Michelle burst out laughing and said, "Look at how nervous you are. I¡¯ve liked you for more than a day or two, and it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that. At most, this will make me like you a little more, but I never thought about competing with Sister Yingying. And I can¡¯t win against her anyways, she¡¯s so outstanding. It¡¯s normal for you to like Sister Yingying, I¡¯m just happy liking you in secret."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, truly at a loss for how to respond to Michelle.


    Meanwhile, Michelle had already picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a mouthful of vegetables, and started to chew slowly, immediately praising the dish, "Delicious, delicious, Brother Li your cooking skills are truly amazing, much tastier than the chefs here at the hotel."


    Relieved that Michelle had changed the subject, Li Yifei said, "If you like it, eat more."


    "Mhm, I¡¯m definitely going to finish all these dishes tonight," Michelle said as she took another bite, then looked at Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you¡¯re not going to skip eating, are you?"


    "I¡¯ll eat too. I put in so much effort; how could I just watch you eat alone?" Li Yifei said with a smile as he sat down and started to eat.


    Michelle¡¯s appetite seemed unusually great that day, eating incessantly, which startled Li Yifei a bit. After a while, he said to her, "Michelle, stop eating, you¡¯re going to overdo it."


    "No, I haven¡¯t had my fill yet," Michelle replied, reaching for another mouthful of food.


    Li Yifei held Michelle¡¯s hand to stop her from continuing to eat and said softly, "Really, stop eating. You¡¯ve had as much as I usually eat. At the office, you can¡¯t even eat half of what you did today. If you keep this up, your stomach will suffer."


    Michelle pouted, unwilling to give in, "It¡¯s because the company¡¯s chef doesn¡¯t cook well, but what Brother Li makes is so delicious, I just want to eat it."


    Li Yifei sighed silently and said, "If you want to eat, I can cook for you again in the future, but I don¡¯t want you to ruin your stomach. Be good, stop eating, and go lie down in bed." Then he went around to Michelle¡¯s side and, without a word, carried her to the bed.


    A single "be good" turned Michelle as docile as a kitten, letting Li Yifei carry her to bed without resistance, her eyes lovingly fixated on him without wavering.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice. After setting Michelle down, he wheeled the cart out of the room, where staff would take care of it, before returning to the room.


    The two of them chatted idly for a while, and Li Yifei gave Michelle her medication, "Michelle, let me give you a massage. Massaging a sprain can help it heal faster."


    Of course Michelle knew what a massage was, and the thought of Li Yifei rubbing her waist made her face turn red instantly.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked as he looked at Michelle, who remained quiet and puzzled.


    "No... nothing," Michelle hastily said, lowering her head, not daring to meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, "Then... go ahead with the massage."


    Li Yifei removed Michelle¡¯s shoes, looked at her swollen ankle, and said, "You should take off your socks."


    Michelle gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment and slowly peeled off her socks. Li Yifei moved to sit by her feet and reached out to grab her foot.


    "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t!" Michelle suddenly exclaimed, saying urgently, "Brother Li, I¡¯ve been running around all day, and... and my feet are smelly. I need to wash them first."


    Li Yifei sniffed and said, "I didn¡¯t smell anything."


    Michelle shook her head vigorously, insisting, "Still can¡¯t do it, the weather is quite hot, and I¡¯ve been wearing shoes all day, I definitely sweated. Brother Li, could you trouble yourself to get me a basin of water? Otherwise... otherwise, I really won¡¯t let you massage."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, finding Michelle rather similar to Xu Shanshan. But whereas Xu Shanshan would wash scrupulously clean because she was afraid Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t give her a massage, Michelle wanted to wash her feet first because she was worried he actually would.


    After fetching a basin of water, Michelle hurriedly washed by herself. It was just a sprained ankle, and despite the difficulty walking, washing her feet was no problem at all.


    "Brother Li, can you pass me the soap?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Are you always this bothered just to wash your feet?"


    "Absolutely, if my feet stink and it bothers you, then I have to make sure they¡¯re fragrant," Michelle said with a blush, still joking with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei went to get Michelle some soap. Michelle lathered both her feet completely with soap, then rinsed them clean before saying to Li Yifei, "Could you please get me another basin of clean water, Brother Li?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and helpless at Michelle¡¯s request. Nevertheless, he changed the water for her. After Michelle washed again, she dried her feet, sat on the bed, stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei, and said, "I¡¯m so embarrassed to have Brother Li prepare footbath water for me."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "What¡¯s the big deal if I fetch some water for you since you¡¯re sick?"


    After pouring the clean water, Li Yifei returned to the room and sat down at Michelle¡¯s feet, saying, "Michelle, this might hurt a bit, so try to bear with it."


    Michelle nodded continuously and said, "I¡¯m not afraid. Go ahead, Brother Li." Her face flushed as she spoke.


    Li Yifei nodded and shifted his attention to Michelle¡¯s feet. Her feet were delicate, a bit bony compared to Xu Shanshan¡¯s, with very white skin, like snow. The skin was so thin that the bluish veins underneath were visible. Such fragile feet seemed like they would break if handled a bit too roughly.


    "Brother Li..." Michelle said, her voice tinged with embarrassment when she noticed that Li Yifei was staring at her feet without moving.


    Li Yifei was slightly taken aback and said with a bit of awkardness, "Michelle, your feet are really pretty."


    Despite feeling even more embarrassed, Michelle was overjoyed to hear Li Yifei compliment her and asked, "Brother Li, do you really think my feet are pretty?"


    "Yes, they are slender and petite, with round toes. They¡¯re indeed rare and beautiful. Nowadays, most girls have larger feet because they¡¯re well-nourished and without much restriction, so it¡¯s rare to find small feet like yours."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes beamed with happiness, and she shyly asked, "Brother Li, you don¡¯t have a foot fetish, do you?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I don¡¯t, but I still enjoy seeing such beautiful feet."


    The blush on Michelle¡¯s face was no longer just from shyness, but also from excitement and thrill as she said, "What about Sister Yingying¡¯s feet? Are they pretty too?"


    Li Yifei answered with a smile, "Yingying¡¯s feet are pretty too, but they¡¯re slightly bigger than yours, not as dainty."


    Michelle felt even more triumphant, as if she had finally found something where she could outdo Xu Yingying. She now felt bolder and said, "Then go ahead and massage them, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei nodded, gently took hold of Michelle¡¯s left foot, and Michelle¡¯s foot immediately tensed up, followed by a cry of pain.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Relax, don¡¯t be tense. When you tense up, you¡¯re affecting your ankle."


    Michelle nodded slightly, but she couldn¡¯t relax her foot while Li Yifei held it. The warm heat from Li Yifei¡¯s palm traveled from the sole of her foot throughout her body, causing her to tremble.


    Li Yifei could understand why Michelle reacted this way. A girl¡¯s foot is a sensitive area. Being held by a man, especially by a man she liked, would surely provoke a response.


    "Michelle, do you think we¡¯ll get a bigger bonus when we go back this time?" Li Yifei brought up a topic to divert Michelle¡¯s attention.


    Biting her lip and emitting a soft hum from her nose, Michelle¡¯s reaction indicated she might not have heard Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    Li Yifei continued, "This time we saved the company more than eight hundred thousand. I think the company should definitely reward us with something. Ha, business is business, personal is personal, Yingying probably won¡¯t reject that idea, do you think we could get tens of thousands?"


    "Really?" Michelle finally had her attention drawn, looking at Li Yifei in surprise. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don¡¯t see why not. Yingying is quite adept at managing the company, and you¡¯ve made such a great contribution, naturally, you should be rewarded."


    "But it¡¯s just part of my job."


    "Regardless of being part of your job, if you spent fifty-five million, it¡¯d be the same, and you¡¯d still get so much kickback. Now, buying at this price saved the company so much money. How could they not reward you?"


    Michelle stuck out her tongue and said, "I¡¯m quite happy if it¡¯s a reward for me. Ouch, that hurts!"


    Li Yifei took the opportunity when Michelle was distracted to start massaging her, but the moment he applied pressure, she immediately cried out in pain.


    "Bear with it for a while, it¡¯ll get better. If you can¡¯t endure it, you might not be able to get out of bed for a few days," Li Yifei encouraged Michelle, while his hands remained gentle as he massaged her.


    Michelle then bore the pain without making a sound, her lips tightly pursed. Watching Li Yifei¡¯s serious demeanor, the pain seemed to fade away, and she was lost, simply gazing at him, utterly enchanted.

 Chapter 572 - 584 Michelle’s Deep Affection

    Chapter 572: Chapter 584 Michelle¡¯s Deep AffectionLi Yifei massaged for a while and, hearing no response from Michelle, lifted his head¡ªonly to meet her infatuated gaze. Upon locking eyes with Li Yifei, Michelle¡¯s face blushed a deep red, and she quickly averted her gaze. Then, she felt the pain again, but it was no longer as intense as it had initially been.


    Both were somewhat silent at this point, and neither of them spoke. Li Yifei continued to massage Michelle¡¯s ankle earnestly, and as soon as he bowed his head, Michelle stealthily watched him again. At this moment, her heart was enveloped in happiness.


    Li Yifei massaged for quite some time but his mind had already started to entertain some messy thoughts. He wasn¡¯t fascinated with feet, but feeling Michelle¡¯s delicate foot in his palm was bound to stir some emotion, especially with her gazing at him so affectionately. He felt that if this continued, he might struggle to control himself.


    "Alright, that¡¯s enough for today. Let¡¯s stop here for tonight," Li Yifei decided promptly, releasing Michelle¡¯s foot.


    Michelle expressed her disappointment immediately, "Ah, it¡¯s over so soon?"


    Li Yifei pretended to joke, "Are you getting addicted to the massage? Don¡¯t you know that I charge quite a lot for this service?"


    "Hehe, how much then? I¡¯ll add another hour," Michelle also joked, winking at Li Yifei. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, so you know about adding extra time, Michelle?"


    Michelle stuck out her tongue slightly, replying, "I¡¯ve never been, but with the internet being so ubiquitous, knowing about it isn¡¯t so strange, right?"


    "Not strange at all," Li Yifei laughed.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re really amazing. It doesn¡¯t hurt as much anymore." Michelle moved her ankle a bit. Though she couldn¡¯t apply force, moving it was no longer as painful.


    Li Yifei smiled, "Of course, didn¡¯t you see who¡¯s doing the massage?"


    Michelle narrowed her eyes, asking, "Do I need a massage tomorrow morning too?"


    "We¡¯ll see tomorrow morning," Li Yifei glanced at her.


    Michelle giggled, "Alright then, go wash your hands. You¡¯ve been massaging my feet for so long, they must be smelling by now."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, sniffing his hands and retorting, "What smell? They still smell pretty good to me."


    Michelle looked at Li Yifei in astonishment, her face turning as red as the twilight sky in an instant.


    Li Yifei also felt that his behavior had been quite impulsive. Continuing in this manner would only make things more ambiguous between him and Michelle. He cleared his throat and stood up.


    Michelle felt embarrassingly unsure of what to do, her head bowed, fingers clutching the bedsheet, and even the nape of her neck flushed a charming shade of red.


    "Ahem." Li Yifei coughed again and said, "I¡¯ll go wash my hands first," before slipping into the bathroom.


    After a while, Li Yifei came out, his mindset adjusted. He pulled out the chair next to Michelle, ready to sit down.


    "Brother Li, can you sit beside me?" At seeing Li Yifei about to sit on a nearby chair, Michelle immediately spoke up, her eyes filled with a pleading look.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment but ultimately sat next to Michelle, albeit only on the edge. He already felt that today¡¯s interactions with Michelle had perhaps gone too far.


    Michelle gently grasped Li Yifei¡¯s hand, gazing at him deeply. Feeling his heart skip a beat, Li Yifei wanted to withdraw his hand but was afraid of embarrassing her, leaving him feeling quite conflicted.


    While he was caught in his dilemma, Michelle had already pulled his hand to her face, gently rubbing her soft cheek against the palm of his hand and whispered, "Brother Li, with this day, I¡¯ll be satisfied for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll always remember how carefully you took care of me and how gentle you were. I¡¯ll never forget it."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pull his hand away. To do so now would be too hurtful to Michelle. On the battlefield, he was never soft-hearted, but when it came to women, he always found it hard to be tough. Feeling the softness of Michelle¡¯s cheek, he said, "Michelle, I¡¯m sorry. I know you care about me, but I truly can only disappoint you."


    "Brother Li." Michelle pressed her face into the palm of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, tilting her head to look at him with affectionate eyes, "I understand. Brother Li, you¡¯re not like those fickle men. If it were any of them, they wouldn¡¯t think so much and just take advantage of me."


    "Heh," Li Yifei could only laugh.


    Michelle continued to caress Li Yifei¡¯s palm gently, saying, "But sometimes, I feel resentful. Brother Li, it¡¯s not like Sister Yingying is the only woman in your life. You have Ye Yunzhu, Chu Xiaoyao, and even Ning Xin¡¯er. Why can¡¯t I be the same as them?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Michelle, don¡¯t be foolish. I already feel very sorry for them, and I don¡¯t know what to do now. How could I let you follow in their footsteps?"


    Michelle murmured softly as if she was sleep-talking, "Sometimes women are foolish. Even though they know that moving forward will lead to heartbreak, they still rush forward without looking back."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Michelle, you are a good girl. I can¡¯t harm you. I hope you can understand that."


    "I understand. I know Brother Li is thinking of me. Don¡¯t worry, okay? I won¡¯t force you. I like you, and I just want you to be happy, to be blissful. If liking you adds a burden to your heart, then that¡¯s not true affection."


    Li Yifei had to admit, a girl like Michelle was rare and exceedingly endearing. She had a temperament somewhat similar to Su Yiyi¡¯s, but was bolder than Su Yiyi. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t reciprocate her feelings. He had already let Su Yiyi remain unclaimed. He couldn¡¯t do the same to Michelle.


    "Brother Li, actually I want you to stay here with me tonight," Michelle suddenly looked up at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was taken aback and was about to refuse when Michelle already gave a shy smile and said, "But I know if you really stay, I won¡¯t be able to control myself and we might end up sleeping together. That would really put you in a difficult position, so I would rather you don¡¯t stay."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You silly girl."


    "Girls need to be a bit foolish to be happy. If you¡¯re too smart, it¡¯s exhausting. So I¡¯d rather stay foolish forever and be the silly little girl by Brother Li¡¯s side."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but gently stroke Michelle¡¯s hair, unsure of what to say.


    Michelle fell silent, and after a while, her breathing became slow and regular¡ªshe had fallen asleep.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s content and sweet sleeping pose, Li Yifei felt genuinely guilty. He intended to go back to his own room to sleep but remained seated there without moving. Michelle had hoped that he would stay with her, so he decided to stay. After all, since Michelle was asleep, not doing anything to her wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Michelle felt she had never slept so well before. She used to dream about living in the same room with Li Yifei. Though they weren¡¯t in the same room tonight, Li Yifei was there when she fell asleep, just like he was in the room with her.


    When she finally woke up, Michelle opened her eyes and immediately saw Li Yifei, half-leaning against the headboard, and was stunned. Li Yifei¡¯s legs were on the bed, and she was clinging to them.


    Instinctively, Michelle let go of Li Yifei¡¯s legs, but then she suddenly gripped them again. This posture revealed that Li Yifei must have slept there the previous night. Although he didn¡¯t lie on the bed, she had held his legs all night. No wonder she had slept so soundly; Li Yifei had never left.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t left, and Michelle was simultaneously astonished and elated but also very annoyed. If she had known Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t leave, she would not have slept so deeply, nor would she have only held his legs¡ªshe should have nestled properly in his arms.


    At that thought, Michelle¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She was becoming more shameless with these thoughts, betraying Xu Yingying. This was also making things hard for Li Yifei.


    Thinking of Li Yifei sleeping in that position all night, which must have been uncomfortable, she felt really distressed. Despite not wanting him to leave, she let go of his legs and gently nudged him. Li Yifei immediately opened his eyes.


    "Awake?" Li Yifei gave Michelle a smile.


    Though her face was red, Michelle confidently met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and softly said, "Brother Li, last night must have been tough. Please lie down and rest for a while."


    Li Yifei laughed and stretched his neck, saying, "It¡¯s okay."


    "Come on, lie down for a bit. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t touch you. I just see you¡¯re very exhausted."


    Indeed, sitting like that all night was quite tiring, but lying in the same bed with Michelle, who was awake, made Li Yifei feel somewhat guilty. He still shook his head and said, "No need. You¡¯re awake now, so I¡¯ll go back to my room to sleep for a while."


    Michelle immediately snuggled up to Li Yifei¡¯s legs and protested, "Brother Li, you¡¯ve been with me all night. What are you afraid of now? You still think I might eat you up?"


    "Well..."


    "Relax, I promise not to touch you at all."


    With Michelle insisting, Li Yifei found it difficult to refuse, and smiled, "I¡¯m not afraid of you touching me."


    "So what are you waiting for? Lie down," Michelle said as she pulled on Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and he lay down, going with the flow.

 Chapter 573 - 585: The Confession Didn’t Match

    Chapter 573: Chapter 585: The Confession Didn¡¯t MatchHe lay next to such a beauty like Michelle, who had those thoughts about him. How could Li Yifei possibly sleep? Even though Michelle hadn¡¯t actually touched him, her lingering affectionate gaze never left his face, leaving Li Yifei utterly sleepless.


    Opening his eyes, Li Yifei looked at Michelle and said, "Michelle, let¡¯s just forget it. I really can¡¯t sleep with you here."


    Michelle let out a chuckle, "You¡¯re really afraid I¡¯ll take advantage of you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I¡¯m not afraid you¡¯ll take advantage of me, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to resist taking advantage of you."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red as she flirtatiously said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad. I know you¡¯re not really like that."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "A man¡¯s impulsiveness sometimes comes without reason. You shouldn¡¯t trust people so easily."


    "I know! I just trust Brother Li. I don¡¯t trust anyone else."


    "Alright then, let¡¯s get up. We have a flight this morning, and we can¡¯t be late." Li Yifei sat up.


    "Okay!" Michelle didn¡¯t insist further. Just sharing a bed with Li Yifei for a while made her satisfied. But as she sat up, her face turned red again, and she shyly said, "Brother Li, could I trouble you to... carry me to the bathroom?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, directly picked Michelle up, his movements gentle and natural. Michelle placed a hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. She really wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, but she restrained herself.


    After freshening up, Michelle asked Li Yifei to carry her back to the bed, looking at him with a smile, "Brother Li, are you still giving me a massage this morning?"


    Li Yifei felt relaxed now and said with a smile, "Yes, let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s good for you, after all."


    "Great!" Michelle cheered, but immediately felt her reaction was too exaggerated and looked at Li Yifei with a bashful smile.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice, grabbed Michelle¡¯s foot again, and began to massage.


    At first, Michelle was still nervous, but when the pain came, it captured her attention. Once the pain lessened, she was enveloped in an indescribable feeling, wishing Li Yifei would continue massaging her endlessly.


    But all good things come to an end. When Li Yifei released her foot, Michelle felt an unspeakable sense of loss. However, she also knew that such things couldn¡¯t be forced. This unexpected event with Li Yifei made her truly happy.


    Most people would feel unfortunate to get injured while traveling, but Michelle considered herself lucky, which was quite uncommon.


    The two of them packed up in the morning and were sent to the airport. Li Yifei was carrying Michelle the entire time. After a night¡¯s rest, Michelle¡¯s foot had improved a bit but she still couldn¡¯t walk. Li Yifei had been carrying her since the previous night, and by now it felt quite natural.


    As they got closer to Mile City, Michelle¡¯s mood became a little downcast. Although she had always liked Li Yifei, it had only been in her heart with no intimate interactions. After experiencing these intimate moments, the thought of returning to the company as just colleagues again was upsetting.


    Li Yifei noticed Michelle¡¯s mood but pretended not to know. He couldn¡¯t casually develop things further with Michelle. They were already at a good point; otherwise, Michelle would fall deeper, and eventually, the one who would get hurt would be this lovely girl.


    They had made a great success, and the company specially sent a car to pick them up. People in the company always thought Li Yifei and Michelle were a couple, and seeing Li Yifei carrying Michelle out, they teased the two of them, which secretly delighted Michelle. Back in Mile City, this misunderstanding was the only thing that offered her comfort, allowing people to misconstrue her relationship with Li Yifei.


    Because Michelle sprained her foot, Li Yifei told the driver to take Michelle home directly while he went to the company to report the details to Xu Yingying. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying was very satisfied with the situation and, without Li Yifei¡¯s prompting, directly approved a bonus of thirty thousand yuan each for the two.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Honey, you should approve a bit more. This is kind of like our own family, isn¡¯t it?"


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "The bonus is already quite high. What more do you want? This is even for Michelle¡¯s sake; otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t get a penny. You¡¯re the company¡¯s president, aren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "I¡¯ve never taken the president¡¯s salary. It¡¯s just a title."


    "Why don¡¯t you take the president¡¯s salary?" Xu Yingying winked at Li Yifei.


    "No, I¡¯d rather not. What if you make me do the president¡¯s work?"


    The two were now an old married couple, speaking without the reservations they once had, joking to lighten the mood and strengthen their relationship.


    Knowing about Michelle¡¯s sprained foot, at three in the afternoon, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying specifically went to Michelle¡¯s house.


    This was Li Yifei¡¯s first visit to Michelle¡¯s house. Michelle¡¯s mother was home, and seeing the company¡¯s president personally come to visit her daughter made her very excited.


    Li Yifei and Michelle went into Michelle¡¯s room. Xu Yingying sat by the bed, holding Michelle¡¯s hand, and said, "Michelle, you really worked hard this time and even got injured. I¡¯ve already approved a thirty-thousand-yuan bonus, and here¡¯s another two thousand as a get-well gift."


    Michelle thanked her repeatedly, and Xu Yingying smiled, "You earned it. Compared to the big kickbacks, this bonus is nothing."


    Michelle quickly said, "Kickbacks take money from the company. I wouldn¡¯t do that. It feels better to earn it with a bonus."


    After talking a bit about business, Xu Yingying turned to Michelle with a smile and said, "Michelle, how was my husband this time? Didn¡¯t he cause you any trouble?"


    Michelle suddenly looked a bit flustered, "No, not at all. If it weren¡¯t for Brother Li, I definitely couldn¡¯t have done such a good job."


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei, who innocently shrugged. He may have stayed in the same room with Michelle overnight, but nothing happened, so he felt at ease.


    "Hehe, I know my husband well. If he were to do something, he¡¯d probably do it all wrong. It¡¯s really your effort, Michelle. By the way, your foot got sprained. My husband is quite good at massages. Didn¡¯t he give you one?"


    Michelle instinctively shook her head, "No, no."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words. He had already told Xu Yingying about giving Michelle a massage, and now Michelle denied it, making it seem as if Xu Yingying would think wrongly. At that moment, he felt a pain on his foot¡ªXu Yingying had stepped on it, indeed beginning to overthink.


    "Honey, how could you? Michelle sprained her foot, and you didn¡¯t even give her a massage?" Xu Yingying playfully scolded Li Yifei, acting as if she were genuinely complaining.


    Michelle didn¡¯t notice any of this, blushing and saying, "Really, no, Brother Li has always been very courteous to me."


    Li Yifei was even more speechless. Michelle was genuinely not someone who could lie, and he understood she was worried that Xu Yingying might misunderstand if she knew about the massage. But denying it only made Xu Yingying more suspicious.


    "That¡¯s good then. Alright, Michelle, rest well these days. We have to go pick up our daughter, so we¡¯ll leave now."


    "Alright, alright, President Xu, take care. I won¡¯t see you out. Thank you, and Brother Li, for coming to see me." Michelle breathed a sigh of relief then, genuinely afraid of being asked about her time with Li Yifei.


    In the car, Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, "You¡¯re really something, huh?"


    Li Yifei forced a smile and said, "Honey, I¡¯ve told you everything. Michelle didn¡¯t want you to misunderstand, so she said that. If we had something going on, we¡¯d have concocted an alibi to hide it from you, not act like this where you could see through us."


    Xu Yingying huffed, "I suppose you make a good point. Otherwise, you¡¯d be in trouble."


    Xu Yingying was smart too. Even though Michelle lied, because Li Yifei had told her about the massage, she believed they didn¡¯t do anything. She was deliberately making a big deal of it, slowly tightening her control over Li Yifei, ensuring he¡¯d know not to mess around outside. Judging from Li Yifei¡¯s reaction, he seemed to accept it without a problem.


    They picked up Little Yifei. After being away for a few days, Little Yifei was very affectionate with Li Yifei. Coupled with the gifts he brought back, the little girl was even happier, clinging to him all the way home.


    Xu Shanshan was also delighted and kept pestering Li Yifei to massage her feet and legs in the evening. But before long, at around nine, she sneaked back to bed with Little Yifei.


    This surprised Li Yifei. Xu Shanshan usually clung to him for longer, but whenever he was away for a few days, she just didn¡¯t hang around him as much, trying to give him and Xu Yingying some time alone. This sister-in-law¡¯s behavior was really hard to predict.


    However, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t think much of it. By then, Xu Yingying was already ready, and they went to bed early to share their love. After a short separation, their affection felt renewed, but the details of their intimacy were not for others to know.

 Chapter 574 - 587: Come with Me Tonight

    Chapter 574: Chapter 587: Come with Me TonightLi Yifei had the day off the next day, but he wasn¡¯t staying at home. Instead, he went to check in with his people. Everything seemed calm recently, but calm often harbored the prelude to a storm, so he had to stay vigilant at all times. Although he himself wasn¡¯t afraid of any accidents or dangers and was fully capable of handling them, there were now many important people around him, and he didn¡¯t want them to be hurt even slightly.


    After arranging the matters on his end, Li Yifei then received a call from Li Xinyue. Before he even answered, the promise he had made to Li Xinyue flashed through his mind, stirring his emotions as he took the call.


    "Brother Li, it¡¯s Li Xinyue." Li Xinyue¡¯s voice was very normal, clearly probing the environment in which Li Yifei was.


    Li Yifei smiled and asked, "Do you and Lianyao have time today?"


    "Yes, yes!" Li Xinyue immediately exclaimed excitedly, no longer maintaining her previous calm.


    "Haha, then I¡¯ll come over to your place in half an hour."


    "Okay, okay." Li Xinyue agreed again and again.


    Half an hour later, Li Yifei had already arrived at Li Xinyue¡¯s doorstep. Before he could knock, the door was pulled open, and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were both standing at the entrance, evidently having been waiting for him.


    "Brother Li!" Both of them exclaimed together, their faces flushed with intense excitement. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in to sit?" Li Yifei said with a smile as he looked at them.


    "Ah! Brother Li, please come in." Li Xinyue hastily stepped aside, while Song Lianyao immediately brought slippers for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei went in and sat down on the couch, while Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were busy serving him tea and water, clearly both excited and a little nervous.


    Seeing them like this, Li Yifei felt a bit of pity, waved his hand, and said, "No need to fuss around, come over and sit."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao immediately came over obediently and sat down beside Li Yifei, one on each side.


    Li Yifei spread his arms and wrapped them around their shoulders. They leaned into him, both resting on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei had come here because Li Xinyue had truly moved him, so his intentions for the visit were pure. At this moment, he didn¡¯t put on any pretenses or play any games, giving each of the girls a peck on the cheek, he laughed and said, "You¡¯ve got to leave me a way out today, don¡¯t make it so I can¡¯t even walk."


    Li Xinyue, having been intimate with Li Yifei once before, was much more relaxed than Song Lianyao at this moment. She giggled and said, "Brother Li, that depends on your skills. Lianyao and I will give it our all."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You two should hold back a bit. Men are inherently at a disadvantage in these matters. If I can¡¯t make it home, my wife is going to have my hide."


    Song Lianyao, seeing Li Yifei so easygoing today, built up her courage, wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, and said coquettishly, "We don¡¯t care. Now that you¡¯re here today, we can¡¯t let you go. Who knows when we¡¯ll get another chance like this."


    Li Xinyue twisted around and sat on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, her eyes sultry as silk as she said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, coming here today is just like entering the Cave of Silken Web, we, Lianyao, definitely won¡¯t let you off easily."


    "You two succubi," Li Yifei laughed heartily, his hands gently stroking the backs of the two women.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were even happier to hear this. Lying in bed and sleeping with Li Yifei was a special pleasure, one that intoxicated them immensely. Plus, after the strenuous activity, they were exhausted. Soon, they closed their eyes and fell asleep, cuddled up to Li Yifei.


    Just as Li Yifei had fallen asleep, his phone rang. He quickly picked it up, and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao awoke, but neither of them spoke, staying motionless, snuggled beside Li Yifei.


    Seeing the call was from Su Mengxin, Li Yifei immediately felt an indescribable sensation surge in his heart. He took a deep breath and then answered the call.


    "Yifei, the plane is about to take off. In a little over an hour, I¡¯ll be in Mile City. Come to the airport to pick me up, will you?"


    Li Yifei responded, "Okay, I¡¯ll head to the airport in a bit."


    "That would be great," Su Mengxin said before hanging up.


    Li Yifei put down the phone, and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both saw who had called. Though reluctant to see him go, they understood that Su Mengxin was a person of high status and couldn¡¯t be kept waiting. Li Xinyue said, "Brother Li, you better hurry. Don¡¯t be late."


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around them, smiling, "It¡¯s okay, we still have a bit of time."


    Upon hearing this Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were overjoyed. Even if they could stay just a bit longer, Li Yifei¡¯s words were already comforting them. Overcome with excitement, they grew handsy once again.


    Li Yifei hastily said, "No, no, spare me, please."


    Both Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao giggled. They were just teasing Li Yifei and wouldn¡¯t dare have another round with him.


    After lying in bed for another half-hour, Li Yifei finally got up and hurried to the airport. He waited for a while, and then Su Mengxin appeared in his line of sight.


    Su Mengxin was dressed in a fitting business suit with tea-colored sunglasses. She looked dignified yet charming, drawing glances from others waiting at the airport. However, noticing the several tall and burly men accompanying her, it was clear that Su Mengxin was no ordinary person and not everyone could approach her freely.

 Chapter 575 - 587: Come with Me Tonight_2

    Chapter 575: Chapter 587: Come with Me Tonight_2Su Mengxin had also seen Li Yifei and walked straight up to him, smiling sweetly, "I made you wait for a long time."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It¡¯s nothing, I just got here." Before, whenever he saw Su Mengxin, Li Yifei always felt at ease, but today, seeing her made him feel awkward.


    As they talked, the bodyguards immediately separated the two from the others, then escorted them out of the airport. After Su Mengxin got into Li Yifei¡¯s car, they followed behind in vehicles that had been parked at the airport.


    "You seem to be in low spirits today," sitting next to Li Yifei, Su Mengxin looked at him puzzledly. She had known Li Yifei for so long and had never seen him look this run-down.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Just tired."


    "Tired? What have you been doing to get so tired?" Su Mengxin was even more puzzled. For someone like Li Yifei, normal tasks shouldn¡¯t tire him out like this, and it didn¡¯t seem like he had to do any physical labor to be this exhausted.


    Li Yifei snickered, "If I tell you, you can¡¯t let Yingying know, okay?"


    "Huh?"


    "When you called me, I was at Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s place."


    "At their place?" Su Mengxin was initially startled, then she slightly furrowed her brows.


    Li Yifei intentionally said this to make Su Mengxin think less of him, hoping to deter her from continuing her interest in him. Despite Su Mengxin¡¯s genuine feelings, Li Yifei always felt it was impossible for them to be together. Rather than letting her waste her time on him and causing him uncertainty, it was better to bluntly discourage her interest.


    He kept an eye on Su Mengxin¡¯s expression clandestinely, and seeing her frown, it seemed like she was starting to think less of him, which appeared to fulfill his intention.


    "So you got this tired just from that? That¡¯s unlikely," after frowning for a moment, Su Mengxin turned to look at Li Yifei with a teasing tone.


    Her reaction left Li Yifei confused. Could it be that she didn¡¯t mind him fooling around with those two women? He had to dig deeper, so he continued, "Those two are like little demons, they kept me busy all morning, nearly drained me dry. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be this exhausted."


    "Sigh, men should always exercise some restraint with these matters. Doing it too frequently isn¡¯t good for your health. I should probably warn those two to be more considerate when they¡¯re with you," she said.


    "You¡¯re going to warn them?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he glanced at Su Mengxin. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were on the airport highway, he would have slammed on the brakes and stopped.


    Su Mengxin spoke earnestly, "Yeah, men tend to lack self-control with these things, but they should still manage themselves. Besides, it¡¯s even worse with two at the same time."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched. What kind of woman was Su Mengxin? She was supposed to be interested in him and should have been angry about such matters, so why was she acting so naturally and proposing such outrageous solutions?


    "Also, with you being like this, Yingying will definitely notice when you get home. How will you explain yourself? You should be more discreet; it worries me to see you like this," Su Mengxin shook her head and sighed.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Mengxin, we¡¯re good friends, but aren¡¯t you disgusted by this...?"


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, "As you said, we¡¯re good friends. Should I stop considering you a friend just because you have a problem? That wouldn¡¯t be very friendly of me. I should be helping you. Besides, you¡¯re young. It¡¯s normal to fool around a bit in this area. As long as it¡¯s not excessive and doesn¡¯t hurt Yingying too much, it¡¯s forgivable."


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s mouth was twitching incessantly. Seeing his reaction, Su Mengxin smiled playfully, "What¡¯s wrong? Worried you won¡¯t be able to explain tonight? Do you want me to cover for you, to call you out tonight, get through this evening, and you should recover by tomorrow, right?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "Mengxin, you seem to be treating me too well."


    Su Mengxin had always been careful not to explicitly define their relationship, maintaining the stance that they were just good friends. Li Yifei felt awkward directly saying no, so he could only respond like this.


    "Hehe, we are good friends, aren¡¯t we? Of course, I have to consider your well-being. I certainly don¡¯t want to see any problems arise between you and Yingying."


    "Do you really hope that Yingying and I will be together for the rest of our lives?" Li Yifei immediately asked another question.


    "Of course, would I wish for you two to get divorced? Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Yingying is a good girl. If you can marry Yingying, that¡¯s your good fortune. I can cover for you when you mess around outside, but if you really wrong Yingying, then I¡¯ll definitely take her side."


    Hearing Su Mengxin say this, Li Yifei was truly puzzled. If Su Mengxin really had feelings for him, she wouldn¡¯t be content being a mistress like Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, right? That¡¯s absolutely impossible; how could she still hope that he and Xu Yingying would stay together?


    But to say Su Mengxin had no feelings for him, the way she interacted with him in the past made it hard for Li Yifei to make sense of it all.


    "Why are you silent? Do you think I¡¯m not being a good enough friend?" Su Mengxin poked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "If what you¡¯re doing now still counts as not being a good enough friend, then there¡¯s no such thing as a truly good friend."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s more like it. Here¡¯s the deal, tonight, you¡¯ll come with me to meet a few people. Don¡¯t go home tonight, that way you have an excuse."


    Li Yifei agreed readily. He was indeed curious to see what Su Mengxin was up to, or perhaps he could test her true intentions tonight. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By the way, whom are we meeting today?" Li Yifei decided to smile and ask.


    "Who else could it be, just a few of my friends. They didn¡¯t take this flight and have had their fill of fun outside. They insisted on coming to bother me again this time."


    "Then how did they end up in Mile City?"


    "They¡¯ve had enough of Capital City and wanted to change places. People like them, with nothing to do, naturally go wherever they want. I originally wanted to avoid them, but once I mentioned coming to Mile City, they just headed straight over. I really had no choice. Since you can¡¯t go home tonight, how about pretending to be my boyfriend again?"


    "Pretending to be your boyfriend again, huh? It won¡¯t turn out as intense as last time, will it?" Li Yifei casually asked, but he was secretly observing Su Mengxin¡¯s reaction.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face showed a shy blush as she said, "It¡¯s probably unlikely. You¡¯ve seen it, when they go crazy, there¡¯s nothing I can do."


    "Doesn¡¯t that mean it might be even more outrageous?"


    "It won¡¯t come to that. I can control the situation. Besides, you, this guy, you¡¯re not at a disadvantage anyway. Do you need to be so alarmed?"


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and said, "I am taking advantage, but taking advantage of you, I just feel too much pressure."


    "What¡¯s there to feel pressured about? I consider you my good friend, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for your help. If it were someone else, I couldn¡¯t stand it. Don¡¯t you feel a bit reluctant to help a friend out like this?"


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Of course not. But this kind of favor doesn¡¯t seem like something friends should be doing."


    "There¡¯s no other way. Who else do I have as a male friend who could be so intimate with me and still be acceptable? If it were someone else, even a touch would be unbearable for me. Otherwise... just think of me as Yingying, then you¡¯ll feel more at ease."


    "Think of you as Yingying..." Li Yifei turned and looked at Su Mengxin with a strange gaze.


    Su Mengxin spat at Li Yifei and chided, "I mean, think that way in front of others. You¡¯re not really to see me as your wife. Don¡¯t get any delusions."


    Li Yifei muttered to himself that he wasn¡¯t deluding himself; he felt this was a disaster.

 Chapter 576 - 588 Hurry Up

    Chapter 576: Chapter 588 Hurry UpAt around 3 p.m., Li Yifei drove to the airport and picked up Su Mengfei, Zheng Yuling, and Xiao Ling¡¯er, the three girls. They were all in casual clothes, clearly just back from a trip, and behind them trailed a few men, tall and burly, obviously bodyguards and attendants.


    "Sister Mengxin!" The three immediately ran over to Su Mengxin with enthusiastic hugs.


    "Brother-in-law!" Su Mengfei winked at Li Yifei, spreading her arms wide.


    Li Yifei also laughed and opened his arms, giving Su Mengfei a hug. It was a kind of customary greeting, quite common abroad. Li Yifei had traveled overseas often enough to treat it as a routine gesture, feeling it was quite normal.


    "And me too!" Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er noticed Li Yifei and, giggling, went in for a hug as well.


    The mischievous Xiao Ling¡¯er held on to Li Yifei and didn¡¯t let go immediately, smiling cheekily, saying, "Hey, Mengxin, your husband¡¯s embrace is really something. Lend him to me for two days, will you?"


    Su Mengxin spat lightly and said, "If you want to borrow him, go ahead. I have no objections."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately raised her chin, playfully tilted Li Yifei¡¯s chin with her index finger, batted her eyes, and said, "Hey handsome, Mengxin has lent you to me. You don¡¯t have any objections, do you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course not. To serve Miss Xiao Ling¡¯er is my honor."


    Su Mengfei quickly pulled Xiao Ling¡¯er aside and tugged on Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying with her head held high, "Ling¡¯er, step aside. I¡¯m his sister-in-law. If anyone gets to take advantage, it should be me first, not you."


    "Hey, hey, you do realize he¡¯s your brother-in-law. You¡¯re flirting with him; aren¡¯t you making trouble for your sister?" Zheng Yuling, holding on to Li Yifei¡¯s other arm, said, "I¡¯m Mengxin¡¯s best friend. Best friends should share good things, right Mengxin? You can¡¯t have it all to yourself. I¡¯ll even lend my boyfriend to you in return."


    The last time Li Yifei met these three girls, they weren¡¯t that familiar, but this time, they seemed really close to him. The jokes they made were quite bold, leaving him speechless. How did someone like Su Mengxin have such spirited friends, so different from her sophisticated demeanor?


    Su Mengxin then said, "Alright, stop fooling around. This is the airport, in public. If you want to mess around, find someplace else!"


    "Hehe, I like hearing Mengxin¡¯s words. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head out."


    This time, Li Yifei drove a van. Besides the bodyguards, the girls sat inside, and they all headed to a seaside villa. This villa was temporarily found by Su Mengxin, firstly for security reasons, and secondly, these friends wouldn¡¯t want to stay in a hotel anyway.


    "Is this your love nest?" The three girls curiously looked around once they entered the villa. Su Mengfei then pouted, "Not that great. I mean, Cousin, how could you stay in a villa like this?"


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "We found this place for you guys to stay when we heard you were coming."


    "Where do you usually live?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked, winking at Su Mengxin with a suggestive look.


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "I¡¯m not telling you. I want some peace. If you knew, you¡¯d always come over, and I can¡¯t handle that."


    "Keeping secrets, huh? Are we not your good friends?" Xiao Ling¡¯er said, not satisfied, glaring at Li Yifei and Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly and said, "Because you¡¯re my good friends, I¡¯m scared to tell you. Don¡¯t I know what you¡¯re like?"


    Seeing Su Mengxin unwilling to reveal, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others weren¡¯t pleased but didn¡¯t push for answers. They understood Su Mengxin; if she didn¡¯t want to say something, pushing wouldn¡¯t help. They also knew Su Mengxin feared their mischief. If they knew the place, they¡¯d undoubtedly visit often¡ªthey didn¡¯t have boyfriends yet, while Su Mengxin did. If they couldn¡¯t bother Su Mengxin, who else could they trouble?


    The villa had two floors. The bodyguards helped move the girls¡¯ belongings upstairs. The girls, instead of unpacking, wanted to see Li Yifei¡¯s and Su Mengxin¡¯s room. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin led them to a room in the back. It was furnished simply, with some temporary items there, like a few changes of clothes. The sheets and duvet covers were new.


    "Hey, this is a bit underwhelming, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s too basic!" Xiao Ling¡¯er sat on the bed, pouting with discontent.


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "You three will sleep here. Yifei and I might not even sleep here tonight. Why make things complicated?"


    Su Mengfei protested, "That¡¯s not right. With us here, you two should be with us. Brother-in-law, you aren¡¯t going to be mean like my cousin, are you? This is your place. If you don¡¯t host us, we won¡¯t agree."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "In our home, it¡¯s always your cousin¡¯s words that count. I¡¯m just here to follow orders."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "Don¡¯t try to make me look good in front of my sisters. They say whatever they want."


    The three watched them curiously. In their minds, even if Li Yifei was Su Mengxin¡¯s boyfriend, his status compared to hers seemed far below, so naturally, he should listen to Su Mengxin. But seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s demeanor, she seemed different from what they¡¯d expected of Li Yifei.


    "Brother-in-law, it looks like you¡¯ve got some skills to make my sister listen to you." Su Mengfei smiled at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s not about listening or not. Your cousin is so capable; I¡¯m no match for her. She doesn¡¯t take care of herself well, so I just look after her a bit."


    "That¡¯s the magic of love. Li Yifei, do you know how many young masters in Capital City want a chance with our Mengxin, yet none succeeded, and you got the first chance? It¡¯s honestly baffling us."


    Li Yifei smiled, glanced at Su Mengxin, and said, "It might be fate."


    Zheng Yuling stretched lazily and said, "Enough chatting. After hours on a plane, I¡¯m stiff. Let¡¯s go swimming."


    Su Mengfei immediately chimed in, "Great idea. Let¡¯s go swimming."


    Though Mile City didn¡¯t have many suitable beaches, there were still a few. The beach in front of the villa, though small, was perfect for a private bathhouse¡ªnot for a tourist spot. They filled it with lots of sea sand during construction, making the private bathhouse quite fine.


    With the girls wanting to swim, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin naturally joined them. The girls returned to their rooms to change into swimsuits, and Li Yifei said, "I¡¯ll head out. Let me know when you¡¯re ready so I can change."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "You go ahead."


    As Li Yifei was about to leave, Su Mengfei came out of her room, already dressed in a light pink swimsuit, in just a short while. Seeing Li Yifei, she said, "Brother-in-law, where are you going?"


    "I..."


    "No excuses. Change quickly. We can¡¯t wait." Su Mengfei pushed Li Yifei into Su Mengxin¡¯s room.


    Su Mengxin was in the middle of changing, having just stripped off all her clothes to pick up her swimsuit. Li Yifei and Su Mengfei suddenly barged in, startling her.


    Li Yifei quickly caught sight of Su Mengxin undressed and immediately looked away.


    "You little brat, what are you doing?" Su Mengxin hurriedly grabbed her swimsuit to cover her chest, but while covering the top, the bottom still showed. She quickly turned away.


    "Geez, my sister has such a great body," Su Mengfei giggled. "No one else is here, just me and brother-in-law. What are you afraid of?"


    Hearing her words, Li Yifei quickly turned back. Standing there with his back to Su Mengxin didn¡¯t look boyfriend-like. But to stare at her body so directly was also too awkward.


    Luckily, Su Mengfei didn¡¯t notice Li Yifei turning around and instead giggled, "Brother-in-law, hurry up and change. Don¡¯t keep us waiting," and dashed out, closing the door with a thud.


    Li Yifei quickly turned back, saying softly, "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it."


    Having Li Yifei unexpectedly see her like that, Su Mengxin felt quite embarrassed, but her ability to adjust was strong. She smiled and said, "It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll be done soon."


    Hearing Su Mengxin rustling as she changed behind him, Li Yifei¡¯s mind spun. All the girls around him were beautiful, yet compared to Su Mengxin, they lacked something. Seeing her bare body and feeling the sense that she liked him stirred Li Yifei¡¯s emotions¡ªhe¡¯d not be a man if he felt nothing.


    "Okay, your turn," Su Mengxin softly said from behind him.


    Li Yifei replied and turned around, seeing Su Mengxin. She smiled with a blush and said, "Hurry up."


    As Su Mengxin turned away, Li Yifei also began changing. But just as he finished undressing, he realized he felt eyes on him. Turning, he saw in the window reflection that Su Mengxin was sneaking a peek at him.

 Chapter 577 - 589 Su Mengxin Peeking

    Chapter 577: Chapter 589 Su Mengxin PeekingThe glass of this villa was tinted, creating a reflective effect. Although not as clear as a mirror, it was sufficient for Su Mengxin to see Li Yifei¡¯s body through the window glass.


    Moreover, since Li Yifei was facing the window, Su Mengxin could see everything in front of Li Yifei even more clearly.


    Having swum together, Li Yifei¡¯s strong body was not new to her. Moreover, Li Yifei had carried her and embraced her, and she had even massaged his leg. She was not unfamiliar with Li Yifei¡¯s body; however, this time, unexpectedly seeing Li Yifei¡¯s most private area made Su Mengxin blush and feel excited.


    When a man looks at a woman¡¯s body, it¡¯s enjoyable, whereas a woman, when seeing a man¡¯s body, typically gasps and quickly turns her head as if she suffered a huge loss. But in truth, this is merely a fa?ade; women enjoy looking at men¡¯s bodies too, especially the man they like. Su Mengxin was embarrassed and awkward seeing that part of Li Yifei, yet she couldn¡¯t tear her gaze away and didn¡¯t even realize that Li Yifei knew she was peeping.


    "Should be quite big. If a woman does that kind of thing with him, she¡¯d probably enjoy it. Why else would so many women flock around him?" Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but think. She was twenty-six, perfectly aware of her normal physical desires. Despite being so busy with work that she suppressed these urges, after developing feelings for Li Yifei, she occasionally found herself fantasizing in the middle of the night, dreaming of intimacy with him, secretly using her hands to feel that ecstasy.


    Don¡¯t assume beautiful or noble women don¡¯t do such things; it¡¯s human nature¡ªno one can deny it. Since she couldn¡¯t truly engage in romance with Li Yifei, secretly satisfying herself became a comfort for Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei had harbored some suspicions about Su Mengxin, but seeing her eyeing his body in that way, he was entirely certain that Su Mengxin indeed had feelings for him. Otherwise, with her character, she wouldn¡¯t peek at a man¡¯s body so boldly. With her status, she could line up as many handsome men as she wished to choose from if she wanted.


    Li Yifei slightly turned his body, moving his most private part out of Su Mengxin¡¯s view, as allowing her to continue peeking made him quite uneasy.


    Quickly pulling on his swimming trunks, Li Yifei turned around and said, "Alright, I¡¯m done changing."


    Su Mengxin shivered slightly before turning around smiling, giving Li Yifei an up-and-down look. "Now you¡¯re in trouble," she teased, quickly recovering her composure.


    "Oh? Why am I in trouble?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled, but Su Mengxin¡¯s face gave nothing away about the peeping incident. This woman was particularly good at hiding her true thoughts.


    "With that physique of yours, won¡¯t those three girls be smitten over you soon?" Su Mengxin pouted unhappily.


    "No way," Li Yifei exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise.


    "You don¡¯t know. These three aren¡¯t looking for boyfriends yet, but since you¡¯re my boyfriend, they won¡¯t hold back. They¡¯ll definitely take advantage of you."


    "Am I at a loss, then?" Li Yifei feigned fear.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but laugh aloud, saying, "When does it ever happen that you men lose out on such things?"


    "Of course, I¡¯m a man of purity," Li Yifei replied cheekily.


    Su Mengxin giggled, "You¡¯re pure? Don¡¯t tease me. Didn¡¯t you let two beautiful hostesses make your legs weak this morning?"


    Li Yifei felt a surge of embarrassment. This was supposed to be a probe into Su Mengxin¡¯s feelings, which had now turned into an accidental confession. Being exposed was indeed embarrassing for a man.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t tell anyone. But won¡¯t you feel embarrassed when those three girls have their fun?"


    Li Yifei, drenched in sweat from embarrassment, smiled bitterly, "Hard to say, but I doubt they would sway me."


    "Seems like I¡¯ll have to suggest Yingying keep you this way every day, and you might remain pure for her."


    Su Mengxin giggled awkwardly, saying, "Yingying won¡¯t."


    A knock on the door fortunately interrupted the awkward topic between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. The two quickly opened the door and walked out.


    "Wow, brother-in-law, you¡¯re really buff," Su Mengfei exclaimed immediately.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er reached out and touched Li Yifei¡¯s chest, her face lit up in delight. "I told you so, didn¡¯t I? This is how you won over our Mengxin. Just these muscles alone, you must have thrilled her on the bed."


    Zheng Yuling wagged her fingers, counting Li Yifei¡¯s abs excitedly. "Six-pack, huh. I didn¡¯t think you looked that strong in clothes, but shirtless, you¡¯ve got quite the build. No wonder Mengxin likes you¡ªdid she only fall for you after you took off your clothes?"


    Li Yifei was bathed in more sweat, as Su Mengxin had been spot-on. These three were really indulging in teasing him, and Zheng Yuling¡¯s words made him feign displeasure, shaking his head. "So, you think I¡¯m not worth looking at when I¡¯m dressed?"


    Zheng Yuling giggled, "I don¡¯t want to crush your spirit, but I have to say, you¡¯re definitely more attractive with fewer clothes on."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s swim trunks with a mischievous smile, "But is there more to see down there too?"


    Had Li Yifei just met these three without Su Mengxin¡¯s introduction, he might have thought them rather risque flirtatious. The way these girls bantered¡ªwow, they were harder to handle than men!


    Su Mengxin then pushed away the three girls¡¯ hands, pulling Li Yifei to her side, wrapping her arms around his. "Are you done taking advantage yet?" she glared at them.


    Su Mengfei laughed cheekily, "With a figure like brother-in-law¡¯s, we must appreciate it well. No harm there, why so stingy?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er grinned slyly, "Mengxin, we aren¡¯t dragging him to bed. Don¡¯t be so tense¡ªhis spouse is off-limits, just admiration."


    Zheng Yuling laughed with closed lips, "Surely, any man who can win over Huaxia¡¯s top beauty sparks our interest. If you don¡¯t let us thoroughly appreciate him, not only are our hearts dissatisfied, but the world¡¯s men would protest too."


    Su Mengxin huffed, "Stop spouting such logic. I¡¯m warning you, if you get our Yifei excited and he takes advantage, don¡¯t blame me."


    Su Mengfei giggled, "No worries, I¡¯ll assess his abilities there, anyway." Blowing a kiss to Li Yifei, she said, "Brother-in-law, get excited; your sister-in-law is waiting."


    Li Yifei could only smile awkwardly; contention with these girls was not his strong suit.


    After a round of teasing, everyone finally arrived at the beach.


    It was late September already, with weather cooling down. Yet the afternoon sun remained quite warm, perfect for a swim in the sea.


    As soon as they reached the seaside, the three girls rushed directly into the water. They were pampered daughters-of-the-wealthy, with deep backgrounds and natural beauty, never having to worry about anything, living life with joy as their priority.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin also got into the water. Li Yifei immediately cautioned, "Don¡¯t swim too far; not far ahead, this stretch of beach becomes very deep."


    Su Mengxin added quickly, "This isn¡¯t like a tourist beach; be more cautious."


    The girls acknowledged but didn¡¯t take it to heart, frolicking in the water.


    "Hey, cousin, brother-in-law, come swim with us!" Su Mengfei said as she floated on her back, spinning circles around them. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Already a beauty, with an impressive figure, Su Mengfei¡¯s swimming style accentuated her chest, making her even more enticing to men. But Li Yifei, having spent the morning exhausted, hadn¡¯t fully recovered; even at the sight of such allure, he remained unaffected.


    Su Mengxin pulled at Li Yifei, "Let¡¯s go. If we don¡¯t join them, they won¡¯t let us off."


    Li Yifei agreed, following Su Mengfei further in. The water wasn¡¯t very deep yet; standing firm, they could still keep their chests above it. Beyond this point, it would suddenly deepen; no long beach here.


    "Take this!" Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly splashed water at Su Mengxin.


    With Xiao Ling¡¯er starting, Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei quickly began splashing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin.


    They had no choice but to retaliate, and soon water flew everywhere, youthful energy filling the air with vibrant playfulness.


    Li Yifei joined in the fun, not seriously playing rough. Retreating with Su Mengxin, as the three pursued them, enjoying themselves immensely.


    Su Mengxin found herself with no chance to fight back, hiding behind Li Yifei, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his back. She found this game amusing, surely offering another reason to be close to Li Yifei.

 Chapter 578 - 590: There are Sharks in the Sea

    Chapter 578: Chapter 590: There are Sharks in the SeaAfter much fuss, the three girls finally let go of Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, while Su Mengxin reluctantly released Li Yifei. She really wished the game could go on so she could keep holding onto Li Yifei like this.


    Wiping the water from her face, Su Mengxin said, "Okay, I¡¯m done goofing around with you guys. Yifei, let¡¯s go prepare some barbecue. When you¡¯ve had enough fun, come and eat."


    The three of them eagerly agreed and then swam back into the sea, while Li Yifei and Su Mengxin made their way to the beach. A barbecue grill had already been set up, along with a variety of ingredients. This was the lifestyle of the wealthy: they wanted for nothing, and they didn¡¯t have to lift a finger to prepare anything themselves¡ªsomeone would always take care of it for them.


    They sat by the grill, slowly roasting meat skewers. Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei across the grill and smiled, "You¡¯ve seen how wild these girls can get, haven¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "Yeah, they really are wild. My sister Shanshan is usually quite a handful at home, but she¡¯s nothing compared to them. However, it¡¯s nice to see that they have a good relationship with you."


    "Mhm, we¡¯ve been playing together since we were kids, so we¡¯re very close. After I started working, they continued to live carefree as before. Sometimes, I think that their worry-free lives are actually much happier than mine."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin seriously and said, "But living like that seems like they lack ambition. You have grand goals, which make your life more exciting."


    "I used to think that way too, but lately, I¡¯ve felt that such a life isn¡¯t what I need. An exciting life doesn¡¯t necessarily bring happiness; sometimes, it¡¯s the simple things that are truly memorable. I would also like to set aside my work and be a carefree girl, but right now, there¡¯s no one suitable to take over my responsibilities, so I can¡¯t let go just yet."


    As Su Mengxin spoke, there was a hint of melancholy in her expression. Li Yifei understood her feelings. It was similar to what he had gone through before: he used to think only of getting stronger, but upon reflection, what was the point of it all? In the end, living an ordinary life was the key to true happiness and contentment.


    For a moment, both were silent. Then, Su Mengxin looked up at Li Yifei and asked, "Yifei, what do you think I should do?"


    Li Yifei met Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze and said slowly, "You are the only one who can control your life. No one else can make decisions for you. If possible, you should choose to do what you love. But in this world, we still need some people with a sense of responsibility to take action. Otherwise, if everyone sought a simple life, who would govern the country and take care of the people¡¯s welfare?"


    Su Mengxin sighed softly and said, "There will always be some ambitious people to handle those matters."


    "Heh, it seems you really don¡¯t have any ambition."


    "I am a woman, what ambition do I need? I don¡¯t have any desire to be a Wu Zetian; I just want to be a simple girl, to be cherished and loved by a man." Su Mengxin said this as she looked at Li Yifei, but when their eyes met, she quickly lowered her gaze.


    The corners of Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched. Was this considered a confession from Su Mengxin?


    And the topic was difficult for him to continue. He had planned to lay his cards on the table with Su Mengxin that evening, but seeing her despondent mood and the weariness from her responsibilities, he couldn¡¯t bear to. So be it, as long as they didn¡¯t broach that subject, they could just stay good friends.


    Glancing toward the sea, Li Yifei suddenly stood up and said, "They¡¯ve swum too far; I¡¯d better check on them."


    At that moment, Su Mengxin also noticed they were too far out and quickly said, "Go check on them, please. Those girls can be reckless sometimes and don¡¯t recognize the dangers."


    Li Yifei swam quickly in their direction. Not long after, Su Mengfei yelled out, "Ouch, my leg is cramping!"


    The three girls were having a great time and hadn¡¯t paid attention to how far they¡¯d swum. When they felt a cramp, they tried to stand, only to realize they couldn¡¯t touch the bottom¡ªit was already the deep-water zone.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling suddenly panicked. Hearing Su Mengfei¡¯s cry, Li Yifei shouted, "Don¡¯t panic! Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, hold onto Su Mengfei. Mengfei, stay calm; don¡¯t struggle too much. I¡¯m coming right over." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling saw Li Yifei swimming towards them rapidly, like a fish cutting through the water with a trail of white in his wake. Despite their initial panic, they now felt courageous and quickly took hold of Su Mengfei¡¯s hands from either side.


    Although Su Mengfei¡¯s leg was cramping, she was a regular swimmer and hadn¡¯t lost all composure. She paddled with her other leg, managing to keep afloat for the time being.


    In a blink, Li Yifei reached them, bringing further relief to the trio. To Su Mengfei, he said, "Mengfei, move your leg. The cramp will pass soon."


    She nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother-in-law, thank you for this."


    Li Yifei dove into the water which was still very clear, so clear that the thighs of the three women were distinctly visible. Gazing at the legs of the three beauties, Li Yifei felt a bit excited, but he dared not linger on the thought and quickly grabbed onto Su Mengfei¡¯s cramping left leg, lifting it forcefully several times.


    This treatment for leg cramps was very effective. By the time Li Yifei surfaced, Su Mengfei¡¯s symptoms had already improved.


    "Brother-in-law, thank you," Su Mengfei said to Li Yifei, sticking her tongue out.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "What¡¯s there to thank me for? All better now, let¡¯s hurry up and get back to shore for some barbecue," he chuckled.


    Just as they were about to swim back to shore, Li Yifei turned around and saw something that looked like a sail cutting through the water surface and rapidly approaching them.


    Li Yifei was immediately alarmed; that was clearly the dorsal fin of a shark, and judging by the size of the fin, the shark was undoubtedly a large one.


    "Swim back to shore! There¡¯s a shark!" shouted Li Yifei, grabbing onto Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s hands. With a strong throw, he sent them both flying ten meters behind him, then he quickly grabbed Su Mengfei around her waist and threw her another ten meters away with force.


    Li Yifei swam fast, but that was only in comparison to other people. Next to the king of the sea, the shark, his speed was nothing. Although they were not too far from shore, the likelihood of avoiding the shark before reaching the shallow water was entirely out of question.


    Therefore, Li Yifei made a split-second decision to throw the three women ahead of him, so they would be further away from the shark, while he prepared to face the approaching shark alone.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were successively thrown by Li Yifei, feeling as though they were soaring through the clouds. All three women screamed in shock, not understanding what Li Yifei had yelled or why he was doing this.


    Mid-air, they couldn¡¯t control their bodies and saw themselves flying over ten meters before crashing into the sea. Fortunately, they were prepared for entry and Li Yifei had thrown them skillfully; the three did not suffer much impact and quickly surfaced.


    As they came up, still dazed, they shook their heads and looked back in Li Yifei¡¯s direction. By this time, Li Yifei was also swimming toward them, shouting again, "Get back, the shark is coming!"


    "Brother-in-law, are you joking? How can there be sharks here?" Su Mengfei was the first to disbelieve, immediately shouting back.


    At this moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and said, "This game is really fun, let¡¯s do it again! It¡¯s so thrilling, throw us one more time. You don¡¯t need to make up such excuses."


    However, Zheng Yuling¡¯s face turned pale as she pointed behind Li Yifei, stammering, "It seems... it seems like there really is a shark."


    "Yuling, why are you following along..." Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled, but as she followed the direction of Zheng Yuling¡¯s pointing finger, her smile froze and her face turned as white as a sheet.


    At that moment, Su Mengfei screamed, "Run!" and instantly turned and swam with all her might towards the shore.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling came to their senses and summoned all their strength, following closely behind Su Mengfei. In the face of life and death, the three women suddenly tapped into incredible potential, swimming with a speed that could match champions.


    When Su Mengxin¡¯s leg cramped, she had been anxiously watching the situation in the sea. Though she couldn¡¯t see the details, she suddenly saw Li Yifei throwing the three women and yelling about a shark. She was shocked and instinctively headed for the water.


    Su Mengxin was an exceptionally intelligent woman who was renowned for her composure in any situation, much like the previous time when she was attacked with Li Yifei in the jungle. Even when faced with numerous vicious gunmen, she could still smile.


    Normally, she had absolute confidence in Li Yifei; even when confronted with powerful assassins, she didn¡¯t worry at all, firmly believing that he could handle the situation with ease. But today, they faced a shark, a sovereign of the seas, and she feared that Li Yifei might not be able to cope.


    But today, she really lost her cool and made the least wise decision: she ran towards Li Yifei and, upon entering the sea, swam desperately in his direction.


    However, Su Mengxin had not yet passed the shallow water when suddenly a huge wave rose on the water¡¯s surface. A massive creature leapt out from beneath the water, with a blue back and a white belly. Although it was impossible to tell if it was a great white shark, its head was certainly no smaller than five meters, and right above the shark was Li Yifei, seemingly being flung out of the water by it.


    "No!" exclaimed Su Mengxin in terror, and then everything went black as she fainted.

 Chapter 579 - 591 Battling Sharks in the Sea

    Chapter 579: Chapter 591 Battling Sharks in the SeaChapter Five Hundred Ninety-One: Battling the Shark at Sea


    Miss Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling swam desperately forward, the sound of heavy objects plunging into the water behind them filling them with unspeakable terror. At that moment, they didn¡¯t have the courage to look back; all they could do was swim with all their might, focusing solely on reaching the shore and getting away from the shark, with no room in their minds for any other thoughts.


    Just as they neared the shore, they came upon Su Mengxin, half-floating on the water¡¯s surface. Seeing Su Mengxin, Miss Su Mengfei, her cousin, was the first to recover her senses and hurriedly grabbed a hold of her cousin, her own body sinking, and her knees hitting the solid ground. Where they were, the water was only half a meter deep. When Su Mengxin fainted, she had fallen face up in the water; her face floated on the surface¡ªif not, she would have certainly suffocated.


    The three of them quickly and clumsily dragged Su Mengxin onto the beach, and only then did they subconsciously look back.


    To their surprise, the sea was tumultuous, with the shark¡¯s silhouette intermittently appearing in their line of sight, and along with it was Li Yifei, although far too distant for them to discern his exact situation. But one thought struck them all¡ªthat Li Yifei had already been caught by the shark.


    "Brother-in-law!" Su Mengfei cried out, tears suddenly flooding her eyes.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er did not make her usual commotion this time; instead, she fell completely silent. She had come to understand why they had been thrown out of the boat by Li Yifei. It was because he had spotted the shark and thus had thrown them out to safety. By doing so, Li Yifei had naturally stayed behind, which was why the shark had caught up to him. Otherwise, given Li Yifei¡¯s swimming speed, he could have easily swum away first, and then it would have been one, two, or all three of them who might have been eaten by the shark.


    At that moment, Zheng Yuling was frantically shouting, "Help, there¡¯s a shark in the water!"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s shout, sharp and piercing, turned out to be incredibly effective. The bodyguards, who had stayed by the villa and not followed, heard her cry and immediately ran towards the commotion.


    Although they had guns, the distance was too great, and once they were in the water, it would be entirely impossible to shoot the shark, unless they could find a boat and hurry out. But there were no boats available, and for a moment, the bodyguards stood completely helpless.


    What was most concerning was that from the women¡¯s conversation, they already knew that Li Yifei had been caught by the shark for over ten minutes; there seemed to be no chance of rescuing him.


    By then, Su Mengxin had been revived and upon opening her eyes, she frantically looked around, urgently asking, "Where¡¯s Yifei? Where¡¯s Yifei?"


    Su Mengfei suddenly embraced Su Mengxin, her voice choked with sobs as she said, "Brother-in-law... brother-in-law has been eaten by the shark."


    "No!" Su Mengxin screamed with all her might, nearly fainting again, before turning to the bodyguards and shouting, "What are you standing around for? Why aren¡¯t you rescuing him?"


    At this, the bodyguards looked at each other in dismay and, faced with Su Mengxin¡¯s rebuke, they all lowered their heads.


    "Yifei!" Su Mengxin cried out in despair, collapsing onto Su Mengfei¡¯s shoulder, overcome with grief.


    "Miss Su, something seems off," one of the bodyguards suddenly called out.


    "What is it?" Su Mengxin leaped up immediately but felt dizzy and nearly fell again; Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling quickly steadied her.


    "Miss Su, if the shark had caught its prey for this long, it should have eaten it by now and left. But the shark is still thrashing around in the water... it seems... it seems to be fighting Mr. Li," the bodyguard said, hardly believing his own words. A man could have a chance in a struggle with some fierce animals on land, which he believed, for with his skills, he could kill a vicious wolf, but facing a tiger or a lion, flight was the only option. However, a person¡¯s fighting ability in the water decreased drastically; how could one wrestle with a shark, the overlord of the sea? Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin, stirred to excitement, immediately shouted, "Hurry... help him!" After a pause, she added, "Anyone who goes down and brings Yifei back will be rewarded with one million per person."


    As the saying goes, a heavy reward will summon brave men. Although the bodyguards also valued their lives, if Li Yifei could still be fighting the shark, there was likely a greater chance of rescuing him, and with so many of them and guns in their hands, perhaps a flurry of shots could scare the shark away, if not kill it outright.


    Thus, all the bodyguards jumped into the sea and swam vigorously towards the churning waves.


    Su Mengxin watched anxiously, and Xiao Ling¡¯er, along with the other two women, shared her tension. Xiao Ling¡¯er ventured cautiously, "Mengxin, Yifei can¡¯t be that powerful, right?"


    In that moment, Su Mengxin was both comforting herself and psyching herself up, clenching her fist and declaring, "Yifei is just that strong, a shark surely is no match for him."


    Su Mengfei smirked and said, "That¡¯s unbelievable, he¡¯d be like a superhero."


    As the three of them were talking, the sea suddenly calmed down, which made Su Mengxin¡¯s heart leap into her throat, her body also swayed slightly. The calm sea meant that a fight had ended, and there were only two possible outcomes, one where Li Yifei had won, which would naturally be good news. But if the shark had won, then it might have cost Li Yifei his life.


    At this time, the bodyguards had also stopped, the battle was over, and all they could do was wait for the outcome. If Li Yifei had survived, that would still be fine. But if the shark had eaten Li Yifei, then even if they went over there it wouldn¡¯t be of any use, they¡¯d only be putting themselves in danger as well.


    "Whoosh!" Suddenly, a burst of waves swelled on the sea surface, then a shark¡¯s head popped out of the water.


    The bodyguards immediately let out a cry of alarm, instinctively backing away, and their guns fired at the shark¡¯s head. Meanwhile, Su Mengxin¡¯s body went limp, and she almost fell to the ground.


    "Don¡¯t shoot! Are you trying to kill me?" However, a loud shout made Su Mengxin straighten her body at once, and she cried out, "Yifei, Yifei, is that you?"


    "It¡¯s all right now, tonight I can treat you all to a shark feast," Li Yifei¡¯s voice came from the surface of the sea.


    This time Su Mengxin truly heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice, was thrilled, and immediately rushed into the sea, with Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling following suit, dashing into the water as well.


    The bodyguards also quickly swam towards Li Yifei¡¯s direction, and as they got close, they looked at Li Yifei as if he were some kind of monster. At this point, Li Yifei was floating on the surface, holding onto a shark¡¯s pectoral fin and slowly swimming in their direction. The shark lay motionless, its head continuously bleeding, seemingly already killed by Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei let go of his hold and said to the bodyguards, "Guys, you have to watch where you shoot. You almost blew my head off just now. This one¡¯s for you to handle, we¡¯ll have an added treat tonight."


    The bodyguards hurriedly grabbed the shark, while Li Yifei swam towards Su Mengxin and the others.


    "Yifei!" Su Mengxin was the fastest swimmer at the time, she was the first to meet Li Yifei, she cried out joyfully, and immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, holding on as if wanting to meld her body into his.


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Mengxin¡¯s back and laughed, "It¡¯s alright now, it¡¯s alright."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s head left Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, she looked at him, tears still in her eyes, and suddenly pushed her face towards Li Yifei¡¯s face and kissed him on the mouth.


    This took Li Yifei by surprise, and before he knew it, Su Mengxin had kissed him, and he forgot to swim, and their bodies sank into the water together.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t care about any of that, just kissing Li Yifei forcefully, as if with this kiss she wanted to release all the tension and worry she had felt.


    Li Yifei had intended to resurface immediately, but such a scene would simply entertain the onlookers, so he simply kissed Su Mengxin underwater for a bit longer before patting her back, pushing her away, and emerging from the water with her.


    "Yifei, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive," Su Mengxin said, still holding onto Li Yifei, her gaze filled with the comfort of having survived a calamity.


    Li Yifei, meeting Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze, knew she had that kind of feeling for him one hundred percent. If they were just friends, she wouldn¡¯t have reacted like this. It could also be said that if it weren¡¯t for this brush with danger, Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t have revealed her true feelings like this.


    "Mengxin, I¡¯m really tired right now, can we go back and let me rest a bit?" Li Yifei still couldn¡¯t accept Su Mengxin¡¯s feelings, so he changed the subject.


    Su Mengxin gasped, quickly released Li Yifei, and then pulled him towards the shore.


    Everyone got onto the shore, and Li Yifei immediately lay down on the beach, not wanting to move at all. The shark had been too big, its strength already formidable, and in the water, it was even more agile. Li Yifei was at a great disadvantage in the water, and it took all his strength to kill it.


    Su Mengxin immediately sat beside Li Yifei and checked his body carefully. She found several wounds on his legs - though not severe, they were still bleeding. Her heart felt as if it were being cut, as if the wounds were on her own body.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re hurt, let¡¯s go to the hospital," Su Mengxin said softly, holding Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "It¡¯s okay, they¡¯re just superficial wounds, not a big deal. I just need to apply some medicine and disinfect later."


    Su Mengxin hesitated a moment then immediately ordered a bodyguard to fetch the first aid kit.

 Chapter 580 - 592: Are You Superman?

    Chapter 580: Chapter 592: Are You Superman?At that moment, the bodyguards had just laboriously dragged the massive shark onto the beach. Staring at the shark, they were all agape. The shark weighed over a ton, and aside from some small bullet holes, there was a large hole in its huge head, which was the fatal wound. It was surely made by Li Yifei. They couldn¡¯t fathom how a lone man in the sea could have inflicted such a gaping hole in a shark¡¯s head. Their gazes towards Li Yifei instantly turned as if they were looking at a monster.


    Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling, although scared out of their wits earlier, were now captivated by the enormous shark. Their experiences were vast, but they had never seen such a shark before, and it was killed by Li Yifei alone, which made it all the more extraordinary to them.


    The bodyguards, along with the three women, couldn¡¯t figure out how Li Yifei had killed the shark. Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others ran over to Li Yifei and Su Mengxin¡¯s side and saw Su Mengxin tending to Li Yifei¡¯s leg wound, so they sat down on the sand as well. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother-in-law, how did you kill that shark?" Su Mengfei was the first to ask out of curiosity.


    Although Su Mengxin was also curious, she was more concerned about Li Yifei¡¯s well-being and immediately said, "Haven¡¯t you seen your brother-in-law is not only injured but also exhausted? Let him rest for a while."


    "Oh, then brother-in-law, take a rest for a while," Su Mengfei said, this time not insisting, while Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling also behaved very demurely.


    Previously, they had always found it odd that Su Mengxin chose Li Yifei as a boyfriend, but today they realized that Li Yifei indeed deserved to be her boyfriend. What a powerful man he was, having killed a shark in the sea. He was practically a freak, a superhero.


    Also, during the shark encounter, Li Yifei had rescued them first and then faced the shark alone, effectively saving their lives. Therefore, their impression of Li Yifei drastically improved, filled with both admiration and gratitude.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s alright now. I was just too tired earlier. That shark was really fierce; it almost claimed my life."


    Seeing Li Yifei talking, Su Mengfei immediately said excitedly, "Then tell us about what happened just now, brother-in-law."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, after I threw you out of the water, the shark charged at me. There¡¯s no way to outrun a shark in the sea; that would be suicide. And turning my back to the shark would have meant letting it have its way with me. So I hastily dived deeper, and the shark followed immediately. As fast as sharks are in water, it was about to catch me in the blink of an eye."


    The girls gasped, fully able to imagine the terrifying situation with a shark chasing them, its gaping maw ready to devour.


    Li Yifei continued, "I had no other choice but to dodge to the side when the shark lunged at me, narrowly avoiding its attack. After a few times like this, although I hadn¡¯t been bitten, I had provoked its aggressiveness even more. It relentlessly pursued to bite me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out against it for long, so I seized an opportunity and found a sharp rock in the sea."


    "After that, when the shark charged at me again, I dodged its attack, then managed to grab onto its dorsal fin and clung to its back, hitting its head with the rock. The shark¡¯s skull was incredibly hard. I don¡¯t know how many times I had to hit it before it finally died."


    The telling by Li Yifei was straightforward, yet the girls felt how thrilling it had been.


    The bodyguards, upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s account, were secretly astonished. They could imagine that the situation must have been far from as simple as he described it. A slight error could have led to the shark¡¯s sharp teeth severing a person in two. Moreover, to grab the shark¡¯s dorsal fin meant having to get extremely close, requiring tremendous courage and precision, not to mention the strength needed to smash the shark¡¯s skull while underwater.


    In the eyes of these professional bodyguards, Li Yifei¡¯s strength was a kind they couldn¡¯t even fathom, and they now truly understood why Su Mengxin never needed their protection when she was with Li Yifei. All of them put together would still be no match for him.


    After Li Yifei finished speaking, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei all looked at him with stars in their eyes.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, with her playful nature kicking in, nudged Su Mengxin¡¯s arm and said with a giggle, "Mengxin, I really envy you now. You¡¯ve found such a powerful boyfriend, just like a superhero. Hehe, I¡¯ve fallen for him too. Good sister, let¡¯s share him."


    At this, Zheng Yuling also looked at Li Yifei with a teasing smile and said, "Yeah, Mengxin, such a good friend is hard to find. Why not let me have a share too? I promise not to steal him away, he¡¯ll still be yours, just to have a turn, right?"


    Su Mengfei glared and said, "Stop right there, you two, don¡¯t even think about stealing my brother-in-law. If anyone¡¯s sharing, it should be me and my cousin, you two should stay out of it."


    For Li Yifei, it was like a narrow escape from death. The encounter with the shark had been too dangerous, and he had nearly been bitten several times. Hearing the girls joke around, his mood also lightened. He laughed and said, "As long as Mengxin doesn¡¯t mind, neither do I. After all, I¡¯m the one who benefits, right?"


    Seeing Li Yifei joking, Su Mengxin¡¯s mood brightened considerably. She spat at Li Yifei playfully and said, "You¡¯re even thinking about my friends, you¡¯re too bold."


    Li Yifei said with a mischievous grin, "It¡¯s not me who has designs on them; it¡¯s them who have designs on me."


    The three girls immediately burst into giggles, saying in turn, "Right, we¡¯re the ones with designs on you. You¡¯ve agreed to our request; you can¡¯t back out when the time comes."


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at them and said, "You lot, really, Yifei is injured like that, and you don¡¯t even show a bit of concern. Come on, two people help Yifei over there."


    Two bodyguards were about to come over, but Xiao Ling¡¯er quickly said, "No need, no need. Yifei just saved us, we should show our gratitude. Come on, let¡¯s four of us carry him over."


    Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling immediately agreed with giggles, and clumsily started to pull Li Yifei. Su Mengxin got a fright and said urgently, "Don¡¯t mess around, don¡¯t hurt him again."


    "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, Mengxin, you lift the head, Mengfei lift the feet, Yuling and I will support the waist. Are we four not strong enough to lift him?"


    Li Yifei weighed less than 150 pounds, so distributed among the four girls, each was responsible for less than forty pounds. Although they were all delicately brought up and not used to physical labor, they could still manage this weight. Plus, seeing it as a game, they were even more enthusiastic and successfully lifted Li Yifei.


    Being carried by four beauties, Li Yifei actually quite enjoyed it, especially with Su Mengxin cradling his head. His head was nestled against Su Mengxin¡¯s ample chest, which felt quite pleasurable. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was so physically drained at the moment, he might have embarrassed himself.


    They carried Li Yifei to the barbecue grill and even arranged a reclining chair for him to lie on before they finally let go.


    After calming down, Li Yifei called a bodyguard and asked, "Would you check if there¡¯s a Shark Net here?"


    The bodyguard followed Li Yifei¡¯s instructions immediately for two reasons: The deep relationship between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, and the admiration they felt for Li Yifei¡¯s actions earlier.


    More than an hour later, the bodyguard reported back that there was indeed a Shark Net, but it had a large hole in it. Also, sharks had never been spotted in the nearby waters before, so the net had been neglected.


    The presence of the shark in these waters was indeed suspicious, but it wasn¡¯t without reason. With global warming, the habits of some creatures were changing. Sudden alterations in Earth¡¯s magnetic field could also disrupt sharks¡¯ sense of direction, causing them to stray into unfamiliar territories. There had been reports of such incidents around the world, so the appearance of this shark should be seen as an accident, not something man-made.


    Su Mengxin handed Li Yifei a skewer of grilled meat and said softly, "Do you suspect this was done on purpose?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "The shark¡¯s appearance is certainly strange, so I wanted to confirm, but it seems not to be serious. Probably, it is the great impact of human activities on the environment that has caused this accident."


    Su Mengxin heaved a sigh and said, "Indeed, human environmental destruction is too severe, especially in many developing countries that ignore environmental protection for economic development. Our country has already suffered too much in this regard and now has to spend great efforts to remediate the environment, which costs much more than the benefits originally gained."


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "There¡¯s nothing we can do about that. People lived in poor conditions in the past. Back then, if you told them to protect the environment, they could barely fill their stomachs and had no capacity to think about anything else. We can only take it slow now."


    Looking at Li Yifei, Su Mengxin said, "Seeing you take an interest in this, why don¡¯t I set up an enterprise focused on environmental protection, or maybe a Public Welfare Organization specializing in it, and you can manage it."


    "Forget it. If you need me to lend a hand, I might consider it. Directly managing such a thing, though, would be too bothersome for me."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, not saying much more.


    "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, here comes the fresh fish bone soup." At this moment, Su Mengfei came over with a plate, on which were five small bowls.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately went over, took a bowl, and passed it to Li Yifei, saying, "I¡¯ve had fish bone soup so many times, but it¡¯s my first time having it fresh. Here, this bowl is to comfort you."


    Su Mengxin took the bowl, gave Li Yifei a tender smile, and said, "Here, let me feed you." She had already scooped a spoonful up to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. Her concentration and carefulness made her seem like a gentle, caring little wife.

 Chapter 581 - 593: Eating Tofu

    Chapter 581: Chapter 593: Eating TofuLi Yifei really couldn¡¯t handle Su Mengxin¡¯s care and hurriedly said, "I¡¯ll do it myself."


    Su Mengxin immediately protested, "You¡¯re injured like this, how can you eat by yourself? Let me feed you instead."


    Li Yifei raised his arms, saying, "Just a cut on the leg, it¡¯s not serious at all, and my hands are perfectly fine."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed lightly and said, "Even if you can move, our Mengxin still wants to take care of you. You¡¯re the big hero today, after all, having saved the three of us. If Mengxin hadn¡¯t insisted on feeding you, I would have."


    Li Yifei felt that Xiao Ling¡¯er was indeed capable of doing such a thing, and Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei were also eager to try. Having them three taking turns would be worse than just Su Mengxin, so he obediently opened his mouth.


    Su Mengxin gently blew on the fish bones in the spoon twice before bringing it to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. After he ate it, she quickly prepared the next bite.


    Soon Li Yifei finished a bowl of fish bones. The thing itself didn¡¯t really have much taste, its value mainly being nutritional, but the chef had made it quite palatable.


    After finishing the meal, the time was already past six in the evening, and the weather had become a bit cooler. Everyone went back to the villa. After such a thrilling afternoon, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others didn¡¯t feel like going out anymore, so everyone just sat in the living room to watch TV.


    By this time, everyone had put on clothes, while Li Yifei was wearing big beach shorts, his legs bare to avoid hampering the healing of his wound.


    Su Mengxin took great care of him, and the other three beauties were also revolving around Li Yifei, treating him as the center of attention for the day.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others were ones to enjoy fun and games. Earlier, they had drunk some beer while having a barbecue, and feeling that the fun wasn¡¯t over, they brought out some snacks and continued drinking while watching TV.


    Drinking beer this way was rather pleasant. Li Yifei didn¡¯t drink much at first, but as the others saw he could hold his liquor, Xiao Ling¡¯er initiated a drinking match with Li Yifei, with Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei joining in the fun.


    Su Mengxin wanted to stop them but seeing that Li Yifei could handle his drink, and knowing she couldn¡¯t stop her friends if they decided to go wild, the drinking escalated, beer cans piling up, cheeks turning rosy. Li Yifei¡¯s physical condition was usually very good, and he had no problem drinking beer, but he had exerted himself a lot that day, and his ability to metabolize alcohol was compromised, leaving him with a significant buzz.


    Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t drunk much, but she wasn¡¯t very good at drinking, her eyes already looking drunkenly blurred.


    On the other hand, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei were becoming more excited the more they drank. A common trait among the three was that they didn¡¯t go to sleep when drunk, but got more excited. However, what they did while intoxicated, they usually couldn¡¯t remember afterward. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t reached that point yet; they were just getting lively.


    As darkness fell and the lights in the house came on, the beer supply was exhausted, which was just what Su Mengxin had hoped for; any more drinking and she would be over her limit.


    However, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others were still not satisfied. With no more alcohol, they didn¡¯t want to sit around doing nothing, so they proposed playing cards.


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei immediately agreed, while Li Yifei turned to Su Mengxin with a smile and said, "Go ahead and play. It won¡¯t affect me at all. Don¡¯t think of me as so fragile."


    Su Mengfei immediately chimed in cheerfully, "It¡¯s no good if only my cousin plays. You have to join us today too."


    "And what about me?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Of course you have to be there. What fun would it be without you?" Xiao Ling¡¯er had already brought out a deck of playing cards.


    Zheng Yuling glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s leg and said, "Let¡¯s go upstairs to play. If we get tired, we can go straight to sleep instead of having to climb up later."


    No one objected, and they all went upstairs and entered Su Mengxin¡¯s room.


    Li Yifei first sat on the bed. Su Mengxin placed a pillow against the headboard, allowing Li Yifei to stretch out his legs, while the girls all sat on the bed.


    On the big bed, there was only one man, Li Yifei, and four beautiful women¡ªa rather sensual scene.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er skillfully shuffled and cut the deck of cards before teasingly addressing everyone, "Hey, what shall we win tonight?"


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at the others and said, "How about winning money? Isn¡¯t that just what you guys are hoping to get out of me¡ªa bit of spending money?"


    Although these three friends weren¡¯t short of money, the allowances they received from their families, around ten or twenty thousand a month, were hardly enough for their lavish spending habits. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t pass up the chance to turn to a tycoon like Su Mengxin whenever they were short on cash, typically coaxing her into card games to win some extra pocket money.


    Su Mengxin had grown up with them and knew them well. She never really cared about the money, and hanging out with them was also a way to lighten her mood. So each time they came to her, she would play along and let them win some money.


    Zheng Yuling blinked her eyes and said, "Winning money all the time is so boring. Shouldn¡¯t we try a different game?,"


    Su Mengfei immediately chimed in excitedly, "Yeah, yeah, what shall we win instead?"


    Su Mengxin gave the three of them a look and said, "What else is there to win? We can¡¯t just do what we did when we were kids, winning handprints and drawing on faces, can we?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and said, "Then let¡¯s draw lines on faces. It¡¯s pretty fun, a throwback to the joys of our childhood."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei were quick to agree excitedly, while Su Mengxin shook her head with a wry smile looking at Li Yifei, who grinned and said, "Then let¡¯s do it, I¡¯ve never played this before."


    "Brother-in-law, you should join us, it¡¯s so much fun," Su Mengfei called out excitedly.


    Zheng Yuling fetched an eyebrow pencil, and the five of them began to play.


    The game was straightforward. The five played a card game called "Run Fast." Whoever ran out of cards first was the winner and had the right to draw on someone¡¯s face. Naturally, the last one to run out was the one who got drawn on.


    In Li Yifei¡¯s first hand, the cards were exceptionally poor, while Su Mengfei¡¯s were remarkably good. Su Mengfei naturally ended up winning, and Li Yifei was the one to be drawn on.


    With the eyebrow pencil in hand, Su Mengfei smiled at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, I won¡¯t be holding back."


    Li Yifei thrust out his face generously and said, "Bring it on."


    Su Mengfei moved next to Li Yifei, examined his face for a moment, then pressed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Brother-in-law, you can¡¯t move now, you hear?"


    "I won¡¯t move, I won¡¯t move. Go ahead," Li Yifei closed his eyes, tilting his face up motionlessly.


    Su Mengfei giggled, brought her face close to Li Yifei¡¯s, and began drawing while her breath sprayed onto his face.


    After she finished drawing, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others burst into giggles, and even Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but snort with laughter. Su Mengfei had drawn a small turtle on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind and continued to play with the group. Incredibly, he lost again, this time to Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    Li Yifei realized that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to win. The three girls were clearly in cahoots, never competing against each other and eagerly blocking whenever he or Su Mengxin played a card. Even if he coordinated with Su Mengxin, they were still at a disadvantage with a two-against-three situation. Unless their cards were exceptionally good, winning seemed unlikely.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, who had drunk the most that day, stumbled and plunged onto Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly steadied her, and Su Mengxin immediately glared and said, "Ling¡¯er, are you deliberately trying to take advantage of Yifei?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed heartily and said, "You saw right through me. I did it on purpose. What about it?" And then she brazenly snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, smiling and teasing, "Come on, I¡¯ll draw you, but you have to stay still."


    Li Yifei awkwardly raised his hands, torn between pushing her away and accepting the situation, his eyes pleading with Su Mengxin for help. Su Mengxin knew her mischievous friends far too well and couldn¡¯t possibly stop them now. The last time Li Yifei showed up, they had missed their chance to tease him, so there was no way they would let it go this time. She could only give Li Yifei a sympathetic smile.


    After Xiao Ling¡¯er finished her drawing, she finally rose from Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, saying cheerfully, "Handsome, your embrace is nice. I really like it."


    Inspired by Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei also got rowdy, either nestling in Li Yifei¡¯s arms or hugging his head close enough that his head almost buried in their chests. If it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei¡¯s leg injury, they would probably have seated themselves on his lap.


    Initially, Li Yifei was reluctant, but as the alcohol kicked in and the teasing escalated, he loosened up. Allowing them to have their way with him without complaint, and, not to be left out, he also found opportunities to touch and slap playfully. None of the girls minded¡ªthey laughed instead. And when Li Yifei joined in the fun, they even taunted Su Mengxin.


    Once they all started playing around, the three no longer deliberately targeted Li Yifei, and the game proceeded as usual. With everyone experiencing wins and losses, their faces were soon marked with lines, and although they no longer looked like beauties but rather odd creatures, their figures still revealed they were lovely young women.

 Chapter 582 - 594 Puppy

    Chapter 582: Chapter 594 PuppyAfter playing for a while longer, everyone¡¯s faces were nearly covered in marks, yet the excitement remained high, and by now, the alcohol was really kicking in, making the drunkenness all the more palpable.


    With a hiccup from the alcohol, Zheng Yuling, her eyes drunk and blurry, said, "I can¡¯t take it anymore, we need to switch things up."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er shook her head and fixed her gaze on Li Yifei, saying, "Alright, let¡¯s make it even more fun then."


    Su Mengfei asked with a giggly smile, "How can we make it even more fun?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked and explained, "This time, each person writes four slips of paper, and on each one, you make a request for one of the other four people. In the end, each of the four will have four things they¡¯ve been asked to do, and whoever loses has to draw a slip of paper and do what it asks."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei quickly cheered in agreement, but Su Mengxin and Li Yifei just exchanged glances, not fearing loss themselves, but dreading the demands these troublemakers might come up with. Zheng Yuling then asked, "What if someone doesn¡¯t do what the slip of paper says?"


    With a snort, Xiao Ling¡¯er replied, "Then we¡¯ll never treat her as a friend again. From then on, whenever we see her, we¡¯ll act like we don¡¯t know her and kick her out of our group forever."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei gleefully agreed right away, then all three of them turned to look at Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. Su Mengfei teased with a giggle, "Cousin, brother-in-law, what¡¯s the matter, are you scared?"


    Su Mengxin rubbed her forehead and said, "It¡¯s late, and we¡¯ve had so much to drink. Can¡¯t we just not play and get some rest? Plus, look at Yifei; she¡¯s really tired today. Let her get a good night¡¯s sleep, huh?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately raised her voice, "No way, if Yifei doesn¡¯t play, what¡¯s the point?"


    Zheng Yuling chimed in too, "Exactly. Mengxin, don¡¯t be a killjoy. I¡¯m talking to you, Yifei. Aren¡¯t you a man, or are you afraid of us?"


    Seeing the three girls¡¯ determination to play, Li Yifei knew backing out was simply not an option. He was also quite high-spirited by now, so he chuckled and said, "Scared of you? Bring it on."


    Su Mengfei immediately went to find a piece of paper, tore off twenty small slips, and handed out four to each person. They wrote down the names of the others, as well as the things they wanted them to do.


    These girls could be outrageous, but Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to be too extreme, so he made the same request for each person: to crawl around the bed three times, barking like a puppy.


    Watching Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei, all with that excited look on their faces, glancing first at him and then at each other, they were evidently up to no good. Li Yifei realized it wasn¡¯t just about ganging up on him; even if he lost, having the opportunity to watch these three prank each other would indeed be something to look forward to.


    Finally, all the slips were written. Xiao Ling¡¯er declared, "Li Yifei, everyone put their slips for Li Yifei here."


    Everyone pooled the slips meant for Li Yifei, then sorted their individual slips together.


    As she shuffled the slips, Xiao Ling¡¯er looked at them with a mischievous grin, "This time it¡¯s for real, folks. ¡¯No kin in the gaming house,¡¯ so don¡¯t go easy on anyone."


    Sniggering, Zheng Yuling added, "Exactly, I can¡¯t afford to worry about you all this time."


    Su Mengfei, arching her eyebrows, remarked, "This time it¡¯s every man for himself. I sure don¡¯t want to be the unlucky one."


    They were all sly as foxes and knew full well that the others were just as keen to play tricks, so if any of them helped another, they were likely to end up backfiring on themselves.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er had shuffled the slips and with a beaming smile announced, "Alright, let¡¯s do this."


    The card drawing began, and the first round officially started.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand in the first round was neither good nor bad ¨C he couldn¡¯t contend for first but managed to play his cards right and was the third to finish. Su Mengxin¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t bad at all; she finished second. Xiao Ling¡¯er, who had been so bold, ended up with the worst hand and was left in the last place.


    In this game, being first out granted no advantage, only the last one left had to draw a slip.


    Seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er lose, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but laugh out, "Look at that, hoist by your own petard. You¡¯re the first to lose."


    But Xiao Ling¡¯er was unabashed. Tossing back her head, she said, "If I lose, I lose. I¡¯ll set an example for you all." Then she closed her eyes and randomly plucked one from her four slips.


    Zheng Yuling snatched the paper and read it aloud, "Make Xiao Ling¡¯er crawl on the bed and bark like a dog three times."


    Everyone burst into laughter immediately. Zheng Yuling pointed at Li Yifei and said, "This note must¡¯ve been written by Li Yifei."


    Li Yifei touched his nose and laughed, "What¡¯s the matter? Not willing to do it?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er looked down on Li Yifei and said disdainfully, "This dare is so childish. I played this when I was five. What¡¯s so special about it, woof!" As she spoke, she got down on the bed and without even crawling, she barked crisply.


    Using her hands and feet, Xiao Ling¡¯er crawled half a round and then reached Li Yifei¡¯s side. She barked at Li Yifei again with a "woof" and slowly crawled over him, rubbing her shoulders against his chest twice. As she crawled over, she wagged her round butt like a little dog trying to please its owner, only lacking a wagging tail at the back.


    Li Yifei almost sprayed blood from his nose at Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s movements. It was simply too tempting. Any man in this situation would have their mind racing.


    Fortunately, Li Yifei was able to control himself and didn¡¯t reveal too much on his face. Otherwise, he would have truly lost face. He now very much regretted suggesting this dare. Had he known that even crawling and barking could turn out so seductive, he would have just randomly asked them to bark like a dog.


    After crawling three rounds, Xiao Ling¡¯er finally sat down, raised her chin, and declared, "Come on, let¡¯s go again and see who loses this time."


    The game resumed, and this time it was Su Mengfei who lost. She also drew from her four notes, and to her surprise, it was again barking like a dog.


    "This can¡¯t be a coincidence, can it?" Li Yifei rubbed his nose, not believing that the other three would all choose barking as a dare.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er curled her lip and said, "Comrade Li Yifei, you wouldn¡¯t have written barking for all of them, would you?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "Well, who made you all pick so accurately? I was curious to see what dares you had set."


    By this time, Su Mengfei had already started crawling on the bed, similarly taking advantage of Li Yifei. However, her butt wasn¡¯t as sexy as Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s, nor did she seductively shake it like Xiao Ling¡¯er. The stimulation Li Yifei experienced wasn¡¯t as intense, but having a beauty crawl over him three times and flirt was certainly too much for any man to handle.


    In the third round, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t so lucky. With a hand full of mismatched cards, none larger than a ten, and Su Mengfei above him without any low cards, he didn¡¯t even have a chance to pair up. By the time everyone else had played their hands, Li Yifei was left with six or seven cards, all of the smallest value.


    "Haha! It¡¯s finally your turn!" Xiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei, and Zheng Yuling were ecstatic, immediately laying out the four notes belonging to Li Yifei in front of him. However, Xiao Ling¡¯er quickly collected the notes back and said, "No, no, this guy is too perverted, he¡¯s even capable of killing a shark, for all we know, he might be able to see what¡¯s written inside the notes, or figure out which one Mengxin wrote, and Mengxin would surely go easy on him. Turn your head."


    Indeed, Li Yifei had memorized which note Su Mengxin had written while collecting them, and he was sure that Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t let him embarrass himself. Yet Xiao Ling¡¯er, though quite drunk, was still so shrewd; a difficult opponent indeed. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to turn away, only to hear Xiao Ling¡¯er say, "Now each of us four will hold a note. Let Li Yifei choose, and whoever he picks will reveal their note. This way he¡¯ll have no chance to cheat."


    Once the four had the notes, Li Yifei was allowed to turn back around. Xiao Ling¡¯er smiled and said, "Come on, you can choose now. Among us four beauties, pick whoever you like."


    Li Yifei was truly out of options at this point. From their expressions, it seemed they didn¡¯t even know which note they held. He could only hope for the best now. Meanwhile, Su Mengxin looked helpless, making Li Yifei directly ignore her. If Su Mengxin had gotten her own note, she probably would¡¯ve given him a hint.


    Li Yifei scanned over Xiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei, and Zheng Yuling. The three women stood with their backs to him, each with a proud look as they faced Li Yifei.


    "Go on, brother-in-law, choose," Su Mengfei said, winking at Li Yifei. "Don¡¯t worry, the task we¡¯ll give you is nothing too difficult."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled, "It may not be too difficult, but it¡¯s definitely fun. Your choice now determines which one of us gets to play with you."


    Zheng Yuling smiled and interjected, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Didn¡¯t you see Mengxin rolling her eyes? He¡¯s her precious husband. It¡¯s one thing to flirt with him, but if we really played with him, Mengxin wouldn¡¯t stand for it."


    Su Mengxin gave the three of them a white-eyed look and said, "You three just keep fooling around. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll bring trouble upon yourselves."


    This afternoon, Li Yifei had been teased and flirted with by the three women, and by now he had become accustomed to it. With the alcohol in his system, he took their outrageous words even less seriously. He laughed heartily and said, "Alright, let¡¯s see who¡¯s lucky. Mengfei, I choose yours."


    Su Mengfei exclaimed excitedly, bringing out the note from behind her and unfolding it. She read, "Make Li Yifei feed Su Mengxin a grape."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei burst into laughter, and Su Mengxin also smiled wryly. It was indeed what she had written, but after the laughter, she still felt a bit worried. The game had just begun, and sooner or later, Li Yifei would draw the notes the three girls had written. After all, he might avoid trouble at the start, but he couldn¡¯t escape the inevitable.

 Chapter 583 -s 596 to 601 abridged version

    Chapter 583: Chapters 596 to 601 abridged version...........................................................


    "Whose is this? Who wrote the note?" Zheng Yuling reached out to snatch the note from Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s hand.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er swiftly dodged, saying with a giggle, "Of course it¡¯s mine, who else would have such great ideas."


    Su Mengfei glared at Xiao Ling¡¯er and warned, "Ling¡¯er, I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to set me up, I definitely won¡¯t let you off the hook later."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and replied, "You dare say you haven¡¯t thought about setting me up? The thing you told me to do, who knows what it is?"


    Just then, a knocking sound suddenly came from the door. Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately jumped up and went to the door, asking, "What is it?"


    "Miss, the beer has arrived." A man¡¯s voice came from outside, probably one of Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately opened the door, and the bodyguard brought in two cases of beer. From entering to leaving, he kept his head down and didn¡¯t look at the people in the room, truly a competent bodyguard.


    Su Mengxin quickly said, "Why are you bringing in more beer? Haven¡¯t you had enough?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked and replied, "Of course we haven¡¯t had enough. If we don¡¯t drink to our heart¡¯s content, we can¡¯t really get into it. Come on, let¡¯s drink first, then we¡¯ll let Mengfei complete her task."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei immediately went over to open the beer cases, each taking a few cans, then after popping them open, they started drinking heartily, true heroes of the drink.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t want to drink anymore; she felt if she continued, things would get out of her control. But she couldn¡¯t withstand the other three girls urging and pressuring her, and soon she also had downed two cans of beer.


    Li Yifei was even made to chug four cans, while the three girls also had three each, all of them looking tipsy and flushed as if blood was about to drip from their faces.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er let out a burp and then said, "Come on, Mengfei, it¡¯s your turn to complete your task."


    Su Mengfei tossed her head with pride and declared, "Bring it on, am I afraid of you guys?"


    At this point, Xiao Ling¡¯er unfolded the note, gave Li Yifei another seductive look, and said, "Yifei, you¡¯re in luck this time."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "So it¡¯s something good for me again, then come on and tell me fast."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled again and said, "Let Su Mengfei... strip naked."


    "Ah! No way!" Su Mengxin immediately exclaimed.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er quickly said, "What do you mean ¡¯no way¡¯? It¡¯s just stripping, not doing anything else. Mengfei, we had an agreement. Anyone who can¡¯t do it won¡¯t have any friends from now on. Are you stripping or not?" sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Yuling also egged her on, saying, "Mengfei, you¡¯re not scared, are you? If you say you¡¯re scared, then we won¡¯t force you. From now on, at worst, when we see you we¡¯ll just call you a coward and say you don¡¯t keep your word. It¡¯s no big deal."


    At that moment, Su Mengfei¡¯s eyes widened as she said, "I¡¯ll strip. What¡¯s the big deal? There¡¯s only my brother-in-law here, no one else." Then she placed her hands on the hem of her clothes.


    At this point, Su Mengxin really was stunned, while Li Yifei just stared dumbly at Zheng Yuling. Was this girl really going to take off her clothes?


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Su Mengfei were excitedly shouting and urging Zheng Yuling on, almost at the point of tearing her clothes off for her.


    Zheng Yuling actually began to strip, slowly pulling up her hem with both hands, revealing her belly. The pale skin tinged with a gentle blush was a tantalizing sight, nearly dazzling to the eye.


    "Click!" With a light sound, the lights in the room suddenly went out, and darkness immediately enveloped everything.


    "Ah!" The girls instinctively let out a scream.


    The knocking quickly resumed, and a servant¡¯s voice came from outside, "Miss, the power¡¯s out. Do you need us to turn on the backup generator?"


    Su Mengxin hastily replied, "No need; we¡¯re all about to sleep."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately called out, "Hey hey, Mengxin, we haven¡¯t had enough fun yet."


    Su Mengxin snorted and said, "What¡¯s the point of playing anymore? If we keep on, we¡¯ll really cause trouble. Everyone just go to sleep."


    "No way, no way. If you won¡¯t let us have our fun, then it¡¯s just not happening."


    A few people were shouting and making a fuss, refusing to leave, giving Su Mengxin a massive headache. Finally, Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and said, "If you really want us to stop causing trouble, then you two should give us a live performance."


    Su Mengxin and Li Yifei said in unison, "That¡¯s absolutely not happening."


    "Alright then, we¡¯ll keep playing, keep drawing slips of paper, hehe, don¡¯t you want to know what I¡¯ll make you do?"


    Su Mengxin was left speechless. Without a doubt, the contents of that girl¡¯s slip of paper were the same, and it was better to get it over with now rather than keep playing and doing that kind of thing. But as much as she longed to be with Li Yifei in that way, she couldn¡¯t accept it under these circumstances and for such reasons.


    With a provocative raise of her eyebrows, Xiao Ling¡¯er teased Su Mengxin, "You know, Mengxin, we¡¯ve done all sorts of things together before. You wouldn¡¯t shy away from this, would you?"


    Su Mengxin hesitated for a moment before quickly finding an excuse, "It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t do it, but look at Yifei¡¯s leg, it¡¯s all wounded. We really shouldn¡¯t be reckless. I think we should just forget about it for now and remember this for later."


    Upon looking at Li Yifei¡¯s leg, his wounds, though no longer bleeding, were enough to make one feel squeamish, with small openings and cuts here and there. Indeed, it would be inconvenient for Li Yifei and Su Mengxin to actually do that thing.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked and suggested, "We can still work something out. Just use something else, and we can all enjoy the show."


    "Use something else?" Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "Hehe, just use your mouths on each other, in a sixty-nine position. This way, you won¡¯t have to touch Li Yifei¡¯s leg. Hehe, what do you think?"


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei immediately expressed their agreement repeatedly.


    With her lips bitten, Su Mengxin said, "This..."


    Smiling sweetly, Xiao Mengfei said, "Come on, cousin, don¡¯t tell us you two haven¡¯t even tried a sixty-nine. That would be just too traditional of you."


    Zheng Yuling also teased with a giggle, "It¡¯s the perfect chance for you two to give it a try today. I¡¯ve heard men really enjoy it. Mengxin, you might be the number one beauty of Huaxia, but now that you¡¯re with Yifei, you can¡¯t be too standoffish in bed, can you?"


    If it were any normal day, Su Mengxin definitely wouldn¡¯t have agreed to such coaxing, but the atmosphere created that evening coupled with the fact that she had drunk quite a lot, even if she wasn¡¯t completely drunk like Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others, her mind wasn¡¯t completely in control. She huffed, "Today, I¡¯ll let you all broaden your horizons."


    "Let¡¯s go!" Pushed by the moonlight and the three insistent friends, Su Mengxin was forcibly pushed towards Li Yifei, who was still hesitating...


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin truly hadn¡¯t expected this to happen between them, nor to happen in such a way. When they sobered up the next day, Li Yifei silently cursed their foolishness. While others were still asleep, he slipped out of the villa and headed straight to the office. Not long after settling in his office, Xu Yingying called him over.


    Once Li Yifei arrived at Su Mengxin¡¯s office, she noticed something off about his walk and immediately asked, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "It¡¯s nothing. I scraped my leg yesterday."


    "You scraped it? How is it?", Xu Yingying hurriedly crouched beside him, pulled up Li Yifei¡¯s trouser leg, and saw several wounds on his leg, gasping in shock, "How did you get hurt like this?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "It¡¯s nothing. Yesterday, Mengxin and her friends went swimming in the sea, and a shark broke through the Shark Net. I got these scrapes from the shark¡¯s teeth during the struggle."


    "A shark?" Xu Yingying was utterly dumbfounded, and it took her a moment to stutter out, "You fought... with a shark?"


    "Yeah, do you want some fresh fish bones or something?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s attempt to lighten the mood with a joke didn¡¯t ease Xu Yingying¡¯s expression; instead, tears welled up in her eyes as she choked up, "I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay. What would I do if anything happened to you?"


    Li Yifei quickly wiped away Xu Yingying¡¯s tears, "Don¡¯t cry, my dear. Your husband isn¡¯t stupid. If I couldn¡¯t protect myself, I wouldn¡¯t have been reckless. It was just a small shark, sounds scary but it¡¯s actually quite weak. Plus, Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards were there too, they shot it dead in a few rounds."


    Knowing there were other bodyguards made Xu Yingying breath a sigh of relief. After scolding Li Yifei lightly, she carefully examined his wounds and said, "With such injuries, why are you still at work? Go home and rest."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying would not be at ease with him in the office, so he had to agree, "I can go home."


    She immediately responded, "Go home? Look at this, several spots are severe. Go home and rest properly. Shanshan will look after you. She¡¯ll take care of you for a change."

 Chapter 584 - 602: Xu Shanshan’s Care

    Chapter 584: Chapter 602: Xu Shanshan¡¯s CareLi Yifei returned to his own home, took off his pants, and put on a pair of big shorts. Even though his martial arts were strong, a small injury like this wouldn¡¯t affect him much, but wounds were still wounds after all, especially since they had just started to scab over. Walking with the pants rubbing against them was really painful. At this time, he wasn¡¯t on the battlefield or in any kind of danger, so there was no need to endure this agony. Of course, it was more comfortable to rest well at home.


    Lying on the sofa watching TV, his mind couldn¡¯t help but drift back to the events of last night. That scene was truly unforgettable; though utterly absurd, it was tantalizing enough to keep him reminiscing.


    And because of last night¡¯s events, Li Yifei had completely made up his mind about Su Mengxin. He had no doubts left. But it just so happened that he had that kind of encounter with Su Mengxin at that time, and her figure kept appearing in his mind over and over, making it impossible to forget.


    "Sigh, forget it. If Mengxin doesn¡¯t make it clear, then let¡¯s just stay confused," Li Yifei thought. To handle the relationship between him and Su Mengxin, it seemed better to continue playing dumb. Once things were clarified, it would not only be a difficult situation for Su Mengxin, but also for Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying was competitive with other women, but facing Su Mengxin, the top beauty of Huaxia who had shown her kindness, it was hard to say what Xu Yingying would decide. And now, Li Yifei himself had to admit that he was increasingly considering Xu Yingying to be a good wife. He couldn¡¯t make such a decision to change partners: not for Ye Yunzhu, his first love, not even for Ning Xin¡¯er who had borne him a daughter, and not for Su Mengxin, who, despite her distinguished status and deep affection for him, was no exception.


    The sound of a key in the lock came through, and then Xu Shanshan hurried in, taking off her shoes as she rushed in, asking urgently, "Brother-in-law, what happened to you?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s nothing. Your sister was just overreacting, which is why she called you back."


    Without even putting on slippers, Xu Shanshan kicked off her shoes and ran to Li Yifei¡¯s side. Seeing the large and small wounds on Li Yifei¡¯s leg, her eyes turned red. She sat next to him and said with a choked voice, "Brother-in-law, does it hurt?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s reaction touched Li Yifei deeply. This was true familial affection. When you¡¯re hurt, she genuinely worries and feels sad for you. He quickly said with a smile, "It stopped hurting a while ago. Your brother-in-law isn¡¯t that fragile."


    "Don¡¯t lie to me. With so many wounds, it must really hurt," Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei, her small hand wanting to touch his leg but fearing she might hit a wound. Her careful and pained expression revealed to Li Yifei another side of Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan was usually the girl at home who needed to be taken care of. Her parents doted on her, Xu Yingying, despite always arguing with her, still indulged her, and Li Yifei, her brother-in-law, spoiled her terribly. So at home, Xu Shanshan did as she pleased and seemed not to take others into consideration. But now Li Yifei realized that Xu Shanshan was also a very kind-hearted girl; it was just that normally there was no chance for her to show it.


    "Ah, there are wounds on the back of your leg too. How can you lie down like this?" Xu Shanshan said, pulling over a cushion then lifting Li Yifei¡¯s foot and placing the cushion underneath it.


    Li Yifei laughed, "I haven¡¯t washed my feet yet."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "If you haven¡¯t washed them, then you haven¡¯t washed them. I don¡¯t mind the dirt. If you feel like washing them, I¡¯ll wash them for you later."


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "That won¡¯t be necessary."


    Xu Shanshan continued to look at Li Yifei¡¯s wounds, then gently grasped his ankle, saying, "Brother-in-law, lift your leg up a bit." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei did as she asked and lifted his leg a bit higher. Xu Shanshan, with tears in her eyes, said, "How did it get this bad, all these wounds?"


    "Didn¡¯t your sister tell you?"


    "She only mentioned that your leg was injured and told me to come back and take care of you. I rushed right back."


    "Heh, these wounds are from when I fought with a shark."


    "A shark?" Xu Shanshan stared at Li Yifei in shock.


    "Yes, a very big shark. I killed it, but my leg got slashed by a lot of small cuts on its teeth."


    "Slashed by the watermark of its teeth? My goodness, if it was a bit off, you could have been bitten. Brother-in-law, that¡¯s... too thrilling and risky, right?"


    "Of course, it was my first time killing a shark. I didn¡¯t have any experience."


    "Experience? You, you rascal brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan punched Li Yifei in the chest, angrily exclaiming, "Do you realize if something happened to you, my sister and I wouldn¡¯t be able to go on living?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "Alright, alright, I definitely won¡¯t do it again in the future."


    After talking for a while, Xu Shanshan found a towel and carefully started cleaning around the wounds on Li Yifei¡¯s skin; there were some bloodstains that were better to be wiped off.


    "Lift your shirt. I¡¯ll clean your upper body too. I can tell you didn¡¯t shower yesterday." After wiping his legs, Xu Shanshan then directed Li Yifei to take off his shirt.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to comply and lifted his shirt. Xu Shanshan was all seriousness at that moment, not flirty like usual. Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to waste Xu Shanshan¡¯s kind gesture.


    "Huh!" Xu Shanshan wiped and then frowned.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan, puzzled.


    "Brother-in-law, why do I smell the scent of women on you?"


    "Oh? Do you?" Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit guilty.


    "Humph, how could there not be? And it¡¯s not just one, there¡¯s one... two... three... four, it¡¯s the scent of four different women. My God, brother-in-law, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t come home last night and ended up with four women?"


    Li Yifei was utterly impressed with Xu Shanshan, her nose was as keen as a dog¡¯s. But of course, he couldn¡¯t say the actual situation. He laughed, "I was at Su Mengxin¡¯s place last night, and three of her friends showed up. There were five of us together, and besides, look at my leg¡ªit¡¯s in such bad shape, how could I possibly do anything with anyone?"


    "Fair point." Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "If you were still able to fool around with four women in your condition, that would make you a real pervert."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yeah, indeed."


    After Xu Shanshan finished wiping Li Yifei¡¯s chest, she asked him to turn to his side. Bending down, she wiped Li Yifei¡¯s back, and when she reached his waist, she actually pulled down his boxer shorts a bit.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was startled and quickly grabbed the waistband of his shorts.


    Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei and said, "With you in this state, could I possibly take advantage of you? I¡¯m just wiping your butt, otherwise you¡¯re going to stink up the place, trying to kill me with that smell? Let go, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a patient now, you need to listen to me." With that, she swatted Li Yifei¡¯s hand away and pulled down his boxer shorts quite a bit more. Though she only exposed a large portion of his rear and didn¡¯t reveal anything from the front.


    But even so, this made Li Yifei feel rather embarrassed. What happened last night was too much, but everyone had been drinking, so there was some excuse for it. However, today he was sober, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s actions were too much for him to handle.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan wiped him down very thoroughly, making Li Yifei feel as if she was taking advantage of the situation to cop a feel.


    After finally finishing, Xu Shanshan had Li Yifei lie back down. Then, catching a glimpse of him, she suddenly blushed and burst out laughing.


    Li Yifei felt extremely awkward at this point; Xu Shanshan had given him a butt wiping and he had inadvertently pitched a tent.


    "Dirty brother-in-law, you¡¯re injured and still thinking dirty thoughts." Xu Shanshan spat at Li Yifei and then stuffed the towel into his hands, "You wipe the front yourself."


    "Is that really necessary?"


    "What do you mean, ¡¯is that really necessary¡¯? Hurry up, I need to wash the towel after you¡¯re done." Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei.


    "Could you turn around first?"


    "No, I won¡¯t. If I turn around, what if you don¡¯t wipe? Anyway, I¡¯ve touched it before, so what are you embarrassed about? Just hurry up." Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a mischievous look.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly, his face turning red as he hurriedly wiped inside his underwear a couple of times. Then, he finally took the towel out, but suddenly he realized something, "Shanshan, this is your towel."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s mine." The smile on Xu Shanshan¡¯s face became even fuller.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Then we should throw it away, and I¡¯ll get you a new one later."


    "I just won¡¯t get a new one; I¡¯ll use this one." Xu Shanshan playfully winked at Li Yifei, then used the same towel to wipe his feet. After that, she turned and went to the bathroom to wash it off.


    Li Yifei gently shook his head. Normally, sharing a towel was something couples did, and Xu Shanshan using the same towel after him, even after he¡¯d wiped his private parts, made it feel like she considered him her most intimate person.


    After a while, Xu Shanshan returned to the living room, now dressed in a new set of silky pajamas suited for home wear, exceptionally delicate. The silk top outlined her breasts very prominently due to her not wearing a bra, making even the slight protrusions on top quite noticeable.


    Sitting beside Li Yifei¡¯s head, Xu Shanshan lifted his head and then shifted her bottom so that Li Yifei¡¯s head was resting on her thighs. She greeted him with a cheerful smile, "Brother-in-law, today I¡¯m going to take good care of you, very good care indeed."


    With his head resting on Xu Shanshan¡¯s elastic thighs, intoxicating wisps of her scent from her legs and body wafted to his nose, it was truly irresistible. Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse and just lay there. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from yesterday, but after a short while, he drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 585 - 603 Mind Connection

    Chapter 585: Chapter 603 Mind ConnectionXu Shanshan looked down at Li Yifei, her face carrying a sweet smile. Li Yifei had always been the one taking care of her, but now, she suddenly found that taking care of him was a great happiness. She gently placed her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    His face was well-defined, and although not exceptionally handsome, Xu Shanshan found that she particularly liked his masculine allure¡ªthe more she looked, the more she liked him.


    Gently caressing his face, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but feel intoxicated. She liked her brother-in-law, an inexplicable liking. She had never thought about being Li Yifei¡¯s wife, nor had she considered competing with her sister. As long as Li Yifei could always be with Xu Yingying, she could always be with him too.


    When she thought about how Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were intimate with each other, she felt a strange excitement.


    She and Xu Yingying were twins, and there was some kind of telepathy between them. It wasn¡¯t that she could know everything Xu Yingying was thinking, but that she would feel everything especially if Xu Yingying was doing something particular. This was especially true when it came to sexual matters; her reactions were even more intense.


    This was something she hadn¡¯t been very clear on before, so when Xu Yingying brought Li Yifei back, she tried various ways to probe their relationship. Back then, she just thought this brother-in-law was a good man without any special thoughts.


    But once, when Xu Yingying felt a sudden unexplainable impulse one night while they were in the same bed, Xu Shanshan felt it too. It was then that she discovered such a telepathy existed between them.


    Therefore, in her heart, Xu Shanshan treated Li Yifei as if he were her husband as well, feeling no aversion to being close to him. She didn¡¯t intend to seduce Li Yifei; to her, she had already made love to him countless times in her mind. So, what did some physical contact matter?


    This was still Xu Shanshan consciously controlling herself, otherwise, she would have already had a relationship with Li Yifei.


    As she gently stroked Li Yifei¡¯s face, she felt like she was touching her beloved husband. Then, cautiously, she lowered her head and kissed Li Yifei¡¯s lips.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t wake up, sleeping on Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg, and he slept very peacefully. His senses were almost completely shut off to Xu Shanshan.


    "Brother-in-law, I really like you so much," Xu Shanshan murmured softly as she looked down at Li Yifei with tender, watery eyes, feeling an ever-deepening love for him.


    Li Yifei seemed to hear her; he turned his head a little, and his head shifted towards Xu Shanshan¡¯s abdomen. She didn¡¯t feel the slightest hint of fear. Seeing that his eyes were still closed, she gently hugged Li Yifei¡¯s head, letting his face rest against her stomach.


    Feeling the warmth of Li Yifei¡¯s face and his breath on her body, Xu Shanshan¡¯s body slowly started to heat up.


    Xu Shanshan might be considered a virgin, yet she could also be considered a young married woman with many experiences in that respect. As the saying goes, once you¡¯ve tasted the marrow, you know the flavor, so it was quite normal for her to be sensitive and reactive in this regard.


    However, Xu Shanshan knew one thing¡ªshe couldn¡¯t actually have a relationship with Li Yifei. That would likely cause conflict with her sister. No matter how tolerant her sister seemed now, Xu Shanshan was clear that her sister was not that magnanimous and was slowly capturing Li Yifei¡¯s heart, intending to eventually drive away the other women around him.


    In the future, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t allow other women to be with Li Yifei; if she, the younger sister, was to actually have a relationship with him, it could very well turn the sisters into enemies. Such an outcome was something Xu Shanshan absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow to happen. She still had to restrain herself and not have a true relationship with Li Yifei.


    Holding Li Yifei¡¯s head and occasionally stealing a kiss, Xu Shanshan enjoyed herself. However, after a while, her legs started to numb, yet she didn¡¯t want to wake Li Yifei, so she continued to hold him, enduring the increasing numbness.


    The sound of a key opening the door rang out, and Xu Yingying walked in. She was startled to see Li Yifei resting on her sister¡¯s legs but Xu Shanshan quickly gestured for her to be quiet, and Xu Yingying realized that Li Yifei was asleep.


    Walking on tiptoes to the couch, Xu Yingying then noticed how many wounds there were on Li Yifei¡¯s leg, and her heart ached. Concern overcame any thoughts she had about scolding them for their ambiguous position.


    Li Yifei suddenly sensed Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze and immediately woke up, only to realize that he was resting on Xu Shanshan¡¯s legs, while Xu Yingying was watching, and he quickly tried to get up, embarrassed. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan pressed down on Li Yifei¡¯s head at once, saying, "Brother-in-law, sleep a little longer."


    Li Yifei hurriedly spoke, "It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not sleeping anymore, I¡¯m really sorry, I actually rested on your legs."


    Xu Shanshan softly said, "It¡¯s fine, brother-in-law, it¡¯s rare that you let me take care of you. As long as you¡¯re comfortable, that¡¯s all that matters."


    Xu Yingying glanced at her sister, and finding Xu Shanshan¡¯s composed demeanor, she couldn¡¯t really connect any ambiguous relationship between them being here, and asked, "Feeling better?"


    Li Yifei smiled at Xu Yingying, "Much better, they¡¯re just superficial wounds, nothing serious."


    Xu Yingying said with concern, "Just superficial wounds? Haven¡¯t you seen how many injuries you have? If just one of them were on my own body, I couldn¡¯t bear it."


    Li Yifei touched Xu Yingying¡¯s cheek, saying, "Really, it¡¯s nothing, my skin is thick. In a couple of days, I¡¯ll be healed. Shanshan, let me get up."


    Only then did Xu Shanshan let go of Li Yifei, grabbing a pillow for him and said, "Don¡¯t get up, just lie down."


    Xu Yingying immediately helped place the pillow under Li Yifei¡¯s head, and Xu Shanshan scooted over. But with that movement, the spot where Li Yifei¡¯s head had been resting suddenly felt a rush of blood, as if pricked by a needle, and she quickly grimaced and inhaled sharply.


    "Shanshan, rub it quickly, I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve slept, I must have made your leg numb," Li Yifei immediately realized what was happening and quickly spoke, feeling an indescribable sense of gratitude. Although Xu Shanshan often played around, she was genuinely nice to him. To have endured such numbness without waking him up required tremendous endurance, and if it weren¡¯t for her caring thoughts to let him sleep more comfortably, she wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer like this.


    "Stinky brother-in-law, your head is so heavy," Xu Shanshan complained, then started rubbing her leg, which quickly recovered.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Shanshan, if your leg is numb, you should have just told me to get up."


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a sideways glance and said, "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn¡¯t have the heart to wake you up. You¡¯ve always taken care of me in the past, it¡¯s not easy that I get to take care of you for once, so I had to do a good job."


    Xu Yingying immediately joined in, "Husband, you always spoil this girl. It¡¯s good for her to realize how hard it is to take care of someone for once."


    Li Yifei laughed, "She¡¯s my sister-in-law, isn¡¯t it right to take care of her? It makes me feel a bit guilty to have her take care of me."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "What¡¯s there to feel guilty about? She¡¯s only two hours younger than I am. It¡¯s just that she hasn¡¯t grown up. Shanshan, you should understand by now how hard it is to take care of someone. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still bully your brother-in-law so much in the future."


    "Hehe, I¡¯ll bully when it¡¯s time to bully, who asked him to be my brother-in-law," Shanshan giggled. "Besides, if it comes to it, I can take care of him in the future."


    "Enough of that, you¡¯re hoping your brother-in-law gets injured again in the future?" Xu Yingying gave Xu Shanshan a stern look.


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "I misspoke, it¡¯s finally not numb anymore."

 Chapter 586 - 604 Hold On

    Chapter 586: Chapter 604 Hold On"""Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really gross. You drool in your sleep." Xu Shanshan grinned, looking disgusted, then quickly ran to the bedroom, grabbed some clothes, and dashed into the bathroom.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen what was on Xu Shanshan¡¯s pants. So when Xu Shanshan said that, he was a bit confused and asked Xu Yingying, "Do I drool in my sleep?"


    At first, Xu Yingying noticed the wet spot on Xu Shanshan and did think of some messy things. But after Xu Shanshan ran off after saying just one line and Li Yifei said such a thing, she felt relieved. Blushing, she pouted at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re really something else, how come you were sleeping on Shanshan¡¯s lap?"


    Li Yifei awkwardly laughed and said, "I was a bit out of it at the time, and Shanshan might have seen me sleeping uncomfortably and set my leg on hers. I wasn¡¯t too clear on it." Blaming it on Xu Shanshan was shameless, but her explanation would obviously be more convincing than his, plus Xu Yingying would find it easier to believe what Xu Shanshan said, so he had no choice but to throw her under the bus.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "That¡¯s quite something, drooling and wetting Shanshan¡¯s pants. Isn¡¯t Shanshan going to tease you about this for the rest of your life?"


    No sooner had Xu Yingying finished speaking than Xu Shanshan came out wearing a fresh pair of pajamas, scraping her face twice and giggling, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so embarrassing, drooling in your sleep."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Sorry, I¡¯ll make sure to pay attention from now on."


    "Hehe, were you dreaming about something good?" Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately laughed and said, "I slept like a log and didn¡¯t have a single dream."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Alright, stop teasing your brother-in-law. Can¡¯t you see how injured he is? And you¡¯re still joking around with him."


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "Got it. Brother-in-law, do you want something to eat? I¡¯ll fix it for you."


    With that, the matter was smoothed over. Li Yifei, relishing in Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan¡¯s care, couldn¡¯t help but enjoy it. After a while, Xu Yingying went to pick up Little Yifei, leaving Li Yifei alone with Xu Shanshan at home.


    "Shanshan, did I really drool? I don¡¯t seem to have that habit." Li Yifei, still bewildered by what had happened, couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Xu Shanshan blushed and said, "You drooled."


    "Really?" Li Yifei still didn¡¯t believe it.


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at him, then suddenly lowered her head and whispered into his ear, "Silly brother-in-law, your mouth was pressed against me, getting me wet. Are you satisfied now?"


    "Huh?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, completely unsure how to respond.


    "Hehe... I¡¯m not that young anymore, right? Your sister¡¯s married to you, and I¡¯m still single¡ªhaving a reaction is normal, isn¡¯t it?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s face was so red it seemed she could wring blood from it, but she still gave a playful wink at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Uh... uh... Shanshan..."


    "Don¡¯t ¡¯uh¡¯ me, I¡¯m not blaming you. But it did feel pretty good. Brother-in-law, rest your head on my lap a bit longer."


    "No, no!" Li Yifei jumped, refusing in a hurry.


    Xu Shanshan burst into giggles and suddenly pecked him on the cheek, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t seduce you like that."


    Li Yifei forced a smile, thinking, isn¡¯t this seduction? If this isn¡¯t it, what would be if it really happened? Wouldn¡¯t that take his life?


    Just then, Xu Shanshan suddenly made a curious sound and leaned toward Li Yifei¡¯s face again. Startled, he said, "Shanshan, stop fooling around."


    "No, brother-in-law, you feel kind of hot." Xu Shanshan placed her lips on Li Yifei¡¯s face, then moved to his forehead, and her expression turned tense. "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re running a fever."


    Li Yifei said doubtfully, "Really?"


    "Really, brother-in-law, you really have a fever. Didn¡¯t you feel how cool my lips are?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s face carried a hint of panic.


    Li Yifei did notice Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips were a bit cool, which alarmed him. With his constitution, he generally wouldn¡¯t get sick, but when he did, it often hit hard. He dared not be careless, and said, "Find a thermometer, I¡¯ll take my temperature."


    Xu Shanshan immediately ran to fetch one. After taking Li Yifei¡¯s temperature, she exclaimed in alarm, "Brother-in-law, thirty-eight degrees, you really do have a fever."


    By now, Li Yifei didn¡¯t need Xu Shanshan to tell him. He already knew, because his body was heating up, even making his head feel a bit dizzy. Such a condition couldn¡¯t simply be a cold; it was likely due to an injury that hadn¡¯t been properly disinfected, leading to an infection¡ªor worse, tetanus.


    An ordinary infection is one thing, but if it¡¯s tetanus, that¡¯s serious¡ªit could be fatal. Li Yifei at once said, "Shanshan, let¡¯s go to the hospital now. A couple of shots should solve the problem." He didn¡¯t voice his suspicion, not wanting to scare Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan jumped up in alarm, saying, "Then let¡¯s go now."


    "But you need to change your clothes. I don¡¯t want my sister-in-law dressed like this for all to see," Li Yifei joked to ease Xu Shanshan¡¯s tension.


    Xu Shanshan let out a cry and dashed into her bedroom without even shutting the door, quickly changing her clothes.


    From where Li Yifei sat, he could see Xu Shanshan changing, but his mind was hazy, his eyes barely open. How could he even think of sneaking a peek at Xu Shanshan now?


    Xu Shanshan soon came running out, discovering that in that short time, Li Yifei¡¯s body had grown hotter and he seemed to be getting dizzy, which terrified her. But this fear spurred her self-reliance. Saying nothing, she lifted him up.


    Li Yifei struggled to stand, eyes closed, saying, "Shanshan, don¡¯t worry. Your brother-in-law¡¯s fine."


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll piggyback you." Without waiting for a response, she hoisted him onto her back. Somehow, she found the strength, and he was perched on her back before he could protest.


    In a rush, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t even change her shoes, but instead, carried him out wearing slippers. Fortunately, the elevator was only two floors up and quickly reached them. Inside, she didn¡¯t put him down, urging, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t fall asleep. I¡¯m afraid you might have tetanus, so you must hold on."


    This girl knew a bit about such matters. Despite her anxiety, she was aware of some emergency practices, like not allowing Li Yifei to fall unconscious. A person¡¯s willpower could indeed sustain them until reaching the hospital, where a shot would suffice.


    Li Yifei understood this well. Naturally, his willpower was formidable. He softly replied, "I know. Shanshan, don¡¯t worry. Your brother-in-law can hold on."


    "Yeah, brother-in-law, you must hold on. My sister loves you so much, and so do I. If you truly die, we won¡¯t be able to carry on. And there¡¯s Little Yifei¡ªshe¡¯s your daughter. If you¡¯re not around, who will take care of her? She can¡¯t lose her father."


    "Brother-in-law, be strong. When you get better, you can do whatever you want with me. I¡¯ll let you do anything. Later, my sister and I will serve you together. We¡¯ll have a threesome. We¡¯re twins, you know¡ªit¡¯s bound to be exhilarating, a thrill to die for."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan was trying to provoke him. Despite being dizzy, he chuckled softly and said, "Haha, silly girl, no need for that. Your brother-in-law doesn¡¯t need such motivation to fight for survival."


    Xu Shanshan hurriedly said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m serious. I really love you, deep down to my bones. I¡¯ll cling to you my whole life. If you leave my sister and me, I¡¯ll chase you to Yama¡¯s Palace and keep clinging to you."


    Li Yifei surprisingly felt the depth of Xu Shanshan¡¯s affection. Laying against her back, he was suddenly moved in an indescribable way and softly said, "Shanshan, I believe you."


    "Then live for me, you must live."


    "Yeah, something this small won¡¯t take my life."


    Xu Shanshan strapped Li Yifei into the car and drove like mad to the hospital, not knowing how many red lights she ran or how many accidents she narrowly avoided¡ªnot that she noticed.


    Once at the hospital, Xu Shanshan carried Li Yifei straight to emergency care. However, the place was swarming with people. Her eyes red from worry, she bypassed any queue and shouted loudly, "Doctor, doctor, please save him! My brother-in-law might have tetanus!"


    Patients and family members saw a pretty girl carrying a grown man in a frenzy and instinctively stepped aside, internally applauding. Li Yifei was clearly quite heavy, yet she managed to carry him so fast. Such strength! S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn¡¯t physical strength, though, but an adrenaline rush, driven by frantic urgency. And for a sister-in-law to be so devoted to her brother-in-law, the man must be extraordinarily blessed indeed.


    The doctor didn¡¯t hesitate either. Though all these cases required emergency attention, none seemed life-threatening. If it was tetanus, time was critical. Observing Li Yifei¡¯s condition, the doctor swiftly intervened. It was indeed tetanus, but being treated promptly, it wasn¡¯t life-threatening. After receiving a tetanus shot, he was transferred to a ward.


    Finally feeling utterly exhausted, Xu Shanshan collapsed into a chair, her entire body drained of strength.


    """

 Chapter 587 - 605 Uncomfortable

    Chapter 587: Chapter 605 UncomfortableWhen Li Yifei finally woke up, there were quite a few people in the hospital room. Xu Yingying was holding Little Yifei, who had already fallen asleep in her arms. Xu Shanshan, He Fangqing, and Ye Yunzhu were sitting by the bedside, while Su Mengxin sat on a chair beside them.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re awake!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed joyfully, gripping Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand in return and said, "Did I scare you?"


    Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei¡¯s hands were tightly clasped together as she said, "You really frightened me."


    Apart from feeling a bit dizzy, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel too uncomfortable. He smiled and said, "This time I owe it all to you, Shanshan. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might not have made it through." Even though he had faced many dangers before, relying on his abilities to get through safely each time, this time, if Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t carried him to the hospital, he might have lost his life to this sudden illness. It seemed that no matter how strong one was, these special sudden illnesses could still catch people off guard.


    "Dear, I made you worry," Li Yifei apologized as he looked at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying, her eyes red, said in a choked voice, "You really scared me. When I got Shanshan¡¯s call, my legs went weak."


    Li Yifei held Xu Yingying¡¯s other hand and said, "It¡¯s okay now. It was just an accident this time; it won¡¯t happen again."


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and said, "It¡¯s true that good people don¡¯t live long, while troublemakers last a thousand years. Why didn¡¯t you just die of your illness this time, you bastard?"


    Li Yifei knew that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words were just a special way of expressing concern. He smiled slightly and said, "If I really died, wouldn¡¯t the child in your belly be fatherless?"


    Ye Yunzhu replied with a hint of exasperation, "Hmph, so be it. You¡¯re nothing to rely on as a father anyway."


    At this moment, Su Mengxin also came over to the bedside. She felt the most guilty, having had too much confidence in Li Yifei. She believed Li Yifei was so strong that even a large shark could be easily killed, and getting hurt wouldn¡¯t be a problem. So, she was careless, especially since they had such a wild night, which might have led to his tetanus being related to the drinking and fooling around. Such a huge incident was naturally her responsibility.


    "Yifei, it was all my fault..."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Mengxin, it was completely an accident, and now I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t blame yourself."


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Mengxin nodded slightly. Just a look exchanged between them spoke volumes, rendering superfluous words inappropriate.


    He Fangqing yawned and said, "Li Yifei, you really know how to trouble people. In the middle of the night, you dragged everyone here. Now that you¡¯re fine, I¡¯m going to head back."


    Recently, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been spending time with He Fangqing. They only exchanged a few words occasionally at the company, and their relationship seemed to have cooled a lot due to other women around Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei knew that He Fangqing didn¡¯t want to affect his relationship with Xu Yingying. Considering He Fangqing and Xu Yingying were good friends, maintaining the previous relationship would be awkward for Yingying. Before Xu Yingying married Li Yifei, they had talked about these things, but it was just the innocent ideas of an unmarried girl. If she took it seriously, she would be a fool. So even though she missed Li Yifei, she never showed it in front of him.


    "Fangqing, thank you," Li Yifei expressed his gratitude, feeling both grateful and guilty towards He Fangqing. At this moment, he could only convey his apology with a simple thank you.


    "Why thank me? I didn¡¯t risk my life like Shanshan to get you treated." He Fangqing chuckled softly, stood up, and said, "Alright then, since you¡¯re okay, I¡¯ll head home to sleep."


    Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Let¡¯s go together."


    Ye Yunzhu also stood up, saying, "Alright, I won¡¯t stay here either. I¡¯ve been getting plenty of sleep lately, but without it, I couldn¡¯t keep going."


    "Sis, you should go home too. Little Yifei has preschool tomorrow, so I¡¯ll stay here," Xu Shanshan quickly interjected.


    Xu Yingying hesitated a bit. Among these people, aside from herself, Ye Yunzhu and He Fangqing were more suitable to take care of Li Yifei. But Ye Yunzhu was pregnant, and He Fangqing wasn¡¯t comfortable stepping in, plus letting them care for him felt a bit awkward, so it was better to let Xu Shanshan take care of him.


    Naturally, it made the most sense for her to stay, but she had an important meeting in the morning and needed to go home to prepare. In the end, she said, "Alright, you stay here then. Honey, we¡¯re all leaving. You¡¯ll be okay, right?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯m fine. I could actually be discharged right now."


    "Discharged? You stay right here until the doctor says you can leave," Xu Yingying snapped.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t get discharged." When the wife¡¯s authority was asserted, you had to give face.


    After everyone left together, Xu Shanshan saw them out and returned to the room. It was a deluxe hospital room, equipped with a patient bed and an attendant bed, plus a sofa and a television, and the bathroom was within the room. Staying here with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t too uncomfortable.


    "Brother-in-law, do you want to sleep a little more?" Xu Shanshan asked as she sat by Li Yifei¡¯s side, looking at him.


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "I¡¯ve slept so much today at home, and I¡¯ve been sleeping since the fainting. I¡¯m really not sleepy now."


    "Then you must be hungry. You haven¡¯t had dinner yet. What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll get it for you."


    Li Yifei did feel a bit hungry now and said, "I¡¯d really like something to eat. There are some fruits there; I¡¯ll just have some of those."


    "Don¡¯t you want some food? I can go buy it for you."


    "No need, just some fruit is fine."


    Xu Shanshan immediately went to wash an apple for Li Yifei, then peeled it and fed him slice by slice with a fruit knife.


    Xu Shanshan said, "Shanshan, it¡¯s okay. Give it to me, and I¡¯ll bite into it myself. You worked so hard today; you should rest."


    "It¡¯s nothing. I only got tired carrying you here; now there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m a dancer with much better stamina than my sister."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse Xu Shanshan and let her feed him.


    After eating an apple, Li Yifei felt much better, but soon he couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to urinate. During his coma, he didn¡¯t know how much saline solution had been dripped into him. Now, the needle was still in his hand for the drip, and after eating the apple, he naturally had more fluid in his body.


    Seeing Li Yifei try to sit up, Xu Shanshan quickly supported him and asked, "Brother-in-law, what do you want to do?"


    "I need to use the restroom." Speaking about such matters in front of his sister-in-law wasn¡¯t awkward for Li Yifei. Living under the same roof, sharing a bathroom and a toilet, bumping into each other outside the bathroom door was normal.


    "Oh, then I¡¯ll help you." Xu Shanshan immediately took down the IV bag, held it high, and used her other hand to support Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Shanshan, I¡¯m not that weak that I need you to help me walk."


    "I¡¯ll help you regardless. You scared me too much today." Xu Shanshan pouted.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to let Xu Shanshan assist him into the bathroom. But standing in front of the toilet, he said to Xu Shanshan, "Alright, you can go out now."


    "Why should I go out? How will you manage without help?" Xu Shanshan frowned at him.


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "Shanshan, I need to use the toilet, and with you here, it¡¯s really..."


    "It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re a patient, and I¡¯m just taking care of you. Besides, what¡¯s the big deal about looking? Even if I haven¡¯t touched it in there, I¡¯ve touched it from the outside. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?"


    Li Yifei was suddenly speechless, as Xu Shanshan¡¯s words were too straightforward.


    "Hurry up, if you end up wetting yourself, I¡¯ll have to wash your pants. Hold the bottle yourself; I¡¯ll help you with your pants." Xu Shanshan offered another suggestion.


    "No, no! Shanshan, please, just go out. I can really manage. With you here, I¡¯m really afraid... I won¡¯t be able to go."


    "If you can¡¯t go, then you¡¯re thinking of something else, right? Thinking of doing something to me, right? Brother-in-law, you¡¯re ill and shouldn¡¯t have such thoughts. Besides, I¡¯m your sister-in-law. Even though you take advantage of me usually, you surely can¡¯t be thinking of doing that, right?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. If he didn¡¯t pull down his pants to pee now, it seemed like his mind was really dirty. Anyway, with this sister-in-law, the ambiguous encounters weren¡¯t few. They¡¯ve kissed and touched before, so in front of Xu Shanshan, he just did what he had to do¡ªpulled down his waistband and took it out.


    After taking it out, he instinctively glanced at Xu Shanshan, who was watching him. When she felt his gaze, her face turned a shade of red, and she said, "You bad brother-in-law, hurry up and pee. Why are you looking at me?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and turned to face the toilet, only to find that he suddenly couldn¡¯t pee.


    The urethra, being the same pathway as the **** channel, automatically closes when thinking about sexual matters. In front of a beauty like Xu Shanshan, especially one with whom he¡¯s had numerous flirtations, his subconscious entertained some thoughts, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t let go.

 Chapter 588 - 606 Xu Shanshan Reveals the Truth

    Chapter 588: Chapter 606 Xu Shanshan Reveals the Truthfreew¨¥bnove?.com"Shh..." A whistle suddenly sounded beside him, making Li Yifei so embarrassed he wanted to crawl into the toilet and flush himself away.


    "Shh..." Another whistle, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, pee well, be good."


    Li Yifei was both embarrassed and ashamed. With such a mindset, his strange thoughts dissipated, and as soon as his urinary tract opened, he started to pee.


    That pee lasted a full thirty seconds, and after finishing, Li Yifei felt light as a feather.


    For Xu Shanshan, this was an incredibly exciting moment, but she didn¡¯t dare to say it, let alone show it. Once Li Yifei finished peeing and pulled up his pants, she quickly said, "Go wash your hands."


    Li Yifei obediently washed his hands and followed Xu Shanshan back to the ward. Xu Shanshan hung the IV, then helped Li Yifei lie down on the bed.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll turn on the TV for you, watch some TV." Xu Shanshan turned on the TV and sat down by Li Yifei¡¯s bed again.


    Li Yifei said in a concerned tone, "Shanshan, don¡¯t busy yourself, haven¡¯t you eaten anything either? Go have some food, brother-in-law is fine."


    "I¡¯m really hungry now, I was worried about you and didn¡¯t feel it; now I do." Xu Shanshan rubbed her tummy, got up, and said, "I don¡¯t feel like going out, eating some fruit isn¡¯t bad."


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t say anything that embarrassed Li Yifei today, just carefully took care of him. When the IV was removed, it was already midnight. Xu Shanshan yawned and said, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s go to sleep."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Sleep."


    Xu Shanshan went to turn off the lights, then surprisingly came to Li Yifei¡¯s bedside, took off her shoes, and was about to get in bed.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was startled.


    Xu Shanshan said seriously, "Of course, I¡¯m going to sleep. You¡¯re the patient, and if I sleep on the other bed, if anything happens to you at night, I wouldn¡¯t hear you."


    "Shanshan, I¡¯m really fine now, nothing will happen at night; even if I need the bathroom, there¡¯s no IV, I can handle it."


    "That¡¯s not okay, you¡¯re a patient now, ah, I get it. You¡¯re afraid that sleeping in the same bed with me will turn you into a lecher, and you¡¯ll want to do something to me, aren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, "My leg is in this condition, what could I do to you? But Shanshan..."


    "No buts, just sleep." Xu Shanshan yawned and lay down, pulling the covers over herself.


    It was already late September, the nights were quite chilly, though still over twenty degrees, not covering up would be cold.


    This was practically forced sleeping, Li Yifei really had no way to deal with this sister-in-law. He moved over a bit to make room for Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, let¡¯s sleep properly tonight; we shouldn¡¯t do anything."


    "Rest assured, even if you want to, I won¡¯t agree, I¡¯ve told you this many times." Xu Shanshan turned to face Li Yifei, blinked at him, and then stretched her arm onto Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    "Shanshan, look at you..."


    "What¡¯s wrong with hugging, I just like hugging you like this. At home, I worry about my sister seeing, and I¡¯m also afraid you¡¯ll do something to me. Today, your leg is inconvenient, you won¡¯t do anything, so I can boldly hug you."


    "You little girl, aren¡¯t you just trying to make me do wrong?"


    "Well, you¡¯ve made plenty of mistakes already." Xu Shanshan giggled, pressed her face to Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, and even gave him a little kiss on the face.


    This comment left Li Yifei speechless; he could only keep quiet, hoping Xu Shanshan would restrain herself and not cross the line.


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t care about any of that, nor what Li Yifei thought. Suddenly, she sat up, exclaiming, "No, sleeping in clothes like this is uncomfortable. Today really wore me out; I¡¯m taking off my clothes to sleep."


    "Hey, Shanshan, you can¡¯t do that." Li Yifei quickly objected.


    But Xu Shanshan was incredibly quick, in a few moves she had taken off her outer clothes and pants, leaving only her bra and panties, then lay down, saying, "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s your test time."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "Shanshan, this is not testing me, it¡¯s torturing me."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "You were so heavy today, I carried you. What, sleeping together and you don¡¯t agree?"


    This sentence left Li Yifei speechless. This sister-in-law was often mischievous and always tempted him, but Li Yifei knew clearly in times of need, this sister-in-law was truly willing to do anything for him. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He extended his arm under Xu Shanshan¡¯s neck and gently said, "Alright, if you want to sleep with brother-in-law, then brother-in-law will hold you to sleep."


    "Ah, brother-in-law, you¡¯re so good." Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei would suddenly be so agreeable and cheerfully snuggled closer, but her leg still kept some distance from his wound.


    Li Yifei turned his head to give Xu Shanshan a light kiss on the face, "Shanshan, brother-in-law has only one request, we can¡¯t actually get intimate. If you can agree, brother-in-law will do whatever you say."


    "Mm-hmm, I know. Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so good, I love you to death." Xu Shanshan exclaimed joyfully, nestling at Li Yifei¡¯s side, genuinely feeling blissful to the point of dizziness.


    The two of them embraced for a while, then Xu Shanshan giggled, "Brother-in-law, mind if I take off my bra?"


    At this point, Li Yifei also let go, since he had already touched her before, "That¡¯s fine."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, then took off her bra, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll tell you a secret."


    "What secret?" Li Yifei¡¯s hand slid around her neck.


    Xu Shanshan made a soft hum, "My sister and I have a spiritual connection, but I can¡¯t sense what she¡¯s thinking; I can feel every time she¡¯s intimate."


    "What?" Li Yifei was surprised, his eyes widened.


    "Really, every time my sister is intimate with you, I can feel it."


    Li Yifei was dumbfounded. He¡¯s heard of the twin connection but never thought it could be this magical. What Xu Shanshan sensed was in that aspect.


    "So for me, I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve been intimate with you, brother-in-law. Why would I be so close to you, my sister¡¯s boyfriends are like my own, they have to be someone I like. If she chooses someone I dislike, it feels like I¡¯m assaulted daily. Brother-in-law, you must be with my sister, otherwise I can¡¯t bear it."


    "Does your sister have such senses?"


    "No, my sister never mentioned it, but you can¡¯t tell her. If she knows, I can¡¯t imagine what she¡¯d think."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Shanshan, you¡¯re really making it hard for me to handle."


    "Haha, why¡¯s it hard, it¡¯s like having us both to yourself, you got a great deal."


    Li Yifei finally accepted it, "But that¡¯s your feeling, not mine."


    "Hehe, you can imagine." Xu Shanshan giggled.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s revelation removed any barriers between them.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Alright, consider it compensation."


    "Mm-hmm, then you can sneakily touch me. When I can¡¯t take it, you can be with my sister."


    Li Yifei laughed, "That¡¯s challenging. How can I just touch you then be with your sister? That¡¯s practically under her watch; it¡¯s too hard."


    "True, this isn¡¯t like touching my foot; my sister doesn¡¯t mind that. If you touch my chest, she¡¯d kill you. We have to think of a way. Tough, tough..." Xu Shanshan racked her brain, unable to find a solution, as this wasn¡¯t as easy to deal with as touching feet.

 Chapter 589 - 607

    Chapter 589: 607"Isn¡¯t it hot, brother-in-law? Are you thinking about something?" Xu Shanshan moved her hand lightly without a sense of unfamiliarity, saying seductively in Li Yifei¡¯s ear.


    Li Yifei felt very comfortable with Xu Shanshan¡¯s touch and kissed her lightly, saying, "Yeah, with a beautiful woman like you next to me, how can I not? I¡¯d be a fool not to."


    "Hehe, then when my sister¡¯s not home, or when she¡¯s not paying attention, I¡¯ll sneakily touch you," Xu Shanshan giggled.


    "Hmm... It¡¯s fine when your sister¡¯s not home, but if she¡¯s not paying attention, better not. I really worry about your sister seeing us. We don¡¯t want to make her sad."


    "I understand, hehe... I still want to see it," Xu Shanshan said as she ducked her head under the covers and completely exposed Li Yifei¡¯s treasure.


    Li Yifei let her look while his hand gently caressed Xu Shanshan¡¯s body. Their relationship was quite strange; though they hadn¡¯t done that sort of thing, it felt as if they had, so the burden in his heart disappeared completely.


    After a while, Xu Shanshan sat up and smirked at Li Yifei, "I heard from Xiaoyao that when she¡¯s with you, she gives it to you to eat, and you give her to eat. Has my sister done it for you?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "No, your sister is still rather conservative about these things."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "My sister¡¯s really silly. The feelings between a couple aren¡¯t just cultivated during the day, but also in bed."


    "I don¡¯t want to force your sister. Such things need to be done willingly."


    Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei, "If my sister won¡¯t give it to you, I¡¯ll help you eat it later."


    Li Yifei felt a stirring inside and said, "Shanshan, no need. If you do that, I won¡¯t be able to resist taking you. That would cause trouble."


    "No matter how many times you¡¯ve made me come, I¡¯m not afraid. Besides, don¡¯t try to scare me. You¡¯ve been with Xiaoyao countless times, and you didn¡¯t do anything to her, did you? Today you¡¯re sick, so I¡¯ll spare you. When you¡¯re better, I¡¯ll help you that way."


    "Shanshan, I don¡¯t know what to say."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t say anything. With both my sister and me serving you, you won¡¯t need to go looking for other women, which is quite nice."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, feeling the ultimate pleasure of being cared for by the Xu twins, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan. For a man, that truly was the peak of enjoyment, and indeed he shouldn¡¯t have thoughts about other women, but Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t make that promise.


    "Alright, let¡¯s stop this fooling around and sleep well," Xu Shanshan kissed Li Yifei softly and then closed her eyes.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mess around either, just holding Xu Shanshan as he drifted into sleep, as naturally as cuddling Xu Yingying.


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up early and gently roused Xu Shanshan, telling her to move to the bed next to them. Xu Shanshan dared not stay any longer; though Xu Yingying might not arrive so early, who could say if someone else might come? If they saw her with Li Yifei in the same bed, it would be quite troublesome.


    The first to arrive was Su Mengxin. As Xu Shanshan left, Su Mengxin held Li Yifei¡¯s hand, apologetically saying, "Yifei, it¡¯s my fault."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Don¡¯t blame yourself; it was my carelessness."


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t say more, just squeezed his hand softly, her cheeks flushing as she whispered, "Those three girls are still clamoring to see you."


    Li Yifei felt a pang, remembering that crazy night and especially the incident with Su Mengxin. Seeing her now so poised and elegant as if she were an untouchable fairy, he recalled their intimate six-nine session two nights ago. A fantasy so unreal, it made him question if he had been dreaming. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They¡¯re not looking to settle a score, are they?"


    Su Mengxin blushed brightly, saying, "Of course, you took such advantage of them. How could they let you off the hook easily? Especially since you didn¡¯t show up at my place yesterday, they¡¯ve been saying you¡¯ve hidden away out of fear, insisting that I bring you back."


    Li Yifei laughed wryly, "What should I do then?"


    "It¡¯s nothing too serious; they¡¯re just being silly. Everyone was drunk that night. At worst, they¡¯ll give you a hard time for a while, and that¡¯ll be it."


    "But if I go to your place now, Yingying wouldn¡¯t agree, would she?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to her. She and Shanshan have to work, and since your injury is partly my fault, it¡¯s only right for me to take care of you for a day. Once they¡¯ve gone, it won¡¯t be a problem."


    "Alright, it¡¯s up to you. Whether I face it now or later, I¡¯ve got to endure it eventually."


    Su Mengxin smiled, "Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t cling to you like others might."


    "That¡¯s good, otherwise I¡¯d really be spent," Li Yifei thought of the many times they¡¯d played around and feared it might drain him dry. Fortunately, his stamina was robust; anyone else might¡¯ve been in trouble.


    Xu Yingying arrived early as well, and Su Mengxin explained to her. Xu Yingying quickly said, "How can I impose on you, Mengxin, to take care of Yifei? It¡¯s my responsibility."


    Su Mengxin smiled gently, "If it weren¡¯t for me, Yifei wouldn¡¯t be injured like this. If I don¡¯t take care of him a bit, I wouldn¡¯t feel right. Give me the chance to help; besides, there are many people at my place, so it¡¯s convenient to look after him."


    Su Mengxin hesitated briefly, then agreed. Allowing other women to take care of Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying a sense of giving someone else an advantage. Letting Xu Shanshan take care of him would be awkward given the brother-in-law and sister-in-law relationship, but with Su Mengxin, there¡¯d be no such issues, so it was quite fitting.


    So, Li Yifei returned once more to Su Mengxin¡¯s villa, where Xiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei, and Zheng Yuling awaited. Upon seeing Li Yifei, the three wore expressions of awkwardness, glaring at him fiercely.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice and followed Su Mengxin to an upstairs room, lying down on the bed.


    In truth, he was already healing; his leg wounds had scabbed over, though wearing trousers was still inconvenient, so he settled for a pair of beach shorts. Now lying in bed, it was really to avoid making Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others too uncomfortable.


    A knock came at the door, and without waiting for Su Mengxin to respond, it was pushed open as Xiao Ling¡¯er and the two others filed in, standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, looking at Li Yifei imperiously.


    Li Yifei looked at them and said, "What are you up to, holding a three-court tribunal?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er tipped her slightly pointed chin upward, glaring at him, "Li Yifei, have you forgotten what happened the night before last?"


    Li Yifei immediately smiled, "That night, I drank a lot too, and don¡¯t really know what happened."


    "Oh, so you don¡¯t admit it," Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed.


    Zheng Yuling added, "Aren¡¯t you a man? Just trying to shirk off what you¡¯ve done?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "I¡¯m not denying it. I just said I don¡¯t know what I did that day. Despite the notes, maybe we just fooled around, stripped naked, and fell asleep."


    Su Mengfei pouted, "That couldn¡¯t be. We drank a lot, but if we were to play around, we wouldn¡¯t stop till the end before sleeping."


    Li Yifei nodded, appearing delighted, "Then it seems so. Pity I had too much to drink. Otherwise, it would have been a delightful experience."


    If Li Yifei had shown embarrassment, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others would certainly have given him a hard time. But his playful tone and expression disrupted their plans, leaving them all flushed and momentarily speechless.


    Their antics were wild, yet none had boyfriends and were still virgins, showing that they weren¡¯t truly casual. It was Su Mengxin¡¯s heart as their mutual friend and personal teasing pleasure that led to their extreme antics that night. Despite this, they ensured no actual relations occurred, showing control even while drunk.


    "You want to do it again?" Xiao Ling¡¯er shot Li Yifei a bad-tempered look.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "If you all agree, I don¡¯t mind. This time we can play without drinking, so everyone remembers."


    Su Mengfei spat in mock disdain, "You¡¯re such a rascal."


    "How is this me being a rascal? The notes I wrote just asked you to imitate a puppy, which was just a joke. But the conditions you set, those were clearly you all being mischievous. This house, never a wolf, handsome men, and pretty women line up, you all being the mischief-makers," Li Yifei bantered.


    "Pfft!" the girls couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and Li Yifei¡¯s playful nonsense dissipated their anger entirely.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but smile, realizing how Li Yifei¡¯s proactive strategy left her friends speechlessly amused instead of overpowering him.


    "A smile can wash away the grudge; since we¡¯re laughing, let¡¯s put this behind us. After all, I remember nothing from the other night," Li Yifei tried to clear himself.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er rolled her eyes at him, "You¡¯re dreaming! I¡¯ve never let anyone get the better of me. You think it ends just like that?"


    Li Yifei laughed lightly, "It¡¯s wiser to forget. Many things shouldn¡¯t be taken too seriously. Once you do, it gets troublesome."


    Zheng Yuling snorted, "Mengxin, look at how shameless he is, fooling around with your friends like this. Are you just going to let him be?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "You started this. I haven¡¯t faulted you, so what are you all up to?"

 Chapter 590 - 608: The Three Women’s Revenge

    Chapter 590: Chapter 608: The Three Women¡¯s Revenge"Ah, Mengxin, your boyfriend is taking advantage of us, and you¡¯re not even mad?" Zheng Yuling called out to Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly and said, "What¡¯s Yifei¡¯s is mine, and what¡¯s mine is Yifei¡¯s. If he takes advantage, it¡¯s the same as me taking advantage, so what do I have to be mad about?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er gritted her teeth and said aggressively, "Well, aren¡¯t you shameless, Su Mengxin? You two are just like a couple of adulterers."


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t get angry when Xiao Ling¡¯er spoke to her like that. No one in the world would ever speak about her in such a way, except for these few close friends. They never took her status seriously or were swayed by Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty and temperament. They spoke to her in such a free and unrestrained manner, which was exactly why Su Mengxin had always managed to maintain her friendship with them.


    At this point, Su Mengxin laughed again and said, "Anyway, it¡¯s done. You¡¯ve all been taken advantage of by Yifei too, so what can you do about it?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei exchanged glances, their faces suddenly breaking into mischievous smiles. Then, one by one, they climbed onto the bed, rubbing their hands with anticipation as they eyed Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt uneasy and hugged his arms, shrinking back while saying, "What are you going to do? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m a decent person; you can¡¯t mess around!"


    "You and your better half were just saying you took advantage of us, so we¡¯ll let you take full advantage," Xiao Ling¡¯er said as she clasped her hands together and twisted them, trying to look fierce. But being petite and cute, she couldn¡¯t really appear menacing and just seemed a bit more willfully obstinate, which only added to her charm.


    "Sisters, let¡¯s go!" Zheng Yuling called out and lunged at Li Yifei.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Su Mengfei weren¡¯t about to be outdone and pounced as well.


    Li Yifei hastily used his hands to block Xiao Ling¡¯er, but unfortunately, his hand landed on her chest. Both of their bodies stiffened, and Li Yifei quickly let go, saying awkwardly, "Accident! Accident!"


    With Li Yifei¡¯s hand retracted, Xiao Ling¡¯er lost her balance and ended up falling on top of him, glaring at Li Yifei with gritted teeth. "You big pervert." At this moment, she was totally sober. Li Yifei touching her chest had made her feel very embarrassed, but what she didn¡¯t realize was that on that night, she was the one eagerly letting Li Yifei "suckle," and she had enjoyed it immensely.


    Meanwhile, Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei also threw themselves at him, each grabbing one of Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    "Stop it, be careful of Yifei¡¯s legs," Su Mengxin immediately shouted.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er turned and glared at Su Mengxin. "We don¡¯t want this guy¡¯s legs." Then, taking advantage of Li Yifei¡¯s constrained arms, she suddenly grabbed his shirt and started to pull it off.


    "Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was startled, his arms flailing subconsciously.


    Both Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei nearly got flung away by the motion, and they screamed in alarm. Li Yifei quickly stopped exerting force.


    "Hold him down!" Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed frantically.


    In their haste, Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling simply hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arms against their chests and leaned onto his arms, while Xiao Ling¡¯er continued with her attempt to strip Li Yifei¡¯s shirt.


    Taking off the shirt wasn¡¯t really a big deal. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t going to throw them off for real, so he pretended to struggle a bit and let them peel his shirt off. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just when it seemed things were settling down, Xiao Ling¡¯er tried to remove his pants, and that was when Li Yifei drew the line. It wasn¡¯t like the drunken night before, and playing like this was a bit too fishy. With a slight shudder of his arms, Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling felt the hold in their arms loosen, and Li Yifei¡¯s arms were pulled free.


    But just as Li Yifei stretched out his arms, intending to push Xiao Ling¡¯er away, his hand hovered in mid-air, his face full of awkwardness as he stared at her. "Ling¡¯er, this... can you let go?"


    "Humph, why don¡¯t you try and move? Go on, move!" Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s hands motioned slightly, causing Li Yifei¡¯s body to shiver twice, and he stammered, "I won¡¯t move anymore, I won¡¯t. My lady, please let go."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er snorted and said, "I¡¯m not letting go. After all, my innocence was ruined by your hands. You¡¯ve sucked my ¡¯milk,¡¯ had me give you a handjob¡ªit¡¯s not like I¡¯m afraid to touch your filthy thing anymore."


    Realizing she might not be able to hold Li Yifei down, Xiao Ling¡¯er had grabbed that part of him in desperation. It instantly subdued him. Now she taunted him proudly, her cheeks flushing with a shade of red. For her, this was the first time she had touched a man¡¯s private part.


    Seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er taking control of Li Yifei, Xiao Mengfei and Zheng Yuling stopped bothering with his arms and rushed to grab at his pants.


    If Li Yifei wanted to stop them, it would be quite difficult with his vitals in their grip, especially since Xiao Ling¡¯er clearly didn¡¯t understand these matters. Just when he was about to move, she squeezed down haphazardly, and Li Yifei, for all his skills, was suddenly helpless. The pain was real.


    And what was even more extreme was that Xiao Ling¡¯er, afraid that Li Yifei would struggle, didn¡¯t let Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling take off his pants, but had them find scissors to cut the front of Li Yifei¡¯s pants open. This way she didn¡¯t have to let go of her hands, denying Li Yifei even the slightest chance to escape.


    It was only then that Xiao Ling¡¯er let go of her hands and also took away the last piece of Li Yifei¡¯s dignity that had been cut off.


    Li Yifei hurriedly covered his privates with his hands and said, "My dear ladies, what on earth are you trying to do?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled evilly, suddenly leaned over the edge of the bed, picked up a bag, and pulled out a rope from it, saying menacingly, "Today we¡¯re going to take our revenge."


    Li Yifei turned pale, thinking the three girls weren¡¯t intending to play that kind of special game, were they? That was a game Li Yifei certainly didn¡¯t fancy.


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei fought over the rope and began pulling on Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Li Yifei tried to struggle, but Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately made a couple of false grabs with her fingers and said, "Do I really need to get involved?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll let you play for today." With Su Mengxin around, he really didn¡¯t believe the three of them would actually go through with it.


    Once Li Yifei gave up, the three of them excitedly tied both his hands and feet to the head and foot of the bed. Su Mengxin had wanted to stop them, but the three girls simply ignored her and went on with their play.


    After they had tied up Li Yifei, the three girls suddenly pulled out their cell phones and started snapping away furiously at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was instantly covered with a cold sweat. It was one thing to fool around, as it was all happening in a private space where no one would know, but once pictures were involved, if they got out, he would be utterly humiliated. He rushed to say, "Hey, what are you doing? Delete those photos right now."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er burst into laughter, shaking her phone and said, "Li Yifei, just think what would happen if we posted these pictures online?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "You wouldn¡¯t be that cruel, would you?"


    "Hmph!" Zheng Yuling said fiercely, "You¡¯re wrong, we can be that cruel. You took advantage of us, do you think we¡¯re going to let you get away with it for free? Let me tell you, we¡¯ve got dirt on you now. From now on, you¡¯ll do whatever we say. If you dare refuse, you know what the consequences will be."


    Su Mengfei chuckled wickedly, like a crafty little fox, "Bro-in-law, even though we¡¯re relatives, family is family, and I¡¯ve been at a big disadvantage here. I need some compensation, right?"


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes slightly, "Actually, being posted online might not be too bad, huh? I would become famous, and all the girls who see my fit body would be swarming. I wonder how many would contact me then."


    "Gah!" Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others suddenly stared at Li Yifei, wide-eyed, incredulous that he actually thought of gaining fame this way.


    But Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but snort with laughter, suddenly realizing what was going on. Li Yifei clearly saw that they would never actually post the photos online, which is why he said what he did. Since they were so close to Su Mengxin, how could they possibly put Li Yifei¡¯s photos online and embarrass her?


    The plan that had been so well conceived was now utterly deflated, and a sense of frustration surged up suddenly.


    "You guys, I really don¡¯t know what to do with you. Hurry up and delete the photos before someone sees them by accident," Su Mengxin reminded them with a laugh.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted and said, "I refuse to delete them; I want to keep them as a memento."


    Su Mengxin gave Xiao Ling¡¯er a look and asked, "What kind of souvenir? Do you want to look at nude photos of my boyfriend every day?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s face turned bright red, and she sneakily glanced at Li Yifei again before spitting out spitefully, "So ugly, what¡¯s there to look at."


    Having failed to subdue Li Yifei, the three girls felt awkward, started deleting the pictures from their phones, while Su Mengxin went to untie Li Yifei. But her movements were slow, leaving Li Yifei somewhat speechless¡ªwas she taking the opportunity to sneak a peek? Mengxin, either hurry up or use a blanket or something to cover me. After all, you¡¯re considered the number one beauty of Huaxia; how can you still act so lovesick? But he dared not voice these thoughts, instead pretending to be unaware.


    While Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others were deleting the photos, they couldn¡¯t help but see the content within, especially since Li Yifei was still lying naked on the bed.


    Their earlier antics didn¡¯t seem like much, but now, their hearts raced and their faces flushed. By the time they had almost finished deleting the photos, they inexplicably each left one on their phones.


    This was something even Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t anticipated. How could she have guessed that her three best friends would keep a nude photo of a man on their phones¡ªand it was her boyfriend¡¯s.

 Chapter 591 - 609: The Feeling of Consoling Each Other

    Chapter 591: Chapter 609: The Feeling of Consoling Each OtherAfter Li Yifei finished untying the ropes, Su Mengxin then covered him with the quilt and ushered the three girls out of the room.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others did not linger this time. They also felt quite awkward, so they took the opportunity to slip away. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the rest of the afternoon, Li Yifei did not see the three girls until dinner time when he finally encountered them again.


    By now, they had returned to their normal selves, talking and laughing as before, and occasionally teasing Li Yifei while joking around, but they did not go too far.


    No one drank any alcohol that evening. After dinner, everyone just chatted in the living room for a while before retreating to rest.


    When Su Mengxin and Li Yifei returned to their room, Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "If only those three girls could always be this well-behaved."


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "In life, being happy is all that matters."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "That¡¯s why I kind of envy them. By the way, you can¡¯t bathe, so let me help you wipe down your body."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Is that really necessary?"


    "Are you afraid I won¡¯t serve you well?" Su Mengxin said with a smile, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, "It¡¯s not that, just that..."


    "There are no buts. First, you are my good friend, second, you got injured because you were saving my good friend, and you were here to give me a hand. I am responsible for this, and besides..." she continued, "After what happened last night, what¡¯s there to be shy about?"


    Li Yifei forced a laugh, feeling most uneasy about being reminded of that incident. Whenever Su Mengxin mentioned it, he instantly lost all his nerve.


    Su Mengxin was very careful and gentle as she wiped Li Yifei down, especially when cleaning his legs, making sure to wipe every little spot thoroughly. If Li Yifei¡¯s wound had been properly treated at the time, he would not have suddenly contracted tetanus.


    After cleaning his upper body and legs, Su Mengxin looked down towards Li Yifei¡¯s waist and her face immediately turned red.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Maybe... maybe this is enough?"


    Biting her lip, Su Mengxin replied, "It¡¯s better to finish off; you¡¯ll sleep more comfortably."


    "Really, Mengxin, you don¡¯t have to," Li Yifei insisted.


    Flipping her hair, Su Mengxin¡¯s face lit up with a brilliant, sweet smile, "I kissed you yesterday, are you still embarrassed about using my hands today?"


    "This..."


    "Lift your hips a bit," Su Mengxin said, already starting to take off Li Yifei¡¯s pants without waiting for his response.


    Li Yifei awkwardly cooperated with Su Mengxin, feeling quite dumbfounded. It seemed he wasn¡¯t meant to wear pants these days ¡ª Xu Shanshan had pulled them off at the hospital, Xiao Ling¡¯er and the other two girls had stripped them off here, and now Su Mengxin was doing the same.


    Blushing, Su Mengxin chided, "You bad guy, you¡¯re not even being good while sick."


    "This... it¡¯s a natural reaction."


    "Hmph, my mouth hurt so much from the bump yesterday," Su Mengxin said, gripping a little harder, as if punishing Li Yifei¡¯s member.


    Li Yifei felt even more embarrassed. He had been too blissful yesterday, especially at the most thrilling moment when he lost control a little. His hips were thrusting, and since Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t quite in sync, it was normal for it to hurt.


    But thankfully, Su Mengxin was already wiping him down with a towel. After a few strokes, she pulled his pants back up, which allowed Li Yifei to breathe a sigh of relief. However, even if he wouldn¡¯t admit it, he knew he felt a touch of disappointment.


    Su Mengxin tidied up and went out, but it was almost an hour before she returned. When she came back, she was only wearing a thin silver-grey silk nightgown, her hair fluffy, clearly having just taken a bath.


    "You¡¯re still awake?" Su Mengxin sat down at the edge of the bed, lifting her arms to gather her hair.


    Li Yifei turned his head to look, and from under Su Mengxin¡¯s armpit, he could see a corner of her pajamas, and right then Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, allowing him to glimpse the faint outline of her breasts.


    This excited Li Yifei instantaneously, he had already seen every inch of Su Mengxin¡¯s body, including her most private parts. It could be said that there wasn¡¯t a single inch of her skin that Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen, but secretly catching a glimpse of Su Mengxin¡¯s exposed skin somehow seemed even more thrilling than seeing her naked that day.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t hear Li Yifei¡¯s response and turned her head to look at him, only to see Li Yifei staring at her with a straight, fixed gaze. Following his line of sight, she realized what he was looking at. Her face immediately flushed as she said, "You¡¯ve already seen everything; why are you still reacting so strongly?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva, which Su Mengxin caught him doing. However, he wasn¡¯t as embarrassed but instead said with a smile, "Seeing it like this gives a thrilling sensation of peeping."


    With a snort of laughter, Su Mengxin responded, "You men just have a natural inclination for sneakiness."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Yes, that¡¯s the problem with men, unlike women who, when they like someone, can devote themselves entirely."


    "True, when you fall for someone, it¡¯s for a lifetime. Even if he isn¡¯t perfect and has all kinds of flaws, you just can¡¯t help falling in love without looking back."


    Was this Su Mengxin¡¯s way of confessing?


    "Well, I don¡¯t even have a boyfriend, so why am I getting sentimental? Let¡¯s sleep now, Yingying has entrusted you to me, and I can¡¯t let you have a bad night¡¯s sleep. If you¡¯re not rested, Yingying will blame me." Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a slight smile and had already lifted the blanket to get into bed.


    With only one blanket on the bed, Li Yifei felt odd. Su Mengxin mentioned Xu Yingying, yet she was sharing a bed and a blanket with him. What did that mean?


    The room was very quiet, and both Li Yifei and Su Mengxin stopped talking. After a while, Su Mengxin turned to face him and said, "Yifei, about what happened yesterday... do you think I¡¯m cheap?"


    Li Yifei did not expect Su Mengxin to bring up this subject. He coughed lightly and said, "Of course not. We all had too much to drink and got carried away."


    "I know I was drunk, but I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend, and to do such a thing with you, especially in front of the three of them, I just feel like I¡¯ve acted ridiculously."


    "It certainly was absurd, but we were pushed to that point, and there was nothing we could do. Haha, come to think of it, I really got the better deal here, shouldn¡¯t you make me take responsibility?"


    With a light laugh, Su Mengxin said, "I¡¯m not quite there yet, am I? Actually, I was quite comfortable at the time, you must be pretty experienced."


    Finding Su Mengxin¡¯s tone relaxed, Li Yifei was less awkward and said, "It was okay, I guess."


    Su Mengxin gently pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "If you say you¡¯re fat, you puff up. So many of my firsts have been ruined by you; the first man to carry me, the first to undress me, my first kiss, and then that matter yesterday. I can¡¯t believe it, I haven¡¯t even had a real relationship yet, and I¡¯ve done such things with you."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Having so many of Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty¡¯s first times, I really am honored."


    "Proud, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Of course I am proud. If other men knew about it, they would certainly be envious to death. But, I can¡¯t talk about it with anyone else, what a pity."


    "You really are full of yourself, aren¡¯t you? Alright, let¡¯s sleep nicely now."


    Li Yifei agreed and they both stopped talking. They knew neither of them was asleep, yet they both closed their eyes, forcing themselves to sleep, but that only made it harder to fall asleep. Li Yifei used to be able to force himself to sleep, but it wasn¡¯t working now ¨C Su Mengxin¡¯s allure was just too strong.


    "Sigh, I really can¡¯t fall asleep like this, how about... you just hold me?" Su Mengxin finally couldn¡¯t bear it and spoke up.


    "Okay!" Li Yifei replied eagerly, his arm slipping under Su Mengxin¡¯s neck.


    Su Mengxin snuggled up to Li Yifei¡¯s side, then rested her head in his armpit, placing her hand on his chest, and softly said, "This feels much better. And you don¡¯t have to be so restrained anymore. You¡¯ve already touched and seen what should and shouldn¡¯t be touched, so do whatever you want now."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly and said, "Then I won¡¯t be polite." He turned his hand over but merely gently touched Su Mengxin¡¯s cheek.


    Although Su Mengxin expected Li Yifei to reach for her breasts, he instead touched her face. The sensation was truly pleasant, feeling more like tenderness. She gently rubbed her cheek against his hand, pulled it to her lips for a soft kiss, then placed the hand back on his chest, closed her eyes, and felt utterly content.


    Holding Su Mengxin like this, Li Yifei too felt an extraordinary sensation. It wasn¡¯t about excitable passion or being soul-stirring but rather a quiet, peaceful feeling of simple contentment. Holding Su Mengxin was like holding a wife with whom he had shared years of companionship and mutual affection. There was less of a fiery passion but more of a warm intimacy.


    This feeling, he had only sensed a bit of it with Xu Yingying, but with Su Mengxin, it was so profound. This made Li Yifei profoundly confused. Did he really not have feelings for Su Mengxin? Did he truly not hope for anything emotional to happen between them?

 Chapter 592 - 611 Pursuers

    Chapter 592: Chapter 611 PursuersAfter a bout of passion, Su Mengxin snuggled up next to Li Yifei, her face still flushed with the afterglow of her orgasm, like a little cat that had its fill.


    In her hand, Su Mengxin held a tissue, wiping Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, while he said, "Stop wiping, I¡¯ll get up and wash my face in a bit."


    "Still need to wipe it, otherwise it bothers me to look at it, your mouth is all covered in stuff from down there."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "I don¡¯t feel anything wrong with it, how come it bothers you?"


    "That¡¯s different, that¡¯s my stuff, and it came from down there. Of course, I feel uncomfortable. It¡¯s like I ate yours then kiss you and spit it back into your mouth, could you accept that?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly. Su Mengxin¡¯s description was quite apt; he¡¯d had no desire to eat his own stuff. It¡¯s weird how one doesn¡¯t want to eat certain things, but still hopes the other person will swallow it down, he said, "Just now I told you to let go, and you still didn¡¯t."


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips with a smile, "I know you men like that. It gives you a sense of achievement. Besides, it¡¯s not that bad to taste. If it can provide you with that satisfaction, what¡¯s the harm in me enduring it a little?"


    Li Yifei let out a soft sigh, "You, being the number one beauty of Huaxia, I always thought you qualified for the title with your looks and smarts. But now, I realize that in bed, you can absolutely drive any man crazy."


    Su Mengxin giggled gently, "For now, you¡¯re the only one who has had the chance to experience it, you know."


    "What about later?" blurted out Li Yifei.


    "Later... what do you think?" Su Mengxin tossed the question back to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly. He had shot himself in the foot with that question. Now he had to admit, he was completely captivated by Su Mengxin. But Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t just anyone. Could he really keep up this kind of abnormal ambiguous relationship with her, treating her like a lover, and if she were to become his wife, what about Xu Yingying?


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "Just teasing you. I can¡¯t compete with Yingying for a husband. But after doing it with you these couple of times, I¡¯ve come to really like the feeling. If I ever crave it in the future, can I secretly meet up with you, and will you satisfy me then?"


    "Of course, that would be my honor," he replied.


    "That¡¯s settled then."


    At that moment, a shrill scream came from outside the door, followed by Su Mengfei¡¯s cry for help, "Save me!"


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were startled and both jumped out of bed, rushing out the door.


    But what greeted them were three cell phones and the continuous sound of snapshots being taken.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin looked at each other in dismay. Outside were Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei, each brandishing a camera and snapping away furiously, while the two of them had shed nearly all their clothes. Li Yifei was completely naked, while Su Mengxin was only wearing a nightgown and missing her pants.


    Li Yifei hastily dashed back into the room, while Su Mengxin cried out in alarm, following him. They both jumped onto the bed and pulled the covers over themselves. Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei followed suit, barging in and snapping a flurry of photos.


    "What are you three doing, you brats?" Su Mengxin glared at them annoyed.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er finally put away her phone, giggling, "I¡¯m taking some private photos for you two. Do you want to see them? I¡¯ll send you copies later."


    Zheng Yuling took a couple more shots before saying, "Mengxin, didn¡¯t you say that Yifei¡¯s leg was injured? How could you not resist playing with him then?"


    Su Mengxin replied irritably, "Mind your own business. What we choose to do is our affair. And delete those photos now. If they get out, we¡¯ll be in trouble."


    Su Mengfei said with a giggle, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not that dumb. Such good photos are for our own enjoyment."


    "Get out of here, now, what are you still doing?" Su Mengxin shooed the three of them away.


    The three of them, having snapped compromising shots of the two, were all very happy, giggling as they ran out.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin exchanged glances, then quickly dressed and shared a wry smile. Su Mengxin said, "These three, I really can¡¯t do anything about them."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "I guess I have no privacy in front of them now."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, but then suddenly furrowed her brows, "Yifei, I¡¯m afraid they will still come looking for you."


    "Looking for me?"


    "Yes, they¡¯ve never had boyfriends before, let alone been so indulgent with a man. Now that they¡¯ve gone so far with you, you must be different in their hearts. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if they turned to you in the future."


    "No way?" Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Do I really have that much appeal?"


    "I guess you do, and I¡¯m not trying to stop you from whatever with them, but those three girls are not easy to deal with. If you can¡¯t handle them, you should be careful to avoid trouble. Even I won¡¯t be able to help you then."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "I know, if they come looking for me, I¡¯ll just avoid them."


    "That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯m just worried about the possibility. After all, I¡¯m your girlfriend now. I¡¯m just afraid that if they find out Yingying is your wife, they won¡¯t be so easy to talk to."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly, "It seems I¡¯ve gotten myself into trouble again."


    "But they might not come back later, and after a while, they¡¯ll probably forget about all this."


    Li Yifei certainly hadn¡¯t expected that pretending to be Su Mengxin¡¯s boyfriend and having such an overly intimate encounter with her would turn out to be such a surprise. Even less had he expected to attract the attention of three beauties, who seemed quite difficult to deal with. Their status was even higher than Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s. If they really started causing him trouble, Li Yifei would be in for a massive headache.


    Their backgrounds weren¡¯t like Ye Yunzhu¡¯s provincial-level family. Li Yifei didn¡¯t really take the provincial families seriously, but the Capital City¡¯s families were colossal entities. Just a stamp of their feet could make the earth tremble. Individual power meant little against them unless you had the backing of a strong family.


    "Mengfei is manageable; after all, she is my cousin. If she causes a fuss, just come to me, and I can handle her. But you need to be careful with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling."


    "I got it, man, there really is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."


    Su Mengxin playfully glared at Li Yifei and said, "Aren¡¯t I letting you have your free meal? And yet you still complain?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, his mood lighting up, "True, true. Come on, beauty, give your lord a smile."


    "Your lord!" Su Mengxin curtsied and gave Li Yifei a charming smile.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. If Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty could be so sweet to him, he didn¡¯t believe he couldn¡¯t handle the other women. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That day, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei, and He Yuling left Mile City. Before leaving, they tormented Li Yifei anew, and this torment was always tinged with temptation. It seemed to be deliberately stirring up Su Mengxin, but it gave Li Yifei quite a scare, especially since he had crossed the line of friendship with each of them.


    Li Yifei had a remarkable ability to recover. The minor injuries on his body healed after just three days of rest. The scabs hadn¡¯t fallen off yet, and it was still inconvenient to walk, but there was no longer any risk of tetanus.


    Although Su Mengxin wanted to spend more time alone with Li Yifei, it was no longer appropriate, so she let Li Yifei go.


    Li Yifei went straight back to the company, where he saw Michelle at the entrance. She immediately said with joy, "Brother Li, what a coincidence! Where have you been?"


    "I just arrived. Why didn¡¯t you rest for a few more days? Is your foot okay?"


    "It¡¯s fine now." Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she looked at Li Yifei tenderly, "Brother Li, thank you for taking care of me those days."


    "Why be so formal with me? What are you up to now?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "I¡¯m off to handle some things. I¡¯ll find you for a chat when I get back."


    "Alright, go ahead."


    Watching Michelle leave, Li Yifei then went inside the company. A few security guards greeted him and started to chat.


    "That guy has been chasing President Xu non-stop these past few days. I wonder if she has agreed."


    "I doubt it. President Xu is focused on work and doesn¡¯t seem interested in dating."


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true; she just hasn¡¯t met the right one before. But that Cao Bin ¨C he¡¯s got money. He drives up in a Lamborghini worth millions, and not only is he tall and handsome, but he also speaks eloquently. He and President Xu make a striking couple. And haven¡¯t you seen how he sends her flowers every day? It¡¯d be normal for him to win her over."


    "Manager Li, you¡¯re close to President Xu. Do you know what she¡¯s thinking?" One of the security guards suddenly asked Li Yifei.


    Listening to their discussion, Li Yifei learned that while he hadn¡¯t been home, someone had been pursuing his wife¡ªXu Yingying¡¯s schoolmate named Cao Bin. Li Yifei remembered him; indeed, he was wealthy and good-looking, which naturally made him attractive to women.


    Li Yifei just smiled and said, "President Xu is not going to agree, don¡¯t worry."


    "That¡¯s a relief. President Xu is the woman of our dreams. If some jerk managed to win her over, we¡¯d be utterly heartbroken."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. Damn it, were these guys calling him a jerk?

 Chapter 593 - 612: Xu Yingying Seeks Help

    Chapter 593: Chapter 612: Xu Yingying Seeks HelpLi Yifei and Xu Yingying once encountered Cao Bin by chance while they were out shopping. By that time, Xu Yingying had already introduced Li Yifei as her husband, yet Cao Bin still pursued Xu Yingying at this point. It was a clear sign of disregard, and even provocation.


    If Cao Bin was the arrogant type who believed himself to be far superior to Li Yifei, and paid no attention to him, then so be it. However, Li Yifei felt that Cao Bin wasn¡¯t the showy type, and now to act so ostentatiously, there must be something amiss with such abnormal behavior.


    If Li Yifei went straight to Xu Yingying now, it would easily make her overthink. With the security guards spreading the news, many in the company would soon be aware of it. Approaching her now would make it too obvious that he was confronting Xu Yingying.


    Before he was married, Li Yifei believed that once you become husband and wife, you must give your spouse sufficient trust. Otherwise, there¡¯s no point in getting married. Now, even more so, he should not go to Xu Yingying.


    Half an hour later, Cao Bin appeared in the lobby on the first floor. Li Yifei spotted him right away. Dressed in a sharp suit and still exuding a refined air, Cao Bin wore a charming smile, making him an ideal Prince Charming for most girls.


    Cao Bin walked all the way to the entrance but, before leaving, he glanced toward the security room where Li Yifei was, then turned around and left.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, feeling a bit of interest. Cao Bin seemed to be more complicated than he appeared. If Cao Bin was planning to play some games, Li Yifei was not opposed to it at all.


    Soon it was noon, and Li Yifei joined the security guards for lunch. He used to always sit with Xu Yingying, but now, during lunch, she often discussed work with key company staff. As the security department manager, these matters didn¡¯t particularly interest him, so he preferred the more relaxed company of his fellow guards.


    After lunch, however, Xu Yingying called Li Yifei to her office with a phone call. In the office, He Fangqing was also present, and a large bouquet of fiery red roses sat in a vase on the windowsill. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as Li Yifei entered, He Fangqing said with a cheerful smile, "Li Yifei, see these roses? You¡¯ve got competition now."


    Xu Yingying immediately retorted with feigned annoyance, "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯re stirring up trouble between us."


    He Fangqing giggled and said, "This guy has never given you peace of mind. It¡¯s about time he got a bit anxious. Otherwise, he¡¯d be getting off too easy. Besides, our Yingying is a great beauty with plenty of admirers."


    Li Yifei walked over to the windowsill, leaned in to smell the flowers, and said, "Not bad, genuine roses, not those common garden roses. They smell good."


    He Fangqing chuckled again and added, "Cao Bin is young and wealthy. He wouldn¡¯t send cheap roses."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Indeed, they¡¯re nice. But just sending roses seems a bit stingy. Shouldn¡¯t he be sending diamonds or something if he really wants to impress? Our Yingying isn¡¯t someone you can woo with just a few bouquets of roses. He¡¯s really underestimating my wife."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sideways glance and responded, "You haven¡¯t even given me roses yet, and you have the nerve to say that?"


    Li Yifei immediately chuckled sheepishly and said, "That¡¯s true. But I¡¯ve given myself to you, which is a much better deal than what that guy is offering, isn¡¯t it?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly, and she playfully scolded Li Yifei, "Enough with your nonsense, can¡¯t you be serious for once? Why did you come back to work so suddenly without a word? Weren¡¯t you recuperating at Mengxin¡¯s?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s just a small scab on my leg, and it¡¯ll be completely healed in a couple of days."


    Xu Yingying, seeing Li Yifei in good spirits, stopped worrying. After all, if Mengxin had agreed to take care of him and there were still issues, she wouldn¡¯t have let him come back to work. Xu Yingying then said, "Yifei, Cao Bin has been trying to discuss a cooperation project with our company these past few days. I think the project could be very beneficial for us, and I¡¯m quite tempted, but he keeps sending flowers, and I don¡¯t want you to get the wrong idea, so I wanted to discuss it with you."


    Li Yifei quickly asked, "What kind of project does he want to cooperate with us on?"


    Xu Yingying promptly explained, "He wants to be our exclusive distributor in Southeast Asia. He¡¯s been performing well there, and if he becomes our distributor, it¡¯ll be as if we¡¯ve directly opened up the Southeast Asian market, without any significant investment on our part. So, it¡¯s very appealing to me."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "It seems like our product hasn¡¯t even fully gone into production yet, and now we¡¯re starting to expand into overseas markets?"


    Xu Yingying patiently explained, "Our product itself is patented, something unseen on the market before, and the market expectation is quite good. Once it goes into production, we need to quickly occupy the market to prevent other factories from imitating it. Combining the domestic and overseas markets would, of course, be more beneficial for our company. You should also know that there are a lot of counterfeits and knock-offs, especially here in Huaxia. It¡¯s feared that even if Mengxin goes to stop the counterfeits, it would be absolutely impossible unless the entire country acts together. That¡¯s why I place such importance on the overseas market."


    Li Yifei tapped his fingers lightly and said, "There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem with your thinking."


    He Fangqing chuckled softly and said, "The main issue now is that our partner is Cao Bin, and it¡¯s clear that he has designs on Yingying. Every time he comes, he brings a big bunch of roses."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed again as Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "Husband, I¡¯ve told him off many times, but he still does as he pleases. I¡¯m at a loss. I should have just ignored him outright, but because of the company¡¯s interests, I can¡¯t just fall out with him."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Wife, do I really have not that little confidence in myself? Having people want to pursue you only proves that I have good taste. Go ahead and do what you must, but if Cao Bin wants to ask you out, then I must accompany you."


    Xu Yingying, seeing how sincere Li Yifei was, felt very happy inside and laughed, "Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t just go out with anyone randomly."


    At this moment, He Fangqing stood up and said, "Alright, enough of business matters. The rest is for you young couple to discuss. I¡¯m just in the way here. You two chat, I¡¯ll be leaving."


    "Sister Fangqing!" Xu Yingying called out immediately, grabbing He Fangqing¡¯s hand, "Sister Fangqing, I... really feel very sorry toward you. The promise I once made to you, I have not yet been able to fulfill."


    He Fangqing clasped Xu Yingying¡¯s hand in return, speaking sincerely, "Yingying, just having you still as a friend now is reassuring to me, really. To be as open-minded as you are, I truly admire that. If it were my husband always hanging with his flirty past acquaintances, I wouldn¡¯t stand it. That you didn¡¯t drive me from the company, how could I still hold any grudges against you? I¡¯ve told you before, your thoughts back then just meant that you hadn¡¯t truly married or truly adopted the mindset of being someone¡¯s wife, which I completely understand."


    Although they didn¡¯t spell it out clearly, Li Yifei could fully understand what the two were talking about. Before marrying him, Xu Yingying had told He Fangqing that even after marrying Li Yifei, she would allow He Fangqing to maintain a relationship with Li Yifei and even have Li Yifei take initiative to visit He Fangqing.


    At first, Xu Yingying did just that, but as her love for Li Yifei deepened, she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to suggest such a thing anymore. Xu Yingying was someone who took promises very seriously. Since she couldn¡¯t fulfill what she promised He Fangqing, she naturally felt considerable guilt toward her.


    "Sister Fangqing, I..." Xu Yingying tightened her hold on He Fangqing¡¯s hand, "Sister Fangqing, I¡¯m not really that petty, you know. With him having so many temptations outside, how could I specifically come to stop you? If I were going to stop something, it should be with others."


    He Fangqing laughed, "I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re stopping me, but that I just don¡¯t want to be with this guy anymore."


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips and suddenly leaned in close to He Fangqing¡¯s ear, about to speak, but then turned to Li Yifei and said, "Husband, Sister Fangqing and I have some private words to share, you go ahead back first."


    Li Yifei readily agreed, then walked out. He was somewhat curious about what they wanted to say, but since Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want him to listen, he respected his wife¡¯s wishes.


    Xu Yingying then pulled He Fangqing by the hand, sitting down on the sofa, "Sister Fangqing, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot these days and feel that to make Yifei cut off relations with others is quite difficult. On my own, I am definitively outnumbered. Even if I tried to form an alliance, they would become my biggest enemies. No matter what others say, they are my rivals, but you are my good sister. Only you can become my ally. So I hope you can help me, rather than backing out now."


    He Fangqing, feeling Xu Yingying¡¯s sincerity, spoke earnestly too, "Yingying, I am truly moved that you trust me this much, but for such a thing, I¡¯m afraid I might not be much help. A divorced woman like me really can¡¯t compare with those women."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Sister Fangqing, you mustn¡¯t sell yourself short. Haven¡¯t you noticed the way the men in the company look at you? Your appeal definitely won¡¯t be any less than others. Right now, what I hope for most is the time Yifei spends with other women when he¡¯s out, it¡¯d be best if most of it were with you, then things will be much better."


    He Fangqing hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "I¡¯ll try my best."


    But in her heart, she felt a bit sorry for Xu Yingying, because her agreement with Xu Yingying was not without self-interest; it was to continue being with Li Yifei. She had been afraid of affecting her relationship with Xu Yingying, and if it wouldn¡¯t affect their friendship, then maintaining a relationship with Li Yifei would of course be for the best.

 Chapter 594 - 613: Cousin’s Visit

    Chapter 594: Chapter 613: Cousin¡¯s VisitLi Yifei spent the afternoon surveying the company, having not been around much recently, he needed to get up to speed with the security situation. Although the place wasn¡¯t in particular need of high security, the safety of the company¡¯s assets was still quite important. This was the first time he had taken his role as the head of the security department seriously. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This left the other security guards puzzled. Since Li Yifei had taken up the position as manager of the security department, he had never been this serious before. What was going on today?


    After checking all the floors, Li Yifei turned around and prepared to implement additional security measures. He didn¡¯t aim for them to be excessively stringent, but he intended to install more cameras to ensure there were no blind spots in the company, especially in the public areas. Offices needed to provide some privacy, of course, but complete coverage in the corridors would ensure that anyone entering or leaving the offices would leave a trace.


    As he drafted the list of necessary additions in his office, a series of joyful male exclamations came from outside.


    "Secretary Su, what brings you here?"


    "It¡¯s been such a long time! I heard from Manager Li that you went off to pursue better opportunities. I bet you¡¯ve found something much more promising."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei knew Su Mengxin had arrived; otherwise, why would everyone react so enthusiastically? And thinking of Su Mengxin, Li Yifei suddenly understood why he had become so earnest about the company¡¯s security¡ªit was her company, and after they had become intimate, he had unconsciously started to think of Su Mengxin as one of his own. He naturally began to take her company as seriously as if it were his own.


    Just then, the door opened, and Su Mengxin was led into his office by two security guards. She wore casual autumn attire, hands behind her back, smiling at Li Yifei, "Cousin, I¡¯ve come to see you."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You¡¯re not working, so what are you doing here?"


    "I¡¯m taking a couple of days off, so of course, I came to see you. What are you so busy with that you¡¯re being this serious?" Su Mengxin came up behind Li Yifei, casually placing her right hand on his shoulder while she peeked at his desk.


    Li Yifei casually patted the back of Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, saying, "I¡¯m strengthening the company¡¯s security."


    Su Mengxin, full of surprise, said, "Really? Cousin, you¡¯ve started to work hard now."


    Li Yifei turned his head to look at Su Mengxin, smiled, and said, "I¡¯m being paid a salary and taking up a position, so I have to work hard."


    "Giggle... My cousin, if you do something, you¡¯ll definitely do it the best. I believe in that more than anything," she said, stretching both arms to prop her elbows on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, then leaning on his back.


    Such intimate gestures had never been seen from Su Mengxin before, but she acted so naturally in his office, even with a few security guards present. Li Yifei was utterly at ease, an unspeakable understanding between them.


    But to those onlooking security guards, they were the epitome of envy, jealousy, and hatred towards Li Yifei. They were dying to pull him away and have Su Mengxin lean on them instead.


    However, they could only dream. Someone as beautiful as Su Mengxin was sacred, almost saint-like, in their hearts. Admiration and affection for her were common, but sleazy thoughts were rare. Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t been in the company long, but with her charisma, she had already made every man there fall head over heels.


    "Cousin..." Su Mengxin called out, then hesitantly glanced at the security guards.


    They immediately understood; Su Mengxin wanted to speak privately with Li Yifei. Knowing better, they all discreetly exited, closing the door behind them.


    Su Mengxin wrapped an arm around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, whispering, "Yifei."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face nestled against Su Mengxin¡¯s, gently rubbing against it, asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    Enjoying the closeness, Su Mengxin squinted and felt a rush akin to being in a passionate romance with Li Yifei. But she also knew that breaking that final barrier wouldn¡¯t be as good as this ambiguous state and just brushed her cheek against Li Yifei¡¯s, saying, "Nothing much, I just didn¡¯t have anything going on and wanted to come to see you."


    "Heh... This is your company, of course, you should come and check on it. Otherwise, Yingying and I might run it into the ground, and you would be at a big loss."


    "You guys can do whatever you want. Besides, with Yingying¡¯s abilities, there¡¯s no way she could ruin it for me. I¡¯ll be staying over at your place tonight too."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Looking for free food and lodging again, huh?"


    "Exactly, I haven¡¯t been here for a while, and the food I¡¯ve had hasn¡¯t been to my taste¡ªI¡¯ve even lost some weight. It¡¯s the perfect time to replenish at your place."


    "That¡¯s definitely not a problem, your figure is absolutely perfect now."


    "Really?" Su Mengxin asked with a grin.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "Of course."


    "Hehe, no man has ever given such a fair assessment of my figure before."


    Su Mengxin said this, it really gave Li Yifei quite a sense of accomplishment. The most beautiful woman in Huaxia had only revealed her figure in front of him; he was the only one who had seen all of Su Mengxin and even got to touch and kiss her.


    At that moment, the voice of a security guard rang from outside: "President Xu!"


    Su Mengxin immediately stood up straight, and Li Yifei also sat up properly, presenting a very serious demeanor. Su Mengxin, seeing this, could not help but chuckle behind him and pinched Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice, but the sensation was all too familiar. It reminded him of how Xu Shanshan would playfully act after their secret little escapades; now, in addition to Xu Shanshan, there was another, Su Mengxin.


    Xu Yingying entered the office and, seeing Su Mengxin, looked quite surprised. After closing the door, she said, "Mengxin, what brings you here?"


    With a light laugh, Su Mengxin said, "I didn¡¯t have much to do today, so I came over to see. Finding Yifei here, I decided to sit with him for a while."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t suspect anything and said with a smile, "Yifei has really been under your care these past few days."


    "Why the formality between us? We¡¯re practically family. Now that Yifei is alright, I must come over to your place this evening to satisfy my cravings."


    "Absolutely no problem," Xu Yingying promptly agreed cheerfully.


    Then Su Mengxin smiled and asked, "Did you come to see Yifei, or is there something official you wanted to talk about?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks tinged red, but she didn¡¯t deny it and said, "I just came to check on him. I heard he was inspecting the different floors just now, and I was worried his leg wound might reopen."


    With a laugh, Su Mengxin said, "Are you his wife? It¡¯s only right to be so concerned, otherwise someone else might step in to offer their care."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "Yeah, this guy really gives us no peace of mind, always flirting with temptresses."


    Xu Yingying was speaking so candidly because she was close to Su Mengxin and held nothing back. In her eyes, anyone who was ambiguous with Li Yifei was naturally a temptress. However, the speaker didn¡¯t mean anything by it, but to the listener, it meant a lot. Su Mengxin¡¯s cheeks flushed; she was now one of those temptresses, wasn¡¯t she?


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary with Su Mengxin. Even if she had seen any change in Su Mengxin¡¯s expression, she would never suspect that Su Mengxin had any relationship with Li Yifei. To Xu Yingying and many other women, Su Mengxin was untouchable and revered, someone ordinary people couldn¡¯t fancy touching, and Li Yifei, no matter how highly she thought of him, was just another common man.


    "By the way, Boss Su, these past few days I¡¯ve been busy discussing the expansion into the international market, and I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about it," Xu Yingying said.


    Smiling, Su Mengxin responded, "Great, we can have a good chat about that. I¡¯ve always been optimistic about this project; I think it has a lot of potential. But I haven¡¯t taken the step to venture into international markets yet; you¡¯re ahead of me in that."


    "Boss Su, perhaps my thoughts aren¡¯t fully formed, but here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking..." Xu Yingying immediately said.


    Su Mengxin listened to Xu Yingying¡¯s ideas, nodding frequently. These ideas were indeed comprehensive. Xu Yingying¡¯s capabilities really satisfied her. Besides her own abilities and personal charm, Su Mengxin¡¯s main advantage was her keen eye to recognize and employ the right people. Nevertheless, she had to admit that among the managers in her own companies, Xu Yingying ranked amongst the top.


    "Yingying, what you¡¯ve thought up is good; I don¡¯t have anything to add. Go ahead and carry it out with confidence."


    Xu Yingying nodded at this and said, "If Boss Su has no objections, then I¡¯ll arrange it."


    Smiling, Su Mengxin assured her, "Do I need to have doubts about your abilities? From now on, you don¡¯t need to report everything to me. Do as you see fit."


    Moved, Xu Yingying nodded earnestly. As a senior executive, she dreaded nothing more than too much interference from above. Su Mengxin had given her free rein over the company¡¯s management from the start, and now she had complete autonomy. Encountering a boss like this made Xu Yingying feel like she had found a kindred spirit.


    A soldier dies for those who appreciate him, and Xu Yingying felt this way now. Even if it meant selling her soul for Su Mengxin, she wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid.


    However, if she knew that Su Mengxin acted this way not only because she recognized her capability but also because she had her eye on her husband, who knew what Xu Yingying would think, or whether she¡¯d be willing to simply hand over her husband, Li Yifei, to Su

 Chapter 595 - 615 The feeling is really wonderful

    Chapter 595: Chapter 615 The feeling is really wonderfulBefore they got off work, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin left the company. The two of them went to the supermarket first, where Su Mengxin held onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm with an excited expression on her face, while Li Yifei pushed a shopping cart, discussing with Su Mengxin what to have for dinner. To anyone watching, they seemed like a young couple.


    When Li Yifei had been with Su Mengxin before, they were still very cautious, but now, neither of them felt any awkwardness or pretended restraint. They just walked naturally like this.


    A shrewd person like Su Mengxin knew exactly that she and Li Yifei had developed to this stage. Li Yifei still did not know her feelings toward him, but she did not make it clear, and neither did Li Yifei. The two of them just kept playing this game of keeping up appearances while fully understanding the truth. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shopping like this, resembling a young couple, made Su Mengxin feel truly wonderful. It seemed like this was real life, where couples return from work, buy some groceries together, chat, cook together, and then have some tender moments. If she could spend her days with Li Yifei like this, it would be perfect.


    When Su Mengxin first came to find Li Yifei, she really wanted Li Yifei to follow her and help her with her business. She fully believed in Li Yifei¡¯s capability, but the more she interacted with Li Yifei, the more she liked him and his simple life. So now, she had hardly thought about wanting Li Yifei to pursue any kind of career or use any means to get Li Yifei to become ambitious again.


    Once they finished buying groceries, they went directly to Li Yifei¡¯s home. Xu Shanshan had already picked up Little Yifei, whereas Xu Yingying would arrive a little later. Today Su Mengxin fully agreed with her idea; she was arranging things at the company.


    Su Mengxin took out a gift for Little Yifei, making Little Yifei very happy. She hugged Su Mengxin¡¯s neck and gave her a kiss. Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Little Yifei is so good, Auntie will bring you gifts again when she comes."


    Little Yifei laughed happily and said in her childish voice, "It¡¯s great now, so many aunties bring gifts for me."


    Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan both looked at Li Yifei, making him rub his nose and cough awkwardly. He had quite a few women around him now, and whenever any of them saw Little Yifei, they naturally wanted to buy something nice to please her, making Little Yifei the biggest winner, as her room was now full of all sorts of toys.


    Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were both involved with Li Yifei in ambiguous ways, but now, because they were both present, it was inconvenient for either of them to act in any flirtatious manner with Li Yifei. So, even though both of them were in the kitchen helping Li Yifei with cooking, no one made any small moves with him.


    After a while, Little Yifei called Xu Shanshan, and Xu Shanshan went into the bedroom. Su Mengxin nudged Li Yifei and lowered her voice to ask, "What¡¯s going on with you and Shanshan?"


    "We... have nothing going on?" Li Yifei suddenly felt a bit guilty.


    "Still saying nothing¡¯s going on? The way Shanshan looks at you isn¡¯t right; that¡¯s clearly a lover¡¯s gaze. How could you not even let your sister-in-law go? Aren¡¯t you afraid Yingying will find out?"


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a cold sweat and said, "Is it really that obvious?" He did not deny it.


    "Of course, it¡¯s obvious. A normal brother-in-law and sister-in-law might have some banter, but not such a gaze. When Shanshan looks at you, her eyes are full of affection, and there¡¯s a twinkle that clearly suggests an improper relationship."


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "Actually, I haven¡¯t gone too far with her, but Shanshan and Yingying have this psychic connection, and it¡¯s especially strong in those areas. Even when I¡¯m sleeping with Yingying, she feels it as if she¡¯s with me too."


    This time it was Su Mengxin¡¯s turn to be dumbfounded. She only spoke after a while, "It¡¯s really such a bizarre thing?"


    "Could I lie to you? This is absolutely true."


    "My God, that¡¯s really troublesome. For Shanshan, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s already had that kind of relationship with you, no wonder she doesn¡¯t treat you like a normal sister-in-law would."


    "Yes, if this were told to others, they probably wouldn¡¯t believe it."


    "I¡¯m afraid even Yingying wouldn¡¯t be able to accept this, at least not anytime soon. You¡¯d better remind Shanshan so Yingying doesn¡¯t find out."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, feeling very grateful to Su Mengxin. This woman always considered his needs, even in matters of emotions like these, she was completely thinking about him.


    A thought suddenly occurred to him; if he let Su Mengxin handle the women around him, she might be able to manage everything well, and then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much in the future.


    "What are you thinking about?" Su Mengxin nudged Li Yifei again, a blush rising to her cheeks, because Li Yifei had been staring at her, his eyes flashing with something, making her jump to the conclusion that he had some thoughts about her. If they were alone, she hoped Li Yifei would look at her this way, but in front of others, she preferred to maintain the kind of relationship they had before.


    Li Yifei coughed, laughed awkwardly, and said, "Nothing, nothing."


    Su Mengxin was both shy and embarrassed, but her heart carried a hint of joy as she said, "Naughty guy, be careful. If Yingying senses anything unusual between you and me, I¡¯ll have no face to see her."

 Chapter 596 - 615: The Feeling is Just Too Wonderful_2

    Chapter 596: Chapter 615: The Feeling is Just Too Wonderful_2"Got it, won¡¯t do it," Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t dare voice his current thoughts. If he did, he wasn¡¯t sure how Su Mengxin would react¡ªshe might even call him shameless.


    Xu Yingying came back at this time, accompanied by Meng Xiaofei. Sometimes, Xiaofei seemed almost invisible, but with good food on the table, she quickly became the center of attention.


    They all enjoyed the meal very much. It had been a while since Li Yifei had properly had a meal at home, and today he even had a little drink.


    After dinner, Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei stayed for a while before returning to their own homes. Xu Yingying checked Li Yifei¡¯s leg and, seeing that it was indeed no longer a major concern, felt relieved. However, the scabs on his leg still made her feel sorry for him.


    But Xu Yingying had a lot on hands, especially with the matter of expanding into foreign markets, which she needed to start working on right away, so she went back to the bedroom to get busy.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan spent some time playing with Little Yifei first, then bathed her. Later, Li Yifei told her a few stories before she fell asleep.


    Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei went to the living room, where she winked at him and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not busy today, right? Isn¡¯t it time for you to give me a foot massage?"


    The next morning, as Li Yifei was preparing breakfast, Xu Yingying dressed Little Yifei. Xu Shanshan sneaked into the kitchen, poked Li Yifei gently from behind and whispered, "Brother-in-law, you were really fierce last night."


    Li Yifei felt his heart flutter and asked, "You could tell?"


    "Of course, it was so big, so hard, I almost passed out. I really don¡¯t know how sister can take it."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart surged with heat, and he was tempted to lift Xu Shanshan up and throw her onto the bed right then and there. But remembering that Xu Yingying would be out soon, he cleared his throat and hastily said, "Go freshen up, you have to go to work soon."


    "Okay!" Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a mischievous smile, pinched between his legs with a stretch of her hand and giggled as she scampered away.


    "Succubus, succubus," Li Yifei muttered to himself, but he had to admit, he thoroughly enjoyed it.


    When he arrived at the company in the morning, Li Yifei immediately wrote a request for the purchase of some equipment. Xu Yingying took this very seriously and gave him full responsibility, instructing Michelle to support Li Yifei in whatever he needed.


    Buying these things wasn¡¯t usually Li Yifei¡¯s job, but given the technical nature of the equipment, and considering the company¡¯s security staff were regrettably not specialists¡ªeven though they were ex-army¡ªhe decided to handle the purchases himself.


    Seeing that Li Yifei was going himself, Michelle decided to accompany him. Having the chance to be alone with Li Yifei was always a joyful matter for her.


    Michelle did not understand these gadgets and could only follow Li Yifei around as he made his selections. Seeing him act so professionally only increased her admiration for him. Normally, he never showed off, but once he got serious, he was especially manly.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t find everything he needed that morning, as the items were not all available in one place. He had to search around Mile City, and in the afternoon, he still had more to find. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They grabbed a quick lunch outside, and as they were about to head to another security equipment store, a woman called out to Michelle.


    "Wang Xiaojuan!" Michelle exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the woman.


    "Michelle, what brings you here?" Wang Xiaojuan asked excitedly as she grasped Michelle¡¯s hand.


    Michelle replied excitedly, "I¡¯m here to buy some stuff. What about you? How did you end up here?"


    "I work here," Wang Xiaojuan said, her face suddenly revealing a trace of despondency.


    "You work here? Didn¡¯t your family arrange a job for you?" Michelle looked at Wang Xiaojuan in surprise.


    Wang Xiaojuan sighed and said, "My family originally arranged a civil servant job for me. Actually, I passed the exam on my own merits, finishing second overall. Under normal circumstances, I definitely would have gotten the job, but just my luck, my dad got into trouble around that time, and I ended up in a mess too. With no other choice, I had to come out and find work."


    Wang Xiaojuan was a classmate of Michelle¡¯s in their first year of high school, and they had a pretty good relationship. Even though they weren¡¯t in the same class after being sorted into different second-year classes, they still kept in touch, up until they went to university, when their interactions diminished. After graduation, they hadn¡¯t seen each other at all. Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s family was quite wealthy; her father was a Deputy Director in the county, not a very high-ranking official, but still someone with real power. Therefore, Wang Xiaojuan always appeared to be affluent, and many classmates in school envied her. Everyone thought she would definitely land a good job, who could¡¯ve imagined she¡¯d end up working in a small shop¡ªsomething even Michelle couldn¡¯t match.


    "Michelle, where do you work? I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, and I haven¡¯t been in touch with any of the other classmates either, so I have no idea," Wang Xiaojuan asked.


    "I work at Dreamfly Company."


    "Dreamfly? Never heard of it, but working in a company, being a white-collar worker, that¡¯s not bad," Wang Xiaojuan said, envy evident in her eyes before suddenly noticing Li Yifei and asking promptly, "Is this your boyfriend?"


    Michelle glanced at Li Yifei, her face turning slightly red, and said somewhat sheepishly, "No, he¡¯s not."


    Wang Xiaojuan laughed, "What do you mean he¡¯s not? Look at how red your face is! If he¡¯s not your boyfriend, then what is he? What¡¯s the matter? Keeping secrets from me?"


    Michelle quickly replied, "Really, he¡¯s not! He¡¯s a colleague from my company."


    "Hehe, maybe not now, but he¡¯ll surely be in the future. Come on in. What are you looking to buy? I¡¯ll help you choose, and I¡¯ll definitely give you a discount," Wang Xiaojuan offered.


    Li Yifei and Michelle entered the shop, and Li Yifei started to pick out items while Wang Xiaojuan helped him and chatted idly with Michelle. However, when the two other people walked in, Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s face turned sour in an instant, her expression turning quite ugly.


    "Oh, business seems good, I see you have customers," said the man and woman who had just entered. The woman was dressed stylishly, with branded clothes and a designer handbag, walking on high heels, garishly made-up, looking to be around the same age as Michelle but exuding an exceptionally flamboyant air.


    With a stern face, Wang Xiaojuan asked, "Su Lingling, what are you up to this time?"


    The woman named Su Lingling was flirtatiously twisting her waist and let out a giggle, "I¡¯m not up to anything. I just came to see if I could buy something, isn¡¯t my patronage supporting your business? Besides, you¡¯ll earn a commission from it."


    Wang Xiaojuan clenched her fists, closed her eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply, and asked, "What do you need?"


    With her head tilted back, Su Lingling said, "We¡¯ve got a long list of needs. Our family¡¯s Mingji is now in charge of the county government¡¯s procurement. If we go with this store, you¡¯re going to make a big profit from it."


    There was another man in the shop, a forty-something owner, who hadn¡¯t bothered to get up when he saw Li Yifei and Michelle browsing. But upon hearing what Su Lingling said, he immediately came over with a smile, "Sir, ma¡¯am, our shop has the latest security equipment. Many government agencies use our products."


    With a light laugh, Su Lingling said, "So, you¡¯re the boss, huh?"


    "Yes, yes!" the owner nodded repeatedly, sensing the possibility of a big deal. Government purchases were lucrative; securing the contract could set up his revenue for the entire year.


    Glancing at Wang Xiaojuan, Su Lingling commented with a chuckle, "Then I must give you a suggestion. The employee attitude in your store isn¡¯t very good. We haven¡¯t even been offered a glass of water. Isn¡¯t that like telling us to leave?"


    Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s face changed, and the owner hurriedly said, "Xiaojuan, go get some water for the guests. How can you be so rude?"

 Chapter 597 - 616: The Perverted Woman

    Chapter 597: Chapter 616: The Perverted WomanSu Lingling and that guy called Mingji had by then taken their seats on the chairs nearby, with Su Lingling sitting with her legs crossed and saying to the boss, "Boss, do you know how much we¡¯re looking to procure?"


    The boss immediately rubbed his hands together and asked, "How much do you want? We have as much as you need. We¡¯re direct factory sales. If my store doesn¡¯t have enough, we can get the factory to send it over right away. I assure you of high quality at a low price, and I definitely won¡¯t mess up what needs to be done."


    Su Lingling giggled and said, "You sure know how to do business, unlike your waiter, who really lacks standards."


    The boss quickly replied, "Yes, yes, she can¡¯t make those decisions. It¡¯s better to talk to me about it."


    Just then, Wang Xiaojuan brought over two cups of water, placed them on the small table in the middle, and was about to turn around and leave when Su Lingling hurriedly said, "Whoa, hold on, old classmate, what¡¯s the rush? I¡¯m here to look after your business, you know. With such a straight face, that¡¯s not right."


    When the boss heard this, he was momentarily confused. Old classmates typically would be thrilled to see each other, like seeing that pretty girl just now, but Wang Xiaojuan didn¡¯t seem to have a good relationship with this old classmate.


    With a stern face, Wang Xiaojuan said, "I¡¯m sorry, the business is being handled by our boss. I have customers on my side to attend to." She then disregarded Su Lingling and came straight over to where Michelle and Li Yifei were seated.


    Michelle immediately whispered, "What¡¯s wrong with her?"


    Wang Xiaojuan looked upset, but still spoke gently, "She¡¯s my college classmate. Zhao Mingji is also from our university. His father and my dad worked in the same district, and we got along fine. During our sophomore year, our families arranged an engagement for us, but we didn¡¯t have any feelings for each other. It was just because of our fathers¡¯ arrangement that we were together. Su Lingling, however, has always had a thing for Zhao Mingji. They kept things ambiguous, and I couldn¡¯t care less. After my father had issues, he immediately dumped me and got together with Su Lingling. I didn¡¯t take it to heart at first, but Su Lingling has been continuously causing trouble for me. It¡¯s infuriating."


    "What trouble could she possibly have with you?" Michelle was perplexed. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph, she¡¯s just a psycho. She was never as good as me at anything in school, so I always overshadowed her. Now, it seems like she wants to get the upper hand in every way possible. Who knows what she¡¯s thinking."


    Li Yifei could understand Su Lingling¡¯s mentality. It could be said that Su Lingling suffered from some kind of psychological issue. Because of past disappointments, once a petty person gained some leverage, they would trample those who used to be superior, mock and strike at them, to satisfy their warped psychology.


    "I¡¯ve already changed jobs twice, and each time, she comes to make trouble, insisting on making it impossible for me to stay. She¡¯s simply an unreasonable person." The more Wang Xiaojuan spoke, the angrier she got, and she slammed the counter with resentment.


    At this point, Su Lingling immediately said in a sardonic tone, "Oh my, Boss Qian, take a look at your waitress there, banging on the table in front of customers. I¡¯d advise you to let go of such a waitress sooner rather than later, or you might as well not bother running your business."


    The boss also realized that Su Lingling was obviously there to target Wang Xiaojuan. He smiled and said, "As long as we can close the deal, I¡¯ll fire her straightaway." Knowing that Su Lingling was targeting Wang Xiaojuan, he naturally wanted to exploit the situation. If he immediately agreed to fire Wang Xiaojuan, Su Lingling might just up and leave, and he wasn¡¯t about to be that foolish.


    Su Lingling¡¯s lips curled up, and she said, "What¡¯s the matter, Boss Qian? It seems you don¡¯t trust our Mingji. Mingji, show Boss Qian the procurement list from your unit."


    Sure enough, Zhao Mingji handed over a list and a work card to Boss Qian, saying with a stern face, "Boss Qian, my name is Zhao Mingji. You can go and inquire around, I work at the Qingping County Government Procurement Office."


    After carefully checking, Boss Qian¡¯s heart lit up. He wasn¡¯t new to government procurement deals and could tell the authenticity of a work card. Moreover, many items listed were indeed available in his store. The procurement for the year amounted to almost a hundred thousand, and the profit margins in this line of business were high. Selling a hundred thousand could profit him about forty or fifty thousand. Even after giving a benefit of ten or eighteen thousand, he could still net thirty or forty thousand.


    For a store like his, a year¡¯s normal profit was just a few thousand. If he could earn thirty or forty thousand all at once, it was a considerable temptation for him. He handed Zhao Mingji a cigarette and said, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but government procurement these days all require bidding, and my store isn¡¯t that big. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t win the bid and end up getting my hopes up for nothing."


    Su Lingling glanced at Wang Xiaojuan and said leisurely to Boss Qian, "If such a small matter can¡¯t be handled, we wouldn¡¯t even bother coming here. Boss Qian, I just want you to fire that Wang Xiaojuan. Then we¡¯ll do business with you. Surely a mere shop assistant isn¡¯t worth such protection from you?"


    Boss Qian truly didn¡¯t regard clerks like Wang Xiaojuan as important. Nowadays, hiring a service worker was nothing difficult at all, just post a notice and loads of people would come to apply. Even if the negotiation failed, there wouldn¡¯t be any loss. Plus, he could make friends with Zhao Mingji, which may open up future opportunities.


    Therefore, Boss Qian immediately nodded repeatedly, saying, "No problem." Then, turning around, he addressed Wang Xiaojuan, "Wang Xiaojuan, as of now, you are no longer an employee of our store."


    Ever since Su Lingling had come in, Wang Xiaojuan had known this would be the outcome. She bit down on her silver teeth and clenched her fists tightly, furiously saying, "Su Lingling, will you ever have enough?"


    With a chuckle, Su Lingling said, "How could I ever have enough? Have you forgotten what you said back in school when I told you I liked Mingji? You said that Mingji was someone I could never catch up to, and told me to kill that fantasy early. But now I¡¯ve proven that Mingji does like me, so it¡¯s time you paid the price you deserve."


    Wang Xiaojuan replied angrily, "I told you long ago, at that time, our families had already arranged our engagement, and no one could oppose it. I said those things for your own good, to save you from getting hurt in the end."


    "Haha... That¡¯s hilarious. Why don¡¯t you just admit you secretly liked Mingji? Using your parents as an excuse, you really are a despicable woman. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll deal with you using even more despicable means."


    "Fine, fine, just go ahead and deal with me."


    "Rest assured, I most certainly will. Wherever you work, I¡¯ll come to find you. I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t stay anywhere long, switching one job after another ¨C it¡¯s one of the greatest pleasures of my life, giggle..."


    Li Yifei and Michelle exchanged looks. This Su Lingling was not only twisted, but incurably so. Even for a romantic rival, there was no need to be so ruthlessly vindictive, was there?


    "Wang Xiaojuan, you¡¯re not the daughter of some bureau director anymore, you¡¯re nothing now. You don¡¯t match up to Mingji, and you¡¯re nothing compared to me. Our Mingji can now easily issue someone a procurement contract worth tens of thousands. He holds power, while you? You¡¯re just a little waitress. Even if you keep working your whole life, you¡¯ll still just be a waitstaff, destined to serve us, hahaha..."


    Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s face turned bright red, and her eyes shone with tears of grievance, while Michelle pulled Wang Xiaojuan behind her and angrily said, "Will you ever stop?"


    Li Yifei was taken aback. He had not expected Michelle to get angry. The usually gentle girl he knew had never seemed the type to get angry, but when she did, it proved to be quite impressive.


    "Wow, who do you think you are?" Su Lingling looked at Michelle with a sardonic tone, feeling a deep animosity towards her. Michelle was indeed quite beautiful, and Zhao Mingji had been stealthily glancing at this pretty girl every now and then. So when Michelle flared up, she immediately targeted Michelle.


    Michelle glared at Su Lingling and said, "I¡¯m Xiaojuan¡¯s high school classmate, and I know her character well. She¡¯s nothing like what you¡¯re saying. And even if she was, do you need to push her to this point?"


    "What¡¯s it to you if I like it? You think you can champion her cause? You better assess whether you have the ability to do so."


    Michelle was now dressed in professional attire, clearly a white-collar woman, while Li Yifei was in a security guard¡¯s outfit. Standing together with a security guard, it was obvious she could only be a minor employee from some company ¨C Su Lingling naturally didn¡¯t take her seriously.


    Not waiting for Michelle¡¯s response, Su Lingling continued, "If you want to stick your nose in this, you better weigh your own capabilities. Believe it or not, with one phone call, I can make sure you can¡¯t stay at your company? Just some nosy parker trying to play the hero. Stay where you belong. If you¡¯re itching for it, there¡¯s a karaoke across the way, a bunch of men waiting for someone just like you."


    Su Lingling had a way with insults, and Michelle was not used to this. Suddenly she found herself speechless with a pale face, her lips trembling, unable to speak.


    Seeing Michelle humiliated, Wang Xiaojuan felt guilty and immediately pulled Michelle, saying, "Michelle, let¡¯s leave it. Let¡¯s go." She didn¡¯t want Michelle to get involved with someone as mad as Su Lingling.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t intended to get involved, but since Su Lingling had even insulted Michelle, leaving Michelle virtually speechless and looking so outraged, he couldn¡¯t just stand by. Not to mention the deep feelings Michelle had for him; just on the basis of being colleagues, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stay on the sidelines.

 Chapter 598 - 617 How much for the whole night?

    Chapter 598: Chapter 617 How much for the whole night?His face darkened, and Li Yifei said to Boss Qian, "Boss Qian, are you going to do business or not?"


    Boss Qian immediately replied, "Opening doors means doing business, of course, but today I have to entertain these two guests. I can only ask you, young brother, to pick another day to come, or perhaps you could consider looking elsewhere."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Well then, it looks like this business deal worth over three hundred thousand will have to go to someone else."


    "Three hundred thousand... wait a minute!" Boss Qian jumped up as soon as he heard the amount, his eyes lighting up.


    Li Yifei turned around, frowning, and said, "Is there something else?"


    "This... do you really have a three hundred thousand deal for me?" Boss Qian asked, rubbing his hands together with an ingratiating smile.


    Li Yifei said impatiently, "Nonsense, you might have time to joke around, but I certainly don¡¯t have time to waste on you."


    Boss Qian chuckled awkwardly, "Could you show me the purchase order then?"


    Su Lingling interjected disdainfully, "Boss Qian, do you really believe him? Just a lousy security guard managing a three hundred thousand deal, what a joke. Which company could be so clueless?"


    Upon hearing this, Boss Qian agreed, three hundred thousand was no small sum. Generally, a person in charge of such procurement would at least be a manager or someone of higher rank, not just some small security guard. It did seem like Li Yifei was saying this just to disgust Su Lingling and stand up for Wang Xiaojuan. He quickly said, "Hehe, never mind then. Young brother, you¡¯re busy, and I have business to discuss, so I won¡¯t keep you any longer."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and nodded, "Then fine, we won¡¯t disturb you, I wish you, Boss Qian, to make more money."


    Boss Qian forced another laugh. Why did he feel uneasy about Li Yifei¡¯s smile?


    "Really putting on airs, a small lousy security guard acting all important," Su Lingling sneered again, her disdain for Li Yifei quite apparent.


    Li Yifei smiled at Su Lingling and asked, "Miss, are you that valuable?"


    Su Lingling glared at him, "Nonsense, what makes you think you can compare to me?"


    Li Yifei surveyed Su Lingling from head to toe, saying with a grin, "Then just how much are you worth? How much for a night?"


    "You..." Su Lingling finally realized that Li Yifei was insulting her, suggesting she was a prostitute, and her face turned green with anger.


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head and said, "But honestly, you can¡¯t be worth much, with all that powder on your face. Without makeup, you must be quite unattractive. Your figure isn¡¯t bad, and your chest is quite high. Hey, how much silicone did you stuff in there?"


    Li Yifei was really hitting below the belt with his comments. Su Lingling had never been insulted in such a way, her face indescribably ugly. She wanted to retort, but couldn¡¯t find the right words to hit back at him.


    Zhao Mingji hadn¡¯t said much initially, but seeing Li Yifei insulting his girlfriend like this, his face darkened and he stood up, shouting, "Kid, shut your mouth!"


    Li Yifei looked at Zhao Mingji out of the corner of his eye and said, "Well, brother, you¡¯ve got pretty bad taste. As a man, I truly pity you. Can¡¯t you even tell the difference between real breasts and silicone? Ugh, just thinking about touching silicone every day makes me feel sick."


    Zhao Mingji¡¯s eyes flashed with a cold light as he spoke in a deep voice, "Kid, which company are you from? I want to see which company employs a security guard like you."


    Wang Xiaojuan quickly said to Li Yifei, "Let¡¯s just go, let¡¯s just go." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle didn¡¯t want to cause trouble either, but Su Lingling was really asking for it. Besides, it sounded like Su Lingling was planning on continuing to cause problems for Wang Xiaojuan. If this wasn¡¯t settled, Wang Xiaojuan would definitely be bullied again. So she too wanted to stand up for Wang Xiaojuan, but she didn¡¯t have the means to do so and could only rely on Li Yifei to take the lead. She gently pulled Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s sleeve and said, "Xiaojuan, it¡¯s okay."


    In a hushed tone, Wang Xiaojuan anxiously said to Michelle, "What do you mean it¡¯s okay? His dad is the Deputy Director of the Qingping County Urban Construction Bureau, he has real power. And that Su Lingling¡¯s family is in business; not only do they have money, but they also have some underworld connections. We can¡¯t afford to provoke them."


    If it had been when her father was in power, she wouldn¡¯t have been afraid of these two, but once her father got into trouble, she could no longer afford to provoke them, which is why she could only swallow her anger and keep silent.


    She used to have a good relationship with Michelle and definitely didn¡¯t want Michelle to be implicated, so she was eager to get them to leave.


    Yifei, however, swaggered over to Zhao Mingji like a little street thug, casually dangling a cigarette at an angle, and with a reach, grabbed Zhao Mingji by the collar and glared at him, "What¡¯s the deal, huh? Did you find out which company I¡¯m with and then have the boss fire me?"


    The moment Zhao Mingji was grabbed by Yifei, his imposing manner choked up. People like him, they¡¯re not afraid of those who play by the rules, what they fear are the street punks and hoodlums. These types don¡¯t think much, they beat you up first, and even if they get taken down later, that beating was still in vain.


    "What are you doing? I¡¯m telling you, if you dare to touch me, I will make sure you spend your life in jail."


    Yifei curled his lip and said, "Do you think the Public Security Bureau is your family business? Just because you¡¯re some crappy civil servant, you think you¡¯re all that? Let me tell you, the whole nation is fighting corruption right now, and a guy like you, just wait until someone reports you, then you won¡¯t be able to get away with it, strutting around here all arrogant."


    Unlike Zhao Mingji, Su Lingling¡¯s family was involved in business with a hint of underworld nature, making them very domineering in how they handled things, which also shaped her stubborn character, intolerant of any failure. That was precisely why she had been targeting Wang Xiaojuan. Seeing Yifei¡¯s fierce demeanor did not faze her at all; she stepped next to Zhao Mingji and snapped, "Kid, cut the crap with me, believe it or not, I make one call, and a bunch of people will come beat you into a cripple?"


    The cigarette Yifei was smoking suddenly flew out of his mouth, hitting Su Lingling right in the chest. Startled, Lingling screamed. Although the cigarette butt didn¡¯t fall into her clothes, it still burned a small hole and it hurt quite a bit.


    "Stinky bitch, who are you trying to scare? When I was on the streets, you weren¡¯t even born yet. You know a couple of small-time thugs and think you¡¯re some big-time gangster? I¡¯ve had enough of you two today; it¡¯s time to put you in your place. I want to see what you can do about it."


    Then, pushing Zhao Mingji aside and causing him to stumble, he nonchalantly grabbed a chair and sat down with great aplomb, "Bring it on, call whoever you want. I¡¯m all game today; let¡¯s see who you can muster."


    Zhao Mingji and Su Lingling were truly intimidated by Yifei¡¯s audacious spirit. They were fine bullying those who were easy to bully, but facing someone like Yifei who clearly wasn¡¯t, they got a headache.


    Seeing Yifei act so unruly, Michelle couldn¡¯t help but reveal a sweet smile on her face. Brother Li was really amusing, he could act out anything, even playing a small-time hoodlum convincingly.


    At that moment, Wang Xiaojuan was very grateful to Yifei for standing up for her, but seeing his swagger, she felt something was amiss. Then, seeing Michelle¡¯s infatuated gaze towards Yifei, she felt a bit alarmed and pulled Michelle aside, whispering, "Is he really from the underworld?"


    Michelle, not wanting to expose Yifei, smiled and said, "Seems so."


    Wang Xiaojuan frowned and whispered even lower, "Michelle, how can you get involved with such a person? You¡¯ve always been such a good girl. Being with someone like this is really dangerous. Who knows, one day you might end up in jail."


    Michelle¡¯s cheeks flushed red, and she protested softly, "No, he¡¯s just a good friend, we¡¯re not in that kind of relationship. Besides, Brother Li will be fine."


    "Look at you, you¡¯re totally enamored by him. I know it¡¯s not my place to say this now, but Michelle, a man like that really isn¡¯t suitable for you."


    Biting her lip, Michelle whispered, "If he really was like that, I would like him, but he won¡¯t be with me."


    Wang Xiaojuan was a bit confused by Michelle¡¯s demeanor, which clearly showed she was completely devoted to Yifei. Yet, from Michelle¡¯s words, it seemed the two hadn¡¯t reached that stage in their relationship. Could it be that Yifei hadn¡¯t agreed? That really would be strange; Michelle was beautiful and had an excellent personality. Any man would be happy with her, but this guy hadn¡¯t taken the bait. What was he thinking?


    By then, Su Lingling had already brushed off the cigarette butt. Being intimidated by Yifei was only temporary. With a cold huff, she said, "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts. Just wait, if I let you leave this place, I won¡¯t be a Su."


    She took out her phone and dialed, "Bro Bing, some kid is bullying me right now. Bring some guys over to teach him a lesson... Yeah, bring more, I¡¯m in Erdao Street."


    After hanging up, Su Lingling looked at Yifei smugly, "Kid, if you¡¯re man enough, stay right here and don¡¯t run."


    Yifei lit another cigarette and said, "You want me to stay, so I should just stay? What am I, a fool?" Then he stood up, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m done playing with you."


    Su Lingling¡¯s breath hitched. Yifei had been talking tough, but now that she had made a phone call, he was ready to bolt. How could she let this go? But she and Zhao Mingji didn¡¯t have the guts to try and stop Yifei. She immediately scorned, "Kid, weren¡¯t you acting all tough just now? Why have you turned chicken all of a sudden?"


    With a cheeky smile, Yifei replied, "I always keep my word with normal people, but do I need to bother with trash like you?" And with that, he actually walked out with Michelle and Wang Xiaojuan.

 Chapter 599 - 618 Borrowing a Knife to Kill Someone

    Chapter 599: Chapter 618 Borrowing a Knife to Kill SomeoneWang Xiaojuan breathed a sigh of relief, but her impression of Li Yifei worsened. How could someone like him be reliable? She really didn¡¯t understand how Michelle could be so charmed by him. Regardless, she was indeed grateful to Li Yifei for his help.


    However, no sooner had the three of them left the store than Li Yifei headed straight into a security shop across the street, and Michelle actually followed him in.


    "Michelle, what are you guys doing now?" Wang Xiaojuan hurried to catch up with Michelle and asked in a low voice.


    Michelle chuckled and said, "Shopping, of course. That¡¯s what we came out to do today."


    Wang Xiaojuan said anxiously, "What more do you need to buy? Didn¡¯t you hear that Su Lingling has already gone to find people to come here? You should leave quickly. If her people arrive, you won¡¯t be able to get away."


    The smile on Michelle¡¯s face grew wider as she said, "It¡¯s okay."


    "What do you mean it¡¯s okay? Su Lingling isn¡¯t kidding. She really knows some tough gangsters, and when they fight, they don¡¯t care about life or death. You should really leave."


    Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji followed them to the entrance and said to Wang Xiaojuan, "Think you can leave just like that? It won¡¯t be so easy." They had made up their minds; if they couldn¡¯t directly stop them, they would follow Li Yifei and his group. As long as they didn¡¯t lose track of them, they¡¯d still be able to take care of them later.


    With a heavy heart, Wang Xiaojuan said to Su Lingling, "Treat me however you want, I¡¯ll accept it, but they have nothing to do with this. If you have an issue, just come at me."


    Su Lingling snorted and said, "You won¡¯t escape either. I won¡¯t let you off so easily, but that brat has gotten on my nerves, and I¡¯ll take care of him just the same."


    Clenching her fist, Wang Xiaojuan said sternly, "Su Lingling, all you want is to see me admit I¡¯m wrong, to humiliate me, right? Well then, I¡ªI¡¯ll kneel for you. Are you satisfied now?"


    Laughing heartily, Su Lingling said, "Fine. If you kneel before me, I¡¯ll consider letting that kid off. But this doesn¡¯t settle our matter."


    "Fine! I¡¯ll kneel!" Tears of humiliation welling in her eyes, Wang Xiaojuan was actually about to kneel before Su Lingling as her legs started to bend.


    Michelle quickly reached out to stop Wang Xiaojuan, while Li Yifei had not expected Wang Xiaojuan to be so loyal. Michelle making such a friend was really not bad, and he felt even more resolved to help her. "Michelle, let¡¯s continue shopping; don¡¯t bother with that crazy woman."


    Michelle promptly pulled Wang Xiaojuan into the shop.


    Su Lingling scoffed, "Wang Xiaojuan, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t give you a chance. You just don¡¯t appreciate it. So don¡¯t blame me later."


    At this moment, Wang Xiaojuan was stomping her feet in frustration, saying, "Michelle, how can you also become so irrational now?"


    Michelle held on to Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s arm tightly and said, "Xiaojuan, as your friend, I will definitely help you. Don¡¯t worry, with Brother Li here, nothing will happen. He will certainly help you, right, Brother Li?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Since you¡¯ve spoken, can I stand by and do nothing? You having such a friend, I¡¯m happy for you too."


    Michelle immediately beamed a sweet smile, while Wang Xiaojuan felt that Li Yifei, no longer carrying the air of a gangster, now had the composure of a man, providing a sense of security that confused her even more. Who was this man really?


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take Su Lingling and Zheng Mingji seriously, selecting items with Michelle in the shop. He found the equipment that the company needed the most and soon negotiated with the shop owner, settling on goods worth 240,000 yuan.


    The shop owner had been worried when he saw Li Yifei arguing at the door, but he didn¡¯t expect to close such a large deal so quickly. He was grinning from ear to ear.


    Boss Qian, who was also standing at the door, was now filled with regret. These were the real buyers, and to boot, they were big spenders. Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji, despite their previous bravado, were now just preoccupied with their quarrel, ignoring him¡ªthe deal was obviously not going to happen.


    Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji also noticed that Li Yifei had made a deal and were extremely surprised. Someone who could purchase hundreds of thousands worth of security equipment had to be from a significant company, and one capable of making decisions on the spot couldn¡¯t be an ordinary security guard, could they?


    Both harbored some doubts, but when they saw Li Yifei in his security uniform and were consumed by anger, they dismissed their suspicions and just waited for people to come and deal with Li Yifei.


    Just then, a van came tearing down the street and stopped in front of the shop. About a dozen young men in their twenties rushed out of the vehicle.


    Su Lingling¡¯s spirits lifted as she hurried to meet them and pointed at Li Yifei, who was walking out of the shop, "Big Brother Bing, it¡¯s him."


    The soldier brother waved his hand, and without another word, a group of people charged at Li Yifei.


    Michelle immediately pulled a frightened and pale Wang Xiaojuan back into the shop. Even if there were about a dozen of them, she was not worried at all.


    At this point, Wang Xiaojuan anxiously said, "What do we do, what do we do? Let¡¯s call the police."


    With a slight smile, Michelle said, "Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen."


    Meanwhile, outside, the fight had already erupted. Those dozen or so people were just some small-time hooligans who were quite familiar with group fights, but they only had the advantage of daring to strike and a decent physique, with no real fighting power. In front of Li Yifei, they were like paper mach¨¦, and if Li Yifei wanted, he could take them all down in less than a minute without breaking a sweat.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t do that. He sidestepped a punch from one of the guys and then lightly nudged with his shoulder. That guy didn¡¯t even know what hit him, suddenly lunging forward and throwing a punch that hit Su Lingling in the face.


    There was a "thump" as Su Lingling screamed. She hadn¡¯t anticipated such a thing happening and didn¡¯t dodge in time. The thug¡¯s punch was quite powerful, almost knocking her down, leaving her seeing stars and crying out in pain while clutching her face.


    "I¡¯m sorry!" The thug hadn¡¯t finished apologizing when another one charged forward, his uplifted foot landing right on Su Lingling¡¯s rear, sending her tumbling forward in a face-plant. Although she didn¡¯t hit her front teeth, her lips burst open and bled.


    And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Two other hooligans staggered Zhao Mingji with a punch each, sending him reeling to the ground.


    "Are you stupid, why are you hitting us?" Zheng Yuling struggled to get up and immediately started cursing loudly.


    But what she met was the backside of one of the thugs, who sat down right on her face, sending her crashing back to the ground.


    These hooligans were also utterly confused about what was going on. They were clearly trying to attack Li Yifei, but they never hit him, and then, as if they were bumped or pushed by Li Yifei, they would uncontrollably charge toward Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji.


    Moreover, this kept happening repeatedly. The dozen or so hooligans would get up and charge at Li Yifei, only to quickly end up by Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji again, either hitting them or falling on top of them.


    For Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji, they became the human punching bags for these hooligans. In the blink of an eye, they were beaten to a bruised and battered state, with several people piled on top of them like a stack of logs, nearly suffocating them. Even if they wanted to curse, they couldn¡¯t get the words out.


    For people like Su Lingling and Zhao Mingji, Li Yifei wanted to deal with them but didn¡¯t bother to do it personally. Letting these thugs beat them up was a hassle-free and enjoyable outcome for him.


    Wang Xiaojuan watched, dumbfounded, while Michelle eyed Li Yifei with admiration, wishing she could throw herself into his arms.


    The onlookers were also stunned at this point. A dozen people, all experienced in fighting, usually the ones beating others, now flattened by just one person was beyond their imagination.


    "What¡¯s going on here?" At that moment, a group of people arrived. Some of them saw the fight going on and immediately came over to ask what was happening.


    "Uncle Lin, Uncle Lin, it¡¯s Mingji!" Zhao Mingji called out right away.


    "Mingji... Who are you people? Let him go, now!" Uncle Lin shouted loudly, thinking the hooligans had Zhao Mingji pinned down and that they were the ones who had beaten him up.


    The hooligans quickly scrambled to their feet, realizing this group appeared to be officials and dispersed immediately.


    Several people rushed to help Zhao Mingji and Su Lingling up. Both of them were in a sorry state, covered in dust, with bruises all over their faces. Especially Su Lingling, who had a split lip with blood still at the corner of her mouth, looked extremely pitiable. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you doing, getting into a fight like this? Don¡¯t worry, I know one of them. I¡¯ll ask Uncle Lin from the Qingping County Committee Office to find them for you." Uncle Lin worked at the Qingping County Committee Office and was in the same department as Zheng Mingji, so they were quite familiar. And because of Zhao Mingji¡¯s father, Uncle Lin was also somewhat polite to Zhao Mingji.


    Seeing official authorities had arrived, Su Lingling quickly became arrogant again. Li Yifei could fight, right? If the thugs couldn¡¯t handle him, then they would just have to turn to the authorities. It would be too easy to get a few police officers to take Li Yifei into custody.


    "Uncle Lin, it wasn¡¯t those people who hit us, it was this kid." Su Lingling also knew Uncle Lin and immediately pointed at Li Yifei.


    "He hit you?" Uncle Lin was also bewildered. He had clearly seen a group of hooligans pressing down on Zhao Mingji and Su Lingling, so why was it Li Yifei who was accused of doing the beating?

 Chapter 600 - 619 Mayor Ye Arrives

    Chapter 600: Chapter 619 Mayor Ye Arrives"Yes! He¡¯s the one who beat us up. Uncle Lin, please quickly find two police officers to arrest him, damn it, how dare he beat us up like this." Zhao Mingji was also extremely angry and began yelling loudly.


    "What exactly happened?" Uncle Lin frowned, then turned his head to glance at the few people not far away, speaking very cautiously.


    At that moment, Zhao Mingji was too frustrated to notice those people and said to Uncle Lin, "This guy was acting tough with me, damn it, just a lousy security guard. This time I¡¯m definitely going to destroy him!"


    "Mingji, you¡¯re a government official, you can¡¯t behave recklessly," Uncle Lin reminded Zhao Mingji again.


    Su Lingling snorted and said, "Just a lowly security guard. If we don¡¯t take him down this time, will we have any face left?"


    Zhao Mingji followed up, "Hmph, if it¡¯s inconvenient for you, then I¡¯ll just find someone myself." With that, he picked up the phone and directly dialed the number of a police station chief in Qingping County, saying, "Chief Wang, there¡¯s been an incident here, I had someone beaten up... Yes, send someone right away to arrest this guy. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got my dad too, nothing will go wrong."


    As Zhao Mingji was making the call, Uncle Lin kept giving him warning looks, but Zhao Mingji didn¡¯t notice at all. After finishing the call, he immediately said to Li Yifei, "Kid, you¡¯ll soon know what it means to have hit me."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "What will the consequences be?"


    "Hmph, just wait and you¡¯ll see. Once we¡¯re at the station, I¡¯d like to see how arrogant you can be."


    "Is the Public Security Bureau run by your family?" A woman¡¯s voice came from behind, quiet yet carrying authority and anger.


    "Nonsense!" Su Lingling turned around angrily, only to see several men surrounding a beautiful woman standing behind them. This woman was quite beautiful and about the same age as her, and seeing such a beautiful woman immediately made Su Lingling feel extremely annoyed, as she couldn¡¯t stand others being more attractive than her, and she said with hostility, "What¡¯s it to you? Go stay wherever it¡¯s cool. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have you arrested too."


    "Fine, I¡¯d like to see who can arrest me," said the beautiful woman coldly.


    Zhao Mingji had already turned around and upon seeing this woman, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly pulled Su Lingling aside and said in haste, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    Hearing this, Su Lingling became furious and shouted, "You vixen, are you trying to seduce my husband? Don¡¯t think you¡¯re something special just because you have a pretty face. I¡¯m telling you, if you irritate me, I¡¯ll have you arrested and thrown into the sea."


    Zhao Mingji pushed Su Lingling aside and said to the beautiful woman with a smile on his face, "Deputy County Head Ye, what brings you here?"


    The beautiful woman was none other than Ye Yunzhu. They weren¡¯t in Qingping County, and after finishing a meeting today, everyone just happened to come here for a walk, only to unexpectedly encounter this situation.


    Ye Yunzhu, usually very principled in her work, would always side with Li Yifei when he was involved, setting aside what was right. Moreover, to see Zhao Mingji behaving so arrogantly in public, resorting to using police station forces to settle personal vendettas, was a serious taboo.


    "Hmph, you really have some nerve, acting as if the Public Security Bureau is part of your household," Ye Yunzhu snorted again.


    "No, no..." Beads of sweat broke out on Zhao Mingji¡¯s forehead. His father was just a Deputy Director at the local urban construction bureau and would never reach the position that Ye Yunzhu held. To ordinary people, his father¡¯s status as Deputy Director was significant, but in front of Ye Yunzhu, it meant nothing at all.


    "Could it be that I¡¯ve gone deaf?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s tone grew even more severe.


    Only then did Su Lingling realize that the beautiful woman was the Deputy County Head. Their family¡¯s business was in Qingping County, and offending the Deputy County Head could mean no more business for them. She was scared stiff and hid behind Zhao Mingji, not daring to speak.


    Zhao Mingji wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, "Deputy County Head Ye, I... I was in the wrong."


    "Hmph, Director Chen, later on you shall investigate for me who gave him such audacity and who allowed him to misuse state power to persecute the public. I want a detailed report," Ye Yunzhu ordered.


    The dark-complexioned man beside her immediately responded affirmatively, and Zhao Mingji slumped onto the ground. Director Chen was the head of the Discipline Inspection Commission in Qingping County, notoriously tough to deal with. Previously, acting within the county had constraints, but now that Ye Yunzhu was overseeing discipline, Director Chen had grown bold enough to take action. There were rumors he had already investigated several individuals. Falling into his hands wouldn¡¯t just be a problem for Zhao Mingji but his father might also be in deep trouble.


    Meanwhile, the onlookers began to clap enthusiastically. This kind of leader was exactly what the people liked to see, and such proceedings were indeed satisfying.


    "Alright, you all may leave. I would like to take a walk by myself," Ye Yunzhu waved them off, and the people quickly dispersed. While Ye Yunzhu was only a Deputy County Head, her prestige in the county was sky-high. Being able to move from Township Chief to Deputy County Head so quickly, and at such a young age, made her prospects clear for all but the blind to see. Cultivating a good relationship with Ye Yunzhu could only be beneficial for them in the future.


    Li Yifei did not speak to Ye Yunzhu. At such a time, it was the moment to establish Ye Yunzhu¡¯s authority. If others knew that Ye Yunzhu knew him, her authority would be diminished. He then left with Michelle and Wang Xiaojuan.


    At this time, Boss Qian chased after them and said to Wang Xiaojuan, "Xiaojuan, I was just trying to trick those two just now. Why don¡¯t you come back and work for me?"


    Wang Xiaojuan snorted and said, "Sorry, Boss Qian, but I suggest you stop looking for people. I cannot serve a boss like you." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boss Qian hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t, how about I raise your salary, give you three thousand a month?" Previously, Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s salary was only one thousand six hundred, which was nearly double.


    "I¡¯m sorry, although I, Wang Xiaojuan, am short of money, I also have my pride. After the way you treated me, I couldn¡¯t possibly work for you again, goodbye."


    Boss Qian saw that Wang Xiaojuan completely disagreed and was even more annoyed. If Wang Xiaojuan went back to work for him, he might have been able to bring in Li Yifei, a major client. But now, his efforts were like drawing water with a bamboo basket, utterly futile, and he did not close any deal.


    At this moment, Wang Xiaojuan was extremely excited and said to Michelle with great excitement, "Michelle, only now do I realize you have such a good eye. Your boyfriend really is remarkable."


    Right then, Michelle felt incredibly proud but still glanced at Li Yifei and whispered, "No, Brother Li really isn¡¯t my boyfriend."


    "Giggle, why keep it a secret from me? I really should thank you guys. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?"


    Michelle looked at Li Yifei, who apologetically said, "Sorry, I have to cook dinner for my wife tonight."


    "Ah, your wife? You¡¯re married already?" Wang Xiaojuan suddenly widened her eyes in surprise.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Yes."


    Wang Xiaojuan looked at Michelle, who also smiled slightly and said, "I told you, we aren¡¯t in that kind of relationship. We¡¯re just colleagues, friends. Brother Li¡¯s wife is really outstanding, much stronger than me."


    Wang Xiaojuan¡¯s mouth twitched. She still sensed that Michelle had feelings for Li Yifei and decided she had to talk to Michelle later, so she wouldn¡¯t fall too deep.


    As the three turned the corner of the street and Li Yifei was about to get his car, someone approached from the side and said, "You¡¯re really living it up, you scoundrel." It was Ye Yunzhu.


    Michelle immediately smiled sweetly at Ye Yunzhu and said, "Sister Ye, thank you so much for just now."


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t hold any animosity towards Michelle and also smiled back, saying, "Why thank me? It¡¯s this scoundrel¡¯s trouble that I had to clean up."


    At this point, Wang Xiaojuan was utterly astonished looking at Ye Yunzhu. Just now, she was completely subdued by Ye Yunzhu¡¯s imposing manner, but now the County Head Ye was speaking to Li Yifei in such a way. She stuttered, "You... you¡¯re his wife?"


    Ye Yunzhu immediately turned her gaze toward Li Yifei, waiting for his reply.


    Li Yifei chuckled and wrapped his arm around Ye Yunzhu¡¯s waist, saying, "Wife, let me introduce you. This is Michelle¡¯s classmate, Wang Xiaojuan. Wang Xiaojuan, this is my wife, Ye Yunzhu."


    Wang Xiaojuan hurriedly extended her hand, blushing and timidly said, "Hello, Mayor Ye."


    Ye Yunzhu was quite satisfied at this moment. If Li Yifei had denied her as his wife at this time, he definitely would have been in for it. She shook hands with Wang Xiaojuan and smiled, "Hello, Michelle is quite familiar with me. You don¡¯t need to be so formal, just call me by my name."


    "Okay," Wang Xiaojuan said, even more excited. Back when her father was an official, he loved to talk big, and most of the officials she knew also liked to put on airs. But Mayor Ye, so approachable, gave her a completely different feeling.


    Ye Yunzhu then said to Michelle, "Michelle, I need to talk to Yifei about something, so we¡¯ll go first."


    Michelle immediately said, "Okay, go ahead. I can get back to the company by myself."


    After Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu left, Michelle couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Seeing Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei together, she thought if she were like Ye Yunzhu, she might be able to be with Li Yifei too, even if it meant being a lover without an official status.

 Chapter 601 - 620: Little Yiyi the Charmer

    Chapter 601: Chapter 620: Little Yiyi the CharmerHaving got into Li Yifei¡¯s car, Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei and said, "You jerk, not even a single call after so many days, what do you mean by that?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly replied, "I¡¯ve been a bit busy these days, and you know it, Mengxin came, and I¡¯ve been protecting her, plus I got injured."


    "Hmph, an excuse. Are you healed now?"


    "I¡¯m fine now," Li Yifei answered with a smile.


    "Then let¡¯s go, find a place, and chat."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re the County Head after all. It might not look so good for us to go out together so openly, right? Plus, going to those hotels and such could easily reveal our identities, with all the reports on the internet recently."


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t you still have a home? Let¡¯s go there."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "No problem."


    Driving his car, Li Yifei took Ye Yunzhu directly to his old little home. Ye Yunzhu looked around at the clean and tidy house, where everything was meticulously in place, and immediately asked doubtfully, "Do you still come back here often?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it, saying, "Yiyi often stays here. Oh, Yiyi should be here."


    Ye Yunzhu knew about Su Yiyi and, hearing this, her brow immediately furrowed. She really wanted to see what Su Yiyi looked like, as Li Yifei had said he would never give up on Su Yiyi no matter what.


    "Yiyi, come out," Li Yifei went over and knocked on the tightly closed bedroom door.


    The door slowly opened, and Su Yiyi came out hesitantly, with her hands lowered, pinching the corner of her clothes, and her body trembling slightly. This fearful appearance hurt Li Yifei¡¯s heart deeply.


    He stretched out his hand and draped it over Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder. Like a frightened little rabbit, she abruptly pushed Li Yifei away and tried to dodge to the side, but ended up bumping into the door frame with a dull thud. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart ached even more. He immediately steadied Su Yiyi and said anxiously, "Yiyi, don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s Yunzhu who¡¯s come."


    Su Yiyi stiffened, then lifted her head and saw Ye Yunzhu come in. She still didn¡¯t relax an inch, becoming both nervous and scared as she stuttered, "I... I..."


    Only then did Ye Yunzhu get a good look at Su Yiyi¡¯s face. Her heart was struck with shock. What a pure girl, especially that timidity that instantly made one want to protect her. Even as a woman, the hostility Ye Yunzhu felt toward Su Yiyi disappeared in an instant.


    Smiling gently at Su Yiyi, Ye Yunzhu said softly, "Yiyi, why are you afraid of me? I¡¯m not this guy¡¯s wife. Besides, we¡¯re both this jerk¡¯s lovers, we¡¯re equals."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip, wanting to say something but unable to get the words out, and looked down again, twisting the corner of her clothes.


    Li Yifei held Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, gently rubbing the arm she had bumped on the door frame, and said softly, "Yiyi, can we not be so afraid? When you¡¯re scared like this, it really hurts me."


    Ye Yunzhu took the initiative and grabbed Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, "You¡¯re such a graceful girl, even if I were Li Yifei¡¯s wife, I wouldn¡¯t have the heart to bully you. I just don¡¯t understand, what¡¯s so good about this guy that he got a girl like you, and you¡¯re so good to him."


    Li Yifei gave Ye Yunzhu a sidelong glance and said, "You make it sound like I¡¯m terrible."


    "Hmph, you are terrible. Look at Yiyi, such a good girl and you¡¯re ruining her, are you really anything of value?"


    Li Yifei immediately coughed awkwardly; those words had hit a sore spot for him.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the silent Su Yiyi suddenly looked up bravely and said to Ye Yunzhu, "I was the one who clung to Brother Li on my own, everything was voluntary."


    Ye Yunzhu was taken aback before bursting into laughter, "You silly girl, defending this jerk like that. Fine, fine, I¡¯ll stop talking about him. We all like him anyway."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red again, and she lowered her head before pursing her lips and saying, "Brother Li, Sister Ye, I¡¯m going to leave now."


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed Su Yiyi¡¯s arm, "Don¡¯t go, let¡¯s chat."


    Ye Yunzhu was eager to have a moment alone with Li Yifei, yet seeing how frightened Su Yiyi was, she couldn¡¯t bear to let her go and softly said, "We¡¯ve just come to chat. We¡¯re all this guy¡¯s lovers anyway, there¡¯s no need to be cautious. Stay."


    "I... I..." Su Yiyi twisted her clothing tightly with her fingers, unsure whether to agree or not.


    Li Yifei¡¯s voice became even softer, "Yiyi, can you stop being afraid? Otherwise, Brother Li¡¯s heart is really going to hurt."


    Su Yiyi glanced at Li Yifei and finally nodded gently.


    Li Yifei pulled Su Yiyi into the bedroom, and Ye Yunzhu followed, scrutinizing the room¡¯s arrangement and smiling as she said, "Yiyi, you really are a diligent girl, this room is so clean."


    Su Yiyi sat on the edge of the bed, still visibly uncomfortable, and softly said, "I didn¡¯t have much to do, so I just tidied up the room a bit more."


    "However, if you keep the house this tidy, this guy shouldn¡¯t be staying here all the time, right?"


    "It¡¯s okay, as long as Brother Li occasionally thinks of me, I¡¯m very happy."


    "You know, Yifei," I really want to punch you right now. Seeing how wronged Yiyi has been made, my heart aches."


    Su Yiyi said anxiously, "Really, I¡¯m not feeling wronged, Brother Li is very good to me."


    Ye Yunzhu kicked off her slippers and said, "Hehe, you always stand up for him. By the way, can I lie down on your bed for a bit? I¡¯m so tired today and want to rest."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Of course you can. Please lie down, after all, you¡¯re pregnant."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly sat up, tidied the bed, and after Ye Yunzhu thanked her, lay down, tenderly placing her hand over her lower abdomen.


    Su Yiyi looked at the slight bulge of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s stomach, her eyes shimmering with an unusual excitement, and timidly asked, "Sister Yunzhu, does the baby kick people?"


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled softly and replied, "It¡¯s already three months, so I can feel some fetal movements, but as for kicking like you mentioned, that¡¯ll take a few more months. By the way you¡¯re asking, do you want a child too?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s cheeks flushed, she glanced at Li Yifei, but didn¡¯t answer, though her expression was enough to reveal her thoughts.


    Li Yifei smoothed Su Yiyi¡¯s hair and said softly, "Yiyi, don¡¯t rush. After you graduate from college, if you really want a child, then we can have one."


    Su Yiyi looked up excitedly at Li Yifei and nodded vigorously.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a disdainful look and said, "You really have no worries, do you? You¡¯ve already got Little Yifei, and now I¡¯m pregnant, and later Yingying will certainly want to have one with you too. Are you planning to have one with each person?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Many children, many blessings. We can certainly afford it, so why not have a few more."


    It could be that the child growing inside her was making Ye Yunzhu more patient, or perhaps it was the sight of Su Yiyi, a girl who seemed so lovable that Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t muster any hostility towards her. Even when Su Yiyi expressed her desire to have a child with Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu felt no discomfort.


    Hearing Li Yifei say this, Su Yiyi felt even happier. But looking at Ye Yunzhu lying on the bed, she still felt some nervousness and said, "Brother Li, I have an activity at school this afternoon. I just came back to change my clothes. I really have to go now." After finishing her sentence, she blushed and ran out of the bedroom, and then they heard the sound of her changing shoes and toggling the anti-theft door.


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu looked at each other. Li Yifei didn¡¯t go after Su Yiyi, as leaving her would only make her feel more embarrassed, so it was better to let her go for now.


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled and said, "Your Little Yiyi is quite endearing. I¡¯m starting to like her myself. If Yingying can¡¯t accept her, I¡¯ll take her under my wing."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s because my Yunzhu is so open-minded."


    "Get lost. I¡¯m not trying to be open-minded at all. If it weren¡¯t for the child inside me that needs to stay, I would have kicked you out long ago."


    Li Yifei lay down beside Ye Yunzhu and gently caressed her abdomen, saying, "My child, I¡¯m really basking in your glow. When you¡¯re born, I¡¯ll make sure to take good care of you."


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled softly, clearly in a good mood. They talked for a while then began to kiss each other, and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand mischievously made its way inside Li Yifei¡¯s pants.


    Li Yifei quickly held her hand and said, "Hey, Yunzhu, we can¡¯t do this, or you¡¯ll be uncomfortable again."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes gleamed with desire as she said, "You dummy, I¡¯m already three months along and past the dangerous period. As long as you¡¯re not too rough, there won¡¯t be any problem."


    Hearing this, Li Yifei laughed and said, "My little Yunzhu, you must have been frustrated lately. I¡¯ll make sure to serve you well today and completely satisfy you."

 Chapter 602 - 621 Su Yiyi’s Heartache

    Chapter 602: Chapter 621 Su Yiyi¡¯s HeartacheEver since she became pregnant, Ye Yunzhu had never fully enjoyed her encounters with Li Yifei. She always had to be cautious, which made her quite uncomfortable. This time, she was finally able to truly be with Li Yifei and wanted to make up for all the lost days.


    Women, especially pregnant women, tend to have very strong desires during the third and fourth months of pregnancy. Ye Yunzhu was no exception; she missed Li Yifei terribly and longed to indulge herself with him. So today, even though she had things to do, she couldn¡¯t help but send others away after seeing Li Yifei and sought him out.


    However, both of them were aware that even now, they could not be too vigorous¡ªLi Yifei especially had to control himself to not penetrate too deeply nor move too forcefully. This actually left Ye Yunzhu feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.


    But it was better than nothing, and in the end, Ye Yunzhu was satisfied after Li Yifei¡¯s efforts, and she finally let him go.


    "Hey, you¡¯re just going to leave me like this?" Li Yifei asked with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a look, snuggled into his arms, and said lazily, "I¡¯m leaving it be. Right now, I¡¯m extremely tired and really don¡¯t feel like moving. Stop bothering me."


    "When you work, you can¡¯t be as reckless as before. Rest when you need to rest, and don¡¯t tire yourself out," Li Yifei immediately said.


    "I wish I could, but you just had to get me that damn Deputy County Head position. I¡¯ve just taken over the work, and there¡¯s no time to rest all day."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "Then let¡¯s not do it."


    Ye Yunzhu nudged Li Yifei with her elbow and chided, "You deadbeat. I¡¯m the Deputy County Head, not just any employee. I can¡¯t just quit like that. It would involve too many things. Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits. Even if I don¡¯t care about myself, I have to think about my child."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "That¡¯s good to hear. Actually, it¡¯s really easy to slack off in an official position. You could just let your subordinates do everything. They¡¯ll be eager to do it, and we can just comfortably be the leaders."


    "Yeah, right now, that¡¯s all I can do. But I have to take hold of the general direction; otherwise, if these people sideline me, it will be troublesome to take back power after I have the baby."


    "What¡¯s so troublesome about that? If anyone disobeys, I¡¯ll beat them for you until they submit."


    "Get out of here." Ye Yunzhu was amused by Li Yifei, then she sat up and said, "No, I have to go."


    "Leaving already?"


    "Yes, I have to head back to the county. Call Yiyi back, or you¡¯re going to die of frustration."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "No problem, I¡¯ll take you back." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t bother, I¡¯ll have my driver pick me up. In your state, pitching a tent, I¡¯m afraid you might have an accident while driving."


    "It won¡¯t get to that point, it will be fine in a bit."


    "Stop pretending, I¡¯m leaving." By then, Ye Yunzhu had already dressed, kissed Li Yifei on the face, and walked out the door.


    Li Yifei escorted Ye Yunzhu to the door and let her leave, then he called Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, come over, Yunzhu left."


    In less than a minute, Su Yiyi opened the door and came in. She hadn¡¯t actually gone back to school but was staying next door in the room Su Mengxin had left.


    Seeing Li Yifei still lying on the bed with a quilt over his legs and a noticeable bulge underneath, Su Yiyi blushed, sat down beside the bed, and said, "Sister Yunzhu left so soon?"


    Li Yifei took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and smiled, "She¡¯s busy as the Deputy County Head now, always having a lot to do. She took a quick break to come see me."


    Su Yiyi lay down beside Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re amazing. Even though Sister Yunzhu is the Deputy County Head now, she¡¯s willing to have a baby for you."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, feeling quite proud of himself, "Yunzhu was my childhood sweetheart and my first love; to me, she¡¯s not some Deputy County Head."


    Su Yiyi glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s protrusion, her face reddened further, and she whispered, "Why are you still like that? Didn¡¯t you just..."


    Li Yifei was somewhat embarrassed by Su Yiyi¡¯s comment and said, "No, she¡¯s pregnant, how could I be reckless?"


    "Oh... Brother Li, Yiyi missed you." Su Yiyi shyly offered a kiss with blushing cheeks.


    Li Yifei kissed Su Yiyi back twice, gazing at her and asked, "Yiyi, do you think I¡¯m coming to you because I wasn¡¯t satisfied with Yunzhu?"


    Su Yiyi looked at Li Yifei with tender, loving eyes, and said coyly, "No, if Brother Li stopped caring for Yiyi, Yiyi would be unhappy."


    Li Yifei felt a sway in his heart and flipped Su Yiyi beneath him. She let out a soft moan and held him tight, finding herself increasingly fond of his strength, which seemed to make her soul soar every time.


    After their passionate encounter, Su Yiyi snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, tangling her legs with his. She felt something on Yifei¡¯s leg that made hers uncomfortable. She had noticed it during their fervor but hadn¡¯t the time to care then, and now she glanced down and sat up in a hurry, asking anxiously, "Brother Li, what happened to your leg?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s nothing, just some scrapes, they¡¯re almost healed now."


    Gently touching Li Yifei¡¯s leg with her hand, Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened as she said with heartache, "Brother Li, that must hurt a lot."


    Li Yifei tenderly replied, "Silly girl, such a minor wound is nothing to Brother Li, and besides, it¡¯s already healing. Why are you still upset?"


    Yet, Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but shed tears, choking up as she said, "Brother Li, seeing you hurt makes Yiyi¡¯s heart ache."


    Li Yifei pulled Su Yiyi back onto the bed and held her tight. He was genuinely touched by her deep affection and wanted nothing but to hold her close.


    Without a word, Su Yiyi clung to Li Yifei just as tightly, as if trying to merge completely into his being.


    "Ah, it¡¯s getting late, you should go," Su Yiyi suddenly murmured before sitting up quickly and frantically helping Li Yifei with his clothes.


    In a gentle voice, Li Yifei said, "I¡¯m not going today, I¡¯ll stay here with you."


    "Oh no, Sister Yingying will be upset if she finds out. Brother Li, please go now," urged Su Yiyi while pulling him up.


    Seeing her anxious demeanor, Li Yifei knew that even if he stayed, Su Yiyi would feel an immense pressure, so he sat up and began dressing, saying, "Yiyi, in a few days it¡¯ll be the National Day holiday, Xiaoyao will be back too, and we can all stay here together then."


    "Mm-hm, I won¡¯t let you leave then," Su Yiyi blushed yet agreed eagerly.


    She could be self-deceiving sometimes. With Chu Xiaoyao visiting, Yifei would be with Xiaoyao, relieving any pressure she might feel about keeping him there. But if Li Yifei stayed alone with her now, she feared Xu Yingying¡¯s anger, so she wouldn¡¯t allow him to remain.


    Li Yifei left after getting dressed, hurried along by Su Yiyi.


    After picking up Little Yifei and Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei returned home, and Xu Yingying mentioned, "I received an invitation today for a charitable auction on the third of next month."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Then you should go."


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "This invitation allows for five guests, and the event is on a cruise ship. We¡¯ll be at sea for two days. Don¡¯t you want to go?"


    Little Yifei asked curiously, "Mommy Yingying, what¡¯s a cruise ship?"


    Xu Yingying lifted Little Yifei into her arms, explaining, "A cruise ship is a very big boat with everything on it, including a swimming pool. It¡¯s a lot of fun. Do you want to go?"


    "Go! Go! Yifei wants to go!" Little Yifei cried out excitedly.


    Hearing this, Xu Shanshan also clamored to go. Such an opportunity was not to be missed, especially since she had never been on a large cruise ship.


    Xu Yingying then looked at Li Yifei, who also said with a smile, "Well, that¡¯s great, the National Day holidays are coming up, and it would be nice for the whole family to have some fun."


    Nodding, Xu Yingying agreed, "Okay, then let¡¯s go together. Xiaoyao will be back just in time, and the five of us will make a perfect group."


    Li Yifei then asked, "Given that it¡¯s a charity auction, is it really necessary to hold it on a cruise ship? With such high costs, wouldn¡¯t it be better to donate that money directly?"


    Xu Yingying laughed, "The auction is just one reason. There are other valuable items to be auctioned normally on the ship, including some Blue and White Porcelain worth over a hundred million. We can go and see for ourselves. Besides, it¡¯s not just people from Mile City attending; there will be celebrities from other places too."


    That¡¯s when Su Mengxin arrived with Meng Xiaofei. Su Mengfei also had an invitation; she wanted to have some fun, and since Meng Xiaofei had no flying duties those days, she decided to join as well.


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei and asked, "Mengxin, are you bringing anyone else?"


    "No, no one else. Do you want to bring someone?"


    Xu Yingying shot Li Yifei another look and said, "Then let¡¯s take Sister Fangqing and Michelle too. Oh, and there¡¯s one more spot, so let¡¯s bring a certain person¡¯s Yiyi along."


    Li Yifei coughed dryly but liked the idea of going on the cruise. Su Yiyi had always lived modestly, and he indeed wanted her to experience it too, though he wasn¡¯t sure if the girl would be willing to go.

 Chapter 603 - 622 Su Yiyi and Xu Yingying Meet

    Chapter 603: Chapter 622 Su Yiyi and Xu Yingying Meet"Stinky brother-in-law!" Early in the morning, as Li Yifei was making breakfast in the kitchen, Xu Shanshan sneaked in and pinched him, pouting angrily.


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with some confusion and said, "Shanshan, it¡¯s early in the morning, and I haven¡¯t offended you, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Shanshan glared at him and said, "Why were you so well-behaved last night?"


    Instantly, Li Yifei understood why Xu Shanshan was acting like this and couldn¡¯t help hiding a smile as he said, "I mean, Shanshan, a brother-in-law isn¡¯t made of iron. Surely I can¡¯t get intimate with your sister every single night, right?"


    "How old are you? Isn¡¯t this the time when your desires are the strongest? Did you do something bad during the day, so that¡¯s why you weren¡¯t affectionate with my sister at night?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat secretly, since Xu Shanshan had actually guessed right, but still laughed and said, "Shanshan, you really do need to exercise some self-control with this stuff, otherwise it¡¯s not good for your health."


    "Then you should tell me in advance next time. It made me wait half the night yesterday, and I didn¡¯t feel anything in the end, I didn¡¯t even sleep well, it was really uncomfortable."


    Li Yifei leaned in close to Xu Shanshan¡¯s ear and whispered, "You little girl, you¡¯re obviously more demanding than your sister. One day without feeding, and you can¡¯t take it."


    "Yes, I can¡¯t take it. I want to feel that every day." Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t hide her thoughts at all, her manner full of allure, her eyes sparkling with charm. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My little aunt, you¡¯ll really wear out your brother-in-law like that. Stop messing around, your sister is coming out."


    Xu Shanshan then let Li Yifei go, sneaked a piece of fried egg, and ran out.


    On October 31, Chu Xiaoyao came back, and Li Yifei directly brought her to their old home, which was specially approved by Xu Yingying. She was well aware that Chu Xiaoyao was different from other women. This girl had the character of a child, and if Li Yifei wasn¡¯t allowed to take her out, she wouldn¡¯t settle down at home, it was better to be generous and let Li Yifei go out with her¡ªat least she wouldn¡¯t have to see it.


    Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei for a month, and the fact that he immediately took her to Su Yiyi¡¯s place made her even more excited.


    Once inside the home, Chu Xiaoyao started hopping around and hugging Su Yiyi cheerfully and affectionately, but she didn¡¯t act as Li Yifei had anticipated. The girl didn¡¯t cling to him, demanding to go to bed as soon as she arrived.


    "Uncle, do you notice anything different about me?" Chu Xiaoyao chatted with Su Yiyi for a bit, then stood prettily in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei looked Chu Xiaoyao up and down. Her appearance was the same, but her spirit and demeanor had changed a bit, happier than before, not as melancholic as she had been. Moreover, it seemed that after not seeing her for a month, she seemed more graceful, truly like a young lady, making one forget she was just a little girl.


    "Uncle, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Have I changed at all?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Xiaoyao feels like a grown-up young lady now."


    Chu Xiaoyao screamed excitedly and threw herself onto Li Yifei, her arms wrapping around his neck as she said, "Uncle, does it seem like Xiaoyao has grown up?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I had that impression, but now you¡¯re making me feel like you¡¯re still that same little girl from before."


    "You¡¯re so mean, I¡¯ve grown up, and tonight... do you really want Xiaoyao?"


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "Let¡¯s wait a bit more."


    "Stinky uncle!" Chu Xiaoyao pinched Li Yifei, but she didn¡¯t press for too much more. Now every time Li Yifei managed to give her that marvelous feeling, she wasn¡¯t in a rush to truly get intimate with him. The little girl had grown a bit more cunning; she had heard that if men got women too easily, they¡¯d lose interest. With Uncle having so many women, and her with no advantages, if she didn¡¯t maintain some allure, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to capture Uncle¡¯s heart.


    That night was naturally ineffably tender and sweet. Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t new to this either, and with Li Yifei able to stay the night there, she could pretty much let go.


    After Li Yifei had finally satisfied Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s multiple requests and lay on the bed, exhausted with a cigarette, Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi nestled at his sides, one on the left, and the other on the right.


    "Xiaoyao, Yiyi, how about we all go out to sea on the third, take a cruise on the Oriental Princess?" Li Yifei asked after taking a couple of drags from his cigarette.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said excitedly, "Yes, yes, I¡¯ve never been on a big cruise ship before."


    Su Yiyi was also brimming with excitement. Li Yifei turned his head to look at Su Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, Yingying is going this time. Won¡¯t it be great if you came too?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s expression changed abruptly, and she urgently shook her head, saying, "No no! I won¡¯t go."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s chest and said, "Sister Yiyi, what are you afraid of? Sister Yingying doesn¡¯t eat people, and she won¡¯t scold you. If we go together, we¡¯ll have company. It¡¯ll be so much fun."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s head was still shaking like a tambourine as she rushed to say, "No way, I really can¡¯t go. If Yingying gets upset, Brother Li will be in trouble. I really can¡¯t go."


    Li Yifei extinguished his cigarette and spoke softly to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, I have never forced you, but this time I really hope you can go. I know this is really hard for you, and you will feel a lot of pressure in your heart, but I really don¡¯t want you to always be like this. You have already sacrificed so much for me. If I still let you continue this way, I really won¡¯t feel at peace."


    Chu Xiaoyao also persuaded, "Sister Yiyi, just go. It¡¯s bound to be fun. And if it comes to it, I¡¯ll play with you, and we won¡¯t hang out with them. The cruise ship is so big, probably with a few thousand people on board. When the time comes, if you don¡¯t want them to see you, who could find you?"


    Su Yiyi was somewhat tempted. She had never really had any enjoyment in life apart from studying; she had always been working odd jobs and tutoring to earn her tuition fees. Even after she was with Li Yifei, and he had given her so much money, she was reluctant to spend it. The idea of playing on the cruise ship was quite appealing to her.


    Li Yifei continued, "Yiyi, rest assured, I won¡¯t let you be wronged. Also, don¡¯t you want to see my daughter?"


    Bitting her lip, Su Yiyi said softly, "But... I¡¯m still afraid of meeting your wife."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "You really don¡¯t have to be afraid. I¡¯m still living in Uncle¡¯s house, and in his house, I even share a room with him. Yingying didn¡¯t get angry, so what are you afraid of?"


    After hesitating for a bit, Su Yiyi said, "Then... then... I¡¯ll go."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately shouted excitedly, "That¡¯s fantastic! We¡¯ll all go together."


    Li Yifei gripped Su Yiyi¡¯s hand tightly and said, "Yiyi, be brave. Yingying knows about you. If you never meet her, it will only leave a knot in her heart. If you meet her, it might actually set her mind at ease."


    Su Yiyi gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand firmly. Although she nodded, her eyes still carried a hint of panic. This matter was really difficult for her; she still felt like the ¡¯other woman,¡¯ fearing she would upset Xu Yingying, the legitimate wife. But for Li Yifei, she still mustered the courage to agree.


    Early in the morning on the third, Li Yifei drove a van, carrying the Xu sisters, Yingying and Shanshan, Mengxin, Meng Xiaofei, and his daughter Little Yifei. They didn¡¯t need to bring much, just a couple of sets of clothes. On the cruise ship, everything one could need was provided.


    At the dock, Li Yifei ran into He Fangqing and Michelle. Everyone gathered and the joy was palpable. However, Li Yifei, seeing so many people, couldn¡¯t help but sigh to himself. It was quite unbalanced with only him as the man among so many women.


    The cruise ship was the Oriental Princess. Cruising had become very popular in recent years, becoming the top choice for high-end travelers. Huaxia had not had such a luxurious ferry until a few years ago when a billionaire invested several billion to build this super-luxurious cruise ship, which could absolutely rival the world¡¯s top ten luxury liners.


    The ship had more than ten decks, with over two thousand cabins, including some presidential suites that even had private swimming pools. It was one hundred and sixty meters long and over sixty meters wide, virtually a moving city. Here, one could indulge in all kinds of entertainment; looking up from below was enough to be utterly astounded.


    Not only did children like Little Yifei gape in amazement, but adults too couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the sight. This was what a real luxury cruise was like. Embarking on a cruise on this ship was a true form of enjoyment.


    The arrival of the Oriental Princess to the port of Mile City was a first. Just being able to see such a luxurious cruise ship was an exciting event for the people of Mile City, and those who had the privilege and power to board were truly either rich or noble.


    Upon arriving, Xu Yingying had already seen many acquaintances, including government officials and business elites. She had no choice but to go greet them.


    Since today was meant for fun, Mengxin didn¡¯t want to interact with these bothersome people and hid behind Li Yifei to avoid having to greet anyone she knew. Besides, her status made her appearance here potentially problematic.


    Li Yifei, on the other hand, didn¡¯t need to deliberately hide himself. Apart from high-ranking officials like the mayor, others did not recognize him. In their eyes, he was just someone with a bit of money, hardly worth their notice.


    It was the several beauties accompanying Li Yifei who attracted many gazes. Though the place wasn¡¯t short of beautiful women, seeing several following one man naturally made people take a few extra looks, making Li Yifei feel somewhat uncomfortable, as some onlookers viewed him with envy and peculiarity.

 Chapter 604 - 623 Gathering Outing

    Chapter 604: Chapter 623 Gathering OutingIt wasn¡¯t long before Chu Xiaoyao called Li Yifei, and after he gave her the specific location, not much later, she firmly dragged Su Yiyi over to where everyone was.


    At this time, Xu Yingying had finally finished with some socializing and joined everyone.


    Xu Yingying was seeing Su Yiyi for the first time, and she had always been very curious about this girl. Before marrying Li Yifei, he had emphatically stated that he could never sever ties with Su Yiyi. Li Yifei used to have quite a few women around him, but the only one he ever brought up was Su Yiyi. Xu Yingying had wanted to meet Su Yiyi for a while but never had the chance, and now at last she saw the girl Li Yifei had been so adamant about.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi was looking down, wearing a light yellow long dress with a white belt around her waist. Her long hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and even without seeing her face, she emanated a tranquil and delicate beauty.


    "Sister Yingying, this is Su Yiyi. Haven¡¯t you always wanted to meet her? I really had to drag her here this time," Chu Xiaoyao winked at Xu Yingying with a rather proud expression.


    Xu Yingying smiled lightly and extended her hand to Su Yiyi, saying, "Hello, Yifei always talks about you. I¡¯ve always wanted to see for myself what kind of beauty could captivate him so."


    Upon hearing Xu Yingying speak, Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but tremble slightly again. When she saw Xu Yingying¡¯s hand extended, she took it in hers in a flustered manner, lifted her head slightly to glance at Xu Yingying, and then quickly lowered her gaze again.


    Xu Yingying finally saw Su Yiyi¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly, instantly understanding why Li Yifei was so reluctant to give up on Su Yiyi. Such a girl, at first sight, could arouse the desire to protect. If she were really harmed, Xu Yingying herself would find it unbearable.


    When Su Yiyi was with Li Yifei, they hadn¡¯t even considered marriage yet. Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t pressured Li Yifei to leave her, instead silently becoming his lover. For this kind of tolerance toward Li Yifei and the silent love she had for him, Xu Yingying fell short. What reason did she have to force Li Yifei to leave Su Yiyi?


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t the slightest bit worried about Xu Yingying meeting Su Yiyi. A girl like Su Yiyi was really hard to view with hostility, and since Su Yiyi had never fought with Xu Yingying over anything, and Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t an irrational woman, she certainly wouldn¡¯t make a scene over this matter.


    Xu Yingying then said, "Little sister Yiyi, don¡¯t be nervous, we are all here to enjoy ourselves. Oh, you haven¡¯t met Yifei¡¯s daughter yet, have you? Yifei, quickly say hello to Auntie Yiyi."


    Little Yifei, who had been curiously looking at Su Yiyi, immediately chirped up in a childish voice, "Hello, Auntie Yiyi."


    Su Yiyi immediately turned her attention to Little Yifei. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t be as nervous around her, especially since this was Li Yifei¡¯s child, and so adorable at that. She felt an instinctive closeness, which relaxed her tense mood. She crouched down and handed a beautiful silver bell to Little Yifei, saying softly, "This is a gift from auntie. I don¡¯t know if you like it?"


    Little Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, and it wasn¡¯t just Xu Yingying or Li Yifei ¡ª even when she was in Capital City, she had been taught not to casually accept things from strangers. She was meeting Su Yiyi for the first time, so she hesitated to take the gift. Xu Yingying immediately smiled and said, "Take it, Auntie Yiyi is also your... your dad¡¯s good friend, not a stranger."


    Little Yifei joyfully accepted the bell, shaking it lightly, and the crisp sound made her say even more delightedly, "Thank you, Auntie Yiyi." She then hugged Su Yiyi¡¯s neck and planted a kiss on her cheek.


    Su Yiyi was overjoyed and said, "How about auntie puts it on your wrist, so you can jingle it whenever you walk?"


    "Yes, yes!" Little Yifei immediately held out her tender little hand, letting Su Yiyi tie the bell around her wrist, then she started shaking it happily. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, Li Yifei said, "Alright, now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s board the ship first. I¡¯ll introduce you all later."


    They all boarded the cruise ship together. Flanked by tall sailors on either side of the gangway, each was courteous and smiling, which immediately conveyed a sense of respect. A luxury cruise isn¡¯t just about external grandeur; service quality is also of utmost importance. On the cruise ship, everyone will receive the most distinguished service.


    Guided by the attendants, Li Yifei and his group arrived at their sixth-floor room. This was not the best location ¡ª the rooms were better the higher up one went ¡ª and they hadn¡¯t booked one of those luxurious suites that were too conspicuous, especially for Su Mengxin. Had they chosen such a suite, it would have attracted too much attention.


    The room wasn¡¯t perfectly square but rather elongated. Nonetheless, it lacked nothing: there was a large bed, soft and comfortable, with the bedding and mattress being extremely exquisite. There was a bathroom, a sofa, a TV, and everything else one could need, each item as delicate as the next.


    Rooms were shared between two people, so naturally, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were in one. Initially, they had considered having Little Yifei stay with them, but she insisted on sharing a room with Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. These two girls were the youngest and could play with her the best. Plus, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were always managing her, while only Chu Xiaoyao would keep her constantly entertained.


    He Fangqing and Michelle took a room together, while Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei, both fond of fun and frolic, also banded together. As for Su Mengxin, she ended up with a room to herself. Although everyone was attractive, Su Mengxin was still a few notches above the rest in beauty, which unavoidably made the others feel a bit distanced from her. It wasn¡¯t that everyone was intentionally isolating Su Mengxin; it just seemed that her beauty and status made others uncomfortable sharing a room with her.


    Seeing the situation, Xu Yingying proposed sharing a room with Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Coming out to have fun, a couple sharing a room can add a bit of ambiance. Why would you stay with me?"


    Xu Yingying immediately felt quite awkward, but the thought of Su Mengxin not even having someone to speak with at night was unsettling for her. She promptly said, "No worries, this guy doesn¡¯t lack company anyway. I don¡¯t need to bother about him." Saying that, she went ahead and shared a room with Su Mengxin without further discussion.


    In the end, it was Li Yifei who ended up alone in a room, but he didn¡¯t mind. Although he had ambiguous relationships with many of the women here, only Meng Xiaofei and Michelle had relatively normal relationships with him. Sharing a room with anyone would have inevitably made the others jealous. It was better this way, with him having a room to himself.


    Once the rooms were arranged, everyone gathered again in Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying¡¯s room. Li Yifei introduced Su Yiyi to everyone, and by then, she was no longer that nervous, greeting everyone in turn.


    She was already quite familiar with Su Mengxin and Meng Xiaofei¡ªonly He Fangqing and Michelle were new to her. After a brief introduction, the one Su Yiyi was most apprehensive about was Xu Yingying, but Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t making things difficult for her and was rather amiable when she spoke, which helped Su Yiyi relax considerably, though she remained very reserved and hesitant to speak freely.


    Michelle and He Fangqing were looking closely at Su Yiyi. By bringing Su Yiyi so openly, Li Yifei obviously made his relationship with her completely public and had obtained Xu Yingying¡¯s approval. Seeing Su Yiyi, they were both drawn by her gentle aura¡ªsuch a girl seemed truly meant to be cherished, and neither wanted to hurt her. Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction suggested that she, too, seemed to accept Su Yiyi.


    Meng Xiaofei nudged Li Yifei with her shoulder and said with a grin, "Brother Li, I¡¯ve always worried that you would abandon Yiyi, and I would really have had to stand up for her. But looking at it now, you seem to be quite the man."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and responded, "That¡¯s all thanks to Yingying¡¯s tolerance. Without it, how could I dare to bring Yiyi here?"


    Meng Xiaofei then winked at Xu Yingying and asked, "Sister Yingying, have you really just accepted Yiyi like that?"


    As soon as Meng Xiaofei spoke, the room fell silent, and everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Xu Yingying. Although everyone was quite curious, only someone as carefree as Meng Xiaofei would dare to raise the question, essentially forcing Xu Yingying to take a stand.


    Su Yiyi was so scared that she barely dared to breathe. She hadn¡¯t expected to face such a situation shortly after meeting Xu Yingying. It would be all right if Xu Yingying agreed, but what if she didn¡¯t? What would Su Yiyi do then?


    Li Yifei found himself in an awkward position, not expecting Meng Xiaofei to blurt out such a question, and at that moment, the least suitable person to speak was him. Any stance he took would be inappropriate, so he pretended not to have heard.


    Little Yifei, not understanding any of these matters, noticed the room had suddenly quieted and sensed that something big might be happening. She looked around curiously, from one person to the next, her face full of wonder.


    Only then did Meng Xiaofei realize her words had put Xu Yingying in a difficult position. She stuck out her tongue and said hastily, "I was just talking casually. Sister Yingying, don¡¯t take it to heart, okay?"


    Xu Yingying felt very frustrated and had not expected to be put on the spot like this. Though Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words were unintentional, everyone¡¯s attention was on her, and if she remained silent, it would indeed be awkward. Trying to disregard it was simply out of the question.


    Xu Yingying sighed inwardly. Li Yifei had already told her before that he wouldn¡¯t be able to abandon Su Yiyi. If she didn¡¯t agree, even if Li Yifei said nothing for the time being, it would still leave a massive grudge in his heart. Moreover, even if she disagreed, Li Yifei¡¯s character meant he wouldn¡¯t leave Su Yiyi, which could end up making her feel very passive and possibly create an irreparable rift between her and him.

 Chapter 605 - 624 Recognition

    Chapter 605: Chapter 624 RecognitionBut for her to stand before everyone and agree to let Su Yiyi be with Li Yifei was also very difficult for her to utter, and once she agreed, what would become of Chu Xiaoyao? Besides, there was He Fangqing. She had agreed to others, but He Fangqing was her close friend, and if she continued to pretend to be ignorant, wouldn¡¯t that be unfair to He Fangqing? And there was Michelle¡ªif Michelle saw how easygoing she was and then secretly had a relationship with Li Yifei, and later challenged her for her position, wouldn¡¯t she have to agree as well? Then she truly would be putting together a grand harem for Li Yifei.


    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry!" Su Yiyi suddenly spoke up, and even looked up at Xu Yingying, saying, "Sister Yingying, I am really happy to see you this time. You are so suited for Brother Li. Only someone like you is fit to be Brother Li¡¯s wife. I will not... affect you and Brother Li anymore. Please don¡¯t be mad at Brother Li. It¡¯s all my fault, I knew Brother Li was already married and yet I continued to see him. I was the one clinging to him. Sister Yingying, you must not blame Brother Li."


    Other than stuttering on the words "I¡¯m sorry," Su Yiyi¡¯s speech was fluent, and even carried a smile on her face.


    However, upon hearing Su Yiyi¡¯s words, everyone felt a deep sting in their hearts. They could all sense Su Yiyi¡¯s intention to protect Li Yifei¡ªto avoid making things difficult for him, she had uttered such heartbreaking words.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s lips quivered, then she looked towards Li Yifei, and Li Yifei was also looking at her. His gaze seemed indifferent, but it made Xu Yingying¡¯s heart palpitate. Li Yifei showed no intention of pressing her, but she knew clearly that if she did not agree now, even if Li Yifei did not leave her, their relationship was likely to come to an end.


    Xu Yingying moved, slowly walking towards Su Yiyi, and everyone¡¯s heart lifted to their throats. Nobody knew what Xu Yingying was going to do, and at this moment, no one spoke or stopped her, not even Chu Xiaoyao, who was also anxiously rooted to her spot.


    With each step Xu Yingying took, it was as if striking everyone¡¯s hearts, and when she stopped in front of Su Yiyi, everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats.


    "Yiyi!" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice was dry, then she gently took Su Yiyi¡¯s cold hand and softly said, "If... you¡¯re afraid of being wronged... I don¡¯t mind... you being with Yifei."


    As Xu Yingying¡¯s words fell, the room suddenly became even more silent, as if everyone¡¯s heartbeats had stopped.


    This silence lasted for a good ten seconds before Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cheer broke the calm. She jumped over, took the arms of both Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi, and excitedly exclaimed, "Sister Yiyi, I told you, Sister Yingying is such a good woman. She wouldn¡¯t get angry with you. You should have met Sister Yingying earlier; you just wouldn¡¯t agree. Now you know, right?"


    Su Yiyi looked at Xu Yingying in shock, not expecting Xu Yingying to say such things. She even doubted her ears, and even if it was Xu Yingying who said it, she still doubted the truth of those words. Xu Yingying was Li Yifei¡¯s wife; how could she tolerate the presence of a mistress like her?


    When Xu Yingying said these words, her heart indeed ached, and it was extremely difficult for her, but after actually saying it, she felt relieved. She gave Su Yiyi a faint smile and said, "However, I do have one condition. Outside, you and Yifei must not be too ostentatious. After all, if it gets out, and my husband has another woman, that would be too embarrassing for me."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s lips trembled, completely at a loss for words, while Chu Xiaoyao excitedly said, "Sister Yingying, don¡¯t worry. I and Yiyi will definitely not do that. Outside, you are uncle¡¯s wife, and Yiyi and I are just your little maids, your little serving girls."


    Xu Yingying gave Chu Xiaoyao a look, saying, "Little maids, little serving girls? It sounds as if I¡¯m bullying you. You are my sisters." Yet she felt a bit depressed inside; she had only agreed to Su Yiyi, and Chu Xiaoyao had nothing to do with it, but Chu Xiaoyao was taking advantage of the situation and included herself in, leaving Xu Yingying with no way to object.


    "Yes, yes, we are all your sisters and will listen to you, sister," Chu Xiaoyao said ingratiatingly, gently shaking Xu Yingying¡¯s arm, practically flattering her.


    This made everyone unable to refrain from a burst of laughter. Chu Xiaoyao was the youngest but the boldest. No one thought her character was flawed even with such flattering of Xu Yingying; some even secretly envied Chu Xiaoyao¡ª if they could be as shameless as her, perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be so bad. But although they liked the idea, they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to act like Chu Xiaoyao.


    Then Xu Yingying turned to Su Yiyi, who was still in a daze, and said, "Yiyi, won¡¯t you agree?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s body shivered, her mouth twitched, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears, which she couldn¡¯t hold back, and with a choked voice, she said, "Sister Yingying... I... I..."


    Xu Yingying sighed, reached out to wipe Su Yiyi¡¯s tears away, and said with another sigh, "Actually, the one who really took Yifei from you should be me. You and Yifei were already together then, but I married him, and now you¡¯ve been wronged so much."


    "No, no! I¡¯m not wronged! I¡¯m truly happy, just as long as you aren¡¯t mad at Brother Li."


    Xu Yingying turned her head to glance at Li Yifei and said, "Of course I¡¯m still going to blame him. If he had let you meet me sooner, you wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer so much."


    Watching Su Yiyi and Xu Yingying come to such a result, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but show a smile on his face, a genuine one that came from his heart.


    Xu Shanshan stealthily nudged his shoulder at that moment and glared at him, lowering her voice to say, "Stinky brother-in-law, you¡¯re really something, huh? Planning to bring her home now?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Not really, but I¡¯m very happy things have cleared up."


    "Hmph, let me tell you, you¡¯re not allowed to keep bringing women home. At night, you¡¯d better stick with my sister. If you dare to wander off, we¡¯ll see if I let you off the hook."


    Although Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice was soft, both Su Mengxin and Michelle could hear her. They took it as Shanshan simply standing up for her sister, a perfectly normal reaction. However, Li Yifei knew there was another layer of meaning to her words. If Li Yifei took Su Yiyi home as well, it would mean that he would spend a lot of time with Su Yiyi, and that would make Shanshan unable to feel the vibe Li Yifei and Xu Yingying being together brought her. Even if Yingying was okay with it, Shanshan wouldn¡¯t stand for it.


    Li Yifei could only give a dry laugh and said, "Yes, yes, I won¡¯t wander."


    Xu Shanshan then rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, still feeling quite annoyed inside. However, seeing Su Yiyi as such a gentle girl, she couldn¡¯t really get mad at her, so she could only restrict Li Yifei and make sure he stayed as much as possible with her sister.


    Su Mengxin watched all this with mixed emotions. Now that Xu Yingying¡¯s team had grown stronger, including Chu Xiaoyao and now Su Yiyi, especially Su Yiyi, who was a knot in Li Yifei¡¯s heart, Xu Yingying¡¯s resolution of this issue would mean Li Yifei would be utterly devoted to being with Xu Yingying. Mengxin¡¯s own chances were getting slimmer.


    Her eyes shifted, and a smile reappeared on her face. If this path was blocked, then she would find another. To be with Li Yifei, she must give up certain things. Yet, at that moment, no one paid her any mind, and even if they noticed her expressions were a bit strange, who would think it had to do with Li Yifei?


    Michelle observed all this with both joy and apprehension. But the education she had received was after all traditional, liking Li Yifei was one thing, she could continue to feel this way, but she did not want to become his lover. Yet, seeing Su Yiyi receive Xu Yingying¡¯s forgiveness made her feel tempted, despite her reason telling her she couldn¡¯t do this. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Meng Xiaofei let out a sigh of relief. She knew she had misspoken earlier and giggled, "That scared me to death, I thought I was in big trouble this time."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "You¡¯ve actually given Yiyi an opportunity, so you¡¯ve done a good deed. Still, it¡¯s best not to mess around with such things, otherwise if you¡¯re not careful, it could cause big trouble."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said to Li Yifei with a bright smile, "Brother Li, I¡¯m really sorry, it was all nonsense from me, please don¡¯t be mad at me."


    Li Yifei tapped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s forehead and said, "If I were mad at you, I would have thrown you into the sea long ago."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "You wouldn¡¯t do that, Brother Li, I¡¯m such a good little sister."


    Everyone was amused by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s feigned cuteness, and the atmosphere became incredibly harmonious.


    As the ship¡¯s horn blew, the cruise ship left the dock, and Little Yifei was in no mood to stay in the room. She had no excitement for the adults¡¯ affairs and just wanted to go out and play.


    Chu Xiaoyao, Xu Shanshan, and Meng Xiaofei were also eager to go, and with these few rushing, everyone went out together.


    The luxury cruise was truly luxurious, with each deck having its own features. The restaurants offered both Chinese and Western cuisine, available twenty hours a day, with the topmost deck having an open-air swimming pool, complete with all kinds of entertainment facilities. If one wanted to fully experience the cruise, a couple of days wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    And without a guide, it was easy to get lost just wandering around the ship. Luckily, there was a staff member every short distance along the corridors, ready to provide directions wherever guests wanted to go.

 Chapter 606 - 625: Definitely Won’t Leave

    Chapter 606: Chapter 625: Definitely Won¡¯t LeaveThey turned into a grand hall in the middle, and obediently took the elevator up to the very top deck.


    This was the smallest area, but the open-air swimming pool in the center was by no means smaller than those in conventional swimming halls. The light blue waters were extremely clear, rippling gently, and instantly sparked the urge in anyone who saw it to take a dip.


    The pool was equipped with a heating system. Although the weather was still a bit cool, swimming was definitely not a problem. However, since the cruise had just set sail, nobody had come to swim here yet. Still, people continuously arrived via the elevator to sightsee. The highest point of the cruise ship was everyone¡¯s first choice¡ªto take in the view from a height and to move down from deck to deck was in accordance with everyone¡¯s habits.


    Beyond the central pool, there were many beach chairs around for the swimming guests to rest on, and there was even a small bar beside them offering various drinks and beverages, as well as some snacks.


    Li Yifei and his group, aside from him and Su Mengxin, had never played on such a luxurious cruise ship. Su Mengxin, naturally, had seen everything given her status, and Li Yifei had also been on several similar luxury cruises during missions.


    Xu Yingying, although a CEO, was still young and had been busy working these years. Even if she attended some social engagements, she had never been to such high-end places.


    Meng Xiaofei could be regarded as well-traveled, but this girl, despite being pretty and simple-minded, adamantly refused to be kept by any Rich Second Generation, and with the salary she earned, it was nowhere near enough to afford coming here for fun.


    To know, such a cruise would cost tens of thousands for just a two-day visit if not invited. That¡¯s not something ordinary people would willingly spend.


    This time Li Yifei and the others came for fun, they paid for it themselves. However, for Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, that sum of money wasn¡¯t much of a concern.


    Little Yifei found everything incredibly novel. As soon as she arrived, she ran around everywhere. When she used to take Little Yifei out to play, Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, or Li Yifei would follow along, but today it was Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao accompanying Little Yifei. Su Yiyi, especially, didn¡¯t leave Little Yifei¡¯s side for even a moment, fearing that she might suffer the slightest injury. Having gained Xu Yingying¡¯s approval, she was eager to do more, taking care of Li Yifei¡¯s daughter, which was something she could manage for now.


    "With Yiyi coming along, I really have a lot less to worry about," said Xu Yingying, as she watched Su Yiyi and Little Yifei, unable to help herself from commenting, but not even she knew if her words carried a light tone or a hint of sourness.


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Yiyi is so careful only because she doesn¡¯t want to upset you."


    Xu Yingying gave a slight smile and replied, "Indeed, what can I say about a girl like Yiyi? She¡¯s gone to such lengths. If I still can¡¯t be tolerant, then I really would be nothing but a jealous woman."


    "Hehe, yeah, a girl like Yiyi indeed makes it impossible to be mad at her. But then again, if Yiyi were to live with you, it would surely not make you uncomfortable; instead, she¡¯d help you worry less about household matters."


    Xu Yingying grimaced and said, "Having her in my house, just like Xiaoyao? Then wouldn¡¯t I be truly letting Li Yifei carry on with multiple wives and concubines?" Saying this, she turned to glance at Li Yifei, who was looking at the sea view with Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and replied, "Sometimes, if it¡¯s inevitable, it might be better to try accepting it. Everything that happens under your watch, you would know. If they¡¯re not around, you wouldn¡¯t know what they are doing, nor would you understand their thoughts, which could easily lead to conflicts."


    Leaning on the railing, Xu Yingying said, "But I always feel it¡¯s odd. Even though my marriage to Yifei wasn¡¯t based on love, we are still husband and wife. If I really let Yiyi move in and others found out, it would be an ambiguous situation and turn into a joke."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "That¡¯s true. Hehe, I thought too simply."


    Xu Yingying sighed and stated, "I¡¯ll just take it one step at a time. Who asked me to marry a man who attracts so many women?"


    Looking at Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin asked, "Have you ever thought about... divorcing Yifei?"


    "No!" Xu Yingying answered decisively and then narrowed her eyes, gazing into the distance as she added, "Since I married him, I never thought about leaving him. Even if there are numerous difficulties, I am confident in staying with Yifei for a lifetime."


    Su Mengxin looked at Xu Yingying¡¯s determined expression, which convinced her entirely that unless Li Yifei truly did something to deeply hurt Xu Yingying, she would not divorce him.


    And if Xu Yingying stayed with Li Yifei, Su Mengxin¡¯s chances of being with Li Yifei officially would be significantly harder. She had always been confident that Li Yifei would eventually only like her and be with her, but the more she interacted with Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, the more she understood the true essence of feelings.


    She realized that what she had thought was far too simplistic; matters of the heart couldn¡¯t be settled with just capability and beauty, nor could they be won over with her schemes¡ªthat wouldn¡¯t be real affection.


    If Xu Yingying continued to stay with Li Yifei, then unless Su Mengxin was willing to share him, trying to have Li Yifei to herself would definitely turn Xu Yingying into an enemy, which she didn¡¯t want. She finally understood that matters of the heart were absolutely the most difficult issues she had ever encountered.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Li Yifei approached from behind Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin, asking with a smile.


    Turning her head towards Li Yifei, Su Mengxin smiled and said, "We¡¯re talking about you. We have ten people here and you¡¯re the only guy. If we don¡¯t talk about you, who else can we talk about?"


    In the past, Li Yifei had always been comfortable under Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze, but now, faced with her gentle look, he felt somewhat guilty as he said, "Looking at the scenery from here is such an enjoyable thing, and yet you¡¯re talking about me. That really spoils the mood."


    Xu Yingying hooked her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, teasingly saying, "You actually realize you¡¯re a mood killer, huh?"


    "Of course, I do have that bit of self-awareness. Being with a group of beauties like you always makes me feel deeply inferior."


    "Hmph, nicely said." Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei and thought to herself, how could her husband be such a flirt? So many beauties, each one of them could attract countless men if they went out, but they were all revolving around him, giving her, his wife, an endless headache and tremendous pressure.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll chat with Mengxin for a bit, go do your thing," Xu Yingying released Li Yifei¡¯s arm and gave him a push.


    Li Yifei nodded and smiled at Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin returned a smile to Li Yifei. Except when she was with her three friends or alone with Li Yifei, she always behaved so generously and properly that no one could imagine any ambiguity between her and Li Yifei.


    "Daddy, come here quick." Little Yifei called out loudly to Li Yifei from the side.


    Li Yifei immediately walked over and laughed, "My good daughter, what are you calling Daddy for?"


    Little Yifei pointed towards the ocean and asked, "Daddy, do you think there are sharks in the ocean?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "Of course, there are."


    "Wow, sharks are so scary, we better not fall in."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, Daddy¡¯s here."


    "Right, right, Daddy¡¯s so amazing, he can even kill sharks." Little Yifei immediately clapped her hands and cheered. A few days earlier, Li Yifei had gotten injured and when he spoke about it with Xu Yingying and the others, Little Yifei had also been listening by the side. At that time, no one took it seriously, but little did they know, the little girl had it etched in her memory.


    Chu Xiaoyao, not knowing about this incident, said cheerfully, "Yifei, is your daddy the most powerful?"


    Little Yifei very seriously replied, "Of course, just a few days ago, my daddy killed a shark, but he got many wounds on his leg from the shark bites, it looked really scary."


    Both Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s expressions changed and they looked at Li Yifei in astonishment. The night before last, when they were with Li Yifei, they had naturally seen the wounds on his leg that hadn¡¯t fully healed. Li Yifei had nonchalantly said he had scraped it, and back then, they hadn¡¯t asked further, considering the wounds didn¡¯t seem very deep. But now, listening to little Yifei, it seemed that he had obtained them while killing a shark.


    Li Yifei merely smiled lightly and said, "I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want you to worry; I indeed encountered a shark."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned somewhat pale in an instant. Sharks were the overlords of the sea, and even a smaller shark was not something a person could handle, implying the great danger Li Yifei must have faced at that time.


    Chu Xiaoyao, on the other hand, was extremely excited and gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly, she urged, "Tell me, tell me, how did you kill it?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and briefly recounted the story to Chu Xiaoyao, and even that was enough to make Chu Xiaoyao feel thrilled. Meanwhile, Michelle, Meng Xiaofei, and He Fangqing also came over and heard about it, each one of them speechless, finding it incredibly unbelievable.


    But they also knew that Li Yifei was not the type to boast, he never liked to show off; and if he talked about it like this, the real situation must have been far more dangerous than what he described.


    This further proved just how strong a man Li Yifei was, no wonder so many people liked him. Being with him was definitely very reassuring, and even He Fangqing now felt the impulse to be with Li Yifei.

 Chapter 607 - 626 I Don’t Know How to Play

    Chapter 607: Chapter 626 I Don¡¯t Know How to Play"Yingying!" a man¡¯s magnetic voice rang out from behind.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying both turned around and saw Xu Yingying¡¯s senior "brother" Cao Bin, dressed in a sharp suit, smiling, displaying quite a bit of charm.


    A smile also appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face as she said, "Brother Cao, you¡¯re here too."


    Cao Bin nodded and replied, "Yes, didn¡¯t they say there was a charity auction? Of course, I have to participate and contribute my bit."


    "Brother Cao¡¯s ideological realm is indeed high."


    Only then did Cao Bin turn his head toward Li Yifei, saying, "Looks like you¡¯re following your wife¡¯s lead here."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "We¡¯re on holiday, so we decided to play together."


    Cao Bin gave Li Yifei a slight smile and said, "You¡¯re lucky to have married Yingying." Although the words were accompanied by a smile, the remark was clearly disrespectful to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei responded with a faint smile, "That¡¯s right, he who acts first gets, he who acts late misses out."


    Cao Bin laughed and said, "That¡¯s not necessarily true. For an outstanding woman like Yingying, married or not, there will be many who like her."


    Xu Yingying felt somewhat awkward, as she clearly understood Cao Bin¡¯s intentions. However, due to their business cooperation and the fact that Cao Bin hadn¡¯t done anything too overboard, she couldn¡¯t just fall out with him. Yet, with the way he was speaking now, she was worried that Li Yifei would be annoyed, so she quickly linked arms with him. At this moment, Li Yifei had already said, "Of course, it¡¯s only natural. If no one pursued my excellent wife, wouldn¡¯t that mean I have no eye for quality?"


    "Daddy, Mommy, can we go play now?" Little Yifei ran over and grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand.


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "Sure, Daddy and Mommy will take you down to play right away."


    Cao Bin¡¯s face changed as he looked at Little Yifei, asking, "Yingying, is this your child?"


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly, "Yes, this is the child of Yifei and me."


    "But... didn¡¯t you just get married not long ago?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Who says you can¡¯t have kids without getting married? We had the child first, then got married."


    The corner of Cao Bin¡¯s mouth twitched, but he quickly regained his genteel demeanor, saying, "I apologize for the oversight. Had I known you brought a child, I would have brought a gift for your daughter. Oh, right, there¡¯s a store downstairs. Little friend, would you like Uncle to take you to buy something fun?"


    Little Yifei blinked and said, "I can¡¯t. Mommy and Daddy told me not to go with other boys, aren¡¯t you a boy?"


    Cao Bin¡¯s face went green, while Li Yifei and Xu Yingying tried to hold back their laughter. Xu Yingying quickly said, "Yifei, don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    Little Yifei immediately tugged at Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, saying, "Mommy, let¡¯s go play."


    "Alright!" Xu Yingying gave Cao Bin an apologetic smile and said, "We¡¯re going to play now. We¡¯ll chat with you later, Brother Cao."


    Cao Bin nodded, watching Li Yifei and Xu Yingying leave with Little Yifei, and couldn¡¯t help frowning. However, he soon noticed that there were several beautiful girls walking with Li Yifei and the others, laughing and chatting merrily, each of them extremely attractive. After joking with each other, Little Yifei ran over to talk to them, clearly with Li Yifei¡¯s group.


    This only confused Cao Bin further. Xu Yingying had mentioned having a husband, which he hadn¡¯t believed at first, but upon investigating, he found out she really did marry Li Yifei. However, he was unaware that Xu Yingying also had a child, and he hadn¡¯t taken Li Yifei, the lowly security guard, seriously. An excellent person like Xu Yingying living a lifetime with a lowly security guard seemed impossible, there must be a problem that led her to be with Li Yifei. If he could just find the issue, he still had a chance to win her over.


    But now, discovering that Xu Yingying had a child suggested that her relationship with Li Yifei, the security guard, was quite good, which made him very uncomfortable. How could a mere security guard win Xu Yingying¡¯s heart?


    By this time, Li Yifei and the others had already started to descend. To make Little Yifei happy, they would need a place with lots of activities. The cruise ship not only had an amusement park specifically for kids but also various entertainment facilities. Although these weren¡¯t as numerous as outdoor amusement parks, they were still enough to keep Little Yifei very happy.


    The little girl switched from playing video games to crawling through slides, and after a while, she ran to the ball pit to have fun, thoroughly enjoying herself.


    Su Yiyi stayed close to them, and Chu Xiaoyao, like a child, played happily with Little Yifei.


    With so many things to do here, one could play for a whole day without any issues. However, it seemed like a waste of time for Li Yifei and the others to stay here the whole day.


    In the end, only Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao stayed behind to accompany Little Yifei, while the adults went to explore other parts of the cruise ship.


    The ship boasted a movie theater, but watching a movie now seemed a bit wasteful. Going to the bar for a drink was also too boring, so everyone ended up at the performance venue, where magic and acrobatics were being showcased. The performers were no ordinary individuals; they were world-renowned masters of performing arts, which made for a spectacular show.


    After watching a performance, everyone wandered over to the casino. Although gambling wasn¡¯t exactly commendable, it seemed to offer quite a bit of fun in this setting.


    They were just there for a bit of amusement, but Xu Shanshan became so interested that she wanted to try everything and refused to leave.


    Xu Yingying, not wanting to leave Xu Shanshan alone, said to Li Yifei, "Honey, you stay here with Shanshan, and we¡¯ll go wander around someplace else."


    Li Yifei readily agreed. At that moment, Su Mengxin also said, "I¡¯ll stay too. You guys go have fun." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying, Michelle, He Fangqing, and Meng Xiaofei were all uninterested in gambling, so they continued their tour elsewhere. Without Xu Yingying around, Xu Shanshan immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, urging, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s have a good time and win me some money, okay?"


    "Win money for what? Are you short on cash?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Of course, I¡¯m short on cash. You and my sister don¡¯t give me any spending money, and my own salary is barely enough for my expenses!"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat at her words. Xu Shanshan¡¯s complaint made it sound like he and Xu Yingying were mistreating her. However, since he started managing her finances, he really hadn¡¯t asked Xu Shanshan if she had enough money, and considering her extravagant spending, her funds were probably insufficient. He realized this was something he should ponder on more in the future.


    In the casino, one could play against the house or against other patrons. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t confident against the professional dealers, since he hadn¡¯t practiced, but playing against average folks with his eyesight and quick hands, his chances of winning were quite high.


    While Li Yifei was deciding what to play, he noticed Cao Bin walking in. Cao Bin had just arrived and had spotted him, making his way over.


    "Junior Sister, do you like playing this too?" Cao Bin hadn¡¯t noticed Xu Shanshan, Xu Yingying¡¯s sister, at first. Upon seeing Xu Shanshan now, he mistook her for Xu Yingying. Even though he felt her clothes had changed, it wasn¡¯t unusual for someone to change clothes on the cruise.


    Xu Shanshan had seen Cao Bin talking to Xu Yingying earlier and knew that this senior of her sister was quite interested in her. Although he was handsome, Xu Shanshan was not remotely interested; to her, no matter how attractive a man might be, he was absolutely not allowed to lay a finger on her sister. If her sister were to suffer any disadvantage at the hands of another man, it would be as if she herself had been virtually assaulted, so she deeply detested Cao Bin.


    Linking arms with Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan smiled sweetly at Cao Bin, "I¡¯m not that into it either, but my husband enjoys a few hands, so I¡¯m just here to accompany him."


    Cao Bin felt a twinge of discomfort seeing how intimate Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei were, even knowing that such affection was normal between husband and wife. Xu Yingying was his target, and it was painful for him to watch her being close to another man.


    But Cao Bin, with his excellent composure, replied with a slight smile, "That¡¯s perfect; I like to play too. We can play together then."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up, "That would be great. My husband might like to play, but he¡¯s not the best at it. Brother Cao, make sure you take good care of my husband."


    Cao Bin laughed heartily, "Of course, for my junior sister¡¯s sake, I must look after my brother-in-law. We have Golden Flower here; does my brother-in-law know how to play?"


    Li Yifei appeared puzzled and replied, "I¡¯ve only played Landlord Fight before. How does this work?"


    Cao Bin looked at Li Yifei with confusion and asked, "You really don¡¯t know?"


    "Honestly, I don¡¯t," Li Yifei shrugged, "Can I learn? It¡¯s just for fun. Besides, with Brother Cao here, you wouldn¡¯t cheat me, right?"


    Cao Bin chuckled and responded, "Of course not." But inwardly, he was thinking, "I¡¯m going to fleece you; let¡¯s see how you explain losing money later."


    Su Mengxin was silently amused, liking Li Yifei¡¯s prowess and enjoying this bit of mischief.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei, and he squeezed her hand in return. With that, Xu Shanshan felt confident, realizing Li Yifei was willing to pretend ignorance. Now was her chance to seriously exploit Cao Bin. The thought of making a substantial amount of money soon, while embarrassing that annoying guy, thrilled her even more.

 Chapter 608 - 627: Husband

    Chapter 608: Chapter 627: HusbandBy an oval-shaped table, eight people had already sat down. Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were seated on either side of Li Yifei, while Cao Bin faced Li Yifei on the other side. The remaining four, comprising three men and one woman, included two middle-aged men, in their mid-forties, who were acquainted with Cao Bin¡ªone named Song Tianwei and the other Wang Shiying. Both of them were in business, each owning assets worth ten to eighteen million yuan. Although such wealth didn¡¯t make them stand out on the cruise, they were still quite respectable.


    Of the remaining two, the man was someone Li Yifei had met before, named Sunx Dongran. When Su Mengxin visited Mile City for the first time, Li Yifei attended a reception with Xu Yingying, and that was when Sunx Dongran, an overbearing suitor, had set his sights on Xu Yingying. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen him since that occasion and was surprised to run into him here today.


    It wasn¡¯t that Sunx Dongran had given up pursuing Xu Yingying after learning she had a boyfriend; rather, he had been away from Mile City, sent by his father to conduct business elsewhere. In reality, Sunx Dongran wasn¡¯t the one handling the business; he was merely gaining experience. Yet, he returned acting high and mighty, as if he had closed a major deal himself. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The moment Sunx Dongran saw Xu Yingying masquerading as Xu Shanshan, his eyes lit up. However, seeing Xu Shanshan clinging affectionately to Li Yifei¡¯s arm and acting as if she didn¡¯t recognize him, rage instantly surged within him.


    Sunx Dongran had also met Su Mengxin before, but at that time, she was enveloped in an aura of glory. With his status, he couldn¡¯t get close to her. Su Mengxin, now dressed down, was still breathtakingly beautiful. However, unless one was very familiar with her, it would be hard to connect her to the "Number One Beauty of Huaxia."


    Those who came here to play cards included not only avid gamblers but also others who used the game to socialize. Even though Cao Bin intended to target Li Yifei, he still said with a smile, "President Song runs a well-known logistics company in Mile City, and President Wang owns a taxi company with dozens of vehicles. They are both influential businessmen. Young Master Sunx is from Mile City¡¯s renowned Tianli Group, and is now its vice-president, a business elite. This lady is Xu Yingying, general manager of Dreamfly Company, and the one playing with us is her husband, Li Yifei."


    Song Tianwei and Wang Shiying both nodded to Li Yifei, but Sunx Dongran¡¯s eyes bulged as he blurted out, "Xu Yingying, you got married?"


    Xu Shanshan, who had no idea who Sunx Dongran was, could tell from his tone that he knew her sister and was clearly up to no good. Mimicking her sister¡¯s demeanor, she said lightly with a smile, "Yes, this is my husband, Li Yifei."


    Veins throbbed on Sunx Dongran¡¯s forehead. He had been interested in Xu Yingying not out of genuine affection but rather because her talent and beauty made her a catch that could boost his status. Back then, he regarded Xu Yingying merely as a small company¡¯s general manager¡ªa mere employee¡ªso he never took her seriously, believing she would eventually be his.


    Now, to his shock, someone else had beaten him to the punch, and they were even married. For him, it was an unbearable blow.


    If he wasn¡¯t on a cruise, he would have liked to round up some people and beat Li Yifei up. Glaring viciously, he ground his teeth and exclaimed, "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts, daring to touch the woman Sunx Dongran was interested in."


    Li Yifei met Sunx Dongran¡¯s gaze with disdain and said, "And you think you are who, exactly?" Although Xu Shanshan was by his side, Sunx Dongran¡¯s remarks about Xu Yingying were unacceptable, and a proper response was necessary to maintain his dignity as a husband.


    "What did you say?" Sunx Dongran suddenly slapped the table and stood up abruptly.


    Quick to intervene, Cao Bin said, "Young Master Sunx, don¡¯t be impulsive. We¡¯re all here to have fun; let¡¯s set aside past issues for now."


    Sunx Dongran knew he couldn¡¯t cause a scene on this kind of cruise. Those who could actually afford such ships were far beyond ordinary means, and even with the capabilities of Tianli Group, his family couldn¡¯t afford to invest in such a venture.


    Sitting back down, Sunx Dongran coldly stared at Li Yifei and said, "Kid, let¡¯s just remember this for now."


    Li Yifei turned and kissed Xu Shanshan on the cheek, sneering, "As if you could do anything... ha-ha..."


    That "ha-ha" was filled with contempt and disdain, which infuriated Sunx Dongran, his eyes burning with fury. If not for Cao Bin holding him back, he would have rushed to fight Li Yifei there and then.


    Changing the subject, Cao Bin turned to Su Mengxin and said, "Right, we haven¡¯t been introduced to this beauty here yet."


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Su Mengxin had already entwined her arm around his, and resting her head on his shoulder, she said provocatively, "I¡¯m Yifei¡¯s lover." Her demeanor was so flirtatious that it made her seem more like a lover than a wife.


    Neither Li Yifei nor Xu Shanshan expected Su Mengxin to speak like that. As Xu Shanshan looked towards Su Mengxin and saw her wink, she quickly understood the playful intent¡ªthe comment was meant to provoke both Sunx Dongran and Cao Bin.


    Xu Shanshan knew how to play Golden Flower, and the key to playing this game was to keep a cool head. If one got heated, it was very easy to lose money. Now the three of them just wanted to fired up Sun Dongran and Cao Bin¡¯s anger, ensuring that these two would definitely become the biggest suckers.


    As Su Mengxin had said this, the people opposite them all widened their eyes, staring at Li Yifei and his companions. The fact that Li Yifei could marry Xu Yingying was already enough to get under their skin, and now to top it off, he had a lover who was even more beautiful than his wife, Xu Yingying. What was essential, though, was that this lover was comfortably seated on Li Yifei¡¯s side, next to his legitimate wife, without conflict or quarrel between them, seemingly in good rapport.


    What was the world coming to? A geek¡¯s counterattack was already annoying enough, but this was just over the top.


    Li Yifei, thoroughly enjoying being escorted by the two women, gloated, "Are you still playing or not?"


    Sun Dongran slammed the table and declared, "Bullshit, I¡¯m going to make you lose so bad, you¡¯ll strip down to your underwear."


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "We¡¯ll see about that. I¡¯ve always been quite lucky when it comes to gambling."


    Cao Bin, a man of deep thoughts, chuckled and responded, "Then let¡¯s get started."


    There were eight people seated, but in fact, there were only five players. Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were there to enjoy the show, while another woman, brought by Sun Dongran, was quite a beauty herself but sat silent at Sun Dongran¡¯s side, daring not to say a word ¨C clearly, he wasn¡¯t giving her much attention.


    The Golden Flower was played with three cards dealt to each person. A set of identical cards was called a leopard and was the highest hand, followed by a straight flush, and then flush, straight, pair, with the lowest being high card. The ranking was evident at a glance.


    The game¡¯s thrill came from the fact that nobody could see each other¡¯s cards, and often many players wouldn¡¯t even look at their cards before starting to bet. When there were more than three players following the game, they couldn¡¯t compare hands ¨C they had to rely on guts to continue betting. Those with less money or less courage would have to give up early, even with decent cards in hand.


    Cao Bin then asked, "How big should the stakes be?"


    Sun Dongran immediately replied, "Go big or go home, the minimum bet is ten thousand, with a minimum follow bet of ten thousand, the sky¡¯s the limit." He was eager to win everything from Li Yifei in one fell swoop, thus proposing a huge wager.


    Song Tianwei and Wang Shiying immediately frowned. These stakes were hefty; a few rounds could quickly deplete their entire wealth. Although they didn¡¯t speak out immediately, if the game were played at these stakes, they¡¯d have to leave right away.


    Li Yifei quickly intervened, "No, no, that¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t afford that. Besides, I don¡¯t even know how to play, and you want to go this big? Do you think I¡¯m Kaiser or something?"


    Cao Bin immediately interjected, "Young Master Sunx, with bets like these, there aren¡¯t many people on this cruise who could afford to play. How about this ¨C the minimum bet is one hundred, and the maximum bet is ten thousand each time. Let¡¯s play for a while, and after Li Yifei has learned, we can all discuss how to proceed."


    Li Yifei smacked his lips and said, "That¡¯s still not small, it seems like a round will cost over ten thousand."


    Cao Bin smiled faintly and said, "You can choose not to follow. Just watch us play for now. Besides, Yingying is president of a company after all. Putting forth a few hundred thousand shouldn¡¯t be a problem, should it?"


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xu Shanshan, who appeared to be in a tough spot. After pretending to struggle with the decision, as if fearing that Li Yifei would lose face, she finally said reluctantly, "Alright, we¡¯ll put up two hundred thousand, but no more than that."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "I¡¯ll add another three hundred thousand. We¡¯ll play with five hundred thousand, just to keep my husband happy."


    Several men¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their skulls at that. It turned out this lover was loaded ¨C not only was she not a financial burden to Li Yifei, but she was also providing him with money to gamble. What kind of bloody luck did this guy have? His wife was already exceptional, and now his lover, instead of needing to be pampered, was bankrolling him ¨C this was quite the geek¡¯s revolution.


    Playing here was almost the same as a real casino; someone quickly arrived to exchange chips for everyone, and everyone whipped out their cards. Sun Dongran exchanged for a million chips right away, Cao Bin got five hundred thousand, while Wang Shiying and Song Tianwei settled for two hundred thousand. Their financial power was clear; swapping two hundred thousand for a game was indeed sizable. If it wasn¡¯t for the prospect of doing business with Sun Dongran¡¯s family¡¯s group and Tianli Group in the future, they probably wouldn¡¯t be willing to play such high stakes with Sun Dongran.

 Chapter 609 - 628: A Rookie

    Chapter 609: Chapter 628: A RookieCao Bin gave Li Yifei a detailed explanation of the rules, and Li Yifei listened very carefully, frequently asking questions¡ªhis demeanor suggested that he truly had never played Golden Flower Poker before. Sun Dongran appeared impatient, but at this time, he didn¡¯t want to give the excuse that Li Yifei¡¯s loss could be blamed on unfamiliarity with the rules. Therefore, he grudgingly waited for Cao Bin to finish explaining to Li Yifei.


    Finally, the explanation was over, and everyone started to play.


    A deck of poker cards was prepared, the two jokers removed, followed by taking turns dealing cards as the house. Cao Bin was the house for the first round, and after dealing the cards, Sun Dongran, sitting to his right, instantly tossed out a thousand chip without even glancing at his cards.


    Then it was Song Tianwei¡¯s turn. He matched the thousand, and Wang Shiying did likewise. For the first round, everyone chose to see their cards directly¡ªit would look too stingy not to.


    When it was Li Yifei¡¯s turn, he picked up his cards to take a look, with Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin both leaning over to look with him. Li Yifei asked, "Can I follow with these cards?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t know, but it seems like a pair isn¡¯t very strong."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "You decide."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then took a thousand chip and said, "Then I¡¯ll try following once."


    Sun Dongran immediately glared at him and said, "We didn¡¯t look at our cards, but you did. If you want to follow, you have to put in two thousand."


    "Two thousand, huh... then I won¡¯t follow." Li Yifei said and tossed his cards out, revealing a pair of eights.


    Such a hand in Golden Flower Poker isn¡¯t considered very strong, but it was still worth a try. After all, the chance to get a big hand isn¡¯t frequent, and often a small pair can take the win.


    By folding, Li Yifei convinced Sun Dongran and Cao Bin that he truly couldn¡¯t play, and that this fellow was also very cautious. To win his money, they¡¯d have to slowly set him up.


    Without Li Yifei following, the others seemed to lose interest, checking their cards in succession. Sun Dongran followed again, Song Tianwei did the same, but Wang Shiying and Cao Bin folded. Ultimately, Song Tianwei spent two thousand to look at Sun Dongran¡¯s cards.


    Sun Dongran only had high-card Ace, while Song Tianwei had a pair of fives.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he said, "A pair of fives can win, so wouldn¡¯t my pair of tens have been the biggest?"


    Sun Dongran disdainfully curled his lip, "It¡¯s your own fault for being such a dimwit."


    Cao Bin laughed and said, "Playing this game, even a small pair is already quite a good hand. You could have easily followed for two rounds; the odds of winning would have been high."


    Li Yifei looked earnestly teachable as he responded, "Got it, got it. Let¡¯s continue."


    In the next two rounds, Li Yifei¡¯s cards were terrible. He checked them and then immediately threw them away. Losing only the ante of one hundred each time, he then eagerly watched the others bet against each other. When they raised the stakes, he became impatient, wanting to see who had the better hand, acting every bit the novice.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sixth round that Li Yifei, after checking his cards, hesitantly followed for the first time. Since he followed, his hand obviously contained at least a decent pair. Therefore, the others picked up their cards too, with Cao Bin even saying with a laugh, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯ve been folding so much that by following now, you clearly have at least a pair. If I continued without checking, I¡¯d basically be handing you my money. Better check, ah yes, wisely so. I fold."


    Wang Shiying and Song Tianwei also discarded their hands, but Sun Dongran casually threw out five thousand and said, "I¡¯ll raise five thousand."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Sun Dongran, then looked at Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin, both of whom were uncertain. Li Yifei bit his lip and said, "If you dare to follow me with so much, you must have a big hand. I¡¯ll fold my small pair; I won¡¯t follow you."


    Cao Bin sighed and said, "Man, you get scared too easily. How could you not follow with that hand? Golden Flower Poker, Golden Flower Poker, it¡¯s all about bluffing. If you get bluffed so easily, how can you play?"


    Li Yifei said with confusion, "Really? He could follow me like that without any cards?"


    Sun Dongran laughed and proudly flipped his cards over, saying, "Let me show you, just so you lose convincingly."


    When Li Yifei saw the three cards, the highest was only a nine. They were neither a flush nor a straight. Even among high cards, this was about as low as it could get, whereas he had a pair of queens. "Ah! So that¡¯s how you can play! Okay, okay, I get it now. It¡¯s all about the bluff."


    Li Yifei gritted his teeth in annoyance and said, "If only I had known, I would have followed."


    Xu Shanshan nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, next time you should follow."


    Su Mengxin then lovingly said, "Honey, let¡¯s not be afraid of him, let¡¯s just gamble with them."


    Sun Dongran felt incredibly irked watching Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin getting cozy with Li Yifei. He had already proclaimed Xu Yingying as his woman within their circle, so the usual young masters from Mile City didn¡¯t hassle Xu Yingying, and Sun Dongran had long regarded Xu Yingying as his own. Now that Li Yifei had snatched her away, a person like him couldn¡¯t stand it. So he immediately mocked, "It¡¯s all about guts, and if you don¡¯t have the courage or the skill, why should you compete with me?"


    Li Yifei waved his hand dismissively and said, "Cut the crap, let¡¯s go again."


    In the next two rounds, Li Yifei didn¡¯t follow much on the cards. However, in the third round, he did follow, and it was Cao Bin he duelled against. After following for two rounds, Li Yifei doubled the bet to compare cards with Cao Bin.


    When the cards were revealed, Cao Bin only had a pair of fives, while Li Yifei had a small straight with five-six-seven. Li Yifei excitedly scooped up the chips and chuckled, "Finally won a round."


    Sun Dongran looked at Li Yifei as if he were an idiot and said, "Kid, you get a straight and you check the cards after just two rounds? That¡¯s just stupid."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s confused expression, Cao Bin laughed and said, "With such cards, you could¡¯ve followed for a few more rounds. That way you could¡¯ve won more. Otherwise, look at the bets placed here. You followed for two rounds and then doubled your bet to see my cards. It seems like a lot of chips, but in total, I only followed for two rounds, which is just two thousand bucks."


    Li Yifei immediately felt annoyed again and said, "That¡¯s true; most of the money here is my own."


    Cao Bin continued, "Right, if you have a decent hand, you should follow more. Think about it, the chips you used to check my hand could be used to follow me for another two rounds. Then, if I can¡¯t resist checking your hand, wouldn¡¯t I end up losing a lot more? Plus, by following for two additional rounds, I would guess that you have a strong hand and I would stop following. Without letting others know your cards, couldn¡¯t you bluff? Even with a weak hand, if you follow for two rounds, others might easily be scared off."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, looking very receptive to the lesson. However, Wang Shiying and Song Tianwei both saw through it. Cao Bin was deliberately encouraging Li Yifei to be daring in following and bluffing so that he would bet more.


    Seemingly having learned enough, Li Yifei grew more bold. In the next round, he followed the bet without checking his cards and put down a thousand bucks. Then, in the second round, he finally checked his hand.


    Upon seeing his cards, everyone watched Li Yifei¡¯s face. He only looked slightly excited, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s face immediately revealed a smile, clearly indicating a good hand, and only then did Li Yifei follow the bet without changing his expression.


    Sun Dongran also checked his cards and followed Li Yifei, while the others folded.


    After following for three rounds, Sun Dongran finally doubled the bet to see Li Yifei¡¯s hand. Li Yifei revealed his cards and said, "Flush."


    Sun Dongran immediately looked relieved and said, "Good thing I checked, or I would have lost even more." Then he showed his cards¡ªa small pair.


    Li Yifei won close to ten thousand in that round, jubilantly celebrating his triumph. Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin also appeared very happy.


    In the following rounds, Li Yifei seemed to play more proficiently. He even bluffed a round with a weak hand, acting exuberant as if he had a strong hand, and actually managed to scare the others off. This made Li Yifei laugh heartily with pride.


    In this session, Li Yifei had won over thirty thousand and had become the clear winner.


    But Sun Dongran and Cao Bin were secretly smirking. As veteran players, their main objective at the start was to observe their opponent¡¯s habits and what tendencies they exhibited when holding certain cards.


    When Li Yifei had a good hand, he had learned to deliberately hide his facial expression. However, when he landed strong hands like straights or flushes, his eyebrows would instinctively rise, indicating that his chances of winning were high, displaying slight excitement. If he caught a small pair, he would show slight tension since such a hand could lead to winning or losing money, making him feel uncertain. With no hand, he would either fold immediately or, if he tried to bluff, his little finger would involuntarily tremble. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such subtle movements wouldn¡¯t be noticed by most, but Sun Dongran and Cao Bin had caught on.


    In the next few rounds, both men deliberately tested this hypothesis. Regardless of their own hands, one of them would always check Li Yifei¡¯s cards at the end, even if it meant losing more money.


    And their predictions turned out accurate¡ªLi Yifei indeed showed similar behavior when he had such cards.


    Now that Sun Dongran and Cao Bin had their clues, they waited for the right opportunity to take Li Yifei for a severe beating. Although they hadn¡¯t made prior arrangements, their goal was the same: to make Li Yifei lose miserably. By then, they would have more ways to deal with Li Yifei.

 Chapter 610 - 629 Gambling in Fury

    Chapter 610: Chapter 629 Gambling in FurySun Dongran may seem very arrogant, like a typical profligate, a complete idiot, but actually, he¡¯s quite sharp-witted in some aspects, especially in the casino. Right now, he¡¯s setting a trap for Li Yifei, and it¡¯s quite an elaborate setup indeed.


    At first, he didn¡¯t gamble big, just betting around a thousand, but as he started to lose, he began raising his stakes, targeting Li Yifei, as if he wanted to compete with him. Soon, he was betting ten thousand each time.


    In the beginning, when Li Yifei saw him betting that much, he wouldn¡¯t dare to follow even with a small pair. However, after watching Sun Dongran and Cao Bin compete a couple of times, he seemed to notice their tactics. Sun Dongran always seemed like a fool, fond of bluffing, daring to bet tens of thousands even with just a small pair¡ªclearly, he was just aching to give his money away.


    For now, Li Yifei let the other party think he was just a rookie, while Sun Dongran also wanted Li Yifei to believe that he was a big fool. The two of them were playing dumb, each waiting for the moment to play the fool and eat the tiger.


    Next, Li Yifei tried his luck against Sun Dongran a couple of times, winning each time. Li Yifei expressed immense joy, making Sun Dongran secretly thrilled; Li Yifei was falling right into his trap. Once he got used to such high stakes, the rest would be easy.


    By this time, Song Tianwei and Wang Shiying were pretty much just filling seats, seldom following, and only doing so when they actually had good cards. Being cautious like that naturally meant they wouldn¡¯t lose. But in such a setting, they couldn¡¯t win much either, so they basically maintained a break-even position, while Li Yifei became the big winner. Sun Dongran¡¯s five hundred thousand was almost gone, and now he exchanged another million in chips.


    The opportunity seemed to arrive quickly when Li Yifei was the bookmaker, and Sun Dongran caught a great hand¡ªa straight flush with five, six, and seven. They might¡¯ve been of low rank, but because it was a straight flush, it was a powerful hand, second only to a trio of the same rank.


    Those who have played Golden Flower Poker would know how rare it is to catch a trio or straight flush. It¡¯s so rare that hours can pass without a single such hand, and even if you do get such a good hand, it¡¯s no use if the other players have nothing; without competition, there¡¯s no money to be won.


    What Sun Dongran was most worried about now was that Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have a good hand. That would be such a waste. But then, Li Yifei¡¯s eyebrows lifted, a clear sign of a good hand. Judging by the extent of his raised eyebrows, his hand was most likely a large straight or, at most, a flush.


    This made Sun Dongran extremely happy; it was a great opportunity to take Li Yifei for all he was worth this round.


    "Ten thousand!" Sun Dongran¡¯s bets remained consistent as he grabbed a ten-thousand chip and tossed it into the middle of the table.


    Cao Bin also looked at his cards, followed with ten thousand, and now, regardless of your hand, if you had even a small pair, you had to follow with ten thousand. Li Yifei naturally did the same.


    Wang Shiying and Song Tianwei promptly folded.


    In the second round, Sun Dongran spoke first again and immediately tossed in another ten thousand. Cao Bin followed suit, and Li Yifei looked at the two, a trace of excitement on his face, and threw in his ten thousand as well.


    Sun Dongran glared at Li Yifei and snorted, "I don¡¯t believe that you can beat me every time, kid. If you¡¯ve got the guts, keep up," he said, tossing in another ten thousand. Whenever he spoke like that, it was usually a bluff.


    Cao Bin gave a slight smile and said, "Well, I might as well join in the fun, I¡¯ve got a hand this round." Golden Flower Poker was a mix of truths and lies; claiming to have a good hand often meant the opposite, betraying a lack of confidence.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Seems like my hand isn¡¯t too bad either, I¡¯ll follow this round."


    Whatever Li Yifei said, Sun Dongran and Cao Bin didn¡¯t care much, they were both watching his expressions, as well as those of Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin. The facial expressions of those two often betrayed Li Yifei¡¯s hand. In this game, it was risky to have others watch your hand, as onlookers could easily give it away with their reactions.


    "Damn it, come on, bring it on. I don¡¯t believe you guys will keep following," Sun Dongran threw in another ten thousand.


    Cao Bin hesitated for a moment and then also threw in ten thousand. "Brother-in-law, if your hand isn¡¯t great, just fold. Give me a chance to see Sun Dongran¡¯s cards."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I¡¯ll follow one more time. If one of you folds, I can at least compare hands."


    Sun Dongran rolled his eyes and said, "There¡¯s no way I¡¯m folding. Even if it kills me, I won¡¯t be scared to death."


    Cao Bin chuckled and said, "Since you put it that way, it would be disrespectful for me to fold now. I will follow for another couple of rounds to see what happens."


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Am I supposed to be scared of you guys? I¡¯m following too."


    After five or six rounds like this, each of them had thrown in more than a hundred thousand. Sun Dongran pretended to play mind games, glaring as he said, "You¡¯re really not folding, huh? Alright, let¡¯s raise the stakes, highest bet at fifty thousand. Who dares to join in?"


    Cao Bin spoke up immediately, "Isn¡¯t that a bit much? We¡¯re just playing for fun; we don¡¯t need to go that high, do we?"


    Sun Dongran, eyes ablaze with gambling fever, retorted, "Nonsense, if you¡¯re scared, then don¡¯t follow. I¡¯m going with fifty thousand."


    Cao Bin seemed unable to back down after what Sun Dongran said and shook his head, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll join you for one more hand, we¡¯ll see after this next hand."


    The two seemed to have completely ignored Li Yifei.


    At this point, Li Yifei hesitated and said to Xu Shanshan, "Honey, the stakes have suddenly gotten so high, do we continue or not?"


    Xu Shanshan hesitated before replying, "If we look at it from a business perspective, you¡¯re now following with fifty thousand to win over four hundred thousand below, that¡¯s an eightfold profit, and it seems to be the appropriate move." This girl never liked doing business, but to say such words at this moment was pretty impressive.


    Li Yifei then turned his head towards Su Mengxin and asked, "What do you think?"


    Su Mengxin gently shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "Yingying already said so, so let¡¯s just listen to Yingying. After all, it¡¯s all money we¡¯ve won, and there¡¯s no big deal in losing. Besides, they probably don¡¯t have cards as good as yours, right?"


    Li Yifei gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll follow one more hand then." He also threw down fifty thousand in chips.


    Sun Dongran was overjoyed inside but stared and said, "Kid, are you really following? You¡¯re making it so I can¡¯t see Cao Bin¡¯s cards." Then he too threw fifty thousand in chips.


    Cao Bin frowned slightly and threw in fifty thousand chips, "Dongran, brother-in-law, can¡¯t one of you two back down?"


    Seeing that both of them had followed, Li Yifei hesitated again and said, "Neither of them is backing down, and it seems like they don¡¯t have great cards, so what do I do?"


    Xu Shanshan eyed the chips below and said, "You¡¯ve already thrown in over a hundred thousand, it seems inappropriate not to follow now, right?"


    Su Mengxin then whispered something in Li Yifei¡¯s ear and glanced at Sun Dongran. Li Yifei immediately brightened up and cheerfully threw in fifty thousand, "I¡¯m saying retreating is an option now, trying to scare people at this point is useless."


    "Who said I¡¯m trying to scare you? I really have cards, do you two dare to keep up with me? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m definitely not backing down." Sun Dongran threw down more chips and nudged Cao Bin¡¯s foot from underneath.


    Cao Bin chuckled and said, "If we¡¯re not backing down, then I¡¯m in too." Then he glanced subtly at Sun Dongran, a look of gratitude in his eyes.


    The two understood each other¡¯s intentions. Sun Dongran thought Cao Bin kept following to deny Li Yifei the chance to see the cards, forcing Li Yifei to keep following if he didn¡¯t want to drop his hand, or else he¡¯d have to fold. With a straight flush, who could bear to fold?


    But at this point, Sun Dongran misunderstood Cao Bin¡¯s intention because Cao Bin had caught a great hand this round, and it was even bigger than Sun Dongran¡¯s cards. His three cards were actually three eights, which was practically a guaranteed winning hand. He thought Sun Dongran was deliberately cooperating with him.


    At this moment, both felt that their partner was in perfect sync, putting verbal pressure on Li Yifei together. Li Yifei kept following hand after hand until he had followed with five or six hundred thousand. Not only had he put in all of his winnings, but he was also about to use up all his exchanged chips.


    "What should I do?" Li Yifei was sweating now, wiped his sweat, and looked at Xu Shanshan, then at Su Mengxin.


    Xu Shanshan also appeared very nervous and said, "Ah, the gambling has gotten too high. It would be wise to pull out now, but if their cards are not as good as yours, your loss would be too great. However, if their cards are better, continuing to follow could lead to even greater losses."


    Su Mengxin also seemed a bit guilty as she said, "Honey, maybe we should just stop, consider the fifty thousand as just for fun."


    Sun Dongran immediately said, "If you¡¯re going to fold, hurry up. Don¡¯t dawdle there. Are you playing, or is your woman playing? For a grown man, can you not make up your own mind?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as if he couldn¡¯t tolerate Sun Dongran¡¯s taunting, and he blurted, "I¡¯ll gamble then, and I¡¯m not afraid of you. Waitress, exchange another million for me."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Honey, maybe not. A million is too much."


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Don¡¯t we still have a million at home? What, you won¡¯t get it for me?"


    Xu Shanshan frowned and said, "If we lose all of that, we¡¯ll be out of money."


    "So we¡¯ll be out of money, then we¡¯ll just earn it back. Besides, we might still win." At this point, Li Yifei was acting exactly like a gambler consumed by addiction, as if he was even willing to sell his wife.

 Chapter 611 - 630 This Huge Pit is Not Small

    Chapter 611: Chapter 630 This Huge Pit is Not SmallXu Shanshan said angrily, "Are you still up to it or not? Aren¡¯t we going to live our lives together anymore?"


    Li Yifei glared and retorted, "Nonsense, of course, we¡¯re going to live our lives. Aren¡¯t I the boss? Don¡¯t we still have money to spend?"


    Su Mengxin immediately chimed in, "I still have two hundred thousand. With this money, at the very least, we can get by for a while. Hubby rarely gets to play so thrillingly; let¡¯s not dampen his spirits."


    Xu Shanshan became somewhat irritated, "How can we keep spoiling him like this?"


    Sun Dongran and Cao Bin, seeing Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin talking like this, felt even more annoyed. This guy was simply too damn lucky, having two such beauties following him. It¡¯d be another story if he were a big boss or someone with status in society, but Li Yifei was clearly just a security guard. What gave him the right to live like this? It was infuriating.


    "Damn it, stop dilly-dallying and hurry up," Sun Dongran couldn¡¯t help cursing.


    Li Yifei slammed the table and shouted, "Waitress, didn¡¯t you hear me calling you?"


    The waitress quickly brought the card reader, and Xu Shanshan had already taken the card from Li Yifei¡¯s hand, grudgingly swiping it for one million yuan.


    Li Yifei took the chips and immediately followed with fifty thousand, his eyes red as he said, "Come on, who¡¯s afraid of whom?"


    Sun Dongran and Cao Bin exchanged glances, both faces showing delight, and they continued to duel with Li Yifei. They had also exchanged their chips. As they watched Li Yifei¡¯s chips dwindle, his face getting redder and the sweat on his forehead increasing, both were overjoyed internally. If it had been one-on-one, Li Yifei probably would have checked his cards by now, but under these circumstances, he didn¡¯t stand a chance to check and could only grit his teeth and continue playing.


    Only when Li Yifei had gone all in with his million did Cao Bin feel it was about enough, saying, "Okay, that¡¯s about it. Let¡¯s not fight anymore. Let¡¯s compare the sizes of our hands."


    At this point, Sun Dongran was far from satisfied. Simply winning Li Yifei¡¯s money wasn¡¯t enough to cool his anger. With a smile, he suggested, "There are still three of us here, how can we compare? I say, Li Yifei, let¡¯s raise the stakes. If you lose, let me have fun with your wife and mistress for two days, how about it?"


    Li Yifei slammed the table, furiously asking, "What did you say?"


    Sun Dongran laughed heartily, "What¡¯s the matter? Are you scared? I¡¯ll count your wife as fifty thousand and your mistress the same, let¡¯s add a bet of a million yuan. If you win, I¡¯ll give you a million. If you lose, you let me have your mistress and wife for two days, that¡¯s all. They won¡¯t be missing any limbs after, and you¡¯ll even get to bring something extra back home, haha."


    Li Yifei clenched his fists, retorting, "You¡¯re full of crap."


    Sun Dongran looked even more smug, "If you¡¯re unwilling, then forget it. Waitress, exchange another million for me, I¡¯m still having fun here. I want to keep playing. Cao Bin, you¡¯re not going to spoil my fun, right?"


    Cao Bin pretended to frown and said, "Sun Dongran, I think that¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it?"


    "How can that be enough? Come on, let¡¯s keep going."


    Cao Bin gave a wry smile and shook his head, "Alright then, I¡¯ll keep you company."


    Sun Dongran turned to Li Yifei with a snicker, "We¡¯ve got rules here. If there are three people, you can¡¯t look at your cards. If you don¡¯t have the money to continue, you can drop out now, and Cao Bin and I will keep gambling."


    Then he waited to see Li Yifei make a fool of himself. If Li Yifei agreed to put Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin as the stakes, he would already be a loser. A man who could gamble away his own wife and mistress was truly despicable, and there was nothing admirable about such a person.


    But at this moment, Li Yifei suddenly smiled, sat down, and said, "Since you¡¯re so interested, I¡¯ll gladly gamble with you. Mengxin, didn¡¯t I leave you with five million in Private Money? Let¡¯s take it out today and have a good gamble with them."


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, "You¡¯re so annoying. You also need that money. Didn¡¯t you say we were going to use it for our round-the-world trip together?"


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan also glared at Li Yifei, "You jerk, you¡¯ve actually stashed away so much Private Money."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "A man without foresight must have immediate worries. Of course, I have to be prepared."


    "There¡¯s just no reasoning with you." Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei again but pinched his leg and didn¡¯t let go.


    True to her word, Su Mengxin exchanged five million in chips for Li Yifei, who tossed them down and said with a grin, "Come on, let¡¯s continue."


    Sun Dongran and Cao Bin looked at each other, now somewhat unsure. The way Li Yifei suddenly became so confident - could it be that his hand wasn¡¯t a straight flush, but something even bigger?


    Or maybe Li Yifei was trying to scare off one of them to then have a comparison of hands.


    Sun Dongran glared and said, "Alright, kid, I¡¯m betting one million, do you dare to follow? Cao Bin, you drop out." At this point, he didn¡¯t want to use Cao Bin as a stooge anymore; he just wanted to take down Li Yifei in one fell swoop.


    But at this moment, Cao Bin felt that something was not quite right and hurriedly said, "Dongran, let¡¯s call it quits, it¡¯s about enough. You should drop out this hand, I¡¯ll play with him." Believing that he had the winning hand, he wanted Sun Dongran to fold.


    However, Sun Dongran had always thought that Cao Bin had a weaker hand while his was stronger, and was not willing to give in at all, saying promptly, "I¡¯ll handle this, you drop out."


    Watching the two deadlocked, Li Yifei smiled and said, "No need to make it so complicated, I have five million here, each of you also put down five million, and let¡¯s reveal and glare, the one with the bigger hand wins it all."


    Sun Dongran immediately slapped the table and bellowed, "Fine, as if I¡¯m scared of you." He promptly exchanged for five million worth of chips.


    At this point, however, Cao Bin was quite hesitant. Li Yifei¡¯s sudden bold move seemed to suggest there was a problem. Could it be that Li Yifei had a really strong hand? But he had a set of eights, could Li Yifei really have something bigger? That seemed impossible.


    At first, their game hadn¡¯t attracted many spectators, but as the stakes on the table grew higher, more and more people started paying attention. Being able to come to this cruise and daring to play in this place, who didn¡¯t carry a couple hundred thousand or so, but they usually played casually. It was rare to see a game this big, and at this moment many followed to watch.


    Although they whispered among themselves, no one was so tactless as to peek at the players¡¯ cards. After all, the stakes were high, and if they gave anything away now, they could attract big trouble later on.


    Li Yifei, with a smile, looked at Cao Bin and said, "Brother Cao, you¡¯re not following?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "If he¡¯s not following, then he¡¯s not. Brother Cao has always been cautious, not like your reckless self." As she spoke, she even gave Li Yifei a look, full of tender affection.


    Cao Bin indeed was very hesitant at this moment, but seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression, he felt somewhat unable to bear it. It was difficult for him to accept a woman he liked looking down on him. Although five million was a lot, he could afford it, and the chance of winning this time seemed too good to miss. If he won this time, it would be the end of Li Yifei. Chasing after Xu Yingying afterward would be a breeze.


    With that thought, Cao Bin chuckled and said with graceful demeanor, "If Sister says so, I¡¯d look too bad not following. Alright, then I¡¯ll play a hand with my brother-in-law." He then exchanged for five million worth of chips and tossed them onto the table.


    All bets were placed, and Sun Dongran, unable to contain himself, slammed his cards on the table and said, "I have a Straight Flush, I don¡¯t believe you can beat mine."


    As soon as Li Yifei saw Sun Dongran¡¯s cards, he said with obvious delight, "You actually have a Straight Flush too, haha..."


    Sun Dongran¡¯s face darkened instantly. Li Yifei¡¯s words implied that his hand was also a Straight Flush, and since his was made up of low cards, naturally it couldn¡¯t beat Li Yifei¡¯s.


    When Cao Bin heard Li Yifei¡¯s words, his heart sank. He chuckled and said, "Brother-in-law, sorry, but I don¡¯t have a Straight Flush."


    "Ah, you don¡¯t have a Straight Flush? Then what do you have, could it be a set?" Li Yifei immediately looked very nervous.


    Cao Bin chuckled and said, "You guessed it, it is indeed a set, and moreover, it¡¯s a set of eights." While speaking, Cao Bin flipped over his cards, smiling smugly at Li Yifei.


    As soon as Sun Dongran saw Cao Bin¡¯s cards, he burst out laughing and said, "Kid, you¡¯re done for now, aren¡¯t you?" Though he had lost money, he and Cao Bin were in cahoots, and he could get the money back eventually. Li Yifei losing big time now was a cause for his joy.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened as he stammered, "How could this be, how could he have a set of eights?"


    Xu Shanshan also widened her eyes and said, "Yeah, how could he have a set of eights?"


    Su Mengxin sighed softly, "What bad luck, to actually have a set of eights." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The crowd of onlookers at this point was also thrilled; a set encountering two Straight Flushes was too exciting, especially when the game was so big. Nearly every bet was almost seven million, and with the winnings over ten million, more than ninety percent of the people there wouldn¡¯t make ten million in a year.


    At this moment, Cao Bin said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m really sorry, but your Straight Flush running into my set is indeed unfortunate."


    Li Yifei, however, suddenly said with a grin, "Who said mine was a Straight Flush, Brother Cao?"


    Cao Bin¡¯s expression changed, and he stared at Li Yifei, his anxiety rising, "Could it be you also have... a set?"


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "Yes, I said it¡¯s unfortunate, not for me, but for you. You have a set of eights, but I just so happen to have a set of nines, which is one rank higher than yours."


    As he spoke, he slowly flipped over his cards to reveal three nines!

 Chapter 612 - 631 Start Dividing the Spoils

    Chapter 612: Chapter 631 Start Dividing the SpoilsThe area around the gambling table fell silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was staring at Li Yifei¡¯s three nines and then glanced at Cao Bin¡¯s three eights. Surprisingly, no one paid attention to Sun Dongran¡¯s small flush. Talk about being unlucky¡ªCao Bin definitely drew the short straw.


    Sun Dongran suddenly shouted, "You¡¯re cheating!"


    Li Yifei smiled calmly and said, "You¡¯d better have evidence before you speak. Here on this cruise ship, there must be surveillance cameras. You can check to see if I cheated. But, Young Master Sun, surely you¡¯re not someone who can¡¯t afford to lose? Just a few million, and you¡¯re that worked up?"


    "Fine, fine! You just wait!" Sun Dongran slammed his fist on the table, storming angrily out of the casino.


    Cao Bin looked at Li Yifei, then smiled slightly, saying, "It seems I underestimated you. You¡¯re truly a worthy opponent."


    "No need for flattery. Thank you, Brother Cao, for the compliment," Li Yifei replied with a laugh.


    Despite his cunning, Cao Bin realized he had fallen into Li Yifei¡¯s trap from the beginning. However, he was shrewd enough not to show any anger. He stood up and said with a smile, "If we ever get the chance again, let¡¯s have a good game. I enjoy playing with clever people like you, my brother-in-law."


    Li Yifei responded without hesitation, "Sure, sure."


    "Yingying, don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m not that petty. I can afford to lose this amount; it won¡¯t affect our collaboration."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Thank you, Brother Cao."


    Though Cao Bin claimed he could afford to lose, it pained him inside. Seven million was no small amount. Even Sun Dongran, with ten billion in assets, would feel the pinch. Despite having ten billion in assets, much of that was in real estate. The actual liquid assets wouldn¡¯t amount to many seven millions, especially given that Cao Bin didn¡¯t own as much.


    Cao Bin left, too, and everyone looked at Li Yifei with envy as he cashed in his chips. Even after the casino took a share of the winnings, Li Yifei still pocketed over ten million. The money came so quickly that there seemed no need to do business; two such games in a year would be more than enough.


    Leaving the casino, the three of them entered a private room in a small bar nearby. Xu Shanshan immediately hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, exclaiming, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re amazing! You won over ten million just like that."


    Although Su Mengxin wanted to be as unrestrainedly excited as Xu Shanshan, she remained rational and said with a smile, "Yeah, you¡¯re quite the character, putting those two in a tight spot."


    Xu Shanshan laughed and said, "Those two had ill intentions toward my brother-in-law. If we don¡¯t teach them a lesson, who will? Come on, brother-in-law, Mengxin and I cooperated so well. You must give us some bonuses."


    Li Yifei, cautious not to get too close to Xu Shanshan in front of Su Mengxin, lightly tapped her head and said with a laugh, "Sure, sure, I¡¯ll give you a hundred thousand as pocket money later."


    "Only a hundred thousand? Brother-in-law, you¡¯re too stingy. No, no, it should be divided into three equal parts¡ªfour million each. Right, Mengxin Sister?"


    Su Mengxin softly laughed and said, "Shanshan makes a valid point. It should indeed be divided that way."


    Li Yifei widened his eyes and said, "Mengxin, you¡¯re interested in such a small amount?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "While I¡¯m not short of money, this is the first time I¡¯ve come by it in this manner. I think it¡¯s quite fun; naturally, I want a share."


    Li Yifei pulled a face and said, "Alright, alright. I was planning to save some private money, but you two split it more than halfway."


    Xu Shanshan glared at him and said, "What¡¯s this about saving private money? You already have plenty. Let me tell you, this money is my private stash. You¡¯re not allowed to tell my sister or my parents, or they¡¯ll confiscate it for sure."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Then you better give me some hush money. How about this¡ªyou give me three million as hush money, and the rest is yours to spend."


    "Cheeky brother-in-law, no way, no way!" Xu Shanshan pounced on Li Yifei, playfully clawing at him.


    While fending her off, Li Yifei said, "Stop it, stop it, I¡¯ll give it to you. Don¡¯t let Mengxin laugh at you." He had no desire for anyone to discover his special relationship with Xu Shanshan, not even Su Mengxin. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan then realized Su Mengxin was there and quickly said fiercely to Li Yifei, "Cheeky brother-in-law, let¡¯s see if you dare not give me the money."


    Su Mengxin watched Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan fooling around, feeling that their relationship was too close. She also suspected if there was something overly affectionate between them, but it seemed unlikely. Li Yifei was always measured in his actions. If he were fooling around even with his sister-in-law, Xu Yingying would never forgive him. Moreover, Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t the type to act foolishly. Being under the same roof, she¡¯d naturally be closer to this brother-in-law than with other brothers-in-law.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "But I must say, Shanshan, we might not hide this from your sister. That Cao Bin will definitely mention it to her later."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly lost her confidence and said, "Then it¡¯s over, I can¡¯t hog the money."


    Su Mengxin softly laughed and said, "Not necessarily. Yingying didn¡¯t see how much we won. Even if Cao Bin meets Yingying later, he might not mention it. At least he won¡¯t discuss losing so much money. Yingying saw it back then, didn¡¯t she?" She winked at Xu Shanshan as she spoke.


    Xu Shanshan beamed joyfully and said, "Right! We¡¯ll say we won four million, brother-in-law, and then you can submit your four million. Mengxin and I can keep ours."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Why do I have to hand mine over, and you get to keep yours? That¡¯s so unfair."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "You¡¯re married to my sister. Your money must be handed over. When a man has money, he tends to go astray. There¡¯s already Xiaoyao and Yiyi. Give you more money, and who knows what kind of mess you¡¯ll create." By the end, Xu Shanshan had put away her smile and was sternly glaring at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly. This girl now monitored him even stricter than Xu Yingying did. Then again, Xu Shanshan was almost like a wife to him, so it was normal for her to keep him in line.


    Su Mengxin then asked, "Yifei, did you study gambling?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately followed up, "Yeah, brother-in-law, you even know how to deal such superb cards."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I don¡¯t know any gambling skills. It¡¯s just that when I¡¯m the dealer, I can align the cards when I take them. It only requires a slightly faster hand, and it won¡¯t be detected. However, it also depends on the house cutting the deck correctly. If they do, then it¡¯s a win."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said, "If you have this skill, then when we go back, when playing mahjong with my parents, deal me some great tiles. I must win a big time."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "You used to want to trick them out of money for spending. Now you¡¯re a rich woman with four million, and you still care about these small amounts?"


    "That¡¯s different. It¡¯s just to have fun. Agreed," she said conclusively.


    After having some fun, Li Yifei called Xu Yingying, who told him they were shopping at a store on the tenth floor.


    He took Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin to join them and found the group quickly. What amused Li Yifei was that despite a cruise offering regular shopping, the women still chose to shop here, which was a bit of a waste of time.


    Meng Fei¡¯er was at that moment explaining various fashion brands to Xu Yingying and the others. When it came to such purchases, this girl was an expert. She spent all her money on shopping and traveled worldwide. She was well-versed in luxury brands and could speak about them in detail.


    Xu Yingying rarely went shopping. She didn¡¯t like it much. When Li Yifei first dated her, he and Xu Shanshan would go shopping, and she¡¯d wait downstairs rather than join them, which spoke volumes.


    Although she remained a workaholic after getting married, her lifestyle expectations differed. Women dress up for their significant others. She paid more attention to her attire and style, especially with many people coveting Li Yifei. If she didn¡¯t present herself well, she might not know when Li Yifei would be swept away.


    Fortunately, on this cruise were several world-renowned luxury stores, and Xu Yingying planned to buy a few outfits. However, looking at the price tags made her flinch. Outfits cost tens of thousands each. Though she could afford them, they would impact her financial health.


    At that moment, Li Yifei and his group returned and saw Xu Yingying hesitating over a suit costing hundreds of thousands. Xu Shanshan immediately said generously, "Sister, buy whatever you want. Brother-in-law will splurge today. Whatever you like, he¡¯s buying for you."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Stop talking nonsense. These clothes are too expensive to buy on a whim."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s alright. I won some money earlier."


    "As long as you didn¡¯t lose it," Xu Yingying casually replied, not concerned at all.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Sister, brother-in-law won a lot of money."


    "How much?" Xu Yingying finally turned to Li Yifei, more serious now.


    Xu Shanshan held up four fingers in front of Xu Yingying.


    "Forty thousand?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her head.


    "Four hundred thousand?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her head more gleefully.


    "Don¡¯t tell me, Yifei won four million!" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice was tinged with excitement.


    Xu Shanshan nodded vigorously. Then she saw the eyes of Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, Meng Xiaofei, and Michelle widen in shock, feeling delighted at their expressions. If they knew Li Yifei had won more than ten million, she couldn¡¯t imagine how they¡¯d react.

 Chapter 613 - 632 Treat Yourself, Today It’s On Me

    Chapter 613: Chapter 632 Treat Yourself, Today It¡¯s On MeXu Yingying finally regained her composure and pulled Li Yifei aside, asking in a low voice, "How could you gamble so big?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Do you remember Sun Dongran?"


    Xu Yingying immediately frowned and said, "Of course I remember."


    "It was him and Cao Bin who wanted to trick me. You think I could just accept being conned by them? Besides, they¡¯re both my love rivals, harboring intentions towards my wife. With such an opportunity, how could I not take them down a notch? Naturally, I couldn¡¯t be polite to them."


    At this point, a surge of happiness welled up inside Xu Yingying. Sun Dongran and Cao Bin were interested in her, and Li Yifei treated them as love rivals. This meant Li Yifei really cared about her. But she still kept a stern face and said, "Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have gambled that much. What if you had lost?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Could your husband do something he wasn¡¯t sure about?"


    "You, oh you, but you won way too much this time. Sun Dongran is one thing, but Brother Cao is going to work with us. Winning so much money from him isn¡¯t quite right. How about we give his money back to him?"


    "Heh heh, he mistook Shanshan for you just now. Do you think he¡¯d want us to give the money back? Wouldn¡¯t that be like slapping his own face?"


    "This girl..." Xu Yingying turned her head and glared at Xu Shanshan, who was not far away. Xu Shanshan playfully winked at her. Xu Yingying then turned back to Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re just as silly as she is."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "When you¡¯re out for fun, you might as well have a blast. Just now Mengxin even called me her lover, which made Sun Dongran¡¯s face turn white."


    Xu Yingying was speechless. She thought to herself that Su Mengxin had also started fooling around, but she didn¡¯t believe Su Mengxin was trying to take advantage of the situation. It must just be a joke.


    Li Yifei put his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders and smiled, "Alright, what¡¯s done is done. We¡¯ve already won, so stop worrying about it. We didn¡¯t earn this money through work, so let¡¯s spend it. Let¡¯s buy something nice for everyone. You wouldn¡¯t be reluctant, would you?"


    "Are you trying to curry favor with them or what?" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sideways glance.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Xiaoyao and Yiyi aren¡¯t even here. Out of these people, whom would I try to curry favor with?"


    "There¡¯s Sister Fangqing too. Aren¡¯t you going to sweet-talk her a bit?"


    "Well, Fangqing and I hardly interact anymore. We¡¯re just ordinary friends now, and you¡¯re still harping on it?"


    "You just drop people like that? What do you think Sister Fangqing is?" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another sideways glance.


    "What else could I do?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, somewhat puzzled.


    Xu Yingying suddenly smiled and said, "We¡¯ll talk about it when the time comes." Then she turned around and walked over to He Fangqing and the others, smiling, "Today Yifei is treating everyone. Buy whatever you want, but no one is allowed to go over four hundred thousand."


    Her words took everyone by surprise. He Fangqing and Michelle didn¡¯t dare to speak, while Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Sister Yingying, you¡¯re not joking, right?"


    Xu Yingying laughed and said, "Why would I joke with you? Anyway, Yifei won this money gambling; we won¡¯t feel bad spending it. Since everyone is here, you all get a share."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately cheered and said, "Then I won¡¯t be polite. I just saw an Armani dress I liked, and now I can go buy it."


    At this time, Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were also not shy. Xu Shanshan pulled Michelle, and Xu Yingying dragged He Fangqing, ready for a major shopping spree.


    Xu Yingying walked a few steps then turned back to Li Yifei and said, "Oh, and Yifei, call Xiaoyao and Yiyi over. One, it¡¯s almost time for lunch, so let the daughter come back for lunch, and two, let them come and pick out some clothes too."


    Li Yifei immediately agreed, called Chu Xiaoyao, and soon Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi came down with Little Yifei in tow. Little Yifei clearly looked a little reluctant. This girl was already having too much fun today.


    Upon hearing that Li Yifei had won the money and wanted to splurge, Chu Xiaoyao immediately cheered. She didn¡¯t care about spending money; she had given Li Yifei all the money left by her parents and wasn¡¯t concerned about it at all. But the fact that Li Yifei was so impressive made her proud.


    Su Yiyi had just been playing with Little Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao, feeling genuinely pleased. Today, having gained Xu Yingying¡¯s recognition, she no longer needs to hide their relationship nor fear that her interactions with Li Yifei would put him in a difficult position. Moreover, being with Li Yifei¡¯s daughter made her feel extremely happy, as if she was looking at Li Yifei himself.


    When Su Yiyi saw Xu Yingying again, although she was still somewhat uneasy, she wasn¡¯t as frightened as before. Now with Chu Xiaoyao dragging her along to choose clothes, she followed suit but couldn¡¯t help gasping at the prices and dared not to pick any.


    Xu Yingying noticed Su Yiyi¡¯s awkwardness. Although not quite content to accept Su Yiyi, she had already acknowledged the situation. Why would she hesitate to be a bit nicer to Su Yiyi? So, she walked over, smiled, and said, "Yiyi, why don¡¯t you try something on?"


    Overwhelmed with nervousness, Su Yiyi stuttered, "It¡¯s too... too expensive."


    Xu Yingying affectionately took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and said, "What are you afraid of if it¡¯s expensive? After all, this money was won by Yifei. Just spend it, and buy whatever you want."


    "But... I better not. Even if I buy them, I have no place to wear them. I am still in school," Su Yiyi responded.


    Xu Yingying laughed, "You¡¯re not a high school student. College students can wear whatever they want, no one will mind. Besides, Yifei buying you things with his money is only right. He is a man; it¡¯s natural for him to be responsible for a woman. Come on, I¡¯ll help you pick a few pieces. We can¡¯t let you be wronged."


    On the other side, Chu Xiaoyao took Su Yiyi¡¯s arm, teasingly said, "Sister Yiyi, just listen to Sister Yingying. She¡¯s the eldest sister after all. If you¡¯re disobedient, Sister Yingying will be unhappy and scold you, you know."


    "No, no, I¡¯ll listen, I¡¯ll buy..." Su Yiyi instantly became flustered.


    Xu Yingying glared at Chu Xiaoyao and said, "Nonsense, am I that fierce? When have I ever scolded you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao replied with a mischievous smile, "I was just joking. Otherwise, Yiyi would always be so reserved."


    "You..." Xu Yingying shook her head, finding herself without a way to deal with this cheeky girl Chu Xiaoyao. Initially, she had thought that once Chu Xiaoyao got to college and met many excellent students, she might gradually shift her attachment from Li Yifei to those pursuing her. However, a month had passed without much change, and Xu Yingying wondered if Chu Xiaoyao would truly stick with Li Yifei forever.


    With encouragement from both, Su Yiyi started to pick her choices. The intimidating prices still made her hesitant to choose freely, until Xu Yingying selected two sets for her. Once she put them on and stood before Li Yifei, his eyes lit up.


    Su Yiyi was a beauty already; it was just that she usually didn¡¯t dress up. Being attractive is often about three parts looks and seven parts dress, and Su Yiyi would typically use only two of those seven parts. Now, dressed in such clothes, she suddenly became radiant, not falling short even when compared to Xu Yingying. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone privately praised Su Yiyi¡¯s beauty, and her soft and gentle demeanor added a unique charm, making her even more endearing to all.


    In a bout of wild shopping, Li Yifei and the others had spent over two million. While it was planned to spend forty thousand per person, Michelle and others were too modest to spend so much, each only spending a little over twenty thousand. Only Meng Xiaofei, the thoughtless girl, not only spent the entire forty thousand but also went a bit over, buying a whole bunch of miscellaneous items.


    Meng Xiaofei was a bit sheepish in the end, sticking out her tongue. Nevertheless, no one held it against her. Meng Xiaofei always brought various gifts for everyone when she went out; even if some items were not costly, she always had the intention, which indeed was quite rare. Everyone was used to her way; since Meng Xiaofei was always eating at Li Yifei¡¯s place, even Xu Yingying subtly started treating her like family. Therefore, spending some money on her didn¡¯t make them feel uncomfortable.


    Moreover, the money came easily, so Xu Yingying didn¡¯t think much of it. Had it been her own hard-earned money from over the years to be splurged like this, she definitely would have been reluctant.


    After the shopping spree, everyone returned to their rooms in high spirits, the purchases making it inconvenient to continue their fun.


    After lunch, Chu Xiaoyao, Su Yiyi, Meng Xiaofei, and Xu Shanshan, along with Little Yifei, set out to find places to play. Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin, Michelle, and He Fangqing visited an exhibition hall on the cruise ship that showcased the items for this cruise¡¯s main event¡ªan auction.


    The charitable auction items weren¡¯t incredibly valuable, but the regular auction items were another story. Li Yifei gaped at these items, each worthy of being called a rare treasure. There was the famous Yuan Blue and White Large Vase, a large bronze cauldron from the Warring States period, various famous paintings and calligraphy, and gemstone and jade artifacts. Even in a museum, one wouldn¡¯t see so many exquisite items.


    Everyone marveled at the exhibition, feeling enlightened by the sight of so many spectacular treasures. Just being able to see them all at once was indeed a blessing.


    But as Li Yifei looked at these items, he began to worry. The objects were too valuable. Summing them all up, their worth could easily reach hundreds of billions. The individuals attending the auction likely had deep pockets. If any organization were to target this cruise ship, it was entirely possible.

 Chapter 614 - 633: Seeing Mingrui Again

    Chapter 614: Chapter 633: Seeing Mingrui AgainLooking at these things, Li Yifei always felt a certain sense of danger. It wasn¡¯t that he was worried without reason; a hundred percent profit could make people ignore all laws and dangers.


    Others might think that such dangerous activities were far removed from them, but Li Yifei had always been struggling against such dangerous elements over the years. He knew them all too well, and some were motivated by ideology or faith, which made them the most frightening. These individuals would embrace death, committing acts of terror that sent chills down one¡¯s spine, like planes crashing into buildings. However, these people generally had strong financial backing and thus were usually not tempted by money.


    There were other types of dangerous individuals who were in it purely for the money, like mercenary organizations that would accept perilous missions and do many things others wouldn¡¯t, all for money. But such mercenary groups typically refrained from engaging in robbery to avoid government crackdowns.


    But there was another kind of person, who would do anything for money, regardless of the consequences. They¡¯d dare to do anything, including murder and robbery, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. If they set their sights on something worth over a hundred billion here, it was definitely possible.


    Moreover, once successful on a cruise ship, they could easily escape on the vast sea. They had many escape routes and wouldn¡¯t be easily pursued, which made such operations much less risky than on land.


    But robbing this cruise ship wouldn¡¯t be easy. One should know that there are more than two thousand crew members aboard, including over a hundred security personnel. These weren¡¯t just any ordinary people; most were elite forces from various countries who had retired. The cruise ship had a full range of advanced security facilities. When Li Yifei and the others embarked, they went through high-standard security checks that were no less rigorous than those at airports, perhaps even more stringent. It was almost impossible to bring weapons onto the cruise ship.


    Without weapons, attempting to rob such a cruise ship with just bare hands was an extremely difficult task, unless there was a large number of personnel. Even a few dozen people wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of success.


    Naturally, Li Yifei hoped that his family holiday wouldn¡¯t be spoiled by any mishaps, trusting that no one would be foolish enough to cause trouble.


    "Husband, what are you thinking about?" Xu Yingying gently nudged Li Yifei, looking at him quizzically.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I¡¯m thinking about how much all this stuff is worth."


    Xu Yingying chuckled and asked, "Do you like antiques too?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "It¡¯s not the antiques themselves I like, but the value they represent. To someone like me, even Blue and White Porcelain, if it came into my hands, I could only use it as an ordinary vase."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a reproachful look and said, "Let¡¯s try to show a little knowledge, okay? Others are watching you."


    Most people who came here were like Li Yifei and didn¡¯t understand antiques, but they didn¡¯t want to show it, lest they appeared ignorant. When Li Yifei bluntly stated this, they gave him disdainful looks, perhaps feeling a sense of superiority, as if they knew much more than him.


    "Yingying, what a coincidence, you¡¯re here too." Cao Bin turned up again in front of Xu Yingying and Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly, with a hint of apology, "Yes, it¡¯s really embarrassing. Yifei just won so much money from you."


    At that time, Cao Bin had thought that Xu Yingying was in cahoots with Li Yifei to deceive him, but now, hearing her say this, he immediately realized Xu Yingying¡¯s target wasn¡¯t him at all but the idiot Sunx Dongran. His displeasure vanished in an instant, and he laughed, saying, "I really didn¡¯t expect it, brother-in-law is quite the player." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying, unaware of Cao Bin¡¯s thoughts, hurriedly said, "Brother Cao, it¡¯s just a game, the money..."


    Cao Bin interrupted her right away, "Yingying, don¡¯t belittle me. A bet¡¯s a bet, and if I couldn¡¯t afford to lose even this amount, how could I talk about collaborating with you?"


    Xu Yingying said with embarrassment, "That would be too inappropriate."


    "What¡¯s inappropriate about it? It¡¯s all in fun. Don¡¯t mention it again. If you have time tonight, let¡¯s play again. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll win it back."


    Xu Yingying said with a smile, "All right." In her view, Cao Bin was quite accomplished. Two million was a lot, but it was an amount he could afford. If not given, then so be it. A man¡¯s pride was important, and if she insisted on returning the money to Cao Bin, it would make him lose face.


    But Xu Yingying didn¡¯t know that Cao Bin had lost much more than two million¡ªit was five million more to be exact. If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have been so calm.


    Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t there at the moment, and seeing only Xu Yingying before him, Cao Bin didn¡¯t think much of it. If he had seen Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying together, he might have suspected that he was being set up.


    A few more people came over to greet Xu Yingying; she went over to interact with them, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t follow. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t introduce him either, and while others might not care, Cao Bin noticed something was off.


    In such an occasion, if one were to bring a family member, normally an introduction would be necessary, otherwise it would be considered impolite, as well as a sign of not valuing one¡¯s family member¡¯s dignity. Xu Yingying not introducing Li Yifei seemed to imply that she did not want others to know about her husband, Li Yifei.


    To put it in a positive light, this could mean that Xu Yingying did not want Li Yifei to be in the spotlight or perhaps Li Yifei himself disliked such attention. On the other hand, to interpret it negatively, it could mean that Xu Yingying felt Li Yifei was not suited for such events, thinking of him as just a security guard, not on the same level as these company presidents and business elites, and that his attendance would be embarrassing, which is why she was reluctant to introduce him.


    Obviously, the latter possibility seemed more likely.


    If Xu Yingying was not fond of her husband, no matter how affectionate they might appear outside, their private relationship might not be that great. As long as one could talk to Xu Yingying more about this aspect, caring and comforting her, how could they not convince her to dump Li Yifei sooner rather than later?


    With this thought, Cao Bin was now even more eager to approach Xu Yingying, starting to mingle with the business friends as if he was her protector among the flowers.


    Su Mengxin was standing beside Li Yifei. She had specifically asked Li Yifei to help with her makeup when she came out in the afternoon. Li Yifei¡¯s method was simple: to apply heavy makeup. Heavy makeup could make an average woman look stunning, but for someone as naturally beautiful as Su Mengxin, it instead concealed her innate beauty, making her look more ordinary. In this way, it was truly hard for people to recognize her at a glance unless they were very close friends, like Xiao Ling¡¯er and her group.


    "Yifei, your wife is being harassed by someone now," Su Mengxin, attending a public gathering without being recognized, was in a rather good mood and playfully teased Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "If no other man had his eye on my wife, that would mean I¡¯ve made quite a poor choice in a spouse."


    He Fangqing winked mischievously and said, "That Cao... what¡¯s-his-name Bin, he looks handsomer than you, Brother Li. If he runs off with Sister Yingying, you¡¯re doomed."


    Li Yifei raised his hand, and He Fangqing giggled and hid behind Su Mengxin, while Li Yifei went on to say, "If I don¡¯t have even that much confidence, what kind of man would I be?"


    Michelle pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "Sister Yingying likes Brother Li, and if she wasn¡¯t madly in love, how could she tolerate Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao?"


    He Fangqing winked at Michelle and said, "Yingying is so generous, haven¡¯t you ever considered that?"


    Michelle¡¯s face turned bright red as she stammered, looking at Li Yifei, "No... I... I¡¯ve always thought of Brother Li as my... good friend."


    He Fangqing laughed softly and said, "Really? But everyone in our company now thinks you¡¯re Yifei¡¯s girlfriend."


    Michelle, even more embarrassed, said, "That¡¯s to cover up Brother Li¡¯s relationship with President Xu, isn¡¯t it?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Fangqing, stop teasing Michelle."


    He Fangqing smiled and said, "I¡¯m just kidding."


    Michelle, who had been relaxed, was now completely embarrassed by He Fangqing¡¯s teasing and moved aside, pretending to look at the exhibits.


    "Boss!" Suddenly, a loud voice rang out, and a burly man strode toward Li Yifei.


    Seeing the man, Li Yifei also burst into laughter and strode up to meet him. The man was none other than his good friend Zheng Mingrui from the Flying Hawk Squad.


    The two shared a warm embrace, and Li Yifei gave Zheng Mingrui¡¯s chest a hearty punch, saying, "How did you end up here, you rascal?"


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "Just came here to have fun," his face still wearing a smug smile.


    It was only then that Li Yifei noticed a beauty following along, exactly Lin Wanqing, whom Zheng Mingrui had been with that one time. Immediately smiling, Li Yifei said, "I¡¯m telling you, lad, you move fast¡ªsnagged her so quickly."


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and whispered to Li Yifei, "Not yet, we¡¯re just out having fun together, boss. Don¡¯t say anything out of turn and ruin my image, alright?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin. Zheng Mingrui, who used to be quite the ladies¡¯ man, was now being so cautious around Lin Wanqing, clearly smitten.

 Chapter 615 - 634 I’m Suffocating

    Chapter 615: Chapter 634 I¡¯m Suffocating"Hello!" Li Yifei greeted Lin Wanqing as she approached.


    With an easy grace, Lin Wanqing said, "Hello, long time no see."


    Li Yifei winked at Zheng Mingrui and smiled, "Yeah, but I really didn¡¯t expect to see you with Mingrui this time."


    Zheng Mingrui immediately gave an awkward laugh, while Lin Wanqing pursed her lips and smiled, "Mingrui mentioned there was a ferry here, so I followed him to have a look. I had nothing else going on these past few days, and it¡¯s not bad to hang out with such a bodyguard, right?"


    At that moment, Xu Yingying walked up to Li Yifei, who quickly said, "Mingrui, let me introduce you, this is your sister-in-law Xu Yingying."


    Zheng Mingrui had been paying attention to Xu Yingying ever since she walked over, and now excitedly said, "Sister-in-law, hello. I¡¯m Yifei¡¯s good brother. Heh, it¡¯s my first time meeting you, and I didn¡¯t bring a gift, I¡¯m really embarrassed." Zheng Mingrui hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Li Yifei on the cruise, nor had he expected to meet Li Yifei¡¯s wife here, so he hadn¡¯t prepared a gift like he had the last time.


    Xu Yingying graciously shook hands with Zheng Mingrui, saying, "Hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you."


    Grinning, Zheng Mingrui said, "Sister-in-law, you¡¯re really beautiful. Our boss is indeed fortunate."


    Xu Yingying let out a light laugh, "Your girlfriend is also very beautiful."


    Zheng Mingrui glanced at Lin Wanqing, feeling suddenly sheepish, while Lin Wanqing smiled and said, "We¡¯re not in that kind of relationship yet."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei felt reassured. Lin Wanqing may not be Zheng Mingrui¡¯s girlfriend yet, but it was clear she harbored some affection for him, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said that.


    Xu Yingying and Lin Wanqing also introduced themselves to each other, and Lin Wanqing laughed, "Now that¡¯s settled, I have company, so I won¡¯t need you to accompany me."


    Zheng Mingrui giggled, "Alright, then please, Sister Yingying, take good care of Wanqing for me."


    Zheng Mingrui took a couple of steps away with Li Yifei and winked at him, whispering, "Boss, she¡¯s the real deal, isn¡¯t she?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Absolutely the real deal." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s good to hear. I was afraid of making another mistake. Eh, why are there so many beautiful women?" Zheng Mingrui glanced over at Xu Yingying and noticed three girls standing with her, all greeting Lin Wanqing.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Those are friends of Yingying and me."


    "Oh, all these beautiful girlfriends... I have to say, boss, sister-in-law is really trusting."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to dwell on the topic and shifted the conversation, "Just be extra alert. I¡¯m worried someone here might take an interest."


    The mention of security concerns sobered Zheng Mingrui up instantly, "I¡¯ve felt it too. Holding an event like this in such a place is truly dangerous. I don¡¯t know what the organizers were thinking."


    "Hopefully, nothing of the sort happens. I¡¯m here on vacation, and I just want to enjoy a couple of relaxed days."


    "Same here, damn it. If anyone ruins my beautiful vacation, I¡¯ll make sure to take care of them."


    The two didn¡¯t say much more. As the most formidable members of the Flying Hawk Squad, their coordination was impeccable. They didn¡¯t need to spell out their actions; they would know how to work together when the time came.


    Zheng Mingrui laughed, "Let¡¯s go, and introduce me to those friends of you and sister-in-law."


    Approaching the group, Li Yifei introduced each one to Zheng Mingrui. Introducing Michelle and He Fangqing was one thing, but as soon as Su Mengxin was mentioned, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed a bit, and a look of extreme surprise flashed across his face.


    The people here couldn¡¯t recognize Su Mengxin with her makeup on, but Zheng Mingrui had excellent eyesight. Even though he hadn¡¯t experienced the kind of thrilling events with Su Mengxin like Li Yifei had, he had seen her several times during missions. As a man, he couldn¡¯t help but take a few extra glances at such a beauty like Su Mengxin, so his impression of her was quite strong. Plus, with Li Yifei mentioning her name, he instantly recognized her as Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty.


    However, he didn¡¯t show any overt reaction. Since Su Mengxin had disguised herself, she obviously didn¡¯t want to be recognized, and he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to give her away.


    Lin Wanqing had seen Su Mengxin a few times but had never interacted with her, so she didn¡¯t recognize Su Mengxin as the famously renowned figure in Capital City and across Huaxia.


    After chatting briefly, Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei walked to a display and spoke in hushed tones, "Boss, why is she here?"


    "She has a company in Mile City, and I work at her company. She happened to be in Mile City these days."


    "Oh, so she has started a company in Mile City, spreading her business everywhere. Good thing she¡¯s wearing makeup. Otherwise, just her presence would catch more attention than those valuable antiques."


    "Indeed, that¡¯s true."


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone started to ring. He answered the call and said, "Shanshan, what¡¯s up?"


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re also coming over? We rushed here to see the performance; it¡¯s incredibly exciting,"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll let your sister know."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei smiled, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll go watch the performance."


    "Boss, who else is there?"


    "Quite a few people, your sister-in-law¡¯s twin sister, the flight attendant you saw the other day, and also my daughter."


    "Your daughter? Heh heh, boss, you¡¯ve brought your daughter back."


    "Yeah, I¡¯ve brought her back."


    "What about Ning Xin¡¯er?" Zheng Mingrui winked at Li Yifei.


    "She¡¯s given the child to me; she¡¯s no longer in a position to take care of the kid."


    "So Sister-in-law didn¡¯t get mad at you?"


    "No, she didn¡¯t."


    Zheng Mingrui gave Li Yifei a thumbs up and said, "Boss! You amaze me. Suddenly there¡¯s a child from nowhere, and Sister-in-law not only doesn¡¯t mind but also helps you raise her, incredible, incredible."


    Li Yifei smiled proudly, "That¡¯s right, your sister-in-law is so virtuous."


    Everyone arrived at the performance hall together and quickly found Xu Shanshan and the rest, but it wasn¡¯t convenient to introduce everyone right there, so they just focused on the show first.


    The show was thrilling, with magic acts and acrobatics, especially the acrobats who were all extremely skillful, providing both excitement and thrills, making the audience thoroughly enjoy the spectacle.


    What made the deepest impression on Li Yifei was one of the Western acrobatic acts that was all about showcasing strength. A tall and burly Caucasian man stood in place while people climbed on top of him, playing ¡¯human stacking¡¯. In the end, there were twenty people on top of him.


    These twenty people were all Westerners, none of them particularly small. Each person weighed at least sixty to seventy kilograms, so in total, that¡¯s over a thousand kilograms, or more than a ton. With more than a ton of weight on him, he was still able to walk with the people on top, which required immense strength.


    Besides that man at the bottom, the two people on the second layer also possessed great strength because, after all, there were still seventeen people above them. Even if the weight was evenly distributed between the two, they would each be bearing around five to six hundred kilograms.


    There was also an acrobatic act involving throwing knives, performed by a woman in her twenties with blonde hair. Her knife-throwing skills were simply miraculous, hitting her mark from ten meters away without the slightest deviation.


    There was even a person tied to a spinning wheel, and as the wheel spun, the woman threw knives one after the other. She didn¡¯t hurt the person, but instead, the knives landed all around the body, outlining it. When they took the person down, the pattern formed by the knives resembled almost a human figure.


    Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui were sitting together, and after watching the woman¡¯s knife-throwing act, they exchanged glances and shook their heads. They both dabbled in knife-throwing and were quite accurate, but achieving what the woman did seemed beyond them.


    If this woman were a criminal, the danger she would pose was substantial. The knives weren¡¯t just for show¡ªif used to kill, they would be no less lethal than firearms. And on this cruise ship, where firearms were prohibited, this woman seemed even more dangerous.


    The hour-long show ended quickly, and Li Yifei and his group left the theater. Chu Xiaoyao and the others were still excitedly discussing the performance.


    "Oh, Brother Zheng, when did you get here?" Meng Xiaofei noticed Zheng Mingrui just then and excitedly came over to greet him.


    "Xiaofei, hey, so you¡¯re here too?" Zheng Mingrui was also impressed by the buxom flight attendant and greeted her with a warm smile.


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled, "Yeah, Brother Li brought me here for fun. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford to come to such a fancy cruise ship. Haha, have you met Sister Yingying? This time I finally don¡¯t need to hide it anymore."


    Xu Yingying asked, puzzled, "Hide what?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue, realizing she had spoken out of turn again. Li Yifei then smiled and said, "Last time Mingrui and the others came to Mile City, I went out with them to take care of some business. Just then, we bumped into Xiaofei; I asked her not to tell you that I went out with Mingrui and the others."


    Meng Xiaofei nodded repeatedly and let out a relieved sigh, appearing as if a weight had been lifted, "Yeah, yeah, it almost killed me to keep it to myself so long without letting it slip."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a reproachful look, then said to Meng Xiaofei, "Xiaofei, if there¡¯s something like this again in the future, and you help Brother Li keep it from me, then I won¡¯t let you come over to my place for dinner anymore."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again, looked towards Li Yifei, and said, "Can you two not put me in a tough spot? One tells me to speak, the other tells me not to. Oh Buddha bless, I hope I never have to keep such suffocating secrets again."


    The group burst into laughter at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s antics.

 Chapter 616 - 636 Suffer a Loss

    Chapter 616: Chapter 636 Suffer a LossChu Xiaoyao, being quite thick-skinned, said with a giggle, "Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Let¡¯s hurry out and have some fun now."


    Li Yifei could only clear his throat at this point and say, "Ladies, you¡¯re all wearing swimsuits, and it¡¯s giving me quite the eye-strain."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yes, with so many beautiful women surrounding you, you must feel very lucky."


    He Fangqing also laughed and said, "You¡¯re all beauties; I can¡¯t possibly compare, so that doesn¡¯t include me."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "Who says so? Sister Fangqing exudes more femininity than any of us could hope to match."


    Everyone turned to look at He Fangqing. When it came to looks, He Fangqing was no less attractive than the other women, but her mature charm was something these younger women couldn¡¯t quite compete with. A woman who¡¯d been married had a kind of seductive aura that came from the bones, natural and unforced¡ªsomething Xu Yingying was starting to develop but still fell short compared to He Fangqing.


    Especially Li Yifei, being with He Fangqing provided him with a lot of satisfaction, something Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t yet offer him. In a few more years, maybe they could, but for now, they couldn¡¯t compare to He Fangqing.


    He Fangqing felt a bit embarrassed by everyone¡¯s attention. She touched her face and said, "What femininity? I¡¯m just an old has-been."


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Haven¡¯t you noticed how someone over there looks at you so intently?"


    Everyone turned to look at Li Yifei again, making him cough awkwardly. However, he candidly said, "A fair lady is a gentleman¡¯s desire. Fangqing is so beautiful and dressed so seductively; of course, I have to take a few extra glances."


    Being praised like this by Li Yifei put He Fangqing in a good mood, but being praised in front of so many people made her feel a bit guilty. After all, she and Li Yifei had that sort of relationship, but recently, since Xu Yingying and Li Yifei got married, she had distanced herself from Li Yifei. Yet, in her heart, she never stopped thinking of Li Yifei. On many lonely nights, she fantasized about being close to Li Yifei, but as a woman older and with a failed marriage, she found it easier to restrain herself.


    "Auntie, Auntie, I want to go swimming!" Little Yifei was not interested in these things and became anxious seeing everyone out and not moving. Tugging on Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, she rocked it back and forth.


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Alright, let¡¯s get going so our daughter doesn¡¯t get impatient."


    Only then did everyone take the elevator to the top deck, where many people were already swimming.


    On the cruise, there was no shortage of handsome men and beautiful women. Seeing a man and a woman together wouldn¡¯t usually draw much attention. However, the arrival of Li Yifei¡¯s group attracted plenty of glances, with Li Yifei standing amidst them like the moon surrounded by stars.


    In a sea of green, a splash of red would naturally attract all eyes, but amongst reds, a speck of green was equally striking and captivating.


    Being watched made Li Yifei feel somewhat uncomfortable. Though everyone wore swimsuits and there were many beauties to admire, having so many around him made him feel at a disadvantage. So he quickly said, "Let¡¯s go swim!" and was the first to jump into the pool.


    The others followed suit, which made Li Yifei feel more at ease. In the water, he wasn¡¯t as conspicuous and didn¡¯t have such a strong sense of losing out.


    "Brother-in-law, do you feel like you¡¯re getting the short end of the stick?" Xu Shanshan suddenly came up beside Li Yifei and whispered in his ear.


    This sister-in-law truly understood Li Yifei; nothing could escape this mischievous sister-in-law¡¯s notice. Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it and chuckled, "Yes, you¡¯ve seen right through me."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Of course, anyone could see your eagerness."


    "Really? Was I that obvious?"


    Xu Shanshan was even more delighted as she said, "Absolutely, you were. How interesting to see your jealous side, brother-in-law!"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Now that you know I¡¯m petty, be mindful in the future."


    "Okay, in the future, I¡¯ll show off only for you, brother-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s words were utterly enchanting, and Li Yifei felt a wave of heat surge through his body, even prompting a physiological response.


    "Oh dear brother-in-law, having a reaction already?" To make matters worse, Xu Shanshan pinched Li Yifei in the water.


    Li Yifei nearly let out a moan of pleasure and quickly pulled Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand away, saying urgently, "My little ancestor, spare me, please. If others see, it¡¯ll be a disaster."


    "Giggle, if others see, I¡¯m your wife Xu Yingying; if they see me, I¡¯m your sister-in-law. What¡¯s wrong with talking to you?"


    Li Yifei was helpless against Xu Shanshan, but fortunately, she stopped teasing him and swam away with a giggle.


    The pool was quite large. Even with so many people there, it wasn¡¯t crowded. After all, most who came to this cruise ship had purposes beyond simple leisure, like business people seeking new connections and partnerships.


    This made places like bars even more crowded, allowing Li Yifei and his group to enjoy their space without interruption.


    Before long, Zheng Mingrui and Lin Wanqing also arrived, but Mingrui wasn¡¯t clinging to Li Yifei like before. Instead, he hovered around Lin Wanqing.


    This was quite normal¡ªbrotherly bonds were important, but love was even more so. People living in society prioritize family; after the individual, family is the most central social unit. Thus, spouses and romantic partners are the most crucial.


    Some may claim that brotherhood is supreme, willing to go to great lengths for friends, but that¡¯s rare. People with families prioritize their responsibilities. True brotherhood isn¡¯t sacrificing everything but helping without affecting one¡¯s family. With Mingrui¡¯s genuine feelings for Lin Wanqing, Li Yifei wished them well in starting a family, even if it meant seeing Mingrui less. Their brotherhood would remain unchanged.


    Two young men swam over to flirt with Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Hey beautiful, how about we hang out together?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao looked at both and said, "Go away, I¡¯m not in the mood to play with you."


    The two didn¡¯t back down, with one guy saying with a grin, "Hey, beauty, isn¡¯t it more fun to have company here? Plus, swimming isn¡¯t all that exciting; I know a place much more fun. Let¡¯s check it out together."


    Chu Xiaoyao rolled her eyes at them and said, "Stop wasting your time; we¡¯re already taken."


    "Oh, come on, if you were taken, you¡¯d be with your men, not here alone?"


    Chu Xiaoyao huffed, "That¡¯s our business, and we¡¯re not interested in you. Yiyi, let¡¯s go." She grabbed Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and swam toward Li Yifei.


    But the two guys didn¡¯t give up and kept following. The pair thought Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao looked young and thus easier to approach, so they came over to flirt.


    "Uncle, these two are so annoying," Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi said as they swam up to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei frowned and asked, "What do you want?"


    The two young men, just in their early twenties, seeing Li Yifei, smirked awkwardly and said, "Nothing much, just wanted to make friends with the beauties."


    Li Yifei, with a stern face, said, "You¡¯re flirting with the wrong gals; move along."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s serious look and his sturdy physique, the pair felt intimidated. On a cruise like this, people were generally of high status; they didn¡¯t dare to provoke him. Though dissatisfied, they grumbled and reluctantly left.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately giggled, "Uncle, you¡¯re so cool," and gave Li Yifei¡¯s bottom a pinch underwater.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, that¡¯s enough flattery¡ªgo have fun."


    "Got it," Chu Xiaoyao winked at Li Yifei and cheekily ran her hand over his waist.


    Su Yiyi was much more well-behaved. If only with Chu Xiaoyao, she might tease Li Yifei a bit, but not in public, especially with Xu Yingying nearby. Even talking to Li Yifei made her nervous, fearing Xu Yingying might get upset. So she swam away quickly but felt happy to have Li Yifei¡¯s protection.


    Li Yifei swam over to Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin, who were discussing company matters. Wrapping an arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, he said, "Darling, we¡¯re here to have fun, not talk shop. Mengxin, can¡¯t you let her relax?"


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Nonsense! I just wanted to chat with Mengxin."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Yifei¡¯s right; we¡¯re here to enjoy ourselves. Work can wait." Then she glanced at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei stiffened as a small hand touched his side below the water, evidently not Xu Yingying¡¯s but Su Mengxin¡¯s.

 Chapter 617 - 639: The Majestic Presence of a Deity

    Chapter 617: Chapter 639: The Majestic Presence of a DeityXu Yingying watched with wide-eyed surprise as Su Mengxin suddenly flung herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms while they were "talking nicely." She was so astonished that she stared with her eyes wide and her mouth agape, her brain seemingly unable to process what had just happened.


    At that moment, Li Yifei was also taken aback. What was Su Mengxin up to? What kind of act was she putting on now? Could it be that she wanted to stage a palace coup like Su Yiyi and become his rightful lover?


    But Su Yiyi had acted because of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s unintentional mistake, which had led to this situation. If Su Mengxin acted so direct, it would certainly upset Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei was now incredibly annoyed with himself. If only he had known Su Mengxin had such little self-control, he wouldn¡¯t have played along with her. Now he had really landed himself in a mess.


    What was most important was that Su Mengxin was still hugging him and not letting go. What kind of game was she playing?


    "Don¡¯t move, let me lean on you for a while," Su Mengxin¡¯s voice suddenly became weak, finally breaking the silence among the three of them.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei quickly asked. As soon as Su Mengxin said this, Li Yifei¡¯s mind raced for a solution.


    Hearing their exchange, Xu Yingying suddenly realized that something might be really wrong with Su Mengxin. Otherwise, she would not have done such a thing with Li Yifei. Xu Yingying immediately became anxious and said, "Mengxin, where do you feel uncomfortable?"


    "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, I just feel a bit dizzy, Yingying. I¡¯m borrowing your husband¡¯s chest for a moment," Su Mengxin said to Xu Yingying, who had come over. She forced a weak smile and continued to lie against Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    Li Yifei was internally sweating buckets. Su Mengxin¡¯s excuse was really solid. It not only dispelled Xu Yingying¡¯s doubts but also allowed her to hold him without any further objections. In that respect, even Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t match her.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t wrong in his assessment. Xu Shanshan was indeed quite clever, full of tricks, but Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t called Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty just for her looks. Her intelligence and abilities far surpassed the petty cleverness of others. She normally didn¡¯t resort to such tricks, but when she did use them, she was leagues ahead of Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "Why are you even saying that? Just rest for a bit."


    After about a minute had passed, Su Mengxin finally sat up, lightly flipping her hair, and said with a tinge of red-faced embarrassment, "I¡¯m so sorry about this."


    "Are you feeling better?" Xu Yingying hastily grabbed Su Mengxin¡¯s shoulders.


    "I¡¯m fine," Su Mengxin replied with a light smile. "It¡¯s an old problem of mine, probably caused by overworking my brain."


    "Do you need to see a doctor?" Xu Yingying immediately asked.


    "No need, I¡¯m feeling much better already. Besides, a small issue like this won¡¯t get resolved by seeing a doctor."


    Xu Yingying looked at Su Mengxin with concern when suddenly her eyes lit up, "Mengxin, Yifei is really good at massages. Let him give you one."


    "Oh, is that so? Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Yifei," Su Mengxin said, smiling warmly at Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying continued, "Hubby, then let¡¯s hurry and take Mengxin back to her room."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "How can I do that? Everyone¡¯s here to have fun, and I don¡¯t want to spoil the mood. You guys enjoy yourselves; I¡¯ll take a break and be fine."


    Xu Yingying insisted, "No, no, that won¡¯t do. How can I relax if you are not feeling well?"


    Su Mengxin hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well, how about this? Yifei can accompany me back and give me a massage. You stay and have fun. You¡¯ve worked hard enough lately. If you can¡¯t enjoy yourself here, I¡¯ll feel even worse."


    "But there¡¯s no need; I¡¯ve had my fun already," Xu Yingying firmly said. "Enough, let¡¯s accompany you together."


    "Are you worried something might happen between your husband and me?" Su Mengxin teased, looking at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying was slightly embarrassed and quickly responded, "I didn¡¯t mean that, but I..."


    "If that¡¯s not what you meant, then go have some fun. I¡¯ll come back once I¡¯m feeling better," Su Mengxin said, leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and slowly walking towards the shore.


    Li Yifei sought to support Su Mengxin, well aware she was acting, but he had no choice but to play along.


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment and ultimately didn¡¯t follow them. Still, she said to Li Yifei, "Honey, please take good care of Mengxin. I¡¯m entrusting her to you."


    Li Yifei turned to Xu Yingying with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, leave her to me." Then he wrapped his arm around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist and, right before his wife¡¯s eyes, left with her proudly.


    Once they were out of Xu Yingying and the others¡¯ sight, and with no one nearby, Su Mengxin laughed softly.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You really scared me to death."


    Su Mengxin blinked at Li Yifei and said, "If you don¡¯t do anything wrong, you won¡¯t fear the ghost knocking at your door. Who made you commit the bad deed then?"


    "Now you¡¯re blaming me? If you hadn¡¯t provoked me at that time, would I have touched you?" Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a white look.


    Su Mengxin pouted and said, "I¡¯m a woman, I can do bad things, why should you be allowed to do the same?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "I really didn¡¯t expect you, Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, to say such an unreasonable thing."


    Su Mengxin chuckled proudly and said, "Being unreasonable is pretty good, isn¡¯t it? If I always had to make everything clear to others, how tiring that would be. So, I¡¯ve decided that when I¡¯m with you in the future, I¡¯ll never be reasonable again."


    "Alright, I really do want to see what you¡¯ll be like when you¡¯re unreasonable. In the past, you were always too wise, making people feel like you could see through everything when they were with you."


    Su Mengxin paused for a moment, then smiled with pursed lips, tightening her grip around Li Yifei¡¯s waist a bit more.


    "What are you doing?" Suddenly, an exclamation sounded not far away. Li Yifei immediately made a dive and after a few seconds had already positioned himself to the outside of a crowd.


    This crowd was seven or eight young men who had formed a circle, surrounding Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and Michelle. One of the young men said with a teasing smile, "Little sister, no need to be so shy, we¡¯re all just playing together."


    Chu Xiaoyao shouted angrily, "You better get lost quickly, or don¡¯t blame us for being rude!"


    "The little sister is really feisty, I like that!" One lad stuck out his tongue, licked his lips in a lewd manner, and the others immediately started laughing. Amongst them were two young men who had just been chased away by Li Yifei.


    Another lad suddenly dunked his head into the water and soon after resurfaced, loudly commenting, "Not bad, all three of these ladies have quite the bosoms."


    In the swimming pool, wearing swimsuits, the size of one¡¯s bust is naturally easy to see, but generally, people who swim don¡¯t deliberately look. Even if they sneak a peek, they wouldn¡¯t comment, and to loudly proclaim such a thing now was an insult.


    Chu Xiaoyao, Su Yiyi, and Michelle all cried out in alarm, hurriedly hugging their arms to themselves. Under these men¡¯s blatant stares, they could no longer maintain the composure they usually had in swimsuits.


    "Get lost!" Li Yifei then shouted sternly, reached out to grab the neck of the lewd lad who had dived earlier, shook his arm, and hoisted the youngster out of the water. He swung him in an arc through the air, and with a splash, the lad was dumped back into the water once more.


    "Uncle!"


    "Brother Li!"


    Chu Xiaoyao, Su Yiyi, and Michelle all cheered, then quickly hid behind Li Yifei. Chu Xiaoyao, from behind Li Yifei, shouted at the other few, "You bastards, how dare you bully us¡ªwatch Uncle beat you up!"


    At that moment, the youths all looked towards Li Yifei. The speed at which he threw one of them was so fast, and since they were all watching Chu Xiaoyao and the other two girls, they hadn¡¯t noticed that someone had been thrown so high by Li Yifei.


    The sleazy expressions on their faces did not dissipate. Just now, with only two of them, they were afraid of Li Yifei, a strong man, but now with so many of them, they no longer regarded Li Yifei as a threat. Moreover, being young and fearless, they truly didn¡¯t believe that they would be at a disadvantage against one man, Li Yifei.


    The kid who had just been tossed into the water by Li Yifei struggled to stand up. The water where he was thrown wasn¡¯t deep, but as he was thrown in disoriented, his instinctive reaction was panic, having swallowed several mouthfuls of water before finally standing up and coughing forcefully several times to catch his breath.


    "Fuck your mother!" This kid was usually quite arrogant, and having suffered this humiliation, he didn¡¯t care at all that he was on a cruise ship. He immediately cursed loudly and charged towards them, but being in the water, his agitation caused him to stumble and nearly choke on more water. Far from displaying any fierceness, he seemed even more bedraggled.


    Eventually floundering over to the others, the kid¡¯s face turned blue as he pointed at Li Yifei and cursed, "Fuck your mother, you dare hit me, I¡¯ll skin you alive." With that, he swung his fist towards Li Yifei.


    As this kid made a move, the others followed suit and attacked Li Yifei. They were a bunch of spoiled scions who, although they did not fight as often as hoodlums, felt emboldened by their numbers and dared to strike Li Yifei, thinking that even if they did hit him, their fathers could sort it out for them.


    However, they had underestimated the situation. Li Yifei, although he disdained to stoop to the level of these scions, knew that they were like flies¡ªyou had to give them a lesson, or they would never stop harassing. Moreover, he was escorting a group of beauties, and if he didn¡¯t assert his dominance, it would be inconvenient to look after them with people constantly harassing them.


    So, Li Yifei suddenly roared and reached out to grab the kid by the neck, while his other hand supported his waist. Effortlessly lifting him above his head, Li Yifei turned his body and swung the kid around like a rag doll, clearing the surrounding few off their feet.


    "Aaah!" The kid being held aloft screamed in terror. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei then stopped, gave his arm a shake, and threw the guy more than ten meters away. The guy smashed into the water with a loud splash, and the water that sprayed up was impressively high, quite a spectacle.


    Li Yifei glared fiercely and bellowed, "You little brats, that¡¯s all the skill you have and you dare to mess with me? Get lost!"


    With that display of prowess, Li Yifei, although standing in water with just his shoulders and above exposed, seemed utterly awe-inspiring, almost divine. Those spoiled scions had never encountered such a formidable figure, each revealing signs of intimidation. No matter how arrogant they usually were, they knew they had met a truly tough character and that in a real fight, they would get nothing but a beating. But to slink away now seemed too face-losing, so they looked at each other uncertainly, not knowing what to do.

 Chapter 618 - 641: He Fangqing

    Chapter 618: Chapter 641: He FangqingThe over two thousand employees on the cruise ship were not all pushovers. Each employee here had been trained to be of the utmost quality, and on every level, there were skilled security guards. As soon as they saw the conflict arise, four staff members quickly dove into the water and separated Li Yifei from those other young people.


    "Everyone, please, stay calm. Stay calm," they urged.


    Seeing that the security had stepped in, those young men didn¡¯t dare to clash with them on the cruise ship. Even if they were foolish, they knew it was not their place to challenge the ship¡¯s authority. But with the security there, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t land his punches on them, so they immediately became cocky and began to taunt, hopping around, "Kid, if you¡¯re tough, name yourself."


    Li Yifei looked at them coldly and said, "What¡¯s the matter, you still don¡¯t accept it?"


    "Accept your mother¡¯s *ss! Ah!" The young man had just uttered a swear when he screamed. A mass of water had suddenly rushed into his mouth with massive force, causing his head to jerk back as he fell into the water with a splash.


    The color drained from the pampered young master¡¯s face at this encounter, because it was just a casual flick of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and a mass of water hit the swearing man like a hidden weapon, toppling him over. This was simply too awesome.


    A security guard stood in front of Li Yifei, polite but with an assertive tone, "Sir, please stop. Our cruise ship will handle this. Escalating the situation will affect your experience on board."


    Li Yifei said coldly, "Tell them to keep their distance, or they¡¯ll have me to answer to."


    The security guards on the shore had already seen the whole incident and knew it was not Li Yifei¡¯s fault at all. These pampered young masters had been looking for trouble, so they didn¡¯t make things difficult for Li Yifei and they persuaded the young masters to back off.


    At that moment, the group didn¡¯t make any more disrespectful remarks but glared viciously at Li Yifei. On board the cruise, they could only rely on themselves, but once they left, they would have a plethora of resources at their disposal and could deal with anyone they wanted. Their goal was to remember what Li Yifei looked like and then investigate who he was so that they could find him later.


    "Sir, we know you are skilled, but we ask that you refrain from using martial strength on our cruise ship, so as not to make our job difficult," the security politely told Li Yifei after the young masters had left.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "If no one comes looking for trouble with us, I won¡¯t bother anyone else."


    "Yes, we understand. However, some guests are genuinely trying to greet the ladies kindly. If they don¡¯t cross the line, we can¡¯t intervene. But if they do, we will step in. Please, sir, don¡¯t take matters into your own hands and put us in a difficult position."


    Li Yifei nodded. These security guards were now, in a way, his colleagues, and he had no reason to make things hard for them.


    After the security guards had left, Chu Xiaoyao said indignantly, "We let them off too easily."


    Michelle quickly replied, "It¡¯s alright, we didn¡¯t lose anything, they just gave us a scare."


    Su Yiyi also chimed in, "Right, we shouldn¡¯t cause any trouble. It would make things difficult for Brother Li."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "I know, but I just love watching uncle beat people up. It was really cool."


    Michelle and Su Yiyi both looked at Li Yifei with adoring expressions. The authority Li Yifei had just commanded was intoxicating for a woman; being with a man like that definitely gave them a sense of security.


    While Li Yifei was dealing with the pampered young masters, Xu Yingying was not far away, but she did not come over to stop the commotion. One reason was that she fully trusted Li Yifei to handle the situation well. The other reason was that it involved Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. If she didn¡¯t let Li Yifei take care of it, it would seem as if she was not allowing him to protect the two of them.


    After the situation was resolved, she came over and asked Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, everything alright?"


    Xu Yingying showing concern made Su Yiyi feel both flustered and touched as she hurriedly replied, "Sister Yingying, I¡¯m fine."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Good to hear. We¡¯ve all been too scattered, inviting trouble from boring people."


    Su Yiyi quietly agreed. Although they were all in the same swimming pool, she never dared to get too close to Xu Yingying. It was an almost instinctive fear. She was afraid that something she said incorrectly or something she did inadequately might upset Xu Yingying. She naturally positioned herself as Li Yifei¡¯s lover and dared not get too close to his official wife.


    Xu Yingying took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and laughed, "You don¡¯t always have to avoid me. Otherwise, people might think I¡¯m bullying you."


    Su Yiyi quickly replied, "No... no... Sister Yingying, I¡¯m already very grateful."


    "Then just join in the fun with everyone, and don¡¯t always hide on the side."


    "Okay!" Su Yiyi nodded, stealing a glance at Li Yifei, and seeing him nodding at her with a smile, she felt somewhat comforted in her heart.


    Li Yifei, accompanied by a group of beautiful women, played in the water, which caused the cruise ship¡¯s security to pay extra attention. In their eyes, Li Yifei was also considered a potential threat. Regardless of whether Li Yifei was at fault or not, if he were to injure someone, it could bring negative repercussions to the cruise. The best way to prevent any trouble from a dangerous person like Li Yifei was to ensure that no one bothered the girls around him.


    This led the security team to wonder what kind of important figure this man could be, surrounded by so many beauties¡ªthis was Huaxia, not an Arabian country. Here, a monogamous relationship was the norm, and being surrounded by so many women could only imply significant martial strength or power.


    Li Yifei, however, paid no attention to the security detail. As long as no one disturbed them, he had no reason to find trouble; instead, he focused on having a great time with everyone, including his daughter.


    Li Yifei was having a blissful time, and the afternoon passed quickly. After changing their clothes, they headed to the cruise ship¡¯s restaurant.


    The restaurant on the cruise ship offered both Chinese and Western cuisine. One could order dishes to be prepared by the chefs or opt for the buffet. The buffet wasn¡¯t ordinary¡ªit featured exquisite offerings such as Australian lobster, Japanese Four-Headed Abalone, French foie gras, and caviar. If one were to try and enjoy such a spread in a hotel, it would undoubtedly be a costly affair.


    The people dining here were those who had purchased expensive cruise tickets, indicating significant wealth, and by extension, a concern for status. Despite the array of high-end dishes, most would simply take a modest amount, ensuring not to pick only the expensive items, as that could be seen as lacking sophistication.


    "President Xu!"


    "President Xu!"


    Upon arriving at the restaurant, several people greeted Xu Yingying. Dreamfly Company had been quietly solidifying its powerful backing in Mile City. As a result, many in business circles sought to network with Xu Yingying. Even if they couldn¡¯t collaborate with her immediately, connecting now might lead to future opportunities to engage with Xu Yingying¡¯s influential supporters.


    Xu Yingying had anticipated this situation and, as someone with a strong business acumen, wasn¡¯t going to miss an opportunity to interact with other business elites. Before coming, she had discussed it with Li Yifei. On this cruise, even if these business tycoons were attracted by Xu Yingying and He Fangqing¡¯s beauty, they wouldn¡¯t overstep their boundaries. The wealthier and more socially prominent one became, the more gentlemanly their behavior, even if they were scoundrels at heart. In public, maintaining an air of decency was key.


    So Xu Yingying took He Fangqing with her to dine with the executives of a few large companies. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aside from Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, who had broad social connections, the rest of Li Yifei¡¯s group didn¡¯t know many people, so they went directly to the buffet area. Eating there was satisfying and allowed them the freedom to choose as they pleased.


    The food-loving Meng Xiaofei exclaimed excitedly upon seeing so much delicious food, "Wow, look at these huge lobsters! And abalone too! Brother Li, Brother Li, there¡¯s caviar here... Shanshan, look, they have Remy Martin as well, a bottle of this costs several hundred outside!"


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s loud exclamations immediately drew many gazes. Mostly, the men focused on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s impressive bust, eyeing the ****-level beauty with desire. However, the women who saw Meng Xiaofei all displayed looks of disdain; making such a commotion here seemed terribly unrefined.


    Michelle and Su Yiyi felt a bit embarrassed, but Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei were quite unbothered. Both were playful and usually didn¡¯t care how others viewed them. They joined Meng Xiaofei in picking out food to eat.


    Little Yifei was somewhat tired from playing all day and lacked energy, but seeing Meng Xiaofei and the others so excited, she perked up too, waving her little hands and saying in a sweet voice, "Daddy, daddy, I want some too."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, alright, daddy will get it for you."


    Little Yifei excitedly said, "Yay, yay, I want that big, red lobster, too."


    Little Yifei had always been spoiled with the finest foods; Ning Xin¡¯er, who was not short on money, wouldn¡¯t dream of depriving her daughter. Little Yifei had tried all sorts of delicacies and had a particular fondness for lobster, with its soft, white flesh being her favorite.


    "Yiyi, Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t be shy; we¡¯ve paid for this. Eat whatever you want, otherwise, we¡¯d be at a loss," Li Yifei encouraged.


    Usually frugal, especially Su Yiyi¡ªwho, despite the money Li Yifei had given her, was reluctant to spend¡ªfound many foods here she had never tried before.


    They were initially cautious, but with Li Yifei¡¯s encouragement, they eventually chose a variety of delectable items and found a table where they started to enjoy their feast.


    "Eh, isn¡¯t that Xiaofei? What¡¯s this, landed yourself a rich man? You¡¯ve even made it onto a cruise for some high life," a rather shrill female voice called out from behind Meng Xiaofei.


    As soon as Meng Xiaofei heard the voice, her brow furrowed. The disrespectful tone was unmistakable; it was someone looking for trouble. This irked Li Yifei¡ªcoming here for a meal and still running into such inconsiderate people.

 Chapter 619 - 642 Two Girls Being Naughty

    Chapter 619: Chapter 642 Two Girls Being NaughtyThat was a woman who still appeared quite attractive, draped in luxurious world-famous brands, a glittering necklace around her neck, a watch on one wrist, a bracelet on the other, and her ears also adorned with dazzling earrings; she seemed like a model showcasing global luxury brands.


    However, the makeup on the woman¡¯s face seemed a bit too heavy. That kind of beauty had much to do with the cosmetics¡ªif she was truly bare-faced, while not ugly, she certainly wouldn¡¯t measure up to Meng Xiaofei.


    Standing by the woman¡¯s side at this moment was a man in a crisp suit, probably in his forties. His gaze swept over Meng Xiaofei and the other girls, immediately revealing an excited gleam, but he quickly hid it and, with hands clasped behind his back, adopted a very composed demeanor.


    Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t even stand up at this point, but glanced askance at the woman and said, "Cui Jiali, aren¡¯t you annoying?"


    The woman named Cui Jiali let out a giggle and said, "How could I be annoying? It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen you, and now that I finally do, of course we need to catch up. We¡¯re from the same hometown, after all. For countrymen to meet and talk like this, isn¡¯t it a bit rude of you?"


    Meng Xiaofei curled her lip, "I should mind my manners with you? I¡¯m not sick. Go do whatever it is you need to do; don¡¯t here and ruin my meal."


    Meng Xiaofei was a forthright girl, clear about who she liked and disliked, unafraid to hide her true thoughts. This trait was something anyone who interacted with her would understand quickly. Now, with Meng Xiaofei speaking to Cui Jiali in such a manner, it was obvious that there was some dispute between them, or at the very least, a mutual dislike.


    Then, Cui Jiali sardonically remarked, "Wow, eating lobster... You must haven¡¯t had such fine lobster before, isn¡¯t it exceptionally tasty? Eat slowly now, there¡¯s plenty to go around on this cruise¡ªmake sure you get your money¡¯s worth."


    Meng Xiaofei snorted and ignored Cui Jiali completely.


    Cui Jiali pouted and said, "Hubby, it¡¯s only these bumpkins who treasure lobsters like this. If we eat lobster, we go for the real Australian lobsters weighing over four catties. And these abalones, just four heads¡ªare you kidding? If we eat them, they¡¯ve got to be at least triple-head abalones. Right, right, remember that double-headed abalone we had? That was delicious. And this caviar and foie gras, if you don¡¯t eat it in a genuine French restaurant with red wine, it¡¯s just not authentic. Ah, ignorance is such a handicap."


    Chu Xiaoyao slapped the table with a smack and burst out angrily, "Can you just not be irritating? Sister Xiaofei has already dealt with you, and you¡¯re still showing off here? Think having a bit of cash is impressive? Big deal, the money my uncle can shell out could crush you."


    Xu Shanshan immediately continued, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re not being fair. It¡¯s only Nouveau Riche or those who¡¯ve jumped from rags to riches that would show off like that. We can¡¯t stoop to comparing our wealth with someone so tasteless, can we?"


    Cui Jiali¡¯s face turned unsightly upon hearing what Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan said. She and Meng Xiaofei had lived in the same neighborhood before. Meng Xiaofei was naive and straightforward, and got along with all the neighborhood boys¡ªthey all liked her very much. Cui Jiali at the time thought she was in no way inferior to Meng Xiaofei, yet she never had as many boys fawning over her. This had sparked intense jealousy within her. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, she would target Meng Xiaofei. From childhood until adulthood, it was always like that; Meng Xiaofei at first didn¡¯t take it seriously, but over time, she became annoyed and harbored strong disdain for Cui Jiali, hardly ever speaking to her in kind terms.


    Cui Jiali¡¯s direct disdain for Meng Xiaofei stemmed from seeing her and her friends in seemingly nice but not particularly expensive clothing, eating voraciously as if they were unaccustomed to such food. Even seeing them on the same cruise, she did not believe Meng Xiaofei had made any significant strides ¨C perhaps they were merely puffing themselves up by spending their savings for a glimpse of this life, or perhaps they¡¯d just found some average man. In her eyes, they simply couldn¡¯t compare to her. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph! You have no clue, do you? Bumpkins will always be bumpkins. Do you even know what brand this dress is? Nouveau Riche wouldn¡¯t know how to buy clothes with such taste. This was designed especially for me by Moss."


    Xu Shanshan stared at the clothing worn by Cui Jiali and soon exclaimed, "Wow, it¡¯s actually a Moss original design¡ªthat¡¯s one of the top designers in the world! To have a costume made by her, it¡¯s got to be at least a hundred thousand!"


    Cui Jiali immediately showed an exceedingly smug expression and said, "Smart girl, this outfit indeed cost two hundred thousand." In reality, it was only one hundred thousand, but she could inflate the price since no one could verify it unless they asked Moss directly.


    Xu Shanshan then exclaimed, "Whoa, that watch looks amazing, it¡¯s a designer piece, isn¡¯t it?"


    "It¡¯s nothing much, just a Patek Philippe, the top-ranked luxury watch brand in the world," Cui Jiali said, raising her wrist and deliberately flaunting her watch. Her tone seemed casual, as if indifferent, but her eyes betrayed extreme satisfaction, making her pride obvious to anyone who saw her.


    Meng Xiaofei frowned slightly. Cui Jiali was already quite good at showing off, so why was Xu Shanshan still flattering her? She wasn¡¯t taking Xiaofei¡¯s side at all, but Li Yifei gave Xiaofei a look, which although she didn¡¯t quite understand, she held back from speaking. She trusted Li Yifei completely and also felt that Xu Shanshan¡¯s way of speaking was obviously different from usual¡ªthere had to be a problem.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan, this pair of sly foxes, had recently been very in sync. Seeing Xu Shanshan speak like that, Xiaoyao immediately understood what was meant and quickly added, "Sister Shanshan, is that a diamond necklace on her neck? It¡¯s so shiny and pretty."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "It looks like it, should be, right?"


    Cui Jiali was even happier now. She came here today just to show off, but here, among the rich and noble, her clothes and jewelry, though expensive, had not attracted much admiration, which did upset her. Now, finally being envied like this made her very thrilled. She even forgot to mock Meng Xiaofei, and with feigned modesty, she said, "It¡¯s just so-so, one diamond is only a carat, and all together there are just forty-eight."


    Diamonds are quite particular, with carat being only the weight; transparency and purity are also considerations. If a diamond of excellent quality is a carat in size, it can cost tens of thousands of Huaxia currency, but if it¡¯s of low quality, a carat could just be a few thousand. The quality of Cui Jiali¡¯s diamond necklace wasn¡¯t very high, coming in at less than two hundred thousand total, but it still wasn¡¯t something just anyone could afford. Seeing Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao acting as if they had never seen the world, she naturally felt prideful.


    "I¡¯m so envious, wearing a necklace made of diamonds. I thought having a diamond ring when getting married would be nice enough," Xu Shanshan said with a face full of envy.


    Chu Xiaoyao held her cheeks in her hands, looking wistfully, "When will I be able to have such a beautiful necklace."


    At that moment, Cui Jiali waved her hand dismissively and said with feigned humility, "It¡¯s nothing special, these diamonds are still small. If I could make a necklace with diamonds as big as the ones on my earrings, that would be really something. Right, honey?" she said, looping her arm through that of the man beside her.


    The man chuckled, looking nonchalant, "Next year for your birthday, I¡¯ll get you one."


    "You¡¯re so good to me," Cui Jiali said happily, kissing the man on the face.


    The man waved his hand grandly, "It¡¯s nothing. As long as you like it. Besides, it¡¯s just a few days¡¯ earnings, no big deal."


    Xu Shanshan immediately looked up to the man, "Uncle, you¡¯re really capable. If you can earn a diamond necklace in a few days, you must make so much money in a year?"


    The man, flattered by Xu Shanshan¡¯s praise, said with pride, "Not much, just around eighteen or twenty million a year, small money, small money..."


    Chu Xiaoyao looked even more astonished, "Uncle, you¡¯re too rich. A thousand earning ten million, oh my god, how would you even spend it all? If I could find a husband like you, how happy I¡¯d be. Or... how about I be your mistress? I¡¯m still a virgin," she said, feigning shyness.


    The man¡¯s heart warmed. He was quite experienced and, most importantly, very superstitious, particularly in face-reading. He had been fortunate in business over the years, but he always believed it was due to his superstitious practices. Cui Jiali, though not very beautiful, seemed to him to have fortune on her side, sure to bring him wealth, so he married her.


    But now, looking at Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan, they both seemed to have the kind of face that would bring a husband luck, and judging from their features, they truly were virgins. This seemed like a treasure, stirring desire within him.


    Seeing her husband¡¯s expression, Cui Jiali was startled and quickly said, "Honey, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately responded, "I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I¡¯m serious, Uncle. What do you think? My sister and I could both be with you. Isn¡¯t that better than your plain wife there? All that makeup on her face, and these nice clothes look like they¡¯re worn by a pig, a total waste."


    Xu Shanshan gave the man a flirty look and said, "Exactly, the two of us taking care of you, compared to your plain wife, her face all covered with makeup, and wearing such nice clothes, it¡¯s just like dressing up a pig, an absolute waste."

 Chapter 620 - 643: Sharp Tongue

    Chapter 620: Chapter 643: Sharp TongueChu Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly and said, "Oh, you¡¯re right. Just look at her, she clearly just sticks anything valuable on herself without considering whether it matches or not. With light-colored clothes like that, you would at least pair it with a dark necklace, like black pearls or something. Who pairs it with diamond necklaces like that?"


    Shanshan also nodded in agreement and added, "Yeah, and her hair¡¯s deliberately styled so high to prominently show her ears. Is she just trying to show off those earrings? Does she not understand what restrained beauty is?"


    "You two stinky bitches!" Cui Jiali finally couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and immediately burst out with curses.


    Chu Xiaoyao shrank back a little and retorted, "Wow, resorting to rudeness now, are we? A woman should be gentle, don¡¯t you know? People like you who spew filth really lack any class. Brother Li, you¡¯re a successful businessman. Why would you choose a low-class woman? I genuinely feel sorry for you." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stinky bitch, shut your mouth, or I¡¯ll tear it apart."


    With her arms crossed over her chest, Shanshan feigned extreme terror and said, "Uncle, you¡¯re so successful. Why did you marry a tigress?"


    Although the man was tempted by Chu Xiaoyao and Shanshan, he was in his forties and not foolish enough to take what Chu Xiaoyao and Shanshan said at face value. However, the way Cui Jiali was behaving here, was indeed causing him discontent. Everyone present was someone of status and standing, and her throwing a tantrum here was clearly embarrassing him.


    "Husband, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t bother with these two vixens," Cui Jiali urged, quickly pulling the man away, rushing off. She was afraid that her husband might be charmed by those two vixens.


    "Uncle, can we have your phone number? Don¡¯t rush off like that," Chu Xiaoyao called out loudly.


    Shanshan also hurriedly added, "Uncle, remember to look us up, alright?"


    Meanwhile, Cui Jiali pulled the man away even faster, and in the blink of an eye, they were out of sight.


    At this, Chu Xiaoyao and Shanshan burst into laughter, and the rest of the girls snickered too. Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You two really went too far."


    Chu Xiaoyao straightened her neck and protested, "Well, that woman was so annoying. Just because she has some money, she thinks she¡¯s something special, coming here to throw her weight around in front of Sister Xiaofei."


    Shanshan nodded vigorously, saying, "Exactly. Women like her need to be dumped by their men to put them in their place."


    Li Yifei glared at the two of them and said, "There are many ways to deal with someone. Did it have to be like this? Am I invisible to you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Shanshan both stuck out their tongues, and Chu Xiaoyao quickly tried to ingratiate herself, saying, "Uncle, I was just teasing him. I would never run off with another uncle. If you¡¯re worried, you can take my virginity tonight, okay?"


    Li Yifei was instantly at a loss for words, and Michelle and Su Yiyi blushed furiously. However, Meng Xiaofei, surprised, remarked, "No way, Xiaoyao, you¡¯re still a virgin?"


    Pouting, Chu Xiaoyao replied, "Yes, that stinky uncle just won¡¯t. Even if it¡¯s with his mouth..."


    "Xiaoyao!" Li Yifei quickly interrupted her, Xiaoyao giggled mischievously and stopped talking. Despite that, her words had been clear enough that even Meng Xiaofei and Michelle understood. Michelle¡¯s face turned red again, but she admired Li Yifei for not having taken Xiaoyao¡¯s virginity despite her beauty and her obvious adoration. And when Michelle thought of Xiaoyao¡¯s words about using his mouth, she felt incredibly bashful; Li Yifei had actually done such things with Xiaoyao, which was utterly embarrassing.


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled and praised, "Impressive, Brother Li. I truly admire your self-control. If I were a man, I¡¯d probably have devoured Xiaoyao countless times by now. Oh, by the way, Yiyi, you¡¯re not a virgin too, are you?"


    "Ah... I... no... I mean, yes... ah... no." Su Yiyi was caught off guard by Meng Xiaofei suddenly turning the topic to her and didn¡¯t know how to respond. She hung her head down to her chest, her neck flushing red, wishing she could just disappear into a crack in the floor from embarrassment.


    Li Yifei hastily said, "Xiaofei, you¡¯re spouting nonsense again."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue, giggling, and said, "Anyway, they¡¯re all your women, and my sisters-in-law. What¡¯s there to be afraid of in a little joke?"


    Chu Xiaoyao, holding Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, said, "Sister Yiyi, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s envious of you."


    "Auntie Yiyi, Sister Xiaoyao, what¡¯s a virgin?" Little Yifei, who had been munching on lobster meat, suddenly interjected, her cheeks still puffed with food.


    Everyone was startled at first, then burst into hearty laughter.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Daughter, this is adult business, children shouldn¡¯t ask about it."


    Little Yifei looked puzzled and asked, "Then why do you guys talk about it?"


    Li Yifei said awkwardly, "We spoke out of turn."


    Little Yifei said excitedly, "Then you guys made a mistake, and you have to be punished."


    "Exactly, exactly, it was your Aunt Xiaofei who misspoke, think about how to punish her," Li Yifei said, giving Meng Xiaofei a glare.


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled awkwardly. The conversation was indeed not suitable for children, and she¡¯d forgotten that Little Yifei was there. She quickly said, "However Little Yifei wants to punish me is fine, Aunt Xiaofei will listen to Little Yifei."


    "Alright, then the punishment is... punishment... Aunt Xiaofei has to imitate a puppy barking." Little Yifei¡¯s request was simple, but in such a setting, it was quite embarrassing, prompting everyone to burst into laughter again.


    Meng Xiaofei was quite generous. She immediately imitated a puppy barking a few times, causing Little Yifei to giggle nonstop, and the matter was glossed over.


    But as Li Yifei listened to Meng Xiaofei imitating a puppy¡¯s bark, his mind drifted back to that ridiculous night with Su Mengxin and her three friends. Su Mengxin was also looking at him at this moment, clearly recalling the same incident, and even winked at Li Yifei, causing his face to redden and he avoided Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei and his group finished eating quickly, but Xu Yingying and He Fangqing needed more time. When these high-level executives gathered, of course, they would chat for a while longer.


    Everyone returned to their rooms first. Little Yifei was getting sleepy after eating, and Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao prepared to give her a bath and put her to bed early.


    There were many activities planned for the evening, but Little Yifei couldn¡¯t sleep alone here, so Su Yiyi volunteered to stay and take care of her. Although Li Yifei wanted to spend time with Su Yiyi, his daughter needed someone to look after her. Also, Su Yiyi taking care of his daughter would leave a good impression on Xu Yingying, beneficial for their future interactions, so he agreed to her offer.


    Being here, one had to check out the charity auction. Either bid on something or donate something; it all counted as supporting charity.


    Li Yifei and the others arrived at the hall being used for the auction, where many people had already gathered.


    Sun Dongran was also there, looking at Li Yifei and his group with a scowl. He didn¡¯t come over to cause trouble for Li Yifei. In this setting, he had little room to maneuver. Even though he hated Li Yifei to death, he couldn¡¯t do anything to him here. So he could only suppress this frustration in his heart, waiting to settle the score back in Mile City. Xu Yingying was the woman he had his eye on; no one else could have her. Even if she were married, he was determined to have Xu Yingying, even if it meant discarding her later. In that scenario, it would be Sun Dongran discarding someone, not ending up as a loser, as he was now.


    "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re here too?" A young man excitedly approached Li Yifei and his group.


    Li Yifei immediately recognized the guy. It was him they had encountered on the way back from the cemetery when he went with Chu Xiaoyao, named Wu Jianye. He drove an Audi and seemed to be a brilliant student from Capital City University.


    Chu Xiaoyao frowned at the sight of him, saying, "Of course, I¡¯m here. If it¡¯s fun, I¡¯ll come and have fun."


    Wu Jianye nodded and said, "Yeah, it¡¯s rare for such a luxurious cruise ship to come to our place, of course, I had to come and see it. There are many fun things here; wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we hang out together?"


    "Wu... What¡¯s your name again?" Chu Xiaoyao pretended to have trouble recalling his name.


    Wu Jianye¡¯s face changed slightly, but he still said with a smile, "Wu Jianye."


    It was only then that Chu Xiaoyao showed recognition, saying, "Oh, right, Wu Jianye. We¡¯re not close, and I couldn¡¯t possibly hang out with you as a girl. Besides... I¡¯ve told you, I already have a boyfriend. I¡¯m not interested in a kid like you."


    Wu Jianye glanced at Li Yifei, whom he had also seen last time. Frowning, he said, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t let yourself be fooled by those deceptive men. You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand many things. If you need money, I can give it to you, but you absolutely shouldn¡¯t be deceived by those unreliable old men."


    "Enough already, aren¡¯t you annoying? I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m not interested in you. Could you move aside? I don¡¯t want to waste my time with you here," Chu Xiaoyao was already impatient. Out with Li Yifei for a fun time, having this annoying pest was truly irritating.


    Such forthright words from Chu Xiaoyao left Wu Jianye embarrassed, his face turning somewhat green. After letting out a forced chuckle, he said, "You¡¯ll understand eventually, Xiaoyao. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s right for you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be waiting for you to realize that." After dropping what seemed like a love-struck remark, he finally turned and left, but as soon as he was out of sight, he was grinding his teeth and swearing inwardly, "You stinky bitch, just wait; I¡¯ll get my hands on you one day and make you pay."


    Some people are like that. When they set their sights on something, it feels like it should belong to them. If it doesn¡¯t, they can¡¯t stand it. They end up hating whoever obtains it. This is a conceit born from overconfidence, and often such arrogance leads them to pay a heavy price before they realize there¡¯s always someone better.

 Chapter 621 - 644: Such a Big Fake Diamond

    Chapter 621: Chapter 644: Such a Big Fake DiamondBefore the charity auction began, some people would also donate items. Since Li Yifei and the others had come, they intended to contribute something. But because there were quite a few people, everyone ended up queuing.


    "Yo, Meng Xiaofei, you¡¯re here to donate something too?" A voice tinged with contempt sounded from nearby¡ªit was Cui Jiali, the one who had upset Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan during the meal, and standing next to her was that man.


    "Yo, isn¡¯t this uncle here? Have you thought over what we discussed?" Chu Xiaoyao immediately mimicked Cui Jiali¡¯s tone to question the man.


    The man¡¯s name was Shen Mingguang, and he now smiled lightly, saying, "Little girl, I¡¯ve thought it over. If you really have this intention, I will leave the door open for you tonight."


    Cui Jiali also held her head high, sneered, and disdainfully said, "You think you can trick my husband with these little tricks? Do you think my husband is a fool, an idiot?"


    These two had come to realize that they were being played by Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan, so this time when Chu Xiaoyao pulled this stunt, they were not fooled.


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "So you do have your smart moments."


    Cui Jiali immediately responded with pride, "Of course."


    Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan burst into giggles immediately after, followed by everyone else laughing. Cui Jiali was left confused, not understanding why everyone was laughing¡ªhad she said something wrong? Shen Mingguang, however, frowned and whispered in her ear, "She said we have our smart moments, which means she¡¯s implying we¡¯re usually dumb. She¡¯s mocking us in a roundabout way."


    Upon hearing this, Cui Jiali got angry, her eyes widened as she said, "You little bitch, are you asking for a slap?"


    Chu Xiaoyao replied with disdain, curling her lips, "If you have the guts to touch me here, I¡¯ll concede you¡¯ve got nerve."


    Naturally, Cui Jiali did not dare. Causing trouble here on purpose would be too embarrassing. She snorted and said, "I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with a little brat like you. Hey, Xiaofei, what are you donating? We¡¯re doing charity here; you can¡¯t be stingy. At the very least, you should donate something valuable, right?" Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t the kind to talk back sharply, so picking on her for some amusement was no problem for Cui Jiali.


    Meng Xiaofei, initially with a gloomy face upon seeing Cui Jiali, now found Cui Jiali comical and pitiable, like a ridiculous clown, after being teased by Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan. She didn¡¯t feel the need to argue with her anymore and said with a smile, "I don¡¯t have much money; a token contribution will do."


    Cui Jiali felt even more triumphant and said, "How could that be acceptable? Coming onboard this cruise ship for charity and donating just anything, wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing? You should donate something valuable, shouldn¡¯t you?"


    Meng Xiaofei still spoke calmly, "I don¡¯t have as much money as you, and donating forcefully doesn¡¯t make much sense."


    Cui Jiali looked over Meng Xiaofei and said, "Sigh, look at you, quite pretty. If you said you¡¯d accompany someone for the night, I bet immediately someone would give you something nice." Cui Jiali was envious of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s beauty and figure, especially Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bust, which made her teeth itch with jealousy¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t she have a bust as big as Meng Xiaofei¡¯s?


    Hearing this, Chu Xiaoyao got annoyed and immediately retorted, "Do you think everyone¡¯s like you? If they have no money, they just strip and sell something? But I guess only those without eyesight would buy you."


    "Little girl, you have to have some assets to sell in the first place; your chest is like little buns. I really don¡¯t know how you grew them," said Cui Jiali, glancing at Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s chest and sneering scornfully.


    "Pfft, yours are big, but who knows how much silicone you¡¯ve stuffed in there. You even have the nerve to show it off."


    "Exactly. No matter how big these synthetic things are, they are fake. Who knows, they might burst someday¡ªpop! That would really be something to see."


    Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan ganged up on her, bombarding her with words, leaving Cui Jiali with no chance to retort and fuming with anger.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet." Two security guards came over to stop the squabbling.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Xu Shanshan felt they had said enough by then, so they quieted down. On the other hand, Cui Jiali finally got her chance to speak. She was just about to curse to relieve her frustration, but Shen Mingguang stopped her, which made her even more irritated.


    She immediately redirected her anger toward Meng Xiaofei, saying, "Xiaofei, what are you donating?" It was clear she thought Meng Xiaofei was an easy target and was seeking to assert herself. Moreover, seeing Meng Xiaofei holding a small red box, she immediately snatched it away.


    Cui Jiali¡¯s actions were beyond rude, irritating Chu Xiaoyao and the others internally. However, with security guards present, they refrained from lashing out for the moment.


    "Wow, pretty flashy, huh? It really looks like a diamond. Are you donating this fake thing?" As soon as Cui Jiali opened the box, she saw a very shiny stone inside that resembled a diamond. The stone did not look small; if it were a real diamond, it would be about ten carats.


    Though diamonds are generally measured in carats, the value of a diamond is not strictly based on carat size. Diamonds are natural gems, and the larger the size, the rarer they become. Diamonds over ten carats are extremely rare. A diamond like this one, at ten carats, would definitely be worth over a million, whereas ten one-carat diamonds put together, even of the best grade, might only be worth around a hundred thousand. There is simply no comparison.


    So, upon first glance, Cui Jiali immediately assumed the diamond was fake.


    When Li Yifei saw the diamond, his head was immediately covered in black lines. He said, "How could you donate this too?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, I don¡¯t have any nice things, so I just donated the stone Brother Zheng gave me. Is that okay?"


    As soon as Li Yifei heard this, his face instantly darkened. However, since Meng Xiaofei had this intention, he didn¡¯t want to stop her. Diamonds might be attractive, but they¡¯re not everything. Besides, this was for charity, a good cause, so of course, he should support it. What¡¯s more important, Meng Xiaofei was a carefree girl. If she made a ring or something with such a diamond, it might be lost any day. It might as well be donated.


    With a smile, Li Yifei said, "If you want to donate it, then it¡¯s fine."


    At this moment, Cui Jiali casually took the diamond into her hand, laughing and saying, "That¡¯s really funny. If you want to donate something, it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not valuable, but you can¡¯t donate a fake diamond made of glass. This is just too hilarious."


    Seeing the diamond, Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and combined with Li Yifei¡¯s expression, she knew the diamond must be real, and that Li Yifei had given it to her. Li Yifei was very generous to give such an expensive diamond to Meng Xiaofei. He was really good to his sister.


    But Xu Shanshan and the others didn¡¯t have the insight like Su Mengxin. Moreover, they knew a bit about Meng Xiaofei; they felt that she was the type to burn through money quickly, never saving a dime, and even had to mooch pocket money off Li Yifei occasionally. How could she possibly have such a large diamond? So they also thought the diamond was fake.


    Xu Shanshan immediately retorted, "Do you even understand charity? It requires a kind heart. Someone like you who shows off everywhere doesn¡¯t deserve to do charity."


    Cui Jiali pursed her lips and said, "Charity can be done with just your mouth? Poor people need money. Only by giving them money can they live better. What a bunch of clueless girls."


    Su Mengxin had stayed out of the bickering between Xu Shanshan, Chu Xiaoyao, and Cui Jiali, but now suddenly said, "You¡¯re right, doing charity should indeed be about donating real money."


    Cui Jiali, hearing someone from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s side speaking up for her, immediately became smug and said, "Exactly, make a real donation if you want to contribute."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "We are all people without much money, so we¡¯ll donate a little less. Since you are wealthy, you should donate more, at least more than Xiaofei, right?"


    Cui Jiali laughed arrogantly and said, "I wouldn¡¯t dare claim that. But whatever Xiaofei gives, I... " She paused, then said with pride, "Well then, how about this, Xiaofei, you donate ten thousand, and I¡¯ll donate twenty thousand. How about that?"


    Su Mengxin immediately pitched in, "Xiaofei can¡¯t donate much. Wouldn¡¯t that interfere with your donation then?"


    Cui Jiali laughed heartily and said, "Well then, I¡¯ll donate however much, and Xiaofei, you just donate a third of that. Okay?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Then I can¡¯t do that either, I don¡¯t even have two thousand on me." The girl was straightforward, even revealing how much money she actually had.


    Cui Jiali shook her head and said mockingly, "Then why did you even come here? Couldn¡¯t you have gone out to play instead of playing charity here? Is this something you can afford to play with?"


    At that moment, Su Mengxin patted Meng Xiaofei on the shoulder and said, "Xiaofei, she¡¯s right. Since we¡¯re here, we should contribute. I think we should do this: we¡¯ll help you out, and however much you donate, she can donate twice as much."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again and said, "Then she¡¯s really in trouble." She knew very well who Su Mengxin was. If Su Mengxin decided to chip in, not to mention Mile City, there weren¡¯t many in the whole of Huaxia wealthier than her.


    Just as Cui Jiali was about to agree, Shen Mingguang hurriedly whispered in her ear. If everyone started chipping in, that could be dangerous¡ªwho knew whether any of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s friends were really wealthy? He didn¡¯t want to take that kind of risk.


    Guided by Shen Mingguang¡¯s advice, Cui Jiali huffed and said, "I¡¯m not falling for your tricks. I¡¯ll only compare with Xiaofei. I¡¯ll donate not just twice but thrice or even five times the amount of whatever she¡¯s willing to donate on her own. Come on, everyone, bear witness to this, I, Cui Jiali, stand by my words." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin exchanged a knowing smile and both could see that Cui Jiali was really foolish. It seemed like she was truly courting disaster. What¡¯s the point of making everyone bear witness?

 Chapter 622 - 645: Would Donating This Work?

    Chapter 622: Chapter 645: Would Donating This Work?Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t have so many schemes and, even though she greatly disliked Cui Jiali, she had never thought about setting a trap for her. At this moment, with great reluctance, she said, "Jiali, I don¡¯t want to compete with you. I don¡¯t have money, so I¡¯ll just donate this pretty little thing. If anyone likes it and wants to do a charitable deed, then that¡¯s their business. If no one likes it, then whoever gets the chance will get it, and that¡¯s that."


    Upon hearing Meng Xiaofei say this, Cui Jiali became even more presumptuous and laughed, "Well, that won¡¯t do. My husband and I are people of status; how can we go back on our word?"


    Meng Xiaofei pursed her lips and said, "Then do as you please."


    It was now Meng Xiaofei¡¯s turn. She handed the diamond over to the registration staff and asked, "Is it alright if I donate this?"


    The staff member picked up the diamond and examined it from all angles. Cui Jiali peeked over from behind and said, "What¡¯s there to look at? It¡¯s just something made of glass; it¡¯s not that special."


    The staff member had overheard some of the conversation between Meng Xiaofei and Cui Jiali and found Cui Jiali¡¯s attitude utterly repulsive. However, as an employee there, he maintained a high level of professionalism and did not let his feelings show. He continued to inspect the diamond carefully because, to him, it seemed like a genuine, high-quality stone¡ªand no one else aboard the cruise ship had brought out such a piece for donation.


    It¡¯s not that the people on the cruise ship couldn¡¯t afford it; many were worth hundreds of millions. But it was just a charity event; there was no need to donate so much all at once. A token contribution would suffice. In the event of major disasters, the social elites would donate tens of thousands, which would still leave them with a mention, but for a small event like this, donating that much was meaningless and unnecessary.


    The staff member handed the diamond to another person for inspection. After a careful look, both staff members nodded to each other. The first staff member then earnestly asked Meng Xiaofei, "Are you sure you want to donate it?"


    Meng Xiaofei replied uneasily, "Is it not okay?"


    Cui Jiali immediately intervened from behind, "A piece of broken glass, what¡¯s okay or not okay about it? Can you employees be a bit more efficient? It¡¯s just a fake diamond made of glass, and you¡¯re fussing over it for so long."


    The two staff members ignored Cui Jiali. One of them drew up a form and handed it to Meng Xiaofei, saying, "Miss, we will safeguard the item you¡¯re donating with the utmost care. There will absolutely be no issues during the auction. If you find this acceptable, please sign here. If you would rather not, you can keep it yourself and bring it out at the auction to be sold."


    Meng Xiaofei hurriedly answered, "No need, no need. I¡¯ll leave it with you." Saying this, she quickly signed her name as if she were afraid the staff would refuse to accept it.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but remain speechless. In this world, apart from Meng Xiaofei, there seemed to be no one else who would hand over such a large diamond to someone else so casually.


    Cui Jiali snorted and said, "You¡¯re only donating a fake diamond. I don¡¯t even know how to compare with you now. Alright then, I¡¯ll donate this pair of earrings." Saying that, she removed a pair of earrings and said to the staff, "These are real diamonds, worth over two hundred thousand. I don¡¯t trust leaving them with you. If you lose them or switch them for something else, that won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll just bring them out at the auction."


    The staff member nodded, filled out a form seriously, and had Cui Jiali sign it.


    "Ah, there¡¯s no helping it; no one is as generous as me," Cui Jiali said with a head shake, adopting a pitiful look as she spoke, "To be charitable, you must be willing to give."


    In truth, she was reluctant too, but Shen Mingguang was a man who was very superstitious, placing great importance on the cycle of karma and retribution. He believed that doing good deeds would bring greater returns. So even though he was as ruthless in business, as lecherous with women, and as cruel to others as anyone else, he always made it a point to attend charity donations, contributing generously. Cui Jiali, being with Shen Mingguang, couldn¡¯t really control his financial power. Though called a wife, she was more like a mistress; everything was decided by Shen Mingguang.


    After the registrations were complete, the two staff members shared a secret smile. Ordinarily, with a gemstone like Meng Xiaofei¡¯s, they would have given her a detailed explanation, but Meng Xiaofei had said nothing. They thought perhaps she was deliberately playing dumb to trick Cui Jiali, who was repugnant. They wanted to play along and avoid spoilers, looking forward to letting Cui Jiali embarrass herself in front of the entire assembly during the real auction. That would be far more satisfying.


    A gentleman enjoys the virtue of helping others achieve their goals, and at that moment, both staff members considered themselves gentlemen and couldn¡¯t ruin Meng Xiaofei¡¯s plan.


    But little did they know, Meng Xiaofei had no idea that the diamond was real. If she had known it was authentic, she probably wouldn¡¯t have had the heart to donate it. After all, which girl doesn¡¯t like diamonds, especially one as large as this?


    The so-called charity auction was just a gimmick; everyone just casually bid on items and spent some money. Those who came here were either looking forward to the real auction later or seeking business partners. With many business moguls and elites present, it was a rare opportunity.


    Li Yifei and his group entered the auction hall, then found a row of seats at the back and sat down. Chu Xiaoyao, without hesitation, took the seat next to Yifei. With Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi both absent, it seemed like she was Yifei¡¯s closest person.


    On the other side, Su Mengxin took a seat. Aside from Meng Xiaofei, everyone wanted to sit next to Li Yifei, but no one would object to Su Mengxin sitting there. Her status was such that she needed Yifei¡¯s protection. Even if Su Mengxin were not to sit next to Yifei, nobody would dare let her be far from him.


    Just as they had settled in, Cui Jiali and Shen Mingguang took seats nearby. Cui Jiali, with a tone dripping with sarcasm, said to Meng Xiaofei, "Look, Xiaofei, you only donated such a trifle, so why even come here? If nobody bids on your item, won¡¯t you be even more embarrassed?"


    Meng Xiaofei said with a smile, "I¡¯m just here for fun, so embarrassment doesn¡¯t really bother me. Not like you wealthy folks who care so much about face. We¡¯re not rich, so we don¡¯t mind these things." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the friend of the wealthy Su Mengxin, Meng Xiaofei certainly didn¡¯t envy others for their money now. No matter how wealthy they were, could they be richer than Su Mengxin? If they weren¡¯t as rich as Su Mengxin, what was the point of showing off to her? In her eyes, Cui Jiali looked more like a clown, and she felt even less inclined to stoop to her level.


    Considering this, Meng Xiaofei felt quite pleased with herself. Her own state of mind had clearly improved, hadn¡¯t it?


    If Cui Jiali knew what Meng Xiaofei was thinking, she would have been furious. She had aimed to tease and ridicule Meng Xiaofei, only to be regarded as a clown in return.


    The auction began with some very ordinary items on offer, including some branded bags and watches that no one really fancied. So, the bidding wasn¡¯t enthusiastic, usually ending at the starting price, just for show. Whether the winners actually wanted the items was another matter; it was just about spending some money on charity.


    "Tell me, Mengfei, why hasn¡¯t your glass stone come up yet? Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re too embarrassed to put it on display?" After a while, with no sign of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s stone, Cui Jiali couldn¡¯t resist taunting her once more.


    "Perhaps," Meng Xiaofei replied.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s response held a certain grace, an effortless victory, a step back as strategy. If she¡¯d tried to explain, Cui Jiali had a load of remarks waiting for her. But by directly admitting to it, Meng Xiaofei left Cui Jiali momentarily unable to find more words to mock her.


    Time passed and it looked as though most items had nearly been auctioned off. Cui Jiali said with an air of arrogance to Meng Xiaofei, "It seems your item won¡¯t be auctioned after all. Just wait and see what a real highlight is. My earrings will surely stir up a bidding frenzy."


    "Yes, your earrings are so beautiful, they will definitely be popular," Meng Xiaofei countered with another line.


    Cui Jiali rolled her eyes, feeling annoyed. Normally, Meng Xiaofei should have shown some disdain or made a retort. By agreeing with everything she said, when her earrings finally went up for auction and everyone fought over them, it would have been so satisfying. But Meng Xiaofei refused to follow the script Cui Jiali had imagined, leaving her no room to play her game. It was utterly frustrating.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin also just occasionally joined in the fun, casually raising their hands, but ultimately didn¡¯t win any bids. It was only a game to them¡ªthey didn¡¯t take it seriously at all.


    At the beginning, the auctioned items were things that had been sent to the organizers, and now, most of them had been auctioned off. The auctioneer then declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am now going to present the most valuable item of the evening so far, which I believe will not disappoint."


    The moment Cui Jiali heard this, she beamed and said to Meng Xiaofei, "It¡¯s my turn now. Just wait and see what being in the spotlight is like, something you¡¯ll never experience in your lifetime." She straightened up a bit, ready to stand up and bask in everyone¡¯s attention as soon as the auctioneer called her name.

 Chapter 623 - 646 This slap is really loud

    Chapter 623: Chapter 646 This slap is really loudThe auctioneer continued, "Not only is this diamond valuable, but it also has a story. Just now, two ladies requested many people to bear witness that one of them would donate an amount that is twice the value of what the other lady donates, and this diamond that¡¯s being auctioned is from one of the ladies." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Cui Jiali had earlier indicated she wanted witnesses, some people had already taken notice of her and Meng Xiaofei. Upon hearing the auctioneer¡¯s words, everyone looked around, and Cui Jiali looked especially proud, scanning the room with a triumphant air as if afraid no one would recognize her.


    Pointing towards Cui Jiali, the auctioneer said, "The original owner of the item we are auctioning is right over there."


    With a radiant smile and raised hands, Cui Jiali waved gently to the people around her. She struck a pose of elegance and humility, accustomed to attending large events, she wasn¡¯t intimidated. Even under the gaze of the crowd, she felt more triumphant, but she cleverly concealed her pride, which made her seem all the more sophisticated and layered.


    Sure enough, all eyes turned to her. For most people here, a diamond was nothing extraordinary, but the auctioneer had made it sound very special. The chance to get to know someone who could donate such a diamond at a charity auction was not to be missed.


    "Hello, everyone, my husband and I have always been committed to philanthropy. So, this time, I am donating these diamond earrings. My husband had them custom-made for me in South Africa. I love them, but for the sake of charity, I am willing to sacrifice them, however much I like them, to help those poor children. I hope everyone here will extend a generous hand to assist these unfortunate kids," she said.


    Although her speech was quite hypocritical and transparent to all, they gave her a symbolic round of applause for being willing to donate something so valuable.


    This made Cui Jiali even more proud. Tonight, she relished the attention she was receiving, particularly in a place filled with the wealthy, and she felt a sense of achievement.


    The auctioneer then added, "We truly admire this lady¡¯s gesture and her dedication to doing good deeds. After another lady donated a diamond of eleven carats, she insisted on donating twice as much. Now let¡¯s auction off this eleven-carat diamond."


    "An eleven-carat diamond!" A woman exclaimed in surprise immediately.


    The auctioneer lifted the diamond and declared, "It¡¯s true, in addition to our charity auction, there¡¯s another major auction happening, so we have a senior appraiser on hand to verify. This diamond is absolutely genuine and of the highest quality, with an appraisal certificate to prove it." A professional appraisal certificate instantly appeared on the screen behind him.


    "Honey, I want that diamond!"


    "Darling, win that diamond for me!"


    Many women became excited and began shouting. They had diamonds of their own, but an eleven-carat diamond was highly coveted. Women naturally can¡¯t resist diamonds.


    "What? A real diamond?" Cui Jiali¡¯s smile instantly petrified, and her body stiffened before she burst out loudly, "Impossible, there must be some mistake. It has to be fake. How could she have such a large real diamond?"


    If Cui Jiali hadn¡¯t shouted so loud, the crowd¡¯s attention would have been entirely captivated by the diamond, and she would have been ignored. But her outburst turned all eyes on her.


    Smiling, the auctioneer replied, "Madam, this diamond is definitely authentic. You can have it appraised anywhere, and we will take responsibility if there¡¯s an issue. I also want to thank you for your generosity; this diamond is worth at least a million, and for you to donate something worth over two million is truly magnanimous. How dedicated to charity you must be."


    "Two... two million..." Cui Jiali stammered, her face alternating between pale and flushed. Before Shen Mingguang had arrived, they had agreed to donate the earrings with twenty thousand being their decided maximum. Now it had increased tenfold.


    Shen Mingguang also inwardly groaned. Although his wife was a good luck charm for his finances, her mouth and temperament could be exasperating. Why did she have to show off unnecessarily? Now they¡¯d been outsmarted and shamed, but to keep face and donate two million was too painful.


    Awkwardly smiling, Shen Mingguang stood and said, "My wife spoke out of turn and made a joke among friends that was taken seriously. However, just donating a pair of diamond earrings seems too little. My wife will also donate this diamond necklace. It may not compare to that diamond, but it¡¯ll serve as the icing on the cake."


    He pulled Cui Jiali to sit down, knowing it would be more embarrassing to remain standing. Regaining her composure, Cui Jiali sat down quickly, her face uglier than a liver. She glanced at Meng Xiaofei from afar, unable to understand how Meng Xiaofei had so much money to donate such a large diamond so casually. Could it be that Meng Xiaofei had found an incredibly wealthy tycoon?


    "Exactly, that must be it. She¡¯s definitely taken up with a rich man, became someone¡¯s mistress," Cui Jiali thought, somewhat comforting herself. But she didn¡¯t dare provoke Meng Xiaofei again, knowing the wisest move was to stay silent.


    Meng Xiaofei too was utterly dumbfounded, and only after Chu Xiaoyao nudged her several times did she snap out of it.


    "Sister Xiaofei, you¡¯re way too generous. Such a huge diamond, and you just donated it," Chu Xiaoyao said, her eyes green with envy. Even though she was used to not caring about money, especially after teaming up with Li Yifei, she was still envious of that big diamond and pouted, "If you didn¡¯t want it, you could have given it to me."


    Meng Xiaofei clenched her fists tightly and ground her teeth as she said, "Xiaoyao, how could I have known that the diamond was real? If I had known it was real, I wouldn¡¯t have donated it. Eleven carats, oh my God, I only ever dreamed of having a two-carat diamond, and now, for such a long time, an eleven-carat diamond belonged to me and I didn¡¯t cherish it, wuu wuu... Xiaoyao, just kill me." With those words, she hugged Chu Xiaoyao and repeatedly bumped her head against Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s actions astonished Michelle and Xu Shanshan, while Li Yifei and Su Mengxin could not help but smile. Meng Xiaofei was truly genuine, not pretending at all. Her regret was undisguised and absolute.


    Xu Shanshan leaned in and whispered, "Xiaofei, you didn¡¯t know that diamond was real?"


    Meng Xiaofei let go of Chu Xiaoyao and said with a pained expression, "I had no idea, Brother Li said it was fake, so I always thought it was fake. Brother Li, why did you lie to me?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "One shouldn¡¯t show off their wealth, right? You¡¯re so careless, if I¡¯d told you the diamond was real, you would have definitely worn it on you, and the consequences would be either losing it or having others see it and steal it, or it could even bring you harm, so I didn¡¯t tell you."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and said, "Even if I didn¡¯t want it, you should have let me admire it for a couple of days at least. Eleven carats, oh my God, and now it¡¯s gone just like that."


    Xu Shanshan then looked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, Xiaofei mentioned before that this diamond was given to her by your comrade-in-arms?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yes, it was given by Mingrui."


    Xu Shanshan glared fiercely at Li Yifei and said, "Why would your comrade give Xiaofei such a nice thing? Why didn¡¯t he give it to my sister?"


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "I was away on business back then, and when they came over, they mistook Xiaofei for your sister, so they gave all the items to Xiaofei."


    At this moment, Meng Xiaofei suddenly glared at Li Yifei and exclaimed, "Brother Li, if this diamond is real, then... then... then..." Meng Xiaofei was so excited that her lips began to tremble, and she was unable to finish her sentence.


    Li Yifei nodded with a smile and added, "They¡¯re all valuable items."


    "Oh my God!" Meng Xiaofei exclaimed, clapping a hand to her forehead, and then quickly said with delight, "Luckily, luckily, there are still three items that I didn¡¯t bring with me. If I had donated them all, that would have been a huge loss."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately asked, "What do you mean there are three more items?"


    Meng Xiaofei finally said with a smug smile, "I still have a black bead, a green stone, and a red stone."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately inquired, "The green stone, could it be jade?"


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "It should be something similar."


    Xu Shanshan chimed in, "The red stone, is that a ruby?"


    Meng Xiaofei proudly gestured with her hand and said, "It shouldn¡¯t be, it¡¯s quite big."


    Michelle quickly said, "I know, it must be red coral."


    Meng Xiaofei looked at Li Yifei and asked with a grin, "Brother Li, that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei laughed and responded, "Hmm."


    "And what about the black bead?" Chu Xiaoyao asked curiously.


    Both Michelle and Xu Shanshan were at a loss, so Su Mengxin stepped in and said, "That must be a black pearl. Pearls might not be as valuable as jade and such, but a black pearl is very rare. They are definitely not less valuable than jade or diamonds, and because they¡¯re so rare, they¡¯re probably worth even more."

 Chapter 624 - 647 Looting

    Chapter 624: Chapter 647 Looting"One million one hundred ten thousand!"


    "One million one hundred twelve thousand!"


    "One million one hundred fifteen thousand!"


    "..."


    "One million four hundred thousand!"


    The auction atmosphere was extremely lively, and everyone eagerly placed their bids, suddenly making what was originally a boring charity auction full of vigor.


    The diamond that Meng Xiaofei put up for auction fetched a hefty price, finally selling for one million four hundred thousand. This price wasn¡¯t too high nor too low, but it was enough to steal the show for the evening. Most importantly, although the diamond had been processed, no one had yet made it into jewelry, meaning no one had used it. This particularly appealed to some of the wealthy patrons who were superstitious¡ªif a diamond had been used, it might carry the misfortune of its previous owner.


    Therefore, the diamond necklace and earrings that Cui Jiali brought out, while also of significant value, didn¡¯t attract nearly as much attention. In the end, although someone bought them, they sold for just the starting price; it didn¡¯t cause nearly as much excitement as Meng Xiaofei¡¯s diamond.


    This made Cui Jiali feel embarrassed and more resentful towards Meng Xiaofei. She felt that Meng Xiaofei had used such means to humiliate her, which she could not tolerate. She secretly vowed to find an opportunity in the future to properly humiliate Meng Xiaofei in return.


    There was only the charity auction this evening. The real main event was on the next day. Once the charity auction was over, everyone was free to mingle again.


    "Where¡¯s Brother Zheng?" As soon as they left the auction room, Xu Shanshan began looking around. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei said, "Who knows where he ran off to, he¡¯s probably off having fun with his girlfriend."


    Xu Shanshan immediately urged, "It¡¯s still early, what¡¯s there to have fun with? Give him a call."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan quizzically and asked, "Why are you looking for him?"


    "Of course, there¡¯s a reason." Xu Shanshan blinked and, grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm, gave it a little shake, "Hurry up."


    Li Yifei stared at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, you wouldn¡¯t be..."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Of course!" She then snatched Li Yifei¡¯s phone, found Zheng Mingrui¡¯s number, and called him directly.


    "Brother Zheng, it¡¯s Xu Shanshan, Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law. We want to hang out with you... Okay, we¡¯ll be right over." She said, hanging up, and confidently handed the phone back to Li Yifei before striding forward.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle but did not stop Xu Shanshan. After all, Brother Zheng liked to show off.


    Before long, they found Zheng Mingrui and Lin Wanqing on the deck. The two of them were enjoying the sea breeze and ocean view. Xu Shanshan quickly walked over with a cheeky grin and said, "Uncle Zheng, you two are in quite the romantic mood!"


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "We just came out to look at the stars."


    Xu Shanshan winked at Zheng Mingrui and said, "That¡¯s why you have such a flair for romance. Whoever becomes your girlfriend is truly blessed."


    Zheng Mingrui immediately looked at Lin Wanqing, who rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. I haven¡¯t agreed yet."


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled, while Xu Shanshan said with a grin, "If not now, you will agree in the future. Brother Zheng is such a capable man, a true fighter among men. If Brother Zheng wasn¡¯t interested in me, I would¡¯ve been his girlfriend myself."


    Lin Wanqing lightly laughed and said, "If you want him, you can take him."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and said, "Then I¡¯ll borrow him for a while."


    Lin Wanqing smiled and said, "Go ahead, I have no objections." She knew Xu Shanshan sought out Zheng Mingrui for a particular reason, and as a lady of a noble family, she wasn¡¯t like ordinary girls. Even if a beauty like Xu Shanshan approached Zheng Mingrui, she stepped aside to allow them to talk without disturbance.


    "Brother Zheng, you¡¯re not being fair." As soon as Lin Wanqing stepped away, Xu Shanshan confronted Zheng Mingrui.


    "What did I do?" Zheng Mingrui was confused, believing he hadn¡¯t offended Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law.


    "I¡¯m your boss¡¯s sister-in-law, right?"


    "Of course!"


    "So, compared to a sworn sister, which is more intimate?"


    "Well... it should be you."


    Xu Shanshan grinned and said, "Exactly. You¡¯ve given such a nice diamond to your brother-in-law¡¯s sworn sister, shouldn¡¯t you give your sister-in-law an even bigger diamond?"


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face turned dark. That diamond was the best in his private collection, intended for Li Yifei¡¯s wife, which ended up with Meng Xiaofei, the sworn sister. Now, Xu Shanshan raised the question, making him a bit awkward. He replied with a wry smile, "Shanshan, I really don¡¯t have a bigger diamond. How about I get you a few slightly smaller ones and give you two?"


    Xu Shanshan stroked her chin and said, "Alright then."


    Zheng Mingrui breathed a sigh of relief. When he went to South Africa on a mission, he acquired quite a few diamonds, so giving a few to Xu Shanshan was no problem at all.


    Xu Shanshan then added, "What about my sister? You haven¡¯t forgotten her as the rightful wife, have you?"


    Zheng Mingrui quickly responded, "Of course not. I have something prepared for Sister-in-law, but I didn¡¯t bring it this time. I am waiting for the day when Brother Yifei invites us to his wedding celebration; we¡¯ll bring it then."


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes. At that time, don¡¯t forget about me, the sister-in-law. When you go back, remember to tell your comrades."


    Zheng Mingrui laughed heartily and said, "No problem at all. I¡¯ll definitely let them know our boss has a beautiful sister-in-law."


    Finally winning over Xu Shanshan, Zheng Mingrui thought he was done, but unexpectedly, Chu Xiaoyao hopped in, grabbing onto Xu Shanshan¡¯s arm and winking at Zheng Mingrui, "Brother Zheng, Uncle doesn¡¯t just have a sister-in-law, but also a little lover like me."


    "Lover?" Zheng Mingrui looked at Chu Xiaoyao in confusion.


    Chu Xiaoyao jutted her little neck, raising her head high, and proudly said, "That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Uncle¡¯s little lover. But not just an ordinary little lover; Uncle agreed to it, and Sister Yingying is okay with it too. While I might not be Uncle¡¯s wife, I¡¯m considered his concubine."


    Immediately, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face darkened. He glanced at Li Yifei, who responded with an awkward chuckle and didn¡¯t deny it.


    "Geez, Boss, that¡¯s impressive!" Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. If Li Yifei were to have mistresses outside, that was not a big deal. With money, it wasn¡¯t hard to keep women these days. But to get the wife¡¯s consent¡ªnow, that was something unimaginable, worthy of great admiration.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said proudly, "Not just me, there¡¯s another one. That girl who¡¯s been with Uncle¡¯s daughter all day, named Yiyi, you should know her too, right? She¡¯s also a legitimate lover."


    Zheng Mingrui nearly stumbled, catching himself just in time. He turned to Xu Shanshan, his mouth twitching slightly, "Shanshan, is this... true?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled softly and said, "Of course it¡¯s true."


    Zheng Mingrui, incredulous, asked, "And you¡¯re not mad? Your brother-in-law is such a playboy, marrying your sister and still finding lovers?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "What¡¯s the use of getting mad? I¡¯m not marrying him. If my sister is happy, I don¡¯t care. Besides, Xiaoyao and Yiyi are quite nice, quite well-behaved, and respectful to my sister."


    Zheng Mingrui took a deep breath and gave Li Yifei a thumbs up, "Boss, you truly are a role model for our generation. I¡¯ll definitely let the brothers know about this when I go back."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t forget the gifts."


    "Absolutely, they won¡¯t be missing." Zheng Mingrui laughed and then put his arm around Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, taking two steps to the side. He lowered his voice and said with a lewd grin, "Boss, you wouldn¡¯t be indulging in threesomes and foursomes nightly, would you? Although we are in good health, such pleasure is akin to a knife, a blade on bone. If you¡¯re so indulgent, I fear for your eventual demise under the women¡¯s charms."


    Li Yifei glared and said, "I¡¯m not that depraved."


    "Even more disgrace disdain for you then. With such beautiful wives and lovers, and you couldn¡¯t satisfy them? Watch out, lest you end up wearing a green hat one day."


    Li Yifei gave Zheng Mingrui a kick on the butt, "Get lost. By the way, there¡¯s also Michelle, a very good friend of mine. Don¡¯t forget her gift. And Fang Qing, she¡¯s your sister-in-law¡¯s capable assistant, she deserves one too."


    Su Mengxin giggled and said, "I want one too."


    "Right, right, and Mengxin too, you can¡¯t miss her."


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes nearly popped out, "Boss, this is too harsh. Are you trying to drain our brothers¡¯ resources dry?"


    Li Yifei chuckled mischievously and said, "You guys still have opportunities to execute missions and procure items, that¡¯s easy for you. I¡¯m just an ordinary person now, I can¡¯t get these things, so if I don¡¯t exploit you, who will I exploit?"


    At this point, Zheng Mingrui was only thinking of salvaging some loss. He said to Su Mengxin, "Miss Su, you¡¯re so wealthy, yet you¡¯re asking us for gifts?"


    Su Mengxin smiled gently and said, "I¡¯m also Yifei¡¯s good friend. If all his other friends receive gifts, but I don¡¯t, how unhappy I would be! Besides, you guys won¡¯t be short a piece with me."


    Zheng Mingrui gritted his teeth and said, "Boss, you got me. I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯m retiring too. I¡¯ll also get a few more women, and exploit resources from you all one day."


    "What ambition!" Lin Wanqing stepped over upon hearing the less secretive conversation, smiling but with a noticeably cold edge.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face immediately darkened, "Wanqing, I was joking. No number of women could ever compare to you."

 Chapter 625 - 648: Car Accident

    Chapter 625: Chapter 648: Car AccidentEveryone had fun on the ship until after ten o¡¯clock before they all headed back to their rooms. By that time, He Fangqing and Xu Yingying had also returned. They had spent the evening with the company executives and hadn¡¯t joined Li Yifei and the rest for fun.


    It was getting late, so everyone was preparing to rest. Surrounded by so many beauties, Li Yifei could only spend the night alone in his own room. However, Li Yifei did not necessarily need a woman by his side. After taking a bath, he turned on the TV to watch for a while before he was ready to go to sleep. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ding dong..." Two very soft knocks on the door sounded.


    A smile appeared at the corner of Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. He wondered who it could be as he went to open the door. But upon seeing the person outside, Li Yifei was quite surprised. He had thought it might be Chu Xiaoyao or Xu Yingying, or perhaps Su Mengxin and He Fangqing, but he had never expected it to be Michelle.


    "Michelle, what¡¯s the matter?" Li Yifei asked, looking at her puzzled.


    Michelle was wearing a set of loose casual clothes, her cheeks slightly flushed. She spoke in a soft voice, "I just can¡¯t sleep and wanted to chat with you a bit."


    "Then come in," Li Yifei said as he stepped aside to let Michelle in, then he casually shut the door behind her. "Have a seat."


    Michelle sat down on the sofa next to her, slightly uncomfortable, and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you so late at night."


    Li Yifei got a drink for Michelle, opened it for her, and then sat down next to her before saying with a smile, "I¡¯m not asleep either. It¡¯s nice to have someone to talk to."


    Michelle took a sip of her beverage, holding the can in both hands. She opened her mouth to say something but ended up saying nothing.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "What¡¯s wrong? You seem to be hesitating. Is there something you¡¯re embarrassed to talk about?"


    Michelle hesitated for a moment before she finally asked, "Brother Li, do you think President Xu would really tolerate Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Michelle asked this question; he hoped she wasn¡¯t thinking of doing the same as Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. Maintaining a composed expression, he replied, "I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple. Xiaoyao is still young and tends to be willful. Plus, her parents have passed away, and she¡¯s all alone now. We¡¯re just taking care of her temporarily. The university life is so exciting, and for a cute girl like her, there will definitely be many excellent boys pursuing her. Perhaps by then she¡¯ll find someone she truly likes."


    Michelle quickly continued, "What about Su Yiyi? I can tell she really wants to be with you."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Yiyi is not like Xiaoyao, but when I was with Yiyi, it was before my marriage to Yingying. I feel a sense of responsibility towards Yiyi. I can¡¯t just abandon her. If Yingying can¡¯t accept her, I won¡¯t give up on Yiyi either."


    "Oh, what about Ye Yunzhu?"


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know what to say when it came to Ye Yunzhu. He chuckled bitterly and shook his head, "Honestly, I don¡¯t know. No matter how things turn out with Xiaoyao and Yiyi, they are manageable because their families don¡¯t have too many ties. But Yunzhu¡¯s family is large, and she¡¯s a person of status; our situation is difficult to handle."


    In fact, Li Yifei had already won over Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family. Facing a powerful ally like Li Yifei, even if he couldn¡¯t actually marry Yunzhu, they would not trouble him further. By saying this, Li Yifei was reminding Michelle that she had her own family to consider, and even if she fancied him, her parents would not easily let her become someone¡¯s mistress.


    Upon hearing this, Michelle indeed sighed softly, "Yes, love is important, but family bonds are not something you can just cut away."


    "Yeah, by the way, did you have fun today? Did you enjoy yourself?" Li Yifei changed the topic.


    Michelle brushed her hair aside, understanding that Li Yifei was deliberately changing the subject, and smiled, "It was great. I never imagined there could be such magnificent cruise ships in the world. If I could give my parents the chance to enjoy such a place, that would be even better."


    "There will always be opportunities in the future. You really are filial," Li Yifei said as he breathed a sigh of relief. Michelle was indeed dutiful, and he had met her parents, an average middle-aged couple. People like them valued their reputation highly; how could their daughter be someone else¡¯s mistress? Thus, a relationship between him and Michelle was out of the question.


    "Thank you, Brother Li. I¡¯ll be going now." Michelle stood up.


    Li Yifei stood up as well, but Michelle somehow stumbled on something and fell toward him. Li Yifei quickly reached out to catch her by the waist.


    Michelle didn¡¯t fall, but she still had the can of beverage in her hand, which splashed upward. The contents spilled out immediately, and despite Li Yifei¡¯s quick reflexes, he couldn¡¯t avoid it and was drenched head to face.


    "Ah, I¡¯m so sorry!" Michelle quickly grabbed some tissues to wipe the beverage off Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    Li Yifei also grabbed some tissues to wipe himself off, but there was quite a mess, not just on his face and head but on his clothes as well.


    "Brother Li, you should take off your clothes, I need to wash them for you," Michelle said hurriedly, with an apologetic tone.


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "No need, I¡¯ll just wash them when I get home."


    "That won¡¯t do, the beverage has spilled on you, and if you wait too long, it won¡¯t come off. Hurry up and take it off; I¡¯ll help you wash it."


    "I can wash it myself."


    "I¡¯m the one who splashed it on you, so of course I should wash it for you. Hurry up and take it off."


    Seeing that Michelle was adamant, Li Yifei agreed. He was only wearing a T-shirt, which he quickly took off, revealing his toned chest underneath.


    Michelle took the shirt and, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s chest, her face suddenly turned red. Li Yifei¡¯s physique wasn¡¯t so apparent with clothes on, but once removed, his bulging pectorals and the abs on his stomach became visible, causing Michelle¡¯s heart to race and her mouth to go dry. A torso like this held a strong attraction for women, and Michelle, who had been deeply smitten with Li Yifei, was left in a flurry of emotions upon seeing him like this.


    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t know who it was, he didn¡¯t think much of it and was about to open the door, when Michelle, panicked for some reason, hurriedly grabbed his arm and whispered, "Brother Li, wait, let me hide first; it would be embarrassing if someone saw."


    "Is that necessary?" Li Yifei laughed and said, "We aren¡¯t doing anything, why do you need to hide?"


    "But you¡¯ve taken off your clothes! If someone sees, they¡¯ll think you want to... No, that won¡¯t do, I have to hide."


    Before Li Yifei could recover from his surprise, Michelle hurriedly opened the wardrobe door and hid inside.


    Li Yifei was somewhat at a loss for words. Michelle was overcomplicating things by hiding. The knocking on the door wasn¡¯t loud, yet it was persistent, so he went to open the door.


    As soon as the door opened, Xu Shanshan slipped in and then locked the door behind her.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing here?" Li Yifei was startled and quickly asked.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time and there was no movement from your end. My sister definitely didn¡¯t come here, so I came to check on you." As she spoke, she laid her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders.


    Li Yifei was taken aback. Normally it wouldn¡¯t matter how he acted with Xu Shanshan, but with Michelle still in the room, he lowered his voice and said, "Shanshan, stop messing around."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, leaned forward, and rested on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, whispering softly, "Stinky brother-in-law, seeing you cozying up with them makes me really upset. I¡¯m the only one who can¡¯t get close to you, and it¡¯s making me miserable."


    Li Yifei was greatly alarmed and quickly glanced at the wardrobe door, unsure if Michelle had heard. However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice was very quiet, and even if Michelle had heard Xu Shanshan speaking, she probably couldn¡¯t make out the words. He hastily pretended to speak loudly, "You silly girl, you played so wildly during the day and now you want to drink with me at night? That won¡¯t do. You should sleep early tonight and we¡¯ll have fun tomorrow. We¡¯ve spent all the money, so it would be a big loss not to enjoy it to the fullest."


    "Drinking, what a great idea! Let¡¯s have a drink then, brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan said excitedly, taking up on Li Yifei¡¯s unintended suggestion.


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat. If Xu Shanshan stayed to drink, who knows when she would leave. Moreover, if Xu Shanshan said something inappropriate that Michelle overheard, it would only complicate matters further.


    He quickly said to Xu Shanshan, "No, you need to go back and sleep."


    "I won¡¯t... Brother-in-law, I want to..."


    "What do you want? Go back to bed," Li Yifei insisted. He knew Xu Shanshan was implying she missed him, but at that moment, he couldn¡¯t let her say it out loud and firmly stopped her.


    "Brother-in-law... you..." Feeling that Li Yifei was unusually stern and kept scolding her, Xu Shanshan suddenly felt wronged. Today, Su Yiyi had received her sister¡¯s approval, meaning there would be more people sharing her brother-in-law. This made Xu Shanshan unhappy. Now, with Li Yifei speaking to her in that way, she felt even worse, and said angrily, "Stinky brother-in-law, I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m going to do it with you tonight..."


    Li Yifei was terrified, not daring to let Xu Shanshan finish her sentence. In desperation, he bent down and kissed Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, but her indignation dissipated with Li Yifei¡¯s kiss. She tightly embraced Li Yifei, passionately responding to the kiss.

 Chapter 626 - 649 Eavesdropping

    Chapter 626: Chapter 649 EavesdroppingMichelle hid in the closet, extremely nervous. Even though it was Xu Shanshan who had come in, if Xu Shanshan were to discover her, it would be quite awkward, and could also cause trouble for Li Yifei. So, she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound or move a muscle.


    The closet was quite sturdy, and she could hear Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan talking loudly. When she heard them say they wanted to drink, she secretly cursed her luck. If they started drinking, who knew when she¡¯d be able to escape?


    But after that, there seemed to be no more noise. She had no idea what Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were doing, but she couldn¡¯t have guessed that Li Yifei was actually kissing Xu Shanshan at that moment.


    Li Yifei kissed Xu Shanshan for a while, finally calming her emotions. Releasing Xu Shanshan, he whispered, "Be good, hurry back. Xiaoyao might come over, and it would be really awkward if she saw you here."


    Xu Shanshan felt so comfortable being kissed by Li Yifei that the grievances in her heart vanished. She snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace like a kitten, whispering, "That was such a short kiss, I want you to kiss me again."


    Right now Li Yifei just wanted to send Xu Shanshan away, so he leaned in and kissed Xu Shanshan again, using all his skills to make her legs go weak.


    "There, now you can leave, right?" Li Yifei was feeling incredibly anxious.


    Xu Shanshan softly said, "Okay, I¡¯ll leave, then. Hehe, stinky brother-in-law, after I get back, I absolutely want you to act more affectionately with me."


    "Absolutely no problem, that¡¯s a good girl, hurry up and go." Li Yifei pushed Xu Shanshan toward the door.


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t resist, which finally allowed Li Yifei to breathe a sigh of relief. But just as he touched the door handle, he heard footsteps outside, quickly followed by a knock on the door.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan exchanged a glance, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face immediately showing panic. She whispered, "Could it be my sister?"


    "It definitely is!" Li Yifei also recognized the footsteps were Xu Yingying¡¯s. Suddenly, he was unnerved. Usually, it would be no problem if Xu Yingying found him with Xu Shanshan, but Xu Shanshan had just kissed him, her face was flushed, her clothes were disheveled, and her hair was messy. It was clear something had happened, and Xu Yingying would definitely notice at a glance.


    Xu Shanshan clearly realized this too and said anxiously, "No, no, my sister can¡¯t see me like this, or we¡¯ll be in big trouble."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Hurry and fix your clothes."


    "No way, there¡¯s no time. I¡¯ll hide first." Sweeping her gaze around, Xu Shanshan spotted the closet door, then rushed over and flung it open.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stop her in time, he slapped his forehead, feeling utterly depressed. But as soon as Xu Shanshan opened the closet door, she paused before squeezing inside, then silently closed it behind her, making no sound at all.


    Li Yifei froze for a moment. Could it be Michelle wasn¡¯t inside? But that was impossible. Under the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t worry too much and went over to open the room door.


    There stood Xu Yingying at the door. She peeked inside and said, "I was about to leave. I thought someone was in your room since you took so long to open the door."


    "Nothing going on," Li Yifei chuckled and let Xu Yingying in. Once inside, she locked the door behind her.


    Li Yifei inwardly cursed. Xu Yingying doing that meant she didn¡¯t plan on leaving tonight.


    "Honey, sorry to make you stay here alone while we¡¯re visiting." Xu Yingying placed her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, her face seductive.


    Li Yifei, of course, couldn¡¯t refuse Xu Yingying now, or he¡¯d be outright telling her something was wrong in the room. He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissed her cheek, and said, "It¡¯s nothing, you have important matters. Weren¡¯t you with Mengxin? Why did you come here alone?"


    Xu Yingying blushed, saying, "Mengxin told me to come. She said I can¡¯t only focus on work, that the relationship between husband and wife needs nurturing too. It¡¯s rare for us to be here at such a nice place, perfect for bonding, so I...came to be with you." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei secretly sighed but smiled, "Yes, it really is a nice place. You¡¯re so good to me, honey."


    Xu Yingying pouted and said, "I¡¯m your wife, after all. Besides, now with Yiyi and Xiaoyao, if I don¡¯t treat you well, and one day you get dissatisfied, wouldn¡¯t you just kick me away?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "That would never happen. Since I married you, I never thought of leaving you. Unless one day you tire of me and decide to kick me away."


    Xu Yingying gently stroked Li Yifei¡¯s cheek, softly saying, "That would never happen, darling. You should know I¡¯m a traditional woman. Since I married you, no matter what, I¡¯ll stay with you till the end."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but say emotionally, "You¡¯re really great, honey. Marrying you is my fortune. But I¡¯ve wronged you in so many ways, I don¡¯t know how to repay you."


    Xu Yingying playfully hit Li Yifei, full of affection, and said, "Husband, I don¡¯t want your repayment. I just want you to treat me well for a lifetime."


    "I will definitely treat you well for a lifetime," Li Yifei nodded heavily. This was his promise, his sincere words, without a trace of falsehood. Marrying someone like Xu Yingying made him genuinely satisfied.


    "Then husband..." Xu Yingying gently kissed Li Yifei on the lips and said, "Let¡¯s sleep then."


    Li Yifei instinctively nodded, but his heart was screaming. It was normal to be intimate with his wife Xu Yingying, but there was Xu Shanshan and Michelle in the room as well. Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t an issue, as he didn¡¯t need to avoid intimacy with Xu Yingying; Xu Shanshan practically acted as if she witnessed it directly. But with Michelle in the room, getting intimate with Xu Yingying and letting Michelle hear was problematic.


    Xu Yingying had already let go of Li Yifei, smiling with allure, saying, "My panties are in your closet. I¡¯ll get a pair, so I won¡¯t have to get up later. Every time you wear me out so much, I don¡¯t want to get up."


    Xu Yingying would naturally be naked when intimate with Li Yifei, but afterwards, she liked to sleep with panties on; otherwise, she couldn¡¯t rest well. Li Yifei now understood this habit of hers.


    But right now, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t let Xu Yingying get her panties, so he quickly raced to the closet and laughed, "Today¡¯s an exception. No need for them. I can¡¯t wait." Then he kissed Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying softly hummed, lightly hitting Li Yifei, and immediately started kissing him back passionately.


    In these circumstances, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t avoid being intimate with Xu Yingying. He might as well exhaust her and get her to sleep early, so he could then free Xu Shanshan and Michelle. As for the matter with Xu Shanshan and Michelle, he could explain it later.


    Michelle and Xu Shanshan were hiding in the closet. Initially, neither dared to make a sound, but both were beset with doubts. Xu Shanshan was annoyed that Li Yifei was involved with Michelle, while Michelle was confused about why Xu Shanshan was hiding. Was it because she had the same kind of relationship with Li Yifei? The thought shocked her. Brother Li was indeed too outrageous. Xu Shanshan was his sister-in-law. How could he do such a thing with her?


    Despite their thoughts, neither dared speak, so they each engaged in wild thoughts.


    Strange noises emanated from outside, growing louder. Michelle blushed, knowing it was Xu Yingying¡¯s ecstatic cries. She couldn¡¯t believe someone as dignified as Xu Yingying, as an executive, would make such sounds being intimate with Brother Li.


    For Michelle, the sound was both novel and thrilling. Her mind admonished her for listening, but she couldn¡¯t help focusing on the sounds outside, resulting in an unspeakable conflict within her.


    Given her state, Xu Shanshan was even more agonized. Today, Li Yifei was vigorous, and whatever Xu Yingying felt, she felt too. The feeling was so good, she almost felt like flying. The worst part was she couldn¡¯t cry out like Xu Yingying. She had to endure, making things even more unbearable.


    Bearing through, Xu Shanshan finally couldn¡¯t hold back. With a couple of sharp cries, her body went limp, and she crashed open the closet door!

 Chapter 627 - 650 Another Resolution

    Chapter 627: Chapter 650 Another ResolutionLi Yifei had finally brought Xu Yingying to climax, and it was under such intense conditions that she would likely fall asleep quickly. However, he had forgotten that he was so fierce, Xu Yingying could hardly bear it, and neither could Xu Shanshan.


    When a scream came from inside the closet and then the door swung open, Li Yifei was stunned¡ªwhat should he do now?


    Although Xu Yingying felt like her soul had soared to the heavens by that point, she still heard the sound of the closet door opening. She quickly grabbed the blanket and covered herself, her face turning pale as she asked, "Who is it?"


    Xu Shanshan then got up from the ground and pulled Michelle out of the closet, chuckling, "Michelle, we¡¯re busted, we¡¯ve been found out."


    "Shanshan, Michelle, what are you... what are you doing here?" Xu Yingying stared at the two in shock, her mind in total disarray, unable to comprehend how they ended up inside the closet.


    If it was just Michelle, then it might be a bit easier to explain¡ªshe came looking for Li Yifei and happened to arrive when she did, and she hid in a panic. But what was Xu Shanshan doing here, what was her own sister up to?


    Michelle had been scared witless when Xu Shanshan screamed and now, being pulled out by her, was even more flustered and at a loss, her mind a blank slate, simply staring at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying in astonishment.


    Xu Shanshan, however, giggled and said, "That¡¯s so lame. I thought it would be Chu Xiaoyao who came running, not my sister. Michelle, hehe, looks like you really do understand my sister." She then sneakily pinched Michelle¡¯s waist.


    Michelle finally snapped back to her senses, her face flushed, and she looked down, saying awkwardly, "This... I didn¡¯t expect it would be like this."


    Xu Shanshan laughed merrily and said, "Alright, alright, you two continue. We¡¯re going, come on, Michelle, I¡¯ll take you out for a drink." With that, she dragged Michelle out the door.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying looked at each other, dumbfounded. Xu Yingying had not expected that while she and Li Yifei were being intimate, there were others in the room, and that meant Michelle and Xu Shanshan had heard everything she had done. This was truly mortifying.


    Yet Li Yifei had never imagined that Xu Shanshan would diffuse such a tense situation so casually; that girl was indeed too clever.


    "Now what am I supposed to do, I¡¯m so embarrassed," Xu Yingying buried herself in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and bit his chest.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? You are my wife, and I am your husband. Whatever intimacy we have is normal, isn¡¯t it?"


    "It¡¯s one thing with Shanshan, she might occasionally hear us when we¡¯re at home, but what about Michelle? How can I face her after this? To have a subordinate walk in on something like this, my dignity is completely gone," she said.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Michelle will surely think our boss is amazing¡ªin the living room, in the kitchen, and even rocking the bed. That¡¯s a real woman for you."


    "Nonsense, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m always like this. It was just today, and it¡¯s all your fault. Why did you have to use so much force? Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have made such a loud fuss," she retorted.


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "Well, they¡¯ve already heard, so what¡¯s there to fear? You just enjoyed yourself, but I haven¡¯t yet. Come on, wife, let¡¯s go again."


    "No, don¡¯t... don¡¯t..." Xu Yingying struggled twice, but Li Yifei was relentless and charged right in. This somewhat rough action gave her a different sensation and in the blink of an eye, she succumbed to Li Yifei¡¯s lustful dominance.


    Li Yifei had been nervous just now and therefore hadn¡¯t devoted his whole heart to it, naturally not fully enjoying himself. But now that they were alone, he let loose completely. Changing the environment seemed to have stimulated him as well, and the intimacy with Xu Yingying felt indescribably satisfying. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t know how many times Li Yifei made her climax until, after he had his fill, she finally lay soft and boneless in his arms.


    "You stinkin¡¯ husband, you¡¯re too much, you¡¯ve worn me out," Xu Yingying hit Li Yifei lightly, and her words were not a compliment. Li Yifei was like an old bull, and she really couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    "Heh heh, if I can¡¯t satisfy my wife, then what kind of man am I?"


    "What do you mean satisfy me? You were just tormenting me later on. I shouldn¡¯t have let you do that; I should¡¯ve let you go torment Yiyi instead."


    As soon as Su Yiyi was mentioned, Li Yifei felt somewhat guilty and said, "Yingying, have you really accepted Yiyi?"


    "What¡¯s the use of not accepting? It¡¯s like this now. Don¡¯t be so nervous all the time. If you want to go now, just bring our daughter over; I¡¯ll sleep with her."


    "No need, no need," Li Yifei quickly embraced Xu Yingying, touched, and said, "Yingying, you¡¯re really wonderful."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes could no longer stay open, and she said, "Alright, I want to sleep now, I¡¯m dead tired."


    Before long, Xu Yingying fell asleep, but Li Yifei lay awake for a long time. He was no longer worried about Su Yiyi, but didn¡¯t know how to explain Michelle and Xu Shanshan.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan and Michelle were indeed together, sitting in a small bar drinking. There was a lull for a while, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression was quite peculiar. "Michelle, just sit for a while, I¡¯m going to the restroom," she said.


    Stepping out quickly, Xu Shanshan muttered to herself, "How come this damned brother-in-law is getting intimate with my sister again? If Michelle saw this now, there would be a real problem. Brother-in-law is so strong, every time he makes her immensely satisfied." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After waiting a good while, Xu Shanshan came back, looking quite weary. Michelle quickly asked, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Xu Shanshan waved her hand, saying, "It¡¯s nothing," but internally she was bitterly thinking, ¡¯That damned brother-in-law is really too much; he nearly made me unable to walk. It seems I really need Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao to share the burden when they can.¡¯


    "Shanshan, I... I really don¡¯t have anything going on with your brother-in-law. I just wanted to talk to him, but somehow his clothes got wet from the drink, and when you came, I got scared of a misunderstanding and hid in the closet," Michelle said, having regained her composure by now. In fact, it was all very simple to explain, and she had just complicated it for herself.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly and said, "It¡¯s okay, I know you¡¯re not that kind of person."


    "Oh, that¡¯s good, but... why did you hide too?" Michelle asked, fixing her gaze on Xu Shanshan, waiting for her response.

 Chapter 628 - 652: Embarrassing Incident

    Chapter 628: Chapter 652: Embarrassing IncidentXu Shanshan leaned back languidly in her chair, unable to hide the flush of post-coital radiance. To a married woman, it was obvious that Shanshan had just been intimate with a man. However, Michelle was still an innocent girl and could only tell that Shanshan looked somewhat different at the moment¡ªmore beautiful and with a certain womanly charm, yet she was completely clueless about why Shanshan appeared so.


    Sipping a glass of red wine, Shanshan said with a smile, "You know what I said, Michelle? I just wanted to see who would come here to mix with my brother-in-law."


    Michelle looked at Xu Shanshan skeptically and said, "That doesn¡¯t sound right. Although I didn¡¯t hear what you and Brother Li were saying, I felt that there was something off between the two of you. You were both speaking in such hushed tones. If it was just a normal visit with Brother Li, why did you both talk so quietly?"


    Michelle was not as cunning; she was much more innocent and inadvertently revealed her thoughts. Shanshan, feeling assured, said with a triumphant smile, "My relationship with my brother-in-law has always been close. Of course, if I have any mischief in mind, I couldn¡¯t broadcast it. Would I want others to hear? I didn¡¯t know you were in the room, so why would I need to avoid you?"


    "So you were... just kidding?" Michelle still felt there was something amiss.


    "Of course! Today, Xiaofei was spouting nonsense, and she forced sister to agree to Su Yiyi. My brother-in-law is such a catch, and with so many eyes on him, sister can¡¯t watch him all the time. As his sister-in-law, I can¡¯t stand by and let others bully my sister. After all, she¡¯s my brother-in-law¡¯s rightful wife; if I don¡¯t help her, who will?" Shanshan said, looking genuinely indignant.


    At Shanshan¡¯s words, Michelle grew uncomfortable. Her crush on Li Yifei was common knowledge, and although she hadn¡¯t made overt moves, she did sneak into his room that evening. To put it kindly, it was just a chat, but less kindly, a girl visiting a man¡¯s room in the dead of night was bound to arouse suspicion.


    "Cough cough... Shanshan, I really just wanted to chat with Brother Li, nothing more," Michelle hastily explained.


    "You..." Shanshan squinted at Michelle. With her status, as long as Michelle didn¡¯t suspect her of having anything to do with Li Yifei, she was perfectly entitled to confront anyone with designs on him. She continued deliberately, "I¡¯m somewhat reassured by you. You¡¯re not as daring as others. Some of them have their sights firmly set on my brother-in-law, ready to snatch him away. That would break my sister¡¯s heart. Sigh, I¡¯m worried about my sister now, how she ended up with such a husband that gives her no peace of mind."


    Michelle, relieved, yet also rather embarrassed, replied, "Brother Li may seem ordinary at first glance, but the more time you spend with him, the more his excellence shines through. It¡¯s hard not to like him."


    Shanshan snorted and said, "That¡¯s true. I can¡¯t very well lock him up, can I?"


    Michelle chuckled sheepishly, finding Shanshan rather formidable.


    Shanshan took another sip of her wine and sighed, "My sister might be decisive and commanding at work, but when it comes to relationships, she¡¯s totally clueless. At the company, she can cut through chaos with decisiveness, she¡¯s ruthless in her methods, but in love, she¡¯s just too soft-hearted. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have let Chu Xiaoyao stay, nor would I have agreed to Su Yiyi. And now what? Without much fuss, she¡¯s ended up providing my brother-in-law with two mistresses. If I don¡¯t help her out, she might eventually find herself with a huge harem. Even as the lawful wife, men always crave variety¡ªit would only become more chaotic."


    Michelle grew increasingly uneasy, reminded of her own wavering thoughts after witnessing Su Yiyi¡¯s recognition by Xu Yingying. She found herself at a loss for words in response to Shanshan.


    "Let¡¯s just leave it for now. We¡¯ll deal with it slowly. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m quite tired," said Shanshan, striking a posture that quelled any suspicions Michelle might have had. Now she just wanted to rest. She was truly exhausted and looked forward to a long sleep.


    Michelle quickly agreed, feeling the pressure of conversing with Shanshan.


    Overwhelmed with exhaustion, Shanshan fell asleep quickly last night, but upon waking up this morning, Xu Yingying took the opportunity to complain bitterly to Li Yifei.


    "What am I going to do? If I see Michelle, I¡¯ll die of embarrassment."


    Li Yifei also felt the awkwardness of the situation. If He Fangqing, Chu Xiaoyao, Su Yiyi, and others had overheard, that would have been one thing¡ªthey were all too familiar with such sounds. Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t have been a problem either, as she had already been with Li Yifei three times, although in special circumstances, but at least she understood the feeling. Even Meng Xiaofei wouldn¡¯t have been an issue; she¡¯s the type to just move on afterward.


    But it just had to be Michelle, this girl who had always liked Li Yifei, and they had maintained a pure relationship. Now, she had overheard Li Yifei and Xu Yingying being intimate. Even Li Yifei felt it would be awkward to see Michelle again, let alone He Fangqing.


    Hugging Xu Yingying, Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and said, "Well, it¡¯s out there now. It¡¯s normal for us as a couple to be intimate, so what¡¯s there to be afraid of?"


    Xu Yingying huffed and said, "It¡¯s not a matter of fear, but it¡¯s so embarrassing! Just yesterday, you made such a fuss. You made me scream so loud, you really killed me."


    "That was just because I was excited last night, so I wanted to take good care of my wife."


    "You¡¯re so annoying!" Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei, though she had enjoyed his prowess the previous night immensely.


    After the two of them got up, Xu Yingying said to Li Yifei, "It¡¯s all because of that darn Shanshan. This must have been her idea, or else Michelle would never have come here. Wait and see, I¡¯ll deal with her properly later."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Shanshan is just that mischievous, scolding her won¡¯t work. Besides, Michelle is definitely not going to talk, let¡¯s just let it go."


    Xu Yingying said resentfully, "But that girl really went too far. Who does she think she is, sneaking into her brother-in-law¡¯s room and eavesdropping? Humph, when I get back, I¡¯m going to kick her out and make her live outside."


    Li Yifei also immediately said, "Right, let¡¯s kick that girl out. She can¡¯t stay in our house at all."


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying was just talking tough; even if having Xu Shanshan around was a bit inconvenient, Xu Yingying, the protective sister, would never truly feel comfortable with Xu Shanshan living outside by herself. It was all just bluster. If Xu Shanshan really wanted to move out, Xu Yingying would never agree.


    Besides, even if Xu Yingying wanted Xu Shanshan to leave, the latter would come up with all sorts of reasons to stay. Given the delicate nature of her relationship with Li Yifei, how could she possibly leave this place? With all the cunning schemes that Xu Shanshan, that little sprite, could come up with, Xu Yingying might be a company boss, but she was no match for her sister when it came to playing sly.


    Sure enough, Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei cautiously and asked, "Honey, do you really think Shanshan is getting in the way?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "How could I think that? Shanshan is your sister, which makes her my sister, too. It¡¯s my responsibility to look after her. Left to her own devices without our supervision, who knows what kind of trouble she could get into."


    Xu Yingying immediately showed a radiant smile and said, "Yes, that¡¯s what I think too. Since our parents aren¡¯t here, I as the older sister have to keep an eye on her. It would be great if she found a boyfriend."


    Li Yifei subconsciously touched his nose. It would be quite hard for Xu Shanshan to find a boyfriend in this lifetime, or maybe she wouldn¡¯t even want to, but of course, this was something he could never admit. He could only agree with Xu Yingying¡¯s sentiments, saying, "But fate will decide that."


    "Yes, so you can¡¯t force her. If she ends up with someone she doesn¡¯t like, or someone she doesn¡¯t fully understand, and they don¡¯t get along in the end, that would just be hurting her." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the room, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei had a good chat and temporarily forgot about last night¡¯s embarrassing incident. But when Xu Yingying came out and saw Michelle, and then saw Michelle¡¯s utterly embarrassed expression, she felt awkward once again. Turning her head and seeing Xu Shanshan snickering, she couldn¡¯t help but glare fiercely at her sister. That girl really was too much trouble. Apart from staying by her side, where could she feel at ease letting her live out there on her own?


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 Chapter 629 - 653: Small Actions at the Auction

    Chapter 629: Chapter 653: Small Actions at the AuctionThe main highlight of today was the auction. Many people wanted to witness it, after all, it¡¯s rare to see such valuable items even on a regular day, let alone gathering so many here and having so many wealthy individuals bid on them. Just thinking about it was thrilling.


    However, some people weren¡¯t interested in the auction, like Little Yifei, who, being a child, preferred the fun things on the ship. Coincidentally, neither Chu Xiaoyao nor Su Yiyi was very interested, so the two of them took Little Yifei out to play.


    Li Yifei went into the auction hall with the others, where he saw many heavyweight figures, not just from Mile City but also many wealthy people from other places. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen many of these people the previous day, but today they all seemed to have emerged. People like them weren¡¯t interested in playing on the cruise ship; they were genuinely interested in these treasures, so it was normal for most people not to have seen them earlier.


    Li Yifei also saw some familiar faces, people like Sunx Dongran, Cao Bin, and those few young men he had given a beating.


    Among these people, Cao Bin was still somewhat polite to Li Yifei. After greeting him, he made an excuse about discussing business cooperation and started a conversation with Xu Yingying.


    Sunx Dongran came over and stood beside Li Yifei, speaking in a sinister tone, "Kid, just wait for me to cuckold you."


    Li Yifei squinted at the guy, not even bothering to say a word to him.


    Sunx Dongran chuckled darkly again and said, "The women I want can never escape. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t do anything to you on this ship. Once we disembark, you¡¯ll know the consequences." As he spoke... Sunx Dongran winked at Li Yifei, genuinely excited about cleaning up Li Yifei and enjoying putting pressure on him. He believed Li Yifei would be very angry and utterly helpless.


    "Get lost!" Li Yifei suddenly shouted angrily and, lifting a foot, kicked Sunx Dongran in the stomach.


    Sunx Dongran never thought Li Yifei would dare to hit him here, not prepared at all. Moreover, Li Yifei¡¯s kick was pretty heavy, sending him stumbling backward until he crashed into two people, finally stopping.


    Li Yifei¡¯s loud voice echoed, and even though the hall was noisy at that moment, many still heard it. Two security guards quickly rushed over, standing between Li Yifei and Sunx Dongran.


    Sunx Dongran, clutching his stomach, jumped up and started cursing Li Yifei, saying, "Li Yifei, f*** your grandma, you dare hit me, I¡¯ll make you pay today."


    People around had no idea what was happening and just saw Sunx Dongran, enraged, charging at Li Yifei, only to be blocked by security.


    Li Yifei took a step back and told the security, "Security, security, he¡¯s the one causing trouble. How can your ship¡¯s security be so bad?"


    Sunx Dongran was stunned for a moment, pointing at Li Yifei and shouting angrily, "F*** your grandma, you just kicked me."


    Li Yifei immediately looked very aggrieved and said, "I am a civilized person; how could I kick someone? Everyone here, who saw me kick him?"


    Next to Li Yifei were Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin. These beauties were quite displeased with Sunx Dongran, so when Li Yifei kicked this guy, they all felt satisfied. Even if Sunx Dongran had a point, they would still side with Li Yifei. They immediately stepped forward to testify.


    Xu Shanshan quickly stated, "We didn¡¯t see it; we just saw this guy cursing and trying to hit people."


    Su Mengxin added, "Yeah, we didn¡¯t see it. Security, I need to file a complaint about your cruise ship. Having such uncivilized people here can¡¯t guarantee our safety."


    Sunx Dongran was usually arrogant and domineering, a notorious figure in Mile City. If someone provoked him, he¡¯d definitely retaliate. On the cruise ship, he had toned down a lot, but getting kicked by Li Yifei today made him lose his temper. Plus, without anyone defending him, and the beauties siding against him, nobody believed him, which infuriated him further.


    A wise person would calm down at such moments, but clearly, Sunx Dongran wasn¡¯t a clever individual. Not only did he fail to calm himself, but he also attempted to grab something to attack Li Yifei. Seeing nothing handy, he noticed the baton on the security guard¡¯s waist and foolishly went for it.


    While grabbing, he cursed and said, "I¡¯ll kill you today."


    Even if he had an excuse, this move left him defenseless. The security guards didn¡¯t care who Sunx Dongran was; protecting the cruise ship¡¯s guests was their responsibility. The cruise ship owner wasn¡¯t just any ordinary person. Hence, they firmly held Sunx Dongran, not harshly, but definitely not gently, leaving Sunx Dongran to feel like he was going to be torn apart.


    "Ah! You bastards, let me go, let me go, or you¡¯ll regret it," Sunx Dongran shouted like a mad dog, biting whoever got near him. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This put Sunx Dongran in a very disadvantageous position. Two more security guards arrived, quickly escorting Sunx Dongran away. He was furiously cursing along the way. Some people who knew him thought of intervening but stepped back at the sight of his behavior.


    Two more security guards came over and apologized to Li Yifei, finally resolving the issue.


    Xu Yingying approached Li Yifei, frowning, and asked, "That guy is really annoying. Are you alright?"


    Li Yifei clenched her hand, smiled, and said, "Guys like him need to be taught a lesson. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t cause you trouble."


    "We¡¯re not afraid of causing trouble; just don¡¯t take a loss."


    Xu Yingying had changed a lot. Previously, if something happened to Li Yifei, she would blame him first. Now, she stood by his side, putting family above reason¡ªa clear sign of deep marital affection.


    Li Yifei felt very gratified, smiling, he said, "I¡¯m fine, keep busy with what you¡¯ve got to do."


    Xu Yingying walked over to Su Mengxin, whispering, "Mengxin, keep an eye on him; he¡¯s prone to causing trouble."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "Mm, I know. Yifei isn¡¯t someone who acts recklessly."


    After Xu Yingying left, Xu Shanshan suddenly giggled and said, "Brother-in-law, why did you only kick him once? Should have kicked him a few more times."


    Meng Xiaofei promptly punched her small fist and said, "Exactly, people like him deserve a beating until they¡¯re swollen like a pig."


    He Fangqing chuckled softly, "You two really aren¡¯t afraid of stirring up trouble. That guy isn¡¯t a nobody. If you had really beaten him up publicly, it would be troublesome. Tripping him up like just now was enough."


    Michelle, though silent, also felt that Li Yifei should indeed have beaten Sunx Dongran. How could someone this shameless still exist in the world? She had never encountered anyone like this before.


    Everyone found a place to sit since they weren¡¯t participating in the auction, they couldn¡¯t be at the forefront and could only watch the spectacle.


    The auction quickly began. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t particularly lively; the real buyers just silently held up their paddles. Only the auctioneer was energetically announcing bids, stirring the atmosphere.


    Though all the items being auctioned were invaluable, they were eye-openers. Each item sold for no less than millions, but after seeing several, everyone began to become a bit desensitized.


    "Yingying, do you really like this vase?" Su Mengxin asked Xu Yingying with a smile, her hand casually resting on Li Yifei¡¯s thigh as she leaned forward to talk to Xu Yingying. Such a position was strenuous, so resting on his leg felt natural.


    "I just feel like it¡¯s not worth so much. From a commercial value standpoint, buying such items carries too much risk." Xu Yingying noticed but didn¡¯t mind. Resting on Li Yifei¡¯s leg made it easier to converse with Su Mengxin. Both had to lean close to speak without disturbing others, with her hand discreetly reached behind, holding Li Yifei¡¯s hand to stop him from mischief.


    Li Yifei had just settled securely in place. Beside Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan leaned onto her sister¡¯s shoulder, yawning, "Boring, no fun. Sis, let¡¯s go out and play."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "Such an insightful event, and you call it boring. Keep watching."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t you come with me to play?"


    Li Yifei smiled, "Better not wander off."


    "Brother-in-law, you won¡¯t accompany me either." Xu Shanshan pouted, secretly giving Li Yifei a meaningful look.


    Li Yifei understood that Xu Shanshan wanted to sneak away for a while, but he dared not agree now. He had a feeling something was about to happen, especially with Su Mengxin present. If recognized, it would easily make them targets. With an apologetic tone, he told Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, let¡¯s wait a while and leave together."


    Angry, Xu Shanshan twisted Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pretending to throw a small tantrum. Her actions were normal for a sister-in-law towards her brother-in-law, but Li Yifei knew she was a bit sad.


    Xu Yingying pushed Xu Shanshan away, "Sit tight."


    Xu Shanshan huffed, then giggled, leaning against Xu Yingying, her arm reaching behind, "Sis, let me lean on you for a bit."


    "Can¡¯t do anything about you; go ahead." Xu Yingying helplessly agreed.


    However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s leaning on Xu Yingying was just a facade. Her real purpose was to find a reason to stretch her arm past her sister¡¯s back, targeting her brother-in-law, Li Yifei, seated next to Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei had just settled with Su Mengxin when Xu Shanshan¡¯s mischievous hand reached over. Though not entirely naughty, touching his arm could be considered a playful tease.


    Just as Li Yifei contemplated pushing Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand away, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed.


    The auction hall lighting wasn¡¯t bright initially, focusing mainly on the auction stage, but now even that was gone, plunging the room into complete darkness¡ªa situation where one couldn¡¯t see their hand in front of them.


    This sudden darkness didn¡¯t immediately cause chaos. Everyone assumed a more valuable auction item was about to appear. However, after several seconds without the lights turning on nor any excited words from the auctioneer, the room grew noisy.


    "Everyone, please calm down; there¡¯s a power issue, and it will be restored shortly," the auctioneer shouted from the stage. His microphone was still working, suggesting a problem with the lighting equipment.


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s senses heightened as he feared the situation he worried about was starting to unfold.

 Chapter 630 - 654: Constant Schemes

    Chapter 630: Chapter 654: Constant Schemes"Yingying, do you really like this vase?" Su Mengxin asked Xu Yingying with a smile, while her hand, seemingly unintentionally, rested on Li Yifei¡¯s thigh. This way of leaning over to talk to Xu Yingying was a bit tiring, so pressing on Li Yifei¡¯s leg made it look natural.


    "I just feel that this thing isn¡¯t worth that much money. From a commercial value perspective, buying such an item carries too much risk." Although Xu Yingying noticed, she didn¡¯t mind; she also felt that pressing on Li Yifei¡¯s leg made it easier to chat with Su Mengxin. They had to lean closer to hear each other without disturbing others, and her other hand secretly reached behind, squeezing Li Yifei¡¯s hand to stop him from misbehaving.


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s right hand touched the soft flesh at Su Mengxin¡¯s waist, which was a ticklish spot for her. When he touched it, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly but quickly used the laugh to tell Xu Yingying, "Don¡¯t always look at things from a commercial perspective. If you put aside the historical value and just consider the practical value, this vase indeed falls short. However, people need some spiritual pursuits, and such items satisfy some people¡¯s spiritual pursuit, thus creating a market. As long as there is a market, such things have value."


    Su Mengxin covered it up well, chatting with Xu Yingying as if nothing unusual had happened, without arousing any suspicion in Xu Yingying.


    Holding Li Yifei¡¯s left hand back, Xu Yingying kept him from doing more mischief. Such a beauty like Xu Yingying, even after marrying Li Yifei, he still enjoyed a bit of playful tease with her.


    Unable to make bold moves with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei found less resistance with Su Mengxin, who didn¡¯t stop his hand from misbehaving. She even slightly leaned to block Michelle on the other side, ensuring Michelle couldn¡¯t see what Li Yifei¡¯s hand was doing behind her.


    With such convenient conditions, Li Yifei took the liberty to gently caress Su Mengxin¡¯s lower back. After a while, feeling unsatisfied, he sneakily slipped his hand under Su Mengxin¡¯s clothing, touching her waist skin.


    Su Mengxin was engrossed in conversation, eagerly discussing a new topic with Xu Yingying even after the auction item was already sold, as if there was an endless supply of common topics to explore.


    Initially, Xu Yingying considered Su Mengxin her talent scout and benefactor; recently, she had grown closer, treating her as a friend. Su Mengxin¡¯s knowledge was much superior, so regardless of the topic, what Su Mengxin said always intrigued Xu Yingying. At this auction, with items priced in the thousands or even millions, talking with Su Mengxin seemed more entertaining.


    The two chatted passionately while Li Yifei enjoyed his touch. By now, his hand had not only lingered on Su Mengxin¡¯s waist but even slipped down along the waistband of her pants to explore her buttocks.


    Such actions required Su Mengxin¡¯s cooperation. Without her consent, it would have been quite challenging for Li Yifei to do so. But Su Mengxin was really cooperative; she inhaled, contracting her abdomen, loosening her waistband, allowing Li Yifei¡¯s hand to smoothly go in and directly into her underwear.


    Touching a woman¡¯s butt, especially a woman he already had a physical relationship with, might not be particularly exciting at home, but in certain scenarios, it could induce intense stimulation. Public transport stories of those ¡¯bus wolves¡¯ becoming extremely excited from such a touch illustrate this.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t into such special fetishes, but in this setting, amidst this atmosphere, touching Su Mengxin¡¯s butt thrilled him beyond words.


    Particularly since the skin on Su Mengxin¡¯s buttocks was like a newborn¡¯s, smooth and delicate. The flesh was neither too much nor too little, appearing round and elastic, offering an indescribable touch.


    Su Mengxin had resumed normal breathing by then, and Li Yifei¡¯s hand was trapped between her flesh. Such tightness made extracting his hand difficult, yet because Su Mengxin¡¯s trousers weren¡¯t extra tight, his fingers still managed to move slightly, albeit with some strain.


    While Li Yifei touched Su Mengxin, she continued conversing lightly with Xu Yingying, acting utterly composed, which impressed Li Yifei with Su Mengxin¡¯s endurance, as she didn¡¯t react to the teasing.


    He had not only touched but also kissed this place before, knowing it was Su Mengxin¡¯s most sensitive spot. He dared not overstimulate it, merely grazing it lightly. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Li Yifei underestimated how sensitive Su Mengxin¡¯s spot was. At the slightest touch, her body softened, collapsing onto Li Yifei.


    Startled, Li Yifei tried to withdraw his hand, but Su Mengxin, twisting, tightened her waistband around his wrist, making hand extraction impossible without tearing her trousers.


    "Mengxin, what¡¯s wrong?" Xu Yingying, alarmed, quickly supported Su Mengxin¡¯s shoulder.


    Su Mengxin struggled to sit up, adjusted her arm, and said, "My arm got numb holding the same posture, hehe, taking advantage of your husband, I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    Xu Yingying promptly replied, "There¡¯s nothing to mind; he¡¯s the one taking advantage, are you alright now?"


    "I¡¯m fine." Su Mengxin shook her arm, slapped Li Yifei¡¯s thigh with a hint of mischief, and whispered coyly, "You scoundrel, got your way, didn¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei finally managed to pull out his hand, acknowledging his mischief with a sheepish laugh, "Just a little."


    "Hmph, behave next time, or I¡¯ll let Yingying deal with you." Su Mengxin sat upright, not daring to continue sneaky games with Li Yifei, as the earlier mishap nearly exposed them. She had no intention of letting Xu Yingying know about her feelings for Li Yifei so soon.


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh, recognizing Su Mengxin¡¯s warning to behave. He refrained, realizing it was she who initiated by leaning on his leg, setting up this opportunity for him.


    As Li Yifei finally sat upright, Xu Shanshan, then leaning on her sister Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, yawned and said, "Boring, dull, sis, let¡¯s go have some fun."


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "Such an educational experience, and you find it boring? Keep watching."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t you accompany me for a walk?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Better not wander off."


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not accompanying me either." Xu Shanshan pouted, shooting Li Yifei a playful glance.


    Li Yifei understood Xu Shanshan wanted some secret alone time with him, but he dared not agree, sensing something was amiss. Such actions could attract unwanted attention, especially for Su Mengxin, potentially making her a target. Reluctantly, he told Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, let¡¯s wait a bit and leave together."


    Annoyed, Xu Shanshan pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, indicating her little tantrum wouldn¡¯t draw attention, merely reflecting a typical spat between brother-in-law and sister-in-law. But Li Yifei sensed hidden frustration.


    Xu Yingying pushed Xu Shanshan away, "Sit properly."


    Xu Shanshan huffed but soon giggled, leaning against Xu Yingying, extending her arm behind Xu Yingying¡¯s back, "Sis, let me lean a while."


    "Alright, do as you wish," Xu Yingying conceded helplessly.


    However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s real motive was to excuse moving her hand behind her sister to reach for Li Yifei.


    Just settled with Su Mengxin, Li Yifei found Xu Shanshan cozying up again, not in an evil manner but prompting an intense playfulness between them.


    About to nudge Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand away, the room¡¯s lights suddenly dimmed.


    The auction hall wasn¡¯t well-lit; primary lighting focused on the auction table. But now, without any light, the room plunged into absolute darkness.


    Despite the sudden dark, chaos didn¡¯t ensue. People thought a major auction item was coming. However, after a few seconds of darkness, with no enlightening statements from the auctioneer, the room buzzed with murmurs.


    "Everyone, please stay calm. There¡¯s a little electrical issue, which will be fixed shortly," the auctioneer shouted loudly from above, confirming the problem was with lighting.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei immediately sharpened his focus, fearing an anticipated issue might unfold.

 Chapter 631 - 655: The Cruise Ship is Hijacked

    Chapter 631: Chapter 655: The Cruise Ship is HijackedThe lights suddenly came back on, and the previously noisy hall quickly quieted down. It didn¡¯t take long for everyone to assume it was just a power failure and that everything was fine now that it had been resolved.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening." At this point, standing at the auctioneer¡¯s spot was a blond gentleman with blue eyes, speaking fluent Chinese with great politeness as he bowed courteously.


    Everyone was stunned for a moment, wondering why the auctioneer had changed after the unexpected power outage during an otherwise normal auction.


    "Let me introduce myself; my name is Cole Hovde. You probably haven¡¯t heard of me before, but that¡¯s not important. As long as you all recognize me from now on, that will suffice. I suppose you still do not understand what I¡¯m doing here talking to you..."


    This guy wore a smile on his face, pausing deliberately as if to tantalize the audience. He then looked around the hall and cheerfully announced, "Well, let me inform you with pleasure that I am now in charge of this cruise ship."


    A buzz of confusion swiftly spread among the crowd below; obviously, they did not comprehend the meaning of Cole Hovde¡¯s words.


    Cole Hovde waved his hands, and the crowd promptly settled down again. He continued, "What I mean by taking charge of the cruise ship is that from now on, I am the one who calls the shots here, including everything and everyone aboard this ship."


    "What the hell are you trying to do? We¡¯re here to participate in an auction, and we don¡¯t have time for your nonsense," a man in his forties, who had a short temper, stood up and shouted angrily.


    "Bang!" A gunshot suddenly rang out, and the speaking man¡¯s body jerked backward, knocking over his chair and falling into the arms of a woman behind him. The woman let out a piercing scream, not because the man had fallen onto her, but because she saw a large bullet hole in the man¡¯s head from which blood was streaming out and staining her clothes.


    People nearby who witnessed the scene were thrown into disarray, leaping to their feet and screaming in panic.


    "Quiet! Quiet!" Cole Hovde yelled twice, but by then, people were only thinking of fleeing from the chaos and paid no heed to him.


    "Bang, bang!" Several more gunshots followed, and a few people who had stood up fell to the ground with each shot. Cole Hovde then yelled, "Damn it, when I say quiet, I mean it! Whoever dares to stand up again, I¡¯ll kill them."


    The gunfire, along with Hovde¡¯s angry shouts, finally intimidated everyone in the hall into complete silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.


    Replacing his fierce look with a smile, Cole Hovde said with satisfaction, "Very good. I appreciate your cooperation. I assure you all that we are only here for the money, not to kill. I guarantee you can all return home safely." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing that these people were not here to kill, hope ignited among the hall¡¯s occupants, who had initially been terrified. They didn¡¯t mind spending any amount of money as long as their lives were spared.


    "Thank you for your cooperation. Now everyone please sit back down in your original places within the hall and don¡¯t move. Unless you have permission from me, anyone who moves without authorization will end up... just like them." Cole pointed to the dead bodies.


    "I know there are many among you, but let me be clear, we have 120 people on this ship, all armed with weapons. Don¡¯t count on the ship¡¯s security; they¡¯ve either met God by now or are swimming with sharks in the sea."


    Everyone then noticed that the security guards who used to be in the hall had all been replaced with individuals wearing red T-shirts and blue trousers. They stood dispersed along the perimeter of the hall, about ten meters apart, amounting to over twenty people. Each had a weapon in hand, not pistols, but rather compact submachine guns which, despite their small size, had significant ammunition capacity and were easy to carry.


    During the boarding process, the security checks had been very stringent, not even allowing fruit knives on board. Yet, somehow, so many criminals had managed to board the ship with weapons, and significant ones at that¡ªmicro assault rifles.


    Even if their guns couldn¡¯t eliminate everyone present, who would dare to resist or be the first to stand out? So everyone, despite feeling terrified, sat still in their places.


    Su Mengxin was surprisingly calm at that time, even though she had encountered more dangerous situations than this. Such displays of force could not scare her, especially with Li Yifei by her side. However, at that moment, she was somewhat speechless; Li Yifei had been right beside her before the lights came on, but now there was no sign of him between her and Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying, on the other hand, was not as accustomed to seeing rough seas and heavy winds like Su Mengxin and was so frightened that her legs had gone weak. Instinctively, she wanted to seek comfort and protection from Li Yifei but realized that he had disappeared.


    Xu Yingying immediately looked at Su Mengxin, who shook her head and then showed a comforting smile, signaling Xu Yingying not to worry. Su Mengxin was very clear in her mind that if Li Yifei had suddenly disappeared, he must have hidden himself and would rescue them all at the most opportune moment.


    Xu Shanshan also noticed Li Yifei¡¯s absence. She had been terrified by the situation initially and, like Xu Yingying, wanted to find Li Yifei for protection. But upon realizing he was gone, a spark of excitement flashed in her eyes. She believed that there was no way Li Yifei would let them come to harm.


    Beside Xu Shanshan was Meng Xiaofei, who remained relatively calm. After all, she was a flight attendant and dealing with hijackers was part of her essential training. Although she had never encountered such a situation during her time as a flight attendant, she had been trained and promptly took her seat obediently.


    Next to Su Mengxin were Michelle and He Fangqing; at that time, the two of them were far from calm, both so scared that they were practically limp. To not slip under the chairs was already quite an achievement for them.


    "Bang!" Another gunshot rang out, a woman lay dead on the ground, causing another wave of panic. Most importantly, no one knew where the shot had come from or how that woman had been killed so suddenly.


    "Sigh, there¡¯s always someone who doesn¡¯t cooperate, thinking they can secretly use their cellphones underneath and we wouldn¡¯t know? Let me make it clear, if I have taken control of this cruise ship, then I have the power to do so. Do not think you can make a call in secret without me knowing. I advise everyone to turn off their cellphones right now. I have the most advanced phone signal detection equipment here. If anyone messes with their phone... well, sorry, but your fate would be to meet God."


    Upon hearing this, everyone realized why that woman had died. Fearing a bullet suddenly piercing their heads, they all hastily pulled out their phones and hurriedly turned them off.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin and the others obediently turned off their phones as well. They could only hope for Li Yifei now, so until Li Yifei made a move, they had no choice but to do as the criminals demanded.


    After a brief lull, Xu Yingying started to worry about Li Yifei. She had no idea where her husband had gone. She knew Li Yifei must have reacted somehow, but faced with so many hijackers, she really didn¡¯t have any confidence¡ªthey all had guns.


    Moreover, Xu Yingying was worried about Little Yifei. She wondered how they were faring and whether, given Kohl Hovde had boasted about having one hundred and twenty men, the entire cruise ship had been taken over by them, and Little Yifei had surely fallen into the hijackers¡¯ hands. Little Yifei was just a child; if she was frightened and started crying, wouldn¡¯t they harm her?


    Thinking about this made Xu Yingying shiver uncontrollably, her heart felt as if it were being fried in oil.


    If she had known something like this would happen, she would have insisted on keeping Little Yifei by her side no matter what. She already treated Little Yifei as her own daughter, and her worry was no different from that of a birth mother.


    She earnestly wished that Li Yifei would first ensure Little Yifei¡¯s safety and then come to her protection, but she couldn¡¯t see Li Yifei anywhere. She didn¡¯t dare look around and, aside from praying in her heart, she felt utterly helpless.


    "Very good! Everyone is cooperating nicely. Next, I hope you will all be even more cooperative," Cole Hovde said with satisfaction, nodding his head and smiling.


    This caused everyone to tense up, knowing that Cole Hovde was about to make his demands, his true purpose.


    "We are here for money. Killing was a last resort. Everyone here is of stature and renown, easily spending millions on an antique. I imagine you would not mind giving us a million or eight hundred thousand," he said.


    Upon hearing this, some people felt relieved while others inwardly complained. Those relieved were worth hundreds of millions; paying a million or eight hundred thousand for their lives seemed worth it to them. But some were only worth that much altogether. Coming here was just to have fun and join in the excitement; if they were forced to pay that much, it would be even more difficult than killing them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know some people here don¡¯t have that kind of money, and I won¡¯t make it difficult for you. I have the passenger list, and I know everyone¡¯s wealth. I will be fair and ask for money according to your assets. Just ten percent will do. I believe none of you would have any objections to that, right?"

 Chapter 632 - 656 Crisis

    Chapter 632: Chapter 656 CrisisMany people below were instantly excited, initially thinking they¡¯d have to bankrupt themselves to save their lives. They didn¡¯t expect these robbers to be so humane and to demand money proportionally. Those with ten million only had to give up one million. Although it pained them, it was entirely bearable.


    However, some of the super-wealthy couldn¡¯t share in the joy at this time. They had hundreds of millions, even tens of billions in assets. To ask them to give up ten percent meant they had to fork out tens of millions, even hundreds of millions to save their lives.


    Regardless, the demands made by the robbers didn¡¯t seem particularly high; they were still somewhat acceptable to everyone present. Thus, both ordinary people and the super-wealthy didn¡¯t react much.


    Cole Hovde was quite satisfied with everyone¡¯s reaction and then said, "Good, I see nobody has any objections now, so we can get down to business. I have a computer here; please transfer money in order, starting with those in the front rows."


    A robber immediately pointed a gun at several people on the left, gesturing to them. They stood up shakily but did not dare to resist under the threat of the gun and sluggishly made their way to the computer.


    Among these people were Sunx Dongran¡¯s father, Sunx Nenghui, and Sunx Dongran himself. Because their family was wealthy, they were seated at the very front, but now it was their turn first, which made them all bitterly complain.


    "This... I don¡¯t have that much liquid assets in my company... What do I do?" The first wealthy individual asked, trembling with fear.


    "Mr. Zheng, your company has assets of more than two billion. It indeed might be difficult to mobilize two hundred million instantly, but I think fifty million shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?" Cole Hovde squinted and asked.


    Upon hearing this, the wealthy Mr. Zheng knew they had a clear grasp of his financial situation. With a pained expression, he said, "That should be about right."


    "Then let it be fifty million," Cole Hovde replied swiftly.


    Hearing this, everyone understood they could negotiate, and they felt somewhat relieved. Those who had harbored thoughts of resistance now dropped any such ideas.


    This was a weakness of human nature. When people felt they were asked to give up something unacceptable, they would resist. But when the demand was within their means, they no longer thought about resisting. Moreover, now that they could pay even less, they felt as if they were getting a bargain and were more cooperative.


    Although it felt like some people would be giving less money, considering there were over six thousand tourists on the cruise ship, with no less than a hundred individuals having assets over a billion and a couple of thousand with tens of millions, plus others with smaller but significant wealth, the collective funds would definitely exceed ten billion if everyone complied with the robbers¡¯ demands.


    For robbers, plundering ten billion in one heist was undoubtedly a huge profit.


    Perched high above the great hall, hidden behind the lights, Li Yifei clung to the ceiling like a gecko. The moment the lights had gone out, he realized something had happened. Without a clear understanding of the situation, he immediately flipped out of his seat and climbed the curtains to gain the upper hand from the cover of darkness.


    Seeing the current scenario, Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying and the others wouldn¡¯t be in any immediate danger as they were sitting at the very back of a crowd of over a thousand. Even if it were their turn, it would take a long time.


    Li Yifei¡¯s main concern now was the situation outside with his daughter. Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were young and had never encountered such events. Managing a crisis was beyond them, and it would be troublesome if something went wrong there, so Li Yifei¡¯s primary objective was to get them to a safe place first.


    The people below were behaving well. The individuals in front were dutifully handling the computer transactions, including Sunx Dongran and his father, who were forced to pay fifty million as well. Their expressions were genuinely pitiable.


    Since the hostages were cooperative, the robbers¡¯ vigilance had decreased significantly, and Li Yifei seized this opportunity to glide along the ceiling to an open window and slipped out quietly.


    Even though Cole Hovde claimed they had one hundred and twenty people, even if true, it was hardly sufficient for such a vast cruise ship. Controlling the entire ship was impossible; they would only manage critical areas, leaving the less significant parts unchecked.


    The few robbers around the hall were dressed in security uniforms, giving the appearance of regular security personnel. Any passing guest wouldn¡¯t realize that the hall was already under the control of the robbers.


    Li Yifei evaded these robbers and stealthily made his way to the upper levels, soon finding his daughter, Chu Xiaoyao, and Su Yiyi at the children¡¯s entertainment area.


    "Uncle, why are you here?" Chu Xiaoyao was the first to see Li Yifei and ran over excitedly. Without Xu Yingying present, she immediately and affectionately clung to Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It wasn¡¯t fun over there, so I came to find you guys. Come on, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to a fun place."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said excitedly, "Sure, Yiyi, Little Yifei, let¡¯s go play somewhere else."


    Su Yiyi came over with Little Yifei in tow, who was drenched in sweat and flung herself onto Li Yifei¡¯s body. Li Yifei lifted Little Yifei into his arms and said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, let¡¯s go."


    They quickly arrived at their room. Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were somewhat puzzled. Why had Li Yifei brought them back to their room at this time? Could it be that he wanted to be intimate with them? But Little Yifei was there too.


    "Uncle, you¡¯re so naughty. Okay, I¡¯ll take Little Yifei to play," Chu Xiaoyao playfully hit Li Yifei, but she was very excited. She was eager to be intimate with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei grabbed hold of her and they all entered their room. Then he said, "There are a lot of pirates on this cruise ship. Stay in your room and don¡¯t go out."


    Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi both looked at Li Yifei with confusion, while Little Yifei immediately wriggled in his arms and said, "Daddy, I don¡¯t want to! Yifei wants to go out and play."


    Li Yifei spoke gently, "My good daughter, there are bad guys with guns outside. Daddy has to go out and fight the bad guys. If you go out, Daddy will have to take care of you, and then he can¡¯t fight the bad guys."


    Little Yifei asked with her head tilted, "Daddy is going to catch bad guys, does that mean Daddy is a big hero?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, my good daughter is the hero¡¯s daughter. So you should behave well, right?"


    "Okay, Yifei will be very good!" Little Yifei immediately puffed out her chest.


    At this moment, Su Yiyi said anxiously, "Brother Li, is this... true?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm!" Li Yifei nodded firmly, then kissed both Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao on the face and said, "You must not go out. There are a lot of pirates this time, and they are still on the ship. It¡¯s really dangerous. If you stay in the room and don¡¯t go out, you should be relatively safe. But if you run around outside, it would be too dangerous. Remember, you must not go out."


    It was only then that Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao realized the severity of the situation. Both nervous and excited, Chu Xiaoyao said, "Uncle, are you trying to be a lone hero?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I just went up to take a look. There are still some security guards. They probably don¡¯t know that the ship has been hijacked, so I need to get in touch with the security here."


    Suddenly, Su Yiyi hugged Li Yifei, her eyes red as she said, "Brother Li, you have to be careful."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve been in even more dangerous situations before."


    After hugging Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei then turned and left. He didn¡¯t recklessly contact the security guards, because with so many guns appearing on the cruise and the pirates¡¯ movements being so unimpeded, there was likely some form of inside assistance on the ship. Moreover, it was not possible to distinguish between real security guards and pirates by appearance, and recklessly informing them might only make the situation more complicated.


    With a slight press on his watch, a small keyboard appeared, and Li Yifei¡¯s fingers quickly tapped on it. Soon after, a soft beeping sound emanated from the watch.


    After pressing it a few more times, Li Yifei restored the watch to its original state. He was contacting Zheng Mingrui. Today, the two old comrades were going to cooperate closely on this ship.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were also on the cruise today. Although they had hoped to encounter Li Yifei, they hadn¡¯t seen him yet. With more than six thousand people on the ship, it wasn¡¯t possible to meet everyone, and they were also constantly surrounded by people, making it inconvenient for them to search for Li Yifei in every location.


    But at this moment, the two of them were pale, huddled in the corner of the power room, trembling all over, yet not daring to breathe a word.


    They had inadvertently arrived near here and, without knowing why, the security guards had vanished, so they hadn¡¯t encountered anyone to ask for directions and ended up lost in the vicinity of the power room. Just when they got there, they happened upon an alarming scene: two criminals were actually killing a security guard before moving the body into an adjacent room.


    The two were so scared that they screamed, and the two criminals immediately chased after them. They ran frantically without direction, taking wrong turns and ending up in this room, hoping to escape their pursuers.


    But as the door locked, their hearts shot up to their throats, and they clung tightly to each other. If their pursuers checked behind that electrical box, they would be completely exposed, and there would no longer be any place to hide.

 Chapter 633 - 657: A Close Shave

    Chapter 633: Chapter 657: A Close ShaveThe door opened! Two people walked in, and Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao exchanged glances. In each other¡¯s eyes, they both saw despair; they truly had not anticipated that their lives would end in such a manner.


    Their lives were just beginning a new Chapter, just beginning to develop a deeper relationship with Li Yifei. They were looking forward to a better life ahead, but now it had all turned to naught. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But when they saw those two men turn the corner of the electrical box and appear before them, there was no scream of shock. Facing the barrel of the guns, they knew their lives were about to end. Supporting each other, they slowly stood up, still embracing, waiting for the sound of gunfire.


    However, the two men did not fire immediately. They just stared at Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, then exchanged glances, a strange gleam in their eyes.


    "Take off your clothes," one of the assailants suddenly said.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both jumped, their faces contorted in outrage. Li Xinyue gritted her teeth and said, "Go ahead and shoot."


    "Take off your clothes!" the assailant repeated.


    Song Lianyao¡¯s face turned pale but she still snorted coldly, "Don¡¯t even think about it, even if we die, we won¡¯t let you disgrace us."


    The two men glanced at each other again and then walked toward the women. Although they still held their guns, their fingers were not on the triggers; clearly, they did not take Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao seriously.


    Although these thugs belonged to the same gang, they were not part of a real Terrorist Organization. They hadn¡¯t always worked together; they had temporarily banded together for this big deal. So while they were all desperados, there were all sorts among them. These two were particularly lascivious, always trying to take advantage of beautiful women. Now, seeing how lovely Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were, and with no one else around, their lust was aroused.


    "Take off your clothes, and we won¡¯t kill you. Otherwise, we¡¯ll shoot you right now," one of the assailants threatened, brandishing the gun barrel.


    The faces of Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao turned even paler. Although they were terrified, they both understood that even if they complied with the men¡¯s demands, they were going to die, and they would be humiliated by these brutes before that. They¡¯d rather die than submit.


    Li Xinyue clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palm, but she felt nothing. Biting her lip, she said, "You... don¡¯t even think about it!"


    "Big brother, these chicks are tasty, I like," the thug on the left said, sticking out his tongue to lick his lips, a lecherous look on his face.


    The one on the right chuckled, "I like playing with chicks like these, the ones that put up a fight. It¡¯s no fun if they just submit."


    "Then let¡¯s make it quick, before we run into trouble."


    "Right!"


    Having said that, the two men threw their guns to the ground and lunged at Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao respectively.


    "Help!" Both Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue struggled fiercely and started shouting loudly for help.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, although delicate beauties, went to the gym regularly to stay in shape. They didn¡¯t have much strength, but they were not utterly helpless. When a woman truly fights for her life, her strength can be quite formidable. Struggling fiercely, they managed, for the moment, to keep the assailants at bay.


    Rape often involves psychological intimidation, where women are too scared to resist, or deep down they might harbor fantasies of forced submission. When confronted with such situations, they may cease to fight back, rationalizing it as an excuse that it isn¡¯t infidelity. That¡¯s how perpetrators often succeed with ease.


    But when a woman truly resists, it is not so easy for a man to prevail.


    The two assailants now were afraid that the women¡¯s shouting would alert others. Their forces were not abundant for this operation, with most of their manpower concentrated at the auction site and a few key positions on the ship. If they caused an uproar, making everyone onboard aware, they feared they would not succeed so easily. If it weren¡¯t for their inside help, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for them to get this far on such a well-secured cruise ship.


    Seeing the women¡¯s resistance, the men¡¯s faces grew violent. Raising their hands, they struck Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao on their necks. Both women felt darkness envelop them and their minds swiftly lost consciousness, collapsing limply to the floor.


    However, before losing consciousness, both felt utterly heartbroken, knowing they could no longer escape their fate.


    The assailants immediately started to strip off the women¡¯s clothes. Although it took away some of the pleasure, they didn¡¯t care at the moment. They planned to do it first, then kill the beauties.


    But before their hands could touch Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, they suddenly turned around, only to see a man standing behind them.


    The man was none other than Li Yifei, his expression as still as water. The thugs were unarmed, their guns lying behind Yifei, and they felt the man before them emanated danger. At the same time, they both drew daggers from their waistbands.


    No one spoke. Yifei¡¯s hands hung casually at his sides, while the thug tensed up all over as if coiled tight by a spring. The pressure from Yifei was too much; without him making a move, they did not dare to attack.


    "Who are you, friend?" the one on the left finally couldn¡¯t stand the pressure and took the initiative to ask.


    "The one who¡¯s going to take your lives," Yifei replied curtly. Suddenly, he stepped forward with his right foot, his body instantly in front of the two men. The thugs reacted quickly, their daggers thrusting viciously toward Yifei¡¯s chest.


    But they weren¡¯t even close to Yifei¡¯s level of speed. As soon as their daggers extended, Yifei¡¯s hands had already seized their necks. With a twist of his right hand, he had snapped one thug¡¯s neck; the man didn¡¯t even make a sound before he was dead.


    The other thug was still alive. Yifei had only subdued him; he needed to extract some information from him.


    The thug had no strength left to resist, overcome with terror. He had never before seen someone so formidable; with just a move, his comrade¡¯s life had been taken, and he himself was completely powerless.

 Chapter 634 - 658: The Expert Appears

    Chapter 634: Chapter 658: The Expert Appears"How many of you are there?" Li Yifei, his fingers slightly relaxed, asked coldly as he gripped the guy¡¯s neck.


    The thug eagerly took a couple of deep breaths; the closeness of death had been so palpable when his breathing was stifled, but now that he could finally breathe, he realized how precious air was to a person. Despite having taken lives, he cherished his own life immensely and quickly said, "Only if you promise not to kill me will I tell you."


    "You don¡¯t have the right to bargain." Li Yifei¡¯s fingers suddenly extended, pressing sharply against the guy¡¯s ribs.


    Li Yifei was very skilled, not just physically robust, but also proficient in a technique similar to acupoint aiming. While it wasn¡¯t as mystical as depicted in novels, it could indeed provoke particular reactions in the body when applied with a specific force to certain points. The place he pressed now caused the thug to feel an unbearable pain throughout his body. Instinctively, he wanted to scream in agony, but with Li Yifei¡¯s hand on his throat, even a cry was impossible. This internalized torture was intolerable, and he wished to die immediately rather than endure such pain again.


    "Speak, and I¡¯ll grant you a quick death." Li Yifei pressed on the man¡¯s ribs again, and the thug¡¯s complexion eased.


    By the time Li Yifei¡¯s grip had slightly loosened, the thug had completely lost the will to resist and hastily said, "I¡¯ll talk, we came in groups. There are fifteen of us in my group, we¡¯re responsible for the engine and the ship¡¯s power systems. How many others there are, I really don¡¯t know."


    Li Yifei nodded and then with a forceful press of his fingers, he killed the thug. As the man took his last breath, his face oddly showed a sense of relief. The brief pain he had experienced had been so severe that he never wanted to bear it again; in death, he found an escape.


    Li Yifei picked up Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. It was still too dangerous here, and escorting them to a safe place would take too much time, so he decided to rouse them both instead.


    As Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao awakened, their first instinct was the sensation of being held. Their minds still lingered on the moments before they fainted, and they immediately started to struggle fiercely.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "It¡¯s me!"


    Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s voice, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao instantly stiffened, turning their heads in unison towards him and then, with a cry of joy, they clung tightly to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei patted their backs gently and softly said, "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m taking you out of here now."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao quickly stood up with Li Yifei¡¯s support. Seeing the two thugs on the ground, they exchanged a glance and each delivered a fierce kick to the men¡¯s bodies.


    "There are many thugs on this cruise ship, and the auction hall has already been taken over by them. But the rest of the ship is comparatively safe for now. I will take you to the third floor, and then you can return to your rooms on your own. There should be nothing more to worry about," he explained.


    Both women nodded in unison. Li Xinyue immediately said, "Brother Li, be careful."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry."


    Song Lianyao kissed Li Yifei on the face, her eyes reddening as she said, "Brother Li, I was so afraid I¡¯d never see you again."


    Li Xinyue also kissed Li Yifei and, hugging his arm tightly, said with a choked voice, "Brother Li, if we had been violated, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to face you again, we just couldn¡¯t have faced you again."


    When Li Yifei was with these two women, he actually felt a lightness in his heart. They asked for little beyond wanting him to see them, so he didn¡¯t have a heavy emotional burden to bear. Yet clearly, they held Li Yifei in great importance, which made him feel somewhat guilty.


    Gently holding their hands, Li Yifei said, "Enough, don¡¯t worry about such things now. This place is too dangerous. Let¡¯s discuss everything else once I¡¯ve handled the situation ¨C there will be time for that later."


    Both nodded firmly, feeling fortunate to have survived, and the fact that their savior was the very man they deeply loved added an element of joy.


    Li Yifei had come here knowing this was a crucial area on the cruise ship, housing the ship¡¯s power systems. Before rescuing Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, he had already taken down ten thugs, adding the two there totaled twelve. According to the thug, there were fifteen in total in this area, so there were still three unaccounted for. Those three could either be hiding, temporarily away from here, or they could even be inside collaborators.


    On their way out, Li Yifei didn¡¯t encounter any thugs, and he safely led Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao to the upper level. The place was still bustling, and the people here were completely unaware of the serious events that had unfolded on the ship.


    "Brother Li, shouldn¡¯t we inform these people?" Li Xinyue asked softly.


    "There¡¯s no point in us three talking about it now, no one would believe us," Li Yifei said after he had escorted the two to the room where Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi were, so they could be together. This would also spare him trouble in looking after them should anything go wrong.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi recognized Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, but they were unaware of the kind of relationship they had with Li Yifei. Seeing them now, they appeared quite surprised; after all, these two hosts were considered celebrities to the general population.


    However, Chu Xiaoyao was less astonished, having lived with Ning Xin¡¯er for a while and referring to each other as sisters. The fame of people like Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao was incomparable to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s.


    After giving them some instructions, Li Yifei once again departed.


    Li Yifei had performed such operations countless times before, and the adversaries he had faced were undoubtedly much more formidable than these thugs. Otherwise, the Flying Hawk Squad wouldn¡¯t have needed to be dispatched on missions. Being on familiar terrain and facing less formidable opponents, Li Yifei quickly took care of each thug, none of whom could make a single noise under his attack.


    But even with his flawless execution, the thugs eventually realised something was amiss. They all had internal communication devices, and while it might be excusable for one or two to be out of contact, when ten or eight, particularly in groups, could not be reached, even a fool would realise there was a problem.


    While Li Yifei was sneaking towards the cruise ship¡¯s control room, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, a sense of danger emanating from behind. Without conscious thought, his body reacted with a sidestep that moved him from his original position, and then a faint ting resonated by his ear.


    It was a knife blade, thin as a cicada¡¯s wing. Upon seeing the blade, Li Yifei knew who had come¡ªit must be that knife-throwing woman from the performance.


    Li Yifei had thought that the knife-throwing woman¡¯s skills were impressive, but from that throw, he knew she was even more formidable than he had anticipated.


    "You are the first person to dodge my Flying Dagger," said the woman, appearing beside him, dressed in a tight black leather suit that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Just based on her body, she was a real beauty. However, atop her head was a horrifying devilish mask, complete with fierce green features, which made her look quite terrifying.


    Although Li Yifei was startled by the woman¡¯s knife-throwing skills, he was someone who could dodge bullets in a hail of gunfire, with an instinct for danger second to none in the world. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry Su Mengxin on his back and dodge bullets, ensuring her complete safety.


    As a member of the Flying Hawk Squad, each of them bore countless scars. Yet, except for the time he took a bullet for Su Mengxin, he has never been shot or cut¡ªnone like him existed.


    He then chuckled lightly, without showing himself, "I have to say, my dear, that¡¯s quite an honor. But, after dodging your Flying Dagger, I wonder if there¡¯s a reward?"


    "There is," the woman said coldly.


    "Really?" Li Yifei asked in surprise, purposefully exaggerating.


    "A man who can dodge five of my Flying Daggers can have me as his woman."


    "That¡¯s not a bad reward at all," Li Yifei said with a chuckle. Suddenly, his arm reached out and the Micro Assault Rifle in his hand fired twice towards the spot where the woman¡¯s voice came from.


    Li Yifei had no mercy for such a dangerous woman. To him, she was far more dangerous than any man, and showing any leniency would be tantamount to handing over his life. He was never that foolish.


    While Li Yifei might be at his wits¡¯ end with Xu Yingying, with Ye Yunzhu and others because they weren¡¯t his enemies but the women he liked, when it came to an adversary, Li Yifei was always merciless. Even if the opponent was supremely beautiful, in his eyes, they were only enemies.


    As the two shots rang out, Li Yifei immediately rolled to the ground and darted into a nearby entertainment room. The corridor he had been in wasn¡¯t straight, offering few hiding spots which was highly disadvantageous to him. Even armed with a gun, he felt at a disadvantage against the woman¡¯s knives, so he opted for a change of scenery. Knife throwers, good at attacking and dodging, would surely be adept at escaping as well, and Li Yifei was convinced his shots wouldn¡¯t injure her.


    Moreover, as Li Yifei changed positions, a Flying Dagger whizzed past his ear, missing only because he had jerked his head away as he rolled. If not for that, the dagger would have pierced his skull.


    Their reflexes were extremely quick, and though neither was injured, both held a silent admiration for the other. This was indeed a rare and worthy opponent.


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 Chapter 635 - 659: Clash of Experts

    Chapter 635: Chapter 659: Clash of ExpertsThe entertainment room was not large, about sixty or seventy square meters in size, furnished with two tables, two sets of sofas, and a small liquor cabinet. However, there was no one inside. As soon as Li Yifei entered, he took cover behind one of the tables and raised his gun to fire two shots toward the doorway.


    The shadow at the doorway flashed, and the woman in black rushed in, sticking close to the door frame. Li Yifei¡¯s two shots aimed at the center of the doorway completely missed their target.


    This woman was truly audacious, with an incredibly accurate judgment, but what she faced was Li Yifei. Li Yifei was not only skilled in martial arts, but his marksmanship was also top-notch. Although those two shots missed, he quickly raised his hand again, aimed the gun at the woman now in mid-air, and continued to pull the trigger.


    A person in mid-air, under normal circumstances, would be totally unable to change direction, but as this woman crossed the doorway, she suddenly kicked off the door frame and flew horizontally into the room. Her reaction speed was indescribable; it no longer seemed within the abilities of a normal human being.


    In the midst of her flight, the woman did not just attempt to dodge; her hands waved continuously, throwing several Flying Daggers that glinted coldly towards Li Yifei¡¯s exposed head and arms.


    Li Yifei had intended to keep shooting, following the trajectory of the woman¡¯s movement, but the moment she raised her hand, he knew that if he continued to fire, he would be the first to be struck by her Flying Daggers. Thus, he made a quick decision, suddenly contracting his body downwards, dodging her Flying Daggers, which left him unable to attack the woman any longer and allowing her to land on the ground.


    What followed was a heart-stopping battle within the confined space of the entertainment room, with bullets flying and the gleam of Flying Daggers. Neither bullets nor Flying Daggers could harm the other side.


    Li Yifei fired another shot, still missing the woman, who now, surprisingly, stopped hiding her figure and walked directly towards Li Yifei.


    "MP5 micro assault rifle, with only thirty rounds in the magazine. You¡¯ve fired thirty shots, there are no bullets left," the woman said in a calm voice as she walked over, exuding immense self-confidence.


    Li Yifei stood up, casually tossed aside the micro assault rifle, and smiled broadly at the woman, saying, "I didn¡¯t expect you to be so proficient with Flying Daggers and to also know so much about guns, even remembering how many shots I¡¯ve fired."


    The woman snorted coldly and said, "You have no more bullets now, but I still have countless Flying Daggers. You¡¯re as good as dead."


    The smile remained shining on Li Yifei¡¯s face as he said, "Just now you said that if I dodged your five Flying Daggers, I¡¯d be your man. It seems I just dodged thirty-five of them."


    The woman¡¯s face, hidden behind a mask, was not visible to Li Yifei, but he knew she must have been taken aback. The sounds of firing a gun, whether in burst or single shots, were loud, enabling any expert to count the shots fired. However, when the woman threw her Flying Daggers, they were shadowless and soundless; for Li Yifei to accurately recount the number of daggers she had thrown was much harder than her counting his shots.


    "Do you really wish to become my man?" the woman asked, pausing instead of striking.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Does it cost money? If it does, forget it. I never pay for women; it¡¯s unclean."


    The woman was completely unmoved by Li Yifei¡¯s comment. A powerful assassin, especially a woman skilled with the Flying Dagger, must maintain a calm composure at all times, or else they couldn¡¯t throw their daggers with such precision. Clearly, this woman¡¯s dagger-throwing skills had reached a transcendental level, so Li Yifei¡¯s words did not alter her state of mind one bit. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There¡¯s no need to try and enrage me; it won¡¯t work. I respect the fact that you¡¯re a rare expert. I¡¯ll give you an opportunity now. If you can escape from my four Flying Daggers, I¡¯ll spare your life."


    As she spoke, the woman slowly raised her hands, with each of the index, middle, and ring fingers holding a blade-like Flying Dagger between them.


    Li Yifei responded with a light smile, "I don¡¯t need your pity for my life, nor do I need your clemency. If you want to kill me, it won¡¯t be that easy."


    "A real man¡¯s spirit, are you ready?" the woman asked with great confidence in her Flying Dagger skills, standing face-to-face with Li Yifei and reminding him to prepare.


    The distance between Li Yifei and the woman was just over five meters. The velocity at which the woman could throw her Flying Daggers was extremely fast, rivaling even bullets, meaning she had to possess immense strength to make the daggers move so swiftly. At such a short distance, it would be very difficult to dodge without anticipating in advance.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Not yet."


    The woman stood there with her hands raised, motionless, as if waiting for Li Yifei to be ready.


    Li Yifei suddenly stretched in a large yawn and said, "Beauty, this killing each other really isn¡¯t fun. How about we find a room to bond a bit? I think that would be much more interesting."


    "If you¡¯re not afraid, I have no objections," the woman replied briskly.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s go then."


    "Seeking death!" The woman let out a cold shout. Her hands suddenly lifted, and two Flying Daggers had already left her fingertips, flying towards Li Yifei¡¯s throat and heart like two streaks of cold light.


    But suddenly, a chair flew up from behind Li Yifei, heading straight for the two Flying Daggers.


    When Li Yifei had been stretching earlier, he had casually swept his hand behind him, and by the time he brought it forward, he had already grabbed the chair.


    The chair was large and made of solid wood. Thrown with Li Yifei¡¯s strength, it was as formidable as a heavyweight weapon. If it really hit the woman, she would likely be seriously injured if not killed.


    The two Flying Daggers hit the solid chair, but the chair couldn¡¯t stop them; the daggers pierced through it as if cutting through tofu, and their direction didn¡¯t change at all, still headed for Li Yifei¡¯s throat and heart.


    However, the chair had at least slowed the daggers slightly, and although it was only by a bit, it was enough for Li Yifei to react. He stretched out his body and dodged the daggers while charging towards the woman.


    Fighting with a woman who played with Flying Daggers, the further away he was, the more passive he became. Everyone may not know this, but in the game "Hero¡¯s Wisdom", if you are in close combat and need to deal with someone at range, the best method is to charge in close and engage in hand-to-hand combat. Otherwise, you can¡¯t hit the opponent, yet the opponent can always hit you, ensuring your defeat.


    At this moment, the chair and Li Yifei charged at the woman with almost equal speed, neither the chair nor Li Yifei could be ignored by her.


    This would normally be a good tactic, but this woman was just too strong. At that time, her gaze fixed on Li Yifei as she slid to the side, her hands swinging once more, and the two previously unthrown Flying Daggers, now spinning, flew towards Li Yifei.


    These two daggers weren¡¯t fast this time; they fluttered like butterflies. But Li Yifei suddenly felt a strong sense of danger. Though his charge didn¡¯t slow, he had already raised all his alertness.


    The daggers got closer and closer to Li Yifei, and when they were only half a meter away, they unexpectedly collided with each other. This seemed like a big mistake, something that shouldn¡¯t happen to a master of Flying Daggers, but Li Yifei became even more tense.


    The daggers the woman had initially thrown, though fast and powerful, were predictable. Li Yifei also wasn¡¯t bad with Flying Daggers, and although not as good as the woman, he could predict the direction of the daggers as soon as she moved her hand, giving him time to prepare to dodge.


    But when these two daggers suddenly collided, it changed their course, forcing him to make a new judgment. With the daggers so close, evading them would be extremely difficult.


    The woman, having dodged the chair, crossed her arms after releasing the daggers. Since she had mastered this unique skill, no one had been able to dodge her dual Flying Dagger attack. Even if Li Yifei was highly skilled, the only way he might avoid them was by retreating, which he hadn¡¯t. Charging forward at such a short distance made it impossible to dodge her daggers, so she was certain this man was as good as dead.


    "Pfft, pfft!" Two strange sounds suddenly erupted. The woman¡¯s eyes, the only part of her visible, immediately showed extreme surprise. Her daggers had failed completely.


    The man in front of her had used a method she had never anticipated. At the critical moment, he had used his shoes as weapons. He had met her Flying Daggers with his shoes, deflecting them off course.


    In her view, at such a short distance, no one could possibly avoid her daggers. If Li Yifei had any kind of hard object in his hands, he might be able to block the daggers, but that would require an extremely precise judgment of their trajectory. However, Li Yifei had nothing of the sort in his hands, which is why she was so confident.


    But who would have thought Li Yifei could use his shoes that way? This unexpected turn caught her off guard.


    The worst part was that not only had Li Yifei deflected her daggers, but he was now less than half a meter away from her. An iron fist, carrying the wind, was smashing towards her chest. Even before the punch reached her, the pressure made it hard for her to breathe. One could easily imagine the consequences if the punch actually hit her chest.

 Chapter 636 - 660: Almost Succeeding Only to Fail at the Last Moment

    Chapter 636: Chapter 660: Almost Succeeding Only to Fail at the Last MomentThis woman was indeed a master. Even with Li Yifei¡¯s surprise attack, she quickly reacted, her feet fiercely pushing against the ground as her body retreated outwards.


    What Li Yifei least wanted was to let the distance between him and this woman become too great, so at this moment, he absolutely could not allow her to open up a gap. With a forceful stomp of his feet, his explosive strength quickened his speed even more.


    Li Yifei was poised for the assault, while the woman was forced to change her tactics hastily. It was like a sprint; his charge was definitely faster than one just starting off. Furthermore, as he moved forward and she retreated backwards, their speeds were not even comparable.


    But the woman also knew that by merely retreating, she could not outpace Li Yifei. Her goal in doing so was to first dodge the sharpness of Li Yifei¡¯s fists. Just give her a sliver of opportunity, and she could launch her flying dagger again. At such a distance, she was even more confident in killing Li Yifei.


    Her thought process wasn¡¯t wrong, and her choice was not mistaken either. Unfortunately, she was facing Li Yifei, the top expert of the Flying Hawk Squad. Even in the entirety of Huaxia, it was doubtful anyone could be his match. Setting his Flying Dagger aside, in terms of raw strength, this woman was still a bit lacking compared to Li Yifei.


    As the distance between them not only failed to widen but Li Yifei¡¯s fist drew even closer, and considering the room was not large to begin with, her back was about to hit the wall, signifying she had no room left to retreat.


    A fierce glint flashed in the woman¡¯s eyes, and she suddenly let out a somewhat sharp cry. Her body abruptly leaned back, coupling her bodily motion with her retreat, barely avoiding Li Yifei¡¯s fist from striking her chest. Meanwhile, her foot shot upwards, targeting the space between Li Yifei¡¯s legs.


    Li Yifei caught a glimpse of a cold glint atop the woman¡¯s toes - even her shoe tip had a sharp weapon attached. He couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. His right fist, previously stretched out for an attack, suddenly smashed downwards. If the woman still wanted to kick, Li Yifei¡¯s punch could hit her abdomen before her leg reached him, and by then, it would be uncertain if she could still muster the strength to lift her leg.


    "Ting..." A sound as fine as a mosquito¡¯s buzz suddenly rang out. Li Yifei, with his full concentration, heard even such a minute sound clearly, and a sense of crisis emanated from the woman¡¯s foot.


    Li Yifei reacted swiftly, his body twisting back in a bizarre way, his legs alternating steps on the ground as if he was a gymnast spinning like a top, turning his body twice to just narrowly evade a streak of cold light ¨C the one from the tip of the woman¡¯s shoe.


    "Fuck!" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but curse. This woman was like a hedgehog ¨C it was not only her hands that could release flying daggers but her feet as well. She was indeed a tough opponent to handle.


    Now, he dared not keep his distance from this woman any longer. Keeping away would be like being constantly targeted by a sniper with a high-precision rifle, always having to entrust his life into the opponent¡¯s hands ¨C something Li Yifei absolutely would not tolerate. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Li Yifei dodged the woman¡¯s unpredictable flying dagger from her foot, he did not stop his assault on her. His arms, while rotating, aimed strike after strike at her waist and abdomen.


    The woman¡¯s flying dagger from her foot failed again, which shocked her greatly. She had hoped to seize the opportunity to draw a few more daggers, but Li Yifei was still able to launch a fierce attack on her, leaving her no chance to draw her weapon. She had no choice but to withstand Li Yifei¡¯s onslaught with her true martial prowess.


    To master the flying dagger with precision, accuracy is paramount. However, to hone the art of the flying dagger to such skill, aside from accuracy, strength is the most crucial. Only with sufficient strength can one use the flying dagger like a firearm, an indication of this woman¡¯s substantial innate strength.


    Her strength was formidable, but it still fell short of Li Yifei¡¯s. Several of Yifei¡¯s punches landed on her arms, and although they didn¡¯t cause any visible damage, they left her arms throbbing with pain, as if her bones were about to break. Even her internal organs seemed to have been shaken.


    "This is simply a monster!" For the first time, the woman regarded a man in such a way. In her eyes, men were like ants under her boot, to be killed at her whim. Only now did she realize she had encountered a true master.


    No sooner had this thought arisen than another wave of Li Yifei¡¯s attacks came at her. She could only defend passively, the idea of launching an attack was utterly impossible.


    Li Yifei himself was quite astonished. Under his fierce onslaught, this woman was still holding up¡ªa rarity since he had reached a certain level of mastery in martial arts. The woman¡¯s strength might even match that of Zheng Mingrui.


    But the stronger she was, the more Li Yifei knew he had to kill her. Otherwise, under her entanglement, both he and Zheng Mingrui would be severely hindered, making the rescue of the people on the ferry all the more difficult.


    "Hey!" Suddenly, Li Yifei let out a thunderous roar, his body seemed to swell, and his attack intensity increased by another ten percent.


    The woman was now struggling even more to cope, backed into a corner by Li Yifei. If this continued, it would take less than half a minute before she would undoubtedly meet her demise at his hands.


    "Stop, don¡¯t move!" A commanding shout came from the doorway, and two men, guns trained, pointed at Li Yifei and the woman.


    Li Yifei inwardly cursed the timing but had no choice but to cease his attack. If he continued attacking the woman, and the people behind fired their guns, he would not possibly be able to dodge the bullets.


    "Who are you?" The newcomers were two security guards, drawn by the sound of Li Yifei¡¯s gunfire. Upon arriving, they saw him fighting the woman, and their instinctive reaction was to raise their guns to stop the fight without knowing the circumstances.


    Li Yifei raised his hands and slowly stepped back two paces, yet his eyes remained fixed on the woman, ready to prevent her from launching a sudden attack. "This woman is a hijacker," he said.


    The two security guards jumped in surprise, turning their gaze toward the woman. At that moment, she suddenly crouched down, and two flying daggers hurtled towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, already on guard, swiftly dodged. The woman then dashed towards the side, and before the two security guards could understand what was happening, she had already rushed past them.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to give chase, one security guard let out a scream and stumbled toward him, obstructing his pursuit.

 Chapter 637 - 661 Zheng Mingrui’s Strength

    Chapter 637: Chapter 661 Zheng Mingrui¡¯s StrengthLi Yifei was truly frustrated. He couldn¡¯t believe that under such circumstances, he had let the female kidnapper escape, but he had to admit, this woman was undoubtedly one of the toughest opponents he had ever encountered. Unless they were in a closed environment, it was not going to be easy to take her down.


    One security guard had been killed, and another was unharmed, but now seemed somewhat lost as he stood by his fallen comrade. The security guards on this ferry were always strong and incidents were rare, so this sudden turn of events had caught him off guard.


    At this time, Li Yifei said, "There are many kidnappers on this cruise ship. The auction hall has already fallen under their control, and we still don¡¯t know whether the bridge and the captain have been secured as well."


    The security guard, though well-trained, was briefly panicked. He soon regained his composure and said, "Who are you? And why should I believe you?"


    Li Yifei frowned and responded, "Many people have died near the engine room, including our security guards and some thugs. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to check for yourself. That expert sought me out on her own, which means they must have realized something went wrong. They are probably going to be even more aggressive now. You¡¯d better inform your team."


    Li Yifei had originally wanted to keep things quiet to avoid provoking the kidnappers into drastic actions, but that was no longer an option. He had no choice but to coordinate with the security guards on the cruise ship. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The security guard was still hesitant, but Li Yifei paid him no mind as he quickly left the entertainment room. The situation had changed, and he had to get back to the auction hall where the people closest to him were. If he couldn¡¯t protect everyone on the cruise ship, he had to ensure the safety of those around him.


    On the way, he communicated with Zheng Mingrui, who had already started taking action, cleaning up the thugs in the power room. However, Zheng had also encountered a sniper attack.


    The ones blocking Zheng Mingrui¡¯s path were four blond, white men ¡ª members of the acrobatics troupe. Each of these men was over two meters tall and weighed around three hundred pounds.


    Three hundred pounds would make an average person obese, but these four were naturally tall and extraordinarily burly. Despite their weight, they didn¡¯t appear fat, nor clumsy; each of them was quite agile and extremely strong.


    The four of them cornered Zheng Mingrui in a room, forming a wall that made escape impossible.


    Zheng Mingrui had no intention of fleeing. He had always pursued strength. Li Yifei of the Flying Hawk Squad had been his target, a goal he had never managed to surpass. After Li Yifei¡¯s departure from the Flying Hawk Squad, Zheng temporarily lost his pursuit. The lack of formidable opponents recently had left him feeling lonely.


    These four, however, seemed to have some skill, which not only alleviated Zheng Mingrui¡¯s frustration but also excited him. He licked his lips with his tongue, like a bloodthirsty wolf that had just spotted fresh prey.


    "Come on, four blond puppies. Come at me all at once," Zheng Mingrui taunted, extending his thumb toward the four men, then flipping the gesture into an insult.


    The four big men¡¯s faces instantly showed anger. Two of them stepped forward, each throwing a punch towards Zheng Mingrui¡¯s chest.


    Zheng Mingrui, who was well over 1.8 meters tall himself but looked like a child compared to them, watched as their fists, large as woks, approached. He neither dodged nor evaded, but instead, threw two punches right back at their fists. His fists seemed like small bowls against their wok-sized hands, which looked like he was at a great disadvantage size-wise.


    The faces of the two big men showed mocking smiles as they put more power into their punches, thinking they could finish Zheng Mingrui with just one blow each.


    "Bang! Bang!" The sounds of the colliding fists echoed almost simultaneously.


    Normally, when two three-hundred-pound men exchange punches with someone like Zheng Mingrui, weighing around 170 to 180 pounds, one would expect Zheng to be sent flying from the sheer force, let alone from a punch. But strangely, things didn¡¯t go as one would expect. Although Zheng did step back, it was just by one step, whereas the two heavyweights staggered back several steps, nearly falling over.


    "Haha, not too shabby, huh? But just the two of you are not enough," Zheng Mingrui cackled triumphantly and gestured again invitingly at the four men.


    At this moment, the four burly men no longer dared to underestimate Zheng Mingrui. They now realized that this little dwarf from Huaxia, at least in their eyes, Zheng Mingrui was short, was indeed a formidable opponent. With a roar, the four men charged at Zheng Mingrui like four massive polar bears.


    Zheng Mingrui also let out a fierce shout and, instead of retreating, he advanced directly toward one of the burly men. That man¡¯s evasive skills were definitely inferior to Zheng Mingrui¡¯s, leaving him with no choice but to meet force with force. With both arms thrusting out, leveraging his height and arm length, he tried to force Zheng Mingrui back.


    Zheng Mingrui didn¡¯t budge, and his fists collided with that of the man¡¯s punches.


    "Crack!" A strange noise sounded, followed by a blood-curdling scream from the bear-like man. Zheng Mingrui¡¯s punch had shattered the bones in his hand, with two broken bones even protruding from his back ¨C a truly gruesome sight.


    Having struck successfully, Zheng Mingrui didn¡¯t stop; he twisted his body and dodged the punches from the guy on his left, then he found himself crashing into his embrace.


    At this moment, the man was unable to counter and save himself, and his body became a shield for Zheng Mingrui, blocking the other two men¡¯s attacks.


    Zheng Mingrui lowered his shoulder and rammed it into the chest cavity of the bear-like man, a particularly fragile part of the human body. The impact caused the man¡¯s stomach to convulse with unbearable pain, bending over involuntarily.


    Then, with a fierce upward thrust of his elbow, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s elbow crashed heavily into the man¡¯s chin.


    The man let out a ghastly cry, fell backward, and while he was in the air, he spat out a mouthful of blood that contained a few teeth and a piece of his tongue.


    In just two moves, Zheng Mingrui had taken down two men. It looked easy, but in reality, it was quite exhausting. Considering the two men together weighed around six hundred pounds, even if they only stood there, it would take all the strength a normal person could muster to knock them down, and these were no ordinary men, nor were they mere meat mountains. Although Zheng Mingrui was strong, he hadn¡¯t transcended human limits, so taking down two men had left him somewhat drained.


    Yet, the other two men were also extremely fierce. Despite the initial shock caused by Zheng Mingrui¡¯s moves, they continued to attack him. At that moment, as his old strength waned and new strength hadn¡¯t yet emerged, Zheng Mingrui could no longer clash head-on with the two men, so he shifted his stance and already avoided their attacks.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s combat skills were indeed profound, coming not only from carrying out missions but also from sparring within the squad, where true martial skills were honed. Though they held back somewhat, their blows were still heavy. Zheng Mingrui had encountered many strong Europeans like these before, so dealing with these two men was almost effortless for him now.


    "Thump, thump." After several dodges, Zheng Mingrui had fully recovered, and he relished in this kind of fierce combat. The stronger the opponent, the more he enjoyed solving the problem with brute force. Evading the attack of the man on his left, his right leg fiercely kicked into the man¡¯s abdomen, bending him over with the sheer force of the blow.


    Struck hard, the burly man suffered not only from the pain but also knew he was about to endure an even heavier beating. He tried to bring his arms back to protect his face, but although his intentions were correct, his speed couldn¡¯t match Zheng Mingrui¡¯s. Just as Zheng Mingrui¡¯s kicking leg bent, his knee lifted, and then it smashed into the man¡¯s face before he could guard it with his arms.


    "Ow!" The man screamed, and Zheng Mingrui¡¯s knee sent his three-hundred-pound body flying off the ground. The tremendous force not only bloodied his face but also damaged his cervical spine from the impact, causing him to convulse a few times on landing before lying still.


    Now only one man was left, and Zheng Mingrui, no longer holding back, unleashed a fierce barrage of attacks onto him.


    None of the four had gained the upper hand over Zheng Mingrui, and now with just one remaining, he could do nothing but endure the beating. Within moments, Zheng Mingrui had beaten him down to the ground, where he lay breathless.


    To Zheng Mingrui, fighting such opponents brought no pride; they were far from true masters, their only advantage being their strong physiques. Against ordinary people, they indeed had a huge advantage, but faced with a master like Zheng Mingrui, they were doomed.


    Zheng Mingrui knew they were bandits, and when he fought back, he showed no mercy. For the members of the Flying Hawk Squad, killing terrorists was nothing out of the ordinary; they operated beyond the confines of the law.


    Receiving a message from Li Yifei, his eyes narrowed, and his face lit up with excitement. He had experienced such situations many times before, and each time he had successfully completed the mission, but this time, he had come with Lin Wanqing, and to demonstrate his heroism in front of the woman he liked was certainly a pleasant prospect. Moreover, Li Yifei had tasked him to play the hero at the end, which suited him even better. Otherwise, with Li Yifei present, his own shine might easily be overshadowed.

 Chapter 638 - 662: Blow Up the Ship

    Chapter 638: Chapter 662: Blow Up the ShipIn the cruise ship¡¯s bridge, there were over ten people at that moment, including the captain, the first mate, and other crew members, totaling six people. Additionally, there were four people with loaded guns pointing at these six, and two more seated on a nearby sofa, one of whom was in a crew uniform resembling that of a deputy captain.


    That deputy captain was the leader of this operation, named Paul Pierce. He had worked on this ship for several years, climbing up from a menial crew member to the position of deputy captain, earning himself a high income.


    However, as his position advanced, so did his imbalance in mindset. On the same cruise, while guests enjoyed themselves, he and others were merely service staff, particularly envious of the wealthy guests who spent money frivolously, leading to an extreme feeling of discontent within him.


    Two years prior, he had begun plotting a grand heist. Over time, he accumulated contacts¡ªdesperate outlaws who coincidentally were around for a major auction event on the ship, attracting numerous wealthy individuals and presenting an excellent opportunity.


    Using his status, he had managed to smuggle a batch of weapons onto the ship.


    Then he had his men placed as security personnel or entertainers, while some were disguised as guests.


    Everything had been going smoothly. They had gained control of the captain and several key locations on the ship, essentially taking over. The next step was to loot extensively.


    But then, two people unexpectedly disrupted their plan, causing him significant irritation. According to the information received, these two were exceedingly proficient, having already killed over thirty of his men, and if this continued, it could even lead to the failure of their operation.


    "Sophia, did you kill him?" When the woman skilled with the flying dagger arrived at the captain¡¯s quarters, Paul Pierce immediately asked in urgency.


    "I am no match for him," the woman named Sophia said simply.


    "What? Your flying dagger couldn¡¯t kill him?" Paul Pierce cried out, eyes wide with shock.


    Among these people, Sophia was an exceptional woman. When she first joined, many of the men had designs on her, but after she killed a few with her flying daggers, everyone became aware of her impressive skill and her ruthlessness. Her flying dagger was universally recognized as more lethal than a gun and she was considered the top expert among their group.


    They had assumed that with her taking action, the problem would certainly be handled, but to their surprise, it still ended in failure.


    Sophia nodded, admitting, "Yes, my flying dagger cannot kill him and had it not been for two security guards happening by, I would be dead."


    The others in the room all inhaled sharply, stunned by the prowess of their opponent. As the deputy captain, he was well-aware of the ship¡¯s security personnel, and those who were capable had either been given time off for this voyage, or had been eliminated before the operation commenced. The sudden emergence of two skilled opponents caught him off guard.


    Just then, more news arrived¡ªthe four burly men who had confronted the other expert were all killed, causing Paul Pierce¡¯s face to twist drastically.


    "Change of plans. Have the auction hall transfer the money quickly; let¡¯s leave sooner," Paul Pierce decided swiftly, then sneered, "Then we¡¯ll sink the cruise ship. Even if you two Huaxia monkeys are formidable, I¡¯ll send you to meet God."


    By now, Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui had reached the outside of the auction hall, silently killing several thugs in the corridor. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With their whereabouts exposed, the thugs were no longer at ease. Though there were other places that required their attention, with the majority of hostages here, failing to rescue them would leave them in a passive position. Thus, they decided to tackle the auction hall first before proceeding with the next step.


    Since there were more wrongdoers and hostages here, neither felt confident handling it alone, so they decided to join forces.


    The two slipped into the auction hall through windows, and at that moment, the auction hall descended into chaos, with several thugs hastening the transfer of funds at the front. They had been informed to transfer as much as they could within the next fifteen minutes, then evacuate quickly.


    Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui could not wait for them, as they had obtained communication devices from the dead thugs and knew that not only would the thugs retreat after fifteen minutes but also planned to shoot hostages to create chaos, facilitating their escape.


    Therefore, Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui had to take down these villains within that fifteen-minute window.


    They positioned themselves in two spots on the ceiling, and suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed as when the thugs had first occupied the auction hall and cut the power.


    This time not only were the guests bewildered, the thugs, too, seemed at a loss. It was then that Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui struck simultaneously. Although their skills might not compare to Sophia¡¯s flying dagger prowess, in this scenario, their abilities were far from weak. With a flick of their wrists, their iron nails flew into action.


    Thud, thud...


    Within moments, several attackers were struck by nails in their vital points, and then, like ghosts in the dark night, the two assailants pounced from the air, slaying those attackers based on the locations they had memorized.


    By the time the emergency lights in the hall came on, half of the attackers had already been dealt with by the pair.


    Cole and Hovde were the primary targets Li Yifei had intended to kill first, but this slippery foe managed to duck behind a table when the lights abruptly went out, narrowly escaping death. As soon as the lights came on, he immediately yelled, "Attack, kill the hostages."


    But it was already too late. Zheng Mingrui, like a fierce tiger, pounced in front of him, grabbed him by the neck, and commanded in a cold voice, "Nobody move."


    There were six attackers left, who hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. In their moment of indecision, Li Yifei, like the Grim Reaper wielding his scythe, fired six shots in rapid succession, instantly killing an attacker.


    The sound of gunfire abruptly jarred the nerves of all the tourists, causing an uproar to break out in chaos.


    Li Yifei raised his hand and fired a burst of bullets at the ceiling, while Zheng Mingrui, after dropping the limp forms of Cole and Hovde, commanded over the microphone, "Don¡¯t move!"


    The command, amplified by the sound of gunfire, stunned everyone into silence.


    Zheng Mingrui then loudly declared, "There are many hijackers on this ship. If you run around, you¡¯ll only be sending yourselves to death. If you want to live, sit down and stay put."


    Often, dangers are man-made, and with so many people, a frenzied rush could easily lead to a trampling incident, resulting in tragic deaths.


    "Husband!"


    By this time, Li Yifei had already joined Xu Yingying and the others. Xu Yingying immediately rushed into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, clinging tightly to his waist, anxiously asking, "Is our daughter alright?"


    Touched, Li Yifei knew that Little Yifei wasn¡¯t Xu Yingying¡¯s biological daughter, but in such a moment, her first thought was for Little Yifei¡ªa rare and precious concern. He patted her on the shoulder and smiled, "Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine."


    Xu Shanshan grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, excitedly saying, "Brother-in-law, you are so cool! You took care of so many bad guys in no time."


    Li Yifei reached up and ruffled Xu Shanshan¡¯s hair, saying, "Stop flattering me. It¡¯s not very safe here; let¡¯s get out."


    No sooner had Li Yifei spoken than a series of loud bangs erupted, causing everyone to stagger as if on a trampoline, unable to even stand steady. It was quite a while before the noise finally ceased.


    "Damn it, they¡¯ve blown up the ship," Li Yifei¡¯s complexion changed drastically as he said urgently, "Come on, follow me out."


    By then, controlling the situation was impossible; the crowd surged towards the exits en masse. Fortunately, Li Yifei and his group were near the back and closest to the door, allowing them to quickly dash out of the auction room.


    Once everyone had reached the deck, it was already crowded with people. Although the massive cruise ship still seemed stable, Li Yifei knew that such an explosion would have surely breached the hull, and this temporary stability would not last long¡ªthe ship would soon sink.


    "You guys stay here; I¡¯m going to fetch Little Yifei and the others," instructed Li Yifei, quickly dashing back into the ship. He soon found Chu Xiaoyao and the others in their room. While they had heard the loud explosion, they hadn¡¯t moved until Li Yifei arrived.


    Li Yifei led them to the deck, where the crew had already begun evacuating passengers in lifeboats, a clear sign the cruise ship was doomed to sink.


    The attackers had blown up the ship and evacuated beforehand, even killing the captain. Now, other personnel aboard were in charge of directing the operation.


    Bearing the lessons of past cruise disasters, enough lifeboats were stocked to avoid the high death toll due to insufficient evacuating capacity seen before.


    However, the scene was in utter chaos, with countless people pushing toward the railing, each desperate to be the first on the lifeboats. The knowledge that the ship was evacuating meant it was sinking, and recalling the movie "Titanic" sparked fear in everyone of being left behind. At that moment, civility was forsaken for the sake of survival.


    "Make way, this is an important provincial leader; let the leader on board first," two people yelled as they fought their way through the crowd, protecting a man in his fifties.


    "Screw your leader!" In the face of life and death, who cared if someone was a leader? The man¡¯s shouts only infuriated several others, provoking them to squeeze even tighter, anything but willing to let them pass first. This wasn¡¯t a group of schoolchildren that could be easily bluffed by the word "leader."

 Chapter 639 - 663 Evacuation

    Chapter 639: Chapter 663 Evacuation"Ladies and gentlemen, please do not crowd. Let the elderly, women, and children board the boat first; men should board later!" The crew on the boat were very professional, trying their best to maintain order, but it was clearly having little effect.


    Such chaos only served to slow the evacuation process, and it was not without danger. In just a short time, several people had already fallen into the sea.


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow. If the situation wasn¡¯t brought under control soon, there could be serious casualties. He gave Zheng Mingrui a look, and Zheng immediately picked up the Micro Assault Rifle he was carrying and fired several shots into the sky.


    No matter how much the crew shouted, it wasn¡¯t as effective as the sound of gunfire. People all around let out cries of alarm, and everyone was too scared to move.


    Zheng Mingrui snatched a microphone from one of the crew members and bellowed, "Everyone follow the orders. If anyone dares to cause more chaos, I will blast them with a bullet."


    Zheng¡¯s stern approach seemed to work; the crowd around him settled down. Under the crew¡¯s coordination, the elderly, women, and children were the first being arranged to board the boat.


    "Let¡¯s let our leaders board the boat first." At that moment, some provincial leader was trying to push through with the help of two escorts.


    Bang! A gunshot rang out, and the person who had spoken took a misstep and fell to the ground, immediately clutching his thigh and crying out in pain.


    "Fuck your grandma, what¡¯s so great about leaders? Leaders should be the last ones right now, ensuring everyone¡¯s safety during the evacuation. Otherwise, what¡¯s the use of you being leaders?" Zheng Mingrui roared fiercely.


    This statement resonated with everyone. Even though the people there were wealthy, as businessmen, they were often suppressed by the government. They frequently disapproved of these officials. It was bad enough that the officials asserted privileges on a regular basis, but now they were trying to use their status to be the first to escape by boat, which truly infuriated everyone.


    Moreover, Zheng really dared to shoot. The deterrent effect was very significant. Now, even if some men wanted to seek special treatment, they obediently didn¡¯t dare to make a move.


    "You, go and maintain order. If anyone disobeys at this time, just shoot them directly," Zheng bellowed at a few security guards who were exchanging glances.


    One of the guards hesitated, "But... if we injure the guests..."


    Zheng cursed, "Screw the guests. If we don¡¯t maintain order immediately, how many more people will die? Right, isn¡¯t there some leader from the province here? Ask him if there¡¯s any problem with maintaining order like this?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei leaned in and whispered in his ear, "This is your chance. If you want to get promoted, act now."


    The leader was fat with a large ear, and his face had turned the color of iron at this point. He was already irate for being stopped, and now that Zheng was calling him out, he felt even more on the spot.


    After gritting his teeth, the leader finally nodded and said, "Let¡¯s prioritize maintaining order. If anyone doesn¡¯t behave, it will affect more people¡¯s chance to escape." He was going all in. Since he couldn¡¯t escape early, he wouldn¡¯t let others take advantage of the situation. If the evacuation was successful, he would still be the hero who handled the crisis.


    As for the possibility of killing a few who disobeyed orders, compared to saving several thousand people, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He could even pull some strings and label those who didn¡¯t follow the rules as terrorists.


    "I am Vice Governor Liu Yusheng from the provincial government. The most important thing for the crew on board now is to maintain order. If anyone dares to cause trouble, you may use some unconventional means. I will take responsibility for any issues that arise," the man declared, finally saying something that satisfied Li Yifei.


    With the Vice Governor¡¯s declaration, the ship¡¯s crew immediately felt more confident and dispersed to maintain order. Gunshots continued sporadically, clearly using the threat of firearms to enforce discipline now.


    The evacuation speed was now extremely fast. In no time at all, most of the women and children had been evacuated from the ship. Li Yifei then turned to the women with him and said, "Alright, now it¡¯s your turn to board."


    Xu Yingying showed the presence of a leader, saying, "Yiyi, Xiaoyao, take Little Yifei and board the ship quickly. Mengxin, Michelle, Sister Fangqing, Xiaoyao, Shanshan, you board as well."


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "What about you?"


    Xu Yingying turned her head to look at Li Yifei and said, "I¡¯ll stay here with Yifei, we¡¯ll leave together."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "No, you get on the boat."


    "No! We are husband and wife, and as such, we should live and die together. I must stay here with you," Xu Yingying adamantly refused.


    Zheng Mingrui then said with envy, "Boss, your wife is really great."


    At that moment, Lin Wanqing snorted and said, "Don¡¯t sound so sour, I¡¯ll also stay to accompany you."


    Zheng Mingrui was ecstatic at this. Lin Wanqing¡¯s words were undoubtedly a true acknowledgment of their relationship, but after the joy, he immediately shook his head and said, "No, no, you must get on the boat right now."


    "Humph, if Sister-in-law can do it, why can¡¯t I? You¡¯re underestimating me too much." Lin Wanqing, not convinced, grabbed Zheng Mingrui¡¯s hand.


    Zheng Mingrui then felt so happy he was almost dizzy, holding Lin Wanqing¡¯s hand tightly, at that moment he was at a loss for words.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, all of you women must go. Mingrui and I, even if we encounter problems, can still find another way to leave. Mengxin, you should be very clear about this."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "That¡¯s right, Yingying, Wanqing, let¡¯s go. This isn¡¯t the time for rash decisions. If we stay here, we¡¯ll only cause them more trouble."


    This statement was very effective, and Xu Yingying and Lin Wanqing finally got on the boat somewhat reluctantly.


    However, now each boat had quite a few people on it, and they couldn¡¯t sit together. They were scattered across several small boats.


    "Husband, be careful!" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes were filled with tears.


    "Brother-in-law! I¡¯ll wait for you to come home for dinner tonight," shouted Xu Shanshan loudly.


    Chu Xiaoyao, with tears in her eyes, called out, "Uncle, if you don¡¯t come back, I¡¯ll come to accompany you tomorrow."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes were red, and her lips quivered twice as she said softly, "Brother Li, you must come back."


    He Fangqing gazed at Li Yifei, just giving him a smile. She wanted to say something but ended up saying nothing. Michelle bit her teeth and said, "Brother Li, I believe that you will definitely make it."


    Meng Xiaofei, still very light-hearted, said with a giggly smile, "Brother Li, if you¡¯re gone, all these beauties will just marry someone else, and imagine how many green hats you¡¯d have to wear then."


    Su Mengxin was smiling as she looked at Li Yifei. She had absolute confidence in him. Even if Li Yifei couldn¡¯t get on the boat, he would surely find a way to escape, and nothing would happen to him.


    Little Yifei looked around at everyone, seeing so many beautiful aunts talking to her father, she felt that she should say something too. Yet she didn¡¯t comprehend the danger of the situation, and after tilting her head and thinking for a while, just as the boats began to descend, she said in her baby voice, "Daddy, catch me a shark to play with."


    The people around them all stared with wide eyes at this unique little girl, while Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Okay, daddy will catch you a shark to play with when I return."

 Chapter 640 - 664: Boarded the Thieves’ Ship

    Chapter 640: Chapter 664: Boarded the Thieves¡¯ ShipThe women were all sent onto the lifeboats, and each lifeboat was manned by a sailor responsible for rowing, quickly moving away from the cruise ship. After all, when a ship sinks, the force of the water flow can sweep everything around it into the sea, an irresistible force.


    At that moment, the ship suddenly shook violently, and a chorus of alarmed cries erupted from the passengers. The crew shouted urgently for everyone to get into the lifeboats quickly, but these boats had to be mechanically transferred from their storage. After everyone was aboard, they were then lowered into the sea, which took time. So even if they wanted to speed up the process, it couldn¡¯t be done in an instant.


    Two more groups had boarded the boats, and the cruise ship had already begun to tilt. The most crucial problem now was that the mechanical device used to transfer the lifeboats malfunctioned, and no more could be brought up. Meanwhile, there were still over a thousand people on board.


    "Crack!" A strange, snapping sound.


    "Jump into the sea!" Li Yifei bellowed, and the other crew members also began to shout.


    Being experienced, they knew the ship was about to break apart, and once that happened, it would sink quickly. If people went down with the ship, they would undoubtedly die. With the limited time they had, their best chance at survival was to jump into the sea and quickly move away from the cruise ship.


    "I can¡¯t swim!" someone immediately yelled out.


    "I can¡¯t swim either!" Even a burly man felt like crying, knowing that in the vast open sea, being a strong swimmer wasn¡¯t enough to avoid a tragedy if you couldn¡¯t swim.


    "You all have life jackets on; even if you jump into the sea, you won¡¯t drown right away. Rescue will come soon."


    There were enough life jackets on the ship for everyone, and those who could swim began jumping into the sea one after another under the crew¡¯s urging. Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t do anything more at this point. They weren¡¯t saviors, and having done all they could under the circumstances was no small feat. After urging those nearby who were hesitant, they threw the last few into the sea and then leaped in themselves.


    Everyone swam with all their might, the strong swimmers faster than others. Those who couldn¡¯t swim were at least able to paddle away thanks to their life jackets. Some people were accompanied by companions, looking after one another, so it wasn¡¯t a big problem. Before long, those who had jumped in had put some distance between themselves and the cruise ship.


    Then, a loud explosion was heard from behind. Li Yifei turned to look and saw the cruise ship split in half. The midsection was starting to sink while the bow and stern rose high into the air. The scene was quite similar to what one would see in a movie. If there had been people on the ship at that moment, they would have slid into the water one by one, just like in a film.


    "Swim faster!" Li Yifei yelled, and the people nearby swam away with all their strength. No one was foolish enough to stay close, knowing that if they didn¡¯t move further away, they could be sucked into the torrent created by the sinking ship, sealing their fate.


    In their struggle to survive, everyone unleashed their greatest potential and, by the time the cruise ship went down, hardly anyone was in a dangerous position.


    For such a major disaster to have not taken many lives on the spot indeed counted as a miracle in the history of shipwrecks. Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui were now taking care of those in the water, directing them to the lifeboats. After the cruise ship had sunk, the lifeboats had already begun rowing towards them. Although the small boats couldn¡¯t carry all the people, having them hold onto the sides provided a measure of safety.


    Xu Yingying and her group rowed back, searching for Li Yifei among the hundreds of small boats on the sea, not knowing which one he had boarded.


    More than an hour later, rescue vessels arrived one after another and saved the tourists, but since none were as large as the cruise ship, not everyone had yet regathered.


    Once everyone was safely on land, they gathered together, but Xu Yingying¡¯s worst fears were realized¡ªLi Yifei was not to be found, nor were Su Mengxin, Michelle, and Xu Shanshan, who had all been on one boat earlier.


    Greatly alarmed, Xu Yingying was approached by Zheng Mingrui. She quickly asked, "Mingrui, where¡¯s Yifei?"


    Only then did Zheng Mingrui realize Li Yifei wasn¡¯t there and immediately responded, "Sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get in touch with the boss immediately. You can rest assured, the boss will definitely be alright."


    Using his watch communicator, Zheng Mingrui hastily sent a message to Li Yifei, and soon received a reply. He smiled at Xu Yingying and said, "Sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. The boss is fine now, though he¡¯s encountered some complications and is with Miss Su."


    "What exactly happened to them?" Xu Yingying let out a sigh of relief but quickly followed up with another question.


    Zheng Mingrui shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t know the specifics. The boss just told me that he¡¯s a bit indisposed now and will contact me later."


    "Then we should hurry and send a rescue team," said Xu Yingying urgently.


    Zheng Mingrui nodded and assured her, "You can rest easy, sister-in-law. I can determine the boss¡¯s exact location, and I¡¯ll go to his aid right away."


    "I¡¯m coming with you," she insisted.


    "There¡¯s no need for that. You should go back and rest instead. Oh, and Wanqing, you go with the sister-in-laws. I¡¯ll join you all once I pick up the boss," said Zheng Mingrui.


    Lin Wanqing nodded, knowing that Zheng Mingrui was very capable, and that he had shown great strength on the cruise, which had deepened her feelings for him. She said with concern, "Be careful."


    Zheng Mingrui laughed heartily, "Don¡¯t worry, as long as the boss and I are together, there¡¯s nothing in this world we can¡¯t handle."


    Li Yifei had run into trouble at that moment. He too was picked up by a boat at sea, but there were only four people on this boat¡ªSu Mengxin, Xu Shanshan, Michelle, and the Flying Dagger woman, Sophia. As for the rest of the people who had been on the boat, it was unclear whether Sophia had killed them or thrown them overboard.


    Su Mengxin and the others clumsily pulled Li Yifei onto the boat and then huddled together with him, warily watching Sophia. They had just seen Sophia throw all the people on the boat overboard.


    Li Yifei gave Sophia a slight smile, "Thank you for not hurting them."


    Sophia¡¯s face, currently without a mask, was cold as she looked at Li Yifei, "They¡¯re your people. As long as I haven¡¯t killed you, I won¡¯t kill them yet."


    Li Yifei laughed, "For that alone, I might spare you once."


    "Hmph, that¡¯s if you even get the chance," Sophia said, and then she started rowing the boat. The small boat instantly sped away from the other boats on the sea, getting farther and farther until the others were no longer visible.


    "Brother-in-law, that woman is so fierce; she threw all the other people from our boat into the sea," said Xu Shanshan, emboldened by Li Yifei¡¯s presence, clinging to his arm and glaring at Sophia.


    Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, reassuring her, "It¡¯s okay, at least she didn¡¯t throw you into the sea, right?"


    "Brother-in-law, where are we going now?" Xu Shanshan pouted and asked again. Where they could go was now up to that woman, which made Xu Shanshan very uncomfortable.


    Li Yifei looked toward Sophia, "I¡¯d like to know that too."


    Sophia didn¡¯t say a word, just kept rowing the boat.


    Seeing that Sophia wasn¡¯t answering, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask again and said, "I¡¯m quite tired. Let¡¯s take a nap first, she¡¯ll call us when we get there."


    Saying this, Li Yifei actually yawned, leaned back, and lay down. Though the boat wasn¡¯t very large, it was rather spacious. It could normally fit fifteen or sixteen people, but now with only five, there was plenty of space.


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law, your clothes are all wet. Sleeping in them can easily make you catch a cold." The weather wasn¡¯t too good that day. Although there was no wind, it was overcast, without a trace of the sun, making the sea less warm and even a bit cold.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It¡¯s fine."


    "What do you mean fine? The weather isn¡¯t good today, and it¡¯s cold. Take off your clothes, and put them on again once they¡¯re dry," Xu Shanshan urged, pulling at Li Yifei¡¯s clothes.


    Su Mengxin also smiled, "Yeah, take them off."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Well, then I really will take them off," his gaze drifting toward Sophia.


    Sophia glared at Li Yifei, "Do as you like. I wouldn¡¯t want you to die with regrets about your clothes when I kill you."


    Li Yifei laughed out loud, quickly sat up, and stripped off his outerwear and trousers, revealing his muscular upper body, while below he only wore a pair of underwear. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin had seen Li Yifei like this often, so they weren¡¯t shy at that moment. Instead, their eyes lit up, although both feigned embarrassment as neither wanted to reveal their overly intimate relationship with Li Yifei.


    Michelle had also seen Li Yifei swimming like this, but now seeing him, she felt different and was quite embarrassed, yet couldn¡¯t help stealing glances at him.


    Sophia acted as if she hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei at all and continued rowing. However, Li Yifei could still sense a hint of shyness in the woman¡¯s gaze. It seemed she might be quite innocent, at least in regards to men and women, otherwise such a formidable assassin should not have shown such a look after seeing a man¡¯s body.


    But Li Yifei had no plans to fight with Sophia on the boat. If it were just the two of them, it would have been a different story, but with Xu Shanshan, Michelle, and Su Mengxin there, Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger would surely claim their lives if a fight broke out. So, for now, they could only let Sophia decide where to go.

 Chapter 641 - 665: Pulling Together in Times of Trouble

    Chapter 641: Chapter 665: Pulling Together in Times of TroubleAfter rowing for over an hour, Li Yifei received a message from Zheng Mingrui. Right then, in front of Sophia, he replied to it. After he finished replying, Sophia coldly said, "Turn that thing off. If you can kill me, then you can turn it back on. If you die by my hand, then try turning it back on. I don¡¯t want anyone to disturb us."


    "No problem!" Li Yifei promptly turned off his watch and then said to Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, I¡¯ve already informed your sister. They won¡¯t worry now."


    "Mm!" Xu Shanshan nodded, then yawned and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m a little cold. I want to lean on you and lie down for a while."


    Li Yifei immediately opened his arms and said, "Come here."


    Xu Shanshan immediately lay down next to Li Yifei, resting her head on his arm and hugging his chest, murmuring, "Brother-in-law, do you think it wil rain?"


    Li Yifei looked at the sky and said, "It looks like it¡¯s about to start. If it starts raining and the wind picks up, if we don¡¯t find land, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll all drown."


    Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei tighter and softly said, "It¡¯s alright. With brother-in-law here, even if I drown, I won¡¯t be afraid."


    Su Mengxin also looked at the sky, full of concern, and said, "It¡¯s really troublesome now. Miss, I don¡¯t know what exactly you want to do, but we¡¯re all in the same boat now. The most pressing issue is to find land before it rains, or to get on a bigger ship. Do you have that kind of assurance?"


    Sophia was also rather annoyed at this time. According to her memory, if they rowed forward for another two hours, there should be a small island. There, she could have a real contest with Li Yifei. But given the current circumstances, getting to the island was becoming quite difficult.


    However, given her character, she would never show weakness. She huffed and continued to row, but her movements became noticeably faster.


    "Yifei, the wind is picking up."


    After a while, the wind began to rise, and the waves surged along with it. The small boat rocked back and forth on the waves, splashing a lot of water into it. Everyone¡¯s clothes were quickly soaked, and with the wind blowing, everybody felt bitterly cold. Su Mengxin hugged her shoulders and moved closer to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei said, "Everyone, take off your clothes now."


    Although Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin didn¡¯t know why Li Yifei wanted them to do this, they didn¡¯t hesitate to start undressing as soon as he said it. Seeing Michelle not moving, Li Yifei promptly said, "Michelle, you too."


    Michelle¡¯s face instantly turned a shade of crimson, but she still bit her lip and reluctantly started to undress, her heart beating uncontrollably. ¡¯Could it be that Li Yifei thinks we¡¯re all going to die and wants to make a move on us now?¡¯ she thought. If that was really the case, then so be it. She had always liked Li Yifei. If she could give herself to him at the last moment of her life, there would be no regrets.


    But Michelle quickly realized she was wrong. Li Yifei quickly tore their clothes, as well as his own, into long strips, and then twisted them into a long rope, tying it around each person¡¯s waist while saying, "Our boat is definitely going to sink soon, and we¡¯ll end up in the sea. Although we have lifebuoys, the waves could easily sweep us away. Now, if we¡¯re tied together, I can take better care of all of you."


    The boat started to rock even more violently, and large raindrops began to fall from the sky, stinging when they hit the skin.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly clung tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s waist, her voice choked with emotion, "Brother-in-law, do you think we could really die?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Silly girl, with me here, how could I let you die?" In reality, Li Yifei also felt unsure at this moment. Although he had swum across dozens of nautical miles with Su Mengxin before, that was only with one person, and the weather was good. But now, with the weather being so severe and unable to distinguish direction in the vast sea, human strength appeared truly insignificant. Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t want them to lose hope, and so he remained composed amidst the chaos.


    Looking at Sophia, Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Do you want to stay with us?"


    "No need!" Sophia replied coldly.


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "I advise you to stay with us after all. Even if you¡¯re a great martial artist, you can¡¯t contend with the sea alone."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s not bother with her. It¡¯s all this bad woman¡¯s fault that we ended up like this."


    Li Yifei, although not keen on staying with this dangerous woman, knew if Sophia were with them, he would have a formidable ally, and everyone¡¯s chances of survival would increase. But it wasn¡¯t about saving her.


    Sophia snorted but didn¡¯t respond.


    Li Yifei helplessly shrugged his shoulders. Since she wouldn¡¯t agree, there was no point in bothering with her.


    The rumbling of thunder rolled on, lightning streaked across the sky like silver snakes, the wind grew fiercer, the rain heavier, and waves tossed their boat up and slammed it down into the troughs repeatedly. Soaked to the skin and battered, Li Yifei was tightly holding onto Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan, while Michelle was clinging firmly to his neck from behind. In the face of nature¡¯s fury, all pretense and shame had become unimportant¡ªno one would think there was anything improper about being this close to Li Yifei anymore.


    With a whoosh, another wave lifted their boat high, and this time Sophia failed to keep the balance. When the boat came crashing down, it capsized, and everyone was trapped underneath.


    Though everyone had anticipated this possibility, actually being thrown into the sea panicked Xu Shanshan and Michelle, who could only cling tightly to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had taken a deep breath just before the capsize and immediately began to dive down with everyone.


    In the midst of stormy winds and rain, the surface was chaotic with high seas, but a few meters below, the water was much calmer. Li Yifei, disoriented, could only swim forward, hoping to escape the storm¡¯s range and find salvation.


    But soon, Li Yifei started to feel pain. Michelle was still clinging tightly to his neck, nearly suffocating him. He hurriedly let go of Xu Shanshan, pulled Michelle in front, and finally got some relief around his neck. Then he immediately covered Michelle¡¯s mouth with his and transferred a breath to her.


    Michelle had never experienced falling into the sea before and was quite disoriented, instinctively holding on to Li Yifei¡ªa drowning person¡¯s reflexive response. But Li Yifei¡¯s breath quickly brought her back to her senses. Despite the pitch-black water where she could see nothing, she realized it was Li Yifei. She felt both embarrassed and awkward, never having imagined that such an incident could happen underwater.


    Feeling Michelle calm down, Li Yifei gently patted her back and tugged on the rope around her waist before letting go of her.


    Michelle got the message and released Li Yifei. Now that she had oxygen, she no longer panicked, especially with Li Yifei by her side, giving her reassurance.


    Li Yifei then gave another breath to Su Mengxin, who was well-versed in the procedure. She not only took a breath but also playfully explored Li Yifei¡¯s mouth with her tongue. In such dire circumstances, Su Mengxin¡¯s playfulness was somewhat amusing to Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to reciprocate. After letting go of Su Mengxin and tugging on the rope, he prepared to help Xu Shanshan breathe. However, when he pulled the person to him and felt clothes, he immediately knew it was Sophia and quickly let go. She hadn¡¯t been tied together with them but must have grabbed their ropes when the ship sank.


    Fortunately, at that moment Sophia didn¡¯t lash out. Otherwise, underwater, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid her Flying Dagger. This time he found Xu Shanshan and quickly gave the near breathless Xu Shanshan air.


    Xu Shanshan greedily inhaled from Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, reluctant to let go.


    At this point, Li Yifei was transferring breath to three people in addition to his own needs, which was a considerable burden. After helping each of the three once, he no longer had the capacity to continue a second cycle for them all. So, after swimming a bit further, he started to lead everyone up towards the surface. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Inhale!" As they neared the surface, their bodies began to act uncontrollably. Li Yifei could only do his best to hold on to them, worried the rope would not withstand the force after being strained for so long. Relying on his hands was more reliable.


    Finally reaching the surface, the high waves and fierce winds were torturous, and mouthfuls of rainwater and seawater were inescapable. But at least they were breathing fresh air. Li Yifei took a breath and shouted, "When I count to three, everyone take a breath and dive¡ªwe can stay under longer that way."


    "One! Two! Three!" Li Yifei had to shout, unsure if they could even hear him, then he pulled everyone down for the dive.


    This time, they were all prepared and not as frantic as before. Li Yifei didn¡¯t need much effort to take them down. After transferring breath twice more, they surfaced again.


    Li Yifei paid no mind to Sophia, but she cooperated well. In the face of nature¡¯s mighty power, human strength was insignificant. If she wanted to survive, she had to unite with Li Yifei and the others.


    Sophia¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t much inferior to Li Yifei¡¯s. Although she wasn¡¯t as adept in the water, she could at least take care of herself. And during the dives, she exerted a fair amount of effort¡ªotherwise, with just Li Yifei alone, repeatedly diving in the stormy sea with several people would have left him exhausted long ago.

 Chapter 642 - 666: Finding Pleasure in Pain

    Chapter 642: Chapter 666: Finding Pleasure in PainStruggling with such fierce winds and waves, Li Yifei was not at ease, but for Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin, and Michelle, it was quite easy, even somewhat sensuous.


    Apart from being able to see when surfacing, they couldn¡¯t see anything once submerged at the bottom of the sea, so whatever they did then, they weren¡¯t worried about others knowing.


    At first, during the few instances when Li Yifei performed the Breathing Transition with them, Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were just being a bit mischievous, but after several times, they weren¡¯t so well-behaved anymore.


    This time, it was Su Mengxin who first started teasing Li Yifei. She had been through life and death with him and even shared the experience of crossing the sea together. Her trust in Li Yifei was unparalleled by anyone else. Although the storm felt dangerous, in her view, as long as Li Yifei was there, there would be no problems. Therefore, from the first dive, she regarded the situation with an attitude of enjoyment.


    With such a mood, when Li Yifei gave her air, naturally, her feelings were different. It was like kissing, and with Xu Shanshan and Michelle beside her, this type of kiss carried the thrill of a secret affair. Thus, each time Li Yifei gave her air, her reactions became more intense. Initially, she only extended the tip of her tongue to gently lick Li Yifei¡¯s lips, but soon, she took the opportunity to stick her tongue into his mouth, entwining with his for a few seconds before stopping.


    For Li Yifei, it was making the best of a tough situation, and since it had no effect on him, he satisfied Su Mengxin each time. The feeling was quite enjoyable, so why not indulge?


    If Su Mengxin acted this way, Xu Shanshan did as well. This girl was always bold, initially because she felt scared in the sea, but after a few times, she no longer found it so frightening. When her lips touched Li Yifei¡¯s, how could she not think about kissing?


    In such circumstances, Li Yifei could still enjoy such delights despite knowing the danger. He became immersed in it too, even unconsciously extending his tongue into Michelle¡¯s mouth while giving her air.


    Michelle¡¯s body shuddered. This mouth-to-mouth Breathing Transition with Li Yifei was already sensual enough, filling her with a sweet sensation. She had not thought about any closer contact with Li Yifei, but now, surprised by his tongue in her mouth, she instinctively pulled away.


    But immediately after pulling away, Michelle regretted it. Considering the danger everyone was in, why hold such reservations? If they couldn¡¯t escape, they would perish at sea¡ªwould she not even experience a kiss from Brother Li?


    With that thought, the next time Li Yifei gave her air, she proactively extended her tongue.


    Li Yifei knew it was Michelle this time. He had already regretted extending his tongue to her earlier and hurriedly pushed her away when she took the initiative, but Michelle thought Li Yifei was upset because of her initial evasion. She quickly kissed him again, extending her tongue once more to show her resolve.


    Li Yifei silently sighed in his heart. At such a life or death moment, there was no need to keep rejecting Michelle, so he entwined his tongue with hers as well.


    Thus, every time Li Yifei gave them air, it was like kissing. The sensuality was unspeakable. Anyway, they were in the sea, unseen by anyone, and even if there were touches, only Li Yifei would know. This time, after Li Yifei finished giving her air, Xu Shanshan moved away from him, but her hand remained unrelenting.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t noticed at the time, but he soon realized something was wrong.


    This startled Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin. Such closeness suggested their secretive romantic relationships with Li Yifei had been discovered by someone else.


    But just now, Li Yifei was giving Su Mengxin a Breathing Transition, so there was also a chance that Mengxin was involved, but who was Su Mengxin, if not Huaxia¡¯s top beauty? Could she really have feelings for Brother Li? That would indeed be too terrifying.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin was also suspicious. She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Michelle or Xu Shanshan. She was well aware of Michelle¡¯s crush on Li Yifei. If Michelle had done this, it would make sense, but it seemed like the girl hadn¡¯t reached that point in her relationship with Li Yifei where such an action would be appropriate. However, under the extraordinary circumstances, people can do the unthinkable. If it was Michelle, it was entirely plausible.


    But there was also a chance it was Xu Shanshan. Shanshan was always quite affectionate towards Li Yifei, and she was also quite bold. If it was just a curious and playful girl touching Yifei, then that would be normal.


    Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were both unaware of each other¡¯s identity at this time. They were worried about being discovered by the other, yet they both wanted to know who the other was to better plan their reactions.


    Then, the two simultaneously came across a problem: surely Li Yifei must know who touched him. Both women simultaneously reached out and pinched him at his waist.


    Li Yifei realized there had been some underwater turbulence. He felt torn between amusement and difficulty. A pang in his waist let him know what Mengxin and Shanshan meant, but it wasn¡¯t something he could easily tell them. So he pretended nothing happened and led the group upward to continue their ascent.


    The sea was still stormy above, but as they came up for air, both Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan glanced at each other, then turned their eyes towards Michelle.


    Originally, this situation had nothing to do with Michelle. But her secret kiss with Li Yifei underwater was a big deal for her. Although it was dark down below and, in theory, no one should have seen the kiss, she felt the guilt of wrongdoing. She couldn¡¯t help stealthily observing the reactions of Shanshan and Mengxin upon surfacing.


    This made things worse. Her guilty demeanor led both Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin to instantly suspect that the other person was Michelle.


    And judging from Michelle¡¯s expression, it seemed she too was wondering who the other woman touching Li Yifei was. Thus, both Shanshan and Mengxin wore natural expressions, playing it cool. They were clever enough not to let on what they were thinking. At this moment, thinking everything was normal and that neither had noticed her kissing Yifei, Michelle did not realize she had been saddled with a huge blame.


    However, because of this event, both Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin dared not casually touch Li Yifei anymore. If they collided again and Michelle found out, things would indeed turn sour.


    The two of them refrained from touching Li Yifei, which meant he had less excitement, but right now he had no mind for that. After struggling in the stormy sea for more than an hour, he was very tired.


    Even with Li Yifei¡¯s great strength and stamina, his power seemed too feeble under the storm. Each time he surfaced for air took an increasingly greater effort. If the storm didn¡¯t cease, Yifei knew well he couldn¡¯t hold out much longer. The choice would then come down to either abandoning the others or dying together with them.


    Upon surfacing once more, Li Yifei caught sight of the malicious gleam in Sophia¡¯s eyes. Evidently, she too had realized this point. She wanted to kill them or simply abandon them. If it were just her and Li Yifei, their chances of survival would significantly increase.


    Li Yifei was startled. This was not a good sign. If Sophia were to act in such a manner right now, it would be very hard for him to handle.


    S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 643 - 667: A Turnaround at Desperation

    Chapter 643: Chapter 667: A Turnaround at DesperationWith a swift motion, Li Yifei suddenly embraced Sophia, who hadn¡¯t expected him to hold her in such a situation and instinctively wanted to fight back.


    But because Li Yifei¡¯s move could be considered a sneak attack, he had already tightly clamped her arm, preventing her from moving. Just as she was about to speak, she let out a low growl, her eyes almost bulging out, for at his lower body was a cold sensation¡ªclearly, Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger. With a mere twitch of her fingers, he¡¯d be turned into a real eunuch.


    However, Li Yifei still didn¡¯t let go, staring into Sophia¡¯s eyes and shouting, "I¡¯ve been through life and death with them. If any of them gets hurt, I¡¯ll die with them!" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was then that Sophia realized why Li Yifei was holding her. She looked at him coldly, her lips moved, seemingly saying something, but with the storm so fierce, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t hear a thing. Sophia, however, had already put away her dagger, and Li Yifei immediately released her, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body. This woman was truly too dangerous.


    Diving into the water once more, Li Yifei was much more cautious, but Sophia didn¡¯t make any further moves, which somewhat comforted him. It seemed that the words he had said earlier had an effect.


    Since the moment Li Yifei and Sophia had exchanged those words, Su Mengxin, Xu Shanshan, and Michelle felt even more stirred when it was Li Yifei¡¯s turn to give them the Breathing Transition. Adversity revealed true feelings; Li Yifei¡¯s words were more touching than any sweet nothings.


    After holding on for more than half an hour, Li Yifei seemed to be at the end of his strength. Although Su Mengxin and the others hadn¡¯t exerted much effort, the seawater was very cold under the storm, and the constant diving and surfacing also drained a lot of their energy. They too lacked the strength to go on. If this continued, they all knew that death was the only thing awaiting them.


    But it seemed as if their lives were not destined to end just yet¡ªthe storm suddenly weakened, and the waves were no longer so violent, which brought great joy to Li Yifei. He quickly urged everyone to rally, and at that moment, everyone felt a surge of energy, sustaining them for a significant amount of additional time.


    The wind stopped, the rain ceased, and they floated on the surface of the sea, none wanting to move even a finger.


    The afternoon sun became somewhat warmer, bringing a sense of warmth to their bodies, and finally, they slowly regained some vitality.


    "Brother-in-law, we¡¯ve finally made it through," Xu Shanshan took a deep breath and held Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly underwater.


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "Yeah, we made it." But his heart was far from relaxed. Now that everyone was so exhausted, and they were lost in the vast ocean, only finding land would mean real safety. What was most troubling was that his watch, which had a positioning system, had gone missing at some point. Zheng Mingrui could have used it to locate him, but now they had lost this most critical lifeline.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m hungry!" Xu Shanshan muttered at that moment.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That¡¯s easy to fix. Let¡¯s have some sashimi." Then he turned to Sophia, "Can you help us catch a few fish now?"


    Sophia snorted, and though she didn¡¯t answer, she promptly dived into the water. Soon after, she surfaced with two fish, each weighing over two pounds, in hand.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Thank you. Oh, could you lend me a knife?"


    This time Sophia was surprisingly cooperative, handing over a small knife to Li Yifei. Li Yifei then skillfully sliced open the fish skin and cut the flesh into thin slices, saying, "This is real sashimi, as fresh as it gets. It¡¯s not often we get to enjoy this." As he spoke, he took a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing and praising, "Good, so fresh, so delicious. Come on, everyone, have some."


    Sophia didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and immediately started eating. For her and Li Yifei, as long as it was about survival, not to mention eating sashimi, they would even eat poisonous snakes and scorpions without hesitation.


    Su Mengxin, Xu Shanshan, and Michelle had also eaten sashimi before, but it was always in restaurants with seasonings, so they didn¡¯t feel repulsed by it. Now, seeing the sashimi that had just been cut, they couldn¡¯t help feeling averse.


    However, seeing Li Yifei and Sophia eat it with relish, and also being extremely hungry themselves, they finally pushed through and ate a few pieces. The sashimi wasn¡¯t all that delicious and was quite fishy, but they all understood that if they didn¡¯t eat, they would have no strength and would just become a great burden. At this moment, they all showed exceptional fortitude.


    "Eh, Yifei, it seems like we are drifting with the current?" Mengxin suddenly spoke up after eating the sashimi.


    Li Yifei had already realized this and said, "This should be an ocean current. If we are lucky, the current will bring us closer to the shore. If we are unlucky, then we can only be carried further and further away."


    "What should we do?" Xu Shanshan asked worriedly.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "We don¡¯t have a choice. We¡¯re already in this current, and it¡¯s impossible to swim out, so we can only go with the flow."


    "Mm, then let¡¯s just go with the flow and take it as if we¡¯re sightseeing. We¡¯ve got sashimi to eat as well, which is pretty good." Mengxin had a positive attitude, still speaking in an easygoing tone at this moment.


    When it came to experience at sea, Sophia couldn¡¯t compare to Li Yifei. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have recklessly thought about bringing Li Yifei and the others to the island in a small boat. Now she could do nothing but follow Li Yifei and the others.


    The current was getting faster and faster, and now everyone felt that even swimming was futile, so they simply had to let themselves be carried along.


    This current was truly unpredictable, and after more than three hours had passed, everyone was uncertain about where they had been taken, with no signs of the current slowing down.


    And now the sun was getting closer and closer to the horizon. Li Yifei¡¯s heart was getting increasingly anxious. Once night fell, the temperature on the sea would drop a lot, and to maintain body temperature, one would consume a lot of energy. It was hard to say whether they could endure through the night.


    "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, is that land over there?" Xu Shanshan suddenly shouted.


    Li Yifei turned his head and saw a dark expanse, then immediately rejoiced, "That¡¯s an island, we must swim to that island."


    "Great!" Xu Shanshan and the others responded in unison at once.


    Li Yifei looked toward Sophia and said, "Now, both of us must work hard together; otherwise, neither of us will be able to make it across."


    Sophia once again had the thought of abandoning the three women, but Li Yifei¡¯s words caused her to abandon this idea, and she nodded.

 Chapter 644 - 668: Without Clothes

    Chapter 644: Chapter 668: Without ClothesLi Yifei spoke again, "Everyone get ready. I¡¯ll let you know when to put in effort. Our direction should still be towards that island. For now, let¡¯s conserve some energy."


    At this time, everyone looked to Li Yifei as their leader and had no objections. Each person was saving the little strength they had left, hoping to swim to the island in one go.


    As they saw the island getting closer, everyone¡¯s breathing became more hurried. Li Yifei was constantly feeling for the direction of the ocean current. When the direction of the current changed, he immediately shouted and started swimming vigorously towards the island.


    Sophia also followed him immediately. She had tied a rope around her waist as well. The two of them swam in front, left and right, like two strong horses pulling a cart, while Su Mengxin, Xu Shanshan, and Michelle also swam with all their might. Their own strength might not be enough to contend with the current, but putting in a bit more effort could save Li Yifei some energy.


    The ocean current met another current here, and that caused its force to diminish considerably. Otherwise, given their current state of exhaustion, it would have been virtually impossible for Li Yifei to lead everyone out of the current.


    They were lucky to have found the island and encounter a slowing current. After Li Yifei had almost depleted all his energy, they finally made it onto the island, which had a sandy beach. Once on the beach, they had no strength left at all, and they lay on the sand panting heavily.


    By now, the sun had completely set, and darkness enveloped everything around them. On this unfamiliar island, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to be careless. No sharks had been encountered in the sea, but it was uncertain whether they might meet any fierce animals on the island. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, the first to recover a bit of energy, said to everyone, "Don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll go get some branches to start a fire."


    Xu Shanshan and the others wanted to accompany Li Yifei, but they didn¡¯t even have the strength to sit up, so they could only agree.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t walk too far into the island, collected some dry branches, and returned quickly because going further into the dense forest wasn¡¯t a wise choice at the moment, and he also didn¡¯t want to leave Xu Shanshan and the others alone for too long.


    When he returned to the beach, everyone was already sitting up. Li Yifei¡¯s survival skills were excellent, and in no time, he started a fire using the friction method. As soon as the fire began to glow, there was a burst of cheers from everyone, even Sophia showed a rare smile on her face.


    But the cheers quickly turned into cries of alarm because everyone could now see Li Yifei¡¯s bare buttocks, and he was facing them directly, making everything only too clear to see.


    Michelle harbored affections for Li Yifei, but this was her first time seeing him naked. For her, a girl, screaming in surprise was completely natural, and she immediately covered her face and turned away.


    Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were familiar with that part of Li Yifei. Xu Shanshan could be said to often have real sex with Li Yifei, and Su Mengxin had even performed oral skills for him, so naturally, they were not strangers to Li Yifei¡¯s body. Seeing his thing, neither of them should have had any reaction.


    However, Michelle¡¯s intense reaction meant that something wasn¡¯t right if Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin seemed too composed. Thus, they both pretended to be shocked, turning their heads away.


    After turning their heads, they both had the same strange thought: Michelle had such a strong reaction, how then, under the water, was she able to touch Li Yifei¡¯s thing so boldly? Could it have been Su Mengxin (Xu Shanshan)?


    Li Yifei, feeling embarrassed, chuckled and said, "Sorry, my underwear was washed away in the sea. These things aren¡¯t as tight as swim trunks. You guys..." As he spoke, he turned his back to the others.


    There were five people here, and except for Sophia, who still had her clothes on, Michelle, Xu Shanshan, and Su Mengxin found themselves only in their underwear. If Li Yifei¡¯s underwear could be washed away by the waves, their bras were definitely not as tight and had probably been lost to the sea long ago. They hadn¡¯t noticed until now, but they quickly covered their chests with their hands.


    Sophia snorted and got up to walk further into the island.


    Without Sophia, Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin felt much more relaxed. Su Mengxin then said, "Alright, let¡¯s untie the ropes. We should be able to find some scraps of cloth to temporarily cover ourselves. In times of distress, being alive is already not easy; we can¡¯t afford to have so many reservations."


    Xu Shanshan quickly added, "Exactly. My brother-in-law risked his life to save us. It¡¯s really heartless of us to be scared of this and that here."


    The two of them thus harmoniously resolved the awkward atmosphere to a great extent. Xu Shanshan even went over and gave Li Yifei a pull, chuckling, "Come on, brother-in-law, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen me before, and I¡¯ve seen you too. Now that we¡¯ve seen everything, why are you turning your back?"


    Li Yifei was startled by her words. Even in such unique circumstances, Xu Shanshan shouldn¡¯t be saying everything on her mind, and just then, Su Mengxin and Michelle were surprised as they exclaimed, "You guys..."


    Xu Shanshan laughed softly and said, "There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. We live under one roof, and accidents happen, right? It¡¯s bad for a girl to wear a bra to sleep, after all. I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and just happened to run into my brother-in-law, so he saw me. And I blundered into the bathroom while he was there."


    With Xu Shanshan¡¯s explanation, Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. That girl really knew how to scare someone with her words.


    Michelle then cracked a smile and said, "You should still put on some clothes even when getting up in the middle of the night."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and replied, "Come on Michelle, we¡¯re in our own home, no need for all that fuss. Besides, when you¡¯re groggy from sleep, who thinks about putting on clothes?"


    Michelle thought about it too, who would bother dressing when they got up in the middle of the night.


    Xu Shanshan then said with a grin, "Anyway, I don¡¯t mind. Even if my sister finds out, she won¡¯t blame us."


    Su Mengxin actually quite enjoyed seeing Li Yifei¡¯s naked body. Even though he was turned away at the moment, just the sight of Li Yifei¡¯s bare buttocks thrilled her. However, she couldn¡¯t find an excuse like Xu Shanshan to justify it, so she said, "Shanshan has a point, but we¡¯re still uncomfortable. Let¡¯s just put up these strips of cloth as a screen for now to avoid embarrassment."


    The three women tried to unravel the strips of cloth, but they had been twisted into ropes, and after being tied in the seawater, they were extremely tight. Despite their strenuous efforts, they couldn¡¯t untie them and were about to call Li Yifei for help when Sophia came walking back with two large dead branches in her arms.


    She threw the branches onto the ground, and in her hand appeared a sharp dagger as if by magic, which she tossed at Li Yifei¡¯s feet.


    Li Yifei immediately understood what Sophia meant. Since she had brought such large branches, he couldn¡¯t expect her to break them apart as well. He picked up the dagger and stood the branches up, then his knife danced swiftly without a break, and the branches, thick as thighs, were quickly chopped into smaller pieces of firewood by Li Yifei.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Xu Shanshan shouted from behind. Li Yifei hurriedly turned around, only to see a pile of torn cloth strips in front of Sophia, which relieved him; he had thought Sophia was going after Xu Shanshan and the others.


    "Isn¡¯t it easier than untying ropes?" Sophia said impatiently, a cold gleam flickering from a small knife she held. But with a slight flick of her wrist, the knife vanished without a trace. Even Li Yifei didn¡¯t see where she had hidden the small knife.


    Michelle urgently said, "We wanted to undo them to see if we could wear them again. Now that you¡¯ve cut them up, how are we supposed to wear them?"


    Sophia shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, I have clothes to wear."


    Xu Shanshan and the others were instantly frustrated, with Xu Shanshan huffing, "You really should have been thrown into the sea to drown by my brother-in-law. We shouldn¡¯t have saved you."


    Sophia snorted coldly but didn¡¯t deny it. She knew if it hadn¡¯t been for Li Yifei, she would have died in the sea.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s make do with these cloth strips." Picking up a piece and shaking it out, it turned out to be his own trouser leg. Although it had been torn off, he wrapped it around his waist to cover his private parts, winding it around his loins like the loincloth of a sumo wrestler, thus concealing his nakedness.


    Once he covered up, Li Yifei felt much more at ease. Although he was intimately acquainted with Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin, there were still Michelle and Sophia to consider. Besides, wandering around naked was always uncomfortable.


    Seeing Li Yifei do this, Michelle and the others also hastily picked out a few strips of cloth and barely managed to cover their chests. As for their lower bodies, they couldn¡¯t find pieces large enough. But they had underwear on, so they considered their modesty protected at least.


    Li Yifei placed a few pieces of wood on the fire, and soon the branches caught fire and the flames grew livelier, making the place warmer. Everyone was exceedingly tired, and it was already an achievement to have made it this far. Xu Shanshan yawned and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m so sleepy, I want to sleep."


    Li Yifei yawned as well and replied, "Then sleep."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "But I¡¯m scared, I want to sleep beside you."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then let¡¯s all sleep. You can all sleep next to me." He then glanced at Su Mengxin and Michelle before lying down on the sand, automatically ignoring Sophia.


    Xu Shanshan immediately lay down beside Li Yifei. Su Mengxin, smiling, said to Michelle, "You lie on Yifei¡¯s other side."


    Michelle was too shy, though she also longed to be close to Li Yifei for a sense of security. Her bashfulness got the better of her, so she quickly lay down next to Xu Shanshan.


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "Since you won¡¯t lie there, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m so tired." With a stretch, she still managed to look alluring and graceful even at that moment, then she lay down beside Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei said, "Alright, let¡¯s all sleep." Then he closed his eyes.

 Chapter 645 - 669: The Glory of Straw Sandals

    Chapter 645: Chapter 669: The Glory of Straw SandalsAlthough flanked by a beauty on each side, Li Yifei was not in the mood at this time, and Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin felt the same. They were already exhausted and fell asleep as soon as they closed their eyes.


    Li Yifei also fell asleep quickly. He was not worried about Sophia at this time; he had realized that this woman wanted to have a real showdown with him. Otherwise, she would have had plenty of opportunities to make a move, but she never did.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun rose high the next day that Li Yifei woke up, while Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were still asleep, curled up beside him with their arms on his chest and a leg each entwined with his. Michelle was also behind Xu Shanshan, her arm thrown over Li Yifei.


    The scene was indeed quite sensual. If a photo were taken and posted online, it would surely evoke the envy, jealousy, and resentment of countless men.


    Looking up slightly, he saw Sophia sleeping not far away on the beach, and as he moved, she also woke up, showing the alertness of a true master.


    Sophia sat up first, and upon seeing the sensual posture of Li Yifei and the others, she humphed and then stood up and walked away.


    Li Yifei did not bother with her but woke up Xu Shanshan and the others, as he really needed to relieve himself and did not feel comfortable leaving them there to continue sleeping, so he had to wake them up.


    Standing up and looking around, Li Yifei pointed to a large rock not far from the shore and said, "Let¡¯s go there to relieve ourselves. I¡¯ll stay on this side, and you all go to that side so I won¡¯t be afraid of any problems."


    Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin both nodded, as relieving oneself after waking up is a necessity, and even beauties cannot avoid it. Michelle, however, felt a bit embarrassed, suddenly recalling the time when her foot was sprained and Li Yifei had carried her to the toilet, which made her heart sweet and the embarrassment lessened.


    After relieving themselves, they gathered together again. Su Mengxin said, "Yifei, what do we do now?"


    Li Yifei, who was looking around, replied, "We don¡¯t know how far we are from the shipwreck site, but I guess we¡¯ve drifted quite far. It might be difficult for rescuers to find us, so for now, the most important thing is to figure out how to survive on this island."


    At this, Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "That¡¯s not bad at all, we can be modern-day Robinsons."


    Su Mengxin also laughed and added, "That¡¯s a really good idea."


    Michelle was influenced by the other two and also found the idea very cheerful, but the thought of her family worrying because they hadn¡¯t seen her made her less happy. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei noticed Michelle¡¯s mood and smiled, "Don¡¯t worry, before the accident, I¡¯d already contacted my people. Yingying and the others should know we¡¯re together, so everything will be taken care of, and your family won¡¯t have to worry."


    Michelle then felt relieved and her mood improved. She said, "Should we start by finding a cave then?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately responded, "Absolutely. Then we¡¯ll build walls around the cave and catch some small animals."


    Su Mengxin, now full of interest, chimed in, "Right, right, we¡¯ll catch rabbits, goats; then we can have goat milk to drink and meat to eat."


    Michelle quickly jumped in, "We can also grow crops, some vegetables¡ªeverything will be organic, how nice."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud and said, "You¡¯re really planning to settle here for good, huh? Mengxin, what about your company? Are you going to abandon it and everything else? What about our families? They¡¯ll be really worried if we don¡¯t return for a long time, so what do we do then?"


    The three women looked at each other, and Su Mengxin hit Li Yifei playfully, giving him a white look, "Seriously, just when we were thinking of something fun, you have to spoil the mood; that¡¯s so dull."


    Xu Shanshan also quickly said, "Exactly, aren¡¯t we even allowed to dream? Besides, it¡¯s so boring on this island; what¡¯s wrong with finding some fun?"


    At this point, Michelle also seemed to let go and gave Li Yifei a white look as well, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really awful. You¡¯ve made such a nice thought not fun at all with your words."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll just play along with you. But first I need to prepare some stuff, and then we can explore the island. Who knows, there might even be other people living here."


    "A deserted island! It must be a deserted island!" the three people exclaimed in unison.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Girls¡¯ thoughts were sometimes so irrational¡ªhe was marooned here, and yet they seemed not to wish for a quick return home.


    Gathering some branches and stones, Li Yifei arranged them on the beach, quickly forming a large "SOS"¡ªa signal for those searching from the air. In addition, Li Yifei laid out a special marker on the beach that Zheng Mingrui would recognize immediately if he arrived, letting him know he was here. Then he prepared to lead the group inland for exploration.


    When everyone was in the sea, not only were their clothes almost gone, but so were their shoes. At that time, wearing shoes was a burden while swimming, very inconvenient, so everyone had taken them off. Now, venturing onto the island without shoes would be extremely inconvenient.


    Fortunately, they had Li Yifei. He asked everyone to wait on the beach for a while as he ran off to gather some vines and large leaves. Returning, he threw the leaves to the three and said, "Make yourselves some clothes. It¡¯s too uncomfortable like this."


    All three women¡¯s faces turned red, and they instinctively glanced at Li Yifei before picking up the leaves and trying to fashion something to wear. Unfortunately, none of them had ever done this sort of thing before. However, their interest was piqued, and they chattered eagerly as they experimented.


    Li Yifei went over to Xu Shanshan, squatted down, and said, "Could you stretch out your foot?"


    Looking puzzled, Xu Shanshan asked, "Brother-in-law, what are you doing?" But she still extended her foot.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan¡¯s ankle, measured with some grass, and said, "I¡¯m making you grass shoes. Otherwise, with your delicate skin, how could you walk?"


    "Hehe, if I can¡¯t walk, you can just carry me," Xu Shanshan said with a giggly smile.


    "One person might be manageable, but all three of you? If I carried you all, I¡¯d be worn out," Li Yifei said with a glance at Xu Shanshan, having measured her foot, and then turned to Su Mengxin, "Your turn."


    Su Mengxin stretched her foot out in front of Li Yifei with a smile on her face.


    Li Yifei measured Su Mengxin¡¯s foot as well. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of excitement. Kneeling before them, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of their waists, where only underwear remained. The small piece of fabric that composed a woman¡¯s underwear was incredibly enticing. Fortunately, none of them were wearing something as provocative as a thong, which would have been too much to handle.


    Neither Xu Shanshan nor Su Mengxin minded Li Yifei looking; they were quite open about it. But when it came to Michelle, she was visibly more uncomfortable. For a girl who had never been so intimate with a man, wearing only underwear while a man knelt in front of her, holding her ankle, was quite embarrassing.


    Michelle was both bashful and thrown into disarray, yet secretly she felt a thrill. Being this close to Li Yifei meant she now had an intimate connection with him. She thought back to the kiss underwater, sending ripples through her heart, especially Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, which elicited an indescribable feeling. A warm wave rose within her, spreading throughout her body and leaving her flushed with warmth on her face and body.


    After measuring Michelle¡¯s foot, Li Yifei glanced inadvertently at that area again, and was immediately hit with a wave of heat. There was a small damp spot on the lower part of her underwear. A young boy might not understand, but Li Yifei was all too aware of what it signified¡ªit was the response of a woman stirred by emotion. He hadn¡¯t expected Michelle¡¯s reaction to be so intense.


    Having finished the measurements, Li Yifei himself felt a heat inside. Just as he thought to stand up, he found himself squatting down again. The loincloth he wore was hardly adequate, barely covering his essentials. And now, moved by his own arousal, that piece of cloth was clearly insufficient to conceal his excitement.


    Although Li Yifei wanted to hide his state, Su Mengxin, Xu Shanshan, and Michelle all saw it.


    Their faces were suddenly flushed with redness. Michelle quickly turned her head away while Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin took another glance before also turning away. No matter what, they did not want anyone to think they were too close to Li Yifei, so they maintained a certain posture.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat, turned his body away, and while still squatting, shifted to the side to start making grass shoes for the four of them.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t done this kind of work for a long time, but he wasn¡¯t rusty. However, he made several mistakes today because his mind kept returning to the suggestive scene he had just witnessed, almost tempted to look back at them again.


    Fortunately, his self-control was sufficient. Eventually, he focused his mind entirely on making the shoes. In short order, four pairs of grass shoes were completed. They might not have looked very attractive, but they were practical. The vines he found on the island were of excellent quality, appearing soft yet incredibly resilient, which meant the shoes would be durable and unlikely to cause blisters. Yet, given the delicate skin of the three women, they might still find them uncomfortable. For now, though, anything was better than being barefoot, so Li Yifei made do with what was available.


    Having finished the grass shoes, Li Yifei put his own on. Now that he no longer looked as indecent as before, he turned around, only to almost reveal himself again.

 Chapter 646 - 670 Wilderness Survival

    Chapter 646: Chapter 670 Wilderness SurvivalSu Mengxin, Michelle, and Xu Shanshan were all draped in leaves at this time. The leaves were originally quite large, but for some reason, they only tied two small pieces at their chests, barely covering them. They even took off the fabric strips inside to use for tying the leaves.


    Around their waists, they each tied a slightly larger leaf in the front and back, but the leaves weren¡¯t very secure, with light shining through the sides. Li Yifei could see their underwear and the sides of their thighs and butts through the gaps.


    It seemed like they were covering more, but for Li Yifei, this semi-revealed appearance was even more attractive than when they were just wearing underwear, making it hard for him to resist glancing between the leaf gaps.


    "Hey, brother-in-law, don¡¯t look around carelessly, or I¡¯ll tell my sister," Xu Shanshan came up to Li Yifei with a fierce look, hands on her hips, saying, "I¡¯m telling you, you might get away with looking at me, but if you dare to look at Mengxin and Michelle recklessly, that won¡¯t do."


    As Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, Xu Shanshan had every reason to keep an eye on her brother-in-law for her sister. She suddenly realized this. She¡¯s Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, not another woman. Why should she behave the same as Su Mengxin and Michelle when she¡¯s in such a fun place? If she didn¡¯t take advantage of it somehow, it¡¯d be a real loss.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "Not looking, not looking, but you all like this... I¡¯m a man, you know; are you trying to tempt me into doing something bad?"


    Xu Shanshan pinched Li Yifei and said, "Are you daring? Do you not want to be well?"


    "Not daring, not daring, it was just a joke," Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, hurry and put on your shoes. We¡¯re still hungry now, and we need to find something to eat."


    Xu Shanshan and the others quickly put on the straw shoes Li Yifei had woven, which surprisingly fit well, making them very happy. Michelle¡¯s eyes gleamed as she looked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, you are really amazing. Being with you, it seems like there¡¯s no difficulty."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and said, "Yes, and it¡¯s very interesting. If it were someone else, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d have to think about whether we could survive here."


    Proudly, Xu Shanshan took Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "Of course, and see who this is, this is my brother-in-law."


    When Xu Shanshan took Li Yifei¡¯s arm, it touched Xu Shanshan¡¯s ribs, which were smooth and bare, making it difficult for Li Yifei to bear. He quickly pulled away Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and said, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s hurry up and see how we can survive on this island."


    No sooner had they stepped off the beach than Sophia emerged from behind a nearby bush and silently followed the three of them.


    Xu Shanshan quickly pouted, while Li Yifei smiled and said, "Having an expert with us, our safety is higher."


    "Hmph, I think she¡¯s the most dangerous person," Xu Shanshan muttered, recalling how on the ship, this woman threw people into the sea without regard for their lives, leaving a shadow in Xu Shanshan¡¯s heart, knowing that this woman had no regard for others¡¯ lives.


    Li Yifei still held the dagger Sophia had given him, walking ahead, with Xu Shanshan and the others in the middle and Sophia at the back.


    From Li Yifei¡¯s position, he could see a mountain peak on this small island, about three hundred meters high. Judging from the distance between them and the mountain, it was about two kilometers away. If this was a circular island, it would be over ten square kilometers in size, not large, but exploring it thoroughly would still take some time.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t intend to fully understand this island. His current need was, first, to find a relatively safe place to stay; second, to find a water source. Without a water source, no one could survive. Third was to find food. Although there were some fish in the sea, eating seafood easily caused stomach issues, which would be quite dangerous on this island and could even be life-threatening.


    The island was covered with various trees and had no paths, making it very inconvenient to walk. Even with shoes, they had no clothes, the little leaf coverings were soon torn off, and their delicate skin was scratched, leaving marks that caused Xu Shanshan and the others much suffering, quickly diminishing their initial enthusiasm.


    When their coverings initially came off, the three still used their hands to cover their chests, but after a while, they didn¡¯t care anymore. Covering their chests meant they couldn¡¯t brush away the branches in their path, and besides, Li Yifei had already seen, so protecting themselves was a priority.


    Li Yifei had no mood to admire their bare skin. Their injuries pained him, so he slowed his pace, clearing the branches ahead to prevent them from getting hurt.


    There were indeed some small animals on the island, some unidentified monkeys, small deer, but mostly birds and snakes. However, Li Yifei walked slowly, even driving away snakes to avoid frightening them.


    These small animals weren¡¯t very wary of Li Yifei and the gang. A small deer stopped ten meters away, watching them without fleeing. This told Li Yifei that there definitely hadn¡¯t been any human presence on the island. If there¡¯d been people, the small animals would have run away at the sight of them. Because they¡¯d never seen people before, they didn¡¯t realize the danger and didn¡¯t rush to escape.


    After more than two hours, they only managed about a kilometer, but they heard the sound of flowing water, which excited Li Yifei greatly.


    "Hear the water, let¡¯s head this way." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan and the others were parched. Walking was physically demanding and left them sweat-soaked, needing hydration. Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s remark, they were motivated and quickened their pace.


    After another ten minutes, they finally reached a small river. Xu Shanshan and the others cheered and were about to rush over, but Li Yifei quickly extended his arm in front of them, with Su Mengxin being steadier and slightly slower. Xu Shanshan and Michelle bumped into Li Yifei¡¯s arm, hitting it with their chests. Michelle immediately cried out in surprise, stepping back and instinctively covering her chest.


    Xu Shanshan slapped Li Yifei¡¯s arm and shouted, "Damn brother-in-law, what are you doing? Taking advantage of Michelle isn¡¯t it?" She automatically overlooked herself.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Don¡¯t rush. We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything in the water, or if it¡¯s drinkable. Let me check first." Saying this, he approached the river.


    The river wasn¡¯t wide, about two meters at its narrowest, at most three to four meters at its widest. The water was clear, allowing a view of the fine sand at the bottom, generally just knee-deep, not reaching the knees, with a slow, gentle current, abundant with small, palm-sized fish swimming leisurely back and forth.


    Gently scooping up some water, Li Yifei licked it with his tongue; it was fresh. Only then did he beckon them to come over, but he cautioned, "This mountain spring water may be too hard; your stomachs might not handle it, so don¡¯t drink much. Just quench your thirst, and later we can figure out how to boil some."


    Xu Shanshan and the others obediently followed Li Yifei¡¯s advice. They had no wilderness experience and dared not act recklessly, so although thirsty, they only drank a little.


    Though Sophia was skilled and lethal, she also lacked such wilderness survival experience. Her previous training was harsh, but daily necessities weren¡¯t something she needed to worry about. Apart from being perhaps equivalent to Li Yifei in other aspects, in this regard, she fell far short, though she didn¡¯t voice much but followed Li Yifei¡¯s lead.


    After drinking the water, Li Yifei jumped into the river, catching over twenty fish. They hadn¡¯t eaten much in a day and a night, and sure enough, they were hungry; the freshwater fish wouldn¡¯t upset their stomachs so easily and provided a good meal.


    He cleaned the fish and started a fire to grill them. Soon the aroma filled the air, and even before the fish were cooked, their mouths watered eagerly. Once the fish were done, they devoured them unsparingly. Even Su Mengxin gobbled like a ravenous wolf, caring little for appearances. Here, she didn¡¯t need to mind her image, and with her stomach so empty, eating her fill was self-compassion.


    "Brother-in-law, I want to take a bath, is that okay?" Xu Shanshan eyed the river, unable to resist the temptation. If she hadn¡¯t been so exhausted, she would¡¯ve jumped in long ago.


    Li Yifei smiled, "Sure."


    Xu Shanshan cheered and jumped into the water, with Su Mengxin and Michelle following right behind.


    Watching the three play in the water stirred something in Li Yifei, but bathing with them seemed inconvenient, and leaving them was worrisome, so he could only sit by the river waiting for them.


    "Brother-in-law, help me dry this!" With Xu Shanshan¡¯s shout, a piece of fabric flew over.


    Li Yifei hurriedly caught it, but upon grabbing it, was left dumbfounded¡ªit was a flesh-colored pair of panties.

 Chapter 647 - 671 Enjoying While Suffering

    Chapter 647: Chapter 671 Enjoying While Suffering"And mine!"


    While Li Yifei was still stunned here, Su Mengxin¡¯s underwear also came flying over.


    "Hey Michelle, aren¡¯t you going to wash yours?" Xu Shanshan asked with a giggly smile.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she stuttered, "No... no need, right?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly and said, "How can there be no need? Hygiene is a must for us women. We soaked in the sea all of yesterday, and our underwear is all soaked with seawater¡ªit¡¯s bound to have some dirt on it. It would be trouble if we get a gynecological disease later on."


    "But..." Michelle knew this too. As a girl, changing underwear daily had long since become a habit.


    Su Mengxin lay flat in the water, her hands propping her up and only her head showing, smiling as she said, "Just wash them, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. We¡¯re in this hardship together. Although Yifei is a man, he has seen what he should and shouldn¡¯t have seen. We are bathing here too, what¡¯s there to fear?"


    Michelle looked over at Li Yifei, who was now hanging Xu Shanshan¡¯s and Su Mengxin¡¯s underwear on the tree branches. Hesitating for a moment, she finally took off her underwear underwater.


    If it were just Michelle alone with Li Yifei, or in a different setting, she would¡¯ve never dared to do such a thing. But now, everyone was on a deserted island, with Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin setting the example, especially Su Mengxin¡ªthe number one beauty of Huaxia, with status and identity far beyond her own. If she didn¡¯t care, and Michelle continued to be stubborn, it would just make her seem odd. So, she did it now.


    "Brother Li..." After washing her underwear, Michelle wanted to call out to Li Yifei, but the words were stuck in her mouth and she just couldn¡¯t get them out.


    "Brother-in-law, help Michelle hang hers up too," Xu Shanshan called out again.


    Li Yifei turned around and said, "Okay, throw it here."


    Michelle, flushed and awkward, quickly threw it over, but her aim was off. However, Li Yifei simply reached out and still caught it. Looking at her underwear in Li Yifei¡¯s hand, Michelle buried her head beneath the water surface, feeling too ashamed to meet Li Yifei¡¯s eyes again.


    After hanging up everyone¡¯s underwear, Li Yifei went over to Sophia and said, "Aren¡¯t you going to wash up?"


    Sophia looked at Li Yifei coldly and said, "No need."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "We are in the same boat now, don¡¯t be so uptight, alright?"


    "Hmph, whether I wash or not is my business, and it¡¯s none of your concern," Sophia turned her head away. Though she was a strong woman, she was still a woman. She wanted to wash up properly, but since Li Yifei put it that way, she was determined not to.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t press the matter further and changed the topic, "What is your purpose? You can tell me now."


    Sophia immediately turned back to look at Li Yifei, her eyes shining, "You are the strongest person I¡¯ve ever met, so I want to have a real contest with you."


    "Just for that?" Li Yifei asked, skeptical.


    "Yes!" Sophia replied crisply.


    "You are really boring, but I don¡¯t understand. For a strong person like you, why would you join them in hijacking a ship?"


    "That¡¯s none of your business," Sophia answered indifferently, but a trace of melancholy flashed through her eyes.


    Li Yifei genuinely became curious about this woman, Sophia. She seemed to have quite a story. He wondered what she used to do.


    "If you really want to challenge me, that¡¯s fine, but I want to wait until they are safely picked up before I compete with you. Otherwise, I won¡¯t accept your challenge."


    Sophia¡¯s eyes met Li Yifei¡¯s. After a while, she nodded and said, "Alright, but now that I know who you are, if you don¡¯t compete with me, I¡¯ll find them and kill them all."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed, "Okay then, you take care of them for now. I¡¯m going to check around here. It probably won¡¯t be just a day or two before they find us; we need to find a better place to stay."


    Sophia nodded, remaining silent.


    Li Yifei stood up and walked upstream along the river. On this island, the stream must be coming down from the mountains. He hadn¡¯t walked far when the terrain began to rise. Climbing onto a rock, he looked down and could still see Xu Shanshan and the others in the river. Sophia had also stepped into the water, though she hadn¡¯t taken off her clothes, just soaking in the river.


    From this distance, which wasn¡¯t far, Li Yifei could clearly see that they were naked, and even the dark area between their legs wasn¡¯t concealed, presenting quite an erotic scene.


    Li Yifei shook his head and withdrew his gaze; he never expected that being stranded on a deserted island with everyone would turn out to be so titillating.


    Continuing upstream, Li Yifei quickly found a cave. The cave wasn¡¯t very large, around three meters in height and four to five meters wide, extending inward for just three to four meters. But it was high inside, lower at the entrance, and didn¡¯t have any water accumulation inside¡ªit was quite dry and just perfect for spending the night.


    Having found a place to stay, Li Yifei felt at ease. After all, it was already October and they were on an island, so the nights could get very cool. Without a good place to settle down, the nights would be tough to get through.


    By the time he returned, the others had finished bathing. Xu Shanshan and the rest had already come ashore and were sitting together, chatting away. Their underwear was on, and their chests were covered with leaves, but except for Michelle, who covered herself a bit more thoroughly, Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan merely did so symbolically. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sophia, however, sat a little distance away on a big rock, still tightly clad in her black leather outfit, looking out of place there.


    Li Yifei smiled at her but, receiving no response, walked over to Xu Shanshan and the others. Michelle immediately lowered her head, not daring to look at Li Yifei. The thought of her underwear having just been handled by Li Yifei made her feel as if she had no more privacy in front of him.


    Li Yifei also noticed Michelle¡¯s embarrassment, but could only pretend not to know and said, "I¡¯ve found us a place to stay."


    "That¡¯s great, is it a big cave?" Xu Shanshan immediately asked excitedly.


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "It¡¯s a cave, but not a very big one."


    Xu Shanshan immediately stood up and said, "Then let¡¯s go have a look. That¡¯s going to be our home from now on, we need to arrange it well."


    Li Yifei called out to Sophia once more, then led the group to the cave. Everyone was quite satisfied with it. Michelle, Su Mengxin, and Xu Shanshan immediately began to clean up the debris inside the cave.


    Li Yifei went off to gather a lot of dry grass, to make sleeping at night a bit more comfortable.


    In the afternoon, they managed to tidy up the cave properly. They laid a thick layer of dry grass at the far end, and at the entrance, they hammered a row of tall stakes into the ground, which blocked the cave entrance perfectly. This would not only shield them from the wind at night but also prevent other animals from getting in.


    Li Yifei even made a door, so that everyone could go out. Although Sophia did not get involved in other tasks, she was quite helpful with the stakes.


    While Xu Shanshan and the others did not have a good initial impression of Sophia, seeing her help out at this moment softened their attitude toward her.


    While everyone stayed inside the cave, Li Yifei went out and caught a deer, which was not at all shy around humans and practically fell into his hands without much effort.


    Returning with the deer, they roasted the meat outside the cave. Li Yifei also made some charcoal by burning dry branches¡ªthis way, they could use the charcoal fire to keep warm at night, a much better option than burning branches directly, and it would last much longer.


    The deer meat here was incredibly tasty. Grilled, it was very flavorful. Most importantly, Li Yifei had even accidentally discovered a small salt cave with some salt crystals inside. Although different from the salt they usually consumed, it was still quite good to season the meat with.


    Xu Shanshan tore off a deer¡¯s leg, held it, and started gnawing on it without any concern for appearances, with grease dripping all over her mouth. While eating, she said, "Brother-in-law, this is so delicious. We can¡¯t get roasted deer meat like this at home."


    Su Mengxin just took a small piece of deer meat and chewed slowly, saying with a smile, "Not bad, it¡¯s quite charming here. I don¡¯t even want to go back now."


    Michelle nodded repeatedly, saying, "It feels like a vacation. It¡¯s much more interesting than any of those tourist areas."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Well, if we get a chance in the future, let¡¯s come back to this island for a visit."


    The three women immediately agreed with excitement. Su Mengxin winked at Li Yifei and said with a grin, "Should we give the island a name then? Like ¡¯All-eat Island¡¯ or something?"


    Michelle laughed and said, "That¡¯s an interesting name..." Suddenly, she realized that the name had been used by Master Jin Yong in "The Deer and the Cauldron", where Wei Xiaobao and his ladies got stranded on an island and named it All-eat Island. Since the women with Wei Xiaobao were his wives, didn¡¯t that imply that they were also Li Yifei¡¯s wives?


    Xu Shanshan looked at Li Yifei with a mischievous smile and said, "I¡¯m telling you, brother-in-law, don¡¯t you dare get any funny ideas, or I¡¯ll tell my sister when we get back home, and you¡¯ll be in trouble."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Su Mengxin continued teasing, "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you dare not do. Just look at you, you¡¯ve got more than just one wife now, haven¡¯t you? There¡¯s Xiaoyao, Yiyi..."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, about to speak, when suddenly a loud roar came from not too far away. The girls¡¯ faces changed immediately; they all looked at Li Yifei and instinctively moved closer to him.


    Li Yifei frowned; he hadn¡¯t traveled far on this island, but seeing so many small animals made him sure that there had to be carnivorous animals on the island. Otherwise, the herbivores would breed more and more, eventually consuming all the food. However, judging by the sound, the carnivorous animal should be quite large, probably around the size of a black bear.


    Bears are highly adaptable and can survive in most parts of the world. With such abundant food on the island, they would likely thrive here. Despite their clumsy appearance, bears are quite agile and downright speedy when hunting prey. Humans simply can¡¯t compare. If there were really bears on the island, they would need to be very cautious.

 Chapter 648 - 672: Bear Infestation

    Chapter 648: Chapter 672: Bear Infestation"Brother-in-law, what kind of sound is that?" Xu Shanshan clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her face a bit pale.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "It should be a bear."


    "There are bears on this island?" Michelle asked in confusion. She was initially frightened and pale, but hearing Li Yifei say it was an animal he knew seemed to make it less scary. The most terrifying thing was not knowing what it was.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I feel it should be about right. The sound is very similar to a bear."


    Xu Shanshan immediately asked, "Brother-in-law, can you beat a bear?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Of course he can. A bear is not as scary as a shark, right? Yifei could kill a shark in the sea, so dealing with a bear on land shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Li Yifei, however, said cautiously, "If it¡¯s one bear, I¡¯m not concerned, but if there are several, that would be difficult. So, let¡¯s be careful. For the time being, we shouldn¡¯t wander around. Without my company, everyone should stay here."


    The women saw Li Yifei¡¯s caution and nodded. Anyway, it was getting late, and it would be dark soon, so there was no need to wander anymore.


    Sophia seemed a bit disdainful, turned, and stood up, walking straight in the direction of the sound.


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "What are you doing?"


    "I¡¯m going to see what it is." As Sophia said this, she had already disappeared into the bushes.


    "Hmph, that bad woman, it would be best if the bear ate her," Xu Shanshan muttered.


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "Even though this woman is our enemy, she¡¯s in the same boat as us for now. At least on this island, let¡¯s not treat her as an enemy."


    Xu Shanshan said defiantly, "With Brother-in-law here, do we need her? She still needs my brother-in-law to protect her."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Your brother-in-law isn¡¯t omnipotent. It¡¯s always good to have one more helping hand."


    Seeing Li Yifei also say this, Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Fine, but if she gets eaten by a bear, it won¡¯t be our fault."


    At that moment, a howl suddenly came from over there. The howl was very irritable, as if facing an enemy. Then there were several more howls, almost simultaneously, making it sound even more terrifying.


    Bears are usually solitary, unless it¡¯s a mother with cubs. But it sounded like they were together. Could it be that the bears here hunt like lions, as a team?


    It¡¯s not impossible. Animals like lions hunt in teams to catch large prey more easily, while tigers and leopards usually have fixed territories and are solitary. They have enough strength, but it¡¯s also because prey isn¡¯t plentiful. When prey is abundant, wild zoologists have observed several tigers living together.


    "Brother-in-law, it seems like those sounds are coming our way." Xu Shanshan tightly gripped Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her face pale.


    Su Mengxin and Michelle stood up at this point, nervously standing behind Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Get inside the cave. There¡¯s firelight here; the bear shouldn¡¯t dare come over."


    Everyone ran into the cave and closed the wooden door. That wooden door looked pretty sturdy, but against a large animal like a bear, it probably wouldn¡¯t be very effective. This made Xu Shanshan and the other two tense up as the bear howls got closer.


    Li Yifei said, "Stay here and don¡¯t come out. I¡¯ll go see."


    "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t go out!" Xu Shanshan immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei patted her hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry, even if a group of bears come, while I can¡¯t beat them, I can certainly escape."


    After exiting the cave, Li Yifei closed the wooden door. From the outside, it looked like a row of tightly packed trees. Unless someone knew there were people inside, most beasts wouldn¡¯t venture in.


    Just as he finished these preparations, a figure quickly ran towards him¡ªit was Sophia¡ªand behind her, four Grizzly Bears were roaring in pursuit. Their speed was clearly faster than Sophia¡¯s, but she wasn¡¯t running in a straight line. Zigzagging left and right, her agility kept her ahead of the bears.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help shaking his head. What on earth was Sophia thinking, provoking those bears for no reason?


    "Come here! Over this way!" Li Yifei shouted at Sophia.


    Sophia immediately ran towards Li Yifei, while he lifted a burning tree branch and flung it at the Grizzly Bears pursuing her.


    Animals generally fear fire. Although the four Grizzly Bears were chasing her tenaciously, as soon as they saw the fire, they roared and scattered. Li Yifei threw a few more burning branches, making the bears shriek in fear before they vanished into the forest.


    The crisis averted, Li Yifei laughed and said, "What were you doing? Trying to eat bear paws or test your strength against them?"


    Sophia snorted, feeling quite frustrated. She loved to challenge powerful beings. While bears aren¡¯t humans, they¡¯re still formidable creatures. Their presence piqued her interest, and following the sound, she quickly found a Grizzly Bear and charged, intending to kill it.


    But when confronting this massive, gray-furred beast, she realized how difficult it was to deal with. A standing Grizzly Bear was over two meters tall and weighed seven to eight hundred pounds. Even the burly Caucasians on their mission paled in comparison.


    Its hide was incredibly tough. Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger could pierce five centimeters of solid wood, but barely made a dent in the bear¡¯s thick layer of fat.


    One Grizzly was already hard to handle. Who knew attacking it would summon three more companions? This immediately put Sophia in a desperate situation, leaving her no choice but to flee.


    Thankfully, Li Yifei rescued her, sparing her from being eaten by the bears, though her frustration grew at Li Yifei¡¯s teasing. It felt like he was mocking her. Snorting coldly, she replied, "Don¡¯t think you saved me. If you hadn¡¯t scared them off, I would¡¯ve killed them." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, yes, it¡¯s all my meddling," Li Yifei answered, smiling.


    "You think using my Flying Dagger to blind them would be hard?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Of course not, but you¡¯ve told me good news: you¡¯re running out of Flying Daggers."


    Sophia¡¯s face darkened immediately, for Li Yifei had hit the nail on the head. She usually carried plenty, and in battle rarely used more than a few. But after their encounter, she had used most of them¡ªthe irony not lost on her. She yearned for a real showdown with Li Yifei, saving the few daggers she had left for a powerful final blow, unwilling to waste them on stupid bears.


    Sophia couldn¡¯t help but admire Li Yifei¡¯s analytical prowess. This also reinforced her determination to have a decisive battle with him. Such a strong opponent was worth fighting, even if it meant dying at his hands, which she considered a worthy end. Besides, life was suffering; perhaps that end would be liberating.


    "Hey, what are you thinking?" Li Yifei waved a hand in front of Sophia, seeing her dazed.


    Sophia¡¯s eyes turned icy again. She glanced at Li Yifei, walked to the fire, added some wood, tore off a piece of venison, and muttered disdainfully, "Every strong person should face challenges head-on to break through limits. You didn¡¯t fight the bears directly; I despise that."


    Li Yifei sat across from her, also cutting a piece of venison. "I don¡¯t care about breaking limits. I prefer the simplest way to deal with threats. Must I use my hundred-something pounds to brawl with half-ton bears?"


    "Hmph, that¡¯s a coward¡¯s excuse."


    "Ha, you¡¯re no coward? You let bears chase you!"


    "You..." Sophia glared at Li Yifei fiercely, while Li Yifei simply enjoyed his delicious venison. Sophia felt even more frustrated, wanting to fight him now. Ultimately, she held back, knowing she wasn¡¯t at her peak. Fighting Li Yifei now would be asking for trouble.


    "Hmph, I¡¯ll show you when I¡¯m recovered," she mumbled to herself, before indulging in the meal, ignoring Li Yifei.


    Having scared away the bears, Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin, and Michelle emerged from the cave. They ate a little more, while Li Yifei fetched water in two large leaves for everyone to wash up before returning to the cave.


    The fire outside remained alight, and a charcoal fire inside made it warm.


    As night fell, the charcoal¡¯s dim light wasn¡¯t enough to fully illuminate the cave, but it wasn¡¯t pitch-black.


    All were modern folks, unaccustomed to sleeping early, but here, they could only follow the sun¡¯s schedule.


    The cave was just big enough for five to lie side by side. Li Yifei lay on one side, Sophia on the other, with Xu Shanshan and the others in between. Unsurprisingly, Xu Shanshan nestled by Li Yifei¡¯s side.


    Su Mengxin and Michelle had no objections, given Xu Shanshan¡¯s status. She kept Su Mengxin and Michelle from growing too close to Li Yifei, which was reasonable, given the circumstances everyone understood.


    Before they all fell asleep, Xu Shanshan behaved, avoiding any intimate moves with Li Yifei. But once everyone got drowsy, Li Yifei felt her small hand sneakily reaching for him.

 Chapter 649 - 684: The Bet

    Chapter 649: Chapter 684: The Bet"Airplane! There¡¯s a helicopter!"


    The rumbling sound of an aircraft swept across the sky. Xu Shanshan immediately shouted excitedly.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It took them this long to find us here. That¡¯s really slow."


    "So soon they are here." Su Mengxin shook her head lightly.


    This sentence made Xu Shanshan and Michelle both realize that as soon as they were found, they would have to leave this little island. The enchanting life they had with Li Yifei on this island would come to an end. Suddenly, they both felt a sense of loss and even hoped the helicopter would just fly past and not come back.


    But after the helicopter flew over the island, it soon returned and slowly descended. Although they couldn¡¯t see where it landed, it was certain that it landed on this island.


    Zheng Mingrui, following the signal from Li Yifei¡¯s watch, quickly determined the location. However, when he got there, he was a bit dumbfounded because the signal from the watch was actually coming from the vast ocean and hadn¡¯t moved for a long time. That meant the watch was motionless at the bottom of the sea.


    If it were someone else, they¡¯d assume Li Yifei had perished in the ocean, but Zheng Mingrui didn¡¯t think so. If Li Yifei were really dead, his body certainly wouldn¡¯t sink to the bottom, and given Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, Zheng Mingrui absolutely wouldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d die so easily.


    Now, having lost contact with Li Yifei, Zheng Mingrui was quite frustrated. He quickly mobilized all available resources for a search in the nearby sea, but just then, a heavy rain delayed him by a day.


    Once the weather cleared, they resumed their search. And the island where Li Yifei and his companions were was actually not very far from their location. After half a day¡¯s work, they finally found the island where Li Yifei and his companions were and saw the distress signals left on the island.


    Zheng Mingrui felt certain now. Although he hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei nearby, it was certain that Li Yifei was on this island.


    Bringing two people with him, Zheng Mingrui quickly followed the tracks left by Li Yifei and found the vicinity of the cave where Li Yifei and his companions were staying, also spotting Li Yifei dressed in leaves.


    "Wow! Boss, your look is amazing!" Zheng Mingrui, upon seeing Li Yifei, immediately laughed heartily in excitement and tried to take a photo with his phone.


    Li Yifei quickly dodged, preventing Zheng Mingrui from taking a picture. If that mischievous kid managed to snap a photo, he¡¯d surely show it off to the squad, which would be way too embarrassing.


    Approaching Zheng Mingrui, Li Yifei put his arm around his shoulder and whispered, "Get four sets of clothes now, and also three sets for women."


    "Three sets for women too? Haha, Boss, you all have no clothes; it seems... haha." Zheng Mingrui smirked mischievously.


    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. With Su Mengxin and your sister-in-law¡¯s sister here, do you think I¡¯d mess around?"


    "Oh, that¡¯s true. If you really dared to deal with these two, Boss, you¡¯d be something else."


    "Stop babbling, get on with it."


    "It¡¯ll be done soon. The helicopter has military gear. I¡¯ll get four sets. You can make do with those for now."


    In no time, Zheng Mingrui brought over four sets of clothes. Li Yifei changed into one set himself, and Su Mengxin and the others each changed into a set before coming out of the cave.


    Leading the three to the vicinity of the helicopter by the sea, Li Yifei said to Zheng Mingrui, "I have some business to take care of. I¡¯ll be back soon."


    "Boss, where are you going?" Zheng Mingrui looked at Li Yifei curiously.


    "Hehe, I¡¯ll tell you when I get back." Li Yifei said, then slipped into the woods.


    Zheng Mingrui turned to Xu Shanshan, grinning, and said, "Shanshan, what¡¯s the boss up to?" On the cruise ship, Zheng Mingrui had gotten quite familiar with Xu Shanshan and had quite a liking for Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, speaking to her in a very casual manner.


    "There¡¯s still a killer who insists on challenging my brother-in-law. If my brother-in-law doesn¡¯t agree, she¡¯ll come after us later, so my brother-in-law agreed."


    "Haha, there are still people that clueless who want to challenge the boss. That¡¯s a surefire road to ruin." Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily upon hearing this.


    Three years ago, Li Yifei was already an invincible figure in the Flying Hawk Squad, and not just in the squad. Even worldwide, Li Yifei never failed a mission. Perhaps there were a few people in the world more skilled than Li Yifei, but at least he hadn¡¯t encountered them yet. That¡¯s why Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t believe anyone could beat Li Yifei.


    At the moment, Li Yifei was standing on a slightly open area with Sophia. This space was originally cleared by those bears, but now it belonged to the two of them. Last time, Li Yifei had beaten four bears, leaving an indelible impression on them. They regarded Li Yifei as their natural enemy and would flee at the sight of him.


    Sophia gazed at Li Yifei without a trace of anger or joy on her face, eyes burning with intense focus as her hands rested on her waist, fully in a state of selflessness. This was absolutely her best state. Under these conditions, she was confident she could take Li Yifei¡¯s life with five flying daggers at once.


    Li Yifei stood about ten meters away from Sophia, a faint smile on his face. He hadn¡¯t really observed this woman closely in recent days. Now that he was facing her directly, he realized she was indeed a beauty: blonde hair, prominent eyebrows and eyes, with slightly sunken eye sockets, sapphire-like eyes, a high nose bridge, and a slightly pointed chin. Her figure was even more exquisite in her tight leather suit. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m saying, you are quite a beauty. Why are you all about fighting and killing? Can¡¯t we just talk things over?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Sophia¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, speaking calmly, "I said before, if you manage to dodge my five flying daggers, I¡¯ll be your woman. If not, you can only blame your short life."


    "You¡¯re asking me to risk my life for a woman. Sounds like a losing bet. Although they say dying under a peony flower makes a man happy as a ghost, and you indeed are a beauty, I don¡¯t like gambling that big."


    "You can choose not to accept; then I would find those women of yours and kill them one by one. By then, you¡¯d wish to duel with me."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Really can¡¯t win with you. Fine, I¡¯ll agree to face your five flying daggers. But if I win, I don¡¯t need you to be my woman. All I want is for you not to trouble us again."


    Sophia squinted slightly, speaking slowly, "Are you ready?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression turned serious. He took a deep breath and said, "Alright!"

 Chapter 650 - 685: Deadly Flying Dagger

    Chapter 650: Chapter 685: Deadly Flying DaggerLi Yifei moved. Although he spoke with ease, he had experienced Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers and knew they were more dangerous than a gun. He could dodge bullets not because he moved faster than them, but because at the moment the trigger was pulled, he could predict the bullet¡¯s trajectory and then make an evasive move, making it look like he was dodging the bullet itself.


    Sophia¡¯s method of throwing Flying Daggers made it even harder to predict her movements, and that was the most dangerous part.


    Standing still and waiting for Sophia to throw her dagger was undoubtedly a foolish choice. He had to keep moving to force Sophia to follow his movements, which would allow him to judge the direction of her Flying Daggers. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sophia didn¡¯t make an immediate move. She squinted her eyes and turned slightly on her left foot, always facing Li Yifei, like a grandmaster facing an ordinary martial artist with calm composure.


    However, Sophia¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t as calm as her appearance. Li Yifei¡¯s footwork seemed simple, yet it concealed an oddity. Just a moment ago, he seemed to move forward, then suddenly stepped back, and what appeared as a left movement shifted slightly to the right.


    When playing with Flying Daggers, the primary skill was to judge the opponent¡¯s position accurately, so that the thrown dagger would hit the target. Against ordinary people, Sophia could almost completely ignore this slight error, because her daggers were so fast that the target¡¯s movement within range was almost negligible.


    But now, she faced Li Yifei, the strongest opponent she had encountered. Even the slightest deviation felt like a failure, so she held back several times just as she was about to make her move.


    "Hmph, I want to see how long you can keep this up. It¡¯s exhausting to maintain such movement, and once you slow down, you¡¯re dead." Sophia wasn¡¯t in a hurry. A master of her caliber had solid mental strength. An impatient person could never become a true master, let alone an assassin.


    Sophia stayed still while keeping a close eye on Li Yifei. As soon as Li Yifei made a mistake, her Flying Daggers would be unleashed, and this time she intended to release five daggers at once, using her most powerful killer move.


    Sophia had no sense of mercy. She grew up without friends or anyone she truly cared about, losing her parents early in life and having no memory of them. In such a brutal training environment, survival required coldness and becoming stronger. From the age of six, after stabbing a boy of the same age to death with a knife, Sophia had become a cold-blooded person.


    Even though she shared a small boat and had lived with Li Yifei and others for two days, her hard heart remained unmoved. Even if she had to kill Li Yifei now, she wouldn¡¯t feel any guilt.


    Both of them maintained a standoff for three minutes, and suddenly, Sophia felt something amiss. As she stared intensely at Li Yifei, she experienced an illusion where there appeared to be not just one but two Li Yifeis. This phenomenon had never occurred to her before. To master Flying Daggers, sharp vision was crucial. She could clearly see a fly¡¯s flight path across her eyes, so how could a person as large as Li Yifei cause such confusion?


    Just at that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s figure paused, and the illusion vanished. Sophia wasted no time, unleashing five Flying Daggers toward Li Yifei, with trajectories as elusive as lightning, impossible to predict.


    Usually, Sophia relied only on her vision and wrist strength to throw her daggers, but these five seemed to have consumed all her energy. At the moment they were released, her body involuntarily swayed. Although she struggled to remain steady, her legs felt weak.


    These were Sophia¡¯s fatal daggers, calculating all of Li Yifei¡¯s movement trajectories. One aimed for the forehead, one for the throat, one for the heart, while the other two positioned towards the left and right. Should Li Yifei dodge downward, the dagger aimed at the throat would surely hit his forehead.


    If Li Yifei dodged to the left, the dagger lying in wait would take his life, the same for the right. A jump would make the forehead and throat daggers pierce his body.


    These five daggers created a death trap, not only testing Sophia¡¯s wrist and eyesight but mainly her calculation skills. Every different opponent required calculating different speeds for these precise trajectories. These five daggers drained her mental energy, but she was confident they would kill her target. If they didn¡¯t, even if she had more strength, she¡¯d have no chance to kill him and would be at his mercy.


    "Your so-called killer move is nothing special," Li Yifei remarked, leaving Sophia stunned, staring intently at him. "Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Sophia screamed internally. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t dead, nor had he even fallen. "He must be faking; he must be seriously injured. It¡¯s impossible he evaded all five of my daggers."


    Yet, looking at Li Yifei, he seemed unscathed, smiling as he approached her, unbelievable to Sophia¡¯s eyes.


    "How... how did you dodge it?" Sophia asked weakly, her body swaying and almost collapsing.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, saying, "Your dagger skill is indeed impressive, but unfortunately, just a little short. I managed to dodge them."


    Sophia rasped, "That¡¯s impossible! I calculated all your evasion paths. You shouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge."


    "There are no absolutes," Li Yifei responded with a faint smile. "You believed your daggers were unavoidable, but that was only your perception," he continued. "Given your current state, if I wanted to kill you, it would be too easy. However, as a man of my word, since you didn¡¯t harm Shanshan and the others, I¡¯ll spare you. Hopefully, you won¡¯t cause me any more trouble."


    As he finished, Li Yifei turned and vanished quickly into the thicket, cracking a smile and rubbing his chest. He couldn¡¯t help but admire Sophia¡¯s daggers¡¯ deadliness. He had dodged four of them, but the last still hit his chest. If not for wearing a bulletproof vest, which he¡¯d prepared beforehand, it would have been fatal.


    Sophia¡¯s daggers were powerful but still lacked the sheer force of real bullets. The bulletproof vest could stop a bullet, and it blocked Sophia¡¯s dagger as well. Even with the vest, his chest hurt intensely, not unlike being hit by a bullet.


    A bulletproof vest disperses a bullet¡¯s force, though not entirely, so the impact remains substantial.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t think himself despicable for wearing the vest. His overall strength surpassed Sophia¡¯s significantly. If it came to life or death, he wouldn¡¯t risk dodging five daggers directly but rather use other means to take her down before she could throw them.


    Sophia¡¯s act of tossing others overboard but sparing Xu Shanshan and two others on the small boat earned her a reprieve from Li Yifei. Hence, he spared her life. But he had no intention of taking Sophia with him; a woman so dangerous should be kept at a safe distance.


    On reaching the beach, Xu Shanshan rushed up, taking Li Yifei¡¯s arm and checking him over. "Brother-in-law, what did you do to that woman?" she asked.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Neither of us did anything to the other."


    Zheng Mingrui exclaimed disbelief, "No way, boss! Is that woman so powerful, or were you too tender-hearted to strike?"


    Xu Shanshan glanced suspiciously at Li Yifei, prompting him to shoot Zheng Mingrui a stern look. He then told Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. The woman is indeed powerful. If I could have killed her, I would have done it on the yacht instead of letting her take you hostage."


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled awkwardly, realizing he misspoke. Even though Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s wife, she was his sister-in-law, and such words shouldn¡¯t be tossed around lightly. However, he still harbored some doubt, feeling there weren¡¯t many who could rival Li Yifei. Given how quickly Li Yifei returned, it seemed mysterious.


    Yet Zheng Mingrui knew better than to probe further. If he caused trouble in Li Yifei¡¯s personal life, he¡¯d be in real trouble. Now that he had a girlfriend, he understood not to joke as freely as before. Girlfriends and wives carried greater emotional weight than past flings; even the mightiest heroes would find their courage diminished by love.


    He urged everyone onto the plane, and after three days stranded on the island, Li Yifei was finally going home.

 Chapter 651 - 688 Satisfaction

    Chapter 651: Chapter 688 SatisfactionJust as Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin had guessed, Li Yifei had already made his way to the room of Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao.


    After satisfying Xu Yingying, under normal circumstances, Xu Yingying would let Li Yifei give it another go, and then Li Yifei would climax, but today Xu Yingying held Li Yifei¡¯s waist, keeping him from moving, and said wearily, "Husband, stop moving."


    "Wife, this..." At this moment, Li Yifei felt stuck, unable to move either up or down; having Xu Yingying prevent him from moving was really uncomfortable.


    Xu Yingying coyly rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Yiyi and Xiaoyao have also been worried sick these past two days because of you, don¡¯t you think you should go and comfort them a bit?"


    "Wife... do I really have to?" Li Yifei asked with an awkward smile, feeling guilty at the same time.


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei¡¯s waist gently and said, "Since I¡¯ve promised Yiyi in front of everyone, I can¡¯t be all talk and no action. If I don¡¯t let you go now, wouldn¡¯t others say I¡¯m petty?"


    "Wife, there¡¯s really no need, you¡¯ve been so worried these days, I just want to stay with you, I¡¯ll be fine in a bit," Li Yifei said and tried to move again.


    Xu Yingying hurriedly held him down again and scolded, "No, it won¡¯t do, I¡¯m really tired. You¡¯re like a bull, at this rate, you¡¯ll wear me out completely. Go tend to them; they¡¯re young, they can certainly satisfy you."


    Li Yifei could see that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t joking, and at that moment, his heart was incredibly stirred by the grandeur of her heart, and he was at a loss for what to say.


    Xu Yingying stroked Li Yifei¡¯s cheek with her hand and spoke softly, "Husband, these past few days have been like years for me, fearing that I might never see you again. Now I realize how much I love you. I can¡¯t lose you. As long as you don¡¯t leave me, don¡¯t divorce me, I really don¡¯t mind about Yiyi and Xiaoyao."


    Li Yifei was so moved that he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "Alright, go now, don¡¯t keep Yiyi and Xiaoyao waiting. I¡¯m going to sleep, you¡¯re practically crushing me. Get off," Xu Yingying said as she pushed Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei kissed Xu Yingying deeply on the lips and said, "Yingying, then I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re asleep before I go over."


    While Xu Yingying said this, her heart still felt sour; what wife would want her husband running to another woman¡¯s bed? And it¡¯s not like she wouldn¡¯t notice; he was going from her bed to another¡¯s. Li Yifei¡¯s actions completely considered her dignity. She gave Li Yifei a sweet smile and said, "Alright then, you hold me as I sleep."


    Li Yifei got off the bed, and Xu Yingying turned around, her back against Li Yifei, snuggling tightly into his embrace. Xu Yingying liked to lean into Li Yifei¡¯s arms like this, with his hands caressing her breasts, feeling his firmness, and sensing the solidness of his chest.


    Xu Yingying was indeed very tired, not only from Li Yifei¡¯s earlier exertions but also from lack of sleep over the past two days. Once again relying on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, she fell asleep quickly.


    After Xu Yingying had fallen asleep, Li Yifei held her for a while longer, then tiptoed out of the room and pushed open the door to the room where Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were.


    The lights in the room were still on, and Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi were lying side by side on the bed. As soon as Li Yifei entered, Chu Xiaoyao sat up and said excitedly and triumphantly, "Yiyi, see, I knew Uncle would come to our room tonight."


    Su Yiyi, flustered, said, "Li... Brother Li, why did you come over?"


    Li Yifei was just wearing his body, directly getting onto the bed, lying between the two, saying, "Yingying is asleep."


    "But you can¡¯t just come over like this, if Sister Yingying wakes up and finds you not by her side, she would be unhappy," Su Yiyi said urgently, pushing Li Yifei.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "Sister Yiyi, why are you in such a hurry? If Uncle comes over, that means he¡¯s confident, and Sister Yingying is not such a petty person. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to you and would have driven you and me away a long time ago."


    Li Yifei stretched his arms under the necks of both women, saying, "What Xiaoyao said is right."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately flipped onto Li Yifei¡¯s body, twisted her waist, and said, "Uncle, won¡¯t you take me tonight?"


    Li Yifei slapped Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom, laughing, "No, we have to wait a bit longer."


    "Why do we have to wait? You never agree every time," Chu Xiaoyao pouted.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand didn¡¯t leave Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom, and this girl didn¡¯t wear anything at all, lightly touching, he said, "This is such an important matter, even if Uncle wants you, I need to create the finest atmosphere, ¡¯under the blossoms and in the moonlight.¡¯"


    "No need, no need, today¡¯s atmosphere is quite good," seductively, Chu Xiaoyao said while squirming, already stealthily rubbing her bottom against Li Yifei¡¯s ¡¯thing¡¯, trying to turn the raw rice into cooked rice without him noticing.


    "Don¡¯t be naughty, keep this up, and tonight I will only touch Yiyi, not you."


    "Hate you, stinky Uncle," Chu Xiaoyao pouted enough to hang an oil bottle, flipped off Li Yifei¡¯s body, and said, "Go ahead then, hehe, Uncle, you just served Sister Yingying, are you still up for it now?"


    "Your Uncle never has off moments," Li Yifei said proudly, then flipped over and pressed Su Yiyi beneath him.


    "Brother Li!" Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao had been with Li Yifei multiple times by then, and they were no longer that shy, though in their hearts they were somewhat worried about Xu Yingying.


    "You¡¯ve been worried these past few days, so today Brother Li is going to really take care of you," Li Yifei said as he kissed Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi moaned softly, and her arms were already wrapped around Li Yifei, responding passionately.


    With Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei fully let go, of course focusing mainly on Su Yiyi, and Chu Xiaoyao could only play a minor role since Li Yifei stubbornly refused to take her. However, Li Yifei certainly couldn¡¯t leave Chu Xiaoyao unsatisfied, and in the end, he used both hands and mouth to make this girl also lie limp on the bed.


    "Brother Li, you should go back," Su Yiyi said, pushing Li Yifei after they had calmed down.


    Chu Xiaoyao also giggled, "Yeah, go back quickly. Yiyi Sister and I are just concubines, you staying here would make Sister Yingying angry. Hurry back, we still need to properly dote on Sister Yingying."


    Li Yifei was indeed harboring such thoughts and didn¡¯t make excuses this time, kissing both women before returning to Xu Yingying¡¯s room. Xu Yingying, as Li Yifei¡¯s wife, was truly open-minded to allow such things, which was quite extraordinary, and all Li Yifei could feel was gratitude, thus he was even more attentive to Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings.


    S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 652 - 689 Normalized

    Chapter 652: Chapter 689 NormalizedThe next morning, Xu Yingying woke up with a smile on her face. She knew that Li Yifei had finally slept by her side last night. Although he had left in between, the fact that he returned showed he cared about her feelings. Therefore, her unhappiness from Li Yifei going to see Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao was greatly reduced.


    As she came out, she saw Li Yifei and Su Yiyi in the kitchen, both wearing radiant smiles. Especially Su Yiyi, who was charming and feminine, with an irresistible allure. This made Xu Yingying feel a bit uneasy again.


    "Good morning, Sister Yingying!" Su Yiyi also saw Xu Yingying then and immediately stepped away from Li Yifei, blushing, and greeted her shyly, twisting the corner of her clothes with her hands, clearly nervous.


    Seeing Su Yiyi like this, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t really hold anything against her. She smiled slightly and said, "Yiyi, you¡¯re so diligent. I¡¯m rather clumsy; I still can¡¯t cook."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly said, "I¡¯m just messing around, Brother Li is the one who cooks well, I¡¯m just helping out."


    Xu Yingying wanted to say, "You don¡¯t need to be afraid of me, I¡¯m not a tiger that eats people," but she ended up just smiling and saying, "Yifei is really good at cooking, so I¡¯ll go wash up and wait to eat."


    She didn¡¯t have any intention to bully Su Yiyi, but if Su Yiyi was a bit intimidated by her, it might not be a bad thing. If everybody was like Chu Xiaoyao, wouldn¡¯t she be angry all the time?


    While Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi were talking, Li Yifei did not say a word. It wasn¡¯t the right time to say anything; it was better to let Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi handle things on their own. They had already taken the most difficult first step, so theoretically, it should become easier from here on.


    This was all because Su Yiyi was particularly well-behaved. With a girl like Su Yiyi, who could bring themselves to scold or curse her? Besides, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t the type to be aggressive. Although she felt a little uneasy inside, with Su Yiyi¡¯s respect for her, they should be able to get along.


    Today was October 8th, and those who had to work went to work, and those who had to go to school went to school. When Li Yifei was nearly done making breakfast, he went to call Little Yifei, who had to go to daycare today.


    After a few knocks, Su Mengxin opened the door, her hair still a bit messy, and wearing pajamas, she yawned.


    "Still not enough sleep?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Of course not, your sister-in-law kept me up last night, and I didn¡¯t sleep well at all."


    Li Yifei immediately guessed what was going on, rubbed his nose, and said, "I¡¯ll go wake up Yifei, she has to be taken to daycare today."


    Su Mengxin stepped aside to let Li Yifei in and said, "You seem full of energy, and after such a hard night, I thought you wouldn¡¯t be able to get up."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh, as Su Mengxin was now much more direct with him than before. He said, "It¡¯s okay for now."


    Walking side by side with him, Su Mengxin softly said, "Don¡¯t always overdo it; your health is important. Even though you¡¯re in great shape now and don¡¯t think much of it, over time, problems will inevitably arise."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Su Mengxin to say something like this. His old face turned red, and he coughed lightly, saying, "I¡¯ll pay attention."


    Su Mengxin smiled gently and said, "Don¡¯t blame me for nagging you; I¡¯m just concerned about your health."


    "Thank you." Li Yifei held Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, feeling warm inside. Although Su Mengxin had lifted the veil between them, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel any pressure. On the contrary, Su Mengxin¡¯s concern for him was now more openly expressed, and it was incredibly considerate, even compared to a wife. This ¡¯thank you¡¯ came straight from his heart.


    Su Mengxin smiled again and said, "Hurry and wake Yifei up, or you¡¯ll be late."


    After waking everyone up and having breakfast, Li Yifei went to drop off his daughter and Xu Shanshan, while Xu Yingying drove herself to the office.


    After dropping his daughter at daycare, Li Yifei drove leisurely and said, "Did you talk to Mengxin yesterday?"


    "I had no choice, yesterday you were so wild, I couldn¡¯t bear it and had no control," Xu Shanshan said coquettishly, casting a graceful glance at Li Yifei. Now, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t seem like an unmarried woman at all but rather a nurtured wife. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and said, "Then from now on, when I¡¯m being affectionate with your sister, I¡¯ll have to consider where you are. If it¡¯s a public setting, that¡¯ll be troublesome."


    Xu Shanshan nodded seriously and said, "Yeah, I wanted to remind you too. That night when you and my sister were on the yacht, I was with Michelle and almost made a fool of myself. I¡¯m telling you, if you want to get close to my sister and I¡¯m not around, you must notify me first."


    Li Yifei suddenly burst into laughter, and Xu Shanshan quickly asked, "What¡¯s so funny?"


    "Shanshan, what if your sister suddenly gets romantic one day, and I don¡¯t have time to notify you, and you¡¯re in a public place? What then?"


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "Figure it out yourself. After all, I¡¯m your sister-in-law, and if I lose face, yours won¡¯t look good either."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You¡¯re right."


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan added, "I have to say, brother-in-law, I really admire you now. Even Sister Mengxin likes you so much."


    Li Yifei felt it was like a dream and said, "Yeah, I never thought of it. I always thought she got along with me because I saved her."


    "What do you plan to do with Sister Mengxin in the future?" Xu Shanshan asked, turning her head to seriously look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "To be honest, Shanshan, I don¡¯t feel very real about Mengxin¡¯s feelings for me and really haven¡¯t thought about her in the future. But I have a feeling that my relationship with her can¡¯t be made public, and I will certainly not divorce your sister. Even if Su Mengxin is gorgeous, she¡¯s just one person. Being with your sister is like getting one free with another; there¡¯s no better deal."


    "Get out of here, calling it a deal," Xu Shanshan spat out at Li Yifei, but her face was full of smiles. "Exactly, marrying a wife and getting a sister-in-law for free, you won¡¯t find such a good deal elsewhere."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Yeah, so no matter what, I can¡¯t change my heart now."


    After dropping Xu Shanshan off at school, Li Yifei returned home, having to take Chu Xiaoyao back to school today, which meant missing work.


    Chu Xiaoyao, though reluctant, didn¡¯t refuse to go either. Li Yifei drove, and Su Yiyi accompanied him, sitting in the back and cheerfully chatting all the way with Chu Xiaoyao.


    Both of them were in great spirits. Su Yiyi need not sneak around to be with Li Yifei anymore, and she lived in Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s home now. The most crucial point was that Li Yifei had come to her room last night, making her so blissful she didn¡¯t know ground from sky.


    In college, coming back a day late wasn¡¯t a big deal. Just a heads up to the advisor would do, so Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in a rush on the way. By the time they reached the school, it was already past noon.


    "Little Yue!" Chu Xiaoyao called out as soon as they reached the school entrance.


    Li Yifei knew that the "Little Yue" Chu Xiaoyao referred to was her friend Zhou Xiaoyue, who was also Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin, basically making her his sister-in-law, but he didn¡¯t see Zhou Xiaoyue.


    "Why did this girl leave with that guy?" Chu Xiaoyao furrowed her brows and muttered.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked.


    "I just saw Little Yue getting into a car with some people, including one annoying guy. Little Yue doesn¡¯t like him, but now she¡¯s leaving with them. I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s doing."


    "Going out with friends shouldn¡¯t be an issue, right?" Li Yifei said casually as he drove the car onto campus.


    Zhou Xiaoyue curled her lips and said, "Uncle, you don¡¯t know. That guy thinks he¡¯s handsome and rich and powerful. He¡¯s played with many girls at school. When we first got here, we heard about it. That guy even tried pursuing me, but I ignored him. Later, he chased after Little Yue, but she didn¡¯t give him any face either. Now, after a few days, she¡¯s hanging out with him."


    Li Yifei frowned. He had a good impression of Little Yue, both because of Chu Xiaoyao and the connection through Ye Yunzhu. He definitely didn¡¯t want her getting hurt. "Why don¡¯t you ask her what¡¯s going on?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s number.


    Soon, Zhou Xiaoyue answered, enthusiastically saying, "Xiaoyao, are you back?"


    "Yeah, I just got to school and saw you leaving. Why were you with that guy?"


    "Hehe, no worries, there are lots of people with us. I¡¯ll be fine, plus there are several fellow townsmen. Xiaoyao, do you want to come?"


    Li Yifei could hear the voice on the phone and nodded to Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly said, "Where are you going? I¡¯ll come over."


    "Great! We¡¯re going to Tunmbs to sing karaoke, so give me a call when you arrive, and I¡¯ll come to get you."


    For college students these days, dating was quite normal. Li Yifei didn¡¯t intend to control Zhou Xiaoyue, but having seen this, he had to check on her to make sure she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t face Ye Yunzhu.

 Chapter 653 - 690: The Prodigal Sons of the Campus

    Chapter 653: Chapter 690: The Prodigal Sons of the CampusLi Yifei wasn¡¯t familiar with the roads here, so it took him some time to reach the Qian Cabinet¡ªa top-ranked karaoke chain in major cities across the country, known for its high costs. Ordinary college students wouldn¡¯t typically spend money here; those present indicated that affluent individuals were inside.


    Upon arrival at the entrance, Li Yifei didn¡¯t get out of the car but turned to Chu Xiaoyao instead, "Xiaoyao, you go in first. Don¡¯t let Little Yue know I¡¯m here."


    "Why?" Chu Xiaoyao asked, puzzled.


    "Little Yue is Yunzhu¡¯s cousin. If I show up, it¡¯d seem as if I¡¯m trying to control her, and that would make her uncomfortable."


    "Hehe, that makes sense. Okay then, I¡¯ll go in myself."


    Chu Xiaoyao got out of the car, and soon Zhou Xiaoyue ran out. The two hugged and hopped a few times before dashing inside.


    Only then did Li Yifei park the car with Su Yiyi and, smiling, said to her, "Yiyi, let¡¯s go inside and sing some songs too."


    "Okay!" A sweet smile spread across Su Yiyi¡¯s face, truly happy to be out alone with Li Yifei.


    Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao were in a large private room on the third floor. Li Yifei and Su Yiyi found a room there as well, opting for a smaller private room.


    Once in the room, they ordered some items. After the server left, Li Yifei surveyed the surroundings and turned to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, seeing the karaoke room reminds me of the first time we met."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face flushed as she said nervously, "Brother Li, you won¡¯t despise me for what happened then, will you?"


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s waist, gently kissed her face, and looked into her eyes, "Silly girl, if it hadn¡¯t been for that encounter, how would I have found such a great wife like Yiyi?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s heart instantly swelled with sweetness, and she sank into the memory, thankfully saying, "If I hadn¡¯t met Brother Li that time, I really don¡¯t know what my life would have become. Maybe I¡¯d have fallen."


    "That wouldn¡¯t happen. Even if you hadn¡¯t met me then, you¡¯re not the type to sell yourself for money."


    "For my own expenses, I wouldn¡¯t sell myself, but with my dad like that, I don¡¯t know whether he would have sold me. Just thinking about it scares me," said Su Yiyi, her body involuntarily shivering at the thought.


    Li Yifei held Su Yiyi tightly and said softly, "That¡¯s why it¡¯s fate, destined for you to meet me and for me to be your man."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and responded, "Yes, I¡¯m truly happy now. Meeting Brother Li has definitely been the happiest thing in my life."


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi reminisced about the past, making Li Yifei feel quite guilty towards Su Yiyi. Under normal circumstances, he genuinely wanted to marry her, but in the end, he married Xu Yingying. Now, he could only keep Su Yiyi as his mistress. Fortunately, Xu Yingying had agreed, which was some consolation.


    And as they spoke of these things, Su Yiyi continued to comfort Li Yifei. This kind and devoted girl, despite the injustice she faced, took it in stride.


    The two had been together for some time, but had never really gone out to play like today. Surprisingly, Su Yiyi¡¯s singing voice was unexpectedly beautiful, especially when she sang those tender love songs, as if touching the heart and entrancing Li Yifei.


    If Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t run into any trouble, then Li Yifei would have been utterly lost in his enjoyable time with Su Yiyi today.


    However, not ten minutes had passed since Chu Xiaoyao had promised to send Li Yifei a WeChat message, and now almost twenty minutes had gone by without one. Li Yifei felt something was amiss. He told Su Yiyi to stay in the room, as he didn¡¯t want her to witness any violent scenes. Such a pure girl, he didn¡¯t want violence to taint her innocence.


    Already knowing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s private room number, Li Yifei went straight to the door. Without knocking, he pushed it open and entered.


    In the private room, there were a total of twelve people, seven men and five women. At this time, the five girls were all sitting on the left side of the long sofa. Rather than sitting, they were leaning on each other, half-lying and half-sitting, with their eyes closed as if asleep. Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao were in the middle, their clothes still neat with no sign of disarray. This put Li Yifei somewhat at ease.


    On the right side of the sofa, two guys were slumped over as Zhou Xiaoyue and her group were. The other five people were standing in front of Chu Xiaoyao and her group, turning around at the sound of Li Yifei entering.


    "Who let you in? Get out!" A young man in his early twenties glared at Li Yifei and barked an order.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond but assessed the five men instead. The one in the middle was the handsomest, dressed in the finest clothes, and had an air of a spoilt heir about him - an air of arrogance and disdain for others. It seemed like he held the lead over the group, the same obnoxious male that Chu Xiaoyao mentioned.


    The other four had the look of hangers-on, clearly deferring to the central figure.


    All five of them had anger written on their faces at Li Yifei¡¯s intrusion, coupled with an excitement that could not be concealed, the joy of a misdeed about to come to fruition.


    It seemed they had just put Chu Xiaoyao and the others out of consciousness, and whatever method they used was undoubtedly some kind of drug because the bottles on the table weren¡¯t many, and the smell of alcohol wasn¡¯t that strong.


    "Didn¡¯t you hear me telling you to get out?" snapped another guy, frowning at Li Yifei¡¯s reluctance to leave.


    Li Yifei pointed to Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue, saying, "I¡¯m taking them away."


    All five guys changed their expressions, and the one in the center asked with a stern face, "And you are?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This young man, named Zhao Dongliang, was local. His parents were in business, owning assets close to one hundred million, and his uncle was a mid-level government official in the area. With such resources, he indeed had reason to show off: rich and influential, most people couldn¡¯t afford to mess with him. Within the university, as a local with such stature, he was quite rare, which made him all the more influential on campus, the idol of countless female students.


    Having studied at this university for over two years, junior Zhao Dongliang had switched through numerous girlfriends and caused harm to many girls. Yet, plenty more were keen to be with him, knowing he could take them to upscale places and lavish them with expensive gifts. They fantasized about being his last woman, but no girl had ever succeeded; after being played by Zhao Dongliang for a while, they were cast aside like worn shoes.


    Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao, both freshmen, caught Zhao Dongliang¡¯s eye as soon as they arrived at school. He thought they would be easy to chase, but both showed no interest in him, to his great surprise. Despite his advantages, there were still girls who weren¡¯t biting, and their disinterest only increased his interest, constantly seeking ways to get his hands on Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue.


    After the National Day holiday passed, he finally managed to contact Zhou Xiaoyue through a fellow townsman and organized a group outing to sing. Zhou Xiaoyue, a fun-loving girl, was truly away from her parents for the first time in college, and she was frolicking with the unrestrained joy of a newly freed pony. Though not eager about having a boyfriend yet, she loved going out with fellow townspeople and friends.


    Although Zhao Dongliang was present this time, the company of two townspeople and several known girls made her let her guard down, and she joined them. With Chu Xiaoyao also arriving, her courage soared, and aside from avoiding drinking too much for fear of getting drunk, she carelessly drank the drugged beverage.


    Zhao Dongliang, not easily getting what he wanted today, finally had Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao faint, and he could do as he pleased next. But then, out of nowhere, a man ran in demanding to take them away, which he couldn¡¯t accept willingly. Although Li Yifei seemed to be an adult, Zhao Dongliang and his group didn¡¯t take him seriously; what mattered most now was to figure out Li Yifei¡¯s identity.


    "I¡¯m their relative," Li Yifei replied indifferently.


    Zhao Dongliang narrowed his eyes and said, "You¡¯re a relative of... both of them?"


    "Exactly," Li Yifei nodded.


    Zhao Dongliang laughed and said, "Look, buddy, that¡¯s the lamest excuse ever. They¡¯re not even related, and yet you¡¯re the relative of both? Do you think we¡¯re that easy to fool?" His face then turned cold, and he stated viciously, "If you want a girl, go find one yourself. Don¡¯t come here trying to pick up what¡¯s mine."


    "What if I insist on taking them away?" Li Yifei¡¯s tone remained calm.


    "Kid, are you asking for a beating?" One of Zhao Dongliang¡¯s lackeys picked up a bottle, looking fiercely at Li Yifei. As a flunky of Zhao Dongliang, he had often benefited from him and naturally wanted to demonstrate his loyalty, which would further endear him to Zhao Dongliang.


    The other three also picked up bottles and surrounded Li Yifei. With just a word from Zhao Dongliang, they would give Li Yifei a good thrashing, confident that with Zhao¡¯s backing, they had nothing to fear as long as things didn¡¯t go too far.

 Chapter 654 - 691 Intimidation

    Chapter 654: Chapter 691 IntimidationLi Yifei shook his head; these young people really didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth. Relying on their families¡¯ modest wealth, they acted as if they owned the world, daring to do anything. Li Yifei had seen too many such people, but he generally couldn¡¯t be bothered with them unless they involved someone close to him. However, these guys were planning to set up Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue, so Li Yifei felt obligated to teach them a lesson. Otherwise, if these kids troubled Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao again in the future, he wouldn¡¯t always be there to protect them. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯ll count to three. Scram from here quickly, or don¡¯t blame me for being impolite, one!" Zhao Dongliang, at this moment, was like a major figure who controlled the situation, watching Li Yifei coldly.


    In fact, Zhao Dongliang always behaved like this. Most of the boys at school would scatter like mice before a cat at his approach. With such a stance, his opponents wouldn¡¯t wait for him to count to two; they would¡¯ve already scurried away obediently.


    "Two!"


    Li Yifei still didn¡¯t budge, not even bothering to exchange words with them.


    "Three!"


    Zhao Dongliang finished counting to three, but Li Yifei still hadn¡¯t moved, which greatly infuriated Zhao. He shouted angrily, "Beat him up!"


    The moment Zhao Dongliang said this, the other four didn¡¯t hesitate. They swung their wine bottles at Li Yifei¡¯s body. They weren¡¯t stupid, afraid that hitting Li Yifei¡¯s head with the bottles might kill him. In their hearts, four against one was a joke; they didn¡¯t expect any resistance.


    These youths still lacked understanding of society. Facing them alone, Li Yifei not showing a trace of panic clearly indicated he had nothing to fear. Anyone with a bit of social experience would have doubts at this point, but they hadn¡¯t considered this at all.


    Only when they made their move did they realize how vast the world was. Problems couldn¡¯t be solved merely with passion or youthful vigor. They hadn¡¯t even touched the hem of Li Yifei¡¯s clothes before they all received heavy blows. Stricken at the same spot above the belly, right at the stomach area, the spasms induced immediate pain, making it difficult to breathe. They gasped for air, collapsing limply onto the ground.


    "You... you..." Zhao Dongliang, who had expected a good show, couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. His four brothers were all knocked down by a single man, and they hadn¡¯t even seen how he made his move.


    Li Yifei leisurely walked towards Zhao Dongliang, who in turn retreated step by step. Despite Li Yifei¡¯s face not appearing very fierce, he exerted a pressure that Zhao found unbearable, the first of its kind he¡¯d ever felt.


    "You... I am Zhao Dongliang, my dad is the president of Qingfeng Company. If you dare touch me, I will find someone to kill you later," said Zhao Dongliang, still trying to use his family background to intimidate Li Yifei despite the pressure he felt.


    Unfortunately, his family¡¯s influence, although not insignificant, was not much when compared to others. Li Yifei himself had assets not less than his family¡¯s, and his wife Xu Yingying managed a company worth billions. His lover, Su Mengxin, was so wealthy people didn¡¯t even know how much money she had. If Zhao Dongliang knew Li Yifei¡¯s strength, he would probably feel embarrassed to bring up his own family¡¯s status.


    Li Yifei reached out and grabbed Zhao Dongliang by the neck, lifting his arm and picking up Zhao, who weighed more than 130 pounds.


    Zhao Dongliang felt as if his neck was clamped by the jaws of a tiger, and no matter how hard he tried to pry Li Yifei¡¯s hand open with both hands, it was like an ant shaking a tree¡ªutterly ineffective. The grip on his neck grew tighter, and it became harder for him to breathe.


    "Stay away from Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao in the future. If you dare to target them again, I will definitely kill you."


    After saying this, Li Yifei let go. Zhao Dongliang fell to the ground, tipping over the bottles and spilling alcohol all over himself. At this point, he didn¡¯t care; he lay there gasping like a fish out of water. It took him a while to catch his breath, and by then, Li Yifei had already left with Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao in his arms.


    "Boss!" The four guys who had been knocked down by Li Yifei recovered and hurriedly helped Zhao Dongliang up. One of them presumptuously said, "Boss, let¡¯s go settle the score with him."


    Zhao Dongliang¡¯s face had just regained some color, though it was still conspicuously pale. He had felt death looming so close, and the words Li Yifei spoke before leaving cast a chill to his bones. He wholeheartedly believed that if he bothered Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue again, Li Yifei would truly kill him.


    He could compete with others in wealth and power, but facing someone who dared to kill, Zhao Dongliang was genuinely scared. It¡¯s easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to ward off a hidden arrow. If someone like Li Yifei set his sights on him, it would be extremely dangerous.


    Hearing his companion¡¯s words, he immediately waved his hand, still shaken, and said, "Can you even beat him?"


    The four deflated instantly. Before, they had all attacked together and didn¡¯t comprehend what had happened before they were taken down. Fighting Li Yifei was like courting death. One of them cleared his throat and suggested, "Boss, then let¡¯s find someone to handle him."


    Zhao Dongliang was tempted by the idea, but he thought again and decided against it. Risking such danger for two women hardly seemed justified. He shook his head and said, "Forget it, let¡¯s go."


    "What about them?" the guys asked, nodding at the other three girls on the sofa.


    Zhao Dongliang snorted and said, "Wake them up and tell them to leave."


    By this time, Li Yifei had already taken Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao to the private room where Su Yiyi was. As soon as Su Yiyi saw them, she jumped in shock and anxiously said, "Brother Li, what happened to them?"


    "They were drugged." Li Yifei placed the two of them on the sofa and then went to pour a glass of water, slowly pouring it over their foreheads. The two of them soon began to slowly wake up.


    "My head hurts so much." Chu Xiaoyao rubbed her forehead and saw Li Yifei. She immediately asked, "Uncle, what¡¯s happening to me?"


    Li Yifei replied irritably, "I asked you to look after Little Yue, but look at you, you¡¯ve got yourself in trouble too. You didn¡¯t even know someone had drugged you."


    "Ah, those bastards!" Chu Xiaoyao immediately started cursing.


    Zhou Xiaoyue looked at Li Yifei somewhat dazedly and said, "Brother-in-law, what are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei knocked on Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s head and scolded with a stern face, "If I hadn¡¯t come, you would have been taken advantage of. You¡¯re too careless. You already knew that guy was no good, yet you still went out with them."


    Zhou Xiaoyue rubbed her head, listening to Chu Xiaoyao cursing Zhao Dongliang. By now, she had completely figured out what happened and felt a surge of anger, saying hatefully, "That bastard, he¡¯s got some nerve. I definitely won¡¯t let him off."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately nodded repeatedly and said, "That¡¯s right, Uncle, let¡¯s go beat that guy¡¯s head into a pig¡¯s head."


    Li Yifei said, "Enough, I¡¯ve already taught him a lesson. Little Yue, Xiaoyao, I really need to talk to you seriously. You can¡¯t just go out with guys so easily. Society is so complex. Even with students at the school, they are not that innocent. If something really were to happen, Little Yue, how would I explain to your sister, and to the old man?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue and said, "I got it, stop nagging, you¡¯re almost as bad as my mom."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Zhou Xiaoyue and said exasperatedly, "And you still think you¡¯re right?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue giggled and said, "No, I admit I was wrong. I know you¡¯re worried about me, hehe, it won¡¯t happen again."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Li Yifei nodded his head.


    "Uncle, my head really hurts." Chu Xiaoyao said, rubbing her head in discomfort.


    "Lie down, I¡¯ll massage it for you." Li Yifei knew that this was a side effect of the drug, and a massage could ease it.


    Chu Xiaoyao obediently rested her head on Li Yifei¡¯s legs. There was no need for her to be cautious here; needless to say about Su Yiyi, both of them often shared the bed with Li Yifei, and Zhou Xiaoyue was aware of her relationship with Li Yifei as well.


    After Li Yifei massaged Chu Xiaoyao a few times, she felt much less headache and happily said, "Uncle, this really works."


    "Of course, it does. Right, Little Yue, you lie down too. I¡¯ll massage your forehead as well."


    Zhou Xiaoyue was now very familiar with Li Yifei. Previously, it was because of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s relationship, and now with Ye Yunzhu, she had become Li Yifei¡¯s relative, which made them grow even closer. At this moment, without any shyness, she immediately lay down on the other side of Li Yifei and rested her head on his leg.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hands were massaging the foreheads of both girls, quickly easing much of their discomfort.


    "I say, Little Yue, you¡¯re also quite comfortable lying on Uncle¡¯s legs like this. You don¡¯t have something going on with Uncle as well, do you?" Chu Xiaoyao, feeling less pain now, teasingly said to Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Zhou Xiaoyue humphed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your uncle is also my brother-in-law, what¡¯s so strange about letting him massage my forehead?"


    Chu Xiaoyao laughed and said, "Give me a break, my uncle is so outstanding, you must have your eye on him and want to be his woman too. We are good sisters, what¡¯s mine is yours. If you have those thoughts, I wouldn¡¯t be angry with you."


    Zhou Xiaoyue pouted and said, "I¡¯m not as foolish as you and my cousin, I would never be his mistress."

 Chapter 655 - 692: Lin Qiong’s Kidnapping

    Chapter 655: Chapter 692: Lin Qiong¡¯s KidnappingChu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue were just messing around with what they said, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t take it to heart at all. Such jesting from the young girls was completely normal, as Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue always used to talk nonsense like that when they were at his house.


    Once the two girls had recovered a bit, Li Yifei had them get up, preparing to take them back to their school.


    Li Yifei escorted them all the way to the dormitory door of the school, then watched as they got out of the car.


    Today, Li Yifei was driving a Mercedes, which was quite attention-grabbing in the school. Many students nearby saw him drop off Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao.


    And this news quickly reached the ears of Zhao Dongliang.


    This guy had a bit more insight than the average person. Initially, he thought Li Yifei was just a desperado, but now, knowing that he was driving a Mercedes, he realized it wasn¡¯t that simple. After looking more closely into Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s background, he found out that her maternal grandfather¡¯s family was a well-known major clan. Although their influence hadn¡¯t reached this area, in such a family, not only was there wealth, but also power, something he couldn¡¯t even begin to compare with.


    This revelation shocked Zhao Dongliang. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t really touched Zhou Xiaoyue; if he had truly provoked her, and she decided to pursue the matter later, his family¡¯s influence would not be enough to cope with the repercussions.


    From then on, he genuinely dared not trouble Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao again.


    Li Yifei was delayed here for a while, and by the time he returned to Mile City, it was already getting dark. Before coming back, he had already called Xu Yingying to say that he would visit Ye Yunzhu tonight.


    Although Xu Yingying felt uncomfortable, she readily agreed. The fact that Ye Yunzhu was going to have Li Yifei¡¯s child was inevitable, so she might as well be open about it, which could also keep a hold on Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    However, just after Li Yifei had dropped Su Yiyi back at school, Lin Qiong¡¯s call came through. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Little Qiongqiong, miss me?" Li Yifei would always tease Lin Qiong whenever he saw her, and he was no more serious on the phone.


    "Yes, I miss you. You have half an hour to get to my house, or else you¡¯ll face the consequences."


    "That¡¯s not possible, I¡¯m not in Mile City."


    "I don¡¯t care where you are, you have half an hour. If you don¡¯t come, I¡¯ll call Xu Yingying and tell her that I¡¯m pregnant with your child."


    "No way, right?"


    "Do you think I would or wouldn¡¯t?"


    "I am at your mercy, alright, I¡¯m on my way now."


    The cruise ship hijacking ended with the ship being blown up. Although it sank in the high seas, the Mile City police still faced tremendous pressure, since in total over a hundred people died. Amongst them, over forty crew members were killed, and more than a dozen passengers were murdered on the ship, while the rest met their demise in small boat accidents at sea.


    Although Lin Qiong belonged to the Sub-bureau, she was now transferred to the Municipal Special Investigation Team. However, cracking such a case was exceedingly difficult. The culprits were international criminals who had fled Huaxia after their successful raid, leaving the investigation team to examine the accounts.


    But evidently, the culprits had cyber experts. The funds that were transferred went through multiple transactions and ended up in the accounts of hundreds of ordinary people, who withdrew the money quickly. By the time these account holders were found, it turned out they were victims of identity theft, completely unrelated to the robbers.


    This plunged everyone into a dilemma, and with such a large cruise ship sinking, suppressing the media coverage was incredibly challenging. Now, it wasn¡¯t only domestic but also international media outlets were actively covering the incident.


    Thankfully, a specialist team from higher up took over the case, which alleviated the Public Security Bureau of much of the burden, though they still provided assistance.


    But Lin Qiong was deep in a competitive struggle, feeling uneasy that she had lost the opportunity to take part in such a big case. Although she was a notable figure in Mile City¡¯s police system, she lacked the qualifications to be involved in solving such a major case.


    Having participated earlier, she knew that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were listed as passengers on the ship. Knowing Li Yifei, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed idle at the time. She had wanted to question him early on, but he had disappeared. Now that she knew Li Yifei was back, she naturally wanted to catch him and interrogate him thoroughly.


    When Li Yifei arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s house, she was stone-faced, staring into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes with a serious expression.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Why the long face? I haven¡¯t committed any crime. Could you not look at me like I¡¯m a suspect?"


    Lin Qiong huffed, "Tell me everything that happened on the ship."


    Li Yifei knew that Lin Qiong would definitely ask about this incident, and he immediately showed a look of lingering fear saying, "You really won¡¯t let me catch a break. Even now, thinking about what happened on the ship still scares me, and yet you insist on ripping open the scars of my soul."


    Lin Qiong glared at him and said, "Get lost, you big man, don¡¯t be such a coward. Hurry up and talk, and don¡¯t leave anything out."


    "Tsk tsk, now that you¡¯re a Director, you really don¡¯t talk like that little patrol cop you used to be. You¡¯re quite aggressive," Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Lin Qiong.


    Being reminded of her past by Li Yifei, Lin Qiong did feel a bit embarrassed. Back in the day, she was just a patrol cop fresh out of the academy, brimming with energy and spirit but still very humble. She didn¡¯t have much confidence when facing certain situations, but having been promoted repeatedly, and with subordinates gingerly respecting her authority every day, she had gradually developed her official presence. This commanding air might work on others, but all she had achieved had come from Li Yifei. If she continued to act this way with him, it really wouldn¡¯t be justifiable. Moreover, Li Yifei was also her man. As a woman, it wasn¡¯t right to lose her temper at her own man.


    Of course, there was another critical point: Li Yifei was that powerful, mysterious person. It didn¡¯t matter that she was now a deputy director of a sub-bureau; even if she were the Chief of the Municipal Bureau, she was nothing in front of Li Yifei.


    Softening her tone, Lin Qiong even revealed a smile, saying, "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t be harsh with you. So, can you talk to me about what happened? This matter has been driving me crazy these past few days."


    "That¡¯s more like it. Then let me tell you. It was incredibly dangerous on the ship at that time. A group of hijackers sprung out from god knows where and took over the auction hall. Those villains were unbelievably brutal, killing like madmen. They started by killing several people, and their methods were truly savage. At that moment, I was so frightened that my legs went weak, nearly wetting my pants."


    Lin Qiong was speechless. Li Yifei, that bastard, was really good at spinning tales. The situation was indeed roughly as he described, something she had already been briefed on, but when Li Yifei talked about himself, how could that possibly be true? Nonetheless, she held back from calling him out, curious to see how this scoundrel would continue his story.


    "Luckily, I hid at the back and was relatively safe. I crouched down and took cover behind a chair, watching those rich folks being forced to transfer funds. I have to admit, I found it quite satisfying; it serves them right for being so wealthy. Now they were targeted, but us common folk are more comfortable without such dangers," said Li Yifei.


    If Lin Qiong didn¡¯t already know that Li Yifei was that mysterious person, seeing him act like this might have actually fooled her. Additionally, she would have had good reason to despise him for displaying such cowardice. How could a woman ever fall for such a weak man, that bastard who spent all day pretending in front of her?


    Interrupting Li Yifei, Lin Qiong said irritably, "Get to the point. How was the crisis on the ship resolved?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you," he said.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes twinkled. From the information she had, it seemed like Li Yifei wasn¡¯t involved in the incident and had not mentioned the mysterious person. But she didn¡¯t believe for a second that Li Yifei could have been so passive at the time; it just didn¡¯t fit his personality. He must have been hiding, unnoticed.


    Narrowing his eyes and showing a more passionate expression, Li Yifei spoke slowly, "Just when we all felt utterly hopeless, the lights in our hall suddenly dimmed again, and a hero appeared. He was alone, and he quickly took down those criminals, rescuing all of us. I¡¯ve never seen anyone so brave in my life."


    "Hmph! Is it that simple?" Lin Qiong was clearly dissatisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s answer. She knew about these events; what she wanted to hear was something she hadn¡¯t heard before.


    "What else do you want to hear? You¡¯re not interested in our terrifying ordeal. That hero¡¯s rescue was also very brief. It all happened in less than five minutes; it was that quick."


    What frustrated Lin Qiong was that even though such a hero had emerged, they as the police should have investigated further. However, despite their authority, they couldn¡¯t manage to get in touch with him. It seemed that this person¡¯s rank was incredibly high.


    Looking at Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor, she knew that even if she pressed him, he wouldn¡¯t say more unless his true identity was revealed. But Lin Qiong didn¡¯t want to do that just yet. If she did, he might end up distancing himself from her.


    "Then where did you go after that?" Lin Qiong asked.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I was quite unlucky. Just after getting off the large ship, I ended up on a smaller thief¡¯s vessel. Several criminals were still on board, and they took us to an island and just left us there to fend for ourselves. We survived there for three days before we were rescued."


    Lin Qiong immediately asked, "Why did they kidnap you?"


    Li Yifei gave Lin Qiong an exasperated look and said, "How would I know why they kidnapped us? It was perhaps just our misfortune to end up on their boat."


    "Do you remember the appearances of those criminals?"


    "I do; they were all foreigners, each one with blue eyes. There were blondes, whites, even one with green hair ¨C all sorts of strange hair colors, none with normal black hair."


    "I¡¯m asking about specific features, such as something distinctive about their eyes or noses. If you saw them again, could you recognize them?"


    "That would be tough, although I might. But to describe them in detail, that would definitely be difficult with my level of education," said Li Yifei


    Lin Qiong knew that Li Yifei was deliberately talking nonsense. How could that guy have been kidnapped by criminals? Even if he really had been taken hostage, he must have handled it himself. She suspected that the criminals who were on the same boat as Li Yifei had all ended up as shark bait.


    Alternatively, Li Yifei might not have been stranded on a deserted island at all, but rather pursuing those criminals and taking them out on the spot. However, since Li Yifei wasn¡¯t part of the police force, admitting to killing people would indeed be troublesome. With that thought, Lin Qiong understood why Li Yifei was fabricating stories and decided she didn¡¯t want to inquire further. For Li Yifei¡¯s sake, she would keep his secrets.

 Chapter 656 - 693 Selfish Man

    Chapter 656: Chapter 693 Selfish Man"Little Qiongqiong, you came to see me today just to care about me; you¡¯re really so good to me." Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder, smiling lewdly.


    Lin Qiong shoved Li Yifei away suddenly, glaring and saying, "Don¡¯t disgust me here. You¡¯re such a menace; I wish you¡¯d just die sooner."


    "How can my Little Qiongqiong be so heartless?"


    Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei fiercely and said, "Hmph, you¡¯re Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, not mine. Why should I care about you?"


    "Well, we met late. If I had met you earlier, I would¡¯ve married you."


    Lin Qiong crossed her arms and said, "Oh really? Alright then, divorce Xu Yingying now, and I¡¯ll marry you."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly and said, "I¡¯m not that irresponsible. If I could divorce Yingying and be with you, doesn¡¯t that mean I could divorce you and run off with someone else in the future?"


    "Hmph, you¡¯re just all talks. I¡¯ve walked a lot today, and my feet hurt. Help me rub them." Lin Qiong said, lying back and putting her foot right on Li Yifei¡¯s leg.


    Li Yifei held Lin Qiong¡¯s foot, which, though not as soft as Xu Shanshan¡¯s and a bit bony, still felt good in his hands. But he had already promised Ye Yunzhu that he¡¯d go to her place tonight. Ye Yunzhu was surely waiting at home; if he arrived late, she wouldn¡¯t let him off easily. And looking at Lin Qiong¡¯s posture, it seemed she didn¡¯t plan on letting him leave tonight either.


    Li Yifei spoke in a very gentle tone, "Qiongqiong, you¡¯re already tired today; go to bed early later."


    Lin Qiong initially had her eyes closed but suddenly opened them and looked at Li Yifei. "You want me to sleep early so you can leave, right?"


    Li Yifei coughed again and said, "I actually have something tonight."


    "What is it? Tell me, I¡¯m not unreasonable. If it¡¯s truly important, I¡¯ll let you go."


    Li Yifei certainly couldn¡¯t say he was going to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s place; Lin Qiong would definitely get angry and certainly wouldn¡¯t let him go. He quickly smiled and said, "The guys from the security department are throwing me a welcome party tonight. I¡¯ve already promised them. If I don¡¯t go, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m standing them up, which won¡¯t be good for my future work, and it¡¯s not very brotherly of me either."


    Lin Qiong was a woman who valued loyalty and always followed those principles. Hearing what Li Yifei said, she asked, "So what time did you plan?"


    "We originally set it for six, but after I got your call, I told them to wait and changed it to seven thirty; it¡¯s almost seven now."


    Lin Qiong showed a slight displeasure and said, "Alright then, you can leave at seven."


    Li Yifei secretly breathed a sigh of relief but didn¡¯t dare show it, flattering Lin Qiong, "I knew Qiongqiong was the most understanding."


    "Come back right after drinking," she demanded.


    "Uh? Come back after drinking? Then how can I explain it to Yingying?"


    "I don¡¯t care how you explain it. What, you¡¯re going to deny it now after fooling around with me?"


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "Qiongqiong, it seems like every time it¡¯s you fooling around with me."


    Lin Qiong blushed but stubbornly replied, "I don¡¯t care. Tonight I want it. If you don¡¯t come to satisfy me, don¡¯t think about going home."


    Li Yifei gritted his teeth and said, "Alright then, let¡¯s do it quickly, right now."


    Lin Qiong retracted her foot, then suddenly kicked forward, almost knocking Li Yifei off the sofa, and angrily said, "You bastard, making it so painful, am I someone you called for?"


    Li Yifei realized he had hurt Lin Qiong¡¯s pride with his expression, chuckled, and said, "Just teasing you."


    "You bastard!" Lin Qiong snorted but then burst into laughter seeing Li Yifei¡¯s appearance. "Hurry up and go, remember to come back soon. Don¡¯t let me wait too long."


    Li Yifei agreed quickly and just stood up when his phone rang. He took it out and pointed, "See, they¡¯re already urging me."


    Lin Qiong waved her hand, "Hurry up and scram."


    Feeling like he had been granted amnesty, Li Yifei hurriedly prepared to leave, but before he could finish putting on his shoes, Lin Qiong suddenly rushed over, surprisingly snatched Li Yifei¡¯s phone, glanced at the name on the display, and glared at him fiercely, gritting her teeth, "Is this really your security department colleague?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The name displayed was Ye Yunzhu, and Li Yifei¡¯s lie was instantly exposed. He smiled wryly and said, "Qiongqiong, I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you, but I promised Yunzhu I¡¯d visit her today. You know she¡¯s already expecting a child. I can¡¯t not go. If I upset her and something happens to the baby, my guilt would be immeasurable."


    "Yeah, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s got your child in her belly, you should take good care of her." Lin Qiong¡¯s tone was calm, not as agitated as before.


    Li Yifei gently held Lin Qiong¡¯s hand and said, "Qiongqiong, I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯re mad. Honestly, I didn¡¯t mean to hide things from you, but my romantic life is so messy now that I¡¯m truly not a man to entrust your life to."


    Lin Qiong met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and said, "So what you¡¯re saying is, you want me not to cling to you?"


    "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re clinging to me. I¡¯m not worth your affection; I can¡¯t be with you properly every day."


    "Hmph, don¡¯t even think about it. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re married or how many lovers you have. I just know you¡¯re my man. When I want you, you have to come to me." Lin Qiong looked at Li Yifei with immense dominance, her words equally fierce.


    "You¡¯re such a fool." Li Yifei understood that Lin Qiong¡¯s way of expressing herself was such; the more she said things like that, the more it showed how serious she was.


    "I like it this way. Scram, I¡¯m too lazy to compete with someone who¡¯s pregnant." With that, Lin Qiong pushed Li Yifei out of the door and slammed it shut.


    Listening to the elevator doors opening and closing outside, knowing Li Yifei had left, Lin Qiong¡¯s expression became somewhat complicated. If she didn¡¯t know that Li Yifei was the mysterious person, considering such a messy love life, she wouldn¡¯t pay any attention to him. But knowing Li Yifei was that mysterious person, she couldn¡¯t let go of him at all. Even though he often infuriated her when they were together, after the anger passed, she always felt sweet. He was very good at pacifying people.


    "Hmph, you bastard, trying to get rid of me? No way. Xu Yingying, don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re his wife, you can have him all to yourself. Sooner or later, he¡¯ll be mine." Lin Qiong clenched her fist confidently.


    In the elevator, Li Yifei finally answered the call. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s voice came through, "Was it inconvenient?"


    Li Yifei immediately said, "I was at Lin Qiong¡¯s; she wanted to discuss something."


    "Hmph, so it¡¯s that Deputy Director. Seriously, being a Deputy Director and still trying to steal someone else¡¯s husband."


    Li Yifei quickly coughed a few times. Now that Ye Yunzhu had been promoted to Deputy County Head, and she was very much like Lin Qiong, it was a case of "the pot calling the kettle black," but he dared not point that out.


    "So, did you escape the tiger¡¯s den?" Ye Yunzhu asked again.


    "Yes, I said I needed to accompany you today, and Lin Qiong agreed." Li Yifei quickly spoke well of Lin Qiong. After all, all of them were his women; Li Yifei didn¡¯t want them hating each other. If they started fighting whenever they met, it would be a headache for him.


    "Did she really let you go so generously?" Ye Yunzhu clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    "She might not have been so generous, but Lin Qiong is reasonable, especially knowing it¡¯s you. She even gave way."


    "Oh, so you¡¯re saying I should give way too and let you stay with her tonight?"


    "No, no, I promised you, and I¡¯ll definitely come to you."


    "Glad you know what¡¯s good for you."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei shook his head. In the past, everyone disliked each other, making Li Yifei¡¯s life difficult. Now, they were not as hostile, but he couldn¡¯t divide himself enough to care for everyone, creating new issues.


    "Sigh, maybe I should set up a big harem and gather everyone together. That would prevent complications." Li Yifei suddenly had that thought. Su Mengxin had mentioned it to him before, but he found it absurd. Yet now he had a wife, Xu Yingying, who agreed to the presence of Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, Ye Yunzhu was also expecting his child, and there was Xu Shanshan, his inseparable sister-in-law. Li Yifei himself thought, since it had already come to this, it might not be bad to develop things in that direction.


    But thinking about it was dauntingly difficult. Even if there were a nationality allowing polygamy, could they really coexist peacefully? If they fought daily, he¡¯d lose his mind. After all, they¡¯re all cherished, and taking sides wouldn¡¯t work.


    Moreover, among the women around him, Su Yiyi was fine, never fighting or competing, unlikely to cause conflicts. However, Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and Lin Qiong, each had intense personalities. Getting them all together would never be peaceful.


    It seemed he could only take one step at a time now. If he let them go, allowing them to find other men, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought. In this regard, Li Yifei had to admit he was selfish.

 Chapter 657 - 694: Take Good Care of the Child’s Mother

    Chapter 657: Chapter 694: Take Good Care of the Child¡¯s MotherHaving arrived at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s place, Yunzhu let Li Yifei in, looked him up and down, and said leisurely, "Done tending to others?"


    Li Yifei, supporting Ye Yunzhu¡¯s waist with one hand and gently caressing her slightly protruded belly with the other, said, "I¡¯m here to see you, how could I possibly tend to someone else?"


    "Really? Can you be that honest?" Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance.


    Li Yifei said with a bitter smile, "When Yunzhu needs me, even if I don¡¯t feel like being honest, I must be. How could I possibly make my Yunzhu unhappy?"


    Only then did Ye Yunzhu show a satisfied smile to Li Yifei and took a seat on the sofa, exhibiting quite the pregnant woman¡¯s air.


    At that moment, Li Yifei looked around the room and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"


    "Not yet. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to come and cook for me. If you hadn¡¯t come soon, I would have starved to death."


    Li Yifei immediately stood up and said, "Then wait here, I¡¯ll cook for you right now."


    Ye Yunzhu had already purchased groceries, and Li Yifei quickly got to work in the kitchen¡ªcooking rice, washing vegetables, and chopping¡ªall with skilled movements.


    Ye Yunzhu followed Li Yifei into the kitchen, and seeing him like this, a sweet smile appeared on her face. She had once fantasized about living together with Li Yifei like this, and yet, after so many years without seeing each other, Li Yifei had become someone else¡¯s husband, while she was pregnant with Li Yifei¡¯s child. What she never expected was for Li Yifei, who used to be restless in whatever he did, to now be able to cook in the kitchen.


    "You better go rest, I¡¯ll have this ready for you in a bit. There¡¯s too much grease and smoke in the kitchen, it¡¯s not good for you or the baby," Li Yifei ushered Ye Yunzhu out of the kitchen.


    Ye Yunzhu truly enjoyed such care from Li Yifei, it was just a pity he couldn¡¯t look after her like this every day.


    In forty minutes, Li Yifei had prepared four dishes and a soup, all appealing to the eye and delicious. Ye Yunzhu sat down at the table and immediately her appetite surged, her mouth watering. After tasting a few bites, she could not help but praise, "I really didn¡¯t expect you to cook so well."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "As long as you like it, that¡¯s what matters. Eat more, both you and the baby need the nutrition."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately started eating without concern for her image, devouring nearly half of the four dishes and a soup. After finishing her meal, she patted her belly contentedly and said, "I haven¡¯t felt this hungry in a long time."


    Li Yifei said with concern, "I¡¯ll try to come cook for you more often from now on." Yet in his mind, he thought again of the same idea¡ªthat if only Ye Yunzhu were by his side, it would be all the more convenient to take care of her.


    "Easy for you to say, if you were to run here every day, wouldn¡¯t your wife have something to say?" Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sharp look.


    Li Yifei gave a forced laugh, keeping his thoughts to himself as saying them wouldn¡¯t be possible and would only upset Ye Yunzhu. He said, "Don¡¯t think too badly of Yingying. She knows I came to see you today."


    Ye Yunzhu said with dissatisfaction, "I talk about Lin Qiong, you defend her. I talk about Yingying, you defend her too. It seems like I¡¯m the only bad person in this world."


    Li Yifei hastily said, "That¡¯s not true at all. Yunzhu is my treasure. Otherwise, why would I like you the most back then when everyone else didn¡¯t, with you being so fierce and scolding me every day?"


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sharp look and said, "Who told you to be so mischievous back then? If not you, who else would I scold?" Remembering the fun of their youth, Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Li Yifei also talked with Ye Yunzhu about the past events, which made both of their moods really good. The things they had done at that time, now thinking back, were very laughable, but they had truly been fun and were quite worth reminiscing over.


    "Yunzhu, do you really blame me?" In the bathroom, as Li Yifei washed Yunzhu¡¯s back, he suddenly asked a question that might not have been suitable for the moment. However, Li Yifei also knew that at this time, Ye Yunzhu would speak without a temper and would be more able to express her true feelings.


    Ye Yunzhu sat on the edge of the bathtub, scooping up water, and gently sprinkled it on her belly, saying, "What do you think?"


    Li Yifei spoke earnestly, "I know you blame me and have been mad at me for a long time. If it wasn¡¯t for this child, you wouldn¡¯t even bother with me anymore."


    "You know it, huh? You, this jerk, ruined me back in high school, then caused me to bleed heavily, resulting in my parents scolding me for who knows how many days. You just cleaned up and ran off to the military. Hardly back a moment, and you¡¯re already married. If I didn¡¯t blame you, then that would be strange."


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand stopped its motion of washing her back as he could feel the deep resentment within Ye Yunzhu.


    "Who knew I¡¯d be so unlucky to end up carrying your child. Now, even if I wanted to act like I don¡¯t know you, a child still needs a father. Sigh, it must be a debt I owe you from a past life," said Ye Yunzhu with a sigh, appearing somewhat helpless.


    Li Yifei said with guilt, "Yunzhu, I do feel very sorry for you. We had so many firsts together, but you are not my only one."


    "Forget it, don¡¯t review your actions here. Can you divorce Xu Yingying?" Ye Yunzhu turned her head, her gaze intense as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t avoid Ye Yunzhu¡¯s gaze and slowly shook his head, saying, "I can¡¯t do such a thing, not because I love Yingying more. Honestly, you¡¯re still more important than Yingying in my heart."


    Ye Yunzhu stared at Li Yifei, able to feel the sincerity in his words, then suddenly let out a laugh, saying, "Guess you do have some conscience left, finally saying something that¡¯s music to my ears."


    Li Yifei put down the towel and hugged Ye Yunzhu from behind, his hand gently caressing her abdomen, saying, "But I always feel like I¡¯ve let you down."


    "Then just treat me better, come to see me more often when it¡¯s convenient or not. Don¡¯t forget that your child is still in my belly."


    "Mhm, I definitely will," Li Yifei promptly agreed. No matter what, it was his responsibility. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then why are you still being so proper right now?" Ye Yunzhu suddenly pinched Li Yifei¡¯s sensitive spot.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, alright, today I¡¯ll serve my Yunzhu well."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a coquettish look and said, "You¡¯d better serve me well, or it won¡¯t do. For the sake of your child, I¡¯ve endured so much hardship during this time."


    "Definitely, definitely!" Li Yifei planted a firm kiss on Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face and said, "Today, I¡¯ll definitely make sure you¡¯re well fed."


    "Don¡¯t mess around, your seed is still in here. If it gets knocked out, then you¡¯re going to be in big trouble."


    "Haha... I¡¯ll take care of only the mother today, the child will have to step aside for now."

 Chapter 658 - 695: The Embrace of Happiness

    Chapter 658: Chapter 695: The Embrace of HappinessLi Yifei had spent the entire National Day holiday, and the next day, he came to the office just as dutifully, bringing two packs of good cigarettes for the colleagues in the security department. Receiving benefits from Li Yifei, those guys flattered him one after another. Li Yifei just laughed and chatted with them casually. Such a life was quite comfortable.


    The morning passed by quickly, and at noon Li Yifei didn¡¯t visit Xu Yingying. Over the holiday, Xu Yingying had been incredibly busy, so at noon she gathered several managers from key departments to deal with work matters.


    Li Yifei was in his own office playing games when Michelle came to visit him.


    "Michelle, are you completely recovered?" Li Yifei pushed aside the mouse, poured Michelle a glass of water, and asked with a smile.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, but she did not avoid Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and said, "I¡¯m all better now, thank you, Brother Li, for... giving me the drugs that time. Otherwise, I might have lost my life by now."


    Li Yifei cursed himself for being foolish, wondering why he had brought that up, but he had to act as if nothing was wrong and said with a smile, "Why be so formal with me?" Saying so, he sat down next to Michelle.


    Michelle took a sip of water and said, "Brother Li, I have a favor to ask of you."


    "What is it? If it¡¯s too difficult, I might not be able to help," Li Yifei replied with a chuckle.


    Knowing Li Yifei was joking, Michelle felt much more relaxed and said, "This weekend my classmate Sun Lii is getting married, and she invited me to go."


    "It¡¯s always fun to go to a classmate¡¯s wedding," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    "A classmate¡¯s wedding is a normal thing, but this time Sun Lii insists that I bring you along. Everyone wants me to bring a boyfriend; it¡¯s all because of Sun Lii¡¯s big mouth. Remember she saw us in the Porsche? Some people think I¡¯ve found a wealthy boyfriend, wanting to curry favor. Others think I¡¯m being someone¡¯s... mistress, wanting to mock me. Anyway, they¡¯re insisting that I bring you along."


    "When is it?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "This Friday. They¡¯re really something. They didn¡¯t get married over the National Day holiday, which would have given me a chance to avoid it, but now, I can¡¯t dodge it anymore."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "What¡¯s there to dodge? We still need to give a red envelope. One from you, and we both get to eat¡ªit might even turn into a profit."


    Michelle laughed and said, "We might even come out ahead. The classmate who¡¯s getting married seems to be marrying someone quite wealthy. The wedding venue is at a five-star hotel, and they¡¯re inviting lots of celebrities. The banquet is bound to be lavish."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Then we definitely should go. I¡¯m just going to eat for free, and you can¡¯t beat that!"


    "Right, Brother Li, let¡¯s not drive there this time. I don¡¯t want to draw too much attention. We can just say we borrowed the car last time."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "No problem, that car was borrowed anyway. Your Brother Li doesn¡¯t own such a nice car." He pondered to himself, "With things between Mengxin and me as they are now, do Mengxin¡¯s belongings count as mine?"


    "Then thank you, Brother Li," Michelle said.


    "By the way, any other requests? Should I dress up or keep it casual?"


    Michelle hesitated a moment before saying, "Just keep it casual."


    Li Yifei nodded, and in his heart, he felt great admiration for Michelle. It was rare for a girl not to want her boyfriend to show off for her, but Michelle really didn¡¯t think like that.


    After discussing this matter, the room suddenly fell silent. Michelle held the water glass, looking down, while Li Yifei lit a cigarette, momentarily unsure what else to talk about with Michelle.


    A breeze passed by, and the chimes at the window made a pleasant sound. Both turned their gazes toward the wind chimes, and Michelle immediately stood up, saying, "Brother Li, this wind chime has been hanging for so long; it must be covered in dust. Let me wipe it for you."


    "Is that really necessary? It looks pretty clean to me," Li Yifei remarked.


    "No, there¡¯s definitely dust, and there might even be stains on it. If it doesn¡¯t get cleaned soon, the original colors won¡¯t be visible anymore." With that, Michelle went out and soon came back with a basin of water, a towel, and a bottle of cleaning detergent.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stop Michelle this time, and since there wasn¡¯t much to do at noon, he grabbed a stool and said, "Then let me do it."


    "No, no, as a man, you couldn¡¯t possibly clean it properly. Let me do it." She had already climbed onto the stool and added, "Brother Li, just hand me the towel, that¡¯s all."


    Left with no choice, Li Yifei complied with Michelle¡¯s request. He wrung out the towel and handed it to her as she stood on the stool.


    Michelle wiped the wind chime with great care. It was a gift she had made by hand for Li Yifei, putting a lot of thought and effort into it. Li Yifei had always kept it hanging in his office, first in the HR department and then in the security department when he moved. The fact that he brought the wind chime with him made Michelle¡¯s heart sweet¡ªit showed that she still had a place in Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    With an excuse at hand, Michelle felt less awkward. After wiping a few times, she gestured with the towel to Li Yifei, "Look, isn¡¯t this really dirty?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Indeed, I thought it was clean, but it turns out it¡¯s quite filthy."


    "Exactly, it¡¯s the same with things at home and in the office. They look clean, but they¡¯re actually very dirty. They need to be cleaned regularly. When I have time, I¡¯ll help you clean more often."


    Li Yifei knew that even if he refused, Michelle would still come. So he replied with a smile, "Thank you very much then. But your cleaning service is too high-level¡ªI don¡¯t even know how much I should pay you."


    Michelle chuckled and said, "Then, just treat me to a movie or a meal when you¡¯re free." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No problem, seems like I¡¯m getting the better deal. I don¡¯t even know how many people are lining up to invite you out for meals and movies."


    That wasn¡¯t an exaggeration on Li Yifei¡¯s part. Having worked there for over half a year, Michelle, always at the manager level with over ten subordinates, gradually developed the savvy and efficiency of a white-collar worker. Coupled with her inherent soft beauty, she became even more attractive than she was half a year ago, with an added allure. She had indeed become the crush of many male colleagues in the company¡ªa nod from her would indeed have many men queuing up to take her out for meals and movies.


    "Not at all, but let¡¯s forget it. If I go out with you to movies and dinners, Sister Yingying might feel uncomfortable. I¡¯d better not make things difficult for you."


    "Yingying isn¡¯t that petty," Li Yifei answered with a smile.


    Michelle nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Sister Yingying is indeed generous. I never expected her to agree to Su Yiyi. If it were me, I probably wouldn¡¯t have agreed so easily."


    At this, Li Yifei became somewhat dazed. Even Michelle, a gentle girl like her, had reservations about such matters¡ªlet alone Xu Yingying, a woman so strong-willed. To give her consent must have required immense magnanimity.


    "Brother Li, what¡¯s wrong?" Michelle handed the towel to Li Yifei, and noticing that he was lost in thought, she immediately asked.


    "Oh... nothing, just thinking about something." Li Yifei took the towel, rinsed it in the basin, but his mind was churning with waves. His wife, Xu Yingying, was truly precious, and she had given so much to him¡ªhe should treat her even better.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Michelle¡¯s heart suddenly started pounding wildly. "Could Brother Li also want me to be like Yiyi? If he really says that, what should I do?"


    "Michelle, here." Li Yifei, having wringed out the towel, passed it to Michelle.


    Michelle was flustered by Li Yifei¡¯s call and started at his voice. Her legs went weak, and she could no longer stand steadily on the stool. With a cry of alarm, she fell.


    Li Yifei quickly reached out to catch Michelle, and instinctively, she clung tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s neck, almost hanging on him, with her face pressed against his shoulder.


    "Michelle, are you okay?" Li Yifei gently patted her back.


    "No... no, I¡¯m okay," Michelle softly replied. Although she relaxed her arms, she did not immediately let go of Li Yifei¡¯s neck. Holding onto him like this was incredibly intoxicating for her.


    On the island, Li Yifei had held her before, even embracing her naked, but back then, the scantiness of her clothes only made her feel embarrassed and awkward, with no sense of happiness. But now, being held by Li Yifei, feeling his warm embrace, she didn¡¯t feel as shy, and she felt an indescribable happiness.


    Feeling Michelle¡¯s embrace, Li Yifei could sense her attachment to him. Thinking back to the island, where Michelle had lain on him for warmth, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to push her away, so he continued to hold her gently. The fact that he was holding a beautiful girl who had such strong feelings for him made him a bit intoxicated.


    But just then, the door was suddenly pushed open. Li Yifei and Michelle quickly separated and looked towards the door to see Xu Yingying standing there. She looked at them in shock, her eyebrows furrowing and her expression turning quite unsightly.


    Li Yifei felt a bit guilty. The timing couldn¡¯t be any worse. It was as if Xu Yingying had caught them red-handed.

 Chapter 659 - 697: Brothers’ Heartbreak

    Chapter 659: Chapter 697: Brothers¡¯ HeartbreakThe next day at work, Li Yifei sat in the security department¡¯s staff office, idly chatting with a few on-duty security guards. Besides taking a lunch break, Li Yifei enjoyed spending time with these guards. They all shared a military background and had common topics to discuss. Furthermore, since they were all men, their banter was even more interesting.


    Li Yifei¡¯s life was filled with women, and indeed, being with them was a sensual delight. However, for Li Yifei, it also brought no small amount of stress. In contrast, hanging out with these fellows meant fewer inhibitions and was genuinely enjoyable.


    "Little Wang, why so quiet today?" Li Yifei tossed a cigarette to a slightly thin and dark-skinned guard. This young man, named Wang Qiang, had just transitioned from military service this year and was only twenty-two. Usually quite lively, today he kept his head down and appeared utterly disinterested.


    "No... nothing," Wang Qiang forced a smile, but it was obviously strained.


    Li Yifei glared at him and said, "Don¡¯t say it¡¯s nothing, your smile looks uglier than crying. Did something happen?"


    "I... It¡¯s nothing," Wang Qiang forced another smile.


    Qian Laoshi of the security department might have had the name Laoshi, which means "honest," but he was the smoothest operator around. At that moment, he clapped Wang Qiang on the shoulder and said, "Listen, Little Wang, we¡¯re brothers here. If something¡¯s wrong, just spill it. Let¡¯s see if we can help. We even have Manager Li here. Even if we can¡¯t help, Manager Li can."


    Everyone else also inquired after Wang Qiang, showing considerable concern.


    In any department, there¡¯s usually some competition, so it¡¯s quite common for people to be outwardly cordial but inwardly cold. However, this wasn¡¯t the case with Li Yifei¡¯s security department. There wasn¡¯t much competition over interests, and it wasn¡¯t unusual for them to cover shifts for each other. Hence, they got along quite well.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s concern, Wang Qiang¡¯s eyes reddened a bit. Li Yifei immediately said, "Big boy, you¡¯re not going to cry, are you? That doesn¡¯t suit us soldiers at all. Tell us what¡¯s really going on."


    Wang Qiang clenched his fist and took a deep breath before he began to speak.


    It turned out that before joining the army, Wang Qiang had a girlfriend named Sun Na. Sun Na was pretty but came from a poor family. Wang Qiang¡¯s family was also modest. After graduating from high school, Wang Qiang joined the military, while Sun Na got into a university. However, she struggled to pay the tuition fees.


    Wang Qiang generously gave her his military allowances and money sent from home so she could complete her education, while he scrimped and saved himself.


    Logically, their relationship was quite sincere. With Wang Qiang¡¯s transition from the military and Sun Na¡¯s graduation, they should have been heading towards marriage. But lately, Sun Na had become increasingly distant, meeting less frequently and hardly ever picking up his calls. Finally, she directly told Wang Qiang that they weren¡¯t suitable for each other and wanted to break up. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today¡¯s listlessness in Wang Qiang was because his girlfriend had told him she wanted to break up the night before.


    Wu Meng, also known as Mengzi in the security department, had a fiery temper. He banged on the table and burst out cursing, "Damn it, that woman is so heartless. You helped her so much, and she dumps you just like that after graduation?"


    Qian Laoshi also spoke angrily, "Exactly, what kind of person is that? She¡¯s got the heart of a wolf, the lungs of a dog!"


    "Don¡¯t curse her," Wang Qiang hurried to say. "It¡¯s my own lack of ability. After transitioning from the military, all I could do is be a security guard. It¡¯s something people look down upon. She¡¯s now an assistant manager at a company. It¡¯s embarrassing for her to say I¡¯m her boyfriend. I really feel like I¡¯m not good enough for her."


    Mengzi glared with round eyes and exclaimed, "What are you talking about, Xiao Qiang? Are you crazy? She¡¯s where she is today because of you. Without your support for her education, would she be where she is now? Now that she¡¯s on her high horse, she looks down on you? Isn¡¯t that ingratitude? And what¡¯s wrong with being a security guard? We may not speak for other places, but here at Dreamfly Company, including bonuses and all, we make three thousand a month. Isn¡¯t that about the same as the salaries of public servants in Mile City?"


    Old Wu chimed in, "Exactly, being a security guard at Dreamfly Company is something to be proud of. Besides, do you think you¡¯re going to be a security guard for the rest of your life? ¡¯Don¡¯t despise us young and poor,¡¯ you know? Kid, who knows, maybe one day you¡¯ll make it big."


    Hearing everyone¡¯s words, Wang Qiang¡¯s lips trembled, but he still said, "I know you all are on my side. I don¡¯t hate Nana, I just feel a little sad inside."


    "That¡¯s just pathetic!" Mengzi grumbled and then added, "Fine, you won¡¯t settle scores with her, but we should go ask her to pay back the money you spent on her education over the years, shouldn¡¯t she?"


    Wang Qiang hurriedly said, "No, no, let¡¯s not. Talking about it with you guys has already made me feel a lot better."


    Seeing Wang Qiang like this, everyone else didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. This guy was simply a hopeless romantic. Although they wanted to stand up for him, he wouldn¡¯t agree, and they couldn¡¯t very well force their support on him.


    Li Yifei then said, "Alright, it¡¯s rare to find a young man as devoted as Little Wang. With a boy like this, should we worry that he won¡¯t find a good wife? Later, let¡¯s all chip in to set him up with someone better. Tonight, we¡¯ll go out to drink. Once we have a drink, this matter will be behind us."


    As soon as they heard Li Yifei say this, Qian Laoshi and the others immediately cheered, excited to go out drinking, knowing that Li Yifei would foot the bill, and they could feast to their hearts¡¯ content.


    In his spare time, he called Xu Yingying to tell her that he would be drinking with his colleagues in the evening. Xu Yingying agreed happily. She was quite supportive of normal social interactions, especially since they were all from the security department, so there was nothing to worry about.


    After work, Li Yifei led his fellow security brothers to Lucky Restaurant. Although it was a restaurant, it catered to the general public. The dishes in the main hall on the first floor were affordable, and the beer was free. For the security staff, this was the perfect place. They could simply order dishes worth two or three hundred yuan and then drink to their heart¡¯s content.


    On the second and third floors were private rooms, serving high-end dishes. Since the food was top-notch and the chefs were exceptional, despite the bustling noise on the first floor, the second and third floors were continuously packed with customers.


    By the time they arrived, the hall was already crowded, and all the seats were taken. Li Yifei and his group had to settle for a spot by the stairs, which wasn¡¯t very convenient as everyone coming up and down had to pass by them. However, being a group of rough men, they didn¡¯t mind. Having somewhere to sit was good enough.


    After they ordered their food, Wu Meng shouted, "Bring it on, one box of beer for each of us."


    Just then, a few people walked by, and one man said disdainfully, "Some people just love cheap thrills, one box each, as if they aren¡¯t afraid of drinking themselves to death."


    Wu Meng was instantly annoyed upon hearing this and stood up with a start, slamming the table as he demanded, "What did you say?"


    The man who had spoken, in his thirties and dressed in a sharp suit, looked somewhat imposing despite not being particularly handsome. He gave Wu Meng a disdainful glance and then turned to Wang Qiang with a smirking smile, saying to a woman beside him, "There are different classes of people. People like these are only fit to drink free beer here. They shouldn¡¯t even dream of expensive delicacies because they can¡¯t afford them."


    The woman was quite pretty, but at that moment, her expression was extremely awkward. She cast a glance at Wang Qiang and softly said, "Let¡¯s go upstairs."


    Wang Qiang was staring at the woman, his lips trembling, his face flushing red with emotion.


    Li Yifei instantly realized that this woman must be Wang Qiang¡¯s girlfriend, and the man was likely the one who stole her away. He silently sighed to himself. The girl didn¡¯t seem to be heartless by nature, and she obviously had feelings for Wang Qiang, or she wouldn¡¯t look so guilty. But with so many material temptations in reality, how many girls could stay true to love? How many would be content with poverty?


    As Wu Meng listened to the man¡¯s rude words, his anger flared up even more. He was about to lash out when Wang Qiang softly called out, "Nana."


    Wu Meng paused, instantly realizing that this woman was Wang Qiang¡¯s girlfriend. He quickly shut his mouth. Along with the other security guards, they glared fiercely at Sun Na. In their hearts, they naturally despised this woman who had abandoned Wang Qiang, leaving him so heartbroken. As brothers, they had to share Wang Qiang¡¯s enmity.


    Sun Na¡¯s body shook slightly, and she bit her lip without responding. However, the man took a step forward, challenging Wang Qiang, "Nana is a name for you to call? Do you think you¡¯re worthy to call her that?"


    Wang Qiang¡¯s tone was tender and his gaze soft when he looked at Sun Na, but when his eyes met the man¡¯s, they were filled with fire. His fists were clenched tightly, making a cracking sound as he gritted his teeth and warned, "I¡¯m telling you, if you dare treat Nana poorly, I won¡¯t let you off."


    The man sneered with contempt, "Oh, quite the tough talker, aren¡¯t we? Have you forgotten who you are? Nana has nothing to do with you now. How I treat her is my business. Besides, you¡¯re just a lousy guard. You act as if you¡¯ve got some clout, saying you won¡¯t let me off. It¡¯s laughable. I could crush you in a minute if I wanted to."


    With that, the man reached out and pulled Sun Na over, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close against him. He then planted a heavy kiss on her face and said, "Tell this kid, who do you belong to now?"


    For Wang Qiang, this was an extreme insult. At that moment, he desperately wanted to charge up and brutally beat the jerk to a pulp, but when he saw Sun Na¡¯s pleading eyes, his heart softened.

 Chapter 660 - 698: Humiliation

    Chapter 660: Chapter 698: Humiliation"I... I belong to you." Sunna¡¯s eyes shimmered with tears as she whispered the words.


    "Louder, tell him louder!" the man furrowed his brows and commanded.


    Sunna¡¯s chest heaved violently, but she still said loudly, "I belong to you."


    "That¡¯s more like it. Now, come here and give me a kiss," the man demanded, still not satisfied.


    Sunna¡¯s face showed a look of humiliation, but she still turned her head and pecked the man¡¯s cheek, unable to hold back her tears any longer.


    "Why the tears? What, are you upset about giving me a kiss?" The man¡¯s eyes suddenly widened with anger.


    Sunna quickly wiped her tears and said, "No... I¡¯m not crying, something just got into my eye." Then she forced a strained smile.


    "Ha ha... That¡¯s my good girl. Tonight, I¡¯ll take real good care of you. Let¡¯s go have a drink first," he said, flashing a mocking smile at Wang Qiang, then wrapping his arm around Sunna and heading upstairs.


    Once those people left, Wu Meng couldn¡¯t contain his anger and cursed, "Fuck! Wang Qiang, are you even a man? Why didn¡¯t you fight? Just signal us, and we would¡¯ve beaten the hell out of that bastard."


    Wang Qiang took a deep breath and said, "I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for Nana. Besides, that guy has a lot of clout. We can¡¯t afford to mess with him. I can take care of myself, but I can¡¯t drag all of you into this."


    Wu Meng retorted, "What kind of crap is that? Aren¡¯t we brothers? If we¡¯re brothers, stop talking about dragging us into it or not."


    At that moment, Qian Laoshi cleared his throat and said, "Xiao Mengzi, don¡¯t be so impulsive. Little Wang is thinking of our own good. These days, you can¡¯t just fight anyone you want. Even if you beat up someone with no connections, we¡¯d end up in legal trouble, let alone someone who clearly looks wealthy. If we beat him up, the aftermath would be even worse."


    Qian Laoshi was already married with a six-year-old child. The responsibilities of family had stripped him of his impulsiveness; he had to consider the consequences of his actions, which made him much more tactful.


    "What does that guy do?" asked Li Yifei.


    Wang Qiang replied, "His name is Feng Jiacheng. He¡¯s in business. His family is pretty wealthy. Most importantly, he has a cousin in the underworld. If we were to go against him, he¡¯d have both black and white connections to deal with us. We¡¯re not afraid for ourselves, but people like Brother Qian have wives and children to think about."


    "No worries, I¡¯m alone. I¡¯ll come with you to beat him up," Wu Meng patted his chest arrogantly.


    Wang Qiang gave a wry smile and said, "But you have your parents. If something happened to you, how heartbroken they would be. I can¡¯t put everyone at risk."


    Wu Meng instantly lost his temper. Although he was a bit of a roughneck, he was extremely respectful to his parents. If anything happened to him, who would take care of them in their old age?


    Li Yifei nodded in approval, "Little Wang is right. We have to consider the consequences before we act."


    Wu Meng disagreed, "So we¡¯re just going to watch Xiao Qiang get bullied? I can¡¯t stand it."


    Wang Qiang forced a smile and said, "Stop thinking about it. Haven¡¯t you guys said you¡¯d introduce me to someone? One goes out, another comes in. I¡¯m sure I will find someone better. Come on, let¡¯s drink, drink."


    By now, the alcohol had arrived. Seeing that Wang Qiang didn¡¯t want to discuss it further, Li Yifei changed the subject, "Little Wang is right. We¡¯re out to have fun today, so let¡¯s enjoy our drinks."


    With Manager Li speaking up, Wu Meng muttered under his breath and said no more. Everyone started drinking in earnest.


    However, the drinking initially felt stifled as the earlier events had soured the mood. But with Qian Laoshi, the sly old fox, lifting spirits by telling jokes and ribald stories, the atmosphere quickly improved.


    Wang Qiang didn¡¯t want everyone to worry about him. He forced himself to smile, joining in the drinking and even feigning loud laughter from time to time. But everyone could tell how forced his laughter was. They knew that if they were in his shoes, they wouldn¡¯t feel any better.


    Coming from a military background, none of them were strangers to drinking. Soon, each of them had downed four or five bottles. While they weren¡¯t drunk to the point of collapse, it did lead to frequent washroom breaks.


    "Why has Xiao Qiang been gone for so long?" Wu Meng suddenly wondered aloud amidst the merry drinking.


    At that moment, a commotion came from the second floor, interspersed with Wang Qiang¡¯s angry shouts. Wu Meng¡¯s eyes instantly reddened as he bellowed, "Xiao Qiang is in trouble!" and sprang towards the stairs.


    Qian Laoshi quickly called out, "Don¡¯t be rash! Don¡¯t be rash!"


    Li Yifei slammed his hand on the table and commanded, "Let¡¯s go, everyone up there!"


    Hearing Manager Li¡¯s orders, everyone immediately rushed upstairs. Qian Laoshi gave a wry smile and hurriedly followed. If a fight did break out, he needed to make sure it didn¡¯t escalate too far.


    Rushing upstairs, I saw several people kicking and hitting Wang Qiang, who was curled up on the ground, protecting his head, while Sun Na was pleading loudly next to him, "Stop hitting him, stop it! I¡¯m begging you, please stop!"


    Wu Meng was at the forefront, bellowing furiously as he charged forward, but another figure dashed past him. With a flurry of strikes, by the time Wu Meng got close, the men who were hitting Wang Qiang were already piled up together.


    "Little Wang!" It was Li Yifei who had come rushing over. He didn¡¯t want the security guards to be held responsible for this kind of fight, so naturally, he acted first, kicking those men away and hurriedly helping Wang Qiang to his feet.


    Wang Qiang¡¯s face was covered in shoe prints, and blood was still flowing from his nose and mouth corners; he truly looked quite miserable. Seeing Li Yifei approach, he quickly spread his arms, stopping everyone, and said, "Manager Li, it¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s just drop it and go."


    "No way! I¡¯ll kill those bastards!" Wu Meng was so enraged by Wang Qiang¡¯s beating that he wasn¡¯t thinking of the consequences and wanted to go after the men again.


    "Stop, stop! Mengzi, I know you¡¯re trying to help me, but we can¡¯t provoke them, let¡¯s get out of here," Wang Qiang urgently grabbed Wu Meng, pushing him towards the stairway.


    "F**k, you think you can just walk away?" Feng Jiacheng roared at that moment. He too had been hitting Wang Qiang and had been sent flying by one of Li Yifei¡¯s kicks. He picked himself up and hollered.


    Wang Qiang quickly turned around, hands outstretched to shield Li Yifei and the others, and said with a smiling face, "It¡¯s my fault, leave them out of this. If you must, take it out on me."


    Feng Jiacheng glared at Li Yifei with gritted teeth, his face cold as he said, "You hit me, and now you think you can just walk away like that?"


    Wang Qiang hurriedly said, "I won¡¯t leave, just let them go."


    "They can go, but he can¡¯t," Wang Qiang pointed at Li Yifei.


    Wang Qiang was startled and said anxiously, "This has nothing to do with Manager Li, I¡¯ll take the blame for everything."


    "Yell all you want, he¡¯s just some manager," Feng Jiacheng didn¡¯t give a damn about any ¡¯manager¡¯ title, as these days, managers were a dime a dozen. Besides, someone who¡¯s hanging out with a security guard like Wang Qiang, drinking free beer in the lobby, how great could he be?


    Casting a sidelong glance at Li Yifei and dusting himself off, Feng Jiacheng said with a sneer, "Alright, if you want to leave, that¡¯s easy. You and this so-called manager kneel before me and bow your heads three times, then crawl from the upstairs to the downstairs, and I¡¯ll let you go."


    "F**k your mother!" Wu Meng cursed furiously. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feng Jiacheng watched Wu Meng coldly and said, "You too, bow and crawl down. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you; if you do it today, I¡¯ll let it slide. Otherwise, heh, you¡¯ll find out what it¡¯s like to not be able to live or die."


    Wang Qiang¡¯s face turned even uglier, pleadingly saying, "I beg you, let them go; do whatever you want to me."


    By then, the security guards and the lobby manager of the restaurant had all rushed over. The lobby manager immediately said to Feng Jiacheng, "Boss Feng, give your bro face, let¡¯s forget about this, alright?"


    Feng Jiacheng looked at the lobby manager and snorted, "How much is your face worth?"


    The lobby manager said with a smile, "Yes, yes, my face isn¡¯t worth much, but making a big scene here won¡¯t benefit anyone. Brother Hu also has shares in this place."


    "What, you trying to use Brother Hu to pressure me?" Feng Yucheng stared at the lobby manager.


    "I don¡¯t mean to pressure Boss Feng, but Brother Hu and Brother Heizi are on good terms. It won¡¯t look good for anyone if this blows up."


    Feng Jiacheng frowned slightly; he understood what the lobby manager meant. If he made too much of a scene here, he¡¯d be behaving recklessly. Not all underworld dealings had to be resolved through violence; everyone was after money. For business, they could compete, but for their own business, it needed to be run properly. Like this hotel¡ªif customers didn¡¯t feel safe coming here, who would come to eat? Therefore, restaurants and such that were backed by underworld figures were actually more secure, on the condition that you hadn¡¯t offended them.


    But Feng Jiacheng didn¡¯t want to let Wang Qiang and his group off the hook that easily and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll give Brother Hu face. I¡¯ll ask this kid to do one thing for me, and I¡¯ll let him off."


    Knowing Feng Jiacheng had given him face, the lobby manager immediately addressed Wang Qiang, "Brother, Boss Feng has given some leeway. I hope you can take the loss."


    Wang Qiang hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, whatever you want, I¡¯ll take it."


    Feng Jiacheng looked at Wang Qiang and said, "You really are loyal, I admire that. I¡¯ll give you a chance. Go get a steamed bun."


    The waiter was confused, but quickly fetched a steamed bun, while Feng Jiacheng sneered and threw the bun on the ground, then turned to Sun Na, "Stomp on this steamed bun until it breaks apart."


    Sun Na bit her lip and slowly walked over, stepping on the bun a few times.


    Feng Jiacheng laughed, turned to Wang Qiang, and said, "Kid, eat this steamed bun, and I¡¯ll let you go."


    "What?" Li Yifei and his group were all outraged. Although it seemed simpler than bowing and crawling out, it was a steamed bun crushed by Wang Qiang¡¯s girlfriend. If Wang Qiang ate it, it would be an even greater insult, and they all burst out shouting angrily.

 Chapter 661 - 699: I’ll Cover for You When There’s Trouble

    Chapter 661: Chapter 699: I¡¯ll Cover for You When There¡¯s Trouble"Eat it! Why wouldn¡¯t you want to eat?" Feng Yucheng stomped on the steamed bun twice more before kicking it in front of Wang Qiang.


    Wang Qiang clenched his lips tightly, his eyes fixated on the steamed bun at his feet. His complexion was ashen, and when combined with the bloodstains on his face, he looked quite ferocious.


    "I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t eat it by then," Feng Yucheng continued, "you won¡¯t have to eat at all, and then you can leave."


    The words seemed calm, but were laced with a thick threat.


    Wang Qiang¡¯s expression grew even uglier. To eat that steamed bun meant not just humiliation, but the loss of his self-respect. However, by not eating, he would implicate all his brothers, something Wang Qiang was utterly unwilling to do.


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    Before Feng Jiacheng could utter "three," Wang Qiang suddenly squatted down, picked up the steamed bun.


    "You can¡¯t eat it!" all his brothers exclaimed at once.


    Wang Qiang turned to look at his brothers, his mouth twitching as he said, "My brothers, thank you, but I can¡¯t drag you into this. We can¡¯t beat him."


    "Haha... Smart kid," Feng Yucheng laughed triumphantly. He had won Sunx Na with his schemes, but she was always unhappy. He knew that Sunx Na hadn¡¯t yet let go of her feelings for Wang Qiang, and now he had the chance to humiliate Wang Qiang thoroughly. He revelled in the comfort of that thought, wanting to make Wang Qiang lose face, to erase any dignity in front of Sunx Na. His goal was nearly achieved.


    Wang Qiang looked at Sunx Na, then suddenly stretched out his hand and shoved the steamed bun into his mouth.


    "Don¡¯t eat..." Sunx Na shouted, then couldn¡¯t help but start sobbing. She knew all too well the good this man had done for her. She truly liked Wang Qiang and had thought they could manage a small home together. But a sudden turn of events forced her to leave Wang Qiang and throw herself into the arms of Feng Jiacheng, a man she detested beyond words.


    Now, seeing Wang Qiang being so humiliated for her sake, her heart bled, and she couldn¡¯t hold back her cries any longer.


    But as Wang Qiang was about to take a bite of the steamed bun, a hand suddenly reached out and grasped his wrist. After struggling briefly without breaking free, Wang Qiang turned to look at Li Yifei and said urgently, "Manager Li, let me eat it."


    Li Yifei looked at Wang Qiang coldly and said slowly, "Little Wang, are you a man or not?"


    Wang Qiang¡¯s mouth twitched, but he said nothing.


    "Do you love her or not?" Li Yifei then pointed at Sunx Na.


    At those words, Sunx Na¡¯s crying ceased, and with eyes full of tears, she looked at Wang Qiang. He too looked back at her and, gritting his teeth, said, "I don¡¯t love her!"


    Initially, Sunx Na felt a stab of pain, but as she watched Wang Qiang¡¯s foolish gaze, her heart suddenly ached even more. She understood that Wang Qiang said it so that she wouldn¡¯t be reprimanded by Feng Jiacheng in the future.


    Li Yifei slapped Wang Qiang across the face and roared, "As a man, you desire a woman but don¡¯t have the guts to say it, you watch your woman suffer humiliation, yet you can¡¯t save her, what kind of man are you?"


    "I... I..." Wang Qiang¡¯s lips quivered twice, but he couldn¡¯t continue.


    "A man should shelter his beloved woman from wind and rain, no matter the difficulties he must face them head-on. If you want to shrink away, then you¡¯re not my brother. I¡¯m asking you now, do you love that woman or not?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s last sentence exploded like a thunderclap, shaking Wang Qiang to his core. The voice seemed just like listening to a commanding officer during a military briefing, causing an instinctive straightening of his body as he blurted out loudly, "I do!"


    "Good, now muster your courage! Take back your woman! If anything happens, I¡¯ve got your back!" Li Yifei shouted once more.


    Sun Na, upon hearing Wang Qiang¡¯s declaration, couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer and instinctively wanted to throw herself into Wang Qiang¡¯s arms.


    "Smack!" A crisp slap landed heavily on Sun Na¡¯s face from Feng Jiacheng, sending her staggering and falling to the ground.


    "Ah!" Wang Qiang, already fueled by Li Yifei¡¯s rallying cry, could no longer contain his rage upon seeing his beloved woman struck; he let out a furious roar and charged at Feng Jiacheng like a tiger released from its cage. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feng Jiacheng was taken aback, and the few men with him immediately rushed to take down Wang Qiang. But at that moment, Wang Qiang was like a man possessed, oblivious to the blows from others, his eyes bloodshot, fixated on Feng Jiacheng, who quickly backed away in fear.


    Li Yifei then yelled, "Damn it, what are you waiting for, fight!" leading the charge himself.


    The security brothers had been restless, and at that signal, they let out a cry and surged forward.


    On Feng Jiacheng¡¯s side, there were six or seven men, one fewer than Li Yifei¡¯s team. But Li Yifei and his group were former soldiers with excellent physical conditioning and some hand-to-hand combat training. In the ensuing fight, they completely overpowered their opponents, and within moments, they had them sprawled out on the ground.


    By then, Wang Qiang was on top of Feng Jiacheng, swinging his fists wildly, raining blows down on him with a vengeance. The days of humiliation he had suffered erupted in a torrent of revenge, battering Feng Jiacheng until he wailed for mercy.


    "Quick, pull them apart!" the restaurant manager panicked, urgently instructing the restaurant¡¯s security. With Feng Jiacheng being beaten in his establishment, it was on them, and later he¡¯d have to answer to Brother Hu, not to mention Brother Heizi.


    Sun Na, who was initially stunned, now turned pale with shock seeing Wang Qiang beating Feng Jiacheng. She rushed over to him, pleading, "Qiangzi, Qiangzi, stop it, please stop."


    But Wang Qiang had already lost all reason, pummeling Feng Jiacheng mercilessly.


    By this time, Li Yifei and the others had dealt with Feng Jiacheng¡¯s associates. They deliberately blocked the restaurant¡¯s security from interfering with Wang Qiang; after all, they¡¯d already fought, and they might as well let Wang Qiang have his fill. However, given they were all security themselves, they didn¡¯t physically engage with the restaurant¡¯s security team.


    "Qiangzi, stop, won¡¯t you even listen to me now?" Sun Na, unable to restrain Wang Qiang, began to cry in desperation.


    Wang Qiang¡¯s raised hand suddenly froze mid-air as he turned to look at Sun Na.


    "Qiangzi, Qiangzi, I know how kind you¡¯ve been to me, I¡¯ll never be able to repay your kindness in this lifetime. Please, listen to me, run now, hurry!" Sun Na managed to pull Wang Qiang to his feet and pushed him, trying to make him flee from the trouble spot, her concern clearly written on her face.

 Chapter 662 - 700: Let’s Take It All Back

    Chapter 662: Chapter 700: Let¡¯s Take It All BackSun Na wanted Wang Qiang to run away, but now more than ten security guards from the restaurant had arrived, blocking the corridor. Even if Wang Qiang wanted to run, there was no way he could get through at that moment.


    At this time, the security guards of the restaurant had squeezed past Li Yifei and his fellow security team and helped Feng Jiacheng and the others up. Feng Jiacheng¡¯s face was now swollen like a pig¡¯s head, with blood still flowing from his nose and the corners of his mouth. When he opened his mouth, he even spat out two teeth¡ªWang Qiang¡¯s punches were really merciless.


    "I... I..." Feng Jiacheng almost passed out from lack of breath. Not only did the beating hurt, but the main issue for him was the loss of face. He was a noted figure in Mile City, and yet he¡¯d been reduced to this state by a mere security guard.


    "Nana! I..." Wang Qiang held Sun Na¡¯s hand, choking up, unable to speak.


    Sun Na looked at Wang Qiang with immense heartache, gripping his hand tightly. She hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about Wang Qiang for a single day, and seeing him like this today made her feel even worse. But now she was even more anxious. Wang Qiang had beaten Feng Jiacheng to this extent¡ªwhat would they do now? She could withstand any humiliation to please Feng Jiacheng, but what about Wang Qiang? Feng was sure to have someone kill Wang Qiang.


    "You little punk, you dare hit me%... just wait... I¡¯ll make sure you know the consequences," Feng Jiacheng said with a twisted face and slurred speech, trembling as he took out his mobile phone.


    "Brother, I was beaten up, right in Huzi¡¯s Lucky Restaurant... It wasn¡¯t Huzi¡¯s people, just some riff-raff... Okay!" Feng Jiacheng handed the phone to the lobby manager and said, "My brother wants you to take the call."


    The lobby manager felt a headache coming on and hurriedly took the phone. He just greeted the caller when a roar came from the other end. After a while, he hung up the phone and sternly told the security guards, "Keep an eye on them, don¡¯t let a single one escape."


    The restaurant¡¯s security guards immediately glared at Li Yifei and his group menacingly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were all working in security, they would have started a fight then and there.


    "Gentlemen, this isn¡¯t our restaurant¡¯s fault. Please take a seat in this private room for a while," suggested the lobby manager, pointing to a nearby private room.


    At this point, everyone turned to Li Yifei, uncertain of what to do next. Yifei simply smiled lightly and said, "Let¡¯s go, let us sit for a bit."


    After they went in, the door was closed behind them. Sun Na also followed Wang Qiang inside, and at that moment, Feng Jiacheng had no time to deal with her; he was only thinking about how to deal with Li Yifei and his group.


    As soon as Qian Laoshi entered, he ran to the window, then faced everyone with a pained expression and said, "It¡¯s over, there are grilles outside, we can¡¯t escape through the window."


    Wu Meng clenched his teeth and said, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of, when they come, we¡¯ll fight it out with them."


    Wang Qiang also realized the seriousness of the situation at this point. The impulsiveness he had felt earlier vanished, and he lamented, "It¡¯s all my fault for being impulsive, I¡¯ve dragged everyone down."


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette, tossed one to each person, and said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here, nothing will happen. Little Wang, you were the man earlier. How can you show weakness in front of your girlfriend now?"


    Sun Na was quite a smart girl; seeing Li Yifei¡¯s calm demeanor, she quickly said, "Big Brother, Feng Jiacheng is very powerful. If you have any friends, you should call them for help immediately. As long as you guys are alright, Wang Qiang and I will accept whatever happens."


    Li Yifei looked at Sun Na and said slowly, "Let me ask you one thing, do you love Wang Qiang?"


    Sun Na was taken aback, not expecting Li Yifei to suddenly ask this. She turned to look at Wang Qiang, gave a wry smile, and said, "I¡¯ve always loved him, but..."


    Li Yifei interrupted Sun Na and said, "There¡¯s no ¡¯but¡¯. You just need to answer ¡¯love¡¯ or ¡¯don¡¯t love¡¯."


    Sun Na bit her lip and said, "Love!"


    Wang Qiang¡¯s body immediately trembled with excitement.


    Li Yifei continued, "Good, then tell me, why did you leave Wang Qiang to be with that Feng Jiacheng?"


    Sun Na¡¯s face became pained as she said, "My dad got into an altercation while selling vegetables in the market a while back and injured a person. He was then arrested, and I looked for people to help. Eventually, through someone, I found Feng Jiacheng, who agreed to help. But who knew..." Tears suddenly streamed down Sun Na¡¯s cheeks as she sobbed, "I wanted to thank him by inviting him for dinner that night, but he drugged the wine and then... he raped me."


    Wang Qiang immediately pounded the table harshly. Hearing that his girlfriend had been raped would enrage any man.


    Sun Na glanced at Wang Qiang, her voice filled with more sorrow, "I did something unforgivable to Qiangzi, I knew I couldn¡¯t be with Qiangzi anymore. Plus, my dad was still locked up, so to get my dad released, I just... I just..."


    Li Yifei let out a soft sigh and said, "You can¡¯t blame yourself for that. There¡¯s no need to cry. Wang Qiang, I¡¯m asking you!"


    Wang Qiang raised his head to look at Li Yifei. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei spoke slowly, "Knowing the reason behind Sun Na¡¯s actions, can you forgive her?"


    Wang Qiang looked towards Sun Na, but Sun Na was covering her face in agony, unable to face Wang Qiang, which only made his heart ache more. He said, "I can!"


    "Then, in the future, when you are with Sun Na, will there be any rift between you because of this matter?"


    Wang Qiang shook his head resolutely and said, "No, it¡¯s not Nana¡¯s fault. The one to blame is that Feng Jiacheng."


    Li Yifei nodded and asked, "Will you treat her as well in the future as you did before?"


    "I will!" Wang Qiang answered loudly, then suddenly grasped Sun Na¡¯s hand, saying, "Nana, I know your heart is pure. I will always love you just as I did before, without a single change."


    "Qiangzi!" Sun Na threw herself into Wang Qiang¡¯s arms and burst into tears, wailing. She had borne her grievances in silence these past days, enduring unbearable pain. Now, with Wang Qiang¡¯s words, she found a release for all her pent-up emotions.


    Apart from Sun Na, the room was full of men, but at this moment, each one was visibly moved by the couple¡¯s display.


    Qian Laoshi then approached Li Yifei and said with a wry smile, "Manager Li, what are we going to do now? It sounds like they want to involve the underworld."


    Li Yifei took a drag from his cigarette and said, "Afraid of the underworld?"


    Qian Laoshi replied with a bitter smile, "We¡¯re not afraid of a fair fight, but those people are capable of anything."


    Li Yifei patted Qian Laoshi on the shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry. With me here, no one can do anything to you. How can we let our brothers be bullied at will? If someone takes away our brother¡¯s woman, we¡¯ll just take her back."


    Wang Qiang had already come to rely on Li Yifei as his pillar of support. Eagerly, he said, "Manager Li, just tell us what to do. I, Wang Qiang, am all in¡ªthe trouble¡¯s already started, and I¡¯m ready to go for broke."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Go for broke? Since Feng Jiacheng has bullied your girlfriend, we must retaliate properly. We¡¯ll not only take back your girlfriend but also take his woman and his company, leaving him with nothing. That¡¯s the way to get even."


    Everyone in the room suddenly widened their eyes. They had been thinking about how to protect themselves, but Li Yifei was planning how to deal with Feng Jiacheng, and his ambition seemed boundless.


    "Haha, you don¡¯t believe me, do you?"


    Although no one responded, their expressions betrayed their real thoughts.


    Li Yifei chuckled again and said, "Alright then, if you don¡¯t believe me, we¡¯ll just wait and see."


    At that moment, a tumultuous sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor outside, and then the door was abruptly kicked open. A large crowd surged in, and Feng Jiacheng was among them, pointing at the people inside and shouting, "Brother Hu, these are the bastards who beat me up."


    The man called Brother Hu was a thirty-five or thirty-six-year-old man with a notably dark and striking face. Because his complexion was dark, he had become known as Brother Heizi after making a name for himself, a moniker he accepted gladly, as his face was his calling card. Anyone who saw his dark visage knew exactly who he was.


    Brother Heizi was deeply involved in the underworld; drug trafficking was his main source of profit. Unlike Brother Hu, he had no legitimate business and was even more cruel and ruthless, with numerous lives on his hands.


    Feng Jiacheng was his cousin, and they had a good relationship since childhood. Although Feng Jiacheng was now engaged in legitimate business, he had often helped out behind the scenes, which also smoothed the way for his success. Any competitors Feng Jiacheng faced were dealt with by Brother Heizi.


    Now, hearing that Feng Jiacheng had been beaten, especially by someone aware of his relation to him, this was a direct challenge to the authority of Brother Heizi. Therefore, he personally led a group of about twenty men to the scene.


    Although Wang Qiang and his friends were hot-blooded, the sight of the formidable group of underworld figures who burst in had blanched their faces; instinctively, they stood together, but they still showed backbone, standing upright and firm.


    "Beat them up!" Brother Heizi suddenly roared. Without asking who Li Yifei and his companions were, he commanded an attack first and foremost.


    At Brother Heizi¡¯s order, his men rushed forward. Unlike Feng Jiacheng¡¯s worthless crew, they were seasoned fighters, not only experienced in brawling but also unafraid of bringing others to the brink of death. Their impending assault carried a different weight.


    Sun Na screamed, her legs going weak from fear, while Wang Qiang and his companions inwardly lamented their fate. They were outnumbered by at least half, and the situation looked grim. Today, it was uncertain whether they would leave this place alive.

 Chapter 663 - 701: Even Two Bosses Won’t Do

    Chapter 663: Chapter 701: Even Two Bosses Won¡¯t DoA big guy over six feet tall charged at the forefront. This fellow was Brother Heizi¡¯s right-hand man, always rushing to the front in fights. Seeing that the opposition only had a few people, his eyes lit up. This wasn¡¯t a fight, it was a beatdown, and that¡¯s what he loved most.


    But as quickly as he charged, he retreated just as fast. A large foot, seemingly from nowhere, kicked him squarely in the stomach. The enormous force not only negated his momentum but also sent him flying backward, knocking down the three people behind him. The four of them tumbled to the ground together.


    "Brothers, let¡¯s have a good fight today," Li Yifei roared as he already charged into the opposing crowd.


    Although the opposition had more people, in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, they were incredibly weak. He could take care of them singlehandedly with ease, but in front of his brothers, he didn¡¯t want to appear too fierce. So, he still called out to them. With him looking out for them, even Xu Shanshan and Chu Xiaoyao could become experts, let alone these former soldiers.


    Watching Li Yifei charge ahead alone, Wu Meng and Wang Qiang both bellowed and charged forward. Qian Laoshi didn¡¯t want to fight, but given the situation, he had no choice but to harden his heart and join the fray with a chair in hand.


    The private room was large, but crammed with so many people, the fight felt constricted. Not everyone could join in; only about ten people actually engaged with Li Yifei and his group, while the rest could only shout from the sidelines.


    Wang Qiang and the others initially charged in with reckless abandon, mentally prepared to take hits. They thought to land a few punches to at least defend themselves, to avoid getting beaten up for nothing.


    But as they fought, they realized they were incredibly fierce. A single punch would send an opponent tumbling, and a kick could send them flying. They had never realized how heroic they could be. Their courage surged, and now their thoughts were not as they had been at the beginning. Now, they were confident they could defeat the opposition even if their numbers were greater.


    These guys were now as excitable as if they had been injected with adrenaline, howling bizarrely in the heat of the brawl, like a pack of berserkers.


    This sight dumbfounded the lobby manager who had been anxiously waiting at the door. He was truly afraid that Brother Heizi would wreak havoc and cause fatalities, which is why he had already called Brother Hu early on. Now, the fight had indeed started, but it wasn¡¯t like what he had imagined. Well, one thing was the same: it was a one-sided affair, with the less numerous side overpowering Brother Heizi¡¯s group.


    "Grab your weapons!" Brother Heizi¡¯s face turned green as he bellowed.


    Suddenly, several guys pulled out daggers and rushed forward.


    Generally, when knives are drawn in a fight, most would use machetes. Although machetes look intimidating, they are designed to slash; they can make someone bleed profusely but are usually not fatal. But daggers are different; they¡¯re for stabbing and can easily be lethal if they pierce into the body.


    This caused Li Yifei¡¯s expression to darken. These guys were too audacious. This was no longer a matter of a simple fight; this was aiming to kill.


    When Wang Qiang and others saw the daggers, the courage they had built up dissipated somewhat. A few hits before were nothing, but now, if they were to get stabbed, it could easily be the end of them.


    Li Yifei, of course, would not let his brothers get hurt. He struck with more force now, swiftly targeting those with daggers. A punch from him was sure to break an arm or wrist, and a kick would surely break a leg.


    In the blink of an eye, the ones wielding daggers were screaming on the ground.


    This turn of events made Brother Heizi even angrier. He had been in the underworld for so long and had encountered various experts. He even hired two experts himself for a high price but hadn¡¯t brought them along today. However, he felt that even the experts he employed didn¡¯t seem as formidable as Li Yifei.


    "Stop!" Brother Heizi shouted.


    By now, his lackeys had lost all their will to fight. Over twenty of them had already been knocked down by the few opponents, and any more who went in were sure to be floored too. They quickly retreated behind Brother Heizi.


    "I didn¡¯t expect to find such experts among you." Brother Heizi didn¡¯t have the acumen to see the real situation and assumed each one of Li Yifei¡¯s men was an expert.


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette, lit it, and said, "Expert is too grand a term, but taking care of you small fry is no problem at all."


    Brother Heizi¡¯s face darkened, "You talk big, but don¡¯t think that just because you can fight, you have the ability to stand against me. I can assure you, I have many ways to crush you all."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, "Do you believe that I have a way to finish you off right now?"


    Brother Heizi¡¯s face changed, and if the other side really wanted to kill him, the people around him were indeed not enough to protect his life. He snorted coldly, saying, "You don¡¯t have the guts." He dared to kill in the underworld; he didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei and his crew would dare to kill as well.


    "Who doesn¡¯t have the guts?" Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice rang from outside, and then a big man entered the private room, none other than the well-known Brother Huzi from Mile City. As he came in, he looked straight at Brother Heizi and said with a stern face, "Heizi, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve taken a fancy to my restaurant. If you want it, just say the word, and I¡¯ll step aside graciously."


    Brother Heizi already lost a lot of face because of Li Yifei and his friends; now with Brother Hu speaking like this, it was even harder for him to save face. He snorted coldly, "Huzi, my guys got beaten up in your restaurant, and you¡¯re not going to give me an explanation?"


    "Oh, is that so? I¡¯d like to see who had the gall to touch Heizi¡¯s people." Brother Hu turned to look at Li Yifei and his group, but as soon as he saw Li Yifei, his expression changed instantly. He zeroed in on him again, finally recognizing that Li Yifei was the one who had beaten him before.


    Li Yifei certainly recognized Brother Hu and greeted him with a slight smile, "Long time no see."


    Brother Hu laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, long time."


    The two were supposed to be enemies, but Brother Hu was quite wary of Li Yifei. Seeing that Heizi was also looking quite disheveled, with a bunch of people lying around on the floor, his heart suddenly felt elated. He and Heizi didn¡¯t have any business conflicts, but recently Heizi had become more and more arrogant and domineering, sometimes completely disrespecting him, which had irked him for some time. However, he didn¡¯t want to directly confront Heizi, as it could lead to big trouble. Besides, his legitimate business was booming, tying his hands further. Now, Li Yifei¡¯s actions felt like a breath of fresh air to him.


    Wheeling his thoughts, Brother Hu didn¡¯t try to get too friendly with Li Yifei and said, "Look Heizi, I can¡¯t afford to provoke this guy. If you¡¯ve got any tricks up your sleeve, you¡¯d better think of them yourself. But if this is your personal grudge, I¡¯d rather you not settle it in my restaurant. You know, I run a legitimate business."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to get too cozy with Brother Hu either, and for Brother Hu to say this was just what he had in mind. He squinted at Heizi, whose expression became even uglier. Brother Hu¡¯s words, in effect, were telling him that Li Yifei had a significant clout and that Hu himself didn¡¯t want to get involved.


    "Fine, let¡¯s go!" Saying that he turned and walked out.


    Feng Jiacheng didn¡¯t expect that even Brother Heizi¡¯s arrival wouldn¡¯t give him an edge, and with a resentful glare at Li Yifei and the others, he followed out.


    At that moment, Li Yifei also said, "Brother Hu, are you trying to stop us?"


    "Of course not, we run a legitimate business here. We can¡¯t be involved in illegal detentions," Brother Hu responded with a chuckle, not wanting to lose face in front of his men and eager to get rid of Li Yifei, this plague god, as soon as possible.


    Li Yifei and his group left the restaurant, Wang Qiang and the others still somewhat in disbelief that it all really happened. They had stood up to Heizi, a big boss in the underworld, beaten up his men, and yet they had walked out unharmed.


    "Manager Li, are we just leaving like this?" Qian Laoshi was still worried and cautiously asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed, "What, should we go back for another drink?"


    Qian Laoshi hurriedly said, "No, no, I just can¡¯t believe it¡¯s real. I¡¯ve heard how powerful Brother Heizi is and how fierce his men are. We clashed with them, and yet, we¡¯re still alive to walk away. It¡¯s quite surprising."


    Wu Meng chimed in proudly, "They¡¯re just paper tigers. Usually, people exaggerate about them. When you mention the underworld, everyone freaks out. Today, I¡¯ve seen it for myself; they¡¯re nothing special. With our fists, we can make them submit."


    Qian Laoshi shook his head, expressing his concern, "Don¡¯t be too proud, Mengzi. I have a feeling this isn¡¯t over. Maybe they didn¡¯t bring enough people today and we got the upper hand, but what if they find out where our families live and come after us?"


    The group was stunned, as such an outcome seemed all too possible.


    Wang Qiang looked guilty again, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he could only wait and see what Li Yifei would say.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Heizi is part of the underworld, right? Maybe the police will catch him tomorrow."


    "Really? He¡¯s been in the business for so many years without any issues," Qian Laoshi quickly retorted.


    Li Yifei tossed him a cigarette and said, "Evildoers will eventually meet their karma. Someone who¡¯s done plenty of bad deeds will be dealt with sooner or later."


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 Chapter 664 - 702

    Chapter 664: 702"Let¡¯s go, the drinks just now weren¡¯t satisfying enough; let¡¯s go sing some songs and have a good drink," Li Yifei suggested again.


    But everyone wasn¡¯t really in the mood for drinking anymore, and the response was hardly enthusiastic.


    Seeing this, Li Yifei laughed and said, "Well, in that case, you guys can go home for today. There won¡¯t be any problems. Little Wang, let¡¯s find a place to sit."


    Li Yifei, together with Wang Qiang and Sun Na, found a tea house and booked a private room. The three of them sat down inside, with Sun Na sitting next to Wang Qiang, her head bowed and her expression quite complex. Wang Qiang, however, seemed both delighted and somewhat worried.


    Li Yifei poured tea for the two and said, "Here, drink some tea, and don¡¯t worry."


    "Thank you, Manager Li," Sun Na said softly.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I called you both here to ask some more questions and see how I can help you."


    Sun Na now knew that Li Yifei must be quite remarkable, and quickly responded, "Manager Li, what do you want to know?"


    Li Yifei took a sip of tea and asked, "Did you know Feng Jiacheng before your father¡¯s incident?"


    Sun Na immediately said, "I knew of him, but no! I wouldn¡¯t say I knew him. After I graduated from university, I was looking for jobs everywhere, and I applied at his place, too. But I felt his company was not legitimate, so I later took another job with a different company."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "From what I can see, your father¡¯s trouble must have also been designed by Feng Jiacheng."


    "Ah!" Sun Na exclaimed softly and then hurriedly said, "My dad is a very good-tempered man. In my memory, my father never quarreled with anyone. I always wondered why he would get into a fight."


    Wang Qiang, angered, slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "That son of a bitch."


    Li Yifei gave Wang Qiang a look and said, "If you break the table, we will have to pay for it."


    Wang Qiang¡¯s mouth twitched, and he took a big gulp of tea, forgetting that it had just been poured and was still very hot. It was so hot that his face turned green.


    Sun Na hurriedly patted Wang Qiang¡¯s chest, her face filled with anxious concern, truly heartfelt.


    Li Yifei, watching the two, sighed inwardly. These two were truly in love but were faced with such twists and turns¡ª it was genuinely distressing.


    After Wang Qiang recovered, Li Yifei said, "Wang Qiang, I am seriously asking you again. Can you let go of the fact that Sun Na was deceived?"


    At that moment, Sun Na¡¯s face stiffened. Even though she was sitting with Wang Qiang now, she always felt she no longer deserved him.


    Wang Qiang immediately took hold of Sun Na¡¯s hand and said firmly, "Manager Li, no matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same. I don¡¯t mind, no, I care more that it was my own incapability that caused Nana to suffer such harm. I will spend all my time in the future to heal the wounds in her heart. I will work hard to give Nana a better life so she won¡¯t suffer even a bit of injustice."


    Sun Na¡¯s eyes reddened instantly, and tears streamed down her face as she choked out, "Qiangzi, I really don¡¯t deserve you to treat me like this. I¡¯m not clean anymore."


    Wang Qiang suddenly embraced Sun Na, his eyes red, and said, "Nana, I really don¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s work together to forget this painful time and give me another chance to take care of you, okay?"


    Sun Na met Wang Qiang¡¯s gaze and suddenly threw herself into his arms, and began to cry again with muffled sobs.


    Li Yifei felt quite relieved. With such a situation, the biggest fear was that the man might harbor a grudge, which would mean that even if the two stayed together, they might not be happy in the end. But Wang Qiang clearly cared deeply for Sun Na, so there should be no problem. However, even if there really were problems, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help. When it comes to matters of the heart, as an outsider, he had done as much as he possibly could.


    "Manager Li, now that we have completely offended Feng Jiacheng, what about my dad..." Sun Na cried for a while, then wiped away her tears, looking pitifully at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I know friends in the Public Security Bureau. I¡¯ll ask them for help, there shouldn¡¯t be a big problem."


    "Thank you, Manager Li, thank you!" Sun Na said, over and over again, overwhelmed with gratitude.


    Wang Qiang spoke cautiously, "Manager Li, is Brother Heizi okay as well?"


    Li Yifei blinked his eyes and said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you I have friends at the Public Security Bureau? After all, he¡¯s from the underworld. No matter how tough he is, he¡¯s still afraid of the police, right?"


    Wang Qiang nodded repeatedly, excitedly saying, "Thank you, Manager Li, thank you, Manager Li."


    "Alright, then I won¡¯t disturb you lovebirds any longer. I¡¯ll be off. I¡¯ll leave the bill for the tea to you." Li Yifei left without waiting for them to stand up, swiftly disappearing into the crowd.


    Upon leaving the tea house, Li Yifei dialed a number, and it was quickly connected. Speaking indifferently, he said, "Look into Brother Heizi for me, I want evidence of his crimes."


    Thursday morning, Lin Qiong arrived at her office. She was an extremely diligent worker, and although she had become a Deputy Director, she still came to the office early. Work hadn¡¯t been going smoothly these past few days. Even though she was no longer involved with the cruise ship case, security in Mile City had been tightened recently. Yet there were some people with significant issues who couldn¡¯t be arrested due to a lack of evidence.


    As she sat at her desk, Lin Qiong immediately noticed something awry. There were items on her desk that didn¡¯t belong to her ¨C a stack of A4 papers, a pile of photos, a ledger, and a CD.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t have a habit of having others clean her office; she always took care of it herself. She had left late the night before, and she was certain it was she who had locked the office. Arriving early today, she found the office building almost empty.


    She didn¡¯t immediately look at the items. Instead, she checked the windows and doors of the room but found no signs of forced entry. Frowning briefly, she returned to her desk and then picked up the items to examine them.


    But a single glance left Lin Qiong shocked. The materials were none other than the evidence of Brother Heizi¡¯s crimes, detailed extensively, especially the ledger which listed all of Brother Heizi¡¯s drug trafficking activities over the past few years. With these, she had enough evidence to arrest Brother Heizi.


    After reviewing the materials, Lin Qiong immediately went to find the Sub-bureau Chief. Having been in the official circles for a while, she knew the unwritten rules. Although this was a major case, if she went straight to the Municipal Bureau Chief, it would definitely upset the Sub-bureau Chief. The credit for such an accomplishment couldn¡¯t be hers alone. Giving the Chief a taste of the glory would benefit her; it would make her work at the Sub-bureau easier and gain more support from the Chief.


    The Sub-bureau Chief was also pleasantly surprised to see the materials. Brother Heizi was a figure that no one in the official circles dared to have connections with. He was purely from the underworld, so arresting him wouldn¡¯t involve umbrella protection issues.


    "Little Lin, you really are capable. Without making a sound, you have collected so much evidence. I always thought your rise was purely due to luck, but now I see you truly have the ability," the Chief praised Lin Qiong excitedly.


    Lin Qiong intended to say that the materials had mysteriously appeared on her desk, but then it dawned on her who had given her these documents. Aside from that bastard Li Yifei, who else had such capability, or who else would willingly hand such a gift to her? And since Li Yifei was her man, she accepted the credit reasonably.


    With a slight smile, she said, "Chief, these were gathered by an informant I had in place. It took quite a bit of effort."


    The Chief immediately said, "Good, good, I¡¯ll apply for a bonus later and make sure to reward this informant generously."


    Lin Qiong hastily spoke up, "Chief, shouldn¡¯t we start planning to arrest Brother Heizi right away? If he gets wind and runs, it will be difficult to catch him later on."


    "Ha ha, good, you¡¯ll lead this operation." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong quickly said, "This is such a big case; it should be overseen by you personally, Chief. I¡¯m afraid that due to my inexperience, if something goes wrong, that would be bad."


    The Chief, realizing that Lin Qiong was sharing the credit with him, admired her even more, saying, "You¡¯re right, let¡¯s begin the arrest immediately."


    Brother Heizi had lost face just two days ago. Having investigated all of yesterday, he finally identified Li Yifei and his colleagues as a group of security guards from Dreamfly Company, which infuriated Brother Heizi. His two top henchmen had arrived today, and he was planning to eliminate Li Yifei and his team that very evening to soothe his hatred.


    "Boss, it¡¯s bad. The police are heading this way," a subordinate suddenly burst in.


    Brother Heizi frowned, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of with the police? Haven¡¯t we dealt with them many times before?"


    The underling anxiously said, "Boss, it¡¯s not just one police car, it¡¯s a long line of them. They¡¯re coming for a major arrest operation."


    "What?" Brother Heizi stood up abruptly and hurried to the window. His heart sank at what he saw¡ªa line of perhaps twenty police cars speeding toward his villa without their sirens wailing.


    "Run!" he yelled, leading his men to a storage room on the ground floor. He opened a hidden trapdoor, which led out of the villa; he had prepared it precisely to avoid a sudden police raid.


    But as Brother Heizi and his men cautiously emerged from the trapdoor, they were stunned to find a line of armed paramilitary police pointing their guns at them. He couldn¡¯t comprehend how the police knew about this secret tunnel. Even his own men were mostly unaware of its existence, and the exit was so well-concealed. How could the police be waiting for them as if they knew all along?

 Chapter 665 - 703 Heroic Deeds

    Chapter 665: Chapter 703 Heroic DeedsBrother Heizi was caught not only with a massive police force but also a team of news reporters. It was an excellent opportunity for Mile City¡¯s police to redeem themselves. Lin Qiong¡¯s chief, after requesting permission from the Municipal Bureau Chief, decisively contacted the City TV Station and successfully filmed the arrest of Brother Heizi, including the moment of shock on Heizi¡¯s face as he crawled out of the hole, in exquisite detail.


    Heizi had thought that the police had no solid evidence on him and didn¡¯t resist arrest. He even loudly proclaimed his innocence, but as soon as he saw those carefully hidden account books being unearthed, he collapsed on the ground. No matter how glorious or fierce he had been before, he knew he was finished at that moment. Given his crimes, even dying ten times over would be insufficient.


    Inside the security room of Dreamfly Company, Wang Qiang and the others were excitedly shouting. Everyone had been on edge the previous day, fearing that Heizi would come after them. But after a day without incident, they arrived at work on edge, only to see such shocking news on television.


    Wu Meng, wrapping his arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, laughed excitedly and said, "Haha, Manager Li, you were so accurate, Heizi really got arrested, we don¡¯t have to worry about his revenge anymore."


    At this moment, Qian Laoshi was the most excited. With parents to care for and a family to support, as the pillar of the household, any misfortune falling upon him would spell disaster for the family. The previous day had been his most stressful, adding several white hairs to his head. Now that he knew Heizi wouldn¡¯t be seeking revenge, it truly felt like a great burden had been lifted.


    Of course, the happiest of all was Wang Qiang. He had not dared to stand against Feng Jiacheng, mainly because of Brother Heizi¡¯s existence. With Heizi¡¯s downfall, even if Feng Jiacheng didn¡¯t go down as well, he had lost a significant backer. At the very least, Wang Qiang didn¡¯t have to be so fearful of him.


    "Manager Li, you didn¡¯t make Brother Heizi get caught, did you?" Qian Laoshi suddenly asked.


    Wu Meng immediately said, "Old Qian, you really let your imagination run wild. If our Manager Li were that capable, would he still be here as a security department manager?"


    Qian Laoshi chuckled and said, "That¡¯s true. But Manager Li, you told us the other day that Brother Heizi wasn¡¯t fearsome and that no matter how tough he was, he couldn¡¯t be stronger than the police. And now he¡¯s been caught by the police so quickly."


    Yifei blinked and responded, "Don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s something called insider information."


    "Oh..." Everyone drew out their voices in understanding, naturally assuming Yifei had advanced knowledge of the insider information. But because the arrest of Brother Heizi was a significant matter, Yifei dared not speak of it openly.


    Wearing a wise expression, Qian Laoshi said, "No wonder, Brother Heizi was so ruthless, yet you dared to confront him head-on the day before yesterday. You must have known his downfall was imminent. Manager Li, you really are amazing."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Old Qian is the smart one."


    Today there were a few security guards on shift who hadn¡¯t been there that day. Listening to the others, they were utterly bewildered and soon began to ask what had happened.


    This energized Qian Laoshi, Wu Meng, and the two security guards who had gone that day, leading them to tell the story with great gusto, exaggerating the details. The guards who hadn¡¯t been there were dumbfounded, finding it hard to believe the tale, but since Manager Li Yifei was there too, it seemed genuine.


    Wu Meng threw a massive punch, boasting, "You have no idea how fierce I was that day. I made a guy who was over six feet tall and weighed more than 280 pounds bleed all over with just one punch."


    Another guard claimed, "My kick was even more impressive. I kicked the guy so hard that he flew off the ground and knocked down another person behind him."


    Qian Laoshi snorted and added, "You call that impressive? Manager Li fought six thugs armed with knives by himself. In less than half a minute, he took them all down. Now that¡¯s what I call impressive."


    Wu Meng and others nodded vigorously, saying, "Absolutely, absolutely! If we hadn¡¯t seen it with our own eyes, we would¡¯ve thought it was a movie scene. Manager Li is truly incredible."


    The guards who hadn¡¯t been there were now looking at Li Yifei in amazement. They had all served in the military and knew a bit about fighting. Their bodies were also stronger, but at most, they were only a little better than the average person. But the thought of one man taking on several, especially when the opponents had weapons, made it hard for them to believe.


    Seeing their disbelief, Wu Meng and the others were quite annoyed, relentlessly emphasizing the events of that day, seemingly determined to convince everyone of their story.


    It wasn¡¯t just in the security room. Even while patrolling, they told every company employee they met about their heroic deeds. Soon, everyone in the company knew about the brave encounter between Li Yifei, the security guards, and the Underworld.


    Li Yifei then called Wang Qiang into his office. Wang Qiang, first and foremost, expressed his gratitude excitedly. Yifei smiled and said, "Cut the formalities, kid. How are things with your Sun Na?"


    Wang Qiang sighed and replied, "It¡¯s still not going well for now."


    "Hmm?" Yifei frowned slightly. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Qiang quickly explained, "The problem isn¡¯t with me. I really don¡¯t blame her for what happened to Nana. It¡¯s not even about whether she was forced or if she temporarily fell in love with someone else. As long as she chooses to be with me in the end, I¡¯ll be happy. But... she can¡¯t get over it herself. She always feels like she owes me."


    "Then I¡¯m relieved. With things like this, you¡¯ll have to slowly influence her. It also shows she¡¯s a good girl. If she were like most girls, she wouldn¡¯t care so much. Am I right?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve always thought Nana is a rare good girl; that¡¯s why I like her so much. I also believe I¡¯ll eventually remove that barrier in her heart. I just called Nana, and she saw the news about Brother Heizi being caught. She¡¯s much happier now."


    "Good to hear. Let¡¯s figure out later how to deal with that Feng Jiacheng so she can be even more at ease. By the way, I haven¡¯t told her about her father¡¯s situation. I¡¯ll go find someone to talk to about it in a bit."


    "Thank you, Manager Li, you really are my savior." Overcome with emotion, Wang Qiang suddenly fell to his knees in gratitude.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t accept such a gesture, so he hurriedly helped him up and sent him out. Then he made a phone call to Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong was busy, but when she saw that it was Yifei calling, she immediately stepped out of the interrogation room to take the call. Hearing Yifei¡¯s voice brought her comfort. No matter how sleazy he seemed at times, and even though he¡¯d hidden his true identity from her, the fact that he always thought of her with good news was enough for her.

 Chapter 666 - 704: Husband and Wife United in Heart

    Chapter 666: Chapter 704: Husband and Wife United in Heart"Hey, Little Qiongqiong, what are you busy with?" Li Yifei started to tease Lin Qiong as soon as he came over.


    Lin Qiong was in a good mood but still kept a stern face, saying irritably, "Cut the chatter, I¡¯m at work here. I just caught a bunch of drug traffickers, and I¡¯m still interrogating them."


    "Hehe, thanks a lot, I saw the news too. I just had a fallout with them a couple of days ago, if you hadn¡¯t caught them, I wouldn¡¯t know how to deal with those life-risking thugs."


    "Yelling, so I¡¯m just here to wipe your ass when you cause trouble? You stir up trouble, and I have to arrest people for you?"


    "It¡¯s not me causing trouble, but those bad guys troubling me, and as a people¡¯s police officer, of course, you need to protect the safety of our citizens. I thank you on behalf of all the people of Mile City."


    "Stop, stop, keep going, and you¡¯ll be sending me a wreath. What¡¯s the matter anyway? I don¡¯t have time to listen to your nonsense."


    "Alright, let me tell you something. A brother in my security department has his girlfriend¡¯s father wrongfully arrested, can you see if you can let him out?"


    "You say ¡¯wrongfully¡¯ and it¡¯s ¡¯wrongfully¡¯? Shouldn¡¯t such matters go through proper procedures?"


    "Going through procedures would be such a hassle, besides, you¡¯re a Deputy Director after all, don¡¯t you have this much authority?"


    "Nonsense, even if I am the Deputy Director, I can¡¯t just release someone like that. Later, send the details to my email, and I¡¯ll look at the situation and get back to you."


    Lin Qiong hung up after finishing speaking. She actually wanted to have a casual chat with Li Yifei as well, but with so much work on her hands, she still prioritized her job.


    Li Yifei asked Wang Qiang to prepare the materials. Wang Qiang was even more excited. The more he interacted with this manager, who was always ready for a chat, the more he felt that the manager was very capable, which was quite different from his usual laid-back appearance.


    Upon returning to the security room, Li Yifei noticed that it was clearly busier than usual with people from other departments, both men and women, obviously there to catch up on the gossip. And there was Qian Laoshi, spitting and frothing as he spoke, while the other security guards were adding fuel to the fire, truly making the security room a bustling place.


    Fighting against the Underworld boss had now become a legend in the company, and Li Yifei and the security guards had become hot figures in the company.


    Li Yifei looked at Wu Meng and the others beaming with pride. Even Qian Laoshi, the old fox, was puffing out his chest with a domineering look as if he was the only one to be revered in the world. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but snicker, but it was also a welcome diversion in life, which was rather nice.


    After lunch, Xu Yingying came looking for Li Yifei with a frown and said, "You got into a fight, and you didn¡¯t even tell me."


    Li Yifei laughed, "It wasn¡¯t a big deal. If I had told you, you¡¯d be worried, so I didn¡¯t tell you."


    "Do you still consider me your wife?" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glance and said, "Between husband and wife, shouldn¡¯t we share all matters?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Yes, yes, it¡¯s my lack of consideration. In the future, I will definitely report and discuss everything with my wife."


    "You¡¯re not sincere at all." Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another look but wasn¡¯t really annoyed, and asked, "The leader of the drug trafficking gang was brought down by you, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "I asked a few friends to help investigate and sent his information to the police. This guy really deserves to die a hundred times over, he has done too many bad things."


    Xu Yingying, with her arms crossed, stared at Li Yifei and said, "So Lin Qiong has made another great contribution, right?"


    Li Yifei coughed dryly, "I don¡¯t know too many people in the police force, I¡¯m more familiar with Lin Qiong, so I just handed it over to her. But I didn¡¯t let her know it was from me, I had someone secretly leave it in her office."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yingying felt much more comfortable and said with a pout, "That¡¯s more like it. Stop showing off all the time outside. I really don¡¯t understand how a guy like you can be so popular with women." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder and laughed, "Otherwise, how could I have married a good wife like Yingying?"


    "You¡¯re always sweet-talking me." Xu Yingying elbowed Li Yifei and then leaned into his arms. The longer she was married to Li Yifei, the deeper her feelings for him grew. She used to not meddle in Li Yifei¡¯s personal affairs, but now she took more and more interest and always wanted to get to the bottom of anything related to Li Yifei.


    "By the way, how are Wang Qiang and his girlfriend doing?" Xu Yingying asked again.


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re pretty well-informed, aren¡¯t you?"


    "It¡¯s already spread throughout the company, of course, I know. These kids really can¡¯t keep quiet. It¡¯s one thing to talk about fights, but why did they even have to disclose the fact that his girlfriend was bullied? Isn¡¯t that going to make it hard for Wang Qiang to hold his head up in the future?"


    Li Yifei slapped his forehead and said, "I really forgot to tell them about this; those guys really can¡¯t keep their mouths shut."


    "You should talk to Wang Qiang a bit more, I think you men always feel uncomfortable in your hearts when something like this happens to your women."


    Li Yifei felt a bit guilty hearing this, as men have such thoughts and so do women. As Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, he was still entangled with several other women.


    "Feeling guilty?" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance, then added, "By the way, the guy who bullied Wang Qiang¡¯s girlfriend, you¡¯re just letting him off like that?"


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "Of course not; I have no intention of letting him off. However, that kid is actually doing legitimate business, and I haven¡¯t figured out how to deal with him yet."


    "Do you need my help?" Xu Yingying squinted at Li Yifei, a sly glint in her eyes.


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying with surprise and asked, "You want to get involved?"


    "Of course, my employee was bullied, and as the boss, I should stand up for my staff," Xu Yingying said proudly, tilting her head.


    "So what¡¯s your plan?" Li Yifei was quite happy and asked with a grin.


    "This thing is quite simple, we could do this... and that..."


    After Xu Yingying finished explaining, Li Yifei stared at her, dumbfounded, unable to utter a word.


    "What¡¯s with that expression?" Xu Yingying poked Li Yifei and asked dissatisfied.


    Li Yifei moved his jaw and finally managed to close his mouth, then chuckled and said, "Turns out my wife is pretty good at doing naughty things, I never realized before."


    Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei and said, "What do you mean ¡¯doing naughty things¡¯? It¡¯s a legitimate business acquisition, alright? There are many successful cases like this. As a boss, if I can¡¯t even handle this, then how can I be a good boss?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Exactly, a business acquisition, haha, that kid is in for a rough time."


    Seeing Li Yifei so happy, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but snort with laughter, and then they looked at each other and laughed even more joyously. When a husband and wife do something together, it indeed brings a lot of joy.


    After the laughter subsided, Xu Yingying said, "It¡¯s not just about standing up for Wang Qiang. I also think that company really has potential. If acquired into our company as an independent department, it would be a good thing for our entire company."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, saying, "As long as you think it¡¯s necessary, then just go ahead with it."


    Xu Yingying continued, "However, I still have to discuss this with Mengxin, as it involves a hostile takeover, which is not exactly honorable. If we do it secretly, and Mengxin finds out, she might be upset."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "No problem, no problem, we¡¯ll do our thing, and she won¡¯t disagree."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Husband, it¡¯s not right to think that way. Mengxin may be our good friend, and she trusts us so much, but we can¡¯t just take it for granted. We must consult her; it¡¯s a matter of respect for Mengxin. Otherwise, we would be betraying her trust."


    Li Yifei quickly agreed, having already considered Su Mengxin as one of his own. He had no qualms about using Su Mengxin¡¯s money and power and spoke casually, but from Xu Yingying¡¯s perspective, it was crossing the line.


    Of course, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t explain that Su Mengxin, although she had confessed her feelings for him and her actions in Mile City were for his sake, she didn¡¯t want their relationship to become public just yet and especially didn¡¯t want to put pressure on Xu Yingying, so now Li Yifei had to be even more cautious.


    "I¡¯ll call Mengxin right away." Xu Yingying had already picked up the phone and dialed Su Mengxin¡¯s number, connecting after a short while.


    After explaining the situation to Su Mengxin, including the reason of helping Wang Qiang, Su Mengxin responded promptly and agreed with Xu Yingying¡¯s actions, even promising to send over two renowned operators to help.


    If it weren¡¯t for her being tied up with other things, Su Mengxin would have loved to join Xu Yingying and Li Yifei in such endeavors. To her, this matter was trivial, but being involved with Li Yifei made it enjoyable.


    With Su Mengxin¡¯s approval, Xu Yingying was ready to take action. After discussing some details with Li Yifei, and as it was almost time for work, Li Yifei finally left Xu Yingying¡¯s office.


    Feng Jiacheng never anticipated that in his attempt to pursue a woman, not only would his underworld-connected cousin be ruined, but his own company would also be dragged down. Once he found out, he would certainly understand the meaning of ¡¯Femme Fatale¡¯.

 Chapter 667 - 705 Corporate Image

    Chapter 667: Chapter 705 Corporate Imagefre§×webnovel.comOn Saturday afternoon, Li Yifei and Michelle arrived at the renowned Mile City hotel, the New Century Hotel, where Michelle¡¯s classmate was holding her wedding. The actual wedding day was tomorrow, but on this afternoon, the classmates had already been invited to join the celebrations, add to the fun, and also to help with some arrangements.


    Before coming, Li Yifei had already discussed it with Xu Yingying, who was very agreeable. The person Li Yifei felt comfortable with, who could put her mind at ease, was Michelle. This girl knew some boundaries.


    Michelle had only started working a little over a year ago, and her classmates were in the same boat. In today¡¯s society, those who have just begun their careers naturally can¡¯t talk about achievements yet. Moreover, the one getting married this time was Michelle¡¯s high school classmate, and the friendship among classmates was still quite strong during this period.


    Michelle and Li Yifei had taken a taxi there, and just as they got out of the car, they ran into several classmates at the entrance. The classmates immediately came over to warmly greet Michelle.


    Li Yifei could tell that Michelle had good interpersonal relationships. Everyone was enthusiastic about her, both boys and girls. Generally speaking, beautiful girls easily attract envy from other girls, but because of Michelle¡¯s nice personality and humble nature, there were very few girls in the class who had a bad relationship with her.


    But there were always a few with whom she didn¡¯t get along so well, and Sun Lii was one of them. She was at the entrance and, upon seeing Michelle and Li Yifei arrive by taxi, immediately said, "Hey Michelle, where¡¯s your Porsche 911?"


    The other classmates were immediately shocked, and one girl quickly followed up with, "Michelle, you own a Porsche 911 now?"


    Michelle smiled slightly and said, "I wish, but I couldn¡¯t afford that car. It belongs to our boss."


    Everyone suddenly understood. For Michelle to have just started working and already have access to a Porsche 911, that was really impressive; it naturally represented a considerable gap between her and the rest.


    Sun Lii was immediately happy, saying smugly, "I thought so. If you were riding in a Porsche 911, wouldn¡¯t that mean you were being kept by someone?"


    That comment wasn¡¯t very pleasant to hear, but Michelle didn¡¯t take it to heart and said, "Yeah, that day there were no cars available at the company, so the boss lent us one for running errands."


    "Michelle, is that your boyfriend?" someone else asked, pointing at Li Yifei.


    Michelle quickly introduced Li Yifei to everyone, and he also put on a humble and rational demeanor. Given these somewhat naive young people, Li Yifei didn¡¯t see any point in putting on airs. Being there with Michelle was enough for him.


    At this moment, Sun Lii smiled mischievously and said, "Michelle, you said you and your boyfriend are both company managers. Does your company have assets over a million?"


    When it came to the company, Michelle naturally had to uphold its image. If it were anything else, she might not have bothered with Sun Lii¡¯s remarks, but she immediately corrected her, "You¡¯re mistaken, our company has an investment of five hundred million."


    Sun Lii sneered and said, "Five hundred million, as if! If you really had that kind of investment, would you just be department managers? Even if you¡¯re bragging, isn¡¯t that a bit much?"


    Michelle frowned slightly. How could Sun Lii be so superficial? It wasn¡¯t just because her boyfriend was a manager at Tianli Group, apparently with power and influence, while other company managers seemed commonplace on the streets. But having been a manager for some time now, Michelle had improved greatly in terms of social skills. She smiled and replied, "Although our Dreamfly Company isn¡¯t well-known in Mile City yet, I believe that you will soon be aware of Dreamfly¡¯s capabilities."


    At that moment, a male classmate spoke up, "Michelle, are you really working at Dreamfly Company?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes."


    The man immediately looked surprised and asked, "And you¡¯re a department manager at Dreamfly Company?"


    "Yes, I¡¯m in charge of Logistics," Michelle replied with poise.


    The male student said with frustration, "Oh my, if I had known you were the manager of the logistics department, I would¡¯ve looked for you before I went to apply for that job."


    Sun Li frowned and said to the male student, "Wang Dong, why would you go to that company? If you want to find a job, just come to me. I could have a word with my family¡¯s connection, and definitely get you into Tianli Group. That¡¯s one of the top three big conglomerates in Mile City. Wouldn¡¯t you have more growth opportunities if you worked there?"


    The student, named Wang Dong, replied, "Thanks for that, but I¡¯ve already found a job and I don¡¯t really want to switch jobs for now."


    Another female student named Zhao Dongmei asked, "Wang Dong, is Dreamfly Company really that good?"


    Wang Dong immediately responded, "I originally wanted to go to Dreamfly Company, and after some investigation, I found out that the company¡¯s total investment is over five hundred million, which already ranks it in the top twenty businesses in Mile City. But the most important thing isn¡¯t that, it¡¯s the company¡¯s background which is really powerful. I heard there¡¯s a big shot from Capital City behind it. Even the mayor and the Municipal Party Secretary have to give face. With such a background, how could the company not thrive? If you could get in early and the company took off, you¡¯d be one of the old-timers, and that would definitely mean more opportunities later on. I¡¯m really envious of you, Michelle, you¡¯re already the department manager at Dreamfly. In the future, even being the boss of a branch office would be a breeze."


    Michelle modestly said, "I¡¯m not that capable. I just started out by following the right people."


    It was only then that everyone realized that Dreamfly Company was a prestigious name, and Michelle¡¯s position as a department manager was highly sought after. Since they were all classmates, the fact that Michelle had achieved such great development naturally made everyone envious.


    "Really? How good are the benefits at Dreamfly Corporation? My husband¡¯s salary and bonus come to more than ten thousand a month," said Sun Li, feeling uncomfortable as everyone was praising Michelle. She immediately tried to one-up her, as a combined salary and bonus of over ten thousand was certainly quite high in Mile City.


    Michelle smiled and said, "The benefits at Dreamfly are pretty good, I think I can make over ten thousand as well." Dreamfly¡¯s managers at her level could also earn over ten thousand, including salary and bonus. The most important thing was the attractive benefits for regular staff, which were the truly appealing factor. However, Michelle had already established the company¡¯s image, so the thought of engaging in a wealth contest faded away.


    Everyone knew that Sun Li¡¯s boyfriend was five or six years older than she was, which meant five or six more years of work experience. Since Michelle was just a recent graduate, to be able to earn that much meant that Dreamfly¡¯s benefits were probably better than those of Tianli Group.


    Sun Li was narrow-minded. Back in school, Michelle was well-liked, while Sun Li always believed she was not inferior to Michelle in any aspect and even better in some. However, she could never outdo Michelle, which always made her uncomfortable. She originally wanted to outshine Michelle today, but instead ended up highlighting Michelle even more, leaving her in a terrible mood. For the time being, she couldn¡¯t find a way to belittle Michelle, so she chose to say nothing more, instead wracking her brains to find areas where she might be superior.


    Her gaze shifted to Li Yifei. Sun Li¡¯s thought sparked¡ªshe might not be better than Michelle, but her boyfriend should be able to outdo Michelle¡¯s. Although Michelle¡¯s boyfriend was also a department manager, in terms of seniority and achievements, her boyfriend should be stronger.


    After waiting at the entrance for a while, a few more classmates arrived, and the bride hurried out to greet them, the star of the day, Hu Shuzhe. She appeared resplendent in her gorgeous attire and makeup, every bit the beauty, and hardly looked inferior to Michelle.


    "Isn¡¯t that Michelle? Long time no see, you¡¯ve become even prettier than before," Hu Shuzhe said as she greeted everyone and quickly took Michelle¡¯s hand.


    Michelle smiled and said, "No matter how pretty I get, I can¡¯t compare to the beauty of the bride."


    Hu Shuzhe giggled and replied, "If you were getting married, you¡¯d look even prettier. Oh, this must be your boyfriend, right? He¡¯s really handsome." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The female students chattered noisily, creating a lively buzz, when Hu Shuzhe¡¯s boyfriend also stepped out. He was not very tall, under one meter seventy, and his short stature was compounded by his plumpness. Despite wearing expensive clothes, his short legs and large stomach, coupled with a face full of acne scars, made it apparent he was mismatched with Hu Shuzhe.


    But no one really pitied Hu Shuzhe. Instead, they were quite envious. After all, this acne-scarred guy came from a family with a strong presence in Mile City, with assets worth hundreds of millions. And this guy was an only child, so the family wealth would be his in the future. Marrying into such a wealthy family was probably many girls¡¯ dreams.


    In school, girls still believed in true love, thinking that as long as there was love, any obstacle could be overcome. However, after just over a year in society, most had been assimilated by reality. Being handsome or beautiful couldn¡¯t replace material life. Without a superior material lifestyle, without luxury cars, without mansions, subsisting on love alone for a lifetime was simply unacceptable.


    Although Hu Shuzhe was very pretty, her family¡¯s financial situation was just average. During her school days, most students wore brand-name sportswear, but Hu Shuzhe always stuck with generic streetwear. Now, however, she was clad in designer fashion, with a world-famous watch on her left wrist, a gold bracelet on her right, and a string of pearls around her neck. Although she wasn¡¯t wearing a ring on her fingers, everyone could imagine that on the following day, her finger would be adorned with a diamond ring. All these luxuries made the other girls in the room extremely envious.

 Chapter 668 - 706

    Chapter 668: 706"Michelle, I¡¯m giving you a tough task here, you¡¯ll be my bridesmaid tomorrow."


    Once everyone settled into a spacious private room, Hu Shuzhe grabbed Michelle¡¯s hand and said with a smile.


    Michelle was immediately surprised and responded, "Shuzhe, are you serious?"


    Hu Shuzhe¡¯s delicate face turned stern, "What¡¯s the matter, too reluctant to do an old classmate a favor?"


    Michelle said hesitantly, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but isn¡¯t this too sudden? You didn¡¯t even give me a heads up, I¡¯m totally unprepared."


    "No worries, we¡¯ll have a rehearsal tonight for tomorrow¡¯s wedding."


    "But, I haven¡¯t even prepared any clothes."


    "That¡¯s even less of a problem, we¡¯ll go shopping right after this, nowadays, as long as you have money, is there anything you can¡¯t do?" as she said this, Hu Shuzhe felt quite proud of herself. Now a wealthy tai-tai with assets worth millions, she was no longer like the other classmates who were still striving in their careers. And though her husband was not much to look at, it didn¡¯t matter to her anymore.


    "Alright then, you really know how to keep me busy." Michelle still agreed with a smile, after all, it was a joyous occasion of a classmate¡¯s wedding ¨C she didn¡¯t have a reason not to help when asked.


    "That¡¯s great, I knew you¡¯d say yes, Michelle. But don¡¯t you dare upstage me by looking too stunning; that¡¯s my spotlight to steal."


    Michelle laughed, "No matter what I do, I couldn¡¯t possibly overshadow the bride."


    Seeing Michelle becoming Hu Shuzhe¡¯s bridesmaid, Sun Lii felt even more disgruntled, but since the bride hadn¡¯t asked her, she couldn¡¯t very well be insisting, lest she seem even less dignified.


    "Shuzhe, who did you get as your emcee?" another girl chimed in with a question.


    Hu Shuzhe quickly replied, "Who else but Mile City¡¯s most famous Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao."


    The girl said enviously, "I guessed as much, you¡¯re the kind of rich folks who could afford to hire them."


    Hu Shuzhe chuckled, "That¡¯s nothing. Tomorrow there will be an even more heavyweight guest that will surprise you all."


    "Who is this heavyweight guest?" all the girls asked eagerly.


    Hu Shuzhe winked, "I can only give you a hint; she¡¯s a big star."


    "Wow, a star as well? Male or female?"


    "Female."


    "Who is it?"


    Feeling quite pleased with herself, Hu Shuzhe teased, "Now, I can¡¯t tell you that, or where would the surprise be?"


    Li Yifei was uninterested. Big stars didn¡¯t mean much to him, given even Ning Xin¡¯er, a major star, had given birth to his child and the allure of celebrities never really mattered to him.


    Yet, when it came to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s potential attendance, Li Yifei smiled. After meeting them on the cruise, he hadn¡¯t seen them since, and now having a more-than-friendly relationship, Li Yifei already saw them as his own people.


    Thinking of them, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the several times they were together, especially in bed. These two women truly gave Li Yifei great pleasure as they did everything with the aim of pleasing him. To Li Yifei, it felt almost regal, a sensation he never quite got with Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi.


    There was some time left before dinner, and as Michelle was whisked away by Hu Shuzhe to shop for a dress, Li Yifei, not too familiar with the other classmates, accompanied them, fulfilling his duty as a good boyfriend.


    The bride would wear a wedding gown on her big day, and Michelle, the bridesmaid, was also to wear a gown, though nothing as lavish as Hu Shuzhe¡¯s bridal ensemble.


    "You and your boyfriend go try on the dress, I¡¯m going to arrange some things with my husband," Hu Shuzhe dragged Michelle into the changing room, pushing Li Yifei in after them.


    Since Michelle had brought Li Yifei, her boyfriend, it suggested a significant relationship between them. Nowadays, what couple doesn¡¯t have a physical relationship? So, helping Michelle in changing her clothes was nothing out of the ordinary for boyfriend Li Yifei.


    Before leaving, Hu Shuzhe urged them, "Hurry up, we¡¯re on a tight schedule."


    Li Yifei and Michelle stood in the changing room, eyeing each other. Although not cramped, changing into a wedding gown with practically nothing on underneath was almost like baring it all in front of each other. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "You go ahead and change, I¡¯ll turn around."


    Michelle hummed in acknowledgment, her face flushed red, but under the circumstances, she really couldn¡¯t ask Li Yifei to leave. Donning a wedding dress wasn¡¯t like slipping into an everyday outfit; without someone¡¯s assistance, it would be quite a challenge.


    Biting her lip, Michelle began to undress herself. Li Yifei stood there, hearing the rustling of her clothes, his own thoughts in disarray, even feeling the urge to turn around and sneak a peek.


    After a moment, Michelle called from behind, "Brother Li, can you help me? I can¡¯t manage it on my own."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to turn around and saw Michelle with her back to him, the wedding dress half on, the back open, with her arms folded in front, apparently unable to zip up the back.


    Li Yifei moved behind Michelle, and looking at her exposed back, he found himself breathing more rapidly. Her skin, usually so pale, had taken on a rosy hue, looking irresistibly enticing.


    "Hurry up," Michelle urged in a soft voice, "You¡¯ve seen everything there is to see on the island; what¡¯s there left to look at now?"


    Li Yifei gave a cough, genuinely embarrassed that Michelle had brought up that incident, hastily pulling up the open part of her dress and then pulling up the zipper, realizing that she likely wasn¡¯t wearing a bra underneath.


    After adjusting her dress, Michelle turned around, her face blushing, and asked, "Brother Li, do you think it looks good on me?"


    In a pristine white wedding gown with bare shoulders and a pearl necklace around her neck, Michelle looked like a fairy untouched by the mortal world, absolutely breathtaking.


    "Does it look good?" Michelle stood in front of Li Yifei, saw the enraptured look in his eyes, and felt an indescribable sweetness inside. She asked again.


    Li Yifei nodded continuously, saying, "Beautiful, truly beautiful."


    "Really?" Michelle gazed into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, her look fiery.


    "Really!" Li Yifei nodded again, for at that moment, he couldn¡¯t utter a lie.


    "How wonderful it would be if I could actually walk down the aisle with Brother Li in this wedding dress," Michelle whispered.


    Now Li Yifei was at a loss. Saying yes was not an option, but to refuse would be heartwrenching.


    Michelle placed her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, bit her lip, and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m just joking." But then, suddenly, she tiptoed up and pressed her lips to Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei had not anticipated this at all. Even though Michelle could sometimes be courageous, she was always careful about physical contact. Why the bold move all of a sudden?


    "Brother Li, let me kiss you again in this splendid gown. Even if I cannot be with you, my life will have no regrets," Michelle said as Li Yifei remained unresponsive, her lips parting slightly after a brief kiss, and she closed her eyes to whisper softly.


    Looking at Michelle¡¯s pleading gaze, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t find the words to refuse. He smiled faintly, tightened his arms around her waist, and lowered his head to kiss her on the lips.


    "Mhm!" A captivating moan escaped Michelle¡¯s lips as she clung tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her mouth slightly open.


    When they had been in danger at sea, Michelle had already stolen a secret kiss from Li Yifei underwater. At that time, facing uncertainty of life and death, she had the thought of fulfilling a last wish before dying, and the kiss carried a sense of tragic beauty. But this time, it was a genuine kiss, truly savoring the sweetness of kissing the one she loved.


    Kissing, after the initial awkwardness of the first time, becomes much easier to enjoy. This was Michelle¡¯s second kiss with Li Yifei, so it didn¡¯t feel clumsy. When you truly love someone, sharing a kiss is bliss.


    Their lips stayed locked, oblivious to time, until a knock on the door made Michelle release Li Yifei like a startled rabbit, her face as red as the evening sky. That blush wasn¡¯t just from the emotional kiss, but also from a sudden embarrassment of being caught.


    "Hey, Michelle, you¡¯re taking forever. You¡¯re not up to something in there, are you?" Hu Shuzhe¡¯s voice came from the outside.


    "No, no, I¡¯ll be ready in a moment," Michelle hurriedly responded.


    "Hurry up, we¡¯re on a tight schedule."


    "I¡¯m coming out now," Michelle replied hastily, straightening her clothes. Although Li Yifei¡¯s hands hadn¡¯t slipped inside her clothing, their tight embrace had crumpled the front somewhat.


    Li Yifei, with a smile, helped Michelle tidy her dress, but Michelle just stood still, watching Li Yifei attentively as he adjusted her gown.


    "All set, no problems. Let¡¯s go outside," said Li Yifei, after he finished fixing Michelle¡¯s dress, giving her lips a gentle peck.


    Michelle looked at Li Yifei in astonishment; while the passionate kiss had been her request, this time Li Yifei had taken the initiative. Although it was but a light kiss, it seemed to carry much more significance than the previous deep one.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "No... nothing," Michelle stammered, her face turning red. She reached out and linked her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s. At that moment, her heart was filled with sweetness. Li Yifei¡¯s light kiss had intoxicated her, and right then, she felt that Li Yifei was truly her boyfriend, without any pretense.

 Chapter 669 - 707

    Chapter 669: 707Stepping out of the fitting room, Hu Shuzhe¡¯s eyes fixed on Michelle and he couldn¡¯t help but exaggerate, "Tell me, Michelle, am I the bride or are you? No, no, you can¡¯t look this stunning."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red as she replied, "You picked this out, so you change it."


    Hu Shuzhe giggled and said, "Let¡¯s stick with this one. I¡¯ll have pride if you look more beautiful, otherwise why would I choose you as my bridesmaid?"


    At that moment, Hu Shuzhe¡¯s husband glanced at Michelle, his eyes slightly glazed over. A girl as pure and angelic as her truly captivated hearts. Although not particularly handsome, he was not a fickle man. He genuinely liked Hu Shuzhe in college, completely unaware of his family¡¯s superior financial standing, and loved her for who she was, not for his looks. Thus, he was exceedingly satisfied with Hu Shuzhe. Therefore, his gaze towards Michelle was solely because her beauty was irresistibly compelling, prompting him to take a few more glances.


    That was also why Hu Shuzhe was willing to let Michelle be her bridesmaid. If her husband were unfaithful and wealthy, she would never allow such a gorgeous girl to be her bridesmaid¡ªit would just be asking for trouble.


    "Come on, let¡¯s take some photos," Hu Shuzhe called out to Michelle.


    The photographer on the other side was already prepared. For the affluent, their service was certainly top-notch. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle and Hu Shuzhe stood in the center, with Li Yifei standing by Michelle¡¯s side.


    "Move in closer... yes, yes, boyfriends should wrap their arms around their girlfriends¡¯ waists, and girlfriends should lean their heads on their boyfriends¡¯ shoulders... perfect!" the photographer directed while continuously snapping the shutter. Having taken wedding photos for so long, girls like Michelle were rare finds. Most brides relied on makeup, but here was pure natural beauty. Girls like her, when photographed, turned out even more stunning.


    Today, Michelle¡¯s smile was especially radiant and sweet. Li Yifei¡¯s recent kiss had left her heart fluttering; all her worries tossed aside, as long as she could be with Li Yifei, nothing else mattered.


    After a round of photos, Michelle and Li Yifei went to change clothes. Michelle, with her back turned, stood in front of Li Yifei as he reached out and unzipped her zipper.


    But this time, when he unzipped it, the upper part of Michelle¡¯s wedding dress slid down her shoulders as she failed to hold it in place.


    In the mirror right in front of her, Michelle could see Li Yifei standing behind her. Gazing at Li Yifei, she became somewhat infatuated, unaware of her dress slipping down and her upper body exposed, still entranced by Li Yifei¡¯s reflection.


    What Li Yifei saw in the mirror, however, was Michelle¡¯s exposed chest, which made him cough lightly.


    Michelle¡¯s body jolted; she let out a startled "ah" and quickly raised her arms to cover her chest.


    "Li... Brother Li... why... why did you undress me..." Michelle asked both embarrassed and flustered. Kissing Li Yifei was one thing, but facing him like this was too much for her.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and explain, "I was just pulling the zipper from behind, who knew you weren¡¯t holding onto it in front, and off it slid as soon as I let go."


    Michelle knew that what Li Yifei said was true, which made her even more embarrassed. As a girl, she naturally had the instinct to push the responsibility onto her beloved and snapped, "Whatever, it¡¯s all your fault anyway."


    "Yes, it¡¯s my fault, so please put it on quickly," Li Yifei immediately said, turning his back to her.


    Behind him came the sounds of Michelle taking off and putting on clothes. After the sounds stopped, an arm stretched over his own. Michelle had already looped hers through his, and in a soft voice said, "Brother Li, you¡¯ve already seen it all before. One more look... I wouldn¡¯t mind."


    Li Yifei felt a stir in his heart and laughed, "Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier? Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to turn away and miss a great opportunity."


    Michelle gently pinched Li Yifei and complained, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so annoying."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying, "I¡¯m just kidding with you, let¡¯s go." He dared not continue like this with Michelle. Otherwise, they might both lose control. Liking someone is one thing, but now it really wasn¡¯t suitable for him to develop feelings for Michelle anymore.


    Michelle didn¡¯t say much more. She was aware that things couldn¡¯t go too far between her and Li Yifei, but being able to be with Li Yifei like this today had already filled her with contentment.


    Then Hu Shuzhe took Michelle to buy two outfits, with her husband paying for everything. Li Yifei didn¡¯t make any fuss. He didn¡¯t care about these kinds of face-saving situations at all.


    Hu Shuzhe was quite curious about Li Yifei¡¯s behavior and asked Michelle quietly, "Michelle, your boyfriend is pretty generous, huh?"


    Michelle chuckled and replied, "Why don¡¯t you say he¡¯s stingy?"


    Being stingy is definitely different from being generous. If he were stingy, he would show a bit of smugness after gaining an advantage, but he just doesn¡¯t seem to care at all, as if money means nothing to him. Is he also very wealthy?"


    Michelle let out a light laugh and said, "I don¡¯t really know." She truly didn¡¯t know whether Li Yifei had money. Based on when they first met, Li Yifei was supposed to be penniless, but now Li Yifei had married Xu Yingying, who had been a boss for a few years and was certainly wealthy, so by extension, Li Yifei should be considered wealthy now.


    Hu Shuzhe smirked and said, "Still keeping secrets from me, but I think you have good taste; this man is quite a catch."


    "But not as good as your taste, catching such a golden husband," Michelle laughed lightly, feeling genuinely proud. The goodness of Li Yifei wasn¡¯t something that could be measured by money.


    Hu Shuzhe couldn¡¯t help feeling proud and said, "Exactly, the person I choose can¡¯t be wrong."


    Michelle glanced at Li Yifei again. It wasn¡¯t just her who thought Li Yifei was a good catch; many others did too. Moreover, this guy was already taken, and not just by one person. Even if there were a line, it wouldn¡¯t be her turn. Now, she truly regretted that when Li Yifei first joined the company, if she had been more proactive, maybe Li Yifei would be her only one now.


    Unfortunately, one wrong step, and now every step was wrong. She was even considering whether she should just let go of her inhibitions and be like Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao. But reality kept her from doing so, leaving her no choice but to sigh silently, feeling quite bitter.

 Chapter 670 - 708: The Heart of Comparison

    Chapter 670: Chapter 708: The Heart of ComparisonIt was already late when they returned to the hotel, so when everyone gathered together, they were ready to start the meal. There were quite a few people, ten per table, with over ten tables occupied. It wasn¡¯t just Hu Shuzhe¡¯s high school classmates; there were also college classmates, some were her husband¡¯s classmates, and some classmates came with their other halves.


    Generally, people wouldn¡¯t rush to attend a classmate¡¯s wedding, but given the wealth of Hu Shuzhe¡¯s husband, everyone naturally had a bit of an ingratiating intention. Those who could socialize with Hu Shuzhe and her husband all wanted to come over. Today wasn¡¯t the official day, so the number of attendees wasn¡¯t considered a lot, with another large group expected to arrive tomorrow. It was quite lively when everyone got together.


    On Michelle¡¯s end, they filled up two tables with her high school classmates, where Sun Lii sat at the same table with her boyfriend Wu Lindong and Michelle.


    Beyond recalling interesting stories from their school days, what classmates loved to talk about most was how each other was doing now.


    Li Yifei and Wu Lindong, not being classmates, but rather relatives of classmates, sat together at this time, with Michelle and Sun Lii beside them.


    There were latecomers to this table, and soon someone asked Sun Lii, "Sun Lii, how have you been doing?"


    Sun Lii loved being asked this question, and immediately feigned modesty as she said, "I¡¯m doing okay, just a small public servant, earning a steady income, nothing much in terms of career advancement." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A public servant, wow, that¡¯s really impressive. Don¡¯t you know how many people are breaking their heads trying to become one? Haven¡¯t you seen how many people take the civil service exams each year?"


    "That¡¯s all a misunderstanding about public servants. We only earn so much a month, it¡¯s not even enough for my makeup expenses, let alone maintain a car. If my husband couldn¡¯t earn a bit, it would really be impossible," Sun Lii said modestly on the surface, downplaying her own work, but subtly boasting about her husband¡¯s capabilities and even mentioning her own car, unable to resist showing off.


    "Wow, you even have a car? What kind of car did you buy?"


    Sun Lii was even more modest, her smile beaming as she said, "It¡¯s nothing much, just a new model of Toyota Camry."


    "A new model? That would cost over two hundred thousand, it seems your husband is really capable."


    "It¡¯s nothing, nothing. He¡¯s just a manager at Tianli Group, with an annual salary of around two hundred thousand, nothing impressive."


    Everyone immediately looked at her with envious eyes. Sun Lii couldn¡¯t compare with Hu Shuzhe, who was considered a multimillionaire, but comparing her to the rest, she was still a cut above. After all, her own job as a public servant was enviable, besides having such a capable boyfriend.


    Sun Lii basked in everyone¡¯s envious gazes, feeling incredibly smug, and chuckled lightly, saying, "Speaking of cars, it reminds me of a funny incident. I bumped into Michelle and her boyfriend one day and witnessed her boyfriend driving a flashy Porsche 911. At that moment, I was really shocked."


    "What? Michelle, you guys are that impressive?" The newcomers immediately exclaimed in surprise. They had been introduced to Li Yifei before but didn¡¯t know what he did for a living. Now, hearing about a Porsche, which costs millions, they knew it would require tens of millions for Li Yifei to afford such a car.


    Sun Lii giggled and said, "At that time, I also thought Michelle had found herself a wealthy husband, but now I¡¯ve learned that the car belonged to their boss, not them."


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Having someone who drove a Porsche in their midst was too much pressure for them. Since that wasn¡¯t the case, they no longer felt that kind of pressure.


    Sun Lii had thought this would make Michelle uncomfortable, but Michelle showed no reaction at all, as if she didn¡¯t feel any humiliation from the conversation. This made Sun Lii feel like her punch had landed on cotton, and it was just too unexciting for her.


    At this moment, Hu Shuzhe took a phone call and promptly went outside. In the corridor, she saw Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao approaching and quickly walked up to welcome them warmly. Whether tomorrow¡¯s wedding would be unforgettable for her, depended greatly on Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. For a woman, this single most important moment in her life was not to be taken lightly.


    "The two great hosts, you¡¯ve finally arrived. We¡¯ve been waiting for you. Come on, let¡¯s go to the private room, we¡¯ve prepared a special table for you."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were different from before. Facing such multimillionaires in the past, they couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to ingratiate themselves, but ever since they had that kind of relationship with Li Yifei, they could treat such multimillionaires with normalcy. They came here today on the face of an acquaintance and not just because of wealth.


    "Please don¡¯t trouble yourselves. We¡¯ll just grab a quick bite," Li Xinyue said with a slight smile, appearing more dignified and poised. A change in mindset had seemingly lifted her and Song Lianyao¡¯s spirits to a new level.


    Hu Shuzhe and her husband, along with two others, were about to go into a private room when they happened to walk past the hall where Li Yifei and his group were seated. Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue spotted Li Yifei at a glance. In a room filled with more than a hundred people, they merely glanced around randomly and found Li Yifei. They wondered if it was some kind of telepathy, or maybe he had just been on their minds all day.


    The two of them exchanged a look and slowed down. Li Xinyue said, "They are your classmates, right?"


    Hu Shuzhe immediately responded, "Yes, they are."


    "Then let¡¯s just eat with them."


    Hu Shuzhe hurriedly said, "How could we? This place is so noisy; how can we let two grand hosts eat here?"


    Song Lianyao, smiling, said, "Since they are your classmates, they naturally know some of your stories. If we chat with them and dig up some of your past, it could make tomorrow¡¯s occasion more interesting, couldn¡¯t it?"


    Hu Shuzhe¡¯s eyes lit up, realizing the caliber of a top-notch host¡ªsomething those dedicated to wedding hosting just couldn¡¯t match. She eagerly led them into the hall.


    As soon as Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue entered, they immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. First was because of their status, and second was their attire and demeanor. The young people here were around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, having graduated from university just over a year ago, and still not having shaped their own personas through life¡¯s rough and tumble. Even the girls who tried to dress up still hadn¡¯t learned how to do so with style.


    Regardless of the brand or cost of Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue¡¯s clothes, what mattered most was how well they fit, making them look smart and sharp while also enhancing their beauty. The tight blazers they wore accentuated their busts and waists. Paired with similar short skirts, flesh-colored stockings, and black high heels, they added an alluring charm akin to that of white-collar beauties.


    In comparison to the two of them, the girls here seemed much greener, like budding flowers, whereas Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were like blooming roses, dazzling beyond description. Only Michelle could compare to their beauty.


    After entering, Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue did not head straight for Li Yifei. They needed an excuse to approach him, as someone like Li Yifei preferred to keep a low profile. Had they marched straight over to Li Yifei, he might not have appreciated it.


    They had attended a wedding of Li Yifei¡¯s university classmates before, where, apart from Michelle, there wasn¡¯t anyone else they knew. So even if Li Yifei was a classmate of the newlyweds, he certainly wasn¡¯t from their university years and was more likely a high school friend. Li Yifei sitting with Michelle suggested that he might have come just to accompany her.


    Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue were indeed clever, deducing the situation almost perfectly. To spend more time with Li Yifei, their first move had to be staying away from Li Yifei¡¯s table. Thus, Li Xinyue suggested to Hu Shuzhe, "Let¡¯s find your university classmates first."


    Hu Shuzhe immediately led the two hosts to the table of university friends, where they diligently asked about stories from their university days. Roughly ten minutes later, they requested to meet the high school friends. Hu Shuzhe¡¯s husband first took them to his high school friends, causing a bit of anxiety for the hosts, but they patiently waited before finally making it to Li Yifei¡¯s table.


    Upon the arrival of Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue, Sun Lii became very excited. Her classmates were all looking up to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao with adoration, and she had had the chance to dine with them at the same table once before.


    "Will they come to our table?" one of the girls murmured.


    A boy promptly replied, "They should, right? We¡¯re quite close to Hu Shuzhe, so of course, they should come to us."


    "If they could chat with us for a while, that truly would be exciting. Usually, we only see them on TV, but to see them in real life and even talk to them¡ªwhat a thrill!"


    At that moment, Sun Lii proudly exclaimed, "What¡¯s there to be excited about? I¡¯ve already dined with them."


    "Really? Are you close with them?" someone immediately inquired.


    Sun Lii started to embellish the story of her meal with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, and as she got excited, she began to boast, saying, "Let me tell you, they are good friends of mine. When I get married to Lindong, they¡¯ll definitely host for me too."


    And then, at long last, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao arrived at their table, to the much-awaited excitement of everyone there. Sun Lii stood up eagerly and said, "Xinyue, Lianyao, I¡¯m Sun Lii, we had a meal together last time."


    Finally able to join Li Yifei, Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue were thrilled, their faces betraying their excitement. Sun Lii, mistaking their expression as recognition of her, felt surprised but mostly smug. She seized the moment to flaunt her sense of superiority. She might not compare to Hu Shuzhe, but she was determined to outshine Michelle at least.

 Chapter 671 - 709: The Beautiful Lady’s Invitation

    Chapter 671: Chapter 709: The Beautiful Lady¡¯s InvitationLi Xinyue and Song Lianyao were just about to greet Li Yifei when a woman suddenly interrupted them, and neither of them had any impression of her. With their frequent social engagements throughout the year, aside from some prominent figures, they didn¡¯t usually remember the ones who tagged along. Sunx Lii was just a minor public servant, who they especially didn¡¯t recall.


    However, as hosts, even when meeting fans, they wouldn¡¯t put on airs. Since Sunx Lii had introduced herself and mentioned having dined together before, out of politeness, they naturally couldn¡¯t ignore her. They promptly greeted her politely, with Li Xinyue saying, "Oh, it¡¯s you! What a coincidence to see you here again."


    Sunx Lii was truly afraid that they wouldn¡¯t remember her, but now that both seemed to recognize her, she felt even more delighted. Glancing over the others at the table, she said to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, "Come on, sit here."


    As she spoke, Sunx Lii helped Wu Lindong to his feet, signaling for the server to add chairs on her side. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you!" Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao expressed their thanks, grateful for Sunx Lii¡¯s thoughtfulness. They promptly took their seats without hesitation, with Li Xinyue sitting next to Li Yifei and smilingly saying, "Brother Li, Michelle, what are you doing here? I didn¡¯t see you just now; that was so rude of me."


    At this point, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao could finally greet the two openly and properly.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, it¡¯s quite a coincidence. I saw you were busy and didn¡¯t greet you."


    Song Lianyao leaned in, puckering her lips, and said, "Brother Li, you are really too distant. After all, we are the image ambassadors for your Dreamfly Company, and we usually get along well. By acting this way, aren¡¯t you treating us like we¡¯re not friends?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "How dare I not treat you two prominent hosts as friends? It¡¯s precisely because we are friends that I didn¡¯t want to disturb you while you were busy."


    The others at the table were staring at Li Yifei and Michelle like they were aliens, especially focused on Li Yifei. Although he was also a manager, the manager of a department in a company does not, strictly speaking, rank higher than the hosts in terms of social standing. The hosts¡¯ acquaintances were either corporate magnates or high-ranking government officials.


    Moreover, judging by Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s demeanor, they clearly seemed to be courting Li Yifei¡¯s favor, and he accepted it with equanimity, seemingly unconcerned by their celebrity status.


    The most embarrassed person here was Sunx Lii. She had hoped to show off her acquaintance with the hosts again, but it turned out that Michelle had a better relationship with them without making any fuss about it. The most infuriating part was that she had given up her seat for the two hosts, leaving nowhere for her and Wu Lindong to sit. Although chairs could be added, she felt incredibly embarrassed. Her complexion turned from green to white, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.


    Hu Shuzhe noticed Sunx Lii¡¯s embarrassment and quickly guided her to a table of high school classmates, arranging two additional seats for her and Wu Lindong.


    After chatting briefly, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao knew they couldn¡¯t talk too much with Li Yifei at this point and instead inquired about Hu Shuzhe¡¯s high school days, obviously focusing on Michelle. This also allowed them to glance at Li Yifei when looking at Michelle.


    Li Yifei was quite at ease, letting them chat while he focused on his meal; however, a small hand stealthily reached out under the table and rested on his leg.


    Li Yifei knew it was Li Xinyue¡¯s. Not often getting the chance to see him, the girl simply couldn¡¯t sit still, and he didn¡¯t push her hand away¡ªthat would have been too unkind.


    But that was the extent of their discreet interactions in such a public setting. Anything more pronounced would have been too noticeable, especially since Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were drawing much attention at the gathering.


    Having asked their questions, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao also took the opportunity to have a quick bite at the table before leaving since they had a lot to do that day, including crucial rehearsal preparations.


    At that moment, everyone began to bombard Li Yifei and Michelle with questions about how they became friends with the two hosts.


    The explanation was simple enough: Li Yifei explained that through work, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were involved in some company activities and as the security manager, he had several dealings with them, which led to their friendship.


    Even so, the story was enough to make others envious, as they longed for such an opportunity themselves.


    Li Yifei had expected many activities that evening, but Michelle was quickly taken away for rehearsal. As a bridesmaid, she had her own share of duties.


    So Li Yifei found himself left alone. He considered going home, but Michelle¡¯s male classmates insisted on taking him to play mahjong.


    Li Yifei tried to decline, but they wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer, saying that it would be disrespectful to Michelle if they didn¡¯t take good care of him in her absence. Thinking Michelle might be upset if she returned and didn¡¯t see him, he agreed to stay.


    This time playing mahjong, there weren¡¯t so many twists and turns; everyone was just playing for fun, and the stakes were low. Li Yifei was just casually playing along to pass the time, not minding losing a bit of money.


    After eight, Michelle returned and was genuinely delighted to see that Li Yifei was still there; she had thought he would have left by then.


    However, Michelle was dragged away by some girls, preventing her from staying by Li Yifei¡¯s side. Although it wasn¡¯t perfect, having Li Yifei play the role of her boyfriend for the day was enough to leave Michelle feeling quite satisfied.


    While playing, Li Yifei¡¯s phone received a text message. He casually opened it and his heart immediately gave a jolt, "Brother Li, we¡¯re in room 602, we have something to talk to you about."


    The message was very subtle, stating ¡¯we¡¯ instead of ¡¯I¡¯ in spite of providing a room number, suggesting that even if Li Yifei¡¯s wife, Xu Yingying, saw the message, she probably wouldn¡¯t think too much of it.


    Li Yifei knew the message was sent by Li Xinyue, and that they were waiting for him in there, wanting to do something he was fully aware of. So he said to Michelle, who was chatting with some girls, "Michelle, I¡¯ve got something to do and need to step out for a bit. Can you play for me for a while?"


    Michelle hurried over and said, "Then you go ahead."


    Li Yifei nodded, smiled, and said, "My luck isn¡¯t great. Whether we can win it back is all up to you now."


    "No problem." Michelle flashed him another sweet smile. Li Yifei said he had something to do but asked her to cover for him only for a while; that meant he would come back soon, which was a thought that made her very happy.


    Li Yifei went out and soon arrived at room 602. As soon as he knocked, the door opened. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were both standing at the doorway, dressed in formal attire. After glancing outside and seeing only Li Yifei, they quickly pulled him in, closed the door, and locked it.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Why do I feel like I¡¯ve entered a den of wolves? Locking the door as soon as I step in, what kind of mischief are you two planning on me?"


    Song Lianyao instantly hugged Li Yifei, looked up at him with a charming squint, and said, "You guessed right, we do want to be naughty. We¡¯re going to ¡¯eat¡¯ you up, clean you out completely."


    Li Yifei pinched Song Lianyao¡¯s face and said, "That fierce? Are you two female demons or something?"


    From behind, Li Xinyue hugged Li Yifei and said, "Yes, that fierce. After all, once you enter our Cave of Silken Web, we won¡¯t let you go until we¡¯ve drained you dry today."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright then, today I¡¯ll battle it out with you two for three hundred rounds, and we¡¯ll see who wins and who loses."


    The two of them were overjoyed at his words, and they huddled around Li Yifei, tumbling onto the bed...


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were simply irresistible in bed, and they did everything they could to please Li Yifei. Whatever made Li Yifei comfortable, they did just that, satisfying him immensely both physically and emotionally. However, it required a lot from him, so much that in just an hour, Li Yifei had already climaxed four times with them.


    Four times might not sound like a lot, but for a man, doing so four times in an hour is a tremendous test of stamina. This was only possible for Li Yifei; any average man would be overwhelmed after just two times. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao made the entire experience immensely enjoyable, with each climax even more exciting than two usual ones combined.


    Although Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were reluctant to let Li Yifei go, they also had to get up early the next morning. Moreover, they truly felt pity for him at that point; if they really wore Li Yifei out, their guilt would be overwhelming.


    They helped Li Yifei get dressed, smoothed out any creases in his clothes, and even popped a piece of chewing gum in his mouth. Yet, they still expressed their concern, "Brother Li, we didn¡¯t expect you to come over so quickly, and we haven¡¯t showered, so there¡¯s still the scent of perfume on us. Is it okay to go back like this?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not going home tonight; I¡¯ll stay in the hotel."


    "With Michelle?" Both of them looked at Li Yifei with a peculiar expression.


    Li Yifei pinched both their faces and said, "Don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯m just pretending to be her boyfriend; I¡¯m not actually staying with her."


    Hearing Li Yifei even explain himself, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were thrilled beyond words. Since Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried about smelling of women¡¯s fragrance, they both kissed him goodbye and let him leave reluctantly.

 Chapter 672 - 710: Michelle’s Dilemma

    Chapter 672: Chapter 710: Michelle¡¯s DilemmaWhen Li Yifei came back again, Michelle was still playing mahjong with everyone. Seeing him return, her previously listless face instantly brightened. Li Yifei pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, saying, "How¡¯s it going?"


    "Not good at all, I¡¯ve lost quite a bit again." Michelle pouted cutely, taking the rare opportunity to act coquettishly with Li Yifei, and now she did so very naturally.


    A boy sitting opposite immediately laughed and said, "I tell you, Yifei, Michelle was distracted the whole time you were gone for over an hour. How could she not lose? She really cares about you too much. You didn¡¯t go out to meet a lover, did you?"


    Although that was a joke, it actually hit the mark. Li Yifei just laughed and said, "With a girlfriend like Michelle, why would I look for a lover? That would be foolish."


    Michelle, hearing this, was even happier and said cheerfully, "Then play for a bit."


    "No need, you play. I¡¯ll just watch."


    Michelle felt this was even better because she wouldn¡¯t have to be dragged away by her female classmates and could stay with Li Yifei.


    Thanks to Li Yifei¡¯s return, not only did Michelle¡¯s spirits improve, but her luck in the game did too. Following five consecutive victories, it took a lot of effort for her opponent to win a round and end her streak. However, she continued to win repeatedly and in less than an hour, Michelle had not only won back what she lost but also made a slight profit.


    The stakes weren¡¯t high; even when they lost the most, Li Yifei and Michelle together were only down a few hundred yuan, and now they had won just over a hundred. This amount of money was insignificant to Michelle, but she was genuinely very happy.


    During this time, everyone naturally teased Michelle a bit, but she took it in good stride. The more others joked about her and Li Yifei, the happier she became.


    It was getting late, and many of the classmates had tasks for the next day, so it was time to disperse and head to the rooms Hu Shuzhe had prepared.


    As they were going upstairs, Michelle¡¯s face turned red and she whispered to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, we only have one room card."


    "One card... are you saying we have to share a room?" Li Yifei was also somewhat caught between laughter and tears at this point.


    Embarrassed, Michelle said, "They... thought we were... so it was arranged this way, and I didn¡¯t know how to explain."


    "Then let¡¯s share a room. We¡¯ve stayed together before, after all," Li Yifei was quite straightforward about it.


    Michelle blushed even more at his reply, but inside, she felt an indescribable joy. Finding their room, she opened the door and walked in with Li Yifei.


    The hotel was five-star, and Hu Shuzhe had taken very good care of his classmates; the room was pretty impressive. It had a suite inside and a small living room outside, while the spacious bedroom contained only one bed, and the external sofas were all single-seaters.


    Looking around the room, Michelle felt like her heart was pounding chaotically. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn¡¯t say what she wanted to, so she threw the issue to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Li, I¡¯ll take a shower first," then slipped into the bathroom.


    Li Yifei settled on a sofa and casually turned on the TV, then dialed Xu Yingying¡¯s number. Yingying hadn¡¯t gone to bed yet and quickly picked up the phone, "Remembered to call me, huh?"


    Li Yifei smiled, "I was playing mahjong with them, so I couldn¡¯t call you. Now that I¡¯m back and getting ready to sleep, I¡¯m calling you."


    "Oh, going to sleep? All alone?"


    "No, with Michelle."


    "Ah, just the two of you?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice conveyed an indescribable mix of anger and disappointment.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let her sleep in the bedroom later, and I¡¯ll make do on the sofa for the night."


    "That¡¯s more like it, but won¡¯t it be very tiring?"


    "No problem, it¡¯s just for one night."


    "Hmm, then just suffer for one night, when you come back, I¡¯ll treat you." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How will you treat me?" Li Yifei asked with a chuckle.


    "I won¡¯t tell you, I¡¯ll let you know when you¡¯re back." The sound of Xu Yingying yawning came through the phone, "Alright, I won¡¯t talk anymore, I was about to fall asleep just now, and you woke me up, I need to go to sleep."


    "Wife, goodnight."


    "Husband, goodnight!"


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei¡¯s face still wore a smile, it seemed like not coming home tonight and asking Xu Yingying for time off had become a routine; the two of them were truly developing more and more of a husband and wife vibe.


    After a little while, Michelle came out of the bathroom, wearing a set of cotton floral-print pajamas. Knowing that she was going to stay for the night, she had brought this set of pajamas in her bag.


    Her usually fair and tender face was now flushed with red from having just taken a bath, and she said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m going to sleep first, you go take a bath."


    Li Yifei replied with an acknowledgment and entered the bathroom where the air was still filled with moisture and a light fragrance. It was the residual scent left from Michelle¡¯s shower, a mixture of her own body fragrance and the aroma of the bath gel.


    Soaking in the bathtub that Michelle had just used, Li Yifei stretched out his body. He had really tired himself out at Li Xinyue¡¯s place just before, and now bathing in the hot water was quite comfortable, easing his fatigue.


    Michelle, however, was lying in bed with no trace of sleepiness, her mind cluttered with all sorts of chaotic thoughts.


    "Brother Li must be soaking in the bathtub by now, I just used it before him. Sharing a bathtub like this, it¡¯s so embarrassing."


    "What if Brother Li comes straight in after his bath? If he sleeps in the same bed as me... what should I do? Will he want to... you know, do that sort of thing? If he wants to, should I... agree or not?"


    At this moment, Michelle was deeply conflicted. She loved Li Yifei; if he hadn¡¯t been married, she wouldn¡¯t have felt so torn. If it had only been about his marriage, Michelle wouldn¡¯t have felt this way either, as she would not want to disrupt Li Yifei¡¯s marriage. But considering there were also Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi, she felt that even if something did happen between her and Li Yifei, it probably wouldn¡¯t count as destroying his marriage.


    Tossing and turning in bed for quite a while, she heard footsteps from the other room. Michelle¡¯s heart leapt to her throat. She rolled to the side, turning her back towards the direction of the door, pretending to be asleep. She didn¡¯t know how to solve this problem, so she decided to let Li Yifei make the decision. Whatever he decided, she would comply.


    But after a while, Li Yifei didn¡¯t come in, which puzzled Michelle. Could it be that Li Yifei hadn¡¯t finished bathing?


    Waiting a bit longer, the room grew quieter, and she could hear what seemed to be Li Yifei¡¯s breathing from the other room. He must have stayed outside the whole time, never coming in.


    "Li... Brother Li, aren¡¯t you going to sleep?" Michelle finally couldn¡¯t bear the torment in her heart and asked softly.


    "Yeah, I¡¯ll sleep. I¡¯m on the sofa outside," Li Yifei replied.


    All of a sudden, Michelle felt a surge of sadness, unsure of why, but she just felt very uncomfortable, even heartbroken. This heartbreak impulsively made her say, "Brother Li, come in and sleep."


    And with those words spoken, Michelle herself was startled. What was she thinking, saying something like that? But it was too late, the words were out, and she couldn¡¯t take them back.

 Chapter 673 - 711 Husband and Wife

    Chapter 673: Chapter 711 Husband and Wife"The sofa outside is pretty comfortable; I¡¯ll just sleep out there tonight," Li Yifei responded from outside.


    Michelle regretted her words the moment she said them, but upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s reply, she didn¡¯t know what was going through her mind. She got out of bed at once, went to the living area of the suite, grabbed hold of Li Yifei¡¯s arm, and said, "Brother Li, the sofa can¡¯t compare to the comfort of a bed, come on, come sleep on the bed with me."


    There were no lights on in the room, but the lights from outside still allowed Li Yifei to see Michelle. He really hadn¡¯t expected Michelle to boldly make such a request. He didn¡¯t stand up but instead gently patted the back of Michelle¡¯s hand and softly said, "Little Snow, Brother Li can¡¯t do you wrong, be good and go back to sleep."


    Michelle stamped her foot hard in frustration, her face reddening as she said, "Brother Li, what are you thinking? I asked you to sleep on the bed, not to... do anything. I just want you to sleep more comfortably. We slept together on that island, right? And at that time... we weren¡¯t even wearing anything."


    Facing Michelle¡¯s gaze, which was bright yet tearful and tinged with shyness, Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Little Snow, I know you don¡¯t have that intention, but just think about it. With a beauty like you sleeping beside Brother Li, it won¡¯t be easy for me to keep control."


    This actually made Michelle happy. So, she had such a strong attraction to Li Yifei; it was just that he had always been restraining himself. In a better mood and feeling mischievous, she tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "I believe Brother Li has self-control. That day, neither of us was wearing anything, and you didn¡¯t do anything to me. If you wanted to do something, there were plenty of chances already. I trust you completely. Hurry up. If you don¡¯t come to bed, I¡¯ll have to sleep on the sofa with you."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll sleep on the bed then," Li Yifei conceded, knowing that Michelle wouldn¡¯t let it go tonight, and he also believed that Michelle, despite being bold, wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to do that kind of thing. As for himself, Li Yifei was confident. If he lacked even this much self-control, he would¡¯ve fallen for the Beauty Trick countless times before.


    Once in bed, Michelle pulled the only blanket over them, each covering half. In reality, she knew there was another blanket in the closet, but she just didn¡¯t want to get it.


    "Brother Li, isn¡¯t it much more comfortable on the bed?" Michelle now turned on her side, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Of course, it¡¯s much more comfortable. Hehe, let¡¯s sleep."


    Michelle pursed her lips, then softly asked, "Can you hold me as we sleep?" Not waiting for Li Yifei to reply, Michelle hurriedly added, "I¡¯m really not trying to tempt you. I just... just... just want to sleep in your arms for one night."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear to turn down Michelle¡¯s hopeful look, so he reached out his arm under her neck and, with a smooth motion, drew her into his embrace.


    He could feel the stiffness of Michelle¡¯s body. It was so unlike her usual demeanor to say such things tonight. Now, in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, she seemed to return to her true self.


    Li Yifei gently patted Michelle¡¯s back twice and softly said, "Now sleep well."


    Michelle murmured in agreement, her body gradually relaxing. She then adjusted her position, resting one hand on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, and slowly closed her eyes.


    Michelle really hadn¡¯t intended to do anything with Li Yifei. Being held by him filled her heart with an indescribable sweetness. The memory of lying on top of him in the cave was something she couldn¡¯t easily forget. But back then, they were both very cold. Initially, it was to warm up Li Yifei. Although her feelings were stirred later on, with Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan nearby, she didn¡¯t dare move an inch. That feeling was less like pleasure and more like torment.


    But now, it was entirely different. It felt truly enjoyable to be in Li Yifei¡¯s warm embrace, and without letting her thoughts wander, she quickly fell asleep.


    Li Yifei felt relieved when he sensed that Michelle was truly asleep. Thankfully, Michelle hadn¡¯t really wanted to do anything, as it would¡¯ve been hard to sort out otherwise. Moreover, even if he were to do something with Michelle, today wouldn¡¯t have been the right time. He was already exhausted from dealing with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao; if he tried to engage in that sort of activity with Michelle, he might just end up too tired to perform, which would have been even more embarrassing.


    At four in the morning, Michelle¡¯s phone rang. She was a bridesmaid today, and there were duties to attend to, so she had to wake up early. It was Hu Shuzhe specially calling her.


    Woken by the ringtone, Michelle groped for the phone and only realized she was in Li Yifei¡¯s arms after picking it up. Her face immediately flushed, and Li Yifei had also woken up and was looking at her.


    "Go ahead and answer it," Li Yifei urged, rubbing her hair.


    Michelle answered the call, spoke a few words, then hung up. She then turned to Li Yifei, her cheeks still red, and said, "Brother Li, I need to get up now. I still have to do my hair and makeup with Shuzhe."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go with you. Otherwise, it won¡¯t seem like I¡¯m your boyfriend."


    "Great," Michelle replied, beaming with joy.


    They quickly got out of bed. Michelle entered the bathroom, and Li Yifei, as if possessed, followed her in. He just happened to see Michelle sitting on the toilet; he didn¡¯t seem to mind and went over to grab the tooth mug to start brushing his teeth.


    Michelle was in the middle of her business when, out of the blue, she saw Li Yifei enter, and he even casually proceeded to brush his teeth?


    Li Yifei put the toothbrush in his mouth, suddenly turned his head to look at Michelle, and upon seeing her dumbfounded expression, a line of frustration creased his forehead as he said, "Michelle, I am truly sorry, I thought I was at home and mistook you for Yingying."


    Only then did Michelle realize what was happening, quickly she stood up and with a whoosh pulled up her pants, scolding, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "I didn¡¯t see anything."


    "Hmph, liar, but you¡¯ve seen everything anyway, what¡¯s one more glance? Make some space, I need to brush my teeth too."


    Li Yifei moved over slightly, and Michelle squeezed past him so that they were both brushing their teeth at the sink together.


    Brushing teeth together would normally be a trivial matter, but for Michelle, it felt incredibly sweet. It gave her the wonderful sensation of sharing a domestic life with Li Yifei, which, even for a married couple, would just mean washing up together in the morning.


    After finishing their business, Michelle planned to apply a bit of makeup, which is a morning ritual for every girl, but Li Yifei was anxious and said, "Michelle, can you step out for a moment? I need to use the bathroom."


    Michelle chuckled lightly and said, "I won¡¯t. Who let you barge in when I was using it? Just do your thing, I won¡¯t peek. Besides, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it before, no big deal."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "You know, Little Snow, you¡¯ve started to pick up bad habits, becoming cheekier by the day."


    "I think it¡¯s quite nice. If I had been like this before, you would already be my husband."


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat inwardly, as that was a difficult comment to respond to.


    "Hehe, just kidding with you. I have no plans to snatch you up to be my husband. Hurry up, someone¡¯s lifetime happiness shouldn¡¯t be delayed on our account." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes once more. Indeed, Michelle had seen it all, so what was the big deal if she saw it again? But to pee standing up in front of Michelle was really embarrassing, he feared he wouldn¡¯t be able to go easily, so he just pulled down his pants and sat down on the toilet.


    "Ah! Brother Li, you¡¯re not doing a number two, are you? That would stink up the place." Michelle immediately exclaimed.


    "No." At that moment, Li Yifei felt somewhat embarrassed.


    "You really scared me." Michelle patted her chest, then burst into laughter, saying, "Brother Li, don¡¯t men usually stand when they urinate? Why are you sitting down, you look like a woman."


    Michelle¡¯s words made Li Yifei wish he could vanish into thin air, he replied irritably, "How can I do it standing up when you are here?"


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassed look, Michelle found it even more amusing. Usually, it was her who felt this way in front of Li Yifei. Today it was his turn, and she found it too funny. She boldly winked and said, "What¡¯s the big deal, I haven¡¯t not seen it before."


    "Little Snow, you really are getting naughtier," Li Yifei glared at Michelle.


    "Not really, hey, why is there no sound?" Michelle asked, smiling gleefully.


    Li Yifei, feeling extremely annoyed, raised his hand and slapped Michelle¡¯s butt, saying, "How can I do it naturally with you here? Go ahead and do your makeup, or I won¡¯t be responsible if we¡¯re late later on."


    Michelle let out a yelp, covered her butt with one hand, then giggled and said, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you." She then turned around to continue with her makeup.


    But she kept sneaking peeks at Li Yifei through the mirror, her ears practically pricked up for any sound from his direction. The spot on her butt where Li Yifei had slapped her was now feeling warm, an unusual sensation that made her almost wish he would slap her again.


    Finally, she heard the sound of water from Li Yifei¡¯s side, and Michelle burst into loud laughter once again, which made Li Yifei quite vexed. He felt that the image he had always maintained in front of Michelle had crumbled in that moment.

 Chapter 674 - 712: Ning Xin’er Arrives

    Chapter 674: Chapter 712: Ning Xin¡¯er Arrives"You¡¯re really slow, don¡¯t tell me you two were up to that kind of thing early in the morning?"


    After running into Hu Shuzhe downstairs, Hu Shuzhe glanced at Li Yifei and then teased Michelle in a low voice.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she said indignantly, "It¡¯s a big, happy day, how dare I mess around and waste your time?"


    Hu Shuzhe chuckled, "Come on, no need to pretend, just look at you, all rosy-cheeked, obviously after getting all emotional and up to no good."


    Michelle was even more embarrassed and said with irritation, "Have you learned how to read faces now?"


    "That¡¯s right, I might not be clear about other things, but this kind of thing I can always see clearly."


    "Get lost."


    After bantering for a bit, Michelle, though embarrassed, actually enjoyed such teasing, letting others misunderstand her relationship with Li Yifei seemed to have become a kind of pleasure.


    Li Yifei accompanied them for make-up, hair styling, and finally all the rituals like fetching the bride, bustling about until eight o¡¯clock before they finally arrived at the wedding hall.


    Li Yifei found these matters really troublesome, but it seemed that weddings were just like that. He and Xu Yingying were now legally husband and wife, but they had not held a wedding ceremony yet, and it was something that had to be done sooner or later, or Xu Yingying¡¯s parents would not be happy. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the wedding, Li Yifei had nothing to do and watched Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao hosting on stage, while the couple, flanked by the bridesmaids and groomsmen, looked blissfully happy, which was quite interesting.


    "Dear families and friends, today, to celebrate the couple stepping into the hall of matrimony, the host has specially invited a famous celebrity to bless the newlyweds, and now let¡¯s welcome this star to convey their blessing to our couple."


    As Li Xinyue finished speaking, the lights on the stage suddenly dimmed, and then music began to play.


    Hu Shuzhe had mentioned yesterday that there would be a celebrity appearance, and the classmates had been looking forward to it all this time. They were finally about to see who it was, each of them stretching their necks in excitement to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.


    "I know who it is, it must be Ning Xin¡¯er, this song is sung by her," a girl suddenly exclaimed.


    "Yes, yes, it must be her, I know too."


    As the intro music started, many people began to shout, all thrilled beyond measure. Although Ning Xin¡¯er was not a top-tier mega-star, her popularity was always high, and every one of her songs was popular. However, she seldom participated in events and never engaged in any publicity stunts, so her fame was a bit less, but her loyal fanbase was nonetheless significant.


    Upon hearing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s name, Li Yifei was also greatly surprised. It wasn¡¯t strange for Ning Xin¡¯er to be here, but what was odd was that she had come without seeking him out first or visiting her daughter, and that was a bit curious.


    Then, Ning Xin¡¯er, dressed in a plain long gown and with a voice like that of an angel, walked onto the stage, a touching love song echoing through the hotel¡¯s hall.


    Initially, upon learning that Ning Xin¡¯er was the celebrity guest, the hall was buzzing with commotion, but as Ning Xin¡¯er started to sing, the hall quieted down as everyone immersed themselves in the heavenly voice, no one daring to make a sound that might disrupt the wonderful melody.


    After the song ended, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao approached her, and Li Xinyue said, "On behalf of the newlyweds, I thank you, Ning Xin¡¯er, for being here. Please say a few words of blessing to the couple."


    Ning Xin¡¯er walked up to the couple, smiled, and said a few words of blessing, while Michelle stood next to Hu Shuzhe, immediately recognizing Ning Xin¡¯er with just a nod of her head and without speaking.


    Next, Ning Xin¡¯er sang a second song for the newlyweds that really got the atmosphere pumping.


    "I¡¯m so envious, Hu Shuzhe is so lucky. To have a big star like Ning Xin¡¯er performing at his wedding."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s harder to get Ning Xin¡¯er than those top-tier celebrities. We¡¯ve barely heard anything about her recently, and yet she¡¯s here."


    "I¡¯ve got to get Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s autograph later. I¡¯m a die-hard fan of hers."


    Listening to these comments, Li Yifei silently shook his head. No one was paying attention to him, so he headed straight back to the room he shared with Michelle. It wasn¡¯t noon yet, and they hadn¡¯t checked out, so he sent Ning Xin¡¯er a text with his room number.


    More than twenty minutes later, a knock on the door sounded. Li Yifei opened the door to see Ning Xin¡¯er. He stepped aside to let her in and then locked the door behind them.


    "Why lock the door? Planning on doing something naughty?" Ning Xin¡¯er sat down on the sofa with crossed legs and teased Li Yifei with a smile. She looked quite different from the pure and innocent image she portrayed earlier.


    Li Yifei took a seat opposite Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "You¡¯re here, why didn¡¯t you call me first?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and replied, "I wanted to, but I was afraid your wife wouldn¡¯t like it."


    "Seeing your daughter is a perfectly normal thing. Yingying won¡¯t mind."


    "Seeing my daughter is normal, of course, but it seems like your wife is more afraid of me seeing you. Now you even dare to invite me alone into a room. If your wife finds out, you¡¯re going to be in trouble."


    Li Yifei knew Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s personality very well. She used to be wild, and although she had toned down recently, old habits die hard. Plus, they shared a daughter, and in front of Ning Xin¡¯er, Li Yifei always felt he couldn¡¯t assert himself.


    With no choice, Li Yifei changed the subject, "Let¡¯s not talk about this. It¡¯s been a while since there¡¯s been any news about you. How have you been?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er blinked and responded, "Is that concern I hear?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it and said, "Of course I care about you. No matter what, you are Little Yifei¡¯s mother."


    "Hmm, it¡¯s only because of my daughter that I get any attention." Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, dissatisfied.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "I¡¯ll take you to see your daughter in a bit."


    This time, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t pick a fight with Li Yifei and quickly said, "Okay, let¡¯s go now."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t rush. There are still some things I need to talk to you about."


    "Go on, what is it?" Ning Xin¡¯er sat back down, frowning at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei organized his thoughts and slowly started, "Your daughter has adapted well to living with me. She calls me Dad and Yingying Mom. I think... when you see her later, you should continue to be her godmother. What do you think?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened in anger as she exclaimed, "How can that be? I¡¯m the real mother of Yifei. Your wife is at most her stepmother. How can I, the real mother, become the godmother, and she, the stepmother, become the real mother? You can¡¯t let our daughter be unaware of the truth. She needs to know who her real mother is."

 Chapter 675 - 713 Ning Xin’er’s True Nature

    Chapter 675: Chapter 713 Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s True NatureLi Yifei spoke gently, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I know this isn¡¯t reasonable, and it¡¯s quite unfair to you, but I¡¯m doing this for my daughter¡¯s sake. Think about it, she¡¯s still young and doesn¡¯t understand all these things. She should be enjoying happiness and growing up happy. If we adults have to make her understand everything, it will surely trouble her and perhaps keep her from being happy."


    Ning Xin¡¯er knew that Li Yifei made sense. With a huff, she kicked him and said, "You bastard, if you were with me, wouldn¡¯t our daughter be with both her real parents?"


    Li Yifei used to be afraid of Ning Xin¡¯er and now felt extremely guilty toward her. His tone was still soft as he said, "Xin¡¯er, if you had told me earlier that you were carrying my child, I would have been raising our daughter with you by now. But by the time you told me about the child, I was already married to Yingying, and I simply couldn¡¯t abandon her. Moreover, Yunzhu is also pregnant with my child. If I were with you, and Yunzhu demanded the same, what would I do?"


    Suddenly, Ning Xin¡¯er threw herself onto Li Yifei, pinching and twisting him, and cursed, "You son of a bitch, who made you such a philanderer, attracting one woman after another?"


    Li Yifei let Ning Xin¡¯er have her way with him, not tensing his muscles completely, as that would only make her angrier. It was better to let her vent now rather than to confront her.


    After she had vented for a while and saw that Li Yifei was enduring it, Ning Xin¡¯er stopped, snorted, and said, "You bastard, if I bullied you like this in the past, you would¡¯ve run away long ago. Why aren¡¯t you running now?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "The monk can run away, but the temple can¡¯t."


    "Hmph!" Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, then stood up. When she had pounced on him earlier, she had unwittingly sat on his lap. Now that she wasn¡¯t bullying Li Yifei, she felt embarrassed to be sitting there.


    The two of them were strange that way. They already had a daughter together, but when Ning Xin¡¯er was with Li Yifei, it was normal for her to throw temper tantrums, yet she became embarrassed when she got closer to him.


    "So what do you think, do you agree with what I said?" Li Yifei asked cautiously again.


    Ning Xin¡¯er tossed her head, "I don¡¯t agree."


    "Xin¡¯er, I really am doing this for the child¡¯s good, with no other intentions. When she¡¯s a bit older and can understand things, I¡¯ll tell her about it. She¡¯ll be able to understand then."


    "Pah, do you think your daughter will understand? You abandon her real mother and let another woman be her mom. She¡¯ll hate you if she doesn¡¯t."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, "If she¡¯s like you, then she¡¯ll definitely hate me. But if she¡¯s like me, she might understand."


    "Ah! You bastard, are you saying I¡¯m unreasonable?" Ning Xin¡¯er got angry again and pounced on him to continue her assault.


    This time, Li Yifei immediately wrapped his arms around Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s waist. Her body stiffened and she stammered, "What... what are you doing?"


    Li Yifei felt amused, but he didn¡¯t dare to make any further moves, "Xin¡¯er, let¡¯s deal with this matter slowly. After all, I am my daughter¡¯s biological father, and my goal is to make her happy. Aren¡¯t you her mom and don¡¯t you want the same?" he said. "As for how exactly to handle this, let¡¯s talk it over gradually."


    "Hmph, the best thing would be for us to raise our daughter together, but you just won¡¯t agree," Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, though her aura wasn¡¯t as strong as before.


    "Alright then, let¡¯s think this over slowly. You wanted to see our daughter, right? Today happens to be her day off; let¡¯s go together."


    "Right now? Aren¡¯t you attending the wedding?"


    "I came to accompany Michelle. She¡¯s been busy as a bridesmaid and doesn¡¯t need me, so it¡¯s fine if I leave now."


    "You¡¯re with her? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve gotten back together with her?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hands instantly pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arms. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "No, no, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just pretending; we¡¯re innocent and definitely much cleaner than when I¡¯m with you."


    "You..." Ning Xin¡¯er spit at Li Yifei and said, "Let¡¯s wait then. I came here today to repay a favor. I promised to sing a couple of songs during the meal. And just so you know, this is the last time I¡¯m being a star. After this, I¡¯m settling down here."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, prompting Ning Xin¡¯er to immediately snap, "What¡¯s with that face, do you really dislike me?


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Not at all, how could I possibly dislike you?" But internally, he felt so troubled. If Ning Xin¡¯er settled in Mile City, from then on, he probably wouldn¡¯t have any peace. He feared his good days were numbered.


    "Hmph, insincere words. Let me tell you, if you make me happy, I¡¯ll cause you less trouble. But if you make me unhappy, I won¡¯t let you be happy either," Ning Xin¡¯er said, sporting an indescribable look of triumph on her face.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had always been a headache for Li Yifei whenever he saw her, and now that she had given him a daughter, it was as if she had obtained an imperial sword. In the past, Li Yifei could still manage her to some extent, the worst case being walking away and ignoring her, but now he couldn¡¯t even do that.


    "Remember not to leave, okay? Wait for me to finish singing, then we¡¯ll leave together. By the way, did I sing well?"


    This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to feign any false praise and nodded, saying, "You sang well, indeed very well. I really had no idea that you possessed such a wonderful voice, I had not noticed it before."


    Li Yifei¡¯s compliment made Ning Xin¡¯er quite happy. She said, "Hmm, you¡¯ve missed a lot of things like that. You never praised me before, and now, finally, you do. It really wasn¡¯t easy to get a compliment out of you."


    Li Yifei was different from his former self; when he first met Ning Xin¡¯er, he was still a greenhorn, clueless about how to flatter a girl, and his heart was filled only with Ye Yunzhu. No matter how great Ning Xin¡¯er was, he had no thoughts of her, and when he met her again, he was already beleaguered by the child¡¯s matters, and had even less mood to cajole her. Now, realizing that this method was truly effective, he naturally wanted to make the most of it; it could at least mollify Ning Xin¡¯er, and at the very least, make her concede something for the child¡¯s sake.


    Suddenly, another series of flattery shot her way, "This isn¡¯t just flattery, I¡¯m telling the truth. When I heard that song, I was completely intoxicated, feeling as if the voice was truly heavenly, ensnaring one¡¯s attention."


    "Really?" Ning Xin¡¯er squinted her eyes into slits, her face beaming with a smile.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true!" Li Yifei nodded earnestly and said, "I¡¯m absolutely honest about this, Xin¡¯er. I really had no idea you had such talent. You don¡¯t know, when you were singing just now, it wasn¡¯t just me; everyone around me was entranced, as if in a feverish madness. Even after you finished singing, they hadn¡¯t snapped out of it yet."


    "So, if I sing for you every day, would you then stay with me?"


    That single question from Ning Xin¡¯er left Li Yifei with a splitting headache¡ªthis woman simply couldn¡¯t be praised too much.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s troubled expression, Ning Xin¡¯er immediately glared and said, "Hmph, I knew you were insincere. Nevertheless, you¡¯d better listen up; if you¡¯re not there when I sing later, I¡¯ll immediately announce that I have a daughter, and her father is none other than Li Yifei."


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be there," Li Yifei chuckled dryly, not daring to speak recklessly at this point.


    Luckily for him, Ning Xin¡¯er noticed the time and took the initiative to leave first, without accompanying Li Yifei downstairs. After all, her status was still sensitive; if anyone saw her together with Li Yifei, it would cause major trouble.


    Li Yifei finally breathed a sigh of relief, although it was only a temporary respite. The trouble ahead was still enormous, and now with Ning Xin¡¯er settling in Mile City, it promised to be quite lively. However, this was one kind of liveliness Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t want.


    After staying in the room for a while, he answered Michelle¡¯s call. Li Yifei told her he was resting upstairs, and Michelle informed him they had started eating and asked him to come downstairs, which is when Li Yifei finally went down.


    At Li Yifei¡¯s table were Michelle¡¯s classmates, and Michelle herself could not join them for the meal as she was occupied with accompanying Hu Shuzhe to toast. Li Yifei was not very familiar with these classmates, so the meal wasn¡¯t particularly enjoyable for him.


    Sun Li and Wu Lindong had intended to target Michelle, but there was no chance to do so now. They wanted to belittle Li Yifei, but at that moment, everyone was busy discussing the day¡¯s wedding, especially the attendance of Ning Xin¡¯er, which indeed made the wedding much more extraordinary.


    For a wealthy man like Hu Shuzhe, having celebrities at his event was normal. Even bigger names than Ning Xin¡¯er could be invited, provided the price was right. But Ning Xin¡¯er was the type who wasn¡¯t swayed by money, and no matter how much was offered, she wouldn¡¯t come. In the entertainment industry, her attendance at such events was rare, which made it all the more precious and a hot topic of discussion.


    With no one paying attention to the topic stirred up by Sun Li and Wu Lindong, Sun Li had no choice but to close her mouth, lest she come off as ungrateful and oblivious to decorum.


    The music started again, and Ning Xin¡¯er took the stage once more, immediately elevating the atmosphere of the banquet to new heights. Everyone stopped eating and drinking, all eyes fixed on Ning Xin¡¯er performing onstage.


    "Wow, did you guys notice that Ning Xin¡¯er keeps looking over here while she sings?" One girl excitedly gestured and whispered to everyone.


    "Yeah, yeah, she really keeps looking over here," another responded.


    A boy casually remarked, "She couldn¡¯t have taken a liking to one of us, could she?"


    "Drop dead!"


    "With that bear look of yours, you think Ning Xin¡¯er would take a fancy to you? You really don¡¯t know your place."


    Several girls promptly criticized the boy, adamant in their belief that Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t eyeing anyone; they simply hadn¡¯t noticed that Li Yifei, under Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze, felt a chill down his spine and was sweating profusely from his forehead.

 Chapter 676 - 714: Ning Xin’er Sees Her Daughter

    Chapter 676: Chapter 714: Ning Xin¡¯er Sees Her DaughterNing Xin¡¯er finished singing and retreated to the back, while Hu Shuzhe and the bride, accompanied by their groomsmen and bridesmaids, came over to offer a toast. Li Yifei whispered to Michelle that he was going to leave first.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er, Michelle knew that Li Yifei would definitely leave first. She smiled at Li Yifei and said it was okay. She was well aware of the relationship between Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei. And since Li Yifei had been with her from yesterday until now, this had been the happiest day since she started dating Li Yifei, and that was enough.


    Li Yifei left the hotel and quickly received a phone call from Ning Xin¡¯er. Li Yifei made his way to the entrance of the hotel, where he met with Ning Xin¡¯er, who was bundled up tightly. Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er like this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little¡ªshe looked just like she was wrapped up into a big zongzi.


    "What are you laughing at?" Ning Xin¡¯er confronted Li Yifei face to face, glaring at him.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You used to be so flamboyant, doing whatever you wanted. Now look at you, sneaking around so cautiously. Aren¡¯t you tired?"


    "I enjoy it," Ning Xin¡¯er retorted with a glance at Li Yifei and waved down a taxi.


    In the car, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t say much. Ning Xin¡¯er was dressed in such a way that the driver kept stealing glances at her, assuming that she must be secretly meeting a lover behind her husband¡¯s back. Otherwise, why would she need such a disguise?


    They soon arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s house. Xu Yingying had already been notified by Li Yifei about Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s visit and was not surprised. Although she held great animosity towards Ning Xin¡¯er in her heart, Ning Xin¡¯er was Little Yifei¡¯s mother. Her coming to see the child was completely normal, and there was no way Xu Yingying could stop it, so she had to agree.


    Upon arriving, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t interact much with Xu Yingying but rushed straight to Little Yifei, pulled down her scarf, and said excitedly, "Yifei, did you miss Mommy?"


    "Godmother!" Little Yifei cheered and plunged into Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arms, hugging her neck tightly and planting a big kiss on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face. Pouting her little lips, she said, "Godmother, why didn¡¯t you come to see Yifei?"


    "Godmother has been very busy lately, so she hasn¡¯t been able to visit Yifei. How about Godmother comes to see you all the time from now on?"


    "Yes, yes!" Little Yifei immediately laughed happily and then glanced behind Ning Xin¡¯er, asking, "Why didn¡¯t Mom and Dad come?"


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying immediately thought, ¡¯This is bad.¡¯ Although Little Yifei had come to regard Li Yifei and Xu Yingying as her parents recently, deep down, she still considered the couple who used to take care of her as her real parents. It was just that she was young, and since Li Yifei and the others were nice to her, she didn¡¯t miss them as much. But now, seeing Ning Xin¡¯er, she immediately thought of her original parents.


    Ning Xin¡¯er hurriedly said, "They are very busy, still working outside. Once they finish working, they will come to see Little Yifei."


    "Oh, do they not want Yifei anymore?" Little Yifei¡¯s eyes reddened slightly.


    "How could that be? Little Yifei is so good; who wouldn¡¯t want you? Look what Godmother brought for you," Ning Xin¡¯er quickly pulled out a gift she had bought for her daughter.


    ""Oh yeah, what a beautiful Barbie Doll." The little girl exclaimed excitedly as soon as she saw the toy Ning Xin¡¯er had brought.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Isn¡¯t godmother great?"


    "Godmother is great!" With a new toy in hand, the little girl immediately set aside thoughts of missing her parents, gave Ning Xin¡¯er a kiss, and ran off with the toy to play in the bedroom. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er thought of following her daughter into the room but stopped after taking only a step. She was going to be in Mile City from now on, so she would have many chances to see her daughter and wasn¡¯t in a hurry to play with her right now.


    "Have a seat," Xu Yingying said with a smile as she gestured.


    Ning Xin¡¯er sat on the sofa, then looked around Li Yifei¡¯s house and said, "Your house seems a bit small."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "We just wanted Yifei to have a feeling of home, so we didn¡¯t buy a big house. This way, the family can also interact more easily."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, who felt dissatisfied with the small size of Li Yifei¡¯s house, thinking that it provided too little space for her daughter without even a room to store her toys, found Li Yifei¡¯s explanation somewhat reasonable.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying chimed in, "We want Little Yifei to grow up happy and to feel no different from other children, which will make her emotionally healthier."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded and said, "I never thought about it that much, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right or not, but I think she won¡¯t be wronged here with her dad." She often called Little Yifei, and initially, Little Yifei would talk more during their calls, but as time passed, Little Yifei often only said a few words and didn¡¯t want to talk to her, which made her feel the emotional distance from her daughter.


    Initially, Ning Xin¡¯er suspected that Xu Yingying might have spoken ill of her to her daughter, but noticing her daughter growing happier, she realized that her daughter must have adapted to life with Li Yifei. However, the thought also brought with it a great sense of crisis. If things continued this way, would her daughter forget her own mother? Despite having many unfinished tasks, she hurried over, for her daughter¡¯s sake, setting aside other concerns. Li Yifei, that bastard, was now married, and it would likely be very difficult for them, but she couldn¡¯t lose her daughter, no matter what.


    Xu Yingying knew there was a hidden message in Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words but still spoke with a smile, "Of course not, being Yifei¡¯s wife and Yifei¡¯s daughter, she is also my daughter. I have always treated her as my own."


    If it had been the old Ning Xin¡¯er, she would have retorted, "My daughter is mine, not yours." But now that her daughter lived here, she didn¡¯t want her to suffer the slightest grievance, and Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude became crucial. She sighed inwardly and responded to Xu Yingying with a smile, "Yingying, thank you. I¡¯m truly grateful that you can think this way."


    Xu Yingying said with a smile, "Thank me for what? I am also Yifei¡¯s mother. I know you¡¯ve been worried that I might not treat Yifei well. Now that you¡¯ve seen for yourself, you should know how I treat her. Even if I have my own children in the future, I will still be good to Yifei. Besides, I won¡¯t have children for the time being due to work, so there won¡¯t be any issues with Yifei at all."


    Hearing this, Ning Xin¡¯er felt somewhat displeased. Xu Yingying, are you trying to discourage me from visiting my child? But another thought struck her; perhaps Xu Yingying was still worried about her getting back together with Li Yifei? It seemed that the relationship between Xu Yingying and Li Yifei wasn¡¯t as unbreakable as it appeared.

 Chapter 677 - 715 Ning Xin’er’s Mind

    Chapter 677: Chapter 715 Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s MindNing Xin¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei, then at Xu Yingying, and smiled sweetly, saying, "It¡¯s rare for you to consider Yifei like this. If I don¡¯t appreciate it, I would be failing my daughter."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t expect Ning Xin¡¯er to have such a good attitude. Although surprised, it was a good thing, so she immediately said, "Your daughter is flesh of your flesh; no one can take her away. You can always visit her anytime in the future. I, Xu Yingying, will absolutely not have a single complaint."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately smiled and said, "Then I must thank you even more. I¡¯ve already decided to settle down in Mile City in the future, so I can see my daughter more often."


    Although Xu Yingying felt this was a bit troublesome, she still said, "Of course, that¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve been in Mile City for a few years. If you need any help, I will definitely do my best."


    "There¡¯ll surely be many times I will trouble you, hehe. I¡¯ll go play with my daughter first. I haven¡¯t seen her in so long. I really miss her."


    "Then you better go."


    Ning Xin¡¯er went into the bedroom, casually closing the door, leaving Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, along with her sister Xu Shanshan, in the living room.


    Xu Shanshan, who had been standing aside without speaking, curled her lips and said, "Conspiracy, a big conspiracy."


    Xu Yingying quickly gave Xu Shanshan a look and said, "It¡¯s fine."


    Xu Shanshan sat next to Li Yifei, leaned forward, and whispered to Xu Yingying, "Sis, you better not get too soft-hearted. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s obviously got her heart set on brother-in-law. She¡¯s different from Yiyi and Xiaoyao; she¡¯s clearly planning to steal him."


    Xu Shanshan was wearing casual loungewear, with a relatively open neckline. Nothing was visible from the front, but sitting like this while talking to Xu Yingying, from Li Yifei¡¯s angle, everything under the neckline was clear as day. Her impressive bosom and the little tips on her chest were all in full view.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t notice this much. At home, the three of them were used to this. Although, at first, she felt that Xu Shanshan was dressed inappropriately for Li Yifei to see, over time, since she hadn¡¯t noticed anything between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, she stopped caring. Besides, being family means not being overly concerned, especially in the summer; making everyone dress tightly would be unbearably uncomfortable.


    As long as it¡¯s not too revealing, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t think much of it. Although she was an elite in the business world, she was still weak in family relationships and emotions. She didn¡¯t realize how sisters-in-law act with brother-in-laws could be a huge temptation. Probably over 90% of men couldn¡¯t resist such temptation.


    Xu Yingying seriously said to Xu Shanshan, "I also know that, but after all, she is Yifei¡¯s biological mother. No matter what, I can¡¯t stop her from seeing her child, right? That would be unreasonable."


    Xu Shanshan rubbed her chin and said, "You¡¯re really in a difficult position, and indeed it is unreasonable. But if she visits frequently, takes the child out from time to time, and finds excuses to let the daughter enjoy the love of both parents, dragging brother-in-law along, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for the old feelings to rekindle?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, who gave a wry smile and said, "I never had any feelings for her before, so how can old feelings rekindle?"


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a sideways glance and said, "You¡¯ve even had a child, and you say there are no old feelings? What exactly counts as old feelings then?"


    Li Yifei was rendered speechless by Xu Shanshan¡¯s remark.


    "So..." Xu Shanshan leaned forward again, placing her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s leg, softly saying to Xu Yingying, "Sis, if Ning Xin¡¯er comes to see the child, you must be at home. If they go out to play, you must accompany them."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "I don¡¯t have that much time. I¡¯ve already canceled a lot of social engagements. The factory will start production soon, and then our company will be extremely busy. I¡¯m afraid getting off work on time will become a luxury for me."


    Xu Shanshan frowned and said, "That¡¯s indeed quite troublesome."


    Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan, suddenly her eyes lit up, and said, "Shanshan, I don¡¯t have time, but you do. You could stand in for me."


    "Me?" Xu Shanshan pointed to her nose, then shook her head repeatedly and said, "How would that work? I also have to work, and in my free time, I¡¯d like to go out and have fun."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened and said, "Aren¡¯t you my sister? Whether you want to help or not, you have to. That¡¯s settled. I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t help, I won¡¯t give you any pocket money in the future, and you¡¯ll have to rent a place to live by yourself."


    "Big sister! You... that¡¯s too harsh!" Xu Shanshan gritted her teeth, looking both angry and wronged.


    Xu Yingying apologetically smiled and said, "Dear sister, think of it as a favor for me, okay?"


    "You... actually begging me? It really is like the sun rising from the west. That¡¯s truly rare. Alright, alright, I¡¯ll bite the bullet then. For you and brother-in-law, I¡¯ll just pretend to be you."


    Xu Yingying finally smiled happily and said, "I knew Shanshan was the best. Later, if there¡¯s anything you want, tell your brother-in-law and let him buy it for you."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes brightened and she said, "Really?"


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "No more than twenty thousand."


    "Hehe, twenty thousand is not a small amount." Xu Shanshan looked pleased with herself, a schemer whose plot succeeded.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind, knowing Xu Shanshan always gained benefits like this. Since childhood, this was how she scammed for benefits. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Li Yifei understood all too well that Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t in it for those little benefits. She was preparing to pretend to be Xu Yingying legitimately, mixing with brother-in-law in the future. Then, even if they got caught doing something inappropriate, Xu Shanshan would have a reason to explain it.


    At this moment, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire this girl Xu Shanshan¡¯s cleverness. Even someone as capable as Xu Yingying was played by her. If she put this mindset to evil use, Shanshan could indeed become a formidable villain. Luckily, she was just playful and crushing on brother-in-law, without any ulterior motives.


    Meanwhile, from the room came Little Yifei¡¯s giggles. Then Little Yifei opened the door, running out to proudly show off the new Barbie Doll Ning Xin¡¯er had bought for her.


    This entire day, Ning Xin¡¯er stayed here, playing games with her daughter and chatting. Xu Yingying did not interfere until after dinner.


    "I want to sleep with my daughter tonight. Is that alright?" Ning Xin¡¯er sought the opinions of Xu Yingying and Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "Of course, no problem."


    Little Yifei yelled excitedly, "Yay, I can sleep with godmother tonight."


    Seeing this, Xu Yingying felt quite jealous. After all, she was the biological mother, and the closeness between Little Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er was genuinely inborn. Even though she didn¡¯t know Ning Xin¡¯er was her real mother, their connection by blood and soul was natural.


    Ning Xin¡¯er hesitated and said, "But... you only have two rooms here. If I stay, where will you stay?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Then I¡¯ll sleep next door."


    Ning Xin¡¯er asked doubtfully, "Next door is also your house?"


    Xu Yingying replied, "No, next door is Mengxin and Xiaofei¡¯s place. They¡¯re not home these days. We have the keys, so we can stay there."


    When Ning Xin¡¯er got out of the elevator, she saw the layout with three homes per floor, and the idea to buy one was already in her mind. This way, she could be even closer to Li Yifei and her daughter and interact with them more. But now, both sides were known, so acquiring these two houses wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    "Huh, why does Mengxin also live here?" Ning Xin¡¯er found this situation increasingly peculiar.


    Xu Yingying explained, "Mengxin doesn¡¯t like being followed by bodyguards here, and since Yifei used to be her protector, living next to us was more freeing, so she just stayed with us."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes shifted. She said to Xu Yingying, "I must say, Yingying, you are genuinely kind-hearted. Just be a little careful; being too kind can lead to being used."


    "What do you mean?" Xu Yingying frowned slightly.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t you think Su Mengxin¡¯s behavior is a bit unusual?"


    "What¡¯s unusual about her?" Xu Yingying felt a sudden jolt. She wasn¡¯t foolish. Sometimes she also sensed something was wrong, but she didn¡¯t want to think deeply about it.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei again, feeling composed in him, thinking her guess might be mistaken. But recalling seeing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin kissing passionately before, she didn¡¯t believe they had nothing going on. Shaking her head, she said, "Although I think it¡¯s unlikely, let me tell you what I¡¯m thinking. I saw Su Mengxin and Li Yifei kissing passionately, and that¡¯s a fact. When I told you before, you probably didn¡¯t believe it, but it was indeed true."


    Xu Yingying nodded, indicating she knew about it.


    "Ha... forget it, I won¡¯t say more. Maybe I¡¯m just paranoid. With someone like Su Mengxin, if she really wanted to take your husband, she would have done it long ago." Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled, suddenly deciding not to pursue it. The girl was getting wiser, choosing to talk halfway and leave the rest for Xu Yingying to figure out herself, making her ponder even more.


    And her purpose in saying this was actually simple. Competing with Xu Yingying felt tough and disadvantageous, making it hard to win over Li Yifei. But with Su Mengxin as a stronger rival, letting Xu Yingying clash with her, breaking down the ties with Li Yifei, she¡¯d seize the opportunity to capture Li Yifei¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 678 - 716 Love is Giving

    Chapter 678: Chapter 716 Love is GivingToday, Ning Xin¡¯er took Little Yifei for a bath, while Xu Yingying frowned. She always believed it was impossible for Su Mengxin and Li Yifei to be together. Su Mengxin¡¯s status was too noble; even she felt Su Mengxin was out of reach. Li Yifei, in her heart, was good, but compared to Su Mengxin, it was like heaven and earth.


    However, when Ning Xin¡¯er brought this up today, it reminded her of the time Su Mengxin had been here and her many interactions with Li Yifei. If Su Mengxin set her sights on Li Yifei, it would make perfect sense.


    This left her conflicted. Su Mengxin¡¯s elegance was something Xu Yingying admired immensely. If Su Mengxin truly competed for Li Yifei, how could she have the qualifications to compete? She¡¯d feel ashamed and want to withdraw automatically.


    Xu Shanshan immediately noticed Xu Yingying¡¯s inner turmoil and kicked Li Yifei, giving him a look.


    Li Yifei quickly wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s waist and said, "Wife, we¡¯ve been together for so long. How can you let one word from Ning Xin¡¯er make you overthink?"


    Xu Yingying leaned weakly against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "If it were someone else, I wouldn¡¯t really be afraid, but if Mengxin really likes you, then I am truly scared."


    At this point, Xu Shanshan promptly said, "Sister, you¡¯re really hopeless! Let¡¯s not even discuss the low possibility of Mengxin liking your husband. Just say she does happen to like him, how likely is it for them to be together? You need to realize, with Sister Mengxin¡¯s status and family background, can she even marry your husband? Would her family agree? In a family that large, can she make decisions about her own marriage?"


    Xu Yingying was taken aback for a moment, and then Xu Shanshan continued, "Besides, we lived on the island for quite a while, and there¡¯s actually something we haven¡¯t told you."


    "What is it?" Xu Yingying asked instinctively.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "While we were in the sea trying to survive, your husband was afraid we¡¯d be washed away by the waves, so he tore our clothes into strips and tied them around our waists. When we landed on the island, we didn¡¯t have clothes to wear."


    Li Yifei sweated silently; why did Xu Shanshan have to reveal this now? But stopping her was impossible, and he believed Xu Shanshan must have her reasons for doing so.


    Xu Yingying widened her eyes. "Ah? You all... you, Michelle, and Su Mengxin had no clothes?"


    "Yeah, but don¡¯t worry. The three of us women still had one pair of underwear; as for your husband, well... he was stark naked."


    Xu Yingying immediately pinched Li Yifei, feeling conflicted inside. Her own husband being naked with three women in underwear, how could she not mind as a wife?


    "Hehe, you don¡¯t need to be so angry. At that time, surviving was what mattered most. Once we got to the island, your husband found large leaves from trees to cover us up."


    Finally, Xu Yingying sighed in relief.


    Xu Shanshan continued, "Sister, on this island, nobody knew if we¡¯d survive. Naturally, the truest feelings would come out. Michelle said some excessive things at the time, but Su Mengxin said nothing."


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t hesitate to sell out Michelle, since Michelle liking Li Yifei was something everyone knew.


    Indeed, Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t concerned about Michelle, and her expression relaxed slightly. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan added, "I¡¯ll tell you; I believed my brother-in-law would definitely bring us back. So I took the opportunity to observe how he treated them. I must praise him; he treated both of them with courtesy, never even giving them a second glance. When we slept, he slept on the edge and let me sleep beside him to avoid contact with them."


    "Oh..." Xu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Ning Xin¡¯er had really tricked her. But as soon as she relaxed, she suddenly widened her eyes, looking at Li Yifei, then at Xu Shanshan, and said, "The two of you slept together?"


    Xu Shanshan burst out laughing and said, "Sister, are you alright? I slept next to my brother-in-law to keep them from getting close to him. He slept next to me to conveniently take care of me. Can¡¯t you differentiate between who¡¯s close and distant? You¡¯re not suggesting there¡¯s something fishy between your husband and me, are you?"


    Xu Yingying awkwardly laughed and said, "I didn¡¯t suspect anything. I just heard you say you were sleeping with your brother-in-law. It¡¯s always said that a sister-in-law and brother-in-law being together is not sound."


    "Hah, we¡¯re family, alright? I seriously don¡¯t know what¡¯s going through your head." Xu Shanshan shook her head and said helplessly, "I¡¯m leaving now; too disheartened." She then pushed the door open to sleep in Su Mengxin¡¯s room, avoiding Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house¡ªjust a dog¡¯s den there.


    "Husband, I¡¯m sorry, I fell for Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s trick." Xu Yingying apologized and kissed Li Yifei on the cheek.


    Li Yifei admired Xu Shanshan¡¯s cleverness, but inside, he genuinely felt sorry for Xu Yingying. With no choice but to conceal the truth further, he held Xu Yingying tighter and said, "Wife, I know you love me; I love you too."

 Chapter 679 - 716 Love Is Giving_2

    Chapter 679: Chapter 716 Love Is Giving_2"Honey, you¡¯re really sweet," Xu Yingying smiled sweetly, her face layering with charm as she bit her lip and said, "Tonight, I¡¯ll take good care of you."


    Li Yifei broke into a nervous sweat, thinking that taking good care of him tonight was obviously spurred by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s provocation. With the poor soundproofing in the house, wasn¡¯t that like wanting Ning Xin¡¯er to hear everything?


    After everyone finished their evening routines, Ning Xin¡¯er went to bed early with Little Yifei. Little Yifei usually slept early, and after playing wildly with Ning Xin¡¯er today, she fell asleep not long after lying down.


    Ning Xin¡¯er tossed and turned in bed, finding it hard to sleep. In the room next door, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were staying together, which was truly upsetting for her. Although she knew it was perfectly normal for a couple to share a bed, the thought of Li Yifei holding Xu Yingying in his arms and doing "that" made Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart ache even more.


    At that moment, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were lying in bed, with Xu Yingying snuggling close to Li Yifei¡¯s side, caressing his chest, her face flushed and her eyes shining with an unusual light.


    Feeling uneasy, Li Yifei said, "Wife, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s go to sleep."


    All of sudden, Xu Yingying pounced on Li Yifei and, pouting her lips, said, "No, I don¡¯t want to sleep yet."


    "Well... I¡¯m a bit tired today, how about tomorrow... is tomorrow okay?" Li Yifei asked cautiously.


    Xu Yingying bit down on his chest and scolded, "You bad boy, are you afraid that Ning Xin¡¯er next door will hear?"


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "No, no, I¡¯m just worried about our daughter not being asleep yet, and also, I¡¯m a bit tired."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "Don¡¯t give me that nonsense. I know you¡¯re afraid of Ning Xin¡¯er hearing us. But today, I want her to hear how good it is to be with you. Honey, you always wanted to try new positions... I never agreed before, but today, I¡¯m going to fulfill your wish."


    Next door, Ning Xin¡¯er was fuming with rage, gritting her teeth. She desperately wanted to stop them, but she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. Internally she was cursing, "Xu Yingying, you always act so dignified, but you¡¯re so wild in bed, truly a slut."


    "Hmpf, Yifei must have been bewitched by this behavior."


    Although Ning Xin¡¯er thought this way, she was helpless. Up to this point, aside from that one time she had conceived in secret with Li Yifei, she had never done such a thing again. Even though she understood how it worked, just thinking about that kind of obscene scene was too much for her to bear.


    Finally, when Xu Yingying¡¯s cries ceased, it wasn¡¯t long before they started again, making Ning Xin¡¯er even more overwhelmed. She covered her head with the quilt, wishing to keep her ears pure.


    However, the sounds were piercing, invading her ears and causing her body to heat up in waves, an indescribably agonizing feeling.


    The next morning, Ning Xin¡¯er was still sound asleep when a knock at the door woke her, followed by Xu Yingying¡¯s voice, "Ning Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s time to wake Yifei up. Otherwise, she¡¯ll be late for kindergarten."


    Ning Xin¡¯er muttered an acknowledgment, but still woke her daughter. Despite wanting to spend time with her daughter, she had things to attend to during the day.


    After getting up, Ning Xin¡¯er saw Xu Yingying and noticed that she seemed even more attractive than the night before, especially her alluring air. If Ning Xin¡¯er were a man, she might not have been able to resist taking He Fangqing into her arms.


    "Ning Xin¡¯er, you look so out of it. Did you not sleep well last night?" Xu Yingying cheerily greeted, knowing full well that Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s unrest was due to the previous night¡¯s activities. Normally, such a situation would be embarrassing, but today, she felt proud.


    Suppressing a yawn, Ning Xin¡¯er replied, "I never sleep well when I change places, and with all the noise you made last night, how could I sleep?"


    Not one to be outdone, Ning Xin¡¯er frowned and fired back, "Do you always go at it like that at night? Aren¡¯t you afraid of waking Little Yifei? You wouldn¡¯t want your child to be negatively influenced."


    Xu Yingying was proud, yet taken aback by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words. She hurriedly reassured, "Of course not, we¡¯re always careful. We only do it after Little Yifei falls asleep, and she sleeps deeply, so she doesn¡¯t wake up."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and said, "That¡¯s for the best. But if I find out my daughter is impacted in any way, I will not hesitate to take her away with me."


    Although Xu Yingying had managed to rile Ning Xin¡¯er, she had put herself in a difficult spot. However, as an executive, she was quick on her feet and smiled while saying, "Blame Yifei for it. I¡¯m usually very careful, but he insisted on being so active last night, and I just couldn¡¯t help myself."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyebrows twitched twice as she glared at Li Yifei and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll go wash my face first."


    Xu Shanshan gave Xu Yingying a thumbs up at this moment, her face full of admiration. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying smiled proudly, but then she glared at Xu Shanshan. To speak like that in front of her younger sister, especially when her sister didn¡¯t have a boyfriend yet, was even more excessive.


    After breakfast, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Let me take the child to school today."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "That might not be a good idea. If people there recognize you, it could be very troublesome. And if others learn about your identity, it could also have a bad influence on our daughter."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "I won¡¯t get out of the car. I just want to see the kindergarten my daughter goes to."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying naturally couldn¡¯t refuse such a request. Xu Yingying said, "Then I won¡¯t join you. I have to go to the Municipal Government this morning; the driver is coming to pick me up soon."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Then who¡¯s going to take me?"


    Xu Yingying realized what she meant and said, "Let your brother-in-law take you. It doesn¡¯t really matter if you arrive at work a bit earlier or later, right?"


    Xu Yingying left first, Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Xu Shanshan together took Little Yifei, and Ning Xin¡¯er indeed did not get out of the car, watching her daughter enter the kindergarten from inside the vehicle.


    "Where do you want to go now?" Li Yifei asked Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced at Xu Shanshan and said, "I¡¯ll go to the hotel."


    Xu Shanshan said unapologetically, "Then brother-in-law, you can drop her off first."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "What, keeping an eye on your brother-in-law for your sister?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Yes, I have to keep a close watch on my brother-in-law. So many people are eyeing him, I can¡¯t afford to not keep a close eye."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything, having Li Yifei drop her off at the hotel. Before getting out of the car, she said, "I need to find a place to stay in the next few days. You¡¯ll have to help me later; I don¡¯t want people to know where I¡¯m staying."


    Li Yifei nodded, he couldn¡¯t shirk this responsibility.


    Only after Ning Xin¡¯er got out of the car did Li Yifei start it. Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Stinky brother-in-law, that Ning Xin¡¯er is really bothersome."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯re talking about her, why are you also scolding me?"


    Xu Shanshan stiffened her neck and said, "Hmph, if it wasn¡¯t for the trouble you caused, there wouldn¡¯t be so many problems. Who else should I scold if not you?"


    "Okay, okay, it¡¯s all my fault."


    "Brother-in-law... you were so fierce last night, even fiercer than usual. Were you feeling some kind of stimulus?" Xu Shanshan suddenly asked with a mischievous smile.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Don¡¯t you have a psychic connection with your sister? Why don¡¯t you guess?"


    "I also felt exceptionally comfortable last night. It must have been my sister on top, especially in those last few moves; it was truly exhilarating. You should let my sister do that more often. As a woman, you can¡¯t just lie there all the time, waiting for a man to do everything; that¡¯s so boring, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei was taken aback, speechless. This kind of psychic connection was too accurate; Xu Shanshan could even sense the positions, which was truly astonishing.

 Chapter 680 - 718 Workaholic He Fangqing

    Chapter 680: Chapter 718 Workaholic He Fangqing"Manager Li, I can¡¯t thank you enough. Nana¡¯s father has been released," Wang Qiang excitedly expressed his gratitude to Li Yifei as soon as he arrived at the unit.


    Li Yifei was somewhat astonished. He hadn¡¯t expected Wang Qiang¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s father to be released so quickly. This must have been the result of the help he asked from Lin Qiong, and Lin Qiong now obviously had some influence in the Public Security System.


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Are you and your girlfriend doing okay?" he asked.


    Wang Qiang nodded repeatedly, saying, "We¡¯ve been much better these past two days, and she¡¯s especially happy now that her dad is out. She¡¯s not unhappy like she was a few days ago."


    Li Yifei patted Wang Qiang on the shoulder and said, "Then take good care of her. The wounds women suffer can only heal quickly with the care of a loved one." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know, I know. That¡¯s why I was hoping to switch shifts with you. This afternoon, I want to go shopping with Nana and her dad to ward off the bad luck."


    "Okay then, go ahead. Oh, right. You¡¯re supposed to be on the night shift today, aren¡¯t you?" Li Yifei asked.


    "Yeah, I came specifically to take care of this first," Wang Qiang replied.


    "You rascal, next time just call me for such things," Li Yifei said.


    Switching shifts for security guards was a common occurrence. Li Yifei had intended to arrange for Wang Qiang to switch with someone else, but upon casually asking around, he found everyone else had plans, and in the end, he was the one who had to cover the shift.


    Xu Yingying was informed about this in the afternoon, and she naturally offered her support. She had no engagements that night and could go home as usual, just needing to pick up their daughter.


    There were three people on the night shift: Li Yifei, Qian Laoshi, and Wu Meng. The company policy prohibited drinking alcohol during the night shift. Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to break the rules, so he just did a routine check around the office. He was responsible for the top two floors while the other two took care of the lower levels.


    The lights in the chief financial officer¡¯s office were on. Li Yifei casually pushed open the door and saw He Fangqing intently focused on something, her head bowed.


    "I¡¯m working overtime, don¡¯t mind me," He Fangqing said indifferently without looking up from her work.


    Lately, the company was at a critical juncture, so she was very busy. Additionally, during this period, she had been feeling quite lonely. When she first arrived in Mile City, even though she was upset, Li Yifei¡¯s presence had quickly helped her get out of the shadow of her failed marriage. But just when her relationship with Li Yifei was heating up, he married Xu Yingying.


    Even though she wanted to continue the relationship with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying had even suggested that she help win over Li Yifei¡¯s heart, He Fangqing was well aware of the terror of being the third party in a marriage. She didn¡¯t want to ruin the relationship between Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, so even if she was lonely, she didn¡¯t want to seek out Li Yifei, even though Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t get angry.


    Now, all she could do was work hard, busying herself so much that she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and that way, she wouldn¡¯t feel the loneliness.


    It was common for the security to check in on anyone working overtime, and He Fangqing was already used to it. She thought a security guard had come to say hello as usual today, so she casually said a word and continued with her work.


    But after a while, two hands suddenly landed on her shoulders, making He Fangqing¡¯s body stiffen. An alarming thought flashed through her mind that she might be in trouble tonight, wondering which brazen security guard was taking advantage of her.


    "Relax, I¡¯ll give your shoulders a rub," Li Yifei¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.


    He Fangqing¡¯s originally rigid body instantly relaxed, and without turning her head, she leaned softly against the back of the chair, her head resting against Li Yifei¡¯s chest, and she whispered, "Everyone¡¯s off work now, why did you come here?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Seeing you working so hard, I just came to check on you."


    "Don¡¯t make it sound so nice, you should be accompanying your wife, oh, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re on shift?"


    "Ha... you guessed right."


    "Hmph, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have thought of me." He Fangqing¡¯s words carried a tinge of sourness.


    Li Yifei coughed lightly, finding it really hard to explain, and even if he could, there was no suitable reason. Silence fell between them.


    "Work isn¡¯t something that can be finished in one or two days, don¡¯t push yourself too hard, you should rest when it¡¯s time to," Li Yifei finally broke the silence.


    He Fangqing sighed, "I don¡¯t really have anything else to do, having some work to do can make me feel fulfilled. Otherwise, facing an empty house every day can drive a person crazy."


    Li Yifei felt quite sorry for He Fangqing, this woman, who was the first to bring pleasure to him upon his return to Mile City, and not only in bed, but in other aspects as well, He Fangqing was an excellent woman. His hand involuntarily moved to He Fangqing¡¯s face, and he said, "Fangqing, change your mood a bit, go out and have fun when you have time."


    He Fangqing smiled faintly and said, "Forget it, actually, working is also a pretty nice thing. Watching the company gradually get on the right track, with such a promising future, is also very pleasing."


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand, placed on He Fangqing¡¯s face, gently caressed her cheek. He Fangqing chuckled again and said, "You shouldn¡¯t touch me like this, it¡¯s not proper for men and women to do so, be careful not to let your wife see, or you¡¯ll be in big trouble."


    The moment He Fangqing said this, Li Yifei suddenly picked her up and said, "Haven¡¯t you all agreed that even if Yingying and I get married, you can still sleep with me? Why are you backing out now?"


    He Fangqing was startled and hurriedly said, "Yifei, we can¡¯t do this, really we can¡¯t, Yingying is my good friend, it would hurt her if I continued this way." Seeing that Li Yifei was still carrying her toward the couch, He Fangqing pleaded, "Yifei, I can¡¯t betray Yingying, anyone else might, but I can¡¯t, really."


    Li Yifei sat He Fangqing on his lap, his arm wrapped around her waist, and with his other hand, he lifted her chin and said, "Are you sure?"


    "I... am sure!" He Fangqing¡¯s voice was loud, but her demeanor was clearly not that determined.


    Li Yifei, with a mischievous smile, said, "If you¡¯re so sure, why is your body trembling, why are your cheeks red, and why is your breathing so heated?"


    "I... My trembling is because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll do something to me, my cheeks are red because it¡¯s a bit hot in the room, and my breathing is heated... also because I¡¯m hot."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond, but teasingly said, "Is that really the case?"


    "True... truly." He Fangqing tried to avoid Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, but he would not let her, keeping his intense stare fixed on her as his face slowly moved closer to hers.


    He Fangqing¡¯s breathing became even more rapid, her chest heaving tumultuously, and she weakly said, "Yifei, I... I... Yingying will be angry." But when Li Yifei¡¯s lips finally met hers, her rationality flooded out like a breached dam, beyond her control any longer.

 Chapter 681 - 719: This Can’t Be Real, Right?

    Chapter 681: Chapter 719: This Can¡¯t Be Real, Right?After a bout of passion, He Fangqing was entirely limp and leaning against Li Yifei¡¯s chest. They were still in the same position they enjoyed moments ago: Li Yifei sitting on the couch with He Fangqing turned with her back facing him, sitting on his lap, their intimate parts still connected.


    Li Yifei planted a gentle kiss on He Fangqing¡¯s earlobe and said with a smile, "I say, Fangqing, didn¡¯t someone mention earlier they were afraid Yingying would be angry? How could you still be so wild?"


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t even want to open her eyes; the pleasure from earlier had drained all her strength, and the satisfaction and joy made her indifferent to Li Yifei¡¯s teasing. She said lazily, "You were the one who offered yourself, so I¡¯m not to blame."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Well, you¡¯re certainly quick to wash your hands of it."


    Despite her closed eyes, He Fangqing said earnestly, "That¡¯s a must. You can¡¯t steal your best friend¡¯s husband. You forced me into this, so it has nothing to do with me. I would never steal my best friend¡¯s husband."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin. He Fangqing was deceiving herself, but since she wanted to think that way, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to burst her bubble. He just held her quietly.


    Unfortunately, at that moment, He Fangqing¡¯s phone began to ring, startling her. The phone was on the coffee table, and Li Yifei easily reached out to grab it and handed it to He Fangqing without looking at the screen.


    He Fangqing, seeing the number, quickly twisted around and whispered to Li Yifei in a tense voice, "Don¡¯t make a sound, it¡¯s Yingying calling."


    Normally, Li Yifei should have felt guilty receiving a call from his wife, but instead he felt quite at ease, even lighting a cigarette while his other arm continued to encircle He Fangqing¡¯s waist.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t get up either, answered the phone, and said, "Yingying, it¡¯s so late, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s tone was caring as she said, "Sister Fangqing, you didn¡¯t work overtime tonight, did you?"


    He Fangqing hesitated for a moment then replied, "I¡¯m still at the office. It¡¯s just me at home anyway, so it¡¯s more convenient to get some work done here."


    "You can¡¯t keep pushing yourself so hard though. There is a lot of work, but it¡¯s not that urgent."


    "Hehe, I¡¯m used to it. Staying busy like this makes me feel fulfilled. I¡¯m quite happy, so don¡¯t worry about me."


    "Yifei was covering a shift at the office today; did you see him?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sudden mention of Li Yifei made He Fangqing extremely guilty, and she quickly said, "I haven¡¯t seen him yet."


    "You haven¡¯t seen him yet? Then that guy might have sneaked off to meet some woman. That bastard even said he was covering for a colleague tonight."


    He Fangqing was dumbstruck, as her defense of herself had inadvertently implicated Li Yifei. This was absolutely not acceptable, so she hurriedly said, "I did see him, he just came in. Do you want to speak with him?"


    Xu Yingying chuckled softly and said, "Sister Fangqing, that¡¯s not quite right. Just now you said he wasn¡¯t there, and now you say he is. Could it be that you are... doing something naughty behind my back?"


    At this point, He Fangqing wasn¡¯t just feeling guilty, but very nervous as well, stammering, "No... there¡¯s nothing."


    By sounding this way, it was as if she was admitting to guilt. Xu Yingying was no longer the emotional novice she once was. From what He Fangqing had said, she knew that Li Yifei must have been up to no good with He Fangqing. There was indeed a sour feeling in her heart, but she didn¡¯t get angry, instead she said softly, "Sister Fangqing, let Yifei keep you company tonight. You¡¯ve had it hard these days. I know you immerse yourself in work due to the loneliness of being alone at home. Haven¡¯t you always believed what I¡¯ve told you?"


    "I..." He Fangqing certainly knew what Xu Yingying was referring to, and her heart felt an indescribable mix of emotions. Her lips moved several times, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "Pass the phone to Yifei," Xu Yingying then said.


    He Fangqing quickly handed what felt like a hot potato of a phone to Li Yifei. Taking the phone, Li Yifei said, "Yingying, I..."


    "Honey, make sure to keep Sister Fangqing company tonight. She¡¯s had a tough time. If it weren¡¯t for me, you two might be together. I¡¯ve always felt I owe her, so no matter what you do with her, I won¡¯t mind."


    "This... wife..." Li Yifei let out a bitter laugh, truly at a loss for words.


    "I¡¯m telling you, just use the same tactics on Fangqing like you usually do with me, and I¡¯ll ask Sister Fangqing about it later. If you don¡¯t take good care of her, then I¡¯ll have to settle accounts with you afterward,"


    "Hey, wife, can you stop kidding around?"


    "Who¡¯s kidding? I¡¯m serious. Okay then, I won¡¯t bother you two anymore. Go ahead and use tonight, I won¡¯t mind," Xu Yingying said, and she actually giggled as she hung up the phone.


    He Fangqing was right in front of Li Yifei when Xu Yingying said this, and heard every word clearly. Xu Yingying had mentioned this not once or twice, but He Fangqing had never really believed she was serious. Put herself in Xu Yingying¡¯s shoes, she certainly couldn¡¯t be as generous. If she really could be that generous, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up divorcing her ex-husband.


    Li Yifei was still holding the phone to his ear at this moment, truly baffled. He had never expected Xu Yingying to say such things; she was being too generous. Could it be his wife really was that open-minded?


    At this moment, it wasn¡¯t just He Fangqing standing there dazed; even Li Yifei was stunned. Xu Yingying had tolerated Chu Xiaoyao staying because her parents had died suddenly and her mental state was unstable. Out of sympathy, Xu Yingying had allowed Chu Xiaoyao to stay at their house. Then came Su Yiyi, and that was a fight Li Yifei had been part of from the start; Xu Yingying had to agree whether she wanted to or not. But now with He Fangqing, Xu Yingying was so willing to share? Did she not care about her husband that much?


    "This... Yifei, about Yingying just now..." He Fangqing turned her head and looked at Li Yifei, her mouth twitching twice.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t ask me, I¡¯m confused, too."


    Seeing Li Yifei in such a puzzled state, He Fangqing suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "You¡¯re so lucky to have a wife like that."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "I don¡¯t even know what Yingying is thinking."


    He Fangqing laughed even more radiantly and said, "Well, then there¡¯s no need to think about it. All I know now is that as long as she isn¡¯t angry with us for doing this, it¡¯s fine." She said this while wiggling her butt and snatched Li Yifei¡¯s cigarette, extinguishing it, "Just now wasn¡¯t satisfying enough, let¡¯s go another round."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Alright, bring it on!"


    This time, He Fangqing was even more uninhibited than before, a wildness that left Li Yifei almost dumbfounded. But the pleasure was incomparable. So he stopped thinking and wholly immersed himself in the delightful sensations with He Fangqing.


    Over an hour later, Li Yifei came downstairs with a cigarette in his mouth. Zhao Laoshi and Wu Meng had already grabbed some fast food and were waiting for him to eat.


    "Hey, Manager Li, you sure took your time on inspection," Zhao Laoshi said, winking at Li Yifei with a sly smile on his face.


    Li Yifei took a seat at the table and glared, saying, "Don¡¯t look at me with that sleazy gaze."


    Zhao Laoshi chuckled again and said, "Well, Director He is a beautiful woman, and as a divorcee, she must be craving for ¡¯certain things.¡¯ You were up there for so long, you better not tell me you guys didn¡¯t do anything."


    Wu Meng also said with a naughty grin, "Right, I¡¯ve heard that you and Director He were from the same company before. When Director He¡¯s ex-husband and his wife came to cause her trouble, it was you who stood up and chased them away. You were already on good terms back then, how could you not have a thing going on now?"


    Li Yifei extinguished his cigarette, picked up some food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, and said with a smile, "Yeah, you guys guessed right, I¡¯ve been with Director He all this time. How about it? Jealous and envious, huh?"


    "Really?" Zhao Laoshi and Wu Meng, seeing Li Yifei admitting it, started to disbelieve him, widening their eyes in doubt.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "If I say nothing happened, you definitely won¡¯t believe me, so I might as well say something did."


    Zhao Laoshi chuckled and said, "We¡¯re just joking around, you know. Who doesn¡¯t know about you and Michelle? No matter what, Michelle is a fine young woman. Director He might be great, but she¡¯s a divorcee after all, not up to par with Michelle. You have Michelle; naturally, you can¡¯t be involved with Director He."


    Wu Meng nodded repeatedly.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "It¡¯s fine to spout nonsense in our security room, but if you spread rumors outside, it doesn¡¯t matter whether it affects me¡ªI¡¯m a man and not afraid of gossip¡ªbut Director He, just divorced, is the person who least needs this kind of speculation. We can¡¯t damage her reputation."


    Zhao Laoshi and Wu Meng nodded eagerly, and Zhao Laoshi added, "We know, it was just a joke with you. Director He is a decent person; we¡¯d never actually gossip about her. It¡¯s just because it¡¯s you, Manager Li. If it were someone else, we wouldn¡¯t even joke about it. They wouldn¡¯t be worthy to joke about Director He at all."


    After what happened last time, the two guys still really respected Li Yifei, so they didn¡¯t take his words lightly. As far as such matters were concerned, it was all just banter they shared with Li Yifei. After all, it¡¯s normal for men to talk about women when they are together.

 Chapter 682 - 720: That Man is Named Li Yifei

    Chapter 682: Chapter 720: That Man is Named Li YifeiBrother Hu¡¯s heart had been thumping these past few days; Heizi¡¯s sudden incident made him feel that the matter was all too strange. Given Heizi¡¯s many years of operating in Mile City, even if the things he dabbled in couldn¡¯t be openly associated with officials, he would surely be well-informed. If the police could have nabbed him so easily, he wouldn¡¯t have been in the mix for so many years. But now, they were saying he was caught just like that, with an abundance of evidence to boot.


    It wasn¡¯t unusual for a drug dealer to be caught, and Brother Hu knew that a guy like Heizi was bound to be arrested someday. That¡¯s why he kept well away from Heizi, firmly refusing to get involved with him.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for that incident that day, Brother Hu would have thought Heizi¡¯s arrest was business as usual. But Heizi had just clashed with Li Yifei, and then he was taken down. This made Brother Hu feel it must have something to do with that guy, Li Yifei.


    "Boss, we¡¯ve already thoroughly investigated that Li Yifei," someone started, "he used to work at the same company as Dreamfly¡¯s CEO, Xu Yingying, and then they came over here to start Dreamfly. At first, he was the Human Resources Manager at Dreamfly, and then he became the manager of the security department."


    A young man in his twenties, holding a file in his hand, stood in front of Brother Hu¡¯s desk and began to read from the material he held.


    "From our investigation at the Public Security Bureau, we found out that his parents died when he was young and then he served in the military. After returning, he worked in Mile City. As for interpersonal relationships, he¡¯s quite popular among his colleagues in the company and even has good relations with many beautiful women. There¡¯s a rumor in the company that his colleague Michelle is his girlfriend, but we found out that he¡¯s already married. His wife is... the CEO of Dreamfly Company, Xu Yingying."


    "Has this been kept a secret all along?" Brother Hu frowned slightly.


    "Yes, very few people know about it. We only found out through investigating his household registration that his wife is Xu Yingying."


    "Does he have any other relationships?"


    "We haven¡¯t found out anything else at the moment. If we¡¯re talking about background, Xu Yingying might be his most significant support."


    Brother Hu waved his hand, indicating for the young man to leave. He then lit a cigarette. He was a person with influence in Mile City. His wealth was growing and so were his contacts with officials. He was becoming increasingly keen on going legitimate, because only by going white could he sleep soundly. Otherwise, if the investigation reached him one day, he would surely be doomed.


    So most of his current ventures were legitimate businesses, though some still required his underworld clout to smooth things over. Hence, for the time being, he couldn¡¯t completely sever ties with the underworld. However, his official connections were now well established, so digging up Li Yifei¡¯s information shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    Still, these reports did not fully convince Brother Hu. A Li Yifei like that simply could not have touched Heizi, unless Li Yifei had an even more substantial background, or perhaps the whole thing was just a coincidence, with the authorities having long intended to act on Heizi and just so happening to do it at that time.


    If it were a coincidence, it would be fine, but if it were true, it would indicate how immense Li Yifei¡¯s power was, something certainly beyond Brother Hu¡¯s ability to handle. If he offended Li Yifei, it could potentially spell disaster.


    While mulling over this matter, there was a knock on the office door, causing Brother Hu to frown and say, "Come in."


    "Brother Hu, long time no see," a young man walked in, laughing heartily as he greeted him.


    Brother Hu recognized the person; it was Sunx Dongran from Tianli Group. With ample business dealings between them, Brother Hu naturally had many interactions with Sunx Dongran. He immediately stood up, smiled, and said, "Young Master Sunx, what wind has blown you my way?"


    Sunx Dongran took a seat on the sofa, saying, "The northeast wind, of course. Lately, the northeast wind has been blowing me all over."


    "Oh? Has Young Master Sunx encountered some trouble? You¡¯re not looking for me to step in and sort some matters for you, are you?" Brother Hu was quite astute and at this moment, he immediately picked up on the clue.


    A sinister look flashed across Sunx Dongran¡¯s face as he said, "I want you to help me cripple someone."


    Brother Hu inwardly frowned; he was already reluctant to engage in such activities, but with the many collaborations he had with Tianli Group, and nearly all his earnings relying on them, he didn¡¯t dare refuse. He promptly responded, "Young Master Sunx, just give the order. I need to see who dares to cross you. They¡¯re blind."


    Sunx Dongran snorted and said, "I truly hate this kid, I must put him in his grave, and I want him to die agonizingly, trembling with fear. He can¡¯t be killed off so easily."


    Brother Hu became curious at this point, yet he was slightly worried. Sunx Dongran was known to be very arrogant and never took others seriously. If the other party were easy to handle, Sunx Dongran would have dealt with him directly, likely with a nonchalant demeanor. His current hatred indicated that he¡¯d suffered a setback from the other party and couldn¡¯t solve it on his own. Engaging with such a person, who clearly had significant backing, was no laughing matter, even if one wished to curry favor with Sunx Dongran.


    "Young Master Sunx, is there anything in Mile City that you can¡¯t handle?"


    Grinding his teeth, Sunx Dongran said, "Damn it, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t handle it; it¡¯s just not convenient for me to show my hand. I¡¯ve set my sights on a woman, and that guy is her husband. If I confront him directly, that woman will end up hating me, which is why I want you to step in."


    Upon hearing this, Brother Hu felt somewhat relieved. In today¡¯s society, indeed many people were materialistic, but there were still some who believed in true love. It seemed that Sunx Dongran had encountered a woman not interested in his money, hence his frustration. Such matters were easier to handle. Smiling, he said, "I¡¯m telling you, Young Master Sunx, there are plenty of pretty young girls out there. What type do you not have access to?"


    "No, no, I¡¯ve had my eye on this chick for a long time, I have to have her, even if she¡¯s married."


    Brother Hu laughed and said, "Young Master Sunx, you¡¯ve changed your taste, haven¡¯t you? You used to go after young girls, and now you¡¯re into married women. But you¡¯re right, married women do have a certain taste and are certainly not like those clueless girls who don¡¯t know how to please a man."


    Grinning, Sunx Dongran said, "You¡¯re right about that."


    "Then tell me the guy¡¯s name, where he lives, and where he works, so I can make arrangements."


    "Sure, the guy¡¯s name is Li Yifei."


    "What?" Just as Brother Hu had been thinking about Li Yifei, Sunx Dongran suddenly mentioned the same name, prompting him to involuntarily exclaim in surprise.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Why did you yell like that?" Sunx Dongran was taken aback by Brother Hu¡¯s reaction and frowned at him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 683 - 721: Oblivious to Death

    Chapter 683: Chapter 721: Oblivious to DeathBrother Hu took a deep breath in secret, extinguished the cigarette in his hand, and pretended to shake his hand, saying, "Damn, I just accidentally burned my finger with the cigarette butt, that hurt like hell."


    Sun Dongran rolled his eyes and said, "I thought something had happened to you, you really scared me to death."


    Brother Hu chuckled and said, "It¡¯s nothing, go on."


    "Okay!" Sun Dongran, this guy, is just a hedonistic son of rich parents with no real schemes in mind. Brother Hu¡¯s act didn¡¯t make him sense anything amiss, and he continued, "That guy works at Dreamfly Company, now as a manager of the security department."


    Brother Hu asked with a grin, "Just a manager of the security department, his woman can¡¯t be much of a big shot, can she?"


    "You¡¯re wrong there," Sun Dongran grew even angrier as he spoke, "That guy¡¯s wife is Xu Yingying, the general manager of Dreamfly Company. The thing that pisses me off the most is that I have been pursuing Xu Yingying for a long time, but not only did she reject me, she even married some lousy security guard. Could it be that I¡¯m worse than a damned security guard?"


    At that moment, Brother Hu was a hundred percent certain that the Li Yifei mentioned by Sun Dongran was indeed the Li Yifei he had been worried about. Heizi offended Li Yifei and was immediately arrested, and it was a sure thing that he was done for. Now he was afraid that Li Yifei might come looking for trouble with him, and he was actively provoking Li Yifei, wasn¡¯t that seeking death?


    However, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Sun Dongran right now. If he said he couldn¡¯t provoke this Li Yifei, then Sun Dongran would probably cut off many business deals with him, which would be a considerable loss for him.


    For a moment, Brother Hu truly felt like a guy who had married a formidable wife with an equally tough mother at home. Every time the mother-in-law and the wife quarreled, he was the one caught in the middle, feeling frustrated.


    "Hey, Brother Hu, what are you thinking about? Did you hear what I said?" Sun Dongran poked Brother Hu, frowning.


    "Heard it, heard it," Brother Hu laughed, took a deep breath, and said, "I was just wondering, Young Master Sun, have you looked into this Li Yifei thoroughly?"


    "What for? Just a lousy security guard, and you¡¯re asking me to investigate?" Sun Dongran looked puzzledly at Brother Hu, feeling like he was being overly cautious.


    Brother Hu cleared his throat lightly and said, "Young Master Sun, this Li Yifei you¡¯re talking about, I¡¯ve seen him before. A few days ago, he had dinner in my restaurant and got into a conflict with a cousin of Heizi¡¯s, then Heizi brought a bunch of people, but they still didn¡¯t manage to do anything to Li Yifei. More than ten people went down, all beaten by Li Yifei."


    Sun Dongran¡¯s eyes widened, "Just him alone?"


    "Not alone, he had some accomplices, but... that¡¯s not the most important part. Young Master Sun, you should know what kind of person Heizi is. Do you think he would let it go so easily after losing face?"


    "Wasn¡¯t Heizi arrested? Otherwise, he would¡¯ve killed him. This guy really had dumb luck. But no, this time he messed with me, and he won¡¯t be so lucky. I¡¯ll make sure he dies a horrible death," Sun Dongran sneered.


    Huzi turned dark and patiently said, "Young Master Sun, don¡¯t you think this whole thing is very suspicious? Heizi had just had a conflict with him, and then gets arrested. I highly suspect it has something to do with him."


    Sun Dongran¡¯s eyes widened as he stared straight at Brother Hu. After a long while, he slapped Brother Hu on the shoulder forcefully and burst into great laughter, leaning back and forth as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.


    Brother Hu furrowed his brows but didn¡¯t stop Sun Dongran. A blockhead like him probably wouldn¡¯t easily make too many connections, let alone consider that there are people in this world who might not show off, but are actually really capable.


    After wiping away his tears, Sun Dongran finally managed to stop laughing, and after patting Brother Hu on the shoulder a few more times, he said, "Brother Hu... you really have quite the imagination. Are you saying that police station is owned by Li Yifei? And he can imprison anyone he wishes? It¡¯s definitely just a coincidence. If Li Yifei really had that kind of power, would his wife let him be just a manager at her company¡¯s security department?"


    The only doubt lingering in Brother Hu¡¯s heart was about the position Li Yifei currently held. He had seen unassuming types before. Some very influential people actually don¡¯t act as though the world doesn¡¯t know how powerful they are. Instead, they hide their true identity, not wanting to be disturbed by others. But as far as he investigated, Li Yifei, after retiring from the military, hadn¡¯t really made a big splash in Mile City. Being a small manager was the biggest title he had, which didn¡¯t seem like playing it cool but really being just that.


    "Also, think about it, why do so few people know that Li Yifei is Xu Yingying¡¯s husband? The reason is simple: because she¡¯s a company president, and Li Yifei is just a manager of the security department. It must be her doing behind the scenes. Otherwise, he¡¯s just a lowly security guard, and in no way do they match in any aspect. Although I don¡¯t know how they got together, what I¡¯m sure of is that Xu Yingying doesn¡¯t want outsiders to know her husband is Li Yifei because she herself thinks Li Yifei would embarrass her."


    Sun Dongran¡¯s analysis seemed quite reasonable, but Brother Hu, relying on years of experience, still felt that it wasn¡¯t so simple. He said, "So what you¡¯re implying is that this Li Yifei is just a nobody?"


    Sun Dongran immediately slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "He is indeed a nobody, just good at fighting. Damn it, if it weren¡¯t for that, I could easily send a few guys to finish him off. Would I even need Brother Hu to take action?"


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll look into it further. Young Master Sunx, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but you know the situation in the city is quite tense now. The crackdown on organized crime is very severe, so if we want to deal with someone, we need to be watertight. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, it will be very difficult for us to clean up the mess."


    Sun Dongran, though somewhat dissatisfied with Brother Hu¡¯s caution, still needed Brother Hu¡¯s men to take care of Li Yifei. At this point, he couldn¡¯t push too hard and simply responded, "Alright then, I¡¯ll await the good news from Brother Hu."


    Brother Hu laughed heartily and said, "Young Master Sunx, don¡¯t you trust me? When have I ever failed to handle a matter you¡¯ve entrusted to me?"


    Satisfied, Sun Dongran nodded and said, "Then I¡¯ll take my leave. The last kidnapping really scared the crap out of me. Tonight, I need to find a couple of girls to have some fun and shake off the bad luck."


    After seeing Sun Dongran off, Brother Hu sat down and thought it over carefully, feeling that the situation was still very dangerous. He had dealt with Li Yifei a few times and, with his influence, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with him. But he always found Li Yifei too dangerous, which is why he had been putting the matter on hold.


    Pulling out his phone, Brother Hu dialed a number. Once the call connected, he said, "Little Tang, look into Li Yifei for me again. I want details about everything he has been up to in Mile City, the more detailed, the better. And quickly."


    Li Yifei had no idea that Sun Dongran was still looking for trouble with him. For such a spoiled young master, Li Yifei didn¡¯t take him seriously, but when it came to handling such situations, he was deft. As long as these pampered young masters didn¡¯t come looking for him, he preferred to ignore them. But should they go too far, Li Yifei had plenty of ways to deal with them.


    Today, he was helping Ning Xin¡¯er move, joined by Xu Shanshan, who was currently assuming the identity of his wife, Xu Yingying.


    The place Xu Shanshan was moving to was not the same villa she had stayed in previously. It was located in the same community as Li Yifei, though not in the same building block. Moving for her was simply bringing some clothes Ning Xin¡¯er had brought over, as well as accompanying Ning Xin¡¯er to buy some necessary daily necessities. The house was fully furnished; the original owner hadn¡¯t moved in yet, but due to some issues, they had to sell it, which worked out perfectly for Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s purchase.


    "Yingying, as the boss of a company, you have so much to do. You really don¡¯t need to help with my move, do you?" Ning Xin¡¯er was displeased with Xu Shanshan being there, even though she saw her as Xu Yingying, and couldn¡¯t help but speak her mind.


    Imitating her sister¡¯s manner of speaking, Xu Shanshan replied, "How could I not? Aren¡¯t you Yifei¡¯s biological mother? Now that you¡¯re living here, if I don¡¯t offer my help, how could I justify it?"


    Xu Shanshan had previously imitated Xu Yingying so well that even Li Yifei had difficulty telling the difference, let alone Ning Xin¡¯er, who couldn¡¯t tell at all at the moment.


    Ning Xin¡¯er added, "What¡¯s there to justify? It¡¯s only a few things; Yifei and I will sort it out quickly. You should go back to the company."


    "Why are you so eager to get rid of me? Don¡¯t tell me you want to do something with Yifei?" Unlike Xu Yingying, who was more reserved in her speech, Xu Shanshan was blunt in her accusation.


    Glancing at Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er said with a smile, "What, are you worried?"


    "What do I have to worry about? I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be taken advantage of again. Yifei, this guy, he¡¯s not so honest lately. If something happens between you two and then you can¡¯t be together anymore, wouldn¡¯t that be another hurt to you?"


    With a smile blooming on her face, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "What disadvantage is there? Yifei and I have been there before ¡ª where do you think our daughter came from? Besides, it¡¯s not like you can stop it." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan smiled sweetly and said, "Look at you, making it sound so trivial. I¡¯m not that petty. He¡¯s my husband, after all. If he takes advantage, it¡¯s no different from taking advantage with me, right? Come on, let¡¯s get moving, or Yifei will be done with school soon."


    Ning Xin¡¯er shot Xu Shanshan a glance and said, "All you do is talk. Have you even lifted a finger to help?"


    At that moment, Li Yifei was at a loss for words. Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t really helped at all besides bickering with Ning Xin¡¯er. But he certainly didn¡¯t want to point that out ¡ª looking for trouble was the last thing he wanted. The present Xu Shanshan was even more vigilant over him than Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 684 - 722 A Little Excitement

    Chapter 684: Chapter 722 A Little ExcitementXu Yingying had to attend a banquet tonight, so she would come back late. Li Yifei helped Ning Xin¡¯er move house and then, together with Xu Shanshan and Ning Xin¡¯er, went to pick up Little Yifei.


    With so many people there to pick her up, Little Yifei was naturally very happy. She chattered nonstop with Ning Xin¡¯er and Xu Shanshan along the way.


    In the past, when Ning Xin¡¯er was with her daughter, although her daughter would talk to her, it was never so casual. At that time, she was like a proud little princess. Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t always be with her daughter, so when she was, she did her best to coax her daughter. As long as her daughter was happy, she would do anything, and that little couple, they dared not let Little Yifei be unhappy. Though she sensed that her daughter¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t healthy that way, there was nothing she could do.


    But now, when communicating with her daughter, she could feel that her daughter was no different from an ordinary girl. They could chat about kids in kindergarten, talk about playing with friends, and even the little disputes among them. That pure joy made Ning Xin¡¯er very delighted.


    Ning Xin¡¯er asked with a smile, "Yifei, how about staying with your godmother tonight? Godmother moved to a new house."


    Little Yifei tilted her head and said, "But I have to do homework?"


    "You can do it at godmother¡¯s house."


    "Is there anything fun at godmother¡¯s house?"


    "Yes, godmother¡¯s house has lots of interesting storybooks and some new toys."


    Ning Xin¡¯er had specially bought these things today so that her daughter could come over to stay in the future.


    Little Yifei immediately looked at Xu Shanshan and said, "Mom, can I go with godmother?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt a bit uncomfortable at this moment. This was her own daughter, yet she had to ask Xu Yingying before coming to her.


    Xu Shanshan smiled and said, "Of course you can, but we have to make sure to finish the homework. If you don¡¯t do it well, you won¡¯t get a little red flower."


    Little Yifei cheerfully said, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll do it well and get a little red flower."


    Li Yifei added, "Don¡¯t be naughty there, or else I¡¯ll smack your bottom when you come back."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately frowned and said, "How can you threaten to hit our daughter?"


    Little Yifei giggled and said, "Godmother, Daddy is just scaring me. Little Yifei isn¡¯t naughty. How could he hit me?"


    Only then did Ning Xin¡¯er relax. Her daughter was her precious one, and if Li Yifei dared to hit the child, she would indeed fight him.


    After bringing Little Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er to her home, Xu Shanshan linked her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s and walked back home.


    "Brother-in-law, tonight it¡¯s just the two of us," Xu Shanshan said, leaning her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, with a sweet expression.


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "Your sister will be back."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and said, "Even though she¡¯ll come back, before she does, wouldn¡¯t the house be our little world?"


    These words made Li Yifei feel a bit warm inside. He and Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but be together. Even though they agreed to keep it a secret, having their little world was still quite thrilling.


    "Brother-in-law, do you know how to make Western food?" Xu Shanshan asked excitedly.


    "I do, but I don¡¯t particularly like Western food. It feels bland, too little and I¡¯m not full, but too much and it doesn¡¯t feel like Western food."


    "Hehe, make a little less, and we don¡¯t have to be full. If we¡¯re hungry, we¡¯ll just eat something else. We can make some Western food, light some candles, and have a glass of red wine. It would be so romantic. Oh no, we don¡¯t have candles at home. Let¡¯s go buy some."


    The more Xu Shanshan spoke, the more excited she became, pulling Li Yifei along to buy candles. Li Yifei hurriedly stopped her and said, "Shanshan, if we do all this and your sister sees it when she comes back, what will it look like? Isn¡¯t that a giveaway?"


    Xu Shanshan paused and pouted, "I guess you¡¯re right." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Exactly, let¡¯s go home and make something tasty. If we want to drink, we¡¯ll have some. Isn¡¯t that nice too?"


    Though Xu Shanshan felt something was missing, she knew they couldn¡¯t go overboard. So she followed Li Yifei back home.


    Xu Shanshan was someone who knew how to have fun. Even though there was no candle-lit dinner, being alone with Li Yifei made her very happy. They made dinner together and put everything on the table. While eating, she could unabashedly look at Li Fei, then open her mouth and let Li Yifei feed her.


    "Brother-in-law, this feels great. If we could do this every day, it would be wonderful," Xu Shanshan said, slowly chewing the food Li Yifei fed her, appearing blissfully content.


    Looking into Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes, Li Yifei said, "I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Yes, it¡¯s indeed not possible. That¡¯s my sister, otherwise, I¡¯d have definitely taken you away, but now I can only watch."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t do anything about their situation. Being with Xu Shanshan was due to their special connection. Yet, Xu Shanshan¡¯s position meant she couldn¡¯t be like Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao. Xu Yingying might have temporarily accepted them, but with Xu Shanshan, it was something Xu Yingying absolutely couldn¡¯t accept.


    Just then, Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Alright, brother-in-law, I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad. I¡¯m just saying, right now I feel pretty good. We can still have our little world once in a while, don¡¯t we seem like a real couple?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s perspective pleased Li Yifei, who laughed and said, "Yes, it¡¯s quite like that."


    "It¡¯s not ¡¯like,¡¯ we are. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m your wife?" Xu Shanshan said, smiling sweetly at Li Yifei.


    Looking back at Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei also smiled and said, "You... are still my sister-in-law."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "Bad brother-in-law, we¡¯re like this, and you still won¡¯t admit it."


    Li Yifei winked and said, "In my heart, you¡¯re my sister-in-law. Being with you feels sinful, yet our actual relationship resembles that of a couple. Doesn¡¯t this sinful feeling make our relationship more exciting?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately burst into joyful laughter, then narrowed her eyes and said, "Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t we make tonight even more exciting, what do you think?"

 Chapter 685 - 723 Intimacy

    Chapter 685: Chapter 723 IntimacyLi Yifei and Xu Shanshan usually weren¡¯t exactly well-behaved when they played around, but what Xu Shanshan just said still had Li Yifei¡¯s blood boiling. This little sister-in-law, who was like a demon, always acted in such unexpected ways, which constantly brought Li Yifei endless freshness and excitement. At this moment, he looked at Xu Shanshan with shining eyes and said, "Shanshan, how else do you want to excite me?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, picked up a piece of rib, and placed it in her mouth, gently sucking the juice off the meat. Her little tongue flickered in and out, and she squinted her eyes without speaking, but her appearance became even more enticing and seductive.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart burned even hotter, and his mood for eating vanished. He said, "Shanshan, stop tempting me, brother-in-law really can¡¯t take it anymore."


    Xu Shanshan slowly finished the rib and then let out a soft laugh, saying, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so anxious. I can only describe you as being eager like a monkey; I¡¯m your little sister-in-law. It¡¯s not right for you to be so anxious about me."


    Li Yifei was caught between laughter and tears and said, "Then why are you tempting me?" "Brother-in-law... my sister is back," Xu Shanshan suddenly raised her head and stammered.


    But Li Yifei, being pinned down by Xu Shanshan, didn¡¯t hear what she said, and the feeling of being stuck in limbo was truly uncomfortable.


    "Brother-in-law... brother-in-law, my sister is back." Xu Shanshan suddenly slipped off Li Yifei, her face pale, devoid of any color. Usually, she was full of schemes and managed to turn the situation around several times when Xu Yingying caught her being intimate with Li Yifei. But this time, not even her clothes were in the room. Judging by the sound, her sister was already in the living room, and she couldn¡¯t get out even if she wanted to. She was really going to get caught by Xu Yingying on the bed this time, and she had no idea what to do.


    Li Yifei finally understood what Xu Shanshan was saying and also heard Xu Yingying¡¯s voice.


    "Honey, Shanshan, I¡¯m back. You two, finishing eating, didn¡¯t clean up, where did you run off to?"


    Hearing Xu Yingying finish her sentence, the sound of her footsteps was already approaching the bedroom, and Li Yifei was immediately alarmed. If Xu Yingying caught them in bed at this moment, it would be a huge problem. If it were Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, or even Chu Xiaoyao, or He Fangqing or Ning Xin¡¯er, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have been so scared. But now it was Xu Shanshan, and Li Yifei was truly afraid.


    Even if Xu Shanshan had that special kind of psychic connection, judging by what he knew of Xu Yingying now, she would never accept this situation. If she saw him and Xu Shanshan like this in bed, he couldn¡¯t even imagine her reaction. Her dearest husband and most beloved sister teaming up to deceive her¡ªeven if there was a reason¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.


    Li Yifei prided himself on his high alertness. Even if he were really engaging in such activities with someone, he should have been able to hear Xu Yingying opening the door. If he dealt with it then, he surely would have had time to quickly send Xu Shanshan out. But earlier, his ears were clamped shut by Xu Shanshan¡¯s legs, and he never expected Xu Yingying to come back so early, which resulted in the current situation.


    But now he didn¡¯t have time to brood. If he didn¡¯t navigate this crisis, it would truly be disastrous. Even though he had many women around him now, he still held Xu Yingying, his wife, in very high regard, genuinely wishing to spend a lifetime with her.


    "Brother-in-law... brother-in-law... What should we do?" Xu Shanshan clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her voice trembling¡ªa kind of panic Li Yifei had never seen before.


    Li Yifei glanced at the window, suddenly picked up Xu Shanshan, then swiftly grabbed the bed sheet to wrap around her, and dashed to the window. He pushed it open and sent Xu Shanshan out.


    Outside the window was the external unit of the air conditioner. Xu Shanshan stood on the small platform where the unit was, holding onto the air conditioner. She was temporarily safe, and since it was already dark, no one would see her even if she were outside the window. With a bedsheet around her, even if anyone did see, they wouldn¡¯t catch much.


    Even though Xu Shanshan was in a relatively dangerous spot, she felt at ease instantly. She quickly blinked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, go back. I can hold on."


    Li Yifei nodded, quickly shut the window, and then jumped onto the bed. He knew Xu Shanshan had always practiced dance, had excellent flexibility, and stamina, so holding out for ten or twenty minutes here wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Just then, the bedroom door swung open, and Xu Yingying walked in, dressed in her professional attire. Her face was slightly flushed¡ªit was obvious she had some drinks.


    "Honey, why are you lying down so early?" Xu Yingying went straight to the bedside, looking a bit worried. Li Yifei¡¯s constitution was always excellent, and he never had the habit of lying down so early.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s nothing, had some drinks with Shanshan and got a bit tired, so after a bath, I lay down."


    "You scared me, I thought you weren¡¯t feeling well. Where¡¯s Shanshan? Is she asleep?" Xu Yingying let out a sigh of relief, unbuttoning her clothes as she asked.


    Li Yifei yawned and replied, "She said she wanted to go out for a bit. I think she¡¯ll be back soon."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "That girl truly doesn¡¯t set anyone¡¯s mind at ease, going out so late. Aren¡¯t you supposed to keep an eye on her a bit?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I told you, Shanshan¡¯s the same age as you, yet you¡¯re always keeping such close tabs on her. She¡¯s got her own life. How can we be so strict? She should have her own social interactions too."


    "Isn¡¯t it her personality that¡¯s worrisome? If you don¡¯t watch her, she¡¯ll hang around with some dubious people. Don¡¯t you remember the kind of people she was with when you first met her?"


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her later. Honey, you should take a bath, so we can rest early."


    "It¡¯s still early, and I¡¯ve got some work to do."


    "Come on, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for ages, just waiting for you to come back. Hurry up, hurry up." Li Yifei said, lifting the quilt to reveal his bare body underneath.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red on the spot. Even though they¡¯d been married for over half a year, she still found it difficult to handle when Li Yifei teased her like this. She gave Li Yifei a reproachful glare, softly scolding, "You bad guy, get a few drinks in you, and you don¡¯t have pure thoughts."


    "Hehe, what can I say, my wife¡¯s so great that lying in bed, all I think about is you. Come on, I¡¯ve been waiting. If you still need to work, finish up later."


    Xu Yingying sputtered at Li Yifei with feigned annoyance and said, "Get lost. How could I work after spending time with you? Every time leaves me drained of energy."


    "Good wife, just treat it as taking a day off." Li Yifei gazed at Xu Yingying with anticipation.


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, looking helpless and said, "Alright, alright, you win." She took off her outerwear, hanging it in the wardrobe, and then grabbed a set of pajamas. She turned back to give Li Yifei one more reproving glance before bending down to give him a peck and said, "Wait for me, alright."


    Li Yifei returned her kiss, feeling calm now. As long as Xu Yingying went for a shower at this point, he could use the opportunity while she was in the shower to bring Xu Shanshan back inside, without anyone knowing.


    "Huh, what¡¯s that on your lips?" Xu Yingying was already getting up, but suddenly she peered down suspiciously at Li Yifei, her face full of doubt.

 Chapter 686 - 724: Xu Yingying Suddenly Returns

    Chapter 686: Chapter 724: Xu Yingying Suddenly Returns"Brother-in-law... I... My sister is back," Xu Shanshan suddenly lifted her head and stammered out.


    But at this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s head was trapped by Xu Shanshan and he couldn¡¯t hear anything she said, the awkwardness of being caught in the act was intensely uncomfortable.


    "Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law, my sister has returned," Xu Shanshan suddenly rolled off Li Yifei¡¯s body, her face already devoid of any color. Normally, she was cunning and had managed to talk her way out of being caught by Xu Yingying during intimate moments with Li Yifei on several occasions. However, this time her clothes weren¡¯t even in the room, and judging by the sounds, her sister was already in the living room. She was trapped, with absolutely no way out, and now she faced being caught in the act by Xu Yingying. At that moment, she was completely out of ideas.


    It was then that Li Yifei finally understood what Xu Shanshan was saying and also heard Xu Yingying¡¯s voice.


    "Husband, Shanshan, I¡¯m back. You two, after eating, didn¡¯t even bother to tidy up; where did you run off to?"


    As Li Yifei heard Xu Yingying finish her sentence, her footsteps were already approaching the bedroom, and he too was seized with panic. Getting caught by Xu Yingying in such a situation was a major problem. If it had been Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, or even He Fangqing, or Ning Xin¡¯er in bed with him, he wouldn¡¯t be so frightened. But it was Xu Shanshan, and Li Yifei was truly scared.


    Even if Xu Shanshan had that special kind of intuition, based on his understanding of Xu Yingying by now, she would absolutely not accept this situation. Li Yifei dared not even imagine her reaction to seeing him and Xu Shanshan like this in bed. Her most beloved husband and most cherished sister conspiring to deceive her¡ªno matter the reasoning, she would definitely be unable to bear it.


    Li Yifei always prided himself on his high level of vigilance; even in the midst of real intimate acts, he should have been able to hear Xu Yingying opening the door. Had he noticed then, he was sure he could have quickly ushered Xu Shanshan out in time, but his ears had been clamped by Xu Shanshan¡¯s legs just now, and he had not expected Xu Yingying to return so early, which had led to this predicament.


    But now he had no time for regrets. If he didn¡¯t navigate this dangerous situation successfully, everything would truly be disastrous. Li Yifei had many women around him, but he truly recognised Xu Yingying as his wife and indeed wanted to spend his life with her.


    "Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law... What should we do?" Xu Shanshan gripped Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her voice trembling. It was a panic Li Yifei had never seen in her before.


    Li Yifei glanced out the window, quickly lifted Xu Shanshan in his arms, wrapped her in a bedsheet in one smooth motion, sprinted to the window, pushed it open, and sent Xu Shanshan out.


    Outside the window was the air conditioner¡¯s external unit. Xu Shanshan stood on the small platform of the external unit, holding onto the air conditioner, safe for the moment. And as it was already dark, even if she was outside the window, nobody would see her, and with the bedsheet covering her, even if someone did, she wouldn¡¯t be exposed.


    Although Xu Shanshan was in a precarious place, her mind steadied at once. She quickly blinked at Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, hurry back, I can hold on."


    Li Yifei nodded, closed the window swiftly, and then leapt back onto the bed. He knew that Xu Shanshan, always practicing dance, had excellent flexibility and stamina. She could easily hold out for fifteen to twenty minutes in this situation.


    Right then, the bedroom door opened, and Xu Yingying walked in wearing a professional suit, her cheeks slightly flushed, obviously having had some drinks.


    "Husband, why did you go to bed so early?" Xu Yingying walked straight to the bedside, looking somewhat anxious. Li Yifei was known for his excellent health and never had the habit of going to bed so early.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "It¡¯s nothing, just had some drinks with Shanshan and felt a bit tired, so I lay down after the bath."


    "You gave me a scare. I thought you were not feeling well. Where¡¯s Shanshan? Is she asleep?" Xu Yingying heaved a sigh of relief, starting to unbutton her clothes as she inquired.


    Li Yifei yawned and said, "She said she wanted to go out for a bit, I guess she should be back soon."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "That girl, really a handful, still going out so late, and you don¡¯t keep a closer eye on her."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I¡¯m telling you, Shanshan is about the same age as you, but you always watch over her like this; she has her own life, too, how can we keep such a tight leash on her? She should have her own social interactions."


    "Isn¡¯t it because her personality isn¡¯t reassuring? If we don¡¯t watch her, she¡¯ll end up mixing with some questionable people again. Don¡¯t you remember the kind of people she hung out with when you first met her?"


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her later. Wife, go take a bath, let¡¯s get some rest early."


    "It¡¯s still so early, I¡¯ve got some things to do."


    "Come on, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for ages, just waiting for you to come back, go on, go on." Li Yifei said, lifting the blanket to reveal his bare body underneath.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red instantly; even though they had been married for over half a year, she still felt overwhelmed whenever Li Yifei flirted with her like this. She gave Li Yifei a glance, feigning annoyance and bashfully said, "You bad egg, having a drink and you¡¯re up to no good."


    "Hehe, who told me to have such a wonderful wife? I get into bed and all I can think about is you, hurry up, I¡¯m waiting for you. If you still have work to do, you can work after you¡¯re done."


    Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei and scolded, "Go away, after I¡¯m with you like that, how can I still work? Don¡¯t I always end up completely worn out by you?"


    "Good wife, just take a day off then," Li Yifei pleaded with hopeful eyes.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another glance, looking utterly helpless, and said, "Alright, alright, you¡¯re so tiresome." She took off her outerwear, hung it in the closet, then grabbed her pajamas, turned her head to give Li Yifei another glance, bent down to kiss him, and said, "Just wait for me."


    Li Yifei kissed her back and felt greatly relieved. As long as Xu Yingying took her bath now, he could take the opportunity to bring Xu Shanshan in while Xu Yingying was bathing; seamlessly, he could sneak Xu Shanshan back to her room without anyone noticing.


    "Eh, what¡¯s that on your mouth?" Xu Yingying had just got up, but then she bent down again to take a closer look at Li Yifei, her face full of suspicion.


    Some content has been deleted, so I can only make up the word count, otherwise, I can¡¯t edit it. I hope everyone understands!!!!!!! S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!! Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!


    Due to the deletion of some content, we can only pad the word count, otherwise we can¡¯t make any changes. We hope everyone understands!!!!!!

 Chapter 687 - 725 Trapped in the Room

    Chapter 687: Chapter 725 Trapped in the RoomLi Yifei was startled, but seeing that Xu Yingying looked somewhat puzzled and not angered in her gaze, he knew she didn¡¯t understand what it was. It seemed that though they had been married for quite some time, Xu Yingying had always been traditional, and therefore, she didn¡¯t recognize what it was.


    "Hehe..." Li Yifei casually wiped his lips, then chuckled softly, "I just had some juice outside and didn¡¯t clean up properly."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Really, you¡¯re grown up but still act like a child." Then she turned and walked out.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and listened as Xu Yingying entered the bathroom and then turned on the showerhead. He was just about to get up to bring Xu Shanshan inside.


    "Honey!" Just as Li Yifei opened the window, Xu Yingying called out.


    Li Yifei quickly asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Honey, come here," Xu Yingying called again.


    "What for?" Li Yifei peered towards Xu Shanshan, only to see that she seemed to be fine at the moment, even winking at Li Yifei. She was completely calm, in fact, somewhat excited, which made Li Yifei admire her. Even in such a situation, she remained in good spirits. His hand reached out to Xu Shanshan intending to pull her up first.


    "Will you come here already? If you don¡¯t, you might regret it," Xu Yingying¡¯s voice came again, laced with allure.


    Xu Shanshan, who was outside, could also hear Xu Yingying¡¯s words. She quickly whispered to Li Yifei, "Hurry up, I can get up myself."


    "Honey, what¡¯s taking you so long?" Now, even the sound of the bathroom door being pulled could be heard; Xu Yingying seemed to be coming out.


    Li Yifei was startled. Initially planning to assist Xu Shanshan, he no longer dared to when he saw her hand reach up; there shouldn¡¯t be any problems for her to get up on her own. He rushed to the bathroom entrance just as Xu Yingying opened the door, and he squeezed in immediately, so Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t come out and see Xu Shanshan.


    "What are you doing?" Xu Yingying looked reproachfully at Li Yifei, pouting her lips. It was rare for her to take the initiative to invite Li Yifei to shower with her, and yet he was dragging his feet, which was quite upsetting to her.


    Li Yifei grinned and embraced Xu Yingying, saying, "I wasn¡¯t doing anything. You called me, and here I am. It¡¯s a rare treat when my dear wife feels like having me join her for a shower, so of course, I have to enjoy it properly."


    Xu Yingying let herself be embraced by Li Yifei, and seeing his lustful expression, her displeasure instantly dissipated. She slapped him lightly and said, "You big lecher. We don¡¯t have much time together usually, so today I¡¯ll indulge you."


    Li Yifei immediately showed an excited expression and replied, "Thank you for the honor, my wife."


    Xu Yingying, feeling quite proud, lifted her head and stated, "Perform well, and I will certainly reward you more in the future."


    "Sure, I will definitely perform well," Li Yifei said, holding Xu Yingying under the showerhead and letting the water pour over them, now needing to get Xu Yingying quickly immersedin the experience so she wouldn¡¯t notice any noise from outside and give Xu Shanshan enough time.


    Although he was worried about Xu Shanshan, his wife Xu Yingying was still attractive enough to divert Li Yifei¡¯s attention, particularly because he had been abruptly interrupted with Xu Shanshan earlier and was now quite impatient himself.


    "Honey, shall we go back to the room?" Xu Yingying, muddled by Li Yifei¡¯s touch, could no longer resist, and feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the bathroom, she snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms and made this enticing proposal.


    Having been in the bathroom for about fifteen minutes, Xu Shanshan should be out of trouble by now, so Li Yifei did not refuse Xu Yingying¡¯s suggestion and carried her towards the bedroom.


    But the moment they entered the room, Li Yifei was startled to see Xu Shanshan crouching at the window. How come it had taken her so long to climb up? Xu Shanshan was equally astounded, gaping at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    Luckily, Xu Yingying had her head buried in Li Yifei¡¯s chest and didn¡¯t look towards the window. Li Yifei quickly turned off the light. Having just come from a well-lit place, even though the room wasn¡¯t entirely dark, it was hard to see anything.


    Just then, Xu Shanshan finally managed to crawl down from the window, and due to her haste, she collapsed onto the floor with a thud.


    "What was that noise?" Xu Yingying was startled and immediately turned her head to look towards the window.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "The wind blew the window open, I didn¡¯t close it properly." While speaking, he put Xu Yingying on the bed and quickly walked to the window, closing it with the flick of his hand.


    "Honey, why did I think I heard someone coming in just now?" Xu Yingying asked, a little nervous at this time.


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "There¡¯s no one. If there really was someone, they would be very unlucky. Don¡¯t forget, who your husband is. If it were some petty thief, I¡¯d throw them out of the window in a heartbeat." His gaze, however, drifted downward and he saw Xu Shanshan lying on the floor. He wasn¡¯t sure where she might have hurt herself, but now wasn¡¯t the time to ask, and he did worry a bit.


    Xu Yingying thought the same. Her husband was no ordinary man; he had transferred from special forces, where he had been protecting government officials before. If he said there was nothing to worry about, then there was nothing to worry about. She spoke coquettishly, "Honey..."


    That was a signal. Just as Li Yifei was about to get into bed, that girl Xu Shanshan dared to make mischief at such a time, which left Li Yifei amused and frustrated.


    But it also put Li Yifei¡¯s mind at ease, at least confirming that Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t hurt herself too badly.


    Not holding on for too long, Xu Shanshan just gave a gentle pinch before letting go, allowing Li Yifei to finally climb onto the bed and press Xu Yingying beneath him.


    "Honey, let me take care of you today," Xu Yingying said softly in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, holding him close.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart fluttered. "Wife, what¡¯s gotten into you today?" he asked with some confusion.


    Xu Yingying replied bashfully, "Today at the reception I chatted with a few female CEOs, and they gave me some advice."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Well then, it seems I should let you mingle with them more often."


    "You¡¯re awful!" Xu Yingying playfully hit him before suddenly twisting off the bed.


    "What are you doing?" Li Yifei asked urgently.


    "I¡¯m going to lock the door," Xu Yingying said as she walked towards the door.


    "Lock the door for what?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What if Shanshan comes back? It would be so awkward if she walked in on us." Xu Yingying spoke and went ahead to shut the bedroom door, even locking it.


    Li Yifei was suddenly speechless. Xu Yingying had shut the door, but how could Xu Shanshan get out now? You could unlock the door from inside the room, and the sound of this particular lock was quite loud. If Xu Shanshan tried to unlock it, Xu Yingying would definitely hear it. Now, Xu Shanshan was inadvertently locked in the room with them.


    Xu Yingying had locked the door, and, with her body bare, she came beside the bed. But instead of getting directly on the bed, she asked with a certain shyness, "Honey, do I look good?"


    "Gorgeous, my wife is truly beautiful." This was not just a compliment. Xu Yingying had a fantastic figure. Even though there might be some gap between her and a rare beauty like Su Mengxin, beauties like Su Mengxin were indeed too scarce. Xu Yingying was already extra exceptional.


    "Then you have to look at me more in the future, not always gazing at other people."


    "Mhm, you¡¯re my wife. Of course, I should look at you more often," Li Yifei replied, reaching out to embrace her. Glancing toward the window would easily reveal Xu Shanshan.


    "Ouch!" Xu Yingying let out a low cry and chided, "You¡¯re in such a rush."


    "Wife, I really am in a hurry, stop teasing me," Li Yifei said as he kissed Xu Yingying on the mouth, hoping to get her into the mood sooner.


    Xu Yingying, however, gently struggled free and teased back, "We agreed that I would take care of you, stay still and behave, or you¡¯ll miss this ¡¯shop¡¯ after passing this ¡¯village.¡¯"


    Just then, Li Yifei felt a sudden tickle on the sole of his foot, which made him change color, knowing it must be Xu Shanshan. That girl was too brazen, daring to play around even in such a moment.

 Chapter 688 - 726: Even the best plan may overlook something

    Chapter 688: Chapter 726: Even the best plan may overlook somethingXu Yingying must have had some drinks. When people drink, they get bolder, willing to do things they normally wouldn¡¯t. Coupled with her not wanting to lose to other women in this area, she was bolder than usual, lying on Li Yifei¡¯s body, her small mouth wandering slowly over his chest, making Li Yifei quite excited.


    They were husband and wife; everything they did was normal. Yet Xu Yingying, the legitimate wife, was too conservative in this regard. Li Yifei rarely enjoyed such stimulation from Xu Yingying, but because it was rare, it felt precious. For a man, it added more fulfillment and excitement.


    What was most thrilling was the presence of Xu Shanshan, the sister-in-law, hiding in the corner of the bed, occasionally daring to sneak a peek. Her audacity was beyond words.


    After a while of Xu Yingying¡¯s service, Li Yifei flipped over, pressing Xu Yingying beneath him, mounting his horse directly. Xu Yingying preferred this posture. Li Yifei¡¯s initiative and intensity sent her into a tempestuous sea, unable to control herself.


    To quickly tire Xu Yingying into sleep, Li Yifei¡¯s movements were quite fierce, bringing Xu Yingying wave after wave of pleasure. Meanwhile, Xu Shanshan was suffering bitterly.


    Although she could boldly peek at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s intimacy, as Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings intensified, she experienced the same sensations. Xu Yingying could cry out uninhibitedly, enjoying herself to the fullest, but Xu Shanshan dared not, especially in that setting. If she made any sound, Xu Yingying would surely hear.


    Thus, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t act out; she didn¡¯t even dare to sneak a peek anymore. She bit the bedsheet tightly, fearing she might accidentally make uncontrollable sounds.


    This only allowed her to suppress vocal noises, yet the intense sensations within her body made her rub her legs against each other, inadvertently hitting the bed frame, producing a thud.


    "What¡¯s that sound?" Xu Yingying was startled, pausing to ask.


    "I accidentally kicked the bed." Li Yifei quickly explained.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t suspect anything. She chalked it up to Li Yifei¡¯s intense movements accidentally bumping into something.


    After a short while, another thud came from the bed.


    Xu Yingying stopped her movements again, gave Li Yifei a stern glance, and said, "How are you being so careless, did you hurt your foot?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "It doesn¡¯t hurt. At this moment, nothing else matters but serving my wife."


    "I see no one¡¯s home, and you go crazy."


    "Exactly, exactly. With no Shanshan or the daughter at home, I can do whatever I want." Li Yifei could only take the blame for this.


    When such sounds occurred again, Xu Yingying paid them no mind. Since Li Yifei was so vigorous and his movements were so large, bumping into something was normal, and given Li Yifei¡¯s tough exterior, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t worry about him.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind, but Li Yifei was secretly alarmed. The first time it happened, Xu Shanshan did it accidentally. Subsequent times, she likely did it on purpose. The poor girl couldn¡¯t make a sound due to her discomfort, hence she exacted a small bit of revenge on Li Yifei.


    After tiring Xu Yingying into sleep, Li Yifei had done this before. The last time was on the yacht, when Xu Shanshan and Michelle hid in the wardrobe. He did it then too. If this pattern continued, Xu Yingying might realize that Li Yifei¡¯s vigor was due to hidden company. She would start suspecting every time he was so vigorous.


    Fortunately, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t notice anything. After several waves of pleasure, she was utterly exhausted. When Li Yifei got off her, all she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep, not wanting to do anything else.


    Women indeed have the stamina for continuous engagement. It seems they don¡¯t need to move, while the exertion is on the man. Yet, over time, even women can¡¯t take it. An approaching climax puts immense pressure on a woman¡¯s heart, particularly with continual waves of pleasure. It¡¯s not unheard of for women to suddenly collapse during such acts. Without arousal, it can be agony instead of enjoyment as if rubbing a wooden stick vigorously against your palm¡ªa painful sensation.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t move immediately, afraid Xu Yingying might wake if she was lightly asleep. After waiting a while longer, he gingerly rose, tiptoed to the door, carefully opened it, and peeked at the bed to ensure Xu Yingying was still, before signaling to Xu Shanshan.


    But Xu Shanshan lay on the floor, unmoving, which left Li Yifei speechless. He tiptoed over to her side, discovering the girl had also fallen asleep.


    Li Yifei quickly figured out the reason. He was able to tire Xu Yingying into instant sleep; Xu Shanshan, feeling the same, must have been quite exhausted. Moreover, she had to endure all that, likely more tired than Xu Yingying. Falling asleep was quite normal. Realizing that he alone could wear out both sisters until they fell asleep was indeed a source of pride for a man.


    Li Yifei cautiously picked Xu Shanshan up, delicately wrapping the sheet around her, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t catch on the door handle and open the door. He slowly moved towards the door. Even executing extremely dangerous tasks before hadn¡¯t required so much caution from him.


    Li Yifei was being extraordinarily careful. However, he was carrying a person, not an object, and a person has their own movements. As he passed by the door, Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand slipped and brushed against the door handle. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl only needed to graze it. Her hand unwittingly jerked, causing the door to creak loudly.


    Li Yifei froze instantly. Xu Shanshan was already waking in his arms, and Xu Yingying was probably waking too.

 Chapter 689 - 728: The Letter of Challenge

    Chapter 689: Chapter 728: The Letter of ChallengeNinghu Villa, situated in the residential area of Mile City, was not among the best due to its remote location. Despite having a decent environment, this villa community housed only a dozen or so vacation mansions for the wealthy. By now, it was already well into October. The weather had turned cooler, making it less than ideal for vacations, hence the area felt even more deserted.


    As Li Xinyue¡¯s car drove down the narrow road that allowed only one car at a time, it kicked up fallen leaves, adding to the desolate atmosphere.


    Following behind, Li Yifei was hugging Song Lianyao, puffing on a cigarette, looking quite content. Song Lianyao had just satisfied him, making Li Yifei feel a bit dissolute. After all, it wasn¡¯t common to do that kind of thing while riding in a car, especially with a beautiful woman glancing back at them from time to time.


    Neither Li Xinyue nor Song Lianyao had asked Li Yifei whom he was going to meet. They were just happy that he had asked for their company, which to them indicated that Li Yifei did not consider them outsiders.


    Li Yifei had called Brother Hu to inform him of their arrival. Brother Hu immediately gave the specific location of the mansion without coming out to meet them.


    Upon hearing the mansion number from Li Yifei, Li Xinyue headed straight there. When they neared the place, she promptly said, "This should be Brother Hu¡¯s villa, right?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You know him as well?"


    Li Xinyue replied, "I know of him, but we¡¯re not close. I used to like the villas here. I even came to check them out before. I know how much they sold for and to whom."


    "Well, if you two have no other plans, why don¡¯t you join me in meeting him?"


    Both Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue showed signs of happiness, though Song Lianyao carefully asked, "It won¡¯t cause any trouble for Brother Li if we tag along, will it?"


    "No, it won¡¯t. Let¡¯s go," Li Yifei said with a smile as he patted Song Lianyao¡¯s cheek.


    The car stopped in front of Brother Hu¡¯s villa. Li Yifei, with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, got out and saw that this mansion was set far apart from the others. Surrounded by shady trees, it exuded a particularly tranquil vibe. Had Li Yifei come alone, it likely would have been a bit of a hassle to find it.


    At this moment, Brother Hu came out to greet them but paused when he saw that Li Yifei had brought two beautiful women, both TV hosts, with him.


    Greeting them with a smile, Li Yifei said, "This is Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao from the TV station. Since they had nothing else to do, I brought them along for some fun. Brother Hu, you don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    "Mind? Of course not!" Brother Hu laughed heartily and ushered the three guests inside, though he was somewhat puzzled by Li Yifei¡¯s actions. Seeing Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao following Li Yifei reinforced his belief that if Li Yifei were just an ordinary man, he wouldn¡¯t be able to have such hostesses by his side. Such admired hostesses are typically kept by wealthy bosses and high-ranking officials.


    In the villa¡¯s living room, a variety of dried fruits were arranged, but aside from Brother Hu, there were no other people present.


    After inviting the guests to sit, Brother Hu opened a bottle of red wine and said, "Mr. Li, this ¡¯82 Lafite was something I came by with great effort. I, a rough man, really don¡¯t appreciate this stuff and feared wasting it. Since Mr. Li has come, let¡¯s enjoy it together."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were both a bit surprised. Lafite is world-famous, especially the ¡¯82 Lafite. But more than thirty years had passed since then, and there probably weren¡¯t many genuine bottles of ¡¯82 Lafite left in the world. Most of the so-called ¡¯82 Lafites were fakes, and considering Brother Hu took out what was likely a genuine bottle to entertain Li Yifei, it seemed he held Li Yifei in high regard. Perhaps Brother Hu also knew about Li Yifei¡¯s true identity?


    Li Yifei picked up his glass, gently swirled the wine, and took a sniff before lightly sipping it. He then savored it with narrowed eyes before remarking, "It really is an ¡¯82 Lafite, a fine one at that."


    Brother Hu laughed and said, "Mr. Li truly knows his stuff. It took me a lot of effort to get this bottle, and it was mostly for show." Inside, however, he felt even more respect for Li Yifei, thinking that being able to discern the authenticity of the wine after just a sip was a sign of someone with great taste, which further implied that Li Yifei was no ordinary person.


    "Come on, both of you try it," Li Yifei said to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. "These days, you can taste Lafite if you have the money, but this ¡¯82 Lafite is not something you can get just by having money."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao eagerly followed suit and tasted the wine.


    Throughout, Brother Hu observed Li Yifei along with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Seeing them sitting on either side of Li Yifei rather than together, it was clear that Li Yifei was the center of their attention. The women¡¯s gazes and their eager compliance to Li Yifei¡¯s words led him to believe these women might be Li Yifei¡¯s lovers.


    After taking a couple of drinks, Li Yifei said, "Brother Hu, you can speak freely. They¡¯re my women, not outsiders."


    At that moment, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were thrilled beyond words. Li Yifei had openly acknowledged their relationship in front of someone else, which meant more to them than any number of sweet nothings whispered in private. Had Brother Hu not been present, they would have truly wanted to throw themselves into Li Yifei¡¯s arms and deliver passionate kisses.


    Brother Hu let out a hearty laugh and said, "Mr. Li is indeed formidable, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase. A few days ago, Sun Dongran, the son of Manager Sun from Tianli Group, came to me and asked me to deal with Mr. Li."


    "Oh? And by telling me this, does that mean you don¡¯t wish to deal with me?" Li Yifei swirled his wine glass, asking with a smile.


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Brother Hu slowly said, "That¡¯s right. Heizi got on your bad side and was taken down immediately; I, Huzi, certainly don¡¯t think I can afford to provoke you."


    "By doing this, aren¡¯t you betraying Sun Dongran?" Li Yifei asked with a smile again.


    Brother Hu shook his head and replied, "My relationship with Sun Dongran is purely based on business interests; he is not my friend. He lacks practical sense. To stand against Mr. Li is simply courting death, and I, for one, intend to live a good, long life."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and asked, "Does Brother Hu think I¡¯m that difficult to provoke?"


    At this moment, Brother Hu¡¯s face broke into a smile and he responded, "I¡¯ve been in the mix for many years, and I do have some judgement. Although I can¡¯t tell just how strong Mr. Li really is, it¡¯s definitely not as simple as it appears on the surface. I¡¯d very much like to become friends with Mr. Li."


    Li Yifei took a sip of the red wine and said, "The friends I, Li Yifei, make do not involve business interests. If you, Brother Hu, wish to associate with me, we cannot speak of friendship."


    Brother Hu¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. If anyone else had said this, he would have acted by now, but coming from Li Yifei, despite feeling somewhat underestimated, it did not twist his guts; instead, it reaffirmed Li Yifei¡¯s strength, and he felt he was truly not qualified to be friends with Li Yifei.


    "Mr. Li, I know I¡¯m not qualified to be your friend, but in Mile City, I do have a certain foundation. If there¡¯s anything Mr. Li finds inconvenient to handle, you can leave it to me."


    Staring at Brother Hu, Li Yifei asked, "And what do you hope to gain from me in return?"


    Brother Hu gave a laugh and said, "If possible, I hope Mr. Li can ensure my safety."


    Li Yifei took out a cigarette and Li Xinyue immediately lit it for him. Her gaze was fervent as she watched Li Yifei¡ªwho at that moment emanated irresistible charm. An underworld boss was seeking Li Yifei¡¯s protection, an aura of command that wasn¡¯t common.


    "Alright, so long as you don¡¯t commit any offenses, I¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re not caught. As for any other troubles you bring upon yourself, that¡¯s outside my concern."


    Upon hearing this, Brother Hu was overjoyed. That was the assurance he needed. He hadn¡¯t exactly abstained from illegal activities in the past and, though recently engaging in legitimate business, who could guarantee he wouldn¡¯t be investigated one day? If his past deeds were ever brought up, he would certainly be in deep trouble.


    He leaned forward involuntarily, his tone becoming even more respectful as he said, "Mr. Li, your word is enough for me. From now on, whatever the matter, just command me, and I, Huzi, will be ready to serve."


    Li Yifei gave a light smile and replied, "That won¡¯t be necessary. I just need your intel. If anyone tries to harm my family, simply warn me ahead of time."


    Brother Hu immediately patted his chest and declared, "Absolutely no problem. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to protect your family 24/7, ensuring that no one dares to bother them."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "There¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯d just make them think they¡¯ve been targeted by criminals."


    "Then what should I do?" At that moment, Brother Hu was truly perplexed.


    Li Yifei waved his hand dismissively, "There¡¯s nothing for you to do right now. When I need you, I¡¯ll send for you; just follow the instructions you¡¯re given. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask you to do anything dangerous or expose you to risk."


    Brother Hu forced a dry laugh, "Alright, alright. But what about Sun Dongran? He¡¯s still waiting for my message."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "Tell him that you¡¯ll make your move tomorrow night."


    Brother Hu¡¯s eyes lit up, "Alright." He didn¡¯t yet understand how Li Yifei intended to handle Sun Dongran, but committing to his first collaboration with Li Yifei, he resolved to make a strong impression. After all, Sun Dongran was nothing compared to someone who could effortlessly take down Heizi. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for someone like Sun Dongran, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to stoop to his level, but people like him have one thing in common: they don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them. If you don¡¯t take care of them, they¡¯ll keep coming after you relentlessly and use any means necessary. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to ignore him; otherwise, Xu Yingying¡¯s safety would be in grave danger.

 Chapter 690 - 729 Meng Xiaofei’s Background

    Chapter 690: Chapter 729 Meng Xiaofei¡¯s BackgroundLi Yifei took Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao with him and left. Brother Hu saw them off to the car, watched them leave, and then stood in the yard without moving for a long time.


    This time, meeting with Li Yifei, he didn¡¯t ask how capable Li Yifei really was, nor did Li Yifei say; it was just a promise given to him. It seemed rather unreliable, yet, at this moment, Brother Hu believed it wholeheartedly, which made him feel a bit ridiculous but also very fortunate.


    The ridiculous part was how easily he was willing to trust someone now, and unconditionally at that. The fortunate part was that by believing Li Yifei¡¯s promise, he could let go of past worries and fully focus on expanding his business from now on.


    Although not a great tycoon now, he no longer lacked money. His social standing, despite ties to the underworld, made him quite a figure in Mile City. However, he was clear that positions gained through black associations were never lasting. Throughout Huaxia, many who thrived in the shadows once stood at their peak, yet eventually, they all fell, one way or another.


    To live well, he needed to find a strong backing. However, as the political circle in Huaxia became stricter, officials dared not have many dealings with someone like him involved in the underworld. Especially this time during the national holiday, when he tried to offer gifts to some leaders, they all refused and intended to sever ties, which made him nervous.


    He feared he had already been targeted, about to face consequences. Heizi¡¯s arrest made him even more jittery, causing restless nights and almost making him want to flee.


    Believing in Li Yifei, though somewhat out of desperation, stemmed from his interactions with Li Yifei. He¡¯d sensed that Li Yifei was far from simple, especially when given that promise; the confidence exuded was the main reason Brother Hu believed.


    Taking out his phone, Brother Hu dialed Sunx Dongran¡¯s number. The call connected quickly, and Sunx Dongran eagerly asked, "Brother Hu, is the matter settled?" S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brother Hu replied, "Not yet. I¡¯m planning to act tomorrow. Just notifying you now."


    "Act tomorrow, that¡¯s fine too. Damn it, call me when you¡¯ve got him tomorrow. I want to deal with him properly. Damn, he dared to compete for a woman with me. Does he really think I¡¯m easy to mess with?"


    At this moment, Brother Hu added, "Young Master Sunx, I saw two identical women by his side, not sure which is his wife."


    "Damn, mentioning this, I remember Xu Yingying has a twin sister. Last time, her sister messed with me. You¡¯d better bring both his sister-in-law and wife. I want to play with his wife and sister-in-law in front of him, haha!"


    Brother Hu chuckled, saying, "Alright, I¡¯ll start preparing right away. I¡¯ll make sure to satisfy you tomorrow."


    After hanging up, Brother Hu called Li Yifei and relayed his discussion with Sunx Dongran, adding the matter of Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, aiming to intensify the animosity between Sunx Dongran and Li Yifei. If Li Yifei dealt with Sunx Dongran, his relationship with Li Yifei would become closer, benefiting him, whether Li Yifei acted aggressively or not.


    Upon hearing Brother Hu¡¯s call, Li Yifei¡¯s face showed no expression, just a slight acknowledgment, then he hung up.


    At that moment, he was still in the car with Song Lianyao driving. Li Xinyue was sitting on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, facing him, and on the seat beside them lay a pair of black lace panties.


    During the call, Li Xinyue remained still. As soon as Li Yifei hung up, she started moving her body up and down. On the way there, she¡¯d been quite envious of Li Yifei and Song Lianyao¡¯s intimacy, and on the way back, it was her turn.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, faced with Brother Hu¡¯s flattering of Li Yifei, didn¡¯t care at all now. Brother Hu was no match for Li Yifei; not his distinguished background in the Capital City, nor his impressive capabilities. Brother Hu couldn¡¯t even compare to Li Yifei, who had solved such a terrifying matter on the cruise. What else could he not tackle?


    For the two, maintaining such a relationship with Li Yifei was already very satisfying. Who knew Li Yifei would publicly declare them as his women in front of Brother Hu? Even if it was just for show, it was enough to excite them beyond measure. At this moment, Li Xinyue was even more dedicated to serving Li Yifei, to express her gratitude.


    After a moment of passion, Li Xinyue carefully cleaned any traces off Li Yifei. They were willing to be the women behind Li Yifei, knowing he had a wife. They surely didn¡¯t want his wife to find any evidence on him upon returning home.


    Li Yifei was quite pleased with Li Xinyue¡¯s meticulousness. Stroking her cheek, he said, "Don¡¯t mention today¡¯s meeting with Brother Hu to anyone."


    Li Xinyue immediately replied, "I know, aren¡¯t you just a security manager at Dreamfly Company? How could you have any dealings with someone like Brother Hu?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. Conversing with smart people was straightforward; no need to over-explain, they already understood what to do.


    Returning home, the house was lively. Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying, along with Ning Xin¡¯er, Meng Xiaofei, and their daughter Little Yifei, were chatting in the living room.


    As Li Yifei came in, Xu Yingying promptly welcomed him, saying, "You¡¯re back so early? Have you eaten outside?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Just went to see a friend, talked for a bit, and came back."


    "We¡¯ve eaten. There¡¯s only some leftovers. I¡¯ll heat them for you to have a bite."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I¡¯ll handle it myself later. You continue chatting with them."


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, feeling envious. These few words might seem ordinary, but Ning Xin¡¯er sensed the tacit understanding of a married couple. Even though she had a daughter with Li Yifei, she never felt such a connection.


    Picking up his daughter and giving her a kiss, Li Yifei greeted Meng Xiaofei and Ning Xin¡¯er and then went to shower. After the recent intimacy with Li Xinyue in the car, although the external traces were cleaned, some scents lingered, so a shower was necessary.


    After showering, Xu Yingying had already heated the meal. Being unable to cook much, they¡¯d ordered takeout. Eating something ready was a luxury for Li Yifei.


    "Xiaofei, why don¡¯t you ever see yourself going home?" Xu Shanshan asked Meng Xiaofei at that time.


    Xu Yingying was also curious. Since they knew Meng Xiaofei, except for being with Yifei, she either returned to her rented place, whether her previous or current home.


    Biting into a shiny red apple, Meng Xiaofei replied unclearly, "I don¡¯t like going home."


    "Why not? Is it because you¡¯re pressured to marry once you return?" Xu Shanshan teased, knowing young people face similar issues of not wanting early marriage while parents are anxious for it.


    Meng Xiaofei pouted, saying, "My family wants me to marry someone I don¡¯t like, so I don¡¯t go back."


    "That sounds bothersome. But staying here doesn¡¯t let them find you?"


    "They can¡¯t find me. I¡¯ve been out for four years. They don¡¯t even know I¡¯m in Mile City, changed my number, and only occasionally call using a non-local card, haha." Meng Xiaofei delightedly shared.


    Xu Shanshan immediately asked, "Don¡¯t you miss your parents?"


    "No!" Meng Xiaofei replied firmly, then added, "We have many siblings, my presence isn¡¯t significant. Plus, they¡¯re busy with their own matters, hardly having time for me."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s answer puzzled Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan. While they faced parental pressure for marriage too, their ties with their parents remained strong. In contrast, Meng Xiaofei seemed to lack familial bonds.


    Ning Xin¡¯er chimed in, "Xiaofei¡¯s family must be quite well-off, right?"


    Meng Xiaofei bit into another piece of apple, saying, "Not particularly powerful, just running a small company. My parents circle that small company all day, hoping to wed me to the son of a bigger company¡¯s boss, without caring if I like him. All they see is profit, not this daughter of theirs."


    Xu Shanshan skeptically remarked, "Really? Maybe you misunderstand them?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er interjected, "These situations are common when companies reach a certain level, facing bottlenecks and needing partnerships. Marrying into another company is a great way, especially prevalent in our prominent families."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, "That¡¯s really discouraging. Luckily our family is ordinary, or I¡¯d become a scapegoat."


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled, "Then escape, see how I did and still live freely, especially since I¡¯ve met Brother Li and you all. Otherwise, my life would¡¯ve been miserable."


    Everyone laughed heartily. Such a carefree girl like Meng Xiaofei was too careless. Without care, she¡¯d surely lead a rough life. If she continued relying on Li Yifei for meals, she might depend on borrowing to survive otherwise.

 Chapter 691 - 730: Fate

    Chapter 691: Chapter 730: FateLi Yifei was most worried about Ning Xin¡¯er and Xu Yingying clashing, but today it seemed no such thing had happened. Although the two weren¡¯t particularly friendly, they maintained a good front, especially in front of their daughter, where both behaved especially well and didn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression on Little Yifei.


    It was well past eight o¡¯clock and Little Yifei should have been getting ready for bed, but Ning Xin¡¯er had yet to suggest leaving. Xu Yingying found it inconvenient to say anything, but Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t care for such formalities, saying, "Yifei, it¡¯s getting late. We should take a bath and go to bed."


    There were many people around today, and Little Yifei had a lot of fun, but she was still very obedient and agreed immediately.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "Let me help Yifei with her bath."


    Xu Shanshan said cheerfully, "No need, I can do it by myself."


    Although Ning Xin¡¯er clearly heard Xu Shanshan¡¯s refusal, she still said with a smile, "It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have an extra person, and I find it quite fun to bathe Little Yifei."


    Li Yifei shook his head slightly. Ning Xin¡¯er was now quite different from her former self in Beijing. She used to have a quick temper, ready to ignite at the slightest spark. If anyone had refused her like that, she would have flared up long ago, but now she could keep a calm face and smile, clearly much more mature than before.


    Such a Ning Xin¡¯er might not be as much of a headache for Li Yifei as before, but she was now more difficult to deal with. Before, she was at most a simple-minded tomboy, but now she had become a capable woman whose mentality had greatly improved.


    In the end, it was Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er who bathed Little Yifei together, and Xu Shanshan, puffing up with annoyance, sat down next to Li Yifei and said, "Brother-in-law, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s got a thick skin. I made it pretty clear, yet she¡¯s still here."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat. He couldn¡¯t really criticize Ning Xin¡¯er, and what she was doing was reasonable after all, considering Little Yifei was her daughter.


    "Don¡¯t be angry. Yifei is her daughter. It¡¯s already good enough that she can behave quietly. Would you rather have it like before, forcing me to be with her?"


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and said, "Although she doesn¡¯t say it outright like before, she definitely hasn¡¯t stopped wanting that. She¡¯s just switched from aboveboard to underhanded tactics, scheming to steal you away."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I¡¯m a living person, not an object. Can she really just snatch me away that easily?"


    Xu Shanshan touched her chin, giggling, and said, "That¡¯s true. Even if she is better, she¡¯s just one person, and we have two in our family. Besides, my sister has already agreed to Xiaoyao and Yiyi, so now four of you are serving you. You have a wife and concubines, and even a clandestine affair. For you men, shouldn¡¯t that be enough?"


    The wife here is Xu Yingying, the concubines are Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi, and the clandestine affair is naturally Xu Shanshan herself.


    For men, there¡¯s a saying that ¡¯a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret affair, and a secret affair is not as good as an unattainable one.¡¯ And now, Li Yifei had them all, so as a man, he really should be satisfied.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit embarrassed, with Xu Shanshan hitting the nail on the head, and he said, "Actually, I¡¯m really very satisfied, incredibly so."


    Xu Shanshan saw the embarrassed look on Li Yifei¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but giggle, saying, "Look at how pleased you are."


    After chatting idly for a while, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t make any excessive moves with Li Yifei. Last night had already been scary and thrilling enough, and with Ning Xin¡¯er present today, neither wanted to cause any trouble.


    After bathing Little Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er finally suggested leaving and looked at Li Yifei, saying, "Aren¡¯t you going to see me off?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately chimed in, "It¡¯s just a short distance; why bother seeing her off?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave a light smile and said, "Yifei and I happen to be heading the same direction. You¡¯re not worried that we would do something together, are you? Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take more than half an hour and I¡¯ll let Yifei come back."


    Since Ning Xin¡¯er put it that way, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t say much else and told Li Yifei, "Husband, go see Ning Xin¡¯er off." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei with mirthful eyes, saying, "Your wife gave the word, how can you not agree?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying and, receiving a nod of approval, said, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll see you off."


    Watching Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er leave, Xu Shanshan immediately pouted and said, "Sis, why did you let brother-in-law see her off?"


    Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "I want to keep an eye on him, but he has hands and feet. I can watch him when he¡¯s in front of me, but what about when I¡¯m not around? How could I possibly keep him in check then? So, in the end, it¡¯s all about his own sense of responsibility."


    Xu Shanshan said disdainfully, "Please, as if men have such self-control. Beauties ¨C men never think they have too many of those. Given the chance, they will always go for a taste."


    Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan with a smile at the corner of her mouth and said, "You seem to understand quite well. If you¡¯re so insightful, then find a boyfriend and show me."


    "I¡¯d rather not bother looking. Otherwise, I¡¯d end up like you, having to think about how to please my brother-in-law every day. It¡¯s so tiring. It¡¯s much more comfortable to be on my own."


    "But I¡¯ve found a lot of joy in it, something you can¡¯t experience on your own."


    "Okay, okay, stop pressuring me like you¡¯re my mom, pushing me to go on blind dates again."


    As the sisters bantered, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er had taken the elevator down to the ground floor. By now, it was dark outside, but the street lamps in the community and the lights on the buildings made the area far from dark. Many people were strolling on the paths in the community, and some children were frolicking on the lawns and by the ponds.


    Walking side by side with Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Would you walk with me for a while? Don¡¯t worry, I promise I¡¯ll let you go back within half an hour."


    Li Yifei smiled and nodded, "Of course."


    The two walked slowly along the path, neither speaking. After about four or five minutes, Ning Xin¡¯er finally spoke in a subdued tone, "I used to fantasize about having dinner with you, then taking a walk together with the children."


    "Oh? When was this?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er flipped her hair with a charming smile, "It was right after you left. I had that fantasy."


    Li Yifei asked with a slight laugh, "You were so wild back then, you had such a poetic imagination?"


    Unperturbed, Ning Xin¡¯er replied, "You only saw the wild side of me with you, but I wasn¡¯t that temperamental with others. Didn¡¯t you notice at the time?"


    After thinking for a moment, Li Yifei said, "Actually, you¡¯re right. I always thought you just disliked me."


    "At first I did dislike you, but later on, I began to find you more and more appealing. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t let go of my pride, so I kept being difficult with you. Deep down, though, I longed to have a romantic time with you. Who knew that once you left, I¡¯d never hear from you again."


    Picking a small flower gently, Ning Xin¡¯er brought it up to her nose to smell it, her posture graceful and her movements enchanting. This side of Ning Xin¡¯er had Li Yifei momentarily spellbound.


    "If I had let go of my pride back then and hadn¡¯t been so confrontational, maybe we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this, don¡¯t you think?" Turning her head, Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, "Xin¡¯er, even if you were like you are now, back then, I wouldn¡¯t have been with you."


    "Why not?" Ning Xin¡¯er frowned.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Back then, I was just a soldier, and you were already the darling of heaven. The gap between us was too great. Besides, I had someone else in my heart. At that time, all I could think about was my first love. There was no room for anyone else in my heart."


    "It was Ye Yunzhu, right? Then why didn¡¯t you marry her instead of Xu Yingying?" This was something Ning Xin¡¯er had always been sore about.


    Gazing into the distance, Li Yifei said slowly, "I guess it was fate. When I came back, I found her, but for some reason, we just couldn¡¯t come together. However, after Yingying and I got married, the tensions between us disappeared, and even her family no longer opposed us being together."


    Talking about this made Li Yifei feel somewhat helpless. After everything that had happened with Ye Yunzhu, and considering they were each other¡¯s first loves and still had feelings for each other, they should¡¯ve ended up together, but now they couldn¡¯t be together formally.


    Ning Xin¡¯er let out a deep sigh, "So, are you trying to tell me that we don¡¯t have that fate either?"


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and took a drag before saying, "Xin¡¯er, I really can¡¯t divorce Yingying now. It¡¯s a promise as a man, so please don¡¯t pressure me. Even if we can¡¯t be husband and wife, we still share a daughter."


    "Yes, we have a daughter together, and I should be content with that." Ning Xin¡¯er laughed at herself, then shook her head, "Alright, I won¡¯t pressure you anymore. Just think of me as a good friend."


    Li Yifei was somewhat taken aback by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words and didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Ning Xin¡¯er also looked at Li Yifei, then burst into laughter, her charm irresistible as she teased, "What¡¯s the matter? Are you uncomfortable when I¡¯m not clinging to you?"


    "Not at all. If you can really let go, then of course I¡¯m happy for you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance, "Let¡¯s not fool ourselves. I think you¡¯re just happy for yourself, now you won¡¯t have to worry about my affairs anymore."


    Li Yifei grinned awkwardly, "Anyway, I feel much more at ease interacting with you now."

 Chapter 692 - 731 Bait

    Chapter 692: Chapter 731 BaitSunx Dongran grew up never suffering losses at the hands of others. He was not an untouchable figure in Mile City; he knew who to avoid and never got into conflicts with them. However, this bastard Li Yifei, just a lowly security manager, dared to marry Xu Yingying, the woman Sunx fancied. The most infuriating part was that he had suffered a setback in front of Li Yifei once, which was utterly unbearable for him.


    Today, Sunx Dongran had been particularly excited all day. With Brother Hu in action, dealing with Li Yifei was a sure thing. Moreover, Brother Hu mentioned capturing Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan. This pair of twins was bound to be a delight. Imagining taunting them in front of Li Yifei filled him with an unspeakable sense of satisfaction and anticipation.


    By almost nine o¡¯clock in the evening, Brother Hu called. Sunx Dongran hurriedly answered, eagerly asking, "Brother Hu, how did it go?"


    Brother Hu apologized on the other end, saying, "Young Master Sunx, sorry, there¡¯s been a small hiccup."


    Sunx Dongran immediately frowned, "What happened?"


    "Xu Yingying had a meeting today, so she wasn¡¯t with Li Yifei. We only caught Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan."


    "No worries, no worries. Where are they now? I need to get there immediately." Sunx Dongran was a bit disappointed missing one, but he didn¡¯t really mind. As long as Li Yifei was caught and dealt with, his frustration would be relieved. As for Xu Yingying, there would be plenty of chances to deal with her later.


    "Come to the West River Wharf, at Warehouse No. 12."


    Sunx Dongran hung up the phone and drove straight to the West River Wharf. He hadn¡¯t told anyone about this; he wanted to see Li Yifei dead without complications from others finding out. Besides, with Brother Hu¡¯s group there, who could possibly harm him?


    He covered nearly fifty kilometers in less than twenty minutes, demonstrating his impatience. As soon as the car stopped, he jumped out, asking Brother Hu, who was smoking at the door, "Where are they?"


    Brother Hu chuckled, "Inside, tied up." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Great!" Sunx Dongran excitedly pumped his fist and rushed towards the warehouse. After a few steps, he paused, turned to Brother Hu, and said, "Brother Hu, stay here; I might need your help later."


    Brother Hu nodded, "Got it, leave it inside to you."


    Sunx Dongran reassured Brother Hu, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you down."


    Seeing Sunx Dongran enter, Brother Hu quickly closed the warehouse door. He didn¡¯t care what happened inside; the intended message had been delivered to Li Yifei.


    Entering the warehouse, Sunx Dongran¡¯s eyes squinted. Though it was dark outside, there was some light inside. Using the dim light, he soon saw two people tied to chairs: Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan looked exactly like her sister. Now that he had Xu Shanshan, he¡¯d toy with her as if it were Xu Yingying herself.


    Calming his excitement, Sunx Dongran stood in front of Li Yifei. Seeing him tied up securely, Sunx felt assured, squinting his eyes and grinning, "Li Yifei, didn¡¯t expect you to land in my hands, did you?"


    Li Yifei strained against his bonds, making the chair wobble and creak on the floor, startling Sunx Dongran into stepping back. If Li Yifei broke free, Sunx wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Seeing Li Yifei struggle without success, Sunx finally felt relieved, laughing, "If you¡¯re so tough, get up and hit me!"


    Li Yifei glared, growling, "Sunx Dongran, you bastard, what do you want?"


    "Haha... I warned you, mess with me and you won¡¯t get away with it. On the cruise, I couldn¡¯t do anything, but back in Mile City, you think I¡¯d let you go?"


    "Hmph, what can you do to me?" Li Yifei glared menacingly at Sunx Dongran.


    Sunx Dongran lit a cigarette, dragged a chair opposite Li Yifei, sat down leisurely, saying, "There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m afraid to do, especially when someone messes with the woman I desire. Do you know Xu Yingying was predetermined to be mine? You dared to interfere! Who the hell are you, just a lousy security guard, thinking you can compete with me for a woman? Aren¡¯t you courting death?"


    Growing angrier, Sunx Dongran smashed the cigarette on the ground, stomped it out, and sinisterly eyed Li Yifei, "You¡¯re in my hands now, guess what I¡¯ll do to you?"


    A flicker of panic crossed Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, "What do you want?"


    Sunx Dongran savored seeing such fear, grinning cruelly, "I¡¯m going to toy with your sister-in-law in front of you, then break every bone in your body, and finally toss you into the sea to feed the fish. After you die, I¡¯ll go for your wife, haha..."


    Li Yifei ground his teeth, snarling, "You dare? That¡¯s illegal."


    "Illegal?" Sunx Dongran laughed hysterically, as if he¡¯d heard the funniest joke in the world. After a moment, he said, "You¡¯re so naive. Laws mean nothing to me, Sunx Dongran. Killing you is like squashing an ant, who¡¯s going to stop me? I have money; there¡¯s nothing money can¡¯t fix. Besides, who would know if I killed you?"


    "You really intend to kill me?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing. He and Xu Shanshan allowed themselves to be tied up to see what Sunx Dongran planned, and now that Sunx was so audacious, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t let such a threat persist.


    Sunx Dongran laughed, "Exactly! But first, let¡¯s start with an appetizer. I¡¯ll take your sister-in-law first, heh, you probably haven¡¯t had her, right? Let me show you how she feels with someone else; I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it."


    Xu Shanshan, recognizing Sunx, was shocked at his depravity and couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Sunx Dongran, you scum, if you dare touch me, you¡¯re dead!"


    "Oh, let¡¯s see how you do that," Sunx Dongran laughed again but his laughter suddenly froze, his eyes filled with terror, staring dumbfounded at Li Yifei.

 Chapter 693 - 732: Turning into an Idiot

    Chapter 693: Chapter 732: Turning into an IdiotLi Yifei had already stood up by this time, the ropes that had bound him scattered at his feet, as he coldly watched Sunx Dongran.


    Suddenly, Sunx Dongran became acutely aware of the danger, reacting as fast as a startled rabbit. He turned and dashed toward the main door, shouting loudly as he ran, "Brother Hu, Brother Huke, that guy has broken free!"


    Li Yifei paid no attention to Sunx Dongran and instead pulled Xu Shanshan to her feet. With a flick of her arm, the ropes on her body also fell away. It was just a show, for how could she truly suffer the indignity of being tied up?


    "Brother-in-law, that scum is just too awful. You can¡¯t let him off," Xu Shanshan huffed, flicking her arm. Her life had always been joyful, and even when she had made some questionable friends in the past, among them were several who pursued her, but none had ever resorted to despicable means. In her mind, even if there were bad people, it was still a society of laws now, and those who recklessly disregarded other¡¯s lives were desperados. Little did she expect that someone as wealthy as Sunx Dongran could be like this.


    Li Yifei watched Sunx Dongran, who was banging on the door, and said, "Shanshan, there are many more bad people in this society than you can imagine. You must be even more cautious when you go out."


    This outing with Xu Shanshan carried a warning from Li Yifei; despite the young lady¡¯s many schemes, she was quite naive at heart and utterly unaware of the complex and murky aspects of society.


    "Brother-in-law, I understand," Xu Shanshan nodded. If it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei having Brother Hu defect ahead of time, she could have easily fallen into Sunx Dongran¡¯s hands. If Li Yifei had been too late, she shuddered to think what might have happened.


    Intending to open the door and flee, Sunx Dongran found to his dismay that it was locked from the outside. After exerting considerable effort without success, his shouts for Brother Hu went unanswered, driving him to the brink of madness. Yet even then, it didn¡¯t cross his mind that Brother Hu might have deliberately set him up; he simply assumed Brother Hu had stepped away and would return shortly. Turning back, he addressed Li Yifei with a mixture of bluster and underlying fear, "Li Yifei, don¡¯t get cocky. I¡¯m telling you, Brother Hu is outside, and he will come in and deal with you soon enough."


    Li Yifei sauntered over to Sunx Dongran and said, "Do you think Brother Hu can do anything to me?"


    "You... you... Brother Hu is a renowned boss in Mile City¡¯s underworld; if you dare touch me, he will surely kill your whole family."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened. He detested it most when his family was threatened, and now Sunx Dongran was still trying to intimidate him with such tactics, igniting even greater fury in Li Yifei¡¯s heart.


    "You won¡¯t live to see that. I¡¯m going to kill you right now." Li Yifei approached Sunx Dongran, swiftly grabbed his wrist with a light flick, dislocating it, and Sunx Dongran shrieked like a butchered pig.


    "Ahh! My hand is broken, my hand is broken! You dare break my hand; you¡¯re doomed, you¡¯re doomed, you¡¯re as good as dead."


    What is called a spoiled scion? Sunx Dongran, this second-generation heir, was the epitome of one. In his mind, no one dared to lay a finger on him. Even as Li Yifei dislocated his wrist, he continued to threaten him.


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to smash all my bones? Now I¡¯m doing to you what you intended to do to me." With a kick, he sent Sunx Dongran rolling across the floor like a tumbleweed, the pain from his dislocated wrist as his hand hit the ground was unbearable.


    It finally dawned on Sunx Dongran that he was in serious trouble. The excruciating pain in his hand made him realize Li Yifei was really capable of acting ruthlessly, a lawless man just like himself. No longer able to maintain his bravado, he fell to his knees weeping, and babbled, "Boss, boss, it¡¯s my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have offended you. Please let me go."


    Narrowing his eyes, Li Yifei looked at Sunx Dongran and asked, "Do you really think you were wrong?"


    Like a pecking chicken, Sunx Dongran¡¯s head bobbed vigorously as he hurriedly replied, "I truly realize my mistake. I won¡¯t bother you and Xu Yingying again. I¡¯ll walk the other way if I see you."


    Li Yifei snorted, "Really?"


    "Really, truly! Oh, and I can give you money, a lot of money. Just let me go. You know about our Tianli Group, we have assets of over a billion."


    "You just reminded me how wealthy your family is indeed."


    Hope flickered in Sunx Dongran¡¯s eyes as he said eagerly, "Yes, yes, if you do anything to me, you stand to gain nothing. But if you let me go, I will give you a lot of money. Isn¡¯t that better than anything else?"


    "Fine then. Give me twenty million, and I¡¯ll let you go," Li Yifei said indifferently.


    Overjoyed at hearing this, Sunx Dongran thought twenty million was a bargain for his life. Besides, this incident was a mishap. As long as he could leave safely this time, he vowed to get his revenge on Li Yifei later. He quickly affirmed, "No problem, no problem. I will transfer the money to you."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright, Brother Hu, open the door."


    The storeroom door was immediately opened, and at this moment, Sunx Dongran still hadn¡¯t realized that Brother Hu had opened the door as soon as Li Yifei asked. The moment the door opened, he rushed out and said to Brother Hu standing at the doorway, "Brother Hu, quickly finish this guy off."


    But Brother Hu didn¡¯t move an inch, which made Sunx Dongran very anxious and also extremely angry. He shouted, "I told you to finish him, did you hear me?"


    Brother Hu still had no response, while Li Yifei leisurely walked out.


    "Fuck, Brother Hu, just kill this kid and I¡¯ll give you ten million afterward," Sunx Dongran yelled again.


    Brother Hu couldn¡¯t help shaking his head, thinking Sunx Dongran was a complete idiot. He said, "Young Master Sunx, sorry, but I¡¯m Mr. Li¡¯s man."


    "What?" Sunx Dongran¡¯s eyes bulged like light bulbs, and after a long moment, he finally exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you mistaken? He¡¯s just a lousy security guard; how can you be his man?"


    Brother Hu smiled slightly without a word.


    At this point, Sunx Dongran finally understood, gritting his teeth and glaring at Brother Hu, he bellowed, "Fuck your mother, you betrayed me!"


    Brother Hu¡¯s face darkened as he said, "You only have yourself to blame for provoking someone you shouldn¡¯t have. Heizi messed with Mr. Li and got arrested immediately. You¡¯re just relying on your family¡¯s money; it¡¯s too much ignorance on your part."


    Upon hearing this, Sunx Dongran was even more shocked. Of course, he knew about Heizi getting caught, but it had never occurred to him that Heizi¡¯s arrest was connected to Li Yifei.


    He wanted to run away at this point, but he knew full well that it was simply impossible with his physical strength. With a thump, he knelt down again and pleaded with a pitiful face to Li Yifei, "Boss, boss, I was blind to Mt. Tai¡¯s greatness, I won¡¯t dare again."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It¡¯s too late. I hate those who target my family the most, especially scumbags like you."


    "I really won¡¯t dare again! Really, I won¡¯t!" Sunx Dongran knelt and crawled towards Li Yifei, pleading while crawling, and as he reached Li Yifei, his arms stretched out as if he was about to embrace Li Yifei¡¯s legs. But at that moment, he suddenly lunged at Xu Shanshan, who was beside Li Yifei, with a sharp knife in his hand.


    Xu Shanshan let out a sharp scream, but she had no chance to dodge and was completely unprepared for Sunx Dongran¡¯s sudden attack.


    At that instant, Sunx Dongran made the stupidest decision. He thought by holding Xu Shanshan hostage, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to him. What he didn¡¯t know was that if he hadn¡¯t done this, Li Yifei might have been less willing to be harsh, but now that he had done such a thing, how could Li Yifei let him off. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The incident happened so suddenly that Brother Hu was caught completely off guard. He couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud, instinctively rushing forward to stop Sunx Dongran, but he knew that it was too late.


    Sunx Dongran was about to pounce on Xu Shanshan, thinking that once he held the dagger to her, he would have nothing to fear. But he thought too highly of himself. Before he even touched Xu Shanshan, a large hand struck his forehead with swift force, and he knew nothing more as his body was kicked away by Li Yifei. When he hit the ground, he made no more movements.


    Brother Hu exhaled in relief and immediately said, "Mr. Li, I¡¯ll throw him into the sea."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No need, he¡¯s not dead. But in his next life, he¡¯ll be an idiot. Treat it as an accident and inform his family. Such trash, I don¡¯t even deign to kill him."


    Brother Hu agreed and respectfully escorted Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan out. He immediately checked Sunx Dongran¡¯s breath and found it still present. Internally, he felt a turmoil akin to stormy seas. After that palm strike from Li Yifei, which he said would leave the man an idiot, if he received the same, wouldn¡¯t he become an idiot too?


    Latter on, Brother Hu found out that after being admitted to the hospital, Sunx Dongran¡¯s life was saved, but he had indeed become an idiot. Although he wasn¡¯t vegetative¡ªable to walk¡ªhe didn¡¯t recognize anyone and just chuckled foolishly all day long. The people of Mile City lamented that the Sunx Nenghui had no successor.


    As for Brother Hu, because of this incident, his reverence for Li Yifei reached new heights. Before, he had thought about cooperating with Li Yifei; now, he was truly willing to risk his life for him.

 Chapter 694 - 733: Su Yiyi Helps Someone and Is Falsely Accused

    Chapter 694: Chapter 733: Su Yiyi Helps Someone and Is Falsely AccusedLi Yifei wasn¡¯t the same person he used to be, so he was more careful when it came to killing. Besides, with Xu Shanshan present, he didn¡¯t want to kill someone in front of her. That¡¯s why he had only severely damaged Sun Dongran¡¯s brain with a single palm strike.


    By doing this, Li Yifei¡¯s aim was to establish his authority in front of Brother Hu and to subdue this underling. Having a local snake like this at his service would save him a lot of trouble in the future.


    As for taking Xu Shanshan with him, he wanted her to be more cautious in the future. The girl was too wild at heart and often too careless. She needed a lesson to prevent future incidents.


    On the way back, Xu Shanshan was silent the entire ride while Li Yifei drove and asked with a smile, "Are you scared?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and said, "Such a bad person deserves to die even if he were to die. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not used to it."


    "Not used to what?" Li Yifei asked again.


    Xu Shanshan turned to look at Li Yifei, pouting her lips and said, "In my heart, you¡¯re always a very easy-going person. I can be disrespectful in front of you, and I can bully you freely. But just now, you were really dominant, and it made me feel very unfamiliar. If you¡¯re like that, I won¡¯t dare to bully you in the future."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily. After a while, he said, "Silly girl, that¡¯s just how I am towards bad people. In front of you, aren¡¯t I still that brother-in-law you can freely bully?"


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes glinted with laughter.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Of course it¡¯s true."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s great then. You¡¯ve said it now, you can¡¯t be harsh on me from now on. If you are, I won¡¯t be able to take it, and I¡¯ll be very sad and very upset."


    "I won¡¯t be, Shanshan. You¡¯re so adorable, I wouldn¡¯t have enough time in this life to love you, how could I be harsh on you?"


    Xu Shanshan smiled proudly and said, "I knew you were the best to me, brother-in-law. Oh, and why does Brother Hu act like your underling? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the biggest underworld leader in Mile City?"


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "Do I look like an underworld figure to you?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "You don¡¯t look like it, but isn¡¯t Brother Hu part of the underworld? And since he listens to you so much, doesn¡¯t that make you his boss?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "He listens to me just because I¡¯m stronger than he is, and he can¡¯t afford to offend me. All I want to do is live a good life with your sister and spend a lifetime with you all. I¡¯m not interested in other things. But since people keep causing trouble, I just have to find some people to deal with these matters."


    "So you mean, you took Brother Hu as your underling just to protect me and my sister?"


    "Yes."


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so cool!" Xu Shanshan cheered, blinked her eyes, and then asked, "So can I bring a few underlings with me when I go out in the future?"


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a look and said, "Do you think your sister wouldn¡¯t skin you alive if she saw that?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s forget about it then. I know I¡¯m pretty awesome as it is."


    The two of them chatted and laughed all the way home. They had gone out under the pretext of attending a gathering organized by Xu Shanshan¡¯s co-workers. Since it was late when they returned, Xu Yingying had been worried and let Li Yifei accompany her. Seeing that they hadn¡¯t been drinking, she praised them.


    The next day, while Li Yifei was at work in the office, a call from an unfamiliar number came to his mobile phone. Li Yifei casually answered, "Hello, who¡¯s this?"


    "Is this Brother Li Yifei?" A woman¡¯s voice came through, sounding young.


    "It¡¯s me. Who¡¯s this?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t recognize who it was.


    "I¡¯m Song Xiaoli, Yiyi¡¯s roommate."


    "Ah, Little Li, what¡¯s up?" Though Li Yifei knew who Song Xiaoli was, having dined with her before, there hadn¡¯t been any contact since then, which made today¡¯s call somewhat inexplicable.


    "It¡¯s about Yiyi. She¡¯s in trouble."


    "What? What happened to Yiyi?" Li Yifei immediately roared.


    Song Xiaoli on the other side was obviously startled and stammered, "Yesterday, Yiyi and I went out to play. We rode our bikes, and on the way back, we saw an old man fallen on the road. Yiyi wanted to help him, but I told her not to. She didn¡¯t listen to me and went to help anyway, and now someone is blaming her and insisting that Yiyi compensates them."


    Li Yifei let out a sigh of relief, as long as Yiyi wasn¡¯t hurt, that was what mattered. However, the thought of Su Yiyi doing a good deed only to be scammed in return, he feared that she must be feeling absolutely awful by now.


    At this point, Song Xiaoli added, "Yiyi didn¡¯t want you to worry, so she told me not to tell you, but we don¡¯t know how to handle this, and the other party is very aggressive. I could only tell you in secret."


    "Thank you. Where is Yiyi now? I¡¯ll be right there."


    "We are at the Second Hospital. Don¡¯t let on that I called you, otherwise Yiyi will blame me."


    "Mm, I know. I¡¯ll thank you properly later. I¡¯m on my way right now."


    Helping the elderly only to be falsely accused was something Su Yiyi had seen before. Last night, when she and Song Xiaoli went out and saw the old man lying on the ground, she hesitated. But as everyone else detoured around the old man, who was moaning and grimacing in pain, Yiyi decided to help.


    With Song Xiaoli as a witness and a surveillance camera not far above, she believed she could prove her innocence, so in the end, she helped the old man up.


    The old man wasn¡¯t confused at that time and kept thanking Yiyi. However, because the old man¡¯s leg was injured and he couldn¡¯t walk well, and his head was bleeding, Yiyi, wanting to do a good deed through to the end, took him to the Second Hospital and even covered some of the examination fees. Then, when the old man¡¯s family arrived, fearing they might be scammed, Song Xiaoli promptly dragged Yiyi away.


    Nothing happened overnight, and Yiyi felt good about doing a good deed, also believing that the scammers were just in the minority and most elderly wouldn¡¯t scam others.


    This morning, Yiyi received a call from a stranger claiming to be the old man¡¯s family, wanting to thank her at the hospital. Wanting to check on the old man again, she went to the hospital with Song Xiaoli.


    Inside the old man¡¯s hospital room, aside from him, there were four other people, two men and two women, all in their forties, all with very ugly expressions. As soon as Yiyi and Xiaoli entered, a middle-aged woman in red clothes immediately glared at Yiyi and shouted, "You girl, you hit someone! How come you only paid a little for the examination? My father¡¯s hospitalization fees alone have cost three thousand."


    "Hit someone?" Su Yiyi suddenly turned pale with astonishment and stammered, "I didn¡¯t hit anyone. I brought the old man to the hospital because I saw him fall."


    The woman glared and said viciously, "Who are you trying to fool? Would anyone dare to help if they hadn¡¯t hit someone? Besides, you brought him to the hospital. If you hadn¡¯t hit him, would you have gone out of your way to help?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yiyi felt a wave of injustice washing over her. She was certain that she hadn¡¯t caused the fall. Anxiously she replied, "I was really just doing a good deed. The old man knows the truth." All she needed was for the old man to confirm it wasn¡¯t her fault, and she looked at him pleadingly.


    At that moment, the old man lay in bed, looking at Yiyi. His lips moved slightly. A middle-aged man beside him, with a thick gold chain around his neck and a closely shaved head that gave an intimidating appearance, pushed the old man and asked, "Dad, take a good look. Is it this girl who hit you?"


    The old man closed his eyes and said weakly, "Yes, it was her that hit me."


    Yiyi was dumbfounded. Song Xiaoli became frantic, "Old man, please look carefully. We were the ones who helped you yesterday. How can you be so ungrateful?"


    Yiyi also said anxiously, "Yes, grandpa, take a good look. Yesterday you kept praising me, saying I had a kind heart. How can you say it was me who helped you today?"


    The middle-aged woman snorted, "You two stop putting on an act here. Do you think my father is senile? He deliberately said that yesterday to stop you from running away. Now that we¡¯re all here, of course, he can tell the truth."


    "Grandpa, you can¡¯t wrong me like this," Yiyi said, her tears flowing.


    The old man sighed deeply and said weakly, "It was you who hit me. You were riding a sky-blue bicycle."


    The man sitting by the bed said with a threatening tone, "Did you hear that? My father has confirmed it. Girl, pay the hospitalization fees first, then we can talk about compensation."


    Another man, clutching a briefcase and dressed in a suit as if a government official, with a stern face hummed, "You both look young. It would be best to have your parents come over."


    Having never encountered such a situation, Yiyi and Xiaoli, although they had read about such scams online, could not accept it happening to them. The sight of the four adults¡¯ imposing demeanor left them terrified and unsure of what to do.


    "It really wasn¡¯t me who hit him. I was just doing a good deed," Yiyi continued to argue for herself, but the four people refused to believe her. They spoke more rudely and became increasingly aggressive, making poor Yiyi feel so choked up with frustration that she even had thoughts of dying.

 Chapter 695 - 734: No More Evidence

    Chapter 695: Chapter 734: No More Evidence"Old man, please think about it, it really wasn¡¯t me who hit you." Su Yiyi was still trying to appeal to the elderly man¡¯s conscience, wiping her tears as she fell beside the bed, pleading with him.


    The old man was almost eighty years old, and it was unclear whether he was confused or simply trying to extort Su Yiyi when he said, "You¡¯re being too hard on the child. Look at how pitiful she is. It seems I¡¯m not seriously hurt."


    The man wearing the gold necklace immediately glared, "Dad, have you lost your mind? You¡¯re so old, and being hit like this, how could you take it lightly? If you end up bedridden, won¡¯t we have to take care of you? And don¡¯t you know how expensive the hospital is nowadays? From last night until now, we¡¯ve already spent over a thousand yuan. If we stay a few more days, who knows how much more it¡¯ll cost? This girl hit someone, she should be responsible."


    The old man suddenly fell silent, sighing deeply with his eyes closed.


    Song Xiaoli knew Su Yiyi¡¯s family didn¡¯t have money. If this issue wasn¡¯t resolved, a compensation would surely be demanded. Naturally, the person who could make decisions for Su Yiyi was her boyfriend Li Yifei. She quickly said, "Yiyi, call Li Yifei right away."


    But Su Yiyi immediately shook her head, "No, don¡¯t!"


    Song Xiaoli insisted anxiously, "We can¡¯t handle this ourselves, we have to get Li Yifei."


    "No, no, I can deal with it myself," Su Yiyi hurriedly stopped Song Xiaoli. If it had been before, she would have called Li Yifei, but now that Li Yifei was married to Xu Yingying, and Xu Yingying had treated her well, she didn¡¯t want to trouble Li Yifei or cause Xu Yingying to be angry with Li Yifei because of her.


    Song Xiaoli was so anxious she stomped her feet, "Li Yifei is your boyfriend. If something happens to you, who else would you turn to but him? What are you doing?"


    At that moment, Su Yiyi was being stubborn. Even if Xu Yingying knew about this matter, she wouldn¡¯t blame her, but she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to know. She urged, "Anyway, you¡¯re not allowed to contact him. I will handle this matter myself."


    The man wearing the gold necklace snorted, "Girl, I don¡¯t care who you call, but let me tell you, you won¡¯t solve this without paying compensation. Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Er Pi. Go ask around, there¡¯s nothing I say that can¡¯t be done. And my brother-in-law works at the Bureau of Commerce and Industry. We have clout in both the underworld and the overworld. If you¡¯re thinking of skipping out on this, you won¡¯t find a way out."


    Right then, Su Yiyi suddenly remembered something. She exhaled and said, "Whether I hit the old man or not, since we can¡¯t settle this clearly, we can report it to the police and let them handle it. The place where I helped the old man has a camera. Whether I hit him or not, the camera will provide clear evidence."


    Song Xiaoli also spoke out excitedly, "Yes, there is a camera there. You say we hit the old man, then let the camera speak."


    At that moment, Er Pi laughed slyly, "Alright, you two girls want to play it this way. Then let¡¯s proceed with official procedures. If you settle this privately, our old man stays in the hospital for a couple of days, you pay a few tens of thousands, and that¡¯s the end of it. If not, we¡¯ll stay put, and we¡¯ll see how much you end up spending in the end."


    Su Yiyi stood tall and said, "What¡¯s white is white, and what¡¯s black is black. If it¡¯s proven I hit someone, and you stay in the hospital for a lifetime, then I¡¯ll be responsible. But if you¡¯ve wrongly accused me, I¡¯ll demand an apology from you."


    Song Xiaoli¡¯s own energy surged as well, huffing, "Not just an apology¡ªwe¡¯ll also have you openly apologize to us in the newspaper and restore our reputation."


    The man with the satchel frowned at this moment; he had arrived later and had heard from his nephew that his father-in-law was hit. Regardless of who it was, whoever caused an accident had to take responsibility. But now, these two young girls were so confident, suggesting there might be a problem with this situation.


    The major concern was his nephew, Er Pi, who was generally up to no good, engaging in all sorts of scams. It would be in his character to falsely accuse someone. With the old father-in-law being old, relying on his son for support in his old age, he¡¯d have no choice but to say these uncomfortable things. Moreover, given his age, it was possible that he often got confused and could have mistaken someone.


    Just as he was considering clarifying things further before proceeding, Er Pi suddenly stood up with a whoosh and approached Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli aggressively, his intimidating demeanor causing them to retreat in fear.


    "You two girls really won¡¯t be convinced until you see the coffin. Fine, then you report the police right now. I¡¯m telling you, if you report and it can¡¯t be proven that you didn¡¯t hit someone, you won¡¯t get away without paying two hundred thousand. I won¡¯t let this go," Er Pi declared.


    Although Su Yiyi was a bit scared by Er Pi¡¯s threats, having been with Li Yifei for a while, she was no longer as timid as before. She clenched her small fists and shouted, "Fine, if it can¡¯t be proven, don¡¯t say two hundred thousand¡ªI¡¯ll even give you three hundred thousand."


    "The girl talks big. Well, go ahead and call the police," Er Pi said confidently.


    Song Xiaoli immediately took out her phone and called the police. Meanwhile, Er Pi went out briefly and returned with a grin, looking like he had Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli completely at his mercy.


    Both Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli felt uneasy at Er Pi¡¯s demeanor, and the more Song Xiaoli thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Claiming she needed to use the toilet, she dashed out and called Li Yifei.


    Shortly after Song Xiaoli returned, the police arrived. After asking about the situation, they said, "This matter should be handled by the traffic police department. However, I can still call to verify for you. If these two girls really didn¡¯t hit anyone, there¡¯s no need to file a case."


    The police made the call right in front of everyone. After stating the specific location, the traffic police department relayed information back. But then the policeman frowned, and after hanging up the phone, he told Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli, "The camera at the location you¡¯ve mentioned is broken, so it can¡¯t be proven that you didn¡¯t hit anyone. If you don¡¯t settle this privately, you¡¯ll have to file a case with the traffic police. However, it¡¯s best if you find some witnesses, otherwise you can¡¯t be cleared of suspicion." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli were stunned. The timing was too coincidental; how could the camera be broken? Now, they had no evidence to prove they hadn¡¯t hit the old man. Finding witnesses would be no easy task. "How is this possible... how is this possible..." Su Yiyi murmured to herself, utterly bewildered.

 Chapter 696 - 735 Forced to Compromise

    Chapter 696: Chapter 735 Forced to CompromiseEr Pi was now full of self-satisfaction, obviously the one behind the mischief; it was just a pity that Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli were too angry to notice.


    "You little girl, what have you got to say for yourselves now? You boasted big talk just earlier, saying you¡¯d pay three hundred thousand yuan."


    "I..." Su Yiyi opened her mouth, her face deathly pale, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.


    Song Xiaoli was somewhat brasher and knew that Li Yifei would come soon, so she gathered her senses and said, clenching her small fists, "We didn¡¯t hit anyone, so why should we pay you any money?"


    Er Pi pointed at the police and said, "You see, the police are right here. If you have any objections, go ahead and talk to them¡ªsee if a private settlement or a public one suits you better."


    The two policemen looked at Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli with sympathetic eyes; although they were unclear on the facts, the two girls naturally elicited sympathy. However, they were powerless in such matters, and one of them cleared his throat and said, "I think a private settlement would be better. You two kids should call your parents over."


    Su Yiyi, with tears welling up, said, "We didn¡¯t hit anyone, officer, we really didn¡¯t. We were doing a good deed."


    The two policemen sighed and said, "We can¡¯t handle this matter. If you don¡¯t agree to a private settlement, then a case should be filed with the Traffic Police Team, and they¡¯ll take care of it there." After saying this, the two policemen walked away.


    Su Yiyi suddenly felt as if she had lost her main support. She had thought the police would help clear up the truth, but they had left her with such a conclusion. She stood there, bewildered, her mind a complete blank, tears of injustice streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.


    At this moment, Er Pi grew even more confident, sitting with crossed legs and smoking a cigarette, he said, "You little girl, have you nothing to say now? Pay up."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said nothing.


    Impatient, Er Pi rolled his eyes and said, "Let me tell you, now that you know you¡¯re in college, if you don¡¯t pay up, then I¡¯ll go to your school and have a talk with your leaders. When the news spreads that you hit someone and won¡¯t pay, I doubt that will do you any good."


    "I didn¡¯t hit anyone," Su Yiyi uttered, her voice strained with difficulty.


    Er Pi snorted and said, "It¡¯s not for you to say whether you did or didn¡¯t. Now the police can¡¯t prove it, so it means you did it. Your quibbling is useless. Call your family quickly and let them know."


    Su Yiyi shook her head and said, "I didn¡¯t hit anyone."


    That was all Su Yiyi kept repeating, which was starting to irritate Er Pi. Suddenly, he slammed his hand on the bed, startling the old man lying there, making him shiver. The two women immediately scolded Er Pi, "Are you crazy, scaring Dad like that?"


    Er Pi let out a dry laugh and said, "I¡¯m just trying to get money for Dad. These two brats just won¡¯t pay, can I do this without being fierce?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then the woman who had been silent spoke to Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli, "Girls, we¡¯re not unreasonable. Now the responsibility will definitely fall on you. You have to pay for the medical expenses. Our father will stay in the hospital for a couple of days, and after he¡¯s discharged, you won¡¯t be held responsible anymore."


    The old man had a son and two daughters. The elder daughter was the fierce one whose husband worked at the Bureau of Commerce and Industry, the second daughter had a more amiable demeanor, and the son was the most scatterbrained. The one speaking now was his second daughter, Wang Lili.


    When Wang Lili first saw her father, she was told by her brother that he had been hit by someone, which made her quite angry. Her father was of an age where his arms and legs were already very frail, and a collision like this was extremely dangerous. Thankfully, the person who had hit him had managed to bring him to the hospital, which was some consolation.


    However, upon seeing Su Yiyi and Song Xiaoli and hearing what they said, she began to have doubts. But she had no sway over her brother and could only try to mediate in the hopes of settling the matter sooner rather than later.


    The elder daughter, however, was not so easy to speak with. She quickly cut off her younger sister, saying, "Second sister, what you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t right. Dad is old, and an accident like this is a big deal. Even if it doesn¡¯t look serious on the surface, future inconvenience in his legs and feet is inevitable, so how could we settle for just a little medical fee?"


    At this moment, Er Pi also glared at his elder sister and said, "Elder sister, stay out of this. Let me and big sister handle it."


    Su Yiyi took a deep breath and said, "You don¡¯t need to discuss it any further. Just tell me, how much do you want? I¡¯ll settle with you privately."


    Su Yiyi had made this decision out of desperation. The reports of similar incidents on the internet all ended with a financial settlement unless concrete evidence was found. But they couldn¡¯t find any evidence now, and it would ultimately come down to paying off the matter. Instead of prolonging the agony, she preferred to end it this way. She really didn¡¯t want to see these people anymore and just wished to leave as quickly as possible. Li Yifei¡¯s bank card, which she seldom used, was known to her to be very well-funded. Paying them off wouldn¡¯t make a difference to her financially, but the injustice was just too much to bear.


    Er Pi¡¯s eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with his elder sister, who then spoke, "Alright, since you girls are all so young and genuinely seem concerned, we won¡¯t ask too much of you. Just compensate us with fifty thousand yuan in total."


    After yesterday¡¯s examination, they all knew that the old man¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t serious. Staying in the hospital for a couple of days and resting at home for a few more would see him recovering well. Normally, a few thousand yuan would be sufficient. But they started with an exorbitant demand, ready to negotiate downward if needed. If they had started with a lower demand, they would have no room to maneuver later on.


    Unexpectedly, Su Yiyi readily agreed, "Okay, I¡¯ll give you the fifty thousand. Give me your account number, and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you."


    This sudden agreement shocked the entire family. They had judged Su Yiyi based on her ordinary clothes and the fact that she was a college student; they never expected her to agree so readily¡ªto offer fifty thousand yuan without even bargaining.


    The wheels in Er Pi¡¯s head quickly turned, and he immediately said, "Wait a second, the fifty thousand my sister mentioned is just for medical expenses. But he¡¯ll need nutritional supplements in the future, right? At his age, he can¡¯t just eat anything; he needs high-quality nourishment. Also, I¡¯ll have to stop working to take care of him since he¡¯ll have difficulty moving around after this, so you should be paying for my lost wages as well."


    Anger flashed in Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes as she asked, "How much money do you actually want?"


    Er Pi flipped his hand palm-up, looked at Su Yiyi with nervous anticipation, and said, "Another fifty thousand. A total of one hundred thousand. If you give us that amount, this matter will be settled, and we¡¯ll never bother you again."


    Song Xiaoli burst out angrily, "Are you robbing us?"


    Er Pi smirked darkly, "What I¡¯m asking for is reasonable. Don¡¯t believe me? Go ahead and ask around. If you don¡¯t want to settle privately, you can always follow the official procedures. We don¡¯t mind dragging this out. But in the end, you might end up paying even more. And since you¡¯re all college students, all this trouble could reflect poorly on you. If things go poorly and disrupt your studies, causing you to fail your courses, that would be even less worth it."


    Song Xiaoli was infuriated, "There¡¯s no way you need that much money. One hundred thousand? Really?"


    Er Pi adopted a ruffian¡¯s expression, "It¡¯s up to you. But without a hundred thousand, this matter won¡¯t be settled." He could tell Su Yiyi was probably wealthy since it was she who had suggested settling privately. So he clung to his demand, not believing she would refuse to pay.


    Er Pi was always a troublemaker, adept at extorting and deceiving others. Seeing that Su Yiyi appeared to have money and seemed na?ve about the world, he was confident she would agree to his terms.


    "You¡¯re asking for too much. We¡¯re just students. How can you demand so much money from us? Where can we find that kind of money to give you?" One hundred thousand yuan was an astronomical figure for Song Xiaoli; her monthly living allowance was just two thousand yuan, scrimped and saved by her parents to send to her. As for Su Yiyi, she used to be the one helping her out, and though now she had a boyfriend, her financial situation didn¡¯t seem much better. Where could she possibly come up with one hundred thousand yuan?


    At that moment, Wang Lili, Er Pi¡¯s elder sister, spoke up, "Let¡¯s just... "


    "Elder sister, don¡¯t play the good Samaritan here. Can you take care of Dad?" Er Pi¡¯s glare stopped his sister in her tracks as he suspected she was about to mess things up.


    Wang Lili immediately lost her fight. She was married and lived out of town. She had rushed back home overnight the previous evening, and her household was in no position to take care of their father. Pretending to be the good person now didn¡¯t give her much of a standing, so she just sighed and stayed silent.


    Su Yiyi took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from feeling too aggrieved and wanting to cry, but tears still uncontrollably streamed down her face. She fiercely wiped her eyes and said, "Fine, tell me the account number. I¡¯ll give you the money."


    "Yiyi!" Song Xiaoli quickly tugged at Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi shook her head vigorously, "Little Li, I don¡¯t want to see them anymore."


    "But... that¡¯s a lot of money..."


    "I have it!" Su Yiyi closed her eyes briefly and said, "First, write up an agreement stating that after this matter, it has nothing to do with us, and I¡¯ll transfer the money."


    "Alright, alright!" Er Pi and his sister quickly agreed, eager for the one hundred thousand yuan. They almost wished their father got hit more often.


    The agreement was swiftly prepared, and Er Pi said enthusiastically, "Let¡¯s go transfer the money now."


    Su Yiyi looked over the agreement, then turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, she saw two people: Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. Seeing them turned her face deathly pale, and she was at a loss for what to do.

 Chapter 697 - 736: Old Immortal

    Chapter 697: Chapter 736: Old ImmortalAs soon as Su Yiyi stopped in her tracks and looked back at the two people at the door, Er Pi felt trouble brewing. His face darkened as he said, "Are we going to deal with this or not?"


    Twisting the hem of her clothing, Su Yiyi lowered her head, not daring to look at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, and tears involuntarily began to flow again.


    Seeing Su Yiyi in such distress, Li Yifei felt an ache in his heart. He extended his arm and pulled Su Yiyi into a hug, softly saying, "Silly girl, why didn¡¯t you tell me if there was a problem?"


    "I... I... I really didn¡¯t hit anyone... Wah..." Su Yiyi had been holding it in until now, but when Li Yifei embraced her, she could no longer restrain herself and burst into tears.


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder and said, "I know, Brother Li knows, don¡¯t worry, no one can wrong you, not even God himself."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei speak like this, Er Pi¡¯s brows furrowed. He snorted and said, "Quite the bold claim there. This girl hit my dad, and we already agreed to settle privately. Do you have any objections to that?"


    By this time, Xu Yingying had already taken the agreement from Su Yiyi¡¯s hands. After looking it over, rage surged through her. Though Su Yiyi had been forced to agree, Xu Yingying regarded Su Yiyi as family, and it was intolerable that Su Yiyi should suffer such an indignity. A good deed was twisted into an accusation of hitting someone, with a demand for a hundred thousand yuan in compensation. Even if it had been a stranger involved, Xu Yingying would not have stood by idly. She stared coldly at Er Pi, and with two quick movements, she tore up the agreement, declaring, "We won¡¯t pay a single penny."


    Xu Yingying, who had been a business CEO for years, exuded a natural authority, amplified by her personal charisma. Enraged, her presence was even more daunting, and she stood there with an overwhelming dominance. Even the thug Er Pi was temporarily speechless in the face of her assertiveness.


    Not just Er Pi, but everyone else in the room was taken aback. As soon as Xu Yingying spoke, they could sense her extraordinariness and that she was not someone to be trifled with.


    "Who are you? What gives you the right to destroy the agreement we had?" Er Pi¡¯s older sister was the first to find her voice, although she, too, sounded less than confident.


    With a snort, Xu Yingying replied, "I¡¯m Yiyi¡¯s sister. I have the full authority to handle Yiyi¡¯s matters. If you think you can bully my sister, think again¡ªthere¡¯s no way that¡¯s happening!"


    Song Xiaoli watched Xu Yingying, dumbfounded. Not only was Xu Yingying beautiful and poised, she was vastly different from the students they were used to, clearly someone wealthy. When had Su Yiyi gotten such a sister?


    Er Pi quickly regained his composure, realizing that Su Yiyi¡¯s previous promises didn¡¯t count for anything now. To him, this woman seemed very formidable, but Er Pi was not intimidated. After all, it was Su Yiyi who had hit his father, and as long as he insisted it was her fault, they would have to compensate in the end, though perhaps not as much as originally demanded. He curled his lips in a disdainful sneer and said, "Fine, since you want to decide for her, my dad got hit by her, so you tell me how we¡¯re going to handle this."


    Xu Yingying swept a cold gaze over the few people present and said, "You say my sister hit him, then you¡¯d better bring out the evidence."


    Er Pi, confident, said, "My dad is the evidence. She hit my dad, and he saw it with his own eyes. There can¡¯t be a mistake."


    Xu Yingying turned towards the old man lying on the hospital bed and spoke indifferently, "Is that so?"


    The old man, meeting Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, felt as if she could see right through him. He hastily averted his eyes and struggled to speak.


    "Dad, you tell them, was it that girl who hit you?" Er Pi prodded his father who was lying in bed.


    The old man stammered, "Yes, yes, it was that girl who hit me."


    Xu Yingying let out a cold laugh and declared, "Well then, since you claim my sister hit him, let¡¯s say she did. But we simply will not pay, and you can do whatever you like about it."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s stance was resolutely firm. She knew that these swindlers were only after money. Now that she refused to pay, she wanted to see what else they could do. In Mile City, if Xu Yingying decided to take a stand, she truly did not believe there was anyone who could touch her. Things were different now with Su Mengxin¡¯s powerful support. Even the mayor and the Municipal Party Secretary were quite courteous around her, so there was hardly anyone else to fear, right?


    If Chu Xiaoyao had been there, she would have certainly exclaimed, "Sister Yingying is so badass!" At this moment, Xu Yingying had even earned silent praise from Li Yifei himself.


    Then, Er Pi¡¯s brother-in-law spoke up solemnly, "Lady, you are being completely unreasonable with your words. It¡¯s unheard of to hit someone and not offer compensation."


    With a cold smile, Xu Yingying responded, "And you¡¯re going to talk to me about reason?"


    Er Pi¡¯s brother-in-law cleared his throat and said, "We are just trying to reason with you. I am the Director of the Administration for Industry and Commerce of Qingping County. May I ask where you work?" He was trying to find out Xu Yingying¡¯s background first to avoid offending someone they couldn¡¯t afford to provoke. His little brother-in-law was a troublemaker who didn¡¯t mind offending people, but he himself had to work and was looking to advance.


    Xu Yingying was not going to fall for that, saying, "I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re some kind of director or not. Even if your bureau chief came here, hoping to make me pay, they wouldn¡¯t even have a chance."


    Er Pi¡¯s brother-in-law was startled; the woman in front of him spoke with such authority, she didn¡¯t even consider the bureau chief worth her concern. Could this woman be some high-ranking official from the city? But then he thought that apart from Ye Yunzhu, the young and beautiful Deputy County Head of Qingping County, there were no other young and beautiful officials. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s youth and attractiveness, coupled with her position as Deputy County Head, was already well-known in Mile City¡¯s official circles. If Xu Yingying were an official, the news would have spread, and there was no reason for him not to know.


    Since she wasn¡¯t an official, then she must be a businessperson. But he worked for the Administration for Industry and Commerce. Even the wealthy businesspeople had to be polite to them. With this in mind, he straightened his back and pretentiously said, "I am quite familiar with leaders from various sub-bureaus in the city. Don¡¯t be so absolute in your words; it might be inconvenient when we meet in the future."


    The more Xu Yingying listened, the angrier she became. This man was actually using his official position to intimidate her. But Xu Yingying conducted her business fairly and was not afraid of such villains. Her gaze intensified as she stared at Er Pi¡¯s brother-in-law and said, "Great, I¡¯ll remember you. I¡¯ll have a good chat with Mayor Ye about the Administration for Industry and Commerce in her county having such an arrogant office director."


    Er Pi¡¯s brother-in-law immediately felt nervous. Xu Yingying¡¯s tone clearly indicated she was familiar with Ye Yunzhu, the popular Deputy County Head. Although the Administration for Industry and Commerce operated autonymously and personnel matters were not managed by the district, they were still under the jurisdiction of Qingping County. If Ye Yunzhu spoke ill of him to the bureau chief, the chief would definitely care, complicating his prospects for promotion.


    This made him lose his confidence instantly, and he said with a forced smile, "Let¡¯s talk this over nicely, just talk it over nicely."


    Er Pi¡¯s mouth twitched. He was not afraid of that, and angrily said, "Are you trying to defy me? You have no idea who I am, Er Pi. If you want to cross me, you¡¯ll have to wait. I¡¯m telling you if you don¡¯t compensate, then I¡¯ll make a scene at this girl¡¯s school every day and see if she can still study properly."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly. She was not afraid of these people looking for connections, as she could settle matters with any department, but dealing with someone as brazen as Er Pi left her at a loss.


    At that moment, Li Yifei gently patted Su Yiyi¡¯s back and then let go of her. Su Yiyi stood up straight and opened her mouth to speak, but Li Yifei had already said, "It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll handle this; you don¡¯t need to be upset anymore."


    Then he stood by Xu Yingying¡¯s side and looked toward that Er Pi.


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Er Pi seemed as if a fierce, man-eating beast had fixed its eyes on him. His heart tightened again and again, and he involuntarily stepped back, barking defensively, "What, you want to fight or what? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not scared of that. I could make one phone call, and dozens of brothers would show up."


    Li Yifei ignored Er Pi and walked straight to the old man¡¯s bedside. Er Pi was pushed back step by step by Li Yifei¡¯s advance until Li Yifei reached the bedside.


    Li Yifei sat down at the bedside, looked at the old man, and slowly said, "Are you sure she was the one who hit you?"


    The old man, now quite scared, still trembled, "Yes... she hit me." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded and asked, "Where did she hit you?"


    "She... she hit my waist."


    Li Yifei asked further, "And where did you get hurt?"


    "As soon as she hit me, I fell to the ground. My leg twisted, my arm got hit, and my head bumped into something too. Now... my whole body aches."


    Li Yifei looked at the old man and crooked his mouth, saying, "Old man, do you know there¡¯s a term for people like you?"


    "What?" The old man dared not meet Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    "Trouble... maker!" Li Yifei squeezed out three words between his teeth.


    "How can you curse at someone!" The old man¡¯s two daughters and Er Pi all shouted.


    Li Yifei stood up abruptly, grinding his teeth as he said, "It¡¯s just this sort of scum of an old man who causes trouble. Someone clearly helped you, and you repay it by framing them. Extorting people, claiming they hit you. It¡¯s people like you who lead society to moral decay, who discourage those who do good deeds. Calling you ¡¯troublemaker¡¯ is almost respectful towards you. You¡¯re nothing but a pile of shit, a piece of trash. If you leave the hospital now, I will personally hit you for real, so you can go to Yama and stop harming people here."

 Chapter 698 - 737: Scolding Furiously

    Chapter 698: Chapter 737: Scolding Furiouslyfre§×webnovel.comSong Xiaoli felt incredibly vindicated when she heard this; she had actually wanted to curse at people for a long time, but as a girl, she feared being beaten after scolding others. Now, Li Yifei¡¯s cursing was exactly what she had in her heart.


    Li Yifei scolding an old man like that seemed a bit too much, but Xu Yingying felt equally relieved. To respect the elderly, the elderly must have something worthy of respect. This old man, for whatever reason, was shamelessly swindling a kind-hearted girl like Su Yiyi; that was simply unforgivable, and he deserved to be scolded.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. Li Yifei shouted loudly, "How have you lived to this age? Has your conscience been eaten by a dog? By doing this, you¡¯re making a young girl afraid to ever do a good deed again. Can you sleep peacefully at night? Can your conscience be at ease when you spend the compensation money? Even if you die, how can you face your ancestors? No matter if you¡¯re alive or dead, you will suffer this torment in your heart every day. Tell me, have all the years of your life been a waste, feeding a dog? Don¡¯t you want to accumulate some blessings for your descendants?"


    "Shut up! Shut up!" the old man¡¯s two daughters were filled with righteous indignation at this point and angrily tried to stop Li Yifei.


    Er Pi was even more furious, swinging his arm to hit Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei reached out and grabbed Er Pi¡¯s wrist, twisted it, and Er Pi bent over in pain. With a quick move of his foot, Li Yifei knocked Er Pi down and stepped on his back, making it impossible for him to struggle to his feet.


    "And you, you¡¯re also someone else¡¯s children. You have your own kids, one day you too will be old, one day you too will have trouble walking. I believe that when that day comes, if you fall down in the street, there won¡¯t be a single person who will help you. Then, when you cry out and no one listens, you¡¯ll know what retribution is."


    "People like you are nothing but trash in this world. Aren¡¯t you some leader from the Bureau of Commerce and Industry? I¡¯m telling you now, don¡¯t even think about getting promoted¡ªin fact, tomorrow that pathetic Director position will be taken from you. And you, you think just because you¡¯re a thug, that¡¯s something? I¡¯ll show you what a real thug is like."


    Li Yifei berated them yet again, and with such an imposing manner, he left the old man and his children alternating between shades of pale and green.


    Li Yifei let go of Er Pi, snorted coldly, and said, "The harm you caused Yiyi today, I¡¯ll make sure to repay it twofold. You old coot, you want to swindle people? I¡¯ll let you see what the consequences of swindling are. I¡¯ll make you pay dearly, let¡¯s go!"


    After Li Yifei spoke, he wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi and started walking out. Xu Yingying watched the family with a cold gaze and said, "You better watch yourselves."


    Xu Yingying knew that Su Yiyi had always been like Li Yifei¡¯s forbidden fruit; she probably wasn¡¯t as important to Li Yifei as Su Yiyi. Otherwise, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have emphasized before marrying her that he wouldn¡¯t cut ties with Su Yiyi. Li Yifei had never been so resolute towards a woman before her, and now that these people had bullied Li Yifei, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    And with Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, Xu Yingying believed that he could do as he said; the Office Director of the Bureau of Commerce and Industry would surely be taken down, and Er Pi would probably end up very miserable.


    "You fucker even dare to hit people; kiddo, you wait. This time it¡¯s not just a hundred thousand. If you don¡¯t cough up five hundred thousand, I won¡¯t let you off," Er Pi said furiously as he got up and raged around the room. But he didn¡¯t have the courage to settle scores with Li Yifei, because to him, Li Yifei¡¯s methods screamed of the underworld, and underworld people are not to be trifled with; he would suffer if he tried to be tough.


    Song Xiaoli waved her fists at the family and said fiercely, "Hmph, you got what you deserved this time." She then turned and followed Li Yifei and the others out.


    When they left the hospital, everyone got into the car. Li Yifei sat in front, with Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi in the back, and Song Xiaoli next to Li Yifei.


    With Song Xiaoli there, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t feel it was right to say much. Li Yifei said to Song Xiaoli, "Little Li, thank you."


    Song Xiaoli was in a particularly good mood at this time, having finally vented her frustration. She grinned and said, "Just treat me to a meal later."


    "No problem, where are you going now? I¡¯ll take you first. Yiyi isn¡¯t going back to school tonight."


    Song Xiaoli blinked and said, "Okay, then take me back to school."


    After dropping Song Xiaoli off, Xu Yingying finally said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, how could you not tell me and Yifei about such a thing? How could you suffer so much."


    At Xu Yingying¡¯s words, Su Yiyi felt an indescribable touch of emotion, her eyes reddening with a guilty expression, "Sister Yingying, I¡¯m so sorry. I was afraid that if I contacted Brother Li, you would be unhappy."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit sour inside; a girl like Su Yiyi was truly rare, always considering Li Yifei. This was no wonder Li Yifei liked her so much. And a girl like that was no threat to her, even if she were with Li Yifei. She would only respect her and not snatch Li Yifei away from her. She gently wrapped her arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder and softly said, "Silly girl, since I¡¯ve agreed to you, I¡¯ve never treated you as an outsider. In the future, don¡¯t do that¡ªwhatever happens, just go straight to Yifei. If he¡¯s not available, you come directly to me."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s lips quivered a few times, and tears started flowing again.


    Xu Yingying pulled out a tissue and wiped away Su Yiyi¡¯s tears, scolding, "Look at you, crying again. Yifei is here, otherwise, someone might think I¡¯m bullying you."


    "No, no!" Su Yiyi shook her head repeatedly, excitedly saying, "Sister Yingying, you are really too good to me."


    Xu Yingying smiled warmly, with a touch of distress, "A girl like you, I like you so much, let alone a big man like Yifei. Don¡¯t worry, you can come home often in the future. If our room isn¡¯t convenient, there are still Mengxin¡¯s and Xiaofei¡¯s houses. If you wish, you can come back every day; my daughter likes you a lot too."


    Blushing, Su Yiyi spoke softly, "I know." She could sense Xu Yingying¡¯s sincerity, and it was this sincerity that had eased a lot of the grievances she felt from being bullied just before. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, Yifei, can you take me back to the company? Then you bring Yiyi home with you." It wasn¡¯t even noon yet, and Xu Yingying still needed to get to the office.


    Li Yifei agreed and drove Xu Yingying to her company, then took Su Yiyi home.


    Although Su Yiyi¡¯s mood had improved quite a bit, the fact that she had been extorted after doing a good deed left a knot in her heart that was not easily untangled.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want Su Yiyi to bear such a burden any longer, so he looked for a topic, saying, "Yiyi, do you know? Today, after I answered Little Li¡¯s phone call, I bumped into your Sister Yingying as soon as I stepped out."


    Upon hearing this, Su Yiyi was immediately intrigued, "What did Sister Yingying say?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "I told Yingying about your situation, and as soon as she heard it, she was on fire. She insisted on going with me to stand up for you. She said our family¡¯s people absolutely cannot be bullied by others."


    Shockingly, Su Yiyi opened her mouth wide, saying, "Sister Yingying... really said that?"


    Li Yifei nodded earnestly, "Of course it¡¯s true. Didn¡¯t you see how angry Yingying was back at the hospital?"


    "Then... does Sister Yingying truly consider me as family?" Su Yiyi asked tentatively.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, "Of course, she does. Although it might sound incredible, she really promised, and she did just that. But mainly, it¡¯s because of you."


    "Because of me?" Su Yiyi was clearly bewildered.


    "Yes!" Li Yifei kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face and said, "Think about it, you¡¯re so gentle and cute, we were supposed to be together, but you gave me up to Yingying. Don¡¯t deny it, if you had insisted back then, I would have married you, not Yingying. Yingying is very clear about this, so she has always been grateful to you. After getting to know you, she likes you even more. Plus, knowing that I definitely wouldn¡¯t leave you, she accepted you wholeheartedly."


    Her face flushing, Su Yiyi said softly, "I¡¯m not that great."


    Li Yifei adjusted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, turning her to face him, and gazing into her eyes, he said passionately, "Silly girl, you don¡¯t realize how wonderful you are. You¡¯re a treasure bestowed by the heavens to me; it¡¯s incredibly hard to find another girl as good as you in this world."


    Su Yiyi met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, her eyes gleaming, breath quickening, and her chest heaving rapidly. "Brother Li!" With a soft call, Su Yiyi threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, tilting her head back as her lips met his.


    Li Yifei instantly tightened his arms, holding Su Yiyi close. At such a moment, no comforting words were needed; the passion shared between them allowed her to vent all the pent-up hurt within.


    Li Yifei¡¯s fervor was met with an equally intense response from Su Yiyi, who clung to him as if trying to meld into his very being.


    "Ding dong!" Suddenly, two knocks at the door. Li Yifei and Su Yiyi immediately stopped; like a startled bunny, Su Yiyi hastily straightened her clothes, afraid any traces of their intimacy might be seen.


    Li Yifei¡¯s brow wrinkled slightly, but he still went to open the door.

 Chapter 699 - 738

    Chapter 699: 738Standing at the entrance was Ning Xin¡¯er, still wearing a smile on her face. "I happened to see you come back from upstairs," she said, "so I came to have a look."


    Li Yifei stepped aside to let her in, collected a pair of slippers for Ning Xin¡¯er, and said, "Come in, please."


    Upon entering, Ning Xin¡¯er saw Su Yiyi. It was her first time seeing Su Yiyi, while Su Yiyi had seen Ning Xin¡¯er multiple times on television and the internet, and she knew that Little Yifei was Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s daughter. Her face blushing, with her hands twisting her clothes, she said excitedly and nervously, "Sister Xin¡¯er, hello, I¡¯m Su Yiyi."


    Ning Xin¡¯er turned and gave Li Yifei a reproachful glance. "There¡¯s another one?" she exclaimed. "I¡¯ve really underestimated you."


    Li Yifei came over, took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, and said to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Xin¡¯er, Su Yiyi and I have been together for a long time, before I married Yingying."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips, "You really have some nerve, bringing her straight to your house. Aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will catch you both and barricade you in a room?"


    Li Yifei chuckled. "That won¡¯t happen." He didn¡¯t want to explain too much; if he told Ning Xin¡¯er that Su Yiyi had the approval of Xu Yingying, Ning Xin¡¯er might feel upset. If she got angry, it would be quite a headache for Li Yifei.


    The three of them sat down, with Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er seated on either side of Li Yifei. Across Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, do you know the relationship between this guy and me?"


    Su Yiyi nodded quickly and said, "I know. Yifei is your daughter. I really like Yifei."


    Again, Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a frosty look; she was furious at him internally but couldn¡¯t get mad at him. How could these girls be so foolish? They knew Li Yifei was married and even had a daughter with this celebrity, yet they still threw themselves at him, one after the other.


    "You know all that, and you still hang around with this guy?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned pale. She stammered, "Sister Xin¡¯er, I... I... If you object, I will stay far away from Brother Li."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was taken aback for a moment. Su Yiyi¡¯s behavior seemed to acknowledge her as Li Yifei¡¯s official partner, a feeling she had never had before, filling her with a sense of accomplishment and straightening her posture a little. She cleared her throat and said, "That won¡¯t be necessary; I¡¯m not that domineering."


    Li Yifei immediately broke into a cold sweat. Ning Xin¡¯er not domineering? If she weren¡¯t, would he have run so far away in the past, even afraid to see her?


    "What¡¯s with that expression?" Ning Xin¡¯er pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm forcefully and glared.


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly. "Nothing, nothing at all."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed with delight. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t speaking to her as he usually did. Now he was submissive to her like a husband caught misbehaving¡ªa delightful feeling for her.


    Anxious, Su Yiyi said, "Sister Xin¡¯er, please don¡¯t blame Brother Li. It¡¯s all my fault; I¡¯m always clinging to Brother Li."


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s panic and her eagerness to shoulder all the responsibility, her timidness softened Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s resolve to keep up her act. She sighed and said, "Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯ve at least gained Brother Li¡¯s acceptance. I¡¯ve even had a daughter for him, but he¡¯s always been distant toward me. I have no right to judge you."


    Su Yiyi was stunned, and Li Yifei coughed and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about that now, it¡¯s almost noon. I¡¯ll cook a couple of dishes for us to have lunch together." Then, he slipped into the kitchen.


    While Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi were together, Su Yiyi appeared even more nervous, but in that moment Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly realized something. There had always been no progress between her and Li Yifei. Even with a daughter, Li Yifei kept his distance, perhaps because she was missing Su Yiyi¡¯s considerate nature. She had always been focused on herself, how Li Yifei had wronged her, how he should be responsible for her, and it was his fault if he wasn¡¯t. Pressuring Li Yifei at every turn was likely what made him avoid her.


    With this new understanding, she became even more curious about Su Yiyi¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei. Adopting the pure and innocent demeanor of a great star, she started to chat softly with Su Yiyi.


    As Su Yiyi was inexperienced in the ways of the world, she was rather flattered by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s attention. Ning Xin¡¯er asked, and she answered, quickly spilling the details of her relationship with Li Yifei.


    The more Ning Xin¡¯er learned, the more she became convinced her thoughts were correct. She also began to admire Su Yiyi, thinking that any girl like her would not only be liked by Li Yifei but even she couldn¡¯t help but like her. Despite both of them liking Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t muster any antagonism toward Su Yiyi.


    Conflicts between women can easily arise; a single word or a minor incident may turn them into enemies. But becoming friends is just as easy¡ªif they find a common topic and connect on it, they can become close girlfriends.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, having honed her interpersonal skills over the years, had become quite tactful and adept at dealing with people. With her cunning ways, it was easy for someone as naive as Su Yiyi to quickly become good friends with Ning Xin¡¯er, should she desire it.


    As Li Yifei cooked, he kept a covert watch on the two women. Although he couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, he noticed that Ning Xin¡¯er was constantly speaking gently and smiling, and Su Yiyi¡¯s nervous expression was gradually relaxing. This brought a silent joy to Li Yifei¡¯s heart, as it at least confirmed that Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t making things difficult for Su Yiyi.


    The meal was simple but replete with color, aroma, and taste. Ning Xin¡¯er ate with great relish, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of melancholy within. Li Yifei should have been cooking for her, but now she was dining on his food as if she were mooching off him, which was quite uncomfortable for her.


    After dinner, Su Yiyi took the initiative to wash up and tidy up. Ning Xin¡¯er surprisingly pitched in as well, working with a composure that belied her usual pampered upbringing. There wasn¡¯t a trace of the delicate airs one would expect from a lady of her status.


    Li Yifei was taken aback by this, and upon seeing his expression, Ning Xin¡¯er immediately rolled her eyes at him and said, "When I was pregnant, I lived alone and didn¡¯t have much money. I had to rely on myself for everything. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m helpless. These past few years, I¡¯ve endured plenty and can take care of myself just fine." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei cracked a smile and didn¡¯t dare to continue that topic. However, he truly admired Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s tenacity and stubbornness. Considering that girls like Ning Xin¡¯er were usually coddled and waited upon hand and foot, her independence was indeed rare.


    While they chatted, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom and called Ye Yunzhu to tell her about Su Yiyi being extorted earlier that day. The news enraged Ye Yunzhu, who was a local authority herself and detested anything that undermined the morals of society. After learning that Li Yifei intended to deal with the head of the office at the Bureau of Commerce and Industry, she readily agreed to help.


    Li Yifei also called Brother Hu to take care of Er Pi, as he needed his help with something. Brother Hu was only too eager to agree.


    Although Ye Yunzhu was only the Deputy County Head and the Bureau of Commerce and Industry was not under the county¡¯s jurisdiction, she had the support of the Ye family behind her. A single call from her to the family, mentioning that Li Yifei was behind the request, set things in motion.


    The Old Master of the Ye Family, now well aware of Li Yifei¡¯s attitude toward him, had made his stance clear¡ªa stance the Ye family was well acquainted with. And since the matter wasn¡¯t considered significant, a phone call from the Ye family was all it took for the Bureau of Commerce and Industry to act immediately.


    Zheng Dawei, the brother-in-law of Er Pi, was reprimanded harshly by Li Yifei, leaving him fuming. His father-in-law had also been scolded to the point of embarrassment, ranting about returning home, but finally calmed down after much coaxing. Only then did Zheng Dawei head back to his unit.


    As soon as he sat down in his office, his phone rang. Checking the caller ID, he saw it was his director and quickly picked up with an ingratiating smile, saying, "Director, you wanted to see me?"


    "Come to my office." The director¡¯s brief command was followed by an abrupt end to the call.


    Zheng Dawei didn¡¯t take it to heart, as a call from the director usually indicated a brief verbal message that would inevitably be followed by him scurrying over as usual¡ªtoday was no different.


    Upon entering the director¡¯s office, he saw his superior sitting behind the desk with a grim expression, clearly in a foul mood. This made Zheng Dawei uneasy, as a cranky director often meant someone would bear the brunt of his irritation, and he hoped it wouldn¡¯t be him.


    "Director!" Zheng Dawei stepped up to the desk, his face plastered with an obsequious smile, giving a cautious greeting as he bent slightly at the knees and waist.


    The director looked at Zheng Dawei, sighed, and said, "Dawei, you¡¯ve been working in the office for some years now, haven¡¯t you?"


    Zheng Dawei paused, then his heart leaped with joy. Typically, such questions from a superior implied a potential transfer, something he had been angling for, albeit without feedback. Today seemed to spell out a positive outcome, which excited him as he responded, "Yes, I¡¯ve been the head of the office for over four years now."


    The director nodded and said, "Then let¡¯s make a change in your work."


    Overjoyed, Zheng Dawei quickly replied, "I¡¯ll follow the leadership¡¯s arrangements."


    The director nodded again and stated, "Then you¡¯ll go down to the township office."


    Zheng Dawei was initially disappointed by this, as working in the township office was a lateral move rather than a promotion, but the real power of being a township office chief was much greater than that of an office head, so it wasn¡¯t bad. He hurriedly said, "No problem, no problem."


    "Good, then start at Lanjia Village as a staff member."


    "What?" The word burst from Zheng Dawei as he questioned his own hearing. Was he not being appointed as a chief but rather as a staff member? Wasn¡¯t this essentially a demotion?

 Chapter 700 - 739: Retribution Comes So Quickly

    Chapter 700: Chapter 739: Retribution Comes So Quickly"Director, you say... you say... you want me to become a clerk?" Zheng Dawei stammered as he asked.


    The director nodded and replied, "Yes, go be a clerk."


    Zheng Dawei knew that he hadn¡¯t misheard this time, and he really panicked now. He quickly said, "Director, what mistake have I made?"


    The director sighed and said, "Old Zheng, you have indeed done a good job as an office director in the past few years, and I¡¯m quite satisfied. I was actually going to promote you. But this time, it was the higher-ups who specifically targeted you. There¡¯s nothing I can do."


    "What? The higher-ups targeted me? Why?" Zheng Dawei shouted, how could this be possible? He was just a sub-bureau¡¯s office director, and every time someone from higher up visited, he received them wholeheartedly, afraid of the slightest dissatisfaction. Moreover, each time the guests were very satisfied. He certainly shouldn¡¯t have offended anyone higher up.


    The director himself was also puzzled. The instances where higher-ups directly issue orders to remove someone are extremely rare. He had never encountered such a situation in all these years, and moreover, no reasons were given, just a direct personnel order. He said, "I don¡¯t know the specifics. Anyway, I received a call from the city, and they didn¡¯t explain the reasons to me either. Think about it yourself, did you unwittingly offend someone?"


    "Offend someone? Director, you know me. I always handle things carefully, and I don¡¯t pick fights," Zheng Dawei said, nearly crying.


    The director then said, "You may not have directly offended someone in our system, but it¡¯s possible you¡¯ve offended someone else. Maybe that person has exceptional connections."


    "Ah?" Zheng Dawei¡¯s mind raced, suddenly remembering the man and woman he encountered that morning. They had said outright that they would deal with him and ensure he couldn¡¯t stay as an office director. Could it be them?


    Seeing Zheng Dawei¡¯s expression, the director knew he had remembered and sighed, saying, "Old Zheng, I am sorry, but I can¡¯t help you with this. You¡¯d better think of a solution yourself."


    Zheng Dawei left the director¡¯s office in a daze, still feeling it to be incredible. The people he had encountered in the morning, how influential must they be to have him removed as office director by the afternoon.


    Other than those two, he truly couldn¡¯t think of anyone else he had offended, yet at this point, he still didn¡¯t know the identities of that pair.


    He didn¡¯t even know how he returned to his office. Sitting at his desk, he stared blankly for quite some time before his scattered gaze finally focused¡ªa newspaper on the desk caught his attention. It was the Mile City Daily, featuring a large spread about a burgeoning business in Mile City, and one of the photos made Zheng Dawei¡¯s eyes widen. That woman was the same one he had seen that morning.


    "Xu Yingying, General Manager of Dreamfly Company..." Zheng Dawei muttered to himself. His facial skin twitched a few times before he carefully read the content.


    "Could it be? She¡¯s just a general manager, and it¡¯s not even her company. Could she really have that much clout?"


    After reading the content, Zheng Dawei still found it hard to believe this had anything to do with Xu Yingying. Let alone her being a general manager¡ªeven if she were the owner of Dreamfly Company, she shouldn¡¯t have the power to oust him just like that.


    However, he couldn¡¯t find another reason for his dismissal, so now he had to find a way to rectify the situation. The first thing was to ask someone to contact Xu Yingying to see if it was indeed orchestrated by her.


    Zheng Dawei had worked at the Bureau of Commerce and Industry for many years and had developed a wide network. Quickly, he found someone who knew Xu Yingying and asked them to inquire about her background.


    But the feedback he got was just that Xu Yingying used to be the general manager of a subsidiary of Huayang Company before switching to Dreamfly Company, with no real background to speak of.


    Zheng Dawei still felt something was off and demanded Xu Yingying¡¯s phone number, took a deep breath, and called her.


    After a while, the call was answered, and a pleasant female voice came through, "Hello, this is Xu Yingying." But the tone was brisk and to the point.


    "Hello, I¡¯m Zheng Dawei. We met at the hospital this morning."


    "Oh, Office Director Zheng? I wish you success in your work," she replied.


    Upon hearing Xu Yingying¡¯s words, Zheng Dawei, no matter how foolish, knew he had found the right person. A surge of anger welled up from within, yet he dared not lash out. If she could have him removed from his position, then he was in no position to challenge her.


    "President Xu! I apologize to you here. The whole situation was just my brother-in-law spouting nonsense. I was upset seeing my father-in-law injured, and I lost my composure for a moment, causing me to do things I shouldn¡¯t have and say things I shouldn¡¯t have. I ask for your forgiveness, President Xu, please don¡¯t hold a grudge for my indiscretion," he said.


    Xu Yingying chuckled lightly and responded, "Really? But at that time, it seemed you didn¡¯t say the same thing."


    "Yes, yes, President Xu, at that time I really was blinded by greed, all the fault is mine. I don¡¯t know if President Xu has any time tonight, let¡¯s find a place to talk."


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t have time." Xu Yingying said and then hung up the phone.


    Zheng Dawei, listening to the dial tone on the phone, was so angry he almost smashed it. As the director of the office of the Bureau of Commerce and Industry, generally, no company boss would dare to hang up on him, but this Xu Yingying had just hung up on him directly, and so arrogantly at that, it nearly made him explode with rage.


    After his anger, Zheng Dawei suddenly remembered something and hastily dialed his brother-in-law¡¯s number, but no one answered the brother-in-law¡¯s phone, which made him very anxious. This morning, that man had said that not only would he lose his job, but he would also deal with his brother-in-law. Now that he had been stripped of his position, his brother-in-law¡¯s safety was also in grave danger.


    Unable to get through the phone, he immediately called his wife, and this time it went through.


    "Wife, where¡¯s my little brother?" As soon as the call connected, Zheng Dawei immediately asked.


    "He¡¯s gone out. Let me tell you, find someone quickly. Our Wang family has never suffered such a huge loss, we were even shouted at when they came to our door. If we don¡¯t handle them, how can we ever lift our heads high again as human beings?" At this time, Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife was still in a fit of anger.


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Dawei¡¯s internal fury flared up. He couldn¡¯t vent at his superiors or dare to confront Xu Yingying, having been bottling it up for so long. His wife¡¯s temper triggered him further and he could no longer hold back, immediately roaring, "It¡¯s all because of your good-for-nothing brother, and your damn father too, insisting on extorting good people. It¡¯s their damn fault that I got kicked out as the office director."


    "Zheng Dawei, have you gone mad? You dare to curse my father? Wait, what did you say? You were kicked out as the office director?" Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife always had the final say at home, and Zheng Dawei never dared to lose his temper with her. Instinctively, she also started roaring back, but then she suddenly realized something and shouted in shock.


    Zheng Dawei screamed: "Yes, I¡¯ve worked so hard for so many years, groveling and appeasing everyone carefully, just to climb up the ladder. I finally had the chance to advance, but it¡¯s all because of your brother, all because of your father. They insisted on treating a good person as a bad one, just to scam a few bucks. Now, I¡¯ve lost everything, my future is gone, it¡¯s all gone... Wuu..."


    By the end, Zheng Dawei was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.


    This shocked his wife so much she was almost frightened out of her wits. "Husband, husband, don¡¯t cry, what exactly happened?"


    "Can¡¯t you understand? It¡¯s because you tried to scam that little girl that her sister stepped in and got me pulled down directly through the higher-ups. Didn¡¯t you hear that man cursing us at the time, saying he¡¯d make sure I couldn¡¯t be the office director? Now I can¡¯t be, and you should warn your brother too. That man said he was going to have the underworld take care of your brother, didn¡¯t you hear?"


    "Ah! Really?"


    "Yes, you may not believe it, and you don¡¯t have to, just go do whatever you want," Zheng Dawei said before slamming the phone down onto the ground with force.


    The sound of the phone hitting the ground nearly deafened Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife, and only then did she realize the seriousness of the situation. She immediately tried to call her brother, but the brother¡¯s phone was completely unreachable. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was in the hospital at the time, and while she was on the phone, the old man lying on the hospital bed, though he did not understand what had happened, knew something was wrong and asked anxiously: "What happened? What happened?"


    "It¡¯s bad, Dawei¡¯s position as director has been taken away, just by the man and woman who came this morning. Right now, I¡¯m really worried about my brother."


    "Why?" The old man suddenly sat up straight.


    "It¡¯s just... it¡¯s just..." At this point, she was at a loss for words, but then her phone rang again. It was her brother calling, and she quickly answered.


    "Sister! Help..." The crying voice of Er Pi came through immediately.


    "Little brother, little brother, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife called out anxiously.


    "Sister, hurry and save me, my arm is broken, my arm is broken... and I¡¯ve lost teeth...Help me..." Er Pi¡¯s screams were continuous, and his speech was garbled and unclear.


    "I¡¯m coming right away, just tell me where you are."


    Finally, Er Pi managed to give his address, and his sister hurriedly rushed out. Meanwhile, the old man just sat there dazed on the hospital bed for a long time without moving, then suddenly collapsed on the bed, crying with tears streaming down his face: "It¡¯s a sin! Such a sin! This is retribution! This is retribution!"

 Chapter 701 - 740 Little Yifei’s Problem

    Chapter 701: Chapter 740 Little Yifei¡¯s ProblemAround three in the afternoon, Li Yifei said he was going out to buy groceries, and Ning Xin¡¯er immediately stood up and stated she would follow him, while Su Yiyi also said she wanted to go.


    This made Ning Xin¡¯er quite surprised and she asked, "Yiyi, aren¡¯t you going back?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face reddened, and she said softly, "I¡¯m staying here tonight."


    "What? You¡¯re staying... here?" Ning Xin¡¯er immediately widened her eyes in shock. She had chatted with Su Yiyi for half a day and had learned how Su Yiyi met Li Yifei and that Su Yiyi had maintained her relationship with him, but she didn¡¯t know Su Yiyi had already received Xu Yingying¡¯s approval. Hearing Su Yiyi say she was staying here naturally astonished her to the point where her jaw almost dropped.


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s embarrassment, Li Yifei hurriedly interjected, "Yiyi and Yingying are close. She sometimes stays over."


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt her brain wasn¡¯t quite working, shook her head vigorously, glanced around the house, looked at Su Yiyi again, smacked her lips a few times, and said in a hoarse voice, "Are you saying... when Su Yiyi stays here, Yingying is also at home?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yeah."


    "Li Yifei, you... you son of a bitch..." Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly cursed at Li Yifei, letting out a sigh of relief.


    "What are you cursing me for?" Li Yifei pretended to be confused.


    Ning Xin¡¯er gritted her teeth and said, "I really didn¡¯t expect this, that you¡¯d have such skills, not only flirting outside but also openly bringing her back home, getting your wife to agree. Should I admire you or despise you?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Suit yourself, but let¡¯s hurry and buy the groceries so we can pick up our daughter afterward."


    As the three of them left the house, Ning Xin¡¯er was still holding onto her frustration. She knew about people like Ye Yunzhu and Michelle, and also Chu Xiaoyao. Oh, that¡¯s right, Chu Xiaoyao once mentioned this, but she always considered Chu Xiaoyao a silly girl, and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words were so unbelievable that she never took them seriously and forgot them.


    Only now did she realize that what Chu Xiaoyao said was actually true. Not only did Li Yifei flirt around but he managed to bring someone home to live in peace with his wife, Xu Yingying. This guy was really incredible; managing such a deed, considering Xu Yingying was a company CEO, not some weak woman.


    "Yiyi, Yingying isn¡¯t just appeasing you on the surface while actually resenting you, is she?" Ning Xin¡¯er whispered to Su Yiyi as they walked behind.


    If it were before, Su Yiyi really couldn¡¯t be sure, but today when Xu Yingying stood up for her, she truly felt how much Xu Yingying was looking out for her. She smiled sweetly and said, "No, Sister Yingying is really nice to me."


    "How is that possible? With all the tricks Xu Yingying¡¯s capable of, how could she agree to such a ludicrous arrangement? She must have some ulterior motive."


    Su Yiyi smiled lightly and said, "No way, I would leave if Sister Yingying just says the word. I wouldn¡¯t disturb them, so why would she have any ulterior motive?"


    Li Yifei turned around and said, "Stop with the conspiracy theories. Yiyi is such an innocent girl, and you¡¯re leading her astray."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately gave Li Yifei a cold glare and said, "So everyone else is good in your eyes, and I¡¯m the only schemer, is that it?"


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "I never said that. Looks like the fish over there is nice. How about I make you all some braised fish tonight?"


    Since there were other people around, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t find it appropriate to continue the topic, and the three of them went on to buy groceries and then headed to the kindergarten to pick up Little Yifei.


    "Godmom, Sister Yiyi, you also came to pick up Yifei!" Upon seeing Su Yiyi, Little Yifei excitedly came over and grabbed Su Yiyi¡¯s hand. Between Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi, she seemed to be more affectionate towards Su Yiyi.


    Watching Su Yiyi hold Little Yifei¡¯s hand, Ning Xin¡¯er felt even more uncomfortable and muttered quietly to Li Yifei, "Great, the daughter is nice to everyone but her actual mom."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yiyi is younger, in Yifei¡¯s eyes, she¡¯s a playmate. But you and Yingying are her mothers, always disciplining her, so naturally she prefers spending time with people like Yiyi and Xiaoyao."


    This made Ning Xin¡¯er feel somewhat better, soothing her downcast mood somewhat.


    Once they got back home, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were already there. Ning Xin¡¯er sneaked a look at Xu Yingying, curious to see how she would treat Su Yiyi.


    "Yiyi, feeling any better?" Xu Yingying asked with concern as soon as she came in.


    Su Yiyi quickly replied, "Thank you, Sister Yingying, I¡¯m fine now."


    Xu Shanshan had not returned with her sister and was unaware of what had happened. She immediately asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Yingying recounted the incident of Su Yiyi helping the old man and then being scammed by him. Even Xu Shanshan and Ning Xin¡¯er were filled with righteous indignation upon hearing it, and they cursed the shamelessness of the old man and his family.


    "Even a dog would remember your kindness if you gave it something tasty and wag its tail at you in friendliness. That old man¡¯s family is just too despicable."


    "Exactly, it¡¯s just like the snake in the story of The Farmer and the Snake. You save it, and it turns around and bites you."


    "Brother-in-law, so after you scolded him, they backed off? And you just let them go like that? Such scum should be eradicated from this world; they¡¯re nothing but a menace," Xu Shanshan said.


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei exchanged glances. Li Yifei chuckled, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deal with them. But we are civilized people, we can¡¯t just revert to being barbaric, right?"


    Xu Shanshan snorted, "Why bother talking about civilization to such trash, scum, and rascals?"


    At that point, Little Yifei chimed in, "Shouldn¡¯t we help an old man if he falls down?"


    The adults in the room were suddenly speechless, as Little Yifei had presented them with a major dilemma. If they said we should help, then it could lead to serious trouble, especially with scammers like the one they encountered, which might deter people from doing good deeds in the future.


    But to say we shouldn¡¯t help would contradict basic morals and potentially give a child an undesirable worldview and outlook on life.


    Li Yifei and the others looked at each other, at a loss for what to say.


    "Dad, moms, Sister Yiyi, should we or should we not help after all?" Little Yifei blinked her big eyes, looking expectantly at everyone.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "If you see an old person fall, you should help, but you are still a child, too small to do much. So, you should call for adults to help, and if no one comes, you can dial 120 or 110, and that way the police and doctors will take care of it."


    Little Yifei, who had been listening to the adults¡¯ conversation, although not fully grasping it, frowned and asked, "But why would the old man Yiyi sister helped accuse her of knocking him over?"


    Su Yiyi picked up Little Yifei and said softly, "There are good people and bad people in this world, and the same goes for the elderly. Many old people are good, but there are a few who are bad. Today, Sister Yiyi met a bad old man and was wronged, but there are still many good old people, so we should help them if they fall over."


    Little Yifei cheered immediately, "I get it now! If it¡¯s a good old person, we help, and if it¡¯s a bad old person, we don¡¯t bother them, right, Sister Yiyi?"


    Su Yiyi said with a smile, "Yifei is so smart!"


    With that, the difficult problem seemed to be resolved, and everyone hesitated to talk about the topic again, afraid of saying something that might influence Little Yifei.


    However, Ning Xin¡¯er could see that Xu Yingying had truly accepted Su Yiyi; with Li Yifei having both a wife and a concubine at home.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was not unfamiliar with such scenarios. In their large family clans, if a marriage was arranged for alliance purposes, and the wife came from a powerful background, the men, even if they had other women, would only keep them outside the home. But if the wife was from an ordinary background, those men would assert themselves more, like her second male cousin, who married one woman but brazenly brought another into the home.


    Yet, the second cousin¡¯s wife was certainly not content, having made a fuss with the family elders several times. Despite the unresolved issue, the two women in her second cousin¡¯s life remained at odds, while Li Yifei somehow managed to make Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi call each other "sisters" and maintain harmony, a dynamic unseen even in her own family.


    For Ning Xin¡¯er, there was another matter that perplexed her: with Su Yiyi also living there, who was Li Yifei living with, Xu Yingying or Su Yiyi? According to Su Yiyi, she did not often come over, so it seemed Li Yifei should be living with Su Yiyi. But then, Chu Xiaoyao had mentioned that she lived together with Su Yiyi and Li Yifei. Could it be that Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi both lived with Li Yifei? sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had never believed Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words before, but now she couldn¡¯t dismiss them so easily.


    What troubled Ning Xin¡¯er most was that she was actually quite inexperienced in these matters. Her encounter with Li Yifei had been under abnormal circumstances. When it came to the intimacies between men and women, she considered herself a novice. She would blush at the thought of one woman and one man together, let alone two women with one man¡ªit was too salacious for her to imagine. If it had been her, she honestly wouldn¡¯t have the courage to participate in such an arrangement.

 Chapter 702 - 741 Pleading with Su Yiyi

    Chapter 702: Chapter 741 Pleading with Su YiyiNing Xin¡¯er really wanted to know about this matter, but after all, she couldn¡¯t stay here too long and left after eight o¡¯clock. This question would have to be explored later.


    Li Yifei was staying with Su Yiyi tonight, and moreover, on the bed he shared with Xu Yingying, while Xu Yingying had taken Xu Shanshan and Little Yifei to stay at Su Mengxin¡¯s place.


    This was all decided by Xu Yingying. Although Su Yiyi was extremely embarrassed and tried repeatedly to decline, Xu Yingying simply took the others and left, so she had no choice but to stay.


    Actually, it would have been simpler for Li Yifei to stay with Su Yiyi at Su Mengxin¡¯s home, but Xu Yingying overthought the matter. It was, after all, Su Mengxin¡¯s home, and if Li Yifei did that kind of thing with Su Yiyi in Su Mengxin¡¯s bed, it would seem like a desecration to Su Mengxin. Sleeping on the bed she shared with Li Yifei seemed to carry no such implications.


    In fact, what Xu Yingying did not know was that Su Mengxin no longer cared about these things. She and Li Yifei had already done everything but the actual deed.


    The next day, Li Yifei dropped Su Yiyi at the school gate, and she walked into the school on her own.


    Just as she reached the dormitory building, she saw a group of people. They were the family of the elderly man she had helped. This surprise made Su Yiyi instinctively turn around and think about leaving.


    "Su Yiyi, don¡¯t leave, don¡¯t go!" Wang Lili was the first to spot Su Yiyi, hurriedly calling out loudly and quickly chasing after her. Zheng Dawei¡¯s stride was broad, and within a few steps, he rushed over and stopped Su Yiyi.


    "What... what do you want? This is a school," Su Yiyi said, arms crossed over her chest, a look of tension on her face.


    It so happened that several male students were passing by at that moment and immediately rushed over, positioning themselves in front of Su Yiyi and sternly reprimanding Zheng Dawei and his group.


    Inside a university, students generally have a sense of solidarity; outsiders picking on students within the school tend to draw help from fellow students. However, such incidents are rare and occur only if the bullied person is extremely popular. Su Yiyi, although usually not very active in school events, was known for her gentle and beautiful demeanor and had always been famous on the university¡¯s "beauty list". With numerous boys pursuing her and being widely known, seeing Su Yiyi looking frightened, these male students, regardless of whether they were interested in pursuing Su Yiyi or not, were ready to give her a hand.


    Zheng Dawei got a bit startled seeing the situation and quickly shouted, "Don¡¯t misunderstand, we are not here to trouble Su Yiyi today. We¡¯ve come to apologize to her."


    Upon hearing this, the male students didn¡¯t look so threatening anymore, but they still surrounded Su Yiyi, watching Zheng Dawei and his group skeptically, especially since Er Pi¡¯s face was black and blue and his hands were in casts, making it seem like they were here for revenge.


    Wang Lili stepped forward at this time and said, "Su Yiyi, we¡¯re really sorry about this. We accused you of knocking over my father without understanding the situation. He¡¯s over seventy and has some dementia, so he got confused. He only remembered that you took him to the hospital, and when we asked him who hit him, he muddled through saying it was you. In our hurry, we wronged you. Now my father has recalled that it wasn¡¯t you who knocked him down, but that you kindly helped him to the hospital. This has caused our mistake, doing you an injustice. Here, we offer you our sincere apologies."


    As she spoke, Wang Lili bowed deeply to Su Yiyi. She herself was not a very malicious person. She didn¡¯t want to do this the day before but was powerless against her brother¡¯s rogue behavior. Ultimately, she stayed silent, yet she felt extremely guilty. Now her apology was completely sincere.


    Zheng Dawei hurriedly added, "Su Yiyi, you are a good person, but we mistakenly accused you of being the perpetrator. We were terribly wrong. We have now realized our mistake, and we hope you, being the better person, won¡¯t hold our ignorance against us."


    For a leader like him, used to grovelling before higher-ups but typically acting superior to ordinary people, talking to Su Yiyi this way already meant he was setting aside his pride.


    Although Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife was usually quite brash, with her husband demoted and her brother beaten up like this, she knew they had offended someone far beyond their means. At this point, she didn¡¯t dare put on a tough front and also offered an apologetic smile, "Su Yiyi, we truly come with a sincere wish to apologize, please let us go."


    Er Pi hurried over in two steps and knelt down with a flop, his nose running and tears streaming as he said, "Big sister, you¡¯re my big sister. I beg you, please forgive me. I¡¯ll never dare again, I really won¡¯t dare, I beg you!"


    Zheng Dawei and his wife, as well as Wang Lili, behaved quite normally, but Er Pi¡¯s actions stunned everyone. What had Su Yiyi done to make a grown man kneel and beg for mercy?


    By this time, a large crowd of classmates had gathered around. Seeing this, they all looked at Su Yiyi with strange gazes. They were generally aware of Su Yiyi¡¯s situation - her family¡¯s poor conditions, her proud independence, never accepting charity, working hard as a tutor to earn money. Yet, rumors had recently spread about her being with a wealthy man from outside the school. Whether this was the reason was unknown.


    Last night, the entire Fifth family had spent a sleepless night. They might not have been bold enough to say they¡¯d oppressed others, but they were not used to being wronged; the blow they suffered this time was substantial. Although resentful, after much thought, they knew they truly couldn¡¯t afford to offend the other party.


    Especially Er Pi, who was terrified. To be honest, he was just a small-time thug, acquainted with some brothers but none of them significant figures. Being caught this time, it was Brother Hu himself who led the men. Brother Hu had retired from the underworld, but his reputation still stood. For a small-time thug like Er Pi, he was no match for Brother Hu. Just a glimpse of Brother Hu was enough to scare him witless.


    Brother Hu, without saying a word, had his men beat Er Pi fiercely. Not knowing what he had done to offend Brother Hu, Er Pi could only beg loudly for mercy. After being beaten thoroughly, Brother Hu finally told him he¡¯d offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have. If he didn¡¯t make the person satisfied, Brother Hu would come back for him.


    At that time, Er Pi hadn¡¯t figured out who he had offended. Only after returning home and learning that his brother-in-law had been roughed up too, and after hearing Zheng Dawei¡¯s analysis, did he realize he¡¯d stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest.


    In discussions late into the night, they concluded that the main issue lay with Su Yiyi. It was their actions that had humiliated her the day before, leading to the current predicament. To untie this knot, they would have to let Su Yiyi vent her anger. Moreover, Su Yiyi seemed like an easygoing girl, so they thought it should be manageable.


    Hence, they came to school early, seeking Su Yiyi¡¯s forgiveness. Er Pi was genuinely scared by the beating, and as someone with no sense of pride, would do anything to save his skin and prevent Brother Hu from troubling him again. That¡¯s why he knelt as soon as he saw Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi too was frightened by Er Pi, but soon realized why they were behaving this way. Li Yifei, furious, had cursed at these people yesterday, and had not let it go there; he had given them a good beating, leading to the current situation.


    Su Yiyi, kind-hearted as she was, softened when she saw them in such a state. She quickly blushed and stuttered, "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t... Please get up, get up. I don¡¯t blame you anymore." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Er Pi still did not rise, but inched forward on his knees, his face a picture of misery, and asked, "Do you really not blame me?


    Having never faced such a situation, Su Yiyi was even more at a loss, frantically waving her hands and saying, "Really, I don¡¯t blame you."


    "Then... then... could you perhaps not let people beat me up anymore?"


    Stuttering, Su Yiyi said, "I... I don¡¯t know." She really didn¡¯t know. Although she had been wronged, it was Li Yifei who had sent people; whether he would spare these people if she asked him to, she did not know. All she knew was that Li Yifei was truly very angry this time, and she had never seen him so furious with anyone before. These people were treated so roughly, and whether Li Yifei had vented his anger, she couldn¡¯t tell.


    Upon hearing this, Er Pi¡¯s face turned white with fear, and he crawled forward again, his cast-bound arm reaching to hug Su Yiyi¡¯s legs, which scared Su Yiyi into hastily retreating and stuttering, "You... don¡¯t... Don¡¯t do anything rash."


    Er Pi cried out, "Big sister, I¡¯m begging you, please let me off. How can someone like you, who¡¯s so important, bother with a small-time thug like me? Just... just let me off like I¡¯m nothing."


    Su Yiyi was genuinely embarrassed, surrounded and besieged by these people, begging her. If she did not agree, she would seem uncompassionate. Biting her lip, she said, "Okay, okay, I promise. Please get up. If you don¡¯t get up now, I really won¡¯t care anymore."


    Hearing Su Yiyi consent, Zheng Dawei felt elated, thinking that Su Yiyi seemed very reasonable. If Er Pi could be let off, perhaps he could plead with her to restore his position. But to beg like Er Pi was beyond him; even if Su Yiyi agreed, if word got out, how could he face anyone at his job? So, he promptly signaled his wife with a glance. For such matters, it was always better for a woman to step in.

 Chapter 703 - 742: About to become famous

    Chapter 703: Chapter 742: About to become famous"Su Yiyi, we really know we were wrong about this. Please let my husband go. Actually, he really didn¡¯t do anything. From beginning to end, it was my brother and I who pressured our dad to say these things. Our family truly depends on my husband, the pillar of the household. He¡¯s the one supporting our child¡¯s university tuition and caring for the elderly. Now that you¡¯ve brought down my husband from his director position, how are we supposed to live?"


    Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife really had a way with words, weeping and wailing at this juncture, making the role of her husband as the office director sound incredibly vital¡ªas if taking down Zheng Dawei meant the family couldn¡¯t go on.


    Listening to her, Su Yiyi felt as though she had committed an enormous sin, and at that moment, she stood there with her mouth agape, utterly at a loss for what to say.


    Meanwhile, the students around them were staring wide-eyed, looking at the scene as if they were witnessing an alien encounter, particularly when they looked at Su Yiyi.


    Nobody knew who Er Pi was, but to be able to beat someone up like that and then have him begging on his knees showed the extent of the perpetrator¡¯s power¡ªthey were most likely from the Underworld. The fact that a girl like Su Yiyi could be connected to the Underworld, and even have them stand up for her, was absolutely astounding.


    And that wasn¡¯t all. After hearing what Zheng Dawei¡¯s wife had to say, they realized that Su Yiyi had managed to oust a director, which suggested that she must have some very powerful backing in officialdom¡ªpowerful enough to casually dismiss an official from his post. What kind of backing could that be?


    Just as Su Yiyi was feeling distressed, the school¡¯s security department arrived. They dispersed the crowd of students and took Su Yiyi and Zheng Dawei¡¯s group to the campus security office.


    After inquiring about what had happened, they held Zheng Dawei¡¯s family in contempt, but were also amazed at Su Yiyi¡¯s influence. Within the university, they had never heard of a student with such power and background.


    Concerned about how to handle the situation, they quickly sought instructions from the school leadership. Upon hearing about the incident, the school leadership hurried over. The matter could be taken lightly or seriously. If handled as a minor issue, the school administration could completely stay out of it, but if magnified, Su Yiyi would be a moral role model. With just a bit of promotion, the school would benefit greatly.


    Seeing that the school leadership was involved, Zheng Dawei, who had been the director of the Bureau of Commerce and Industry, knew his status was insignificant compared to the university officials. He was merely a small fry now and dared not act recklessly. He lowered his stance and, along with his family, kept admitting their mistakes, all the while trying to attribute the cause to his father-in-law¡¯s old age and poor memory, and Er Pi¡¯s foul play¡ªessentially portraying himself as innocent.


    On one hand, he pleaded with Su Yiyi, and on the other, he sought the school leaders to intercede for him.


    Principal Lin Bogu was a very astute man. After understanding the situation, he was secretly surprised by Su Yiyi¡¯s influence. Normally, as the principal, he would have at least some awareness of such a person in the school, but he was only finding out now, which indicated that Su Yiyi was extremely low-key. He also noticed that Su Yiyi had no idea how to handle the situation.


    "Su Yiyi is our student, and our school will naturally handle this issue. I think I should have a good talk with Student Su Yiyi, and then decide how to resolve this. After all, you have caused her great emotional distress, and we are already lacking positive energy in our society. Su Yiyi has exemplified this positive energy, and your actions could significantly affect her worldview and values, even negatively influencing society as a whole," said the principal.


    Pausing for a moment, the principal added, "However, you have also suffered some harm. Although I don¡¯t know if all of this is related to Student Su Yiyi, you are fully within your rights to file a police report. If Student Su Yiyi is indeed responsible, our school will take her conduct very seriously."


    "No, we can¡¯t do that, we can¡¯t do that. We fully deserve our punishment; it¡¯s our own fault. Principal, you must not take action against Su Yiyi," blurted out Zheng Dawei in a panic. If the school were to penalize Su Yiyi further, wouldn¡¯t that only worsen any rancor? How could they continue to hope for a resolution?


    The principal had foreseen this reaction and had purposely said as much. He nodded and replied, "Since you all say so, then as the school, we too want to protect our students."


    "Yes, yes!" Zheng Dawei nodded continuously, saying, "Student Su Yiyi acted courageously for a just cause. She should not be penalized, but rather praised. And we, as children of the elderly, are grateful to Student Su Yiyi. This is a little token of our appreciation, and we ask that you don¡¯t refuse it." With that, he took out a newspaper-wrapped package from his bag and handed it to Su Yiyi.


    The package was rectangular, resembling a brick. Principal Lin Bogu needed only a glance to know it contained money, probably around thirty thousand yuan.


    Offering so much money wasn¡¯t just about expressing gratitude¡ªit was clearly an attempt to ask for mercy.


    Su Yiyi also realized that the package contained money and, as if it were a hot potato, quickly stepped back two paces, vigorously shaking her hands, saying, "No, no, I can¡¯t accept this."


    Zheng Dawei hastily said, "Student Su Yiyi, this money is just a small token. If it hadn¡¯t been for you, our father might have still been lying on the street, and he could very well have been hit by another car. You¡¯re literally our lifesaver. Moreover, to have let you suffer such humiliation, we owe you an even greater apology. This money doesn¡¯t come close to expressing our gratitude and regret, so please, you must accept it."


    Su Yiyi where would accept their money? She was just resolutely unwilling, and Zheng Dawei, seeing Su Yiyi not accepting, felt uneasy in his heart. He had no choice but to say to Principal Lin Bogu, "Principal Lin, please handle this matter. I¡¯ll leave the money here." Before he could wait for Lin Bogu to agree, he took his family and walked out quickly. As long as the money was left behind, whether Su Yiyi accepted it or not, there would always be a chance to communicate with her in the future. At the very least, it would also leave a significant opportunity for himself. What he feared now was not being able to see Su Yiyi in the future, which would complicate matters.


    Once these people left, Su Yiyi, facing Principal Lin Bogu, suddenly felt ill at ease. She fiddled with the hem of her clothing, her head hung low, not daring to meet Lin Bogu¡¯s gaze. After all, she was a university student, and Lin Bogu was the principal of the school. She was indeed very afraid of the principal.


    "Su Yiyi, you really are a good student," Lin Bogu said with a smile.


    Listening, Su Yiyi felt even more nervous, thinking that the principal was being sarcastic. She stuttered, trying to explain, but she didn¡¯t know how to.


    "Don¡¯t be nervous, I just want to ask you, was it really you who helped that elderly person before being extorted by them?"


    "Yes!" Su Yiyi nodded emphatically. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s good, then. All else aside, in the current social climate, having the courage to help a fallen elder already speaks volumes about your character. As for your family standing up for you, it¡¯s only natural. Without the support of your family, you likely would have suffered the injustice."


    Lin Bogu¡¯s words gave Su Yiyi a solid sense of reassurance. Moreover, aside from her family members like Li Yifei, this was the first time an outsider had praised her like this, and she couldn¡¯t help but let the tears flow.


    "Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ve been thinking, and I want to publicize your story in school. Let everyone know about your deed, to spread some positive energy and instill a kind heart in our students, encouraging them to do good deeds rather than being afraid to act at all. If this becomes the norm, it will be a disaster for our society, for our nation."


    Su Yiyi stared blankly at Lin Bogu, never having considered all he was saying; what the principal suggested was overwhelming for her.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Do you have any concerns?" Lin Bogu asked her warmly.


    Su Yiyi hesitated before saying, "Principal, what I did was really insignificant. Doing this makes me feel very embarrassed."


    Lin Bogu¡¯s face became stern as he said, "What is there to be embarrassed about? The significance of this matter is profound. Do you really want to see the continued indifference among our students, the ugly social trend of being afraid to help a fallen elder to persist? We all have parents. If they were to fall outside and no one came to help, wouldn¡¯t that sadden you?"


    "This... this..." These profound moral arguments and heavy implications left Su Yiyi feeling nearly suffocated.


    With a softened tone, Lin Bogu said, "Student Su Yiyi, this truly is a commendable act that should be publicized. If you have any concerns, just tell me, and I will help you resolve them."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said softly, "Principal, I didn¡¯t have so many thoughts when I did this. I just helped the elder because I felt sorry for them. If it¡¯s publicized like this, I always feel like I¡¯m doing it for fame or gain. I¡¯m afraid that after this, my classmates¡¯ views of me will change, and I would feel very uncomfortable."


    Lin Bogu laughed heartily and said, "There¡¯s nothing to feel uncomfortable about. I think this is a kind of experience that will be greatly beneficial to you in the future, whether it¡¯s for your work or in your personal archives. It will also be a significant part of your training in interpersonal relations."


    "This..." Su Yiyi hesitated, swayed by Lin Bogu¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t seeking fame, but after years of study, she hoped to find good employment. Although the money Li Yifei gave her was more than enough for a comfortable life, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t want to rely on a man. She wanted to earn money through her own efforts. Even if it wasn¡¯t much, as long as she could support herself and show filial respect to her father, that was enough for her.


    "Principal, I still have to ask my family. If they have no objections, then I will agree. But if they disagree... Principal, I can only apologize."


    "Alright, go ask them then," Principal Lin nodded, his curiosity about Su Yiyi¡¯s family piqued. Who were these people with such influence?

 Chapter 704 - 743: Dealing with Feng Jiacheng

    Chapter 704: Chapter 743: Dealing with Feng JiachengAfter coming out of the principal¡¯s office, Su Yiyi found a secluded spot to call Li Yifei and told him about today¡¯s events. Hearing this, Li Yifei said, "Yiyi, it¡¯s up to you how you want to handle this. As for those bastards, if you haven¡¯t had enough revenge, I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re properly dealt with until you feel vindicated. But if you think they¡¯ve been punished enough, then we can leave it at that. However, Yiyi, don¡¯t pay any attention to that Bureau of Commerce and Industry guy. Since I didn¡¯t put him away, consider it a favor to him. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going back to being an office director."


    Anxiously, Su Yiyi said, "I know, I know, let¡¯s just leave it at that. They¡¯ve been punished, and I¡¯m okay."


    "If that¡¯s what you think, then let¡¯s leave it at that, they really got off easy."


    Su Yiyi felt a warm sense of comfort not because Li Yifei had taken care of those people for her, but because he respected her opinion so much. Hesitating for a moment, she told him about what Lin Bogu had suggested, and then waited nervously for Li Yifei¡¯s opinion.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That¡¯s good news too, I have no objections. I¡¯ll say it again, my Little Yiyi, whatever you want to do, I will support you fully. I won¡¯t try to tie you down to me, to just let you do anything you want. You have your own life, and the more splendid your life is, the happier I am."


    With tears welling up in her eyes, Su Yiyi choked up and said, "Thank you, Brother Li."


    "Silly girl, why are you saying such things? Aren¡¯t you considering me your man?"


    Frantically, Su Yiyi said, "No, no, Brother Li, you are the only man for me in this life, I will always... love you."


    "Then give me a kiss," Li Yifei said cheerfully.


    Suddenly embarrassed, Su Yiyi scolded, "Brother Li, we¡¯re at school."


    "Ha... then wait until you come back, and give me a proper kiss."


    "Alright!" Just as she was about to hang up, Su Yiyi suddenly pecked her phone softly and then quickly ended the call.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, his heart was especially sweet. Even though Su Yiyi had been with him for so long, she was still so shy in front of others. That she would kiss him over the phone was quite a big step forward.


    Li Yifei truly had no intention of tying Su Yiyi down to him. Despite her soft appearance, she was a girl with strong convictions at heart. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen for her the first time they met at the karaoke bar. He liked Su Yiyi for who she was and didn¡¯t want her to be just a little lover depending on him but to have a genuine identity of her own.


    In the end, Zheng Dawei could only accept the reality of being a mere foot soldier, and Er Pi had been much more subdued lately. Although Su Yiyi had promised not to trouble him anymore, he was still not fully convinced. After all, Brother Hu was not someone to take lightly, and it wasn¡¯t easy to go by a young lady¡¯s words. But fortunately, after some peaceful days without any further trouble from Brother Hu, he slowly began to ease up.


    Their father, Feng Jiacheng, felt guilty after committing wrongdoings and had been downhearted ever since. More than a year later, he passed away. It¡¯s difficult for someone old to live long without accumulating some virtue.


    Su Yiyi had been commended at the school, and her deeds were well-publicized, indeed promoting a positive energy. College students, being young at heart and not inherently bad, have their own passion, so it was easy to motivate them with good actions.


    Yet some people, having seen Zheng Dawei and others plead with Su Yiyi, talked in secret that she must have a powerful backer, not someone just anyone could afford to provoke. Thus, even though many people were nice to Su Yiyi in school, it wasn¡¯t like before where everyone dared to bother her; they were afraid of suffering the same fate as the others.


    These days, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying took some covert actions against Feng Jiacheng¡¯s company. Although this guy had only bullied a security guard¡¯s girlfriend, he was a despicable character, and Li Yifei had promised to deal with him, and Xu Yingying was quite interested in this matter too. So the two of them never let it go.


    Feng Jiacheng had been in a state of constant anxiety since his cousin Heizi was arrested. Heizi had been his ultimate backer, and now that his support had fallen, Feng Jiacheng immediately felt that doing business was no longer as easy as before.


    Fortunately, he had not been involved in his cousin¡¯s drug trafficking, so the police hadn¡¯t really done anything to him. In addition, he owned a company worth tens of millions of assets and considered himself a person of some importance. Relying solely on the assets and the company he currently held, he convinced himself that he could live comfortably without his cousin¡¯s support.


    Regrettably, he hadn¡¯t truly recognized his own situation. In the past, when doing business, others would give face to Heizi and make concessions to Feng Jiacheng, letting him enjoy certain benefits. But once Heizi fell, no one took Feng Jiacheng seriously anymore. Those who used to do business with him weren¡¯t as accommodating, and although they didn¡¯t deliberately make things difficult for him, they no longer allowed him to reap as many benefits as before.


    Feng Jiacheng was completely unaccustomed to this. "If you don¡¯t give me benefits, I won¡¯t do business with you." With that attitude, it took less than half a month for most of his steady business partners to fall through.


    It was at this point that Feng Jiacheng became truly desperate. However, during this time, he encountered a major contract. If he could clinch this deal, he would earn several million in a year. For Feng Jiacheng, it was like grabbing a lifeline. He immediately put all his effort into securing the contract.


    Thanks to his hard work, the sincerity he showed moved the other party. However, both sides needed to initially invest ten million in capital. If Feng Jiacheng couldn¡¯t come up with the money, the cooperation would fall through.


    Even though Feng Jiacheng had tens of millions in assets, most were fixed. He didn¡¯t have much in liquid capital, and recent business downturns had left him with a surplus of unsold goods and a shortage of cash. He rushed to the banks to apply for loans, but having already borrowed quite a bit, the banks weren¡¯t willing to lend him more. With no other choice, he considered approaching small loan companies for funds.


    These small loan companies generally had annual limits; they simply couldn¡¯t lend unlimited funds throughout the year. With it being almost November, towards the end of the year, these small loan companies didn¡¯t have the balance to grant additional loans.


    Ultimately, he had no choice but to turn to private lenders charging high interest rates. But perhaps because Heizi had offended too many people in the past, Feng Jiacheng found it impossible to secure funds from these sources.


    This made Feng Jiacheng nearly insane with desperation. It would be a terrible shame if he couldn¡¯t seal the deal.


    Just then, through someone¡¯s introduction, he finally met with a loan company from another city. They agreed to lend him ten million but required his company as collateral. The loan period was also dismally short, only one month, and the interest was only slightly higher than that of banks.


    The interest on this loan was so low, a rare opportunity indeed. Usual private lending rates were incredibly high, making this seem somewhat suspicious. However, the lender drafted a very meticulous contract with Feng Jiacheng and even took the unusual step of having it notarized to make it seem like they genuinely intended to help.


    Feng Jiacheng had his reservations, worrying that it was too good to be true. An experienced businessman would never dare to accept such a deal. Still, Feng Jiacheng¡¯s top priority was to finalize the contract. He believed that within a month, the contract would be completed, and by then, he could liquidate the surplus goods at a discount and sell off some assets to raise the necessary funds. In the end, he signed the contract and borrowed the ten million.


    After receiving the money, Feng Jiacheng immediately invested it, only for the other party to vanish with the funds. His money was lost, leaving him in the lurch. To make matters worse, the lender, upon hearing that Feng Jiacheng had been swindled, promptly went to court to ensure the protection of assets, fearing Feng Jiacheng would liquidate his company and fail to repay the borrowed ten million. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was nothing short of a disaster for Feng Jiacheng. The court immediately seized all his assets for protection. Feng Jiacheng was on the verge of madness, suspecting that the lender might have set a trap to take over his company.


    However, police investigations revealed that the person who had swindled Feng Jiacheng was a well-known international con artist who only scammed money and nothing else. Furthermore, the swindler always acted alone, exploiting current affairs and people to carry out the fraud, with no known associates. So the likelihood of them collaborating to swindle Feng Jiacheng¡¯s company was extremely low.


    The contract Feng Jiacheng had signed with the lender was completely legitimate, impeccable. After consulting numerous lawyers, all of them shook their heads and roughly said the same thing¡ªif Feng Jiacheng couldn¡¯t repay the ten million plus interest within a month, his company would be auctioned, and the proceeds would go to repaying the lender.


    At that moment, Feng Jiacheng was on the brink of despair. Was he really going to lose all he had in an instant? He couldn¡¯t accept that. Desperately trying to borrow money, he found that even before his predicament, nobody was willing to lend to him. Now with his troubles, who would? In the end, he had no choice but to plead with the lender for an extension, hoping to save his company. The lender agreed to meet him.


    When he arrived at the agreed-upon location and pushed the door open to enter, Feng Jiacheng was utterly dumbfounded. He never expected to see this person here.

 Chapter 705 - 744: Creditor Collecting Debts

    Chapter 705: Chapter 744: Creditor Collecting Debts"Sunx Na?" As soon as Feng Jiacheng saw the other party, he first stared in astonishment, then broke into a loud shout.


    This was a small meeting room with two people in it; one was Wang Qiang, and sitting next to him was his girlfriend, Sunx Na.


    At this moment, Sunx Na was dressed in a black business suit, looking smart and efficient. Her eyes were on Feng Jiacheng, her face expressionless, but within those eyes, there was a deep-seated hatred.


    "What are you doing here?" Feng Jiacheng furrowed his brows as soon as he saw the two together. Could it be that he had walked into the wrong room? But when he entered, he had made sure to check, so there was no mistake about the room; it must be these two who were in the wrong place. He immediately raised his voice in reproach.


    Wang Qiang locked his gaze on Feng Jiacheng with a look as ferocious as a man-eating tiger, speaking through gritted teeth, "We¡¯re here waiting for you."


    "Waiting for me?" Feng Jiacheng scoffed. They were in a hotel meeting room, with security right outside. All he had to do was shout, and the guards would storm in, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of what the two of them could do to him. He said, "You two really have some nerve. I haven¡¯t even come to settle scores with you over last time¡¯s incident."


    Sunx Na snorted coldly and said, "Given how you look now, do you still have the ability to settle accounts with us? Right, we indeed came to settle accounts with you¡ªa detailed accounting."


    Stung by Sunx Na¡¯s words that hit right where it hurt, Feng Jiacheng¡¯s forehead pulsed in anger, but remembering that he would soon meet his creditor here, he suppressed his fury, let out a sinister smile, and said, "I tell you, lad, I now realize why you¡¯d pick up my cast-offs. This chick really has some moves in bed, right?"


    Sunx Na¡¯s face turned deadly pale in an instant. His words pierced her heart like a knife, and just then, a hand suddenly gripped hers tightly. Without exploding in rage, Wang Qiang first took Sunx Na¡¯s hand and then wrapped his arm around her waist before addressing Feng Jiacheng, "Don¡¯t think your words can shake the love Nana and I have. I love Nana, and I know she was coerced by you. I only feel guilt towards her, for not protecting her well enough to prevent her from being harmed. I will spend my whole life treating her well and ensuring she doesn¡¯t suffer any more hurts."


    Feng Jiacheng didn¡¯t expect Wang Qiang to come out with such words and felt some boredom, giving a snort before dismissing the matter: "Suit yourself then. If you like picking up used goods, go ahead. I can¡¯t be bothered with you. Get out promptly; I¡¯m here to meet an important person. This is no place for petty trifles like yourselves."


    In these days, Wang Qiang had been exceptionally nice to Sunx Na, never mentioning her past. Sunx Na felt Wang Qiang¡¯s feelings for her hadn¡¯t changed, but the episode with Feng Jiacheng was still a deep wound in her heart, one she always felt guilty about towards Wang Qiang. Coming to see Feng Jiacheng with Wang Qiang might have been a chance for revenge, yet she was very apprehensive. She was truly afraid that upon seeing Feng Jiacheng, Wang Qiang would be overwhelmed with anger. After all, for a man, having a girlfriend that had been with another, for whatever reason, was difficult to accept.


    However, Wang Qiang¡¯s reaction moved Sunx Na to the verge of tears. The emotional knot that she hadn¡¯t been able to untie for some time unraveled with his grip, his embrace, and his words. Taking a deep breath, Sunx Na calmed herself and then looked coldly at Feng Jiacheng and said, "Did you want to meet your creditor?"


    "What?" blurted Feng Jiacheng, his voice rising sharply.


    Sunx Na gave a faint smile and said, "Well, you don¡¯t have to wait any longer. We are those creditors."


    Feng Jiacheng stared blankly at the pair for a good while, then suddenly burst out laughing. It took a long time for the laughter to cease, his mouth nearly splitting his face. Disdain dripping from his voice, he said, "You really overestimate yourselves. With just a junior employee and a lowly guard, you aspire to be my creditors?"


    When Wang Qiang saw Feng Jiacheng like this, he felt an intense rush of satisfaction. To him, Feng Jiacheng suddenly seemed like a complete fool. He slid a document across the table and said, "Whether or not we¡¯re your creditors, take a look at this and you¡¯ll know."


    Feng Jiacheng snorted dismissively, "Get out of my way. I¡¯ve had it with your charade. What, do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Even if I demanded ten thousand from you, you couldn¡¯t cough it up, let alone a hundred thousand. No, no, even ten thousand is too much. Could you produce a mere thousand? Do you have any idea the sum I¡¯m discussing? Ten million¡ªa sum beyond your lifetime earnings."


    Sunx Na then said indifferently, "Since you don¡¯t believe me, so be it. But let me remind you, you have eleven days left to repay. If you can¡¯t return the ten million, plus interest, your company will be mine."


    "What?" Feng Jiacheng finally shouted in shock, as Sunx Na had laid out the stark truth. He had no choice but to believe that their presence was indeed related to him. Extending his hand, he snatched the document and quickly scanned it.


    It was the loan contract he had signed, a photocopy, but its presence in their hands was evidence enough of the issue at hand. Staring at them angrily, he demanded, "How did this contract end up in your hands?"


    Wang Qiang smiled smugly, "It seems Boss Feng really does have a problem understanding. Haven¡¯t we already told you? We are here specifically to wait for you. How else do you think I have this contract?"


    "You... you... is this money lent to me by you two?" Feng Jiacheng said, barely able to believe his own words. How could this be possible? How could these two people possibly have so much money?


    Wang Qiang laughed heartily and said, "It looks like you¡¯re not completely clueless after all."


    "What kind of joke is this? You must have gotten your hands on this contract from somewhere to trick me. Do you believe that I¡¯ll call the police right now and have you arrested for fraud? Fraud is a serious crime. Getting a few years¡¯ sentence for you would be easy." As he spoke, Feng Jiacheng suddenly felt a little depressed inside. In the past, he would just shout ¡¯Heizi, Heizi,¡¯ and just mentioning Heizi was more effective than invoking the police. Now, he himself had resorted to calling the police.


    Wang Qiang leaned back, spread his hands, and said, "Please, be my guest."


    Wang Qiang¡¯s certainty made Feng Jiacheng¡¯s heart clench again, and when he glanced at Sunx Na, he saw the woman staring at him fiercely, yet she also appeared in no hurry, seemingly sure that she had him cornered.


    "Security! Security! Get these two out of here." Feng Jiacheng felt overly oppressed and, even though he had a sneaking suspicion that this might be real, he still refused to believe it, flinging open the door of the meeting room and shouting loudly.


    But standing at the doorway was a middle-aged man, the very creditor who had lent him ten million. The man gave him a slight smile and said, "Hello, Boss Feng."


    "You... why have you only just arrived? There are two people in here impersonating you, trying to deceive me. Come on, let them meet the real deal." Saying this, he pulled the middle-aged man into the meeting room.


    "Mr. Wang, Miss Sunx, hello." As the middle-aged man entered the room, he greeted Wang Qiang and Sunx Na.


    Feng Jiacheng froze, stammering, "Brother Chen, what is this..."


    The man who lent him the money smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Feng, the truth is, it wasn¡¯t me who really lent you the money. I was merely acting on behalf of Miss Sunx and Mr. Wang. Your actual creditor is Miss Sunx, so if you have any issues, you should discuss them with her."


    Feng Jiacheng¡¯s face twitched rapidly, but he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe that Sunx Na was behind this, knowing her family¡¯s situation well. Otherwise, he would never have taken advantage of her in the past. There was no way her family could have ten million to spare.


    "Impossible, it¡¯s absolutely impossible!" Feng Jiacheng shook his head vigorously and roared loudly.


    Sunx Na and Wang Qiang watched the frantic Feng Jiacheng with an indescribable satisfaction, not rushing to say anything, just observing his meltdown. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, Feng Jiacheng finally calmed down somewhat and looked at Wang Qiang and Sunx Na with an expression that was indescribably bizarre. Shaking his head again, he forced a smile uglier than crying onto his face and said cautiously, "Sunx Na, I wronged you in the past; I was no better than an animal. Now that you two are together, can¡¯t you overlook the actions of someone like me?"


    Sunx Na gave a cold laugh and said, "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Feng, but we are discussing a contract right now. Please do not bring personal emotions into it. There are still eleven days left. If we do not get our money, everything will proceed according to the contract."


    Her words were like a bucket of ice water dumped on Feng Jiacheng¡¯s head, making it clear to him that they were intent on completely ruining him.


    "Fine, fine, we¡¯ll see about that. I don¡¯t believe that I, Feng Jiacheng, can¡¯t outplay you," he spat out venomously and stormed out.


    Once Feng Jiacheng had left, Sunx Na and Wang Qiang felt unspeakable elation. They then quickly returned to Dreamfly Company to meet with Xu Yingying and Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had orchestrated this entire affair from behind the scenes. Li Yifei had seen the big swindler but had no particular connection with him. He had simply revealed a bit about Feng Jiacheng, and the man immediately took advantage of the information, spinning Feng Jiacheng around in circles. Meanwhile, Li Yifei seized the opportunity to lend Feng Jiacheng ten million, and once the money was embezzled, taking over Feng Jiacheng¡¯s company would be a breeze.


    All things considered, they had essentially spent just ten million to purchase Feng Jiacheng¡¯s company, worth several tens of millions. The unfortunate Feng Jiacheng didn¡¯t get a single hair from the deal, and his company was gone just like that. However, the swindler made a tidy sum of ten million, and Li Yifei was not going to fuss over it.

 Chapter 706 - 745: The Ambitions of the Ye Family

    Chapter 706: Chapter 745: The Ambitions of the Ye FamilyWang Qiang and Sun Na were profoundly grateful to Xu Yingying. They didn¡¯t yet know that Li Yifei was Xu Yingying¡¯s husband; given the boss¡¯s great efforts in this matter, their gratitude was boundless.


    Xu Yingying casually mentioned that acquiring the company was also beneficial for the whole Dreamfly Company. Additionally, she had recently come to highly recognize Sun Na¡¯s work capabilities and wanted Sun Na to temporarily take the managerial post of the branch company.


    This was something Sun Na had never expected; it was a tremendous stroke of good fortune. Just a short while ago, she had lived a humiliating life, and now, in the blink of an eye, her future seemed bright.


    Throughout the resolution of this matter, Xu Yingying had had quite a few interactions with Sun Na and Wang Qiang. Apart from understanding Sun Na¡¯s work abilities, she was more touched by the affection between Wang Qiang and Sun Na. Reflecting on her own relationship with Li Yifei, she felt it was far too bland. Apart from making love, they seemed not to have any romantic sparks, as if they had already been a couple for over a decade. However, Xu Yingying felt she should still be in the throes of a passionate love affair with Li Yifei.


    But now, with so many responsibilities at the company, even when she returned home at night, there were many tasks to do. To have a romantic evening with Li Yifei seemed impossible due to the lack of time and energy.


    "Sigh..." Xu Yingying let out a soft sigh, wondering when she would be able to watch a movie with Li Yifei or properly enjoy some alone time together.


    This weekend was the birthday of the Old Master of the Ye Family. Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu had come to the provincial capital to celebrate his birthday. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly was already slightly bulging, but with the weather turning chilly, her trench coat hid her pregnancy from casual observers.


    Once they arrived at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s home, after meeting with the Old Master and the others, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu stayed in her room. Lying on the bed, Li Yifei sat at her feet, taking her foot into his hands and began to massage it.


    When Ye Yunzhu saw Li Yifei about to speak, she immediately chided, "I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t you nag me here. You haven¡¯t shut up the whole way here; can¡¯t you let me have some peace for once?"


    Li Yifei gave Ye Yunzhu a reproachful look and said, "It¡¯s not that I like to talk too much. Look at you, you¡¯re more than four months pregnant, and yet you still work so hard. What¡¯s more important, the baby or your work?"


    Ye Yunzhu actually found Li Yifei¡¯s nagging quite endearing and humphed, "Then you should have come specifically to take care of me. You leave me alone there, so I have to do everything myself, and all you do is chatter when you¡¯re here."


    Li Yifei had grown to face Ye Yunzhu¡¯s sarcasm calmly. He softly said, "It¡¯s not exactly convenient, is it? Think about it, you¡¯re the County Head. If I, a married man, came to tend to you and others saw it, wouldn¡¯t that look bad for your reputation?"


    Ye Yunzhu curled her lip and retorted, "Stop trying to sound so nice. You¡¯re clearly just afraid of your wife."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I¡¯m here to celebrate the Old Master¡¯s birthday with you. If Yingying hadn¡¯t agreed, how could I have made it? Don¡¯t view Yingying through a biased lens; she¡¯s actually very good. For her to have come this far is truly not easy."


    "I just can¡¯t get my head around it. If it were me, and you messed around with another woman, I¡¯d castrate you." As she spoke, Ye Yunzhu made a scissor gesture with her hand and then continued fiercely, "But she can actually accept Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. Doesn¡¯t she get jealous?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That... I think she¡¯s not taking it well inside, but there are special reasons. For the sake of our family, she had to step back."


    "You can actually accept such a thing? It¡¯s beyond me. By the way, you said that Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao also live in your house. So, you must spend nights in their rooms, too?"


    "Yes!" Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it.


    "And Xu Yingying can tolerate that?" Ye Yunzhu widened her eyes.


    "If she has accepted Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, then she naturally has to accept such things as well." He said this, but Li Yifei felt quite guilty inside. It was indeed tremendously difficult for Xu Yingying, and her tolerance as his wife was beyond reproach.


    Ye Yunzhu grimaced and said, "Alright, I admit that in this regard, I definitely can¡¯t compare to your wife. Just thinking about you with other women annoys me; let alone having to see it under my own roof and you going to bed with other women. Ah, be gentle, are you trying to murder me?"


    Li Yifei quickly lessened the strength of his hands and said, "I¡¯m just trying to help you relax."


    Ye Yunzhu snorted, "You¡¯re just feeling guilty. Honestly, I don¡¯t get it. You used to be such a pure guy, and now look at you, all indecent, married and still keeping concubines. If I had known you¡¯d turn out this way, I should¡¯ve castrated you back then, and that would¡¯ve been the end of it."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, knowing Ye Yunzhu harbored deep resentment. They were each other¡¯s first loves, and yet she couldn¡¯t become his legitimate wife and was now bearing his child. This was extremely hard for her, so no matter how much Ye Yunzhu complained, Li Yifei had no choice but to accept it.


    "Cousin, Brother-in-law!" With a burst of wind, Zhou Xiaoyue rushed in like a whirlwind just in time to see Li Yifei massaging Ye Yunzhu¡¯s foot. She immediately stuck out her tongue and said, "Sorry, it seems I¡¯ve come at a bad time."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Zhou Xiaoyue a look and said, "You girl, you¡¯re in university now, how come you still don¡¯t have any sense of propriety? Can¡¯t you knock before entering?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯ll definitely knock next time, but who would¡¯ve thought you two would be up to mischief in broad daylight," Zhou Xiaoyue said teasingly as she winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei put down Ye Yunzhu¡¯s foot and said, "Your sister was tired, shouldn¡¯t I help her massage her feet?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue came over and plonked herself down next to Ye Yunzhu, saying, "Brother-in-law, thanks for last time."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "What¡¯s to thank? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re someone else. If I, as your brother-in-law, didn¡¯t look after you, that wouldn¡¯t be right."


    "What happened?" Ye Yunzhu immediately furrowed her brows and asked.


    Zhou Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue and said, "At school, I was almost tricked by someone. Fortunately, my brother-in-law was there. He saved me and even gave those guys a beating. Now, those annoying guys at school don¡¯t dare to mess with me."


    "What¡¯s the story?" Ye Yunzhu instantly became anxious.


    Zhou Xiaoyue then retold the incident in detail. After listening, Ye Yunzhu frowned and said, "I¡¯ve told you not to go out with just anyone. If something really happened, you wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to regret it."


    "I know, I know. Haven¡¯t I already admitted my mistake? Why are you still lecturing me?" Zhou Xiaoyue hurriedly said.


    In the Ye family, Zhou Xiaoyue had a pretty good relationship with Ye Yunzhu, and she was also quite familiar with Li Yifei. At this moment, she lingered around, chatting leisurely with them.


    Zhou Xiaoyue then brought up, "Cousin, this time grandpa¡¯s birthday is going to be grand. There¡¯ll be a lot of people coming."


    "Oh? Really?" Ye Yunzhu looked at Zhou Xiaoyue in disbelief. In recent years, the old master had kept a low profile. Even during birthdays, it was usually just the family members and a few old friends at most. They had never made a big fuss.


    Zhou Xiaoyue reassured fervently, "Yes, I just heard my parents talking about it. It¡¯s absolutely true."


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu exchanged a look, both sensing the unusualness of the event. Although the Ye family was among the several great families in the provincial city, their strength wasn¡¯t the strongest, so the Old Master of the Ye Family had always been low-key. Such a high-profile event indicated much more.


    Right then, someone came knocking on the door. It was the Old Master of the Ye Family sending for Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu. They quickly got up and went to see the old man.


    In the Old Master¡¯s study, aside from him, there was no one else. Seeing Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu come in, the Old Master smiled warmly and gestured, "Take a seat."


    Li Yifei helped Ye Yunzhu sit down, smiling as he said, "Grandpa, what did you want to see us about?"


    The Old Master swayed in his rocking chair, took a sip of tea, and said, "The Ye family has been low-key for so long. I want to take this opportunity to make our Ye family¡¯s name shine. Do you have any opinions?"


    Although Ye Yunzhu was involved in politics, she had never really taken part in such familial power struggles and was unsure how to respond. Li Yifei however, laughed and said, "Grandpa, you¡¯ve already decided on what to do, yet you¡¯re asking for our opinion. Isn¡¯t that a bit superfluous?"


    The Old Master chuckled and said, "Yifei is indeed smart." Then he turned serious and added, "Yifei, the situation in the provincial city is extremely complicated right now. I can¡¯t afford to keep a low profile any longer. There have been frequent changes in provincial positions recently, due to certain reasons from above. There are several crucial positions available. If we can secure these positions, the Ye family could become the top family in the provincial city. We of the Ye family are determined to achieve this, but the other families are also eagerly eyeing these positions."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "I say, Old Master, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not possible for any family to secure all these positions in one fell swoop. The higher-ups allow families like ours to exist, but they also don¡¯t want any one family to become too powerful; that could lead to big problems. Balance is the main thing, isn¡¯t it? In the end, each of the major families will probably just get one position, to keep each other in check."


    The Old Master gave a thumbs up and said, "Exactly, Yifei is truly insightful. I am aware that this is indeed the case. However, there is a Vice Governor position that is the biggest of them all. Our Ye family¡¯s ultimate goal is this position. You should know, for a large provincial family like ours, the best we can aim for is Vice Governor. Whichever family secures this Vice Governor position will be able to overcome the other families, at least for the duration of that term. We of the Ye family have been lagging behind for years because we haven¡¯t secured this position. This time, no matter what, you have to help our Ye family get this position."

 Chapter 707 - 746 Underground Forces

    Chapter 707: Chapter 746 Underground ForcesLi Yifei met the old man¡¯s gaze, then cracked a forced smile and said, "I mean, Grandpa, you really think too highly of me. This is about the appointment of a Vice Governor, do you think I have that kind of ability?"


    The old man laughed heartily and replied, "I know this is indeed difficult for you. The position of Vice Governor is decided by people at the very top."


    Ye Yunzhu breathed a sigh of relief; what the old man had mentioned was just too significant, and it was almost too much for her heart to bear.


    Li Yifei pulled out a cigarette, but quickly put it back in his pocket. There was a pregnant woman beside him, so how could he smoke in front of Ye Yunzhu? So he asked, "Grandpa, what do you have planned then?"


    The old man narrowed his eyes and said, "This time, in the struggle for this position, several major families have pulled out all the stops. The overt competition is one thing, but the most troublesome part is that some families are now not only using their overt strength but have also mobilized underworld forces. These underworld forces are currently active, suppressing their rivals. Our Ye family is the weakest in this respect. If we do not strike back, then we won¡¯t stand a chance."


    Ye Yunzhu, puzzled, asked, "Grandpa, what do you mean by ¡¯underworld organizations¡¯?"


    The old man smiled faintly and explained, "Yunzhu, you are now a Deputy County Head yourself. These are things you should also be aware of."


    Li Yifei knew a bit about the affairs of the big families, but not much in detail. At that moment, he was also waiting for Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather to explain.


    "Our great families have existed for many years before the Liberation. Of course, some have declined from prosperity, even to the point of falling apart and no longer qualifying as families, while others are new families that have risen. Owing to the differing interests, these great families were inevitably involved in conflicts back then, including political struggles in the open, business gambles, and another type - martial conflicts. Often, when issues couldn¡¯t be resolved openly, other means were employed, including assassinations. Developing an underworld force was essential for every major family both to strike against foes and to protect themselves," he narrated.


    Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei listened with rapt attention to these revelations that they had been completely unaware of before.


    Seeing their keen interest, the old man became more enthusiastic and continued: "Back then, each of our big families had its own armed forces, and we invested heavily in this regard, cultivating a number of extremely loyal retainers. However, after the Liberation, our families faced a great impact. At that time, the existence of big families like ours was not allowed, so much so that there was a phase when no one even knew of our families. But, as policies gradually relaxed, our families quickly developed again thanks to our strong foundations in finances and manpower, developing much faster than others. It didn¡¯t take many years for many large families to emerge in the provincial capital, and as time passed, it led to the current situation."


    After taking a sip of water to moisten his throat, the old man went on: "After the family came into my hands, I believed that under the current policies, it was enough to focus on developing our influence in government and the business world. After all, the society is stable now, and those violent conflicts are no longer suitable. But over the years, I have come to realize that this approach might be wrong. A few families have not given up on developing their underworld forces, and some have grown exceptionally strong. In the fields of government and business, our Ye family does not fall behind them, but when it comes to underworld forces, we are far behind, and that¡¯s why I have been keeping the Ye family low-key these years."


    "So does that mean our Ye family has already developed sufficient underworld forces?" Ye Yunzhu asked.


    The old man shook his head and responded, "How could it be so easy to develop underworld forces? First, we need to cultivate a group of family retainers who are wholly loyal to our family, and this requires training from a young age. I started too late and simply didn¡¯t have enough time. Moreover, the other major families already have a tight grip on their underworld forces. If we Ye family try to get involved, it will undoubtedly lead to their collective ostracism and we would be walking into the lion¡¯s den, likely to be devoured without a trace."


    "Then, Grandpa, by suddenly taking a high profile now, aren¡¯t you putting yourself in great danger?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face showed concern.


    The old man wore a bright smile and declared, "If it weren¡¯t for Yifei, indeed, it would be very dangerous for us. But now with Yifei here, I¡¯m not worried about those underworld forces."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately turned to look at Li Yifei, her eyes wide in astonishment, and said, "You can¡¯t be serious, betting everything on Yifei?"


    The old man chuckled slyly, appearing quite cunning, and averred, "Then you just don¡¯t understand your man. If your man were to get involved with underworld forces, those people wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Yifei, I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?"


    Li Yifei gave the old man a roll of his eyes and remarked, "Grandpa, you¡¯re really putting me on a pedestal here. I¡¯m just an average citizen. I don¡¯t want to get involved in developing any underworld forces; it¡¯s awfully mundane."


    Ye Yunzhu chimed in hastily, "Exactly, Grandpa. You can¡¯t have Yifei get mixed up in the underworld. The state is cracking down hard on that now. No matter who gets involved, it always leads to a dead end."


    The old man shook his head and clarified, "What I¡¯m talking about isn¡¯t about getting involved in the criminal underworld. This kind of force only controls some areas that the government can¡¯t conveniently intervene in. It doesn¡¯t oppress the common people but targets other families. Such forces exist not only among us provincial families but also among the bigger families higher up, and their influence is much larger. Yifei, you¡¯re aware of this, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded in acknowledgment and admitted, "I do know, but I haven¡¯t had any contact with these forces in the past."


    "With someone of your calibre retiring, didn¡¯t any big families try to recruit you?" asked the old master, looking puzzled at Li Yifei.


    "Nope, none at all."


    After a moment of thought, the elder added, "Oh, I see now. Su Mengxin must have made her move early, which would make it inconvenient for other big families to try to recruit you. Su Mengxin and the Su Family hold a transcendent status across Huaxia."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Is that so? I truly didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve always thought of Su Mengxin as a friend."


    "What a joke. A figure like Su Mengxin doesn¡¯t make friends casually. Even if a person like her wants to use you, she¡¯d make you feel that she¡¯s a good friend. That¡¯s the brilliance of her approach. In all of Huaxia, nobody can match Su Mengxin¡¯s tactics¡ªor else she wouldn¡¯t be held in such high regard."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly without further explanation. He didn¡¯t believe what the old man had said. Perhaps Su Mengxin treated others as the old man described, but to him, she was definitely sincere. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have done what she did with Li Yifei. If every one of Su Mengxin¡¯s friends were just being used, wouldn¡¯t that mean she would have to do the same thing with each one? That was simply impossible.


    "Grandpa, what exactly do you want Yifei to do?" Ye Yunzhu was getting a bit anxious.


    The old master looked at Li Yifei with a serious expression and said, "Yifei, I want you to take action, showing the rest that the Ye family has enough martial strength to counter their underworld forces. Do you have any difficulty with that?"


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "What specifically should I do?"


    "Tomorrow is my birthday, and I intend to start a contest for entertainment. As a matter of face, each big family will send out their own martial experts. When you defeat them, they will realize that the Ye family possesses a supremely skilled warrior. If anyone dares to deploy such underworld forces against us again, you, as a martial expert, will be able to exact a greater toll on them. What do you think?" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei thought it over and said, "That¡¯s not good. I want to live a quiet life. If I show my face, then those big families will think of targeting me first if they have designs against the Ye family. That would disrupt my peaceful life enormously."


    The elder frowned and asked, "Then what do you suggest? You¡¯re not planning on doing nothing, are you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "How could I ignore this? You are Yunzhu¡¯s family, and as your son-in-law, it wouldn¡¯t be right not to get involved. However, there could be a workaround. I don¡¯t need to appear as myself. This way, nobody would know my true identity; they would simply know that the Ye family has a powerful martial artist. Plus, this would add an element of mystery. If they can¡¯t find me, they¡¯ll be even more hesitant."


    The old master clapped his hands in approval, "That¡¯s a great idea. But are you sure you won¡¯t be recognized?"


    Li Yifei replied with a faint smile, "If there are no especially strong martial artists, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. But if they have someone just as strong, then I can¡¯t guarantee."


    The old master asserted confidently, "There will definitely be plenty of skilled fighters, but I can assure you, none will be at your level."


    Ye Yunzhu looked at Li Yifei with surprise and exclaimed, "Are you really that amazing?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Underestimating your man, huh?"


    Suddenly, Ye Yunzhu reached out and tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s ear, saying, "What are you so proud of? No matter how skilled you are, you¡¯re still my Ye Yunzhu¡¯s man. Got a problem with that?"


    Li Yifei hastily leaned forward, grinning, and said, "Absolutely not, my dear wife. I submit!"


    The elder burst into hearty laughter. Although Ye Yunzhu might not become Li Yifei¡¯s official wife, seeing their interactions convinced him that Yunzhu could definitely keep Li Yifei in line, and that was more than enough.

 Chapter 708 - 747 The Ye Family is Rising Up

    Chapter 708: Chapter 747 The Ye Family is Rising Up"Yunzhu, you can rest now. Yifei and I still have something to discuss," the old patriarch said to Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu knew the old patriarch had some matters to discuss with Li Yifei in private. Understanding the situation, she tactfully left the room. In these large clans, women were generally used for alliance marriages and seldom involved in family affairs. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s participation was already a rarity, but there were still things they preferred to keep from her. She had seen this happen often enough; it no longer bothered her.


    "Rest more when you get back. You¡¯ve also had a tiring day," Li Yifei admonished before turning to close the door. He then took out a cigarette and finally allowed himself to smoke. He had always refrained from smoking in front of Ye Yunzhu, but now he could indulge.


    "Come on, give me one. This cigarette really tastes good," the old patriarch requested a smoke, took a couple of puffs, and complimented, "Not bad at all. The cigarettes Su Mengxin got for you are indeed good."


    Li Yifei said proudly, "They¡¯re quite decent."


    The old patriarch blew a smoke ring and said with a mischievous grin, "Heh heh, you sneaky kid, you keep saying you won¡¯t agree to Su Mengxin and yet, you smoke the cigarettes she gives you. And judging by that smug look on your face, I bet you and the lady have gotten quite close already, haven¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, deeming the old man¡¯s remark as... utterly disrespectful of his age!


    With another proud chuckle, the old patriarch continued, "You don¡¯t need to curse me in your mind. I certainly didn¡¯t say this in front of Yunzhu." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was caught between laughter and helplessness. The old man was indeed no simple figure. He said, "Then I really should thank you. While my relationship with Mengxin has made some progress, I can¡¯t really say where it will end up."


    "Heh heh, that I¡¯ll leave to you, but all I know is that my granddaughter is your woman, and so is Su Mengxin. That makes our Ye family and the Su Family relatives," the old patriarch declared.


    Li Yifei was too lazy to dispute this matter with the old patriarch. He wouldn¡¯t easily let Su Mengxin get involved with helping the Ye family, but as long as it was within his capacity, he would still assist them.


    The reason the old patriarch dismissed Ye Yunzhu was primarily to discuss Su Mengxin. What followed was a conversation about the details of the upcoming competition. The old man was experienced and shrewd, demonstrating thorough planning that made Li Yifei feel inferior. The old patriarch truly deserved to be the head of the family, with exceptional capabilities.


    It wasn¡¯t until dinner time that Li Yifei joined the old patriarch in the dining hall. Three large tables seated the Ye family members, young and old. Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were specifically called over to sit at the table with Yunzhu¡¯s parental generation, which clearly showed the old patriarch¡¯s regard for Li Yifei.


    The Ye family members held no animosity towards Li Yifei. His presence, however impressive in the Ye family, did not affect them adversely. His return would only be of help to them; he wasn¡¯t taking anything away from the family. Even though Ye Yunzhu¡¯s career might have taken some resources from the Ye family, her position as Deputy County Head had been secured with just a phone call from Li Yifei. Therefore, everyone agreed that he deserved to sit at the same table as the old patriarch.


    Those present for dinner were all Ye family members. Relatives who had come to pay birthday respects had been accommodated in a hotel, and a few Ye family members were there to entertain the guests. Consequently, not all Ye family members were present at this time.


    The old patriarch suddenly stood up with his wine glass in hand, and the bustling dining hall went silent. It was unusual for him to rise and speak during a meal, so when he did, it meant an important announcement was coming.


    He looked around at everyone there, all his descendants within the Ye family. The Ye family was not known for spoiled heirs; although there were not many of great talent, there were no wastrels either. In the second and third generations, there were quite a few capable individuals, which always made him proud.


    "I am delighted to see all of our Ye family gathered together once more. Watching each of you grow brings me immense comfort." His eyes first swept over those from the second generation sitting at the same table, and he said, "In recent years, I haven¡¯t been too involved in the management of the Ye family, but you¡¯ve all kept the family affairs running smoothly. You¡¯ve done well, and I trust that when one of you takes over the family, you will not let it decline."


    The second generation perked up; was the old patriarch about to name his successor?


    His gaze settled on his eldest son, Ye Zhenlong, and he slowly said, "Zhenlong, as the eldest son of the Ye family, the position will be yours in the future. I will announce it officially tomorrow."


    "Ah!" Ye Zhenlong suddenly stiffened in his seat, then, somewhat flustered, stood up and said, "Dad, you¡¯re still in good health, the Ye family still needs you to steer the ship."


    Patriarch Ye Jingfeng waved his hand and said with a smile, "I¡¯m indeed still in good shape right now, but I can¡¯t wait until I¡¯m really senile to relinquish this position. I want to take the opportunity to see you do well in the role of the family head while I still can."


    Ye Zhenlong quickly responded, "But among all the brothers, my abilities are not the most outstanding. In terms of aggressiveness, I¡¯m inferior to the second brother; in terms of brainpower, I¡¯m inferior to the fourth brother..."


    The old patriarch looked at his children and said slowly, "In terms of abilities, you may not be the most extraordinary, but you are the most stable and capable of commanding respect. On this point, your brothers can¡¯t compare with you. The rise and fall of a family primarily depend on its unity. The responsibility of the family head is to lead our clan to prosper and develop, which is a duty, not just about the benefits. Look at those families that have declined over the years; eighty percent fell because of internal discord, which led to external exploitation and eventually their complete downfall. The main reason the Ye family has endured is that we have always paid attention to this point, always uniting as one."


    After a pause, the old patriarch looked at his other children and said, "Today, I¡¯m hastily appointing Zhenlong as the family head. If any of you think I¡¯m wrong, feel free to speak up. On this matter, I absolutely support you raising objections."


    The second son, Ye Zhenhu, immediately spoke up, "Dad, since you¡¯ve decided to step down as the family head, I support my eldest brother. It¡¯s only natural for the eldest son to inherit the position of the family head. Besides, the eldest brother has always had the highest prestige among us. If it were someone else, it would be easier to cause dissatisfaction. I support your decision."


    And then the fourth son, Ye Zhenwei, said, "Dad, I also think there¡¯s nothing wrong with your decision. Rest assured, I will fully support my eldest brother in the future, and we brothers will unite for the prosperity of the Ye family."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, Ye Zhenyang, along with several other brothers, also expressed their support for Ye Zhenlong becoming the new family head. First, it was already the patriarch¡¯s decision, and opposing it was meaningless. Second, Ye Zhenlong was indeed popular among the brothers.


    Seeing no objections, the old patriarch was extremely gratified and spoke out loudly, "Our Ye family¡¯s strength lies in brotherly unity. As long as we achieve this, the Ye family is sure to prosper for a long time. You youngsters must learn from your uncles, work together with one heart, and make our Ye family even stronger!"


    The old patriarch¡¯s words made the younger generation¡¯s blood surge with excitement. They all felt a great change was coming to the Ye family, one that would bring them glory and opportunities to showcase their talents.


    Seeing his descendants¡¯ spirits aroused, the old patriarch nodded with satisfaction and said, "Now I have a second announcement to make. From now on, our Ye family will compete with the other great families. I want our Ye family to become the most powerful in our province!"


    "Wow!" All the younger members cried out in excitement. As members of a great family, nearly all of them harbored such ambition. The Ye family had always been too low-key compared with other great families, which made them feel somewhat inferior in gatherings. Now it seemed they no longer had to act that way. They not only needed to stand tall but also had to outshine the other families. Just thinking about it was exhilarating.


    As for Ye Zhenlong and the others, they were not particularly moved by this announcement, as they had been preparing for years, and the patriarch had previously discussed it with them. However, appointing Ye Zhenlong as the family head was unexpected to them.


    "Good, let¡¯s toast to the rise of our Ye family!" The old patriarch raised his glass and drained it in one go.


    Everyone lifted their glasses and followed suit, downing their drinks¡ªeven the younger children, caught up in the moment, took a sip.


    At that moment, Ye Yunzhu was also deeply moved. Previously, she had not spent much time living at the Ye family, so she didn¡¯t have much sense of the strife among great families. Now, inspired by the patriarch¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but pick up her glass to drink.


    But Li Yifei quickly extended his hand and took the glass from her, replacing it with an empty one and drinking from Ye Yunzhu¡¯s glass himself.


    Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but smile, but she also felt sweet inside. Although Li Yifei was doing this for the sake of the child she was carrying, it was also a sign of his care for her. With the uncles looking on, she could only give Li Yifei a glare and then smile apologetically at the uncles.


    No one took the matter to heart, as everyone was aware of her pregnancy. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s gesture toward Ye Yunzhu, they all responded with kind smiles. The elders knew the role Li Yifei could play this time might be the key to the Ye family¡¯s success or failure.

 Chapter 709 - 748: Eight Great Clans

    Chapter 709: Chapter 748: Eight Great ClansThe Ye Family never had such a lively atmosphere while dining, and today there were no restrictions at all. Everyone drank as they pleased, and even the elders didn¡¯t stop them.


    When everyone was satisfied with drinking and returned to their rooms, in Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room, it wasn¡¯t just the two of them; Zhou Xiaoyue, this little girl, was there too.


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face was flushed, and her eyes were watery, as if they were about to drip water. She had drunk too much.


    "Cousin, brother-in-law, today was so much fun. I¡¯ve never been so carefree here before, heehee. Grandpa even allowed us to drink, and my parents didn¡¯t say anything. It was really exhilarating." As Zhou Xiaoyue spoke, she waved her hands and feet in her drunken state.


    "Alright, you¡¯ve had your fun, now go back to your room and sleep." Ye Yunzhu was both amused and angry, this girl drank too much and refused to leave.


    Zhou Xiaoyue grabbed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand and shook it vigorously, "I¡¯m not sleepy, cousin. Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t you just chat with me?"


    Ye Yunzhu shook off Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s hand and said, "You¡¯ve been chatting for over half an hour, and it¡¯s not enough? Besides, in our Ye family, there are so many siblings. Why aren¡¯t you chatting with those around your age, but staying here?"


    "It¡¯s not fun with them. Besides, cousin, aren¡¯t we the closest?" Zhou Xiaoyue cheekily laughed and grabbed Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand again.


    Ye Yunzhu, helpless, could only say, "Oh my little aunt, you¡¯re not sleepy, but I am. How do I have the energy to chat with you while I¡¯m pregnant?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue looked at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly and responded with an "Oh."


    This relieved Ye Yunzhu, thinking Zhou Xiaoyue was about to leave. But who knew the girl blinked and said, "Then you just go to bed, and I¡¯ll chat with brother-in-law."


    Ye Yunzhu glared, "No way!"


    Zhou Xiaoyue quickly retorted, "Why not?"


    "No means no. How could I sleep if you two are chatting here?"


    "Then we¡¯ll be quieter, or should I let brother-in-law come to my room to chat?" Zhou Xiaoyue teased with a mischievous grin.


    Ye Yunzhu glared and scolded, "Nonsense, absolutely not!"


    "Why not? Are you afraid something might happen between me and brother-in-law? Heehee, are you worried about me, or about brother-in-law?" Zhou Xiaoyue playfully teased Ye Yunzhu and winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned black. This girl was getting more familiar with him, and more daring with her jokes. It was quite natural for a sister-in-law to joke with her brother-in-law, and even if outsiders heard it, they wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    Ye Yunzhu shot a fierce glance at Li Yifei and said, "I don¡¯t trust either of you."


    "Ahem..." Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Yunzhu, in your heart, am I that untrustworthy?"


    Ye Yunzhu said grumpily, "It¡¯s not like that at all. When have you ever been honest? Xiaoyue is pretty and young. Who knows, you might have had your eye on her already."


    Li Yifei cried out unfairly, "Yunzhu, heaven and earth know, I have no thoughts about Xiaoyue."


    "Brother-in-law..." Zhou Xiaoyue pouted with a wronged expression, "That¡¯s too hurtful! Where am I lacking? Not to mention compared to my cousin, at least I¡¯m not worse than Xiaoyao, am I?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face was instantly covered with black lines, dropping to the ground. Wasn¡¯t Zhou Xiaoyue setting him up? He quickly put on a stern face and said, "Xiaoyue, you can¡¯t say such things. Xiaoyao is Xiaoyao, and you are you. I¡¯ve always treated you as Yunzhu¡¯s sister."


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, and Ye Yunzhu looking angry, Zhou Xiaoyue couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter. "Cousin, don¡¯t get mad. It¡¯s not good for the baby. I was just teasing you. I wouldn¡¯t be that silly to be with brother-in-law, knowing he¡¯s a flirt."


    Ye Yunzhu sighed in relief. She was truly afraid Zhou Xiaoyue might have feelings for Li Yifei. He was her first love, but back then, she didn¡¯t think he was particularly outstanding. They just naturally ended up together because they spent a lot of time together, and young people were curious about the opposite sex. Now she realized, Li Yifei really had a knack with women, was quite capable, and very attractive to them. It was one thing with others, but with her cousin, she would never allow it.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve had enough fun. I¡¯m leaving." Zhou Xiaoyue laughed and ran out, leaving the room quite peaceful.


    "I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not allowed to have any thoughts about Xiaoyue." Zhou Xiaoyue had left, but Ye Yunzhu wasn¡¯t done yet, glaring at Li Yifei and nagging.


    Li Yifei sat down beside Ye Yunzhu, smiling, "What could I possibly think of her? She¡¯s just a little brat."


    "Don¡¯t speak too nicely. Chu Xiaoyao is also young, and you still got involved with her. From now on, stay away from Xiaoyue, don¡¯t be alone with her, and don¡¯t joke around with her." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely listen to you."


    "That¡¯s more like it. Okay, sleep." Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, Ye Yunzhu finally felt relieved and lay down on the bed.


    Li Yifei also lay down after changing, and the love shared that night doesn¡¯t need detailing. They got up early the next morning; today was the Old Master¡¯s birthday, which was an extraordinary day for the Ye family.


    This time, the celebration was held in the large courtyard of the Ye family. The courtyard was already decorated with lights and festoons, filled with a joyous atmosphere. Although Li Yifei had seen much, he usually attended events held in hotels. This was his first time seeing such an event in a private residence, and he watched the bustling activity with great interest.


    This showcased the strength of a large family, something not just any wealthy person could manage. Even if some rich people could arrange something like this, they lacked the heritage of a large family, which only displayed their economic power. But the Ye family was showing not only economic power but also tradition and capability.


    After eight o¡¯clock, guests began to arrive continuously at the Ye family¡¯s place. There was a parking lot outside the courtyard, and cars could only be parked there. Important guests were invited to a special living room by several Ye family elders, while ordinary guests were arranged in the outer courtyard. However, the guests didn¡¯t mind, as attending the Old Master¡¯s birthday was already an honor for many.


    However, the people from the other major families hadn¡¯t appeared. By nearly nine, the first major family arrived, the Provincial Wang Family.


    The Wangs came with the family head, Wang Chunlai, also an elder in his seventies. He wore a white silk Tang suit with soft-soled black cloth shoes. At this time, even younger people wore some thermal clothing, but he just wore a simple Tang suit, looking quite traditional, displaying his excellent health.


    When Li Yifei saw Wang Chunlai, his first impression was that this old guy knew kung fu and was probably a formidable practitioner.


    Among the rest of the Wang family, there were two middle-aged men in their forties or fifties, and several young people. Once informed of their arrival, Old Master Ye himself went out to greet them.


    "Old Wang, you old fox, your health is just getting sturdier. You¡¯re like an old demon," joked Old Master Ye Jingfeng as he stepped out to greet Wang Chunlai.


    Wang Chunlai laughed heartily, "I¡¯m not doing well anymore. I feel like time waits for no one. If I don¡¯t visit old friends more often, I don¡¯t know how many more years I¡¯ll be able to see them."


    The two embraced and laughed heartily, appearing genuinely close.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father, Ye Zhenyang, stood next to Li Yifei, whispering, "The Wang family¡¯s strength is slightly greater than ours, but not as good as the other major families. Our relationship with the Wangs is the best; we¡¯ve always advanced and retreated together."


    Li Yifei nodded, "So it¡¯s a united front?"


    Ye Zhenyang replied, "Yes, it¡¯s the survival way of the great families. The weaker need to unite to resist strong opponents. Without alliances, they¡¯d have been swallowed by those great families."


    Li Yifei and Ye Zhenyang hadn¡¯t talked much when another group walked in, and Ye Zhenyang added, "That¡¯s the Sun family from the province. Their strength is much greater than both our Ye family and the Wang family, ranking third in the province."


    Li Yifei quickly asked, "Then what¡¯s our Lin family¡¯s rank?"


    Ye Zhenyang said, "There are eight major families in our province. The Song family ranks first, the Hu family second, the Sun family third, the Lin family fourth. Then there¡¯s the Zheng family and the Chu family, and the rest are the Wang family and our Ye family."


    "Eight major families in total, I¡¯ve heard this from Yunzhu. I know the Song family too; I broke Song Ziqiao¡¯s leg, and the Lin family, I¡¯ve beaten Lin Sihao as well. With Lin Sihao¡¯s engagement broken, these two are our Lin family¡¯s enemies."


    Ye Zhenyang glared at Li Yifei; as a father-in-law, glaring at a son-in-law carried weight, "Your conflict with the Song family is your own, you know? We haven¡¯t fallen out with the Song family yet."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Isn¡¯t a fallout inevitable? I¡¯m just escalating the conflict a bit earlier."


    Ye Zhenyang merely put on a show. Li Yifei, his son-in-law, was quite the hot topic in the Ye family now, with the Old Master favoring him above others, making him more influential than himself. He continued, "The Hu family is just slightly inferior to the Song family and has always been a fierce rival. The Song family has long wanted to suppress the Hu family, and the Hu family has wanted to surpass the Song family and become the most influential in our province. The Sun family has the most ambiguous attitude; they never fall out with any family. They seem to have good relations with every family. They appear the least threatening, but the Old Master says they¡¯re the most dangerous."


    These things, surprisingly, the Old Master hadn¡¯t told Li Yifei, but it seems such things were left for Ye Zhenyang, his father-in-law, to tell.


    Li Yifei nodded, "The great families always have conflicting interests; keeping to oneself might not be possible. They seem to have managed it well; it means their handling is adept. Now they don¡¯t make trouble with anyone, but if they become enemies, they¡¯ve already secured complete assurance for a deadly strike. Such a family is indeed the most dangerous."

 Chapter 710 - 749 Provocation

    Chapter 710: Chapter 749 ProvocationYe Zhenyang continued, "Additionally, there¡¯s the Zheng Family and the Chu Family. One has a good relationship with the Song Family, and the other is closely connected with the Hu Family, but with our Ye Family, we¡¯ve always maintained a Well Water does not interfere with River Water approach."


    Li Yifei asked, "Uncle Ye, you seem to know a lot about these matters. I remember you used to work in Mile City and not here in the provincial city."


    Ye Zhenyang couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit proud as he said, "Just because I worked in Mile City doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t get involved with the Ye Family¡¯s affairs. The struggle between the big families is mostly about business and the officialdom, especially the officialdom. Whenever someone from any family is up for promotion, they¡¯re watched by all the other families, so progress must be logical and step by step. Every family¡¯s offspring who enter the officialdom have to start locally, just like Yunzhu. She could only start from a small township in Mile City. Initially, she hadn¡¯t attracted the attention of the other families, but then she was suddenly promoted to Deputy County Head. Now, every family is keeping an eye on Yunzhu, and she must be even more careful in her future actions."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly, "Then it seems I¡¯ve brought some trouble to Yunzhu."


    Ye Zhenyang chuckled, "Such trouble is exactly what I¡¯d advise you to get more of for our Ye family members. We Ye people aren¡¯t afraid of such trouble."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "There¡¯s no such good deal. After all the things I¡¯ve done, I only managed to owe this one favor, and they¡¯ve already repaid me for it. I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask for their help again."


    Ye Zhenyang was just speaking off the cuff. If every official could rise so quickly, then the entire Huaxia would be in chaos. Ye Yunzhu was extremely fortunate to have such an opportunity.


    The next big families to arrive were the Hu Family and the Zheng Family; these two had clearly formed a strong alliance, or rather, they¡¯ve always used this approach to signal to other families that their cooperation was so tight that to provoke one was to provoke both.


    Following them was the Lin Family. Although their broken engagement was a private matter, such big families have many eyes and ears, and naturally, they all knew of it. The Lin Family was well aware of this too, which is why they arrived a bit later today, expressing their dissatisfaction with the Ye family.


    Lin Sihao did not attend. In such a setting, he couldn¡¯t show up. While it was officially to celebrate the Old Master of the Ye Family¡¯s birthday, the family rivalries could easily exploit the situation involving Lin Sihao to make sardonic comments. If they could provoke the Lin Family into hostilities with the Ye Family, it would benefit the other families without any downsides.


    Finally, the Song Family and Chu Family arrived. From the Song Family, apart from the Old Master, Song Shucheng, there were Song Ziqiao and his father, Song Xiaojie.


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s leg had healed, but he could no longer walk as normally as before. If you looked closely, you could still spot the awkwardness in his posture, which was the greatest hatred in his heart. During this time, aside from recovering, he had only one thing on his mind: to seek revenge on Li Yifei. He wanted to dismember Li Yifei to quench his hatred.


    But his grandfather strictly warned him not to cause trouble now. Li Yifei had an even bigger backer, and going after him could bring great trouble to the Song Family. So, Song Ziqiao had to temporarily restrain himself, and the more he held back, the deeper his hatred for Li Yifei grew, imagining Li Yifei¡¯s face whenever he closed his eyes.


    Today, having finally ventured out to distract himself, Song Ziqiao felt a bit calmer. As a key figure groomed in his generation of the Song family, he had a respectable presence even among his peers from the other big families.


    Although Li Yifei and Ye Zhenyang were chatting together, they had tucked themselves away in a more secluded area. Firstly, they didn¡¯t want others overhearing their conversation, and secondly, with only heavyweights around, Ye Zhenyang¡¯s status did not suit him to welcome those guests. In his generation, it was only Ye Zhenlong and Ye Zhenwei accompanying the Old Master.


    Additionally, Li Yifei had important tasks to attend to later, so it was also best for him not to show his face now.


    Thus, Song Ziqiao did not see Li Yifei, or his expression would certainly have turned ferocious.


    Li Yifei had no interest in those old men¡¯s empty flattery and insincere words. He was secretly observing the attendants that these old men had brought with them.


    Watching those attendants, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but inwardly praise the deep foundations of these big families; many of them were clearly experts, the kind you could tell just from their appearance, and a few others were inscrutable.


    Li Yifei had clashed with the Song Family¡¯s Third Tribute, and that guy¡¯s strength was indeed remarkable. Even earning a spot in the Flying Hawk Squad would be well within his qualifications. The members of the Flying Hawk Squad are meticulously chosen, only a few dozen in total. It seems like each of these large families has several masters like him.


    However, the treatment that the members of the Flying Hawk Squad receive is completely different from that of these family retainers. Li Yifei and his comrades have to go through life and death trials time and again; every mission could be their last, while these retainers seem to be raised by the big families, obviously living under much better conditions than Li Yifei and his team.


    For this reason, Li Yifei could deduce that, if these masters were to spar with members of the Flying Hawk Squad of the same level, they might be evenly matched, but in a fight to the death, these retainers wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Without the true test of life and death, even the most skillful martial arts are difficult to apply to real combat.


    Among these elders, aside from the Old Master of the Wang Family who knows martial arts, the rest are just ordinary people. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Jingfeng led these people from the large families into the inner part, where there was a hall. The direct descendants of the several big families all gathered here. This time, the heads of these families were not here for secret discussions but rather for social interactions. In these interactions, they also displayed the status and power of their own families. Having these second and third-generation successors take part was also a form of training for them.


    After some polite words were exchanged, the Song Family¡¯s head, Song Shucheng, looked towards the head of the Lin family, Lin Fenglin, and said, "Old Lin, I¡¯ve heard that your Lin family is planning a marriage alliance with the Ye family. I¡¯ve been looking forward to the wedding feast, but why haven¡¯t I heard any news yet?"


    Lin Fenglin had anticipated that this subject would come up, and just as he was about to reply with a laugh, Old Master of the Ye Family, Ye Jingfeng, had already spoken, "The fault lies with our Ye family. Our Yunzhu already has someone in her heart, and she is even pregnant. To marry into the Lin family now would be an insult, so we could only call off the engagement to avoid angering you, Old Lin."


    Song Shucheng narrowed his eyes and said, "Oh? Yunzhu is already pregnant? That¡¯s quite surprising. She¡¯s now the Deputy County Head, with a limitless future. Isn¡¯t pregnancy at this time going to affect her career?"


    Ye Jingfeng laughed heartily and replied, "Even if Yunzhu is capable, she is still a woman who will eventually marry and have children. It¡¯s not bad to have them earlier, and as for her career, since Yunzhu could be promoted from Township Chief to Deputy County Head so quickly, even if she¡¯s delayed by childbirth for a year or two, it won¡¯t affect her much."


    Ye Jingfeng spoke with such arrogance that it stunned the other elders. In the officialdom, although the Ye family had several high-ranking members, compared to the other families, they were still slightly weaker. Usually, if someone in the Ye family was promoted, Ye Jingfeng would keep a low profile. Now, Ye Jingfeng¡¯s high-profile stance was quite out of the ordinary, making it seem like the Ye family had gained a significant backing.


    Part of Ye Jingfeng¡¯s statement was to declare that from now on, the Ye family would step into the inter-family strife. Additionally, because Yunzhu¡¯s pregnancy couldn¡¯t be kept secret indefinitely, hiding it for a month or two was feasible, but as her belly grew, there was no way to conceal it. Furthermore, Yunzhu would certainly need to rest during childbirth, so rather than let others uncover the truth, it was better for him to mention it first.


    At this point, the Old Master of the Hu Family, Hu Liduo, said with a chuckle, "Old Ye, since Yunzhu has already chosen her partner, why haven¡¯t you invited us to drink the wedding wine?"


    Ye Jingfeng laughed heartily again and said, "This wedding wine can only be drunk together with celebrating the childbirth."


    Hu Liduo, known as an old fox, was extremely shrewd. Upon hearing Ye Jingfeng¡¯s words, he immediately narrowed his eyes and commented, "Oh, could it be that your family¡¯s Yunzhu does not plan to hold a wedding?"


    Ye Jingfeng, looking somewhat helpless, replied, "To be frank with everyone, the man Yunzhu has chosen is a classmate from her high school days, just a nobody. Our Ye family has always been opposed to it, but now that she¡¯s pregnant, we¡¯re out of options. However, as for entering our Ye family¡¯s door, he can forget about it."


    Upon hearing this, everyone showed understanding expressions. For big families like theirs, the marriage of their children was mostly arranged, and daughters were even more vital chess pieces. Marrying off to some nobody in such a hasty and careless manner was something none would accept.


    At this moment, Song Shucheng turned to Lin Fenglin again with a grin and said, "Old Lin, since the Ye family disapproves of the man Yunzhu chose, you should still pursue the marriage. To marry one and gain another, what a great deal that would be."


    These words were blatantly insulting. Families like theirs valued face greatly¡ªmarrying a woman who already carried another¡¯s child would become a joke amongst other families. By saying this, Song Shucheng was clearly trying to provoke Lin Fenglin, whose expression had not changed yet, but the rest of the Lin family members were now all showing signs of anger.

 Chapter 711 - 750 Martial Contest

    Chapter 711: Chapter 750 Martial ContestLin Fenglin sipped his tea and said, "Now that Yunzhu¡¯s prospects are boundless, our Lin family wouldn¡¯t dare to aspire that high. However, Ziqiao of your Song family is still unmarried and also the key figure you¡¯ve been cultivating. He¡¯s indeed a match for Yunzhu. How about I act as the middleman and make this good thing happen?"


    Song Shucheng¡¯s face changed at this, Ziqiao had been well groomed and had reached the position Ye Yunzhu now held, but had been displaced. To rise again would be more difficult. The position Ye Yunzhu had taken over was virtually Ziqiao¡¯s, and by saying this, Lin Fenglin had not only repaid the Song family in kind but also tore open the family¡¯s wounds.


    Everyone saw that the Song family and the Lin family had come head to head so easily and were waiting for a good show. If the two families really started fighting, it would be quite a spectacle. Even if the Lin family could not withstand the Song family, killing one thousand enemies would mean self-injury of eight hundred, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy for the Song family either.


    As the host of the event, Ye Jingfeng now darkened his face and said, "I say, Old Song, Old Lin, you¡¯re really not acting your age anymore, not caring about my opinion either. Yunzhu is my granddaughter. Discussing my granddaughter like this, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s excessive?"


    When Ye Jingfeng said this, he was stern, obviously not there to mediate but to reprimand Song Shucheng and Lin Fenglin.


    This surprised not only the two men involved, but also the other family heads present. The Ye family had always been low-profile, ranking last among the Eight Great Clans. Although they held the same title as the rest, the Ye family usually steered clear of conflicts with other families. In the past, Ye Jingfeng would have just laughed off such matters, but his reaction this time was quite unusual. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing an opportunity, the patriarch of the Hu Family, Hu Liduo, immediately followed with a stern face, saying, "Old Ye is right. You¡¯re really out of line. How can you joke about Old Ye¡¯s granddaughter like that? That¡¯s utterly disrespectful and improper."


    Of course, Song Shucheng and Lin Fenglin understood that Hu Liduo, the old fox, was inciting a fool to be bitten by a mad dog, only to reap the fisherman¡¯s benefit. They could not let his wishful thinking succeed. Lin Fenglin broke into a laugh first and said, "Old Ye is right. We are here today to celebrate your birthday, and it¡¯s wrong of me to speak of your granddaughter in such a way. I apologize first."


    Song Shucheng glared at Hu Liduo, then addressed Ye Jingfeng, "Old Ye, people tend to lose their sense of proportion as they get older. After so many years of friendship, you wouldn¡¯t turn against me over this, would you?"


    Ye Jingfeng also laughed it off and said, "Enough, enough. We¡¯re all old. What¡¯s the point of squabbling? Come, everyone, have some tea I prepared."


    The elders had a bit of a spark, while their attendants and guards gathered together, their tempers even more heated.


    In the struggles among the great families, martial strength was a major benchmark, just like in ancient times when nations battled. A country with famous generals and strong armies wielded greater deterrence over others. Although the great clans could no longer wage open war as in the past, having powerful martial strength was still vital, and the masters brought by the families were inimical to those from other clans, some already having clashed, even holding grudges.


    They were arranged in the most secluded courtyard, where they were served food but were otherwise undisturbed.


    The Song family had always been the strongest in this aspect, with five great stewards in the family, all of them being masters among masters. In addition, many others skilled in martial arts were present. Today, the Second steward and Fourth steward along with two other masters had come, all exuding arrogance much like the usual demeanor of the Song family, clearly looking down on the masters from the other families.


    For these martial artists, unlike the elders who cared for pretense and formality, clashes were inevitable when they crossed paths.


    At that moment, the Second steward of the Song family scoffed and challenged, "If you disagree, let¡¯s settle it with our skills. No matter who you are, if anyone can last ten moves with me, I¡¯ll admit defeat, and you can name your terms."


    Their words caused a huge stir. Everyone from the various families was almost among the strongest, and even if they knew the Second steward was a formidable opponent with slim odds of victory, they still considered themselves not much inferior. To determine a winner would likely take hundreds of moves.


    "You really know how to boast. I¡¯ll be the first to challenge you!" a middle-aged man from the Hu Family stepped forward right away. The Hu and the Song families had the most conflicts, and with the Second steward being so arrogant, the Hu family obviously had to make a stance or else seem beneath their status.


    The Second steward laughed heartily, "Then I¡¯ll fight until you submit!"


    The Hu family¡¯s master, inflamed with anger, roared and threw a punch at the Second steward. The punch, slicing through the air, carried a whistling sound, demonstrating its incredible force and speed.


    The Second steward, unfazed, stepped aside while his right palm extended, striking towards the Hu family master¡¯s wrist.


    The moment they engaged, all onlookers were taken aback. The Hu family¡¯s master was indeed strong, so much so that they felt incapable of reaching his level. However, they were even more stunned by the Second steward¡¯s speed; his palm was like a blade. Had that strike connected, the Hu family master¡¯s wrist might have been severed.


    However, the expert from the Hu Family was indeed strong. Although equally surprised, he did not panic. His arm sunk down, changing his straight punch into a horizontal strike, and as his body rotated, a kick was already aimed towards the Second steward¡¯s waist.


    "Well done!" The Second steward suddenly shouted, switching his palm strike to a fist while simultaneously raising a leg, meeting the Hu Family expert with a head-on collision.


    With two muffled thuds, the Second steward stepped back a little, but the Hu Family expert was forced to retreat several steps, decisively revealing the difference in their strength. The Second steward was indeed much stronger than the Hu Family¡¯s expert.


    This caused everyone¡¯s expression to change dramatically. Previously, they all believed that the Song Family¡¯s strength in this regard was only slightly better than theirs, but with the Second steward making a move, their perceptions were shattered. It turned out that the Song Family¡¯s strength had developed to such an extent over the years, recruiting such powerful masters. No wonder the Song Family had been acting more and more arrogant and dismissive of others.


    The Hu Family expert advanced again after retreating and shouted loudly, launching another attack at the Second steward, even employing the most proud skill of his life. He knew he was less powerful than the Second steward, but the Second steward¡¯s boastful words had already been spoken. If he could withstand ten moves, he could at least salvage some face.


    But his wishful thinking was soon dashed. Barely managing to hold out until the ninth move, he could no longer dodge the Second steward¡¯s attacks. Although he avoided the critical points, he was kicked in the buttocks by the Second steward, sending him flying into the air. His legs went numb, and when he landed, he couldn¡¯t stay upright and fell onto his buttocks.


    "Ha... the Hu Family is nothing special after all!" The Second steward laughed heartily, his gaze provocative as he looked at the other experts.


    The Hu Family expert was helped up, his face extremely unsightly. He had not only lost but lost disgracefully, glaring at the Second steward with fiery eyes. He knew that going up again would only result in further humiliation.


    At that moment, the Second steward arrogantly said, "Is there anyone else who dares to challenge me? I¡¯ll say it again, anyone who survives ten moves under my hand can name their own terms."


    The faces of the crowd were extremely unpleasant, but they knew whoever went up couldn¡¯t possibly be stronger than the Hu Family expert. How could they endure ten moves? And even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t mean they had defeated the Second steward, so it wouldn¡¯t mean much.


    "Well then, since none of you dares to fight me one-on-one, let¡¯s have any two of you come at me together. Ha ha, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still too scared to step up?"


    Unable to tolerate the Second steward¡¯s arrogance any longer, two experts from the Chu Family, who were closest to the Hu Family, stepped forward. The two brothers were known for their impeccable coordination, and their teamwork far surpassed any two people fighting together.


    These two were only marginally weaker than the Hu Family expert, and the brothers were well-coordinated. As soon as they made their move, they seemed to pose a much greater threat to the Second steward than the Hu Family expert had.


    But the Second steward, too, rallied his spirits and shouted, engaging in a melee with the two brothers.


    "One move!"


    "Two moves!"


    The onlookers counted out loud, and by the eighth move, it was apparent the two brothers were about to be defeated. It was just a matter of whether they could hold on for two more moves.


    "Stop!" Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and a figure charged into the fray.


    The Second steward and the two brothers were fully committed to their attacks, and when this figure suddenly burst in, heading straight into the middle of their battle, all three of their attacks inadvertently hit the newcomer.


    Those around them exclaimed in unison, wondering if this was a death wish, taking the combined attacks of three great experts. The consequences were obvious, even if it didn¡¯t result in death, half a life would likely be all that was left.


    But as the others gasped, the four fighters had already separated. The Second steward and the two brothers from the Chu family each took two steps back, their faces showing an odd expression. Meanwhile, in the center where the fight had taken place, a tall man now stood, unmovable like a mountain, seemingly unharmed by the previous encounter.


    This surprised everyone even more. If this person had been injured, it would have been somewhat expected, but standing there unscathed implied tremendous strength. How powerful must one be to break apart the attacks of the Second steward and the two brothers without suffering any harm?

 Chapter 712 - 751: Laying Out a Maze of Confusion

    Chapter 712: Chapter 751: Laying Out a Maze of Confusion"Who is this person? Which family does he belong to?" Everyone had the same question pop up in their minds almost simultaneously. The Second steward was indeed a master, but now there was someone even more skillful, whose family affiliation was unknown.


    It was Li Yifei standing there, but he was in disguise. Through makeup, he made himself look over forty, with a darker complexion. He spoke up with a heavy voice, "everyone! Today is the grand birthday of the Old Master of the Ye Family, yet you all end up fighting here. Isn¡¯t this disrespectful to our Old Master?"


    "Are you from the Ye family?" The Second steward blurted out in shock.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Indeed, I ask everyone to please calm down. If it is our Ye family¡¯s neglect in hospitality, then let me first apologize on our behalf. If this is a matter of personal pride, then please pick another time and place. I will not interfere again."


    The Second steward sized up Li Yifei and said slowly, "We are all martial artists. It¡¯s our pleasure to have a match; there¡¯s no disrespect to the Old Master of the Ye Family intended."


    Hearing the previously arrogant Second steward of the Song Family talk politely now just showed that the strike earlier had made him realize the strength of this man from the Ye family, but exactly how strong he was still unclear. After all, the scene had passed in the blink of an eye, and no one saw clearly what had happened.


    With a faint smile, Li Yifei said, "There¡¯s of course no problem with having a match, but I¡¯d suggest that today, we¡¯d better have a chat without coming to blows. After all, with all the great masters here, any casual move would be astoundingly destructive. Our Ye family has modest means and can¡¯t afford the damages you might cause."


    The Second steward laughed heartily and said, "You¡¯re right. I am Cheng Dong, a steward of the Song Family." He then reached out his hand to Li Yifei.


    "Ye Liu!" Li Yifei also extended his hand.


    However, their hands did not immediately grip each other. There was a subtle movement, and then they quickly let go. The Second steward¡¯s face became even more bizarre, as he gave a chuckle and said, "I truly did not expect that the Ye family had such a master like Ye Da."


    "I dare not claim to be so. I¡¯m just a nameless foot soldier. Compared to my brothers, I am still lacking a lot. Everyone please rest well, I must attend to the other guests." After saying this, Li Yifei bowed to the crowd with his hands clasped and then strode out."


    "How strong is he actually?" People from the Song Family gathered together, along with a few from the Zheng Family. The Fourth steward immediately asked anxiously.


    The Second steward frowned and said, "This man is truly a master, definitely stronger than me, and by quite a lot."


    At that moment, a group encircled the two from the Chu Family and whispered inquiries. They both replied with serious expressions, "Very powerful, absolutely much more so than that Second steward. He managed to stop us just now, catching our attacks and repelling us."


    Now everyone here was stunned and bewildered. This Ye Liu from the Ye family was incredibly formidable. And considering he was only ranked sixth, didn¡¯t that imply the Ye family had at least five others who were equally strong? This meant that in terms of martial strength, they were far more powerful than any other family, perhaps even stronger than a union of several other major families?


    Li Yifei had achieved his aim of shocking everyone. As for what the Old Master would do in the future and what path the Ye family would take, he did not concern himself with that anymore. At most, he might continue to help out under the guise of Ye Liu.


    From his entrance to his departure, Li Yifei had only spent five or six minutes, but the effect was tremendous. Most importantly, he had displayed that the Ye family, previously thought to be weak in this area, had considerable strength. Furthermore, he laid a puzzle that caused the major families to speculate and hesitate from easily starting a conflict with the Ye family in this regard.


    This event quickly reached the ears of the various family heads who were pretentiously engaged elsewhere, causing their expressions to become somewhat peculiar. They had already suspected that Ye Jingfeng¡¯s high-profile birthday celebration had some ulterior motive, and now it seemed that their speculations were confirmed.


    However, Ye Jingfeng suddenly announced the transfer of the family head position to his eldest son, Ye Zhenlong, which completely baffled everyone. What exactly was the Ye family trying to do?


    The Old Master of the Ye Family¡¯s birthday celebration was extremely successful, and the Old Master was delighted. After all the guests had left, he called Li Yifei over to join him and several main members of Ye Zhenlong¡¯s generation for a hearty drink.


    Today Li Yifei had made the greatest contribution. Ye Jingfeng reiterated this fact, making Ye Zhenlong and the others view Li Yifei with new respect. Having such a powerful son-in-law seemed even more beneficial than having Ye Yunzhu marry into a great family.


    Having drunk quite a bit, Li Yifei ended up staying another day, and only the next day did he and Ye Yunzhu return to Mile City.


    When he got home, it was already past five in the afternoon. As Li Yifei opened the door, he saw not just Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, but also Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Mengxin, which was quite a surprise. However, he did not show his astonishment and merely greeted them with a smile, "Mengxin has come over."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Yes, the company here is starting up officially, so I came to have a look. Besides, I¡¯ve missed your cooking."


    Li Yifei asked with a smile, "Does that mean you haven¡¯t eaten yet?"


    "Yeah, why else would Yingying call to ask when you¡¯d be back? We¡¯re waiting for you to cook."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You guys really don¡¯t waste any time, but you¡¯ve bought the groceries, right? You¡¯re not going to send me out to buy groceries again, are you?"


    Xu Shanshan replied cheerily, "We bought them long ago. We are just waiting for you to start cooking."


    Li Yifei waved a hand and said, "No problem, just wait and enjoy the feast."


    After being out helping Ye Yunzhu for two days, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t said anything, but Li Yifei felt a bit uneasy. So, once he got home, he made a show of his skills, frying and saut¨¦ing. After a little over an hour, he had prepared a full table of dishes. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was now a frequent visitor here. She no longer mentioned how things were with Li Yifei; she just came to accompany her daughter, which left Xu Yingying with nothing much to say.


    During the meal, Li Yifei also told Su Mengxin and the others about his trip to the Ye family. Xu Shanshan found the story interesting, having not seen Li Yifei¡¯s performance for herself. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t understand these matters, but Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er, being from large families, immediately saw that major changes were coming to Mile City.


    At this point, Li Yifei said, "Mengxin, what do you think, does this benefit the Ye family?" Li Yifei was not adept in this area, so he needed to consult Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin chewed her food and after swallowing, replied, "The Song family has always been too arrogant. The higher-ups are not satisfied with them and have never wanted them to grow too powerful. However, the Hu family¡¯s opposition isn¡¯t strong enough. Now that the Ye family is stepping up, the higher-ups should support them."


    Pausing for a moment, Su Mengxin continued, "But I¡¯m worried that the Ye family might not be strong enough. Relying solely on martial strength can only suppress one aspect, preventing other major clans from rashly attacking the Ye family, but whether they can truly topple the Song family and elevate the Ye family in the process involves many complications."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "If the old master of the Ye family is willing to take this step, he probably has some tricks up his sleeve. Whichever way it goes, we¡¯ll just have to wait and see."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "I could lend them a hand, but if they do, the Ye family will have to align with our Su family. However, we won¡¯t interfere too much with them, only requesting their support when there¡¯s a shift in the Capital City."


    Li Yifei laughed, "If you can help them, they¡¯d be dying to accept. They¡¯re all looking to cling to a strong leg."


    With a light laugh, Su Mengxin said, "Then let¡¯s just observe them for a while. We will be watching, and if we think they are worth supporting, we will step in. But for now, there¡¯s no need to tell them."


    Li Yifei nodded his agreement, thinking to himself that Ye Jingfeng, if he heard this news, would probably feel even more reassured.


    Ning Xin¡¯er then interjected, "I can¡¯t represent the Ning family anymore. Besides, with Mengxin¡¯s assistance, that¡¯s more useful than anyone else¡¯s."


    Su Mengxin laughed softly and replied, "Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re being too modest. Your Ning family in Capital City is also a formidable clan, one that even our Su family has to respect."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "Forget it, I¡¯m no longer with the Ning family. As a runaway daughter, I have no standing at home." She then glanced at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice. It hadn¡¯t been easy to get Ning Xin¡¯er to settle down lately, and he certainly didn¡¯t want to provoke her again.


    After everyone had eaten their fill, Ning Xin¡¯er left first. Su Mengxin went back to her room. Xu Yingying headed off to work; she had even more to do these past few days. Despite their separation, she hardly had time to spend with Li Yifei. Even though she knew that a husband and wife should communicate more, she simply didn¡¯t have the time.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had just soothed Little Yifei to sleep when Su Mengxin knocked on the door and came in, "Yifei, could you come and help me with something?"


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Sure."


    Xu Shanshan quickly said, "I¡¯ll come too, I¡¯ll come too."


    Xu Yingying also came out and asked, "Do you need my help?"


    Xu Shanshan promptly said, "No need, just carry on with your work. If my brother-in-law and I can¡¯t handle it, there won¡¯t be much you can do either."


    Xu Yingying thought about it and realized her sister was right, so she turned back to her work. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t give a second thought to her sister and Su Mengxin spending time with Li Yifei, but what she didn¡¯t know was that her sister Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were now as close as two peas in a pod.

 Chapter 713 - 752 Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin’s Alliance

    Chapter 713: Chapter 752 Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin¡¯s AllianceThe three of them arrived at Su Mengxin¡¯s home and suddenly fell into a silence. Xu Shanshan blinked her lovely big eyes, glancing between Su Mengxin and Li Yifei before breaking into giggles.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and asked, "What are you laughing at?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s laughter grew louder, then she said proudly, "It¡¯s obvious what we came here for, yet you two are still putting on such a pretense. It¡¯s so amusing."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face flushed red. Although what was implied was indeed the case, having Xu Shanshan point it out like this was embarrassing. What made it worse was that being alone with Li Yifei felt natural to her, but she was at a loss for what to do with Xu Shanshan there.


    When the three of them were together before, it was in that cave, but it was a result of special circumstances and environment, and nothing had actually happened. Today, however, they were deliberately seeking intimacy, which inevitably led to awkwardness with the three of them together.


    As for that time with her three little sisters, they were all under the influence of alcohol, which made it a different situation completely.


    Xu Shanshan, who also lacked experience in this area, knew about Li Yifei, Chu Xiaoyao, and Su Yiyi, which filled her with curiosity about the three of them being together. However, she had no idea where to start and said to Su Mengxin with a grin, "Sister Mengxin, you go first."


    Su Mengxin was even more embarrassed and protested, "How could I go first? You should."


    "How could I possibly go first? Since you¡¯re a guest and I live under the same roof with my brother-in-law every day, I¡¯m the host. Naturally, the guest should go first."


    "You live with your brother-in-law every day, but you don¡¯t dare do anything with him. Otherwise, why come here? You¡¯re just using me as an excuse. Clearly, you¡¯re the eager one, so you should go first."


    "No, no, at least I get to see my brother-in-law every day. It¡¯s not easy for you to see him once, so you should definitely go first."


    "Stop it, I¡¯m not as bold as you, so you go first."


    "You first!"


    "You first!"


    Li Yifei, who was quite a veteran in matters of love, seeing the two women taking turns with their offers, stretched out both arms to wrap them around their shoulders and laughed heartily, "Ladies, no need to keep offering to each other. Let¡¯s just do it together. How about we go chat on the bed?"


    "Together?" Su Mengxin, usually unflappable, couldn¡¯t help but flush completely red and urgently said, "How can we do that? You two go ahead."


    Xu Shanshan, however, was not averse to the idea; in fact, she was full of curiosity. Batting her eyes, she said, "Then let¡¯s do it together. Sister Mengxin, don¡¯t you want to understand how my brother-in-law can be with two women at once? I¡¯ve always been very curious about this."


    Provoked by Xu Shanshan¡¯s curiosity, Su Mengxin felt the stirrings of interest too, but she was not as daring as Xu Shanshan. She spoke with embarrassment and shyness, "Maybe we shouldn¡¯t..." but her resolve was clearly not that firm.


    "Mengxin, if we keep this up, it¡¯ll soon be midnight. Wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of such a beautiful moment?"


    Su Mengxin burst into laughter and chided, "That was quite cheesy."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "Facing two beautiful women, of course, I can¡¯t be too rough. Otherwise, what if they don¡¯t pay attention to me afterward?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Today you have to make both of us happy, or else you won¡¯t be allowed to go back to sleep tonight."


    With the air cleared, the three of them relaxed considerably and together entered Su Mengxin¡¯s bedroom. But once they lay on the bed, Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan still didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Li Yifei knew that if he didn¡¯t take the lead, they would soon feel uneasy again. He rolled over, pinned Su Mengxin beneath him, and kissed her lips.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous, unable to cooperate with Li Yifei and still stealing glances at Xu Shanshan. She then realized that Li Yifei¡¯s hand was already inside Xu Shanshan¡¯s clothes, caressing her breasts.


    Seeing this, Xu Shanshan looked back at her, which made Su Mengxin even more embarrassed. Though kissed by Li Yifei, she became stiff, like a wooden doll, without any reaction.


    Li Yifei could clearly sense the performance of the two women and knew it would be difficult to make a breakthrough with Su Mengxin. After kissing for a short while, he embraced Xu Shanshan and kissed her passionately. His hand, however, was caressing Su Mengxin¡¯s body.


    Xu Shanshan was not as reserved as Su Mengxin and became very excited, responding fervently to Li Yifei¡¯s advances, completely ignoring Su Mengxin¡¯s presence. Soon, she got up, took off all her clothes, and then began to strip Li Yifei.


    Seeing the two of them so passionate, Su Mengxin¡¯s passion was finally ignited. She forgot her reserve and became fully engaged, the three of them rolling and tumbling on the bed. Although they didn¡¯t consummate, they played joyfully and reached the pinnacle of pleasure.


    Finally, things calmed down. Li Yifei lay flat in the middle, with Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin cuddling on either side of him, giving him a great sense of accomplishment.


    Usually, after one such play, Li Yifei would inevitably feel a bit weary, but not this time. The main reason was that he didn¡¯t have to exert himself with push-up-like motions. Even reaching climax was a pleasure, especially the last part. Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin completely let go, both presenting their backsides to him, taking turns with Li Yifei¡¯s thing, which was an absolute delight for him. In the end, he didn¡¯t even know into whose mouth he had climaxed.


    "Hehe, Sister Mengxin, who would have thought that even Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty could be so bold," teased Xu Shanshan with a giggly smile at Su Mengxin.


    "You were just the same a moment ago," Su Mengxin¡¯s face was full of a radiant blush, having done that kind of thing together earlier, the awkwardness was no longer there. She then looked at Li Yifei affectionately and said, "In front of the person you like, neither modesty nor status matter. What¡¯s most important is to make the man you like happy."


    Li Yifei felt incredibly content inside. He couldn¡¯t help but give Su Mengxin a kiss on the face and, of course, did not forget to kiss Xu Shanshan as well. When with both women, Li Yifei was always careful with these matters. Favoring one over the other could easily disrupt the balance in their hearts. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan was drawing circles on Li Yifei¡¯s chest with her finger and said thoughtfully, "Yeah, for my brother-in-law, I¡¯m willing to do anything."


    Li Yifei felt even happier and hugged both women a bit tighter in his arms.


    "But Sister Mengxin, I find all this really thrilling, even more so than being with brother-in-law alone. Especially when watching you with my brother-in-law, I get even more excited. Don¡¯t you feel the same, Sister Mengxin?"


    A bit embarrassed, Su Mengxin whispered, "That¡¯s right."


    "Hehe, then should we always be together from now on?" Xu Shanshan blinked her eyes.


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Sure, if we coordinate like this, there¡¯s even less chance of your sister finding out."


    Xu Shanshan said excitedly, "That¡¯s right, hehe, if the two of us join forces, we¡¯ll be invincible, unbeatable in battle."


    Su Mengxin was made to laugh by Xu Shanshan¡¯s words and said, "Does that mean we should join forces to snatch brother-in-law from your sister?"


    Xu Shanshan also laughed heartily and said, "That sounds like fun, but I¡¯m afraid of making my sister angry, better not." She knew Su Mengxin didn¡¯t really mean it. If Su Mengxin really wanted to, with her capabilities, ten Xu Yingyings wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    "Sister Mengxin, you¡¯re really amazing. How could you take it so deep? I almost retch if it goes in even a little, I just can¡¯t handle it," Xu Shanshan lay on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, curiously asking Su Mengxin.


    She replied, "It¡¯s just the way my body is, it doesn¡¯t feel bad."


    "I¡¯m dizzy, and here I thought you had trained for it."


    "Where would I go to train? I haven¡¯t done this with Yifei many times. I¡¯ve never been with other men like this."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s even more miraculous. I wonder if I could train myself to do it."


    "What¡¯s there to envy? Being able to experience what your sister can, is in itself a tremendous allure to a man. Don¡¯t believe me? Ask Yifei."


    "Is that true, brother-in-law?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, I get really excited just knowing about it. When I¡¯m with your sister, I often think about your reactions."


    "Oh, that¡¯s good then. But you better not get the names wrong when you¡¯re being intimate with my sister. If you call out my name, that would be a disaster," she said.


    This truly was a reminder to Li Yifei. Mixing up names could indeed lead to unimaginable consequences.


    "By the way, Sister Mengxin, I¡¯m not getting real with brother-in-law, why don¡¯t you?" Xu Shanshan asked again.


    Smiling, Su Mengxin replied, "You¡¯ll have to ask your brother-in-law about that."


    "Brother-in-law, why? You¡¯ve already been like that with Sister Mengxin. Even if it¡¯s doing that thing, it¡¯s not that different from now, right?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s question really stumped Li Yifei. In the past, his behavior with Su Mengxin was due to feelings he couldn¡¯t even explain himself. But now, he had to admit he liked Su Mengxin a lot. Su Mengxin, unlike the younger Chu Xiaoyao, was a fully grown woman who could take responsibility for her actions.


    "Brother-in-law, why?" Xu Shanshan nudged Li Yifei, pressing for an answer.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "To be honest, I don¡¯t know either. It feels a bit like not wanting to let go, yet also a bit like not having the heart to."


    "Hesitant, reluctant, what kind of feelings are those?" Xu Shanshan was confused.


    Su Mengxin was also curious as she looked at Li Yifei. She had never understood this point either. However, she didn¡¯t force Li Yifei since her relationship with him felt as natural and effortless as water flowing into a channel.

 Chapter 714 - 753: Someone has Intruded

    Chapter 714: Chapter 753: Someone has IntrudedLi Yifei thought for a while before saying, "It must be because Mengxin is too perfect. If I did that kind of thing, it feels like I¡¯d suddenly be ruining Mengxin¡¯s perfection, so I just can¡¯t bear to do it."


    Xu Shanshan immediately pouted and said, "If it weren¡¯t for my sister¡¯s relationship with you, you would have devoured me long ago. Does that mean I¡¯m not perfect?"


    Li Yifei kissed Xu Shanshan on the lips and said, "Of course not. You all have your own merits, and none can replace the other. I just have this feeling towards Mengxin¡ªI¡¯ve never thought about possessing her. I feel that it would be very cruel. With Shanshan, my feeling is always to spoil you, to take care of you."


    Xu Shanshan was satisfied and kissed Li Yifei back, saying, "That¡¯s more like it. You¡¯ve passed the test."


    However, Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t as easily convinced and spoke softly, "Isn¡¯t it true that men only feel secure after they actually possess a woman? You¡¯re not refraining from having a real relationship with me because you¡¯re afraid it would put too much pressure on you, are you?"


    Li Yifei, looking into Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes, replied, "No. Even though your status is what it is, I used to think it was impossible for you to develop feelings for someone like me. But now that it has really happened, I won¡¯t think that way anymore. My reluctance to ¡¯devour¡¯ you is really just wanting to preserve a perfect image of you in my heart. You always save the best for last, right?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed softly and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not planning on just waiting forever, right? Then, after a few more years, when Sister Mengxin is no longer in her prime, you¡¯ll be willing to ¡¯devour¡¯ her?"


    Su Mengxin also gave Li Yifei a look of longing and said, "Indeed, if you really wait till that day, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have lost interest in me."


    Li Yifei, smiling, remarked, "Of course not. If I really waited that long, I¡¯d be a complete fool. The best things should be enjoyed when they¡¯re at their best, not waited on until they spoil."


    Su Mengxin playfully spat at Li Yifei and said, "What a way to compare someone."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly let out a mischievous laugh and said, "I get it now. My brother-in-law here still harbors thieving thoughts. Saying you¡¯ll ¡¯devour¡¯ her last means you plan to ¡¯devour¡¯ a few more before you get to her."


    Su Mengxin immediately cast a reproachful glance at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Shanshan, I don¡¯t have such intentions. Now I have your sister, and I have you, Mengxin, Xiaoyao, and Yiyi. Isn¡¯t that enough for me?"


    Su Mengxin quickly interjected, "Doesn¡¯t seem like just that, there¡¯s also Lin Qiong, and there¡¯s Yunzhu. Ning Xin¡¯er has already had a child for you, and now she¡¯s living nearby. I reckon it¡¯s only a matter of time before you end up together."


    Xu Shanshan began to count on her fingers and added, "Exactly, and there¡¯s also Michelle. She¡¯s been absolutely devoted to you all this time. Just give her a chance, and she¡¯ll be in your bed. And don¡¯t forget He Fangqing. Wow, you¡¯ve almost got enough for a squad. Add a couple more, and you¡¯ll have a whole platoon."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat inside. It seemed he had overlooked two more¡ªLi Xinyue and Song Lianyao. But for now, it was probably best not to mention them.


    After such an accounting, Li Yifei felt the emotional debts he had incurred were indeed too many. If he truly ended up with all of them, even if he spent one day with two people, it would still take several days to go through the rotation. Apart from that, there was the question of whether his body could even handle it all.


    In the future, he definitely couldn¡¯t get involved in any more emotional debts. If he could manage the women he currently had, that would be quite an achievement. Deciding on this was a must, and so was acting on it.


    However, it seemed Li Yifei hadn¡¯t actually made any special effort to attract any women. Except for the time he was with He Fangqing, where he had been a bit more proactive due to loneliness, the rest had all come to him of their own accord.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Look at that expression. He must be thinking that he hasn¡¯t been pursuing anyone; it¡¯s all them coming to him on their own."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry as he said, "Mengxin, you really know me inside out. How did you even know that?"


    Su Mengxin said proudly, "It¡¯s all in your expression."


    Li Yifei¡¯s hands gently stroked the shoulders of the two women as he said, "I¡¯ve been too indulgent with myself lately. From now on, I promise you all, no matter the reason, I won¡¯t become involved with any other women."


    Both Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin were very pleased to hear this. Su Mengxin added, "Alright, it¡¯s getting late. Time to get up. You two should be heading back."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had already been there for over an hour. They now got up and started to dress. There were still some playful touches, which were inevitable.


    Just as the three of them had finished dressing, a knocking on the door was heard. It goes without saying that it was Xu Yingying¡¯s arrival. All three were secretly relieved¡ªif she had come just a bit earlier, they would have been caught in a flurry.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan went to open the door, where Xu Yingying was standing. Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Brother-in-law and I were just about to head home."


    Xu Yingying never expected her sister to be here, let alone for anything to happen. She casually said, "I thought I could come over to help."


    Su Mengxin came out too, smiling, "No need, I see you just miss Yifei. You two are like newlyweds after a brief separation, hurry back."


    Xu Yingying suddenly became very embarrassed and protested, "Mengxin, I... you..."


    Xu Shanshan laughed heartily, "Sis, you¡¯re really something, can¡¯t even take a joke. Let¡¯s go home, let¡¯s go home. If Little Yifei wakes up and can¡¯t find anyone, she¡¯ll cry."


    Only then did Xu Yingying follow Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan back home. Li Yifei went to take a shower first, and when he returned to the room, Xu Yingying was already lying in bed, the laptop that was usually on her legs nowhere to be seen, her shoulders exposed outside the blanket, gazing at Li Yifei with a misty look.


    This was a rare sight; Li Yifei was stunned by the view. Xu Yingying¡¯s face showed even more charm as she said, "Well, aren¡¯t you going to turn off the light and come to bed?"


    Li Yifei agreed and turned off the light promptly. He let his towel drop, and, naked, lifted the blanket to slip into the bed. Xu Yingying immediately hugged Li Yifei, and she too was without a stitch on.


    Xu Yingying being so proactive was rare, and it thrilled Li Yifei quite a bit, even though he had just been intimate with Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin. At this moment, he was quickly aroused again.


    "Husband, love me, love me well," Xu Yingying whispered while gently kissing Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    What more could Li Yifei say? Nothing was more important than taking action then. He flipped over and pressed Xu Yingying beneath him, and their passion began at once.


    After a round of passion, Xu Yingying unusually took the initiative to clean up the aftermath, reaching to remove Li Yifei¡¯s condom.


    They had both discussed it, and with Little Yifei already there, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t plan on having another baby so soon. Li Yifei agreed, and since taking birth control pills wasn¡¯t good for her health, he decided to wear condoms.


    After removing the condom, Xu Yingying cast Li Yifei a white look, "Seems like the last few days with Yunzhu have been tough. Even this thing is so little now."


    Li Yifei felt incredibly awkward. In truth, he had been very restrained with Ye Yunzhu, especially since she was pregnant. Apart from the first night¡¯s passion, they hadn¡¯t been intimate the second night. However, just now, next door, Li Yifei had used up his reserves, so naturally, he didn¡¯t have much left.


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not blaming you. Yunzhu and you already have a child; I can¡¯t say anything about that." Xu Yingying wrapped the condom in tissue, cleaned her hands, and then snuggled up to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei hugged Xu Yingying feeling very guilty, but with things as they were, he couldn¡¯t just decide to live devotedly with Xu Yingying. Many responsibilities were on him, and he couldn¡¯t just abandon them.


    "Husband, it¡¯s okay, you¡¯ve worked hard too. Let¡¯s sleep now," Xu Yingying nuzzled into Li Yifei¡¯s chest and closed her eyes, hugging him. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wife, you are so good," Li Yifei whispered, giving Xu Yingying a light kiss on her forehead.


    Xu Yingying smiled tenderly, "Just be a little better to me from now on."


    "Definitely!" Li Yifei said earnestly, feeling incredibly happy with such a wife; he was truly satisfied with Xu Yingying.


    In the middle of the night, around two o¡¯clock, when people¡¯s sleep is deepest, lights were off in almost every house of the neighbourhood, with very few still on. At that time, a shadow moved like a ghost, climbing up the exterior air-conditioning units and drainpipes of the building. In no time, it had scaled over ten stories, moving as if running on flat ground.


    When the person reached Su Mengxin¡¯s window, they paused, fiddled with the window for a moment, and quietly, the bedroom window was opened. Like an agile monkey, the intruder then leapt inside.


    Using the moonlight from outside, the intruder looked at Su Mengxin lying asleep on the bed and couldn¡¯t help but inwardly praise, "Worthy of being the number one beauty of Huaxia, even her sleeping posture is so enchanting, like Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale."


    Pulling a handkerchief from their pocket, they approached the bed. The handkerchief was soaked with ether, and once held over Su Mengxin¡¯s mouth and nose, she would lose consciousness, allowing them to take her away without anyone noticing.


    But as they reached the bedside, ready to lean over, they suddenly spun around, and there, in the window, stood another person, backlit by the moon. The intruder couldn¡¯t see his face, only discern that the figure was a tall man.


    "Friend, it¡¯s quite impolite to barge into a woman¡¯s bedroom like this," the newcomer was Li Yifei, who said coldly as he approached the intruder.

 Chapter 715 - 754 Living Together Is Safe

    Chapter 715: Chapter 754 Living Together Is SafeThe person¡¯s hand flickered, and a dagger shone with a cold light appeared in his hand. Realizing that Li Yifei had appeared behind him without a sound, he knew Li Yifei was a master, so he didn¡¯t dare to be negligent and immediately revealed his weapon.


    Crouching slightly, the dagger struck out toward Li Yifei like a venomous snake lunging for its prey.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart tightened. A true expert reveals himself the moment he makes a move. With this person¡¯s first strike, Li Yifei could sense his incredible strength, comparable to that of Zheng Mingrui. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such masters were definitely few and far between. Li Yifei knew most of them, but the figure before him did not match any that he knew.


    Li Yifei sidestepped, raising his leg to kick at his opponent¡¯s wrist.


    The person¡¯s wrist shook, and he switched from a thrust to a horizontal slice toward Li Yifei¡¯s ankle, showing a swiftness that even Li Yifei had to admire.


    Li Yifei moved even faster, dropping his foot quickly, and threw a punch straight at his opponent¡¯s chest.


    By now, the assailant could no longer retaliate with the dagger, as his body seemed to be blown away by the force of Li Yifei¡¯s punch, drifting backward.


    The two had only just exchanged blows, yet they had both demonstrated their formidable skills. The assailant grunted, then spoke in stiff Chinese, "I didn¡¯t expect there would be someone as capable as you protecting her."


    Li Yifei did not make a move, just watched him coldly.


    Their eyes locked for a few seconds, then the man¡¯s body suddenly moved, darting past Li Yifei. With a leap, he flew out the window, as if jumping to his death.


    Li Yifei did not try to stop him. If it were a matter of life and death, he was confident he could have killed the other man. But if the assailant was intent on fleeing, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t keep him there. Since the man wanted to leave, Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother trying.


    "Are you alright?" Li Yifei asked Su Mengxin, sitting beside the bed.


    Su Mengxin had woken up during the confrontation between Li Yifei and the man. Now, looking at Li Yifei with her bright, big eyes, she said with a smile, "If you had come any later, I probably would have been in trouble."


    "Ha, then keep sleeping. I¡¯m going back," he said.


    "Kiss me!" Su Mengxin, appearing playful, reached out her arms from under the blankets. The recent intrusion did not seem to have scared her at all.


    Li Yifei bent down and gently kissed Su Mengxin¡¯s face. She released him contentedly, feeling a thrill at Li Yifei¡¯s clandestine visit to her room, as if he had come for a secret midnight rendezvous.


    Before leaving, Li Yifei adjusted some items around Su Mengxin¡¯s room¡ªalarm devices. He wouldn¡¯t have known if anyone had entered her room without them; he had set them up after she moved in, and they had been unused until now.


    Li Yifei did not discuss the intruder with Su Mengxin but took the window route back. Just as he climbed through his own window, the bedside lamp in his room suddenly turned on, and Xu Yingying awoke.


    Xu Yingying had been unaware when Li Yifei left, but she had woken up to use the restroom and returned to find him missing from their bed, puzzling her. She searched the room but couldn¡¯t find him until she noticed the open window and the noise by it, prompting her to swiftly turn on the bedside lamp.


    "Husband! What are you..." Xu Yingying said in utter shock as she saw Li Yifei leap in through the window.


    Li Yifei closed the window and spoke softly, "Someone broke into Mengxin¡¯s room. I drove them off."


    "Ah?" Xu Yingying jumped, feeling frightened at the thought of a stranger entering the house. As an ordinary woman, the mere notion was unnerving.


    "It¡¯s fine now, go to sleep," Li Yifei said as he gently patted Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder before lying down.


    Now, Xu Yingying seemed genuinely scared, "Is that alright? Mengxin is sleeping alone in that room. What if something happens?"


    "There shouldn¡¯t be any more trouble. Knowing that I¡¯m here to protect her, they won¡¯t come back so soon after failing once. Besides, if someone enters her room, I¡¯ll know right away."


    "Really... who are these people?" Xu Yingying, unlike Su Mengxin who had experienced many such incidents, was facing this for the first time and was very worried.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Given Mengxin¡¯s status, there are those within the country who have their eyes on her. Then there are foreign powers, all watching her greedily. If they could abduct her, they would gain immense benefits."


    "She¡¯s too dangerous like that," Xu Yingying furrowed her brows.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve set up something in her room. If anything happens, I¡¯ll know."


    "But that¡¯s not good either. Wouldn¡¯t you be on edge all the time, unable to rest properly? And what if you miss something and Mengxin gets into trouble? No, no! This is absolutely not okay."


    "Do you have a better idea?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "This..." Xu Yingying had never dealt with such protective matters, and she was just getting anxious. When Li Yifei asked her, she was at a loss for an answer.


    "Alright, let¡¯s sleep. You don¡¯t need to worry about this. I¡¯ll protect Mengxin. Don¡¯t forget what your husband does for a living. I¡¯m best at protecting people."


    Xu Yingying stopped talking, but she didn¡¯t sleep at all. Instead, her mind raced with ideas. After more than half an hour, she suddenly nudged Li Yifei. He had already fallen asleep, but he woke up immediately when Xu Yingying nudged him and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Honey, I¡¯ve thought of something."


    "Oh? What is it?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled.


    "Let Mengxin live with us. That way, you can protect her," Xu Yingying said seriously.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened. "Have her live with us? The house isn¡¯t that big. Where would she stay? In our room?"


    "Of course not. What are you talking about?" Xu Yingying chided and gave Li Yifei a white look. "Haven¡¯t we been saying that this place is too small? We might as well buy a bigger house. Then, Mengxin can live with us, and the security will be even better."


    Li Yifei shook his head. "A villa or something like that would actually be less secure."


    "Why is that?" Xu Yingying asked, puzzled.


    "It¡¯s simple. A villa is just like putting us behind a big gate. But for an expert, there are even more ways to get in. In contrast, in high-rise buildings like this, it¡¯s much harder for someone to break in."


    "I see... well then... I¡¯ve got it. We can buy a bigger flat. Get one with four bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms. That way, we¡¯ll have more rooms, and Mengxin can move in, plus our daughter can have her own room, and Shanshan can have her own room too. Even if Yiyi and Xiaoyao come to stay, everyone can still have a room."


    "That idea doesn¡¯t sound half bad," Li Yifei immediately said.


    Hearing this, Xu Yingying beamed with joy. "Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. Look for a house tomorrow. You don¡¯t have to come to the office for now. Take care of this important matter first."


    "Is it that urgent?"


    "It has to be. Nothing is more important than Mengxin¡¯s safety. You¡¯re working at the company, but aren¡¯t you also doing it for Mengxin? There¡¯s no comparison in importance. So, it¡¯s decided. You have to get the house sorted out as quickly as possible, preferably fully furnished. By the way, I think we have enough money. If not, I can borrow some from my parents. They still have money."


    Li Yifei grinned. "Yingying, don¡¯t forget that your husband isn¡¯t penniless either."


    Smiling proudly, Xu Yingying said, "Then even better. Just pick out the biggest one with decoration to buy. Hehe, we¡¯ve been married for so long, it¡¯s about time we get a new house."


    Seeing Xu Yingying so excited, Li Yifei was also intrigued. Buying a house to make it their own home was indeed a nice thing.


    The next morning, Xu Yingying announced the plan. Xu Shanshan was very happy when she heard about it. She just wanted to have her own room. Otherwise, when Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were being affectionate, she didn¡¯t dare make a sound. The feeling of having to endure was too unbearable.


    Little Yifei was also overjoyed. For a child, having a big house naturally meant there were more fun things to do.


    Su Mengxin was quite surprised and hesitated a bit before saying, "That doesn¡¯t seem right. Living next door to you is already a disturbance. If I move into your house, wouldn¡¯t that be even more inconvenient?"


    "What¡¯s inconvenient about that? Isn¡¯t it livelier with more people? And this way, if we need to discuss something, it¡¯s more convenient. Besides, you won¡¯t always be living here. When you are, I have to make sure Yifei guarantees your safety. If something really happened to you, I¡¯d feel even worse. You are our bread and butter, after all. So, it¡¯s settled," Xu Yingying declared.


    Su Mengxin looked at Xu Shanshan, who couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. If they all lived here, it would be harder for her and Li Yifei to be intimate in secret. However, Xu Yingying was so adamant, and considering the incident that had happened the night before, Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t find a reason to object. Reluctantly accepting the situation, they decided to think of another plan later.

 Chapter 716 - 755 Moving

    Chapter 716: Chapter 755 Moving"Mengxin, do you have anything to do today?" Xu Yingying asked Su Mengxin again.


    With a smile, Su Mengxin said, "You¡¯ve already done most of the things here for me, so I don¡¯t really have anything else to do."


    "Then you should accompany Yifei to look at houses, otherwise if you go out, Yifei will have to accompany you. What do you think?"


    Su Mengxin nodded and responded, "Okay, then I¡¯ll go with Yifei to take a look."


    Xu Yingying was very straightforward, not even asking Li Yifei to take the children. She took the children and Xu Shanshan herself, allowing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin to focus solely on house hunting.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin didn¡¯t go out immediately but sat on the sofa talking about last night¡¯s events.


    "Can you tell who that person was?" Su Mengxin asked.


    Li Yifei said, "Considering such a skilled person, I should know some, but judging from the figure and skills, I have no idea who this person could be. However, one thing is certain, this person is definitely not from Huaxia; their height is not very tall, should not be a European or American, probably an Asian."


    "Nearby, the chances are higher that it¡¯s a Japanese, given the fierce competition our company has been having with Japan lately."


    "They are really bold, coming here directly to kidnap you."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Perhaps they thought it would be difficult to take action in Capital City, but here, they saw an opportunity. So they moved against me. But they didn¡¯t expect there would be an expert like you protecting me."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "If these are people from Japan, that¡¯s really quite troublesome. They have some organizations that are very secretive, and their methods are quite ruthless, capable of any tactic."


    Regret filled Su Mengxin¡¯s face as she said, "I¡¯ve brought trouble upon you. I¡¯ll go back to Capital City in a few days."


    Her return to Capital City would naturally reduce many troubles for Li Yifei, but how could Li Yifei be a man to shun his responsibilities? At that moment, he laughed heartily and said, "If this made me back down, then the years I spent in the Flying Hawk Squad would have been for nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it too much. If you want to have fun here, then have fun. If anyone comes looking for trouble with you, I¡¯ll let them witness my, Li Yifei¡¯s, methods."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s spirited buzz, Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes filled with infatuation. She wasn¡¯t a little girl who would fall head over heels for a dominant man, she had seen too many men of character, but now she had genuine feelings for Li Yifei. When she saw him like this, she felt an indescribable pride, thinking, ¡¯This is my man.¡¯


    "Then I¡¯ll stay here. Let¡¯s go find a house now," said Su Mengxin with a smile, changing the topic with ease. Accustomed to big storms, she quickly stopped worrying about the matter.


    Li Yifei agreed, grabbed the computer, and then began searching for house listings.


    When Su Mengxin decided to buy a house, it was a matter of where she wanted to live, simply throwing money at it and buying directly, simple and straightforward. However, picking a house with Li Yifei was quite a hassle, yet it was filled with fun, so she was in no hurry to settle on one.


    As they looked around, they discovered there was a large-sized apartment for sale right in their own residential complex. The apartment was located in the center of the complex, with a total of twenty floors where each living space spanned two floors, creating a duplex-style home. The apartment for sale was quite spacious, with one floor alone spanning over 160 square meters, and it had been listed for over half a year, apparently still unsold.


    Checking the price, it was just about 2 million yuan. With both floors combined, the apartment spanned over 300 square meters, resulting in a cost of roughly 6,000 yuan per square meter¡ªvery low indeed. However, for Mile City norm, average houses were only a few hundred thousand yuan, so a 2 million yuan residential house might be unacceptable for most people; whereas, in Capital City at such a price, it would be a steal.


    They contacted the owner, and indeed, the house had not been sold yet. Li Yifei and Su Mengxin set a time with the owner, and half an hour later, they descended from their building, heading toward the apartment, which was only two buildings away within the same complex.


    "Yifei, Mengxin, where are you two going?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked as soon as they came downstairs.


    "We are going to look at houses; this one¡¯s a bit too small," said Li Yifei, not concealing the truth since there was no point hiding it and simply told her.


    "Where are you going to look for houses? It¡¯s not far from here, is it?" Ning Xin¡¯er immediately frowned. She had just settled down, living so close to Li Yifei and her daughter, but now Li Yifei was planning to move again, which distressed her.


    Li Yifei pointed to a building in the center of the complex and said, "Right over there."


    "You¡¯re moving from this building to that one?" Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei in surprise.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "If you¡¯re not busy, why don¡¯t you come along and take a look with us?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately agreed and went to see the house with Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The middle-aged woman in her forties who received Li Yifei was slightly dizzied by the sight of him accompanied by two stunningly beautiful women coming to view the house, but she didn¡¯t ask any questions and simply let the three of them look around.


    The front door of the house opened to a large living room, which was over forty square meters in size and included a large French window balcony facing the sunrise. Additionally, the first floor contained three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. The layout of the second floor was actually the same as the first, except that where the living room was, there was now a billiards table; the rest of the rooms were more or less similar.


    This house had six bedrooms. It would be more than enough for everyone to live here, and each room was generously sized. The decoration was luxurious yet understated, likely the work of a very tasteful designer.


    "How is it?" Li Yifei asked Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Su Mengxin nodded, "I think it¡¯s quite good."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and said, "It¡¯s good, but with so many rooms, is there one for me?"


    This time, Li Yifei dared not interject. Su Mengxin smiled and said, "You¡¯re coming to see your daughter, who would dare not let you stay here?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted, "I would not be so shameless as to use my daughter to threaten others."


    Su Mengxin then said to Li Yifei with a smile, "Buying a house is a big deal, shouldn¡¯t you discuss it with Yingying?"


    Li Yifei immediately called Xu Yingying. It was just noon, and Xu Yingying hurried back, even bringing Xu Shanshan with her. After everyone looked at the house and was very satisfied with it, Xu Yingying made the decision on the spot to buy it.


    After that, Xu Yingying left the matter in Li Yifei¡¯s hands. With Su Mengxin to help, and since Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t have much else to do, she could help as well.


    Seeing that the house would soon change, Xu Shanshan, who didn¡¯t want to attend her classes any longer, promptly took leave. With more hands on deck, the work would be easier.


    Since there were so many people there anyway, Li Yifei also called Su Yiyi to come over. There was a room for her, so naturally, she should come and see it too.


    After signing the contract, Li Yifei paid the seller, and also took care of the paperwork on the side. It wasn¡¯t a busy period, and by two thirty in the afternoon, all the procedures for the house were completed, and it officially became Li Yifei¡¯s new home.


    Next came moving in. Li Yifei hired a moving company to transfer all the belongings from his home, as well as Su Mengxin¡¯s. The movers were mainly responsible for transporting things, while Li Yifei and the others were in charge of setting up the new home.


    As the main residents, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom was the upstairs master bedroom. To protect Su Mengxin more conveniently, Su Mengxin¡¯s room was right across from Li Yifei¡¯s, separated only by a bathroom.


    Xu Shanshan immediately chose one of the downstairs bedrooms; she didn¡¯t want to stay too close to Xu Yingying, so she could have her own space.


    After five o¡¯clock, Xu Yingying brought Little Yifei back home. Little Yifei, seeing the house transform, ran up and down for half a day. Eventually, on Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s suggestion, she moved to a room downstairs. The other two rooms upstairs were given to Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. Regardless of anything else, both women were inseparably connected to Li Yifei, and Xu Yingying showed generosity. Moreover, if Xiaoyao and Yiyi returned, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for Li Yifei to visit their rooms frequently, especially considering Little Yifei. So, having private space upstairs was much more convenient for everyone.


    Two additional bedrooms were left vacant, serving as guest rooms, suitable for someone like Meng Xiaofei who might crash there for a meal, or for any guests needing a place to stay.


    Sensing that everyone else had a room, Ning Xin¡¯er felt somewhat out of place, as if she was the only outsider here.


    However, neither Li Yifei nor Xu Yingying made any comment about this matter. Even though Xu Yingying was open-minded and generous, that was only to the extent of accommodating Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi. She was not generous enough to invite another of Li Yifei¡¯s women to live in their home.


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt uneasy, but she did not react angrily, fully aware of the current situation. If she were to lose her temper, it would only drive a greater wedge between her and Li Yifei, so she suppressed her feelings.


    Thankfully, most of today¡¯s moving was to settle into the new place. Besides, the house was already well-equipped with essentials, making the move much more convenient, leaving no need to bring unnecessary items.


    After a day of hard work, everyone was a bit tired and didn¡¯t feel like cooking, so they went out to enjoy a meal, celebrating the move into the new house.


    In their new home, with a new layout, everyone returned after dinner. Standing in the living room, Li Yifei felt an indescribable sense of home, which suddenly intensified.

 Chapter 717 - 756: Heart-to-Heart Between Sisters

    Chapter 717: Chapter 756: Heart-to-Heart Between SistersEveryone took their seats in the living room, but Li Yifei took Su Mengxin upstairs, as some things needed to be rearranged. However, this time the process was much simpler, primarily ensuring that the bedroom windows were secured. Once that was done, Li Yifei was not worried about anyone breaking in.


    These items were not something Li Yifei had to prepare himself. With just a word from Su Mengxin, her bodyguards had already prepared everything for him.


    Although Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards had limited interaction with Li Yifei, they were very willing to accompany Su Mengxin to Mile City. Here, Su Mengxin¡¯s safety was hardly their concern, making it feel like a vacation. Thus, they were all very grateful to Li Yifei and would go out of their way to help him if he had any requests.


    As Li Yifei explained the uses of some gadgets, particularly a few she should not tamper with, Su Mengxin felt an indescribable sweetness in her heart.


    "Yifei, how would it be if I lived here for the rest of my life?" Su Mengxin suddenly asked softly.


    Li Yifei paused then turned to look at Su Mengxin. It was the first time she had ever mentioned such a thing. Although both had admitted their feelings for each other, they had never discussed the future.


    "Why? Don¡¯t you want me to live here?" Su Mengxin asked with a smile, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Of course I¡¯d like that, but what about Yingying?"


    "Yingying is of course your wife. Since she can accept Xiaoyao and Yiyi, surely she can accept me too."


    "Yingying can accept Xiaoyao and Yiyi because she is a strong woman. Although Chu Xiaoyao is mischievous, she respects Yingying a lot, and Yiyi is even more compliant towards Yingying. So in Yingying¡¯s heart, they do not pose a threat to her, which is why she agreed to let them in. But with Ning Xin¡¯er and Yunzhu, she just can¡¯t accept them. Even though she tacitly acknowledges my relationship with Yunzhu, she has never considered living together with us. They are, after all, considered equals in Yingying¡¯s eyes, but you... in her heart, you¡¯re like a boss. She might truly struggle to accept it, or rather, if she were to find out about our relationship, I don¡¯t even know how she would react."


    Su Mengxin remained composed and said with a smile, "I just want to ask you this, do you want me to live here with you in the future?"


    Li Yifei nodded without hesitation.


    Su Mengxin smiled sweetly and said, "Then that¡¯s settled. I will take care of everything; you just enjoy the benefits."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, feeling that her words sounded familiar. After a little thought, he realized this was what Xu Shanshan often said and couldn¡¯t help chuckling. "No wonder Shanshan gets along best with you, you two really do have things in common."


    Su Mengxin chuckled playfully and said, "Yes, and there¡¯ll be even more in common in the future."


    Li Yifei, looking at Su Mengxin¡¯s demeanor, couldn¡¯t help but want to hug her, but she stepped back with a grin and said, "From now on, you need to be careful with me in this house. Before I succeed, you can¡¯t let Yingying suspect anything, not even a hint in your eyes or expression."


    Li Yifei was startled. Su Mengxin¡¯s confession made his feelings for her intensify suddenly. Had she not reminded him, his looks towards Su Mengxin would indeed become different in the future. He smiled awkwardly and said, "I understand."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go downstairs once everything is set."


    Both descended the stairs to find Ning Xin¡¯er had already left. Xu Shanshan, Xu Yingying, and Su Yiyi were chatting on the living room sofa, while Little Yifei was running around the house¡ªsuch a large space was convenient for her play.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face was flushed with excitement and emotion. She could have lived in Xu Yingying¡¯s previous home, but there was no room specifically for her, so she lacked a sense of belonging. But this time, she was given her own room here, signifying that this was genuinely her home now. She really wanted to say something to Xu Yingying, but when the words reached her lips, she didn¡¯t know how to start.


    After a cheerful chat, everyone prepared to rest. Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, Su Yiyi, and Su Mengxin all went upstairs.


    "I¡¯m going to take a shower," Su Mengxin smiled at the three before heading straight into the bathroom.


    Su Yiyi opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated. Knowing that Su Yiyi had something to say, Xu Yingying then smiled and said, "Yiyi, come on, let¡¯s talk in the room. Yifei, you go and take a shower first."


    Li Yifei agreed and smiled at Su Yiyi, then entered a different bathroom. The two bathrooms upstairs were quite spacious, and the original owner had prepared them well for showering. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Yiyi and Xu Yingying entered Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom, closed the door, and sat down, holding hands. Xu Yingying asked, "Yiyi, is there something you want to tell me?"


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and finally whispered, "Sister Yingying... Can I really live here?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Su Yiyi and slowly nodded, "Of course it¡¯s true."


    Su Yiyi, excited, gripped Xu Yingying¡¯s hand tightly, "Sister Yingying... I... I... I¡¯m really so grateful to you, I don¡¯t even know what to say."


    Xu Yingying sighed silently to herself. Regarding Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, Xu Yingying had indeed agreed to both of them, but in her heart, she had other thoughts. Right now, both Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi were not very old and were utterly enchanted by Li Yifei, very infatuated with him. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to separate them, but if she waited a few more years, if the two of them continued only in the status of lovers, it was likely that they would increasingly not want to live like that and would eventually marry someone they could spend their life with.


    However, as she got to know them better, she came to understand that Su Yiyi¡¯s feelings for Li Yifei were not just infatuation but genuine and deeply rooted¡ªa kind of stubbornness that unless you forced Yiyi to leave, she would stay with Li Yifei for a lifetime, even without any formal status. This made Xu Yingying feel like she was shooting herself in the foot.


    Since things had come to this point, there was no longer any possibility of pushing Su Yiyi away, so all Xu Yingying could do was to change her mind and truly accept Su Yiyi. Of course, another main reason was Su Yiyi¡¯s character¡ªshe had never given Xu Yingying any displeasure, and she always treated Xu Yingying with various respects, which, although somewhat uncomfortable for Xu Yingying, made it impossible for her to get angry with Su Yiyi.


    "Yiyi, actually, you don¡¯t have to say anything. Now that things have come to this, let¡¯s just live together well. Sometimes I¡¯m not a good wife, I pay too much attention to my career, so in some areas, I need you to take care of Yifei. Let¡¯s consider it a kind of complementarity."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly said, "Sister Yingying, whatever you ask me to do, I will do. I will listen to you in everything."


    Xu Yingying found these words comforting and said with a smile, "It¡¯s not necessary to go that far. Although I am Yifei¡¯s lawful wife, you don¡¯t need to be so careful with me; that would make me uncomfortable too. I hope you will be more natural and really treat this place as your home."


    "I will..." Su Yiyi nodded firmly, her eyes filled with gratitude.


    Xu Yingying chuckled lightly, "Okay now, we¡¯ll be good sisters from now on. Don¡¯t always look at me with those eyes; you¡¯re scaring me."


    This made Su Yiyi relax a great deal, and she smiled sheepishly, "I got it, Sister Yingying."


    "Hehe, then if you don¡¯t like staying at school, you might as well come home to live every day. Let Yifei take you in the morning; it won¡¯t take much time."


    Su Yiyi quickly shook her head, "No, I¡¯d better still live at school on weekdays."


    "What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like living at home?"


    "It¡¯s not that..." Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red.


    "Then what is it?" Xu Yingying asked curiously.


    Su Yiyi bit her lip, fidgeted with the corner of her clothes, and her face turned even redder, as if about to bleed.


    Xu Yingying was even more puzzled and pressed, "What¡¯s really going on?"


    "I... I want you and Brother Li to spend more time together. If I come back... it will always... take away some of your time together."


    Xu Yingying stared at Su Yiyi in amazement, speechless for a long time. She had heard of women competing for a man¡¯s favor, and had heard quite a lot of it, but she had never heard of such deference. Su Yiyi was just too heartbreakingly considerate. It made Xu Yingying feel decidedly abashed. She now understood even more deeply why Li Yifei liked Su Yiyi so much. Yiyi¡¯s love was selfless total devotion, not a love that takes but gives. To love to such an extent was beyond description.


    "Yiyi!" Xu Yingying held Su Yiyi¡¯s hand tightly, speaking with utmost seriousness, "Don¡¯t think like that. I won¡¯t be upset because of it. And you know, I have a lot of work on weekdays, I even have to deal with many things when I get home at night. I hardly have time to chat with Yifei. If you are at home, you can spend more time with him and chat, which is also very helpful for the harmony of our family. Listen to me, try to stay at home as much as possible, and go to school only if there are special circumstances."


    Su Yiyi could feel Xu Yingying¡¯s sincerity, looked up, and her eyes were brimming with tears. She was too choked up to speak.


    Xu Yingying reached out tenderly to wipe Su Yiyi¡¯s tears and said, "Silly girl, why are you crying? If Yifei comes in, he¡¯ll think I¡¯ve been bullying you."


    "Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just too happy," Su Yiyi quickly wiped away her tears, trying to stop them from falling, but the tears simply wouldn¡¯t stop, which made her even more flustered. She stood up hurriedly, "Sister Yingying, I¡¯m going back to my room, so Brother Li doesn¡¯t see and misunderstand." Then she ran out in a fluster.


    Xu Yingying sat on the bed, shook her head, and sighed after a while. Comparing herself to Su Yiyi, she felt she was truly not a qualified wife. A girl like Su Yiyi was more suited to be Li Yifei¡¯s wife.

 Chapter 718 - 757: Good Person

    Chapter 718: Chapter 757: Good PersonNot until the sound of a door opening and closing from the next room did Xu Yingying snap back to reality, shaking her head lightly. She realized her thoughts might be inappropriate; Li Yifei was her husband, after all. Why should she share him with anyone else? No matter what, she wasn¡¯t going to let go of her husband.


    Gathering her change of clothes, Xu Yingying went to take a bath. There was a tub in the bathroom¡ªnot very large, but comfortable enough to sit in. Soaking in the hot bath, an idea suddenly popped into her head. She had seen something about a "Mandarin Duck" bath online. What would it be like if she and Li Yifei bathed together...?


    "How shameless of me to think such things," Xu Yingying scolded herself in secret, but then she immediately felt that it wasn¡¯t a big deal after all. It would be **** with another person, but creating romance with her own husband was perfectly normal.


    It would have been fine if only Su Yiyi was upstairs, but now with Su Mengxin there too, this wishful thinking would have to wait a long while before it could come true.


    After a satisfying bath, Xu Yingying returned to her room to find Li Yifei already lying in bed. She closed the door, sat beside him, and said, "I thought you might stay with Yiyi."


    Li Yifei, feeling a bit guilty about this topic, chuckled awkwardly and said, "How could that be? Of course, I had to come back to my wife¡¯s side."


    Xu Yingying lay down and said, "You can go to Yiyi¡¯s place. I won¡¯t be mad. Yiyi is indeed a nice girl. It¡¯s no wonder you like her so much. In many ways, I am not as good as her."


    Li Yifei was unsure if Xu Yingying¡¯s words were sincere, so he could only respond with a vague chuckle.


    Snuggling into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, Xu Yingying spoke softly, "You don¡¯t need to worry. I meant what I said. If Yiyi wants to live like this, then let¡¯s keep it this way. I think it¡¯s quite nice, actually."


    This time, Li Yifei truly felt Xu Yingying¡¯s sincerity and hugged her tightly, saying, "Wife, I honestly don¡¯t know what to say."


    "You don¡¯t need to say anything. Just show me with your actions."


    "Hehe, then I guess I should express myself with actions now," remarked Li Yifei as his hands began wandering inappropriately over Xu Yingying¡¯s body.


    "Do you think...how soundproof is this house?" Xu Yingying suddenly asked.


    Li Yifei pointed at the door and said, "These room doors are fitted with soundproof panels, and the walls are papered too. The soundproofing is really good. Mengxin won¡¯t hear anything from our room."


    "Really?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes glistened with a seductive charm.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true." Li Yifei said, and with a quick move, he was already on top of Xu Yingying.


    Whenever Xu Yingying was intimate with Li Yifei in that house, she always felt unsatisfied, especially at the most thrilling moments when she either had to kiss Li Yifei to keep from making noise or bite her lip hard. But today she didn¡¯t have to do that. In her excitement, she could scream freely; no need to be distracted, she could fully immerse herself in the pure **** pleasure, which made the experience intensely satisfying.


    After their satisfaction, Xu Yingying snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms for a while and then said, "Go to Yiyi¡¯s room."


    "Not today, let¡¯s talk about it another time," Li Yifei promptly declined.


    "No, today is our first day moving in. It¡¯s a happy occasion for us, and for Yiyi too¡ªit¡¯s her first day joining our household, how could she not look forward to you visiting? Go ahead, I really won¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m so tired now; I just want to sleep." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This..." Li Yifei was indeed tempted after hearing Xu Yingying¡¯s words.


    "No this or that, just hurry over," Xu Yingying said. She then turned over, removed Li Yifei¡¯s arm from under her neck, and turned her back to him.


    Li Yifei hugged Xu Yingying from behind again and said, "Then I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re asleep."


    "Mm... Oh, and don¡¯t go out naked. It¡¯d be embarrassing if you ran into Mengxin."


    "Got it," Li Yifei replied, though he thought that Su Mengxin would probably be pleased if such a situation occurred.


    After making sure Xu Yingying was asleep, Li Yifei went to Su Yiyi¡¯s room. Su Yiyi was lying in bed and, upon seeing Li Yifei enter, she looked both delighted and a bit anxious as she whispered, "Brother Li, why did you come?"


    Li Yifei lifted the covers and lay beside Su Yiyi, saying, "Your Sister Yingying sent me. She said that since it¡¯s the first day in our new house, you should feel like you¡¯re a part of this family, too."


    "Sister Yingying is so good to me," Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened in an instant.


    Li Yifei planted a soft kiss on Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek and asked, "Still awake this late, were you waiting for me?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s cheeks flushed as she said softly, "No, I was just excited. Today Sister Yingying told me a lot, asking me to live here from now on."


    Li Yifei was moved, having not expected Xu Yingying to discuss this with Su Yiyi, and said, "Yingying is really the best."


    "Yes, I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever repay her."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "We¡¯re all family; what¡¯s there to repay? How about you repay me first?"


    Blushing, Su Yiyi said softly, "Then, I... will serve Brother Li."


    "From now on, you should call me ¡¯husband¡¯ in bed," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    "Mm... husband!" Su Yiyi called out gently, feeling incredibly sweet inside.


    After some tender moments with Su Yiyi, who insisted that Li Yifei return to Xu Yingying¡¯s room to sleep, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t argue with her. Knowing that once Su Yiyi set her mind to something, she was hard to persuade, he returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s room. Of course, he was aware that Su Yiyi¡¯s actions were also to show respect to Xu Yingying.


    Early in the morning, Li Yifei got up early, and Xu Yingying awoke as well. Seeing Li Yifei by her side, she chided, "Why have you come back again?"


    "Yiyi sent me back; I had no choice," Li Yifei said with a wry smile.


    "You, always playing the good guy after getting a bargain, huh! I¡¯ll have a word with Yiyi later. If this happens again, don¡¯t come back to anyone¡¯s room."


    "Haha, then I guess I¡¯ll sleep on the floor," Li Yifei laughed and then kissed Xu Yingying on the face. "It¡¯s still early. You sleep a bit more; I¡¯ll go make some breakfast and call you when it¡¯s ready."


    Xu Yingying really enjoyed staying in bed. Like many modern people, she used to sleep late at night and get up late in the morning. Although staying up late was normal for her, getting up early was something she did reluctantly, so she wanted to sleep a little longer.


    Li Yifei moved around in the second-floor hall, which had a pool table, and plenty of space for activities, provided no loud noises were made, making it a suitable place for exercise.


    Then he went downstairs to start making breakfast. Just as he was getting started, Xu Shanshan came to the kitchen in her pajamas and hugged Li Yifei from behind.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried about being seen; only Little Yifei and Xu Shanshan were downstairs, and if Xu Yingying and the others were to come down, there would definitely be some noise. He let Xu Shanshan hug him and asked with a laugh, "Why are you up so early?"


    "I got up when I heard your voice. I think choosing to live downstairs was an incredibly wise decision. At this time, whatever happens with you, no one else will see."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You little glutton, always stealing kisses."


    "I steal people, not just kisses," Xu Shanshan said with a mischievous smile, then let go of Li Yifei, stretched lazily, and added, "Last night was so satisfying."


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Shanshan meant that last night she had been able to indulge without restraint, not having to repress herself like usual. Just as he was about to respond, he heard footsteps coming downstairs and quickly signaled to Xu Shanshan with his eyes.


    Yawning, Xu Shanshan turned and walked toward the bathroom, calling out as she went, "Brother-in-law, I want my fried eggs medium-well. Don¡¯t overcook them or leave them too runny."


    "Got it; you¡¯re so demanding," Li Yifei casually replied.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan greeted the recently descended Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, you¡¯re up early."


    "Yeah, I was thinking of making breakfast, but Brother Li beat me to it."


    "Well, you help out then. I¡¯m just going to pee and then catch some more sleep," replied Xu Shanshan with a chuckle.


    Once Su Yiyi entered, Li Yifei asked with a beaming smile, "Did you sleep well last night?"


    "I slept so deeply. I originally wanted to get up earlier, but I overslept," Su Yiyi replied sweetly to Li Yifei. Her mood was visibly excellent after last night, and most importantly, she had shown Li Yifei her more relaxed side, unlike her usual formal self.


    "You should sleep more then; I don¡¯t need your help with anything."


    "No, I can¡¯t do that. Sister Yingying has been so kind to me. If I can¡¯t do some things within my capacity in this household, I¡¯d feel like I have no presence here."


    Li Yifei thought about it and realized it made sense. Xu Yingying was the main breadwinner working outside, and if Su Yiyi acted like a pampered lady in this home, in the long run, Xu Yingying might start to feel uncomfortable. Besides, giving Su Yiyi things to do would make her feel she had her own place in the home.


    "Then go heat up some milk," he suggested.


    "Okay!" Su Yiyi was even happier and immediately began her task.


    In just over twenty minutes, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi had prepared breakfast, and then they woke everyone up.


    Sitting in the new dining room for breakfast seemed to improve everyone¡¯s appetite. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful, with everyone appearing in an exceptionally good mood.


    When Mengxin was here, Li Yifei went about his business as usual unless she requested his company. However, after the incident the night before last, Xu Yingying became very concerned about Mengxin¡¯s safety and insisted on Li Yifei staying by Mengxin¡¯s side to protect her whenever she was present.

 Chapter 719 - 758 Chemical Reactions

    Chapter 719: Chapter 758 Chemical ReactionsLi Yifei had no reason to refuse the matter at hand. Most importantly, those who were after Su Mengxin had already come knocking, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. In a crucial place like Capital City, it¡¯s extremely difficult for any power to pull strings, but in Mile City, the security was far from robust, so various powers found it too easy to infiltrate. Relying solely on the security guards Su Mengxin brought with her was hardly sufficient for her safety.


    Fortunately, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t come here with the intention to attend any events. As long as she was with Li Yifei, that was naturally the best possible situation. If the two of them were alone at home, Su Mengxin would¡¯ve been very happy about it. However, Ning Xin¡¯er showed up first, shattering the opportunity for Li Yifei to spend time alone with Su Mengxin, so the three of them simply continued moving the remaining stuff.


    Today, Ning Xin¡¯er was surprisingly happy to help them with the work, seemingly unbothered by the fact that she had no part in Li Yifei¡¯s relocation.


    After they finished tidying up, it was almost noon. Li Yifei cooked some simple dishes, and both Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er seemed to enjoy the meal a lot.


    Right after they finished eating, Li Yifei¡¯s phone started ringing¡ªit was a call from Lin Qiong. Hesitant, Li Yifei didn¡¯t pick up the call. Lin Qiong always spoke so imperiously, she might just bluntly ask Li Yifei to come over. With Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Mengxin present, answering this call would seem rather risky.


    "Why aren¡¯t you picking up? Is it another lover of yours?" Ning Xin¡¯er rolled her eyes at Li Yifei as soon as she saw him ignore the call.


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "It¡¯s from Lin Qiong, the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau. She never wants anything good when she contacts me, better not to answer."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted, "Feeling guilty? Humph, your wife isn¡¯t here, and Mengxin and I aren¡¯t anything to you. What are you afraid of?"


    Li Yifei actually wanted to treat the two as if they were unrelated to him, but they were anything but unrelated. Even if he didn¡¯t have feelings for Ning Xin¡¯er at the moment, with a daughter between them, how could he possibly regard Ning Xin¡¯er as a stranger?


    "You should just pick it up, or aren¡¯t you afraid of more trouble?" Su Mengxin asked with a smile.


    Joining in, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Yeah, I wonder when you also started flirting with a policewoman, now you even have a thing for uniforms."


    The phone kept ringing, leaving Li Yifei no choice but to answer. Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er watched him with playful smiles. He simply sat down between the two before taking the call. Lin Qiong on the other end didn¡¯t explode with anger but spoke in a very official tone, "Li Yifei, I need your help with something right now."


    Feeling triumphant, Li Yifei flashed a smile at the two women before saying, "Director Lin, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s tone was emotionless as she replied, "There¡¯s a situation here, and I need your cooperation." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But it¡¯s a bit inconvenient for me right now, can we reschedule?"


    "No! You need to come over right now," Lin Qiong¡¯s tone had become somewhat stern.


    "But I¡¯m currently accompanying two important people... Okay, okay, how about I bring them along?" Li Yifei tried to decline, but Ning Xin¡¯er was glaring fiercely at him, signaling him to just agree as she wanted to secretly follow along with Su Mengxin. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly do that, so he openly made the suggestion, immediately earning Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s rolling eyes.


    Although Su Mengxin knew that the relationship between Lin Qiong and Li Yifei was somewhat ambiguous, she was unaware of any specific developments. She never deliberately inquired about it, unless Li Yifei himself wanted to discuss it.


    "That won¡¯t be necessary," Lin Qiong said brusquely.


    "Come on!" Ning Xin¡¯er snatched the phone and said, "Director Lin, I¡¯m a friend of Li Yifei. We aren¡¯t busy with anything right now, so we could all accompany you and see what¡¯s going on, okay?"


    Upon hearing a woman¡¯s voice on the phone, and one that wasn¡¯t Xu Yingying, Chu Xiaoyao, or Su Yiyi, Lin Qiong felt her temper flare. It was sweet and pleasant to the ear, but wholly unfamiliar¡ªa new woman in Li Yifei¡¯s life. No wonder he hadn¡¯t come to see her recently; this was a blatant provocation, and she refused to tolerate it, promptly saying, "Come over, then," before abruptly hanging up.


    Ning Xin¡¯er returned the phone to Li Yifei, remarking, "She¡¯s got quite the temper, she seems really jealous."


    Su Mengxin chimed in with mock excitement, "Right, seems like someone¡¯s jealous."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "You guys truly are bored."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted again, "I¡¯m just bored, aren¡¯t I?"


    Su Mengxin also smiled and said, "Yeah, finding some fun really is quite interesting."


    Li Yifei really had to hand it to these two, Ning Xin¡¯er had recently been acting quite gentle, and Su Mengxin¡¯s relationship with him had also heated up rapidly. It had been nice just the two of them alone, but when these two got together, it was like a chemical reaction had occurred, changing both of them. He then thought what it would be like if Lin Qiong were added to the mix, the chemical reaction with the three of them might be even more intense.


    The three of them got in the car and soon arrived at the complex where Lin Qiong lived. After parking, they walked into the neighborhood. Ning Xin¡¯er turned her head, looking at Li Yifei with a meaningful expression, "I thought meeting a Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau would definitely be in the Public Security Bureau. I didn¡¯t expect it to be in a private place."


    Su Mengxin immediately chimed in, "Exactly, and you¡¯re so familiar with each other. I noticed she didn¡¯t mention where to go, yet here we are, coming straight here."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly. How had he overlooked this? This was a rookie mistake he would never have made in the past, it seemed he had really regressed. He then said without changing his expression, "I¡¯m not a criminal, nor do I work inside the Public Security Bureau. I¡¯ve just helped Lin Qiong out privately a few times. These matters can¡¯t be made public, of course we can¡¯t discuss them inside the bureau. Besides, you both know that I like to keep a low profile. I don¡¯t want others to know that I¡¯m still helping the police."


    Ning Xin¡¯er expressed her disbelief, "Really? That¡¯s quite interesting. I¡¯ve played many fun games growing up, but I¡¯ve never played this kind. This time, you have to take me along for a good time."


    Su Mengxin nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly, we can indeed participate in such fun matters."


    Li Yifei responded with irritation, "You two just want to come along and stir up trouble, fine, let¡¯s go and satisfy your curiosity."


    When they arrived at Lin Qiong¡¯s doorstep, Li Yifei had just knocked when the door was yanked open. Lin Qiong appeared in front of them, dressed in her uniform.


    Lin Qiong looked very stern at the moment, her eyes filled with a fierce glare as she stared at the trio at the doorway, especially lingering on the faces of Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Su Mengxin had never met Lin Qiong before. She just smiled at her, secretly admiring Lin Qiong¡¯s uniform paired with her beautiful face, which indeed had a strong attraction to men.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, however, frowned as she looked at Lin Qiong. Any woman who had lots of contact with Li Yifei was an enemy in her eyes, and her enemies were already strong enough, not only individually but now they were even forming groups.


    At this moment, Li Yifei noticed that Lin Qiong had dark circles under her eyes. She must have not been sleeping well for some days. He frowned slightly and asked, "Encountered some trouble?"


    His question appeared to quench some of Lin Qiong¡¯s fury as she replied, "It¡¯s nothing, come in."


    Once inside the room, Li Yifei introduced them, "This is Su Mengxin, Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, who Yuanqing has tasked me to follow around full time these past few days. This is Ning Xin¡¯er, Little Yifei¡¯s mother. Mengxin, Xin¡¯er, this is Lin Qiong, young and promising, already the Deputy Director of the Sub-bureau and with a limitless future."


    Lin Qiong had initially thought Li Yifei had brought over some random woman. When she heard their identities, the resentment vanished. Su Mengxin was a legendary figure; meeting her was indeed different from just hearing about her, and Lin Qiong had to admit that Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty was something she could not compare with. She had always considered herself beautiful, but next to Su Mengxin, she felt like an ugly duckling in the presence of a swan.


    And the other woman was Li Yifei¡¯s daughter¡¯s birth mother, a big star. Her relationship with Li Yifei now seemed incomparable to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s. Naturally, Lin Qiong lost her confidence and even felt somewhat uneasy, "Having such important people over, you should have given me a heads-up. Look at me, I¡¯m apologizing for my unkempt appearance. How could you put your friend in this position?"


    Su Mengxin smiled softly and said, "I¡¯ve known about your friendship with Yifei for a while, but I never had the chance to meet you. Finally, I get to see you. Director Lin, being so young and already in this position, the future is indeed limitless."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, watching Lin Qiong¡¯s unease, felt a surge of pleasure. In Li Yifei¡¯s house, she always had to suppress her feelings, but now outside, she felt a sense of triumph.


    Li Yifei waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, no need for formalities. Lin Qiong, is there something troubling you? You look so haggard; it must be something difficult to deal with."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words indeed helped Lin Qiong ease her embarrassment. She sighed and said, "I did encounter a tricky case. I just don¡¯t know what to do about it. I haven¡¯t slept well these past few days. I wanted to see you today just to casually talk and alleviate the gloom in my heart."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said with pride, "Tell us about it. As long as Yifei is on the case, there¡¯s no problem that can¡¯t be solved."


    Li Yifei gave Ning Xin¡¯er a look, which she didn¡¯t understand at first, but Su Mengxin instantly got it and laughed, "Yeah, actually when facing difficulties at work, sometimes just chatting with a friend and relaxing can shift one¡¯s fixed mindset and might suddenly make things clear."


    Only then did Ning Xin¡¯er catch on that Lin Qiong still didn¡¯t know about Li Yifei¡¯s powerful identity, and this made her even more smug.

 Chapter 720 - 759 Sympathy in Sickness

    Chapter 720: Chapter 759 Sympathy in SicknessDue to the identities of Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er, Lin Qiong also started to chat normally with the three of them, and at this moment, she brought up the case that had been troubling her.


    Heizi was Mile City¡¯s biggest drug dealer. After taking down Heizi, the drug supply in Mile City was initially scarce. But just when it seemed to have quieted down for a few days, the drug supply in Mile City suddenly became plentiful again. Although the police had arrested some people, these were just small fry. From their mouths, no valuable information could be found.


    This meant that the new drug dealer in Mile City must be part of a tightly organized group with significant power; otherwise, despite the many days of investigation, no trace of them would have been found.


    "Have you started looking into the underworld?" Li Yifei asked.


    Officer Lin frowned and said, "We have already conducted investigations in this regard, but we haven¡¯t gotten any information from them, and all signs point to their non-involvement. This power seems to have snuck in from somewhere else."


    With what Officer Lin said, Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to ask Brother Hu anymore.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin interjected, "Drug trafficking is indeed a heinous act that must be eradicated. It causes so much harm; it¡¯s fundamentally a scourge on our people."


    Officer Lin spoke seriously, "Yes, our police force is currently conducting tight surveillance, but we are unable to find a breakthrough point, which is very frustrating for us."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. From what Officer Lin had said, he remembered an organization with a vast network around the world. They were an unusual religious group whose members were all indoctrinated with their religious beliefs, making them extremely loyal to the organization. Even when their members were caught, it was very difficult to get any information out of them. Often, by the time they were captured, they had already committed suicide.


    And for this organization, drug trafficking was their main source of income; narcotics sales brought them huge financial benefits, which allowed their organization to develop further.


    Many countries around the world were aware of this organization¡¯s existence and wanted to eradicate it, but their movements were too mysterious. Li Yifei had been involved in actions aimed at eliminating this group, but in the end, they always fell short of success. He also knew that the organization had many skilled operatives. If they decided to seek revenge on someone, it would be relentless. Because of this, some smaller nations would turn a blind eye to this organization; otherwise, the havoc they could wreak would be too much for a small country to handle.


    If this organization had set its sights on Mile City, Officer Lin¡¯s pressure was no small matter, and finding incriminating evidence against them could easily lead to danger.


    Even so, it couldn¡¯t be confirmed that it was indeed this organization involved, as there were many other criminal syndicates and major drug lords who had made their fortunes through narcotics. If it was one of these other drug lords, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be as concerned about Officer Lin¡¯s safety.


    "Li Yifei, what do you think? Do you have any ideas?" Officer Lin asked him eagerly.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "It seems a bit difficult for me; do you take me for Superman or something? I can¡¯t just know everything. With all the manpower and resources of the police force, just keep looking and you¡¯ll find something eventually. This is not like the cases you¡¯ve worked on before. I¡¯ll just tap around the edges for now."


    Officer Lin glared at Li Yifei. She had great confidence in him. In her heart, as long as this mysterious man, Li Yifei, took action, there was nothing he couldn¡¯t do. But not just in front of Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to express this. Even when alone with Li Yifei, she preferred to treat him as an ordinary person. It was only when there was real trouble that she would regard Li Yifei as that powerful, mysterious individual. Otherwise, she could never stand her ground and be fierce in front of him again.


    While the case was causing Officer Lin great distress, she sought out Li Yifei to let him know about it, hoping this expert could lend a hand. The other reason she had for calling Li Yifei over was to have a private moment with him to alleviate some of the stress from work. Unfortunately, that wish clearly wouldn¡¯t be fulfilled now.


    "Officer Lin, it seems you and Yifei are quite close. Be careful, this guy might have designs on you. He¡¯s a real Casanova and can¡¯t move an inch when he sees a beautiful woman," said Ning Xin¡¯er, half-jokingly teasing Officer Lin.


    Officer Lin did indeed feel somewhat guilty, and being a person not very adept at hiding her deeper thoughts, her face showed a trace of panic. With a forced laugh, she said, "I know. I just think of him as a buddy."


    When Officer Lin first became a police officer, although she was brave and daring, she wasn¡¯t a tomboy and didn¡¯t have that kind of hearty and masculine air about her. But as she climbed the ranks, always wanting to prove she could solve cases without relying solely on Li Yifei, she gradually adopted a more masculine demeanor, even cutting her hair short to appear sharp and efficient.


    Unfortunately, her words betrayed her true feelings, which both Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er could easily discern. The panic in her eyes had already given away her relationship with Li Yifei.


    Ning Xin¡¯er sneakily pinched Li Yifei¡¯s lower back and said with a smiling face to Lin Qiong, "I didn¡¯t say anything else, just feeling that this guy is really worthless. Just a heads-up for you, so you don¡¯t fall for his tricks like I did. If I hadn¡¯t been duped by him back then, would I have ended up having his child so early?"


    Lin Qiong forced an awkward smile and said, "That¡¯s Li Yifei¡¯s blessing then. Who knows how many men in the world dream of having a child with you? It¡¯s just this jerk who got lucky."


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er curse Li Yifei as a jerk to his face, Lin Qiong felt an unspeakable sense of relief. The guilt she had felt earlier seemed to vanish all at once, and she continued, "I¡¯ve been advising this guy to settle down for a while now, but he just won¡¯t stay honest. Every time I see him with other women, I just want to drag him over and give him a good beating, to take revenge on behalf of those women he deceived."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded repeatedly, saying, "Exactly, I feel the same way, but he¡¯s a married man now. His wife doesn¡¯t deal with him, and I can¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s you, his good buddy, who can really keep him in line. If something like this happens again in the future, you have my strong support in beating him up."


    Provoked by Ning Xin¡¯er, Lin Qiong instantly glared fiercely at Li Yifei and said through gritted teeth, "Did you hear that? You¡¯ve even disappointed the women around you. If you don¡¯t rein yourself in, you¡¯ll end up being dealt with by everyone."


    Li Yifei thought about Lin Qiong and Ning Xin¡¯er getting into a clash as fiery as Mars hitting Earth, but he never anticipated the two would unite to form a criticism meeting against him. It would be unwise to interject now, so he could only remain silent and make his fortune. He lit a cigarette, pretending to be deaf to the conversation.


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Look at you, Yifei, they¡¯re condemning you, and here you are acting as if you can¡¯t hear."


    Li Yifei was immediately covered in cold sweat. Su Mengxin was not helping him out of the predicament; instead, she was fanning the flames. She was practically pushing him into a pit of fire.


    "Exactly, you think you can just play dead here? Do you have any objections to what we¡¯ve said?" Ning Xin¡¯er demanded as she glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all. One of you is a big star, the other is the Chief of the Public Security Bureau. How could I, a mere nobody, dare to have any objections?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted and said, "So you do know you¡¯re just a nobody. Just look at yourself, your wife is the general manager of a big company, Ye Yunzhu is now the Deputy County Head, and you have little mistresses like Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao at home, not to mention Lin Qiong here, the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau. What more could you want? You¡¯re still messing around outside, can you be fair to these people? Do you even have a conscience left?"


    At this, Lin Qiong also spoke bitterly, "You scoundrel, I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as you. I wish I could just castrate you right now."


    Li Yifei was speechless, rolling his eyes towards Lin Qiong, who was still oblivious and roared at him, "How dare you not accept it? Don¡¯t think women are easy to bully. If we women band together to take you down, it will be as easy as playing... Ning Xin¡¯er... oh... I... "


    Lin Qiong was in the midst of her rant when she suddenly found Ning Xin¡¯er looking at her with an ambiguous smile. Her heart tightened as she realized she had gone too far in her words. Wasn¡¯t she admitting to a certain relationship with Li Yifei just like Ning Xin¡¯er, thus appearing like a scorned woman attacking him?


    Biting her lip tightly, Lin Qiong suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "Yes, it¡¯s true! I¡¯m involved with this guy in an ambiguous way. I asked him to come today because I wanted to have a relationship with him, because I missed him. So what?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Mengxin were completely dumbfounded, not expecting Lin Qiong to confess so openly and directly at this moment.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "Qiongqiong, don¡¯t get worked up. Ning Xin¡¯er and Mengxin aren¡¯t here to cause you trouble."


    Looking at Lin Qiong, Ning Xin¡¯er sighed and said, "Lin Qiong, I realized we have some similarities. We¡¯re both bold, and both played by this guy without becoming his wife. We really shouldn¡¯t be enemies at all."


    Hearing Ning Xin¡¯er speak, Lin Qiong¡¯s spirit immediately deflated, and her mouth twitched as she responded, "Well, you have already had his child, and he can¡¯t deny it even if he wanted to."


    Ning Xin¡¯er sighed disconsolately and said, "What¡¯s the use of having a child? I¡¯m not even as good as you. At least when you call him, he has to come. When you want to be intimate with him, he runs to you eagerly. But for me? Now he keeps his distance, treating me like some kind of disaster."


    Lin Qiong was momentarily stunned, then suddenly said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, from now on you¡¯re my good sister. Let¡¯s join forces, and I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t handle this jerk."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was left speechless, while Li Yifei held his forehead in despair. Su Mengxin pursed her lips, barely containing her laughter.

 Chapter 721 - 760 The Alliance between Ning Xin’er and Lin Qiong

    Chapter 721: Chapter 760 The Alliance between Ning Xin¡¯er and Lin QiongPreviously, Chu Xiaoyao stayed at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s place for a few days, constantly instilling in her the idea of uniting to fight against Xu Yingying. In the end, she was bought over by Xu Yingying and now completely obeys Xu Yingying¡¯s words.


    At that time, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t take it seriously, thinking that what Chu Xiaoyao said was absurd. Besides, she was confident that she could snatch Li Yifei away for herself. But now, she felt that it was getting tougher and tougher. Li Yifei was not that sort of fickle and disloyal person. Having married Xu Yingying, unless their relationship went south, he wouldn¡¯t divorce Xu Yingying.


    What made Xu Yingying smart was that she didn¡¯t cling to Li Yifei too tightly, giving him plenty of freedom, which always made him feel guilty towards her. Therefore, Li Yifei was always very good to Xu Yingying and even tolerated Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, which tied Li Yifei¡¯s heart firmly at home even more.


    In Mile City, Ning Xin¡¯er really had no friends. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s home in harmony every day made her feel isolated and helpless. Today, feeling sympathy for Lin Qiong and suddenly coming up with the idea to ally with her, she just blurted it out.


    After saying it, Ning Xin¡¯er actually felt that this method wasn¡¯t bad at all and said to Lin Qiong, "Lin Qiong, let me ask you, do you like Li Yifei or not?"


    "I..." Lin Qiong opened her mouth, wanting to say no, but the word just wouldn¡¯t come out. Finally, she braced herself and said, "Although he¡¯s a bastard, I still like him."


    "Then do you want to be with him?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked again.


    "Of course, I do." This time, Lin Qiong replied without hesitation. No matter how many faults Li Yifei had, he was still kind to her. Plus, with his strength, Lin Qiong always admired him deeply.


    "Then you should also be clear about how difficult it is for you to be with him by yourself. Alone, it¡¯s simply impossible. So we need to unite, only then can we pull him over to our side."


    Lin Qiong only hesitated for a few seconds before she promptly nodded her head enthusiastically and said, "Okay, let¡¯s unite!" Then she reached out her hand to Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand grasped tightly with Lin Qiong¡¯s, and she smiled brightly, saying, "If we sisters unite as one, I refuse to believe we can¡¯t outmatch them."


    "Hehe, yeah, we¡¯ll definitely win," replied Lin Qiong.


    Li Yifei, staring wide-eyed at the two women, wondered what they were up to, plotting right in front of him. Were they trying to turn the world upside down?


    Su Mengxin let out a light chuckle and said, "It seems I¡¯m superfluous here. Should I leave first, so you two can take down this guy?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Lin Qiong immediately blushed. Although they talked about uniting, they had no plan at all and hadn¡¯t thought about what to do. Su Mengxin, however, directly mentioned such an explicit idea, overwhelming them both.


    Laughing again, Su Mengxin said, "Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao often cater to a certain womanizer together. Why else would that person love staying at home so much? If you two don¡¯t come up with something fresh, I¡¯m afraid it really won¡¯t be effective."


    Li Yifei felt a migraine forming, as his Three Views crumbled. He glared at Su Mengxin and said, "Can you not add to the chaos, please?"


    "Of course not. A little chaos adds to the fun. I¡¯m growing fonder of living in your home every day. All this emotional drama, you can¡¯t find it in novels or on TV. Giggle..."


    Li Yifei indeed felt his head throbbing. The alliance of Lin Qiong and Ning Xin¡¯er, individually capable of giving him a headache, was far more than a simple addition of forces. Unpredictable in strength, if they turned his household upside down, that would be truly troublesome.


    Mulling over the situation in his mind, the most important thing now was to prevent their alliance. He cleared his throat and said, "Qiongqiong, don¡¯t be fooled by Mengxin. I just love your independent nature."


    With pride, Lin Qiong raised her head and declared, "Sorry, but I need to make a change now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, and then he turned to Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "Xin¡¯er, aren¡¯t things fine the way they are now? We¡¯ve become great friends, unhindered by sentimental ties. You are my confidante, and I am your close male friend."


    Ning Xin¡¯er also snorted and said, "First of all, I¡¯m not your confidante, nor have I considered you my close male friend. Secondly, I¡¯ve stooped low enough these days. I don¡¯t want to keep doing that. I have suffered enough for you over the years. I want to fight for my happiness. If I can¡¯t do it alone, I¡¯ll ally with Lin Qiong. Together, sharing you is better than having nothing at all."


    Lin Qiong immediately added, "Li Yifei, your divide and conquer strategy simply won¡¯t work. I¡¯m telling you, resistance is futile. If you comply with us, we could consider leniency due to your candor. But if you continue to stubbornly resist, then what awaits you is our severe punishment."


    Su Mengxin burst into laughter immediately, while Li Yifei was covered in cold sweat. Hearing those words from Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth made him feel like he was a prisoner.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s distressed look, Ning Xin¡¯er reveled in her delight and said, "Lin Qiong is right, resisting is futile in this matter. If you want us to treat you well in the future, just obediently accept it. If you don¡¯t... hmph, you won¡¯t have good days ahead."


    If things kept going this way, wouldn¡¯t they just have him completely wrapped around their fingers? Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t stand for that, and suddenly stood up, glaring as he said, "It¡¯s really the other way around! Let me tell you, in the eyes of Li Yifei, there¡¯s no such thing as being manipulated by women. You two want me to bow down? No chance. If you don¡¯t cause trouble, I might still treat you well. If you fight me... hmph... I will..."


    "You will what?" Lin Qiong and Ning Xin¡¯er also stood up, their presence not at all inferior to Li Yifei. Even though they were shorter, at this moment with two against one, and aided by their naturally sharp voices, they quickly subdued Li Yifei¡¯s momentum.


    The main issue was, Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t know what to do with the two of them. One was his daughter¡¯s mother, the other his lover; how could he say anything harsh to them?


    But he was clearer than ever that if he gave in now, they would definitely have him pinned down. He snorted, "Don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to you. If you anger me, I simply won¡¯t talk to you or pay you any mind ever again."


    Such threats might be a joke to others, but for Lin Qiong and Ning Xin¡¯er, this was something they were genuinely worried about. However, at that moment, neither of them wanted to show weakness. If Li Yifei overpowered them the first time, then it seemed like their alliance wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to him in the future.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "You guys are really funny. Those in the know might think you¡¯re having a lovers¡¯ quarrel; those out of the loop might assume you have some deep-seated hatred."


    This seemed to lighten the mood. Ning Xin¡¯er, no longer the simple-minded girl of years past, rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Why the anger? I bore your child, and Lin Qiong is ambiguously following you around. We¡¯ve suffered so much, don¡¯t we deserve to lose our temper? You, a grown man, don¡¯t know how to cherish your own women and even scold us. Do you have any conscience at all?" As she spoke, her eyes reddened.


    Li Yifei knew Ning Xin¡¯er was acting, but her words left him unable to retort. Ning Xin¡¯er had raised such a big daughter for him, keeping it secret from everyone; the hardships were insurmountable.


    Lin Qiong reached out and grabbed Li Yifei by the collar, demanding, "Have you nothing to say?"


    "Alright, alright, your highnesses, whatever you say, but let me make myself clear: no attacking each other and no despicable tactics. Otherwise, I just cannot accept it. Even if you find a way to force me to break up with Yingying, I won¡¯t be with you."


    Although Li Yifei made compromises, he also had his principles, and he stated them very firmly.


    Lin Qiong and Ning Xin¡¯er tacitly did not cross Li Yifei¡¯s bottom line. They were well aware that Li Yifei was usually all smiles, seemingly very approachable and easy to bully, but when truly provoked, he could be quite stubborn.


    "No problem. With Ning Xin¡¯er and me joining forces, we refuse to believe we can lose to anyone else," Lin Qiong accepted the challenge with confidence.


    At this moment, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s confidence reignited as she said, "Exactly. United as sisters, we can overcome anything."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a wink and teased, "Looks like you have quite the luck with women."


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly. This luck with women wasn¡¯t so easy to enjoy. Ning Xin¡¯er had become quite clever and had many tricks up her sleeve, while Lin Qiong lacked guile but had an unstoppable drive. The combination of one tough and one gentle, one firm and one soft, was indeed very difficult to handle.


    "Alright, Lin Qiong, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be on our way," Li Yifei said, eager to leave.


    Ning Xin¡¯er waved her hand and said, "Lin Qiong, are you free this afternoon? If you have time, I would like to have a good chat with you."


    Lin Qiong nodded, "No problem, I¡¯ll take the afternoon off." Then she turned to Li Yifei and said, "Get lost, don¡¯t be a sore sight here."


    Li Yifei quickly dragged Su Mengxin away, and as soon as they entered the elevator, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but giggle. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei said to Su Mengxin irritably, "You¡¯re laughing, but I¡¯m in over my head. It was hard enough feeling like Ning Xin¡¯er was no longer so troubled, but meeting Lin Qiong has stirred things up again, and now that she¡¯s teamed up with Lin Qiong, my troubles are really going to be huge."


    Trying to suppress her laughter, Su Mengxin said, "What¡¯s the trouble? If they want to win you over, they¡¯ll have to treat you well. Maybe you¡¯ll even get a threesome out of it. Isn¡¯t that what you like the most? Doesn¡¯t it just suit your taste?"

 Chapter 722 - 761 How Good

    Chapter 722: Chapter 761 How Good"The two of them... you have no idea, they definitely won¡¯t treat me well, for all I know, it would be a series of humiliations." Li Yifei shuddered at the thought of being captured by them on a bed, fearing they wouldn¡¯t let him go until they had drained him dry.


    Su Mengxin, arm in arm with Li Yifei, wore an even brighter smile and said, "You should try a variety of flavors, right? Maybe you¡¯ve never realized before that you like this sort of thing."


    Li Yifei stared at Su Mengxin and said, "Don¡¯t tell me you actually want to try it?"


    Su Mengxin blinked and replied, "You¡¯re giving me ideas, I was just thinking about serving you, my lord. It would be interesting to humiliate you a little. I wonder what that would feel like."


    Li Yifei shuddered and quickly said, "Don¡¯t try it, don¡¯t try it. It¡¯s definitely not a good feeling."


    Su Mengxin laughed heartily at how amused Li Yifei was. As the elevator reached the first floor, they stopped their banter. But once they got in the car and Su Mengxin fastened her seatbelt, she said teasingly, "You know, Yifei, it¡¯s quite interesting now. Shanshan and I are in one camp, Lin Qiong and Ning Xin¡¯er in another, plus your wife with Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, making it three camps. Now there¡¯s Ye Yunzhu who acts independently, which makes her a camp too. Your women have divided into four factions. It¡¯s going to be quite a feat for you, as the big man, to manage these four camps."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Seems like it. It looks like it¡¯s really going to be a challenge."


    "I¡¯m telling you, as fun as it is now, I won¡¯t always be helping you out. I¡¯ll be just like them," she warned.


    "You¡¯re kidding, right?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "It sounds so fun. Additionally, I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing if you can handle all of us. That would be the highlight for me. If you really do manage to keep everyone happy, then we would all sleep in the same big bed, serving you together, and wouldn¡¯t you be even more glorious than an emperor?"


    "Come on, emperors who played those big bed games never ended well. I¡¯m not made of steel, nor am I like one of those perverted protagonists in novels. Sharing a big bed like that would completely wring me out," he retorted.


    "Giggling, playing occasionally isn¡¯t so bad, right? Otherwise, we could just take turns, or schedule days, each night a different woman would accompany you. That¡¯s treatment only an emperor would get. Aren¡¯t you tempted at all?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and admitted, "That does sound rather tempting."


    "Then give it your all! I¡¯m rooting for you," she encouraged.


    Turning to see the mischievous smile on Su Mengxin¡¯s face, Li Yifei felt utterly out of his depth. Others were one thing, but dealing with a super intelligent woman like Su Mengxin, Li Yifei knew he stood no chance. With brains alone, he had to accept, she was far beyond him. At only twenty-six or twenty-seven, she had become Huaxia¡¯s acknowledged prodigy, with countless assets at her disposal. Su Mengxin¡¯s brilliance was monstrous, except that she never showed it in front of him.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin remained silent, her expression bright with excitement. Her relationship with Li Yifei had suddenly turned into an incredibly fun game in her eyes, and the thought of it filled her with anticipation. Her mind bubbled with ideas on how to vie for Li Yifei¡¯s favor and how to team up with Xu Shanshan to take on the other factions. Before long, her mind had spawned a multitude of schemes.


    Li Yifei at that moment felt a cold chill down his spine. Though he had always felt guilty about getting involved with so many women, he had enjoyed it. Now, however, he was scared and full of regret. If he had known it would come to this, he never would have entangled himself with so many women. Whether it was Su Yiyi, Ye Yunzhu, or even Ning Xin¡¯er, sticking with just one would have been much simpler.


    But for him, this was also a challenge. He had survived many dangerous situations in the past. It couldn¡¯t be that he would be ruined by these women. Thinking this way, he felt a surge of boldness and honked the horn, declaring, "Bring it on! If Li Yifei were scared of you women, then he wouldn¡¯t be Li Yifei."


    The sudden honk startled Su Mengxin, but she quickly became infatuated with Li Yifei¡¯s boldness. This man was the reason she couldn¡¯t help but like him, even if he was fickle, even if he was a philanderer, no matter how many women he had; she just wanted to be with him.


    The pair didn¡¯t head straight home but went directly to the supermarket, where they shopped for groceries and fruits, items they needed plenty of for their new home.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Li Yifei sensed someone was following them in the supermarket. He didn¡¯t let on but continued pushing the cart alongside Su Mengxin. He tried to catch a glimpse of their pursuer by turning corners, but the follower expertly stayed out of sight, not allowing Li Yifei to see them.


    This forced Li Yifei to admire the skill of the person tailing them. This was clearly no ordinary person; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have failed to spot them several times. It seemed that those who were after Su Mengxin were now sending increasingly skilled professionals.


    While browsing the daily necessities, Li Yifei remained leisurely and composed. Passing by the cosmetic boxes, he smiled and suggested, "Aren¡¯t you going to buy one? They look pretty nice."


    Flashing a glance at Li Yifei, Su Mengxin bantered, "If you¡¯re buying it for me as a gift, then I¡¯ll take it."


    With a slight smile, Li Yifei responded, "It would be my honor," and picked up a makeup box.


    A makeup case, there will certainly be a small mirror inside, Li Yifei picked up the lid and then saw the figure of a woman. However, she was very alert, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of her face, only seeing her wearing a hat and a beige trench coat.


    "How about this one?" Li Yifei handed the makeup case to Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin took it and smiled sweetly, "As long as it¡¯s a gift from you, I love it."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly, "You are easy to please, but using such a makeup case, I always feel like it¡¯s a bit beneath your status."


    "What status do I have? I¡¯m your woman," Su Mengxin teased as she blinked and placed the makeup case in the shopping cart.


    The two of them moved on, and it seemed that the person had realized Li Yifei had spotted her, as he didn¡¯t see her again. Li Yifei also didn¡¯t tell Su Mengxin about it since it wouldn¡¯t be of any use telling her, and Su Mengxin was well aware of her own status, so whenever she went out with Li Yifei, she always stayed close to him, always in the most convenient place for Li Yifei to protect her. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When they got home, Li Yifei saw Meng Xiaofei sitting at the entrance on the shoe cabinet, cupping her cheeks in her hands, eyes closed, and her head slowly swaying left and right, looking like she had fallen asleep.


    "Hey, Xiaofei, what are you doing?" Li Yifei tapped lightly on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head.


    Meng Xiaofei let out a surprised "ah" and jumped up, "You¡¯re finally back."


    Li Yifei asked with a smile, "You lost your keys and phone, right?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately widened her eyes and stared at Li Yifei, "How did you know?"


    As Li Yifei went to open the door, he said, "It¡¯s not rocket science. If you hadn¡¯t lost your keys, you would at least be able to go back to your own place instead of running here after seeing a note at the door. If you hadn¡¯t lost your phone, you would have called us first instead of sitting at the door and falling asleep."


    Meng Xiaofei gave Li Yifei a thumbs up, "Brother Li, you¡¯re really smart."


    "Come in and take a look at my new home," Li Yifei grinned and beckoned Meng Xiaofei inside.


    Meng Xiaofei unceremoniously changed her shoes and entered the house, then immediately exclaimed, "Wow, Brother Li, this place is really nice, much better than the old one, and there¡¯s an upstairs too. It¡¯s just great, amazing! Hey, hey, do I get a room?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin, "You really don¡¯t hold back, do you? I buy a house and have to reserve a room for you?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "I was just asking casually, hehe, no worries, if I ever can¡¯t go back home, I¡¯ll just sleep on this couch overnight; it¡¯s even more comfortable than a bed." After bouncing on the genuine leather sofa a couple of times, Meng Xiaofei laid down on it without any image concern.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were already accustomed to Meng Xiaofei¡¯s way, and it was precisely because of her genuine, carefree nature that everyone loved her so much.


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Alright, we didn¡¯t specifically reserve a room for you, but there are two guest rooms here. If you want to stay, you¡¯re welcome to move in anytime."


    Meng Xiaofei was thrilled and immediately went to check out the guest rooms, directed by Su Mengxin, and was quite satisfied. When she came out, she suddenly said to Su Mengxin, "Sister Mengxin, from what you just said, it sounds like you have a room here."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly, "Yes, I do, and it¡¯s upstairs, right across from Yifei and Yingying¡¯s room."


    "Wowza!" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes bulged out as she sized up Su Mengxin, then chuckled mischievously, "So it turns out Sister Mengxin has also been taken in by Brother Li."


    Su Mengxin burbled out a laugh, "You¡¯ve got it all wrong. I¡¯m just here under Brother Li¡¯s protection for my safety, that¡¯s why it¡¯s arranged like this."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face showed a hint of disappointment as she shook her head in disdain at Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you¡¯re not up to snuff. You still haven¡¯t got Sister Mengxin yet. If you did, you¡¯d be a super-wealthy man, and I¡¯d feel even better about mooching off you."


    "It doesn¡¯t affect you mooching off here either." Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were immediately at a loss for words ¨C could this girl¡¯s reasoning be any more bizarre?

 Chapter 723 - 762: The Lovely Meng Xiaofei

    Chapter 723: Chapter 762: The Lovely Meng XiaofeiIn the spacious living room, everyone sat together chatting and laughing. Little Yifei ran around the floor, still excited about the new home. And with Meng Xiaofei playing wildly with her, the young girl was even happier.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was also here today, wearing a radiant smile that differed significantly from the past two days. Although she hadn¡¯t seemed particularly gloomy before, her calmness was now replaced by a beaming expression, as if she¡¯d stumbled upon something delightful.


    This made Xu Yingying somewhat suspicious, but she was aware that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t leave Su Mengxin and wouldn¡¯t have time for anything to happen with Ning Xin¡¯er. She asked, "Ning Xin¡¯er, you seem to be in such a good mood today?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s smile deepened and she said, "I¡¯ve met a friend. Besides you all, I don¡¯t know many people in Mile City, so I¡¯ve been feeling a bit lonely. Now that I have a friend to chat with, I won¡¯t be as lonely anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yingying felt a secret relief. It was indeed favorable for Ning Xin¡¯er to have her own life sooner rather than later. Otherwise, her constant presence was a threat to Xu Yingying, unless she was driven away and prevented from coming over, which would be too heartless, especially since Little Yifei was Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s biological daughter.


    "That¡¯s indeed something to be happy about. It¡¯s always nice to encounter old acquaintances in a foreign land and make new friends as well."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded and said, "Yes, I will make more friends from now on."


    While Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s news seemed positive, Xu Yingying still couldn¡¯t shake off her worry, unsure of the reason.


    "Alright, it¡¯s getting late, I should head home." Ning Xin¡¯er got up to leave just after 7 p.m., and didn¡¯t even ask Li Yifei to escort her.


    This led Xu Yingying to consider a possibility¡ªcould it be the friend Ning Xin¡¯er mentioned was a man who had captivated her? If that were the case, it would be excellent news, but it wasn¡¯t the right time to ask her about it. She¡¯d have to find an opportunity to inquire later.


    A little while later, Meng Xiaofei also stood up and said, "I¡¯ll be heading back too."


    Xu Yingying courteously offered, "We have rooms here, you can stay with us."


    Meng Xiaofei playfully stuck out her tongue and replied, "Sister Yingying, can I even pretend to be polite with you? I haven¡¯t brought any change of clothes. If I¡¯m to move in, I need to prepare some outfits first. I¡¯ll just go back to my place tonight. Oh, and Brother Li, give me my keys."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly and said, "I really don¡¯t remember where I put your keys. It seems like I didn¡¯t bring them over and might have left them in the old house. Let¡¯s check there first, and if we can¡¯t find them, I¡¯ll just open your door for you."


    Xu Yingying immediately suggested, "Let Mengxin go with you." The incident from two days ago had spooked Xu Yingying, and she felt uneasy seeing Li Yifei leave. It would be better to have Su Mengxin stick close to him.


    The three of them went to the old house together but didn¡¯t find Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house keys, likely misplaced during the move with so much stuff around. Li Yifei, well experienced with unlocking doors, managed to open Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house quickly.


    "Brother Li, Sister Mengxin, come in and sit down," Meng Xiaofei warmly invited them, but once they entered, she shyly said, "I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s nowhere to sit."


    Li Yifei was already used to the mess in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s home, with bras and stockings thrown all over the sofa. Normally, a girl¡¯s personal items would cause a man to quickly tidy up, but Li Yifei had seen Meng Xiaofei¡¯s things many times before. Now, he just casually pushed the items aside to clear a space on the sofa.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but smile. She had become quite familiar with Meng Xiaofei, but she had never visited her home before and had never imagined a girl¡¯s home could be this chaotic.


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled, "I¡¯m just too lazy. The one thing I really hate is tidying up my room."


    Li Yifei had never understood why Meng Xiaofei¡¯s home was always a mess, but after she shared the situation with him, he realized that Meng Xiaofei was once a pampered lady accustomed to having others serve her. Such ingrained habits were not easy to break, and even after becoming independent, she was still lavish with money and loathed house chores. Essentially, she lived like a pampered lady, and was best suited to being waited on by others.


    "Alright, alright, if you find my place too dirty and don¡¯t want to sit, that¡¯s fine."


    With Meng Xiaofei framing it that way, it would seem rude if they didn¡¯t sit. Li Yifei jokingly scolded, "You girl, you¡¯ve even learned how to trap people with words."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled, "So, take a seat." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin sat down, and as he leaned on the sofa, Li Yifei lifted up a pair of stockings. He casually tossed them to Meng Xiaofei, saying, "Have you washed these? They¡¯re just thrown everywhere."


    "This pair... they¡¯ve ended up like this, so they probably haven¡¯t been washed," admitted Meng Xiaofei, sticking out her tongue.


    Li Yifei suddenly had a headache. He said irritably, "Next time you want to invite someone over, please never bring them here. I can¡¯t afford to lose this kind of face with you."


    "Got it, I¡¯ll just take you to your place then."


    "You really know how to take an inch and run a mile."


    "Wait for me a sec," Meng Xiaofei darted into the bedroom and soon came back out with a few small boxes in her hand. She handed them to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Li, I¡¯m returning these things to you."


    "What things?" Li Yifei was puzzled for a moment, but upon opening them, he immediately recognized the items and laughed, "They gave these to you as gifts, why are you giving them back to me?"


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head and explained, "No, these things were meant for your wife. They were given to me by mistake. At first, I thought they were fake and just kept them for fun, but who knew they were so expensive. I daren¡¯t keep them. I¡¯ve been wanting to return them to Sister Yingying for a few days now, but I really liked them and secretly looked at them a little longer. When I heard that there was a burglary at Mengxin¡¯s place, I didn¡¯t dare to keep them any longer and hurried to return them to you both. If these got lost, even selling me wouldn¡¯t cover the costs."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and then said, "Okay, I¡¯ll take them back for now. That¡¯s very thoughtful of you; it would be a shame if they got lost. But if you like them, just tell me or Yingying any time, and we would gladly give you something like this."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and replied, "I don¡¯t want them. You know me, I only like things for a little while. This is already the longest I¡¯ve liked something."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then it¡¯s as you wish."


    Sure, such possessions weren¡¯t suitable for Meng Xiaofei to keep. First, because she easily lost things, and second, wealth can tempt, especially such expensive items, which could attract the attention of the wrong sort. Given Meng Xiaofei¡¯s usual carelessness, if she were targeted, she likely wouldn¡¯t even notice, and that could spell trouble for her, so Li Yifei took them back.


    Meng Xiaofei sighed with relief and said, "Phew, now that I¡¯ve returned these to you, I¡¯ll definitely sleep soundly tonight."


    Li Yifei, surprised, asked, "What do you mean, you usually don¡¯t sleep soundly?"


    "Exactly!" Meng Xiaofei nodded earnestly and said, "Every night before I go to sleep, I always wonder if there will be a thief, or if the items will be gone when I wake up in the morning, and also... and also..."


    "Also what?" Li Yifei inquired.


    Meng Xiaofei snickered and said, "Also... then I fall asleep."


    Su Mengxin and Li Yifei nearly bumped their heads on the coffee table before bursting into laughter. With this level of tension, she still couldn¡¯t sleep soundly; if she was truly at ease, her head would hit the pillow, and she¡¯d be out like a light. Good grief, only Meng Xiaofei could say something like that.


    Meng Xiaofei also started laughing, finding her own words amusing. Indeed, the items had been a source of worry while in her possession, but this carefree girl tended to worry for just a second, then brush it off as nothing.


    After leaving Meng Xiaofei¡¯s house, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin walked along the little paths inside the neighborhood, heading home. It was now early November, the weather had gotten cooler, and leaves were starting to fall. The community wasn¡¯t as crowded as before, and it was peacefully quiet.


    A gust of wind blew, and Su Mengxin immediately hugged her shoulders. She hadn¡¯t dressed warmly when leaving the house, and now she was feeling a bit cold.


    Li Yifei instinctively wrapped his arms around Su Mengxin, who smiled at Li Yifei and teased, "Aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will see you?"


    Li Yifei felt slightly awkward, but still smiled and said, "Not afraid. If it comes to that, I¡¯ll just say I felt there was danger nearby, which is why I held you like this."


    "You have quite the bag of tricks," Su Mengxin chuckled softly. Being held like this by Li Yifei felt really good. There had been times like this in the past, but back then Li Yifei didn¡¯t have feelings for her, so both the gesture and the emotions were completely different.


    The two walked a few steps further when Li Yifei suddenly stopped and said coldly, "Come out." He had spotted the person who had been following them and Su Mengxin in the supermarket, and this time that person didn¡¯t seem to be purposely hiding, standing under a ginkgo tree that had almost shed all its leaves.


    It was the same grey windbreaker from earlier in the day, with a duckbill cap, and the slender figure looked rather eerie in the shadows of the tree, as if she had been standing there motionless for a long time.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were more than ten meters away from the woman, but Li Yifei already felt a sense of danger. This woman was definitely an expert, and moreover, one capable of posing a threat to him.

 Chapter 724 - 763: Inexpensive Female Bodyguard

    Chapter 724: Chapter 763: Inexpensive Female Bodyguardfre¨¥w¨¥b¦Çovel.c?mThe woman slowly approached Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, and as she stepped out of the shadows of the trees, Li Yifei had already recognized her. It was none other than Sophia, who had played with the Flying Dagger on the cruise ship and lived with Li Yifei on the island for three days. Li Yifei had thought he would never see her again, but unexpectedly, this woman had managed to find this place.


    Li Yifei was very clear about this woman¡¯s capabilities; she was definitely a dangerous character. At such a distance, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t fully confident that he could evade her Flying Daggers while protecting Su Mengxin. So, he immediately pulled Su Mengxin behind him, using his own body to shield her.


    If someone used a gun, they would have to raise it and there¡¯s the time it takes to pull the trigger, which would give Li Yifei enough time to dodge. However, when Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers were thrown, there was barely any preparation time. Even though a bullet travels much faster than a dagger, without that prep time, it was even harder to avoid. That¡¯s why Li Yifei had always believed that Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger was more dangerous than a gun.


    "You still take good care of your woman, don¡¯t you?" Sophia said lightly as she walked onto the path.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pick up on that comment, but instead asked solemnly, "Are you here for me, or is there another mission?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sophia lifted her head to meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, and said, "For you."


    "For what reason?" Li Yifei let out a sigh of relief. As long as Sophia wasn¡¯t here to kill Su Mengxin, everything else was negotiable.


    Sophia said lightly, "I¡¯ve said that if you dodge my five Flying Daggers, I would become your woman. I¡¯m here to fulfill my promise."


    "What?" Both Li Yifei and Su Mengxin exclaimed in shock.


    "I, Sophia, always keep my word and will never renege on a promise," she continued while walking toward Li Yifei.


    "Wait a moment..." Li Yifei put his hand up, urgently saying, "It was just a joke, can¡¯t you just let it go?"


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t joke, and that¡¯s a vow I¡¯ve made to myself. I don¡¯t break my vows," she replied.


    Li Yifei took two steps back with Su Mengxin and said, "Alright... If I don¡¯t agree, does that mean you¡¯re not breaking your promise then?"


    "Correct!" Sophia stopped her advance and looked at Li Yifei coldly.


    Li Yifei exhaled and said with a smile, "Alright, then let me restate it now. I don¡¯t need you to be my woman; you can go now."


    "That means I haven¡¯t broken my promise, but I¡¯ve been deeply insulted by you. I can¡¯t kill you, but I can kill all your women to cleanse my shame," she retorted.


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Sophia¡¯s tone remained icy as she said, "I know you live in this residential area, and your family members all live in that building."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face fell, "Are you serious?"


    "Correct, I don¡¯t joke."


    Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts raced. He could tell that Sophia was serious. If he rejected her now, she might indeed do something drastic. Protecting against a master like Sophia was incredibly difficult, and she wasn¡¯t just targeting Su Mengxin, but everyone close to Li Yifei. Spread too thin, how could he possibly protect everyone?


    The best course of action was to subdue or kill Sophia, but Li Yifei knew that was going to be difficult. Unless Sophia fought him in a life-or-death struggle, he couldn¡¯t kill her. But if she avoided direct conflict, then he would have to resort to sneak attacks, and attacking someone like Sophia by surprise was not easy. Moreover, if he failed, he might not get another chance.


    After much thought, Li Yifei finally spoke, "Sophia, I meant no insult. Since you want to honor your vow, I¡¯ll accept it. But there¡¯s no time limit on fulfilling this promise, is there?"


    Sophia nodded.


    Li Yifei was immediately overjoyed, "That¡¯s great. Our promise can be fulfilled twenty years from now. What do you think?" By then, everyone would be over forty, nearly fifty, and who would care about so much? Time would have smoothed everything over.


    "That¡¯s not acceptable, it¡¯s still an insult to me."


    "Then fifteen years."


    "No!"


    "Ten years, ten years has to be acceptable, right?" Li Yifei glared at Sophia.


    "One year. I can give you one year. If you still don¡¯t accept me as your woman by then, I will still kill all your women. I¡¯ll also stay in this city and keep an eye on you all. You can¡¯t run away," she declared.


    Li Yifei was seething with frustration; how could there be a woman so stubborn about becoming his?


    As an idea struck him, his gaze shifted, thinking that with such a low-cost bodyguard, why shouldn¡¯t he make use of her? He quickly said, "Fine, in fact, I need to see your sincerity. Since you¡¯ve said this much, you¡¯ll be responsible for protecting the safety of the women around me this year. Only if you do all this can I be sure that you truly want to be my woman."


    Sophia looked at Li Yifei and didn¡¯t speak, clearly hesitating because if she agreed, she would be taking on quite a troublesome matter.


    Li Yifei immediately employed another provocative tactic, saying, "What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t you do it? If you can¡¯t, then I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re not qualified to be my woman. It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t agree to it."


    "Fine, I agree!" Sophia indeed fell for the trick and agreed.


    Li Yifei chuckled inwardly and quickly said, "We have a Deputy Director at the Public Security Bureau named Lin Qiong. She¡¯s currently investigating a drug case and might encounter danger. She¡¯s also my woman. I want you to protect her in secret and make sure she doesn¡¯t know about your presence. This might be a bit difficult for you, but if you don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t blame you."


    "I agree." After saying these three words, Sophia turned and darted out, disappearing from Li Yifei¡¯s line of sight in the blink of an eye.


    Li Yifei let out a long sigh, feeling rather frustrated, and said, "How did I get entangled with such a big trouble?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Sophia is also a very beautiful woman, and she¡¯s a foreigner to boot. Isn¡¯t that a new flavor for you?"


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a look and said, "What flavors are you talking about? Am I the type to always seek thrills?"


    "Hehe, that¡¯s a common male affliction, isn¡¯t it? But speaking of which, didn¡¯t you find yourself a bargain bodyguard? I think that¡¯s quite nice."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit smug and said, "That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll give her a hard time first. She¡¯ll calm down eventually. I can¡¯t handle a woman like her. Who knows where she has knives hidden on her body? You might not even know it when she cuts off your little brother."


    Su Mengxin immediately burst into giggly laughter. Teasing each other with such ribald jokes only served to strengthen the rapport between them.


    When they returned home, only Xu Shanshan was downstairs. Xu Yingying had gone upstairs to work, and Little Yifei had already gone back to her room to sleep. The sofa here was much larger than the original, and the air conditioning was on, making the place quite warm. Xu Shanshan lay on the sofa in a little camisole nightgown. Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t come back here today. Although Xu Yingying had said as much, Su Yiyi was someone who knew how to act with propriety. She was more than satisfied with the occasional return since her absence would give Li Yifei and Xu Yingying more time together.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re finally back. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for half a day," said Xu Shanshan, propping up her head and pouting at Li Yifei.


    "What are you waiting for me for?" Li Yifei asked casually.


    "To rub my feet." Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei and then winked at Su Mengxin, saying, "Mengxin, go take a bath. We¡¯ll have our brother-in-law give us a massage. His skill in massaging feet is top-notch, extremely comfortable."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "That sounds great. To enjoy such a service at home, I¡¯ll go take a shower right away."


    "Don¡¯t bother going upstairs, just take one downstairs," Xu Shanshan added.


    Su Mengxin agreed and went to take a shower, and Li Yifei excused himself, saying he¡¯d go upstairs first.


    He handed Xu Yingying the things that Meng Xiaofei had brought over, and Xu Yingying immediately exclaimed, "Where did all these come from?"


    "They are gifts from my brothers for my wife."


    "Oh, weren¡¯t they given to Xiaofei? Did you ask for them back?" Xu Yingying knew about it as soon as Li Yifei mentioned it, recognizing where those things came from.


    "It wasn¡¯t me who asked for them back; it was Xiaofei who returned them," Li Yifei said.


    "That¡¯s not good. She returned them, and you accepted them?" Xu Yingying chided Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei explained the reason for taking them back to Xu Yingying, who then felt relieved. And as for those things, she had to admit she really liked them. Besides, they had meaning, being gifts for Li Yifei¡¯s wife; she accepted them deservedly and with peace of mind.


    "By the way, perhaps we should give Xiaofei some compensation later on. Otherwise, I¡¯d feel somewhat uneasy."


    "Why compensate her? That girl has been eating at our place for so long. The fact that I didn¡¯t kick her out is compensation enough for her," Li Yifei remarked.


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but smile, thinking of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s personality, she decided not to say more.


    "By the way, why aren¡¯t you with Mengxin?" Xu Yingying suddenly exclaimed.


    Mengxin is taking a shower downstairs, and there are no windows in the bathroom.


    "Then you should go down quickly, too."


    "Alright, Shanshan also asked me to give her a foot massage. I¡¯ll come up a bit later."


    "Go ahead, I¡¯ve got plenty of work on my hands anyway, you go."

 Chapter 725 - 764: Enter the Room

    Chapter 725: Chapter 764: Enter the RoomLi Yifei descended the stairs and saw both Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin in the living room. Xu Shanshan was lying on the sofa, while Su Mengxin, wearing a set of pajamas, sat next to Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet. Her pajamas weren¡¯t revealing, being a thin cotton two-piece set with a headscarf wrapped around her head. Her skin, rosy and radiant from a recent bath, was irresistibly enticing.


    "Brother-in-law, come over here," Xu Shanshan called out to Li Yifei without any hesitation.


    Having been in contact with Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying for quite some time, Su Mengxin had only ever dined at their house and promptly left afterward, clueless about their domestic nightlife.


    At this moment, Li Yifei casually took a seat beside Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, to which she immediately tossed her legs onto his lap. From Su Mengxin¡¯s perspective, the view up Xu Shanshan¡¯s skirt was clear, and even though Li Yifei¡¯s vantage point might not have been as clear, he certainly had a view of those sights as well.


    Curious, Su Mengxin asked, "Yifei, Shanshan, do you guys always do this?"


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "Yeah, we¡¯re always like this."


    Pointing at Xu Shanshan¡¯s skirt, Su Mengxin said, "You¡¯re showing everything; does Yingying not see it?"


    Xu Shanshan winked mischievously, giggled, and replied, "How could I? If my sister saw me like this, she¡¯d scold me for sure. Since she¡¯s not here, I¡¯m just being a bit more casual."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "You really gave me a scare; I thought this was your normal routine."


    Xu Shanshan said with pride, "Although we¡¯re usually not this exaggerated, when my sister is around, I¡¯m totally upfront about having my brother-in-law massage my feet." She then shared with Su Mengxin how she once tricked her sister with a fake certificate.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but smirk and said, "You certainly are full of cunning ideas."


    "Of course, for my brother-in-law, I racked my brain for these ideas. Come on, Mengxin, enjoy it yourself. His massage skills are really good. If you get a massage every day, you¡¯ll sleep very well at night, all the fatigue of the day relieved," Xu Shanshan insisted.


    Su Mengxin felt tempted. She had experienced foot therapy before and knew the benefits it could have on the body. In her house, she had a personal foot masseur, though she didn¡¯t get to enjoy the services often as she was seldom at home.


    "Don¡¯t worry," Xu Shanshan said. "Even if my sister comes out, she won¡¯t say anything. Besides, with just the two of us, could she really think we¡¯re up to no good?" She then smirked mischievously.


    Upon further thought, Su Mengxin agreed and promptly lay down, placing her feet on Li Yifei¡¯s other leg.


    The sofa was quite large, Li Yifei sat in the middle while Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan lay on either side with pillows under their heads, feeling no squeeze at all.


    Li Yifei then took a foot from each of them, massaging with a level touch that was just right. These were the women he adored, and serving them through massage was also a joy for him.


    "Seriously, Yifei, you have impressive skills. Even the professional masseur from my home doesn¡¯t compare to you," Su Mengxin complimented sincerely after just a few presses.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Of course. If I did this professionally, I guarantee I¡¯d have customers crowding in. Those rich ladies and the like would all come looking for me."


    Xu Shanshan burst out laughing, "In our country, is there a richer lady than Mengxin? You¡¯ve already been ¡¯hired¡¯ by her. Don¡¯t even think about finding other rich ladies¡ªyou don¡¯t stand a chance."


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "Exactly, don¡¯t even think about it." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Then it¡¯s an honor for me."


    "Brother-in-law, between Mengxin¡¯s feet and mine, which do you prefer?" Xu Shanshan suddenly inquired.


    Squinting his eyes and contemplating their feet while feeling their weight in his hands, Li Yifei replied, "Shanshan, I always used to prefer your feet, but now I have to admit, you can no longer claim all the praise; Mengxin¡¯s feet are just as delightful to me."


    Xu Shanshan pouted her lips, "That¡¯s it then, it¡¯s over. I thought I might still excel in one thing, but now even that¡¯s gone. Mengxin, you¡¯re practically a modern-day enchantress, hogging all the advantages, not giving anyone a chance to outdo you."


    Warmed by Li Yifei¡¯s praise, Su Mengxin felt a sweet satisfaction, even if it was just about her feet. As for Xu Shanshan¡¯s remarks, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t take them seriously¡ªshe understood that Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t the kind to be overly envious. It was all in jest, and she replied with a laugh, "Aren¡¯t we a team? This way we¡¯re even more attractive. By the way, I haven¡¯t told you yet, but today Ning Xin¡¯er and I met Lin Qiong, and Ning Xin¡¯er has teamed up with her to challenge your sister."


    "Wow, they¡¯ve actually teamed up; this is going to be fun." Xu Shanshan, far from alarmed, was thrilled and eager to see what would happen next.


    "Why are you so excited?" Su Mengxin chuckled,


    Shanshan giggled, "It¡¯s just fun, it¡¯s like the Three Kingdoms, everyone is fighting for their turf. Is it about dividing the realm into three or uniting the Three Kingdoms, brother-in-law?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and said, "Of course, I hope to unite the Three Kingdoms. If it¡¯s dividing the realm and fighting nonstop, I¡¯ll be the one to suffer in the end."


    Mengxin followed, "Yeah, if you unite the Three Kingdoms, you¡¯d be so lucky, sharing the big bed together, right?" As she spoke, her idle foot gently pressed against Li Yifei¡¯s crotch area.


    Mengxin¡¯s foot pressed with just the right amount of force, neither too light nor too heavy, making Li Yifei incredibly comfortable; coupled with those sultry looks, Yifei sprang up like a spring, pushing Mengxin¡¯s foot up along with it.


    Mengxin¡¯s eyes became even more coquettish as she said, "Oh, someone¡¯s getting naughty. Be careful your wife might catch you red-handed."


    Shanshan peeked over and immediately saw what was happening, snickering, "Brother-in-law always does this; there were several times my sister nearly caught us."


    Mengxin laughed, "Then how did you manage to fool her?"


    Shanshan said proudly, "We wing it, making sure my sister doesn¡¯t see anything. Otherwise, it would be ruined. Yifei, don¡¯t just massage the foot, do my leg too."


    The three had been intimate before, but the first time, they were still somewhat reserved and couldn¡¯t let go completely. Now, with Shanshan¡¯s provocation, Mengxin¡¯s passion was also aroused, and she lightly pulled Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei, of course, couldn¡¯t ignore Mengxin and attended to her needs as well; before long, both of them were overwhelmed, their suppressed moans rising and falling in turns.


    "Brother-in-law, I can¡¯t take it anymore, I want you to use your mouth," Shanshan suddenly sat up, pouting her lips.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "Then let¡¯s go to your room."


    "Great!" Shanshan was overjoyed at hearing this and immediately sat up, leading Mengxin and Li Yifei into her room, then closed the door straight away.


    She hopped onto the bed, quickly stripping off her clothes and laying down.


    Mengxin, somewhat worried, said, "Shanshan, is this okay? What if your sister comes down suddenly?"


    Shanshan looked at Li Yifei for help, and he immediately said with confidence, "Don¡¯t worry, just enjoy yourselves. If Yingying comes down, I¡¯ll know."


    Upon hearing this, Mengxin also let go of her worries, having full confidence in Li Yifei¡¯s abilities. She climbed onto the bed and, although not as impatient as Shanshan, stripped off her clothes as well.


    Li Yifei followed them onto the bed, and the passion among the three of them naturally needs no detailed description.


    But Li Yifei himself did not let them do much to him. He found that every time he indulged, his senses would not be as sharp, and several times, it was because he was too engrossed that Yingying almost caught them.


    Shanshan and Mengxin satisfied themselves, but did not touch Li Yifei much. Such moments are most thrilling when interactive, and without it, there was inevitably some regret, but they also knew this wasn¡¯t the right time for that.


    "I¡¯m not getting up, I want to sleep now, you guys go back," Shanshan stretched her arms languidly, issuing a lazy eviction notice.


    Li Yifei and Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but laugh, got dressed quickly, sat together in the living room for a while to let Li Yifei fully calm down, and then they returned upstairs.


    "Yingying, still working so seriously?" Mengxin followed Li Yifei into their bedroom, saw Xu Yingying still working, and hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t work so hard. You can¡¯t finish it all in one day. You¡¯re working so hard, and I¡¯ve been taking it easy. I feel guilty."


    Xu Yingying turned around and said, "It¡¯s fine. I enjoy doing this. If you told me not to work, I¡¯d feel uncomfortable."


    Mengxin shook her head, "I¡¯ve been the same as you for years, but a year ago, I suddenly felt that returning to a simpler life brings more joy. Nothing beats having a good husband by your side for happiness."


    Yingying paused, then her gaze moved to Li Yifei.

 Chapter 726 - 765

    Chapter 726: 765In his own country, in his own city, and with his own forces at hand, Li Yifei was not one to remain passive. Since someone planned to make a move against Su Mengxin, he was set on rooting out these threats. A thief may go undetected for a thousand days, but guarding against one for that long proves much harder. Just one oversight could lead to irreparable consequences.


    Although Brother Hu¡¯s men weren¡¯t exactly top-notch, they were the local snakes with the home-ground advantage. For them, finding people was easier, not to mention Li Yifei¡¯s mercenaries, who were experts in this field. Compared to the regular police force, they were much stronger. Just like what happened during Heizi¡¯s incident, it took them merely a day to effortlessly gather a pile of evidence against Heizi, evidence that the police would struggle to collect even in several years.


    Within two days, Li Yifei had identified the individual who had infiltrated Su Mengxin¡¯s room: not one but three Japanese men staying in a four-star hotel in Mile City.


    Yet their background remained unknown. Their phone calls over the past few days consisted only of mundane matters. And acting like normal tourists, they spent their days sightseeing and their evenings entertaining themselves. They didn¡¯t appear suspicious at first glance.


    But to a trained eye, there were still flaws. The hotel they stayed at was close to where Su Mengxin was staying. Even though they seemed to be sightseeing, they mostly lingered around that area. Knowing the recent influx of foreigners in that area, especially from Asia, Li Yifei¡¯s mercenaries could quickly confirm these three men as their targets.


    Li Yifei did not want to spook them prematurely, as all three were skilled. To eliminate them all at once, they would need to deploy some tactics.


    That evening, the three sat in their hotel room. They were notorious members of the Yamaguchi Group who had undergone strict training from a young age. Through meticulous selection, the Yamaguchi Group had bred truly skilled operatives, who usually weren¡¯t tasked with missions unless they were critical. But whenever they did take action, failure was rare.


    Yokohama Erya was the highest-ranked among the three and also the best fighter, in his forties, he had been the one to take action last time.


    Koboto Shiryu and Yamaguchi Yuki were both in their thirties. Their skills were somewhat inferior to Yokohama Erya¡¯s, but they were still undeniably experts. Koboto Shiryu, expressing some dissatisfaction, said, "Yokohama, waiting like this is too irritating. I say we three should go together. Even if the other side has one expert, we have three people. I refuse to believe that the three of us can¡¯t beat one person."


    Yokohama Erya shook his head and replied, "No, we must not act rashly for now. I¡¯m not clear on that person¡¯s strength, and having failed once, they will surely be on guard. Approaching them won¡¯t be that easy. Su Mengxin holds a special status in Huaxia, and their protection for her is very thorough. Apart from that expert, there might be other masters around her now."


    Unconvinced, Yamaguchi Yuki said, "There aren¡¯t many experts in Huaxia to begin with. The only noteworthy ones are those from the Flying Hawk Squad, and the most formidable among them is Golden Eagle. We¡¯ve crossed paths with the Flying Hawk Squad before, their skills are comparable to ours. Unless they deploy the entire Flying Hawk Squad here, I refuse to believe that the three of us can¡¯t handle them. If you can keep the expert occupied, the two of us can certainly take on the rest and kidnap Su Mengxin."


    Yokohama Erya snorted, "Even if we could capture Su Mengxin like that, do you think we would still have the chance to take her away? Remember, we¡¯re not here to kill her, but to capture her. It¡¯s only by taking her that we can bring a huge benefit to our organization. If we kill her, the Yamaguchi Group and the Su Family of Huaxia will become mortal enemies. Not only would we gain no advantage, but we would also suffer immense losses. Can you or I bear such a consequence?"


    Yamaguchi Yuki and Koboto Shiryu lost their argumentative steam. The Yamaguchi Organization was incredibly strict, meting out severe punishments to those who jeopardized major plans. Even though they were important figures within the group, the implications of this matter were too significant. Should any issues arise, they could only apologize with their deaths.


    At that moment, Yokohama Erya slightly smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be impatient. With enough patience, we will find our opportunity."


    Koboto Shiryu frowned and replied, "But the longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it is for our organization. The sooner we kidnap Su Mengxin, the greater the benefits we will secure."


    Yamaguchi Yuki also chimed in, "What¡¯s infuriating is that Su Mengxin used to travel all over the world and often went to Japan. It would have been much easier to act then. But recently, apart from returning to Capital City, she¡¯s been mostly in Mile City. I really don¡¯t know why she values this place so much."


    Yokohama Erya squinted his eyes and said, "She must have her reasons for coming here. We should also investigate this matter. If it can be used to our advantage, that would be fortuitous."


    Just then, a phone rang, and Yokohama Erya quickly answered the call.


    "The target is going out now, accompanied only by a man."


    Yokohama Erya¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said, "Continue the tracking and report his position at all times."


    For an operation of this scale, it was impossible for them to have only three people involved. These three were merely responsible for taking action; there were others in charge of intelligence. Their communication equipment was quite advanced and not so easily intercepted.


    After hanging up the phone, Koboto Shiryu immediately said excitedly, "Opportunity has come so quickly. She¡¯s actually going out so late and she¡¯s only bringing one person."


    Yokohama Erya shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something fishy about this? She knows people are out to harm her, yet she goes out so late, and with only one person too. Could this be a trap?"


    Koboto Shiryu and Yamaguchi Yuki immediately considered this possibility and were at a loss for a moment.


    After more than ten minutes, the phone rang once again, bringing news that the target was heading towards the airport. This time, Yokohama Erya was quite tempted. If Su Mengxin were to leave Mile City, they would have to reset their arrangements. Her departure, with only one person to see her off, was not inexplicable.


    "Su Mengxin is leaving Mile City; this is a good opportunity," murmured Yokohama Erya. "Let¡¯s move immediately and have others create a car accident to delay their progress."


    Yamaguchi Yuki and Koboto Shiryu were overjoyed and quickly went to make arrangements. Then, the three of them sped towards the airport along the highway in their car.


    Twenty minutes later, Yokohama Erya and his two companions exited the expressway to the airport, learning that after Su Mengxin¡¯s car was hit, she and her driver quickly left the expressway and entered a nearby village.


    The accident had been orchestrated by Yokohama Erya. Su Mengxin¡¯s entry into a nearby village meant it was unlikely they had an ambush set up there, which thrilled Yokohama Erya. In such a remote village, it would be much easier to strike. Once they had kidnapped her, even if someone saw it, it would be difficult for pursuers to ascertain their location.


    They too swiftly arrived at the village. The tracker soon sent new information; Su Mengxin and the man had entered an old factory building. It seemed they were aware they might be attacked, so they were being highly cautious. Had they not placed a tracker on Su Mengxin during the car accident, they would have lost them.


    "Quite clever indeed, but unfortunately, you still won¡¯t be able to escape this time," laughed Yokohama Erya. He led Yamaguchi Yuki and Koboto Shiryu quickly to the old factory building.


    Looking at the factory building, they found that the opposition had chosen a good spot. Despite the building¡¯s derelict state, it was well-fortified, resembling a storage room with only a large metal door for ingress. At that moment, the large door was closed tight. If the opposing side defended the door, others would find it hard to do anything to Su Mengxin.


    Once Su Mengxin¡¯s reinforcements arrived, there would be no problem. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Su Mengxin¡¯s backup had not yet come, and there were three of them from Yokohama¡¯s side. Even if the man escorting Su Mengxin was that expert, he couldn¡¯t possibly withstand all three of them.


    Watching the tracker¡¯s display, which showed that Su Mengxin was indeed inside, the three exchanged glances. Without wasting any more time, Yokohama Erya¡¯s shadowy figures charged directly towards the door.


    Koboto Shiryu held a katana in his hand, thrusting it straight into the seam of the door, and with a fierce lift, the sound of snapping echoed as the lock inside was broken by his blade. It wasn¡¯t just the sharpness of his sword; without sufficient strength, he could never have cut through it.


    Yamaguchi Yuki kicked hard with his right foot, and with a dull sound, the heavy iron door was kicked open by him. A gust of wind suddenly assaulted them, but Yokohama Erya sidestepped, avoiding the attack. From this move, he knew he was facing the same expert from Su Mengxin¡¯s room that day.


    The opponent didn¡¯t use a gun, so they became even more reckless. A fierce assault pushed Li Yifei back into the warehouse, and they closed the warehouse door to prevent Su Mengxin from finding an opportunity to escape. In the Chinese language, this was like trapping turtles in a jar.

 Chapter 727 - 766: Seize the Initiative

    Chapter 727: Chapter 766: Seize the InitiativeThe warehouse door closed, and the room plunged into complete darkness. Without any lights, the sealed space was significantly darker than the outside.


    The three members of the Yamaguchi Group did not mind the darkness; they were all highly skilled in stealth and assassination. They could sense the positions of their opponents across from them.


    But just then, the lights inside the room suddenly blazed on, and with the illumination, a muffled groan was heard. Yamaguchi Yuki staggered backward holding his neck with one hand while pointing ahead with the other, his eyes full of shock and unwillingness to accept his fate.


    "Yamamoto!" Koboto Shiryu cried out in dismay, rushing towards Yamamoto.


    But Yamamoto¡¯s hand slipped down from his neck, revealing a bloody gash. The gash burst open suddenly, and blood spurted out like a fountain. His carotid artery had been severed; there was no saving him. Yamamoto¡¯s mouth opened as he collapsed into a pool of blood, bitterly resigned. He never imagined he would die so swiftly, without even seeing how his opponent had struck.


    "Watch out!" At that moment, Yokohama Koriyo shouted, and Koboto Shiryu immediately sensed danger, lunging forward to evade the attack from behind. This close call made him break out in a cold sweat. If it weren¡¯t for Yokohama Koriyo¡¯s warning, he would have ended up the same as Yamamoto. He turned swiftly to see Yokohama Koriyo exchanging blows with his attacker, realizing that it wasn¡¯t his rapid response that saved him but Yokohama¡¯s timely rescue.


    "How do you like this welcome gift?" Li Yifei inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. If Yokohama hadn¡¯t intervened, his two successive strikes could have killed both men. But having killed one, he had achieved his initial objective. He stopped attacking, stood with his hands behind his back, and smiled as he watched Yokohama Koriyo and Koboto Shiryu.


    Li Yifei¡¯s confidence gave Yokohama Koriyo an unpleasant jolt. He glared at Li Yifei and said, "This is a trap!"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "You¡¯re not so dumb, after all." Taking out a small object from his pocket, he nonchalantly flicked it towards Yokohama Koriyo, taunting, "With just this tiny device, you wanted to track us, thinking we wouldn¡¯t know? You really underestimated us Huaxia people."


    It was indeed a tracker. Yokohama Koriyo had thought his opponent was bluffing, but upon seeing the tracker, he immediately realized they had been led into a trap by someone else.


    But Yokohama Koriyo and Koboto Shiryu were not easily dealt with. Even though they knew they¡¯d been duped, they didn¡¯t panic. With a cold laugh, Yokohama Koriyo said, "So what if we fell for your trap? Do you think you alone can hold us here?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "You just want to probe and see what kind of strength we have here, don¡¯t you?"


    Yokohama Koriyo¡¯s face changed, not expecting his opponent to be so difficult and to see through his ruse immediately.


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s figure shot up as he shouted loudly, "Do I need anyone else to deal with you two Little Japanese? Just me alone is enough!"


    Yokohama Koriyo gave Koboto Shiryu a signal with his eyes, and Koboto Shiryu dashed towards the warehouse door, only to turn back, whispering, "The door¡¯s been locked from the outside."


    Li Yifei, with his eyes fixed on both men, proudly said, "Don¡¯t you Japanese prize the spirit of Bushido? I had us locked in, so only one party can walk out alive. If you want to escape, kill me; otherwise, leave your lives behind."


    Fierce battle intent surged in the eyes of Yokohama Koriyo and Koboto Shiryu. Li Yifei¡¯s arrogance was met with equal ferocity from them.


    "I¡¯m Yokohama Koriyo, and he¡¯s Koboto Shiryu, both from the Yamaguchi Organization," Yokohama Koriyo said, seeing no need to hide their identities anymore.


    Li Yifei, with his hands behind his back, dismissively said, "So you¡¯re just two little shrimps from the Yamaguchi Group. My name is Li Yifei." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Li Yifei?" Both Yokohama Koriyo and Koboto Shiryu looked puzzled, unfamiliar with the name. They had never heard of a Huaxia expert named Li Yifei.


    "Li Yifei is my real name, but to allow you to die with your eyes closed, I¡¯ll tell you another name of mine... Golden Eagle!"


    "Golden Eagle!" Yokohama Koriyo and Koboto Shiryu exclaimed in unison. They might not know Li Yifei, but how could they not recognize the renown of Golden Eagle¡ªthe strongest special forces soldier of Huaxia who ranked among the top five super soldiers worldwide? They never expected to encounter Golden Eagle on this mission.


    This truly epitomizes the saying ¡¯a person¡¯s reputation shadows them like a tree¡¯s silhouette¡¯. The moment Li Yifei revealed his name, it immediately drained the confidence from the two guys. Although they were strong, they admitted they had no ability to contend with the Golden Eagle.


    Li Yifei sneered and said, "I can give you a chance. If you cooperate well, I might spare your lives!"


    "Ha..." Yokohama Koriyo suddenly burst into a long, hearty laugh, then shouted fiercely, "If we could die at the hands of the renowned Golden Eagle, it would be our honor. Come on, let me show you whether our Great Japan¡¯s martial arts are inferior to yours!"


    Ever since he entered, Li Yifei had been applying pressure on them, truly shaking their resolve a fair amount, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to have such strong wills, managing to regain composure. However, his objective had been achieved, instilling them with a fear of him.


    In a struggle between masters, the difference in skill often isn¡¯t vast. The victor is usually determined by experience and technique, among other factors. Li Yifei excelled in leveraging these aspects. Seeing the two men charge at him, he too let out a loud yell, his body as unstoppable as a high-speed tank, heading straight for the unarmed Yokohama Koriyo.


    Yokohama Koriyo dared not take Li Yifei¡¯s charge head-on. Had he been unaware of Li Yifei¡¯s notorious Golden Eagle status, he might not have feared him, but knowing it, he recognized his opponent¡¯s overwhelming strength. If he rashly clashed with him, he¡¯d surely be at a disadvantage. Thus, he intended to first ensure his own safety, then look for an opportunity to deal Li Yifei a fatal blow.


    He swiftly stepped back, and as he did, a dagger appeared in his hand. Thrusting his outstretched arm at Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, he didn¡¯t dare to go all out, fearing Li Yifei had a follow-up move. He was ready to switch tactics at any moment to fend off Li Yifei¡¯s attack, asking for no advantage, only to make no mistakes.


    But he soon realized how foolish his approach was. Li Yifei¡¯s move was clearly meant to force him back, but the real target was Koboto Shiryu. Hurriedly pushing off the ground with a strong force, he charged at Li Yifei, hoping to save Koboto Shiryu.


    Regrettably, even though he realized this, it was already too late. Koboto Shiryu had been so intimidated by Li Yifei¡¯s Golden Eagle reputation that he could only exert thirty to forty percent of his full power. With Li Yifei focusing all his attacks on him, it sent him into utter terror. Although he held a katana in his hand, at that moment, the long sword became a burden, offering no offense to Li Yifei, nor could he even defend himself.


    If he had thrown away his katana then, he might at least have been able to staunchly fight off one of Li Yifei¡¯s strikes. Even if he couldn¡¯t completely neutralize Li Yifei¡¯s attack, he might have survived at the expense of some injuries. Unfortunately, he had truly lost his composure and failed to discard the katana. With one hand, he faced Li Yifei, who was closing in on him¡ªthat was undoubtedly a suicidal path.


    With two thudding sounds, Li Yifei swiftly retreated as Yokohama Koriyo finally rushed over. But it was too late to catch Li Yifei. Looking at Koboto Shiryu, spitting out a big mouthful of blood, his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground. The look in his eyes was like that of Yamamoto¡¯s earlier¡ªshocked yet unwilling. But at least, unlike Yamamoto, he knew whose hand he had died by.


    "Yokohama Koriyo, it seems the people in your Yamaguchi Organization aren¡¯t much after all, utterly incapable of withstanding a single blow!" Li Yifei said while lighting a cigarette, his gaze full of mockery as he watched Yokohama Koriyo.


    At that moment, Yokohama Koriyo was filled with immense fury. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew the angrier he became, the less favorable it would be for him. Staring at Li Yifei, he said, "Golden Eagle, I really thought you were a formidable opponent, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be nothing but a despicable and shameless villain, resorting only to schemes and tricks."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "I¡¯m telling you Little Japan, are you out of your mind? You¡¯re thinking of kidnapping Su Mengxin, is that something honorable? And now you¡¯re preaching to me about schemes and trickery?"


    Yokohama Koriyo was at a loss for words, and could only snort and say, "This is a duel between us, you should have fought me fair and square. To use deceit, that just shows your own lowliness."


    "Fine, since you want a fair fight, come on then!" Li Yifei said, throwing away his cigarette butt and steadily walking towards Yokohama Koriyo.


    Inside, Yokohama Koriyo cursed. His two subordinates had already been dealt with by Li Yifei, and now this guy was facing him in a fair fight? He had already lost the will to fight, thinking instead about how to escape.


    When Koboto Shiryu had checked the exit earlier, even though the door had been locked from the outside, he had secretly signaled to Yokohama Koriyo that it was easy to break out¡ªit was merely secured with an additional lock. If he could unexpectedly rush to the door and break out, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all.


    However, to succeed, he couldn¡¯t let Li Yifei see through his intentions, or if Li Yifei blocked the door, he¡¯d have no chance. Picking up Koboto Shiryu¡¯s katana, he let out a great roar and swung the blade at Li Yifei, his momentum unrivaled and truly befitting a master.


    "Bring it on!" Li Yifei shouted, charging into the blade¡¯s path, clashing his iron fists against Yokohama Koriyo wielding the katana.


    In this clash, Yokohama Koriyo had some confidence. Although he was still no match for Li Yifei, and would surely die if it came down to life or death, he now sought escape, which still left him with a good chance. So he thrust fiercely with each strike, yet always kept a margin for escape. His footsteps gradually moved towards the warehouse door, and his strategy was actually working. He was now only two and a half steps from the door and could escape shortly.

 Chapter 728 - 767: Played Again

    Chapter 728: Chapter 767: Played Again"Ah!" Yokohama Koriyo suddenly let out a fierce shout, summoning all his strength to launch a series of frenzied slashes at Li Yifei. These were his most powerful moves, which, in normal circumstances, would ensure his opponent¡¯s death without fail, but today he lacked the confidence to kill Li Yifei. These moves were designed to force Li Yifei back as much as possible.


    And his prediction was extremely accurate, Li Yifei, caught in the tempest of his swift assault, was forced to retreat step by step, barely dodging Yokohama Koriyo¡¯s onslaught.


    Yokohama Koriyo internally cursed his luck, Golden Eagle was indeed formidable, even his strongest killing move did him no harm, so he knew that he had no chance of killing Li Yifei. Now was the time to run, what was he waiting for? His body surged towards the door, both hands gripping the long katana, and he fiercely chopped down.


    This strike was precise and ferocious, slicing perfectly through the gap in the door, even severing the lock outside in an instant. Without bothering to push the door, he charged straight into it.


    Upon entering earlier, he saw that although the door was sturdy, once the lock was broken, one full-force charge should burst it open, allowing him to escape into the darkness. Confident in his speed and agility, he fully believed he could avoid capture by Li Yifei.


    "Don¡¯t!" Li Yifei, unable to catch up, immediately shouted out loud.


    "Haha... Farewell, Golden Eagle!"


    "Thump!" Yokohama Koriyo laughed triumphantly as his body heavily slammed into the door, which immediately opened a crack, and his body had already shot out.


    "Thump!" Another muffled sound followed by a scream from Yokohama Koriyo. He staggered back inside, both hands covering his face, his body shaking uncontrollably.


    Li Yifei closed the distance in a leap, pinched several joints on Yokohama Koriyo¡¯s body, and promptly his arms were dislocated. He then burst into loud, hearty laughter, enjoying the moment immensely.


    At this moment, Yokohama Koriyo¡¯s arms hung limp and his face was revealed, appearing as if he had fallen from the sixth floor, his nose flattened and his face covered in blood. It was a pitiful sight indeed.


    "You... you..." Yokohama Koriyo managed to stammer out a couple of words before spurting blood from his mouth.


    This wasn¡¯t due to an injury, but sheer frustration. He would have accepted being injured by Li Yifei, but the actuality was far from it. When he dashed out the door, it never occurred to him that a steel plate had been added behind it. Preconceived notions led him to believe it was the courtyard outside, and rushing from the illuminated warehouse into the darkness, he assumed everything was as usual. The impact was both sudden and fierce.


    By the time he realized there was something in front of him, he couldn¡¯t react in time and crashed solidly into the steel plate.


    Yokohama Koriyo was a formidable expert, but ironically, it was his expertise that doomed him. The speed and force of his charge were too great, and the impact with the steel plate was incredibly severe.


    After all, he was but flesh and blood, and a collision with steel was bound to end poorly. The fact that he wasn¡¯t killed on the spot by the impact was fortunate enough, let alone when compounded by Li Yifei¡¯s fury, which left him gasping for air and fainting on the spot.


    Li Yifei dusted off his hands as the steel plate was removed from outside, and four men rushed in, all nodding at Li Yifei before carrying Yokohama Koriyo away.


    They were all Su Mengxin¡¯s bodyguards. Though they would have had trouble with a healthy Yokohama Koriyo, dealing with a practically crippled Yokohama Koriyo was effortless. They took the troublemaker away and how he would be interrogated was something Li Yifei would be informed about; there was no need for him to take action himself.


    After picking up the heavily protected Su Mengxin, the two of them switched to another car and drove towards the city center.


    "Why are you so happy?" Su Mengxin asked Li Yifei, who was driving with a smile, her voice tinged with laughter.


    Li Yifei recounted the incident of Yokohama Koriyo hitting the steel plate, eliciting giggles from Su Mengxin, who finally chided him, "You are really mean. That guy must be so frustrated, it would have been one thing to simply lose to you, but in the end, you outsmarted him."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "When dealing with enemies, the goal is to win with the least possible loss. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t been injured over these years. Knowing the opponent is strong yet engaging in direct conflict would mean damaging the enemy at the cost of injuring oneself¡ªcompletely pointless."


    "You would definitely have been a formidable figure in ancient times, perhaps even conquering vast lands and becoming the ruler of a nation."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Flattery, flattery. If I had indeed been born in ancient times, I wouldn¡¯t be worrying at all¡ªI¡¯d simply marry you all, and no one would have anything to say about it."


    "Even now, it¡¯s not impossible. If you obtained citizenship of a country that permits polygamy, you could do just that."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t want this. I am still a Huaxia person. Suddenly becoming a pseudo-Westerner feels uncomfortable, no matter how I think about it."


    Su Mengxin was surprised, but then her affection for Li Yifei grew further as she said softly, "That¡¯s alright. If you don¡¯t want to be an official, it¡¯s only those who keep mistresses and second wives who fear getting caught. You¡¯re just an ordinary person now. Having a mistress or a lover is your ability. Who can say anything about it?"


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "I don¡¯t have a problem with this, but what about you all? You have families. Following me without proper status, how can I face your families? It¡¯s not just you but also your families who will have to endure criticism. You will then realize how great the pressure you bear is."


    Su Mengxin placed her hand on top of Li Yifei¡¯s, which was on the gear shift, and spoke softly, "I¡¯m not afraid, no matter what my family thinks of me. If they disagree, I¡¯ll give them all of the Su Family¡¯s assets just to be with you."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Are you choosing love over your family now?"


    "No, it¡¯s not like that. My family only cares about the power and capital I control, so they interfere with me. If I give these up, they won¡¯t have to interfere anymore. Although my family might not understand for now, I¡¯ll still communicate with them slowly. I believe, one day, they will understand."


    Li Yifei reached back and held Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, saying, "Mengxin, what have I done to deserve you following me so devotedly?"


    Su Mengxin gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly, smiled sweetly, and said, "It¡¯s nothing. I just like you. You are the only man who has moved my heart, and in this lifetime, no other man can touch my heart like you have. So it doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you¡¯re married or how many women you have, I just want to be with you, for life unchanging."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s voice was soft, but Li Yifei could feel her resolve; he was deeply touched and excitedly said, "Mengxin, no matter what difficulties we face, I will keep you by my side, and make Yingying accept you."


    "Yes, I believe! Yifei, can we pull over? I want you to kiss me."


    "Okay!" Li Yifei quickly found a junction and drove the car off the road, then pulled to a stop. Turning to look at Su Mengxin, she also turned to look at him.


    Neither of them spoke. Then, as if by a silent agreement, both of them reached out their arms and embraced each other tightly, their lips coming together, each greedily savoring the other¡¯s saliva.


    This kiss was undoubtedly the most passionate one they had shared; so immersed in the kiss, they both forgot everything else, growing more and more fervent.


    "Yifei, take me, please?" Su Mengxin released Li Yifei¡¯s lips and whispered in his ear.


    Li Yifei, also overcome with excitement, truly wanted to sleep with Su Mengxin right then and there. Without a word, they moved to the back seat, quickly stripping off their clothes, but as Li Yifei was about to take the final step, he suddenly stopped. Looking at Su Mengxin, he said, "Mengxin, I don¡¯t want this anymore."


    "Why?" Su Mengxin was almost impatient by then, and Li Yifei¡¯s sudden hesitation took her by surprise.


    Li Yifei kissed Su Mengxin gently on the face and said, "Mengxin, I can¡¯t bear to. You are so beautiful. I feel it would be a waste to have you so casually. I want to choose the best environment, to slowly appreciate your body and properly savor your first time."


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Su Mengxin laughed softly and said, "You¡¯re so bad, making things this way. Aren¡¯t you making me suffer?"


    "Let¡¯s just do it like before for now, and find a better time and place later. Then, I¡¯ll properly have you," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    "I don¡¯t care about later; I want you to take care of me now. I don¡¯t want to hold back; it¡¯s so uncomfortable."


    "No problem, I will make sure you fly high," Li Yifei said, laying Su Mengxin down on the back seat before leaning over her.


    Although they did not go all the way, both of them felt utterly satisfied; they had completely let go of their reservations, and now there were no inhibitions. Li Yifei wanted to make Su Mengxin happy, and Su Mengxin wanted Li Yifei to enjoy. They gave themselves to each other wholeheartedly, and the intimacy was indescribably ecstatic.


    After getting dressed, they started the car again to head back. Su Mengxin, half-closing her eyes, said, "Yifei, I really look forward to it now. I¡¯m really looking forward to the time when you truly want me; it will be incredibly wonderful." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, moved, said, "It will happen; I look forward to it, too. I look forward to making you a real woman from a girl."


    They exchanged smiles. Everything was understood without words.

 Chapter 729 - 768: Chance Encounter with Relatives

    Chapter 729: Chapter 768: Chance Encounter with RelativesBy the time they got home, it was already past midnight. Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t gone to bed and quickly stood up and rushed to the door when they heard it open.


    Seeing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin return safe and sound relieved Xu Yingying, who said, "You¡¯ve finally come back."


    Su Mengxin smiled apologetically, "Lending your husband out and causing you such worry, I¡¯ve committed quite the sin."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "No, no, Mengxin, don¡¯t take it to heart. But with Yifei out, I, as his wife, was a bit worried. Don¡¯t take offense."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Why would I take offense? Having a wife at home who¡¯s worried about you means that no matter how far a man runs, he will always return to you in the end. You should feel happy for Yifei."


    Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t worried about Li Yifei; instead, she was excited as she dragged Li Yifei over and said, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, quickly tell me, how did you deal with those jerks?"


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying was also very eager to know, so he recounted the events of the night with a light-hearted tone, making it seem like child¡¯s play in dealing with the three men, and not at all dangerous.


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were cracking up at Li Yifei¡¯s story, especially when they heard that Yokohama Koriyo got knocked out by running into a steel plate, they laughed uncontrollably.


    Su Mengxin felt that Li Yifei¡¯s retelling was much more interesting than the one in the car and joined in the laughter, chiding, "You, you didn¡¯t make it sound this fun in the car."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Well, I was driving then, and besides, I had to be on guard in case we were being followed, so I didn¡¯t go into as much detail."


    Xu Shanshan held back her laughter, "Brother-in-law, that was really hilarious. How could that guy be so stupid as to knock himself out on a steel plate?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out that way, I just didn¡¯t want him to get away, who knew he¡¯d be so hasty."


    Xu Yingying, now completely at ease, stood up and said with a smile, "Alright, alright, it¡¯s getting late. Yifei, Mengxin, you should hurry and take a shower and rest."


    With that, everyone dispersed, took showers, and went to bed.


    The next morning, Su Mengxin received a phone call and hurried back to Capital City. Knowing of Yamaguchi Group¡¯s scheming, the Su Family had to think of how to respond. As one of the most important figures in the Su Family, Su Mengxin naturally couldn¡¯t stay away.


    Before she left, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little melancholic. She had arranged with Li Yifei to finally finalize their relationship, but now with this trip home, who knew how long it would be before she could return.


    "Yifei, when I come back, you must do what you promised," Su Mengxin nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms in the parking lot of the airport, pouting like a girl in love.


    Li Yifei kissed her gently on the lips and said, "Of course, your sudden departure really disappoints me."


    With a giggle, she said, "Then wait for me."


    "Mhm!" Li Yifei nodded vigorously. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin touched his lower abdomen before reluctantly getting out of the car, and Li Yifei waited until she passed through the security check before leaving.


    With Su Mengxin gone, Li Yifei felt much freer, but he also had to return to work at the company. Life seemed to return to normal all at once¡ªgoing to work, picking up the child, cooking¡ªquiet yet sweet.


    Although Ning Xin¡¯er and Lin Qiong had teamed up, they hadn¡¯t made any notable moves in the past few days. Ning Xin¡¯er continued to visit Li Yifei¡¯s house every day, playing games and bonding with her daughter, clearly growing closer to her.


    As for Ning Xin¡¯er and Lin Qiong, Li Yifei could only play it by ear, dealing with each problem as it came because both women were not people he could afford to provoke.


    One evening, with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both busy with their matters, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er went together to pick up their daughter from kindergarten.


    Ning Xin¡¯er accidentally bumped into a woman in her forties, who twisted around to face Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er, only to keep walking forward, while Ning Xin¡¯er reached the gate where the children were about to leave.


    "Hey... aren¡¯t you Yifei?" The woman suddenly turned back and stared intently at Li Yifei before tentatively asking.


    Li Yifei took a good look at the woman and quickly recognized her with a burst of surprise, "Fourth Aunt, it¡¯s me, Yifei."


    The woman immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, eagerly sizing him up, her face full of joy as she said, "You really are Yifei! I hadn¡¯t heard from you for so many years, I thought I¡¯d never see you again. I never expected to find you here."


    Before Li Yifei¡¯s parents passed away, he had some relatives¡ªthough no grandparents, he still had an uncle on his father¡¯s side and three aunts on his mother¡¯s side. However, after his parents died, Li Yifei had less contact with them, and after joining the military, he had completely lost touch with them.


    By the time I returned to Mile City, the places where those relatives lived had long since changed; people had moved on, and I could no longer find them.


    When I saw my own kin again, Li Yifei was really quite moved and said, "Fourth Aunt, you seem to be in good health, and how is my uncle?"


    "All good, all good! And Little Tao, he¡¯s about to get married. I¡¯m actually here today to buy something for his wedding."


    Li Yifei, surprised and delighted, said, "Little Tao is getting married already? That was fast! When I left, he was just starting middle school."


    "Little Tao didn¡¯t go to college. After finishing high school, he worked for a few years. In the countryside, they marry early, so we thought it best to let him settle down earlier. The wedding is this weekend. You must come back for it, and let your aunts see you. My elder sister passed away early; I did not take care of you over the years, and for that, I¡¯m sorry to her."


    As Fourth Aunt spoke, tears began to stream down her face. Li Yifei¡¯s heart also soured, but what he felt more was touched. His aunts were his closest living relatives, and their concern gave him a sense of that long-lost familial love.


    "Fourth Aunt, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯m doing quite well."


    "Is that so? What are you doing now? Have you settled down and started a family?"


    Before Li Yifei could answer, Little Yifei was brought out by Ning Xin¡¯er, came excitedly to Li Yifei¡¯s side, and chirped, "Daddy, daddy, I got another little red flower today."


    Li Yifei immediately picked up Little Yifei, kissed her, and said, "My daughter is so smart. Come here, this is your Fourth Great Aunt. Say hello."


    Little Yifei looked at Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Aunt and called out crisply, "Hello, Fourth Great Aunt!"


    "Very good!" Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Aunt looked at Little Yifei with surprise and delight. The doll-like child was indeed too adorable and, what was even more exciting, Li Yifei even had a daughter.


    "Yifei, who is this?" Ning Xin¡¯er then stood by Li Yifei¡¯s side like a well-behaved little wife, gently holding on to his arm.


    Li Yifei was in a great mood and didn¡¯t mind Ning Xin¡¯er getting close at the moment. He smiled and said, "This is my Fourth Aunt, my own aunt. It¡¯s been many years since we¡¯ve seen each other."


    "Ah, Fourth Aunt! My apologies, it¡¯s very nice to meet you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Aunt looked Ning Xin¡¯er up and down, her eyes filled with joy as she nodded continuously and said, "Yifei really is capable, managing to marry such a beautiful wife; just like a big movie star."


    Li Yifei inwardly sweated, his aunt really hit the nail on the head with a casual comment. But Ning Xin¡¯er, when she came out, always wore makeup, and she was dressed quite modestly so ordinary people did not recognize her as the famed movie star. Most importantly, who would have thought that Ning Xin¡¯er, the big star who had recently been out of the public eye, would actually come to hide in Mile City?


    Ning Xin¡¯er shyly smiled and said, "Thank you, Fourth Aunt, but I am not that great."


    "How are you not great? You¡¯re beautiful, and you are knowledgeable and reasonable. Our Yifei is truly fortunate."


    Ning Xin¡¯er felt even happier and said, "Fourth Aunt, since we¡¯ve met, why don¡¯t you come to our house for dinner tonight? It¡¯s also a good opportunity to get to know the place."


    "Ah, I really should, but I still have to rush back today. Let¡¯s do this, come to Little Tao¡¯s wedding this weekend, and you can also meet your Second and Third Aunts. Later, we can all go to your house together. Oh yes, Yifei, give me your phone number. You never sent us a word all these years, making us worry; from now on, give us a call if there¡¯s nothing important and if there are any difficulties, we might be able to help."


    Li Yifei quickly gave his mobile number to his Fourth Aunt, and Ning Xin¡¯er also made a point of giving her number to the aunt, saying, "Fourth Aunt, sometimes Yifei is busy, but I¡¯m available. Call me when you¡¯re free, so we can have a chat."


    "Of course." Fourth Aunt was more and more pleased with Ning Xin¡¯er, but she really had to leave and so hurried off.


    Li Yifei had wanted to offer to escort Fourth Aunt, but she was in such a hurry that by the time he spoke up, she had already taken a taxi and left.


    As they got in the car, Ning Xin¡¯er still wore a smile, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time. "Ning Xin¡¯er, you did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er tilted her small face up proudly and said, "You¡¯re right, I did it on purpose. Now, in your Fourth Aunt¡¯s eyes, it¡¯s only about me, your niece-in-law. If you go back and don¡¯t bring me along, let¡¯s see what they¡¯ll say about you."


    Li Yifei felt a wave of exasperation. Xin¡¯er was right; his three aunts were all very straightforward and honest people. If Li Yifei brought a different woman, they would indeed have a lot to criticize. Now that he was going back for his cousin¡¯s wedding, there was no way not to take Ning Xin¡¯er with him.


    "Oh dear, this is an important occasion. What should I wear? Should I go for something glamorous, or should I keep it simple? If I dress too extravagantly, I fear it might be too conspicuous, but too simple, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll embarrass you¡ªit¡¯s really a dilemma. You really should give me some advice."


    Li Yifei looked at Ning Xin¡¯er, who was full of enthusiasm and felt speechless. It seemed that this time, it was really hard to clarify.

 Chapter 730 - 769: Return to Mother’s Home

    Chapter 730: Chapter 769: Return to Mother¡¯s HomeToday is already Thursday, and my cousin¡¯s wedding is on Saturday. Normally, as his immediate relative, I would definitely need to go back one day earlier, which means I would have to return tomorrow, Friday.


    Li Yifei told Xu Yingying about this matter in the evening. Upon hearing it, Xu Yingying frowned deeply. Although she certainly didn¡¯t want Ning Xin¡¯er to take her place as his official wife, she could fully understand Li Yifei¡¯s difficulties and said, "Then you should take Ning Xin¡¯er with you. Otherwise, I have some important things at the company this weekend, and I can¡¯t leave."


    "Wife, I¡¯m really sorry, I don¡¯t want it to be this way," Li Yifei said, full of remorse.


    "It¡¯s nothing. We will find a solution slowly in the future. If I wasn¡¯t busy today and had met Fourth Aunt, it wouldn¡¯t be such a hassle. Oh right, since you haven¡¯t seen these relatives for so many years, you should prepare more gifts. And for your cousin¡¯s wedding, if you¡¯re giving cash gifts, write a larger amount," Xu Yingying added.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I will."


    "Don¡¯t feel burdened. It¡¯s good for our daughter to experience rural life and gain more insights," Xu Yingying comforted Li Yifei, which left him at a loss for words, and he could only tightly hug Xu Yingying.


    When Li Yifei left with Ning Xin¡¯er on Friday, he didn¡¯t tell Xu Shanshan. This was Xu Yingying¡¯s idea. If Xu Shanshan knew about this, she definitely wouldn¡¯t agree to Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er going back. Even if she couldn¡¯t stop them, she would insist on going with them. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to complicate matters. After all, Li Yifei was going to attend a relative¡¯s wedding. If Xu Shanshan caused any trouble, it would be quite embarrassing for Li Yifei.


    Today, Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t dressed too extravagantly, just wearing a beige trench coat, black leather boots, and her hair styled specially, making her look elegant and unassuming.


    "Yifei, this time you can¡¯t call her your godmother anymore. You need to call her Mom," Ning Xin¡¯er instructed her daughter as soon as they got into the car.


    "Why?" Little Yifei asked curiously.


    "We¡¯re attending a wedding this time, and it wouldn¡¯t sound right to call her your godmother. That¡¯s why you should call her Mom. Don¡¯t you want to call me Mom?" Ning Xin¡¯er said softly.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll call you Mom." Little Yifei, already excited about attending the wedding and afraid that Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t let her go, naturally agreed to whatever Ning Xin¡¯er said.


    Ning Xin¡¯er beamed with joy and, hugging her daughter, said, "I knew my daughter was the best. Mommy will buy you lots and lots of gifts later."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Don¡¯t spoil the child too much. Yifei already has too many toys to play with."


    Pouting, Ning Xin¡¯er replied, "Kids are supposed to enjoy playing, and it¡¯s not like we lack the money for it."


    "Look at the ideas you¡¯re instilling in the child. If from a young age she doesn¡¯t take money seriously and is spoiled, she could easily turn out like those unruly rich kids. If she starts causing you trouble every day in the future, you¡¯re going to be the one worrying," Li Yifei said.


    "How could that happen? My daughter is so well-behaved. Besides, a daughter should be raised in comfort," Ning Xin¡¯er said.


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Raising her in comfort is fine, but you also need to instill the right values in her. We need to nurture good qualities in her from a young age. Spoiling her is definitely not acceptable; even affection must have principles."


    Lately, Xin¡¯er had been especially indulgent with Little Yifei, and Yingying didn¡¯t feel it was her place to interfere, as she was the stepmother. If she overstepped, it could seem like she was mistreating Little Yifei. Now that Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er were alone with their daughter, it was a good opportunity for Li Yifei to discuss parenting with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re the father, the head of the household, so we¡¯ll do as you say," Ning Xin¡¯er agreed begrudgingly.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect Ning Xin¡¯er to be so agreeable and somewhat incredulously asked, "Are you serious?"


    "Of course, I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s not like I have properly been with my daughter since she was born. Now that I can be with her, I always want to make up for what I¡¯ve missed," Ning Xin¡¯er huffed.


    "I understand your feelings, but there needs to be a limit," Li Yifei said.


    "I know," Ning Xin¡¯er replied obediently, then said to her daughter, "Your father is right. We can¡¯t buy so many toys anymore."


    Little Yifei giggled and said, "Mom, I don¡¯t like toys that much anymore. I just like to go out and play. As long as you guys take me out, that¡¯s enough for me."


    "That depends on how well you behave," Li Yifei replied. "If you behave well, Mom and Dad will, of course, take you out to play."


    "Yes, as long as Yifei is good, Mom and Dad will take you out to have fun," Ning Xin¡¯er chimed in.


    Little Yifei danced joyfully and said, "I¡¯ll be very good and earn a lot of little red flowers at kindergarten."


    Fourth Aunt¡¯s home was located in a small county over a hundred kilometers away, not even in the county town itself, but in a village about twenty kilometers from it. Li Yifei scarcely visited Fourth Aunt¡¯s place, and he wouldn¡¯t have been able to find it this time either if Fourth Aunt hadn¡¯t specially called him.


    "Oh, what if someone recognizes you?" Li Yifei suddenly thought of a very serious problem.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed lightly and said, "If I get recognized, so be it, isn¡¯t that giving you prestige?"


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "With someone like you showing up here, won¡¯t that cause a sensation? If it leads to unnecessary trouble, that would be even worse."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted cutely and said, "Anyway, I don¡¯t care, you¡¯re my husband, and I¡¯m visiting your family. Whatever happens, you¡¯re the one who has to deal with it."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Then let¡¯s do some makeup and change your look."


    "No way, no way, this is my new hairstyle. Besides, you can¡¯t make me look ugly," Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head repeatedly.


    "Then why did you make yourself so beautiful? When you get there, people will recognize you at a glance."


    "Alright, alright, really, I¡¯m giving you prestige here and you still make such a fuss. Is it okay if I wear sunglasses?" Ning Xin¡¯er said as she took out a pair of sunglasses from her bag and put them on. These sunglasses were her must-have accessory.


    "That¡¯s...barely okay, but let me tell you, you¡¯re not allowed to take them off casually."


    "Got it."


    Little Yifei was curious and asked, "Dad, Mom, why are you afraid of someone recognizing Mom?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Your mom doesn¡¯t want to talk with too many people, so she doesn¡¯t want to be recognized. A lot of people know your mom."


    Little Yifei, being a child, casually asked the question. With Li Yifei¡¯s explanation, she didn¡¯t make anything of it.


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er had long agreed to try not to let Little Yifei know about Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s identity. After all, being a big star is quite a sensitive matter. If Little Yifei were to know too soon, the little girl might easily show off about it, which could inflate her vanity. It also might let others know Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s identity and that she has a daughter, which could lead to the paparazzi not only targeting Ning Xin¡¯er but also focusing on Little Yifei, which would not be conducive to her growth.


    Ning Xin¡¯er always agreed with Li Yifei¡¯s opinion about this, so when it came to this matter, the couple were quite in sync.


    Finally, they arrived at the village. Fourth Aunt¡¯s house was easy to find early on ¡ª flags were planted all the way along the road, leading them to Fourth Aunt¡¯s home.


    Outside the courtyard of Fourth Aunt¡¯s house stood a big red archway with the words "Groom Song Tao and Bride Chu Lili¡¯s Wedding Congratulations" written on it. Song Tao was the name of Li Yifei¡¯s cousin, so they had found the right place.


    There was no space left for parking at the entrance, so Li Yifei had to park a little farther away and then head towards the courtyard with Ning Xin¡¯er and Little Yifei. As for the gifts, it wasn¡¯t convenient to take them out just yet; they would wait until later when it was more convenient to give them. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tents were set up on both sides of the courtyard, filled with rows of dining tables. Additionally, several stoves were built, and at that moment, the fire was blazing, with several chefs busy working there.


    Many people were already sitting in the tents, some playing mahjong, some playing cards, and many others were just watching the hustle and bustle.


    In the countryside, weddings held in one¡¯s own courtyard are the liveliest, with almost everyone in the village likely to come and support. On the first day, families would hardly need to eat at home; instead, they came to the house where the wedding was being held to dine, which is why it was particularly bustling.


    Although the Li family of three entered and some people saw them, they didn¡¯t attract much attention ¡ª until Fourth Aunt came out of the four large tile-roofed rooms.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re here!" Fourth Aunt, seeing Li Yifei, called out excitedly and hurried over.


    "It¡¯s Little Tao¡¯s wedding, of course, I had to come."


    "Come inside, come inside!" Fourth Aunt pulled Ning Xin¡¯er by the hand. To Fourth Aunt¡¯s household, Ning Xin¡¯er was a rare guest, and naturally, they were particularly hospitable.


    Fourth Aunt led Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er directly into the innermost room, excitedly saying, "Look who¡¯s come."


    Li Yifei looked at the room full of people, his eyes moist, and said choking up, "Second Aunt, Second Uncle, Third Aunt, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, you¡¯re all here."


    These people had heard from Fourth Aunt about them and, seeing Li Yifei call out like this, along with the fact that Li Yifei had already grown up by the last time they saw him and had graduated from high school, could still recognize him despite the years having made him more weathered.


    "Ah, it¡¯s Yifei, you darn kid, you still remember you have several aunts, huh? We haven¡¯t heard from you for so many years!" Second Aunt, a frank talker, was the first to shout out. Although she sounded reproachful, she rushed over and took Li Yifei¡¯s hand, looking him up and down with palpable concern and joy that anyone could see.

 Chapter 731 - 770: The Celebrity Daughter-in-law

    Chapter 731: Chapter 770: The Celebrity Daughter-in-law"Don¡¯t just chat with Yifei, Yifei¡¯s wife is here too, you should also get to know her." Fourth Aunt had already met Li Yifei, so her reaction was smaller than everyone else¡¯s, and she quickly reminded the others.


    Everyone immediately turned their attention to Ning Xin¡¯er, and Li Yifei hastily said, "This is my wife Ning Xin¡¯er, and this is my daughter, Xin¡¯er, this is my Second Aunt..." Li Yifei introduced his relatives to Ning Xin¡¯er one by one.


    Ning Xin¡¯er greeted the elders with grace and poise, leaving everyone with a very favorable impression of Li Yifei¡¯s new bride. It was clear that Ning Xin¡¯er was from the city, yet she didn¡¯t display an ounce of arrogance¡ªher only peculiarity was that she was wearing sunglasses and hadn¡¯t taken them off yet. It left the elders somewhat puzzled, but they didn¡¯t feel comfortable asking about it, perhaps assuming it was some special city-dweller habit.


    Little Yifei was excited when she arrived, but now she was a bit timid, suddenly facing so many adults. She really wasn¡¯t accustomed to it and shrank behind Ning Xin¡¯er, shyly looking at everyone. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come on, up on the kang; the ground is cold, the kang is warm." Fourth Aunt called Ning Xin¡¯er again at this moment.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly responded, "No, no, we¡¯ve been sitting in the car the whole way here, and I¡¯m a bit tired of sitting. It¡¯s good to move around on the ground for a while. You elders please sit on the kang."


    "Yifei, what are you doing now?" Second Aunt¡¯s husband asked Li Yifei at this point.


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "I¡¯m working at the Dreamfly Company."


    "Is that company a big one?"


    "It¡¯s okay, the investment is several billion, I guess."


    "Several billion, that¡¯s a big company indeed! What do you do there?"


    "I¡¯m the manager of the security department."


    "Ah, a big manager already, I thought so! Yifei was bound to be successful."


    "So, Yifei, how much money do you earn in a month?"


    "My salary plus bonuses can be about seven or eight thousand."


    Li Yifei knew that his relatives were just concerned about him and didn¡¯t have any other intentions. They could be happy for him only if he was doing well, so he didn¡¯t beat around the bush and told them about his situation.


    "Amazing! That¡¯s quite a bit of money, a good hundred thousand a year. No wonder you married such a beautiful wife."


    In the eyes of the villagers, a man who earns seven or eight thousand a month is a very capable person. Now hearing about how well Li Yifei was doing, they were all of course happy for him.


    In the room, besides Li Yifei¡¯s three aunts and their husbands, there were also children from the Second and Third Aunt¡¯s families. Second Aunt¡¯s son was named Meng Lei, 24 years old, a typical rural youth with a sturdy frame and a simple demeanor. Third Aunt had her child later and had a daughter named Zhao Rong, only 18 this year, and just started college. She had specifically taken leave to come back for her cousin¡¯s wedding.


    While the elders were conversing with Li Yifei, they didn¡¯t chime in, and Zhao Rong didn¡¯t have a very clear impression of her cousin Yifei as they hadn¡¯t met often. However, she was very interested in Ning Xin¡¯er. Being a college student, she was naturally very fond of popular music, and she was well-informed about many pop stars.


    At that moment, she sneaked over to Ning Xin¡¯er and whispered, "Cousin-in-law, did you just say your name is Ning Xin¡¯er?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right."


    "You¡¯re really called Ning Xin¡¯er?" Zhao Rong stared at Ning Xin¡¯er and asked another question.


    The smile on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lips grew wider as she replied, "Yes, why do you ask?"


    "I know a pop star named Ning Xin¡¯er, and you look kind of like her. Could you please take off your sunglasses?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and slowly took off her glasses.


    Zhao Rong stared at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face, her mouth agape with shock, and then she suddenly let out a shrill scream, hugging Ning Xin¡¯er tightly.


    Everyone was startled and looked toward the screaming Zhao Rong.


    Li Yifei immediately guessed that Ning Xin¡¯er had been recognized by his cousin and quickly said, "Little Rong, don¡¯t shout. I don¡¯t want my daughter to know. It¡¯s not good for her growth."


    Zhao Rong nodded vigorously, one hand over her mouth, while the other clutched Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand tightly, as if afraid that Ning Xin¡¯er would run away the moment she let go.


    The others watched, not understanding the situation, especially puzzled by what Li Yifei had just said.


    At this moment, the door was pushed open, and two children peeked their heads in. Children from the village would often run around during festive occasions, especially when they knew that snacks and drinks were kept inside. Now, they were looking for drinks.


    Little Yifei immediately took an interest in the children. Li Yifei patted Little Yifei on the head and said, "Go and play with the kids."


    "Will they play with me?" Little Yifei hesitated.


    "How has Dad taught you? If they don¡¯t play with you, you find a way to make them play with you."


    "I got it." Little Yifei ran over to them, beaming with joy. She quickly blended in with the other children, though how she did it was anyone¡¯s guess.


    As the child left the room, Third Aunt finally asked, "Little Rong, what are you going crazy about? Why all the shouting?"


    Zhao Rong then let go of her mouth and pointed at Ning Xin¡¯er, excitedly exclaiming, "It¡¯s Ning Xin¡¯er! Sister-in-law is Ning Xin¡¯er, that¡¯s a big star, a huge star!"


    "What big star? Ah! This isn¡¯t the Ning Xin¡¯er who¡¯s always on TV, is it?" Third Aunt also started shouting in excitement.


    Now, people in the village were not cut off from news. Everyone had a television, and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s image wasn¡¯t that of an alternative fringe, so even the older folks recognized Ning Xin¡¯er, the star. Upon Zhao Rong¡¯s cue, it didn¡¯t take long for everyone to recognize her.


    "Cousin, this... this can¡¯t be real, right?" Zhao Rong stutteringly said as she looked at Ning Xin¡¯er and then at Li Yifei: "Ning Xin¡¯er is actually your wife, and she even had a child with you?"


    With a wry smile, Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "You guys mustn¡¯t spread the word about this. No one knows that Ning Xin¡¯er has a child yet. Xin¡¯er has already left the entertainment industry, all for the sake of our child."


    "My goodness, cousin, how did you pull it off? How on earth did you win over Ning Xin¡¯er? This is just unbelievable."


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at everyone¡¯s astonished expressions and listened to their exclamations of surprise. She felt indescribably happy as she gently looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s and sweetly said, "Your cousin didn¡¯t chase after me; I was the one who clung to him. If it weren¡¯t for giving him a daughter, he probably wouldn¡¯t have wanted me."


    "No way?" Zhao Rong was skeptical, thinking Ning Xin¡¯er was just trying to give Li Yifei face, but regardless, the fact that Li Yifei had married Ning Xin¡¯er and had a daughter with her was truly an amazing feat.


    Once they knew Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s identity, everyone in the room suddenly felt awkward. Just moments ago, Ning Xin¡¯er was just Li Yifei¡¯s wife. But now, she had become a big star. These people had never been close to a celebrity, and now, they didn¡¯t even know where to place their hands while looking at Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Li Yifei was caught between laughter and tears as he hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t act like this, guys. After all, Ning Xin¡¯er is still my wife. Just treat her like a niece-in-law and not some kind of star. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to head back home."


    "Yes, yes," everyone nodded in agreement, but their facial expressions remained just as reserved as before.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, on the other hand, was quite composed about the situation. With a smile, she said, "My feet are a bit cold, may I sit on the kang for a bit?"


    Zhao Rong promptly replied, "Sure, sure," escorting Ning Xin¡¯er to the edge of the heated brick bed. The uncles who had been sitting there scattered in an instant, worried that being too slow would discomfort Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er took off her leather boots and climbed onto the kang. She sat cross-legged and said with a hint of grievance, "Dear aunts and uncles, please don¡¯t be like this. Yifei didn¡¯t agree to bring me here at first, I had to insist and he reluctantly agreed. If you keep treating me like a stranger, he will scold me when we get home."


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er giving him a meaningful look while she spoke, Li Yifei immediately got the hint and said sternly, "You see? I said not to come, but you had to follow. Now everyone¡¯s embarrassed. This is Fourth Aunt¡¯s wedding we are talking about. Is this the way to behave?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er feigned even more distress and said, "Sorry, Second Aunt. Look, I¡¯m getting scolded now."


    Second Aunt immediately glared at Li Yifei and retorted, "You little brat, you actually dare to get angry? Having married such a wife, you should be pampering her, not glaring and huffing at her."


    Third Aunt chimed in, "Exactly, you brat! Apologize to your wife this instant."


    As the aunts began to speak, everyone joined in berating Li Yifei, who had no choice but to clear his throat and say, "Well done on garnering sympathy. Just like that, you have my new aunts siding with you."


    Everyone suddenly burst into laughter, lightening the mood that had been eased by the minor spat between Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Then, Li Yifei added, "The fact that Ning Xin¡¯er and I are married and have a child is unknown to the outside world. Please don¡¯t let this leak out. If the press finds out, they¡¯ll make life at home unbearable."


    Zhao Rong pouted and said, "I was hoping sister-in-law could sing a couple of songs at the wedding. That¡¯s not going to happen now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er apologetically said, "I¡¯m really sorry, but I can¡¯t risk it. Most importantly, it¡¯s for my daughter¡¯s sake. Right now, she doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m a celebrity. I¡¯m afraid it might affect her growth negatively. When she¡¯s older, if you still have such requests, I will definitely fulfill them. Besides, we are all family. If there is time in the future, we can always meet up. When there¡¯s nothing much going on, we¡¯ll come to visit you. You wouldn¡¯t mind, would you?"


    "Not at all!" Everyone understood where Ning Xin¡¯er was coming from. Stars like her hardly had any privacy. Li Yifei had just managed to marry such a famous daughter-in-law, and if the news spread, making it common knowledge, and if that caused her to leave, the elders would never be able to forgive themselves.

 Chapter 732 - 771 Good Daughter-in-law Ah

    Chapter 732: Chapter 771 Good Daughter-in-law AhJust then, the bridegroom Song Tao returned, and Fourth Aunt immediately said to Song Tao, "Little Tao, look who¡¯s here."


    Song Tao immediately recognized Li Yifei and excitedly hugged him, saying, "Bro, you really came!"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "How could I not come when my little brother is getting married?"


    Song Tao laughed heartily, "At least you¡¯re loyal. Otherwise, if I catch you later, I won¡¯t let you off, and you can¡¯t skimp on the wedding gift." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "Of course."


    Fourth Aunt immediately glared at Song Tao and chided, "Mind your manners. You¡¯re talking nonsense. Come here and meet your sister-in-law." She pointed to Ning Xin¡¯er.


    When Song Tao glanced at Ning Xin¡¯er, his eyes widened, then he punched Li Yifei hard and exclaimed, "Bro, you¡¯re too awesome, marrying such a beautiful wife."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Just average, average."


    Song Tao rolled his eyes, "You¡¯re too modest. Sister-in-law is like a goddess; so beautiful, and you call that average? You really deserve a beating. Don¡¯t you agree, Sister-in-law?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er, feeling overwhelmed by joy, giggled, "Yes, please do give him a beating for me then."


    Zhao Rong couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and gigglingly said to Song Tao, "My dear bridegroom, guess who Sister-in-law resembles?"


    Song Tao, who had only noticed Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s beauty and hadn¡¯t thought much further, plus he was too shy to keep staring at her, took another good look and suddenly said in surprise, "Sister-in-law really looks like that superstar Ning Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s uncanny."


    Zhao Rong, even more proud, said, "Do you know what Sister-in-law¡¯s name is?"


    Song Tao¡¯s eyes widened, "It¡¯s not also Ning Xin¡¯er, is it?"


    Zhao Rong giggled, "You guessed it."


    "That¡¯s too much of a coincidence. They look alike, and even the names are the same..." Song Tao scratched his head, then suddenly exclaimed, "You are Ning Xin¡¯er!"


    Everyone couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and burst into laughter. Through her giggles, Zhao Rong said, "You¡¯re not so dumb after all."


    "My goodness, oh my goodness!" Song Tao kept smacking his head, looked at Ning Xin¡¯er, then at Li Yifei, and then he punched Li Yifei hard again, saying excitedly, "Bro, I¡¯m totally in awe of you now. Ning Xin¡¯er has become your wife; this is beyond my wildest dreams."


    Zhao Rong said proudly, "Not only is Ning Xin¡¯er my brother¡¯s wife, but they also have a daughter, and she¡¯s already four years old."


    "No way, Sister-in-law didn¡¯t appear in public this year. How could she already have a daughter?"


    Zhao Rong chattered away, telling the whole story, which left Song Tao utterly amazed. He couldn¡¯t help but hit Li Yifei in the chest again, but this time Li Yifei dodged and said with wide eyes, "You brat, just speak, why do you keep hitting me? Do you think I¡¯m a punching bag?"


    Song Tao nearly tumbled over, which made everyone laugh again. He said sheepishly, "I¡¯m just too excited. Besides, you married Ning Xin¡¯er, a huge star. I have to hit you a few times to satisfy us fans."


    Being together with relatives made Li Yifei feel really good. His three aunts and uncles were not remarkable people; they were neither very rich nor officials, but the kinship was more genuine, with absolutely no barriers. This made Li Yifei very regretful that he hadn¡¯t visited these relatives sooner.


    Li Yifei then said, "Oh right, Little Tao, Little Lei, I have gifts for everyone in the car. You guys go help me bring them here."


    "Bro, you have a car now," Song Tao was very excited.


    Zhao Rong immediately rolled her eyes and said, "You dummy, Sister-in-law is a big star. It¡¯s not surprising she¡¯d buy a car."


    In everyone¡¯s minds, although Li Yifei was a manager who could earn around seven or eight thousand a month, he was no match for Ning Xin¡¯er. Ning Xin¡¯er was the real wealthy one, naturally, it must have been her money that was used to buy the car.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly chimed in, "No, I¡¯m not working on anything now, I¡¯m completely depending on Yifei for support."


    Zhao Rong giggled, "Hehe, Sister-in-law, you really do care about my brother¡¯s pride."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind, and led his two cousins, Song Tao and Meng Lei, out to find his car.


    "Wow, a Mercedes, bro, you¡¯re so awesome," Song Tao exclaimed again.


    Li Yifei laughed, "This is my company¡¯s car, I haven¡¯t bought one yet."


    Song Tao immediately asked, "Sister-in-law is so rich, why don¡¯t you guys buy a car?"


    Li Yifei smacked Song Tao on the head and said, "I¡¯m a man, how can I always spend a woman¡¯s money."


    Song Tao giggled, "She¡¯s already become your wife and even had a child for you, what are you afraid of?"


    "Alright, stop jabbering and help with the stuff," Li Yifei said as he opened the trunk, and the three of them moved everything out before heading back into the house.


    The gifts for the three aunts¡¯ families were all the same, two packs of Soft Zhonghua, two bottles of high-quality Maotai, plus a box of ginseng and a box of fine tea leaves.


    People didn¡¯t know the value of the tea, but they knew that the cigarettes, alcohol, and sea cucumber were expensive. Everyone was delighted, exchanged some polite words, and accepted the gifts. After all, they knew about Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s status and understood that these items, even though costly, were not a big deal to her. Moreover, this was Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei¡¯s gesture of goodwill, which made them feel even more content.


    "By the way, bro, can I use your car as the lead car tomorrow morning?" Song Tao suddenly asked.


    Li Yifei laughed, "No problem."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s great, a big Benz ah, now that¡¯s really something to show off," he said.


    As soon as the topic of the lead car came up, everyone started discussing the many details of the next day¡¯s wedding again. Originally, they were discussing this when Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er arrived, which interrupted them.


    Fourth Aunt said at this point, "The other family is quite particular, we can¡¯t ignore the proprieties. We should prepare more red envelopes, so we¡¯re not caught short when they refuse to let the groom in without them."


    But Fourth Uncle sighed, "Why do they want so many? A red envelope has to have at least two hundred in it, starting from the entrance one needs to give red envelopes: for boys, for girls, and for the big uncle too. It all adds up to over three thousand. The other family really makes too much fuss."


    "Why so many?" Third Aunt frowned and said, "Back in our time, preparing four or five red envelopes was pretty much enough, each containing a hundred would do."


    Fourth Aunt helplessly said, "That¡¯s what they specifically requested¡ªaccording to their family tradition, giving less is losing face. You don¡¯t know, just over the bride price they¡¯ve been quite demanding, initially asking for fifty thousand, then raised it to sixty thousand, and in the end, insisted on eighty-eight thousand. If we don¡¯t give eighty-eight thousand, they won¡¯t agree to the marriage."


    Fourth Uncle snorted, "Just the bride price alone would have been enough, but they have so many demands regarding the wedding too, insisting on certain standards. We were planning to spend just over ten thousand for the event, but according to their demands, it will now cost over thirty thousand. It¡¯s hard to tell whether it¡¯s their family or ours organizing this wedding."


    "Let it go," Third Aunt consoled, "Little Tao likes her, and they¡¯re getting married tomorrow. We should just make sure to handle things well."


    Little Tao, listening to his parents¡¯ complaints, hung his head, evidently feeling that his marriage had imposed a heavy burden on them.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was quite curious as she listened but was too embarrassed to ask. She didn¡¯t know that in the countryside, wedding customs were even more complex with the bride¡¯s side demanding a bride price, among other things, which was a constant headache for everyone.


    However, Ning Xin¡¯er could see that Fourth Aunt¡¯s family must be financially stretched because of the wedding, so she said, "Fourth Aunt, a wedding is a happy occasion; let¡¯s all be happy. This is a little something from me and Yifei to congratulate Little Tao on his marriage, so I¡¯ll give it to you now."


    With that, Ning Xin¡¯er took out two stacks of money from her bag and handed them to Fourth Aunt. Seeing that Fourth Aunt was probably short of cash, she gave the wedding gift in advance to help them out in their time of need.


    Ning Xin¡¯er hadn¡¯t discussed this with Li Yifei in advance, so her actions surprised him. He had already prepared a gift of money, planning to give five thousand, which was already quite generous. These monetary gifts were meant to be reciprocal, and splurging on them this time would put a burden on Fourth Aunt¡¯s family for future events. If he needed something later, Fourth Aunt would have to at least match what he spent to save face. Suddenly giving so much could become a problem for them later, but it was too late to intervene now.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er hand over so much money surprised everyone, and Fourth Aunt quickly raised her hands in protest, "No, no, that¡¯s too much."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly, pushed the money into Fourth Aunt¡¯s hand, and said, "Fourth Aunt, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me. Yifei has no parents, and as his wife, I have no opportunity to show them filial respect. You are all Yifei¡¯s relatives, and so I can only honor you. This money isn¡¯t exactly a wedding gift; consider it an early sign of my respect for you. Second Aunt, Third Aunt, I and Yifei will definitely come to visit you during the holidays."


    Since Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t carrying that much cash, giving Fourth Aunt money now might seem like she was neglecting Second and Third Aunt, so she addressed it ahead of time to prevent any complaints.


    Li Yifei had to admit that Ning Xin¡¯er handled such matters flawlessly¡ªif Xu Yingying were responsible for this, it definitely wouldn¡¯t have been as seamless. Though Xu Yingying could dominate the business world, she fell short when it came to personal and social obligations.


    At that moment, Fourth Aunt was truly moved, holding Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand, excitedly saying, "That¡¯s right, Yifei really married a good wife, such a good wife."


    Ning Xin¡¯er winked at Li Yifei, seemingly indescribable happiness and pride sparkling in her eyes.

 Chapter 733 - 772 Forced

    Chapter 733: Chapter 772 ForcedHaving resolved the issue, Fourth Aunt and the others also laid down their burden, and everyone couldn¡¯t always just sit there, as there were still many things to prepare for. Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er came out to help as well.


    "How did I do? I performed alright, didn¡¯t I?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked with a smile as she and Li Yifei divided up the wedding candies and melon seeds.


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "You did really well."


    "Am I qualified to be your wife?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked proudly.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and didn¡¯t dare to answer that question.


    "Hmph, never mind then." Ning Xin¡¯er pouted but didn¡¯t get angry with Li Yifei. She was in such a good mood today that she didn¡¯t care at all about Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    At this moment, Little Yifei ran in, her pretty clothes now covered with dust and chaff. Ning Xin¡¯er was startled and exclaimed, "Daughter, what happened to you?"


    Little Yifei giggled and said, "I was playing hide and seek with the other children. I hid in a pile of grass, and none of them could find me. In the end, I won! Aren¡¯t I awesome?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er hurriedly dusted the dirt off her daughter¡¯s clothes, frowning as she said, "That¡¯s so dirty."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Don¡¯t be so careful. She¡¯s a child, after all. Being in touch with nature is beneficial. Always keeping her cocooned in your palms, she won¡¯t have any immunity."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei and said, "You as a father don¡¯t really care about your daughter."


    "How could I possibly not care about my daughter? But it¡¯s true that our Little Yifei is usually cooped up in her room and rarely gets to be close to nature. Here, the air is good, there¡¯s no pollution, and even the dust is better than the smog in our city. Let her go out and play."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips and said to her daughter, "Sweetie, it¡¯s okay to go out and play, and mom won¡¯t mind a bit of dirt, but you must be careful, okay?"


    Little Yifei wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "I know, Mom, Dad, I¡¯m going out to play again." With that, she ran out again.


    "You, spoiling her even when she gets so dirty," Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei and complained.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "In matters like this, I will always indulge our daughter. It doesn¡¯t affect her character, and it even allows her to interact with strangers. All this is beneficial for her future."


    "You always have an answer, I can¡¯t win against you. But it¡¯s your job to wash our daughter¡¯s dirty clothes tonight."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll wash them. Happy now?" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    Ning Xin¡¯er bantered with Li Yifei, but she was not at all angry. Instead, she felt an indescribable sweetness. Being with Li Yifei today felt more and more like being a married couple, a feeling she had long desired.


    At dinner time, nearly everyone from the village came to Fourth Aunt¡¯s house. The tents on both sides of the courtyard were filled with people, and the children were running around between the tables. The mischievous ones even sneaked into the kitchen to steal some snacks.


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er were seated inside the house with Second Aunt and Third Aunt because it wasn¡¯t very convenient for Ning Xin¡¯er to show her face too much outside.


    Everyone was initially worried that Ning Xin¡¯er might find it difficult to enjoy the village banquet, but she ate with relish, which greatly improved everyone¡¯s impression of her. They kept praising Ning Xin¡¯er and repeatedly reminded Li Yifei to treat her well.


    Li Yifei naturally agreed vehemently. Here, if he showed even a hint of hesitation, these aunts would scold him to death. No matter how capable he was, in the presence of his relatives, he was still a junior.


    After dinner, Second Uncle and Third Uncle pulled Li Yifei into a game of Landlord Fight. Ning Xin¡¯er sat beside Li Yifei, smiling as she accompanied him in the game.


    Playing such games, it would be too easy for Li Yifei to win against the two uncles, but it was all for fun, and he didn¡¯t want to win anyway, so he deliberately lost. By 9 o¡¯clock, he had lost over a thousand yuan to them.


    The two uncles wanted to return the money to Li Yifei, but he insisted, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, in gambling, even fathers and sons must accept their losses. If you give it back to me, I¡¯ll lose all my dignity."


    The two uncles felt bad for winning money from a younger relative, but with Li Yifei¡¯s insistence, they eventually accepted the money.


    By this time, Ning Xin¡¯er was no longer by his side; she had gone to put their daughter to bed.


    "Yifei, go and wash up. You¡¯ll have to follow the bridal procession in the morning," Fourth Aunt brought water for Li Yifei to clean himself up.


    After washing up, Li Yifei asked, "Fourth Aunt, where am I sleeping tonight?"


    Fourth Aunt pointed to a door nearby and said, "That¡¯s our spare room. You, your wife, and daughter can sleep there. We only have simple accommodations here, so please explain to your wife and don¡¯t let her find fault with us."


    "Of course not!" Li Yifei promptly agreed and without any hesitation opened the door and went in, knowing that if he didn¡¯t sleep with Ning Xin¡¯er and their daughter, Fourth Aunt and the others would definitely not agree.


    The room was dark, but there was some light. Li Yifei could see that the room was small, with only a narrow bed, no more than two meters wide. Ning Xin¡¯er and their daughter were lying on the bed, with the daughter at the head of the bed and Ning Xin¡¯er in the middle.


    "Not playing anymore?" Ning Xin¡¯er turned over, propped her chin with her hands while lying on the bed, and whispered quietly.


    "No more playing." Li Yifei agreed and sat down by the edge of the kang bed.


    Ning Xin¡¯er added, "Then we should go to sleep quickly, as we all need to go and fetch the bride tomorrow morning, and I am one of those fetching the bride, you know."


    Li Yifei had known this; to Fourth Aunt¡¯s family, Ning Xin¡¯er was an honored guest. In rural weddings, those assigned to fetch the bride were naturally the most prestigious individuals.


    After taking off his shoes, Li Yifei sat on the kang bed, but frowned, saying, "Why are there only two blankets?" On the kang bed, there was a smaller blanket covering the daughter and another one covering Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er blinked at Li Yifei and said, "With so many guests, we¡¯re already lucky to have two blankets for us. Besides, do you think even if there were more blankets, they would give us extras?"


    Li Yifei thought it made sense; they were a family of three: one blanket for the child and one for the couple¡ªthat was perfectly normal. It would¡¯ve been strange if they had been given three blankets.


    "How about... you and the daughter share a blanket, is that okay?" Li Yifei tentatively suggested.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed softly and said, "The daughter really likes her blanket, she says it¡¯s fluffy and comfortable on top."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t believe this, and reached over Ning Xin¡¯er in an attempt to grab the small blanket from his daughter.


    But to his surprise, the daughter¡¯s little hand, which had been resting on the blanket, was now tightly clinging to it.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed with a snort and said, "See, I wasn¡¯t lying to you. Our daughter has finally fallen asleep; if you wake her up, it¡¯s up to you to soothe her."


    Li Yifei could only let go and grudgingly said, "Fine then, I¡¯ll just make do for the night."


    Ning Xin¡¯er huffed, "Suit yourself." Then she turned her body towards their daughter and left her back facing Li Yifei.


    So Ning Xin¡¯er acted, which actually relieved Li Yifei. If Ning Xin¡¯er had insisted on sharing a blanket with him, it would have been really troublesome.


    As for the suit Li Yifei was wearing, if he slept in it, he would definitely wake up full of creases the next morning. It would be truly disrespectful to show up like that to fetch the bride, so he had no choice but to take off the suit and place it at the foot of the kang bed.


    There lay Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s clothes, and just like him, she only had one suit on. Naturally, she also had to take it off. Without saying, that left her in her undergarments.


    Li Yifei looked at his own shirt and hesitated before also taking it off. Aside from a pair of dress trousers, he hadn¡¯t worn any underwear underneath because of his strong constitution. He didn¡¯t feel cold at all, but now he managed to make it so he had no clothes to wear to bed that night. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Humph, if you don¡¯t mind the cold, go ahead and freeze all night. If you catch a cold and it affects fetching the bride tomorrow, don¡¯t blame me for not warning you."


    "No problem, it¡¯s not that cold tonight, and you know how good my constitution is."


    "Humph, who knows if you haven¡¯t been drained by women."


    Li Yifei had to play deaf and dumb once again.


    Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Fourth Aunt called from outside, "Yifei, are you asleep?"


    "Not yet!" Li Yifei quickly responded.


    "Then I¡¯ll come in and talk to you about something." Without waiting, she pushed the door open and entered.


    When Li Yifei had come in, he noticed that the door didn¡¯t have a lock, but he hadn¡¯t expected Fourth Aunt to just walk in like that. If she saw that he wasn¡¯t sharing a blanket with Ning Xin¡¯er, she would surely think the couple had some disagreement. He had no choice but to quickly lift the blanket and dive under the one Ning Xin¡¯er was using.


    Rural people didn¡¯t mind such formalities, especially since Fourth Aunt was a senior relative of Li Yifei¡¯s; she paid even less attention to these matters. After pushing the door open, she came directly to the side of the kang bed and asked, "Is the child asleep?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er promptly said, "Asleep," her heart pounding. She had not anticipated this situation¡ªLi Yifei not only had slipped into her bedding but now Fourth Aunt was watching them.


    "Hehe, this rural kang bed is not as comfortable as your city beds; I was really worried it would be too rough for your delicate skin."


    Smiling pleasantly, Ning Xin¡¯er replied, "No, Fourth Aunt, it¡¯s fine. The kang bed is warm and comfortable."


    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good," Fourth Aunt nodded repeatedly, then actually sat down at the edge of the kang bed on Li Yifei¡¯s side.


    The small kang was already quite compact, and with Fourth Aunt sitting down, it became even more crowded. Li Yifei had to move closer to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s side, his ribs and thigh brushing against her body.


    The contact clearly made Ning Xin¡¯er tense up. Her relationship with Li Yifei was peculiar; although she had borne him a daughter, her interactions with him were incredibly distant. Even such simple physical contact sent her heart racing, much like a young girl¡¯s first encounter with a man.


    Both were lying flat, with Li Yifei¡¯s arm exposed outside the blanket¡ªit would seem disrespectful to hide it inside. Ning Xin¡¯er merely exposed her head, and in Fourth Aunt¡¯s eyes, they looked like a loving young couple.

 Chapter 734 - 773 A Warm Night

    Chapter 734: Chapter 773 A Warm Night"Yifei, this thing..." Fourth Aunt suddenly started to falter.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Fourth Aunt, just speak your mind. What¡¯s our relationship? Do we really need to beat around the bush?"


    Looking somewhat embarrassed, Fourth Aunt said, "Well, it¡¯s the off-season for farming now, and Little Lei from your second aunt¡¯s family and our Little Tao are idle, with nothing much to do. Your second aunt and I were discussing, to see if you could help them find a job. Usually, they just do odd jobs, earning little, not to mention there¡¯s no future in that. Seeing how successful you¡¯ve become, we thought maybe you could take them under your wing. I know this might put you in a difficult position, but please try. Whether it works out or not, your second aunt and I won¡¯t take it to heart."


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Fourth Aunt, I thought it was something serious. The matter is not that hard to handle. The company I¡¯m with now really needs staff. Little Lei, I think, is quite straightforward, and he might not be suitable for other jobs, but he can work as a security guard at our company. Although it¡¯s not a high-flyer job, our company¡¯s benefits and compensation are quite good. Earning over three thousand a month is no problem."


    Fourth Aunt was overjoyed and said, "Over three thousand is quite a bit already. That boy Little Lei has nothing but a strong back. If he could earn over three thousand a month, your second aunt would be over the moon. And in a few years, he could even consider getting married."


    "As for Little Tao, he¡¯s quite the smooth talker. After he gets married and comes back from his honeymoon, I¡¯ll let him try his hand in sales and procurement at my company. If he does well there, he could earn more than a security guard."


    Fourth Aunt immediately became anxious and said, "Honeymoon? We have no money for them to go on a trip like that. Just getting them married is going to wipe out your Fourth Uncle¡¯s and my savings. If they don¡¯t work, what are they going to spend? I¡¯ll just have Little Lei go with him."


    Ning Xin¡¯er saw Li Yifei and Fourth Aunt chatting so happily that her nerves started to settle a bit. She turned her body, faced Fourth Aunt, and said, "Fourth Aunt, it¡¯s great that your own son is settled, but hurrying like this can easily upset your daughter-in-law. You¡¯ve just gotten the bride, and now you¡¯re sending her away¡ªwon¡¯t the bride be lonely?"


    Fourth Aunt nodded repeatedly and said, "You¡¯re right. Our daughter-in-law is quite a force to be reckoned with. If it¡¯s like this, they might end up arguing."


    Ning Xin¡¯er then said, "I think it¡¯s better this way¡ªlet them rent a place in the city together. That way, the young couple can be together. By the way, Yifei, if you could also arrange for Little Tao¡¯s wife to work at the company, wouldn¡¯t that be even better for them both?"


    Li Yifei responded, "That¡¯s actually a great idea. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll do¡ªI¡¯ll arrange for both Little Tao and his wife to work at the company."


    Fourth Aunt was extremely happy, but then she quickly became a bit worried and said, "Yifei, arranging jobs for three people at once won¡¯t cause any trouble for you, will it?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "No, our company is short-staffed, and Little Tao and the others won¡¯t just be loafing around; they¡¯ll need to work hard. I can get them jobs at the company, but I can¡¯t let them slack off."


    Fourth Aunt nodded repeatedly and said, "That settles it, then. Having them work at a big company, if they don¡¯t do their work well, you just scold them, even punch them¡ªthey won¡¯t dare to utter a word in retaliation."


    Fourth Aunt added with a smile, "Look at you, they¡¯re my brothers after all. I¡¯ve got to look after them a bit, right? Just be at ease."


    "Alright, alright, I should go then. You two get some sleep."


    Fourth Aunt left with joy in her heart, and Ning Xin¡¯er, with a beaming smile, said, "This kind of family warmth is really wonderful. We never had this feeling in our household. Helping them out makes me very happy."


    Li Yifei also said with a smile, "Yes, I¡¯ve been back for a year now, and I haven¡¯t visited them much or helped them out, so I do feel quite sorry." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then that¡¯s really on you. I¡¯ve been saying, from now on, during holidays, we definitely need to come and visit. It¡¯s so lively and heartwarming here, I really love this kind of family atmosphere."


    "I love it, too."


    The two basked in the warmth of kinship to the point that for a moment, they forgot that they were still sharing a blanket.


    "Hey, how did you get into my blanket? Get out," exclaimed Ning Xin¡¯er as she moved her arm and bumped into Li Yifei. Her instinct as a woman made her shout out in surprise, and she promptly started pushing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rolled out in an instant, grudgingly saying, "I forgot while talking to Fourth Aunt, I didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of you."


    After they finished speaking, both suddenly froze. Before Fourth Aunt arrived, Ning Xin¡¯er had asked Li Yifei to sleep with her, but now she was chasing him out, which made Ning Xin¡¯er feel a bit vexed. But it was truly her instinct in that moment.


    Li Yifei also felt the situation was rather funny; he couldn¡¯t believe that sleeping under the same blanket with Ning Xin¡¯er would make her so shy. He couldn¡¯t help teasing her, "We¡¯ve already had a daughter, there¡¯s nothing left to be shy about."


    Ning Xin¡¯er spat at Li Yifei, her voice fierce, "You jerk, stop making those cool remarks. You¡¯re sleeping outside tonight, and you¡¯re not allowed in, or else I¡¯ll never let you off the hook."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to tease Ning Xin¡¯er any longer and hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll sleep outside. Go to sleep, go to sleep."


    The room quickly fell into silence, filled only with the breathing of three people. Yet Xin¡¯er found herself unable to sleep. On the day Yifei had left with his daughter, she had also shared a bed with them both. But her heart had been so heavy then, she hadn¡¯t spared any extra thought for their closeness. Now, however, with the conflicts between them not as acute, she couldn¡¯t help but have some fanciful thoughts.


    "What if that jerk sneaks into my bed after I fall asleep? What if he tries something on me, then what should I do? Should I agree to it, or should I reject him? Don¡¯t I just want to be with him? If he were to make a move, I ought to agree. But... why should it be however he pleases? Can¡¯t I have some self-respect?"


    Tossed by these thoughts and too scared to make a move lest Yifei notice she wasn¡¯t asleep, Xin¡¯er felt awkward. But time passed, and Yifei didn¡¯t come near her. Instead, she heard him start to snore, leaving her feeling both lost and a bit annoyed.


    "That jerk, he can actually fall asleep? Am I really that bad? How can he not have any desire for me?" Xin¡¯er huffed, turning over to see Yifei lying there, sleeping even more soundly, which infuriated her even more. She really wanted to kick him awake.


    Yet as she watched Yifei, the anger in Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart slowly dissipated, turning into tenderness. What a joy it would be if she could spend every night like this, watching him sleep by her side. Although Yifei kept his distance, they were now, after all, sleeping on the same kang, and his family had already accepted her as his wife. In future gatherings with relatives, he would have to bring her along, which would give them plenty of opportunities. She couldn¡¯t believe he would never acknowledge her as his wife.


    Unable to resist, she gently touched Yifei¡¯s arm, and a chill ran through her hand. The heated brick bed beneath them was still warm, but without the cover, the room grew cool. If they slept like this all night, catching a cold would be no surprise.


    Biting her lip, Xin¡¯er moved closer to Yifei¡¯s side, then sat up and gently laid the blanket over him. Lying down by his side, the two of them were under the same blanket again, although without any bodily contact.


    Suddenly, Xin¡¯er felt a sense of contentment, as if their relationship was wrapped up in that blanket. She smiled sweetly at Yifei and then closed her eyes. After a while, she actually fell asleep.


    Yifei slowly opened his eyes and glanced over at Xin¡¯er, silently sighing to himself. The Xin¡¯er of now was indeed very different from the one she had been. This Xin¡¯er was a good girl, and his consistent lack of warmth toward her seemed quite unfair. She had suffered so much for him, why couldn¡¯t he accept her?


    Yifei couldn¡¯t fathom why, so he decided not to think about it for the moment, choosing instead to stay, sharing the blanket with Xin¡¯er.


    In the middle of the night, as the brick bed began to cool and the warmth under the blanket waned, Xin¡¯er unconsciously snuggled closer to Yifei. He felt her move but after a moment¡¯s hesitation, let her embrace him. After all the hardships she¡¯d endured for him, it wouldn¡¯t be right to push her away now.


    Before four o¡¯clock, a knock on the door startled both Xin¡¯er and Yifei awake.


    "Yifei, it¡¯s time," came Fourth Aunt¡¯s call from outside.


    Yifei immediately replied, "Got it, we¡¯ll get up right now."


    "Okay," Fourth Aunt answered and left. This time, she didn¡¯t push the door open.


    With a flushed face, Xin¡¯er whispered from under the blanket, "Didn¡¯t I say you weren¡¯t allowed in my blanket? How did you get in again?"


    Looking at Xin¡¯er¡¯s blushing face, Yifei didn¡¯t have the heart to correct her and exaggeratedly said, "I don¡¯t know either. Maybe I got too cold and just slipped in. But I swear, I didn¡¯t do anything."


    "Hmph, you¡¯d better not," Xin¡¯er thought to herself with relief, grateful that he hadn¡¯t realized it was her who had covered him with the blanket. Otherwise, he would become unbearably smug. She pushed Yifei and said, "Hurry up and get up, and bring me my clothes."


    "Alright," Yifei answered, sitting up to collect their clothes and quickly started to dress. Seeing Xin¡¯er still lying there, he asked, "Why aren¡¯t you getting dressed?"


    Embarrassed, Xin¡¯er puffed up indignantly; she was just in her bra and underwear¡ªhow could she possibly dress in front of Yifei? She huffed, "Hurry up and dress, then get out."


    Yifei chuckled to himself, clearly finding the situation amusing. Xin¡¯er was obviously embarrassed.


    "What are you laughing at?" Xin¡¯er glared at him fiercely. Then, tossing the blanket aside, she sat up and retorted, "Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you seeing me. You¡¯ve seen it all before, haven¡¯t you?"


    Yifei quickly turned his head away, much to Xin¡¯er¡¯s smug satisfaction. "What, you can¡¯t look? I¡¯m the mother of your child, we¡¯re practically an old married couple," she said triumphantly.


    Yifei laughed dryly, quickly dressing himself and said, "I¡¯m going out to wash up, you get ready too," then he slipped out.

 Chapter 735 - 774: Marrying Off a Daughter Like This

    Chapter 735: Chapter 774: Marrying Off a Daughter Like ThisAfter freshening up, Ning Xin¡¯er still hadn¡¯t come out, so Li Yifei had no choice but to return to the room. There he saw Ning Xin¡¯er dressing their daughter. Little Yifei was hardly awake at the time; she was pouting, her eyes closed, not cooperating with Ning Xin¡¯er at all, which was why Ning Xin¡¯er hadn¡¯t been able to get Little Yifei dressed.


    "Hurry up and help me," Ning Xin¡¯er quickly called out to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei agreed, and together they soothed Little Yifei and managed to get her dressed at last, though Little Yifei was still listless. Li Yifei ended up carrying her, letting her continue to sleep on his shoulder.


    At five o¡¯clock sharp, their convoy of cars set off. Li Yifei¡¯s car was the lead vehicle, with the groom, Song Tao, sitting in the passenger seat, and Ning Xin¡¯er holding Little Yifei in the back. When they picked up the bride, Ning Xin¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be able to sit in this car anymore.


    "Bro, this car is really comfortable!" exclaimed Song Tao, his face alight with excitement.


    Li Yifei teased with a smile, "You¡¯re going to pick up the bride today, and you still have the mind to notice the car."


    "Heh heh, of course, I notice, it¡¯s a Mercedes! I¡¯ve never ridden in a Mercedes before in my life." Twisting his bottom, Song Tao turned his head to Ning Xin¡¯er and said with a grin, "Sister-in-law, my mom told me last night that my brother got me a job at his company. Is that true?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly, "Of course, it¡¯s true. We¡¯re family, aren¡¯t we? It¡¯s only natural to help out."


    Song Tao chuckled, "Then I¡¯ll become a white-collar worker too."


    "Your brother said you¡¯re quite articulate. You might even progress further in the future. When that time comes, you won¡¯t just be a white-collar worker; you¡¯ll be a gold-collar," replied Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Brother, is that true?" Song Tao¡¯s eyes shone like lightbulbs.


    Li Yifei shot him a look, "Didn¡¯t you ask your sister-in-law? Why are you seeking my confirmation?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed softly, "You¡¯re funny. Whether your brother asks me or you, is there a difference? Do you feel like you¡¯re losing face?"


    Song Tao chuckled, "Exactly, we¡¯re all family. Besides, I feel like my sister-in-law wouldn¡¯t lie to me."


    Li Yifei glared, "You little brat, you¡¯ve got your sister-in-law now, and you don¡¯t even recognize your brother anymore."


    Song Tao gave an awkward laugh; it wasn¡¯t that he had any thoughts about Ning Xin¡¯er, but she was a big star after all, and he naturally admired her and wanted to talk to her more. It was perfectly normal.


    The bride¡¯s home was actually not far from their village, just over ten kilometers, but the wedding was an occasion for display, so they purposely detoured through two other villages, adding more than ten kilometers before arriving at the bride¡¯s home.


    With the sound of firecrackers, Little Yifei also woke up. Seeing so many people waiting outside the car, she suddenly became spirited, climbing down from Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lap to peer out the car window.


    The approaching party all got out of the cars, and both Ning Xin¡¯er and Little Yifei, as part of the bridal escort, got out as well. Li Yifei, however, could only act as the driver and wasn¡¯t included, although he could go over to join in the excitement.


    To pick up the bride, the first hurdle was the main door, which was blocked by several children inside clamoring for red envelopes. Song Tao handed out five red envelopes before he could open the first door.


    Once the main door was open, there was the outer door of the house, guarded by the bride¡¯s eldest uncle. It took six red envelopes to allow the wedding entourage to go inside.


    Ning Xin¡¯er found it extremely amusing, and Little Yifei was also watching with great interest.


    The final door was the bride¡¯s door, and this was even more troublesome. Inside were the bride¡¯s classmates and sisters, who of course made things difficult for the groom. Song Tao expended a lot of effort talking, and with a generous distribution of red envelopes, he finally made it into the bride¡¯s room.


    Under the guidance of the wedding MC, a series of activities followed, lasting for more than half an hour, and it finally seemed nearly finished.


    Everything had been going smoothly, and it was now time to take the bride away; however, just as they were paying respects to the bride¡¯s parents to thank them for raising her, trouble arose.


    After Song Tao paid his respects to his parents-in-law, the two of them sat with stern faces, silent. At this point, the parents-in-law were supposed to stand up and send off their daughter, but their sitting still left Song Tao not knowing what to do.


    The eldest uncle spoke sternly, "Let me say something, Little Tao. My parents have raised our daughter for all these years and now they¡¯re handing her over to you. Aren¡¯t you going to give them a red envelope?"


    "It should be done, certainly," Song Tao said with a forced smile, hurriedly taking out two more red envelopes. Luckily, he had prepared an extra couple the night before, just in case they were needed.


    But the father-in-law and mother-in-law didn¡¯t take the red envelopes, and the eldest uncle¡¯s face looked even more displeased as he said, "Now, Little Tao, this isn¡¯t right. Are my parents strangers to you? You think you can fob them off with just these two little red packets?"


    Song Tao was suddenly at a loss, and those who had come for the bride were frowning. The bride¡¯s side was deliberately being difficult at this moment, and it was truly unbearable.


    At this time, Song Tao¡¯s uncle hurried over with a smile on his face and said, "Relatives, it¡¯s our family¡¯s lack of preparation. If you have any other conditions, we can owe you first and settle it later."


    However, the bride¡¯s father said sternly, "What a joke! Can something like this be made up for later? Once you¡¯ve married off my daughter, will you even remember us?"


    The uncle quickly replied, "Relatives, a daughter is always your daughter, and Little Tao is your son-in-law. When would he ever forget about you?"


    "No, this absolutely won¡¯t do. This is a major life event. It reflects your family¡¯s sincerity. If your family can¡¯t even show this bit of sincerity, how can we let you marry off our daughter?" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, the bridal party was starting to get angry. Weddings are supposed to be joyful events, and everything should have been settled beforehand. Yet, this family was laying down conditions on the wedding day itself, which was really too much.


    The uncle swallowed his anger and asked, "Relatives, then what amount do you think should be in the red packet?"


    "Twenty thousand, ten thousand for each of us," the bride¡¯s father replied bluntly. "If you don¡¯t bring twenty thousand, you¡¯re not taking my daughter with you."


    "Dad! How can you be like this?" the bride also burst out angrily at this point.


    Her father glared and said, "Indeed, a married daughter is like water that¡¯s been splashed out; you¡¯re already not siding with me. If I don¡¯t take this money, wouldn¡¯t I be even more of a loser? Today, if you bring the money, you can take the bride; if not, then just go back."


    Go back... That simply wasn¡¯t an option. The wedding had already been arranged, and all the relatives and friends were there. If they couldn¡¯t bring the bride back now, wouldn¡¯t that turn into a huge joke? The Song Family would no longer be able to lift their heads.


    At that moment, Song Tao was completely out of ideas and looked pleadingly towards his uncle. The uncle clenched his teeth and said, "Relatives, you see, Little Tao has already spent quite a lot for the wedding, and we really can¡¯t pull together that much money right now. Can you ask for less?"


    "No, not a penny less, it must be twenty thousand," the bride¡¯s father said with utter resolve.


    The uncle was so angry he felt like his lungs might burst. He had no choice but to step outside and call Song Tao¡¯s father to discuss the situation. Though seething with anger, the Song Family eventually had no other choice. They could neither forcibly take the bride nor fail to bring her back. They could only agree to the demands begrudgingly. Fortunately, Ning Xin¡¯er had drawn twenty thousand yesterday, and they hurriedly arranged for someone to bring it over.


    After more than ten minutes, the money finally arrived, and the bride was able to get on the car.


    Li Yifei witnessed all of this but said nothing.


    Once on the car, the bride started to sob and said, "Little Tao, why is my dad like this, making it so I can¡¯t even lift my head in your family¡¯s house."


    Song Tao was also angry, but he could only console her, "It¡¯s not your fault, my parents will understand."


    Li Yifei was somewhat reassured to hear that the bride was reasonable, after all. If she had been like her father, Little Tao¡¯s days ahead would have been hard.


    "Alright, alright, stop crying. Today is our big day, crying is bad luck," Song Tao comforted his bride again, then introduced her, "Here, let me introduce you, this is my cousin from my aunt¡¯s side. He¡¯s already told us that after we get married, we can work at his company."


    "Ah... Cousin!" The bride felt a bit embarrassed to hear that the driver was her cousin, but then, surprised and delighted at the mention of a job, she said, "Really?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. My cousin is really capable, a big manager at the company. Otherwise, how could he just arrange for me to work wherever he says? We¡¯ll make money together, live in the city, and when we¡¯ve saved up enough, we¡¯ll buy a house there."


    The anticipation for the future finally cheered the bride up a bit. By the time they reached the Song Family¡¯s home, she was able to smile, but when it was time to get out of the car and she was met by the mother-in-law with a basin, the smile became somewhat awkward.


    Fourth Aunt, however, didn¡¯t give her daughter-in-law a hard time. With so many people watching, even if she was upset, she couldn¡¯t show it ¨C that would have been a laughingstock in front of the whole village. So, grinning, she helped her daughter-in-law out of the car.


    The following wedding festivities were full of excitement. The earlier incident during the bride collection was a great embarrassment, but since only close family members of the Song Family were involved, no one would speak of this disgraceful situation. It was only among themselves that they would utter a few words to express their internal fury.


    Little Yifei was attending someone else¡¯s wedding for the first time. Sitting high on Li Yifei¡¯s neck, she was immensely excited. Ning Xin¡¯er stood beside Li Yifei, wearing large sunglasses, not drawing much attention, her arm linked with Li Yifei¡¯s. Watching the bride and groom¡¯s happiness, she felt an enviable longing. The feeling of a family of three was truly intoxicating, and she adored it. Yet inside, there was also a touch of sadness; unlike the couple on stage, she could not have a memorable wedding with Li Yifei.

 Chapter 736 - 775: I’ve Had Drinks with Ning Xin’er

    Chapter 736: Chapter 775: I¡¯ve Had Drinks with Ning Xin¡¯erThe wedding ceremony went smoothly, and then it was time for the wedding banquet. Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er were invited to accompany the bride¡¯s family.


    The bride¡¯s parents did not attend to give away their daughter, as marrying off a daughter meant giving her away to another family. For the bride¡¯s parents, it was also a sad occasion. Thus, they could not participate in the groom¡¯s wedding ceremony. This custom was still taken very seriously here.


    Without that bizarre pair of parents, handling the bride¡¯s family seemed easy, but what Fourth Aunt¡¯s family didn¡¯t expect was that there was a peculiar person among those who came to give away the bride.


    This man was named Tian Xinyun. He had made a bit of money from his small business, had a net worth of about one or two million, and had even bought a Volkswagen Bora. He was the wealthiest person in the bride¡¯s family and acted as the head of the delegation representing the bride¡¯s side.


    During the wedding, he did not say much. However, once seated at the banquet, he frowned upon seeing the liquor on the table and immediately said to Song Tao, who accompanied him, "How come we on the bride¡¯s side are only drinking this kind of liquor? Isn¡¯t this a bit too careless?"


    The liquor on the table was a locally produced Osmanthus Fragrance, costing over thirty yuan per bottle. Normally, it would be considered acceptable, but Tian Xinyun didn¡¯t even give it a second glance and started to show his displeasure.


    Hearing that the bride¡¯s family was unsatisfied with the liquor, Fourth uncle quickly said, "If there¡¯s a particular liquor you would like to drink, we¡¯ll get it ready immediately."


    Tian Xinyun said carelessly, "Let me tell you, I don¡¯t just drink any liquor these days. If I drink, it has to be Maotai. Otherwise, it just doesn¡¯t taste right. Ah well, there¡¯s no way your family can get real Maotai."


    Fourth uncle frowned slightly but still said with a smile, "Since you want Maotai, of course, we¡¯ll satisfy your request. I¡¯ll go get it right away."


    Before long, Fourth uncle brought back two bottles of Maotai, which were exactly what Li Yifei had given them yesterday, and said with a smile, "Here we go. Maotai has arrived. What do you think?"


    Tian Xinyun hadn¡¯t expected them to actually produce a bottle of Maotai. He took the bottle and examined it pretentiously before saying, "Your family has Maotai? This wouldn¡¯t be fake liquor obtained from somewhere, would it?"


    Fourth uncle glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Rest assured, it is definitely real. My nephew specially honored me with it."


    "Is that so? Then I must taste it."


    Fourth uncle immediately opened the bottle, and a rich aroma filled the air. This Maotai wasn¡¯t ordinary; it was thirty years aged. Although not the top-grade among Maotai liquors, it wasn¡¯t something everyone had the chance to drink.


    "What a wonderful fragrance!" Everyone began to praise it instantly. Even those who didn¡¯t drink could tell that this was definitely fine liquor.


    Tian Xinyun had wanted to claim that the liquor was fake, but after smelling it, he knew it couldn¡¯t be falsified. Calling it fake would reveal his lack of sophistication. Pretending to smell it again, he said, "Not bad at all. It truly is Maotai. I¡¯ve drunk so much that I could tell just by the smell."


    Fourth uncle laughed, "Later, we will drink this. Come on, first have a cigarette." The dishes hadn¡¯t arrived, so they couldn¡¯t start drinking immediately. Therefore, Fourth uncle opened a box of Furong Monarch cigarettes that was placed on the table and offered one to Tian Xinyun.


    Tian Xinyun waved his hand, refusing the offered cigarette, and took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, saying, "I¡¯d rather smoke my own. I¡¯m not used to smoking your brand."


    This put Fourth uncle in an awkward spot. With Tian Xinyun being so picky, it was as if he was trying to pick a fight with the Song family. However, in this village, there was another saying: the bride¡¯s family should conduct themselves with propriety, so their daughter wouldn¡¯t be bullied by her in-laws¡ªand the more successful a member of the bride¡¯s family was, the more confidence they could give to the daughter.


    If Fourth uncle now switched to his own pack of Soft Zhonghua, he would be no different than Tian Xinyun, failing to assert any status for the bride¡¯s family.


    "Come on, that Zhonghua probably doesn¡¯t have much flavor. Try this one and see if you can tell what brand it is," said Li Yifei, who had been keeping the company of relatives his age. He got up, walked over to the table where the elders sat, and handed Tian Xinyun a cigarette.


    If he had directly stated what the cigarette was, Tian Xinyun probably wouldn¡¯t have accepted it. Li Yifei¡¯s approach seemed like a challenge, and so Tian Xinyun couldn¡¯t refuse. With a curl of his lip, he said, "You won¡¯t stump me. I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m quite the connoisseur of cigarettes. There¡¯s no premium brand I haven¡¯t tried. Even if you strip off all the labels, I can take a couple of puffs and tell you what kind it is, though, of course, anything below thirty yuan doesn¡¯t count¡ªI never smoke such cheap cigarettes."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Then give this one a try and see if it¡¯s worth thirty yuan."


    After taking the cigarette Li Yifei offered, Tian Xinyun lit it and took a puff. The tobacco¡¯s fragrance surged into his brain through his nose, giving him an indescribable sensation. He had never smoked anything like it, but it was undeniable that it was an excellent cigarette.


    "Come on, everyone, have a taste," Li Yifei said with a smile as he handed out cigarettes to everyone.


    "Little Panda?" Tian Xinyun took a few puffs but still couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of cigarette it was. In fact, he was just bragging before, but he knew for sure it was a quality cigarette, even though he couldn¡¯t recognize it. Finally, he had no choice but to look at the brand on the cigarette butt. Being somewhat knowledgeable, he had occasionally heard about a special Little Panda cigarette, made exclusively for the Central Government leaders, marked just like this one; he couldn¡¯t help but blurt out in surprise.


    Li Yifei gave Tian Xinyun a thumbs up and said, "Indeed, you¡¯re knowledgeable."


    After being praised by Li Yifei, Tian Xinyun, even if he thought the cigarettes couldn¡¯t possibly be real, couldn¡¯t contradict himself. He cleared his throat and said, "Little Panda, that¡¯s a Special Tribute cigarette, isn¡¯t it? I haven¡¯t smoked it many times; where did you get these from?"


    Li Yifei laughed and replied, "A good friend of mine gave them to me. I¡¯ve always been reluctant to smoke them, but seeing this uncle here looked like a remarkable man, I decided to bring them out as an offering."


    Tian Xinyun burst into laughter and said, "Let me tell you, these cigarettes are specially prepared for the leaders of the Central Government. Our Comrade Xiaoping used to smoke more than two packs a day. He was really a heavy smoker, but he lived to over ninety years old, precisely because he always smoked these Special Tribute Little Pandas. Although it¡¯s still smoking, this cigarette does a lot less harm to the body."


    With Tian Xinyun showing off like this, everyone learned something new and also resolved the embarrassment of the in-laws showing off with their cigarettes.


    When the dishes were served, Tian Xinyun started talking nonsense again about how many fancy restaurants he had visited and how many exotic delicacies he had tasted, saying he never touched such ordinary food in ordinary times.


    "Let me tell you, the time I went to dine with friends, they were all significant figures. Not to mention their status, but just the few who joined us for drinks, you would know how influential those people were," he said.


    "Who were they, accompanying you?" asked a young man from the bride¡¯s side immediately.


    After taking a sip of Maotai, Tian Xinyun savored the taste, feeling that it was damn good and certainly not the same grade as the Maotai he had drunk before. He didn¡¯t say it aloud, but he kept drinking it thankfully, then said, "The stars that joined us for drinks were all famous. People like Luo Wei, Chen Jingjing, they¡¯re nothing much. Even Little Jade Girl Ning Xin¡¯er came to drink with us, haha..."


    His claim immediately aroused envy among the relatives accompanying the bride, but the faces of the Song Family¡¯s guests looked rather strange. Aside from a few relatives on Fourth uncle¡¯s side, they were Li Yifei¡¯s aunts and uncles, who of course knew Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s identity. Now, with Tian Xinyun saying such things, it would be fine if it were just bragging, but if it were true, wouldn¡¯t it mean there was a problem with Li Yifei¡¯s wife?


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er looked at each other, also not expecting Tian Xinyun¡¯s boasting to involve Ning Xin¡¯er. Of course, Li Yifei didn¡¯t believe that Ning Xin¡¯er would accompany someone like Tian Xinyun for drinks. Not to mention Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s personality and family background, which wouldn¡¯t require such methods for advancement, where would she have the time to accompany someone like him to drink? And even if Ning Xin¡¯er did join someone for drinks, Tian Xinyun was hardly in her league.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take it seriously, treating it all as a joke, but Ning Xin¡¯er thought differently. The insult to her was one thing, but more importantly, these were Li Yifei¡¯s relatives. If it led the family to harbor certain misconceptions, wouldn¡¯t it cause Li Yifei to lose face as well?


    At that moment, she stood up abruptly and picked up her wine glass. Li Yifei tried to pull her back, but she pushed his hand away.


    "Uncle, so Ning Xin¡¯er has even had drinks with you before, huh? Well, you¡¯re actually right about that, and I can even vouch for you," she said.


    Tian Xinyun was taken aback. The woman who stood up had been wearing big black glasses the whole time and hadn¡¯t taken them off even while eating. Now she was offering to vouch for him and said, "You vouch for me? What are you vouching for?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er, still smiling, replied, "Of course, I¡¯m vouching for you having drinks with Ning Xin¡¯er." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Confused, Tian Xinyun asked, "Were you there that day too?"


    With a slight smile, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Not that day. How could someone of your stature drink with a nobody like me?"


    "Then how can you vouch for me?" Tian Xinyun was even more puzzled.


    Slowly removing her glasses, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Aren¡¯t I drinking with you right now? From now on, you can claim you¡¯ve had drinks with Ning Xin¡¯er."


    Li Yifei was speechless. Ning Xin¡¯er, that girl with the fiery temper, just couldn¡¯t help but jump into the fray, but luckily there weren¡¯t many people around, and this was the countryside. Even if people here went out saying they had seen Ning Xin¡¯er, others wouldn¡¯t believe it. The trouble wouldn¡¯t be too big, so he just let her be.

 Chapter 737 - 776 Ning Xin’er Takes Charge

    Chapter 737: Chapter 776 Ning Xin¡¯er Takes Charge"You are..." Tian Xinyun stared at Ning Xin¡¯er, yet he felt as if he had never seen this woman before. In fact, he barely watched television, and the celebrity he just mentioned was something he had heard from others, so he simply blurted it out. He didn¡¯t even know what Ning Xin¡¯er looked like.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and said, "Uncle, what¡¯s the matter with you? Didn¡¯t you just say that you¡¯ve drunk with me? How come you can¡¯t recognize me now?"


    "I said that Ning Xin¡¯er has drunk with me. Oh, obviously you¡¯ve now drunk with me. Remember, my name is Tian Xinyun. If you ever need something, just mention drinking with me, and within miles, everyone will give me some face."


    Li Yifei nearly banged his head on the table. How could Tian Xinyun be so foolish as to completely misinterpret Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words and actually believe she wanted to use him to elevate her status? His shamelessness was truly boundless.


    Ning Xin¡¯er almost burst out laughing from irritation, while at this moment, the younger generation of her natal family had been staring at Ning Xin¡¯er. Then, a girl in her twenties exclaimed, "Are you... Are you Ning Xin¡¯er? You really are Ning Xin¡¯er!"


    The first sentence was a question, but she answered it herself. She was a fan of Ning Xin¡¯er and had seen countless pictures of her. Ning Xin¡¯er had been wearing sunglasses earlier, and she felt there was a resemblance but had no chance to ask. Now that Ning Xin¡¯er had taken off her glasses and spoken, the girl finally confirmed that this was indeed Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Yes, you are Ning Xin¡¯er!" Another young man also shouted loudly.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and said, "Hello everyone. I didn¡¯t have a chance to introduce myself earlier. My apologies. Let me introduce myself now. I am Ning Xin¡¯er, Song Tao¡¯s cousin-in-law. We¡¯re relatives now."


    "You¡¯re Song Tao¡¯s sister-in-law? You¡¯re married?" At this, her natal family couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in surprise.


    Ning Xin¡¯er placed her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Yes, I¡¯m married, and have been for several years. This is my husband, and this is my daughter. In the past years, for the sake of my career, I concealed these facts. Now I¡¯ve realized that no matter how successful my career is, it¡¯s not as important as family. That¡¯s why I left the entertainment industry, to focus on taking care of my family and raising my daughter."


    Everyone was simply in disbelief, unable to trust their own eyes, meeting Ning Xin¡¯er here, and learning that she was married with a daughter¡ªsomething they had never even considered possible before.


    While Ning Xin¡¯er was speaking, Li Yifei was careful not to let his daughter notice, playfully distracting her with fun stories. The little girl wasn¡¯t interested in the dinner table conversation and was engrossed in listening to Li Yifei, not realizing that her own mother was a big star.


    Now that Ning Xin¡¯er had revealed her identity, her natal family was excited beyond measure and didn¡¯t care about keeping up appearances anymore, all buzzing with excitement and talking to Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Seeing Tian Xinyun dumbstruck, the second uncle-in-law couldn¡¯t feel more pleased inside. Pretending to be generous, he said, "Old Tian, our niece-in-law didn¡¯t want to make a fuss, which is why we didn¡¯t say anything. We hope you understand."


    "Yes, yes..." Tian Xinyun wished he could find a hole to crawl into. His boast had backfired spectacularly, and now he had lost face utterly. Where could he muster any pretense of dignity before the natal family now? And with his mediocre talents compared to Ning Xin¡¯er, there was no comparison.


    When Song Tao and his wife came over to offer a toast, the room finally quieted down. Song Tao and his wife had been worried about satisfying the demands of the natal family, but once they arrived, they found a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere, and the usually troublesome relatives had all settled down.


    Song Tao and his wife first toasted the elders, casually introducing everyone at the table before moving on to offer toasts to their peers. When they reached Li Yifei, Song Tao said, "This is my elder cousin, Li Yifei, the one who drove the wedding car for us." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nice to meet you, elder cousin," the new bride said respectfully, lighting a cigarette for Li Yifei.


    "This is my elder cousin¡¯s wife. Oh, cousin-in-law, your glasses..." When it came to Ning Xin¡¯er, Song Tao suddenly noticed she wasn¡¯t wearing glasses anymore and asked with confusion.


    Ning Xin¡¯er took the cigarette Song Tao handed her and, with a smile, said, "Since the bride came to light my cigarette, we¡¯re really relatives now. How could I wear glasses when meeting my sister-in-law? That way, if she sees me again, she wouldn¡¯t recognize me, and that would be quite inappropriate, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    "Cousin-in-law!" As Song Tao¡¯s wife was about to light Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s cigarette, she felt a familiar warmth looking at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face.


    Song Tao was a sharp man and instantly grasped Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s meaning. He leaned in and whispered into his wife¡¯s ear, "My cousin-in-law is the big star Ning Xin¡¯er."


    Song Tao¡¯s wife dropped the match in her hand to the ground, staring blankly at Ning Xin¡¯er. After a moment, she shook her head, struck another match, and stammered, "Nice to... nice to meet you, cousin-in-law." Her hands trembled uncontrollably with excitement.


    She and Song Tao had known each other for a long time. The only issue had been her family¡¯s disapproval. Only when Song Tao finally gathered enough money for the bride price did they agree to the marriage. While dating Song Tao, she had met most of his relatives. Now, Ning Xin¡¯er emerged suddenly as another cousin-in-law. It was almost too much for her heart to handle.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was Song Tao¡¯s cousin-in-law, which meant she was her cousin-in-law too. Goodness, she was now a relative of such a big star as Ning Xin¡¯er. It was incredible.


    "I wish you both wedded bliss. We¡¯ll have to visit each other often in the future," Ning Xin¡¯er said after taking a symbolic puff of the cigarette, extending her best wishes.


    "Absolutely!" In that moment, Song Tao¡¯s wife was even more thrilled than on her wedding day, overjoyed to have such a cousin-in-law.


    With Ning Xin¡¯er in charge, the bride¡¯s family no longer dared to cause trouble and quietly finished their meals before Song Tao¡¯s family arranged for cars to take them back.


    Actually, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er could have left at this point, but Little Yifei hadn¡¯t finished eating and had started playing with a few of the other children. Since they were all having such a good time, the couple didn¡¯t want to spoil her fun and weren¡¯t in a hurry to leave.


    By noon, the banquet was over, and most guests had left. Only the close relatives remained to help clean up, with Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er pitching in as well.


    "Yifei, Yifei, take your wife and rest," Fourth Aunt called out loudly upon seeing Ning Xin¡¯er lending a hand.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "Fourth Aunt, please don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m just Yifei¡¯s wife; don¡¯t always treat me like an outsider."


    Fourth Aunt grinned and said, "But you are so delicate; I would feel terribly guilty if you got even a little scratch."


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled and said, "Fourth Aunt, I¡¯m not that fragile, and I¡¯m really happy to be doing something useful."


    So Fourth Aunt no longer tried to stop Ning Xin¡¯er from working but was still worried she might hurt herself. Almost every task Xin¡¯er did, Fourth Aunt would rush to do it herself, only allowing Xin¡¯er to assist.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, you better go inside and help out there, you¡¯re scaring my Fourth Aunt."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and said, "Fine, I¡¯ve suddenly realized I¡¯m pretty useless."


    "Nonsense, you¡¯ve been very helpful today. If it weren¡¯t for you, the bride¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t have been so well behaved."


    Happy now, Ning Xin¡¯er went inside.


    Many hands make light work, and it didn¡¯t take long before they had nearly finished cleaning up. The remaining few relatives gathered inside to count the cash gifts, which was the most important part. After calculating the expenses, they figured out how much money they had left over.


    Then everyone sat down for a chat.


    "Little Tao, Yingzi," Fourth Aunt said to Song Tao and his wife, "your cousin and his wife are here. Whenever you want to start working, just let your cousin know, so he can help you settle in over there."


    Song Tao looked at his wife, Liu Ying, a refreshing-looking girl, who immediately said, "Tao and I were just discussing this. If it¡¯s convenient, we¡¯d like to move as soon as possible. We¡¯ve settled down now, so we need to earn our own living and support our parents. While we¡¯re young, we want to try our luck out there, earn more money, and eventually bring our parents to the city to enjoy life."


    Fourth Aunt was quite dissatisfied with Liu Ying¡¯s family, but since Liu Ying was such a good girl, she ultimately did everything she could to ensure her son and Liu Ying had a proper wedding. Hearing Liu Ying say this now made her feel even better about her daughter-in-law, and she smiled, "It¡¯s good that you have this mindset. As long as you two live well, that¡¯s all that matters."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then let me know when you¡¯re ready to go, and I¡¯ll make the arrangements on my end."


    After exchanging a look, Liu Ying said to Song Tao, "We¡¯ll stay home another week to finish tidying up, then we can start work next Monday."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Alright, move over next weekend then. I¡¯ll find a place for you to live, and you can go straight to work on Monday."


    "Thanks, Brother Xie!" Song Tao and Liu Ying immediately expressed their gratitude excitedly.


    Second Aunt smacked her son on the head and chided, "Did you hear that? You¡¯re also going to work with your brother next Monday. You should at least say ¡¯thank you¡¯."


    "Thanks, Brother Xie!" Meng Lei rubbed his head and chuckled sheepishly. He wasn¡¯t the quickest on the uptake and tended to lag behind in conversations.


    "You silly boy! When will you be able to find yourself a wife?" Second Aunt sighed in resignation. Her son wasn¡¯t stupid, but he seemed to lack some savvy, and he hadn¡¯t found a wife yet. Seeing Song Tao married was naturally making her anxious.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Second Aunt, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely help Little Lei find a wife."


    "I want one like my sister-in-law," Little Lei quickly responded this time.


    Everyone paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

 Chapter 738 - 777: Ning Xin’er’s Good Mood

    Chapter 738: Chapter 777: Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s Good MoodIn the afternoon, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er finally drove away from the place that had rekindled Li Yifei¡¯s sense of family.


    Li Yifei was in a good mood on the road; his driving wasn¡¯t very fast. While he drove, he enjoyed the scenery along the way. Although the leaves had already fallen, the sight still sparked a special interest in him.


    Ning Xin¡¯er and her daughter sat in the back. Little Yifei quickly fell asleep after getting into the car, her head resting on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s legs. Li Yifei drove slowly, not wanting to jostle the car too much, so that his daughter could sleep more comfortably.


    "If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep for a while too," Li Yifei said to Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head and said softly, "I¡¯m not sleepy."


    Li Yifei said, "You woke up so early today, how can you not be tired? Go ahead and take a nap."


    "It¡¯s okay, I can hold up. It¡¯s easy to feel lonely driving by yourself, and if you¡¯re not careful, all three of us could be ruined by your hands." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t you know what I used to do? If I could still have an accident while driving, then all those years of training would be for nothing."


    "It¡¯s still good for me to talk to you, isn¡¯t it? Besides, I¡¯ve been very happy these past two days, and I really can¡¯t sleep now."


    "Alright, if you don¡¯t want to sleep, then you don¡¯t have to. How about eating something? You didn¡¯t eat much at mealtime either."


    "Now that you mention it, I¡¯m actually a little hungry." Ning Xin¡¯er took out a bag of cookies, ate one, and then leaned forward a bit to bring a cookie to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, saying, "You have one too."


    Li Yifei tilted his head slightly and grasped the cookie with his mouth. Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "Eat like that, so you don¡¯t make a mess in the car."


    Li Yifei had to bite off half the cookie, chewed a few times, and swallowed. Then Ning Xin¡¯er brought the other half to his mouth. He opened his mouth to bite it, but his lips touched Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s fingers.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly withdrew her fingers, her face flushing red.


    This gesture suddenly broke the tacit understanding between them. Throughout the day, Li Yifei had not thought of Xu Yingying, Su Yiyi, Su Mengxin, or any other woman. He behaved as if he and Ning Xin¡¯er were truly husband and wife, treating Ning Xin¡¯er as if she were his own wife. He naturally and unconsciously cared for Ning Xin¡¯er. But when Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly withdrew her hand, Li Yifei realized that although they had a daughter, they were not husband and wife, and he quickly said, "It wasn¡¯t intentional."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was also secretly regretting her reaction, ruining the good vibe with a sudden flinch, but it was too late to take it back. She gently flicked her hair and said tenderly, "It¡¯s nothing. I just got a little carried away."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I really have to thank you. You gave me a lot of face, and if it wasn¡¯t for you, Song Tao¡¯s wedding wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly."


    However, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face carried a sweet smile, and she said, "It¡¯s nothing." But in her heart, she thought triumphantly, "You¡¯re going to thank me a lot more in the future. Now, your relatives all think I¡¯m your wife. I wonder how you¡¯re going to bring Xu Yingying back, and now that you¡¯ve brought Song Tao¡¯s couple and Meng Lei into the company, they¡¯re close by. If they visit each other, Li Yifei will have to bring me, his ¡¯wife,¡¯ along."


    Thinking this way, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mood became extremely good again, and she started humming a tune.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s voice was so lovely. When she sang, she had countless fans, and though she was now only humming, it was equally pleasing to the ear. Li Yifei was unwittingly captivated by Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Seeing Li Yifei so engrossed, Ning Xin¡¯er began to sing softly. Singing over the years, she had received countless screams and cheers from passionate fans, but none gave Ning Xin¡¯er as much of a sense of achievement as today. Singing for the man she loved was an indescribably beautiful feeling.


    With Ning Xin¡¯er singing for him, the journey passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had already brought Ning Xin¡¯er back to their apartment complex.


    After parking the car in the underground garage, Li Yifei turned to look at Ning Xin¡¯er, who gave him a radiant smile and said, "We¡¯re home."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "We¡¯re home."


    The two of them shared a smile, feeling an unusual kinship. Only then Li Yifei opened the car door to get out and opened the back door to first pick up Little Yifei, who was still fast asleep after being worn out from play and getting up early in the morning.


    "Should we go to my place?" Li Yifei asked after Ning Xin¡¯er got out of the car.


    Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head and replied, "No, you take the child home. I need to get some proper sleep at my house."


    Li Yifei was surprised as Ning Xin¡¯er usually wouldn¡¯t pass up such an invitation. This time, when he invited her, she had declined.


    Xin¡¯er waved her hand at Li Yifei with a smile and said, "Bye-bye!" She then turned and walked lightly towards the elevator of her building.


    Li Yifei shook his head and then carried his daughter into the elevator.


    When they got home, the house was quite lively¡ªXu Yingying and her sisters, Su Yiyi, and Meng Xiaofei were all there. Even Chu Xiaoyao, that lass, was at home.


    "Uncle, I¡¯m back," greeted Chu Xiaoyao as she opened the door for Li Yifei, immediately calling out excitedly.


    Li Yifei immediately shushed her, and Chu Xiaoyao realized that Little Yifei was asleep. She stuck out her tongue and said, "Little Yifei, why are you sleeping so deeply?"


    Li Yifei replied, "She¡¯s tired from playing," then he went straight into Little Yifei¡¯s room with her in his arms. Xu Yingying and the others followed him in to help Li Yifei take off the little girl¡¯s clothes to make her more comfortable for sleep.


    After settling Little Yifei, everyone returned to the living room. Chu Xiaoyao leaped excitedly onto Li Yifei, wrapping her arms around his neck, and asked, "Uncle, did you miss me?"


    "I did!" Li Yifei hugged Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom and gave it a light pat as he asked, "You rascal, how come you¡¯ve run back here?"


    "Because I missed you!" Chu Xiaoyao planted a big kiss on Li Yifei¡¯s face, not minding others in the room.


    Everyone was used to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s boldness and since she was seldom at home, nobody really minded. Li Yifei laughed, "You make it sound so sweet. Didn¡¯t you rush back because you heard the family got a new house and couldn¡¯t wait to see it?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve got a new home, of course, I had to come back. Otherwise, I¡¯d lose my presence here." Jumping down from Li Yifei, a bit of affection was fine and others wouldn¡¯t fuss about it. But if she clung onto him and didn¡¯t let go, it would very easily make Xu Yingying unhappy. Chu Xiaoyao was indeed clever. Though often mischievous, she was now more aware of the importance of things, especially when it came to her relationship with Xu Yingying.


    "Coming back so late, have you had dinner?" Xu Yingying asked.


    "Not yet, have you all eaten?"


    Su Yiyi quickly stood up and said, "We¡¯ve already eaten. I¡¯ll make something for you right now."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yiyi, just get me something ready, don¡¯t go to the trouble. The main thing is, I¡¯m a bit hungry."


    Su Yiyi agreed and went into the kitchen. She now felt rather at ease in this home, and Li Yifei did not over-care for her as before. This allowed Su Yiyi to better integrate into the family without always having to tread on eggshells.


    "How was the trip this time?" Xu Yingying asked when Li Yifei sat down next to her.


    Li Yifei nodded, "I met with my three aunts, and they are all doing pretty well. It was actually the first time I visited them since I returned. I have to say, it was my fault."


    "It¡¯s your own fault for not visiting them," Xu Yingying retorted.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "This time I went for my cousin¡¯s wedding. We talked a bit, and they¡¯d like to come work in the city. I think our company is still short-staffed, so I agreed."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "You used to be the Human Resources Manager and you know better than I do whether we need people. Besides, if relatives ask for help, it¡¯s only natural that we should help if we can."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I was afraid the big manager here might disagree."


    "Get out of here, your relatives are also mine. How could I disagree?" Xu Yingying paused, then added, "But you¡¯d better tell them not to slack off at work just because they¡¯re related to you. That would not be good for the company."


    Li Yifei nodded again and again, "I know. Favoritism is a big taboo in company management. I¡¯ll tell them to act as if they don¡¯t know me in the company. Besides, I¡¯m just a Security Manager there; even if they play my card, it wouldn¡¯t be of much use, right?"


    Xu Yingying huffed, "Yes, in their eyes, I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s their sister-in-law; it¡¯s Xin¡¯er."


    Li Yifei became somewhat embarrassed, "It was an accident that I picked up the child with Xin¡¯er and just happened to run into my Fourth Aunt that day."


    "Alright, no need to explain. I¡¯m really not good at handling things like this. If I say something inappropriate and offend your relatives, it would make things difficult for you. If Xin¡¯er is willing, let her play that role for now, and we can clarify things later when we have the chance."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, feeling relieved by Xu Yingying¡¯s understanding. If Xu Yingying had been unyielding, it wouldn¡¯t have been considered unreasonable, as it was totally within common sense. But it would have been a headache for Li Yifei.

 Chapter 739 - 778: The Bold Chu Xiaoyao

    Chapter 739: Chapter 778: The Bold Chu Xiaoyao"Brother Li, dinner¡¯s ready."


    It wasn¡¯t long before Su Yiyi came out of the kitchen to call Li Yifei. Li Yifei responded and entered the kitchen where the table was already set with dishes. Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yiyi, it¡¯s really nice to have you at home. Now I can come home to ready-made meals too."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and said, "That¡¯s great, from now on I can cook and let Brother Li have it a bit easier. It¡¯s just that my cooking isn¡¯t as delicious as yours, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei kissed Su Yiyi gently on the face and whispered, "Then I can teach you. It would be quite the interest for us to cook together in the kitchen."


    Startled, Su Yiyi quickly glanced outside and said in a low voice, "Brother Li, you scared me to death. What if Sister Yingying saw us?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Since she let you move in, she won¡¯t be angry with you anymore."


    "That¡¯s different. If I¡¯m too much with you in front of Sister Yingying, even if she doesn¡¯t say anything, she¡¯ll feel uncomfortable inside. Brother Li, when we¡¯re alone, you can do whatever you want, Yiyi will follow you, but in front of Sister Yingying, you... can you not act like you like me too much?"


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s pleading look, Li Yifei finally nodded and said with a kind of agony, "I¡¯ll listen to you, Yiyi. You really are wronged."


    A smile immediately appeared on Su Yiyi¡¯s face as she said softly, "I¡¯m not wronged. I¡¯m truly very happy right now. Let¡¯s eat quickly, I¡¯m going out." She then walked briskly out of the kitchen, her footsteps light, clearly in a good mood.


    As dinner was almost over, Su Yiyi came back in to wait for Li Yifei to finish so she could clean up the bowls and chopsticks. She was truly hardworking, and Li Yifei did not stop her. Right now, Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t do much. Doing something within her power in this home was a source of joy for her.


    Xu Yingying had already gone upstairs, and as soon as Su Yiyi finished cleaning up, Chu Xiaoyao immediately winked at Li Yifei, "Uncle, let¡¯s go upstairs."


    Even though Li Yifei had thick skin, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s blatant request still made him blush. Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t help but giggle and said, "Go on then, Xiaoyao has been waiting for you for half the day."


    Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm and stuck out her neck, "I just want to, who made it that I only get to see Uncle once in a while? Come on Sister Yiyi, let¡¯s go upstairs." She already took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand as she spoke.


    Su Yiyi was terribly embarrassed. Such things in private were one thing, but now in front of Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei, she felt so ashamed she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground.


    "Go ahead, go ahead, don¡¯t hold us up from watching TV." Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei.


    Under Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s vigorous pulling and dragging, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi had no choice but to follow her upstairs.


    But to Li Yifei¡¯s surprise, Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t pull him into her room, but instead ran towards Xu Yingying¡¯s room, making him widen his eyes in disbelief. What was Xiaoyao up to, she couldn¡¯t possibly be planning to rope Xu Yingying into this as well?


    "Sister Yingying!" Upon entering the room, Chu Xiaoyao immediately hugged Xu Yingying from behind.


    "What¡¯s up?" Xu Yingying jumped in shock, and when she turned around to see Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s ingratiating expression, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "What do you want to ask me for this time?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "Sister Yingying, can you let Uncle sleep with me tonight, please?"


    Xu Yingying blushed and scolded, "Do you even need to ask me? Just take him away."


    Chu Xiaoyao playfully blinked and said, "But I still have to tell you, Sister Yingying. You are our big sister, the mistress of our harem. How dare I whisk Uncle away without checking with you?"


    Xu Yingying was amused by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s antics and said, "Then this palace allows it."


    "Thank you, Sister Yingying!" Chu Xiaoyao kissed Xu Yingying heavily on the face, then grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and jubilantly said, "Uncle, Sister Yingying has approved. You belong to me tonight."


    Li Yifei was somewhat embarrassed, while Xu Yingying said, "Go on then, don¡¯t disturb my work here."


    Li Yifei smiled resignedly and let Chu Xiaoyao pull him out of the room, then into her own room.


    "Sister Yiyi, come on in!" Chu Xiaoyao then called out to the somewhat bewildered Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi quickly waved her hands saying, "No, no, I won¡¯t come in. I¡¯m going back to my room to sleep." Saying this, she ran like a rabbit back to her room, slammed the door shut, and locked it. There used to be fewer rooms, and she could only share a room with Chu Xiaoyao, but now that she had her own room, it seemed awkward to be together with Chu Xiaoyao.


    Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t averse to serving Li Yifei together with Chu Xiaoyao, it was just that Chu Xiaoyao had been away for so long, she wanted her to spend quality time alone with Li Yifei. Besides, Chu Xiaoyao had been so loud just now, being overheard by others, Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t save face, so she had to flee.


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted and complained, "Sister Yiyi really ran off. I¡¯m so used to being with Sister Yiyi when serving Li Yifei." Now that Chu Xiaoyao was away, she felt out of place.


    Li Yifei relaxed at that moment and laughed, "Now that we¡¯ve moved into the new house, Yiyi can come back more often. She just wanted to leave you more time with me."


    "But it¡¯s no fun alone. It¡¯s much more exciting with two people. Besides, you don¡¯t eat me, which is even less fun. Hey, Uncle, why don¡¯t you "eat" me tonight?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly got excited and winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was indeed a bit moved at this moment. He had been with Chu Xiaoyao for so long, and the girl had never changed her heart. Even if he really ended up ¡¯eating¡¯ Chu Xiaoyao, it would be normal. But Li Yifei still felt that doing so seemed a bit premature. In the end, he just smiled and said, "It¡¯s still early."


    "Early! You stinky old man!" Chu Xiaoyao glared at him and said, "Do you know that several of my roommates lost their virginity back in high school, and now some are cohabiting with their boyfriends? And here you are, still wanting me to remain a virgin; it¡¯s simply an insult."


    Li Yifei pinched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cheek and laughed, "Good things should be savored slowly, and besides, isn¡¯t that kind of anticipation also a very heart-fluttering affair? If we did everything too soon, wouldn¡¯t we lose that anticipation?"


    "Do you really think I¡¯m a good thing?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Of course, you¡¯re lively and lovely, and also beautiful, especially those big eyes. When you blink them, you¡¯re indescribably charming. How could I possibly not think you¡¯re great?"


    Chu Xiaoyao, flattered by Li Yifei¡¯s compliments, beamed with joy. Her cheeks were flushed as she snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s chest and said coquettishly, "I always thought you didn¡¯t really want me, which is why you were hesitating. Now I know, you really like me. Then, Xiaoyao will listen to you, Brother Li. Whenever you want Xiaoyao, I¡¯ll give myself to you."


    "Mhm, that¡¯s my good Xiaoyao. Hold on, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself; I haven¡¯t taken a shower yet," Li Yifei said as he restrained Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hands, which were starting to wander.


    "Then let¡¯s take a shower together."


    "Alright, alright, we¡¯ll take one together," Li Yifei agreed with a laugh.


    "Then I want you to carry me there," Chu Xiaoyao said as she wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck.


    "It¡¯s my honor," Li Yifei said and proceeded to lift Chu Xiaoyao horizontally.


    That night, Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao moved from the bathtub to the bedroom, bustling about until midnight. Although they didn¡¯t cross the final barrier, both Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao were incredibly satisfied.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to leave tonight. In the end, Chu Xiaoyao fell asleep in his arms, beautifully content. Tonight, Li Yifei belonged only to her, with no need to share him with anyone else, nor think about anyone else. She was truly content.


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!! S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!


    Because some content has been deleted, I can only add these extra words to meet the count, otherwise I can¡¯t make the changes, I hope everyone understands!!!!

 Chapter 740 - 719 Taking Care of He Fangqing After Surgery

    Chapter 740: Chapter 719 Taking Care of He Fangqing After Surgery"Brother Li, dinner is ready."


    It wasn¡¯t long before Su Yiyi came out of the kitchen to call Li Yifei. Li Yifei answered and went to the kitchen, where the table was already set with dishes. Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yiyi, it¡¯s so nice to have you at home. Now I can have a ready meal when I get back as well."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and said, "Well then, from now on I¡¯ll do the cooking, so Brother Li can relax a bit more. Oh, but my cooking isn¡¯t as delicious as yours, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei gently kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face and whispered, "Then I can teach you. When the two of us cook together in the kitchen, that would be quite a pleasure."


    Su Yiyi, frightened, quickly glanced outside and whispered reproachfully, "Brother Li, you scared me to death. What if Sister Yingying saw us?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "She let you move in; she won¡¯t be mad at you."


    "That¡¯s different. If I get too close with you in front of Sister Yingying, even if she doesn¡¯t say anything, she would be upset inside. So, Brother Li, when we¡¯re alone, you can do whatever you want. Yiyi will follow your lead, but in front of Sister Yingying, please... please don¡¯t act like you like me so much, okay?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Yiyi¡¯s pleading eyes and finally nodded, saying with much compassion, "I¡¯ll listen to you, Yiyi. I¡¯m really putting you in a tough spot."


    A smile immediately appeared on Su Yiyi¡¯s face as she said softly, "I¡¯m not aggrieved at all. I¡¯m really happy now. Let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m going out." With that, she quickly left, but her steps were very light, clearly in a good mood.


    As they were about to finish eating, Su Yiyi came back in, waiting for Li Yifei to finish his meal before she began to clear the dishes, showing incredible diligence. Li Yifei did not stop her, as there was nothing else Su Yiyi could do right now. Doing what she could around the house was, for her, a form of happiness.


    Xu Yingying had already gone upstairs, and once Su Yiyi finished washing up, Chu Xiaoyao winked at Li Yifei and said, "Uncle, let¡¯s go upstairs." It was Monday, and Xu Yingying was away on a business trip, not due back for two more days. Chu Xiaoyao had gone to school, and there were evening activities at Su Yiyi¡¯s school as well, which left Xu Shanshan thrilled. She could spend time alone with Li Yifei again. Although Little Yifei was at home, she had no impact on them as long as she went to bed early.


    However, Xu Shanshan¡¯s hopes were dashed by a phone call, which was from He Fangqing to Li Yifei. He Fangqing was suffering from severe stomach pain and didn¡¯t know what was happening. In Mile City, her best friends were Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, and with Xu Yingying away on a trip, she had no choice but to call Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan was reluctant but knew she couldn¡¯t keep Li Yifei from going, so she was left alone at home.


    Li Yifei drove quickly to He Fangqing¡¯s place, where she was curled up on the sofa, kneeling with her knees, raising her backside, and clutching her stomach tightly, an oddly distorted posture.


    "How are you feeling?" Li Yifei rushed to He Fangqing¡¯s side and asked anxiously.


    He Fangqing managed to twist her head, sweat dripping from her forehead, her lips bitten, barely squeezing out a word through clenched teeth, "Pain..."


    "Where exactly does it hurt?" Li Yifei moved his hand to He Fangqing¡¯s lower abdomen.


    "Here..." Speaking even a single word was difficult for He Fangqing.


    "This isn¡¯t good; it¡¯s appendicitis, and it seems to be acute." Li Yifei determined the location of the pain and became very worried.


    Normally, Li Yifei could handle general situations, but with acute appendicitis like He Fangqing¡¯s, it was beyond his immediate care. Such a condition required immediate surgery. Appendicitis might not be serious, but if not operated on quickly, it could result in complications such as a perforated intestine, which could be life-threatening.


    Without a word, Li Yifei carried He Fangqing. It was crucial to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible.


    They made it just in time. Upon arriving, the doctors immediately diagnosed appendicitis. After a brief examination, they rushed He Fangqing into the operating room.


    The surgery was actually minor and finished in less than half an hour. He Fangqing was wheeled out, and Li Yifei immediately went up to hold her hand, asking softly, "How are you feeling?"


    The surgery didn¡¯t require general anesthesia, so He Fangqing was still conscious, but understandably weak, and she whispered, "Much better now, thank you."


    "Why the formality with me?" Li Yifei glared, then personally pushed He Fangqing to the ward.


    He then carefully lifted He Fangqing onto the hospital bed, extra gentle to avoid disturbing her wound.


    He Fangqing, watching Li Yifei¡¯s anxious care, felt a mix of happiness and bitterness swell up in her heart. She was touched by his meticulous attention; he was even more caring than a husband would be to his wife. The bitter part was that Li Yifei was not her husband. Once she recovered, she would still be lonely, keeping vigil over an empty house. The desolation and loneliness at night were indescribable.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Does it hurt?" Seeing He Fangqing¡¯s expression change, Li Yifei immediately asked with concern.


    "No, the anesthetic hasn¡¯t worn off yet. Yifei, could you help me get a couple of clothes? I left in such a rush that I didn¡¯t change. Plus, I¡¯ll probably have to stay in bed for a couple of days. It won¡¯t do not to change clothes."


    Li Yifei glanced at the IV bag and said, "All right, I¡¯ll go and get them now. The medicine won¡¯t run out by the time I get back."


    "Thank you for the trouble," said He Fangqing, forcing a smile.


    Li Yifei scowled and said, "There you go again, being all polite. You¡¯ve been like that all day. Get some sleep now, I¡¯ll be back soon. No overthinking allowed."


    Sick people are often at their most vulnerable, especially someone like He Fangqing, who was alone and prone to feeling very despondent. Li Yifei kissed her on the cheek and gave her a few more instructions before quickly leaving.


    Less than half an hour later, Li Yifei had already brought He Fangqing two sets of clothes, along with several pairs of underwear. It¡¯s truly uncomfortable for a woman not to change her underwear daily, so that was a must.


    Li Yifei also brought a cup, a washbasin, towels, and other such things. These daily necessities were also essential for a hospital stay.


    By this time, He Fangqing had already fallen asleep. Li Yifei arranged everything quietly and then sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed, watching the IV drip.


    On the way back just now, Li Yifei had already told Xu Shanshan that he wouldn¡¯t be able to return home that night, advising Xu Shanshan to be careful on her own at home. Knowing that He Fangqing had undergone surgery, Xu Shanshan certainly wouldn¡¯t say anything, but she couldn¡¯t help blaming He Fangqing for falling ill at such an inconvenient time. If Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t been away on a business trip, at least she could have taken Li Yifei¡¯s place.


    In the middle of the night, He Fangqing woke up. The anesthetic had worn off, and it was the pain that roused her.


    As soon as He Fangqing opened her eyes, Li Yifei immediately said, "You¡¯re awake."


    He Fangqing stared blankly at Li Yifei, forgetting the pain in her wound, and said, "Have you been by my side this whole time?"


    "Hehe, aren¡¯t you sick? You had surgery after all. How could I not take care of you? Does the wound hurt?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s eyes reddened, and she said softly, "Yes!"


    Li Yifei took hold of He Fangqing¡¯s hand and said, "Then you¡¯ll just have to bear with it for now. It will be a lot better by tomorrow morning. You can¡¯t just take painkillers willy-nilly. It¡¯s not good for the healing of the wound."


    He Fangqing responded with a "Hmm," pursed her lips, and said, "I¡¯d like to drink some water."


    Li Yifei immediately fetched the cup, which luckily had some warm water in it, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to He Fangqing¡¯s lips, saying, "I¡¯ll feed you."


    He Fangqing opened her mouth and took a sip, and Li Yifei immediately wiped the water from the corner of her mouth with the towel with infinite patience; feed a spoonful, wipe a bit, and Li Yifei was utmostly patient.


    And He Fangqing just kept blankly staring at Li Yifei, drinking a spoonful whenever he offered.


    "Haven¡¯t you had enough? You can¡¯t drink too much just after surgery."


    "Oh, I¡¯ve had enough. Being fed water like this, I¡¯m too overjoyed and forgot all about it," He Fangqing said softly, meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Then don¡¯t drink any more."


    "Hmm!" He Fangqing smiled sweetly at Li Yifei, but still looked somewhat weak.


    "You¡¯re weak from the surgery. Rest more, and you will recover faster."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll go back to sleep." After saying this, He Fangqing frowned and said, "Yifei, I need to go to the bathroom."


    That was a bit of a problem. Appendicitis surgery is a minor procedure, and there¡¯s no need for a urinary catheter, but she definitely shouldn¡¯t be moving around right after the operation. Even if Li Yifei were to carry her to the bathroom, that could easily cause the wound to burst open.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Hold on for a sec. I¡¯ll go buy a bedpan." Then he dashed out.


    Li Yifei quickly returned, holding a flat white plastic bedpan in his hand.


    Seeing Li Yifei come over to take her pants off, He Fangqing felt rather embarrassed. Though she had been intimate with Li Yifei countless times, urinating in front of him was a first, and for He Fangqing, it was a very awkward situation.


    "There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, we¡¯re as close as can be. Tell me, what haven¡¯t I seen of you?" Li Yifei spoke to He Fangqing with a smile, but his hands delicately pulled down her pants, ensuring that his arm¡¯s strength completely protected her wound from any strain.


    "Stop it, don¡¯t look," said He Fangqing, realizing what was happening and feeling extremely embarrassed as Li Yifei snuck a peek.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I can¡¯t help but say, it¡¯s quite pretty down there. You should shave it off in the future."


    "I will not. Go shave your wife¡¯s," He Fangqing shot back, blushing even more.


    "Really now, we¡¯re practically an old married couple, and you¡¯re still embarrassed? Okay, okay, I won¡¯t look," Li Yifei turned his head away but kept whistling.


    He Fangqing finally managed to urinate, but felt unbearably shy. To think she had just peed in front of Li Yifei, something she had never even considered before, and Li Yifei¡¯s remarks made her feel deeply comforted; he truly took care of her like a husband at that moment.


    After she finished, Li Yifei carefully helped He Fangqing pull up her pants and covered her with the blanket before going out to dispose of the urine.


    Having just undergone surgery, He Fangqing should have been at her most vulnerable, but instead, she felt enveloped by sheer happiness. She was even grateful for the timing of her illness; if not for this sickness, how would Li Yifei have had the chance to care for her like this?


    Even a real husband could hardly have done better than Li Yifei, dealing with even the dirty work like handling urine and being incredibly gentle and considerate with her. If only things could always be like this, she wished she would never get better and could just lie in the hospital bed forever.


    S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 741 - 780: He Fangqing’s Emotion

    Chapter 741: Chapter 780: He Fangqing¡¯s EmotionHe Fangqing woke up to find the day already bright, with the rich aroma of millet porridge filling the hospital room.


    "Awake, huh? You just had surgery, so you can only eat some liquid foods. This millet porridge is just right for you," Li Yifei said with a cheerful smile as he brought a bowl of millet porridge to the bedside.


    "It smells so good," He Fangqing sniffed, unable to resist praising it.


    "If it smells good, it means you¡¯re hungry. Come on, eat slowly, it¡¯s still hot," Li Yifei ladled a small spoonful, gently blew on it, and brought it to He Fangqing¡¯s lips.


    He Fangqing took a bite and then exclaimed in surprise, "This millet porridge is so delicious, can you actually make something this tasty in the hospital?"


    "Hehe, as long as it tastes good," Li Yifei said, smilingly scooping another spoonful and blowing on it with the same care.


    After another bite, He Fangqing savored the flavor with her eyes narrowed and said, "This millet porridge definitely wasn¡¯t bought near the hospital. This is... you didn¡¯t go home specifically to make this for me, did you?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Going home is a bit far. I just borrowed the kitchen in a nearby hotel and used their little bit of millet."


    "This is... you made this for me with your own hands?" He Fangqing¡¯s eyes were already getting red.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, looking quite helpless and said, "Originally, I didn¡¯t want to cook it myself, but the chefs in the hotel refused to make it, so I had no choice but to do it myself."


    He Fangqing¡¯s tears couldn¡¯t help but flow down, startling Li Yifei. He quickly reached for a towel to wipe her tears, anxiously saying, "Why are you crying with emotion? That¡¯s not good for your wounds. Stop crying right now." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing sobbed twice and said, "It¡¯s your fault for making me so touched."


    Li Yifei teased, "Moved by just some millet porridge, huh? When I gave you all that essence of life, I didn¡¯t see you get moved."


    "You bad guy, how could I not have been moved then? And it was quite intense. Didn¡¯t you hear me shouting?" He Fangqing, teased by Li Yifei, was also reverting back to her bold self with him.


    "Oh, so that was you being moved? Well, once you¡¯re better, you¡¯ll have to ¡¯move¡¯ a bit more, hehe. It¡¯s not every day you¡¯re hairless, and I¡¯ve yet to savor that taste."


    "Keep dreaming. Even if I get the stitches out, that¡¯s going to take about a week, right? If I¡¯m to fully recover, won¡¯t that take half a month? By then, it will have grown back."


    "If it grows back, I¡¯ll just shave it again. That¡¯s definitely not difficult; I can handle it easily."


    "You bad guy, I¡¯m sick like this, and you¡¯re still thinking about naughty things."


    "Sorry, sorry. I¡¯ll think about that after you¡¯re better. Let¡¯s just eat now, eat now," said Li Yifei, scooping another mouthful of millet porridge for He Fangqing with a grin.


    After a few suggestive jokes, He Fangqing¡¯s mood had recovered, but deep down, she was even more moved because she knew that Li Yifei was acting this way precisely because he didn¡¯t want her to feel touched and didn¡¯t want her emotions to affect her physical recovery.


    He Fangqing wasn¡¯t quite full yet, but Li Yifei already stopped her from eating any more, saying, "Don¡¯t eat too much for now. Eat less each meal, but you can have multiple meals a day."


    "Oh..." He Fangqing licked her lips, still feeling somewhat unsatisfied. The millet porridge made by Li Yifei was really fragrant and sweet. She couldn¡¯t recall ever having such delicious millet porridge before.


    Xu Yingying was away on a business trip, and He Fangqing was the most important person in the company. Now that she was also sick, with both of the company¡¯s major leaders absent from work, how could He Fangqing rest easy?


    Before eight o¡¯clock, she started calling some of the company¡¯s middle managers, arranging work for them. Although she was the financial director, she was also like the vice-president of the company. Involved in the company¡¯s decision-making, she was very skilled at managing the company now.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t mention her illness or hospitalization to these middle managers to avoid them coming to see her, which would interfere with work.


    However, by noon, Michelle rushed over after coincidentally calling Li Yifei, who mentioned he was in the hospital taking care of He Fangqing. That¡¯s how Michelle learned that He Fangqing was hospitalized.


    Michelle brought over a large bouquet of fresh flowers and a basket of fruit. Li Yifei put the flowers into a vase and then unceremoniously opened the fruit basket, grabbed an apple, and began munching away. He told He Fangqing, "Since you can¡¯t eat this now, I won¡¯t share with you."


    Unable to help but laugh, Michelle said, "Brother Li, if you want to eat, I can buy you some more."


    "No need to go to all that trouble; they just looked pretty, so I just felt like eating one. Come on, watch over her for a while, I¡¯m going to step out for a smoke." And with that, he dashed out.


    Only then did He Fangqing remember that Li Yifei had been with her all afternoon and the previous night without once stepping out, nor had she ever detected the smell of smoke on his breath. She knew that for someone who smoked, being without cigarettes for a long time must be difficult, and the fact that Li Yifei abstained was to take care of her. He did not want her to smell the smoke, in case it made her cough and affected her wound.


    He Fangqing had never imagined that Li Yifei would be so good to her. She had thought their relationship was just a fleeting affair, born of a coincidental, abnormal encounter. Although she had found herself liking Li Yifei more and more, because of Xu Yingying, she no longer wanted to pursue anything further with Li Yifei. Being able to share the occasional night of joy with him was satisfaction enough for her.


    But now she suddenly realized that not only did she like Li Yifei, but she also yearned to be with him, hoping he would take care of her every day, allowing her to live in a home with a man.


    "Sister Fangqing, stop daydreaming. Brother Li will be back soon," Michelle chuckled, breaking He Fangqing¡¯s reverie.


    He Fangqing¡¯s face flushed as she retorted, "Michelle, now you¡¯re teasing me too. Don¡¯t forget, at the office, everyone thinks you¡¯re Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend."


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red, and she shot back, "Sister Fangqing, no matter what they say at the company, I¡¯m just holding a title in name. President Xu is truly Brother Li¡¯s wife, and you... you¡¯re even closer to Li Yifei than a girlfriend."


    Having been divorced once, He Fangqing was certainly more than a match for a young girl like Michelle. She laughed lightly, saying, "It looks like you¡¯re getting anxious. Why don¡¯t you take the initiative? Yifei isn¡¯t like he used to be; if you wait for him to make a move, you¡¯ll never get your chance. But with Little Snow¡¯s natural beauty and gentle demeanor, all it would take is a batting of your eyelashes and Brother Li would instantly surrender, becoming your devoted lover, your doting husband."


    Stomping her foot in embarrassment, Michelle protested, "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯re too bad. I couldn¡¯t possibly do such a thing."


    He Fangqing laughed even more, saying, "What¡¯s so hard about it? What era is this? You can¡¯t still be thinking like old times, expecting the boy to pursue the girl, right? Like with Yifei, by the time you¡¯re ready to be proactive, he might already be someone else¡¯s husband. Now you have no chance of being his wife. If you don¡¯t act soon, you won¡¯t even have the opportunity to be his lover."


    Michelle knew this all too well, but the traditional upbringing she received made it difficult for her to take the initiative, let alone seduce Li Yifei into bed. With a sigh, she said, "If it¡¯s not meant to be, then it¡¯s not meant to be. Then I¡¯ll just be Brother Li¡¯s confidante for life."


    "Hehe... That¡¯s not a bad idea. He¡¯s got a wife and lovers already; he just lacks a confidante. That¡¯s pretty precious. Who knows, this might even make him like you more."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes lit up, "Really?"


    "Look at how anxious you are. I was just saying things off the cuff; who can really make sense of matters of the heart?" He Fangqing¡¯s words seemed more directed at herself. She had always believed she could let go and her relationship with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t as close as before. But his care during this time made her defenses crumble, giving birth to an even stronger impulse to be with him.


    The two fell silent, each harboring their own thoughts, until Li Yifei entered and the conversation ceased. But some things, once they take root and sprout in the heart, become nearly impossible to eradicate.


    Breaking the silence first, Michelle spoke with concern, "Sister Fangqing, I came to visit but still don¡¯t understand what happened to you. Is it serious?"


    "It¡¯s just a minor appendicitis surgery; I¡¯ll be fine in a few days."


    "Well, that¡¯s good to hear, but surgery is still surgery, not a small matter. You should rest up properly."


    "Sigh, it¡¯s a critical time at work, and I just had to fall sick now. I want to rest, but I¡¯m really anxious."


    "No matter how anxious you are, you still need to stay in the hospital. Besides, Vice-president Xu will be back tomorrow, so you can stop worrying. If there¡¯s anything I can help with, I¡¯ll make sure to do my best when I get back."


    "I¡¯ve already arranged most things, and our company¡¯s team is very capable. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems. You don¡¯t need to stay here with me. Go back to the office this afternoon and let Yifei keep me company. He¡¯s the least busy one in the office, and the company can¡¯t do without you."


    Michelle chuckled, "You¡¯re chasing me away so quickly, huh? It seems I¡¯m really in the way here."


    "You got it right. It¡¯s my first time having this mister wait on me. I¡¯ve got to make the most of it."


    A blush crept up Michelle¡¯s cheeks as she said, "Brother Li is really good at taking care of people." She remembered one time on a business trip when she had twisted her ankle and Li Yifei¡¯s attentiveness had made her feel particularly warm and cherished.


    As they talked, both were filled with their own secret desires, which subsided only when Li Yifei walked in. However, some feelings, once they start growing in the heart, become incredibly difficult to dispel.

 Chapter 742 - 781

    Chapter 742: 781Li Yifei had been taking care of He Fangqing for two days before Xu Yingying finally rushed back, and she had no objections to how Li Yifei cared for He Fangqing.


    In fact, in Xu Yingying¡¯s heart, her best female friend was still He Fangqing. They used to be close sisters, and after Xu Yingying married Li Yifei, He Fangqing kept her distance from Li Yifei, never approaching him proactively. This was what Xu Yingying was most grateful for; at that time, she had even told He Fangqing to sleep with Li Yifei for her, but He Fangqing still didn¡¯t do that. If He Fangqing had actually followed her words, Xu Yingying would have been powerless.


    Even though Xu Yingying was now quite generous, allowing Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi to live in her home, there was, after all, a feeling of being coerced. To say there were no hard feelings at all would be absolutely impossible.


    So although she and Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi seemed as close as sisters now, her real good friend was still He Fangqing. Seeing He Fangqing could only lie in the hospital bed, Xu Yingying was truly anxious.


    When Xu Yingying arrived, Li Yifei was helping He Fangqing walk slowly in the ward, which made Xu Yingying suddenly panic and said, "Didn¡¯t she just have surgery? How can she be out of bed already? What if the wound bursts open?"


    He Fangqing hurriedly said, "The doctor said that only for the first twenty hours you have to lie in bed without moving, but after twenty hours, you still need to move around more to help with the recovery of the wound. I really don¡¯t want to move, but your husband insists on it, and I have no choice."


    Xu Yingying then breathed a sigh of relief, came over to support He Fangqing¡¯s other arm, and said, "Tell me, how did this happen? Now you¡¯ve even got appendicitis, this is really suffering."


    He Fangqing gave a wry smile and said, "This darn thing is always a curse; it¡¯s a good thing to cut it out early, but the timing really couldn¡¯t be worse, just when it¡¯s the busiest time."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about the company, it¡¯s mostly on track now, not like at the beginning, when you couldn¡¯t leave for even a day. Besides, you now have a dedicated secretary. If there¡¯s anything, just let him do it. He has been idling around enough these days; it would be a pity not to have him work and earn his salary."


    Li Yifei, with a face of grievance, said, "Hey, wife, it¡¯s not nice to be so harsh. The money I make is also for our family to spend."


    "Hmph, taking care of Fangqing now is also a big deal. Fangqing is the chief financial officer in the company, much more important than you. If you take good care of her, that also counts as you doing good work." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three of them joked and laughed for a while, and with Li Yifei¡¯s help, He Fangqing lay down on the bed again. Normally, a patient who had just had surgery would find getting in and out of bed very painful, as no matter how you exert force, it¡¯s easy to pull the wound. However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t let He Fangqing suffer this torment; when she moved in and out of bed, she didn¡¯t have to use any strength at all, completely relying on Li Yifei¡¯s arrangement, which required great strength, something ordinary people could not easily do.


    "Wife, I have an idea," Li Yifei said to Xu Yingying after sitting down.


    "What idea? I¡¯m telling you, you just take care of Fangqing these two days and you¡¯re not allowed to do anything else."


    "I know, but there are many inconveniences in the hospital, and Fangqing can now move. I think we should just take her to our home, which would be more convenient to take care of her."


    "That¡¯s actually a good idea, but what about the IV drips?"


    "I can do that myself."


    "You can do that?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course, I can. If you¡¯re not confident in me, I can ask a doctor from the clinic in our neighborhood to come over to insert the IV. I can just be responsible for removing it."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t discussed this matter with He Fangqing in advance, and He Fangqing hurriedly said, "Forget it, that¡¯s too inconvenient, moving into your house even more so."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "We¡¯ve moved to a new house, I haven¡¯t told you yet. Now there are four bedrooms and two living rooms upstairs and downstairs. You moving in will be absolutely no problem, so let¡¯s do this, and we¡¯ll handle the procedures now to take Fangqing back home."


    Although He Fangqing wanted to object, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying didn¡¯t give her a chance, and the procedures were quickly completed. Li Yifei carried He Fangqing horizontally out of the hospital, and they took a car back home.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s new home, He Fangqing was very impressed. There were two guest rooms downstairs. Meng Xiaofei, that girl, loved to come and stay here when she was back. There was also another room, which was just right for He Fangqing.


    Xu Yingying only sat at home for a while before she hurriedly rushed back to the company, leaving only He Fangqing and Li Yifei in the house.


    "Yifei..." He Fangqing lay on the sofa, looking at Li Yifei peeling an apple, and softly called out.


    Li Yifei turned his head toward her, smiled, and said, "What¡¯s up?"


    With a gaze as soft as water, He Fangqing said gently, "Thank you."


    Li Yifei glared and said, "There you go again. If you thank me one more time, I¡¯m going to be upset with you."


    He Fangqing closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, there was a look of intoxication and happiness in her gaze as she said, "To have lived with you for this period of time, I am satisfied."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, his mouth curling into a smile as he said, "Fangqing, I really am sorry."


    "Why are you apologizing?" He Fangqing¡¯s hand gently caressed Li Yifei¡¯s leg.


    "I can¡¯t give you..."


    He Fangqing chuckled, cutting off Li Yifei¡¯s words, "I never asked for anything, did I? You¡¯re my good friend Yingying¡¯s husband. Don¡¯t you men have a saying, ¡¯Don¡¯t covet a friend¡¯s wife¡¯? We women feel the same. Yingying has been so good to me, if I were to compete with her for her husband, wouldn¡¯t I be completely inhumane?"


    "Heh..." Li Yifei could only give a light laugh.


    He Fangqing smiled again and then said, "But... Yifei, right now I really feel a bit like being with you, being alone is just too lonely."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth fell open, not knowing how to reply for a moment.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not trying to steal you as a husband. Could I just be your mistress like Yiyi and Xiaoyao?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Aren¡¯t you already?"


    "It¡¯s not the same, now I can¡¯t see you every day, I can¡¯t talk to you. It¡¯s just the occasional time we spend together, you know, doing that thing in bed, and then you leave. I... I still feel very lonely."


    Li Yifei understood He Fangqing¡¯s feelings. Actually, he didn¡¯t feel good about it either, but it was also something he dared not agree to recklessly.


    "I¡¯m not trying to trouble you, Yifei. It was just a thought, in fact, Yingying had already told me to spend more time with you, but I never did. It¡¯s only these past two days lying in bed that I began to let my mind wander foolishly. Heh, don¡¯t take it seriously."


    With He Fangqing¡¯s words, Li Yifei felt even worse inside. After hesitating, he said, "Fangqing, about this, let me feel out Yingying¡¯s attitude, see if she agrees or not. If she can agree, then you can move in here in the future."


    "No, you can¡¯t ask her about this. If you do and Yingying agrees, that¡¯s fine, but if she doesn¡¯t, then it will be difficult for both of us to face each other after that. Besides, I was really just having a sudden thought before; now that I¡¯ve calmed down, I no longer want to do it."


    "I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault for causing you this mental burden. Please, Yifei, let¡¯s not think about it anymore, okay? If you keep this up, I¡¯ll just leave right now."


    Seeing He Fangqing really about to get up, Li Yifei was startled and quickly pressed down on her shoulders, saying, "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t think about it. We¡¯ll keep things as they are now."


    "Mm-hmm, it¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t gone to work these two days. Once I start working again, I won¡¯t have so many thoughts. The more idle I am, the more problems I have, heh..."


    "Here, have a bite of apple. Chew it well; it aids digestion." Li Yifei cut a small piece of apple and brought it to He Fangqing¡¯s mouth.


    He Fangqing smiled sweetly and, following Li Yifei¡¯s suggestion, chewed slowly for a good while before swallowing. She hadn¡¯t been playing mind games with Li Yifei; she had just been moved by impulse at the moment. But after having spoken, she regretted it deeply since it put Li Yifei in a difficult position. That¡¯s why she tried so hard to backtrack, but what¡¯s done was done, and despite what He Fangqing said, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t forget the words she had uttered a moment ago.


    By evening, everyone was home. Even though He Fangqing was an additional presence, everyone was very familiar with each other, and nobody felt uncomfortable. However, before going to bed, Xu Yingying said, "Husband, tonight let Sister Fangqing sleep in Sister Mengxin¡¯s room. It will be easier to look after her that way."


    This was a good idea, and Li Yifei immediately agreed. He carried He Fangqing into Su Mengxin¡¯s room, and Xu Yingying followed, chuckling softly, "Husband, you can sleep here with Fangqing tonight."


    "Ah?" Both Li Yifei and He Fangqing were stunned.


    Xu Yingying shrugged and said, "Sister Fangqing is still having difficulty getting up, and I can¡¯t be of much help later on. It¡¯ll still be you who has to do it. If Sister Fangqing needs to use the bathroom or something in the middle of the night, how will she call you? You can just stay here."


    He Fangqing immediately protested, "No need, no need, I won¡¯t get up at night, and besides, how can you put your husband in my room? What would that look like?"


    Xu Yingying gave He Fangqing a playful look and said, "Sister Fangqing, stop saying that. If I can accept Xiaoyao and Yiyi, would I care about you?"


    "I..." He Fangqing was suddenly at a loss for words. Before, when Xu Yingying said such things, she always felt they weren¡¯t true, but today, in Xu Yingying¡¯s own home, to hear her say these words, there could be no falsehood.


    Should she agree or not? If she agreed, she could legitimately become a member of the family. If she didn¡¯t, she might never have such a chance again.

 Chapter 743 - 783 He Fangqing’s Guidance

    Chapter 743: Chapter 783 He Fangqing¡¯s GuidanceHe Fangqing still hadn¡¯t figured out what was going on when Xu Yingying had already walked out, leaving He Fangqing with her mouth agape, unable to close it for quite some time.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t at all surprised by Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior. As Yingying herself said, if she could tolerate Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi, then why couldn¡¯t she tolerate He Fangqing, her best friend?


    Patting He Fangqing¡¯s hand, Li Yifei said with a smile, "I¡¯ll go get some water for you and give you a good wipe down." Then he headed straight out.


    "What... what exactly does Yingying mean by this?" Seeing Li Yifei come in, He Fangqing¡¯s expression showed a girlish shyness.


    Li Yifei put down the basin of water and the towel, and said, "What do you think?"


    "I... how would I know?" He Fangqing bit her lip, her mind having already considered the possibility, but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe it.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Stop pretending, Yingying is now in so much debt she doesn¡¯t hold grudges, and with so many lice she doesn¡¯t bother biting anymore, adding you to the mix makes no difference."


    He Fangqing said timidly, "Really?"


    "What¡¯s not to believe? Otherwise, would she let me stay here to take care of you? Come on, take off your clothes. I¡¯ll give you a thorough wipe down today. I didn¡¯t give you a proper wipe down the last two days in the hospital."


    "Don¡¯t... It¡¯ll be so embarrassing if Yingying comes in." He Fangqing tried to stop Li Yifei, but he was already holding her and starting to undress her, so she could only half-heartedly let Li Yifei undress her completely.


    Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open. He Fangqing was startled and instinctively reached for the blanket to cover her body, but Li Yifei pressed her down, saying, "Don¡¯t move around, what if you tear your wound?"


    Xu Yingying was the one who came in, quickly adding, "Exactly, don¡¯t move. I¡¯m not a man, there¡¯s nothing for you to feel embarrassed about."


    He Fangqing was extremely embarrassed and managed a forced smile, saying, "Yingying... I... you..."


    Xu Yingying chuckled, "It seems I¡¯ve come at an inconvenient time. I should have come later."


    He Fangqing felt even more mortified, but at that moment honestly didn¡¯t know what to say. In her current state, she was definitely not doing anything bad with Li Yifei, but being undressed by Xu Yingying¡¯s husband in front of her was equally embarrassing.


    Xu Yingying stopped teasing He Fangqing and said, "Sister Fangqing, I actually do have something I want to discuss with you. Husband, you do your thing, I¡¯ll talk to Sister Fangqing about the company stuff."


    Li Yifei responded affirmatively, took the towel, wiped He Fangqing¡¯s face first, and then she was free to chat with Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying did indeed come to discuss serious matters with He Fangqing. After speaking for a while, He Fangqing also became engrossed. She was now a workaholic, and Dreamfly Company could be said to be built by Xu Yingying and He Fangqing together. Both had strong feelings for the company, especially now during the critical moment of opening, there were a lot of things to do. He Fangqing couldn¡¯t go into the office at this time, and was anxious about it. As soon as Xu Yingying mentioned the company, she immediately put everything else out of her mind.


    He Fangqing immediately calculated in her mind the matter just mentioned by Xu Yingying and estimated roughly, "We¡¯ll need between one and one point two million."


    "That¡¯s not a small amount. We can cut back a bit more. Our company has always been investing, and although the funds are still sufficient, we also need to save a bit to avoid a shortage of funds when we actually need them."


    "Hmm, I¡¯ll have someone recalculate it properly later to see if we can minimize the expenses to the lowest."


    Seeing the two discuss business, Li Yifei left them to it. He was not adept at such matters and didn¡¯t want to learn.


    "Yingying..." After the business talk was over and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t come back, presumably gone to bathe, He Fangqing hesitated a moment before finally speaking earnestly to Xu Yingying, "Yingying, I can¡¯t do this."


    "Why?" Xu Yingying looked at He Fangqing with confusion and said very seriously, "I¡¯m not joking with you; I¡¯m seriously discussing this with you."


    He Fangqing smiled faintly and took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, "Yingying, let me ask you a question and answer without any pretense."


    Xu Yingying paused for a moment, then nodded her head. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Would you rather spend your life with Yifei alone or share him with other women? Don¡¯t deceive yourself and don¡¯t make excuses for others¡ªjust tell me what you truly feel in your heart."


    Xu Yingying opened her mouth, then her eyes became a bit distant. After a while, she sighed softly, "Of course, I wish Yifei would love only me and live only with me."


    He Fangqing¡¯s smile grew even more radiant, "Exactly, which woman would want another woman sharing her husband? It¡¯s human nature. Even though Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi are here for some special reasons, and you had to agree to it, clearly, you¡¯re still not comfortable with it. As your good friend, how could I possibly make you feel even less comfortable? So, I will not be with Yifei."


    Xu Yingying stared into He Fangqing¡¯s eyes, "Then you... don¡¯t like Yifei and don¡¯t want to be with him?"

 Chapter 744 - 783: He Fangqing’s Guidance_2

    Chapter 744: Chapter 783: He Fangqing¡¯s Guidance_2He Fangqing gripped Xu Yingying¡¯s hand tightly and said, "To like is to like, but liking someone doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you have to be together. Love is not just about taking, it¡¯s not just about possessing. Love also requires giving, it requires a kind of letting go. Seeing Yifei happy with you, seeing my good friend happy, that¡¯s my happiness too."


    Xu Yingying was completely shaken by He Fangqing¡¯s words. This was a concept she had never considered before, and He Fangqing¡¯s perspective deeply touched the real feelings she had been suppressing in her heart.


    "Sister Fangqing..." Xu Yingying held He Fangqing¡¯s hand, her eyes reddening. In truth, Xu Yingying herself felt aggrieved. With her status and beauty, countless men coveted her, among whom were numerous outstanding men. Yet, being with Li Yifei, she had to share him with other women.


    He Fangqing smiled slightly and said, "Yingying, I really didn¡¯t expect you to have such a generous heart to accommodate Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao. But as your close sister, I can no longer share your man with you. I hope you can get more of Yifei¡¯s love. Yifei is a good man, but he¡¯s too attractive to women. You may be too indulgent with him for fear of him leaving. As a wife, you need to set some boundaries for him, so he can truly realize the importance of you as his wife."


    "This..." Xu Yingying gave a wry smile and said, "I really don¡¯t know how to do that."


    He Fangqing glanced at the door and said, "Go close the door, and let¡¯s have a proper chat."


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly and immediately went to the door. However, Li Yifei was also at the door, wrapped only in a bath towel. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You go back to the room and rest a while, or go downstairs and watch TV with Shanshan. Sister Fangqing and I have some things to talk about."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, puzzled, and said, "You guys talk about your work. I won¡¯t butt in. I¡¯ve already finished showering. If I go downstairs, I have to get dressed again."


    "I don¡¯t care, just go downstairs, and don¡¯t disturb us here." Xu Yingying didn¡¯t agree this time to let Li Yifei stay upstairs and insisted he go downstairs. The guy had very sharp ears, and if he tried to eavesdrop, she wouldn¡¯t even notice. It was better to send him away.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Alright, alright, I really don¡¯t know what you two have to talk about."


    Once Xu Yingying saw that Li Yifei had changed and gone downstairs, she turned back, closed the door tightly, came to He Fangqing¡¯s bedside, and whispered like a thief, "Fangqing, we can talk now."


    He Fangqing chuckled and said, "Yingying, that attitude of yours is not right to begin with. You have to remember, you are Yifei¡¯s wife. Even if you¡¯re going to say something, there¡¯s no need to act like a thief."


    Xu Yingying straightened her chest and asked, "Is this better?"


    He Fangqing nodded and said, "If this change comes from the heart, you need to have a strong desire to possess him. ¡¯My husband is mine, and no one else can take him away. If anyone dares to try, then I absolutely cannot allow it. If my husband has thoughts about other women, then I must put him in his place strictly, including not letting him into bed at night.¡¯"


    "Also, you can¡¯t give a man too much freedom. He needs to report to you where he goes every day; you have to keep track of his whereabouts at all times."


    Xu Yingying listened, startled, and said, "Isn¡¯t that a bit too much? Doesn¡¯t that make it seem like I don¡¯t trust him?"


    "He is a man who doesn¡¯t inspire trust. Men are like kites; no matter how high or far they fly, you have to be able to control them from below."


    "Oh, but I can¡¯t be calling him all the time every day to ask where he is, can I?"


    "You don¡¯t have to do that. He usually just goes to work, and naturally, he¡¯s at the same company as you, so he can¡¯t do much. But if he needs to go out, he must ask for your permission, and he has to tell you where he¡¯s going. If he wants to go out at night, he needs to be clear with you about it."


    After thinking it over, Xu Yingying said, "I can do that, but what if he says he¡¯s going to see someone else? Like, for example, Ye Yunzhu or Ning Xin¡¯er? Can I stop him from seeing them?"


    He Fangqing replied, "That¡¯s the challenge, indeed. Ning Xin¡¯er is Little Yifei¡¯s mother, and she can come up with plenty of reasons to get Yifei out of the house. Ye Yunzhu is now pregnant with Yifei¡¯s child."


    Xu Yingying spoke with distress, "Exactly, that¡¯s what¡¯s giving me such a headache. I want to keep Yifei¡¯s heart close to me, but he¡¯s tangled up in so much mess. If I firmly refuse to let him see them, that also seems unreasonable."


    He Fangqing pondered and said, "Yifei currently doesn¡¯t have feelings for Ning Xin¡¯er. Even though they have a child, that¡¯s easier to handle. But as for Ye Yunzhu, with the current situation, it¡¯s truly hard to control."


    "Yes!" Xu Yingying spoke with utter helplessness, "Unless I don¡¯t stay with Yifei, I¡¯ll always have to face them. I can¡¯t avoid them. Once Yunzhu has the child, I can¡¯t stop Yifei, the father, from seeing his child. If we take the child home, I can¡¯t prevent Yunzhu, the mother, from coming to see the child."


    He Fangqing gave a bitter smile and said, "That¡¯s the reality. But as someone with experience, even so, you have to keep an eye on him. I think you might as well..." He Fangqing suddenly thought of a plan, her spirits lifting again.

 Chapter 745 - 783 He Fangqing’s Enlightenment_3

    Chapter 745: Chapter 783 He Fangqing¡¯s Enlightenment_3"What should I do?" Xu Yingying immediately perked up.


    "Now that an encounter with Ye Yunzhu is unavoidable, we can¡¯t let Yifei have unrestricted contact with her. At the very least, there should be some constraints, like meeting once a week, and only on that day can he spend time with Ye Yunzhu. The rest of the time is off-limits."


    "But if Ye Yunzhu found out about this requirement, wouldn¡¯t she be very angry?"


    "What does it matter to you whether she gets angry or not? As a wife, to tolerate this much is already not easy. Besides, it¡¯s definitely not going to be you who tells her. You just need to make the request to Li Yifei, and how to handle it will be his problem. If he¡¯s been flirting around outside, you¡¯ve been turning a blind eye; shouldn¡¯t he make some sacrifices too? Isn¡¯t that right?"


    Thinking it over, Xu Yingying realized she really was spoiling Li Yifei, and as his wife, it was only fair that he should take responsibility.


    "As for Ning Xin¡¯er, normal interactions are not prohibited, but try to prevent them from meeting at night. It¡¯s best if they meet when you are present. I think Yifei wouldn¡¯t refuse that, right?"


    Xu Yingying nodded. She wasn¡¯t particularly worried about Ning Xin¡¯er at the moment; after all, Li Yifei had been quite mindful about the situation with Ning Xin¡¯er. But then she remembered something and said with a wry smile, "The other day, Yifei met his aunt while with Ning Xin¡¯er, and his aunt ended up thinking that Ning Xin¡¯er was his wife. When Li Yifei went home for his cousin¡¯s wedding over the weekend, he brought both Ning Xin¡¯er and Little Yifei with him, and now all his relatives think Ning Xin¡¯er is his wife."


    He Fangqing looked at Xu Yingying with a helpless expression, "How could you be so foolish? Why would you let Ning Xin¡¯er go?"


    "Sigh, if you hadn¡¯t spoken to me today, I would have continued to muddle along with the attitude of letting things slide, content as long as Yifei treated me well without any desire to restrict him." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You really are naive. There¡¯s nothing you can do about that situation for now, or Yifei wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself to the relatives. Later on, you¡¯ll have to find some opportunity to assert your status as his wife. Besides, having learned from this experience, you should keep in mind that whatever happens, you must secure your status as his wife."


    "Mhm, I understand. Is there anything else?" Xu Yingying asked humbly.


    "Yes! There¡¯s another important thing, which is to control the man¡¯s purse strings. A man without money in his pocket can¡¯t do anything bad even if he wants to. So you can¡¯t let Yifei have too much cash on hand. Just give him enough for buying cigarettes or cab fare."


    "Isn¡¯t that a bit too harsh?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Not at all. If he needs money, he can ask you. You¡¯re not going to not give it to him, so what can he say? Given his past actions, he definitely won¡¯t dare to object to this demand."


    Xu Yingying said with a mix of laughter and helplessness, "I just recently gave him total control over our finances. He handles all the money at home. To take back control of the finances so soon seems a little excessive. Plus, he¡¯s the one who mostly looks after the household and spends the money; if I don¡¯t leave him enough, it¡¯ll be embarrassing if he¡¯s ever short on cash when he goes grocery shopping."


    "That¡¯s easy to solve, just have him carry around about five hundred or so, that should be enough. Plus, you can join him when he goes grocery shopping, which is a good way to strengthen your bond."


    "That I can manage, but what about Yiyi? She has quite a lot of money. If Yifei asks her for money, she¡¯s definitely going to give it to him."


    "This is where you need to form an alliance. Make it clear to Su Yiyi; she wouldn¡¯t dare disobey you, would she? Now that you¡¯re tolerating her, she won¡¯t risk offending you. Plus, if you discuss this in front of Yifei, how could he have the nerve to make Yiyi uncomfortable? He cares about Yiyi the most and is terrified that any conflict between Yiyi and you might arise. He wouldn¡¯t dare ask Yiyi for money for fear it might cause a rift between you two."


    "That makes sense." Xu Yingying nodded immediately in agreement.


    "Besides keeping Li Yifei in check, you should also keep Su Yiyi on your side. Always have her on the same page as you. Just having Yiyi on your side, with one of you being assertive and the other gentle, even if he were Sun Wukong, he wouldn¡¯t escape the palm of your hands."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yingying chuckled. Suddenly, the idea of disciplining her own husband felt amusing, and most importantly, deep down she truly did not want any more people sharing Li Yifei. Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao were unavoidable, but anyone else had to be stopped.

 Chapter 746 - 784: Sisters’ Private Conversation

    Chapter 746: Chapter 784: Sisters¡¯ Private Conversation"Sister Fangqing, I really don¡¯t know how to thank you enough." Xu Yingying, having received He Fangqing¡¯s enlightenment, truly didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment.


    "What¡¯s our relationship, to talk of thanks or no thanks?" He Fangqing patted Xu Yingying on the back of her hand, happy for Xu Yingying, but in her heart, there was an inevitable sense of loss. Saying this meant isolating herself from Li Yifei, and deep down it still hurt.


    Xu Yingying looked at He Fangqing and suddenly let out a chuckle, "Sister Fangqing, with all your experience, why don¡¯t you help me manage Yifei together?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s face turned red, and she quickly shook her head, "Yingying, thank you, but I really don¡¯t want to do that. My first marriage ended because someone else took my husband, I don¡¯t want to take someone else¡¯s husband, especially not my good sister¡¯s."


    Xu Yingying spoke passionately, "Sister Fangqing, you wouldn¡¯t be stealing my husband, but helping me to keep him close to me. I really don¡¯t mind, and we could become even better sisters." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing was almost about to agree, but in the end, she still shook her head and said, "Yingying, I appreciate your kindness, but I can¡¯t get over this barrier in my heart, let¡¯s just drop it."


    Seeing He Fangqing so resolute, Xu Yingying sighed softly and said, "If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t insist. However, Sister Fangqing, whatever you and Yifei have, I really don¡¯t mind. Whenever you want Yifei to accompany you, I¡¯ll let him. You don¡¯t need to refuse this. I know you like Yifei and still consider me so much. If I can¡¯t even offer this much, then I¡¯m not really your good sister."


    "This..."


    "As a married woman, I can understand how boring and lonely it is when your husband is not by your side. Just like the time Yifei wasn¡¯t with me, I was finding it very difficult at night. I don¡¯t want you to go out looking for other men. I think no other man is worthy of Sister Fangqing, and what if you meet a man like your ex-husband? You¡¯ll be even more hurt."


    He Fangqing, who couldn¡¯t bear to completely sever ties with Li Yifei but didn¡¯t want to be like Su Yiyi and the others out of immense guilt to Xu Yingying, had been refusing all along. Now, hearing what Xu Yingying said, she finally nodded her head, somewhat shyly saying, "Alright, if I get really bored, I might borrow your husband for a bit."


    "Hehe, feel free to use him, no need to be polite with me. That guy is like an old ox, always tossing me till I¡¯m half-dead. If you can share some of the load, it¡¯ll give me some relief."


    "Yeah, that guy¡¯s stamina is really too good. He can go several times without any issues, so you can¡¯t just let him do as he wishes. You¡¯ll have to use some moves then."


    "Ah... what moves?" Xu Yingying immediately widened her eyes to ask.


    He Fangqing knew that Xu Yingying was probably more traditional, and seeing her like this, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly, "You, you can¡¯t always lie there and let him have his way. Why not use your hands and mouth to help out fully?"


    "Use my mouth..." Xu Yingying immediately pursed her lips, an expression of discomfort on her face.


    "Giggle, it¡¯s your own husband, what¡¯s there to feel uncomfortable about? You should try it, it¡¯s really not that uncomfortable. And watching your man in ecstasy under your care can be a great pleasure too."


    "But... isn¡¯t that a bit too... that?" Xu Yingying was still unable to accept it in her heart.


    The two of them spoke privately about such things, having both been intimate with Li Yifei, so they were completely unguarded in their discussion.


    He Fangqing chuckled, "Let me tell you, men sometimes like this kind of thing. They enjoy being serviced by women. Even if you¡¯re not very good at it, just the fact that you¡¯re willing satisfies them on an emotional level. And doing this kind of thing isn¡¯t tiring at all, it¡¯s much easier than letting him have his way with you."


    Xu Yingying suddenly let out a mischievous laugh, "Really? Then why don¡¯t you demonstrate it to me one day? I could learn a bit."


    "Haha, if you dare to watch, I dare to demonstrate it."


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of watching? Should I call Yifei in now for you to demonstrate?"


    "Ah, for real?"


    "Of course, for real." Xu Yingying was triumphantly smug.


    He Fangqing held her forehead and said, "My goodness, married women really are different. Such thick skin."


    Xu Yingying immediately felt a little embarrassed and retorted, "I only talk like this with you, I wouldn¡¯t do that with Yiyi and Xiaoyao."


    "Of course, you have to maintain your dignity in front of them. You can¡¯t do such face-losing things. But look at my current situation, can I even demonstrate for you? I need to wait until I¡¯m better. If you¡¯re in a hurry, though, I could teach you a technique."


    "What technique?" Xu Yingying was very curious.


    "Get a banana, and instead of biting it bit by bit, eat it as if it was an ice-cream bar. After you¡¯ve eaten about ten bananas, you¡¯ll have learned."


    The image He Fangqing described sprang into Xu Yingying¡¯s mind, and she immediately understood the implication. That banana would be just like Li Yifei¡¯s thing, and her face flushed red.


    "Then I¡¯ll get two bananas for you to show me." Xu Yingying was embarrassed but didn¡¯t forget to tease He Fangqing.


    "Sure, I¡¯ll demonstrate for you, and you can learn. Go ahead and get them," He Fangqing was surprisingly open about it.


    Li Yifei was downstairs massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet at the moment, but he wasn¡¯t taking any liberties because Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t at work but chatting with He Fangqing. He didn¡¯t know when she might come down. If the two of them were up to something sneaky and Xu Yingying came down, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain a normal composure. If Xu Yingying saw the unflattering state of him massaging her sister¡¯s feet, she would surely blow her top.


    When they heard Xu Yingying¡¯s footsteps coming downstairs, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan behaved even more properly.


    "Are you done talking?" Li Yifei asked Xu Yingying who was coming downstairs.


    Xu Yingying looked at the coffee table and said, "Are we out of bananas at home?"


    Li Yifei pointed towards the kitchen and said, "There are a few left over there. Do you want to eat bananas?"


    A flush of red appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face as she replied, "Yes, Fangqing and I want to eat them." Then she ran to the kitchen, grabbed a few bananas, and dashed upstairs.


    Li Yifei immediately asked, "Hey, have you two not finished talking?"


    "Not yet, you¡¯re not allowed to come up until I call you," Xu Yingying said and then dashed upstairs.


    Watching her sister vanish around the staircase corner, Xu Shanshan whispered, "Brother-in-law, I feel like my sister is acting a bit strange today."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yeah, it is strange. She just sent me downstairs for no good reason. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about, afraid that I might hear."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and suggested, "Then why don¡¯t you eavesdrop to find out what they¡¯re up to?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Better not, if your sister doesn¡¯t want me to hear, eavesdropping would be disrespectful to her."


    "Hmph, isn¡¯t she your wife? How much privacy does she need from her own husband?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "Even so, I should respect her."


    Xu Shanshan blinked again, then whispered, "Seems like my sister won¡¯t be coming down any time soon. Brother-in-law, you don¡¯t have to play it so safe anymore."


    Li Yifei let out a light chuckle and said, "You little gluttonous kitten."


    "Meow... I am indeed a gluttonous little kitten." Xu Shanshan playfully mimicked a cat¡¯s meow for Li Yifei.


    A wave of emotion surged through Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and his hand started to wander upward.


    It wasn¡¯t until almost an hour later that Xu Yingying called Li Yifei upstairs. Once he arrived, he went straight into He Fangqing¡¯s room to find Xu Yingying still sitting by the bed.


    As Li Yifei entered, Xu Yingying stood up, yawned and said, "Alright, I¡¯m sleepy and going to bed. Honey, you stay here and look after Fangqing tonight."


    Li Yifei nodded, and once Xu Yingying had gone back to her room, he turned off the light and lay down beside He Fangqing, laughing, "What were you two talking about for so long today?"


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and responded, "You should ask your wife about that later."


    Seeing that He Fangqing wouldn¡¯t say, Li Yifei didn¡¯t press further, merely remarking, "You ate quite a few bananas just now; be careful with your stomach. I forgot to remind you."


    He Fangqing burst out laughing and then immediately winced in pain, having pulled at her wound with the laughter.


    "What¡¯s so funny?" Li Yifei quickly restrained her shoulder, frowning with concern.


    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing..." He Fangqing tried to suppress her laughter, covering the area around her wound with one hand.


    "What¡¯s so funny about eating bananas that it gets you all confused?" Li Yifei was bewildered by He Fangqing¡¯s reaction.


    "I just remembered a joke," He Fangqing hurriedly lied, all the while thinking about the scenario of eating bananas earlier. Xu Yingying eating bananas had been too amusing; holding that banana, she had hesitated to take a bite as if it wasn¡¯t a banana but Li Yifei¡¯s... thing.


    It was a significant hurdle for her to overcome, just putting the banana into her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to chew it continuously; instead, she bit the banana in half after a few attempts.


    "Hey, Fangqing, not now."


    Lost in thought, He Fangqing¡¯s hand involuntarily reached into Li Yifei¡¯s pants and grabbed that "banana." Li Yifei quickly cautioned her, saying holding it was okay but if things went further, He Fangqing would end up making herself uncomfortable.


    He Fangqing laughed softly and said, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just touch." But she was thinking that if Xu Yingying had taken that "banana" into her mouth and then snapped it with a crunch, it would have been tragic.

 Chapter 747 - 785: Home Tutoring Becomes Stricter

    Chapter 747: Chapter 785: Home Tutoring Becomes StricterLi Yifei had been taking care of He Fangqing for the past two days and hadn¡¯t had much good sleep. Tonight, lying in the bed, he slept very comfortably. However, lying next to him was a beautiful young woman who he couldn¡¯t touch, which inevitably left him with some regrets.


    In the next two days, Li Yifei continued to take care of He Fangqing. By Thursday, she was almost able to move around by herself since the wound wasn¡¯t large and she was recovering quite easily.


    On Thursday evening, Su Yiyi returned home. After dinner, Xu Yingying pulled Su Yiyi into her own room and talked with her for a long time, which made Li Yifei feel that something was not quite right. These past two days, Xu Yingying had always taken the opportunity to chat with both He Fangqing and Su Yiyi, which seemed a bit like she was plotting against him.


    Indeed, his hunch wasn¡¯t wrong. Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi came into the room together, Xu Yingying with a serious face, while Su Yiyi pursed her lips, her eyes showing a mix of sympathy and amusement.


    Feeling inexplicably nervous, Li Yifei cautiously asked, "Yingying, Yiyi, do you have something you want to talk to me about?"


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Yes, we¡¯ve made a decision and now we¡¯d like to discuss it with you."


    Li Yifei grinned, seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s demeanor, it was clear she had already made the decision. What discussion could there be? That was just nonsense. He chuckled and said, "Whatever my wife says goes, I will resolutely carry it out."


    Xu Yingying stood with Su Yiyi opposite Li Yifei and said, "It¡¯s not just my idea, it¡¯s something Yiyi and I have discussed together, and we¡¯ve also talked it over with Fangqing. This is the collective opinion of us all."


    Li Yifei turned to glance at He Fangqing with a reproachful look. He had been attending to this patient for days, yet she kept the plan she had agreed upon with Xu Yingying a secret from him.


    Xu Yingying lifted her chin and said, "You have no reason to blame Sister Fangqing. If you disagree with the matter we¡¯ve brought up, you can totally discuss it with us. We practice democracy in our home."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, then at Su Yiyi, and couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe in the ¡¯democracy¡¯ Xu Yingying spoke of. Even if they were to vote by a show of hands, Su Yiyi would surely side with Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing would certainly be in cahoots with Xu Yingying. Even if Chu Xiaoyao was brought back, it would still be three against two. Besides, Chu Xiaoyao, that girl, would definitely not support him. In the end, he would still be alone. Where was the democracy in that? It was simply autocracy¡ªexcept that four people were ganging up to rule over him.


    So Li Yifei still brazenly said, "What democracy? In our house, what my wives say is an imperial edict, and I have only to obey, with absolutely no ambiguity."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, Xu Yingying¡¯s face also showed a smile, but then she quickly became serious again and said, "Yiyi, you tell Yifei."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face blushed as she stammered, "Sister Yingying, this..."


    Xu Yingying said, "Yiyi, you must be prepared to be a wife, to be part of this family. If you can¡¯t even talk about such things, how can you truly integrate into this household?"


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and finally said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, this... after discussing with Sister Yingying... from now on, I will be managing your money."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Haven¡¯t you always been in charge of my money?"


    Su Yiyi shook her head and said, "That¡¯s not what I mean. I mean all of your money, including Sister Yingying¡¯s, will be managed by me." Now that she had started, Su Yiyi no longer stammered.


    Li Yifei felt a sense of unease and asked, "What comes next?"


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s guilty expression, Su Yiyi felt a bit sorry for him, but then she felt a slight pain in her lower back, promptly straightened her face again, and said, "So from now on, you will only have a thousand yuan for pocket money each month. For any other expenses, you can apply to me... apply."


    Li Yifei puffed out his chest and said, "No problem. I¡¯ve always been too extravagant with money. It¡¯s about time for some restraint on me."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Do you really agree?"


    Li Yifei, with a very sincere expression, replied, "Of course I agree. My wives¡¯ decision is surely for my own good."


    Xu Yingying suddenly realized something, and cocked her chin at Li Yifei, saying, "I¡¯ll add one more thing, although you need to ask Yiyi for approval for other expenses, Yiyi will also consult with me. We¡¯ll discuss together whether to let you spend the money or not."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark immediately. He had thought that letting Su Yiyi manage the finances and since she was so good to him, he would be able to get as much money as he wanted. Now that Xu Yingying¡¯s approval was also needed, things would not be easy. His financial lifeline could be truly ruined at Xu Yingying¡¯s hands.


    If he had known it would be like this, he would not have handed over his savings. Now, for goodness¡¯ sake, both Su Yiyi and Xu Yingying knew about those accounts, and his chances of scraping together any private money were gone.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi added, "Of course, as long as your requests are completely reasonable, we will definitely be sensible about it."


    Li Yifei gave Su Yiyi a sidelong glance and said, "Yiyi, you¡¯ve learned to be bad."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned pale immediately, but Xu Yingying quickly wrapped an arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulders and said, "Comrade Li Yifei, I ask that you watch your words. Yiyi and I are sisters, and the decisions we make are the result of our joint deliberations. If you have any objections, you can raise them, but you cannot use threats and intimidation to deceive Yiyi. Otherwise, your monthly living expenses might even be reduced."


    "I was just speaking off the cuff, off the cuff. Ah, Yiyi, you are truly the best girl, and I like you the most," Li Yifei quickly said, trying to butter her up. What a joke, a thousand yuan a month; even if Su Mengxin was supplying his cigarettes, he wasn¡¯t short on drinking money either. If a thousand yuan was just enough, it was already not bad. But if it were reduced further, that would really be deadly.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s exaggerated reaction, Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi almost burst out laughing. In Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, her husband had never been so humbled before. It seemed that taking a strong stance could indeed keep Li Yifei in check.


    Meanwhile, Su Yiyi found it somewhat amusing. In her heart, Brother Li was a real man, an impressive one. Yet now, in front of her, he had become somewhat submissive. However, she still felt quite sorry for him. If not for Xu Yingying, she really couldn¡¯t have said such things. No matter what Li Yifei did, she would support him, but now she had to stand by Xu Yingying¡¯s side.


    Xu Yingying cleared her throat and said, "There¡¯s also a second point. From now on, when you go out, you must ask for my permission in advance. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely not stop you from normal social interactions, like having a drink with colleagues. I¡¯ll agree to that."


    "And then what?" Li Yifei asked with a bitter face, waiting for more.


    Xu Yingying puffed out her chest and said, "However, if you are going to meet other women, you can¡¯t just do so as you please. Take Ye Yunzhu for example, you can only visit her once a week at most, and that¡¯s only because she¡¯s carrying your child."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly. If Ye Yunzhu were to find out about this, she¡¯d flip. But thinking about it, Ye Yunzhu was busy these days, and sometimes he couldn¡¯t even see her once a week himself. If he visited her once a week, that seemed even too often, so this condition was completely acceptable. As long as he didn¡¯t let Ye Yunzhu know this was Xu Yingying¡¯s rule, he figured she wouldn¡¯t get mad.


    "Also, Ning Xin¡¯er is Little Yifei¡¯s mother. That¡¯s a fact that no one can change. But you can¡¯t just be alone with her casually. If possible, you must be accompanied by someone from the house."


    Li Yifei could accept this point too. His impression of Ning Xin¡¯er had improved a lot recently, but he wasn¡¯t ready to develop feelings for her. So, whether or not he spent time alone with Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t a big deal. He readily agreed, saying, "No problem."


    "Hmm!" Xu Yingying nodded her head, satisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s response, and then continued, "I don¡¯t care about any messy relationships you¡¯ve had before, but from today, from this moment, you¡¯re not allowed to talk nonsense anymore. If I find out you¡¯re messing around with other women again, don¡¯t blame me for not being nice to you."


    This point made Li Yifei feel extremely guilty. Apart from Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er, there was also Lin Qiong, a ticking time bomb. Trying to break off the relationship with Lin Qiong was not an option since the deputy director of the Sub-bureau surely wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook.


    Others closely associated with Li Yifei included Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. The level of his relationships with them was neither deep nor shallow. If he made it clear to them that his wife was now keeping a tight rein, he thought they wouldn¡¯t trouble him.


    As for Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan, they were right under his nose, so Xu Yingying discovering about them wasn¡¯t a concern.


    The other person with a somewhat ambiguous relationship was Michelle, but Li Yifei always kept his interactions with Michelle in check. His conduct with Michelle was aboveboard with nothing he feared Xu Yingying would find out, so all in all, the one person Li Yifei truly worried about was Lin Qiong.


    But with just Lin Qiong to worry about, Li Yifei figured he would find a way to cope. He nodded and said, "Okay, wife, I promise you." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Most importantly, Li Yifei didn¡¯t resent Xu Yingying¡¯s demands at all. That was the true attitude of a wife, and as a husband, what reason did he have to refuse such restrictions from his wife?

 Chapter 748 - 786: Unable to Enter the Room

    Chapter 748: Chapter 786: Unable to Enter the RoomXu Yingying and Su Yiyi stared at Li Yifei, seemingly not believing that he was telling the truth.


    Xu Yingying crossed her arms and said slowly, "Husband, we¡¯re not joking with you. We¡¯re serious."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Wife, I¡¯m serious too. As a husband, being unfaithful to my wife is already my fault. You even let Yiyi stay here; besides gratitude, I have nothing else to say to you. You¡¯ve put forward such a request. If I can¡¯t fulfill it, then I¡¯d really be letting you down."


    Hearing this, Xu Yingying felt an indescribable comfort. She looked at He Fangqing behind Li Yifei, who was giving her a thumbs-up, and felt extremely grateful to He Fangqing. If it wasn¡¯t for He Fangqing¡¯s reminder, she still wouldn¡¯t know how to be a real wife.


    "As for Sister Fangqing..." Xu Yingying paused.


    Li Yifei turned his head and glanced at He Fangqing, but didn¡¯t say anything. When He Fangqing moved in, Xu Yingying had already expressed her stance. He thought He Fangqing was now like Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao to her.


    He Fangqing smiled slightly and said, "Don¡¯t get any ideas about me. I want to live my own life."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched a bit. He understood that He Fangqing wanted her own life, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little disappointed. After all, as a man, he still retained some masculinity.


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Although we¡¯re tightening our control over you now, there is one thing we can let slide, and that is if you want to find Sister Fangqing, we¡¯ll give you the green light."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up, and then he chuckled. That was indeed good news. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "Look at your expression, hearing this makes your eyes light up like bulbs. Can you be a bit more promising?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "It¡¯s not often that my wife shows mercy beyond the law, so isn¡¯t it right for me to be happy?"


    Xu Yingying saw that Li Yifei was still in such a good mood now and finally felt relieved. She was really afraid that Li Yifei would be very displeased, and she really wouldn¡¯t know how to handle it then. Bringing Su Yiyi along, knowing that Li Yifei liked Su Yiyi the most, even if he was displeased, he wouldn¡¯t get angry with Su Yiyi, which would leave some room for maneuver. Now she realized that all of this was unnecessary. Li Yifei still cared very much about this family and her as his wife.


    "Alright, now that you¡¯ve all discussed it, can you go back to your rooms to sleep now? I¡¯m sleepy." He Fangqing yawned, issuing an order to dismiss.


    Xu Yingying pulled Su Yiyi and laughed, "Then we¡¯ll go back to sleep."


    He Fangqing then said to Li Yifei, "And you, go sleep in your wife¡¯s room. I don¡¯t need you to take care of me at night; I can move by myself."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "It¡¯s better to have Yifei take care of you."


    He Fangqing chuckled and said, "I¡¯m fine now; I can get up by myself at night. Besides, this guy is so repressed with me, if you don¡¯t bring him back to comfort him a bit, he¡¯ll go crazy."


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi¡¯s faces instantly turned bright red, while Li Yifei cheerfully said, "Then I won¡¯t stay here tonight."


    Xu Yingying immediately fled and said, "Go find Yiyi."


    Su Yiyi was startled and hurriedly ran out too, anxiously saying, "You... you... you¡¯re not allowed to come to me."


    He Fangqing immediately laughed heartily and said, "I say, are you going to be homeless tonight?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That¡¯s impossible," and then swaggered out. Now that he had completely cleared things up with Xu Yingying and the others, he actually felt freer at home.


    Arriving at Xu Yingying¡¯s room door, Li Yifei wanted to push the door in. He pushed once, but surprisingly it didn¡¯t open; it was already locked inside, which made Li Yifei chuckle involuntarily, saying, "Wife, open the door."


    "No!" Xu Yingying¡¯s response was straightforward.


    "Hey, you can¡¯t be like this, not even letting your husband back in the room?"


    "I just won¡¯t, go to Yiyi¡¯s place."


    Li Yifei was a little speechless and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll go to Yiyi¡¯s place. Don¡¯t regret it."


    "I won¡¯t regret it," Xu Yingying¡¯s response was still straightforward.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose. Today, Xu Yingying was acting strange. Usually, when he returned to his room, there was never a time she disagreed. Today, even though he agreed to her terms, she wouldn¡¯t let him into the room. Shaking his head, he walked to Su Yiyi¡¯s room door and pushed it; it was also locked.


    "Hey, hey, Yiyi, you won¡¯t let me in either?"


    There was no sound from Su Yiyi¡¯s room, so Li Yifei had to knock twice more, saying, "Sweet Yiyi, let me in quickly, or you¡¯ll leave me with nowhere to stay?"


    "No..." Su Yiyi¡¯s voice was very soft, but it carried a sense of determination.


    Li Yifei was a bit amused and exasperated, saying, "I say, Yiyi, what¡¯s up with you and Yingying? I agreed to everything you said, and my performance was so good. Why won¡¯t you even let me into the room?"


    "I... anyway, go find Sister Yingying."


    Li Yifei was truly depressed. What was going on here? He had been with He Fangqing for several days, and his desires were already quite pent up. Tonight, he behaved so well. Not only did he not get a reward, but he also ended up with nowhere to stay.


    Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t understand what was going on in Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi¡¯s hearts. Tonight, they had set so many conditions for him, and he agreed very straightforwardly, but both felt insecure. They were afraid that if they were alone with him, he might blame them. Even Xu Yingying felt that way. Moreover, tonight, Li Yifei had said in front of the three of them that he was feeling restless. So going to anyone¡¯s room meant that they would be doing such things. Thus, Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi suddenly felt embarrassed.


    So no matter whose room Li Yifei wanted to enter, neither would agree.


    "Hmph, it¡¯s you who won¡¯t let me in. I¡¯ll go out tonight. I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s no one to take me in." Li Yifei made a fierce declaration outside Xu Yingying¡¯s door.


    "You dare?" Xu Yingying snorted from inside.


    "You wouldn¡¯t let me in."


    "Then you can try."


    Li Yifei laughed dryly and said, "I was just talking. Good wife, let me in."


    "No."


    "Sigh, alright then, I¡¯ll go downstairs to watch TV and sleep in the guest room. It¡¯ll keep me from thinking about you and feeling bad."


    "Then go ahead."


    If Li Yifei wanted to unlock the door and enter, that would be quite easy. However, since the two didn¡¯t let him in, breaking in would seem to lack interest. Going downstairs, he could find some relief with Xu Shanshan, but since he had just agreed with them tonight, running off to mess with his sister-in-law wasn¡¯t right either. In the end, he could only return to He Fangqing¡¯s room.


    "Giggle, why are you back?" He Fangqing asked knowingly.


    Li Yifei climbed onto the bed in a bad mood and said, "Laugh all you want."


    He Fangqing chuckled twice and said, "Alright, it¡¯ll be fine tomorrow. They¡¯re both feeling guilty tonight."


    "Guilty?" Li Yifei looked at He Fangqing with confusion.


    "Yeah, they used to revolve around you, and now they¡¯ve given you so many restrictions. Feeling unsure is normal."


    Li Yifei finally understood and, amused and exasperated, said, "Yingying is my wife. Yiyi too; how could I not agree to their requests? Besides, what they¡¯re saying is reasonable."


    "But they¡¯re not confident inside. Haha, if you¡¯re really uncomfortable, I can help you. My hand can move fine."


    "Sleep...hands are out of the question." Li Yifei rolled his eyes.


    "Or...I could use my mouth? But you have to come up. I¡¯m still afraid to move."


    Li Yifei was tempted but shook his head and said, "I¡¯d just be more anxious. It¡¯s better not to do anything. Sweetheart, let¡¯s sleep."


    He Fangqing felt warm at heart. Li Yifei cherished her like this and didn¡¯t act on his desires. She cuddled into his arms, pulling his arm under her neck, and her hand gently rubbed inside his underwear, giving some comfort.


    Li Yifei could only enjoy such treatment. Having more than one wife and lovers like Su Yiyi and He Fangqing, yet now unable to do anything, was indescribably frustrating.


    The next morning at breakfast, Xu Shanshan saw Li Yifei looking frustrated, while Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi wore odd smiles, making her quite puzzled. "Sis, Yiyi, what¡¯s going on with you?"


    "Nothing," Xu Yingying replied, unable to suppress her smile as she saw Li Yifei¡¯s frustrated expression.


    Su Yiyi blushed and lowered her head, focusing on her porridge.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly widened her eyes and said, "You...something¡¯s wrong." Noting their behavior, she suspected Yingying and Su Yiyi might have spent the night with Li Yifei. But quickly realizing if that were true, she¡¯d sense it, yet there was nothing last night. Meaning nothing happened between Yingying and Li Yifei.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xu Yingying guiltily glared and said, "Eat your breakfast."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction intensified Xu Shanshan¡¯s curiosity, especially seeing Li Yifei¡¯s look of longing and discontentment, like an unsatisfied desire. His expression was quite amusing, clearly related to Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi. What exactly happened between these three? Xu Shanshan really wanted to know.


    But asking Li Yifei now likely wouldn¡¯t get answers; she¡¯d question him alone later, sure he¡¯d spill the beans.

 Chapter 749 - 787 Someone is Following

    Chapter 749: Chapter 787 Someone is FollowingToday, since He Fangqing was not seriously ill, it was up to Li Yifei to drop off his daughter and Xu Shanshan. After taking his daughter to kindergarten, Xu Shanshan immediately said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, what was with you all this morning?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t hide anything and told her all about the conditions Xu Yingying had set for him the day before.


    After hearing this, Xu Shanshan laughed heartily and said, "That¡¯s indeed much more interesting. I¡¯m all for it, with both hands and feet."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I also think it¡¯s normal. Your sister controlling me like this seems more like what a wife should do."


    "You really are a masochist, huh? Your happy being tightly controlled by your wife," Xu Shanshan said with a snort.


    Li Yifei still said with a smile, "Maybe so, but your sister used to indulge me so much that I had indeed been missing a sense of being husband and wife."


    "Oh... So why did you both look like that this morning?"


    Li Yifei said with frustration, "Don¡¯t get me started... Fangqing got a bit better, so last night I wanted to stay at your sister¡¯s place, but she absolutely refused, and then I went to Yiyi¡¯s place, and she did the same thing."


    "Haha... So that¡¯s what happened, no wonder, no wonder. You¡¯ve been pent up for several days, no wonder you looked so frustrated," she teased. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it; he was in the prime of his life, so it was perfectly normal for him to have a strong interest in such matters.


    "Then why didn¡¯t you come to me? At the very least, I could have satisfied you, couldn¡¯t I?" Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh and said, "I just promised your sister yesterday, and turning around to find you right after doesn¡¯t seem very sincere, so I had to endure."


    "No way! Are you really cutting ties with me?" Xu Shanshan suddenly widened her eyes, looking very anxious.


    Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg and said, "If I wanted to, would you agree?"


    "Absolutely not, I wouldn¡¯t agree even if it killed me," Xu Shanshan replied promptly.


    "That settles it then. With your sister like this, I¡¯m going to focus more on this family. I need to avoid certain things, but with you... even if I did anything with you, it wouldn¡¯t be any different than not doing it."


    Xu Shanshan then finally pursed her lips and smiled, "Good that you understand. Being with my sister is like raping me every day. You couldn¡¯t deny it even if you wanted to."


    "I bet tonight your sister will also tell you not to give me any money to spend. I¡¯ll become a pauper from now on."


    "Giggle, I won¡¯t give you any money either, lest you go out chasing other girls later. I fully support my sister¡¯s decision."


    After dropping off Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei drove back, suddenly feeling something was not quite right; he had the feeling he was being followed.


    Though Li Yifei had not spotted anything yet, as a formidable member of the Flying Hawk Squad and having protected many VIPs, his intuition was sharp. He observed carefully and soon noticed a grey Bora following him.


    The Bora wasn¡¯t following directly behind his car but was three cars away. Under normal circumstances, it¡¯s easy to lose a trail like that, yet the car managed to keep up with Li Yifei. Not only was it maintaining the distance of three cars, but it would also sometimes close in and sometimes drop back, even once overtaking Li Yifei¡¯s car. If not for Li Yifei¡¯s keen observation, anyone would think the car was just sharing the road, never suspecting it was tailing him.


    Moreover, it proved that the pursuer¡¯s driving skills were excellent, along with a strong sense of how to trail someone.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise for Li Yifei to be followed when Su Mengxin was in Mile City, but with her not there and someone still trailing his car, it became rather unusual. Was the pursuer targeting him specifically?


    Li Yifei continued to drive normally, stopped in front of a pharmacy, and went straight inside, while the car didn¡¯t stop and passed by, taking a right turn at the next bend and disappearing from Li Yifei¡¯s sight.


    Li Yifei bought some medicine and then continued on his way, but the vehicle that had been following him did not reappear.


    This only made Li Yifei more vigilant. The pursuer had clearly shown sophistication. If targeted alone, he wouldn¡¯t fear, but now he wasn¡¯t alone. If someone planned to harm his family, then that would be a real trouble for Li Yifei.


    The best course of action was to root out the pursuer.


    After parking his car in an underground parking lot, Li Yifei took out his phone; recently, he needed to ask his men to be extra vigilant.


    Li Yifei did not spend the entire day at home with He Fangqing; instead, he went in and out of the neighborhood several times. However, no one seemed to be trailing him anymore, as if those people had realized that Li Yifei had spotted them.


    Such experts in tailing others would generally have absolute confidence in their skills. Now that they suddenly stopped following him, it suggested they recognized Li Yifei¡¯s strength and deemed tailing him futile.


    "Not bad, a worthy opponent indeed," Li Yifei said, with a smile on his lips. Although many things had happened around him recently, he hadn¡¯t encountered any real masters¡ªexcept for Sophia and those three guys from Japan. But this group was clearly more mysterious and stronger, which indeed roused a sense of combativeness in Li Yifei.


    When everyone returned home that evening, Li Yifei acted as if nothing was amiss. After dinner, they all gathered in the living room.


    Xu Yingying gave Su Yiyi a look, and Su Yiyi, a bit embarrassed, still fetched a small stack of money and handed it to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Li, this is December¡¯s pocket money."


    Li Yifei quickly took it, counting carefully twice before gingerly putting it in his pocket, eliciting suppressed laughter from the others. It was rare to see Li Yifei so concerned about money; usually, he had no idea how much he was even carrying. But now he not only counted but counted twice.


    "Don¡¯t laugh. This is my monthly allowance. I have to be careful, right? If I¡¯m short one bill, that means I¡¯m losing ten percent of my expenses."


    Struggling to contain her laughter, Xu Yingying said, "If you¡¯re this conscious about it, that¡¯s not bad. Shanshan, we¡¯ve discussed it, and from now on, your brother-in-law will get a thousand yuan a month for pocket money. You¡¯re not allowed to secretly give him more."


    Xu Shanshan immediately responded, "You¡¯re still giving him some? I barely have enough for myself. But now that you¡¯ve taken control of Brother Li¡¯s finances, who do I ask for money when I¡¯m short?"


    Xu Yingying pointed at Yiyi and said, "If you¡¯re short on cash, just talk to Yiyi."


    Xu Shanshan promptly clung to Su Yiyi¡¯s arm, saying affectionately, "Yiyi, we¡¯re the best of siblings, aren¡¯t we?"


    Su Yiyi was visibly embarrassed and quite anxious. Xu Yingying had put her in charge of the family¡¯s finances, which she was reluctant to do. While managing Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been too stressful, the prospect of controlling Xu Shanshan¡¯s spending was daunting. After all, Xu Shanshan was just Xu Yingying¡¯s sister, and it seemed quite inappropriate for her to manage Xu Shanshan¡¯s financial matters.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying reassured Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, don¡¯t worry. Shanshan spends money lavishly, and if we don¡¯t rein her in, she won¡¯t even know how much she spends in a month. If she dares to disobey, let her come to me. I¡¯ve got your back."


    Xu Shanshan said with a grin, "How could I possibly disobey? I respect it very much; as long as it¡¯s not you managing the money, Yingying, I¡¯ll accept whoever does it."


    "Hmph, you just know it¡¯s troublesome to get money from me. But I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t you dare bully Yiyi. Yiyi is my dear sister, part of our family. If you bully her, you¡¯re bullying yourself."


    Blinking her eyes playfully, Xu Shanshan teased, "If you hadn¡¯t said that, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of bullying Yiyi. But since you¡¯ve said it, after being bullied by you for so many years, if I can¡¯t get back at you, I can at least get some interest from Yiyi. Come here, let your sister give you a kiss."


    "Ah!"


    Su Yiyi did not expect Xu Shanshan to do more than just talk. She actually hugged and kissed her on the face, startling Su Yiyi into a scream.


    "Don¡¯t be scared. If Brother Li doesn¡¯t have the time to keep you company, I¡¯ll be there for you," Xu Shanshan said, even rather roguishly copping a feel on Su Yiyi¡¯s chest.


    Su Yiyi hurriedly broke free from Xu Shanshan and fled to Xu Yingying¡¯s side, her face flushed red. Xu Shanshan, meanwhile, collapsed onto the sofa, laughing heartily.


    Despite Xu Shanshan¡¯s antics causing Su Yiyi much embarrassment, they also made her feel that Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t upset about her managing the household finances.


    As they were talking, Ning Xin¡¯er arrived, greeted everyone, and went straight to Li Yifei, "Yifei, Little Lei and Little Tao are coming tomorrow. Shouldn¡¯t we go pick them up?"


    Li Yifei immediately looked to Xu Yingying, who said generously, "Of course. When relatives visit, we should definitely treat them well."


    Ning Xin¡¯er just smiled and stayed quiet. She wasn¡¯t interested in clashing with Xu Yingying; opposing her at this time would certainly not be wise.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Yingying, considering that three relatives are coming, I¡¯ll need to treat them to meals and help them find a place to stay, which will cost money. Could you maybe allocate me a bit more for that?"


    With a slight smile, Xu Yingying replied, "Then ask Yiyi for another five thousand yuan. But be sure to keep track of your expenses and report back to Yiyi. Any leftover money should be returned."


    "Absolutely!" Li Yifei immediately agreed enthusiastically, after all, as long as he didn¡¯t have to spend his own thousand yuan, he was fine.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was somewhat surprised by this arrangement and watched Li Yifei with curiosity, while Xu Yingying, noticing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s reaction, felt the urge to prevent her from seizing any opportunity.

 Chapter 750 - 788: Three Kingdoms Hegemony

    Chapter 750: Chapter 788: Three Kingdoms HegemonyAs Li Yifei and Su Yiyi went to get the money, Xu Yingying coughed lightly and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, let¡¯s be frank: in front of Yifei¡¯s relatives, you are currently Yifei¡¯s wife, and this status cannot be changed at the moment. Therefore, only you and Yifei can go to meet Yifei¡¯s relatives. However, I must remind you that you are not actually Yifei¡¯s true wife."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled slightly and replied, "I am quite clear about that. I am only Little Yifei¡¯s mother, not Yifei¡¯s current wife."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t quibble over Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s choice of words. When Ning Xin¡¯er said she was Li Yifei¡¯s current wife, the implication was that it might not be so in the future. With a faint smile, she said, "I¡¯m still confident about this point, but right now, we should have a common goal."


    "Oh? What goal?" asked Ning Xin¡¯er with interest.


    "You know what kind of person Yifei is, naturally attracting romantic fortune. That¡¯s why I have now taken control of his financial lifeline. From now on, I¡¯m only giving him a thousand yuan a month. When a man has less money in his pocket, it¡¯s impossible for him to go out and do anything bad. I suppose you also don¡¯t want this guy to get involved with anyone else, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er, quick-witted, couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter at this point, saying, "Then we really are on the same page; I will definitely support you on this. He has no chance of getting money from me in the future."


    Xu Yingying stared into Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes and declared, "I hope you can stick to your word."


    With a chuckle, Ning Xin¡¯er assured, "Of course, men always find the grass greener on the other side, craving the thrill of the new. I can¡¯t just watch him get tangled with others anymore."


    Xu Yingying extended her hand and offered, "Alright then! Let¡¯s agree on this."


    "Agreed!" Ning Xin¡¯er, too, extended her hand and shook Xu Yingying¡¯s energetically.


    Just then, Li Yifei came out and saw the two women shaking hands. He immediately had an ominous feeling, and his back turned icy cold.


    Nowadays, with the situation of the women around him, Ning Xin¡¯er and Lin Qiong had already formed an alliance. Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin had become accomplices, and Xu Yingying was no longer fighting a solo battle. She had firmly tied Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao to her own battleship. He Fangqing, although not overtly standing with Xu Yingying, was certainly always supporting her.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling as if his home was about to become a battleground for a Three Kingdoms war, and he was the strategic territory that all three factions wanted to seize.


    The handshake between Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er felt to Li Yifei like an alliance between Wei and Shu, significantly heightening his unease.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Alright, I¡¯ll be off then. Little Tao¡¯s wife called me. She¡¯ll probably arrive around nine o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll go with Yifei to pick them up. Oh yes, for the next two days, let my daughter stay at my place."


    Xu Yingying nodded in agreement and even saw Ning Xin¡¯er out.


    Tonight, Li Yifei acted like a rascal. While Xu Yingying was taking a shower, he lingered in her room. Xu Yingying, slightly embarrassed from the night before, didn¡¯t kick Li Yifei out this time.


    After restraining himself for a few days, the moment Xu Yingying got into bed, Li Yifei pounced on her. Xu Yingying initially enjoyed it, but after several climaxes, she simply went with the flow. Eventually, she grew weary. It was then she remembered the move He Fangqing had taught her and wanted Li Yifei to go down first. But when it came to actually using her mouth for such an act, she found herself unable to do it.


    "Go away, go find Yiyi. I can¡¯t take it anymore; you¡¯re just like a beast," Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei away.


    "Is that how you talk to your husband?" Li Yifei glared but inside, he was quite proud. After all, what man wouldn¡¯t want his wife to acknowledge his prowess in this regard?


    "What are you during such moments if not a beast? Every time you have to wear me out to half dead. Now go on and wear Yiyi out."


    "So, I really should go?"


    "Go on, stop posing here. Yiyi and I are on such good terms now; I¡¯m not jealous of her, nor will I be angry with her."


    Li Yifei could see that Xu Yingying was indeed getting along very well with Su Yiyi, so going to find Su Yiyi wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, he didn¡¯t leave immediately. Instead, he hugged Xu Yingying and said with a grin, "My dear wife, running back and forth like this is too troublesome. I think it would be better if Yiyi slept with us from now on."


    Xu Yingying glared at him, "You lecherous scoundrel, dream on!"


    "Wife, it¡¯s not about enjoying the thrill of a m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois. But this running back and forth at night is quite inconvenient."


    "It¡¯s not happening... It¡¯s too embarrassing," Xu Yingying said with a blush, elbowing Li Yifei lightly, her tone less firm than before.


    With a chuckle, he teased, "There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, and besides, it¡¯s quite exciting. I¡¯m going to bring Yiyi over right now."


    Xu Yingying actually found the idea somewhat appealing, but she had always been conservative in this respect. She harbored some wicked thoughts but didn¡¯t want to act on them. Seeing Li Yifei seemingly earnest, she panicked, "No way, no way. If you bring Yiyi back here, I¡¯ll go live with Fangqing right away."


    Li Yifei already felt that there was a chance, but Xu Yingying still couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it, so he didn¡¯t press her further. He gently kissed her on the face and said, "Then we¡¯ll wait for the future, really, that feeling is truly fantastic."


    "Get lost, get lost!" Xu Yingying kicked Li Yifei off the bed with one foot.


    Li Yifei laughed out loud and, bare-assed, ran out of the room. Upstairs, there were no other people around, and even if He Fangqing saw him, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Xu Yingying spat, yet her heart was truly captivated by Li Yifei¡¯s wicked thoughts. But as soon as she imagined that indecent scene, she couldn¡¯t take it and buried her face in the blanket, her cheeks burning like fire.


    Having slept with Xu Yingying, it was easy for Li Yifei to open Su Yiyi¡¯s door, and their joyous time together doesn¡¯t need to be detailed. In any case, that night, Li Yifei finally vented the pent-up lust he had been holding back these past few days.


    The next day, Li Yifei took Little Yifei and picked up Ning Xin¡¯er a little after eight in the morning, then they all headed to the bus station together.


    All along the way, Li Yifei was very cautious, but he didn¡¯t notice any followers, so he felt at ease arriving at the bus station.


    After a short wait, Meng Lei, Song Tao, and his wife got off the coach, and Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er went up to meet them.


    Meng Lei¡¯s naive smile seemed a bit awkward, while Song Tao, usually quite talkative, was much more reserved at this time.


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately smiled and said, "Little Lei, Little Tao, come on, get in the car. You can rest at your sister-in-law¡¯s house today. She¡¯s arranged everything for you."


    "Thank you, sister-in-law!" Meng Lei and Song Tao¡¯s couple were extremely grateful. This sister-in-law was a big star, and so approachable, not the least bit haughty, not making their rural relatives feel out of place at all.


    Originally, Li Yifei intended to arrange for Meng Lei and Song Tao¡¯s couple to stay directly in the company¡¯s staff dormitory, but Ning Xin¡¯er insisted that they first come to her home, otherwise it would be impolite.


    Li Yifei also knew that Ning Xin¡¯er was right. Having relatives come over and not even allowing them into the house would be unacceptable, almost like looking down on them. But once they had entered Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s household, it would further consolidate her status as their daughter-in-law, making it more troublesome to adjust later.


    But with no other options at the moment, he could only agree with Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s opinion. Still, he first took Meng Lei and Song Tao¡¯s couple to the company staff dormitory to settle their belongings, and then brought them to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home was not large, merely a two-bedroom apartment, it was very nicely decorated. Upon arriving, Meng Lei sat on the sofa, not daring to move, while Song Tao and his wife took a tour of the place, their eyes full of envy.


    Song Tao chuckled and said, "I thought a big star like my sister-in-law would live in a big villa."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and replied, "A villa is too big and lacks the feeling of home, so your brother and I bought this small apartment. It¡¯s cozy to live in."


    "Sister-in-law, your place is really nice, so pretty. When will we ever get to have a house like this?" Song Tao¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t help but comment.


    Ning Xin¡¯er patted Song Tao¡¯s wife on the shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry, just work hard for a few years, and you¡¯ll be able to afford a house. Dreamfly Company is a big company with good salaries and bonuses, and there¡¯s also great potential for growth."


    Song Tao¡¯s wife immediately replied, "We will definitely work hard and not let you and brother down."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "I believe you¡¯ll succeed. Normally, I should take you to a big restaurant for a meal on your first visit, but it¡¯s a bit inconvenient for me to go to such places, so please enjoy a meal at our home instead. Try your brother¡¯s cooking; I¡¯m not boasting, but his culinary skills are definitely no less than a chef in a big restaurant."


    "Brother, you have this skill too? Then we really must try it." Song Tao winked at Li Yifei and said, "It looks like you put in a lot of work to marry our sister-in-law."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "That¡¯s for sure. I knew your sister-in-law loved to eat, so I specially went to learn cooking for a few years."


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled and said, "Cut out the nonsense. Don¡¯t be shy, your brother-in-law and I have things to do."


    Once in the kitchen, Li Yifei saw that Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home was very well prepared, with a full range of vegetables, meats, fish, and seafood. He couldn¡¯t help laughing and said, "What¡¯s this, planning to feed how many people? With all this food, even twenty people would have enough to eat."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled proudly and said, "This is for inviting your brothers over to eat, so of course I prepared enough. Isn¡¯t this giving you face? Isn¡¯t it all right?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "More than alright, it¡¯s perfect. Thank you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er appeared even more pleased and said, "Don¡¯t be falsely polite with me. Aren¡¯t I their sister-in-law? This is what a sister-in-law should do."


    Regardless of whether Ning Xin¡¯er was putting on an act or not, at that moment, Li Yifei had to admit she was truly a sister-in-law to the mark.

 Chapter 751 - 789 Ulterior Motives

    Chapter 751: Chapter 789 Ulterior MotivesThese were his own brothers, and although they hadn¡¯t seen each other for many years, Li Yifei still felt a strong sense of closeness. He began to display his culinary skills and got busy. Ning Xin¡¯er was bustling around him, acting as his assistant, which was quite different from Xu Yingying who couldn¡¯t do anything. At least Ning Xin¡¯er was quite skilled at tasks like chopping vegetables.


    Li Yifei also said with a smile, "I would have never guessed, you, a wealthy young miss, can actually chop vegetables."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled proudly and said, "That¡¯s right, I can do a lot of things, it¡¯s just that you never knew before."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "I never imagined that! You used to be a wild girl, and now you¡¯ve become a pure and innocent celebrity. That¡¯s already beyond surprising to me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er raised the kitchen knife and said, "Who are you calling a wild girl?"


    Li Yifei pointed at her hand and said, "Isn¡¯t this what a wild girl does? Who else waves a kitchen knife at people?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had the chance to wave a kitchen knife at someone." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister-in-law, let me help out too," Song Tao¡¯s wife said as she arrived at the kitchen entrance.


    Ning Xin¡¯er turned around with a smile and said, "Today you¡¯re guests at our place, how can we let guests cook? Just wait to eat, go watch some TV and rest for a while."


    Song Tao also came over with a snicker and said, "I didn¡¯t see that coming, a big star like our sister-in-law can actually cook."


    Ning Xin¡¯er replied with a sweet smile, "Of course, even if I¡¯m a star outside, at home I¡¯m still your brother¡¯s wife. If a wife doesn¡¯t cook for her husband, she¡¯d get scolded by him. Don¡¯t think Yifei is cooking today; usually, if I want to eat the food he makes, it¡¯s really difficult. It¡¯s only because of you guys that I get the chance."


    Song Tao gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up and said, "Bro, you¡¯re really blessed."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Don¡¯t be deceived by how nice your sister-in-law appears in front of you all. When you¡¯re not here, she bullies me a lot."


    Ning Xin¡¯er protested, "Don¡¯t talk bad about me." But her demeanor was still charming and alluring.


    The kitchen was an open one, and you could directly see the two people inside from the living room, so Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t make any over-the-top moves toward Li Yifei. But wiping off his sweat and the occasional bumping into each other made her heart skip a beat, giving her a sweetness that was hard to put into words.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er was like a girl who had just fallen in love, filled with sweetness in her heart regardless of what she was doing with the man she loved.


    When the meal was ready, Ning Xin¡¯er brought out two bottles of fine Maotai. As soon as the liquor was placed on the table, Meng Lei and Song Tao¡¯s eyes lit up. The last time Li Yifei brought Maotai, their uncles had gotten a taste, and they raved about how good it was. However, Meng Lei and Song Tao had not had the chance to try it. Although there was still some at home, their old man firmly refused to let them drink it. Such expensive liquor had to be treasured; it would only be opened for very special guests, otherwise, it was better to just look at it than drink it.


    Ning Xin¡¯er poured the liquor for everyone and said with a smile, "Drink up, I bought four bottles just in case you don¡¯t have enough fun."


    "Sister-in-law, how much does a bottle of this liquor cost?" Meng Lei asked innocently.


    Ning Xin¡¯er said with a smile, "I think it¡¯s more than two thousand per bottle."


    "More than two thousand?" Meng Lei and Song Tao cried out in shock, feeling as if they were not just drinking liquor, but liquid gold.


    In reality, Ning Xin¡¯er had understated the price. Ordinary Maotai might cost a few hundred yuan per bottle, but a genuine thirty-year-old cellar-aged Maotai was rare in the market. If one could indeed find a real one, it would absolutely be worth more than two thousand yuan. To please Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er was most willing to spare no expense. What did money matter if it could make Li Yifei happy? Even if it meant spending all her savings, it would be worth it.


    "Sister-in-law, this liquor is too expensive. Can¡¯t we drink something cheaper?" Song Tao grimaced, feeling embarrassed to even hold the glass.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "Now that it¡¯s open, how can we not drink it? Besides, you are Yifei¡¯s relatives, and since you¡¯ve come, how can I entertain you with anything but the best? Let me tell you, don¡¯t be reserved with me; if you are, your sister-in-law will be unhappy." Towards the end, she feigned a stern expression.


    Li Yifei also said with a smile, "Come on, this is your first time at our place, and your sister-in-law has brought out the good booze for you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s stern face relaxed, and she said with a smile, "Don¡¯t expect such treats every time you come here to eat in the future."


    With those words from Ning Xin¡¯er, Meng Lei and Song Tao relaxed a bit. Lured by the aroma of the alcohol, they began to drink happily. Song Tao¡¯s wife wasn¡¯t much of a drinker, but hearing about the liquor¡¯s price, she tried a small cup, if only so she could say she had drunk such pricey alcohol in the future.


    After drinking for a while, Li Yifei started to reminisce with his brothers about old times, and they got into the spirit. Song Tao and Meng Lei let loose, and the more they drank, the merrier they became.


    "Dad, Mom, I want to go back, it¡¯s not fun here." Everyone was enjoying their drinks, but Little Yifei was feeling bored and pouted, asking to go back.


    Ning Xin¡¯er inwardly cursed her bad luck and hurriedly said, "Okay, Mom will take you there."


    "Sister-in-law, where is my niece trying to go?" Song Tao¡¯s wife immediately asked, puzzled.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "I have a friend who also lives here, and my daughter often plays at her place. I¡¯m just going to take her over now, otherwise she¡¯ll get bored. You guys keep drinking, I¡¯ll be back soon."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly sent Little Yifei away. Although her daughter was the bond that connected her to Li Yifei, today¡¯s gathering wasn¡¯t quite suitable for her daughter.


    Song Tao and the others didn¡¯t think much of it. On their previous visit, Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei had left with Little Yifei, and since she called them ¡¯Dad¡¯ and ¡¯Mom,¡¯ no one knew that Little Yifei had more than just Ning Xin¡¯er as a ¡¯Mom.¡¯


    Ning Xin¡¯er returned quickly and began urging Meng Lei and Song Tao to drink more, truly playing the role of a hospitable and good daughter-in-law.


    Song Tao and Meng Lei were not often in the company of a big star for drinks, so their hearts were full of excitement and thrill. With Ning Xin¡¯er offering more drinks, they could hardly refuse. Plus, as young men, they naturally had strong constitutions and boldly matched Li Yifei drink for drink, unaware that they had already finished two bottles of white spirit.


    "I must say, bro..." Song Tao gave Li Yifei a hearty slap on the shoulder, his tongue tying up as he spoke, "I¡¯ve admired you since I was a kid, and now I admire you even more. To be able to marry such an incredible woman as my sister-in-law, you¡¯re truly my idol... Come on, another one."


    Li Yifei chuckled. He wasn¡¯t as drunk as Meng Lei and Song Tao, and replied, "Don¡¯t envy me, be careful or your sister-in-law will sort you out. She¡¯s a great girl, and if it weren¡¯t for her sticking with you, would you have been able to marry her? You should treat your sister-in-law a bit better."


    Song Tao grinned, wrapped his arm around his wife¡¯s waist, and said, "That¡¯s right, my wife is wonderful too. It¡¯s my good fortune to have married her."


    Song Tao¡¯s wife, Liu Ying, pushed his hand away and said with a flushed face and a scolding tone, "Aren¡¯t you worried about others laughing at us?"


    Song Tao, with a thick skin, grinned and replied, "What¡¯s there to worry about? Isn¡¯t she my wife? Sister-in-law, a couple being affectionate like this is pretty normal, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er let out a light laugh, turned to look at Li Yifei, and said, "Of course it is. Between husband and wife, the more love, the better, especially for newlyweds like you who are in the honeymoon phase."


    "You¡¯re not married yet," came a buzz from Meng Lei.


    Li Yifei and the others were taken aback, and then burst into laughter. Ning Xin¡¯er, with pursed lips, said, "Little Lei, you don¡¯t need to worry. Rest assured, I¡¯ve got your back¡ªI¡¯ll definitely find you a beautiful and good wife."


    Meng Lei smiled wide and said cheerfully, "She doesn¡¯t have to be too beautiful; as long as she treats me well, that¡¯s enough."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "You can¡¯t have such low standards. You¡¯re my brother-in-law, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s brother-in-law. If I don¡¯t find you a good wife, how could I face Auntie when I go back home?"


    Meng Lei got even happier, fully trusting Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s promise. But Li Yifei was secretly kicking Ning Xin¡¯er under the table. Meng Lei might have been simple, finding a wife for him wouldn¡¯t be impossible, but finding someone too good might be more difficult.


    Ning Xin¡¯er kicked back at Li Yifei, still looking confident, leaving Li Yifei at a loss.


    Another bottle of Maotai was opened and the three men continued to drink. Maotai might have been good, but it was high in alcohol content. Even three young and strong men could not handle too much of it. Li Yifei was still alright, but Meng Lei and Song Tao were now a drunken mess. Meng Lei was slumped over the table, sound asleep, while Song Tao was slurring incomprehensibly.


    Song Tao¡¯s wife, Liu Ying, was only slightly tipsy and said with an amused exasperation, "These two, getting drunk on their first visit to my sister-in-law¡¯s house, it¡¯s so embarrassing."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "This just shows they don¡¯t see me as an outsider. Honey, can you carry Little Lei to the couch to sleep, and let Song Tao and Liu Ying sleep in my daughter¡¯s room?"


    Liu Ying piped up, "Sister-in-law, that seems a bit inappropriate, why don¡¯t we wait for them to sober up a bit, and then we can go back to the dorm to sleep?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s tone became firmer as she said, "How can that be okay? You¡¯ve come to my house, and if I let you go back to the dormitory, that would be extremely impolite. Don¡¯t be so formal; just stay at our place tonight."


    Liu Ying, looking at the drunken Song Tao and Meng Lei, realized how difficult it would be to move the two of them and begrudgingly agreed.


    At that time, Li Yifei was shaking his head at Ning Xin¡¯er, realizing that she was clearly intending to make him stay the night. He really couldn¡¯t leave now. He was Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s husband, and how would it look if he didn¡¯t sleep at home with two ¡¯brothers¡¯ at the house?

 Chapter 752 - 790 Comfort and Compensation

    Chapter 752: Chapter 790 Comfort and CompensationThe dinner stretched from the afternoon until dusk fell, and after Li Yifei settled down the two drunken louts, Meng Lei and Song Tao, they both fell into a deep slumber, leaving the house much quieter.


    It was then that Ning Xin¡¯er found a set of pajamas for Liu Ying and said, "Little Ying, go take a shower and then wear my pajamas."


    Liu Ying, whose home was in the countryside, never wore pajamas to bed, nor had the luxury of bathing daily. Now, as she took the pajamas and gently touched them, she said, "Sister-in-law, these pajamas must be very expensive, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled softly and replied, "What¡¯s so expensive about a set of pajamas?"


    Liu Ying said enviously, "The fabric is so nice, it mustn¡¯t be cheap. The lives of rich people are really different from ours. We don¡¯t even know when we¡¯ll be able to lead such a life."


    As Ning Xin¡¯er held Liu Ying¡¯s hand and walked her toward the bathroom, she said, "Although material life seems comfortable, often what you give up is even more. Only having someone who truly likes you by your side can make you happy. Just like me in the past, running around performing every day, I didn¡¯t dare tell anyone about having a husband and a daughter. You wouldn¡¯t understand that pain. Now, being with your brother and my daughter, even though life is simple, I feel genuinely happy."


    Liu Ying was a smart girl and quickly responded, "Sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not someone who covets vanity. I¡¯m with Little Tao because I like him for who he is. As long as we work hard together, no matter if we¡¯re living the good life or a tough one in the future, I will always be there with him steadfastly."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Yes, I can tell you¡¯re a good girl, which is why I want to help you and Little Tao. I believe you¡¯ll live a good life too."


    After showing Liu Ying which one was the shampoo and which one was the bath gel, and teaching her how to use the water, Ning Xin¡¯er finally walked out.


    "How do you like that? I¡¯m a pretty decent sister-in-law, right?" Ning Xin¡¯er said with a smiling gaze as she approached Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "That move of yours was quite something. By making such a good impression, you¡¯re making my relatives think even more highly of you. Later, if I want to take Yingying back home, I¡¯d become the heartless Chen Shimei."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled proudly, not denying Li Yifei¡¯s words, and said, "Who made you give me this chance? Of course, I wouldn¡¯t let it slip by. Even if you don¡¯t acknowledge me as your wife, to your relatives, I¡¯m still your only wife."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, at the moment truly at a complete loss for how to handle this situation.


    After Liu Ying finished her bath, she greeted Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei and then went back to her room. While Ning Xin¡¯er bathed, Li Yifei messaged Xu Yingying explaining the situation, stating that he would not be able to return tonight and would have to stay at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s house.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t say it was unacceptable, but she strictly warned Li Yifei not to get involved in anything with Ning Xin¡¯er. Of course, Li Yifei readily agreed, as he indeed had no such thoughts of getting involved with Ning Xin¡¯er again.


    By the time Li Yifei finished his shower, it was already past nine o¡¯clock. When he returned to the room, he casually closed the door behind him.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed lightly and asked, "Why are you closing the door? Are you planning to do something naughty?"


    Li Yifei gave Ning Xin¡¯er a look and said, "Should we sleep with the door wide open? If Song Tao and the others wake up in the middle of the night and see us, it would be so embarrassing."


    "Are you afraid of getting taken advantage of?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, her smile deepening on her face.


    "What disadvantage am I afraid of? I¡¯m worried that if Liu Ying gets up and sees what her brother looks like while sleeping, it won¡¯t be very decent."


    "Humph, saying one thing and meaning another."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pick up on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s comment and instead inquired, "Do you have any bedding or something? I¡¯ll make a bed on the floor."


    The smile on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face froze, then she glared fiercely at Li Yifei and said, "No."


    "No problem if there isn¡¯t any. I don¡¯t mind sleeping on the floor," Li Yifei laughed.


    "You dare? If you sleep on the floor, I¡¯ll open the door at night and let them see what kind of scene it is when a brother and sister-in-law are together," she threatened.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, knowing that Ning Xin¡¯er was indeed someone who could say something and make it happen, and chuckled, "Alright, I¡¯ll sleep on the bed, but you better not do anything to me."


    "Are you actually afraid I¡¯ll rape you?" Ning Xin¡¯er was even more annoyed.


    "I really am afraid," Li Yifei continued with a grin.


    "You heartless jerk, after all the kindness I¡¯ve shown to your relatives, this is how you treat me." Ning Xin¡¯er bit her lip as tears started to circulate in her eyes.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er cry, and thinking about how she had been truly nice to his relatives just for his sake, Li Yifei also felt his attitude was a bit too harsh. With an apologetic smile, he sat by the bed, trying to make amends, "Okay, okay, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have said those things. Don¡¯t you know me? When I¡¯m with you, I never say the nice things properly."


    "You¡¯re just bullying me on purpose. You look down on me, think I¡¯m cheap, think I threw myself at you," Ning Xin¡¯er felt even more aggrieved as Li Yifei tried to console her.


    "No, not at all! I definitely didn¡¯t mean that." Li Yifei immediately denied it staunchly, followed by a dry laugh, "Xin¡¯er, you know that I¡¯m already married. I can¡¯t give you much, so of course I have to be cautious."


    "Hmph, so I don¡¯t count as your wife? I even bore you a daughter."


    "That... But given the current situation, I can¡¯t just divorce Yingying and be with you, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er opened her mouth, glared fiercely at Li Yifei, then turned away and lay down on the bed, turning her back to him.


    Li Yifei shook his head, turned off the light, and lay down on the bed as well. He was wearing pajamas, which Ning Xin¡¯er had prepared for him, and they fit quite well. Regardless of whether Ning Xin¡¯er was playing games or not, she treated him really well.


    The bed trembled slightly. With Li Yifei¡¯s keen senses, he instantly noticed it. He turned around and saw Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s shoulders quivering gently. She had actually started crying there.


    Li Yifei was really at a loss this time, quickly patted Ning Xin¡¯er on the shoulder, and whispered, "Why are you crying now?"


    "I want to cry, what does it have to... do with you?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s voice broke as she spoke. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was even more startled, worried that Liu Ying would hear, he hastily said softly, "Don¡¯t cry, okay? I¡¯ve apologized to you, why are you still crying?"


    "Can¡¯t I cry for myself? I was the one willing to bear your child, willing to endure so much pain to give birth to your baby, always causing you trouble, not knowing any better."


    As Ning Xin¡¯er said that, Li Yifei felt even less able to argue. Watching her cry seemed to get even fiercer, he hesitated for a moment, then hugged her shoulders from behind, speaking softly, "This isn¡¯t your fault, it¡¯s me who¡¯s heartless, not looking after you and our daughter properly."


    The hug made Ning Xin¡¯er stiffen up, and her crying suddenly stopped, but still indignantly she said, "What¡¯s the use of saying all that."


    "Yes, it¡¯s too late for me to say these things. You¡¯ve already suffered. But..." Li Yifei wanted to make a promise to Ning Xin¡¯er but truly didn¡¯t know what kind of promise to give.


    At this point, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t press Li Yifei for an answer, instead, she sighed softly, "Alright, I just wanted to vent. I know it¡¯s hard on you. You¡¯re already married with a wife you adore. If you ditched her, you¡¯d be seen as a heartless man."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Ning Xin¡¯er to say such a thing and was dumbfounded for a moment.


    Ning Xin¡¯er sighed lightly, "Well, it must be my tough luck. I won¡¯t cry anymore, so don¡¯t blame yourself."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply, and moved closer to Ning Xin¡¯er, sliding his hand down to wrap around her waist, truly pulling her into his arms.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s body was as rigid as a wood carving, her breathing became rapid.


    Li Yifei felt a pang in his heart and gently patted her lower abdomen, "How about I just hold you like this to sleep, okay?"


    "Okay..." Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s response was barely audible, as if it was whispered from deep within her throat. Her rigid body gradually relaxed but began to tremble.


    "Then let¡¯s get a good sleep." Li Yifei slipped one arm under Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s neck, pulled the blanket over them with the other, and then placed it back atop Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lower abdomen, applying a bit more force to bring their bodies even closer.


    Li Yifei had done this so many times with so many women that it was second nature to him; he felt nothing out of the ordinary. But with Ning Xin¡¯er, the only woman who had birthed him a child, he felt an unexpected thrill.


    But he quickly dismissed such thoughts; his actions were born out of guilt, and it was just a form of comfort and compensation to Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Last time they slept together in the countryside on the kang bed, they were also under the same quilt, and Li Yifei had held her. But then, she was already asleep and he had done it unconsciously, not actively like now; it was a whole different situation.


    Leaning against Li Yifei¡¯s chest, Ning Xin¡¯er felt a strong sense of fulfillment. The grievances she suffered over the years, the hardships endured for Li Yifei¡ªall seemed worthwhile in that moment. Joy exploded within her heart, a shy and sweet smile appeared on her face, she clasped Li Yifei¡¯s hand, and couldn¡¯t bear to let go.

 Chapter 753 - 791 Ice Clear and Pure

    Chapter 753: Chapter 791 Ice Clear and PureTo be embraced by Li Yifei like this was already more than enough happiness for Ning Xin¡¯er, so she didn¡¯t think about anything more. Despite her former boldness and impulsiveness, she was younger back then and did everything without inhibition, her mind simple and pure. But after several years in the entertainment industry, she had fully matured. She remained tenacious about love, yet with her relationship with Li Yifei she preferred to take things slowly rather than rush into a physical relationship.


    She didn¡¯t want to lose this blissful feeling by simply falling asleep, preferring to savor it, so even though she was feeling sleepy, she didn¡¯t want to give in to it, forcing herself to stay awake.


    As the night deepened, the whole community became very quiet; Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home was particularly silent, and she could even hear Li Yifei¡¯s breathing and heartbeat. It was an incredibly wonderful feeling.


    However, next door, voices could be heard at that moment, likely Song Tao and his wife, Liu Ying. The voice wasn¡¯t loud, and Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t catch what they were saying, but she could tell they were talking.


    The soundproofing in Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home was similar to the room that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had first lived in, where no soundproofing material had been installed on the doors, and the layout was exactly the same with doors of two rooms facing each other, separated by a bathroom in the middle, making it easier to overhear conversations.


    Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t interested in what Song Tao and Liu Ying were talking about. Being held by Li Yifei, she no longer cared about the outside world, even though her body felt very uncomfortable from staying in the same position for so long. She didn¡¯t want to move at all for fear of waking Li Yifei and losing his embrace.


    "Hmm..." A particularly distinct sound reached Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ears, and she recognized it as Liu Ying¡¯s voice, but didn¡¯t think much of it.


    However, after a while, Liu Ying¡¯s voice grew louder and more penetrating, clearly audible in the still of the night, passing through both doors to reach Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ears.


    "Eh, why does Liu Ying¡¯s voice sound so painful? I hope she isn¡¯t sick," Ning Xin¡¯er thought, becoming a bit anxious as the sound continued for a considerable time. She quickly turned around to face Li Yifei directly and nudged him, whispering, "Yifei, listen..."


    Li Yifei, who was half-asleep, became fully alert upon hearing the sound. He knew too well what it meant and felt a headache coming on. Ning Xin¡¯er was actually making him listen to such things ¨C wasn¡¯t that tempting him?


    Ning Xin¡¯er poked Li Yifei again, asking anxiously, "Liu Ying¡¯s voice sounds quite painful. Do you think she¡¯s sick? Should we go check on her?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Made uneasy by Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Ning Xin¡¯er frowned and asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, patting her gently on the back as he said, "Go to sleep, go to sleep. Liu Ying is fine."


    "How can she be fine? Didn¡¯t you hear her crying out in pain? How can you be like this? She¡¯s your sister-in-law. Aren¡¯t you worried at all?" Ning Xin¡¯er frowned.


    This time, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t laugh; he truly hadn¡¯t expected Ning Xin¡¯er to be this na?ve. It seemed that the title ¡¯Little Jade Girl¡¯ was not in vain. He cleared his throat and said, "Liu Ying isn¡¯t sick."


    "Are you out of your mind? How can she not be sick with those cries?" Ning Xin¡¯er became more agitated and struggled to sit up.


    Li Yifei quickly hugged her tighter, whispering in her ear, "Silly girl, Liu Ying and Little Tao are being intimate. Do you want to go over and watch?"


    "Intimate?" Ning Xin¡¯er paused, then, her face reddening, spat at Li Yifei, "Stop fooling me. Liu Ying and Song Tao have been married for a week. Liu Ying isn¡¯t inexperienced; why would she be in pain?"


    Li Yifei looked at Ning Xin¡¯er, unsure whether to laugh at her or feel sympathy¡ªeven a bit of pity¡ªas he softly said, "A woman¡¯s first time is painful, and afterwards, it stops hurting and becomes very pleasurable. When a woman is pleasureful, she can¡¯t help but moan."


    "Really?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened.


    Li Yifei nodded seriously, "Absolutely true."


    Looking into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, Ning Xin¡¯er seemed to believe him, but she shook her head, "I thought Liu Ying was quite reserved, but I never expected that she...could be so shameless as to make noise."


    Li Yifei continued in a gentle tone, "It¡¯s not about Liu Ying being shameless; it¡¯s the natural physiological response of a woman. No matter how reserved a woman may be, in those moments, she can¡¯t help but cry out. If she doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s actually quite uncomfortable."


    "No way, you¡¯re not lying to me, are you?" Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t believe it and gaped at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt a twinge of sorrow. Ning Xin¡¯er had even had his child, yet she knew so little about sexual matters, which meant that aside from that one mistake with him, she had never experienced such a thing again, hence her confusion.


    "Why would I lie to you? This is true."


    Ning Xin¡¯er bit her lip and averted her gaze from Li Yifei, shrinking into his arms, then pinched him on the chest and chided, "I don¡¯t believe it, let¡¯s just sleep."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly but did not push Ning Xin¡¯er away, allowing her to nestle in his embrace.


    Yet the sounds from next door still carried over. With Liu Ying¡¯s two high-pitched cries, the noise from that side finally quieted down, causing Ning Xin¡¯er to suffer insomnia once more.


    She hadn¡¯t wanted to sleep just before, but now she lay awake with a mind full of chaotic thoughts.


    In her memory, doing that sort of thing with a man wasn¡¯t a comfortable experience, especially her first time with Li Yifei, which was accompanied by severe pain, a feeling she had not forgotten to this day. Even after finding Li Yifei and wanting to be with him, she fantasized about romantic moments under the moonlight, holding hands, embracing and kissing, and even sharing a bed, but she had never considered doing that particular act with him again.


    Because it had been uncomfortable, she thought it best to avoid it as long as possible. But who could have known that such acts could actually be pleasurable for women, so pleasurable they couldn¡¯t help but scream out? This was almost beyond Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s comprehension.


    As a woman, Ning Xin¡¯er had never experienced masturbation. While she was in the entertainment industry, owing to her fame as the pure Little Jade Girl, neither she nor her agent allowed her to attend any messy parties or even to socialize much, so she had never discussed such matters with anyone. Even her knowledge of sex was sparse, something she stumbled upon online but never took much interest in, leading to her current ignorance.


    Although the room opposite had quieted down, this only served to unleash Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s repressed urges and the needs of a woman that had been sealed away. Suddenly, a tear formed, one that could no longer be contained, and Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly wanted to experience that taste herself.


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s warmth and hearing his strong and healthy heartbeat, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s body involuntarily heated up.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei, who had been holding Ning Xin¡¯er as she fell asleep, woke up at the change in her temperature.


    "Nothing... nothing..." said Ning Xin¡¯er, who like a child about to be caught in a mischief, became terribly flustered all at once.


    "But why is your body so hot? You don¡¯t have a fever, do you?" Li Yifei asked, placing his hand on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s forehead. Her forehead wasn¡¯t all that hot, but her body temperature in his arms was certainly not low.


    "I... I..." Ning Xin¡¯er bit her lip, suddenly lifted her head to look at Li Yifei, and said, "I also want to taste... that flavor."


    "What?" Li Yifei was taken aback, but he quickly understood what Ning Xin¡¯er was referring to. This caught him off guard. A flat refusal would be quite hurtful. As a man, he understood just how damaging it could be to a woman¡¯s pride to have such a proposal rejected.


    But Li Yifei could not agree; if he did, his relationship with Ning Xin¡¯er would only become more complicated.


    "You don¡¯t agree, do you?" Ning Xin¡¯er saw Li Yifei¡¯s hesitation and her heart suddenly cooled, her body temperature dropping, her mouth twitching slightly as she said with self-mockery, "I knew I was being cheap. Offering myself to you, and you don¡¯t even want it."


    Li Yifei felt a twinge of heartache and hugged Ning Xin¡¯er a little tighter as he said softly, "Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t talk like that. Honestly, your purity really caught me off guard. You¡¯ve been in showbiz for so long and still managed to stay pure. It moves me deeply. For a big star like you to bring up this kind of thing with me, it really is a blessing earned over several lifetimes."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s look of sorrow eased somewhat, but she still said with a touch of loss, "But you still won¡¯t agree."


    Li Yifei mentally organized his words before responding, "Xin¡¯er, the main thing is, I¡¯m already married. If I were to do this with you now, I couldn¡¯t offer you anything. It wouldn¡¯t just be a disservice to you, but also to Yingying..."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted and said, "I don¡¯t care about all that. In this lifetime, Ning Xin¡¯er has decided that you are my man, and nobody can change that."


    Her words silenced all of Li Yifei¡¯s rebuttals, and he also knew just how stubborn Ning Xin¡¯er could be. If she set her mind on this, changing it would be extremely difficult. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 754 - 792: The Compensating Caress

    Chapter 754: Chapter 792: The Compensating CaressLi Yifei had been getting along with Ning Xin¡¯er for over a month by then, and he had quite an understanding of Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s temperament. He knew that if he insisted on going against Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s wishes at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, the best method was to first calm Ning Xin¡¯er down and figure out a solution later.


    "Xin¡¯er, can you give me some time?" he asked.


    "What more time do you need? We¡¯ve already been together for so long before."


    "Xin¡¯er, although we spent a long time together before, back then, you were just a wild girl, always thinking about playing tricks on me. Whenever I saw you, I wanted to run away. Now you¡¯re completely different from before. At the very least, I need to get to know you all over again, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re just trying to fob me off, aren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei coughed dryly, thinking to himself that Ning Xin¡¯er had now become much more difficult to handle. "I¡¯m not fobbing you off, but matters of the heart really do need to be nurtured. Actually, if you think about it, I¡¯ve changed a lot over these years. How much do you really know about me?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted but didn¡¯t refute Li Yifei¡¯s words. The Li Yifei of today was indeed very different from before.


    "That¡¯s just one thing. Moreover, I¡¯m already a married man now, not alone as I was before. Whatever we do, we didn¡¯t have any burden, but now I have to consider my family in everything I do. Most importantly, we have a child, and whatever we do, we also have to consider whether our daughter will be able to accept it."


    "What¡¯s there for our daughter to not accept? I¡¯m her mom, and you¡¯re her dad. For her, us being together is the most normal thing," she said.


    "That might be true, but in our daughter¡¯s heart, Xu Yingying is also her mom. This will confuse her. When she grows up and starts to understand things more, she will feel even more troubled by our family¡¯s situation."


    "Hmph, if the three of us were together, there would be no trouble at all. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve married Xu Yingying that things have gotten complicated," she retorted.


    Li Yifei was indeed left speechless by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s rebuttal. From their daughter¡¯s perspective, what Ning Xin¡¯er said was absolutely unassailable.


    "Nothing to say now? Hmph, you just like that woman Xu Yingying. Everything else is nonsense."


    "Alright... you¡¯re right, it¡¯s because of this," admitted Li Yifei candidly this time.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lips twitched twice, angry and annoyed.


    "Xin¡¯er..." he began.


    "You don¡¯t need to say anything!" Ning Xin¡¯er cut him off, her gaze intense as she slowly said, "I will make you truly fall in love with me, even more than you love Xu Yingying. When that time comes, I¡¯ll make you want to marry me of your own accord, not because I forced you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words were undoubtedly the best solution for Li Yifei.


    "Is that okay with you?" Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly showed a smile again and said, "I¡¯m not a foolish woman. Making you fear me would only drive you further away. From now on, I¡¯ll never pressure you again, so rest assured."


    "Really?" Li Yifei was somewhat incredulous.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true." Ning Xin¡¯er smiled sweetly, then squinted her eyes and said, "It¡¯s so comfortable sleeping in your arms like this. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll make you hold me like this every night as we sleep."


    After a while, Ning Xin¡¯er actually fell asleep just like that. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly to himself, knowing that Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s character hadn¡¯t changed¡ªshe was still as stubborn and determined as ever to be with him. Only now, she had changed her methods. Instead of the coercion of the past, she planned to bind him with tenderness. For him, this was both a good thing and a bad thing. Honestly, he was truly afraid that one day he might fall into Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s love trap. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he woke up the next morning, before Li Yifei even opened his eyes, he felt Ning Xin¡¯er staring at him. He opened his eyes, smiled faintly, and said, "Good morning."


    "Hmph, you big baddie, taking advantage of me while I was asleep," Ning Xin¡¯er pouted, giving Li Yifei a sidelong glance, her face flushed with a bright red hue.


    Only then did Li Yifei realize where his hand had been placed. Ning Xin¡¯er was now lying flat, while he was cuddling her from the side. The hand he had placed under her neck was still behaving, but the other hand had not stayed on her abdomen and instead had slipped under her nightgown, and was grasping Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s full left breast.


    Li Yifei hurriedly withdrew his hand, saying awkwardly, "I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just a habit."


    "You baddie, I¡¯m not your wife, and yet you touch me like this, and you even squeezed it, making it hurt," Ning Xin¡¯er chided with a glare, an alluring charm emanating from her.


    Li Yifei was even more embarrassed, saying, "I really didn¡¯t mean to."


    "I know, and I¡¯m not blaming you. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t touched them before, but this time it wasn¡¯t as rough as that other time, so it wasn¡¯t too uncomfortable," she said.


    A blush crept over Li Yifei¡¯s face. The first time he had been with Ning Xin¡¯er, he had indeed frustrated her, driven by a kind of retaliatory emotion which made him less gentle, and this was only the second time he had touched Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s breasts.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve long been yours, if you want to touch, of course I¡¯ll let you," Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face turned an even deeper red, as if blood was about to drip.


    Li Yifei quickly moved a little back, and then tried to sit up by pulling his hand from under Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s neck.


    But Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly grabbed his hand, looking at Li Yifei with pleading eyes, and said, "Yifei, don¡¯t get up. After this, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll have the chance to snuggle into your embrace again, to be this close to you. Please, just hold me a bit longer, just a little while..."


    If it were an enemy, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes never distinguished between men and women; he could be ruthless. But he couldn¡¯t be so hard-hearted toward a woman who liked him, saying, "Just a little while?"


    "Just a little while, really just a little while," Ning Xin¡¯er immediately perked up, nodding repeatedly.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er like this filled Li Yifei with a fondness, and he said indulgently, "You really are clingy," and he lay down willingly.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled sweetly and snuggled closer into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, saying, "Hold me tight."


    The smile on Li Yifei¡¯s face became even brighter as he said, "Alright, I¡¯ll hold you," extending his arm over her abdomen.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes happily squinted into crescent moons.


    After embracing for a short while, Ning Xin¡¯er began to speak in a small voice, her face turning red, "Yifei, don¡¯t you like to touch... there? I... I¡¯ll let you."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "That¡¯s not necessary."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted, "Is it because my elasticity isn¡¯t good? Or is it too small?"


    "No, it isn¡¯t that, it feels very nice."


    "Then why don¡¯t you want to touch? Are you afraid that after touching me, I¡¯ll cling to you? I¡¯ve been clinging to you all along. Whether you touch me or not, I¡¯ll still cling to you, and... this time I actually like the feeling, can I please ask you to do it?"


    "You¡¯re asking me..." Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a mixture of amusement and helplessness, and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s cute demeanor really made it hard for him to refuse, saying, "Then I¡¯ll indulge you a little."


    "Then... then... go ahead and touch," Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s voice was as faint as a mosquito, she closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling violently, her body slightly stiff.

 Chapter 755 - 793: Help and Get Rewarded

    Chapter 755: Chapter 793: Help and Get RewardedLi Yifei was definitely an old hand in this arena, while Ning Xin¡¯er was a complete novice, so green that it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call her untouched. Furthermore, with Li Yifei¡¯s deliberate compensating attitude, he was extremely gentle, not only making Ning Xin¡¯er feel wonderfully comfortable, but also stirring her thoughts. At first, she kept still, then gradually began to twist her body, emitting faint moans from her nose.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to continue. If he did, Ning Xin¡¯er would probably lose control, and if she were to suggest taking their relationship to the next level, he would be in a difficult position. He slowed down his movements, allowing Ning Xin¡¯er to gradually recover from her ardor until finally he stopped, but he didn¡¯t remove his hand from under her clothes.


    Ning Xin¡¯er slowly opened her eyes. Having been touched by Li Yifei, she was no longer as shy as she was at the start, although her face was still unusually flushed. She bit her lip and whispered softly, "Thank you."


    If this had been the Li Yifei of the past, he would be grinning and say, "Come to me for such things often in the future," but now he couldn¡¯t bring himself to utter such words, and could only say, "Can you get out of bed now?"


    "No!" Ning Xin¡¯er pouted slightly and gently twisted her body again. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re not getting up?" Li Yifei was somewhat at a loss for words.


    "Look at how scared you are, I just want you to hold me a little longer, I really can¡¯t bear to let you go, I now understand why Xu Yingying would not divorce you even though she knows you have other women, being in your arms is too comfortable, no one would want to leave."


    Li Yifei knew this was a typical reaction of a young girl experiencing love for the first time, just naive, but for a man, it was the highest of compliments.


    "Yifei, I was thinking of you... never mind, I shouldn¡¯t burden you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er hesitated, but Li Yifei roughly understood her meaning. She certainly wanted Li Yifei to be with her like this more often in the future, but that was something Li Yifei really couldn¡¯t promise her, so he pretended not to know.


    Ning Xin¡¯er nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms a while longer until they heard footsteps outside, and then she let Li Yifei get up.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to leave, Ning Xin¡¯er stopped him, saying, "Wait for me a second. It¡¯s early in the morning, if your two brothers see you up first and I, as your wife, am still in bed, wouldn¡¯t that make them think I¡¯m a lazy wife?"


    "Heh, turns out you¡¯re a diligent wife, huh?" Li Yifei teased with a laugh. Regardless, after this night, their relationship wasn¡¯t as distant as before.


    Ning Xin¡¯er playfully laughed and said, "Of course, I¡¯m very diligent." She jumped out of bed, opened the wardrobe, and took out a set of home clothes, then gave Li Yifei a look, saying, "Don¡¯t turn around. I¡¯m going to change."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "We¡¯ve slept together, and you¡¯re still afraid of me looking?"


    "Humph, then take a good look, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen it before." Ning Xin¡¯er said and actually began to undress.


    Li Yifei quickly turned his head away, and behind him came Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s light laughter, "Just knew you wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I admit it, I don¡¯t have the guts." Hearing the sounds of Ning Xin¡¯er taking off and putting on clothes, Li Yifei felt a surge of temptation to look back, but he resisted in the end.


    By the time the two came out, the door opposite was also just opening. Song Tao and Liu Ying emerged together.


    "Brother, sister-in-law!" They both greeted immediately.


    With a smile, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Why didn¡¯t you sleep a bit longer?"


    Song Tao chuckled, "It¡¯s already late, we usually get up early at home, today we even slept in."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced at Liu Ying, whose face glowed with radiant charm, and couldn¡¯t help but giggle and tease, "I thought after last night¡¯s exhaustion, you might sleep in some more."


    Liu Ying¡¯s face turned a bright red at that overtly suggestive remark¡ªin clear reference to having heard her and Song Tao making love the previous night. She couldn¡¯t help but pinch Song Tao and complain, "This is all your fault."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed merrily, "There¡¯s nothing wrong. It¡¯s normal for newlyweds."


    Li Yifei really admired Ning Xin¡¯er. The things she said made her sound like a woman who had been married for several years, and no one would have guessed that she was a chick who got nervous from just being touched.


    Clearing his throat, he said, "You two go freshen up, we¡¯re going to make breakfast."


    Sitting in the living room was Meng Lei, who had neatly folded the blanket and placed it on the sofa. Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Little Lei, my place is small, I could only let you sleep on the couch last night, sorry for the inconvenience."


    Meng Lei cracked a grin and said, "Sister-in-law¡¯s sofa is way more comfortable than the kang bed at our place."


    "Hehe, but it¡¯s still not as comfortable as a bed. Just don¡¯t be picky, Little Lei."


    "No, no, not at all. I really slept quite comfortably."


    After preparing breakfast, everyone had a quick meal. Meng Lei and Song Tao were still somewhat groggy; they had drunk too much the day before and hadn¡¯t fully sobered up yet. Nevertheless, they proposed to go to the staff dormitory. Li Yifei also wanted them to get familiar with the area quickly, so he agreed.


    However, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t just drop them off and leave. Instead, they accompanied them around the city, helped them buy some things, and everyone even had a hearty lunch at a restaurant, though they didn¡¯t drink much this time.


    After sending the three back to the dormitory one more time, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er finally headed back. Ning Xin¡¯er sat in the car with a sweet smile on her face, stealing glances at Li Yifei from time to time, making his heart itch too. That kind of look was both familiar and strange to Li Yifei.


    If he had to say it was familiar, it was the way Ye Yunzhu would look at him when they dated in high school. At work, Michelle also often gave him that look. It¡¯s the kind of look a girl in love gives her boyfriend.


    But such a look was something Xu Yingying, his wife, had never given him. Su Yiyi wouldn¡¯t look at him that way either; her looks always carried a sense of gratitude. Chu Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t like that either; she was more direct, bolder.


    It¡¯s not to say these three didn¡¯t like Li Yifei, but the relationships with them all somehow began with desire first, then developed feelings, which meant they missed out on that sweet process of falling in love.


    Su Mengxin would hide her emotions. Unless she intentionally showed them, no one could tell what she was really thinking. Xu Shanshan, too, would hide her feelings, so even if she wanted to give that look, she wouldn¡¯t dare to show it, especially in front of her sister for fear of accidentally revealing her feelings.


    And that kind of look indeed intoxicated Li Yifei, as if bringing him back to the sweet days of his first love with Ye Yunzhu in high school.


    "Yifei, I¡¯ve been really happy these past couple of days." As the car pulled into the underground parking lot, Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly kissed Li Yifei on the face and sweetly said with a blush, yet bravely met his eyes.


    This Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t rouse a shred of aversion in Li Yifei. He rubbed his face and said, "I asked for your help, and you reward me. That¡¯s a pretty good deal."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was still very nervous inside. She was afraid Li Yifei would scold her, but seeing that he wasn¡¯t angry, her heart leaped with joy. "You bad boy, wasn¡¯t the reward from last night enough? You didn¡¯t seem so happy then, but now you look like this after just one kiss."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Back then, I was just too busy taking advantage of the situation."


    Ning Xin¡¯er playfully hit Li Yifei and said, "You really are a rogue. Remember how innocent you were back then, blushing at just a tease? Now look at you, all you know is how to take advantage of women."


    "Is that so... Haha, I was young back then. I¡¯ve been through a lot since, and I guess my heart isn¡¯t as pure anymore."


    "I wish you could stay that innocent forever."


    "That¡¯s impossible now, no way to change back."


    "Let¡¯s stop talking. You¡¯ve been with me for over a day. If you don¡¯t go home soon, your wife might get mad at you. I don¡¯t want you to have to kneel on a washing board when you get home." Ning Xin¡¯er said and giggled as she pushed open the car door and got out.


    Li Yifei also got out of the car and quickly caught up with Ning Xin¡¯er. With an outstretched arm, he wrapped it around her waist, pulling her close enough that she was pressed against his body.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was startled. She hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to hold her like this, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words. Her heart fluttered with joy, confusion, and an indescribable excitement.


    But what was most shocking was that Li Yifei seemed to be leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, which baffled Ning Xin¡¯er even more. Such abrupt happiness left her completely unprepared¡ªhad Li Yifei suddenly come to his senses and started to genuinely like her?


    Feeling her face heat up, Li Yifei actually kissed her on the cheek, making Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s legs go weak. If not for Li Yifei¡¯s tight embrace, she would¡¯ve collapsed to the floor. Both of them had faces flushed with embarrassment, and for Ning Xin¡¯er, this kind of kiss was a first. It felt amazingly good.


    "Xin¡¯er, someone is going to make a move on us. Don¡¯t be afraid later," Li Yifei whispered as his lips grazed past Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s cheek, seemingly kissing her face and then heading toward her ear, but in fact, he was softly uttering a warning.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s body shuddered, and a wave of intense disappointment rushed through her heart. How much she wished that Li Yifei had kissed her because he liked her, but it turned out to be a warning of impending trouble. That¡¯s why he had done it, to discreetly alert her.


    Disappointment aside, she should still thank those people. At the very least, Li Yifei had kissed her. Even if it wasn¡¯t heartfelt, it was still a kiss, and that was enough.

 Chapter 756 - 794: Direct Killing

    Chapter 756: Chapter 794: Direct KillingA figure was clinging to the pipes above the underground parking lot, like a spider, right at the junction of several pipes. Unless someone happened to look up, they would never notice there was a person there.


    Originally, after Li Yifei parked the car and was heading home, he would have passed by this spot, but now he was walking in a different direction with Ning Xin¡¯er in his arms, which meant that his position was no longer the best for an ambush.


    This left the person somewhat frustrated, but they stayed still because... they were not alone this time.


    As Li Yifei walked past a silver Land Rover Aurora, a person suddenly leaped out from behind the Land Rover, wielding a shimmering dagger that glinted coldly as it thrust towards Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    At the same time, another person shot out from under a Mercedes on the opposite side, also holding a dagger and skimming the ground, aiming not at Li Yifei, but at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ankle.


    The coordination between these two, whether in timing or angle, was seamless, clearly showcasing the prowess of top-level assassins. Moreover, the person targeting Ning Xin¡¯er posed an even greater threat to Li Yifei than a direct attack on him, unless Li Yifei was willing to ignore Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s safety. It¡¯s definitely harder to dodge attacks while carrying someone.


    Any other woman might scream instinctively in such a situation, but Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t show the slightest hint of panic. She had absolute trust in Li Yifei; she didn¡¯t believe anyone could overpower him. Besides, Li Yifei had warned her beforehand that her panic would only cause trouble for him. So, she simply closed her eyes and let Li Yifei take charge. If Li Yifei couldn¡¯t handle it, then she was prepared to die alongside him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression was very solemn. When encountering enemies, he always remained calm and serious. No matter how weak the opponent appeared, if they intended to take his life, he would treat them with full effort. It was a responsibility to himself and to those he protected, as many strong opponents often disguised themselves as weak, leading one to be careless before delivering a fatal blow. Not only had Li Yifei experienced such situations, but he had also employed similar tactics himself.


    Furthermore, the skills of these two were definitely not those of ordinary assassins; they were outstanding killers, not the type one could hire for a regular price.


    Li Yifei¡¯s foot pushed off, and his body shot forward rapidly. The person behind him was still at the same distance; the dagger posed no significant threat to him but it was as if he was sending Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s foot towards the blade of the person lying in wait on the ground.


    The hidden assailant¡¯s blade was savagely slicing towards Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ankle without the slightest hint of mercy.


    But just as his blade was about 20 centimeters from Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ankle, both she and Li Yifei suddenly lifted off the ground, and Li Yifei¡¯s foot was already stomping down towards his wrist.


    The man quickly raised his wrist to dodge Li Yifei¡¯s stomp, but before he could alter his attack, Li Yifei had already swept past him, turning to face the two attackers.


    By then, the two assailants were standing shoulder to shoulder. Neither was particularly tall, both around 1.7 meters, dressed in black tight-fitting clothes with their faces covered by black cloth, leaving only their eyes exposed, fixing a deadly stare on Li Yifei.


    "Who are you?" Li Yifei asked indifferently.


    "Worthy of the title Golden Eagle!" The voice of the one on the left was quite hoarse, with the black cloth over his face trembling slightly as he spoke.


    Li Yifei frowned slightly. Very few people outside knew of his return from the military, and even fewer were aware that the Golden Eagle was in Mile City. The fact that these two had directly mentioned his identity was quite problematic.


    "Today, we¡¯ll witness the Golden Eagle¡¯s fighting strength," said the one on the right coldly, his body already lurching towards Li Yifei.


    The one on the left immediately attacked Li Yifei as well, their cooperation impeccable.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t let go of Ning Xin¡¯er; he fought the two while holding her. In a blink, they had exchanged a number of moves.


    The prowess of these two individuals greatly astonished Li Yifei; their strength was definitely formidable, and he was quite familiar with the moves they were using. With a cold snort, he said, "Has the South Chen Organization come seeking revenge on me?"


    "Indeed! Golden Eagle, you¡¯ve sabotaged our organization¡¯s plans numerous times. Did you really think we would let you off the hook?" The one with the raspy voice gritted his teeth with venom, his movements becoming even more fierce.


    "Hmph, just the two of you?" Li Yifei sneered, suddenly turning defense into attack, which immediately exerted an overwhelming pressure on the two assailants.


    This greatly shocked the two men. Although they hadn¡¯t dominated the fight with Li Yifei previously, they didn¡¯t fall behind either. They had thought that the two of them together would be sufficient to contend with Li Yifei. Little did they know that Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been using his full strength until now. Even when united, the two of them couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure from Li Yifei, who was still carrying someone, which presumably further reduced his capabilities.


    But the two were not yet at the point where they would be subdued by Li Yifei. They desperately resisted Li Yifei¡¯s onslaught, which was like a storm, retreating step by step. The place where they retreated to was precisely the location of the person hiding above. If they could lure Li Yifei there, the person above could take him by surprise with a sudden strike. They believed Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the combined attack of three people, especially when the person above had the advantage of surprise.


    Li Yifei seemed to have been tricked, relentlessly pressing his attack towards them until he reached their optimal ambush site.


    "Kill!" At that moment, the two men were overjoyed and suddenly erupted with aggression, aiming to hold Li Yifei down and give their comrade above the best chance to strike.


    And the person above also recognized that this was the perfect opportunity. As the two comrades below risked injury to secure this prime chance for him, he descended swiftly from above. The dagger in his hand glinted coldly as it was already on its way towards Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    This trap was well laid out, acknowledging Li Yifei¡¯s might, which is why three experts needed to combine their strengths and resort to such tactics of surprise attack. They were confident this murderous blow would be the end of Li Yifei.


    However, they still underestimated Li Yifei¡¯s abilities and particularly his observational skills. From the beginning, he pretended to be weak, only to counterattack explosively later, purposely leading them to this ambush point to lure out the attacker from above. Only by doing so could he more effectively eliminate all three of them at once. Had he exposed his strength too early, the one hidden in the shadows would surely have fled upon realizing the situation was unfavorable.


    Li Yifei had no mercy for enemies who sought to kill him.


    At that moment, Li Yifei forcefully flung Ning Xin¡¯er, who he had been holding, with his left hand, and she flew out. His body swiftly shifted to the left, and his right foot shot up, brutally slamming into the chest of the expert on the right. At the same time, his left hand shot out in a punch, forcibly deflecting the assailant¡¯s dagger and leaving them no room to dodge. The attacker could only raise an arm across his chest in a vain attempt to block Li Yifei¡¯s attack.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei¡¯s right hand deftly seized the wrist of the falling assailant holding the dagger, then forcefully pulled and smashed it downwards.


    Li Yifei struck out with these three moves simultaneously, aimed at the three men, and not a single one of them could evade, all being struck at the same time.


    The man Li Yifei kicked was sent flying and crashed into a parked car, spewing several mouthfuls of fresh blood before slumping down the side of the vehicle.


    The assailant that Li Yifei punched, despite blocking some of the force with his arm, couldn¡¯t withstand the destructive power that Li Yifei wielded. Rather than being knocked back, he staggered a few steps, then stared blankly at Li Yifei before finally collapsing to the ground with a thunderous thud.


    The hidden attacker, whose wrist was caught by Li Yifei and thrown to the ground, found himself utterly incapable of resisting. In the split second before hitting the ground, he realized how outclassed they were by Li Yifei. Their stealth attack was tantamount to a moth flinging itself against a rock. When his body met the ground, the intense impact made him feel as if all his bones had shattered in that moment, marking the end of his life.


    Li Yifei left no survivors. He already knew who these men were¡ªthe South Chen Organization was an extreme Terrorist Organization that would stop at nothing to achieve its objectives, even targeting civilians, with no regard for women or children. Li Yifei had disrupted several of their operations while he was in the special forces, eliminating some of their key members. These people from South Chen Organization deserved no mercy or pity.


    As for extracting information from them, that would also be exceedingly difficult. These were all members of the Suicide Squad, especially those of such caliber, they were incredibly fanatical. Once captured, they would attempt to kill themselves by any means necessary. Even if you prevented their suicide, they would bite off their own tongues, unwilling to reveal any information. Thus, the swiftest course of action was to kill them outright.


    After Li Yifei had dispatched the three men, Ning Xin¡¯er finally landed. She even managed to fly over a car and land behind it, standing steady without falling. Li Yifei, even in the midst of killing, had managed to ensure Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s safe landing¡ªa feat unimaginably skilled.

 Chapter 757 - 795 - : Persuasion to Leave

    Chapter 757: 795 Chapter: Persuasion to LeaveLi Yifei was not worried that the security guards in the residential complex would find out what had happened. Since the three men had been lurking there, they must have already tampered with the surveillance cameras or directly interfered with them using technology. However, he would certainly need to deal with the bodies of the three men he had killed.


    He immediately called someone from his mercenary organization and then dragged the three bodies into a corner. Although it wasn¡¯t quitting time yet, it wasn¡¯t impossible for cars to return to the parking lot.


    He went over to Ning Xin¡¯er who was still standing behind her car, and saw her smile faintly at him, asking, "Is everything all right?" As a member of a prominent family, Ning Xin¡¯er was able to face such situations with composure, similar to Su Mengxin. The best thing for her to do at that time was to follow Li Yifei¡¯s instructions. If she moved from where Li Yifei had placed her, it would not only cause him trouble, but also put herself in danger. Thus, after Li Yifei moved her behind the car, she only stood there without moving.


    "All¡¯s well now. Were you scared?" On Li Yifei¡¯s face there was a look of resolute calmness tinged with a hint of murderous intent. Having just killed three people, he couldn¡¯t simply act as if nothing had happened.


    Ning Xin¡¯er took his hand and said, "How could I be scared with you here? I know you would protect me."


    His hand grasped Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s soft one, and the murderous aura on Li Yifei slowly dissipated. He smiled and said, "Just three small fries, totally clueless."


    "So your nickname was Golden Eagle? It sounds nice, I like it," Ning Xin¡¯er said with another sweet smile.


    Li Yifei laughed, "That was just something others concocted. Now I¡¯m just Li Yifei, not any Golden Eagle."


    "You might think so, but others still know you as the infamous Golden Eagle. You bad boy, I really had no idea Golden Eagle was you. If I had known earlier, I would have come looking for you directly." After Ning Xin¡¯er gave birth and returned to the Ning Family, she had heard of Golden Eagle¡¯s reputation as a top expert in Huaxia. She never imagined that the very same Golden Eagle was Li Yifei, who had gotten her pregnant, or else she would have sought him out long ago.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    "But what about them..." Ning Xin¡¯er knew Li Yifei had taken care of the three men. Although she had not seen them die, she felt it was not a good thing to leave the bodies there.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Someone will take care of it." He then pulled Ning Xin¡¯er towards the stairwell.


    Just as Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er had disappeared into the stairwell, three people appeared in the parking lot. They quickly removed the bodies and even cleaned up the bloodstains on the ground so thoroughly that no one could tell that a fierce fight had taken place there, let alone that three people had died.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t go straight home but instead went to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s house with her. They sat down in the living room, where Ning Xin¡¯er poured him a glass of water and softly said, "From what they said, it seems they came looking for revenge against you."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "It looks like news of me being in Mile City got out somehow. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have targeted me directly."


    "So, what should we do?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked, looking at Li Yifei with concern.


    Li Yifei said, "If it were just me they were targeting, I wouldn¡¯t care. But now I¡¯m afraid they might go after the people close to me. Staying here isn¡¯t safe for you, so I think you should go back to Capital City for now. It will be much safer there."


    "I won¡¯t! I want to be with you," Ning Xin¡¯er immediately pouted, clutching Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei knew that Ning Xin¡¯er could be stubborn and only spoke softly, "I¡¯ll settle this matter soon, and then if you want to come back, you can."


    "I don¡¯t care, you just want to send me away."


    "Silly girl, if it were someone irrelevant to me, whether they¡¯re by my side or not, I wouldn¡¯t care about their safety, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er paused, then suddenly broke into a smile, "So that means... you¡¯re also admitting that I¡¯m your woman."


    Li Yifei mentally sighed. If he didn¡¯t admit it now, Ning Xin¡¯er definitely wouldn¡¯t leave. He could only laugh and say, "What do you think? You¡¯ve given birth to a daughter, it doesn¡¯t seem like I could deny it even if I wanted to."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face flushed with excitement and her eyes even reddened. Her lips trembled, and she found herself speechless for a while.


    Li Yifei let out an inward sigh. Thinking it over, Ning Xin¡¯er was indeed pitiable. She had suffered so much for him, giving birth to a daughter, yet he was still the most distant from her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said, "Be good, listen to me. I like my obedient Little Xin¡¯er, not the wild girl who always fights me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly wiped her eyes and said, "I¡¯ll be obedient, I¡¯ll be obedient. I¡¯ll pack up in a moment and head straight back to Capital City."


    Li Yifei looked at Ning Xin¡¯er and found it a bit amusing. It turned out that Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t that difficult to deal with after all. As long as he cajoled her properly, she was quite tractable. By avoiding and fearing her, he had only made her less compliant. He realized that to placate Ning Xin¡¯er in the future, he just needed to offer her some incentives, and it wouldn¡¯t be hard to get her to cooperate.


    He gently kissed Ning Xin¡¯er on the face and said, "Such a good girl."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was even more delighted. She felt that Li Yifei had truly kissed her this time and, choking up, she said, "You really kissed me... you really kissed me."


    "Yes! I kissed you, and it was sweet." Li Yifei kissed her gently again.


    Ning Xin¡¯er threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms and began to cry, her sobs growing louder as if she were unleashing years of pent-up grievances.


    Li Yifei just gently patted Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s back, allowing her to cry. He could now understand why she was crying and didn¡¯t feel good about it. If it hadn¡¯t been for his marriage to Xu Yingying six months earlier, he would have definitely agreed to marry Ning Xin¡¯er without hesitation.


    Finally, Ning Xin¡¯er had cried enough and sat up, only to see that she had soaked a large patch on Li Yifei¡¯s chest. She said somewhat sheepishly, "I¡¯ve made your clothes all wet."


    "No worries, I¡¯ll change when I get home."


    "I have some here too." Ning Xin¡¯er immediately went to her room and found a suit for Li Yifei, which was clearly a designer brand.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t hesitate to put on the suit. Ning Xin¡¯er looked him over with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "You look so handsome in a suit."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin and said with a smile, "You, you¡¯d think I look handsome in anything."


    "Of course, love is blind, isn¡¯t it? In my eyes, you¡¯re the most handsome, no matter what you wear, even if you wear nothing at all."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright then, let¡¯s go to my place first, so that I won¡¯t worry about you being here alone."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded and then smirked, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause any trouble at your house. I¡¯ll be very well-behaved."


    This was quite a pleasant surprise for Li Yifei. Treating Ning Xin¡¯er well could have such an effect. It seemed that the alliance between Ning Xin¡¯er and Lin Qiong was easy to break after all. Otherwise, if the two girls started making trouble, that would really give Li Yifei a headache.


    Back at Li Yifei¡¯s home, Xu Yingying and the others were there. Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t demure upon arrival; she was just like before. Ning Xin¡¯er, after all, was a star, albeit only in singing. She had also done some advertising, so her acting talents were high. Her performance was sure to outshine that of ordinary people.


    After some small talk, Xu Yingying asked about the relatives who had visited the day before. Ning Xin¡¯er recounted the events of the previous day, including incidents like Song Tao and Meng Lei drinking too much¡ªall of which could be told truthfully. However, when it came to the part about resting at the end, Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a glance and then said to Xu Yingying with a hint of sourness, "Yingying, you really have a way with your husband. He actually slept on the floor in my house last night."


    This made Xu Yingying quite unhappy. She knew very well that under yesterday¡¯s circumstances, Li Yifei would have definitely stayed in the same room with Ning Xin¡¯er. She could even imagine them holding each other. It was natural for Ning Xin¡¯er to take the initiative, as she¡¯d always held a torch for Li Yifei, and since they had been intimate before, starting again would be even easier. Men were usually quite helpless in such situations; the likelihood of them having an affair seemed very high.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s comment left Xu Yingying unsure how to respond. If she praised Li Yifei, it would directly insult Ning Xin¡¯er. To say something modest seemed even more pretentious, so she simply chuckled and said, "Ha, I don¡¯t have that skill."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared at Li Yifei again and said, "Then I must be the one lacking skills. Forget it, forget it, I¡¯ll be bothering you here for a while. I plan to stay in Capital City for some time, so Yingying, you will have to take good care of my daughter."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yingying was overjoyed and quickly said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, rest assured, I will take very good care of Yifei. As you can see, I¡¯ve always treated her as if she were my own daughter."


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Little Yifei playing in the living room and said wistfully, "Mm, I¡¯m just saying. A daughter is a mother¡¯s treasure. Don¡¯t be upset with me."


    "Not at all, not at all. If you come back, you are always welcome," Xu Yingying¡¯s hostility towards Ning Xin¡¯er subsided considerably. With Ning Xin¡¯er gone, the tension between them would lessen, and they might even become friends for Yifei¡¯s sake.

 Chapter 758 - 796: The Super Soldier

    Chapter 758: Chapter 796: The Super SoldierNing Xin¡¯er had left, and He Fangqing¡¯s wound had been stitched up. Although he still dared not engage in vigorous activities, his normal life and work were not affected. With so many things happening in the company, she couldn¡¯t wait to start working there again.


    Li Yifei, too, had returned to work on Monday, but he only stayed in the company for a short while before making a phone call to ask Xu Yingying for leave.


    At that time, Xu Yingying was meeting with several key middle managers and directly hung up on Li Yifei¡¯s call. Li Yifei had no choice but to send a text message to Xu Yingying, telling her that he had to step out to handle some matters, to which Xu Yingying did not even reply.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t worry about whether Xu Yingying was upset or not at that moment; he had things he had to do. The South Chen Organization knew the whereabouts of their enemy. Having failed this time, they would surely strike again. Li Yifei knew this organization all too well; they were like adhesive plaster on their enemies, impossible to shake off unless you scared them enough to deter them from bothering you again.


    Another concern weighed even more heavily on Li Yifei: once the news of his presence in Mile City as the Golden Eagle got out, it would not be just the South Chen Organization seeking revenge. There would certainly be others coming after him.


    As a member of the top special forces unit in Huaxia, and the strongest within that elite group, he had inevitably clashed with several terrorist organizations. Many important figures from those organizations had died by his hand, harboring grudges against both Huaxia as a nation and Li Yifei as an individual. Opposing the mighty Huaxia was beyond their capabilities, but seeking personal revenge against him was relatively easier.


    Moreover, killing Li Yifei would bolster the morale within those organizations, a common and effective practice among their leadership to win over their people¡¯s hearts.


    If Li Yifei were to face these challenges alone, he truly wouldn¡¯t stand a chance, even if he mobilized all his mercenary forces. Such an effort would pale in comparison to well-established terrorist organizations, let alone the possibility that it wasn¡¯t just one but several organizations involved, which would overwhelm Li Yifei even more.


    Li Yifei was not impulsive or one to play the hero. After contributing so much to his country, all he wanted was to live a peaceful life. Yet his retirement had brought him so much trouble that he naturally needed some assistance from the nation.


    With such powerful support from the state, even without engaging those terrorist organizations directly, simply by strengthening security measures, it would be much harder for those organizations to enter Mile City.


    With some intelligence supply as well, Li Yifei could launch proactive strikes, as he had done the last time when he eliminated three experts from the Yamaguchi Group before they could lay their hands on him, eradicating the impending threat.


    After leaving the company, Li Yifei went to a tea house. Upon giving the room number, a server guided him inside, where a man in his fifties, impeccably dressed in a Zhongshan suit, sat with great vigor. As Li Yifei entered, the man immediately smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Young man, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve only decided to contact me now. That¡¯s not very considerate of you."


    Li Yifei laughed and sat down, replying, "I just didn¡¯t want to trouble the country with matters I could handle myself."


    "Don¡¯t pretend now. I know you too well. Can you ever truly settle down? With your restless nature, if you were to live in peace for two years, you¡¯d probably get restless," he said as he poured a cup of tea for Li Yifei and then gestured for the server to leave.


    In the private room left with just the two of them, Li Yifei looked at the elder, dropping his joking demeanor. Despite the elder¡¯s unassuming appearance, his name once instilled fear in countries worldwide; he was Zhou Boyu, the previous Head Eagle of the Flying Hawk Squad.


    In the eyes of the outside world, the Flying Hawk Squad was considered the peak of Huaxia¡¯s military elite. Even the heads of major families and key national leaders were of the same opinion. However, the highest authorities in Huaxia knew of an even more special force, one stronger than the Flying Hawk Squad because it comprised the true Head Eagles from various generations of the squad. Considering Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, an organization consisting of individuals with comparable abilities was unimaginably powerful.


    This organization was known as "Phantom," comprising solely ten members. Although there have been more than twenty Flying Hawk Squad leaders, some did not qualify for Phantom due to their lackluster skills or having died in battle, so the current number remained at ten.


    In Phantom, rank had no bearing; members referred to each other as brothers. The oldest was seventy-three, while the youngest was Li Yifei.


    After sipping his tea, Li Yifei said, "Fifth Brother, is your visit to Mile City because you¡¯ve received some news?"


    Zhou Boyu nodded, "Tenth Brother, indeed. I don¡¯t know who leaked the information of your presence here as the Golden Eagle, but many organizations are now converging on Mile City, all wanting your life."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Seems like my life is quite valuable if so many are vying to take it."


    Zhou Boyu said with a smile, "Of course, some organizations have a vendetta against you and want to eliminate you for satisfaction, while others see an opportunity to make a name for themselves. Killing the world-famous Golden Eagle would bring unimaginable prestige to their organization."


    Li Yifei squinted his eyes and said, "You mean, all the major organizations know about this news now?"


    "Exactly, the person who can release this news must be extraordinarily bold and well-connected to all these organizations. Keep in mind that no matter which organization gets this message, they won¡¯t just tell anyone, unless they want to use others to kill you. But the likelihood of that is not high. The real concern is the person who actually publicized your information; they are the biggest conspirator and the one we need to be most cautious of."


    Li Yifei slowly sipped another cup of tea and said, "Not only a conspirator but they must also have enough power to back it up. Now, which organization in the world has such power?"


    Zhou Boyu spoke calmly as well, "There are only two organizations that might have such power: one is the Green Hand Party in Europe, and the other is the Holy War Organization in America. However, whether it is one of these two organizations, we are not sure."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched and he said, "Then it¡¯s basically impossible for it to be the Holy War Organization."


    With a smile in his eyes, Zhou Boyu asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and replied, "I just have that feeling."


    Zhou Boyu burst out laughing and said, "Whenever you rub your nose, that¡¯s a sign you¡¯re feeling guilty. I heard that the saintess of the Holy War Organization is a blonde beauty. You didn¡¯t fool around with her, did you? The saintess is a symbol of the Holy War Organization. If you messed with her, it would be perfectly normal for them to stop at nothing to come after you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark and he said, "Fifth Brother, you¡¯re giving me too much credit."


    "Haha, not only are you as strong as us old folks, which we all readily acknowledge, but I would also agree placing you in the top three. There are always two who would disagree, but when it comes to being the Head Eagle and completing missions, you managed to flirt around the world like no other, and for that, we are all truly impressed."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh as an image of a woman with golden hair reaching her waist and skin as fair as an angel¡¯s appeared in his mind. She was a woman who could make any man worship her.


    In Huaxia, there¡¯s Su Mengxin, not only recognized as the number one beauty of Huaxia, but she¡¯s also acclaimed as the number one beauty in all of Asia. Meanwhile, the saintess is considered the number one beauty in the West. Li Yifei not only had seen her but also had a bit of a story with her.


    "Fifth Brother, stop joking around with me. Although I¡¯ve met the saintess and had a few encounters with her, I really didn¡¯t ¡¯play¡¯ her. We didn¡¯t have any conflict with their organization, so they have no reason to trouble me," he said.


    Zhou Boyu chuckled and suggested, "Could it be that this saintess took a fancy to you, and then you didn¡¯t reciprocate, so she¡¯s causing trouble for you? It¡¯s also very possible. The heart of a woman is indeed the hardest to fathom."


    "No! No!" Li Yifei shook his head like a rattle-drum and said, "That¡¯s absolutely impossible. Fifth Brother, what do you take me for? Even the saintess would fall for me and become spiteful out of love? You sure have quite the imagination." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Boyu narrowed his eyes at Li Yifei, his gaze meaningful, and slowly said, "Our Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty fell into your hands. It wouldn¡¯t be such a stretch for a saintess to fall in love with you either."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he replied, "Fifth Brother... You know about that too?"


    "Nonsense, Su Mengxin set up a company in Mile City and is always hanging around with you. If she didn¡¯t fancy you, how could that be? Only a fool wouldn¡¯t see through it. Now many in the Capital City are aware of you, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before Old Master Su calls for you."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "That would be difficult. Old Master Su has a rather foul temper."


    "Haha... that will depend on your skills. But you¡¯ve married a wife and still got involved with Su Mengxin. Old Master Su is indeed very upset. If it weren¡¯t for the constant busyness of recent events, he might have already made his way to Mile City."


    Li Yifei was thoroughly scared by this. The elders in the Capital City were not easy to deal with, and among them, Old Master Su was certainly one of the most demanding. Facing such a senior leader of the Central Government, Li Yifei really felt quite powerless.

 Chapter 759 - 797: Have Your Comrade Answer the Phone

    Chapter 759: Chapter 797: Have Your Comrade Answer the PhoneOriginally, being in Mile City had already attracted a horde of organization members trying to kill me, which was bothersome enough for Li Yifei. But who knew that now, the relationship between him and Su Mengxin had stirred up such a storm in the Capital City? Just thinking about Old Master Su, Li Yifei felt he was even harder to deal with than those people from the organizations who came to kill him.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s gloomy expression, Zhou Boyu couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter and said, "Tenth Brother, it¡¯s really rare to see you looking so downcast. It¡¯s hilarious. I¡¯ve got to tell the brothers about this, how our Tenth Brother isn¡¯t afraid of heaven or earth, but he does have someone he¡¯s afraid of."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "It¡¯s different from before, now that I have a family and a business, there are more people to be afraid of. At home I¡¯m scared of the wife, and outside I have to be afraid of some old guy."


    Zhou Boyu laughed even harder, nearly falling over as he said, "You¡¯ve finally come to realize that women are the toughest to deal with, especially your own wife. No matter how great a hero you are, you still can¡¯t get past the wife. And if you stir up a couple of mistresses like you did, that¡¯s even more troublesome."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, there was no need to put on airs with these older brothers.


    Zhou Boyu then stopped laughing, took a sip of tea, and said, "These people are coming to trouble you, and given your abilities, we are not worried. But now, with all your concerns, if someone exploits that, then you¡¯re going to be in trouble."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Exactly, that¡¯s why I contacted you."


    "What¡¯s your plan, then? You¡¯re not thinking of asking me to protect your wife or something, are you?" Zhou Boyu rolled his eyes. For masters like them, even being utilized by the country wasn¡¯t easy, except for very important events that even the Flying Hawk Squad couldn¡¯t handle, prompting them to act. To think that someone like him would be protecting Li Yifei¡¯s wife was indeed a joke.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Of course not. I just want you guys to deter them a bit. If anyone dares to touch my family, I will make sure to eliminate their stronghold completely." Although Li Yifei had a smile on his face, a strong killing intent was clearly visible.


    Zhou Boyu nodded and said, "That¡¯s an easy thing to handle. Leave it to us. I want to see which organization is bold enough." The killing aura flashed briefly around him. As a former Head Eagle, Zhou Boyu was notorious for his ruthlessness, but now he rarely took action, which made him seem very approachable. But if anyone still recognized him today, they would definitely feel chills down their spine and their legs would go weak.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t ask Zhou Boyu how he would do it. As long as he had agreed, it was certain to be done. Their Phantom Organization, although only consisting of ten people, had a vast influence behind the scenes. It¡¯s just that they didn¡¯t use that influence lightly.


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. Seeing the number, he immediately flashed a grin at Zhou Boyu, answered the phone, and said, "Wife, I asked you for leave just now, but you didn¡¯t reply. An old friend happened to pass by here, and I¡¯m having tea with him. I¡¯ll be right back."


    "Oh, is that so? Then let that old friend say a few words to me," Xu Yingying replied with an unfriendly tone.


    "Alright, alright. Hey, brother, come speak to my little sister-in-law," Li Yifei said cheerfully as he handed the phone to Zhou Boyu.


    Zhou Boyu, feeling both annoyed and amused, took the phone and said, "Hello, little sister-in-law. My name is Zhou Boyu. I¡¯m a comrade-in-arms from Yifei¡¯s squad. I stopped by to see Yifei while passing through."


    Xu Yingying had thought Li Yifei was meeting another woman at this time, which was why he said that, but who knew there really was another man. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, she replied awkwardly, "Hello, Big Brother Zhou. I¡¯m so sorry for offending you and making you laugh. Where are you guys? I¡¯ll be right over to invite Big Brother Zhou to dinner."


    Zhou Boyu laughed heartily and said, "Little sister-in-law, you¡¯re too polite. I¡¯m only here for a short visit and will be leaving soon. Next time I have the chance, I¡¯ll definitely come to trouble you."


    "Alright, next time you¡¯re here, you must come over to our house."


    "No problem. I¡¯ve heard for a long time that Yifei married a very capable and beautiful wife, yet I¡¯ve never seen her. I definitely want to meet her in the future."


    "You flatter me, Big Brother Zhou."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll hand the phone back to Yifei," Zhou Boyu said as he passed the phone back.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Wife, I¡¯ll be home in a bit."


    "Sorry, dear, for embarrassing you," Xu Yingying quickly apologized to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. To have a wife like you, even if I am ¡¯afraid¡¯ of my wife, there¡¯s no shame in that. Besides, this shows you care about me."


    Xu Yingying felt joy in her heart upon hearing this and said, "Then you go ahead. See Big Brother Zhou off and then come back. No rush with the work at the company."


    "Got it."


    Having hung up the phone, Zhou Boyu burst into loud laughter, while Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "What¡¯s so funny? You¡¯re just the same when you¡¯re with your sister-in-law. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know."


    "My behavior towards your sister-in-law is out of respect, unlike you kid, who¡¯s just feeling guilty in front of your wife," Zhou retorted.


    These older brothers were people whom Li Yifei deeply respected. After Yifei had first demonstrated his prowess in the Flying Hawk Squad, it was Zhou Boyu who had admired him greatly and along with the other older brothers, they had taught him truly advanced skills. Although Yifei had surpassed his mentors, he maintained a relationship with them that was both of teacher and friend. He never felt the need to hide any embarrassing incidents from these brothers, and even if they teased him for it, it hurt his pride not at all. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After discussing serious matters, the two chatted idly for half an hour. Although they were all part of the same Phantom Organization, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had much contact with them over the past few years. Now that he had met Zhou Boyu, he genuinely wanted to talk more with someone of equivalent ability. For a powerhouse, loneliness could be real, and to share a drink and conversation with a peer was truly satisfying.


    Back at the company, Li Yifei went straight to Xu Yingying¡¯s office door, where the secretary told him that President Xu was meeting a client. Yifei didn¡¯t barge in, after all, he was just a security department manager within the company, and apart from Michelle and He Fangqing, no one knew about his marital relationship with Xu Yingying.


    After waiting for more than ten minutes, Xu Yingying¡¯s office door opened, and she walked out accompanied by Cao Bin.


    "Isn¡¯t this the brother-in-law?" Cao Bin greeted Li Yifei with a smile on his face.


    Li Yifei smiled back and said, "Yeah, long time no see."


    "Hehe, we¡¯ll chat more when there¡¯s time. I¡¯ve got things to do today, so I¡¯ll be leaving now," Cao Bin laughed, nodded at Xu Yingying, and left without looking back. This time, Yingying didn¡¯t escort him out.


    "Come in," Xu Yingying said indifferently and turned to enter the office. Yifei followed her in and closed the door behind him.


    "Honey, I¡¯m sorry for embarrassing you in front of your friend," Xu Yingying apologized with a smile on her face as soon as they were inside.


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and replied, "It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s just a bit of ribbing. It¡¯s no big deal."


    Feeling even more guilty, Xu Yingying said, "I really had no idea you were with your comrade. I thought you were with..."


    "I know. Who¡¯d expect otherwise, with my past bad behaviors? I don¡¯t blame you. By the way, why is Cao Bin looking for you again?"


    Xu Yingying knew that Cao Bin had pursued her before, but after her interaction with Li Yifei on the cruise, Cao Bin hadn¡¯t behaved like before, with sending flowers and such. Seeing Li Yifei slightly jealous made her quietly happy, and she smiled and said, "We¡¯re operating in both overseas and domestic markets at the same time, and it¡¯s about to start. Cao Bin is mainly responsible for Southeast Asia, and we still need to meet and discuss some details."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and commented, "Cao Bin is no good. You¡¯d better be careful around him."


    "I know, look at you all sour," she replied, grasping Li Yifei¡¯s hand and giving him a light kiss on the cheek.


    Li Yifei quickly glanced towards the door and said, "You¡¯re too bold. Aren¡¯t you afraid of others seeing? Quickly check if there¡¯s any lipstick on my face."


    "No, don¡¯t worry," she assured him.


    Li Yifei patted his chest in relief and said, "That¡¯s good, because if I had any mark left on me and others saw it after I¡¯ve been to the general manager¡¯s office, they¡¯d be confused. ¡¯How come Li Yifei has a lipstick mark on his face after visiting the general manager? Did the manager kiss him? What¡¯s the scandalous relationship between them? Goodness, this great cabbage has been taken by a pig.¡¯"


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, gave Li Yifei a playful slap, and said reproachfully, "Exactly, my fine cabbage has been taken by this stinky pig."


    Li Yifei chuckled, moved his face closer to Yingying, and said, "So, My Lady, does this mean that you¡¯ll let me have a good ¡¯plow¡¯ tonight?"


    "Go away, you¡¯re not allowed to come over tonight. Go directly to Yiyi; I told her to come back tonight," Xu Yingying replied, her cheeks flushing as she gave Li Yifei a look.


    "Why?" Li Yifei felt something odd about Yingying today. Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t as afraid of Xu Yingying as she used to be and their relationship had grown closer, almost sisterly. The best thing about Yiyi was her humility; she never became arrogant or overly demanding. Usually, after staying over, she would spend at least a day away, but Yiyi had been home yesterday, and today Yingying had called her back; something was amiss.


    "Silly, I got my period today; that¡¯s why I specifically called Yiyi back... all for you."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt touched. It wasn¡¯t just about Xu Yingying being considerate, it was also a mark of her harmonious relationship with her lover, Su Yiyi. If it were just the two of them, Yifei¡¯s life would be filled with sweetness and much fewer complications.

 Chapter 760 - 798 Going Through the Back Door

    Chapter 760: Chapter 798 Going Through the Back Door"That¡¯s right, Little Lei and Little Tao¡¯s jobs have been arranged. I wasn¡¯t in a position to arrange them directly, so the Human Resources Department handled it. Little Tao was placed in the sales department, and Little Lei was directly arranged to join your security department. Liu Ying, on the other hand, was assigned to the logistics department, under Michelle."


    Li Yifei had not yet seen Meng Lei and chuckled, "I¡¯ll go have a look at them later."


    "Um, since they are relatives, it¡¯s only right to look after them a bit."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know these two young men. They¡¯re not the type to act recklessly just because they have some connections. They want to make something of themselves here; they won¡¯t add to your burdens as a sister-in-law or tarnish your reputation as the big boss."


    Xu Yingying snorted, expressing her dissatisfaction, "In their hearts, Ning Xin¡¯er is their sister-in-law, not me. What am I, chopped liver?"


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh, having no immediate solution to this issue.


    "Alright, I¡¯m not blaming you. Go ahead and get busy. I still have a lot to take care of. Chatting with you for a bit, I¡¯ve already delayed quite a bit of time."


    "Drink more hot water, don¡¯t catch a chill at this time," Li Yifei added.


    "Got it," Xu Yingying smiled sweetly. The concern from Li Yifei, her husband, always left her feeling extra sweet.


    After Li Yifei went downstairs, he first visited the sales department. He saw Song Tao there, scrutinizing some materials with a serious expression, completely oblivious to his arrival.


    Li Yifei patted Song Tao on the shoulder, causing Song Tao to start and look up. Seeing it was Li Yifei, he exclaimed joyfully, "Bro!" but then quickly shut his mouth.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Focusing hard, huh? I told you not to rely on me in the company, but I didn¡¯t say you couldn¡¯t acknowledge me as your brother."


    Song Tao then grinned, "Heh, you¡¯re the big manager, I can¡¯t just say whatever I want."


    "How are you feeling?" Li Yifei pulled up a chair and sat in front of him.


    "Feeling great. I¡¯ve always dreamed of working in a big company like this, and today my wish has come true. Brother, rest assured, I¡¯ll work hard and won¡¯t let you down."


    Li Yifei nodded in approval, "That¡¯s good. Keep it up. I¡¯m going to check on Liu Ying and Little Lei. No need to see me out; you get back to your work."


    As soon as Li Yifei left, the others in the sales department didn¡¯t cast any strange glances at Song Tao. The company¡¯s policy was always to select talent based on ability. As long as there was competence, opportunities for advancement would come. If someone was too weak or unsuitable for their job, they¡¯d either leave the company or have no chance of promotion. Having connections was never a reason for promotion.


    So even if people saw someone who got in through connections, they wouldn¡¯t mind. Such individuals posed no threat to those who were truly capable.


    Li Yifei arrived at the logistics department on the second floor, Michelle¡¯s territory. In the staff office, he did not see Liu Ying, so he went straight to Michelle¡¯s office. It would be improper not to visit her while he was there.


    After knocking on the door, Michelle¡¯s voice came from inside - clear and melodious as ever, but with an added authority of leadership, "Come in!"


    Li Yifei pushed open the door and saw Michelle sitting behind her desk, with Liu Ying presumably seated opposite her.


    "Brother Li... Manager..." Michelle began to call him Brother Li, but in front of her subordinate, and a new one at that, she quickly altered her address into a somewhat awkward title. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled, "Manager Mi, I came to see how you¡¯re doing."


    Liu Ying knew someone had come in but didn¡¯t dare to turn around in front of the manager. Yet when she recognized Li Yifei¡¯s voice, she instinctively looked around.


    At that moment, Michelle said, "Liu Ying, you can go back. I have something to discuss with Manager Li."


    Liu Ying was about to stand up when Li Yifei smiled, "No need, Michelle. I just came to check on Liu Ying. She¡¯s married to my cousin, so she¡¯s my cousin-in-law. In the future, you as the big manager need to take good care of her."


    Michelle let out a surprised murmur, "Oh? She¡¯s your relative? I had no idea."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Liu Ying, Michelle is a good friend of mine, but when you¡¯re working here, you can¡¯t slack off just because your manager and I are close. If Manager Mi ever complains to me about you, I¡¯ll be completely embarrassed."


    Liu Ying quickly responded, "No, no, I¡¯ll definitely work hard, brother."


    Li Yifei said to Michelle, "Although Liu Ying is my cousin, don¡¯t treat her any differently. Just manage her normally, and if she makes mistakes, you criticize her."


    If Liu Ying had been someone else¡¯s relative instead of Li Yifei¡¯s, then Michelle could have faced Liu Ying with composure. But as soon as she heard that Liu Ying was Li Yifei¡¯s relative, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. This feeling was indescribable but made her feel as if her authority as a manager was completely undermined in front of Liu Ying.


    With an awkward smile, Michelle said, "Yeah, I will." But any sense of managerial authority had already dissipated.


    Seeing Michelle¡¯s discomfort, Li Yifei said to Liu Ying, "You go back first, I need to talk to Manager Mi about something."


    Liu Ying quickly nodded and turned to leave, but with a woman¡¯s intuition, she somehow felt that there was something unusual about the relationship between cousin Li Yifei and Manager Michelle.


    "Heh, by doing this, I¡¯m also taking advantage of backdoor connections, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me, Manager Mi," Li Yifei joked as he took the seat that Liu Ying had just vacated, smiling at Michelle.


    Once Liu Ying left, Michelle¡¯s thoughts suddenly became clear, and she quickly realized why she felt uncomfortable. She hurriedly said, "Brother Li, it¡¯s really troublesome for your relative to work here. Everyone in the company will think I¡¯m your girlfriend, and yet Liu Ying knows your wife is Xu Yingying. Wouldn¡¯t this cause trouble for you?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and gave a bitter smile, "They don¡¯t even know that Yingying is my wife yet."


    "What?" Michelle was taken aback but then sighed in relief, "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good."


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "What¡¯s so good about it... They may not know that Yingying is my wife, but they think Ning Xin¡¯er is. Now everyone affectionately calls her ¡¯sister-in-law¡¯ as if they¡¯re really close to her."


    "What? No way?" Michelle¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Li Yifei explained with a smile, "It¡¯s a bit of a mix-up..." and he briefly recounted to Michelle how Ning Xin¡¯er came to be mistaken for his wife.


    After listening, Michelle couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, "This is a disaster now. I¡¯ve become the other woman who ruins your marriage, and you¡¯ve become a philandering cad. Aren¡¯t you also losing your authority in front of your relatives?" In Michelle¡¯s more traditional mind, a philandering man is definitely to be scorned, yet she had not realized that she was hopelessly in love with such a man.


    Li Yifei laughed, "It¡¯s not that bad, I might even be envied. A capable man is the one who attracts many outstanding women, isn¡¯t he?"


    Michelle blushed, and chided him, "Brother Li, I¡¯m trying to discuss a serious matter with you, please be more serious. This really needs to be handled properly or it will have a bad impact on you."


    Li Yifei continued with a smile, "There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be handled. I¡¯ll just tell them that my relationship with Ning Xin¡¯er is private, so no one knows we¡¯re a couple, and that you and I are good friends. You¡¯re willing to act as my girlfriend to cover for me, so you¡¯ve sacrificed a lot and are definitely my best friend."


    Michelle thought the explanation was plausible. When Li Yifei called her his best friend, she felt both sweet and disappointed. Sweet because she was, after all, Li Yifei¡¯s best friend but disappointed because she was just a friend and not in a romantic relationship with him.


    "Well, that¡¯s not bad, then I won¡¯t have to feel so awkward facing Liu Ying."


    "It seems so, if she were your sister-in-law, it would be hard to manage, but if not, they have no support."


    Michelle thought to herself: I actually hope they would have that support. But all she could say was, "Yeah, that will make it easier to manage. I¡¯m telling you, if Liu Ying doesn¡¯t do well, I¡¯m coming to find you, her brother."


    "No problem," Li Yifei agreed readily.


    After saying this, a few seconds of silence fell between them, making Li Yifei somewhat embarrassed, while Michelle broke the silence, "Director He has been hospitalized these past few days, it must have been tough on you?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just caring for a patient, and she stayed in the hospital for just three days before coming to stay at my house."


    "Ah? Director He also went to... your place?" Michelle¡¯s interpretation of going to Li Yifei¡¯s house was different from what Li Yifei meant.


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly, "She stayed at my house for a few days because she was sick, but she¡¯s gone back home now."


    Michelle just said "Oh", feeling somewhat relieved inside. If He Fangqing had moved into Li Yifei¡¯s house just like Su Yiyi had in a justified manner, and she still had no development with Li Yifei, she would be very disappointed. Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case, which offered her some solace.


    Li Yifei heard the implication in Michelle¡¯s tone and forced a laugh, "Then I¡¯m off, we¡¯ll chat again when I find some time."


    "Mhm!" Michelle responded, seeing Li Yifei out of the office. Watching his retreating figure, she wasn¡¯t sure what she was thinking, but just watching him gave her an inexplicable sense of joy.

 Chapter 761 - 799 Big Trouble is Here

    Chapter 761: Chapter 799 Big Trouble is HereLi Yifei returned to the Security Department. Unlike other departments in the company, the people here weren¡¯t as tense, and everyone was chatting and laughing. Meng Lei, however, was keeping a straight face, clad in his brand-new security uniform, standing upright to one side.


    When they saw Li Yifei come in, everyone greeted him. Li Yifei took out a pack of cigarettes, gave one to each person, and finally handed one to Meng Lei as well, saying with a smile, "Little Lei, you don¡¯t have to be so tense. We in the Security Department are all brothers."


    "Manager Li, do you know Meng Lei?" One of the security guards, quick on the uptake, heard the underlying meaning in the single sentence exchange between Li Yifei and Meng Lei.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Of course I know him. He¡¯s my cousin. How could I not recognize him?"


    "Ah! So he¡¯s Manager Li¡¯s cousin. Little Lei, you should¡¯ve said something earlier, making us the butt of the joke."


    "Exactly, exactly. Little Lei, from now on, you¡¯re our own flesh and blood. Let¡¯s go out for drinks together tonight."


    Watching these security guards sucking up to Meng Lei, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, saying, "Enough with the nonsense. Little Lei, just work well here. Although you can¡¯t bully others just because I¡¯m here, you also don¡¯t have to be afraid of these guys."


    Meng Lei rubbed his head but immediately lowered his arm again, for fear of wrinkling his new uniform. Although it was just a security guard¡¯s uniform, to Meng Lei, it was no less significant than a police uniform. Being a security guard might not sound very glamorous, but it was a big company after all. The Human Resources Department had said that the salary was just over 3000 a month. He was afraid of not doing well here and missing out on that high salary.


    Seeing Meng Lei still so stiff, Li Yifei arranged for someone to take him to get acquainted with the company¡¯s work. As for these three relatives, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel any pressure. As the older cousin, he should try his best to help them. He had lost his parents and could no longer show filial piety, but by helping his cousins, it was also a way of honoring his aunts.


    After sorting out things on this side, Li Yifei returned to his own office. Thinking about what Zhou Boyu said, he called Su Mengxin.


    The call was quickly answered, and Su Mengxin¡¯s voice, so sweet it could melt one¡¯s heart, came through from the other side, "Yifei."


    It was just a simple name, but it made Li Yifei indescribably comfortable. With a smile he said, "I was missing you, so I gave you a call."


    "Wow, such sweet talk. You must be on your own," Su Mengxin laughed lightly, then said softly, "I missed you too."


    After exchanging a few sweet nothings, Li Yifei asked, "Mengxin, have you encountered some trouble over there?"


    Su Mengxin said casually, "It¡¯s nothing big, just that my relationship with you has become known to my family, and there¡¯s been some gossip in Capital City."


    Li Yifei, full of concern, said, "Then you must be under a lot of pressure."


    "It¡¯s not a big deal. I want to be with the person I love, and what others say doesn¡¯t matter."


    Su Mengxin sounded relaxed, but Li Yifei knew just how much pressure Su Mengxin was under. As the most important new generation member of the Su Family, the Old Master Su¡¯s expectations for Su Mengxin could only be imagined. And now, Su Mengxin was involved with a married man like him. The family¡¯s objections were expected, and that old man from the Su Family was downright perverse. Knowing this matter, one could only imagine how upset he¡¯d be.


    "Mengxin, you really are suffering," Li Yifei said, even more troubled.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m really okay, but there is indeed a bit of trouble now."


    "What kind of trouble?" Li Yifei asked immediately.


    "Those three troublemaking friends of mine are now out for you."


    When Li Yifei heard that, he instantly felt uneasy, asking anxiously, "When are they coming?"


    "They¡¯re so zealous they¡¯d like to head over right now. But I¡¯m busy these next couple of days and can¡¯t make it. It¡¯s likely they¡¯ll sneak over, possibly today or tomorrow."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, "That¡¯s bad. I always feel so nervous with them around."


    Su Mengxin giggled, "I can¡¯t do much about it. When those three go crazy, even I get bullied. I can only silently support you from here."


    "Hey, hey, you can¡¯t just wash your hands of the matter," Li Yifei hurriedly protested. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin laughed even more happily, "You¡¯ve taken advantage of all three of them, and when they come to settle the score with you, how can I help? But you don¡¯t need to be afraid. They¡¯re just curious about the situation, not like others who might imagine something different. Just make sure they don¡¯t go looking for Yingying, that¡¯s all."


    Li Yifei glanced casually out the window at that moment, and from his office, he could see the lobby on the first floor. Just that casual glance made the hair on his body stand on end, so he quickly said, "They¡¯ve already arrived, I¡¯m going to hang up now."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei dashed out of his office like an arrow. Wang Qiang was blocking Su Mengfei, Zheng Yuling, and Xiao Ling¡¯er, insisting they register. These three women were not only beautiful but also clearly of high birth and imposing. With Wang Qiang breaking out into a sweat, they refused to register and insisted on barging in. He was in a bind, unsure whether to stop them or let them through.


    Just then, Li Yifei came over and relieved Wang Qiang of his dilemma, saying hastily, "Manager Li, these three ladies won¡¯t register but want to see President Xu inside the company."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "I¡¯ll handle this matter. You go do something else."


    Wang Qiang, as if granted amnesty, dashed away at once. Sure, beauties were nice to look at, but he could tell these were not the kind to be easily served. It was best to make a swift exit.


    "Hehe, long time no see," Li Yifei greeted the three with a guilty conscience.


    Yet all three of them had stern faces, hands crossed over their chests, looking down on Li Yifei with an air of superiority. Even without speaking, they unnerved Li Yifei even more.


    Li Yifei coughed again and said, "Ladies, your long journey to Mile City is a great honor indeed. How about I take you out to eat?"


    Su Mengfei snorted and said, "No need. We¡¯re just here to see the renowned President Xu."


    Li Yifei broke out into a cold sweat and said hurriedly, "President Xu is out and not in the company right now. We can see her another time."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er tilted her slightly sharp chin and said, "What¡¯s the matter? Afraid of us seeing her? We really want to see what kind of person she is that you would marry her, and to have our Mengxin be your mistress."


    Li Yifei jumped in surprise. With people coming and going in the lobby, his interaction with the three beauties had already attracted plenty of attention. If others overheard, he would be in even more trouble. He quickly stepped forward, a pained expression on his face, and said, "Ladies, please spare me. Whatever your terms may be, just say them. I will certainly fulfill them."


    Zheng Yuling shook her head and said, "Don¡¯t even think about it. You probably thought a small favor would buy us off, looking down on me."


    "Exactly, that¡¯s absolutely not happening. There¡¯s no way you can buy us off. We want to see your wife and have a word with her," said Xia Ling¡¯er, glaring fiercely at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei said anxiously, "Stop, stop. There¡¯s nothing worth seeing about my wife. Let¡¯s go, shall we? I¡¯m begging you."


    "No way!" All three of them shook their heads together.


    "My dear ladies, tell me, what exactly do you want for you to leave this place?" Li Yifei asked through gritted teeth, staring at them.


    The majority in the lobby were colleagues passing by, their pace markedly slower than usual. From Dreamfly Company¡¯s opening to now, no one had come to make trouble like this. And these three women were clearly here for just that ¡ª and they were beauties, obviously tough customers, with even Li Yifei, the security department manager, bowing and scraping.


    However, no one thought these three beauties could cause much of a stir; they just wanted to see what would happen. Of course, they were also curious about what the beauties were there for.


    Seeing Li Yifei in this state, Su Mengfei and the others couldn¡¯t help but reveal smug smiles. Xiao Ling¡¯er walked over to Li Yifei¡¯s side, stretched out her right arm, and draped it over Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. She blinked her eyes and said coquettishly, "You said it yourself just now; whatever we ask you to do, you have to agree."


    All Li Yifei could think about was how to get these three ancestors out. He nodded hurriedly, "Yes, as long as it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯ll agree to anything you ask." But he was cautious not to overpromise, in case these grand ladies wanted to take him to see Xu Yingying, which was absolutely a no-go.


    "You¡¯re a sly one, but don¡¯t worry. The things we¡¯re going to ask you to do, you will definitely be able to do," Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked again.


    Li Yifei felt a great unease, his back growing cold. He had already experienced the wild troubles caused by these three girls when they got rowdy. The tasks they would have him do were bound to be anything but easy. He couldn¡¯t trust Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s words.


    Zheng Yuling walked to Li Yifei¡¯s other side and looped her arm around his, leaning her head against his shoulder, she said, "Well then, let¡¯s go."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he said urgently, "Ladies, can we not be so intimate?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er twisted her body, suddenly jumping up and wrapping her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, essentially climbing onto his back. She blew into his ear and said, "We were much more intimate than this last time, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten?"


    With a light laugh, Su Mengxin joined Li Yifei on his other arm, pinching him first, then said with a smile, "Let¡¯s go, my dear cousin-in-law."


    Li Yifei could easily have shaken them off, but he dared not. If he really did shake them off, he would undoubtedly be in even bigger trouble. Even so, he was already in enough trouble at the moment with so many onlookers. It was sure to reach Xu Yingying¡¯s ears. Oh my, this was like playing with fire.

 Chapter 762 - 800 The Troublesome Trio of Beauties

    Chapter 762: Chapter 800 The Troublesome Trio of Beauties"Wow, no way, are my eyes deceiving me?"


    As everyone watched Li Yifei being escorted out of the company by three beauties in such a manner, the entire lobby was utterly petrified. The one who let out the coarse exclamation was, surprisingly, a woman in the company usually known for her strict demeanor, which showed just how shocking the scene was to them.


    And when this woman cursed, everyone immediately began a heated discussion.


    "What¡¯s the exact relationship between these three women and Manager Li?"


    "Seeing how close they are, I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re relatives."


    "No, that¡¯s not right. Even if they were relatives, it wouldn¡¯t be like this. I bet they¡¯re all his lovers." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lovers? You¡¯ve got quite the imagination. There are three of them, and they¡¯re all such stunners. Even though our Manager Li is a manager, his salary wouldn¡¯t be enough to keep even one of them as a lover."


    "Didn¡¯t you see how fierce they looked when they came in? They clearly came to settle scores. It¡¯s very likely Li Yifei flirted with each of them separately, and they happened to meet today and jointly confronted Manager Li."


    At this point, Wang Qiang jumped in with a smug look, "You¡¯ve all got it wrong. They weren¡¯t here for Manager Li; they were here for President Xu."


    "Bullshit, if they were looking for President Xu, why did they leave with Manager Li? Why not find President Xu then?"


    Wang Qiang was stumped and huffed, "Anyway, when I stopped them, they said they were looking for President Xu."


    "I get it now!" A woman said triumphantly, "Manager Li is part of this company. They must have wanted to seek an explanation from President Xu, the company¡¯s boss, to use as leverage against Manager Li. But then they ran into Manager Li, and he somehow managed to charm them away."


    This explanation actually gained approval from everyone, and then the news spread quickly throughout the company, including to Michelle and Xu Yingying.


    When telling Michelle about this, everyone was very cautious, informing her as a way of cautioning her to see Li Yifei for who he truly was. Xu Yingying, on the other hand, overheard about it by chance. As the president, people weren¡¯t inclined to gossip with her, and on hearing the news, Xu Yingying was absolutely livid. Li Yifei was beyond redemption.


    It would have been one thing if he was involved with women she knew, but these were clearly three strangers. She had no idea when Li Yifei could have gotten entangled with them. How did she end up with such a husband?


    She really wanted to call Li Yifei back right away, but overcome with anger, she decided not to make the call. She wanted to see when Li Yifei would come back and how he would explain himself.


    Li Yifei was kidnapped into the car by Su Mengfei and the other two. Su Mengfei was driving while Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er were squeezing Li Yifei between them in the back seat.


    "My dear ladies, where are you taking me?" Li Yifei asked with a pained expression.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er tipped her chin up and said, "You¡¯ll know when we get there."


    At that moment, Li Yifei really wanted to call Xu Yingying to explain, but it was impossible to do so right now. Moreover, once he started calling Xu Yingying, the three troublemakers might create even more trouble, so he dared not make the call and could only sit in the car with bated breath.


    In the car, all three girls stopped talking to Li Yifei. They chatted among themselves about traveling, shopping, and other things, laughing and joking, completely ignoring Li Yifei. This made Li Yifei both amused and helpless; the three troublemakers were clearly doing it on purpose to put immense psychological pressure on him.


    These petty tricks were all too familiar to Li Yifei; he had played them countless times before. Even though it was like teaching his grandmother to suck eggs, he still felt out of his depth. He couldn¡¯t hit or scold these three, and given the last incident, he felt even guiltier in their presence. At this moment, his mind raced with thoughts on how to smooth things over with them, but it seemed an insurmountable task, more daunting than facing assassination attempts from various organizations.


    The car finally came to a stop. Li Yifei recognized the place; it was the villa where the three women stayed the last time they¡¯d come. Su Mengxin had bought it, although they seldom used it. This time, however, it proved to be of use.


    "Get out of the car," Xiao Ling¡¯er said with a smile, looking at Li Yifei.


    Now, Li Yifei had to improvise. He steeled himself and, with a smile, said, "This place isn¡¯t bad, brings back memories." Although these women could be wild at times, Li Yifei knew from Su Mengxin that they weren¡¯t the promiscuous type. That day¡¯s event was a cause of embarrassment for him and probably for the three women as well. Rather than being passive, he considered it better to take the initiative.


    Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling all wore unnatural expressions on their faces. How could they forget that incident? Every time they thought about it, the three of them would feel extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. Now, with Li Yifei, the person involved, right there, bringing up the matter made their faces turn red with bashfulness.


    "Do you want to taste that feeling again?" Xiao Ling¡¯er was the quirkiest and most elfin of the three and was the first to snap back to reality, narrowing her eyes at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei could not show weakness at this time and laughed heartily, saying, "Did you three beauties bring me to this place on purpose, if not to rekindle old memories?"


    Zheng Yuling spat at Li Yifei and pinched him hard on the arm, saying, "Keep dreaming, just get inside quickly."


    Having gained a bit of the upper hand, Li Yifei sauntered into the villa, followed by the sound of the three women whispering behind him.


    "This bastard, daring to be so arrogant, we¡¯ll definitely make him suffer later."


    "Exactly, utterly shameless, still thinking about that day."


    "Don¡¯t fall for his tricks; he¡¯s just scared that we¡¯ll make things difficult for him and is trying to throw us off balance. We can¡¯t let ourselves be disorganized."


    The last line was said by Xiao Ling¡¯er. Li Yifei¡¯s ears were sharp, and he overheard the trio¡¯s conversation. It seemed that this matter wasn¡¯t going to be easy to handle, especially considering Xiao Ling¡¯er, that clever girl, who quickly saw through his intentions. If he wanted a showdown with the three of them, he¡¯d have to deal with Xiao Ling¡¯er first or he might easily be at a disadvantage.


    Although the villa had been unoccupied for a long time, it was still quite clean inside, which meant someone must be keeping it tidy regularly. Moreover, the heating had been turned on; upon entering the hall, one could feel the warm air on their face.


    At this moment, Li Yifei tried to appear as composed as possible, fetching a bottle of water from the fridge and then turning back to ask the three women, "Would you like anything to drink?"


    "Mind your own business, we¡¯ll get whatever we want to drink. Come here and sit down," Xiao Ling¡¯er ordered, hands on hips and in a fierce tone, clearly intending to dominate Li Yifei with her aura.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Is that really necessary? Let¡¯s just talk this out, we¡¯re all old friends now, aren¡¯t we? No strangers here, right?"


    The faces of the three women once again turned awkward, but thanks to Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s reminder, they weren¡¯t completely flustered. They all glared at him as Su Mengfei approached Li Yifei and reached for his ear.


    Dodging to the side, Li Yifei avoided Su Mengfei¡¯s hand and said with a grin, "Mengfei, don¡¯t pull my ear."


    Su Mengfei reached out again but still failed to grasp Li Yifei¡¯s ear, which annoyed her greatly. She sharply commanded, "Stay still! If you dare to move again, you¡¯ll see what I¡¯ll do to you."


    "What do you want to see? I¡¯ll let you have a good look since you¡¯ve already seen it all before," Li Yifei said with a smirk as he walked to the couch.


    Angered, Su Mengfei chased after him, but although Li Yifei seemed to be walking slowly, by the time she caught up to him, he was already sitting on the couch, smiling up at her, "I¡¯ve sat down on the couch as you asked, so there¡¯s no need to pull my ears anymore, right?"


    Unwilling to let it go, Su Mengfei reached out for Li Yifei¡¯s ear once more, and this time Li Yifei let her grab it, laughing, "Okay, okay, Miss, you can pull all you want."


    Having caught the ear was one thing, but to physically pull Li Yifei over would have been a form of suppression. Now, it seemed more like flirtatious bantering, and the difference was too significant, leaving Su Mengfei feeling bored. Even though she twisted it a bit harder, she ultimately let go without much enthusiasm.


    At this point, Li Yifei at least wasn¡¯t as passive and felt even more at ease, saying with a smile, "Why don¡¯t you sit down too? You¡¯ve come all this way, and I want to offer you a meal, but you still refuse."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er stepped in front of Li Yifei, glared at him with her chin tilted up and warned, "Don¡¯t get too cocky now. Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t start acting properly and respectfully, we¡¯ll march straight to your company. This time I let you drag me back, but we have all the time in the world; not even that is lacking for us. We can go there every day, and I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ll never catch you at the company. I don¡¯t believe it won¡¯t reach your wife¡¯s ears."


    With Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s words fueling her, Zheng Yuling also raised her spirits, adding, "Exactly, even if we can¡¯t see your wife, we can go looking for you every day, and your colleagues will see us there. I don¡¯t believe this won¡¯t reach your wife¡¯s ears, and I¡¯d like to see how you explain it."


    Su Mengfei, who was initially somewhat dejected, suddenly perked up and chimed in, "When that time comes, we won¡¯t just say we¡¯re looking for your wife. No, we¡¯ll say we came for you, that you played with our affections and now want to ditch us. I¡¯ll even claim we¡¯re pregnant with your kids. Let¡¯s see how people view you then, haha... If your wife hears that, she¡¯ll definitely divorce you."


    These three girls may lack for many things, but certainly not time. With their days filled with leisure and play, if they decided to torment him, Li Yifei would have no way to guard against it. The slight advantage he had just managed to gain instantaneously evaporated under their unrelenting chatter!

 Chapter 763 - 801: It’s Hard to Settle Down

    Chapter 763: Chapter 801: It¡¯s Hard to Settle Down"Alright, alright, I¡¯m being respectful here, ladies. You don¡¯t have to come at me with such hostility. We¡¯re supposed to be friends, after all. This feels like an interrogation, and I¡¯m really not comfortable. Why don¡¯t we...sit down and have a proper talk?"


    Su Mengfei snorted, "A proper talk? Sure, it sounds nice when you say it. My cousin is regarded as the number one beauty in Huaxia, peerlessly gorgeous, bursting with talent, and extraordinarily capable. For her to fancy you is a blessing you¡¯ve earned over eight lifetimes, and yet you still went and got married. That¡¯s the ultimate insult to my cousin."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glared at Li Yifei, "You have to explain this situation to us clearly, otherwise, don¡¯t even dream of having a nice chat with us."


    "Exactly! In your dreams, you owe us an explanation." Zheng Yuling nodded repeatedly.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "My dear aunties, this is a private matter of the heart. Why are you meddling?"


    "Private matter of the heart, my foot. I think my cousin just didn¡¯t realize she was bewitched by you. It¡¯s simple. Make a stance, do you want your wife or my cousin? If you want your wife, then cut ties with my cousin and stop bothering her. If you want my cousin, then divorce your wife right away."


    Li Yifei looked at the three of them one by one, then spoke slowly, "And what if I want both?" Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "In your dreams!" The three shouted in unison.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "But that¡¯s precisely the dream I¡¯m having. I won¡¯t divorce my wife and I won¡¯t leave Mengxin, unless Mengxin doesn¡¯t want to be with me; otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely be with both of them."


    "You...you¡¯re too greedy, aren¡¯t you?" Zheng Yuling¡¯s eyes widened, scarcely believing her ears.


    They had long been accustomed to seeing men with multiple women, which was nothing new, but there had to be a question of status. In big families, the wife was definitely the one with the strongest background, and as for other women, whether they were mistresses or ¡¯the other woman,¡¯ they had no status within the family, but no one would interfere too much.


    For a woman like Su Mengxin, if she agreed to marry a scion of a big family, they would certainly treat her like a treasured possession, even if it meant taking her as a wife from a married man and divorcing the current wife. As for the former wife, she could either be discarded or relegated to a miserable existence as a concubine. But what Li Yifei was suggesting¡ªthat Xu Yingying would remain his wife and Su Mengxin would merely be a mistress¡ªwas beyond their wildest imagination.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "I was with my wife first, so the fact that I¡¯ve fallen for Mengxin is already unfair to my wife. How could I possibly divorce her now?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er hummed, "That sounds good, but I heard your wife still has no idea about your relationship with Mengxin. If you want to have the best of both worlds, then why are you hiding it from your wife?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face showed a guilty expression, "I really haven¡¯t told her. I know if I did, Yingying would be incredibly heartbroken and might even end up suggesting we divorce so she can make way for Mengxin and me. But Mengxin and I don¡¯t want that. We¡¯re still trying to find a way to get Yingying to accept Mengxin, to have us all together."


    Su Mengfei curled her lip, "Do you think you could really manage that? Dream on. Do you have any idea how furious my grandfather is right now? He¡¯s itching to skin you alive. If you¡¯d just divorce your wife properly and marry my cousin, there might be some room for maneuver. Otherwise, you might as well wait for death."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I know all about the Su family patriarch¡¯s terrible temper. I know I can¡¯t provoke him, and he could crush me with a flick of a finger, but as a man, if I can¡¯t protect my own wife or the person I love, then what kind of man would I be? Difficult as it may be, I¡¯m willing to face the challenges. Even if the old man is powerful, I¡¯ll still take him on."


    The three women stared at Li Yifei as though he were a monster. Who was the Su family patriarch? A national figure who ranked top five in power. There were very few who could speak to him as equals. Li Yifei, despite being a skilled soldier from the Flying Hawk Squad, was still just a soldier when compared to the patriarch. Now, here he was, speaking such bold words. They didn¡¯t know whether to say Li Yifei was ignorant of reality or to admire his brave spirit.


    "I know you¡¯re here for Mengxin¡¯s sake, coming to take up her cause. Mengxin is lucky to have such good friends and sisters, and I¡¯m happy for her. But this matter, Mengxin and I have it under control. We will courageously face whatever comes. There¡¯s no need for you to worry anymore, but for now, I want to thank you all."


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei responded reflexively, but Xiao Ling¡¯er sharply retorted, "How could you two fall for his words again? Have you forgotten why we¡¯re here? We came to hold him to account, and no matter his reasons, we can¡¯t let him off so easily."


    Realizing what they had almost fallen for, Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling quickly glared at Li Yifei. Su Mengfei fumed, "Almost fooled by you again, huh. Don¡¯t even think about slipping away so easily!"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly darkened, the situation was almost resolved, but who knew that in the end, it would still fall short. These three women were truly tenacious. He forced a wry smile and said, "Fine, fine, just tell me, what exactly do you want to do, what are you after?"


    "Mengfei, get up!" Xiao Ling¡¯er glared at Su Mengfei and said, "Are you in league with him?"


    Su Mengfei also felt that this way, she wasn¡¯t completely opposing Li Yifei, so she quickly stood up and joined Xiao Ling¡¯er, imitating their stance with hands on hips, and said, "We just won¡¯t make things easy for you."


    Zheng Yuling followed up, "That¡¯s right, you jerk, to think you could fool our good sister like that, we won¡¯t let you off easily."


    "Hmph, do you think we can¡¯t see what you¡¯re really like? You¡¯re nothing but a philandering carrot, talking about true love, that¡¯s complete nonsense. Thinking you can be with our Mengxin, we won¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll definitely ruin it for you," Xiao Ling¡¯er sneered even more coldly.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "If you want to ruin it, then I have no objections. If our relationship between Mengxin and myself can be ruined by your meddling, then it only shows that our feelings aren¡¯t deep enough."


    The three of them were so taken aback by Li Yifei¡¯s words that they didn¡¯t know what to say. If Li Yifei had shown fear or pleaded with them, they would have known what to do, but he clearly wasn¡¯t afraid at all.


    Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling immediately looked towards Xiao Ling¡¯er, who was the cleverest among them. Usually, any cunning plans were always Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s doing, so naturally, they relied on her now as well.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes darted around, and she said, "You just sit tight here. If you dare to leave, we¡¯ll do what we said at the beginning, disturb you non-stop at your company, Humph, come on, let¡¯s go back to the room and talk."


    Watching the three of them go upstairs, Li Yifei hastily took out his phone and called Xu Yingying.


    "Honey, I¡¯ve run into a bit of trouble. There are three women who came to the company, and they¡¯re all ladies from Capital City. They¡¯ve had some misunderstandings about me, and I¡¯m trying to sort it out," he said.


    Li Yifei was quite forthcoming at the outset, but he didn¡¯t disclose the real reason the three of them were looking for him. After all, his relationship with Su Mengxin was not yet suitable for Xu Yingying to know about. Although there were already rumors circulating in Capital City, these would likely be confined within the big families and wouldn¡¯t spread to a smaller place like Mile City.


    Upon hearing Li Yifei speak like this, Xu Yingying¡¯s considerable anger subsided somewhat, and with a furrowed brow, she said, "It¡¯s not some women you¡¯ve messed with in the past, is it?"


    "No, absolutely not, they¡¯re just a bunch of non-mainstreamers. I offended them in the past, and somehow they found out I am here, so they came looking for trouble. They even deliberately got cozy with me in the office, just to tarnish my reputation. But these people have very strong backgrounds, and I really can¡¯t do anything to them, so I could only deal with them for the time being," he explained.


    "What are you doing now?" she asked.


    "They went off to discuss how to deal with me. They¡¯re not by my side, so I took the opportunity to explain things to you. I really don¡¯t want you to misunderstand," he replied.


    Li Yifei¡¯s attitude was sincere, and indeed, what he said was mostly the truth. Xu Yingying, although feeling uncomfortable about the situation, subconsciously did not want to acknowledge that Li Yifei was fooling around again, so she chose to trust him, replying, "They won¡¯t hurt you, will they?"


    "They¡¯re just three young girls, they couldn¡¯t possibly harm me. It¡¯s just that I really can¡¯t afford to provoke them, which is why they¡¯re giving me a headache."


    "Really, why did you provoke them in the first place?"


    "Back then I had a bad temper, and I couldn¡¯t stand people like them. I didn¡¯t give them the kind treatment others did. Who knew they would still remember it to this day. Oh, honey, I can¡¯t talk anymore, they¡¯re coming downstairs," he hastily said.


    After finishing, Li Yifei quickly hung up the phone. Talking to Xu Yingying on the phone could easily displease them, and anyway, he could only explain so much for now. If Xu Yingying heard anything they said, it would only make things more troublesome for him.

 Chapter 764 - 802: Shooting Oneself in the Foot by Lifting a Stone

    Chapter 764: Chapter 802: Shooting Oneself in the Foot by Lifting a StoneXiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei, and Zheng Yuling came down from upstairs. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling sat on either side of Li Yifei, while Su Mengfei went around to the back of the sofa, half-leaning on it with her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders.


    All three had smiles on their faces, but this only made Li Yifei¡¯s hair stand on end. If the three had been fierce, he might have coped, but their current demeanor was much trickier to handle.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled, pulled out her phone, scrolled through the gallery, and then opened a locked photo, pushing it in front of Li Yifei with a smile, "Do you still remember this photo?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly. The photo was of him naked, taken by these three girls one morning. He knew right away that they intended to use it to blackmail him and forced a smile, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to delete it? Why did you keep it?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glanced at the photo and a blush spread unnaturally across her face, "Such a good photo, how could I bear to delete it? Of course, I had to keep it to admire when I have nothing else to do."


    Li Yifei frowned, "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite right. You girls, admiring a man¡¯s naked photo for fun, isn¡¯t that a bit of a perverse taste?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed again, "How is it perverse? I think it¡¯s quite fun. We don¡¯t have boyfriends, so it¡¯s not bad to take it out for a look when we¡¯re bored, right?"


    Li Yifei glanced at Zheng Yuling, "You¡¯re not the same, are you?"


    Zheng Yuling raised her phone, "Of course, I am."


    Li Yifei shook his head in disbelief, "No way, you must have deleted the photo. It definitely isn¡¯t on your phone."


    Zheng Yuling laughed, opened her phone¡¯s gallery, and also found Li Yifei¡¯s naked photo among the locked ones, flaunted it in front of him, "See? This is my treasure. How could I delete it? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever taken a photo of a naked man. It¡¯s too memorable."


    From behind, Su Mengfei chuckled, "Hey brother-in-law, do you think I have it?"


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head, "You definitely don¡¯t. You¡¯re Mengxin¡¯s cousin. How could you keep such a photo?"


    Su Mengfei was even happier as she laughed, lifted her phone before Li Yifei, and found that photo in the locked album as well, showing it off to him.


    "Why are you showing me this photo?" Li Yifei asked with a dark face.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled, "What do you think?"


    Li Yifei, looking deflated, "I have no idea."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er cocked her chin up and said, "You¡¯re such a stubborn guy, daring to be so confrontational with us. So, we three are very angry and have decided to send these photos to your wife, to let her see her husband¡¯s nude photos."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, "You¡¯re kidding, right? You¡¯re that ruthless?"


    "Of course," Zheng Yuling grinned arrogantly, "You¡¯d better listen to us. If you do, we might consider not sending them to your wife. If you don¡¯t behave, just wait and see..."


    "So, what exactly do you want me to do?" Li Yifei asked with a miserable expression.


    Su Mengfei laughed, "From now on, you¡¯ll do whatever we tell you to do. When we say come here, you should come straight to us, or else we¡¯ll send the photo to your wife."


    Li Yifei suddenly had an epiphany, "I get it. You three didn¡¯t come to stand up for Mengxin at all; you came to blackmail me. You¡¯re really shameless."


    The three exchanged glances. Xiao Ling¡¯er gave Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei a reproachful look. Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei stuck their tongues out, apologizing to Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er puffed out her chest, "Right, we are blackmailing you. What are you going to do about it? Well, do you agree or not?"


    Zheng Yuling also said fiercely, "Yeah, we¡¯re shameless. Just so you know, as long as you listen to us, we won¡¯t make things difficult for you. But if you displease us, we won¡¯t let you off easy."


    Swinging her phone in front of Li Yifei, Su Mengfei giggled gleefully, "Tell me, how provocative and lewd your photo looks. Imagine the face your wife will pull when she sees it."


    "Yeah, it is indeed not bad. Look at this photo, how sexy it makes me look. It¡¯s definitely the kind of thing women fantasize about at night," Li Yifei replied with a mischievous grin.


    "Screw you, you think you¡¯re some top model or something? Your face is shamelessly thick."


    "Exactly, exactly, just look at those skinny little arms and legs. What¡¯s there to look at?"


    "Even that thing is all soft and floppy, nothing worth seeing."


    The three of them immediately started denouncing Li Yifei together.


    Li Yifei let out a laugh and said, "If that¡¯s the case, you might as well delete it."


    "We just won¡¯t delete it. What can you do about it?" Su Mengfei said proudly, swinging her phone, but she only felt a lightness in her hand, and the phone suddenly vanished.


    It wasn¡¯t just Su Mengfei¡¯s; Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s phones had also disappeared, but Li Yifei suddenly had three extra phones in his hands.


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "If you won¡¯t delete them, then I¡¯ll just have to do it myself."


    The three girls were stunned for a moment, instinctively lunging to snatch their phones back, but Li Yifei leaped up, dodging them and said with a chuckle, "No chance of getting them back."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling collided, both hitting their heads and yelping in pain, each clutching their foreheads. Zheng Yuling tried to jump up and chase Li Yifei, but Xiao Ling¡¯er just snorted and said, "Go ahead and delete it. We¡¯ve set passwords. I¡¯d like to see what you can do."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, his fingers moved quickly, and in no time, he tossed the phones back to them.


    The three immediately picked up their phones and checked their albums. The photo was indeed gone, and they stared at Li Yifei with wide eyes, saying, "How did you know my password?"


    Li Yifei let out a triumphant smile and said, "You thought such a trivial thing would stump me?"


    "No, no, when we were inputting the passwords, we weren¡¯t in front of you, you shouldn¡¯t have seen them," Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed, eyes wide.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Let me give you a heads-up. Even if you don¡¯t show others your screen, you should at least turn away when you touch it. Your fingers definitely move positions when tapping the screen. If you pay a little attention, you can figure out the passwords."


    The three of them stared at Li Yifei, dumbfounded. Although what Li Yifei was saying sounded simple, it was pretty creepy. First comes the visual acuity, to precisely determine the position being pressed just from the movement of the fingers, and then the memory. The passwords for all three were different, and even if they had each pressed them just once, Li Yifei managed to remember them all. Even if three sets of numbers were laid out in front of him to memorize at a glance, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to remember.


    "You perverted freak!" This was the thought that bubbled up in all three of their minds.


    Li Yifei, looking supremely smug, resumed his seat on the sofa, still smiling, and said, "Now that the photo is gone, what more do you want?"


    At this point, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei suddenly all burst out laughing, and it sounded quite wild. This made Li Yifei get goosebumps again, and he said, "You three girls, didn¡¯t I tell you? You can¡¯t mess with that photo. If others get hold of it, it¡¯s no big deal for me, a grown man, but for you three beauties to possess my photo ¨C that just doesn¡¯t look good."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said cheekily, "So caring, huh? But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve hidden it in very secretive places, and we¡¯re absolutely sure no one will get their hands on it. Even someone who could kill a shark wouldn¡¯t be able to steal that photo from us."


    Although Li Yifei doubted the truth of Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s words, from the three girls¡¯ smug expressions and those subtle little things, he could tell they were telling the truth.


    It required keen eyesight, and Li Yifei had just that. If the three girls were lying to him, he would have caught on to something, but now it seemed all his actions were not only ineffective but had also made them laugh at him. Moreover, they would likely cause him even more trouble. Had he known this would happen, he wouldn¡¯t have snatched their phones and deleted the photo. There was a real sense of shooting himself in the foot.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, chin held high, said, "Comrade Li Yifei, given such behavior, we are utterly disappointed in you. We were thinking of letting you off the hook if you met some conditions, but now... we¡¯ve decided that unless we kill or cripple you, we won¡¯t let you off."


    Li Yifei leaned back, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a satisfying drag. "Even if I didn¡¯t delete your photos, you wouldn¡¯t let me off the hook anyway. Fine, bring on whatever tricks you have. I, Li Yifei, am ready for all of them."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes rounded, and she said, "Alright, you¡¯re still giving us attitude? You¡¯re like a pig that isn¡¯t afraid of boiling water, not shedding tears until you see the coffin."


    Zheng Yuling pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "It seems you really don¡¯t take us seriously. Today, I¡¯ll let you see what we¡¯re capable of."


    Su Mengfei slapped Li Yifei on the back of his head from behind and scoffed, "Humph, this time, if I don¡¯t give you what for, I¡¯m not the cousin of Su Mengxin. If you¡¯re thinking about wooing my cousin, forget about it if you can¡¯t even get past me."


    No matter how fierce the three of them were, Li Yifei was still casually smoking away. Today, he was determined to stand his ground against them.

 Chapter 765 - 803: The Unexpected Kiss

    Chapter 765: Chapter 803: The Unexpected KissLi Yifei dared to confront these three girls head on, mainly because he saw that they were not really trying to destroy his relationship with Su Mengxin, but likely just stood up for Su Mengxin out of indignation.


    If he simply tried to appease them at all costs, he would surely be played by these three girls, not knowing what difficult demands they would come up with. Plus, it would easily let Xu Yingying know about this situation, which was obviously unwise at the moment.


    Now, it was like negotiating a deal, if he was always passive, he would definitely end up at a loss. Therefore, he needed to not be so passive to start with, so he could bargain with them. Even if he had to agree to some of their conditions in the end, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him, right?


    "Very good, I can see now, you really have some personality, I like it!" Xiao Ling¡¯er was also full of fighting spirit at this moment, excitement shining in her eyes.


    This girl was usually quite mischievous and liked to take on challenges. However, she never felt truly exhilarated when playing with men, due to her background, ordinary people simply didn¡¯t dare confront her. And those men of similar background were almost all those noble sons, either extravagant and vulgar, trying to take advantage of her, or pretending to be something they are not, always trying to climb higher. She had never met anyone like Li Yifei who could ignite such fighting spirit within her.


    Zheng Yuling rolled up her sleeves and said, "Yeah, no wonder Mengxin is with this guy. This kid really does have something special about him. Now I¡¯m even more interested in him."


    Su Mengfei snorted and said, "But he wants my cousin to be his mistress, I¡¯m not convinced."


    Li Yifei replied with a light smile, "Mengfei, I have to correct you on that, I have no intention of making your cousin a mistress."


    Su Mengfei said discontentedly, "Hmph, not a mistress, then what, a lover? If you don¡¯t divorce your wife, what is my cousin if not a mistress or a lover? Do you think we are fools?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "In terms of the situation, I can¡¯t avoid this right now, but in my heart, Mengxin and Yingying are equal."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said disdainfully, "Cut it out, that¡¯s what you say to humor Mengxin. You want to have her, yet she can¡¯t marry you. How could there be such a good deal? Moreover, if you can¡¯t marry Mengxin, that already shows who matters more to you than your wife, there¡¯s nothing more to explain."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to argue with them and directly said, "Alright, I admit I can¡¯t outtalk you, so you tell me, what exactly do you want?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said leisurely, "Well then, let¡¯s properly calculate this. What did you say when we came to your company today? You said as long as we leave the company with you, you would agree to anything we say, you haven¡¯t forgotten that, have you?"


    Unable to deny this, Li Yifei nodded and said, "Indeed, but I also said, as long as I can do it, I will do it. If it¡¯s something like that day, stripping naked for you to take pictures, that¡¯s absolutely not possible."


    All three of them blushed, Xiao Ling¡¯er snorted and said, "You¡¯ve got no flowers on you, we already have the pictures, what¡¯s the point of taking more? Now I just want to clear things up with you from the beginning, so you don¡¯t disrupt our thinking again."


    "Alright, alright, go ahead," Li Yifei smiled, he had indeed done so just before, and it had been successful for a little while, but Xiao Ling¡¯er was clever, already catching on, no longer falling for it. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since you¡¯ve admitted it, we¡¯re not in a rush to make you do anything. Now, to the second matter, we came to you to seek justice on Mengxin¡¯s behalf, we will not let you off for wronging Mengxin. Let me tell you, no matter how sweet-talked you are, we won¡¯t just let it go."


    Li Yifei was still very composed at this point and said, "I¡¯ve also said this before, this is a private emotional issue between Mengxin and me. You can stand up for Mengxin, you are her friends, and that¡¯s perfectly fine. If I thought my friend was being deceived, I too would step in. But whatever I do, I also need to consider whether it will hurt my friend."


    Zheng Yuling, with a powerful presence, hummed twice and said, "Humph, don¡¯t try to set us up, we are perfectly clear about whether or not it will hurt Mengxin."


    From behind, Su Mengfei slapped Li Yifei¡¯s head and scolded, "You better behave yourself. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve placated my cousin, you can be complacent with us. If you don¡¯t straighten up your attitude, we¡¯ll let you see what we can do."


    Li Yifei rubbed his head and said with a wry smile, "Mengfei, don¡¯t keep hitting my head, if you make me dumb, that¡¯s the end of it."


    With a chuckle, Su Mengfei said, "Don¡¯t try to act cute. Don¡¯t I know what kind of build you have? You can even take down a shark, could my two hits make you dumb?"


    Last time he was with these three people, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t paid particular attention to them. This time, through observing their speech and thinking, he had come to understand the three of them fairly well. Xiao Ling¡¯er was the smart and cunning one, Zheng Yuling was more stable but not as sharp as Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Su Mengfei was a bit less clever than them. But that¡¯s all relative; compared to ordinary people, Su Mengfei was still a very smart girl.


    So, to smooth things over with them, the difficulty was indeed not negligible. The main thing was that these three had always been together, already having a kind of tacit understanding. Breaking them up one by one, unless by martial strength, seemed to be not much of an option.


    "Just say it straight, what do you guys really want?" Li Yifei laid his cards on the table, wanting to know their bottom line, so he could deal with them accordingly.


    "It¡¯s still the same, you divorce your wife and marry Mengxin. As for whether you stay with your original wife, we don¡¯t care," Xiao Ling¡¯er was quite blunt.


    "That¡¯s definitely not possible! I surely can¡¯t do that," Li Yifei¡¯s refusal was just as clear-cut.


    Zheng Yuling snorted and said, "If you can¡¯t do this one thing, we won¡¯t let you live in peace. We¡¯ll go find your wife and have her step down voluntarily."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he replied, "That¡¯s definitely not going to work. If you do that, we can¡¯t possibly remain friends."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er curled the corner of her mouth and disdainfully said, "Oh please, as if we are the ones begging to be friends with you? There are plenty of people who want to be friends with us, and that all depends on our mood. Mengxin is our real friend; it¡¯s because of her that we even considered you a friend. The way you¡¯re treating Mengxin now, we¡¯ve already seen you as an enemy. Who wants to be friends with you?"


    "Well, since we¡¯re not friends, I don¡¯t need to say anything more to you. I¡¯m leaving," Li Yifei said as he stood up.


    "Sit down!" All three of them called out at once. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arms from both sides, while Xiao Mengfei pressed down on his shoulders from behind.


    Li Yifei sneered and said, "When it comes to friends, I can discuss things, but with those who aren¡¯t friends, I don¡¯t need to take this kind of attitude."


    This caught the three women off guard; they¡¯d never encountered a man who dared to be so confrontational. What¡¯s more, they couldn¡¯t really do anything to Li Yifei. If things really soured, it would be difficult to explain to Su Mengxin later.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er reacted quickly, glared at Li Yifei, and said, "Wow, such a foul temper. I really hadn¡¯t noticed. Are you kidding me? That crazy night we hung out together... if we didn¡¯t consider you a friend, do you think we would have done that?"


    Li Yifei was just trying to turn his own passivity around, and now that he had accomplished his goal, he couldn¡¯t push too far. Keeping a straight face, he said, "I¡¯ve always seen you as friends, but I guess I¡¯ve really overestimated myself. You all are daughters from wealthy families, and I¡¯m just an ordinary citizen. I¡¯m truly out of my depth."


    Zheng Yuling suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s ear and snapped, "You stinker, getting bolder by the minute... we..."


    Zheng Yuling pulled quite forcefully; Li Yifei instinctively turned his head to avoid the pain. Just then, Su Mengfei was leaning in, and seemingly by design, their faces came close together. Suddenly, Li Yifei¡¯s mouth landed on Su Mengfei¡¯s face.


    The incident was so unexpected that not only Li Yifei but also Su Mengfei were completely unprepared. They both froze, maintaining that posture for a full five seconds.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling didn¡¯t expect such a scene either. Both of them were stunned, and Zheng Yuling forgot to continue talking, interrupted by what unfolded.


    "Ah..." Li Yifei and Su Mengfei exclaimed at the same time. Li Yifei quickly leaned his head back and shrank away, while Su Mengfei abruptly stood up straight.


    "Oh..." A muffled cry came from behind Li Yifei¡ªit was Zheng Yuling¡¯s voice. Li Yifei felt a shiver run through him, knowing why Zheng Yuling had gasped. In his hasty retreat, he had bumped right into Zheng Yuling¡¯s embrace, his arm pressing firmly against her chest.


    Having taken advantage twice in quick succession, Li Yifei was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He quickly said, "It was an accident, truly an accident. I definitely didn¡¯t do it on purpose."


    "You did it on purpose!" The three women shouted in unison, then all stood up at once. Su Mengfei stepped around the couch, her face flushed with anger as she glared fiercely at Li Yifei.


    Feeling somewhat guilty by now, Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "Sorry, sorry, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose."


    Grinding her teeth, Zheng Yuling said, "You still dare to argue? Do you believe we will send the pictures to your wife right now?"


    It was a wrongful accusation for Li Yifei¡ªwho clearly hadn¡¯t done it on purpose. Seeing the determination in their eyes, he knew they didn¡¯t believe him and was forced to respond with a wry smile, "Ladies, even if I had the desire, would I really have the nerve?"

 Chapter 766 - 804 The Sniper Expert

    Chapter 766: Chapter 804 The Sniper ExpertXiao Ling¡¯er sneered and said, "That¡¯s not necessarily true. What didn¡¯t you do that day? You were daring enough then."


    At the mention of that day, Li Yifei had even less of a temper. He had played far too wildly that day, and if he had just restrained himself, none of this would have happened. So, after all, it was still his own lack of self-control that caused all this trouble.


    "Alright, alright, I admit my guilt. Do whatever you want with me," Li Yifei simply feigned submission.


    Although Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei had both been taken advantage of by Li Yifei, making them quite uncomfortable, this time it was just a kiss and a bump against the breasts. That night, everyone had stripped, and Li Yifei had even sucked on their breasts; compared to that, this was nothing. So, the two of them recovered quite quickly.


    Moreover, through this small accident, the three of them had once again completely subdued Li Yifei, which was worth it. This loss was not a loss but could be considered a tactic.


    But the three of them also understood that Li Yifei was no ordinary man; trying to toy with him as they would with others would definitely not be successful.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er gave Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei a look, and her tone softened as she spoke, "Yifei, we spoke too harshly before, but we were also anxious for Mengxin, weren¡¯t we? You must understand by now, with Old Master Su so angry, if you don¡¯t divorce your wife and marry Mengxin, how could the old master let you go? By then, it won¡¯t just be between you and Mengxin; I¡¯m afraid even your wife will get involved."


    Now that Xiao Ling¡¯er spoke in such a reasonable and emotional manner, the atmosphere immediately relaxed, and Li Yifei said apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry, I was impulsive just now too. But since I did it, I must take responsibility. And regarding this matter, Yingying is innocent; I can¡¯t let her suffer with me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll negotiate with Old Master Su when the time comes."


    "Do you have a plan?" Xiao Mengfei asked from behind.


    Li Yifei turned his head, but with much more caution this time to avoid any more accidents. After ensuring the distance was safe, he shook his head and said, "No, your old man gives even those big shots abroad a headache when they mention him; trying to deal with him is definitely going to be very difficult."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said seriously, "You know it¡¯s difficult? Then why don¡¯t you take the easy option now? Don¡¯t you realize, the advice we gave you is the simplest method. Once you marry Mengxin, you¡¯ll gain the Su Family¡¯s approval. Besides, your wife will have no status as a spouse. Isn¡¯t that also¡ª"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Let me ask you a question in return. If I agreed to you, how would you see me then?"


    The three of them were taken aback. If Li Yifei really did that, their first reaction would be... that Li Yifei was ungrateful and disloyal, willing to discard his married wife to marry Su Mengxin, and they wouldn¡¯t bother with Li Yifei anymore.


    Seeing their expressions, Li Yifei¡¯s smile became even more brilliant, "So if I did that, you would despise me, think that I am not a real man, just a shameless wretch who is even less worthy of Mengxin, right?"


    Su Mengfei hesitated for a moment and then said, "But if you don¡¯t do that, can you be with my cousin? Who can get through to my grandfather with his temper?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Everything depends on human effort. I believe Mengxin and I will definitely overcome all obstacles. If we can¡¯t solve this problem and shrink back because of various difficulties, then it means our feelings for each other aren¡¯t deep enough. If we can¡¯t be together, then there¡¯s nothing to say." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er shook her head and said, "You know it¡¯s a lost cause and yet you insist. You and Mengxin are bound to end up with broken heads and bloody faces, and who knows how it¡¯ll end up."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Even if we can¡¯t be together, what of it? At least we loved, at least we fought for it. We¡¯ll live this life without regrets."


    "Alright, you¡¯ve convinced me," Zheng Yuling shook her head with a helpless expression.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er drew back and said, "Yeah, you both are dead set, we can¡¯t play the villains anymore, I won¡¯t interfere."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "You can¡¯t not interfere. There are some matters between Mengxin and me where we still need your help."


    "What do you need our help with?" Su Mengfei immediately leaned in, her face close to Li Yifei¡¯s once more; she quickly moved aside a bit, a look of excitement on her face.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling looked the same, eager and excited. They had grown up in major families, blessed with wealth and status others envied, but they also knew their destinies were not theirs to control. Their current indulgence was a rebellion against fate, at least allowing themselves to live more freely before marriage.


    Being able to resist the family together with Li Yifei and Su Mengxin was exciting for them. Even though it might not be their own battle, being part of it brought an indescribable thrill. Even if they couldn¡¯t resist in the future, they still would have fought the good fight.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was in high spirits, having successfully turned three tough opponents. This would bring great benefits to him in the future. He said, "Right now I really don¡¯t know what to do. But there is one thing¡ªbefore the old master comes to Mile City, you must inform me, so I can make arrangements in advance."


    "That¡¯s a minor matter. Can¡¯t we do something more?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked eagerly.


    "Of course, there is, especially Mengfei. Your main task now is to give me all the details about the Su Family so that I can make a targeted plan."


    "Alright, no problem, no problem. I¡¯ll tell you everything about our Su Family¡¯s ancestors eight generations back."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into hearty laughter at Su Mengxin¡¯s teasing. Once these three girls became his helpers, their usefulness would certainly be extraordinary.


    No sooner had Li Yifei laughed twice, his facial expression suddenly changed, and his laughter ceased abruptly. He reached out and pulled Su Mengfei¡¯s shoulder, already pulling her from behind to the front of the sofa.


    Su Mengfei only felt her body suddenly become light and float over the sofa, landing in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, and she couldn¡¯t help but cry out in surprise.


    Li Yifei¡¯s action was too sudden, and incredibly quick. Before Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling could understand what was happening, Su Mengfei was already in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, and it didn¡¯t stop there. Li Yifei then stretched out his arms, somehow encircling the waists of the two, and then a force transmitted from his arms caused them to involuntarily lunge forward.


    Li Yifei then fell to the ground with Su Mengfei all at once, the entire process taking no more than five seconds. At the moment he floored the three of them, a crisp sound erupted from the television screen opposite them, and a wisp of black smoke billowed out.


    "We¡¯re under attack!" Li Yifei barked, quickly calming down the three still struggling to understand what was happening.


    "Don¡¯t move!" Li Yifei instructed again, holding down the three in front of the sofa. Behind them was a sofa, one of those solid, genuine leather sofas that could still block regular bullets.


    "Thud! Thud!" The sound of bullets striking the leather sofa rang out, causing the hearts of Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others to skip beats. Though they had played around and usually had bodyguards with them, they were not very important people within the family, so no one had really targeted them before. This was the first time they had encountered such danger, and their faces had already turned pale.


    "What... what do we do?" Su Mengfei stammered.


    "Follow my command," Li Yifei said calmly. "When I tell you to move, you move. Head towards the direction of the stairway entrance."


    "Okay..." All three responded in stutters, the word okay trembling from their lips.


    Li Yifei nodded, raised a finger, and said softly, "When I count to three, you run towards the direction of the stairway entrance. You have to be fast, but don¡¯t straighten your back; run with your bodies low."


    The three felt sweaty palms and weak legs. Xiao Ling¡¯er then spoke with a trembling body, "No... no good, my legs are weak, I... I can¡¯t run."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you. Don¡¯t forget what I do; protecting people is my specialty."


    "But... but... I..." Xiao Ling¡¯er was on the verge of tears.


    "Alright, then don¡¯t do anything. Just relax, and leave everything to me. Mengfei, Yuling, are you two okay?"


    The two clenched their teeth, showing more bravery than Xiao Ling¡¯er at this point, and nodded.


    Li Yifei nodded, then raised his finger and began to count softly.


    "One..."


    "Two..."


    "Three..."


    As he uttered "three," Li Yifei pushed Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei, and with a toss of his hand, a sofa cushion was thrown in the opposite direction.


    "Thud! Thud!" Two shots fired, and the sofa cushion, hit by two bullets, was pierced in mid-air, its goose feathers scattering.


    At the same instant as the gunshots, Li Yifei had already thrown Xiao Ling¡¯er onto the sofa, then pushed off forcefully with his foot, sending the long sofa charging towards the direction of the stairway entrance. It perfectly shielded Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling, who were running forward while crouching down.


    However, this left Li Yifei without the protection of the sofa, exposed under the shooter¡¯s gun. Judging by the shots fired before, the attacker was clearly a sniper expert, and with Li Yifei exposed, he was in extreme danger.


    The response of the attacker was indeed that of a sniper expert. The moment Li Yifei was exposed, the bullet was already whistling towards him.


    When facing a gun, close range is actually the easiest to dodge because you can judge the direction of the muzzle. An expert can avoid it in advance, but the attack of a sniper, although from a distance, is unpredictable, allowing no advance predictions. To think you could dodge a flying bullet with human reflexes is simply impossible.


    Li Yifei was now in this immense danger.

 Chapter 767 - 805: The Intense Gun Battle

    Chapter 767: Chapter 805: The Intense Gun BattleWho was Li Yifei? He was the second-in-command of the Flying Hawk Squad yet the true Head Eagle. Among all the leaders of Flying Hawk Squad, his strength was absolutely within the top three. Having encountered countless gunfights, being targeted by snipers was not something new to him. In such moments, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for anyone to score a hit on him.


    When the enemy sniper had his sights on Li Yifei, there would always be a slight movement of the gun barrel. However, at that moment, Li Yifei had already started to act. With a flick of his hand, a dark shadow flew towards the direction the bullet came from, while his body, swift as a cheetah, pounced toward the spot where Zheng Yuling and the other two women had landed.


    Snipers, when aiming, relied on scopes, and these were monocular, allowing them to lock onto their targets with great accuracy. Although what Li Yifei threw could not compare to a bullet, its trajectory was incredibly clever, creating the illusion for the sniper that something was coming straight at him through the scope. Instinctively, the sniper dodged, and as he fired, his bullet strayed from its path, and Li Yifei narrowly avoided it.


    While this may sound simple, the execution was extraordinarily difficult. It required a precise assessment of the enemy¡¯s location, and the object thrown had to align perfectly with the enemy¡¯s scope to create such an optical illusion. Even the slightest deviation would be inconsequential to a skilled sniper.


    The enemy¡¯s reaction speed was so fast that it caught Li Yifei by surprise. The sniper shot down the fruit plate that Li Yifei threw, then fired another bullet following his direction, but Li Yifei had already used an armchair to block the incoming shot. He quickly caught up with Zheng Yuling and hid behind a long sofa.


    The sofa was right by the stairwell, and Xiao Ling¡¯er on the sofa, Zheng Yuling crouching on the ground, and Su Mengfei all let out screams.


    Li Yifei hurriedly shouted, "Stop screaming!" Their panic would affect his ability to discern sounds.


    However, the three were completely terrified and seemed deaf to Li Yifei¡¯s shouts.


    Making a split-second decision, Li Yifei smacked each of their butts with a strong slap, jolting their senses to a brief clarity with the physical pain.


    "Now, I¡¯m going to stand the sofa up to block the stairwell, and we¡¯ll head upstairs," Li Yifei quickly said in the moment, promptly lifting Xiao Ling¡¯er off the sofa. Not bothering with gentleness, he threw her onto the floor, then, with a surge of strength, stood the several-hundred-pound sofa up on its end.


    The sofa perfectly obstructed the stairwell, but Xiao Ling¡¯er and the other two were confused and didn¡¯t know to run upwards. Li Yifei had no choice but to hoist Xiao Ling¡¯er over his shoulder and, stretching out his arms, grabbed hold of Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei, and charged up the stairs in just a few strides.


    This villa was a standalone property with no tall structures nearby. The initial shots had come from behind a rock by the sea. At ground level, the sniper could only fire horizontally, but from the second floor, the shots had to be angled upwards. Once out of the sniper¡¯s line of sight, they were completely safe.


    Moreover, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t yet determine how many enemies there were, so finding a relatively safe spot for the three women was essential.


    This was a seaside villa, which meant most rooms faced the ocean. Consequently, those were dangerous areas. Naturally, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t choose such a room for the three women to stay in. Instead, he led them straight into the bathroom, a closed space with only one window that did not face the sea.


    But Li Yifei was not careless. He first avoided the bathroom window while setting the women down, then used a makeup mirror from the bathroom to check the window¡¯s position. After confirming there were no snipers in that direction, he reassured them, "Okay, it¡¯s relatively safe here now. Don¡¯t move around."


    In such a confined space, the three felt a sense of security, but they were still weak in the knees, struggling to stand.


    Li Yifei then said, "Stay here, I¡¯m going to check outside."


    "No!" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling reacted immediately, each hugging one of Li Yifei¡¯s legs. Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s tears streamed down as she choked out, "You... don¡¯t go out, I¡¯m scared."


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless; Xiao Ling¡¯er usually seemed so bold, but in times of danger, she was the most cowardly¡ªor perhaps her usual boldness was a cover for her actual timidness.


    Patting their heads, Li Yifei spoke softly, "The people are likely here to kill me. If I don¡¯t go out, they may storm in, putting you in danger. Besides... if I don¡¯t take them out, wouldn¡¯t you be in danger too?"


    Su Mengfei gritted her teeth and said, "Then... go, but be careful. If anything happens to you, we are doomed."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I don¡¯t take these petty thugs seriously. Remember, I can even kill sharks, which you¡¯ve seen. How could I fear them? They¡¯re just marching to their deaths."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, though they didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to leave at the moment, they knew they should listen to him, so they slowly let go of his hand.


    Li Yifei then flashed a radiant smile at the three of them, swiftly exited the bathroom, and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.


    Once Li Yifei left, the three immediately huddled together. Their usual status and backgrounds were useless now; they felt a helplessness they had never experienced before. Their only reliance was now Li Yifei.


    "He... he won¡¯t be in any trouble, right?" Xiao Ling¡¯er stammered.


    "No... no trouble, right?" Zheng Yuling said this as though comforting herself more than talking to Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    Su Mengfei, however, was biting her lip and said, "He must be fine. My sister has always had him protect her alone, and nothing has happened, right? Plus, I heard that once when my sister came back from the border, dozens of people were after her; all the bodyguards were dead except for him. But he killed them all and safely got my sister across the border. That had to be much more dangerous than now, and he was fine, so he will be now as well."


    The more Su Mengfei spoke, the more confidence she seemed to have, her speech became more fluent, and her eyes began to shine. The thought of such a scene was invigorating.


    Influenced by Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling eventually weren¡¯t as scared. Yuling said, "That would be best. Now, we can only wait for him. Even if we called the police, by the time they arrived, everything would already be over."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s lips trembled as she said, "He must protect us."


    The bathroom was enclosed, and it wasn¡¯t easy for outside noise to penetrate, but gunshots still echoed like a fierce battle, and these rapid shots made them feel as though they had been transported back to a wartime battlefield. Their faces turned pale again. Such intense gunfire signified that the opponents were more than one, and they were all armed. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Li Yifei could handle it.


    Though the gunfire was loud, the three women hadn¡¯t heard any voices, neither talking nor the screams of someone getting hurt, which made them even more anxious.


    "As long as the gunfire doesn¡¯t stop, it means brother-in-law is still alive," Su Mengfei said, sounding the calmest, and the term ¡¯brother-in-law¡¯ came out most naturally.


    "Yes, yes! He¡¯s still alive," Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling agreed fervently, nodding and holding their breath. They were truly afraid the gunfire would cease.


    But the gunfire soon became more sparse, like a downpour turning to steady rain, and then after a while, a drizzle until no sound remained. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three turned pale, clinging tightly to each other, for the silence meant the gunfight outside was over. One possibility was Li Yifei was dead; the other, he had killed all of them.


    The best outcome would be Li Yifei wiping out the enemy, but if he were dead, what would come next... They couldn¡¯t bear to imagine. Mainly, they felt it was more likely the latter would happen since there were so many of them, and Li Yifei, being only one man without divine powers, especially in a gunfight, wasn¡¯t expected to overcome the opposition.


    Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door. Although the sound was not loud, the three were so focused that it sounded like drumbeats in their ears, making their hearts pound, almost as though they would leap out of their chests with each beat.


    It was like a horror movie; an unknown monster loomed just beyond the door, and their fear was palpable.


    Su Mengfei suddenly grabbed a toilet brush and whispered, "We can¡¯t just sit here waiting to die."


    At that moment, Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er were jolted to action, realizing that sitting there was akin to waiting for death. They scrambled to find anything handy in the bathroom, but there was little to use. Yuling found a trash can, and Xiao Ling¡¯er... picked up a toothbrush.


    Such weapons were useless, not just against an assassin, but even in a scuffle with a child.


    But as they prepared themselves, the door creaked open...

 Chapter 768 - 806 Such a Weapon

    Chapter 768: Chapter 806 Such a Weapon"Ah!"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei all screamed out loud at that moment, throwing the toilet brush, trash can, and even a toothbrush they had in their hands at the enemy with their eyes shut, screaming shrilly. The sound echoed in the cramped bathroom, almost piercing through one¡¯s eardrums.


    Li Yifei had just dealt with the people outside, a task that took quite some effort. Not only were there eleven of them, but the sniper among them was a real pro. It was because of him holding Yifei back that it took Yifei so much effort to eventually kill those ten men. The sniper almost got away, but in the end, Yifei managed to take him down too.


    He came back intending to give them a heads-up, but who would have thought that upon opening the bathroom door, he would be greeted like this? Su Mengfei¡¯s toilet brush was scrubbing back and forth in front of his face, Zheng Yuling¡¯s trash can swung up and down, and Xiao Ling¡¯er wielded her toothbrush at high speed but with tiny strokes, as if brushing the air.


    "Hey, hey, are you guys cleaning up or something?" Li Yifei took a step back to avoid getting hit and said with a mix of annoyance and amusement.


    "Ah!" The three of them suddenly froze, then opened their eyes, saw Li Yifei, and cheered in unison, pouncing on him all at once.


    At that moment, Yifei understood their feeling of having a narrow escape from death and generously opened his arms to embrace the three of them.


    While hugging Li Yifei, all three started to sob, and their cries grew louder and louder, out of sheer terror.


    Li Yifei let them cry for a bit before patting their backs and saying, "Okay, okay, it¡¯s over now. Hey, stop crying, you¡¯ve smeared all your snot on my clothes."


    "Ah!" That turned out to be quite effective; nothing hits a woman harder than her own appearance and dignity. The thought of having smeared their snot over Li Yifei¡¯s clothes was mortifying, and they quickly let go of him.


    Li Yifei joked, "I¡¯m saying, Xiao Ling¡¯er, even if we want to use a toothbrush as a weapon next time, we should at least point the sharp end toward the enemy, right?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er was immediately flustered, threw away the toothbrush, and gave Li Yifei a glare, "You jerk, why didn¡¯t you say something before coming up here? We thought you were a bad guy."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "You guys really have no faith in me."


    Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling looked at the ¡¯weapons¡¯ in their hands and threw them to the ground before bursting into laughter at the absurdity of using such items for self-defense.


    "All right, now get your bodyguards over here to take care of this mess. I can¡¯t show up directly," Li Yifei reminded them.


    Upon hearing this, the three of them knew the urgency of the situation. Yifei¡¯s identity was no longer what it used to be. After killing so many people and causing such a commotion, it was likely that the nearby residents had called the police, and the authorities would require an explanation.


    But actually, there was no need for Xiao Ling¡¯er to give the order, as the bodyguards had already rushed over; they weren¡¯t too far from the location. When they heard the gunshots, they hurried over, but by the time they arrived, it was all over.


    For Xiao Ling¡¯er, the time in the bathroom felt as long as a year, but in reality, only a few minutes had passed.


    A few minutes after the bodyguards arrived, the police cars showed up, and less than ten minutes later, even the SWAT team appeared. A gunfight in Mile City was definitely a major event, and not just for Mile City¡ªin all of Huaxia, such a shootout would be considered a big deal.


    Su Mengfei and the others simply said that the men had come to kill them but were gunned down by their bodyguards. Given their status and the fact that their bodyguards were licensed to carry firearms, it was perfectly justified for them to have killed the thugs in such a situation.


    Among those who arrived was Lin Qiong, who had been very busy recently and hadn¡¯t bothered Li Yifei. And now, due to the attention she had been getting from the city authorities, she definitely had to be involved in such a major case.


    When it was time for the statement, Lin Qiong took Li Yifei aside to do it personally.


    "What exactly happened? How did it blow up into such a huge ordeal?" Lin Qiong asked frowningly.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "I don¡¯t know either. They¡¯re all Mengxin¡¯s friends who came here to hang out with me. Who would have thought we¡¯d run into such trouble?"


    "Why didn¡¯t you leave anyone alive? How could you kill them all?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei, not believing that those men were killed by the bodyguards. It must have been Li Yifei¡¯s doing that resolved the situation so swiftly.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, "They all had guns, and there was a sniper. It was hard to take any prisoners."


    "Do you know who they were?" Lin Qiong pressed on.


    "Actually, I have no idea." Li Yifei really hadn¡¯t focused on their identities. After he went out, they all targeted him and didn¡¯t break into the villa. It was clear that they were there for him, and those gunning for him were surely from some organizations. Whether he knew their identities or not, it made no difference to Li Yifei.


    "I¡¯m really fed up with you, but..." Lin Qiong¡¯s gaze suddenly sharpened, and she stood up swiftly, advancing two steps to Li Yifei¡¯s face, grabbing his neck, and demanding, "What¡¯s your relationship with those three women?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei hurriedly explained, "Qiongqiong, I have nothing to do with them. One is Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, and the other two are her friends. I met them through Su Mengxin. They are just some high-class ladies looking for fun. They got bored and caught me as I was passing by. How could I possibly handle them, and three at once no less? You¡¯re really overestimating me."


    Lin Qiong actually felt that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly do anything with three people, but as soon as she saw Li Yifei with another woman, she couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. She snorted and said, "That better be the case. If I find out you¡¯re fooling around outside, you¡¯ll see what the consequences are."


    Li Yifei took Lin Qiong¡¯s hand, and with a gentle pull, he made her sit on his lap. Lin Qiong struggled a bit, but didn¡¯t really try to get up. She glared at Li Yifei but ended up wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Li Yifei gently kissed Lin Qiong on the face and said, "My little Qiongqiong has gotten a bit thinner these days. Don¡¯t work so hard. You need to balance work and rest."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "I get home and there¡¯s no husband to cook for me. What else am I supposed to do if I don¡¯t work?"


    Whether it was Ye Yunzhu, Lin Qiong, or Ning Xin¡¯er, they all liked to say these sour words, but that was precisely Li Yifei¡¯s weak spot. He could only cough and say, "I¡¯ve heard some unsettling people will be coming to Mile City recently, and they are quite skilled. You have to be careful. No matter what, the first thing is to ensure your own safety. Do you remember that?"


    Lin Qiong felt gratified inside. No matter what, she could feel Li Yifei¡¯s concern for her, and her tone became much softer. "I know," she said.


    "Good. If you encounter any difficult situation, make sure to tell me. I will definitely help you."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid your wife won¡¯t let you?"


    "Xu Yingying might object to other things, but when it comes to your safety, she won¡¯t. Even if she did, I would still have to come."


    These words made Lin Qiong feel even more comfortable. She snorted and said, "You¡¯re quite the talker. I¡¯ll let you off the hook today."


    After Li Yifei appeased Lin Qiong, Su Mengfei and the others had also sorted things out. The police in Mile City were afraid Su Mengfei and her friends would hold them accountable, but now they had said that this incident wasn¡¯t Mile City Police¡¯s fault and the higher-ups would handle it, which meant Mile City was off the hook.


    Coming out of the police station, Li Yifei said to Su Mengfei and the other two women, "Ladies, I won¡¯t send you back."


    "No way!" The three of them answered in unison.


    "Huh? You¡¯re not letting me go?" Li Yifei had an expression of misery. It was past dinner time, and although Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t called to ask after him, the later he returned, the more difficult it would be to explain.


    "Of course we¡¯re not letting you go. Otherwise, I could ask for leave from your wife, what do you think?" Xiao Ling¡¯er said with a cheeky grin, looking at Li Yifei. Now that everything was settled, the girl had reverted to her odd, playful self.


    Li Yifei jumped in fright and said, "No need, no need."


    Xiao Mengfei pulled on Li Yifei¡¯s sleeve, pouting as she said, "Brother-in-law, we¡¯re really scared. If you¡¯re not by our side, we won¡¯t dare to sleep tonight."


    "Really...?"


    "Definitely. Can you just not go home tonight, please?" Su Mengfei pleaded with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head helplessly and said, "Then I need to call my wife first. And you¡¯re not allowed to play any tricks."


    "We won¡¯t, we won¡¯t..." The three of them shook their heads.


    Li Yifei walked a few steps to the side, feeling not quite safe, and then moved a few more steps away before he finally got through to Xu Yingying on the phone.


    "Yingying, I can¡¯t come home tonight," Li Yifei said, treading carefully.


    "Oh?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice was very calm.


    But her calmness made Li Yifei even more worried, so he quickly added, "I just found out that among these three girls, one of them is actually Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, and there was an incident just now. Some people want to harm them, so I have to stay to protect them."


    "Mengxin¡¯s cousin?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice immediately lost its calm.


    "Yes, her name is Su Mengfei, and the other two are called Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Mengxin knows them. You can call Mengxin to ask."


    "Why didn¡¯t you say so sooner, geez? Then you better protect them," she said.


    Li Yifei mentioned Su Mengxin, and Xu Yingying immediately believed him. It was a foolproof move, yet Xu Yingying had no idea that Su Mengxin was actually playing both sides.

 Chapter 769 - 807: Stay Behind

    Chapter 769: Chapter 807: Stay Behind"Did you get your leave approved?"


    When Li Yifei returned to the three women, Xiao Ling¡¯er greeted him with a smile.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It¡¯s all set, let¡¯s go."


    With narrowed eyes, Xiao Ling¡¯er asked, "I¡¯m quite curious, just how did you manage to get your leave? " S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Trust, my wife trusts me, that¡¯s how. What¡¯s there that can¡¯t be approved?"


    "Hmph, trust you, your wife must be blind," Xiao Ling¡¯er said with a twitch of her mouth that could have reached the back of her head if her ears hadn¡¯t been in the way.


    Everyone got into the car, and this time not only was their bodyguard¡¯s car following them, but there were also two Police Cars trailing ahead and behind.


    The police initially wanted to stay and offer protection, but Ling¡¯er and the others sent them away. The officers were secretly relieved¡ªafter such a shootout, they knew they¡¯d be nothing more than cannon fodder.


    Once they arrived at the house, the three women immediately claimed to be hungry, so Li Yifei had to start preparing dinner for them.


    Li Yifei¡¯s cooking was undoubtedly exquisite, pleasing the three beauties immensely. Su Mengfei stuffed a braised shrimp into her mouth and mumbled, "Brother-in-law, your cooking is really something. No wonder my sister likes being with you; for this culinary skill alone, it¡¯s worth it."


    "If it tastes good, eat up, but don¡¯t overdo it. You all don¡¯t look like you eat a lot usually, and if you overeat all at once, it¡¯ll be too much for your stomachs to handle."


    The three of them nodded repeatedly but still ate quite a bit. Whether at home or in fancy hotels, they had tasted countless delicacies, but at home, elders always liked to lecture during meals, and they would leave without eating much. Eating out didn¡¯t have the same homely atmosphere, so it wasn¡¯t nearly as satisfying as eating here.


    Dinner brought a much more relaxed atmosphere among the four, and the house was tidied up by the bodyguards. Unlike in the afternoon, they weren¡¯t sent away this time, but were instructed to stay around the vicinity of the villa. This way, they wouldn¡¯t interfere with the household and could also clear the periphery, preventing those with ill intentions from getting too close.


    After the meal, the table was left unattended as everyone moved to the living room. Sitting on the sofa, however, all three still felt anxious about the day¡¯s events, and they glanced nervously outside through the windows. The darkness of the night only heightened their sense of insecurity.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er stuttered a little as she asked, "Do you think... there could still be bad guys outside watching us?"


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t been quite so frightened, but when Ling¡¯er mentioned it, they looked outside instinctively, and their hearts began to race. Unconsciously, they all moved closer to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Aren¡¯t there bodyguards outside? The bad guys won¡¯t be able to get close so easily this time, you don¡¯t have to be afraid."


    "Are you sure it¡¯s safe?" Xiao Ling¡¯er looked at Li Yifei anxiously.


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "There aren¡¯t that many bad people around. Besides, after the commotion today, the police will be paying more attention here. Do you think all the police have left? Not too far from this villa, there are probably still some officers on the lookout. It¡¯s practically impossible for the bad guys to come near now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s reasoning finally eased their minds a bit. Xiao Ling¡¯er patted her chest and said, "Today was really too dangerous. If the sofa hadn¡¯t been thick enough, the bullets could have gone through and taken our lives."


    Watching Ling¡¯er¡¯s gesture, Li Yifei¡¯s mind drifted to the ludicrous event from the other night, reminiscing about how she had stood naked in front of him, asking to be sucked. The memory startled him, and he quickly said with a laugh, "If the sofa manufacturer heard you say that, they would definitely pay you for the advertisement. You¡¯d have to add a slogan or two like, ¡¯XX sofas, comfortable to sit on and a guarantee for your life?can block knives and bullets alike, the perfect choice for your home.¡¯"


    All three girls burst into laughter. Zheng Yuling said with a chuckle, "I say, Li Yifei, you turn out to be quite the humorist."


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "The more you get to know me, the more you¡¯ll find my virtues. I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll fall in love with me without even realizing it."


    "Dream on!" the three of them shouted in unison, but they all laughed heartily nonetheless. Talking with Li Yifei was indeed enjoyable; they rarely met a man as entertaining as him.


    After chatting for a bit and easing their tension, Li Yifei suggested with a smile, "Alright, it¡¯s getting late. You should all wash up and go to bed. When you wake up, there¡¯ll be nothing to worry about."


    None of them objected and started heading upstairs, but after a few steps, Xiao Ling¡¯er turned around and called out to Li Yifei, "You should come up too."


    Since they had all stayed on the upper floor previously, Li Yifei casually agreed, saying, "You go ahead, I¡¯ll be up in a bit."


    "No way, no way. If you¡¯re not upstairs with us, it scares us," Xiao Ling¡¯er stood on the stairs, making it clear that if Li Yifei didn¡¯t follow them up, they wouldn¡¯t go either.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You really are a handful. Alright, I¡¯ll come up with you."


    The four of them went upstairs, and the three women went into the bathroom together, obviously because they were scared and didn¡¯t want to shower alone. The thought of three women showering together was enough to make any man¡¯s imagination run wild, and what made Li Yifei speechless was that these three actually asked him to wait in the corridor.


    Li Yifei originally planned to go into his room after they entered, but before he could, Xiao Ling¡¯er called out from inside, "Li Yifei, are you there?"


    Li Yifei could only answer, "I¡¯m here."


    Not even three minutes passed before Zheng Yuling also called out from inside, making Li Yifei realize that even if he wanted to leave, he couldn¡¯t. He had no choice but to grab a chair, smoke a cigarette, and chat with Xu Yingying on WeChat.


    Li Yifei not only chatted with Xu Yingying but also told her everything that was happening, including the fact that he was waiting not far from their bathroom door.


    This actually made Xu Yingying less worried. When women feel scared and lack a sense of safety, they look for that sense of security¡ªit¡¯s instinctual. Besides, Li Yifei¡¯s candidness about the situation confirmed that nothing was going on. It reassured her that he was there and that there was no need for him to keep proving anything to her.


    Only then did Li Yifei truly breathe a sigh of relief. It would have been one thing if Su Mengxin caused Xu Yingying to misunderstand, but he¡¯d feel truly wronged if these three women were the reason.


    Finally, the three women finished showering and slid the door open before emerging one after the other. Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment to see that all three of them came out wrapped in just a bath towel, with their arms, legs, and shoulders exposed. The sight was... incredibly tempting.


    "Hey, what¡¯s with that look?" Xiao Ling¡¯er was back to her usual teasing self, confronting Li Yifei with an accusatory tone as soon as she was no longer scared.


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "I¡¯m just saying, you three should be a bit more mindful after taking a shower. It¡¯s okay to put on pajamas; why come out... just wearing a bath towel? I am, after all, a man."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glared at him and said, "I know you¡¯re a man, but you¡¯re also the first man who¡¯s seen our whole bodies. We¡¯ve let you see everything, so what¡¯s there to be afraid of you seeing more?"


    Li Yifei was utterly choked up by Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s words and hurriedly said, "That time was all because we drank too much, I don¡¯t even know what happened that night."


    "Stop pretending. If you don¡¯t remember, then I¡¯ll be damned. Hurry up and take a shower. You have five minutes to come out."


    "Five minutes... That¡¯s not even enough time to take off and put on clothes."


    "Quit your yapping. Five minutes and if you¡¯re not out, we¡¯re coming in to drag you out. We¡¯ve seen your body before; it¡¯s not like we¡¯re scared."


    "Fine, I¡¯ll go right now." Li Yifei hurriedly dashed into the bathroom. Those three crazy girls, if they really lost their inhibitions, might actually do it.


    Five minutes was certainly too short, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t take more than ten minutes because he could hear footsteps in the hallway. Clearly, the three girls, though not certain they would barge in, made Li Yifei think it was safer to come out proactively.


    Li Yifei hastily got dressed and pulled the door open, only to see Xiao Ling¡¯er and the other two standing at the door. He laughed and said, "So you really were planning to come in and grab me, huh?"


    "You¡¯re lucky you were quick. If you¡¯d been any slower, we would¡¯ve barged in," Xiao Ling¡¯er said sternly.


    But Li Yifei saw a hint of shyness in her eyes. As fierce as she sounded, and even though they had come over, he suspected the three of them would still be too embarrassed to actually storm in.


    While drying his hair, Li Yifei said, "Now that I¡¯ve also showered, can you all go to sleep? If you¡¯re scared, the three of you can sleep in one room, and I¡¯ll sleep next door. If anything happens, I¡¯ll be there right away, so just relax."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling nudged Su Mengfei, who rolled her eyes at the two of them and muttered, "Why do I have to say this..." Then, smiling at Li Yifei, she said, "Brother-in-law, we¡¯re not sleepy yet. Can you stay with us and chat some more?"


    Without giving it a second thought, Li Yifei said, "What¡¯s there to chat about with you girls in the middle of the night? It¡¯s late, and it¡¯s inappropriate for a man alone with you women. Just go to sleep."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er wagged her finger playfully and said, "You¡¯re wrong on two counts. First, it¡¯s only a little past eight, and although it¡¯s dark, it¡¯s not the middle of the night. Second, it¡¯s three women with one man, so it¡¯s not a case of a lone man with a single woman."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, thinking to himself: one might be manageable, but three girls getting wild... that¡¯s the real danger.

 Chapter 770 - 808 Thunderstorms

    Chapter 770: Chapter 808 Thunderstorms"It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m pretty tired today. Can you guys spare me?" Li Yifei yawned, feigning exhaustion.


    "You¡¯re sleepy? That won¡¯t do, if you fall asleep like a dead pig, what are we going to do if someone comes?" Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately cried out excitedly.


    Zheng Yuling also grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and shook it, saying, "Don¡¯t you dare fall asleep, perk up."


    Li Yifei glared and asked, "Are you three planning not to let me sleep at all tonight?"


    Su Mengfei giggled and replied, "If we don¡¯t sleep, we don¡¯t sleep, it¡¯s nice to chat all night. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be lonely, we can play, we have lots of things to play with."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help shivering and said with a bitter smile, "I¡¯m just afraid of how wild your playing can get."


    All three blushed, Zheng Yuling spat at Li Yifei and said, "We were drunk that day, that¡¯s why we played so wildly. You think we can do that again today? You wish."


    But Li Yifei expressed his disbelief, "I really don¡¯t have faith in you three."


    This remark annoyed all three of them, and Xiao Ling¡¯er put her hands on her hips and said indignantly, "What do you take us for? Do you think we¡¯re trying to seduce you or something?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "No, absolutely not! It¡¯s just... I really can¡¯t keep up with your games."


    "Nonsense, you¡¯re not going anywhere before we go to sleep. Grab him and take him inside," Xiao Ling¡¯er barked, already grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei quickly helped out, and between them, they pushed Li Yifei into the bedroom he originally shared with Su Mengxin¡ªthe same bedroom where the wild play had happened.


    However, once inside, the three of them shrunk behind Li Yifei, pointing at the window and asking, "There¡¯s no one watching us from outside, right?"


    Li Yifei walked over and drew the curtains, saying, "Now it¡¯s okay, even if there¡¯s someone outside, they can¡¯t see us."


    In reality, such curtains could block the view, but were just ordinary equipment. If someone had a thermal imaging scope, they would still be able to locate people inside. You can¡¯t say the curtains are useless; even in total darkness, an accurate shot could still be made. But for now, it was impossible for anyone to be outside.


    With the curtains drawn, Su Mengfei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling felt less scared, and they quickly threw off their shoes and hopped onto the bed.


    Seeing their frightened expressions, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "You¡¯re really scared stiff by one snake bite for the next ten years."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted and said, "We almost lost our lives, of course we¡¯re scared. I¡¯m still so young; I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet."


    "Okay, whatever you haven¡¯t had enough of, I¡¯ll keep you company with whatever you want to do now," Li Yifei offered, knowing that they wouldn¡¯t want to do anything without him there, so he might as well volunteer.


    The three of them looked at each other; there were so many games they normally played, but now with Li Yifei there, they all seemed uncertain about what to play next.


    Su Mengfei hesitated before suggesting, "Let¡¯s play poker."


    Li Yifei immediately refused outright, "No, no!"


    Su Mengfei touched her face and giggled, "We¡¯re not making demands like the other day; we¡¯re just playing for money. Is that still not okay?"


    At the mention of winning money, Li Yifei heaved a sigh of relief. At least he could accept that. As for any other absurd gameplay they might propose, that would just be a headache. He quickly agreed, "Alright, alright, we¡¯ll play poker for money then."


    This time Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling didn¡¯t make any other requests, and there were playing cards left over from last time in the room, so the four found them.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er suggested a game, saying, "Let¡¯s play ¡¯Run Fast¡¯; whoever gets rid of their cards first wins money. As for the remaining three, whoever has how many cards left loses that much money, a hundred bucks a card."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and asked, "Can we play for less?"


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Zheng Yuling inquired.


    Li Yifei replied, "I¡¯ve only got just over nine hundred bucks on me. If we play for such high stakes, I¡¯ll be broke if I lose all my money, and then I won¡¯t be able to play anymore."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and said, "That¡¯s easy. You can use your clothes as collateral, one piece of clothing for a thousand. If you lose, you strip."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark as he said, "Here you go again."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er stuck out her tongue and said, "Just kidding. But if you lose, we can keep a tab, and later we¡¯ll go to Mengxin to collect."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "That¡¯s so embarrassing."


    Zheng Yuling immediately said, "Well, for a big man like you to only carry such a little money, isn¡¯t that just as embarrassing? And, your wife is a CEO, Mengxin is even richer. Do you really need to be this stingy?"


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m under financial control by my wife, and I only get a thousand bucks for pocket money each month."


    The three of them were taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, and after they had their fill, Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked and said, "That makes it even more interesting. We¡¯ll definitely win that thousand of yours today and see how you manage the rest of the month ."


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Then bring it on. But let me make it clear, if anyone cheats, I¡¯m out."


    "Cheat to win against you?" Xiao Ling¡¯er lifted her chin, grabbed the cards, and shuffled and cut them with rapid skill. She was as proficient as a professional casino dealer.


    Now that they knew Li Yifei¡¯s circumstances, the three of them were suddenly very excited. The thought of winning all of Li Yifei¡¯s pocket money for the month seemed like so much fun to them that it raised their spirits, and for the time being, they had put the daytime attack out of their minds.


    It wasn¡¯t like the three of them spent all day studying these games, so their card playing skills were indeed not bad. But their opponent was Li Yifei, who, while not a real casino professional, had quick hands and a superb memory. With a little sleight of hand, he was much better than them.


    To these three women, money really didn¡¯t matter. And with Li Yifei currently under economic control, why not win a bit of spending money from them? So at that moment, he was playing seriously too.


    All four players wanted to win, and the battle was quite fierce, but it was Li Yifei who was slightly better. In a short while, he had already won over two thousand, which made Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others anxious, but they just couldn¡¯t beat him.


    Realizing that going it alone wouldn¡¯t work, Xiao Ling¡¯er gave Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei a look. The two girls caught on immediately, and the three began to gang up on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had won more than two thousand and felt it was about enough. The limit of a thousand was set by Xu Yingying, and since he hadn¡¯t opposed it, he didn¡¯t really plan to use the money in his hand for anything special. Winning a little more was fine by him. At this moment, he didn¡¯t expose their plan, occasionally letting them win some back, then taking it again.


    They kept at this until after eleven o¡¯clock. Everyone was still very enthusiastic, with Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others showing no signs of sleepiness, chattering and shouting, becoming more and more energetic as they played.


    It wasn¡¯t until they had played for two more hours that the three women finally began to feel sleepy. Li Yifei suggested going to sleep, and they didn¡¯t object anymore. They all lay down on the bed, and only after Li Yifei turned off the light did he leave the room.


    He lay down in the next room, shut his eyes, and soon drifted off to sleep. But he had barely fallen asleep for a few minutes when a scream suddenly came from next door.


    Li Yifei sprang up from his bed and dashed next door. Once inside, he didn¡¯t immediately turn on the light, but instead relied on his keen hearing to sense what was happening. However, he only heard three sets of nervous breathing and no other sounds. He asked in a low voice, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Outside the window... there¡¯s a shadow," Xiao Ling¡¯er stammered.


    Li Yifei went to the window and opened a slit in the curtains. The room was pitch-dark, but it was brighter outside. He saw nothing unusual, and a couple of bodyguards were patrolling near the rocks two hundred meters away, further evidence that there was nothing to worry about. He said, "It¡¯s alright, maybe it was just a bird that flew by. Don¡¯t worry."


    The room suddenly lit up; Zheng Yuling had turned on the bedside lamp. Xiao Ling¡¯er patted her chest and said, "That scared me to death... you..." But when her gaze landed on Li Yifei, her face turned red all at once.


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei also turned their eyes toward Li Yifei. Sensing their gaze, he looked down and immediately had a dark line on his forehead. He had rushed in so hastily that he didn¡¯t have time to dress, and now he stood before three young women in nothing but his underwear, which was indeed quite embarrassing.


    "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m leaving," Li Yifei said, then scampered out. But just as he closed the door behind him, laughter erupted from inside the room.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei gave a wry smile. He really felt he had made a fool of himself. He figured the three girls would tease him about this later on.


    This time, Li Yifei managed to sleep soundly for a while, but after just over an hour, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the room bright as day, followed by a "crack" of thunder that sounded as though it had exploded right by his ear.


    It was early December in Mile City, where it should normally be snowing. Thunderstorms were unusual for this time of the year, but the temperature had been higher than usual, just above freezing, and now a rare thunderstorm had started.


    As soon as the thunder ceased, Li Yifei heard screams from next door. He was somewhat speechless; it was clear that they weren¡¯t in any danger, just startled by the thunder, so he didn¡¯t get out of bed to go check on them. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, after two more flashes of lightning and another pair of thunderclaps, his room door was flung open. Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei had all rushed in, then, like rabbits, they jumped onto the bed and snuggled up against him.

 Chapter 771 - 809

    Chapter 771: 809Li Yifei never expected such a situation to occur and hurriedly tried to escape. But these three girls seemed to have been scared out of their wits¡ªSu Mengfei and Zheng Yuling clung tightly to his left and right arms, while Xiao Ling¡¯er was even more direct, pouncing on top of him and clinging to him tightly.


    Had it not been for the fact that the three girls were trembling all over, Li Yifei would have thought they were doing it on purpose. Seeing them so terrified, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just shake them off; he could only say, "Hey, hey, what are you doing? It¡¯s just thunder."


    But before he could finish, another flash of lightning, along with a thunderclap, completely drowned out his voice.


    This thunder was something that could be described as a bolt from the blue. The lightning seemed to flash right outside their window, and the thunder made the house tremble slightly. Under these circumstances, Li Yifei understood¡ªthe clouds were right above them, and it felt like the house could be destroyed by the lightning and thunder at any moment.


    It was terrifying for them to hear, but if they were ten or twenty kilometers away, they might see the lightning and hear the thunder, yet it wouldn¡¯t be so frightening.


    Such might of Heaven¡¯s Might even made Li Yifei feel a reverence for it. No matter how strong he was, he seemed insignificant before such natural power. That the three women were so terrified was normal; each flash of lightning made them scream, and each loud thunder made them shout, showing how scared they were. So Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to push them away and let them cling to him.


    This thunder and lightning continued for over ten minutes. As the torrential rain poured down from the sky, the thunder finally abated slightly.


    "Okay, it¡¯s raining now, the thunder should stop," Li Yifei said. At this point, he couldn¡¯t move his hands and could only speak to them.


    Yet none of the three moved; their bodies still trembled, clearly not having recovered from the fear.


    Li Yifei¡¯s mind had indeed been occupied by the might of Heaven¡¯s Might earlier, but once the thunder stopped, he returned his mind to reality. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What did reality mean? It meant that Li Yifei was now on a bed with three beautiful women, who were clinging to him like octopuses. Especially since the three of them had rushed over in a hurry, wearing only thin pajamas, sticking to Li Yifei like this really made it hard for him to bear.


    "Hey, hey, the thunder¡¯s stopped, hurry up and get up." Li Yifei forcefully suppressed his inner turmoil, widening his eyes and hollering.


    "Has it really stopped?" Xiao Ling¡¯er timidly asked.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "It really has, little grandma. Please get off me, you¡¯re going to crush me."


    What was most discomforting for Li Yifei was Xiao Ling¡¯er. This girl lay on him, the most intense physical contact, truly making it hard for him to bear.


    "No, no, wait a bit longer. I¡¯m afraid it might start again," Xiao Ling¡¯er, however, didn¡¯t loosen her hold on Li Yifei at all, clearly scared out of her wits.


    Li Yifei knew they absolutely weren¡¯t trying to cling to his bed or him at this moment. He had never seen such might of Heaven¡¯s Might before, and he felt uneasy, not to mention them. Moreover, they had been frightened during the day, which weakened their ability to handle stress, making such a reaction entirely normal.


    They were normal, but for Li Yifei, it was anything but normal¡ªthree beauties, and he was a man. Not reacting at this time would mean something was wrong with him. As he couldn¡¯t care about losing face anymore, he hurriedly said, "I mean, Xiao Ling¡¯er, you really have to get down. I truly can¡¯t take it anymore. Don¡¯t you know that having a beautiful woman like you lying on a man is absolute torment?"


    Li Yifei had made it clear, and Xiao Ling¡¯er wasn¡¯t stupid. Being reminded by him, she finally realized their current situation. Her innate feminine shyness made her bounce up from Li Yifei and flip over Su Mengfei, lying on the outer edge of the bed.


    Li Yifei finally sighed with relief, having removed Xiao Ling¡¯er, the biggest temptation. Dealing with Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling beside him was much easier.


    It seemed like he didn¡¯t even need to deal with it; Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s scream made Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei naturally aware of their situation, quickly letting go of Li Yifei and pulling their bodies back a bit.


    "Ouch!" Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed again before the sound of something heavy hitting the ground was heard. She had just moved behind Su Mengfei, and the bed wasn¡¯t that big; it was just right for two people, slightly cramped for three, and truly not enough for four. Su Mengfei squeezed back, knocking Xiao Ling¡¯er to the floor.


    Su Mengfei quickly turned around and anxiously said, "Ling¡¯er, are you okay?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er let out a couple of painful breaths, climbed up slowly, and said, "Why don¡¯t you try falling off the bed? Okay, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s almost like I broke my backside falling."


    This small episode somewhat eased the awkwardness among Li Yifei and the others. Li Yifei said, "Alright, now go back to sleep."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er slowly climbed back on the bed and said, "We¡¯re not going back; we¡¯ve already shared a bed with you, so a few more hours won¡¯t make a difference. We¡¯ll sleep here."


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly said, "That¡¯s absolutely not okay."


    "What, are you afraid of what we might do to you?" Xiao Ling¡¯er said, lying on Su Mengfei, grinning at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried about what you might do to me; it¡¯s what I might do to you that I worry about."


    All three burst into laughter, and Zheng Yuling said, "I actually like the sound of that; it shows you¡¯re somewhat self-aware."


    "So as I¡¯m saying, why don¡¯t you guys go back? If I make a move on you, I¡¯d be a beast. But if I don¡¯t, I¡¯d be worse than a beast."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed heartily and said, "Well, I want to see whether you¡¯re a beast or worse than a beast."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened and he said, "Alright, please don¡¯t look, little grandma, spare me."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er shook her head and said, "Okay, stop it. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to go back now. Why don¡¯t you sleep on one side, and the three of us sleep on the other? Yuling, switch places with Yifei, that¡¯s fine."


    Zheng Yuling was startled and said, "No way, no way, you switch over here."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "That won¡¯t work either. If you insist on sleeping in this room, then I¡¯ll sleep on the floor."


    "You wouldn¡¯t?" All three widened their eyes.


    "Sigh, truly, I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end with you guys. I¡¯ll sleep on the floor, you guys take the bed. I don¡¯t want you tossing and turning all night; otherwise, none of us will get any sleep."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei jumped off the bed and ran to their original room, bringing their blankets over. Tossing them onto the bed, Li Yifei also dragged his own blanket to the side of the bed, laying it out on the floor. Half under, half over, it turned out to be not that bad.


    But the three on the bed started to argue again.


    Zheng Yuling said, "I won¡¯t stay on this side. Ling¡¯er, your idea, you stay here."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and said, "You were on this side originally; why switch? Are you afraid Yifei will eat you up? Heh, even if he does, so what? Haven¡¯t you already had him eat up before?"


    Zheng Yuling spat and said, "You¡¯re no different. Anyway, you come over here."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, with a smug look, said, "I won¡¯t go over."


    Zheng Yuling, helpless, said to Su Mengfei, "Mengfei, let¡¯s swap places."


    Su Mengfei quickly said, "Why should I swap? I¡¯m quite comfortable in the middle, and I¡¯m afraid of falling if I¡¯m on the edge."


    Zheng Yuling pulled at Su Mengfei and said, "You¡¯re Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law; being closer isn¡¯t abnormal."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed and said, "I¡¯m not going over. You¡¯re just right over there; this is an opportunity sent by Heaven. Tonight, if you fall, you¡¯ll end up hugging a strong man."


    The three tugged at each other; Zheng Yuling didn¡¯t dislike Li Yifei and wasn¡¯t unwilling to sleep on his side. But as a woman, especially one without a boyfriend¡ªdespite having had a mischievous night with him¡ªbeing so close to Yifei was still shy, and sleeping here meant future teasing from Su Mengfei and Ling¡¯er that she couldn¡¯t stand.


    Li Yifei, however, was growing impatient; they had been tossing and turning until now without sleeping. He couldn¡¯t help but say, "I¡¯m telling you, three little grandmas, can you sleep now? If not, I¡¯m really leaving; I can¡¯t keep up with you."


    His words had some effect; the three quieted slightly, and then Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "Alright, alright, if none of you want to, I¡¯ll stay on this side, okay? It¡¯s just sleeping next to a man; what¡¯s the big deal? Weren¡¯t we naked that night, sleeping together? Now we¡¯re on beds with clothes; what am I afraid of? Yuling, you coward, move over."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei hurried to give Ling¡¯er a spot. Ling¡¯er crawled over, and the three finally lay down, quiet.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, closed his eyes, and finally fell asleep. But he hadn¡¯t slept long when the room suddenly lit up like daylight, followed closely by a cracking thunder outside. Amid several screams, someone fell off the bed heavily onto him¡ªnone other than Xiao Ling¡¯er... who else?

 Chapter 772 - 810: So This Was a Test

    Chapter 772: Chapter 810: So This Was a TestAfter Xiao Ling¡¯er fell, both Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er woke up and realized the situation. Embarrassed, Xiao Ling¡¯er wanted to get up, but suddenly, the room lit up, causing her to scream in fright and cling to Li Yifei.


    Then, one after another, lightning bolts illuminated the room like daylight, then plunged it into darkness again, resembling a purgatory on earth. Xiao Ling¡¯er not only clung to Li Yifei without letting go but also screamed out loud, making it impossible for Li Yifei to push her away.


    To make matters worse, it wasn¡¯t just Xiao Ling¡¯er who was scared; Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling were also terrified, all tumbling out of their beds and piling on top of Li Yifei like falling dominoes. If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been strong enough, he would have been crushed by their weight.


    Seeing them so frightened, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t ignore them. He had no choice but to extend his arms, patting one and then the other, trying to comfort them.


    Finally, the thunder stopped, and the screams inside the room slowly subsided. Li Yifei, grinning, said, "Ladies, could you please get up? If this continues, I¡¯ll really be squashed to death. Do you realize how heavy you are?"


    However, the three women ignored Li Yifei, each listening attentively to the outside sounds. As the rain outside seemed to lessen, they finally relaxed and climbed off Li Yifei one by one, returning to their beds.


    This time, the three of them were surprisingly quiet. Aside from their still uneven breathing, no one spoke. After a while, their breathing steadied, and they all seemed to fall asleep. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After being worn out by their antics, Li Yifei was finally able to sleep, dozing off until nearly seven o¡¯clock when he woke up.


    The house was still quiet; Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others were still sleeping soundly. Li Yifei didn¡¯t make any noise either, carefully getting up and glancing at the bed, his heart pounding. The three women had disheveled appearances; their limbs entwined, blankets kicked aside. More importantly, their sleepwear no longer covered their bodies adequately, exposing arms and thighs, shimmering in the light. Zheng Yuling¡¯s chest was so exposed that half of her breasts could be seen.


    Li Yifei dared not look any longer; any more, and he couldn¡¯t guarantee he wouldn¡¯t make a mistake. He hurriedly found his clothes and swiftly snuck out.


    At this point, there was no problem for Li Yifei to leave, but if he fled suddenly like this, the three women might just storm his office later. So, he had to stay and make sure they were properly settled before he could go to work with peace of mind.


    With nothing better to do, Li Yifei made breakfast, and around eight o¡¯clock, he came to wake them up to eat.


    Still in their pajamas and yawning, the three women descended to the lower floor. Li Yifei watched their states and couldn¡¯t help but say, "Could you please wash up and get dressed before eating?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei and said, "We¡¯re going to sleep again after this."


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Okay then, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯ll head to work first."


    All three women widened their eyes and said in unison, "No way!"


    Li Yifei knew they would react like this and said, "Can you not dress like this? I am a man, after all; you can¡¯t just ignore that."


    The three of them looked at each other but had no significant reaction. It was Xiao Ling¡¯er who said, "Anyway, you¡¯re not someone else. Just look if you want."


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless. He rolled his eyes and said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing out?"


    "What¡¯s there to lose out on? Any loss we could have suffered has already happened. This porridge is good, really tasty," said Xiao Ling¡¯er, already sitting down and taking a sip of porridge.


    Zheng Yuling giggled and said, "You know, Ling¡¯er, I¡¯m really starting to doubt whether you rolled off the bed on purpose last night."


    Su Mengfei immediately chimed in, "It must have been on purpose, otherwise why didn¡¯t she roll this way but ended up on the ground? Ling¡¯er, what you did wasn¡¯t right; he¡¯s my cousin¡¯s husband, and you want to have a share too?"


    After taking another sip of porridge, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "I did it on purpose. At that time, I wanted to find the safest place. Would it be safe mingling with you two? Besides, didn¡¯t you two fall off as well? Doesn¡¯t that mean you had the same idea? I can let it go with Yuling, but Mengfei, you are Mengxin¡¯s cousin. Competing with your cousin for a man. That¡¯s even less okay."


    Zheng Yuling chuckled, "That¡¯s true. We¡¯re good sisters with Mengxin, right? Of course, we need to share good things, and sharing her man isn¡¯t a problem at all, huh?"


    With a giggle, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "Right, sharing isn¡¯t too bad. After all, who knows what kind of men we¡¯ll marry in the future? We certainly won¡¯t find happiness then. Enjoying ourselves now is quite fine."


    "Yeah, I kind of agree with this. If you can be happy, then be happy. Marrying a man I look down on and being angry all the time... When that happens, finding someone pleasing to the eye to enjoy with seems like a pretty good idea."


    Li Yifei felt the gaze of three people on him, like three hunters eyeing their prey, and his scalp started tingling. He cleared his throat and said, "Let¡¯s eat, let¡¯s eat."


    Seeing Li Yifei so frightened, all three burst into smiles, more intrigued than ever. Xiao Ling¡¯er, sitting next to Li Yifei, draped an arm over his shoulder and said with a chuckle, "I say, Yifei, what do you think? How about making us three your women too?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s head shook like a rattle, and he said, "No good, no good!"


    Zheng Yuling narrowed her eyes and said, "Why? Are we not pretty enough? Although we also admit that we¡¯re not as beautiful as Mengxin, we should not be worse than your wife, right?"


    "Even so, it¡¯s not okay!"


    Su Mengfei blinked and said, "Dear brother-in-law, we¡¯re all virgins, you know. If you agree, that would mean breaking three in a row. Nowadays, men might not even break one in their whole life."


    Li Yifei glared at Su Mengfei and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯ll tell your cousin and see how she deals with you."


    Su Mengfei stuck out her tongue, but her words didn¡¯t scare Xiao Ling¡¯er. She trailed a finger down Li Yifei¡¯s face and said, "Even if you tell Mengxin, she won¡¯t do much. Anyway, we will have to get married sooner or later. Whatever happens between us now, it¡¯s just for fun, and you don¡¯t need to feel burdened. Isn¡¯t that a great thing for you men?"


    "Great thing, my foot, all of you, stop making fun of me." Li Yifei pushed Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s arm off and glared with wide eyes.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, the three were quite surprised. Even if Li Yifei disagreed, he should have shown some hesitation, or struggled internally. But now, he was so resolute, even somewhat annoyed, which was unexpected to them.


    "I¡¯m telling you, I consider you as friends, and I hope you can also consider me as a friend. It really makes me uncomfortable when you keep talking nonsense like this."


    "Got quite a temper, huh?" Xiao Ling¡¯er stuck out her tongue and said, "Okay, okay, we won¡¯t joke anymore. But seeing this side of you, we are really reassured. It shows that you are truly sincere about our Mengxin. We are convinced."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei also showed sweet smiles toward Li Yifei. Su Mengfei said cheerfully, "Dear brother-in-law, after seeing your performance yesterday, all our worries are gone. We know you¡¯re a man who takes responsibility. My sister made the right choice in picking you."


    Li Yifei widened his eyes and said, "Were you three testing me all of last night?"


    Zheng Yuling smiled proudly and said, "Yes, Mengxin is our good sister. When we heard she had found [a man with a wife], we were furious, of course. But since Mengxin was so determined, it wasn¡¯t right for us to interfere directly. So, we had to try to seduce you. If you couldn¡¯t resist such a temptation, then Mengxin wouldn¡¯t be worth it for you."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, half annoyed and half amused, "Do you know you¡¯re playing with fire? If I had gone wild last night, with just the three of you, there was no chance you could have resisted. I would have XXOO¡¯ed you by now."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er sighed and said, "To see your true colors, even if we really got raped by you, we would accept it. It seems our fate in this life is to be raped anyway. No matter who does it, it¡¯s all the same. If it can reveal a man¡¯s true face for Mengxin, then it¡¯s worth it for us."


    Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling both sighed softly, a touch of melancholy on their faces. Marrying a man they didn¡¯t like would be almost like being raped.


    Li Yifei could understand their feelings, both sympathizing with and admiring them. Regardless of everything, their actions were for their friend Su Mengxin, even if it meant a great sacrifice.


    "I thank you on behalf of Mengxin. She really has three good friends." Li Yifei expressed his gratitude sincerely.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er tossed her hair and giggled, "You don¡¯t have to thank us. Actually, being with you is quite fun. Maybe in the future, we really will ask Mengxin to share you with us."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s face suddenly turned red, "Yeah, giving our virginity to you seems quite nice, definitely better than to those jerks. Hey, Li Yifei, I¡¯m not testing you this time. Think about it."


    As soon as Zheng Yuling said this, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Su Mengfei showed expressions of being tempted, all gazing at Li Yifei expectantly.

 Chapter 773 - 811: The True Trio

    Chapter 773: Chapter 811: The True TrioLi Yifei smiled as he met the gaze of the three people and said, "I can understand your confusion about the future, so why not find a man you truly like before getting married and then fight for it? Maybe you can actually end up together? Even if you can¡¯t really be together, at least you would have loved passionately, and there would be no regrets in this lifetime."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed bitterly and said, "Do you think we haven¡¯t thought of that?"


    Zheng Yuling also shook her head and said, "It¡¯s not that we lack the courage of Mengxin, but we lack her capacity. Mengxin has the strong ability to back her up no matter what she does. Even if she makes a mistake, nobody can do anything to her, but we can¡¯t do that. Although we are also from prominent families, our parents are not valued, and we ourselves have no capabilities. We are destined to be pawns for marriage alliances. If we resist, we can take the risk, but our parents would lose even the little status they have within the family and be further marginalized. Our actions don¡¯t just affect us, they involve many other people."


    Su Mengfei sighed and said, "It¡¯s only because my cousin has always taken good care of me that I have been able to live so carefree until now. Otherwise, I would have been married off long ago. Even with my cousin helping me, my parents are already getting anxious for me to marry off."


    Although Li Yifei also knew a little about the affairs of these great clans, he was ignorant of such complicated relationships. It turned out that Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others didn¡¯t wish to resist; it was that due to various relationships, they simply couldn¡¯t. Normally, they appeared carefree, but in reality, their carefreeness was because they had no future; it was a form of escapism. Seeing them from this angle, the three seemed quite pitiful.


    Suddenly, Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed a few times, but then tears flowed from her eyes, and she began to cry on the table.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Xiao Ling¡¯er to react so strongly at that moment and was about to comfort her when Zheng Yuling sighed and said, "Let her cry. Of the three of us, it¡¯s only Ling¡¯er who had a boyfriend. But before she even got to know the guy well, he was warned by her family and he quickly ran away."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched as he said, "That guy is really irresponsible. Such a man isn¡¯t worth being sad over."


    Su Mengfei gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Not everyone has the courage to confront families like ours. Let alone the large families of Capital City, even ordinary rich people can easily scare away a man who isn¡¯t firm in his stance."


    Zheng Yuling spoke mournfully, "With Ling¡¯er as a cautionary tale, we just don¡¯t want to have boyfriends anymore. It¡¯s not about seeking happiness but courting torture. If the man were to bear this with us and resist with us, it would be ¡¯the weak can¡¯t overpower the strong,¡¯ and the man would easily get hurt. To love only to have someone hurt is painful for us too."


    Su Mengfei continued, "If the man doesn¡¯t stand with us and runs away at the first sign of trouble, that¡¯s not just painful but also infuriating. Like Ling¡¯er, whenever she thinks about it, she gets so sad, and they weren¡¯t even that deeply involved. If it had been a deeper love, wouldn¡¯t it be even more tragic? So, no matter what, we don¡¯t get any benefit. We might as well just enjoy every day as it comes, live for the moment."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Alas, you are indeed pitiable. In this aspect, some ordinary people live much better than you do."


    Zheng Yuling nodded slightly and said, "Isn¡¯t that the truth? Being born into such a family is truly sad. Ordinary people only see our shiny exteriors but have no idea about our suffering."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er had by then lifted her head, wiped away her tears, and said, "Alright, crying a bit did make me feel better. Hmph, don¡¯t think I cried over that man. I¡¯m just sad that I can¡¯t decide my own fate."


    Li Yifei gently patted Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s shoulder and said, "I understand. Come on, let¡¯s eat and not think about unhappy things anymore."


    "Yes, one happy day is a day won. Come on, cheers! Eh, where¡¯s the alcohol?" Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "We¡¯re just having breakfast; where would we get alcohol? Eat properly. Later you can still get some sleep, and everything will pass."


    "No, no, I want to drink. I want to drink till I¡¯m content," Xiao Ling¡¯er jumped up, rushed into the kitchen, and soon brought back a case of beer.


    Li Yifei was taken aback at the sight. These three girls were testing him last night, but if they really started drinking, and if they drank too much, who knows what could happen? He hurriedly said, "Stop drinking. If you don¡¯t want to sleep later, we can go out and have fun together."


    "Go out? Will you really take us out to have fun?" Xiao Ling¡¯er looked at Li Yifei skeptically.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, let¡¯s go out and have a good time. That¡¯s more fun than drinking."


    "Alright, no drinking then. Let¡¯s go have fun," Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately put down the beer.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was for them to drink because alcohol could make them behave improperly, especially these three girls. So no matter what, he couldn¡¯t dare to drink with them.


    After breakfast, Li Yifei drove them to Mile City¡¯s largest amusement park.


    If you talk about venting, places like this are pretty great. Playing on rides like the pirate ship, roller coasters, and other thrilling amusement park attractions, screaming your head off is an easy way to let out any displeasure in your heart.


    Today is not a weekend, and it¡¯s already December. It rained last night, so the temperature dropped a lot today. There are hardly any people in the amusement park, so they didn¡¯t have to queue for anything they wanted to play. Even most of the time, it was just the four of them playing together. Although the atmosphere might be lacking, they didn¡¯t have to suffer the pain of waiting in lines, so naturally, they enjoyed themselves much more. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They had already tried the majority of the rides, but it seemed like these three women still weren¡¯t completely satisfied with the fun. The main reason was that they had played these attractions so many times that they no longer felt particularly scared. Naturally, this meant fewer screams and less opportunity to vent.


    "Bungee jumping, bungee jumping, we should try bungee jumping!" Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly shouted.


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei quickly grabbed Xiao Ling¡¯er, asking anxiously, "Have you lost your mind? Do you dare to try that?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said with a giggly smile, "I didn¡¯t dare before, but today is different, right? Today we have Li Yifei with us."


    "What¡¯s the use of having him here? We still wouldn¡¯t dare to play even when so many people are with us," Su Mengfei pouted.


    The three of them had longed to try bungee jumping for a long time and had attempted it several times. But when they actually got up to the high platform, each and every time they ended up backing out, without a single successful jump to their names.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and said, "We didn¡¯t dare to do it before because we were just lacking the courage to make that final leap. Now, we¡¯re not lacking anymore."


    Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling looked puzzled at Xiao Ling¡¯er, who pointed toward the bungee tower, where a pair was engaging in a tandem jump. It was clear that Xiao Ling¡¯er also intended to mimic them and try tandem bungee jumping.


    Li Yifei, however, rubbed his nose and said, "Is this really necessary?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "No, I insist on doing this. If you don¡¯t accompany me, I¡¯ll go drinking later. After I¡¯ve drunk too much, you¡¯ll know what happens..."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Fine, fine, let¡¯s go together then. I can¡¯t deal with you guys."


    Seeing that Li Yifei had agreed, Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling were thrilled and gathered around him to buy the tickets before ascending the platform together.


    "This guy is unbelievable. Going out and letting the woman pay for the tickets¡ªwhat¡¯s more, with three beauties at that. It seems like all the good cabbages have been hogged by the pig," the ticket seller at the bungee jumping attraction, a young man in his twenties, couldn¡¯t help but envy and resent Li Yifei as he watched him arrive with three beautiful women, with one of the beauties footing the bill for the tickets.


    Once they were up on the platform, the cold wind blew, and Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei all involuntarily shivered. Looking down made their hearts flutter with panic even more.


    Although the three women were usually bold and daring, bungee jumping truly challenged the limits of what humans can mentally endure. It sounds easy¡ªjust close your eyes and jump down¡ªbut only those who have really stood on the platform know that overcoming such fear of heights is not something everyone can do. No matter if you¡¯re a man or a woman, if you can¡¯t overcome the fear of heights, you¡¯re just going to go up and come back down the same way, no refunds. So, the operators really don¡¯t care whether you dare to jump or not.


    "Who wants to go first..." Although Xiao Ling¡¯er had been the most eager, she couldn¡¯t help but hesitate now.


    "You..." Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling both pointed at Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mouth twitched, and then she looked at Li Yifei with pitiful eyes, asking, "Is it okay?"


    Li Yifei saw Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s fearful expression and couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. He said, "It should be fine."


    Seeing that Xiao Ling¡¯er was going to be the first one, Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling immediately perked up. Zheng Yuling said with a giggly smile, "With Li Yifei here, what are you afraid of? Don¡¯t forget what he does for a living. Surely he can protect you from such a small thing."


    "Yeah, yeah, just relax. There definitely won¡¯t be any problems."


    In an instant, their nervousness completely vanished, and the swift change in their attitudes was truly rapid.

 Chapter 774 - 812: Natural Reaction

    Chapter 774: Chapter 812: Natural Reaction"If you trust him so much, why don¡¯t you go first?" Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately retorted with a glare.


    Su Mengfei said with a giggle, "You¡¯ve already bungee jumped with him, so we¡¯ll go after you. There has to be an order to things, right? We absolutely won¡¯t steal your thunder."


    While laughing, Su Mengfei pushed Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er together.


    The staff then instructed, "Both of you, hug each other face to face."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er felt a bit embarrassed, but at this point, she couldn¡¯t refuse as Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling held her and Li Yifei in place while the staff fitted them with gear.


    As the gear tightened, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Li Yifei were pressed closer together. Xiao Ling¡¯er hastened to say, "Can you make it a little looser?"


    The staff chuckled, "How could we loosen it? What if you fell out? Besides, doesn¡¯t this help you experience what it¡¯s like to rely on each other for life? It¡¯s actually good for strengthening relationships. Couples who bungee jump together rarely break up afterwards."


    Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei immediately burst out laughing, with Zheng Yuling teasingly saying, "Exactly! For the sake of not breaking up in the future, you two better jump well. Mengfei and I are both rooting for you."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glared, but she couldn¡¯t really explain herself. She hadn¡¯t anticipated that a tandem bungee jump would be like this. Now, they were tied so tightly together, pressed closely from shoulder to thigh. The other parts were manageable, but her chest was squashed out of shape. She was shorter and now suspended, her feet off the ground, with her arms having no choice but to embrace Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei also felt the position was awkwardly intimate, something probably only suitable for couples. But since they had already gone this far, all he could hope for was to get it over with as soon as possible. After the staff finished with the equipment, he stepped towards the platform¡¯s edge with Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    "Wait!" Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly shouted.


    Li Yifei stopped in his tracks, asking, "What is it?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er looked down and then turned to Li Yifei with a pitiful expression, stammering, "We won¡¯t... be stuck and unable to get back up after this jump, will we?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile, saying, "Definitely stuck forever."


    "What?" Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened in alarm.


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "After we jump, they¡¯ll just leave us hanging there."


    Su Mengfei laughed out loud, saying, "Even if you really fall to your death, you¡¯ll have someone with you. How nice is that?"


    "Go away with your ominous words," Xiao Ling¡¯er rolled her eyes at Su Mengfei.


    At that moment, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, let¡¯s jump." Then, without waiting for Xiao Ling¡¯er to respond, he leaped, jumping off the platform, with Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s screams following immediately after.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s body plunged downwards rapidly. It wasn¡¯t just free fall; Li Yifei¡¯s initial velocity added to the intensity. To Xiao Ling¡¯er, who had never bungee jumped before, it was an even bigger challenge.


    But what Xiao Ling¡¯er lacked was merely the courage to leap. When they reached the lowest point and were catapulted back up, her screams were no longer of terror but of exhilarating joy.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah..." Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s voice was loud, deliberately shouting while waving her arms energetically.


    Li Yifei, holding on to the girl, became infected by her enthusiasm and also let out a few yells.


    After bouncing several times, the rope¡¯s elasticity diminished, and they were left dangling, heads down.


    Looking at each other eye-to-eye, Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed excitedly, "That was so thrilling, thank you."


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "No need to be polite. We¡¯re playing together, aren¡¯t we? There¡¯s no need for thanks."


    "Hehe, I didn¡¯t have enough fun with just one jump, I want to go again," she said.


    "Go again?" Li Yifei looked distressed.


    "What? You¡¯re not agreeing? If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll go home and drink," Xiao Ling¡¯er threatened, glaring at him.


    Li Yifei, with a darkened face, acquiesced, "Then let¡¯s do it. Today is all about hanging out with you guys, and you¡¯re the ones paying, anyway."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled, saying, "That¡¯s more like it."


    The two were lowered down, and Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately dragged Li Yifei back up. The staff quickly intercepted them, asking them to purchase tickets. Xiao Ling¡¯er pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket and said, "I¡¯ll leave this with you for now. We¡¯ll settle it later; we¡¯re here to have a blast today." And with that, she led a dumbfounded Li Yifei back to the platform.


    "It¡¯s my turn now, it¡¯s my turn now," Su Mengfei suddenly shouted excitedly, unable to wait any longer after hearing Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s thrilled screams from the platform.


    The staff looked on in amazement as Li Yifei prepared for yet another tandem jump. Puzzled by the situation and the group¡¯s dynamics, they wondered how these three women all wanted to bungee jump with the same man. That guy sure was damn lucky.


    Despite their confusion and envy, they still assisted Li Yifei and Su Mengfei with their safety gear, and then Li Yifei, carrying Su Mengfei, leaped off the platform.


    Like Xiao Ling¡¯er, Su Mengfei was afraid of the initial jump. After a shrill scream, exhilarated shouting ensued.


    Zheng Yuling reacted much the same. When it was her turn, she displayed similar behavior, and like Su Mengfei, was not yet sated with the thrill and quickly prepared for a second round.


    In the second round, Yifei was the first to jump with Ling¡¯er. Excited screams filled the air until they gave way to silence upon stopping.


    But at this moment, Yifei noticed something different about Ling¡¯er. The girl was staring at him with a very special look in her eyes, one that Yifei was all too familiar with, a look he had seen from many women around him. He was shocked and pretended to be oblivious, "That was satisfying, wasn¡¯t it?"


    "Yes!" Ling¡¯er obediently responded, but suddenly she twisted her body and said, "You¡¯re so naughty, you¡¯re poking me."


    Yifei¡¯s face turned instantly red. It would be strange if he had no reaction after embracing a beauty in a bungee jump like this. Embarrassed, he said, "Natural reaction, natural reaction."


    "Hehe, really?"


    "Of course it is!" Yifei replied with certainty.


    "Alright, I¡¯m not blaming you, don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯ve seen it before, and that day I even helped you..."


    Yifei coughed awkwardly, honestly unsure how to follow up on that.


    "Haha, I just want to laugh when I see you like this." Ling¡¯er was giggling again, her cheeks tinged with a coquettish blush.


    All Yifei could do was join in with a few courtesy laughs. Finally, they were lowered to the ground, and the staff unhooked them. The moment they separated, Ling¡¯er glanced at Yifei again, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly, her face growing even redder.


    At this moment, Yifei felt extremely embarrassed; he still had "a tent pitched", and quickly reached into his pants to calm things down.


    "Can I not go up again?" Yifei carefully asked.


    Ling¡¯er laughed softly, "If you think you can skip it, then don¡¯t go up."


    Yifei gave a wry smile, "This is really embarrassing."


    "Embarrassing? Isn¡¯t that a natural reaction? I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t jump with them, I won¡¯t stand for it. I have to make sure they get the same treatment, otherwise what if they laugh at me later?" Then, without further discussion, she pulled Yifei towards the stairs. However, Ling¡¯er didn¡¯t follow him up this time. Though she said she didn¡¯t mind, she no longer had the courage to jump with Yifei again.


    Yifei had no choice but to go up again, and this time he jumped with Zheng Yuling first.


    Yifei tried to control himself from thinking any messy thoughts, but the constant up and down movement inevitably led to friction, and while holding such a beautiful woman, how could he possibly contain himself?


    Yuling certainly felt it and blushed but didn¡¯t blame Yifei. Her reaction was similar to Ling¡¯er¡¯s, teasing him a bit before insisting he go back up again. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Huh, how strange, have they had enough fun already?" Su Mengfei wondered why Ling¡¯er and Yuling hadn¡¯t joined them for more.


    "Yeah, they¡¯ve had enough."


    "I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet," Su Mengfei pouted.


    But once she jumped with Yifei and felt his reaction, she finally understood why the other two hadn¡¯t come up again.


    "Brother-in-law, no wonder they stopped playing. You¡¯re clearly taking advantage of them," Su Mengfei said, feeling both shy and embarrassed as she glared at Yifei in a hushed tone while they hung in the air.


    Embarrassed, Yifei replied, "It¡¯s a natural reaction. I didn¡¯t want to come up again, but they forced me to."


    "Those two bad eggs, hmph, brother-in-law, behave yourself."


    Yifei and Su Mengfei seemed tied up even more tightly, making Mengfei quite uncomfortable. She couldn¡¯t help but twist around while complaining.


    Yifei quickly said, "Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t move."


    "It¡¯s not that I want to move, it¡¯s just really uncomfortable," Su Mengfei said, blushing deeper as she wriggled again.


    At this point, Yifei¡¯s face suddenly changed. Su Mengfei was startled and urgently asked, "Brother-in-law, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Yifei clenched his lips tightly, his body suddenly shuddering, which scared Su Mengfei even more. "Brother-in-law, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, please don¡¯t scare me."


    "Phew..." Yifei let out a long breath but wished he could find a hole to crawl into. After such to and fro, he had abruptly reached a point of no return. Thankfully, everyone was dressed warmly, so Su Mengfei remained unspotted, but the embarrassment was more than enough for him.

 Chapter 775 - 813 How Did It Go Soft

    Chapter 775: Chapter 813 How Did It Go Soft"Hey?" As Li Yifei and Su Mengfei came down, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling immediately surrounded them. They wanted to see Li Yifei and Su Mengfei¡¯s embarrassment, but a glance at Li Yifei revealed no tent, which made them exclaim in surprise.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head back." Then he briskly walked toward the amusement park exit.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling immediately grabbed Su Mengfei, chasing after Li Yifei while interrogating Su Mengfei.


    "Mengfei, what happened? Why isn¡¯t he reacting anymore?"


    "Wha... what reaction?" Su Mengfei feigned ignorance, but her act was hardly convincing.


    "Don¡¯t play dumb; he was hard all along. Why did he go soft with you?" Xiao Ling¡¯er said bluntly, knowing there was no way the three could keep this a secret.


    Su Mengfei laughed it off and said, "What¡¯s hard, what¡¯s soft?"


    Zheng Yuling pinched Su Mengfei and teased, "Stop pretending, we all know that when he was dancing with us, he was hard."


    Su Mengfei chuckled and said, "It¡¯s simple. He has feelings for you; I¡¯m Mengxin¡¯s cousin, so he wouldn¡¯t dare think of me that way, hence no reaction."


    "Impossible!" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling widened their eyes.


    "Well, you saw it yourselves. How would I know?" Su Mengfei grinned smugly, her face flushing slightly.


    Though Su Mengfei was younger than Su Mengxin by just over a year and had never been in a relationship, she wasn¡¯t as naive as Ning Xin¡¯er. The change in Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor told her what had happened.


    This was truly embarrassing for Su Mengfei. Li Yifei had reached a climax just by holding her. If Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling found out, they¡¯d laugh her to death. So up there, she strictly warned Li Yifei never to let them know.


    Li Yifei, too, couldn¡¯t possibly admit such a thing, so he wholeheartedly agreed.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling pressed Su Mengfei the entire way, determined to learn the truth. But this time, Su Mengfei refused to tell them anything, leaving them frustrated and annoyed.


    Though Li Yifei walked ahead, he could hear what they were saying. Of course, he couldn¡¯t turn back or say anything, so playing dumb was the wisest choice.


    But unfortunately, their peace was short-lived. Once they got in the car, Xiao Ling¡¯er, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Li Yifei¡¯s pants, instantly understanding the situation when she noticed a small wet spot. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aha... I know now." Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed excitedly, then burst into laughter.


    Zheng Yuling asked anxiously, "What do you know?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed a few more times before saying, "He... he... actually reached a climax holding Mengfei."


    Zheng Yuling paused, then joined in the laughter, while Li Yifei and Su Mengfei wished they could find a hole to crawl into.


    "Hey!" After finally stopping her laughter, Xiao Ling¡¯er patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and joked with a grin, "How did it feel reaching a climax with your sister-in-law?"


    Li Yifei could only rely on thick skin, rolling his eyes at Xiao Ling¡¯er, "Miss, making it to the end proves my strength. Anyone else would¡¯ve succumbed while holding you."


    "You rascal," Xiao Ling¡¯er spat at Li Yifei, her cheeks flushing red.


    Su Mengfei needed to stand with Li Yifei, so she quickly said, "Exactly, exactly, it¡¯s just because brother-in-law is strong; no need to laugh at me. If you hadn¡¯t provoked, it wouldn¡¯t have ended that way."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er wore a mischievous smile, "No, no, he may react a bit to us, but thinking you¡¯re Mengxin¡¯s cousin turned his thoughts wicked, naturally making him more impulsive, and then... hehe, Mengfei, how did it feel? Did you enjoy it?"


    Zheng Yuling pulled at Su Mengfei¡¯s clothes, teasing, "Let me see, any on you? Hehe, if you¡¯re accidentally pregnant, that would be disastrous."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed so much she was nearly out of breath, "That¡¯s right, Old Master Su knowing would be hilarious."


    Zheng Yuling added, "Exactly, the old man would be livid, dragging Yifei out, cursing, ¡¯You scoundrel¡ªplaying with our Mengxin was one thing, but you dared with Mengfei too? Throw him to the sharks!¡¯"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er straightened up, mimicking sternly, "No, no, the old man would say ¡¯Scoundrel, your aim is crazy accurate¡ªmaking my granddaughter pregnant through pants! If we let you loose, who knows how many girls in Huaxia would bear your child?¡¯"


    After their words, the two laughed heartily, while Li Yifei and Su Mengfei could only roll their eyes. Su Mengfei had to hold some resentment inside, glaring fiercely at Li Yifei and pouting, "It¡¯s all your fault for letting them laugh at me."


    Li Yifei could only smile wryly, but this situation was indeed humiliating. In such matters, the man was always wrong, with no way to defend himself, so he floored the gas, and the car shot forward.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others were startled as the car moved abruptly, and after calming down, Xiao Ling¡¯er slapped Li Yifei, "You meanie, did you scare us on purpose?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Weren¡¯t you asking for thrills? I¡¯m just giving you some thrill."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up, "How about we play a speed game?"


    Li Yifei was speechless; he simply mentioned it, yet they found it exciting, "Better not. My driving skills aren¡¯t great, racing isn¡¯t doable."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted, "Don¡¯t pull that; we¡¯re aware of your prowess. Driving is easy for you; come on, let us have fun."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "No way. Even if I can drive fast and keep you safe, it¡¯d be risky for others. If I suddenly overtake a car, the driver might panic and make a wrong turn, causing accidents¡ªthat¡¯d be on me. We can¡¯t have fun ignoring others¡¯ safety."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted, reluctantly agreeing, while Zheng Yuling added from behind, "Yifei is right; it¡¯s too dangerous, let¡¯s not do it."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er rolled her eyes, "Like I¡¯m the villain here; fine, no fun then."


    Despite their wild streaks, the three girls weren¡¯t reckless. If they were truly self-absorbed, Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t be such close friends with them.


    "By the way, are you about done having fun? I¡¯ll take you to the airport now, get you tickets, and send you back. Mile City isn¡¯t safe; you¡¯re really in danger here."


    "You want to send us away?" Xiao Ling¡¯er eyed him.


    Li Yifei explained, "I¡¯m not kicking you out. You saw how dangerous things were yesterday. Those people aren¡¯t after you¡ªthey¡¯re after me. I¡¯ve made many enemies, and they¡¯re all after me."


    "How did you get so many enemies?" Su Mengfei leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s seat, puzzled.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er was skeptical, "Are you some mob boss?"


    Zheng Yuling chimed in, "Exactly, you¡¯re just a special forces member. Everything you did was orders. If you killed anyone, it was for the state, not personal vendetta, right?"


    Li Yifei sighed, "True, but somehow, my whereabouts got leaked in Mile City, along with my past and even the people I¡¯ve killed. Organizations can¡¯t counter Huaxia directly, but killing me is a statement, a warning to us."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glared, "These people are awful. You¡¯re doing national duty, and they target you personally. That¡¯s cowardly. I despise them."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Despising won¡¯t help. We must beat them till they submit. But with you here, I¡¯m restricted."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er turned, exchanging glances with Zheng Yuling and Su Mengfei, then smirked, "Since you said they¡¯re after you, not us, we won¡¯t be targets. Whether we stay doesn¡¯t matter to you. So, we decided to stay, watch you shine, and turn those jerks into pigs."


    Li Yifei frowned; having the three women around would certainly affect him.

 Chapter 776 - 814 Playing Together

    Chapter 776: Chapter 814 Playing TogetherZheng Yuling said at this moment, "We know that being with you will bring danger to us, and will also hold you back, so we¡¯ve decided that for the next few days we won¡¯t cling to you, allowing you to take care of things freely."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei felt somewhat reassured, but still a bit worried he asked, "Is that really the case?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately replied, "Of course it¡¯s true, we¡¯re not that foolish. Just like those gunmen yesterday, each one was so terrifying, we really don¡¯t want to encounter that again. Plus, you have to look after us, which would be really taxing for you. If something actually happened, we wouldn¡¯t know how to explain to Mengxin."


    At this point, Su Mengfei also adopted a very obedient look and said, "Brother-in-law, rest assured, we absolutely won¡¯t hold you back. We just want to witness you single-handedly battling the world¡¯s major organizations¡ªwhat a glorious sight that would be."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er continued, "Exactly, later on we can tell Old Master Su how brave and impressive you are, such a hero, solving so many problems for the country. Not to mention bringing his granddaughter Su Mengxin to be your junior wife, even adding another Mengfei would be acceptable."


    Su Mengfei immediately spat and scolded, "Doesn¡¯t that mean you should add Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling as well? Only then would it match up to brother-in-law¡¯s merits, right?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and said, "I think that¡¯s a great idea; after all, we are good sisters, aren¡¯t we? This way, not only can we hang out every day like before, but we¡¯d also share one more thing, playing with the husband, giggle..." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three burst into laughter at this point, while Li Yifei was left speechless, the three girls had been talking sense before but then slid down a less than savory path¡ªtruly, he was at a loss with these three.


    He drove the three home and they still didn¡¯t let Li Yifei off the hook, making him cook them lunch. After enjoying a hearty meal, they finally released him.


    At last, Li Yifei was able to escape the clutches of these three girls. But before leaving, he still took the time to seriously instruct them a few things, cautioning them not to run around recklessly and to notify him in advance if they planned to go somewhere so he could make arrangements.


    Even though Li Yifei found them annoying at times, they were Mengxin¡¯s good friends, and Mengfei was even Mengxin¡¯s cousin. Now that they were here, it was Li Yifei¡¯s responsibility to ensure their safety, otherwise, he would really have no way to explain to Mengxin.


    It was just after two o¡¯clock when Li Yifei headed straight to the company. Checking in with his wife first thing was very necessary, it also showed his sincerity.


    However, as soon as he entered the company, Li Yifei could feel his colleagues looking at him with a strange gaze, men with envy and most women with disdain.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to guess to know that this was the aftermath of Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others¡¯ visit. But he didn¡¯t care how his colleagues saw him; what was most important was his wife Xu Yingying¡¯s opinion. If she was upset, that would really be trouble.


    He went straight to the general manager¡¯s office. Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were inside discussing work. Upon Li Yifei¡¯s entrance, He Fangqing said with a smile, "Should I leave now?"


    Xu Yingying immediately protested, "Sister Fangqing, you¡¯re too much. Why would we need to avoid you with what we¡¯re talking about?"


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and said, "I just don¡¯t want to be around if you¡¯re scolding your husband, it might make someone lose face."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "I have a thick skin. Being scolded by my wife is a kind of happiness, the trouble is if she doesn¡¯t scold¡ªthat¡¯s the real problem."


    All three of them sat on the sofa, with Li Yifei sitting on one side and Xu Yingying and He Fangqing sitting on the central sofa.


    "Have they all left?" Xu Yingying asked.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "They haven¡¯t left, but for the past two days, they¡¯ve been going out on their own, not looking for me anymore."


    Xu Yingying immediately frowned and said, "Is that safe?"


    "It should be fine. After what happened yesterday, their side has already stepped up security, and the police have stepped in, so there is no longer a chance for those people to take action."


    "I¡¯m still a bit worried. If something were to happen to them here, I wouldn¡¯t know how to explain to Mengxin."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. They have quite a few bodyguards with them. It¡¯s just that things were sudden at that time, and the bodyguards lowered their guard. Think about how often they go out, if it were that easy for something to go wrong, it would have happened by now."


    "That¡¯s good, I was thinking if I should also go and see them. After all, Mengxin¡¯s cousin is here too. It wouldn¡¯t be right not to entertain them after they came to Mile City."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "No need. You¡¯re not really on the same wavelength as those three girls. They¡¯re too much of a handful. Did you see how they came here and caused havoc in the company? It got to the point where everyone in the company looked at me as if they were looking at a villain."


    He Fangqing winked at Li Yifei and asked, "I heard they came to the company to find Yingying, and then you sent them away. Why were they looking for Yingying?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "This company belongs to Mengxin, so for them, finding Yingying would mean Yingying would have to do as they say. They wanted to go out and have fun, so they wanted Yingying to help arrange it. Fortunately, I saw them and even knew them, so they clung to me instead, and naturally, they stopped looking for Yingying. I was actually saving Yingying from disaster. If they had managed to get Yingying to entertain them, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten anything done these past two days."


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and said, "I thought these three beauties were involved with you just like Ning Xin¡¯er."


    Li Yifei hurriedly shook his head and said, "No, absolutely not. Ning Xin¡¯er alone is enough to handle the folly of my youth; I dare not get involved with so many misses, that would be a death wish. Wife, rest assured, I really have nothing to do with them."


    Li Yifei was very clear that these questions were He Fangqing asking on behalf of Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying was just too embarrassed to ask and was worried that asking directly could hurt the feelings between husband and wife. However, by asking in a joking manner like He Fangqing did, there was no problem at all.


    "Wife, I have some matters to attend to over the next couple of days." After chatting for a while, Li Yifei hesitated before he spoke.


    "What are you going to do?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with curiosity.


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "It¡¯s some military business I need to take care of, and it will probably take about a week."


    Recent events had been too unsettled, with Li Yifei¡¯s enemies coming to his doorstep one by one. If Li Yifei were to stay at home, it could easily involve his family in danger. If anyone were to get hurt because of this, Li Yifei would regret it for the rest of his life. Now, he needed to go out and have a real fight with these organizations, to scare them off, to submit them, so they wouldn¡¯t come back again.

 Chapter 777 - 815 Challenging the World

    Chapter 777: Chapter 815 Challenging the WorldXu Yingying did not ask anything special, just when Li Yifei would be able to come back, and whether he would not be able to call her this time.


    Li Yifei felt very touched in his heart. Even though Xu Yingying had set so many rules for him, they were only concerning his interactions with other women. In other respects, she still gave him plenty of space. Considering his past serious offenses, Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude showed she was an incredibly good wife.


    "Yingying, these past few days, the work I¡¯ve been doing is indeed confidential, so it¡¯s not very convenient for us to call each other. But as long as I¡¯m not in any trouble, I will definitely call you," he said.


    Xu Yingying spoke softly, "Don¡¯t worry about home. Just focus on your work. I know the things you do are important. Just ensure your safety and come back home safe and sound. That¡¯s enough for me."


    Li Yifei nodded firmly, "Yingying, rest assured, home is always in my heart. No matter what happens, I will return to this home."


    After asking Xu Yingying for leave, Li Yifei left the company.


    That very day, all the terrorist organizations and some large mercenary groups¡ªin short, some of the dark forces of the world¡ªreceived a letter through their own channels.


    "I, Li Yifei, have retired from the Flying Hawk Squad. I now wish to live the life of a normal person. Regardless of which forces bear grudges against me from the past, I give you one week to seek revenge. If you do not kill me within this week, you must not interfere with my life again in the future. Otherwise... I swear by the name of Golden Eagle, no matter what organization you are or how powerful, I will obliterate you completely."


    This was a letter of challenge and it came with an address¡ªan island on the high seas.


    The various organizations were utterly shocked upon receiving this challenge. The Flying Hawk Squad was world-renowned, easily ranking in the top three special forces teams globally, and a large part of its fame was indeed due to having Li Yifei, the Golden Eagle, who had created countless legends among special forces, never failing a mission. Aside from a gunshot wound he suffered once to protect Su Mengxin, he had never been injured again. In one-on-one combat, he was unmatched, apart from the Seal Strike Team¡¯s Captain Mig in North America and Europe¡¯s Green Hand Party¡¯s foremost expert, Crazy Satan¡ªno one could contend with Li Yifei.


    Even so, whether Mig or Satan could win against Li Yifei was not certain since the three had never clashed. However, in this world, Li Yifei was considered on par with these two.


    The Golden Eagle¡¯s issuing of such a challenge, directly provoking the entire dark forces, was incredibly arrogant. But it was clear to see that the Golden Eagle was genuinely enraged and wished to settle all past scores in this manner.


    Many of the dark forces of the world had clashed with Li Yifei, and there were no small number who bore deep hatred toward him. There had already been several attempts on his life recently, which spoke volumes. But with Li Yifei¡¯s statement, they had to weigh their options carefully.


    Although Li Yifei had killed many before, he had been part of a military unit, representing a country. There were many things he couldn¡¯t do. Now that he had left the military, he acted as an individual. Provoking Li Yifei to retaliate could lead to dire consequences. Everyone was aware of Golden Eagle¡¯s strength, as he had the capability of sneaking into a heavily guarded organization and kidnapping a leader. Without any reservations, most organizations would not be able to withstand his wrath.


    In the headquarters of the Holy War Organization in North America, a blonde beauty stood in front of a floor-length window. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her face, casting a halo of sanctity on her already gorgeous features.


    This beauty was not only beautiful but also exuded an ethereal, angelic quality that made her untouchable, deterring any blasphemous thoughts. She was the Holy Maiden of the Holy War Organization, with countless followers. The Holy War Organization was not strictly a terrorist group but was more complex than a mere religious body. Its followers included not only ordinary people but also influential government and military personnel. The Holy War Organization¡¯s influence in North America was powerful enough to rival the government. If they wanted to act, even the government had to negotiate with them¡ªsuch was their power¡ªand this Holy Maiden was their supreme leader.


    "Holy goddess, Golden Eagle is now challenging the entire world. It¡¯s not a wise move," a middle-aged woman standing behind the Holy Maiden said, frowning.


    "He¡¯s not unwise; he¡¯s too clever. He understands that if he continually allows his enemies to target him from the shadows, he will always be at a disadvantage. But now, he has the upper hand. Some organizations will have to consider whether openly opposing him is worth it. If they can¡¯t kill him, will they be able to endure his ruthless retaliation?" the Holy Maiden said.


    Her voice was as if divine music descended from the heavens¡ªsoothing, and irresistible to the ear. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman behind her continued, "Even if he is strong, there are countless forces in the underground world, with so many powerful individuals. Even if most are inferior to him, there are a number who are almost his equal. If a few of them were to go against him, his death would be certain, and there would be no talk of revenge."


    The Saintess looked as the sun¡¯s last halo dispersed before speaking, "Although he has issued a challenge to the entire world in his own name, don¡¯t forget, Golden Eagle is not alone. The Flying Hawk Squad may not be able to appear this time, but there are still people who can step up, especially those organizations standing on the side of justice, like us. The Holy War Organization has always been in struggle against dark forces; since Golden Eagle has directly challenged the dark forces, we have no reason not to help him."


    "But... Holy Goddess, the news about Golden Eagle in Mile City was released by us. Isn¡¯t it because you wanted to..."


    "That is my personal vendetta with him. He is my inner demon. For the sake of our Holy War, I must kill him. But now is not the time for that. I still need to help him. This is the faith of our Holy War Organization. I cannot, because of my personal demon, betray the faith of our Holy War."


    "Holy Goddess, there is something that I¡¯ve been unable to understand. Golden Eagle hasn¡¯t been in contact with you for long, so why has he become your inner demon?"


    "Every generation¡¯s Saintess will encounter an inner demon, and it is up to the Saintess herself to choose one. If one wants it to be easy, she would just pick an ordinary person and it would be easily overcome. But for our Holy War, I specifically chose someone as strong as Golden Eagle. By overcoming my inner demon thereafter, I would become stronger, making our Holy War Organization stronger and more capable of blessing the people of the world, so that we may eternally enjoy the grace of the Goddess."


    "I understand now. I hope for the Holy Goddess¡¯s success at the earliest."


    The Saintess continued to gaze outside the window, saying, "Alright, make the arrangements. We set off the day after tomorrow."


    "Yes!" The woman agreed with one word, but then asked with a puzzled expression, "Holy Goddess, you mean... you¡¯re going personally?"


    "Yes, I am going."


    "Understood!" The woman frowned slightly but still turned and left.


    The room slowly fell into darkness, but the Saintess remained unmoved in front of the window, like a stunningly beautiful statue.


    "Golden Eagle, for the Holy War, for the Goddess, you can only be my sacrifice."


    In the Americas, at the Seal Strike Team¡¯s base, Mig wore a strange smile on his face. Tall, over one meter ninety, and powerfully built like a typical Caucasian, his physique was even more robust than that of a black man. Now nearly forty years old, he no longer managed practical matters within the Seal Strike Team; he was there more as a symbol, a faith for the Seal Strike Team.


    "Golden Eagle, you¡¯re really interesting. I¡¯ve been itching for action recently, and you¡¯ve found such a fun event. If I don¡¯t join in on the excitement, that would just be letting you down."


    Meanwhile, at the Green Hand Party Headquarters in Europe, Crazy Satan let out a loud laugh to the sky. His dark skin seemed to swell momentarily, and even the air around him seemed to be pushed outward. Even an ordinary person would feel the immense fighting spirit radiating from this man at that moment.


    "Golden Eagle! You¡¯re gutsy. Not even I have challenged the entire world¡¯s dark forces. I respect you for that. If I don¡¯t participate, wouldn¡¯t that take much of the fun out of your challenge? Haha... Golden Eagle, let¡¯s see if you really have what it takes, if you¡¯re truly worth my intervention!"


    Back at the Su Family in Huaxia, Old Master Su burst into laughter upon hearing the news, "You little rascal, you¡¯re definitely doomed this time, saving me a lot of worry." He turned his head, somewhat surprised, and said, "You don¡¯t seem worried at all."


    Mengxin stood beside her grandfather with a slight smile, "Grandpa, why should I worry? Firstly, I believe the man I¡¯ve chosen is strong enough. Secondly, my man has dared to challenge the entire world, which makes me proud of him. As for the third reason... he is the Golden Eagle of our Huaxia¡¯s Flying Hawk Squad."


    Old Master Su¡¯s smile froze, his brows furrowing as he huffed, "That damned kid, once he returns from this ordeal, I¡¯ll skin him alive."

 Chapter 778 - 816: The Deterrence of the Golden Eagle

    Chapter 778: Chapter 816: The Deterrence of the Golden EagleFog Island!


    This small island is shrouded in fog all year round, extremely desolate. Apart from some shrubs, it doesn¡¯t have any large trees, and the island itself is also very small, with an area of less than two square kilometers. Besides a few oddly shaped stone pillars, the entire island seems flat; you can see from one side to the other, making an ambush here absolutely impossible.


    This is the island where Li Yifei agreed to the duel. At this moment, Li Yifei is in the center of the island, with a pile of fire in front of him and two fish roasting on it. The fish are almost done, he¡¯s carefully applying seasoning to them. The seasoning and fish, grilled by the fire, are aromatic and filling the air with fragrance.


    On the eastern side of Fog Island, there are more than a dozen people sitting together at this time, each with a stern look, always keeping an eye on Li Yifei¡¯s surroundings. From them, one can sense a dense killing intent; everyone here has blood on their hands. Ordinary people might not recognize their names, but in the dark circles of international forces, they are well known.


    A not-so-tall Japanese is eyeing Li Yifei and says to a black man, "Tuotai, Golden Eagle is all by himself, and you let him kill your boss. Don¡¯t you want to settle the scores now?"


    Although the black man appeared rough on the outside, he was quite shrewd. He snorted coldly and said, "Koben, why don¡¯t you make a move? Your Yamaguchi Group has plenty of experts, and those you brought here are also top-notch. Golden Eagle is no match for your Yamaguchi Group. This kind of opportunity should be left to you guys."


    Koben chuckled and said, "I think more and more top fighters will come. It basically has nothing to do with our Yamaguchi Group. We are just here to witness an event and to see who will be the demise of Golden Eagle."


    These people had been there for more than half a day. When they arrived, Li Yifei was already on the island and moreover, alone. This was puzzling to everyone. They thought that since Li Yifei had issued a challenge, he definitely wouldn¡¯t come alone. But now, with no help appearing, it meant there were ambushes around, so they didn¡¯t dare to act at the moment. They were all thinking of letting someone else probe Li Yifei first.


    Even if Golden Eagle was alone, his formidable strength made everyone wary. In this clear dawn, it was not possible to launch a sneak attack. To kill Li Yifei, one would need to use real skills in a fair fight. The cost of trying to slay Golden Eagle would not be small, and if someone could drain Li Yifei¡¯s energy first, or injure him, then they could take advantage of the situation.


    Unfortunately, as more and more people arrived, everyone had the same thought in mind, each trying to nudge the others, wanting someone else to make the first move. Yet no one was willing to act first, so for now, all they could do was watch Li Yifei leisurely roasting his fish.


    "The flavor is really good, isn¡¯t it." A hearty voice came from the side of the island, and within half a minute, the man had already arrived in front of Li Yifei, reaching for one of the roasted fish.


    Li Yifei flicked his wrist, and the roasted fish bounced upward, avoiding the man¡¯s grab. The man¡¯s palm moved upwards, reaching for the fish again, but the fish, as if alive, flew directly toward Li Yifei instead.


    "Damn, you little brat. I¡¯ve come all this way, and you won¡¯t even give me a fish to eat?" The man shouted in frustration after failing to grab the fish several times.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and passed one of the fish to the man, then picked up the other and started eating.


    The man sat across from Li Yifei, a thirty-five or thirty-six-year-old with a square face, bushy brows, and large eyes, looking very imposing. The moment he opened his mouth, he bit off a chunk of fish, chewed a few times, and swallowed it, bones and all. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ninth Brother, aren¡¯t you afraid of choking on a fishbone?" Li Yifei was lazily picking at the fish meat, his face beaming with a radiant smile.


    The man glared and retorted, "Afraid of a little fishbone? It¡¯s you, you big thorn, who¡¯s been bothering me. I was enjoying my life, and you made me haul all the way here to help you." He then took another bite of fish.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "How come you¡¯re the only one here? I thought a few more would show up."


    The man was none other than Shen Tianfang, the previous Head Eagle of the Flying Hawk Squad. He shot a fierce glance at Li Yifei and said with boundless vigor, "Do we need that many people? If the two of us can¡¯t handle it, then our Flying Hawk Squad really should be disbanded."


    Li Yifei also laughed, then shook his head and said, "I wanted to live a quiet life, but these people just had to look for trouble with me, not letting me live in peace. Since some don¡¯t want to let me go, I¡¯ll fight it out with them. After all, I have nothing to lose now, no need to consider any mission, nor to worry about affecting the country. It¡¯s more satisfying to act freely."


    Shen Tianfang slapped Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said loudly, "Right, that¡¯s the spirit! I haven¡¯t had a good fight with anyone in years. This time, I¡¯m going to have a real good time taking some people down."


    The two of them spoke without any scruples, utterly disregarding the experts who had come from around the island, treating them as if they were air.


    "Who is that person?" Tuotai frowned as he stared at Shen Tianfang, feeling that Shen was definitely an expert, yet he couldn¡¯t recognize who he was.


    Xiao Ben looked closely at Shen Tianfang, and suddenly his expression changed. He said, "He should be the Head Eagle from the previous Flying Hawk Squad, known by the nickname ¡¯Mad Hawk¡¯."


    "Mad Hawk!" Everyone gasped in surprise.


    Golden Eagle Li Yifei, when he was in charge of the Flying Hawk Squad, was feared not just for his strong combat capabilities but for his calmness. No matter the situation, Golden Eagle could always remain incredibly rational with a clear mind. That¡¯s why, under Li Yifei¡¯s leadership as Head Eagle, the Flying Hawk Squad made rare mistakes and saw the least number of casualties.


    The guy known as ¡¯Mad Hawk,¡¯ on the other hand, was famous for his insanity, not in the sense that he went crazy and lost his rationality during missions, but because in combat, he feared no injuries. The more he got hurt, the more it would stimulate his combat power. Moreover, this guy¡¯s strength was extremely formidable. In his era, the name ¡¯Mad Hawk¡¯ could definitely rank in the top ten in the world. With Mad Hawk now assisting Li Yifei, dealing with them just became even more difficult.


    In other places, Golden Eagle¡¯s cold intellect and strong capabilities were certainly the hardest to contend with, but in such an open area where one could only rely on true skill, Mad Hawk was even more fearsome.


    When Li Yifei was alone here, no one already wanted to make the first move. Now that Mad Hawk was here too, it made everyone even more hesitant, and they all seemed even more subdued.


    Today was the third day, and no one dared to approach due to the deterrence of Li Yifei and Mad Hawk Shen Tianfang. Unexpectedly, Li Yifei even brought out a case of white spirit from under a pillar and started drinking with Shen Tianfang.


    The two of them drank merrily, continuing until the sun set, and then both of them simply fell asleep.


    This caused everyone to widen their eyes in disbelief. Golden Eagle and Mad Hawk were way too confident, weren¡¯t they? Didn¡¯t they realize that sleeping here was like putting their lives in the hands of others?


    But nobody acted immediately. They just watched Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang, and after more than an hour, listening to their snores, finally, two people couldn¡¯t resist anymore. For martial artists of their caliber, this was an outright insult. If they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to act now, it would become a lifelong inner demon. Not only would their skills never improve, but they might also regress dramatically.


    The two were assassination experts, and in this darkness, conditions favored them. They were like ghosts drifting through the air, inching closer and closer to Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang.


    Everyone stared intently at the two men. Although only faint starlight lit the sky and the island was extremely dark, they all had excellent vision and had been staring in the dark for so long that their eyes had already adjusted, allowing them to vaguely see the two men¡¯s movements.


    Finally... the two were only a few meters away from Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang, moving with even greater caution, inching forward only after a long while. All the while, Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang seemed to be sound asleep, seemingly completely unaware of the two approaching them.


    The two inched forward a bit more, now only two meters away from Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang. At this distance, it was the optimum range for attack, which made everyone¡¯s hearts rise to their throats. Despite being experts themselves, the renown of Golden Eagle and Mad Hawk was still nerve-wracking.


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s hearts were racing faster than usual, and they even halted their breathing, just waiting for that instant when the two would strike.


    The moment came when the two suddenly burst into motion, their silhouettes surging forward as their daggers, like bolts of lightning, aimed simultaneously at Li Yifei¡¯s vitals. Their target was Golden Eagle because once they killed Golden Eagle, the mission would be complete, and with one down, everyone else¡¯s courage would swell. Even if Mad Hawk was still strong, he would be less daunting.


    The crowd held their breath even tighter, their eyes wide open, fearing they would miss the most thrilling moment if they blinked.


    "Agh!" A cry of pain erupted, no, it should be two cries of pain, almost simultaneous, making it sound initially like it came from one person.


    Following the cries, two shadows were flung into the air, did several somersaults, and then crashed heavily to the ground, after which there was silence. Meanwhile, the snoring of Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang continued as usual. It was clear that the two attackers had been killed by Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang.

 Chapter 779 - 817: Heart Devil

    Chapter 779: Chapter 817: Heart DevilEveryone¡¯s complexion changed drastically in an instant; they were not weaklings. From the way those two people moved stealthily, it was clear that they were experts. In such a situation, ordinary people simply had no way to guard against their surprise attacks.


    But not only did they fail, they failed miserably. Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle did not get up from the ground, yet their lives were claimed. What¡¯s more, none of the people saw how Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle made their move¡ªit was as if their deaths were so inexplicably sudden.


    Although they had known before how powerful Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle were, basically none of those present had ever directly confronted Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle. The reason was simple: those who had fought with them either lost their lives, or the other party did not use their true strength and simply aimed to complete the mission and escape as soon as they could. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "These two are definitely feigning sleep! They¡¯re luring us to approach, truly cunning."


    "Then let¡¯s just outlast them. I want to see if they can continue to pretend to sleep like this."


    "Right, we¡¯ll just keep harassing them, preventing them from getting any rest. Today they can¡¯t rest, and tomorrow they won¡¯t be able to either. I don¡¯t believe they can maintain such strong combat power this way."


    This suggestion immediately won unanimous approval. There were so many people on their side; everyone could take turns to rest. But Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle were only two people. If they were to keep up vigilance in such a manner, it would only become an increasing advantage for the group and more and more detrimental to Li Yifei and his partner.


    Harassment seemed to be the main strategy as it seemed not too dangerous. There was no need to get too close to Li Yifei and his partner to disturb them effectively.


    The group quickly arranged for shifts. Although they belonged to various dark forces, with more friction than cooperation and often clashing, at this moment, they could actually coordinate with one another. This showed just how much of a deterrent presence Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle were to them.


    Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang appeared to be sleeping carelessly, but their positions were shielded behind two large boulders. That meant unless someone got close, guns were useless. Although they were strong, they had to be wary of sniper shots, for human flesh was never stronger than bullets.


    So at the moment, the best weapon was not a gun but hand-to-hand combat. Harassment was relatively simple; just walking around near Li Yifei and his partner should be enough to keep them from resting easy.


    Their plan might have been solid, but they quickly became frustrated. If they kept their distance, Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle did not care and continued to sleep soundly. If they approached closer, within the attack range of Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle, they would face a lightning-fast counterattack. In just over two hours, there had already been two fatalities and four seriously injured.


    This left the rest of them looking at each other in dismay, yet it solidified their decision. Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle were certainly not sleeping soundly but were constantly on guard. So, as long as they kept the harassment up, they believed that even if there were four more days, in just two days Golden Eagle and Mad Eagle would be worn out. Despite some casualties, they persisted with the harassment strategy.


    The strategy seemed correct to them, but for Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang, it did not have any impact whatsoever. The two were simply taking turns to rest, one person for two hours at a time. The one sleeping completely trusted his comrade and slept soundly. Half a night¡¯s rest for such strong individuals was already sufficient, so their spirit would not be affected at all.


    Of course, to achieve this, one had to have enough confidence in one¡¯s comrades. If one had even a little less faith in one¡¯s comrade, under such circumstances, they would not be able to sleep soundly.


    On the fourth day, even more people arrived. Apart from those who held a grudge against Li Yifei and came to kill him, there were also those who came to watch the excitement and even those who hoped to gain a share of the spoils. Despite there being no obvious benefits, if an opportunity arose to suppress a rival, it was considered a very good turn of events.


    Then, in the afternoon of the fifth day, a group¡¯s arrival suddenly drew everyone¡¯s attention to them.


    This was a group of Americans, fifteen in total¡ªnine men and six women. The nine men had an austere demeanor and superb strength, and the five women were not to be underestimated either. The fourteen of them were all escorting a young woman with her face veiled.


    Such a scene was immediately recognized by the dark forces: this was the famous Holy War Organization from America, and the veiled woman must be the Holy Maiden.


    The formidable power of the Holy War Organization was indisputably ranked among the top two in the world, challenged only by Europe¡¯s Green Hand Party. The Holy War Organization was known for many good deeds, but should anything interfere with the progression of their holy war, they would deal with it thunderously. Therefore, despite conflicts, there was also some cooperation with these dark forces, and none among them were unaware of the Holy War Organization.


    However, they had never seen the Holy Maiden of the Holy War Organization. When the Holy War engaged in negotiations, the highest representative would be the Saint Envoy, but the Holy Maiden had always been a figure of legend. They didn¡¯t expect that the Holy Maiden would appear here today, which was far beyond everyone¡¯s expectations.


    "Old Ten, your old flame is here," Shen Tianfang nudged Li Yifei with an ambiguous smile on his face.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Ninth Brother, why are you starting to joke with me like this too?"


    "I¡¯m not joking with you. After Sixth Brother went back last time, we discussed it for a while. We feel that the possibility of the Green Hand Party doing this is quite small. If they really wanted to deal with you, their Crazy Satan would have found you himself, not use other methods to have someone kill you. The Holy Maidens, however, have a strange tradition. They believe a woman always needs a man, but as a Holy Maiden, one must dedicate her life to the sacred cause, thus a Holy Maiden cannot have a man. To completely disregard men, a Holy Maiden must select a man to become her Breaking Heart Demon, fall in love with him first, and then kill him, thus overcoming her inner demon. It¡¯s very possible that the Holy Maiden has chosen you to be her Breaking Heart Demon."


    Li Yifei widened his eyes, saying, "No way?"


    Shen Tianfang nodded gravely and said, "It¡¯s very possible. This is the most likely conclusion the nine of us have discussed together. Old Ten, if it really is like this, you¡¯re in trouble. The Holy War Organization is not like other ones¡ªif the Saintess truly chooses you, and if she can¡¯t kill you, then she will insist on killing you no matter what."


    "Is there no solution?" Li Yifei rubbed his nose.


    "There is one!" Shen Tianfang replied with a hint of excitement.


    "What¡¯s the solution?" Li Yifei asked urgently.


    "You get the Saintess into your hands and deflower her¡ªthat way, she can¡¯t be a Saintess anymore, and there¡¯d be no need to be concerned with the Breaking Heart Demon."


    "Won¡¯t that offend the Holy War Organization even more if I get the Saintess into my hands?"


    "What else can you do? You can only say that the Saintess failed to overcome her Heart Demon, that it¡¯s her own issue with determination. If the Holy War Organization still pesters you after that, they¡¯d be negating their own righteous mission and proving that their tradition of the Saintess overcoming the Breaking Heart Demon is nothing but a joke."


    "Damn!" Li Yifei rolled his eyes, finding the situation incredibly unbelievable, and couldn¡¯t help uttering a curse. Then, he glanced over at the Holy War Organization and suddenly locked eyes with the Saintess.


    Though they were far apart, Li Yifei could still feel the Saintess¡¯ gaze on him. It made him feel uneasy inside, so he quickly turned his head to avoid her gaze.


    Shen Tianfang said with a mischievous grin, "Hey, brother, haven¡¯t you already won over Su Mengxin, the number one beauty of Huaxia? If you also get the Saintess, the two most famous beauties in the world would become yours. You¡¯d be a legend, unmatched in history."


    Li Yifei said with a grimace, "Ninth Brother, I hope this isn¡¯t true. I¡¯m already getting a headache from women every day, and if I meddle with a Saintess too, I won¡¯t be able to live."


    "You¡¯re having a tough time as it is. Old Master Su has been furious and hasn¡¯t had a chance to trouble you lately. With all the influential people you¡¯ve offended¡ªthose we can¡¯t afford to offend¡ªhaving one more won¡¯t make a difference. You might as well take them all on; heh, what did I say? Here she comes."


    As they were speaking, the Saintess and her entourage began walking towards Li Yifei and his group.


    The party stopped three meters away from Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang. The Saintess walked out from the protective crowd, directly up to Li Yifei. Someone immediately placed a cushion on a rock for the Saintess to sit down.


    "Golden Eagle!" The Saintess looked at Li Yifei and called out softly in perfect Chinese.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Long time no see, Saintess. I hope you¡¯ve been well."


    "Fairly well, but I¡¯ve missed you," the Saintess said with a gaze full of tenderness.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart clenched and he glanced sideways at Shen Tianfang involuntarily. Shen Tianfang whistled softly and stepped aside, saying, "You two talk, don¡¯t mind me."


    The Saintess smiled slightly and said, "I think you should know by now; I¡¯ve chosen you as the subject of my Heart Demon. Now there are only two paths to choose from: either I kill you to break the Heart Demon, or you lead me into temptation and I become your woman."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Of course, I don¡¯t want to die at your hands, but I¡¯m already married. I don¡¯t want you to become my woman either."


    "You have no other choice. This time, I¡¯ve made your information public because I saw you had become too decadent. That wasn¡¯t befitting of my Heart Demon. But now your fighting spirit has returned, and you¡¯ve become that strong person again, which pleases me. Prepare yourself for this challenge."


    Li Yifei looked at the Saintess and said slowly, "I don¡¯t get threatened by others."


    The Saintess¡¯ eyes twinkled with amusement as she said, "I¡¯m not threatening you, but you have no other choice but to accept this fate. Let¡¯s see who will be victorious."

 Chapter 780 - 818 The Holy Maiden

    Chapter 780: Chapter 818 The Holy MaidenLi Yifei suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Li Yifei has never known defeat, and if you truly choose this path, then I can only tell you that the Holy War Organization might as well start looking for a new saintess sooner rather than later."


    The smile in the saintess¡¯s eyes deepened as she said, "Very good, a demon of the heart like you is exactly what I favor. If I can vanquish this demon of the heart, I will certainly strengthen my sacred heart even more."


    Li Yifei suddenly reached out and placed his hand under the saintess¡¯s veil, hooking his finger under her chin. The saintess made no move and allowed Li Yifei¡¯s finger to tilt her chin up, making her head lean back.


    Li Yifei leaned forward, looking down at the saintess from above with eyes full of frivolous intent, and slowly spoke, "Since you¡¯re offering yourself up, I¡¯d be discourteous to refuse."


    At that moment, the members of the Holy War Organization, upon witnessing Li Yifei¡¯s actions towards their saintess, remained expressionless, one and all. They knew this was the saintess confronting her inner demon, but to others, it was shocking enough to make them stare agape. The Holy War Organization worshiped their saintess fanatically, and any disrespectful words towards her would result in fierce retribution. Li Yifei was blatantly insulting the saintess in public, yet the Holy War Organization showed no reaction. It was inconceivable.


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, the saintess said, "Use your methods, whether rough or gentle, as long as you can make me fall in love with you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s finger traced from the saintess¡¯s chin up to her lips, gently caressing them before slowly sliding into her mouth.


    The expression on the saintess¡¯s face became somewhat coquettish; with her mouth slightly open, she allowed Li Yifei¡¯s finger to slip in, tenderly enveloping it with her tongue and beginning to suckle.


    For a saintess to challenge her inner demon was an exceedingly strange affair. Once they chose a person, they could not waver. They would then do everything possible to genuinely fall in love with them, the kind of heartfelt love, and after falling in love, they had to kill their chosen person by their own hand to sever all mortal ties and truly overcome their inner demon.


    Traditionally, the targets chosen by saintesses for their inner demons were usually weaker, the most important criteria being handsome looks and gentle consideration, which could stir up their feelings of love more easily. Moreover, the chosen males were often unaware of the saintess¡¯s identity, making the task considerably easier.


    This generation¡¯s saintess, however, had chosen Li Yifei. Yifei, being the Golden Eagle, was one of the world¡¯s fiercest warriors, undoubtedly aware of her identity as the saintess and of her intentions. Li Yifei would reject her love, not affording her any opportunity, which made it impossible for her to truly fall in love with him. She would have to do more, invest deeper affection, and even cater to his preferences. This was a tremendous challenge for the saintess. Although the Holy War Organization was strongly against the saintess¡¯s choice of Li Yifei, the saintess believed that the previous saintesses had failed to make significant breakthroughs because the inner demons they chose were not formidable. Therefore, she sought to accept this challenge, even if it led to failure, but it would pave a new path for future saintesses.


    The power of faith is mighty, and this saintess now possessed a very special spirit of dedication. Hence, even though Li Yifei¡¯s actions carried a strong air of humiliation, she serenely accepted them, even cooperating with Li Yifei¡¯s movements.


    Li Yifei cursed inwardly, genuinely surprised that the saintess would go to such lengths. He should have withdrawn his hand immediately, yet the sensation proved unexpectedly enthralling, and he found himself reluctant to pull away. After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally withdrew his finger.


    "Did I not perform well?" the saintess asked, squinting her eyes at Li Yifei.


    The corner of Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched as he venomously retorted, "You really are quite despicable." He also realized that the key point was whether the saintess could fall in love with him or not. As long as he prevented her from falling for him, he could drag this out indefinitely.


    The saintess smiled faintly and responded, "Sometimes men need a change of taste. Finding a woman a bit more despicable can add more spice."


    "Heh, don¡¯t think for a second that this will get you any chance with me. I won¡¯t give you any opportunity."


    "You¡¯re mistaken. Even if you don¡¯t want to give me a chance, you can¡¯t. You have a family now, ties that bind. You can¡¯t avoid me. As long as you can¡¯t avoid me, I can fall in love with you."


    "Then wait and see," Li Yifei snorted coldly.


    With a faint smile, the saintess turned and signaled to her subordinates. One man turned and walked toward the other organizations.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the Golden Eagle is our saintess¡¯s chosen beloved!"


    Everyone was stunned. What did this mean? The saintess¡¯s chosen beloved implied that the saintess would stand by the Golden Eagle¡¯s side, and the might of the Holy War Organization was not something any other group could contend with. If they continued to be adversaries to the Golden Eagle, wouldn¡¯t that mean they were warring against the Holy War Organization itself?


    "However, our saintess believes that although she likes the Golden Eagle, as a woman, she should stand behind a man. Thus, you all are free to challenge the Golden Eagle, and as long as the Golden Eagle approves of your methods, regardless of the outcome, the Holy War Organization will not become your enemy. But if you engage in any despicable methods against the Golden Eagle, then our Holy War Organization will certainly treat you as an enemy of our crusade," the man declared.


    Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. If the Holy War Organization made such a statement, how could they continue to oppose Golden Eagle? If the method was approved by Golden Eagle, then it must be advantageous for Golden Eagle. And if it benefited Golden Eagle, what could they use to oppose such a powerful adversary? Wouldn¡¯t that be suicidal?


    "Haha, I didn¡¯t expect Golden Eagle to have teamed up with the Saintess. I wish you well!" Amidst a burst of laughter, a white blond man pushed through the crowd and came forward.


    "Mig!" Everyone gasped in surprise, they had not expected Mig to show up. He was from the Seal Strike Team, and by all accounts not one to walk the same path as everyone else here. His appearance was quite suspicious.


    "Hehe, you don¡¯t need to mind me; I just came to see Golden Eagle. I¡¯ve always heard of his great reputation but never had the chance to meet him. Today, to witness Golden Eagle single-handedly fight against all the dark forces, how interesting is that? How could I not come?" Mig said humorously and then walked towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had long heard of Mig¡¯s reputation, but they had never met. Both being soldiers, they had a sense of comradeship for a long time and even had a few secret showdowns, though they had never engaged in direct combat. Now they finally met.


    With a loud laugh, Li Yifei also strode forward, saying, "How could I not inform you about such an interesting event?"


    The two men quickly approached each other and simultaneously extended their right fists.


    With a "bang," their fists collided forcefully, making a sound like metal striking metal, then both men stepped back. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ha... Haha..." They laughed in unison, shaking hands without any contest this time, a genuine handshake.


    The earlier exchange gave neither of them a full measure of the other¡¯s strength, but they could guess that they were quite evenly matched, with neither gaining any advantage.


    The two men released their hands, and Mig looped his long arm around Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, saying, "Golden Eagle, you really irritate me, always hoping to clash with you in some operation, and now you¡¯ve retired."


    Having a powerhouse like Mig put an arm around his shoulder could be fatal if Mig wished to kill him, but Li Yifei just let it happen, chuckled, and said, "Wanting to spar? That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll invite you to spend a couple of days with the Flying Hawk Squad, then we can have a good fight."


    "Absolutely, but it¡¯s boring to fight only at your place. After that, you have to come to the Seal Strike Team and face me." Mig responded.


    "No problem!" Li Yifei agreed cheerfully.


    A high-stakes encounter between such experts was a rare spectacle. To witness such a duel was a valuable experience for any martial artist. When Li Yifei invited Mig to the Flying Hawk Squad, it was an exceptional opportunity for his team. Mig naturally wouldn¡¯t be at a loss either, hence he requested Li Yifei to visit his Seal team.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to be so warm with Mig, but with the Saintess present, it was better to be closer with Mig under the circumstances.


    Both Mig and the Saintess were American. With a position like Mig¡¯s, it was natural for the Holy War Organization to pay attention to him, and having had several encounters with the Saintess, he approached her respectfully and said, "Greetings to you, Saintess."


    "Hello, Mr. Mig!"


    Both were polite and respectful, even someone as skilled as Mig wouldn¡¯t dare to jest with the Saintess.


    For Li Yifei¡¯s enemies observing the situation, this was even more worrisome. Golden Eagle and Hawk were already formidable enough, but now with the Holy War Organization and even Mig coming to assist, battling Li Yifei seemed futile. If Li Yifei turned the tables on them, he could easily eliminate half of the people here.


    Considering this, everyone became more inclined to retreat. The goal of killing Golden Eagle Li Yifei was for internal benefits, but if it risked the annihilation of their entire organization, they certainly wouldn¡¯t take the risk.


    Just then, a loud shout erupted, followed by a shadow soaring onto the island like a fierce hawk, its aggressive aura causing those near to subconsciously avoid him by a wide margin.

 Chapter 781 - 819: Battle of the Strong

    Chapter 781: Chapter 819: Battle of the Strong"Crazy Satan!" As a cry of alarm rang out, everyone¡¯s breathing suddenly became rapid.


    Mig, Golden Eagle, and this Crazy Satan were always considered the three strongest individuals currently, but Golden Eagle had always only simply executed tasks. If there were no tasks, he would not conflict with any dark forces, and Mig was about the same, even less visible than Golden Eagle. However, Crazy Satan was different¡ªthe Green Hand Party was involved in many matters, and he would step in. This guy was a murderous fiend, cruel and ruthless. Once he made a move, he rarely left any survivors. With the powerful support of the Green Hand Party, his deterrence was far greater than that of Mig and Golden Eagle.


    At this moment, Crazy Satan was dressed in a tight leather outfit and cloaked with a large cape¡ªhis trademark attire. As soon as one saw this outfit, along with his towering build, they would know that Crazy Satan had arrived.


    "Eh, Mig, you lad are also here!" Satan went straight to the center, and the first person he saw was the tall Mig, which instantly made his eyes light up.


    Mig blinked and said, "Yeah, old friend, it¡¯s been so many years, and you haven¡¯t changed a bit. You¡¯re still as flashy as ever."


    In this world, definitely no more than ten people dared to speak to Satan like this, while Satan, with a flick of his cape, said proudly, "Do you really think I don¡¯t look handsome?"


    "Handsome yes, but it still lacks something."


    "What¡¯s missing?"


    "If you wore red underwear on the outside, that would be even more handsome!"


    "You bastard!" Satan shouted, launching a fist at Mig.


    Mig was prepared and punched out as well. With a "boom", a great cloud of dust rose from the ground. Both of them took a large step back, and this display of power was even more formidable than Li Yifei¡¯s exchange with Mig.


    After a draw with Mig, Satan¡¯s desire to fight surged. He took a step like an arrow intending to rush at Mig, but Mig retreated several steps back, chuckling, "Today I don¡¯t want to fight you. This is Golden Eagle¡¯s territory."


    Satan restrained his hand and looked towards Li Yifei. That explosive fighting spirit immediately turned towards Li Yifei and he roared, "Golden Eagle, you¡¯re quite bold, aren¡¯t you!"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Satan, I¡¯ve long heard of your illustrious reputation but never had the chance to meet you. Today, I¡¯ve finally experienced your flamboyance."


    Satan¡¯s large round eyes bulged even more, but in an instant, his face broke into a smile. His plump lips parted, revealing a set of white teeth as he laughed heartily, "I just like this, hey hey, Golden Eagle, come on, I¡¯m here today to fight you."


    Upon hearing these words, the onlookers¡¯ eyes lit up. In their hearts, Satan was always a bit stronger than Golden Eagle. If the two fought and Satan killed Golden Eagle, it would be a good thing. Then if Golden Eagle managed to severely wound Satan too, the world would lose two great masters, which would benefit everyone without any harm done.


    Li Yifei, smiling, said, "Fighting you is of course not a problem, but I find these people quite bothersome."


    Satan glared and said, "I¡¯ve long heard that Golden Eagle is not only skilled in martial arts but also very cunning. Today, I see it¡¯s true. You want to use me as your pawn right now."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "That¡¯s because your reputation is stronger than mine. Over all these years, has anyone dared to actively try to kill you? But now so many have come to my place, wanting to kill me. Can¡¯t I dissuade them at all?" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Satan curled his lip and replied, "That¡¯s because you¡¯ve been too kind. Some people, unless you screw their mother, they won¡¯t call you daddy."


    "Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking the same," Li Yifei said with an even brighter smile at the corners of his mouth.


    Satan turned around, glanced around, and bellowed, "Looking at you all, you want to kill Golden Eagle but haven¡¯t succeeded. So today, I will do it for you, settle this grudge on your behalf. Any objections?"


    Everyone had long wished for such a development, some even trying to spur Satan into action. Now that Satan willingly took on the matter, it perfectly aligned with their desires. They immediately expressed their agreement.


    Only then did Satan turn around, staring at Li Yifei, and said, "Now, you should make your move, shouldn¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei nodded, but suddenly shouted loudly, "If any of your organizations dare to break the oath of today, then my Golden Eagle will annihilate you!"


    Li Yifei, who always spoke in an even tone, now had a voice that echoed across the entire island, and instantly, a torrential battle intent surged from his body. That imposing aura made everyone¡¯s heart tremble, and they truly realized how powerful Li Yifei, the Golden Eagle, was.


    "Good!" Satan¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and heat burst forth from his body. Then, with a fierce stomp on the ground, he lunged at Li Yifei. His fists, as big as bowls, hammered down on Li Yifei like two iron mallets.


    Even knowing that Li Yifei was strong, possibly not weaker than himself, Satan¡¯s manner of attack always carried an unstoppable momentum, without any tiresome probing.


    At this time, Li Yifei did not dodge either. In battle, although he wasn¡¯t reckless, facing a master like Satan, showing any sign of weakness could easily put one at a disadvantage. Once at a disadvantage, it would be difficult to turn the tables. Thus, in a high-level duel, the fight for momentum was absolutely crucial. Li Yifei¡¯s fists, although smaller than Satan¡¯s by two sizes, met Satan¡¯s without any tricks.


    When their fists collided, there wasn¡¯t a separation like there was between Satan and Mig. Although both were shaken by the other¡¯s force, neither retreated. Their strikes, as continuous as a spinning wheel, attacked the opponent. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was like popping beans, intensely rapid.


    Their fight left everyone watching breathless, all instinctively immersing themselves into the fray, contemplating what the outcome would be if it were them fighting either of the two combatants.


    After considering this, they all broke out in a cold sweat. Ordinary folks aside, even the more powerful among them would hardly last two minutes in their place and would likely be killed on the spot.


    Although they knew Golden Eagle and Satan were strong, they had never imagined they would be this formidable. They weren¡¯t qualified to match them at all. Thinking of killing Golden Eagle to establish their organizations¡¯ name now seemed like a suicidal path.


    If they ever truly angered Golden Eagle, luring him to their stronghold, the consequences were unimaginable. They then realized how foolish their previous actions had been. Fortunately, Golden Eagle had some reservations and had not struck them down. Letting Satan handle this matter was for the best, regardless of the outcome. They had no wish to face someone like Li Yifei again in the future.


    In the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had exchanged several moves with Satan, and they were evenly matched; neither could gain the upper hand.


    This filled Satan with joy. In recent years, despite the heavy toll of his killing, none of his opponents had brought him real satisfaction. Today, having finally found a worthy adversary, he wasn¡¯t going to let him off easily, showcasing all his prized techniques and even those he seldom had the chance to use.


    Li Yifei felt the same. Although he had nine brothers, sparring with them he certainly couldn¡¯t give his all, and now that there was a gap in strength between them, he was even less inclined to go all out. Facing an opponent like Satan, who allowed him to fight without reservations, brought him an unspeakable thrill.


    Shen Tianfang watched Li Yifei engage Satan and shook his head secretly. Then a smile crept across his lips. He had always considered himself equal in strength to Li Yifei, but watching today¡¯s fight, he realized Li Yifei was indeed stronger. It was just that Li Yifei had been holding back against him all this time.


    Although Shen Tianfang felt a tinge of disappointment, he was more pleased than anything else. Li Yifei¡¯s surpassing strength was a blessing for the nation and for their Flying Hawk Squad.


    The Saintess watched Li Yifei intently, her expression was calm, but her eyes sparkled with an unusual light. Having chosen Li Yifei as her personal demon, the first step was to open her heart to him fully and be completely defenseless against him. Li Yifei¡¯s performance was, in a way, quite attractive to her.


    The Saintess might have seemed fragile, but in reality, she was a formidable expert. She could fully sense the power of Li Yifei and Satan, undoubtedly among the strongest in the world. Choosing a person as powerful as Li Yifei as her personal demon was a tremendous challenge. However, success meant her achievements would surpass those of any previous Saintess. So, despite recognizing the difficulties, the Saintess was filled with anticipation.


    "Thump!" A muffled sound echoed. In the midst of their intense battle, Li Yifei and Satan suddenly separated. Sweat could be faintly seen on their foreheads, but the light in their eyes flared even brighter. Instead of rushing back into the fray, they stood still, staring at each other, regulating their breathing.


    At this moment, everyone knew this temporary calm foreshadowed an even more explosive assault to come, possibly a decisive strike. With hearts leaping to their throats and breaths held, the outcome that followed would have a profound impact on everyone¡¯s future strategies toward Huaxia and Europe¡ª the stakes were indeed colossal.

 Chapter 782 - 820: The Peak Confrontation

    Chapter 782: Chapter 820: The Peak Confrontation"Ah!" Satan gave a long howl as the muscles all over his body suddenly bulged, causing the tight leather clothes to stretch significantly. If it were ordinary clothes, they would have burst at the seams by now, but it was only because of the elasticity of the leather that no such thing happened.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei¡¯s expression remained composed, his hands slowly drawing circles in front of his chest, his feet stepping in the positions of the Bagua, his gaze fixed intently on Satan.


    In the struggle just now, Li Yifei knew that he and Satan had reached a plateau in strength, speed, and technique, a peak where neither could surpass the other. Therefore, if they continued to fight in this manner, unless both were completely exhausted, there would be no way to decide a victor.


    So, both changed their tactics. Satan used a strange technique to achieve a minor increase in power and speed. Although the increase was not tremendous, at their level of prowess, even a small enhancement could completely sway the outcome.


    Unable to further increase his own power and speed, Li Yifei resorted to using softness to overcome hardness. He was now employing the ancient martial art of Tai Chi Fist. This was not the simple exercise form performed by elderly men and women; this was the true Tai Chi Fist. Li Yifei¡¯s calm and composure were perfectly in sync with this style. All Head Eagles were versed in Tai Chi Fist, but only Li Yifei had mastered it completely.


    "Golden Eagle, encountering an opponent like you is truly an honor for me, Satan, but now I will be stronger! Killing such an adversary, though regrettable, means that once I make my move, there¡¯s no holding back." Satan did not strike immediately, but stood proudly, having fully assessed Li Yifei¡¯s strength. With his sudden enhancement, he was fully confident he could defeat and even kill Li Yifei.


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s face was as placid as an ancient well. He had completely entered a state of self-forgetfulness and said slowly, "Come on." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone else felt their adrenaline surge at this critical moment that would determine the outcome of the fight.


    "Good!" Satan said simply, stepping forward with his right leg and walking towards Li Yifei. This time he did not charge but walked; yet this single step somehow bridged the three-meter gap between him and Li Yifei instantly.


    When Satan threw his punch, it was accompanied by a sonic boom. Despite being just a simple punch, the force enveloped Li Yifei entirely, making it impossible to dodge. There was no other option but to clash head-on with Satan¡¯s fist.


    Indeed, Li Yifei did not dodge, but neither did he confront the attack head-on. His hands formed palms, crossed and overlapping, and he suddenly caught Satan¡¯s fist between them.


    "Eh!" Satan expressed surprise. Logically, even if his punch did not send Li Yifei flying, it should at least have forced him back. However, Li Yifei¡¯s palms contained a strange swirling force that dissipated much of Satan¡¯s power, roughly equal to the increase Satan had just achieved, resulting in a seeming reset of their power levels at the starting line once again.


    And at that moment, with a twist of his palms, Li Yifei almost made Satan involuntarily fling his arm open.


    Satan felt even more astonished. What kind of skill was this, possessing such wonder? His sudden increase in strength had not only failed to give him an advantage but had even put him at a slight disadvantage.


    As his character was to be wildly uncontrollable, the more difficulty Satan encountered, the more it ignited his frenzy and intensified his fighting spirit. He let out a roar and the muscles in his arm seemed to swell further as he thrust his fist against Li Yifei¡¯s palms and continued forward.


    Li Yifei stepped back, offloading Satan¡¯s ferocious power. The true essence of Tai Chi is not to confront force with force but to use softness to overcome strength. Taking a step back to divert the frontal assault was the most energy-efficient move.


    Although Satan¡¯s punch was fruitless, Li Yifei did not gain any advantage either.


    "Good!" Satan bellowed, launching two punches this time in an oppressive assault.


    Li Yifei continued to neutralize Satan¡¯s attacks, seemingly always on the defensive.


    However, it was apparent to all that Li Yifei¡¯s passivity did not result in a disadvantage. On the contrary, Satan was depleting his strength rapidly. Given time, Li Yifei was certain to turn defense into offense, and it seemed he would then gain the upper hand.


    Caught in the fray, Satan too sensed this shift, but his spirit refused to admit defeat. He could not believe that Li Yifei could consistently thwart his attacks. He thought that if there were just one slip-up in Li Yifei¡¯s defense, he could potentially strike the fatal blow.


    Both of them, one attacking and the other defending, amazingly fought for half an hour, yet Satan¡¯s strength didn¡¯t show any sign of waning. This extremely alarmed everyone; with such a ferocious attack, ordinary people could barely last ten minutes, let alone half an hour¡ªyet Satan was able to attack as fiercely as at the beginning. It was utterly abnormal how resilient his physique was.


    At this point, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but respect Satan¡¯s strength. Though he had been resolving Satan¡¯s attacks in the most energy-saving way possible, even if it was energy-saving, he still had to contend with Satan¡¯s brutal force. After half an hour, he had already expended a considerable amount of his physical strength.


    If things continued like this, Li Yifei felt that it wasn¡¯t a solution. He didn¡¯t even know how long Satan could keep going¡ªif another half hour were possible, Li Yifei was afraid his own stamina wouldn¡¯t hold up.


    Suddenly, with a loud shout, Li Yifei caught one of Satan¡¯s punches, and then swiftly grabbed Satan¡¯s wrist, twisting his body and driving his elbow toward Satan¡¯s ribs. This was his first time switching from defense to offense during the fight.


    For half an hour, Satan was truly frustrated; every attack felt as if it were hitting a clump of cotton. Although it appeared that his attacks were relentless, the struggle was his own private agony¡ªas each attack slightly injured himself.


    Li Yifei¡¯s sudden counterattack not only didn¡¯t frighten Satan but actually pleased him greatly. Li Yifei¡¯s defense had been watertight, but the moment he attacked, he was likely to reveal flaws. Satan, concentrating deeply, engaged in combat with Li Yifei, searching for those openings.


    Indeed, Li Yifei had switched to counteroffensive tactics, but he still rarely attacked, and the stalemate between the two showed no sign of change. It seemed like it would still take a long time before the victor could be decided.


    A gust of wind blew past, and suddenly, the sky filled with dark clouds. The wind gathered strength, whipping up the waves into giant swells that crashed against the island, creating a deafening roar. What had been broad daylight was now suddenly pitch black.


    Large raindrops quickly began to fall from the sky, and soon a thick curtain of rain was drawn between heaven and earth, significantly cooling the air.


    Even with such adverse weather, no one sought shelter; instead, they moved closer to the battlefield¡ªotherwise, they would miss this unforgettable duel.


    At this time, no one cared about the severe weather; everyone was completely engrossed in Li Yifei and Satan¡¯s battle. Even the members of the Holy War Organization stopped thinking about sheltering the Saintess from the rain, leaving her exposed to the pouring deluge.


    The Saintess herself didn¡¯t mind the heavy rain; as she watched Li Yifei and Satan¡¯s struggle, seeing how strong Li Yifei was made her open her heart even more to him. She truly felt Li Yifei was a good man, worth a woman¡¯s love. She was ready to fall for him, to deeply, passionately love him, until death do them part.


    Li Yifei and Satan, at this moment, were completely lost in combat. The might of the heavens could not disrupt their fighting spirit; in their eyes, only the opponent existed, and the torrential rain curtain could not hinder their every move and stance.


    Then, everyone saw a bizarre scene: mists seemed to rise from Li Yifei and Satan¡¯s bodies, almost as if those mists kept the raindrops away from them.


    Of course, neither of them genuinely possessed god-like powers, but because both were fully engaged in the fight, a large amount of heat was being produced inside their bodies. This heat, meeting the cold water vapour from the rain, created a thin mist that seemingly kept the rain at bay, even though both were soaked through by the downpour.


    A lightning bolt streaked across the sky, slithering like an electric serpent, followed by a thunderous boom. The noise was so loud that it gave everyone a startle, as they were deeply immersed in the fight. People cursed the wretched weather silently, annoyed that it was ruining their view of this pinnacle battle.


    After that bolt of lightning, the sky turned even darker, becoming virtually pitch-black. Yet, the fight between the two men did not stop, and Satan¡¯s ferocious shouting still pierced the rain and reached everyone¡¯s ears.


    Suddenly, another lightning bolt flashed, briefly revealing the figures of Li Yifei and Satan, but then they were unseen again as quickly as they had appeared. Another thunderous boom followed, as if it would rupture everyone¡¯s eardrums.


    But after that thunderclap, apart from the sound of the rain and the waves, Satan¡¯s shouts suddenly vanished. This caused everyone¡¯s hearts to leap to their throats. What did it mean? Had Golden Eagle won, or Satan? Or were both preparing their final strike?


    However, after waiting for a while, there was still no sound; everyone grew extremely anxious. Yet at that moment, there were no more flashes of lightning, so even if they wanted to see the situation between the two men, there was absolutely no chance.

 Chapter 783 - 821 Trouble Continues

    Chapter 783: Chapter 821 Trouble ContinuesThe wind stopped, the rain ceased, and the sun bathed the small island in extreme brightness. After the rain, the island carried a fresh scent.


    But everyone was in no mood to appreciate this, as they were urgently eager to know between Li Yifei and Satan, who emerged victorious from the battle.


    Unfortunately, both Golden Eagle and Satan had vanished without a trace, not only them but Hawk, Mig, and even the members of the Holy War Organization were all gone.


    No one knew when these people had left.


    "Who won?" someone asked.


    Yet, no one could provide an answer unless the parties involved were asked. It seemed to have become a mystery.


    Since Golden Eagle had already left, there was no further need for the others to stay. They were now very clear that they were no match for Golden Eagle, and if they still harbored thoughts of killing Li Yifei, it would be a suicidal move on their part.


    The hot topic among them was still the outcome of the final battle between Golden Eagle and Satan. But knowing or not knowing the answer, being able to witness such a battle was a great fortune for everyone involved.


    In a very secluded villa in Mile City, Li Yifei and Shen Tianfang sat with countless empty beer cans before them, both half-drunk.


    Shen Tianfang slapped Li Yifei on the shoulder with vigor, laughed heartily and said, "Kid, I really didn¡¯t expect you to hold back a move."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I always have to save something for a rainy day, I¡¯m afraid of dying after all."


    "Indeed, you still have so many women; if you really kicked the bucket, letting others snag them would make you so angry you¡¯d burst a blood vessel even in the afterlife."


    "Ninth Brother, you really have no respect. Do you talk about your younger brothers and sisters like that?"


    Shen Tianfang laughed again and said, "That black devil Satan is definitely going to need a good long rest after this. Things will quieten down a lot over in Europe."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Actually, I didn¡¯t hurt him in the end. It was his power that suddenly increased to a critical point and damaged himself. Since he has a way to increase his power, he probably has a way to recover. The main thing is... I have a feeling that after this, he might even make further improvements."


    "If he can improve, can¡¯t you? I¡¯ve benefited a lot from this time."


    Li Yifei just smiled slightly and didn¡¯t explain anything. What he had realized was something that could only be understood through true life-and-death struggle. Without experiencing that kind of situation, it would be meaningless no matter how clearly he explained it to Shen Tianfang, who would find it hard to comprehend.


    The next morning, Shen Tianfang left, and Li Yifei also departed from there, then returned home traveling light.


    That night, he had calmed his emotions and resolved the violence in his heart. Coming home, he wanted to be a good husband and a good father; he did not want to bring those negative emotions home for his family to see.


    He had not called Xu Yingying and the others when he returned, as he still had to consider how to deal with that saintess. That woman was more troublesome than any other, and if she showed up, Xu Yingying and the others would probably be unable to cope.


    Bathing in the tub on the first floor of the bathroom, Li Yifei squinted his eyes, enjoying the tranquility and warmth of his home.


    The sound of the door opening reached him, followed by footsteps entering the living room. Li Yifei did not make any sound, as clearly, a person who could open the door with a key was a family member.


    The footsteps passed by the bathroom door, and Li Yifei did not call out, as it was very likely that Xu Shanshan had returned. Giving Xu Shanshan a surprise would not be bad.


    Suddenly, the bathroom door was yanked open, and with a slightly mischievous intent, Li Yifei suddenly stood up, revealing his naked body.


    But upon facing the person, Li Yifei was stunned¡ªit wasn¡¯t Xu Shanshan or Xu Yingying, but rather Meng Xiaofei, that girl.


    "Ah!" Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei screamed at the same time, as Li Yifei hurriedly sat back down in the tub, while Meng Xiaofei turned and ran off.


    Ten minutes later, Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei were sitting on the sofa; Li Yifei had an embarrassed expression on his face, while Meng Xiaofei, though her face was flushed, was giggling at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei glared at Meng Xiaofei and said, "You girl, do you have no shame left at all?"


    Meng Xiaofei burst into laughter and replied, "Brother Li, it¡¯s not like I purposely peeped at you bathing, how am I shameless?"


    "I¡¯m not saying you did it on purpose, but as a girl, seeing a man¡¯s naked body and still being able to laugh like this, you tell me, where¡¯s your shame?"


    Meng Xiaofei laughed even more joyously and said, "Aren¡¯t you my Brother Li? There¡¯s nothing wrong with a look; I¡¯ve seen it before anyway. Besides, you¡¯ve seen me too. When you ran into my room in the middle of the night, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t see how I sleep naked."


    Li Yifei suddenly widened his eyes and said, "You were asleep at the time?"


    Meng Xiaofei smiled proudly and said, "Of course I fell asleep, but I didn¡¯t close the door when I went to sleep, and I knew that. Later on, however, the door was closed. If you didn¡¯t see anything, why did you close it for me?"


    At this moment, Li Yifei truly wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He always thought that Meng Xiaofei was a bit muddleheaded, but it turned out she was much smarter than she let on. He had been so careless before; it was truly embarrassing.


    "Hehe, Brother Li, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, just taking a look. It¡¯s not a big deal, I really do treat you like my own brother."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words did dissipate a lot of Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassment. He playfully tapped her on the head and said, "You little rascal, I really don¡¯t know what to do with you."


    "That¡¯s right, am I not your little sister? I haven¡¯t seen you for several days. Can you make me a big feast tonight?"


    "No problem!" Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been home for several days and really missed his family. He guessed that Xu Yingying and the others would be worried as well, so he gave Xu Yingying a call to tell her he had arrived home safely and wouldn¡¯t be going to work that day, planning to prepare some good food at home and have a feast in the evening.


    Xu Yingying had been worried about Li Yifei these past few days. Although she knew he was very capable, the missions Li Yifei went on were definitely dangerous. Now that Li Yifei was back safely, she could finally put her mind at ease.


    Li Yifei was just turning on his cell phone when he was making the call to Xu Yingying, and at that moment text messages started to flood in.


    Before he left, he had informed his family and also notified Ye Yunzhu, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Lin Qiong. These people wouldn¡¯t call him.


    Most of the missed calls and text messages were from Su Mengfei, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling. At first, they were just asking after him, but when they couldn¡¯t get through, they started to scold Li Yifei, and eventually, they began making threats. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t turn on his phone, they would go to the company and look for Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t dare to provoke them, so he immediately called Su Mengfei back.


    "Ah, cousin-in-law, why haven¡¯t you been answering your phone these past few days?" Su Mengfei started off with a loud outburst.


    Li Yifei responded with a laugh, "I went to resolve some things and didn¡¯t bring my phone." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You jerk, if you didn¡¯t turn on your phone, we were going to go to your wife," Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s voice also joined in the clamor.


    "My dear little aunt, I do need to go and take care of things, you know."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er complained discontentedly, "Hmph, it¡¯s your fault for not telling us in advance and just running off."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s voice soon came through, saying, "You scoundrel, I hope everything went smoothly at least?"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s words actually seemed very normal and even conveyed some concern, so Li Yifei replied, "Yes, smoothly. For the time being, I won¡¯t have any trouble."


    "Then come over and hang out with us," Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately chirped up again.


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "My dear little aunts, I¡¯ve just gotten back. I need to spend some time with my wife, or else she might skin me alive."


    "Boring!" Xiao Ling¡¯er muttered in dissatisfaction.


    Su Mengfei giggled and said, "Cousin-in-law, you don¡¯t need to be scared, we¡¯ve already returned to Capital City."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er shouted, "Mengfei, you traitor, you¡¯ve actually spilled our secret!"


    "Ouch!" Su Mengfei cried out in pain, while Zheng Yuling said with a chuckle, "Mengfei has merged with cousin-in-law and even gotten his essence. Of course, she¡¯d speak in favor of cousin-in-law. Maybe she¡¯ll have a chance to play matchmaker for cousin-in-law in the future."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er quickly added, "Yeah, you little traitor, choosing a man over your friends."


    "You¡¯ve also merged with cousin-in-law, hehe, don¡¯t use me as an excuse when you¡¯re the ones longing for him."


    Listening to the three of them chattering and quarreling on the other end of the phone left Li Yifei not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He interrupted them, saying, "My three little aunts, I can¡¯t fool around with you anymore. I have to step out for a bit."


    "Okay, we¡¯ll let you off for now. But be careful; Old Master Su might come looking for trouble in the next few days."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei¡¯s brow furrowed once again. He had returned home only thinking about dealing with the big trouble of the Holy Maiden and had completely forgotten that handling Old Master Su might be even more difficult.


    This matter was indeed urgent, and he needed to address it quickly. If the old master really came storming into Mile City, and Xu Yingying found out about it, the consequences were too dreadful to contemplate.


    However, he couldn¡¯t deal with this matter today. Li Yifei decided he would go and discuss it with Su Mengxin tomorrow.


    After calling for Meng Xiaofei, the two of them went to buy groceries together. For today, he planned to shower Xu Yingying with love, having truly missed his wife these days away. Unconsciously, Xu Yingying, his wife, this home, had all become increasingly significant in his heart.

 Chapter 784 - 822 I Didn’t Eavesdrop

    Chapter 784: Chapter 822 I Didn¡¯t EavesdropLi Yifei thought about Xu Yingying and naturally didn¡¯t forget Su Yiyi. Before buying groceries, he had already called Su Yiyi, and when he returned with Meng Xiaofei after shopping, Su Yiyi was already waiting at home.


    "Brother Li!" Su Yiyi stood at the door, handed Li Yifei his slippers, took the groceries from him, but her eyes remained on Li Yifei, her face flushed with excitement.


    "Did you miss Brother Li?" Li Yifei leaned in and gently kissed Su Yiyi on her cheek.


    Meng Xiaofei was right next to Li Yifei, and Su Yiyi hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei would kiss her at that moment, making her face instantly turn crimson with embarrassment.


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Yiyi, you are still so shy. I¡¯m not an outsider, so why are you embarrassed?"


    Su Yiyi was still incredibly embarrassed, and she carried the groceries, running into the kitchen, but her heart felt indescribably sweet.


    "Hey, it¡¯s not even two o¡¯clock yet, you both have plenty of time, do whatever you two want, I¡¯ll be on the first floor with the TV." Meng Xiaofei¡¯s teasing voice caused Su Yiyi¡¯s face to redden once more.


    However, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words reminded Li Yifei. He followed her into the kitchen and suddenly picked Su Yiyi up in his arms.


    "Ah! Brother Li..." Su Yiyi¡¯s voice trembled.


    Li Yifei kissed Su Yiyi gently on her cheek again and softly said, "Yiyi, I¡¯ve missed you so much."


    "But... but..." Su Yiyi¡¯s gaze wandered toward the living room.


    "Don¡¯t pay attention to her." Li Yifei chuckled, carrying Su Yiyi as he ran upstairs. Immediately, bursts of laughter from Meng Xiaofei followed them, while Su Yiyi, overwhelmed with shyness, buried her face in Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. However, she was truly excited and really wanted to share some intimate moments with Li Yifei. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After five, Li Yifei had already prepared a table full of dishes, and Xu Yingying and the others just returned.


    "Daddy, daddy!" Little Yifei shouted loudly as soon as she came in, and upon seeing Li Yifei, she spread her little arms and rushed toward him. Li Yifei quickly picked Little Yifei up and spun around a few times before holding her close. He planted a kiss on her soft little cheek and said with a smile, "Sweetheart, did you miss daddy?"


    "Yes!" Little Yifei wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, giving him kisses on each side of his face, finally pressing her face against his.


    Li Yifei burst into laughter; having his daughter so affectionate was a wonderful feeling that was hard to describe. Especially after this trip, which involved a lot of conflict and violence, for anyone, no matter how strong, couldn¡¯t be indifferent, his daughter¡¯s affection felt like a gentle spring flowing through his heart, washing away much of the inexplicable aggression he felt these days.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both looked at Li Yifei with a glint of peculiar emotion in their eyes. The days of not seeing him couldn¡¯t help but make them miss and worry about Li Yifei. Fortunately, Xu Shanshan stood shoulder to shoulder with her sister, otherwise, with the way she was looking at him now, it would definitely make Xu Yingying a little suspicious.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t see it, but Su Yiyi did. However, with Su Yiyi¡¯s straightforward nature, she wouldn¡¯t have thought so intricately. She simply thought that Xu Shanshan, this sister-in-law, was quite close to Li Yifei, worrying and missing him was only normal.


    "Go check the room, see what daddy brought back for you." Li Yifei put Little Yifei down and said with a smile.


    Little Yifei immediately cheered, dashed towards her room, and Li Yifei then looked at Xu Yingying, extending his arms, saying, "Wife!"


    "You rascal! Coming back without any seriousness." Xu Yingying chided, rolling her eyes at Li Yifei, but still couldn¡¯t help stepping forward and embracing him.


    Li Yifei hugged Xu Yingying tightly, whispering in her ear, "Did you miss me?"


    Xu Yingying suddenly pushed Li Yifei away, rolling her eyes at him, saying, "You make me worry so much, do you know how much I¡¯ve worried about you these past few days?"


    "Yes, yes, wife, I was wrong, I won¡¯t do this kind of thing anymore." This time, Li Yifei believed he could largely intimidate those organizations, and if anyone still wanted to mess with him, he would make sure to leave a lasting impression.


    "That¡¯s more like it!" Xu Yingying revealed a brilliant smile. She knew Li Yifei wasn¡¯t someone who spoke carelessly, so when he said this, it meant such incidents, if not completely absent in the future, would be significantly reduced. As a wife, she certainly didn¡¯t like her husband going off to do dangerous things.


    At this point, Xu Shanshan approached Li Yifei with a playful smile, blinking mischievously, saying, "Brother-in-law, I was worried about you too, come on, let me give you a hug."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You¡¯re just afraid there¡¯d be no one to take care of you, right?" He spread his arms and hugged Xu Shanshan briefly.


    Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei hugged lightly and then released him. Being able to have such an embrace with him in front of her sister made her completely satisfied.


    Meanwhile, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t seem to mind at all; it was just a simple hug. Even with regular acquaintances, hugging once in a while was normal, let alone knowing the great relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, which made the hug even more usual.

 Chapter 785 - 822: I Didn’t Eavesdrop_2

    Chapter 785: Chapter 822: I Didn¡¯t Eavesdrop_2Xu Yingying really wanted to kiss Li Yifei tenderly, but in front of her sister and Su Yiyi, Xu Yingying, as the elder sister, naturally had to maintain her image.


    Li Yifei then called out to the two of them, "Come on, the food is all ready, hurry over and eat. Yiyi and I have been busy all day preparing this meal for you."


    Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan responded and went to change and wash their hands, but when they returned, Xu Yingying saw a flight attendant uniform draped over the couch and said with some confusion, "Didn¡¯t Xiaofei come back? Why don¡¯t I see her?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face immediately flushed, while Li Yifei had a thicker skin and laughed, "Who knows where she ran off to, but she should be running back as soon as mealtime hits, right?"


    "Then we should call her." Since Meng Xiaofei always came over to stay, Xu Yingying somewhat considered her part of the family, so she took out her phone and dialed Meng Xiaofei.


    The phone rang for a long time before Meng Xiaofei answered, and Xu Yingying immediately asked, "Xiaofei, where did you go? Dinner is ready."


    "I... I¡¯m out playing, I won¡¯t come for dinner." Meng Xiaofei said and then abruptly hung up.


    "Hey, what¡¯s up with that girl? Before, whenever she knew you were cooking at home, she wouldn¡¯t go out and would wait to eat at home, but today, she¡¯s run off."


    Li Yifei said vaguely, "Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s a big girl; she should know what she ought to do."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "That girl Xiaofei is vague about a lot of things; she acts without thinking. We¡¯ll ask her later, so she doesn¡¯t get deceived by someone." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed, "You¡¯re quite concerned about her, huh?"


    Xu Yingying sat down and said, "We¡¯ve known each other for so long, she¡¯s also our good friend, and she lives with us. We should take some responsibility for her."


    Besides what Xu Yingying had mentioned, Meng Xiaofei was quite likable. Whenever she went out, she always brought back gifts. As long as she had money in her pocket, she was never stingy, whether it was spending on the adults at home or on Little Yifei, and even Little Yifei liked playing with Meng Xiaofei a lot.


    "Yiyi, what¡¯s wrong with you?" After taking a few bites, Xu Yingying noticed that Su Yiyi¡¯s expression was not very natural and immediately asked with curiosity.


    "It¡¯s... It¡¯s nothing." Su Yiyi hurriedly responded, her head hanging down even lower as she continued to eat.


    Seeing Su Yiyi like this, who wouldn¡¯t realize she was troubled? Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Yiyi, if you have a problem, just speak up. You¡¯re part of this family too. You can¡¯t be an outsider."


    Su Yiyi blushed even more, and with an appearance of embarrassment, looked to Li Yifei for rescue.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Today, Yiyi and I were upstairs, and then Xiaofei ran up there."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be too explicit since Little Yifei was there, but Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan already had an idea that something embarrassing must have happened for Meng Xiaofei not to dare to come back and for Su Yiyi to be so embarrassed.


    This made both of them quite curious about what exactly had happened to make Meng Xiaofei, the food lover, know that Li Yifei was back and had prepared a table full of dishes, yet she didn¡¯t dare to come back. At least it seemed certain that Meng Xiaofei was at fault.


    Could it be that Meng Xiaofei tempted Li Yifei?


    Both Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan thought of this possibility, and they both looked at Li Yifei with a very strange gaze, making him feel uneasy all over. He just pretended not to see their expressions and continued talking to Little Yifei to distract himself.


    Aside from that matter, the meal was still very enjoyable. After finishing, Xu Shanshan spoke to Xu Yingying, "Sis, you and brother-in-law surely have a lot to talk about; you two go upstairs. Yiyi and I will clean up."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, but she really did want to talk to Li Yifei. After a bit of a refusal and then being persuaded by Su Yiyi, she went upstairs to her room with Li Yifei.


    The next morning, Li Yifei did not get up too early because he had already heard Su Yiyi go downstairs. Su Yiyi always wanted to prove her worth here, and if Li Yifei did everything, it would actually make Su Yiyi feel uncomfortable, so he let her go ahead and make breakfast.


    After Xu Yingying tidied up and went downstairs, she saw Xu Shanshan talking with Su Yiyi, Xu Shanshan was glowing with happiness, which made Xu Yingying laugh and ask, "You girl, why are you in such a good mood today?"


    Li Yifei of course knew why Xu Shanshan was like this; he had attended to Xu Yingying quite comfortably the previous night, and naturally, Xu Shanshan had the same experience. Xu Yingying felt like a bride on her wedding night, so was Xu Shanshan, satisfied and in a good mood.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and flung her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying, "My brother-in-law is back; that¡¯s why I¡¯m happy."


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "Go away, you¡¯re so grown and still have no propriety."


    Instead, Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm tighter and said proudly, "I won¡¯t go away; he¡¯s my brother-in-law, not yours."


    Xu Yingying was both annoyed and amused, but she didn¡¯t mind it in her heart. She glared at Xu Shanshan and said, "You can fool around at home, but remember to watch yourself outside, so you don¡¯t make a joke of yourself."

 Chapter 786 - 822 I Didn’t Eavesdrop_3

    Chapter 786: Chapter 822 I Didn¡¯t Eavesdrop_3"I know, I know." Xu Shanshan finally released Li Yifei¡¯s arm, but before doing so, she stealthily pinched his arm.


    The doorbell rang at that moment, and Xu Shanshan ran over to open the door, letting Meng Xiaofei walk in.


    "Wow, good thing I¡¯m not late." Meng Xiaofei headed straight for the dining table and quickly grabbed a fried egg, taking a big bite.


    As soon as Su Yiyi saw Meng Xiaofei, she became extremely embarrassed, holding a bowl of porridge and standing there, forgetting to put it down.


    After chewing twice, Meng Xiaofei swallowed the fried egg and asked, "Why aren¡¯t you guys eating?"


    Xu Yingying laughed, "It¡¯s because you¡¯re too fast."


    "Hehe, I was hungry, okay? I only had a snack last night and by midnight, I was so hungry I almost ran back here to scrounge for leftovers."


    Squinting her eyes, Xu Yingying said, "It¡¯s your own fault for not coming back to eat last night."


    Sticking out her tongue, Meng Xiaofei responded, "I did something naughty last night. I eavesdropped on Brother Li and Yiyi¡¯s wedding night, so of course I didn¡¯t dare to come. I was afraid they¡¯d scold me."


    "And you¡¯re not afraid of being scolded today?"


    "Not afraid anymore. Whether it¡¯s a horizontal or a vertical cut, it¡¯s all a scolding anyway. No need to let my stomach suffer for nothing."


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei like this, Xu Yingying really believed that Meng Xiaofei had no feelings for Li Yifei and that it was only a moment of curiosity that had stirred her emotions. And Meng Xiaofei really did have a thick skin; after a whole night, she acted as if nothing happened.


    This made Xu Yingying completely relaxed as well, and she said with a laugh, "You may be fine now, but look at how embarrassed Yiyi is."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again and said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, I¡¯m really sorry. I was just curious yesterday, so I went to listen. But as I listened, my legs got weak and I couldn¡¯t even run away. Don¡¯t mind me, I promise I won¡¯t eavesdrop ever again."


    Su Yiyi felt even more embarrassed, her head nearly drooping to her chest in shame.


    Li Yifei tapped on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Yiyi, come eat, don¡¯t mind this crazy girl."


    Su Yiyi then reluctantly sat down, still eating with her head lowered, not daring to look at anyone.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what to do in this situation; the more he tried to console, the more embarrassed Su Yiyi became. Thankfully, Xu Shanshan diverted the topic at that moment.


    "Sis, Brother-in-law, I don¡¯t want to work at that school anymore."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying asked in unison, "Why?"


    Xu Shanshan sighed, "Lately, the principal keeps coming to see me, which is really annoying."


    Xu Yingying immediately said excitedly, "Your principal is that Wang Libang, right? I think he¡¯s quite decent. He¡¯s young and promising, and he also seems very distinguished."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at her sister, "What do you mean distinguished? That¡¯s called being hypocritical, okay?" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying, not wanting to give up, said, "Don¡¯t think so badly of others. You could try interacting with him. Maybe you¡¯ll get along?"


    "Forget it. We¡¯re just not on the same path. I like to be free and easy, while people like him wear a mask all day long¡ªso utterly boring. Sis, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t even think about marrying me off. If I don¡¯t find someone I like, you can forget about it."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes and replied, "I¡¯m just thinking about what¡¯s best for you."


    "I don¡¯t need you to think about what¡¯s best for me. Before I know it, you¡¯re becoming more and more like mom. I¡¯m just here today to let you know that as of today, I¡¯m unemployed, so you guys can support me."


    Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. With a sister like this, she really had no other options. However, since Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t like it, she couldn¡¯t force her to keep the job.

 Chapter 787 - 825 Secretary

    Chapter 787: Chapter 825 Secretary"Why don¡¯t you come work at my company?" Xu Yingying suggested once more. In the past, she was reluctant to let Xu Shanshan work at her company, but if Xu Shanshan idled at home, who knows where the girl would run off to causing even more worry.


    "Work at your company? You¡¯re asking me to go?" Xu Shanshan looked at her sister, puzzled.


    "If I don¡¯t let you go, wouldn¡¯t you be idle again? I¡¯m not concerned about you earning money; I just genuinely worry about you."


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, thinking it over, then said, "Alright, I¡¯ll go then. But if I join your company, what can I do there?"


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t answer Xu Shanshan and instead looked at Li Yifei, saying, "Honey, I¡¯d like to shift your role a bit."


    Li Yifei smiled, "You¡¯re the boss, your word is law."


    Xu Yingying pouted, "Aren¡¯t I discussing this with you? Our factory has started production, but I still don¡¯t feel assured about it. I want you to be the factory director so I can feel at ease."


    "Factory director... that¡¯s a bit of an over-promotion for me." Li Yifei forced a smile.


    "Honey, I know you like a leisurely life and don¡¯t want to be too burdened with work. But the company is at a critical moment, and if you don¡¯t help, I really can¡¯t find anyone suitable. Mengxin entrusted the company to me, and I have to do a good job. The factory is the most important place, and you need to share some of the responsibility with me."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go there." Li Yifei had no choice but to agree.


    "Thank you, honey." Xu Yingying gave a sweet smile.


    Xu Shanshan, with wide eyes, said, "You¡¯re sending my brother-in-law to the branch?"


    Xu Yingying nodded, speaking irritably, "Yes, I¡¯m sending him to the branch, and you¡¯ll follow along. I can¡¯t have you at the headquarters; if you stir up trouble, won¡¯t the employees think it¡¯s me causing issues?"


    Xu Shanshan was about to refuse if Li Yifei was relocated to the branch, thinking she wouldn¡¯t work there, but after hearing that, she became excited. However, she soon pouted and said, "So you just want me to keep an eye on my brother-in-law."


    Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan, saying, "I¡¯m making your brother-in-law keep an eye on you. I warn you, when you get there, you should work diligently. Don¡¯t think just because your brother-in-law spoils you, you can be reckless. If I find out, I¡¯ll send you home immediately to let Mom take care of you."


    "I get it, I get it." Xu Shanshan pouted, looking pitiably at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, please go easy on me, don¡¯t pick on me too much."


    Li Yifei watched Xu Shanshan¡¯s antics and found it amusing but had to play along, saying, "We¡¯ll see how you perform. Surely you know I¡¯m a henpecked male."


    "Sigh, there¡¯s no justice in the world." Xu Shanshan shook her head and sighed, but inside she was so happy she could burst out laughing.


    "By the way, what will Shanshan do there?" Li Yifei asked. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying said, "Let her be your secretary, that way she¡¯s right under your nose, and nothing can go wrong. Darling, it might be a bit more work for you."


    Xu Shanshan immediately wore a mischievous smile, while Xu Yingying immediately glared again, saying, "Listen well, the factory has billions in investment, and everything about the company revolves around it. Don¡¯t think being your brother-in-law¡¯s secretary means you can take it easy."


    Xu Shanshan then stuck out her tongue, saying, "Got it, I¡¯ll definitely listen to my brother-in-law."


    In the morning, when they arrived at the company, Xu Yingying immediately announced the personnel appointment. For those at the headquarters, it didn¡¯t affect much, and since Xu Yingying was the boss, no one raised any objections.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei bid farewell to the headquarters building and accompanied Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan to the factory.


    The factory here had more people than the company, just over five hundred workers plus other managerial staff, totaling six hundred. Production had already begun, but the original director, a tech specialist, had quickly shown deficiencies in management. So he wasn¡¯t upset by the appointment of a new director; he felt relieved to focus on technology.


    A meeting with some middle managers at the factory was called, and Li Yifei¡¯s role as director was officially established, with Xu Shanshan appointed as his secretary.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying appearing like they were cut from the same cloth surprised everyone, but Xu Yingying straightforwardly said Xu Shanshan was her sister. The factory staff found nothing wrong with it, as Xu Yingying merely made her sister a secretary, which wasn¡¯t an abuse of power. Even if it were, who would dare protest?


    After a round of patrol through the factory plant, since Li Yifei had taken on this role, he couldn¡¯t afford his previous laid-back attitude. He had to get serious.


    Managing a company might not suit his abilities, but managing a factory was much simpler. Success lay in overseeing production and quality. Li Yifei, after all, was once the true leader of the Flying Hawk Squad, responsible for many people, so managing these should be no problem.


    After the tour, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan went to his office. The factory¡¯s large area included not only production workshops but also spacious office buildings. Li Yifei¡¯s director¡¯s office alone was 50 to 60 square meters, with even a suite and a small resting room with a single bed inside.


    "Wow, not bad, even a bed!" Xu Shanshan wandered around the office, then hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, delightfully happy.


    Li Yifei gently patted her bottom, "Stop fooling around; this is a factory. If someone sees us, it wouldn¡¯t be good."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Who¡¯s scared? The office door is frosted glass. We can see outside, but no one can see in. I checked earlier."


    Li Yifei said, both amused and helpless, "Why are you so keen on such things?"


    Xu Shanshan blinked, "Of course, we must be careful. How else can I carry on a secret affair with my brother-in-law without caution?"


    Li Yifei kissed Xu Shanshan lightly on her lips, "Still, you need to be cautious. Besides, your sister entrusted us with important tasks; we shouldn¡¯t let her down."


    "What¡¯s there to let down? The company belongs to Mengxin, and since Mengxin is practically yours, it¡¯s like the company is yours too. What¡¯s yours is mine, so it doesn¡¯t matter how we mess around."


    "Aren¡¯t you just being wasteful? Who ruins their own family¡¯s company?"


    "True, it does sound wasteful. But with my sister being so capable, a little squander on my part shouldn¡¯t matter."


    However, the two didn¡¯t get too close for long. If someone showed up, tidying themselves up would be too late, so they stopped early for precaution. Xu Shanshan was quite happy; working with Li Yifei daily meant plenty of intimate moments, much more than before.


    Just taking over the factory, Li Yifei had much to learn. He brought over some factory documents for thorough study, with Xu Shanshan helping alongside, also attentively reviewing.


    The duo worked until nearly the end of the day before organizing their documents, and Li Yifei expressed unexpected surprise to Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, I never thought you could work so diligently."


    Xu Shanshan proudly raised her chin, saying, "Of course, when I set my mind on something, I, Xu Shanshan, never do it poorly."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I believe you, but you seldom commit this much."


    Xu Shanshan blinked, "So, why do you think I¡¯m working so hard this time?"


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan, leaned down to kiss her once more, "Can¡¯t I guess?"


    "Then tell me." Xu Shanshan¡¯s smile deepened.


    "Of course, it¡¯s to stay with me. If you don¡¯t work well, who knows when your sister might send you away."


    "Wrong! If I don¡¯t work well, my sister will be even less willing to let me go elsewhere. At least here, you can keep an eye on me. If I perform well and my sister sees my ability, she might promote me somewhere else."


    Li Yifei looked puzzled at Xu Shanshan, "Do you want to pursue a successful career?"


    "I don¡¯t have such thoughts. Me... hee hee, I won¡¯t tell you."


    Once again, Li Yifei found it impossible to see through his sister-in-law¡¯s thoughts, always quirky and unusual, even coming up with plans and ideas beyond his comprehension.

 Chapter 788 - 826 Are there any fresh ones?

    Chapter 788: Chapter 826 Are there any fresh ones?Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had been working continuously at the factory for several days and had fully immersed themselves in their roles. Most importantly, this time Li Yifei was not as unserious as before, but worked diligently. Xu Shanshan also helped him earnestly, and each night when they returned home, the two would study the factory¡¯s work together.


    Seeing this, Xu Yingying felt truly relieved. Previously unaware of Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, Xu Yingying sometimes couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated with her husband. But after she learned of how impressive Li Yifei had been in the past, Xu Yingying became absolutely confident in him. As long as Li Yifei took things seriously, he would never fail.


    Xu Yingying was a woman with strong career aspirations, and of course, she didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to be idle every day. A good job not only gave Li Yifei something to do, but it also tied him down, preventing him from getting involved in any dangerous activities that would worry her.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s earnestness was even more surprising to Xu Yingying. In her eyes, Xu Shanshan had always been the type to not strive for improvement, but now seeing her suddenly working so hard filled Xu Yingying with joy, prompting her to praise Xu Shanshan from time to time.


    As for Xu Shanshan spending all day with Li Yifei, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t make anything of it. Her sister had lived in this house for so long, and although she was very close to her brother-in-law, Li Yifei, it was just that¡ªcloseness, nothing more. Besides, Xu Shanshan had been supportive of her and Li Yifei¡¯s relationship from the start, so how could she possibly get involved with Li Yifei?


    Xu Yingying¡¯s thoughts were natural, for how could she know that Xu Shanshan shared a unique telepathic connection with her. Therefore, Xu Shanshan did not need to possess Li Yifei, nor did she need to compete with Xu Yingying for her husband.


    With Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Li Yifei all so busy, Su Yiyi was now returning home every day, responsible for picking up the children and cooking for everyone.


    This kept Su Yiyi pretty busy, but these days she was the happiest. Now, she no longer felt that her only reason for coming here was to be intimate with Li Yifei. She felt that she finally had a place in this home, with her own responsibilities. Every day, her face bore a sweet smile, and her relationship with Xu Yingying had also become much more harmonious.


    After dinner, Li Yifei sat on the couch with Xu Yingying by his side and Xu Shanshan to one side. Little Yifei was on the living room floor, pouting her backside as she played with her toys. At this moment, Su Yiyi brought over a plate of cut fruit to the coffee table and then sat on the other side of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei spread his arms around Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi¡¯s waists, feeling indescribably content. A man with a wife and a lover living together, and getting along so well, was unquestionably rare. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In Xu Yingying¡¯s presence, Li Yifei behaving this way, Su Yiyi was also contentedly munching on fruit, picking up a piece of apple with a toothpick and feeding it to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. Li Yifei ate it, looking like a landlord enjoying his leisure.


    "Honey, I need to make a trip to Capital City tomorrow," Xu Yingying said, picking up a piece of apple herself and nibbling on it.


    "What are you doing in Capital City?" Li Yifei asked, his voice a bit loud.


    "Of course it¡¯s for work. Why such a big reaction?" Xu Yingying¡¯s words startled Li Yifei.


    "Did Mengxin ask you to go?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled.


    "I have some matters I want to discuss with Mengxin, and there¡¯s also some business there that needs my attention. I¡¯ve already contacted Mengxin, and she¡¯s agreed to my visit," Xu Yingying explained.


    In the past few days, Li Yifei had been worried about the Old Master Su but had not heard any news. If Old Master Su had asked Xu Yingying to make the trip, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t want her to go alone. He would have, at the very least, wanted to accompany her. But if it was Su Mengxin requesting the visit, there likely wouldn¡¯t be any trouble, for with Su Mengxin¡¯s character, she wouldn¡¯t let harm come to Xu Yingying.


    "What¡¯s with you today? Why are you acting so strangely?" Xu Yingying nudged Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled, "Nothing, I just feel that with everyone at home these days, it¡¯s been really nice. I¡¯ll miss you when you leave."


    "Oh, knock it off, always picking the sweet words to say," Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sideways glance. Now that she was familiar with Su Yiyi, showing affection in front of her felt natural.


    "Heh, if I didn¡¯t choose the sweetest words to say to my wife, wouldn¡¯t I be a fool? Right, Yiyi?"


    Yiyi chuckled lightly, "Yes, if you don¡¯t keep Sister Yingying happy, I won¡¯t stand for it."


    Li Yifei immediately looked up with a sigh, "It¡¯s over. Now Little Yiyi is also siding with Yingying. How am I supposed to live my days from now on?"


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi both laughed merrily, and Li Yifei¡¯s playful attitude helped Xu Yingying overlook his earlier unusual reaction.


    Making an excuse, Li Yifei went upstairs first and then called Su Mengxin to inquire about Xu Yingying¡¯s trip to Capital City.


    "My grandfather has been pretty busy recently and hasn¡¯t had the time to handle our matters. Besides, I¡¯ve been in continuous communication with him, and his tone has softened somewhat."


    "Really? Your grandfather¡¯s temper is famously stubborn and hard."


    Su Mengxin scolded playfully, "You, talking about my grandfather like that."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "I¡¯m afraid of him, that¡¯s all."


    "Okay, I will do my utmost with this matter. The Su Family depends on me for a lot right now, and my grandfather can¡¯t afford to push me too far."


    "That¡¯s a relief, I was really worried about this. If Yingying found out, I genuinely have no idea what she would do."


    "Yeah, I understand, I can¡¯t let Yingying be sad, and I can¡¯t put you in a difficult position either."


    "Thank you." Li Yifei¡¯s gratitude was sincere. As a woman, for the man she liked, it¡¯s often a bit selfish, but Su Mengxin was never like that.


    "Why are you being formal with me, Yifei, I really miss you."


    "I miss you too."


    "Next time we meet, can you take me, please?"


    "Sure!" Li Yifei replied very crisply.


    "Then I¡¯m truly looking forward to that day. I have to get myself in the best state. Don¡¯t sleep with anyone else that day, okay? I want the most vigorous man for my first time."


    "I definitely will," Li Yifei also showed a intoxicated expression.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t talk anymore, in case Yingying comes over and hears us, which wouldn¡¯t be good."


    "Mhm."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei was still squinting, imagining the wonderful scene of meeting Su Mengxin again. He was truly looking forward to it, because whenever Su Mengxin was with him, she could always be so generous, always making Li Yifei feel greatly indulged. If it really happened, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know how he would be able to enjoy himself.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s words also relieved Li Yifei¡¯s concern about Xu Yingying, which made him much more relaxed.


    The next day, Xu Yingying went to Capital City, and Su Yiyi had something at school that night and couldn¡¯t come home, so it was just Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan, and Little Yifei left at home.


    After Little Yifei went to sleep, it seemed like only Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were left in the house.


    Before dinner, Li Yifei had already called Xu Yingying. Knowing she was with Su Mengxin and nothing else had happened, he truly felt at ease.


    Sitting on the sofa, Li Yifei watched Xu Shanshan come over and sit directly on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, and said coquettishly, "Husband, it¡¯s just the two of us tonight."


    Li Yifei, with his arms around Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist, smiled and said, "Yes, we can do whatever we want."


    Xu Shanshan blinked and asked, "Really do whatever we want?"


    Li Yifei touched between Xu Shanshan¡¯s legs and quickly added, "Except actually doing ¡¯that,¡¯ of course."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s body shivered, her eyes became more enticing as she said, "Does that mean you¡¯re not satisfied?"


    "There¡¯s nothing I can do about that," Li Yifei chuckled lightly.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips came close to Li Yifei¡¯s ear, and she said in a sticky voice, "Husband, let¡¯s try something new and exciting tonight."


    "Is there still something new to try?" Li Yifei was somewhat surprised. They had done everything except for ¡¯that;¡¯ what new thing could they possibly try?


    "Of course, there is. Let¡¯s go take a shower," Xu Shanshan stood up, taking hold of Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei was truly looking forward to it and said immediately, "Sure, I¡¯m curious to see what surprise my little Shanshan has for me."


    The two didn¡¯t go upstairs but instead showered together downstairs. After all, there was still Little Yifei at home. Even if they wanted to be wild, they had to consider the child. If something happened to Little Yifei at night, they needed to be able to hear it.


    This left Li Yifei somewhat helpless but even more anticipative. What exactly did that girl Xu Shanshan want to do with him?


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 Chapter 789 - 829: I Want to Stay at Your House

    Chapter 789: Chapter 829: I Want to Stay at Your HouseThe next day, Li Yifei arrived at the factory with Xu Shanshan, and her face was full of happy smiles. Now, when she was alone with Li Yifei, they could be affectionate, though they couldn¡¯t enter from the front, it felt just as comfortable from the back. And as soon as Xu Yingying returned, she could feel the same soul-stirring sensation at night. After these two nourishing experiences, Shanshan truly looked radiant. Her every smile and frown was filled with the charming allure of a married woman. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shanshan, do you know your sister also has the same kind of telepathy as you?" Li Yifei said, touching his nose with an extremely odd expression.


    Xu Shanshan was immediately surprised and asked, "What telepathy does she have? And you know about it?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I found out just yesterday."


    "What, what? Tell me quickly," Xu Shanshan said, her face full of excitement.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "Why are you so excited?"


    "Of course, I¡¯m excited. It¡¯s so fun, knowing what kind of telepathy she has with me. Then I can tease her, hehe."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a look and said, "If you use this telepathy to tease your sister, she will kill you if she finds out."


    "Ah? What? That serious?" Xu Shanshan was startled by Li Yifei¡¯s words, but her curiosity only grew stronger.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and shook his head. "Your telepathy is the front with your sister, and yours is just..."


    Li Yifei paused, and Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed, "Hers is the back?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Correct."


    "Damn!" Xu Shanshan was stunned for a while, then suddenly let out a curse.


    Li Yifei was made to laugh by Xu Shanshan¡¯s reaction; although Shanshan was usually quite mischievous, she hardly ever swore.


    "Why are you reacting so strongly?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a look and said, "What do you think?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and replied, "I don¡¯t know."


    "Just play dumb then. If my sister has this kind of telepathy, how can I be affectionate with you at the factory during the day? What if she¡¯s in a meeting or something, wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing?"


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan¡¯s frustrated appearance and comforted her, "Then we¡¯ll just have to be a bit more restrained, won¡¯t we? Your sister is busy with lots of things and will often be away on trips. We can just do it at night then, and there won¡¯t be any problems, right?"


    Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei, rested her head against his chest and sighed, "Sigh, that¡¯s the only way then. But people just got a taste of it, and I was looking forward to this afternoon too. Now you can¡¯t be with me, how can I not be frustrated?"


    Li Yifei, holding Xu Shanshan, said, "If we do this kind of thing too often, we¡¯ll end up not feeling it as much, isn¡¯t it said ¡¯absence makes the heart grow fonder¡¯? Not doing it all the time and just doing it occasionally will make it more passionate."


    "I don¡¯t believe that. Anyway, I just want to be affectionate with you," Xu Shanshan pouted, clearly unwilling to accept it.


    Li Yifei completely understood Xu Shanshan¡¯s feelings. She was like a newly wedded wife, having savored the taste, eager for these pleasures and finding it difficult to suddenly stop.


    Gently stroking Xu Shanshan¡¯s wavy hair, Li Yifei whispered, "This isn¡¯t just about saving your sister from embarrassment now, it also has a deeper significance. What if one day your sister discovers this telepathy between you and her and it completely exposes our relationship? Have you thought about what her reaction would be then?"


    Xu Shanshan was startled and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, that would be really bad. No more, no more. Even if it kills me, I won¡¯t do it with you anymore."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s not that serious. We¡¯ll just try to be more restrained from now on, and that will definitely be the right thing to do."


    "Mhm, mhm, I¡¯ll listen to my brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan nodded again and again.


    After calming Xu Shanshan down, Li Yifei began to work, and Xu Shanshan also sat down to work. But she was clearly preoccupied. Li Yifei shook his head, knowing it would take her some time to get over this, so he didn¡¯t bring it up again.


    At half past nine, Ye Yunzhu unexpectedly brought several people to the factory. Now a Deputy County Head and overseeing industry, it was entirely normal for her to visit enterprises within the county.


    Ye Yunzhu already knew Li Yifei had come to the factory side, but had been too busy to visit these past days. Today, she finally managed to make time, although she had to come under the guise of work.


    Upon arriving at Li Yifei¡¯s office, Xu Shanshan, though she acted like a competent secretary by pouring water for everyone, still pouted when she looked at Ye Yunzhu, especially after eyeing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly, which carried Li Yifei¡¯s child.


    After discussing some work-related matters, Ye Yunzhu said, "Factory Director Li, please arrange for someone to take our people for a tour of the workshop. I have some things I¡¯d like to talk to you about."


    Li Yifei promptly asked Xu Shanshan to make the arrangements, leaving just the two of them in the office.


    "You bastard, you haven¡¯t come to see me for such a long time." As soon as the others left, Ye Yunzhu immediately began to lose her temper.


    Li Yifei sat down next to Ye Yunzhu, smiling, and gently stroked her abdomen. "I was out of town recently, didn¡¯t I tell you? When I came back, I started working at this factory right away. There¡¯s been a lot to deal with since I took over, and I¡¯ve been so busy I¡¯m dizzy. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t visited you. Besides, haven¡¯t you always wanted me to work hard? Now that I¡¯m making an effort, why are you still angry with me?"


    "Don¡¯t give me that, I used to think you lacked ambition, but now I realize how well you can skate by, you bastard. Whether you work or not, it doesn¡¯t seem to make a difference to you. And here I am, with such a big belly, and you can¡¯t even come to spend time with me. Don¡¯t you have any conscience left?"


    Li Yifei forced a smile and said, "Of course I have a conscience, but sometimes I really can¡¯t help it."


    "Hmph, I¡¯m already over six months pregnant. I¡¯m thinking of taking maternity leave."


    "Great, that¡¯s wonderful news. I¡¯ve been worried that working so hard might harm the baby."


    Ye Yunzhu looked at Li Yifei. "You agree?"


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "Of course I agree, one hundred and twenty percent."


    "Then good, you go home and tell your wife to make a room for me. I¡¯m going to live at your house."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t agree?" Ye Yunzhu crossed her arms and glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was genuinely at a loss for words. If Ye Yunzhu went to his house, he was truly afraid that she and Xu Yingying would clash. Both women had strong personalities, like two sharp swords¡ªif they came into contact, how could they not conflict?


    But with Ye Yunzhu preparing for childbirth, how could he, as the father, not be involved?


    "What¡¯s going on?" Xu Shanshan hurried back after arranging everything. She didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to spend too much time alone with Ye Yunzhu. Upon her return, seeing Ye Yunzhu looking angrily at Li Yifei while Li Yifei seemed troubled, she felt a surge of happiness inside, but pretended to be concerned and asked.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s face relaxed a bit, and she smiled at Xu Shanshan. "Shanshan, I was just discussing with your brother-in-law. I¡¯m preparing for childbirth and would like to stay at your place for a while."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes bulged. "You want to stay at my place?"


    "Yes, is that not okay?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mouth twitched. "I¡¯m afraid that really won¡¯t do. If you come to our house, won¡¯t you end up fighting with my sister? That would certainly liven things up at home."


    Ye Yunzhu said with a gentle smile, "Look at you, talking as if I were a shrew. I¡¯ve known your sister for more than a day or two. If I wanted to fight with her, we would have fought countless times by now. Besides, I¡¯m pregnant now, and I can only have this one child in my lifetime. If I fought with your sister and hurt the baby, wouldn¡¯t I be out of my mind?"


    Xu Shanshan grinned. "You two weren¡¯t living together before, and Yifei was running back and forth between you, that¡¯s why there hasn¡¯t been any serious conflict. But if you really live together, won¡¯t tongues inevitably clash with teeth? For the baby¡¯s sake, I think it¡¯s better you don¡¯t stay at our house."


    Ye Yunzhu still had a smile on her face. "I know there might be conflicts, but what does your brother-in-law do? He¡¯s made this mess; shouldn¡¯t he take responsibility? Whether your sister and I can live together peacefully and harmoniously depends on your brother-in-law¡¯s abilities."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat. "Yunzhu, let¡¯s not rush this. I really need to discuss it properly with Yingying."


    Ye Yunzhu patted Li Yifei on the shoulder. "No problem, I¡¯m not unreasonable. After all, the child in my belly is yours. If you don¡¯t want to take care of things, I can give birth on my own and raise him myself."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "Look at you, I am the child¡¯s father, of course, I can¡¯t just not care."


    "Then I¡¯ll wait for your news. I¡¯m going to apply for leave tomorrow, and I should be done in two or three days."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s implication was that she would be moving to Li Yifei¡¯s house in a couple of days, and Li Yifei would need to come to an agreement with Xu Yingying by then.


    Xu Shanshan just rolled her eyes at Li Yifei. She was actually more against the idea of Ye Yunzhu coming than Xu Yingying because if Ye Yunzhu came, even if Xu Yingying were away on business, Li Yifei would have to look after Ye Yunzhu, leaving no time to be intimate with her. To Xu Shanshan, this was absolutely unacceptable. However, with Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly now so evident, going to Li Yifei¡¯s house to prepare for childbirth made perfect sense and was hard to refuse.

 Chapter 790 - 830

    Chapter 790: 830This afternoon, plus the way home in the evening, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t show Li Yifei a good face. Li Yifei was worrying about this, so he didn¡¯t feel like coaxing her either.


    At home, when Xu Yingying saw the expressions of Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, she was quite surprised and said, "What¡¯s going on with you two?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan snorted, angrily said, "You better ask him," then stormed back to her room.


    Xu Yingying thought Li Yifei must have offended her sister somehow and laughed, "What did you do to offend her so much?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Yunzhu went to the factory today."


    "Oh? Did Yunzhu argue with Shanshan?"


    "No, Yunzhu¡¯s belly is getting bigger, and it¡¯s inconvenient for her to work, so she wanted... to come to our house to await childbirth. As a result, Shanshan wasn¡¯t happy about it," Li Yifei finished, looking guiltily at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s brows furrowed immediately, making Li Yifei even more uneasy.


    "She should come, after all," Xu Yingying exhaled a breath, looked at Li Yifei, and said, "No matter what, the child in Yunzhu¡¯s belly is yours, and you can¡¯t shirk that responsibility. Yunzhu has been quite forgiving to only now make such a request."


    "Wife, you¡¯re... not mad?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying incredulously.


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "What do you think?"


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "Then... I..."


    "Alright, I¡¯m not learning about this today. I¡¯ve known about Yunzhu having your child from the start, and I¡¯ve always been mentally prepared. Don¡¯t worry; she¡¯s heavily pregnant, and at this time, I have to give in to her a bit. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t manage, but the child is always innocent."


    "Thank you, my wife!" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but hug Xu Yingying, feeling immensely grateful.


    Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei away and said, "No need to flatter me here. I¡¯m telling you, Yunzhu can move in, but you mustn¡¯t let her stay indefinitely. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m fine with Yiyi or Xiaoyao living here; they listen to me. For anyone who threatens my position, I absolutely won¡¯t tolerate it."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, I know. Once the child is born, I won¡¯t let Yunzhu live here anymore."


    "That¡¯s up to you," Xu Yingying said as she turned and went upstairs.


    Though Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t entirely pleased with the arrangement, she hadn¡¯t blown up at Li Yifei, which was a relief for him. However, he felt even more guilty towards Xu Yingying. That evening, he served her tea, massaged her feet, ensuring she was thoroughly pampered.


    No sooner had he tended to Xu Yingying than Xu Shanshan lay on the sofa and said, "My feet are sore."


    Knowing Xu Shanshan¡¯s anger hadn¡¯t subsided, Li Yifei quickly put on a smiling face to coax Xu Shanshan. She was even harder to please than Xu Yingying. Even if he made Xu Shanshan¡¯s body comfortable with his service, she still didn¡¯t show him any good face. After all, Yunzhu moving into the house affected Shanshan more than anyone else. She had every right to be upset, especially since her relationship with Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be made public, making her anger more difficult to express.


    The third day was Saturday, and Li Yifei went to bring Yunzhu over. For the time being, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s room upstairs was vacated for Yunzhu. Since Chu Xiaoyao rarely came back, even if she did, she could stay in Su Mengxin¡¯s room or directly in Su Yiyi¡¯s room.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t often come back either, but Xu Yingying still wanted to leave a room for her as a sign of respect. Since Chu Xiaoyao was also part of the family now, they accommodated her without complaint.


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi both showed generosity at this time, helping Yunzhu tidy up the room before excusing themselves. Only Li Yifei and Yunzhu were left in the room. Yunzhu lay on the bed and playfully wiggled her feet, saying, "Help me take off my socks."


    Li Yifei sat at Yunzhu¡¯s feet, taking off her socks while smiling, "Pregnant women are indeed special. Whatever you say, I have to obey."


    Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "What? Do you find it dirty?"


    "Not at all. Don¡¯t you know how delightful this is for a man? Besides, Yunzhu¡¯s feet have never had an unpleasant smell. They even smell nice," Li Yifei said, lifting Yunzhu¡¯s foot and giving it a light kiss.


    Yunzhu¡¯s foot twitched as she contentedly closed her eyes and said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will see?"


    "She let you move in; what more can she say? Besides, making a pregnant woman happy is very beneficial for the baby¡¯s growth. Even Yingying understands that."


    "Unexpectedly, Yingying is quite reasonable. Since she treats me well, I¡¯ll get along with her."


    Li Yifei was overjoyed at hearing this, fearing any conflict between Yingying and Yunzhu. He was especially worried about Yunzhu, as she was his first love, and despite not marrying her, he had gotten her pregnant. No matter how you look at it, he owed her a lot. It would be perfectly normal for Yunzhu to have a little temper.


    "But... your sister-in-law doesn¡¯t seem to like me much. She never gives me a friendly face."


    Li Yifei awkwardly laughed and said, "Shanshan is straightforward. To her sister, you are a danger. Her attitude towards you is quite normal. Don¡¯t take it personally. Yingying and I will talk to her."


    Yunzhu pursed her lips and said, "Why should I take it personally?"


    "That¡¯s the best," Li Yifei sighed in relief.


    But then Yunzhu sharply eyed Li Yifei and said fiercely, "Be honest, do you have something going on with your sister-in-law?"


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly shook his head, saying, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense; she¡¯s my sister-in-law. A rabbit doesn¡¯t eat the grass near its burrow. How could I do anything with her?"


    Yunzhu snorted and said, "Then why did she react so strongly?"


    "She¡¯s just sticking up for her sister."


    "Is that so?" Yunzhu¡¯s eyes were still filled with skepticism.


    Li Yifei nodded affirmatively and said, "Of course it is. I¡¯ve been married to Yingying for over half a year. Shanshan has always been with us and has gotten quite close to me, but she¡¯s always treated me like a brother-in-law. You know what Yingying¡¯s personality is like. She might tolerate Yiyi and Xiaoyao, but her sister getting involved with me? No way."


    "That makes sense," Yunzhu finally believed Li Yifei.


    "Okay, since you¡¯re moving in, let¡¯s get along. I¡¯ll go cook. I need to make sure you¡¯re well-nourished during this time."


    "That¡¯s more like it. Go ahead," Yunzhu smiled at Li Yifei and extended her arm.


    Complying, Li Yifei bent down and gave Yunzhu a kiss before heading downstairs.


    "All arranged?"


    Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Su Yiyi were all downstairs. When Li Yifei came down, Xu Shanshan made a sardonic remark.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassment, Xu Yingying chided, "Shanshan, don¡¯t speak to your brother-in-law like that. Things are what they are. Your brother-in-law is also in a difficult position."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "It¡¯s because you indulge him."


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "Shanshan, it¡¯s brother-in-law¡¯s fault, but look at Yunzhu¡¯s belly. That child is also mine. Could you cut me some slack for the sake of my face?"


    Xu Shanshan huffed and said, "Why should I give you face? My sister is easygoing. You keep bringing them home one by one. If I don¡¯t help manage you, who knows how many more you¡¯ll bring back."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned pale and she lowered her head, wringing her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    Though angry, Xu Shanshan felt guilty seeing Su Yiyi like this. She quickly put her arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder and said apologetically, "Yiyi, I didn¡¯t mean you. You¡¯re so good that I¡¯ve considered you family long ago, like my own sister-in-law... oops, no, like my little sister."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly realized their relationship was hard to define.


    Xu Yingying also quickly took Su Yiyi¡¯s hand and said, "Yiyi, don¡¯t listen to Shanshan¡¯s nonsense. She says things without thinking. She¡¯s not targeting you."


    Su Yiyi forced a smile and said, "I know."


    But everyone could tell Xu Shanshan¡¯s words had hurt Su Yiyi. Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan and said, "You see, with your careless words, you hurt no one but our own family. Don¡¯t I understand my own affairs? Why do you have to make things worse?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out and said to Su Yiyi with a bitter face, "My dear Yiyi, I¡¯m truly sorry. Please, don¡¯t hold a grudge against me. People with big stomachs are forgiving. Please don¡¯t mind it. If you¡¯re upset, just hit me a couple of times, or else my sister will scold me to death later."


    Su Yiyi sensed Xu Shanshan¡¯s sincerity and realized her words weren¡¯t targeted at her. Especially seeing Xu Shanshan deliberately trying to please her made Su Yiyi feel a bit embarrassed. If not for her grievance, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t have scolded Xu Shanshan. She quickly said, "Sister Shan, I¡¯ve been overly sensitive. I¡¯m truly sorry."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Exactly, exactly, you are too sensitive. Look at yourself in our family. When have I ever glared at or pouted at you? If I were a man, I¡¯d marry you as my wife. Now, give sister a kiss." Then she really leaned in to kiss Su Yiyi¡¯s cheek.


    Su Yiyi was embarrassed and quickly dodged, but couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter. Any slight grievance immediately dissipated.

 Chapter 791 - 831 Sisters Addressing Each Other

    Chapter 791: Chapter 831 Sisters Addressing Each OtherYe Yunzhu moved in, and although Li Yifei was somewhat on tenterhooks, things did not turn out as bad as she had imagined. Xu Shanshan might have been indifferent to Ye Yunzhu, but Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi were quite friendly to her.


    After dinner, everyone was sitting in the living room resting, when Little Yifei, with her big eyes, stared at Ye Yunzhu. For her, Ye Yunzhu was a complete stranger, especially with her big pregnant belly, which made her even more curious.


    It was also Ye Yunzhu¡¯s first time being in such close contact with Little Yifei, Li Yifei¡¯s daughter. Looking at her, she could even picture the child in her own belly, so she said with a smile, "Yifei, Auntie didn¡¯t bring you a gift this time, is it okay if I make it up to you tomorrow?"


    Little Yifei glanced at Li Yifei, then at Xu Yingying, knowing they had no objections, and immediately smiled happily, "Thank you, Auntie. Auntie, why is your belly so big?"


    Ye Yunzhu, gently caressing her belly, said with a smile, "Auntie has a little baby inside."


    "Wow, there¡¯s a baby!" Little Yifei¡¯s eyes shone with surprise, and she leaned in, wanting to touch it, when Xu Yingying quickly said, "Yifei, you can¡¯t touch it recklessly."


    Little Yifei shrank back, startled, but Ye Yunzhu smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be scared, Yifei. This little one will be your little sister in the future." Ye Yunzhu had an ultrasound and had also found out through connections that she was expecting a girl.


    "Really? A little sister?" Little Yifei¡¯s curiosity was piqued once again.


    Ye Yunzhu smiled and asked, "Yes, she¡¯ll be your real little sister. How about taking care of her and playing with her later?"


    "Yes, yes!" Little Yifei clapped her hands excitedly, but then she became a little worried, "But will my sister fight with me over toys?"


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly and said, "Of course not. When the time comes, your dad will buy toys for both of you, one for each, so there¡¯s no need to fight."


    "That¡¯s good then, hehe, I¡¯ll play with her, and she has to call me sister, right?"


    "Yes, of course she has to call you sister."


    "That¡¯s fantastic, I¡¯m going to have a little sister!" Little Yifei was so excited that she danced around and then ran off.


    Su Yiyi had been watching Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly with envy all along, and Ye Yunzhu said with a smile, "Yiyi, if you¡¯re so envious, why not have one yourself?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red immediately, and she sneaked a glance at Li Yifei, murmuring, "I haven¡¯t graduated from college yet."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed, "Aren¡¯t you also a senior? Getting pregnant now, you can have the baby right after you graduate."


    Su Yiyi became even more bashful, her face flushed as she said, "I..."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sideways look and said, "Is it because Yifei here doesn¡¯t let you have a baby? Humph, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of him. Once you¡¯re pregnant, can he still not let you have it?"


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t know what to say, as she did indeed harbor thoughts of having a child with Li Yifei. Regardless of whether she could stay in this family in the future, having a symbol of Li Yifei¡¯s love would satisfy her, but she couldn¡¯t make that decision on her own. It was not just about Li Yifei; she was really afraid Xu Yingying would get angry.


    Xu Yingying chuckled and said, "Yunzhu has a point, and I think you¡¯re so envious because you do want a child. So go ahead and have one. As for the household registration and such, with a county head like Yunzhu, that¡¯s easily solved."


    Li Yifei quickly chimed in, "You two calm down, will you? Yiyi is still young, why rush to have children so soon?" S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a look and said, "You¡¯ve already brought the girl home, how can you not let her have a child? Are you afraid you can¡¯t afford it?"


    Xu Yingying joined in the support, saying, "Exactly, if Yiyi wants to have a baby, you should let her. I have no objections, so what¡¯s holding you back?"


    Li Yifei promptly raised his hands in surrender and said, "Don¡¯t gang up on me like that, as if I were bullying Yiyi. I truly believe that Yiyi is still young, and having a child so early would mean she could hardly do anything else. I want her to have some life of her own, which would make her life richer and more colorful."


    Su Yiyi also hurriedly said, "Although I really like children, Brother Li is right; I really can¡¯t have them so soon. Right now, I can take care of Little Yifei, and when Sister Yunzhu has her baby, I can help out too. If I had my own, then there would be no one to do these things at home. Sister Yunzhu and Sister Yingying are both busy with their careers and definitely won¡¯t have time to take care of the children."


    Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu exchanged glances, both flashing a look of realization. Everyone knew that Li Yifei liked Su Yiyi the most, but in terms of appearance, both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu were stronger than Su Yiyi, and in terms of ability, Su Yiyi was even less competitive. From various external conditions, Su Yiyi was not their equal, which had made both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu quite dissatisfied. Now, as Su Yiyi spoke like this, they understood a lot. Su Yiyi¡¯s love for Li Yifei involved more sacrifice, while their own love was more about possessing him. In this respect alone, they were no match for Su Yiyi.


    Having interacted more with Su Yiyi, Xu Yingying had understood this a long time ago, but it was only now that Ye Yunzhu truly realized what made Su Yiyi shine. She understood that she had not really captured Li Yifei¡¯s heart, and she felt it was just. Even if Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t there, Li Yifei would certainly marry Su Yiyi, since such a girl was indeed too suited to be a wife.


    At that moment, she also understood why, with Xu Yingying¡¯s personality, she could tolerate Su Yiyi. Such a girl, even if she were brought into the family by Li Yifei, would not threaten Xu Yingying¡¯s position as the wife and would actually add warmth to the home.


    Shaking her head, Ye Yunzhu sighed and said, "Yiyi, seeing you makes me feel that my loss is not unjust. Hehe, Yingying, I am quite envious of you now. Having Yiyi as your ally, no one can steal Yifei away from you."


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly and said, "Yiyi and I are not allies; we are simply family."


    Looking into Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, Ye Yunzhu said, "Although I can¡¯t be as gentle and considerate as Yiyi, I too want to be part of this family. Yingying, as the main wife, do you have the generosity to accept me?"


    Xu Yingying was taken aback and said hesitantly after looking at Ye Yunzhu, "Yunzhu, I¡¯m not quite sure what you¡¯re getting at."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled faintly and said, "I originally planned to steal Li Yifei away; at the very least, I believed I wouldn¡¯t lose to you. But after seeing Yiyi, I knew that was impossible. So I thought I¡¯d just stay here and content myself with being the other woman. I wonder if you could accept that?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched at Ye Yunzhu¡¯s suggestion, something completely unexpected to her, and said, "Yunzhu, stop joking. You¡¯re the County Head now, with limitless future achievements ahead. With the Ye family¡¯s backing, you could become the Mayor or even the Provincial Governor in the future. It¡¯s not about being the other woman... ah, that was a bit impolite. But even if Yifei were your husband and he had other women, it would cause you a lot of trouble."


    Gently caressing her belly, Ye Yunzhu said, "No matter how high a position I achieve, I¡¯m still a woman, and soon to be a mother. I can¡¯t let my daughter grow up fatherless. I hope she lives with her father."


    "But..."


    "Yingying!" Ye Yunzhu interrupted Xu Yingying and continued, "Regarding the impact of my presence here, I¡¯ve thought it through. If I can¡¯t marry Yifei, then I¡¯ll just remain unmarried for life. My daughter can be registered under your household, as if she were your own. That way, as she grows up, she won¡¯t be affected by having one father but several mothers."


    Xu Yingying widened her eyes, struggling to digest what Ye Yunzhu had just said.


    With a wronged expression, Ye Yunzhu said, "Yingying, I am willing to take a lower position and acknowledge you as my sister. You won¡¯t be so petty as to drive me out, will you?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head with an apologetic smile and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really not used to this. I¡¯ve always seen you as my opponent; your sudden proposition really isn¡¯t so easy for me to accept."


    "Hehe, you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll resort to some cunning plot, aren¡¯t you?" Ye Yunzhu laughed lightly and said, "You can rest assured on that front. Ye Yunzhu will compete openly and won¡¯t make you look down on me. Even before coming here, I had no such plans. But after seeing Yiyi, I suddenly realized that all this competition is pointless. If I won Yifei over, you¡¯d be hurt and if I lost, I¡¯d be resentful. Besides, it would likely hurt others too and make things difficult for Yifei. It¡¯s better for us all to be together. Hehe, but this definitely means sharing Yifei, which is still unfair to you."


    Being a CEO, Xu Yingying immediately analyzed the pros and cons and made her decision. She reached out her hand directly to Ye Yunzhu and said, "Yunzhu, welcome to our family."


    Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying shook hands, and Ye Yunzhu said, "From now on, we¡¯re sisters. As your younger sister, if I do anything wrong, you should just tell me straight, don¡¯t keep it inside."


    "That¡¯s not right; you should be my older sister."


    "You¡¯re the legitimate wife, aren¡¯t you? Of course, I should call you sister. Since our family is unlike a normal one, we need to have some rules. It¡¯s just like in officialdom; without rules, there is no Fang Yuan. With rules, we¡¯ll have less conflict in the future. So, I must call you ¡¯sister¡¯."


    With a pleasant smile, Xu Yingying said, "Then I won¡¯t be coy. Welcome, sister Yunzhu!"


    Li Yifei watched as the two quickly became sisters and felt his brain wasn¡¯t quite processing it all; his mouth hung open in shock and he couldn¡¯t close it for a long

 Chapter 792 - 832: Lover or Sister

    Chapter 792: Chapter 832: Lover or Sister"Gone silly?" Xu Shanshan tossed an orange that hit Li Yifei in the chest, her face full of dissatisfaction.


    It was then that Li Yifei finally came to his senses but still chuckled and said, "Yeah, got a little silly."


    "Hmph, you fickle carrot!" Xu Shanshan glared fiercely at Li Yifei and stormed off to the bathroom. Even though Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu had buried the hatchet, it meant one less threat for Xu Yingying, but for Xu Shanshan, there was no benefit at all. Her mood couldn¡¯t possibly be good.


    At this point, Ye Yunzhu smiled and said, "Looks like Shanshan still doesn¡¯t like me much."


    Xu Yingying laughed and said, "Don¡¯t mind her. This brother-in-law usually dotes on her too much. Now that you¡¯ve come, there¡¯s another person vying for her brother-in-law, so she¡¯s not happy."


    "Hehe... your sister and brother-in-law are really close," Ye Yunzhu teased.


    Xu Yingying felt Ye Yunzhu might have misunderstood and quickly explained, "Shanshan has some issues with her feet from dancing. It¡¯s better if they¡¯re massaged daily. Yifei used to give her massages every day after dinner. She probably thinks that with your arrival, Yifei will have even less time to massage her."


    "How could I do that? Besides, Shanshan is your sister, so she¡¯s like a sister to me too. If Yifei spoils her, I should as well. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get along well with her. I believe it won¡¯t be long before Shanshan no longer feels hostile towards me. Since I¡¯m joining this family, it¡¯s best to have a harmonious relationship with everyone."


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan came out of the bathroom and called out to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, my foot hurts." She pouted exaggeratedly and had a look that said, ¡¯come here or I won¡¯t play with you.¡¯


    "Honey, go ahead. I¡¯ll chat with Yunzhu," Xu Yingying winked and whispered, "Soothe her well."


    Li Yifei nodded, then said to Xu Shanshan, "Coming."


    "Hmmph!" Xu Shanshan huffed unhappily and stormed into her room with a flick of her hand.


    Li Yifei hurriedly followed her in and then closed the door behind him.


    Xu Shanshan lay down on the bed as soon as she entered, and Li Yifei climbed onto the bed, settled beside her legs, placing her feet on his thighs. He held her feet in his hands and said, "Shanshan¡¯s feet are not only good-looking, but they also feel great to the touch. I could caress them for a lifetime without growing tired."


    With a pout, Xu Shanshan said, "Don¡¯t try to sweet-talk me. Now you¡¯ve brought Ye Yunzhu home. My sister was easy to fool, Yiyi didn¡¯t mind, but Yunzhu¡¯s shrewd as a monkey. Can we still be as comfortable as before?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly laughed and said, "Didn¡¯t I still get to come in and massage your feet justifiably today?"


    "How is that the same? Now I have to be angry for you to come in. You wouldn¡¯t massage my feet in the living room."


    "Shanshan, I¡¯m sorry, but Yunzhu is carrying a big belly. How could I say no to her?"


    "Yes, you can¡¯t refuse now, but she has the nerve to be a mistress, and now she just sticks to our home and won¡¯t leave. She¡¯s like a glaring lightbulb. I¡¯m so irritated by her."


    Li Yifei could only offer a wry smile and said, "Yunzhu has already said she¡¯ll get along well with everyone, and she even calls your sister as ¡¯sister.¡¯ She¡¯s already making herself quite humble. Why do you still hold such a grudge against her?"


    "That¡¯s just an act. You¡¯ll have a headache soon enough. Only me, my sister, Yiyi, and oh, Mengxin really care about you."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "I know you really care about me, but have you tried to understand Yunzhu? Maybe you¡¯ll feel that she genuinely cares about me, too?"


    "Cut it out! I don¡¯t believe that," Xu Shanshan retorted with her lips pursed high.


    "Pursed your lips so high¡ªis it because you want a kiss from me?" Li Yifei teased her.


    "Yes! I do want you to kiss me," Xu Shanshan yanked Li Yifei toward her.


    Such a request, Li Yifei of course could not and dare not refuse. Xu Shanshan had been moody these past days, and naturally, he needed to cheer her up. With a lean forward, he had already kissed Xu Shanshan.


    This kiss quickly dissipated Xu Shanshan¡¯s little temper; in less than five minutes, her face flushed red, her expression became entranced, she writhed under Li Yifei, her hands wandering inside his clothes.


    But Li Yifei dared not kiss for too long. If the two of them got overly passionate, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do much about it, making it uncomfortable for both. Moreover, who knew if Xu Yingying would come in. After all, massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet was a perfectly normal thing for him to be doing, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Xu Yingying to walk in without knocking. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother-in-law, I want more," Xu Shanshan said, reluctant to part.


    Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan and smiled, "Shanshan, your sister might come in to check on you in a moment. If she sees there¡¯s something off about us, wouldn¡¯t that give us away?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted her lips, but she also knew it was very likely. Even if Li Yifei could hear Xu Yingying¡¯s footsteps in advance, it would still be impossible for them to act normal immediately. So now, all she could do was reluctantly let go of Li Yifei with a glum expression.


    Next, Li Yifei took massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot very seriously, not daring to touch her leg, as she had become increasingly sensitive. Touching her leg certainly would stir her emotions.


    Their concerns were indeed well-founded. About ten minutes later, Xu Yingying came in, closing the door behind her, and sat down directly on the edge of the bed. Xu Shanshan immediately glared at her and said, "Tell me, sis, are you out of your mind?"


    Xu Yingying gave a wry smile, glanced at Li Yifei, and said, "Do you think I have any other choice right now?"


    Shanshan was at a loss for words and snorted, "Usually, you¡¯re so decisive and strict at managing the company, not tolerating a speck of dust. Yet, you¡¯re so compromising when it comes to love. Sooner or later, you¡¯re going to suffer a huge loss."


    Li Yifei coughed lightly, and Shanshan¡¯s small foot shook a bit, kicking Li Yifei¡¯s thigh. She scowled and said, "What are you coughing for? It¡¯s all your fault."


    "Yes, yes!" Li Yifei hurriedly admitted his fault.


    Yingying sighed and said, "Alright, stop being hard on your brother-in-law. These were issues that arose before your sister and I got married. It¡¯s not his fault."


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and said, "You¡¯re becoming more and more indulgent of brother-in-law. I can¡¯t do anything with you. Do what you want, I can¡¯t be bothered anymore. Just massage my foot properly."


    Li Yifei quickly put on a smile and said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll massage it well. I won¡¯t stop until you fall asleep today, okay?"


    "That¡¯s more like it." Xu Shanshan finally brightened up.


    Xu Yingying, seeing that Xu Shanshan was not as upset anymore, then said, "Shanshan, Yunzhu has already moved in. Don¡¯t give her the cold shoulder, or it will make things difficult for both your brother-in-law and me."


    Shanshan replied nonchalantly, "I know. At worst, I¡¯ll just talk less with her."


    "We¡¯re all family now. It¡¯s difficult to avoid each other. If things get too awkward, it¡¯ll be embarrassing later on."


    "Fine! I¡¯ll smile and talk to her when I see her. Happy now?" Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes again.


    Yingying said apologetically, "I know you¡¯re doing this for me, Shanshan. I really appreciate it."


    Xu Shanshan took her sister¡¯s hand, and her other hand reached out to Li Yifei, who promptly moved over to hold it. Only then did Shanshan say, "Sis, brother-in-law, I really hope you can live happily together for the rest of your lives. Brother-in-law, with how sis treats you, you must be good to her. If you mistreat my sister, I won¡¯t let you off the hook."


    Although Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan shared a secret, he could tell that Xu Shanshan was speaking entirely from a sister¡¯s perspective, which moved him deeply. Regardless of what was between them, Xu Shanshan truly wished for him and Yingying to be happy.


    "Shanshan, don¡¯t worry. I, Li Yifei, promise you here that no matter what happens in this life, I will never leave Yingying. I¡¯ll be good to her for a lifetime."


    Yingying was deeply touched as well, her other hand joining with Li Yifei¡¯s, saying, "Husband, I will also always be with you."


    Shanshan finally smiled and said, "That¡¯s better. Alright, I don¡¯t need my brother-in-law to massage my foot anymore. With such an affectionate atmosphere, you two should just go upstairs."


    Yingying¡¯s face immediately flushed, but Li Yifei, thick-skinned, promptly stood up with Yingying, laughing, "Shanshan is right. Wife, let¡¯s go."


    "Get lost," Yingying spit at Li Yifei, "You still have plenty to do. Just stay here and massage Shanshan¡¯s foot. Tonight, you should stay with Yunzhu. It¡¯s her first day here, and you should keep her company."


    Then she shook off Li Yifei¡¯s hand and quickly left, closing the door behind her.


    Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei and said, "I meant every word I said. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m joking with you."


    Li Yifei sat down and took Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot in his hands again, saying, "I know, Shanshan. To be honest, seeing how much you care for your sister, I find myself liking you more and more."


    "I like the sound of that." Xu Shanshan smiled playfully, her eyes revealing a seductive look, "Brother-in-law, now that my sister is upstairs and there¡¯s no one to disturb us, shall we... have a go?"


    Li Yifei hesitated briefly and said, "Alright, but it has to be quick."


    "No problem," Xu Shanshan agreed readily, stripping off her clothes in an instant.


    Li Yifei also hurried over to lock the door stealthily, then returned to the bed where Xu Shanshan was already wrapping herself around him.

 Chapter 793 - 833: The Peril of the Harem

    Chapter 793: Chapter 833: The Peril of the HaremXu Yingying returned to the upstairs, first visiting Yiyi¡¯s room, where her daughter, Little Yifei, was lying in bed with Yiyi. Su Yiyi held a fairy tale storybook in her hand, telling Little Yifei a story. Nowadays, Su Yiyi stayed here every day. Little Yifei spent the most time with her because she had the most patience, which also made her Little Yifei¡¯s favorite company. They often slept together at night. Although this meant that Su Yiyi had fewer chances to be intimate with Li Yifei, at her age, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t pursue such matters too much. What mattered more to her was making Li Yifei happy. Now, being able to see Li Yifei every day and having her own things to do in this home made Su Yiyi even happier.


    After exchanging a few words with Su Yiyi and her daughter, Xu Yingying went to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room. Ye Yunzhu was already lying in bed, her belly getting bigger and bigger, becoming increasingly lazy. Seeing Xu Yingying come in, she just tried to sit up, but Xu Yingying beat her to it, sitting down by the bed and said with a laugh, "You¡¯re our family¡¯s most important person to take care of, you should just lie down."


    Ye Yunzhu giggled and said, "Don¡¯t let it be said that I don¡¯t respect you as the eldest sister."


    "Look at you, since we¡¯re all family now, how could there be so many issues? By the way, is the bed comfortable for you to sleep in? You¡¯re the County Head, and a pregnant woman at that. It won¡¯t do if we don¡¯t take good care of you."


    Ye Yunzhu joked, "Look at you, just earlier you were talking about me, and now what¡¯s this about a County Head?"


    "Yes, yes, let¡¯s not talk about that."


    When it came to Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying, both women were naturally strong-willed and career-oriented. The disharmony between them in the past was because of Li Yifei. Now that Ye Yunzhu had compromised and Xu Yingying was accommodating, whether truly or not, they had set aside their previous prejudices and become confidantes with even more topics to chat about.


    The two women were deep in conversation when Xu Yingying¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Ye Yunzhu saw it right away, asking with some confusion, "Yingying, did I say something just now to upset you?"


    "No! No!" Xu Yingying¡¯s expression grew even more peculiar.


    "Then what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Ye Yunzhu was even more puzzled.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks flushed and her eyes were sprightly with the hints of spring, yet inside she was secretly annoyed because that inexplicable sensation had once again surfaced. To continue chatting with Ye Yunzhu would surely lead to embarrassment. She quickly said, "Yunzhu, I¡¯m feeling uncomfortable in my stomach, you should rest early." Then, she hurriedly dashed out.


    "What¡¯s going on with her? I don¡¯t think I said anything over the top?" Ye Yunzhu shook her head, but she wasn¡¯t troubled by it, instead, she gently stroked her belly and said, "My daughter, for you, your mom has truly paid a lot. It¡¯s all because of your heartbreaker dad. When you grow up, you must avenge your mom."


    Xu Yingying hurried back to her bedroom, slammed the door shut with a thud, scrambled onto her bed, as that sensation was growing stronger. This made her feel an intense embarrassment. As a woman, and a married one at that, she had never imagined that sensation could be found in what she considered the dirtiest part of her body. It was an unthinkable thought for someone as traditional as her.


    Yet, there was an intense pleasure similar to the feeling Li Yifei gave her during their intimacies. Wave after wave of pleasure struck her nerves, making her want to cry out as she usually did, but her sense of modesty made her resolutely resist this pleasure. These conflicting feelings gave her an indescribable sensation. All she could do was bite hard into her pillow, keeping herself from making any noise.


    As a more intense pleasure arrived, Xu Yingying¡¯s body finally relaxed, sighing deeply, and feeling utterly drained.


    After resting for just a few minutes, Xu Yingying struggled to get out of bed. She didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to see her like that, ashamed to death. She hurried into the bathroom, filled the bathtub with water, and sat down in it. After soaking in the hot water, she began to regain some strength.


    But her mind kept replaying that sensation, recalling the words Li Yifei had said, which made her feel even more shy. "This guy, when he said that the other day, it was clearly because he wanted to try it too. How could that be okay? How could I let him go there? And with his thing being so big, wouldn¡¯t it burst through if he went in..."


    The more Xu Yingying thought about it, the shyer she felt, deciding that such an act was absolutely off-limits. Yet, that sensation also truly made her feel an impulse to give it a try. But it was just an impulse after all. For Xu Yingying, such an activity was still too embarrassing to accept.


    By the time Li Yifei came upstairs, Xu Yingying had returned to normal. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t detect any particular reaction on her face, and although he knew Xu Yingying was pretending, how could he foolishly expose her? Wouldn¡¯t that reveal that he was aware of when she had such reactions, or even suggest that he could control it?


    "Weren¡¯t you supposed to visit Yunzhu? Why did you run over here again?" Xu Yingying really felt she couldn¡¯t face Li Yifei at that moment and immediately glared at him, pretending to be angry.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Aren¡¯t you the chief wife? Of course, I have to keep you company."


    "Get out of here, I¡¯m tired today. Besides, it¡¯s Yunzhu¡¯s first day here, and she¡¯ll feel neglected if you don¡¯t accompany her. Hurry over there; if you don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll be truly upset." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go, okay?" Li Yifei took the chance to escape, promptly agreeing and "fearfully" rushed to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room.


    Xu Yingying finally breathed a sigh of relief. In her heart, however, she considered whether she should visit the hospital tomorrow to cure this "problem," but the thought of discussing such an embarrassing matter with a doctor was impossible to voice. After much deliberation, she could only keep it to herself, hoping this feeling wouldn¡¯t come and go so unpredictably.


    After closing the door, Li Yifei came to Ye Yunzhu¡¯s bedside. Ye Yunzhu moved over slightly and said with a smile, "You¡¯re really something, aren¡¯t you? I just got here, and you¡¯ve already run into my room. Aren¡¯t you afraid your wife will be jealous?"


    Li Yifei took off his clothes, crawled into the covers, and hugged Ye Yunzhu close, gently caressing her belly, and said, "Actually, you¡¯ve just always had a preconception against Yingying. Haven¡¯t you seen that Yiyi is also here, and how well she¡¯s doing?"


    "Well, that¡¯s true. I never would have thought Yingying could be so magnanimous. I definitely can¡¯t compete with her in that regard. Who could blame me? I was your first love, and in my heart, you were supposed to be only mine. Sharing you with someone else is always a bit uncomfortable, isn¡¯t it?"


    "And now?"


    "It¡¯s better now. If Yingying can do it, naturally I can do it too. I won¡¯t lose to her. It¡¯s just that you, this guy, are getting a bargain out of it. Now with someone on each arm and two on your thighs, must be pretty nice, huh?"


    What Ye Yunzhu referred to as someone on each arm and two on the thighs naturally meant her and Xu Yingying, as well as Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Look at that expression on your face, are you really looking forward to that happening?" Ye Yunzhu asked with another smile.


    Li Yifei, however, grimaced and said, "No, no." This was because Ye Yunzhu had already pinched the soft flesh at his waist. If he didn¡¯t say the right thing, the consequences were clear. Even though he quite yearned for such a situation in his heart, he dared not agree.


    Only then did Ye Yunzhu let go of her grip and said, "At least you know what¡¯s good for you. Let me tell you, don¡¯t think just because I¡¯ve moved in, you can do as you please with me. If you¡¯re thinking about any big communal sleeping arrangements, I won¡¯t agree to it."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "Where would I have such thoughts? Just having all of you by my side is enough for me. I¡¯m not like Yang Guang, that tyrannical idiot of an emperor."


    "Speaking of which, I¡¯m really curious. With Yiyi and Yingying both living here, how do you usually choose whose room to stay in? And what about when Xiaoyao comes back, how will you arrange it? Now that I¡¯m here too, what then?"


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "There¡¯s not really a choice; it¡¯s just whoever comes to mind, that¡¯s where I go. Yingying doesn¡¯t mind about this, and Yiyi is even less likely to argue. Xiaoyao rarely comes back, and when she does, I spend more time with her. But so far, I haven¡¯t been with Xiaoyao in that way; she¡¯s still untouched."


    "No way?" Ye Yunzhu looked at Li Yifei in surprise, disbelief in her voice, "How is that possible?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "In the past, Xiaoyao used to be quite reckless, and I thought she was too young, so I never agreed. I thought she would find her true love someday and didn¡¯t want to give her future man any reason to be troubled. After her parents passed away, I started taking care of her more. Now, I find it difficult to let her be with someone else."


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly and said, "I really admire you for that. Xiaoyao is at the prime of her youth, a great attraction for men."


    Li Yifei just laughed and said nothing more.


    "However... I feel like these things need to be arranged. In the short term, everyone might not have objections, but over time, if you spend more time with one and less with another, won¡¯t that lead to conflicts?"


    "Really?" gasped Li Yifei, disbelieving.


    "What do you mean, ¡¯really¡¯? I¡¯ve seen a lot of this. We have it in the Ye family. Constant quarreling, it¡¯s so annoying. So you have to handle this well."


    Li Yifei grinned wryly and said, "I really don¡¯t know what to do then. Am I supposed to roll dice like Wei Xiaobao?"


    "Get out of here with that, I¡¯m trying to be serious, and you¡¯re spouting nonsense. It¡¯s all about being fair, showing no favoritism. Otherwise, if you treat one better and another worse, resentment will build over time. And once there are children involved, women will lean towards their own kids even more, and then there will be even more disputes. Haven¡¯t you seen how it was with famous people in the past? Having a lot of wives never meant peace. Even the emperor had it tough, didn¡¯t he? The harem was still full of strife, even deadlier. You wouldn¡¯t want our home to become a scene of armed conflict, would you?"


    Li Yifei shivered involuntarily and said, "That won¡¯t happen, will it? Yingying¡¯s so open-minded now, and Yiyi is so gentle. Even if you have a temper, surely it wouldn¡¯t come to that, right?"


    "You, you¡¯re such a hopeless case," snapped Ye Yunzhu, immediately pinching Li Yifei in annoyance.


    Li Yifei quickly said, smiling, "I¡¯m just joking. My dear Yunzhu, don¡¯t you see how thoughtful you are being for me? But really, I¡¯m clueless when it comes to the conflicts that arise among you women. Even if you ask me to think of a way, I don¡¯t have one."

 Chapter 794 - 834: Arrival of the Saintess

    Chapter 794: Chapter 834: Arrival of the SaintessYe Yunzhu tilted her head in thought and said, "Alright then, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about this. I¡¯ll discuss it with Yingying later to see how we should handle this, and then we¡¯ll decide on what you should do."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Actually, it¡¯s not that complicated. Xiaoyao, Yiyi, and I often spend time together. My physique is definitely not an issue. I can take care of two in one night and absolutely ensure both of you are completely satisfied."


    This time, instead of getting angry or joking with Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu seriously said, "I know you¡¯re as strong as a donkey, but for a woman, it¡¯s not just about the sex. It¡¯s whether or not you can be with them, and this is often more important than sex. Like for me, I would now be more satisfied if you could just hold me every day."


    Seeing Ye Yunzhu like this, Li Yifei also became more serious, "Then this matter is indeed a bit troublesome."


    "Yes, so we need to discuss it well to make it acceptable for everyone. No one should harbor any grievances later. Besides, in a few years, your body may not be as strong as it is now. What about in ten, twenty years? When you¡¯re in your forties and your physical condition declines, while at the same time women¡¯s demands increase, will you still be able to satisfy us then?"


    Li Yifei was momentarily stunned, then he gave a wry smile and said, "That¡¯s really something. By that time, you guys will be like hungry tigresses, and I¡¯ll be doomed. I might indeed be drained dry by you all."


    "Hmph, serves you right for getting involved with so many people. You¡¯ll have your share of suffering then."


    "Alright, alright, then I¡¯ll start exercising every day to ensure that I¡¯m as strong before fifty as I am now. Otherwise, if I can¡¯t satisfy my women and they go out and cheat on me, I¡¯ll really die a tragic death."


    "Hmph, if you can¡¯t satisfy me by then, I¡¯ll definitely make you wear a big, dark green hat."


    "Then I¡¯ll make sure to feed you well every day."


    After a few jokes, Ye Yunzhu squinted her eyes and pondered. After a while, she suddenly sat up and said, "You sleep by yourself tonight. I¡¯m going to sleep with Yingying." Saying that, she put on her nightgown and headed out.


    "Hey, hey, that¡¯s not fair. I came here especially to keep you company," Li Yifei said in frustration.


    "We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow." After that, Ye Yunzhu actually walked out, and soon Li Yifei heard Xu Yingying¡¯s surprised voice, followed by the sound of a door closing. Ye Yunzhu had indeed gone into Xu Yingying¡¯s room.


    There was definitely no use in going to Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room; they would surely not let him in. Su Yiyi was currently sleeping with Little Yifei, so he couldn¡¯t go there either. Xu Shanshan¡¯s room was an option, but sneaking there now would be problematic if Ye Yunzhu came back, so Li Yifei obediently slept alone in the room.


    The next day was the weekend, and everyone was still at home. Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu got up very late, and they both clearly had dark circles under their eyes, obviously having not slept well. Upon seeing Li Yifei, both gave him a cold look.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "My ladies have had it tough."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei again and said, "Looking at how pleased you are with yourself, I really want to beat you up."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately said, "Big sister, I fully support you with that. Do you need me to get you a stick?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Why bother with a stick? Your husband has what you need right here."


    "You jerk!" Even after being married to Li Yifei for so long, Xu Yingying still couldn¡¯t take it and blushed furiously.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s skin was obviously thicker than Xu Yingying¡¯s. She hummed and said, "We both take your concerns into consideration, so if you don¡¯t deal with it properly in the future, then we¡¯re truly at a loss."


    "Absolutely! I will definitely follow my wives¡¯ arrangements and ensure our home remains harmonious and joyful for everyone."


    "Stop that insincere grinning, and adjust your attitude," Ye Yunzhu scolded while glancing sharply at him, but feeling she was becoming too domineering, she quickly turned to Xu Yingying and added, "Big sister, to deal with someone whose skin is as thick as his, you have to be even tougher."


    Xu Yingying let out a light cough and said, "Right, you need to present a proper attitude to me."


    "Yes, ma¡¯am!" Li Yifei rubbed his nose, acknowledging that when these two women teamed up, they were indeed formidably powerful. He was really in for it.


    Once they saw Li Yifei¡¯s attitude had improved, the two women strutted downstairs triumphantly, and Li Yifei, watching them go, realized they hadn¡¯t actually told him the result of their discussion yet.


    But no matter what the two of them had decided, it was a great thing for Li Yifei. He had always been worried because of Ye Yunzhu. Ignoring her would be a betrayal, while catering to her would hurt Xu Yingying. Now that Ye Yunzhu had moved in and was getting along with Xu Yingying like sisters, this complicated issue was instantly resolved.


    Whistling, Li Yifei descended the staircase, and by this time Su Yiyi had already prepared breakfast, and everyone sat down to eat together.


    Ye Yunzhu took a bite of the fried egg and said, "It¡¯s great here, having breakfast every day. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had such a comfy breakfast."


    Su Yiyi smiled happily and said, "Sister Yunzhu, if there¡¯s anything you want to eat, just tell me, and I¡¯ll make it for you. If I can¡¯t make it well, there¡¯s still Brother Li. You really need to ensure you¡¯re getting good nutrition now."


    Ye Yunzhu, quite moved, said, "Thank you, Yiyi."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and said, "What¡¯s there to thank me for? You¡¯re our family¡¯s top priority right now. Oh, by the way, Sister Yunzhu, shouldn¡¯t we start getting things ready for the little baby?"


    Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "Isn¡¯t it too early for that? There are still two or three months to go."


    Xu Yingying became excited all of a sudden and said, "How can it be too early? You can¡¯t buy everything all at once. Besides, in a while, your belly will be even larger, and it won¡¯t be convenient for you to go out shopping. It¡¯s better to buy them early, and today¡¯s the weekend, so we have nothing to do. Let¡¯s go shopping together." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Xu Yingying said so, and was rarely so enthusiastic about shopping, Li Yifei naturally agreed wholeheartedly. After breakfast, everyone left the house together.


    This time they specifically went to baby stores. Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and Su Yiyi were all very excited, while Li Yifei was responsible for keeping an eye on Little Yifei, to make sure she didn¡¯t get lost. Xu Shanshan happened to be with Li Yifei. The two of them each held one of Little Yifei¡¯s hands, looking like a family of three.


    "Turns out there are so many perks to being pregnant. I think you should get my sister pregnant earlier." Watching Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi hovering around Ye Yunzhu, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but murmur.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course I don¡¯t mind if your sister wants to have children. Isn¡¯t it she who doesn¡¯t want children now?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "My sister is really silly. If it were me, I would have already had children with you." As she said this, Xu Shanshan suddenly leaned closer to Li Yifei¡¯s ear and whispered, "Do you think it would be possible to get pregnant from behind?"


    Li Yifei burst out laughing and said, "What do you think?"


    Xu Shanshan also laughed out loud. Even though her body was special, the fundamentals of being a woman wouldn¡¯t change. How could she possibly become pregnant that way?


    As they were enjoying their conversation, a woman walked in. The noisy atmosphere of the store quieted down instantly, then went completely silent. Even though all the customers were women, they were all stunned by the entrance of the blonde, blue-eyed foreign woman and watched her subconsciously.


    She wore an ivory-colored coat that fell just below her knees, with only a small portion of trousers visible, and a pair of light-colored flat leather shoes on her feet. Her figure was graceful, and her face was exquisitely beautiful, matched with an indescribable aura of sanctity that dazzled onlookers.


    Beauty knows no borders. Even in Huaxia where people are predominantly of Asian descent, the sight of this fair-skinned, blonde beauty forced everyone to acknowledge her allure. Most of all, it was her temperament that resembled an angel, evoking a sense of being baptized just by looking at her, purging any indecent thoughts as if doing so would desecrate her.


    It took a while for the crowd to come back to their senses. A sales clerk hurriedly approached and stuttered in English, "Can I help you?"


    "Thank you, I can speak Chinese," the angelic beauty replied with a smile that seemed to brighten the entire baby goods store with a sacred glow.


    "Then... then is there anything can I help you with?" the sales clerk asked, still stuttering. It wasn¡¯t because she was fawning over a foreigner; rather, she felt unworthy in the presence of such beauty and was almost moved to worship.


    "Thank you, I¡¯m just looking around," the blonde beauty smiled again.


    "Then... then please feel free to look around."


    The blonde beauty took a few steps inside the store and then said to the sales clerk, "I¡¯d like to buy a gift for a friend of mine who¡¯s about to have a baby, just like her." She pointed at Ye Yunzhu.


    The sales clerk quickly responded, "Alright, alright, we have many things suitable for expectant mothers, as well as many items for newborns."


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable about the blonde beauty using her as an example, and neither did Xu Yingying nor Su Yiyi. But Li Yifei¡¯s head swelled at that moment because this woman was none other than that saintess. She had actually come all the way here.


    For now, the saintess didn¡¯t come to speak to him or show any sign of recognizing him. Even though this prevented Li Yifei from immediate trouble, he knew very well that the saintess herself was a big problem. If she stayed here, who knew what might happen.

 Chapter 795 - 835: Lay It All Out

    Chapter 795: Chapter 835: Lay It All Out"Brother-in-law, do you know this woman?" Xu Shanshan had been by Li Yifei¡¯s side and was also stunned by the beauty of the woman, but quickly noticed the strange expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face and immediately asked in a low, alert tone.


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "I do. She¡¯s big trouble." The Holy Maiden had arrived, and even though she hadn¡¯t spoken to him yet, it was only a matter of time before this could no longer be concealed. Moreover, he didn¡¯t feel guilty about this matter, and he was certain that this Saint wouldn¡¯t resort to extreme measures against Xu Yingying and the others. He wasn¡¯t worried about their safety, so it was even more important to deal with this issue together with them.


    "Damn brother-in-law, are you even capable anymore? You¡¯ve even hooked up with someone abroad." Xu Shanshan was instantly both angry and annoyed, pinching Li Yifei harshly. It wasn¡¯t just about jealousy; the golden-haired, blue-eyed beauty instilled a strong sense of insecurity in Xu Shanshan.


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I don¡¯t have anything to do with her, but I guess she¡¯s going to cling to me non-stop," Li Yifei explained in a soft voice.


    "Really? Nothing at all?" Xu Shanshan asked incredulously.


    "Really, if I¡¯m lying and you expose me later, what would that make me?"


    "Well, that¡¯s not too bad then," Xu Shanshan immediately showed a smile but still asked cautiously, "So what exactly is the deal with that woman and you?"


    "It¡¯s not something I can explain in a sentence or two. I¡¯ll tell you about it when we get home. I¡¯m going to greet her now. If she pretends, I won¡¯t play along," Li Yifei said, patting Xu Shanshan on the shoulder before heading straight towards the Holy Maiden.


    "You¡¯re here already?" Li Yifei stood in front of the Holy Maiden, his face bearing a mocking smile.


    "Huh, you actually initiated a conversation with me. I was afraid of bothering you and your family, so I didn¡¯t greet you," the Holy Maiden said, her face breaking into a sweet smile.


    All at once, the people in the store turned their gaze towards Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden. The store wasn¡¯t filled with only women, of course; there were men too, and although they couldn¡¯t help but look at the Holy Maiden, no one had the nerve to approach and greet her.


    When Li Yifei walked up to the Holy Maiden, the store fell silent, so even though their voices weren¡¯t loud, everyone could hear them clearly. To their surprise, the two were acquainted, and everyone¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment. To know someone like the angelic beauty of a Saint was considered a supreme honor.


    At this time, Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu both felt very uncomfortable, but neither followed him because Li Yifei¡¯s attitude towards that woman was clearly bad, and they still didn¡¯t understand what was going on between them.


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "This place isn¡¯t suitable for you, and I don¡¯t welcome you. You should go back to where you belong."


    The Holy Maiden still wore that sweet smile and said, "How can I know if it¡¯s not suitable for me if I don¡¯t try? Besides, I¡¯m very persistent in what I do. I absolutely won¡¯t give up without achieving my objective."


    "You definitely won¡¯t succeed. I already have the person I like," Li Yifei said, moving towards Xu Yingying and the others.


    Directly, Li Yifei said, "This is my wife Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and Su Yiyi. Yunzhu is even about to give birth. Do you really think you stand a chance?"


    Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, and Su Yiyi were all taken aback at the same time, and also felt a bit embarrassed. This was the first time Li Yifei had so openly introduced the relationship between them, and they clearly felt the strange looks from the other people in the store.


    But Li Yifei¡¯s words also let Xu Yingying and the others know that this woman wanted to cling to Li Yifei, yet Li Yifei did not hold her in high regard, and he wanted them to stand united with him.


    Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu reacted quickly, each taking one of Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Xu Yingying said to the Holy Maiden, "Hello, may I know what misunderstanding my husband has with you?"


    The way Li Yifei spoke was already quite shocking, but the reaction of Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu was even more jaw-dropping. The patrons of the store were all stunned; the men were incredibly envious of Li Yifei¡¯s luck with women, speculating that he must be a truly exceptional Mr. Tall, Rich and Handsome to have so many women following him; while the women felt somewhat contemptuous towards Li Yifei and the others for being so frank about such matters¡ªit was truly against the heavens.


    The Holy Maiden still wore that sweet smile and said, "I know, I¡¯m only seeking love and have no need to compete with you all."


    Li Yifei said sternly, "I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t ever like you."


    "I know you won¡¯t like me now, but you have no right to prevent me from liking you, and the fact that so many women like you proves all the more that you have likable qualities."


    These words from the Holy Maiden made Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu very uncomfortable. Yunzhu, frowning, interjected, "Madam, please have some dignity; this is Huaxia."


    "I know you harbor hostility toward me, and I don¡¯t expect you to understand, but I will do things my way. I won¡¯t bother you anymore, Yifei, I will definitely fall in love with you, and you will definitely fall in love with me," she said. After that, the Holy Maiden gave Li Yifei another charming smile and drifted away.


    The Holy Maiden¡¯s act dampened everyone¡¯s mood, and soon, they left the shop under the strange gazes of the other customers.


    In the car, since Little Yifei was present, no one said much. But the moment they got home, and Little Yifei was sent to play elsewhere, they began to interrogate Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was straightforward, "This woman is the Holy Maiden of a Holy War Organization in America, the highest leader of that organization. She has countless followers in America. You might even say she¡¯s like an underground president of the United States."


    "What?" Everyone was stunned, not expecting the Holy Maiden to have such a significant background.


    Li Yifei continued, "It¡¯s a tradition for the Maidens of this organization to undergo a love tribulation to become an even stronger Holy Maiden. They have to fall in love with a man and then abandon him. By doing so, they can truly cut off their emotional ties. And for some reason, this woman has set her sights on me." He didn¡¯t mention that the Holy Maiden also had to kill someone in the end as he didn¡¯t want to worry the family. And he didn¡¯t believe, with his attitude towards the Holy Maiden, that she would be successful.


    "Isn¡¯t that a bit too bizarre?" even Ye Yunzhu, who came from a prominent family, had never heard of such a thing. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "I only found out a few days ago. I thought it wasn¡¯t real until she showed up on my doorstep."


    Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu were just beginning to realize how troublesome this Holy Maiden was. Xu Yingying frowned and asked, "So what are you planning to do?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "I¡¯ll just cold-shoulder her. No matter what she does, I simply won¡¯t engage with her. I don¡¯t believe I can fall in love that way, and if she can¡¯t fall in love with me, she¡¯ll just have to leave dejectedly in the end."


    Ye Yunzhu frowned slightly, "But didn¡¯t you say her organization is very powerful? What if provoking her leads her to do something drastic?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "I don¡¯t think that will happen. Even if it does, I have nothing to fear. The Holy War Organization¡¯s reach isn¡¯t long enough to stretch into Huaxia."


    After Xu Shanshan understood the situation, her eyes darted around and she sneaked back to her room to call Su Mengxin.


    "Sister Mengxin, big trouble," Xu Shanshan exaggerated as soon as the call connected.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Su Mengxin was quite calm, able to tell from Xu Shanshan¡¯s tone that there was nothing particularly urgent.


    "A blonde foreign beauty from the Holy War Organization in America has come here and is actually chasing after our brother-in-law."


    "The Holy Maiden... she has taken a liking to Yifei?" The news surprised Su Mengxin, who was well aware of who the Holy Maiden was, but unaware of the affair of the Holy Maiden¡¯s heart demon. Hearing that the Holy Maiden was pursuing Li Yifei was quite astonishing to her.


    "It¡¯s not just liking, it seems she needs to overcome some sort of heart demon, and she¡¯s chosen our brother-in-law for that. She intends to make him fall for her, and her for him. I fear for my sister and Yunzhu who don¡¯t look quite the match for the Holy Maiden. If you don¡¯t step in, this problem might not be easily resolved," said Xu Shanshan.


    Unable to help herself, Su Mengxin laughed, "Heart demon, that sounds a bit like a fantasy novel, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Exactly, but that¡¯s what brother-in-law said, and he didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Sister Mengxin, you should come quickly. My sister and the others could easily be outmatched. That woman is truly... too beautiful, like an angel. Only you, an ethereal fairy, can compete with her. Let¡¯s have a battle between the fairy of Huaxia and a foreign angel. Let her lose her wings and crawl back where she came from."


    "Hehe, alright, I¡¯ll hurry over once I¡¯ve wrapped things up here."


    After hanging up, Su Mengxin narrowed her eyes, looking quite amused. She was very clear about who the Holy Maiden was. Both women were known as the current era¡¯s two great beauties in high society circles. Even though they hadn¡¯t met in person, Su Mengxin considered them as spirit acquaintances. What she hadn¡¯t expected was for their first encounter to involve Li Yifei, an intriguing twist.


    Whether it was Xu Yingying or Ning Xin¡¯er, Su Mengxin had never considered any of the women around Li Yifei as her rivals before, but she made an exception for this Holy Maiden. With such an opponent, Su Mengxin was invigorated at the prospect of a showdown.


    "Holy Maiden, let¡¯s see then who will emerge victorious in the end," Su Mengxin murmured with an indiscernibly rich smile on her face.

 Chapter 796 - 836: Old Master Su Arrives

    Chapter 796: Chapter 836: Old Master Su ArrivesOn Monday, Xu Yingying arrived at the company just like any other day to handle the matters at hand, when her secretary came in to report that an elderly person, who had come from the Capital City, wanted to see her. However, the visitor¡¯s identity was not disclosed.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t think much of it, assuming it might be a client, so she instructed the secretary to let the visitor in. Shortly after, a man in his seventies entered, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, followed by two muscular men. With a gesture from the old man, the two bodyguards positioned themselves by the door and closed it once he was inside.


    Although Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t see the old man¡¯s face, the air of importance around him was unmistakable. She promptly stood to greet him, saying, "Good day, sir. I am Xu Yingying."


    The elder took off his hat, revealing an imposing face that radiated authority without anger. He simply looked at Xu Yingying without speaking.


    Xu Yingying, upon seeing the old man, was struck by a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn¡¯t quite place him.


    "I am Su Fuguo," the elder introduced himself slowly.


    "Su Fuguo... Ah... Vice Premier Su!" Xu Yingying finally recognized the man. He was none other than the country¡¯s Vice Premier, the patriarch of the Su family. She was suddenly flustered, struggling with her words to the point of not being able to offer him a seat.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Aren¡¯t you going to offer me a seat?" Su Fuguo¡¯s expression remained genial.


    "Please, have a seat! Vice Premier Su, take a seat!" Xu Yingying managed to compose herself and hurriedly invited Su Fuguo to sit down, then stood across from him, unsure of where to rest her hands.


    Waving his hand dismissively, Su Fuguo said, "Please sit. I am here to see you not as the Vice Premier on inspection, nor as the helmsman of the Su family to check on the company, but simply as Su Mengxin¡¯s grandfather."


    Xu Yingying listened, baffled and tense, not fully grasping the meaning of Su Fuguo¡¯s words. Nonetheless, she obediently took a seat opposite him, barely perching on the edge of her chair.


    Su Fuguo looked at Xu Yingying and said slowly, "I have learned a bit about you. I understand that you are a very capable young woman, and the company has been thriving under your management."


    "You flatter me, Elder Su," Xu Yingying finally began to relax a little. Since he had come as Su Mengxin¡¯s grandfather, it seemed more personable to address him as Elder Su. However, she still had no idea why Su Fuguo would visit her in such a capacity.


    Su Fuguo nodded slightly in approval of Xu Yingying¡¯s response before continuing, "You are a good kid. Normally, I shouldn¡¯t intervene in young people¡¯s matters, as you should make your own decisions. But considering the significant influence of the Su family in Huaxia, and Mengxin¡¯s crucial role in our family, I am compelled to get involved."


    "Elder Su... I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean," Xu Yingying said with a puzzled look.


    Sighing, Su Fuguo explained, "I¡¯ll just be frank then. Our Mengxin, she has taken a liking to Yifei and insists on being with him."


    "Ah?" Xu Yingying gasped in shock, then vehemently shook her head, exclaiming, "That¡¯s impossible, absolutely impossible."


    "Do you think I would lie to you?" Su Fuguo asked calmly.


    Xu Yingying froze. As a national Vice Premier, Su Fuguo had no reason to lie to her, but... how could Su Mengxin possibly like Li Yifei?


    "I can understand your disbelief. Mengxin has always had a good relationship with you. But if you think about it, with her current capabilities, she could have established a company anywhere. So why choose Mile City? With her numerous companies, why does she always stay in Mile City?"


    "You... you¡¯re saying... all this is because of... Yifei?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice was hoarse, the idea not new to her but always feeling surreal. Given Su Mengxin¡¯s lofty status, it seemed inconceivable for her to be paired with someone like Li Yifei. Yet when this assertion came from Su Fuguo¡¯s lips, the connections became clear, and she knew Mengxin¡¯s motives were indeed for Yifei.


    "Mengxin is also a very sentimental person. Seeing how close you and Yifei were, she never revealed her feelings, even willing to be content as a mistress or second wife, not wanting to disturb your relationship. However... while she might think this way, it wouldn¡¯t be suitable for our Su family, or for our country, to become the butt of jokes. Think about it, Mengxin is influential worldwide. If she becomes Yifei¡¯s mistress and word gets out, imagine the consequences."


    "This... this..." Xu Yingying sat there, overwhelmed, tears streaming down her face onto her legs, seemingly numb to their touch, too stunned to stop them.


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come to you today, to discuss and suggest that you divorce Yifei, and then let Mengxin marry him. Whether you continue your relationship with Yifei is for you two to decide; we won¡¯t interfere anymore."


    "Divorce..." Xu Yingying felt as if struck by lightning, her mind going blank.


    "Of course, I¡¯m not forcing you. I believe that this resolution would be for the best. If you agree, you can still live with Yifei afterward. Mengxin certainly has the capacity for such an arrangement. If you¡¯re unwilling, I won¡¯t force you. But I will make absolutely sure that Mengxin has no further contact with Yifei. Our Su family cannot afford such a loss of face, and our nation wouldn¡¯t allow such a scandal to happen."


    Right then, Xu Yingying just sat there, her tears continuously falling as her face wet with them, but she felt almost nothing, unable to stem the flow.


    Su Fuguo sighed and said, "I know this is very unfair to you, but you also need to consider my position as a grandfather, and additionally, I have to consider our nation¡¯s reputation."


    It was then that Xu Yingying shook her head slightly, tears flying in all directions. She lifted her head to wipe her eyes, revealing a forced smile, and said, "Elder Su, I know what I should do now."


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s utterly heartbroken look, Su Fuguo knew what decision she had made. He stood up and said to her, "Then, I thank you here."


    "I dare not accept thanks, I dare not!" Xu Yingying quickly stood up and wiped her eyes again, managing a bitter smile, and said, "I really had no idea Mengxin and Yifei had such a history. If I had known earlier, I would have stepped back sooner. I¡¯ve always admired Mengxin, and now my admiration for her has grown even more. I like Yifei, and I just wanted him to be with me, but Mengxin, considering our sisterly bond, never mentioned anything. If she can do it, why can¡¯t I? I¡¯ve already been so satisfied being Yifei¡¯s wife for so long."


    "You really are a good child. Rest assured, our Su Family will not treat you unfairly. This company will be transferred directly into your name."


    "No, no!" Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "Elder Su, Xu Yingying isn¡¯t stepping back for any benefits. I respect Mengxin, so I also think that Mengxin and Yifei are more suitable together. Mengxin can make Yifei shine even brighter, so I can¡¯t accept the company."


    "Well then, I won¡¯t insist," he said. "But you can still continue to live with them, just without the official title. However, our Su Family will consider you as one of our own."


    "Thank you, Elder Su, let¡¯s talk about this matter later," she replied.


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll be going," Su Fuguo nodded, donning his wide-brimmed hat.


    Xu Yingying walked Elder Su out, and when they reached the company¡¯s front entrance, he stopped and said to her, "This is far enough."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Then I won¡¯t see you out any further, Elder Su."


    Su Fuguo nodded, got into the car, and departed. Xu Yingying stood there, motionless for a long time. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "President Xu!" A very familiar voice rang out beside her. Xu Yingying¡¯s body shuddered, her eyes quickly refocusing, and she slowly turned around to see Li Yifei approaching her.


    Taking a deep breath, Xu Yingying tried to compose herself, but her nose tingled, and tears involuntarily began to flow.


    Li Yifei dashed over in a few quick strides, stabilizing Xu Yingying, and asked urgently, "What happened to you?"


    "Nothing... nothing," Xu Yingying quickly pushed Li Yifei away, wiped her eyes, and tried to smile, but the smile was indescribably mournful.


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened as he asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Nothing... really, it¡¯s nothing," said Xu Yingying, shaking her head in a fluster.


    Li Yifei looked intently at Xu Yingying, who dared not meet his gaze, saying in panic, "I¡¯m going inside first," as she tried to escape into the company.


    But Li Yifei caught hold of Xu Yingying. She tried to struggle, but it was like a chick caught by a hawk, utterly futile, until she was seated in Li Yifei¡¯s car.


    "Tell me, what exactly happened?" Li Yifei asked sternly.


    Xu Yingying bit her lip, turned to look at Li Yifei with misty eyes, and said, "Husband, let¡¯s... let¡¯s get a divorce." The words "get a divorce" felt like a knife slicing through her heart as they left her lips.


    "Why?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t get angry but instead held Xu Yingying¡¯s hand very gently and said, "Give me a reason."


    "I... You like so many women; I can¡¯t take it anymore."


    "Is that so?" Li Yifei¡¯s gaze pierced through Xu Yingying¡¯s, making it impossible for her to hide her true thoughts. Her lips trembled, and finally, she sighed and said, "Marry Mengxin."


    Li Yifei stiffened, his apprehensions finally becoming reality.

 Chapter 797 - 837 Let’s Face It Together

    Chapter 797: Chapter 837 Let¡¯s Face It Together"Honey, I¡¯m not mad at you. I really had no idea Mengxin had done so much for you. She likes you so much, and she¡¯s also so outstanding. You¡¯re more suited to be with her, really. Honey, even though I won¡¯t be your wife anymore, if I can see Mengxin with you, then I¡¯ll truly be happy."


    Xu Yingying said, tears streaming down her face, yet there was an unspeakably tragic smile on her face. That smile, however, caused Li Yifei¡¯s heart immense pain. He took a deep breath, tightly grasped Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, and firmly said, "Yingying, I kept it from you because I didn¡¯t want to see you like this today. Now, I¡¯ll tell you this, no matter what, I¡¯m not going to divorce you."


    "No! That absolutely won¡¯t do!" Xu Yingying shook her head vigorously, anxiously saying, "Mengxin¡¯s status is different. If you don¡¯t marry her and give her a legitimate status, the impact will be too great. Listen to me, you divorce me and marry Mengxin."


    "Then what about you?" Li Yifei stared at Xu Yingying.


    "I... I..." Xu Yingying somewhat avoided Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "I know, you definitely won¡¯t continue to live with me like Yiyi does, you¡¯ll certainly leave, right?"


    "I..." Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched, Li Yifei had indeed struck a chord, she really couldn¡¯t do it like Su Yiyi and the others did.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, pulled Xu Yingying into his embrace, and softly said, "Silly wife, have you forgotten what I once told you? I will have you as my wife all my life. Whatever happens, that will never change."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s body went limp, and she began to cry ¡¯mmm, mmm¡¯ in Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Li Yifei gently stroked her shoulder, guiltily saying, "Wife, I¡¯ve already let you down so much, first with Xiaoyao, then Yiyi, followed by Yunzhu. You¡¯ve tolerated and allowed me. Where would I find another wife like you? I admit I like Mengxin, I was moved by her, but I don¡¯t like her for her status, nor will I abandon my lawfully wedded wife because of it. Even if we face great difficulties, I will stick with you through thick and thin. Wife, can you promise me that?"


    Xu Yingying raised her head, her eyes filled with indescribable happiness. No matter what happens in the future, the words Li Yifei spoke now had already made her content. This husband may have a messy emotional life, but his sincerity towards her was genuine.


    "But what about Mengxin?" Xu Yingying asked weakly. At this time, she was no longer a strong woman, but a fragile little wife, a little woman.


    "Mengxin¡¯s matter, we¡¯ll handle it slowly. There will always be a way," he said.


    "Oh..." Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze once again revealed a hint of confusion.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Don¡¯t you start having wild thoughts. If you have wild thoughts and say all sorts of nonsense, I might have to spank you. Oh, and didn¡¯t you feel it from behind too? If you¡¯re naughty, I might just take you tonight."


    "Ah! You bad egg!" Xu Yingying was suddenly extremely embarrassed, subconsciously covering her buttocks, her face flushed as she said, "Don¡¯t even think about it."


    "Then be good. If you¡¯re disobedient, when I lose my temper, I might do anything."


    "Stinky rascal, I¡¯m not talking to you anymore," Xu Yingying said reproachfully, glancing sideways at Li Yifei, but her mood had improved considerably.


    After pacifying Xu Yingying, Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. What he was most afraid of was Xu Yingying overthinking things, which would complicate matters. Although he had guessed her initial reaction to finding out about the situation, he hadn¡¯t expected that she would be so easily soothed.


    After chatting for a while, Xu Yingying seemed to have calmed down. She tidied up her appearance in the car mirror and said, "All right, I have to go into work now. There¡¯s still a lot to do."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go in together. I came to the company because I had something to do, too."


    "Hmph, you just pulled me into the car earlier. I¡¯m afraid everybody in the company saw it. How are we going to explain this now?"


    "Then we don¡¯t explain. We can just reveal our relationship, I was worried there would always be someone eyeing you," he said.


    "That¡¯s not okay, it would be too inconvenient. And don¡¯t you dare misbehave," Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and stepped out of the car.


    Li Yifei also got out of the car, and the two of them walked together toward the company¡¯s entrance.


    The parking spot was some distance from the company¡¯s main entrance, they walked down the sidewalk towards it amidst the bustling street. However, after only a few steps, Li Yifei suddenly sensed danger, wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying, and took a large step to the right.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xu Yingying immediately asked with tension.


    Li Yifei had already turned his head and saw a young man, in his twenties, who whistled and arrogantly jerked his chin up at Li Yifei.


    Because Old Master Su came to find Xu Yingying, causing Xu Yingying to divorce him, Li Yifei¡¯s mood was already foul. And now, this punk had just tried to touch Xu Yingying¡¯s butt, which made Li Yifei¡¯s anger find a sudden outlet. His eyes glared, and he barked, "Get lost!"


    At that, the punk actually stopped in his tracks and said with a smug look, "I touched it anyway, what are you gonna do about it?"


    "Get lost!" Li Yifei shouted again.


    "Fuck, who do you think you are? Do you know who you¡¯re talking to?" the young man became unspeakably defiant.


    Li Yifei¡¯s right foot shot out, kicking the punk in the abdomen and immediately sending him rolling several meters away.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to be so volatile; normally, he wouldn¡¯t stoop to acknowledge such small-time hooligans. She quickly tugged at him and said, "There¡¯s no need to stoop to his level."


    "Hmph, trash like him needs to be taught a lesson." With that kick, Li Yifei felt some of his anger subside. Not wanting further trouble with such a nobody, he planned to leave with Xu Yingying, but several young men rushed and surrounded them.


    "Fuck! Guys, take him down!" the one Li Yifei had kicked struggled to his feet, shouting hoarsely.


    The others immediately started yelling and charged at Li Yifei.


    These people clearly looked like petty thugs, daring but sloppy in their methods. Li Yifei shouldered one of them, sending the man flying, then pushed Xu Yingying out of the gap. Since these blind fools were looking for trouble, Li Yifei decided to take his anger out on them.


    So Li Yifei didn¡¯t rush to knock them down but weaved through them, landing punches and kicks on their bodies now and then, causing pain without taking away their ability to fight.


    To outsiders, it seemed like Li Yifei was being attacked by six or seven young men, but in reality, those guys knew their own suffering. They couldn¡¯t land a hit on Li Yifei despite their number, enduring agonizing pain. Nevertheless, since there were so many attacking one person, they continued, believing they might eventually take Li Yifei down. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying, aware of Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, knew these hoodlums were no match for him. His fighting was just a form of venting, so she didn¡¯t stop him. She wasn¡¯t worried about Li Yifei at all and watched the tangled fight, her thoughts known only to her.


    After a while, Xu Yingying regained her composure, shook her head gently, and refocused on Li Yifei. This man was her husband. The memories from their first meeting to their marriage flickered through her mind like a movie. At first, she was indifferent, but gradually, this man¡¯s significance in her heart grew. Now, she genuinely liked this man, liked her husband.


    But recalling Su Fuguo¡¯s words, Xu Yingying¡¯s mood grew heavy again. Although she liked her husband, for Li Yifei¡¯s sake, and for Su Mengxin, she couldn¡¯t be so selfish. She still decided to withdraw. With her, Li Yifei would just be an ordinary man, but with Su Mengxin, he could fully exhibit his talents and have a bright future. Su Mengxin had always been someone she admired; even after doing this, she could still justify it to herself.


    Having made up her mind, Xu Yingying¡¯s face broke into a smile, so pure and holy. Li Yifei, always attentive to Xu Yingying, saw the smile on her face and felt an inexplicable tightening in his heart. In that moment, he no longer felt like tangling with these thugs. With a few punches and kicks, he knocked them down to the ground.


    By now, quite a crowd had gathered around them. Seeing this turn of events, they all excitedly applauded. It seemed like a one-against-many scenario that could only be seen on TV, yet here it was unfolding in reality.


    Li Yifei approached Xu Yingying, who wore a radiant smile as she met him. But when they were still a bit more than a meter apart, Xu Yingying suddenly saw someone in the crowd aiming a gun at Li Yifei.


    "Husband!" Xu Yingying cried out, throwing herself at Li Yifei.


    The moment Xu Yingying¡¯s face showed drastic change, Li Yifei sensed something was terribly wrong. Years of instinctive crisis awareness made him realize that the danger was coming from behind, and it was incredibly imminent. He knew the threat must be from an expert.


    The assailant must have been hiding in the crowd but had managed not to alert Li Yifei, a testament to his ability to conceal himself. Only now, as he prepared to strike, did Li Yifei sense the danger, something beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person. Even the little thug might have been a pawn prearranged by the adversary.


    These thoughts flashed in Li Yifei¡¯s mind in an instant as he immediately reacted, lunging forward and grabbing Xu Yingying, pulling her down with him.


    However, there was no gunshot from behind. Just when Xu Yingying saw another gun aimed at them from the side, she flipped over, pressing Li Yifei beneath her with explosive strength that seemed unimaginable. And at that moment, the gunshot rang out!

 Chapter 798 - 838: Xu Yingying Falls into a Coma

    Chapter 798: Chapter 838: Xu Yingying Falls into a ComaLi Yifei had never expected Xu Yingying to suddenly burst forth with such immense strength at that moment, pinning him beneath her. In reality, he had already spotted another gun and had taken emergency measures. With his abilities, he was entirely capable of evading the bullets.


    But Xu Yingying¡¯s sudden eruption caught Li Yifei entirely off guard. Even though he managed to react at the last second, gripping the ground with both hands and causing them to slide down several inches, it still wasn¡¯t enough to completely avoid the bullet.


    And the bullet didn¡¯t strike him; it struck Xu Yingying... on the head.


    "Wife!" Li Yifei roared, his voice hoarse, as his body sprang up. Even while holding Xu Yingying, his movements were swift. In the blink of an eye, he had already charged at the person who fired the shot. Without giving the shooter a chance to fire a second bullet, Li Yifei launched a flurry of punches and kicks. After a series of cracking sounds, the shooter collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud.


    The sound of gunfire sent the onlookers scattering, while the thugs and the first person to draw a gun had already taken the opportunity to escape. Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with them, instead he rushed Xu Yingying to his car, determined to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible.


    Xu Yingying had been shot in the head, but the bullet hadn¡¯t penetrated; rather, it had grazed her, leaving a deep, bone-deep gash on the top of her scalp. At that moment, Xu Yingying was lying with her eyes tightly closed, as if she were dead.


    Li Yifei drove frantically to the hospital, breaking who knows how many red lights. Once he had delivered Xu Yingying to the emergency room, he collapsed into a chair outside the room, fists clenched tightly and eyes bloodshot. His body radiated a fierce killing intent; whoever was responsible for Xu Yingying¡¯s injuries would pay a dire price.


    The incident with Xu Yingying occurred not far from the company¡¯s entrance, and some employees who happened to witness it quickly ran inside to call for help. By the time the security personnel from the company arrived at the scene, the situation had already been resolved, leaving only the shooter behind.


    Nearby stores, after being questioned, realized that Xu Yingying had been shot and that Li Yifei had taken her to the hospital.


    Inside the company, chaos erupted. He Fangqing hurriedly called Li Yifei for the address and rushed to the hospital with Michelle. Though other leaders from the company wanted to come, He Fangqing didn¡¯t allow them.


    Seeing Li Yifei sitting there, like a fierce beast ready to pounce at any moment, He Fangqing and Michelle were startled. They quickly sat on either side of Li Yifei, with He Fangqing urgently asking, "How is Yingying?"


    Li Yifei took a deep breath, forcefully closed his eyes, and then reopened them before saying, "The bullet hit the top of the skull but didn¡¯t penetrate. The exact condition won¡¯t be known until after the emergency treatment."


    "So there shouldn¡¯t be any major problem, right?" He Fangqing asked cautiously.


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "If it were any other part of the body, such an injury wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but the force of a bullet is great, and since it¡¯s the head, the simple impact can have unpredictable consequences."


    As an exceptional fighter, Li Yifei was acutely aware of the power of a bullet. It might have only grazed the scalp, but it would have certainly struck the skull. The impact could cause a concussion, and if it was severe, it might even result in death. He felt utterly uncertain at the moment.


    "There won¡¯t be any problems, there definitely won¡¯t be," Michelle said, holding Li Yifei¡¯s hand, continuously comforting him.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened, and tears involuntarily began to flow. Choking up, he said, "It¡¯s all because of me... Yingying wanted to protect me, that¡¯s why she got hurt... whimper..."


    Li Yifei¡¯s tears came as a shock to both He Fangqing and Michelle; they had never seen Li Yifei so vulnerable before. Even in the face of great adversity, Li Yifei had always remained composed. But this time, he broke down in front of them.


    With Li Yifei¡¯s crying, He Fangqing and Michelle felt their maternal instincts stirred. Michelle stretched out her arm and embraced Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, allowing him to lean on her.


    "Brother Li, don¡¯t be sad. Sister Yingying is such a good person; she will certainly have divine protection," Michelle hurriedly comforted.


    "Yeah, you really don¡¯t need to stress too much. Didn¡¯t you say the bullet didn¡¯t enter her head? You¡¯re distressed, which is causing confusion," He Fangqing promptly added.


    Li Yifei was only temporarily weakened and soon recovered, sitting upright with a forced smile. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine," he said, pulling out a cigarette, his hands trembling involuntarily.


    He Fangqing quickly snatched the lighter and lit it for Li Yifei. After taking a few puffs, he asked, "Have you notified the others?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Let¡¯s wait. Alerting them now will only cause them to worry."


    "Right," both He Fangqing and Michelle said, nodding in agreement.


    Waiting outside the emergency room was torturous. Li Yifei paced back and forth, smoking countless cigarettes, his anxiety simmering like a heart on a frying pan.


    Michelle and He Fangqing felt the same, and they were worried for Li Yifei as well. Seeing the way Li Yifei looked, they knew just how anxious he must be feeling inside.


    The emergency room doors finally opened, and Li Yifei rushed to the entrance like an arrow. He Fangqing and Michelle also hurried over. Each grabbed one of Li Yifei¡¯s arms, clearly feeling the trembling in his limbs. Even someone as strong as Li Yifei couldn¡¯t control his emotions at this time.


    As the emergency room doors opened, a doctor came out first. Li Yifei¡¯s fists, soaked in sweat, he asked with immense nervousness, "Doctor... my... how¡¯s my wife?"


    The doctor, a woman in her forties, spoke in a very calm voice, "The patient¡¯s external injuries are not severe and there is no immediate threat to her life, but due to the impact of a bullet on the head, there has been some damage to the brain tissue."


    "So... so..." Li Yifei couldn¡¯t even finish his sentences.


    He Fangqing was rather composed at this time and quickly asked, "What will happen to the patient?"


    "The brain is the most complex part of the human body, and as of now, there are many things that can¡¯t be explained. The patient is currently in a comatose state and it is unclear when she will awaken, and even if she does, it¡¯s uncertain what might occur."


    "Will she never wake up?" He Fangqing asked another question.


    The doctor nodded and said, "That¡¯s a possibility."


    "No! That will never happen! How did you treat her? How did you save her?" Li Yifei suddenly roared, reaching out and grabbing the female doctor by the neck, lifting her up.


    "Yifei, Yifei, calm down! It¡¯s not the doctor¡¯s fault!" He Fangqing and Michelle promptly pulled at Li Yifei¡¯s arms, finally managing to make him let go of the doctor.


    The doctor gasped for air, nearly choked to death by Li Yifei, but she was able to understand the feelings of the patient¡¯s family member and wasn¡¯t angry, saying, "I can understand how you feel. I only said it¡¯s a possibility, but there¡¯s also a chance she may wake up very soon."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei was overjoyed and said, "Really?"


    "All these possibilities exist. As a doctor, I can only present you with these scenarios. Whatever happens, as the patient¡¯s family, you must be prepared."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯m sorry, Doctor. I really was too impulsive just now," Li Yifei apologized to the doctor.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying was wheeled out. Li Yifei quickly rushed over to support the head of the bed. Xu Yingying had her head wrapped in bandages, her lustrous hair now completely shaved, her complexion pale, eyes closed tightly, which made Li Yifei¡¯s tears, once again, unable to stop flowing.


    He Fangqing had already arranged for a hospital room, and now they pushed her directly into it. Along the way, Li Yifei personally propelled the hospital bed, afraid to cause Xu Yingying even the slightest jolt.


    After placing Xu Yingying on the hospital bed, she showed absolutely no sign of feeling.


    Having settled Xu Yingying, Li Yifei sat down beside the bed, holding her hands in his and gently kissing them, whispering softly, "Wife, you¡¯re really too silly, taking a bullet for me."


    "Wife, wake up quickly. We still have so much to do, we haven¡¯t had kids yet. We¡¯re going to have lots and lots of children."


    "Wife, you put me under financial control. I really didn¡¯t squander any money, nor did I seek anyone else. I truly love you; you will always be my wife. How could you say you wanted to divorce me? Even if Mengxin is outstanding, in my heart, you¡¯re my wife and no one can replace you."


    He Fangqing and Michelle were dumbfounded by what they heard. Xu Yingying actually wanted to divorce Li Yifei and it seemed like it was to make way for Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei kept mumbling to Xu Yingying, but she didn¡¯t respond at all, making his expression grow increasingly grim.


    That¡¯s when He Fangqing said, "Yifei, since Yingying is like this now, I think we should let Shanshan know."


    Li Yifei slowly turned his head, then nodded lightly, but he said, "Don¡¯t let Shanshan inform our parents. They are old, and seeing their daughter like this, they would surely be heartbroken." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Fangqing agreed with a nod, feeling somewhat relieved. Although Xu Yingying¡¯s condition was uncertain, at least Li Yifei hadn¡¯t lost his sense and could still take many things into consideration. If Li Yifei had become so agitated that he lost his reason, that would be truly troublesome.

 Chapter 799 - 839 Interrogation

    Chapter 799: Chapter 839 InterrogationHe Fangqing was about to make a call when suddenly, several police officers burst in, startling both He Fangqing and Michelle. Two officers immediately pounced toward Li Yifei, a tactic commonly used to apprehend suspects.


    But today, they were in for a tragic surprise. The moment their hands touched Li Yifei, they felt their palms slide off, and before they knew it, their bodies were lifted off the ground. They flew out of the ward¡¯s entrance and crashed heavily into the corridor.


    "Shush... Don¡¯t disturb my wife," Li Yifei said in a low voice, turning back. He then walked towards the exit. The other police officers looked at each other, not daring to lay a hand on Li Yifei, because what they had just witnessed was astonishing. Two fit officers, each weighing over 150 pounds, were effortlessly thrown out of the ward by him.


    After closing the door, Li Yifei asked, "What do you want with me?"


    Swallowing hard, the leader of the six officers replied, "You¡¯re implicated in a grievous assault case, and we ask for your cooperation."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "Let me make a phone call first."


    Ignoring the officers, Li Yifei immediately called Lin Qiong. Lin Qiong picked up and spoke irritably, "You bastard, you still remember I exist?"


    "Lin Qiong, Yingying is severely injured and unconscious. The gunman I beat is critically injured but not dead. Keep an eye on him for me. I need to find out who was behind the attack. Take care of everything on your end. There are a few police officers here; send them back so they don¡¯t disturb Yingying," Li Yifei said.


    Lin Qiong had never heard Li Yifei speak to her with such a commanding tone. He seemed like a completely different person than the usually unreliable Li Yifei, but she felt no resentment. Shocked, she said, "How is Yingying doing?"


    "She was shot in the head and has been unconscious ever since."


    "Damn, that¡¯s serious. I¡¯ll come to see her later. Hand the phone to the police officer there with you."


    Li Yifei passed the phone to the leading officer, who frowned as he already knew who was on the other end of the line.


    "Deputy Director Lin, this is serious. That man has been beaten to the point of multiple fractures, barely hanging on to life...he beat two of us...oh, okay then," the officer said.


    Handing the phone back to Li Yifei, the officer reluctantly said, "It was a misunderstanding."


    Li Yifei pulled out some money from his pocket and handed it to the officer, "This is all I¡¯ve got on me; consider it compensation for the shock."


    The officer repeatedly declined, but Li Yifei had already turned and re-entered the ward, closing the door behind him. The officers had no choice but to leave.


    Soon, many people gathered in the ward: Xu Shanshan, Ye Yunzhu, and Su Yiyi had all received the news and rushed over. Seeing Xu Yingying in such a state had them all tearfully heartbroken.


    Li Yifei stayed vigilantly by Xu Yingying¡¯s side, murmuring to her throughout the night without a wink of sleep.


    If the condition was such that waking up within 48 hours was likely, the situation wasn¡¯t too dire. However, even after two days and nights, Xu Yingying showed no signs of regaining consciousness, resembling a vegetative state. During those 48 hours, Li Yifei didn¡¯t close his eyes once, looking increasingly haggard. Everyone was worried not just for Xu Yingying, but also for Li Yifei. No matter who tried to persuade him, he refused to leave, persistently keeping her company.


    After 48 hours had passed, Li Yifei stood up and said to Xu Shanshan, who was in the ward, "Shanshan, I have to take care of some business for the next couple of days. Take good care of your sister."


    "Brother-in-law, where are you going?" Xu Shanshan suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    With bloodshot eyes and a body exuding a ferocious murderous aura, Li Yifei slowly said, "I¡¯m going to avenge your sister."


    Looking at Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan paused for a moment before responding, "Be careful, brother-in-law. We¡¯ll all be waiting for you back at home."


    "I know. I still have to take care of Yingying. I¡¯ll take care of her for the rest of my life." After saying that, Li Yifei strode out of the ward.


    At another military hospital, a person wrapped up like a mummy lay on a hospital bed, surrounded by several police officers both inside and outside the room. The curtains were drawn, and the entire ward was filled with a severe atmosphere.


    Escorted by Lin Qiong, Li Yifei arrived at the location. Lin Qiong waved her hand, and the officers stepped out.


    Although Li Yifei had been enraged at the time and had beaten the man to near death, nobody would have thought that he would leave this one alive under a furious assault from the "Golden Eagle." Consequently, the man was left lying there, with no one bothering to finish him off. With no evidence on his person and the dead unable to speak, no one would know which organization was involved.


    After Li Yifei informed her, Lin Qiong immediately reported to the higher-ups. Knowing the situation involved Li Yifei, they became cautious and quickly transferred the assassin to the military hospital to prevent him from being killed.


    At that moment, the guy was fully awake, and upon seeing Li Yifei enter, he sneered and said, "Golden Eagle, you¡¯re lucky to be alive. Don¡¯t bother trying to get any information from me."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he went over and pressed several points on the man¡¯s chest before sitting down and lighting a cigarette.


    The man disdainfully said, "I¡¯ve been specially trained. Nothing you do will make me talk. You might as well stop wasting your energy and just kill me now."


    Li Yifei ignored him, simply drawing the curtains open and looking outside.


    Lin Qiong stood beside Li Yifei, gazed at his haggard face, and softly said, "Try to smoke less. It¡¯s bad for your health."


    Li Yifei exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing."


    "Ah, you can¡¯t treat yourself like this," Lin Qiong said with a pained expression, snatching the cigarette from Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    Li Yifei looked out the window, his facial muscles twitching slightly, and said, "It¡¯s all my fault, Yingying¡¯s condition. If I hadn¡¯t been so promiscuous, if I hadn¡¯t gotten involved with Mengxin, Yingying wouldn¡¯t have been heartbroken, she wouldn¡¯t have thought about divorcing me. She wouldn¡¯t have left the company, and even if someone wanted to attack me, Yingying wouldn¡¯t have been hurt. All of this, it¡¯s my fault."


    Lin Qiong felt even more distressed and said, "Don¡¯t take all the blame on yourself. It was those killers who are at fault. If we find them and wipe them out, wouldn¡¯t that be a better way to avenge Yingying?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he reached for another cigarette, but Lin Qiong snatched it away again. Li Yifei did not try to take it back, instead saying in a chilling tone, "I¡¯m going to slaughter them all, leave none alive. I¡¯ll make them understand the price of what they did."


    Li Yifei¡¯s voice was not loud, but Lin Qiong could feel the intense murderous aura. She knew she couldn¡¯t change his mind now, and those killers taking action in Mile City also infuriated her. It was right to deal with them properly.


    "Yifei, promise me, if it¡¯s just the criminals, kill them if you have to, but if there are any innocents, please... spare them," Lin Qiong pleaded.


    Li Yifei turned sharply, his gaze icy as he looked at Lin Qiong and said, "Yingying was innocent, why did they hurt her?"


    Lin Qiong was taken aback then immediately replied, "Because they¡¯re bad people, they act without any consideration."


    Li Yifei huffed and said, "I was too restrained in the past, and that¡¯s what led to Yingying¡¯s current state. From today on, I will have no more concerns. I¡¯ll let the whole world know, anyone who dares to touch my people will be crushed to dust. I will make them suffer every possible pain."


    Lin Qiong moved her lips, but Li Yifei, growing impatient, said, "Don¡¯t try to persuade me. On this matter, even if God himself came, I would still do it." He then turned and walked over to the hospital bed.


    Lin Qiong sighed, knowing that trying to reason with Li Yifei now was like playing the lute to a cow. His mind was completely clouded by hatred, consumed by thoughts of revenge. She only hoped that his killing would not be too severe.


    Meanwhile, the man on the hospital bed had veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth clenched, and large beads of sweat were emerging from his face, soaking the pillow, yet he didn¡¯t utter a groan, proving his extraordinary resilience to interrogation.


    But Li Yifei was in no rush - he had seen many like him, and very few could truly withstand his methods.


    Five minutes later, the man suddenly opened his mouth wide and let out a heart-wrenching scream, then cried out, "I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk..."


    Li Yifei remained silent, just quietly watching him.


    "I¡¯m from Wind Club."


    Lin Qiong was shocked. The Wind Club was a well-known organization in the Northwest. If they were involved, it was going to be very troublesome for Li Yifei to confront them, especially since the Wind Club also had deep roots in Huaxia and religious beliefs. Dealing with them would be incredibly difficult despite the government¡¯s crackdown.


    Li Yifei, however, remained silent, simply pulling up a chair and sitting down.


    After a while, the man cried out again, "I lied, I¡¯ll tell you the truth this time. We¡¯re from the Yamaguchi Group, I¡¯m really from the Yamaguchi Group, please just kill me, I can¡¯t take this anymore." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Li Yifei still didn¡¯t move; the man¡¯s head shook violently, tears streaming down as he screamed, "I¡¯m really from the Yamaguchi Group, kill me, just kill me..."


    Only then did Li Yifei stand up, turn, and walk out, leaving the man who had completely collapsed mentally still wailing. Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel the slightest pity for the one responsible for Yingying¡¯s collapse into unconsciousness; even if he did speak up, Li Yifei wanted him to suffer until death.

 Chapter 800 - 840: The Rage of the Golden Eagle

    Chapter 800: Chapter 840: The Rage of the Golden EagleThe headquarters of the Yamaguchi Group, President Gonpachiro sat with a gloomy expression, while a man in his thirties in front of him held a report and read it cautiously.


    "Three days ago, our Hiroshima branch was attacked, all thirty-five members inside were killed; two days ago, our Nagasaki branch was attacked, all twenty-seven members were killed; yesterday, our Hokkaido branch was attacked, all thirty-six members perished."


    "The video records found at the scene have not been erased, and all evidence points to a single person behind this, Huaxia¡¯s... Golden Eagle."


    Gonpachiro slammed the table in anger and yelled, "Dammit, a bunch of idiots, all killed by one man."


    "President, Golden Eagle has always been the most powerful warrior of Huaxia. Recently, he fought Crazy Satan, and though nobody knows who won or lost, Golden Eagle survived, which at the very least means he was not defeated. Our assassination attempt on Golden Eagle failed; not only did we not kill him, but we injured his wife, who is now in a coma. This triggered Golden Eagle¡¯s frenzied revenge."


    Gonpachiro angrily retorted, "Hmph, just a Golden Eagle. Even if he¡¯s strong, can he survive being shot by bullets? Gather all the gunmen of the Yamaguchi group, we must kill him."


    At that moment, the door to the president¡¯s office was pushed open, and several people entered. They were all core members of the Yamaguchi Group, each with a dark look on their face.


    Seeing these people enter uninvited, Gonpachiro¡¯s expression darkened, but he still asked, "What¡¯s the meaning of this?"


    Koboto Kobayashi, in his fifties and second only to Gonpachiro in the organization, said gravely, "President, do you really intend to persist in this folly? Out of personal hatred, you disregard the interests of the entire Yamaguchi Organization. Now Golden Eagle¡¯s wild retaliation has caused us severe losses!"


    Gonpachiro glared and shouted, "Golden Eagle is a great threat to our organization. Over the years, he¡¯s ruined many of our operations. Killing him is also for the benefit of the Yamaguchi Organization."


    Koboto Kobayashi snorted coldly, "Golden Eagle was a threat to us, but in the past year or so, he had left the Flying Hawk Squad of Huaxia and stopped taking action. If we hadn¡¯t provoked him, he would not have attacked the Yamaguchi Group. But because you insisted on killing him, you provoked such retaliation. You should be responsible for this loss."


    Gonpachiro stood up with a slap on the table and shouted, "I will take responsibility for my decisions. Now, if we just kill him, everything can be resolved." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "President, do you really think we can kill Golden Eagle? In his five years of service, he was only injured once and has since never been hurt. Everyone knows how fearsome Golden Eagle is. We don¡¯t want to make such an enemy, nor do we want the Yamaguchi Group destroyed by his hands."


    "Dammit, I¡¯ve already made my decision, there¡¯s no need for further discussion."


    "President!" Just then, another person burst into the office. Gonpachiro was already furious and immediately bellowed, "Get out!"


    However, the man didn¡¯t leave immediately but anxiously said, "President, our Nagoya branch has been wiped clean."


    The room suddenly fell completely silent, everyone¡¯s gaze fixed on Gonpachiro, the President.


    Gonpachiro¡¯s face changed numerous times before he finally sat down in dejection and said, "I admit my decision was a mistake, we will apologize to Golden Eagle."


    "Due to certain misunderstandings, there has been conflict between the Yamaguchi Group and Golden Eagle, particularly in unintentionally harming Golden Eagle¡¯s wife. In this matter, the Yamaguchi Group bears inescapable responsibility and is willing to offer the greatest compensation to Golden Eagle, asking him to cease the conflict with the Yamaguchi Group."


    This message from the Yamaguchi Group was practically fully publicized; whether official bodies or underworld organizations, they all received this news swiftly, and it shocked everyone. For an organization, even if it made a mistake or killed the wrong person, it would never admit its errors. This time, not only did they recognize they were wrong and offer compensation, but it also was a severe blow to their prestige.


    Whatever they might claim about ¡¯conflicts,¡¯ it was clear they were essentially trying to save face. But it was also clear that they were scared by Golden Eagle¡¯s killing spree.


    However, over the next two days, Golden Eagle swept through divisions in Yokohama City, one after the other, seemingly unfazed by the Yamaguchi Group¡¯s apology and showing no signs of stopping.


    This left the Yamaguchi Organization both furious and somewhat helpless. If the opponent had been numerous, they might have had ways to track them, but with only one person, who moved like a shadow, they had no chance even to confront Li Yifei head-on.


    And if things went on like this, the Yamaguchi Group would suffer even greater losses, and the century-old foundation of the Yamaguchi Group would be destroyed by the hands of Li Yifei alone.


    At this time, Gonpachiro truly felt like he was going to explode with anger. He wanted to use the Yamaguchi Group¡¯s influence within the government to have the government use diplomatic channels to prevent this from happening.


    Japan also immediately lodged a serious protest with Huaxia, but the response from Huaxia was very straightforward: Golden Eagle was acting independently and not on behalf of official policy, so all Huaxia could do was cooperate in capturing Golden Eagle. However, they could not order Golden Eagle around, and they could only ask the Japanese side to find Golden Eagle¡¯s whereabouts and let their personnel capture him.


    This statement was essentially the same as saying nothing, and it left the Japanese authorities helpless.


    In the meeting room of the Yamaguchi Group, Gonpachiro¡¯s face, usually so stern, now looked exceedingly anxious. He had never anticipated that one day he would lead the Yamaguchi Organization to such a dire situation.


    "Mobilize all our forces; we must kill Golden Eagle!" Gonpachiro slammed the table forcefully and yelled with all his might.


    But this didn¡¯t incite anger from everyone; instead, they were all looking at him with strange gazes.


    With a stern face, Koboto Kobayashi said, "If you still want to be enemies with Golden Eagle, then we¡¯ll only have to remove you as the President. We cannot let the entire Yamaguchi Group be doomed because of your wrong decisions."


    "What? You want to force me to step down?" Gonpachiro¡¯s forehead veins throbbed with anger.


    Koboto Kobayashi unapologetically nodded and said, "Indeed."


    Gonpachiro looked around at the others, and they were all glaring at him in anger, clearly standing on Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s side. This infuriated him to a great extent. Since the founding of the Yamaguchi Group, there had never been an incident where a President was forced from office. Was he to become the first?


    "You want to force me to step down? I warn you, put that idea to death immediately, or you¡¯ll know how ruthless my methods can be!" Gonpachiro tried to intimidate his opponents.


    Unfortunately for him, these were the core members of the entire Yamaguchi Group. United, they could easily neutralize Gonpachiro. They were all looking at him coldly at this point.


    With a sneer, Koboto Kobayashi said, "President Gonpachiro, I¡¯d advise you to find a safe place to save your own life." Two men came forward and, one on each side, lifted Gonpachiro up. Although he struggled fiercely and even cursed loudly, at this moment, those who used to respect him immensely showed him no mercy at all.


    Having taken the position of President of the Yamaguchi Group, Koboto Kobayashi immediately released another message.


    "Respected Lord Golden Eagle, the injury and coma of your wife was entirely the mistake of the Yamaguchi Group. However, all this was caused by the wrong decisions of our former President, Gonpachiro, due to a personal vendetta because his son had been killed by you, resulting in our hatred. Now the Yamaguchi Group has dismissed him from the organization and taken him into custody. We hope to hand him over to you, to resolve this hatred. Additionally, the Yamaguchi Group has an inescapable responsibility, and we will try our best to compensate for the harm caused to your wife. From now on, the Yamaguchi Group will absolutely not have any conflict with Lord Golden Eagle, and we will treat you as our best friend. Koboto Kobayashi, the President, with respect."


    This message was even more shocking than the first one. The Yamaguchi Group had handed over their former President, which showed the extent of their desperation and fear from being hunted.


    While the Yamaguchi Group was not as powerful as Europe¡¯s Green Hand Party or America¡¯s Holy War Organization, it was still much stronger than the average organization. But now they had been pushed to this point, which testified to how terrifying Golden Eagle could be when truly provoked. They now realized that the previous time Golden Eagle settled differences with them on the island was an act of leniency. They were fortunate to have stopped in time, or else they would have suffered even worse than the Yamaguchi Group, possibly being completely wiped off the face of the Earth.


    After sending out the message, the Yamaguchi Group members were all anxious, unsure whether this would extinguish Golden Eagle¡¯s fury or stop his killing spree. After enduring a day of suspense, finally, they received no more news of their branches being destroyed, which allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief in secret.


    Gonpachiro was so enraged he was nearly insane. His son had been killed by Golden Eagle, so his hatred for Golden Eagle was bone-deep. While Golden Eagle was part of the Flying Hawk Squad, they, the Yamaguchi Group, regardless of their toughness, could not compete against the military forces of Huaxia, so they had to endure it. Now that Golden Eagle had finally retired, Gonpachiro thought Golden Eagle was vulnerable without government and military protection and would be easy to kill. But instead of killing Golden Eagle, Gonpachiro¡¯s actions provoked his ruthless retaliation, forcing Gonpachiro to forfeit his position as the President of the Yamaguchi Group.


    "Damn it, don¡¯t think that by forcing me out of the Yamaguchi Group, I¡¯ll be afraid of you. Golden Eagle, if you dare come, I¡¯ll make sure you die without a place to be buried."


    Gonpachiro viciously slammed the table, his face twisted with ferocity.

 Chapter 801 - 841: Winning the Initiative

    Chapter 801: Chapter 841: Winning the InitiativeGonpachiro, as the former president of the Yamaguchi Group, had already amassed a vast fortune for himself. He was never quite trusting of others, especially those within the Yamaguchi Group, so he always had his own people, a group that only followed his orders. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These individuals were hand-picked by Gonpachiro himself, each one battle-hardened with extraordinary abilities. Gonpachiro rarely needed them, but he retained them by paying a hefty sum, and now was the time to use them in a decisive fight to the death with Golden Eagle.


    The place he occupied was a villa nestled in the mountains, surrounded by tall walls topped with electrified barbed wire¡ªso effective that not even a mouse could climb over without being instantly turned into roast meat.


    Beyond this primitive yet highly effective defense, surveillance cameras were installed virtually everywhere on the walls. In a room within the villa, four people per shift kept an eye on these monitors, ready to detect any slight change.


    In the space between the walls and the villa, even more experts were hidden. Now aware of a powerful adversary seeking revenge, these men were not afraid; in fact, some were excited. Rarely did they take action, but when they did, it was lethal. They were also aware of Golden Eagle¡¯s reputation. To face an opponent as formidable as Golden Eagle was not terrifying for some, but an honor.


    Gonpachiro had turned these men into a Suicide Squad, a testament to his capabilities. Had it not been for the blinding hatred caused by his son¡¯s death, nobody would have been able to take the position of president of the Yamaguchi Group from him, and under his leadership, the group would have flourished even more.


    Furthermore, inside this villa were numerous weapons. Firearms need not be mentioned, as there were even grenades and grenade launchers. In such a place, even if surrounded by a battalion of a hundred men, Gonpachiro was wholly confident in his defense. He didn¡¯t believe that Li Yifei alone could dare seek revenge at his location. He hoped Yifei would come so he could use all his resources to kill him.


    As long as he killed Li Yifei, Gonpachiro would have no more worries, and reclaiming his position as president of the Yamaguchi Group wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Although Koboto Kobayashi had managed to become the president now, Gonpachiro was well aware that Kobayashi lacked the strength and influence necessary. If not for Golden Eagle¡¯s pressure, no one would have followed Kobayashi in forcing him to step down.


    The weather during the day was still good, but at night, it changed abruptly. Fierce winds swept in dark clouds, obscuring the moonlight and stars, plunging everything into darkness.


    The dark clouds soon brought heavy rain. The weather in December was cold enough, but the rain added much more chill, especially for those stationed in the middle of the villa, making their situation quite miserable. Yet none left their posts or complained, a testament to their quality. The strength of the Yamaguchi Group as Japan¡¯s largest criminal organization, and Gonpachiro¡¯s many years at its helm, spoke volumes.


    In the surveillance room, several people were monitoring all the cameras, which provided views not only of the villa¡¯s yard but also its surroundings.


    "Someone¡¯s coming," someone suddenly exclaimed.


    The monitor showed a man dressed in black tights with a black cap on his head, almost blending completely into the darkness. Were it not for the water droplets from the rain splashing against him making him visible, his presence would have been difficult to notice.


    That person had now stopped a hundred meters in front of the main gate and took something off his back.


    Although the monitor showed the man, only his silhouette was visible. Who he was and what he looked like could not be discerned. But his sudden appearance in such weather, at such a time, immediately made the surveillance room staff tense up. They quickly reported to Gonpachiro.


    Gonpachiro immediately had the channel switched over. From his room, he could see what was visible in the surveillance room.


    Gonpachiro took one glance and was certain the man was Golden Eagle¡ªnot because he saw his face but by intuition. His heart clenched with excitement, tension, but even more with rage and hatred.


    "All hands on deck, the enemy has appeared," Gonpachiro immediately warned. Everyone received the alert in their earpieces, all preparing for action.


    At that moment, the monitor suddenly flared with red light, the kind produced only by an explosion. Before Gonpachiro could react, the sound of an earth-shattering blast reached his ears, and the ground shook beneath his feet as if a severe earthquake had occurred.


    The force of the rocket launcher was immense. Though the villa¡¯s heavy steel gates could not be shattered, they could not withstand the rocket¡¯s impact. The gates broke away from their hinges and were blown more than ten meters backward.


    Following the explosion, the villa¡¯s gates had flown off, and the sturdy defense was torn open. The shockwave left everyone temporarily deafened and blinded by the bright, intense light, unable to see the surroundings clearly.


    Once everyone had somewhat adjusted, the surveillance monitors were already void of any trace of the man in black.


    "Golden Eagle has infiltrated, I want him dead, dead!" Gonpachiro roared to life. Golden Eagle, having challenged several of our branches without ever using heavy weaponry, or even firearms, had left Gonpachiro under the illusion that Yifei would come killing with his bare hands. Little did he know that Yifei had resorted to heavy weapons like rocket launchers for his assault this time.


    "Damn it, who supplied him with the weapons? Once I¡¯ve killed Golden Eagle, I¡¯ll skin you all."


    Gonpachiro was furious. Golden Eagle¡¯s rocket launcher wasn¡¯t something he brought along; it had to be sourced from within Japan. Acquiring military weaponry was difficult, and even for Golden Eagle, it seemed unlikely. Besides the Yamaguchi Group, Japan had many other criminal organizations, many of which were their enemies. They would certainly use Yifei¡¯s hand to eliminate Gonpachiro, and it was highly likely that many were involved. And now, Gonpachiro had become the primary target. Not to mention finding out who Golden Eagle sought help from, anyone who knew where Golden Eagle was would likely offer help proactively.


    The power of the rocket launcher not only blew open the gate but also destroyed many of the nearby surveillance cameras. Therefore, relying solely on surveillance monitors to completely track Golden Eagle¡¯s movements was no longer easy.


    Gonpachiro was eager to locate Yifei¡¯s position, but he couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. The feeling of having an enemy lurking in the dark was truly uncomfortable, especially with a formidable enemy like Golden Eagle, who could strike a fatal blow at any moment.


    "Tsuyoshi Tsuda, Nobita Nobi, Kenichirou, Shizuka, come to me immediately," Gonpachiro made a quick decision.


    Within a minute, the four of them were in Gonpachiro¡¯s room. Tsuyoshi Tsuda was tall and imposing, Kenichirou thin and withered, Nobita Nobi looked somewhat foolish, and Shizuka was a tall woman in a kimono.


    These four were the most skilled fighters under Gonpachiro, and even the strongest in the Yamaguchi Group were no match for any of them. This was Gonpachiro¡¯s greatest asset. He had intended to have them spread out to guard the villa¡¯s surroundings, so that should Yifei dare come, these four could directly restrain Golden Eagle and, by any means, finish him off.


    But with Yifei seizing the initiative, Gonpachiro immediately changed his plan, bringing these four strongest fighters to protect himself. Even if Yifei killed every other person, he would eventually have to come here. Gonpachiro refused to believe that with these four warriors, they could not take on a single Golden Eagle.


    "Damn it, are they all dead? Why haven¡¯t you found Golden Eagle¡¯s trace after such a long time?" Gonpachiro, staring at the monitors, could not help but get infuriated.


    "Mr. Gongben, those people really are dead," Shizuka pointed to several positions on the monitor.


    "Kawaki!" Gonpachiro called out one person¡¯s name.


    Everyone had communicators. Normally, upon being called, that person would respond. But at that moment, he still stood in place without any reaction, clearly already met with a foul end. What was most fatal was that he was within the surveillance scope, yet how he died was unnoticed by everyone.


    "Such deadly Flying Needles!" Nobita Nobi sniffed all of a sudden, making a sound like sniffling up snot.


    "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the Flying Needle. Golden Eagle is indeed formidable," Tsuyoshi Tsuda spoke in a deep voice. "Killing with a Flying Needle without making a sound."


    Kenichirou narrowed his eyes slightly, speaking in a high-pitched voice, "Guns might not be as powerful as these Flying Needles, but I want to see just how many Flying Needles Golden Eagle has."


    Gonpachiro took a sharp intake of breath; such imperceptible killing brought immense pressure. Swallowing hard, he asked, "Can you handle the Flying Needles?"


    Shizuka smiled sweetly, "Mr. Gongben, no matter how strong Golden Eagle is, he¡¯s as good as dead when he meets the four of us. We have absolute confidence that we can kill him."


    "Huh... that¡¯s a relief then. You must kill him. Just kill him, and I¡¯ll give each of you a billion," Gonpachiro declared, sparing no expense to have Golden Eagle killed.

 Chapter 802 - 842: Killing Slowly

    Chapter 802: Chapter 842: Killing Slowly"Mr. Gongben, I suggest that no one should scatter. Let¡¯s all gather at the entrance. That way, if Golden Eagle wants to come in, he¡¯ll have to force his way in, and his Flying Needles will be much less effective. He will also be forced to expose his tracks."


    Kenichirou made another suggestion at this point. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gonpachiro felt this suggestion was good. Now that everyone was scattered, they were simply sitting ducks for Golden Eagle, utterly ineffective. If this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before all of them were killed by Golden Eagle. He hurriedly said, "Everyone, converge on the entrance."


    Those still alive outside felt something was amiss at this moment. Hearing the order, they immediately gathered at the entrance. In less than a minute, over thirty people had converged there.


    "Damn it!" Gonpachiro couldn¡¯t help but roar in rage again. There had been no fewer than fifty people on the perimeter, and now only over twenty arrived, meaning that in such a short time, nearly twenty had fallen to Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Needles.


    The people who clustered together were indeed much safer, at least for the moment, as no one else died.


    Gonpachiro glared at the monitors, trying to find Golden Eagle¡¯s tracks, but at that time, Golden Eagle seemed to have vanished without a trace and didn¡¯t show up despite the long wait.


    The longer this went on, the more intense the pressure in everyone¡¯s hearts grew. Humans always feel a nameless fear towards unknown dangers, and the longer it lasted, the greater the pressure. Luckily, the people present were all experts, and their composure hadn¡¯t faltered just yet.


    As the top member of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei was also a master capable of contending with Crazy Satan. He wasn¡¯t only strong in combat; his calmness and wisdom during battle were unparalleled. Even though he had a deep hatred for Gonpachiro, he had enough patience to endure this standoff.


    Li Yifei could wait, but Gonpachiro and his men were growing impatient. The feeling of being watched by a fierce beast was unbearable. Gonpachiro shouted at the top of his voice, "Golden Eagle, you want to kill me, right? If you¡¯re a man, then step out!"


    The shout was conveyed through loudspeakers and could be heard throughout the villa area.


    "Golden Eagle, you coward, hiding like a turtle, afraid even to show your face."


    "Golden Eagle, you love your wife, don¡¯t you? You have other women too, right? Well, let me tell you, once I kill you, I¡¯ll surely capture all your women and let dozens of men gang-rape them to death, haha..."


    Gonpachiro laughed wildly, reveling in the thought of such revenge. The pain of losing a loved one was already his, and now just seeing Li Yifei¡¯s wife in a coma made Li Yifei so furious. If he were to abuse all the women close to Li Yifei, even if Li Yifei died, he would surely be mad with rage.


    For a man, this was the ultimate insult. Ordinarily, one would not be able to withstand such provocation and would lash out, but Li Yifei was no ordinary person. At that point, he was a killing god, able to let go of everything around him. No matter what the other side said, it was just a tactic to him, and he would not fall for his opponent¡¯s strategies.


    On the other side, Gonpachiro gloated for a while, spewing more vitriolic language, but to no avail as Golden Eagle still did not appear.


    After more than an hour like this, Gonpachiro was extremely agitated. He had cursed everything he could, yet still, Golden Eagle did not surface.


    By then, Sophia said, "Mr. Gongben, Golden Eagle is very strong mentally; this is not effective. Furthermore, if this continues, our own people will endure more mental pressure and our combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced."


    Gonpachiro, grinding his molars, knew this was ineffective and that the situation was getting increasingly unfavorable for his side. With a fierce slap on the table, he barked, "Search for me, you must find Golden Eagle. Groups of ten, and don¡¯t you scatter."


    Though Gonpachiro was enraged, he was not foolish. By ordering a search without dispersing his forces, he at least ensured that Golden Eagle could not strike as easily as before.


    Those downstairs were also already unable to bear the pressure and would rather face Golden Eagle head-on. With weapons in their hands, they refused to believe they couldn¡¯t handle one man.


    Groups of about ten spread out, first encircling the pool near the entrance, as it was the most suitable hideout, and Golden Eagle most likely hadn¡¯t submerged elsewhere.


    As they drew somewhat nearer to the pool, someone fired the first shot, followed by everyone opening fire. In an instant, the sound of gunfire erupted, with concrete shards splattering from the pool¡¯s cement platforms under the barrage. The dense bullets even managed to break down the platforms that could provide cover.


    With bullets this dense, hitting the hard cement, they definitely couldn¡¯t penetrate it. After impact, they inevitably ricocheted everywhere, leading to what is called "stray bullets."


    Under normal circumstances, sharpshooters like those here would absolutely not fire so densely at a single position, but they were facing Golden Eagle, and just two hours before, Golden Eagle had killed so many of them that everyone was now only thinking of riddling Golden Eagle with bullets, completely oblivious to the danger of being struck by stray rounds.


    By the time the gunfire ceased, not only did they fail to find Li Yifei behind the pool, but several were also wounded by stray bullets, and two were especially unlucky¡ªone¡¯s head was pierced by a stray bullet, and another hit in the heart, both dead on the spot.


    The deaths of two people didn¡¯t much impact the group; their primary concern remained Golden Eagle¡¯s whereabouts.


    "Thud... Thud..." Suddenly, several more people fell behind them. They immediately turned around and saw several bodies lying still on the ground. Without needing a closer look, they all knew what had happened¡ªthese people had been killed by Golden Eagle.


    Yet, now that no one could see Golden Eagle anywhere, it sent them into even greater panic, unconsciously huddling together. The ones on the outskirts were holding their guns, looking around to spot any trace of Li Yifei.


    Sadly, all around was quiet, save for the sound of the rain. Even as the villa¡¯s lights brightened the courtyard, there was still no sign of Golden Eagle.


    "Search for me, you must find Golden Eagle!" Gonpachiro bellowed again.


    People in the yard had red eyes and, with a strange cry, bunched up in madness, charging and bouncing around the yard, firing their guns wildly without any sight of Li Yifei.


    Their seemingly chaotic actions, however, were effective due to the indiscriminate onslaught. Even where it seemed impossible for someone to be, they fired, and this did flush him out. Although Li Yifei was adept at using the buildings in the yard to avoid being seen, their relentless firing actually forced him into the open.


    Li Yifei intended to exert tremendous psychological pressure on them, especially Gonpachiro, to make him struggle in the fear of death and slowly kill these people. But now that he had been spotted, he held back no longer, with both hands waving, Flying Needles scattered like a flurry of blossoms, and in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people lost their lives to his needles.


    If Sophia saw this scene, she would undoubtedly be wide-eyed. Always known for her Flying Dagger expertise, she may have lost to Yifei, but she still believed her Flying Dagger skill was among the best in the world. Yet, compared to Yifei¡¯s Flying Needle, there was quite a gap.


    Watching one by one fall like harvested wheat outside, Gonpachiro¡¯s eyes turned red.


    At last, the final person in the yard lay down slowly, the rain beating on their bodies, but they could not feel it anymore.


    And at this moment, Li Yifei appeared at the villa¡¯s door like a ghost, enveloped in an aura of death.


    Striding towards the villa¡¯s interior, there was no longer any obstruction, as if the entire villa was devoid of people.


    However, as Li Yifei entered the villa¡¯s hall, a fierce blade energy descended from above. Yifei did not dodge but threw a punch with such force as if to collide directly with the incoming blade.


    The person leaping down knew very well that his blade would never touch Yifei¡¯s fist. If he continued to strike down, his blade would not reach Yifei and would surely be met by Yifei¡¯s punch to the chest. Given Golden Eagle¡¯s renown, that punch would undoubtedly take his life.


    But the man was recklessly fierce and still struck down with all his might.


    Just then, from behind the doorway¡¯s screen, another person leapt out, swinging a blade horizontally at Yifei. If Yifei still intended to blast the first attacker away, this slash would surely cut Yifei in two.


    Their plan was well-thought, but Yifei was not so easily killed. The punch he hurled above did not falter; his left foot kicked out fiercely.


    "Bang! Bang!" two sounds followed. The man above was met with Yifei¡¯s fist and had no more chances to groan, while the one below clutched his wrist and hastily retreated, his face filled with shock.


    With a punch and a kick, Yifei simply shattered their supposedly unfailing joint strike technique. This level of strength was simply unimaginable for the two, almost inhuman in combat prowess. What terribly fearsome enemy had Gonpachiro provoked?

 Chapter 803 - 843: Dying in Fear

    Chapter 803: Chapter 843: Dying in Fear"Bang bang," several sounds erupted, and a thick cloud of smoke suddenly filled the hall, followed by the instantaneous disappearance of the lights. The darkness, compounded by the smoke, rendered the hall so dark that one couldn¡¯t see their own hands.


    Ninja!


    This was the kind of smoke commonly used by ninjas for concealment. Gonpachiro still had some ninjas hidden here; they had been lying in ambush within the hall, and now that Li Yifei had entered, it was finally their turn to strike.


    The most formidable trait of the ninjas was their ability to ambush, killing their victims silently and without prior warning. Moreover, these ninjas were the elite among their kind, a group of true masters nurtured by Gonpachiro at great expense.


    In such a situation, a regular person would definitely stop in their tracks, but Yifei¡¯s pace wasn¡¯t affected in the slightest, his steps still methodically moving toward the direction of the staircase.


    "Ah!" Accompanied by the sound of a fist striking flesh, a person screamed and flew out, crashing into a piece of furniture.


    It was uncertain how many ninjas were in the hall, but the cries of agony were incessant, as if they were meeting their deaths the moment they engaged in combat, whether it was one, two, or even several at a time.


    Under these conditions, which would normally favor the ninjas, the darkness and smoke seemed to provide no advantage against Yifei.


    Finally, the screams ceased in the ground-floor hall, and the sound of Yifei¡¯s footsteps reached the second-floor staircase, suggesting he had eliminated all the ninjas in the hall.


    Gonpachiro had been very confident in his ability to kill Li Yifei, but at this moment, he had lost all faith, replaced by a deep sense of dread. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that Golden Eagle would be so strong, overwhelming the multitude of elite fighters he had at his disposal, leaving just the final four people by his side.


    "Mr. Gonben, rest assured, as long as we four are here, Golden Eagle, no matter how strong, will definitely not be able to harm you," Tsuyoshi Tsuda declared, his thick eyebrows standing erect and an air of fierceness about him.


    "That relies entirely on you," Gonpachiro said, now utterly lacking in confidence.


    Yifei had finally reached their room door, facing the four people surrounding Gonpachiro without showing any expression.


    Tsuyoshi Tsuda, Kenichirou, Nobita Nobi, and Shizuka stood in a line blocking Gonpachiro¡¯s front, their eyes fixedly staring at Yifei.


    Yifei said nothing, continuing to advance step by step toward the four, who began to feel an overwhelming pressure, almost compelling them to abandon the idea of resisting. This alarming realization led them to exchange glances before Tsuyoshi Tsuda and Nobita Nobi simultaneously shouted and charged at Yifei, refusing to allow him to continue suppressing them with his momentum, which would surely diminish their own strength. They had no choice but to take the initiative.


    Yifei threw both fists simultaneously, targeting the two men. One fist met with Tsuyoshi Tsuda¡¯s punch. Tsuyoshi Tsuda usually reveled in such encounters, proud of his strength, and had channeled all his power into this punch, not to injure Yifei outright but to match him or withstand his blow. This could have completely tied down Yifei, giving Nobita Nobi a perfect opportunity to strike Yifei down.


    It was a good plan, except when his punch collided with Yifei¡¯s, it felt as if he had struck cotton, bearing no force, an uncomfortable sensation akin to stepping into a void when descending stairs. Due to the heaviness of his own strength, his arm dislocated.


    Nobita Nobi and Tsuyoshi Tsuda had impeccable coordination, but this time that very synchrony proved their undoing. Nobita believed Tsuyoshi¡¯s punch would surely occupy Yifei, and thus the punch coming his way wouldn¡¯t bear much power, allowing him to execute a deadly move on Yifei.


    But to his surprise, the force behind Yifei¡¯s punch was extraordinarily powerful, piercing through his attack. When Nobita tried to defend, he could only hastily cross his arms in front of his chest. However, he couldn¡¯t match Yifei¡¯s strength. Even as his arms absorbed some of Yifei¡¯s force, a significant portion still transmitted through his arms to his chest.


    "Ah!" A pained shriek tore through the air as Nobita was blasted away by Yifei¡¯s fist, blood spurting from his mouth and flying over the heads of Gonpachiro¡¯s group, crashing through the glass, and tumbling to the ground below.


    With just one move, Yifei had killed Nobita Nobi and severely injured Tsuyoshi Tsuda, leaving Kenichirou and Shizuka horrified. They only then realized how strong Golden Eagle truly was, utterly beyond their own level.


    Yifei now ignored Tsuyoshi Tsuda and the other two entirely, his gaze fixed on Gonpachiro, whose complexion had turned deathly pale, and his body was shaking. Suddenly, he roared, "Attack! Attack! Kill him!"


    Biting back their fears, Shizuka and Kenichirou drew their weapons; Shizuka held a Japanese Long Knife in both hands, while Kenichirou gripped a dagger in each, and both lunged at Yifei in attack. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although one of Tsuyoshi Tsuda¡¯s arms was disabled, he still clenched his teeth and threw a punch at Yifei with his remaining left hand.


    Yifei had surprised and injured two of his opponents just moments before, an advantage born of cunning strategy rather than straightforward combat. While he would certainly have won in a direct fight, the victory would not have come as easily. Now, as the three attacked with hesitation, Yifei wouldn¡¯t give them another such opportunity.


    However, Yifei had achieved his objective of intimidating them, diminishing the strength of the three, making it relatively effortless to handle them now.


    And he specifically targeted the already injured Tsuyoshi Tsuda, relying on nimble footwork to always make Tsuyoshi Tsuda block the opponent¡¯s weapon. This further constrained Shizuka and Kenichirou.


    Seizing an opportunity, Li Yifei delivered a punch to Kenichirou¡¯s chest, ending the life of a skilled fighter. His attacks immediately grew even more fierce. It wasn¡¯t long before Tsuyoshi Tsuda fell to Li Yifei¡¯s hands. Finally, even when facing the woman Shizuka, Li Yifei showed not an ounce of sympathy, sending her straight to the afterlife.


    "Stop right there! Move again, and I¡¯ll shoot," shouted Gonpachiro, gun in hand, aiming at Li Yifei¡¯s chest with a fierce yet terrified voice.


    Li Yifei, still with an expressionless face, slowly walked towards him.


    Li Yifei¡¯s footsteps were not loud, but to Gonpachiro, they sounded like hammers striking his heart, filling him with extreme fear. He screamed, hoarsely,"Don¡¯t come any closer, don¡¯t come any closer, or I¡¯ll really shoot!"


    But Li Yifei moved even closer. Gonpachiro was on the verge of collapse, his finger pulled the trigger, and a gunshot rang out.


    Yet, at the moment Gonpachiro fired, Li Yifei¡¯s body flashed suddenly, avoiding the bullet with ease.


    With one palm chop to Gonpachiro¡¯s wrist, Gonpachiro screamed like a slaughtered pig, aware that his gun could not harm Li Yifei, and now that reality had finally set in.


    "Golden Eagle, don¡¯t kill me, please don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll give you money, lots of money, please spare me, I really know I was wrong," Gonpachiro pleaded, falling to his knees with a thud.


    Li Yifei stared at Gonpachiro and slowly said, "I told you before, whoever lays a hand on my family, I will show no mercy, not sparing a single soul. Luckily, you didn¡¯t have a family here; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t let anyone off."


    "Aaah!" Gonpachiro now knew that Li Yifei would never spare him. Suddenly, he lunged at Li Yifei, a dagger in his hand stabbing towards Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen.


    Unfortunately, he was no expert fighter, and his attempted ambush was futile. Li Yifei kicked him away.


    Gonpachiro died painfully. Li Yifei had crushed all the bones in his arms and legs, letting him howl agonizingly for an entire night before he breathed his last. Even as he died in a haze of pain, Gonpachiro kept muttering repeatedly, "You think by killing me, it¡¯s over? No! Far from it... far from it."


    Watching all this, apart from Li Yifei, there was another person, a blonde beauty like an angel.


    "Golden Eagle, I made a good choice. I¡¯m really starting to like you now," said the Holy Maiden standing next to Li Yifei, utterly ignoring Gonpachiro¡¯s screams with a serene smile on her face.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "You¡¯d better keep your distance from me."


    "I¡¯m already far from you. Look, there¡¯s even half a meter between us."


    "If you dare stay here, I¡¯ll rape you," Li Yifei said with a chilling coldness in his voice, filled with a deep chill.


    "Fine by me. If you can overpower me, then do as you wish," the Holy Maiden said with a smile, not a trace of fear in her eyes.


    Li Yifei glared at the Holy Maiden and suddenly threw a punch toward her chest with tremendous force, holding nothing back.


    The Holy Maiden may have looked fragile, but her skill was exceptional. She dodged like a piece of dandelion fluff carried away by the wind of Li Yifei¡¯s punch, responding with a sweet smile, "Not bad. The man I like has to be decisive, not showing mercy just because the opponent is a woman."


    Li Yifei, without a word, launched a barrage of punches and kicks at the Holy Maiden like a violent storm.


    At first, the Holy Maiden managed to hold her own, but as Li Yifei¡¯s pressure increased, she began to falter. Suddenly she backed away, waving her hands, "Enough, enough, I can¡¯t beat you. Do whatever you want."


    Li Yifei hummed and took a quick step towards the Holy Maiden. Reaching out, he wrapped one arm around her and with his other hand, he reached for her coat and gave it a sharp tug. Her coat was torn off in an instant.


    But then he abruptly pushed the Holy Maiden away. In his hand appeared a small but exquisite dagger, while the Holy Maiden stood by the window, pursing her lips at Li Yifei, "Not this time, maybe next," and then she leaped out the window, disappearing into the darkness.

 Chapter 804 - 844: Estrangement

    Chapter 804: Chapter 844: EstrangementLi Yifei stood at the entrance of his apartment complex and took a deep breath before walking into the elevator. The carnage of the past several days, although it had brought the culprits to justice, still weighed heavily on his heart. He already knew that Xu Yingying had not yet woken up, lying in a vegetative state. Her external wounds had mostly healed, and now she had been brought home for care.


    The key slid into the anti-theft door, and he heard a chorus of voices from inside, followed by the sound of scrambling footsteps. When he opened the door, several women had already run up to the entrance.


    "Yifei!"


    "Brother-in-law!"


    "Uncle!"


    "Brother Li!"


    Different names were called out by different people, but all carried the same surprised delight.


    Li Yifei looked at the women: Xu Shanshan, Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and with them were Meng Xiaofei, Su Mengxin, Michelle, and Ning Xin¡¯er.


    All of these people were either close to him or had very good relationships with him, but Xu Yingying, his wife, was not among them, which cast a shadow over Li Yifei¡¯s mood. He nodded and said, "You¡¯re all here, I¡¯m going to go see Yingying."


    They all followed Li Yifei upstairs, where Xu Yingying lay in her bedroom, silently resting on the bed. The bandages on her head had been removed, and short hairs began to grow back on her scalp, covering the wound that still had a simple dressing.


    Sitting by the bed, Li Yifei gently held Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, which was very cold¡ªthe coldness made his heart ache sharply.


    "Wife, I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t been by your side for several days. From now on, I won¡¯t leave again. I will stay with you until you wake up."


    After saying this, Li Yifei silently stared at Xu Yingying, his gaze unwavering for a long time.


    The women standing behind exchanged glances, sharing a knowing look. They understood Li Yifei¡¯s grief, but didn¡¯t expect such a reaction upon his return. After waiting for a while and seeing that Li Yifei remained motionless, Ye Yunzhu coughed softly and sat beside him, saying, "Yifei, don¡¯t be too distraught. The doctor said that your sister¡¯s physical condition is still good, and her brain is recovering well. It¡¯s very possible that she could wake up at any time. If we all keep talking to her and remind her of past events, it might just stimulate her brain activity, and then she could wake up."


    "Is that really true?" Li Yifei suddenly turned his head.


    "Really!" all the women nodded together. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A look of excitement flashed across Li Yifei¡¯s face as he said, "Alright, then I will talk to her every day. I will definitely awaken Yingying."


    "Brother-in-law, you should take a shower. You look worn out," Xu Shanshan said with extreme concern.


    Su Mengxin also quickly added, "Yes, go wash up, get rid of the burden in your heart."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin, his expression complicated, while Su Mengxin gave a bitter smile. She knew Li Yifei would probably blame her for the incident; she didn¡¯t want to shirk responsibility, for if her grandfather hadn¡¯t gone after Xu Yingying, none of this would have happened.


    "Daddy, you stink, you really stink," Little Yifei said. She hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei for several days and leaned in close to him, but then she quickly raised her hands to fan her nose.


    Her daughter¡¯s words softened Li Yifei¡¯s previously rigid expression. He immediately responded, "Then Daddy will go shower right now."


    "You¡¯d better hurry, or I won¡¯t let you hug or kiss me," Little Yifei waved her tiny arms and pouted her small lips.


    With such an adorable daughter, Li Yifei¡¯s anxieties of the past few days were further eased. He laughed heartily, stood up, and Su Yiyi swiftly ran out to draw him a hot bath.


    As Li Yifei went to shower, everyone gathered together, yet they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to feel happy because they all felt that with his return, Li Yifei seemed to have become somewhat distant from them.


    "I feel like Yifei is different this time he came back," Ye Yunzhu sighed softly.


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Yeah, uncle didn¡¯t even speak to me."


    Su Mengxin let out a sigh, "Comfort him more, Yingying¡¯s incident has hit him pretty hard."


    After taking a shower, Li Yifei¡¯s spirits improved significantly, and seeing that everyone was still gathered in Xu Yingying¡¯s room, he said, "You all have had a hard time these past few days. I¡¯ll take care of Yingying from now on; you all go and rest."


    Ye Yunzhu frowned, "Look at yourself now, you¡¯ve lost so much weight. You must have suffered a lot outside these days; you¡¯re the one who needs rest the most."


    "Yes, yes, we have so many people to take care of Sister Yingying, there definitely won¡¯t be any problems; you don¡¯t need to worry, you should rest first," Su Yiyi also hastily added.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "No need, I¡¯m not at ease when I¡¯m not by Yingying¡¯s side. If I talk to her more, maybe she will wake up a day sooner."


    No matter how much everyone persuaded him, Li Yifei was adamant about not resting, and in the end, everyone left it to him. After all, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen Xu Yingying for days, and it was completely normal for him to want to stay.


    Xu Yingying lay quietly in bed. Apart from having no hair and some bandages on her head, she looked very much the same as usual, as if she was just sound asleep.


    "Wife, I know you¡¯re just asleep, and you¡¯ll wake up sooner or later, you certainly will, right?" Li Yifei gazed tenderly at Xu Yingying and whispered, "When you were asleep before, you¡¯d glare at me, bossing me around, and I¡¯d feel a bit uncomfortable. But now that you¡¯re asleep and no one¡¯s bossing me around, I feel uneasy. You need to wake up fast. If you don¡¯t wake up, I might just lose it."


    "Wife, even though I¡¯m quite a playboy, I really love you. I never realized how much I loved you before. Do you know how painful it was when you said you wanted a divorce? I¡¯ve never felt such agony when a woman I like is about to leave me. How could I bear to leave you? You¡¯re my wife, for this entire life."


    But unfortunately, regardless of what Li Yifei said, Xu Yingying showed no response. These days, Li Yifei had been in a state of extreme fatigue. Now, he finally relaxed a little and fell asleep holding Xu Yingying.


    In the following days, Li Yifei remained by Xu Yingying¡¯s side, constantly talking to her every day, but she remained unchanged. It seemed as if she meant to keep sleeping like this indefinitely.


    Ye Yunzhu started feeling uneasy at home. Even though Xu Yingying¡¯s injury had left Li Yifei heartbroken, now he seemed obsessed, neglecting everything else and barely attending to the other women. The only thing that seemed to bring him back to normal was Little Yifei, but as soon as Little Yifei left, Li Yifei would revert, holding Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and tirelessly recounting the details of their relationship.


    Understanding though she might be, and patient as she was with Li Yifei, Ye Yunzhu felt this situation was not good for the household. What if Xu Yingying never woke up and Li Yifei continued like this indefinitely?


    If Li Yifei were not so deeply lost in his current state, it might have been an opportunity for Ye Yunzhu, affording her a prime chance to step in as the mistress of the house, especially with no competition from Su Yiyi and Dawn, young as the latter was.


    Even though Ning Xin¡¯er had a daughter with Li Yifei and was pregnant again, Ye Yunzhu now had the advantage of living in Li Yifei¡¯s house.


    While Ye Yunzhu was aware of this, she didn¡¯t want to take advantage of the situation to establish her position. It would seem like taking advantage of someone¡¯s misfortune and could lead to Li Yifei¡¯s bias against her in the future, which would not bode well for their relationship. Having come to understand Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities and identity, Ye Yunzhu was very clear that she couldn¡¯t control him as she might have in high school¡ªif she didn¡¯t win his heart with true affection and patience, she really couldn¡¯t hold onto it.


    So that night, Ye Yunzhu gathered with Su Yiyi, Su Mengxin, and Xu Shanshan. Little Yifei wasn¡¯t home that evening, having been taken to her mother Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s house.


    Chu Xiaoyao had exams coming up, so after staying home for two days, she was persuaded to return to school. Although she wanted to stay, Li Yifei¡¯s lack of attention made home feel dull, and the atmosphere, made heavy by Xu Yingying¡¯s condition, was too oppressive for her to bear, prompting her to return to school.


    The four of them sat together with weighty expressions. Ye Yunzhu spoke first, "This can¡¯t continue. Once Yifei gets stubborn, not even ten oxen can bring him back."


    Xu Shanshan looked particularly haggard; it was her sister who lay comatose. The one who suffered most besides Li Yifei was her. Exhaling deeply, she said, "I¡¯m close to breaking down. Every time my parents call, my heart aches. They still have no idea about my sister¡¯s accident; if they found out, I fear they couldn¡¯t handle the shock."


    Su Mengxin was also under tremendous psychological pressure during this time. Although Li Yifei never verbally blamed her, she always felt his aloofness when he looked at her. She sighed lightly and said, "Yeah, seeing Yingying and Yifei like this really hurts. I¡¯ve contacted some of the world¡¯s most renowned neurosurgeons to come to Mile City for a consultation in a few days. If they can¡¯t do anything, I really don¡¯t know if Yifei will be able to pull himself together."


    The room fell silent suddenly; everyone had been combing the internet for information. With a condition like Xu Yingying¡¯s, it was hard to say whether she could awaken.

 Chapter 805 - 845 Leaving

    Chapter 805: Chapter 845 LeavingEarly in the morning, Su Yiyi busily prepared breakfast. One by one, everyone emerged from their rooms, but Li Yifei was nowhere to be seen. Xu Shanshan said, "I¡¯ll go call my brother-in-law."


    Su Mengxin quickly stopped her, "Your brother-in-law must be exhausted these days. He went to bed late last night; let him sleep a little longer today."


    Everyone had seen the state of Li Yifei when he returned yesterday; he hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for many days and nights. At this moment, who would have the heart to wake him? Su Yiyi said, "I just happen to have no classes this morning. I¡¯ll stay at home and wait. Once Brother Li wakes up, I¡¯ll make him another meal."


    Everyone ate breakfast absentmindedly, but no one had the heart to go out; they all wanted to wait for Li Yifei to come downstairs to have a talk with him and perhaps cheer him up a bit.


    "Huh, where did Brother Li¡¯s shoes go?" After finishing her meal and with nothing else to do, Su Yiyi wanted to clean his shoes that she noticed were dirty yesterday, but she couldn¡¯t find the pair Li Yifei wore the day before in the shoe cabinet at the entrance.


    "I didn¡¯t notice. Maybe they¡¯ve been put somewhere else?" Xu Shanshan casually remarked, not really concerned about Li Yifei¡¯s shoes.


    However, Su Yiyi expressed her suspicion, "No, that¡¯s not right. I put those shoes away myself, clearly inside the cabinet. Now they¡¯re gone. Could it be... Brother Li went out?"


    "Are you sure?" Su Mengxin instantly became anxious.


    Su Yiyi confidently nodded, "I¡¯m certain of it, I definitely put the shoes in the cabinet."


    A sudden sense of dread filled Ye Yunzhu, "Could it be that... Yifei got up this morning to go out for a while? We weren¡¯t up yet."


    Su Mengxin said with a worried look, "Let¡¯s go upstairs and check."


    Without a word, Xu Shanshan rushed ahead with quick strides, and Su Mengxin followed closely behind. Su Yiyi, initially in a hurry, slowed down her pace to wait for Ye Yunzhu to catch up and support her.


    "Ah!" Just as Ye Yunzhu and Su Yiyi reached the second-floor staircase, they heard Xu Shanshan scream, followed shortly after by a shout from Su Mengxin.


    Ye Yunzhu quickly held her belly and stammered, "What... what happened?"


    "My brother-in-law isn¡¯t in his room," Xu Shanshan said blankly.


    Ye Yunzhu let out a sigh of relief, "You really scared me to death. If he¡¯s not in his room, and his shoes aren¡¯t there, that means he¡¯s gone out. He¡¯s a grown man; he safely returned after being gone several days earlier, what could possibly happen to him now?"


    But Su Mengxin offered a bitter smile, "It¡¯s not just Yifei missing; Yingying is also gone."


    "Ah?" Ye Yunzhu quickly joined them at the doorstep of Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom, only to see the bed empty¡ªnot only was Li Yifei not there, but Xu Yingying, who had been unconscious, was also missing.


    "Where did he take Yingying?" The four of them stood at the door dumbfounded. After a while, Ye Yunzhu murmured the question, the same one the other three wanted to ask.


    A moment later, Su Mengxin regained her composure and said with a wry smile, "It¡¯s very possible that he¡¯s taken Yingying to see a doctor."


    Ye Yunzhu frowned, "But there was no need to take Yingying away. He could have invited a doctor over, or contacted one first and then taken Yingying to see them. Why would he just take Yingying away?"


    Su Mengxin sighed deeply, "Firstly, he blames himself. For so many years, he¡¯s protected so many important people and carried out numerous dangerous missions without a single failure. Yet, his own wife¡ªhis inability to protect her¡ªis something he finds unbearable."


    After a pause, Su Mengxin¡¯s tone grew more dejected, "Secondly, he bears resentment towards me in his heart, but Yifei is not one to easily blame others. So, instead of facing me or asking me to leave, he chose to leave himself. If you want to blame someone, blame me. If it weren¡¯t for my grandfather finding Yingying, she would not have ended up like this."


    Xu Shanshan sighed deeply, "Mengxin, you don¡¯t need to blame yourself so much. Your grandfather is your grandfather, and you are you. I indeed hate your grandfather, but I don¡¯t blame you."


    Su Mengxin smiled bitterly, "But it¡¯s still trouble brought by me. If it wasn¡¯t for me coming to Mile City, Yifei might not have been exposed. He could have just been an ordinary person, living a settled life with Yingying without all these troubles ensuing."


    Ye Yunzhu shook her head and said, "Mengxin, you don¡¯t need to blame yourself anymore. In fact, if we really talk about responsibility, all of us are to blame. Yifei is already married, and even though he was my first love, I shouldn¡¯t have continued to linger around him. Yet, I ended up carrying his child. To Yingying, that¡¯s just too unfair."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip, tears streaming down as she choked out, "Where have Brother Li and Sister Yingying gone now? It must be so hard for Brother Li to take care of Sister Yingying all on his own."


    Xu Yingying lay in a coma, completely unaware of her surroundings. Taking care of her usually required more than one person, needing two people to work together. Although Li Yifei was a man, the hardship of caring for Xu Yingying could only be imagined.


    The doorbell rang, and all four of them were jolted, their expressions changing abruptly. Just a moment ago, everyone had only thought about Li Yifei leaving with Xu Yingying, or perhaps they had all misunderstood; Li Yifei might have just taken Xu Yingying out for some fresh air, considering she had been bedridden these past days.


    The four hurried downstairs, and the fastest, Xu Shanshan, rushed to open the door. However, standing at the door was not Li Yifei, but Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Their expressions instantly changed from excitement to disappointment. Xu Shanshan even felt a surge of anger; Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arrival had simply shattered her hopes.


    "What¡¯s wrong with you all?" Ning Xin¡¯er was totally unaware of the situation at home. The attitudes of the few made her quite uncomfortable. These days, with Li Yifei not around, she had also been helping to take care of Xu Yingying, and everyone had seemed less hostile toward her. It was just that the bit of friendship that had just been established seemed to have disappeared now.


    Su Mengxin sighed and said, "Yifei took Yingying away. We thought he had just taken Yingying for a walk, but it seems that is not the case."


    "What? He took Yingying away? Where did they go?" Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly exclaimed, asking two questions in succession.


    "We don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve gone. I¡¯ve tried calling his cellphone, but it¡¯s turned off."


    "This... what is he doing?" Ning Xin¡¯er frowned deeply, then quickly added, "Let¡¯s go out and look for them. Right, let¡¯s ask the security guard at the gate." With that, she ran out.


    Everyone immediately followed, and upon asking the security guard at the gate, they were told that Li Yifei had left carrying someone on his back at two o¡¯clock in the middle of the night. Hearing this, everyone knew that Li Yifei¡¯s departure was certainly not merely for a stroll.


    "What now?" Back at home, Xu Shanshan looked at everyone and asked, and they all turned to Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin was just that kind of person; no matter where she was, she became the center of attention. Now, she seemed to be Li Yifei¡¯s woman, naturally becoming the linchpin.


    Su Mengxin spoke somewhat helplessly, "For now, let¡¯s just leave him be, let him calm down. If he can find a good doctor who might be able to cure Yingying, that would be the best outcome. If he can¡¯t cure her for the time being, then after a while, he should gradually come to accept reality. Even if we could find him now, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t listen to us, so my suggestion is, let¡¯s not go looking for him."


    "But... it will be very hard for him to take care of Sister Yingying on his own." Su Yiyi¡¯s heart ached for Li Yifei, pouting her small mouth and twisting the hem of her clothing.


    Ye Yunzhu sighed and said, "Right now, the most important thing is his inner turmoil. He just wants to be with Yingying for the time being. If we found him, it might just provoke his aversion, so I also support what Mengxin said¡ªlet him handle it on his own for now."


    In terms of insight, Su Mengxin and Ye Yunzhu were naturally the highest. There was also Ning Xin¡¯er, but given the current status differences, she didn¡¯t have a say.


    Although everyone had made this decision, they still worried about Li Yifei and Xu Yingying every day. They tried calling Li Yifei daily, but they never got through. In the end, all they could do was send text messages and WeChat messages, hoping that Li Yifei would see them.


    As time went on, everyone began to worry even more. After being concerned for some time, they started harboring some resentment toward Li Yifei. Even though Xu Yingying had ended up like this, it wasn¡¯t a reason for him to disappear altogether, leaving no news behind. The household was already in chaos, and with Xu Yingying absent at the helm of the company, He Fangqing was struggling to manage alone.


    At the factory, with Li Yifei, the factory manager, gone, Xu Shanshan was also busy to the point of disorientation.


    And then there was Ye Yunzhu¡ªher belly was growing larger, and with Li Yifei, the father, nowhere to be seen, she felt both angry and helpless.


    Little Yifei, though young, was quite uncomfortable with her father¡¯s absence, especially with Xu Yingying, her mother, also not around, and the household lacking Li Yifei¡¯s male presence¡ªleaving her with an all-female household. She too was insistent on finding her father, Li Yifei. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were also Li Yifei¡¯s two cousins, who had not seen Li Yifei for some time. Although they weren¡¯t clear about the situation in the company, the absence of Li Yifei naturally made them anxious. Ning Xin¡¯er could only stall with excuses like business trips.


    For Xu Shanshan, the most troubling issue was the pressure from her parents. During the New Year, the Xu Zhenguo couple had wanted all of them to come home for the holidays, but how could she dare to go back under these circumstances? Making phone calls home, she managed to imitate her sister well enough, but when it came to speaking with Li Yifei, she had to weave one lie after another, leaving her head spinning.

 Chapter 806 - 846 I Might Cure Her

    Chapter 806: Chapter 846 I Might Cure HerAncient Town of Lijiang, Yunnan.


    This is a scenic tourist city, forever springlike, with plenty of sunshine and abundant rainfall. It is indeed a very suitable place for living and tourism.


    Every year, the number of tourists that come here is countless. Those who have visited rarely regret it. To stay a night in a small wooden building by the bridges and streams, listening to the rain outside, is truly a great enjoyment in life.


    However, due to excessive development of tourism, many places are no longer suitable for ordinary people to live. Only some remote villages still maintain the pure natural characteristics of old Lijiang.


    It was in such a remote village that, a few days ago, a young couple moved in. The man looked a bit weathered, while the woman was a vegetative person with no consciousness. The man didn¡¯t interact much with others, only seen when buying some items; otherwise, he spent all his time with that vegetative woman.


    These two naturally were Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying was comatose, and Li Yifei was deeply blaming himself. Thus, he had to cure Xu Yingying, but after consulting some well-known neurologists, they were all helpless regarding her condition. It was certain that there were no other injuries in Xu Yingying¡¯s brain, but the reasons she couldn¡¯t wake up were numerous, and no one could give Li Yifei a definite answer.


    Left with no other choice, Li Yifei brought Xu Yingying back to China, but he didn¡¯t want to return home. He wanted to devote himself entirely to Xu Yingying, to take care of this wife of his for a lifetime. He had never felt such deep emotions between them before, but this time, he truly did.


    As a skilled protector who had always been responsible for protection missions, Li Yifei¡¯s initial training was to shield his superiors from threats with his own body, whether it was bullets or blades, even if it meant sacrificing his life.


    After so many training sessions, Li Yifei had managed to block a bullet for Su Mengxin during one mission. But Xu Yingying was just an ordinary person; in that moment of danger, she instinctively used her body to protect Li Yifei, which required immense courage. No, it wasn¡¯t just courage¡ªit was an instinct where there¡¯s no time for the brain to react, but such acts are done regardless.


    Xu Yingying instinctively protected him with her life; what then, could Li Yifei not sacrifice for Xu Yingying? So, Li Yifei decided to abandon everything else¡ªeven Su Yiyi and the other women who loved him, and those who loved him back. He would spend his life alongside Xu Yingying. If Xu Yingying would not wake up for a day, he would stay by her side for a day. If Xu Yingying never woke up, he would stay with her forever.


    Every day, he talked to Xu Yingying, bathed her, took her out in the sun, and shared the scenery he saw. These tasks seemed cumbersome, but Li Yifei never felt weary.


    "Wife, do you know, only now do I truly realize what it means to be a husband. I¡¯ve always been pampered by you, and you¡¯ve always been so accommodating to me. But I never really understood what marriage truly means. Marriage is about mutual support and always thinking of each other. But I really thought too little about you before. Wife, I am truly sorry, and now, being here with you is like paying a bit of interest. Once you wake up, I¡¯ll definitely be a truly qualified husband, staying well by your side."


    "What a good husband." A voice like the music of the heavens emerged from behind Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei did not turn around, instead, he continued to gaze tenderly at Xu Yingying, still gently massaging her legs, which he did multiple times each day to prevent muscle atrophy. He spoke softly, "I don¡¯t want to be disturbed. You¡¯d better not bother me."


    Standing behind Li Yifei at that moment was a blonde beauty in a white long dress, her skin as white as snow. If there were a pair of wings on her back, she would have been the spitting image of an angel¡ªthe Saint.


    "Seeing how you care for your wife, I am genuinely touched. The way you are is just like thebelief of our Holy War Organization: to dedicate everything for love."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes, I know that you view our Holy War with prejudiced eyes, but our Holy War Organization is striving for the peace and happiness of all people around the world."


    Li Yifei slowly turned his head, then smiling, said, "Then why do you use me like a scapegoat in your mind games? Why did you ultimately want to kill me? Am I not one of the world¡¯s people as well?"


    The Saint smiled brightly, her smile as lively as a blooming snow lotus, and said, "Each person in our Holy War Organization dedicates themselves to our ideals and beliefs, even if it costs us our lives. If you truly understood our Holy War, I believe you would also be brave enough to dedicate yourself."


    "Sorry, although I¡¯m also a party member, I don¡¯t subscribe to any beliefs, nor am I as noble as you. I just want to take good care of my wife until the day she wakes up."


    The Saint narrowed her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "What if I told you that I might be able to wake her up?"


    Li Yifei suddenly stood up, grabbing the Saint¡¯s shoulders in excitement, and exclaimed, "Do you really have a way?"


    The Saint felt her shoulders being clamped as if by a tiger¡¯s vice, yet she didn¡¯t resist, instead letting out a cry of pain, "Are you trying to kill me..."


    Li Yifei hastily let go of her hand and, not caring whether the Saintess was pretending, said urgently, "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, can you quickly tell me, do you really have a way?"


    The Saintess rubbed her shoulder and said, "I said I might be able to wake her up, but it¡¯s not certain."


    "But there is always a way, can you quickly tell me what it is?"


    The Saintess glanced at Xu Yingying on the bed and said, "Being your wife, she really is quite fortunate."


    Li Yifei knew that the Saintess was purposely tantalizing him and had no choice but to say, "Alright, as long as you can wake Yingying up, I agree to become your inner demon." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saintess shook her head and said, "Although you know that our Saintesses have this inner demon thing, you still don¡¯t know the details. To truly break an inner demon as a Saintess, one must genuinely like the other person. It¡¯s not just about saying ¡¯love¡¯; it¡¯s about a real emotional touch, to truly experience the inner demon, otherwise it¡¯s utterly meaningless. If I were to use coercion, it would have many consequences for myself."


    "You really are troublesome, but alright, next time you need me, I won¡¯t insult you or intentionally make you dislike me."


    "I didn¡¯t ask for that," said the Saintess, her face breaking into a mischievous smile.


    "Consider it my thanks to you. Now, please tell me how to wake Yingying up."


    The Saintess looked towards Xu Yingying and said, "In our Holy War Organization, there¡¯s a very special kung fu related to mental power, which involves the brain¡ªsomething that all Saintesses must learn so that more people can believe in our Holy War Organization."


    Li Yifei was greatly excited and asked, "Are you saying that your followers are influenced by your mental power?"


    "Only a small part, the main thing is the faith in our Holy War Organization, our pursuit, which many people share, is why they become our followers."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t care how the Saintess manipulated those followers; he was focused on how to wake Xu Yingying, saying, "But Yingying is in a coma; she can¡¯t hear you speak or open her eyes to see you, do you have a way then?"


    "That¡¯s why I said I don¡¯t have much confidence. It¡¯s entirely up to you whether to try or not."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and asked, "Could there be any negative effects?"


    "I don¡¯t know, I have never treated anyone before; I just feel that, in theory, it should work."


    "Let me think about it."


    "No worries, take your time thinking about it. The scenery here is beautiful; I really like it, and I might as well rest a bit." Having said that, the Saintess floated away.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t immediately agree to the Saintess¡¯s proposal because he really worried about the potential negative effects. Although Xu Yingying was always unconscious, Li Yifei had a feeling that she would wake up sooner or later. Of course, it would be better to wake her up sooner, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the risk was worth it.


    The next day, the Saintess once again came to the small wooden building where Li Yifei was staying. Facing the Saintess, Li Yifei asked, "If something goes wrong with Yingying, could you sense it beforehand?"


    "I suppose? As I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve never tried this myself, so I won¡¯t really know what could happen until I do it. Moreover, it¡¯s not a short-term thing; it might take ten days, half a month, or even one or two years."


    Hearing that it could take such a long time, Li Yifei felt reassured. As long as the treatment wasn¡¯t aggressive, the side effects wouldn¡¯t be significant. He nodded and said, "Okay, then I¡¯ll trouble you. Whether it succeeds or not, I owe you a favor."


    "Hehe, a favor from Golden Eagle, that¡¯s quite valuable, you know. I¡¯ll cherish it and use it wisely."


    Li Yifei nodded. A normal person¡¯s favor wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him, and the tasks required would likely be simple. However, promising a favor to the Saintess wasn¡¯t that simple; hence, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have offered it lightly. But now, with his wife¡¯s awakening at stake, he promised the favor without regret.

 Chapter 807 - 847: It Turns Out There is Another Option

    Chapter 807: Chapter 847: It Turns Out There is Another Option"Is this really going to work?"


    When the Holy Woman was truly about to heal Xu Yingying, Li Yifei became somewhat nervous.


    The Holy Woman smiled charmingly and said, "It¡¯s really rare to see Golden Eagle looking so anxious."


    Li Yifei forced a smile and replied, "Before, I was dealing with people unrelated to me, so of course I wasn¡¯t nervous. But this is my wife, and I¡¯m truly afraid you¡¯ll make her condition worse."


    The Holy Woman spread her hands and asked, "So do you want to proceed with the treatment or not?"


    Li Yifei clenched his fists twice and finally nodded.


    "Hehe, that¡¯s more like it, but when I am treating her, there mustn¡¯t be any disturbances; you¡¯ll have to protect me."


    "Mmm!" Li Yifei nodded repeatedly.


    The Holy Woman giggled playfully and mentioned, "Having a Great Power like Golden Eagle to protect me is a privilege I alone possess in the whole world."


    In front of others, the Holy Woman always looked pure and reserved and never behaved playfully. But in front of Li Yifei, she needed to show more of herself and open up her heart. She aimed to conquer a mighty inner demon that past Holy Women had never accomplished, which was extremely risky for her, though Li Yifei was unaware of this fact.


    Li Yifei¡¯s spirit soared at that moment; he was so focused that he felt he could detect even a mouse stirring. His devotion to Xu Yingying was profound.


    The treatment the Holy Woman was performing on Xu Yingying was indeed no simple task. This sort of spiritual power could only be learned by Holy Women through the ages. She was a supreme talent among them, yet she wasn¡¯t very sure of her success.


    Sitting by the bed, the Holy Woman closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and then her breathing gradually slowed until it seemed she was hardly breathing at all. Her demeanor was majestic, and her face bore a strange radiance.


    Li Yifei watched the Holy Woman in amazement. Although he had some interactions with her in the past, he wasn¡¯t fully aware of the extent of her power. Even during their previous encounter when fighting Gonpachiro, the Holy Woman had only acted in self-defense and had not used her deadliest moves on him. At this moment, seeing her like this, Li Yifei felt an impulse to worship her, which showed her power was unfathomable. During this treatment, he didn¡¯t even feel confident that he could surpass her.


    The Holy Woman then extended her hands and placed them on Xu Yingying¡¯s head. Her delicate hands looked capable, and Li Yifei believed, of turning Xu Yingying¡¯s brain into mush which made him quite anxious.


    Li Yifei had reasons to worry about the Holy Woman using him as her inner demon, potentially making him fall completely in love with her to eliminate a rival in love. However, Li Yifei dared not stop her. At this point, the Holy Woman was also a hope for Li Yifei, and if she really injured Xu Yingying, he would undoubtedly seek revenge, turning from an inner demon into an adversary which would benefit no one. Thus, Li Yifei ultimately controlled himself and did not interfere.


    For a full hour, the Holy Woman kept her hands on Xu Yingying¡¯s head, appearing to do nothing, but Li Yifei saw more and more sweat appearing on her forehead. After she finally lifted her hands, she almost stumbled due to weakness.


    Li Yifei quickly reached out to support her shoulders. The Holy Woman weakly smiled, her face pale as she said, "I¡¯m fine, I just need to rest for a bit."


    Li Yifei could tell that the Holy Woman¡¯s exhaustion was real¡ªif it were feigned, he would have noticed¡ªwhich astonished him further about the great sacrifices required for treating Xu Yingying.


    After another half hour, the Holy Woman opened her eyes again, looking fully recovered. She smiled at Li Yifei and explained, "The first time, I needed to thoroughly understand the patient¡¯s condition, so it took a lot of effort, but it won¡¯t be like this in the future."


    Li Yifei immediately asked anxiously, "So how did it go?"


    "I¡¯m not quite sure. I used my mental power to reach out to her, and all her senses seem to be closed off. It¡¯s really peculiar, and I can¡¯t break through just yet. We can only go slow."


    "So there¡¯s a hope?"


    "Haven¡¯t I said it earlier? There is hope, but I¡¯m not sure when we¡¯ll succeed. I¡¯ll just take it slow."


    "Then...thank you so much." The hope given by the Holy Woman made Li Yifei¡¯s appreciation truly heartfelt.


    "Do you feel especially grateful to me now?"


    Li Yifei nodded without hesitation and said, "Indeed, I never expected it would be so hard for you."


    The saintess stretched out her delicate fingers to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I chose you as my inner demon, which is my greatest challenge. If I succeed, I will kill you and become the strongest saintess in history. If I fail, then I cannot become a saintess. I will be captured by you and become your woman. Won¡¯t you take the gamble?"


    Li Yifei looked at the saintess in surprise and said, "Is that so?"


    The saintess still wore a smile, but spoke in a very serious tone, "Of course, the inner demon of a saintess is certainly not easy. Inner demons, once conquered, signify the achievement of the great path. If captivated by the demon, one falls into the demonic path."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "I already agreed to be your inner demon. What I promised naturally counts. But I really did not expect there to be such another possibility. I thought, if you failed, you would just go back to being your saintess."


    "Hehe, to truly love with all my heart means that I will give a lot. If I fail, how can I remain pure? How could I possibly continue as a saintess? So, I can only stay and be your wife."


    "Sorry, I already have a wife." Finally, Li Yifei¡¯s face broke into a slight smile.


    "It¡¯s no big deal to be your concubine. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that demanding. If I lose, I¡¯ll willingly be your concubine and won¡¯t compete with your wife or your other women."


    "It seems I don¡¯t have much choice. There are only two paths, one where I die, but I have my loved ones, I can¡¯t abandon them, I cannot die. So, I have to take the second path, having you as my concubine."


    "Fine, as long as you succeed, as long as you lead me to failure, then I have absolutely no problem."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and extended his hand, saying, "Deal!"


    The saintess reached out her palm and gently tapped Li Yifei¡¯s hand, saying, "I have given myself a Huaxia name. I¡¯m called Yanzi."


    "You¡¯ve already chosen a Huaxia name. That¡¯s already sealed your fate to fail."


    "That depends on your skills. By choosing this name, I just wanted to give you a fair chance to interact with me. I didn¡¯t want you to keep calling me ¡¯Hey¡¯ every day." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. He didn¡¯t know the saintess¡¯s real name, and calling her ¡¯Saintess¡¯ felt a bit uncomfortable, so he had to resort to calling her "Hey".


    "I¡¯m leaving now, take care of your wife." The saintess stood up, smiled again at Li Yifei, and walked out.


    This actually made Li Yifei feel relaxed. If the saintess always lingered around him, it would indeed be troublesome. Now, he understood what the saintess meant by her inner demon. It was about having a real passionate romance with Li Yifei, which required mutual affection. If it depended on mere persistence, it would be useless. The saintess needed to truly attract Li Yifei, and she had to be genuinely attracted by him as well.


    This didn¡¯t put much pressure on Li Yifei; it was just right to take good care of Xu Yingying.


    In the evening, the saintess came again to treat Xu Yingying. This time, it didn¡¯t seem as hard as the first, but it was undeniably not easy either. After one or two times, it was rather draining. If it were to continue like this for a long time, it would indeed be a substantial burden for the saintess herself. This made Li Yifei appreciative, and his resentment lessened a lot, although he knew she was doing this for her inner demon, to make him rid himself of biases through her actions.


    The people of the village were very simple, and Li Yifei was quite generous. Although the saintess was a foreigner, she always smiled and was willing to help others. That day, she happened to cure a sick person, and her actions were further appreciated by the villagers. Apart from treating Xu Yingying, she spent more time mingling with the villagers, genuinely enjoying herself in a contented and comfortable manner.


    The weather was very nice that day. After the saintess finished treating Xu Yingying, Li Yifei held Xu Yingying and went hiking for the first time. The air in the village was already very pure, but immersing in nature and encountering new experiences might benefit Xu Yingying, and Li Yifei was willing to try anything that could possibly benefit her.


    The saintess joined them, and Li Yifei gladly agreed.


    Though the mountain path was rugged, it didn¡¯t hinder the two at all. They easily reached a relatively smooth area halfway up the mountain. Basking in the sun, smelling the scent of grass and flowers, and listening to the sounds of insects and birds truly uplifted their spirits.


    Lately, the saintess was always dressed in a white long skirt. At that moment, the skirt fluttered in the wind, making her appear like an angel descending. Even though Li Yifei was devoted to Xu Yingying, he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly stirred by the saintess.


    "This place is really nice. I never had the time to relax like this before. Now that I¡¯ve chosen you as my inner demon, I actually can relax well. Oh dear, the sky is getting cloudy. I hope it doesn¡¯t rain."


    Li Yifei was also a bit speechless at this time. The sky had been clear just a moment ago, and now it was overcast, likely indicating an impending rain. It was too late for them to descend the mountain now, so finding shelter from the rain was the best option.

 Chapter 808 - 848: This Is Way Too Bizarre

    Chapter 808: Chapter 848: This Is Way Too BizarreLi Yifei and the Saintess were both martial arts experts, but that didn¡¯t mean they were impervious to rain. When the heavy rain fell, they would get drenched just like everyone else.


    Additionally, there was Xu Yingying, and Li Yifei was especially unwilling to let Xu Yingying get wet. Fortunately, knowing the weather here was prone to rapid changes, and that it rained whenever it was forecasted to, Li Yifei had brought rain gear. While searching for shelter from the rain, he hurriedly opened an umbrella.


    The rain came down furiously. No sooner had Li Yifei opened his umbrella than the downpour started, and the torrential rain was too much for one umbrella to handle for both of them.


    Li Yifei quickly protected Xu Yingying, but it seemed to be insufficient. Another umbrella was raised, shielding Xu Yingying from above. It was the Saintess.


    Li Yifei nodded gratefully at the Saintess, and in return, she smiled at him and pointed in a direction, saying, "There¡¯s a bit of space underneath that large rock over there that should be suitable for shelter from the rain."


    The two of them hurried in that direction, moving swiftly. Despite their quickness, neither allowed the rain to reach Xu Yingying. Only acclaimed experts such as themselves could accomplish such a feat.


    Though the distance was only a bit over a hundred meters, by the time they reached the shelter of the jutting cliff, they were completely soaked, but thankfully, Xu Yingying remained dry.


    The space wasn¡¯t large, only about the size of a double bed. Li Yifei himself was wet, and while the front of his chest remained dry, hugging Xu Yingying meant his dampness would transfer to her. He quickly spread a blanket from his bag on the ground and set Xu Yingying down on it. These items were essential whenever he took Xu Yingying out, and it was only because of today¡¯s heavy rain that they found themselves in such a predicament.


    In the meantime, the Saintess had positioned both umbrellas at the entrance to the shelter and, using mud and rocks, had constructed a small dam to prevent rainwater from coming in and ground water from flowing in. This ensured the area stayed dry, although they couldn¡¯t avoid the humidity in the air.


    "Thank you." After settling Xu Yingying, Li Yifei turned to see all that the Saintess had done and couldn¡¯t help feeling very grateful.


    With her back to the wind, the Saintess stretched her hands out to rinse them with the rain, turned her head, and said with a smile, "What¡¯s there to thank me for? I find this quite fun."


    Li Yifei shifted closer to Xu Yingying and said, "Come over and sit down. You got wet too."


    The Saintess nodded and replied, "It seems we get along quite well. You even care about me now." After finishing her words, she twisted her body and came to sit beside Li Yifei, but suddenly realized that his gaze was somewhat peculiar and quickly looked away.


    The Saintess was momentarily taken aback but then realized what the issue was. She was wearing a white long dress made of a gauzy material that was normally opaque. However, once it got wet from the rain, it clung tightly to her body, revealing her graceful figure quite clearly.


    The Saintess was not unfamiliar with rain, but she had never been drenched like this before. With her status, The entire Holy War Organization held her in great veneration, and she was always accompanied by numerous people ready to tend to her needs at the slightest hint of rain. However, she had come alone this time to break her heart demon.


    In terms of ability, the Saintess certainly had no issues managing The entire Holy War Organization, which was flourishing under her leadership. Yet, in her personal life, she came across as rather clueless. She considered being caught in the rain amusing and hadn¡¯t realized that her clothes could become revealing.


    Suddenly, she clutched at her chest with both hands, turned her back to Li Yifei, but then realized her backside would be just as revealing. With Li Yifei able to see her, she panicked and darted out into the rain.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Li Yifei was taken aback and called out immediately.


    "I..." The Saintess found herself at a loss for words. She had always maintained an air of superiority in front of others, never having been in such a humiliating situation before. Now, unsure of how to face Li Yifei, she hid behind the umbrella, letting the rain soak her.


    At that moment, Li Yifei found the situation somewhat amusing. It turned out the Saintess was such a person¡ªperhaps even a bit childish. He said, "Come back in; I won¡¯t peek."


    "You really won¡¯t peek?" The Saintess asked from outside.


    "Of course not. Why would I peek at another woman in front of my wife? I¡¯m not asking to be slapped," he replied.


    "Well then... okay." The Saintess slowly poked her head back in, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s back turned to her. She hesitated before entering. Even for someone skilled in martial arts, it was uncomfortable to be drenched by the rain.


    Having sat down, the Saintess looked at Li Yifei and gradually smiled, saying, "You know, Golden Eagle, with so many women around you, I always thought you were a very fickle man. But it seems you¡¯re not."


    Li Yifei gazed at Xu Yingying and said slowly, "If I weren¡¯t too fickle, my wife wouldn¡¯t be like this."


    "Oh... But now you¡¯re taking your wife out. What about the others? You¡¯re not concerned about them?"


    After a while, Li Yifei replied, "I don¡¯t know, but right now, I don¡¯t want to face them, nor do I dare to. With Yingying so injured, I can¡¯t be happy around them; it would just make them uncomfortable to see me."


    "Heh, you gave me quite the scare. I thought you were really going to abandon all your women. If that were the case, how could I break my heart demon?"


    Li Yifei reached out and caressed Xu Yingying¡¯s cheek, saying, "I guess it will indeed be very hard for you. If Yingying doesn¡¯t wake up, my heart will definitely belong only to her. Even if Yingying wakes up, I will focus on her alone and won¡¯t fall for any other woman."


    "Well, then I definitely have to cure your wife."


    "But I have promised you, and I will absolutely not break my word. Even if you can¡¯t make my wife wake up, I won¡¯t refuse your presence by my side. I¡¯m just giving you a heads up."


    "That¡¯s what makes it fun. Although it¡¯s more difficult than I expected, I must say you¡¯ve gained another quality I admire. Speaking for myself, I might fall for you more easily; in fact, it might make things a bit easier."


    Li Yifei slowly said, "If that¡¯s how you feel, that¡¯s the best possible outcome."


    Rain in the mountains comes quickly, and goes just as quickly. After about ten minutes, the rain lessened, and a little while later it stopped completely, leaving the sky once again bright with sunshine.


    Although the weather had cleared, the mountain was washed by the rain, the ground became quite muddy, and the branches and grass were covered with water droplets, making it unsuitable for basking in the sun here.


    Li Yifei was reluctant to let Xu Yingying lie on the ground, so as soon as the rain stopped, he proposed they leave. The Holy Maiden had no objections, and the two of them packed up their things to descend the mountain.


    The Holy Maiden, holding an umbrella in front of her, said, "You go ahead."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Aren¡¯t you trying to turn me into your Breaking Heart Demon? What is there to be afraid of?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do you really want to see?" the Holy Maiden asked, gazing at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s words were just a reflex, a casual remark, and when confronted by the Holy Maiden, he felt quite embarrassed and apologetically said, "It was just a joke."


    "Not bad, to be able to joke. It seems your mindset has improved somewhat, hasn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei lowered his head to look at Xu Yingying in his arms and said, "Yes, I should be doing better. Yingying wouldn¡¯t want to see me like this, either."


    "Of course. Seeing as she was willing to take a bullet for you shows how much she loves you. She certainly wouldn¡¯t want to see you fall into despair because of her. She¡¯d rather see you happy and cheerful."


    Li Yifei gently kissed Xu Yingying¡¯s face and said, "But without her waking up, how can I be happy? Even if she wakes up and scolds or hits me every day, I would still be joyous."


    The Holy Maiden watched Li Yifei from behind as he tenderly gazed at Xu Yingying¡¯s face. At that moment, Li Yifei was a man deeply in love, who had set aside everything for the woman he cherished, and this stirred an indefinable feeling of affection in her.


    The Holy Maiden, in order to overcome her heart demon, had already opened her heart to Li Yifei, and she harbored not a bit of wariness towards anything about him. It¡¯s often not that a woman can¡¯t come to like a man because he isn¡¯t good enough, but rather because of such wariness. And once that feeling of caution is gone, it becomes all the easier to fall for someone.


    The Holy Maiden, revered by countless followers of the Holy War Organization and of a naturally noble status, would not speak of ordinary men entering her eyes. She chose Li Yifei, believing only the strength of Golden Eagle could truly move her heart, but until then, although she had seen some of Li Yifei¡¯s actions, she could only say she admired him. But now, a thread of affection had truly begun to sprout in her heart.


    The Holy Maiden could feel this change very clearly. The heart demon was indescribable, but whether she was moved or not was something she could definitely sense because the moment she genuinely fell in love, her heart demon would react immediately.


    A sense of danger emerged behind Li Yifei. Holding Xu Yingying, he turned sharply, watching the Holy Maiden warily.


    The Holy Maiden, however, had returned to normal and gave Li Yifei a faint smile, saying, "Your devotion has touched a chord in me. I¡¯ve begun to like you."


    "Like me?" Li Yifei looked intently at the Holy Maiden. The feeling of danger, although fleeting, was something Li Yifei was sure about, and it was coming from the Holy Maiden.


    "Yes, because I like you, I¡¯ve become emotionally involved, which has triggered my heart demon, giving me the impulse to kill you," the Holy Maiden said with a smile still on her face.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "That¡¯s rather twisted, isn¡¯t it?"


    The smile on the Holy Maiden¡¯s face deepened as she said, "It¡¯s exactly that twisted. When my love for you deepens to its utmost, my impulse to kill will be beyond my own control, and without being able to restrain myself, I¡¯ll end up killing you."


    Li Yifei felt a chill down his spine; what kind of situation was this? To love so deeply yet feel the urge to kill the other person¡ªthis Holy Maiden was truly a demon.

 Chapter 809 - 849: Mengxin Arrives

    Chapter 809: Chapter 849: Mengxin ArrivesThe Saintess was indeed mysterious, but Li Yifei had quickly accepted that. The Holy War Organization was a very peculiar organization to begin with, and the Saintess was an even more miraculous person. Not only the current Saintess but also the Saintesses of past generations had been the same.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Saintess could now treat Xu Yingying¡¯s illness, Li Yifei would really not want to bother with her. However, for the sake of his wife waking up sooner, even if it was the most dangerous thing, Li Yifei would definitely not frown upon it. And so, what of the Saintess? Li Yifei didn¡¯t believe that if she truly harbored the intent to kill, she could actually take his life.


    "Hey, it¡¯s all gone," Li Yifei suddenly said.


    "Ah!" The Saintess exclaimed in shock, raising her umbrella in front of her in a fluster and with embarrassment she said, "How could you peek at someone?"


    Li Yifei laughed out loudly and said, "I didn¡¯t peek, I was just looking openly."


    "Pervert!" The Saintess spat at Li Yifei and said, "Hurry up and go down the mountain."


    Again, Li Yifei laughed out loud, carrying Xu Yingying on his way down the mountain.


    The Saintess followed behind Li Yifei, her gaze constantly on his back, blinking from time to time. Nobody knew what she was thinking at that moment.


    By the time they returned to the foot of the mountain, both of their clothes had dried. The Saintess was not worried about exposing herself to others. Even if she could make a fool of herself in front of Li Yifei, in the presence of strangers, no matter who it was, she was the angelically pure Saintess, who wouldn¡¯t allow anything to happen that might damage her image.


    She represented not only herself but also the entire Holy War Organization. Inside The entire Holy War Organization, the Saintess was a faith, a pillar of spirit. If something were to happen to her, the impact on The entire Holy War Organization would be indescribable.


    In the following days, the Saintess continued to treat Xu Yingying every day, but there was still no progress. However, the relationship between the two did improve a bit. Most importantly, Li Yifei himself had also changed; no longer so gloomy, he could talk with the Saintess. But most of the time, he still talked to Xu Yingying, even if she had no reaction at all.


    Half a month later, another person arrived in the village - a beautiful woman. In the eyes of the villagers, the unconscious Xu Yingying was already a beauty, and the Saintess was even more stunningly beautiful. But now, this beauty who had arrived was comparable to the Saintess, and she was also from Huaxia.


    This person was naturally Su Mengxin. The only person who could rival the Saintess was indeed her.


    Su Mengxin had come alone, at least when she appeared at Li Yifei¡¯s house, she was by herself. At that time, the Saintess was treating Xu Yingying, and when Li Yifei saw Su Mengxin, he was first surprised but then nodded at her, signaling her to be quiet.


    Su Mengxin also signaled back to Li Yifei and then stood by his side. She first looked carefully at Xu Yingying, feeling that she still hadn¡¯t woken up. Then she looked at Li Yifei. The man, who now seemed less haggard but clearly more weathered, had also become more reserved and seemed even more charming.


    Su Mengxin just watched Li Yifei, not wanting to divert her gaze for a moment. She hadn¡¯t seen Li Yifei for over a month and was well aware that he wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. However, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. She had already used all kinds of connections to investigate Li Yifei¡¯s whereabouts. The place Li Yifei had gone to was hidden, but before he went there, he hadn¡¯t intentionally hidden his tracks. Su Mengxin had still managed to find out, and after waiting some days and Li Yifei still hadn¡¯t returned, she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and without informing others, she came to find him sneakily.


    Li Yifei knew he was being watched, and after a while, he finally reached out and took Su Mengxin¡¯s hand. He felt Su Mengxin¡¯s body tremble visibly, then gripped her hand more firmly and turned his head to see tears welling up in her eyes before she uncontrollably began to cry.


    Li Yifei lifted his hand to gently wipe away Su Mengxin¡¯s tears, but her eyes filled with more tears than he could wipe away. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Holding Su Mengxin gently by the waist, Li Yifei took her out of the room and held her in his arms, softly saying, "Don¡¯t cry."


    "Mmm," Su Mengxin nodded repeatedly, then hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist tightly. She had thought that when she found him, Li Yifei might ignore her, and she had fully prepared herself psychologically. But Li Yifei hadn¡¯t done so, and this truly excited her.


    The two of them held each other for a while, then Su Mengxin let go of Li Yifei, wiped her eyes, and said softly, "I won¡¯t cry anymore, let¡¯s go inside."


    Li Yifei nodded and brought Su Mengxin back into the room. By this time, the Saintess had just finished her treatment and was sitting there with her eyes closed, resting. After a little while, she opened her eyes and her gaze met Su Mengxin¡¯s, who was also looking at her.


    Although the two women had never met before, their spirits had long been in communication. Now seeing each other, they both knew who the other was. As the two most beautiful women in the world, their first reaction was to see if the other was as beautiful as the legends said. Even though they had seen each other¡¯s photos, it was certainly not as real as seeing the person in the flesh.


    And at this moment, both thought the same thing: the rumors were not unfounded; the other was indeed a beauty that could rival oneself.


    "Saintess, I really didn¡¯t expect to meet you here," Su Mengxin took the initiative to extend her hand.


    The Saintess also extended her hand and they shook hands, the Saintess smiled gracefully, "I have a Huaxia name called Yanzi. Su Mengxin, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you in person."


    "Yanzi, that¡¯s a lovely name. Thank you for treating Yingying."


    "What¡¯s there to thank for? Yingying is Yifei¡¯s wife, and this is my responsibility as well."


    Both of them wanted to make clear their relationship with Li Yifei right from the start, speaking subtlety, but making sure the other understood perfectly.


    "But as far as I know, Su Mengxin, you haven¡¯t truly become Yifei¡¯s woman yet," the Holy Maiden said, blinking playfully and smiling, "You¡¯re still a virgin."


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, saying, "To become Yifei¡¯s woman doesn¡¯t necessarily require that kind of relationship to happen, what¡¯s most important is a connection of the spirits."


    "But you came here quite late, why didn¡¯t you come earlier? Were you afraid Yifei would blame you?"


    "I know I have a great responsibility for Yingying¡¯s injury, and I should take responsibility for it, which is why I came here to keep Yifei company and take care of Yingying."


    "Well then, it seems we are on the same level now."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Having someone like you as a rival makes me really happy."


    "I feel the same," the Holy Maiden nodded in agreement.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with their conversation. He knew that this was the kind of scene that would unfold when these two met, and he didn¡¯t need to watch it play out. What he cared about most was Xu Yingying; unfortunately, she still showed no reaction, just like before.


    "Yifei, is there a chance Yingying will wake up?" Su Mengxin came to Li Yifei¡¯s side and whispered.


    Gazing at Xu Yingying, Li Yifei said softly, "Yanzi said she will wake up."


    "That¡¯s good, otherwise I really...", she trailed off.


    Li Yifei took Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, saying, "I don¡¯t blame you. This may just be one of Yingying¡¯s trials. As long as she can wake up, that¡¯s all that matters."


    At that moment, the Holy Maiden interjected, "Today, I can actually bring you a bit of good news."


    "What good news?" Li Yifei stood up abruptly, looking at the Holy Maiden with excitement.


    With a slight smile, the Holy Maiden said, "Today, during my treatment, she experienced a mental fluctuation for the first time. Although it was very weak, it was definitely a response."


    "Really... really?" Li Yifei reached out, his hand flashing like lightning to grip the Holy Maiden¡¯s shoulder.


    Caught slightly off guard by Li Yifei¡¯s swift action, the Holy Maiden was startled. Although he had taken her by surprise, his speed was too fast. Even if she wanted to dodge, it was impossible; it was as if, in her memory, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t that strong. Was he hiding his true capabilities, or could it be that in moments of intense emotion, people can tap into some special potential?


    "What, what you just said... wasn¡¯t true?" Seeing the Holy Maiden not responding immediately, Li Yifei tensed up, at a loss for words.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. It means my method is working. If we keep it up, your wife will wake up one day."


    "Great! That really is good news!" Li Yifei¡¯s lips quivered, and he suddenly looked up to the sky, otherwise his tears would have uncontrollably fallen due to his excitement.


    "So should you properly thank me tonight?" the Holy Maiden asked, smiling.


    "Of course, of course! What would you like?" Li Yifei repeated readily.


    "I haven¡¯t eaten properly these days, and I hear your culinary skills are quite good. Could you maybe cook me a meal tonight, invite me to dinner?" she requested.


    "No problem!" Li Yifei immediately agreed enthusiastically. With such good news, he was in high spirits; making a meal was the least he would do, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do even more.


    Although the stronghold lacked a supermarket and only had a small store, it still had plenty of local produce. That afternoon, Li Yifei had gone alone up the mountain to gather some ingredients and made six dishes and one soup at home that evening, which both the Holy Maiden and Su Mengxin praised repeatedly.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been able to taste his food these past few days, but today his appetite was voracious, and his face finally showed a happy smile.


    After dinner, the Holy Maiden treated Xu Yingying again, and this time she also felt Yingying¡¯s mental fluctuations, which evidently continued to develop in a positive direction.


    After the treatment finished, the Holy Maiden departed gracefully, not lingering or making a fuss about Su Mengxin¡¯s arrival. Two extremely intelligent women had become enemies, but they certainly wouldn¡¯t face off like ordinary women, directly opposing each other. Even if their conflict reached a heated level, they would always keep a smile on thei

 Chapter 810 - 850: Reasons for the Decision

    Chapter 810: Chapter 850: Reasons for the DecisionThe people in the mountain village followed the routine of rising at dawn and resting at dusk. Although now there was electricity and television signals, and almost every home had a television, these people lived off the land, and this lifestyle had become a habit that hadn¡¯t changed due to modernization. By just after eight o¡¯clock, the entire mountain village had settled into a quiet calm.


    Li Yifei had just helped Su Mengxin bathe Xu Yingying. Now, the two of them sat by Xu Yingying¡¯s bed, talking.


    "How¡¯s the family?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin gave a bitter smile and said, "What do you think happened when you took Yingying and left?"


    Li Yifei laughed at himself and said, "It must be a complete mess, and everyone is probably blaming me."


    "You already know, huh? You left just like that, out of sight out of mind, but the family is very worried."


    Li Yifei shook his head, sighed, and said, "I really can¡¯t stay at home. Being there only adds to your psychological pressure, so I decided to leave."


    Su Mengxin held Li Yifei¡¯s hand and softly said, "I understand, we all do. You care for everyone, but you feel you owe Yingying, and if you neglect everyone else, you feel guilty about them. Leaving seemed like your best choice."


    After a pause, Su Mengxin continued, "But it¡¯s been so long. Haven¡¯t you figured it out yet? Don¡¯t you want to go back?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "For now, I don¡¯t want to go back. The saintess is still treating Yingying. I hope I can bring a healthy Yingying back, and then we can return to our original life."


    Su Mengxin opened her mouth but eventually nodded and said, "Okay, I respect your choice. I¡¯ll stay here and help you. Give me a chance to make up for the harm I caused Yingying."


    Li Yifei readily nodded and said, "Then stay."


    The houses in the mountain village were those wooden buildings; the first floor didn¡¯t touch the ground because there were many snakes around. If they touched the ground, snakes would easily climb upstairs. This was a local method of avoiding snakes and insects.


    The ground floor was piled with miscellaneous items, and the upper floor was for living. Li Yifei only rented this place, using only the living area upstairs; he didn¡¯t make any changes elsewhere. Occasionally, the owner of the wooden building would come to the first floor to fetch things.


    Although it was already January, the temperature here dropped to seven or eight degrees in the evening. It was cool, but not very cold.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t thought someone else would come to stay, so there were only two quilts, just for him and Xu Yingying, and only one bed. So at night, the three of them had to squeeze onto one bed.


    Li Yifei slept in the middle, Xu Yingying on the innermost side, and Su Mengxin on the outside. It seemed like a left-and-right embrace, but in reality, there was nothing romantic about it.


    First, Xu Yingying was unconscious, and second, Li Yifei really wasn¡¯t in the mood for romance. So even with Su Mengxin lying beside him, he had no thoughts about it.


    Su Mengxin didn¡¯t feel neglected. Li Yifei¡¯s behavior made her like him even more. A man who cared so much for his wife wouldn¡¯t treat her poorly. Lying beside Li Yifei, listening to his heartbeat and breathing, and smelling his faint scent, Su Mengxin was quite enchanted.


    The bed wasn¡¯t big. Li Yifei typically gave Xu Yingying most of the space to make her more comfortable. Tonight, they shared a quilt, which felt a bit unfair to Xu Yingying. But if he moved closer to Su Mengxin, they would have to share a quilt, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t pass that hurdle in his heart.


    Thinking of how Xu Yingying wanted a divorce because of Su Mengxin, if he acted intimately with Su Mengxin in front of Xu Yingying, she would be heartbroken upon waking.


    "You sleep first. I¡¯m going for a walk." Li Yifei whispered to Su Mengxin, then got out of bed.


    Su Mengxin, being quick-witted, had already guessed why Li Yifei was acting this way. She sighed softly and said, "Just make it through the night, and I¡¯ll get another bed tomorrow."


    Li Yifei was a bit embarrassed when Su Mengxin pointed it out. "Mengxin, give me some time."


    Su Mengxin held Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said, "You¡¯ve been very considerate toward me. I¡¯m already happy and satisfied."


    Li Yifei squeezed Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, then let go and walked out.


    In the middle of the village was a channel. It wasn¡¯t a small river, just a drainage ditch, but because of the abundant rainfall, it flowed year-round like the ones in Dali and Lijiang Ancient City District. It was full of small fish, and standing by it at night, one could hear the gurgling water and the occasional splash of a fish leaping out. If a poet were here, they might come up with some famous verses.


    Li Yifei stood by the channel. Su Mengxin¡¯s arrival had stirred the calm he had recently found. He missed the women at home: Su Yiyi, that gentle girl who surely worried about him; Ye Yunzhu, pregnant with his child, who, with her personality, most likely cursed him daily¡ªnot to mention that she was due in two months. And there was Xu Shanshan, his sister-in-law, who was somehow fated to be connected with him, probably pouting and both angry and pining for him.


    And Chu Xiaoyao, that girl who might have been crying and throwing a tantrum. Most importantly, his daughter¡ªhe¡¯d abandoned her and was being an irresponsible father.


    Thinking of them, Li Yifei suddenly felt he owed so many people. Bringing Xu Yingying away now seemed like it might have been the wrong decision.


    "Are you feeling a bit homesick?" came the saintess¡¯s voice from behind.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t noticed her arrival lost as he was in thought. Without turning, he sighed and said, "Yes, a little homesick."


    "If you miss home, you can go back. I can treat your wife there too, and I could get to know them better. It might prevent them from influencing my challenge against my inner demons."


    "Could they influence you?"


    "Of course, if they reject me and don¡¯t give me a chance to be with you, how can we even like each other?"


    Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "That¡¯s true. If they see you, they won¡¯t just reject you but will also be angry with me."


    "Women are selfish, especially with men. Who doesn¡¯t want the man they like to love them wholeheartedly? Who wants to share a man with others?"


    "You seem to know a lot about relationships," Li Yifei said curiously, looking at the saintess.


    "I have to know, to challenge you, my major demon. I¡¯ve done my homework."


    "So, tell me, what should I do now?" Li Yifei squatted and picked up a stick, gently tapping the water¡¯s surface. A small fish jumped out, sending ripples, then disappeared quickly.


    The saintess sat directly on a stone slab, dipped her feet in the water, and kicked gently. "Your matter is for you to decide, whether to go back or stay. What matters is can you convince yourself?"


    "So you¡¯re saying nothing at all," Li Yifei shook his head.


    The saintess flicked the water with her toes, creating ripples, and said with a smile, "Everyone finds a reason for their actions. Right or wrong depends on whether you can convince yourself. You stay because you¡¯ve found a reason to remain, but you also want to return because that reason isn¡¯t strong enough."


    Li Yifei was a bit stunned. The saintess¡¯s words made sense. Whether he stayed or went, it depended on whether he found a reason that convinced him.


    The saintess said nothing more, soaking her feet in the water. Such actions were not allowed in the Holy War Organization as it was damaging to her image. Her every move was observed by followers. Now, without the organization or followers, she was carefree.


    Though at ease, the saintess had been raised as a saintess her whole life. This belief ran deep in her bones. Even now, her movements were elegant, evoking praise.


    Li Yifei was lost in his thoughts. After a long time, he stood up and said to the saintess, "Thank you for enlightening me."


    The saintess turned and smiled at Li Yifei. "Have I become someone you admire?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Of course. As a saintess, you drive countless followers mad. How could there be nothing admirable about you?"


    "I hope you admire me as a friend."


    "For me, while a saintess is noble, I¡¯m not fond of it. But a friend is truly admirable."


    "Then we¡¯re friends, right?"


    "At least there¡¯s that possibility." Li Yifei smiled as he turned to walk back to where he stayed. The saintess didn¡¯t get up, just sitting there watching his back, her face adorned with a captivating smile.


    Life is like this: when you find a reason to convince yourself, you can make a decision. Li Yifei had yet to decide but was at least less conflicted now.

 Chapter 811 - 851: Super Beauty Enforcer

    Chapter 811: Chapter 851: Super Beauty EnforcerLi Yifei climbed the stairs and entered the bedroom. Although no lights were on, he could still make out Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying lying in bed under the moonlight. Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t speaking and appeared to be asleep.


    However, Li Yifei knew that Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t asleep. Her uneven breathing completely gave her away.


    Li Yifei approached the bed, climbed over Su Mengxin¡¯s body, and first adjusted Xu Yingying¡¯s blanket, as it was still somewhat chilly at night.


    He then pulled back Su Mengxin¡¯s blanket and lay down. Immediately, Su Mengxin snuggled up to him, holding Li Yifei tightly. No words were needed for her to understand.


    Li Yifei held Su Mengxin and gently patted her back, softly saying, "Alright, sleep well now."


    "Mm!" Su Mengxin softly responded, squeezed herself closer into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, and gently kissed his chest, drifting into a sleep filled with contentment and joy.


    The next morning, when Su Mengxin opened her eyes, she saw Li Yifei looking at her. She immediately flashed a brilliant smile and said, "Honey, good morning!"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "Good morning!"


    Su Mengxin lifted her head and gently kissed Li Yifei¡¯s face, intoxicatedly saying, "I slept so comfortably last night."


    Li Yifei felt somewhat moved in his heart. Though intimate moments between him and Su Mengxin were frequent, sleeping embraced like this had been rare. Especially since the incident they had gone through, the renewed intimacy felt particularly stirring. Su Mengxin, a true lady of grace and prestige, had already sacrificed a lot for him; not just status and identity, but her entire spiritual being was incomparable to others.


    "If you¡¯ve slept well, then let¡¯s get up and not linger in bed." Li Yifei patted Su Mengxin on the back.


    She immediately sat up, put on her coat, and shoes, and climbed out of bed. Li Yifei quickly followed suit, and then started to take care of Xu Yingying.


    Because she had been in a comatose state, Xu Yingying completely depended on Li Yifei for care, including her basic needs.


    Watching Li Yifei manage Xu Yingying¡¯s needs, Su Mengxin lent a hand as well.


    Li Yifei quickly stopped her, saying, "You don¡¯t need to do this."


    But Su Mengxin stubbornly replied, "I must do this. Do you think I find it dirty? Yingying is my dear sister, and taking care of her is my responsibility."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Su Mengxin would want to attend to such tasks. If Yingying could sense this, she¡¯d surely be touched, as it¡¯s something not even many family members would willingly do.


    After they had tended to Xu Yingying, the saintess arrived, looked at Su Mengxin and Li Yifei, and said with a smile, "It seems there was harmonious concord last night."


    Su Mengxin, far from being shy, proudly said, "Indeed, and you don¡¯t need to feel envious. But I must commend you, your Mandarin is really impressive, even knowing how to use such idioms."


    "Of course, ever since I turned Yifei into my obsession, I started learning the Mandarin language. The more I learn, the more fascinating it seems. It¡¯s more charming than any other language in the world. I will definitely continue to study diligently."


    Impressed by the saintess¡¯s intelligence, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t deny that Mandarin was one of the hardest languages to learn globally. Ordinarily, even living in Huaxia for several years, most people couldn¡¯t master it, yet the saintess could speak it fluently within a short period, even using idioms adeptly. Truly a prodigy.


    However, this also made sense. The saintess had managed to grow a massive organization like the Holy War, which spoke volumes about her capabilities. Coupled with her likely possession of a unique spiritual power, she probably found it easier to learn.


    But because of this, Li Yifei found her quite fearsome. If she truly decided to kill him one day, would he really survive?


    In the following days, the saintess continued to heal Xu Yingying every day. Yingying¡¯s spiritual fluctuations seemed to intensify, which excited Li Yifei, as it seemed she might awaken soon.


    The peaceful relationship between the saintess and Su Mengxin remained uneventful. At their level, even in conflict, debased quarrelling was impossible.


    At night, Li Yifei still shared a bed with Su Mengxin. However, he refrained from more than placing his hand on her chest and fondling; he avoided any further actions, adhering strictly to a modest desire.


    Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t unhappy about this restraint. Li Yifei simply didn¡¯t want to engage with another woman in front of Xu Yingying, even if Yingying was unaware.


    This tranquility, however, was disrupted by several tactless individuals.


    One day, six men arrived in the village, making a raucous entrance in an off-road jeep.


    "Don¡¯t come out, these people are no good," the landlord urgently warned Li Yifei.


    "What kind of people are they?" Li Yifei asked, frowning.


    The landlord replied, "They are very powerful outside, I¡¯ve heard they are involved in the underworld. In Lijiang, they are quite fierce. They occasionally come here, stay a couple of days, and then leave. As long as you don¡¯t provoke them, there will be no trouble."


    Li Yifei nodded. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with such people.


    He didn¡¯t want to deal with them, but trouble came seeking him. Su Mengxin was airing Xu Yingying¡¯s clothes in the yard when those men happened to pass by and saw her.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty was beyond words. Even though she dressed simply these days, her stunning appearance could not be obscured. Her beauty was even more prominent in this village, instantly catching the eyes of those six men.


    "There¡¯s such a beautiful girl!" one of the men swallowed hard.


    "Damn, I didn¡¯t know about her before. I want her today," a man with a large tattoo on his neck declared.


    "Boss, she¡¯s a real beauty. Can the brothers have a taste too?"


    "Get lost, I plan to make her my wife. Do you want to mess with your future sister-in-law?"


    The rest backed off, their tempers deflated. Usually, they didn¡¯t mind sharing women, but if their boss wanted to marry her, they could only watch. Flirting with the boss¡¯s wife was a major taboo in the underworld.


    These six were thugs from Lijiang. The boss, called Wu Gang, also known as Axe Gang, always liked carrying an axe. His strikes were brutal, and countless people had been hurt by his axe. Despite causing much trouble, his substantial connections had kept him out of jail. With the money he made, his arrogance only grew.


    Their most profitable business was drug trafficking, and they had come to this village for that.


    The six staggered into the yard, and Su Mengxin saw them and frowned, "What do you want?"


    "Her voice is so sweet," Wu Gang was closer to Su Mengxin now and felt her ethereal beauty even more, his eyes reddening and drool almost escaping.


    The other five henchmen looked disgustingly greedy, their eyes fixed on Su Mengxin. Although they couldn¡¯t touch her, having her as their boss¡¯s wife to look at every day was a pleasure in itself.


    Su Mengxin felt nauseous observing this man and turned to go upstairs.


    Wu Gang immediately dashed forward, trying to grab Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin, already on guard, sidestepped swiftly and avoided Wu Gang¡¯s hand. She had learned some martial arts; although not great in a fight, she was agile. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But with that sidestep, Wu Gang¡¯s men blocked her, and it was too late to go upstairs.


    Su Mengxin sighed inwardly, shook her head, and said, "I advise you to leave quickly, or you¡¯ll suffer."


    "Wow, the little lady has quite the attitude," Wu Gang chuckled as he approached Su Mengxin. He didn¡¯t take her advice seriously at all. In Lijiang, he strutted around uncontested, let alone in this small village, "I like you. Come with me, and I¡¯ll marry you properly."


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t bother with such people anymore; she had already seen Li Yifei standing at the second-floor window.


    At that moment, a saintly woman entered the yard, smiling and saying, "Mengxin, isn¡¯t there a saying in Huaxia about ¡¯Femme Fatale¡¯? A woman who is too beautiful needs to protect herself well. It¡¯s not good to always rely on others for protection when you¡¯re so fragile."


    Su Mengxin smiled lightly, "With you here, do I need to learn those things? I can use the time for other matters."


    The saintly woman shook her head, "Skills won¡¯t oppress you, don¡¯t you feel that you¡¯re far behind me in this aspect?"


    Su Mengxin shrugged, "Can¡¯t help it."


    Wu Gang and his men were already crazy seeing such a beautiful woman as Su Mengxin, but now they saw another lady dressed in a white dress, angelic like a saint, escalating their male hormones, their eyes reddening as if they were beasts in heat.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t come down; with the saintly woman there, he didn¡¯t need to intervene.


    "Boss! Big...big boss, this one is beautiful too!" one of the henchmen stammered.


    Wu Gang shivered, feeling as if he had hit a streak of romantic fortune, encountering such beauties¡ªbeauties who could surpass even top film stars. Imagining walking with these two beauties in the future made Wu Gang feel like he was floating.

 Chapter 812 - 852: The Taboo of Guns

    Chapter 812: Chapter 852: The Taboo of Guns"Ladies! My name is Wu Gang, and I¡¯ve got tens of millions at home. I¡¯ve taken a liking to you two today, how about being my women? Don¡¯t worry, once you¡¯re with me, you can spend money however you like. I¡¯ll take care of your families too, eat whatever you want, wear whatever you wish, name-brand cars and luxury houses, I¡¯ve got it all prepared for you."


    At this moment, Wu Gang still put on a bit of a gentleman¡¯s front, since these two women were really too beautiful; it wouldn¡¯t be tasteful to use force. These are women he wanted to make his wives after all¡ªhe couldn¡¯t be so careless.


    "The Holy Maiden gave a light chuckle, "It seems you really have quite the appetite."


    Wu Gang laughed heartily, "I¡¯m a tycoon; supporting two is definitely not a problem. Plus, you can be sure, once you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll never look for another woman again."


    If he had two women like them, where would Wu Gang get the eyes for anyone else? Just spending every day with these two, doing nothing else would be utterly intoxicating.


    Su Mengxin shook her head, "I¡¯ll leave them to you, I have to go upstairs to pack my things."


    Just then, Li Yifei¡¯s voice came from upstairs, "Get rid of them, don¡¯t let them bother Yingying."


    The Holy Maiden pouted, "I just realized, you¡¯re treating me like a hit man; I really drew the short straw."


    "This is the advantage of not learning martial arts." Su Mengxin smiled radiantly, absolutely enchanting.


    Wu Gang and his crew were on the verge of nosebleeds; they completely failed to realize that they weren¡¯t being taken seriously at all.


    "Don¡¯t go... Don¡¯t go!" Seeing Su Mengxin about to leave, Wu Gang hurriedly reached out to grab her, but before his hand could touch Su Mengxin, he suddenly felt weightless. By the time he felt his weight again, he was already lying on the ground, pain swiftly spreading throughout his body.


    "Ah!" Wu Gang cried out in pain, scrambled up, not understanding how he ended up on the ground.


    And just as he got up, he witnessed a scene he would never forget; the blonde beauty in a white dress, like an angel, casually waved her hand, and his five brothers were already flying out one by one, crashing heavily to the ground.


    "Did you hear that? Hurry and leave, our man doesn¡¯t want to see you." The Holy Maiden said cheekily to Wu Gang, then turned and went upstairs.


    Wu Gang and his men got up, looking at each other in bewilderment. Though they weren¡¯t seriously hurt¡ªjust in pain¡ªthey could still fight, but he wasn¡¯t foolish, seeing that woman casually throwing them to the ground, clearly a martial arts master from the legends. With just a few of them, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be a match.


    "Boss, what do we do?" A henchman looked upstairs, reluctant yet somewhat afraid to ask.


    "Let¡¯s go! Business first." Wu Gang was also reluctant; these two women were too charming. Not getting them would be a huge regret, but it was clearly not the time for force. It was wiser to leave and think of a strategy.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take these ruffians seriously, and neither did Su Mengxin and the Holy Maiden. For ordinary people like them, the difference in class was just too great¡ªit wasn¡¯t worth the trouble to deal with them. Letting them retreat without a fuss was all that was needed.


    "Yifei, all grown up, and this is the first time someone¡¯s used me as muscle," the Holy Maiden entered the room, pouting¡ªa woman who knows how to display her most charming side. In front of Li Yifei, she never appeared so unapproachable, instead, she was very real, her emotions never hidden, like an innocent young girl.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile, "That¡¯s true. Having the distinguished Holy Maiden as my muscle, if your followers knew, I¡¯d probably be left with no place to be buried."


    "Exactly, look how good I am to you," the Holy Maiden said playfully, batting her eyelashes.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly, "If you want Yifei to like you, you can¡¯t put on your Holy Maiden airs. You need to have the resolve to be Yifei¡¯s woman, so what if you become muscle?"


    The Holy Maiden laughed lightly, "True, you¡¯ve now become Yifei¡¯s caretaker. The most beautiful woman in Huaxia, the dream lover of countless men, even doing these things¡ªyour admirers would surely be very distressed if they saw."


    Holding a duster, Su Mengxin wiped the dust from the table, content in her task, "I¡¯m happy to do anything for the man I love."


    Every day, listening to Su Mengxin and the Holy Maiden, Li Yifei¡¯s mood also became better and better. He smiled, "Alright, I¡¯ll cook something delicious for you two at noon, as a little token of my appreciation."


    Two days later, in the evening, the Saintess was treating Xu Yingying when suddenly two police cars arrived at their doorstep, and several officers jumped out of the vehicles.


    Li Yifei was upstairs protecting the Saintess, while Su Mengxin was downstairs washing fruit. They were both puzzled by the sudden intrusion of the police, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t want them to disturb anything, so he hurried downstairs.


    "What are you doing?" Li Yifei blocked their way, asking with a stern face.


    Two officers immediately charged at him intending to take him down, but as they grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arms it was like trying to shake a massive pillar with the frailty of dragonflies; their faces turned red with strain, yet they could not budge Li Yifei at all. This was only because Li Yifei did not want to cause trouble and did not want them to disturb the Saintess, otherwise those two officers would have been flung aside long ago.


    A policeman in the front commanded, "Don¡¯t move, someone reported that you have drugs here, we need to search."


    "No way!" Li Yifei said without a second thought.


    "Whether it¡¯s okay or not is not up to you, search!" With a wave of his hand, the other officers attempted to enter the house.


    Li Yifei could not let them in as it would surely affect the Saintess. If anything were to go wrong, he would not allow it. His face was as stern as still water, and he spread his arms wide, saying, "Wait half an hour, and then you can search all you want, otherwise don¡¯t blame me for being impolite."


    "F**k, who the hell do you think you are, that we, the police, need to wait for your approval?" The officer in the middle, likely the leader, perhaps a chief or something, now glared with a threatening presence.


    At this point, Su Mengxin hurried over with a stern face, "Which precinct are you from? Do you have a search warrant?"


    The lead officer was taken aback by Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty, and his tone unconsciously softened a bit as he said, "We received a report and must inspect immediately. By the time we get a search warrant, you would have already moved the drugs."


    Su Mengxin said firmly, "We live here, we¡¯re not driving or walking away, so if you want to search us, you must have a search warrant."


    Seeing that both Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were obstructing them, this made the policeman quite impatient, and he ordered, "Take control of them, don¡¯t let them run. These two are suspicious."


    Two other officers then lunged at Su Mengxin.


    It was one thing for the police to apprehend him, Li Yifei could hold them off, but the fact that these officers were trying to lay hands on Su Mengxin was something he would not tolerate. Su Mengxin was his woman, and there was no way he¡¯d allow any other man to lay a finger on her, not even if they were police.


    Li Yifei¡¯s arm shook, and the officers involuntarily let go. With an outstretched hand, he pulled Su Mengxin towards him, saying coldly, "If you want to search, then wait half an hour. You can stand guard here. We will be right here." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The officers who lunged at Su Mengxin found themselves grabbing at air, their faces involuntarily showing a hint of disappointment. For them, apprehending Su Mengxin seemed like the perfect excuse to take advantage, as they were police officers, not hooligans. Nonetheless, the opportunity for physical contact with a beautiful woman like Su Mengxin was certainly desirable.


    "Cut the crap, arrest them all," the lead officer became even more impatient.


    The officers obeyed their leader¡¯s command and advanced towards Li Yifei.


    Su Mengxin shook her head and stood behind Li Yifei. At times like this, arguing about status was already too late. The simplest solution was to let Li Yifei resolve it with martial strength. What could happen if he beat these officers?


    Li Yifei also knew that talking wouldn¡¯t help. To stop them from going in and searching, he had to resolve it with martial strength. Without further ado, as the officers rushed towards him, he threw punches and kicks. In less than half a minute, all of them had been knocked down.


    "Don¡¯t move... Don¡¯t... move!" The leading officer suddenly pulled out a handgun, pointing it at Li Yifei, "Move again, and I¡¯ll shoot."


    The thing Li Yifei hated the most at the moment was having a gun pointed at him, especially when women were nearby. Xu Yingying had already been shot before, and he would never let such an incident happen again. The policeman holding the gun didn¡¯t realize that drawing his weapon was his biggest mistake, thinking that with the gun in hand, it would be a powerful deterrent. He believed that even the strongest opponents would not dare act recklessly against a gun.


    Unfortunately for him, he was facing Li Yifei. At such close range, the gun posed no threat to Li Yifei. The officer had barely finished speaking when he saw double images of Li Yifei appear before him. When he regained his focus, Li Yifei was already in front of him, and his gun-wielding wrist immediately felt severe pain, followed by a heavy blow to the stomach¡ªthe pain was indescribable. Just as he opened his mouth to cry out in pain, he got hit on the neck, and the shout stuck in his throat, halting then and there as his body went limp and he collapsed.


    Li Yifei, in a moment of impulse, had nearly killed the policeman but held back at the last second, knocking the man unconscious instead.

 Chapter 813 - 853 Trouble Got Bigger

    Chapter 813: Chapter 853 Trouble Got Bigger"You... to actually dare to assault a police officer..." A policeman struggled to get up, looking at Li Yifei nervously as he spoke, realizing how idiotic he sounded. With so many people down, especially the chief lying there not moving at all, and no knowledge of the situation, it was absurd to talk about daring or not daring.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay them any attention now, while Su Mengxin said, "You all should leave for now, come back in half an hour to search if you wish, but I warn you, you better investigate thoroughly. Don¡¯t deliberately come to trouble us, or the consequences will be beyond what you can imagine."


    The police officers exchanged glances and finally carried their chief out of the yard. Who knows what they said in the police car, but they left soon after.


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei¡¯s still somewhat bloodshot eyes and felt an indescribable sweetness in her heart. Li Yifei¡¯s impulsiveness was partly because a policeman had drawn a gun, but obviously it was also because she was right beside him. She took Li Yifei¡¯s hand and said softly, "Stay calm, it¡¯s not worth getting angry over such small-minded people."


    In that situation, even if Li Yifei had killed the chief on the spot, it would have been in vain, as the gun was pointed at Su Mengxin. If a normal bodyguard of Su Mengxin¡¯s were there, they would have shot the chief dead already. It was the chief¡¯s good fortune that it was Li Yifei standing there.


    "Mhm, it¡¯s okay," Li Yifei replied, gripping Su Mengxin¡¯s hand in his. He had already made one mistake and absolutely could not make the same one again.


    The two looked at each other, Su Mengxin sweetly leaning her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. Without saying a word, they both understood each other¡¯s sentiments.


    Arm in arm, they went upstairs and saw the saint still treating Xu Yingying. She appeared undisturbed, which put Li Yifei at ease.


    However, after about twenty minutes, the saint still hadn¡¯t let go. Usually, by this time, the treatment would be finished, but today, for some reason, it was taking longer.


    Although Li Yifei really wanted to ask, he didn¡¯t dare to disturb the saint, so they could only wait now. This also made him very excited; the saint behaving differently from usual could mean that there was a development with Xu Yingying, possibly even a good one¡ªhow could this not make Li Yifei anxious and excited?


    These past few days, Su Mengxin had also come to understand the saint¡¯s treatment process and was tense now, tightly holding Li Yifei¡¯s hand because of the change today.


    But just then, Li Yifei¡¯s expression changed, and he pulled Su Mengxin out of the room, whispering, "Don¡¯t come out of the room, there may be some trouble."


    "What happened?" Su Mengxin asked, looking puzzled at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gestured toward the outside and said, "A large number of police are coming, and there must be SWAT too."


    "How did it come to this?" Su Mengxin¡¯s brows furrowed tightly, realizing the critical timing. If these police and such really disrupted the saint¡¯s treatment of Xu Yingying, not just Li Yifei, but she herself, would not let these people off.


    But these thoughts were for later. The most urgent matter now was to resolve the current situation. Su Mengxin quickly took out her phone and said, "I¡¯ll call someone right away to get them to pull back."


    Li Yifei nodded. If the situation could be resolved that easily, nothing could be better. But after Su Mengxin dialed the number and listened for a while, she put the phone down in panic and said, "Why is there no signal here?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin¡¯s phone and said, "The signal has been jammed; it seems their operation is quite significant."


    Su Mengxin made a decisive decision and immediately said, "You handle them. If you can avoid killing people, then don¡¯t, but if you must, then do it. They absolutely can¡¯t interfere with the saint."


    Li Yifei nodded grimly. For Xu Yingying¡¯s sake, he had already killed over two hundred members of the Yamaguchi Group, and now, even in Huaxia, he wouldn¡¯t be lenient.


    Wu Gang and a few underlings were hiding nearby, watching secretly. They were entirely responsible for what was unfolding.


    Although driven away by the saint, this kid had not given up hope after witnessing the saint¡¯s strength. With the two beautiful women being so attractive, he found it hard to reconcile not having them.


    But relying on his own abilities, it was not easy to get both women, so he racked his brains for a devious plan. He was related to the chief, and if he could get the chief to arrest Li Yifei and then intervene to rescue the two women, wouldn¡¯t he have a chance with them?


    Even if the woman was strong, what use would it be against the police?


    The kid had sneaked back into the fortress and, while Li Yifei and Su Mengxin took Xu Yingying out to the hillside to sunbathe, had stealthily placed a small packet of drugs in Li Yifei¡¯s house. Then he had his subordinates call his relative, the chief, to report that there were drugs at Li Yifei¡¯s place.


    After receiving such an alarm, the director naturally came, but he didn¡¯t expect to arrive just as the saint was healing Xu Yingying. Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t let them enter to search, and even hurt them in the process, which escalated the situation significantly.


    Wu Gang didn¡¯t anticipate that Li Yifei would dare to assault police officers, which greatly surprised him, and he felt quite downcast. If they couldn¡¯t even catch them, his hope of getting the two beauties was dashed.


    But as he wallowed in his dismay, a large group of police and SWAT officers arrived, which thrilled Wu Gang. Now, no matter how capable the three people inside were, they would have to surrender.


    Yet, he also worried that with the situation so escalated, it would be more difficult to extract the two beauties later, but considering his connections, it wasn¡¯t impossible. When the time came, he would pin all the blame on the man, making sure he could never get out, and as for the beauties, it would just cost more money to get them out. For those two, spending money was worth it, and having spent money, he could expect their gratitude. With this thought, his worries faded, leaving only excitement.


    The arrival of the SWAT teams was at the request of the director Li Yifei had knocked out. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been particularly forceful, so by the time they got the man into a car, he had revived. As director, being knocked out was unacceptable, so he reported to his superiors that there was a major drug trafficking gang resisting arrest and assaulting officers.


    The higher-ups, upon hearing the report, believed it to be a major case and quickly dispatched reinforcements. Within twenty minutes, a large number of police officers had arrived, treating the situation as if they were facing a formidable enemy.


    Li Yifei, Su Mengxin, and the saint never expected that driving some thugs away would trigger such a major incident.


    The injured director reported that the people inside were highly skilled; they had incapacitated six officers in an instant, and even having guns was useless, as they were snatched away. This made the police even more wary, daring not to act rashly. They surrounded the house and blocked the signals there.


    Several nearby houses were commandeered by the police, who quickly climbed onto the rooftops to watch the house from above.


    "Attention, inside the house..." A police officer, about to address those inside via megaphone, heard a dull thud, and his megaphone was knocked flying out of his hand.


    All the officers instinctively flinched; the scene resembled something out of a movie where police are met with a swift, dramatic response the moment they attempt to negotiate, typically by a formidable terrorist.


    Then, a man emerged from the wooden building. The snipers positioned on high had their rifles trained on him, but without orders, they hesitated to shoot.


    Naturally, Li Yifei stepped out, and once he reached the courtyard, he was fully exposed with no front door shielding him, and the officers in the police cars ahead could see him clearly.


    The officer in command of the operation was a Deputy Director named Gao Dong. Seeing a man step out alone, he immediately said, "Do not shoot. The situation is unclear; we don¡¯t know if there are hostages. Let¡¯s see what he wants."


    Li Yifei raised his hands¡ªa typical negotiation gesture¡ªand then slowly walked towards the gate.


    Several officers were eager to capture Li Yifei, but Gao Dong quickly gestured to stop them.


    "Who¡¯s in command here?" Li Yifei asked calmly as he stopped at the gate.


    Gao Dong stepped forward and said, "I¡¯m Deputy Director Gao Dong of the City Public Security Bureau, and I¡¯m in charge of this operation."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Good, I want to talk to you."


    Gao Dong¡¯s expression darkened, "I advise you to surrender now. Resisting will only worsen your charges."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly and said, "I¡¯m just here getting medical treatment for my wife. As for drug trafficking, we¡¯ve never been involved."


    Gao Dong responded promptly, "If that¡¯s the case, you should cooperate with our police, let us search your residence. If we find no drugs, there won¡¯t be any issues."


    "My wife is currently being treated by a doctor, and we cannot be disturbed. If you want to search, then wait a bit longer. Once the doctor finishes treating my wife¡¯s injury, I will cooperate with your search."


    Li Yifei¡¯s approach was not aggressive. He hoped to resolve the issue quietly because if any conflict arose, it would surely cause significant trouble. For Xu Yingying¡¯s sake, he had no choice but to explain the situation thoroughly to the police. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 814 - 854 This is too awesome

    Chapter 814: Chapter 854 This is too awesome"You¡¯re joking, right? Do you take us police for fools? There¡¯s only one village doctor in this stronghold, and he can only treat minor illnesses. You¡¯re saying the doctor is treating your wife? That¡¯s obviously a lie."


    The station chief knew the stronghold well and immediately snapped.


    Gao Dong¡¯s face immediately darkened, saying, "You¡¯d better not play any tricks. Surrendering is your only way out."


    Li Yifei, trying to keep his patience, said, "Deputy Director Gao, my wife has been unconscious this whole time, and everyone in the stronghold knows that. The person treating my wife is a friend of mine, and she¡¯s a foreigner. She¡¯s been in the village for a while now and has treated many people here. You can verify this yourself."


    Gao Dong hesitated, then responded, "If that¡¯s the case, let me conduct a search then."


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "I¡¯m going to reiterate one more time, my friend is treating my wife, and she must not be disturbed. If anyone goes to affect her, it won¡¯t just be my wife who gets hurt ¡ª my friend will be injured too. Just now, when this officer came with his colleagues, that¡¯s what happened, and that¡¯s why I hurt them."


    The station chief was still fuming about Li Yifei having hit him and was even more disdainful at Li Yifei¡¯s mystical story, which was hard to believe. So he scoffed, "You¡¯re quite the storyteller. I bet you¡¯re just trying to tamper with evidence now. Deputy Director, they might be destroying evidence upstairs right this minute."


    Gao Dong didn¡¯t believe what Li Yifei had said, but somewhat trusted the station chief¡¯s words. If the drugs were destroyed, there¡¯d be no evidence left. His gaze towards Li Yifei turned sharper.


    Seeing they didn¡¯t believe him, Li Yifei knew he was in trouble if Gao Dong ordered a search. He quickly said, "Deputy Director, I know you don¡¯t believe this, but do you know who is here now?"


    "Who?" Gao Dong grew tense and shouted, "You¡¯ve got a hostage?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mind raced, continuing, "Correct, we have a hostage, and her identity is of high significance. If anything happens to her, you can forget about being in charge here."


    Li Yifei¡¯s main goal now was to buy time until the Saintess finished her task. By that time, it wouldn¡¯t matter how many SWAT members were here, he wouldn¡¯t take them seriously. Gao Dong¡¯s words reminded him, and he immediately followed up on that lead.


    "Don¡¯t you understand that doing this will only add to your charges?" Gao Dong tried to play mind games with Li Yifei. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, saying, "Deputy Director, it¡¯s no use talking to me about that. Let me tell you, our hostage is Su Mengxin. If you don¡¯t know who Su Mengxin is, you can search online right now. Oh, and look for the most famous one."


    Gao Dong waved, and someone hurried to the car to search, coming back in less than a minute, saying to Gao Dong, "Deputy Director, there are many Su Mengxins in Huaxia but the most famous is the number one beauty from Yicheng, Su Mengxin."


    Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t widely known among the general public, she wasn¡¯t an entertainment star, and only the upper echelons really knew what she did; gossip news couldn¡¯t get interviews with her, hence the police being unaware until they looked her up.


    Even though Gao Dong had heard of Su Mengxin being Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty, he had no recollection of her. However, following his subordinate¡¯s report, he realized Su Mengxin must be someone of non-trivial standing. He snorted, demanding, "I want to see the hostage."


    Li Yifei pointed at the station chief, saying, "You¡¯ve got photos, right? Show them to him. He¡¯s seen Su Mengxin before, he¡¯ll recognize her at a glance."


    The station chief instantly recognized Su Mengxin from the photo; a beauty like her would be hard to forget after one look.


    "Deputy Director, this woman is indeed here," the station chief whispered to Gao Dong.


    Li Yifei smiled again and added, "You¡¯d better understand Su Mengxin¡¯s identity clearly. She is the granddaughter of Old Master Su from Huaxia¡¯s top leadership. If something happens to her here, consider the consequences."


    There was only one notable Su in Huaxia¡¯s upper echelons. Once Li Yifei mentioned this, Gao Dong immediately knew who it was, and he broke into a cold sweat. If it were an ordinary hostage, it would be one thing, but now it involved top leadership ¡ª even a minor injury to the hostage would be more than he could handle.


    Now he understood the magnitude of the case he had encountered, which was beyond his ability to handle.


    At that moment, Li Yifei, smiling, stated, "Deputy Director, I now demand to speak with Old Master Su. You have ten minutes to connect me. If you don¡¯t make the call, I¡¯ll kill the hostage."


    After saying that, Li Yifei turned and walked towards the wooden building, Gao Dong and a large group of police didn¡¯t dare lay a finger on Li Yifei.


    On reaching the upper floor, Su Mengxin quickly approached, both asking in unison, "How did it go?"


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "The Saintess hasn¡¯t finished yet."


    Li Yifei glanced inside and saw the Saintess¡¯ hands on Xu Yingying¡¯s head, her forehead dripping with sweat, clearly in a critical moment, which made him extremely anxious.


    Su Mengxin gently tugged at Li Yifei, whispering, "What¡¯s the situation outside?"


    Li Yifei took a deep breath before explaining, "I revealed your identity, saying we kidnapped you, to make them connect your grandfather¡¯s call within ten minutes."


    Miss Su Mengxin blinked, then let out a light chuckle, "You¡¯re really terrible, my grandfather must be going crazy right now."


    At the time, Li Yifei only wanted to stall for time, and with Su Mengxin putting it that way, it did feel pretty accurate. In fact, it was a bit of sweet revenge on Old Master Su.


    As ten minutes were almost up and the Saintess showed no signs of concluding, Li Yifei was anxious at heart but had no choice but to step out of the wooden building once again.


    It was at this moment that Gao Dong had just gotten through to his superiors when he heard an old man¡¯s roaring voice on the other end, "What¡¯s going on? Who kidnapped my Mengxin?"


    Gao Dong was speaking to such a high-ranking official for the first time and felt so nervous he thought he might die, barely managing to say, "Vice Chairman Su... we are negotiating with the criminals, and we will ensure your granddaughter¡¯s safety."


    "How can you police be so incompetent? Allowing a criminal to be so rampant?"


    "Yes, yes, it¡¯s our negligence, Vice Chairman Su. The criminal has come out, he¡¯s asking to speak with you..."


    "Hand him the phone!" Old Master Su shouted.


    Gao Dong hurriedly passed the phone to Li Yifei, urging him, "We¡¯ve got the call through."


    At this moment, Li Yifei was in no hurry at all, sauntering along, he said, "Wait a minute, I need to take a piss first."


    "What? Take a piss?" All the police officers¡¯ eyes widened as they stared at Li Yifei as if he were some kind of monster. The kid was too full of himself; the other party was Huaxia¡¯s Vice Chairman, a huge official! Even if you¡¯re a kidnapper, when facing a leader of this standing, you should still show some respect.


    "Why isn¡¯t he taking the call yet?" Old Master Su roared again.


    Gao Dong put the phone to his ear, stammered, "He said... he said he needs to take a piss."


    Old Master Su¡¯s nose was nearly crooked with anger as he bellowed, "Hurry up and get him over here to take the call."


    "But... we really don¡¯t dare to act rashly now. Miss Su is still in their hands."


    Mentioning his granddaughter, Elder Su managed to suppress his anger and ordered, "Wait for him to come, then get him on the phone."


    "Yes, yes... he¡¯s coming." Even just for a phone call, Gao Dong felt immense pressure. If he said anything wrong and upset Old Master Su, his career prospects would be ruined.


    "Come on, Vice Chairman Su is waiting for your call." As Li Yifei approached, Gao Dong urged him impatiently.


    Li Yifei suddenly clutched his stomach and said, "Ah, not good, I need to take a dump now. Just have him wait a bit longer." And with that, he slipped away again.


    The eyes of all the officers were about to pop out. Had they ever seen a robber like this before? What kind of stunt was he pulling?


    "What on earth is happening? Why hasn¡¯t anyone picked up the call?" Old Master Su had waited a while and still no one had come, so he couldn¡¯t help but roar again.


    "Chairman... He said he needs to take a dump again..." Gao Dong knew he would get an earful the moment those words came out.


    Sure enough, he hadn¡¯t been wrong ¨C as soon as he finished speaking, Old Master Su started shouting, "What¡¯s this nonsense, are all of you police officers useless? Get him over here to take the call right now."


    Gao Dong said with a downcast face, "Chairman Su... Miss Su is in their hands, we don¡¯t dare..."


    All his years as a policeman, it was his first time dealing with such a high-stakes case, and he had never felt such frustration before. If it had been an ordinary person held hostage, he would have never stooped so low.


    Naturally, as soon as his granddaughter was mentioned, Old Master Su lost his temper again, and his uncharacteristic lack of composure today was precisely because his family¡¯s most important granddaughter had been kidnapped.


    Finally, Li Yifei came out again, and Gao Dong, suppressing the frustration in his heart, said, "Can you take the call now?"


    Li Yifei walked up to Gao Dong, stretched out his hand, and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll take it."


    Gao Dong felt like the phone in his hand was a hot potato, quickly passing it to Li Yifei, who then leisurely brought it to his ear and said, "Hello Old Master Su."


    Old Master Su immediately threatened, "I warn you, if you dare to touch a single hair on Mengxin¡¯s head, I will not let you go. Even if you flee to the ends of the Earth, I will catch you and bring you back."


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "Then I just might touch her. Not only will I touch her hair, but I¡¯ll also touch her hand, her face, everything."


    All the police officers nearly collapsed; this kidnapper was just too audacious.

 Chapter 815 - 885: Bring Disaster Upon Oneself

    Chapter 815: Chapter 885: Bring Disaster Upon Oneself"You dare!" yelled Old Master Su suddenly.


    "I dare, indeed. Mengxin was under your supervision for over twenty years, and now she¡¯ll be under mine."


    "I¡¯ll kill you! Wait, who are you..." Old Master Su suddenly felt something was off.


    "My name... is Li Yifei."


    "You... little bastard, what are you trying to pull?" Upon hearing Li Yifei reveal his name, Old Master Su¡¯s initial relief quickly turned into a furious outburst.


    Watching Old Master Su get so worked up amused Li Yifei, but since he was Mengxin¡¯s grandfather, he refrained from going too far. "I didn¡¯t do anything. I was just here treating my wife when a bunch of police officers came, accusing us of drug trafficking. I couldn¡¯t clear it up, so I had to claim I kidnapped Mengxin to make them think twice."


    "So Mengxin vanished recently because she went to you again, huh? You filthy kid, this is clearly a planned revenge."


    "I suppose so." Li Yifei admitted openly.


    Old Master Su snorted and said, "Hand the phone to the chief."


    Li Yifei handed the phone to Gao Dong, who and his team were confused, not understanding what was going on; they took the phone with a puzzled face. Yet, they were clueless about why Li Yifei, who spoke to Old Master Su without making any demands, sounded like they were familiar with each other.


    "Vice Chairman Su, this is Xiao Gao." Gao Dong respectfully greeted over the phone.


    "Take your men and leave. Don¡¯t harass them anymore," Old Master Su immediately instructed.


    "Chairman Su... Miss Su is still with them, isn¡¯t she?"


    "It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. That guy¡¯s no kidnapper." Old Master Su hung up the phone. How could he admit his granddaughter was involved with Li Yifei? It annoyed and embarrassed him, especially now that he couldn¡¯t control his granddaughter, who had even run off to Lijiang.


    Standing in a daze with the phone, Gao Dong finally waved and ordered, "Move out!"


    But all the police officers stood still, completely baffled.


    "Move out! Are you all deaf?" Gao Dong yelled again.


    This time, everyone clearly understood the command and quickly returned to their vehicles.


    "Chief Gao, what exactly is going on?" the injured station chief hesitantly asked.


    Gao Dong grimly replied, "How would I know what¡¯s happening? Just stay away from here from now on."


    "But... isn¡¯t Chairman Su¡¯s granddaughter here?"


    "If Chairman Su isn¡¯t concerned, why should we be?" Gao Dong impatiently waved his hand, then glanced at Li Yifei, suddenly realizing a possibility. "This kid is way too casual with Vice Chairman Su; they must know each other. Maybe it¡¯s all a misunderstanding." He quickly apologized to Li Yifei, "I¡¯m really sorry; it seems we¡¯ve made a mistake."


    Li Yifei waved it off, feeling no ill will toward Gao Dong who, like any officer, would have acted similarly. "I was also too impulsive at that time; attacking the police only escalated the situation."


    More convinced of Li Yifei¡¯s influence, Gao Dong took out his business card and handed it to him, saying, "This is my card. If you ever come to Lijiang, let me buy you a drink."


    "You bet!" Li Yifei gladly accepted the card.


    As the situation calmed, Wu Gang, unable to approach earlier, now pushed forward, eager to see the authorities in action but finding no arrests, he panicked.


    "He has drugs here. Why aren¡¯t you seizing him?" Wu Gang saw the police leaving and exclaimed in desperation.


    Wu Gang¡¯s relative, the station chief standing by Gao Dong, although not fully understanding the situation, clearly saw that Old Master Su didn¡¯t intend to pursue Li Yifei, and it seemed Mengxin wasn¡¯t actually kidnapped.


    At the moment he saw Mengxin contentedly hanging laundry; had it been a real kidnapping, she wouldn¡¯t be doing such chores so leisurely.


    Startled by Wu Gang suddenly stepping forward, the chief snapped, "Don¡¯t spout nonsense here!" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blinded by lust and desiring to rescue two beauties himself to win their favor, Wu Gang ignored his superior¡¯s warning completely and urgently said, "Chief Gao, there really are drugs here, on the first floor."


    "How do you know there are drugs in my place?" Li Yifei glared at Wu Gang, narrowing his eyes.


    Wu Gang, brimming with smug delight, said, "If you don¡¯t want others to know, then don¡¯t do it yourself. I saw it with my own eyes, Chief Gao, his drugs are hidden under a bamboo frame on the first floor, a big package."


    At this point, the station chief was really getting anxious and forcefully pulled Wu Gang aside, bellowing, "Get out of here right now! Is this the place for your nonsense?"


    Under normal circumstances, Wu Gang would have understood that his relative was trying to help him, but at this moment, he was hell-bent on getting Li Yifei and the others arrested, truly bewitched by a deviant obsession, seemingly seeking his own doom.


    "How am I causing trouble? I¡¯m a law-abiding citizen. When I see someone selling drugs, I must report it. Chief Gao, there really are drugs, haven¡¯t you found them?"


    Gao Dong, with a stern face, replied, "We indeed haven¡¯t found anything, so please remove the drugs yourself."


    "Alright!" Wu Gang eagerly agreed and hurried off to get the drugs, while his relative, the station chief, could only silently sigh in his heart. Even if he wanted to help, it was beyond his capability now, and also felt annoyed with Wu Gang for stirring up trouble and implicating him.


    Wu Gang skillfully retrieved the drugs and presented them to Gao Dong, saying, "Chief Gao, look, this is the evidence."


    Gao Dong took it and asked, "What kind of drug is this?"


    "This is the latest drug X6, very high purity."


    "Is that so? How much is there?"


    "Two hundred forty grams."


    A meaningful smile appeared on Gao Dong¡¯s face as he remarked, "You seem to know quite a lot, don¡¯t you?"


    "Yes, Chief Gao, these two hundred grams are enough for a ten-year sentence," Wu Gang responded with a grin.


    Gao Dong slowly said, "Yes, this is enough for ten years. However, what I admire is you¡ª not only did you see where the drugs were hidden, but you could even identify them."


    Wu Gang¡¯s face changed, suddenly realizing he had overspoken and quickly tried to backpedal, "No, no, I was just guessing."


    Gao Dong¡¯s expression hardened, and he snapped, "You really are good at guessing, aren¡¯t you? Recognizing the type of drug at a glance and even its exact quality. Not even our specialized drug enforcement officers have that kind of discernment."


    "Chief Gao, Chief Gao, you misunderstand, I am just a reporter, a law-abiding citizen."


    Gao Dong sharply retorted, "Dammit, do you think I¡¯m an idiot? You call yourself a law-abiding citizen? I¡¯ve been investigating you for a long time. If you hadn¡¯t shown up today, I would have had to come after you. Today, you¡¯ve delivered yourself to me, so take him away."


    Several policemen rushed forward and aggressively apprehended Wu Gang. Wu Gang tried to shout, but Li Yifei delivered a slap to his neck, knocking him unconscious.


    Li Yifei dared to strike in front of the police, even striking Wu Gang like that. That was excessively audacious.


    "Chief Gao, sorry, but my wife must not be disturbed, and I need to keep him quiet. Thank you for your keen observation just now."


    Gao Dong, feeling slightly embarrassed by Li Yifei¡¯s words, laughed it off and said, "Now that the truth has come to light, we¡¯ll be on our way then. All teams, pay attention, be gentle while leaving, and make sure not to make any noise."


    Despite not feeling particularly grateful to Gao Dong for other things, Li Yifei was appreciative of this command and said, "Hmm, I won¡¯t keep you any longer¡ª Chief Gao, consider this a favor I owe you."


    Gao Dong was thrilled inside. From monitoring the phone call between Old Master Su and Li Yifei, he had deduced that Li Yifei was no ordinary person. Even a mayor would not speak as casually as Li Yifei did with someone at Old Master Su¡¯s level. Moreover, while awaiting Old Master Su¡¯s call, he treated it with utter disregard, clearly showing no respect or purposely provoking Old Master Su. Only someone from the Su Family could behave that way.


    Even the most influential figures have limited options when dealing with their descendants.


    Furthermore, with Su Mengxin also being here, Gao Dong had confidently concluded that Li Yifei was indeed a member of the Su Family, who seemed to have run away from home in a fit of anger with the old man.


    Such a character was not someone Gao Dong could afford to overlook, and with Li Yifei admitting he owed him a favor, if something important came up in the future, this favor could become an Imperial sword¡ª either a lifesaver or a means to advance in rank and fortune.


    "Mr. Li, how can I get in touch with you in the future?" Gao Dong hesitated, then asked cautiously.


    Li Yifei responded with a slight smile, "I haven¡¯t been carrying my phone lately. Write down this home number, I¡¯ll be returning there soon."


    After giving Gao Dong a number, Li Yifei seemed a bit distracted; he had casually mentioned returning home, but only now realized he had always wanted to return. He was simply avoiding this thought as Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t recovered yet.


    All the policemen had left, their movements very gentle, without a single sound of a siren, and hardly any voice at all¡ª if someone did speak, it was in hushed whispers, with no one talking loudly. This was definitely not typical police behavior, but this time, they truly had acted thus.

 Chapter 816 - 856 Finally Lifted the Ban

    Chapter 816: Chapter 856 Finally Lifted the Ban"Ah!" A sudden cry came from upstairs, and Li Yifei twisted his body and dashed into the wooden house like lightning, only to see Su Mengxin supporting the holy woman, who had a pale face, closed eyes, and a weak, faltering appearance.


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly looked over at Xu Yingying, but Xu Yingying didn¡¯t show any reaction; she was still lying in bed with her chest rising and falling steadily, seemingly not in great distress. However, Li Yifei was quite worried, not knowing if there was a problem inside her head.


    But he couldn¡¯t tell at the moment, he could only wait for the holy woman. After ten minutes, the holy woman¡¯s complexion slowly eased and her eyes opened.


    "How is it?" Li Yifei asked anxiously.


    The holy woman shook her head and said, "I was a bit too anxious today. I felt your wife¡¯s mental reaction was stronger, so I tried my best to awaken her, but I still wasn¡¯t successful."


    "And how is my wife?" Li Yifei pressed on, as this was his primary concern.


    "Although it was unsuccessful, there was no harm done, at least it shows that everything I have done recently is still correct."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and immediately expressed his gratitude, "You¡¯ve really worked too hard, I was so focused on my wife earlier that I didn¡¯t first check on your condition."


    "I¡¯m fine, just a bit tired. I just want to get a good sleep now."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Then I¡¯ll take you back."


    The holy woman playfully blinked and said, "It¡¯s too much trouble to go back. It would be better for me to sleep here."


    Li Yifei chuckled and responded, "That works too, you can sleep here."


    The holy woman giggled and said, "I¡¯m just teasing you, did you think I would be so forward? You have not yet fully won my heart, let alone reached the point where I would offer myself to you."


    Li Yifei said somewhat awkwardly, "I didn¡¯t mean anything else. If you want to sleep here, the three of you can sleep in the bed, I can manage anywhere for one night."


    "Alright then, take me back; I really don¡¯t have the energy to move, and I¡¯m very sleepy."


    Li Yifei cheerfully agreed, but was unsure how to proceed. If it were his own woman, worn out like that, he would simply carry her or carry her on his back. But with the holy woman... he really couldn¡¯t treat her so casually.


    "I can¡¯t walk, do you want to carry or piggyback me? You choose," the holy woman stretched out her arms, smiling teasingly at Li Yifei.


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes at the holy woman and said, "Can¡¯t you have a bit of dignity? Even if you want to pursue our Yifei, you shouldn¡¯t be seducing him so blatantly."


    The holy woman looked provocatively at Su Mengxin and said, "I¡¯ve put in so much effort for his wife, can¡¯t I ask for something in return?"


    "Of course you can ask for a return, but using that as a threat makes me lose respect for you."


    "That¡¯s because you, full, do not know the hunger of the starving. You and Yifei are already emotionally close; you can do whatever you want. But I haven¡¯t reached that emotional state with him yet, so naturally, I need to create some opportunities to enhance our feelings."


    Li Yifei interjected hastily, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll carry you on my back."


    The holy woman smirked at Su Mengxin, placing her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, but when Li Yifei lifted her, she didn¡¯t wrap her arms around his neck; she just kept her hands on his shoulders, clearly wanting to build a genuine emotional connection with Li Yifei rather than seduce him with her body.


    Li Yifei carried the holy woman out of the wooden house and walked along the quiet path. The policemen had already left, and although the villagers were curious about the earlier event, years of habit made them return to their homes after the police left. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m really tired, I¡¯m going to sleep," the holy woman murmured vaguely after they had only taken a few steps on the path; then she lowered her head and rested it on Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    Hearing the breathing of the holy woman, Li Yifei knew she had truly fallen asleep. He couldn¡¯t help but feel more grateful towards her. If not for extreme exhaustion, a master like the holy woman would never fall asleep at such a moment.


    Although he was carrying a beauty comparable to Su Mengxin on his back and could clearly feel her touch, Li Yifei didn¡¯t harbor any improper thoughts; his mind was instead very clear.


    Li Yifei¡¯s pace was steady, yet he quickly arrived at the saintly woman¡¯s home.


    He had known where the saintly woman lived, but this was the first time he had entered; the bedroom was very simple, with just a bed and a small table.


    After placing the saintly woman on the bed, she collapsed softly, looking almost like Xu Yingying, unaware of her surroundings. From the saintly woman¡¯s breathing and physical reactions, she was either genuinely exhausted or completely open to Li Yifei, showing no signs of defense.


    Regardless of which it was, Li Yifei felt grateful at that moment and bent down to properly place her on the bed, resting her head on the pillow and removing her shoes, though he naturally would not undress her skirt.


    Li Yifei, a man who had known too many women and seen many beauties, should have developed a strong immunity to such physical contact.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s mood had relaxed considerably recently, and it had been a long time since he had been intimate with any woman. Plus, the saintly woman was indeed very beautiful, which stirred an impulse in him.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei then turned and left, heading straight back to his own home.


    Su Mengxin was taking care of Xu Yingying, tirelessly and unbothered by dirt like Li Yifei, providing comprehensive care. For someone of her status to do such things was indeed not easy.


    Hearing Li Yifei returning, Su Mengxin turned and looked at him, saying, "Back so soon?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Did you think I would stay there long?"


    "Why not stay longer? She came to you after all, what are you afraid of?"


    "If she came to me, I¡¯m worried we already have too many people at home."


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not afraid. If my husband takes advantage of someone else, it¡¯s like they¡¯re taking advantage of me too."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, saying, "Your way of thinking is quite unique," and then reached out to wrap his arms around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist from behind.


    Su Mengxin stiffened slightly; although they had been sleeping together, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been very affectionate, and even less so during the day.


    "Naughty boy, feeling stimulated there?" Su Mengxin could feel something hard pressing against her and spit lightly at Li Yifei, but inside she was very pleased. Li Yifei having such thoughts meant his mood might be improving.


    "A bit," Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny.


    "So, what will you do..." Su Mengxin asked eagerly, her hands clasping Li Yifei¡¯s hands in anticipation of his next move.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face nuzzled into Su Mengxin¡¯s hair, he spoke softly, "I just want to hold you."


    Su Mengxin felt somewhat disappointed yet relieved; having their first time in such circumstances would have been regrettable. But if Li Yifei had insisted, she would have embraced his desires with all her heart.


    The two of them held each other for a while before Li Yifei let go of Su Mengxin, saying, "Go wash your face."


    Su Mengxin grabbed Li Yifei, whispering in his ear, "Honey, maybe I can help you? Let¡¯s go downstairs, in the yard, so Yingying won¡¯t see."


    After speaking, Su Mengxin anxiously watched Li Yifei, scared of his refusal.


    Li Yifei, seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s anxious expression, suddenly felt very guilty and hugged her tightly as they headed downstairs.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t have been happier; she held Li Yifei tightly, went downstairs with him, happily prepared a basin of water for Li Yifei to wash his face and teeth, then stood beside him blushing, saying, "Take off your pants, I¡¯ll wash them for you."


    Li Yifei felt his blood heat up, stirred by Su Mengxin¡¯s daring suggestion, a scenario he himself had never even considered. This woman had truly given her all for him.


    Li Yifei, holding Su Mengxin, went upstairs; his feelings were indeed different by then. Even if Xu Yingying sensed something at that moment, she likely wouldn¡¯t blame him or Su Mengxin, considering all that Su Mengxin had done.

 Chapter 817 - 857: Return to Mile City

    Chapter 817: Chapter 857: Return to Mile City"Huh, something¡¯s different about you today, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed."


    "No, no! You¡¯ve definitely changed; your complexion is brighter and you seem more spirited."


    Early in the morning, the Saintess arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s house and saw Su Mengxin in the courtyard, immediately beginning to size her up.


    Although Su Mengxin had only served Li Yifei last night, it had completely untied the knot in her heart. She no longer had to worry about Li Yifei not accepting her in the future. This relief and joy naturally showed on her face.


    "Hehe... You must¡¯ve had a great time with Yifei last night," Su Mengxin said with a smile, not minding sharing her joy with the Saintess, and also seizing the opportunity to one-up her in this respect.


    The Saintess cutely stretched her mouth into a smile and said, "You really have thick skin; a virgin speaking like that."


    Su Mengxin grinned proudly, "Virgins can talk like that too. Want me to teach you?"


    "Pfft, I don¡¯t need to learn from you. I haven¡¯t completely fallen for Yifei yet. When I do, I¡¯ll naturally do it. Why would I need you to teach me?" With that, she flipped her hair and strode towards the upstairs with an air of confidence.


    Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but admire the Saintess. From the moment she met her until now, it hadn¡¯t been that long, yet the Saintess¡¯s way of speaking and her use of Chinese had become nearly indistinguishable from a true Huaxia person.


    Li Yifei was helping Xu Yingying with her recovery. The Saintess kept gazing at Li Yifei with a smile, making him feel somewhat uneasy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    The Saintess pouted, "I¡¯m unhappy in my heart."


    "Why are you unhappy?"


    "Last night, after you got stimulated at my place, you ended up fulfilling Su Mengxin. How could I be happy?"


    Li Yifei met the Saintess¡¯s gaze and asked, "Were you pretending to sleep last night?"


    "Of course not, I was really sleeping. But even when I¡¯m asleep, I can still tell what you¡¯re doing."


    Li Yifei blushed slightly, "I didn¡¯t do anything."


    "Yeah, you didn¡¯t do anything, but you looked at me with ideas in your head. Hehe, it seems I still have quite the appeal to you. I¡¯m getting more and more confident now."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it, "I promised you, so naturally, I wouldn¡¯t deliberately restrain my own thoughts."


    "Mm, good, good. Alright, I¡¯ll go back to treating your wife."


    After a few more days went by, the Saintess, having spent another long session treating Xu Yingying, pondered deeply for a while and then muttered to herself, "This isn¡¯t right, what¡¯s going on?"


    Li Yifei immediately grew tense, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    The Saintess frowned and said, "Logically, your wife should have woken up by now. I can fully sense her mental fluctuations, and there¡¯s hardly any difference from a normal person, but she just won¡¯t wake up."


    "This... you mean... this method won¡¯t work?"


    "No, this method must be correct; otherwise, your wife¡¯s mental fluctuations wouldn¡¯t have returned to normal. Her brain doesn¡¯t have any damage either. It seems that the problem must be with her." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin suddenly grew anxious, "Her own problem?"


    "Yes! She must be in a self-imposed closed state, where she¡¯s unwilling to wake up. In such a case, there¡¯s really nothing I can do unless she herself wishes to wake up; otherwise, I can¡¯t wake her."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression turned very grim, "So there are really no other ways?"


    "This kind of situation isn¡¯t really that bad. If her self-imposed closure is lifted, she could wake up very quickly. But, I feel that such self-closure probably won¡¯t last too long."


    "Really?" Li Yifei excitedly grabbed the Saintess¡¯s shoulders.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. If I were lying to you, wouldn¡¯t all the good feelings you have towards me be wasted?"


    "Well... then that¡¯s some good news," Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, having never had much confidence in when Xu Yingying would wake up, but now he truly had hope.


    "Of course, it¡¯s good news. But now, you can¡¯t keep her closed off here anymore. You should take her out to interact with the world she used to know, let people she recognizes talk to her. This could be beneficial for her; some kind of stimulus might just trigger her, and she could suddenly unclose herself and naturally wake up."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Alright, alright, then we¡¯ll head home right away."


    "Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea, but I won¡¯t go back with you," said Su Mengxin. "Seeing you being all lovey-dovey with those women at your place could really lower my good feelings for you, and that wouldn¡¯t be in my best interest, now would it?"


    "Then... all right! But whenever you want to see me, I¡¯ll definitely come. I promised to do what I told you, and I will."


    "Chuckle, then it¡¯s settled." With that, the High Priestess drifted away.


    "Yifei... Yingying¡¯s self-isolation... must be because of me," Su Mengxin bit her lip, looking extremely guilt-ridden and even more upset.


    Li Yifei embraced Su Mengxin, saying, "I think so too, but you don¡¯t need to blame yourself. We¡¯ll work hard together, and we¡¯ll definitely help Yingying get over this issue."


    "Mm!" Su Mengxin hugged Li Yifei tightly, truly afraid that this would make him not want to be with her anymore.


    Li Yifei gently kissed Su Mengxin¡¯s forehead and said, "Let¡¯s go home together."


    "Mm! Home."


    At the Mile City airport, a plane from Kunming, Yunnan, had just landed. People waiting to pick up friends and relatives were peering into the arrivals area.


    Among them, a group of women stood out notably ¨C there were five of them, each wearing sunglasses. But even the shades couldn¡¯t hide their pretty faces. Their clothes were all high-end, clearly marking them as the typical White Rich Beauties.


    Yet all five had an anxious expression, constantly craning their necks to look inside the exit, obviously here to pick someone up. It was unclear whose fortune it was to have these five so eagerly awaiting them.


    These five were Xu Shanshan, Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and Ning Xin¡¯er. After waiting at home for so long, they were finally going to see Li Yifei return. They had known about Li Yifei being in Lijiang for a while; once Su Mengxin found him, she had informed them.


    The incident where Xu Yingying got hurt and Li Yifei left was related to Su Mengxin in more ways than one. Guilt already weighed heavily on Su Mengxin, and if she had found Li Yifei without notifying them, she would have inevitably been ostracized by the group ¨C something Su Mengxin didn¡¯t want to see happen.


    So, Su Mengxin told them everything and after discussing it together, they decided not to go to Lijiang and to let Li Yifei get his mindset right first.


    Today, they finally got to see Li Yifei return, and their excitement was beyond words. They had been waiting for so many days already, so they were not in a hurry, but as Li Yifei and the others were late to appear from the exit, it was quite a torment for the five of them.


    Eventually, Li Yifei appeared, pushing a wheelchair with Xu Yingying sitting in it, and Su Mengxin walking beside him.


    "Big..." Chu Xiaoyao started to shout excitedly but was promptly pulled by Ye Yunzhu, swallowing the word "Uncle" back into her stomach and pouting, "I know."


    Su Yiyi took Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand and whispered in her ear, "Listen to your sisters; we¡¯re all doing this for Brother Li¡¯s sake."


    "Mm," Chu Xiaoyao reluctantly nodded. They had all agreed at home that they needed to give Li Yifei a serious talk this time. Although she was usually mischievous and fearless, she did not dare to go against the group in such a situation.


    After a month and a half, Li Yifei once again set foot onto the soil of Mile City. Seeing the five people waiting at the exit, Li Yifei became excited as well. He had thought that for Xu Yingying, he could give up everything, but upon truly seeing them, he realized that these people also held equally important places in his heart. It was just that Xu Yingying¡¯s injury had made her the priority. Had it been someone else, he would have done the same.


    Finally emerging from the exit, Li Yifei looked at the five people and moved his lips, but he said nothing.


    "Mengxin, you¡¯re finally back!"


    "Sister, I¡¯ve finally seen you again."


    "Come on, let¡¯s hurry home."


    The five women warmly greeted Su Mengxin, then they surrounded Xu Yingying, busily wheeling her out.


    Li Yifei was petrified, as the five of them had not said a single word to him. They treated him as if he were invisible. Watching them huddle around Su Mengxin, pushing Xu Yingying away, he felt a chill breeze whisk by, a bleak feeling that was hard to describe.


    Having been with everyone for so long, this was the first time Li Yifei had been so neglected. It made him very uncomfortable. After zoning out for a bit, he hurriedly jogged to catch up. Everyone was angry with him, after all; their attitude towards him was completely normal. He¡¯d left them behind for so long, so not giving him a piece of their mind right away was already more than he could ask for.


    Catching up with them, Li Yifei wanted to talk, but as he approached Ye Yunzhu, she turned her head away, ignoring him. When he got to Xu Shanshan, she just rolled her eyes at him.


    Su Yiyi, on the other hand, was kinder, but all she could offer was a sympathetic glance.


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and then glared at him fiercely, clearly angry as well.


    Finally, with Ning Xin¡¯er, someone actually spoke to him.


    "Nobody¡¯s paying attention to you, and you think about getting close to me? Go away; I don¡¯t want what others have rejected."


    The north wind blew, snowflakes drifted. Mile City was covered in snow, and Li Yifei felt like he was the protagonist of a tragic story.

 Chapter 818 - 858: Li Family

    Chapter 818: Chapter 858: Li FamilyEvery time they arrived home, nobody paid any attention to Li Yifei, not until they had settled Xu Yingying in her room upstairs. It was only then that everyone gathered in the living room.


    Seeing that everyone was still happily chatting with Su Mengxin, and no one was paying attention to him, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but clear his throat, hoping to draw some attention. But it had no effect.


    Facing this situation, Li Yifei realized that if he didn¡¯t properly admit his mistakes, no one would let him off easily. He stood up and said loudly, "I was wrong!"


    This shout actually worked; everyone turned to look at him.


    Li Yifei ruefully rubbed his nose and sincerely said, "I know you all blame me for leaving without a word. I¡¯m not trying to justify myself, but I can say this: if any one of you were in that situation, I would have done the same." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu snorted and said, "You were feeling bad at the time, and we were also anxious for Yingying. We could understand that you separated from us then, but what made us the angriest was that you turned off your phone and completely disappeared. Do you know how worried we were about you?"


    Xu Shanshan said angrily, "You just took my sister away like that, do you know how many calls my parents have made during this time, asking you and my sister to come back, to pick up the phone? How was I supposed to explain?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was also furious, "You at least took your wife away, but what about the child? Don¡¯t you have any sense of being a father, any sense of responsibility?"


    Chu Xiaoyao suddenly stood up, pointing at Li Yifei and yelling, "You said that when I come back for the holidays this time you would take responsibility for me. I came back joyfully, but you were nowhere to be found. Are you even a man anymore?"


    Initially, Ye Yunzhu, Xu Shanshan, and Ning Xin¡¯er were quite forceful in their reproaches against Li Yifei, but Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s comment completely defused the intensity.


    Feeling Ye Yunzhu, Xu Shanshan, and Ning Xin¡¯er all looking at her with a kind of helpless gaze, Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "I¡¯ll shut up, you continue."


    But with the mood already broken by Chu Xiaoyao, it became hard for the others to continue berating him as fiercely as before.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "What you¡¯re saying is right. I was thinking too simply about this matter. I have so many responsibilities, yet I abandoned them all. It was an escape, a coward¡¯s behavior. Your scolding me is well deserved."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s sincere attitude, everyone exchanged glances. Ye Yunzhu sighed and said, "You¡¯ve grown up, and you¡¯ve experienced so much. You¡¯re usually so clever when you do things, but you¡¯ve been completely immature in this matter. Yes, Yingying is your wife, and it¡¯s normal for you to be so worried about her. But as a man, you must take responsibility; you¡¯re the head of a household. If you collapse when there¡¯s trouble, what are we supposed to do?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, I¡¯m a man, and I shouldn¡¯t run away from responsibility."


    Xu Shanshan snorted, "As long as you know."


    After being criticized by everyone, Li Yifei actually felt much better. Seeing that everyone had said their piece, he moved closer to Ye Yunzhu and said, "The belly has gotten so big, huh? You must be close to giving birth."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei another roll of her eyes and said, "It¡¯s good you came back at this time. If you had come back after our daughter was born, I wouldn¡¯t let her recognize you as her daddy. Then I¡¯d find her a stepfather, which would be better than an unscrupulous biological dad like you."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and gently touched Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly. The little one inside seemed to respond by punching and kicking, making Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly protrude, and Li Yifei could feel his daughter¡¯s movements even more.


    This made Li Yifei extremely excited. Although he already had a daughter, he didn¡¯t know that Ning Xin¡¯er was pregnant at the time and didn¡¯t experience this feeling. He exclaimed, "The baby is kicking me."


    "She¡¯s mad at her no-good dad too," said Ye Yunzhu. Even though her words were still harsh, she now had a smile on her face.


    Seeing this scene, Chu Xiaoyao immediately jumped up excitedly, sat right on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, her hands clinging to his neck, and seductively said, "Uncle, Xiaoyao missed you so much."


    In front of so many people, Li Yifei felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, everyone present was romantically involved with him. Even though his relationship with Ning Xin¡¯er was a bit strange, they already had a daughter. If he responded to Chu Xiaoyao, he feared the others might be unhappy; if he didn¡¯t respond, it would seem unfair to Chu Xiaoyao.


    "Alright, stop pretending and just do as you please," Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei again.


    Li Yifei smirked sheepishly and finally hugged Chu Xiaoyao by the waist and said, "I missed you too." Then he looked at the rest of them, softly adding, "I¡¯ve missed all of you, really a lot."


    At that moment, everyone felt a little bitter in their hearts. Su Mengxin then said, "Alright, now that Yifei has returned, our family can start getting back to normal. There are still some urgent matters we need to resolve."


    With that said by Su Mengxin, everyone became serious right away. Xu Shanshan quickly said, "Everything else is manageable for now, but it¡¯s mainly about my parents. You need to call them quickly, or they are going to be really frantic."


    "What am I supposed to say?"


    "I told them you were on a mission, and I¡¯ve been impersonating my sister all this time. Although I¡¯ve managed to fool them for now, my parents have started to suspect something."


    That made things somewhat easier for Li Yifei, who hastily took Xu Shanshan¡¯s cell phone and called Xu Zhenguo.


    "Dad!" As soon as the call connected, Li Yifei shouted.


    "You little rascal, it took you this long to make a single call. Your mom and I have been worried sick."


    "I¡¯m really sorry, the mission I was on took much longer than I anticipated, and it was quite confidential, so I wasn¡¯t allowed to make any calls to the outside world. I didn¡¯t mean to make you and mom worry."


    "It¡¯s all good as long as you¡¯re okay. Now hurry back in the next couple of days; we all miss our granddaughter." Xu Zhenguo, a veteran himself, understood the nature of missions quite well, and as long as he knew Li Yifei was unharmed, that was enough for him.


    "Okay, okay, Yingying and I will bring Yifei to see you in the next few days."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Xu Shanshan and said, "We¡¯ll head back in a couple of days."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said, "Going back is fine, but it won¡¯t be long before the New Year. By then, Dad and Mom will definitely want us all to return home. How will we explain if someone is missing?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and replied, "We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But surely we can¡¯t tell them about Yingying¡¯s situation just before the New Year. They deserve a good holiday. If we can¡¯t keep it a secret any longer after the New Year, then we¡¯ll tell them."


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er chimed in, "You¡¯ve sorted out Yingying¡¯s parents, but what about your own family? Your two cousins and your younger brother and sister have called me quite a few times, wanting to visit. I¡¯ve been putting them off, but now that you¡¯re back, shouldn¡¯t we meet them?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Let¡¯s meet then. Invite them over for dinner at our house tomorrow night."


    Ning Xin¡¯er hummed in agreement, a smile spread across her face. With Li Yifei¡¯s cousin coming over tomorrow, she¡¯d be Li Yifei¡¯s woman again, and the two could be together like husband and wife.


    Just then, Su Mengxin spoke up, "Alright, now we also need to talk about our own family matters."


    Xu Shanshan inquired, "What matters with our family?"


    Su Mengxin surveyed everyone and stated, "Our family has so many members now; it¡¯s become a large family. In the future, when everyone has children, it will be even larger. If we want our children to grow up happy, safe, and sound, we need to create a good environment for them."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately picked up the thread, "Do you mean we should establish the Li family as a major clan?"


    Su Mengxin nodded and affirmed, "Exactly! That¡¯s what I mean."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately agreed, "That¡¯s a great idea. Our family has the wealth and the connections. Establishing a clan could be advantageous in many ways, but our main issue right now is the lack of suitable candidates."


    Su Mengxin replied, "I¡¯ll soon be able to let go of the Su family matters and then bring some people over to the Li family."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Women sure are outward-looking! You¡¯re selling out your old man just like that."


    Her mood buoyant, Su Mengxin responded, "Once I¡¯ve followed you, I belong to you, and I will be part of the Li family from now on, naturally aligned with the Li family."


    Xu Shanshan winked at Su Mengxin and asked, "Will your old man agree to that?"


    "I¡¯m not worried whether he agrees or not. I¡¯ve done a lot of preparation this year. In another year or so, I will be able to let go of all Su family affairs. Then I can fully devote myself to being a woman of the Li family, eventually, like Yunzhu, I can have a child and spend my days at home, caring for my husband and teaching my children."


    Everyone burst into laughter at this point; no one was concerned about the relationship between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. Not even Ye Yunzhu felt downtrodden by Su Mengxin¡¯s words. Su Mengxin, a woman of such noble stature yet always so humble, could not evoke any feelings of hostility in Yunzhu, who was generally quite proud.


    Furthermore, everyone couldn¡¯t help but admire Su Mengxin. It¡¯s not easy to let go of power at her level, much like Ye Yunzhu, who would find it nearly impossible to step away from her current position. It was even more challenging for Su Mengxin, and Yunzhu had never considered giving up her status.

 Chapter 819 - 859: Thinking in the Same Direction

    Chapter 819: Chapter 859: Thinking in the Same DirectionSu Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er were both from prominent families in the Capital City, while Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family was a major clan in the province. Su Mengxin and Ye Yunzhu had contributed a lot to their families and harbored deep feelings for their familial legacies.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, however, was not so fond of her family; the rebellious girl had always found certain practices within her family disagreeable.


    But now that they were about to establish the Li family, all three girls felt an unexplainable excitement¡ªeven Ning Xin¡¯er was filled with anticipation.


    Forming a new family meant rules and affairs would be set by them instead of being mere pawns in their current family dynamics; this idea was thrilling on an intrinsic level.


    Chu Xiaoyao was still sitting on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, her hand stealthily lifting the back of Li Yifei¡¯s shirt to caress his back. As for the family matters being discussed, Xiaoyao was utterly indifferent. As long as Li Yifei was willing to have her and liked her, she was happy.


    Li Yifei, with his eyes squinted, was actually rather tempted by the proposal. His interest was indeed sparked by Xu Yingying¡¯s injury.


    His prowess was formidable under normal circumstances; he could protect those close to him. However, with so many people around him now, it was impossible for him to be with them at all times. If someone targeted them, even if he could decimate the Yamaguchi Group as he had before, it did not change the fact that Xu Yingying still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Therefore, for the sake of his family and the cherished people in his life, Li Yifei knew he had to possess his own power and the strength to ensure their safety.


    He did have some mercenaries at his disposal, but ultimately they belonged to a mercenary organization. Using them like this was a necessity for Li Yifei at the moment, but relying on them permanently was unrealistic, unless he regained full control over the organization.


    Yet, Li Yifei had no desire to do so. He had taken over the mercenary organization only out of a sense of emergency; now that he had handed it over, retaking control would lead to significant inconveniences. It could trouble the mercenaries and even potentially destroy the organization.


    In order to grow and strengthen his family, economic power was paramount. Only with money could one have loyal followers willing to act on one¡¯s behalf. The next step was to have influential people in various pivotal positions. Merely having wealth might make one an economic tycoon, but it wouldn¡¯t suffice to establish a family. However, grooming such influential figures simply couldn¡¯t happen quickly; it took years to build the kind of power other families had.


    The idea seemed simple, but executing it was far from easy. And the most capable of establishing the Li family as a powerful clan was, without a doubt, Su Mengxin.


    Looking at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei smiled and asked, "Mengxin, now that you¡¯ve run away to me, won¡¯t your old man drag you back?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and replied, "No, he won¡¯t. This time, after you humiliated the entire Yamaguchi group, though not many know about it, the higher-ups are very aware. They¡¯re currently negotiating with Japan, and they¡¯ve also gained a new appreciation for your capabilities. The authorities didn¡¯t approve of such extreme methods before, but your actions have unexpectedly benefited Huaxia. I suspect they¡¯ll soon want your help with certain matters. They¡¯ll need to appease you, so our old man won¡¯t dare to offend you too much."


    "No wonder he kept his cool last time I got angry with him," Li Yifei, who was completely unaware of political machinations, reflected. His previous actions were based on following orders without considering the reasons or the benefits they might yield.


    "That¡¯s right. As you know, even though Huaxia is a large country with a prosperous economy, our scientific and technological capabilities still fall short. Not to mention compared to the United States, but even against Japan, we lag behind significantly. We¡¯ve tried several means to acquire their technologies, but these powerful nations are very guarded against us. It¡¯s tremendously difficult to obtain their technology. Now that you¡¯ve subdued the Yamaguchi Group, who mentioned compensation, those old men are looking to use this opportunity to make the Yamaguchi Group give us some crucial scientific and technological knowledge."


    "Do you think that would work?" Li Yifei asked, skeptical. "Although the Yamaguchi group has suffered heavy losses this time, I know they have deep ties with Japan¡¯s government. If they handed over important technology to us, they probably wouldn¡¯t survive in Japan. I doubt they¡¯d take such a risk."


    "They wouldn¡¯t agree to it directly, but you can start by asking for the moon, then settling for less. Begin with a demand they can¡¯t possibly accept, gradually lower it, and finally ask for what we really want. That way, they¡¯re more likely to agree."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Politicians sure are crafty."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and replied, "It¡¯s not unlike doing business, really. When negotiating a deal, don¡¯t you start high and work your way down until you reach an acceptable level?"


    "What¡¯s in it for me? Should I ask that you become my woman, demanding the old man not interfere any longer?"


    Su Mengxin playfully blinked and teased, "Hehe, my man, are you suggesting taking a concubine by force?"


    Li Yifei suddenly chuckled, "Actually, that¡¯s not a bad idea. I could force his hand, make him blow his top¡ªthat¡¯d give me some satisfaction."


    Giggling, Su Mengxin said, "It¡¯s fine to rile him up a bit, but don¡¯t go too far. He¡¯s getting on in years, and we wouldn¡¯t want you to provoke a health issue. I¡¯d become a major villain then."


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin discussed matters that left everyone a bit confused, but once the two had finished speaking, Chu Xiaoyao just couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Su Mengxin retold how Li Yifei, infuriated by Xu Yingying, had made the Yamaguchi Group beg for mercy, and how he had angered her grandfather, sharing the story with everyone.


    Everyone was left completely dumbfounded. The family knew Li Yifei was formidable, but had never imagined him to be formidable to the extent of going alone to Japan and making a major underworld organization beg for mercy¡ªit was indicative of a truly immense strength.


    "Uncle! I¡¯m so in love with you, ah, I can¡¯t take it anymore, I want to be your woman, right now!" Chu Xiaoyao dramatically wriggled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, her little hands boldly wandering over his body.


    At that moment, everyone shared a similar sentiment with Chu Xiaoyao. They all truly wished to get intimate with such a powerful man, but Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s brazenness stood out as she openly displayed affection for Li Yifei in front of everyone. No one had ever dared to do so before.


    Li Yifei promptly scooped up Chu Xiaoyao and set her aside, scolding with a laugh, "Stop fooling around, we¡¯re discussing serious matters here."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "What I¡¯m talking about is serious, too! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even bother with college and would start having your babies early to ensure the Li family¡¯s prosperity, right?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "Actually, that¡¯s not a bad idea. If the Li family wants to become a great family, indeed, flourishing offspring are essential. Having more children is quite necessary."


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly responded excitedly, "Yes, yes, I told you my idea was a good one."


    Li Yifei tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the head and said, "You¡¯re still so young, already thinking about having kids. Go and focus on your studies. Mengxin, although I have some money, it¡¯s enough for living a modest life, but if we really want to build a big clan, that¡¯s far from sufficient."


    Su Mengxin shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Blaming me won¡¯t do; I can¡¯t take too many things with me from the Su Family, including money, since I¡¯ve decided to follow you. We could still rely on the Su Family¡¯s connections, which are certainly beneficial for our development, but that would inevitably lead to their interference. So, we¡¯ll need to weigh things carefully. I¡¯m not disregarding our Li family, you see."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Of course, I understand. But it looks like my hopes of getting money out of you, the wealthy one, are dashed."


    Su Mengxin blinked and said, "But we do have a company, don¡¯t we?"


    "Dreamfly Company?" Li Yifei narrowed his eyes.


    Su Mengxin said with a smile, "So, don¡¯t you think you should start managing it properly?"


    Li Yifei agreed readily, "Alright, I¡¯ll go to the company tomorrow. Yingying has put so much effort into it, and she can¡¯t manage it right now. I must prevent any issues. When she wakes up, I want her to see the company thriving and happily return to it."


    Su Mengxin replied with satisfaction, "That would be wonderful. The company has already become independent of the Su Family and can now be considered part of the Li family¡¯s foundation. We¡¯re creating our own Li family here; I can¡¯t take too much from the Su family and don¡¯t want to rely on them to elevate our Li family. I hope you understand."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Then I won¡¯t be polite." As a man, it might seem shameful to accept things from a woman, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t see anything wrong with it. Although he had substantial funds, having more was always beneficial. Besides, the old head of the Su family had caused Xu Yingying to be in a coma, and Li Yifei had yet to seek trouble with him, allowing Su Mengxin to bring just a bit of money, was letting the old man off easy. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s smile grew even sweeter as she said, "I¡¯ve given myself to you, so from now on, I¡¯ll depend on you to provide for me. I want to be a good wife who supports her husband and teaches her children. Oh, and now this company is ours, right? I regret not managing it properly before."


    Su Mengxin playfully pouted, "I¡¯ve been planning for this long before, bringing the company here and making you the president. And you didn¡¯t even know."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed, "Mengxin, you are truly cunning, paving the way for the future a year in advance."


    Su Mengxin gave Li Yifei a coquettish look, "What can I do if he¡¯s the only man who¡¯s captured my heart? Naturally, I had to prepare everything for the man I like."


    Ye Yunzhu shook her head, "Mengxin, with that kind of resolute determination, we¡¯re all no match for you. If it weren¡¯t for Yingying, I¡¯d heartily support you as the big sister."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Between us sisters, there¡¯s no question of who¡¯s older or younger. As long as we are forgiving and understanding of each other, avoiding any conflict that might bother Yifei, and we put our hearts and efforts together, we¡¯ll surely make the Li family thrive."

 Chapter 820 - 860: Open Your Heart

    Chapter 820: Chapter 860: Open Your HeartBuilding a family isn¡¯t something that can be decided overnight, so for now, everyone just has a direction. The specifics will depend on the future.


    It was already past four o¡¯clock, time to pick up his daughter. Having not seen her for so long, Li Yifei naturally missed her very much, so he went to pick her up with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    In the car, Ning Xin¡¯er tilted her head and looked at Li Yifei with a sweet smile on her face.


    Li Yifei, while driving, smiled and asked, "What? Is there a flower on my face?"


    "Yes, a big red flower. I feel like you¡¯re really shining right now, I even want to give you a kiss."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Ning Xin¡¯er and laughed, "Xin¡¯er, you used to be so reserved, how come you¡¯ve become so bold now?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face flushed as she said, "Can being reserved put food on the table? I was being stubborn before, and as a result, you didn¡¯t appreciate me, and your family was very hostile towards me. But since you¡¯ve been gone, everyone has been thinking of you, and no one¡¯s being stubborn anymore. I feel like it¡¯s not hard to get along with them, so... I¡¯m not insisting on taking you for myself anymore."


    Li Yifei also felt that Ning Xin¡¯er had changed quite a bit, and after this time away, he wasn¡¯t as conflicted as before and said softly, "Isn¡¯t that hard on you?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and said, "What can I do? If I don¡¯t suffer a little, I can¡¯t even be close to you, which would be an even bigger loss. So, I can only settle for sharing you with everyone else, and also..." her face suddenly turned red.


    "And what?" Li Yifei, noticing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s blush, became quite curious about what she would say next.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glared and snapped, "And it¡¯s just that, nothing more."


    "Really? Seeing your face turn red, it must be something embarrassing. Come on, confess."


    Caught by Li Yifei¡¯s remark, Ning Xin¡¯er was even more shy, yet her stubbornness kicked in, and she stared at Li Yifei saying, "If I have to say it, then Xiaoyao told me that you¡¯re... very strong in that department, and one person can¡¯t handle you alone, so having a couple more people wouldn¡¯t hurt."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Then do you want to try?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er blushed terribly and snapped, "In your dreams! You¡¯ve bullied me for so long, you can do whatever you want to me now, can¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei kept one hand on the steering wheel and took Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand with the other, saying, "Xin¡¯er, I¡¯ve also had a change of heart this time. Since everyone has been so good to me, I¡¯ll stop being so awkward and will treat you well."


    "Yifei..." Ning Xin¡¯er was dumbfounded by Li Yifei¡¯s sudden tenderness, holding his hand, her lips moved but she couldn¡¯t speak.


    "You¡¯ve suffered so much for me, yet I¡¯ve always been lukewarm, even resisted you. It¡¯s my fault. If I can accept Yiyi and Xiaoyao, and even bring Yunzhu and Mengxin into our home, why can¡¯t I let you in? It¡¯s all my fault. Don¡¯t worry, when Yingying wakes up, I¡¯ll explain everything to her. Yingying will understand."


    "Mm... Mm-hm!" Ning Xin¡¯er nodded continuously.


    "Tomorrow night, let Little Lei and Little Tao come over, I¡¯ll stay at your place. I won¡¯t be as honest as before."


    "Stop it, I knew it, you¡¯re just a big playboy always thinking about bullying me." Ning Xin¡¯er pinched Li Yifei¡¯s palm, her heart indescribably sweet yet filled with anticipation.


    At that moment, they arrived at the kindergarten, got out of the car, and Ning Xin¡¯er hooked her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s as they waited together for their daughter. She was truly happy now; they had waited together before, but only in form, missing much of the feeling.


    Soon, Little Yifei came out, and upon seeing Li Yifei, she excitedly waved her tiny hands and ran over shouting, "Daddy, Daddy, you¡¯re back."


    Li Yifei quickly walked up to greet her, picked her up, and kissed her rosy cheek, saying, "Did you miss Daddy?"


    "I did, I did!" Little Yifei hugged Li Yifei¡¯s head, gave him a smack on the cheek, and excitedly said, "When Daddy wasn¡¯t home, the mommies were so unhappy, and I was unhappy too. Now that you¡¯re back, the mommies will be happy again, and Yifei will be happy too."


    Children say the darndest things, but it really touched Li Yifei deeply¡ªhis absence had caused so much trouble at home; he had been too selfish. "Sweetheart, Daddy will definitely not make my darling daughter unhappy again."


    "Mm-hm, Daddy¡¯s the best."


    Fortunately, the pickup was noisy, and no one noticed that Little Yifei said ¡¯mommies¡¯ instead of ¡¯mommy,¡¯ otherwise everyone might have stared at Li Yifei as if he were a monster.


    All the way back home laughing with Little Yifei, the house suddenly filled with more life, as Little Yifei ran around, ridiculously happy, which made everyone else happier as well.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already rolled up his sleeves and entered the kitchen, where Su Yiyi was busy working. Seeing Li Yifei enter, she quickly said, "Brother Li, you should rest, I can manage it myself."


    After Li Yifei returned, he had hardly spoken two sentences to Su Yiyi. At this moment, he hugged Su Yiyi from behind, causing her body to stiffen instantly. She stealthily glanced toward the living room and said softly with feeble resistance, "Brother Li, don¡¯t... don¡¯t do that, someone will see."


    "They see, then they see, Yiyi, I¡¯m really sorry."


    "There¡¯s nothing... Brother Li, you really haven¡¯t wronged me, you¡¯re just worried about Sister Yingying. If it were me, I would be very anxious too."


    "You really are a good girl. Being with me, I always feel I¡¯m wronging you."


    "Not at all, I¡¯m really happy. Everyone is so nice to me, nobody despises me for just being a poor girl."


    "What are you talking about? Wealth and poverty don¡¯t define a person. In my heart, Yiyi, you¡¯re always the girl I love."


    "Brother Li... Oh no, the food is burning."


    The burnt smell from the pot interrupted their intimacy, and Li Yifei and Su Yiyi continued cooking together, making Yiyi feel particularly warm. With many people in the house, she couldn¡¯t be by Li Yifei¡¯s side every moment, but having these moments of cooking together was the sweetest time for her.


    Having received a promise from Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er was in high spirits and smiled throughout the meal.


    Everyone noticed Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s change, and Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a look saying, "It seems some people, without their wives around, are trying to turn the world upside down."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "Exactly, aren¡¯t you afraid that my sister will wake up, see a bunch of women in the house, and turn against you?"


    Now that everyone knew Xu Yingying was definitely going to wake up, there was no need to avoid talking about it.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "If it were anyone else, Yingying would definitely blow up, but since Xin¡¯er is Yifei¡¯s biological mom, Yingying can accept it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately pouted and said, "I haven¡¯t agreed to it yet, don¡¯t get too comfortable."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "You didn¡¯t agree, yet you¡¯re smiling so widely, can we not be so hypocritical?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er turned slightly embarrassed, but having interacted enough with Xu Shanshan, she knew her temper and didn¡¯t get angry. She knew she couldn¡¯t act spoiled as before and said, "I¡¯m not like you all. Yifei has always doted on and loved you all. This guy used to bully me before, even after I bore him a daughter, he never treated me well."


    At this, everyone felt some sympathy for Ning Xin¡¯er. Talking about people who were close to Li Yifei, she had suffered the most. If it were someone else, they might not have had the resolve to secretly raise a child on their own.


    Sparked with interest, Ye Yunzhu said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I support you. I totally understand your feelings. I was harmed by this guy when I was seventeen, then he just left me, came back and got me pregnant, yet married Yingying. In the end, I still had to coax him. Now, my pregnancy is so obvious, I want to sort him out but can¡¯t. Even though you already have a child, you shouldn¡¯t let him off easily."


    Su Mengxin grinned and said, "That¡¯s a great idea, I¡¯ve also been running around setting up a company in Mile City and leaving everything just to spend more time with him, yet he doesn¡¯t appreciate it. Girls need their boyfriends to pamper them, but we have to pamper this mister. Xin¡¯er, you really should give him a hard time." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When everyone thought about it, indeed, all those present wanted to be with Li Yifei out of their own will. Except for Su Yiyi, everyone expressed their condemnation of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei suddenly pulled a bitter face, raised his hands in surrender, and said, "How did this turn into a complaint session? It¡¯s as if I¡¯m an unforgivable person."


    "You are indeed!" everyone shouted in unison.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and rubbing his nose, he said, "Fine, now you¡¯re all united against me, and I am really out of luck."


    "Sisters, we really need to discuss how to deal with him. We can¡¯t let him off so easily. Xin¡¯er, we¡¯re here to help you, so don¡¯t lose your resolve. Don¡¯t let a few sweet words confuse you."


    Seeing everyone supporting her, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face shone with excitement, and she declared, "No, I will definitely persevere, definitely stay resolved, and definitely won¡¯t let this guy off cheaply."


    "Good, good, let¡¯s properly discuss how to deal with this guy," said Ye Yunzhu excitedly, waving her hand at Li Yifei, "You go upstairs. We sisters have a chat here; you¡¯re just in the way."

 Chapter 821 - 862: This is a great opportunity for a higher position

    Chapter 821: Chapter 862: This is a great opportunity for a higher positionYifei, managing the company is now a problem. He Fangqing has always been in charge of management, and although he is not lacking in ability, he does miss some of the big-picture thinking. While he¡¯s more than capable as the financial director, managing the entire company is quite a different story and reveals his insufficiency.


    Early in the morning, as everyone was having breakfast, Su Mengxin brought up the serious matter.


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Even if I go, I¡¯m afraid I would not be sufficiently capable. Managing a company is no simple task."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "You are capable, but to manage the company well in a short period of time is not very realistic. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve thought of a compromise."


    "Oh, what method? Go ahead and tell me."


    Su Mengxin looked at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, I want you to impersonate your sister and manage the company."


    "What?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No way, no way. I know my own limitations. I¡¯ve had enough trouble managing the factory side of things, let alone the company. If something went wrong, it could ruin the company. This isn¡¯t just about employment; it¡¯s our family¡¯s reputation at stake. The responsibility is too great. I can¡¯t handle it."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "I¡¯m aware of that, but the company definitely needs a leader to bind everyone together. I¡¯m suggesting you take on the role not alone. I¡¯ll also go and act as your secretary. With that arrangement, there shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue."


    Xu Shanshan gave Su Mengxin a look and said, "Then why don¡¯t you take over directly? Why go through all this effort? It makes more sense for me to be a little secretary for my brother-in-law." Being Li Yifei¡¯s secretary would allow her to spend her days with him, which made Xu Shanshan very happy. But to be the company president would mean not being able to be with Li Yifei every day, and that was something she was not willing to do.


    Of course, Su Mengxin understood Xu Shanshan¡¯s small scheme and, with a resigned shrug, replied, "I have no choice. I am still part of the Su Family, and many matters there have not been completely handed over. It¡¯s not quite possible for me to take over this company now. It will take at least a year or half a year. This issue is urgent and cannot be delayed. Just stick it out for a little while longer. Yingying might wake up any day, and then you¡¯ll be able to step down. For now, this is the only way."


    "This is like forcing a duck onto a perch," Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes, but did not reject the idea again.


    Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "Didn¡¯t you always enjoy impersonating your sister in the past? Now that you¡¯re asked to do so, you suddenly don¡¯t want to be involved."


    "It¡¯s different. Before it was just for fun, but now it¡¯s a huge responsibility. If something goes wrong, you all will blame me. This is the foundation of our family. How can I not be afraid to manage it?"


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Don¡¯t worry. Whatever decision you make, I will give you advice. Your main job will be to act the part, put on the airs of a boss, and that will be enough."


    Li Yifei also laughed and said, "President Xu, you¡¯ll have to take good care of me in the future."


    Xu Shanshan immediately glared at him, saying, "You better not slack off anymore. If you don¡¯t manage the factory well, I¡¯ll fire you."


    Amidst laughter, the matter was settled. However, Xu Shanshan still expressed some concerns, "Everyone in the company knows that my sister was injured and is in a coma. If I suddenly show up, won¡¯t that arouse suspicion?"


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "There might be suspicion, but they are all employees. As long as the company runs normally and they feel secure, that¡¯s all that matters."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try, but Mengxin, you have to help me out."


    And so, Xu Shanshan became the company¡¯s president. The moment she appeared, the company buzzed with excitement. Xu Shanshan first called He Fangqing and Michelle over. While others might be kept in the dark, these two could not be kept out of the loop. Moreover, having a few genuine supporters in the company was necessary for Xu Shanshan¡¯s work to proceed smoothly.


    Naturally, He Fangqing and Michelle offered their full support to Xu Shanshan. With the real Boss Su involved as well, there should be no issues.


    He Fangqing took a deep breath and said, "Now I can finally relax a little. These days have been truly maddening."


    Su Mengxin smiled and replied, "Thank you for your hard work."


    "Don¡¯t mention it. Being appreciated by Boss Su is an honor. Besides, with Shanshan here, what about the factory?"


    Xu Shanshan smiled and said, "My brother-in-law is back. He¡¯s gone to the factory."


    "Yifei... has returned!" He Fangqing and Michelle both cried out in surprise.


    Su Mengxin said with a smile, "Yes, he came back yesterday. This guy has really put us through the wringer these past days, but he¡¯s finally back."


    Having realized they were somewhat losing their composure, He Fangqing and Michelle coughed lightly, and He Fangqing said, "Indeed, you can¡¯t let him off the hook so easily. He must be put in his place thoroughly."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "I¡¯ve already dealt with him. You¡¯ve also been worried during this time, so I think you should take a turn in dealing with him too."


    He Fangqing nodded, "I do need to give him a talking-to. By the way, is Yingying back too? I want to see her."


    Michelle quickly said, "I want to go too, to see President Xu."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Then we¡¯ll go over tonight. But Li Yifei won¡¯t be home this evening, so you likely won¡¯t see him."


    Instantly, Michelle¡¯s face flushed red, and she hastily explained, "I want to see President Xu, not him."


    Regarding the relationship between these two and Li Yifei, Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan were fully aware. However, after they left, Xu Shanshan said to Su Mengxin, "Mengxin, do you think we don¡¯t have enough people in the family already?"


    Su Mengxin replied with a laugh, "To establish the Li family, the more the merrier. Plus, Fangqing is very capable, especially in finance. Our Li family¡¯s finances will surely prosper. Without a good manager, it simply won¡¯t do. Fangqing is the perfect candidate, so she must join the Li family. As for Michelle, although her talents are mediocre, she¡¯s deeply devoted to Yifei and quite understanding. If she joins the Li family, she might help them have more children. As for what becomes of her and Yifei in the end, we¡¯ll leave that to them. We don¡¯t have to get involved."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and responded, "I can accept Fangqing¡¯s reason, but Michelle¡¯s, not so much. This makes it sound like we¡¯re just finding women to bear children for Yifei."


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "Our Li family wants to prosper, and we can¡¯t do so without outstanding talent. Moreover, this talent needs to be from our own family to ensure the continuous growth of the Li family. Having more children is always better."


    "I¡¯m not as open-minded as you. However, I don¡¯t dislike Michelle. If she ends up with Yifei, I wouldn¡¯t object."


    Su Mengxin winked at Xu Shanshan and said, "Let¡¯s stop talking about others for now. With Yingying in her current state, this is a golden opportunity for you to move up, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Me... move up?" Xu Shanshan looked at Su Mengxin, puzzled.


    Su Mengxin nodded, "Yes. With Yingying unconscious, if you go home, you¡¯d have to act like a married couple with Yifei in front of your parents. If you play your cards right, things might work out for you. Even if Yingying wakes up, she couldn¡¯t confront you about it because of the circumstances. Wouldn¡¯t that legitimize your position?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression turned strange as she pondered, and after a while, she shook her head, "Let¡¯s not."


    "Why?" Su Mengxin asked, surprised.


    Xu Shanshan smiled, "Pretending to be my sister and playing the role of a wife to my brother-in-law, then creating a chance to have a real relationship with him once back at home, even accidentally getting pregnant, by the time my sister wakes up, I could be showing. With the relationship between me and my brother-in-law revealed, she wouldn¡¯t blame me because she¡¯d know I¡¯d done it all for our parents, to take care of her more easily. My parents would be angry, but they couldn¡¯t blame me either, since my relationship with my brother-in-law was born out of good intentions, making for a somewhat reasonable excuse. By then, it seems my parents and sister would have no choice but to accept the situation."


    "Right." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But... I don¡¯t want it to be that way." Xu Shanshan suddenly shook her head, looking out the window, and said softly, "Although I really like my brother-in-law and wish to be with him forever, just like you, free to show affection, I don¡¯t want my sister to hold anything against me in her heart. She might be able to accept anything from anyone else, but this matter of sharing a husband could bring her too much trouble later on. I wonder how our relatives and friends would see us, what they would say to our parents. They are ordinary people who just want their daughters to marry well for peace of mind. I don¡¯t want them to be criticized or talked about behind their backs, causing them to be embarrassed. So, for my sister and my parents, I can¡¯t do it."


    After listening to Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin¡¯s face showed a guilty expression, "Shanshan, in this respect, I really am not as good as you."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "We are incomparable. Your family prioritizes interests, so as long as the benefits are adequate, nothing would prevent you and Yifei from being together. But in our family, kinship is most important. I can¡¯t disregard all family ties for the sake of love. Actually, this is quite good. I can be with Yifei and also with my sister. It¡¯s great that we can all be happy together every day."


    "Mm, then I¡¯ll support you fully. If you miss Yifei and find it inconvenient, I¡¯ll create opportunities for you."


    "Hehe, it¡¯s good to have you as an ally. With the situation at home now, it¡¯s not easy for me to get close to Yifei. Sigh, in the past, my brother-in-law was always giving me foot and leg massages, but I don¡¯t get those chances anymore since you all swooped in."

 Chapter 822 - 863 - My Marksmanship Is Too Accurate

    Chapter 822: 863 Chapter My Marksmanship Is Too AccurateLi Yifei returned to the factory this time, feeling quite a bit different. Previously, when he visited, he could only say he was helping Su Mengxin and looking for something to do, but now this place was a fundamental part of the Li family, and he couldn¡¯t afford to be sloppy at all.


    This change in mindset naturally also brought about a change in his attitude towards work. After holding a brief meeting, some of the middle managers already felt that this factory manager was somewhat different from before.


    After being busy all day, Li Yifei truly felt fulfilled, which he had to admit. When he first returned to the city, he really had no life goals and was just looking for comfort. Comfortable living was indeed quite comfortable, but for someone like him, short-term comfort was okay, but living that kind of comfortable life permanently would actually become uncomfortable. Striving for a goal, an ideal, returned to him the passion he had when he first joined the Flying Hawk Squad.


    That evening, Li Yifei went straight to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s home. He came back later today, and Ning Xin¡¯er had already picked up Little Yifei.


    Ning Xin¡¯er came forward to help Li Yifei take off his coat and hang it on the coat rack by the door, saying, "Why did you come back so late today?"


    "There was a lot to deal with at the factory, so I came back a bit late," Li Yifei changed into slippers, came over, picked up Little Yifei, and kissed her, saying, "My good daughter, did you get any Little Red Flowers at kindergarten today?"


    "I did! I got three Little Red Flowers today. Daddy, am I amazing or what?"


    "My daughter is the most amazing! Come here, let Daddy give you a kiss."


    Ning Xin¡¯er watched Li Yifei playing affectionately with their daughter, feeling indescribably happy, but still interrupted them, saying, "Little Lei and Little Tao are coming over. You should change your clothes first. And Liu Ying is coming too."


    Li Yifei agreed and headed to the bedroom where Ning Xin¡¯er had prepared his pajamas, and he changed into them immediately.


    Ning Xin¡¯er then followed him in, stood in front of Li Yifei, and started straightening his collar, her focused expression adding to her beauty.


    After Ning Xin¡¯er finished, Li Yifei wrapped his arms around her waist, and the two of them suddenly stood face to face, embracing closely. Ning Xin¡¯er gasped softly, glanced up at Li Yifei, then laid her head on his chest, feeling wonderful.


    Li Yifei gently stroked Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hair, said nothing, and the two just embraced quietly.


    "Daddy, Mommy!" Little Yifei ran in, eyeing Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er hugging each other with wide eyes.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly pushed Li Yifei away, blushingly said to Little Yifei, "What is it, my daughter?"


    "Mommy, it¡¯s like Daddy is hugging you for the first time," Little Yifei innocently commented.


    Ning Xin¡¯er picked up Little Yifei, awkwardly replied, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    "Hehe, Mommy is blushing," Little Yifei giggled.


    This made Ning Xin¡¯er even more embarrassed, she glared at Li Yifei and muttered, "It¡¯s all your fault."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, came over, and hugged Ning Xin¡¯er again, kissing Little Yifei on the face, saying, "A family should hug each other, my good daughter. Let Daddy cook you something delicious."


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Ning Xin¡¯er hurriedly opened the door, Meng Lei, Song Tao, and Liu Ying, each carrying some fruit, stood at the door.


    "Come in, look at you guys, just come as you are, why bring anything?" Ning Xin¡¯er quickly ushered the three of them in.


    Song Tao cheerfully said, "It¡¯s only proper, we wouldn¡¯t have found such good jobs if it weren¡¯t for sister-in-law and big brother."


    Li Yifei also came to greet the three, and after they sat down, Song Tao immediately asked, "Bro, where have you been these days?"


    Grinning, Li Yifei replied, "I was away on a business trip. Things were rather troublesome, so I came back a bit late."


    "Oh..." Song Tao didn¡¯t ask further, but his expression was somewhat peculiar.


    "You guys relax, I¡¯ll go cook," Li Yifei entered the kitchen and began cooking. Soon, Song Tao slipped in.


    After taking a quick glance toward the living room, Song Tao quietly asked, "Bro, is everything alright between you and sister-in-law?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Everything is fine. Why do you ask?"


    Song Tao grinned and replied, "But there¡¯s a rumor in the company about you and President Xu..."


    "Just say what you have to say. It¡¯s fine," Li Yifei continued cooking as he spoke.


    Hesitating a bit, Song Tao asked, "The day President Xu was injured, were you with him?"


    "Yes!" Li Yifei replied readily.


    "When President Xu got hurt, did you call her ¡¯wife¡¯?"


    Li Yifei finished pouring the cooked dishes onto a plate and said, "Yes, President Xu is indeed your sister-in-law."


    "Ah?" Song Tao widened his eyes and it took him a while before he said, "Then what about Sister-in-law Xin¡¯er?"


    Li Yifei calmly replied, "She is too."


    "Bro, what are you doing? Sister-in-law Xin¡¯er is so nice, how could you still..." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Song Tao frowned.


    Li Yifei patted Song Tao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Little Tao, there are some things you don¡¯t understand yet, and I can¡¯t tell you now, but Xin¡¯er knows about Yingying, and there¡¯s no conflict between them. When Yingying gets better, I¡¯ll take you to meet her."


    "Wait... Bro, do you mean Sister-in-law Xin¡¯er and President Xu coexist peacefully?"


    "That should be the case. It¡¯s alright if you just know this. Don¡¯t bother with what they say in the company, and don¡¯t tell your mother and the others. They would find it hard to accept."


    Song Tao stared blankly at Li Yifei for a long while before saying, "Bro, you¡¯re too incredible. Having women like Sister-in-law Xin¡¯er and President Xu, any man who marries one would be extremely lucky, yet you not only have both but also manage to have them live peacefully together."


    "Hehe, is there anything you think I don¡¯t know about? Just focus on your work now, I¡¯ll have a lot of use for you in the future."


    "Alright, bro, don¡¯t worry, I will definitely work hard."


    Li Yifei nodded, ushered Song Tao out, and began setting up his team. Naturally, his own family members were his first choice, but he couldn¡¯t yet tell Song Tao that the company would be his¡ªotherwise, it might change his attitude and not yield the toughening effect Li Yifei desired.


    After cooking, everyone came together for a meal, enjoying themselves in a harmonious atmosphere, though no one drank too much¡ªjust a little wine to liven things up, then Song Tao and the others bid farewell and left.


    Li Yifei and Little Yifei were drawing on the coffee table, while Ning Xin¡¯er tidied up the dining table, humming tunes from time to time. Her glances continuously drifted toward Li Yifei and Little Yifei, and seeing the father and daughter together filled her heart with indescribable sweetness.


    Thinking that Li Yifei would stay tonight made Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart flutter wildly, her mind somewhat distracted.


    By nine-thirty, Little Yifei had gone to sleep, and Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er had taken their showers and returned to the bedroom.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was the last to shower, and when she entered the room, she found Li Yifei leaning against the bedhead using his smartphone.


    "Why aren¡¯t you getting into bed?" Although Li Yifei knew Ning Xin¡¯er had entered, he waited a bit, and seeing no movement from her, he looked up to find her standing at the door, her face so red it seemed like the blood would drip from it. Her shy demeanor was exactly like that of a bride, especially one who has had no intimacy before the marriage.


    "I..." Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face turned even redder, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "What¡¯s there to be shy about? We¡¯ve slept together before, and we already have a daughter."


    Hesitating for a moment, Ning Xin¡¯er reached out to turn off the light and then slowly made her way to the bed and climbed in.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t touch Ning Xin¡¯er right away as he could clearly feel her tension, her breaths quick, body stiff, lying in bed without moving at all.


    This pained Li Yifei deeply¡ªa woman who had borne him a daughter, being with him yet acting like this, showed how much he had failed her.


    Lying down, Li Yifei reached out and gently placed a hand on Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s lower abdomen, immediately feeling her muscles tense even more. To help her relax, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Xin¡¯er, didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t easily let me succeed? Aren¡¯t you making it hard for me?"


    "I... I..." At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mind was completely blank; whatever Li Yifei said, she couldn¡¯t understand.


    "Xin¡¯er, look at you, when we first met, you were so fierce, always finding ways to bully me. Back then I suffered so much because of you, but looking back, it was quite fun. I remember once you climbed up a tree to hide, and when I passed by, you poured a bucket of water over me, soaking me through; you were really naughty."


    Reminded of those fun memories, Ning Xin¡¯er relaxed quite a bit and complained, "It¡¯s because back then you always had a stern face and never talked to me."


    "You were the precious daughter, and I was just a small soldier; how could I dare to engage with you? Moreover, it would have been against the rules."


    "Hmph, you knew it was against the rules, yet you still raped me?"


    "That was because you infuriated me then. Afterwards, I was really scared, you know? If you had spoken out, that would have been the end of me."


    "You were scared too?" Ning Xin¡¯er pouted, saying, "You bad guy, then you got me pregnant."


    "Yes, it was too accurate, just that one time and you got pregnant; my aim was really something."


    "Go away, you big hooligan." Ning Xin¡¯er pinched Li Yifei, finally no longer feeling nervous.

 Chapter 823 - 864: Achieving Ultimate Success

    Chapter 823: Chapter 864: Achieving Ultimate Success"Xin¡¯er, shall we have another child? Is that okay?" Li Yifei whispered near Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s ear.


    "Ah... another one?" Ning Xin¡¯er stammered.


    "Of course, when you gave birth to Little Yifei, I didn¡¯t take good care of you. If you have another for me, I will be with you from start to finish. That way, I can make it up to you."


    "I don¡¯t want to, having a child is too painful and exhausting. You have so many women, let them have children for you. I definitely won¡¯t."


    "Do you really not want to?" Li Yifei squinted and asked.


    "No! When I say no, it means no!"


    "That¡¯s not up to you." Li Yifei chuckled and suddenly flipped over to pin Ning Xin¡¯er beneath him.


    The heavy pressure from Li Yifei made Ning Xin¡¯er involuntarily moan, "Ah, that¡¯s heavy, you¡¯re crushing me." While saying this, Ning Xin¡¯er involuntarily wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    "Xin¡¯er, I have wronged you in the past. Starting today, I¡¯ll treat you well and make amends, taking care of you and our daughter for life."


    The lips of Ning Xin¡¯er trembled, and she moved her hands up to grasp Li Yifei¡¯s head, pulling him down forcefully, "Yifei... love me... love me!" before kissing Li Yifei on the lips.


    "See, you have a conscience." Ning Xin¡¯er hugged Li Yifei and buried her head in his chest, saying, "I¡¯m so exhausted, I want to sleep now. Husband, hold me."


    Li Yifei agreed and held Ning Xin¡¯er tight, not letting go the entire night.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had indeed changed a lot from the fiery girl she used to be, especially after she truly became Li Yifei¡¯s woman, she had become much more sensible. After getting up with Li Yifei, she took the initiative to take care of Xu Yingying, which deeply moved Li Yifei; Ning Xin¡¯er doing all this for his sake.


    Moreover, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t have to live outside anymore; she also moved into Li Yifei¡¯s house, though she temporarily lived with her daughter. There was no room for her upstairs anymore; Su Yiyi had given up her room back then, but Ning Xin¡¯er refused to take it, so in the end, there was no choice.


    Until the weekend arrived, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, together with Little Yifei, returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s home. Of course, Xu Shanshan appeared as Xu Yingying today, and they had already instructed Little Yifei in advance. Although Little Yifei was young, she was very smart and remembered everything they told her.


    "Dear granddaughter, Grandma missed you so much." As soon as they entered the home, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately picked up Little Yifei.


    "Yifei missed Grandma too." Little Yifei sweetly kissed her grandmother.


    "Dear granddaughter, dear granddaughter, come see what Grandma got for you." Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately showed her granddaughter the variety of toys and snacks she had prepared.


    Xu Shanshan smiled and said, "Mom, don¡¯t spoil her too much." At that moment, Xu Shanshan mimicked her sister perfectly, and even her own parents couldn¡¯t recognize that it wasn¡¯t Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Zhenguo glanced over and asked, "Why hasn¡¯t Shanshan come back with you?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately responded, "She has to rush a job at the factory these days. Yifei and I came back, so she had to work overtime."


    Xu Zhenguo chuckled and said, "That¡¯s good. This girl will get to work hard for once; let her work a bit more."


    Sitting down, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother noticed that Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei looked a bit haggard and immediately asked with concern, "What¡¯s wrong with you? You both don¡¯t look well. You didn¡¯t have a fight, did you?"


    Xu Shanshan quickly replied, "No, we¡¯ve just been very busy with work recently, and we¡¯re both a little worn out. We just came back to rest for a bit." Xu Shanshan really had been very busy these days.


    It had been over a month without a CEO in the company, and although He Fangqing was capable, she couldn¡¯t replace the CEO, resulting in a backlog of issues. Xu Shanshan could impersonate her sister¡¯s voice and smile, but not her abilities. These responsibilities were overwhelming, but fortunately, Su Mengxin was there and handled most of them.


    Seeing Su Mengxin working so hard, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t just sit back. She did whatever she could manage.


    Being a CEO involved social obligations too, and in the past few days, she had already attended several meetings and banquets, leaving her no free time at all.


    Li Yifei had also been extremely busy. There was a lot to deal with at the factory, and he needed to take care of other matters that the women at home couldn¡¯t handle. If he wanted his family to thrive, he couldn¡¯t just rely on his relatives; he needed to recruit new members to strengthen his forces.


    Having learned from Xu Yingying¡¯s injury, he needed more people to protect his family. Over the years, he had built many connections. If he signaled that Golden Eagle was recruiting, people from all over the world would eagerly come, especially since his duel with Crazy Satan and his challenge to the Yamaguchi Group had elevated his reputation to new heights.


    However, Li Yifei needed people who could be truly loyal to him, not just fair-weather followers; he required those who could commit wholeheartedly and stay by his side without reservations.


    So, while it seemed like Li Yifei was busy with the factory, he had actually been managing quite a lot already, and it was naturally exhausting.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head, her voice tinged with concern, "You kids really work yourselves to death. Old Xu, come help me make some nutritious food for them."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Mom, Dad, let me cook instead."


    "No, no, just rest today. What, you think you can¡¯t stomach my cooking?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Not at all, not at all. We hardly get to show our filial piety when we¡¯re away. Cooking a meal for you when we¡¯re back is only right."


    "Being filial means taking good care of your health. You can¡¯t earn all the money in the world, but you have only one body. Also, giving your mom a grandchild would make her even happier."


    Li Yifei coughed, "I will, I will."


    "You don¡¯t need to placate me, it must be Yingying not wanting to, I tell you Yingying, not to nag you, but you aren¡¯t getting younger. It¡¯s time to have a child now. A baby born now would be healthy and intelligent, and you wouldn¡¯t even need to raise them, your dad and I can."


    Xu Shanshan hurriedly replied, "Got it, we¡¯ll think about it after this busy period."


    "Always delaying, there¡¯s no helping you out. Alright, you both rest now, I¡¯ll go and cook."


    Li Yifei initially wanted to help, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother insisted that he and Xu Shanshan rest, making him feel the warmth of family affection, something that deepened his appreciation for the care from elders.


    The atmosphere at home was exceptionally good. During the dinner, Xu Zhenguo and Li Yifei drank some wine, and after eating, they played chess together, while Xu Shanshan and her mother played with Little Yifei, creating a harmonious scene.


    Past nine, after bathing Little Yifei, the old couple took her back to their room to sleep.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan each took a bath and returned to Xu Yingying¡¯s room. Staying together felt natural for them, so lying down together on the bed was just routine. However, Xu Shanshan was somewhat excited tonight, staying as Li Yifei¡¯s wife, which gave her a unique thrill. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Husband!" Xu Shanshan snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms and called out affectionately.


    Li Yifei, embracing Xu Shanshan, tensed slightly, his gaze becoming fiery as he looked at her.


    "Wife!" he softly called out and held Xu Shanshan tightly.


    "Husband, I missed you so much!" Xu Shanshan clung tightly to Li Yifei, stirred by his response. Although their relationship was already intimate, Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t truly his wife and had to keep it secret from everyone except Su Mengxin. Lying on her sister¡¯s bed and holding her sister¡¯s husband, while assuming Xu Yingying¡¯s identity, made her feel as though she truly was Xu Yingying, truly Li Yifei¡¯s wife.

 Chapter 824 - 865: Almost Boarded the Wrong Train

    Chapter 824: Chapter 865: Almost Boarded the Wrong TrainXu Shanshan was like this, but she didn¡¯t know that at this moment, Li Yifei was also somewhat dazed. These past days, he constantly thought about Xu Yingying, and even though he had recovered a lot in the past few days and could face the incident involving Xu Yingying normally, Xu Yingying still completely filled his heart. Now holding Xu Shanshan, he truly felt as if he were holding Xu Yingying.


    Rolling over, Li Yifei pressed Xu Shanshan beneath him, gazing passionately into her eyes, and gently called out, "Wife, you¡¯ve finally woken up."


    Xu Shanshan was slightly stunned and also felt that Li Yifei was acting unusually, but at such a moment, she didn¡¯t want to shatter the atmosphere. Moreover, to reveal that she was Xu Shanshan at this time would be a hurt to Li Yifei, so she raised her hand to gently stroke Li Yifei¡¯s cheek, softly saying, "I¡¯m awake, husband. These days have been so hard on you."


    "Wife!" Li Yifei exclaimed excitedly, and with a dip of his head, he kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips.


    Xu Shanshan immediately responded passionately to Li Yifei. Their lips locked tightly together, tongues interweaving in each other¡¯s mouths - now in Xu Shanshan¡¯s, now in Li Yifei¡¯s - both of them eagerly plundering the moisture from one another¡¯s mouths.


    Xu Shanshan had been with Li Yifei for quite a while, and they had kissed many times, but she had never been kissed by Li Yifei with such madness. Normally, although he seemed very affectionate, compared to now, Xu Shanshan realized that Li Yifei was never truly invested before; only now did she truly understand the taste of a kiss pushed to the extreme.


    Xu Shanshan knew it wasn¡¯t that Li Yifei didn¡¯t like her, the main thing was that when Li Yifei was with her, he would always worry about being caught, inevitably becoming distracted, thus unable to invest himself as he did now.


    Such passionate kissing completely intoxicated Xu Shanshan, who forgot where she was, knowing only to meet Li Yifei¡¯s passion as best as she could, to feel comfortable.


    Who knew when their clothes had all been stripped off, and while Xu Shanshan was still immersed in that soul-destroying pleasure, she suddenly pushed Li Yifei away, crying out in panic, "Brother-in-law, this isn¡¯t right."


    As it turned out, Li Yifei, in his excitement, had mistaken Xu Shanshan for Xu Yingying and almost entered Xu Shanshan. Thankfully, Xu Shanshan came to her senses at the last moment and hurriedly pushed Li Yifei away, averting a major mistake.


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, suddenly realizing what he had just done, and his forehead broke out in sweat as he anxiously asked, "It didn¡¯t go in, did it?"


    "Just barely," Xu Shanshan was also scared out of her wits. She sat up to check herself and saw no blood, then she gave Li Yifei a reproachful look, scolding, "You dirty brother-in-law, how could you be so impulsive."


    Li Yifei also breathed a sigh of relief, grumpily saying, "Just now, I thought you were your sister."


    "You big bad egg... Ah no, this is trouble." Xu Shanshan suddenly let out a low cry, and Li Yifei¡¯s face also turned pale, because they had already heard the sound of a door opening next door, along with the rustling of footsteps.


    When Xu Shanshan pushed Li Yifei away just now, she had yelled quite loudly in her panic and urgency, not realizing at the time. But if such noises came from the next room, it meant that Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents had heard everything.


    "Clang clang..." There came a knocking at the door, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother anxiously called out, "Yingying, Yifei, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Shanshan quickly replied, "Nothing¡¯s wrong, nothing¡¯s wrong. I was just having a nightmare and talking in my sleep."


    "Really nothing¡¯s wrong?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother asked incredulously.


    "It¡¯s really nothing! How could we be fighting, right? And even if we did fight, we couldn¡¯t do it at home, could we? That would just worry you¡ªgo back to sleep."


    "This child, seriously, to talk in her sleep so scarily, even saying ¡¯brother-in-law¡¯..."


    Listening as Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother muttered and walked away, both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, nearly having made a huge blunder, and nearly exposed by their parents. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two lay down again, and really weren¡¯t in the mood anymore; they still hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock of earlier.


    "Brother-in-law, I suddenly have an idea." After lying down for a while and as Li Yifei was on the verge of falling asleep, Xu Shanshan suddenly said something a bit excited.


    "What idea?" Li Yifei asked groggily.


    "This idea might help my sister, it might wake her up."


    Hearing this, Li Yifei immediately perked up, urgently asking, "What method? What can wake your sister up?"


    Xu Shanshan hurriedly said, "Keep it down, don¡¯t let my parents hear. Besides, it just occurred to me suddenly¡ªI¡¯m not sure if it will really work."


    "What in the world is it? Are you trying to drive your brother-in-law mad?" Li Yifei pressed her shoulders, his face fraught with anxiety.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly, then blinked and said, "My sister and I have a spiritual connection, don¡¯t we? Even in her sleep, she¡¯d feel it, just like when you get intimate with her. Even if I¡¯m asleep, I can still sense it. So, I think that although my sister is in a coma now, she might also be able to sense things. Using this special flavor to stimulate her, maybe she¡¯ll be unable to resist waking up?"


    "I really might, we¡¯ll try it when we get back."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "But you also have to be prepared, brother-in-law. If it doesn¡¯t work, you can¡¯t be sad."


    "I won¡¯t be. I¡¯m not that fragile, but we¡¯ve got to try everything we can, right? I must admit, I am quite eager."


    The next morning, when Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei came out, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother sized them up and down before Xu Shanshan quickly said, "Mom, I really just had a nightmare, nothing happened between us."


    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good," her mother nodded repeatedly, but her eyes betrayed a hint of disbelief.


    After breakfast, Li Yifei sat down with Xu Zhenguo for tea. Xu Zhenguo, all smiles, said, "Your mother is always so jumpy. A while back when we couldn¡¯t reach you on the phone, she kept saying there must be trouble in your marriage with Yingying. If I hadn¡¯t persuaded her, she would have rushed over to see for herself."


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat internally. If this old couple had rushed over, everything would have been exposed. He hurriedly replied, "That¡¯s my fault. Next time something comes up, I¡¯ll make sure to tell you in advance, so you don¡¯t have to worry."


    "Of course, that would be best. Although you¡¯re our son-in-law, you¡¯re just like a son to us in our hearts. We¡¯ve never treated you as an outsider."


    "I know, my own parents passed away early, so I¡¯ve always seen you as my real parents."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s the way it should be. Oh, by the way, there¡¯s been a big incident recently, have you heard about it?"


    "What happened?"


    "One of our nation¡¯s Golden Eagles made it to Japan and really did a number on the Yamaguchi Group, even killing their leader."


    "You know about this too?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily, "Although I retired to a civilian post a long time ago, I have a few comrades still in the service, some with high ranks. We haven¡¯t been in touch much over the last few years, but I happened to meet one recently. He got a bit drunk and bragged to me. It was satisfying to hear. I thought, since you¡¯re also capable of special missions, you might know some inside information?"


    Li Yifei looked at his father-in-law coolly, sensing he wasn¡¯t probing, just indulging in a curiosity, so he replied with a smile, "I do know a bit about it."


    "Do you? Then tell me, don¡¯t worry, I understand that this is military secrecy. I still have that much awareness and would never tell anyone else."


    "I would trust you, an old soldier, right?Actually, the mission wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as people are making it out to be. The Golden Eagle had a number of people assisting him in secret. Since the Golden Eagle isn¡¯t currently in the military, his taking on this mission means the state faces no pressure. It becomes an individual action."


    "Oh, I see, there were outsiders involved. Still, it¡¯s pretty impressive. After all, that was Japan, and the Yamaguchi Group is infamous there. To hit them that hard, even an army might not have managed it."


    "Yes, this incident indeed has brought prestige to our military..." Li Yifei went on to invent a narrative about how the Golden Eagle, with the help of comrades, disrupted branches of the Yamaguchi Group in Japan and ultimately killed their original leader.


    He was the mastermind behind that mission, so he knew the details intimately. At this moment, he merely added a few comrades to the story, and that sufficed.


    Xu Zhenguo listened, his face alight with excitement, clapping in admiration. When Li Yifei finished his tale, Xu Zhenguo slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "That¡¯s really exhilarating! Over the years, Little Japan has been outrageously arrogant, with their Yasukuni Shrine visits, the Diaoyu Island issue... it¡¯s high time somebody put them in their place. The Golden Eagle should have gone all the way to the Prime Minister¡¯s residence and killed the Prime Minister."


    Li Yifei sweated a bit at the thought, "That wouldn¡¯t work. Killing the leader of the Yamaguchi Group can be passed off as a personal feud, allowing the state to resolve things smoothly, but directly killing the Prime Minister would create international conflict, easily leading to war. With our country¡¯s current strength, a small-scale war might be manageable, but a larger conflict, whether winnable or not, would greatly affect the livelihood of the people and set back economic development. So the state would never allow such an action."


    As a younger man full of spirit in the military, especially when his abilities were increasing, Li Yifei had held thoughts similar to Xu Zhenguo¡¯s. But over time, he came to understand the complex interplay between nations was by no means simple. Only extremist organizations would resort to such drastic measures.


    Xu Zhenguo chuckled, "I was just speaking my mind. It feels great just to think about it. If I were twenty years younger, I¡¯d have joined such an operation myself¡ªthat¡¯s really living the life of a soldier."


    The two of them were really hitting it off, and Xu Shanshan and her mother didn¡¯t come to disturb them, instead taking Little Yifei down the stairs for a walk. Returning with a granddaughter, the grandmother naturally wanted to buy her granddaughter some nice things.


    Because he was anticipating trying the method he¡¯d discussed with Xu Shanshan, and also because there were many other matters to attend to, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan left after lunch. However, Little Yifei stayed behind. Kindergarten was about to break for the holidays, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents were so fond of their granddaughter, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse them.


    Sitting on the plane, Li Yifei was full of hope, wondering whether Xu Yingying would wake up this time.

 Chapter 825 - 866 Xu Yingying Has Responded

    Chapter 825: Chapter 866 Xu Yingying Has RespondedBack at home, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t immediately attempt the treatment because only Su Mengxin knew about his relationship with Xu Shanshan. Even though other women belonged to him, the affair with Xu Shanshan was not something that could be publicized. Even if everyone wouldn¡¯t deliberately talk about it, who knew if someone might accidentally let it slip? That would be troublesome.


    So Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan could only try in secret, which presented some difficulties. Firstly, it was best for them to be together near Xu Yingying to more directly observe her responses.


    However, even if they could find an excuse to be with Xu Yingying, they didn¡¯t dare to proceed with their plan. Xu Yingying was in a self-imposed isolation; who knew if she could also hear sounds around her? If she were to suddenly wake up while Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were in the midst of those activities, it would be a disaster for them both.


    They had to sneak away to do it, avoid everyone, and ideally have someone observe Xu Yingying closely while they were engaged to see if there were any effects. Fortunately, they had Su Mengxin at home, who was capable of handling this task.


    After returning home, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan used the excuse of discussing work to pull Su Mengxin into a room and share their idea with her.


    Su Mengxin was aware of the sensory connection between Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying. But learning that such a connection could also be invoked with Xu Yingying through such an unconventional method left her utterly astonished.


    Xu Shanshan poked Su Mengxin and asked, "Mengxin, what are you daydreaming about?"


    Su Mengxin looked at Xu Shanshan with a strange expression and said, "Taking a backdoor approach, Shanshan, you really are something else."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, surprised that Su Mengxin was shocked about this. Xu Shanshan, leaving Li Yifei speechless, proudly quipped, "You¡¯re definitely better with your mouth than I am, but with the backdoor, you can¡¯t beat me. Want to give it a try?"


    Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and, with a teasing smile, said, "That actually sounds worth trying. At least there would be interaction, and satisfying cravings isn¡¯t so bad, is it?"


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "Can you two not focus on that for now? I¡¯m eager to see if this method will work."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "That¡¯s easy. Tonight, you can say you¡¯re going out for social engagements and stay where Xin¡¯er used to or go back to our old place. Both aren¡¯t far from here. If there¡¯s a sensory connection, Yingying should be able to sense it. Then I¡¯ll take care of Yingying and see how she responds."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were both pleased with the plan. After dinner, they excused themselves, saying they had social obligations to attend to¡ªa perfectly normal scenario given their status.


    The pair went to their old home, where most things remained intact but coated with dust due to a long absence. After a quick clean-up, and by around nine o¡¯clock, having coordinated with Su Mengxin via phone and knowing it was an appropriate time, they began to be as intimate with each other as they had been in the past.


    This time was markedly different; they were doing this for Xu Yingying, and the act was performed with a kind of devout attitude, almost akin to those in special religious orders.


    Moreover, this time they kept the phone line open with Su Mengxin while engaging in the act.


    "How¡¯s it going? Is Yingying showing any response?" Li Yifei asked.


    "It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any response," came Su Mengxin¡¯s answer.


    Li Yifei was a bit disappointed, but Xu Shanshan then said, "Mengxin, take my sister¡¯s pants off and see if there are any reactions, like contractions or something."


    After a brief wait, Su Mengxin excitedly exclaimed, "There is a reaction! There are contractions!"


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were instantly thrilled. Xu Yingying had been almost vegetative recently, with hardly any bodily responses, so these contractions represented a tremendous step forward.


    Li Yifei thought it was necessary to discuss this matter with Sophia, a professional in the field. So he made a call to her. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Sophia answered, she curiously said, "Oh, calling this late? Your wife hasn¡¯t woken up, has she?"


    "It¡¯s not that, I have something to ask you about."


    "There¡¯s no need to be formal with me. I just had a shower and am in bed with nothing much to do. Go ahead, what¡¯s up?"


    Li Yifei could entirely imagine Sophia¡¯s languid charm at that moment, but he was in no mood to entertain such thoughts, quickly saying, "Do you think physical stimulation might help my wife wake up sooner?"


    "That? I¡¯m not too sure, but I think the main issue with her brain should be resolved by now. These self-imposed comas are a mystery. If some strong physical stimulus like pain could help wake her up sooner, it¡¯s a possibility. But could you bear to do it?"


    Of course, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear it, but Sophia¡¯s words gave him more confidence. Previously, he only massaged Xu Yingying to maintain her muscle functionality, but now he thought he could try stimulating other parts of her body. Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying¡¯s sensitive points well; touching them ordinarily might also be helpful.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan quickly dressed and returned home. Li Yifei started to massage Xu Yingying that very evening, but there seemed to be no response.


    Under normal circumstances, a sleeping person generally doesn¡¯t feel much from random physical contacts, let alone someone in a deep coma like Xu Yingying. Even if Li Yifei touched her sensitive areas, their sensitivity could be diminished due to her condition.


    Nonetheless, Li Yifei was still very hopeful at this point, convinced that persistent efforts would surely awaken Xu Yingying soon.


    In the following period, Li Yifei persisted in giving Xu Yingying massages, and he had also told everyone that it would aid Xu Yingying¡¯s recovery. Whenever someone had time, in addition to talking to Xu Yingying, they should also try to give her massages.


    Of course, Li Yifei was also busily preparing other things. The assortment of people arriving in Mile City had significantly increased recently, and while these individuals seemed no different from average people, they had aroused Lin Qiong¡¯s vigilance.


    She had been running around because of a drug case, so she was very attentive to the strangers entering Mile City. What puzzled her the most was that these people had all had contact with Li Yifei.


    After Xu Yingying¡¯s incident, Lin Qiong knew that Li Yifei had left with Xu Yingying. Li Yifei had returned, but she had not yet had the opportunity to visit him. Sensing that something strange was afoot, she took time specifically to find Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had asked Sophia to protect Lin Qiong, so he wasn¡¯t worried about Lin Qiong¡¯s safety and thus had not contacted her.


    At this moment in Lin Qiong¡¯s home, Lin Qiong stared at Li Yifei and demanded, "What¡¯s going on with you? Why have you brought so many people here lately? You¡¯re not planning some big move, are you? If you are, you have to tell me."


    Leaning back on the sofa, Li Yifei chuckled, "I¡¯m just looking for some help; nothing much."


    "Looking for help? Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re up to something?"


    "Heh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to do anything illegal. If I were going to get involved in that sort of thing, I could handle it on my own; I wouldn¡¯t need others. I want to grow and strengthen our Li family, so I need some manpower. Chief Lin, you¡¯ll have to lend us a hand with our family¡¯s official business in the future."


    "What sort of nonsense is this?"


    Smiling, Li Yifei said, "In the provincial city, Capital City, many places have big families with significant local influence. I intend to establish such a family."


    "You certainly don¡¯t lack ambition, but this doesn¡¯t seem like your usual approach. In the past, you¡¯d just go with the flow."


    Li Yifei let out a sigh, "Through Yingying¡¯s incident, I¡¯ve finally realized that no matter how capable a person is, they can¡¯t do everything alone, so I still need my own people."


    Suddenly, Lin Qiong turned sharply and shouted toward the window, "Come out!"


    The curtain fluttered, and a person walked out¡ªit was Sophia. Li Yifei had noticed her earlier but hadn¡¯t said anything. Lin Qiong¡¯s ability to detect her, though, surprised Li Yifei; this girl¡¯s vigilance had certainly improved, even detecting someone as skilled as Sophia.


    Lin Qiong eyed Sophia warily and demanded, "Who are you?"


    Without even looking at Lin Qiong, Sophia suddenly raised her hand and, like lightning, sent two streaks of cold light flying towards Li Yifei.


    With a flick of his hand and two soft clangs, Li Yifei rolled his eyes at Sophia and complained, "Can you behave? You¡¯re throwing Flying Daggers at me for no reason."


    Calmly, Sophia replied, "Whenever I have the chance, I always try."


    "Could you maybe give me a heads up next time?"


    "Giving you a heads up means I wouldn¡¯t have the chance, so I have to sneak attack instead."


    "Damn it, Sophia. Are you not satisfied until you kill me?"


    "If you could be killed by me, then I wouldn¡¯t object," Sophia answered flatly.


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words with Sophia¡¯s extreme behavior, while Lin Qiong was already impatient, glaring and shouting, "Who is she?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "She¡¯s a friend of mine." He didn¡¯t mention that Sophia had been protecting Lin Qiong the whole time. Knowing Lin Qiong¡¯s temperament, if Li Yifei told her that, it would surely wound her pride.


    "A friend?" Lin Qiong looked at Sophia incredulously.


    Sophia, on the other hand, went straight over and sat down next to Li Yifei, stating, "I am his woman."


    "What?" Lin Qiong¡¯s body erupted in a fierce murderous aura, almost roaring out.


    With an awkward laugh, Li Yifei said, "It¡¯s not like that; don¡¯t get mad."


    But Sophia, completely ignoring Li Yifei¡¯s predicament, said indifferently, "If you don¡¯t let me be your woman, I¡¯ll kill her right now."


    Li Yifei truly wanted to strangle Sophia then and there. How could this woman¡¯s thoughts be so extreme? To truly make this woman work for him, it would indeed require significant effort.

 Chapter 826 - 867 Thoroughly Subduing Sophia

    Chapter 826: Chapter 867 Thoroughly Subduing SophiaLin Qiong had been extremely frustrated with her work recently, as the case had made no progress. She was already in a bad mood and had wanted to chat with Li Yifei to vent, but now that Sophia had spoken, her anger intensified. She snapped, "You think you can kill me? Just try it!"


    Sophia disdainfully replied, "With your capabilities, it would be too easy for me to kill you." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei subtly moved to block Sophia, knowing all too well the unpredictability of this woman¡¯s Flying Dagger. If she were to lash out, he wasn¡¯t completely sure he could handle it. He quickly said to Sophia, "You leave first, I¡¯ll find you later."


    Sophia snorted, "I¡¯ll say it again¡ªif you don¡¯t let me be your woman, I¡¯ll kill all your women."


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Since you¡¯ve put it that way, let¡¯s fight again in a moment."


    "Good!" Sophia¡¯s eyes brightened. "Then I¡¯ll wait for you. I won¡¯t stoop to her level anymore."


    How could Lin Qiong tolerate that? She angrily retorted, "What makes you think you can disregard me? If you dare harm anyone, I¡¯ll definitely arrest you."


    This time, Sophia didn¡¯t retort. The thought of fighting Li Yifei soon excited her immensely, making the quarrel with Lin Qiong seem trivial.


    Ignored by Sophia, Lin Qiong felt her anger well up with nowhere to vent, only managing to glare at Li Yifei and say, "Great, playing from both sides, huh? Think that with Yingying out cold and nobody to rein you in, you can do whatever you want?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "That¡¯s not true, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense."


    Seeing that Li Yifei still seemed to be siding with her when he spoke, Lin Qiong felt somewhat relieved and said, "If you¡¯re going to fight, then go now. I want to see how you handle her."


    Li Yifei readily agreed, and the three of them went to a secluded spot with enough open space for a showdown.


    Standing about ten meters apart from Li Yifei, Sophia¡¯s expression was solemn. Her hands rested by her sides as she said, "This time I will give it my all."


    Li Yifei slightly smiled, "Then go ahead and give it your all. Also, just a reminder, I won¡¯t just be dodging this time¡ªI¡¯ll be fighting back."


    "Good!" Sophia¡¯s eyes shone even brighter.


    "And I¡¯ll be using Hidden Weapons too, so you better watch out."


    "You¡¯re using Hidden Weapons too?" Sophia looked at Li Yifei puzzled.


    With a flick of his hand, a streak of cold light flashed. Simultaneously, Sophia flicked her hand and a tiny needle appeared between her fingers. Surprised, she stared at Li Yifei and exclaimed, "You actually know how to use Hidden Weapons?"


    Li Yifei slightly smiled, "Did you think only you knew how to use Flying Daggers? Today, let me show you my Hidden Weapon skills and teach you that there¡¯s always a higher mountain."


    Discarding her Flying Needle, Sophia proudly declared, "Fine then. If you can beat me with Hidden Weapons, I¡¯ll willingly follow you from now on, obeying your orders without any second thoughts."


    Hearing this, Li Yifei was overjoyed. He had been waiting for these words from Sophia, knowing that if he couldn¡¯t make her completely submit, she would always be a ticking time bomb. However, if he truly won her over, she would be a tremendous asset. After all, finding someone as skilled with the Flying Dagger as Sophia was rare in the world.


    Initially, Lin Qiong had many complaints about Sophia, but now she dared not entertain such thoughts. In her mind, Li Yifei was an extraordinarily powerful enigma, likely unmatched in the world. But seeing Li Yifei¡¯s serious demeanor, she realized just how formidable Sophia was. When Sophia threatened to kill her, it was not just tough talk - it could happen in minutes.


    Watching these two masters duel was also an incredible opportunity for Lin Qiong. Her eyes were wide open, afraid to miss a single moment.


    Li Yifei and Sophia didn¡¯t attack immediately but rather stared each other down, their muscles tense and ready. At this moment, any small opening could lead to a lethal Hidden Weapon strike from the opponent.


    A north wind blew, causing a few remaining dry leaves on the trees to fall and drift between them just as they both made their move.


    In an instant, the sound of piercing through the air amplified as Flying Daggers and Flying Needles tore through the air with a shrill sound, targeting each other. Midway, most of the needles and daggers collided, sparking a series of sparks and creating a chorus of metallic collisions.


    Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t make out the trajectory of the Hidden Weapons, only able to see Li Yifei and Sophia dodge and weave with continuous hand motions. This spectacle reminded her of a Jet Li movie, "The New Shaolin Five Ancestors", where the deities in their respective battles showcased a similar style in their Hidden Weapons contest.


    At that time, Lin Qiong thought such a display was purely fictional; improbable in real life. How could someone master Hidden Weapons to such an extent? Now, witnessing it firsthand, the intensity exceeded even the depictions in movies.


    From the sound of the Hidden Weapon cutting through the air, and the sparks it created, Lin Qiong knew just how powerful this Hidden Weapon was. Although not as fast as a bullet, its force was enough to penetrate a person¡¯s body with lethal effect. If one were not careful and got struck by the Hidden Weapon, it could truly be life-threatening. In that moment, she grew extremely worried about Li Yifei, hoping that nothing bad would happen to him.


    The noise of the Hidden Weapon impact suddenly stopped, and Li Yifei and Sophia also ceased their movements, standing still on the ground, staring at each other like two statues.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s breath nearly stopped, unsure of the outcome and not daring to ask aloud. She could only watch the two intensely, especially Li Yifei.


    "Admit defeat?" Li Yifei suddenly asked.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s heart at once settled, hearing Li Yifei speak meant that he had won.


    Sophia suddenly clutched her abdomen, her body slightly swaying, and said, "You...held back last time."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and replied, "We have no deep hatred, and I remembered the time you helped me save someone, so I spared you some face. But now that you keep pestering me, I had to do this."


    Li Yifei walked up to Sophia and asked, "Do you need help?"


    "No need!" Sophia shook her head, slowly sat down, and lifted her shirt, revealing her abdomen. A few needles, with their ends sticking out, were embedded around her navel, the rest deep within her flesh. This was the result of her instinctively tightening her stomach muscles when hit. If it were anyone else, those needles would have disappeared into the body.


    With a swift motion, Sophia pulled out the needles, blood traceable on them, and then tucked them into her pocket, saying, "I¡¯ll keep these needles to remind me that I¡¯m not the strongest and that I still need to work hard."


    "Heh, you¡¯re already very strong; I barely managed to beat you," Li Yifei said sincerely, admitting that he was only slightly better than Sophia in that regard.


    Sophia, not severely hurt, stood up and said to Li Yifei, "From now on, I¡¯m your subordinate; I¡¯ll do whatever you tell me to do."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with courtesies and replied, "Good, just keep doing what I¡¯ve told you to do. When there¡¯s something else, I¡¯ll let you know."


    "Yes!" Sophia agreed, then gave Lin Qiong a glance before turning and leaving directly.


    After Sophia had gone, Lin Qiong looked Li Yifei up and down and then suddenly punched him hard on the shoulder, exclaiming, "You freak!"


    "Hey, how am I a freak again?" Li Yifei rolled his eyes.


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a glare and said, "With your skills, what else could you be but a freak? You¡¯re practically inhuman." Yet her eyes shone with eagerness and excitement.


    "Does this make you want to throw yourself at me?" Li Yifei winked at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong snorted, suddenly pounced on Li Yifei, hugging him tightly, and said, "You¡¯re right, I want you!"


    "Really? Here?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    "If you don¡¯t mind the downside, letting your woman be seen naked by others, then I have no objections. You find the place; I can¡¯t hold back anymore, and if you don¡¯t hurry, I might just overpower you."


    "That won¡¯t do; that loss would be too great. I¡¯m quite stingy, and besides, you are Director Lin, a role model for fighting crime. I can¡¯t let you have any negative news." He then picked Lin Qiong up and rushed towards a nearby hill.


    This was a wild romp, under the sky as their roof and the earth as their bed, the two passionately engaged in that thing, Lin Qiong going wild, demanding again and again, her combativeness stronger than ever.


    Even with Li Yifei¡¯s strong body, he eventually begged for mercy from Lin Qiong. Usually, he could overwhelm her; but this time, he truly lost.


    Lin Qiong, though exhausted, felt indescribably proud of defeating Li Yifei in this manner and said with pride, "I finally made you beg for mercy."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I hope you beat me every time."


    Lin Qiong spoke languidly, "Once is enough; it¡¯s really too tiring. It¡¯s better to let you take care of me properly."


    "Ha-ha, my Little Qiongqiong is really getting more womanly." Li Yifei had always liked Lin Qiong, especially her straightforwardness.

 Chapter 827 - 868 - : Abuse Therapy

    Chapter 827: 868 Chapter: Abuse TherapyBeing a police officer, Lin Qiong was still a bit worried about Li Yifei bringing in so many people, saying, "You¡¯ve brought in all these people, what if they cause some trouble?"


    Li Yifei answered with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t just pick anyone. The people I need are those who can be absolutely loyal to me. They won¡¯t cause me any trouble, let alone trouble you, the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau."


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Then all these people are yours, can¡¯t you lend me a few to use as well?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Of course, they will work for our Li family from now on. You are also one of my people, Li Yifei¡¯s people, so of course, they will also help you do things, especially those you can¡¯t handle officially."


    Lin Qiong suddenly became excited and turned to say, "The drug trafficking gang I¡¯ve been investigating recently is too cunning. I haven¡¯t been able to find a way to deal with them. Do you have any talented people who could help me track down a couple of them?"


    "I do have one here, I will send him over to help you."


    "That¡¯s what I wanted to hear."


    Lin Qiong was quite satisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s attitude.


    Then Li Yifei said with a grin, "I say, Little Qiongqiong, can you let go of the past grievances and follow me from now on?"


    "You wish. Don¡¯t think that because I haven¡¯t been causing trouble recently, you can start taking liberties. I¡¯m telling you, if you think I¡¯ll be like Chu Xiaoyao and the others, you¡¯re dreaming."


    "Alright then..." Li Yifei shook his head, acknowledging Lin Qiong¡¯s strong personality. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to have her act like Su Yiyi and the others.


    "But considering you¡¯ve been pretty good to me, I won¡¯t insist anymore that you marry me. You¡¯re getting a bargain here."


    Li Yifei chuckled. Lin Qiong really wasn¡¯t wrong; now that she wasn¡¯t so demanding, it at least wouldn¡¯t cause him so many problems. Even if she was just a lover, that was only beneficial and not harmful to Li Yifei.


    "Alright, enough of this. I¡¯m in a good mood today, drive me home. You should go home and take care of your wife. I¡¯m actually hoping Yingying will wake up soon."


    After dropping Lin Qiong off, Li Yifei saw that it was getting late and returned home. Lately, Xu Yingying seemed to be showing some signs of improvement, and Li Yifei was even more anxious for her to wake up.


    "Sister, you¡¯re really outrageous. Just because of your own emotional troubles, you keep staying unconscious. Do you know how many people are worried about you?"


    When Li Yifei reached the second floor, he heard Xu Shanshan shouting loudly, which startled him. He hurriedly rushed into Xu Yingying¡¯s room and saw Xu Shanshan standing by the bed, pointing at Xu Yingying and yelling angrily.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing?" Li Yifei quickly grabbed Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan stopped and blinked at Li Yifei, saying, "Everyone¡¯s been saying nice things for days, but my sister just won¡¯t wake up. I thought I¡¯d try scolding her to see if it might help."


    Li Yifei finally understood why Xu Shanshan was here arguing with Xu Yingying. It could be a method, after all. He said, "Then go ahead and scold her."


    "Alright, but you can¡¯t interrupt," Xu Shanshan instructed Li Yifei again.


    Li Yifei nodded in agreement and stepped aside.


    Xu Shanshan took a deep breath and then yelled at Xu Yingying, "Sister, you¡¯re being so selfish. I always thought you were better than me at everything¡ªwork ability, making money, even finding such a good husband. But now, you¡¯ve really disappointed me. Just because you¡¯ve encountered a little problem in your relationship, you¡¯re backing off. Are you still the strong Xu Yingying I knew?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s your right to be weak, but have you thought about it? You¡¯re not alone; you still have parents. I¡¯m still keeping it from Mom and Dad. If they find out how you are now, have you considered how heartbroken they¡¯ll be? You¡¯ve always been their pride. Now you¡¯re lying here unresponsive and withdrawn. Are you living up to what Mom and Dad have done for you all these years? Can you bear watching them wash their faces with tears every day?"


    "I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t wake up soon, I can¡¯t keep it a secret anymore. It¡¯s almost New Year, and Mom and Dad will definitely want us to come home. At that time, they will surely find out you¡¯ve become like this, and this New Year won¡¯t be worth celebrating. Remember, Dad has high blood pressure and Mom has a heart condition. You might just end them with this."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but frown, Xu Shanshan¡¯s approach was a bit too harsh, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Everyone had previously been speaking gently about pleasant past events with Xu Yingying, essentially trying to persuade her to wake up, but so far, it hadn¡¯t worked. Even though they were trying to stimulate Xu Yingying¡¯s body through mental connection, she still hadn¡¯t woken up, showing just slight reactions.


    Xu Shanshan scolded Xu Yingying to provoke her sense of responsibility, knowing that Xu Yingying was always someone with a strong sense of duty. Perhaps this harsh method might actually be effective.


    However, the scolding was so harsh that Li Yifei found it hard to bear, and he reluctantly went downstairs.


    In the living room, everyone was sitting on the sofa with peculiar expressions. As soon as Su Mengxin saw Li Yifei descending, she immediately asked, "How is it going?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "There¡¯s no effect so far."


    Ye Yunzhu expressed her concerns, "Is it right to scold her like that? Isn¡¯t it too aggressive?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "It¡¯s not a bad idea actually, but I also found it a bit too much to take, so I had to come down for now."


    Su Mengxin said, "Shanshan¡¯s method is indeed aggressive, but it¡¯s also innovative. We¡¯ve been doing things too conventionally, and Yingying might be immune to that now. Moreover, since Shanshan is Yingying¡¯s own sister, whatever she says, as sisters, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues. So, her scolding her fits quite well."


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er looked distressed and said, "However, it¡¯s really inappropriate for Little Yifei to hear such things. Fortunately, my daughter isn¡¯t home, but Xiaoyao and Yiyi have run out."


    Li Yifei apologetically said, "For Yingying, everyone is suffering with her, and I apologize to you all on her behalf."


    Ye Yunzhu glanced at Li Yifei and said, "The way you said that isn¡¯t right. Now that we are together, we are a family. We need to be united and work together to strengthen our Li family. By saying that, you are implying that Yingying is your only wife and that we are outsiders."


    Li Yifei sweated a bit and hurriedly said, "I didn¡¯t mean that."


    Su Mengxin seriously added, "Yifei, Yunzhu is right. Consider this a reminder for you. You are the head of the family and should act like one. You can¡¯t take all the responsibility on yourself all the time. While it may seem generous, it often leads to unnecessary conflicts."


    This time, Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t as talkative as usual; she just nodded lightly.


    The three women in front of him all came from large families and had a deeper understanding of family dynamics than Li Yifei, so their advice was well grounded.


    Li Yifei realized the truth in their words and nodded emphatically, saying, "Absolutely right, I indeed lack the demeanor of a family head."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "I believe that if you decide to exert your authority, you definitely can handle it. You are so impressive outside; how could you possibly fail at managing your own household?"


    Li Yifei touched his nose and said, "As the saying goes, even an honest official finds it hard to settle domestic quarrels, not to mention the emperor with his harem. This is indeed going to be my biggest challenge."


    Ye Yunzhu glanced at him and added, "Since you¡¯ve taken on this task, you must bear the responsibility. We have all made significant concessions; you can¡¯t always expect to reap the benefits without effort."


    Li Yifei stood straighter and declared, "Alright! I will be the proper head of the family from now on, but you all can¡¯t always be giving me cold looks."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "The dignity of a family head isn¡¯t something others can give you; it¡¯s something you must earn. If you convince us with your actions, of course we¡¯ll respect you. If you disappoint us, we can¡¯t grant you that authority either."


    Su Mengxin and Ye Yunzhu both nodded repeatedly, and Su Mengxin added, "We all revolve around you as our core. If you can¡¯t unify us, imagine what this family would become."


    At this point, Li Yifei became serious, straightened himself up, and with a burst of masculine energy, stated boldly, "I understand. Rest assured, for the Li family, for all of you, I will be a good head of the family." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This version of Li Yifei pleased Su Mengxin and the others most; a man should have such dominance. Li Yifei¡¯s presence was enough outside, but at home, he had always seemed a bit too soft, though it was out of doting on them. Now, with him showing more assertiveness at home, they did not feel uncomfortable, rather, they were somewhat pleased¡ªthis was the best kind of husband.


    "Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!" Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice came rushing down from upstairs, "Quick, come up... your sister... she¡¯s showing responses."


    Li Yifei sprang up like a shot and dashed upstairs like a cannonball, with Su Mengxin and the others quickly following. Ye Yunzhu, holding her belly and not daring to move as fast as them, still quickened her pace substantially compared to usual.

 Chapter 828 - 869: Xu Yingying Wakes Up

    Chapter 828: Chapter 869: Xu Yingying Wakes Up"Sister... brother-in-law... My sister just moved her hand! Her hand really moved!"


    Li Yifei rushed in, and Xu Shanshan grabbed his arm, speaking excitedly and incoherently.


    Li Yifei looked toward Xu Yingying, only to see her still lying on the bed, apparently unchanged. However, he felt that she truly had woken up.


    At the bedside, Li Yifei was indescribably nervous. He gently took hold of Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and stammered, "Wife... Yingying, have you woken up?"


    Xu Yingying lay motionless, but her hand was warmer than usual.


    "Wife, you really have woken up, haven¡¯t you? If you¡¯ve woken up, open your eyes. We¡¯re all waiting for you. Hurry and open your eyes to look at us."


    Suddenly, Li Yifei felt Xu Yingying¡¯s fingers lightly move. This filled him with great joy and he said more excitedly, "Wife... wife, you truly have sensation."


    By this time, Su Mengxin and the others had already arrived in the room. Hearing Li Yifei say this, they all crowded around excitedly, eyes fixed on Xu Yingying, waiting for the moment she would open her eyes.


    Finally, Xu Yingying¡¯s eyelids moved, seemingly requiring a great effort to open her eyes. This caused everyone in the room to cheer. After nearly two months, Xu Yingying had finally awoken.


    "Thank heavens, Yingying, you¡¯ve finally woken up!"


    "Yingying, if you hadn¡¯t woken up, we would¡¯ve been so worried!"


    "Older sister, you finally showed some conscience."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s newly opened eyes were somewhat unfocused. After a while, they slowly became clear. Her eyeballs, which had not moved for a long time, seemed a bit stiff as they slowly rotated, looking one by one at the people by the bed.


    "Shanshan... Mengxin... Yifei... Who is this?"


    Xu Yingying had not only opened her eyes but had also spoken. When she called out to Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin, and Li Yifei, the three of them were overjoyed. However, when she looked at Ning Xin¡¯er, she acted as if she did not recognize her.


    This left Ning Xin¡¯er at a loss, her face showing embarrassment, unsure of what to do.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei¡¯s heart sank a little and he asked, "Yingying, you don¡¯t recognize her?"


    Xu Yingying shifted her gaze back to Ning Xin¡¯er, furrowed her brow, and said, "I seem to have seen her before... but I can¡¯t remember who she is."


    "Sister, she¡¯s Ning Xin¡¯er." Xu Shanshan was still caught up in her excitement and hadn¡¯t noticed Xu Yingying¡¯s odd behavior. She quickly interjected. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ning Xin¡¯er... the famous star?"


    "Yes, yes!"


    "How come you¡¯re here? What¡¯s happened to me? Why do I feel like my whole body is... without strength?"


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin exchanged a glance. Xu Yingying¡¯s awakening was certainly great news, but now there seemed to be a problem. Su Mengxin hesitated a moment before saying to Xu Yingying, "Yingying, do you not remember what happened to you?"


    "I..." Xu Yingying closed her eyes, as if trying to remember something, then opened them again and said, "It seems like I just went to sleep, no big deal, but why do I feel so weak? Am I sick?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened as she said, "Sister, do you really not remember?"


    "Was there something?"


    Xu Shanshan became anxious and hurriedly said, "Sister, you were injured, and you¡¯ve been in a coma for nearly two months."


    "Ah! Two months, then what about the company?" Xu Yingying became anxious and struggled to sit up.


    Li Yifei quickly went over to support Xu Yingying and said urgently, "There¡¯s been no trouble in the company, you don¡¯t have to worry."


    Su Mengxin also said hurriedly, "Shanshan is now posing as you to manage the company, and I¡¯m assisting her. Nothing is wrong."


    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good." Xu Yingying sighed in relief and lay back down, apologetically saying, "Mengxin, I¡¯m sorry, you entrusted the company to me and I failed to manage it."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Why apologize? We¡¯re family. There¡¯s no need for such formalities. Now that you¡¯ve finally woken up, that¡¯s the best news."


    "Thank you all, I will recover as quickly as possible."


    ""


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Then you should rest well, we¡¯ll go out first."


    After speaking, Su Mengxin signaled to Ye Yunzhu and the others with her eyes, and they all walked out, leaving Li Yifei alone; as her husband, it was naturally time for him to communicate properly with Xu Yingying.


    "Why are you still here?" Just as they reached the door, they heard Xu Yingying say.


    Li Yifei then sat by the bed and spoke softly, "Wife, I¡¯m here with you."


    "Wife? Who¡¯s your wife?" Xu Yingying raised her voice considerably, even showing anger.


    Xu Shanshan and the others abruptly stopped, but they all turned around.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Wife, I know you¡¯re still angry with me, and I and..."


    "Stop, make it clear to me, Li Yifei, you¡¯re just an employee in my company, when did I become your wife?"


    Li Yifei was stunned as he looked at Xu Yingying, because right then Xu Yingying was clearly not joking, and the angry expression on her face was certainly not feigned.


    Su Mengxin quickly stepped forward, anxiously saying, "Yingying, you really don¡¯t remember Yifei is your husband?"


    Xu Yingying widened her eyes in disbelief, "Mengxin, why are you making such a joke too? Although we¡¯re quite close, we¡¯re just colleagues, when did we ever get married?"


    Everyone was dumbfounded at this; what was going on with Xu Yingying? She recognized Li Yifei, but didn¡¯t know he was her husband. It seemed like amnesia, but she knew everyone but Ning Xin¡¯er, and right after waking up, she was concerned about the company, which was in line with Xu Yingying¡¯s character. But not knowing Li Yifei was her husband? What was happening?


    Xu Shanshan became anxious, saying, "Sis, think carefully, brother-in-law is really your husband, you¡¯ve been married for over half a year, how can you not remember?"


    "Shanshan, is this true? Did I really marry him?" Xu Yingying was also suddenly frantic, looking desperately at Xu Shanshan as if hoping she would shake her head.


    Xu Shanshan nodded vigorously, saying, "Yes, you really did marry him."


    "This... how is this possible? You must be mistaken." Xu Yingying shook her head, but she had just woken up and was still extremely weak. She felt dizzy and quickly closed her eyes.


    Su Mengxin said, "Yingying, don¡¯t get agitated, maybe you just woke up and have forgotten some things. You rest for now, we won¡¯t disturb you." Then she signaled everyone with her eyes, and they all tiptoed out.


    In Su Mengxin¡¯s room, Li Yifei frowned and said, "What¡¯s happening? Why doesn¡¯t Yingying recognize me as her husband?"


    Su Mengxin replied softly, "Don¡¯t worry, maybe she just woke up and still hasn¡¯t remembered some things."


    But Ye Yunzhu shook her head, saying, "I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple. I¡¯ve been observing Yingying closely all this time, and she truly seems to have forgotten. And it¡¯s not just that she doesn¡¯t remember Yifei as her husband; she seems to have forgotten all about her romantic relationships. She doesn¡¯t know our relationship with Yifei."


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin both had stronger observation skills than Ye Yunzhu, but they were too emotionally involved and hence not as composed as Ye Yunzhu, so they had missed some important details.


    "Could that be?" Both Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, as well as Ning Xin¡¯er, widened their eyes in shock.


    Ye Yunzhu gave a wry smile, saying, "I wish it weren¡¯t so, but looking at Yingying¡¯s condition, it seems to be the case. She only remembers our friendships and our work partnership, which is why she can recognize us. Since Ning Xin¡¯er only has emotional entanglements with Li Yifei and no other connections with her, she doesn¡¯t recognize her."


    "Can memory loss be selective?" Ning Xin¡¯er stammered out her question.


    Su Mengxin had also calmed down by this point, shook her head with a wry smile, "Though I don¡¯t want to admit it, the fact seems to be so. But who knows when Yingying will remember everything."


    Li Yifei knitted his brows, saying, "Then let¡¯s take it slow. Now that Yingying has woken up, that¡¯s great news for us. As for when she will remember everything from before, that¡¯s just a matter of time."


    Su Mengxin gave a bitter smile and said, "It¡¯s certainly good that Yingying woke up, but now she has forgotten about her romantic relationships, and that¡¯s going to cause big trouble for our relationships. Think about it, even if you show her the marriage certificate and she accepts you as her husband, will she accept us? Can she accept that her husband has so many other women, and that they¡¯re all together?"


    Everyone was dumbstruck at this thought; Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er had done so much for Li Yifei and had made so many concessions. Now that they had finally established this situation, Xu Yingying¡¯s amnesia threatened to shatter it all.


    It seemed as though everyone had returned to square one, with no progress made, and even... things had become more complicated.


    Su Mengxin then added, "Since it¡¯s like this, I think we should all keep quiet about our relationships with Yifei for now. That way, it¡¯ll be easier for Yingying to accept him. Once she does, we can slowly reveal our relationships to her. Plus, her memory may come back at any time, and things would then return to normal. Yunzhu, Xin¡¯er, you¡¯ll have to bear with some discomfort now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "I¡¯m fine with it, but Yunzhu is about to give birth, what about that?"


    Ye Yunzhu sighed deeply, "What can we do? For now, let¡¯s just let my daughter be a child without a father."


    Li Yifei shook his head and smiled bitterly; he had been longing for Xu to wake up, but this awakening had brought about such a situation, truly catching him off guard.

 Chapter 829 - 870 Selective Amnesia

    Chapter 829: Chapter 870 Selective AmnesiaLi Yifei made a phone call to the saint, mentioning that Xu Yingying had awakened. The saint was also greatly surprised. Amnesia often involved losing memory for a period of time, such as a month, a year, or even longer, but Xu Yingying had forgotten everything about her relationship with Li Yifei, which was unheard of.


    "Hehe, this might be like her self-isolation; she was unwilling to accept emotional matters at that time, so she always refused to wake up and face it. But when she had to wake up, she chose to forget this relationship entirely. The human spirit is truly amazing."


    Everyone went to see Xu Yingying again; she had rested for a while and felt somewhat better. As soon as they entered, she immediately said, "Where is this? This isn¡¯t my home?"


    Everyone was stunned; Xu Yingying¡¯s memory loss was truly thorough, not even recognizing the home she and Li Yifei bought together. This was something that caught everyone off guard, but luckily they reacted quickly. Su Mengxin immediately said, "I bought this apartment. You¡¯ve been in a coma and needed care, so we moved you here for convenience."


    Xu Yingying immediately expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much."


    "Why be so formal with me?" Su Mengxin replied with a slight smile, yet her heart felt somewhat bitter. Xu Yingying¡¯s selective amnesia was related to her, even if others didn¡¯t mention it, she knew it well.


    Xu Yingying then looked at Xu Shanshan and asked, "Shanshan, do mom and dad know about my coma?"


    Xu Shanshan quickly answered, "No, I¡¯ve kept it from them. I pretended to be you and called them. A few days ago, my brother-in-law and I visited them to keep them reassured."


    "Wait, you said mom and dad know about Li Yifei?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened.


    Xu Shanshan gave a wry smile, "Believe it or not, Yifei is definitely your husband. You two have even registered your marriage, it¡¯s just that the wedding ceremony wasn¡¯t held."


    "How is that possible? How did I end up marrying him?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, her brows deeply furrowed.


    Su Mengxin laughed, "This is your family matter; we shouldn¡¯t interfere. Yingying, you¡¯re finally awake, but we still don¡¯t know your physical condition. Let¡¯s get a check-up at the hospital."


    On mentioning this, everyone became anxious, and although Xu Yingying was reluctant, she still let everyone persuade her to go to the hospital for an examination.


    The results came out quickly; Xu Yingying was fine except for some physical weakness. As for the amnesia, even the hospital couldn¡¯t explain it.


    Leaving the hospital, Xu Yingying was able to walk on her own and said to Su Mengxin, "Mengxin, I¡¯ve troubled you for so long. I don¡¯t have any issues now; I should go home."


    Su Mengxin nodded, "If you wish to go back, then go ahead. We¡¯re all in the same neighborhood, so there¡¯s always someone nearby to look after you."


    Once in the neighborhood, Xu Shanshan helped Xu Yingying walk towards their original apartment, with Li Yifei following behind them. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t quite describe his feelings. Xu Yingying¡¯s awakening was certainly joyous for him, but this amnesia was truly troubling, especially since Xu Yingying didn¡¯t recognize him as her husband at all.


    Arriving at their original home, Xu Yingying stood at the door and frowned, "Shanshan, why is it so dusty here?"


    Xu Shanshan quickly explained, "You¡¯ve been in a coma for two months, and I¡¯ve always been there to look after you. I had no time to clean here."


    "Oh, that makes sense. Let¡¯s clean up together; it¡¯s really too messy."


    Li Yifei quickly interjected, "Wife, you rest, Shanshan and I will clean up."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with a peculiar expression and gently shook her head, "Li Yifei, I don¡¯t know how we became husband and wife. I really don¡¯t remember anything now. I only remember that you followed me from the previous company to Mengfei¡¯s. If you say coworkers, I can accept that, but as for being spouses, I really don¡¯t have any impression or feeling of that."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "I understand, but I¡¯m not in a hurry. It¡¯s just a temporary memory loss; it should recover after some time."


    "Thank you for your understanding, but having you here right now really makes me feel awkward. Could you... not come here for a while?" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was taken aback, while Xu Shanshan immediately said, "How can this be? Sister, you¡¯re not fully well yet. How can I take care of you alone? Besides, it¡¯s a fact that you and brother-in-law are married. How could your own sister deceive you about that, right? Oh, let me get you something."


    Saying this, Xu Shanshan pulled out their marriage certificate from her bag, which she had brought just to prove the relationship between Li Yifei and her sister.


    Xu Yingying received the marriage certificate, staring at the photo of the two people on it, appearing very confused.


    It was like someone who had never been married, waking up the next morning to find themselves married¡ªit wasn¡¯t easy to accept.


    Li Yifei then said, "Yingying, I know it¡¯s hard for you to accept me right now, but I¡¯m not in a hurry. Let¡¯s talk and live together for a while. I think that will help you recover your memory. You don¡¯t really want to lose this memory forever, do you?"


    "Of course I want to remember, but the main thing right now is that I feel very strange inside."


    Xu Shanshan said, "Alright, let¡¯s talk about this slowly. Let¡¯s clean up the house first; there¡¯s nowhere to sit right now."


    In fact, Xu Yingying¡¯s amnesia was very distressing to everyone else, but Xu Shanshan was very excited about it. The reason was simple: it meant she could live with Xu Yingying and Li Yifei again like before. That period was the happiest time for Xu Shanshan. Every night at home, Li Yifei would massage her feet, and they would sneak in some little intimacies, making Xu Shanshan yearn for those times every time she thought back to them. But once they moved into that big house, that kind of life had never returned. Now, suddenly, they were going back to that old way of living, and the excitement was indescribable.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan first cleaned up the master bedroom and then let Xu Yingying go in to rest.


    When Xu Yingying entered the bedroom, looking around¡ªthere didn¡¯t seem to have been many changes, but there were far fewer clothes in the wardrobe. That wasn¡¯t the main issue, though; among the remaining clothes, aside from her own, there were also men¡¯s clothes, including outerwear and even underwear.


    This made Xu Yingying frown; she really couldn¡¯t remember, and it baffled her. Li Yifei had become her husband, it seemed, and it appeared they had lived together for a while. Yet, she couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    Hearing Xu Shanshan chattering with Li Yifei outside in a very familiar manner further confirmed that Li Yifei was her husband, and the marriage certificate in her hand was solid proof.


    Xu Yingying borrowed a cellphone from Xu Shanshan and called her parents from the room.


    "Mom, how have you been recently?" Xu Yingying tentatively asked.


    "Hehe, pretty well, I¡¯m playing with Little Yifei right now. Are you not busy today?"


    "Oh, today¡¯s okay. Go on with your play. I¡¯ll call you back when you¡¯re free."


    After hanging up, Xu Yingying spaced out for a moment. She had hung up slowly and still heard her mother saying to someone else, "My daughter is very filial, and the son-in-law is good..." But she missed a point¡ªher mother said she was playing with Little Yifei, but she hadn¡¯t considered who this Little Yifei was. At this moment, she had forgotten not only Ning Xin¡¯er but also her daughter Little Yifei.


    Although the house hadn¡¯t been cleaned for a long time, it was winter, the windows and doors were not opened, and there wasn¡¯t much dust. After cleaning for over an hour, the house looked renewed. Li Yifei then went out to buy some groceries and cooked a hearty dinner, though the dishes were all light; Xu Yingying had just woken up, and her stomach couldn¡¯t handle anything too greasy.


    Sitting at the dining table, Xu Shanshan proudly said, "Sis, eat some; the dishes brother-in-law made are really delicious."


    Xu Yingying took a bite¡ªthe taste was indeed good. She glanced at Li Yifei and said, "I didn¡¯t expect you to have this skill."


    Li Yifei had adjusted his mindset by then. Since Xu Yingying didn¡¯t remember anything, he would just interact with her this way. They had gotten married originally by some twist of fate without truly dating. This time, he wanted to pursue Xu Yingying anew and let her accept him in her heart once again.


    He then chuckled and said, "You probably still think I¡¯m an aimless guy, don¡¯t you?"


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t deny it, saying, "According to my thoughts, you indeed don¡¯t have any special qualities, nor are you the person I should choose to be my husband."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then you can discover them slowly."


    Xu Yingying took a couple of sips of porridge and asked, "How did I get hurt and fall into a coma?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, who felt a pang in his heart upon thinking about it. If it weren¡¯t for his deep love, how could Xu Yingying have done such a thing? He met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze tenderly and explained, "Someone attacked me, and at that time, you protected me by risking your life and covered me. As a result, a bullet hit your head, and that¡¯s why you fell into a coma."


    Xu Yingying opened her mouth, and after a long while, said, "I actually protected you... It¡¯s really hard to imagine. Even if we are husband and wife, are you really worth that sacrifice?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately. Xu Yingying really didn¡¯t hold him in high esteem in her heart, making his role as a husband truly tragic.

 Chapter 830 - 871: Strange Couple

    Chapter 830: Chapter 871: Strange CoupleAfter dinner, Li Yifei went to move things again. Although there were some things left in the house, most were unnecessary, and the necessary ones had been moved there. At this time, he could only move them back. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin and the others were waiting for him, and as soon as Li Yifei arrived, they all began to ask questions simultaneously.


    Li Yifei explained Xu Yingying¡¯s current situation to everyone, and they all had headaches. The harmonious family they had painstakingly built was completely disrupted by Xu Yingying¡¯s awakening.


    However, no one complained because Xu Yingying waking up was still a good thing. Even Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t say much this time. Xu Yingying had been so good to her, and she had always been grateful in her heart. If it were someone else, she might have complained, but she wouldn¡¯t complain about Xu Yingying.


    Moreover, everyone agreed to not reveal their relationship with Li Yifei for now. Living here, they would just say that Su Mengxin was lonely and brought everyone over to make it lively.


    But Ning Xin¡¯er suddenly said, "What about Little Yifei?" with a very unpleasant expression. Everyone could continue interacting with Xu Yingying as friends and be with Li Yifei, but what about her? Her daughter was still with Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, so Ning Xin¡¯er had nowhere to hide. She really didn¡¯t know how Xu Yingying would view her.


    It was understandable that Ning Xin¡¯er was worried since it wasn¡¯t easy for her to gain Li Yifei¡¯s approval. If Xu Yingying disagreed, she would be in a difficult position.


    Li Yifei also felt that this matter was tricky until Su Mengxin said, "This thing can only be faced openly. Maybe it could even awaken Yingying¡¯s memory; who knows? If she remembers completely, it won¡¯t be a problem. Even if she doesn¡¯t remember, Little Yifei is so loved by Yingying¡¯s parents. You¡¯re Yifei¡¯s biological mother; Yingying can¡¯t do anything to you."


    "Let¡¯s hope so." Ning Xin¡¯er felt very uncertain.


    Everyone started to tidy up Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan¡¯s things and delivered them to Xu Yingying¡¯s home.


    Xu Yingying regained some physical strength after eating, and she chatted with Xu Shanshan for a while. Besides understanding her relationship with Li Yifei, she also asked about things in the company.


    Xu Shanshan, being a smart person, explained that Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei to pretend to be her boyfriend to avoid being nagged by their mom, which led to them gradually becoming husband and wife. This was true, and Xu Yingying¡¯s parents also knew, but Xu Shanshan did not involve others to prevent Xu Yingying from being unable to accept it.


    Xu Yingying found all this rather amusing, wondering how she could do such a thing, eventually marrying Li Yifei based on a misunderstanding.


    When everyone arrived, Xu Yingying warmly invited them in, although she didn¡¯t recognize Ning Xin¡¯er, Su Yiyi, or Chu Xiaoyao. This selective memory left everyone speechless, but they all acted as if nothing was wrong.


    After tidying up, they sat for a while and then left, leaving only Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan at home.


    Xu Yingying felt uneasy, remembering only living with her sister. However, now there was another man in the house, their nominal husband, which felt inexplicably awkward. As soon as Su Mengxin and the others left, she stood up and said, "I¡¯m going to take a shower."


    Once the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei and said playfully, "Brother-in-law, I think this isn¡¯t bad. Come, give me a foot rub." She threw her feet onto Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot, shook his head, and said, "Your mood is quite good."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "My sister woke up; shouldn¡¯t I be in a good mood?"


    "Of course, you should be in a good mood. But maybe the fact that we¡¯re going back to our old lifestyle is also a reason for your joy?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and said, "Yeah, there have been too many women around you recently, and with me going to the head office, I hardly had any chance to be with you."


    "Shh, lower your voice. If your sister hears us, we¡¯re done for."


    Xu Shanshan glanced towards the bathroom, lowered her voice, and said, "Brother-in-law, what¡¯s your plan now? My sister doesn¡¯t recognize you as her husband."


    "What can I do? I¡¯ll just treat her well and wait patiently for her to remember."


    "What if she never remembers?"


    "Haha... then I¡¯ll court her until she finally accepts me, willingly making me her husband!"


    "Great! I support you, Brother-in-law. No matter what, you can¡¯t let my sister slip away, or I won¡¯t be able to be your sister-in-law anymore."


    Xu Yingying waking up did relax everyone a bit. Even if there were some issues, there was hope they could be resolved. If Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t woken up, some problems might never have been solved.


    After a while, Li Yifei went to the bathroom door and said, "Honey, do you need any help?"


    "No, no... please don¡¯t come in," Xu Yingying¡¯s panicked voice came from inside.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "I won¡¯t come in. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s too much steam in there; it might be uncomfortable for you¡ªdon¡¯t take too long in the shower."


    "I¡¯ll be out soon. Just go away..."


    Li Yifei shook his head. Previously, he and Xu Yingying felt no reservations¡ªthey were a married couple. But now, with Xu Yingying like this, he had to be more cautious.


    After taking a shower, Xu Yingying went straight back to the bedroom and closed the door. Xu Shanshan smiled and said to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m going to shower first, but brace yourself. You¡¯ll be sleeping on the couch tonight."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Looks like your sister won¡¯t let me into the bedroom. She already locked the door earlier."


    Just as Li Yifei predicted, that night, he slept on the couch. Xu Yingying just couldn¡¯t see him as her husband and how could she let him share her bed?


    The next morning, Xu Yingying wanted to go back to work, but Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan firmly refused. Since she had just woken up, her body hadn¡¯t fully recovered. They couldn¡¯t rest easy, insisting she stay at home. Xu Yingying¡¯s body was indeed quite weak; trying to go to work would have been a struggle, so she eventually agreed to stay home.


    But usually, when Xu Yingying stayed home, at least Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and sometimes Ye Yunzhu would be there. Now that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t living there, it left her alone in the house. Li Yifei was not at ease, so he asked Su Yiyi to come over and accompany Xu Yingying.


    Su Yiyi quickly came over, and only then did Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan leave for work.


    Now, the house was just Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi. Normally, Su Yiyi felt quite at ease with Xu Yingying, but now facing her, she felt like before, pressured and hesitant to meet her gaze.


    Xu Yingying looked at Su Yiyi and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I really can¡¯t remember you. Can you tell me how we met?"


    Su Yiyi felt panic rise; she had met Xu Yingying through Li Yifei, but now they were all keeping this a secret, so she couldn¡¯t say. Lying wasn¡¯t her strong point, putting her in a tough spot.


    Fortunately, Su Mengxin had prepared beforehand and specially coached Su Yiyi. Only then did she say, "Sister Yingying, I¡¯m a student at Mile City University, studying English. Brother Li helped me in the past, and you got to know me and helped me a lot too. You¡¯re both good people, and since I¡¯m on break, I can keep you company."


    "Oh... how did we help you?" Xu Yingying had no memory of Su Yiyi and hoped she might trigger some memories through her.


    As taught by Su Mengxin, Su Yiyi said, "Sister Yingying, my dad is a gambler who lost all the family¡¯s money. Later, people came to collect the debt, and they wanted to sell me to pay it off..."


    "Ah?" Xu Yingying furrowed her brows, her face showing anger.


    "Ha... I was really heartbroken then, but I didn¡¯t want my life ruined like that. I foolishly ran to a remote suburb and found a small karaoke bar, intending to sell my virginity to pay off my dad¡¯s debt. I naively hoped to continue with my studies. Looking back, I was so immature; if I¡¯d taken that step, my life would have been over."


    Xu Yingying asked concernedly, "And then what happened?"


    "Then, it happened that Brother Li came to that karaoke bar, and I was arranged to accompany him. Seeing Brother Li, I felt somewhat relieved since he didn¡¯t look like a bad person, but I didn¡¯t know if he could afford to help me."


    By this point, Su Yiyi was deeply engrossed in her story, reminiscing about that day with her eyes closed, "Brother Li took me away, and I told him I needed twenty thousand. Brother Li quickly arranged the money for me, probably borrowing it from you, Sister Yingying."


    Xu Yingying scrunched up her face, "Did he buy you?"


    Su Yiyi quickly responded, "No, Brother Li gave me the money and went to my father to help solve his problems. I was incredibly grateful and wanted to repay Brother Li with my body, but he wouldn¡¯t hear of it. That made me feel Brother Li was such a genuinely good person."


    Xu Yingying was a bit surprised. From what Su Yiyi said, Li Yifei should have become involved with her, but he hadn¡¯t. Yet, wasn¡¯t he the same guy who was still seeing He Fangqing?


    In Xu Yingying¡¯s current memory, she didn¡¯t block out what happened between Li Yifei and He Fangqing. She wondered how He Fangqing would feel knowing this.

 Chapter 831 - 872: Can You Understand?

    Chapter 831: Chapter 872: Can You Understand?Xu Yingying had been in a coma, and Li Yifei had kept massaging her all along; therefore, her physical functions were still well-maintained. When she regained consciousness, her body recovered very quickly. After resting at home for one more day, she seemed as if nothing had happened.


    However, since her hair hadn¡¯t grown long yet, she temporarily couldn¡¯t wear it in the big waves she used to but having short hair made her look even sharper and more capable.


    Li Yifei hurried home from work in the evening and saw Xu Yingying watching her computer on the sofa. He quickly said, "You¡¯ve just woken up. Don¡¯t overexert yourself. You must be hungry, I will cook for you."


    Xu Yingying looked up and replied, "Su Yiyi has already made dinner."


    It was then that Li Yifei noticed that the dinner had already been set on the table. He laughed and said, "Yiyi really is hard-working."


    "Yes, I think Yiyi is very nice, truly a good girl. Whoever marries her will be very fortunate."


    Li Yifei felt somewhat guilty as he looked at Xu Yingying, but since she showed no unusual expression, he felt somewhat relieved.


    Xu Yingying placed her computer on the coffee table and looked at Li Yifei, "Can we have a serious talk?"


    Li Yifei sat down and softly asked, "What do you want to talk about?"


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly, "I talked a lot with Yiyi today, and together with various pieces of evidence, it¡¯s confirmed we are indeed married, but..."


    Li Yifei knew there would be a twist following this, so he smiled and said, "Say whatever you have in mind, I will agree to it."


    Facing Li Yifei, Xu Yingying said, "Then I won¡¯t be shy. Right now, I really can¡¯t think of you as my... husband. In my heart, you are not unfamiliar, but you only feel like a colleague, can you understand that?"


    Li Yifei slowly said, "I understand, I have enough patience to let you accept me."


    Xu Yingying shook her head, "I don¡¯t mean that, I mean... since I still can¡¯t accept you as my husband, could you maintain some distance from me, treating me just like a colleague?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened, "Wife, that¡¯s going to be tough. We¡¯ve been married for over half a year now, and I have already gotten used to you being my wife. It¡¯s hard for me to instantly create such a distance between us, even if I agree now."


    Xu Yingying hesitated, "You have a point, it¡¯s difficult for you too. Let¡¯s both give ourselves some time, especially giving me some time, and you must not make me... fulfill some... marital duties."


    A smile instantly appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face, "Don¡¯t worry, why would I force you?"


    A blush surfaced on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, "Thank you then. Our relationship isn¡¯t public outside, and at the office, we won¡¯t have any problems. But the New Year is coming soon, we definitely have to go back home, and I... will cooperate then, and I hope you won¡¯t hold any grudges."


    "What silly things are you saying? You are my wife. Now that you have amnesia, as your husband, of course, I should do my best to help you."


    That moment Xu Yingying fixed her gaze on Li Yifei, revealing a strange expression, "You really act differently at home compared to outside."


    "Hehe, in your memory, it must be because I was out of line back then."


    "Yes, I remember you and Fangqing were quite close. After you married me, what happened with her?" Xu Yingying said as she intently stared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat, not expecting Xu Yingying to remember He Fangqing. He knew he needed to carefully respond, but his hesitation prompted Xu Yingying to frown, "It seems you are still keeping in touch."


    Facing Xu Yingying, Li Yifei said, "Back when we were about to get married, you didn¡¯t want to have relations with me, so you kept Fangqing close to me. After we got married, Fangqing didn¡¯t want to impact our relationship and stopped associating with me. Don¡¯t you remember any of this?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei in astonishment, "Did I really make such an absurd decision?"


    Seeing that Xu Yingying had also forgotten the subsequent matters about He Fangqing, he smiled and said, "Hehe, when you married me, the main reason was to give an explanation to your parents, not because you really wanted to marry me."


    "Then that¡¯s even more absurd, isn¡¯t that too unfair to you? And you agreed?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, a lot happened during that period, I will slowly tell you about it."


    As they were talking, Xu Shanshan entered the door; seeing her sister in good spirits, she smiled, "Sis, you¡¯re looking good."


    Xu Yingying also stopped interacting with Li Yifei, "You wish I weren¡¯t feeling well? I am really worried about the company¡¯s situation now."


    "Don¡¯t worry, even though I¡¯m not that capable, but we also have Mengxin. You can be at ease. Oh, dinner is ready, I¡¯m starving."


    The three of them had dinner, and Xu Yingying said to Xu Shanshan, "Let¡¯s go find Mengxin, I want to find out about the current situation in the company."


    Xu Shanshan gave her sister a blank look and said, "You really are a workaholic, just barely recovered and already thinking about work."


    "You wouldn¡¯t want me to go back, would you?"


    "Have you no conscience? What¡¯s so good about being the boss? It¡¯s so hard every day. It¡¯s better to be Brother Li¡¯s secretary, more comfortable. Let¡¯s go now, and I¡¯ll go back to be Brother Li¡¯s secretary tomorrow."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and said, "Shanshan being your secretary?" Her eyes were full of vigilance.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, you¡¯re afraid some girl will seduce me, so you¡¯re having Shanshan keep an eye on me."


    With that, Xu Yingying¡¯s doubts were dispelled, but she still found it strange. By doing this, she was placing great importance on Li Yifei. Thinking about how she was injured while protecting Li Yifei, it became even clearer how much she liked him. However, she couldn¡¯t summon any feelings for him now, which was quite peculiar.


    When they arrived at Su Mengxin¡¯s, everyone greeted Xu Yingying warmly. Yingying, however, noticed Ye Yunzhu with a big belly and said, "Yunzhu, what happened?"


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled and replied, "I accidentally let a jerk plant a seed, and now I¡¯m just waiting to give birth."


    Everyone didn¡¯t know what Xu Yingying had forgotten or remembered, so they waited for her to speak first. Yingying didn¡¯t know that Ye Yunzhu was pregnant with Li Yifei¡¯s child, and her attitude towards Ye Yunzhu was still quite good, which meant she probably only remembered their work-related interactions. She didn¡¯t remember that Ye Yunzhu was Li Yifei¡¯s first love and carried his child.


    "So how did you end up here?" Xu Yingying was still quite puzzled.


    "No way around it, that guy impregnated me and ran off. I couldn¡¯t return home to give birth, so I had to hide out here. Thank goodness Mengxin took me in."


    "There are still such men, what a jerk. Oh, sorry about that."


    Hearing Xu Yingying curse, everyone¡¯s faces were quite peculiar, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Their eyes were glancing at Li Yifei, who just rolled his eyes in resignation at Ye Yunzhu. It was clearly Ye Yunzhu¡¯s intention.


    Fortunately, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t notice this and chatted briefly with everyone before she, Xu Shanshan, and Su Mengxin went inside to talk about work.


    They went to the second floor, leaving only Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Ye Yunzhu on the first floor.


    Previously, it was natural for everyone to be with Li Yifei, but now their relationship with him had suddenly gone underground. Seeing Li Yifei now felt a bit like having an affair, with glances at him resembling a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of meat.


    This made Li Yifei a bit uneasy. He chuckled and said, "Sorry about all this."


    Ye Yunzhu, patting her belly, sat down and said, "Enough with the act, everyone understands, it¡¯s not your fault."


    Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck from behind and pouted, "Uncle, when will Yingying get better? She doesn¡¯t even recognize me now."


    Li Yifei lightly patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s bottom and replied, "Don¡¯t rush, she will get better eventually."


    "I used to be able to be affectionate with you, but now that Yingying doesn¡¯t recognize us, we don¡¯t dare. It¡¯s quite uncomfortable."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You girl, always thinking about those things."


    "They might not be in a hurry, but I¡¯m still a virgin, now it¡¯s indefinitely postponed."


    Ye Yunzhu then spoke, "Xiaoyao, you better not get too close to Yifei now. It¡¯s easy for his clothing to carry your scent, and if Yingying discovers it when we go back, that would be bad."


    "That¡¯s too harsh," Chu Xiaoyao released Li Yifei and sat to the side.


    Su Yiyi quickly said to Chu Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, don¡¯t be mad. Brother Li is already having a hard time; do you want to make him feel even worse?"


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "No, I was just speaking off the cuff. Uncle, consider my words a dream talk, hehe, or just let it pass like a fart."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "You girl, you¡¯re so big yet you still don¡¯t watch your words. Uncle promises you, I¡¯ll make it up to you later."


    "Hehe, no need, if you have to make it up to me, then you¡¯ll have to make it up to others too. Otherwise, I would become the jealous one. Then everyone would despise me, and that would be terrible."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Chu Xiaoyao to have such awareness. It was indeed a good thing. If the most troublesome little girl could be so well-behaved, just waiting for Xu Yingying to remember everything and accept everyone at home, his good days were about to come.

 Chapter 832 - 873: Stricter Regulations

    Chapter 832: Chapter 873: Stricter RegulationsXu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and Su Mengxin studied until nearly nine o¡¯clock before heading home together. During that time, Li Yifei could¡¯ve gotten cozy with Ning Xin¡¯er several times, yet they did nothing. Nowadays, Li Yifei dared not make any mistakes. Whether Xu Yingying was self-closing in a coma or selectively amnesiac, it was all due to emotional issues. If everything that happened then stimulated Li Yifei, no one could predict what might occur. So, they just had to endure it.


    Back at home, Xu Shanshan said to Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, can you rub my feet tonight? Wearing high heels all day has almost killed me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up immediately and said, "You want him to massage your feet?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "I mean, sis, what is that expression? My feet have problems from dancing. Brother-in-law always massages them for me. Has this slipped your mind?"


    "Really? So, him massaging your feet, brother-in-law massaging a sister-in-law¡¯s feet, isn¡¯t that inappropriate?"


    Li Yifei was a bit surprised this time. Xu Yingying had chosen to forget things related to her emotional entanglement with Li Yifei but had even forgotten about him massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet. Upon reflection, it made sense. Li Yifei massaged Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet as Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, and Xu Yingying had forgotten he was her husband. How could she remember this?


    Xu Shanshan casually said, "What nonsense is that? It¡¯s just a foot rub. Even in the spa, male technicians give us massages." Her heart was very tense though. If Xu Yingying disagreed, this kind of good life would be over.


    However, Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei again and then said, "Then rub away. I¡¯ll go organize things. If you¡¯re tired, rest early. Don¡¯t bother about me." Then she went into the bedroom.


    Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out at Li Yifei and ran to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She changed into pajamas and lay on the sofa, skillfully putting her small feet on Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    Li Yifei naturally held Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot and began to rub it for her, but before he could do much, Xu Yingying came out, saw their posture, and frowned. When she saw Xu Shanshan¡¯s outfit, her brow furrowed even more.


    "Shanshan, go change. Dressed like that, what do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    Even though it was winter and the temperature outside was below minus ten, the heating was strong indoors, reaching twenty-five or twenty-six degrees. Wearing anything thicker could result in a sweat bath, so Xu Shanshan wore a simple gauze nightgown with bare white thighs and no bra. Lying flat like this made her chest shape particularly prominent.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were used to this. In the past, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t give it much thought, so they acted as they always did. Who would have thought Xu Yingying would oppose it now?


    Xu Shanshan reacted quickly, saying with a smile, "Sis, you¡¯re jealous of your sister? If I wanted to steal Brother-in-law, I would¡¯ve done it long ago and wouldn¡¯t need to wait until now, right? Besides, Brother-in-law has always treated me like a sister, don¡¯t overthink it."


    Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan and said, "I¡¯m not overthinking. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re no longer young, and as a woman, you should have some modesty. You¡¯re waving around with so little on, even if he is your brother-in-law, that¡¯s not okay. What if others saw, wouldn¡¯t that easily lead to gossip?"


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and said, "There¡¯s only the three of us at home, no one else, what¡¯s there to fear?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened as she shouted, "If I say no, then no. Change now, or else no more massages!"


    Xu Shanshan felt aggrieved and said, "Such ingratitude, awakening only to scold people." She muttered as she went back to the room to change.


    Li Yifei, meanwhile, looked at Xu Yingying with a bright smile. Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and asked, "Why are you smiling?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Before we got married, you were this fierce. After we married, you weren¡¯t as fierce anymore. Seeing you like this now, it really makes me nostalgic."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit awkward and said, "I¡¯ve told you before, don¡¯t talk to me in that way."


    "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it. Please forgive me, President Xu."


    Li Yifei¡¯s earnest look made Xu Yingying feel even more uncomfortable. She said, "I¡¯m going back to work. Be careful with Shanshan and don¡¯t do anything over the top."


    "If I wanted to, I would¡¯ve done it a long time ago, no need to wait until now, right?"


    "Just be cautious," Xu Yingying said before returning to her room and slamming the door shut.


    Xu Shanshan then came out of her room, wearing a new set of pajamas, much more formal, directly opening Xu Yingying¡¯s door and asking, "Is this outfit okay?"


    "Much better, off you go."


    "You¡¯re stricter than Mom," Xu Shanshan mumbled, turned around, closed the door, made a face at it, then headed straight towards Li Yifei, loudly saying, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t look at me, don¡¯t have any ideas. Be like a monk, you hear?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, your sister just woke up, and you¡¯re already teasing her."


    Xu Shanshan sniffed, "She¡¯s only lost her memory, no other issues. I¡¯m not going to humor her."


    Li Yifei truly followed the rules while massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet. Because every ten minutes, Xu Yingying found an excuse to come out, clearly monitoring them. Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t jealous of him as her husband; she was just watching over Xu Shanshan.


    At night, Li Yifei still had to sleep on the sofa. Despite having a wife and so many women, he was reduced to sleeping on the sofa. Life¡¯s unpredictability could be exemplified here when extreme happiness turned into tragedy.


    The next day, Xu Yingying returned to her long-absent company. For Xu Yingying, it felt like she had just slept overnight and had come to work today, with no real adaptation issues. It was just that there had been significant progress in the company¡¯s situation since her coma, and she needed to familiarize herself again.


    Having Su Mengxin¡¯s help made it easy for her to get started too. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this time, He Fangqing had already learned of Xu Yingying¡¯s awakening and was naturally overjoyed. Being so busy in the morning left her no chance to interact, but after lunch, she dragged Xu Yingying to her office.


    "You finally woke up, which puts my mind at ease," He Fangqing said, pulling Xu Yingying to sit down.


    Xu Yingying looked at He Fangqing with a peculiar gaze and said, "Sister Fangqing, did you know I lost my memory?"


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "I know, but you can still remember me. That¡¯s no problem."


    Xu Yingying leaned back on the sofa, feeling tired. "I woke up and suddenly had a husband, Li Yifei. This really makes me uncomfortable."


    "Haha...that¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s odd that you remember everything but forgot about your husband. Could it be that you really disliked him?"


    "I don¡¯t know, but they said I got hurt protecting him. It seems like we had a good relationship. I just don¡¯t get how I ended up liking this unambitious guy."


    "Unambitious... Yingying, your husband is quite extraordinary. Because you got hurt, in anger, he went to Japan, almost dismantling a major gang organization, even killing the boss. The whole thing ended in appeasement when your husband let them go. This even alarmed the Central Government. Whoever wants to mess with you now has to consider if they can withstand your husband¡¯s wrath."


    "Really? Is he that powerful?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened.


    "You¡¯re really something," He Fangqing shook her head, "Yifei may act casual in the company, but he used to be quite a significant figure. Now, for you, he¡¯s shaken the global underworld. You say he¡¯s ordinary, then who could be exceptional?"


    "If that¡¯s the case, why did you let him be with me?" Xu Yingying stared at He Fangqing again.


    Everyone exchanged information. During a chat with Su Yiyi, Xu Yingying learned of He Fangqing and Li Yifei¡¯s relationship, so they informally notified He Fangqing. He Fangqing smiled and said, "I¡¯m a divorced woman. With your husband, it was just a fling, nothing emotional. You¡¯re my best friend, and you¡¯re well-matched with him. Why should I interfere? There are plenty of men in the world. If I¡¯m lonely, I¡¯ll go to a bar and have my pick."


    "Don¡¯t joke; I know who you are and you¡¯re not that casual. I mean, Fangqing, I feel nothing for my marriage with Yifei. If you like him, you have every right to be with him."


    "You¡¯d hand over your husband?" He Fangqing was amused, wrapping her arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, saying, "You¡¯re teasing me. Whether or not Yifei agrees, I know my limits. I¡¯m not qualified to be his wife. If you remember the past, just keep me as a good friend."


    "I¡¯m serious," Xu Yingying said earnestly, "To me now, he feels like a stranger. Him living in my house as such a big man, it feels awkward."


    "He¡¯s your husband, you know. While you were in a coma, he carelessly took perfect care of you, care that no ordinary man would offer. If it were someone else, they might have left you. Now you¡¯ve finally woken, and you¡¯re pushing him away. It just seems off."


    Xu Yingying paused, never considering that perspective. If what He Fangqing said was true, Li Yifei¡¯s feelings for her were profound. Just for taking care of someone in a coma, she shouldn¡¯t treat him harshly.

 Chapter 833 - 874: Ate Gunpowder

    Chapter 833: Chapter 874: Ate GunpowderXu Yingying returned to the company, so Xu Shanshan naturally went back to the factory to continue being Li Yifei¡¯s secretary, which delighted her because she could now spend her days with Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei had far too much on his plate these days¡ªin addition to the factory work, he had many other tasks. So even though Xu Shanshan was at the factory, the two of them didn¡¯t have much opportunity for intimate contact.


    Most importantly, both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan knew Xu Yingying was extremely busy. If they were too excessive and Xu Yingying got wind of it, especially without knowing what Yingying was up to, it would be terribly embarrassing.


    One day, Su Mengxin told Li Yifei that his grandfather wanted to see him, and Li Yifei readily agreed. He had wanted to meet the old man for some time.


    Xu Yingying had no issue with Li Yifei going to the Capital City; on the contrary, she felt relieved. With Li Yifei at home, she felt quite uneasy. She knew he was her husband, but she just couldn¡¯t feel it, which was incredibly awkward.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin arrived in the Capital City, not heading to the Su Family home but rather to a state guesthouse. There, Li Yifei met Old Master Su.


    Anyone else might feel nervous or extremely excited to meet the old master. Back when he was with the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei would have considered it an honor to be summoned by Old Master Su, but now he was just an ordinary person, and Old Master Su was indirectly responsible for Xu Yingying¡¯s injury. As such, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t at all courteous and just stared at him.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, Old Master Su became really angry and glared, shouting, "You¡¯ve really grown some guts, boy, not even greeting me when you see me?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "If it wasn¡¯t for Mengxin¡¯s sake, I wouldn¡¯t bother meeting you at all."


    "You impudent brat, you really think you can turn the world upside down!" Old Master Su¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    Su Mengxin hurriedly laughed and tried to smooth things over, "Come on, you two, why start on such a fiery note? Can¡¯t we talk this out nicely?"


    Old Master Su glared and said, "Mengxin, you see this? The man you¡¯ve picked speaks to your grandfather like this, so disrespectful, utterly outrageous."


    Su Mengxin looped her arm through her grandfather¡¯s and said with a smile, "Doesn¡¯t this show character? How many people in the entire country dare to talk to you like this?"


    "Character? This is simply foolishness!"


    Su Mengxin stuck out her tongue and said to Li Yifei, "Honey, for my sake, can you please not argue with my grandpa?"


    "Alright, for your sake." Li Yifei sat down and casually took a cigarette.


    Old Master Su glanced at the cigarette box and snapped, "What a time to be alive. So that¡¯s why my cigarettes keep disappearing. You¡¯ve given them to this punk to smoke." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin giggled and said, "Smoking is bad for your health, so I¡¯m just looking out for you."


    "Don¡¯t sweet-talk me here. It¡¯s true, daughters grow up and cut ties. I raised you up for nothing. The moment you find a man you like, you forget all about your family."


    Under Su Mengxin¡¯s coaxing, Old Master Su also sat down and promptly snatched the cigarette box from the table. After lighting one up, he casually pocketed the box.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes and couldn¡¯t hide his half-amused, half-exasperated expression, "You¡¯re really something. It¡¯s one thing to smoke, but to take the whole box?"


    Old Master Su glared back and said, "Nonsense, these are my cigarettes, and I¡¯ll take them if I want."


    Su Mengxin laughed out loud and explained, "The doctor told Grandpa not to smoke. Now, no one gives him cigarettes, so he has to secretly take a pack to satisfy his cravings." She then glared at her grandfather, "You can only smoke two a day. If you smoke more, you won¡¯t get any in the future."


    "Fine fine." Old Master Su took two satisfying drags, savoring it as though he was smoking opium, hardly the image of someone serving as a national vice-chairman.


    This exchange did help reduce some of the tension between Li Yifei and the old man, but before they could exchange a few words, Old Master Su burst out again.


    "You little bastard, last time you even talked about kidnapping Mengxin, and that phone call, all about shit and piss, utterly disgraceful."


    Li Yifei watched the old man¡¯s outburst with a mischievous grin and said, "If you¡¯re going to be angry, just go about your business. I¡¯m going to rest."


    Old Master Su was angrily impatient, "Do you not want to be with Mengxin anymore?"


    "I certainly want to be with Mengxin," he replied. "That¡¯s a matter for us young people. You needn¡¯t worry so much about it. You¡¯d better just take care of your national affairs."


    "Nonsense," retorted the old man. "I tell you, Mengxin is not only my granddaughter, she also holds an important position in the nation. You think you can just take her away? No chance."


    Li Yifei gave Old Master Su a look and said, "Can we not beat around the bush and avoid scaring people? If there¡¯s something you want to say, just say it. What conditions do you have before you¡¯ll let go?"


    Old Master Su spoke righteously, "Nonsense, Mengxin is my granddaughter. Do you think I would ever sell my granddaughter for some matters?"


    "Give it up," he said dismissively. "Even if you don¡¯t want your granddaughter to leave with me, she¡¯s already my person. So, you¡¯d better secure some benefits for yourself before you go."


    Old Master Su glared at Li Yifei, his eyeballs almost bursting with anger, but his expression gradually softened, and he finally burst into a hearty laugh.


    "Kid, you indeed have some tricks up your sleeve. Worthy of being called Golden Eagle, indeed courageous. Although you¡¯re disrespectful to me and it really irritates me, it¡¯s because of this that you¡¯re somewhat worthy of my granddaughter."


    Li Yifei gave a fist salute, "Much appreciated."


    Old Master Su¡¯s smile faded and he spoke seriously, "Kid, what you did in Japan this time truly made our nation proud and delighted us old folks greatly. However, due to political implications, we can¡¯t come out in support of you. You can understand that, right?"


    "I understand," replied Li Yifei. "It¡¯s my personal affair. The country didn¡¯t bring me before an international court, so indeed, they¡¯ve taken pretty good care of me."


    "That¡¯s good," Old Master Su continued. "Now, the biggest problem our nation currently faces is the marine dispute issue. Although our navy seems strong, we are still weaker than Japan in terms of military hardware. If a real sea battle happened, our chances of winning are slim. Therefore, we need a core secret technology used on Japanese warships. We have tried many ways without success. If you were still with Flying Hawk Squad, it would be difficult. But now that you are independent and have subdued the Yamaguchi Group, we hope that you¡¯ll be able to obtain this core shipborne technology through them."


    Li Yifei, as a soldier, couldn¡¯t continue to argue with Old Master Su and earnestly responded, "I¡¯m afraid the chances aren¡¯t great. Even if the Yamaguchi Group has been subdued by me, it¡¯s uncertain whether they can obtain this core technology. Let¡¯s say they did manage to get it¡ªif they really gave it to us, the Yamaguchi Group would likely be unable to continue their operations in Japan. I doubt they¡¯d dare to take such a risk?"


    Old Master Su nodded and said, "I¡¯m well aware of that, so we have a few other things that are almost as important. These items are all very important; some may not have as great an influence, but they are extremely important for our country. For the Yamaguchi Group, it is probably not so difficult to handle."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes. Old Master Su was indeed sly, playing such a game with him, first asking for the moon, then settling for something less on the spot.


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly aside. This tactic was something she had talked about with Li Yifei.


    Listening to Old Master Su speak, Li Yifei nodded and said, "I will do my best, but I cannot guarantee the extent of what I can achieve."


    "Mm, there¡¯s no rush with this," Old Master Su said. "If you can obtain one of these within a year, we will be very pleased. Even if the Yamaguchi Group is an inside agent, those are all very secretive matters, and it won¡¯t be easy for them to lay hands on those items."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, "It¡¯s good that you can understand, Elder."


    After the serious matters were discussed, Old Master Su looked at Li Yifei, then at Su Mengxin, and sighed, "Yifei, I actually quite appreciate you. Won¡¯t you seriously consider becoming a son-in-law of the Su Family?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Am I not considered one now?"


    "Right now, certainly not," replied Old Master Su. "You need to marry Mengxin formally and legitimately. Only then can you be considered a son-in-law of the Su Family and gain access to the vast resources of the Su Family. Mengxin has always been highly regarded by our family, and her influence in society is also extremely high. As long as you become our son-in-law, your future will be limitless. Returning to the military and eventually taking control of a military region would not be a difficult task."


    Li Yifei faced Old Master Su¡¯s gaze and said, "Thank you for valuing me so highly, but I do not wish to rely on others. For the sake of my family, I want to create a world of their own with my own hands."


    Old Master Su narrowed his eyes, "It seems you have great ambitions? Do you realize that if you decide to do this, the difficulties you will face are unimaginable? Do you know how difficult it is for a large family to grow?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Of course, I understand. The rise of a family will surely encroach upon the set interests of other families and will be ostracized by them."


    "Do you have the confidence to face all that?" Old Master Su pressed further. "I tell you, these large families didn¡¯t achieve what they have overnight. Most of them have grown to this scale through many years of accumulation. Without political foundations or a lot of money, how can you succeed?"


    At this moment, Old Master Su¡¯s gaze was intense, but Li Yifei felt he was being tested¡ªif he answered in a way that satisfied Old Master Su, he might gain considerable benefits.

 Chapter 834 - 875: Meeting Comrades-in-Arms

    Chapter 834: Chapter 875: Meeting Comrades-in-ArmsLi Yifei flashed an uninhibited smile, "Old Master, I appreciate your kindness, but as for how far my Li family can go, I hope we can strive for it on our own. Only then can our existence have meaning. Even for our children, I don¡¯t wish for them to achieve success without effort. I want them to be involved in the struggles of our Li family so that they can cherish everything they obtain. If I prepare everything for them too soon, I fear they will end up like many spoiled children, which won¡¯t do them any good."


    Old Master Su stared at Li Yifei and suddenly burst into laughter, "Such a philosophy you have is indeed quite interesting. But since you¡¯ve said as much, I¡¯ll refrain from interfering. I am actually curious to see how, in today¡¯s society, a new family can establish itself."


    Old Master Su wasn¡¯t making idle threats. There were many great families in Huaxia, and quite a few had risen in recent years. But either they were wealthy tycoons or political heavyweights. Li Yifei, on the other hand, came from humble beginnings, and the thought of establishing a family seemed somewhat overambitious.


    Li Yifei laughed, "The family I speak of establishing doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be like feudal lords. Mainly, I want to ensure a comfortable life for my family and provide them with a safe environment. We would already have enough for a decent life if nobody targeted me and my family for their machinations. But it seems without adequate strength, there will always be those who come for you. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to protect myself."


    Old Master Su huffed, "It¡¯s because you have mixed up with so many women. If it were just Mengxin and you, there wouldn¡¯t be nearly as many problems."


    "A man must take responsibility for his actions. Now that I am with them, I must ensure a stable living environment for them. That is a man¡¯s responsibility."


    "Alright, once you manage to settle this matter, we from above will cover for you and facilitate some conveniences for you."


    "I won¡¯t be shy about accepting that. Then when the time comes, I can bring up your esteemed name to see who dares to trouble me."


    Old Master Su was amused and frustrated by Li Yifei¡¯s comment, "You think I have that much free time?"


    With Old Master Su¡¯s position, his daily responsibilities were truly overwhelming. Just the fact that he could have this private meeting with Li Yifei was incredibly rare. Thus, he left shortly after.


    In the hotel room, only Li Yifei and Su Mengxin remained. They exchanged smiles and embraced each other, their lips meeting in a kiss. They hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to be intimate these past days, and for Su Mengxin, it had been torturous.


    However, just under two minutes into their kiss, just as passions were rising, Su Mengxin¡¯s phone rang, followed shortly by Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Both felt somewhat speechless and could only separate to answer their respective calls.


    Li Yifei¡¯s call was from Zheng Mingrui. Before coming, Li Yifei had spoken to Zheng Mingrui over the phone, and since he was in Capital City, he definitely wanted to catch up with his comrades.


    "Boss, have you finished what you needed to do? The brothers want to have a drink with you today."


    "Heh, no problem. Arrange it, and I¡¯ll come over later."


    "Alright, once we settle on a place, I will call you."


    After hanging up on his end, Su Mengxin also finished her call. Li Yifei chuckled, "I¡¯ve got plans tonight; I¡¯m going to have drinks with my comrades."


    "Ah? Mengfei and the others want to meet with us too, what do we do now?"


    Just mentioning Su Mengfei and the other two gave Li Yifei a bit of a headache, and he somewhat dreaded meeting them; with a forced laugh, he said, "I¡¯ve already agreed to meet with them. You see them, and I¡¯ll go and drink with my comrades."


    "That might not work. You know how those girls are. If they find out we¡¯re in Capital City and we don¡¯t meet them, do you think they¡¯ll let us off easily? Even if we manage to delay for now, we can¡¯t avoid it forever. The next time we see them, they will only be more aggressive."


    Li Yifei spread his hands, "What should I do? I just promised my comrade. If I don¡¯t go, they won¡¯t let me off either, and I¡¯ll end up being accused of valuing my lovers over my friends."


    Su Mengxin laughed softly, "Why not combine the two gatherings? With so many people around, it might prevent those three from teasing you."


    Li Yifei instantly agreed. Being alone with those three could be overwhelming, but with more people around, their focus wouldn¡¯t all be on him.


    By five o¡¯clock, Capital City had already darkened. However, because it was nearing the New Year, there were many colorful lights along the streets, so the entire city seemed to glow more brightly than usual.


    Capital City¡¯s prosperity was something Li Yifei was very familiar with, as he had served in the military right in Capital City and most of his missions had taken place there; he knew every nook and cranny of the place, possibly even better than the true locals.


    At this moment, Li Yifei and his group had already arrived at a small restaurant in an old alley. The storefront wasn¡¯t big, and it didn¡¯t look fancy, but it was a place that Li Yifei and his friends were very fond of.


    "I say Li Yifei, can you even handle this? Bringing us to such a spot to eat, you¡¯re really being stingy," Su Mengxin and her three besties had just arrived at the doorway when Xiao Ling¡¯er started calling out.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Just relax, I promise that once you¡¯ve been here, you¡¯ll want to come again."


    Zheng Yuling sized up the restaurant and said, "I¡¯ve heard about this place; the food here has a unique flavor. I¡¯ve heard that if you don¡¯t make reservations, it¡¯s hard to even get a table."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yeah, but don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve booked the place for tonight, so let¡¯s all enjoy a feast to our hearts¡¯ content."


    "Boss, you¡¯ve finally arrived; the guys have been waiting for ages," Zheng Mingrui came out with a couple of people and, upon seeing Li Yifei, immediately cried out with excitement.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Well, I¡¯ve brought a few beauties along haven¡¯t I? Otherwise, what fun would it be for us guys to drink alone?"


    "Holy crap! Su Mengxin!" Zheng Mingrui caught sight of Su Mengxin and instantly called out. He had seen Su Mengxin with Li Yifei the last time on the cruise, but her joining them for drinks today truly flattered and surprised him.


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Mingrui, it¡¯s been a while. Didn¡¯t your girlfriend come with you?"


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled awkwardly and said, "Heh, I didn¡¯t ask her to come. The boss didn¡¯t mention you girls would be joining. If only I had known, I¡¯d have invited her."


    "Well, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to call her now, the more the merrier."


    "Alright, let¡¯s head in. If the guys see you¡¯ve come, they¡¯ll all be stunned silly."


    Sure enough, as Zheng Mingrui had said, once inside, about twenty guys were all momentarily taken aback when they saw Su Mengxin and the other three beauties. They all recognized Su Mengxin and knew of her status, and it was unexpected to see her arrive at this place.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering that Li Yifei, the captain of the Flying Hawk Squad, had always believed that there was an enormous gap between him and Su Mengxin in terms of social status, never truly believing that she could like someone like him, let alone the rest of the team.


    In truth, the Flying Hawk Squad was just a small team within the military, distinguished only by their abilities and certain special privileges, along with more opportunities to interact closely with high-ranking officials. But at the end of the day, they were soldiers, and once retired, if lucky, they could land a decent position within a good unit or a minor official role¡ªnothing comparable to someone of Su Mengxin¡¯s caliber.


    Someone like Li Yifei, a formidable ex-soldier, could join the Phantom Squad after retirement, gaining an extraordinary status and coming directly under the command of some of the top leaders¡ªan arrangement not even Old Master Su was privileged enough to know about.


    Zheng Mingrui was the Head Eagle of the Flying Hawk Squad but was lacking a bit in strength. Without significant improvement, it would be hard for him to break into the Phantom Squad.


    And while these men were used to seeing leaders and some even accompanied Su Mengxin on trips, it was quite a stir for her to join them for drinks at this casual setting¡ªit stirred up everybody¡¯s excitement.


    "Come on, let me introduce everyone. This is Su Mengxin, whom you all should know already. This is Su Mengfei, Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin; this is Xiao Ling¡¯er; and this is Zheng Yuling, all are good friends of Su Mengxin. They¡¯ve come here to join in the fun with us. Brothers, you can¡¯t let me down; make sure to keep these beauties entertained."


    "Roar!" All twenty or so men cheered excitedly.


    Everyone was young, and because sometimes their missions were bloody, many sought the company of women to vent afterward. Although worldly in many respects, having the chance to drink with a beauty like Su Mengxin still made them uncontrollably excited.


    Soon, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s girlfriend Lin Wanqing also arrived, followed by several others who had girlfriends, and the party became even livelier.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and her group were naturally fun-loving and rowdy. The guys from the Golden Eagle Squad were all wily veterans with plenty of stories to tell, and they were incredibly captivating narrators. Before long, the three beauties were blending in well with everyone and stopped pestering Li Yifei.


    However, Su Mengxin never left Li Yifei¡¯s side and appeared to be quite intimate with him. Even the dimmest among them could see there was something more than friendship between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, leading them to wonder in secret. They knew the boss was married, yet here he was, having an ambiguous relationship with Su Mengxin. That was some next-level boldness.


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 Chapter 835 - 876: Acting Drunk Again

    Chapter 835: Chapter 876: Acting Drunk AgainEveryone was curiously concerned about Li Yifei and Su Mengxin¡¯s relationship, but they were all calculating people, none foolish enough to outright ask.


    "Come on! Drink up. Whoever doesn¡¯t drink is a bastard," Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s shout drew Li Yifei¡¯s attention, and he saw her holding a two-and-a-half-tael bottle of erguotou, throwing her head back and downing it.


    The members of the Golden Eagle Squad opposite her naturally wouldn¡¯t show weakness, following suit and gulping down their drinks as well.


    At this time, Su Mengfei and Zheng Yuling were also matching the squad members¡¯ drinking pace, appearing very bold, but Li Yifei noticed that although they joked and drank with these members, they did not frolic as joyously as they did with him, seeming to maintain a bit more distance with them.


    Su Mengxin poked Li Yifei and said, "This is bad, we should hurry and take them away."


    Li Yifei also felt it was bad. The three girls were drinking more and more, and at this rate, they were certainly going to get drunk. They could go wild when drunk, and thinking back to last time they were in such a state made Li Yifei¡¯s face heat up, thankful that at least that time they were alone.


    With so many people around today, if the three girls really got into a drunken frenzy, who knew what trouble they might stir up.


    "Mengfei, we should leave," Su Mengxin went to persuade her cousin Su Mengfei.


    "It¡¯s still early, and we haven¡¯t had enough fun yet," Su Mengfei tosses her head, clearly not wanting to leave.


    At that time, Li Yifei was also trying to persuade Xiao Ling¡¯er, saying, "Xiao Ling¡¯er, it¡¯s getting late. We should go back."


    "No, it¡¯s boring going home. Today, I want to drink to my heart¡¯s content. Come on, Yifei, have a drink with me." As she spoke, Xiao Ling¡¯er extended her arm and wrapped it around Li Yifei¡¯s neck.


    This move astonished the surrounding members. They had drunk quite a bit with Xiao Ling¡¯er and had a good chat, but she only joked with them without any physical contact. Everyone knew these three women weren¡¯t the casual type, so even though they were enjoying themselves, none entertained any improper thoughts towards them.


    But now Xiao Ling¡¯er was being so affectionate with Li Yifei, showing no reservations. In the eyes of those seasoned squad members, there must be something intimate going on between the two, and they all started making faces at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes but knew this wasn¡¯t the time for explanations. He needed to get them out before Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others got too drunk and started acting crazy. So he snatched the bottle from Xiao Ling¡¯er, put it on the table, wrapped his arm around Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s waist, and said, "No more drinking, let¡¯s go back."


    "If you want me to go back, then we¡¯ve got to play games when we do, the game of drawing lots."


    Li Yifei immediately broke into a cold sweat and hastened to say, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll play with you when we get back." He really couldn¡¯t afford to delay any longer; Xiao Ling¡¯er had already begun making such suggestions, hinting at the possibility of revealing their last misadventure. How could he face his brothers as their leader then?


    After much persuasion, Li Yifei finally managed to convince the three young ladies to leave with him. Watching Li Yifei with an arm around one and another draped over his back, while carrying a third, left all the squad members dumbfounded. The boss was so awesome, not only taking Su Mengxin, but also leaving with three beauties, and having a wife at home to boot.


    "Boss, do you think these beauties have something going on with the old man?" a squad member winked at Zheng Mingrui.


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "How would I know? All I¡¯m sure of is that the boss is married."


    "There¡¯s definitely something, you didn¡¯t see when these women drank with us, they were hearty but still restrained. But with the boss, they¡¯re totally casual, hugging and embracing on a whim. If they didn¡¯t have a close relationship, they wouldn¡¯t act like this."


    "Ha, the boss is setting up for a one-dragon, four-phoenix scenario tonight, and these aren¡¯t any ordinary women; they¡¯re formidable women from Capital City, snagging even one would be quite a feat."


    Zheng Mingrui looked on admiringly, saying, "Yeah, the boss is the boss. No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t match his prowess. Even in seducing women, I¡¯m not even in the same league."


    "Do you want to learn too?" Suddenly, a chilly voice rang beside Zheng Mingrui¡¯s ear.


    Zheng Mingrui immediately broke into a cold sweat and turned to Lin Wanqing with a forced smile, saying, "Wanqing, I was just talking nonsense. I don¡¯t mean to learn from the boss at all. Having you is enough for me."


    "Really? Then tell me, what¡¯s this about the women of ill repute?" Lin Wanqing folded her arms and glared at Zheng Mingrui.


    The squad members sensed trouble brewing and scattered in a flash, each sporting a mischievous grin as they watched Zheng Mingrui, who secretly glared back at them. If not for their loose talk, would Lin Wanqing be cross-examining him? He hastened to humor Lin Wanqing with a smile on his face.


    It took a great deal of effort for Li Yifei and Su Mengxin to finally get the three into the car, and even then, they clamored to continue drinking, clearly drunk beyond reason.


    The car was Su Mengxin¡¯s extended Rolls-Royce in Capital City. All five of them sat in the back. Once the divider between the driver and the passengers was raised, the front was rendered blind to the back¡¯s happenings, deaf to its noise.


    "Yifei, come on, let¡¯s keep drinking!" Xiao Ling¡¯er got into the car and swayed as she pulled another bottle of red wine out of a cabinet, plopping right down next to Li Yifei. She wrapped her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, with half of her body leaning against him.


    "We¡¯ve already had quite a lot, no need to drink more," Li Yifei urged hurriedly.


    Zheng Yuling also moved closer, her eyes now rounder and brighter. When she drank too much, her eyes would get like that. She said to Su Mengxin, "Mengxin... lend us your hubby to play with."


    With a wry smile, Su Mengxin scooted aside, and Zheng Yuling sat down on Li Yifei¡¯s other side, also wrapping her arm around him.


    Meanwhile, Su Mengfei said with a cheeky grin, "Leave some space for me, will you?"


    Pointing at Li Yifei¡¯s leg, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "We saved the best spot for you. You¡¯re not too scared to take it, are you?"


    Throwing her head back, Su Mengfei declared, "What¡¯s there to be scared of? I¡¯ve seen it all... touched it all. Should I be afraid of this?" With that, she shook her way onto Li Yifei¡¯s lap.


    At that moment, Li Yifei found himself with an armful of girls but felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, fending off the handsy moves of three people while helplessly saying to Su Mengxin, "Mengxin, didn¡¯t you say they¡¯d be cautious when going out, that they wouldn¡¯t easily drink too much?"


    With a helpless shrug, Su Mengxin replied, "Yeah, who knew they¡¯d dare to drink so much today? Probably because they know you and I are here, so even if they do drink too much, someone will take care of them. That¡¯s why they¡¯re not afraid, right? Hey, you three, don¡¯t go too overboard, okay? We¡¯re in a car here, and we¡¯ll be home soon."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said giggling, "So what you mean is, once we get home, we can play with your hubby all we want?"


    Caught between laughter and tears, Su Mengxin said, "What else do you guys want to do? Wasn¡¯t last time enough for you?"


    Immediately, Xiao Ling¡¯er declared, "Right, last time we didn¡¯t have enough fun. This time we¡¯re going to enjoy ourselves even more." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Yuling jumped in as well, "Exactly, this time we¡¯re going to have a blast. Don¡¯t worry, we definitely won¡¯t wear your hubby out."


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat. These two girls really talked too wildly sometimes. If he weren¡¯t already so familiar with them, he¡¯d definitely think they were loose women.


    "Come on, Yifei, let¡¯s drink," urged Xiao Ling¡¯er, lifting the wine bottle. She took a swig straight from it, then brought it to Li Yifei¡¯s lips.


    Li Yifei hurriedly objected, "No, don¡¯t drink any more."


    "What¡¯s the matter? Not giving me face?" Xiao Ling¡¯er glared, then threatened, "Believe me, if you don¡¯t drink now, we¡¯ll strip you naked and force it down your throat."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words, conceding, "Alright, fine, I¡¯ll drink."


    As soon as he opened his mouth, Xiao Ling¡¯er shoved the bottle into it and forcibly gave him a gulp. She had just drunk from it, the sort of thing only intimate couples would do, and Zheng Yuling immediately teased with a giggle, "Ling¡¯er, since you just drank from it and are now giving it to Yifei, isn¡¯t that like an indirect kiss? Oh no, there goes your first kiss."


    Blinking, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "Seems like it, hehe. But, it didn¡¯t feel like anything special. Why don¡¯t you try it?"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s eyes sparkled even more. "Try? I¡¯m not afraid of trying." Grabbing the bottle from Xiao Ling¡¯er, she looked at Li Yifei with a soul-catching gaze, brought the bottle to her mouth, and seductively licked the rim, ineffably sexy and alluring.


    "Wow, Yuling, you¡¯re really crossing the line, doing that," Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed right away.


    Zheng Yuling chuckled, "Isn¡¯t this how it should be?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately snatched back the bottle and took it to her mouth, and Zheng Yuling giggled, "Ling¡¯er, you¡¯re licking my saliva, haha..."


    Taken aback for a moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "That¡¯s true. Yifei, have another drink."


    Li Yifei, unable to refuse, resigned himself to being coerced into taking another drink of wine, after which Xiao Ling¡¯er grabbed it again and, squinting her eyes, licked it twice, all smiles as she said, "Now that¡¯s more like it, although it still doesn¡¯t feel like anything special."


    Su Mengxin, sitting on Li Yifei¡¯s lap but not as close to him as Xiao Ling¡¯er or Zheng Yuling, said with a merry laugh, "Licking saliva doesn¡¯t count as a kiss. If you really want to experience a kiss, you have to do it for real."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling immediately aimed for Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, causing him to panic and throw his head back as he pleaded, "No, no, please, ladies, I beg you, let me go. You¡¯re really going to play me to death."

 Chapter 836 - 877: All Being Your Woman

    Chapter 836: Chapter 877: All Being Your WomanFortunately, the car came to a stop at that moment, finally releasing Li Yifei from his predicament. This was one of Su Mengxin¡¯s private villas where she often stayed when in Capital City. The security measures here were extremely tight, so safety was not an issue for concern.


    Moreover, the villa was quite secluded. Apart from Su Mengxin, only Su Mengfei and a few others would come here; no one else would disturb Su Mengxin.


    Half dragging, half pulling, Li Yifei managed to get the three drunkards into the living room. Then, without waiting for them to grasp onto him, Yifei dodged and slipped away, intending to escape. Though he rarely had the chance to spend time alone with Su Mengxin, the addition of these three drunkards made Li Yifei prefer to get away. With them here, who knew what mischief they might conjure up? Li Yifei was truly scared of them.


    "Stop, don¡¯t you dare leave!" Xiao Ling¡¯er shouted as soon as she saw Li Yifei making a break for it.


    Li Yifei paid her no mind and continued towards the door.


    Zheng Yuling suddenly leaped up, nearly falling over, and exclaimed in desperation, "If you run away, we will kill ourselves today."


    "Kill yourselves?" Li Yifei found it somewhat amusing that they could come up with such a reason, completely drunk as they were. He kept running without looking back.


    "Ah! Yuling, what are you doing?" Su Mengxin¡¯s shout finally made Li Yifei stop in his tracks. He saw Su Mengxin struggling with Zheng Yuling, who actually had a fruit knife in hand.


    Li Yifei hurried over and snatched away the fruit knife, thankfully before either Su Mengxin or Zheng Yuling was injured.


    "Yuling, what on earth are you doing?" Su Mengxin rebuked her, slightly infuriated. Zheng Yuling, even when playing wildly before, had never done anything like this.


    Zheng Yuling suddenly collapsed onto the couch, sobbing loudly with muffled cries.


    This left both Li Yifei and Su Mengxin stunned. What took them by even more surprise was that Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly burst out laughing. Even through her laughter, tears streamed down her face.


    "Mengfei, what¡¯s going on?" Su Mengxin asked, furrowing her brows.


    Su Mengfei shook her head, drank another glass of water, and finally sobered up a bit before sighing and saying, "They are both about to be married."


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin exchanged a look and then understood why the two were acting so out of the ordinary today.


    Su Mengfei looked at Li Yifei and gave a sly laugh, saying, "They both said, even if they get married, they can¡¯t let that bastard get the better of them. So, they plan to sleep with their cousin-in-law tonight, leaving those two guys with used goods."


    Li Yifei felt a massive headache, thinking their ideas were certainly bizarre, while Su Mengxin let out a sigh and said, "How come I didn¡¯t know about this?"


    Su Mengfei gave a bittersweet smile and explained, "They just got the news today. You haven¡¯t been paying much attention to these things lately. The family has already spoken; they must not leave Capital City recently, just waiting for their weddings. If those men were somewhat decent, that would be one thing, but the men they are to marry... sigh, it¡¯s truly intolerable. How could they resign themselves to this?"


    At this point, Li Yifei felt a wave of sympathy for the two. He immediately thought about his own future; would he, for the benefit of his family, force his own children to marry someone they did not love? The answer was definitely no!


    In fact, every family starts off with the same thoughts as Li Yifei. However, as the family grows and competition intensifies, sacrifices must be made in order to survive and thrive amid powerhouses. When marriage alliances become the most direct way to foster family development, many family heads will resort to such actions.


    Suddenly, Xiao Ling¡¯er sat up abruptly and cried out to Su Mengxin, "Mengxin, I really don¡¯t want to marry that scoundrel. He indulges in all sorts of vices, including gambling and visiting prostitutes, and I heard he¡¯s even contracted a venereal disease. If I marry him, how can I even live?"


    Su Mengxin sighed and said, "I will try my best to think of a solution. You two just calm down for now."


    Actually, there wasn¡¯t much Su Mengxin could do about this situation. Both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s families were not small; they were almost as substantial as the Su Family. If the other parties were lesser families, Su Mengxin might coerce them into retracting the marriage with threats or favors.


    But these families were equally powerful. Unless she offered the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family a deal as beneficial as the marriage, there was no way they would break off the engagement. And to suppress these families? That was even more unlikely. Only a major family clan could have arranged a marriage with the Xiao and Zheng Families, and the Su Family as a whole couldn¡¯t manage such pressure, let alone initiate it.


    Zheng Yuling wiped her eyes and managed a weak smile, "Don¡¯t put Mengxin in a tough spot; she can¡¯t resolve this either." Indeed, she had a clearer grasp of the situation than Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly became very helpless, then suddenly turned to Su Mengxin and said fiercely, "Mengxin, can I borrow your husband for today? If you won¡¯t let me, I¡¯ll just find a cucumber or something and take care of it myself."


    Li Yifei almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Xiao Ling¡¯er was being too domineering, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for her. A girl as beautiful as a flower, yet she couldn¡¯t decide her own life couldn¡¯t even choose her own husband.


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei, and Yifei quickly widened his eyes and urged her, "You¡¯re not really going to agree, are you?"


    Su Mengxin sighed and said, "Look at them, so desperate, can I really refuse?"


    "But... this is absurd, no way," Li Yifei quickly shook his head in refusal.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er came over and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, looking pitifully at him, "Yifei, please take pity on us and Yuling. We really don¡¯t want those two bastards to get the better of us. A woman¡¯s first time should be a very wonderful thing, but if it happens with a beast-like man, the very thought disgusts us."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Don¡¯t be so pessimistic about this. Look at Mengxin, didn¡¯t she choose her own life? She¡¯s legitimately marrying me, and didn¡¯t Old Master Su from her family try to pressure her as well? Didn¡¯t we resolve that?"


    "But who¡¯s going to help us sort this out?" After saying this, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both set their gaze on Li Yifei, their chests heaving sharply, looking at him with eyes as hungry as wolves eyeing a plump little lamb.


    Li Yifei felt the hair on his body stand on end and stuttered, "You... you can¡¯t be thinking of targeting me, right?"


    Zheng Yuling bit her lip and said, "Exactly, we¡¯re aiming for you. Since you could deal with Old Master Su for Mengxin, you should be able to help us handle our families¡¯ patriarchs too."


    "Right!" Xiao Ling¡¯er said excitedly, "If anyone in the world could do this, it has to be you. We¡¯re not after any status. If you don¡¯t loathe us, we¡¯ll follow you as your concubines. If you don¡¯t fancy us, then we¡¯ll just go about playing as we always did, and you won¡¯t have to bother with us."


    Zheng Yuling blinked her eyes and added, "And we¡¯re so close with Mengxin. We could all have a good time together, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d enjoy it thoroughly. Although we¡¯re not as beautiful as Mengxin, at least we¡¯re not worse than your wife, right?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er spoke excitedly, "That¡¯s right, rest assured, we¡¯ll take good care of you and let you be the master. We won¡¯t bully you like we do now." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei said annoyed, "So you admit you¡¯ve always been bullying me?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm like a spoiled child and said, "Before, you were Mengxin¡¯s boyfriend, and we were her best friends. Wasn¡¯t it normal for us to bully you? Once we become your women, of course, we can¡¯t bully you anymore. If we shame ourselves then, wouldn¡¯t we be the ones suffering? Please agree to us, darling. Tonight we¡¯ll all be with you¡ªif you¡¯re up for it, we¡¯ll give ourselves to you."


    The previously silent Su Mengfei suddenly called out, "Don¡¯t count me in on this, I haven¡¯t planned on marrying yet."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er glared at her and said, "Mengfei, the three of us have always been inseparable. If the two of us become Yifei¡¯s women, do you really think you can escape?"


    Su Mengfei pouted and responded, "Who forces people like that? I¡¯m not in a rush."


    Zheng Yuling wrapped her arm around Su Mengfei¡¯s shoulders and said, "Do you think you can choose your life like Mengxin? She could because she created enough wealth for the Su family, so no one dared pressure her too much, and plus she had a strong man like Yifei backing her up. And you? Won¡¯t you end up just like us? Instead of marrying a man you don¡¯t like later, why not join us now? We can continue to be happy together as before. Wouldn¡¯t that be great?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er also let go of Li Yifei and sat on the other side of Su Mengfei, saying, "Right, Mengfei, this is such a good opportunity. If Yifei resolves it for one, he resolves it for all. It saves future troubles, and what if Yifei refuses later? What will you do then? You can¡¯t be foolish."


    Su Mengfei hesitated and looked at Su Mengxin, clearly tempted, but because she and Su Mengxin were cousins, she couldn¡¯t let go as easily as Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling could.


    At this point, Su Mengxin herself was both amused and exasperated. What a situation! She turned to look at Li Yifei, who wore a face sour as a bitter gourd, making Mengxin smile and say, "You have three beautiful women throwing themselves at you, why such a long face?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry laugh and said, "I really can¡¯t afford such good fortune; it¡¯s practically a death sentence for me."


    Li Yifei said this not without reason, but because if he were to take on this hot potato, he¡¯d have to face several major families. With his current strength, it really seemed like biting off more than he could chew.

 Chapter 837 - 878: Strategizing Behind the Scenes

    Chapter 837: Chapter 878: Strategizing Behind the Scenes"Alright, then it¡¯s settled, we three will stick together in this."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er excitedly slapped the sofa and sprang to her feet with Zheng Yuling, pulling Su Mengfei up. She said to Li Yifei with enthusiasm, "We¡¯ve discussed it, and the three of us will stick together."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "I haven¡¯t agreed yet, what are you all fussing about?"


    "If you don¡¯t agree? Do you want to just watch the three of us die?" Zheng Yuling glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, as Xu Yingying¡¯s coma had kept him from smoking much lately. But now, faced with these three troublesome individuals, he couldn¡¯t help but light one up.


    "I won¡¯t just watch you go to your deaths. There must be other solutions to this situation."


    "What other solutions?" Xiao Ling¡¯er looked at Li Yifei skeptically.


    Li Yifei blew a smoke ring. In truth, he had no clue what to do but he wasn¡¯t going to agree to the lousy idea these three women had come up with. He said, "You just don¡¯t want to get married, right? There must be a way out."


    Zheng Yuling said angrily, "No kidding. We¡¯ve already said, all of us will be your women, even Mengxin has, and Old Master Su has consented. It¡¯s definitely possible our family will agree too."


    Li Yifei glared at her and said, "You think it¡¯s that easy?"


    Lacking confidence, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling resorted to brazen stubbornness, "Apart from you, we can¡¯t find anyone else to help us. Whether you want it or not, if you don¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll just go and die."


    Li Yifei said irritably, "Aren¡¯t I trying to think of a solution? How can I come up with one if you keep making a fuss like this?"


    Su Mengxin hastily added, "This matter is definitely not as simple as you think. It needs to be thought through carefully before acting."


    Though Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were often willful, they had great respect for Su Mengxin. Now that Mengxin had spoken, these two quieted down a bit.


    After sitting and thinking for a bit, Li Yifei said, "To prevent such arranged marriages from happening, the first step is to get your families to refuse, which would only happen if someone came up with a better offer. But that¡¯s something we can¡¯t provide right now, so that¡¯s a dead end."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling wanted to say that was obvious, but they were stopped by Su Mengxin before they could speak.


    Li Yifei continued, "On the other hand, if we can make the families who want to marry you disagree, then there might be some room to maneuver."


    Immediately, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "What can we do then? I¡¯m to marry into the He Family, and their old master is on equal footing with Old Master Su. How could you possibly pressure them into not marrying me?"


    Zheng Yuling added, "The one who wants to marry me is the Chen Family, and they are just as powerful."


    Li Yifei looked at Xiao Ling¡¯er and then at Zheng Yuling, a sly smile suddenly appearing on his face, "Of course, I won¡¯t foolishly pressure them. That would be like throwing an egg against a rock, looking for my own downfall, but..."


    "But what?" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both stared wide-eyed at Li Yifei.


    He chuckled, "The He and Chen families want to marry you because the union would bring great benefits to both families, and also because you two meet their standards for a bride. If you no longer meet their criteria, they might give up quite easily."


    "Not meeting their criteria?" said Xiao Ling¡¯er, her eyes brightening, "So we pretend to be crazy or stupid, then why would they want to marry a fool?"


    Li Yifei gave Xiao Ling¡¯er a disparaging look and said, "Do you think that will work? Are your family fools, or are the other sides fools, to not see through your act?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly pursed her lips and said, "Seems like that won¡¯t really work, huh."


    Zheng Yuling thought for a moment and suggested, "Then we can just disappear. If they can¡¯t find us, they can¡¯t do anything about it."


    Li Yifei countered, "Where do you plan to hide? I bet your families are already keeping a close watch on you. If you try to leave, you¡¯ll be caught before you even leave the Capital City."


    "What do we do then?" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both stared at Li Yifei, frustration mounting. If this won¡¯t work and that won¡¯t work, what should they do?


    Su Mengfei, excitedly clenching her fist, said, "I know! Brother-in-law, just go and kill those two jerks, and then we won¡¯t have to get married."


    The other four in the room looked at Su Mengfei as if she were an idiot. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling each knocked on Su Mengfei¡¯s head, and Mengfei stuck out her tongue and sulked, "I was just saying it off the cuff. If it¡¯s not okay, it¡¯s not okay, stop looking at me like that."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Actually, coming up with some trick against those two families to stall for time is feasible."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling immediately asked excitedly, "How do we do that?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I only have a temporary direction in mind. As for how to do it, we need to specifically investigate these two people to see if there¡¯s anything we can use to our advantage."


    "Okay, okay." Seeing that Li Yifei¡¯s expression was not very serious, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both smiled as well, as if the matter was already settled with Yifei on board.


    The three of them were all daughters of heaven. Aside from Su Mengxin, they never really admired anyone. But Li Yifei definitely commanded their respect. First off, they had seen how strong Yifei was; he had even killed a shark. Moreover, during that attack, Li Yifei alone took down so many assassins. Most importantly, even a woman like Su Mengxin was willingly with Li Yifei and had been subdued by him¡ªthat alone was testament to Yifei¡¯s power.


    "Hehe, just get this thing done for me, and you can name your price," Xiao Ling¡¯er said to Li Yifei with a wink, her demeanor brimming with allure and clearly suggestive.


    Zheng Yuling also said with a giggle, "Yeah, whatever you want to do, I¡¯ll agree unconditionally and make sure you¡¯re thoroughly pleased."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Are you two even serious right now? If you keep this up, I might just leave you to it."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both laughed giddily; they were not afraid of Li Yifei¡¯s threats. Since Yifei had spoken, they weren¡¯t worried he wouldn¡¯t follow through.


    With Su Mengxin around, they quickly obtained the information about those two individuals. Li Yifei looked at it carefully, including their habits, their favorite hangouts, and their quirks, all in great detail.


    The He Family guy, named He Zhenyu, was most noteworthy to Li Yifei for his love of gambling. He had once lost over twenty million in one go, which led to his family scolding him fiercely and grounding him for over a year. Although he had restrained himself since then, he would still gamble occasionally, just not as heavily.


    The Chen Family guy, named Chen Fangzhou, surprisingly loved sports, especially horseback riding. He owned several fine horses and even had the reputation of being a horse fanatic.


    These were just their favorite pastimes. As for their other infamous deeds¡ªwomanizing, bullying with their power¡ªthey were typical spoiled heirs.


    "So, what do you think?" While Li Yifei was reading, no one disturbed him. Finally, he looked away from the computer screen, and Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling eagerly asked in unison.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said he had a preliminary idea. "I¡¯ll study it more carefully later and will definitely help you resolve this."


    Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er both cheered and danced around in excitement.


    Su Mengxin had been smiling quietly, watching Li Yifei the whole time. She didn¡¯t interject or offer suggestions. Even if she had her own ideas about the matter, she preferred not to voice them. She liked seeing her man strategizing and solving problems without being influenced by her.


    It¡¯s rare for women to act this way. Many women like to show off in front of their man, but that often hurts the man¡¯s pride. Truly liking a man means being the silly woman who silently supports him from behind, and that is what a truly clever woman does.


    Even if Su Mengxin only liked Li Yifei, the intelligent her did even better in this respect. Even if she could solve something, she hoped Yifei would handle it, even if it was more troublesome for him.


    "Yifei, tell us, how do you want us to thank you?" Xiao Ling¡¯er looked at Li Yifei flirtatiously.


    Zheng Yuling also winked at Li Yifei and said, "We can offer you some benefits right now."


    Li Yifei glanced at them both and said, "Save it, will you? Does it really thrill you to tease your best friend¡¯s man like this?"


    "Thrilling! Absolutely thrilling!" The two nodded emphatically, clearly agreeing. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei found them both exasperating, but couldn¡¯t be angry with them. They were mischievous, acted without considering the consequences, but they were genuine and had their own boundaries. They weren¡¯t frivolous women, and these qualities were precious.


    Su Mengxin then said, "Alright, enough joking around. Everyone go to bed."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er quickly objected, "No way, we¡¯re really happy today. Let¡¯s drink a little more."


    "What more is there to drink? Continue going crazy?" Su Mengxin glared.


    Zheng Yuling chuckled, "Mengxin, are you just afraid we¡¯ll go mad with the booze and take advantage of your man?"


    Su Mengxin nodded, "Exactly, that is what I¡¯m afraid of."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed heartily and slung her arm over Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, saying with pride, "We¡¯ve already taken plenty of advantage, a bit more won¡¯t matter. Come on, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves today with our man."


    Su Mengxin rolled her eyes helplessly. It would be quite a task to stop them from going wild today.

 Chapter 838 - 879: The Golden Eagle’s Call

    Chapter 838: Chapter 879: The Golden Eagle¡¯s CallXiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, though they played wildly tonight, only teased Li Yifei and joked around with him, managing not to do anything too outrageous like last time. By after midnight, they finally let Li Yifei and Su Mengxin go, allowing them to return to their own room.


    Lying in bed, Li Yifei wryly smiled and said, "This makes me think of wedding night pranks."


    Su Mengxin snuggled beside Li Yifei and asked with some surprise, "How does it make you think of that?"


    "Hehe, I once visited a place where the wedding night pranks were really excessive. The bride¡¯s friends and the groom¡¯s buddies would stay until after midnight, forcing the newlyweds to do all kinds of things, even making them get into bed in front of everyone."


    "Sweat, I can understand friends, but if there are other men there, wouldn¡¯t that be terribly awkward?" Imagining such a scenario, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely embarrassed.


    "Hehe, you¡¯re quite open-minded. You wouldn¡¯t mind if others watched me?"


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips and smiled, then feigned helplessness and said, "You¡¯ve let so many people see already, I¡¯m numb to it." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was momentarily speechless and chuckled resignedly.


    "Joking, joking. It¡¯s late, let¡¯s sleep."


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin with a smile and asked, "Just like this, we sleep?"


    Su Mengxin laughed softly and replied, "What else do you have in mind? I just got my period."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face immediately turned bitter, "You didn¡¯t mention that at noon."


    "I couldn¡¯t help it, it came in the afternoon," Su Mengxin said helplessly.


    "Well, okay, let¡¯s sleep," Li Yifei said as he hugged Su Mengxin.


    "Hehe, do you need help with your... discomfort?"


    "No need, I can¡¯t enjoy it myself anyway. I don¡¯t want to feel good while making you feel worse."


    That night, the two of them embraced each other as they slept. Though lacking passion, it was even more endearing. A normal couple couldn¡¯t possibly be intimate every night. It was more like a real couple, a real husband and wife.


    The next day, Li Yifei left Capital City. Su Mengxin did not go back with him. Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei could only hope that Li Yifei would take care of things quickly, but for now, they just had to stay put in Capital City.


    Koboto Kobayashi was recently basking in success. For many years, he had coveted the position of president, and now he had finally achieved his ambition. The gap between being vice-president and president was huge. Before, he had to report everything to Gonpachiro and some things were not done as freely as he liked. Now, at last, he was free to do whatever he wanted.


    Koboto Kobayashi was an ambitious man. Dissatisfied with the current situation of the Yamaguchi Group, he wanted to expand further, but he needed a sufficient number of loyal supporters. When Golden Eagle made his move, he successfully incited the group against Gonpachiro¡¯s poor decisions. But now that time had passed, it seemed that their respect for his presidency was waning.


    He needed to create another opportunity to truly secure his position and ensure that everyone obeyed him.


    But Koboto Kobayashi had yet to find a good opportunity, which was quite troubling to him.


    His phone rang with an unknown number, which surprised him since he had shared his cell number with very few people, apart from his direct reports. Almost nobody knew it, so he simply hung up.


    Quickly, a text message came through, again from that number. Koboto Kobayashi frowned, opened it, and immediately sat up from the comfortable embrace of his couch.


    "President Koboto, congratulations on becoming the head of the Yamaguchi Group, Golden Eagle!"


    After staring at the screen for a while, Koboto Kobayashi hesitated, considering whether to call back or reply with a message first. He finally decided to send a text to see what was up: "Lord Golden Eagle, thank you! May I ask what Lord Golden Eagle needs?"


    "Nothing much, I just want to have tea with Mr. Koboto Kobayashi and chat. I¡¯ve always heard that President Koboto¡¯s tea ceremony skills are superb, and I wonder if I might have the honor of sharing a few cups with the president."


    Having received no information from Li Yifei, Koboto Kobayashi decided to make a call.


    "Mr. Golden Eagle, this is Koboto Kobayashi!"


    "The president is quite busy, huh? Couldn¡¯t even get through on the phone."


    "I dare not, I was briefly delayed, please don¡¯t be angry, Mr. Golden Eagle."


    "President Koboto, how is it being president now? I¡¯ve heard things are a bit unstable."


    "That... Mr. Golden Eagle, you aren¡¯t planning on taking revenge on the Yamaguchi Group, are you? As far as I know, your wife has woken up, and the main culprit, Gonpachiro, has already died at your hand," Koboto Kobayashi said, feeling inwardly anxious. If Golden Eagle sought to retaliate against the Yamaguchi Group, that would be a major problem for him. If he couldn¡¯t handle it well, his position wouldn¡¯t be secure.


    Li Yifei¡¯s voice turned cold, "President Koboto, regarding this matter, I indeed still feel quite uncomfortable. You know my wife has awakened, then you should also know she¡¯s been left with some sequelae."


    Koboto Kobayashi inwardly groaned, but then a thought struck him, and he quickly spoke up, "Mr. Golden Eagle, the Yamaguchi Group mentioned compensation last time, but we didn¡¯t dare to contact you proactively, fearing we might disturb you. Now, we can finally offer it."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "It seems President Koboto is indeed sincere. Alright, let¡¯s meet in two days. If you don¡¯t want others to know about our meeting, find a quiet place, and we¡¯ll discuss it together. By the way, it seems that President Koboto¡¯s seat isn¡¯t very stable. We can talk about that too."


    Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s heart tightened, but he laughed it off and agreed.


    Lighting up a cigar, Koboto Kobayashi took a few harsh puffs, his mind endlessly turning over the matter. Golden Eagle reaching out to him this time was likely not so simple. The Yamaguchi Group wouldn¡¯t get off easily, and setting up an ambush to kill Golden Eagle was far from a sure thing, not to mention... the risks were enormous. Failure would bring catastrophe to the group. So, after much thought, he decided to meet Golden Eagle secretly and see exactly what he wanted. Then, he would decide how to proceed.

 Chapter 839 - 880 Negotiations

    Chapter 839: Chapter 880 NegotiationsKoboto Kobayashi brought several of his loyal confidants to meet with Li Yifei, what they talked about, nobody knows, and inside the Yamaguchi Group, they didn¡¯t even know Koboto Kobayashi had met with Golden Eagle.


    Some people had already started to question Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s capabilities, and today, once again during a major meeting, everyone was ready to criticize the recent actions taken by Koboto Kobayashi.


    Before the meeting began, everyone received news that another branch had been attacked. Although not many people were injured or killed, the loss was severe, and according to those who survived, it was done by one person alone which made everyone instantly think of Golden Eagle.


    The deterrent power of Golden Eagle against the Yamaguchi Group was immense. The last attack had caused them to lose face completely and even led to the death of the former president, Gonpachiro, Although Gonpachiro was mainly responsible for those events, it was still the biggest crisis the Yamaguchi Group had faced in many years, significantly damaging their reputation in Japan. Since Koboto Kobayashi took over the Yamaguchi Group, he had failed to restore the group¡¯s reputation, which was the main reason for everyone¡¯s dissatisfaction.


    If it was Golden Eagle again, it would undoubtedly be another major crisis.


    Everyone arrived in the conference room, each with a solemn expression, looking at Koboto Kobayashi, seated at the head. It was time they set aside their prejudices and faced this crisis together.


    Koboto Kobayashi looked at everyone and said with a heavy tone, "I think you¡¯ve all received the news. One of our divisions was attacked again, the losses are huge, and it seems to be the work of Golden Eagle."


    Everyone felt even heavier, and one person said, "President, last time Golden Eagle didn¡¯t leave a single survivor, but this time only three people died. This approach is different from the last time, maybe it wasn¡¯t him?"


    Koboto Kobayashi shook his head and replied, "It¡¯s been confirmed that it was Golden Eagle¡¯s doing. Last time, he didn¡¯t leave any survivors because his wife was in a coma, but now she has woken up, yet she¡¯s lost her memory and doesn¡¯t recognize him as her husband, so he attacked again, but wasn¡¯t as furious as last time."


    "What do we do now?" Everyone looked at Koboto Kobayashi, as this was another major crisis, naturally, it was up to Koboto Kobayashi, the new president, to make a decision. If Koboto Kobayashi could resolve this crisis successfully, it would be for the best. If he couldn¡¯t, it would show he wasn¡¯t fit to be the president.


    Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s stern gaze swept across everyone in the room as he said in a low voice, "Last time, we promised to compensate Golden Eagle but haven¡¯t taken any action yet; probably this is why Golden Eagle acted. So, this time, I think we should show some sincerity first. I hope no one objects?"


    Regarding this, naturally, no one had any objections. Loss of money wasn¡¯t an issue for the Yamaguchi Group; what mattered most now was recovering their reputation.


    Koboto Kobayashi continued, "This time, I will take the initiative to negotiate with Golden Eagle, hoping to use my best efforts to restore our reputation."


    Upon hearing this, everyone truly admired Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s courage. After Gonpachiro¡¯s death, they had also visited the scene; previously, they had no idea Gonpachiro had hidden so many experts, but even with so many experts, they all died at the hands of Golden Eagle. This showed just how dangerous Golden Eagle was. If they were the presidents, they wouldn¡¯t dare to negotiate face-to-face with Golden Eagle.


    Koboto Kobayashi glanced at everyone again and said, "That¡¯s settled then. I hope no one drags me down this time."


    Looking at Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s fierce gaze, everyone suddenly felt that this new president was indeed very bold. If he could resolve this matter, fully supporting him would definitely not be a problem.


    Koboto Kobayashi met with Li Yifei again, this time not alone but accompanied by two high-ranking members of the Yamaguchi Group, who also bravely followed him, though they were not Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s direct subordinates.


    Li Yifei wore a gold eagle mask, dressed in a loose tracksuit, which looked somewhat ordinary, but the mask provided enough intimidation.


    Everyone communicated in Japanese, mastering multiple languages was essential for a super expert, otherwise it would be easy to be recognized when carrying out missions, so they had no problem communicating.


    "Lord Golden Eagle, this kind of outright killing is really too much!" as soon as Koboto Kobayashi saw Li Yifei, he immediately began to reprimand him loudly.


    This terrified the accompanying senior members enough, and the gaze revealed from behind Golden Eagle¡¯s mask indeed became much more intense, sending a shiver down their spines.


    Golden Eagle¡¯s cold voice came from behind the mask, "President Koboto, I¡¯ve already shown restraint this time. I¡¯ve killed your former president; do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill you?"


    Koboto Kobayashi stood up abruptly and exclaimed, "I acknowledge Lord Golden Eagle¡¯s extraordinary abilities. If you really wanted to kill me, I wouldn¡¯t have the power to fight back, but the Yamaguchi Group isn¡¯t something to be bullied. If you force us into a corner, then we¡¯re prepared to fight back. We in the Yamaguchi Group have tens of thousands of members, and you, Golden Eagle, are just one man; even if you kill some, you can¡¯t kill us all at once. Then the rest of our members can infiltrate Huaxia. Your wife isn¡¯t any kind of fighter, so if we get the chance, we could strike again, and next time we¡¯ll make sure we kill your wife to avenge those of our group you¡¯ve killed."


    "Are you threatening me?" Li Yifei suddenly slapped his hand down, shattering the hardwood table in front of the four men, startling the two high-ranking members who jumped up, nearly ready to run. But in this moment of crisis, Koboto Kobayashi stood undaunted, staring defiantly at Li Yifei.


    "It¡¯s not a threat. Isn¡¯t Lord Golden Eagle also threatening us? Naturally, we also do not wish for mutual destruction, but if you continue to coerce us single-mindedly, then we have no choice but to do the same."


    "Fine! Then I will kill you first!" Golden Eagle stretched out his hand and had already grabbed Koboto Kobayashi by the neck. Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s body, weighing around 145 kilograms, was instantly lifted with one hand by Li Yifei.


    "You... even if... you kill me... I will not give in..." Koboto Kobayashi managed to squeeze these words out from between his clenched teeth, his complexion turning from white to red and finally settling into a pale blue, his body struggling but growing increasingly weak, obviously close to being strangled to death by Golden Eagle.


    At this moment, Golden Eagle¡¯s hand relaxed slightly, and he snorted coldly, "Do you really not fear death?"


    Koboto Kobayashi slumped weakly on the ground, took a while to recover, and slowly got up to sit straight, saying, "I am the president of the Yamaguchi Group. For our Yamaguchi Group, I am willing to give my life."


    After taking another breath, Koboto Kobayashi continued, "Lord Golden Eagle, we also do not wish to be your enemy. Regarding the matter with your wife, we can offer you the best compensation, and we will also hire the most renowned neurologists in the world to treat your wife. Please, stop the killing."


    Having shown such resilience, Koboto Kobayashi now had the leverage to negotiate with Li Yifei, earning the utmost admiration from the two executives.


    Li Yifei scoffed and said, "Alright, let me hear what compensation you have to offer."


    "I will give you one billion US dollars. I think that amount should be enough to compensate you, right?"


    "Humph, one billion US dollars, do you think I, Golden Eagle, am short on money?"


    Koboto Kobayashi replied firmly, "I know that Lord Golden Eagle does not lack money, but this is our sincerity."


    Li Yifei stared at Koboto Kobayashi and slowly said, "One billion... alright then, but I want it in Euros."


    Koboto Kobayashi immediately retorted angrily, "Lord Golden Eagle, this is already the maximum amount we can offer as compensation. We absolutely cannot agree to that."


    At this moment, the two executives were inwardly blaming Koboto Kobayashi. Although the US dollar had devalued quite a bit, the Euro wasn¡¯t even twice as much. Two billion US dollars for peace, for the Yamaguchi Group, was definitely manageable. They should just agree quickly.


    "You really won¡¯t agree?" Li Yifei shouted coldly.


    Koboto Kobayashi snorted, "Lord Golden Eagle, I fear you want more than just money. If you want money, we can reluctantly agree to one billion Euros, but I think you want something else as well."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of surprise, then he smiled lightly, "President Koboto, I indeed underestimated you. You are quite intelligent." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Golden Eagle."


    Only then did the two executives realize the reason Koboto Kobayashi hadn¡¯t agreed immediately; if they had quickly agreed and Golden Eagle had demanded more, they would have been in a difficult position.


    "It¡¯s simple. I need these additional things. If you deliver them, I will no longer pursue matters against the Yamaguchi Group. We will stop being enemies, as long as the Yamaguchi Group does not stir up trouble in our Huaxia. Then you can develop well."


    Koboto Kobayashi and the two executives looked at the list of items requested, their eyes widening in shock. Koboto Kobayashi angrily exclaimed, "This is impossible, these items are too sensitive. If we provide these to you, then our Yamaguchi Group certainly can¡¯t stay in Japan anymore."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, sat down, and said, "That¡¯s your problem. If you can¡¯t do it, I don¡¯t mind forcing the Yamaguchi Group out of Japan right now."


    "Is that a threat? Don¡¯t forget, in that case, we can only fight to the death."


    "Ha ha, fine by me. I made a mistake once; I won¡¯t make it again. You can try and see who will wipe out whom first. Will I annihilate the Yamaguchi Group first, or can you kill my wife first?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was like two sharp swords piercing into the eyes of the trio, causing all three to shiver, their backs unknowingly drenched in cold sweat.

 Chapter 840 - 881: You’ve Got to Take Advantage of a Bargain

    Chapter 840: Chapter 881: You¡¯ve Got to Take Advantage of a BargainKoboto Kobayashi finally came to an agreement with Golden Eagle, with the Yamaguchi Group giving Li Yifei one billion U.S. dollars. In return, they had to help Golden Eagle obtain two items¡ªa concession Koboto had staunchly and vigorously negotiated under the overwhelming pressure from Li Yifei. Those two high-ranking members sitting nearby saw the whole thing clearly.


    For Koboto¡¯s such tenacious negotiation, both were extremely impressed. Even under the immense pressure from Golden Eagle, Koboto still managed to persist so firmly. He truly deserved his position as the boss. Had it been them, they¡¯d probably have already agreed to Li Yifei¡¯s terms.


    When they relayed the negotiation details to the entire Yamaguchi Group¡¯s upper echelon, the generals¡¯ opinion of Koboto greatly changed. A capable boss like him was indeed a fortune for the group. Hence, even those who had previously been unsupportive of Koboto now held unwavering faith in him, and Koboto¡¯s prestige skyrocketed within the Yamaguchi Group.


    As for the conditions Koboto had agreed to, one billion U.S. dollars wasn¡¯t that much for them and could be easily overlooked. And the two items to be obtained ¨C those were the easiest tasks. With the Yamaguchi Group¡¯s capabilities, this was undoubtedly feasible.


    Even though they all knew giving these two items to Golden Eagle wouldn¡¯t bode well for the nation, they were just an organization, not politicians who worry about the nation and its people. As long as it suited their interests and wouldn¡¯t stir too much trouble, there was nothing they would shy away from.


    At this moment, Koboto was brimming with pride. He had skillfully leveraged a crisis to secure his position as the boss. He was quite grateful to Golden Eagle because all this had been orchestrated with Golden Eagle, a performance for the entire Yamaguchi Group, and it proved to be a smashing success.


    Li Yifei handled his part beautifully as well. Effortlessly, he secured one billion U.S. dollars from the Yamaguchi Group, which was equivalent to six billion Huaxia currency based on the current exchange rate.


    Certainly, six billion wasn¡¯t much compared to the wealth of the big families, but with this sum in Mile City, where his roots lay, he was definitely a name to reckon with. Planning to use Mile City as his base, his development there was going to be very smooth with this kind of capital.


    Sitting in his office, Li Yifei made a call to Old Master Su.


    "Kid, I heard you took a trip to Japan. How did it go?" Old Master Su cut straight to the chase.


    Li Yifei said with a proud smile, "All set. They¡¯ll begin soon and get those two items for you."


    "Damn, you really have your ways." Old Master Su cursed Li Yifei out, but it was obviously a happy sort of scolding.


    "You tell me to do something, and I dare not do otherwise. Otherwise, if you, Old Master, throw a fit, I won¡¯t even be able to get close to Mengxin."


    "Smart kid. But don¡¯t get careless. Even if the items reach the Yamaguchi Group¡¯s hands, you have to securely retrieve them. Don¡¯t let the effort be for nought."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it. But, can I get some reward?"


    "What reward do you want?" Old Master Su immediately asked, on high alert.


    "Hehe, just keep it in mind, and I¡¯ll ask you for it later."


    "No way. Tell me what you want directly, so I can consider it. Otherwise, later on, you might ask for way too much."


    "Well, in that case, how about a bonus of one or eight billion?" Li Yifei said playfully.


    "Get lost. Do you think national funds are a joke? It¡¯s okay to give you a bonus, ten or eighty million tops¡ªthat I can decide. But if you ask for more, definitely no go. Besides, that¡¯s only because you left the Flying Hawk Squad. It¡¯s like the nation is purchasing those items you got. If you were still in the Flying Hawk, you would¡¯ve gotten just tens of thousands as a reward."


    "Jeez, that¡¯s so harsh. So we¡¯ve been working for you all for nothing, huh? When I think about it, I feel so wronged."


    "Wronged my ass. Doesn¡¯t the nation spend money to train you? Complaining about doing some work for the country... knock off the poor act. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up."


    "Alright then, hang up." Li Yifei said before hanging up himself.


    Less than a minute later, Old Master Su¡¯s call came through again. He spoke irritably, "I just don¡¯t trust you, kid. Just spit it out. You used to be so obedient in the military, but now it¡¯s a whole different story back in civilian life."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It was because of your training back then, and besides, everything I did was for the nation, so naturally, I wouldn¡¯t have any personal requests. Now that I¡¯m back to civilian life, things are different, I have to think for myself and consider my wife too. Otherwise, how could I afford to take care of Mengxin? Look at her¡ªclothes, living, everything¡¯s top-notch. She can¡¯t get by without spending hundreds of thousands a day."


    "Get lost! Does she devour money? Even so, you¡¯re probably just trying to burn money for warmth."


    Li Yifei held the phone away from his ear as Old Master Su raged. Once he¡¯d finished, Li Yifei spoke again, "Alright, let¡¯s talk business. I want to apply for a plot of land¡ªa big one."


    "Apply for land? What for?"


    Li Yifei said with a playful grin, "To build a den. Look at all those big families you have; they all have nice homes. I want one too."


    "You can¡¯t handle this little matter yourself? You need me?"


    "I need the authorities to be aware, in case I build something big and they start to think I¡¯m up to no good."


    "You want to build a castle or something? Need it to be that big?"


    "You guessed right. I do want to build something big. I have a particular fondness for those multi-entry courtyard houses. If there¡¯s not enough land, it just won¡¯t be satisfying."


    "You kid, aren¡¯t you scared of being too conspicuous and getting impeached?"


    "No big deal, I¡¯m just an ordinary guy at best, maybe a bit of a spendthrift with some money. Who¡¯s going to pay attention to me, right?"


    "Are you sure you have no other intentions?"


    "Absolutely not."


    "Then you pick the place. If you encounter any trouble, I¡¯ll help you sort it out."


    "Alright, that¡¯s settled then."


    Li Yifei hung up the phone and began pondering locations in Mile City. This wasn¡¯t a spur-of-the-moment idea; he had been planning this since his return.


    He wanted to build a large house with security measures around it and bring in a bunch of security personnel to live on the outskirts. Inside would be like Arcadia. The place would definitely need to be large and couldn¡¯t possibly be in the city center¡ªthe quieter, the better.


    Establishing a family without a solid foundation was out of the question. He needed a place like a fortress, where security was tight and his family could live safely without the slightest hint of danger.


    Getting land approved nowadays was no easy task, especially a large residential plot. Li Yifei needed to use some special channels. Of course, involving Old Master Su might be overkill, but with the right connections above, even if some citizens disapproved, he would still be safe. After all, wealth envy was still prevalent, and a big house was bound to make people jealous.


    Nonetheless, there was no rush to find the place. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to decide after the New Year when spring blossomed. Now, even with a location, the cold weather would prevent any work from starting.


    "Sister-in-law, you¡¯re back! Why didn¡¯t you let me know?" Xu Shanshan walked in, spotted Li Yifei at once, and excitedly called out.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Weren¡¯t you busy? Close the door, close the door." Seeing that Xu Shanshan was about to rush into his arms, Li Yifei quickly added.


    Xu Shanshan hurriedly turned around to close the door and then came over to Li Yifei¡¯s side, sitting directly on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and sizing up his face.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "I¡¯m checking to see if you¡¯ve been out flirting with others these past few days."


    "As if I dare. I¡¯ve been very good lately, just out making some money, that¡¯s all."


    "Making money? How much?" Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t particularly keen on money, but Li Yifei¡¯s remark still piqued her interest, as he usually didn¡¯t mention anything about money.


    Li Yifei held up his index finger, and Xu Shanshan immediately said, "Ten million?"


    "Nope, guess again," Li Yifei chuckled and shook his head.


    Xu Shanshan knew that when Li Yifei mentioned making some money, it wouldn¡¯t be a small amount. But ten million was already a lot, and still incorrect. She blurted out, "Could it be you made a billion?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook his head again, his smile growing broader.


    "No way? You made ten billion?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Not bad, ten billion, in US dollars!"


    "Ten billion! US dollars!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed loudly, even a bit hysterically.


    "Yep, that¡¯s right."


    "Brother-in-law... you... you didn¡¯t rob a bank, did you?" Xu Shanshan was dumbfounded for a solid five minutes before pinching Li Yifei¡¯s face, looking at him somewhat skeptically.


    "Hehe, someone gave me the money, and of course I couldn¡¯t refuse. We¡¯re about to establish a big family, right? It¡¯s impossible without money. I¡¯ve also asked for a piece of land above to build our own home. I was just thinking about discussing it with you."


    Hearing this, Xu Shanshan¡¯s interest peaked, and she no longer felt like being intimate with Li Yifei, saying, "How big do you want to make it?"


    "I want to build a very big home, with several courtyards, like the grand traditional homes with gardens that rich people had in ancient times. What do you think?"


    "Sounds great, and let¡¯s add a swimming pool! How about digging a little stream to wind around the courtyard, with little bridges over flowing water, birds singing and flowers fragrant, fish swimming in the water. Living embraced by nature, that¡¯s the ultimate enjoyment."


    "Exactly, and later we can add a gym, some entertainment facilities, so we won¡¯t get bored either."


    "And a golf course; I have to have a golf course. I¡¯ve wanted to play for so long but never had the chance."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly, "Shanshan, that¡¯s too much to ask for. That would take up so much space, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue, realizing she had indeed gotten a little too excited.

 Chapter 841 - 882 Li Yifei’s Thoughtfulness

    Chapter 841: Chapter 882 Li Yifei¡¯s ThoughtfulnessLi Yifei had never been one to lust after money, otherwise, with his abilities and the positions he¡¯d held before, accessing cash would have been a piece of cake. Yet, he only amassed tens of millions for his retirement, no more than necessary.


    But now, things were different. He wanted to establish a big family, to create a stable living environment for his wife and children, to provide them with better opportunities in the future¡ªsuddenly, he found himself driven by greed.


    After discussing with Xu Shanshan for a while, both were immensely happy. If it weren¡¯t for an employee seeking signatures, they would have continued talking.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been at the factory for days and had accumulated quite a backlog, especially from those waiting for his signing. Knowing that he was back, they all rushed over, and Li Yifei spent the entire afternoon bustling about.


    After work, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan drove home together. Dinner was ready, but Xu Yingying still hadn¡¯t returned. Xu Shanshan called her sister, only to learn that she was working overtime and would be home late.


    "My sister really loses herself in her work once she gets going," Xu Shanshan complained. "She was a workaholic even before marrying you, and although she slightly changed after the marriage, now she¡¯s even worse¡ªovertime every day. It¡¯s unbelievable."


    Li Yifei frowned, "She¡¯s been working overtime every day?"


    "Yes, every day until past ten at night."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow, "Then I¡¯ll go and check on her."


    Xu Shanshan, eager to be affectionate with Li Yifei at that moment, nonetheless fully supported his concern for her sister, "Then why don¡¯t you take dinner to her? You¡¯re practically courting our elder sister all over again. Last time, you weren¡¯t proactive enough, this time you should step it up."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "You¡¯re right, I should take the initiative."


    As there were no lunchboxes at home, Li Yifei hurried out to buy one. He then picked a few of Xu Yingying¡¯s favorite dishes, filled four lunchboxes, and left home with them.


    Upon reaching the company, the duty security guard, Meng Lei, saw Li Yifei arriving with the lunchboxes and excitedly exclaimed, "Bro, you even brought food for me?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "Go get your own food; I¡¯m delivering this to the boss."


    Meng Lei stuck out his tongue. He knew their boss was also Li Yifei¡¯s wife, but he dared not gossip, chuckling instead, "Go ahead then. Both President Xu and Director He are there."


    Li Yifei nodded and after acknowledging the other two security guards, he headed upstairs.


    "Hey, Lei, why is Manager Li delivering food to our boss? That rumor isn¡¯t true, is it?" one security guard nudged Meng Lei with a gossip-thirsty look.


    Meng Lei puffed out his chest, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. My brother and the boss have always been on good terms. Even if they¡¯re just friends, it¡¯s normal to bring some food, right? Maybe President Xu specifically asked our brother to bring something. Is there anything wrong with that?"


    Although a bit simple, Meng Lei wasn¡¯t foolish. Working at the company for over two months had broadened his horizons. He spoke so competently that the other two security guards couldn¡¯t fault him.


    Li Yifei reached the fourth floor, treading lightly. The lights in Xu Yingying¡¯s office were on; clearly, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were inside.


    He knocked gently on the door, holding the lunchboxes, feeling unexpectedly warm-hearted. He had never delivered food to his wife before, and doing it now was somewhat exhilarating.


    "Come in!" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice called from inside.


    Li Yifei pushed open the door to see Xu Yingying and He Fangqing absorbed in some documents on the desk, paying him no mind.


    Without a word, Li Yifei set the lunchboxes on the coffee table and began opening them. The aroma of the food finally made Xu Yingying and He Fangqing turn their attention toward him.


    He Fangqing looked surprised while Xu Yingying seemed somewhat uneasy, asking, "What are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei replied cheerfully, "Seeing the two workaholics probably skipping meals, I had to bring you food. If you two beauties grew thin, it would be my fault."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing had been deeply focused on their work and hadn¡¯t felt hungry. Now, smelling the food made their stomachs rumble. He Fangqing laughed, "Yingying, look at your husband, he¡¯s so thoughtful."


    Xu Yingying laughed awkwardly, "Don¡¯t even start. I think he¡¯s being thoughtful for you."


    He Fangqing giggled, "Well, he is your husband, not yours."


    "Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore, between you two... you are actually his real wife, after dinner, you might as well go home with him to avoid waiting here anxiously."


    He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "You really forget everything so cleanly, even willing to give up such a good husband. But even if you are willing to let him go, I wouldn¡¯t dare to take him, as he only has you in his heart."


    Li Yifei watched the two of them talking, feeling it was somewhat similar to when he and Xu Yingying had first met, and cheerily said, "Stop joking around and come over to eat, or it¡¯ll get cold soon."


    Finally, they both sat down, and Li Yifei handed chopsticks to each of them. When he handed the chopsticks to Xu Yingying, their fingers touched briefly, and Xu Yingying immediately withdrew her hand, her face even turning slightly red as she said softly, "Thank you."


    Li Yifei was surprised, but a strange feeling also instantly welled up in his heart. Although he and Xu Yingying were already very familiar with each other, Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction gave him another kind of feeling, indescribable and somewhat sad, yet also sweet.


    He Fangqing secretly winked at Li Yifei. Seeing Xu Yingying and Li Yifei like this, she really found it amusing and laughed, "Looking at you two, it reminds me of those old days before marriage where couples wouldn¡¯t even see each other. I guess even if they were married, they would still interact shyly at the beginning."


    Li Yifei laughed, "It really is quite similar."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Yes yes, my dear wife, please eat."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and then bowed her head to eat. Even though she couldn¡¯t remember Li Yifei as her husband, the bright red marriage certificate made it clear to her that Li Yifei was definitely her husband. Moreover, she had secretly checked her own body, she was no longer a virgin, which meant she had intimate relations with Li Yifei. This made her feel even more awkward around Li Yifei. These past days when Li Yifei was not home, she felt quite relaxed, but as soon as Li Yifei returned, she felt unsure about how to face him again.


    "Eat more meat, don¡¯t just eat vegetables, you need to intake more nutrients with your busy workload," Li Yifei said, sitting opposite the two, also holding a pair of chopsticks and carefully serving food to Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying, feeling truly uneasy about Li Yifei¡¯s attentiveness, hurriedly said, "I can serve myself."


    Li Yifei had to put down his chopsticks and said, "Then eat a little more."


    In the past, Li Yifei¡¯s care would naturally extend to He Fangqing too, but now he could only temporarily refrain from showing any attention to He Fangqing. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This, however, seemed to console Xu Yingying somewhat; it appeared that although Li Yifei used to be quite uncontrollable, after marriage, he turned out to be quite honest.


    Who knows what Xu Yingying would think if she knew that Li Yifei was now not only dishonest but also had created such a large harem.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t mind this situation; she had never hoped to live day-to-day with Li Yifei. Even if Li Yifei brought other women home, she only wanted to be an outsider. As long as Li Yifei could occasionally remember her and take a look at her, that was enough.


    After they finished eating, Li Yifei brought over some warm water for them. He Fangqing smiled and said, "Yifei, well done, you deserve some praise."


    Li Yifei smiled, "That¡¯s right, I have to perform well now, so even if Yingying doesn¡¯t remember our past, she can slowly accept me as her husband."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she grumbled, "Alright, we¡¯ve finished eating, you should head back now, don¡¯t disturb our work here."


    Li Yifei shrugged, tidied up the things, and then turned to leave.


    At that time, He Fangqing joked, "You know, Yingying, you¡¯re really lucky, getting to fall in love again and letting this guy chase you once more."


    Xu Yingying gave a bitter smile and said, "Lucky? I¡¯m just feeling very awkward now; I really don¡¯t know how to face him."


    "Take it slowly, after all, he is legally your husband."


    "I know that legally he is, but it¡¯s really hard for my heart to accept. Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about him and focus on our work."


    The two of them got down to business until 10:30 before they stopped. They came out of the company and saw Li Yifei standing at the company entrance, leaning on a car. He was just tossing away a cigarette butt and said to them, "Ladies, you¡¯ve finally come out. Get in the car quickly, it¡¯s cold outside, I¡¯ve kept the car running, and it¡¯s warm inside."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s heart warmed at the thought of how cold it was outside, and Li Yifei had been waiting for her all this time. Moreover, knowing she disliked the smell of cigarettes, he smoked outside the car, an attention to detail that was indeed quite rare.


    Having such a husband didn¡¯t seem to be a bad thing, Xu Yingying thought for the first time since she had woken up.

 Chapter 842 - 883: How Did I Get Another Daughter?

    Chapter 842: Chapter 883: How Did I Get Another Daughter?He Fangqing and Xu Yingying both sat in the back seat as Li Yifei started the car and headed toward He Fangqing¡¯s house.


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "Yingying, isn¡¯t it nice? Working overtime and still having your husband pick you up; life is quite comfortable."


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei who was focused on driving, then turned to He Fangqing and said, "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t tease me about this."


    "Hehe, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I¡¯m really exhausted today. You capitalists are too harsh on us workers. I¡¯m demanding a raise and a bonus."


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "You¡¯re in charge of the financial department; you get to decide who gets a raise."


    "That won¡¯t work; this is your family¡¯s...," He Fangqing started but suddenly felt Li Yifei¡¯s gaze from the rearview mirror and realized that she couldn¡¯t just claim the company as Xu Yingying¡¯s. Otherwise, Xu Yingying would question why it was hers, dragging Su Mengxin into it.


    Xu Yingying immediately sensed He Fangqing¡¯s hesitation and quickly asked, "What about my family?"


    "Hehe... I meant you¡¯re the boss, so it¡¯s practically like it¡¯s yours anyway. Of course, what you say goes."


    "Look at what you¡¯ve said. We¡¯re all just working here. I can¡¯t betray the trust Mengxin has in me; I must make the company better."


    He Fangqing breathed a sigh of relief. As they reached her apartment complex, she said, "Alright, I really need to go home and get some good sleep."


    "Go ahead. Oh, should Yifei stay with you?"


    Both He Fangqing and Li Yifei were quite surprised by Xu Yingying¡¯s suggestion, sensing an unusual atmosphere in the car. Xu Yingying immediately coughed and said, "Just kidding, just kidding."


    He Fangqing playfully smacked Xu Yingying, and said, "Yingying, you really shouldn¡¯t joke about that; wouldn¡¯t that put me in an awkward position."


    "Got it, go rest well."


    He Fangqing then exited the car, waved goodbye, and entered the complex. However, she paused at the gate, watching as Li Yifei¡¯s car slowly drove away, feeling a sense of loss. She wished Li Yifei could stay with her, but she knew it was impossible under the circumstances.


    Now alone in the car with her husband, Xu Yingying felt quite uncomfortable and turned to look out the window instead of at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei drove leisurely and said, "You really don¡¯t take good care of yourself, working so late every day and not eating properly. This time when I come back, I¡¯m not going out again. I¡¯ll take good care of you at home."


    "No...no need, I can manage." Xu Yingying suddenly said in a flustered tone.


    "Yingying, even though you don¡¯t remember me as your husband and don¡¯t feel that way, you still have to take care of your body. You can¡¯t neglect everything else for work. The New Year is approaching, and we have to go home. If your parents see you¡¯ve lost weight, they¡¯ll think I haven¡¯t taken good care of you."


    "Ah! It¡¯s almost New Year? Can¡¯t we just not go home?" Xu Yingying suddenly panicked.


    "Not go home? How can that be?"


    "But... I¡¯m afraid our parents will notice something¡¯s wrong."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "The first time we went home, we had just met. Didn¡¯t we act convincingly then? We¡¯re much more familiar with each other now, right?"


    "Sigh... The thought of it is giving me a headache." Xu Yingying sighed, knowing the visit was inevitable but still truly fearful. If they went home, she would have to act like a wife to Li Yifei without making her parents worry, and she didn¡¯t know how she could pretend to do that.


    "Are you worried... about us staying in the same room?"


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying exclaimed again, not having thought about that. Li Yifei¡¯s mention brought it to her mind, making her extremely uncomfortable.


    "Hehe...worst case, I¡¯ll just sleep on the floor again. The first time we stayed at your house, I slept on the floor. Time flies; a year has gone by just like that."


    Xu Yingying tentatively asked, "Did you really sleep on the floor that time?"


    "Of course. I was pretending to be your boyfriend; where else could I sleep? I had to get up early the next day and tidy up the bedding to avoid your parents seeing it, which could have given us away."


    "So... you really slept on the floor?" S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Where else could I have slept? On the bed? You even secretly had a pair of scissors ready; I saw them, haha."


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but smirk and said, "It seems you were quite respectful."


    "That¡¯s right, otherwise, how could you have ended up marrying me?"


    "Cut it out, you¡¯re so scheming!"


    "Mhm, I¡¯m going to be ¡¯scheming¡¯ once more to win my wife over again."


    Xu Yingying suddenly fell silent and turned to look out the window. Li Yifei, not knowing what he had said wrong and seeing that Xu Yingying didn¡¯t want to talk, chose to quietly drive and not disturb her.


    At home, Xu Shanshan had already gone to bed, and Xu Yingying had simply washed up, not taking a bath before preparing to return to her room.


    However, she stopped and looked at Li Yifei, saying, "Is it cold tonight? Do you need me to get something else to cover you?"


    "No need, the house is very warm," Li Yifei smiled and said. This was the first time Xu Yingying had shown concern for him since waking up.


    "Okay!" Xu Yingying nodded and turned to enter her room.


    Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, another week had gone by. Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and Xu Shanshan, the three of them, flew home together.


    Xu Yingying was somewhat nervous. She really didn¡¯t know how she would get along with Li Yifei after returning home, while Xu Shanshan was quite excited. For her, celebrating the new year was still a joyous occasion; she could play happily every day and no longer had to work hard.


    As the three arrived at their doorstep and were about to knock, the anti-theft door was opened. He had been listening to the sounds from inside the living room and heard them as soon as they got out of the elevator.


    Xu Zhenguo, while receiving their belongings, joyfully said, "You three are finally back, come in! Come in!"


    "Dad!" All three called out in unison. Xu Yingying felt a bit uneasy with how naturally Li Yifei called out.


    "Daddy! Mommy! Oh..." Little Yifei ran out excitedly, but his excitement paused when he saw Xu Yingying¡¯s short hair, staring at her curiously.


    Xu Shanshan immediately picked up Little Yifei, excitedly saying, "Sweetheart, did you miss Shanshan mommy?"


    "I did... Mommy, why did you cut your hair?" Little Yifei sweetly asked.


    Xu Yingying had widened her eyes, staring blankly at Little Yifei. She had no recollection of this little girl who was calling her mommy. Could it be that she had already had a child? But she had only known Li Yifei for a year at most; how could she have such a big daughter?


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s strange expression, Li Yifei realized that she still didn¡¯t know about this daughter. He was somewhat taken aback by the situation.


    Xu Yingying was staring at Li Yifei, whom at that moment couldn¡¯t explain to her yet, so he quickly picked up Little Yifei, laughing, "Come here, let daddy give you a kiss."


    After kissing Little Yifei, Li Yifei said, "Sweetheart, were you unable to tell mommy and Shanshan mommy apart? Now that mommy has cut her hair, you can recognize her, right?"


    Eagerly nodding, Little Yifei excitedly said, "Yes, now I won¡¯t mistake mommy again, Mommy, did you miss Yifei?"


    Although Xu Yingying was confused about how she suddenly had a daughter, seeing this daughter appear at home, familiar with Xu Shanshan and the parents, and quite welcomed, she suppressed her inner questions and hugged Little Yifei, "Of course I missed you."


    Little Yifei hugged Xu Yingying¡¯s neck, kissed her on the face, and happily said, "I missed Mommy too."


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan took Little Yifei, saying, "Come, let¡¯s see what I bought you."


    Little Yifei immediately followed Xu Shanshan excitedly into her room.


    "Hey, Yingying, why did you cut your hair?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother finally joined the conversation.


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "The hair always grows back, this time I just cut it short."


    "Ha-ha, it looks nice short too. Go change your clothes; you need a good rest at home this time."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying entered her room, with Li Yifei closing the door behind them.


    Xu Yingying lowered her voice, frowning, "What¡¯s with this daughter?"


    Li Yifei gave an awkward laugh, "She is a daughter I had with Ning Xin¡¯er."


    "With Ning Xin¡¯er? Then why is she at our house?" Xu Yingying¡¯s expression turned sour.


    Li Yifei quickly explained briefly the situation between himself and Ning Xin¡¯er to Xu Yingying.


    "So that¡¯s it. The child is indeed innocent, but... I saw Ning Xin¡¯er the other day. Are you still in contact with her?"


    "Well... she is still the child¡¯s mother. If she wants to see the child, I can¡¯t really deny her, can I?"


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei twice, turned around to get clothes from the wardrobe, leaving Li Yifei feeling anxious.


    "Since my parents accept it, I won¡¯t say anything." Xu Yingying turned around, finally saying something to ease Li Yifei¡¯s nerves.


    "Wife, thank you."


    "Don¡¯t thank me. Honestly, I don¡¯t feel much for you as a husband right now, so I don¡¯t have much aversion to having another daughter."


    Li Yifei felt a chill as Xu Yingying spoke, realizing that she must be harboring resentment. It was no wonder, as she had struggled greatly upon just learning of Li Yifei¡¯s daughter, and had only accepted her after much consideration. If she had easily accepted this, she wouldn¡¯t be the real Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 843 - 484

    Chapter 843: 484"Dad, Mom, why aren¡¯t you coming out yet?" There was a rapid knocking at the door.


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "Okay, okay, we¡¯ll be right out."


    "Hurry up, Grandpa bought me lots of fun things, and you haven¡¯t seen them yet."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying a rueful smile and said, "Let¡¯s talk about this in detail tonight, the main thing now is not to worry your parents, right?"


    "Do Mom and Dad also know that this child was born to you and another woman?" Xu Yingying finally asked. After seeing Li Yifei nod affirmatively, she was genuinely surprised. Even if parents liked children, they could actually tolerate Li Yifei having a child with another woman and then leaving them to raise it.


    "Okay, get changed quickly," Xu Yingying said, preparing to take the clothes and leave.


    Li Yifei quickly blocked her and said, "You can¡¯t go out to change clothes, remember, we are husband and wife. Should we even be shy about changing clothes?"


    Xu Yingying suddenly felt flustered and stammered, "Change together?"


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless. He had seen every inch of Xu Yingying¡¯s skin, and now it had become like this. He could only smile and say, "You change first, and I¡¯ll turn around so I won¡¯t look."


    "Are you really not going to look?"


    "Wife, I¡¯ve seen everything, especially when you were unconscious for so many days, I had to wipe your body every day. I couldn¡¯t be more familiar."


    "You... don¡¯t ever say things like that again." Xu Yingying was greatly embarrassed and glared fiercely at Li Yifei, saying, "Turn around."


    Li Yifei did as told, turning around and listening to the rustling of clothes being changed behind him. He felt helpless, amused, and even had a mischievous thought that maybe he should sneak a peek.


    But Li Yifei stayed put, honest to the core. No one knew when Xu Yingying would regain her memory, and if he did something that disgusted her before then, it could easily complicate their relationship.


    When Xu Yingying had changed, Li Yifei then went to the wardrobe and picked out some pajamas to change into.


    Xu Yingying watched how natural Li Yifei was in finding clothes in her wardrobe as if he were at his own home, realizing even more clearly that there was nothing pretentious about their relationship.


    As Li Yifei changed his clothes, Xu Yingying quickly turned around, listening to the sounds of him changing behind her. Her face flushed unnaturally. Married couples are supposed to be intimately close, but with Li Yifei, there was only the title but no real sense of it.


    Finally dressed, the two of them walked out of the room together. Little Yifei immediately ran over, excitedly grabbing both of them and said, "Daddy, Mommy, come play with me."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Let Mommy play with you, I¡¯m going to help Grandma cook."


    Little Yifei responded with an "Oh," then looked up innocently at Xu Yingying and said, "Mommy, will you play with me? Grandma and Grandpa don¡¯t know how to play."


    Xu Yingying looked at Little Yifei, this angel-like little girl, who was so adorable, especially with her innocent gaze that made it impossible for Yingying to feel any dislike. Besides, if she didn¡¯t act a bit affectionate towards Little Yifei, she squatted down and said, "Okay, mommy... will play with you."


    For Xu Yingying, she was just a young woman, and suddenly having a daughter, who kept calling her mommy, already felt very peculiar. Now that she was calling herself a mommy, it felt even more uncomfortable.


    But fortunately, after she had said it the first time, she didn¡¯t feel as embarrassed anymore. And with Little Yifei being so close and adorable, it made Xu Yingying quickly adapt to this daughter and even grow fond of her.


    At this time, Li Yifei was in the kitchen helping Xu Yingying¡¯s mother cook. Today was New Year¡¯s Eve, and naturally, the meal was very lavish. Xu Yingying¡¯s mother didn¡¯t refuse Li Yifei¡¯s help either.


    "Yifei, is Yingying treating Yifei well?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, hearing her granddaughter¡¯s laughter, still asked somewhat worriedly.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yingying and Yifei get along very well. I really have to thank mom and dad. You haven¡¯t blamed me for this, and you treat Yifei so well."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother laughed and said, "My child, why talk like we are two different families? It¡¯s not a big deal for young people to make mistakes. Besides, we really like Yifei. Since Yingying isn¡¯t giving you children right now, it¡¯s perfect for us to look after Yifei and give us old folks something to do."


    Li Yifei was truly grateful to Xu Yingying¡¯s parents. If it were anyone else, knowing their son-in-law had secretly had a child, they would have been furious. Instead, not only had they not blamed Li Yifei, but they were also treating Little Yifei as if she were their own.


    "Seeing you all happy is all we old folks wish for, so if there¡¯s any problem, you must tell us. Our Yingying has a fierce temperament. If any conflicts arise, she surely won¡¯t let it go, and you¡¯ll feel wronged. Just tell us, we¡¯ll talk to her, and don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t blame you for speaking out."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Alright, if she really bullies me, I¡¯ll definitely tell mom and dad."


    "Right, you must tell us," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother also started laughing.


    Although Xu Yingying was playing with Little Yifei, she occasionally paid attention to the kitchen, listening to her mother and Li Yifei laughing heartily, which made her wonder how Li Yifei had managed to build such a good relationship with her parents.


    "Sister, how is it going?" Xu Shanshan winked at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying knew what Xu Shanshan meant and said indifferently, "How is what going?"


    "Stop playing dumb. Your husband gets along so well with our parents, and now even if you wanted to back out, mom and dad wouldn¡¯t agree. I think you should just go along with him."


    Xu Yingying blushed and retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Be careful our parents hear you." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? You two are already officially married, are you still afraid it¡¯s not real?"


    "How can it not be real? Him and me... it¡¯s all because you meddled and made me..."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Times change, right? Who asked you to be so hesitant back then? I was getting anxious watching you."


    Xu Yingying glared at her sister again but didn¡¯t say a word. Even though from all appearances, Li Yifei seemed a suitable husband, she still didn¡¯t feel it, and being coerced into accepting him as a husband was definitely uncomfortable.

 Chapter 844 - 885: Dad, You Hit the Wrong Person

    Chapter 844: Chapter 885: Dad, You Hit the Wrong PersonThe atmosphere during the meal was even better, with Li Yifei added last year and this year, Little Yifei brought even more joy to the family, as a child often is the greatest source of happiness in a home.


    This made Xu Yingying¡¯s parents especially happy this year, their laughter constant.


    Xu Yingying watched all of this and always felt a bit strange; although she had only lost some memories, those memories seemed to have taken a lot away from her, some even being the most precious things in life.


    But she had no choice but to immerse herself in this atmosphere, which gave her an indescribable feeling.


    After everyone happily ate for a while, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother asked with a smile, "Yifei, Yingying, it¡¯s been over half a year since you got married, isn¡¯t it about time to hold the wedding ceremony? Your father¡¯s colleagues and others have been aware of your marriage and keep asking about it."


    Li Yifei immediately looked at Xu Yingying, who quickly said, "There¡¯s no rush, I¡¯m so busy with work, where would I find the time?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother glared and said, "That was your excuse last year, and you want to use it again this year? No, we absolutely must hold the wedding ceremony this year."


    "There¡¯s just no time..."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother cut her off, saying, "What do you mean there¡¯s no time? Don¡¯t you have weekends off? A wedding is just a two-day affair. Think about how you want to do it and then tell us. We¡¯ll prepare everything at home for you. You just need to come over to get married¡ªhow many days could it possibly take?"


    Xu Yingying quickly tried to signal Li Yifei with her eyes, but before he could speak, her mother had already said, "Yifei, don¡¯t listen to her. I will decide this matter. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t registered your marriage; you¡¯ve had the certificate for half a year. Organizing a wedding shouldn¡¯t be so troublesome. Yingying, you¡¯re really not being reasonable."


    Xu Yingying was truly at a loss for words then, and since her mother was clearly very insistent on this matter, no matter what she said, it probably wouldn¡¯t have made a difference.


    Xu Zhenguo chimed in, "Alright, you old woman, it¡¯s the New Year, let¡¯s all be merry. Why are you pressuring the kids? Yifei, come, let¡¯s drink."


    "You old man, always so carefree. When the kids weren¡¯t home, you would nag about it, and when I bring it up, you start smoothing things over. You play the good guy, leaving me to be the bad guy," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother muttered, but she didn¡¯t bring up the topic again, much to Xu Yingying¡¯s relief.


    Last year around this time, Li Yifei and Xu Zhenguo had drunk quite a bit. However, back then, Li Yifei was Xu Yingying¡¯s fake boyfriend, so the level of commitment hadn¡¯t been the same¡ªit was all just an act. But this year, this place had truly become his home, and that sense of warmth was inexplicably intense.


    But life is unpredictable. Though he was now officially Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, in Xu Yingying¡¯s heart, this husband still felt so unreal, as if they were still acting.


    After dinner, everyone set up the mahjong table, and Xu Yingying was tasked with keeping Little Yifei company. However, Little Yifei was clearly more interested in mahjong and left Xu Yingying¡¯s side to curiously watch Li Yifei play. Li Yifei simply held Little Yifei on his lap and involved her in the game.


    This year, Xu Shanshan refrained from playing her usual tricks as she no longer lacked money and didn¡¯t need to con her parents out of some cash. So, everyone was just playing for fun.


    But after a while, Xu Shanshan kept losing, which irked her. Even just playing for fun, no one likes to keep losing, so she stealthily extended her foot.


    Feeling Xu Yingying step on his foot, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. This kind of thing hadn¡¯t happened in a long time. Initially, it was just Xu Shanshan being naughty. Later, as their feelings grew and they crossed the line beyond friendship, such intimacy was no big deal. But in front of Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, it still held a thrill.


    Going along with what Xu Yingying needed, Li Yifei purposefully played cards that would help Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, allowing her to finally start winning.


    "Six bamboo!" Li Yifei broke his sequence of six, seven, and eight bamboos and tossed one out for Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan immediately called out excitedly, "Pong!" as she reached for the six bamboo.


    At that moment, Little Yifei seemed to catch on to what was happening and quickly said, "Daddy, you made a mistake, don¡¯t you have a seven and eight bamboo? Take it back quick."


    Li Yifei was instantly drenched in sweat, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand also retracted. Little Yifei leaned forward, took the six bamboo back, and inserted it back into place with pomp, saying, "See, now it¡¯s right."


    Li Yifei quickly said with a smile, "Yes, lucky my daughter spotted that for daddy. I wasn¡¯t paying attention just now."


    Little Yifei exclaimed excitedly, "Daddy is so silly, let me help you play."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, however, thought nothing of it and simply assumed Li Yifei¡¯s game was affected because he was holding Little Yifei. They had no idea that Li Yifei was playing along with Xu Shanshan¡¯s mischief.


    Little Yifei was really clever. Watching people play mahjong for the first time, it didn¡¯t take her long to figure it out. Whenever Li Yifei thought about playing casually, she would immediately protest, making it impossible for him to feed cards to Xu Shanshan.


    By this time, Xu Shanshan knew that path was no longer viable and could only rely on her own luck.


    But the card game didn¡¯t last long this time. Little Yifei lost interest after playing for a while and wanted to go downstairs to play. Firecracker sounds were coming from outside, which was far more attractive to her. Now everything revolved around Little Yifei, and Xu Yingying¡¯s parents immediately said they were done playing.


    "Daddy, look, Grandpa bought me lots of firecrackers," Little Yifei said. "I¡¯ve set off many with Grandpa in the past few days. They are really pretty, but there are still some big ones left. Grandpa said you should be the one to set them off with me. Hurry up and let¡¯s go light them!"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Okay, we can set them off. But it¡¯s not the right time yet. We can start with the small ones now, and at midnight, Daddy will take you downstairs to light the big ones. There will be many people setting them off then, and there will also be many beautiful large fireworks."


    "Wife, are you going to come?" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t go out dressed in just pajamas, so he needed to change his clothes and asked Xu Yingying.


    This time Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Let¡¯s go together."


    Li Yifei was somewhat surprised by this. Last year at this time, Xu Yingying was busy with her own things in her room. This year, she was even busier with work, yet today, she decided to come along.


    "Why? You don¡¯t want me to go down?" Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei, frowning as she saw him lost in thought. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "No, no, let¡¯s get changed quickly."


    Both changed their clothes, back to back. Xu Yingying¡¯s mother had already helped Little Yifei get dressed, and Xu Shanshan was also ready.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents were a bit surprised to see their daughter ready to go downstairs. Xu Zhenguo laughed and said, "It¡¯s rare for Yingying to come down like this."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately added with a smile, "That¡¯s good. She shouldn¡¯t always be thinking about work. A woman should pay more attention to her husband and child. That¡¯s how you make a happy family."


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly. She was already familiar with her parents¡¯ nagging. Before, it was about a boyfriend, and now with a husband in name, there were other issues.


    The four of them took some hand-shaking flowers and other little things and went downstairs. Xu Zhenguo had really bought a lot for Little Yifei, and she loved them. She had never played with such things before; she was too young before, and her previous guardians were like a couple holding their treasure, never daring to let her play with anything even slightly dangerous.


    It was not yet four o¡¯clock, and it wasn¡¯t dark yet, but the courtyard of the complex was already lit up with lanterns, festive and full of joy. Many children were already playing with the small fireworks, and Little Yifei ran towards them excitedly. Li Yifei and the two Xin¡¯ers hurried after her.


    Little Yifei mainly wanted to play with the other children, so Xu Shanshan was the one looking after her, leaving Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to stand to one side watching.


    "Now that you have such a daughter, why aren¡¯t you with Ning Xin¡¯er?" Xu Yingying suddenly asked.


    Looking at Xu Yingying, Li Yifei said, "By the time I knew I had this daughter, we were already married."


    "Then I can divorce you, allowing Little Yifei to live with her real parents."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "Do you really dislike Yifei?"


    "It¡¯s not that. Little Yifei is adorable, and I like her a lot. And my parents like her too. But a child should grow up with her parents, to be happier and have a healthier personality. Being with me, you¡¯ve pushed Little Yifei¡¯s mother aside, which is unfair to the child. And as for Ning Xin¡¯er, she bore you a child and endured so much over the years, don¡¯t you think you should compensate her?"


    After pondering for a moment, Li Yifei replied, "Yingying, you¡¯re right, that would normally be the thing to do, but that would be unfair to you. Plus, the one I like is you. Responsibility and affection can sometimes be tough to balance. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to have Yifei stay with us, and Ning Xin¡¯er can come to see us often."


    "What about your plans for Ning Xin¡¯er in the future?" Xu Yingying pressed on.


    "For now... we can only keep things as they are. Ning Xin¡¯er is no ordinary person; she isn¡¯t short of money. Even if I wanted to compensate her financially, she doesn¡¯t need it."


    "A woman who has gone through so much hardship for a man and bore him a daughter, to be cast aside by that man in the end, is grossly unfair," Xu Yingying said coldly. "If it were me, I would despise that man."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s words took a chilly turn, making Li Yifei quite apprehensive. It seemed his words made Xu Yingying rather discontented.

 Chapter 845 - 886: Having this Husband in Her Heart

    Chapter 845: Chapter 886: Having this Husband in Her HeartXu Shanshan sighed, there was a sense of helplessness as she said, "Ah, older sis, you¡¯re just getting mad for no reason. Your husband and Ning Xin¡¯er had no feelings for each other in the past, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be the irresponsible type. It was because Ning Xin¡¯er is quite stubborn that she secretly had the child. Back then you were completely on your husband¡¯s side, fighting to take the child over. Now, however, you¡¯re blaming him for being irresponsible, which is really quite something."


    "Oh, so I agreed." Xu Yingying frowned.


    Xu Shanshan gave her sister another look and said, "Of course you agreed. That was years ago. It¡¯s normal for him to have made some mistakes when he was younger. If anyone is to be blamed, it¡¯s Ning Xin¡¯er. But later on, Ning Xin¡¯er treated you with a lot of respect, and everyone got along quite well."


    "I actually got along well with Ning Xin¡¯er?" Xu Yingying found this even more unbelievable. She was Li Yifei¡¯s wife, and Ning Xin¡¯er was the mother of Li Yifei¡¯s child. Their relationship should have been hostile, but now it was supposedly good.


    "Hehe, sis, I¡¯ve noticed that since you woke up, you¡¯ve become so much more petty. But maybe that¡¯s not a bad thing. At least it shows that you¡¯ve now taken your husband to heart and unconsciously stepped into the role of a wife."


    Xu Yingying was taken aback, then glanced over at Li Yifei. She saw him smiling tenderly at her, which caused her face to flush red. She quickly turned her head away and huffed, "Nonsense."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan both chuckled, making Xu Yingying feel even more embarrassed. Although she didn¡¯t feel affection for Li Yifei in her heart, she had somewhat accepted the relationship and sometimes couldn¡¯t help but assume the role of a wife.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan cheerfully said, "Older sister, stop overthinking. It¡¯s the Lunar New Year, let¡¯s all be happy. As a mother, you should spend some quality time playing with your daughter. Little Yifei really missed you during the time you were unconscious."


    Xu Yingying turned her gaze to Little Yifei, who was happily playing. A wave of tenderness surged in her heart as she said, "I know." She went over to join her daughter in play.


    Xu Shanshan stood next to Li Yifei and nudged him gently with her elbow. "Our older sister seems to have really changed this time."


    "Yeah, I feel like her personality has changed a bit too."


    "I¡¯m a bit worried now. If she acknowledges you as her husband and doesn¡¯t recognize anyone else, what will you do?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "If that¡¯s really the case, it¡¯s going to be a big headache."


    "Then you¡¯re really doomed. See how you¡¯ll face Yunzhu and the others then."


    "Let¡¯s take it slow. I believe your sister will gradually come around."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s going to be a long and difficult task."


    "Even if it¡¯s difficult, I have to make the effort, otherwise I¡¯d be letting them down."


    After playing for a while, Xu Yingying, holding Little Yifei, said, "Let¡¯s go up. Yifei is sweating. We don¡¯t want her to catch a cold."


    Little Yifei pouted, "Can we play a bit longer?"


    Xu Yingying replied softly, "Darling, if you catch a cold, how will you come down later to set off the fireworks?"


    "Okay, let¡¯s go up then. I¡¯ll listen to Mommy."


    "That¡¯s my good girl." Xu Yingying bent down and picked up Little Yifei, exuding a mother¡¯s tender warmth.


    Li Yifei was comforted, seeing Xu Yingying and Little Yifei so close. This was certainly a good beginning.


    Back at home, everyone watched the Spring Festival Gala and made dumplings together. Xu Yingying didn¡¯t retreat to her room to work, which was a great improvement over previous years. Before, all Xu Yingying cared about was work; holidays like the New Year meant nothing to her. Her improvement earned her much praise from her mother.


    At eleven o¡¯clock, everyone went downstairs to set off fireworks. Last year it was only him and Xu Shanshan, but this year Xu Yingying and Little Yifei joined. The dazzling fireworks burst in the sky, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both looked up, while Li Yifei watched the two of them. Their faces, lit intermittently by the fireworks, took on a special kind of beauty. These two women, the closest to him, along with his daughter clapping and laughing¡ªeverything made Li Yifei cherish them even more. For their sake, he couldn¡¯t just seek comfort; he had to strive to strengthen and enlarge the Li family, to protect them for a lifetime.


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan both looked back at him. As their eyes met Li Yifei¡¯s, Xu Shanshan¡¯s gaze softened¡ªhe could see deep affection in his eyes.


    Xu Yingying felt it too, but she dared not meet Li Yifei¡¯s gaze. She quickly turned her head to look elsewhere, her heart pounding with a mix of shyness, fear, and a hint of sweetness.


    Receiving red envelopes during the New Year greetings made Little Yifei the happiest. Sitting on the bed, she counted her money with joy. Seeing the child happy made everyone in the family even happier.


    Then it was time to eat dumplings and gnaw on pig trotters, something all Huaxia people do on the eve of the Lunar New Year. Though it seems monotonous, for some people, it feels entirely different.


    This year, Li Yifei had a home and an added responsibility while partaking in these activities.


    After midnight, everyone was ready for bed. Xu Yingying and Li Yifei returned to their room, where things became somewhat awkward.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to make Xu Yingying uncomfortable and promptly grabbed a quilt, saying, "It¡¯s getting late; we should sleep now. Tomorrow morning, we still have to go greet others for the New Year."


    Watching Li Yifei lay the quilt on the floor, Xu Yingying suddenly said, "You sleep on the bed."


    "You want me to sleep on the bed?" Li Yifei asked with a hint of surprise.


    Xu Yingying blurted out, flustered, "I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. It¡¯s just too cold on the floor, and it¡¯s uncomfortable. I¡¯d be too cruel to let you sleep there. That¡¯s why I¡¯m suggesting you sleep on the bed. But we will sleep separately." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay, then I¡¯ll get on the bed." He hurriedly shifted the quilt up onto the bed.


    Xu Yingying glared at him and said, "You¡¯re grinning so wickedly and moving so fast. Are you harboring any indecent plots?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Wife, you¡¯re wronging me. How would I dare to entertain such thoughts? Without your consent, I would never do anything rash."


    "Really?" Xu Yingying looked at him skeptically.


    Li Yifei immediately raised his hand, "Wife, do I need to swear an oath?"


    "No need for that, though I highly doubt your sincerity," Xu Yingying continued to watch Li Yifei warily.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Wife, after all, I¡¯m your husband, not some guy trying to cheat a girl."


    Xu Yingying evaluated Li Yifei from head to toe, "But... I always feel like I¡¯m about to be duped by you."


    With a woeful expression, Li Yifei asked, "Should I go back to sleeping on the floor then?"


    After a moment of hesitation, Xu Yingying replied, "I¡¯ll trust you this one time. If you dare to do anything, I won¡¯t ever share a bed with you again."


    "I absolutely won¡¯t. It¡¯s not easy for me to finally be able to sleep in a bed. Considering my future happiness, I resolutely won¡¯t do anything rash."


    Xu Yingying then remembered that Li Yifei had been sleeping on the sofa at home since the day she woke up. It really wasn¡¯t fair for him, but he never complained. This husband of hers seemed quite decent, and she also felt a sense of guilt. After all, he was her husband, wasn¡¯t he?


    The lights off, Xu Yingying got into bed but stayed at the edge, not daring to get too close to Li Yifei. She was even more nervous inside. Sharing a bed with a man was truly strange to her, and she worried that Li Yifei might suddenly do something, especially since he was her legal husband. Even if he did something, it would be entirely normal.


    What could she do if Li Yifei tried something now? Resist and cry out? That wouldn¡¯t work either; it would wake up her parents and let them know the two were arguing over such matters. They would be very worried. Having a wife that doesn¡¯t let her husband touch her would surely be a sign of a significant issue in their marriage.


    But should she just let Li Yifei have his way? She wasn¡¯t prepared for that. Even if they had been intimate before, she hadn¡¯t genuinely fallen for Li Yifei yet, and the thought of being with him in that way was something she couldn¡¯t accept.


    Xu Yingying was in a dilemma, not knowing what she would do if Li Yifei really made a move. Instinctively, all she could do was keep a nervous watch for his reactions.


    But Li Yifei lay there properly all along, showing no signs of invading her space, which gradually helped her relax. Besides, it was getting very late, and she was close to falling asleep.


    Suddenly, she became alert again. What if Li Yifei took advantage of her slumber to try something?


    "I can¡¯t sleep; I can¡¯t sleep; I must wait until he¡¯s asleep before I can allow myself to sleep."


    Li Yifei had managed not to act inappropriately during this time, not even with Xu Shanshan, so he¡¯d been leading a celibate lifestyle. As a normal and exceptionally vigorous man, to say he didn¡¯t have desires would be nonsense. His wife was lying beside him, and he couldn¡¯t even touch her; this was torture for him.


    Feeling Xu Yingying¡¯s tension and vigilance, Li Yifei knew this was not an opportunity to break through the barriers in their relationship. Although he desired to embrace Xu Shanshan, if only for a bit of satisfaction, he dismissed the thought and forced himself into sleep mode, soon drifting into dreams.

 Chapter 846 - 887 A Little Bit of Affection

    Chapter 846: Chapter 887 A Little Bit of AffectionXu Yingying tossed and turned for a long time without falling asleep. Even though she could hear Li Yifei¡¯s steady breathing and his faint snoring, she still didn¡¯t quite believe that Li Yifei was actually asleep. Instead, she suspected he was feigning sleep, waiting for her to fall asleep before he would start to make his moves.


    This might be a trait shared by every girl who shares a bed for the first time with a guy she isn¡¯t very close with, but, after all, there aren¡¯t many girls who would have such an experience.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t know when she had fallen asleep, but when Li Yifei nudged her, she woke up immediately, clutching the blanket tightly and asking, "What are you trying to do?"


    Li Yifei pointed outside the window and said, "It¡¯s already light out. Shouldn¡¯t we be getting up?"


    "Ah? Daylight already..." Xu Yingying noticed only then that the room was very bright and that the voices of her parents could be heard from outside.


    "You definitely didn¡¯t sleep well last night. I called you for half the day, and you didn¡¯t wake up. Really, don¡¯t you trust me at all?"


    "Well... with you sleeping next to me, I really felt uneasy, so I couldn¡¯t sleep."


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and said, "It was the same last year at this time, and after a year, nothing has changed."


    Xu Yingying gave an awkward smile and said, "Then you go out first."


    Li Yifei nodded, pointed to Xu Yingying¡¯s dark circles, and asked, "Do you want me to rub them a bit? You¡¯ve got dark circles under your eyes."


    "No... no need! I can do it myself." Xu Yingying was even more embarrassed¡ªshe had worried for nothing all night, and Li Yifei hadn¡¯t done anything after all. She really made a fuss over nothing, and even ended up with dark circles.


    "I should help you out. Otherwise, when you go out later and mom and dad see your dark circles, they might think we were fighting last night and that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t sleep well."


    "This... you really know how to do it?"


    "I have some confidence. If it doesn¡¯t work, you can do whatever you want with me."


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded her head.


    Li Yifei sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Lie down. It¡¯s inconvenient for me to do it while you¡¯re sitting."


    Xu Yingying did as told and lied down, clutching the blanket to just below her neck. Although her eyes were closed, her eyelids couldn¡¯t help but twitch involuntarily.


    "Relax. You don¡¯t see me as your husband, but you don¡¯t have to be on guard against me like I¡¯m a thief."


    "I¡¯m not..." Xu Yingying stubbornly replied, but her heart felt rather uneasy; she indeed treated Li Yifei that way.


    "Sure, sure. You don¡¯t see me as a thief. You just guarded against me like a pervert all night long."


    Xu Yingying opened her eyes and glared at Li Yifei, but then she couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh and said, "Alright, I know you¡¯re not a pervert. Hurry up and help me with this."


    "That¡¯s better. Guarding against your husband like he¡¯s a thief, you must be the first in the world to do so."


    As Li Yifei spoke, his fingers had already touched Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead, and he immediately felt her head twitch slightly.


    Li Yifei was truly caught between laughter and tears. This was his own wife, and yet she reacted so much at a mere touch. He had no choice but to pretend he didn¡¯t notice, his fingers massaging around the orbits of Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes. This would help improve the blood circulation there and naturally make the dark circles disappear quickly.


    At first, Xu Yingying was indeed very tense, but as Li Yifei continued to massage for a while, she began to feel very comfortable, and her spirit also relaxed. Li Yifei didn¡¯t make any unnecessary movements and was actually very proper.


    But after a while, Xu Yingying felt that Li Yifei¡¯s movements were getting slower, and then his hands were directly placed on her face, even gently caressing.


    "What... what are you doing?" Xu Yingying suddenly tensed up again and stared at Li Yifei, stammering.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body shook slightly, and with tender eyes still on her, he apologized, "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself looking at your face like this."


    "Hurry... get your hands off." At that moment, Xu Yingying was like a little girl, no longer having the aura of the commanding CEO.


    Only then did Li Yifei remember that his hands were still on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, and he quickly took them away, saying a bit sulkily, "You¡¯re not really mad, are you?"


    Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t angry at this moment, and beyond the shyness, she truly felt apologetic. She said, "I¡¯m sorry, I really can¡¯t step into the role of a wife right now. Give me some time, okay?"


    Li Yifei was genuinely surprised and delighted. He asked, "Honey, do you really think so?"


    Xu Yingying met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, and from his eyes, she could tell how overjoyed he was, which made her tone soften as she said, "Although I can¡¯t remember at all how you became my husband after waking up, from all the signs, it¡¯s certain you are my husband, and I¡¯m not denying that. I¡¯ve been unfair to you, and I¡¯ve hurt you, so I still want to slowly accept you as my husband."


    "Alright, alright, then I won¡¯t rush you, as long as you can think this way," Li Yifei stood up, rubbing his hands and turned around twice, clearly showing his excitement to the point that even with his self-restraint, he made such an unconscious gesture.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle and said, "Look how happy you are."


    Li Yifei ruffled his hair and said with a naive smile, "Of course I¡¯m happy, ecstatic!"


    A sweet feeling surged in Xu Yingying¡¯s heart. To make a man this excited just from a few words from her felt truly wonderful. She playfully said, "Alright, alright, hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face. We are legally married, what, are you afraid I¡¯ll run away?"


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, cheered by Xu Yingying¡¯s flirtatious smile. Only after she urged him again did he leave the bedroom.


    In the bathroom, Li Yifei did his business first. Just as he was about to pull up his pants, the door opened, and Xu Shanshan appeared before him. The two looked at each other, finding the situation somewhat amusing. This scene was just like last year when Li Yifei first came to Xu Yingying¡¯s home and encountered Xu Shanshan in the bathroom. It was as if time had reversed, and they both had traveled back.


    "Stinky brother-in-law, why didn¡¯t you lock the door?" Xu Shanshan pretended to scold Li Yifei, then glanced at him and covered her nose, saying, "It really stinks." She turned and saw Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying happened to come out at that moment and frowned upon seeing Xu Shanshan behaving in such a manner. She said, "Shanshan, don¡¯t you know to knock first before entering the bathroom?"


    "I didn¡¯t see anything, what are you afraid of?" Xu Shanshan said with a mischievous laugh and then called into the bathroom, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t forget to turn on the exhaust fan. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to wash my face later." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei inside responded, and then Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue at Xu Yingying and said, "I let you go first, after all, he¡¯s your husband, you won¡¯t mind the stink."


    Xu Yingying spat at Xu Shanshan. Recently, she could feel that Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan got along really well, but she didn¡¯t sense anything inappropriate between them, at most Li Yifei would give Xu Shanshan a foot rub. She had been a little worried there might be something between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, but now she wasn¡¯t worried anymore.


    However, at that moment, Xu Shanshan was sizing up Xu Yingying with a tilted head. Xu Yingying felt uncomfortable being stared at and asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Xu Shanshan suddenly grinned, saying, "I say, big sis, you seem in a really good mood today, huh..." Then she leaned in close to Xu Yingying¡¯s ear and whispered, "Did brother-in-law give you some ¡¯nourishment¡¯ last night?"


    Xu Yingying immediately blushed and pinched Xu Shanshan¡¯s arm, both shy and annoyed, and said, "What nonsense are you spouting?"


    Xu Shanshan had a mischievous smile and said, "Well, look at you all spring in your eyes. It must be, hehe... But you and brother-in-law are a legitimate couple, so whatever you do is normal, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about."


    "Naughty girl, keep spouting nonsense, and watch me tear your mouth!" Xu Yingying threatened, scrunching up her hand.


    Xu Shanshan giggled and ran away just as their mother came in, laughing, "You two sisters are all grown up, and still, first thing in the morning you¡¯re at each other¡¯s throats."


    Xu Yingying huffed and asked, "Where¡¯s Yifei?"


    The mention of her granddaughter instantly brought a smile to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s face. "She went to bed late last night and hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Let her sleep a bit more, and we¡¯ll call her for breakfast."


    By the time Li Yifei came out after freshening up, Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes were immediately on him, asking, "Brother-in-law, you also seem to be in a great mood today."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "New year, new atmosphere, naturally I need to be in high spirits."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents also noticed that Li Yifei was very spirited today, and Xu Yingying herself looked much better than yesterday, which made them very happy. A loving couple would lead to more harmony, and that¡¯s what parents like to see the most.


    Xu Yingying read something in her parent¡¯s expressions that made her feel rather awkward. She thought they must assume she and Li Yifei had done ¡¯that¡¯ last night, which was a big misunderstanding, but, of course, she couldn¡¯t explain it. She could only let her parents misunderstand, thinking the more they misunderstood, perhaps the less they would worry.


    But seeing Li Yifei there smugly snickering, Xu Yingying felt a bit annoyed. When no one was paying attention, she stealthily pinched Li Yifei and said in a low voice with glaring eyes, "Can¡¯t you stop smiling so smugly?"


    Li Yifei chuckled again and said, "If I¡¯m happy, of course I¡¯ll want to smile."


    "Look at your silly face," Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei but couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile herself. Making Li Yifei happy also suddenly gave her a sense of happiness.

 Chapter 847 - 888 Heart-to-Heart

    Chapter 847: Chapter 888 Heart-to-HeartCelebrating the New Year requires paying visits to relatives. Last year, the five members of the family all went together, but this year, with Little Yifei, the Xu Zhenguo Couple ultimately decided not to go. Although they regarded Little Yifei as their own granddaughter, others might not see her the same way, especially those relatives. Seeing Little Yifei might prompt them to say some unpleasant things, and if she overheard anything hurtful, it would harm the child.


    Even if those words were said to them, they wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable either. So, this year¡¯s visit to the relatives¡¯ homes was left to Li Yifei, who took Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan with him.


    Li Yifei was in charge of driving, with Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying sitting in the back. Xu Shanshan leaned on the back of the front seat, tilting her head to ask Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, are you unhappy about not bringing Yifei along?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m not unhappy. I just feel that this matter has caused trouble for Mom and Dad and might lead to criticism from others. I feel I have let them down."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly and said, "Didn¡¯t you see how happy Mom and Dad were to see Little Yifei? You really don¡¯t need to worry about it."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "I understand that Mom and Dad genuinely like Yifei, but I always feel like I owe them, and for your sister, it¡¯s also an embarrassing situation."


    Xu Shanshan turned her head to look at her sister and said, "Hey, big sis, are you embarrassed?"


    The direct question made Xu Yingying roll her eyes. Honestly, something like visiting relatives with Yifei would indeed be embarrassing for her. However, she had come to like Little Yifei quite a bit now, and said, "I have to admit, I do feel a bit embarrassed, but I think I¡¯ll get over it in time."


    This honest admission didn¡¯t contradict how Xu Yingying felt, and Li Yifei understood her, saying, "Yingying, I¡¯m really sorry for making you suffer like this."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a side-eyed look and said, "Unless I divorce you, I have no choice but to bear it, right?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed out loud and said, "Exactly, you can¡¯t get a divorce. That would waste all the effort I put in back then."


    Soon, they arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s grandfather¡¯s home. After the usual New Year¡¯s greetings, Xu Yingying handed out quite a few red envelopes to the younger relatives. The children from their hometown liked Xu Yingying a lot, as they always got red envelopes from her every year.


    It was Li Yifei¡¯s second-year visiting, and he got to know everyone a bit better. The young people immediately invited him to play cards, all hoping to win some money from their brother-in-law, especially since Xu Yingying was a company president.


    Li Yifei just casually played along with them, not minding letting them win a bit. They were all relatives, after all. If he could make them happy by losing some money, what of it?


    Meanwhile, Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were caught up in chats with their aunts. The atmosphere at home was incredibly lively.


    After playing for a while, they started eating, and the alcohol flowed freely, especially among the younger people, who wanted to win Li Yifei¡¯s money by getting him to drink more until he became slightly confused, making it easier to win.


    Li Yifei drank as much as they wished, almost half a liter of white spirit.


    Xu Yingying was genuinely worried to see Li Yifei drink so much. When another relative offered to pour him more, she hastily intervened, "You can¡¯t drink anymore; you¡¯ve already had so much."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s alright. I can handle this amount of alcohol."


    Xu Yingying glared at him and said, "What do you mean, ¡¯no problem¡¯? You¡¯ve already had more than half a liter."


    A younger cousin chuckled and teased, "Brother-in-law, what, are you scared of your wife now?"


    Li Yifei raised an eyebrow and replied, "Scared? How could I be scared of your sister? She¡¯s just concerned about me. But..." Pausing, he smirked and continued, "If I drink anymore, I might just fall asleep, and then you guys will miss your chance to win my money."


    Upon hearing this, the young men dared not pressure Li Yifei to drink further. The party at the dining table soon dispersed, and they dragged Li Yifei off to play cards again.


    This allowed Xu Yingying to breathe a sigh of relief. She had been quite concerned that her younger brothers might get Li Yifei excessively drunk. At this moment, Xu Shanshan approached, whispering with a giggly smile, "Sis, I think you¡¯re starting to realize what it means to be a wife."


    "Nonsense!" Xu Yingying jumped, quickly scanning the room to ensure no one was paying attention to their conversation. Relieved that nobody noticed, she gave Xu Shanshan an annoyed glare and said, "Are you trying to make everyone in the family aware of my amnesia?"


    "No, I¡¯m just happy for you. You and brother-in-law used to be so affectionate. Now, it feels awkward, and I really wish you two could be like before."


    Xu Yingying huffed, feeling deep down that she truly wanted to know how affectionate she and Li Yifei used to be. However, she was too embarrassed to ask her sister about it, let alone anyone else.


    Li Yifei ended up playing with those kids until after eleven o¡¯clock. It was only because the elders had things to say that the kids finally let Li Yifei go. Li Yifei actually lost over two thousand yuan to them. Each of his young cousins had won some, all looking exceptionally thrilled.


    This time, Li Yifei went straight to the room on the west side. This was the room he and Xu Yingying stayed in last year. A year had passed and nothing had changed, except now Xu Yingying was already lying in bed, facing inward, with a comforter over her, leaving another comforter for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t asleep. As he undressed, he said, "Those kids, they finally let me go."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t turn around, but replied softly, "That¡¯s just how they are. They used to want to win against me, but I wouldn¡¯t play with them. Now, they¡¯ve finally caught their chance."


    Li Yifei sat on the edge of the bed and laughed, "Who else would they pick on if not their brother-in-law? It¡¯s normal for younger brothers-in-law to tease their sister¡¯s husband."


    "Mm! Thank you."


    "What are you thanking me for? This is what it feels like to have a family. If they didn¡¯t pick on me, I¡¯d actually feel uncomfortable."


    Having undressed, Li Yifei wore his shirt and trousers to bed, lifted the comforter, and pressed half of it over Xu Yingying. She tensed up and asked nervously, "What... what are you doing?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "It gets cold here in the middle of the night. I¡¯d better cover you up a bit. Last year we both slept here, and it was so cold late at night that we ended up cuddling together."


    "Ah..." Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine what it would feel like to sleep cuddled up with Li Yifei. His words made her feel both embarrassed and awkward.


    "Hehe... So by covering you up, you won¡¯t have to cuddle with me when it gets cold later on."


    "You..." Xu Yingying bit her lip, slowly turned around to face Li Yifei, and said, "Why did you tell me? If you hadn¡¯t said anything, wouldn¡¯t that have given us a chance to get closer?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Silly wife, it¡¯s different now than before. I might have had some intentions of taking advantage before, but now you¡¯re my wife. I love and respect you. You don¡¯t yet see me as your husband, so let¡¯s take it slow. I believe that eventually, you¡¯ll truly accept me as your husband from your heart, not because of an accident or a special situation that brought us together."


    Xu Yingying stared at Li Yifei, then finally shook her head and said, "In my memory, you¡¯ve always been casual, talkative, and lazy. I never would have thought you¡¯d be so responsible."


    "Being married is different from being unmarried. A married man has ties to his family, and a sense of responsibility naturally develops. I have to take responsibility for my wife, for our home."


    Xu Yingying suddenly smiled brightly, "Alright, you¡¯ve achieved a certain amount of success now, and you¡¯ve greatly changed my impression of you. At the very least, I¡¯m not opposed to having you as my husband anymore."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up, "That¡¯s great news. It looks like progress is really quite good."


    "Don¡¯t be smug. Listen, to really be my husband, you need to continue to perform well. Only when you truly satisfy me will I acknowledge you as my husband."


    "No problem. I¡¯ll definitely do well and make sure that my wife acknowledges me soon!" Li Yifei beamed, looking at Xu Yingying¡¯s radiant face, feeling quite stirred inside. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling Li Yifei¡¯s intense gaze, Xu Yingying immediately chided, "What¡¯s with that look? I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not allowed to have any crazy ideas."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it and just chuckled guiltily, "That... I really did have some thoughts. Alright, I¡¯ll stop thinking about it now."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t blame Li Yifei. She was an adult and had learned that men¡¯s desires are generally much stronger than women¡¯s. She and Li Yifei had been husband and wife for over half a year, and with her unconscious for over two months, plus this period of time, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t touched her. For a man, such restraint was indeed a great challenge.


    Xu Yingying bit her lip and said, "Yifei, I know this is very painful and unfair for you, but I... I really can¡¯t agree to you right now..."


    Li Yifei smiled softly, gently stroked Xu Yingying¡¯s head, and said, "Silly wife, don¡¯t overthink it. Let¡¯s go to sleep, it¡¯s late."


    Xu Yingying nodded, smiled at Li Yifei, lay flat, and closed her eyes.


    Tonight, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t feel the same anxiety as the night before. She slept soundly and warmly. The man beside her had unconsciously gained her complete trust.


    For a woman, it might take a long time to lose all wariness towards a man, but since the two were already husband and wife, and their bodies had grown accustomed to each other, even if Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t remember, her instincts should not resist Li Yifei as her husband.

 Chapter 848 - 889: Tugging at the Heartstrings

    Chapter 848: Chapter 889: Tugging at the HeartstringsXu Yingying had no idea how long she had slept when she woke up. Her body felt warm, but due to the low temperature in the room, her forehead was cold. For someone accustomed to living in heated and air-conditioned rooms, this was somewhat discomforting.


    The room was dimly lit. After adjusting for a while, she could finally make out her surroundings. The first thing she did was look at Li Yifei beside her.


    Li Yifei had very little quilt covering him, with most of it piled on her, making her part of the bed warm. But the thought of Li Yifei having only a thin layer of quilt in such cold weather troubled her.


    Even though it was very cold, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t taken the opportunity to slip under her quilt while she was asleep, which moved Xu Yingying to the brink of tears. Looking at his pale face from the cold, she almost became lost in thought. He was her husband, the man she had lived with for almost half a year.


    Having just woken up, she genuinely couldn¡¯t imagine how she ended up marrying Li Yifei, a man who seemed so out of sync. Yet, seeing how considerate he was now, Xu Yingying felt that Li Yifei truly was a good man, a suitable husband.


    Noticing Li Yifei¡¯s body twitch and his hand reaching for the quilt, seemingly about to pull it to his side, she saw that he didn¡¯t actually pull it. The quilt remained on her.


    This realization brought a pang of sorrow to Xu Yingying¡¯s heart. Even in his sleep, Li Yifei remembered to keep her warm. What an incredible husband he was, yet she had persistently refused to acknowledge him and regarded him as a stranger.


    She gently bit her lip and carefully lifted her quilt, then quietly draped it over Li Yifei, pulling his quilt over both of them. Now they both had two layers of quilts on them, and they truly shared the same quilt.


    After doing all this, Xu Yingying¡¯s heart raced uncontrollably. She was afraid Li Yifei would wake up and embarrass her, but fortunately, he slept deeply and wasn¡¯t disturbed by her movements.


    Li Yifei¡¯s body temperature was clearly lower than hers. Although they weren¡¯t touching, Xu Yingying could sense a hint of coolness, which only moved her more. Li Yifei, her husband, was truly good to her.


    The quilts covering them were homemade from the countryside¡ªbought quilt covers sewn together, which made them neither large nor substantial, measuring merely one and a half meters wide and two meters long. Sufficient for one person, but for two, it felt small. Combined with the distance between Xu Yingying and Li Yifei, and Xu Yingying¡¯s arm being exposed, it was quite cold.


    Li Yifei was in the same situation. Thus, neither of them was completely warmed.


    Xu Yingying wanted to get closer to Li Yifei, but she lacked the courage to do so and was at a loss.


    Given Li Yifei¡¯s alertness, it was unlikely he hadn¡¯t woken up from what Xu Yingying had done, which delighted him greatly. Yet, to avoid embarrassing her, he pretended to remain asleep.


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s dilemma, Li Yifei felt a bit heartbroken. He couldn¡¯t let the situation continue, as that would only result in Xu Yingying being cold. But making any movement that might embarrass Xu Yingying was also challenging.


    Li Yifei was sharp-witted, so while Xu Yingying was inexperienced in these matters, he was not. He maintained the pretense of sleeping while subtly changing his position from lying on his back to his side, facing Xu Yingying. With this twist, he naturally drew the quilt toward her, wrapping her entire body, thereby bridging the gap between them and ensuring they both had enough quilt.


    This sudden movement, however, terrified Xu Yingying, her lips parting slightly as her heart raced uncontrollably. She didn¡¯t know if Li Yifei was awake and what he might do.


    After waiting a while and seeing that Li Yifei didn¡¯t do anything or touch her¡ªjust laying on his side, the warmth of his breath tickling her face pleasantly¡ªXu Yingying¡¯s heart gradually calmed, and sleepiness overtook her once more.


    The sound of footsteps and voices outside awoke Xu Yingying, and it was only seven o¡¯clock. People in the countryside rise early, especially the elderly, who are light sleepers, meaning there was already someone up preparing breakfast.


    After waking up, Xu Yingying immediately noticed an awkward situation. She was tightly cuddled up with Li Yifei, his arm under her neck, her arm on his chest, and one leg over his legs. From this position, it was clear that none of this was Li Yifei¡¯s doing, but her own movement during sleep.


    This made her both embarrassed and shy. She stealthily glanced at Li Yifei, who still seemed to be sleeping deeply, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. Carefully, she first lifted her leg and then her arm to change into a lying position, but she didn¡¯t dare move Li Yifei¡¯s arm, fearing it would wake him. For now, that¡¯s how it had to be¡ªeven if Li Yifei woke up, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid anymore.


    Just as everything was in place, barely two minutes later, Li Yifei¡¯s body slightly moved and Xu Yingying¡¯s heart immediately started to pound. She hurriedly closed her eyes tight, pretending to be asleep.


    Li Yifei had actually woken up earlier but waited until Xu Yingying had finished before he pretended to wake up then. Feeling her in his arms was a boundlessly blissful experience for him that night. He had never realized before how blissful it was to hold his wife while sleeping, but after having lost this feeling once, experiencing it again felt profoundly different.


    At that moment, Li Yifei certainly couldn¡¯t let Xu Yingying feel awkward. This hard-earned happiness could not be lost again, so he quickly acted startled and very carefully, little by little, withdrew his arm from underneath Xu Yingying¡¯s neck.


    From the corner of her eyes, Xu Yingying saw Li Yifei¡¯s apprehensive look and really felt a bit guilty inside, but at that point, she could only play dumb¡ªotherwise, she didn¡¯t know how to face Li Yifei.


    Both had pretended once, and then they lay flat, continuing to feign deep sleep for a while.


    In fact, Li Yifei really didn¡¯t want to wake up just yet. Being in the same blanket with Xu Yingying genuinely made him happy, but maintaining one position was fine for sleeping, not so when he was awake; it was indeed painful. He couldn¡¯t let his own happiness cause discomfort to Xu Yingying, so he was the first to open his eyes and then pretended to be surprised as he said, "I... How did we end up in the same blanket?"


    Xu Yingying too immediately opened her eyes. She had been lying uncomfortably and seemed very surprised as she stared at Li Yifei, asking, "Did you do this on purpose?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Confronted with Xu Yingying¡¯s feigned anger, Li Yifei felt secretly delighted inside, but his face showed an expression of grievance as he said, "I really don¡¯t know. I fell asleep and just woke up now. I definitely didn¡¯t do it on purpose. You have to believe me!"


    Xu Yingying huffed and pretended to be magnanimous as she said, "Alright, I believe you. Hurry and get up."


    Li Yifei repeatedly agreed and jumped out of bed, quickly getting dressed.


    Xu Yingying secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Being so hypocritical was truly uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t know how else to face Li Yifei, so that would have to do for now.


    After Li Yifei got dressed, he also tucked Xu Yingying¡¯s sweater into the blanket and said, "It¡¯s cold in the room, your clothes are chilly too. Warm them up first before you get dressed."


    "Oh..." Xu Yingying watched Li Yifei leave, suddenly feeling a surge of happiness inside.


    She had always been strong-willed, managing everything by herself since she was young. Besides her parents, she never needed anyone else¡¯s care, and such intimate attention from others seemed like a very distant memory.


    Often, it¡¯s not necessarily the big events that show how much one person cares for another but rather the accumulation of little things in daily life. A simple act, a simple word from Li Yifei, touched Xu Yingying¡¯s heart profoundly.


    After a while, Xu Yingying got up to get dressed. The sweater and thermal pants felt warm on her body, warmth that felt like it was given by Li Yifei, which was truly comforting and sweet.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t finished getting dressed when Li Yifei came back carrying a basin of warm water, saying, "I got you some hot water. Come wash up quickly."


    Xu Yingying got out of bed, frowning and teasingly said, "Really, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. If your cousins see this, they¡¯ll certainly laugh at you."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Let them laugh. Showing I care about you in front of your relatives actually gives you more face. If I acted all macho, wouldn¡¯t that just worry your relatives?"


    Being strong-willed and somewhat concerned with appearances, Xu Yingying found his words appealing to her pride, and she smiled at Li Yifei, saying, "Alright, alright. When we go to your relatives¡¯, I¡¯ll make you look good too."


    However, Li Yifei suddenly felt uneasy inside. At his relatives¡¯, Ning Xin¡¯er was his wife, and he would definitely have to visit them for the New Year. How would he explain the situation to Xu Yingying then? It seemed like a trivial matter, yet it appeared to be a problem hard to solve.

 Chapter 849 - 890 Xu Yingying Gets Angry

    Chapter 849: Chapter 890 Xu Yingying Gets AngryDuring the New Year¡¯s period, Xu Yingying was truly happy. Even though she hadn¡¯t regained her memory, her attitude towards Li Yifei had visibly improved, especially in the presence of her parents where their displays of affection seemed more natural.


    The main reason was Li Yifei¡¯s identity as her husband, which instinctively made Xu Yingying less resistant towards him. Plus, the way Li Yifei had behaved recently satisfied her greatly, so her attitude towards him naturally grew better.


    Considering such developments, Li Yifei had every reason to believe that it wouldn¡¯t take long before he could lead a true married life with Xu Yingying and truly have her accept him as her husband.


    Happy times always flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the fourth day of the new year. Li Yifei and Xu Yingying returned to Mile City. Although the Xu Zhenguo couple was reluctant to let their daughter and son-in-law leave, Li Yifei had his own family to consider. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for the couple to spend all their time at her parents¡¯ place and neglect his family.


    But this also troubled Li Yifei as he watched Xu Yingying enthusiastically prepare gifts for their relatives. He couldn¡¯t explain in front of her parents, and the more Xu Yingying elaborated, the less he could explain. He could imagine how angry she would be when she found out she couldn¡¯t go.


    Xu Shanshan, who stood by, looked at Li Yifei sympathetically. She knew this situation was tricky and wondered if the current Xu Yingying could accept it. Supposedly, there would have been no issue upon their return, but now, she had to accompany them back to help Li Yifei smooth things over, knowing he couldn¡¯t manage alone.


    On their way back to Mile City, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mention it until they got home.


    Little Yifei also came back this time, and she was less than pleased with their small home, pouting, "Daddy, why aren¡¯t we going back to that home? It¡¯s so much bigger?"


    Xu Yingying, puzzled, asked, "Which home?"


    Xu Shanshan quickly replied, "Yifei often stays with Mengxin and the others; everyone likes her, so she has come to think of that place as her home."


    Xu Yingying frowned, "That¡¯s not good, that¡¯s not our home, it would bother others."


    Xu Shanshan hurriedly added, "But Ning Xin¡¯er is there, and children should see their mother. We shouldn¡¯t say too much about it. It also makes Yifei¡¯s meetings with Ning Xin¡¯er more natural, so it won¡¯t leave her with any psychological scars, and you agreed to this."


    "Oh, so that¡¯s it..." Xu Yingying felt that something might be amiss, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact reason, so she let it go for the moment.


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a look and coughed softly.


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at Li Yifei with a somewhat awkward expression, and Xu Yingying, now suspicious, asked, "What are you guys doing?"


    With an awkward smile, Xu Shanshan grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s arm and pulled her to the sofa, saying, "Sis, you might get upset over what we¡¯re about to say, but we still need to inform you."


    "What is it exactly?" Xu Yingying¡¯s frown deepened.


    "Um... your brother-in-law is going to his relatives¡¯ house, and you can¡¯t go."


    "Why?" Xu Yingying was puzzled. She was already nervous about meeting Li Yifei¡¯s family, having no memory or impression of them or whether they would get along, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s words only added to her confusion.


    "Well... the last time your brother-in-law went back to his hometown, he took... Ning Xin¡¯er."


    "Why?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei knew Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction would be strong, but seeing her genuinely upset still unnerved him. "That time, I happened to run into the Fourth Aunt, and Ning Xin¡¯er and I were there to pick up the children..."


    Li Yifei explained everything in detail, observing Xu Yingying¡¯s expressions as he spoke, but her expressions didn¡¯t improve, clearly unable to fully accept this explanation.


    "Why didn¡¯t you clarify this misunderstanding at the time? Even if it was a mistake then and there wasn¡¯t time to explain, you could have taken me back to your relatives¡¯ place later and explained it, couldn¡¯t you? Do you still think about being with Ning Xin¡¯er, is that why you refused to explain?"


    Li Yifei wryly smiled, "I admit I didn¡¯t consider it thoroughly at the time; my wife, this is all my fault. Let¡¯s go back together this time, and I¡¯ll explain everything to them."


    "Do you think I really want to go back with you?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "Don¡¯t blame everything on your brother-in-law. You¡¯re so busy with work that you hardly have time for anything else, let alone for your husband. You didn¡¯t go back to your hometown because you didn¡¯t have time, would your brother-in-law have let Ning Xin¡¯er go with him if you had been available? Do you think he¡¯d have continued this mistake on purpose?"


    "Are you saying it¡¯s my fault?" Xu Yingying glared at her sister.


    "Hmph, it¡¯s not just your brother-in-law¡¯s fault alone, you are also responsible. It¡¯s unfair to dump everything on him, and I can¡¯t stand to see that."


    "Whose sister are you, anyway?"


    "I¡¯m just being factual and objective about this; of course, I hope the two of you get along well. Who would hope you argue?"


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan was full of vigor, not yielding as she locked eyes with Xu Yingying. Even if Xu Yingying had heard what was said between them, she was unclear about the details or how she had behaved herself, so she truly couldn¡¯t judge correctly whether she was also at fault in the matter.


    "Hmph, fine, I won¡¯t go then. Go find Ning Xin¡¯er," Xu Yingying snorted, stood up, and returned to her room, slamming the door shut with a bang.


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with a bitter smile; their relationship had just begun to improve, and it seemed as if it had regressed back to square one in the blink of an eye.


    Xu Shanshan waved her hand confidently and said, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine. You can¡¯t always give in to her. Sometimes you need to argue with her; otherwise, how can you act like a married couple?"


    Li Yifei shook his head helplessly. Under these circumstances, there was not much else he could do. Ning Xin¡¯er had already upset Xu Yingying so much; if she knew about the relationships he had with those other people, he could only imagine how Xu Yingying might react without her memories.


    "What¡¯s wrong with mom?" Little Yifei, who had been timidly standing by, asked softly now.


    Li Yifei picked up Little Yifei and said, "Nothing, daddy did something wrong, and mommy is mad at daddy."


    Little Yifei immediately responded, "If you did something wrong, you should be scolded. Our teacher said that admitting mistakes is what good children do. Daddy, go apologize to mommy quickly."


    Li Yifei was amused by his daughter and said, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll go apologize to mommy."


    "Hurry up; I¡¯ll supervise." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, holding his daughter, entered the bedroom where Xu Yingying was sitting on the bed with a very unpleasant expression on her face.


    Little Yifei climbed down from Li Yifei¡¯s arms and ran to Xu Yingying¡¯s side. She grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, her little face serious, and said firmly, "Mommy, I told daddy to come and apologize to you. Scold him hard so he knows his mistake."


    Xu Yingying was indeed very angry; after all, Li Yifei was her husband, and yet he was going to bring another woman to meet his family. How could she accept this?


    But Little Yifei¡¯s adorable and serious demeanor almost made her laugh, and her expression softened considerably. She lifted her daughter onto her lap and asked, "Daughter, tell me, who do you like more, Ning Xin¡¯er or me?"


    "I like both, both you and Xin¡¯er¡¯s mom have been very nice to me."


    "Suppose you had to choose one?"


    "That..." Little Yifei tilted her head, nibbling on her finger in thought, then shook her head and said, "Why should I choose one? If you¡¯re both Yifei¡¯s mom, Yifei is very happy. If one of you stops being my mom, then I¡¯ll have one less person to love me, and I wouldn¡¯t be happy then."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "Well, you¡¯re really quite something, eating from the bowl and looking at what¡¯s in the pot."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Yingying, I have already admitted my mistake. If you¡¯re willing to go with me, I would rather suffer scolding from my relatives. It¡¯s not a big deal."


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "That¡¯s what you said, then I¡¯ll go with you."


    "Are you really coming with me?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying somewhat skeptically.


    "Of course, I need to be there. Why should I let someone else handle this?" Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, but she saw that he wasn¡¯t troubled but instead was smiling broadly. Suddenly realizing she was fighting for the title of wife, she felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Don¡¯t be so proud. After all, I am legally your wife."


    "Right, right, then please, my wife, accompany me to meet my family tomorrow."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s joyful face, Xu Yingying felt a bit hesitant and questioned, "Is it really okay for me to go? Won¡¯t it cause a lot of trouble for you?"


    "Whether it¡¯s troublesome or not doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m going to visit my relatives and, of course, I should bring my own wife. Bringing Xin¡¯er along isn¡¯t quite right anyway; sooner or later, the truth would come out, and that would be even more troublesome."


    Hearing Li Yifei speak this way, Xu Yingying felt even better, clearly becoming more important in his heart, and she no longer wanted to delve into the issue of him bringing Ning Xin¡¯er along.


    However, at that moment, Little Yifei looked up and said, "Daddy, why not bring both Xin¡¯er¡¯s mom and mommy along? After all, they both are my mommies, it would be nice if everyone could go together."


    These innocent words from a child echoed in Li Yifei¡¯s mind. Regardless of who her mommies were to Little Yifei, they were all her mommies, yet this statement made Li Yifei apprehensive, wondering if Xu Yingying might overthink it again.

 Chapter 850 - 891: Little Yifei, Big Personality

    Chapter 850: Chapter 891: Little Yifei, Big PersonalityXu Yingying did not get as angry as Li Yifei had imagined, but gently said, "Wasn¡¯t it always Xin¡¯er¡¯s mom who accompanied you before? Why do you want mom to go with her too? Is it because your dad always teaches you this?"


    Li Yifei felt a twinge of guilt, as Xu Yingying was clearly trying to coax words out of Little Yifei.


    Little Yifei blinked and said, "No, I just feel that mom treats me well, and so does Xin¡¯er¡¯s mom. It would be fun for us all to go together."


    Xu Yingying stroked Little Yifei¡¯s head and said, "Mom has some business at the company and cannot go with you tomorrow. Let Xin¡¯er¡¯s mom accompany you, and maybe mom can join you next time, okay?"


    "Okay!" Little Yifei tenderly touched Xu Yingying¡¯s face and crisply said, "Mom, don¡¯t argue with dad; it scares me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, realizing she had not considered her daughter¡¯s feelings. She quickly apologized, "Sorry, mom won¡¯t argue with your dad anymore."


    "Oh yeah!" Little Yifei cheered, excitedly told Li Yifei, "Dad, mom¡¯s not angry anymore; I fixed it for you, the rest is up to you." Then she jumped out of Xu Yingying¡¯s embrace and ran out, even thoughtfully closing the door behind her.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying looked at each other, neither expecting Little Yifei to be so precocious.


    "Humph, did you teach her that?" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a big eye roll.


    "Not at all! I never expected she could say something like that; the kid¡¯s become quite sly now."


    "Don¡¯t think just because our daughter stepped in, I¡¯ll let you off."


    Li Yifei, seeing Xu Yingying huffing, suddenly sat next to her with a grin.


    Xu Yingying immediately moved away a bit and warily asked, "Why are you smiling?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile deepened, "I¡¯m just happy. My wife is starting to act more like a wife, getting jealous now."


    "Who... who¡¯s jealous?" Xu Yingying was mortified, recalling her recent behavior that indeed seemed jealous. But she quickly stiffened her neck and said, "Anyway, I¡¯m your wife by law. If you mess around and others find out, wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing? Of course, I have to keep you in check."


    "Alright, alright, I hope my wife supervises and keeps me in check more," Li Yifei said with a beaming smile.


    "Don¡¯t smile like that; I... I still don¡¯t see you as my husband. Who let you into my room? Get out!" Xu Yingying, feeling unable to face Li Yifei, forcefully pushed him out.


    "Having fun, all sorted out?" Xu Shanshan asked with a smile.


    "I helped, so of course mom could handle it," Little Yifei proudly said.


    Once back, they couldn¡¯t ignore everyone else in the family. It was Xu Shanshan who brought it up, and everyone went together.


    When they knocked, the door quickly opened. Chu Xiaoyao opened the door, and upon seeing Li Yifei, she excitedly yelled "Uncle!" and almost jumped on him but restrained herself, noticing Xu Yingying beside him. She pouted secretly but couldn¡¯t hide her delight.


    "Uncle, happy new year, Sister Yingying, happy new year, Sister Shan."


    Little Yifei immediately said, "Xiaoyao sister, Gong Xi Fa Cai, hand over the red packet." She stretched out her little hand.


    The address was chaotic, causing Xu Yingying to frown slightly, but Little Yifei had already drawn everyone¡¯s attention.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "I¡¯ve prepared yours already, I¡¯ll go get it now." She ran inside, shouting, "Yiyi, Sister Yunzhu, Sister Xiaofei, Sister Xin¡¯er, Uncle and everyone are here!"


    Soon everyone came out, and they exchanged New Year greetings. Ye Yunzhu and the others had prepared big red packets for Little Yifei.


    Li Yifei met several people¡¯s gazes, Meng Xiaofei was fine, but from Ye Yunzhu, he sensed longing as her due date approached and he couldn¡¯t be by her side properly. From Su Yiyi, he felt deep yearning and care, without any resentment, yet these looks made Li Yifei feel even more uneasy and indebted. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s look was normal, sharing a sweet smile with Li Yifei, as she had finally achieved her relationship with him and was content not to expect more like Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu and Su Yiyi quickly diverted their gazes and started playing with Little Yifei with the red packets, making Li Yifei feel a bit better.


    Little Yifei immediately excitedly opened the red envelope and spread all the money out on the floor. The little girl had no concept of money, but the sight of so much still made her very happy.


    Xu Yingying then said, "Your red envelopes are really too generous."


    Each person¡¯s red envelope contained five thousand yuan, totaling twenty-five thousand. The little girl spread them out one by one, covering a large area of the living room floor, which was really too eye-catching.


    Ye Yunzhu lay back on the sofa, her hand on her belly, and said, "Children just want to have some festive fun."


    Chu Xiaoyao also said with a giggly smile, "Exactly, exactly, money is not a problem for us."


    Meng Xiaofei then said with a pained expression, "You all are bad people, there goes my month¡¯s salary."


    Xu Yingying remembered Meng Xiaofei very clearly and laughed, saying, "You girl, why are you even competing? Let Yifei be happy for now, I¡¯ll give you some money later."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said with a giggle, "I was just joking, I have my annual bonus too, I can afford it. If you give me money, it would be meaningless, and besides, I¡¯ve been mooching off food, drinks, and even a place to stay, not being generous with Little Yifei¡¯s New Year¡¯s money would be shameless of me."


    At this point, Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again and said with a grimacing face, "Brother Li, during the big New Year, none of us had much to eat, could you please whip up something special tonight? I¡¯m dying for a good meal."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately scolded, "You mischievous girl, hasn¡¯t Yiyi cooked delicious meals for you every day? You¡¯re making Yiyi feel bad."


    Meng Xiaofei hugged Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulders, laughing as she said, "I¡¯m just thinking Yiyi has been working too hard these past few days. Now that Brother Li is here, it¡¯s a good chance for Yiyi to take a break."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "No problem, I¡¯ll cook you all a great meal tonight."


    Feeling guilty towards everyone, Li Yifei could only try to make it up in this way. After chatting with everyone for a bit, he went straight to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and after more than two hours of frying and cooking, he finally prepared a full table of dishes.


    Initially, Xu Yingying found it strange how familiar Li Yifei was with this place, but remembering how he had taken care of her when she was unconscious, she understood it, plus being so familiar with everyone was quite normal.


    With so many people eating together, and all being young, along with Little Yifei as the happy fruit, the atmosphere was indescribably lively.


    Throughout, Xu Yingying kept an eye on the interactions between Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er, but felt that aside from the occasional glance and some lukewarm conversations, and seeing Ning Xin¡¯er spending more time with her daughter, she didn¡¯t feel anything notable.


    The meal felt like a New Year¡¯s Eve dinner; everyone ate joyfully. Apart from Ye Yunzhu, the pregnant woman, the others even had some alcohol, and it wasn¡¯t until around eight o¡¯clock that everyone, satisfied with food and drink, returned to the living room to chat.


    At that time, Xu Yingying took the initiative to tell Ning Xin¡¯er, "Ning Xin¡¯er, Yifei will be visiting relatives tomorrow, so he¡¯ll need you to go along."


    As soon as she said this, the living room fell silent. Everyone stared at Xu Yingying, unsure of what exactly this meant. They all longed for the time when interactions with Li Yifei were close and intimate, and this restrained feeling was truly torturous.


    Ning Xin¡¯er composed herself and said, "Ah, I¡¯m really sorry for causing such a big mix-up."


    Xu Yingying, now showcasing her graceful demeanour, said, "It¡¯s alright; at the end of the day, you are Yifei¡¯s mother. It¡¯s normal for you both to go together, I¡¯m not that petty."


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave a slight smile and said, "Thank you so much, it¡¯s all for the sake of the child. I¡¯m really grateful that you don¡¯t blame me."


    Xu Yingying, still embodying a classy aura, said, "I understand, the child is innocent. I wouldn¡¯t let the child have a bad childhood." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying then said, "I¡¯ve prepared everything for you, it¡¯s all in the car, you can just take it tomorrow."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded and said, "Okay."


    As the two talked, Xu Yingying came across as very assertive. Although it wasn¡¯t explicitly stated, her status as Li Yifei¡¯s wife was evident, and Ning Xin¡¯er showed a respect for Xu Yingying, which pleased Xu Yingying, reducing her hostility towards Ning Xin¡¯er significantly.


    Seeing the two interact this way, everyone understood that Xu Yingying had not yet regained her memory. This disappointed them, but there was nothing they could do. They wondered when Xu Yingying would regain her memory and again become the affectionate sister to everyone, enabling them to be lovingly together with Li Yifei.

 Chapter 851 - 892: Immersing into the Character

    Chapter 851: Chapter 892: Immersing into the CharacterBack at home, Xu Yingying was still in a pretty good mood, though it was getting late. Pulling Little Yifei, who was still a bit excited, she said, "Alright, darling, that¡¯s enough fun for today. You have to get up early tomorrow to go pay New Year visits, and you need to sleep now."


    Little Yifei was indeed obedient and immediately nodded, saying, "Oh, then I want to sleep with Mom and Dad."


    Xu Yingying was a bit stunned by Little Yifei¡¯s words and stuttered, "Why do you want... to sleep with Mom and Dad?" As she spoke, she glanced at Li Yifei, only to find him trying to hold back a laugh, so she glared at him fiercely.


    Li Yifei quickly suppressed his laughter, but seeing that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t truly in a panic, simply a bit embarrassed, he thought that after sleeping in the same bed every day for some time, his wife Xu Yingying had somewhat gotten used to it.


    At this point, Little Yifei said, "I just want to sleep with Mom and Dad. I¡¯ve always been sleeping with my grandparents, and I don¡¯t like sleeping alone anymore."


    Xu Yingying, of course, couldn¡¯t reject her daughter¡¯s request and said, "Alright then, we¡¯ll all sleep together tonight."


    "Oh yeah, that¡¯s awesome, tonight I want Daddy to tell me stories."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Sure, it¡¯s been several days since Daddy has told stories to Little Yifei. I¡¯ll tell you a few more tonight."


    Xu Shanshan yawned and said, "Ah, you three enjoy your happy family time, I¡¯ll sleep by myself." Saying so, she winked secretly at Li Yifei and then went back to her room.


    Li Yifei knew from Xu Shanshan¡¯s look that it was her idea for Little Yifei to make the request. Otherwise, Xu Yingying, with her thin skin, would definitely have him sleeping on the sofa tonight, and it seemed the girl was always thoughtful towards him.


    After washing up, the family of three returned to the bedroom, where Little Yifei, in her pajamas, jumped straight onto the bed, waving her little hands and urging, "Mom and Dad, hurry up and get into bed."


    Unlike Xu Yingying¡¯s grandparents¡¯ house, there was only one blanket on this bed, and it was a very large one. Before, when only Li Yifei and Xu Yingying shared it, there was more than enough space. Now with Little Yifei joining them, it was still not a problem.


    Li Yifei promptly got into the spirit, hopped into bed, and lay on the inside, saying, "Coming, coming."


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment, then also climbed into bed. Although she technically shared a bed with Li Yifei, they had Little Yifei between them now. Plus, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t taken liberties with her these past few days, never forcing her, which made her trust him even more.


    Unknowingly, she had gradually slipped into the role of a wife, it was just that sometimes she was reluctant to admit it.


    The three of them lay in bed, and Li Yifei picked up a storybook, beginning to tell Little Yifei a story. She listened intently, occasionally asking questions, and Li Yifei patiently explained.


    Watching the father and daughter, Xu Yingying suddenly felt a surge of sweetness and warmth. She had never before considered what married life was like, and with a husband appearing so suddenly, she had been quite nervous. But now, she realized that this might just be what a true married life was, what a true family life was.


    After all, Little Yifei was young and, lying there listening to the story, couldn¡¯t keep her limbs still, flinging her arms onto Li Yifei and then draping her legs onto Xu Yingying.


    This became a bond between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, bringing much joy to the two of them.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know how many stories he had told before Little Yifei finally fell asleep. Turning his head, he discovered that Xu Yingying had also fallen asleep. Putting both big and little to sleep with his stories felt like an achievement.


    Li Yifei straightened the blanket to ensure Xu Yingying and their daughter were well covered, but didn¡¯t lie down immediately. Looking at his daughter¡¯s innocent face and Xu Yingying¡¯s beautiful features, he felt very happy.


    He rarely had the chance to watch Xu Yingying like this. Usually, they would lie down at night and be intimate; if not, he wouldn¡¯t be in Xu Yingying¡¯s room at all. Only at this moment could he quietly observe her sleeping.


    After watching for about half a minute, Li Yifei lay down and turned off the bedside lamp to sleep.


    The next morning, Xu Yingying got up very early, helping Little Yifei get dressed and prepare Li Yifei¡¯s clothes, constantly saying, "Darling, make sure to be good when we get there, and listen to Dad and Xin¡¯er¡¯s mom. Yifei, keep an eye on Yifei. It¡¯s pretty cold, so don¡¯t let her run around outside. If she sweats and then gets cold, it¡¯s easy to catch a cold. Also, the ground is hard at this time, with ice too, so falling would be troublesome."


    Xu Shanshan, who had wanted to sleep in, was awakened by Xu Yingying¡¯s incessant instructions and stood at the door, shaking her head and saying, "You know, big sis, I¡¯ve realized you truly are our mom¡¯s daughter. That nagging is just like our mom."


    Xu Yingying glared and retorted, "When have I nagged? It¡¯s just that I¡¯m worried, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Your brother-in-law is not a child, he can¡¯t neglect his own daughter. It¡¯s just you who like to worry too much."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "Men are careless, aren¡¯t they?"


    "Come on, you¡¯re only capable at work, where are you meticulous in real life? I¡¯ve never noticed you being detail-oriented at home. Now you pick the right time to talk nicely." Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t give her sister any face and laid bare her true colors.


    Listening to the two sisters bickering, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh, but as soon as he caught Xu Yingying¡¯s glaring eyes, he quickly stopped laughing and said, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not the first time. I will definitely take good care of my daughter."


    Xu Yingying knew she had said too much, but she still couldn¡¯t help saying, "Don¡¯t drink too much, it¡¯s not safe to drive."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "You care about me so much, huh?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she retorted, "What do I care about you for? I care about my daughter. Just go on."


    Little Yifei was particularly happy today. Other than when at Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s place, she had no idea about New Year¡¯s money. Now that she had to greet people for the New Year, there were so many who gave her money. It was really fun. Now that she was going to Li Yifei¡¯s relative¡¯s house, surely there would be more New Year¡¯s money, and so she started chattering non-stop about it, even asking about the size of the red envelopes she could expect.


    Ning Xin¡¯er spoke up patiently from behind, "Daughter, when we¡¯re at daddy¡¯s relatives¡¯ house, we can¡¯t complain about the size of the red envelopes they give. No matter the amount, it¡¯s the thought that counts from your elders, remember that?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er knew that Li Yifei¡¯s relatives were only average in terms of wealth, providing New Year¡¯s money of about one or two hundred for the kids. Compared to the thousands they gave Little Yifei all at once, she truly feared Little Yifei might feel it was too little and embarrass the adults with her reaction.


    "But small red envelopes really aren¡¯t much fun," Little Yifei blinked her big eyes, somewhat unwilling.


    "Daughter, this is different, daddy¡¯s relatives have many children, and each adult has to give New Year¡¯s money to all of them, which means the adults have to spend a lot of money. But in our case, everyone has only Little Yifei, so they can all give red envelopes just to you, which naturally means you¡¯ll get more."


    "I see, as long as I get a red envelope, that¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t complain about it being too little."


    Ning Xin¡¯er praised her again and again, saying, "Such a good child."


    Li Yifei, while driving, laughed and said, "You have quite a way with teaching kids, don¡¯t you?"


    Proudly, Ning Xin¡¯er responded, "Of course, I am her mom after all. I certainly must educate her properly." Then she looked at Li Yifei with burning eyes, thinking about how she would get to sleep with Li Yifei tonight, and her heart flared with excitement. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t realize Ning Xin¡¯er was entertaining such thoughts. Now was a good time to inquire about everyone¡¯s well-being since Xu Yingying was usually around, preventing him from asking.


    Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Everything is alright. Everyone just hopes Yingying will remember soon, that she¡¯ll let you move back into this home once again."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "This matter is not easy at all. In recent days, Shanshan and I have told her a lot about the past, but she remembers most of it, except for things related to me and things connected to me, she¡¯ll forget them, and forget thoroughly at that. I really don¡¯t know how she manages to do it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er furrowed her brow and said, "That¡¯s really strange. It makes me wonder if Yingying is pretending?"


    Li Yifei had also doubted this, but with his observation skills, he was confident he would have noticed if Xu Yingying were feigning it. However, judging by Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior, she truly had forgotten. Perhaps it was caused by Su Mengxin¡¯s grandfather¡¯s arrival, which made her decide to cut ties with Li Yifei so he could be with Su Mengxin.


    Moreover, this mindset was incredibly strong, first causing Xu Yingying to remain comatose and unwilling to wake up, and second, to forget all these things upon awakening.


    But fortunately, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t force upon herself a false memory or start to see Li Yifei as the most detestable person, driving him away. That really would have been a problem for Li Yifei and could be considered a blessing in misfortune.


    After turning a corner, Li Yifei finally said, "No, Yingying is definitely not pretending. She truly lost her memory. Don¡¯t worry, even if Yingying can¡¯t completely remember, everything is moving in a positive direction. I believe that someday we will return to the life we used to have."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted, saying, "I don¡¯t want that old life back. Back then, Yiyi and everyone else were happy, and you simply ignored me. I was the one who suffered the most."


    Li Yifei had completely let go of his past grudges against Ning Xin¡¯er and with guilt, he said, "Right, let¡¯s start a brand-new life then, one where our entire family is happy."

 Chapter 852 - 893: Wife Checking In

    Chapter 852: Chapter 893: Wife Checking InChapter 892: Wife Checking In


    Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er, and their child were considered distinguished guests in their hometown. Everyone knew they were coming today, so they all gathered at Fourth Aunt¡¯s house, sparing Li Yifei¡¯s family from having to visit each household to wish them a happy new year.


    The gifts this time were prepared by Xu Yingying, and they were just as generous, with each family receiving gifts worth thousands, which naturally made several aunts very happy.


    Ning Xin¡¯er received a lot of compliments. Whether a man could hold his face in front of his relatives largely depended on what kind of wife he married. If the wife was troublesome and reluctant to spend money, the man would naturally have no face. But Xu Yingying had managed everything perfectly, and Ning Xin¡¯er was the perfect demure wife, which made Li Yifei look very good.


    Song Tao and his wife and Meng Lei had gone to the city to work with Li Yifei. Although they hadn¡¯t been working long, the company treated them well, and after the official product sales began, it brought in profits. Xu Yingying also gave everyone a generous year-end bonus, and the three of them received quite a sizable red envelope.


    The money meant a lot to them, instantly making them the most promising individuals in the village, especially the simpleton Meng Lei, who managed to earn so much, made his uncle and aunt couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy.


    Fourth Aunt laughingly said, "Yifei, we owe you big this time. Your aunt is very proud now."


    "What happened?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Fourth Aunt pointed at a blushing Meng Lei and said, "Before, no one would introduce any girls to Little Lei, but now, he¡¯s become the most popular guy here, any suitable girl goes to Little Lei."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "That¡¯s great news, Little Lei, have you taken a fancy to anyone?"


    Meng Lei giggled foolishly and said, "I¡¯m not looking for a wife in the village. I¡¯ll find someone in the company."


    Ning Xin¡¯er blinked and asked, "Is there someone you have your eye on at the company?"


    Meng Lei blushed even more but nodded.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Well, you¡¯ve finally learned how to chase girls. Do you need me to give you a hand later?"


    "No, no need..." Meng Lei hurriedly shook his head.


    Song Tao, with a mischievous grin, said, "Brother, this guy is so clumsy. He likes the girl but only knows how to help her with chores, doesn¡¯t dare to say a word, and I¡¯ve already helped him several times. He just doesn¡¯t get it."


    Everyone immediately started throwing out suggestions for Meng Lei, but although he listened, he was clearly still clueless, which left everyone at a loss. Finally, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "We don¡¯t need to make suggestions for Little Lei anymore. Since the girl hasn¡¯t refused Little Lei¡¯s help, it shows she also has a fondness for him. It might be his mellow temperament that she finds reliable."


    Everyone thought about it, and indeed, since fate couldn¡¯t be forced, and Meng Lei was doing well for himself, finding a wife wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task. If he couldn¡¯t find someone in the company, picking a beautiful girl in the village would be easy.


    Little Yifei happily received many red envelopes this time. Though the money in the envelopes wasn¡¯t much, the quantity made her very excited. She went off to show off to the nearby kids. Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t stop her. Little Yifei was quite capable and could always hold her own while playing with other kids.


    "Brother, why didn¡¯t President Xu come along?" Song Tao asked Li Yifei in a low voice as they went out for a smoke.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "You didn¡¯t tell the aunts, did you?"


    "No! I didn¡¯t want to scare them."


    "Well, you should mention it later. Yingying is not happy about not being able to come."


    "Bro, were you really planning to bring her along?"


    "I had to, your sister-in-law wouldn¡¯t have it any other way."


    "If you had told me sooner, I would have prepared everyone earlier."


    Li Yifei too had this idea only today. With Xu Yingying¡¯s recovery of her memory seemingly far off, and with the current situation, if Li Yifei didn¡¯t think of something, it would be impossible for others to interact normally with him, especially Ye Yunzhu, who was going to give birth soon. As a husband and father-to-be, he would have to take care. If they didn¡¯t start getting Xu Yingying used to this idea, problems could arise later, so he wanted to use Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s situation as a stepping-stone.


    However, if he suddenly brought it up, the relatives might have a hard time accepting it, so he decided to let Song Tao hint at it first. If they had some time to adjust internally, things may be smoother at the Lantern Festival, when he planned to bring both Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Eating during New Year¡¯s was essential, followed by everyone playing cards and chatting. Unnoticed, it grew dark.


    Just like their last visit, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er stayed in the same room with Little Yifei. Little Yifei had already fallen asleep tired from playing, while Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei lay wrapped around each other in the same quilt.


    Ning Xin¡¯er snuggled up to Li Yifei like a kitten, content even though they weren¡¯t doing anything, and whispered softly, "Honey, think about the last time we both stayed here. You wouldn¡¯t even sleep with me then."


    Li Yifei gently stroked Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s long hair and said softly, "Yes, now we¡¯re sleeping together."


    "Honey, I miss you." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I miss you too."


    At that moment, it was not just Ning Xin¡¯er that Li Yifei missed, but women in general. He had been living a life of restraint for a while, having not been intimate with anyone for over half a month. As a normal man, this was truly torture. Holding Ning Xin¡¯er, he could no longer hold back, and with a flip, he pressed her beneath him.


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei had been intimate only a few times, so she wasn¡¯t very proactive yet. But as soon as Li Yifei took the initiative, she responded with enthusiasm.


    Just as the two were getting intimate and hadn¡¯t yet progressed to the main event, Li Yifei¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated. He had set it to vibrate to avoid waking his daughter; still, the timing of the call couldn¡¯t have been worse.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly paused, reached over for Li Yifei¡¯s phone, and said cautiously, "It¡¯s Yingying, answer the phone." It was as if speaking too loudly would let Xu Yingying overhear them.


    Li Yifei hurriedly took the phone, and Ning Xin¡¯er pushed him, signaling him to get off her.


    However, Li Yifei did not move off. Although Xu Yingying was a priority, he didn¡¯t want to upset Ning Xin¡¯er and so he stayed on top of her and answered the call, while Ning Xin¡¯er was too scared to make a sound.


    "Honey, still not asleep this late?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Don¡¯t sound so sweet. I¡¯m just asking you where you put my fountain pen. I can¡¯t find it."


    Li Yifei was taken aback but quickly realized that Xu Yingying was checking up on him, wanting to know what he was doing. But since she was too embarrassed to ask directly, she had made up an excuse. He immediately laughed, "It should be in the drawer of your computer desk, hehe. Don¡¯t worry, Ning Xin¡¯er and I are being very proper. Our daughter is between us."


    "Who... who asked you that? I was just asking about the pen. Ah, found it, bye-bye," Xu Yingying quickly hung up the phone.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, finding Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior quite amusing.


    After hanging up, Ning Xin¡¯er finally dared to breathe and scolded, "You jerk, talking on the phone with your wife and you wouldn¡¯t even get off."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Getting off and then getting back on is too much trouble,"


    "Annoying!" Ning Xin¡¯er playfully hit Li Yifei, then hugged him tight again.


    Li Yifei was really frustrated by that time. In just a moment, he removed their clothes and was ready to move on to the main event, but the phone vibrated again.


    They immediately stopped, and seeing it was Xu Yingying again, Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t dare move and even held her breath.


    Li Yifei hurriedly answered the phone, saying, "Honey, what can¡¯t you find now?"


    Xu Yingying spat, "I am just asking how our daughter is."


    "Our daughter is fine. She had lots of fun today and got tired. She¡¯s already asleep. Do you want me to wake her to take your call?"


    "No, no... let her sleep."


    "Hehe, then do you want Ning Xin¡¯er to take the call?"


    "Hmph, you sound too fond of her? No need!" Then she hung up again.


    Li Yifei found it both amusing and somewhat helpless. Xu Yingying acting this way made it clear she was becoming more concerned about him. But her constant interruptions were making Li Yifei, who had been holding back for so long, somewhat frustrated.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er resumed their intimacy. In someone else¡¯s home, they dared not be too loud, and with their daughter beside them, they were even more cautious about making noise, which was somewhat unsatisfactory. But it was still fulfilling. Li Yifei¡¯s main satisfaction was physical, while Ning Xin¡¯er felt more emotionally fulfilled, a bit of pride and pride seeping in. During this time, no one else could be intimate with Li Yifei¡ªonly she had that opportunity.


    But just at their most crucial moment, the phone vibrated again. It was still Xu Yingying¡¯s call, which left both of them quite exasperated. Li Yifei had to answer the phone again, asking, "Honey, what is it this time?"


    From the other end came only Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing. After Li Yifei asked again, Xu Yingying finally gasped, "Ah... I dialed the wrong number, never mind," and hung up.


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er looked at each other speechlessly. This Xu Yingying was really driving them crazy. If this kept up, their mood would be completely ruined. However, neither of them blamed Xu Yingying; no matter what, her behavior signified something good. If she could accept Li Yifei, she might be able to unlock her sealed memories.

 Chapter 853 - 894: Husband Kisses Wife

    Chapter 853: Chapter 894: Husband Kisses WifeThe next morning, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er brought Little Yifei back to Mile City. With that, the New Year celebrations were pretty much over. They could rest for another day tomorrow, but the day after, it would be back to normal work.


    Ning Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t head straight home. Instead, she wanted to stop by Li Yifei¡¯s place for a while to talk to Xu Yingying, to prevent any misunderstandings from forming in her heart.


    "Thank you for this, you¡¯ve really helped me out," Xu Yingying said as she invited Ning Xin¡¯er to sit down, with the air of a lady of the house.


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave a small smile and said, "Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s really no big deal. As long as you¡¯re not overthinking it, that¡¯s good. I was already in bed last night and half-asleep when I heard Yifei talking to you on the phone."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed red, but she quickly covered it up, saying, "I just had some idle matter to discuss with him, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you guys."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughingly said, "It¡¯s normal not to trust. I mean, Yifei and I do have a child together. Anyone in your place, knowing that I slept in the same room as him, would have thoughts.


    Xu Yingying coughed lightly and said, "I¡¯m not that petty of a woman, and men like that really aren¡¯t worth much. If you want to get back with him, you don¡¯t have to be courteous with me about it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed, "I¡¯ll pass on that, thanks. I¡¯m truly out of his heart; I wouldn¡¯t be able to win him back even if I tried. If it wasn¡¯t for our daughter, I wouldn¡¯t bother putting up with his cold looks for no reason."


    Xu Yingying listened and felt quite at ease. Her hostility towards Ning Xin¡¯er lessened quite a bit as she said, "Mm-hmm, everything¡¯s for our daughter. Feel free to come over more often; she¡¯s happy to be with you."


    "That would be inappropriate; if I ever caused you and your husband to fight, then I¡¯d feel terribly guilty."


    With Ning Xin¡¯er using this tactic of retreating to advance, Xu Yingying, who would normally spot such a tactic in business, was now easily fooled in matters of the heart. She hurriedly said, "There¡¯s no such thing, I trust you. It¡¯s right for you to come over whenever. If you don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll have to pick a bone with you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er almost let slip that they should all move back into the big family house, but thankfully realized that broaching such a topic now would be rushing it and merely nodded, saying, "Then I¡¯ll take you up on that offer and come bother you when I¡¯m free. I just hope you won¡¯t find me annoying."


    Xu Yingying waved her hand generously and said, "Absolutely not, feel free to come over anytime."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were chuckling on the side. They felt that Xu Yingying was really inviting the wolf into the den by doing this, but of course, neither of them would point it out, as it was a matter that would benefit everyone.


    Ning Xin¡¯er did not stay too long before she left. Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei, pretending nothing had happened, and said, "You must have had a good time visiting the relatives, huh?"


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Of course, they¡¯re all the relatives I have. Seeing them puts me in a great mood. Oh, and I told my cousin that you¡¯re my wife. I asked him to talk to the family, and we will visit them together during the Lantern Festival."


    "What... what? How... how can we do that?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in panic.


    "What¡¯s wrong with that? You are my wife, and I can¡¯t keep hiding it forever. That would be too unfair to you. It¡¯s better to let them know sooner, even if it¡¯s hard for them to accept at first, rather than them finding out later on."


    Xu Yingying stammered, "But... that¡¯s not such a good idea. Your family would think you¡¯re being reckless."


    "It¡¯s fine. For my wife, even if I get scolded by them, it¡¯s worth it. Most importantly, I can now bring my wife home openly."


    "You..." Xu Yingying felt moved, yet still stubbornly said, "I... I haven¡¯t agreed to truly be your wife yet."


    Li Yifei reached out and took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand. She struggled a little in a fluster, while Xu Shanshan cheerfully said, "Yifei, let¡¯s go play in the room."


    "Sure!" Little Yifei responded, and ran off to the room with Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s cheeks turned a rosy red and she twisted slightly, trying to pull her hand back gently, shyly saying, "Let go, Shanshan and the daughter saw us, it¡¯s not a good look."


    Li Yifei held onto Xu Yingying¡¯s hands firmly, gazing intently into her eyes with a tender look, and said, "Wife, you look really beautiful like this."


    "I... You can¡¯t use words like that to make me happy."


    Li Yifei earnestly said, "How is this just to make you happy? Haven¡¯t you heard others say you¡¯re beautiful?"


    "Others are others, you are you, and this is just sweet talk."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "If a husband can¡¯t even say sweet nothings to his wife, then how can he make her happy?"


    Xu Yingying bit her lip and said, "How am I supposed to know if you¡¯re for real or not."


    "Well, you¡¯ll see over time. We have a whole lifetime ahead of us. I have the patience to wait until you truly fall for me. Even if you can¡¯t remember the past for the rest of your life, you¡¯ll still believe that marrying me is the wisest choice you¡¯ve ever made."


    Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei jokingly and scolded, "Keep dreaming; I haven¡¯t seen any of your good points yet, just a whole bunch of flaws." But her face already wore a seductive smile.


    Li Yifei, seeing Xu Yingying like that, couldn¡¯t hold back. He pulled Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, and she involuntarily leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, while Li Yifei¡¯s lips landed on Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead.


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying tensed up instantly, then fiercely pushed Li Yifei away and jumped up, her face flushed, she scolded, "You jerk, taking advantage of me."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself." Li Yifei immediately admitted he was wrong and said, "I promise it won¡¯t happen again, unless you agree."


    "You big hooligan." Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei and dashed into the bedroom.


    Seeing Xu Yingying like this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smirk. She wasn¡¯t really angry, it was just a girl¡¯s shyness. In Xu Yingying¡¯s heart, she probably was a girl who had never been in love. Even a kiss on the forehead was quite an intimate act for her, and feeling overwhelmed by it in the moment was perfectly normal.


    At this moment, the phone rang. It was Koboto Kobayashi calling. Li Yifei went out to the balcony before answering.


    "Mr. Golden Eagle, the task you gave me is already taken care of."


    "Thank you, President Koboto." Li Yifei was also quite polite in his response.


    "Mr. Golden Eagle is too polite. I¡¯ll naturally take care of what I promised. I hope we can have even better cooperation in the future."


    "That would be good."


    "However, you also know that this item is too sensitive. I can only place it somewhere and dare not use our people to deliver it to you. If someone discovers that we did this, it would be a devastating blow for us." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I understand. Just tell me the address, and I will arrange for someone to retrieve the item."


    Koboto Kobayashi promptly gave Li Yifei the address, pointing out nearby significant landmarks, exchanged a few more pleasantries, then hung up.


    Li Yifei ended the call and turned to face Xu Yingying who was standing behind him with a look of surprise, "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "You can speak Japanese? And you¡¯re so fluent?" Xu Yingying eyed Li Yifei as if she didn¡¯t recognize him.


    Li Yifei proudly waggled his phone and declared, "Your husband can speak eight languages; Japan is no big deal."


    "Eight, pfft, you don¡¯t even draft your boasts." Xu Yingying rolled her eyes disdainfully, then curiously asked, "The person you were in contact with is Japanese?"


    "Yep, I have a mission that requires assistance from someone in Japan. I¡¯ll be heading out again in the next few days."


    "Going out again? Will it be dangerous?" Xu Yingying¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Wife is getting more and more concerned about me."


    "Stop it, be serious. I get the feeling you¡¯re not up to any good. Let me tell you, if you¡¯re doing anything illegal or disorderly, I¡¯ll kick you to the curb myself."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing good things, things that are beneficial for the country and the people."


    "Sure, how impressive." Xu Yingying still didn¡¯t believe him.


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle, "Whether you believe it or not doesn¡¯t matter, but I really can¡¯t tell you about this. It involves very sensitive matters."


    "Something so secretive?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s a national task; I have to do it. I¡¯ll just be gone for a few days and will be back soon."


    "Stay as long as you like, why are you telling me? The house is much quieter without you." Xu Yingying tossed her head and then turned, marching out from the balcony, chest out.


    Li Yifei watched Xu Yingying strut like a proud little hen and a bright smile appeared on his face. His wife was actually quite entertaining.


    Because the matter was of great importance and it was inconvenient to involve other people or departments, Li Yifei decided to go himself. He wasn¡¯t aimless like before; he needed recognition from the national authorities, a strong backing, and such acceptance couldn¡¯t be gained just on the merits of past military service or personal connections. He had to make significant contributions to the country to gain real influence.


    Retrieving the item himself would show that he had the most contribution in the task ¨C and that credit he needed.


    This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t go alone; he took Sophia with him. For a task like this, it was best to have few people involved, and having Sophia, a top-notch expert, was more than enough.


    Sophia, this woman, had an almost unparalleled loyalty to Li Yifei now. Whatever Li Yifei said was the law for her. A strong person, once they truly submit to someone else, their loyalty is beyond imagination, and Sophia was exactly this kind of person.

 Chapter 854 - 895: Accident

    Chapter 854: Chapter 895: AccidentSophia¡¯s identity had never been exposed to the outside world, and although Li Yifei¡¯s Golden Eagle persona was known to many, he varied his identity frequently when he was with the Flying Hawk Squad. Now, he and Sophia had disguised themselves as an ordinary couple, not using Li Yifei¡¯s identity. Moreover, since Sophia wasn¡¯t Huaxia People, such a mixed-cultural couple wouldn¡¯t arouse the suspicions of the Japanese side even after they discovered the theft of something important.


    Although Li Yifei had been somewhat concerned about Sophia¡¯s acting skills, asking her to pretend to be his girlfriend could have made her uncomfortable, but to his surprise, Sophia was completely convincing in any role. Right now, she leaned on him like a gentle bird, and he felt no discomfort at all.


    "I hadn¡¯t realized you had such acting chops," he said as they stepped off the plane, Sophia¡¯s arm entwined in his, her step graceful and a sweet smile on her face, nothing like the distant assassin she normally was.


    Still with a sweet smile, Sophia leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "If I wanted to survive, I¡¯d have been killed long ago without some acting skills. But with you, I don¡¯t need to perform."


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t dare to take that bait. Clearly, Sophia still entertained the idea of being his woman, but he didn¡¯t dare to provoke any woman now. Even those who were already his women, he couldn¡¯t explain; it was something he needed to set aside for the time being.


    Besides, a woman like Sophia could be a very useful assistant, but as his woman, would Li Yifei be willing to send her on dangerous missions? That was simply impossible.


    "When can you teach me Flying Needle?" Sophia asked.


    "You¡¯re already so good with the Flying Dagger, why do you still need to learn Flying Needle?"


    "But I still lost to you, and if I learn your Flying Needle, maybe I can find your weak spot and possibly win against you next time."


    Li Yifei was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, saying, "You¡¯re still hell-bent on winning, huh?"


    "I, Sophia, always do as I say. Since I have convinced you, I will always listen to you. But improving my strength is my pursuit and it doesn¡¯t affect my loyalty to you. Even if I become stronger than you one day, I will still be absolutely loyal."


    Li Yifei laughed, "That doesn¡¯t make me comfortable, you know. I don¡¯t want someone stronger than me as my subordinate. It would make me feel out of control."


    "I am pushing you to become stronger. Otherwise, you would become complacent. With martial arts, if you don¡¯t advance, you fall behind."


    The two chatted and laughed together, seeming like a couple deep in love talk. No one would guess that their discussions were all about the unsentimental topic of martial arts.


    During the day, the couple strolled around sightseeing and even booked a hotel room, but after ten at night, they snuck out of the hotel and headed for the seashore.


    Koboto Kobayashi was thorough in his work, guessing that Li Yifei would not transport the goods by land, and must use the sea. So the stash was placed not far from the seashore, in a very ordinary-looking warehouse that didn¡¯t stand out, and for Li Yifei to get the goods from there to the sea seemed no difficult task.


    Since Koboto Kobayashi wasn¡¯t responsible for seeing Li Yifei off, he was still worried about any special circumstances that might arise. If the Coast Guard caught them, the entire Yamaguchi Group would be ruined in Japan. So, for safety¡¯s sake, he let Li Yifei take the goods himself. If anything went wrong, it wouldn¡¯t be connected to the Yamaguchi Group, and with the Golden Eagle¡¯s abilities, it would certainly be safer.


    Following the location left by Koboto Kobayashi, Li Yifei and Sophia arrived at Warehouse 13. It wasn¡¯t a large building. As soon as they neared it, they heard muffled cries coming from inside.


    Li Yifei and Sophia exchanged glances. This was the spot specifically set by Koboto Kobayashi, and in theory, there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone there. But now someone was inside, and the voice sounded peculiar, as if someone was trying to shout but couldn¡¯t, the sound muffled in their mouth.


    Li Yifei agilely clambered onto the warehouse¡¯s roof, while Sophia did not follow. Instead, she swiftly and secretly surveyed the surrounding area. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei quickly pinpointed the origin of the sound, which was coming from a corner of the warehouse, but from above, he couldn¡¯t see what was happening below. From his position directly above, the sounds were clearer, and with his experience, he could now guess what was going on.


    Inside the warehouse, someone was tied up, and it looked like a woman. The woman¡¯s mouth had been taped shut, hence the muffled sound she was making.


    Finding a bound woman here was a huge shock to Li Yifei. What on earth was Koboto Kobayashi up to?


    But no matter how he thought about it, this couldn¡¯t have been Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s doing; though the man was sly, he had been intimidated by Li Yifei. Moreover, kidnapping a woman didn¡¯t seem like a trap; it was meaningless to Koboto Kobayashi. Could someone else have learned of Koboto Kobayashi¡¯s plans and set a trap here?


    With the sound of the engine, a car with its headlights on pulled up to the door of the warehouse. Li Yifei and Sophia both hid their figures, highly skilled as they were, making themselves extremely difficult to detect when they chose to stay out of sight.


    Two individuals emerged from the car, opened the large door of the warehouse, and then entered. Soon, the lights inside the warehouse were turned on. Li Yifei and Sophia carefully observed their surroundings and had crept to the windows on either side of the warehouse to peer inside. At that point, they could see the scene within.


    A girl of about twenty was tied to a chair, unable to move her hands and feet, with a black cloth over her eyes and her mouth sealed with tape, obscuring her full appearance.


    "Heh heh, just wait until tomorrow, and we¡¯ll be rich," one man said in Japanese.


    "Shut up with that nonsense," retorted the other man immediately.


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? We won¡¯t have to deal with the Yamaguchi Group anymore. After this, with the money in hand, we can live it up wherever we please," the first man continued.


    "That¡¯s true. We absolutely can¡¯t leave any witnesses behind. Even if we get the money, if this girl identifies us later on, we¡¯ll be hunted down."


    "Heh heh, but this girl is really pretty, and she is Aoki¡¯s daughter after all. We can¡¯t just kill her like that¡ªwe should ¡¯enjoy¡¯ her company first, at the very least."


    "Haha... right, a beautiful woman with status and looks that we wouldn¡¯t even dare to touch before. Tonight, let¡¯s thoroughly enjoy ourselves."


    "Mmm..." The bound girl might have been restrained, but she clearly heard the men¡¯s words and began to struggle more fiercely, although it was utterly futile.


    Li Yifei and Sophia realized then that these two were indeed from the Yamaguchi Group, which was how they knew about this place. They had kidnapped Aoki¡¯s daughter to secure a ransom before making their escape¡ªthe entire thing was an inside job by the two of them.


    Li Yifei was familiar with Aoki, a highly influential figure in Japan and the chairman of the famous Aoki Group, with assets worth billions. His daughter, and the only one at that, seemed to be named Aoki Reiko¡ªan heiress to the Aoki Group.


    That such a wealthy young mistress had been abducted by two low-level thugs from the Yamaguchi Group was something Li Yifei had not anticipated. He wondered what on earth the Aoki Group¡¯s bodyguards were doing.


    "Miss Aoki, serve us well, and we¡¯ll grant you a quick death today. If you don¡¯t comply, we¡¯ll make sure your end is excruciating," one man threatened.


    "Mmm... mmm..." Inside, the girl¡¯s struggles intensified upon hearing this. However, tightly bound as she was, she couldn¡¯t move at all, and stood no chance against two grown men. If it weren¡¯t for some accident, she would be at the mercy of their abuse before meeting her demise.


    Li Yifei frowned. He had never held any fondness for Japan and might not have intervened even though the girl was innocent had he stumbled upon her by chance. However, these men were here now, and it seemed they wouldn¡¯t be leaving anytime soon, which was inconvenient for him to retrieve the item he was after.


    So, the best course of action was to deal with the matter swiftly. He nodded at Sophia.


    Catching his cue, Sophia¡¯s hand flicked out, and the sound of two bodies falling could be heard from inside, with neither of the men uttering a single cry of pain.


    Yet amidst it all, there was a crisp clink¡ªthe sound of Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Needle clashing with Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger.


    "She can¡¯t be left alive. If we don¡¯t kill her, she might find this place and easily expose our operation, potentially causing trouble even after we¡¯ve left."


    Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers aimed to kill all three, but Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Needle had saved the girl.


    "She is innocent. Besides, her face is covered, so she can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening here. I¡¯ll take her away first; you dispose of the two bodies in the sea."


    Sophia said nothing in response to Li Yifei¡¯s decision. She leaped inside and hoisted up the two men¡¯s corpses. The combined weight of the two men was at least 300 pounds, but that did not hinder Sophia¡¯s actions.


    Li Yifei also jumped in and struck the girl on the neck, rendering her unconscious. Then he untied the ropes from her body, unaware that before she passed out, the blindfold on her eyes had slipped, leaving a small gap.

 Chapter 855 - 896 How Did He Become a Sleazy Man

    Chapter 855: Chapter 896 How Did He Become a Sleazy ManThey put the girl in a warehouse not too far from the next one, where Li Yifei retied the girl in the same manner as before. This was done so that when the girl woke up, she would still think she was in the original warehouse, thus not suspecting that there might be something off about that place.


    As for the two kidnappers, leaving them in the sea would leave the police clueless as to who was behind it. As long as it didn¡¯t involve their current operation, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to bother about it at all.


    After completing all this, Li Yifei returned to the first warehouse and found what he was looking for. The item wasn¡¯t large; it could be packed in a backpack. It was a core piece of technology and, more importantly, it contained the data. Huaxia could handle everything else on their own.


    By this time, Sophia had also hurried back. They both changed into diving gear prepared on site and slipped away with the goods, diving into the sea.


    Two hours later, Li Yifei and Sophia climbed aboard a speedboat, manned by Li Yifei¡¯s own crew, and the speedboat sped off. There were other vessels waiting to meet them; otherwise, crossing the vast sea with just a speedboat would have been utterly impossible.


    Li Yifei and Sophia then dived back towards the shore, discarded the diving gear in the sea, and sneaked onto shore. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By that time, the warehouse area was swarming with police cars. Hiding in the shadows, the duo saw the girl who had been kidnapped being escorted onto a police car. The ropes around her and the black cloth and tape on her mouth had been removed, revealing a delicate face. Although pale, one had to admit, she was a very pretty girl.


    Before getting into the police car, the girl looked around as if searching for someone, her gaze seemingly filled with expectation, but she soon boarded the vehicle.


    "You didn¡¯t do anything to that girl, did you? I saw her looking for you," Sophia casually remarked after she and Li Yifei walked away.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "How could that be? I had already knocked her out, and besides, she was blindfolded. There¡¯s no way she could have seen me."


    "Is that so?" Sophia cast a doubtful glance at Li Yifei.


    Rolling his eyes, Li Yifei protested, "Do I really seem like that kind of person to you?"


    Sophia didn¡¯t reply, but her expression seemed to affirm what Li Yifei had said, which left him somewhat exasperated. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t blame Sophia; when she first met him, he was surrounded by beautiful women. And on the island, he had been found lying naked with Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin, and Michelle. If it were claimed that there was nothing between them, not just Sophia, but anyone else would find it hard to believe.


    Yet, Li Yifei saw no need to explain himself to Sophia. She was his subordinate, and it was enough to tell her how to carry out their tasks. Otherwise, where would the authority of a boss stand?


    When the two sneaked into the hotel, it was already past three in the morning. They simply washed up and lay down to rest. The room had only one bed, but they had no reservations about sharing it. At this time, resting after the mission, there was no implication of any romantic involvement, so both were remarkably at ease.


    For the next two days, Li Yifei and Sophia toured around Japan, acting the part of tourists. After putting up a sufficient front, they finally boarded a flight back to Huaxia.


    Once on the plane, to Li Yifei¡¯s surprise, Meng Xiaofei turned out to be the flight attendant. Li Yifei had flown many times before, but had never encountered Meng Xiaofei on any flight.


    Today, Li Yifei was on the plane under a different identity, and to match the face on his ID, he was wearing makeup. He was not worried about Meng Xiaofei recognizing him, and since Sophia and Meng Xiaofei had never met, Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t take particular notice of Sophia either.


    This was the first time Li Yifei saw Meng Xiaofei working. Watching her greet each passenger with a smile at the door, one would never guess her usual befuddled nature.


    After all the passengers had boarded, the flight attendants began to check the overhead lockers. Meng Xiaofei was busy with this task and quickly passed by Li Yifei without giving him a second glance.


    However, as Meng Xiaofei moved past Li Yifei to inspect the front, a passenger sitting right in front of Li Yifei suddenly raised a hand and reached toward Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest.


    Xiaofei Meng was looking up at the overhead luggage compartment, completely oblivious to the person below attempting to sneak attack her.


    Xiaofei Meng was naturally beautiful, and the pair of "weapons" at her chest made her even more eye-catching. Her flight attendant uniform added a certain allure, giving off a seductive vibe. When Yifei Li first met Xiaofei Meng and saw her like this, he felt an evil impulse.


    The person¡¯s actions were actually very secretive; nobody else could see them from their positions except for Yifei Li, who also happened to be in the right place to intervene.


    However, separated by the seat in front of him, Yifei Li couldn¡¯t reach the other person¡¯s hand. At that moment, he could only suddenly reach out, grab Xiaofei Meng¡¯s clothes, and pull her back. Xiaofei Meng took two involuntary steps backward, avoiding the intruder¡¯s groping hand. The man failed to grab her and immediately placed his hand on his head, pretending to scratch it as if nothing had happened. Nobody would suspect that he had just attempted something indecent. Even if he had been caught, he would likely have claimed it was an accidental touch.


    Such people are shameless, and women often have nowhere to turn when taken advantage of by them.


    Yifei Li did help Xiaofei Meng, but she was caught off guard by his sudden pull. Not only did she stumble back two steps, but she also kicked the seat¡¯s underside, causing her to sway and fall towards Yifei Li.


    This caught Yifei Li somewhat by surprise, and he quickly reached out to support Xiaofei Meng, preventing her from falling onto him.


    But the location his hand touched instantly transmitted a strong elasticity. The feeling was indescribably good, causing Yifei Li to freeze for a moment as his hand happened to brush against Xiaofei Meng¡¯s chest.


    "You..." Xiaofei Meng angrily pushed Yifei Li away, glaring at him furiously with her large, beautiful eyes as if she wanted to tear him apart.


    Yifei Li felt extremely awkward at that moment. He had clearly not wanted Xiaofei Meng to be taken advantage of by someone else, but now, he had become the one taking advantage. Clearly, Xiaofei Meng also thought so and regarded him as a bold pervert.


    Xiaofei Meng clenched her little fists, still glaring fiercely at Yifei Li, but her tone was surprisingly cultured, befitting a flight attendant, "Sir, I am deeply outraged by your actions. I suspect that you have a proclivity for violence, and it is my responsibility to protect our passengers. Therefore, I ask you to deplane now. Our airport security will handle this matter."


    Yifei Li was speechless. They were trying to kick him off the plane. Such actions were normal¡ªif a passenger joked with a flight attendant, that was one thing.


    But when it came to taking physical advantage, it depended on the attendant¡¯s response. If she chose not to pursue it, the matter would be dropped. Many attendants would let it go, but Xiaofei Meng was not that kind of person. Despite her job¡¯s daily requirement to smile at customers, she had an inherent intolerance for wrongdoing. She couldn¡¯t stand to see others commit misdeeds, let alone Yifei Li¡¯s actions toward her.


    This was definitely an accident, and Yifei Li couldn¡¯t just let Xiaofei Meng kick him off the plane. But to say he was just helping would likely not be believed. He quickly apologized, "I am truly sorry. I was just trying to pull you away. I had no other intentions. It was merely an accident."


    Xiaofei Meng looked at Yifei Li coldly and said, "Sir, there is no need to explain to me. Our sky marshals will provide a fair resolution. Please don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time. If you insist on not deplaning, this flight might be delayed. I don¡¯t think the rest of the passengers would agree to have you continue on this flight."


    Some passengers who had only seen Xiaofei Meng falling towards Yifei Li didn¡¯t understand the exact situation, but Xiaofei Meng¡¯s words were clear enough, indicating that this man intended to take advantage of the flight attendant.


    Although any man might feel the impulse to infringe upon someone like Xiaofei Meng, Yifei Li¡¯s boldness was envied by some men. However, since this incident was delaying the plane¡¯s departure, none of them would tolerate it. Condemnations arose, urging Yifei Li to deplane quickly. They all acted righteous, treating Yifei Li as if he were a repulsive, despicable character.


    Yifei Li was incredulous at how wrongly he was being treated, especially since the actual instigator was now loudly condemning him and had even stood up next to Xiaofei Meng, vehemently accusing Yifei Li. A pervert had suddenly turned into a champion of justice, rendering Yifei Li speechless.


    "Sir, please disembark the plane!" Xiaofei Meng repeated the command with an imposing air.


    At that moment, the foul man pointed at Yifei Li, shouting, "You, get off now! Your desecration of a beautiful flight attendant is simply the shame of all men. We will never allow a degenerate like you to fly with us."


    Yifei Li could accept being misunderstood by Xiaofei Meng since he did gain an advantage over her, but to allow this vile man to gloat was extremely irksome. He had ended up taking the fall for him. If he didn¡¯t take care of this man, it would be an affront to justice.

 Chapter 856 - 897: The Air Hostess’s Hardships

    Chapter 856: Chapter 897: The Air Hostess¡¯s HardshipsLi Yifei stood up and said, "Beautiful flight attendant, if you do not trust me, then there¡¯s nothing I can do. I now sincerely express my apology to you..."


    Meng Xiaofei cut off Li Yifei with a lifted head, firmly stating, "Sir, I do not accept your apology. Although we flight attendants are service personnel, we also have our dignity. You have crossed my bottom line, and this is absolutely intolerable to me."


    Li Yifei, seeing the resolute look in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes, knew that she would not let the matter go lightly today. Unless he was off the plane, she would never agree otherwise. It was just a touch of the chest, was it really necessary to go this far? He had even seen her naked several times.


    If she knew who he was, she would definitely not be angry, at least she wouldn¡¯t expel him from the plane. But considering the relationship between him and Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei feared that some people with special attention to his affairs would find out; he absolutely could not reveal his identity to Meng Xiaofei at this time.


    "Beautiful flight attendant, I¡¯m traveling with my girlfriend, and we are very affectionate. How could I possibly do such a thing in front of my girlfriend? What just happened was truly an accident."


    Suddenly, Li Yifei thought of Sophia. If no one else could vouch for him, how could Sophia not?


    Sophia had been silent all along, finding Li Yifei¡¯s embarrassment amusing. If it had been before, she would have kicked him while he was down and testified for Meng Xiaofei, but now she couldn¡¯t behave that way. Instead, she said to Meng Xiaofei, "Beautiful flight attendant, this truly was a misunderstanding. I asked him to call you over to help me get a blanket. He shouldn¡¯t have grabbed you; he should have directly spoken to you instead. It was rude of him, but certainly not an intentional advantage-taking."


    As a beautiful blonde woman herself, Sophia¡¯s words were far more persuasive than Li Yifei¡¯s, especially given her status as his girlfriend. A man, no matter how bold, would hardly take advantage of another woman in front of his girlfriend; that would be asking for trouble.


    Meng Xiaofei frowned slightly. Sophia¡¯s words made her doubt her own judgment. If it really had been an accident, perhaps she was being too hard on him. But as a woman, to let someone take advantage of her like that was incredibly irritating and frustrating. She had encountered her share of sleazy passengers, but had never suffered such an indignity.


    This made it quite difficult for her to decide how to proceed.


    However, a despicable man scoffed, looking down with disdain, "Sir, why did you pull with such force just now? If it wasn¡¯t intentional, it only shows you are extremely rude. And even if the beautiful flight attendant was falling towards you, you could have supported her arm or waist. Why on earth would you touch her chest? Don¡¯t you know that¡¯s a vile act? Don¡¯t you realize such a thing is a great insult to a beautiful lady?"


    After a pause, the man addressed Sophia righteously, "Madam, I do not know how you could fancy such a man. But from this incident, you should see his true colors. He is simply not a man to whom you can entrust your life. I would advise you to leave him sooner rather than later."


    Li Yifei was dumbstruck at the man¡¯s remarks. The man, in his thirties, was neither handsome nor unattractive, sporting a pair of thin-framed glasses that lent him a somewhat refined air. It just showed that appearances can be deceiving. Such a person could go to such lengths of shamelessness. He had botched his own nefarious attempt, and now he tried to slander others so effusively. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts!" Li Yifei gave the guy a thumbs up.


    The man lifted his head haughtily and proclaimed, "I absolutely will not coddle someone like you, garbage. I must fight to the end with the likes of you."


    Li Yifei flashed a mocking smile, "You really are noble." The smile held a taunting expression.


    A wave of unease washed over the man. He wasn¡¯t a fool; his sneak attack on the flight attendant had been about to succeed when this guy behind him suddenly intervened, obviously having caught him in the act. He accused Li Yifei vehemently, hoping to cover the truth, so that once Li Yifei was despised by all, even if he revealed the truth, no one would believe it.


    "I¡¯m not noble, but as an ordinary person, seeing such scum, I must stand up. If no one fights against such people, what would society become? How could I allow such a beautiful flight attendant to be bullied? We take flights and from their smiles, we can feel the joy of life. I certainly don¡¯t want their faces to be overwhelmed with distress and anger, nor can I allow such vile behavior to defile them."


    "This guy, not even Yue Buqun, a paragon of hypocrisy, could compare to him," thought Li Yifei, admiring the man¡¯s thick skin even as he despised his shamelessness. Addressing Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei said, "Flight attendant, since you insist on believing it was intentional, then no amount of words will clear my name. However, I really am in a hurry. I hope to continue traveling on this plane. I am on a business trip to Dreamfly Corporation, and if there is any problem, the loss to both parties will be truly immense."


    Hearing that Li Yifei was going for business with Dreamfly Corporation, Meng Xiaofei hesitated. After all, Dreamfly was Brother Li¡¯s company. If she caused a big loss by kicking this guy off the plane due to her anger, her mistake would be serious.


    "Hmph, since you¡¯re heading to Dreamfly Corporation, you may have dodged the monk, but not the temple. When we get there, I¡¯ll have Brother Li and Sister Yingying help me vent my anger on you, and you¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    Having made up her mind, Meng Xiaofei glared at Li Yifei once more and said, "Then please, sir, have some dignity in the future." Then, she turned and resumed inspecting her luggage.


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had brought up Dreamfly Corporation; otherwise, Meng Xiaofei wouldn¡¯t have let him off the hook.


    That sleazy guy hadn¡¯t expected Meng Xiaofei to let Li Yifei off so easily. He couldn¡¯t say much more at this point, but it was good enough for him. He had not only shaken off suspicion but had managed to show off a bit too. Maybe he¡¯d even made a good impression on the flight attendant; perhaps he¡¯d get lucky with her in the future. Then he could freely touch those weapons every day.


    Finally, Li Yifei was able to board the plane, but upon seeing a rare smile on Sophia¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit downhearted and asked, "What¡¯s so funny?"


    Sophia leaned in and whispered in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "It¡¯s not often I see you make a fool of yourself, especially when it¡¯s one of your own women who puts you in your place. That just makes it even more unusual."


    "Hmph, that brat, wait until I get home, and I¡¯ll show her what¡¯s what."


    "Hehe... Now I¡¯m really curious if you¡¯d so easily let him off the hook." The ¡¯him¡¯ Sophia referred to was naturally that sleazy guy from before.


    "A guy as shameless as that, if I let him off, wouldn¡¯t it be a disservice to women everywhere?"


    "I support you. If you want to take him down, I¡¯ll do it."


    "It¡¯s not that serious, but he can¡¯t escape suffering a bit. It¡¯s inconvenient now. If we make him suffer, the jerk would just find an excuse to pester Xiaofei."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t dealt with the guy right away for exactly this reason. No matter what pain they inflicted, on the plane, the flight attendant would naturally take special care of him, and that would give the guy an even better chance to get close to Meng Xiaofei. There was no way Li Yifei would make such a foolish mistake.


    The airplane took off, then flew smoothly in the sky. After a short while, the flight attendants began serving beverages. When Meng Xiaofei got to the sleazy guy, he made a show of talking to Xiaofei. She was grateful for his outspoken support earlier, so she exchanged a few words with him, which made him quite smug.


    When it came to Li Yifei, Meng Xiaofei maintained the polite smile of a flight attendant, but her attitude towards Li Yifei was visibly poorer; she almost splashed the drink on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    At that moment, Li Yifei could only swallow his pride and hold his tongue.


    The same happened during meal service; Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t show Li Yifei any kindness. Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind, but it made Sophia giggle beside him. The strongest man in the world being treated like this by a mere flight attendant was really the world¡¯s funniest joke.


    Li Yifei quickly ate something and simply closed his eyes to sleep, avoiding having to look at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face until after the plane had landed. That¡¯s when Li Yifei finally woke up.


    After disembarking, Li Yifei and Sophia followed behind the sleazy man. The guy felt Li Yifei trailing him and became somewhat nervous, hastening his steps to try to shake off Li Yifei and Sophia.


    But with his skills, escaping Li Yifei was impossible. Li Yifei said nothing, merely followed the man at an unhurried pace. The guy was so despicable that even if Li Yifei didn¡¯t voice it, he needed to exert enough psychological pressure to scare him half to death before dealing with him properly.

 Chapter 857 - 898: Group Beatdown

    Chapter 857: Chapter 898: Group BeatdownThat kid might¡¯ve seemed cocky and full of himself on the plane, but that was only because he knew no one would dare lay a hand on him there. Whoever started a fight with him would certainly be kicked off the flight, and hell, he¡¯d have been delighted if Li Yifei hit him, it would¡¯ve built his tough-guy image even more. Plus, getting that beauty to fuss over him would have been a bonus pleasure.


    But even though the flight attendant was fairly nice to him, he hadn¡¯t gotten any real advantage, and now he felt that the guys he had messed with on the plane were definitely out to get him, which made his heart race uncontrollably.


    The closer he got to the exit, the more scared he became. Inside the airport, that man might not dare to do anything to him, but once outside, if the other side attacked him, it would be way too easy.


    "No, can¡¯t let this happen." The kid quickly pulled out his phone and dialed his friend.


    "Little Lei, I¡¯ve run into some bad guys in the airport. They¡¯ve been following me, and as soon as I leave the airport, they¡¯re likely to come for me. Hurry up and bring some people to back me up."


    "Damn, which audacious prick is trying to mess with you? Are they looking to die?"


    "I don¡¯t know, just a guy, but he¡¯s with a foreign chick, pretty hot. Bring more guys, this son of a bitch screwed up my chances on the plane. Just thinking about it pisses me off. I haven¡¯t even thought about dealing with him yet and he¡¯s already on my tail. I¡¯ve got to teach him a lesson."


    After making the call, the kid suddenly regained his confidence, thinking of Little Lei, who was not someone to mess with. He was always involved in brawls and had many brothers in the underworld. As long as he brought reinforcements, one little guy was nothing to worry about.


    Boosted with newfound boldness, he raised his voice and deliberately slowed his pace, making sure Li Yifei could hear him.


    Li Yifei and Sophia exchanged a glance, both somewhat amused. The kid thought bringing a few thugs would be enough to have his back. He clearly had no idea what he was getting into.


    But this did give Li Yifei a chance to cover his tracks. With such important technological data lost to Japan, there would surely be a rigorous investigation. People entering and exiting the country these days would be a major focus of the investigation, and he and Sophia would be under suspicion. Now, using this kid¡¯s antics as a cover could completely clear their names.


    After making his call, the kid slowed down even further, inching towards the exit while still lingering in the airport lobby, not daring to venture out. His backup hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and alone, he was no match for a man of Li Yifei¡¯s build, not to mention there was a woman involved.


    Li Yifei just watched him from a distance, as if waiting for the right moment to exact his revenge. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Half an hour passed when the kid¡¯s phone rang. After a brief conversation, excitement spread across his face, and he shot a defiant glance at Li Yifei, strutting towards the exit with his chest puffed out, occasionally looking back to see if Li Yifei was following.


    Of course, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t about to disappoint him and followed suit.


    At the airport entrance, six or seven youths swarmed in, looking fierce. One burly man wearing a leather jacket called out to the sleazy-looking guy in glasses, "Bro, who¡¯s the blind fool that crossed you?"


    "Little Lei, it¡¯s that guy," the sleazy man with glasses pointed straight at Li Yifei behind him.


    "Fuck, you? Kid, do you have a death wish?" Little Lei took two steps and reached Li Yifei, throwing a punch straight for his chest while cursing blatantly, not taking Li Yifei seriously at all.


    Li Yifei sidestepped, dodging Little Lei¡¯s punch, and swung his arm, slapping back, shouting, "A bunch of small-fry jackasses dare to mess with me?"


    Little Lei never expected that they, being so numerous, would get hit back. The slap landed sharply on his face.


    That wasn¡¯t all; in a swift move, Li Yifei charged the guy with glasses, "Flying Needle" to Double Wind Through the Ears, knocking his glasses off. Following up with a "Direct Strike to the Dragon," he turned the guy¡¯s eyes into a panda-like state.


    Every move was made in one fell swoop, without the slightest hesitation. In the blink of an eye, two men were down.


    The man with glasses hadn¡¯t anticipated that Li Yifei would actually hit him at that moment. He was caught completely off guard and was swiftly disoriented, having no sense of direction.


    The slap on Little Lei wasn¡¯t that heavy; it was more about dazing him with stars in his eyes. But that slap fully enraged him. How could he let it slide, being slapped in front of so many people? How would he face his friends after this?


    "Fuck your mother!" With a loud curse, Little Lei swung his arm, moving like a madman towards Li Yifei, throwing punches without any technique, relying solely on his stout build and willingness to get rough.


    To Li Yifei, a little nobody like that was someone he could take down with just his finger. But at that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s face showed a touch of panic, and he stumbled back two steps, only to be immediately surrounded by the others, who pummeled him with fists and kicks, clearly aiming to knock him out.


    In that moment, Li Yifei seemed to be someone who knew a bit of martial arts, but not expert level, as he engaged with the hooligans, turning into a chaotic tussle. Despite being outnumbered seven to one, he held his own without clear advantage or disadvantage.


    By this time, the man with glasses was the angriest and joined in the fray. But as soon as he jumped in, Li Yifei targeted him specifically. Whenever others attacked, he used the glasses guy as a shield. Soon enough, the guy was beaten to a pulp, with a swollen, bruised face, and blood flowing from his nose and mouth.


    The airport is no ordinary place; it serves as a significant window to the outside world. Fighting here was simply unthinkable. Hence, within two minutes, several police officers had already rushed over, promptly interrupting the scuffle, and then escorted the individuals involved to the Airport Police Station.


    Thereafter began the recording of statements, inquiring into the cause and course of events. The man with glasses insisted it was because Li Yifei had designs on him, which is why he had called for help.


    Whereas Li Yifei recounted the incident from the plane, admitting he indeed wished to vent his anger. Both parties stuck steadfastly to their own stories.


    This was not a major issue. Furthermore, Li Yifei was alone which made him appear to be the disadvantaged party. Though there were injured on the other side, their wounds were not serious. Besides, they were the aggressors in a situation of many against few, which is hardly justifiable. So, even after the police scolded and lectured everyone, they opted to let them all go.


    Li Yifei and Sophia had not come by car. A vehicle could easily serve as evidence for an investigation. They simply hailed a taxi and left. The man with glasses, however, was kept by the police for a little while. Though they were reluctant, in the presence of the police, all they could do was watch helplessly as Li Yifei and his companion left first.


    Back in the city, they didn¡¯t go straight home but to Sophia¡¯s place. Li Yifei changed his clothes and removed his disguise.


    "You¡¯re just letting that guy off like that?" Sophia still looked puzzled at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "I¡¯m not that generous. If a person like him isn¡¯t taught a proper lesson, how can I feel satisfied?"


    "What did you do to him? Everything seemed normal when he left."


    "Didn¡¯t you notice him frowning a bit and touching his abdomen at the police station?"


    "I did see that, you must have placed a Flying Needle, but that¡¯s not a vital spot. Even if punctured, it¡¯s a minor issue."


    "Don¡¯t you know about acupuncture points?"


    "Acupuncture points? What¡¯s that?" Sophia¡¯s eyes lit up with intense curiosity.


    Li Yifei smiled and explained, "Acupuncture points are special spots on the human body that can have a significant impact. Some can cause death, some induce laughter, and others can make someone cry uncontrollably."


    "Is that so? But why haven¡¯t I ever come across such a thing? Logically, a normal person would inadvertently encounter these points."


    Li Yifei patiently said, "Everyone has acupuncture points, but to truly activate their effects, one must wield a special kind of power. Without this power, the points are essentially useless."


    "What kind of power is that?"


    "Internal Strength, a very peculiar skill. Many years ago, before the advent of firearms, many in Huaxia mastered this technique. But as firearms became prevalent, fewer and fewer people knew this art."


    "Can you try it on me?" Sophia was now the epitome of curiosity.


    Li Yifei readily nodded, swiftly tapped Sophia¡¯s waist.


    "Ha... hahaha..." Sophia immediately began to laugh. Although she tried to hold it back, she couldn¡¯t contain herself and finally burst into hearty laughter.


    Li Yifei promptly rubbed a spot on Sophia¡¯s lower back, and she returned to normal. She stared at Li Yifei in astonishment and then suddenly knelt before him.


    Li Yifei was startled and quickly grabbed Sophia¡¯s shoulders, saying, "Get up, what are you doing?"


    Sophia resisted Li Yifei¡¯s help to stand, looked up at him with eyes full of admiration, her face blushing with excitement, "I want to become your disciple. In Huaxia, doesn¡¯t one kneel to pay respect to a master? I am offering my respect to you right now."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat and said, "That¡¯s an old tradition, get up."


    "So you agree?" Sophia eagerly looked at Li Yifei, without standing up.


    Seeing Sophia¡¯s eagerness and excitement, Li Yifei¡¯s mouth curled into a smile, and finally, his smile widened as he said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll accept you as my disciple."

 Chapter 858 - 899: Teasing Meng Xiaofei to Tears

    Chapter 858: Chapter 899: Teasing Meng Xiaofei to TearsSophia was definitely a super-powerful assistant for Li Yifei, and through his interactions with Sophia, Li Yifei noticed that even though this woman was ruthless, she was also steadfast in her promises. Moreover, she now genuinely admired him. Taking her on as a disciple and keeping her for his own use was undoubtedly not a mistake.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have the time to teach Sophia right now, but his promise alone was enough to excite her. The skills that Li Yifei demonstrated were ones she had never comprehended before. If she could master them, she could integrate the Flying Dagger techniques with the inner energy targeting acupuncture points ¨C that would be a qualitative leap for her, a woman accustomed to showcasing her martial prowess, and the allure was all too powerful.


    Right in front of Sophia, Li Yifei dialed Old Master Su¡¯s number, demonstrating absolute trust in her.


    "Old Master Su, I¡¯ve obtained one of the items," Li Yifei said, feet propped up on the coffee table, leaning back on the couch with a dashing air. For some reason, every time he talked to the old master on the phone, he enjoyed putting on this cheeky demeanor. Partly because of Xu Yingying and partly because Li Yifei had always been one to follow orders faithfully in the military. Now that he was a free agent, he felt a special sense of rebellion toward those high-ranking leaders who previously would expect a salute upon meeting.


    "P>


    "That quick, that¡¯s great," Old Master Su exclaimed, genuinely thrilled.


    "P>


    "Of course, I wouldn¡¯t dare fail Mengxin."


    "P>


    "That sounds reasonable," Old Master Su said, sounding pleased, so he rarely praised Li Yifei ¨C although it somehow still sounded like cursing.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind and, knowing the old man¡¯s temperament, said, "Have someone come get it. I¡¯m not bringing it over."


    "No problem," Old Master Su replied promptly.


    "And the reward, don¡¯t forget to bring that too."


    "You always irk me with your haggling," Old Master Su complained.


    "Can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m a free man now. How can I live without a profit, or take care of your granddaughter who spends hundreds of thousands a day?"


    "Get lost!" Old Master Su barked and hung up the phone.


    Although Li Yifei no longer harbored resentment towards the old master now, he still found a guilty pleasure in giving the old man a bit of a hard time, especially since the incident with Xu Yingying ¨C it still left a bit of a bitter taste in Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    Sophia didn¡¯t know who the person on the other end of the line was, but listening to Li Yifei¡¯s conversation, she knew it must be someone of high stature. The fact that Li Yifei didn¡¯t hide the conversation from her, allowed her to understand the trust he had in her. Although her expression didn¡¯t change, she was genuinely touched.


    In addition, her admiration for Li Yifei grew. People like her, though sufficiently powerful in their own right, couldn¡¯t flaunt it in the light; they had to live in the shadows. But Li Yifei could operate openly and even converse casually with such high-level officials. That was another expression of strength, and remaining under Li Yifei¡¯s wing meant that her future wouldn¡¯t just be confined to fighting and killing. There would be a brighter side as well.


    After giving a few instructions to Sophia to keep an eye on Lin Qiong ¨C who always worried Li Yifei ¨C as her ambition could be troublesome. While it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to advance on her own, lacking significant opportunities, her tenacity meant she could eventually improve. However, since Li Yifei had accelerated Lin Qiong¡¯s advancement, giving her too many opportunities, it led her to always wanting to prove herself by tackling major cases, which could be dangerous for her.


    This situation was entirely Li Yifei¡¯s doing. So now, he was taking extra care of Lin Qiong, having the most capable Sophia protect her out of fear that something might happen to her.


    There was still plenty of time as it wasn¡¯t even noon yet, and there would be no one at home. It was the perfect time for Li Yifei to visit Ye Yunzhu and the rest since he felt he had neglected them for too long.


    When he got home, he spotted Meng Xiaofei right at the entrance of the residential complex, still in her flight attendant uniform, dragging a suitcase along.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re back!" Meng Xiaofei exclaimed with surprise as soon as she saw Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei felt both amused and annoyed seeing her, replying, "Yes, I just got back."


    Meng Xiaofei dragged her suitcase with one hand, while the other arm quickly wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s. She said with a playful giggle, "Hehe, what a coincidence, I just got back too."


    Li Yifei immediately felt his arm come in contact with Meng Xiaofei¡¯s proud chest. Such gestures had always been normal between them, and Li Yifei never thought too much about it, but today, it made him recall the sensation of touching her on the plane.


    Quickly shaking off that inappropriate thought, Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Yeah, I was worried you wouldn¡¯t have anything good to eat when you got back, so I came back to cook especially for you."


    "I knew Brother Li was the best," Meng Xiaofei said playfully, laughing as she clung to his arm and walked into the residential area.


    "Brother Li, I need to ask you a favor," Meng Xiaofei said after walking just a few steps.


    Li Yifei knew without guessing that it definitely had something to do with "him" on the plane, and he didn¡¯t point it out at the time, saying, "What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re still being so formal with me."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted, then said somewhat annoyedly, "Brother Li, today I was taken advantage of. It pisses me off just thinking about it. I originally wanted to have that guy thrown off the plane, but later he said he was coming to partner with Dreamfly Corporation, so I didn¡¯t send him away. I was afraid of affecting your business, but you must take care of him for me, he¡¯s really too annoying."


    "Oh? How did he take advantage of you?" Li Yifei purposefully asked.


    "That guy suddenly pulled me down, then he reached out and grabbed my chest. It really made me furious." As Meng Xiaofei spoke, she paused, even gesturing over her own chest.


    Li Yifei felt his eyes heat up as the motion was indeed quite tempting. He quickly turned his gaze away and said, "That¡¯s too arrogant, daring to do that to you on a plane."


    "Exactly. It made me furious. Even my boyfriend has never touched me. Besides you, no one else has touched me."


    "When did I touch you?" Li Yifei immediately widened his eyes.


    "Hehe, when I was hooking your arm, didn¡¯t you touch me then?" Meng Xiaofei teasingly stuck out her tongue.


    "You¡¯d better clarify that. Otherwise, if your family hears about it, they¡¯ll think I have an ulterior motive towards you."


    "It¡¯s fine. Everyone knows what kind of person I am. Don¡¯t cross me out. Are you going to help me with what I asked for just now or not?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I won¡¯t help."


    "Ah?" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Li Yifei. Although she wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s woman, he had always been responsive to her requests. She was both surprised and somewhat uncomfortable that Li Yifei had so readily refused this time.


    "Alright... I know he¡¯s your partner, and if I offend him, it would bring a great loss to the company. I¡¯ll just put up with the slight grievance." After pausing for a few seconds, Meng Xiaofei pouted and said with a look of grievance.


    Li Yifei found this quite amusing and said, "Exactly, this deal is really big. We¡¯re talking about a business of billions. Not to say just touching you, even if he forced you to do something, I couldn¡¯t stand up for you."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and she bit her lip, with tears already swirling in her eyes.


    Li Yifei was startled, thinking he might have taken the joke too far, not expecting Meng Xiaofei to actually start crying. He quickly put on a smiling face and said, "Don¡¯t cry, I was just teasing you."


    "Ah!" Meng Xiaofei immediately burst into laughter, grabbing Li Yifei¡¯s arm and shaking it a couple of times, excitedly saying, "I knew Brother Li would stand up for me."


    Li Yifei quickly looked around and was relieved that there was no one outside at the moment. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t look good for others to see them like this. He said, "You¡¯re all grown up, yet you still laugh and cry like this. Hurry and wipe your tears so you don¡¯t ruin your makeup."


    "Mm-hmm!" Meng Xiaofei simply wiped her face with her hands. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless and asked, "Don¡¯t you have a tissue?"


    "Yeah, but that¡¯s too much trouble," Meng Xiaofei said nonchalantly.


    Li Yifei shook his head, took her small shoulder bag, and tried to take out a tissue from inside. It looked like a small pack of tissues, but when he took it out, it turned out to be a sanitary pad, causing him to suddenly look embarrassed, while Meng Xiaofei laughed out loud and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so naughty. You can¡¯t use this on your face."


    "You girl, you really have thick skin. I take this out, and you aren¡¯t even embarrassed."


    "Hehe, why should I have secrets in front of you? It¡¯s embarrassing if someone sees this after it¡¯s been used; if it hasn¡¯t been used, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, haven¡¯t you seen enough at home? There are mine in the bathroom too."


    "Well..." Li Yifei was at a loss for words and hastily stuffed the sanitary pad back into the bag, then took out a tissue and wiped the tear stains from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face. Since he felt responsible for causing the tears, he thought he should wipe them away.


    Meng Xiaofei just let Li Yifei wipe her face, and after he finished wiping, she kept gazing at him.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Only then did Li Yifei notice something odd in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s gaze and casually asked.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re really good to me!" Meng Xiaofei muttered, then playfully stuck out her tongue, her face suddenly flushing with a faint red.

 Chapter 859 - 900: The More One Tries to Defend Oneself, the Worse It Gets

    Chapter 859: Chapter 900: The More One Tries to Defend Oneself, the Worse It GetsLi Yifei didn¡¯t notice the blush on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face. Seeing that Meng Xiaofei was smiling as usual, he shook his head and said, "You¡¯re like a child who never grows up. Even Xiaoyao doesn¡¯t worry me as much as you do. You¡¯re grown up yet still can¡¯t take care of yourself. I really don¡¯t know if someone will kick you out after marrying you."


    Meng Xiaofei said proudly, "What you said is quite right. I can¡¯t cook nor do chores. Whoever marries me will be unlucky for eight lifetimes, so to avoid harming others, I just won¡¯t get married. I¡¯ll just freeload in your house instead."


    "You really have a thick face, planning to freeload for a lifetime?"


    "Anyway, you have so many women, one more is just one more mouth to feed, and you¡¯re so rich, it won¡¯t make a difference."


    Li Yifei was amused by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s teasing and laughed even harder. "Alright, alright, you won¡¯t make a difference."


    As they walked towards home, Meng Xiaofei followed up with another question, "Brother Li, how do you plan to deal with him? Don¡¯t let it affect your business because of me. If it really can¡¯t be helped, then just wait until your business is finished before you take care of him. That¡¯s also fine."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "To tell you the truth, I really can¡¯t do anything to him."


    "Alright, then. If you can¡¯t deal with it, you can¡¯t. It¡¯s as if I was touched by an animal, bitten by a fly, nibbled by a mouse..."


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat hearing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s increasingly ugly descriptions and finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, "Xiaofei, stop cursing. That person was me."


    "What?" Meng Xiaofei finally stopped her tirade and, puzzled, turned to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei glared at Meng Xiaofei and said annoyed, "The one who touched you on the plane today was me."


    "You? How is that possible? Could I not recognize you?" Meng Xiaofei was even more confused, examining Li Yifei from top to bottom.


    "I was on a mission and couldn¡¯t let others recognize me to avoid trouble later, so I had a disguise on, and I couldn¡¯t admit it was me at that time. You wanted me to stand up for you, how could I help you? You really went too far with the insults just now."


    Meng Xiaofei stared at Li Yifei and asked, "Was it really you?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Nonsense, what¡¯s false about that? Do you think I have nothing better to do than to claim such a thing for no reason?"


    "Then why did you touch my chest?"


    This question nearly made Li Yifei bash his head in frustration. Helplessly, he said, "Do you mean to tell me that if you knew it was me, you¡¯d still think I did it on purpose?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Well, you¡¯re right. If you wanted to touch, there are plenty of chances; you wouldn¡¯t need to sneakily do it in that situation. Wait..." Meng Xiaofei suddenly looked at Li Yifei with a strange expression and giggled mischievously, "I¡¯ve heard some men have weird fetishes. They get more excited by taking advantage of women in crowded places. Brother Li, you don¡¯t have such a deviant preference, do you?"


    "Meng Xiaofei..." Li Yifei gritted his teeth and glared at Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei shrank back, then giggled and said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m just kidding. I know you have no deviant preferences. You were trying to protect me from that guy taking advantage of me and then accidentally did it yourself. Hehe, if someone else took advantage of me, I would be angry, but if you did, then it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not angry at all. You can take advantage whenever you want however you want... Hey, Brother Li, don¡¯t go. Wait for me!"


    Unable to stand it anymore, Li Yifei strode away, ignoring the girl with the unbridled mouth, while Meng Xiaofei hastily called out, chasing after him.


    Seeing Li Yifei return, Ye Yunzhu, Ning Xin¡¯er, Su Yiyi, and Chu Xiaoyao in the living room were all quite excited. However, seeing Li Yifei with a dark expression followed by a very guilty-looking Meng Xiaofei, they were all puzzled. They had never seen any conflict between Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei before, and it was clear that Li Yifei was angry with Meng Xiaofei, which was quite strange.


    "Hey, hey, brother, I didn¡¯t mean to make you angry on purpose. I know you have no deviant preferences. You touching my chest shows you¡¯re a totally normal man. My chest is so big; it seems like any man would want to touch it."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s comment caused everyone in the room to stare at Li Yifei in unison, their expressions priceless.


    Ye Yunzhu was the first to express dissatisfaction, "Hey, I¡¯m talking to you, Li Yifei. Even rabbits don¡¯t eat the grass by their own burrow. You¡¯re so familiar with Xiaofei, and yet you actually made a move on her?"


    Now, although Ning Xin¡¯er was very attached to Li Yifei and usually didn¡¯t lose her temper with him as before, she still spoke with a hint of disbelief, "Right, you touched and then had such an expression, as if Xiaofei owes you something. Isn¡¯t that a bit...too much?"


    Chu Xiaoyao approached Meng Xiaofei, suddenly stretched out her hand, and groped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest, which elicited a shriek from Meng Xiaofei. Chu Xiaoyao, however, said with a giggly smile, "The feel is really nice."


    "Stinky Xiaoyao, what are you doing?" Meng Xiaofei hugged her chest defensively, quite frustrated.


    "Hehe, if Uncle touches your chest, I also must check the feel, I¡¯ve always thought that your breasts are quite satisfying."


    Only then did Meng Xiaofei realize that saying something like this would cause trouble for Li Yifei. She stuck her tongue out at Li Yifei and quickly said, "Don¡¯t misjudge everyone, Brother Li didn¡¯t touch me on purpose, it was just an accident, an accident."


    But Meng Xiaofei¡¯s explanation didn¡¯t convince anyone. Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "A pervert is a pervert. Even now at home, you haven¡¯t sorted things out, and you are going after something new."


    Li Yifei really felt defeated by Meng Xiaofei and just sat down on the couch, saying, "This girl, you really can¡¯t help her. Try to help her once and it gets me into all kinds of trouble."


    Seeing everyone giving Li Yifei a hard time, Meng Xiaofei said with a chuckle, "You all got it wrong. Here¡¯s what happened..."


    After Meng Xiaofei recounted the incident, everyone understood what had happened and couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time. However, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s indiscreet way of getting Li Yifei into such an embarrassing situation also became an amusing story.


    While Meng Xiaofei was explaining, Li Yifei had already sat next to Ye Yunzhu and was caressing her prominently swollen belly, feeling the movements of the little life inside, which brought him an indescribable sense of peace.


    Ye Yunzhu hadn¡¯t quite experienced such a feeling these days and was holding some gloomy resentment in her heart. As the due date approached, she yearned more and more for Li Yifei¡¯s presence, yet these days Li Yifei simply couldn¡¯t come by. His sudden visit today took her by surprise as she asked, "How come you¡¯re here?"


    Li Yifei felt quite remorseful and said, "I had just got back from going out. Seeing there was still time, I wanted to check on everyone first."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Do you even have us in your heart?"


    Chu Xiaoyao also pouted her lips and added, "Yeah, Uncle, you don¡¯t come to accompany us. We really miss you."


    Li Yifei looked at them and didn¡¯t know what to say. To say sorry seemed too insincere, but making a promise to frequently accompany them seemed like something he couldn¡¯t fulfill. His mouth opened a few times, but no words came out.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, everyone couldn¡¯t bear it. Ning Xin¡¯er said, "We know your difficulties. None of us will force you, but you have to find an excuse to talk to us, especially Yunzhu. She needs you the most right now."


    Su Yiyi, who normally would never speak up about such matters, content just to see Li Yifei, also said today, "Yes, Sister Yunzhu is about to give birth. You really should... spend more time with her." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Ye Yunzhu just snorted and said, "Who needs him? When Xin¡¯er was having her baby, he wasn¡¯t there either. Now that I have all of you living with me, I¡¯m much better off than Xin¡¯er was. What do I need him for?"


    Li Yifei looked over each of them and suddenly felt that his recent actions may have indeed gone too far. He couldn¡¯t neglect everyone just because of Xu Yingying. Taking a deep breath, Li Yifei firmly said, "I will resolve the matter with Yingying as soon as possible. I won¡¯t let the people who like me, the people I like, feel heartbroken."


    Although it was just a promise, everyone clearly sensed the change in Li Yifei¡¯s attitude. They hadn¡¯t been hard on Li Yifei recently, but there still lingered a bit of gloominess in their hearts. Even if they all shared one man, if that man only focused on one woman, neglecting the others, even the emperors¡¯ harem in the past would have caused a commotion. The fact that Li Yifei¡¯s house didn¡¯t erupt into chaos was already a significant achievement.


    Moreover, Li Yifei had not shown a positive attitude before, and now that he finally had, it gave everyone a glimmer of hope, significantly reducing their previous resentment toward him.


    "Uncle, there¡¯s still time before Sister Yingying gets off work. How about... we..." Chu Xiaoyao winked at Li Yifei, casting a flirtatious fox-like glance his way.


    Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er both blushed, while Meng Xiaofei immediately yelled, "Oh my, this is not suitable for children, I¡¯m outta here!" She then dashed back to her room.


    There was a sense of awkwardness among them, but no one wanted to give up this rare opportunity. Even though no one spoke up, their looks and expressions already revealed a deep longing.


    Li Yifei stood up, gave everyone a slight smile, and said, "We still have plenty of time; why don¡¯t we do something?"


    "That¡¯s enough, you cheeky man. Today, I¡¯ll make you go home with wobbly legs. Sisters, let¡¯s do this!" Ye Yunzhu waved her hand, leading the way upstairs with her big belly.

 Chapter 860 - 901

    Chapter 860: 901At five o¡¯clock, Li Yifei arrived at the company, holding a bunch of bright roses in his hand. Dressed in a crisp suit, his shoes shone brightly, and a dark cashmere overcoat was draped over him, making his entire persona dashing and imposing.


    Yet no one noticed at that moment that Li Yifei¡¯s steps seemed a bit unsteady. Having been tormented by the four women at home, who were indeed long overdue for such attention, they seized the rare opportunity to not let Li Yifei off easily. Li Yifei, feeling extremely guilty towards them, spared no effort in pampering them. In the end, he was extremely exhausted, and despite his strong physique, his legs were wobbly, and he could hardly get up.


    However, they did not allow him to rest and came up with an idea: to have him quickly win over Xu Yingying. They were quite dissatisfied with the progress between the two, so Li Yifei¡¯s dress-up that day was their doing.


    As he appeared in such attire, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the lobby. It was just the time when work was ending, and the office was at its busiest. Except for a few new colleagues, most knew Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s usual suits in the office often seemed casual, but today he was notably more serious, and he was also holding a big bouquet of flowers. This caught the employees, who were hurrying to go home, off guard, and they all gathered around him.


    "President Li, with this setup, are you here to propose?"


    "Yeah, yeah, definitely to propose. Look at that big bunch of roses; who would buy so many if not for a proposal?"


    "President Li, Michelle has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, waiting for Manager Li to propose to her."


    Originally, Li Yifei would respond to jests with a smile, feeling slightly embarrassed but not much bothered. However, hearing Michelle mentioned made his head spin all of a sudden.


    In the past, everyone at the company thought he and Michelle were a couple. Since Xu Yingying had always refused to let the company know about their marital status, neither Li Yifei nor Michelle had come forward to clarify this matter. Michelle was helping Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, but also somewhat pleased to be misunderstood.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s pompous arrival that day to deliver flowers to Xu Yingying did not take Michelle into account, which was a devastating blow for her.


    Li Yifei had been contemplating how to deal with the situation, but at that moment, Michelle had come downstairs into the lobby.


    "Ah, the protagonist has arrived!" everyone shouted jovially, as several female colleagues rushed over to pull Michelle towards them.


    Surrounded by the crowd, Li Yifei had yet to be seen by Michelle. Although she sensed an unusual buzz in the lobby, unaware of what was happening, she responded with confusion as her colleagues pulled her: "What are you doing? What happened?"


    "Michelle, your spring has arrived, and you¡¯re still so calm."


    "Really, how lucky, Michelle! Someone is going to propose to you!"


    Michelle was startled and tried to return upstairs, saying urgently, "No, no!"


    "Why are you running?" A few female colleagues grabbed onto Michelle, not letting her go.


    Michelle spoke hastily, "It¡¯s no good; this is absolutely no good. I don¡¯t like anyone right now. It would be so awkward to reject someone; I¡¯d rather not meet."


    "Giggle... Are you really going to say no? You¡¯d better not regret it!"


    "Exactly, exactly... Look, who is that!"


    By then, everyone had seen Michelle. The crowd standing between Li Yifei and Michelle suddenly dispersed, leaving no barrier between them. Michelle, seeing Li Yifei with a big bunch of roses, was flabbergasted. She could never have imagined Li Yifei would be the one showing up.


    A group of male colleagues meanwhile began to egg Li Yifei on.


    "President Li, the beauty is right in front of you, go on!"


    "You must kneel on one knee!"


    At that moment, Li Yifei really felt like running away. The awkward situation was completely out of control and certainly not why he had come here. His mind raced for a quick solution; even though he was used to coming up with the best solutions in the face of danger, he could not think of an appropriate way to handle this situation.


    Of course, the most straightforward thing for Li Yifei to do would have been to tell everyone the truth: he was here to give Xu Yingying flowers, and Xu Yingying was his wife.


    But as he looked at Michelle¡¯s expression, a mixture of excitement and joy, and saw the girl trembling with emotion, and then thought about the little things she did for him on a daily basis, how could Li Yifei bear to hurt her?


    He knew that telling the truth now would be a major blow to Michelle¡¯s dignity. She would become the laughingstock of the company, an unimaginable harm to her. How could Michelle stay in the company after that?


    The only way out for Michelle would be to leave the company and silently bear the pain alone.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bring himself to do something like that.


    Michelle was truly stunned when she saw Li Yifei holding a large bouquet of roses; she really thought they were for her, that he was there to propose. The scene she had fantasized about countless times was suddenly unfolding before her eyes, causing her dreams and reality to merge. At that moment, her brain simply couldn¡¯t cope, completely overwhelmed by happiness and excitement.


    But as Michelle saw Li Yifei being surrounded by people and walking toward her, she suddenly realized what was happening. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t there for her at all, but for Xu Yingying. If everyone forced Li Yifei to declare his feelings for her, wouldn¡¯t that cause great trouble for him, and even affect the relationship between him and Xu Yingying?


    With this realization, Michelle¡¯s face turned pale with extreme panic. She desperately signaled to Li Yifei not to come over.


    Li Yifei was already feeling quite troubled, but on seeing Michelle¡¯s signals, he suddenly made a decision. A radiant smile appeared on his face, and he walked directly toward Michelle.


    "Brother Li... Brother Li..." Michelle called out anxiously. Reading Li Yifei¡¯s expression, she immediately understood what he was about to do, which made her so anxious that sweat began to pour down her face. She called out loudly a couple of times, trying to remind Li Yifei.


    But Li Yifei, still with a radiant smile, continued straight toward Michelle.


    "Haha, Michelle, aren¡¯t you a bit too excited? No, no, this definitely won¡¯t do."


    "Yeah, you¡¯ve got to be more reserved. When a girl is being proposed to, she¡¯s got to show some restraint."


    A few of Michelle¡¯s close colleagues teased her, completely unaware of her urgency, which was a totally different kind of urgency.


    By this time, Li Yifei had reached Michelle, who was opening her mouth but found herself speechless. She had no idea what to do, simply staring blankly at Li Yifei, her face flushed red.


    Li Yifei stood before Michelle, looking at this pure girl. A surge of tenderness welled up in his heart, and his knees slowly bent as his body began to lower.


    And just then, from the corner of his eye, Li Yifei spotted two people coming down the stairs ¡ª Xu Yingying and He Fangqing. Both had clearly seen him and stopped, looking down from above.


    He Fangqing was surprised, while Xu Yingying¡¯s face first turned white, then red, and finally iron blue. Her body shook violently a couple of times, clearly very angry.


    Li Yifei paused mid-kneel but continued resolutely to get down on one knee. He lifted the fiery red roses in his hand and offered them to Michelle, gazing into her eyes softly, he said, "Michelle, will you marry me?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bustling scene fell silent as Li Yifei knelt down. Everyone even held their breath. Li Yifei¡¯s voice was soft, but it echoed throughout the entire hall, audible to everyone there.


    These words struck Michelle¡¯s ears like thunder, resonating endlessly in her mind.


    "Brother Li is actually proposing to me, he¡¯s really proposing to me..." Michelle¡¯s lips parted slightly, trembling, trying to make a sound, but no voice came out.


    At that moment, all eyes were on Li Yifei and Michelle, with no one noticing President Xu Yingying and Financial Director He Fangqing standing on the stairs; and even if they did, who would pay attention to them during such a stirring moment when their focus was on Li Yifei and Michelle?


    Suddenly, Xu Yingying¡¯s body swayed again, her eyes nearly shooting fire, and she trembled violently, nearly falling. He Fangqing quickly steadied her. Although he didn¡¯t know why this had happened, he could guess the difficulty Li Yifei was facing; Li Yifei definitely didn¡¯t come here to provoke Xu Yingying on purpose.


    "Say yes! Say yes!" As Michelle didn¡¯t respond for a long time, everyone shouted in unison, the atmosphere indescribably fervent.


    Pushed by two colleagues standing behind her, Michelle reflexively accepted the roses Li Yifei handed her. Cheers erupted throughout the entire hall, a commotion unprecedented since the company¡¯s founding.


    But apart from Li Yifei, no one noticed the tear trails on Xu Yingying¡¯s face.

 Chapter 861 - 902 Explanation

    Chapter 861: Chapter 902 Explanation"Say yes! Come on, say yes to him!"


    Seeing Michelle accept the flowers, yet still staring blankly at Li Yifei, motionless, everyone felt anxious on her behalf.


    Under the urging of the crowd, Michelle finally regained her senses. Looking at Li Yifei, who was still kneeling in front of her, she finally confirmed that all of this was real, but understood that it was all an illusion. Even if Li Yifei truly liked her, he definitely would not come to the company to propose to her. This was simply the others at the company forcing a duck onto a perch.


    "Thank you, Brother Li, thank you for proposing to me, but... I can¡¯t accept," said Michelle, her face showing a particularly delicate flush of red.


    But Michelle¡¯s words completely stunned everyone in the company. Everyone was well aware of her affection for Li Yifei, especially when the police came to arrest him and Michelle publicly confessed her feelings for Li Yifei. It took so much for Michelle to do such a thing.


    Now, Li Yifei had initiated a proposal, and by all rights, Michelle should have been overjoyed to accept. Why did she reject him? What exactly was going on?


    "Michelle... have you lost your mind?" a colleague nudged Michelle.


    Michelle gave a slight smile and said, "I¡¯m not crazy, I admit, I really like Brother Li, but liking someone doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you have to marry them."


    "There must be a reason, right?" everyone looked at Michelle eagerly.


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, her eyes were indescribably tender, as if speaking to herself but also as if addressing Li Yifei, she said, "To see Li Yifei happy in this lifetime is my greatest happiness. Brother Li, I can¡¯t be your wife, but you¡¯ve fulfilled a dream for me, and I¡¯m truly content and happy." With these words, she held the bundle of fiery roses to her chest, lowered her head, and gently smelled the fragrance of the flowers, her face filled with bliss.


    Li Yifei was staring at Michelle in a daze, sensing a kind of sacred radiance on her face, stronger than that of a saint. A saint¡¯s holiness was cultivated, but Michelle¡¯s purity seemed to emanate from within her, more captivating, more admirable, even making Li Yifei feel unworthy.


    "Brother Li, let¡¯s remain good friends from now on. Michelle is willing to be your confidante for life," Michelle extended her hand.


    Li Yifei raised his hand to grasp Michelle¡¯s, then stood up with her. Looking tenderly at Michelle, he said softly, "I understand." Then with a reach of his arm, he embraced Michelle.


    Although a bundle of fiery roses separated them, it made both Li Yifei and Michelle feel as though their hearts were so close. The roses caught between them only heightened the tender beauty, as if witnessing the extraordinary emotions between the two.


    Such a dramatic turn of events not only surprised all the employees, leaving them dumbstruck, even Xu Yingying was completely bewildered by it all. The only one who seemed to grasp the situation was He Fangqing.


    "Brother Li, let¡¯s go upstairs," Michelle looked up at Li Yifei and said softly. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded, and the two of them, side by side, began walking towards the stairs. He Fangqing wanted to pull Xu Yingying away, but Xu Yingying stood her ground, leaving He Fangqing with no choice but to stay by her side.


    The company was baffled as to why Michelle and Li Yifei were heading inside now, still gathered in the lobby, looking up. Only then did they notice that President Xu and He Fangqing, the two top brains of the company, were on the stairs.


    At that moment, Michelle also saw Xu Yingying and immediately showed a panicked expression. Li Yifei was even more embarrassed. But since he¡¯d done it, he had no regrets. Even if he could turn back time, he would still do the same.


    As the two walked upstairs, they soon approached Xu Yingying, who stood with her arms crossed, looking down at them from her higher position, her face devoid of any emotion.


    Li Yifei quickly whispered, "Let¡¯s talk upstairs."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with an indescribably cold gaze, so cold it seemed to penetrate to the bone.


    He Fangqing tugged at Xu Yingying gently and said softly, "There¡¯s more to this than meets the eye, let¡¯s talk upstairs."


    Xu Yingying finally let out a sigh, turned around, and headed upstairs. Her high heels clicked crisply against the stairs, but the sound wasn¡¯t rhythmic as usual; instead, it was somewhat disordered, just like her feelings at that moment.


    Inside Xu Yingying¡¯s office, right after the door had closed, Michelle hurriedly said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, please don¡¯t be angry. Brother Li came to bring you roses, but his gesture was misunderstood by the colleagues, leading to this situation."


    "For me?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with haughty disdain and said, "Do you think I am blind? Proposing to you in front of all the employees at the office, did I see it wrong?"


    Li Yifei exhaled and said to Michelle, "Michelle, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this."


    Michelle anxiously replied, "No, no, I must clarify this to President Xu. I can¡¯t allow her to have a misunderstanding about you, affecting your marital relationship."


    As they talked, Xu Yingying felt even more uncomfortable, scoffed coldly, and said, "The two of you are so lovey-dovey; what else is there to explain to me? Li Yifei, I never had any feelings for you anyway. We just have a marriage certificate, that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s go and change it for a divorce certificate tomorrow. You two should be together; you both seem perfectly suited for each other, always thinking about one another."


    Michelle almost started crying, choking out, "President Xu, it¡¯s really not what you think. I¡¯ve always admired you greatly and have always thought you are the most suitable for Brother Li. You are the wife most suitable for him. I really never thought about... taking Brother Li away."


    He Fangqing quickly tugged at Xu Yingying and said, "Yingying, don¡¯t get so worked up. I understand seeing this kind of situation would naturally upset any wife, but there are some things you might not know."


    "What don¡¯t I know? That they had feelings for each other before? Well, I am stepping aside now, isn¡¯t that better for everyone?"


    He Fangqing rolled her eyes and said, "Yingying, please calm down." She forcibly seated Xu Yingying, who, seeing Michelle¡¯s distressed and anxious expression, finally began to calm down a bit. He Fangqing then continued, "We all used to work in the same company, and Michelle and Yifei were colleagues, which is why Michelle took a liking to Li Yifei. Everyone in the company knew that. After you and Yifei got married, Michelle rarely interacted with Li Yifei. However, because you didn¡¯t want people in the company to know you and Li Yifei were married and never clarified the situation, everyone still thinks Michelle is Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend."


    Pausing briefly, He Fangqing added, "Given the situation just now, if Li Yifei had directly stated that he was bringing flowers for you, consider how the entire company would have viewed Michelle. I believe that not only would Li Yifei have tarnished his own reputation, but he would have also made it impossible for Michelle to stay in the company."


    Listening to He Fangqing finish, Xu Yingying frowned deeply and said, "So it¡¯s my fault again?"


    He Fangqing gave a bitter smile and responded, "It¡¯s not your fault, but for you to lash out at Li Yifei and Michelle over it is maybe not quite appropriate."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s chest heaved sharply. Even if what He Fangqing said was true, she still felt uncomfortable. Her husband, even if only in name, had just proposed to another woman in the office. If others found out about her status, how could she manage to interact with her colleagues in the future? How would she establish her authority as the boss?


    Michelle bit her lip and said softly, "I am sorry, President Xu. It was my fault for always pestering Brother Li, which caused you trouble."


    Li Yifei opened his mouth, wanting to speak up for Michelle, but felt it wasn¡¯t wise to say anything at that moment. It might only provoke Xu Yingying¡¯s greater dislike. It was better to hold back and explain things privately to Xu Yingying later.


    At that moment, Michelle raised the fiery red roses to her nose, smelt them gently, then presented them to Li Yifei, saying softly, "President Xu, I am not worthy of accepting the flowers from Brother Li. Only you deserve flowers from him."


    Xu Yingying bit her lip and finally accepted the flowers, saying, "Alright, I got it wrong. Anyway, I don¡¯t want our status to be exposed. Let¡¯s just leave it at that; you don¡¯t have to blame yourself anymore."


    Michelle smiled faintly, looking somewhat tragic in her beauty, and said, "Thank you, President Xu. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now."


    Xu Yingying nodded, and Michelle slowly turned around, gave one deep look at Li Yifei, and then walked out.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth but ultimately didn¡¯t call Michelle back. At that point, the most important thing was to clarify things with Xu Yingying. Once he had talked it through with her, everything else would be easier to handle.


    So after Michelle had left, Li Yifei immediately sat next to Xu Yingying and said, "Wife, this really is a misunderstanding. I wanted to surprise you, but I neglected Michelle¡¯s situation, which is why this misunderstanding happened. I wouldn¡¯t have the audacity to flirt with another woman right under your nose, let alone propose to someone else, would I?"


    Xu Yingying had initially just been blinded by anger, and after He Fangqing¡¯s explanation, she believed the situation was indeed not as she had seen. But looking at Li Yifei, she still felt uneasy. Her husband had proposed to someone else; as a wife, how could she possibly be happy about that?

 Chapter 862 - 903: Finally Passed the Test

    Chapter 862: Chapter 903: Finally Passed the Test"Comrade Li Yifei," Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, speaking with irritation, "I can see it now, you must have caused plenty of trouble before. The moment I woke up, I gained a daughter, and now there¡¯s this whole mess with Michelle. You really know how to give me a headache."


    Li Yifei could only offer a bitter smile to himself. He had intended to close the gap between himself and Xu Yingying, yet now he had only added to the conflicts between them. Especially since Xu Yingying didn¡¯t know about Ning Xin¡¯er and the others¡ªif she did, who knew how big the storm would become? It wasn¡¯t like before when he could be certain of smoothing things over.


    "Honey, I genuinely wanted to bring you flowers, to make you happy, but it turned out to only make you mad. My mistake is too grave. Once we get home, I¡¯ll kneel and wash the clothes on a washboard. Please be the bigger person and forgive this petty one; don¡¯t stoop to my level."


    Many men had said these words, but Li Yifei had never spoken in such a humble manner to Xu Yingying before. He Fangqing was instantly surprised to hear this and exclaimed, "Comrade Li Yifei, you¡¯re really sparing no expense to appease your wife, even saying such things."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "What else can I do when I¡¯ve made such a big mistake? If I don¡¯t make my wife happy, how can I expect good days ahead?"


    Xu Yingying shot him a glare and said, "Am I that scary?"


    "Not at all! Absolutely not, my wife is gentle and virtuous, indeed a rare and excellent wife and mother."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another pointed look but couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. She could claim to be no less than anyone else in various aspects, but being gentle and virtuous wasn¡¯t something she could truly claim. And for He Fangqing to say this, it also showed that Li Yifei had given up a lot for her. Guilt inevitably crept into her heart. Though she had become less distant from Li Yifei since waking up, as a wife, she was clearly not up to par, particularly when considering certain marital duties she had never fulfilled.


    Especially recalling the mornings at her parents¡¯ house, when she¡¯d often see the "tent" that Li Yifei pitched, it was obvious that he was suffering in silence. Even though she didn¡¯t look forward to such matters, it was still her duty to address them.


    If it had been another man, he might have succumbed to temptation and done something regrettable, or alternatively, he might have forced her to fulfill her marital duties. But Li Yifei had never made such demands, which made him all the more extraordinary.


    "Fine, I¡¯m not mad anymore. But let me warn you, don¡¯t come to my office to send flowers anymore. With the mess, it has already caused, imagine if you sent flowers again. Wouldn¡¯t I be the despicable person who seduces someone else¡¯s partner?"


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat as he hadn¡¯t thought of that. Now, reflecting on it, he realized he shouldn¡¯t have brought flowers today, so he quickly added, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll absolutely never bring them to your workplace again. We can just buy them for our home."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face reddened as she picked up a rose from the table and said, "These flowers really do smell nice."


    No woman dislikes receiving flowers, and Xu Yingying was no exception. She still stubbornly refused to admit she hoped Li Yifei would occasionally buy her fresh flowers without provocation, but by shifting the topic, she indirectly accepted the gesture.


    Li Yifei had thought Xu Yingying would react strongly and it would be difficult to handle, but things now seemed to have turned surprisingly easy, which he found hard to believe. Even with his suspicions, he dared not ask any further at this moment, as that would undoubtedly just be courting trouble.


    "Honey, it¡¯s getting late. Should we go home?" Li Yifei tentatively asked.


    "No, Fangqing and I still have a lot of things to do."


    "This work isn¡¯t something you can finish in one or two days. You can just as well do it tomorrow."


    "No, we have an event to attend tonight, and we can¡¯t pull out of it."


    "Alright then, where is this event you¡¯re attending? I¡¯ll come to pick you up afterward."


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "No need, I can get back myself."


    He Fangqing chuckled and said, "You should at least give Yifei a chance to show himself. Let him pick you up. Besides, it¡¯s not entirely safe for a woman to go home alone at night."


    Xu Yingying then haughtily said, "Fine, I¡¯ll give you a chance to prove yourself."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying, her chin lifted arrogantly and her lips pursed, feeling an almost irresistible urge to kiss her. This version of Xu Yingying was certainly more authentic. The Xu Yingying he knew before probably suppressed much of her true personality to maintain their marriage, but now, no longer needing to hold back, she had reclaimed her sense of self.


    Truth be told, in the half-year since Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were married, he hadn¡¯t truly gotten to know Xu Yingying. He knew she was a workaholic, that she was ambitious, and he had some understanding of her preferences, but he had never fully grasped her true character.


    Xu Yingying told Li Yifei where she and He Fangqing were headed, then added, "Alright, you better get going. Fangqing and I need to get ready."


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "Alright then, I¡¯ll take off first, and I¡¯ll come pick you up later."


    After the door closed, He Fangqing laughed and said, "Haha, you really have a way with him, now you¡¯ve got Yifei completely tamed."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red as she said, "This guy, if I don¡¯t keep an eye on him, who knows what kind of trouble he¡¯ll get into. Just one thing I didn¡¯t remind him about, look at the trouble today, and even knelt down to propose to Michelle. It¡¯s so embarrassing. And when I married him, he didn¡¯t even propose to me, did he?"


    He Fangqing laughingly said, "As far as I know, he didn¡¯t. But today the opportunity was yours; who would have thought, because of an unexpected turn of events, it ended up going to Michelle."


    "Tch! Who cares." Xu Yingying said this with her lips, but she still felt a bit uncomfortable in her heart. She had married Li Yifei without him even proposing¡ªshe was such a beautiful woman, and to marry him just like that¡ªshe had really let him off cheaply.


    "Hey, Sister Fangqing, what¡¯s with that look?" Turning her head, Xu Yingying noticed He Fangqing looking at her with a smile, a look that was quite different from usual, filled with a thick ambiance of intimacy, making her feel suddenly uneasy.


    "I¡¯m happy for you," He Fangqing said. "Before, when you were with Yifei, it felt like you lost yourself, always going along with him. Now you¡¯re behaving more like your true self. Between husband and wife, being too authentic can lead to conflict, but being too fake prevents real heartfelt understanding." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying furrowed her brows and said, "I just can¡¯t understand, why did I indulge him so much before? Is it like I couldn¡¯t get married to anyone else? Must I hang myself on a single vine that is him?"


    "When you two were together before, it wasn¡¯t a marriage born out of true romance, you were brought together through all kinds of abnormal circumstances, so there¡¯s always a lack of emotional foundation. Then, gradually, you discovered more and more of Yifei¡¯s admirable qualities, making you less willing to leave him, so you suppressed your personality to accommodate him in every way."


    "My goodness..." Xu Yingying placed her hand on her forehead, saying, "How could I be so foolish, I, Xu Yingying, shouldn¡¯t have to rely on him to that extent."


    "Haha... That¡¯s what emotions are like. Back then, you were good to him, but he didn¡¯t cherish you that much. After you took a bullet for him, he suddenly had an epiphany, which is why he desperately tried to save you. Because you were injured, he went to Japan all by himself and inflicted great suffering on the entire Yamaguchi Group, even killing their boss in the end before he let them off the hook."


    "What? There was such a thing?" Xu Yingying was suddenly shocked, covering her mouth and stammering, "He actually killed people? Wouldn¡¯t that mean legal responsibility?"


    He Fangqing smiled slightly, "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Yifei is no ordinary person. You do know what he did before, don¡¯t you?"


    "Oh, I know. He used to be a special forces soldier, and a very formidable one at that."


    "Right. Although the incident alerted both governments, one was individual action and the other involved an organization with underworld characteristics. Neither government found it convenient to publicly handle it, so in the end, they allowed the two parties to settle it privately. Yifei emerged from that situation with a strong sense of vindication."


    "This guy... did he really do something so crazy just because I got hurt?"


    "Could there be any doubt about it? Afterwards, he took you to see famous doctors around the world, enduring who knows how much hardship, just to wake you up so soon. Otherwise, you would still be unconscious."


    Xu Yingying truly did not know these things, momentarily lost in thought. After a while, she murmured, "It seems he really has been quite good to me."


    He Fangqing nodded, "Yep, after that incident, he has come to cherish you very specially."


    A sweet smile appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, clearly feeling a bit of happiness. Any woman would be moved when a man does something so grand for the woman he loves.


    To men, to love a woman more than power may seem foolish, but for a woman, to be the sole love of a man is true love. Men and women differ greatly in their understanding of love; for a man, love is not everything in life, but for many women, love can be their entirety.


    "Sister Fangqing, so what you¡¯re saying... it wasn¡¯t wrong for me to marry him?" Xu Yingying asked He Fangqing with her face blushing.


    He Fangqing said with a smile, "You already have the answer in your heart, why bother asking me?"


    Xu Yingying replied, a little embarrassedly, "It¡¯s just that I¡¯m too involved to see clearly, that¡¯s why I asked for your outside perspective."


    He Fangqing sighed inwardly, knowing she could only be an observer after all, but still smiled and said, "This is probably the most correct decision of your life."

 Chapter 863 - 904 Snow White

    Chapter 863: Chapter 904 Snow WhiteLi Yifei left his company but didn¡¯t go home; he was still concerned about Michelle. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was sad, but he could tell that today¡¯s events had greatly affected her.


    He pulled out his phone and dialed Michelle¡¯s number. When the call connected, Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Michelle hadn¡¯t turned off her phone¡ªthat would have worried him even more.


    After a few rings, Michelle¡¯s voice came through, shaky, "Li... Brother Li."


    "Michelle, where are you right now?"


    "I... I¡¯m on the street."


    Hearing the tremble in Michelle¡¯s voice and the sound of the wind outside, Li Yifei felt a pang in his heart and said softly, "How about we have dinner together? I haven¡¯t had hot pot in a long time. Let¡¯s go for hot pot."


    Michelle went silent for a bit before responding softly, "Okay."


    "Great, I¡¯ll drive over to pick you up now. Just tell me where you are."


    Michelle gave him the location; it wasn¡¯t far from his company, just over a kilometer away. She had obviously walked the distance.


    By the time Li Yifei arrived, the sky had grown overcast, and now snowflakes were fluttering down, covering everything in a white veil. The ground was slick and wet, which made driving difficult.


    Li Yifei soon found Michelle standing by the roadside, her head tilted back slightly as she gazed vacantly at the snowflakes falling from the sky, a thin layer of snow already settling on her hair and shoulders.


    Pulling up beside her, Li Yifei quickly got out of the car and stood in front of her.


    Michelle¡¯s head returned to a normal position as she looked at Li Yifei, her face breaking into a radiant smile. "You¡¯re in such a good mood, inviting me for hot pot." However, her eyes suddenly misted over.


    Li Yifei, feeling distressed, gently brushed the snow off Michelle, speaking softly, "It¡¯s too cold outside, hot pot will warm us up."


    "Yeah, I really want to eat it too," Michelle replied with a sweet smile, then turned her head and gently wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.


    In the car, Li Yifei took Michelle to a nearby hot pot restaurant. On such a cold day, hot pot was perfect. The restaurant was packed, with no private rooms available, so they settled for a table in the main dining area.


    They ordered some food, and soon the hot pot was served, its steam fogging up the environment and blurring Li Yifei¡¯s view of Michelle, who was quietly fiddling with a napkin, lost in thought. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let¡¯s eat," Li Yifei said as he placed a piece of cooked lamb in her plate.


    Michelle looked up at Li Yifei with a smile, then lowered her head and began eating slowly.


    Li Yifei knew Michelle was troubled, but pressing her wouldn¡¯t help as she would just keep it inside. So, he teased her lightly, "You eat so elegantly, you know. Although it¡¯s true that girls shouldn¡¯t wolf down their food since it¡¯s unseemly, you don¡¯t have to eat that slowly."


    Spurred by his words, Michelle picked up her pace a bit and then looked up, "Brother Li, after we finish eating, could we take a walk?"


    "Sure!" Li Yifei agreed immediately. President Xu was at a wine reception, which typically lasts long to facilitate networking among executives like her.


    Michelle beamed another toothy smile, "Then let¡¯s eat quickly, so we don¡¯t return too late and upset President Xu."


    "No worries, she¡¯s at a reception tonight. She¡¯ll call me afterward, and I¡¯ll go pick her up."


    "By the way, I was a bit lost in thought just now. You and President Xu are okay, right? What happened today was really too much. If it were me, I couldn¡¯t have stood it."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly, "It¡¯s settled now. Honestly, I was too hasty today and too abrupt towards you."


    Directing her gaze at Li Yifei, Michelle tried to sound casual, "It¡¯s fine, it was actually quite fun. It was my first time being proposed to. So, now I know what a real proposal is like. Next time someone proposes to me, I won¡¯t panic like I did today."


    Li Yifei opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. He knew Michelle¡¯s feelings, but as with Ning Xin¡¯er, he wasn¡¯t ready to make a decision like that. Yet, he always felt it wasn¡¯t right to lead Michelle on. Michelle was such an innocent girl, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to harm her like he hadn¡¯t with Chu Xiaoyao, fearing he¡¯d take away her choices.


    For Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er, there was no choice; Li Yifei had to take responsibility. Then there was Su Yiyi, the one Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bear to part with and whom he most desired. It was different with her; Li Yifei truly wanted to marry Su Yiyi and had even been intimate with her. But with Michelle, he just couldn¡¯t take that step.


    "Brother Li! Brother Li! What are you thinking about?" Michelle¡¯s voice pulled Li Yifei back to reality.


    Looking at Michelle¡¯s mischievously smiling face, Li Yifei could feel the strain in her smile and said, "I was just lost in thought."


    "You weren¡¯t scolded by President Xu, were you? I never realized, Brother Li, that you were afraid of your wife too. But President Xu is so outstanding, anyone who marries her would love her, and with love comes fear."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "That¡¯s right, you only fear when you love, why fear if you don¡¯t love? Come on, eat some more, don¡¯t just talk."


    "Sure, this hot pot does taste quite good, Brother Li, you should eat more too."


    The two of them didn¡¯t talk about any sensitive matters during the meal. They just chatted casually, appearing very cozy, and Michelle ate quickly, seemingly not wanting to stay there too long, clearly wanting to head to the place they¡¯d mentioned earlier.


    "Where are we going?" Li Yifei had finished eating quickly too, and after paying the bill, he asked her as they left.


    Michelle bit her lip and said, "I originally wanted to see a movie, but since you still have to pick up Yingying, I¡¯m afraid we might not have enough time. Instead, let¡¯s take a walk in that small park up ahead, I think it will be fun."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "If you want to see a movie, I¡¯ll go with you. I can have someone else pick up Yingying."


    "No need, watching a movie requires a certain mood, and you need plenty of time for that. We don¡¯t have that much time now, rushing wouldn¡¯t feel right. Let¡¯s just stroll outside."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.


    Michelle didn¡¯t want to get in the car, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t drive either. They walked to the small park. By now, it was dark, and on this snowy night, nobody came to play in the park, which was very quiet. The paths were already covered with snow, and as they walked, their footsteps quickly left a trail of prints.


    Li Yifei occasionally looked at Michelle, who kept her head down and moved forward silently. Yet, her face grew paler, and she shuddered, clearly feeling cold. Li Yifei quickly took off his coat and draped it over Michelle.


    "Ah, Brother Li, I¡¯m not cold, you¡¯ll freeze."


    "Sil silly girl, you know what kind of constitution your Brother Li has. I won¡¯t catch a cold. I can¡¯t let you freeze."


    Michelle pursed her lips, her eyes reddening, then she lowered her head and moved forward again.


    "Brother Li, thank you."


    Michelle reached the edge of the small lake, which was covered in ice topped with thick snow. Gazing at the snowy night, she softly spoke.


    "What¡¯s there to thank me for?" Li Yifei asked gently.


    Michelle turned to face Li Yifei, then bit her lip, and gazing into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, she softly said, "Brother Li, can you hug me?"


    Li Yifei hesitated briefly, but Michelle chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Never mind... I was just... Ah!"


    Before she could finish speaking, Li Yifei had already wrapped his arms around her. Michelle stiffened and gasped, then slowly nestled into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace. She extended her arms, wrapping them around Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    The two of them just stood there quietly embracing, neither speaking. Some words couldn¡¯t be spoken or needed to be. They both understood¡ªthis quiet embrace was already enough.


    After a while, Michelle gently pushed Li Yifei away, a radiantly happy and satisfied smile on her face, saying, "Brother Li, I¡¯m really very happy."


    Li Yifei gazed at Michelle, smiling, and said, "Is that so?"


    "Yes. Today, you proposed to me. Even though it was fake, it was something I never even dared to dream of. Watching you walking toward me with the fiery red rose, kneeling in front of me, I was just mesmerized. Having this experience in life, there¡¯s nothing left to be unsatisfied with. Just now, holding me, I felt like I was truly your girlfriend. Life isn¡¯t perfect, it¡¯s not about possessing forever, having had it once is already enough."


    Michelle spoke enraptured and with ease, her happiness clearly shining through, without any pretense or affectation.


    Li Yifei was about to speak when Michelle, smiling, ran a few steps forward, then spread her arms, spinning around twice, joyfully shouting, "I am so happy!"


    In the empty park, Michelle¡¯s words "I am so happy!" echoed repeatedly, lingering long. The surrounding snowflakes seemed carried away too, whirling around Michelle. At that moment, she resembled Snow White untouched by the mundane, surrounded by dancing flakes.

 Chapter 864 - 905: Joy and Sorrow

    Chapter 864: Chapter 905: Joy and Sorrow"Brother Li, catch this!" Michelle suddenly bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, and threw it at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was staring in a daze, but when Michelle raised her hand, his instinct as a skilled fighter was to dodge, but as he started to move, he let himself be hit by Michelle¡¯s snowball.


    "Alright, you dared to hit me, see how I¡¯ll deal with you!" Li Yifei grabbed some snow and lunged at Michelle with ferocity.


    Michelle giggled and ran away, dodging Li Yifei¡¯s snowball.


    Snowball fights are a game often enjoyed by children, but adults can play too, if not for the heavy pressures of life that have robbed many of the zest for such simple joys.


    Today, with Michelle, Li Yifei let his guard down. He couldn¡¯t exactly define his feelings for Michelle, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see her unhappy at that moment. He owed her too much already, a little joy wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy her, he felt uneasy about it himself.


    The two of them ran around in the snow, throwing snowballs. Michelle was as joyful as a little girl, her laughter resounding through the small park amidst the fluttering snowflakes¡ªa truly beautiful scene.


    "Ouch!" Michelle stepped on a hidden rock beneath the snow, slipped, and lost her balance. She flailed her arms as she fell backward, but soon felt herself supported by a pair of arms, her feet lifted off the ground, spinning twice in the air before landing steadily.


    Michelle was really panicked when she initially fell, but felt no panic as she spun in the air; the experience made her feel as if she was flying, longing for the spinning to never end, to always continue.


    When her feet finally touched the ground, Michelle was still savoring that sensation with her eyes closed, unwilling to move or open her eyes.


    Li Yifei was about to ask Michelle if she was alright, but seeing her enraptured expression, he found himself unable to speak. He just gently wrapped his arms around Michelle¡¯s waist, letting her linger in the moment.


    Eventually, Michelle opened her eyes, turned her head towards Li Yifei, and gave him a sweet smile, saying, "Brother Li, thank you."


    That ¡¯thank you¡¯ carried so much meaning, and Li Yifei understood it completely. He nodded lightly and said, "It¡¯s getting late. We should head back."


    "Oh, it¡¯s past nine, you have to pick up President Xu." A hint of sadness appeared on Michelle¡¯s face but quickly faded as she once again smiled and stood up straight, saying, "Then let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t keep President Xu waiting, or you¡¯ll end up kneeling on a washboard tonight."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, let¡¯s go."


    Although they said they were leaving, Michelle¡¯s steps were slow, and Li Yifei quietly walked beside her.


    Despite wearing Li Yifei¡¯s coat, Michelle was cold due to the sweat from running and now felt very cold slowing down, but she didn¡¯t want to leave the park so quickly. She wanted to stay longer with Li Yifei.


    An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and her body unconsciously leaned against Li Yifei. Michelle turned her head to look at him. Li Yifei wore a faint smile but said nothing.


    Michelle also said nothing, leaning closer into Li Yifei¡¯s body, wrapping her arms around his waist. Along with the warmth from Li Yifei¡¯s body, her heart was ablaze, making the outside temperature inconsequential.


    The footprints they had made coming in had been smoothed over by the snow, but now that the snow had stopped, their path left two sets of footprints side by side, one large and one small, closely nestled together, just like the two of them.


    The footprints in the snow would soon disappear, and their closeness came to an end as they reached Li Yifei¡¯s car.


    They got into the car. Li Yifei turned the heater up to the maximum and slowly started the car toward Michelle¡¯s home, Michelle sitting there, constantly watching Li Yifei with expressions of joy and melancholy alternating on her face, sometimes smiling, sometimes staring blankly in sadness.


    Li Yifei dared not look at Michelle, but he fully felt the changes in her facial expressions.


    Finally, as they arrived outside Michelle¡¯s apartment complex, Li Yifei stopped the car, turned to look at Michelle, and they quietly gazed at each other.


    Michelle gently bit her lips as if making a decision, her chest heaving rapidly. Then, parting her lips slightly, she softly said, "Brother Li, may I make a request?"


    Li Yifei met Michelle¡¯s gaze and sighed inwardly while Michelle quickly added, "Brother Li, don¡¯t overthink it. I really won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I just want... I just want... a kiss from you."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment. He had thought Michelle would make demands like Ning Xin¡¯er and the others, but Michelle only made this one request. Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, how could he refuse? He smiled slightly and moved his face closer to hers.


    A flicker of surprise, excitement, and bashful tension passed through Michelle¡¯s eyes. Then, she slowly closed them, her eyelashes trembling gently as a deep blush spread across her cheeks.


    Their faces drew closer, and they could each feel the other¡¯s breath. Michelle¡¯s breathing became rapid, and her chest heaved more fiercely, her eyelashes fluttering intensely.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t close his eyes. Watching the expressions across Michelle¡¯s delicate face deeply moved him. He leaned in further and their lips finally met.


    Michelle¡¯s lips were warm, probably from the excitement and nervousness. Li Yifei merely brushed his lips against hers, fulfilling her wish, and was prepared to pull away.


    But at that moment, Michelle suddenly wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck. Though it would have been easy for Li Yifei to pull away, how could he do so now? He let Michelle hold onto his neck, allowing their lips and tongues to intertwine more tightly.


    The kiss was profound, almost dizzyingly so. Michelle was very proactive, and though Li Yifei was initially passive, he quickly responded to her. After all, not reciprocating would have been a great hurt to Michelle.


    They didn¡¯t know how long they kissed. Michelle showed no signs of stopping, only pausing momentarily to catch her breath before enthusiastically kissing Li Yifei again.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s phone ringtone interrupted their embrace. Michelle quickly pushed Li Yifei away and dashed out of the car. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth to call for Michelle, but when he saw two tears flung from her eyes as she turned around, landing on his face, those tears, warm as they were, burned Li Yifei¡¯s heart as if they were sulfuric acid. Despite his efforts to avoid hurting Michelle by maintaining a distance between them, he had hurt her deeply in the end.


    Now, Li Yifei wanted to call out to Michelle, but he held back. Even if he called her back, what then? To let her be like Su Yiyi and the others? He couldn¡¯t do it now. With a deeper understanding of emotions, he knew that what he perceived as kindness often turned to harm.


    Women always hope for a loving husband and a stable home, their desire for a family infinitely stronger than men¡¯s.


    The phone kept ringing, finally bringing Li Yifei back to reality. Seeing that it was Xu Yingying calling, he answered the phone.


    "Hello, why didn¡¯t you answer the phone?"


    Li Yifei took a deep breath, calming himself before replying, "Oh, I was a bit busy. Have you finished over there?"


    "It¡¯s about to end. Come pick us up."


    Li Yifei agreed and drove away from Michelle¡¯s neighborhood.


    Just as Li Yifei¡¯s car left, Michelle emerged from the corner of the neighborhood gate, silently watching his car get farther and farther away until it was out of sight.


    Snowflakes started to float down from the sky, covering Michelle¡¯s hair and shoulders, quickly turning her white.


    Finally, Michelle lifted her head, a sorrowful smile on her face, and murmured, "Brother Li, I wish you and Sister Yingying a lifetime of happiness." Then, she caught a couple of snowflakes in her palm, watching them melt little by little, her face showing an enraptured expression before she slowly walked back into her neighborhood.


    By the time Li Yifei arrived at the clubhouse entrance, his emotions were still turbulent, his feelings for Michelle being the most complex and soul-stirring among all his relationships, even more intense than with Su Yiyi.


    It had been a long time since he smoked in the car, but today, he instinctively lit a cigarette, hoping to calm his chaotic emotions, but his mind grew only more muddled, unable to sort out his feelings. All his capabilities seemed futile against the mighty force of emotions.


    And so distracted was he that he didn¡¯t notice Xu Yingying and He Fangqing had already come out until they knocked on his window. He quickly extinguished his cigarette and unlocked the car door.


    Turning his head, Li Yifei caught his reflection in the rearview mirror and was startled; his lips were swollen, clearly from kissing Michelle too long. There was no time to deal with it now; this was going to be troublesome.

 Chapter 865 - 906: Kiss, Good or Not?

    Chapter 865: Chapter 906: Kiss, Good or Not?"How come there¡¯s such a strong smell of smoke? Why did you smoke in the car?" Xu Yingying wrinkled her brow as soon as she got in the car and smelled the intense odor.


    Li Yifei quickly rolled down the car window, saying, "It will air out."


    A cold wind with snowflakes drifted into the car, causing Xu Yingying and He Fangqing to shiver. Both were dressed nicely for the banquet they attended today, wearing relatively little, hardly enough to bear the cold. He Fangqing hurriedly said, "Let¡¯s just close it, the smell of smoke is better than freezing. Besides, the smoke doesn¡¯t smell that bad."


    Xu Yingying also hurriedly said, "Yeah, close the window, I¡¯m freezing to death." While saying this, she shivered again and hugged her shoulders.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to close the car window again. He Fangqing immediately asked another question, "What¡¯s going on today? You usually don¡¯t smoke in the car."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "It¡¯s nothing. I was just waiting for you guys and felt bored. I wanted to smoke, but it was too cold outside, so I couldn¡¯t help but smoke in the car."


    "Did you wait a long time?" Xu Yingying¡¯s tone softened immediately when she heard this.


    "Not really, just for a little while." Li Yifei started the car and drove leisurely, deliberately taking his time to extend the drive home. Fortunately, the road was covered with snow, so driving slowly seemed normal.


    Neither Xu Yingying nor He Fangqing suspected anything else, and they were excitedly discussing the evening¡¯s wine tasting event. The event had brought them potential successful collaborations, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention to Li Yifei.


    After dropping He Fangqing off at her home, Xu Yingying proudly said to Li Yifei, "Today¡¯s event wasn¡¯t a waste. It¡¯s really helpful for our company¡¯s development."


    Li Yifei reminded her, "Be careful with new partners, don¡¯t let others with hidden agendas take advantage."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, "Do you think I¡¯m a naive girl who just started working? I¡¯ve seen plenty of these people. I know how to protect myself."


    "Heh, just afraid some people are good at hiding, and you might not see it."


    "Enough, don¡¯t think so badly of everyone else."


    "How can I not worry when my wife is so beautiful? If someone else took advantage of you, wouldn¡¯t I be at a loss?"


    "You wish." Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei again, but there was a smile on her face, and her heart felt sweet.


    After parking the car, the two went into the elevator together. At that moment, with Li Yifei right in front of her, Xu Yingying suddenly noticed something different. She stared at Li Yifei intently for a few moments, frowning, "Why are your lips swollen?"


    Li Yifei thought Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t notice him too much, but now that she had seen it, he initially wanted to lie, but then shook his head, "Kissed."


    "Kissed? By whom?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes quickly widened.


    Her reaction was intense, making Li Yifei feel her strong possessiveness, as if someone had taken something that was hers. It was clear that Xu Yingying cared more about him now and saw him more as her husband. However, Li Yifei felt very heavy-hearted and sighed, "Michelle."


    "What...what do you mean?" Xu Yingying stared at Li Yifei, appearing somewhat panicked.


    Li Yifei paused, then suddenly smiled gently and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not leaving you." He couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly, "I think... Michelle and I won¡¯t have any contact anymore."


    "What do I have to worry about..." Xu Yingying lifted her head proudly and glared at Li Yifei, but her voice was clearly stammering from nervousness.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Let¡¯s talk more when we get home."


    This time, Xu Yingying did not say much more. Looking at Li Yifei¡¯s slightly swollen lips, she still felt uneasy. Although she never got intimate with Li Yifei, he was still her husband, so why should he be intimate with another woman?


    Li Yifei had stayed over at this house for two nights since the New Year and then got busy. Today, he had finally returned to this home.


    Xu Shanshan was already asleep, and Little Yifei was with Ning Xin¡¯er, so the house was very quiet. They both tried not to make noise to avoid waking Xu Shanshan, moving quietly as they freshened up.


    "You... come in." Xu Yingying stood at the doorway, her face stern as she spoke to Li Yifei, then entered the room.


    Li Yifei quickly followed her in, and then shut the door behind him. Since Xu Yingying had woken up, he had rarely entered this room and had never slept in this bed. When he stepped in today, Li Yifei felt a bit nostalgic as his eyes glanced towards the bed.


    "You can stay here tonight." After saying this, Xu Yingying climbed into the bed.


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, and then he felt overjoyed, excitedly asking, "Can I sleep on the bed from now on?"


    Xu Yingying, her face flushed, replied, "Don¡¯t get any weird ideas, and don¡¯t try anything. I¡¯m letting you sleep on the bed, not do whatever you want."


    "Oh..." Li Yifei answered somewhat disappointedly.


    Xu Yingying felt a bit uneasy inside. As a wife, she really wasn¡¯t acting her part, but now, in her interactions with Li Yifei, allowing him to sleep on the bed was already a significant step for her, and she wasn¡¯t quite ready to advance their relationship further.


    Moreover, since there was only one blanket on the bed, letting Li Yifei sleep with her meant that their relationship had indeed grown closer, which made her acknowledge him as her husband even more.


    "Explain today¡¯s events to me properly." Xu Yingying waited until Li Yifei climbed onto the bed before she began questioning him.


    Li Yifei knew that Xu Yingying was accommodating him, which was a very positive development. So, he obediently lay down and recounted all of today¡¯s events involving Michelle, which had truly upset him.


    "Whimper..." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Li Yifei finished his story, still entangled in his emotional conflict with Michelle, he was jolted back to reality by a stifled sob.


    "Wife, why... why are you crying?" Li Yifei was somewhat bewildered.


    Wiping her tears, Xu Yingying choked up and said, "I never thought Michelle would like you so much. I¡¯m touched. Hubby, shall we just get a divorce, and you can be with her?"


    Li Yifei widened his eyes and said, "What nonsense are you spouting?"


    "She cares so much for you, and I haven¡¯t been good to you. She¡¯d do anything for you while I¡¯ve just been focusing on my work. I¡¯m supposed to be your wife but won¡¯t let you touch me. Of course, she¡¯d make a better wife."


    Li Yifei lightly tapped Xu Yingying on the head and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Although I owe Michelle a lot, it doesn¡¯t mean I should just be with her. In life, possession isn¡¯t necessarily what¡¯s best."


    "Are you... really not going to be with her? She truly likes you, you know?" Xu Yingying¡¯s tone was clearly teasing, with a bit of playfulness.


    Something stirred in Li Yifei and he casually said, "Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, I already have a wife. If this were ancient times, I would have just taken Michelle as another wife too."


    "Yeah, if only you were born in ancient times. Then you could have also married Ning Xin¡¯er, and you¡¯d have multiple wives and concubines, enjoying all their adoration. I¡¯d be the main wife, and everyone would have to serve me tea and water. Anyone who disobeyed, I¡¯d make them kneel. How stylish would that be?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Yeah, yeah... ouch!"


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm hard, gritting her teeth as she said, "Really, Comrade Li Yifei, quite ambitious, aren¡¯t you, dreaming of multiple wives and concubines? If you¡¯re really thinking that way, I¡¯ll make room for you."


    Rubbing his arm, Li Yifei, with a pained face, said, "I was just joking, wife. You really need to have a sense of humor."


    "A sense of humor, huh? I see it¡¯s real intentions you have, hmph. I¡¯m warning you, if you want to remain my husband, then stay faithful. Don¡¯t go flirting around. If you can¡¯t let go of others, then let¡¯s settle our divorce early so you stop wasting my time and I yours."


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly, knowing how hard it was for Xu Yingying to accept this situation. Previously, she accepted it due to various coincidences and reasons that took over half a year to develop. But now, Xu Yingying having lost her memory, she was just an ordinary woman who could hardly be expected to be magnanimous.


    And now it might even be harder than before, as those previous coincidences and reasons couldn¡¯t easily emerge again, especially since Xu Yingying¡¯s mindset had changed.


    "Are you disappointed? Are you unwilling to let go of Michelle? Hmph, you even kissed her until her lips swelled. That was quite some kissing."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t going to pursue this matter any further? I¡¯ve already hurt her deeply, how could I bear to reject her then?"


    "Hmph, I never said I was pursuing it, can¡¯t I just feel uncomfortable? What woman wouldn¡¯t feel uncomfortable knowing her husband had kissed another woman until her lips swelled?"


    Li Yifei quickly affirmed her point, "Exactly, dear, you¡¯re absolutely right. If there¡¯s kissing to be done, it should be you, not anyone else."


    Xu Yingying agreed, "Right? That¡¯s exactly what I mean."


    Grinning, Li Yifei said, "Then wife... you haven¡¯t kissed me in a long time. How about we kiss now?"

 Chapter 866 - 907 - : Resignation

    Chapter 866: 907 Chapter: Resignation"No... no good!" Xu Yingying quickly moved to the side, pressing the quilt between them tightly with both hands, fearing that Li Yifei would pounce on her.


    Li Yifei indeed moved closer to Xu Yingying and said, "Wife, it¡¯s been so many days, can¡¯t we at least kiss?"


    "No... No way! I said no means no! Besides, your lips have kissed Michelle, and you still want to kiss me, that¡¯s even more unacceptable."


    Finding this reason, Xu Yingying suddenly felt empowered and glared fiercely at Li Yifei.


    This indeed left Li Yifei speechless, and he chuckled sulkily, "Alright, alright, let¡¯s go to sleep then."


    "Hmph, I warn you, although I can overlook the matter between you and Michelle, I¡¯m still very dissatisfied with your behavior. I¡¯ll continue to observe, and only when I¡¯m satisfied will I let you..."


    "Let me do what?" Li Yifei immediately asked with a smiley face.


    "Hmph, at most I¡¯ll let you kiss me, don¡¯t get your hopes too high."


    Li Yifei chuckled, feeling quite pleased that Xu Yingying was already making progress; his initial expectation was that it would take much longer for their marital relationship to truly recover. Now, it seemed that in another ten or fifteen days, Xu Yingying might really accept him as her husband again.


    But what worried Li Yifei was that Ye Yunzhu was about to give birth in less than half a month, and he still couldn¡¯t be there to support Ye Yunzhu properly, which was very tough on her.


    Now, he really had no solution; given Xu Yingying¡¯s current state, even if their affection significantly increased and they became a loving couple, Xu Yingying would only keep a tighter watch on him and not let him have relationships with other women.


    That night, Xu Yingying slept very soundly. Although she couldn¡¯t remember how things used to be when Li Yifei was her husband, they had lived as husband and wife for over half a year, and their bodies were very familiar with each other. Even if she hadn¡¯t realized it, her body¡¯s reactions were telling.


    A clear sign was during the Chinese New Year holidays when they slept in the same bed every day. This time, when Li Yifei was not at home, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. Having Li Yifei in bed made her feel secure, listening to his breathing and even his slight snoring was a pleasure. Thus, tonight, she used that as an excuse to let Li Yifei sleep in the same bed with her again.


    The next morning, Xu Yingying woke up to find herself nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Though not entangled with his limbs as before, she was still close against Li Yifei.


    Habit becomes nature. Although Xu Yingying felt a bit shy, she wasn¡¯t too embarrassed and got out of bed directly, which made them even more like a married couple.


    Xu Yingying arrived at the office, had just sat down when her secretary said Michelle had come. Xu Yingying immediately remembered Li Yifei¡¯s swollen lips from yesterday and felt a bit uncomfortable, but she still let Michelle in.


    "President Xu! I¡¯ve come to resign." Michelle approached Xu Yingying¡¯s desk, placed an envelope on it, and pushed it towards Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t take it; instead, she stared at Michelle and said sternly, "Give me a reason."


    Michelle bit her lip and lowered her head, "President Xu, I feel that my abilities are insufficient, and I¡¯m not fit for this position, which is why I want to resign."


    "Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, then I cannot approve. I¡¯m very clear about your work capabilities, and I have more right to speak about whether you¡¯re fit for the position than anyone else." At that moment, Xu Yingying was the decisive and authoritative boss, speaking in a way that brooked no denial.


    Intimidated by Xu Yingying¡¯s aura, Michelle said softly, "President Xu, yesterday..."


    "Michelle, we came to this company together to struggle and strive. You¡¯re here to work for this company, not to work for emotions."


    "But... but yesterday Brother Li proposed to me, and I... I truly feel like I can no longer face you. I really don¡¯t know how to continue working at this company."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "You¡¯re right; if we¡¯re talking purely about personal feelings, Li Yifei is my husband, and he proposed to you and even kissed you last night. I find these things very hard to accept."


    "Ah?" Michelle opened her mouth wide in shock, staring dumbly at Xu Yingying, her face flush red. She hadn¡¯t anticipated at all that her kiss with Li Yifei would come to Xu Yingying¡¯s knowledge. After a moment of stunned silence, she became frantic and hurriedly said, "President Xu... This really isn¡¯t Brother Li¡¯s fault. I decided to leave and never see Brother Li again, so I... couldn¡¯t help but fulfill a dream of mine and kissed him. Please, don¡¯t blame him."


    Suddenly, Xu Yingying slammed the table and demanded, "Michelle, you need to understand, business is business, personal is personal. I don¡¯t want you to mix personal feelings into your work. Currently, the company is at a crucial stage of development. As a mid-level manager, you are critical to the company. Your departure would significantly impact the company. Do you understand?"


    Michelle was left speechless, staring at Xu Yingying without a word.


    Xu Yingying snorted again and continued, "True, you love Li Yifei, and he is my husband. Normally speaking, you¡¯re my rival in love, and your presence is a threat to me. But do you think Xu Yingying would be afraid of you taking my husband? If you really have that capability, then I accept it. But if you can¡¯t, then it¡¯s just your lack of capability. However, due to this, you want to resign and leave¡ªthat I will never agree to." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle bit her lip, her face slowly taking on a resolute expression. She had always greatly admired Xu Yingying, admired her work style, and admired her capabilities. Now, with Xu Yingying speaking like this, her admiration had reached its peak, igniting her courage.


    "President Xu, I understand. I will work hard and separate my personal feelings from my work."


    "That¡¯s more like it, good. Now go back to work."


    Michelle acknowledged and turned, striding towards the door. But when she reached the door, she stopped, turned around, and said: "President Xu, I will work hard. My personal feelings, I promise to manage them, and I will absolutely not bother Brother Li again."


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly, "I¡¯ve said it before, I don¡¯t mind. Liking someone is your right, but I also have the right to protect my family."


    Michelle flashed a sweet smile, "Thank you, President Xu!" Then, she went out swiftly, and a hurried yet rhythmic clacking of high heels echoed from outside.

 Chapter 867 - 908: Becoming a Father Once Again

    Chapter 867: Chapter 908: Becoming a Father Once AgainMichelle returned to the office and sat in her chair, feeling somewhat conflicted.


    She had made up her mind yesterday to leave this place and never see Li Yifei again, which was why she had been so bold and proactive¡ªto leave herself with a beautiful memory.


    But now, after being stirred up by Xu Yingying, she had agreed to stay. How would she face Li Yifei in the future?


    Every time she thought about the passionate kiss she shared with Li Yifei last night, Michelle¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter. Without that kiss, she could have faced Li Yifei as naturally as before, but now that they had kissed, how could she be natural?


    However, she had already agreed to stay and couldn¡¯t possibly leave now. Yesterday, she had only thought about her feelings and not about the company¡¯s situation. As Xu Yingying had said, her departure now would cause a lot of problems with the workflow in the company, which would have a significant impact.


    Michelle had always seen Xu Yingying as a role model, so she was incredibly serious about her work. Now that she thought about the effects her leaving would have on the company, there was no way she could leave.


    "I¡¯m truly embarrassed now. Brother Li must have realized yesterday that I wanted to leave, which is why he agreed to my requests. Now look, I couldn¡¯t leave and ended up with him... How am I going to face him from now on?"


    Fortunately, Michelle¡¯s dilemma didn¡¯t last long. Once she got busy with work, she poured her heart into it. And since Li Yifei hadn¡¯t appeared in the past couple of days, it allowed her emotions to slowly settle, though she would still be kept awake every night by the memory of their intimate moment in the snowy night and that soul-stealing kiss in the car.


    At the moment, Li Yifei was in the office at the factory, holding a telephone away from his ear, but he could still hear Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s shouting from the other end.


    "Li Yifei, when will you help us resolve this? The house is on fire! In half a month, the trial marriage ceremony will take place, and once that happens, neither family will back out for the sake of saving face. Are you going to wash your hands off this? Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t help, we¡¯re all going to say we¡¯re carrying your child, and I¡¯d like to see what you¡¯d do then."


    Li Yifei waited for Xiao Ling¡¯er to finish yelling before bringing the phone back to his ear and said, "My dear little aunt, this isn¡¯t something I can fix in a short time. I need to be fully prepared, and we still have half a month, right? There¡¯s definitely enough time."


    "You said it yourself. I¡¯m telling you, if you really don¡¯t help, then you¡¯d better be ready to collect our bodies. We¡¯ll see if we can actually go through with it."


    "Yes, yes, you can definitely go through with it. But don¡¯t be impulsive until the last moment. I¡¯m already making arrangements."


    "That¡¯s more like it."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei explained to Xu Shanshan, who was rolling her eyes at him, "They¡¯re Mengxin¡¯s friends. They¡¯re being forced to marry men they don¡¯t like, so they insisted that I help. Considering Mengxin¡¯s face, I can¡¯t refuse to help them."


    Xu Shanshan came over to Li Yifei, her arm resting on his shoulder, and she bent down, smiling as she looked at him, "Then... why are you ¡¯their man¡¯? They even claim to be carrying your child. What have you done to them?"


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan was wearing a professional suit, and though it was cold with a high-neck sweater underneath that revealed no cleavage, her posture was quite captivating. Given their relationship, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but let his gaze wander to Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest as he answered, "They¡¯re just pressuring me to help. What else could I possibly have to do with them?"


    "Really? That¡¯s for the best. Let me tell you, right now, I have a lot of trouble at home to deal with. If you cause any more trouble outside, when my sister really gets angry, I won¡¯t be able to help you."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "I know, Shanshan..." As he spoke, his hands were already wrapping around Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist.


    "What are you doing?" Xu Shanshan narrowed her eyes and looked at Li Yifei, her voice soft and sweet.


    "I miss you," Li Yifei said, his hands gently moving, his breath a bit heated.


    Xu Shanshan glanced towards the office door and asked, "Then what do you want to do about it?" S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei promptly straightened Xu Shanshan up and whispered, "Someone¡¯s coming."


    Xu Shanshan smacked Li Yifei before twisting her body back to her own seat, followed by a knock on the door.


    Having been away from the factory for some time and piled up with work after the New Year, Li Yifei really didn¡¯t have much downtime. Just as he was getting intimate with Xu Shanshan, someone would come in, causing both Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei some frustration, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    Finally, at noon, they had the chance to be affectionate for a little while, but they had to restrain themselves from going too far. If they went overboard, it would be easy for Xu Yingying to pick up on it emotionally. If Xu Yingying suffered any disgrace because of them, that would be terrible.


    On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Xu Yingying went on a business trip, but this time she not only traveled far but also for an extended period. Since the company¡¯s inception, the foreign market had been prepared, and now that the overseas market had been developed for some time, Xu Yingying had to study the foreign market¡¯s situation and discuss and exchange ideas with several partners more deeply.


    As soon as Xu Yingying left, Li Yifei felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Yet, ironically, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s due date turned out to be earlier than expected. Xu Yingying had barely been gone for a day when Ye Yunzhu started complaining of stomach pains.


    Li Yifei had been worried that when Ye Yunzhu gave birth, it would cause a major conflict at home. Xu Yingying had accepted one "Little Yifei," but it did not mean she would accept the child in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s womb. So her leaving now suddenly resolved this conflict.


    Not only did Li Yifei feel relieved, but everyone at home also felt quite fortunate. At this time, it was really inappropriate to let Xu Yingying know that the child in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s belly was Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei was also out of his wits. Even if his comrades were shot in battle, he could handle it calmly. But this was Ye Yunzhu, carrying his own flesh and blood. She simply couldn¡¯t calm down.


    Fortunately, they had Ning Xin¡¯er, who had given birth before. She quickly directed everyone to take Ye Yunzhu to the hospital, and to remember to bring all the baby supplies they had purchased over time, to avoid not having them when the child was born.


    Once in the hospital, Ye Yunzhu was wheeled into the labor room, and the doctor handed a consent form to Li Yifei to sign.


    Li Yifei glanced at the clauses and immediately felt dizzy. Giving birth was written in such terrifying terms¡ªthings like the mother dying during normal delivery, for which the hospital would not be responsible.


    In fact, everyone who had signed this form knew that the hospital was just listing all possible scenarios. Even if there was the slightest chance, the hospital had to inform the family. But for family members, reading through those terms, if one didn¡¯t have a strong heart, it could lead to despair.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s trembling fingers as he signed the form, some wanted to laugh, but because Ye Yunzhu had already been wheeled into the delivery room, everyone¡¯s mood was still very tense.


    Ye Yunzhu chose natural childbirth, which was a great challenge for modern women. Many women now choose cesarean section when giving birth, which seems painful due to the incision but is actually not too painful. However, natural childbirth is a very painful process.


    This was something Ye Yunzhu had decided long ago. She might only be a mother this one time in her life, so she must give birth herself. That way, her life could be more complete. If she chose cesarean section, that might remain a regret for her.


    Moreover, there¡¯s another crucial point¡ªit¡¯s said that children born naturally are smarter than those born by cesarean. Thus, for the sake of the child, Ye Yunzhu was willing to endure the hardship.


    For a natural birth, Li Yifei, as the husband, was allowed to accompany. Hastily changing into sterile attire, Li Yifei entered the delivery room. By then, Ye Yunzhu was already lying on the delivery bed, a white cloth covering her legs, her knees up and legs apart, as she worked hard under the doctor¡¯s guidance.


    Li Yifei dashed forward, firmly grabbing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s hand. Her hand, usually so delicate, gripped back with surprising strength.


    "Honey, how are you?" Li Yifei had a thousand words in his heart, but at that moment, he couldn¡¯t speak.


    "Husband... it hurts so much!" Ye Yunzhu gritted her teeth, sweat covering her forehead.


    Li Yifei felt even more distressed, but no matter how skilled he was, he couldn¡¯t help Ye Yunzhu at this moment. He could only continue to comfort and encourage her.


    "Take deep breaths, don¡¯t tense up, we can see the head now," the doctor encouraged Ye Yunzhu.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei¡¯s heart leaped into his throat; this was the most critical moment.


    "Push! Push! It¡¯s coming out!" the doctor directed Ye Yunzhu.


    Ye Yunzhu took a deep breath and made a final effort. But the pain was hard to bear. Childbirth is said to be one of the most painful experiences in a person¡¯s life, topping the list, which shows how agonizing it is for women.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei felt a sharp pain in his arm¡ªYe Yunzhu had bitten down on it. Normally, if Li Yifei¡¯s skin was attacked, his muscles would automatically tense to protect himself, but in this case, he dared not do so. He quickly relaxed the muscles in his arm, allowing Ye Yunzhu to bite him.


    Seeing how much pain Ye Yunzhu was in, Li Yifei realized he couldn¡¯t do anything for her. So he chose to bear the pain with her, to share in this experience of becoming a parent.


    And with the cry of a newborn, Ye Yunzhu finally let go of Li Yifei¡¯s arm and took a long breath.

 Chapter 868 - 909: Snatching the Sickroom

    Chapter 868: Chapter 909: Snatching the SickroomBut Li Yifei watched as the doctors and nurses handled the baby carelessly, leaving both him and Ye Yunzhu stunned and Li Yifei almost felt the urge to confront the doctors and nurses. This was a newborn baby after all; how could they seem so careless?


    Families who have been to the delivery room might all feel this way¡ªit¡¯s their precious baby¡ªbut the doctors and nurses really weren¡¯t meticulous. However, that¡¯s completely normal; in their eyes, they deliver babies daily, so there¡¯s nothing special about it. They know very well how to hold a child without causing harm.


    Under the watchful and anxious eyes of Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, the doctor finally took the basic measures. After weighing, the nurse said, "It¡¯s a girl, seven pounds and two ounces, the child is very healthy."


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Yunzhu quickly said, "Let me see her."


    The nurse brought the baby over to Ye Yunzhu. Looking at the little one, Ye Yunzhu felt that all the hardship had been worthwhile, and she said happily, "This is my daughter."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, she will definitely be as beautiful as you."


    Ye Yunzhu gave a sweet smile and said, "But it would be good if she resembled you too, more of a manly spirit."


    "Sir, your arm, do you need it treated?" The nurse reminded Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "It¡¯s fine, just a dab with some medicated cotton will do."


    It was only then Ye Yunzhu noticed there was blood on Li Yifei¡¯s arm and, unmistakably, teeth marks. She exclaimed, "Did I bite you?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yes, but it¡¯s nothing. I have thick skin; a bite doesn¡¯t hurt much."


    Ye Yunzhu pursed her lips and playfully scolded, "I went through so much pain giving birth, so it¡¯s only right for you to suffer a bit too."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, at least I felt like I was somewhat helpful."


    As soon as Ye Yunzhu and the others came out, several women immediately crowded around anxiously. Seeing that both mother and daughter were safe, they were all extremely excited. Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao went with the nurse to give the baby a bath, while the others escorted Ye Yunzhu back to her ward.


    The nurse then asked, "Are you planning on breastfeeding, or bottle feeding?"


    Ye Yunzhu immediately said, "I want to breastfeed."


    "Then massage the mother¡¯s breasts more and let the baby suckle more. That way, the milk will come."


    Li Yifei listened intently; this was a major matter concerning mother and daughter, and he could not afford any confusion.


    The nurse glanced at Li Yifei and said with a smile to Ye Yunzhu, "Your husband is really good, must be a very thoughtful husband."


    Li Yifei chuckled sheepishly and cast a guilt-ridden glance at Ye Yunzhu.


    At this moment, Ye Yunzhu was completely immersed in the happiness of just becoming a mother and didn¡¯t mind anything with Li Yifei.


    Nowadays, there is a profession called "milk masseuse", and the hospital had them, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t trust anyone else; he preferred to do it himself as a way to make it up to Ye Yunzhu. After all, his massage techniques were not something those ordinary milk masseuses could match.


    Watching Li Yifei massage Ye Yunzhu carefully, the other girls felt a bit envious. Normally, men touching women in that place would be considered a private, even erotic act, but Li Yifei¡¯s actions seemed pure and even noble.


    The same actions, under different circumstances, could yield different effects. In an artist¡¯s eyes, such motions could be seen as a form of artistic beauty, while in the eyes of ordinary people, they may seem erotic, but under these circumstances, they were the expressions of a man¡¯s care and attentiveness.


    In front of everyone, Ye Yunzhu, with no embarrassment, lifted her shirt to let Li Yifei massage her. She was eager to feed her daughter. After Li Yifei finished massaging one side, Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t wait to nurse her daughter, who immediately began sucking forcefully. It was painful at first, but soon it turned into happiness and fulfillment, especially seeing her daughter¡¯s mouth moving steadily¡ªit was utterly intoxicating.


    Chu Xiaoyao leaned in and then tilted her head to say, "It¡¯s really funny, kids just born, no one teaches her, but how does she know how to nurse?"


    This question stumped everyone momentarily until Ning Xin¡¯er, who had some experience, laughed and said, "Don¡¯t think a newborn baby knows nothing. Some innate reflexes are passed through genetics; most knowledge comes from later learning."


    "What does breast milk taste like?" Chu Xiaoyao smacked her lips.


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "Xiaoyao, are you craving it? Would you like Sister Yunzhu to give you some?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately felt a bit embarrassed and said, "I was just saying, who can remember what milk tasted like as a baby?"


    "Who can forget," Ye Yunzhu happily said, "as long as my daughter has enough milk, I don¡¯t mind letting you all try some."


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled and said, "We¡¯d better not. It seems like someone here is going to have that exclusive privilege soon."


    Everyone turned to look at Li Yifei, causing him some embarrassment, yet he also felt immensely blessed. This feeling of being a father was truly wonderful.


    Just then, the door suddenly burst open, and everyone turned toward it, only to see a man following the head nurse as he walked in.


    Li Yifei frowned, pulling the blanket over Ye Yunzhu, as even though a mother feeding her child is the most sacred act, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want any other man to see.


    Moreover, a man barging into someone else¡¯s hospital room, especially a room like this, was already highly offensive to Li Yifei.


    "This room is not bad. I¡¯ll take this one," the man said brashly after looking around, completely ignoring the presence of so many people in the room.


    Upon hearing this, Chu Xiaoyao immediately glared and said, "Are you crazy? This is our room. What are you, a man, doing in here? Get out now!"


    It was only then that the man looked at Chu Xiaoyao, stunned for a moment. Chu Xiaoyao was naturally beautiful. Though her height hadn¡¯t increased much over the past year, her figure had become even more attractive, like a ripe peach¡ªno longer the inexperienced girl from a year ago, but now possessing a strong allure for men.


    In the room were also Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er. With Su Yiyi¡¯s innocent delicateness and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s sweetness, all of them were rare beauties. It was usually hard to come across even one such stunning lady, and here suddenly he saw three in front of him. This left the man somewhat dazed. The fact that Ye Yunzhu had just given birth and looked somewhat haggard and was lying in bed, did not catch the man¡¯s attention.


    "Hey! I¡¯m talking to you, get out now, did you hear?" Chu Xiaoyao grew even less pleased as she spoke to the man. If it weren¡¯t for the baby, she would have started cursing by now.


    "Mr. Li, I¡¯m sorry, but could I discuss a matter with you?" The head nurse looked troubled as she turned to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "Let¡¯s talk outside." Seeing the man¡¯s arrogant behavior and the head nurse¡¯s troubled expression, Li Yifei knew there was trouble. He couldn¡¯t figure out what right this man thought he had to take over this room.


    The head nurse hurriedly walked out, but the man still continued to sweep his gaze over Chu Xiaoyao and the others. This infuriated Li Yifei even more. Shoving the man, he said, "Get out."


    There was absolutely no courtesy in his words, pushing the man into a stumble.


    "F***, you dare push me?" The man, shoved by Li Yifei, suddenly yelled furiously, glaring at him.


    "Wah..." The baby, who had been feeding, was startled by the man¡¯s yelling and began to cry loudly. Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly turned ashen, a murderous intent surging within him, his gaze as frightening as a ferocious animal protecting its young.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, the head nurse was terribly frightened, quickly stepping in between the two men, and while pushing the man away, she said to Li Yifei, "Mr. Li, let¡¯s talk this over nicely."


    By this time, Ye Yunzhu hurriedly put the nipple back in her daughter¡¯s mouth. With milk to soothe her, the baby immediately stopped crying, and Ye Yunzhu quickly said to Li Yifei, "Husband, today is our daughter¡¯s birth¡ªa joyful day. Don¡¯t get angry."


    Li Yifei¡¯s anger subsided quite a bit with her words; otherwise, he really might have slapped this jerk to death. Nodding, he said, "I understand. Don¡¯t worry."


    Ye Yunzhu then said, "Yiyi, go out with Yifei. Xin¡¯er, Xiaoyao, you stay and keep me company."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s character was easy-going, able to control her emotions. If Li Yifei became impulsive, Su Yiyi could also advise him to avoid escalating the situation. Chu Xiaoyao, however, was not suitable for that; an issue that was minor could be blown out of proportion by her, so she couldn¡¯t go with Li Yifei.


    As for Ning Xin¡¯er, on one hand, her identity was somewhat sensitive, making recognition by others inconvenient. On the other hand, although Ning Xin¡¯er seemed gentle now, she was quite stubborn deep down and likely wouldn¡¯t hold back if real trouble arose, so Su Yiyi was the best choice for accompanying Li Yifei outside.


    "Mr. Li, here¡¯s the situation¡ªwe are currently short on rooms. Could you please consider switching rooms?" the head nurse pleaded with a pained expression in the hallway. Those who were able to afford such upscale rooms were notable people, but this time, it involved a relative of a leader from the City Health Bureau, so it couldn¡¯t be ignored. Among the upscale rooms occupied, this was the only one booked by the patients themselves, hence they were approached.


    Li Yifei glanced at the head nurse and said indifferently, "Can¡¯t."


    "Mr. Li, please just help us out. Don¡¯t worry, the room we¡¯ll provide for you won¡¯t be bad, and we¡¯ll even give you some discounts."


    "No need," Li Yifei stated flatly, unwilling to discuss it further.


    "Damn it, talk nicely to your face, that¡¯s giving you face. Just vacate the room nicely, and we can talk. Don¡¯t wait till I have you thrown out, then you¡¯ll have nowhere to cry."


    Li Yifei coldly stared at the man in his thirties, wondering just what capabilities this guy had to be so arrogant. What kind of influential person would make such bold statements?

 Chapter 869 - 910: Smashing with Money

    Chapter 869: Chapter 910: Smashing with MoneyThe man made Li Yifei¡¯s hair stand on end; he also felt that the man before him was quite dangerous and subconsciously took two steps back.


    People often have an inherent sense of danger, and if they pay heed to it, they usually can avoid dangers. But some people, even when they sense danger, still think they are tough enough to handle anything, and end up crashing headlong into trouble, eventually suffering for it.


    This man seemed to be just like that. His name was Tang Xinghuai, and he was the nephew of a Deputy Director at the Health Bureau. With his uncle¡¯s backing, he had gotten into the pharmaceutical business, selling medical equipment and drugs to major hospitals.


    The profit margin in the pharmaceutical industry is quite substantial. As a result, after a few years, this guy had amassed an asset worth tens of millions. Unlike some business people who brag about having assets worth hundreds of millions but only a few million in liquid assets, he didn¡¯t need much capital for his business, so his tens of millions were all in real savings and cash. This made him spend more freely and appear even more impressive than some big-time bosses.


    He made sure to gift a portion of his earnings to his uncle, and his uncle, in turn, valued him highly and protected him on all fronts. Their collusion as government official and businessman was indeed mutually beneficial.


    Such backing made Tang Xinghuai increasingly arrogant and dismissive of others. Perhaps elsewhere he wouldn¡¯t dare to be so brazen, but in the hospital, he was quite unrestrained.


    Even though he felt a bit intimidated by Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, he quickly remembered this was a hospital, where from the director down to the doctors and nurses, everyone had to show him respect. Therefore, his courage quickly swelled.


    With a swift move, he pulled a stack of cash out of his pocket and, with a flick, said, "Kid, I won¡¯t stoop to your level. Here¡¯s some money for compensation, hurry up and switch rooms, will you?" He seemed quite generous.


    Li Yifei was in a good mood because of his daughter¡¯s birth, but having this guy buzz around him like an annoying fly had put him off. Today, however, he wasn¡¯t inclined to get into any confrontations, especially if it could scare his daughter, which would be a great sin. Hence, Li Yifei suppressed his anger and said, "I¡¯m not changing rooms; you should look elsewhere."


    "Kid, don¡¯t be difficult. Okay, I¡¯ll throw in an additional five thousand. That makes it ten thousand total. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve paid for your wife to have the baby, huh?"


    Li Yifei, increasingly annoyed, said, "Don¡¯t think you can flaunt your damn money with me. The last thing I lack is money."


    Li Yifei had the confidence now. He had directly secured a billion dollars from the Yamaguchi Group; throwing money at him was really barking up the wrong tree.


    Tang Xinghuai frowned. Anyone who could afford to stay here had to have some money, and throwing money around really was futile. Yet he didn¡¯t consider Li Yifei worth much attention and said with an air of superiority, "Kid, I¡¯m Tang Xinghuai. I spoke too rashly just now, but if you switch the room for me, I¡¯ll owe you a favor. If you ever need anything, you can come to me, and I¡¯ll return the favor."


    "I don¡¯t need it," Li Yifei said coldly. "I¡¯m already being generous by not holding you accountable for frightening my daughter. You¡¯d better stop bothering me here."


    "F*ck, you¡¯re really asking for it. I wasn¡¯t joking. If you don¡¯t agree amicably, I can easily have you thrown out just like that."


    Li Yifei glared at him again and said, "Fine, then go and try."


    After speaking, he took Su Yiyi by the hand and walked towards the ward. At the door, he turned to the head nurse and said slowly, "You¡¯d best do your job properly."


    The head nurse felt shaky under Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and gave an embarrassed smile. She was the one caught in the middle of this mess; who would want to provoke trouble unnecessarily? But wasn¡¯t this Tang Xinghuai someone she couldn¡¯t afford to offend?


    Since Li Yifei disagreed, the head nurse couldn¡¯t force him and his family to leave, and she also felt that Li Yifei and his group were not to be trifled with. She suggested cautiously to Tang Xinghuai, "Boss Tang, how about I find you a standard room? A four-person room. We can let your family stay alone in it, and it will be like having a deluxe room."


    Tang Xinghuai¡¯s eyes bulged, "No way! Having my wife stay in a standard room would be an embarrassment to me. I must have a deluxe room, no matter what."


    "But as you can see, all our deluxe rooms are occupied, and nobody wants to switch. This is really putting me in a difficult position. What if... these mothers with normal deliveries, they usually only stay in the hospital for a day or two before being discharged. As soon as someone leaves, I will reserve a deluxe room for you right away. How about that? Besides... your wife¡¯s due date is still two days away."


    Tang Xinghuai glared at Li Yifei¡¯s ward, grinding his teeth, "Unacceptable, I want this room. Even if I have to fight for it, I¡¯m going to take this room." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The head nurse was really at a loss with Tang Xinghuai acting like this. He was just being too arrogant, more so than even the wealthiest people in the city.


    What the head nurse didn¡¯t know was that there was an ulterior motive behind Tang Xinghuai¡¯s actions.


    Tang Xinghuai¡¯s behaviour was actually aimed at Chu Xiaoyao. He had once done business with her father before he had made his fortune but was cheated by him, which bred deep-seated hatred in him towards Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father and an urge to find an opportunity for revenge. However, by the time Tang Xinghuai had made it big and was ready to settle scores with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s father, the man had died.


    This had been a huge disappointment to Tang Xinghuai. He had gradually put the past behind him, but seeing Chu Xiaoyao today, he immediately recognized her and was thrilled. Since he could no longer take revenge on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents, he wanted to make this young girl suffer, whether by playing her or by tormenting her, as this would excite him.


    He was adamant about driving out the mothers in the ward today and fighting for the room to make Chu Xiaoyao remember him. He wanted to see her frustrated and helpless, which would be a pleasure for him.


    I have to say that Tang Xinghuai is a very twisted man, to actually do such a thing because of Chu Xiaoyao. It¡¯s really hard for most people to understand.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about it, I¡¯ll handle this myself," Tang Xinghuai said to the head nurse before he turned and strode away.


    Li Yifei entered the room with a smile already on his face and said, "It¡¯s all good now."


    Chu Xiaoyao still indignantly said, "Uncle, you¡¯re too easygoing. You should have thrown that guy out just now."


    Su Yiyi tugged at Chu Xiaoyao and chided, "How can you do that? You can¡¯t just hit people. Besides, today Brother Li¡¯s daughter was born. On such a celebratory day, how could we get into a fight?"


    Li Yifei walked over to the bed and leaned down to look at his daughter, saying with a smile, "Exactly. My precious little girl has just been born. If I, as a father, were to get into a fight, wouldn¡¯t I be setting a bad example for her? Has she eaten enough?"


    Ye Yunzhu turned on her side, looking at her baby daughter, and said, "Yeah, she¡¯s really well-behaved. She fell asleep after eating."


    As soon as the child was mentioned, everyone gathered around and stopped talking about that scoundrel.


    "Yunzhu, you¡¯re so lucky. When I had my child, no one took care of me like this," Ning Xin¡¯er said with a hint of sourness.


    Ye Yunzhu smiled and replied, "I only have this one opportunity in my life, I¡¯ll never have the chance to have another child, but you still can. You can have another one, and let Yifei take care of you just like this. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately glanced at Li Yifei and said, "I¡¯d like to, but I¡¯m afraid someone might not agree."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "If you want to have a child, then let¡¯s have one. The Li family has a big business, and of course, the more children, the better. One more isn¡¯t enough; you should have ten or eight."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted in mock annoyance, "Do you think I¡¯m a sow?" but inside, she was delighted.


    Chu Xiaoyao hugged Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arm and laughed, "If there were such beautiful sows, then wouldn¡¯t I be worse off than a sow?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed out loud and said, "But you can¡¯t have that many. Wouldn¡¯t that mean I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything else but have babies?"


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled softly and said, "You¡¯re the one who wants to have a baby, and you¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t. Aren¡¯t you making things difficult for our husband?"


    After chatting for a while, Chu Xiaoyao rubbed her belly and said, "I¡¯m hungry, Uncle. We need to eat something. Especially Sister Yunzhu, if you don¡¯t replenish her nutrients, how can she have enough breast milk?"


    Li Yifei cried out in dismay, getting so caught up in excitement that he had forgotten this most important matter.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "After just giving birth, she shouldn¡¯t eat anything too greasy. Let¡¯s give Yunzhu some millet porridge and a few boiled eggs for lunch today. Tonight, we¡¯ll make her some bone soup and fish soup that are good for milk production."


    Li Yifei promptly said, "I¡¯ll go buy it now."


    Saying this, Li Yifei ran out, very keen on doing things personally when it came to taking care of Ye Yunzhu. This gave him a sense of being a father, happy to do more for Ye Yunzhu and their newborn.


    Although the hospital provided food service, Li Yifei felt that their preparation was simply not good enough, so he went to a nearby restaurant to order some millet porridge and personally supervised the chefs on how to make it.


    Normally, big restaurants wouldn¡¯t allow this, but Li Yifei was generous with his money, so of course, the restaurant didn¡¯t have much to say.


    Li Yifei not only made some millet porridge and boiled a few eggs, but also prepared a few side dishes and packed up a few servings of rice since both Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er, as well as the rest, needed to eat.


    After more than an hour, when he had finished all this and was just about to pack up, his phone rang. It was a call from Ning Xin¡¯er. He answered it quickly.


    "Yifei, you need to come back quickly. A group of people are blocking the hospital room door, and Xiaoyao has already started arguing with them."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei hurriedly grabbed the two bags and rushed back to the hospital. It must be that guy from earlier who had sent people over. He hadn¡¯t wanted to cause trouble today, but since that bastard dared to do so, he couldn¡¯t let this scum off the hook.

 Chapter 870 - 911: Su Yiyi Slaps Someone

    Chapter 870: Chapter 911: Su Yiyi Slaps SomeoneSeveral young men were gathering at the entrance of the hospital room, and Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi were blocking the doorway. At this time, several doctors and nurses were staying far away.


    "You little girls, if you want to stay in this room, just kiss each one of us here, and we¡¯ll let you occupy this room."


    "Haha, if you spend the night with us, then you can stay here as long as you want."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice then rose, "Shut up! Shut up! Get out! When Brother Li comes back, he will definitely kill you all." She was obviously very angry and somewhat frantic.


    "You little girl has quite the mouth, talking about uncle all the time, but we haven¡¯t seen your uncle stand up for you?"


    "That¡¯s right, these days, little girls like older men. Look at me, I¡¯m an uncle too. Surely I¡¯m more majestic than yours. You should just follow me instead." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Those people kept using filthy language, completely indecent and unbearable. Although Chu Xiaoyao was good at retorting, the opponents were many and she could only say some harsh words during the argument. Those obscene words were exactly what these street thugs excelled at.


    At that moment, she was so angry that her face turned crimson and tears were about to stream down.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned pale, and she bit her lip tightly. She wasn¡¯t good at cursing, but the way they kept hurling insults was truly unbearable for her. She opened her mouth several times but didn¡¯t know how to deal with these thugs.


    "Ah, you poor girl, I heard your parents both died. They must have been driven to death by you. Just go hang around with old men, such an undutiful daughter. If I were your parents, I would have been driven to death by you too."


    "That¡¯s right, these days kids don¡¯t learn anything good. If they don¡¯t wise up early, they start sleeping around."


    "I wonder if her parents knew from beneath the springs, would they be so upset they¡¯d come back to life."


    The death of her parents was always a sore spot for Chu Xiaoyao. Although their death had nothing to do with Chu Xiaoyao, she still blamed herself deeply. At that time she was angry with her parents and wasn¡¯t at home. If she had been there, her parents wouldn¡¯t have died. Even though she didn¡¯t say it, her heart was always saddened by this.


    Being stung by their words now, Chu Xiaoyao felt a surge of emotion and screamed, "I¡¯m going to fight you all," and attempted to rush at them, but her body swayed, and she almost fell.


    Su Yiyi quickly supported her and anxiously asked, "Xiaoyao, Xiaoyao, are you alright?"


    At this moment, Chu Xiaoyao felt completely weak and suddenly hugged Su Yiyi, crying, "Sister Yiyi, my parents weren¡¯t driven to death by me, really..."


    "I know, I know." Su Yiyi was patting Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulders and then shouted at the group, "Haven¡¯t you had enough?"


    These people had been instigated by Tang Xinghuai to humiliate Chu Xiaoyao as much as possible. Seeing her cry and still refusing to stop, one of them smirked, "Hmpf, crying now? Did we strike a nerve? Now you know to cry, but what about before?"


    "That¡¯s right, if you knew how to be modest earlier, it wouldn¡¯t have come to this. Who are you crying for now?"


    Chu Xiaoyao was even more infuriated, hardly able to breathe.


    "You..." Su Yiyi was pointing at them, her face turning green with anger.


    "Seeing you with this kind of trashy girl, you must be just like her. Really, one can¡¯t judge by appearances. You look so innocent, but the things you do are definitely not up to par."


    Listening to their words, Su Yiyi¡¯s complexion grew uglier, especially as she stared down the most disgusting speaker, a fat man whose spit flew as he talked, his belly quivering. He was one of Tang Xinghuai¡¯s trusted subordinates, and he was the one who brought these people here to slander Chu Xiaoyao.


    The fat man grew more excited as he talked. Seeing Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s ashen faces, he laughed triumphantly, "Haha, see? I hit the nail on the head, didn¡¯t I? Nothing left to say now, right? Let everyone see what kind of people you are!"


    "Slap!"


    A crisp slap suddenly echoed, silencing everyone and making them stare in shock at Su Yiyi, as the slap had come from her, a seemingly fragile girl daring to hit someone.


    Chu Xiaoyao was stunned at that moment. Throughout her acquaintance with Su Yiyi, Su Yiyi had never even raised her voice at someone, let alone hit someone. It was exceedingly rare for her to even show slight anger towards others, but today, she actually struck someone, and did so decisively and forcefully. A vivid red palm print, matching the shape of Su Yiyi¡¯s delicate hand, was left on the fat man¡¯s cheek.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s face was tense, and her usually teary eyes were filled with fierce determination as she fearlessly stared at the fat man she had hit.


    Honest people, when they do get angry, often react with greater fury. Su Yiyi was usually very kind and always tried to treat people well, but today, she could no longer tolerate being humiliated. Chu Xiaoyao was her good friend, who was now nearly fainting from anger, so Su Yiyi felt she must stand up for her¡ªeven if it meant resorting to violence.


    However, after striking the man, her initial surge of boldness subsided, and she began to feel timid, her chest heaving rapidly and her body slightly trembling. Nonetheless, she silently encouraged herself. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t let these people intimidate her. As long as Brother Li returned, she wouldn¡¯t have to be afraid of anything. She just needed to hold on until Li Yifei arrived.


    "You dare hit me, you wretched girl!" the fat man finally regained his senses, feeling utterly humiliated. He was a grown man and being struck by a girl was embarrassing. If word got out, how could he show his face? Rage consumed him and evil thoughts arose. After cursing, he fiercely swung his hand, aiming a slap at Su Yiyi¡¯s face.


    His hand was so large that one slap could easily knock Su Yiyi unconscious, causing Chu Xiaoyao to scream in terror.


    But the man¡¯s slap was abruptly stopped mid-air; a hand, strong as a tiger¡¯s pincer, had grasped his wrist. It was Li Yifei, who had arrived just in time.


    "Uncle, Brother Li!" both Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi exclaimed with relief. With Li Yifei¡¯s return, they felt secure against even the gravest danger.


    "F*ck, let go of me!" the fat man struggled, twisting his arm, trying to break free using his own strength, but despite several attempts, his face turning beet red, he couldn¡¯t budge at all. Instead, he felt the grip on his wrist tighten, as if it could break his bones.


    The fat man initially wanted to tough it out, but the pain was unbearable, and he wasn¡¯t a person of strong will. Unable to bear the pain any longer, he started crying out and begging repeatedly, "Brother, Brother, I was wrong, I was wrong, please let go..."


    Li Yifei snorted and with a flick of his wrist, hurled the hefty, approximately 440-pound man out. The impact knocked back two others behind him until they hit a wall and stopped.


    Though Li Yifei had not shown off on purpose, these people were not fools. A 440-pound man tossed aside with such ease indicated the incredible strength Li Yifei possessed. Especially standing there, his stature mountainous, his expression stern, and his gaze disdainful, making them realize he was not someone to provoke lightly. Even with six or seven of them, they were uncertain they could overcome this one man.


    Then, Li Yifei turned to Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao and asked, "Yiyi, Xiaoyao, who else was insulting you just now?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately pointed at the group and said, "They all did, they all did, Uncle... Wuu, what they said was so awful!"


    For once, Chu Xiaoyao truly cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks unremittingly. Apart from the death of her parents, the times Chu Xiaoyao had wept in front of Li Yifei were nearly all for show, but today, she was genuinely distressed, wronged, and heartbroken.


    "Good! Uncle will avenge you." Li Yifei gave Chu Xiaoyao a reassuring pat, then his gaze swept over the crowd.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi whispered to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, this is a hospital..."


    Li Yifei gave Su Yiyi a comforting look and said, "Don¡¯t worry, these jerks have been in the hospital for so long and no staff member has intervened. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson and see who dares to stop me."


    Li Yifei was indeed annoyed. These people were just too much. If it were someone else instead of him, wouldn¡¯t they have been driven out of the hospital room?


    "What are you going to do?" The men all watched Li Yifei warily, his presence alone suppressing theirs.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything, but suddenly stepped forward and swung his hand repeatedly. The sound of slaps filled the air, and each of the six or seven men received heavy slaps on both cheeks.


    "Tell that kid never to bother me again, otherwise... get lost!"


    With a stern shout from Li Yifei, the group of men who had been slapped trembled, and not daring even to exchange a few words, they scampered away.


    Although the hallway wasn¡¯t crowded, many were peeking from their hospital room doors. Witnessing one man chasing off a group left them all dumbstruck. This was truly impressive.


    They all speculated who Li Yifei really was, as it seemed that no one in Mile City had heard of such an imposing figure before.


    Li Yifei then looked at Su Yiyi, whose face instantly turned red as she fidgeted with her clothes, feeling extremely embarrassed about having hit someone earlier.

 Chapter 871 - 912

    Chapter 871: 912Although Tang Xinghuai was quite arrogant, he wouldn¡¯t dare to go into the hospital and throw someone out directly. Even his uncle couldn¡¯t protect him from that, so he arranged for the fat man to come over to cause trouble. By insulting others and making them angry, even if the police station were to get involved, they couldn¡¯t do much about it since he wasn¡¯t present himself, a clever move indeed.


    He was secretly watching the fun from the corner of the staircase, especially when he saw Chu Xiaoyao get so angry; he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. "A daughter paying for her father¡¯s debts," he thought, which was a twisted kind of enjoyment for his twisted mind.


    However, to his surprise, the turn of events led his own men, who he had called for, to be driven away by that man. Since he wasn¡¯t there in person, he couldn¡¯t feel the suffocating pressure from Li Yifei that overwhelmed his men. He thought these people were just useless, as even with six or seven of them, just one punch each could have downed that guy.


    Just as he was about to scold those men, he saw several people coming from the direction of the elevator; one of them was his uncle, and he recognized the others too, including the Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao, which made him secretly relieved that these people were not there when the conflict occurred, as it would have been troublesome if they had witnessed it.


    At that moment, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave. He wanted to stay and see if he could catch any useful information that might allow him to make a profit.


    Secretary Song was there to visit his niece, who was also giving birth in that hospital. It was purely a personal visit with his wife and a few other relatives. Upon arriving, they unexpectedly ran into Tang Lekang, Tang Xinghuai¡¯s uncle, who hurriedly followed them.


    When Song arrived, he saw the back of Li Yifei entering a ward and felt it looked familiar. However, he didn¡¯t interact with Li Yifei often, and since he met countless people every day, he couldn¡¯t recognize him immediately but felt that he was someone he knew.


    As the Municipal Party Secretary in Mile City, the primary leader, even if he saw someone familiar, he had no reason to go over. Then, he went with his relatives to the ward across from where Li Yifei was staying.


    "Auntie, you are so busy, how come you¡¯ve come?" Song¡¯s niece was extremely happy when she saw her uncle. Although they were relatives, his being so busy yet taking the time to visit her really made her happy.


    "Hehe, such a big event as you giving birth, how could uncle not come? How are you doing here?"


    "It¡¯s okay, but it¡¯s a bit chaotic here. There was an argument outside the door just now, and it scared the child into crying."


    Secretary Song frowned slightly, and Tang Lekang immediately got startled and hurriedly said, "Secretary Song, I will handle this matter properly and ensure we enhance the security in the hospital."


    Secretary Song nodded and said, "The conflicts between doctors and patients are significant. As part of the health department, you must resolve this issue. You need to be stringent with yourself, especially in managing the medical staff, to better resolve these conflicts."


    Tang Lekang nodded repeatedly and seriously said, "Secretary Song, I will immediately arrange for an investigation. Such incidents in the hospital cannot be tolerated."


    The head nurse by the side frowned secretly, thinking, "The one causing trouble is your nephew, let¡¯s see how you handle this."


    After chatting for a while, Secretary Song prepared to leave. After stepping out, he glanced at the patient¡¯s nameplate across the door. Every ward at this high-end hospital had a patient¡¯s nameplate with the patient¡¯s name on it. Seeing the name, Song Zhentao suddenly felt it looked familiar.


    "Ye Yunzhu... Eh, is Ye Yunzhu staying here?" Secretary Song asked the head nurse.


    The head nurse immediately said, "Yes, the patient inside is called Ye Yunzhu."


    Although Ye Yunzhu was only a Deputy County Head, she was quite renowned in the official circles of Mile City. After all, for a woman in her twenties to rise to the rank of Deputy County Head so quickly, one could imagine her future potential. Even being the County Party Secretary, Song Zhentao couldn¡¯t overlook her, and he knew she was taking maternity leave, though he wasn¡¯t sure when she was due to give birth.


    Seeing this today, as the Municipal Party Secretary, he couldn¡¯t just not pay a visit.


    He directly went and knocked on the door, and a girl came out, it was Su Yiyi, looking puzzled at Secretary Song, she said, "Who are you looking for?"


    Secretary Song smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯m here to visit."


    Su Yiyi saw Secretary Song¡¯s smile, which clearly showed no ill intentions, but still felt a bit worried because of the earlier altercation, and being unsure of whether to let a man in.


    Just then, Li Yifei arrived at the door and seeing it was Secretary Song, he stepped forward with a smile, "Secretary Song, what brings you here?"


    Secretary Song was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Li Yifei and then expressed his surprise, "What are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei felt a bit embarrassed and said, "My wife is giving birth, so of course, I¡¯m here."


    Secretary Song knew that Li Yifei¡¯s wife was Xu Yingying, and he had seen Xu Yingying just a few days ago looking quite normal, not at all appearing to be pregnant - so finding Li Yifei here was puzzling. After a brief pause and quickly thinking it through, he smiled and said, "Well, congratulations then."


    "Secretary Song, please come in," Li Yifei smiled as he invited Song Zhentao inside.


    Song Zhentao nodded, then turned to the person behind him and said, "You guys go back first, we two will go in."


    Seeing Song Zhentao enter the hospital room and then close the door, Tang Lekang was somewhat perplexed. He wondered about the person who could inspire Secretary Song to visit personally. Upon reading the name on the door plate and giving it some thought, he was suddenly startled as he recalled exactly who Ye Yunzhu was.


    In terms of position, Deputy County Head Ye Yunzhu and his own role as Deputy Director of the City Health Bureau were at the same level, but Ye Yunzhu had been promoted so rapidly over the past two years that it wouldn¡¯t take much longer to surpass him. There was a saying in the political circles of Mile City: if you befriend Ye Yunzhu now, you might cling to a towering tree in the future; Tang Lekang was well aware of this.


    He wanted to go in to take a look, but Song Zhentao had just said there was no need for anyone else, so entering now would be inappropriate. It would be better to take care of Ye Yunzhu later and use this opportunity to get closer to her.


    "The patient in this room must be given special attention, definitely not less than Secretary Song¡¯s niece," Tang Lekang immediately instructed the head nurse.


    The head nurse paused, amused and incredulous as Tang Lekang, who had just wanted to send away the patient, was now demanding special care for them.


    "Are you listening to me?" Tang Lekang asked, seeing that the head nurse did not respond, immediately furrowing his brow.


    Tang Xinghuai came over at this moment, having not heard his uncle mentioning anyone in particular, and curiously asked, "Uncle, who is this person?"


    Tang Lekang turned to his nephew and casually remarked, "This person is a really big deal."


    Tang Xinghuai felt uneasy as he had seen the Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao enter the room, realizing something was off. Upon hearing his uncle¡¯s comment, he stammered, "Uncle, are they high-ranking officials?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph, didn¡¯t you see the sign? The one giving birth is Deputy County Head Ye Yunzhu."


    Tang Xinghuai smirked, saying, "So it¡¯s a Deputy County Head." But he wasn¡¯t too worried; at most, he had just had a verbal conflict, and since his uncle¡¯s position was not lower than the other party¡¯s, it was not a big deal.


    The head nurse, who had long disdained Tang Xinghuai, quietly mentioned, "Director Tang, just before Boss Tang asked for a high-end room, we didn¡¯t have one available, so he wanted to evict the current occupants of a room, leading to a conflict."


    "What?" Tang Lekang¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Tang Xinghuai gave a forced smile, "I didn¡¯t know she was a Deputy County Head."


    Tang Lekang slapped Tang Xinghuai across the face, angrily saying, "You are such an idiot! How could you cause such a mess? I just promised Secretary Song to handle this matter, and now what am I supposed to tell him?"


    Tang Xinghuai grimaced and said, "Well, during the quarrel, I didn¡¯t appear anyway; we¡¯ll just find someone else to take the blame."


    Tang Lekang thought for a moment, realizing that was the only option, and said sternly, "Make sure this is handled properly. If this matter is pursued further, I won¡¯t be able to withstand it."


    Tang Xinghuai, now genuinely worried, quickly agreed and rushed to arrange things.


    Inside the hospital room, Song Zhentao¡¯s wife sat beside the bed, watching the child while chatting with Ye Yunzhu. Although they had never met before, as the wife of a Municipal Party Secretary, she had the necessary social skills.


    Meanwhile, Song Zhentao chatted with Li Yifei at the doorway, which was also a way to avoid suspicion; after all, it would be quite impolite for a man to watch a woman nurse a child.


    Li Yifei, grinning, said, "Secretary Song, I¡¯ll need your help with the child¡¯s household registration."


    Song Zhentao laughed wryly; it was funny that he, a Party Secretary, had to help someone register a household, but he had discerned that the relationship between Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei was not normal and that the registration couldn¡¯t proceed in the usual way. Given Ye Yunzhu¡¯s sensitive position, spreading this news could have bad consequences. "Well, that¡¯s a small matter, absolutely no problem."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "That¡¯s very kind of you, Secretary Song."


    "You, my boy, I really don¡¯t know what to say," Song Zhentao said with a look of admiration on his face. Li Yifei¡¯s wife was Xu Yingying, a major corporate executive, and his lover happened to be the currently highly sought-after Ye Yunzhu in Mile City¡¯s political circles; it was truly baffling how Li Yifei managed all this.

 Chapter 872 - 913: Having a Child Can Also Lead to a Promotion

    Chapter 872: Chapter 913: Having a Child Can Also Lead to a PromotionHowever, Song Zhentao soon ceased to be so surprised. Li Yifei, what kind of person was he? He was a Young Master from the Capital City, a distinguished member of the Su Family. Even if Ye Yunzhu had a solid background, compared to Li Yifei, it was far from enough. The Ye family would probably be more than happy to have Yunzhu get together with Yifei.


    Moreover, for him in the political sphere, this had even more significance. The rapid promotion of Yunzhu was, under normal circumstances, beyond what the Ye family¡¯s influence could achieve. Any family in the province might not be able to do the same; therefore, he had always believed Yunzhu¡¯s promotion was due to connections at a higher level. Now, he finally understood¡ªYunzhu was Li Yifei¡¯s woman. With the Su Family¡¯s backing, climbing the ranks was naturally much easier.


    Before leaving, Song Zhentao smiled at Yunzhu and said, "Little Ye, take good care of yourself and strive to return to work soon. The county¡¯s work can¡¯t do without you."


    Yunzhu hurriedly responded, "Thank you, Secretary Song. I think I can go back to work after I finish my postpartum confinement."


    Song Zhentao chuckled and said, "Gather some capital in the county early on. Old Wang from the Education Bureau is nearing retirement age."


    "Eh, you are..." As Song Zhentao was leaving and everyone naturally wanted to see him out, he had noticed when he came in that aside from Li Yifei, there were only girls here, and they were all quite pretty. He didn¡¯t allow himself to look too much, but as he was leaving, he saw Ning Xin¡¯er and suddenly felt she looked very familiar, but he couldn¡¯t recall who she was right away.


    Ning Xin¡¯er said with ease, "Hello, Secretary Song. I am Ning Xin¡¯er."


    "Ning Xin¡¯er... Oh, you really are Ning Xin¡¯er. Haha, I truly didn¡¯t expect you to be here." In Song Zhentao¡¯s position, naturally, he wouldn¡¯t get excited over seeing a star like Xin¡¯er, but he was quite surprised.


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei and said with a smile, "My man is here, so of course I have to be here too."


    Song Zhentao looked at Li Yifei as well, opened his mouth as if to burst out laughing, but immediately suppressed it. He gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up and said, "Yifei, I am utterly in awe of you."


    Li Yifei felt somewhat embarrassed but also smiled and said, "You flatter me, Secretary Song."


    "And these two..." Song Zhentao then looked at Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, winking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei then decisively wrapped his arms around Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao and said, "They are also my women."


    Song Zhentao once again gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up and said, "Impressive!"


    Song Zhentao¡¯s wife immediately pinched her husband and chided, "You old rascal, are you also thinking of doing the same?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t dare; Young Li is strong and vigorous, but I¡¯m not up for it."


    This joke was somewhat unbecoming of his age, making Ning Xin¡¯er and the others blush, but they also felt sweet inside. Li Yifei rarely acknowledged their relationship so candidly in front of others.


    Song Zhentao glanced over the few girls again; he wanted to remember each of them. While he didn¡¯t need to deliberately please Li Yifei, forging a bond with him was clearly beneficial to himself. Therefore, paying attention to the girls around Li Yifei was important, as lending them a helping hand could earn him some favor in the future.


    After Song Zhentao left, the girls in the ward were chattering with unabated excitement. Having Li Yifei introduce them in such a way made them truly happy, especially Xiaoyao. Yifei had always treated her like a child, and she was fully aware of that. But now, finally, he saw her as an adult, and she couldn¡¯t be prouder.


    But the one most affected was Yunzhu. The hint in Song Zhentao¡¯s words was clear: once Director Wang of the Education Bureau retired, she was very likely to take that position.


    Li Yifei looked at Yunzhu, who was deep in thought, and smiled, "It seems my wife is going to be promoted again."


    Yunzhu was both delighted and amazed, "He wasn¡¯t just saying that offhand, was he?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "It¡¯s the Municipal Party Secretary; could he be careless with his words? Yunzhu is really impressive, getting a promotion even while at home having a baby."


    Yunzhu glanced at Li Yifei and chided, "You¡¯re not up to your tricks again, are you?"


    Li Yifei spread his hands and said, "I didn¡¯t meddle this time."


    Ning Xin¡¯er added, "No need for him to meddle now. With your status and background in Mile City, who can compete? Even Old Master Su has to consider our husband¡¯s opinion. Would getting promoted even be a hassle for you? With Song Zhentao¡¯s convenient gesture of goodwill and his connection to you, it¡¯s a big help for his future. Why wouldn¡¯t he do it?"


    Yunzhu smiled and said, "I never expected Xin¡¯er to have such a keen understanding of politics. Why don¡¯t you also enter politics, and let our husband get you a high-ranking position too?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t want to take on that kind of burden. Now you have a baby and still need to hold an office, who¡¯s going to take care of the child more than me? It¡¯s better for me to act as an old nanny for you."


    Yunzhu looked at her daughter and said, "I wish I could be like you, taking care of my child every day, watching her grow up bit by bit. That would truly be happiness."


    Just now, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had time to pay attention to Xiaoyao and Yiyi. Seeing Xiaoyao looking a bit downcast and Yiyi still seeming nervous, he knew the recent scuffle had still left the two girls somewhat shaken.


    "Xiaoyao, Yiyi, it¡¯s okay now, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here, who could possibly do anything to you all?" Li Yifei comforted the two.


    Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips, her eyes reddening a bit as she said somewhat sorrowfully, "Uncle, do you think it¡¯s my fault that my parents died?"


    Li Yifei ruffled Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hair and said, "Silly girl, how could it be your fault? Stop overthinking things."


    Su Yiyi then also chimed in to comfort her, "Xiaoyao, those people are just trying to be nasty on purpose. If you get angry, then you¡¯ll be playing right into their hands."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded and said, "Thank you, Sister Yiyi, for standing up for me just now, ah! I just remembered, Sister Yiyi actually hit someone earlier!" Chu Xiaoyao looked at Su Yiyi with amazement, as if discovering a new world.


    Meanwhile, Ning Xin¡¯er and Ye Yunzhu had not seen what had happened outside and only knew that there had been a commotion. They both had been busy protecting the children, to prevent them from getting frightened. Now, hearing Chu Xiaoyao speak this way, they both looked at Su Yiyi in surprise.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face immediately flushed red as she stammered, "I... I..." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this, Li Yifei felt a bit heartbroken for her and wrapped an arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulders, saying, "You did the right thing hitting them. With scum like that, the more passive you are, the more they¡¯ll bully you. So the best approach is to shut their mouths and let them know just how dire the consequences are for provoking us."


    Su Yiyi still appeared quite embarrassed and said with a bitter smile, "I don¡¯t even know how I ended up hitting someone just now."


    Chu Xiaoyao held onto Su Yiyi¡¯s hand gratefully, saying, "Sister Yiyi, I know you did it to protect me. You¡¯ve really been too good to me; you¡¯re just like my real sister."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Silly girl, Yiyi is indeed your real sister now, so are Xin¡¯er and Yunzhu. What defines a family? This is what a family is: when one person is hurt, the rest come to her aid."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, yes, I understand. I¡¯ll surely do the same in the future."


    After chatting for a bit, Li Yifei stepped out of the ward and took out his phone to make a call. He instructed his men to investigate the matter and find out who exactly was the man trying to take over the ward.


    When Li Yifei had returned, he hadn¡¯t understood their conversation at the time. But after hearing what Chu Xiaoyao had said, he immediately felt that those people must have known her, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been so aware of the details concerning her parents¡¯ deaths, let alone target and insult Xiaoyao so directly. This wasn¡¯t just about taking over a ward; it was a deliberate attack on Xiaoyao.


    Such people posed a danger; although Li Yifei wasn¡¯t about to nip the problem in the bud, he knew to anticipate possible troubles before they arose, rather than waiting to deal with them after they¡¯d happened.


    Just after four o¡¯clock, Xu Shanshan brought Little Yifei to the hospital. She had been anxious to come but tangled up with loads of work at the factory since Li Yifei wasn¡¯t there and she simply couldn¡¯t leave, which is why she only managed to come over at this time.


    Little Yifei approached the other children timidly, looking both excited and nervous.


    Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "Yifei, this is your little sister."


    "Is she really my little sister?"


    "Of course, you are the big sister now, and you have to take good care of your little sister in the future."


    "Okay, okay, I will definitely protect my little sister. But... will she steal my toys?"


    This question immediately made everyone burst into laughter.


    Accompanying Xu Shanshan were Michelle and He Fangqing. Upon arrival, He Fangqing immediately went to see the children. Although she had been married, she didn¡¯t have kids of her own, and now, seeing the little ones, she felt an indescribable joy.


    Michelle, on the other hand, walked past Li Yifei with her head down, not daring to glance at him. Her unnatural behavior was quickly picked up by Ning Xin¡¯er.


    "Hey, what¡¯s going on between you and Michelle?" Ning Xin¡¯er leaned into Li Yifei and nudged him with her shoulder.


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "Nothing much?"


    "What do you mean nothing much? Michelle is obviously avoiding you. Did you do something beastly to her?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I¡¯m also afraid of seeing her now; I don¡¯t know how to face her."


    Ning Xin¡¯er rolled her eyes. It was clear that something had happened between Li Yifei and Michelle, but since everyone knew about their feelings for each other, nobody wanted to interfere too much; it was better to let them handle it themselves.


    Michelle stayed for a while but then excused herself to leave. He Fangqing, however, wanted to stay a bit longer as she was too fond of the baby and wanted to spend more time admiring the little one.


    Ning Xin¡¯er pushed Li Yifei, saying, "Go and see Michelle off."

 Chapter 873 - 914: This Irresponsible Jerk

    Chapter 873: Chapter 914: This Irresponsible JerkLi Yifei responded with an acknowledgment and followed Michelle out. Michelle walked with her head down, silent until they reached the hospital¡¯s parking lot. Only then did she stop, looked up at Li Yifei with a smile, and said, "You don¡¯t need to see me off, I can just take a cab home."


    Looking at Michelle¡¯s unnatural smile, Li Yifei felt a sad amusement inside. The relationship between him and Michelle could not be said to be getting more complicated, but it definitely felt awkward when they were face to face.


    Trying to appear casual, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Why hail a cab when there¡¯s a car? I need to go home to pick up some things anyway, so I might as well give you a lift. Get in."


    This time, Michelle did not protest and simply got into the car. However, as soon as Li Yifei drove out of the hospital, Michelle said, "Brother Li, about that night... I am already very content. From now on, I won¡¯t have any more expectations of you. Brother Li, can we just be good friends from now on?"


    Li Yifei drove slowly and let out a sigh before saying, "Michelle..."


    Michelle beamed with a smile, interrupting Li Yifei¡¯s words, "Brother Li, isn¡¯t there a saying? ¡¯It¡¯s not about lifelong possession, but about having owned once.¡¯ I¡¯ve had my first kiss with you, and then there was that time on the island... Hehe, these memories are enough for me to cherish my entire life. Seeing you happy with Sister Yingying makes me even happier."


    Li Yifei sighed again and said, "If you can think like that, then I support you. You are truly a good girl, and I can¡¯t delay your happiness for life."


    Michelle smiled sweetly and replied, "Yes, you already have Sister Yingying, and so many others who like being with you. One more or one less of me doesn¡¯t make a difference. Maybe by not being with you, I¡¯ll give you a bit of regret and you will remember me forever."


    Li Yifei turned to glance at Michelle and saw that her smile was indeed radiant and sincere. Perhaps these were her true feelings, and his reluctance to get too close to Michelle was precisely because he didn¡¯t want the pure image of this girl to be tainted in his mind. "Alright, then I wish you happiness, but remember, you can¡¯t treat me as a stranger if you need anything in the future."


    "Of course not, you are still my Brother Li. It¡¯s only natural for a little sister to ask her brother for help, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, then you are my little sister from now on. If anyone dares to bully my sister, I, as her brother, will fight them to the end."


    "That¡¯s right, if you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll go complain to Sister in law Yingying."


    Both of them laughed happily, but both Li Yifei and Michelle knew their laughter was somewhat forced. Some things had happened, and a sibling title could not change that.


    After dropping Michelle off at her home and picking up a few things from his own, Li Yifei returned to the hospital. He would put everything aside for these few days, dedicating his time to Ye Yunzhu and the newly born child.


    Everyone was tired by then, so Li Yifei asked them all to go home and rest. Ning Xin¡¯er and the others did not insist on staying; taking care of Ye Yunzhu was not a matter of a day or two. Everyone needed to adjust and take turns caring for her, so they all left together.


    Left alone in the ward, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu gazed at the sweetly sleeping baby. No matter how much they looked, they could not get enough.


    Suddenly, Ye Yunzhu leaned forward and kissed Li Yifei¡¯s face, saying, "Husband, I¡¯m so happy. I¡¯ve finally become a mother."


    "Yes, I¡¯ve also really come to understand what it feels like to be a father."


    "Isn¡¯t Little Yifei your daughter? You¡¯re only now understanding the feeling of being a father?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Although Yifei is my daughter, sadly, I never experienced the surprise of her birth or the moments of watching her grow up, so there has always been some regret in my heart."


    "That¡¯s true, but this daughter has been watched over by you since birth," Ye Yunzhu said with natural joy before quickly adding, "Husband, I need to remind you of something."


    "What is it?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled, as he looked at Ye Yunzhu.


    "Just look at yourself. Today you only cared about our daughter and hardly spoke to Little Yifei. It¡¯s fine for today, but if it continues like this, Little Yifei will feel that her father is biased, and Ning Xin¡¯er will also harbor grievances. Now that we have formed this family, you must consider everything and not play favorites, or it will cause disharmony in the family. Once a woman has a child, her focus often shifts to the child, and she will want her child to have the best and be most loved by the father. You can¡¯t neglect one for the other, it¡¯s not a good thing." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sweat appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s forehead as he nodded continuously and said, "You¡¯re right. I did neglect Little Yifei slightly."


    "Yes, the more so at this time, you should show even more how much you value Little Yifei. Let her understand that having a younger sister only means gaining a playmate, not an enemy who shares her father¡¯s love. There are plenty of large families that have splintered because of such things, ending in tragedy. We must not follow in their footsteps."


    Grateful, Li Yifei said, "Yunzhu, thank you. Without you, I could have made a very big mistake."


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and replied, "You, always making me worry ever since high school. I thought once you grew up, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry, but now it seems I have even more to worry about."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I feel like Yunzhu, you¡¯re starting to have the air of a head wife more and more."


    "Stop joking around. Just look at your household, there¡¯s your official wife Xu Yingying and then there¡¯s Su Mengxin. Which of them would let me be the head wife? Besides, I don¡¯t have that kind of ability. Although Su Mengxin doesn¡¯t talk much at home, her overall ability to organize things is something I simply can¡¯t compare to. Actually, the biggest problem right now is your wife. She used to be fine before anything happened, but now, she¡¯s turned into quite the jealous type. It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s on a business trip right now. If she wasn¡¯t, I wonder how you would come to visit your daughter?"


    Li Yifei laughed dryly. He was really in a bind now; he had not expected that after Xu Yingying woke up, she wouldn¡¯t only have amnesia, but also became less generous than before.


    Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Just as they were talking about Xu Yingying, her call came in.


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Hurry up and answer it. If you don¡¯t sweet-talk your wife properly now, none of us will have peace."


    Li Yifei went out into the hallway to answer the call, not because he feared Ye Yunzhu would overhear, but because there was a newborn baby and phone radiation supposedly isn¡¯t good for children, so Li Yifei still had to be careful.


    "Hello, wife, are you done with work for today?"


    "Hmm... Where did you run off to? I just called home and nobody answered."


    "Yunzhu just gave birth, we¡¯re all at the hospital."


    "Ah, Yunzhu gave birth? That¡¯s really great, mother and daughter are both safe, right?"


    "Both are safe."


    "How unfortunate that I¡¯m on a business trip right now. I¡¯ll have to wait until I get back to see the little baby."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Yeah."


    "By the way, did Yunzhu¡¯s husband come?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but cough. Xu Yingying immediately said, "What are you coughing for?"


    "Just choked on the wind a bit, it¡¯s nothing."


    "So, is Yunzhu¡¯s husband there or not?"


    "He isn¡¯t." Li Yifei could only say that.


    Xu Yingying immediately got angry and said, "What is going on here? We never seem to see the man, and now that a child has been born, the father doesn¡¯t even show up. Doesn¡¯t he have any conscience at all? Men who abandon others like this really are the worst. If I got my hands on him, he deserves to be shot..."


    Li Yifei felt like he had a black line over his head, since Xu Yingying was actually cursing him. He quickly interrupted her, "Wife, maybe there¡¯s another side to the story you¡¯re not seeing. You can¡¯t be so judgmental."


    "What other side? No matter what the reasons might be, giving birth is a huge deal, isn¡¯t it? A father who doesn¡¯t even show his face, can he even be called human? In my view, that¡¯s simply inhuman. I¡¯m telling you, if I ever have a baby in the future, and you¡¯re not by my side, I will never let you off the hook."


    Li Yifei was at first amused and perplexed by Xu Yingying¡¯s words, but when he heard her last sentence, he suddenly laughed and said, "Well, then wife, when shall we have one?"


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying cried out, her tone suddenly flustered and she stuttered, "Y-you... what nonsense... Who... who would want to have a child with you..."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Those were your words just now. Don¡¯t worry, when you have a child, I, as your husband, will definitely be with you the whole time, and there won¡¯t be any chance for you to hold a grudge against me."


    "Go on, quit trying to take advantage of me. If you want me to have your baby, just you wait."


    Listening to Xu Yingying¡¯s proud tone, Li Yifei could imagine that her face must be red, with a bit of shyness and a touch of sweetness.


    "By the way, wife, calling me so late, do you miss me? Are you unable to sleep without me by your side?"


    Xu Yingying immediately let out a yawn, pretending to be indifferent, "Sorry to disappoint you, I¡¯m quite sleepy right now and am going to bed." She hung up the phone briskly.


    Li Yifei found Xu Yingying¡¯s denial even when her true feelings were obvious quite interesting. The fact that she called him at this time clearly meant she missed him, yet she stubbornly refused to admit it, especially with that proud tone. It was quite amusing and brought a lot of joy into their marital relationship.

 Chapter 874 - 915 - : Father-in-law and Son-in-law Conversation

    Chapter 874: 915 Chapter: Father-in-law and Son-in-law ConversationThe next day was a weekend, and everyone arrived early, making the hospital room suddenly very lively. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei remembered Ye Yunzhu¡¯s words and specially picked up Little Yifei to see his own daughter, gently touching his sister¡¯s tiny hand with Little Yifei¡¯s, which delighted Little Yifei immensely.


    And indeed, Li Yifei noticed that Ning Xin¡¯er was particularly happy at that moment, which reminded Li Yifei to never again make the same mistake. Everyone had been getting along harmoniously, and it would have been very wrong to create unnecessary disagreements through his own carelessness.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, the hospital director personally came and said to Li Yifei, "Mr. Li, I am very sorry about what happened yesterday. We have already found the culprits through the hospital¡¯s police station, and they have been detained. Now, we would like to ask if you have any other requirements?"


    Li Yifei looked at the director, smiled faintly, and said, "I have no further requests, just handle it as per the law."


    "Alright, alright, we will definitely give you a satisfactory resolution."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask what type of people the police station had arrested, because he knew they were just two insignificant individuals¡ªhow could he be satisfied with that? However, he hadn¡¯t planned on doing anything these past two days, since taking care of Ye Yunzhu was his main priority, and other matters could wait.


    However, even if Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to deal with other things, he still couldn¡¯t really relax. The birth of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s child was indeed a major event for the Ye family. Initially, the Ye family wanted Ye Yunzhu to give birth in a major hospital in the province to make it more convenient for them to take care of her.


    But because of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s insistence, and because they needed Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s relationship to continue improving, they allowed Ye Yunzhu to stay in Mile City. Because Ye Yunzhu¡¯s due date had come early, the Ye family couldn¡¯t make it yesterday and had rushed over early today.


    Not only were Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents there, but also her two aunts and her maternal aunt, along with Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin, Zhou Xiaoyue.


    "Little Yue!"


    "Xiaoyao!"


    Chu Xiaoyao, seeing Zhou Xiaoyue arrive, immediately ran excitedly to hug her friend. Although they had been in touch by phone daily during the vacations, they hadn¡¯t seen each other in person until now, and they were naturally very affectionate.


    Li Yifei also greeted the people who had arrived, all elders, so he had to be polite, while Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er kept to the side and only offered simple greetings.


    The Ye family knew that the people here were all connected to Li Yifei, so they didn¡¯t interact too warmly with Ning Xin¡¯er and the others, as for them, these girls were akin to enemies of Ye Yunzhu.


    What was originally a spacious hospital room became crowded as soon as all these family members arrived.


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father stepped out of the hospital room and went to the stairwell to talk.


    Ye Zhenyang, with a serious face, said, "Yifei, Yunzhu now has your child, and I hope you will treat her well in the future."


    Li Yifei said earnestly, "Dad, you can rest assured. Although Yunzhu and I are not married, in my heart, she is like my wife. Now that we have a child, I will certainly take good care of her."


    "Good, that¡¯s good to hear. I know you¡¯ve been good to Yunzhu, but your wife... seems to be having some trouble now."


    Li Yifei said somewhat awkwardly, "She is currently suffering from temporary amnesia and doesn¡¯t remember anything. But once she recovers her memory, there will be no issue at all. Even if she doesn¡¯t regain her memory, I will definitely arrange everything and make sure Yunzhu isn¡¯t hurt."


    Ye Zhenyang nodded and said, "I believe in your ability. By the way, the Ye family has been having some friction with a few other families recently, and they are very wary of us. The Old Master of the Ye Family asked me to inquire about your current relationship with the Su Family."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and replied, "The relationship is okay. Although I can¡¯t say the Su Family would help with everything, pulling a few strings here and there is certainly not a problem."


    "That¡¯s settled, then. The Old Master is just worried about not having protection from above, so he cannot act freely. As long as there is protection from above, the rise of the Ye family is as certain as nailing something down."


    Li Yifei, seeing Ye Zhenyang¡¯s extremely confident demeanor, suddenly thought of quite a few things. It seemed he had underestimated the Old Master of the Ye family as well as the strength of the Ye family itself. Perhaps there were many things the Old Master had not told him.


    Ye Zhenyang, observing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, slightly smiled and said, "The Old Master said you would definitely think he was hiding something from you. He told me to convey to you that as a family head, one cannot let everyone know everything. Many things need to be under one¡¯s own control. Always relying on others never gives one complete assurance."


    Li Yifei was again surprised; the Old Master was really impressive to have guessed his reaction. He always thought of himself as careful and never underestimated anyone, but this only applied in some aspects. When it came to real conspiracy, these old men were more formidable, like Su Mengxin¡¯s grandfather, who now was very accommodating towards him, probably with ulterior motives, yet it made Li Yifei feel like he had no way out.


    This made Li Yifei feel quite beneficial. This reminder would not matter much if he was not establishing a family, but since he was planning to do so, he had to learn to be as tactful as these old men; otherwise, the family would surely not develop. He immediately said humbly, "Thank you for the Old Master¡¯s teachings; it seems I still have a lot to learn."


    Ye Zhenyang patted Li Yifei on the shoulder, saying, "Not bad, not bad. Being open to learning is something many young people cannot do, especially after gaining some strength, it becomes even harder to remain humble. I truly don¡¯t regret letting Yunzhu follow you."


    Only then did Li Yifei truly feel a familial connection with Yunzhu¡¯s parents. Even though they had agreed to let Yunzhu follow him, he had felt this familial warmth from them.


    In fact, although Ye Zhenyang was now Li Yifei¡¯s father-in-law, in front of Li Yifei, he hadn¡¯t had much confidence before. His son-in-law had always communicated directly with the Old Master, who obviously valued Li Yifei very highly. Now that his daughter had had a child with Li Yifei, he felt a bit more confident, and Li Yifei¡¯s respectful attitude also made him feel the dignity of being a father-in-law.


    "Yifei, the Old Master also said that with such ideas, our Ye family will support you fully. If you really succeed and make it big, our family would rather be your vassal, but only on the condition that you are big and strong enough to protect our Ye family."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "The Old Master is really placing a big pie in the sky with this."


    Ye Zhenyang chuckled and said, "Well, the Ye family is now surrounded by enemies. If we stand more due to supporting you, dealing with them will definitely be difficult. I have only this one daughter, and I¡¯m counting on you and Yunzhu to care for me when I am old. Of course, I¡¯ll support you wholeheartedly, but there are many others in the Ye family who are just concerned about the interests of the Ye family, not necessarily like me. The Old Master, as the head of the family, has to consider the interests of the entire Ye family."


    The Ye family, being a traditional family, had considerable strength¡ªboth financial and manpower were significant aids, as well as various connections, all of which Li Yifei needed.


    But the Old Master had ultimately set a baseline: he had to be stronger than the Ye family, which meant that if Li Yifei couldn¡¯t match the strength of the Ye family, they wouldn¡¯t willingly be his vassal.


    "I understand. Then it¡¯s essentially like a business bet between us. If I¡¯m not big enough, then I¡¯ll just be considered part of the Ye family; if I am, then the Ye family will fully support me."


    "Yes, that¡¯s what the Old Master meant, and meanwhile, we¡¯ll help you, but we can¡¯t be too obvious about it."


    "Yes, we can study this matter in more detail later, as I also have to consider my own family."


    "Yes, if you only had Yunzhu as your woman, then it wouldn¡¯t be so complicated." Ye Zhenyang couldn¡¯t help feeling some regret; if he hadn¡¯t opposed his daughter¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei from the beginning, Li Yifei might have married Yunzhu sooner and wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with other women, thus fully becoming part of the Ye family naturally.


    Li Yifei could see Ye Zhenyang¡¯s regret and smiled, saying, "Dad, if it wasn¡¯t for your trying to stop me and Yunzhu back then, I might not have gone into the military and achieved what I have today. At most, I would have been placed in a government position, walking the same path as Yunzhu. So I am very grateful to you. Now that I¡¯m also a father, I can understand the parental perspective. Who wouldn¡¯t want their daughter to find the best family and a man that satisfies me to marry?"


    Ye Zhenyang chuckled and said, "That¡¯s true, parents are just like that. But this also reminds us, don¡¯t underestimate the young and poor. We still need to watch out for the other party¡¯s potential. If it¡¯s a truly capable child, just like you, then one shouldn¡¯t mind the family background. Once a man¡¯s potential is truly unearthed, he becomes a gold mine."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Dad, you¡¯re really flattering me."


    Ye Zhenyang also laughed, "It¡¯s worth flattering. After all, I found a good son-in-law."


    The dialogue between son-in-law and father-in-law was very harmonious, pulling the relationship between Li Yifei and the Ye family even closer. Before, Li Yifei might have just been helping the Ye family, but now they were about to engage in a real cooperation.

 Chapter 875 - 916: Settle it with a 2,000,000 Compensation

    Chapter 875: Chapter 916: Settle it with a 2,000,000 CompensationTang Xinghuai¡¯s wife had given birth too, but he was not pleased. This guy had wanted his wife to bear him a son, but it was a girl who was born instead, which left him extremely disgruntled. As a result, ever since the child was born, his face had been stormy, and he paid no heed to his wife and daughter in the hospital room.


    Although his wife was on the same floor, he had been avoiding an encounter with Li Yifei, knowing that the other man was not someone to be trifled with. Tang Xinghuai also worried about Li Yifei causing trouble for him; this fellow understood the art of pretending¡ªtargeting the weak, and going against those more powerful than himself was simply asking for trouble.


    His wife had given birth to a daughter, and he was in a bad mood, so he went to the stairwell to smoke. But upon entering, he saw both Li Yifei and Ye Zhenyang.


    Tang Xinghuai had just brought the cigarette to his lips and had just ignited the lighter when he saw Li Yifei. His actions froze abruptly, and he was at a loss about how to face Li Yifei for a moment.


    "Ah!" The lighter remained on, the flame heating the metal piece until it was very hot. Only when a painful sensation crept up his hand did Tang Xinghuai react, uttering a low cry as he hurriedly tossed away the lighter. The cigarette fell from his mouth due to his startled yelp, leaving him in a rather disheveled state.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Boss Tang?" Ye Zhenyang asked with a smile.


    He had worked in Mile City for many years, and it was only in the last few that he had been transferred away. Although never heavily utilized by the Ye family, he had worked long enough to rise to the position of a deputy secretary of the Municipal Youth League Committee. For someone his age, it was quite an achievement, but for a member of the Ye family, it was merely a token consolation, not a sign of substantial use.


    Having been in Mile City for so many years, he naturally knew many people from there. While he didn¡¯t have any work-related contacts with Tang Xinghuai, Ye Zhenyang was quite familiar with his uncle, Tang Lekang, and had seen Tang Xinghuai a few times. They were acquainted, but without much rapport.


    From the look on Tang Xinghuai¡¯s face when he saw Li Yifei, Ye Zhenyang could tell that Tang Xinghuai must have had a conflict with Li Yifei and deliberately asked this question now.


    It was then that Tang Xinghuai recognized Ye Zhenyang, and he awkwardly said, "Secretary Tang, you¡¯re here as well?"


    "What, can¡¯t I be here? Seems like having a smoke with my son-in-law isn¡¯t a problem, is it?" Ye Zhenyang squinted at Tang Xinghuai.


    "No, no... Ah! I see, it¡¯s like the temple flood that doesn¡¯t spare the Dragon King¡ªan in-house misunderstanding. Just the other day, I had a bit of a conflict with Secretary Tang¡¯s son-in-law, it was all my fault. Tonight, I will host a dinner, to offer an apology to this brother."


    Tang Xinghuai knew Ye Zhenyang and had heard from his uncle that Ye Zhenyang wasn¡¯t a simple character; he always remembered to be especially polite to Ye Zhenyang. Seeing that Li Yifei was Ye Zhenyang¡¯s son-in-law, and considering that even Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao had made a special visit to Li Yifei, he knew he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Li Yifei. The day he tried to take over Li Yifei¡¯s hospital room was like courting death.


    Tang Xinghuai was quite cunning and knew Li Yifei was not to be provoked; he immediately took the initiative to admit fault. As the saying goes, you don¡¯t slap a smiling face; these people who mix in officialdom usually know to leave some leeway. With this attitude and a sincere apology, with his uncle helping to mediate, there likely wouldn¡¯t be a big problem.


    Li Yifei looked at Tang Xinghuai and with a faint smile, said, "Boss Tang, let¡¯s not bother with those games. I¡¯m quite direct as a person. I¡¯m fully aware of the tricks you play."


    Tang Xinghuai¡¯s expression stiffened, and as he met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, he felt an incessant unease. For some reason, he felt as if all his actions were known to Li Yifei. He tried to find a reason to explain himself but couldn¡¯t find any that convinced even himself.


    Li Yifei went on, "I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. That day, you tried to take over my hospital room, which I won¡¯t hold against you, but you did scare my daughter into crying. You should pay for that fright, shouldn¡¯t you?"


    Upon hearing this, Tang Xinghuai hastened to say, "Of course, of course. That¡¯s my fault. I should compensate." These sorts of issues could often be settled with compensation of ten or twenty thousand at most; if he could smooth this over with some money, he felt it was a reasonable expense. He found making money easy, so he wouldn¡¯t dwell on the amount.


    "Mm, Boss Tang is indeed decisive. There¡¯s also the matter with Xiaoyao. I¡¯m now her guardian, and you¡¯ve involved her in your grudge with her father, which I can¡¯t ignore. She¡¯s had a hard time due to the people you got involved, so she¡¯ll need compensation as well, right?"


    Tang Xinghuai inwardly sighed in relief, thankful that he had made the right assumption, that the other party indeed knew everything. He quickly responded, "Yes, yes, that¡¯s my fault as well. I should compensate."


    "Good, I like dealing with someone as sensible as Boss Tang. Here¡¯s the deal, one million for my daughter¡¯s shock, and another million for Xiaoyao¡¯s emotional damages, a total of two million will do."


    "What? Two million?" Tang Xinghuai practically shouted the figure, his already small eyes bulging like light bulbs at the time, seemingly on the brink of popping out of their sockets. After he bellowed the sum, his mouth hung agape, big enough to stuff a large goose egg.


    Li Yifei took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Tang Xinghuai, speaking indifferently, "I want to see the money tomorrow." After speaking, he walked past Tang Xinghuai with Ye Zhenyang, never glancing back at Tang Xinghuai.


    Tang Xinghuai had to wait a full half minute after Li Yifei and his group had left before he finally came to his senses. He shook his head vigorously and said through gritted teeth, "Damn it, are you robbing me? You scare your daughter a bit, curse your mistress a few times, and you want to charge me two million? Insane, utterly insane."


    "Damn it, I just won¡¯t give it to you. What can you do about it?"


    After cursing bitterly, he lit another cigarette. Tang Xinghuai gradually calmed down but still felt extremely uneasy. The fact that they could demand two million suggested that their strength was definitely extraordinary. This was no longer just a matter of the legitimate world; otherwise, even if he really did rob Song Zhentao¡¯s hospital room, Song probably wouldn¡¯t ask him for two million. This was very likely related to some forces within the Underworld. If he did not pay up, they would probably take action against him.


    Over the past few years, Tang Xinghuai had dealt with people from all walks of life, including some from the Underworld. He knew that among them were people who dared to do anything. If he really provoked such people and they decided to retaliate, he would indeed be very afraid.


    The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, so Tang Xinghuai decided to call his uncle, Tang Lekang.


    "Uncle, I just ran into that kid from the hospital."


    Tang Lekang frowned and asked, "You didn¡¯t get into another conflict with him, did you?"


    "No, it truly wasn¡¯t my fault this time. I went up to him and immediately apologized and even offered to host a dinner for him, but to my surprise, he demanded two million in compensation. It¡¯s downright robbery, such bullying."


    Tang Lekang was shocked as well, "He really asked you for that much money? You didn¡¯t provoke him again?"


    "I absolutely did not. I might lie to others but I couldn¡¯t lie to you, Uncle. Plus, Ye Zhenyang from the Municipal Youth League Committee was there too. That Ye Zhenyang turns out to be Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father. He was just watching the whole time. Uncle, he¡¯s that kid¡¯s father-in-law. Could you give him a call and talk to him? This is too much bullying. Even if I was in the wrong, a compensation would suffice, but asking for two million right off the bat is just robbery."


    Tang Lekang frowned as he listened, "Alright, I¡¯ll give old Ye a call. In the meantime, you must not provoke them further, not even see them if possible."


    "Yes, sir, I definitely won¡¯t see them," Tang Xinghuai responded quickly.


    After hanging up the phone with his nephew, Tang Lekang immediately looked up Ye Zhenyang¡¯s number and called him.


    Once the call connected, Tang Lekang exchanged a few pleasantries with Ye Zhenyang before getting to the point, "Old Ye, you¡¯ve met my nephew Tang Xinghuai. While he can be a bit flamboyant, he¡¯s not a bad person. This conflict with your son-in-law was a mistake, as he didn¡¯t know who he was. We¡¯ve known each other for so many years; could you, for the sake of our relationship, let this matter go?"


    "Old Tang," Ye Zhenyang replied, "it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you face, but this is my son-in-law¡¯s issue, and I can¡¯t really get involved and press him about it."


    "Old Ye, that¡¯s not very considerate of you. If you, as his father-in-law, say something, wouldn¡¯t your son-in-law listen?"


    "You¡¯re quite right; whatever my son-in-law decides, he truly doesn¡¯t listen to me. I¡¯ve got no say in this, and when it comes to the matters of the younger generation, it¡¯s best they resolve it themselves. It¡¯s a lesson learned, to prevent bigger mistakes in the future that could be irreversible." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, what you mean, Old Ye, is..."


    "Old Tang, out of respect for our many years of friendship, I advise you to have your nephew stay in line. There are some people he just can¡¯t afford to mess with. If he still refuses to accept that, it will only bring more trouble. If it ends up involving you too, it¡¯s just not worth it. You¡¯re just over fifty, with more than a decade of opportunities ahead of you. It¡¯s just two million; you can make that back easily enough."


    After hanging up the phone, Tang Lekang was still in a daze. He lit another cigarette and after much thought, he finally dialed Tang Xinghuai¡¯s number, "Do as you¡¯re told. This time you¡¯ve hit a wall, and I can¡¯t shoulder it either."


    "Really?" exclaimed Tang Xinghuai.


    With a sigh, Tang Lekang said, "Xinghuai, don¡¯t you trust your uncle? Take this as a lesson. You¡¯ve had it too easy these years. This is a wake-up call. There are plenty of people out there much tougher than your uncle, and many you simply can¡¯t afford to provoke."

 Chapter 876 - 917: Can’t You Just Give in to Me?

    Chapter 876: Chapter 917: Can¡¯t You Just Give in to Me?fr§×eweb¦Çovel.c?mImportant announcement: The book has been renamed "Super Soldier in the City," and the former title "My Wife is a Twin" can only be abandoned. It was not something I wanted to change, but there was no other choice. I hope readers continue to support my work. This statement is also for our countless readers, making it easier for them to find this book in the future so they won¡¯t have trouble locating it.


    Tang Xinghuai was in pain, two million yuan! That¡¯s no small amount, just because he acted foolish and all that money went down the drain. He was truly unwilling to let it go, thinking about how long that sum would last if he spent it carefree. He wanted to talk to Li Yifei again to see if he could pay less, but when he thought of the disdainful look Li Yifei gave him as he left, it was clear he didn¡¯t think much of him at all.


    At that moment, Tang Xinghuai realized that although he always acted arrogantly as if he looked down on everyone, when he actually encountered a truly formidable person, he was nothing but a fart, not even having the nerve to haggle. He felt so weak; what was there to flaunt?


    His uncle never lied to him, so since he said so, it meant that besides paying up, there was no other way. Therefore, after much thought, Tang Xinghuai gritted his teeth, went to the bank, and opened a new account, depositing two million yuan. He wasn¡¯t a real big company and had no financial system, so there were no checks involved, just a direct transfer from one card to another.


    The bank teller saw Tang Xinghuai¡¯s teeth-gritting manner as he opened the account and couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat amusing. It was just a transfer of two million yuan from one account to another. Was it really necessary to act as if he had suffered a great injustice?


    Holding the card, Tang Xinghuai returned to the hospital and stood in front of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room, hesitating for quite a while without knocking. He was heartbroken, somewhat annoyed, and also a bit afraid.


    Just then, the door opened and Chu Xiaoyao stepped out. Upon seeing Tang Xinghuai, her face darkened instantly. She snapped, "What are you doing here again?"


    Seeing Chu Xiaoyao, Tang Xinghuai¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He held a significant grudge against her father, and he had thought he could relieve some of his anger by involving Chu Xiaoyao. Now, not only had he not alleviated his anger, but he was also about to lose a large sum of money, which made him even more frustrated.


    Despite his frustration, he had no choice but to swallow his pride. He cleared his throat and managed a slight smile on his face, saying, "Hello, I want to see... uh..." At that moment, Tang Xinghuai realized he didn¡¯t even know the name of the person he was supposed to deal with, how embarrassing to be manipulated into this situation.


    "Who are you looking for? Are you trying to take our hospital room again?" Chu Xiaoyao, always sharp-tongued, wasn¡¯t about to let an opportunity pass to lash out at someone who had previously treated her harshly.


    "This... I¡¯m looking for... that man, right, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s husband." Tang Xinghuai cursed inwardly, "What the hell is this mess? I¡¯m here to give money, and I don¡¯t even know who to give it to."


    Chu Xiaoyao glared, hands on her hips, and said fiercely, "My uncle is busy. Who do you think you are? You think just because you want to see my uncle, he should see you? There are plenty of people waiting to meet my uncle; you can wait your turn for days." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tang Xinghuai really wanted to turn around and leave. Now that he had money, any ordinary girl who saw his car or his clothes would try to curry favor with him. Now to be treated so rudely by a young girl, especially the daughter of his enemy, was more than he could bear.


    "What? Not happy about it?" Chu Xiaoyao noticed the blue hue of Tang Xinghuai¡¯s face, pleased to finally vent the frustration she had felt the day before.


    Angered, Tang Xinghuai turned to leave, but Chu Xiaoyao immediately added from behind, "Hmph, you better walk away fast. Just wait and see how my uncle deals with you when he finds out."


    Tang Xinghuai¡¯s footsteps halted, his body trembling violently. Finally, he managed to control his emotions, pinched his face hard, and slowly turned around. He approached Chu Xiaoyao, wearing a forced smile, and said, "Little sister, I came especially to apologize. It was indeed my fault. Here¡¯s a small token of my sincerity, exactly two million. I hope you can cool down and not hold a grudge against a scoundrel like me."


    Tang Xinghuai didn¡¯t believe that the man inside wouldn¡¯t know he was talking this way to Chu Xiaoyao. The man hadn¡¯t come out on purpose, letting this young girl make things difficult for him and let off some steam. As long as he could calm this young girl down, he figured the man would no longer trouble him.


    "Two million?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face showed not a ripple, merely asking casually.


    For an ordinary person, or even someone with some assets, two million was not a small amount. This young girl, hearing the figure, didn¡¯t even blink, clearly someone who didn¡¯t think two million was significant at all.


    "Exactly, not a penny less, please accept it, little sister," Tang Xinghuai pushed the bank card forward again.


    "Who¡¯s your little sister? Don¡¯t try to get cozy with me," said Chu Xiaoyao, snatching the bank card and snorting, "At least you know what¡¯s good for you. Consider this money compensation for startling our little darling, and you got off cheap. That¡¯s only because my uncle is merciful; otherwise, I¡¯d have made sure you went bankrupt."


    Tang Xinghuai¡¯s mouth twitched as he realized how ruthless this girl was and that he had messed with the wrong person. He forced a laugh and said, "Then I¡¯ll be going, thanks Li¡ª." The words "little sister" were stared back down his throat by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s glare. He chuckled awkwardly and quickly turned to bolt away.


    Chu Xiaoyao then returned to the hospital room, cheerfully handing the card to Ye Yunzhu and saying, "Sister Yunzhu, here, let me give our little darling a little meeting gift first."


    Everyone in the room had heard the conversation between Chu Xiaoyao and Tang Xinghuai. Even though they felt that demanding two million from Tang Xinghuai was a bit much, considering his arrogant demeanor, they all felt quite satisfied. Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "Don¡¯t be too coy, remember a million of that was already our daughter¡¯s."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and replied, "Well, that still leaves a million for me."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "At this rate of making money, we should just keep bothering our family member here and let him do the extorting. Then we wouldn¡¯t need to do any other business."


    Everyone giggled aloud, but to be honest, nobody really cared about the two million, not even Su Yiyi, the girl from a poor family. For her, even two million couldn¡¯t stir any excitement now.


    With Chu Xiaoyao having vented her anger, Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother about Tang Xinghuai anymore. What Li Yifei needed to do now was establish a major family in Mile City; such a minor figure could hardly pique his interest at all.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei left the hospital. It was the weekend, and plenty of people were around to look after Ye Yunzhu and their daughter. He, however, had another matter to attend to, which was to deliver some items retrieved from Japan to Old Master Su.


    Although Old Master Su didn¡¯t come personally this time, a high-profile member of the Su Family did¡ªSu Mengxin¡¯s Fourth Brother, Su Anzhi. Su Anzhi was a senior colonel and also the head of a special forces unit, which was only slightly less skilled than the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Even though Li Yifei usually didn¡¯t take Old Master Su seriously and always wanted to tweak the old man¡¯s nose, upon seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s Fourth Brother, the two stared fiercely at each other like sworn enemies.


    "Hey!" Suddenly, with a loud shout, Su Zhian threw a punch towards Li Yifei¡¯s chest, the swiftness of his fist making a whooshing sound, showing the strength behind the attack.


    Li Yifei met the punch head-on, and when their fists collided, a dull thud echoed. Li Yifei stood firm while Su Zhian stumbled back two steps and then, with a fierce look, lunged forward again, pummeling Li Yifei relentlessly.


    As Li Yifei parried each blow, the two of them fought fiercely for nearly five to six minutes. Suddenly, Su Zhian stepped back, shaking his hands and shouted, "Kid, I¡¯m now your Fourth Brother, and you still dare not yield to me?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Come on, Old Su, we can¡¯t have this, can we? You¡¯re a soldier after all; you shouldn¡¯t use this kind of tactic to seek revenge."


    Su Anzhi glared and said, "Nonsense, if I could handle you, would I need to resort to this? Don¡¯t you realize I haven¡¯t been able to stand tall since you took over the Flying Hawk Squad? It¡¯s been utterly suffocating."


    Since both were from the military and from special forces, they cooperated on many missions. However, Su Anzhi¡¯s Tiger Corps always lagged behind Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Hawk Squad. Previously, Su Anzhi was really frustrated, always glaring and grumbling whenever he saw Li Yifei. Now, with Li Yifei¡¯s relationship with Su Mengxin, he had become his ¡¯big nephew,¡¯ which theoretically gave him the liberty to scold Li Yifei as he pleased, a prospect that brought an indescribable thrill.


    Unfortunately, when he actually met Li Yifei, that thrill was nowhere to be found; the young man still managed to frustrate him tremendously.


    Li Yifei handed a cigarette to Su Anzhi and asked, "Old Su, can¡¯t we have a bit of dignity?"


    "Talk dignity with you? Isn¡¯t that just asking for trouble? Damn it, I was wondering why I couldn¡¯t get a hold of this kind of cigarette from the old man; turns out that rascal Mengxin had been giving them all to you to smoke."


    Li Yifei had always thought getting such cigarettes would be quite easy for Su Mengxin, not realizing they were actually procured from Old Master Su. He smiled wryly and proudly said, "Well, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t outplay me."


    Su Zhian glared at Li Yifei, then lit the cigarette and took a deep, satisfying drag, puffing away like a real smoker relishing the moment. After a few puffs, he finally said, "Kid, you¡¯re indeed talented, even managing to win over our Mengxin."


    "Can¡¯t help it, personal charm." When Li Yifei was with Su Zhian, he never behaved properly; although he was Su Mengxin¡¯s uncle, their relationship felt more like that of comrades-in-arms.

 Chapter 877 - 918: Such a Large Piece of Land

    Chapter 877: Chapter 918: Such a Large Piece of Land"Here, this is something the old man gave to you. You really have some clout, kid. Such a huge piece of land isn¡¯t something just anyone can get approved." Su Zhian tossed a document envelope to Li Yifei. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei caught it with one hand and, without opening it, smiled and said, "What I¡¯ve given you is definitely worth much more than this piece of land."


    "You¡¯re quite impressive, kid. I¡¯ve tried to get my hands on this thing a few times without success, but you¡¯ve also pointed me in some directions. If we want to get things like this in the future, trying to forcibly steal them is just too difficult. We need to do it like you: start from the inside of the opposition, which makes it a lot easier."


    "Ha ha, it was also an accident. I just happened to catch Koboto Kobayashi in his rush to gain control of the Yamaguchi Group, so he made that move. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to succeed."


    "That¡¯s true. After all, the cost is just too great. Not everyone dares to take this risk. Alright, I admit it, kid. You¡¯re not only able, but also lucky. I can¡¯t compete with you."


    Li Yifei laughed again, handed Su Zhian a piece of paper, and said, "The goods are there, go get them yourself." Then he drifted away.


    Upon returning to the hospital, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mention the matter of the land approval. That evening, after everyone had left, Li Yifei then took out the approval document to look over it with Ye Yunzhu.


    Now, in his own family, apart from Su Mengxin, Ye Yunzhu was the one who could take on great responsibilities. The others didn¡¯t have the guile or ability. If they knew too soon, and showed off about it, it could easily cause unnecessary trouble.


    "Such a big place?" Ye Yunzhu exclaimed in surprise after only a brief glance. Then she quickly patted her daughter, afraid of frightening her, but her face showed a mix of excitement and thrill.


    "Is it really that big?" Li Yifei leaned over to look with her.


    "It¡¯s not big? A thousand acres, more than 600,000 square meters. That¡¯s the size of twenty football fields. This place is just too big." Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mouth twitched, and she looked at Li Yifei as if he were a monster.


    Such an expansive area could house a large factory. Yet now, it had been approved for personal use. That required immense power. Even truly wealthy and influential people would likely find it difficult to accomplish. Acquiring such a large tract would attract too much attention. Officials wouldn¡¯t dare, and the very wealthy wouldn¡¯t usually waste such a vast space for personal use.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "The bigger, the better. Our family has a big business, and in the future, we can build many things in our yard. It¡¯ll be so much fun. Like for our daughter, I don¡¯t want her having no place to play when she¡¯s small. She should have a place where she can play happily, where she can run around in the yard, play in the mud..."


    "Stop, stop. This is a daughter, not a son. Why would you let her go wild?" Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Whether it¡¯s a son or a daughter, they should have a happy childhood. I found that Little Yifei wasn¡¯t really happy being confined indoors from a young age. Last time we went home, she was so happy playing outside with the other kids."


    Ye Yunzhu tapped Li Yifei¡¯s forehead and said, "You, I think deep down, you still want a son."


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "I used to feel that sons and daughters are both my children, and I like them both. Now that I have two daughters, maybe I do wish for a son."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled and said, "Then let someone else have one for you. Ugh... you got the forest behind here approved for you too, but you can¡¯t just build anything you want on it. You only have management rights, but that¡¯s already amazing."


    The land approved in the document was located at the foot of a small mountain in Mile City, where there used to be a steelmaking plant. However, the plant was shut down due to environmental concerns, leaving the land idle.


    Although the land was approved for Li Yifei, he would still need to handle resettlement and spend money on it himself. Although the land belonged to the state, it was essentially allocated for personal use. To actually take possession required a sum of money.


    But this was enough. With the document in hand, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind offering some extra compensation to secure the land.


    "Honey, I know we¡¯re not short on money now, and there¡¯s absolutely no problem with getting this land, but have you considered that if we really build on such a big place, won¡¯t it draw too much attention? With the internet being so prevalent, once this gets out, it can easily make people jealous."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "It¡¯s inevitable to incur hatred when hiring people, but officials fear resentment because their money comes from corrupt sources. Businesses fear resentment because some of their earnings are unclean. I intend to earn my money upright and honestly. What is there to fear? No matter who comes to inspect me, I have nothing to fear. As for those green with envy and looking to stir up trouble, I really don¡¯t mind giving them a taste of their own medicine. It¡¯s actually a good opportunity to establish the prestige of the Li family, using those troubleseekers to enhance our reputation."


    Ye Yunzhu squinted at Li Yifei, this boy who had always been in her heart was now showing more and more of a man¡¯s determination, especially since proposing the establishment of the family, Li Yifei had been increasingly exuding a strong sense of confidence and dominance.


    In the past, when Ye Yunzhu was with Li Yifei, she always wanted to make him do as she wished, but now she truly understood that Li Yifei no longer needed her protection or guidance. This man had his own convictions and perseverance, and what she needed to do now was to be the supporter behind him.


    "Honey, since we don¡¯t care about those concerns, we can actually start planning properly."


    "Right, I think after securing the land completely for ourselves, then I¡¯ll discuss with everyone how they would like to see it built. It¡¯s important to have a thorough discussion, as I hope everyone will be satisfied."


    "Indeed, that¡¯s proper. But with such a large area, even if we build a building for each person, that would be enough. What¡¯s most important is the overall style and environment. Do you have any ideas?"


    "I like the gardens in Suzhou, so let¡¯s recreate one here."


    "That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯ll go to Suzhou later to do some research, and strive to make one."


    These weren¡¯t tasks to be done immediately. What needed to be done now was to truly secure the land. Ye Yunzhu, who had been the Township Chief and had run around for Dreamfly Company¡¯s land requisition, was experienced in these matters. However, she was on maternity leave and couldn¡¯t go herself. Even if she went back to work, with her current position, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to personally see to it, so these tasks had to be undertaken by Li Yifei, which was more proper and justified anyway.


    Li Yifei listened very carefully. He really didn¡¯t understand these things. When the company was requisitioning land before, at most he accompanied Xu Yingying, and he hadn¡¯t paid much attention. If he had known there would be a day like this, he should have learned properly at the time.


    Now that they had children, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s sleeping schedule largely revolved around the kids. She fed them twice during the night and they continued talking until after eleven o¡¯clock before the two of them went to bed.


    Some say that a man¡¯s life is a process of struggle, and a man without the spirit of struggle is not a true man!


    Li Yifei¡¯s years of struggle in the army were unimaginably hard for ordinary people. It was his effort, his tenacity, combined with his calm and wise intellect, that led to his extraordinary achievements in the military. After years of toil, when he returned to Mile City, he truly desired nothing but to live a relaxing and joyful life.


    However, with a wife and beloved woman by his side, and now two daughters, it became impossible for Li Yifei to live without desires. Now he was a husband and a father. Protecting his wife and children, ensuring they lived better lives, was a responsibility he had to bear.


    Admittedly, he had enough money to ensure his wife and children would be worry-free for life, but in society, money alone was not enough. Without sufficient capital and strength to protect oneself, and with no sustainable industry, a family, even with lots of money, would still find it insufficient.


    Li Yifei considered not only the present but also the continuation of the Li family. Below his children were the third generation, and perhaps the fourth and fifth. Li Yifei was determined to create a world for them.


    Such thoughts certainly had their limitations. Some super-rich abroad, after a lifetime of struggle, would donate much of their wealth and leave only a small portion to their children¡ªencouraging them to strive and struggle on their own.


    But even those magnates didn¡¯t conceive such an idea at the beginning of their success; the decision to let their children make their own way often came when they were much older and had gained greater insights into life.


    Li Yifei admitted he was quite traditional. His focus on the small family unit was deeply ingrained. As a father and husband, he preferred to see all his loved ones living healthily and happily under his protection.


    Perhaps when he was very old, when he truly understood life, he might let his family venture beyond his protective wing, but for now, Li Yifei was resolved to do everything in his power for them.


    Previously, Li Yifei had strived for his country and his honor. Now, he was striving for his family. It might not seem as noble, but it provided a greater motivation for Li Yifei. A strong and renewed Li Yifei was thus born.

 Chapter 878 - 919: Cao Bin’s Provocation

    Chapter 878: Chapter 919: Cao Bin¡¯s ProvocationYe Yunzhu had a natural childbirth and recovered quickly. She only stayed in the hospital for three days, and since both the baby and she were in good shape, they were discharged and went home.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother stayed behind to take care of her daughter, which spared Li Yifei a lot of worry. Li Yifei really wanted to stay with Ye Yunzhu, but Xu Yingying happened to be away from home at that time, so he needed to take this opportunity to take care of many matters; otherwise, Xu Yingying¡¯s return would bring some unnecessary trouble.


    Li Yifei¡¯s idea was a good one, but just that morning, after meeting with Secretary Song Zhentao of the Municipal Committee and presenting the approval document, Song Zhentao immediately expressed strong support.


    It seemed like Li Yifei was just trying to get a foothold in Mile City without any substantial benefits. But it also meant that Li Yifei was planning to set down roots there¡ªor at least, Mile City would be a focus area for him¡ªwhich would be highly beneficial for the economic development of Mile City. Large amounts of capital would pour in, solving many people¡¯s employment issues and definitely helping Song Zhentao¡¯s political achievements.


    Song Zhentao even suggested that the government could step in to assist Li Yifei with the demolition, as all these actions required some legal procedures. Additionally, regarding compensation, matters would be much more convenient if handled by the government rather than Li Yifei himself.


    Of course, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t ask for more. Handling these issues himself would require a massive amount of time and energy. He wasn¡¯t worried about the money and instructed Song Zhentao that there mustn¡¯t be any conflicts arising from compensation matters.


    Song Zhentao smiled at Li Yifei and said, "Bro, when it comes to demolition, there¡¯s often a lot of grievances against the government side, but those are usually generated by developers who cause major conflicts. When the government takes charge of demolitions, they are certainly done through negotiation. Nowadays, any department leader who tries to enforce demolitions is digging his own grave. As soon as they push too hard, it¡¯s easy for them to be taken down."


    "Heh, Secretary Song, are you protecting the government¡¯s image here?"


    Song Zhentao shook his head and replied, "It¡¯s not just about preserving an image, but some things are not as simple as you imagine. When it comes to demolition, some people will take this as an opportunity to make outrageous demands, asking for prices that are sky-high. For example, the standard rate may stipulate five thousand per square meter, and most will accept that, but imagine someone demanding twenty thousand per square meter, refusing to let you demolish if you don¡¯t comply. How do you deal with that? No one can accept such terms. Demolitions are becoming increasingly difficult."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly and said, "It really is troublesome when you encounter this."


    "Exactly, depending on the perspective, the view of the problem differs. The toughest part regarding your plot of land would probably be the Steelmaking Plant. Think about it, in Mile City, they were only able to build that one steelmaking plant. If it weren¡¯t for some connections, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to build it at all. It¡¯s only under recent environmental pressures that they¡¯ve halted operations. I¡¯m just worried they¡¯re going to make exorbitant demands."


    Li Yifei nodded and responded, "You start the negotiations and carry out an evaluation. I want the most accurate valuation. If their demands are reasonable, I¡¯ll agree to them. But if they are asking for too much, then I¡¯ll deal with it."


    "Alright, it¡¯s settled then."


    After the conversation with Song Zhentao, just as Li Yifei was about to handle some other matters, his phone rang. To his surprise, it was Xu Yingying.


    "Hello, I¡¯ve just landed. Come pick me up at the airport."


    "Ah? You¡¯re back?" Li Yifei asked in surprise.


    "What, you don¡¯t want me back?"


    "No, no, I¡¯m on my way."


    Li Yifei hung up the phone and hurried to the airport, but he was a bit puzzled. Xu Yingying had said she would be out doing market research for over a month, so why had she come back so soon?


    Soon after, Xu Yingying emerged, accompanied by that fellow Cao Bin. They were walking shoulder to shoulder, chatting and laughing, which made Li Yifei frown slightly. Although Xu Yingying and Cao Bin weren¡¯t displaying any intimate behavior, Li Yifei still felt uncomfortable.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s first research stop had been to visit Cao Bin¡¯s operations. She was very satisfied with the market operations and maintained a good impression of Cao Bin due to their alumni relations. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During the past few days, Cao Bin had escorted Xu Yingying throughout her trip, tending to her meticulously and always with respectful manners. Normally, such a man would indeed be attractive to women, but Cao Bin felt that he couldn¡¯t truly reach the depths of Xu Yingying¡¯s heart; no matter what he did, he wasn¡¯t able to secure that particular favor from his junior sister.


    Cao Bin knew Xu Yingying was married, but he hadn¡¯t given up on her. Even sensing that Li Yifei was no ordinary man, he still wanted to win over Xu Yingying for his own benefits. Over the past few days, he had been carefully watching her reactions, trying to find an angle to approach her.


    And indeed, through several days of observation, Cao Bin had noticed something. Then, through indirect probing and sharing heart-to-heart talks in the capacity of her senior, he tried to close the gap between them.


    Xu Yingying, after her amnesia, always found her relationship with Li Yifei complicated. Although she could talk to He Fangqing about it, since He Fangqing was also connected to Li Yifei, some things weren¡¯t convenient to discuss. Under Cao Bin¡¯s concerned gaze, she shared her inner turmoil with him, hoping for a man¡¯s perspective.


    Cao Bin didn¡¯t expect Xu Yingying to have actually forgotten her husband, Li Yifei. He was overjoyed inside, but showed no sign of it. Instead, he put on a surprised expression and said, "You even forgot your own husband?"


    Xu Yingying, also frustrated, said, "Yes, it¡¯s so strange. I understand forgetting things, but why can¡¯t I remember him specifically?"


    Clearing his throat, Cao Bin suggested, "Yingying, if we¡¯re talking from a psychological standpoint, it might be that you¡¯ve deliberately forgotten him."


    "Deliberately? Why? He¡¯s my husband. Why would I want to forget him?"


    "The reasons behind it could be complex, but the most likely one is... you don¡¯t acknowledge him as your husband. I know this might sound like I¡¯m driving a wedge between you two, but there¡¯s a good chance that¡¯s the case."


    Xu Yingying furrowed her brow and asked, "Really?"


    Cao Bin hesitated, then added, "Yingying, I¡¯m not trying to sow discord, but after you woke up, did you truly try to understand this husband of yours?"


    Without hesitation, Xu Yingying replied, "I¡¯ve tried to. Everyone around me has mentioned him, saying he treats me very well. My parents really approve of him, and from the time we¡¯ve recently spent together, I feel he¡¯s quite nice, treats me well, and is very capable."


    Cao Bin opened his mouth to speak, then shook his head, seeming as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.


    "Brother Cao, do you know something?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyebrows knitted together.


    "Yingying, I really don¡¯t want to say it... It¡¯s better if you find out for yourself, or else you¡¯ll end up blaming me."


    "What do you mean? If there¡¯s something you can¡¯t say, and if I find out from someone else, then I¡¯ll really blame you."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll speak... Actually, your husband is quite nice, but he is... quite a playboy."


    Xu Yingying frowned but replied calmly, "I¡¯m aware of that too, but those are things from his past. I¡¯ve accepted his daughter, and we¡¯ve already talked openly about his relationship with Michelle; he hasn¡¯t tried to hide it from me."


    "I think it¡¯s not just those two. As far as I know, his relationships with several other women are unclear, such as with Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and even the Deputy County Head, Ye Yunzhu. I¡¯ve heard that the child in Mayor Ye¡¯s belly is his."


    "What? How do you know all of this?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.


    Cao Bin was startled by how much he had revealed, sensing something might be off, but then sighed deeply, "Yingying, don¡¯t be mad at me, but I¡¯ve always liked you. I was heartbroken when I saw you married. I meant to just be your friend, but that time on the cruise, I saw you two with those girls, all of them acting intimately with him. It looked off to me. You might be blinded by being so involved, so I couldn¡¯t help but investigate secretly, and that¡¯s how I found out about their relationships. Please don¡¯t hold it against me."


    There were flaws in Cao Bin¡¯s performance; the usually keen Xu Yingying might have caught them, but she was utterly shocked by his words. Thinking back on her awakening, living on the penthouse floor, everyone taking care of her, and Ye Yunzhu with her pregnant belly living there too¡ªif these women had no relation to Li Yifei, why would they all be there?


    "Ah!" Xu Yingying suddenly covered her forehead, a look of distress on her face.


    Cao Bin quickly asked with concern, "Yingying, Yingying, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Waving her hand, Xu Yingying replied, "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing. Brother Cao, I need some time to think. Please, leave me alone."


    After showing concern for a moment longer, Cao Bin finally left. Xu Yingying lay on the bed, immobile for a long time, her expression cycling through anger, rapture, excitement, and silent tears.


    The next day, Xu Yingying was back to normal but had decided to return to Mile City. Cao Bin was secretly pleased, thinking that his plan was nearing fruition. With Xu Yingying going back, it seemed likely she might divorce Li Yifei, giving Cao Bin a chance to win her over and smoothly carry out his plans.

 Chapter 879 - 920: Xu Yingying’s Transformation

    Chapter 879: Chapter 920: Xu Yingying¡¯s TransformationXu Yingying was returning to Mile City, and it indeed excited Cao Bin, who thought Xu Yingying was about to divorce Li Yifei. However, seeing the expression on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, it wasn¡¯t filled with much sorrow, sadness, or anger. Instead, it was an excited and thrilled look, which left him somewhat puzzled. He asked Xu Yingying, "Yingying, are you really okay?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Cao Bin and said, "Brother Cao, do you think I should be very sad and heartbroken at this moment?"


    "Yes." Cao Bin met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, trying to read something from her eyes.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth curved into a smile, "Why should I be angry or upset with what that guy did to me? This time I¡¯m going back just to pretend I know nothing. I want to see what he really wants, and I¡¯ll expose his lies on the spot, leaving him speechless, hmph."


    Hearing Xu Yingying say this, Cao Bin felt relieved and even more excited. It was better to let Xu Yingying handle this matter herself than to speak out directly, so he wouldn¡¯t have to be the bad guy. He then looked at Xu Yingying with an enlightened gaze and said, "Yingying, don¡¯t worry, no matter when, I will always have your back."


    Xu Yingying avoided Cao Bin¡¯s gaze, "Thank you, Brother Cao, let¡¯s book our tickets and head back."


    At that moment, Cao Bin suddenly felt he couldn¡¯t quite see through Xu Yingying. Especially since along the way, Xu Yingying had been cheerful and in a clearly good mood, which made him even more uncertain. Could his words have triggered her unusual behavior?


    After getting off the plane and reaching the exit, they saw Li Yifei standing there waiting, even holding a bouquet of flowers, which Cao Bin scorned in his mind, thinking how hypocritical it was for him to bring flowers while picking up his own wife.


    "Honey, you¡¯re finally back. I¡¯ve missed you so much." Li Yifei presented the flowers to Xu Yingying, his words dripping with cheesiness.


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and whispered, "What nonsense, haven¡¯t we agreed not to discuss our relationship in public?"


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "There are no other acquaintances here, and Brother Cao already knows about our relationship." Saying that, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s waist.


    When Li Yifei laid his hand on Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, he felt a bit curious. Although their relationship had progressed recently, Xu Yingying had only become more casual in her attitude towards him. However, she still hadn¡¯t gotten used to physical contact. Normally, she would stiffen a bit when he embraced her like this, but Xu Yingying showed no such reaction this time.


    Li Yifei eyed Xu Yingying strangely while she simply glared back at him and whispered, "Behave."


    Li Yifei glanced at Cao Bin, wondering in his mind whether Xu Yingying was acting this way for Cao Bin¡¯s sake, perhaps to make him give up on her?


    It seemed quite possible, so Li Yifei quickly laughed, "Mm-hm, I¡¯ll misbehave once we get home."


    "Get lost," Xu Yingying blushed, elbowing Li Yifei gently.


    "Brother Cao, I¡¯m leaving first; I¡¯ll still need your help with the upcoming matters," Xu Yingying turned to Cao Bin and said.


    Cao Bin nodded, "Okay, Yingying, remember, you still have Brother Cao here."


    "I know," Xu Yingying replied, and gave Cao Bin a knowing smile.


    This reassured Cao Bin deeply, and he then grinned at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, see you later." He walked away, feeling smug, convinced that Xu Yingying would not get back with Li Yifei this time. His plan was going to succeed.


    Li Yifei, continuing to hold Xu Yingying, walked a few steps forward before Xu Yingying pushed his arm away, saying annoyed, "Let go, can¡¯t you stop hugging me?"


    Li Yifei sulkily let go of Xu Yingying¡¯s waist, "What¡¯s there to be afraid of in a hug, aren¡¯t you my wife?"


    "Don¡¯t start, I haven¡¯t acknowledged that yet." Xu Yingying glared at him again, then lifted the bunch of bright red roses to her nose and gently sniffed it, her face full of bliss.


    Watching Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei was somewhat stunned. It seemed that since Xu Yingying had woken up, she had never indulged like this. Although they had not been together these past days, Xu Yingying had such a change after coming back, he couldn¡¯t help but think...


    "Honey... have you and that guy Cao Bin been together every day... during these days?"


    After getting into the car, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t hold back and tentatively asked.


    Xu Yingying turned her head to look at Li Yifei, noticing his anxious expression, she casually narrowed her eyes and said, "Yes, I was in Southeast Asia, and he is the person in charge there. If not with him, who else should I be with?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, "That guy is not good news; be careful around him."


    "Really? No way, I think Brother Cao is quite a catch¡ªwell-cultured, articulate, and extremely capable, not uneducated like you."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Though I haven¡¯t been to college, I can speak several foreign languages, which is much more practical than those university scholars."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes and retorted, "Oh, really? Are you as genteel as Cao Bin?"


    Li Yifei, suddenly sounding sour, responded, "Hey, wife, that¡¯s not fair. I¡¯m your husband. Praising another man in front of me like this, I¡¯m going to get jealous."


    Xu Yingying, with a smug lift of her chin, said, "Really? I didn¡¯t notice that."


    "Not noticed? I¡¯m about to spill my jealousy everywhere. From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to associate with that Cao Bin. The guy¡¯s no good; he¡¯s very sneaky."


    "Why? I might be your wife, but I still have my freedom, don¡¯t I? I have the right to make friends."


    "Wife..." Li Yifei, trying to contain his impatience, said earnestly, "That Cao Bin might look nice on the outside, but he¡¯s definitely not so clean on the inside. He¡¯s the type who masks his true self. I¡¯m worried he might deceive you."


    "You think I¡¯m a child? I¡¯ve been in business for many years and haven¡¯t been fooled by anyone."


    Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched, and he started the car in frustration. Right then, he felt an urge to chase down Cao Bin, stomp on the accelerator, and just run the guy over.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s fierce expression, Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, then quickly returned to normal as she held a bouquet of roses, delicately sniffing the fragrance, appearing to be in an exceptionally good mood.


    Having reached their own residential parking lot, they got out of the car. Li Yifei followed Xu Yingying with their luggage and noticed that instead of heading to their own building, she was walking towards the building where Ye Yunzhu and the others lived. He quickly caught up and asked, "Wife, aren¡¯t we going home first?"


    "I need to check on Yunzhu first. Giving birth is a big deal, and we¡¯re close friends. It would be impolite not to visit."


    "Oh, okay then, let¡¯s go see Yunzhu first."


    Knocking on the door, it was Chu Xiaoyao who came to open it. Seeing Li Yifei and Xu Yingying together, she expressed surprise, "Sister Yingying, you¡¯re back."


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "Yes, Xiaoyao, you look refreshed¡ªmuch livelier than before I left."


    Chu Xiaoyao suddenly felt a bit guilty. Although Li Yifei had been staying there, and they weren¡¯t together every day, their interactions were carefree, making it easy for her to act coy in his arms without anyone commenting, naturally lifting her spirits. Without much tact, Xu Yingying¡¯s casual remark made her worry that maybe Xu Yingying had noticed something.


    "Hehe, I¡¯m okay, oh, Sister Yingying, that¡¯s a beautiful flower," Chu Xiaoyao quickly changed the subject.


    Xu Yingying handed over the flowers to Chu Xiaoyao and said with a smile, "If you like them, I¡¯ll have your boyfriend give you some too."


    Chu Xiaoyao, feeling even more guilty, glanced at Li Yifei. Fortunately, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t keep looking at her but changed her shoes and walked towards the living room, scanning the area.


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck her tongue out at Li Yifei and then hurriedly followed, saying, "Sister Yingying, Sister Yunzhu is upstairs."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go see her."


    Everyone went upstairs together, where Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er were, and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother had just gone out to shop. As her granddaughter¡¯s grandmother, she insisted on going out to buy bones herself to make soup for Ye Yunzhu.


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s return, everyone was surprised but also a bit disheartened; Xu Yingying¡¯s presence meant their carefree days were likely over.


    "Hey, why does it seem like you¡¯re not happy to see me?" Xu Yingying scanned their faces.


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly smiled and said, "Not at all, it¡¯s just that you said you¡¯d be back in a month, so it¡¯s unexpected."


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "Don¡¯t worry. I just came back specifically to see Yunzhu and the little baby. I¡¯ll leave the day after tomorrow at the latest; there¡¯s still a lot to do over there, and I don¡¯t have much time to stay at home." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing this, everyone felt a bit of relief, dispelling their earlier disappointment. Xu Yingying then leaned down to look at the baby nursing in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s arms, her face full of tenderness, almost as if she regarded the child as her own daughter.


    Standing behind her, Li Yifei felt something was off. Xu Yingying¡¯s visit seemed uneasy and awkward. If asked for specifics, he really couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but it seemed like Xu Yingying had indeed changed somehow.

 Chapter 880 - 921: The Flaw in the Daughter’s Name

    Chapter 880: Chapter 921: The Flaw in the Daughter¡¯s Name"Yunzhu, this child is really good-looking," Xu Yingying remarked as she scrutinized the little baby carefully and complimented her.


    Which woman wouldn¡¯t want her child to be praised? Ye Yunzhu, being a new mother, was naturally no different. But she modestly responded with a laugh, "She¡¯s still so little¡ªhow can you tell whether she¡¯s pretty or not?"


    "I¡¯m serious, look at her eyes¡ªthey¡¯re so much like yours! And this little mouth is also exactly like yours. When she grows up, she¡¯ll surely be heartbreaker material. Hey, but this nose doesn¡¯t quite look like yours."


    Although everyone watched the little baby every day, nobody had inspected the child as closely as Xu Yingying had, nor had they studied who the child really resembled. Hearing Xu Yingying say this, they all became curious and began to look closely. And sure enough, just as Xu Yingying had said, the child¡¯s eyes and nose were very much like Ye Yunzhu¡¯s.


    "Yes, yes, she really does look alike, so cute."


    "Yes, when she grows up, she¡¯ll definitely be as beautiful as Sister Yunzhu."


    Everyone chattered simultaneously, and Xu Yingying then laughed and said, "But this nose isn¡¯t like Yunzhu¡¯s¡ªit must be like her father¡¯s."


    Everyone¡¯s gaze immediately shifted back and forth between Li Yifei and the little baby¡¯s noses, which were both lofty and distinctly similar. Everyone felt a thud in their heart.


    Without lifting her head, Xu Yingying chuckled, "I do feel like this nose is quite similar to our Yifei."


    The room suddenly fell silent¡ªeveryone¡¯s heartbeat sped up. None of them knew what Xu Yingying meant by her comment. Clearly, everyone understood that if Xu Yingying knew at this moment that Li Yifei was the child¡¯s father, she surely wouldn¡¯t be able to accept it. What chaos might ensue was anybody¡¯s guess.


    "Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Ha... I was just kidding. You didn¡¯t take me seriously, did you?" Xu Yingying looked around at everyone with a chuckle.


    "Ha..." Everyone laughed along, but the smiles were rather forced. This joke was truly not very funny and mainly just frightening.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er spoke, "Sometimes it¡¯s really hard to see any resemblance in little kids. When Yifei was little, I thought her eyes looked like Yifei¡¯s, but now not so much. Her lip shape is somewhat similar, though. Girls change a lot as they grow¡ªonly when she¡¯s fully grown will we be able to see who she truly resembles."


    Ye Yunzhu also hurriedly added, "Yes, yes, Yingying, your joke really scared me. If you misunderstood that, I would have jumped into the Yellow River and still not been able to clear my name."


    Xu Yingying chuckled softly, "I¡¯m not that petty. But speaking of which, why hasn¡¯t your man shown up?"


    Pretending to be helpless, Ye Yunzhu said, "Don¡¯t mention him; just pretend he doesn¡¯t exist."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened instantly, "That won¡¯t do at all, he got you pregnant, how can you just pretend he doesn¡¯t exist? He absolutely needs to take responsibility."


    Ye Yunzhu gave a bitter smile, "I don¡¯t even know where he is right now, how am I to make him take responsibility? Anyway, my daughter and I are doing fine now, I don¡¯t want to think about him."


    "Yunzhu, you¡¯re really too easy-going. If it were me, I would¡¯ve caught that jerk and beaten him badly, letting him know the price a man pays for being irresponsible." Turning to look at Li Yifei, Xu Yingying added, "Yifei, you¡¯re capable, aren¡¯t you? Go and catch that man, teach him a lesson. For that kind of man, don¡¯t be too gentle with him¡ªif he dares not to come, just give him a good beating, just leave him breathing."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt dumbstruck and let out a dry laugh, "Um... I¡¯ll try my best." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying glared at him, "What do you mean ¡¯try your best¡¯? Can¡¯t you even handle this minor thing? Yunzhu is our good friend. Seeing a friend like this, aren¡¯t you going to help out? Are you even a man? I¡¯m telling you, no matter what, I¡¯m charging you with this task. If the next time I come back and you haven¡¯t found this little baby¡¯s father, I will hold you responsible."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyelids twitched twice, "Yingying, this is Yunzhu¡¯s own matter, isn¡¯t it a bit much for us to force our way in?"


    "What do you mean ¡¯force our way in¡¯? Yunzhu is too embarrassed to pursue it, but are we supposed to just stand by and watch her suffer? Let that bastard man have fun somewhere else?"


    Li Yifei added, "Maybe he¡¯s busy and it¡¯s inconvenient for him to come. This involves privacy, we can¡¯t just interfere like this."


    "What privacy, Yunzhu, we¡¯re good friends, right? I¡¯m standing up for you, don¡¯t you mind?"


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s distressed face, Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, saying, "Yes, yes, it¡¯s best if Yifei handles this. Who else but him, since he¡¯s my old classmate? He has to catch that little rascal for me, then we can hang him up and whip him eight times a day."


    Xu Yingying nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, give him a harsh whipping."


    At this point, Li Yifei¡¯s face turned as dark as Bao Gong¡¯s. The two of them were scolding him after all, even talking about hanging him up and whipping him eight times a day. How was he supposed to live with that?


    Everyone looked at Li Yifei¡¯s unpleasant expression, suddenly everyone felt like laughing but dared not to, making it quite uncomfortable to hold back.


    "I... I¡¯m going to get some water!" Chu Xiaoyao was the first one who couldn¡¯t hold back and quickly found an excuse to run out.


    Su Yiyi also hurriedly said, "I¡¯m going to get diapers for the child." She also slipped out.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had a bit more self-control, but it was also hard for her, she said, "You guys chat, I¡¯ll go see if Auntie is back yet."


    The three of them ran downstairs and then couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    After laughing for a while, Chu Xiaoyao controlled her laughter and said, rubbing her stomach, "It¡¯s really too funny. Uncle got scolded so badly and couldn¡¯t even argue. His frustrated look was truly amusing."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, rubbing her cheeks that were sore from laughing, said, "Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen him lose his composure like that before."


    Su Yiyi also laughed but then said sympathetically, "I feel so sorry for Brother Li. I really hope Sister Yingying can recover her memory soon. Brother Li is really having a tough time."


    As soon as this was mentioned, the three of them couldn¡¯t laugh anymore. Ning Xin¡¯er sighed and said, "Yeah, I really hope this time passes quickly, and we can be as happy as we were before."


    "Yunzhu, can I hold her?"


    Upstairs, Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu were no longer denouncing that "irresponsible jerk," and Xu Yingying, looking at the little baby, tried asking.


    Ye Yunzhu said with a smile, "Of course you can."


    "Isn¡¯t she too small? Won¡¯t she get hurt?" Xu Yingying worried.


    "It¡¯s okay, the child is well-nourished and very sturdy. Just support her head with one hand and her waist with the other, like this," Ye Yunzhu explained, demonstrating.


    Xu Yingying carefully watched Ye Yunzhu¡¯s actions, then gently picked up the child while Li Yifei watched nervously close by; he was always worried when holding his daughter, let alone Xu Yingying.


    "Why are you so worried? She¡¯s not your daughter." Xu Yingying held the child with a delighted face, but seeing Li Yifei hovering around her, she rolled her eyes at him.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "I¡¯m just worried you might drop the child. You¡¯re not mad at me, right? Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to accompany Yunzhu."


    "To hell with you," Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei, then gently swayed the little baby, saying, "Our little darling, so cute."


    Li Yifei felt a pang in his heart and cautiously asked, "This is Yunzhu¡¯s child."


    Xu Yingying lowered her head to kiss the little baby, then turned to Li Yifei and said, "Yunzhu¡¯s child, can¡¯t she be part of our family? I can be her godmother."


    With Xu Yingying lowering her head, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t see the expression on her face. He had an illusion that Xu Yingying might have regained her memory, because of what she just said. But the comment Xu Yingying made when she turned back made him dismiss the thought, after all, for such a long time, Li Yifei and everyone had been trying to help Xu Yingying regain her memory, but Xu Yingying had not yet recovered. It couldn¡¯t be possible that she had regained her memory just by going out for a few days.


    "What¡¯s the child¡¯s name?"


    Ye Yunzhu glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Li Yixiang."


    "Li Yixiang?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, "I say, Comrade Li Yifei, our daughter is named Li Yufei, and Yunzhu¡¯s daughter is named Li Yixiang, why does it sound like they are sisters?"


    Ye Yunzhu secretly rolled her eyes at Li Yifei again, while Li Yifei had an embarrassed expression. When the daughter was born to fill out the form, Li Yifei thought of calling his own elder daughter Li Yufei, so he simply followed the middle character and named the second daughter Li Yixiang. In the case of having many children, using a fixed character in the middle is a very old tradition; he completely forgot about Xu Yingying, and now that Xu Yingying asked, he really didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Fortunately, at this moment Ye Yunzhu was smiling and said, "I thought at the time, this child is another fatherless child. Maybe she could just follow Yifei and become a goddaughter, and the name wouldn¡¯t sound bad to others. I didn¡¯t discuss this with you, really sorry about that."


    Xu Yingying chuckled lightly, "What¡¯s there to be sorry about? It¡¯s something good. I already have Yufei as a daughter, recognizing this goddaughter is even better. Yufei and Yixiang, such a pair of sisters, really nice indeed. Little Xiang¡¯er, I¡¯m really your mother now."


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu sighed in relief, watching Xu Yingying joyfully holding the child. They exchanged a glance and saw a hint of doubt in each other¡¯s eyes. Today¡¯s Xu Yingying was too easygoing. The daughter¡¯s name was such a big loophole; hadn¡¯t she noticed it?

 Chapter 881 - 922 Doubts and Conjectures

    Chapter 881: Chapter 922 Doubts and ConjecturesXu Yingying held Little Yixiang for a while before putting her down and said, "Yunzhu, I need to go back to the office to check on things. I¡¯ll come see you again later."


    Immediately, Ye Yunzhu said, "Then you go ahead and get busy. There are so many people here, and besides, my mom is also here, so there¡¯s no shortage of people to take care of me."


    "Mhm, then I¡¯m off. Don¡¯t worry, Yifei will take care of the matter with the child¡¯s father. He¡¯ll definitely help you sort it out."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying left, but first, they went home. All the way home, Xu Yingying kept talking about the adorable child and nothing else. Li Yifei tried to change the subject several times, but Xu Yingying interrupted him each time.


    After delivering the stuff to their home, Xu Yingying immediately asked Li Yifei to drive her back to the company. In the car, Li Yifei finally seized the opportunity to ask, "Wife, I feel like you¡¯ve changed a bit since you returned. Did something happen?"


    Xu Yingying immediately countered, "Have I changed?"


    "Definitely. Even though I can¡¯t specifically point out what¡¯s different, I just feel that you¡¯ve changed."


    "Is that so? Maybe it¡¯s because I went out, so I don¡¯t have to face you not knowing how all day, which makes me seem happier."


    "Am I that scary? I¡¯ve always given you freedom. You can do whatever you want."


    "But that also brings pressure. No matter what, you¡¯re still my husband. Yet, I don¡¯t have any awareness of being a wife, which makes me feel uneasy."


    "Really?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with a skeptical expression and said with a smile, "You don¡¯t think I have something going on with Brother Cao, do you?"


    Li Yifei confidently smiled. "Heh, of course not."


    "Don¡¯t flatter yourself. There¡¯s indeed nothing between him and me. I just treat him as a business partner, at most like an alumnus. I¡¯m still wary of him."


    Li Yifei felt very comfortable hearing this response. "That¡¯s right, although that guy seems decent, he doesn¡¯t have good intentions."


    A mischievous smile appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face. "But he did tell me some things."


    "What did he say?" Li Yifei suddenly felt alarmed. Cao Bin really wasn¡¯t a simple character. If this guy deliberately investigated him, he could certainly discover his relationship with Ye Yunzhu and the others.


    Xu Yingying said leisurely, "He said... your relationships with several women are ambiguous, like with Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and also, the child Yunzhu bore... is yours."


    "Ah?" Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    "What? Are you startled?"


    "Do you believe that?"


    "That¡¯s really hard to say. You mentioned Yunzhu having a child, such a big deal, and yet her husband never appears. Moreover, after she got pregnant, she moved into that big house and didn¡¯t return to her own home. This suggests she has her closest person there. But Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, and Ning Xin¡¯er don¡¯t seem to be so close to her, do they? Yet now they take such good care of Ye Yunzhu. It seems really weird."


    After pausing for a bit and without waiting for Li Yifei to reply, Xu Yingying continued, "Also, Yunzhu¡¯s child is named Li Yixiang, which is only one character away from Yifei. This seems like a name only sisters would share. Plus, Little Yixiang really does resemble you in some ways. How do you explain that?"


    Li Yifei clenched his teeth, feeling that a short pain was better than a long one. Since Xu Yingying had already noticed, he thought he might as well admit it and then have a proper discussion with Xu Yingying. He said, "Well... alright, I admit, they are all related to me. Yunzhu¡¯s child is mine."


    Li Yifei braced himself for the storm he thought was coming, but to his surprise, Xu Yingying suddenly burst into loud laughter, laughing so hard that Li Yifei felt uneasy. He hurriedly pulled the car over to the side of the road and looked at Xu Yingying anxiously.


    "Ha... I guessed you¡¯d say something like that. You think I¡¯m stupid? Would I actually believe such an absurd story?"


    Li Yifei was suddenly stupefied. What did Xu Yingying mean? Did she not believe what he said?


    "You, you¡¯re always trying to cheer me up. Yunzhu is a Deputy County Head after all. Knowing that I¡¯m married to you, how could she still have a child with you? Be the other woman willingly? Yiyi is a college student, and although her family is poor, she¡¯s clearly a very self-respecting girl. How could she become another woman¡¯s third wheel? At most, Xiaoyao might idolize you a bit, but with a child¡¯s temperament, she¡¯ll be attracted to other boys in a few days. You even say they are all ¡¯your people¡¯; you really crack me up. Wouldn¡¯t you like to claim Mengxin as your woman too? You¡¯ve even got your hands on Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty."


    Not only was Li Yifei stupefied, but he was also petrified. It seemed that Xu Yingying did not believe a word he said, nor did she believe what Cao Bin had said. Initially, he had planned to clear things up directly, but now, wanting to clarify anything had become impossible.


    Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts turned quickly, and he smiled: "Then I¡¯m relieved. I was afraid you would believe the nonsense Cao Bin said. But this also indirectly proves that Cao Bin is indeed a petty person."


    "Alright, I know he¡¯s up to no good with me. I¡¯m keeping an eye on him. But we still rely on him for some business, don¡¯t we? Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Hurry up to the company. I¡¯ll take these two days to sort things out in the office."


    Li Yifei agreed and then dropped Xu Yingying off at her company. Watching her silhouette disappear into the company¡¯s entrance, no longer hearing the sound of her high heels tapping on the ground, Li Yifei then drove away.


    He had planned on running some other errands that afternoon, but at this moment, Li Yifei had lost all mood for it. He quickly drove back to the factory, found Xu Shanshan, and recounted the whole story of Xu Yingying¡¯s return today.


    "Brother-in-law, do you think... could my sister have remembered?" Xu Shanshan knitted her brows and after a moment, she made a comment that made Li Yifei second-guess as well.


    Li Yifei immediately responded: "I¡¯ve thought about that too. But when I tested the waters, it seemed like your sister had no intention of remembering. If she had remembered, why won¡¯t she speak up now? Why continue the charade?"


    Xu Shanshan thought for a moment and said: "Maybe she enjoys the feeling of being alone with you and just wants to be with you by herself. Or maybe in her heart, she¡¯s still thinking of making room for Mengxin like she did before her memory loss." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei sighed and said: "Both are indeed possibilities. If she has truly remembered and is just not willing to admit it, I really don¡¯t know how to face her now."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly twinkled her eyes and said: "Actually, this is easy to solve. I¡¯ll test her out for you tonight."


    "How will you test her?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up. Although he was clever and sufficiently calm and astute in handling matters, if he were facing an interrogation with a captured spy, even if the spy had a strong mentality, Li Yifei was confident he could extract the information he wanted from them.


    But this was his wife, his methods were utterly useless, especially when it came to emotions¡ªhe was lacking. Xu Shanshan, however, had many cunning ideas in this area, so Li Yifei still had considerable trust in Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan gave a sly smile and said: "That, for now, is a secret. You¡¯ll find out when the time comes."


    "Shanshan, do you really need to be so mysterious? If you tell me now, I can coordinate with you later."


    "No need, I can handle it myself. Just watch and see. I guarantee it¡¯ll work on the first try."


    Although Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t tell him, Li Yifei was still full of anticipation. If the test revealed that Xu Yingying truly had regained her memory, regardless of why she chose not to mention it for the time being, he could then confront his wife Xu Yingying with a specific strategy. Additionally, he could finally take action on many other matters without being as constrained as he was at the moment.


    Before leaving work, Li Yifei called Xu Yingying who told him she¡¯d be home late. This made Li Yifei quite anxious, but seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s confidence, he had to suppress his nervousness.


    The two of them didn¡¯t go back to their own homes first but instead went to see Ye Yunzhu. Li Yifei also mentioned his suspicions about Xu Yingying regaining her memory.


    Ye Yunzhu and the others immediately believed Li Yifei had a point; after all, Xu Yingying¡¯s return did seem unusual. If she had indeed regained her memory and was intentionally concealing it, that would explain Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior even more.


    But like Li Yifei, they didn¡¯t understand Xu Yingying¡¯s reasons and had no solution at hand. Who would dare to ask Xu Yingying, and if she hadn¡¯t actually recovered her memory, that could blow things out of proportion.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mention the fact that Xu Shanshan had a way to test the waters. After all, the affair between him and Xu Shanshan, except for Su Mengxin, was unknown to anyone else. For the time being, at least, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want them to be aware of their relationship.


    After sitting for a while, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan went back, leaving Little Yifei behind. Back at home, Li Yifei prepared dinner and waited for Xu Yingying¡¯s return.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Xu Yingying finally called Li Yifei to pick her up, and in the car, she talked to him about some factory matters¡ªall business-related. This, at least, was no different from usual; Xu Yingying was always so earnest when it came to work.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything else. Once home, it was Xu Shanshan¡¯s turn to probe, and he didn¡¯t need to make an idle effort.


    Finally home, Li Yifei was filled with immense anticipation. The most crucial moment was approaching¡ªwhether Xu Yingying had genuinely recovered her memory. It all depended on Xu Shanshan now, and Li Yifei was especially eager to see what method she would use.

 Chapter 882 - 923 Naughty

    Chapter 882: Chapter 923 Naughty"Hey sis, you¡¯re really something, coming back this late. I¡¯m starving over here."


    As soon as Xu Yingying stepped inside, Xu Shanshan started complaining.


    "Can¡¯t you just eat first? Why wait for me?" Xu Yingying remarked casually while changing her shoes.


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at her sister and said, "You¡¯re always so busy, running everywhere. It¡¯s a rare chance to have a meal at home; how could I dare eat first? Besides, these are dishes brother-in-law made especially for you. If I ate first and messed them up, it would waste his kind gesture towards you."


    "Wow, you¡¯re so considerate of your sister now. It¡¯s really touching," Xu Yingying chuckled.


    "Come off it, stop pretending to be the elder sister in front of me. There¡¯s barely an hour¡¯s difference between us."


    As the two sisters playfully bickered, Li Yifei had already started the microwave, reheating what needed reheating and returning what needed to be in the pan. In less than twenty minutes, the meal was ready, and the three of them sat down at the table to eat.


    After a while, Xu Yingying shot Xu Shanshan a glare and asked, "Why are you staring at me instead of eating?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I feel like you¡¯re different since coming back this time, so I looked at you more."


    "What¡¯s different about me?"


    "What¡¯s different, you ask?" Xu Shanshan glanced at Xu Yingying¡¯s face again and said, "I feel like your complexion is much better, and there¡¯s a glow about you, just like when you and brother-in-law first got married."


    Xu Yingying widened her eyes and said, "Really? I didn¡¯t notice. Maybe it¡¯s because I went out and my mood improved."


    "Yeah, I thought you remembered the past and rekindled that affection with brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan said with a cheeky smile as if unintentionally.


    Xu Yingying glanced at Li Yifei and said, "I feel pretty good right now. I don¡¯t mind whether I can remember or not."


    "Sigh, brother-in-law, I sympathize with you. Having such a beautiful wife but only being able to look."


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, do you believe I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯m done eating. Brother-in-law, will you rub my feet later?"


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "Why do you need your feet rubbed? You don¡¯t even dance anymore."


    "I may not dance now, but I wear high heels every day, which is more tiring than dancing. You should let brother-in-law rub your feet too; it feels so good."


    Xu Yingying glared and said, "I don¡¯t need it, and you should watch yourself. What kind of sister-in-law has her brother-in-law rub her feet every day? It¡¯s inappropriate."


    "Tch, I insist that brother-in-law rubs them. At women¡¯s salons, the foot massagers are young guys. Why can¡¯t I have my brother-in-law rub my feet? Is it such a big deal? You act like I¡¯m trying to steal him."


    "You..." Xu Yingying rolled her eyes in frustration and then glared at Li Yifei, saying, "You, watch yourself."


    Xu Shanshan smirked and said, "Sis, you go out all the time, leaving just me and brother-in-law at home. If we did anything bad, you couldn¡¯t stop us, so if you don¡¯t trust your sister and husband, I don¡¯t know whom you can trust."


    Xu Yingying was momentarily speechless and snorted, "Anyway, you two better watch yourselves. If others see something inappropriate, it¡¯s embarrassing."


    After dinner, Xu Shanshan stretched out on the sofa, placing her legs on Li Yifei¡¯s lap. Li Yifei hesitated and looked at Xu Yingying sitting nearby. Xu Yingying snorted and said, "Go ahead and rub, or are you embarrassed?"


    "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t be afraid of her, just massage."


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t know what Xu Shanshan was up to, but it wasn¡¯t something new. So he habitually took hold of Xu Yingying¡¯s small feet to rub them, noticing Xu Yingying occasionally rolling her eyes at him.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction made Li Yifei think she hadn¡¯t really remembered everything; before, when he massaged Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind. She even sometimes joined in for a massage herself. Only after her memory loss did Xu Yingying start glaring when he massaged Shanshan¡¯s feet.


    It seemed Xu Shanshan was trying to gauge Xu Yingying¡¯s response. Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t as expected, and with Xu Yingying watching them, she couldn¡¯t do much with Li Yifei, which felt a bit dull. After a while, she yawned and said, "I¡¯m really tired today; I¡¯ll head to bed first."


    True to her word, Xu Shanshan washed up and shut herself in her room.


    Li Yifei was left speechless. Was Xu Shanshan¡¯s so-called test just using foot massages? It obviously failed, and the method wasn¡¯t clever at all.


    "I¡¯m going to rest too," Xu Yingying then stood up.


    Li Yifei quickly asked, "Want to take a shower?"


    "No need, I¡¯ve been showering every day while I was out," Xu Yingying said, a blush spreading across her face, then went to wash up.


    Li Yifei sighed. Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior seemed as though she hadn¡¯t remembered anything. Or maybe, as Xu Yingying said, going out relaxed her, so she seemed a bit different after coming back.


    After Xu Yingying finished, Li Yifei quickly cleaned up, changed into his pajamas, and returned to the bedroom.


    Xu Yingying was already lying down, and Li Yifei switched off the light and climbed into bed, sharing a blanket with his wife. He felt an urge to hold Xu Yingying tightly, even if it was just a hug and nothing more.


    "Honey, can I ask you something?" Li Yifei whispered.


    "What is it... I¡¯m tired. Can we talk about it in the morning?" S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, never mind then," Li Yifei sighed quietly. Since she was tired, there was no point in asking, and without her memory, she wouldn¡¯t let him hug her anyway.


    "Sorry, could you give me some more time?" she whispered after a while.


    Li Yifei felt upset initially but hearing Xu Yingying¡¯s words, that feeling vanished. He smiled and said, "Silly wife, I have patience."


    "Thank you. While I was out, I thought a lot. I know this isn¡¯t fair to you. How about... I let you hug me?"


    Li Yifei was stunned, then overjoyed. He eagerly replied, "Sure, just a hug, I promise not to do anything else."


    The room was dark, but Li Yifei¡¯s eyes adjusted enough to see Xu Yingying¡¯s shy face. He cautiously moved closer to her and whispered, "How should I hug you?"


    Xu Yingying pouted and playfully retorted, "Don¡¯t tell me you forgot how."


    "Hehe, it¡¯s not that I forgot. I just don¡¯t want to overstep and make you uncomfortable."


    Watching Li Yifei, Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes softened with affection. "Just hug me like you used to, so I can feel if being your wife was really that comfortable."


    Li Yifei slid an arm under her neck and wrapped the other around her.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s breath was uneven, her body tense, as if they had never been intimate before.


    Neither spoke, but Li Yifei felt incredibly happy¡ªhaving a cherished treasure lost and found again. Even without anything else, just holding Xu Yingying was enough.


    But after a while, Li Yifei sensed something strange. Xu Yingying¡¯s breathing grew more rapid and heated¡ªsomething familiar to him. It was a sign she was moved. He was surprised; a simple hug shouldn¡¯t have provoked such a reaction. If it were before, her reaction might be normal; after all, they were married. But now Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings for him hadn¡¯t reached that point, and she was like an innocent girl.


    "Mm..." Xu Yingying suddenly let out a stifled moan, abruptly pushing Li Yifei away, jumping out of bed, and rushing out.


    Li Yifei, startled, quickly jumped up and followed her. To his surprise, she ran into the bathroom.


    "What¡¯s wrong, honey?" Li Yifei knocked and asked loudly.


    "N-nothing," Xu Yingying replied, quickly adding, "My stomach¡¯s upset."


    "Oh no, was something bad in what I cooked tonight?"


    "I don¡¯t know, just go back; I need some time. Don¡¯t stand there," she shouted from inside.


    Li Yifei was worried, unsure of what was wrong. At that moment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s door quietly opened, and she motioned him over.


    He slipped into her room, noticing her blushing, with an enchanting redness.


    "What did my sister do just now?" Xu Shanshan winked at him.


    Li Yifei paused, realizing what had happened, and laughed, "So it was your doing."

 Chapter 883 - 924 - : Further Progress

    Chapter 883: 924 Chapter: Further ProgressShanshan laughed smugly, "Hehe, yes, I¡¯m just anxious for you. My sister has always kept you at bay; when will this ever end? I wanted to provoke her a bit¡ªfirst, to see her reaction, and second, to make her unable to bear it so that she would accept you sooner."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "From what I can see, your sister hasn¡¯t regained her memory. Although her reaction was quite strong just now, she was holding it back and finally ran into the bathroom."


    "It seems so, but no worries. Rest assured, if I provoke her a few more times and she can¡¯t stand it, she¡¯ll obediently let you do as you please."


    This time, however, Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Shanshan, I don¡¯t feel good about this. Since your sister hasn¡¯t regained her memory, using such methods feels like coercion to me. It¡¯s just like before; this isn¡¯t how true feelings should come about. I would rather that your sister truly accept me from her heart, not through these methods."


    Shanshan glared at Li Yifei and remarked, "You blockhead, fine, have it your way."


    At that moment, Li Yifei heard noises from the bathroom and quickly told Shanshan, "I need to go out first; your sister is coming out."


    Shanshan shook her head this time. She wasn¡¯t angry that Li Yifei disagreed with her; rather, she was quite happy inside. If Li Yifei gradually developed a relationship with her sister, it meant the three of them would continue living together in this small home, allowing her more opportunities to be with Li Yifei. Sharing Li Yifei with only Yingying was obviously much better than sharing him with a bunch of other women, even if Yingying was vigilant.


    By then, Li Yifei and Yingying had returned to the bed. Although Li Yifei knew what was wrong with Yingying, he could only pretend not to know. He said, "Wife, are you feeling better? Do you want me to rub your belly?"


    Yingying lay on her side, her back towards Li Yifei. Although she sounded fairly normal, she still seemed a bit frantic. "No need, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s go to sleep now."


    The bedside lamp was still on, and Li Yifei could see Yunzhu¡¯s neck, still blushing. Clearly, Shanshan had been up to some mischief, causing Yunzhu a fair amount of discomfort through mental resonance.


    This Yingying, radiating a strong allure, filled Li Yifei with intense desire. As men are visual creatures, seeing a woman emotionally stirred only made him more impulsive.


    "So... Can we still hug?" asked Li Yifei tentatively.


    "Don¡¯t... No more hugging, I¡¯m tired," said Yingying as she shifted towards the edge of the bed, her tone somewhat frantic.


    Seeing Yingying so flustered, Li Yifei truly felt sorry for her because of the mental resonance, having struggled with it for a while. He gently patted Yingying¡¯s shoulder, whispering, "If you¡¯re tired, just sleep well. Call me if you feel uncomfortable."


    "Mm-hmm..." Yingying agreed, then fell silent again.


    Though slightly disappointed that Yingying had not truly regained her memory or allowed him to hold her all night, Li Yifei was still quite happy. After all, it was a major breakthrough. Yingying¡¯s willingness to let him hold her showed greater acceptance of him as her husband. With perseverance, Yingying would soon truly consider him as her husband.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d slept when Li Yifei woke up. To his surprise, Yingying was snuggled up against him, an arm draped over his chest and a leg over his.


    Though they had such physical contact when they slept at Yingying¡¯s place, this time felt better. Yingying hugged him more naturally, much like when they used to sleep together.


    This warmth overwhelmed Li Yifei. He gently moved his arm under Yingying¡¯s neck. Yingying shifted her head slightly to accommodate him. Once he adjusted his arm, she snuggled up closer to him in his embrace, even muttering something soft and sweet in her sleep.


    Seeing Yingying like this, Li Yifei felt really content and almost reluctant to fall back asleep. He knew, however, that though a gaze might be intangible, if he kept staring at someone, they would eventually feel it. He decided not to keep watching, to avoid waking Yingying.


    So after a while, Li Yifei closed his eyes and soon fell asleep again.


    When he woke up next, the day was already bright. He hadn¡¯t slept so deeply and well in a long time, with Yingying still in his embrace, his arm still under her neck. Yingying¡¯s hair had grown longer, now brushing softly against his face, which was incredibly cozy, especially as he looked at her sweet sleeping face. Despite his arm tingling, he couldn¡¯t bear to move it.


    "Ah." Yingying then opened her eyes and softly said, "It¡¯s morning."


    Li Yifei gave her a gentle smile, meeting her gaze, and said, "Yes, did you sleep well last night?"


    "It was alright," Yingying said, her face breaking into a sweet smile.


    This left Li Yifei momentarily spellbound. Yingying wasn¡¯t shy or frantic but looked blissfully happy.


    But her look was fleeting, and she soon rolled her eyes. "Aren¡¯t you satisfied yet? Can¡¯t you let go?" sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei quickly released her, smiling, "It seems it¡¯s actually you holding me."


    Yingying promptly pushed him away and sat up, tidying her hair. "Turns out your embrace is quite nice. I really slept well. Maybe being your wife isn¡¯t so bad."


    Li Yifei eagerly sat up and asked, "Wife, do you really think so?"


    "What are you getting excited about? I just meant that in this cold weather, having someone to sleep with is a bit warmer. Don¡¯t get any weird ideas." Then she got out of bed and walked out, closing the door behind her.


    Li Yifei also got out of bed, and after Xu Yingying had washed up, he cleaned himself up before humming a tune and heading to make breakfast.


    At this time, Xu Shanshan got up early as well, not as sleepy as she used to be. Given her busy daily workload, she couldn¡¯t be as carefree as before. She slipped into the kitchen and said to Li Yifei with a grin, "You seem happy, did you accomplish a great feat last night?"


    Li Yifei glanced back to check that Xu Yingying was not around, then whispered, "Whether I did or didn¡¯t, don¡¯t you already know?"


    "So why are you still so happy?"


    "Your sister... she slept in my arms all night. She wasn¡¯t as resistant this morning."


    "Well, congrats then, you are nearly there to achieving your ultimate goal."


    "But your sister is about to go on a business trip again."


    Xu Shanshan said despondently, "The most frustrating thing is, nobody can persuade her."


    "What are you two whispering about?" Xu Yingying came out from the bedroom and upon seeing them talking softly in the kitchen, immediately asked.


    Xu Shanshan turned to Xu Yingying and rolled her eyes, "I¡¯m talking to my brother-in-law. What are you, a woman, running east and west for all the time? You should be staying at home taking care of your husband. At this rate, someone might steal him away, and you¡¯ll have nowhere to cry."


    Xu Yingying raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well, if someone has the nerve, they can go ahead and steal him, I definitely won¡¯t mind."


    "Tch, fool, brainless," Xu Yingying muttered, then pushed Xu Yingying, who was blocking the kitchen door, and said irritably, "Move aside, I won¡¯t waste words on a silly woman like you."


    Xu Yingying was about to retaliate when Li Yifei quickly intervened, "Honey, don¡¯t be angry, Shanshan means well."


    "This girl, she¡¯s getting more and more disrespectful, all because you spoil her too much."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, yes, it¡¯s all my fault. Let¡¯s get ready, dinner will be ready soon."


    "While I¡¯m not home these days, you keep an eye on her. Without someone to watch over her, who knows what she might do."


    "Don¡¯t worry, honey, I¡¯ll keep her in check."


    After a simple breakfast, Xu Yingying went to check on Ye Yunzhu in the morning, then headed to the office. She had to catch aflight in the afternoon to research other markets.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan went to the factory and, after bustling around for a while, Li Yifei suddenly looked at Xu Shanshan with a mischievous smile. Xu Shanshan smiled back and said, "Brother-in-law, that smile of yours looks really wicked, like you¡¯re up to no good."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, moved closer to Xu Shanshan, and whispered in her ear, "Shanshan, I just thought of something."


    "What is it?" Xu Shanshan squinted at Li Yifei, her smile becoming even more enchanting.


    "Last night... how did you manage it?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s face turned red, she pursed her lips and said, "None of your business."


    "I¡¯m really curious, you know. Women have many methods and tools for the front, but you... it was the back, and you all by yourself... I¡¯ve truly never seen that before."


    "Want to know?" Xu Shanshan lifted her chin, although it was an awkward topic, facing Li Yifei, the man she loved, she was always very generous.


    "Of course I want to know." Li Yifei nodded eagerly with a hint of excitement.


    "This..." Xu Shanshan teased, just as Li Yifei was eagerly waiting for her to reveal, someone came to get some work done at his place, forcing him to put the conversation on hold.


    After finally dismissing the Deputy Factory Director, Li Yifei, who was already itching with curiosity, moved closer to Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, come on, tell me."


    "This..." Xu Shanshan slyly smiled and said, "I won¡¯t tell you."


    "Really won¡¯t tell?" Li Yifei moved his hands to Xu Shanshan¡¯s ribs.


    "I won¡¯t tell, stop... don¡¯t tickle me... Ah... haha... I won¡¯t say..."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan only played around for a short time, as they stopped due to footsteps outside. Xu Shanshan truly kept her secret, which made Li Yifei all the more curious. Although Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t want to reveal it, he didn¡¯t want to force her. Besides, finding out for himself later could also be quite intriguing.

 Chapter 884 - 925: Beating Cao Bin

    Chapter 884: Chapter 925: Beating Cao BinAt two o¡¯clock, Li Yifei arrived at the company¡¯s entrance, specifically to see Xu Yingying off.


    He had barely been at the entrance for two minutes when he saw Cao Bin, suited up, stepping out of a car, holding a bright bunch of red roses, his pompous demeanor particularly aggravating to Li Yifei.


    Even though Xu Yingying had said that she now regarded Cao Bin merely as a business partner, any man would feel irritated seeing another man hovering constantly around his wife with ulterior motives.


    Stepping out of the car, Li Yifei approached Cao Bin at the company¡¯s entrance. Upon seeing Li Yifei, Cao Bin frowned briefly before saying with a grin, "Isn¡¯t this Yifei? What are you doing here?"


    With a smile, Li Yifei replied, "I¡¯m here to drop off my wife, what about you? Didn¡¯t my wife say that your research over there had finished? What brings you here again? Are you still trying to pursue my wife?"


    Cao Bin was taken aback by Li Yifei¡¯s direct questioning and didn¡¯t quite know how to respond. However, being no ordinary fellow, he quickly smiled and said, "You guessed it! If it were before, knowing Yingying was married, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have come bothering her. But now, I know she has amnesia and doesn¡¯t remember you, her husband. So between you and her, it¡¯s just a nominal thing. We¡¯re at the same starting line, and I certainly will strive to win."


    Li Yifei gave Cao Bin a thumbs-up and said, "Impressive, impressive. You really have the thickest skin I¡¯ve ever seen."


    Cao Bin, still quite gracious, replied, "It¡¯s not about being thick-skinned. I truly love Yingying, and if there¡¯s a chance, I will fight for it. If I can spend my life with Yingying, I will have no regrets."


    "So sentimental," Li Yifei sneered, curling his lip, suddenly reaching out and snatching the flowers from Cao Bin¡¯s hand, "But for now, Yingying is still my wife. If you want to give flowers to my wife, you¡¯ll have to get past me first."


    Cao Bin, unpleased with Li Yifei¡¯s actions, furrowed his brows and said, "Li Yifei, I hope you can be man enough to accept this challenge."


    Li Yifei stepped forward, nearly nose to nose with Cao Bin, eyes narrowing as he said, "Are you serious, Mr. Cao? Yingying is my wife. You chase after my wife and you want me to accept your challenge? Are you crazy or do you think I¡¯m a fool? What if I harass your wife after you get married and challenge you then?"


    Cao Bin stepped back, his face slightly embarrassed. His words indeed explained why Li Yifei was upset, but he still smiled and said, "Li Yifei, times are different now. Like I said, if Yingying hadn¡¯t lost her memory and still remembered you as her husband, naturally I wouldn¡¯t be bothering her. But now... you must be well aware that in Yingying¡¯s heart, she doesn¡¯t regard you as her husband, so my pursuit of her is entirely reasonable."


    "Good, since you think that way, I also have my own resolve. I have to fulfill my duty as a husband, and that is to deal ruthlessly with anyone who harasses my wife," Li Yifei said, his presence exuding a dangerous air.


    "What do you want to do?" Cao Bin, feeling the danger, stepped back and watched Li Yifei warily, "Let me tell you, this is a civilized society. If you dare to mess with me, don¡¯t blame me for calling the police."


    "Yes, this is a civilized society, and I¡¯ll certainly be very ¡¯civilized¡¯ to you," Li Yifei said, his face bearing a mocking smile as he stepped closer.


    Cao Bin knew Li Yifei was not to be provoked easily. The wisest choice now was to dodge his sharpness to avoid suffering¡ªbut just then, he saw Xu Yingying walking out from the company. If he backed down now, wouldn¡¯t he miss a chance to show off?


    Moreover, if he could force Li Yifei to show his rough side now, wouldn¡¯t that further damage Li Yifei¡¯s image in Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, which would be greatly advantageous for himself?


    With a quick shift in thoughts, Cao Bin had already calculated the best tactic¡ªto infuriate Li Yifei, ideally provoking him to strike, as women sympathize with the weak and dislike rude men.


    "Li Yifei, show some dignity. My intentions for Yingying are genuine, signed by heaven and earth. I am pursuing her happiness, to make her happy every day, and only I can be her ultimate career partner, the one who can truly speak her language," Cao Bin stated loudly


    Then, leaning forward and lowering his voice, he looked at Li Yifei with extreme disdain and said scornfully, "And you are just trash, a failure. You¡¯re not even worthy of being with Yingying. I will definitely win her over, and she will be in my arms every day, undressed and intimate with me every night."


    For any man, these words from Cao Bin would be an unbearable insult. As for Li Yifei, although he often felt powerless regarding the women he liked, when it came to others, he was not that easily angered. If he were, he wouldn¡¯t have survived countless battles.


    From Cao Bin¡¯s behavior, Li Yifei had already guessed that Xu Yingying must have been involved, and Cao Bin¡¯s intentional provocation was clearly a trap to get him to throw a punch, which Li Yifei also figured out.


    Li Yifei came today to confront Cao Bin because he just wanted to mess with him a bit, but seeing that Cao Bin was practically begging to be punched, if he didn¡¯t hit him, he would have felt sorry for him.


    "Fuck!" Li Yifei glared and grabbed Cao Bin by the collar.


    At that moment, Cao Bin, unfazed by the danger, stiffened his body and shouted, "What do you want to do?"


    "I want to beat you up!" Li Yifei swung his fist and landed a punch right on Cao Bin¡¯s left eye socket.


    Although Cao Bin was prepared to be hit, Li Yifei struck suddenly and aimed directly at the eye socket, catching him off guard. His glasses flew off, and his eyes saw stars.


    "You wanted to be hit, right? Well, I¡¯m fulfilling your wish," Li Yifei didn¡¯t wait for Cao Bin to react and punched him again on his right eye socket.


    Li Yifei controlled his force well with these two punches. They wouldn¡¯t really hurt him, but they did leave him seeing stars and would definitely give him panda eyes.


    "You... you..." Staggered by Li Yifei¡¯s punches, Cao Bin took a few steps back, covered his eyes with his hands, and bent over in pain. Although he had wanted Li Yifei to come off as barbaric, he hadn¡¯t expected to suffer so much, cursing in his heart, "You bastard, hitting my body a few times would have been enough, but you had to hit my face. Once you fall into my hands, I¡¯ll definitely return the favor tenfold."


    Once his vision finally cleared, Cao Bin, enduring the pain, straightened up and saw Xu Yingying approaching quickly. He straightened up and said, "Li Yifei, for Xu Yingying¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t stoop to your level. Even with your barbarity, I won¡¯t give up on Yingying. Being with a barbarian like you, I really worry about Yingying¡¯s..."


    Before he could finish, Li Yifei suddenly dashed forward and kicked Cao Bin¡¯s butt, sending him tumbling forward. Li Yifei also slyly tripped him on the leg, making Cao Bin even more unstable and causing him to fall flat on his face. Although he didn¡¯t knock his teeth out, his lips did bleed.


    That wasn¡¯t the end of it¡ªLi Yifei rushed forward and unleashed a barrage of kicks on Cao Bin. Of course, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t using his true strength at the moment, merely controlling the intensity, like an ordinary person in a fight.


    Even so, Cao Bin couldn¡¯t handle it and, after a few hits, hurriedly scrambled up and tried to run towards Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t let him get away. He positioned himself between Cao Bin and Xu Yingying, showering Cao Bin with punches and kicks, forcing him to flee in the opposite direction, truly looking pitiful.


    "Stop it, what are you doing?" Xu Yingying had seen Cao Bin righteously speaking those words, so she had slowed her steps, feeling too awkward to approach then. But in just that short time, they had started fighting, and she couldn¡¯t pretend not to know any longer, so she quickly stepped forward and stopped Li Yifei.


    "Yingying! Yingying! He¡¯s really too barbaric," Cao Bin finally got Li Yifei to stop, feeling pain all over his body. He wiped the blood from his mouth and grimaced as he spoke. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and demanded, "What are you going crazy for?" But the corner of her mouth involuntarily curled up a bit as if she was holding back a laugh.


    Seeing the expression on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, Li Yifei knew that she wasn¡¯t really angry and felt even more relieved; he hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to be suppressing a smile at this moment. This wife, though not completely accepting him yet, was obviously on his side.


    So, he cheekily said, "This bastard really had it coming."


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei again and said, "So you just hit people? Don¡¯t you have any decency? Beating people up is what barbarians do. Can¡¯t you talk things out?"


    Cao Bin hadn¡¯t noticed the smile hidden on Xu Yingying¡¯s face, only feeling that she was very angry. Inside, he was incredibly pleased; getting beaten up had clearly been worth it, and he even wanted to thank Li Yifei for hitting him so hard, otherwise, how could his devotion be demonstrated?


    But if Cao Bin knew that Xu Yingying was just putting on an act at that moment, would he be so angry that he spit blood?

 Chapter 885 - 926: Xu Yingying’s Kiss

    Chapter 885: Chapter 926: Xu Yingying¡¯s Kiss"Brother Cao, how are you? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Xu Yingying looked genuinely concerned.


    Although Cao Bin was in pain, as a man, showing too much weakness now would be embarrassing. He forced a smile and said, "It¡¯s nothing, I just didn¡¯t want to stoop to his level. You know, I have trained in taekwondo after all."


    Xu Yingying nodded and asked, "So what do you think we should do about this?"


    Cao Bin really wanted to beat Li Yifei up or call the police on him, but that would make him look petty. He graciously waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I won¡¯t make this difficult for you. You need to get to the airport, so you better hurry and not miss your flight."


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, "Don¡¯t pretend to be nice to me. Are you asking for another beating?" He then rolled up his sleeves as if he was about to hit Cao Bin again.


    Xu Yingying quickly grabbed Li Yifei and ordered, "Cut it out, let¡¯s go, take me to the airport." Then she forcefully dragged Li Yifei to the car.


    Cao Bin watched as Li Yifei drove away, a spiteful gleam in his eyes. He then spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and limped to his car.


    The security guards at the company entrance watched from a distance, confused. They hadn¡¯t heard what Li Yifei and Cao Bin were arguing about and had been about to go over there. But Li Yifei had subtly signaled them not to, so they remained where they were, not understanding what was happening.


    Meng Lei was also there today. Seeing Li Yifei hitting Cao Bin, he understood the situation. The rumor about Cao Bin pursuing Xu Yingying had already spread in the company. He had long wanted to beat Cao Bin, who dared to hit on his sister-in-law. Wasn¡¯t that courting death? Today, seeing Li Yifei beat Cao Bin, he felt quite relieved.


    "Hey, why did you get into a fight with Cao Bin?" In the car, Xu Yingying stared at a smiling Li Yifei and deliberately put on a stern face.


    Li Yifei laughed, "He was asking for it, provoking me deliberately to make me look savage and ruin my image in your eyes. How could I not fulfill his request?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei and said, "I think you just took the opportunity for a little payback."


    "You¡¯re not wrong. Seeing that guy shamelessly pursuing my wife, I was quite patient until now. He practically asked for it, that was quite satisfying for me."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, "You¡¯re too petty. Are you really that worried about what might happen between him and me?"


    "Stealing my wife? That¡¯s crossing a line. I was actually quite gentle with him; it¡¯s good enough I didn¡¯t throw him into the sea to feed the sharks."


    "Cut it out. You¡¯re really too barbaric." Xu Yingying said, but couldn¡¯t help laughing.


    Beating Cao Bin was satisfying, but seeing Xu Yingying laugh like that reassured Li Yifei even more that she was truly with him. He hummed an off-tune melody, feeling indescribably proud.


    Xu Yingying, looking at Li Yifei tenderly, said, "This trip I¡¯ll be gone for about a week, then I¡¯ll stay at home for two more days."


    "Weren¡¯t you supposed to go for a month?" Li Yifei, puzzled, turned to look at her.


    Xu Yingying turned to look out the window, "Don¡¯t you want me to come home sooner?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart raced, and he eagerly said, "No, no! Of course, I want you home every day."


    Turning back to him, Xu Yingying squinted and asked, "Really?"


    Li Yifei nodded vigorously, "Absolutely, it¡¯s true, from the heart, no lies at all." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching Li Yifei¡¯s excited expression, Xu Yingying smiled and teased, "Then you better behave, stop flirting around. If I find out, you won¡¯t get off easy."


    Li Yifei¡¯s joy increased, and he couldn¡¯t resist but take her hand.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s hand stiffened, and she scolded, "What are you doing?"


    "Heh heh, honey, I¡¯m just too excited. I¡¯ll let go once we get to the airport."


    Xu Yingying gave him a look, her eyes filled with tenderness, "Look at your silly face."


    "Haha... as long as my wife is happy, what¡¯s wrong with being silly?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s hand did not pull away but after a short pause, it flipped over and interlocked with Li Yifei¡¯s. The moment their fingers intertwined felt like the lost intimacy of a long-separated couple had been restored, then tightly entwined, never to part again.


    Li Yifei had never expected their affection to return so swiftly. As he drove Xu Yingying to the airport, his heart felt like it was blossoming with joy. If it weren¡¯t for driving, he would have loved to pull over and share a sweet moment with Xu Yingying.


    The wonderful time seemed to fly by. Li Yifei kept his speed low, but in just a short while, they arrived at the airport. Seeing that Li Yifei was reluctant to let go of her hand, Xu Yingying smiled and said, "Aren¡¯t you going to let go? I need to catch my flight."


    Only then did Li Yifei reluctantly release Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, saying, "How did we get here so quickly?"


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips, smiled flirtatiously, and said, "On the highway, you were driving only seventy or eighty. How much slower did you want to go? I bet a lot of drivers were scoffing at you, driving a Mercedes at that speed."


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and then got out of the car with Xu Yingying. As they walked toward the airport, Li Yifei reached out to hold Xu Yingying¡¯s hand. However, she had already looped her arm through his and clasped his hand with her other hand.


    For Li Yifei, this was an absolute treat. He tightly grasped Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and turned to look at her.


    Xu Yingying playfully scolded him with a glance, saying, "Can you please stop grinning like a fool? It¡¯s embarrassing."


    "Alright, alright!" Li Yifei quickly took a couple of deep breaths to calm his excitement, then walked closely with Xu Yingying toward the airport, though his steps were somewhat unsteady, as if he might stumble at any moment.


    Xu Yingying could clearly feel Li Yifei¡¯s elation and looked at him with even more tenderness. However, because Xu Yingying had timed their journey so precisely, the announcement for passengers to proceed through security was already broadcasting.


    Before reaching the security checkpoint, Xu Yingying released Li Yifei¡¯s arm, faced him, and looking into his eyes, she softly said, "Husband!"


    "Ah... what did you call me?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Xu Yingying gave him a small slap and whispered, "Why are you making such a fuss?"


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be quiet. Can you call me that again?"


    A radiance of happiness spread across Xu Yingying¡¯s face as she softly said, "Husband!"


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a tang in his nose. The Golden Eagle, feared by countless powerful people around the world, was almost brought to tears because his wife called him "husband."


    "Husband!" Xu Yingying called out again and then leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, hugging his waist tightly.


    Li Yifei immediately held Xu Yingying close, and the two of them embraced tightly. In that moment, Li Yifei no longer wished for Xu Yingying to regain her memory; just continuing like this was enough for her to be his true wife.


    "Husband, wait for me to come back." After a moment, Xu Yingying released Li Yifei, but still stood close, looking up at him.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying gazed into each other¡¯s eyes, and he nodded, saying, "Wife, come back soon."


    Xu Yingying gently nodded, then suddenly stood on her tiptoes, whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "When I come back, I¡¯ll truly be your wife."


    Li Yifei was momentarily stunned, as Xu Yingying gently kissed his cheek, turned around, and hurried to the security checkpoint, pulling her suitcase.


    Li Yifei stood there, dumbfounded, watching Xu Yingying go through security until she turned to look back at him. He quickly stepped forward, eagerness in his voice, asking, "Wife, are you serious?"


    Xu Yingying blushed, with several people waiting at security. Li Yifei had raised his voice so loudly that it was almost embarrassing, but fortunately, he hadn¡¯t specified what he meant. Embarrassed, she glanced back at him and said, "Of course, it¡¯s true." Then she rushed down the corridor, disappearing from Li Yifei¡¯s sight.


    "Haha..." Li Yifei suddenly burst into loud laughter, attracting the attention of those around him, yet he didn¡¯t care. Everyone directed warm, understanding smiles his way¡ªthe sight of a loving couple was something many envied.


    Walking out of the airport, Li Yifei felt indescribably light; his steps were buoyant. The feeling was inexplicably wonderful; after holding on for so long, he was finally about to make things official with Xu Yingying.


    Being intimate with Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s greatest anticipation, but her agreement meant that Xu Yingying truly loved him, that she would be affectionate with him as before. The significance of this was overwhelmingly exciting for Li Yifei.


    Sitting in the car, Li Yifei touched his face, where Xu Yingying had just kissed him, savoring the indescribable delightful sensation.


    Being so enraptured by a kiss was something he had only experienced during his first love with Ye Yunzhu, and never again with any other woman. Today, Li Yifei had finally rediscovered that heart-fluttering flavor of romance: thrilling and deeply affecting.

 Chapter 886 - 927 Coincidental Meeting

    Chapter 886: Chapter 927 Coincidental MeetingXu Yingying would be away on a business trip for a week, which meant Li Yifei had a whole week to handle his own affairs. Although the demolition matter was important, there was another issue that Li Yifei had to address immediately ¨C helping Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling solve their problems. Recently, they had almost blown up Li Yifei¡¯s phone with their calls; if he didn¡¯t show up soon, they might genuinely lose their minds.


    Fortunately, Li Yifei had been planning for this for quite some time, and this trip was all about netting the results.


    Upon arriving in Capital City, Su Mengxin did not come to pick him up. Instead, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei, along with a few followers who clearly bore the intent of surveillance, greeted him. Li Yifei knew without asking that these were the arranged companions by Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s families to watch over the two, preventing any chance of them fleeing before the engagement party, as their absence would turn the event into a mockery.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re finally here," Xiao Ling¡¯er greeted him with a huge hug.


    Such warmth made Li Yifei a bit embarrassed, but seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s excited face, he understood. They must have suffered a great deal emotionally during this time. He reciprocated the hug and joked, "How could I not come? If I didn¡¯t, you would¡¯ve skinned me when you saw me next."


    "You know what¡¯s good for you!" Xiao Ling¡¯er was finally at ease after seeing Li Yifei, tapping him on the back before letting go.


    Zheng Yuling immediately hugged Li Yifei as well and said, "It¡¯s all up to you now."


    Li Yifei patted Zheng Yuling¡¯s back just like he had done with Xiao Ling¡¯er and reassured her with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, since I¡¯m here, I will certainly solve this problem for you." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Yuling released Li Yifei, and Xiao Ling¡¯er quickly nudged Su Mengfei, teasingly saying, "It¡¯s your turn now."


    Su Mengfei came forward with a giggle and wrapped her arms around Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, let me reserve my hug first."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "With your sister, you won¡¯t be that pitiful."


    The entourage that had come to keep an eye on Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others was now quite astonished. Although Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei were known to be wild, they were relatively reserved in terms of male-female relationships. They had never been seen getting close to any man, and now all three of them were embracing the same guy ¨C it was a real shocker for them.


    They couldn¡¯t help but take a closer look at Li Yifei. The man in front of them was decent-looking and fit, but not exactly what you would call a real hunk or pretty boy. What was it about this guy that captivated all three beauties?


    The three women surrounded Li Yifei as they left the airport, then headed straight for Su Mengxin¡¯s villa, where she would return a bit later.


    Once at the villa, the followers of Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others couldn¡¯t come in; they had to stay outside, giving Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others even more freedom.


    "Hey, Yifei, what exactly are you planning to do?" Xiao Ling¡¯er was already impatient. Before Li Yifei could even sit down on the sofa, she rushed to his side, grabbing his arm with urgency.


    Zheng Yuling also sat down on the other side and said just as anxiously, "Yes, please tell us. We¡¯re practically dying from the suspense."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Some things are better left unsaid. I absolutely cannot tell you my plans in advance, or it might spoil everything."


    "But this is about our entire future," Xiao Ling¡¯er pressed, "Do you think we would go around blabbing?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t, but you¡¯re not sly enough to keep it under wraps indefinitely. To be honest, if both of you weren¡¯t so desperate, I wouldn¡¯t even let on that I can help you solve this."


    Seeing Li Yifei take the issue so seriously, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling dared not ask any further. They were well aware of the kind of people he was dealing with. Although those two were irresponsible and hardly sharp-witted, the families backing them were incredibly powerful. Even a slight misstep could topple Li Yifei¡¯s plans.


    "Okay, okay, we won¡¯t ask anymore," Xiao Ling¡¯er conceded. "But you¡¯ve been so good to us, don¡¯t you want a little reward first?" She hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pressing her chest against it, her eyes clearly holding a seductive allure.


    Li Yifei dreaded most when these two used this tactic. Because of their past mischief, these two beauties dropped their guard around him, and they were quite casual when together with him. But Li Yifei was a grown man, facing such temptation, it was impossible not to be moved. However, he wasn¡¯t the carefree playboy he used to be, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t behave as recklessly as before. The more they acted like this, the more uncomfortable it was for him, and he quickly said, "Don¡¯t mess around, or you¡¯ll mess up my plans, and that will be on you."


    Although they knew Li Yifei was just making an excuse, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling really didn¡¯t dare to continue their teasing. They cheerfully started to chat with Li Yifei.


    A while later, Su Mengxin made a call, saying she couldn¡¯t come back for the time being and asked them to go out to eat together later, setting a time and place. Li Yifei then hung up the phone.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had really hoped to taste Li Yifei¡¯s cooking, so when Su Mengxin suggested eating out, it left them somewhat disappointed. But Su Mengxin had been very busy lately, always engaged in transferring her massive workload to other members of the Su Family. They were all understanding of her situation.


    When it was nearly six o¡¯clock, Li Yifei and the others arrived at the famous Wanhao Hotel in the Capital City, a five-star establishment and property of the Su Family. They went straight to the room mentioned by Su Mengxin, who was already there waiting.


    It had been some time since Li Yifei and Su Mengxin had seen each other, and naturally, they were quite pleased to meet again. But with these three tag-alongs, the two couldn¡¯t pour out their hearts to each other. They exchanged smiles, saying all that needed to be said without words.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were in a particularly good mood, and the group of five chatted and ate happily. From time to time, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling deliberately teased Li Yifei, and seeing him embarrassed made them especially joyful. They were not at all afraid of Su Mengxin getting jealous.


    Su Mengfei was more behaved at the moment. Unlike the other two, she hadn¡¯t been entangled in the recent drama and thus didn¡¯t have the same relaxed demeanor around Li Yifei. Plus, in front of her cousin Su Mengxin, it was certainly not proper for her to flirt too provocatively with Li Yifei.


    The group of five didn¡¯t drink much, just a little. After having their meal, they prepared to leave. But as they approached the elevator, several people came out from another private room. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, who had been all smiles, suddenly became solemn.


    Li Yifei glanced at the group and immediately recognized two of them: one was Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s betrothed, He Zhenyu, and the other was Zheng Yuling¡¯s betrothed, Chen Fangzhou. Li Yifei had done quite a lot of work for them recently and naturally recognized the two men, but he had never shown himself before, so they didn¡¯t recognize him.


    "Hey, Zhenyu, Fangzhou, aren¡¯t these your fianc¨¦es?" a slick-looking Pretty Boy chuckled and winked at He Zhenyu and Chen Fangzhou.


    Both He Zhenyu and Chen Fangzhou, if judged by looks alone, were quite decent, at least not offensive to the audience. But at that moment, the smell of alcohol on them, along with their aristocratic arrogance, made them look particularly disagreeable.


    Then another lad said, "What a coincidence, huh? Hey, Zhenyu, Fangzhou, why don¡¯t you bring them along, and let¡¯s all go out for some singing?"


    As far as He Zhenyu and Chen Fangzhou were concerned, they were quite satisfied with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. In the major families of the Capital City, many girls were involved in all sorts of activities, and ones like Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were really rare. Beautiful and proper in their relationships¡ªsuch women were incredibly rare for heirs of great families, and marrying them was a matter of pride for He Zhenyu and Chen Fangzhou. Each time they discussed their arranged marriages, even other peers from similar families felt envious.


    Both men were too proud to lose face. So, when their friend suggested it, they couldn¡¯t refuse, even knowing that Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both greatly disliked them. They both stepped forward together.


    He Zhenyu spoke to Xiao Ling¡¯er first, "Ling¡¯er, friends are going to sing together, you should come along."


    At the same time, Chen Fangzhou also said to Zheng Yuling, "Yuling, let¡¯s go."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, as if having coordinated beforehand, glared in unison and said, "We¡¯re not going."


    He Zhenyu and Chen Fangzhou both turned visibly upset. Being rejected in front of friends was indeed a loss of face, especially by the women who were to be their wives, which seemed even more humiliating.


    He Zhenyu¡¯s expression darkened and he said, "Ling¡¯er, these are all my good friends. You can¡¯t not go."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er felt enraged looking at He Zhenyu because her family wanted to marry her off to this man. Seeing him only aggravated her resentment, and being spoken to in such a tone was even more intolerable. She arched her eyebrow contemptuously and said, "I won¡¯t go, who do you think you are? Let me tell you, I have a man, and if you think you¡¯re marrying me, you can forget it." With that, she looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s.


    The group¡¯s attention, especially He Zhenyu¡¯s, instantly focused on Li Yifei. His eyes carried a cold light, for in his heart, the man Xiao Ling¡¯er was embracing was as good as dead!

 Chapter 887 - 928 Conflict

    Chapter 887: Chapter 928 ConflictXiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s action had already infuriated He Zhenyu, but what Zheng Yuling did next not only angered him but also turned his face green with fury.


    Because Zheng Yuling suddenly hugged Li Yifei¡¯s other arm and said to Chen Fangzhou, "I¡¯m sorry, I have a man too, and we¡¯re just about to go out and have fun. We don¡¯t have time to bother with you."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words. Running into He Zhenyu and Chen Fangzhou was not part of his plan, and being pushed to the forefront by Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling to confront these two men was even less expected. But at that moment, things had gone this way, and he could no longer avoid confrontation.


    If one did not know about Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, the two women pushing him forward like this might have caused him some resentment. After all, facing the scions of a major Capital City family, an ordinary person could end up dead without even knowing how it happened. For their sake, pushing a man into a pit of fire, their intentions were utterly condemnable.


    However, knowing Li Yifei¡¯s strength and having received his promise, it was understandable for them to use Li Yifei as a human shield at that moment.


    Of course, Li Yifei could not dismantle their act. He straightened his chest and faced the fierce glare of He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou.


    He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou never expected their wives to be virgins. These arranged marriages within great families were often a type of alliance for mutual interest. Even after getting married, each would continue life as normal, hardly affected by having a wife.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling having boyfriends wouldn¡¯t surprise He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou much. Indulging wildly before marriage was common among women in major families since, unlike men, they couldn¡¯t just go out for fun after marriage. They would usually be confined to their homes. Great families cared about appearances, and if a bride kept partying wildly, that would never be permitted.


    But now, in their presence, to openly bring up having a man, and even sharing the same man, was utterly humiliating for He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou. Experiences like threesomes and swinging were not new to them, but hearing their women openly discuss playing around with another man in such a situation was more than they could bear. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing He Zhenyang¡¯s livid face, Xiao Ling¡¯er felt an indescribable thrill. She tiptoed and gave Li Yifei a peck on the cheek, cooingly saying, "Honey, don¡¯t bother with them. I wouldn¡¯t marry them anyway. Let¡¯s go have fun."


    Zheng Yuling, not to be outdone, also kissed Li Yifei and clung tighter to his arm, flirtatiously adding, "Tonight, we must have a blast."


    "Shut up!" He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou shouted simultaneously.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, with a teasing smile, replied, "We¡¯re talking about our stuff. Why does it bother you?"


    Zheng Yuling disdainfully added, "What¡¯s with the yelling? Showing off how loud your voice is?"


    The two women were inherently fearless, coming from major families themselves and quite indifferent to these men. Although they were about to get engaged, with Li Yifei backing them, they cared even less about these two men now.


    At this point, He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou were utterly furious. If it were just the two of them and the opposing trio including Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and the unfamiliar man, it would have been unbearable. But now, several friends behind them clearly expressed their amusement. This incident would certainly become a joke, a lifelong embarrassment for them, and their usually proud selves couldn¡¯t stand it.


    "Come here!" He Zhenyang, clenching his fists, glared menacingly at Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    "Who do you think you are? Just because you say come here, I should come?" Xiao Ling¡¯er hugged Li Yifei even tighter.


    "Bitch!" Unable to take it anymore, He Zhenyang charged forward, reaching to grab Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s arm, trying to drag her over.


    Chen Fangzhou, not wanting to be outdone, lunged at Zheng Yuling as well.


    Li Yifei stepped back two steps with the two people, Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er faced the furious He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou without a hint of fear, Zheng Yuling even added fuel to the fire, saying, "You two are sick, get lost, such grown-ups with no manners whatsoever."


    At this point, He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou had somewhat lost their reason, all they thought about was dragging the two women away to salvage some face, and they charged forward again.


    Li Yifei moved back with the two women again, it would be an endless situation, and at this moment, he could only draw his arms back, with a stretch of his limbs, he already blocked He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou.


    For He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou, pulling Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling was all they could manage, but facing Li Yifei was entirely different, this man had slept with their designated wives and made them lose face in such a situation, the moment Li Yifei intervened, they directed all their anger at him.


    "Fuck your mother!" Both cursed simultaneously, throwing punches at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless, getting into a conflict with the two right now was not a wise choice, this was Capital City, especially these two men with powerful backers. If he had no interest in establishing a family, he wouldn¡¯t need to care, but building a family meant he couldn¡¯t afford to make so many powerful enemies, otherwise his family might just collapse before it even started.


    Thus, Li Yifei¡¯s plan did not involve directly confronting these two fellows, this unexpected situation had put him in a difficult position.


    However, facing two crazy guys, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just let them hit, and at this moment, he also had to step up for Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, if he backed down, wouldn¡¯t that allow these two crazies to take them away, otherwise how could they ever let it go?


    He also realized, today¡¯s conflict wasn¡¯t the fault of Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er, it was just unfortunate timing, it wasn¡¯t that Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were looking to escalate the situation.


    Li Yifei grabbed the wrists of the two men, with a slight force, their bodies involuntarily twisted around, losing any ability to attack.


    But these two guys¡¯ mouths were not shut, Chen Fangzhou immediately shouted, "Kid, let me go, do you know who I am, you dare to hit me."


    He Zhenyang even yelled, "Kid, if you fucking don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll definitely slaughter you and dump you in the reservoir."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly, dealing with such people was troublesome, he could dominate by power in Mile City, but here in Capital City, facing such people, trying to dominate by power was just too difficult.


    "Look at you two grown men, utterly powerless in front of our husband, thinking you can target this miss, just give up already," seeing Li Yifei subdue the two men with one move, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were thrilled beyond words.


    Actually, this arranged marriage wasn¡¯t something He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou went after, with their status, they could have any beautiful woman they wanted, but since the marriage had been announced earlier, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were pretty much guaranteed to be their wives, now seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling with another man was a slap in their face, a humiliation, especially when Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling spoke like that, it was unbearable.


    "Fuck! Attack!" Chen Fangzhou struggled for a while, unable to turn around in his awkward posture which was incredibly uncomfortable, most of all the discomfort was emotional, almost enough to make him spit blood, so he called for his comrades¡¯ help.


    Those fellows, being cronies of He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou, naturally sided with them, in their minds, He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou had suffered great humiliation, they had previously hesitated to intervene since it was a personal matter between the two, but once Chen Fangzhou called out, the remaining five immediately rushed up, getting excited about a group fight especially when it¡¯s against one individual, it was pure domination.


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly, today¡¯s incident really couldn¡¯t be easily settled, he pushed He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou forward, instantly two men hurried to support them, the other three rushed towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had no specific grudges with them, and only resorted to fighting out of necessity, therefore he naturally didn¡¯t strike harshly, merely hoping they would know their place and back off, at this point his palms either deflected or pushed, managing to drive those three men back.


    Just when these three were pushed back, He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou, along with the other two, charged again, now seven men attacking at once, blocking the hallway entirely, in such a hotel plenty of security was naturally present, but seeing that it was He Zhenyang and those people, they hesitated, yet seeing Su Mengxin there, they plucked up the courage to step in and stop the fight, but just then Su Mengxin waved at the security guards.


    The guards, not understanding but following Su Mengxin¡¯s directions, simply stood by waiting for further instructions from her.

 Chapter 888 - 929: Always Slap the Face

    Chapter 888: Chapter 929: Always Slap the FaceLi Yifei was also somewhat unclear about Su Mengxin¡¯s intentions at this time. Here, Su Mengxin was practically the hostess, and given her status and strength, even if He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou were arrogant, they would not dare to disrespect her. If Su Mengxin intervened to stop the matter, it seemed that she could suppress them.


    But Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t stepped in to stop it, and she had even deliberately stood behind Su Mengfei, intentionally avoiding being seen by He Zhenyang, Chen Fangzhou, and the others. It seemed that she wanted to escalate the conflict.


    While effortlessly dealing with the seven men across from him, Li Yifei considered Su Mengxin¡¯s intention, thinking about the benefits of escalating the conflict for them.


    Li Yifei always discussed his actions with Su Mengxin. He was very strong personally and had leadership skills, but when it came to grasping broader strategic directions, he was far from matching Su Mengxin, and even Ye Yunzhu and Xu Yingying were stronger in this aspect. Now, he could only consult Su Mengxin and Ye Yunzhu.


    Therefore, everything Li Yifei did on this trip to Capital City had been discussed with Su Mengxin beforehand. Su Mengxin naturally understood his intention, which was to avoid conflict with the major families in Capital City for the time being, as that was not beneficial for establishing the Li family.


    But soon Li Yifei figured out Su Mengxin¡¯s intention. Currently, it was not suitable for him to get into conflicts with the major families in Capital City, as it would lead them to resent him, bringing many troubles in the future. However, it was also an opportunity¡ªif he could pull Xiao Family of Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Family of Zheng Yuling closer all at once, that would mean gaining two major supports.


    Eventually, even when the Li family was established, it would not be possible for them to be on good terms with all the major families in Capital City; there would inevitably be both allies and enemies. Rather than that, it would be better to gain two allies now, which would greatly benefit the Li family.


    Besides, even if the He and Chen families bore grudges against Li Yifei, now that the Li family wasn¡¯t yet established, they could only target him personally, which wouldn¡¯t affect other aspects of the Li family. But Xiao Family and Zheng Family were different; they could bring many unexpected benefits to Li Yifei, which was truly vital.


    In just a short while, Li Yifei had figured out Su Mengxin¡¯s intention and knew what he should do.


    At that moment, He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou were fuming. It was seven against one, and although only about four or five could reach him, it was still a case of many against few. Under normal circumstances, they should have already beaten him down, but instead, the opponent was unscathed and still so composed, making them feel like fools in front of Li Yifei.


    "Fuck, I¡¯m going to kill you today!" He Zhenyang, growing even more irate and impulsive from the alcohol, stormed back into the room they¡¯d just left, grabbed a wine bottle, and smashed it against the wall. With a "bang," the bottle broke in half, leaving jagged edges that were as sharp as a dagger and, due to their jaggedness, potentially more lethal.


    "Get out of the way; I¡¯m going to cripple him today!" shouted He Zhenyang, his eyes red with rage, exuding a fierce aura.


    The others were frustrated from fighting. Group fights were meant to be overwhelming, and they hadn¡¯t succeeded in bringing the opponent down, making the fight thoroughly unsatisfying. Seeing He Zhenyang charge forward, the men quickly made way, not out of fear but with evident excitement.


    Seeing He Zhenyang rush out like that startled both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Xiao Ling¡¯er, particularly anxious, yelled, "He Zhenyang, stop!"


    He Zhenyang paused, glaring at Xiao Ling¡¯er with bloodshot eyes and grinding his teeth, "Xiao Ling¡¯er, you wench, weren¡¯t you in bed with someone? I¡¯m going to slaughter him today. Once you marry over, I¡¯ll have several women service me daily; I¡¯ll make you realize the consequences of crossing me."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, who was anything but weak, was incensed by He Zhenyang¡¯s words and yelled to Li Yifei, "Husband, don¡¯t hold back. I¡¯ve got your back if anything happens."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile, swiftly moved beside Xiao Ling¡¯er, wrapped an arm around her slim waist, kissed her cheek, and said, "Alright, leave it to me." Releasing Xiao Ling¡¯er, he then stepped forward to meet He Zhenyang.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er was stunned. Though she had often teased Li Yifei playfully with the other two women, it was always them initiating, with Li Yifei remaining passive and somewhat helpless under their tease. His taking the initiative to kiss her like this was absolutely unprecedented. The sudden affection left Xiao Ling¡¯er momentarily dazed.


    Seeing Li Yifei kiss Xiao Ling¡¯er so openly further infuriated He Zhenyang. It was a clear provocation, a blatant disregard for him. For someone like him, this was intolerable. Roaring with fury, he clenched the wine bottle and charged at Li Yifei, the bottle slicing through the air towards Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei, although aware of Li Yifei¡¯s ferocity, such as battling sharks in the sea and protecting them amid gunfire, still involuntarily screamed when they witnessed such peril from such close range.


    Su Mengxin had also seen it, but she had experienced such dangers with Li Yifei, so these things didn¡¯t bother her. If Li Yifei could be hurt by He Zhenyang, that would be a big joke.


    However, He Zhenyang didn¡¯t think so. Hearing Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s screams, a thrill surged through his heart. He wanted to see Xiao Ling¡¯er heartbroken and upset. He fantasized about stabbing the man in front of him with a wine bottle, creating a hole in his abdomen, causing Xiao Ling¡¯er to scream even more panicked.


    As the wine bottle in He Zhenyang¡¯s hand got closer to Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen, and no reaction came from him, a cruel smile spread across He Zhenyang¡¯s face. He had never killed anyone before, especially killing someone with his own hands, but now, he wasn¡¯t scared at all. Instead, he felt a rush of excitement as his violent emotions were fully ignited.


    But, imagination is beautiful, and reality is harsh. As He Zhenyang¡¯s wine bottle approached, it had almost penetrated Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen, just needed a little more push, but suddenly, a hand latched onto his wrist firmly like a tiger¡¯s clamp, preventing him from moving any closer despite all his efforts.


    "Fuck!" He Zhenyang cursed, swinging his other hand towards Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    But as his hand was halfway raised, he felt as if his abdomen was struck by a massive hammer. His body suddenly felt light, and Li Yifei, who was once so close, seemed to move farther away.


    Chen Fangzhou and the others then saw He Zhenyang¡¯s body fly towards them. They hurriedly exclaimed to catch him; though they caught him, the massive force knocked Chen Fangzhou and another guy to the ground, unable to withstand it¡ªthey all tumbled to the ground, discharging the force from Li Yifei¡¯s kick.


    "You... you dare hit me?" He Zhenyang suddenly jumped up, pointing at Li Yifei with a face filled with disbelief.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, "Yes, I dare to hit you!"


    "You... you... do you know who I am? I am He Zhenyang from Capital City. Do you know the consequences of hitting me?"


    As Li Yifei watched He Zhenyang¡¯s astonished expression, he suddenly felt cautious. This is what being from a major family entails; they can hit others and even dare to kill out of self-entitlement, but when hit by others, they find it inconceivable, as if such actions are utterly unjustified.


    If his future children turned out like He Zhenyang, it would be a tragedy. So, Li Yifei was determined to take this as a lesson, ensuring that his future descendants would be well disciplined. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Zhenyang had no idea Li Yifei was thinking this, seeing Li Yifei silent, he thought Li Yifei was intimidated by his name. Grinning fiercely, he said, "Boy, kneel down now, and I might consider sparing your life. Otherwise, since you dared to hit me, I must kill you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze shifted back to He Zhenyang¡¯s face, suddenly dashed forward, and slapped He Zhenyang hard across the face, exclaiming, "You think you¡¯re great because you are He Zhenyang? Bam! You think a powerful family backing is everything? Bam! You think you¡¯re the biggest under heaven? Bam! Today, I¡¯ll teach you on behalf of your father, showing you there¡¯s always someone stronger, there¡¯s always a higher sky! Bam bam bam..."


    With each word, Li Yifei struck He Zhenyang with a resounding slap, echoing through the entire corridor and also resonating in the hearts of everyone present.


    Chen Fangzhou and the others were initially stunned by Li Yifei¡¯s imposing presence but soon they yelled and rushed to help. However, at this point, Li Yifei was no longer holding back. Hands flying, he slapped each of those arrogant boys across the face, swiftly depleting their courage as they cried and ran, clutching their heads.


    Watching Li Yifei¡¯s agile figure and his commanding presence when he spoke, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling seemed almost entranced. The men who were engaged to them seemed like nothing in front of Li Yifei. At that moment, they understood why a woman like Su Mengxin could fall for Li Yifei.

 Chapter 889 - 930: Beauty Delivered to Your Door

    Chapter 889: Chapter 930: Beauty Delivered to Your DoorHe Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou had never suffered such a great humiliation, being beaten up by a man who had stolen their women. It was an unbearable disgrace.


    In any other place, if they had suffered such a blow, they would certainly have trashed the restaurant, but they knew this restaurant belonged to the Su Family, and they were somewhat inferior to them. If they dared to mess with the Su Family¡¯s property, they would incur serious trouble.


    But they couldn¡¯t just leave it at that, not willing to accept defeat. The seven of them lurked in their cars outside the hotel, watching the entrance intently. They needed to find out exactly who had beaten them so they could plan their revenge. They might not be able to beat this guy themselves, but they had plenty of powerful allies they could use. They would have them take care of Li Yifei and grind his bones to dust, erasing the bitter resentment from their hearts.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to see the guy they despised to the bone emerge from the hotel. And to their chagrin, Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er were cuddling his arms, one on each side, displaying an unmistakable intimacy.


    "Sluts!" He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou gnashed their teeth in anger. These women were supposed to be their future brides. They could have tolerated it if each woman was with a different man¡ªafter all, it was rare nowadays for young women to still be virgins by the time they got married. However, seeing both of them with the same man was a different story. If they married them, they would have to face the awkward fact that their women had been with another man, which would undoubtedly make interactions uncomfortable.


    Watching Li Yifei and the others get into a car, He Zhenyang and the others quickly followed in their three luxury cars. They needed to find out where this guy lived.


    Zheng Yuling and her companions had noticed He Zhenyang¡¯s cars outside the entrance. As soon as Li Yifei started driving, they followed. Xiao Ling¡¯er spoke up immediately, "Yifei, they¡¯re following us."


    Li Yifei just smiled and said, "Then we¡¯ll just have to shake them off."


    Su Mengfei, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Awesome, I¡¯ve never experienced a car chase before. Yifei, let us enjoy it today."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling also shouted with excitement. They had always been fascinated by the idea of street racing but never had the chance. Now they were eager to indulge in the thrill.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Ladies, with so many cars on the road, you want to race?"


    Zheng Yuling quickly responded, "Then lure them to an area with fewer cars and give them a good chase."


    Su Mengxin intervened, "Enough, you guys should calm down. Yifei is here to help you solve your problems, not to indulge in craziness. Yifei, don¡¯t listen to them. Let¡¯s shake them off quickly and head home." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others realized they had gotten carried away and didn¡¯t dare to say more. However, they were quite curious about how Li Yifei would shake off the pursuing cars, as those guys were known to be wild street racers with impressive driving skills.


    They expected Li Yifei to focus intently on the road ahead, gripping the steering wheel tightly, constantly shifting gears, and speeding up and slowing down. But Li Yifei just drove with a relaxed demeanor, as if the only thing he did more frequently was adjust the steering wheel.


    Yet even so, the three cars behind were quickly blocked by traffic and lost sight of them.


    "That was it?" Zheng Yuling asked, somewhat disappointed.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er also stared and said, "Really, that was too easy, right? How could they be so lousy to get ditched like this when they always race cars? Their skills are just too poor."


    Su Mengxin turned to Li Yifei with a smile. A strong man doesn¡¯t always have to do something jaw-dropping; dissolving danger into nothing like this is the true mark of strength.


    "Hey hey, brother-in-law, how did you do that?" Su Mengfei leaned over the back of Li Yifei¡¯s seat and asked.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "With so many cars now, all I need to do is find the right moment to slip between two cars, and the ones behind can¡¯t follow. It¡¯s just a small trick, really."


    "Psh, so that¡¯s what it was. I thought you had some special trick up your sleeve," Su Mengfei scoffed dismissively.


    But Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both gave Su Mengfei a look. Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "You think it¡¯s easy? We can weave through traffic too, but to do it just right so that the ones behind can¡¯t follow requires perfect timing, which isn¡¯t easy to master."


    Su Mengfei thought about it and then sheepishly stuck out her tongue, saying, "It does seem quite difficult. Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really amazing."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both disdainfully called out, "So slow-witted!"


    Su Mengfei immediately responded, "Without my slow-wittedness, how could your intelligence stand out? Besides, women are happier when they¡¯re a bit foolish; being too smart can be exhausting. Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Although you make a good point, I¡¯ve never really thought you were slow. If anything, you always seem to be playing dumb."


    Su Mengfei chuckled, "So you¡¯ve noticed. You really are too clever."


    Chen Fangzhou and He Zhenyang, who were trailing behind, were now truly frustrated. They were driving powerful sports cars, while Li Yifei was in a Mercedes. If it were a matter of speed, they naturally had the advantage, but the road conditions were so bad that several cars got stuck in traffic, and they lost sight of Li Yifei¡¯s car. They didn¡¯t think this was due to Li Yifei¡¯s driving skills but considered it an accident, blaming the abundance of cars on the road.


    "Damn it, I refuse to believe you can get away!"


    He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou wanted to catch Li Yifei using the most direct method. If it didn¡¯t work now, they had other ways. With their backgrounds, finding out who the man currently with Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er was wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all.


    At this point, Li Yifei and the four girls had already arrived at the small villa where they stayed during their last visit to Capital City. Fearing that Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er might tease him again, as soon as he stepped into the villa, he said, "I¡¯m a bit tired today. I¡¯m going to take a bath. You all chat amongst yourselves." Then he dashed upstairs.


    He was quite familiar with the place and headed straight for the bathroom. After filling the tub, he stripped and soaked in it. It had been some days since he had seen Su Mengxin, and of course, he intended to have a loving night with her today. As for whether they would actually ¡¯do that,¡¯ Li Yifei was no longer so fixated on the idea. Since Xu Yingying had fully recovered, the psychological burden between him and Su Mengxin had lifted. Whether it happened or not, he¡¯d just let things happen naturally.


    However, the mere thought of possible intimacy with Su Mengxin excited him. Even though they¡¯d already had a few encounters beyond friendship, it was only natural to progress to more intimate acts. After all, Su Mengxin¡¯s status as Huaxia¡¯s number one beauty was no small thing; to have her as his woman would be something for Li Yifei to be extremely proud of.


    "Bang bang!" The sound of knocking interrupted his thoughts. Assuming it was Su Mengxin ready for a joint bath, his heart fluttered, and without thinking, he called, "Come in."


    The bathroom door slowly slid open, but nobody came in immediately. Li Yifei turned to look and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?" Then he saw a hand holding a cellphone, snapping away photos.


    "You!" He instantly knew it wasn¡¯t Su Mengxin outside, but more likely one of the girls, most probably Xiao Ling¡¯er. At a loss for words, he was relieved that he was submerged in the tub, with only his head exposed.


    "Giggles, didn¡¯t you just invite me in? So I really came in," Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s laughter came from outside.


    Annoyed, Li Yifei retorted, " Miss, can¡¯t you show a little decorum? I¡¯m a man taking a bath, and you actually come to peep?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er didn¡¯t come in but peered inside after checking her phone to ensure Li Yifei was in the tub. With a grin, she teased, "It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it all before, what¡¯s the big deal? Besides, you kissed me today, what¡¯s there to fear from you taking a look?"


    Li Yifei replied hastily, "That was a special circumstance! I was standing up for you. You can¡¯t just hold that against me."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked at Li Yifei, "You¡¯re actually right. I¡¯ve decided to latch onto you. This time it¡¯s for real; I¡¯ve settled on being your woman, and no one can stop me."


    Li Yifei grimaced, "I know you¡¯re joking."


    "I¡¯m not joking at all. After today¡¯s fuss, do you think my family won¡¯t find out? Unless you walk away now and let me marry He Zhenyang, if you don¡¯t take me, I¡¯ll become a huge joke, a disgrace to the Xiao Family. I¡¯d rather die; or, you take me."


    "No way!" Li Yifei¡¯s response was very decisive. "I helped solve your problem, and now you¡¯re clinging to me, is there no justice left?"


    "You, you¡¯re already surrounded by so many women, what difference do the two of us make?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "My dear, I used to like it, but I really can¡¯t be so casual now. I¡¯m just one person with limited energy. It¡¯s already incredibly difficult to ensure that every woman around me is happy. If there are any more, I¡¯ll truly be worn out. Please spare me."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er huffed, clearly disgruntled, "You really are something, turning down a beauty who throws herself at you. Fine, fine, I won¡¯t force you anymore. Alas, my fate is so miserable. It¡¯s hard enough finding a man I like, and he doesn¡¯t want me." She then left, shaking her head and sighing heavily.


    But Li Yifei suspected Xiao Ling¡¯er wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. There had to be some scheme behind her actions. And this mischievous girl¡¯s ideas were no fewer than Xu Shanshan¡¯s. If Xiao Ling¡¯er really set her sights on him, it would indeed be a difficult situation to resolve.

 Chapter 890 - 931 Displaying Talent

    Chapter 890: Chapter 931 Displaying TalentLi Yifei had no choice but to hurry up his shower. If Zheng Yuling came back, it would get even more difficult for him. Swiftly washing his hair and rinsing off the foam, Li Yifei wrapped himself in a bath towel, finally feeling a bit settled.


    He cautiously listened for any noise outside. Once he was sure no one was around, Li Yifei then went back to Su Mengxin¡¯s bedroom.


    This time, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t brought any clothes, but Su Mengxin had prepared some for him. He found a pair of underwear and changed into pajamas. Instead of going downstairs, he went straight to bed. He wanted to avoid meeting Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others; seeing them would really stress him out.


    After about half an hour, footsteps echoed in the hallway. Although there were several people, only Su Mengxin came to his door, which made Li Yifei very happy.


    Su Mengxin pushed the door open, a faint smile on her face, and said, "Haven¡¯t you slept yet?"


    Li Yifei grinned and replied, "I was waiting for you."


    "What were you waiting for me for?" Su Mengxin sat on the bed, her smile teasing as she looked at Li Yifei, her eyes and brows exuding charm that nearly bewitched him and stirred his desires.


    He gently took Su Mengxin¡¯s delicate hand, his eyes filled with tender affection, and asked, "What do you think?"


    Their fingers intertwined, and their gazes locked, but Su Mengxin suddenly gave a wry smile and said, "Were you really planning on making me yours today?"


    Seeing Su Mengxin¡¯s expression, Li Yifei suddenly felt unsure and replied, "What¡¯s wrong? I didn¡¯t mean to pressure you."


    "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re pressuring me, but the timing is really unfortunate. I just started my period yesterday..." Su Mengxin pouted, her frustration obvious.


    Li Yifei was slightly taken aback, then burst out laughing and replied, "That is indeed unfortunate. But you don¡¯t need to be so upset, right?"


    "How can I not be? It¡¯s been such a long time, and just when you finally let go, it happens to be this time again. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this for so long, and now we still can¡¯t."


    The more Su Mengxin expressed her discontent, the happier and more content Li Yifei felt. A woman yearning for him was a matter of pride for any man, especially when it was a woman like Su Mengxin, which was the ultimate honor for a man.


    "All right, we have our whole lives ahead of us. It doesn¡¯t have to be today or tomorrow. Let¡¯s just go to bed, and let me hold you to ease my longing."


    "Wait for me, I¡¯ll tidy up a bit," said Su Mengxin as she stood up and hurried out of the bedroom, returning six or seven minutes later.


    Soon, they were rolling around in bed. Although they couldn¡¯t do much, they could still kiss, and that kiss was dizzying, a consolation fo their longing. However, when Su Mengxin was about to pleasure Li Yifei in a certain way, he stopped her.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Su Mengxin looked at him, surprised.


    "You¡¯re feeling terrible but still trying to help me. Afterwards, I might feel good, but you¡¯d feel even worse. It¡¯s better for us both to be uncomfortable than just you. That seems fair." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin smiled warmly and replied, "Fair enough, I can¡¯t let you have all the advantages." She crawled next to him and snuggled up like a little bird nestling against its mate.


    "Stop it, or it will be even harder," Li Yifei caught Su Mengxin¡¯s hand.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s fingers playfully scratched the palm of Li Yifei¡¯s hand and asked, "What about Yingying?"


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying¡¯s relationship had progressed rapidly. Whenever he talked to Su Mengxin on the phone, he couldn¡¯t help but share his joy, and now Su Mengxin was probing, "At first, I thought Yingying might have remembered, but after testing a few times, it seems like she hasn¡¯t recalled anything. But even if she doesn¡¯t remember, there won¡¯t be any issues now."


    Su Mengxin gave a slight smile, "For you, as long as she has you in her heart, there¡¯s no problem. But for us, whether she remembers or not is very important. If she hasn¡¯t recovered her memory, accepting us would be difficult. But if she remembers, then we could go back to living like we used to."


    Li Yifei nodded in agreement, "I understand that too, but unless Yingying truly accepts me, I can¡¯t help her recover her memories. Only when she truly accepts me can I slowly help her find her past memories."


    "That¡¯s true, then let¡¯s wait a bit longer. After all, Yingying is your official wife, and we all have to step aside."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, saying, "Mengxin, are you jealous?"


    Su Mengxin pouted slightly and replied, "I used to think I wouldn¡¯t get jealous, but with Yingying acting like this all the time, I really am a bit jealous now."


    "Really? But your jealous look is really cute."


    "A woman only gets jealous because she truly loves that man. If she doesn¡¯t get jealous, doesn¡¯t that mean she doesn¡¯t love him?" Su Mengxin playfully blinked her eyes.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, then changed the topic, saying, "Today¡¯s direct conflict with He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou wasn¡¯t in my plan, it looks like I need to change my strategy."


    Su Mengxin squeezed her face into Li Yifei¡¯s armpit and said, "Whatever you think, just do it, you¡¯re the head of the family after all."


    Li Yifei patted Su Mengxin on the shoulder and replied, "Clearly, it¡¯s you making me do this, and here you are playing ostrich."


    "I didn¡¯t say or do anything. I just felt that at that time, my man should make his own decision. Whatever you want to do, I support you."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but say with a mixture of laughter and tears, "I thought you deliberately stayed out of it because you wanted me to fight with them and then win over the Xiao Family and Zheng Family. In the early stages of my development, their strong support would make my work twice as effective."


    Su Mengxin, surprised, raised her head and looked at Li Yifei, saying, "During the fight, you actually thought of that..."


    "Yes, I intended to clash with He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou, but not to the extent of causing severe friction with their two major families. Even if they wanted to deal with me, considering my previous status, they would have some reservations. During the early stage of my family¡¯s development, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily put a lot of effort into dealing with me. Overall, the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face was filled with delight, saying, "Yifei, you are really impressive! I really didn¡¯t expect you to think so thoroughly at that time!"


    It was only then that Li Yifei realized that Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t come forward at that time and it wasn¡¯t as he thought. He quickly humbly said, "So, do you think I¡¯m right?"


    Su Mengxin nodded, saying, "If you could win over the Xiao Family and Zheng Family, it would definitely be more beneficial than detrimental. But there¡¯s an important issue¡ªhow can you truly form a strategic alliance with the Xiao Family and Zheng Family? Based solely on today¡¯s events, you wouldn¡¯t likely achieve an alliance with them, and might even turn them into enemies. They are now intermarried with the He and Chen Families, tied together by huge interests. You stirring things up means disturbing the collective interests of all four families."


    Li Yifei suddenly frowned and said, "I really hadn¡¯t considered that. It seems today¡¯s actions were indeed problematic, and significantly so."


    "The problem is not small, but it¡¯s not unsolvable."


    "How can it be solved? Quickly tell me, I really haven¡¯t figured it out." For Li Yifei, Su Mengxin was a think tank, a super think tank, especially in these matters.


    Su Mengxin suddenly pursed her lips and smiled, making Li Yifei a bit on edge and uneasy.


    "It¡¯s actually quite simple. Just acknowledge your relationships with Ling¡¯er and Yuling, and then you¡¯d become their son-in-law, wouldn¡¯t that make you family with them?"


    From Su Mengxin¡¯s smile, Li Yifei guessed she would say something like this, and immediately said with a wry smile, "Mengxin, stop teasing me. Let¡¯s not talk about the emotional aspect, just the benefits and drawbacks. You know your grandfather¡¯s attitude because of you; he¡¯s only compliant because you¡¯re determined and he can¡¯t change your mind. But Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling don¡¯t have that kind of influence. If I really did this, their families would definitely explode in anger and hate me even more. After all, if this gets out, they¡¯d lose face."


    He paused, seeing Su Mengxin listening intently, and without interruption, Li Yifei continued, "And with my current status, even as the leader of the Flying Hawk Squad, at most I might be able to reach some common interests with one of the families, but definitely not as much benefit as a union with the He and Chen Families could bring about, let alone two families. Thus, neither in terms of face nor benefits, neither Xiao Ling¡¯er nor Zheng Yuling sticking with me conforms to their families¡¯ interests, it would only bring me more trouble."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face spread into a wide smile, her eyes dreamily fixed on Li Yifei, "I just knew the man I chose couldn¡¯t be wrong, not only invincible on the battlefield, but also unbeatable in anything else."


    Li Yifei sweat a little and said, "Mengxin, let¡¯s not overdo the hero-worship, tell me first if my thoughts are correct?"


    Su Mengxin grinned, saying, "Your thoughts are indeed correct, but there¡¯s one more thing you haven¡¯t considered."


    "Oh?" Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin curiously, feeling that he had been very thorough, but what Su Mengxin said he hadn¡¯t considered must be something even more important.

 Chapter 891 - 932 Clung On

    Chapter 891: Chapter 932 Clung OnSu Mengxin snuggled closer into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, finding a more comfortable position, before she said, "Chemical reactions aren¡¯t a simple matter of one plus one equals two."


    Li Yifei thought carefully and said, "You mean, we should use various means to make them feel that I can bring them greater benefits?"


    "Pretty much," she answered. "It¡¯s like some political struggles, pulling in one while hitting at another, seeking a balance in the middle to gain the biggest benefit. Sometimes, many things cannot be perfect. Indeed, some things need to be sacrificed. These large families, for instance, use marriage alliances for benefits, and that¡¯s not necessarily wrong. A marriage alliance is simply bringing together a man and woman who don¡¯t like each other, but the benefits it brings can be unimaginable."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "In any case, I will definitely not force my children into such marriage alliances unless they like each other."


    Su Mengxin sighed and said, "Sometimes, it¡¯s very hard to hold on to your true feelings under immense pressure."


    Li Yifei spoke proudly, "The purpose of establishing my family is to give my wife and children a better life. If I can¡¯t achieve even this, then why bother establishing a family? I might as well just make some money and ensure they are provided for their entire lives."


    Su Mengxin quietly sighed inwardly. With Li Yifei¡¯s principles, it would definitely be very difficult to develop among the great families, but wasn¡¯t that also the reason she liked Li Yifei? If Li Yifei were like those scions of great families, who would give up humanity and kinship for the sake of benefits, would she have liked him?


    "Husband, no matter what you do, I will support you fully." Su Mengxin smiled sweetly; she very much liked being the woman behind a man.


    "Heh, I know that with this stance, I will encounter many difficulties. But isn¡¯t it more interesting the more challenging it gets? Life is about having some pursuits. Too smooth a life often leads to a loss of fighting spirit and can make life lose much of its splendor."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s smile brightened even more as she said, "Right, let¡¯s face it together and make our life colorful." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two embraced, feeling the deep emotional connection that stirred their hearts. However, after a while, Li Yifei said, "So what do we do now? The original plan would have been much easier, but now there are so many more variables. I really haven¡¯t thought of a better approach."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Are you really not considering accepting Ling¡¯er and Yuling?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, speaking earnestly, "I really can¡¯t accept it. They are both very good girls, but I can¡¯t just take them for myself because they are good. This involves whether I can treat them properly in the future. You know the current situation at home, don¡¯t you? My energy is limited, and I am already somewhat overstrained. I just can¡¯t add more members to the family."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "You seem very strong to me; you could handle two more."


    Li Yifei patted Su Mengxin¡¯s shoulder lightly and laughed, "It¡¯s not about physical ability. Emotional and physical needs simply can¡¯t meet the requirements of the spirit. The more time I spend with them, the more I realize this. Take Michelle, for instance. She knows that my rejection of her is a kind of harm, but if I accepted her, it could be harm for a lifetime. So, I really can¡¯t agree to this."


    "Mm, then I¡¯ll listen to you. Since you won¡¯t agree to them, this matter will require more complicated handling. For starters, the Zheng Family and Xiao Family, you have to give them an explanation, right? If you say you were just acting, those two families will certainly want to follow through with the marriages."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Okay, what next?"


    "Then you have to think about the previous approach. The He Family and Chen Family indeed found a very good excuse, claiming the cancellation of the marriage due to Ling¡¯er and Yuling¡¯s impropriety. For the Xiao Family and Zheng Family, this is a very humiliating matter, and the conflict will certainly shift to you. Being besieged on all sides is really unwise."


    After a pause, seeing that Li Yifei was listening very intently, Su Mengxin felt even more admiration for her man. He had integrity, ability, and yet he was so humble, as if all good qualities were embodied in Li Yifei. She smiled and said, "So, we still need to ally with the Zheng Family and Xiao Family to garner their support."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "Then, how could I possibly ally with the Zheng Family and the Xiao Family? Besides, with my current strength, I simply don¡¯t have the leverage to negotiate with them."


    Su Mengxin smiled apologetically and said, "Husband, this approach, I admit, is somewhat self-serving. I want Grandpa to intervene, and our Su Family also wants to have better cooperation with the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family, but we never really had the right opportunity. This time, we have the chance for Grandpa to negotiate with them. By using our Su Family as the bargaining chip, we can persuade them to give up the idea of forming marriage alliances."


    "Why didn¡¯t you do this before? Oh, I see now. There was never a right opportunity before, and now we have an excuse to involve the old man. But it seems like I still get roped in, making sure to solidify my relationships with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Mengxin, how do you always come up with such ideas?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "The reason I have these ideas is that the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family are truly worth striving for. Being with you, I can¡¯t take too much from the Su Family, and the Su Family¡¯s help to us won¡¯t be very substantial unless we succeed on our own. It¡¯s much the same with the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family. If those women were with you, they would certainly be of great assistance to you in the future. Moreover, Ling¡¯er and Yuling are so familiar with you now; I¡¯ve never seen them treat any man this well before. I think if they were to look for another man, they would have to measure him against you, which is really too difficult. Rather than not finding anyone, it¡¯s better to just be with you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep them in line and make sure they won¡¯t cause you trouble or make you feel emotionally exhausted."


    "Is there no better solution?" Li Yifei asked with a frown.


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly again and said, "That¡¯s really all there is."


    Li Yifei gave Su Mengxin a reproachful look and said, "Others are worried about their husbands being unfaithful, but you, on the other hand, are finding women for me."


    Su Mengxin twisted slightly in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and said ingratiatingly, "I¡¯m not being indifferent to you. But, Ling¡¯er and Yuling have been my friends since childhood. I wish to be with them for a lifetime. Moreover, this opportunity to ally with the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family would be a great fortune for our Su Family. Otherwise, if they joined forces with the He Family and the Chen Family, it would be a significant threat to us. Without you, it would be very difficult for our three families to unite."


    Li Yifei thought about it and said, "All right, let¡¯s just keep this pretense for now. After all, it¡¯s already been mentioned at today¡¯s event, and word will soon spread throughout Capital City. For the two of them, I can¡¯t deny it for now. However, once we help them get out of their marriage agreements and your Su Family unites with theirs, then it would be better for us to return to being just friends."


    "Silly husband, why would you let go of such a good opportunity?" Su Mengxin frowned at Li Yifei, then added, "These large families care a lot about face. Once your relationship with them gets out, changing it won¡¯t be easy, especially since you don¡¯t even have a real marriage agreement with them. They need to make concessions, which is already a lot for them to put forward. If they hear you don¡¯t want them anymore, where will they put their faces? I fully support taking them just because of this reason."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Now I¡¯ve really taken a loss. Just by acting out this scene, it¡¯s set in stone."


    Su Mengxin giggled and said, "Who else like you could feel wronged by getting such a bargain? Ling¡¯er and Yuling aren¡¯t lacking in suitors. Not to mention their family backgrounds, but they¡¯re also great beauties. If someone else were in your place, they would be over the moon, not half-hearted like you are."


    "Ah, I just feel like I already have too many beauties around me. And with you and Yingying already hard to handle, now there are two more. How am I going to cope in the future? I¡¯m worried Yingying will be repulsed and Yunzhu and Xin¡¯er will be unhappy."


    "Don¡¯t worry, if I¡¯ve promised you this, I¡¯ll surely settle it. I¡¯ll persuade them and ensure they won¡¯t be angry with you. Don¡¯t you trust me?"


    "Alright, it seems like even if I don¡¯t agree, I can¡¯t do anything about it. This is like being forced to do something against my will."


    Truth be told, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel much joy. This situation was completely beyond his control. At this moment, he suddenly thought of something and stared at Su Mengxin, "Tell me the truth, your decision not to come home for dinner tonight, insisting on eating at the hotel¡ªwas all this arranged by you?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "You¡¯re wronging me there. This was really just an accident, and it was only after the fact that I thought of so much." Then she added with a wronged tone, "Husband, you don¡¯t trust me? Do you think I¡¯m scheming against you?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s demeanor deflated, and he smiled awkwardly, "Of course not. It just seemed too coincidental, and I thought it might be deliberately arranged to help us develop faster."


    "I would never manipulate my own husband," Su Mengxin said with a misty look in her eyes. Then she brought her lips close to Li Yifei¡¯s ear and whispered, "Husband, I can¡¯t tonight, so why don¡¯t you go to Ling¡¯er or Yuling instead?"

 Chapter 892 - 933 Two Obedient Girls

    Chapter 892: Chapter 933 Two Obedient GirlsLi Yifei, of course, wouldn¡¯t go to Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Even though he had agreed to Su Mengxin, for the Li family, to prevent Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er from marrying men they didn¡¯t like, he truly didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. He had always seen them as friends, and to do that sort of thing without love was something Li Yifei could no longer bring himself to do like he used to.


    For a man, a no-strings-attached fling could indeed bring temporary pleasure, but Li Yifei already had so many women by his side, sex was something he absolutely did not lack¡ªit was nightly revelry, and he could go a week without being with the same person. One could say that every night he could experience a sense of novelty, unlike many married couples who lose that fresh feeling after being married for a long time.


    Thus, what Li Yifei valued more now was spiritual pleasure. Only by truly liking and loving someone, would engaging in that act become truly soul-satisfying.


    That night, Li Yifei talked a lot with Su Mengxin, including topics on family foundation building, as well as nurturing business and power. Speaking face to face like this was far more direct than the usual phone chats, and Li Yifei benefitted greatly from it.


    The next morning, as Li Yifei washed up, he bumped into Zheng Yuling. Li Yifei greeted her like he usually did, but this time, Zheng Yuling¡¯s face turned red, she just nodded slightly, and slipped away, not at all her usual confident self.


    Li Yifei immediately guessed why. Before Su Mengxin went back to her room yesterday, she must have discussed it with Zheng Yuling and the others. Clearly, she had their approval before she talked to Li Yifei about it. It seemed that Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t someone who frivolously matched up couples like "Mandarin Duck".


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s reaction just confirmed everything. Suddenly, their relationships had changed, and it was inevitable that it felt awkward when facing each other.


    Li Yifei shook his head. To tell the truth, he really didn¡¯t know how to face Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling anymore.


    In this small villa, Su Mengxin would only come over when Li Yifei visited or when she played with Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others. So, there was no chef or anything of the sort and Li Yifei had to make breakfast himself. But by the time he finished making breakfast, Su Mengxin and the others had already come down.


    "Come and eat!" Li Yifei tried his best to seem as normal as usual as he invited the four over.


    All four of them came to the dining table, and Li Yifei sat next to Su Mengxin. Su Mengxin appeared totally natural, while Su Mengfei suddenly burst into a snicker, then broke into a fit of laughter.


    Everyone knew what Su Mengfei was laughing about. Even Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, who were usually bold, turned crimson and extremely embarrassed by Su Mengfei¡¯s laughter.


    Su Mengxin gently tapped her plate and said, "Why aren¡¯t you eating and instead laughing over there?"


    "Ha... hehe..." Su Mengfei tried to hold it in for a while and finally stopped laughing, but her face still couldn¡¯t hide the mischievous smile, and her large eyes rolled mischievously over everyone present.


    "You little brat, why are you gloating here?" Xiao Ling¡¯er glared at Su Mengfei.


    Zheng Yuling blinked and said, "She¡¯s not gloating. She¡¯s feeling envious and resentful."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately followed up, "Right, I think so too. The two of us can always be with Mengxin from now on, but you¡¯re the only one who can¡¯t be with us in the future. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ll do then?"


    Su Mengfei chuckled, "I can too. This one is my cousin, that one is my cousin-in-law, and then there¡¯s you two good friends. When the time comes, I¡¯ll just go over to your place and hang out. You wouldn¡¯t keep me away, hehe, cousin-in-law, that must be satisfying, huh? To have a ¡¯twin flight¡¯... oops, no, that¡¯s a ¡¯triple flight,¡¯ hahaha, don¡¯t forget to let me take some photos or record a video for you guys when the time comes. It¡¯s going to be so thrilling."


    Although Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling really didn¡¯t know how to face Li Yifei, Su Mengfei¡¯s teasing had them immediately stirring up trouble. Xiao Ling¡¯er raised her neck and said, "Alright, just afraid you wouldn¡¯t dare come when the time comes. We¡¯re serious, would you actually dare to take pictures then?"


    "What wouldn¡¯t I dare? Why don¡¯t you try it now and see if I dare?" Su Mengfei held up her phone, not scared at all, provoking them.


    Li Yifei watched as the three of them quarreled again and quickly glared, saying, "Are we eating or not?"


    The three of them were startled for a second, then Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling obediently bowed their heads and started eating, while Su Mengfei¡¯s eyes widened, then she tried to suppress her laughter and also started eating. But as soon as she took a mouthful of porridge, she choked, sneezed suddenly, and fortunately turned her head in time, spraying it onto the floor instead of the table. Otherwise, that would¡¯ve been the end of the meal for everyone.


    "Cough cough..." Su Mengfei coughed violently for a while before finally catching her breath.


    "Deserved!" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both murmured softly.


    Su Mengfei wiped her mouth, glanced at Xiao Ling¡¯er, then at Zheng Yuling, and finally turned to Li Yifei. Suddenly, she gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up and said, "Cousin-in-law, I am really impressed with you. Without much effort, you¡¯ve got them all tame and obedient."


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and felt an indescribable feeling inside, a mix of pride and embarrassment. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were known for their fearless attitudes. Just moments ago, his single command had quieted them down, a sign of their respect for him.


    However, seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling sitting so docilely, like obedient little wives, made Li Yifei quite uncomfortable. He said, "You two should just act naturally. I can¡¯t stand you being like this."


    "Okay!" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling responded in unison but continued to eat their meal quietly and elegantly.


    Su Mengfei chuckled again and said, "Impressive, impressive. Who would have thought these two could become like this? I never imagined. It¡¯s really different when there¡¯s a man involved."


    Li Yifei was somewhat speechless and amused. He simply buried his head in eating, letting them be however they wanted.


    Su Mengxin had been silently laughing all along. She found it all very amusing to see Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, the two friends she had grown up with, acting so ladylike. They had been nonchalant and joking with her the previous night when she mentioned this, but seeing Li Yifei today, they had completely changed their attitude, something she had never expected.


    After the meal, Li Yifei tidied up briefly. Here, he didn¡¯t expect much help from the others, so he just did it himself. As for doing household chores, Li Yifei always took it in stride. The young ladies were definitely not reliable for this. It was better to do it himself.


    Once he finished cleaning up, Li Yifei saw that only Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were in the living room, both sitting on the sofa with somewhat awkward expressions.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t avoid them; he walked over and sat down on the long sofa in the middle since they were each sitting on a sofa at either side.


    "Do you have something to say to me?" Li Yifei sat down, lit a cigarette, and looked at them both before asking.


    The two women met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and subconsciously looked away. Xiao Ling¡¯er bit her lip, then met his eyes again, her chest rising and falling slightly faster as she said, "Yifei, did you really agree?"


    Li Yifei let out a chuckle and replied, "Of course, I agreed. You two are beauties after all. Just looking at you makes my heart race. How could I refuse such an offer?"


    Zheng Yuling sighed and said, "You don¡¯t need to comfort us like this. We know you were pushed into a corner, and we didn¡¯t expect things to have such serious consequences. We shouldn¡¯t have been so impulsive last night. Even if we went with them to sing, they wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to us. But now, by creating this conflict, we¡¯ve pushed you into the spotlight."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er added, "Although we mess around, we know what¡¯s important. But we really didn¡¯t think that much at the time. We¡¯ve really caused you trouble."


    Hearing them say this, Li Yifei felt genuinely comforted. These two girls were obviously kind-hearted and sensible, despite their usual antics. It was just that they had no expectations for the future, which is why they acted as they did. Normally, if a girl gives up on her future and becomes reckless, she might do anything, but they still preserved their inner selves. They only went as far as playful antics, which was even more precious.


    "The situation is what it is now; there¡¯s no need for you to blame yourselves. Even if you didn¡¯t want me involved, under those circumstances, how could I let them take you away? I obviously couldn¡¯t, so let¡¯s just say it¡¯s fate¡¯s play."


    "Are you feeling very reluctant?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked, her big eyes brimming with tears, a mix of worry and fear, which was indeed rather pitiable to see.


    Li Yifei knew that Xiao Ling¡¯er wasn¡¯t usually like this, and although it was somewhat of an act, he could only smile and say, "Reluctant? This is clearly a blessing."


    "Really?" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling asked together, their voices not so soft.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Of course it¡¯s true."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling glanced at each other, then suddenly stood up and sat down on either side of Li Yifei. Zheng Yuling, with a giggle, said, "If you really mean it, then you should give us each a kiss."


    Blinking her eyes, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "If you don¡¯t kiss us, then it means you¡¯re only pretending." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 893 - 934 Bonding

    Chapter 893: Chapter 934 Bonding"Back then," Li Yifei would have definitely let the two push them around, but after analyzing the situation with Su Mengxin last night, he knew that it would be incredibly hard to separate from these two unless they were unwilling to be with him anymore. Consequently, he wouldn¡¯t be as constrained as before and wouldn¡¯t be at a loss with them.


    With a stretch of his arms, Li Yifei already had each wrapped around their waists, drawing them closer to his side. He could distinctly feel both their bodies tense up, a testament to their own nervousness.


    Having been teased by the two of them for so long, Li Yifei now harbored the desire to turn the tables and tease them instead. He slowly moved his face towards Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s cheek with a look full of mischievous intent.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er tensed up even more, instinctively trying to dodge to the side, but Li Yifei¡¯s hold made it impossible for her to escape. Not that she truly wanted to escape; it was just an instinctive reaction. She quickly recovered, biting her lip, both embarrassed and expectant, waiting for Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei deliberately inched closer to Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s face, and when he was about a dozen centimeters away, he paused, sniffed twice and said, intoxicated, "You really smell wonderful."


    For Xiao Ling¡¯er, such contact made her quite uneasy. If Li Yifei had just kissed her, she would have been at ease. Instead, this prolonged enjoyment of his made her unsure of how to react.


    After sniffing twice, Li Yifei suddenly turned his head towards Zheng Yuling, doing the same and remarked, "Not bad at all, Yuling, you smell fantastic too. You must be using the same brand of bath products and cosmetics."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were left in an odd state by Li Yifei¡¯s antics¡ªthis waiting for a kiss that was always on the brink but never delivered was truly uncomfortable.


    Seeing them both almost at their wit¡¯s end, Li Yifei suddenly leaned in and kissed Zheng Yuling on the face, then turning back and doing the same to Xiao Ling¡¯er with a chuckle, "So fragrant, so lovely."


    "You..." Both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling felt like they had been played by Li Yifei, and they glared at him accusingly before pouncing on him from both sides.


    "Hey, what are you guys doing?" Li Yifei exclaimed.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er gave Li Yifei a pinch on the chest and glared at him, "You jerk, you dare to play us, just wait until we deal with you."


    Zheng Yuling also pinched him in indignation, saying, "Yeah, do you think just because we¡¯re with you, you can bully us as you please?"


    Li Yifei quickly pleaded for mercy, "Alright, alright, I¡¯m sorry. Wasn¡¯t I just trying to lighten the mood since you two seemed a bit uneasy?"


    Indeed, both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling felt some pressure due to the sudden change in their relationship with Li Yifei. Li Yifei¡¯s antics offered them a chance to vent, and they took the opportunity to ¡¯punish¡¯ him thoroughly before finally settling down next to him on either side, smiling at him in unison.


    Now that all three felt more relaxed, Xiao Ling¡¯er took on a playful and cute demeanor and said, "Yifei, you¡¯ve promised now, no backsies. I¡¯m your woman from this point on."


    Li Yifei laughed, "You won¡¯t reconsider?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No need to reconsider," she replied. "I¡¯d have to find a man sooner or later, and choosing you is not bad at all. Besides, I can still hang out with Yuling and Mengxin. Later on, if you manage to win over Mengfei, we can even play mahjong or something when we¡¯re bored."


    Zheng Yuling agreed heartily, "Exactly, it¡¯s a must. Have you seen how smug that girl was this morning? Just knowing she¡¯s the only one free right now is really unsettling."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression soured, "Enough already. Mengfei is Mengxin¡¯s cousin, how could I possibly do that? It¡¯s better if you three just stick to Landlord. And should you really want to play mahjong, I can join in, wouldn¡¯t that be better?"


    Zheng Yuling chuckled, "Alright, we¡¯ll listen to you. Let¡¯s let that girl gloat for now. She¡¯ll start envying us after some time."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er nodded repeatedly, "Exactly. It¡¯s better to stick together as four. She insists on going solo, let¡¯s see how lonely she gets in the future¡ªwe won¡¯t bother with her."


    Li Yifei was amused by their talk, "You two really are something. What is there to be envious of? Once Mengfei finds someone she really likes, she¡¯ll be happy."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er scoffed, "Please, as if she can just casually pick a man. It¡¯s not possible. All those young men around her, hardly any of them are worth considering. She might be content now, but in the future, she¡¯ll be just like we were a few days ago, left waiting and crying."


    Zheng Yuling added, "Exactly. Wouldn¡¯t it be nicer to stay with us? Even though she and Mengxin are cousins, if their family¡¯s elder could entrust Mengxin to you, what¡¯s one more, giving you Mengfei?"


    "Speaking of which, where have Mengxin and Mengfei gone?" Li Yifei changed the subject.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s face flushed with a touch of red, "Mengxin took Mengfei home to discuss the next steps with the Old Master, so you don¡¯t need to go out. She asked you to stay here."


    Li Yifei looked at Xiao Ling¡¯er and then at Zheng Yuling. Both were somewhat shy, clearly Su Mengxin had arranged for them to have some emotional interaction with Li Yifei. As for visiting the Old Master, who has time during the day to be home? It was just an excuse to leave.


    Since things had come to this point, Li Yifei stopped being coy. The situation was clear: this debt of affection, whether acknowledged or not, had to be recognized. Moreover, both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were obviously quite willing, so he took each of their hands and said, "Well, what should the three of us do at home then?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, despite usually being bold, were suddenly flustered, especially Xiao Ling¡¯er. Normally, she was the boldest one and the most lively in causing a stir, but now she was the most embarrassed and dared not look at Li Yifei.


    Zheng Yuling, however, seemed a bit braver than Xiao Ling¡¯er at this moment. Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, she said, "Anyway, I¡¯m determined to follow you. Whatever you want, I¡¯ll agree to it."


    With Zheng Yuling leading the way, Xiao Ling¡¯er gathered her courage. She also started speaking more directly, raising her head, "Even going to bed is fine!"


    Li Yifei suddenly had a look of consternation and said, "You¡¯re in such a rush to go to bed? It¡¯s a bit too early. I might hurt your feelings by saying this, but I¡¯ve always treated you two as friends and haven¡¯t thought about feelings. Now that you¡¯re following me, I¡¯m really taken aback and not ready. Give me some time, okay? Let¡¯s get along well and foster some affection. It¡¯ll be really beneficial for our future relationship."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er smiled mischievously, "Whatever, I¡¯m yours anyway. In the end, you call the shots. So, what do you want to do now? How do you suggest we bond?"


    "Yeah, we have no experience. You¡¯re the old hand here; you lead, you teach us." Zheng Yuling also looked at Li Yifei with a smile.


    "You folks... have some restraint," he pleaded.


    Zheng Yuling laughed, "What¡¯s the need for restraint in front of our man? Too much restraint, and you scare the man off. That would be disastrous for us."


    Mischievously, Xiao Ling¡¯er suggested, "Why not play cards again, and draw slips of paper?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, "Okay, let¡¯s play. But we have to make it clear¡ªno excessive demands this time."


    "Stingy! You only have to strip your clothes, that¡¯s the most we¡¯ll ask," said Xiao Ling¡¯er, seeing Li Yifei red-faced with embarrassment, and she laughed even more, "We¡¯re not asking you to get completely naked, what are you afraid of?"


    Li Yifei finally breathed a sigh of relief. Having made his decision, it wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of being intimate with them, but it all seemed too rushed. The more involved he was with relationships, the more he cared about such matters. Without affection, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to go through with intimacy.


    The three went upstairs to Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s room to play ¡¯Landlord fight¡¯, which really involved drawing slips of paper.


    At the beginning, the game was quite innocent, but after a while, they got into the spirit and made all kinds of bizarre demands. Xiao Ling¡¯er asked Zheng Yuling to give Li Yifei a kiss, and when Zheng Yuling won, she immediately demanded one back. There was hugging and caressing.


    However, Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er did have a line they wouldn¡¯t cross this time. They didn¡¯t make overly intimate requests, but it was still tantalizing enough.


    Even so, the exciting feeling was even stronger than the time after they got drunk. The reason was simple: back then, it was just fooling around, they were too drunk, and none of it was from the heart. Now the situation was different. A small touch elicited a throb of the heart, a small kiss an overwhelming sensation.


    After playing for a while, Li Yifei pushed the cards away, "I can¡¯t play anymore."


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Both were having a great time, so they looked at Li Yifei somewhat puzzled.


    "I really can¡¯t continue playing. If I keep going, I won¡¯t be able to take it anymore."


    All three were wearing pajamas. Though not very thin, the tent that had been pitched in Li Yifei¡¯s lower region was quite evident, which made both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling burst into laughter, their faces reddening.


    In the past, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling might indeed have made some excessive jokes, perhaps suggesting, "Let us help you out. We can do it, don¡¯t hold back," and the like.


    But now it was different; they remembered Li Yifei¡¯s words, that without the right emotional connection, engaging in those acts would only leave regrets.


    Such restraint made them even fonder of Li Yifei; it wasn¡¯t just about physical ability, but a serious attitude towards feelings, which seemed to touch women¡¯s hearts even more.

 Chapter 894 - 935 This Really Can’t Be Helped

    Chapter 894: Chapter 935 This Really Can¡¯t Be HelpedLi Yifei made a call to Su Mengxin, who laughingly said, "Calling me at this time, have you taken care of everything?"


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat and said, "It¡¯s alright, I guess. How are things now?"


    "Nothing much at the moment. You don¡¯t need to do anything today, just stay with both of them so that when you meet Ling¡¯er and Yuling¡¯s families, they won¡¯t see through you immediately."


    "See through? Surely not?"


    "You think so? In these big families, there are always some experts. If you haven¡¯t touched them, they can tell at a glance, and then they¡¯ll know your relationship with them is fake."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes were about to pop out as he anxiously said, "So, I have to do it with them now...?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, it would be best. Otherwise, if they don¡¯t lose their virginity, the other party will know it¡¯s just an act. Later, when my old man negotiates with them, he won¡¯t have any leverage. Besides, I fear that in the next couple of days, Ling¡¯er and Yuling will be dragged back home. You figure it out."


    Su Mengxin threw this dilemma at Li Yifei, then hung up the phone, while Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were coming down from upstairs at the moment. They each took an arm of Li Yifei¡¯s, and noticing his odd expression, Xiao Ling¡¯er curiously asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing." Li Yifei awkwardly smiled.


    Zheng Yuling softly said, "Yifei, we are determined to be your women, is there anything troubling you that you can¡¯t discuss with us?"


    Li Yifei looked at Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, then drew them to sit on the sofa. He opened his mouth and finally just bitterly said, "Just now, Mengxin told me, someone in your families can tell... whether or not you are virgins."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s faces suddenly flushed, and Xiao Ling¡¯er bit her lip, saying, "That¡¯s true, one of my uncles, because he always fooled around and couldn¡¯t find a suitable match, eventually the family found him a wife. They brought a bunch of women for him to choose from, one of the criteria being they had to be virgins, and he picked out several non-virgins at a glance."


    Zheng Yuling nodded and added, "It¡¯s definitely true. I¡¯ve gone out many times, each time there¡¯s a family expert who gives me a once-over, making me very uncomfortable. I secretly asked my mom, and she told me they were checking whether I¡¯ve been messing around. Knowing that I hadn¡¯t gone too far, my family indulged me. I think it¡¯s the same at Ling¡¯er¡¯s home¡ªif we misbehaved outside, the family would definitely restrict us a lot."


    Though Li Yifei was a master, he had never learned the art of face reading, especially from faces to determine if a girl was a virgin. Yet with the vast diversity of the world, anything is possible, and though he hadn¡¯t encountered any adversaries recently, who knows where experts could be lurking? He never believed that there was no one in the world better than him.


    "This... Ah, you mean, if we go back home, people will definitely tell we are virgins, what should we do?" Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly exclaimed.


    At this point, Zheng Yuling was already frowning at Li Yifei, evidently waiting for him to decide.


    Li Yifei frowned. This matter could be seen as simple¡ªjust going to bed with them would do, but this completely contradicted his intentions; establishing relations with the two under these circumstances made him feel quite awkward.


    Seeing Li Yifei indecisive, Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly stood up, spread her legs and sat facing him on his lap, placing her hands on his shoulders, and said, "I¡¯m not afraid. Actually, I¡¯ve liked you for a while, ever since I saw you kill a shark in the sea, I liked you then. If you weren¡¯t Mengxin¡¯s man, I would have made a move earlier, so getting in bed now, I¡¯m honestly quite happy about it."


    Li Yifei, looking at Xiao Ling¡¯er, saw determination in her eyes and could tell she was sincere, which rapidly helped him make a decision. Since some things were already determined, further hesitation wasn¡¯t necessary. He wrapped his arms around Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s waist and smilingly said, "You¡¯re not thinking about doing it right here, are you?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er paused, then her face showed both shyness and joy, "For my first time, however you want to do it is fine."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Then let¡¯s go to the bed. I should at least give you a beautiful memory, shouldn¡¯t I?"


    As he was about to head upstairs with the two blushing and happy beauties, Li Yifei suddenly stopped. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both became a bit gloomy. What was Li Yifei doing? Surely he wasn¡¯t backing out now.


    "Wait here a moment, we have a visitor. Just wait for me in the living room." Li Yifei patted their waists and walked towards the villa¡¯s entrance.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling then realized what was happening. Seeing the way Li Yifei looked, it seemed they weren¡¯t expecting a friendly visitor. Any gloominess instantly dispersed, and they were even quite excited, loving to watch Li Yifei dominate others. They didn¡¯t know who this fool was who had come to trouble them, but since Li Yifei told them to wait inside, they dared not go out, and just stood by the living room¡¯s bay window, looking out at the situation.


    In the courtyard outside, besides Li Yifei, there were two other people, both around forty years old, one tall and one short, both with stern expressions and a sharp glint in their eyes. Even though Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were in the living room, they could feel the danger emanating from the two men.


    "These two must be the experts from the He Family and the Chen Family," Zheng Yuling muttered.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er nodded and said, "Definitely, there are such experts in my family too, but they definitely wouldn¡¯t be a match for our Yifei. I think even the old folks in our family wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Yifei."


    Zheng Yuling chuckled softly, saying, "Yeah, that¡¯s your man, obviously no one is as formidable as him."


    With Li Yifei no longer by her side, Xiao Ling¡¯er had no reservations and grinned, "Then he isn¡¯t your man, and by the way, even if our family¡¯s old folks are strong, could they kill a shark in the sea?"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s smile grew even fuller as she said, "Yes, yes, our men are impressive. But just now someone seemed quite impatient, sitting straight on his lap. I think you should¡¯ve taken your pants off and sat down directly."


    "Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare? Anyway, he¡¯s my man, so it¡¯s no big deal doing that. Besides, didn¡¯t you see how conflicted he was just now? If I hadn¡¯t made a move, would he have agreed so quickly? You¡¯re benefiting from my daring move, yet instead of thanking me, you¡¯re making snide remarks. That¡¯s really heartless."


    Zheng Yuling spit jokingly at Xiao Ling¡¯er, chiding her, "Do you want me to thank you? But seriously, I am quite nervous. This is actually happening, and I don¡¯t even know what to do at that moment."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er rolled her eyes at Zheng Yuling and said, "Haven¡¯t you watched those porn movies?"


    "Can porn be like reality? I don¡¯t believe you can do everything they do in those movies. Besides, do you know whether Yifei likes someone demure or wild? What if he isn¡¯t satisfied in bed, and then he starts ignoring us?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er gasped softly, saying, "Ah, you have a point. I hadn¡¯t thought about that. Even if we knew, I¡¯m afraid we wouldn¡¯t perform well, but it¡¯s our first time, right? That¡¯s not a problem, he can teach us later on. Plus, we can always ask Mengxin, she wouldn¡¯t withhold that information from us, right?"


    "Right! Just now when Yifei took us... you think... he wouldn¡¯t want to... do it together, right?" Zheng Yuling stuttered, her face even more flushed.


    "Do it together? Ah, well... I don¡¯t know, but it seems like men really enjoy that kind of stuff." Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s face also turned a little red discussing this.


    After hesitating, though feeling embarrassed, Zheng Yuling asked, "Then if he really suggests doing it together, what should we do?"


    "Then we go together..." Xiao Ling¡¯er seemed more open than Zheng Yuling and playfully said, "When he¡¯s with you, I¡¯ll be at the side counting one, two, three, cheering you on."


    Zheng Yuling mockingly spit at Xiao Ling¡¯er, chiding her, "Oh shut it, you¡¯re shameless. I don¡¯t believe that when you and Yifei are together and I¡¯m right beside you, you¡¯d feel comfortable."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and responded, "I really wouldn¡¯t know, but we¡¯re so familiar with each other, there¡¯s nothing to fear. I¡¯m actually quite curious, do you think Yifei would do it with you first or with me?"


    Zheng Yuling, feeling more embarrassed, retorted, "How would I know? But seeing how initiative you are, it¡¯ll definitely be you first. I¡¯ll just watch and learn."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er shook her head, saying, "I think he¡¯d start with you. Your boobs are bigger, and men love women with bigger boobs."


    "That¡¯s not certain; men also have a strong desire to conquer. You¡¯re always the one who annoys him the most, so this time he¡¯ll definitely start with you to get his revenge and tame you."


    "Well, when I cause trouble, you¡¯re also right there with me. I think he still prefers your boobs." As she said that, Xiao Ling¡¯er reached out and groped Zheng Yuling, saying, "Feels great. If Yifei gets busy later, I¡¯ll help him by touching your boobs."


    Zheng Yuling slapped Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s hand away, saying, "You¡¯re such a pervert. Just you wait, if you dare mess with me later, you¡¯ll face my revenge."


    Untouched by the threat, Xiao Ling¡¯er said with a sly smile, "I¡¯m scared of you? Come at me if you dare."


    While outside, Li Yifei and those two men were about to fight, but Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were completely relaxed, looking forward much more to what was going to happen with Li Yifei than to watching him beat up someone.

 Chapter 895 - 936 He Family’s General

    Chapter 895: Chapter 936 He Family¡¯s GeneralThe two men who came to the villa were from the Zheng family, whose power as a prominent Capital City clan far exceeded that of the smaller provincial clan of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family. Though based in the Capital City, these large families often had their real foundations spread across the entire country. Their presence in the capital merely facilitated easier management of family affairs, much like how large companies establish their headquarters there.


    The Zheng family was significantly more powerful than the Ye family, not only in economic strength and influence but also in their roster of talented individuals, especially when it came to martial arts experts, who were a recruitment priority and of paramount importance.


    Other talents they recruited mostly served the purpose of making money for the family, but it was only the martial artists who could protect the vital interests and key persons of the family. Without such protection, all the money and power in the world would be useless if key figures were easily killed or compromised.


    These two men were renowned experts from the He family, typically out of public view, only deployed to manage disputes involving family members when necessary. Even as top fighters, they were treated with great respect and didn¡¯t intervene without a substantial reason.


    This time, He Zhenyang had summoned them to punish someone, which was something they were initially reluctant to do. However, with the abduction of He Zhenyang¡¯s fianc¨¦e threatening the family¡¯s reputation and hearing of the adversary¡¯s prowess, the He family had dispatched them with clear instructions to chase off the rival and prevent further contact with Xiao Ling¡¯er. In today¡¯s digital age, large families like theirs handled matters discreetly, avoiding outright murder unless absolutely certain it couldn¡¯t be traced back.


    No matter how powerful, these clans still operated within the confines of the state and strove to avoid giving critics any leverage. They always sought to act lawfully and logically.


    It was commonly the younger generation, like He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou, who caused troubles. Their families hoped their marriage would stabilize them and lock in considerable mutual benefits.


    As for Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s past relationships, they were irrelevant; what mattered was her marrying He Zhenyang from now on.


    The two men, He Chong and He Meng, weren¡¯t originally surnamed He but were adopted orphans meticulously groomed until they shone, eventually being granted the family name ¡ª a common practice among major families, ensuring the orphans, free of prior attachments, devoted themselves entirely to the family and had arranged marriages within the clan.


    A large family couldn¡¯t rely solely on its main branch due to limited and not always capable personnel. They continually cultivated loyal members to serve across generations, akin to ancient house guards.


    These house guards often held status just below that of the family¡¯s natives. Outstanding ones received utmost regard and compensation from the family, sometimes even outstripping direct descendants, who treated these skilled guards with great respect.


    This respect was key to the guards¡¯ lifelong service ¡ª they didn¡¯t feel inferior and benefited from the aura of belonging to a powerful clan.


    He Chong and He Meng had lived with and served the He family for over forty years. Both men had wed women chosen by the family and regarded the He family as their own. Their mission now, triggered by an assault on a family member and the stealing of a fianc¨¦e, was to defend the He family¡¯s honor by dealing with Li Yifei.


    "We are from the He family," He Chong said to Li Yifei, speaking with his typical brevity, his introduction itself a declaration of their purpose, while He Meng, who rarely spoke, usually did so just before taking action.


    Li Yifei, recognizing the solid, unshakeable presence of the two men, felt a mixture of surprise and respect. They clearly were not ordinary fighters; in any military unit, these men would be among the elite, let alone in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Previously in Capital City, he hadn¡¯t interacted much with such big clans except when carrying out specific missions or ensuring leaders¡¯ security. He was unaware that such formidable experts lay hidden within these families. It seemed, he had known too little before.


    "What do you intend to do?" Li Yifei responded calmly, matching the briefness of the other¡¯s speech.


    "First!" He Chong raised three fingers, then retracted two, saying, "From now on, cease all contact with Xiao Ling¡¯er!"


    "Second!" He Chong raised another finger, stating, "Leave the Capital City, never to step foot here again!"


    "Third!" He Chong spread all three fingers, slowly adding, "We¡¯ll break your legs."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression remained impassive as he replied, "I have only one condition, you go back where you came from."


    He Chong and He Meng¡¯s faces showed no anger; instead, they stared at Li Yifei. They, too, sensed the danger that only a true master could perceive emanating from Li Yifei. The young man standing before them was indeed powerful. Although they had found out that Li Yifei had come here, they had not uncovered his identity¡ªnot because they couldn¡¯t, but because they were in such a hurry that they had failed to do so.


    A young man with such formidable skills was generally someone of significance. He Chong slowly asked, "Who are you?"


    "Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. Come on." Li Yifei placed his hands behind his back, adopting a posture even more arrogant than his adversaries.


    He Meng frowned, stepped forward abruptly, and bellowed. He threw a punch straight toward Li Yifei¡¯s chest. The punch was straightforward, without any trickery, but the force enveloped Li Yifei¡¯s entire body. If Li Yifei dodged, the punch would transform into a thunderous onslaught, unceasing until it toppled its target. It seemed simple yet left no room for retreat.


    Li Yifei squinted and remained still. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re bold, boy!"


    This was a slight to He Meng; his temper was already fiery, and now his eyes bulged with rage. The force enveloping Li Yifei suddenly concentrated at his fist tip, with the sound of breaking wind suddenly filling the air as He Meng¡¯s fist hurtled toward Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. "That¡¯s more like it," he said. In the midst of speaking, his right hand quickly flipped, his palm turning into a blade, and he chopped toward He Meng¡¯s wrist.


    The timing of this palm strike was perfect. If He Meng continued to attack, Li Yifei¡¯s palm would sever He Meng¡¯s wrist before the fist could hit his chest.


    Though He Meng¡¯s punch was powerful, he knew his wrist couldn¡¯t withstand Li Yifei¡¯s hand blade. Continuing the assault would only wreck his own punch, while the young man opposite would remain unscathed.


    Among masters, the brain often doesn¡¯t need to think when making a move. He Meng changed his punch into a palm, altering his straight strike into a rising blow, countering Li Yifei¡¯s hand blade with his own attack.


    Li Yifei still didn¡¯t meet him head-on; he folded four fingers, leaving only the index finger extended. He adjusted the angle slightly and again aimed for He Meng¡¯s wrist.


    He Meng roared, retracted his hand, and kicked fiercely at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei sidestepped and lifted his right foot, kicking sideways at He Meng¡¯s knee joint.


    In a blink, the two had exchanged several moves. He Meng¡¯s moves were grand and forceful, the fierceness of his attacks resembling a violent storm, apparently gaining the upper hand in sheer momentum.


    Li Yifei, however, favored finesse; he did not clash with He Meng head-on, but his attacks were precise, always targeting He Meng¡¯s weakest points at just the right moment, forcing He Meng to switch techniques midway through almost every move.


    In Xiao Ling¡¯er and He Yuling¡¯s eyes, it seemed as if He Meng had the advantage. They were both extremely nervous, clutching their hands, drenched in sweat, fearing that Li Yifei would lose. Losing would not only likely result in serious injuries for Li Yifei, but it would also mean forfeiting the chance to negotiate with their families.


    But through He Chong¡¯s eyes, the scene was greatly surprising. With his keen vision, he could clearly see that He Meng wasn¡¯t gaining any advantage at all and was quite frustrated.


    He hadn¡¯t expected such a young man to possess such incredible skills. Where had this guy come from?


    If the fight continued this way, He Meng would soon be unable to hold on. Thus, without further thought, He Chong bellowed. He couldn¡¯t be concerned with the decorum of not ganging up in a fight between masters. At least he didn¡¯t sneak attack, giving Li Yifei a warning before he too attacked him.

 Chapter 896 - 937: The Mother-in-law Comes to Kill

    Chapter 896: Chapter 937: The Mother-in-law Comes to KillXiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, seeing the situation unfold, could no longer hold back. Li Yifei was already having some difficulty fighting one person, and now that both of them were attacking him, he would surely be beaten to death. They rushed out of the villa.


    At that moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er was worried and flustered, and she also showed her fierce side, bursting out with a loud reproach, "Don¡¯t you two have any shame? You are both esteemed experts of the He Family, and now you¡¯re ganging up on one person. If word of this gets out, will the He Family have any face left?"


    Zheng Yuling was also fuming and shouted, "Stop, stop, I¡¯m telling you, if you dare to hurt a single hair on his head, I will definitely settle the score with your He Family later."


    Hearing this, He Chong and He Meng immediately retreated, with extremely ugly expressions on their faces. They both took a deep look at Li Yifei and said, "Who exactly are you?"


    Li Yifei stood proud, hands behind his back, and chuckled, "Golden Eagle!"


    He Chong and He Meng were both shocked. Although they served only their family and were not completely cut off from the outside world, Golden Eagle¡¯s reputation had spread far and wide in Huaxia. They were aware that Golden Eagle of the Flying Hawk Squad was formidable, but they did not believe he was that strong. After all, experts like them, cultivated within the family, would not be sent to the military. They always thought that so-called Golden Eagle was only good within the military, but not a match for a true family-trained expert.


    But recently, Golden Eagle had single-handedly charged into the Japanese Yamaguchi Group, causing them to flee in disarray, even killing their leader. This was something they knew they could not accomplish. And there was the battle with Satan, which was almost mythically retold. Even though they believed these tales were exaggerated, they acknowledged Li Yifei¡¯s might.


    They had not expected to encounter Li Yifei today and had actually exchanged blows with him. It seemed as though there was no victor, but they knew very well that Li Yifei had not used his full strength. It was considered mercy on their behalf.


    "He Chong said just two words, "Thank you," then gave Li Yifei a fist salute. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Meng stared at Li Yifei, offered a fist salute as well, and said with a bull-like glare, "I concede to you!"


    Then, the two turned and left.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling watched, puzzled, but seeing the admiration in the men¡¯s demeanor, they finally understood that Li Yifei had been holding back all along, simply sparing them from harm.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re amazing!" Xiao Ling¡¯er exclaimed, launching towards him. When she was still a meter away, the girl unexpectedly leapt up.


    Li Yifei quickly extended his arms and embraced Xiao Ling¡¯er. Her legs wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s waist, and she planted a firm kiss on his face, exclaiming excitedly, "Husband, you¡¯re really incredible! These so-called experts are nothing compared to you."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Just average."


    "Don¡¯t be modest! You looked so cool just now; ah, I wish I¡¯d filmed it." Xiao Ling¡¯er kissed the other cheek of Li Yifei. She had now completely let herself go and was a bit unrestrained in front of Li Yifei, but upon noticing Zheng Yuling beside them, she quickly jumped down, saying, "Sorry, I got carried away. Here, your turn."


    Zheng Yuling spat at Xiao Ling¡¯er playfully, chiding, "You¡¯re not as crazy as you seem."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, embraced Zheng Yuling, and kissed her on the cheek, which made her face turn bright red with happiness.


    "Yifei, shall we..." Xiao Ling¡¯er linked her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, batting her eyelashes and blushing.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around their waists and said, "Let¡¯s go, upstairs."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling felt both shy and delighted, aware of what was about to happen and felt their legs go weak.


    But as always, things came so suddenly. Two cars, one after the other, a Mercedes and a BMW, pulled up at the front gate. Before Li Yifei and the two women could enter the villa¡¯s hall, they had to stop.


    Seeing who got out of the cars, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s complexions changed, and they instinctively let go of Li Yifei.


    Two middle-aged ladies alighted from the cars, both with stern faces, and made their way straight into the yard. Li Yifei recognized who they were based on their resemblance to Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling; it was obviously the two women¡¯s mothers.


    "Mom, how come you¡¯re here?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked timidly.


    The lady, who bore a strong resemblance to Xiao Ling¡¯er, huffed, "If I hadn¡¯t, you would have turned the world upside down." She then turned her gaze to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei greeted the two distinguished ladies with a slight smile and said, "Hello, two aunts, my name is Li Yifei."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother scrutinized Li Yifei from head to toe, then snorted and said, "Do you know what you are doing?"


    Zheng Yuling immediately protested, "Mom, this is the man I chose myself, don¡¯t bully him."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother glared at her daughter and said, "A man that needs a woman¡¯s protection, is this really the man you chose?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother were clearly hostile towards Li Yifei at this point, and both had a domineering attitude. This made Li Yifei inwardly grin bitterly. The first hurdle had indeed come quickly, but as for dealing with the potential mother-in-law, Li Yifei really had no particular experience.


    Now, the mother of the woman by his side, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, was rightfully his mother-in-law, so there was no need to contend with her; she was quite kind to him.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother had been difficult towards Li Yifei in the past, but she had now accepted their relationship and even came to take care of her granddaughter, which was good. Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to deal with her much; he directly won over Ye Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather, and everything else fell into place.


    As for Su Yiyi¡¯s mother, she had passed away long ago, and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s mother had committed suicide. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s parents had not even been seen by Li Yifei since Ning Xin¡¯er had been with him, so there was no opportunity to contend with them. Therefore, in a real sense, this was Li Yifei¡¯s first time facing a difficult mother-in-law.


    "Aunts, it¡¯s quite cold outside. Please, let¡¯s talk inside."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother waved her hand and said, "I have nothing to talk to you about. Ling¡¯er, come home with me."


    At this moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er clenched her fists and bit her lip, saying, "I won¡¯t go back with you. I want to be with Yifei."


    "Rubbish. Do you know what your status is now? I don¡¯t care about your past affairs, but now you must come back with me; you must wait to marry He Zhenyang."


    Seeing her mother so adamant, Xiao Ling¡¯er felt extremely wronged, and tears suddenly streamed down her face as she exclaimed, "I won¡¯t! Why must I marry him? Don¡¯t you know what kind of person he is? Drinking, whoring, gambling¡ªhe does it all. Making me marry him is like pushing me into a pit of fire. Are you still my real mother?"


    "You..." Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother¡¯s face twitched, and she suddenly sighed, saying, "Ling¡¯er, it¡¯s not that Mom is forcing you, it¡¯s that there is no other choice right now. Besides, you don¡¯t have to be so pessimistic. Men... Playing around a bit too much when they¡¯re young doesn¡¯t matter; once they settle down, they will come to their senses."


    "I won¡¯t! I don¡¯t like him; I like Yifei," Xiao Ling¡¯er said and then hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm tightly, staunchly defying her mother.


    At this time, Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Aunt, even if you want to take Ling¡¯er and Yuling back, please come to the living room first. If others see this, gossip might spread, which wouldn¡¯t be very nice."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother did not refuse this time. They couldn¡¯t just take the two away immediately; they couldn¡¯t make a scene right at the doorstep. Family reputation is sometimes more important than anything else, and they couldn¡¯t shame the family.


    As they entered the house, Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother sat down on the central sofa, while Li Yifei had just seated himself on a nearby sofa. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling sat to his left and right on the arm of the sofa, their arms around Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders and their bodies leaning against him, clearly defying their mothers.


    Li Yifei inwardly smiled wryly, knowing that this would definitely infuriate both mothers. And just as he thought, the mothers looked as if they were about to breathe fire at that moment, but he could not ask the two women to leave now and had to tough it out.


    After a light cough, Li Yifei said politely, "Aunts, let¡¯s all calm down. We can talk things over. I know that you must be uncomfortable right now, having raised your daughters, and now they don¡¯t listen to you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words truly struck a chord with both mothers, and their expressions eased a little.


    "As a mother, I can understand you. You scolding them and having an opinion about me is completely normal."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother, seeing that Li Yifei was so sensible, softened her tone a bit more and said, "Good, if you can understand that, then just stop seeing them. You should know, they are not girls from ordinary families; the men they are to marry will definitely be from other powerful families, and you are simply not qualified."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling¡¯er couldn¡¯t accept it and immediately said, "Why do you say Yifei isn¡¯t qualified? Do you know who Yifei is? Golden Eagle ¡ª do you know about the Golden Eagle?"


    "Who is the Golden Eagle?" Both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mothers turned to look at Li Yifei, utterly unaware of such matters, having never heard of it.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were both rather frustrated at this; in their hearts, the incredibly powerful Golden Eagle was unknown to their mothers. They had hoped to use the reputation of the Golden Eagle to intimidate their mothers, but now it seemed entirely ineffective.

 Chapter 897 - 938: Neither Servile nor Overbearing

    Chapter 897: Chapter 938: Neither Servile nor OverbearingGolden Eagle¡¯s reputation was known in the military, specifically among special force troops. Ordinary soldiers, even those in the Flying Hawk Squad, were not aware. Of course, the heads of prominent families knew who Golden Eagle was, aware that he was no longer the same person from the military but had become a more dominant and powerful figure. However, for people like Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mothers, who did not manage foreign affairs within their families, many matters remained unknown to them.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling attempting to influence their mother using Golden Eagle¡¯s name was utterly futile.


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother looked at Li Yifei with disapproval and said, "Don¡¯t think that spending a few days somewhere gives you any status. In our eyes, you¡¯re worthless. If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll leave immediately and never come back, and we won¡¯t make things difficult for you."


    Speaking of which, Zheng Yuling took out a check and placed it on the coffee table, "Here¡¯s ten million, enough for you to live comfortably, even to find a top model or a rising star."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother spoke indifferently, "You better make your decision now. We don¡¯t want to go too far. Besides, I must remind you that you dared to hit He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou; you¡¯ve already gotten yourself into big trouble. If they decide to pursue this, your life could very well be at risk."


    Zheng Yuling looked at the check, her expression turning extremely unsightly, and said, "Mom, what are you implying?"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother glanced at her daughter and then at Li Yifei, "I think you both understand what I mean. I¡¯ve done all I can. If your father were here, you know what the consequences would be."


    Zheng Yuling opened her mouth, but Li Yifei gently pressed her hand, prompting her to immediately close her mouth. It was a small gesture, but it surprised Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother, as her normally unruly daughter was never this obedient at home. This young man was quite skilled at handling her daughter, and it was no simple feat.


    Especially with Xiao Ling¡¯er nearby. Even though the two were best friends, jealousy over a man should have been common, but these two girls together with a man showed no such behavior. It seemed Xiao Ling¡¯er was also quite submissive to this young man.


    "Auntie, I know you want Ling¡¯er and Yuling to marry into the He and Chen families, which is quite important for prominent families like yours. Being with Ling¡¯er and Yuling, I¡¯ve disrupted the marriage alliances your families planned with theirs."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother frowned, "You know well this is a matter among our four families, so you should also realize the strength these great families possess."


    Li Yifei nodded, "I know."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother scoffed, "Then you should understand even better, being with Ling¡¯er and Yuling is more than you can handle; our families will never agree."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "I know it¡¯s very difficult to be with Ling¡¯er and Yuling..."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother interrupted Li Yifei, "It¡¯s not just very difficult, it¡¯s simply impossible."


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile did not falter, "That depends on whether I can bring enough benefits to the Xiao Family and Zheng Family. If I can bring you sufficient benefits, then it might not be impossible."


    "You... based on what?" Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother stared wide-eyed at Li Yifei.


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother laughed, "That¡¯s a huge joke. Tell me, what do you have? Don¡¯t talk to me about grand ideals."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "I wouldn¡¯t talk about ideals, but I can tell you both, Aunties, that I can help the Xiao Family open up maritime trade routes and secure rich mineral resources for the Zheng Family. Are these sufficient to pique your families¡¯ interests?"


    "What?" Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mothers gaped at Li Yifei as if he were a monster.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, just watching them quietly.


    After a while, Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother glared, "Young man, what joke are you making? Who do you think you are? Are these things that easy to secure?"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother shook her head, her look of disdain deepening as she spoke, "Young man, even boasting should have limits. Do you think anyone believes you? Do you think we¡¯re children?"


    Wihtout being servile or overbearing, Li Yifei said, "I know you don¡¯t believe me, Aunties. Some issues, even if the state intervenes, aren¡¯t easily resolved. For example, like Somali pirates, which cost the Xiao Family billions annually in shipping losses, or like iron ore resources, with imports from Australia still being insufficient, causing significant operational difficulties for the Zheng Family."


    At this point, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were looking at Li Yifei in shock, their eyes shedding the previous disdain. As the main pillars of their families involved ocean shipping and the steel industry, what Li Yifei had mentioned were critical matters.


    They had always thought of Li Yifei as an ordinary person, but could an ordinary person say such things?


    Li Yifei then patted Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s hands and said, "Ling¡¯er, Yuling, go home with your aunties, don¡¯t make it hard for them. I believe your aunties want the best for you, but being born into great families, many decisions aren¡¯t yours to make. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my word, and I¡¯ll surely convince your families to let you be with me."


    Unexpectedly, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling genuinely believed in Li Yifei. However, they were somewhat reluctant to return home with their mothers and merely pouted in silence.


    "Listen, do you still not trust me?"


    Zheng Yuling then bit her lip and said, "Alright, then we¡¯ll go back for now."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pinched Li Yifei and said, "If you don¡¯t take us away, wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you later."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Then I¡¯ll be at your disposal."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er finally agreed.


    Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother took another careful look at Li Yifei. They should have left as soon as they picked up their daughters, but now they suddenly became interested in Li Yifei. Since he mentioned the livelihood issues of both families, whether true or false, they had to be more cautious. Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother asked, "Young man, what¡¯s your name?"


    Li Yifei answered politely, "My name is Li Yifei, I used to be in the national special forces unit ¡¯Flying Hawk Squad,¡¯ and my nickname is ¡¯Golden Eagle.¡¯" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Given this self-introduction by Li Yifei, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother could no longer underestimate him. They might not know about the Flying Hawk Squad, but they were aware that the country had some special forces units that were extremely formidable.


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother asked, "What are you doing now?"


    "I am just running my own business."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother asked, "Oh, do you have a big enterprise?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "I don¡¯t have many assets at present, just $1 billion. I will consider what to do in the future."


    "One billion!" exclaimed both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother.


    For a major family, $1 billion might not seem much as their assets could range in the hundreds of billions, but these families wouldn¡¯t necessarily have much cash on hand. It would be impossible for the Xiao family to produce $1 billion in cash all at once.


    Moreover, the assets of a major family are collective to the family estate. If someone decided to start their own branch, they might only receive a few million, which would already be quite generous given the number of people within a major family.


    Now, $1 billion was definitely not a small amount even for these great families.


    "So is this $1 billion your own or your parents¡¯?" Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother asked further.


    "My parents have passed away."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mothers looked even more astonished at Li Yifei. For someone as young as Li Yifei to possess such a cash reserve without relying on family wealth was truly remarkable. If this $1 billion were to be invested in their families, it would certainly affect both the Xiao and Zheng families.


    "Can you really achieve the two things you mentioned earlier?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "If there is something Li Yifei cannot achieve, I wouldn¡¯t speak of it."


    "How exactly are you planning to do it? Can you tell us now?"


    Li Yifei gave an apologetic smile and said, "Aunties, I am truly sorry, but I cannot discuss this matter with you. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but this issue involves many complexities, and clearly you both would not be involved in such matters. Even if I told you, there¡¯s nothing you could do."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s mothers didn¡¯t get angry at his response; instead, they admired Li Yifei even more. His respectful yet straightforward way of speaking showed the mark of someone capable of significant achievements, especially when compared to family heirs like He Zhenyang and Chen Fangzhou.


    In reality, how could they wish for their daughters to marry such wasteful heirs? But sometimes, they were helpless. If Li Yifei really could achieve all this, marrying their daughters to him wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.


    However... what was frustrating was that this young man seemed to be ambiguously involved with both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Could he be trying to kill two birds with one stone? This matter was now causing both mothers some distress.


    If Li Yifei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling knew what their mothers were thinking at the moment, they wouldn¡¯t know whether to be happy or troubled.

 Chapter 898 - 939: Encountered a Thorn

    Chapter 898: Chapter 939: Encountered a ThornXiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling followed their mother out, and the villa suddenly became quiet, but Li Yifei felt a sense of relief.


    Both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were quite beautiful, each with their own distinctive features, which indeed had a great attraction to a man. Today, he could have become intimate with both of them, but he was thwarted. Normally, a man would feel frustrated, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel any frustration at all.


    It wasn¡¯t that Li Yifei had no feelings for Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Having promised to be with them, he would definitely treat them as his own women. However, the process always made Li Yifei feel somewhat awkward, as if he was being kidnapped, being coerced into relations with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling.


    This made Li Yifei a bit uncomfortable. Having experienced so many emotions, with Su Yiyi¡¯s infatuation, Michelle¡¯s sorrow, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s entanglement, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s caprice, and most importantly, Xu Yingying¡¯s deep affection that protected him with her life, he was no longer ignorant of emotions. On the contrary, Li Yifei had come to a greater maturity in his feelings. Liking someone wasn¡¯t simply about possession, but about what he could really do for them, how to make them happier. If he couldn¡¯t achieve this, Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t want to engage in such relationships.


    Feeling relaxed, Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts became sharper. He considered what actions to take next in order to settle the matters in Capital City. The situation had become more complex, turning into a struggle for the interests of several major families, not the simple marital alliance he had initially imagined.


    It was a struggle for family interests because of the Su Family¡¯s involvement, like the supply of iron ore resources and the security of sea transportation, which were not within Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities but the result of the Su Family¡¯s years of management. Li Yifei didn¡¯t know how they managed it, but surely Old Master Su, with his high position, had not simply partnered with those people. However, the Su Family must have special channels in other areas.


    These were things Su Mengxin had told him, and he had no choice but to use them. Even if his personal abilities were strong, they were still just personal abilities. He could make some friends around the world and also had some formidable enemies, but it was impossible for him to have influence in all aspects.


    Having just decided to establish his own family, he was now involved in the struggle of interests of the major families. To Li Yifei, this was somewhat unexpected, but it also presented a great opportunity. Such an opportunity for training was rare. He could learn how to acquire greater benefits for his family in these family struggles and how to protect himself in the midst of them.


    After He Chong and He Meng from the He Family left, they went straight back to the He Family to report the matter to the main figures at home.


    In Capital City, the He Family was currently represented by He Zhenyang¡¯s second uncle, an equally formidable character who doted on He Zhenyang. Seeing He Chong and He Meng return, he asked nonchalantly, "Is the matter resolved?"


    He asked this casually, as in his heart a visit from He Chong and He Meng surely meant the matter would be resolved with ease.


    "Second Uncle, that man is a master. We¡¯re not his match," He Chong admitted his failure without any embarrassment.


    "Oh? The two of you together weren¡¯t his match?" Second Uncle was greatly surprised upon hearing this and stared at the two.


    He Chong nodded and said, "Yes, initially He Meng acted alone and the man did not even use his full strength. Then I joined He Meng, and it still seemed like he wasn¡¯t using his full strength."


    Second Uncle frowned and asked, "So he¡¯s that powerful. Do you know his background?"


    "He is Golden Eagle."


    Second Uncle¡¯s face changed, "He is Golden Eagle! Are you certain?"


    He Chong respectfully said, "He said so himself, but I feel he wouldn¡¯t deceive us."


    "This matter has become troublesome," Second Uncle said and motioned for He Chong and He Meng to leave, his brow deeply furrowed. He was certainly aware of Golden Eagle. If it came down to martial strength alone, the He Family wouldn¡¯t fear Golden Eagle, confident that their hidden masters were not inferior to Golden Eagle. But now Golden Eagle had obtained recognition from those above. Although these major families were all quite powerful, they still needed to exist within Huaxia and could not do without the control from above, which, fundamentally, they didn¡¯t dare to offend.


    After thinking for a moment, he hurriedly called the Chen Family to discuss the matter, explaining it all over to them. The Chen Family, a bit slower to act, was just preparing to send someone to settle accounts with Li Yifei when they immediately halted upon hearing what the second uncle of the He Family had said.


    The likes of Golden Eagle couldn¡¯t be dealt with carelessly, and doing so could easily cause losses. Each high-level expert in the family was hard to cultivate and couldn¡¯t be easily lost. Moreover, dealing with Golden Eagle would require the top experts from the family, potentially only those who could possibly win. And apart from the family head, no one else had the authority to ask them to make a move.


    In these major families, such experts couldn¡¯t just be commanded at will, and even for the family head, one had to use the word ¡¯please.¡¯


    Using force was not an option, but they couldn¡¯t just accept being beaten¡ªlosing face like that would be detrimental to the family¡¯s reputation. A loss of face could lead to a loss of reputation and signal to other families that their strength was inadequate. With such a large family incapable of handling a single individual, what competitive edge could they possibly have? Other families would likely seize the opportunity to suppress them, and the resulting losses could be immeasurable.


    Most importantly, this matter also involved the discussions of arranged marriages. If they couldn¡¯t handle Golden Eagle, what would they do about the marriage alliances? Would they stand by as Golden Eagle snatched away Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling? Wouldn¡¯t that imply that both major families were inferior to this one man? They would not only lose the benefits the arranged marriages could bring but also their footing among other families.


    Yet, at this moment, two key figures within their family couldn¡¯t come up with a good way to regain their honor. First, Golden Eagle¡¯s personal strength was too formidable. Second, he appeared to have no background, yet surprisingly, his connections were not weak, so they couldn¡¯t act rashly. This put them in quite a predicament.


    Unable to figure it out over the phone, the two families hastily gathered again to consult with the family strategists on how to deal with Li Yifei, this troublesome character.


    At this time, the Xiao and Zheng families had also convened. Although Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had a good relationship, the ties between their families were, at best, mediocre. But now, faced with a common problem, they united to discuss a solution.


    They were also agitated, never imagining that Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling would get involved with someone like the Golden Eagle. They were skeptical of the conditions he offered, but they were undoubtedly more significant than those of the He and Chen families.


    While bigamy is illegal in Huaxia, these major families didn¡¯t care too much about such matters. With sufficient benefits, they could entirely overlook this minor issue.


    At this moment, Xiao Mingyuan, a significant figure from the Xiao Family in Capital City, arrived. After understanding the situation, he too found it to be a thorny issue. His gaze shifted towards Xiao Ling¡¯er, paused, and then he scrutinized both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling carefully.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, at least, was a different case since Xiao Mingyuan was her elder. But Zheng Yuling had no such relationship with him, and his staring was obviously inappropriate.


    However, at that moment, no one thought in that way, as they all felt Xiao Mingyuan might have noticed something about the two.


    "Ling¡¯er, what exactly is your relationship with Golden Eagle?" Xiao Mingyuan asked sternly.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er let out a roar. This Xiao Mingyuan was her grandfather¡¯s brother, whom she had to address as Elder Fourth. Elder Fourth was known to be particularly strict within the Xiao Family, and he was notably stern in disciplining members of the family. Anyone caught misbehaving by Xiao Mingyuan would often face severe punishment. Even Xiao Ling¡¯er was afraid of this Elder Fourth. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, Xiao Mingyuan was a genuine martial arts expert. Among the younger generation in these large families, it was indeed rare to find one who was an expert, as training in martial strength was an exceedingly grueling task that most would not consider undertaking.


    "Elder Fourth, I... We are just in a romantic relationship," Xiao Ling¡¯er timidly said.


    Xiao Mingyuan slammed the table and glared as he shouted, "Nonsense, you¡¯re still a virgin, so what kind of romantic relationship is it?"


    At this, the members of the Xiao and Zheng families were all taken aback, everyone¡¯s eyes turning towards Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er bit down hard and proudly faced the Elder Fourth she revered, declaring, "Elder Fourth, who says couples must have relations? We are truly in love, and Yifei has always respected us. That¡¯s why we haven¡¯t been intimate, and it¡¯s one of the reasons we like him. If it were anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t have acted like he has; we probably would have been intimate by now."


    "Is that so?" Elder Fourth was actually quite fond of Xiao Ling¡¯er, but he had been so severe now because the matter was grave. Seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er stand her ground fearlessly made him appreciate such a granddaughter even more.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er nodded vigorously, "Of course, Yingying and I like this about him¡ªhe¡¯s not promiscuous and carries a sense of responsibility, treating us well."


    Zheng Yuling also nodded vigorously, adding, "Indeed, this makes him better than all the other men. Ask yourselves, who else could have done this?"


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s comment made several of the men present feel a bit awkward, but as elders, they wouldn¡¯t quibble with the younger generation.


    At this moment, Elder Fourth humphed and said with a stern face, "However... not only is Golden Eagle married, but he¡¯s also unusually close with Su Mengxin from the Su Family. Is that also a reason why you like him?"

 Chapter 899 - 940: Driven to Liang Mountain

    Chapter 899: Chapter 940: Driven to Liang MountainEveryone had just learned about the benefits that Li Yifei, the "Golden Eagle," could bring to them, and they were all somewhat tempted. However, upon hearing Elder Fourth¡¯s words, their expressions turned somewhat unsightly.


    If Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were both to marry Li Yifei, as long as it wasn¡¯t flaunted excessively, it could still be considered a beautiful tale among these prominent families. But now that Li Yifei was already married, it meant that he couldn¡¯t possibly have a wedding with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Moreover, there was also the woman Su Mengxin. In all of Huaxia, who could compare with Su Mengxin? If Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er were also married off to him, wouldn¡¯t that become a laughingstock?


    On the other hand, considering that a woman like Su Mengxin could follow Li Yifei, and she most likely knew he was already married, what did that imply? It could be a very strong signal.


    In terms of strength, the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family were still a notch below the Su Family. If they could truly reach a strategic alliance with the Su Family, that would be quite an excellent arrangement, clearly offering more benefits than marrying into the Chen Family or the He Family.


    Thus, the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family were now in a dilemma. A single controversy had caused such a headache for the four major families, an unimaginable affair.


    Li Yifei was at this moment having dinner with the Su Family¡¯s patriarch, as well as Su Mengxin and Su Mengfei.


    During the meal, it was like an ordinary family dinner; the patriarch said nothing. However, after the meal, he called Li Yifei into his study, and as soon as they entered the study, the patriarch suddenly heaved a sigh.


    Li Yifei was somewhat surprised and said, "Patriarch, we don¡¯t have to start with this routine, do we?"


    The patriarch shook his head and said, "Yifei, I want to discuss some serious matters with you today. Put away that flippant smile."


    Seeing the patriarch¡¯s solemn expression, Li Yifei felt that the patriarch was unusual today and seemed to have important matters to discuss with him. Then, no longer provoking the patriarch as he had done in the past, he sat down respectfully and said, "Go ahead."


    The patriarch nodded satisfactorily. The way Li Yifei was now, almost resembled his time as a soldier. That¡¯s when the patriarch spoke, "Yifei, I¡¯ve decided that I will no longer concern myself with the affairs of our clan."


    "Why?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. He was still expecting the patriarch to take control of the situation, and now abruptly, the man was thinking of throwing in the towel.


    The patriarch gestured, and Li Yifei quickly understood, lighting a cigarette for the patriarch.


    After taking a couple of puffs, the patriarch said, "In the past, I labored tirelessly for the prosperity of our clan, always thinking about how to better develop it. But as I moved higher up the ranks, I felt the burden on my shoulders grow heavier, and what I carried was not just the responsibility of the clan but also that of a nation, the responsibility of the entire Huaxia, and I couldn¡¯t forsake the greater good for the sake of my own family."


    Li Yifei stared blankly at the patriarch, unsure what to say.


    The patriarch then smiled faintly and continued, "Perhaps this differs from you. You were once in the military, devoted entirely to the service of the military and the country. But after you left, you must pay more attention to your family. But I am different from you; I bear too many responsibilities, and they are too heavy. If I were to look out solely for the interests of my clan without regard for the rest, I wouldn¡¯t deserve my position. That¡¯s why, over recent years, I¡¯ve seldom interfered in the clan¡¯s affairs, preferring instead that they develop on their own."


    Li Yifei watched the patriarch intently, suddenly feeling that the old man was indeed worthy of admiration. Compared with the patriarch, he realized his own level was too low.


    "Actually, having been in this position for so many years, I feel that our family¡¯s way of doing business is no longer suitable for the development of society. Once a family has power, it will use that power to make arrangements for its members. Many of these people lack significant abilities yet hold high positions, posing a very troublesome issue for our country¡¯s development. And yet, these major families are deeply entrenched and cannot be easily disentangled. The country has no choice but to tacitly acknowledge their existence, but internally, there is a growing disapproval of such families."


    Li Yifei was startled and said, "Patriarch, it can¡¯t be that serious, can it?"


    "There¡¯s no need for me to scare you. I know you also want to create a space for your own family, but I must remind you not to go too far. Being too prominent isn¡¯t good. Ensuring that your family lives a decent life is enough. Let your children struggle for themselves. If everything is arranged for them, they¡¯ll grow accustomed to waiting for handouts and lack the drive to advance. Even the most talented can become mediocre."


    After a pause, the patriarch added, "Wealth does not pass three generations; this is the wisdom handed down from our elders. It may seem like a joke, and indeed some families have lasted many years, but consider the immense hardships required for those that truly endure, as well as the need for a strong leader in every generation. Such a leader must not only be talented and capable but also firm, decisive, and able to contain the family to prevent it from falling apart."


    "To give you the simplest example, consider the emperors throughout history. Even the most sagacious rulers faced brutal succession struggles after their death. It is the same with families. When you¡¯re gone, your descendants will vie for control, leading to a series of conflicts. In our clans, this is an inevitable occurrence with every change of clan chief, else a major family would dissect."


    Li Yifei listened, a chill running down his spine. He understood all too well what the patriarch was saying.


    The patriarch smiled faintly and said, "Doesn¡¯t it sound like such a major family is not what you¡¯re looking for?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said with a wry smile, "Yeah, if it really turned out that way, it would be better not to have it at all."


    "Yeah, but how many people can see through that? A person¡¯s lifetime is always spent trying to make it more splendid. How many are content to just take things as they come and live a simple life? Especially you¡ªyou¡¯ve now reached this point, and even if you wanted to live plainly, you wouldn¡¯t be able to."


    "Grandpa, what should I do now?" Li Yifei asked the old man for advice with unprecedented humility.


    The old man showed a look of appreciation and said, "My suggestion to you is that you can continue to strive and build up your family." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei expressed his confusion immediately, "Didn¡¯t you say building a family doesn¡¯t have much benefit?"


    The old man laughed out loud and said, "Creating good conditions for your family and for your children is not wrong. But my advice is at least to stay out of the officialdom, to not cut through all that red tape. As long as you have enough influence, the government will serve you. You don¡¯t have to control everything yourself."


    "But... that doesn¡¯t sound very reliable. Talking about service, it all feels quite hollow to me."


    "That¡¯s true. In the past, we had an official-centric mindset; those in office always acted big. But haven¡¯t you noticed the current leaders? They have intensified their efforts and increased restrictions on officials. They are trying to bring back the idea that being an official is to serve the people. Although this task is challenging, you should be able to see that it has become more effective. Officials can no longer flaunt their power as before. If they displease the common people and get complained about, it might not necessarily cost them their office, but at the very least, they will be dealt with."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯ve noticed that."


    "So, in the future, you can make money and expand your business. If you bring them enough performance, they will naturally serve you. Additionally, I have another task for you."


    "What task?" Li Yifei felt this task might not be easy.


    "That is to become the biggest family."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock, "Grandpa, I¡¯m completely confused."


    "Haha, it¡¯s simple. I want you to become the biggest family and then dissolve this family. Set an example for all the other families, encouraging them to dissolve as well."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened even further, and after a long while, he finally gave a wry smile and said, "Old man, your idea is really too crazy. Then why don¡¯t you dissolve the Su Family? It seems like the Su Family has quite a strong influence too."


    The old man sighed and said, "I¡¯ve thought about that, but the Su Family¡¯s influence is still not enough. Other families are even stronger than ours. Besides, the Su Family is entrenched in complexities; it¡¯s not something that can just be dissolved with a word. That¡¯s why I need a simpler family to do this."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "But somehow, I always feel that I¡¯m getting the short end of the stick."


    The old man chuckled and said, "Isn¡¯t life all about the struggle? What significance is there in the actual result? In the end, doesn¡¯t it all just burn to ashes? Today I tell you these things because, in the future, when you¡¯re older and your children have grown up, to see them fighting over power within the family, causing discord among your women, then you will realize that having nothing is a kind of happiness."


    Li Yifei cracked a smile. He couldn¡¯t really argue against that. He wasn¡¯t a child. He believed he could keep his women in harmony forever, but once women have children, most of their thoughts will shift to their offspring, especially as they get older, this concern becomes more pronounced.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re a smart man. Many things don¡¯t need to be spelled out for you to understand. Besides, time will prove whether I¡¯m right or wrong. Now, let¡¯s talk about the problem we face at the moment. I can¡¯t step in this time, but the Su Family will have someone to help coordinate and make sure you marry the girls from the Xiao and Zheng Families."


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile, "After hearing you say that, I¡¯m not so interested in establishing a family anymore."


    "Haha... You don¡¯t have an option unless you don¡¯t want Mengxin, don¡¯t want Xiao Ling¡¯er, don¡¯t want Zheng Yuling, don¡¯t want Ning Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t want Ye Yunzhu. Otherwise, you can only grit your teeth and go through with it."


    Li Yifei sighed, "Suddenly, I feel as if I¡¯m being forced up to Liang Mountain, like I¡¯ve been shanghaied onto a pirate ship." He now understood. Setting up a family wasn¡¯t such fun after all.

 Chapter 900 - 941: An Old Naughty Boy

    Chapter 900: Chapter 941: An Old Naughty BoyEmerging from the study, Su Mengfei immediately sidled up, mischief in her voice, "So, did grandpa give you a hard time?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Why would he give me a hard time?"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t he? You actually dared to claim in Capital City that Ling¡¯er and Yuling are your women. Isn¡¯t that disrespecting our Su Family? I thought grandpa would just snap... and twist your neck," Su Mengfei said, waving her hand to mimic the action ferociously.


    Li Yifei shot Su Mengfei a look, "Your grandpa is that violent? Seems like you must have been beaten up quite a bit by him when you were little."


    "That¡¯s not true, but I always get scared when I see grandpa. Aren¡¯t you even a little afraid of him?"


    Su Mengxin also gave Su Mengfei an annoyed look, "Given how naughty you are, of course grandpa glares when he sees you, you think everyone is like you?"


    "That¡¯s true," Su Mengfei gave a wry laugh, "So what did grandpa talk with you about? Come on, brother-in-law, spill the beans."


    "Why don¡¯t you go hang out wherever you like. I need to discuss some things with your sister."


    "Pssh, fine, if you won¡¯t tell then forget it." Su Mengfei glared at Li Yifei, but still walked away, well aware that Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were about to discuss serious matters, which she never cared for anyway.


    "Mengxin..." Li Yifei was still puzzled by what the old man had said, and Su Mengxin was his strategist. It was time to talk it over with Su Mengxin, "Grandpa mentioned that the family is not favorable for the nation. The country doesn¡¯t really approve of the family system."


    "Mmm, grandpa has mentioned it to me. But abolishing the family system isn¡¯t easy for the country either, as it has too many issues, otherwise the authorities would have made a move."


    "So, what do you think? Should we continue building our family¡¯s power or not?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly, "We should still do the business we need to do, and everything else as well; the main thing, I think, is grandpa wants you to avoid mixing family power with politics."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yeah, that was pretty much his message."


    "Yes, involving in politics means the family either triumphs or collapses, no middle ground. But if we avoid politics, we can both advance and retreat, maintaining a comfortable position as a grand family."


    Li Yifei nodded again, "That makes complete sense, grandpa wants me to steer clear of things like the political arena."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "Although it¡¯s a bit more challenging, it¡¯s indeed a safer approach for us."


    "Mmh... Having a clear direction does make things easier."


    Su Mengxin took hold of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, "I believe in your abilities, and I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll manage well."


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up, and it was from Xu Yingying; he quickly answered.


    "Hello, honey, you called me at this time? Seems like you¡¯re quite free today."


    "Am I interrupting something important? You don¡¯t sound too happy."


    "Not at all, I¡¯m currently with Mengxin."


    "Then pass the phone to Mengxin, I want to chat with her."


    Li Yifei wanted to talk more with Xu Yingying, but since she insisted, he handed the phone to Su Mengxin.


    "Yingying, you shouldn¡¯t work so hard, always traveling and not staying home with your husband... haha, if you¡¯re willing, I won¡¯t be polite..." Saying this, Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei.


    Moving a few steps away from Li Yifei intentionally, Su Mengxin took the call where Li Yifei couldn¡¯t hear the specifics. Judging by Su Mengxin¡¯s expressions, though, Li Yifei was quite intrigued.


    "You know... Don¡¯t worry, this guy is quite comfy here with me, just stuck here because of some things to handle. Guess he¡¯ll have to wait for your return before he can go back. Okay, okay, off you go, we sisters will chat; you go and hang out."


    Li Yifei wanted to move closer to hear their conversation but was shooed away by Su Mengxin, so he decided to step outside and light a cigarette instead, letting Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying talk whatever they wanted.


    After chatting for over twenty minutes, Su Mengxin finally came out, and Li Yifei greeted her with a smile, "You really can talk."


    Su Mengxin smiled gently, "Yes, we¡¯re close sisters after all."


    "Indeed, truly close sisters." Li Yifei winked at Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Looking at that sleazy gaze of yours, I know your mind is full of sleazy thoughts. Today was such a good opportunity, did anything good come out of it?"


    "Good thing? First, two people from the He Family showed up, then Yuling and Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother came storming in."


    Su Mengxin blinked and said, "That¡¯s really too bad."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t feel any regrets. On the contrary, I feel relieved. Mengxin, when it comes to relationships, I really don¡¯t want to pursue anything more. With Ling¡¯er and Yuling, I always feel like there¡¯s something missing."


    Su Mengxin met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and said, "That means your views on relationships have really matured."


    "Yes, knowing that love is more about responsibility, one cannot just give it away lightly. Besides, they are not as easy for Yingying to accept, which always leaves me a bit unsettled."


    "I know, just take it slow. However... I know Ling¡¯er and Yuling¡¯s temper best. They are not the casual type. Since they agreed to be your girlfriends, they have accepted you in their hearts. If you now decide you don¡¯t want them, they definitely won¡¯t let go easily."


    "Then we¡¯ll take it slowly from now on. By the way, in your chat with Yingying, did you notice any specific changes?"


    "I feel... Yingying, hehe, isn¡¯t she pretty good? She must have fully accepted you as her husband." Xu Yingying blinked, her words carrying a deeper implication.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t overthink at that moment. He was not one to play mind games with the women he liked. He casually said, "Yes, thinking of Yingying makes me very happy now. She finally acknowledged me as her husband, and she even took the initiative to kiss me."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s infatuated look, Su Mengxin immediately pouted and said, "When I kissed you, I didn¡¯t see you this intoxicated. Look at you, basking in happiness from a kiss from your wife, I can¡¯t stand it."


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist and laughed, "It¡¯s rare to see Mengxin jealous. You look quite funny when you¡¯re jealous. Here, let me kiss you first." He turned his head and kissed Su Mengxin on the cheek.


    Su Mengxin nestled against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and blissfully said, "That¡¯s what life is all about, having a loved one by your side and being happy over a small kiss¡ªit¡¯s more than enough."


    They stood quietly at the doorway, looking at the flowers and plants in front, all so pleasing to the eye. If one were to look at these things alone, it certainly wouldn¡¯t stir such marvellous feelings.


    "Come on, stop with the PDA, alright?" Su Mengfei¡¯s voice broke the cozy moment between Li Yifei and Su Mengxin.


    However, the two did not separate. Being already very familiar with Su Mengfei, they felt no embarrassment while hugging in front of her.


    Su Mengfei then said, "I¡¯m not intentionally ruining the mood, but Grandpa just told me that Third Grandpa is coming soon and asked you to get ready, then head over to the Xiao Family."


    While they were talking, an elderly man with white hair and a bright spirit walked briskly towards them. Su Mengxin and Su Mengfei immediately greeted, "Third Grandpa."


    The elderly man nodded, sizing up Li Yifei and then nodded again, "Not bad, lad, quite the extraordinary one."


    Seeing the elderly man, Li Yifei was quite surprised. This elder was clearly a master, and his strength was not evident at first glance. It looked like these large families really were like crouching tigers and hidden dragons; without true in-depth interaction, one would never know how strong they actually were.


    "Hello, Third Grandpa!" Li Yifei greeted politely.


    "Uh-huh, no need for formalities. Let¡¯s head to the Xiao Family now."


    Once they got into the car, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened¡ªThird Grandpa was driving himself, and it was a blue Lamborghini at that. Lamborghinis, known for their power and flashy appearance, are beloved by young people, but even the cheapest model would cost about two to three million, not something ordinary young people could afford.


    And there was Third Grandpa, over sixty and driving a Lamborghini, which was quite unbelievable for Li Yifei.


    Inside another car, Li Yifei and the Su girls, Su Mengxin said with a smile, "That¡¯s just how Third Grandpa is, he loves sports cars. He liked them when he was young, and even at this age, he hasn¡¯t changed at all."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Third Grandpa¡¯s attitude is really great. He must be very spirited in his actions."


    Su Mengfei giggled and said, "Yes, Third Grandpa is really spirited. Not long ago, he even found a lady in her early twenties."


    Li Yifei suddenly turned exasperated and asked, "Then your Third Grandma..."


    Su Mengfei giggled and said, "My Third Grandma has gotten used to it. For many years, there¡¯s no telling how many women Third Grandpa has brought home. My Third Grandma was mad at first, but now she turns a blind eye and doesn¡¯t bother with him anymore."


    Su Mengxin also laughed and said, "But Third Grandpa is really good to Third Grandma, it¡¯s just that he has this hobby, and nobody can do anything about him."


    Li Yifei sweated at this. The Su family actually had such a lively character, and having such a character deal with matters involving several major families¡ªcould this really be reliable?


    S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 901 - 942: Forcibly Taking the Commoner Girl

    Chapter 901: Chapter 942: Forcibly Taking the Commoner GirlXiao Family!


    Elder Fourth of the Xiao Family went pale at the sight of Third Su from the Su Family. Naturally, the most respected and esteemed person in the Su Family was none other than Old Master Su, but in recent years, he very rarely got involved in the family¡¯s internal affairs. The most talented member of the family was Su Mengxin, but she was after all a woman and would sooner or later be married off. Therefore, neither of these individuals were a major concern for the other clans. However, Third Su from the Su Family was the most troublesome; despite his age, he never played by the rules and often left people dust-covered and embarrassed.


    So whenever there was business to discuss with the Su Family, people would eagerly meet with this Third Su. No one expected him to come knocking today.


    But at this time, they had no choice but to greet Third Su with forced smiles, "Third Su, what wind has blown you over here today?"


    Third Su spun his car keys round his fingers twice and said, "I¡¯m here to play matchmaker. It¡¯s my first time as a matchmaker, so I thought I¡¯d have a bit of fun today. Hey, hey, Fourth Master Xiao, what¡¯s with that look? Not happy to see me?"


    Fourth Master Xiao rolled his eyes and said, "Of course not."


    Third Su, clearly impatient, said, "Then hurry up and serve up some good dishes. I haven¡¯t even eaten yet because of your darn issues."


    The Xiao Family quickly ushered Li Yifei and the others inside and started preparing a feast, while Li Yifei and his company took seats in the living room.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er came out at this moment too. Seeing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin arrive together, she hurried over and latched onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, "Yifei, you finally made it."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Yeah, how could I not come?"


    "You¡¯re so annoying," Xiao Ling¡¯er playfully hit Li Yifei and then gratefully said to Su Mengxin, "Mengxin, thank you."


    Su Mengxin took hold of Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s other hand and said, "Why are you saying things like this to me?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er nodded, her eyes still brimming with tears, and said, "Mengxin, you¡¯re really the best sister I could ever ask for. The luckiest thing in my life is having you as a friend."


    "Well, well, our Miss Xiao Ling¡¯er can sure speak from the heart when she wants to."


    Su Mengfei curled her lips to the side and said, "Ling¡¯er, you¡¯re really something else. It¡¯s just a man, is he really worth all this fuss?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er rolled her eyes at Su Mengfei and said, "The biggest misfortune in my life is having gained a friend like you."


    At this moment, Third Su tossed his feet up on the coffee table, shaking them, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking every part the rogue as he said, "Fourth Master Xiao, I¡¯m not one to mince words. My grandson-in-law has taken a fancy to your granddaughter. Do you agree or not?"


    Fourth Master Xiao¡¯s face turned uglier by the second as he muttered, "Are you here to snatch people away, Third Su?"


    Third Su gave Fourth Master Xiao a sidelong glare, "If it were about snatching, why would there be all this trouble? I¡¯d just have my grandson-in-law come over and take her. You know who my grandson-in-law is, don¡¯t you? Golden Eagle, the one who had the Japanese Yamaguchi Group kneeling and begging for mercy. And you think your Xiao Family could stand up to him? That¡¯s a joke."


    Fourth Master Xiao¡¯s anger flared upon hearing this, "The Japanese Yamaguchi Group may kneel before him, but our Xiao Family certainly isn¡¯t spineless. Don¡¯t think you can just rob us so easily."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at the audaciousness of this Third Grandpa. The confrontation was barely underway, and he was already playing hardball, almost like forcibly abducting a common girl. Just as he thought to interject and lighten the mood, Su Mengxin gave him a light tug.


    The moment their eyes met, Li Yifei understood Su Mengxin¡¯s intention. This Third Su had an unconventional way of doing things, but there was definitely a purpose behind his actions.


    "Ho ho, it seems you¡¯re not convinced, Fourth Master Xiao. How about we have a little sparring? If you beat me, then this matter is dropped. But if you lose, Little Ling¡¯er follows my grandson-in-law."


    Fourth Master Xiao almost blurted out an agreement, but luckily he hadn¡¯t lost his head completely. He knew that Third Su¡¯s martial arts were a bit better than his. It baffled him how this old guy, despite being so disgraceful in many other aspects of life, had maintained such strength.


    Suppressing his fury, Fourth Master Xiao said with a mocking tone, "I really don¡¯t want to waste my breath on this. You see, Third Su, if you¡¯d come here today to propose a marriage for a member of your Su Family, I might understand. But to think you¡¯re here matchmaking for your grandson-in-law? Could there be anything more absurd in this world?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest burst into laughter and said, "So what? If your Ling¡¯er were willing to look my way, then I¡¯d consider proposing."


    All those present were speechless, thinking that Su¡¯s Third Eldest really had no respect for his elders. Fourth Master Xiao said with disdain, "You, Third Su, are only good at deceiving ignorant little girls. Try to scheme against our Ling¡¯er, and you¡¯d best stay as far away as you can."


    "Haha..." Su¡¯s Third Eldest laughed again and said, "Well, if the old one¡¯s not interested, my grandson-in-law here is still young. This is my granddaughter Mengxin¡¯s man. You, Elder Xiao, are well aware of my granddaughter¡¯s capabilities. A man she sees fit can¡¯t be wrong. Besides, Mengxin agreed out of the years of friendship with your Ling¡¯er and doesn¡¯t mind it. This is already your Xiao Family¡¯s good fortune. You should be secretly pleased instead of putting on airs here. It¡¯s really annoying having to deal with people who say one thing and think another."


    This was a key point that Xu had mentioned. Su Mengxin was no ordinary person, and everyone was clear about that. With her current status, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call her the co-head of the Su Family. And yet, Su Mengxin consented to associate with a married man, with the Su Family¡¯s approval no less, which speaks volumes about the strength of Golden Eagle. Most importantly, at this moment, the Su Family was still willing to defend Li Yifei, forcing the Xiao Family to agree to the marriage. This seemed inconceivable, but it also showed just how close the Su Family¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei had become.


    Third Su spoke up, "Since you¡¯ve put it that way, let¡¯s lay our cards on the table. First, the kid¡¯s already married. If your Su Family¡¯s willing to give Mengxin to him, that¡¯s your business. Our Xiao Family still has a reputation to maintain. We can¡¯t do something that¡¯s so disgraceful. Second, our Ling¡¯er is about to get engaged to the He Family. This has already been agreed upon. We can¡¯t go back on our word, so there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll agree."


    Hearing this, Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately became anxious, but she was stopped by Su Mengxin.


    At that moment, Su¡¯s Third Eldest carelessly tossed his cigarette butt onto the valuable Persian carpet below, immediately causing a burnt hair smell to rise as it began to singe the carpet. This prompted the Xiao Family members to frown¡ªnot out of concern for the carpet, but they were quite put off by Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s boorish behavior.


    "Fine, if you don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t force you. I had thought to discuss shipping cooperation with you, but now there¡¯s no need." Old Master Su said, turning to leave without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Fourth Master Xiao¡¯s face changed as he finally called out, "Third Su, wait."


    Third Su paused and said, "If you want to talk about shipping, then trade your Ling¡¯er for it. Otherwise, forget it."


    "You... You scoundrel!" Fourth Master Xiao couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    "Haha, I am a scoundrel, but you already knew that. So, do you agree or not?"


    "You... you..." Fourth Master Xiao was so angry that he wished he could slap Third Su¡¯s face off, but the issue at hand was too significant. He had already discussed it with the family head and knew the stakes. They couldn¡¯t afford to fall out with the Su Family over this. Grinding his teeth, he said, "Third Su, I¡¯ll remember this. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll give you a thorough beating to vent my anger."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest laughed heartily and said, "Fourth Master Xiao, if you¡¯re able to beat me, I¡¯m at your disposal."


    Seeing the two old men engage in such talk, Xiao Ling¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly, which was as good as a confirmation from the Xiao Family¡ªthey had agreed. Now she could be with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled wryly to himself. By doing this, his relationship with Xiao Ling¡¯er was as good as sealed, and he would never be able to break free from her in the future. "Ah, another emotional debt," he thought ruefully, especially considering how difficult it would be to explain this to Xu Yingying.


    Third Su came over, patted Fourth Master Xiao on the shoulder, and said with a grin, "You see, Fourth Master Xiao, I told you, you should have just agreed outright. Why go through this trouble, making me exert so much effort? Come, let¡¯s have a couple of drinks and see if I can drink you under the table."


    "Third Su, don¡¯t start gloating when you¡¯ve gotten an advantage. We haven¡¯t finalized our cooperation yet, so let¡¯s not talk about that right now." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No problem, since I¡¯m looking to cooperate with you, I¡¯m definitely bringing sincerity to the table. The most we¡¯ll have to deal with is how to divide the benefits between us. That¡¯s no issue."


    "Fine, then there¡¯s one more thing. If you want to take Ling¡¯er away, we¡¯ll have to see just how strong this kid really is."


    "A fight? This sounds great!" Su¡¯s Third Eldest immediately exclaimed with excitement.


    Fourth Master Xiao revealed a sly smile and said, "All right, tomorrow night in the Xiao Family¡¯s martial arena. Our Xiao Family and the Zheng Family will each produce two men. If Yifei can come out on top against them, then Ling¡¯er and Yuling are all his, and our families will never utter a word of objection."


    Third Su looked at Fourth Master Xiao¡¯s expression, but his face showed even more excitement as he replied, "Very well, I agree. Even better if we do it now."


    Li Yifei, observing their expressions, suddenly felt uneasy. Those four opponents surely wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with; otherwise, neither the Xiao Family nor the Zheng Family would look so confident.

 Chapter 902 - 943: 2 vs 1

    Chapter 902: Chapter 943: 2 vs 1After visiting the Xiao Family, Li Yifei made another trip to the Zheng Family. With his intervention, both the Xiao and Zheng families had unconsciously become allies¡ªat least on this matter. They were in cahoots, speaking in unison that as long as Li Yifei managed to defeat the four experts they sent out, they would accept his victory.


    Li Yifei had no choice but to agree, lacking any other option.


    On the way back, Su¡¯s Third Eldest had Li Yifei ride with him in the same carriage, which felt awkward to Li Yifei. This old guy was just too peculiar; being with Su¡¯s Third Eldest made Li Yifei feel like he was turning into a nonconformist himself.


    "Kid, we¡¯re in for a good show now," Su¡¯s Third Eldest said, pressing the accelerator and zooming off. He maneuvered the carriage effortlessly, wearing a mischievously gleeful smile on his face.


    "What do you mean? Are the Xiao and Zheng families¡¯ experts really that formidable?"


    "That depends on who they send out. Normally, everyone conceals their true strength. Some real experts can¡¯t even be hidden away; they won¡¯t make an appearance unless necessary. I suspect that this time these two families might actually send out their real experts."


    Li Yifei responded calmly, "So how strong are their experts?"


    "Who knows? I¡¯ve never fought with their real experts; I¡¯ve only exchanged a few blows with that Fourth Master Xiao, and each time I gave him a thrashing, heh heh... But for us of the Su Family, they are surely very tough opponents. As for the actual strength of their experts, only a real confrontation will tell."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes; it was as if nothing had been said. However, the prospect of facing real experts was indeed something to be excited about.


    That night, Li Yifei had a peaceful sleep, nestled with Su Mengxin. The next day, she told him to rest well and be ready in his best condition for the competition. By two in the afternoon, Li Yifei had arrived at the Xiao Family.


    Several key members from the Xiao and Zheng families were already waiting there. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were also present; this time, they didn¡¯t rush over immediately but looked at Li Yifei with concern. They knew the importance of this battle and did not want to disrupt his focus.


    "Haha, Fourth Master Xiao, Zheng Fifth, you¡¯re all here," Su¡¯s Third Eldest still carried his carefree demeanor.


    At the Zheng Family residence, the one in charge was Fifth Master Zheng, who was not the family head. Truth be told, this affair was somewhat embarrassing for both families. Even though it was important, their heads would not show up. Only if Li Yifei won would the family heads possibly sit down with the Su Family to discuss cooperation.


    "Where are the experts from your two families?" As soon as Su¡¯s Third Eldest walked in, he looked around but could not see any experts, which prompted him to ask.


    Fourth Master Xiao replied with a smile, "They¡¯re all in the martial arts hall."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest said eagerly, "Damn, then let¡¯s hurry over. Seeing experts in action is quite an exhilarating thing!"


    Fourth Master Xiao said teasingly, "What¡¯s this, Third Su, you want to be our Xiao Family¡¯s son-in-law? If you really have that notion, we wouldn¡¯t object. Just fight them, and it¡¯s settled."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest rolled his eyes and said, "I might be able to take care of you, Fourth Master Xiao, but these experts you drummed up are probably not so easy to handle. Besides, I have no interest in your family¡¯s young ladies."


    "Ha... so Third Su can play dumb too, huh?" Fourth Master Xiao burst into a pleased laugh.


    "I¡¯m not playing dumb; I know my limits. You think you can seek revenge through them? No chance. You, Fourth Master Xiao, are destined to be bullied by me for life."


    Fifth Master of the Zheng Family, not skilled in martial arts, didn¡¯t have the same grievances with Su¡¯s Third Eldest. Seeing the back and forth arguments, Zheng Fifth grew impatient and said, "Gentlemen, let¡¯s proceed with the task at hand. We can¡¯t keep those four waiting too long, or it¡¯ll be hard to explain."


    Fourth Master Xiao stopped bickering with Su¡¯s Third Eldest, and they all walked together toward the back.


    Yifei had been to the Xiao Family the day before but only saw the front hall, not venturing to the back. This time, upon reaching the backyard, he realized the expanse of the Xiao Family estate.


    After several turns, they arrived in front of a large hall. Su¡¯s Third Eldest was eager to barge in, but Fourth Master Xiao gestured to stop him and said, "Third Su, have you thought it through? Do you really want to go in?"


    Third Su hesitated for a moment, then rolled his eyes and retorted, "If not, then I won¡¯t enter. Anyway, Yifei won¡¯t fail to tell me later."


    Fourth Master Xiao smiled triumphantly, then turned to Li Yifei and said, "You may enter."


    Li Yifei nodded and headed for the hall doors. Su Mengxin remained calm while Su Mengfei blinked her large eyes curiously at the doorway. Meanwhile, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling watched Li Yifei with tense expressions.


    Li Yifei felt their gazes and shot Su Mengxin a comforting look before pushing the door open. Everyone wanted to take the opportunity to peek inside and see who was there, but no one was visible, and as soon as Li Yifei had entered, the door seemed to close by itself.


    Watching the door close, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling immediately ran to Su Mengxin¡¯s side, both of them anxiously asked, "Mengxin, do you think Yifei can win?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Don¡¯t you have confidence in him?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er grimaced, "I have confidence in Yifei, but it seems that they are the strongest in our two families, and there are four of them. If they all attack at once, I¡¯m really worried."


    Zheng Yuling also nodded with a wry smile, "Mengxin, this involves our lifelong happiness, so naturally we are more concerned. It¡¯s not about whether we believe in him or not, but we are really afraid that something might go wrong with Yifei..."


    Su Mengxin took hold of them both and said, "Believe in Yifei. He has never let me down, and I believe this time will be no exception."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest then jokingly said to Fourth Master Xiao, "Hey Elder Fourth, is there any surveillance?"


    "No!" Fourth Master Xiao replied grumpily. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then is there any place to sneak a peek?"


    "Likewise, no. This is where the Xiao Family¡¯s experts practice, and our family members are not allowed here on normal days. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and look for yourself."


    Elder Su turned and walked away, but after a couple of steps, he stopped and said, "Fourth Master Xiao, I won¡¯t fall for your trick. You might have set some trap somewhere, and if I went there, I would end up in a dire state. I¡¯d rather wait here for the news."


    Inside, Li Yifei saw four individuals seated on either side of the hall, their backs to the door. From the outside, they could not be seen¡ªit was only upon entering that their presence was revealed.


    "I am Li Yifei, I humbly ask the four experts for guidance," Li Yifei said as soon as he entered, skipping the niceties. It was just a fight after all, and facing clearly skilled opponents, getting to have a hearty battle was one of life¡¯s great pleasures.


    "Hey!" A loud shout came from the left, and a person suddenly spun around and charged at Li Yifei, throwing a punch with full force and tremendous speed.


    However, the moment Li Yifei saw the move, he knew what he was up against. The man was undoubtedly a master to outsiders, but compared to him, there was a clear gap. If all four were of the same level, even if they attacked together, Li Yifei might not claim with certainty that he would win, but to defend himself would certainly be no problem. If he were willing to go for the kill, his chances would be even greater by twenty percent.


    Li Yifei also shouted deeply and countered with a punch of his own.


    Their fists collided solidly, halting the other¡¯s charging momentum on the spot. The blow Li Yifei landed forced the man¡¯s follow-up move to falter, and he retreated three steps only to stabilize his stance.


    "Good kid, truly a master," praised another person from the right, as he pounced toward Li Yifei.


    This person started with intricate grappling techniques, each move quite clever. Li Yifei matched with his own set of grappling methods, pushing the opponent back two steps in just a couple of exchanges.


    As the fight commenced, Li Yifei demonstrated his formidable strength, driving the two back. The pair shouted simultaneously and attacked him together, their styles one rigid, one supple. Although their coordination was not perfect, their strength was substantial enough that after a few exchanges, they were able to complement each other, attacking with fierce precision.


    Li Yifei remained composed and managed the two masters¡¯ assault with ease. Even surrounded, there was little threat to him, but he dared not exert his full strength yet, as two others had yet to make a move. The longer they held back, the more cautious Li Yifei became.


    In such a battle, Li Yifei was exceptionally calm; without great confidence, he would not reveal his hand.


    After deflecting several moves, the two were still unable to overpower Li Yifei, who forced them into awkward positions, to their utter astonishment; they had not expected Li Yifei, the Golden Eagle, to possess such formidable power.


    Amidst the fray, Li Yifei maneuvered the two towards a person who had been sitting still and not turning around. With a clever technique, he pulled an opponent¡¯s punch towards the seated individual.


    The person reacted as if eyes were grown on the back of his head, easily deflecting the punch with a raised hand, then slowly turning around.


    When Li Yifei caught sight of him, he was taken aback and almost exclaimed in shock¡ªfor he recognized the person and had not expected to encounter him here.

 Chapter 903 - 944: Forcing Out the True Strength

    Chapter 903: Chapter 944: Forcing Out the True StrengthLi Yifei really hadn¡¯t expected to encounter this person here, because he was none other than Xiao Hongyuan, the fourth captain of the Flying Hawk Squad, and everyone belonged to the Phantom Squad. He never imagined that Xiao Hongyuan would turn out to be a member of the Xiao Family.


    "Golden Eagle, long time no see." Xiao Hongyuan stood up with a smile, hands clasped behind his back. Approaching sixty years of age, he now sported a white beard. Coupled with his ethereal presence, he had quite the air of an immortal.


    "Fourth Brother, it¡¯s great to see you! I really didn¡¯t expect to meet you here." Although surprised, Li Yifei still greeted Xiao Hongyuan with great respect.


    Xiao Hongyuan nodded, his eyes crinkling with mirth as he said, "Today, I am here on behalf of the Xiao Family. If you want to take our Xiao Family¡¯s daughter away, you must beat us."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Alright! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a match with Fourth Brother. Let¡¯s have a good spar."


    "And don¡¯t forget about me." Another hearty voice came from behind.


    Li Yifei turned abruptly, his eyes almost popping out in shock as he grinned, "Seventh Brother, you¡¯re here too..."


    The man was in his forties, burly and tall. In one stride, he covered about three or four meters. Without taking three steps, he was already in front of Li Yifei, punching him in the shoulder, "Not bad. Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m also a Zheng."


    Li Yifei laughed again and said, "So you¡¯ve been hiding really deep, eh? Alright, Seventh Brother, shall we have a fight first?"


    Seventh Brother, named Zheng Feihu, was also a captain in the Flying Hawk Squad. He let out a laugh and replied, "The fight is inevitable, but it won¡¯t just be you and me."


    "What? Seventh Brother, you can¡¯t be serious?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    Xiao Hongyuan gave a slight chuckle and said, "That¡¯s right, we¡¯re going to join forces against you."


    Li Yifei whipped his head around and protested, "Third Brother, that¡¯s not fair. If two of you gang up on me, you¡¯ll beat me to a pulp!"


    Xiao Hongyuan squinted his eyes and said, "You little rascal, Little Jiu told us that you¡¯ve been hiding your real strength in the past. It seems like you¡¯ve been saving face for us all along. This time, Little Seven and I really want to see what you¡¯re made of."


    Li Yifei made a face and complained, "Ninth Brother is too wicked, pushing me into the fire pit like this."


    "Kid, you¡¯ve been putting on an act in front of us for too long. Today, I¡¯m going to expose your true capability," Zheng Feihu said. Without further ado, his robust body surged towards Li Yifei like a tank. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Feihu threw no punches or kicks. It seemed he was just aiming to slam his body into Li Yifei, but Li Yifei knew Zheng Feihu well. This was Zheng Feihu¡¯s strongest form of attack. At this moment, his whole body became a weapon. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t handle it well, he was going to be overwhelmed by the onslaught.


    "You¡¯re too ruthless, Seventh Brother!" Li Yifei shouted, his body drifting backward to evade.


    "Be careful." Xiao Hongyuan¡¯s voice came from behind, casual yet precise, as he extended a finger, the faintly glinting nail aiming for Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    "Third Brother, you..." Li Yifei yelled, as he braced his arm to meet Xiao Hongyuan¡¯s advance.


    Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu, as captains of the Flying Hawk Squad and members of the Phantom Squad¡ªthe country¡¯s strongest and most mysterious organization¡ªpossessed tremendous strength. Over the years, although they had receded from the limelight, their skills had not diminished in the slightest. In fact, having no missions to occupy them, they were able to devote themselves to studying martial arts, which significantly increased their prowess.


    When these two joined forces, their power was amplified tremendously. Even though Li Yifei was incredibly strong, he was caught off guard and overwhelmed by their coordinated attack, complaining bitterly as he fumbled to defend himself.


    "Third Brother, Seventh Brother, this isn¡¯t fair. You two against me... Won¡¯t this be the death of me?"


    "Hey, hey, go easy on me."


    Zheng Feihu laughed heartily and said, "Kid, stop pretending and show us your real skills. We won¡¯t hold back." His shoulder met Li Yifei¡¯s fist, sending Li Yifei stumbling back. Zheng Feihu¡¯s body, toughened by horizontal training, was practically a weapon itself.


    Xiao Hongyuan¡¯s tone remained calm and unhurried. "We represent the Xiao and Zheng families, and we definitely won¡¯t show mercy. If you still intend to hold back, then those two girls will just have to marry someone else." Yet, his attacks were anything but slow,


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen the two for quite some time. The last time they sparred, he had held back since they were good brothers and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be ruthless. But had his brothers ever really gone all out against him?


    Now it was two against one, and both were using their real skills. Even if Li Yifei wanted to go easy, it was out of the question. At first, he could still exchange taunts with them, but as the pressure mounted, he could no longer afford even the slightest distraction, focusing solely on contending with them.


    Against opponents far beneath his skill level, Li Yifei was composed and effortless, but facing these two now, his adversaries were exceptionally strong¡ªtop-notch experts. Even though they might be slightly weaker than that freak Satan, they were certainly not significantly so. Together, they might even match Satan¡¯s strength, and under such tremendous pressure, Li Yifei¡¯s true capabilities were being forced out.


    The stronger Li Yifei was, the greater the pressure he faced. Initially, Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu hadn¡¯t gone all out, but sensing Li Yifei¡¯s defense closing up and his counterattacks growing more potent, they felt an increasing pressure too, drawing out their full strength.


    This was a battle unlike any they had experienced before. There were no stakes this time; from Zheng Feihu and Xiao Mingyuan¡¯s point of view, they had to consider their families¡¯ interests. To ally with Li Yifei would be even more to their liking. Under normal circumstances, they could just go through the motions, allowing Li Yifei to win and take Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling away.


    However, having heard from Little Jiu that Li Yifei had hidden his strength, they were curious to see just how strong he really was, hence they joined forces to push Li Yifei to reveal his true power.


    Their original plan was to back off once they had pushed him, but once they truly engaged, excitement overwhelmed them. To fight such a powerful opponent with abandon was undoubtedly a fortunate pleasure in a martial artist¡¯s life.


    So as they fought, both slowly forgot their initial purpose, their minds cleared of anything but defense and attack¡ªthis was all that mattered.


    Li Yifei was no different; at that moment, he didn¡¯t care why he was fighting them. All his movements were driven by instinct.


    The two who had initially engaged Li Yifei were now standing five meters back. They were also experts in their respective families and quite proud. They had thought it would be an easy matter to defeat Li Yifei with their skills.


    But they now realized how far they were outclassed by Li Yifei. The gusts from the battle of the three were so intense they couldn¡¯t get close and had to watch from a distance. One could only imagine the enormous pressure those in the center of the fight must be under.


    This was a rare opportunity¡ªto witness such a high-level duel was an incredible fortune. So both onlookers watched intently, not wanting to miss a beat.


    However, the movements of these masters were too swift. As they watched each move, they had to think about how they would respond in such circumstances while simultaneously contemplating the opponent¡¯s actions, so there wasn¡¯t much they could actually remember. Yet, even this brief exposure was greatly beneficial, and their skills were significantly honed from the experience.


    The fight grew fiercer. Whenever Zheng Feihu made a move, he would let out a loud yell. His clothes were torn to shreds by his own power, exposing his bronzed skin drenched in sweat, a sight made more imposing as much of the sweat instantly vaporized into steam.


    Xiao Hongyuan¡¯s face became redder, his palms seemed two sizes larger than usual, now glowing with a vibrant red. With each movement of his hands, they made a sound as sharp as a blade cutting through the air.


    Li Yifei knew these were their most powerful techniques. Especially Xiao Hongyuan¡¯s Bloody Palm was devastatingly forceful¡ªif it hit, one wouldn¡¯t die but would suffer severe injuries. This knowledge sharpened Li Yifei¡¯s alertness and compelled him to use all his strength.


    At this point, all three were using their full might. Any lapse could cause grievous injury or even death, but none of them thought of that now. At this level of skill, the pursuit of martial mastery often made one forget life and death.


    The struggle continued unknowingly for over ten minutes, causing great anxiety among the onlookers. Especially with Zheng Feihu¡¯s roaring¡ªit was obvious to even the layperson that the battle had reached a fever pitch.


    Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master of the Zheng Family looked rather odd. They saw their family¡¯s champions as immeasurably strong; either could match Li Yifei alone. But seeing the current situation, where it seemed to be a siege, was quite surprising. What was even more peculiar was that the fight wasn¡¯t being resolved quickly. Just how strong exactly was Li Yifei?


    If Li Yifei were truly that powerful, then the alliance through marriage with him would greatly benefit the Xiao and Zheng families. A person of such martial might could have an immeasurable impact, and that didn¡¯t even include the cooperation with the Su Family.

 Chapter 904 - 945: Victory and Defeat

    Chapter 904: Chapter 945: Victory and Defeat"Thump!" With an explosion that sounded like dynamite, the entire hall shook and two master fighters, pushed by the surging air currents, stumbled back several steps.


    "Holy crap, is this a Saiyan battle?"


    That was the shared sentiment of the two masters.


    While somewhat exaggerated, the spectacle caused by the three was no small matter, and with that explosive noise, the figures of the three men finally separated.


    Zheng Feihu and Xiao Hongyuan stood side by side, about two meters apart. Both were breathing heavily, sweat steaming from their heads, forming a mist, as if each had a lucky cloud above them.


    Li Yifei was standing in a triangular formation with the two men, his clothes already soaked in sweat. His exhaustion was clearly greater than the others¡¯, but he still managed to stand stiff, staring at the two opponents, his eyes sparkling sharply.


    The three of them were rapidly regulating their breathing. For them, they were near the limits of their strength. After such a long stalemate, their fighting spirits were, paradoxically, more fierce than ever. At this point, none of them would be content without determining a winner.


    "Arrr!" Li Yifei was the first to let out a wolf-like howl, pushing forward with a dash.


    Drawn by Li Yifei¡¯s force, Zheng Feihu and Xiao Hongyuan also yelled and charged towards him.


    The paths they charged along formed the median of an equilateral triangle, and by the time they met at the center of this triangle, they had already clashed together.


    A series of rapid pops, like the burst of beans, erupted from the center of the three. At that instant, it was impossible to count the number of times their fists and feet connected.


    "Boom!"


    Among the popping noises, a loud explosion suddenly emerged, like the moment a popcorn machine ignites, scattering the men again.


    This time, they separated even closer to each other, barely a meter apart. Zheng Feihu and Xiao Hongyuan still fixed their gaze on Li Yifei, though Zheng Feihu¡¯s skin had lost some of its shine, and Xiao Hongyuan¡¯s blood-red palms had returned to their normal color.


    Li Yifei stood still, his expression pained, his clothes now tattered strips, which made him look rather ragged.


    "You little freak," Zheng Feihu, taking a few deep breaths and expelling a cloud of stale air, scolded Li Yifei with glaring eyes.


    Xiao Hongyuan chuckled and said, "I think now, you should be our leader."


    Li Yifei offered a wry smile and said, "Third Master, Seventh Brother, stop teasing me. Look what happened to my clothes, this suit was worth thousands!"


    Zheng Feihu spoke with irritation, "Piss off, you little punk. Neither of us managed to take you down, we¡¯ve lost face completely, and you¡¯re worried about your ragged suit?"


    Xiao Hongyuan, covering his beard with a hand, smiled and said, "Yifei, I really didn¡¯t expect this. Both Seventh and I thought for sure we could beat you. Turns out, even though we gave it our all, we couldn¡¯t take you down. You are truly the strongest among us."


    Li Yifei, always able to joke with Zheng Feihu but showing deep respect for Xiao Hongyuan, hurriedly replied modestly, "Third Master, it¡¯s you and Seventh Brother who went easy on me."


    Haha, whether we went easy or not, you know it in your heart. All right, you can leave now, take your woman and go."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony. I¡¯ll treat both Third Master and Seventh Brother to drinks another time."


    Li Yifei left, and the two spectators immediately rushed to Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu, eagerly asking, "Master, who won?"


    The two were direct disciples of Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu, so everything said here was kept within the circle.


    Xiao Hongyuan smiled and said, "It can be said we won, it can be said we lost, but most importantly, we had the chance to fight with all our strength. That in itself is a fortunate thing. To find a worthy opponent in life is the greatest fortune for a martial artist like us."


    Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he walked out through the back door of the hall, and Zheng Feihu followed him out without any intention of meeting the people in front.


    Although the two belonged to different families, their status within the two major families was second only to the family heads. If they did not wish to do something, even the family heads could not command them. The only reason they were willing to act was because of their relationship with Li Yifei, and having the opportunity to have a good fight with him made them happiest.


    If it weren¡¯t for this opportunity, and it was just a gathering among brothers, Li Yifei would definitely not have given his all and would have conceded easily.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already left the martial arts hall. Seeing his disheveled appearance, everyone was stunned. Su Mengxin, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling all rushed forward, supportsing him. Su Mengxin quickly asked, "How are you? Are you hurt?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, I¡¯m just a bit tired. Don¡¯t worry about me."


    Knowing that Li Yifei was unharmed, the three of them all breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Su Mengfei stood in front of him and blinked, saying, "What we¡¯re most concerned about now, dear cousin-in-law, is the result."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Mission accomplished."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were initially taken aback, then suddenly cheered, hugging Li Yifei tightly and crying uncontrollably.


    The people from the Xiao and Zheng families didn¡¯t look upset at this point. They had actually accepted this outcome internally; they just needed a proper excuse. They had originally asked their family heads to find experts from their families to make an appearance, which was all they hoped for, but they did not expect that it would stir up the mightiest figures from their families. Honestly, they were afraid that Li Yifei would be overwhelmed by the two and spoil the plan.


    Now this outcome was extremely surprising to them. The titans of their families, the treasures that secured the family¡¯s standing among formidable families, had not managed to defeat Li Yifei, showcasing his strength.


    They were unaware that Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu had teamed up against Li Yifei, assuming it was a consecutive fight. Had they known it was two against one and they still didn¡¯t make much of an impact, they would truly be flabbergasted.


    At this moment, Su¡¯s Third Eldest burst into proud laughter, swaying as he spoke, "I say, Fourth Master Xiao, Zheng Fifth, what¡¯s there left to say? Just hand over the person quietly. If your experts couldn¡¯t manage it, you certainly can¡¯t either; don¡¯t make us get physical."


    The situation, which had been civil, took a turn with Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s words, making it sound like a forceful abduction, leaving Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master of the Zheng Family with particularly unsightly expressions.


    Fortunately, Su Mengxin stepped in to smooth things over, "Third Grandpa, you shouldn¡¯t say that. Fourth Master, Fifth Master, you provided Yifei with an opportunity to show his worth. Fourth Master, Fifth Master, rest assured, Ling¡¯er, Yuling, and I have been close friends since childhood, and now that we are together, our relationship will only grow stronger. I promise that they will not be mistreated and hope that we can all treat Yifei as a member of our families in the future."


    The mood of Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master of the Zheng Family lightened slightly. Fourth Master Xiao nodded and said, "Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll stick to our word. But we from the Xiao and Zheng families can¡¯t just let you take Ling¡¯er and Yuling without a formal ceremony. Without proper rites, wouldn¡¯t we be made into a laughingstock?"


    Su Mengxin immediately responded, "That¡¯s only proper, and we also have to provide an explanation to the He and Chen Families. Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ll make sure the Xiao and Zheng families maintain their dignity."


    The people from the Xiao and Zheng families then nodded in satisfaction.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly, "Then we shall take our leave now. We¡¯ll discuss the details together later." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling also prepared to leave with Li Yifei. Smiling, Su Mengxin said, "Ling¡¯er, Yuling, don¡¯t come over these next few days to avoid unnecessary gossip. Eventually, you¡¯ll enter the Li family, a couple of days won¡¯t make a difference."


    Had it been said by someone from the Xiao or Zheng families, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling might not have agreed. But it was Su Mengxin who spoke, and they couldn¡¯t refuse. On hearing her words, they both felt a bit shy, glanced at Li Yifei, blushed, and nodded.


    This approach by Su Mengxin satisfied the Xiao and Zheng families. If Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were taken away now, it would indeed look like a forcible taking, which would not look good. But a subsequent ceremony would legitimize their departure with Li Yifei, preserving the face of the Xiao and Zheng families.


    However, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling still walked arm-in-arm with Li Yifei, sending him off. Though no formal ceremony had yet occurred, they were now virtually considered his. Walking together in such a manner seemed justifiable, and among the eyes of these major families, the closeness between the two women and one man wasn¡¯t considered inappropriate. Everyone consciously quickened their step, giving the three some space.


    "Yifei, do we really not have to marry those two men?"


    "Can we really be with you now?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling each asked a question.


    Although Li Yifei felt that this was not what he genuinely needed, the reality was that he had no other choice. He simply smiled and said, "Yes."


    "We¡¯re so happy." Both women leaned their heads on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, their happiness clearly overflowing, their hearts now fully devoted to Li Yifei.

 Chapter 905 - 946 Spoke Wrongly

    Chapter 905: Chapter 946 Spoke Wrongly"Hey, kid, tell me about the process." Su¡¯s Third Eldest followed Li Yifei and Su Mengxin to the small villa. As soon as he entered the house, he eagerly grabbed Li Yifei and started asking.


    Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu were members of their respective families, so this wasn¡¯t exactly a highly secretive matter¡ªat least, not for Su¡¯s Third Eldest, for whom this certainly wasn¡¯t a secret¡ªso he admitted openly, "It was Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu, plus two other middle-aged men."


    "Damn, it was those two!" Su¡¯s Third Eldest suddenly exclaimed, then looked Li Yifei up and down and said, "I get it now, all of you are in it together. In the end, they definitely couldn¡¯t let you lose, but you must have had your fair share of hardships, heh heh..." The thought of Li Yifei¡¯s tattered shirt made Su¡¯s Third Eldest laugh uncontrollably; he never even considered that Li Yifei could have not been defeated.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother to go into detail about the fighting with Su¡¯s Third Eldest. There was no need for him to show off how he was able to hold his own against Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu. Though it might elevate his reputation, others might not believe that he was truly strong enough to compare with those two, and might instead think that their abilities had diminished.


    Actually, Li Yifei was well aware that the strength of those two hadn¡¯t decreased at all, and that, with years of dedicated practice, they had become even more formidable.


    "Kid, when you go back this time, you need to be careful. The He Family and Chen Family have suffered a big loss. Even though the Xiao Family and Zheng Family have allied with us and can¡¯t do much to those two families for now, they won¡¯t let this go. They¡¯ll definitely take their resentment out on you. Although you¡¯re strong, there¡¯s no telling what kind of tricks these people might use. If you¡¯re not careful and they get the drop on you, it won¡¯t be pleasant."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I know. I don¡¯t want to provoke these troubles, but somehow they always find their way to me."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said with a glare, "The more troubles that come, the more interesting life gets. If every day was dull, what would be the fun in that?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s character; despite his age, he was still keen on having fun.


    "I¡¯ll tell you this: whether you live happily or in discomfort, life is still life. In the matter of women, we¡¯re equals, but when it comes to attitude towards other things, you still fall short of me. In the future, you should learn more from your Third Grandpa. I guarantee you¡¯ll enjoy it. And tonight, let¡¯s go out and have some fun."


    Su Mengxin immediately glared and asked, "Third Grandpa, where are you planning to take Yifei for fun?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s expression was perfectly natural as he replied, "Of course, we¡¯re going somewhere nice. This is my first meeting with Yifei, and we hit it off straight away. It¡¯s normal for us to go out and HAPPY a bit, isn¡¯t it? My dear granddaughter, although you are exceptionally talented and I can¡¯t compare to you, a man can¡¯t be tied down. Social engagements are necessary, you know."


    Seeing how naturally Su¡¯s Third Eldest spoke, Li Yifei felt somewhat awkward. Though not a blood grandfather, he still was a direct relative. Yet, Third Grandpa was planning to take his grandson-in-law out for fun and was so confidently persuading his granddaughter. This guy was truly too shameless for his age.


    "Third Grandpa, I won¡¯t go today; I¡¯m really too tired."


    Su Mengxin also shot Third Grandpa a disdainful look and grumbled, "Yeah, didn¡¯t you see how Yifei was struggling even to walk when he came out?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest chuckled heh heh and said, "Then I can¡¯t help it. Grandson-in-law, we¡¯ll find another time to go out. Today, I¡¯ll just go have fun by myself," and then he slipped away.


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "My Third Grandpa really leaves me speechless."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "He¡¯s quite genuine, though. I quite like him."


    Su Mengxin glared at Li Yifei and warned, "Let me tell you, you¡¯d better not learn from him. I won¡¯t bother with your past antics, but if you start visiting those messy places and finding those messy women, I¡¯ll definitely team up with everyone to deal with you."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Why would I be so foolish? With so many beautiful wives at home, why would I go looking for something on the side? Besides, those vulgar women can¡¯t compare to you. Why would I opt for the bad when I have the good?"


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true. Home flowers may not smell as sweet as wild flowers, and in those places, there are still some quite classy girls who end up there for money or other reasons."


    Li Yifei suddenly remembered Su Yiyi. Had he not met her, Su Yiyi might have been counted among those unfortunate girls.


    Su Mengxin then said, "Isn¡¯t there a saying, ¡¯A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a steal, and a steal is not as good as not being able to steal¡¯? Do you men just like novelty that much?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Now that I¡¯m with you all, I¡¯ve already experienced the thrill of stealth. I¡¯m not craving that anymore."


    After a few jokes, Su Mengxin told Li Yifei to go upstairs and rest.


    Li Yifei was indeed very tired. The battle this time was no less strenuous than the last one against Satan, even more challenging. Lying in bed, it took him less than two minutes to fall into a deep sleep, not waking up until the next morning when it was bright.


    By that time, Su Mengxin hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Li Yifei didn¡¯t disturb her and simply dressed himself and went out to the yard.


    Yesterday¡¯s battle was also a tremendous opportunity for Li Yifei. A fight where one risks life and death, and with a sufficiently strong opponent, always benefits a martial artist tremendously. This is why masters often seek out stronger opponents for comparison. At such times, mere understanding through self-reflection is ineffective. Only through numerous battles and struggling on the brink of death can one unlock greater potential and grasp deeper insights.


    At this moment, he could properly assimilate these experiences, thoroughly absorb and integrate them into his abilities. Li Yifei¡¯s rapid progress over the years, aside from his innate talent, was mainly due to this special ability to learn from combat, each fight bringing him improvement. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Hongyuan and Zheng Feihu were aware of this too, but the benefits each person gained varied. Li Yifei was the kind of anomaly who gained considerably more from such experiences.


    Over the next two days, the Su Family, Xiao Family, and Zheng Family detailed their negotiations over the collaboration.


    This was a major affair. Both sides strived for their interests, which was more complex than formal business negotiations due to the myriad of issues involved and the vast interests to be allocated. These were not matters that could be settled in just a day or two.


    Since the specifics of the collaboration hadn¡¯t been finalized, the affairs regarding Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had to be postponed. While Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were anxious, Li Yifei felt it was a good thing. He truly didn¡¯t know how he would face Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling when the time came. Avoiding a direct confrontation for the moment was a relief. In fact, Li Yifei knew that the situation couldn¡¯t be changed; he was merely adopting an ostrich approach, procrastinating for as long as possible.


    Li Yifei temporarily had nothing else to do, so he hurried back to Mile City. Su Mengxin still had matters to attend to in Capital City, so she did not accompany him back.


    The two had spent four or five days together; Su Mengxin¡¯s period had coincidentally started when Li Yifei arrived, and it had ended by the time he left. This once again caused them to miss the opportunity to consummate their relationship.


    Yet neither of them was disappointed; in fact, it seemed they had purposefully split up prior to the end of Su Mengxin¡¯s cycle, leaving something to look forward to. This created a sense of anticipation between them, which might have dissipated had they actually been intimate.


    Returning to Mile City, there was someone Li Yifei was eager to see¡ªXu Yingying. Before Xu Yingying left, she had told him that once she returned, they would consummate their relationship. Although this had happened countless times already, due to Xu Yingying¡¯s amnesia, it felt like the very first time to Li Yifei.


    Having not seen his daughter for nearly a week, Li Yifei was eager to get home. Upon his return, he went straight to the family residence and entered. There was no one in the living room. It was early March, so Chu Xiaoyao had gone back to school, and Su Yiyi was surely at school too. Xu Shanshan would be at work, so only Ye Yunzhu, her daughter, and Ning Xin¡¯er should have been at home.


    Rushing upstairs, Li Yifei entered Ye Yunzhu¡¯s room, but, surprisingly, besides the baby in the crib, there was no sign of anyone else. This surprised Li Yifei, but he didn¡¯t mind much because he had heard noise from the bathroom when he came upstairs, probably Ye Yunzhu using the toilet. And it was quite possible that Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother and Ning Xin¡¯er had gone out.


    "Wow..." His baby daughter suddenly started crying, and he hurriedly, carefully picked her up. Her cries immediately stopped.


    Li Yifei was delighted, gently kissing his daughter¡¯s tender little face and asked, "Darling, did you miss Daddy?"


    His baby daughter couldn¡¯t understand Li Yifei¡¯s words, but being held seemed to comfort her. She was puckering her lips, probably hungry.


    Footsteps approached from behind, and Li Yifei, without looking back, began to turn around and said, "Yunzhu, look how well-behaved our daughter is. She stops crying the second I hold her. Now she can even recognize her daddy..."


    But before he could finish saying "daddy," Li Yifei stopped short, for it wasn¡¯t Ye Yunzhu standing in front of him. It was Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 906 - 947: Revealing the Truth

    Chapter 906: Chapter 947: Revealing the Truth"Honey... why are you... back?" Li Yifei swallowed hard, feeling utterly miserable. He couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t recognized Xu Yingying¡¯s footsteps, and to have blurted out such words, he really was plagued by bad luck.


    Xu Yingying, however, was staring at Li Yifei with an unpleasant expression, saying, "Yeah, I¡¯m back, great, another daughter has been added."


    "This... Honey, I..." Li Yifei tried to explain at this point, but felt that any explanation would seem feeble and unnecessary, as the matter itself was the truth, and there would be no point in further clarification¡ªthe lie was bound to come out someday.


    Besides, this was his daughter; Li Yifei couldn¡¯t shirk this responsibility. He couldn¡¯t, just for the sake of Xu Yingying, disregard his own child. That wasn¡¯t his character, nor his style.


    With a determined heart, Li Yifei gritted his teeth, faced Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, and said firmly, "Honey, yes, this is the child Ye Yunzhu and I have together."


    Even though today Xu Yingying was supposed to genuinely accept him as her husband, bringing up this issue might very well sadden her, but Li Yifei still spoke up. He didn¡¯t want to keep going like this¡ªfirstly, because it was too exhausting, and secondly, because keeping it a secret was utterly unfair to the others, especially to his own daughter.


    He waited for Xu Yingying to explode in anger¡ªan outburst was inevitable, and Li Yifei was prepared to face it today.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face had also turned exceptionally ugly as she stared at Li Yifei, lips quivering.


    "Honey! You might as well scold me; I know it was wrong to hide it from you, but I won¡¯t let the child suffer. I can¡¯t let her be fatherless."


    "Pfft!" At this moment, Xu Yingying unexpectedly burst into laughter, then continued to laugh radiantly, giggling and resting her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei was stunned. He had not expected Xu Yingying to laugh, and it was not a laugh of anger turned to mirth but a sincere laugh from the heart. Had he unwittingly made a joke?


    "You, huh!" Xu Yingying raised her hand and tapped Li Yifei¡¯s forehead lightly, saying, "Look at you, acting as if you¡¯re on the way to the gallows. Am I that scary?"


    "You... you¡¯re not angry?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying in surprise, doubting his own ears and eyes.


    "Why should I be angry? Yunzhu has been so pitiful raising the child alone. As her friends, it¡¯s only right for us to help her out, isn¡¯t it? Just accepting Little Yixiang as a daughter, I¡¯m completely okay with that¡ªI fancy her so much. Look at you, acting like I would disagree."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes bulged. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Xu Yingying was understanding it this way, but what should he do now? Should he continue to reveal the truth, or let Xu Yingying maintain this misunderstanding?


    "Hey, you¡¯re back too! Did you two arrange this together?" Ye Yunzhu¡¯s voice came from the doorway, forcing Li Yifei to temporarily give up dealing with this issue.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a white look, saying, "I didn¡¯t arrange anything with him, I came back a day early. Who knew he would come early too."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed softly, saying, "That just shows how in sync you two are." Then, she sneakily shook her head at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei responded with a bitter smile, knowing Ye Yunzhu had overheard their conversation. Now she was signaling him not to reveal the truth, and it really didn¡¯t seem like the right moment for an admission. The issue would have to wait.


    "Come, let me hold her. You, a big man with such rough hands, what if you hurt the child?" Xu Yingying took the baby from Li Yifei and gently rocked her, a tender maternal look on her face as she whispered softly, "Sweet daughter, let Mommy hold you. From now on, Mommy will spoil you; whatever you want, Mommy will buy for you."


    Looking at Xu Yingying¡¯s genuine affection, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what to say. He also didn¡¯t know whether Xu Yingying would continue to love the child so much if she knew that the father was Li Yifei himself.


    "The little darling must be hungry, Yunzhu, come and breastfeed the child."


    Ye Yunzhu complied, took the child, sat on the bed, and started breastfeeding.


    Li Yifei watched his daughter sucking vigorously at the milk, feeling incredibly happy, but then Xu Yingying pushed him, chiding, "Come on, are you okay? Now is not the time for you to stick around."


    Li Yifei broke into a sweat, then remembered that he should indeed leave, not staying there watching Ye Yunzhu breastfeed. He promptly scurried out.


    Soon enough, Ning Xin¡¯er and Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother also returned. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother hadn¡¯t given Li Yifei a hard time recently; her focus had been on taking care of Ye Yunzhu and her little granddaughter. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei found himself slightly embarrassed in front of his mother-in-law, so he quickly took the initiative to go downstairs to cook. When the time was about right, he went to take his daughter back.


    Little Yifei returned home and went straight to see her little sister, sometimes gazing at her for half an hour. The child piqued her interest, which made Li Yifei very happy. After all, they were sisters, and it was crucial for them to love and care for each other.


    Xu Shanshan came back after a while and, upon seeing Li Yifei in the kitchen, slipped in.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan embraced Li Yifei from behind, resting her face on his back.


    Li Yifei jumped, but thankfully there was no one else on the first floor, and he asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "I missed you," Xu Shanshan rubbed her face gently against Li Yifei¡¯s back and whispered, "Brother-in-law, can you please get my sister to agree tonight?"


    "This... should be about right."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan suddenly let go of Li Yifei, turned to face him, her face full of surprise.


    "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be. Last time your sister left, she told me that when she comes back this time, she¡¯ll truly be my wife."


    "That¡¯s fantastic!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed with a fist pump, "I can finally ¡¯eat meat¡¯ now, I¡¯ve been really, really stifled these days."


    Li Yifei instantly felt a black line cross his forehead, but he could empathize with Xu Shanshan¡¯s feelings. The two of them were like a couple, but had suddenly abstained, which was quite a painful thing for both parties.


    During dinner, the atmosphere was also very good. Xu Shanshan was all smiles, and although Xu Yingying tried her best to appear calm, she blushed slightly when her gaze met Li Yifei¡¯s.


    "Sis, I¡¯m staying over tonight. You guys go home," Xu Shanshan urged Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to go home after dinner.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red and said, "Why go back so early? I still want to stay here and watch the kids."


    "If you like kids so much, go and have your own with my brother-in-law. Why watch someone else¡¯s? Go, go, go, hurry up and leave."


    Xu Shanshan, without further discussion, pushed the two out, leaving everyone a bit puzzled. After sending Li Yifei and Xu Yingying away, Xu Shanshan yawned and said, "I¡¯m also tired, going to take a bath and then sleep."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying entered the elevator, facing each other. Xu Yingying pretended to complain, "That Shanshan really... I wanted to watch the kids a little longer."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Yingying¡¯s blushing cheeks and suddenly felt a surge of emotion. Without thinking, he reached out and took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, softly saying, "Wife, I¡¯ve missed you."


    "Miss me... Miss me for what? I certainly didn¡¯t miss you." Xu Yingying turned her head away, not meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, but her hand didn¡¯t pull away.


    "Whether you miss me or not, I still miss you."


    Xu Yingying turned her head to meet Li Yifei¡¯s eyes. Her own eyes were misty, her lips trembling, and the word "husband" spilled from her lips.


    "Wife..." That call of ¡¯husband¡¯ made Li Yifei even more affectionate. Stretching out his arms, he hugged Xu Yingying to his chest, intending to kiss her tempting red lips.


    "Ding dong!" The elevator suddenly stopped, and Xu Yingying quickly pushed Li Yifei away, whispering in annoyance, "You¡¯re naughty, even messing around in the elevator." Then she straightened her clothes.


    Li Yifei, looking at Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction, was even happier. However, when the elevator door opened, he composed himself to save Xu Yingying from embarrassment.


    A middle-aged woman entered, glanced at the two of them, and didn¡¯t say anything. But Li Yifei and Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t do anything more.


    Exiting the elevator, Li Yifei took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and said, "Let¡¯s take a walk in the yard."


    "Okay!" Xu Yingying agreed, and the two of them took a leisurely stroll through the complex¡¯s yard. It was early March, by the seaside city, early spring was on its way. The grass revealed its green hue and tree branches had begun to sprout. Some flowering trees were already in bloom.


    "Yingying, I¡¯ve never really appreciated how nice our complex is. It looks so beautiful today."


    "Really? Someone¡¯s getting sentimental."


    "Yeah, my wife is finally recognizing me, of course I¡¯m happy. Now everything looks especially nice."


    "I... was just joking last time."


    Li Yifei turned stiff, looked at Xu Yingying, and said with a wry smile, "Wife, you¡¯re not serious..."


    "I am indeed, I was joking. Did you really take it seriously?" Xu Yingying¡¯s face revealed a mischievous smile.


    Li Yifei stretched out his hand and gently pinched Xu Yingying¡¯s cheek, laughing, "Silly wife, you really scared me."


    "That¡¯s how much you care about me?" Xu Yingying¡¯s smile was sweet and charming.


    "Yes, so just in case, I have decided, let¡¯s go home now."


    "Go home for what?" Xu Yingying asked with a beaming smile.


    "Go home and get to bed, have you truly become my wife, so you can never run away again." Li Yifei chuckled and, holding Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, quickly walked toward the building where they both lived.

 Chapter 907 - 948: Husband and Wife Loving Each Other

    Chapter 907: Chapter 948: Husband and Wife Loving Each OtherThis little home was where Xu Yingying had always lived. When Li Yifei moved in, he was still pretending to be Xu Yingying¡¯s boyfriend to handle surprise phone checks from her parents. After the two of them got married, they continued living here. Xu Yingying¡¯s true first time also happened here.


    At this moment, the two sat on the couch. Li Yifei was holding Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders, and she leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s chest. Neither of them spoke; a sense of peace and warmth permeated and spread throughout the room, making this little home incredibly cozy.


    After sitting like this for over ten minutes, Xu Yingying lifted her head, and Li Yifei lowered his to look at her. Their eyes met, and both broke into a knowing smile.


    "Wife..."


    "Husband..."


    They called out to each other simultaneously, and then shared another knowing smile.


    "May I kiss you?" Li Yifei slowly lowered his head.


    "Just on the cheek..." Xu Yingying softly spoke, but her eyes gradually closed, and her eyelashes fluttered nonstop.


    Looking at Xu Yingying¡¯s delicate face, perhaps she couldn¡¯t quite compare in beauty to Su Mengxin, but she was undoubtedly a great beauty. Having been through so much, the two were now finally together again. This gave Li Yifei a joyous sense of regaining what he once lost, and even kissing Xu Yingying now, brought him the excitement of their first kiss with Ye Yunzhu.


    Finally, his lips touched Xu Yingying¡¯s cheek, that tender feeling intoxicating Li Yifei. He pecked lightly, so enchantingly, that he couldn¡¯t control himself. His lips moved from her cheek to her forehead, then to her eyes.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t dodge, allowing Li Yifei to kiss her. Her breathing became rapid, her body went limp, unable to hold herself up if not for Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Her chest heaved intensely, her hands involuntarily grasping Li Yifei¡¯s clothes.


    When Li Yifei¡¯s lips touched hers, Xu Yingying opened her eyes slightly, spoke weakly, "You promised... just on the cheek."


    Even Li Yifei, normally slow, knew Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t opposed at all. Besides, having been husband and wife for so long, how couldn¡¯t he know Xu Yingying sometimes liked playfully acting proud? He slightly pulled back from her lips, grinned, and said, "You¡¯re already on board the bandit ship. There¡¯s no getting off now." Then he leaned in and kissed her lips again.


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t refuse this time either, even appearing very eager. As Li Yifei kissed her, a delightfully pleasing moan escaped her nose, her arms stretching to encircle his neck.


    Their lips and tongues intertwined in a passionate kiss, so intense that they were breathless before Li Yifei finally released Xu Yingying.


    Their faces were still no more than ten centimeters apart, eyes locked; Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was burning hot, while Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes were watery, like a pool of autumn water, her facial features blossoming with hints of spring.


    After a brief moment, their lips met once more. Xu Yingying was more uninhibited, matching Li Yifei¡¯s kiss without a trace of awkwardness, as if they had kissed countless times before.


    "Annoying, my lips hurt now." Xu Yingying finally pushed Li Yifei away, gently twisting her body, acting coy.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "As husband and wife, we, of course, have to enjoy our kisses; otherwise, how can we be considered a married couple?"


    "So as a spouse, you must bully me, you big meanie."


    "I used to tease you like this too, though you often teased me back."


    "I did not, you¡¯re tricking me."


    "Hehe, you¡¯ll know in the future whether I¡¯m tricking you."


    "Humph, you¡¯re always up to no good."


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s adorable demeanor made Li Yifei even happier. The Xu Yingying he knew from before rarely showed such girlish charm. This time, he was truly seeing another side of Xu Yingying¡ªperhaps the side that should emerge when deeply in love.


    "Wife, shall we take a bath first?" Li Yifei grinned as he asked.


    "Of course, we should take a bath." Xu Yingying struggled to sit up, fixing her tousled hair.


    "How about we bathe together?" Li Yifei mischievously suggested.


    "No way!" Xu Yingying jumped up, hastily saying, "You¡¯re not allowed to bathe with me."


    "We¡¯re an old married couple, what¡¯s there to be shy about?"


    Xu Yingying pouted, "Who¡¯s an old married couple with you? I¡¯m not your wife yet."


    "Alright, alright, you bathe first, then I¡¯ll bathe." Li Yifei didn¡¯t insist. He was already very satisfied with how fast they were progressing, and he didn¡¯t want to rush things and possibly make Xu Yingying feel the opposite.


    "Humph!" Xu Yingying arrogantly tossed her head, her figure twisting gracefully as she entered the bathroom.


    As the sound of the water began to echo, Li Yifei felt a surge of heat within him, the thought of what was about to happen with Xu Yingying made him excited, as if it were their wedding night.


    In the bedroom, Li Yifei tidied up the bed and then, after a look around, grabbed a bottle of perfume and lightly sprayed some around the room. But still shaking his head, he regretted not having bought a bunch of fresh flowers knowing Xu Yingying was coming back today.


    However, hearing Xu Yingying humming a tune in the bathroom, Li Yifei was struck with an idea. There was still time, he couldn¡¯t just wait around.


    When Xu Yingying finished her shower and slid open the door, she was greeted by a large bouquet of fiery red roses, which made her freeze instantly.


    "Wife!" Li Yifei grinned at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s lips quivered and her eyes reddened; tears streamed down her cheeks.


    Li Yifei panicked a bit and hurriedly asked, "Wife, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Yingying suddenly grabbed the flowers, clutching the red roses to her chest, and sobbed, "I¡¯m just so happy."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, gently wiped the tears from Xu Yingying¡¯s face, and said affectionately, "Silly wife, are you really moved to tears just by receiving flowers?"


    Xu Yingying sniffled and responded, "I just feel so touched. You¡¯ve never given me flowers before."


    Li Yifei felt deeply guilty and said, "Yes, wife, it¡¯s my fault. From now on, I¡¯ll give you flowers every day."


    Xu Yingying pouted, "That won¡¯t do, you¡¯ll end up giving them to Michelle at the office. Just give them to me at home."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll just give them to you at home from now on." Li Yifei nodded repeatedly.


    "That¡¯s more like it. Alright, go take your shower," Xu Yingying said and took a step forward but suddenly let out a startled yelp and awkwardly squatted down.


    As Li Yifei glanced over, his eyes nearly popped out. Due to clutching the bouquet of fiery red roses, Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t noticed her towel falling, and as she moved forward, the towel slid off. Although the roses blocked the front, her smooth back was exposed, presenting a unique kind of beauty and temptation.


    "Stop looking! Don¡¯t look!" Xu Yingying struggled to pull up her towel but didn¡¯t want to let go of the roses, which left her in a fluster.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "Just go in like that, it¡¯s going to come off again soon anyway."


    "You big rascal!" Xu Yingying spat at Li Yifei, then ran into the bedroom with the roses, exposing her entire back to him.


    Though it was just a fleeting glance, it sent Li Yifei¡¯s blood rushing, and he hurried into the bathroom, not wanting to waste any more time.


    Still, Li Yifei took his time for a serious wash, making sure to cleanse himself thoroughly. For Xu Yingying, this was apparently the first time, and any imperfection would be a regret for him and a flaw for her.


    Finally clean, Li Yifei dried off his body, hesitated for a moment, then wrapped a towel around himself before leaving the bathroom.


    The bedroom door was closed. Li Yifei gently knocked and said, "Wife, I¡¯m done washing, may I come in?" He then turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.


    Xu Yingying was already lying on the bed. A vase on the nightstand held the fiery red roses, and a blend of captivating floral and perfume scents mixed with Xu Yingying¡¯s faint fragrance filled the room, creating a delightful allure for Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying clutched the quilt and said, "Hey, who let you in? I didn¡¯t give you permission yet."


    "With such a beautiful wife lying on the bed, how could I, as your husband, resist coming in? Your attraction is just too strong; I can¡¯t help it."


    "Sweet talker, you¡¯re just a big baddie."


    "Right, today I¡¯m going to be a real bad boy, a super bad boy," Li Yifei chuckled, reached the edge of the bed, and tried to lift the covers to climb in.


    "You rascal, no!" Xu Yingying held the quilt down, preventing Li Yifei from getting under.


    At this point, Xu Yingying still not allowing him on the bed was more than Li Yifei could handle, but he saw it was not truly denial, just a playful game, and he could not deny Xu Yingying¡¯s wish. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feigning a struggle with one side of the quilt, and earnestly pleading with Xu Yingying, she arrogantly kept him out, her face displaying a happy and smug expression.


    "Ah!" Just when Xu Yingying was enjoying her triumph, she suddenly screamed. Li Yifei had grabbed the other side of the quilt and, catching her off guard, yanked it completely open.

 Chapter 908 - 949 Loving Couple

    Chapter 908: Chapter 949 Loving Couple"You..." Li Yifei widened his eyes, staring blankly at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying, on the other hand, pursed her lips and giggled, winking at Li Yifei while saying, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "My dear wife... Who takes a bath and then puts their clothes back on?" Li Yifei said, feeling frustrated.


    Xu Yingying was wearing pajamas at the moment, which wasn¡¯t much, but in Li Yifei¡¯s imagination, Xu Yingying should have been naked after all the fuss earlier, and uncovering it should have been stunning, but who knew it would turn out like this.


    Xu Yingying wiggled her little feet, saying smugly, "Why can¡¯t I put on clothes after taking a bath? Don¡¯t I usually sleep in pajamas?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "But today is different."


    "How is it different?" Xu Yingying squinted at Li Yifei.


    Facing Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei suddenly chuckled and said, "Today, you¡¯re becoming my true wife, so of course it¡¯s different. You put them on, then I¡¯ll take them off again."


    "Ah! No!" Xu Yingying yelled loudly.


    "Go ahead, yell all you want. Even if you scream your lungs out today, no one will come to your rescue. Besides, if a husband and wife are in bed, not even God would care." While saying this, Li Yifei had already pounced on Xu Yingying and pulled the quilt over both of them.


    A night of tenderness, Li Yifei felt utterly satisfied, finally consummating with Xu Yingying, and Xu Yingying was not as reserved as she had pretended to be, instead very passionate. They ended up doing it four times that night, and Xu Yingying only fell asleep from exhaustion.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t think much of it as they were a married couple after all. Even though Xu Yingying had lost part of her memory, they had been together for over half a year, and they were familiar with each other¡¯s bodies. Once feelings got involved, everything should have naturally fallen into place.


    Although the sunlight was already shining through the curtains onto the bed, Xu Yingying opened her eyes, but Li Yifei was not by her side, although she could hear sounds coming from the kitchen.


    A sweet, contented, and happy smile appeared on Xu Yingying¡¯s face as she hugged Li Yifei¡¯s pillow, lazing in bed without getting up.


    In a short while, Li Yifei came in with a tray in hand, which held breakfast. He placed the tray on the nightstand, leaned down to give Xu Yingying a kiss on the cheek, and said, "My dear wife, it¡¯s time for breakfast."


    Xu Yingying hugged the pillow tightly and, with a coquettish tone, said, "No, I want to sleep a little longer. Last night was really exhausting."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "If you sleep a little longer, I won¡¯t be able to resist getting into bed again."


    "You scoundrel, I have to go to work later." Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei an exasperated look, but it only made her more charming. She stretched out her arms and said, "Pick me up."


    "Ha, there are perks in the morning too." Li Yifei picked Xu Yingying up and then tried to kiss her.


    "No, I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth yet." Xu Yingying avoided it and chided, "You insatiable cat, still haven¡¯t had enough kisses after a whole night."


    "How could there ever be enough kisses? A lifetime wouldn¡¯t be enough." Li Yifei hugged Xu Yingying and helped her sit up. Xu Yingying¡¯s upper body was already in front of his eyes, and no matter how many times he had seen it, Li Yifei¡¯s gaze still turned a bit dazed.


    "Give me my clothes." Xu Yingying extended her hand in front of Li Yifei¡¯s eyes to block his view.


    Li Yifei chuckled, slowly fetched Xu Yingying¡¯s clothes, and then kept staring at her.


    "You big pervert, peeping at me getting dressed." Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei an exasperated look and began to dress, but didn¡¯t make Li Yifei avoid it.


    Xu Yingying only slipped on her underwear and simple pajamas, then sat by the bed. Li Yifei immediately brought her a bowl and chopsticks, and the two of them ate breakfast together.


    The nightstand wasn¡¯t big, so while they ate, they often bumped heads, which made them feel even sweeter.


    After tidying up, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying left the house together, and Xu Yingying naturally hooked her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s, resting her head on his shoulder.


    "Wife, how many days are you staying home this time?" Li Yifei asked as they entered the elevator.


    "I¡¯m leaving tonight."


    "What! Can¡¯t you stay a few more days?" Li Yifei instantly put on a pained expression.


    Xu Yingying chuckled softly and said, "Alright, since you want me to stay so badly, I¡¯ll stay a couple more days."


    "Really?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.


    "Really, I can¡¯t bear to be away from my hubby." Xu Yingying leaned closer to Li Yifei, her arm pressed firmly against his.


    Li Yifei let out a happy chuckle, "That¡¯s better."


    Seeing Li Yifei look so happy, like a young lad in his twenties, acting like this made Xu Yingying very happy and enchanted, to see a man so strong and feared by many act in this way.


    After checking on the child, Li Yifei took Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan to the underground parking lot to get the car. As soon as they got in, Xu Shanshan cheerfully said, "Congratulations!"


    Xu Yingying and Li Yifei of course knew what Xu Shanshan was referring to. Xu Yingying blushed and retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    "Hehe, seeing you and my brother-in-law back to being lovey-dovey, I¡¯m happy for you." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying could feel Xu Shanshan¡¯s joy. Although this younger sister always seemed to oppose her, their bond as sisters was deep, and she always cared about her.


    "Oh, Shanshan, your complexion looks particularly good today." Xu Yingying turned to see Xu Shanshan glowing, looking somewhat similar to herself, and as a married woman, she quickly associated it with certain things. Her face turned serious and she asked, "Have you found a boyfriend?"


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t understand why Xu Yingying asked this and immediately pouted, "What boyfriend? There¡¯s no such thing."


    "You haven¡¯t found a boyfriend?" Xu Yingying looked at Xu Shanshan skeptically and then immediately asked, "Were you out last night?"


    "Not at all, I was home all night."


    "Really?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at her sister, "Of course it¡¯s true. Why are you watching me like a hawk this early in the morning? If I had a boyfriend, would I hide it from you? It¡¯s not a big deal."


    "Oh..."


    Xu Yingying understood her sister well. If she had a boyfriend, she might not tell their parents, but she would certainly tell her. So, there wasn¡¯t a boyfriend, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s glow clearly pointed to happiness and satisfaction from the night before. Without a boyfriend, how could that be?


    Xu Shanshan suddenly widened her eyes at Xu Yingying and said, "Ah! I know, Sis, did you think I was glowing like you and assumed I was with a man last night too?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s straightforwardness made Xu Yingying a bit awkward. She shot her sister an annoyed glance, "I¡¯m your sister, can¡¯t I care about you?"


    Li Yifei too felt a bit awkward, Xu Shanshan was really blunt, but he wasn¡¯t worried. Since Xu Shanshan said so, she must have her reasoning.


    "Sis, aren¡¯t we twins? Don¡¯t you think twins can¡¯t affect each other? If I¡¯m really unhappy, don¡¯t you also feel down? If you¡¯re agitated, I get restless too. You had such a good time last night; how could I not feel joyful this morning?"


    "Oh... so that¡¯s it." Xu Yingying¡¯s doubts were eased, but she gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance, which made him a bit nervous. He quickly said, "This has nothing to do with me, right?"


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, "Focus on driving."


    Li Yifei dropped Xu Yingying off at her office, then went to the factory with Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan with a cheeky grin said, "Brother-in-law, you did well last night, and my sister did too. I thought she¡¯d be more reserved, but you two went at it four times last night."


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t embarrassed in front of Xu Shanshan and smiled proudly, "Yes, she felt like she did before."


    "Hehe, even if she forgot about you as a person, you¡¯ve been married for so long, she¡¯s definitely used to your body. So, once you went at it, she adapted. You should¡¯ve done this earlier and taken the assertive approach; it would have been settled long ago."


    Li Yifei was momentarily at a loss for words. This sister-in-law was indeed bold.


    Xu Shanshan then added, "Oh, brother-in-law, I think this method might help my sister regain her memory sooner. Keep at it every day, and it should work."


    Li Yifei thought this method might truly be effective, but he still jokingly said to Xu Shanshan, "You just want personal satisfaction, huh?"


    "Of course, since we can¡¯t really do it, this is my only indulgence, hehe. I¡¯m in a great mood, hoping you¡¯ll continue your strong performance tonight, brother-in-law."

 Chapter 909 - 950 Xu Yingying’s Suggestion

    Chapter 909: Chapter 950 Xu Yingying¡¯s SuggestionLi Yifei had just arrived at the factory when he received a call from Xu Yingying.


    "Wife, missing me already?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Is Shanshan with you?"


    Li Yifei was a bit puzzled and quickly said, "Oh, she just went out."


    "Then let me tell you, you better be careful."


    "Careful about what?" Li Yifei felt a bit guilty.


    "This... You¡¯re not allowed to have any thoughts about Shanshan. Don¡¯t think that just because we¡¯re twins we have some connection... I¡¯m telling you, men have a thing for this. Do you think I don¡¯t know?"


    Li Yifei felt a cold sweat inside, and quickly said, "Yingying, I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    "Hmph, just don¡¯t let me catch you, or you¡¯ll be in trouble."


    "Got it, got it. You don¡¯t have to worry about this, my dear wife." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After hanging up, Xu Shanshan happened to walk in. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s odd expression, she asked, "Brother-in-law, what¡¯s up?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Your sister is starting to suspect us."


    Xu Shanshan nonchalantly said, "It¡¯s fine. She would never think we¡¯re like this already, and as long as we keep it up like this, even if she catches us, so what? I¡¯m not even stealing you from her."


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a look and said, "Shanshan, you might not be afraid, but I am. If your sister notices something recently, I¡¯m really finished."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m just saying. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful. I wouldn¡¯t want my sister to be angry with you. In fact, I hope you and she get along fabulously."


    Li Yifei suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, you mentioned today about the connection between you two. Do you think your sister will think that it was her feeling?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s face changed and said, "It¡¯s quite likely. Before, she didn¡¯t notice this, but since I brought it up today, if there¡¯s that feeling again, she might really start thinking that way."


    "Yeah, we have to be more careful."


    Xu Shanshan said with frustration, "Why did I blurt it out today of all days?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Didn¡¯t you know that one lie requires a hundred to cover it? And a lie is still a lie. Sooner or later, it will be exposed. I¡¯m really worried that one day your sister will find out about us."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "So does that mean I can¡¯t be close to you anymore? I don¡¯t want that." She wriggled a bit and said, "I feel like my sister has grown much smarter after she recovered. She used to be quite naive about relationships, but this time she¡¯s not so easy to fool."


    Li Yifei felt the same way. Xu Yingying was indeed different from before, but after some thought, he said, "That might be the feeling of love."


    "That¡¯s not it. Love makes women more foolish."


    "Haha, I meant becoming more sensitive. Love often makes people more sensitive."


    "That might be true, but that¡¯s not good. I preferred it when she was naive."


    "You dare call your sister naive? If she finds out, she might beat you up."


    "I¡¯m not afraid of her." Xu Shanshan widened her eyes, but she realized they had to be cautious, especially with Xu Yingying at home lately. They couldn¡¯t slip up even a little.


    Someone came in then, and Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan got back to work.


    The next two days, Xu Yingying worked during the day and returned home at night, engaging in all the intimacy she could with Li Yifei. In this area, Li Yifei clearly felt that Xu Yingying was somewhat different from before. She used to be quite conservative, though she improved a little later. However, she still wasn¡¯t very open in bed.


    But this time, Xu Yingying seemed very open, enjoying the delightful sensations each time and even teasing Li Yifei to heighten his excitement.


    For a man, this was naturally a good thing. When young, men often demanded more in this area, but women didn¡¯t usually engage so enthusiastically. Often, it was just to please their boyfriends. But it seemed like Xu Yingying was genuinely finding joy in this, almost insatiable.


    Xu Yingying was set to travel again the next day. That evening, she passionately made love with Li Yifei several times. Despite her fatigue, she didn¡¯t fall asleep immediately, but instead snuggled beside Li Yifei, lightly tracing circles on his chest with her fingers.


    "Honey, I¡¯ve been really happy these past few days."


    Li Yifei gently caressed Xu Yingying¡¯s smooth back, still slightly damp with sweat, and said softly, "I¡¯ve been happy too."


    "Honey, I¡¯m going on a trip tomorrow. Will you miss me?"


    "Of course, I will. Once you leave, I¡¯ll have a lonely bed all to myself."


    "Really?" Xu Yingying looked up at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, under Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, suddenly felt a hint of guilt and said, "Yeah."


    Xu Yingying leaned in to give Li Yifei a peck on the face, then rested her cheek on his chest again, saying, "Honey, do you ever feel a bit helpless because of me?"


    Li Yifei sensed there was an underlying meaning to Xu Yingying¡¯s words but couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint it, so he asked, "Why do you say that?"


    "Hehe, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been amnesiac for so long and always treated you poorly, yet you¡¯ve been so good to me."


    "Well, you¡¯re my wife after all. Besides, your amnesia was entirely because of me. If I didn¡¯t treat you well, I wouldn¡¯t be human."


    "Hehe... I can understand why I did what I did now. If something similar happened again, I¡¯d definitely do it the same way."


    Li Yifei felt a surge of emotion, tightly embracing Xu Yingying, and said, "Silly wife, nothing like that will ever happen again. Even if it does, remember that your husband¡¯s capable enough to take care of himself. Anyone wanting to harm me would have to wait their turn. You can¡¯t act recklessly like last time."


    "Mmm, I know my husband¡¯s strong." Xu Yingying rubbed her cheek against Li Yifei¡¯s body.


    After a brief silence, Li Yifei thought Xu Yingying had fallen asleep, but she softly said, "Honey, while I¡¯m away, you should stay at Yunzhu¡¯s place."


    "Huh?" Li Yifei, who was drowsy, was instantly wide awake.


    "I¡¯m not implying anything. Honey, don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s just that I think Yunzhu is quite pitiable, raising a child on her own. Since we¡¯ve accepted Yifei as our daughter, you¡¯re her father after all. You should take some responsibility and take care of them."


    "This..." Li Yifei was momentarily at a loss for words, mainly because he couldn¡¯t quite decipher Xu Yingying¡¯s intentions.


    "And... I¡¯m not comfortable with you and Shanshan being alone at home. You as her brother-in-law and her as the sister-in-law, being together every day, doesn¡¯t look right. So, you¡¯re better off staying there; only then will I be at ease."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll stay there, then." This reason made Li Yifei immediately accept.


    "Honey..." Xu Yingying called softly again.


    "What¡¯s up?" Li Yifei was now fully alert, without a trace of sleepiness.


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment and said, "Don¡¯t you think Ning Xin¡¯er is quite pitiful?"


    "This... Wife, this..." Li Yifei was once again perplexed. Why was Xu Yingying suddenly bringing up Ning Xin¡¯er?


    Xu Yingying said pensively, "Ning Xin¡¯er is, after all, Yifei¡¯s mother. She¡¯s staying here for her daughter. A woman spends her life, all because of an unplanned event with you, now settled like this. The child¡¯s father can¡¯t even be with her. I truly feel for her."


    Before Li Yifei could respond, Xu Yingying continued, "Ning Xin¡¯er is a big star with countless fans who adore her. Undoubtedly, many exceptional men also fancy her. If she wanted, she¡¯d surely find a good match. But for her daughter¡¯s sake, she¡¯s living here, without a proper title. I really admire her. She¡¯s practically given up lifelong happiness just like that. I feel it¡¯s unfair for her."


    As Li Yifei listened to Xu Yingying¡¯s words uneasily, he sensed that she genuinely felt for Ning Xin¡¯er. He awkwardly said, "That¡¯s how it is, but I didn¡¯t know before. By the time I found out, I was already married to you."


    Xu Yingying looked up at Li Yifei with an inscrutable glint in her eyes and asked, "So you plan to keep it like this?"


    "What else can I do? I can¡¯t divorce you to be with her. Wife, I¡¯m telling you, you mustn¡¯t have that idea. I won¡¯t ever not recognize you as my wife, and even if you have that thought, I¡¯ll ensure I¡¯m not furious, and I absolutely won¡¯t agree."


    Thinking of the Su Family¡¯s Old Master, Li Yifei immediately became alert, quickly shutting this topic down to prevent Xu Yingying from having a sudden fit of kindness and letting him go as her husband.


    Xu Yingying chuckled softly and said, "I¡¯m not that silly; I don¡¯t want to give you to anyone. But... Ning Xin¡¯er is quite pitiful, especially Little Yifei. She should know who her real parents are. If she grows up knowing you¡¯re ignoring her mother, she¡¯ll surely resent you and me, so I¡¯m thinking... you should occasionally spend more time with Ning Xin¡¯er and the child to let Little Yifei know her parents both love her."


    Li Yifei was stunned. What did Xu Yingying mean by this? By asking him to accompany Ning Xin¡¯er with Little Yifei, wasn¡¯t she implying he should spend more time with Ning Xin¡¯er? They had a child together. If they spent time together, wasn¡¯t she worried something might happen?

 Chapter 910 - 951 A Day of Entanglement

    Chapter 910: Chapter 951 A Day of Entanglement"That¡¯s settled then. I¡¯m really tired, going to sleep." Xu Yingying stretched lazily, then turned over, her back to Li Yifei, and pulled Li Yifei¡¯s arm to her chest, snuggling into his embrace.


    Li Yifei wanted to ask clearly, but he was afraid that asking might upset Xu Yingying again. By the time he decided to ask, Xu Yingying had already fallen sweetly asleep.


    The next day, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying got up around five in the morning. Xu Yingying had a flight, so they quickly packed up and Li Yifei took Xu Yingying to the airport.


    "Honey, you have to listen to your wife. What I told you last night, you have to do it, okay?" After saying this, Xu Yingying kissed Li Yifei again and went for security check.


    It was only then Li Yifei realized Xu Yingying was serious. She really wanted him to interact more with Ning Xin¡¯er. Didn¡¯t this mean that Xu Yingying was as forgiving as she was before, or rather, that Xu Yingying was inherently a forgiving woman? It was just during her period of amnesia that she hadn¡¯t shown it.


    Now that she and Li Yifei were once again a loving couple, her forgiving nature had resurfaced.


    The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, and Li Yifei¡¯s heart felt like it was blooming with joy. This was clearly a good start. As long as Xu Yingying could accept Ning Xin¡¯er, she could accept Ye Yunzhu next. Then there would be Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, and the family would return to its former harmonious happiness. Whether Xu Yingying restored her memory or not was really not important.


    But on second thought, Li Yifei felt anxious. There was another possibility. What if Xu Yingying was testing him? She might be trying to see if he was sincere, to see if he was still hung up on Ning Xin¡¯er. If he got too close to Ning Xin¡¯er, wouldn¡¯t that just lead Xu Yingying to leave him?


    This set Li Yifei into a dilemma. Returning to his car, he dialed Su Mengxin¡¯s number.


    "What¡¯s up? Calling me this early," Su Mengxin sounded evidently still not fully awake, her tone rather languid.


    Li Yifei immediately repeated every word of what Xu Yingying had said to him, without missing a beat, to Su Mengxin. She listened seriously without interrupting him. After Li Yifei finished, Su Mengxin asked a few questions, mainly about Xu Yingying¡¯s situation, her expression, and her tone when she said these things.


    After Li Yifei described it all in detail, Su Mengxin hesitated a bit and said, "I think there are three possibilities."


    "Three?" Li Yifei had only thought of two possibilities earlier.


    "First, Yingying has recovered her memory but perhaps wants to be with you alone more, so she hasn¡¯t said that she has recovered. Yet she doesn¡¯t want to hurt others, so she tells you this, letting you interact with others. This is the best possibility, as it means our family could quickly be together."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart was stirred. He hadn¡¯t thought of this; the main reason being that he and Xu Yingying had been getting along so well recently that he didn¡¯t think restoring memories was that important.


    "Second, Yingying hasn¡¯t recovered her memory, but she¡¯s very forgiving. This is her nature. Knowing Ning Xin¡¯er had a daughter with you, she couldn¡¯t bear it in her heart, so she lets you not hurt Ning Xin¡¯er too much. If this is the case, then it¡¯s also very good. At least, in the future, you can tell her about the past, and she would easily accept it."


    "Third, Yingying is testing you, which is the worst possibility."


    The second and third possibilities were what Li Yifei had thought of too. Now there were two good possible outcomes and one bad one.


    "So what do I do now?" Li Yifei was most troubled over what to do now.


    "Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to do either. It¡¯s like a multiple-choice question. If you follow Yingying¡¯s words, if you¡¯re right, everyone will be happy. But if you¡¯re wrong, it¡¯ll bring a lot of trouble. But if you don¡¯t do it, it seems like you¡¯re missing a good opportunity."


    "Sigh, I¡¯m also troubled over this. How about this: when Yingying returns, I¡¯ll interact with Ning Xin¡¯er normally and first observe her reaction. If her attitude remains the same, then I¡¯ll take the plunge. I can¡¯t let just one person, Yingying, keep everyone else weighed down; it¡¯s not good for the future. It could easily hurt everyone¡¯s feelings."


    "Okay, if that¡¯s your decision, I¡¯ll fully support you, and I¡¯ll also try to sound Yingying out indirectly."


    "Alright, let¡¯s settle it this way."


    Although Su Mengxin didn¡¯t give Li Yifei a definitive answer, after talking with her, Li Yifei was more resolute in his decision.


    Upon returning from the airport, Li Yifei saw that the time was about right and headed directly to the factory, where he also talked to Xu Shanshan about it, who was also quite surprised.


    "Brother-in-law, just go ahead boldly. If it were someone else, you¡¯d have to worry, but Ning Xin¡¯er is different. She¡¯s Little Yifei¡¯s mother. No matter what, you can justify interacting with her. Now using Ning Xin¡¯er to test my sister is perfect."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s suggestion was rather aggressive, yet not without merit, but Li Yifei still felt concerned.


    That evening, back at home, Li Yifei recounted the situation to Ye Yunzhu and Ning Xin¡¯er. Ning Xin¡¯er listened, both shocked and delighted. Among Li Yifei¡¯s women, Ning Xin¡¯er was the latest to genuinely become part of his life. She might also be considered the one with the least seniority, even though she was the first to have a daughter with Li Yifei. Yet, Ning Xin¡¯er always felt that her bond with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t as deep as with the other women. But now, suddenly, such an important matter was entrusted to her.


    However, this left her unsure of what to do. Or rather, she shouldn¡¯t interfere with the decision. She was just an executor, so the best way to handle it was to wait for everyone to decide, then follow accordingly.


    No matter what, Ning Xin¡¯er was very happy. She suddenly felt that having a child with Li Yifei out of spite had been a wise decision. The hardships she¡¯d endured over the years suddenly seemed worthwhile.


    Ye Yunzhu pondered for a long time and concluded that she felt much the same as Su Mengxin. It¡¯s better to be cautious about this matter.


    Now everyone was working towards one goal: to truly achieve a harmonious and beautiful family. Taking rash actions was out of the question, for if something went wrong, the difficulties everyone would face in the future would only grow larger.


    In front of everyone, Xu Shanshan had no right to speak. After all, her status was that of Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, and it was better for her to remain an outsider.


    "Do you think Yingying really remembers?" Ye Yunzhu voiced her concern aloud.


    Everyone looked at Li Yifei, who shrugged and said, "Don¡¯t look at me¡ªI¡¯m not sure either."


    Ye Yunzhu didn¡¯t believe him and asked, "Are you saying you have no suspicions at all? With your observation skills, how could you have failed to notice?"


    Li Yifei sighed helplessly and said, "Honestly, I normally have great confidence in my observational skills, but when it comes to Yingying, my skills just don¡¯t work."


    "How could that be?" Everyone was baffled by Li Yifei¡¯s statement.


    Li Yifei smiled wryly. "My observational skills are based on me maintaining absolute calmness. But now, with Yingying, too many personal factors are involved¡ªespecially emotions, which have clouded my vision. All I can see is her goodness; where¡¯s the room for observation? It would be the same for any of you. I can¡¯t bring myself to scrutinize those I love."


    With that, everyone understood and could comprehend why Li Yifei didn¡¯t have good observational skills in this context. For someone who deeply loved his wife, how could Li Yifei maintain a calm mind? It was fundamentally impossible for him to discern whether Xu Yingying truly remembered.


    This is what is meant by ¡¯too involved to see clearly.¡¯ It is human nature, and matters of the heart tend to blind rational thought. If not, why would people in love experience a decrease in IQ?


    After dinner, everyone was in the living room. Ye Yunzhu could now take their baby downstairs for some fresh air, as their daughter was nearing one month old.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang at this moment, and seeing it was a call from Xu Yingying, he quickly answered.


    "Honey, where are you?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice was missing her usual authoritative undertone, instead exuding a clear warmth of a wife.


    "I¡¯m with Yunzhu and them."


    "Oh, well, you better not be vague about what I told you."


    Li Yifei had already agonized over this matter all day, and here Xu Yingying was, bringing it up again over the phone.


    "Alright, don¡¯t pretend. You don¡¯t need to worry that I¡¯m testing you. Spending time with Ning Xin¡¯er and our daughter is perfectly normal. I can understand that. Should I talk to Ning Xin¡¯er to ease her worries?"


    Li Yifei wiped his brow, saying, "No need."


    "From your tone, I can tell you¡¯re afraid. Pass the phone to Ning Xin¡¯er; I¡¯ll talk to her."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to hand the phone to Ning Xin¡¯er, who nervously accepted it, almost dropping it. Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er like this, Li Yifei felt a bit miserable. Thinking about how Ning Xin¡¯er used to be such a bold and flamboyant girl and how much she¡¯d changed because of emotions, it really got to him.


    "Ying... Yingying..."


    "Hehe, Yifei should have told you, right? Don¡¯t let it bother you. Our daughter¡¯s healthy growth is most important. I don¡¯t want Little Yifei to grow up resenting me. Spend more time with Yifei and Little Yifei, so she can grow up happily. I have no objections whatsoever."


    "Okay, thank you."


    "You¡¯re welcome. Our daughter is the priority. Little Yifei also calls me ¡¯Mom,¡¯ right? Rest assured, I¡¯m not that petty."


    After Xu Yingying hung up, Ning Xin¡¯er remained spellbound, holding the phone in a daze. Both Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, having been by Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s side listening, were also taken aback. It seemed like Xu Yingying indeed meant it.


    S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 911 - 952 Troubles of Relocation

    Chapter 911: Chapter 952 Troubles of Relocation"What now?" Ye Yunzhu, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Xu Shanshan asked Li Yifei in unison.


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "I don¡¯t know either."


    Ye Yunzhu squinted and said, "Then let¡¯s do what Yingying suggested."


    Ning Xin¡¯er panicked instantly and said anxiously, "Will that work? If Yingying isn¡¯t serious and gets mad about this later, then I... I really won¡¯t be able to stay here anymore."


    It was normal for Ning Xin¡¯er to be so flustered, after all, this involved her lifelong happiness.


    Xu Shanshan widened her eyes and said, "What are you afraid of? The words came from my sister. You might not know my sister, but I do. She¡¯s someone who cares deeply about face; she wouldn¡¯t say anything unless she meant it, and even if it were difficult, she would do it. She isn¡¯t someone to engage in mind games or schemes, especially not with her relatives and friends¡ªespecially Yifei¡¯s mom. This time, she¡¯s real."


    Everyone looked at Xu Shanshan in a daze. Xu Shanshan widened her eyes again and said, "Why are you all looking at me like that? I¡¯m telling you, if this is fake, then my sister is just too despicable. I¡¯d cut ties with her if that¡¯s the case. You can¡¯t do things like that, even if you disagree. You have to be upfront; otherwise, what kind of person would she be?"


    Ye Yunzhu sighed and said, "We¡¯ve been overthinking things, assuming all sorts of possibilities when there are problems. But we overlooked Yingying¡¯s character, not realizing how good a person she is."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yeah, I was overthinking, too. Yingying is inherently a forgiving person; she doesn¡¯t enjoy petty scheming. If she were like that, she could¡¯ve easily shut you all out before."


    Seeing the two speak like this, Xu Shanshan got a bit smug and said, "Look at you all, acting like you¡¯re so smart, weren¡¯t you just outsmarted by your own cleverness?"


    Ye Yunzhu smiled and said, "Yes, Shanshan is indeed the smartest."


    Everyone liked Xu Shanshan very much now. Normally, if the brother-in-law had so many women around him, the sister-in-law would have been upset and caused trouble. But Xu Shanshan only acted up a few times in the beginning, and after being with Li Yifei, she became friends with the others.


    Ning Xin¡¯er hesitantly asked, "So what should I do now?"


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er still confused and at a loss, Ye Yunzhu and Xu Shanshan exclaimed in unison, "Cold mixed vegetables!" Then they exchanged a glance and burst into hearty laughter.


    Li Yifei smiled, pulled Ning Xin¡¯er into his arms, and said, "Our spring is about to come, Xin¡¯er, open your heart."


    Ning Xin¡¯er still felt a bit anxious inside, but seeing how relaxed everyone was, she forced a smile and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll take the plunge. If something goes wrong, don¡¯t you dare abandon me."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "How could I bear that? You¡¯re my Little Xin¡¯er."


    "Disgusting!" Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and then smiled happily. With Xu Yingying having such an attitude, everyone¡¯s future days were bound to be filled with anticipation.


    Having dealt with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s matters last week, Li Yifei had no time to handle the demolition issues. Now that it¡¯s temporarily settled over there, the affairs at home were going well, prompting Li Yifei to hurry and begin developing that piece of land.


    The next day, Li Yifei arrived at the plot where demolition was ongoing. The surrounding ordinary residences had received adequate compensation and moved away, leaving the steel plant as the lone holdout. After several negotiations, they still refused to relocate.


    Li Yifei knew clearly that they weren¡¯t unwilling to relocate; they just wanted a higher price.


    In issues of demolition, there are always two sides of the story. Some label holdouts as stubborn while others see them as stubbornly clinging to interests. Everyone seeks the greatest benefit, which is human nature.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t too concerned about the money now. As long as their demands weren¡¯t outrageous, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind. He was there because he felt the progress was too slow. The weather was getting warmer, making it possible to start construction. In just a few months, the place could be built, but without relocation, it couldn¡¯t commence.


    Li Yifei had obtained an appraisal of the steel plant. Initially invested at thirty-five million, after factoring in depreciation, it wasn¡¯t worth thirty million anymore. But due to rising land prices, the plant¡¯s final appraisal still stood at thirty million.


    That day, Li Yifei drove the Porsche, realizing too late how unsuitable it was for the rough terrain. The bumpy road made it impossible for the low-suspension Porsche to drive on, so he had to park and walk.


    "This road needs serious repair, otherwise it will be problematic for future travels. I should get an off-road jeep; otherwise, I really can¡¯t get in here," Li Yifei thought as he trudged along, frustrated. After the rain from last night, the road was not only uneven but also muddy. He hadn¡¯t gotten far before his shoes and pants were splattered with mud, turning his expensive suit into a work uniform.


    Still, Li Yifei was satisfied with the terrain. After crossing a small river, there was a spacious area. Though sloped, it wouldn¡¯t hinder construction; instead, it added depth. Redirecting the river into a yard could create a natural stream, ideal for raising fish in flowing water that would surely be extra delicious.


    Li Yifei walked and imagined how he¡¯d build the place, caring little for the mud on his shoes.


    There were a few vacant houses still standing. Apart from the frames, most other parts were gone. Although they received relocation compensation, these households took everything they could, including windows.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind; everything would be leveled anyway. If they could take the structures, all the better.


    At last, Li Yifei reached the steel plant entrance, shaking his head. A large steel plant here would pollute the environment. It puzzled him how it had been built initially.


    Inside the plant¡¯s yard were three vehicles: a van and two large jeeps. Voices came from a temporary building beside the plant. Li Yifei followed the sound.


    "Director Zhao, we¡¯ve been here several times to discuss the relocation. What exactly do you want?"


    "I won¡¯t sell. I¡¯m planning to produce here."


    "Director Zhao, how could this steel plant still produce? The government is strict on environmental protection. A heavily polluting enterprise like yours won¡¯t get production approval."


    "What a joke. Aren¡¯t there still numerous big steel mills producing nationwide? Are you saying our country will stop producing steel?"


    "Of course not, but only large, environmentally compliant steel mills may continue. Your scale won¡¯t qualify. I suggest selling it. The compensation will assure you won¡¯t incur losses."


    Listening to the negotiations, Li Yifei inferred that one person was the relocation negotiator, speaking reasonably courteously. However, Director Zhao sounded quite arrogant. Yet, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind. Trying to maximize benefits was natural, a predicament anyone would face.


    Li Yifei waited at the window, listening to Director Zhao¡¯s stance.


    "Haha, you¡¯re underestimating me. I haven¡¯t produced in the past two years due to poor market conditions, not because I can¡¯t. If I choose to produce, I could open tomorrow. Since I, Zhao Shenggang, set up this plant, I can produce here."


    "Director Zhao, I¡¯ve persuaded you enough. If you insist, I can¡¯t help you. Let me give you a hint: this land¡¯s acquisition involved significant backing. Imagine the connections needed for such a major procurement. If you persist, they might use regulations to forcibly demolish your plant. Then you might receive no compensation."


    "Wow, trying to scare me? Do you take me for an average citizen? Today, I disagree. Let¡¯s see who can forcibly dismantle my plant." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, Li Yifei opened the door, realizing further talks wouldn¡¯t progress. He didn¡¯t want to waste time bickering.


    "Who are you? Get out! Is this a place you can just enter?"


    Upon entering, a burly man near the door pushed Li Yifei. Clad in mud, this man didn¡¯t take Li Yifei seriously.


    Frowning, Li Yifei discerned that with such behavior from the staff, this plant¡¯s owner wasn¡¯t on the righteous path, likely a gangster. Conducting business with them required subduing them directly, lest they extort you, potentially swallowing you whole.


    Li Yifei sidestepped, avoiding the push. The man stumbled forward; Li Yifei tripped him slightly. The man fell hard, hitting the door frame with a thud, nearly knocking himself unconscious.

 Chapter 912 - 953 - Black and White Ready for Anything

    Chapter 912: 953 Chapter Black and White Ready for AnythingThe sound was soft, and everyone in the room turned to look toward the door. There were eleven people in total, scattered around, but Li Yifei could still tell they were from two different camps. One camp was the government officials responsible for the demolition, five people in total, dressed normally.


    The other six individuals, although not dressed bizarrely, exuded an air of arrogance and brutality, obviously from the Steelmaking Plant¡¯s side.


    The staff members, except for a man in his fifties who seemed calm, appeared quite nervous. Clearly, they felt out of their depth when facing the people from the Steelmaking Plant, unable to interact with the authority and calm they would with ordinary citizens.


    When someone had slammed the door earlier, two men immediately rushed forward and blocked Li Yifei, demanding, "Kid, what are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei glanced at them indifferently and said, "This land belongs to me."


    One of the men glared and snapped, "Are you looking for trouble, bragging here? Do you know who owns this Steelmaking Plant? Do you want to live?"


    Li Yifei, not bothering to argue with such thugs, casually pushed them aside, made his way to the desk, and sat down, addressing the man with a large gold chain, "You must be Director Zhao?"


    The two men that Li Yifei had pushed aside steadied themselves and hurriedly followed, but at that moment, Zhao Shenggang, sitting in the boss¡¯s chair, waved his hand and sized up Li Yifei, saying, "You¡¯re claiming this land is yours, so you want to negotiate the demolition?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yes, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have much time to entangle with you. Just name your price and I¡¯ll see if I can accept it."


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s tone was not harsh, but Zhao Shenggang inexplicably felt pressured and said, "I¡¯m not selling."


    "Fine, then I¡¯m not buying," Li Yifei said, giving Zhao Shenggang a look before he stood up to leave.


    Zhao Shenggang was stunned. He had been refusing to sell as a tactic to push the price up, but he didn¡¯t expect his opponent to withdraw so suddenly. He thought Li Yifei was just putting on a show, but to his surprise, Li Yifei was actually ready to walk out without hesitation.


    This was the first time Zhao Shenggang had encountered such a person, and it threw him off. As Li Yifei reached the door, he paused, and Zhao Shenggang felt a surge of hope, thinking the other party was just pretending, which made him more confident.


    Li Yifei turned around but didn¡¯t look at Zhao Shenggang. Instead, he addressed the staff, "You don¡¯t need to come here anymore. I¡¯ll communicate with your superiors later. This isn¡¯t a problem for you to resolve."


    The five staff members had long wanted to be out of this situation. Facing someone as aggressive as Zhao Shenggang, they thought they might need to involve multiple departments. They were pondering whether to bring in legal and enforcement authorities after they got back.


    But they didn¡¯t know Li Yifei or whether he really owned the land, and were unsure of what to do.


    "I¡¯ll have Mayor Song talk to your superiors. You can leave with no worries, my name is Li Yifei," said Li Yifei, noticing their hesitation and pulling Mayor Song into the discussion.


    These men still didn¡¯t know who Li Yifei was, but once Mayor Song¡¯s name was mentioned, they believed him, politely said their goodbyes, and left.


    Zhao Shenggang got a shock; the opponent indeed had significant connections, even involving Mayor Song. If he kept up the standoff, it wouldn¡¯t benefit him. He knew very well his Steelmaking Plant couldn¡¯t operate legally anymore. He had been frustrated for the past two years, investing over thirty million, facing poor steel market conditions and failing environmental standards that barred production.


    If someone came for a straight purchase of his plant, he¡¯d be willing to sell for just a few million, but hearing about demolition, his spirits lifted, aiming for a significant windfall which made him so aggressive.


    However, realizing Li Yifei¡¯s significant influence and the potential for a forced demolition under new policies, he felt powerless since he lacked legal permits, and continuing might put him at a disadvantage. Seeing the staff really leaving, he hurriedly called out, "Brother, I was too brusque earlier. Let¡¯s sit down and talk."


    Li Yifei turned to face Zhao Shenggang, and asked calmly, "You¡¯ve agreed?"


    Zhao Shenggang frowned slightly and said, "I can agree to the demolition, but can we talk about compensation?"


    Li Yifei sat back opposite Zhao Shenggang, lit a cigarette, and replied, "Alright, let¡¯s talk." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhao Shenggang was somewhat stunned; normally, the other party should lay out their conditions first when negotiating. However, Li Yifei was just smoking and watching him without any intention to speak, not at all like those staff members who constantly promoted and chatted.


    This made Zhao Shenggang extremely uneasy, as it felt like everything was under the control of the man opposite him named Li Yifei. Still, he glared and said, "Fine, then I¡¯ll name my price¡ªtwo billion. Give me two billion, and the Steelmaking Plant is yours."


    "Two billion?" Li Yifei¡¯s mouth curled up slightly and he said, "You really have the nerve to ask for that much?"


    Zhao Shenggang then brought out his thuggish nature and said, "Two billion sounds like a lot, but without those two billion, you can¡¯t take over this piece of land. In other places, you are worthless. With one billion, you could do other things, couldn¡¯t you?"


    "Are you worth two billion?" Li Yifei narrowed his eyes at Zhao Shenggang. Asking for a reasonable high price was something Li Yifei could accept, but such a blatant extortion attempt didn¡¯t require him to be polite.


    Incited by Li Yifei¡¯s contemptuous gaze, Zhao Shenggang slammed the table and shouted, "I don¡¯t care who you are, but this is Mile City. If you want to make it here, you¡¯ve got to show respect to me, Zhao Shenggang. Otherwise, no matter what you do, I¡¯ll make trouble for you and you won¡¯t have peace."


    Pausing a moment, sensing that Li Yifei seemed unfazed by the threat, Zhao Shenggang snorted and said, "Don¡¯t think I¡¯m just trying to scare you. I, Zhao Shenggang, have been in the underworld for years. I am not without powerful backing. If you want to compare influences, you¡¯re still too green."


    "Really? So, are you saying you want to play the underworld game with me?" Li Yifei spoke with an indifferent tone.


    "Exactly, kid. If you don¡¯t satisfy me, then let¡¯s see on the underworld battlefield."


    Zhao Shenggang, aware that Li Yifei seemed to have a significant background¡ªthough his own was also substantial but not as direct¡ªfelt somewhat inferior in this respect. However, being a native of Mile City and seasoned in the underworld, he knew all the influential figures there. None of them were like Li Yifei, so he wanted to dominate him in the underworld to secure a better price.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Okay, let¡¯s see it on the underworld turf, then. Do you want to set a time and place, or just strike whenever, and see who can kill the other?"


    "Kill...kill?" Zhao Shenggang¡¯s eyes widened. Even though he had deep roots in the underworld, the goal there was money. Usually, it was only the desperate who would kill and run. For them, who were successful, it was about overpowering the other side and seizing enough profit. Fatal accidents were troublesome, and he hadn¡¯t expected such ruthlessness¡ªthese weren¡¯t the words of an ordinary gangster but more like those of a godfather-like figure from the movies.


    "You can pick either way. I¡¯ll take it, both underworld and official world." Li Yifei stood up, tossed his business card casually at Zhao Shenggang, and said, "Tomorrow this time, I need to hear your answer. I can only offer you thirty million."


    After saying this, Li Yifei headed for the door.


    Those few guys, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s brazen attitude, were already restless, and them instantly blocked the door, rolling up their sleeves and adopting a fighting stance.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t even glance at them and simply strode towards the door.


    This infuriated the guys even more, feeling a blatant disrespect. They had been in the game for many years and had never encountered such an audacious figure who could ignore them so completely.


    "Holy fuck!" A guy glared, cursed, and swung his fist towards Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    Another lad kick aimed at Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen, their combined attack seemingly well-coordinated.


    However, what usually worked, failed utterly today. Neither of them even felt how Li Yifei had moved, and they both found themselves flying backward, nearly causing others nearby to stumble and fall. By the time they had regained their balance, Li Yifei was already out of sight.


    "Damn, is that kid some kind of monster?" one fellow clutched his stomach and dumbly asked.


    "A master! Definitely a master!" another stated in astonishment.


    Then they all looked to Zhao Shenggang and asked in unison, "Big brother, what do we do now?"


    Zhao Shenggang¡¯s face darkened; he was clueless on how to proceed. That kid seemed to handle both the underworld and official world equally well, and his personal strength was formidable. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle him.


    Suddenly, a name popped into his head. Zhao Shenggang¡¯s eyes brightened up as he hurriedly dialed a phone number.

 Chapter 913 - 954: Fish-Man Second Generation

    Chapter 913: Chapter 954: Fish-Man Second Generation"Fish Brother, do me a favor."


    "What¡¯s up?" the other side asked with an arrogant tone, "What good could possibly come out of you contacting me now?"


    Zhao Shenggang furrowed his brows. The person he was dealing with was nicknamed Second Generation Fishman, a bastard who wouldn¡¯t spit out even a bone after swallowing someone whole. Even when dealing with relatively close friends in business, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cheat them, but this guy was indeed powerful in Mile City. If he could get his help, Zhao would stand a better chance. However, he knew it would definitely cost him a lot, but thinking of what was left, it would still be more, and despite the pain, he had no choice but to reach out to him. He chuckled and said, "Fish Brother, I¡¯ve got a good business opportunity. Want a piece of it?"


    "A good business? What good business could you possibly have now, managing a failing Steelmaking Plant that¡¯s always out of operation?"


    "Fish Brother, it¡¯s about the Steelmaking Plant. I¡¯m going to take over this place, and I want to ask for more money."


    "Taking over land? Looks like you¡¯re about to make a fortune," Second Generation Fishman¡¯s voice clearly excited.


    "Fish Brother, the situation with the land is not simple; I¡¯m worried I can¡¯t handle it alone, so that¡¯s why I need your help."


    "Sure, help or no help, you just tell me, and can Second Generation Fishman turn a blind eye to it?"


    Zhao Shenggang almost cursed his mother, this guy had not shown this attitude just a moment ago. Seeing the profit, he immediately switched to enthusiasm and righteousness. Suppressing his irritation, Zhao continued, "Then Fish Brother, he wants me to give him an answer tomorrow, let¡¯s discuss this properly, brother."


    "Okay, where are you? I¡¯ll come right over."


    "I¡¯m at the Steelmaking Plant."


    "Alright, half an hour, no, I¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes."


    "Damn!" After hanging up, Zhao Shenggang couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    The worried underlings beside him said, "Big Brother, Second Generation Fishman is extremely greedy. Is it really okay to involve him?"


    Zhao Shenggang sighed and said, "There¡¯s no other way. If we don¡¯t involve Second Generation Fishman, dealing with that guy by myself, he¡¯d only give me thirty million, but if we involve Second Generation Fishman, even if we ask for a billion, giving Fishman thirty million, wouldn¡¯t I still come out ahead?"


    "That makes sense." The underlings did the math and ceased their objections.


    In less than twenty minutes, a large off-road jeep charged into the Steelmaking Plant, and a burly man about thirty, standing nearly six feet tall and with an approachable appearance, jumped out.


    He was Second Generation Fishman. Despite his harmless appearance, his heart was dark, having deceived many with his looks and left them in dire straits.


    "Fish Brother, you arrived really quickly," Zhao Shenggang greeted warmly.


    Second Generation Fishman revealed an honest smile and patted Zhao Shenggang¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Bros will be bros, how could I not come when you¡¯re in trouble? That would hardly be friendly."


    "A friend, my ass," Zhao Shenggang cursed silently, saying, "Yeah, it¡¯s great Fish Brother is so reliable. I didn¡¯t approach anyone else but you for this."


    Second Generation Fishman nodded repeatedly, saying, "You did the right thing in finding me, I¡¯ll definitely sort this out for you."


    Once inside the office, Second Generation Fishman asked Zhao Shenggang about the details, and Zhao recounted the situation roughly. After hearing everything, Second Generation Fishman¡¯s face twitched twice, asking, "Bro, how much money do you want?"


    "I want two billion, but that guy is only willing to give me thirty million."


    "Two billion, that¡¯s really too much, nobody would agree to that. What is your bottom line?"


    "Well, I was thinking, at least a billion. Thirty million is the least I¡¯ll take, and the rest of the money, we brothers can split."


    "Oh..." Second Generation Fishman lit a cigarette and said slowly, "It looks like the other party is pretty big too. This might not be so easy to handle, it will really take some effort."


    Zhao Shenggang immediately understood what Fish Brother meant and said, "Fish Brother, rest assured, we¡¯ll keep business and personal matters separate. Helping me requires your manpower, and folks need to be paid. If it¡¯s done, anything above thirty million, we split 70-30. If it¡¯s an extra ten million, I¡¯ll give you three million."


    Fish Brother didn¡¯t even blink and said, "Bro, I can¡¯t explain such a split to my guys. You already have a base of thirty million, and the extra needs my guys¡¯ help for you to make any money, right? If I don¡¯t help, do you think you can make more? Let¡¯s do this, I take seventy, you take thirty."


    "Damn!" Zhao Shenggang almost cursed out loud. Fish Brother was really going for the larger share, but he couldn¡¯t afford to get angry. With a bitter smile, he said, "Fish Brother, we can¡¯t joke about this. How about I make another concession? I take sixty, you take forty. How about that?"


    "That won¡¯t do. If I¡¯m getting less than you, I can¡¯t do it. Why not find someone else?"


    Zhao Shenggang gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, let¡¯s split fifty-fifty. Fish Brother, that¡¯s the fairest I can go. Without my Steelmaking Plant, there wouldn¡¯t even be this opportunity. You still want me to take the lesser share? I wouldn¡¯t be able to face my peers after this."


    Fish Brother looked at Zhao Shenggang and knew this was probably Zhao¡¯s final offer but still reluctantly said, "Alright then, let¡¯s go fifty-fifty."


    Finally, they agreed on the terms. Zhao Shenggang called Li Yifei and told him to come over at nine the next morning. Li Yifei simply said "Okay" and hung up.


    "This guy is really something. What does he do?" Fish Brother wondered.


    Zhao Shenggang, fearing Fish Brother might refuse to help, quickly said, "He¡¯s quite wealthy, came from out of town. He¡¯s interested in this place and wants to set up a factory."


    "Damn! An outsider? That¡¯s even better. The strong dragon can¡¯t suppress the local snake. If he wants to make a move here and doesn¡¯t pay us, he can forget about mixing here."


    Although Zhao didn¡¯t want to reveal what Li Yifei was capable of, fearing Fish Brother might back out, he also worried Fish Brother was being too careless. "I hear the guy is tough. Fish Brother, you¡¯d better bring more people. If he brings a few more, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t handle it."


    Fish Brother shook his head and said, "Man, this job isn¡¯t easy. Even splitting fifty-fifty, I¡¯m at a loss. The risk is too high."


    Zhao Shenggang secretly despised Fish Brother¡¯s cowardice but still smiled and said, "When has Fish Brother ever failed to handle a job? Stop pulling my leg."


    Having flattered Fish Brother considerably, Fish Brother did not object further or make more demands. Deep down, he understood that a fifty-fifty split was a great deal. If it were anyone else from Mile City¡¯s underworld, they would happily lend a hand for a chance at millions¡ªjust setting up a simple deal could bring huge profits. So, he didn¡¯t push Zhao too hard, afraid that turning to someone else would be a huge loss for him.


    The next morning, Fish Brother brought over thirty associates, all armed, while Zhao Shenggang gathered about twenty people. Altogether, nearly sixty people¡ªquite an imposing assembly¡ªwere convinced that with so many, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t dare defy them.


    As it approached nine o¡¯clock, a Land Rover pulled up to the factory gates, causing Fish Brother to frown and ask, "Shenggang, didn¡¯t you say he was dealing with you over some underworld business? Why has only one car come?"


    Zhao Shenggang was also puzzled and said, "Yes, that¡¯s what he said. What does this mean?"


    The door of the Land Rover opened, and three people jumped out first. Then, someone went to open the rear door on the right side, a hand shielding the car window, and Li Yifei then got out of the car, followed by the three men. Each man was tall and dressed in sharp suits, completely ignoring the dozens of people there with an aura that dwarfed all the hoodlums present by miles.


    Fish Brother¡¯s eyes lit up. Now, that¡¯s charisma! He thought to himself that he should really teach his guys to be this impressive. Although his crew was good at flattering, they lacked any real presence, failing to reflect his own status.


    The four walked up to where Zhao Shenggang and Fish Brother had already planned their move. Without needing a signal, the sixty people suddenly surrounded Li Yifei and his group, forming three layers inside and out, but it was chaotic¡ªthese hoodlums lacked any real organization.


    Yet, Li Yifei and his three companions didn¡¯t move an inch, their faces showing no panic. Their calm and composed demeanor impressed both Fish Brother and Zhao Shenggang; surrounded by so many, they kept their cool.


    Looking back at their own lackeys, Zhao Shenggang and Fish Brother felt embarrassed¡ªhow did they seem like such a ragtag bunch compared to the real heavyweights opposite them? It seemed like their show of force was having no effect; instead, they just looked like a bunch of country bumpkins. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts, coming here with just three men," Fish Brother, eager to assert himself, stepped forward with hands clasped behind his back.


    However, his attempt paled in comparison to Li Yifei¡¯s poise; it felt more like a misshapen imitation than a show of force.


    Li Yifei calmly looked at Fish Brother and slowly said, "Make way."


    Fish Brother, who had never encountered someone so imposing, was momentarily at a loss on how to respond. His usual tricks suddenly seemed useless.

 Chapter 914 - 955 This is so freaking awesome!

    Chapter 914: Chapter 955 This is so freaking awesome!"Fucking hell!" Competing in a show of aggression with Li Yifei, the Second Generation Fishman found this to be the dumbest move. Glaring, he barked, "Don¡¯t fucking pretend with me here, I¡¯m telling you, if you want this Steelmaking Plant, don¡¯t even think about it without two hundred million."


    Li Yifei just looked at Second Generation Fishman¡¯s plump white face without saying a word.


    The Second Generation Fishman cursed, but received no response from the other party. Once again, he felt like a joke of a clown, further infuriating him as he snarled, "Fine, keep playing with me, if you don¡¯t agree today, I¡¯ll cripple you right here and now!"


    With those words from the Second Generation Fishman, his little followers immediately started shouting and cursing all around, looking quite fierce. But Li Yifei and his four companions, standing there, offered a stark contrast, making them appear even more incapable.


    "Fucking hit them!" Having had enough of this disdain, the Second Generation Fishman¡¯s immediate reaction was to beat the other party into submission, after which everything else would be negotiable. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t even have the stature to negotiate.


    Just then, a piercing roar of motorcycle engines suddenly came from the entrance of the Steelmaking Plant. Dozens of motorcycles charged in like lightning and formed two circles, surrounding the Second Generation Fishman and his group.


    These motorcycles each carried two riders, one driving, the other seated at the back holding a baseball bat, with helmets on their heads. The roar of the bikes gave them an incredibly domineering presence.


    Although there seemed to be no more people on Li Yifei¡¯s side than on the Second Generation Fishman¡¯s, their gear alone was outclassing them, especially their discipline. Once the motorcycles were parked, not a single one of them made a sound, making them appear far stronger than the ragtag bunch around the Second Generation Fishman.


    This left the Second Generation Fishman and his crew utterly bemused. Who were these people? In Mile City, there weren¡¯t more than three big shots with such a grand presence. Could it be that these were Li Yifei¡¯s men? They didn¡¯t dare make a move.


    Then a city hunter bike pulled in, and a man jumped off. When the Second Generation Fishman saw who it was, he was completely dumbfounded. It was Brother Hu, currently the most prestigious street figure in Mile City, and he had shown up here.


    "Bro... Brother Hu..." The Second Generation Fishman and Zhao Shenggang greeted him with a stammer.


    But Brother Hu didn¡¯t even glance at the two of them. Instead, he gave a hearty laugh towards Li Yifei, saying, "Young Master Li, my timing¡¯s pretty good, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Not bad."


    The Second Generation Fishman and Zhao Shenggang¡¯s eyes bulged. Brother Hu¡¯s words were full of bravado, but it was clear that he was somewhat ingratiating himself to Li Yifei. And if even Brother Hu was trying to curry favor with Li Yifei, one could only imagine his strength. And there they were, standing against such a figure in street matters; this really seemed like they¡¯d hit a wall.


    Brother Hu strode towards Li Yifei, and a path immediately opened among the motorcyclists. The Second Generation Fishman¡¯s gang also quickly moved aside to let Brother Hu through. They were all street thugs who knew of Brother Hu¡¯s reputation and recognized this top dog in Mile City. Even if they had the guts of a god, they wouldn¡¯t dare block Brother Hu at this moment.


    "Young Master Li, how about I handle this matter?" Brother Hu stood before Li Yifei and asked respectfully.


    Li Yifei nodded, "Just don¡¯t make it look like I¡¯m bullying them because of my position."


    "Got it!" Brother Hu responded, then puffed out his chest and turned to face the Second Generation Fishman and Zhao Shenggang, his demeanor suddenly turned serious, "You two heard what Young Master Li just said, right?"


    The Second Generation Fishman and Zhao Shenggang both swallowed hard. Zhao Shenggang was not as influential as the Second Generation Fishman in the streets, and the Second Generation Fishman was no match for Brother Hu. When dealing with weaker individuals, the Second Generation Fishman was ruthless, but faced with someone like Brother Hu, he instantly changed his tune, smiling obsequiously, "Brother Hu, heard it, heard it, I did. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding, I had no idea it was this kind of situation. It was all because Zhao Shenggang here got greedy and insisted on getting my help. We¡¯re all brothers on the street, I can¡¯t just ignore him, right? But if I¡¯d known this was related to Brother Hu, there¡¯s no way I would have come, it¡¯s all Zhao Shenggang¡¯s fault for trapping me."


    Seeing that Brother Hu didn¡¯t respond, the Second Generation Fishman quickly added, "This kid wanted two hundred million. I thought it was too much and tried to talk him down. This Steelmaking Plant obviously can¡¯t produce anything, might as well just sell it for only ten million plus. But he wanted to make a big score, and there was nothing I could do."


    Zhao Shenggang¡¯s face darkened in an instant. The Second Generation Fishman truly had no shame, selling him out just like that. But it was typical, facing someone they couldn¡¯t provoke, knowing they couldn¡¯t profit from it, how could such a despicable guy like the Second Generation Fishman take a stand for him, much less take the fall for him.


    The most infuriating part was this guy even talking about ten million plus. Even if he couldn¡¯t get the benefits, he shouldn¡¯t give away the money he could have made.


    Even though Zhao Shenggang knew the Second Generation Fishman was setting him up, he didn¡¯t dare complain or expose him. Otherwise, they¡¯d really become enemies. The Second Generation Fishman wasn¡¯t afraid of him, but he feared the Second Generation Fishman. If this guy set his sights on him, he might not die but would surely be skinned. In the end, he would probably lose the little money he might have left.


    What¡¯s called swallowing your teeth after getting punched in the face? Zhao Shenggang now truly understood. Although his heart was bleeding, he still put on a smile and said to Brother Hu, "Brother Hu, this... this brother was blinded by money, I genuinely didn¡¯t realize our connection. Otherwise, even if you killed me, I wouldn¡¯t dare to offend you, Brother Hu. You¡¯re a great man who can be magnanimous, so please don¡¯t hold this against me. Whatever Mr. Li says, I¡¯ll do, even if it means not getting a penny, I¡¯ll sign immediately."


    This was where Zhao Shenggang was clever. Bargaining at this time would only bring him bad luck. And Li Yifei was obviously an important figure and probably wouldn¡¯t be petty with someone small like him, especially after having just thrown out the phrase "Don¡¯t let people think I¡¯m bullying others through my power", which gave him some hope.


    Brother Hu snorted and said, "I suppose you¡¯re sensible. Young Master Li also said not to bully you, so just sign the papers right now."


    One of the men in black next to Li Yifei immediately handed a demolition contract to Zhao Shenggang.


    Zhao Shenggang glanced at it once, focusing mainly on the number. Seeing it was three thousand characters, he felt relieved. He didn¡¯t bother reading the rest and signed his name on the back. After all, thirty million was still something, though much less than he wanted. But with Brother Hu intervening, if things really turned rough, he wasn¡¯t a match for him. Plus, with that guy from Fishman Second Generation ready to kick him while he was down, losing everything was a very real possibility.


    Li Yifei took the contract and said, "Hmm, leave a phone number. Someone will wire the money to you later."


    Zhao Shenggang hurriedly passed his business card over, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t take it at all. Someone from behind took it immediately.


    Fishman Second Generation watched with envy. Look at the quality of someone else¡¯s underling. Only when the boss acts like this is it satisfying.


    At that moment, Brother Hu glared at Zhao Shenggang and said, "You got lucky this time. If Young Master Li had let me handle this, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have let you off so cheaply."


    Zhao Shenggang bobbed his head and bowed continuously, saying, "Yes, yes. I thank Young Master Li for his magnanimity in not holding this against me. I truly didn¡¯t recognize Mount Tai this time. Could I ask for the honor of Young Master Li allowing me to host a meal to apologize to both you and him?"


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "No need, I can¡¯t be bothered to deal with you. Take whatever you need to move from here and move it out. My workers are coming in tomorrow."


    "No need to move anything. I don¡¯t want anything from here. Young Master Li can do as he pleases." Where could Zhao Shenggang still ask for trouble? Besides, with the thirty million in hand, he wasn¡¯t at a loss, and it actually eased his financial problems quite a bit. Better still, he thought, to be generous.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright, that¡¯s settled then. Brother Hu, I¡¯m leaving now."


    Brother Hu nodded and walked Li Yifei toward the car. Fishman Second Generation and Zhao Shenggang followed, but they couldn¡¯t get close to Li Yifei; the three bodyguards had already separated them. Not only did they have no complaints at this point, but they also looked on with envy and admiration. Even Brother Hu could only follow behind Li Yifei. For them, accompanying Li Yifei seemed like an honor.


    Li Yifei got in the car and said to Brother Hu, "We¡¯ll have dinner together later."


    "Sure, thank you, Young Master Li."


    Brother Hu watched Li Yifei¡¯s car drive away, his face beaming with joy.


    Fishman Second Generation and Zhao Shenggang were left with a deeper understanding. They originally thought that although Li Yifei was a bit higher in status than Brother Hu, Brother Hu might have just been cautious of the other¡¯s background. But now it was clear that Brother Hu truly respected Li Yifei.


    "Fishman Second Generation, Zhao Shenggang," warned Brother Hu, "you¡¯d better be polite when you see Young Master Li in the future. I¡¯m letting it slide this time since we all know each other. But if you dare to offend Young Master Li again, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless."


    Fishman Second Generation and Zhao Shenggang kept saying yes. Fishman Second Generation, a man with a thick skin, was still buttering up Brother Hu at this time, asking, "Could you introduce me to Young Master Li in the future?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brother Hu gave Fishman Second Generation a sidelong glance and said, "I¡¯d advise you to get rid of that thought. Young Master Li despises two-faced schemers the most."


    Fishman Second Generation chuckled sullenly but didn¡¯t take it to heart. He was used to being thick-skinned, or else he couldn¡¯t have handled dealings with just about anyone.


    At this moment, Zhao Shenggang was inwardly despising Fishman Second Generation, finding him utterly shameless. This guy had almost caused him to miss out on the thirty million. In the future, it was best to stay away from such lowlifes.

 Chapter 915 - 956: Preparing for the New Home

    Chapter 915: Chapter 956: Preparing for the New HomeLi Yifei was no longer a solitary man. He had gathered quite a few people these days, and anyone who caught his eye was naturally no weakling. Moreover, they had to possess a high enough quality, as these were the core members of his future family. Li Yifei first chose those who were loyal enough to him, and then capability came second.


    If they weren¡¯t loyal, no matter how capable they were, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t use them. They wouldn¡¯t be of any help and might even become a major threat.


    However, even those whom Li Yifei deemed not strong enough were considered experts in the eyes of regular people. Especially when compared to those small-time gangsters, they were worlds apart. Yuren Second Generation was envious of the people Li Yifei brought with him. He even tried to train his subordinates a bit, but soon realized it was a futile effort. His men were just good at bootlicking, but when it came to real quality, it was all nonsense.


    Li Yifei now needed these subordinates to handle many things for him. Although Old Master Su said that establishing a family was a thankless task, he knew he needed to form his own core team to be accountable to his family.


    With the demolition matters settled, the next step was to bring in workers to level the existing buildings here. Then, the construction could begin immediately. However, Li Yifei still didn¡¯t have a complete plan for this place, and it was something that needed to be decided promptly.


    It happened to be the weekend, so Li Yifei asked Chu Xiaoyao to come back and gave Su Mengxin a call, inviting her over too. However, he didn¡¯t invite Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling as he didn¡¯t yet feel they were part of his family.


    After hesitating for a moment, Li Yifei decided to call Lin Qiong.


    "Hello, what¡¯s up?" Lin Qiong¡¯s tone was still sharp.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Do you have time to come over to my place for a meal?"


    "To your place?" Lin Qiong exclaimed.


    Li Yifei could imagine Lin Qiong¡¯s surprised expression and quickly explained, "It¡¯s like this, I bought a piece of land, and we¡¯re figuring out how to build on it. You should come give us some suggestions, you have a stake in this too."


    Lin Qiong replied without hesitation, "I won¡¯t go. In what capacity would I go? What if your wife kicks me out? Wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing?"


    "Yingying isn¡¯t home, everyone else is here. It¡¯s a big deal¡ªwe¡¯re all discussing it together."


    "Yingying¡¯s not home? Even so, I¡¯m not going. Do you think I¡¯m your mistress? No way."


    Li Yifei felt a bit helpless. Lin Qiong indeed had a strong personality. She was once a very simple girl, but as she climbed higher in rank, and not solely on her own merits, her mindset changed. She became more serious and assertive in her work. As for love, she never agreed with the likes of Ye Yun and others, and she still didn¡¯t.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll talk to you later." Li Yifei could only say this for now.


    "Wait, if you don¡¯t want me to go, then I insist on coming." Lin Qiong said before hanging up.


    Li Yifei held the phone, feeling a bit amused and helpless. Lin Qiong was just like that¡ªstubborn, but that was her unique style.


    Not long after, Lin Qiong hurried over, and Li Yifei specially went to the entrance of the community to meet her.


    "Qiongqiong, you¡¯re here." Li Yifei greeted her with a smile.


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t give Li Yifei a friendly look. Instead, she shot him a glance and said, "You¡¯ve got some moves."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Alright, don¡¯t fuss over that. This is a big deal, and we¡¯re waiting for you to join in the discussion."


    "Really? Am I that important?"


    "Of course."


    "Hmph, you dared to do something so big while your wife is not home. Let¡¯s see if she kicks you out when she finds out."


    "She won¡¯t. I¡¯m planning to surprise her later."


    "Pfft!" Lin Qiong snorted but followed Li Yifei into the community.


    However, once in the elevator, Lin Qiong¡¯s expression became a bit awkward. She nudged Li Yifei with her elbow and said, "I¡¯m not familiar with them. I¡¯m telling you, if they say something unpleasant to me, I¡¯ll turn around and leave."


    "Don¡¯t worry. As long as you don¡¯t get upset, no one will make it difficult for you."


    "So, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m the one with the most problems?"


    "Not exactly. It¡¯s just that you have your own style, and that¡¯s what I like about you."


    "You just know how to sweet-talk." Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a sideways glance but seemed a bit nervous. It was her first time meeting these women of Li Yifei¡¯s and discussing such a major family matter together. She wasn¡¯t quite used to it. Even though she accepted her relationship with Li Yifei, she wasn¡¯t ready to coexist peacefully with other women. Besides, she was a police officer, and if word got out, it would surely be a big problem for her.


    Furthermore, her strong-willed nature meant she couldn¡¯t see herself getting along with others amiably, especially if she couldn¡¯t have Li Yifei all to herself.


    Li Yifei put his arm around Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder and said, "Alright, don¡¯t overthink it. Today, we¡¯re just discussing how to build the house. As for other things, we¡¯ll leave those for later."


    "That would be best."


    The two opened the door and entered. The sight of a room full of women in the living room made Lin Qiong feel a bit dizzy. Each woman here was an absolute stunner. Li Yifei had managed to bring them all together, and compared to them, she felt she had no advantage at all, which dampened her spirits a bit.


    To Lin Qiong, there wasn¡¯t anyone here she was particularly familiar with, perhaps only Ning Xin¡¯er. They had interacted a few times and had initially planned to join forces to snatch Li Yifei away, but Ning Xin¡¯er soon switched sides after being comforted by Li Yifei, and they hadn¡¯t interacted much since.


    "This is Lin Qiong. You all know her, so I don¡¯t need to introduce her much. Come, everyone, take a seat. We need to finalize this today so that I can get a professional designer to draw it up for us."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, being the most familiar with Lin Qiong, came over and took Lin Qiong¡¯s hand, saying, "Lin Qiong, come on. We¡¯ve been waiting for you."


    "Traitor!" Lin Qiong muttered under her breath.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face showed some embarrassment, and she could only offer Lin Qiong an apologetic smile. Lin Qiong could only roll her eyes and say, "Too easily swayed just by a few sweet words."


    Ning Xin¡¯er sensed Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t particularly angry and smiled, "I¡¯m sorry. But now everything¡¯s good, and everyone¡¯s quite happy. Come on."


    Everyone finally sat down. The house was quite full now. Su Mengxin, Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, Ning Xin¡¯er, Chu Xiaoyao, Lin Qiong¡ªall of them were considered Li Yifei¡¯s women. Although Lin Qiong knew them all, their interaction was limited, making her the least familiar with them. Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, was there, representing Xu Yingying.


    There was also Meng Xiaofei, who happened to be home today. This kind of matter couldn¡¯t exclude her. She had already considered this place her home, and everyone else treated her as part of the family. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, there were also the two little treasures. Little Yifei was curiously looking at a map spread on the coffee table, which showed the location of their future home. Little Yixiang was in Su Yiyi¡¯s arms; ever since she returned, she had taken a liking to holding Little Yixiang, showing a strong maternal instinct.


    Li Yifei gazed at everyone, feeling a special sense of happiness in his heart. These women were all his, and he aimed to carve out a space for them.


    "Now that the demolition¡¯s done, there aren¡¯t many buildings left on the land. I don¡¯t want to keep any of the original structures, so it should be quick to demolish. I think within a few days we can finish it and then start building our own home. But we still don¡¯t have a complete plan. Since everyone¡¯s here today, let¡¯s study together how to build a house that everyone will be happy with."


    After a pause, Li Yifei continued, "Once this home is built, it¡¯s not going to be demolished any time soon. So, whatever requirements you have, feel free to voice them. The place is big enough for everyone to have their independent living areas, or we can live together. How you want to live, what kind of house you want to build, you decide. Another major thing is the layout of the courtyard; think carefully about where to build what so that when we¡¯re done building, it¡¯s not missing anything."


    Chu Xiaoyao was the first to jump in, saying, "I want a swimming pool, not the rectangular kind like in sports centers¡ªit has to be pretty."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "That¡¯s absolutely not a problem. Xiaoyao¡¯s suggestion is excellent." His eyes had a clear glint of excitement.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "Of course, I¡¯m Uncle¡¯s close confidant, after all. I like to think of ways for you to live the happiest life."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "Very good, very good. Xiaoyao¡¯s a good kid, deserves a reward."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s contented expression, the others couldn¡¯t help but scoff at him. With only Li Yifei as the sole man in the house, and them all having that kind of relationship with him, who knew what kind of outrageous things might happen if they all went swimming together.


    Ye Yunzhu quickly jotted it down.


    With the first suggestion made, everyone quickly chimed in. Someone suggested building a garden, another wanted a sports field, and another wanted a vegetable patch. Ye Yunzhu noted everything down.


    Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t spoken initially but saw that everyone was enthusiastically discussing without mentioning any romantic ties. She also realized that with such a large space, it really was a dream home. The idea of living there excited her, and she unwittingly joined in.


    They first mentioned the essentials, and then, looking at the terrain, they discussed where each could be built and how large it should be. There was no end to the ideas, and if they tried to cover everything, even a plot twice the size might not be enough.

 Chapter 916 - 957: Birthday Coming Up

    Chapter 916: Chapter 957: Birthday Coming Up"""After several hours of discussion unknowingly passed by, everyone briefly ordered some takeout for lunch and then carried on with their discussion. At first, everyone was a bit playful, but gradually they started to take it seriously, discussing what should be built where, from large villas and facilities to the smallest details of the landscape. Everyone had different views, and some places even sparked debates."""


    """Fortunately, the debates weren¡¯t excessive; everyone just shared their own perspectives and then collectively thought about how to make things look better without any conflicts."""


    """Li Yifei was initially a bit worried, but seeing this, he felt quite reassured. Is this what a family is supposed to be like? It¡¯s so harmonious."""


    """He let them collaborate on the internal designs, while Li Yifei himself predominantly focussed on the security design around the perimeter. This home wouldn¡¯t just house his own family; for such a large place, the security measures had to be sufficiently robust."""


    """Fences and security measures were essential, and most importantly, there had to be some exterior security personnel. These personnel would need living necessities, and Li Yifei also considered making them truly comfortable here, including enabling them to marry and have children onsite. As for their children, they would also need to ensure adequate care, like education, nurturing them from a young age, making it easier to cultivate their loyalty. He could manage now, but in the future, it would depend on these next generations to bring fresh vitality to his family."""


    """Moreover, there would be domestic staff for the household. With such a large home, even cleaning would be a daunting task that wouldn¡¯t be feasible for the family members to handle. Yiyi could manage now, and everyone would chip in, but that would be practically impossible later."""


    """Feeding all the people in the house was another major issue. His family needed meals, and so did other personnel; at the very least, they needed a large separate kitchen staffed with good chefs."""


    """And for such a large yard, gardeners were a must."""


    """These service personnel would also need accommodation. Unlike the security personnel, these staff wouldn¡¯t necessarily be long-term; they could be rotated out."""


    """Upon consideration, Li Yifei realized that building such a place wasn¡¯t particularly expensive. The real expense was maintaining ongoing costs for the home. If they couldn¡¯t continue making money, even mountains of gold and silver wouldn¡¯t withstand such consumption."""


    """No wonder even the great families didn¡¯t build such immensely large homes; such an undertaking not only attracted attention but was also very costly. Even Jia Mansion from "Dream of the Red Mansion" couldn¡¯t bear the strain¡ªa cautionary tale indeed."""


    """Thus, making money was crucial. It seemed that he too couldn¡¯t be lax in the future; he needed to quickly establish a profitable system, not just for his current presence but to ensure his home¡¯s continuous development. Moreover, even after he grew old, there had to be a sustainable money-making mechanism to allow his descendants to thrive, otherwise, they might end up like Jia Mansion, exhausting their resources and facing ruin in the end."""


    """Previously, Li Yifei thought that building this family empire was simply a matter of having money, but as he delved deeper, he realized there were many intricacies involved. It wasn¡¯t as simple as he had imagined; it was incredibly complex."""


    """Setting up a large company wasn¡¯t even as complicated as this; it was more like establishing a small-country. Fortunately, there were Su Mengxin and Ye Yunzhu, especially Ye Yunzhu, who had a political background, starting as a Township Chief and now a Deputy County Head. She was most skilled at handling these matters."""


    """After discussing for an entire afternoon, everyone felt they had exhausted all conceivable ideas and recorded them. Although everyone was a bit parched and fatigued from talking so much, it was clear they were all delighted by the process."""


    """Though Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s woman, she too asserted many requirements. Given her thick-skinned nature, having never viewed herself as an outsider, no one really minded. It would actually be more unusual if Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t speak up."""


    """Ye Yunzhu also wrote down several large sections. Li Yifei gathered these materials, and next, he planned to consult with renowned designers to tailor a proper design based on these specifications."""


    """"Alright, the discussion is over. I¡¯m heading back," Lin Qiong stood up just then."""


    """Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "It¡¯s so late already, why don¡¯t you stay?""""


    """"Me... what for? I still have things to do," Lin Qiong¡¯s face suddenly flushed."""


    """Everyone had been having such a good time chatting, and Lin Qiong had become quite familiar with the group. Su Mengxin then smiled and said, "Stay with us. No one here is an outsider. Everyone considers you one of their own; are you still planning to be awkward?""""


    """"I..." Normally, Lin Qiong would have agreed without a second thought if it were anyone else, but there was something almost magical about Su Mengxin saying it, compelling belief. With Su Mengxin¡¯s charm, how could many women compare? Even Lin Qiong would feel inferior in her presence. Now that Su Mengxin herself acknowledged it, it seemed Lin Qiong had no reason to deny it."""


    """Su Mengxin then gave Li Yifei a look, and he immediately wrapped an arm around Lin Qiong¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Regardless of staying here, we still need to eat dinner. Everyone worked so hard today; I¡¯ll cook something nice for everyone.""""


    """Chu Xiaoyao suddenly pulled Lin Qiong aside, laughing, "Exactly, why leave? It¡¯s more fun when we all stay together. I¡¯ll share a room with you tonight and let¡¯s invite uncle over too.""""


    """Though Lin Qiong was usually quite assertive in bed with Li Yifei, deep down she wasn¡¯t the type to be so open, barely able to handle such comments; her face turned as red as a ripe apple."""


    """Ning Xin¡¯er chided, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re talking nonsense again. Lin Qiong, come on, let¡¯s relax a bit. How about some mahjong?""""


    """That provided Lin Qiong an out, and she responded, "Sure, I haven¡¯t played in a long time.""""


    The mahjong table was quickly set up, with Lin Qiong, Su Mengxin, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Xu Shanshan playing, while Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were cooking. Ye Yunzhu just had to take care of the kids, and Meng Xiaofei was playing games on the phone with Little Yifei.


    "Yiyi, I feel like I¡¯ve been neglecting you lately," Li Yifei said to Su Yiyi in the kitchen as they cooked and chatted.


    With a sweet smile, Su Yiyi said, "Not at all, I¡¯m very happy now. Being with everyone and everyone being so nice to me, and sometimes Brother Li, you even spend time with me, I¡¯m really satisfied."


    "You, you¡¯re always so easy to please," Li Yifei said affectionately as he leaned in and kissed Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red, she sneaked a peek outside to see if anyone was watching them, and finding no one, she tiptoed and also gave Li Yifei a quick kiss, happily saying, "Being easy to please makes life happier. If I thought too much, I would easily become unhappy."


    "Yeah, I will definitely make Yingying accept you guys soon, then we can be together every day."


    Hee hee, that won¡¯t do," chuckled Su Yiyi, "Sister Yunzhu and Sister Mengxin said we have to take turns." This time, Su Yiyi mentioned it without the embarrassment she used to feel, even playfully sticking out her tongue.


    Li Yifei whispered mischievously into Su Yiyi¡¯s ear, "Yiyi, your thoughts are impure. I meant that in the future, we could see each other every day, just as a family being together, I wasn¡¯t talking about nighttime."


    Su Yiyi suddenly became embarrassed, she elbowed Li Yifei playfully and chided, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so naughty, picking on me."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and kissed Su Yiyi¡¯s face again, saying, "I just love this cute side of Yiyi."


    "Meanie," pouted Su Yiyi, then asked, "Brother Li, isn¡¯t your birthday coming up?" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My birthday?" Li Yifei paused, then said, "I guess it is."


    Looking serious, Su Yiyi asked, "How do you want to celebrate?"


    "Celebrate? I haven¡¯t had a birthday celebration in years. If you hadn¡¯t reminded me, I would have forgotten."


    "Of course we must celebrate! Sister Yunzhu said so. We all agreed to give you a proper birthday celebration. I wanted to see if you had any ideas?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No need to fuss; I¡¯ve never been one for birthdays. Besides, I really don¡¯t know what I need. I just want everyone to be happy."


    "That¡¯s not going to help; the less you ask for, the harder it is for us to know what to do."


    "Well then... haha, how about everyone gives me a kiss that day?"


    "You tease, it can¡¯t be that simple. If you asked everyone for a kiss any other time, who wouldn¡¯t give you one?"


    "Hehe, how about... everyone gives me a kiss in bed then?"


    "Ah..." Su Yiyi blushed deeply, scolding, "That¡¯s not okay! That¡¯s too... too chaotic, and it¡¯s not good for your health either."


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s cute reaction, Li Yifei stopped teasing her and said with a smile, "Just get me some stuff then, you all pick what to buy, I¡¯m not good at shopping."


    Su Yiyi nodded and said, "Alright, since you don¡¯t have any ideas, I¡¯ll discuss it with Sister Yunzhu and the others."


    "Hehe, now that you mention it, I¡¯m actually looking forward to it. It¡¯s been so many years since I¡¯ve celebrated my birthday."


    Gently leaning into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, Su Yiyi whispered softly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so good to us, and we will definitely be good to you too, celebrating your birthday every year from now on."


    Wrapping his arms around Su Yiyi¡¯s waist, Li Yifei spoke fervently, "Yes, with you all, now I¡¯m filled with fighting spirit for life, and I will definitely make you all happy forever."


    "Ah!" Just as the two were sharing this tender moment, they both suddenly screamed because the dish cooking in front of them had started to burn; they had been too engrossed in each other and forgotten about the food.

 Chapter 917 - 958: Meng Xiaofei’s Malicious Idea

    Chapter 917: Chapter 958: Meng Xiaofei¡¯s Malicious IdeaAfter dinner, Xu Shanshan made a fuss about continuing to play mahjong, which also offered Lin Qiong an excuse to stay. They played until past ten o¡¯clock before everyone went to rest.


    Lin Qiong took a bath and returned to the room arranged for her. Today could be said to be the most relaxing day since... well, forever, without the pressure of work. Chatting with everyone, playing mahjong¡ªit was a genuinely nice feeling.


    She had barely lain down for two minutes when the door was softly pushed open. Although the light was off, she could still see Li Yifei sneaking in.


    "Hey, what are you doing coming to my room?" Lin Qiong asked half-meaningfully.


    Li Yifei hopped directly onto the bed and snuggled into the covers, saying, "Of course, I¡¯m here to accompany my Little Qiongqiong."


    Lin Qiong pushed Li Yifei away and said, "That sounds nice, but how many times have you visited me in all this time?"


    Li Yifei snuggled closer to Lin Qiong and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, saying, "I¡¯ve really been too busy lately. I haven¡¯t stayed in Mile City for many days. Since coming back these past few days, I¡¯ve been busy with the land issue. I just settled the demolition matter yesterday. All this is so we can live happily together in the future."


    "Go away, what does that have to do with me?"


    "Hey, hey, you were quite enthusiastic discussing it with everyone during the day, and there¡¯s a house there for you too. How can you say that now?"


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "During the day, I was just joining in the fun with everyone. I¡¯m not as foolish as they are to be with you."


    "Isn¡¯t it nice like this? Everyone gets together when they¡¯re free to chat, shop, and play mahjong." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you saying you¡¯ve set me up? I still have my job, you know? What would people think if they knew a Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau has become someone¡¯s mistress and gets along with them too? Wouldn¡¯t that smear the reputation of our Public Security System?"


    "That... seems true, but you could quit your job?"


    Lin Qiong turned to look at Li Yifei and shook her head decidedly, saying, "The position I am in now, not a single case was solved on my own initiative. So no matter what, I have to prove my capability. Unless I truly demonstrate that I am competent, then I can consider other options."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, then said with a wry smile, "Then haven¡¯t I hurt you?"


    "Who asked you to insist on pushing me into this position?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Okay, I understand. You¡¯re currently working on that big drug case. I was thinking of helping you, but now I won¡¯t get involved at all. You can handle it yourself, and once you¡¯ve solved the case, you can resign and come over."


    "Are you really not going to intervene?" Lin Qiong stared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I really won¡¯t intervene. I¡¯ll let you crack the case on your own. But I need to arrange a bodyguard for you to ensure your safety. That way I can rest easy. It would be a big loss if the case is solved but I no longer have a wife."


    "Damn you, are you cursing me to die?"


    "No, it¡¯s not that. But I feel this case is really not simple, and you may encounter danger. I¡¯ve been secretly having someone protect you this whole time."


    "Don¡¯t worry so much, I¡¯m a cop and I¡¯m not afraid of this." Although Lin Qiong said this, her heart was actually very comforted; it showed that Li Yifei truly cared about her.


    Li Yifei added, "The person I¡¯m arranging for you is a woman, but she¡¯s a foreigner. I¡¯ll have her meet you later, and if you need anything, just command her¡ªshe will obey."


    "A foreign... woman?" Lin Qiong glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly let out a dry laugh and said, "She¡¯s just one of my subordinates who¡¯s sworn allegiance to me; now she sort of considers me her master. Her loyalty is absolutely without question, and it¡¯s certainly not that kind of relationship. Otherwise, would you be able to order her around so freely?"


    "That¡¯s more like it." Lin Qiong finally nodded in satisfaction.


    "That¡¯s a promise then; once you¡¯ve cracked this big case, you¡¯ll resign. You won¡¯t have to do such dangerous things anymore."


    Lin Qiong said discontentedly, "Can¡¯t I do something I enjoy? Being a police officer has always been my dream."


    "That... Well, then, you don¡¯t have to resign. But you can¡¯t keep thinking about solving big cases. We could do some clerical work. That would be fine, right?"


    "We¡¯ll see when the time comes. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to become your subordinate; that would be too boring. What¡¯s the point if a person lives their whole life without any ambitions?"


    "Such a stubborn personality you have. Well, who am I to argue? I¡¯m your man after all. If I can¡¯t manage my wife, I just have to listen to her," Li Yifei sighed with a tone of resignation.


    Lin Qiong said proudly, "That¡¯s more like it."


    "Then how about a little reward for your husband?" Li Yifei¡¯s hands had already started to wander.


    "You insatiable wolf, aren¡¯t you drained by all those women yet?"


    "Your husband is in great shape. Want to give it a try?"


    "Bring it on. I¡¯m not scared of you. Just because they can¡¯t keep up, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t," Lin Qiong retorted, and with a quick maneuver, she was on top of him.


    This was very much in Lin Qiong¡¯s style. With her, Li Yifei could always experience a wilder kind of pleasure, which he found very enjoyable.


    Their lovemaking lasted intermittently for about an hour. Li Yifei was actually quite worn out by Lin Qiong¡¯s relentless energy. She hardly allowed him any rest, demanding a second round as soon as one was over. This continuous battle naturally took a toll on his stamina.


    That night, Li Yifei ended up sleeping with Lin Qiong. Although Su Mengxin had come over and Chu Xiaoyao had returned as well, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t truly ¡¯devoured¡¯ them yet. At this point, he wasn¡¯t in a rush. He found the idea of saving something for later quite appealing. Chu Xiaoyao was eager, while Su Mengxin was not. She was patient, and the more she waited, the more she understood the yearning for Li Yifei. Yet, if it came to that kind of relationship, Su Mengxin would also accept it readily. On this point, she and Li Yifei were on the same page.


    After their night of pleasure, Lin Qiong was also pretty tired. When she woke up the next day, it was nearly eight o¡¯clock, and Li Yifei was nowhere to be seen.


    After getting out of bed and leaving her room, which was on the first floor, Lin Qiong walked into the living room. Meng Xiaofei was passing by and greeted her with a cheery smile, "Morning, Sister-in-law Lin!"


    Lin Qiong had been accustomed to waking up and going about as normal, as her time with Li Yifei was usually spent at her own place. Thus, she simply went about her business as usual. However, upon seeing Meng Xiaofei, she suddenly realized she wasn¡¯t at her own home. She blushed instantly and was at a loss for words, her mouth gaped open.


    "Hehe, Sister-in-law Lin, why the blushing? You don¡¯t have a fever, do you?" Meng Xiaofei reached out to touch Lin Qiong¡¯s forehead.


    Startled, Lin Qiong quickly stepped back and said hastily, "I¡¯m fine, really."


    "Giggle, I get it, you must be feeling shy. What¡¯s there to be shy about? Every morning, it¡¯s a toss-up which room Brother Li will come out of. I¡¯m used to it by now."


    Lin Qiong offered an awkward smile and said softly, "Right, right, good morning."


    Meng Xiaofei leaned closer to Lin Qiong and glanced around sneakily before whispering in her ear, "Sister-in-law Lin, did you wear a uniform last night?"


    "A uniform?" Lin Qiong was taken aback again.


    "Yeah, you know, Brother Li has a thing for uniforms."


    With a darkened expression, Lin Qiong retorted, "So when you wear your stewardess uniform, Brother Li must ogle you a lot, right?"


    "Not really. Brother Li isn¡¯t interested in me that way. But I can tell, whenever he sees me in the stewardess uniform, his gaze is different than usual. Isn¡¯t that a sign of a uniform fetish?"


    Lin Qiong was feeling embarrassed, and she quickly said, "Stop talking nonsense, I¡¯m going to wash my face."


    Meng Xiaofei followed her and said, "I¡¯m serious! You should try it. Especially now that you¡¯re the Deputy Director, with those extra stars on your shoulders. If you do it once, Brother Li would be ecstatic."


    Lin Qiong halted in her tracks as Meng Xiaofei¡¯s full chest bumped against her shoulder. Lin Qiong couldn¡¯t help thinking to herself that Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest was indeed quite large. She used to take pride in her own figure, but compared to Meng Xiaofei, it was clear they weren¡¯t on the same level.


    "Hey Meng Xiaofei, you say there¡¯s nothing between you and Brother Li, yet you seem to know quite a lot about his preferences and these kinds of things. Don¡¯t tell me you..."


    With a giggle, Meng Xiaofei replied, "It¡¯s nice having a handy brother, why would I want to be his woman? Besides, watching you guys together is entertaining enough for me. If I joined in, wouldn¡¯t that spoil the fun?"


    "What kind of logic is that?"


    "It¡¯s simple logic! Right now, I find it all quite entertaining, and I¡¯m not done playing yet. Besides, who knows, maybe I¡¯ll find my true love someday."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Meng Xiaofei but thought to herself that maybe Meng Xiaofei had a point. Compared to Li Yifei¡¯s other women, she didn¡¯t really stand out. In terms of looks, none were less attractive than her. As for personality, there was the unapproachable beauty Su Mengxin, the smart and capable Ye Yunzhu, the star Ning Xin¡¯er, the gentle Su Yiyi, the lively Chu Xiaoyao, while she herself tended to lose temper with Li Yifei quite easily.


    So, after much thought, if she wanted to make Li Yifei like her more, she really did need to try something special, like Meng Xiaofei¡¯s suggestion about uniforms. After all, if a man is satisfied in bed, perhaps he¡¯d be more forgiving of her flaws, right?

 Chapter 918 - 959 The Power of the Saintess

    Chapter 918: Chapter 959 The Power of the SaintessAfter washing up, everyone gathered to have a meal. Lin Qiong had thought she would be teased a few words, but during the meal, everything was normal. The conversation was just about the new house, and no one mentioned that she had stayed with Li Yifei last night.


    This made Lin Qiong feel quite good. It seemed that there wasn¡¯t as much pressure here as she had imagined. If she were to live with them in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be an unacceptable situation. Besides, there would be a place exclusively for her. Thinking about the environment there, it indeed had a powerful allure, making it impossible for her not to agree.


    However, Lin Qiong also knew that her relationship with Li Yifei, covert as it could be, simply couldn¡¯t be legitimate. Not to mention anything else, if her parents found out, they would be furious. Li Yifei was Xu Yingying¡¯s husband, and Xu Yingying¡¯s father was her father¡¯s old comrade-in-arms. With such connections, her parents would definitely not allow her to have any entanglement with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t notice what Lin Qiong was thinking. After breakfast, he and Su Mengxin hurried out, having already contacted a few architects in the past few days, and today was the day to meet with them.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother with any tenders; these architects were found by Su Mengxin. They were some of the world¡¯s most famous designers. It took more than money to get them on board. It was also about relationships¡ªif they gave you face, then they would help you design. It wasn¡¯t something anyone could just achieve. With designers like these, Li Yifei had no need for tenders.


    Of course, these architects were all domestic. While foreign designers were very good, Li Yifei favored the style of Suzhou Gardens, which the foreign designers were not adept at.


    Taking these architects to the site, they were all greatly surprised. For a designer, having a space to exhibit one¡¯s talent is extremely important. Land approval is not easy these days, especially personal land, which is even scarcer. To have such a place to build a private garden was indeed rare.


    To them, it seemed like they had found a treasure. Even without Su Mengxin¡¯s influence, they would insist on asking Li Yifei to let them handle the design.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected this kind of reaction, but since they were so enthusiastic, it was the best outcome. He handed his requirements to them and then waited for them to come and take measurements. They could handle these things themselves, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to be involved.


    With these tasks completed, Li Yifei felt like he had resolved the most important matter at hand.


    "Do you feel a sense of accomplishment now?"


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin stood on the hillside, looking down at the large piece of land that would soon be their home. Even Li Yifei, who was usually detached, couldn¡¯t help but feel eager for his new home to be built as soon as possible.


    Su Mengxin could feel the emotion welling up within Li Yifei and smiled as she asked.


    He nodded, "Yeah, I¡¯m really excited. Since returning from the army, I never thought I¡¯d see this day. I was planning to live a simple life."


    Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei¡¯s profile, "An extraordinary person, no matter how much you try to conceal it, cannot lead an ordinary life."


    "Heh, that sounds like a compliment. But I guess it¡¯s a bit of serendipity. If I had remained in the army, what I¡¯d be doing would still be for the nation, not thinking too much about personal gain. And even after returning to civilian life, without these coincidences occurring, I wouldn¡¯t have such ambitions."


    "Life is like that sometimes; it doesn¡¯t progress solely according to your will. There are always people, events, that can change your direction, just like us, forcing you to make an effort."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yeah, when I was single, I was carefree, doing whatever felt comfortable. Now with a wife and daughter, I have to strive for more. A man¡¯s sense of responsibility has to be nurtured by his wife and children." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I used to think about how to inspire your sense of responsibility, your intellect. Later, I realized there¡¯s no need for me to motivate you, some things will naturally happen."


    "Heh, you mean if I hadn¡¯t stepped up, you wouldn¡¯t have stayed with me?"


    "Not at all. If I like you, I¡¯ve already decided to stick with you. If you lacked ambition, I could have played dirty to give you some, but you didn¡¯t give me that chance."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, reminiscing about his journey with Su Mengxin from acquaintance to understanding and finally becoming a couple. It wasn¡¯t a particularly touching love story, but it had silently made him realize he couldn¡¯t live without her.


    Su Mengxin then changed the subject, "Right, have there been any news from the Holy Woman recently?"


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t thought about the Holy Woman these days until Su Mengxin brought her up, and only then he remembered, "Yeah, it¡¯s been quite a while since I last contacted her."


    "Heh, missing her, are you?"


    "Not that I merely want to, she did help me enormously after all. Yingying was able to awaken because of her significant contribution. I¡¯m someone who repays kindness, so of course I can¡¯t forget her."


    "But it seems like she¡¯s going to take you as her heart demon."


    "Indeed, but I won¡¯t lose to her. I definitely don¡¯t want to be killed by her in the end. How could I bear to leave you all?"


    "Hehe, so when you win against her, you¡¯ll still end up taking her in. After all, she is universally acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in the world."


    Li Yifei winked at Su Mengxin and said, "Don¡¯t I already have the most beautiful woman standing right beside me?"


    "I am from Huaxia, after all. No matter how pretty I may be, it¡¯s not that special. She¡¯s a foreign beauty, which to you men, must add a different kind of allure, right?"


    "It¡¯s precisely the shared language that counts. There are vast differences between us in terms of culture and customs. She¡¯s not at all what I like. If it weren¡¯t for her saving Yingying, I would have never agreed to her."


    "Sure, I get it. But now, I¡¯m really looking forward to watching the struggle between you two. Although I know you¡¯ll definitely win, how you win¡ªthat¡¯s going to be fascinating to see."


    Su Mengxin squinted her eyes leisurely, her expression one of serene anticipation. She was not a blindly optimistic person, but even if that Holy Woman was powerful and had the support of a formidable organization behind her, Mengxin firmly believed that her man would surely defeat her. She had that confidence, she had complete faith in the man she had chosen.


    "You¡¯re just waiting to enjoy the show, but to be honest, facing this Holy Woman gives me quite a headache. She has shown me kindness, and I¡¯ve agreed to openly become her heart demon. Whether I can actually break through her heart demon, I¡¯m not certain, but I can only promise not to let myself be killed by her."


    "Don¡¯t say that, you need to have confidence. You must overcome her heart demon and take her for yourself. The Holy War Organization, one of the most powerful organizations in the world¡ªif it could be used by you, imagine how tremendous your influence would be then. Who would dare to provoke you after that, or anyone close to you?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and shook his head, "Such a devout organization would be better left unprovoked. Their faith is just too zealous. Moreover, if I defeat their Holy Woman, I can¡¯t even imagine if they would crazily seek revenge on me."


    Su Mengxin and Li Yifei were discussing the Holy Woman, while she herself stood in a villa nestled in the mountainous headquarters of the Holy War Organization. Due to the time difference, it was nearing midnight there, but void of any desire to sleep, she stood by the window where she could see the stars at the edge of the sky without even lifting her head. She liked watching the stars because they always brought a sense of calm to her soul.


    "Holy Woman! We have made preparations," a woman walked in and halted behind the Holy Woman.


    The Holy Woman nodded, "Then I¡¯ll depart the day after tomorrow."


    "Yes!" The woman behind her responded.


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Holy Woman..."


    The Holy Woman turned around, "Speak your mind. You¡¯ve been at my side since I was very young. In private, there¡¯s no need for such formality."


    The woman raised her head; she was a blond woman in her thirties and quite beautiful. She spoke solemnly, "Holy Woman, I¡¯m always a little worried. This Li Yifei is too powerful. If by any chance... you fail..."


    The Holy Woman smiled faintly, tilting her head back, "I will not lose."


    "I¡¯m not worried about Your Holiness losing. No man would refuse to become your heart demon. But... Li Yifei¡¯s strength is formidable. I fear... in the end, you might not be able to kill him."


    Facing her most trusted confidante, the Holy Woman said slowly, "I have trained the Holy Woman Sutra to the sixth level. Do you think I would still fail?"


    "Ah!" The woman gasped, her eyes filling with adoration, "Then you certainly won¡¯t fail. Even after experiencing a heart demon, our previous Holy Women have usually reached the sixth level. Holy Woman, you¡¯ve already reached it now."


    She had not anticipated the Holy Woman to be so powerful; she no longer had any worries. How mighty the sixth level of the Holy Woman Sutra was, even she could hardly imagine.


    "So... I have to find someone truly powerful. Only a truly powerful person is eligible to become my heart demon, to make me even stronger." The Holy Woman turned back to gaze out at the night sky where starlight glistened on her face like a layer of angelic light. The woman behind her could not help but kneel down devoutly in that moment.

 Chapter 919 - 960: Wife, You’re Really Generous

    Chapter 919: Chapter 960: Wife, You¡¯re Really GenerousWhen he got home in the afternoon, the women immediately shooed Li Yifei away and huddled together, whispering eagerly. Whenever he approached, they would stop abruptly as if they were discussing something they didn¡¯t want Li Yifei to know about.


    From their mischievous expressions, Li Yifei guessed they must be preparing a birthday present for him, or perhaps planning his birthday celebration.


    During his childhood, Li Yifei¡¯s birthdays were simply marked by his parents making him some delicious food. After joining the army, Li Yifei had all but forgotten about his own birthdays. The one that left a lasting impression on him was during his senior year of high school.


    It was on that birthday that Ye Yunzhu kissed him, and it was that birthday when Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu truly became a couple. Even though it wasn¡¯t the day when Ye Yunzhu first gave herself to him, that birthday was indeed unforgettable for Li Yifei. From that birthday on, he genuinely pulled himself together.


    Li Yifei knew that if he asked them, they definitely wouldn¡¯t tell him, but pretending to not notice anything would make them feel disappointed, which would be like not paying them any attention at all.


    So, when he saw them gathered together discussing again, Li Yifei always played along. He approached them and said with a grin, "What are you all researching? Let me listen too."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately pushed Li Yifei away, saying, "You¡¯re not allowed to listen."


    Li Yifei insisted on staying, saying, "How can you not let me listen? I am your man. I don¡¯t keep anything from you."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "You dare? If you dare go behind everyone¡¯s back again, do you think we would let you off easily?"


    "What? You can¡¯t keep things from me either!"


    Ning Xin¡¯er replied with a smile, "Just keeping it from you, what about it?"


    Li Yifei stared and exclaimed, "That¡¯s not fair!"


    Ye Yunzhu snorted, "Fair? With us? Fine, then we¡¯ll just find a few more men, and that would make us even."


    "You..." Li Yifei was momentarily speechless and retreated in defeat, leaving behind a chorus of laughter from the women.


    Li Yifei enjoyed this feeling. He suddenly had a realization: there¡¯s really no need for couples, or men and women, to be too clear about everything. It¡¯s rare to be confused in life, and him being oblivious often made them happy. Being too insightful seemed to eliminate all privacy between people, making things tiring.


    Li Yifei¡¯s birthday was still two weeks away, half a month to go, plenty of time for them to prepare. It was good to keep them busy, while he too had many things to do and wasn¡¯t idle either.


    Two days later, Xu Yingying returned a day earlier than she had planned. Unlike the usual, she didn¡¯t come back secretly but had called Li Yifei in advance to pick her up.


    Upon picking up Xu Yingying and reuniting after a short separation, they shared an impassioned kiss as soon as they got into the car. While driving, Li Yifei then asked, "Wife, why did you come back early this time?"


    "Today there¡¯s a banquet in the city. A powerful international consortium is looking to expand into Mile City. The city is hosting a welcome banquet, and I want to see if there¡¯s a chance for a collaboration. Even if not, I need to know if they¡¯ll compete against us."


    Li Yifei laughed, "It seems Mile City is still considered a treasured land for investors as more people are coming here to invest."


    Xu Yingying nodded, "It¡¯s definitely a good thing for Mile City¡¯s development, but most importantly, it should bring better benefits to our company."


    Since Li Yifei had been calling Xu Yingying daily, he was up to date with her situation and didn¡¯t ask further. They chatted briefly, then Xu Yingying asked with a smile, "I wanted to ask, how have you been with Ning Xin¡¯er recently?"


    Everyone had already come to a decision on this matter, so it was discussed openly, "Wife, you really let go easily, letting your husband go just like that."


    Xu Yingying pouted slightly with a look of grievance, "I didn¡¯t push you. But for our daughter¡¯s sake, I had no choice. Tell me honestly, what have you been up to these days?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Really, nothing much. Just picking up the kid with her, and playing with our daughter."


    "Is that all? Didn¡¯t do anything else?" Xu Yingying asked incredulously.


    "Oh... does holding hands count?"


    "Of course, it counts!" Xu Yingying glared, "Did you do anything else?"


    "Nothing more. I wouldn¡¯t dare now."


    "Who would dare? It seems like you do have that intention?"


    Li Yifei, intent on testing Xu Yingying¡¯s thoughts, chuckled and said, "To say I have no such feelings would be a lie. Ning Xin¡¯er is a beauty and a big star; which man wouldn¡¯t be moved? Especially since she bore me a daughter."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "I knew it. You men are all the same, eating from your bowl and still eyeing the pot."


    Li Yifei forced a smile and said, "Wife, you asked me to do it. If you hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t dare even if you beat me to death."


    "Really?"


    "Of course!" Li Yifei nodded affirmatively.


    "Pfft!" Xu Yingying burst into laughter then said with a smile, "Alright, I know you treat me well and listen to me. Regarding Ning Xin¡¯er, I agreed to it. Just go ahead. I¡¯ve realized Ning Xin¡¯er had no intention to leave. Instead of having her sneak around with you, I¡¯d rather be straightforward and have you both under my eyes. Plus, seeing that I¡¯m always out, if you, you bad guy, went out and had an affair, wouldn¡¯t I be even more furious? With Ning Xin¡¯er around, you wouldn¡¯t run out, and I could still keep an eye on you."


    "Wife... aren¡¯t you being too generous?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t compliment me like that. Who asked me to be so unlucky to have found a husband who already comes with a child? It would be different if you had a normal marriage and then divorced, but to have Ning Xin¡¯er simply give birth like this, I can¡¯t quite drive her away and have to accept it. Hey, what¡¯s with that expression? Don¡¯t you believe me?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, wife, but this doesn¡¯t seem real. My wife asking me to have an affair?"


    "Dream on, what affair? She¡¯s your daughter¡¯s mother, right?"


    "Right, right, my mistake. But it still feels like a dream."


    "Stop pretending. But these next few days, you need to stay home and spend time with me. Don¡¯t go see her. Once I¡¯m gone, do whatever you want."


    "Alright, I will definitely spend the next few days with you, wife."


    The couple then returned to their cozy home. A small separation felt like a new marriage; Xu Yingying, seeming suppressed for too long, initiated a kiss as soon as they entered, and they soon rolled to the bed while kissing, leading to wild lovemaking.


    Perhaps the separation had indeed invigorated their marriage, or maybe Xu Yingying had truly embraced her role as a wife, but she seemed much more uninhibited in bed, not just letting Li Yifei take the initiative. After one round, she initiated another, much to Li Yifei¡¯s surprise.


    After their love-making, they went out to eat. Then Xu Yingying had Li Yifei take her to her office. Later, he would accompany her to an evening cocktail party.


    It was the first time Xu Yingying had actively asked him to join her at such an event, intending to semi-publicly introduce Li Yifei as her husband, at least announcing it to some important individuals.


    Li Yifei happily agreed, as building a family now, he couldn¡¯t maintain a low profile anymore. He needed the entire Mile City to know that Li Yifei was an important figure to be respected and admired, not someone to be troubled with nuisances as before.


    Moreover, Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei to bring Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er along. It made sense for Su Mengxin, but bringing Ning Xin¡¯er seemed like she might introduce her publicly as well. Nevertheless, Xu Yingying entered her office without giving Li Yifei a chance to discuss it further.


    Li Yifei had to rush home to inform Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er about the plan. Ning Xin¡¯er panicked a bit, "Is...is it appropriate for me to go?"


    Su Mengxin reassured her with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry. Did you listen to Yifei? Yingying genuinely doesn¡¯t mind and won¡¯t harm you. We are just there to boost the Li family¡¯s prestige."


    Back at home, Su Yiyi and Ye Yunzhu were also present. Su Mengxin addressed them, "Yunzhu, Yiyi, don¡¯t feel upset. I believe we all won¡¯t be out too late."


    Ye Yunzhu laughed, "I¡¯m currently taking care of a child; even if you asked, I couldn¡¯t go."


    Yiyi sweetly smiled, saying, "Sister Mengxin, Sister Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t worry about us. I¡¯m very happy now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er then nervously asked, "What should I wear?"


    "How many cocktail parties have you attended?" Su Mengxin teased with a smile.


    Ning Xin¡¯er grimaced and said, "But Yingying will be there too. If I dress too fancy and overshadow her, won¡¯t that upset her? And if I dress poorly, wouldn¡¯t it embarrass Yifei?"


    Li Yifei felt a hint of distress but embraced Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "Don¡¯t overthink it. Dress as beautifully as you can. I¡¯m your fan, remember? You can¡¯t disappoint your fan."


    Encouraged by Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er finally relaxed a bit, but she still spent a long time choosing with Su Mengxin and others, eventually settling on a deep blue cheongsam.

 Chapter 920 - 961 Harmony Sisters

    Chapter 920: Chapter 961 Harmony SistersXu Yingying came back early today because she also needed to go home to change clothes. After all, the cocktail party seemed quite important. Besides the attendance of a major foreign consortium, the city would also be announcing some crucial policies, which would significantly impact many businesses. Therefore, this event was something that Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t neglect.


    Xu Yingying got dressed at home, choosing a black evening gown with a V-neckline adorned with a pearl necklace. Although she hadn¡¯t styled her hair particularly fancy, it wasn¡¯t the big waves of the past either. Instead, it was cut in a bob that just brushed her ears, making her look noble and elegant while also showcasing her shrewd efficiency.


    "Honey, does this look okay?" Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei as he zipped up the back of her dress, then she turned to face him. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei stepped back to take a good look at Xu Yingying and praised her, "Could there be anyone more beautiful than my wife?"


    "You¡¯re just flattering me. In terms of beauty, I¡¯m no match for Su Mengxin, and even Ning Xin¡¯er is more beautiful than I am, right?"


    Li Yifei came over to adjust the clothes on Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulders and said, "But in my heart, my wife is the most beautiful."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll take that. Your words make me very happy," Xu Yingying said with a smile, then stood on tiptoe to give Li Yifei a light kiss on his cheek.


    After the couple had changed their clothes, they went over to where Su Mengxin and others were.


    By this time, Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er had also changed into their dresses. Su Mengxin had surprisingly chosen a bright red brocade gown, which made her look a bit flamboyant, but this style added another layer to her charm, something that Li Yifei had never noticed before.


    Ning Xin¡¯er wore a light blue cheongsam, exuding the tenderness of a traditional woman. However, her facial expression betrayed her inner timidity.


    "Mengxin, Xin¡¯er, you both look so beautiful," Xu Yingying exclaimed softly as she first grabbed Su Mengxin¡¯s hand to look her over, then held Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand to turn her around, laughing, "Xin¡¯er, that¡¯s quite a high slit on your cheongsam. Your thigh is showing; aren¡¯t you just giving men a free treat?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er was a bit stunned, not sure if Xu Yingying was displeased with her choice of attire. Opening her mouth, she was at a loss for words.


    Seeing Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression, Xu Yingying chuckled and said, "I¡¯m just worried that a certain person might feel hard done by, haven¡¯t you noticed the strapless bodice I¡¯m wearing underneath? So that a certain small-minded man doesn¡¯t complain when he comes back."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Good point. You should wear flesh-colored stockings underneath."


    Ning Xin¡¯er glanced at Li Yifei and caught him looking at her with a smile, which relaxed her instantly. She quickly said, "I¡¯m going to slip on some stockings right now."


    The four of them finally set off. Li Yifei was driving, with Xu Yingying in the passenger seat, while Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er sat in the back.


    Turning to Ning Xin¡¯er, Xu Yingying said, "Xin¡¯er, there¡¯s no one else here, so let me speak frankly with you. You are Yifei¡¯s mother, and no matter how kind I am to Yifei, I can¡¯t replace her real mother. So from now on, you can rest assured in your relationship with Yifei. We are all family."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect Xu Yingying to speak so directly about this matter with Ning Xin¡¯er, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to react, let alone Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Then, Xu Yingying smiled again and said, "Look at your face, am I that scary?"


    "No... it¡¯s not that..." Ning Xin¡¯er opened her mouth but still didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Xu Yingying laughed and said, "You¡¯re not going to make me write some sort of pledge before you believe me, are you?"


    That¡¯s when Su Mengxin said with a smile, "Xin¡¯er, I can tell Yingying is earnest, and that¡¯s truly a good thing. Little Yifei won¡¯t have to be away from dad and mom anymore, haha... Congratulations to you both. But, the person who should be congratulated the most seems to be someone else. Don¡¯t just sit there snickering, show your stance."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Thank you, wife. Marrying you is the greatest happiness of my life. Your generosity truly moves me."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Stop buttering me up, I¡¯ve heard that line so often I could get calluses on my ears."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Then I¡¯ll talk to Xin¡¯er. Xin¡¯er, you¡¯ve given birth to a daughter for me, and even though I haven¡¯t married you yet, you¡¯ve stayed by me loyally and steadfastly. I won¡¯t talk about how much I¡¯ve let you down in the past, but I promise that from now on, I will treat you well."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes immediately reddened. This was the first time Li Yifei had spoken such words in front of Xu Yingying, and it was a final promise to her identity.


    "Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t get emotional over his few nice words. This guy is not as honest as he seems. I¡¯m busy with work, so you¡¯ll have to keep a closer eye on him later."


    "Mhm!" Ning Xin¡¯er nodded vigorously, saying, "I will, thank you, Sister Yingying."


    This thank you carried so much meaning. Xu Yingying took Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand and said, "From now on, we are good sisters, you must not be polite with me."


    "Okay, I got it." Ning Xin¡¯er also showed a radiant smile, truly relaxing at this moment.


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Xin¡¯er, you¡¯ve finally achieved your goal. Congratulations, and don¡¯t forget to treat us to a meal."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded repeatedly, saying, "Definitely, definitely."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s stance made not just Ning Xin¡¯er happy, but Su Mengxin was also very pleased. It meant that things following this would become easier to handle. The first step is always the hardest, just like when Xu Yingying initially accepted Chu Xiaoyao, it was quite difficult. But when Su Yiyi joined the family, Xu Yingying was much less resistant. By the time Ye Yunzhu and Lin Qiong came around, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t mind anymore.


    Now with the first step out of the way once again, subsequent matters would be easier.


    The only thing that troubled Xu Yingying was her, Su Mengxin. However, after the coma and amnesia, Su Mengxin believed that Xu Yingying would probably be even more reluctant to let go of Li Yifei and wouldn¡¯t abandon him just because of her, especially since the old man hadn¡¯t come over this time, Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t be under so much pressure.


    Between women, becoming enemies is easy, but becoming good friends or sisters is just as simple. Once this was settled, Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er immediately became a pair of chatty sisters, talking non-stop about everything¡ªtheir daughters, future lives. Initially, Xu Yingying led the conversation, and Ning Xin¡¯er was a bit reluctant to speak, but later she opened up completely, returning to her naughty and spirited self, even coming up with ideas to deal with Li Yifei, which kept Xu Yingying laughing.


    The harmonious family arrived at a five-star hotel in Mile City. As Li Yifei stepped out of the car with three beauties, they instantly drew countless gazes. Su Mengxin¡¯s grace was impossible to hide anywhere she went, and both Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er were top-tier beauties.


    Those attending today¡¯s banquet were heavyweight figures from Mile City, important leaders from within the city and leading figures from various industries. Without a net worth of hundreds of millions, one wouldn¡¯t even dream of attending.


    Because the requirements for this event were quite high and it was a very important affair, those business leaders took it very seriously and didn¡¯t bring along any mistresses or concubines. At most, they were accompanied by their wives. Thus, young women like Xu Yingying and others were even rarer and attracted more attention.


    "Miss Su, I truly did not expect you to come yourself!" Guided by the reception staff, Li Yifei and his group entered the lobby, where Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao was already present. As a major figure, he should have arrived later, but this time he came a bit earlier, showing how much he valued this event. Upon seeing Su Mengxin, he hurried over to greet her.


    "Secretary Song, hello!" Su Mengxin shook hands with Song Zhentao politely, saying, "I really like Mile City, and I might even consider settling down here in the future. For such an important banquet, of course, I had to come and see."


    Upon hearing this, Song Zhentao was overjoyed. Su Mengxin considering settling in Mile City meant more than a big financial group coming to invest and develop the area. He quickly said, "Then I am very pleased to welcome you on behalf of the people of Mile City."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Haha, Secretary Song, you¡¯re too kind. With my cousin here, everything is possible."


    Song Zhentao laughed heartily, saying, "Indeed, Yifei, you really should do more in the future. One enterprise isn¡¯t enough now."


    Li Yifei smiled, replying, "Of course, I¡¯ll need Secretary Song¡¯s help in many things in the future, especially with any lucrative opportunities. Secretary Song, you must not forget about me."


    "Of course not!" said Song Zhentao, and then turned to Xu Yingying, who was holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, "President Xu, it¡¯s been hard to see you lately. You must be really busy, especially with both of you coming together."


    Xu Yingying smiled politely, "Without him bringing me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able."


    Finally, Song Zhentao looked at Ning Xin¡¯er with some surprise, "Isn¡¯t this Ning Xin¡¯er? I didn¡¯t expect to see you in Mile City."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled, "We¡¯ve already met at the hospital last time."


    Song Zhentao suddenly looked a little dazed. With his response, he didn¡¯t know if Xu Yingying was aware of the relationship between him and Ning Xin¡¯er. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s reply obviously indicated that she knew about her relationship with Li Yifei, and Xu Yingying was aware. Turning to Li Yifei, he said, "Yifei, my brother, you truly are amazing. I commend you. I wanted to cover for you, but it turns out I was the bad guy. President Xu, I hope you won¡¯t blame me."


    Xu Yingying smiled subtly, saying naturally, "It¡¯s good as long as Secretary Song can spare us the jokes."


    Shaking his head, Song Zhentao said, "How could I joke about it? This is envy and jealousy I¡¯m feeling. One of you is a business leader, the other a big star, and you get along so well. This truly is a man¡¯s blessing."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Secretary Song, no need to flatter me. But let¡¯s not spread the word about this."


    "Understood!" Song Zhentao nodded. The fact that Li Yifei confided this secret to him excited him, as it meant their relationship was strong enough that he might receive a lot of help from Li Yifei in the future.

 Chapter 921 - 962: The Arrival of the Saintess

    Chapter 921: Chapter 962: The Arrival of the SaintessSu Mengxin made her stance clear; she intended to push Li Yifei into the limelight. Song Zhentao, a shrewd man, could easily discern this, and it was apparent from Li Yifei¡¯s statements that he was preparing to make substantial investments in Mile City. This was even better news for Song Zhentao.


    The development of a city obviously benefits from the presence of more enterprises. If substantial investments could be attracted, it would greatly benefit the local overall development. Sometimes a large enterprise can support the growth of a city. Although the enterprises Li Yifei planned to invest in were not as dominant as large state-owned enterprises, leveraging the Su Family¡¯s wealth to bring in investments worth billions would also be a significant political achievement. Even without Su Mengxin¡¯s help, this would allow him to accumulate enough political capital to advance smoothly in his career.


    Song Zhentao was not yet fifty years old, yet he had already become the Municipal Party Secretary. He definitely had the potential to rise further. Therefore, he had a natural fondness for those who could improve his political performance.


    Originally, he planned to accompany Li Yifei throughout, but being the Municipal Party Secretary, directly accompanying Li Yifei would be too ostentatious and might make others feel uncomfortable. As a leader, he had to consider all aspects, so after speaking with Li Yifei for a bit, he let Li Yifei and his group enter on their own.


    In Mile City, Li Yifei had always kept a low profile. Even if he had attended a social gathering before, he remained on the sidelines. He did not like superficial interactions; he preferred genuine communication.


    Now, however, things were different. He had to step into the spotlight and engage in such social interactions. He had prepared himself mentally for this, so after parting ways with Song Zhentao, he became the center of attention, leading his group inside.


    As soon as Li Yifei and his group entered, many eyes were drawn to them. Among the four, Xu Yingying was recognized by everyone. Su Mengxin, radiant as ever, had left a lasting impression during her last visit to Mile City, attended by almost all the local notables.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, being a major celebrity, was frequently seen on television, but these company heads seldom watched entertainment shows, so not many recognized her. However, both her appearance and demeanor made it clear to these executives that she was no ordinary person.


    Although beautiful women attracted attention, many here were seasoned individuals over fifty, well-accustomed to such sights and thus quite immune to their charm. What concerned them more was the positioning of these four individuals together.


    At that moment, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were walking side by side, Xu Yingying linking arms with Li Yifei; Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er, both hailing from prominent families, followed half a step behind, clearly understanding that even this half step was enough to highlight their men.


    Everyone noticed this arrangement. In terms of status, Su Mengxin should have been at the forefront, at the center. However, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were currently in the middle. Although Xu Yingying was a president, her position was in a company owned by Su Mengxin, clearly not qualifying her to walk ahead of Su Mengxin. The only one who could rightfully be in the center was the young man.


    But no one knew who this man was, what his background was, to have even Su Mengxin as a woman behind him.


    Being ahead of Xu Yingying was not significant; any tycoon here felt entitled to that status, since, after all, Xu Yingying was essentially an employee. But Su Mengxin was different¡ªa significant figure from Capital City, surpassing anyone here. Even among all of Huaxia, there were few who could exceed Su Mengxin¡¯s status, especially someone so young.


    Particularly since Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao had greeted this group earlier, focusing more on this young man with an exceptionally friendly demeanor, this suggested to them that this young individual had an extraordinary background.


    Normally, someone like Su Mengxin would be a more favorable partner than any foreign consortium. However, since it was unclear what the relationship among the four was, everyone hesitated to come forward and greet them.


    At this moment, Li Yifei caught a particular look from among the crowd. He followed the gaze and saw a silver-haired old man staring at him fiercely, which puzzled Li Yifei as he had no recollection of this man. Why such animosity towards him?


    Since there was evident hostility, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    People were starting to approach to say hello, Xu Yingying immediately linked her arm with Li Yifei and went forward to greet them. "President Wang, this is my husband, Li Yifei."


    "Oh, so you are President Xu¡¯s husband; it¡¯s really the first time meeting you, Mr. Li," President Wang immediately greeted Li Yifei warmly.


    Li Yifei politely exchanged a few words with him, appearing very personable. To outsiders, Li Yifei seemed either a significant scion or a political figure.


    In this regard, if Li Yifei consciously tried, he would undoubtedly succeed. Previously in the military, he had encountered numerous high-ranking officials and the wealthy. Even without deliberate learning, he had adopted some of their mannerisms and ways of dealing, and now he emulated them perfectly.


    With one approach came others, all primarily keen on learning about Li Yifei¡¯s identity.


    Li Yifei was outspoken at this moment, admitting that he was Su Mengxin¡¯s cousin, and was planning to expand his business in Mile City. This news excited the executives, who were initially keen to see if there was a chance for cooperation with the foreign consortium. However, now that the Su Family was planning to invest in Mile City, it presented a big opportunity that no one wanted to miss.


    "Old Sunx, what are you doing over there? Come over and chat," one of the executives called out to the old man who had been glaring at Li Yifei.


    "Coming." The old man walked over and approached Li Yifei, saying, "Li Yifei, right? I am Sunx Nenghui, Sunx Dongran¡¯s father."


    This introduction was peculiar¡ªhe mentioned his son before himself, which sounded strange to others. Li Yifei immediately understood that Sunx Dongran who had previous altercations with Li Yifei on a cruise ship had tried to kidnap Xu Yingying. In retaliation, Li Yifei had caused Dongran to become mentally incapacitated. It was apparent from Sunx Nenghui¡¯s manner that he knew that Li Yifei was responsible.


    Li Yifei felt no guilt whatsoever about incapacitating Sunx Dongran. Such a scoundrel deserved it, he thought. If Sunx Nenghui intended to seek revenge over this matter, Li Yifei was certainly not going to be polite in return.


    Since Xu Yingying was injured, Li Yifei had made up his mind¡ªnever again would he show mercy to his enemies or be soft-hearted as he had been in the past, leaving them opportunities. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a slight smile, Li Yifei said, "So it¡¯s Manager Sunx. At your venerable age, you still harbor such grand ambitions! It¡¯s time you enjoyed your twilight years. Dongran might be slow-witted now, but he¡¯s physically fine. He can still father your grandchildren."


    Sunx Nenghui¡¯s face turned iron-blue, and through gritted teeth, he said, "No need for your concern. I hope you live a long, long life as well."


    "I¡¯m sure I will. I don¡¯t steal, I don¡¯t rob; if people don¡¯t offend me, I don¡¯t offend them. Living a straightforward life, I¡¯ll certainly live to a ripe old age."


    Sunx Nenghui nodded twice, saying, "A straightforward life, I¡¯ll remember that."


    President Wang, who was a good friend of Sunx Nenghui and also an old acquaintance, already sensed the tension between Sunx Nenghui and Li Yifei and hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "Old Sunx, could there be some misunderstanding with Mr. Li? Come, let¡¯s discuss and resolve it. Making money together is the right path. Let¡¯s leave these minor conflicts behind."


    "There¡¯s no need," Sunx Nenghui glared at Li Yifei and said, "Some conflicts can never be smoothed over." Then, he turned and left abruptly, skipping the banquet altogether.


    "This Old Sunx, this temperament," one executive said, "Mr. Li, don¡¯t take it to heart. His son has had issues, and he¡¯s been on edge lately."


    Li Yifei just slightly smiled, saying, "No worries, he won¡¯t affect my investment in Mile City."


    With that assurance from Li Yifei, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If Sunx Nenghui had offended Li Yifei to the point where he pulled his investment, it might not affect Sunx Nenghui much, but it would mean a missed opportunity for everyone else.


    After chatting for a while, with some commotion at the main hall entrance, the Municipal Party Secretary, Song Zhentao, along with several important local leaders and a few accompanying individuals, walked in.


    There were six people in total¡ªfour foreigners, three men and one woman, and two Huaxia people, one man and one woman. However, one of the women instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention, including that of Li Yifei and his group.


    Silence¡ªutter silence. At that moment, a pin could be heard dropping. They were all astounded by the woman walking in the middle. These attendees, all well-experienced executives and government officials, might not normally stare in the presence of a beautiful woman, but they lost their composure.


    This woman was as beautiful as Su Mengxin, but her exotic charm created a striking effect.


    Seeing her, Su Mengxin and Li Yifei exchanged glances, their faces showing bewilderment, for she was the Saintess. She hadn¡¯t notified Li Yifei prior to her arrival and came with the consortium. What exactly was she planning to do?


    Even with their astuteness, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were utterly baffled.

 Chapter 922 - 963: Confession

    Chapter 922: Chapter 963: ConfessionThe saintess was dressed in a floor-length white gown, her golden hair elegantly swept up high. A casual glance from her seemed to land on everyone, making them all feel as if she was looking right at them, igniting an impulse to bow down in worship.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected the representative from the foreign conglomerate to be the saintess. The conglomerate, indeed based in the United States, was known as the Angel Group, with assets of no less than fifty billion dollars. Such a large group in Huaxia could easily match a super wealthy family, if not surpass them.


    This was the reason Xu Yingying regarded it with such importance. Even if the major group couldn¡¯t focus its primary efforts on Mile City, a mere gesture from them could mean an investment of several billion dollars¡ªa significant opportunity for development.


    Before coming, Li Yifei had reviewed the dossier on Angel Group, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be associated with the Holy War Organization, nor did he anticipate the saintess herself presiding over the event.


    What Li Yifei now found somewhat alarming was that Xu Yingying was unaware of the saintess considering him to be her personal demon. Should Xu Yingying confront the saintess, could that lead to unforeseeable complications? He genuinely didn¡¯t know.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to introduce someone to you all," Song Zhentao cleared his throat, and immediately the hall quieted down. Just like when Su Mengxin had come to Mile City, the event was organized by the city, so Song Zhentao, the Municipal Party Secretary, had taken on the role of host.


    "This time, Angel Group will be investing in our Mile City. This is Miss Yanzi, the Chief Executive Officer of Angel Group. Now, let¡¯s give Miss Yanzi a few moments to speak."


    The saintess took a step forward, her gaze sweeping over the crowd once more, and when her eyes passed over Li Yifei, he smiled at her¡ªan obviously unnatural smile. But the saintess¡¯s gaze merely brushed against Li Yifei¡¯s and didn¡¯t linger or show any additional reaction.


    "Friends of Mile City, I am joyful to come to this beautiful coastal city and pleased to meet everyone here," the saintess said in fluent Chinese, followed by a bow, prompting warm applause from everyone.


    "Our Angel Group has been growing domestically, and for this overseas expansion, as the Chinese Chief Executive Officer, I am committed to developing in Huaxia, here in Mile City. Our initial goal is an investment of one billion dollars. I hope we can forge sincere business partnerships to progress and innovate together."


    This was met with another round of enthusiastic applause.


    The saintess spoke with humility, leaving no impression of arrogance from a large financial group. Her speech was also notably brief and, upon finishing, she stepped back with a gesture.


    Then Song Zhentao said a few more words, and the reception officially began.


    At that moment, Xu Yingying tugged at Li Yifei, saying, "Let¡¯s go greet Miss Yanzi."


    Although Li Yifei was reluctant to interact with the saintess, he had no choice but to bravely accompany Xu Yingying toward her. Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er followed suit, and while others were eager to communicate with the saintess, they stepped aside, knowing better once Su Mengxin approached.


    "Hello! You must be the renowned Miss Su Mengxin¡ªyour reputation precedes you. I¡¯ve long heard of you but never had the chance to meet. Finally seeing you in person, you indeed live up to your title as Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman, exemplifying the essence of Chinese beauty, which makes me feel quite self-conscious."


    The saintess unexpectedly took the initiative to greet Su Mengxin, making it seem as though it was their first meeting.


    To outsiders, there was no hint that the two women had known each other previously, clearly indicating that the saintess also wanted to keep her relationship with Li Yifei under wraps.


    This eased Li Yifei¡¯s mind, while Su Mengxin responded with a smile, "Miss Yanzi, you¡¯ve shown me the ultimate grace of Western beauty. Compared to you, I feel there¡¯s much I lack."


    After exchanging compliments, Su Mengxin continued with a smile, "Miss Yanzi, let me introduce you. This is my cousin Mr. Li Yifei, and this is his wife, Miss Xu Yingying."


    "Nice to meet you, Li Yifei!" the saintess said, extending her hand to Li Yifei for a handshake before letting go, and then she turned to Xu Yingying, "And Mrs. Li, hello."


    As Li Yifei shook hands with the saintess, it appeared quite normal, but as they released, the saintess¡¯s pinky subtly hooked Li Yifei¡¯s palm.


    Li Yifei remained calm. The saintess¡¯s presence here was undoubtedly for him, something he was absolutely certain of. Setting aside the matter of personal demons, a large financial group like Angel Group wouldn¡¯t normally opt to invest in a mid-sized city like Mile City.


    Yet Li Yifei still didn¡¯t understand why the saintess had brought Angel Group into play¡ªwasn¡¯t it an unnecessary complication? What exactly was she planning? That was something he just couldn¡¯t figure out.


    At this time, Xu Yingying looked at the saintess and said, "Miss Yanzi, why do I feel I have seen you somewhere before?"


    The saintess just smiled lightly and said, "Is that so? I also feel a sense of familiarity with Mrs. Li. It seems we must have communicated in spirit. In the future, we must indeed interact more. I hope Mrs. Li won¡¯t come to dislike me."


    With a radiant smile on her face, Xu Yingying replied, "How could I dislike Miss Yanzi? I hope we might collaborate on something in the future."


    "Of course, that would be no problem," the saintess said with a sweet smile.


    After a brief exchange, Li Yifei and his group parted ways with the saintess. Such receptions were all about social mingling, and Li Yifei also needed to network with the influential figures of Mile City.


    "Husband, be careful with the saintess in the future. Don¡¯t get too close to her," Xu Yingying whispered to him after some time, as they had grabbed some food and sat in the resting area at the side.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei met Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze.


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sideways glance and said, "I feel that Saintess is very dangerous. If you hang out with her too much, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get hurt."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat and said, "Have you forgotten who your husband is? Can a woman really hurt me?"


    "Hmph, I just won¡¯t let you have any dealings with her. Xin¡¯er, you keep an eye on him too. If he meets with this Saintess, you must follow him and not give them any chance."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly said, "Okay, I will definitely keep an eye on him." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei probed, "Wife, do you remember something?"


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "What do I remember... I don¡¯t remember anything. It¡¯s just that when I see that woman, I feel uneasy. What about it?"


    "Do you really not remember her?" Li Yifei asked again.


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei¡¯s leg and said, "So what you mean is... I should know her, you should know her too, is that because you have something to do with her?"


    Li Yifei was initially suspicious of Xu Yingying, but her words deflated his anger instantly, and he hurriedly said, "I have nothing to do with her... but during the time you were in a coma, it was she who cured you."


    Su Mengxin was startled for a moment, not expecting Li Yifei to reveal this at this time. She quickly understood that if the Saintess came here looking for Li Yifei, it would be impossible not to get in touch in the future. If the Saintess revealed this, it might easily cause a conflict between him and Xu Yingying. By speaking out now, it would appear more honest and be more likely to receive Xu Yingying¡¯s forgiveness.


    Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Xu Yingying somewhat panicked, while Xu Yingying frowned and stared at Li Yifei for a while before slowly saying, "You said she cured me? Why did she cure me?"


    "At that time, I consulted countless doctors, but none could wake you up. Luckily, she had a way, and after treating you for a while, you woke up."


    "Why did she pretend not to know me just now? Does it have to do with you?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "She has practiced a certain martial art and chose me to be her inner demon."


    "What¡¯s this inner demon thing all about?"


    "It means that she has to fall in love with me, and I have to fall in love with her, then she will dump me. For your sake, I had to agree."


    "So, have you fallen in love with her?"


    "No!"


    "Does that mean you have to fall in love with her to fulfill your promise to her?"


    "No, I just promised her I wouldn¡¯t avoid her, but I can choose not to fall in love with her."


    "That¡¯s settled then. She saved me, and I can¡¯t be ungrateful and forbid you from seeing her. But when you meet her, whether you bring someone along or not, she didn¡¯t say, right?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "Right, she didn¡¯t say. From now on, I¡¯ll bring my wife or Xin¡¯er with me."


    Xu Yingying looked up and said, "That¡¯s not an unreasonable request, is it?"


    Li Yifei said with a beaming smile, "Not at all unreasonable. My wife is truly brilliant and valiant."


    "Hmph, that woman even pretended not to know us¡ªthat¡¯s too cunning."


    Su Mengxin coughed dryly and said, "Yingying, by saying that, you¡¯re criticizing me too. I was there at the time, and I also know her."


    Xu Yingying chuckled and said, "I know you were just covering for our family¡¯s guy here. This fellow may not be great, but he¡¯s quite popular, and everyone is willing to help him. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m the bad one."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "How could you be bad? You¡¯re simply the best wife in the world."


    "You dare say I¡¯m not good? Hmph, I just let you take a big advantage¡ªdare to say I¡¯m not good and I¡¯ll immediately retract this promise. Then you¡¯ll have to just drool over Little Xin¡¯er, the big star, without the chance to have her, starving for her."


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Mengxin both laughed, with Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s laughter containing a hint of embarrassment. Xu Yingying saying this meant that she would no longer blame Ning Xin¡¯er for anything that happened between her and Li Yifei in the future.

 Chapter 923 - 964: The Saintess’ Inspection

    Chapter 923: Chapter 964: The Saintess¡¯ InspectionTwo people approached¡ªit was Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, the TV hosts who had lately been more inclined to act as reporters than to stay in their usual roles. Their image also made it easier for various executives to accept interviews. Today, they were assigned as reporters again. Li Yifei had noticed them earlier, but hadn¡¯t had the chance to speak with them.


    As they reached Li Yifei¡¯s table, Li Xinyue flashed a professional smile and said, "Mr. Li, President Xu, would you be willing to give us an interview?"


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t seen them for a while and only occasionally talked to them over the phone. Seeing them now felt quite heartwarming. He smiled slightly and said, "Sure, but having our own brand ambassadors interview me feels a bit like family interviewing family."


    Song Lianyao giggled and said, "Exactly because we¡¯re family, you can¡¯t refuse our interview."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "No problem."


    "That¡¯s great... However, with so many people here today, it¡¯s not really convenient to conduct a deeper interview with Mr. Li. How about we schedule another time for a proper interview?"


    Li Yifei could clearly understand the underlying meaning in their words. Regarding their relationship, Li Yifei had admitted their closeness but insisted on keeping it low-profile. Having not been together with them for so long, how could Li Yifei refuse their request? He smiled and said, "Alright, it¡¯s also a good opportunity for the two renowned journalists to help promote our company, and I can take the chance to make an appearance."


    "Well then, we won¡¯t keep you any longer, Mr. Li. I¡¯ll call you later."


    The two left cheerfully. Xu Yingying did not say much; considering that they were both company brand ambassadors and were quite familiar with Li Yifei, a little joking around was normal.


    Just then, the saintly woman approached Li Yifei and his group with a graceful stride and cheerily said, "Mr. Li, may we have a proper chat?"


    Su Mengxin pulled Ning Xin¡¯er aside and said, "Xin¡¯er, let¡¯s grab some food."


    The saintly woman thanked them with a smile and sat opposite Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying faced the saintly woman and said, "Thank you for saving me."


    The saintly woman chuckled softly, gracefully brushed her hair from her forehead, and said, "I didn¡¯t say we knew each other earlier to avoid any judgments from others. I¡¯m here for business after all, and I can¡¯t afford to have others prejudicing against me, as it would hinder the Angel Group¡¯s development here."


    Li Yifei squeezed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, then smiled at the saintly woman and asked, "You¡¯re not really here for business, are you?"


    "Of course, I am, and I¡¯ll be your competitor at that. Whatever you do, I¡¯ll do; I want to see if you can beat me."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned stern as he said, "You can¡¯t be serious? You¡¯re actually going to compete with me?"


    "Yes, I am, I¡¯m going to compete with you. In terms of martial arts, you¡¯ve already impressed me, and in terms of love, I¡¯ve seen the deep love you have for your wife, which satisfies me a lot. But there are many other areas where I want to see if you can win my heart, like in business, I want to be your competitor and see if you can actually beat me."


    Li Yifei stared at the saintly woman, somewhat speechless, and said, "Does it really have to be this way?"


    "Absolutely, my chosen love must be the most outstanding man in the world. Only if you show your strength in every aspect can I truly fall for you. You have agreed, no backing out now."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Sister, you have the entire Angel Group and the powerful Holy War Organization behind you. How can I even compete with you? Aren¡¯t you trying to crush me?"


    The saintly woman mischievously laughed and said, "Hehe, you better be careful then. I won¡¯t go easy on you, and if you don¡¯t beat me, you might end up bankrupt."


    Li Yifei stared at the saintly woman, who just looked back at him with a playful twinkle in her eye.


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll play along." Li Yifei also revealed a bright smile. He could sense the saintly woman was serious about being his competitor. If he didn¡¯t accept the challenge, he might be decimated by her business might. For his family¡¯s sake, he had to defeat the saintly woman.


    This move by the saintly woman was rather unfair¡ªit was like pulling the rug out from under him, especially targeting Li Yifei¡¯s weakest points. Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t know too much about the Holy War Organization, he was aware of their formidable capabilities on all fronts. Given how authoritative the United States is, they wouldn¡¯t otherwise allow such a powerful group to thrive within their borders.


    With such a massive organization wanting to engage in business warfare, he had about one billion U.S. dollars in hand right now, which was substantial in Mile City but nothing compared to the Holy War Organization. Besides, there¡¯s the matter of talent and other areas. The most useful people Li Yifei had were Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying, and Xu Yingying¡¯s talents weren¡¯t on par with Su Mengxin¡¯s. The Holy War Organization had countless talented individuals. Competing with them on this battlefield, Li Yifei truly had no confidence.


    Even if Su Mengxin¡¯s Su Family could reach out, they wouldn¡¯t be able to commit completely, unlike the Holy War Organization where a single word from the Saintess sufficed. The fervor within this organization for their Saintess was indescribable; whatever she needed, be it money or countless lives, they would readily give.


    Thus, in terms of financial, material, and human resources, Li Yifei was at a disadvantage, except maybe for the slight edge he had in local support. Truly defeating the Saintess in this regard seemed an incredibly difficult task.


    Still, Li Yifei had to fight back. The Saintess was unforgiving, a fact he firmly believed in.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying said to the Saintess, "Even though personally, you¡¯re my benefactor, and I will remain grateful on a personal level, if it comes down to business rivalry, I will fully support my husband and surely won¡¯t go easy on you."


    The Saintess nodded and replied, "Yes, Yifei is lucky to have you as his wife. I¡¯m genuinely happy for him. Let¡¯s see then, whether you will defeat me or I will defeat you."


    Xu Yingying lifted her head pridefully and stated, "My husband will certainly win. In this world, no one can defeat him."


    Heartened by Xu Yingying¡¯s words, Li Yifei felt a surge of enthusiasm. With his wife so confident in him, how could he let her down? He met the Saintess¡¯s gaze and flashed a confident smile, "I will definitely defeat you."


    The Saintess chuckled lightly and said, "Of course, that would be great. However, Yingying, if your husband wins, then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose myself entirely to him."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "So, my husband will gain another lover? I totally support it. It¡¯s akin to me benefiting as well."


    The Saintess pursed her lips and smiled, "Yingying, you are truly open-minded indeed."


    Xu Yingying threw her head back and declared, "Naturally, I would be proud to have my husband defeat his rival so utterly that she willingly becomes his lover."


    The Saintess nodded and added, "Yingying, I haven¡¯t seen you since treating you last time. Let me check on your recovery now to ensure there are no remaining issues."


    "No... no need, I¡¯m just fine," Xu Yingying instinctively shrank back a bit.


    "How could that be, your head being the most complex part of the human body. Many who suffer head injuries end up with complications. Let me check briefly, I¡¯ll just touch your forehead."


    Li Yifei interjected as well, "Yingying, let her check, please. I¡¯ve always been worried about potential complications. Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t harm you."


    Xu Yingying hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "Alright."


    The Saintess stood, moved next to Xu Yingying, and lightly placed her right hand on Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead, slowly closing her eyes,


    Li Yifei recognized this. It was the same way the Saintess had attended to Xu Yingying during her treatment.


    After about half a minute, the Saintess removed her hand from Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead and opened her eyes, smiling at Xu Yingying, "Very good, no complications at all. You¡¯ve completely recovered."


    Li Yifei let out a breath of relief, "That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great."


    The Saintess sat down again and said, "Yingying, I truly envy you, seeing how well your husband treats you."


    Xu Yingying smiled, though the smile seemed a bit forced, "Yes, my husband has always been good to me."


    Just then, Song Zhentao arrived with several important figures from Mile City. With the Saintess¡¯s motivation, Li Yifei was even more attentive in his interactions with them, earnestly engaging in conversation.


    Xu Yingying did not join in, instead standing to the side. Her role now was to let Li Yifei take the forefront while the Saintess discreetly came up beside her and whispered something in her ear.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression drastically changed, a hint of panic in her eyes as she looked at the Saintess, who maintained a sweet smile. Whispering again, the Saintess leaned closer to Xu Yingying¡¯s ear.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched, then she too whispered something back to the Saintess. The two continued their hushed exchange, seemingly very close. After some time, Xu Yingying¡¯s complexion normalized, though the Saintess¡¯s expression remained serene as if nothing had occurred. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 924 - 965: You Come, I Take Photos

    Chapter 924: Chapter 965: You Come, I Take PhotosThe reception was a great success, and Li Yifei, the new elite of Mile City, suddenly became known to the city¡¯s high officials and wealthy magnates. Especially Li Yifei¡¯s background made everyone dare not to underestimate him and even consider cozying up to him.


    Li Yifei really wasn¡¯t as renowned as Su Mengxin within the country, but he now represented the Su family. At the very least, in the eyes of these Mile City folks, Li Yifei stood for the Su family, and of course, the Su family wouldn¡¯t debunk this notion. After all, Li Yifei could be regarded as their son-in-law, so representing them wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch. With this status, Li Yifei commanded enough respect to make these officials and tycoons look up to him.


    This was extremely beneficial for Li Yifei¡¯s future development in Mile City.


    The Saintess also made contact with many key figures at the reception, signaling that the Angel Group planned to invest a substantial amount in Mile City, with no upper limit to the investment.


    This news delighted the city¡¯s officials; it spelled a significant political achievement. With so much capital flowing into Mile City, its economic development would be greatly impacted, making it unnecessary to rely on real estate as a main industry.


    As for the CEOs, their feelings were mixed. If they could collaborate with Li Yifei or Angel Group, it would mean a windfall for them. However, if they couldn¡¯t secure a partnership and their industries overlapped, it meant facing a formidable competitor. With their resources, how could they possibly compete?


    The reception finally ended, and everyone dispersed with varying emotions. The Saintess didn¡¯t leave with Li Yifei and his group, nor was there any further communication afterward.


    Li Yifei left with the three women; Xu Yingying, still sitting in the passenger seat, seemed somewhat silent.


    "Wife, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked while driving.


    Su Mengxin and Ning Xin¡¯er also turned to look at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying offered a smile and said, "Nothing¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s just, seeing my husband so distinguished today has made me think that I¡¯ll be nothing more than your accessory in the future. I¡¯m still adjusting to that. You won¡¯t bully me like I used to bully you, will you?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Silly wife, you¡¯ve been so good to me that even if you bullied me for a lifetime, I¡¯d only be happy. I wouldn¡¯t dare bully you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled in the back seat, "It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t bully her, you know. In that place, you can bully Yingying as much as you want."


    Su Mengxin also laughed, "Yes, yes, Xin¡¯er is absolutely right. There, you can bully her all you want."


    Xu Yingying turned her head with a reproachful tone, "Xin¡¯er, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d say that about me. Are you eager to see this bad guy bully me?"


    Blushing, Ning Xin¡¯er quickly waved her hands, "No, no, he can bully you instead."


    Su Mengxin, with a playful smile, said, "Then we might as well bully together."


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er both glared at Su Mengxin, their faces blushing hot, and Xu Yingying spat at Su Mengxin in mock indignation, "Mengxin, I never thought... I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d be so rotten to say something like that. You¡¯ve just completely collapsed in my esteem."


    Ning Xin¡¯er also chimed in immediately, "Exactly, Mengxin. You¡¯re considered the top beauty in Huaxia, and in my heart, you¡¯re so pure and untouchable. I can¡¯t believe those words came from your mouth, it¡¯s such a blow to me."


    Su Mengxin laughed proudly, "Whatever you say, I¡¯m still a woman. Such a fun thing, why wouldn¡¯t I join in? How about if he bullies you guys, I¡¯ll be your photographer? Then you can even indulge in some self-admiration later on."


    Xu Yingying spat again at Su Mengxin, teasingly defiant, "Go on, I bet you wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "What wouldn¡¯t I dare do? It¡¯s a free show, after all, and it¡¯s a threesome¡ªan uncommon sight."


    Embarrassed, Xu Yingying twisted her body and said in distress, "Mengxin, you win, I¡¯m defeated by you. From now on, in my mind, you are a big fujoshi."


    "Giggling... It¡¯s always nice to keep up appearances in public, but being a fujoshi among close sisters isn¡¯t bad at all. I quite enjoy this feeling, so I¡¯ve decided, in front of you guys, I will embrace being a fujoshi."


    Xu Yingying covered her forehead with her hand, her face the image of resignation, and glanced at Li Yifei, then suddenly widened her eyes, exclaiming, "What are you laughing at? Does this fit perfectly into your fantasy?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Wife, I¡¯m wrongly accused, I¡¯m only laughing because you¡¯re all so joyful." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin quickly retorted, "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it at all. He¡¯s just smug. A threesome is every man¡¯s dream, right, Yifei?"


    Li Yifei felt a pang of pain in his arm and promptly said, "Wife, wife, I¡¯m driving right now, I... I wouldn¡¯t dare harbor such extravagant hopes."


    "There, you see, you¡¯re thinking about it." Su Mengxin immediately added from the backseat.


    "Hm? Do you really want it?" Xu Yingying¡¯s hand exerted a bit more strength.


    The force in Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, of course, couldn¡¯t really affect Li Yifei, but Li Yifei naturally had to play along and said with a grimace, "Mengxin, you¡¯re deliberately sabotaging me here. I¡¯m totally wronged."


    Su Mengxin burst out laughing and said, "Big man, admit it if you want it, who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s in your heart? There¡¯s no need to pretend. Yingying has already agreed to Ning Xin¡¯er, you¡¯ll have chances for a threesome in the future. Stop acting already."


    "He can dream on. I agreed, but I¡¯m not going to do any... Listen here, don¡¯t even think about it, or I¡¯ll make you regret it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was now firmly on Xu Yingying¡¯s side and immediately added, "Exactly, you can keep dreaming. If you have such vile thoughts again, both Sister Yingying and I won¡¯t pay you any mind."


    "I¡¯m wronged, truly wronged. Mengxin, you¡¯ve really doomed me."


    Su Mengxin burst into loud laughter, while Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er also giggled. The car was filled with laughter on the way home, creating an indescribably harmonious and blissful atmosphere.


    That night, Li Yifei still went home with Xu Yingying. It was just the two of them at home, as Xu Shanshan and Little Yifei were living in that big house.


    Having been affectionate during the day, after taking a bath, the two lay in bed cuddled up. Li Yifei felt that now was the right time to talk to Xu Yingying about the garden matter.


    "Yingying, I had Mengxin help secure a large plot of land. I want to build a grand garden there to live in the future."


    "Garden? What do you mean?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, very surprised.


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "I actually wanted to wait until it was built to give you a surprise. But if I don¡¯t run it by you and there¡¯s something about the garden you don¡¯t like after it¡¯s done, that would be a problem. So, I have to discuss it with you first."


    "You mean, you want to build our own house, our new home?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s right. Demolition has already started these past days; construction will be able to begin soon."


    "Oh my god, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?" Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei said apologetically, "Wife, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have kept this from you."


    "Hmph, it is your fault. But I¡¯m not going to hassle you about that right now. Where are the blueprints? I want to take a look."


    Seeing that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t really angry and was actually very proactive, Li Yifei felt he had chosen the perfect moment. Fortunately, he had the blueprints in his bag, so he quickly got them out. They spread them on the bed to look over.


    "Wow, how big is this land?" Although Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t studied architecture, just by looking at the big blueprints and the annotations, she could tell it was a large area and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    Li Yifei smiled slyly and said, "A thousand acres, over sixty thousand square meters."


    "You... How did you manage to get such a large plot of land? If this were developed, it would definitely make a lot of money."


    Li Yifei was speechless and said, "Wife, we¡¯re keeping this place to live in, not to make money. Can¡¯t we not think about that?"


    Xu Yingying giggled and said, "I¡¯m just saying. The place is really big. Whatever you want to build, there¡¯s enough space there. But how much will this cost? Do we have that much money?"


    "Last time, I got a billion U.S. dollars from the Yamaguchi Group. Plus, Mengxin also thought this place was good and invested money, so in the future, this place will be where we all live together. This... Wife, are you okay with that?"


    "Not at all. Living together will be more lively. If it¡¯s just the two of us, oh, and Ning Xin¡¯er, even if we have a few kids, we wouldn¡¯t fill such a big place. But with more people, it will be perfect for having someone to talk to."


    "Mm-hmm, that¡¯s good then." Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that Xu Yingying would at least ask why they had to live with Su Mengxin or something about property rights, but Xu Yingying didn¡¯t care about those things at all.


    Xu Yingying, pointing at the blueprints, kept asking this and that, what this meant, what that was, then suggesting what should be built here, what there. Her enthusiasm was high.


    Li Yifei also discussed with her smilingly. Actually, many of the things Xu Yingying was thinking about had already been considered and were much more comprehensive with collective wisdom, but Li Yifei couldn¡¯t dampen her enthusiasm, so he discussed it patiently with her. Furthermore, when it came to building a new home, Li Yifei himself was quite excited every time he talked about it, as it was essentially one of his ideals being realized, so of course, it was a joy.


    It was almost midnight when Li Yifei reminded Xu Yingying to sleep. Although Xu Yingying lay down, she continued excitedly discussing the new house with Li Yifei, falling asleep only after one in the morning. That happiness and joy were something Li Yifei could entirely feel, so he too thought that what he was doing was absolutely correct.

 Chapter 925 - 966: Private Interview

    Chapter 925: Chapter 966: Private InterviewThis time, Xu Yingying came back and wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave. In fact, she wasn¡¯t the only one conducting this research; there were several other people from the company involved. She was just particularly concerned about the overseas market, which is why she wanted to be hands-on. Even without her, the other staff could have handled it.


    There were already quite a few issues piling up in the company, and once back, she needed to take care of them thoroughly. Meanwhile, Li Yifei went to the factory. These past few days, he had also been busy with various things, and Xu Shanshan had been handling the situation there.


    After seeing Xu Yingying off, Xu Shanshan sat in the front passenger seat, then glared at Li Yifei, pouting, "You jerk brother-in-law, you¡¯re such a bastard."


    Li Yifei was taken aback and asked, "Shanshan, what did I do to offend you?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did you do yesterday?" Xu Shanshan asked aggressively.


    "Yesterday... I went to a social gathering with your sister and the others, right? You know about it. Are you talking about Xin¡¯er¡¯s matter? This is a good thing. Your sister finally admitted it in person, which is good for everyone."


    Xu Shanshan huffed angrily, "Stop playing dumb. What did you do around ten in the morning yesterday?"


    Li Yifei paused, then showed a strange smile and asked, "What were you doing at that time?"


    "You jerk brother-in-law, I was in the company having a meeting! You really got me into trouble."


    "Oh! A meeting..." Li Yifei was dumbfounded and hurriedly asked, "What happened after that?"


    "I had to say I wasn¡¯t feeling well and would reschedule. How could you do this to me? When I¡¯m with you, you¡¯re always worried about my sister losing face. When you¡¯re with my sister, you come and go as you please and don¡¯t consider me at all."


    "Shanshan, I¡¯m really sorry, it was my fault. Your sister just came back, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. I got carried away and didn¡¯t think of you."


    "Hmph, so you admit it now, you didn¡¯t think of me?" Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly and said, "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t think of you; it¡¯s just that in those circumstances, I really forgot about everything else. I¡¯ll be mindful in the future."


    Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei again and said, "That¡¯s not fair. I want my sister to suffer a bit too."


    "Huh? No way?" Li Yifei was wide-eyed in shock.


    "Why? You guys can mess with me, but we can¡¯t mess with her?"


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, saying, "Your sister is also at the company right now. It¡¯s not right to mess with her at this time. Maybe wait until she goes on a business trip; with the time difference, it¡¯ll be daytime for us and nighttime for her, then it¡¯s fine."


    "Hmph, I knew you¡¯d say that. Fine, I won¡¯t make it difficult for you this time. But if you dare to mess with me again, I won¡¯t let you guys off."


    "Yes, yes, Shanshan is the best. I¡¯ll be more considerate when I¡¯m with your sister next time."


    Thinking about having to consider his sister-in-law while being with his wife was really a situation that left Li Yifei feeling both amused and helpless; it was a problem he couldn¡¯t ignore.


    "And you, you scoundrel, made a fool of me during the day yesterday. I had to hide sneakily, and at night, I thought you would come again. I waited and waited, and you guys did nothing, which I find really lame."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, "Haha, so should we notify you even when we don¡¯t do anything?"


    "Give me a hint at least. You can¡¯t leave me hanging."


    "How can I hint to you? These things are based on the mood; by the time we decide to do anything, we¡¯re already on the bed. We can¡¯t plan every time."


    "Alright, alright, I guess I¡¯m unlucky to have such a twin sister."


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s upset expression, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He was at a loss, considering the unique telepathic bond the twin sisters shared.


    Li Yifei was at the factory for just over an hour before leaving. The factory was becoming more and more standardized; as long as there weren¡¯t major issues, Xu Shanshan could handle most things. Recently, Li Yifei appointed a Deputy Factory Director, and this person was quite capable. Soon, they would take over entirely.


    Dreamfly Company was set to be a profitable business. If things developed normally, an annual profit of seventy to eighty million, even up to a hundred million, was feasible.


    In today¡¯s big enterprises, earning back 20% of your investment in a year is already impressive. However, for Li Yifei, this level of profit was still insufficient. He had to pursue better business opportunities to earn greater profits. He couldn¡¯t remain as just a factory director, and a girl like Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t stay in such a place indefinitely; Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be at ease.


    After leaving the factory, Li Yifei first arranged to meet with Lin Qiong. He wanted to introduce Sophia to Lin Qiong, which would facilitate future interactions between them.


    Since he promised not to interfere with Lin Qiong this time, he needed to keep his word and also help resolve one of Lin Qiong¡¯s concerns. Solving a case wasn¡¯t just about rushing in to arrest criminals; she needed to command the operation thoroughly. With Sophia¡¯s abilities, she should be able to prove herself. After all, as a deputy director, sufficient command ability was enough.


    This was Lin Qiong¡¯s first time meeting Sophia. Seeing the blonde beauty next to Li Yifei, she frowned slightly and said, "So your apprentices are all this pretty."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t be jealous over this. Sophia, listen to Lin Qiong in the future, and you don¡¯t need to interfere with what she does unless it¡¯s extremely dangerous."


    Sophia nodded and said, "Yes, Master."


    "Qiongqiong, Sophia is very skilled; ordinary people are no match for her. But if you can avoid exposing her, that would be best."


    Lin Qiong noted Sophia¡¯s respect toward Li Yifei, not the kind of affectionate gaze other women had, and she stopped seeing Sophia as a rival. "You don¡¯t need to be overly cautious. I¡¯m at least a deputy director. Are there really people who would dare to target me?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "As long as it doesn¡¯t concern their significant interests, it¡¯s fine. But when there¡¯s enough at stake, some people would do anything¡ªeven against a director, let alone you."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll listen to you then; you¡¯re so nagging." Lin Qiong grumbled, but with a smile of happiness on her face. Being cared for and protected was always a source of happiness for a woman, whether strong or weak.


    After arranging Sophia¡¯s protection for Lin Qiong, Li Yifei assigned two more people to investigate Sunx Nenghui. Since Sunx Nenghui still wanted revenge, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t ignore him. Sometimes it was best to nip danger in its bud; once it manifested, dealing with it would be more troublesome.


    Li Yifei had made Sunx Nenghui¡¯s son an idiot, with neither regret nor guilt. Such a scumbag deserved even worse. At least, given Sunx Nenghui¡¯s family power, finding a woman to bear a grandson for his son was still feasible. If he insisted on ending the family line, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind helping out.


    At that moment, his phone rang. Seeing that it was Li Xinyue calling, Li Yifei answered promptly.


    "Young Master Li, do you have time today for an interview?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Sure, I can be at your place in fifteen minutes."


    "Great!" Li Xinyue shouted excitedly, and Song Lianyao¡¯s cheerful voice could also be heard in the background.


    In less than fifteen minutes, Li Yifei arrived at Li Xinyue¡¯s door. Before he could knock, the door swung open, with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao standing there, sweat still visible on their foreheads; they had clearly rushed back.


    Li Yifei apologized with a smile, "I forgot you had to hurry back too. Look at how tired you are."


    Li Xinyue beamed, pulled Li Yifei inside, and said, "It¡¯s rare for you to visit; we¡¯d fly over here if we had wings."


    Song Lianyao fetched slippers for Li Yifei, knelt down to help him change, and said, "Exactly, it¡¯s been so long since you¡¯ve seen us. If we waited any longer, we¡¯d be old."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse Song Lianyao¡¯s help. It wasn¡¯t disrespecting them, instead he understood fully that letting them do something made them happier than if he refused.


    "Is that so? Then I should check if you¡¯ve really aged."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so naughty." Song Lianyao gave Li Yifei a coquettish look, exuding charm and temptation.


    Li Xinyue pouted and said somewhat wistfully, "So, if we get old, will you ignore us?"


    Li Yifei patted them on the shoulders and said, "Don¡¯t be so melancholic. I¡¯m building a new garden-style home, and once it¡¯s completed, I¡¯d like to reserve a place for you two. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    "Re...really?" Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao asked in unison, sharing their surprise down to the same stutter.


    "When have I ever lied to you? But you¡¯ll have to wait a while longer." Li Yifei laughed heartily, slinging his arms around their shoulders as they sat on the sofa. But Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao quickly pushed him away, with Li Xinyue saying, "Brother Li, we¡¯re sweaty and need a shower."


    Song Lianyao batted her eyes and asked, "Want to join us?"


    Could Li Yifei refuse such an offer? The reason he came was to reassure them, basically to do such things. It was naturally going to be steamy, and who could resist starting with a shared shower to brighten their mood?

 Chapter 926 - 967: Where You Belong

    Chapter 926: Chapter 967: Where You BelongLi Xinyue and Song Lianyao had always been wholeheartedly devoted to Li Yifei, so when they unexpectedly received his promise today, it meant that he was not only acknowledging them as his women as before, but he was also going to bring them back home.


    Even though Li Yifei hadn¡¯t specified what their status would be at his home, or what they would be considered, that hardly mattered to them. Even if it meant going home to serve Xu Yingying, working tirelessly for her as long as they could be with Li Yifei, they were willing.


    Their excitement was palpable, and their service to Li Yifei was impeccable, especially since the two of them coordinated so well, which brought an indescribable thrill to Li Yifei.


    "Honey, are you comfortable?" Song Lianyao snuggled up to Li Yifei, her fingers gently drawing circles on his chest.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was truly relaxed and smiled, "You two little enchantresses, you always wear me out."


    Li Xinyue playfully blinked and said, "So, tell us, do you really like what we do?"


    "I love it, love it more than words can express," Li Yifei gently patted their shoulders.


    Song Lianyao nervously bit her lip and whispered, "So, honey, where is this new home you mentioned earlier?"


    Li Yifei gave her a smile and shared the address, "They¡¯ve just started demolishing there, and I haven¡¯t received the blueprints yet. Once I get them, I can start building. I hope it can be built as soon as possible, but the facilities are quite extensive, it probably won¡¯t be that quick. Finishing it this year would be good enough."


    "That¡¯s so long," Li Xinyue pouted.


    "That¡¯s the best-case scenario. You girls don¡¯t need to rush. I still have to slowly introduce this matter to my wife, and if it¡¯s built too soon and you can¡¯t move in, then it would be pointless." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao remember the most important issue¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s wife, President Xu, was a major concern. Their excitement cooled immediately. Li Xinyue hurriedly said, "Husband, please don¡¯t rush things. We can¡¯t afford to upset your wife, President Xu. If she can¡¯t agree, we would rather keep our relationship secret and just be with you occasionally."


    "Yes, yes," Song Lianyao quickly added, "If it really upsets President Xu, you¡¯ll be in trouble, and we can¡¯t be the cause of that."


    Li Yifei gently stroked the shoulders of Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, feeling that they were genuinely concerned about him, which was quite rare.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely get my wife¡¯s approval, but for now, you still can¡¯t reveal your relationship with me."


    "Understood, understood. We¡¯re just spokespersons for your company, right? Oh, and we still have that interview coming up, which will be reported later. Hehe, imagine if we don¡¯t handle the proper matters and President Xu finds out you went for this interview without any news coming out, she would think you lied."


    The three rested for a while, then Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao actually conducted the interview for Li Yifei. However, their interview was somewhat inappropriate as they were not very serious, occasionally stopping to kiss.


    But Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were quite professional in this regard, understanding what Li Yifei wanted to do and thus conducted a very focused interview. Once the report was published, it would send a strong signal and also serve as publicity.


    Previously, Li Yifei had always kept a low profile and had already won the hearts of Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. Now that he was about to go high profile, it made Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao even more thrilled. If they could officially become Li Yifei¡¯s women in the future, their status and position would naturally be incomparable to now, and they were utterly devoted to Li Yifei.


    For now, the affairs with Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were merely a small episode in Li Yifei¡¯s life. His main focus at the moment was still on figuring out how to make money.


    Over the past few days, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin had exchanged many ideas. Su Mengxin¡¯s insights in this area were undoubtedly extraordinary. Considering his young age, he already owned several publicly-listed major companies. Although this was related to the Su Family¡¯s background, Su Mengxin¡¯s personal capabilities were unquestionable. Even Xu Yingying, compared to Su Mengxin, fell short by quite a bit. She could manage a company well, but her vision in macro-management and strategic investment was clearly inferior to Su Mengxin¡¯s.


    Perhaps acknowledging her limitations, Xu Yingying did not interject in this matter and instead encouraged Li Yifei to engage more with Su Mengxin. Thus, even though she was in Mile City these days, she only spent the evenings with Li Yifei; most of his days were spent with Su Mengxin.


    Li Yifei naturally lacked expertise in this area, so he humbly sought advice from Su Mengxin. Even though Su Mengxin was strong, in order to establish the Li family, as the head of the Li family, he naturally needed to have adequate control ability. Without understanding these matters, he wouldn¡¯t be able to make the correct decisions should problems arise in the future.


    Su Mengxin relished Li Yifei¡¯s efforts and hoped to see him showcase his talents in this area, meticulously teaching him and almost wishing he could cram all he knew into Li Yifei¡¯s brain.


    However, business was no small matter, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t absorb it all at once. Ultimately, he needed to improve through real-world experience.


    After several days of discussion, Su Mengxin and Li Yifei decided to first establish a trading company. Essentially, this trading company would buy materials from one party and sell them to another, earning a profit from the price difference.


    While it sounded simple, implementing it was not so easy. First, one needed to understand enough about the buyer¡¯s market, knowing what they needed, then find those supplies, raise capital to buy the goods, and sell them to those in need, or use sharp market insight to predict which items might increase in price, stock up on them, and sell when the price rose.


    This required not only sharp market observation skills but also sufficient capital, and was a formidable challenge.


    Li Yifei started with this as a basic business practice. Although he had significant funds and could operate on a large scale, many major trading companies, once well-established, could earn billions in profits annually.


    To establish such a company, Li Yifei had to start from scratch, leasing office space and recruiting people, busily and joyfully occupied. Since he actively wanted to engage in this venture, it no longer felt as monotonous as before. Every development in the company excited him just as each breakthrough excited him when he practiced martial arts in the past.


    During this time, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t encountered the Holy Maiden once, but he kept an eye on her moves. This mysterious woman had also set up a trading company and was similarly recruiting people, clearly aiming to compete with Li Yifei. However, since everyone was still in the preparation phase, there wasn¡¯t any competition yet.


    The design drawings were delivered a week later, and Li Yifei and everyone were quite satisfied with them. The architect, an expert in garden-style design, had based it mostly on the style of Suzhou Gardens, with some modern elements added. Just looking at the blueprints allowed everyone to imagine how beautiful the home would be once constructed.


    With the blueprints finalized, Li Yifei found a powerful and highly skilled construction company to start building his new home, also transporting many of the garden-needed materials as per the designer¡¯s requirements. Many of these materials were not locally available in Mile City and had to be purchased from other places. If not arranged now, it would take a lot of time once the house was completed. Building this home didn¡¯t require much time for the basic structural facilities; what really took time was assembling the various garden elements, thus reducing the overall construction time.


    As he busied himself, the days flew by swiftly, and before he knew it, two weeks had passed, and it was the day of Li Yifei¡¯s birthday.


    If there was a regret about this birthday, it was that Xu Yingying was still on a business trip. Li Yifei had called her, and she had said she couldn¡¯t return today, but this small regret was also a blessing in disguise. Without Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin and the others had no reservations about celebrating Li Yifei¡¯s birthday.


    After a busy day at work, Li Yifei came home in the evening. As he opened the door, the women immediately gathered around him, shouting in unison, "Happy Birthday!"


    Though it was just a birthday wish, it touched Li Yifei deeply. His eyes swept over each of their faces, and he nodded, saying, "Thank you, thank you all."


    Chu Xiaoyao winked at Li Yifei and said, "Hehe, Uncle, today you are the birthday star. Go change into something comfortable so we can properly celebrate." She had also specifically rushed back from school to celebrate Li Yifei¡¯s birthday.


    It could be said that today, except for Xu Yingying, everyone in the family was present: Su Mengxin, Ning Xin¡¯er, Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, Chu Xiaoyao, Xu Shanshan, and Meng Xiaofei was also there, along with Little Yifei and Little Yixiang, who was still only breastfed. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s mother had already returned home. After Ye Yunzhu¡¯s confinement, she could care for the child herself, and her mother had many things to attend to and could not stay here for long.


    Li Yifei went upstairs, changed into a simple set of pajamas, and then came down again, only then noticing that the living room was charmingly decorated. The ceiling was covered with colorful balloons and fairy lights were strung up around the room. The lamps were turned off and the curtains drawn, with the fairy lights twinkling, adding a dreamlike beauty to the scene.


    For a man¡¯s birthday, this might seem a bit amusing, but with so many women in the house, it naturally had a touch of feminine charm added.

 Chapter 927 - 968: A Rambunctious Birthday

    Chapter 927: Chapter 968: A Rambunctious BirthdayThe ladies were now lined up at the stair entrance, waiting for him to come downstairs. Li Yifei stopped two steps before the bottom, his gaze sweeping across each of their faces, a smile of intoxication and happiness already rippling across his face.


    "Daddy, daddy, I brought this for you." Little Yifei was excitedly holding up a paper crown and ran toward Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei hurried down the stairs and picked up his daughter. Little Yifei immediately raised the crown to put it on Li Yifei, then leaned back and said with high spirits, "Daddy, you look so handsome."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Good girl, come, let Daddy give you a kiss."


    Little Yifei hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck and kissed him on each cheek, giggling, "Daddy, happy birthday."


    "Daddy is really so happy." Li Yifei kissed his daughter and his face was filled with even more smiles.


    "Daddy¡¯s beard is prickly." Little Yifei dodged back a bit and rubbed her little cheek, prompting everyone to burst into laughter.


    "Daddy, come and cut the birthday cake." Little Yifei struggled down to the floor and pulled Li Yifei¡¯s hand towards the dining room direction.


    Li Yifei followed Little Yifei, and everybody else came along; then everyone busily placed candles on a big cake.


    "Daddy, you have to make a wish." Little Yifei knelt on a chair and seriously reminded Li Yifei.


    At that moment, no one else intervened and let Little Yifei take the lead. Apart from the New Year festivities, the house had never been so lively before. The birthday celebration was also being held for the first time, making Little Yifei feel particularly excited.


    Li Yifei certainly couldn¡¯t refuse his daughter. He put his hands together, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them. Little Yifei immediately said, "Daddy, you can¡¯t say out loud the wish you make for your birthday, or it won¡¯t come true. Quick, blow out the candles."


    Li Yifei smiled in agreement, and then everyone gathered around the cake. Counting to three with Little Yifei, they blew out the candles together.


    "Happy birthday!" Everyone shouted joyfully and then urged Li Yifei to cut the cake.


    Li Yifei cut a piece right away and gave it to Little Yifei, who was eagerly waiting. Usually, she couldn¡¯t be bothered with such things, but the atmosphere made her especially want to eat it this time.


    Next, Li Yifei cut the rest of the cake and distributed it to everyone.


    "Uncle, can I have a word with you?" Chu Xiaoyao moved closer to Li Yifei, smiling and winking at him.


    "What do you want to say?" Li Yifei leaned his head towards Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "Uncle, there¡¯s a cherry on this piece of cake. It¡¯s for you." As she spoke, she lifted the cake.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth, about to take a bite, when Chu Xiaoyao suddenly flicked her wrist, and the whole piece of cake smashed toward Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    With Li Yifei¡¯s reflexes, dodging would be easy, but just as he started to dodge, he heard Chu Xiaoyao giggling, and he realized it was intentional and not an accident.


    To dodge would kill the mood, so Li Yifei just moved his face closer, allowing for a close encounter with the cake in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand.


    "Haha..." Chu Xiaoyao laughed even louder.


    Li Yifei wiped the cream off his eyes and glared, saying, "Xiaoyao, you little rascal..."


    Holding her stomach and laughing, Chu Xiaoyao said, "This is so fun... Haha, uncle, you¡¯ve become a ¡¯Young Handsome Man¡¯."


    Li Yifei had seen online how young people smeared cake on each other¡¯s faces for birthdays and thought it was a silly thing, but today, having been smeared by Chu Xiaoyao, he actually found it amusing. His heart felt suddenly younger, and he grabbed a piece of cake in his hand and smeared it onto Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face.


    "Haha, that will teach you to laugh." Li Yifei then laughed triumphantly himself.


    Everyone watched as Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao had cake all over their faces and burst into laughter. This wasn¡¯t part of their prepared act; it was just something Chu Xiaoyao had improvised.


    "Oh, you¡¯re laughing at me now?" Li Yifei chuckled, suddenly reaching out with both hands and smearing cake on the faces of all the ladies.


    The ladies let out cries of surprise and then grabbed pieces of cake and started smearing it onto Li Yifei¡¯s face. Li Yifei pretended to resist here and there, always letting someone succeed from time to time, prompting even more laughter from them.


    Li Yifei was smeared to the point where he couldn¡¯t open his eyes, so he simply closed them and played along in the shenanigans. Although it was somewhat rowdy, it definitely had a special flavor to it and Li Yifei enjoyed it. Sometimes, being a bit childish isn¡¯t a bad thing¡ªthe more childish you are, the less you have to worry.


    Without meaning to, Li Yifei brushed against someone¡¯s body, not knowing whose it was, but the sensation was even better. He took the opportunity to cop a feel, thinking that doing so with eyes closed and guessing who it could be was quite the mood-setter.


    But to be honest, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t really tell who was who just by touch, unless he happened upon their most distinctive features. Otherwise, they all felt quite similar, after all, they were all beauties with not many flaws.


    As for Su Mengxin and the others, they had already had so many encounters with Li Yifei and had let him touch them countless times, so they didn¡¯t mind being taken advantage of like this. At most, they would just squeal cutely, all the while being quite happy about it. After all, celebrating Li Yifei¡¯s birthday meant having as much fun as possible.


    But when Li Yifei touched a particularly large and bouncy spot, he immediately pulled away. Although the girls differed in chest size, the differences weren¡¯t usually that big, but this one was obviously too large. And who else had such a big bust if not Meng Xiaofei?


    "Wow, Brother Li, you¡¯re actually copping a feel of me!" Meng Xiaofei exclaimed at first, then loudly blurted out her accusation without any reservation.


    Li Yifei had intended to quickly withdraw his hand, thinking that if Meng Xiaofei kept quiet, the matter would be forgotten. But Meng Xiaofei suddenly shouted, dashing his hopes and quieting down the whole room immediately.


    This left Li Yifei somewhat speechless. Couldn¡¯t this girl be a little less ostentatious? Now that everyone had heard, he had no choice but to shoulder the blame.


    Li Yifei swiftly wiped the cake from his face and said, "Xiaofei, I didn¡¯t know it was you, sorry about that."


    Meng Xiaofei looked down at the white handprint above her bust and suddenly chuckled, saying, "This is quite a unique outfit, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll have to see if I can find clothes like this in the future. It¡¯s really too funny. Come on, stamp another one here."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately, while everyone else tried to suppress their laughter as they looked at him.


    Meng Xiaofei, with a hehe and an indifferent attitude, said, "Hehe, just a touch, it¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t touched them before. Consider it your birthday present; that¡¯s money saved."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Is a birthday gift that simple?"


    "If you think it¡¯s too simple, then something more complicated can be arranged. I¡¯ll strip down and wait for you in bed; you can do whatever you want."


    Li Yifei was thoroughly defeated by this girl, Meng Xiaofei. He knocked her on the head and said, "Stop talking nonsense."


    "Giggle..." Meng Xiaofei laughed triumphantly, shook her clothes and said, "Well then, you go find your wives."


    Seeing Li Yifei being teased into embarrassment by Meng Xiaofei, Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Alright, let¡¯s stop messing around. We¡¯ve got other things planned."


    Li Yifei eagerly added, "Right, right, what else is on the agenda? This is great; I thought we were just having cake and that¡¯s it."


    Chu Xiaoyao spoke with pride, "Uncle, it¡¯s your birthday. How could we be so casual about it? We want to make sure you have the most satisfying birthday experience."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Great, let¡¯s do it."


    Having successfully changed the subject, Li Yifei felt less embarrassed. Otherwise, Meng Xiaofei really made him uncomfortable. But reminiscing about the touch, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s feel was indeed excellent.


    Everyone washed their hands and faces, then returned to the living room. They seated Li Yifei on the sofa and each gave him a gift, then all looked at him with expectant, gleeful expressions.


    Li Yifei, looking at those several boxes, couldn¡¯t shake a bad premonition. But under everyone¡¯s urging, he opened a box first. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What¡¯s this?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Hehe, this is a hair clip I bought for you," Su Yiyi stuck out her tongue.


    "You bought me a hair clip?" Li Yifei gave Su Yiyi a wide-eyed stare.


    Su Yiyi blushed and held back a laugh, saying, "Yes, it¡¯s very... pretty, pfft..."


    At Su Yiyi¡¯s laughter, everyone else burst into laughter as well. Meng Xiaofei, excitedly said, "Brother Li, hurry up and open the rest. You can¡¯t just ignore the birthday gifts everyone gave you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he considered the boxes, growing reluctant to open them. Su Yiyi was the kindest and least mischievous girl here. If her gift was this unique, who knew what the others had in store for him.


    "Hurry up, this is everyone¡¯s heart and soul; how can you not open it?" Xu Shanshan pushed the box closer to Li Yifei, obviously thrilled.


    Li Yifei slapped the sofa and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll open them, but I really want to see how you girls plan to prank me."


    Li Yifei opened another box and saw it was a set of pajamas. He breathed a sigh of relief, but when he picked up the pajamas, his face turned dark again.

 Chapter 928 - 969 Trap

    Chapter 928: Chapter 969 TrapThis was indeed a set of pajamas, made of top-quality silk and with a large size, but... how come it was still a tube without a crotch? It was clearly a nightdress for women, not something a man would wear!


    "You guys..." Li Yifei blinked at the nightdress in amusement, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.


    "Haha..." Everyone saw Li Yifei¡¯s expression and laughed until they were bent over, Ning Xin¡¯er trying to hold back her laughter, said, "Come on now, there are still several more gifts."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark. No need to guess, all these gifts were women¡¯s things. He had expected these people to rack their brains to give him a surprise, but this surprise was so big that it left him speechless. Was this a birthday celebration or just a prank on him?


    But no matter what, seeing how happy they all were made Li Yifei feel happy too. In a family, it¡¯s not about having money or status, the most important thing is to be harmonious and happy. Even if you have money, if there¡¯s constant chaos at home, there¡¯s no happiness to speak of.


    Following that, they opened the rest of the gifts one by one, and sure enough, they were all women¡¯s items ¡ª bras, lace panties, flesh-colored long stockings. The most annoying thing was, there was even a stewardess¡¯s hat. Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s mischievous and proud smile, it was evident she was the one who gave it.


    Su Mengxin then giggled and said, "Come on, you¡¯ve seen the gifts, put them on quickly."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened immediately and he said, "Put them on? You..."


    Xu Shanshan said with a giggle, "Of course you have to put them on. Don¡¯t you think the gifts we gave are good?"


    "This... Can I wear this? Isn¡¯t it ugly?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her head, sighed, and said, "See, I told you, brother-in-law would definitely dislike the gifts we gave and wouldn¡¯t wear them."


    Chu Xiaoyao kneeled in front of Li Yifei, her big eyes shining with watery light, using an unbearably cute expression said, "Uncle, we put so much thought into preparing these gifts for you, do you really dislike them? Then we wasted so much effort picking out such good stuff, Uncle, you¡¯re really disappointing me... pff..."


    By the end, even the most mischievous Chu Xiaoyao couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    Li Yifei looked across the faces of the women, laughing and crying, "Do I really have to wear this?"


    "Of course you have to wear it!"


    "You must wear it!"


    "Come on, everyone join in."


    At this time, Ning Xin¡¯er already started to enjoy herself, cheerfully took hold of Li Yifei¡¯s arm. By nature, she was a mischievous girl. Over the years, becoming a star had subdued her a lot, but her inner character hadn¡¯t changed, merely suppressed. Recently, Li Yifei had been treating her very well, and she had gradually returned to some of her innate characteristics, and today she was fully opened up, causing as much havoc as Chu Xiaoyao.


    Even though Ning Xin¡¯er had retired from the entertainment industry this year, she still had countless fans remember her. If they knew that their beloved pure little jade girl was like this, one couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they would immediately collapse.


    With Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s call, everyone immediately responded. Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao dragged Li Yifei up, Su Mengxin, Su Yiyi, and Ye Yunzhu were holding Li Yifei¡¯s gifts and followed along.


    Although Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei also wanted to join, given that Xu Shanshan was Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, except for Su Mengxin, no one knew about her ambiguous relationship with Li Yifei, so it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to go in. Meng Xiaofei, although having a slight ambiguous relationship with Li Yifei, had always considered him her brother. She naturally couldn¡¯t participate in such sensual things either.


    Plus, there were two kids there too, so they couldn¡¯t just be left alone. The two of them could only accompany Little Yifei and hold Little Yixiang.


    Li Yifei arrived at a bedroom downstairs, where everyone pushed him onto the bed. It was unclear who first called out, but everyone piled on, stripping Li Yifei bare-handedly.


    "Hey, hey, what are you doing? Hey, hey, leave one piece, alright?"


    Although Li Yifei struggled "hard," he couldn¡¯t withstand the frenzy of five women, and when they successfully stripped him, looking at his already unruly thing, all their faces turned a little red.


    There wasn¡¯t much reserve between everyone and Li Yifei, but seeing Li Yifei butt naked together like this was definitely the first time, and it was something they had all accomplished together. Each one of them truly felt a bit embarrassed.


    However, they were soon attracted by those things and excitedly started by putting on lace panties on Li Yifei first, then a large-sized bra, followed by stockings, a nightdress, and finally, clips and a hat.


    Finally getting Li Yifei all dressed up, everyone looked at him and couldn¡¯t stop laughing.


    Li Yifei, both angry and amused, thought these girls really went wild, to even think of such a thing, got up and said with a wry smile, "Happy now?"


    "Hehe, Uncle, you actually look quite pretty dressed like this." Chu Xiaoyao smirked again, causing everyone to laugh continuously.


    "Alright, since I¡¯ve worn it, can I change now?"


    "No, no, it would be no fun to change so quickly, you have to wear it."


    "Still wear it? What if my daughter sees this, what about my image?" Li Yifei cried out immediately.


    Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "It¡¯s nothing, first, Little Yifei is still young, only five years old, what would she understand? And as for Little Yixiang, we don¡¯t even have to mention her. Secondly, we have a show, and if you don¡¯t wear these, we won¡¯t do it."


    "A show?" Li Yifei thought that the birthday had just been them messing around, not expecting a follow-up, and now he was really looking forward to it.


    "Of course! Do you want to see it?" Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei with a gleam in her eye, proud.


    Li Yifei felt this show had Ning Xin¡¯er as the lead, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have had that expression. He also felt that this was the real treat coming, the previous prank was just a sideshow.


    Li Yifei "reluctantly" gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, alright, since there are no outsiders, I¡¯ll go all out today, let you guys have your fun."


    Everyone laughed cheerfully, then said to Li Yifei, "Alright, you go out and take care of your daughter, bring Xiaofei and Shanshan in."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, this treat also involved Meng Xiaofei and Xu Shanshan, what was it exactly? It made him even more excited, so he pushed the door open and walked out.


    "Wow, Dad, wearing clothes like this, you have style." Little Yifei immediately ran over.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark and said, "Sweetheart, Daddy was tormented by your moms, it wasn¡¯t Daddy¡¯s idea, you can¡¯t look down on Daddy because of this, okay?"


    Little Yifei touched her chin, crossing her arms, said seriously, "No, no, I know you¡¯re a fake lady!"


    Li Yifei nearly fell flat on his face, while Meng Xiaofei and Xu Shanshan were already laughing until they couldn¡¯t stand up.


    "Daughter, how do you even know that word?"


    "It was on TV, men dress as women; that¡¯s what they call it, but the fake ladies I see on TV look more like women. Only when Daddy dresses do they look like real fake ladies."


    Li Yifei could only feel the black lines on his forehead dropping to the floor, his image completely destroyed in front of his daughter. He could only patiently explain, "Sweetheart, this is just a game Daddy and your moms are playing. Daddy isn¡¯t a real fake lady. You have to believe in Daddy."


    "Hehe, I know, I¡¯m just teasing you, Daddy." Little Yifei cheekily winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was utterly speechless, wondering why his daughter was becoming more quirky. If it continues, who knows how quirky she will be when she grows up? "Hey, you two stop laughing. They¡¯re calling for you to go in."


    Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei, laughing until they couldn¡¯t stand, nonetheless laughed while entering the bedroom and slammed the door shut.


    Holding Little Yixiang, Li Yifei patiently explained to Little Yifei, trying to salvage his image as a dad, but he quickly realized how tragic it was. Little Yifei, the little girl, was stubbornly unyielding, convinced that he was indeed a fake lady.


    After about ten minutes, the bedroom door opened, and Li Yifei quickly looked over, his eyes almost went straight. The seven women were wearing tight tank tops and short skirts, the skirts were pleated, radiating youthful energy from head to toe.


    "What are they doing?" Li Yifei muttered inwardly, but had to admit, the seven dressed like this made them look a few years younger. They all looked like twenty-something young girls. Even Ye Yunzhu, who had just been a month postpartum, appeared so pure.


    "Wow, really beautiful!" Little Yifei shouted excitedly.


    The seven of them reached Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er blinked at him, "Can you guess what we¡¯re going to do?"


    "This... you¡¯re going to perform a show." Li Yifei immediately guessed. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao snapped her fingers, "Smart, then what show are we performing?"


    Li Yifei hesitated, looked at their outfits, "Looks a bit like a group performance, I assume you¡¯re dancing?"


    Ye Yunzhu laughed, "With us dressed like this, of course, you¡¯d guess that. Then guess what kind of dance we¡¯re doing."


    "This... should be something like a Korean girl group, right?" Li Yifei, who didn¡¯t watch much entertainment, just saw it occasionally not long ago, so he casually mentioned it.


    "Wrong, wrong! Guess again!" Meng Xiaofei excitedly shook her head.


    "Guess again, huh, I really don¡¯t know any other groups."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "We¡¯re doing a song and dance number, but I imagine you won¡¯t guess it."


    "Then I really can¡¯t guess, could it be a song Xin¡¯er once sang?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er mischievously smiled, "Of course not, what¡¯s the fun in that? Do you admit defeat?"


    "I admit defeat!" Li Yifei answered straightforwardly.


    "Well then, open your eyes wide, don¡¯t miss anything." Ning Xin¡¯er blinked again, then turned flamboyantly, "Sisters, let¡¯s start!" A superstar aura emerged once more.

 Chapter 929 - 970 Happy Day

    Chapter 929: Chapter 970 Happy DayChu Xiaoyao went over and started the music. As the lively music played, Ning Xin¡¯er stood in the middle, with the other six standing in a line behind her, but turned away from Li Yifei. From Li Yifei¡¯s angle, he could only see Ning Xin¡¯er and not the others.


    With the lively music starting, Ning Xin¡¯er began to sing softly, her body swaying gently. She was already a big star, particularly good at singing, and just as soon as her voice started, the whole hall came alive.


    Su Mengxin and the others, at this moment, stepped out one by one from behind Ning Xin¡¯er with the beat of the music, turning around as they did so. During their turns, their bodies swayed softly to the music and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s singing.


    With just a few simple moves, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s dance and singing needed no extra praise¡ªher ability to attract countless fans already proved everything. Yet, the other six, when they started dancing, were equally graceful and full of energy. Coupled with each of them being so beautiful and well-shaped, their dance was a dizzying spectacle.


    "Everybody, it¡¯s holiday today. Are you ready?


    Everybody are you ready? PARTY PARTY,


    Everybody let¡¯s go party, it¡¯s holiday holiday.


    Let¡¯s go to party."


    This was accompanied by a rap-like prelude. Li Yifei didn¡¯t know what kind of music this was, it seemed to be a call to get ready, and once Ning Xin¡¯er finished this last rap line, the seven people¡¯s movements immediately became very intense.


    It was a divine song by Sister Wang Rong. As soon as it came out, it was called a divine song, mainly not for the pseudo-English, half English half Chinese, lyrics but for its shameless dance moves. If Li Yifei had seen this video, he would be nosebleed excited right now. Unfortunately, he only followed pop songs in high school; after joining the army, he hadn¡¯t liked these things anymore.


    It wasn¡¯t until Ning Xin¡¯er resurfaced that he listened to some of her songs, the so-called Pretty Girl Group, which he heard when he was shopping by chance. As for this divine song, "Happy DAY," he truly hadn¡¯t heard it before.


    Li Yifei simply felt that Ning Xin¡¯er sang well and danced beautifully. Although the other six women were just her backdrop, they were equally eye-catching, losing nothing to Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s singing. This made Li Yifei feel that he couldn¡¯t take it all in with his eyes.


    Especially when all seven were in short skirts, doing slightly bigger moves with skirt hems that would flutter up a little, revealing glimpses beneath.


    "In this no, today¡¯s thing!" When this line was sung, all seven pinched the edge of their skirt hems, swayed them slightly, and the skirts flew up, showing a hint of their little underwear.


    This instantly widened Li Yifei¡¯s eyes. Among these seven, Li Yifei had long seen them all, even seen Meng Xiaofei a few times completely naked. But in this case, exposing just a little was hugely tantalizing, more so than seeing their bodies directly; it was more exciting for Li Yifei.


    "Give this world a bit of colour see see!" With this line sung, everyone paused, spread their legs, and gripped their skirt hems by the bottoms.


    "I really wish day day were holidays!"


    As Ning Xin¡¯er sang this line, the seven did a coordinated action, lifting the skirt hems, stomping their feet, and bending their knees, performing this divine song¡¯s signature skirt-lifting dance.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes popped wide, his mouth agape, big enough to fit a goose egg, and drool dripped from his mouth onto his little daughter in his arms, entirely unbeknownst to him. This was simply too enchanting, and with seven people dancing it together, the stimulus was indescribable.


    One "Joyful DAY" song intoxicated Li Yifei almost to a stupor. When everyone finally posed with a pouting bottom, with each person¡¯s underwear bearing a character, it formed the phrase "Happy Birthday to Hubby"; this made Li Yifei¡¯s eyes suddenly turn moist.


    "Eh! Hubby, why are you crying?"


    Several women turned around, expecting to see Li Yifei¡¯s lecherous expression, but saw his slightly reddened eyes instead, leaving everyone a bit flustered as they hurried over. Ning Xin¡¯er anxiously asked, "Hubby, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Nothing, nothing, I¡¯m just so happy. This program is so fantastic. Never in my life have I had such a joyous birthday."


    The enchantment had made Li Yifei flushed with excitement, but what moved him more was the thought and effort they had put in for him. Choreographing such a dance was likely easy for Ning Xin¡¯er, but for the others, it definitely wasn¡¯t, and they must have worked very hard to perform it so well and energetically.


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Ning Xin¡¯er eagerly asked, "Was it really fantastic?"


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, it was incredibly fantastic. This dance was so enjoyable, and I think I¡¯m the only one in the world to see such an alluring program." He leaned in and kissed Ning Xin¡¯er on the cheek.


    "Me, me too." Chu Xiaoyao immediately leaned over.


    Li Yifei smiled and kissed Chu Xiaoyao on the cheek, then kissed the cheeks of Ye Yunzhu, Su Mengxin, and Su Yiyi.


    Finally, he got to Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei. Xu Shanshan leaned over, grinning, and said, "Brother-in-law, me too. Today I¡¯m representing my sister, you know."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and generously kissed Xu Shanshan on the cheek. It was the first time Li Yifei showed such affection with Xu Shanshan in front of everyone, a feeling that was indeed different.


    Su Mengxin immediately grinned and said, "You¡¯re standing in for your sister, so aren¡¯t you supposed to fill in for everything today?"


    Xu Shanshan spat at Su Mengxin with a smile, "Haha, then I¡¯m at a big loss. It¡¯s already a major concession to have brother-in-law enjoy the dance and peep at our butts today."


    Only then did Li Yifei remember, in name Xu Shanshan was indeed his sister-in-law, unlike Ning Xin¡¯er and the others. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t go too far now, so he smiled and said, "Oh, I was looking at others earlier, didn¡¯t dare to look at you."


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly, "What¡¯s the harm in looking? Brother-in-law getting a little from his sister-in-law is only natural, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er winked and laughed, "Exactly, exactly. Shanshan, you said that you and Yifei are always together, how much has he profited? Why not just join us, teams of paired husband and wife, what a wonderful thing!"


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and said, "In his dreams. He marries my sister, and you guys, and still wants to get my share; not a chance."


    Ye Yunzhu blinked and asked, "Why don¡¯t you like your brother-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei and replied with a grin, "Being a brother-in-law¡¯s fine, anyhow I¡¯ll find a husband and have a brother-in-law too. Isn¡¯t that better than you guys?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave Xu Shanshan a thumbs up, "Truly formidable, worth learning from."


    Li Yifei raised an eyebrow and said, "You all want to learn too?"


    The women saw Li Yifei¡¯s expression and immediately burst into laughter.


    Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck from behind and said playfully, "Uncle, there¡¯s still Sister Xiaofei; you haven¡¯t kissed her yet."


    Li Yifei looked at Meng Xiaofei, who mischievously stuck out her tongue and said, "Exactly, can¡¯t miss me, come on, give your sister a kiss." She moved her face over.


    Li Yifei laughed and generously kissed Meng Xiaofei on the cheek, with no improper thoughts in his mind. This muddled yet fun-loving girl was always like a little sister who hadn¡¯t grown up in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    "De de, Happy de... de de de de..."


    Just as everyone was joking and laughing, Little Yifei¡¯s babyish voice caught everyone¡¯s attention, and upon seeing the little girl, they all couldn¡¯t help but suppress laughter as their faces turned black.


    Little Yifei was wearing a princess dress today and was now lifting up her skirt, twisting her little hips, mimicking the skirt-lifting dance everyone had just performed.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, handing Little Yixiang in his arms to Ye Yunzhu, then pulling Little Yifei over. He composed his words, soberly saying, "Daughter, this dance, you can¡¯t learn."


    "Daddy, why? I like it, Daddy loves it too, I learned it, can perform it for Daddy."


    "Pfft..." The women all laughed but tried to hold it in.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Daughter, lifting your skirt in this dance will show your little undies. A girl shouldn¡¯t show her undies to others, right?"


    Little Yifei blinked and asked in confusion, "But don¡¯t Moms show their undies too?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, they are Daddy¡¯s wives, so they can, but as for you, my daughter, you can¡¯t show them to outsiders, that¡¯s a big loss."


    "Then Shanshan Mom and Aunt Xiaofei aren¡¯t your wives, right? Why did they show their undies too?"


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words, realizing instantly that dealing with his daughter was more challenging than confronting any formidable enemy.


    Meanwhile, everyone couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, even Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei laughed to the point of breathlessness. The hall was filled with laughter, and Li Yifei was left frowning, still brainstorming how to explain things clearly to his daughter.


    Nobody noticed, at this moment, the anti-theft door slowly opened, and someone quietly slipped in. Even someone as skilled as Li Yifei was distracted by the lively atmosphere, failing to notice someone had entered.

 Chapter 930 - 971: Xu Yingying Returns

    Chapter 930: Chapter 971: Xu Yingying Returns"Daughter, Shanshan¡¯s mom is also a mom after all, and mom and dad are one family, right? So, this isn¡¯t really a big deal," Li Yifei organized his language, only able to explain it this way.


    "Then what about Aunt Xiaofei? Why can she do it?" Little Yifei asked with a determination to get to the bottom of the matter.


    Li Yifei, bewildered by the question, said, "Aunt Xiaoyao is also part of our family. You see how nicely Aunt Xiaofei plays with you, just like a mom, right? That¡¯s because we are all one family, that¡¯s why it¡¯s okay. If it were someone from outside the family, then it wouldn¡¯t be allowed."


    "But I¡¯m your darling daughter, and you¡¯re my dad, so why can¡¯t I dance for you like that?" Little Yifei stated and lifted her skirt a little, wiggled her little bottom, "Ah, Mom, you¡¯re back."


    Little Yifei¡¯s shout immediately hushed everyone, as they simultaneously turned to look behind Li Yifei.


    Standing behind the sofa was none other than Xu Yingying, her face expressionless as she quietly watched Li Yifei, and Li Yifei stared dumbly back at her.


    Su Mengxin reacted the fastest, quickly approaching her and said, "Yingying, you¡¯re back. We were just celebrating your husband¡¯s birthday."


    "Yes, I rushed back just to celebrate his birthday," Xu Yingying said indifferently.


    This chilled everyone¡¯s hearts instantly. Xu Yingying¡¯s demeanor suggested that she might have been there for some time. Even if she hadn¡¯t arrived during the dance, she must have entered while Li Yifei was explaining to Little Yifei, surely overhearing what Little Yifei had said and thus knowing what had just happened here.


    "Hehe, we arranged a dance for Yifei, quite a joyful one," Su Mengxin still appeared quite composed.


    Xu Yingying squinted her eyes and said, "Is that so? I haven¡¯t seen it yet. Could you perform it again? I see you all had so much fun talking about it, it must be interesting, and I would like to see it too."


    Su Mengxin was taken aback, perform again? Lift the skirt, expose the panties? Everyone¡¯s underwear, although custom made, varied according to each person¡¯s taste. Except for Meng Xiaofei and Xu Shanshan, everyone¡¯s panties were quite sexy, belonging to that lace, semi-transparent type.


    Originally, they were all thinking of going wild with Li Yifei tonight; after all, it was filled with temptation. But now that Xu Yingying had returned, it suddenly became incriminating evidence. Everyone was at a loss about how to deal with this situation.


    Suddenly, Xu Yingying laughed merrily, "It seems I heard you talking about a skirt-lifting dance; it must be some kind of viral song, right? I have to say, Mengxin, you¡¯re playing a little too wild, behaving like this yourself and dragging them into your craziness. Aren¡¯t you just giving this big bad guy a treat?"


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er was incredibly uneasy, but since Xu Yingying was speaking to her, she couldn¡¯t just ignore it. Biting her lip, she said, "Sister Yingying, I¡¯m really sorry, I got a bit carried away. I just wanted to give Yifei a surprise."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Actually, it was a collective decision. We all feel that Yifei takes good care of us, he¡¯s always helping us, yet we scarcely help him. So, when Mengxin suggested arranging a dance to celebrate Yifei¡¯s birthday, we all agreed."


    "Could you please dance again for me? I¡¯m really looking forward to it," Xu Yingying finished speaking, circled the sofa, and looked straight at Li Yifei, bursting into laughter, "Husband, what are you doing?"


    At that moment, Li Yifei felt quite unsure, but Xu Yingying¡¯s manner gave him somewhat more confidence. He chuckled and said, "What do you think? It¡¯s just their prank on me, claiming to buy me birthday gifts, then getting me these things. I had to wear them, didn¡¯t know if they were celebrating their birthday or mine."


    "Giggle, such a creative gift, I really like it," Xu Yingying laughed heartily.


    "Mom, Mom, Dad is a transvestite," Little Yifei excitedly exclaimed.


    Xu Yingying laughed even harder, but soon put on a serious face, "Sweetie, you can¡¯t talk about this outside, okay? This is just everyone joking with Dad. If others heard about it, wouldn¡¯t they laugh at your dad, and wouldn¡¯t you get laughed at too? Would you like that?"


    "Oh.. I understand now, I won¡¯t talk about it outside. When I went to see Grandma and Grandpa, I didn¡¯t say that Dad has another mom."


    "Exactly, my daughter is the smartest. Come here, let Mommy give you a kiss." Xu Yingying picked up Little Yifei and kissed her soft little face a couple of times, visibly in a good mood.


    Little Yixiang exclaimed excitedly, "Mommy, the dance just now looked so great, I want to watch more."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Then let¡¯s dance it again. We¡¯ve prepared for so long, if we don¡¯t dance it well again, it would be a disservice to all our hard work."


    Everyone was very nervous when Xu Yingying entered, fearing that Xu Yingying would be angry, but as everyone had already discussed the dance quite a bit, and Li Yifei seemingly wasn¡¯t really angry, they felt somewhat reassured, so they played the music once again.


    It was the same ¡¯Happy DAY¡¯ song, the same dance moves, but everyone¡¯s moves were obviously not as fiery as before, making the dance seem somewhat flawed. However, Little Yifei had started dancing as soon as she heard the music, earnestly copying the moves. She truly was Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s daughter; even though she couldn¡¯t remember all the moves and there were many mistakes, it didn¡¯t make her look clumsy; rather, it made her even more amusing.


    Although the seven adults danced sensually, it was Little Yixiang who captured most of Xu Yingying¡¯s attention at that moment, causing her to laugh heartily, seemingly not even noticing when everyone¡¯s underpants were exposed as they lifted their skirts.


    After dancing once again, Xu Shanshan clapped her hands and laughed, "That was a great dance. Mengxin, you¡¯re being too unkind; I should have been included." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was nervous inside, but seeing Xu Yingying speak like this, she was both surprised and delighted, and hastily said, "I thought you were too busy, and since this practice has been going on for several days, I couldn¡¯t reach out to you."


    "Alright, alright, that¡¯s indeed my fault. Even if you had called me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to participate."


    Everyone then returned to sit on the sofa, and Su Mengxin laughed, "I¡¯ve really put in a lot of effort for your husband¡¯s birthday, Yingying, you should really thank me later."


    "Of course, I¡¯ll definitely thank you all properly later. But today, my husband¡¯s birthday is the most important."


    At this point, Xu Yingying was not angry, which made everyone indescribably excited, and they still felt somewhat puzzled; it was irrational. Any person seeing a group of women lifting their skirts, exposing their panties in front of their husband, would not be pleased, but Xu Yingying really wasn¡¯t angry. Why was that?


    "Yingying, what gift have you prepared for Yifei? Can we take a look?" Su Mengxin still managed to maintain her composure, smilingly asking Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying grimaced and said, "I did prepare a gift, but seeing what you all have done, it feels a bit inadequate now."


    "I think you¡¯re just embarrassed to show it, or maybe you want to give it to Yifei secretly. If that¡¯s the case, then we won¡¯t look; that would totally kill the mood."


    Xu Yingying blushed slightly and said, "In any case, I won¡¯t let you know." She then quickly changed the subject, "What other performances do you have? Surely there isn¡¯t just this one?"


    Except for Meng Xiaofei and Xu Shanshan, the five other women¡¯s faces were somewhat flushed; they originally planned to go wild today with Li Yifei, especially Chu Xiaoyao and Su Mengxin, who had prepared themselves to give their first time on this special day.


    But how could they mention such a thing to Xu Yingying? Xu Yingying¡¯s return completely disrupted everyone¡¯s flow.


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door, and Chu Xiaoyao excitedly said, "They¡¯re here, they¡¯re here," and rushed to open the door.


    A group of people dressed as chefs quickly entered from outside. Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Today is Yifei¡¯s birthday, so there¡¯s no need for you to cook. We invited some chefs to our home to make some delicious dishes."


    These chefs were all from major hotels, not five-star, but definitely very skilled. Plus, they had prepared all the ingredients in advance, and it didn¡¯t take long before a full table of dishes was ready, at which point the people left, and Li Yifei sat everyone down at the dining table.


    By then, Li Yifei had changed his clothes; the cross-dressing outfit was just a joke, plus with the chefs arriving, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be seen in those clothes.


    Sitting in the place of honor, with Xu Yingying to his left and Ning Xin¡¯er to his right, and surrounded by the women, with Little Yixiang and Little Yixiang in the stroller, Li Yifei felt a strong sense of happiness. This was his family, these were his family members, a man could be fortunate to have just one of them in several lifetimes, and aside from Meng Xiaofei, the others were all his women.


    The women looked at him too; although they were somewhat reserved because Xu Yingying was there, the happiness and joy could still make Li Yifei feel their feelings. This spurred an even greater zeal in Li Yifei; life should be about singing with wine, about striving forward bravely. No matter the difficulty, he was determined to overcome it, just like today with Xu Yingying¡¯s return, he would make Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er overcome this first hurdle.

 Chapter 931 - 972 - : Crossing the Wine

    Chapter 931: 972 Chapter: Crossing the Wine"Come on, have another drink. It¡¯s such a happy day, not drinking heartily would be too dull." Xu Shanshan picked up her glass and raised it to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei raised his glass, his face flushed as he said, "Shanshan, I really can¡¯t drink anymore. I¡¯ve already had enough. If I drink more, I¡¯ll definitely get drunk."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "Is it your birthday today? If you get drunk, you get drunk. You normally don¡¯t get drunk, so let¡¯s break the rule today."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Exactly, we should be happier today, let¡¯s drink."


    Li Yifei could only drink down the alcohol. At this point, he didn¡¯t even know how much he had drunk, as everyone was taking turns persuading him to drink. Initially, it was all in good fun, but later on, he distinctly felt that they were intentionally trying to get him drunk.


    By then, Little Yifei had been coaxed to sleep, and Ye Yunzhu also went upstairs to rest with the child. She was still breastfeeding, so she couldn¡¯t drink, which made everyone even more unbridled.


    It seemed like there was some conspiracy going on. Could it be that these people were using making Li Yifei drunk as an opportunity for a wild party and then to bring everyone¡¯s relationships into the open?


    Though this method wasn¡¯t very nice, it was still a way to solve the current predicament. Hence, even though Li Yifei wasn¡¯t extremely drunk, he still showed a drunken expression on his face.


    And Xu Yingying, as Li Yifei¡¯s wife, had also drunk quite a lot today, clearly looking inebriated, her body leaning heavily against Li Yifei as she complained, "Are we still drinking? I¡¯m really drunk already, I can¡¯t handle any more."


    Xu Shanshan cheerfully said, "Sister, it¡¯s such a happy occasion, it¡¯s not fun if you don¡¯t drink a lot. Right, right, today is brother-in-law¡¯s birthday. You won¡¯t let us see the gift, so you should at least perform a little show for us."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately got excited and said, "Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve got it! Come on, this glass of drink, Sister Yingying, feed it to uncle mouth-to-mouth."


    Everyone immediately burst into excited applause, fully supporting the idea.


    Xu Yingying hesitated, then picked up the glass and said, "Alright, since it¡¯s my husband¡¯s birthday, I¡¯ll go for it." She then took a sip of beer, turned her head towards Li Yifei, and brought her lips close to his.


    Li Yifei gladly accepted, kissing Xu Yingying¡¯s lips. The beer slowly transferred from Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth into his. This method of drinking was truly quite sensual and added a frisky touch to the atmosphere. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By the time Xu Yingying had fed Li Yifei the entire glass of beer, her face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with a springtime allure. The alcohol fostered intimacy, and this intimate method of feeding the drink, similar to kissing, was even more provocative, making Xu Yingying¡¯s body heat up, her desires intensifying.


    Everyone clapped enthusiastically as Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yingying has done her part, shouldn¡¯t Xin¡¯er also step up?"


    "Ah... this..." Ning Xin¡¯er, who had been watching excitedly from the sidelines, felt rather nervous. Everyone except Meng Xiaofei felt similarly, but now Ning Xin¡¯er was being pushed forward. Even though Xu Yingying had truly accepted her, she still hadn¡¯t really shown any intimate gestures with Li Yifei in front of Xu Yingying.


    "Sister Yingying, you won¡¯t get mad, will you?" Meng Xiaofei asked with a mischievous smile.


    Xu Yingying glanced at Ning Xin¡¯er and laughed, "Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t look at me; he¡¯s your man too. Do whatever you like; don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be jealous."


    Su Mengxin gave Xu Yingying a thumbs up and said, "Yingying indeed has the flair of a big sister. Come on, Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s your turn."


    Ning Xin¡¯er bit her lip, her face flushed as she said, "You guys are just bullying us, but Yifei, since it¡¯s your birthday, I¡¯ll go for it too." She then struck a pose and, just like Xu Yingying, took a sip of drink and fed it to Li Yifei.


    The feelings were even more intense for Ning Xin¡¯er. To her, this was bold, a kind of guilt of kissing her man in front of others. She transferred the drink to Li Yifei while stealing glances at Xu Yingying¡¯s expression. If Xu Yingying showed any displeasure, she would have stopped immediately. But it seemed that Xu Yingying was just as excited as everyone else, which thrilled Ning Xin¡¯er even more.


    "This is really fun," Chu Xiaoyao giggled.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately giggled and said, "If it¡¯s fun, you join in too."


    At that comment, the jesting group suddenly became quiet, while Chu Xiaoyao stood up with a confident toss of her head and said, "Join in, join in, I¡¯m not afraid of anything. Uncle has taken care of me for so long, feeding him a drink is nothing to fear. Right, Sister Yingying, you won¡¯t be jealous, will you?"


    Xu Yingying glared with bleary eyes and said, "Xiaoyao, you little rascal, are you trying to take advantage of my husband?"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled provocatively and said, "Yes, I want to take advantage, so what? Can you bear it?"


    Xu Yingying snorted and said, "Why should I be afraid? If my husband takes advantage, that means I also take advantage. If you¡¯re not afraid of losing out, then there¡¯s no problem."


    Xiaoyao immediately picked up her glass with a giggling smile and moved next to Yifei, saying, "You said it yourself, you can¡¯t go back on your word and hit me, okay?"


    Yingying, as though she had been provoked by Xiaoyao just now, snorted and said, "Come at me if you dare, and if I get angry, then I¡¯m not Xu Yingying."


    Xiaoyao, with one arm around Yifei¡¯s neck, winked at Yingying, saying, "Am I really coming?"


    "Come on, hurry up, I want to see if you¡¯re all talk and no action."


    Xiaoyao was eager for Yingying to be cornered, so she quickly took a sip of her drink, winked at Yingying again, and then taunted her once more.


    "Come on, we¡¯re all watching," Yingying said, wrapping her arms around herself and wearing an expression that anticipated the unfolding drama.


    Yifei said hurriedly, "Stop messing around, little lady, go over there." He understood what Xiaoyao and the others were planning, and he hoped this would break the ice among everyone, somewhat like the unexpected and abnormal twist Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had caused, breaking boundaries and then removing many inhibitions.


    But he had to maintain a stance, and at this moment, he certainly couldn¡¯t just be waiting for Xiaoyao to kiss him, right?


    Yingying immediately said, "Husband, don¡¯t talk, I just want to see if this little girl dares to do it, if she doesn¡¯t, watch how I¡¯ll laugh at her."


    Xiaoyao glared and seemed cornered as well, hesitantly looking at Yifei.


    Yingying said with a grin, "Xiaoyao, you were so bold just now, why are you shrinking back now?"


    Xiaoyao swung her fist, seeming completely enraged by Yingying, and then suddenly lowered her head and kissed Yifei on the lips.


    Everyone was not watching Yifei and Xiaoyao, but staring at Yingying, whose expression suddenly turned bizarre, then she scolded, "Damn Xiaoyao, you actually went through with it?"


    Xiaoyao passed a mouthful of wine to Yifei, then lifted her head triumphantly and said, "What¡¯s the big deal? There¡¯s nothing Xiaoyao wouldn¡¯t dare to do. It¡¯s just feeding Uncle a drink, a piece of cake. Come on, Uncle, another one." Saying this, she took another sip of wine and passed it to Yifei.


    After sharing the drink, Xiaoyao wiped her mouth and said, "That was fun. Sister Yiyi, do you want to try? Uncle has helped you the most, it¡¯s a good chance to repay him."


    Although Yiyi understood everyone¡¯s intentions, she had a timid nature and quickly gestured with her hands in a flustered expression, "No no... I can¡¯t."


    Yingying pouted and said, "Xiaoyao, it¡¯s fine for you to be bold, but Yiyi is such a well-behaved girl, how could she mess around with you? If Yiyi dares, I¡¯ll give you whatever you want later."


    Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes lit up immediately and she said, "Then I want a car; there¡¯s this girl in our school who has a fun-looking mini."


    Yingying, with her arms crossed, replied, "Sure, if you can get Yiyi to feed our husband a drink, I¡¯ll buy you one."


    Xiaoyao immediately shouted excitedly, then ran over and grabbed Yiyi¡¯s arm, shaking it vigorously and pleading with twinkling eyes, "Sister Yiyi! Please help me out, I¡¯ve been eyeing this car for a long time, whether I get it depends entirely on you."


    "No...it¡¯s absolutely not possible," Yiyi said, shrinking back and fiercely gesturing with her hands.


    Xiaoyao pouted and said, "Sister Yiyi, you won¡¯t even do this little thing for me, that¡¯s really not cool. Please, just help me out this time, and I¡¯ll do whatever you say in the future."


    Yiyi¡¯s face turned completely red, and despite strongly wanting to feed Yifei a drink, in front of everyone, she just couldn¡¯t lose face, and she was also afraid that Yingying might genuinely get angry, leaving her at a loss for what to do.


    Yingying laughed and said, "See? I told you, Yiyi definitely wouldn¡¯t agree."


    Xiaoyao gritted her teeth, looking utterly unwilling to give up, and turned to Xiaofei, saying, "Xiaofei, help me out, for my mini today, even if I have to tie her up, she has to feed Uncle a drink."


    Xiaofei, who was never afraid of stirring up trouble, was already eager to join in. As soon as Xiaoyao called her, she jumped right over and said cheerfully, "Okay okay, Yiyi, come on, don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s such a fun thing to do, I would have agreed immediately."


    Although Yiyi still wanted to struggle, she was no match for Xiaoyao and Xiaofei; within moments, she was dragged next to Yifei.


    Blushing, Yiyi looked at Yifei, her heart pounding uncontrollably. Her shy yet desiring demeanor, coupled with the effects of the alcohol, made her cheeks even more charming, irresistible to anyone who might think of giving her a kiss.

 Chapter 932 - 973 Good Friends Are Meant to Be Betrayed

    Chapter 932: Chapter 973 Good Friends Are Meant to Be Betrayed"Yiyi, it¡¯s up to you now," Chu Xiaoyao said as she handed a glass of wine to Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face flushed as she nervously said, "No... I can¡¯t, I¡¯m too scared."


    Meng Xiaofei, not afraid of stirring things up, laughed and said, "Come on, Yiyi, what¡¯s there to be scared of? Didn¡¯t you see that Xiaoyao already did it, and Sister Yingying didn¡¯t get mad? Seize the opportunity; a chance like this only comes once. Sister Yingying, you won¡¯t get mad, right?"


    Xu Yingying pouted and said, "No need to push me. I don¡¯t believe Yiyi dares, anyway. Yiyi isn¡¯t as reckless as you all."


    Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, I¡¯m not reckless."


    Chu Xiaoyao, getting anxious, secretly pinched Su Yiyi¡¯s waist and kept winking at her, urging, "Yiyi, this wine gives you courage. Come on, drink a glass first."


    "I can¡¯t drink anymore. If I drink more, I¡¯ll really be drunk," Su Yiyi said, shaking her hands vigorously. She wasn¡¯t a good drinker, and if it weren¡¯t for the good atmosphere today, she would¡¯ve already been unable to keep up.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said, "No, no, we¡¯re having such a good time; how can you not drink?"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei completely ignored Su Yiyi¡¯s protests and practically forced her to drink two more glasses. After those, Su Yiyi felt dizzy and a bit tipsy.


    "Come on, one more glass," Chu Xiaoyao poured another drink.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned green with fear and she hurriedly said, "Xiaoyao, I really can¡¯t... drink anymore, *hic*..."


    Meng Xiaofei sneered mischievously and said, "If you don¡¯t want to drink, then give the drink to someone else. Otherwise, you have to drink it."


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly added, "Yeah, if you give the drink to Uncle, we won¡¯t force you anymore. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to drink it."


    Su Yiyi had a troubled expression. She didn¡¯t want to drink, nor did she dare to give it to Li Yifei, truly caught between a rock and a hard place.


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Chu Xiaoyao and then said to Su Yiyi, "Alright, alright, I give up on you two. Yiyi, just give it to him, or these two girls won¡¯t let you go. Xiaoyao, you naughty girl, doing all this for a mini car, even selling out Yiyi."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "That¡¯s right, Yiyi, just give it to him. After all, Yifei isn¡¯t just anyone. He¡¯s done so much for you; giving him a sip of wine won¡¯t hurt, right?"


    Everyone chimed in, some encouraging, some chiding Su Yiyi, and others sent her winks secretly.


    Su Yiyi held her forehead, feeling a bit wobbly. At this moment, she really just wanted to sit down, close her eyes, and rest. Finally, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Alright, I¡¯ll do it."


    Everyone immediately cheered in excitement, watching as Su Yiyi gently sipped a little wine, anticipating her lips meeting Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei awkwardly said, "Um, maybe let¡¯s not."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Come on, stop pretending. Do you really want Yiyi to stand there and keep drinking like this?"


    Taking advantage of the situation, Li Yifei let out a dry laugh, pulling Su Yiyi closer, and pressed his lips to hers.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened, her small mouth instinctively opened, and the wine flowed into Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. Then she felt Li Yifei¡¯s tongue suddenly dart in, lightly brushing against her tongue, making her body shudder, and with a flushed face, she quickly pulled back.


    "Oh yeah!" Chu Xiaoyao pumped her fist and exclaimed, "Sister Yingying, my mini car!"


    Xu Yingying pointed at the glass and said, "There¡¯s still plenty left. Not a drop less counts."


    "Alright, alright!" Chu Xiaoyao quickly brought the glass to Su Yiyi¡¯s lips with a playful smile, "It¡¯s all on you, Yiyi."


    After the initial step, Su Yiyi saw that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t angry, which emboldened her to transfer the wine to Li Yifei, one sip at a time.


    Finished with feeding him, Su Yiyi quickly retreated to her seat, blushing and not daring to look at everyone. But inside, she felt quite sweet. Li Yifei had sneakily teased her several times with his tongue, and it was such a wonderful feeling. Even though when Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t home, she could often be with Li Yifei, it never felt this thrilling. Combined with the alcohol, she really felt like indulging in affection with Li Yifei.


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Xiaoyao, it seems like I¡¯ll have to be cautious being friends with you. You sold out your best friend Yiyi for a mini car. If there were more benefits, you¡¯d sell us all out."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "Aren¡¯t friends meant for selling out? Don¡¯t worry, when you¡¯re selling me, I¡¯ll help you count the money."


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled mischievously and said, "Xiaoyao and Yiyi are done. Whose turn is it now? Uh-huh, Sister Mengxin, you¡¯re the number one beauty of Huaxia, right? Let¡¯s see how glamorous feeding someone wine is."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said with excitement, "Yes, yes, Sister Mengxin, I can¡¯t wait, it¡¯s your turn."


    Su Mengxin, the epitome of grace, smiled broadly and said, "I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me off the hook. Feeding some wine isn¡¯t a big deal." And with that, she took a glass and approached Li Yifei. She winked at Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "Today I¡¯m going all out, to give your husband a little thrill, and make tonight a memorable one for both of you."


    Without waiting for Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er to respond, she took a sip of wine, gently wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, and kissed him on the lips.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei widened their eyes as they watched Su Mengxin. They had made all sorts of excuses to kiss Li Yifei, but Su Mengxin was so bold, they worried about Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction.


    However, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, after Su Mengxin fed him a sip of wine, she smacked Su Mengxin on the bottom and said, "I say, Mengxin, you¡¯re pretty blatant about this."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "He¡¯s my good sister¡¯s husband, a little advantage-taking is no big deal." Then, she fed him another sip of wine.


    After Su Mengxin, it was only Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei left. Meng Xiaofei mischievously said to Xu Shanshan, "Shanshan, it¡¯s your turn."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "I¡¯ll pass. It¡¯s fine for you guys to play around with my brother-in-law, but if I do, my sister will kill me."


    With Xu Shanshan, everyone really didn¡¯t joke around too much. Besides Su Mengxin, no one else knew about Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s relationship.


    When Xu Shanshan was mentioned, Xu Yingying¡¯s expression changed a bit, but when Xu Shanshan directly refused, Xu Yingying secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Xiaofei, Sister Shanshan is a sister-in-law, so it¡¯s inappropriate for her, but you¡¯re cool with it, right?" Chu Xiaoyao winked at Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei winked back and pursed her lips, "I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve never dated anyone, saving my first kiss like this would be too much of a loss."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "Well, your Brother Li isn¡¯t just anyone. Such a precious first kiss shouldn¡¯t go to some other lousy guy."


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head and said, "No, no, I¡¯m eventually going to get married and find a good husband. It¡¯s better to save my first kiss for him."


    Chu Xiaoyao unreservedly teased Meng Xiaofei, "Come on, what first kiss? Uncle has already seen you naked, touched your butt, and even your chest was touched by Brother Li. All those important things have been given to Uncle, why hold on to your first kiss?"


    Meng Xiaofei exclaimed, "Gosh, when you put it that way, it¡¯s true. So many of my firsts have been stolen by Brother Li, and I didn¡¯t even notice. Brother Li, you¡¯re too sneaky. I should have at least been able to keep one beautiful memory! Now, if you hadn¡¯t brought it up, I¡¯d have forgotten."


    Chu Xiaoyao said smugly, "Exactly, so stop pretending to be shy. Just give what you should, don¡¯t play coy. Hurry and go feed Uncle some wine."


    "Well, alright... I¡¯m not bothered by it. I doubt it will be a special memory, anyway. Hehe, since it won¡¯t be a pretty memory, it doesn¡¯t really count as losing the first kiss."


    When everyone heard Meng Xiaofei¡¯s strange logic, they couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Su Mengxin giggled and said, "Yeah, about things like this, if you think it¡¯s your first kiss, then it is. If not, then it isn¡¯t."


    "If Sister Mengxin says so, then I won¡¯t feel guilty, giggle. I guess as long as the hymen is intact, the girl is always pure, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao sneered, "You¡¯re right. Plus, the hymen can be repaired, right? If you don¡¯t say anything, your husband will think you¡¯re a treasure, especially with such big breasts, Xiaofei. They¡¯re nice to touch." As she spoke, Chu Xiaoyao reached out and gave Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest a squeeze. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, you cheeky Xiaoyao, how dare you sneak up on me! Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away with it!"


    Watching Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei messing around, Xu Yingying, arms crossed, smiled and said, "Comrade Li Yifei, aren¡¯t you going to explain yourself?"


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "It was an accident, really. This girl isn¡¯t careful, and I didn¡¯t mean to see anything."


    "Is that so? I think you had ulterior motives," Xu Yingying said, rolling her eyes at Li Yifei.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin glanced at Xu Yingying, seemingly deep in thought, though no one else noticed.

 Chapter 933 - 974 Sticking Out the Tongue Is a Good Habit

    Chapter 933: Chapter 974 Sticking Out the Tongue Is a Good Habit"Come on, Brother Li, it¡¯s my turn to feed you, and you better not play any tricks, okay? I can¡¯t have any feelings, otherwise there goes my first kiss," Meng Xiaofei approached Li Yifei and said seriously.


    Li Yifei hurriedly replied, "Alright, spare me."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "What¡¯s this, everyone has fed you, and you just accept it, but when it¡¯s Xiaofei¡¯s turn, you won¡¯t? Is this preferential treatment?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately made a pitiful face and said, "I¡¯m really so pitiful. Offer a kiss and nobody wants it. It seems I¡¯ll never get married."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s words jolted Li Yifei awake. He had a reason not to accept Xu Shanshan because she was Xu Yingying¡¯s sister, but everyone else had agreed, and missing out Meng Xiaofei would look bad, easily tipping off Xu Yingying about the problem. So he could only laugh and say, "I¡¯m just afraid of taking responsibility."


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you take responsibility, hee-hee. Besides, even if you wanted to take responsibility, I wouldn¡¯t agree to it."


    Meng Xiaofei took a sip of the drink, moved close to Li Yifei¡¯s face, but upon looking at Li Yifei, she suddenly burst into laughter, spraying all the drink onto his face.


    Everyone was stunned for a moment as no one had expected such an incident, then they all burst out laughing, including Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly; he grabbed a tissue to wipe it off and said, "Tell me, Xiaoyao, are you doing this on purpose?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "No, no, it really wasn¡¯t intentional. But when I¡¯m so close to your face, thinking about feeding you mouth-to-mouth, I just want to laugh, and I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer; it just sprayed out."


    What could Li Yifei say at this point? He could only scowl at Meng Xiaofei and say, "Be serious."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll be serious, I¡¯ll be serious!" Although she said so, Meng Xiaofei still let out a chuckle, finally managing to stop laughing. She refilled her glass and said, "I¡¯ll make up for it so it¡¯s not said that I took advantage of you."


    After taking another sip, Meng Xiaofei moved her face close to Li Yifei again, and when she got as close as before, a smile appeared on her face, but she immediately held it back with great effort, eyes bulging, then moved closer to Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Unfortunately, when she was still a dozen centimeters away from Li Yifei¡¯s face, Meng Xiaofei could not hold it in again and, once more, sprayed Li Yifei¡¯s face with drink.


    "Hahaha... Sister Xiaofei, you¡¯re absolutely killing me with laughter, are you giving the uncle a face wash with that drink?"


    "Yeah, really, Xiaofei, what are you doing, your threshold for laughter is too low, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Honey, is your face really that funny? I don¡¯t see it."


    While laughing, everyone also made fun of Li Yifei in a hubbub, leaving him not knowing whether to laugh or cry, as he had been played by this mischievous girl today.


    Meng Xiaofei took a couple of deep breaths and patted her chest, her bosom heaving tumultuously, a truly spectacular sight, before saying, "Alright, alright, my bad, Brother Li, don¡¯t be mad, okay? This time I promise, I absolutely promise I won¡¯t laugh, nor will I spray your face again... pfft..."


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei like this, it would be strange for Li Yifei to believe she wouldn¡¯t laugh again, and he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong. Although Meng Xiaofei progressed farther than the last two times, her face getting even closer to Li Yifei¡¯s, just as their noses were about to touch, her cheeks puffed out, clearly about to burst into laughter again.


    How could Li Yifei let himself be at a disadvantage again? He quickly wrapped his arms around Meng Xiaofei and blocked her mouth with his, causing all the wine Meng Xiaofei was about to spit out laughingly to spray into his own mouth instead.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s laughter suddenly peaked, but it was instantly replaced by surprise; she widened her eyes in shock at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei pushed Meng Xiaofei away and swallowed the wine, saying, "Sly girl, good thing I reacted quickly. Otherwise, you would¡¯ve sprayed your face again."


    Meng Xiaofei rubbed her nose and touched her lips, saying, "That didn¡¯t feel like anything, huh. Turns out everything written in novels is misleading. It¡¯s no different from a handshake."


    Physical touch inherently requires emotional engagement. It¡¯s like a couple married for many years; casual physical contact, no matter where, lacks any special sensation. Similarly, brushing lips wouldn¡¯t feel extraordinary, which is like how some Western countries greet each other with a kiss¡ªit¡¯s a custom, not something that would stir feelings from a single peck.


    For Meng Xiaofei, right now, it was just like that. She harbored no desire, no love for Li Yifei, only a sense of dependability and familiarity. Being with Li Yifei was fun and joyful, leading to such an outcome.


    "Come on, let¡¯s do it again." With the first attempt behind her, Meng Xiaofei finally didn¡¯t have such a low threshold for laughter this time. She moved to Li Yifei¡¯s mouth and slowly spilled the wine into his mouth, even squinting to savor the experience, leaving everyone somewhat speechless. Everyone else was Li Yifei¡¯s woman and didn¡¯t have the nerve to do this; was this girl really necessary?


    Standing up, Meng Xiaofei frowned in confusion and said, "Still not feeling it? Hey, hey, Xiaoyao, Yiyi, what does it feel like to you guys? You¡¯re all scheming to kiss Brother Li, but I don¡¯t find it interesting at all?"


    With Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s hearts jumped into their throats as they rolled their eyes at her, all the while nervously stealing glances at Xu Yingying. Meng Xiaofei really had no filter; blurting out something like that could make Xu Yingying suspicious.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes narrowed as she scanned the group slowly and said leisurely, "Are you all... really harboring designs on my husband?"


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Exactly, if it weren¡¯t for you making your move early, we would have snatched your husband away long ago. Haven¡¯t you seen us loitering around here, just waiting for you to let go so we can take him?"


    Xu Yingying chuckled and replied, "Alright then, my lovely sisters, I¡¯m not that stingy. If you want to snatch him away, hurry up and make your move."


    Su Linxin also smiled and said, "Sigh, how could we possibly dare to do that when you¡¯re such a good sister to us?" S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted and said, "Mengxin, does that mean I shouldn¡¯t have made my move?"


    Su Mengxin immediately responded, "That¡¯s different, you made your move early on, even having a daughter now. It¡¯s not about snatching; no one can blame you for that. If we made a move, that would be betraying Yingying."


    Then Mengxin coughed lightly and added, "You know, Xiaofei, we¡¯re just looking to have fun here. By saying that, it¡¯s as if you¡¯re insinuating we have ulterior motives, aren¡¯t you stirring up trouble between us and Yingying?"


    By now, Meng Xiaofei realized she had misspoken, stuck out her tongue, and said playfully, "I was just joking, I don¡¯t have those kinds of thoughts."


    Chu Xiaoyao glared at her and said, "You¡¯re always sticking out your tongue, aren¡¯t you? Next time when you¡¯re feeding Uncle a drink, just stick your tongue out, and you¡¯ll know what it tastes like."


    Su Mengxin laughed as well, "Right, that¡¯s a great suggestion. This girl, Xiaofei, is so used to sticking out her tongue, she¡¯d be perfect for the job."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled mischievously and remarked, "Exactly, nobody beats Meng Xiaofei at that. It comes naturally to her, truly unparalleled in skill."


    Everyone was a bit annoyed with Meng Xiaofei for speaking out of turn, so at this point, they were deliberately teasing her.


    Knowing they were teasing her and feeling guilty, Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue again and said, "Really? You guys aren¡¯t tricking me, are you?" As she spoke, she took another sip of her drink, grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s head, and went straight for a mouth-to-mouth feed.


    With their mouths pressed together, it was impossible to see if Meng Xiaofei actually extended her tongue, but the movements of her lips, coupled with the sudden change in Li Yifei¡¯s expression, did make it seem like she did.


    Everyone was taken aback, wondering whether Meng Xiaofei had had too much to drink that day. She blatantly did such a thing before Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes, and although her relationship with Li Yifei was usually very innocent, it was unbelievable that she would do such a thing¡ªhad it been someone else, it might have been plausible, but her doing it was beyond belief.


    Meng Xiaofei quickly stood up, then grinned and stuck out her tongue, wiped it with her hand, and with a pained expression, said, "Didn¡¯t feel much there either. Aiya, there¡¯s Brother Li¡¯s saliva too, so gross."


    Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. Now, everyone could see that Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t pretending, and Li Yifei¡¯s flustered facial expression was even more amusing. For Li Yifei, this was undoubtedly a brutal blow.


    "Hubby, how was it?" Xu Yingying leaned toward Li Yifei and asked with a smile.


    Li Yifei forced a laugh and said, "I¡¯m really nervous here."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s smile deepened as she replied, "I didn¡¯t see any nervousness. All I saw was you enjoying it."


    "Wife, you can¡¯t do this to me. You were the one who agreed to it; otherwise, I would never have dared."


    "You¡¯re looking so scared. Aren¡¯t you enjoying your birthday today? Let¡¯s all have a good time, come on, let¡¯s drink some more." Saying this, Xu Yingying even raised her glass, once again proposing they continue drinking.


    The atmosphere became even better afterward, and before they knew it, everyone started to get really drunk, their eyes becoming hazy as they looked at Li Yifei with affection. Alcohol could muddle senses, and it also emboldened them. At this point, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t tell whose hands or feet were resting on him.


    Today, Li Yifei had drunk a lot, and he was genuinely inebriated. There was no need for him to stay sober in front of his own woman, especially with so many beloved women celebrating his birthday. Even if he hadn¡¯t drunk that much, the effect was the same¡ªhe was woozy. Looking around at the women near him, he felt like something was going to happen tonight.


    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll recommend a similar urban masterpiece for mobile readers, "The Supreme Cultivating Young Master." Those who have read Tomorrow¡¯s books should also have read Fishman¡¯s. It¡¯s a great read! It talks about the cohabitation life of a miserable young man and his fianc¨¦e, a young lady...

 Chapter 934 - 975: Chu Xiaoyao’s Crazy Idea

    Chapter 934: Chapter 975: Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s Crazy IdeaThe dinner lasted until after ten o¡¯clock, and everyone was drunk. Although not to the point of unconsciousness, they were all bleary-eyed, slurring their words, and their bodies teetered as they spoke, veering off course.


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er were already leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. Under normal circumstances, Ning Xin¡¯er certainly wouldn¡¯t do this: firstly, because she feared arousing Xu Yingying¡¯s displeasure, and secondly, her relationship with Li Yifei wasn¡¯t actually that open. Being intimately close to Li Yifei alongside Xu Yingying was something she¡¯d feel embarrassed to do.


    But now, under the influence of alcohol, she did it without realizing.


    "No more drinking... everyone... go rest," Xu Yingying waved her hand, struggling to stand, only to collapse onto Li Yifei, hugging his waist while her hand clutched Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arm, and with a coquettish look said, "Husband, let¡¯s go to sleep."


    Li Yifei agreed with a murmur, got up with Xu Yingying in his arms, and also helped Ning Xin¡¯er to her feet. Despite having had a few, he was still fully capable of moving about.


    And Ning Xin¡¯er was incredibly happy today. In front of Xu Yingying, she could be so intimate with Li Yifei. She no longer needed to worry about any issues between her and Li Yifei. Thus, she drank even more, and although not completely oblivious, walking had become a huge effort for her.


    Li Yifei, guiding the two, said vaguely, "Let¡¯s... go to sleep, I¡¯m really happy today. It¡¯s my first time celebrating my birthday like this... thank you all."


    Su Mengxin waved her hand, slurring, "Alright, go to sleep. There¡¯s still an hour left before the birthday is over, hurry and enjoy it."


    Li Yifei half dragged, half carried Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er up the stairs, while the others downstairs staggered to their feet, some heading upstairs and others remaining below.


    Su Mengxin, Chu Xiaoyao, and Su Yiyi lived upstairs. Reaching the stairwell, Chu Xiaoyao stopped, leaning against the wall, her eyes glittering with a strange light, she whispered to Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin, "Sister Mengxin, Sister Yiyi, shall we... share Brother Li¡¯s room tonight?"


    Although nearly unable to open her eyes, Su Yiyi was startled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s suggestion and quickly protested, "No, no, that would be troubling Brother Li."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "Everyone¡¯s drunk today, right? We can just pretend we¡¯re so drunk we don¡¯t know anything and stay in the same room with them. Once Sister Yingying wakes up, it will already be a done deal. Even if she gets angry at the time, with Sister Yingying¡¯s temperament, she¡¯ll definitely make Brother Li take responsibility. Then we can be with Brother Li without any issues, why sneak around like now?"


    Su Mengxin rubbed her forehead; her thought processes were usually very sharp, but today she had drunk so much that her brain was slow to react. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words seemed to make some sense, but something felt off.


    Su Yiyi added, "But that¡¯s not okay, Sister Yingying was drunk just now, but not confused. If we go in, she¡¯s sure to get angry. Besides, at this time... Brother Li and Sister Yingying..." Her face flushed even redder as she spoke.


    Chu Xiaoyao said with a cheery laugh, "Let¡¯s listen first, assess the situation. When Sister Yingying falls asleep, we¡¯ll go in then. She drank so much, and after a round with Brother Li, she¡¯s bound to fall straight to sleep. You know how strong Brother Li is." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she spoke, Chu Xiaoyao carefully started listening at each door. The rooms upstairs were not always fixed, and with everyone having drunk a lot, who knew which room they might be in now.


    Eventually, they heard voices coming from Xu Yingying¡¯s room, and Chu Xiaoyao immediately pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. At what she heard, her excitement skyrocketed, and she gestured to Su Mengxin and Su Yiyi to come over quickly.


    Su Yiyi, uncertain what to do, looked at Su Mengxin. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Su Mengxin finally said to Su Yiyi, "Let¡¯s listen, just like Xiaoyao said, today is a good opportunity."


    As the mainstay of the group, Su Mengxin¡¯s words carried weight. Although still apprehensive, Su Yiyi followed Su Mengxin and approached Xu Yingying¡¯s door cautiously.


    They all pressed up against the door, faintly able to hear someone talking inside. Clearly, Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er were there.


    This was surprising to all three of them. Even before Xu Yingying got injured, she had always been alone with Li Yifei. But this time, they had let Ning Xin¡¯er stay with them, which was utterly unexpected. Xu Yingying must have drunk a lot to do something like this.


    However, it was a development that excited Chu Xiaoyao and the others immensely. With this first time, there would be a second, a third, and having tasted the experience, Xu Yingying might even grow to like it. Accepting them all would then be much easier.


    The soundproofing in this room was still quite good; outside, the three of them could only faintly hear noises coming from within, but they couldn¡¯t make out what was being said.


    However, a repressed moaning soon emerged, a sound piercing and all too familiar to them. It was clearly the sort of noise one would make in the throes of delight with Li Yifei.


    Chu Xiaoyao felt her heart stir and, acting on impulse, she brushed against the doorknob. To her surprise, the door cracked open without a sound¡ªit hadn¡¯t been locked, and the noises inside suddenly became crystal clear through the opening.


    Startled, Chu Xiaoyao quickly grasped the doorknob and shut the door, anxiously listening to the commotion inside. It seemed there was no disturbance within; they were all too engrossed to notice someone outside.


    Chu Xiaoyao winked at Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin, then carefully opened the door again, making only a tiny sliver of space.


    This time, the sounds from inside were fully audible¡ªit was Li Yifei¡¯s heavy breathing, intertwined with the suppressed yet melodious voice of Ning Xin¡¯er, and the intermittent breaths of Xu Yingying. Judging by the sounds, it seemed Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er were intimately engaged while Xu Yingying watched.


    The situation was reasonable to them. After all, Xu Yingying was still rather young and inexperienced. It was strange enough that she had brought Ning Xin¡¯er along after drinking; expecting her to be intimate with Li Yifei first was out of the question. Ning Xin¡¯er, committed to her task for the night, was able to let herself go.


    The heightened cries from within stirred excitement in the three outside observers. Even though Chu Xiaoyao and Su Mengxin had not been physically involved with Li Yifei, they had seen and heard plenty in this house. Chu Xiaoyao, in particular, had watched Li Yifei and Su Yiyi together numerous times and was all too familiar with such affairs.


    The noises inside subsided only briefly before Xu Yingying¡¯s voice began to emerge. Initially subdued, her voice grew louder within a minute, she must have been observing for a while, becoming unable to control herself.


    The three outside found listening increasingly unbearable. The stimulation, coupled with their consumption of plenty of alcohol, left them feeling weak and nearly driven to burst through the door and join the bed.


    But they restrained themselves, knowing Xu Yingying was not asleep and daring not to intrude.


    Finally, Xu Yingying¡¯s sounds ceased, and Li Yifei¡¯s voice stopped. The room soon fell quiet.


    After waiting another five minutes, Chu Xiaoyao, gritting her teeth, pushed the door open and sneakily entered.


    Su Mengxin and Su Yiyi hesitated, but eventually, they too stepped inside. Today presented a great opportunity for a significant breakthrough, hoping to gain full acceptance from Xu Yingying.


    The room was dark, the lights off and curtains drawn. Carefully navigating, the three made their way to the bedside. As their eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, they could see Li Yifei lying in the center of the bed with Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er on either side, his arms beneath their necks, and both women embracing him. The three were partially covered with a blanket, their upper bodies exposed and bare.


    The three of them appeared to be sleeping soundly, showing no reaction to Chu Xiaoyao and the others¡¯ entrance.


    The sight was quite thrilling, especially after having listened to the action for so long¡ªintense discomfort was an understatement for the three onlookers.


    Chu Xiaoyao, the most audacious, quickly stripped off her clothes and climbed onto the bed, settling down beside Ning Xin¡¯er. She then waved over to the others, urging them to join her on the bed.


    Su Yiyi looked to Su Mengxin for guidance, and with a nod from Mengxin, she too began to undress and lay down beside Xu Yingying.


    Su Yiyi, though reluctant, finally bit the bullet, stripped, and laid beside Chu Xiaoyao.


    The bed, large as it was, had easily accommodated three people without feeling cramped. But with six, it was inevitably tight. Fortunately, Li Yifei was snuggly embraced by Ning Xin¡¯er and Xu Yingying, leaving just enough space at the sides. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for all three newcomers to fit smoothly onto the bed.


    Lying in bed, Su Mengxin and the others were somewhat excited but knew this was just for show; they couldn¡¯t genuinely engage with Li Yifei. If Xu Yingying awoke now, they would miss the optimal outcome. The best effect would be achieved when Xu Yingying woke up the next morning, seeing everyone together.

 Chapter 935 - 976: Xu Yingying Regains Memory

    Chapter 935: Chapter 976: Xu Yingying Regains MemoryLi Yifei was not unaware of Chu Xiaoyao and the others coming in. Even if he had drunk a lot, he wouldn¡¯t have lost such alertness. But he immediately guessed what they were thinking, so he simply ignored it. This was indeed an opportunity to use this to break through and restore everyone¡¯s relationships to normal sooner, so he slept soundly.


    "Ah!" With a startled cry, Chu Xiaoyao was the first to shout. It was her idea, anticipating the excitement of the next day, so with that on her mind, she was the first to wake up.


    Her outburst immediately woke everyone else.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Su Mengxin rubbed her forehead and asked subconsciously. She truly wasn¡¯t pretending. Her mind was still foggy at that moment, and she couldn¡¯t clearly remember what she had done the night before.


    "Ah!" Ning Xin¡¯er also woke up, letting out a startled cry, "You... why are you all here too?"


    As the cries of surprise continued, Xu Yingying woke up and looked at everyone in astonishment.


    "Woo... how could this happen, how will I face people after this?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly buried her face in the bed and cried loudly.


    Li Yifei had been awake from Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s first outcry, but now he really didn¡¯t know what to say. It seemed that silence might be the wisest decision.


    "You all... how did you end up here?" Xu Yingying finally spoke up.


    "Sister Yingying... I... I don¡¯t know either, I drank so much last night and ended up here. I¡¯m done for. Sister Yingying, I¡¯m sorry, I have no face to stay here. You¡¯ve been so good to me, yet I did such a thing with the uncle."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s lips twitched slightly, "Really? It seems nothing happened, right? Yifei was between Xin¡¯er and me. He shouldn¡¯t have done anything to you, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao insisted, "He must have done something. I¡¯m stripped naked, could nothing really have happened?"


    Suddenly, Xu Yingying flipped the blanket, provoking a scream from everyone, and then Xu Yingying pointed underneath Chu Xiaoyao, "Look, there¡¯s nothing on the sheets, you¡¯re still a virgin."


    "Ah..." Chu Xiaoyao was dumbfounded. This was something she couldn¡¯t explain. She opened her mouth and found a far-fetched explanation, "I like sports, maybe that membrane broke a long time ago."


    "Really? Then okay, let¡¯s go to the hospital later and check. If your membrane is broken, I¡¯ll let you have our husband."


    "Ah..." Chu Xiaoyao was genuinely at a loss. She indeed had her hymen intact. Li Yifei had broken it several times before and had told her about it. Now she truly hated Li Yifei to death. This damned uncle always refused to take her body, and now, had she broken that membrane earlier, she could have rightfully become Li Yifei¡¯s woman.


    "Alright, we¡¯ll check later." Chu Xiaoyao clenched her teeth, seething with determination. She planned to secretly puncture that membrane with something later. Humph, let¡¯s see what Xu Yingying would say then.


    "Yiyi, our husband didn¡¯t do anything to you last night, did he?" Xu Yingying turned to Su Yiyi with a smile.


    Su Yiyi panicked immediately, stammering, "I... I... I..."


    Seeing her anxiousness, Chu Xiaoyao quickly said, "Yiyi, Yiyi, you¡¯re not a virgin. You must have done it with the uncle last night."


    Xu Yingying continued to smile, "Really? So Yiyi is not a virgin anymore."


    "Yes, yes, Sister Yiyi isn¡¯t a virgin, so if she did it with the uncle last night, there wouldn¡¯t be any marks," Chu Xiaoyao said with a triumphant look. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s smile deepened, "Yiyi, that¡¯s not good. How can you just casually have a boyfriend? Who ruined you? Tell me, I will go settle the score with him."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned bright red, her lips moved but she couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    Chu Xiaoyao was once again stunned. If Su Yiyi admitted she wasn¡¯t a virgin, then she¡¯d have to confess that she¡¯d been with other men before. Wouldn¡¯t that be like slinging mud at her? But if she didn¡¯t admit it, then the effort of last night would have been in vain.


    The thought made Chu Xiaoyao feel indescribably downcast and depressed.


    Su Mengxin, however, suddenly snickered, which then grew louder and louder, leaving Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi completely confused.


    "Mengxin, what are you laughing at?" Xu Yingying winked at Su Mengxin.


    "Yingying, how long are you going to keep up this act?" Su Mengxin stopped laughing and squinted at Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face revealed a hint of embarrassment as she said, "Mengxin, you¡¯ve noticed?"


    Su Mengxin said cheerfully, "Of course, I noticed. Otherwise, you would have lost your temper by now."


    Li Yifei suddenly sat up, wrapped his arms around Xu Yingying, and asked, "Yingying, have you really remembered?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a reproachful look and retorted, "What else did you think? That I¡¯m so easygoing? And you even had Xin¡¯er keep you company."


    Li Yifei was momentarily stunned, then he lightly slapped Xu Yingying on the buttocks and said, "So, you¡¯ve remembered all along."


    Xu Yingying let out a soft cry and then nodded gently, saying, "Mhm, on my first business trip, Cao Bin told me a few things, and suddenly it all came back to me."


    Chu Xiaoyao finally regained her composure and excitedly leaped past Ning Xin¡¯er to throw herself onto Li Yifei, ignoring that neither of them were clothed. She complained indignantly, "Sister Yingying, that was mean of you. Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? You¡¯ve made us come up with so many plans."


    Xu Yingying, seeing how intimately Chu Xiaoyao was hugging Li Yifei, blushed and said with a hint of regret, "Indeed, that was my fault. At the time, Yifei was pursuing me, and it was a feeling I¡¯d never had when we were together before. I was too fond of that feeling and wanted to enjoy it a bit longer, so I held back from telling you. Besides, I did send you signals. Didn¡¯t I ask Xin¡¯er to accompany Yifei? Moreover, I was away on business trips and didn¡¯t interfere with you and Yifei being together. But still, it was selfish of me to make you suffer."


    Su Yiyi said joyfully at this time, "Sister Yingying, as long as you remember, that¡¯s all that matters to us. Now we can finally be together with peace of mind."


    Su Mengxin smiled and asked, "Yingying, have you accepted me now?"


    Xu Yingying looked at Su Mengxin, her eyes still showing some complexity, and said, "Mengxin, I won¡¯t be foolish this time."


    Su Mengxin held Xu Yingying¡¯s hand firmly and said, "That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re Yifei¡¯s wife, unchallenged by anyone."


    Xu Yingying held Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, shook her head, and declared, "Mengxin, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of you taking anything from me, but among all of us sisters, you are the most commanding. Everyone listens to you, which helps us stay united without conflicts or disputes."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "You think too highly of me. Like everyone else, I came later. If I were to take your place, how could that sit well with everyone? When we¡¯re all together, it¡¯s not about who has more ability, but who can manage our home well. I¡¯m sure you can do it."


    "No way, Mengxin, you¡¯re known as the most beautiful woman in Huaxia. Being with Yifei is already beneath you, let alone without the proper status. It wouldn¡¯t look good if it got out and could cause a lot of trouble for you, and your grandfather, with his position, it would tarnish his reputation."


    Su Mengxin immediately responded, "Don¡¯t worry, he has long stopped caring about that. Yifei resolved this while you were unconscious and completely convinced Grandpa."


    "That¡¯s still not okay. What about public opinion? No one would care about me, but you¡¯re different. Countless people will be watching."


    Su Mengxin grinned and said, "By that logic, what about Xin¡¯er? She¡¯s a big star, and Yunzhu, she¡¯s a Deputy County Head, not to mention Lin Qiong, the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau. These are all focal points of public scrutiny. How will you deal with that?"


    Xu Yingying was suddenly at a loss for words. Although Su Mengxin¡¯s status was the highest among them, the positions of Ning Xin¡¯er and Ye Yunzhu weren¡¯t low either. If one took all these considerations into account, it would indeed be a dilemma without solution.


    Su Mengxin smiled and added, "I think it¡¯s best to let our husband decide. He is, after all, the head of the family."


    Everyone instantly turned their attention to Li Yifei. Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s buttocks, motioning her not to fidget, cleared his throat, and then said, "I think I¡¯ll find a way to give everyone an appropriate status eventually."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and asked, "Does that mean we¡¯re going to get some kind of citizenship? If that¡¯s the case, it would be much simpler. There are still many countries in the world that practice polygamy."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes lit up as she said, "Really? That¡¯s great! I¡¯ve always wanted to have a wedding with Uncle."


    At the mention of a wedding, a wistful look appeared in the eyes of those present. Whether it was Su Mengxin or Su Yiyi, hadn¡¯t they also longed to have a real wedding with Li Yifei?


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying magnanimously, "Whether it¡¯s official status or a wedding, you won¡¯t miss out on either. If I can¡¯t provide that, how could I call myself your husband?" With Xu Yingying¡¯s memory restored, Li Yifei no longer had any worries. Now he could confidently embark on a bold endeavor.


    This immediately excited everyone. Chu Xiaoyao wriggled on Li Yifei¡¯s body, cooing, "Uncle, what we had last night was fake, so how about we make it real now?"


    The women blushed, but Chu Xiaoyao quickly added with a giggle, "Last night there were only two of us; now all five of us can join together."

 Chapter 936 - 977: There are still 4 left

    Chapter 936: Chapter 977: There are still 4 leftChu Xiaoyao¡¯s proposal was indeed too daring, and Xu Yingying immediately blushed as she said, "I need to get up now; it¡¯s your turn." Then she tried to get out of bed.


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly grabbed hold of Xu Yingying and said with a grin, "Sister Yingying, don¡¯t leave. Last night, you and Sister Xin¡¯er were really thrilling, but playing with just two people, I¡¯ve had enough. I think all of us together would be even more exciting. Uncle, don¡¯t you think so?"


    Li Yifei was somewhat tempted by the proposal but immediately thought of a reality and said with a bitter smile, "Xiaoyao, stop fooling around. Your uncle isn¡¯t made of iron. Five people at once would wear me to death."


    Chu Xiaoyao said with a cheeky smile, "Why not give it a try? You¡¯re usually so gallant; you always make Sister Yiyi beg for mercy. Let¡¯s see if you can handle all five of us."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "You little rascal, all you think about is fooling around. Do you really want your first time to end up like that?"


    Chu Xiaoyao tilted her head, thought for a moment, then giggled, "You¡¯re right. The first time should have the most beautiful memory. But wouldn¡¯t it be more memorable if it went like this?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked the excitement; for any man, such a thing was extremely enticing. However, he felt that doing such an action now was going a bit too far.


    Xu Yingying slapped Chu Xiaoyao on the butt and said, "You little pervert, not today, maybe some other time. Your uncle isn¡¯t made of iron. Too much indulgence could ruin his health; do you want us all to end up as widows?"


    Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "It¡¯s not that serious, is it?"


    Xu Yingying sternly said, "Of course, it is. The emperors of ancient times who died young were mostly because of excessive indulgence. So, we need to be careful. From now on, at most two people per night."


    "Alright, alright." Chu Xiaoyao pouted but still agreed. She was absolutely obedient to Xu Yingying¡¯s authority.


    Even if Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t agreed, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered at that point because from outside came Little Yifei¡¯s voice, "Daddy, Daddy!" She called while also knocking on the door.


    "Coming!" Li Yifei responded and then heard a commotion. The women in bed suddenly all jumped to the floor, frantically beginning to put on their clothes.


    "Where¡¯s my bra?"


    "Where are my panties? Ah, Xin¡¯er, those are mine!"


    "Xiaoyao, this is my bra!"


    Watching this scene, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes were wide open. Even though everyone had just been lying naked with him in bed, watching them scramble to dress now seemed incredibly more enticing¡ªhips shaking, bosoms quivering, truly blinding Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    "Haha..." Li Yifei finally couldn¡¯t hold back and burst into laughter.


    "You dead husband! Hurry and get dressed!" Xu Yingying threw Li Yifei¡¯s clothes onto the bed.


    Li Yifei thought so too. His daughter was about to come in; how would it look if he weren¡¯t dressed? He quickly slipped into his clothes while the other five women had also managed to get dressed, albeit somewhat disheveled and mismatched.


    Only then did Li Yifei jump out of bed to open the door. Little Yifei, already neatly dressed, ran in and said, "Daddy, today I want to go to the amusement park."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Today, daddy can take you out, but how about we don¡¯t go to the amusement park? Let¡¯s go to the mountains instead."


    Little Yifei tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Is it fun in the mountains?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s fun! There are many beautiful birds, and you can catch dragonflies, butterflies. There are tadpoles and little fish in the stream too. Don¡¯t you want to go?"


    "I do!" Little Yifei immediately exclaimed excitedly upon hearing this.


    "Good, then wait a moment while daddy and the moms freshen up."


    "Okay." Little Yifei excitedly agreed, then turned to look at the several moms and suddenly asked, "Daddy, weren¡¯t you still in bed? Why are all the moms here in the same room with you?"


    Li Yifei and all the women were at a loss for words. Their daughter asking such a question was indeed awkward to answer, especially Xu Yingying, Su Yiyi, and Ning Xin¡¯er, who all blushed deeply. It would be too embarrassing if their daughter figured out what was going on.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "We were discussing important matters. Remember, we¡¯re planning to build a new house? Mommy and the others were figuring out how to build a beautiful house for our daughter."


    "Ah, so that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯ll forgive you guys then, but no more locking doors, okay? Otherwise, I won¡¯t stand for it."


    Everyone broke out in a cold sweat. How could they not lock the doors? If this girl barged in early in the morning, it would be terribly awkward.


    Today was the weekend and everyone had time. After getting ready, they all drove to the plot of land that Li Yifei had taken over. Xu Shanshan, Ye Yunzhu, and Meng Xiaofei now knew that Xu Yingying had regained her memory. Everyone was extremely happy, especially Ye Yunzhu, as she could finally let her daughter legitimately belong in this family.


    They drove three cars. Li Yifei drove one, with Xu Yingying sitting beside him. Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Mengxin were in the back. As Li Yifei drove, he whistled cheerfully, truly feeling indescribably good.


    Seeing Li Yifei like this, Xu Yingying smiled and said, "Look at how pleased you are, really seems like a villain achieving their petty victory."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Of course I¡¯m happy. My wife is back to normal, and I don¡¯t have to sneak around like a thief anymore."


    "Hmph, don¡¯t get carried away. I¡¯m telling you, if you mess around with other women in the future, it won¡¯t just be me, everyone won¡¯t let you off." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly, "Wife, about that... I really did mess up. I should come clean to you now."


    Xu Yingying glared at him, angrily saying, "What? There¡¯s more I don¡¯t know about?"


    Li Yifei looked embarrassed, but some things had to be faced, so he simply confessed, "Su Mengxin¡¯s old friends, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, were being forced by their families to marry men they don¡¯t like, so I went to help, and ended up getting entangled, there was no choice but to marry them."


    Su Mengxin quickly took over, roughly explaining the situation to Xu Yingying, which made Xu Yingying frown and somewhat helplessly say, "Well, alright, that¡¯s understandable."


    Li Yifei coughed again, "There¡¯s also Song Lianyao and Li Xinyue... originally they didn¡¯t ask for anything, but I... I promised them and made room for them in our home."


    Su Mengxin snorted disapprovingly, "I knew there was something sketchy going on with you and them."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, "Wife, I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯ve confessed everything. It¡¯s up to you now, if you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll cut ties with them immediately."


    "Really, using retreat as advance, forcing me to agree?" Xu Yingying rolled her eyes greatly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Wife, that¡¯s not what I mean at all. I just want to make everything clear to you. I don¡¯t want to hide anything from you in the future."


    "That sounds more reasonable," Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another big eye roll and then said irritably, "Really, look at all the mess you¡¯ve made. Aren¡¯t you afraid of working yourself to death?"


    Li Yifei could only give a dry laugh since he felt he wasn¡¯t exactly going around flirting intentionally, but somehow, he had gotten entangled with so many women.


    There was still Xu Shanshan, whom he couldn¡¯t afford to be honest about.


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Alright, since things are already like this, Yingying, there¡¯s no use blaming him. In the future, we¡¯ll all keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn¡¯t mess around with any other women. If he dares make a move, we¡¯ll all deal with him together."


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Yes, yes, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll let my wives decide."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei again, saying, "I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with this guy anymore. I used to have a good impression of him, but now, I¡¯m just speechless."


    At that moment, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t scared at all, instead, he was secretly pleased because Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t really angry. She just felt a little resentment towards him, which was a completely normal reaction.


    By then, they had arrived at the plot of land. Everyone got out of the cars energetically. Li Yifei had been here many times, but for everyone else, it was at most their second visit, and back then, it was still being demolished, so they could only look around the perimeter.


    But things were different now. The demolition team had left, and it was all under construction. The wall, erected the fastest, was now over a meter high, roughly enclosing the area.


    Li Yifei had plenty of money, so there was significant investment in the construction, which meant a lot of workers were hired. They weren¡¯t building high-rises here; each building was only about three stories high, usually finished within a month. The biggest project was actually the construction of the courtyard inside.


    As everyone walked inside, Xu Yingying, visiting for the first time, couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the size. Even the residential area where she lived wasn¡¯t this big. That area housed thousands of families, yet this vast place was just for their family, which was something she¡¯d never dared to imagine before. It seemed having a few more women around wasn¡¯t too unreasonable.


    Everyone was in high spirits, including Su Mengxin. The Su Family¡¯s business was indeed large, but Su Mengxin had never really dealt with construction for her own family. Even if she did, it would have been for the Su Family. For her, the sense of belonging was never as strong as now.


    For a woman, her parents¡¯ house was her favorite place before turning twenty. But upon reaching marriageable age, especially with a loved one, building a new home was truly the greatest joy. It¡¯s human nature, an instinct for reproduction and survival, and even someone like Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t avoid it.

 Chapter 937 - 998: The Plan to Have a Child

    Chapter 937: Chapter 998: The Plan to Have a ChildTwo and a half hours later, everyone was sitting on a hillside, which still belonged to their property. From their high vantage point, they could see everything within the area.


    Xu Yingying leaned against Li Yifei, took off her shoes, and gently rubbed her feet, saying, "Husband, this place is really big, we¡¯ve only walked around once and it took so long. I feel like we¡¯re touring a park. My feet are so sore." Since Li Yifei was the only man there, and her husband at that, she didn¡¯t have to worry much about her image.


    Li Yifei reached out and took Xu Yingying¡¯s feet into his hands, smiling, "This is a good opportunity to exercise more. You don¡¯t do any exercise aside from work; that¡¯s not good for your health."


    "Ah, let me do it," Xu Yingying pulled at her foot. It would have been fine if she massaged them herself, but having Li Yifei massage her feet in front of so many people was a little embarrassing, even if it felt sweet. She quickly tried to pull her foot away.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll massage everyone¡¯s feet in turn."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "That sounds like a good idea. Yifei¡¯s foot massages are really comforting."


    Chu Xiaoyao wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck from behind, laying her whole body on his back. She had held back for so long and finally, she could openly be affectionate with Li Yifei. It felt like a restrained child suddenly gaining freedom, and she seized the chance to cling to him.


    Everyone let Chu Xiaoyao be. Among them, she was the youngest, and it was normal for her to be a bit playful. Moreover, today was the first day she could be with Li Yifei like this. She lacked the reservation others might have, which everyone understood.


    However, Little Yifei didn¡¯t let Chu Xiaoyao enjoy this for long, calling out, "Xiaoyao Sister, come help me catch butterflies!"


    The little girl held a bag in her hand, already filled with several butterflies and dragonflies, her forehead covered in sweat. Yet, she was full of energy. It was her first time running around on such a hill, and her favorite playmates were Meng Xiaofei and Chu Xiaoyao, because they were the liveliest and could keep up with her.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately responded, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll help you."


    Although Chu Xiaoyao loved staying by Li Yifei¡¯s side, the little girl had now learned to be considerate and endure. Knowing that everyone doted on her a bit, she couldn¡¯t be too unrestrained. After a quick affectionate moment with Li Yifei, she gave others a chance. Besides, Little Yifei was the family¡¯s beloved daughter, and she was somewhat like a mother to her. She willingly took Little Yifei along, which strengthened her position at home.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei both went to play with Little Yifei. Ye Yunzhu lifted her shirt to breastfeed her awake daughter. Everyone had come, and the daughter had been left largely unattended at home, so she brought her along. Everyone took turns holding her, so it wasn¡¯t too much trouble, except that breastfeeding was something only she could do.


    Xu Yingying had already moved aside by then, smilingly watching Little Yixiang breastfeed, "The little one is really enjoying it."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled, "Then why don¡¯t you have one?"


    Xu Yingying touched her belly and said, "It seems I¡¯m not pregnant yet."


    "Do you really want a child now?" Ye Yunzhu looked at Xu Yingying in surprise.


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "Yes, I see even you, the big County Head, are pregnant, and I want one too. If I wait a few more years, I might be too old, and it could affect the child¡¯s intelligence. I need to have a child when I¡¯m physically optimal."


    "That¡¯s the right thinking. Regardless, it¡¯s better to have children sooner rather than later. I only prepared for two months before getting pregnant, and in a few days, I¡¯ll be returning to work. We¡¯ll have to hire a nanny at home."


    "Hmm, then find a good one, so that others can use them in the future too."


    "By the way, you mentioned you¡¯re not pregnant. Have you checked?"


    "I haven¡¯t used contraception these few times, but my period just ended before we came back here."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately comforted her, "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get pregnant soon."


    Xu Yingying nodded, "I know, but now that I want it, I¡¯m getting a bit anxious, hoping I could be pregnant right away. I remember you got pregnant shortly before being with your husband for the second time."


    "That guy got me pregnant too efficiently. He made me have an abortion back in high school, and this time, just two encounters and I was pregnant. And Xin¡¯er, she got pregnant the first time, and it was her first time."


    Hearing this, Xu Yingying grew anxious, "You see, both of you got pregnant so quickly, but I¡¯ve been with my husband many times lately, and still not pregnant."


    Ning Xin¡¯er also joined in, "Yingying, the more anxious you are, the harder it is to conceive. It¡¯s when you¡¯re not anxious that it happens easily."


    Li Yifei, who didn¡¯t know Xu Yingying was planning to have children, was massaging Su Yiyi¡¯s feet. He turned his head and excitedly said, "Wife, are you really planning to have kids?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei, "You biased guy, why is it so easy for Yunzhu and Xin¡¯er to get pregnant, and so hard for me?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed, "It must be this guy slacking off. We¡¯ll make sure he works harder these days."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, I must work harder these days and get you pregnant sooner."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned a bit red; she spat at Li Yifei and said, "I don¡¯t need you to make an effort, you can go make an effort with someone else. Look how anxious Yiyi is now; you might as well let Yiyi have your child."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face blushed, she bit her lips and said, "If Brother Li is willing, I... I have no objections."


    Li Yifei then massaged Su Yiyi¡¯s foot, laughing, "Yiyi, don¡¯t rush, even after you graduate from college it wouldn¡¯t be too late; it¡¯s still a bit early now."


    Su Yiyi, with her head lowered, said, "I¡¯m graduating this summer, I¡¯m all set now." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Exactly, let¡¯s get Yiyi pregnant now; even after graduating it will still take a few months before the birth."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "That¡¯s true, well then, let¡¯s work hard tonight."


    Hearing this, Su Yiyi was overjoyed, "Brother Li... really?"


    Li Yifei smiled tenderly, "Of course it¡¯s true. How could Brother Li deceive you?"


    "Great, great," Su Yiyi was incredibly happy and couldn¡¯t hold back her excitement; even though Li Yifei implied something seductive about trying tonight, she didn¡¯t care.


    "Mengxin, when are you planning to have children?" Xu Yingying then asked Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "I¡¯m just going with the flow; whenever I get pregnant, that¡¯s when I¡¯ll have it. I¡¯m not so young anymore and don¡¯t have so many concerns now."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "But Mengxin, you¡¯re still a virgin."


    Su Mengxin playfully glared at Li Yifei, "You can¡¯t blame me for that. I¡¯ve been ready, but someone doesn¡¯t want it."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Tonight, I won¡¯t let you be a virgin anymore."


    Su Mengxin squinted her eyes, "You just promised Yiyi, though."


    Su Yiyi quickly said, "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not in a rush."


    Li Yifei apologetically said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, having a child is a big deal, not something to take as lightly as usual. We need to adjust to the best condition, and I will definitely find you the best conditions so you can get pregnant at once."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red, but she nodded, "I¡¯ll listen to Brother Li."


    Xu Shanshan, who had been silent till then, pouted and said, "Now, brother-in-law, you¡¯re really becoming a super stud. I think you should also let Xin¡¯er have a baby for you."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I think that makes sense too."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "Forget it, I don¡¯t want to; one is enough. Although we are your wives, we can¡¯t just be breeding machines, we also have to do our own things."


    Li Yifei certainly didn¡¯t treat them as tools for bearing children, but having a thriving home was always good, especially wanting to become a large family. More family members meant more chances of producing talented people.


    "Help!" Suddenly, a faint cry for help came through, and Li Yifei swiftly jumped up and dashed toward a small hill.


    "That sounds like Xiaoyao¡¯s voice; let¡¯s quickly go check," said Su Mengxin, frowning a bit. Everyone hurriedly got up and followed Li Yifei, but in the blink of an eye, Li Yifei had already vanished.


    Just now, Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei, along with Little Yifei, went to catch butterflies, and they were very happy not paying attention to the direction. After running for a while, they ended up behind a small hill. Because the hill wasn¡¯t large, they weren¡¯t far from Li Yifei and the others, just blocked from view by the hill.


    While the three of them were enjoying themselves, they encountered four men, all under thirty, also idly playing in the area. Accidentally, they spotted Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei, along with Little Yifei.


    Meng Xiaofei and Chu Xiaoyao were both beautiful, instantly attracting the four men. After exchanging looks, they intercepted Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei. The one in the middle, who was quite handsome and clad in branded clothes, held an iPhone 5S in his hand. His name was Gu Yandong, a man of quite some influence. This trip to Mile City was just for leisure, but he didn¡¯t expect to encounter two beauties here. Even though Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei might not devastate nations with their beauty, their innocence and vitality, accentuated by the rustic surroundings, were very appealing to him. With a smile, he said, "Beautiful ladies, you seem to be having so much fun. Why don¡¯t we join you?"


    With his background and good looks, he believed that it would be a cinch to charm these inexperienced girls.

 Chapter 938 - 979: Hillside Conflict

    Chapter 938: Chapter 979: Hillside ConflictChu Xiaoyao was just about to catch a beautiful butterfly when a group of four men blocked her, causing her to miss it, which left her already annoyed. Upon hearing their words, her irritation grew even more. She glared at them and exclaimed, "Move aside! Go wherever it¡¯s cool."


    "Man, this mountain girl really has some spunk," Gu Yandong laughed heartily, finding Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei even more intriguing. He had attended too many Sea Sky Feasts and high-profile parties, grown indifferent to the allure of major celebrities and socialites. Meng Xiaofei and Chu Xiaoyao, who dared to show their temper right in his face, instantly piqued his interest.


    "It¡¯s your family who are mountain folks!" Xiaoyao retorted fiercely, glaring back at Gu Yandong.


    "How dare you!" A man from behind Gu roared with profound authority, a tactic that could easily intimidate ordinary people.


    Gu Yandong waved his hand and said, "Don¡¯t scare her." He then smiled warmly at Xiaoyao and said, "Little sister, don¡¯t be afraid, I like you girls, I find you quite appealing. I¡¯m not very familiar with this place, could you show us around a bit?"


    Chu Xiaoyao frowned and replied, "We¡¯re not familiar either. Also, could you stop using such clich¨¦ moves to flirt? It¡¯s really annoying."


    Since the butterfly was gone, Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t bother talking any further. She grabbed Little Yifei and said to Meng Xiaofei, "Sister Xiaofei, let¡¯s go."


    Just as the trio tried to leave, two men blocked their path. Xiaoyao glared at them, asking, "What do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    "One does not leave without Young Master Gu¡¯s permission!" one of the men stated flatly.


    "Just because he says I can¡¯t leave means I can¡¯t? Is he the Jade Emperor? Get out of my way!" Xiaoyao was unafraid and reached out to push the man blocking their path.


    The man didn¡¯t even try to dodge, allowing Xiaoyao¡¯s hands to push against his chest, but his body didn¡¯t budge. Xiaoyao exerted more force, yet she still couldn¡¯t move him.


    "Little Sister, save your energy. They won¡¯t let you go without my say so," Gu Yandong said with a grin from behind.


    Instantly, Xiaoyao whipped around, glaring at Gu Yandong and demanded, "What do you want?"


    Gu smiled gently, still appearing quite cultured, and said, "When Gu Yandong wants something done, everyone has to agree."


    "You really think you¡¯re all that, huh? Let me tell you, you better let us go now, or else when my uncle arrives, he¡¯ll flatten you with a slap."


    Gu narrowed his eyes, replying, "What an interesting young lady. But just so you know, I don¡¯t take threats lightly, and usually, those who threaten me end up quite miserable."


    Xiaoyao grimaced and said, "You¡¯re so full of yourself; I can¡¯t be bothered with your nonsense."


    Still handsome, Gu turned away, putting his hands behind his back, "Well, well, it¡¯s not often someone dares to insult me. I¡¯m starting to like you even more. Alright, if you manage to leave today, I¡¯ll let you go."


    "What nonsense, if we leave, we won¡¯t need your permission!"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei tried to walk around, but the two men quickly blocked them again. Even turning back, those two were still in their way.


    Though neither Chu Xiaoyao nor Meng Xiaofei knew martial arts, it was clear these two were formidable. Leaving on their own wasn¡¯t an option.


    "Ladies, I merely wanted your company to show us around, here¡¯s ten thousand yuan. Agree to it, and this money is yours," Gu Yandong said, as he took a stack of bills from an associate and flaunted it in front of Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei.


    Gu was wealthy and used his money to influence countless women, who inevitably ended up in his bed, compliant to his every wish. He presumed these two small-town girls would be effortlessly dazzled by his wealth.


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted and retorted, "Could you be less of a show-off? It¡¯s just some measly money. Do you think I¡¯m broke?"


    When Gu Yandong saw her reaction, he realized that ten thousand was too trivial for her gaze and simply smiled lightly, saying, "Is that too little? Fine, I¡¯ll make it a million for one night with me, think of it as pocket money."


    By now, Little Yifei was losing patience, pulling at both Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hands, "Sister Xiaoyao, Aunt Xiaofei, I want to go home now, they¡¯re bad people, I don¡¯t want to play with them."


    Meng Xiaofei, who hadn¡¯t spoken much because Xiaoyao always cut in, quickly assured Little Yifei, "Yifei, don¡¯t worry, dad will find us soon."


    Chu Xiaoyao squinted at Gu, asking, "Are you really not going to let us leave?"


    Still maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor, Gu replied, "Indeed, only if you agree, then I¡¯ll let you go."


    Suddenly, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face broke into a sly grin, then she began to scream, "Help! Help!"


    Gu broke into laughter, "Quite a spirited girl who knows to cry for help. But, I forgot to mention, no matter how much you yell, it¡¯s useless. I have three experts with me; ordinary people would be subdued by just a flick of their finger. Even if you call the cops, they wouldn¡¯t dare meddle in Gu Yandong¡¯s affairs."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s smile on her face grew even brighter, and she said, "Ordinary people can¡¯t provoke you, neither can the police, but my uncle can definitely provoke you." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Really? Then I must see who dares to provoke me, Gu Yandong."


    Gu Yandong had some influence in certain areas, but in a small place like Mile City, he had enough capital to be arrogant. He couldn¡¯t believe that with his status, he couldn¡¯t dominate this small city outright.


    "Uncle, we¡¯re here!"


    "Brother Li!"


    "Daddy daddy!"


    At this moment, Li Yifei had just rounded the hillside and was sprinting towards them; Chu Xiaoyao and the others had been watching intently and immediately started shouting loudly.


    As soon as Li Yifei turned the hillside, he saw the situation and felt relieved. He had heard Chu Xiaoyao calling for help and thought she might have encountered something particularly dangerous, but now it seemed there was no danger, just that she was being harassed by four men.


    Thus, Li Yifei immediately slowed down his pace. Although still running, he was now moving at the speed of a normal person.


    "Daddy, some bad people are bullying us!" Little Yifei exclaimed as soon as Li Yifei approached.


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Don¡¯t be afraid, daughter. Who is bullying you? Daddy will beat them up for you."


    "It¡¯s them!" Little Yifei angrily pointed at Gu Yandong.


    Gu Yandong, still wearing his trademark smile, said, "I am Gu Yandong, and I¡¯ve taken a liking to these two girls."


    Li Yifei looked at Gu Yandong, somewhat surprised. In Mile City, he had encountered several pretentious second-generation officials. They were indeed arrogant sometimes but quite inferior compared to Gu Yandong. At least those people, even if they wanted to harass someone, would at least find an excuse. Gu Yandong, however, was too direct and overly domineering.


    And being so domineering, with three capable-looking subordinates by his side, Gu Yandong clearly had some background.


    But Li Yifei was no longer the previous Li Yifei; he was now establishing his own family and stepping into the foreground. The honor of the Li family was very important. If he allowed others to bully him so easily, even failing to protect his own woman and daughter, how could he face establishing his family in the future?


    Thus, Li Yifei sternly shouted, "All of you, get lost!"


    Gu Yandong smiled as if he had seen something amusing, "Kid, I admire your courage. Protecting your people is indeed what a man should do, but that also requires strength. Gu Ji, teach him a lesson."


    A man immediately charged at Li Yifei, moving extremely fast, and threw a punch straight at Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    Gu Yandong had seen such scenes countless times; at his command, his subordinate would strike, and the opponent would be sent flying¡ªan event that always brought him pleasure.


    "Ah!" With a scream, Gu Yandong¡¯s smile intensified, but it suddenly froze because, this time, it wasn¡¯t the opponent who flew out; it was his subordinate, Gu Ji.


    Li Yifei calmly walked up next to Chu Xiaoyao and her group, scooped up Little Yifei, and said, "Good girl, remember, we shouldn¡¯t bully the good people, but we don¡¯t need to be polite to the bad ones."


    Little Yifei vigorously nodded, "Daddy, I remember."


    Gu Yandong, although surprised, didn¡¯t panic. He sized up Li Yifei and slowly said, "Kid, I didn¡¯t see that coming, you¡¯ve got some moves."


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted, "Don¡¯t think just because you brought three lackeys, you¡¯re anything special. In front of uncle, you¡¯re nothing."


    Gu Yandong smiled slightly, "Is that so? Well then, Gu Gan, Gu Kuang, break this guy¡¯s arms."


    "Yes!"


    The other two subordinates then responded at once, pressing towards Li Yifei. However, they didn¡¯t attack immediately as they could tell that Li Yifei was a skilled martial artist and quite strong¡ªGu Ji¡¯s defeat had been careless, but without significant skill, he couldn¡¯t have been hurt by the opponent.


    "Here¡¯s your chance, put the child down," Gu Kuang harshly spoke, with Gu Gan beside him as they halted in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei scoffed disdainfully, "To deal with you, I hardly need to bother too much, one foot is already enough."


    "You arrogant kid!" Angered, Gu Kuang and Gu Gan simultaneously attacked Li Yifei.

 Chapter 939 - 980: Beating Someone Up

    Chapter 939: Chapter 980: Beating Someone UpLi Yifei, even while carrying Little Yifei, easily dodged attacks from two men and said to Little Yifei, "Daughter, daddy is about to fight, are you scared?"


    Little Yifei immediately replied with excitement, "Not scared, they are the bad guys, and bad guys should be beat up. Otherwise, we good people will be bullied, right?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "What a good girl. Now watch daddy beat them up."


    "These fellows are somewhat capable." Gu Kuang and Gu Gan had tried several moves but failed to hit Li Yifei which somewhat surprised them. They were still somewhat mindful of their identities, so seeing that Li Yifei was carrying a child, they did not aim at Little Yifei and tried to avoid her, thus only aiming for Li Yifei¡¯s legs and back which hindered their efforts.


    "How can you be so slow for a peasant?" Gu Yandong chided at that moment.


    By saying this, Li Yifei was already showing contempt and when combined with Gu Yandong¡¯s dissatisfaction, Gu Gan and Gu Kuang were really angered and became merciless in their strikes.


    According to their expectations, such attacks should have immediately downed Li Yifei, or at least should have made him put the child down, but the reality was hard for them to accept. Li Yifei, still holding the child, seemed as leisurely as if he was strolling in a garden, their storm-like assaults posing no threat at all.


    "Uncle, beat them up, stop playing with them," Chu Xiaoyao shouted at that moment.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯m with my daughter, I can¡¯t be too violent."


    Little Yifei loudly exclaimed, "Daddy, beat up the bad guys, beat up the bad guys."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, daddy will do some beating."


    While Gu Gan and Gu Kuang kept attacking, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t fought back, but when he finally did, the surge of pressure they felt was immense, shocking them to their cores. They had not expected to encounter such a master in a small city like Mile City.


    "Young Master Gu, run!" Facing the immense pressure, Gu Gan suddenly realized a terrifying possibility, perhaps this was a trap set by Gu Family¡¯s rivals and Gu Yandong was the real target, prompting him to shout urgently.


    Unfortunately, right after he shouted, a kick hit his chest, sending him flying two meters backward and he crashed heavily onto the ground. Trying to struggle, he realized he had no strength left, seemingly uninjured, but had lost the ability to fight.


    And it wasn¡¯t just Gu Gan; Gu Kuang was in the same state, also flying out and unable to get up. Despite their loyalty and desire to protect their master, they knew at that moment, Gu Yandong had no chance of escape.


    "Oh yeah, daddy is so awesome!" Little Yifei excitedly clapped her hands and then hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, kissing him on the face.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily; he hadn¡¯t fought much with anyone recently, especially with such insignificant people, and he was not particularly interested in exerting himself against such opponents. However, his daughter¡¯s happiness made him feel quite proud.


    At that moment, Gu Yandong¡¯s face was calm, but his eyes were still somewhat panicked as he sternly said, "Kid, how dare you hit my men?"


    Li Yifei frowned slightly and said, "So your men can hit me, but I can¡¯t fight back?"


    Gu Yandong scoffed and said, "Do you even know who I am?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately responded disdainfully, "We don¡¯t care who you are, you shouldn¡¯t bully us, no one should."


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re all very arrogant. I warn you, better not touch me. If you dare, I will pulverize you."


    Li Yifei frowned again, this guy really was arrogant, and such arrogance usually comes from having a powerful backing. He was currently trying to establish his family and ideally didn¡¯t want to make too many enemies.


    Gu Yandong, mistaking Li Yifei¡¯s contemplation for fear, straightened up, boasting, "Kid, let me tell you, my name is Gu Yandong. Even the Municipal Party Secretary of Mile City has to be polite to me. You¡¯ve offended me, and you can imagine the consequences. Be sensible, hand over those two girls to me, and I¡¯ll let you go... Ah!"


    Gu Yandong was too confident, relying too much on his status. He thought that just by stating his name, no matter how formidable the opponent, they would obediently listen to him. So even with his three men beaten by Li Yifei, he continued to threaten and even demanded to take Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei away.


    Because Xu Yingying was injured, Li Yifei took his family¡¯s safety even more seriously. When Gu Yandong threatened them, Li Yifei really lost his temper and kicked Gu Yandong, turning him into a rolling gourd.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei immediately rushed over and kicked Gu Yandong relentlessly. They had been holding back until now, not daring to make a move until Li Yifei took down Gu Yandong. Now, they had no reservations, as they hated pretentious people like Gu Yandong the most.


    "I... I want to fight too!" Little Yifei struggled to get down.


    "Sweetheart, hitting people isn¡¯t nice," Xu Yingying¡¯s voice rang out from behind.


    Little Yifei immediately pouted and said, "Then why can Sister Xiaoyao and Aunt Xiaofei hit him, but I can¡¯t?"


    Xu Yingying immediately told Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei, "You two stop it; you¡¯re setting a bad example for my daughter."


    Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei then stopped kicking. Having vented their anger on Gu Yandong, they were scolded by Xu Yingying, both stuck out their tongues and obediently ran over.


    At this moment, Gu Yandong was so furious he felt like vomiting blood. All his life, women had been nothing more than playthings in his bed¡ªnever had he been beaten by women. Today, however, being beaten by two women was a great humiliation. He struggled to sit up and was about to curse fiercely, but was struck dumb when he saw so many beauties around him.


    A man surrounded by so many beauties was truly awesome. Even though he was accustomed to having numerous women, he had never traveled with so many at once. Gu Ji, Gu Gan, and Gu Kuang were also dizzy with disbelief. They were used to seeing beautiful women at beauty contests and various events, where beauties were a common sight, yet today¡¯s beauties were naturally beautiful, which was quite astonishing.


    Finally catching their breath, Gu Ji, Gu Gan, and Gu Kuang hurried over to help Gu Yandong up. As soon as Gu Yandong moved, he felt intense pain, which made him even angrier; he no longer cared about the beauties and gritted his teeth while glaring at Li Yifei, "Kid, tell me, who are you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao glared and shouted, "My uncle is Li Yifei. If you have any skill, just show it, or else get lost."


    "Alright! I remember now!" Gu Yandong clenched his teeth.


    Gu Gan whispered in Gu Yandong¡¯s ear, "Young Master Gu, this kid is a tough one, let¡¯s settle the score with him later."


    Gu Ji also persuaded Gu Yandong, "Young Master Gu, as long as we know who he is, it¡¯ll be easy to find him later."


    With that, Gu Yandong bit his lip and finally turned to leave shakily.


    "Uncle, are we just letting them go?" Chu Xiaoyao was still dissatisfied. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu said, "Let them go, let¡¯s not escalate things further."


    After Gu Yandong and his group had left, Li Yifei asked, "Mengxin, do you know them?"


    Su Mengxin then stepped forward from behind everyone and said, "Yes, I know them. Gu Yandong from the Capital City¡¯s Gu Family. The Gu Family is a major clan with power similar to the Xiao Family. I didn¡¯t want to encounter them to avoid trouble. However, the Gu Family¡¯s influence isn¡¯t strong here, so I wonder why Gu Yandong came here?"


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "So what if it¡¯s the Capital City¡¯s Gu Family? Here, my uncle beat them too. It¡¯s just ridiculous for them to come to Mile City and show off."


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "I find this peculiar. If Gu Yandong came here for fun, he would either have others with him or locals accompanying him, but they came here on their own. It seems there might be some conspiracy."


    Ye Yunzhu also added, "This is indeed unusual. We should investigate later. We need to be cautious about our power development in Mile City as our strength is still too weak compared to real clans."


    Xu Yingying, who was less familiar with powerful families, interjected, "Could they cause trouble for us?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Such people, once beaten, won¡¯t let it go easily, but that¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, just how strong the Li family is isn¡¯t up to us to say. Indeed, we need some people to act as a foil for us. If the Gu Family wants to pick a fight over this, then let¡¯s fight with them. In the process of this struggle, our power will grow, and it will also strengthen the cohesion and foundation of the Li family."


    In crucial times, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were truly the pillars of the family. Since they were not worried, Xu Yingying felt reassured as well. Their playful mood had diminished after encountering Gu Yandong, so after they descended the mountain, they drove home together. There was an important matter to tend to today, and on the way, they all started teasing Su Mengxin.

 Chapter 940 - 981: Mengxin’s Night

    Chapter 940: Chapter 981: Mengxin¡¯s NightA group returned to the downtown area and found a restaurant for a simple lunch. Since they had time to spare, everyone suggested going shopping together¡ªa favorite pastime for women. However, due to Xu Yingying¡¯s recent amnesia, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had the chance to properly go out with everyone.


    This time, with Xu Yingying¡¯s memory recovered, they could finally enjoy a thorough shopping spree. Although Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t fond of shopping, seeing everyone so excited, she didn¡¯t refuse. Besides, being out with so many people brought its own enjoyment.


    Men generally don¡¯t like shopping, but Li Yifei wasn¡¯t depressed about it. It was rare for him to spend time with his family, and shopping gave him the chance to be with them. Even if he didn¡¯t enjoy it, he had no reason to refuse, especially since he didn¡¯t really hate it. Watching each of his wives try on different outfits for him was an utmost delight.


    Li Yifei and his group were having a blast. Entering a store was like encountering a bevy of beauties, a rare sight that made others wonder if these were models or students from a film and television school.


    Even if they were models, not all would necessarily be beautiful. Students from the film and television academy could also be a mixed bag. Finding such a uniformly gorgeous group was not easy.


    Wherever Li Yifei and his party went, they attracted countless stares, but fortunately, they encountered no trouble. By the time they returned home, everyone had bought many things, especially clothes, as it was the season to change into summer attire.


    Back at home, the excitement continued as everyone tried on their new clothes. This was different from trying them on in the store¡ªit was more casual at home, turning into a kind of super fashion show, with only three observers: Li Yifei and his two daughters, the younger of whom wasn¡¯t even interested in looking, while the elder just blinked her eyes.


    After trying on their clothes, everyone started chatting. It had been a long time since they had such a relaxed conversation, and occasionally someone would lean on Li Yifei, a truly indescribable comfort.


    "Hey Mengxin, today seems like your big day. Aren¡¯t you going to prepare?" Xu Yingying teased Su Mengxin with a smile.


    Su Mengxin glanced at Li Yifei and said confidently, "What¡¯s there to prepare? I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯ve done everything that needs to be done, except for the final step."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed, "Mengxin, you the number one beauty of Huaxia, will truly belong to one person from now on. That¡¯s a loss for countless men."


    Su Mengxin smiled and replied, "You, the innocent Little Jade Girl, have already broken countless fans¡¯ hearts."


    Since the group was very close and had gone through a lot together, such topics didn¡¯t embarrass them anymore. Instead, Li Yifei felt somewhat awkward. When women were frank, they could indeed be more formidable than men.


    After a while of joking, Xu Yingying said, "By the way, Yifei, when are you bringing Xinyue and Lianyao back too? Since it¡¯s come to this, don¡¯t let them suffer any longer."


    Li Yifei had discussed this issue with Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin, and Ning Xin¡¯er in the car, but the others were unaware until Xu Yingying mentioned it. They all looked at Li Yifei, and Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Uncle, aren¡¯t you a bit too fickle? There are already six at home, plus Lin Qiong and Sister Xiaofei as a backup. How can you still have someone else outside?"


    Meng Xiaofei quickly responded, "Count me out. I¡¯m just like Shanshan; I¡¯m not one of Uncle¡¯s women."


    Xu Shanshan grinned, "Well, now I have some company. Otherwise, I really wouldn¡¯t be able to stay here."


    Li Yifei felt quite embarrassed and said, "There really aren¡¯t any more this time."


    Su Mengxin reminded him, "Don¡¯t forget about Ling¡¯er and Yuling."


    Chu Xiaoyao started counting on her fingers, "Sister Yingying, Sister Mengxin, Sister Xin¡¯er, Sister Yunzhu, Sister Yiyi, Lin Qiong, and the two hosts, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, plus Ling¡¯er and Yuling. That makes ten, and adding me, wow, Uncle, you have eleven wives."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t really tallied it up before, but hearing Chu Xiaoyao count them, it indeed totalled eleven. Thinking about it, that was certainly quite a few. Even if he saw each wife once a day, each would only have her turn three times a month.


    Su Mengxin said with a smile, "That just shows how prosperous our Li family is. However, we really need to manage it properly, otherwise, with so many people, it will turn into a troublesome matter later on."


    Everyone strongly agreed, even Chu Xiaoyao, the little troublemaker, was very much in agreement today. She didn¡¯t think she had the ability to compete for favor with others. There were plenty who were prettier than her, and even more who were more capable. Her only advantage was her youth and liveliness. If a few more years passed, she would have no advantage at all, so it was better to obediently follow the arrangements.


    Xu Yingying then said, "I think it would be good to hold a family meeting once everyone is here. We can jointly establish the rules for the household, which must be agreed upon by everyone. That way, we can avoid disputes in the future."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately agreed, saying, "Right, we¡¯ll wait for Ling¡¯er and Yuling to join us and then we can discuss it together."


    When it came to this matter, Li Yifei really didn¡¯t have much say, and he was happy to let them figure it out. That way, the household could remain harmonious. He was afraid of having to mediate conflicts among his wives every day, which would exhaust him to death.


    "Alright, it¡¯s getting late. Husband, Mengxin, you two should go rest."


    Su Mengxin had spoken confidently earlier, but now, her face turned red and she even became a bit coy. Li Yifei, on the other hand, was much more composed, took Su Mengxin¡¯s hand, and they went upstairs together. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao watched from downstairs, pouting her lips and said, "Now it¡¯s only me left."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "What¡¯s the rush? After Mengxin, it will naturally be your turn."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately squinted her eyes with a smile and said, "Hehe, once uncle wants me, I¡¯ll have to get along well with Sister Yingying. I really need to build a good relationship with Sister Yingying."


    Xu Yingying, hearing Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words, blushed and scolded, "You should stop having such wild thoughts. Such matters should be avoided in the future, or else the husband will really be exhausted to death early."


    Meng Xiaofei jumped up and exclaimed, "My, my, what kind of family am I staying in? Everyone is always discussing things like threesomes; my goodness, how can I stay pure after this?"


    Xu Shanshan also shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t want to listen anymore, I¡¯m off to sleep."


    The two of them shook their heads and left, causing the others to feel somewhat embarrassed yet also amused.


    Li Yifei and Su Mengxin had finished their baths, with Li Yifei bathing after her. After he was done, he entered the bedroom, casually locked the door, and looked at Su Mengxin sitting on the bed, feeling quite stirred inside.


    "What are you looking at? Aren¡¯t you coming to bed?" Su Mengxin asked with a smile.


    Li Yifei immediately climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around Su Mengxin, and she naturally leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Neither of them spoke, as it seemed unnecessary at that moment. Just holding each other was enough to feel the deep affection from one another.


    After a while, Su Mengxin turned her head, her eyes hazy as she looked at Li Yifei, who was also gazing at her. Their eyes met and quickly turned passionate. They moved involuntarily towards each other, and then their lips met.


    The night was not wild, nor was Li Yifei very satisfied, but that feeling made him utterly intoxicated. Although he would not admit that his fondness for Su Mengxin was because of her status, truly possessing her body still brought him a pleasure tied to her status. This was not about whether he wanted it or not, but an inevitable sentiment.

 Chapter 941 - 982: Holding Hands Again

    Chapter 941: Chapter 982: Holding Hands AgainThe next day, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin got up a bit later and came down from upstairs to find everyone already in the first-floor hall.


    "Congratulations, Sister Mengxin!" Everyone said in unison the moment they saw the two descending, each with smiles on their faces.


    "Thank you all." Su Mengxin wasn¡¯t very embarrassed; instead, she smiled happily at everyone.


    Chu Xiaoyao bounced over, took Su Mengxin¡¯s arm, and winked, asking, "Sister Mengxin, did you have fun last night?"


    Su Mengxin laughed and responded, "Don¡¯t you know?"


    "How would I know, Uncle hasn¡¯t taken me yet," Chu Xiaoyao pouted and then sized up Su Mengxin from head to toe, saying, "Sister Mengxin, isn¡¯t the first time supposed to be really painful? Plus, with Uncle¡¯s tossing and turning, you shouldn¡¯t be able to walk."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "How could your uncle be that rough to leave you, Mengxin, unable to get out of bed? That might be a concern for later."


    Watching everyone joking with Su Mengxin, Li Yifei felt extremely content inside. This proved their good relationship. Otherwise, with such a development, there would be a sour atmosphere.


    Although it was the weekend, Xu Yingying was still planning to go to the company. Her business trip had now ended, and she needed to organize some research data as well as discuss matters with He Fangqing. By tomorrow, when work officially resumed, she would return to her formal duties at the company.


    Li Yifei offered to accompany Xu Yingying to the company. He had learned a lot of theoretical aspects about company management recently but still found some practical aspects puzzling. Studying Dreamfly Company¡¯s actual situation with Xu Yingying was a tremendous help to him.


    Xu Yingying was naturally thrilled and went to the company with Li Yifei.


    The previous day, Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t accounted for He Fangqing when she listed the people at home, prompting Xu Yingying to suddenly remember, "Husband, haven¡¯t you thought about Sister Fangqing? Now that there are so many people at home and she was with you the earliest, aren¡¯t you going to save her a spot?"


    Li Yifei said, "My dear wife, you are so magnanimous, I don¡¯t even know what to say."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "You think I want to be magnanimous? But it¡¯s already like this. Even if I get petty or push you, it¡¯s useless. The only thing I can do is accept it. I¡¯m being serious, how do you plan to deal with Fangqing?"


    "Fangqing¡¯s situation isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t want her to be with me, it¡¯s that she has her own thoughts, and I can¡¯t force it," he replied.


    "I know Sister Fangqing¡¯s thoughts¡ªthe main reason is that she¡¯s too close to me, which makes her uncomfortable to step in. Also, she feels somewhat inferior due to her past divorce. Don¡¯t you clearly know how she feels about you?"


    "Alright, this time I¡¯ll have a proper talk with her." Li Yifei readily agreed.


    "Okay, it¡¯s all on you now. But let me make myself clear. I¡¯ve accepted these people, but if you mess around in the future, you won¡¯t get off easy."


    "There won¡¯t be another time." Li Yifei¡¯s response was straightforward. With so many wives who were still so good to him, he had no interest in any other women out there.


    Upon arriving at the company, the place was very quiet, as it was the weekend and only a few security guards were on duty on the first floor.


    The two directly headed to the fourth floor. Passing by He Fangqing¡¯s office, they saw her inside, and Xu Yingying immediately pushed the door and entered. He Fangqing looked up, smiling, "The little couple has come together."


    Xu Yingying replied with a smile, "You¡¯ve been run ragged this month. It¡¯s my turn to help ease your burden. Otherwise, our husband would be worried."


    He Fangqing paused, "Your husband should be the one worried about you, not me."


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly, "Aren¡¯t you also my husband¡¯s lover? How could he not worry?"


    He Fangqing was taken aback by Xu Yingying¡¯s words, while Li Yifei then cheerfully interjected, "Yingying has recovered her memory."


    He Fangqing was overjoyed and exclaimed, "That¡¯s great news! Congratulations, Yingying."


    Xu Yingying pouted, "I might as well continue with the amnesia. Back then, this guy was only my husband. Now, there¡¯s a bunch of people vying for him."


    He Fangqing chuckled and remarked, "That just shows your husband¡¯s charm."


    "Let¡¯s not talk about that right now; we should get to work quickly," Xu Yingying shifted the topic.


    He Fangqing quickly added, "Michelle will be here soon too. She¡¯s been a great help to me recently. I couldn¡¯t have managed without her."


    Mentioning Michelle, Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei another glance. Li Yifei responded with an awkward smile. Among the women he had come into contact with, Michelle was the only one who loved him but had never been with him.


    Lately, he hadn¡¯t met with Michelle or had any contact with her. Although Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been thinking about her, the moment He Fangqing brought her up, he couldn¡¯t describe the strange feeling that stirred in his heart.


    Just after mentioning Michelle, there was a knock at the door, and then Michelle walked in. Seeing Xu Yingying and Li Yifei in the office, Michelle paused in surprise.


    "President Xu, you¡¯re back," Michelle greeted Xu Yingying in haste but only nodded at Li Yifei.


    Michelle was wearing a long dress today, a pale green one that Li Yifei had once bought for her. She looked somewhat pale and weary, which was particularly noticeable.


    Xu Yingying then said, "Michelle, are you feeling unwell?"


    Michelle quickly replied, "No, I¡¯m fine."


    At this point, He Fangqing added, "Michelle has been working like her life depends on it, staying until midnight. No matter how much I advise her, she doesn¡¯t listen."


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly, saying, "Michelle, work isn¡¯t something you can finish in a day or two. You can¡¯t push yourself so hard. If you exhaust yourself, our company will be short of a vital member." She then glanced at Li Yifei.


    Everyone clearly understood that Michelle¡¯s recent workaholic behavior was actually due to her romantic issues with Li Yifei. Michelle liked Li Yifei, but due to her family¡¯s conservative values, she couldn¡¯t be with him like others. Therefore, her solution was to immerse herself in work to avoid thinking about him.


    Michelle gave a light shake of her head and managed a smile, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, President Xu, I¡¯m fine. I actually feel quite happy working now." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying internally sighed, not expecting Michelle to react this way, and after glancing once more at Li Yifei, she said, "Alright then, let¡¯s get to work."


    Recently, most of the company work had been handled by He Fangqing and Michelle. Although Xu Yingying had returned a few times, there was still a backlog of work. Once the three of them started to work, they quickly entered a state of flow.


    Li Yifei, unlike before, did not sit idly by; he was fully engaged in the work. The four of them gathered around, temporarily setting aside any romantic matters and working conscientiously.


    After studying for over an hour, Xu Yingying assigned some tasks to Li Yifei, asking Michelle to assist him while she and He Fangqing delved into other matters.


    The two of them moved the documents to the coffee table and sat side by side on the sofa. Because of their prior focus, there was no awkwardness between them, and Michelle continued to explain things to Li Yifei attentively.


    "Ah, I understand now," said Li Yifei after grasping a piece of managerial knowledge with Michelle¡¯s help. He reached out to grab a document beside him, and at the same time, Michelle also went to grab it, resulting in Li Yifei¡¯s hand landing on the back of Michelle¡¯s hand.


    Michelle¡¯s hand tensed up instantly, her mouth agape as if frozen, not moving at all.


    A touch on the hand was usually insignificant, but Michelle¡¯s reaction caught Li Yifei off guard. After five or six seconds, Li Yifei withdrew his hand, apologetically saying, "Sorry."


    A blush spread across Michelle¡¯s cheeks as she softly said, "It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s continue with this."


    Li Yifei nodded, and they both focused on the document again. However, Michelle could no longer immerse herself in work like before and would occasionally get distracted.


    "Honey, Michelle, it¡¯s already noon. Would you mind getting us some takeout? We won¡¯t go out for lunch," Xu Yingying said.


    "Sure!" Li Yifei responded and stood up. After a moment of hesitation, Michelle also stood up and then the two left He Fangqing¡¯s office in silence.


    Walking ahead in silence, Michelle kept her head down, appearing a bit out of sorts. When they arrived at the staircase, she seemed unaware of the steps ahead, stepping forward as if on level ground. Her foot missed the step, eliciting a gasp as she nearly fell.


    Li Yifei was right beside Michelle and couldn¡¯t let her fall. He reached out and pulled her back, and instinctively, Michelle wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s waist, burying her head in his chest.


    "Michelle, are you okay?" Li Yifei asked softly.


    "Ah... I... I¡¯m fine!" Michelle quickly let go of Li Yifei and took a step back, nearly falling again, but fortunately, Li Yifei caught her hand.


    "Brother Li... I... I¡¯m fine," Michelle said softly, trying to withdraw her hand, but without success. As she looked up at Li Yifei, her eyes conveyed a complex expression of surprise, panic, and an unmistakable, ill-concealed joy.


    Li Yifei had only been concerned about preventing her from falling again, but seeing Michelle¡¯s gaze, he suddenly felt that letting go of her hand would be cruel. He smiled gently at her, saying, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll get something to eat," and led her downstairs while still holding her hand.

 Chapter 942 - 983: Couple Shirts

    Chapter 942: Chapter 983: Couple ShirtsMichelle was genuinely dizzy. What did Li Yifei mean by holding her hand?


    But at that moment, Michelle really didn¡¯t dare to ask. Li Yifei¡¯s hand was so warm, and the feeling of being held was so pleasant. She feared that if she asked, Li Yifei might let go of her. She had been working relentlessly these days just to forget about Li Yifei, to erase the affection she had for him. But now she realized that she couldn¡¯t forget him at all; those feelings were deeply embedded in her marrow.


    As they walked down the stairs, several security guards saw Li Yifei holding Michelle¡¯s hand and showed knowing smiles. However, one person was staring wide-eyed at Li Yifei¡ªit was Li Yifei¡¯s cousin, Meng Lei. This kid knew that Li Yifei¡¯s wives were Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er, so he didn¡¯t believe the rumors about Li Yifei and Michelle at all. But now, seeing Li Yifei holding Michelle¡¯s hand, he was completely confused.


    "Good day, President Li, Manager Mi, are you two going out together?" the security guards greeted with a hint of playfulness in their tone.


    Michelle was startled and finally snapped out of her reverie. She quickly withdrew her hand from Li Yifei¡¯s grip, her face flushed, too embarrassed to look at the security guards.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Michelle and I are going out to buy some things. Carry on with your work." Then he led Michelle out of the company, not wanting to explain anything to Meng Lei at the moment.


    "Brother Li..." Once they were outside the company, Michelle walked beside Li Yifei, biting her lower lip, and called out softly.


    "What is it?" Li Yifei turned and smiled at her.


    "I... just now..."


    Li Yifei chuckled again, saying, "Michelle, you are a manager now. Why are you still so hesitant when speaking?"


    A sudden feeling of grievance welled up inside Michelle, and her eyes reddened. She choked up and said, "In front of Brother Li, I am just a small woman."


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly, stretched out his arm, and wrapped it around Michelle¡¯s shoulder. Michelle paused, staring at Li Yifei with a startled expression, her lips quivering but no sound coming out.


    As Li Yifei walked forward with his arm around Michelle, he spoke softly, "Michelle, seeing you like this today really breaks my heart. I never intended for you to get hurt like this."


    "I... I haven¡¯t... I¡¯m fine, just... tired from work." Michelle followed Li Yifei¡¯s steps, trying to explain, but the feeling of grievance was too strong to resist, and tears began flowing unchecked.


    Li Yifei stopped walking, raised his hand to wipe away Michelle¡¯s tears, but fresh tears quickly streamed down her face, making him feel even worse. He stretched both arms, embracing her tightly, and gently patted her back, saying, "If you want to cry, just let it out. It¡¯ll be all right after you¡¯ve cried."


    "Uhh..." Michelle could no longer hold back, first crying softly, then bursting into loud sobs.


    It was the weekend, and not many people were around the company. Although a few passed by on the streets, most just glanced at them without interrupting. To any observer, they looked like a couple, and even if the girl was crying, it was their personal affair. Nowadays, people tend to mind their own business.


    After about ten minutes, Michelle¡¯s crying finally ceased. She gently pushed Li Yifei away, wiped her eyes, and said apologetically, "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, and said, "Don¡¯t keep things bottled up. It¡¯s better to talk about it, to cry it out."


    "Okay!" Michelle nodded and said, "I feel much better now. Oh, Brother Li, your shirt is all dirty."


    The front of Li Yifei¡¯s shirt was already wet, but he didn¡¯t mind and laughed, "A wash will take care of it."


    "But... but if Sister Yingying sees it when I get home, it¡¯ll be hard to explain."


    "What¡¯s there to explain? Just say some water got on it. Later, I¡¯ll buy a bottle of mineral water and splash more on, so no one can tell it¡¯s from tears."


    Michelle laughed out loud at that, saying, "Brother Li, who splashes water on their own clothes? There¡¯s a store front, let¡¯s go there and buy a new one, it¡¯ll look better that way."


    Li Yifei readily agreed, and together they went to the clothing store. However, the store didn¡¯t sell business attire, only sportswear, so they ended up picking out a yellow T-shirt for Li Yifei.


    While Li Yifei was trying on clothes, the salesperson said to Michelle, "Madam, we have the same style in women¡¯s clothing. If each of you wears one, it would be like a couple¡¯s set. Your boyfriend looks good in this shirt, wouldn¡¯t you like to pick one too?"


    Michelle hesitated for a moment and asked, "Really?"


    "Of course, true. You and your boyfriend wearing these shirts together will look even more well-matched when you go out."


    Michelle bit her lip and said, "Then bring me one." She quickly specified her size.


    The salesperson immediately brought her one, and Michelle said quickly, "Just wrap it up for me."


    "Do you not want to try it on?"


    "No need, no need, just pack it up quickly," Michelle urged the salesperson.


    The salesperson was a bit puzzled, as women generally try on clothes back and forth, but this beauty didn¡¯t even try them on, which was somewhat strange. However, since the customer wanted to buy it, she didn¡¯t worry too much about it.


    At that moment, Li Yifei had changed into his clothes and came out, asking Michelle, "How is it?"


    "Not bad, really looks good," Michelle said with a smile.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Haha, are you saying the clothes look good, or the person looks good?"


    Michelle was amused by Li Yifei and said, "The clothes look good, and so do you. Good-looking clothes on a handsome guy look even better." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, for that comment, I¡¯ll buy this one."


    Michelle rushed to pay, which of course included her own purchase, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t compete with her to pay. Now, the cost of a piece of clothing wasn¡¯t a big deal for Michelle.


    "You bought one too? I didn¡¯t see you try it on," Michelle said, holding a bag which naturally Li Yifei couldn¡¯t miss.


    "Yeah, I just picked one casually," Michelle said quickly, changing the subject, "Let¡¯s hurry and get some food; we¡¯ve been out for quite a while already."


    The two then went to a nearby fast-food restaurant and ordered four boxed meals before heading back to the office.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were still discussing something at that time. Li Yifei had to intervene to stop them, and then they came over to eat.


    "Hey, you changed your clothes?" Xu Yingying immediately noticed the yellow T-shirt on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei casually explained, "The previous one got dirty, so I just bought this one at a nearby store."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "You, always so careless," and then she didn¡¯t dwell on it anymore.


    Michelle felt relieved and continued to eat her food.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei and Michelle continued to work together. Michelle¡¯s mood had clearly improved a lot, and she occasionally chatted with Li Yifei during work breaks and even managed a smile.


    Li Yifei realized that Michelle was happier because of the release from years of suppression, which made him feel even more conflicted. Was he really doing the right thing by rejecting Michelle?


    He didn¡¯t agree to be with Michelle originally for her sake; after all, with so many people in his family, Michelle, being such a pure-hearted girl, deserved a good home. Being with him meant sharing him with others, and Li Yifei also knew that Michelle¡¯s family was very traditional and would not agree to their relationship, which would make it very difficult for her. This was the main reason Li Yifei had never accepted Michelle.


    But seeing how worn out Michelle had become recently made Li Yifei feel that his decision might not have been the right one.


    Actually, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know how he should treat Michelle now, but he really didn¡¯t want to make her too sad. Knowing that doing so today could potentially complicate their relationship further, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to harden his heart and instead comforted Michelle with his actions.


    Fortunately, Michelle didn¡¯t bring up anything about their relationship, which spared Li Yifei from feeling too awkward.


    After a busy day, it was past five in the afternoon before everyone was ready to leave. Michelle didn¡¯t go with Li Yifei and the others; she declined a ride and took a taxi home alone.


    Once home, Michelle went straight into her room, took out the yellow T-shirt, and tried it on.


    Looking in the mirror, Michelle was very satisfied. The shirt fit perfectly, and she suddenly recalled seeing Li Yifei wear this T-shirt. Looking in the mirror, it somewhat appeared as if two people were standing there¡ªone was Li Yifei, and the other was herself.


    The two wearing matching shirts seemed so well-matched, which made Michelle somewhat infatuated, and a happy smile increasingly spread across her face.


    "Brother Li, I know I can¡¯t wear this shirt with you at the same time, but just knowing you wore this shirt makes me so happy, really... I¡¯m so happy, Brother Li, do you know how much I like you? Every night I think of you, recalling every little detail of our time together, thinking of when we used to work together at that company, thinking of when we were on business trips, how you took care of me, thinking of that accident when we spent several days on the island, both of... naked... Brother Li, I will never forget you in this lifetime, I will always love you!"


    Michelle talked to herself as if she were in a dream, wrapped in happiness, and the days of distress seemed to dissipate all at once.

 Chapter 943 - 984: Forcing He Fangqing

    Chapter 943: Chapter 984: Forcing He FangqingLi Yifei parked the car outside He Fangqing¡¯s apartment complex. Just as He Fangqing was getting out of the car, Xu Yingying said, "Fangqing, I just remembered something else."


    He Fangqing turned around and asked, "What else is there?"


    "It¡¯ll take too long to explain here, let¡¯s go to your place to talk. Oh, and honey, could you buy some groceries? We¡¯ll have dinner at Fangqing¡¯s place tonight."


    He Fangqing laughed, "Then I¡¯m getting a bargain here, getting to eat a meal cooked by a great chef tonight."


    Xu Yingying smiled, "You¡¯ve been working so hard, having him cook us a nice meal is the least we can do. Honey, make sure to prepare lots of tasty dishes to properly treat Sister Fangqing." Then she got out of the car with He Fangqing. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei bought some groceries and returned to He Fangqing¡¯s place. Although he hadn¡¯t been there many times, he was familiar with the place. Seeing the two women engrossed in work when he entered, he didn¡¯t disturb them and went to the kitchen to cook.


    He Fangqing often cooked for herself, so the kitchen was well stocked.


    In about an hour, Li Yifei had made six dishes and a soup. He knew both of their tastes well, so he cooked what they liked.


    "Workaholics, come and eat," Li Yifei called them over.


    "It smells amazing," He Fangqing said as she approached the dining room, her nose twitching and her mouth watering.


    Xu Yingying laughed, "Our husband has really outdone himself. Let¡¯s eat."


    The three of them sat down, and Xu Yingying laughed again, "Honey, didn¡¯t you get any wine?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "You didn¡¯t mention wanting to drink. If you¡¯d like, I can go get some now."


    He Fangqing quickly said, "No need, I still have a bottle of red wine here."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "Then bring it out, it¡¯s more romantic with red wine."


    With red wine, the three enjoyed a lavish dinner. Xu Yingying was in a great mood, and so was He Fangqing. It had been a long time since she had such a nice meal at home, especially with Li Yifei there, even though he was just Xu Yingying¡¯s husband.


    He Fangqing had been divorced once, so she was generally more restrained and clear-headed about romantic matters. However, despite her clarity, as a mature woman she naturally had her desires, often dreaming at midnight of companionship.


    But she wasn¡¯t a casual person; her only bar encounter had been with Li Yifei, prompted by deep sadness which had driven her to drink that night. Afterward, she never visited bars again, even though she had desires, she never considered seeking random men for comfort.


    The only person who could fulfill that need was Li Yifei, but He Fangqing didn¡¯t want to create conflicts between him and Xu Yingying because of her feelings, so she firmly controlled herself, refraining from approaching him. Like Michelle, she immersed herself in work to keep her mind off such matters.


    Xu Yingying raised her glass again, "Sister Fangqing, let¡¯s have another drink. Let¡¯s not talk about work tonight, just relax."


    He Fangqing also lifted her glass and leaned back in her chair, the slight buzz from the wine making her quite enjoy the moment. "Yes, I really need to unwind today. I¡¯ve been so exhausted with you being on business trips."


    Xu Yingying nodded, "Yes, I was unconscious for over two months, which was hard on you, then I had to travel again. The company would be in trouble without you. Sister Fangqing, with the company doing so well now, you really have been magnificent."


    He Fangqing sipped her wine, "Yingying, saying that to me, aren¡¯t you being too formal? We started this business together, and this company has grown from nothing, it¡¯s like my own child, I would never want anything to go wrong with it."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "That¡¯s true too, the company is our family¡¯s, your hard work is expected."


    "Our family?" He Fangqing paused, she knew the company had been given to Li Yifei by Su Mengxin, thus belonging to Xu Yingying, but Xu Yingying¡¯s "our family" confused her.


    Xu Yingying smiled warmly, "Yes, the company is our own family¡¯s."


    He Fangqing hesitated, but with her intelligence, she caught the underlying meaning in Xu Yingying¡¯s words and laughed, "Yingying, stop joking, the company belongs to you and Yifei, I¡¯m just an employee."


    Xu Yingying didn¡¯t respond to He Fangqing¡¯s comment, instead, she gave Li Yifei a meaningful look, "Honey, seems like Sister Fangqing is a bit confused, probably exhausted from work lately. Could you massage her head a bit to help her clear up?"


    Li Yifei, now very obedient to Xu Yingying, immediately stood up and positioned himself behind He Fangqing, his hands gently pressing on her head.


    He Fangqing didn¡¯t pull away, and looked at Xu Yingying helplessly, "Yingying, I¡¯ve already made myself clear to you, what are you trying to pull here?"


    Xu Yingying did not answer He Fangqing. Instead, she turned to ask, "Do you know how many women our husband has now?"


    "Sigh... It seems like there really are quite a few," He Fangqing gave a wry smile.


    "Everyone counted at home yesterday, a total of eleven."


    "Eleven?" He Fangqing exclaimed in surprise, then scolded, "I tell you Yifei, isn¡¯t this a bit too much? How did you end up with so many, and I don¡¯t even feel like there are that many?"


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "Yiyi, Xiaoyao, Ning Xin¡¯er, Yunzhu, Lin Qiong, and Mengxin¡ªthese are the ones you know. Plus me, that makes seven. Then there¡¯s also Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, the two hosts."


    He Fangqing elbowed Li Yifei and said discontentedly, "You rascal, when did you start hooking up with those two?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "Quite a while ago."


    "Unbelievable, so who are the two missing then?"


    Xu Yingying said, "There are also Mengxin¡¯s two good friends, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, both from prominent families in the Capital City."


    He Fangqing bumped Li Yifei again and said, "You really are something¡ªhooking up with people from the Capital City. Unbelievable."


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "Yeah, I really don¡¯t know why there are so many foolish people who know it¡¯s a pit of fire and yet still jump into it. Oh, and there¡¯s also Michelle, that girl who¡¯s obviously been tortured by love recently. As soon as our husband nods, she would definitely throw herself at him."


    Mentioning Michelle, He Fangqing sighed and said, "Michelle really is lovesick. I¡¯ve tried to talk her out of it, but she¡¯s obviously so enchanted by this guy that she can¡¯t break free."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I¡¯m not going to get involved in Michelle¡¯s issues. If she wants to, then let her."


    Li Yifei wanted to say something, but thinking about Michelle¡¯s haggard appearance that morning, and her sobbing in his arms during the day, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything else.


    He Fangqing shook her head and said, "Yingying, I really admire you. This guy is such a Casanova, yet you don¡¯t rein him in and still indulge him."


    Xu Yingying shrugged helplessly and said, "I originally wanted to pretend to have amnesia to control him, but seeing everyone being so accommodating because of my ¡¯amnesia¡¯, it just didn¡¯t sit well with me. If I kept pretending, they would continue to indulge me. That would be too selfish of me. In the end, I just had to admit defeat."


    What could He Fangqing say at that point? Li Yifei just had that charm with women, making it difficult to leave once they were with him.


    "Sister Fangqing, look, I can tolerate so much, yet it¡¯s you who has to share your husband alone. It really doesn¡¯t sit well with me, so I just wanted to say, why don¡¯t you just join us? That way we¡¯re all good sisters. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?"


    He Fangqing gave a bitter smile and shook her head, "Yingying, let¡¯s not. You know I¡¯ve already gone through one failed marriage. Dealing with a man who¡¯s a womanizer doesn¡¯t sit well with me. I don¡¯t want to get involved with this guy."


    Xu Yingying looked into He Fangqing¡¯s eyes and said, "Really?"


    He Fangqing avoided Xu Yingying¡¯s gaze, but still bit her lip and said, "It¡¯s true."


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "Sister Fangqing, I know you¡¯re not being honest. I also know why you keep persisting like this. It¡¯s because you... feel inferior."


    He Fangqing was taken aback, and Xu Yingying¡¯s words had struck a nerve. She sighed and said, "You¡¯re right, I do feel inferior. Yifei¡¯s other women, they have looks, they have talents, and none of them have been married. Whereas I¡¯m just a woman who¡¯s been through a divorce, I¡¯ve had a man."


    Xu Yingying immediately said, "So what? The divorce wasn¡¯t your fault, it was that man who was faithless. Does a mistake in choosing a man once mean one can¡¯t make another choice?"


    "One can choose... it¡¯s just that I..."


    Xu Yingying cut off He Fangqing, looked at Li Yifei, and said, "Do you care?"


    Li Yifei hastily said, "I don¡¯t mind at all. I¡¯ve always been fond of Fangqing."


    Xu Yingying then said to He Fangqing, "Did you hear that? What else do you have to say?"


    "I... Yingying, even if Yifei doesn¡¯t mind, it still bothers me. I¡¯d feel uncomfortable being with you all."


    Xu Yingying looked at He Fangqing, suddenly stood up, and said, "Husband, carry her into the bedroom. Today let¡¯s let Sister Fangqing try it out and see if she feels comfortable or not."


    Li Yifei was startled for a moment, and Xu Yingying glared at him, saying, "Don¡¯t you want it to be like that day with Xinyue and me?"


    Li Yifei was overjoyed, quickly scooped up He Fangqing, and rushed toward the bedroom, amazed that Xu Yingying would agree to such a thing when she wasn¡¯t even drunk.

 Chapter 944 - 985 Everyday Like This

    Chapter 944: Chapter 985 Everyday Like This"No!" He Fangqing was startled and said with a pained expression, "Alright, I agree."


    Today¡¯s madness finally broke through He Fangqing¡¯s feelings of inferiority; she could sense Xu Yingying¡¯s sincerity. Besides, how could she not want to be with Li Yifei?


    Xu Yingying then gave a satisfied chuckle before saying, "Sister Fangqing, don¡¯t worry. Everything at home is going well now. Everyone has their arrangements, and we won¡¯t mess around every day. At most, we¡¯ll let this guy indulge once a month. Otherwise, we¡¯d be worried he might wear himself out. If he dies from exhaustion, we¡¯ll all be widows."


    He Fangqing finally laughed lightly and said, "That¡¯s true. Even if a man is strong, he can¡¯t be too indulgent."


    Xu Yingying replied with a smile, "That¡¯s right, so rest assured. But each night there needs to be at least two people; otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t even get to see him once a week, which would practically be like being a widow."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up and he said, "Wife, are you serious?"


    Xu Yingying glared at Li Yifei reproachfully and said, "Now you¡¯re smug, huh?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "I¡¯m not smug, it just feels a bit too... too..."


    "Too what?" Xu Yingying squinted at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, at that moment, couldn¡¯t think of the right word to express his feelings. He could only hug Xu Yingying and kiss her on the cheek, saying, "Wife, you are really too good to me."


    Xu Yingying said somewhat resentfully, "I¡¯m not too good, I¡¯m just out of options. With so many, we can¡¯t just leave someone hanging for days on end. I can¡¯t stand it myself, so to be with you sooner, this is the only way."


    What more could Li Yifei say? This was all his doing. All he could do was hug Xu Yingying tightly, and, of course, he also hugged He Fangqing with his other arm.


    He Fangqing had finally gotten used to it somewhat and said, "Just be careful not to wear yourself out every day."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely keep fit and won¡¯t disappoint you."


    After chatting for a while, He Fangqing asked, "Aren¡¯t you going back tonight?" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying replied, "We¡¯re not going back. We don¡¯t feel like it."


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "Not going back? Aren¡¯t you afraid of any trouble at home? Don¡¯t make anyone unhappy."


    Xu Yingying chuckled and said, "Taking advantage of the rules not being set yet to enjoy some time alone."


    Li Yifei winked and said, "Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we go for another round? Otherwise, it would be a waste of a trip."


    "Can you still do it?" Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at Li Yifei, her gaze shifting slightly, clearly tempted.


    "Whether it will work or not, we¡¯ll know only if we try." Saying so, Li Yifei had already flipped Xu Yingying beneath him.


    What followed was a room full of spring warmth, constantly celebrating, where Li Yifei proved yet again not only his superb skills but his extraordinary stamina, showing he had the capacity to stand alone against many.


    The weekend was exceptionally joyful. Xu Yingying regained her memory so the home was suddenly filled with laughter and merry voices, but come Monday, things reverted to normal. Li Yifei began to work hard on his new company, and progress was quite smooth. In Mile City, Li Yifei¡¯s reputation carried significant weight, and no department dared to refuse him efficient service.


    On Wednesday, Li Yifei needed to make a trip to the province, while Ye Yunzhu suggested going back to visit. Since giving birth, her family had visited her, but she had not returned to the Ye family. The Old Master of the Ye Family had called several times wanting to see his great-granddaughter, so it was a good opportunity to bring Little Yixiang back home as well.


    On their arrival at the Ye family, the Old Master was so thrilled holding Little Yixiang that his smile hardly faded. Although she was not his first great-grandchild¡ªthe Ye family had a few¡ªthe Old Master was still very happy.


    After doting on his great-granddaughter for a while, the Old Master took Li Yifei to the study. They sat down, each lit a cigarette, and the Old Master, in a good mood, said, "Yifei, congratulations on embarking on the path of family legacy."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "In the future, I¡¯ll still need to seek advice from Grandfather."


    The Old Master laughed heartily and said, "With a wise and capable wife like Su Mengxin by your side, do you still need me?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and responded, "Although Mengxin is incredibly talented in many areas, she lacks experience in establishing and managing a family legacy, something that can¡¯t compare to what Grandfather possesses."


    These words greatly pleased the Old Master, who replied, "No problem, whatever you don¡¯t understand, just ask me."


    At that moment, Li Yifei was indeed very humble, asking all the questions he could think of, and the Old Master gave guidance on each one. Even though the Old Master was only a patriarch within the provincial city, the development of such families shared similarities; it was just that some were restrained by their capabilities, hindering their progress.


    "Yifei, currently you¡¯re not involved in politics, and wanting to establish a family legacy under such circumstances is very challenging. Often, just one policy might ruin your entire family legacy. I advise you to consider this aspect carefully."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Grandfather, I understand that if I ventured into the political realm, allowing those within it to work for me, it would certainly save much effort. However, that can lead to an unwieldly situation where, if someone in power falls, it could potentially bring down the whole family with them. The legacy I want to build should stand unshakeably. I need my family to influence the political realm, letting the officials serve me, rather than having my family directly involved."


    "This idea is quite unique, but it seems like it could be hard to implement. For instance, if your family members handle something, the other party can deal with it directly for you. But if they¡¯re not your people, at the very least it introduces complexities. Often, whether or not the response is swift is critical to success or failure."


    Li Yifei was aware of this, but having learned from the Old Master Su, he knew that officials within a large family could not serve the family indefinitely¡ªonce they become officials, their duty is to the state and the people, not to the family interests as before. If this were indeed achievable, involving in politics would truly be pointless.


    However, this was a confidential matter among the upper echelons; the Elder had instructed him not to disclose it, so at this moment, he could not share it with Yunzhu¡¯s grandfather.


    After discussing Li Yifei¡¯s affairs for a while, he then asked, "Old Master, how is the Ye Family doing now?"


    The Old Master sighed and said, "Things are not as good as I had hoped. I thought that after years of keeping a low profile and accumulating strength, the Ye Family was ready to stand up and compete with other families. But it was only when we actually did so that I realized each family has more than what appears¡ªeveryone has various hidden strengths. So now, everyone has essentially maintained a balance, and no one can significantly affect another."


    This time, Li Yifei did not offer any help, and the Old Master didn¡¯t mention it either. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to be involved in the Ye Family¡¯s conflicts for now, and the Old Master understood that under the current circumstances, unless Li Yifei resorted to drastic actions, his involvement wouldn¡¯t change the balance of power among the families. Even though the situation wasn¡¯t ideal, it could still be accepted, at the very least, other families now respected the Ye Family.

 Chapter 945 - 986: Bumper Boats

    Chapter 945: Chapter 986: Bumper BoatsLi Yifei had come to the province today to handle some company-related procedures. The Ye family was quite capable in this regard and quickly settled everything for him. Although Li Yifei knew people in official circles which made matters more convenient, with the Lin family in the province, the Su family in Capital City, and the future involvement of the Xiao and Zheng families, whose networks were even broader, he could fully leverage these connections which would be much easier than establishing his own.


    The matters were handled smoothly, so Li Yifei found himself with some leisure time. He went back to the Ye family¡¯s house, picked up Ye Yunzhu, and they both went out for a stroll.


    Ye Yunzhu suggested, "Honey, let¡¯s go for a walk in the park."


    Li Yifei gladly agreed, and then they headed to Labor Park, the largest park in the province. The park had a nice environment with Renmin Lake, a flower exhibition, and various amusement facilities. Although it was not the weekend, there were still quite a few people around.


    Yunzhu linked her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s, walking leisurely along the wooded paths of the park, feeling extremely good.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yunzhu, it¡¯s been a long time since we last strolled through a park like this."


    Ye Yunzhu gently pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm and remarked, "You remember, huh? The last time we went to a park, we were still in high school. Now, I have even had a child for you, and you haven¡¯t been spending quality time with me."


    Li Yifei felt regretful and said, "Yunzhu, are you very angry with me?"


    "Not really angry anymore. We were young at that time, just thinking about how to have fun. Now that we¡¯re older, our desires are different. Being able to go out like this occasionally feels quite romantic. Besides, even if I do get angry with you now, what good would it do?"


    Li Yifei laughed dryly. This was his weak spot; having many women meant that many normal activities for couples were considered a luxury for him and his women.


    "Let¡¯s go boating," they suggested when they reached the artificial lake, as Yunzhu looked excitedly at the boats.


    Naturally, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse. They bought tickets and boarded a small boat. It was a normal boat operated with paddles and not a pedal boat. Rowing a boat on the lake had a certain charm, while pedal boats were less exciting.


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu sat facing each other. Li Yifei gently waved the paddle, and the boat immediately moved away from the shore toward the center of the lake. Ye Yunzhu leaned over to put her hand in the cool lake water, occasionally flashing charming smiles at Li Yifei. It felt like they were back in their teenage years, an indescribably sweet moment.


    While Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were enjoying a tender and romantic time, people on several nearby boats were staring at them with venomous glares in their eyes.


    Among them were Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao. Lin Sihao was previously supposed to be engaged to Ye Yunzhu. Li Yifei had interrupted that arrangement, causing Lin Sihao to deeply resent both Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu. Song Ziqiao, formerly the Deputy County Head, had encountered conflicts with Li Yifei in Mile City. Though he was reassigned by the Song family, his career progression wasn¡¯t as smooth at the new location, provoking hatred for Li Yifei.


    Neither of the two was particularly interested in boating, but they had come to the park with a group of friends and several attractive university students, striving for some fun. Unexpectedly, they spotted Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, and seeing them reignited their hatred.


    Lin Sihao rowed his boat close to Song Ziqiao¡¯s and whispered, "Ziqiao, see that guy over there?"


    Song Ziqiao, staring at Li Yifei, gritted his teeth and said, "Of course I see him, damn it, this bastard actually showed up here."


    Lin Sihao responded bitterly, "Young Master Song, this guy has forced you to restart your career, delaying your progress for several years. Don¡¯t you want to settle the score properly?"


    "Of course, I do. But his backing is damn solid. My family¡¯s elder already warned me not to mess with him."


    "So what if his backing is solid? Do we really have to confront him head-on? If something ¡¯accidental¡¯ were to happen, would it have anything to do with us?"


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s eyes lit up and said, "Sihao, you¡¯ve got a point. Let¡¯s plan for an ¡¯accident.¡¯ Even if we can¡¯t kill him, we can embarrass him."


    The two huddled together, discussing their scheme, then both pulled out their phones to make some calls.


    Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao were able to see Li Yifei and bore such looks at him; there was no way Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t notice them. If he couldn¡¯t even detect them, he wouldn¡¯t deserve the name ¡¯Golden Eagle.¡¯


    However, Li Yifei did not inform Ye Yunzhu about this, seeing how happy she was, he truly didn¡¯t want to spoil the mood. On the lake, even if Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao were to pull some tricks, Li Yifei could handle it comfortably, so he continued to happily boat and chat with Ye Yunzhu, enjoying this rare, warm moment.


    Several pedal boats leisurely approached, getting increasingly closer to Li Yifei¡¯s boat, a typical scene on the artificial lake. However, when two pedal boats were only a few meters away, they suddenly accelerated and headed straight for Li Yifei¡¯s boat.


    Ye Yunzhu immediately felt it and cried out in alarm. If those two pedal boats really hit theirs, their small boat was most likely to capsize. Instinctively, Ye Yunzhu quickly grabbed the gunwale. The four people on those two boats had excitement gleaming in their eyes, eagerly waiting to see Li Yifei¡¯s boat capsize.


    But at that moment, Li Yifei paddled swiftly, and the almost stationary small boat shot forth like an arrow, miraculously avoiding a collision.


    Though they hadn¡¯t been hit, Ye Yunzhu was still startled. Her personality was naturally dominant, and she suddenly yelled, "What are you doing?"


    A man in one of the pedal boats, with a slick tone, responded, "Beauty, you¡¯ve got quite the temper. We were just joking around."


    Another young guy from the other boat chimed in, "Beauty is so pretty, we wanted to see how you look wet, haha..."


    "Yeah, yeah, if the beauty would just jump into the water, it¡¯d be best for us all to get a look. If not, then we¡¯ll have to knock you in." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, raucous laughter echoed from all four pedal boats.


    Ye Yunzhu was greatly annoyed, while Li Yifei patted her hand and said, "Yunzhu, we¡¯re in a good mood today, let¡¯s just play along with them."


    Ye Yunzhu paused for a moment, then broke into a brilliant smile, "Okay, let¡¯s get all those jerks from those four boats into the water as turtles."


    "No problem!" Li Yifei snapped his fingers and then swung the paddle, and their small boat swiftly weaved through the gaps between the pedal boats.


    "Guys, chase them! Bumper cars weren¡¯t enough; let¡¯s play bumper boats." The four pedal boats quickly rushed towards Li Yifei and his companions.


    Normally, the pedal boats in the park should have been faster than the small boat and easier to maneuver, and the eight men on those boats were particularly robust, pedaling fiercely. They should have been faster than Li Yifei¡¯s boat.


    But with Li Yifei paddling, though not seeming fast, the small boat zipped across the water, advancing and retreating swiftly, eluding the chasing boats.


    Other boats on the artificial lake, seeing the chase, quickly rowed to the shore to avoid collateral damage, and soon the lake was left for the exciting confrontation among these five boats.


    "Damn, this guy is really good at rowing the boat, must be a fisherman, right?"


    "Yeah, he¡¯s handling the boat too stylishly, like performing acrobatics."


    "Ah! They¡¯re going to collide!"


    "Wow, dodged it again."


    The onlookers were becoming increasingly excited as they watched. They had never seen such a bumper boat game, especially with a beautiful woman in the boat, making the spectacle even more eye-catching.


    Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao¡¯s boats had now stopped at the shore, watching the developments with some irritation. The four boats still hadn¡¯t managed to hit Li Yifei¡¯s boat. How could this guy be so good at rowing?


    Li Yifei skillfully dodged the collisions, and Ye Yunzhu wasn¡¯t fearful anymore but rather found the exhilaration amusing, laughing, "Honey, don¡¯t keep dodging, they want to hit us, you should hit back."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, let¡¯s show you how a bunch of turtles swim." Then, he paddled straight towards where Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao were, with the four boats hastily chasing after him like flying.


    This time Li Yifei paddled directly forwards, the four boats behind also desperately followed, their speed seeming to reach the peak.


    "Guys, push harder, he¡¯s got nowhere to hide!"


    The four boats, seeing that Li Yifei¡¯s small boat was heading towards the shore, got excited and yelled out loudly, giving it their all in pursuit.


    Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao felt uneasy at that moment, as Li Yifei¡¯s boat was clearly heading towards their own. If Li Yifei¡¯s boat were to be hit, they¡¯d be in trouble too. They both urgently shouted, "Go back! Go back!"


    But it was too late when they realized, and with several dull crashes, the boats collided, the huge impact instantly capsizing them, throwing everyone into the lake, and turning them into drenched chickens.

 Chapter 946 - 987: Can You Swim?

    Chapter 946: Chapter 987: Can You Swim?"Wow, that was freaking awesome, the little boat is actually fine."


    "How did they dodge that? I didn¡¯t see it clearly at all."


    "I saw it clearly, it was totally drifting, that was real drifting, so cool, the little boat suddenly swerved, then rushed out sideways, and then the four boats behind collided with the two in front."


    "The two boats watching the show were also unlucky, getting hit even while trying to avoid."


    The onlookers naturally didn¡¯t know that all of this was arranged by Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao, some even felt sympathy for Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao, but these two guys were very clear that Li Yifei did it on purpose, intentionally creating such an outcome.


    By this time, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu had rowed over, and Ye Yunzhu, seeing these people popping up one by one in the water, which wasn¡¯t very deep¡ªjust chest-deep¡ªso everyone was standing, but all of them looked extremely embarrassed, especially Song Ziqiao, who was even wearing a pile of waterweeds on his head, making Ye Yunzhu burst into laughter.


    Li Yifei then said with a grin, "Hey, aren¡¯t those Young Master Lin and Young Master Song? What a coincidence to encounter you guys here."


    Song Ziqiao yanked the waterweeds off his head and cursed, "Li Yifei, you son of a bitch, I won¡¯t let you go."


    Li Yifei turned his head to Ye Yunzhu and said, "Wife, he¡¯s threatening me."


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s lips twitched as she said, "Just think of it as a dog farting."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Right, like a dog barking at me, I really shouldn¡¯t bother with him."


    Song Ziqiao¡¯s face turned green with anger, and Lin Sihao was even more infuriated, his hands clutching a mess he had struggled to grab from the bottom, and he immediately threw it at Li Yifei¡¯s face, cursing, "Fuck your mother!"


    Li Yifei flipped his oar, and a splash of water rose up, instantly blocking the mud, then the water mixed with the mud showered back onto Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao.


    Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao had no way to block it and were drenched from head to foot, their faces covered in mud.


    Ye Yunzhu laughed even more delightedly and said, "Haha, honey, you¡¯re so cool, turning those guys into mudfish."


    This time, Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao were almost driven mad, roaring with fury as they charged toward Li Yifei¡¯s boat, Lin Sihao even bellowed, "Overturn their boat!"


    The other eight people in the water also charged toward Li Yifei¡¯s boat¡ªif ten people ganged up, it would be very easy to flip the boat.


    However, Li Yifei was not about to let them succeed as he swung his oar and already drifted toward the middle of the lake, yes, just drifted away, not very fast, just putting some distance between them, unattainable yet close enough for him to occasionally splash water onto their heads using his oar, and for Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao, it felt particularly humiliating.


    Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao, furious beyond measure, weren¡¯t thinking clearly anymore, just bent on overturning Li Yifei¡¯s boat, so they chased desperately, and the other eight men, heeding Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao and also humiliated by Li Yifei dipping them into the water, naturally sought revenge too, all of them chasing noisily and fiercely.


    "Hurry up! Faster, how can you be so clumsy, you can¡¯t even catch up!" Ye Yunzhu, enjoying herself, occasionally taunted them, driving Song Ziqiao, Lin Sihao, and the others mad with anger.


    After circling the lake for over ten minutes, Li Yifei suddenly stopped the boat and cheerfully asked Song Ziqiao and the others, "Do you guys know how to swim?"


    Lin Sihao suddenly froze, then started panicking and shouted, "I... I can¡¯t swim!"


    "I can¡¯t swim either! Help! Help!"


    Immediately, others also started shouting, as they had rushed over in a burst of adrenaline, and it was only when Li Yifei pointed it out that they realized they were in the deep section, their feet couldn¡¯t touch the ground, and those who couldn¡¯t swim panicked, floundering and screaming loudly.


    Although Song Ziqiao and a few others could swim, at that moment, they also realized that they had exhausted their strength after swimming for so long and panicked too, screaming out loud.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You idiots, play slowly." Then, with a sweep of the paddle, the boat swiftly moved away.


    Song Ziqiao desperately screamed in the middle of the lake, but fortunately, since they had been making quite a ruckus, the park staff had already noticed them. Just before, someone had rowed over trying to persuade them to stop, but they were all scolded away by Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao, so the staff could only follow from a distance. This time, however, they quickly came to rescue Song Ziqiao and the others.


    "Li Yifei! Ye Yunzhu! I won¡¯t let you off!"


    "I must pulverize your bones and scatter them to the winds to ease the hatred in my heart."


    Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao were cursing Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu on this side, but Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu had already reached the shore. Yunzhu suddenly remembered what had just happened and couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    "Honey, that was so much fun, you really are mischievous," Ye Yunzhu pinched Li Yifei, although it was more of a compliment than a complaint.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Who asked them to mess with us? I couldn¡¯t let my wife fall into the water."


    "Cut it out, you just didn¡¯t want others to see me all wet and get the short end of the stick."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, what¡¯s ours shouldn¡¯t be seen by others; your body should only be for my eyes."


    Seeing that it was getting late, Ye Yunzhu said, "Honey, I¡¯m a bit hungry. Let¡¯s go out and eat something."


    Li Yifei agreed, and they left the park. Li Yifei thought about taking Yunzhu to a restaurant or back to the Ye family¡¯s place to eat, but Yunzhu wanted to eat at a street food stall.


    "Honey, do you remember when we were in high school, we always went out to eat at these street food stalls, with a bowl of cold noodles each, and some grilled skewers? We really enjoyed it back then."


    Li Yifei instantly remembered the scenes of their love during high school and said nostalgically, "Yes, back then we sat close together while eating."


    "You were the naughtiest back then; I never got to eat a full skewer. After two bites, you would snatch it away."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Because it had your saliva on it, I had to snatch it and eat."


    "You little rascal, first you snatched the skewers, then you swept me off my feet entirely."


    "Ha ha... Yes, luckily I was a bit cheeky, or you wouldn¡¯t have ended up with me. Looking back, it was definitely the right move."


    "I was out of luck; if it weren¡¯t for your mischief back then, would I be following you now?"


    The two joked and laughed, walking into a food stall. It was still early, just past five o¡¯clock, and the stall had just opened; not many customers were around. Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu ordered two bowls of cold noodles and some skewers, just like they used to in high school.


    Their food arrived quickly, and they sat close together, heads touching like teenagers; Li Yifei still snatched Yunzhu¡¯s skewers, which was indescribably sweet.


    First loves are the most beautiful. For Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu, that period of their youth was definitely their most beautiful memory. Even though Li Yifei now had many women, he had to admit that his love affair with Yunzhu was the most precious treasure of his life. Revisiting those memories made them both feel as though they had returned to their teenage years. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, this beautiful atmosphere was quickly shattered.


    Two vans charged to the entrance of the food stall, and after a screeching halt, fourteen or fifteen people jumped out, all armed with steel pipes, and charged straight in.


    The few patrons inside the stall, frightened by the scene, screamed and hid to one side, while the stall owner shrank back, internally complaining.


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu remained seated, but Yunzhu frowned and said, "Honey, these people are really annoying."


    Li Yifei also expressed his displeasure. "Yes, some people are just annoying."


    "Why don¡¯t you go teach them a lesson?" In the past, Yunzhu would have panicked in such situations. Even though she was a Deputy County Head and a member of the Ye family, facing these hooligans, her status was temporarily useless. Even if she could take care of the opposition later, there was a risk of immediate loss. But now, it was different; she knew how strong Li Yifei was¡ªwith his capabilities, even ten of these hooligans were no match for him, so she felt quite composed.


    "Your wish is my command," Li Yifei said with a slight smile and stood up.


    "There¡¯s the guy, beat him!" One bald man shouted, pointing at Li Yifei. Without a second thought, more than ten men swung their steel pipes and rushed toward Li Yifei.


    These men had obviously been brought by Song Ziqiao and Lin Sihao. Li Yifei saw no need to be polite with them.


    Yunzhu wasn¡¯t afraid, but the other patrons in the stall couldn¡¯t bear to watch. More than ten against one, and armed at that¡ªit wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the consequence.


    But they were quickly astounded. Instead of the expected scene of a man being beaten up, a bizarre sight unfolded. One by one, the muscular men armed with steel pipes flew through the air. In just over a minute, more than ten robust men had been knocked to the ground.


    Not only was he unharmed, Li Yifei was kicking those lying on the ground a couple more times each.


    "Is this a movie?" Everyone wondered, unable to comprehend how one man could overpower more than ten armed brutes.

 Chapter 947 - 988: Open Up, Police

    Chapter 947: Chapter 988: Open Up, PoliceSong Ziqiao and Lin Sihao were in the car outside at the moment. They weren¡¯t young anymore and understood that when doing things, it was best not to be too ostentatious. Therefore, when those people started fighting, they just watched the spectacle from outside instead of showing off in front of Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu.


    Both of them had had conflicts with Li Yifei, but they only knew that Su Mengxin was Li Yifei¡¯s backer. Therefore, they knew better than to mess with Li Yifei. They didn¡¯t want to show their faces today because of this. After all, if Li Yifei ended up getting beaten up, they could wash their hands of any responsibility.


    However, they were shocked when they saw more than a dozen people get taken down by Li Yifei alone. They couldn¡¯t believe how formidable he was. More than a dozen gangsters with steel pipes¡ªany average martial artist would have been floored, yet Li Yifei hadn¡¯t suffered a scratch.


    The last time when Ziqiao had an incident, the Third Tribute from their family had stepped in, and even then, Li Yifei ended up heavily injured. Ziqiao was aware of this, but in his anger just now, he hadn¡¯t thought that much. Now he remembered that these gangsters wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against their own Tribute, let alone against Li Yifei.


    "Fuck! How is this kid so tough?" Lin Sihao¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief as he doubted his own sight.


    Song Ziqiao frowned slightly and said, "Yeah, I really didn¡¯t expect this kid to be so good at fighting." He naturally couldn¡¯t admit that he knew Li Yifei was a good fighter, or else Lin Sihao, who had brought in those people, would blame him.


    At that moment, Song Ziqiao suddenly said urgently, "Sihao, drive quickly, that kid is coming out." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Sihao had also noticed Li Yifei approaching their car and was alarmed. He hurriedly started the car, intending to leave. Knowing they were no match for Li Yifei, they¡¯d be in real trouble if he laid into them.


    In his panic, Sihao made mistakes. He started the car without releasing the handbrake, so the car couldn¡¯t accelerate. By now, Li Yifei had charged up to the side of his driver¡¯s seat, reached through the open window, and grabbed Lin Sihao by the collar, barking, "Stop the car."


    "I..." Lin Sihao certainly didn¡¯t want to stop, and he floored the gas pedal, hoping to shake Li Yifei off, but suddenly felt intense pain around his neck, almost getting strangled. Instinctively, he slammed on the brakes, and his neck finally got some relief as he gasped for air.


    "Young Master Lin, why run when you see me?" Li Yifei asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "I... I just don¡¯t want to see you," Lin Sihao gritted his teeth. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s strength, he didn¡¯t dare provoke him. Otherwise, he would have already cursed out loud. Still, showing weakness wasn¡¯t the style of someone like him, a Young Master. His words were a plea for some dignity.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Young Master Lin has a point. I, too, don¡¯t want to see you, especially when a simple meal gets interrupted by you guys. That really irritates me."


    Lin Sihao held back his anger and said, "We¡¯ll leave right away."


    Li Yifei squinted at Lin Sihao and then looked at Song Ziqiao, saying, "So, we¡¯re just going to forget what happened just now?"


    Song Ziqiao wasn¡¯t being throttled by the collar like Lin Sihao, so he didn¡¯t sympathize as much. Although Li Yifei was tough in a fight, Ziqiao still glared at him and snapped, "Li Yifei, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t be too arrogant. This is the provincial city, not the small town of Mile City. This is our turf. If you dare touch us, I will make sure you¡¯re dead."


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze shifted back to Song Ziqiao and he said slowly, "Is that so?"


    "Don¡¯t think that just because you have the Su Family backing you, you¡¯re a big deal. I¡¯ve investigated; you¡¯re only close with Su Mengxin. You¡¯re not a real member of the Su Family. If I kill you, the Su Family won¡¯t take up arms for you."


    Li Yifei laughed, "I really didn¡¯t expect it, Young Master Song, even a blockhead like you has learned to plan before acting."


    Song Ziqiao was instantly furious. His position in the Song Family meant he certainly had some capabilities; it¡¯s just that he wasn¡¯t accustomed to using his brains against small fry. Being belittled by Li Yifei was intolerable, and he said bitterly, "Kid, you stole Sihao¡¯s fianc¨¦e, messed up my future, and I haven¡¯t ordered someone to kill you yet¡ªthat¡¯s your luck. Let me tell you, here, a single finger from the Lin and Song Families, and you¡¯re dead."


    No sooner had Ziqiao finished than Lin Sihao¡¯s head swiftly moved towards his own. Instinctively trying to dodge, he couldn¡¯t avoid the blow and was struck solidly by Lin Sihao¡¯s head, seeing stars and feeling dizzy, unable to speak for a long while.


    Lin Sihao felt the same, dizzy, not knowing where he was.


    "I really dislike being threatened. This is a warning. If you dare to make any improper moves against me or my family, even if you are from the Lin or Song Families, I will kill you."


    After finishing his sentence, Li Yifei drifted away.


    It took quite a while for Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao to come to their senses. Ziqiao immediately glared at Sihao and said, "Why did you hit me?"


    Lin Sihao gave a wry smile and said, "You think I wanted to hit you? That guy pushed me, and it darn hurt me too."


    "Fucking hell, this son of a bitch, next time I¡¯ll definitely kill him," Song Ziqiao exclaimed, furious upon hearing this.


    Lin Sihao quickly said, "Ziqiao, don¡¯t be impulsive. This guy is not simple. If you want to deal with him, you can¡¯t confront him directly. First, he has Su Mengxin backing him up, and second, he can fight. We need to use other methods."


    "Other methods? What methods?" Song Ziqiao immediately asked.


    Lin Sihao thought for a moment and said, "If we can¡¯t do it openly, we¡¯ll do it secretly. Most importantly, we need to make sure Su Mengxin can¡¯t defend him and still manage to kill him. We have to think this through carefully and not screw it up."


    "You¡¯re right. This time we have to make sure he doesn¡¯t even know how he died."


    At this time, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu were slowly strolling along a small path, with Yunzhu hooking her arm through Yifei¡¯s. She said, "Honey, by fighting them like this, you¡¯ve just worsened our conflict with the Lin and Song families. They¡¯re sure to cause us a lot of trouble in the future."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "Even if I didn¡¯t beat them up, our feud was already set. If someone tries to steal my wife, I definitely won¡¯t let it go, and I suppose Lin Sihao feels the same way."


    Yunzhu pinched his arm and said with a pout, "You bastard, what is there between me and Lin Sihao?"


    "I¡¯m just making an analogy. These two have already offended us. Even if I hadn¡¯t beaten them today, they would still have troubled me. It¡¯s always better to take some interest upfront."


    "Still, they are from major families. Now that our conflict with them has intensified, I feel that it¡¯s not exactly a good thing."


    "Now that the provincial competition is heating up, if they really come after me, I won¡¯t mind weakening their strength. In that case, the Ye family and other families certainly won¡¯t miss such an opportunity. Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao might be idiots, but I think their family heads aren¡¯t that stupid. They definitely won¡¯t divert too much energy to deal with me."


    Yunzhu thought about it and realized that he was right. She knew a bit about the situation in the province. The Six Major Families were indeed in a delicate balance; if any one of them weakened first, it would inevitably lead to actions from the other families, which would have severe consequences.


    Reassured, Yunzhu cast a seductive look at Yifei and suggested, "Honey, how about we don¡¯t go home tonight?"


    Yifei immediately caught on and laughed, "Sure, let¡¯s go to a hotel. Our daughter is with your mother, no need to worry."


    But Yunzhu quickly changed her mind and said, "That won¡¯t do. It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock now. We can go home around ten-thirty. Our daughter will need to feed in the middle of the night."


    "Then you¡¯ll be going back to work soon. You can¡¯t always come home to breastfeed, can you?"


    "That¡¯s different. I¡¯m not working right now. I want to breastfeed our child as much as possible. After all, babies are healthier with breast milk."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "No wonder my strength has been better lately."


    Yunzhu giggled and teased, "You shameless guy, to compete with your daughter for milk, that¡¯s really low."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and, with his arms around Yunzhu, headed straight for a nearby budget hotel.


    Although Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu had been intimate lately, and Yifei had fought for the milk once, they had not truly been together since Yunzhu had given birth not long ago. But tonight was finally the time. Yunzhu was extremely tender and affectionate, and Yifei worked hard to make up for her recent deprivation.


    As they were passionately entangled in the room, there came a knock on the door: "Open up, police."


    Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu immediately stopped and exchanged glances, both rather annoyed. With the crackdown on prostitution, disturbances like this, especially at such an intense moment, were highly frustrating.


    Still, with the persistent knocking outside, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu had no choice but to get dressed. Yifei went to open the door, frowning as he said, "Stop knocking."


    But as he barely opened the door, two policemen rushed in and immediately attempted to subdue him.


    Li Yifei was now even more annoyed. They hadn¡¯t asked a single question before getting physical, which was frankly going too far.

 Chapter 948 - 989: Assaulting a Police Officer

    Chapter 948: Chapter 989: Assaulting a Police OfficerLi Yifei took two steps back, dodging the two approaching men and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?"


    The two police officers stumbled into thin air, both somewhat surprised. One of them barked, "Kid, stay put. We received a tip-off that this place is suspected of prostitution."


    Li Yifei frowned. Someone had reported them, he did not know who the bastard was, but it was likely related to Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao. However, facing the police, Li Yifei could only say, "Please investigate thoroughly before taking action."


    At this point, another person with two policemen walked in and ordered, "Cut the chit-chat, hand over your IDs."


    This man¡¯s name was Lu Hongyang, a chief of a police station. His rank was not low, equivalent to the Deputy Director of the Sub-bureau in Mile City¡ªa rank parallel to that of Lin Qiong. Lu Hongyang had risen to this position with significant help from the Lin family, so he always carried out requests from Lin Sihao without fail.


    This time, Lin Sihao had asked him to crack down on prostitution, and he was very aware that someone like Lin Sihao, a Young Master of the Lin family, would not report such a matter unless it involved someone at odds with him. Regardless of who the others were, he needed to pin the crime of prostitution on them.


    These five policemen had all now noticed Ye Yunzhu, their gaze inadvertently pausing for a moment. Ye Yunzhu¡¯s naturally beautiful face was flushed, adding to her allure¡ªa clear sign she¡¯d just been in bed. They couldn¡¯t help but envy Li Yifei; having such a beauty would be truly fantastic.


    They didn¡¯t believe Ye Yunzhu was a prostitute. With her stunning looks, she could have had numerous wealthy bosses supporting her youth; why would she need to engage in the risky and low-income profession of prostitution?


    Li Yifei did not know this Lu Hongyang, and neither did Ye Yunzhu. So when they were asked for their IDs, Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu presented them.


    "Are these your IDs?" asked Lu Hongyang coldly.


    Ye Yunzhu was already quite displeased with Lu Hongyang¡¯s attitude. Her face darkened as she challenged, "What kind of work ethic is this? Where is your badge?"


    Overpowered by Ye Yunzhu¡¯s aura, Lu Hongyang felt that this woman didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person. Ye Yunzhu had started her career as Township Chief, quickly rose to County Head, and then to Deputy County Head. Over the years, she naturally carried the air of a high-ranking official.


    "I am Lu Hongyang, Head of the Xinhua Subdistrict Police Station." Lu Hongyang still took out his badge and stated, "Please come to the station for further investigation now."


    Ye Yunzhu snorted, "I don¡¯t have time for this. I am Ye Yunzhu, Deputy County Head of Qingping County in Mile City. Do you think I could be a prostitute?"


    Lu Hongyang¡¯s heart sank at her words, suddenly feeling apprehensive. If what she said was true, this woman was clearly not to be trifled with. However, she was just a Deputy County Head from Mile City, not someone who could stir up much trouble in the province. And with the Lin family¡¯s backing, he was not afraid, responding coolly, "Then please show me your work badge."


    Ye Yunzhu had visited her family without bringing any form of identification; she obviously couldn¡¯t produce it. But there was no way Ye Yunzhu could be easily bluffed. She retorted with a stern face, "In the Public Security computer system, I assume that if you input my ID number, all my information will come up, right? Head Lu, surely I don¡¯t need to teach you this?"


    Head Lu¡¯s lips twitched. Ye Yunzhu was correct; a simple input of Ye Yunzhu¡¯s ID number would reveal everything. He was starting to doubt whether Lin Sihao had made a mistake. But then he thought there was no mistake¡ªLin Sihao wouldn¡¯t have called him specifically if it was just a regular case of soliciting. It was very likely Lin Sihao had a feud with these two and had sent him to cause trouble.


    It had to be said, Head Lu was quite clever to guess Lin Sihao¡¯s intentions. He nodded but still kept a stern expression, saying, "It seems your identity is not mistaken, then may I ask who this gentleman is?"


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t start with Ye Yunzhu, he decided to make a move on the man who was with her.


    At this moment, Ye Yunzhu also felt that Head Lu¡¯s visit was clearly not just about catching a case of prostitution; it was very likely targeted at her and Li Yifei. And now Li Yifei¡¯s situation was indeed problematic. Being married, her presence with Li Yifei in a hotel would be seen as an illegitimate relationship. As a Deputy County Head, being in a hotel with a married man would lead to significant negative repercussions.


    A police officer had already accessed the relevant information on their brought laptop and whispered to Lu Hongyang.


    Lu Hongyang nodded, then spoke to Ye Yunzhu, "Mayor Ye, your identity is clear. However, according to your information, you are unmarried, and your presence here in a hotel room..."


    Ye Yunzhu glared, retorting, "Does being unmarried mean I can¡¯t share a hotel room with my boyfriend?"


    "Being with a boyfriend in a hotel room is naturally fine, but if you actually paid the other party, that¡¯s no longer just staying in a hotel room, that involves prostitution."


    "What?" Ye Yunzhu was a bit enraged and said, "You know who I am, and still accuse me of being a prostitute?"


    Lu Hongyang smirked and said, "Mayor Ye would certainly not be a prostitute, but nowadays men can also sell themselves, so please do us the favor, Mayor Ye, and come with me to the station. Once we¡¯ve investigated clearly, we will naturally let Mayor Ye go back."


    "You..." Ye Yunzhu was so angry her face turned green. The way Lu Hongyang spoke was simply too offensive.


    Li Yifei pulled Ye Yunzhu behind him, facing Lu Hongyang with coldness flashing in his eyes, and said, "It seems Head Lu won¡¯t rest until he¡¯s dragged us back to the station?"


    Lu Hongyang glared and shouted, "You gigolo, behave yourself." As he said that, he actually slapped at Li Yifei¡¯s face. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei raised his hand and grabbed Lu Hongyang¡¯s wrist, sternly warning, "Watch your mouth."


    Lu Hongyang struggled twice but couldn¡¯t pull his hand free, which immediately provided him with an excuse. He shouted loudly, "Dare to attack a police officer? You¡¯re completely lawless. Handcuff him!"


    Immediately, two police officers pounced towards Li Yifei with practiced ease.


    Li Yifei maneuvered, using Lu Hongyang¡¯s body to block the two men, and said sternly, "Head Lu, you have my ID card; aren¡¯t you going to check my information?"


    Lu Hongyang was now intent on framing Ye Yunzhu for solicitation and was not in the mood to check Li Yifei¡¯s information. He barked, "You¡¯ve already attacked a police officer; I don¡¯t care what your identity is. If you know what¡¯s good for you, behave. If you refuse to cooperate, that¡¯s resisting arrest, and we won¡¯t be polite to you."


    Li Yifei was truly infuriated by the unreasonable behavior of the police officer. His eyes, chilling with anger, fixed on Lu Hongyang and said, "So Head Lu intends not to give up until he has taken us both back?"


    "You¡¯re accused of solicitation and resisting arrest, and now attacking a police officer. If we don¡¯t arrest you, is there any law left? What are you waiting for, take him!"


    While speaking, Lu Hongyang raised his other hand and struck again at Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    This time, not just the two officers who had initially approached but two more who put down their computers also charged towards Li Yifei; they were determined to take him away no matter what.


    Li Yifei, pushed to the brink, let out a cold laugh and said, "Fine, fine. You say I¡¯m resisting, then I¡¯ll resist for you to see how you plan to catch me."


    With a sweep of his right foot, he struck at Lu Hongyang¡¯s shins, and Lu Hongyang was sent flying, his body forming a large "I" shape in the air before Li Yifei¡¯s force slammed him heavily down.


    "Bang!" Lu Hongyang¡¯s body hit the floor with a dull thud, the impact making him feel as if his internal organs were being shaken out of place. His head rang, dizzying him, and for a moment, he couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Li Yifei¡¯s move had been quick and clean, stunning the four police officers into a daze. They had been officers for so long and would only encounter resistance from desperately vile criminals. Normally, they did not dare fight back, especially in cases of arresting those in prostitution¡ªpeople were usually scared stiff, as the family had to be notified, and getting caught was something difficult to explain.


    "F*ck! You dare hit me! Take him, take him into custody!" Finally, Lu Hongyang caught his breath, furious as if thunderstruck. He was after all the head of the station¡ªwhen had he ever been hit? Now, in front of his subordinates, he had been knocked down and in such a miserable fashion; he couldn¡¯t tolerate it.


    The other four police officers immediately rushed towards Li Yifei, not believing that with the four of them, they couldn¡¯t handle him. Just by bringing Li Yifei back to the station, they could handle him any way they wanted.


    Ye Yunzhu, however, was internally crying out at the trouble. The charge of attacking a police officer was a severe one. Although she also felt that Head Lu truly deserved a beating, striking an officer at this moment was not a wise decision. But she couldn¡¯t just let these officers take them away¡ªthat would be shameful for her and for Li Yifei.


    "Husband, beat them up!" With a quick turn of her mind, Ye Yunzhu made her decision and yelled out loud. For now, venting their frustration was the priority, then they could inform the Ye family. With the influence of the Ye family, what was a small subdistrict police station chief to them? So venting their anger was the real deal.

 Chapter 949 - 990: Seizing the Gun

    Chapter 949: Chapter 990: Seizing the GunIf it had been a normal investigation, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have minded cooperating, but these police officers clearly had bad intentions, determined to pin something on both of them, especially accusing them of prostitution. He, a grown man, was about to be forcibly labeled a gigolo, which Li Yifei just couldn¡¯t tolerate any longer.


    So when those four people rushed over, Li Yifei didn¡¯t hold back at all, punching and kicking, and quickly knocked all four to the ground.


    Lu Hongyang had not expected the other party to actually get physical, and to take down all five of them so quickly, which made him even more furious. Struggling to get up, he tried to draw his gun. Nowadays, police are required to carry firearms, which rarely get used, but now he finally saw an opportunity. He firmly believed that even if the other could fight, facing a gun would be utterly useless.


    "Hubby, be careful," Ye Yunzhu saw Lu Hongyang drawing his gun and suddenly cried out loud.


    Having spotted it, he naturally did too. His right foot flew up, and just as Lu Hongyang had his gun drawn, his wrist felt an intense pain; the gun flew out of his hand, and then a dark muzzle was pointed at his forehead.


    Lu Hongyang¡¯s sweat came pouring out all at once, and his legs went weak as he stammered, "What... what do you want to do?"


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and asked, "Who sent you?"


    Facing the barrel of the gun, Lu Hongyang didn¡¯t have a shred of courage and quickly said, "It was Lin Sihao. Young Master Lin called me here."


    Ye Yunzhu immediately got angry and shouted, "Lin Sihao told you to come, so you came? Are you the national police or the Lin family¡¯s private cops?"


    This question left Lu Hongyang speechless, he laughed dryly and said, "Mayor Ye, this is a misunderstanding, definitely a misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding? You¡¯re good at finding excuses. You clearly knew my identity just now, but still wanted to take us back with you. Is that also a misunderstanding? Fine, the Lin family¡¯s Lin Sihao tells you to do whatever he wants, but the Ye family won¡¯t just eat that up. Our Ye family will have words with your station head."


    "You¡¯re from the Ye family..." Lu Hongyang exclaimed, immediately filled with regret. Even if he knew Ye Yunzhu was a deputy county head of a small city, he wasn¡¯t afraid, for even if the opposite party wasn¡¯t soliciting prostitution, just leaking the news of her renting a room with a man would have been enough trouble for Ye Yunzhu. How could he not know the power of the Ye family while holding the position of a police station head in the provincial city? The Lin family was untouchable, and naturally, so was the Ye family.


    At this point, it didn¡¯t matter to him whether Ye Yunzhu and Li Yifei were involved in prostitution or not. He dared not meddle.


    Feeling bitter inside, Lu Hongyang said with a pained expression, "Mayor Ye, this is really a misunderstanding. I, Lu Hongyang, wouldn¡¯t dare to offend the Ye family. It was all Lin Sihao¡¯s instigation, I really didn¡¯t want to be enemies with the Ye family."


    Although Ye Yunzhu was furious inside, she was clear that over such a trivial matter, it wasn¡¯t worth pursuing Head Lu any further. Plus, Li Yifei had already beaten them up, venting some of her frustration. She waved her hand, impatiently saying, "You can leave, I don¡¯t want to see you."


    Li Yifei handed the gun back to Lu Hongyang, with a stern face and said, "If you¡¯re a cop who serves the country and its people, I, Li Yifei will respect you. But if you¡¯re nothing but someone¡¯s lapdog, I won¡¯t be polite."


    Lu Hongyang hurriedly took back his gun and left with the four police officers, looking completely defeated. It was a case of gods fighting and a small ghost suffering.


    Just as they left the hotel, they saw Lin Sihao and Song Ziqiao waiting by the hotel¡¯s entrance. Seeing Lu Hongyang exiting without any captives, both of them frowned, and Lin Sihao demanded, "Head Lu, what happened?"


    Lu Hongyang said with a wry smile, "Young Master Lin, I can¡¯t handle this. The other party is from the Ye family, and that man is particularly formidable, he even took my gun. I couldn¡¯t arrest them."


    Lin Sihao glared and said unhappily, "You idiot, why didn¡¯t you immediately report when your gun was taken? That¡¯s a serious offense. Couldn¡¯t you have just used that to kill him?"


    "Young Master Lin, he had the gun pointed at my head at the time. How could I report? He gave me back the gun, and even if I had reported, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, leave. You have nothing to do here anymore."


    Lin Sihao also knew that they had missed a good opportunity, but now there was nothing that could be done, and it was best to send Lu Hongyang away.


    At this time, all Lu Hongyang wanted was to leave as soon as possible. Although he was groomed by the Lin family and serving them was no issue, facing an opponent as powerful as the Ye family wasn¡¯t something he could handle. It was better to not involve him. He quickly led the four police officers away.


    Song Ziqiao then said, "Damn, that kid is really damn hard to deal with."


    Lin Sihao spoke viciously, "Then we have to take this guy down. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to swallow this anger."


    Song Ziqiao gritted his teeth and said, "Indeed, we must kill this guy."


    However, despite their fierce talk, they had no immediate solution at hand and could only choose to leave first. Otherwise, if Li Yifei came down later and they encountered him, they too could easily be taken care of.


    Their decision to leave was wise, as they had just been gone for less than five minutes when Li Yifei and Ye Yunzhu descended from upstairs. The disruption from the police had dampened their spirits, and coupled with worries about the child potentially crying at night, they decided to leave the hotel together and go straight back to the Ye family home.


    Ye Yunzhu carried the child back from her mother¡¯s, but she also brought back another person¡ªZhou Xiaoyue.


    "Little Yue, how come you¡¯re back?" Li Yifei was somewhat surprised to see Zhou Xiaoyue. Just a few days ago, Chu Xiaoyao had returned to school, and Zhou Xiaoyue was always with Chu Xiaoyao at school. If Zhou Xiaoyue was back, Chu Xiaoyao should be back as well.


    Zhou Xiaoyue gave Li Yifei a stare and said, "Of course I had to come back. Let me ask you, did you upset Xiaoyao?"


    Li Yifei paused for a moment and replied, "When did I ever upset Xiaoyao?"


    "Still denying it? Xiaoyao was obviously unhappy when she went back this time. If you didn¡¯t upset her, why would she be unhappy?"


    Li Yifei finally understood and couldn¡¯t help but smile. "I didn¡¯t upset her, she¡¯ll be okay in a couple of days."


    "What do you mean she¡¯ll be okay in a couple of days? She has been cursing you these last few days. I asked her, and she wouldn¡¯t say."


    Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but giggle and said, "Little Yue, this matter between Yifei and Xiaoyao is their own business; you shouldn¡¯t get involved."


    Zhou Xiaoyue, dissatisfied, said, "Cousin, although we are relatives and I side with you, Xiaoyao is also my good sister. I can¡¯t just ignore it. If you don¡¯t give me an explanation today, I¡¯m not leaving."


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "Yunzhu, you better explain it to Little Yue."


    Ye Yunzhu handed over the child to Li Yifei, who went into the bedroom with the child. Ye Yunzhu then whispered into Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s ear, "This time Yifei had actually agreed to take their relationship to the next level with Xiaoyao, but it just so happened that she was dealing with her ¡¯time of the month,¡¯ which is why Xiaoyao is so irritated. She¡¯s been looking forward to it."


    A blush crept onto Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face. "Is that really why?"


    "You¡¯re in college now, can¡¯t you understand these things?"


    "Of course, I understand. That stupid girl, she could have just told me directly, making me confront my brother-in-law over nothing; now I look like a fool."


    Ye Yunzhu rolled her eyes at Zhou Xiaoyue and said, "You, such a grown girl, still acting so impulsively."


    Zhou Xiaoyue giggled a little, feeling a bit embarrassed in front of her cousin, but that was nothing serious. After all, she had a good relationship with Ye Yunzhu in the Ye family. If she had anything to share, she was willing to confide in Ye Yunzhu. She then whispered, "Cousin, there¡¯s something I¡¯m really curious about."


    "What is it?" Ye Yunzhu pulled Zhou Xiaoyue to sit down, happy to chat with her cousin.


    "I heard from Xiaoyao that brother-in-law has a lot of women. There are already six or seven living in the house. Can brother-in-law handle it?"


    Ye Yunzhu glared at her, "Should you even be asking this?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue giggled, shook Ye Yunzhu¡¯s arm, and said, "Cousin, you said I¡¯m all grown up now; of course, I understand these things. I¡¯m just concerned about your and Xiaoyao¡¯s happiness. With so many people, a normal person couldn¡¯t possibly manage. If you¡¯re not often together, how could there be any affection?"


    Ye Yunzhu gave Zhou Xiaoyue a look and finally said, "Your brother-in-law is obviously very capable. One person simply gets too exhausted, so it has to be two people to handle it."


    "I¡¯m dizzy; daily threesomes, huh?" Zhou Xiaoyue suddenly widened her eyes, then made a sour face and said, "Now I¡¯m really beaten. Xiaoyao said brother-in-law has threesomes every day, and I didn¡¯t believe it for a second. Turns out it¡¯s true."


    Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of amusement and annoyance. It turned out she had been tricked by Zhou Xiaoyue. She pinched Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s arm both irritatedly and amusedly, "You girl, who bets on these kinds of matters?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue chuckled and said, "Xiaoyao is really smitten with brother-in-law; how could she not be happy? Now she¡¯s just waiting for, you know, and then she¡¯ll hurry back to consummate the relationship with her uncle. If I hadn¡¯t put it that way, you wouldn¡¯t have told me."


    "Alright, you win. But this is a private family matter; it¡¯s something that can¡¯t be shared openly. You mustn¡¯t spread it around; after all, it¡¯s not the sort of thing you talk about."


    Zhou Xiaoyue flipped her hair, "Rest assured, I¡¯m not dumb. If I went around saying that my sister¡ªa prominent county head¡ªis having daily threesomes, people¡¯s jaws would hit the floor."


    Zhou Xiaoyue left, but Ye Yunzhu felt somewhat uneasy. This cousin didn¡¯t seem all that reliable when it came to keeping her mouth shut; she really shouldn¡¯t have shared such matters with Zhou Xiaoyue.

 Chapter 950 - 991: Setting Up a Trap

    Chapter 950: Chapter 991: Setting Up a TrapAfter returning from the provincial capital, Li Yifei busied himself with setting up his new company, and everything went smoothly. With funds and support from the city, it naturally became an easy task.


    Li Yifei also kept an eye on Holy Maiden¡¯s situation. Holy Maiden¡¯s company, similar in type to his, was also doing quite well, and even progressing faster than his. This was naturally due to a better talent arrangement on her side, whereas Li Yifei had to recruit by himself.


    Li Yifei believed that Holy Maiden would do what she promised, and she would indeed engage in fierce competition with him in this regard. There were no significant moves yet, as everyone was just starting out, and competition at this stage did not count much.


    However, a slow start might put him in a passive position later, so Li Yifei worked very diligently during this period, determined not to fall behind Holy Maiden too much.


    While Li Yifei was busy with work here, Xu Yingying¡¯s company was also in a high-speed development phase. The current products were in such demand that the factory had to produce overtime and was also expanding its production scale.


    Given its targeting of the global market, and having done a lot of advertising from the start, the sales performance from market launch was excellent. This, no doubt, showcased Xu Yingying¡¯s business acumen; though not as profound as Su Mengxin¡¯s, she was definitely a strong CEO.


    Due to the factory¡¯s busyness, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t leave and still had to work overtime quite often, which made her somewhat restless, but there was no helping it. Seeing Xu Shanshan so busy made Xu Yingying very happy, for her sister was finally getting involved in serious matters.


    During this time, Su Mengxin returned to the Capital City. She wanted to finish up her business quickly and then be truly at peace to be with Li Yifei.


    As for Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, because the Su Family¡¯s collaboration with their families had not yet been finalized, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t bring Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling back for now. Li Yifei was not anxious about this matter; his feelings for these two were not deep, and it was merely a makeshift arrangement, so delaying it was not an issue. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Yunzhu had also officially returned to her unit at work and would soon be transferred to the City Education Bureau, taking another step up. Two housekeepers were hired at home, one to take care of the children and the other to tidy the rooms and cook, as Li Yifei really didn¡¯t have time to come home and cook for everyone. Su Yiyi was also busy with her graduation thesis.


    The only one who was relatively free was Ning Xin¡¯er, but these days, she began to grow restless. Previously not one to sit still, working as a celebrity for a few years had made her somewhat more steady, but now, being idle was unbearable. She was pestering Li Yifei to work with him.


    Chu Xiaoyao had not returned recently as her school was organizing some art festival, which she was participating in, leaving no time to come back. This girl was now relishing being the only child in the family, a feeling of privilege that pleased her. With her uncle comforting her at home, maintaining this state was rather nice.


    Things here were stable, and aside from work at the company, Li Yifei was also focused on building up his own team. Besides money, increasing power was one of the family¡¯s main lifelines.


    Tonight, Xu Yingying was to attend a dinner, as the company¡¯s development inevitably involved social interactions. This particular dinner was an invitation from two well-known entrepreneurs in Mile City, and Xu Yingying, unable to decline, accepted the invitation.


    The dinner was in a private room at a large hotel. The two presidents, both in their sixties, were well known to Xu Yingying, one being Hua Tian Corporation¡¯s Qiu Jiming, and the other being the president of Flying Bird Company, Qian Shengcai. She knew they were decent people and, since this was a business meeting, there would be no foul play.


    However, upon reaching the private room, Xu Yingying saw another person and frowned, for it was Sunx Nenghui, the chairman of Tianli Group. His son had been turned into a fool by Li Yifei, and Xu Yingying knew this man was likely an enemy of their family now.


    Immediately, Qiu Jiming smiled and said, "President Xu, this time we¡¯re here to mediate. We¡¯re all doing business in the same city. Any grievances should be voiced and resolved."


    Qian Shengcai laughingly added, "Exactly, President Xu. Manager Sunx came here today, which shows his sincerity. Moreover, now that Manager Sunx¡¯s son has a problem, and Manager Sunx can put the past behind, surely you wouldn¡¯t stay petty?"


    Sunx Nenghui had already stood up, suddenly looking twenty years older, and sighed softly, "President Xu, although my son brought this on himself, seeing him hurt so badly makes me quite sad. He¡¯s my only son and now turned into a fool. It¡¯s impossible for me not to have grievances against you and Li Yifei, but things have come to this point, and I don¡¯t want to fight anymore. I¡¯ve found a wife for my son and plan on having a grandson to ensure a successor. For this grandson, I still need to accumulate enough wealth for him. Business must go on."


    Hearing Sunx Nenghui speak like this, Xu Yingying felt somewhat sympathetic. Even though Sunx Dongran was not a good person and had attempted to kidnap Xu Shanshan, he had already been severely punished; and it wasn¡¯t easy for an elderly person to stand up after such a major blow.


    "Manager Sunx, if you can put the past behind, so can we. We hope we could cooperate well in the future."


    Qian Shengcai immediately laughed heartily, "I knew President Xu wouldn¡¯t dwell on this matter. Come, let¡¯s sit down, talk, and have a couple of drinks."


    Such dinners among top-level executives didn¡¯t involve many people, nor much drinking. The primary purpose was to network. If there was business to discuss, they would; if not, they would share personal connections, which could be beneficial for future collaborations.


    The atmosphere was still quite pleasant, and Sunx Nenghui did not bring up the matter of his son anymore. Everyone was chatting about some recent matters in the Mile City market, looking for good business opportunities. Xu Yingying, interacting with these people, was not unhappy either, occasionally sipping her beer and truly enjoying herself.


    Then, the door burst open. Xu Yingying glanced sideways and was instantly alarmed; three people entered, one of whom was the man she had encountered on the mountain, Gu Yandong.


    Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t taken their last encounter seriously, but running into him here felt troublesome.


    "What are you doing? Who let you come here?" Qiu Jiming said with a stern face. As a manager, he naturally possessed such authority. These three people looked quite young and had casually barged into their private room, which clearly annoyed him.


    At that moment, Sunx Nenghui stood up and said, "Young Master Gu, the matter has been taken care of."


    Gu Yandong nodded and looked at Xu Yingying, saying, "You must be Xu Yingying, right? I am Gu Yandong; you should recognize me, shouldn¡¯t you?"


    Xu Yingying frowned, feeling quite ominous. It seemed like what Sunx Nenghui had mentioned about resolving the matter was nonsense after all, and that they were actually planning to target her, and even worse, together with this Gu Yandong. But now, Xu Yingying, who had also seen much of the world, said with a composed face, "Indeed, I recognize you."


    Gu Yandong clapped his hands and praised, "President Xu really keeps her cool. Now, guess why I had Sunx Nenghui bring you here today. What do you think I want?"


    Xu Yingying responded indifferently, "I really don¡¯t know that, I¡¯m curious to hear what you have to say."


    While speaking, Xu Yingying had already taken out her phone from underneath the table. Given the respectful attitude of Sunx Nenghui towards Gu Yandong, it was clear that Gu Yandong was someone of significant influence. Moreover, the two men behind Gu Yandong, both strong and burly, looked like bodyguards. Her wisest choice now was to find a way to notify Li Yifei and have him come to pick her up, then she wouldn¡¯t have to fear Gu Yandong.


    However, one of the men behind Gu Yandong suddenly dashed forward and snatched away her phone in a swift move.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Old Sunx, don¡¯t mess around."


    Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming shouted at this moment. This dinner was organized by Sunx Nenghui at their request, but they had never imagined that Sunx Nenghui had ulterior motives. If something really happened, they naturally could not escape responsibility. Moreover, with their status, if Xu Yingying were to get harmed right under their watch, how could they still hold their faces up in Mile City?


    The skin on Sunx Nenghui¡¯s face twitched, and he said sinisterly, "Old Qiu, Old Qian, we¡¯ve been friends for many years. I indeed used you for this matter. After I¡¯ve had my revenge, I will definitely visit you personally to apologize!"


    Qiu Jiming glared and said, "Old Sunx, if you want revenge, do as you normally would, and we will definitely not interfere. But today, you¡¯ve exploited us, how then can we stand our ground in Mile City in the future?"


    Qian Shengcai also said angrily, "Old Sunx, let President Xu go today, as a favor to us."


    Gu Yandong¡¯s face darkened, disdainfully saying, "Give you face? In front of me, Gu Yandong, how much is your face worth?"


    Both Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming were furious. Qiu Jiming slammed the table and shouted, "Who do you think you are?"


    Qian Shengcai also stood up swiftly, saying fiercely, "I¡¯m curious to see, how you won¡¯t give me face."


    With two crisp slaps, Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai were both stunned because those slaps were landed on their faces. They truly did not expect that in Mile City, there would be someone bold enough to slap their faces, an immense humiliation indeed.

 Chapter 951 - 992: My Husband Won’t Let You Go

    Chapter 951: Chapter 992: My Husband Won¡¯t Let You GoSunx Nenghui felt somewhat guilty when he saw Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming get beaten. He hurriedly said, "Old Qian, Old Qiu, this Young Master Gu comes from the Gu Family in Capital City."


    Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming were originally filled with anger, but upon hearing this, they deflated like punctured balls. They had heard some things about the big families, and those in the province were not something they could afford to provoke, let alone in a place like Capital City where the competition was so fierce. Just being able to hold their ground there meant they had tremendous strength. Offending them could mean their company might be shut down in minutes.


    "I¡¯m sorry, President Xu."


    Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai exchanged glances, then both looked at Xu Yingying with guilt and said in unison, "Sorry."


    Xu Yingying was quite anxious at that moment. Her phone had been snatched, depriving her of any means to contact the outside world. When she had come out today, she had told Li Yifei beforehand that he didn¡¯t need to pick her up and that she would go back on her own. That meant Li Yifei most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to hurry over. Now, all she could think about was how to protect herself and, ideally, how to get a message out.


    Gu Yandong then sat down and looked at Xu Yingying, saying, "Do you know? I, Gu Yandong, have never been beaten before, and those who beat me must pay a price tenfold or a hundredfold."


    Xu Yingying tried to calm herself down and looked at Gu Yandong, saying coldly, "Is that so? Then you¡¯re a frog in a well who hasn¡¯t met anyone brave enough to hit you."


    Gu Yandong stared at Xu Yingying with a naked desire in his eyes and said, "That¡¯s right, I haven¡¯t met one. So since you¡¯ve hit me, I certainly won¡¯t let you off. Do you want to know what I¡¯m going to do to you now?"


    Xu Yingying spoke in a heavy tone, "What do you want to do to me?"


    "It¡¯s simple, I want to enjoy myself with you. Play with you on the bed until I¡¯m satisfied. Then, I¡¯ll find a few more men to play with you. After that, I¡¯ll film it all and upload the video online."


    "Shameless!" Even the usually composed Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but yell out in anger upon hearing this.


    Gu Yandong laughed heartily and said, "I have played with many married women, but I¡¯ve never found one as appealing as you. I will definitely give you a night you¡¯ll never forget." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying clenched her fists and said hatefully, "I warn you, if you dare to touch me, my husband will never let you off."


    "You¡¯re right, and I certainly won¡¯t let him off either."


    Xu Yingying said through gritted teeth, "Do you know who my husband is?"


    "Who is your husband?" Gu Yandong asked, squinting his eyes.


    "My husband is Golden Eagle, from the Flying Hawk Squad. Even the Gu Family in Capital City doesn¡¯t concern him in the slightest."


    The Flying Hawk Squad was indeed formidable, but it was not a public organization. Some significant figures in Capital City and the main members of certain families knew about the Flying Hawk Squad. However, Gu Yandong didn¡¯t know about them, nor had he ever heard of the name Golden Eagle.


    He then sneered and said, "Golden Eagle, Silver Eagle, they are nothing to me. In front of me, I will turn them into featherless chickens."


    Xu Yingying thought mentioning Golden Eagle would make the other party consider their actions, but Gu Yandong was still so arrogant. She then realized that he did not know of Golden Eagle¡¯s notoriety. Otherwise, considering how Golden Eagle had killed many from the Yamaguchi Group for him, Gu Yandong should have shown at least some fear.


    "Then you might not know Golden Eagle, but surely you know of Su Mengxin?"


    "Su Mengxin?" Gu Yandong smiled faintly and said, "Indeed, I know Su Mengxin, and I also know that this company is invested in by Su Mengxin. But you are just a manager in her company, at most. Do you think that even if I took advantage of you, Su Mengxin would turn against me? The Su Family might be influential, but we, the Gu Family, are not afraid of them."


    At that moment, Xu Yingying realized the true extent of Gu Yandong¡¯s background; no wonder he was so arrogant. The influence Su Mengxin exerted in Mile City, Gu Yandong likely could match. This time, she truly had stirred up major trouble.


    "Are you feeling a bit dizzy now?" Gu Yandong suddenly asked with a sly smile.


    Xu Yingying had already felt a bit dizzy while talking to Gu Yandong, and when he mentioned it now, her dizziness got worse, and she lost strength all over. It then dawned on her with great alarm, "You drugged the wine."


    Gu Yandong gave a thumbs-up and said, "Not bad, I¡¯ve drugged you. And this isn¡¯t just any ordinary sleeping potion, but a strong aphrodisiac. Soon, you¡¯ll feel a feverish heat throughout your body, craving a man desperately. At that point, no matter who the man is, you¡¯ll throw yourself at him. I¡¯m not just talking about men¡ªif you were given a male dog, you¡¯d want it just the same, hahaha..."


    "You... You¡¯re despicable!" Xu Yingying, imagining that scenario, couldn¡¯t help but feel horrified, and indeed, she was starting to feel a bit feverish herself. A primitive longing was rising from the pit of her stomach, realizing that Gu Yandong was telling the truth. She found the strength to rise to her feet, grabbed a wine glass from the table, and hurled it at Gu Yandong.


    Gu Yandong sat there unmoving, while the man behind him reached out and caught the glass effortlessly. The wine, which should have splashed all over Gu Yandong, was instead swept back into the glass by a wave of the man¡¯s hand, as if by magic.


    This was a master, clearly much more skilled than the three men Gu Yandong had brought with him last time.


    "Master Gu, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore, we¡¯ll be leaving." Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming were feeling increasingly uncomfortable and wanted to leave.


    Gu Yandong gave the two men a cold glance and said, "Did I say you could leave?"


    "Master Gu... we..."


    "Stay put. If you dare to take a step out of this private room without my say-so, you know what the consequences will be."


    Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming forced a laugh and sat down again, inwardly groaning at their predicament. What had they gotten themselves into? But considering Gu Yandong¡¯s powerful background, they could only sit obediently without daring to move.


    "Take her away," Gu Yandong stood up. He had noticed Xu Yingying was being affected by the drug, and he was about to enjoy the effects. Although he intended to spread a video online of Xu Yingying with men, he didn¡¯t want to show his own face. He was, after all, Gu Yandong of the prestigious Gu Family¡ªit would not be good for his image to have such a video circulate online.


    One of Gu Yandong¡¯s men approached to grab Xu Yingying, but at that moment, a figure flashed at the window, and someone charged in. A streak of cold light aimed at the man trying to grab Xu Yingying.


    "Well done!" The attacker didn¡¯t panic but let out a loud shout, dodged the cold light, and threw a punch at the intruder who had just burst in from the outside. He had already noticed someone outside the window but had simply chosen not to act until now.


    The intruder was a woman, not tall, dressed in ordinary casual clothes, looking to be in her thirties and very normal. She was wielding a dagger, and with a swift motion, she dodged the incoming punch and slashed with her dagger, aiming for her opponent¡¯s arm.


    The two engaged in a flurry of moves in an instant. Although Gu Yandong¡¯s man had empty hands, his assault was relentless. The woman with the dagger was forced to retreat repeatedly¡ªit was clear that she was outmatched.


    Seeing that she was losing, the woman feigned a move and tried to escape through the window.


    "Stay right there." The man battling her shouted suddenly and launched a punch with tremendous speed, forcing the woman to retreat again.


    "To escape from me, you¡¯ll need a few more years of practice," the man laughed heartily, intensifying his attacks. Within a few moments, he landed a punch on the woman¡¯s shoulder, sending her flying into the wall before sliding down, coughing up blood. She had been seriously injured and had sustained internal damage.


    But the woman¡¯s gaze remained fierce, undiminished by fear despite her injuries.


    Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, she said, "Madam, don¡¯t be afraid. The master will be here soon, and all of these people will go to hell."


    Xu Yingying, whose mind was already becoming hazy, snapped back to alertness when she heard the woman¡¯s words. Although she had never seen this woman before, she immediately guessed that she must have been sent by Li Yifei to protect her covertly. The ¡¯master¡¯ the woman referred to was naturally Li Yifei. As long as he arrived, there would be no problem.


    This thought emboldened Xu Yingying beyond measure. She sneered coldly and said, "Gu Yandong, my husband is coming. You better leave quickly, or you¡¯re dead."


    Gu Yandong was surprised that Xu Yingying could still remain lucid, but he scoffed and said, "Good, I¡¯m not afraid of him. If he comes, I want him to watch his wife being played by me, by many men, hahaha..."


    Gu Yandong was confident. The three men he had brought last time were indeed experts but merely average bodyguards. Their strength was nothing special. But the two men with him this time were formidable figures in the family. Except for a few supreme fighters, they were among the top. With these two, someone like Li Yifei was hardly worth mentioning.


    Xu Yingying did not get angry but instead looked at Gu Yandong with pity in her eyes. She spoke slowly, "Do you know how much my husband loves me? He would go as far as Japan to avenge me and killed the leader of the Yamaguchi Group because of what happened to me. If you dare to touch me, your death is certain."


    "Well said!"


    Accompanying these three words, a figure darted in from the window¡ªit was Li Yifei who had arrived.

 Chapter 952 - 993: Is This Filming a Movie?

    Chapter 952: Chapter 993: Is This Filming a Movie?Li Yifei had no sooner come in than he darted to Xu Yingying¡¯s side, wrapping his arms around her waist.


    Seeing Li Yifei, Xu Yingying immediately revealed a radiant smile and said, "I knew my husband would definitely come."


    Li Yifei looked Xu Yingying up and down and, seeing that she was unharmed, his face also showed a tender smile as he said, "When have I ever let anyone harm my wife?"


    Xu Yingying smiled sweetly, but the desire inside her suddenly became intensely strong, and she instinctively hugged Li Yifei, speaking in a coquettish voice, "Mm, husband, I feel a bit unwell, I want to go home early."


    "Alright, after I take care of them, we¡¯ll go home. Wife, how do you want to deal with them?"


    Xu Yingying closed her eyes and said, "That Gu Yandong is from the Capital City¡¯s Gu Family, with a strong background. Just give him a beating."


    "Okay!" Li Yifei agreed with a shout and, with Xu Yingying in tow, took a quick step and charged toward Gu Yandong.


    Gu Yandong¡¯s two underlings saw Li Yifei make his move, and they immediately launched an attack at Li Yifei, but all they felt was a blur before their eyes as Li Yifei broke through their siege, followed by a series of slapping sounds.


    This surprised both men. They simply could not believe that Li Yifei had such skills to break through so easily. With such abilities, even the top experts in their families might not be able to achieve this, and they quickly charged at Li Yifei with all their might.


    Li Yifei had swiftly given Gu Yandong four hefty slaps, causing blood to stream from the corner of Gu Yandong¡¯s mouth and coughing out four big teeth.


    Last time, Gu Yandong merely harassed Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei, so Li Yifei did not go hard on him. But this time, since Gu Yandong had resorted to such means against Xu Yingying, he would not show any mercy, and these four slaps were heavy indeed. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, Gu Yandong¡¯s two underlings, now putting in their full effort, were attacking Li Yifei, who had to stop because he realized that these two were indeed very skilled. "Eh, not bad at all."


    This half-hearted praise from Li Yifei left a very bad taste in the mouths of Gu Yandong¡¯s underlings. With their strength, they certainly had some status in the big families of Capital City, but in front of Li Yifei, they were merely "not bad," which was an insult.


    Furthermore, under their protection, Gu Yandong was still injured, which they found intolerable. "Kid, we¡¯d like to see just what skills you have."


    They had only sent one of them to deal with the woman before, but now both were joining forces to attack because they had realized that neither was a match for Li Yifei on their own.


    Li Yifei swiftly exchanged a few moves with the two men and felt somewhat startled inside. Their strength was truly formidable, equalling even that of Zheng Mingrui. Such strength would be highly valued anywhere, yet here they were, merely guards for a big family.


    The last time he had confronted the two most powerful individuals from the Xiao and Zheng families, only to find out that they were former captains of his own Flying Hawk Squad. He had thought that the strongest in these large families had reached that level only, but these two made Li Yifei reassess the strength within these families¡ªtruly filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, unable to predict when a supreme expert would emerge.


    His reasoning was sound, as these two were only in their thirties, certainly not the strongest in the Gu Family, but their skills suggested there must be even more formidable individuals within the Gu Family.


    "Kill him! Kill him for me!" Gu Yandong was yelling madly at this point. He had been beaten up twice upon arriving in Mile City, both times by this same Li Yifei; this time, he had even lost four teeth, which was more than he could bear.


    "No, wait, don¡¯t kill him. Disable him for me, break his arms and legs. I want to torture him slowly. I want to make him watch as I play with his wife until she dies!"


    Gu Yandong had a ferocious look, waving his hands frantically; had he known martial arts, he would have rushed to fiercely beat Li Yifei himself.


    He was shouting with excitement, but the two experts were inwardly groaning. Both of them attacking together against Li Yifei, who was effectively fighting with half a person¡¯s strength as he held someone, should have had the upper hand, but they were not, and they were even at a slight disadvantage. At this point, killing Li Yifei was out of the question. If Li Yifei put his wife down, both of them might be killed on the spot.


    Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming were dumbstruck, their eyes wide and jaws dropped. Was this a movie shoot? Even if it were, they couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing such action in a film; fights like these were unheard of. Was it not too spectacular?


    This revelation made both Qian Shengcai and Qiu Jiming momentarily forget their fear. But soon they remembered a problem: this was a battle of the gods. Li Yifei hailed from the Su Family of Capital City and Gu Yandong was from the Gu Family, both formidable figures not to be trifled with. Now they found themselves caught in the middle; looking back, they realized they too were in a precarious position.


    Furthermore, they came to another realization: these major clans were indeed formidable, not only influential and powerful, but also brimming with talented individuals. Even legendary martial arts experts seemed to be among their ranks, truly forces that should not be provoked.


    At the same time, Sun Nenghui was equally stunned. Knowing that Li Yifei was backed by the Su Family, Sun Nenghui had always thought taking revenge would be nearly impossible. But he stumbled upon Gu Yandong by chance and learned that he was from the Gu Family of Capital City¡ªa most pleasant surprise. The Gu Family could stand against the Su Family. If Gu Yandong and Li Yifei came to blows, wouldn¡¯t Gu Yandong be able to deal with Li Yifei?


    The initial clash between Gu Yandong and Li Yifei was orchestrated by him. He had investigated and found out where Li Yifei and his group were headed. He then fabricated an excuse, claiming the scenery was nice and that they could consider building an amusement park there, to get Gu Yandong to visit. Knowing Gu Yandong had a weakness for women, Sun Nenghui was certain a conflict would ensue once he laid eyes on the women accompanying Li Yifei.


    As Sun Nenghui had predicted, Gu Yandong did indeed conflict with Li Yifei and even got hit by him, which brought Sun Nenghui immense joy. The bigger the rift, the stronger the conflict, and the more likely it was for Gu Yandong to remove Li Yifei from the equation.


    This time, tricking Xu Yingying to come out, Sun Nenghui knew that the discord had reached an irreconcilable level. His son had become an idiot because he had kidnapped Xu Shanshan. If Gu Yandong messed with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei and Gu Yandong would surely be locked in a fight to the death.


    Li Yifei¡¯s sudden appearance, though not achieving his ideal outcome, was enough to imply a substantial conflict. While this should have been a moment of triumph for Sun Nenghui, watching Li Yifei fight those two men sent a chill through his heart.


    Who were these people? He suddenly realized that what he knew about the major clans was insufficient; they were powerful not only in wealth and authority but also in their individual fighting capabilities. Now that he had become mortal enemies with Li Yifei, if the other party decided to deal with him, it would be a matter of minutes.


    An amateur in martial arts, he could instinctively tell that Li Yifei was probably stronger than his opponents. So, seizing the moment before the outcome was determined, he quietly slipped away.


    And no one noticed his escape; no one stopped him. Li Yifei saw him but was only aware that Xu Yingying was in trouble and that Gu Yandong was the main culprit, still unaware that Sun Nenghui was behind it all.


    "Husband..." Xu Yingying, relieved by Li Yifei¡¯s arrival, had completely relaxed. Anything happening outside was no longer her concern. With her guard down, the effects of the drug became even more intense, especially with the embrace of Li Yifei and his familiar masculine scent overwhelming her. She clung tightly to Li Yifei, her body writhing restlessly.


    Feeling Xu Yingying¡¯s agitated state, Li Yifei dared not linger any longer. If Xu Yingying did something excessive soon, it wouldn¡¯t just be a matter of embarrassment; they could actually be at a disadvantage.


    At that moment, his body tensed, and with one punch coupled with two kicks, his offensive became even fiercer. The two masters from Gu Yandong¡¯s side suddenly felt the pressure mounting, struck with terror.


    "Fourth Young Master, run!" one of the masters shouted.


    The other urgently yelled, "Fourth Young Master, go quickly! We¡¯re no match for him!"


    Gu Yandong, who had been bellowing cheerfully, couldn¡¯t believe his ears when he heard their cries. However, seeing them desperately defending against Li Yifei¡¯s onslaught and clearly at a disadvantage, he finally realized the severity of the situation. It wasn¡¯t just that they couldn¡¯t handle Li Yifei; Li Yifei was a direct threat to his own safety.


    Although Gu Yandong was arrogant, he wasn¡¯t a fool. Lingering there would be asking for trouble. "Li Yifei, I won¡¯t let this go! You¡¯ll see!" he spat out vengefully before running off as if in flight.


    Li Yifei harbored deep hatred in his heart for this instigator, Gu Yandong. Li Yifei detested anyone who targeted the women by his side. Even if Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t been hurt this time, suffering the slightest humiliation was unacceptable.


    Li Yifei wanted to stop Gu Yandong, but the two masters were desperately entangling him.


    Holding Xu Yingying in his arms and facing two genuine masters, it wasn¡¯t easy for Li Yifei to break free instantly. He could only watch helplessly as Gu Yandong made his escape.

 Chapter 953 - 994: Antidote

    Chapter 953: Chapter 994: AntidoteGu Yandong, the main target, had fled, and Li Yifei was in no mood to continue fighting with this master. Most importantly, Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction was getting stronger and stronger. He could no longer afford to delay here. With a single move, he had already withdrawn from the fray. At this moment, he was completely in control, fighting if he chose to, retreating if he wished.


    The two experts hastily retracted their moves to guard the door, panting heavily. They were well aware that if they persisted for even a minute longer, they would be injured by Li Yifei. However, as guards of the Gu Family, they had to protect its members, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. The sudden retreat of Li Yifei also gave them a chance to catch their breath.


    Li Yifei gave them a cold look and said, "Tell that kid that I won¡¯t let him off." Then he directly carried Xu Yingying to the side of the injured woman and jumped out of the window with both of them.


    Now, the two experts felt weak in their bodies, even a bit powerless. The immense pressure they had just faced was unprecedented in their lives. They never expected to encounter such a formidable opponent in Mile City. Looking back, they would have to have a serious talk with Gu Yandong; Mile City was indeed too dangerous. It was best to leave as soon as possible.


    "Sir, I¡¯m okay." Once they had left the hotel, the woman who had been protecting Xu Yingying spoke up.


    "Mm, you go back and get some rest." Li Yifei nodded, then set the woman down and carried Xu Yingying to his car, speeding towards his own home.


    The woman who had been tasked with protecting Xu Yingying stood still until she saw Li Yifei¡¯s car drive off into the distance. The fanatical and admiring look in her eyes did not fade. Li Yifei was incredibly strong. To follow such a mighty person was truly a great fortune in life, especially since Li Yifei had not forgotten to take her with him when he left, making it all the more worthwhile for her to follow him.


    This was the charismatic appeal of Li Yifei. Whether it was in the Golden Eagle Squad or elsewhere, Li Yifei would never abandon his comrades in arms during danger. As long as it was possible, he would always bring his teammates back safely. That¡¯s why, when Li Yifei called for people this time, many were quick to follow.


    Li Yifei drove with one hand while preventing Xu Yingying from clinging onto him with the other. Normally, if Xu Yingying showed such passion, he would have been thrilled, but he was driving at the moment and couldn¡¯t just start getting passionate with Xu Yingying on the spot. Clearly, she had been drugged with an aphrodisiac, and its effects were incredibly strong; he didn¡¯t know how long it would take for the influence to fade. Therefore, it was safer to get back home.


    Finally arriving home, Li Yifei carried Xu Yingying up the stairs. The people at home still knew nothing about Xu Yingying¡¯s incident. Ye Yunzhu, Su Yiyi, and Ning Xin¡¯er were watching TV in the living room at that moment, so they were somewhat perplexed to see Li Yifei in such a hurry.


    "What is my husband doing, in such a rush?" Ye Yunzhu, breastfeeding her child, glanced at the staircase and shook her head.


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and said, "I guess the two of them must have done something outside and just couldn¡¯t wait to continue."


    Su Yiyi seemed puzzled and responded, "It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Even if that were the case, Brother Li would usually at least say hello to us first."


    "What if something has happened?" Ye Yunzhu suddenly interjected.


    The words startled both Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi, and then the three of them hurriedly ascended the stairs. They needed to find out exactly what had happened.


    However, when they arrived at Xu Yingying¡¯s door, they witnessed a scene that made their hearts race; Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were both stripped of their clothes, engaged in that intimate act.


    In recent times, there were not very many women at home, so Li Yifei had almost always been with one person daily, but occasionally he would be mischievous. Thus, despite their blushing faces, the three women did not turn and leave immediately upon seeing such a sight. Ye Yunzhu immediately spoke out, "Hey, are you two okay? You didn¡¯t even close the door. What if my daughter comes in later?"


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Yingying has been dosed with an aphrodisiac, and it¡¯s too potent. I didn¡¯t even have time to close the door."


    "What? Someone drugged her with an aphrodisiac?" The three of them furrowed their brows.


    "Yeah, if I hadn¡¯t arrived in time, there would have been trouble," said Li Yifei as he continued to attend to Xu Yingying, explaining briefly.


    Although Ye Yunzhu and the others were worried, they knew it was not the right time to ask questions. So, they told Li Yifei, "You two carry on then, and tell us about it later."


    The three of them descended the stairs, only to see Xu Shanshan hurrying into the house with a very abnormal expression on her face.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Ning Xin¡¯er rushed over to grab Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand.


    Biting her lip, Ning Xin¡¯er forced a few words through her clenched teeth, "Nothing, I just have a bit of a stomachache. I¡¯m going back to my room." With that, Xu Shanshan shook off Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand and hurried toward her own bedroom. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan in such a state worried them all. Ning Xin¡¯er quickly followed and said, "Shanshan, you seem to be in a lot of pain. You can¡¯t just tough it out; let¡¯s go to the hospital."


    "No need, no need!" Xu Shanshan replied before swiftly running into her bedroom, then closed the door with a bang, and flopped down on the bed.


    "Damn Brother-in-Law, damn Xu Yingying, what the hell are you both doing?" Xu Shanshan cursed inwardly, yet she couldn¡¯t help moaning out loud.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s the matter with you? Speak to me," Ning Xin¡¯er called out from outside.


    Xu Shanshan immediately shouted back, "Sister Xin¡¯er, I¡¯m really fine. I just need to lie down for a bit. Don¡¯t worry about me."


    "Are you sure you¡¯re okay?"


    "Yes, I¡¯m sure. Let me lie down for a while, I¡¯ll come out soon."


    Hearing Xu Shanshan say that, Ning Xin¡¯er finally returned to the living room with some confusion.


    "Everyone is acting so strange today. Both Yingying and Shanshan are like this," Ye Yunzhu shook her head.


    Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Let¡¯s wait for them to come out and ask."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face showed a worried expression.


    After more than half an hour, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had not come downstairs, and the three began to worry. They then went upstairs together, pushed open Xu Yingying¡¯s bedroom door, and saw Xu Yingying straddling Li Yifei, moving vigorously on top of him. Even as the three of them entered, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t pause for a moment.


    This left all three of them dumbfounded. After Li Yifei¡¯s birthday, Xu Yingying had indeed joined others in accompanying Li Yifei. But everyone knew that Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t really that uninhibited. Yet now, no one could match her wild energy.


    "This has been going on for too long, hasn¡¯t it?" Ye Yunzhu muttered.


    Li Yifei then said with a wry smile, "The drug she¡¯s taken won¡¯t wear off; she just won¡¯t stop. I¡¯m going to be tormented to death."


    Ye Yunzhu suddenly burst out laughing, "Serves you right; it¡¯s payback for all the times you¡¯ve tormented us."


    Ning Xin¡¯er also pursed her lips in laughter, "Husband, why don¡¯t we join in too?"


    "My dear girls, please don¡¯t kick me while I¡¯m down. Yingying just won¡¯t stop for a moment, not even letting me catch my breath. I¡¯m really going to die of exhaustion."


    At that moment, Su Yiyi expressed her concern, "Brother Li, there won¡¯t be any problems, right?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Yiyi, you¡¯re the kindest to me. Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it. Hey, you three, you¡¯re not going to just stand there and watch, are you?"


    "Watching isn¡¯t too bad; it¡¯s not often we get to see such exciting entertainment," Ye Yunzhu said with a smile, sitting down at the edge of the bed. The child had been put to sleep, and she had already sent the nanny away with the child. She was feeling light-hearted now.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Yeah, if Sister Yingying can¡¯t continue, we can help out."


    Su Yiyi was the most bashful and felt embarrassed watching such a performance, but she worried about Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. In the end, she still closed the door behind them and stayed.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all and chatted with the three of them. This also helped distract him a bit and lasted him longer; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue serving the insatiable Xu Yingying.


    After watching for a while, Ye Yunzhu and the others began to feel uncomfortable; it was like watching a live erotic performance. Ye Yunzhu, being the most open-minded, was the first to climb onto the bed and undress. She didn¡¯t join the fray but let Li Yifei caress her.


    Li Yifei noticed all three were uncomfortable and simply said to Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi, "You guys join in too. I¡¯m all in."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was eager for Li Yifei¡¯s comfort and didn¡¯t hesitate. Su Yiyi, noticing that Li Yifei was very tired, chose not to join, not wanting to cause him any more discomfort.


    After toiling for more than an hour, Xu Yingying finally let out a few high-pitched cries, then collapsed on top of Li Yifei and stopped moving.


    Li Yifei hurriedly checked her and, finding that Xu Yingying had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He moved Xu Yingying to one side, called Su Yiyi to the bed, and all five of them managed to squeeze in together, albeit tightly. One of them lay on top of him, but they didn¡¯t engage in further intimacy.


    "What the hell happened? How did someone drug Yingying?" Ye Yunzhu asked.


    Li Yifei said, "I¡¯m not sure of the details, but the people protecting Yingying informed me. All I know is that it was that Gu Family kid we ran into on the mountain who was behind this."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted, "That bastard. Didn¡¯t you deal with him?"


    Li Yifei said, "He had two very tough guys with him, and I had to carry Yingying, so I didn¡¯t catch the kid. But this can¡¯t end here; I will definitely settle the score with that guy."


    Ye Yunzhu spoke resentfully, "Yes, we must take care of them. Or else they¡¯ll think the Li family is easy to bully."


    Li Yifei then seriously said, "You all need to be more careful when you go out in the future. I¡¯ll increase protection for you."


    "Sure, we understand."


    Li Yifei was tired by now and soon fell asleep holding the three of them. However, he was very clear about one thing: even with the Yamaguchi Group issue, most formidable organizations in the world would hesitate before targeting him and his family. Still, some fools would relentlessly pursue them, and vigilance for family safety could never be

 Chapter 954 - 995: Ning Xin’er’s Request

    Chapter 954: Chapter 995: Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s RequestXu Yingying woke up feeling sore and weak. Seeing Ye Yunzhu and the others still in bed, her first thought was how crazy last night had been, and that there had been so many people together¡ªusually, it was just one extra person.


    But she quickly recalled what had happened last night, and her heart sank. She hurriedly sat up.


    The moment she moved, Li Yifei and the others woke up too. Su Yiyi immediately asked with concern, "Sister Yingying, are you feeling better?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned pale as she said, "Husband... last night... I..."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s okay, I was the one who took off your clothes."


    Xu Yingying let out a sigh of relief, and then said with resentment, "What about Gu Yandong?"


    Li Yifei replied, "You were too urgent at that moment yesterday, I couldn¡¯t deal with them and had to let them go."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face flushed with the memory of her intense desire from that night. Li Yifei must have hurriedly taken her away to prevent her from making a scene. Now, her hatred for Gu Yandong was even stronger, "Husband, that bastard is really despicable. You must take good care of him." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t worry, anyone who dares to bother my wife, I will not let him off."


    "Mm," Xu Yingying had never hated anyone so much. Normally, she was very rational when dealing with problems, but now, with Li Yifei¡¯s strength and Gu Yandong¡¯s excesses, she wasn¡¯t only considering whether it was legal to act on it or not.


    After discussing the serious matters, Ye Yunzhu joked, "Yingying, you were really wild last night. We originally wanted a piece of the action, but we didn¡¯t stand a chance. You left the husband with no fighting power at all."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she retorted, "I was drugged, okay? Besides, look at the state of you guys, blaming me, when I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve been up to."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed, "We could only join in the fun, we really didn¡¯t get any advantage."


    "Then take your advantage now, I definitely have no objections. It¡¯s the perfect time for me to watch."


    "Well, then we won¡¯t be polite."


    Everyone had known each other for so long and spent so much time with Li Yifei, so when they joked around, they had no inhibitions. At this point, there was no concern for being ladylike or not, even Su Yiyi would sometimes join in the teasing.


    After some laughing and joking, everyone got up from bed¡ªthey did not actually carry through with their jests. After all, there was a lot to do today. Besides, they were restraining themselves, not wanting Li Yifei to indulge too much, as they feared it could harm his health.


    They all shared one husband and were concerned about Li Yifei¡¯s health. If he was good, they could all live better. If he burned out too soon, they would all suffer in the end.


    The group went downstairs and the housekeeper had already prepared breakfast. They sat down to eat, and Xu Yingying immediately asked, "Where¡¯s Shanshan? She didn¡¯t come back last night?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "She came back just after you did yesterday, but she didn¡¯t look good and headed straight to her room. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she felt uncomfortable in her stomach, but she wouldn¡¯t let me in. After a while, she said she was fine."


    Xu Yingying stood up at once and said, "I¡¯m going to check on her." That was her own sister, of course she was concerned.


    At this moment, Li Yifei also got a sinking feeling. Last night, Xu Yingying was drugged with an aphrodisiac, and he worried that Xu Shanshan might have been affected too. If so, that would be bad. However, hearing what Ning Xin¡¯er said, it seemed Xu Shanshan had returned in time, suggesting she hadn¡¯t been taken advantage of by anyone.


    Uncertain inside, Li Yifei also hurried to Xu Shanshan¡¯s room. Xu Shanshan, wearing pajamas and yawning, came out. At home, she dressed very casually, and everyone was used to it.


    "Shanshan, how are you feeling?" Li Yifei asked with concern.


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and said, "I¡¯m not dead, at least."


    Li Yifei was accustomed to seeing Xu Shanshan bright and buoyant after his nights with Xu Yingying. It was the first time she appeared so exhausted, which worried him further. He reached out and took Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, saying, "Let me check."


    Everyone knew Li Yifei had medical knowledge, even if he didn¡¯t speak of it. He could usually identify common problems, and after checking with his True Qi, he found that Xu Shanshan was indeed okay, probably just tired from last night¡¯s craziness.


    "Are you done checking?" Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei another look and said, "I¡¯m going to wash my face." Then she shambled into the bathroom in her slippers.


    Xu Yingying frowned slightly and said, "Shanshan, I feel like there¡¯s something odd about you today, especially your attitude towards Yifei. You didn¡¯t upset her at some point, did you?"


    Li Yifei certainly couldn¡¯t tell what he had done to upset Xu Shanshan and said, "I haven¡¯t upset her. These past few days she¡¯s been urging me to find someone to manage the factory soon. She doesn¡¯t want to work there, and since I haven¡¯t found the right person yet, she¡¯s probably just unhappy from being tired yesterday. Honey, it¡¯s really not suitable for Shanshan, a girl, to manage the factory. Let¡¯s replace her as soon as possible. It pains me to see her dealing with the workers every day."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Then let¡¯s arrange for someone as quickly as possible. I only let her stay there because she seemed to finally be doing something constructive, and she was doing quite well at it. But since she insists on leaving, I¡¯ll arrange something else for her."


    "I don¡¯t want to work with you. Assign me to my brother-in-law¡¯s place." Xu Shanshan, with a toothbrush in her mouth and her face full of toothpaste foam, poked her head out and interjected.


    Xu Yingying glared and retorted, "What¡¯s wrong with being by my side?"


    "What¡¯s good about it? I don¡¯t want to be under your thumb. If we work together, you¡¯ll constantly find fault with me, and I won¡¯t respect you. If it affects your prestige as the big boss, it¡¯s not my problem."


    Xu Yingying found herself at a loss for words in response to that remark. She had no problem managing other people in the company, but managing her sister Xu Shanshan would indeed be a challenge. Gritting her teeth, Xu Yingying said to Xu Shanshan, "Fine, later on, I¡¯ll have you transferred to your brother-in-law¡¯s."


    "Sister, you agreed just like that?" Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to agree so readily.


    "Can it be done without my approval? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you causing trouble. I¡¯d rather have you work with your brother-in-law because you¡¯d probably behave better. Plus, you two work well together."


    "I knew my sister was the best." Xu Shanshan immediately dashed over excitedly, intending to hug Xu Yingying.


    "Step back!" Xu Yingying quickly pushed Xu Shanshan away, scolding, "Don¡¯t get toothpaste all over me. You¡¯re an adult, stop flailing around like that."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, whirled around, and scampered back into the bathroom, looking sprightly once again.


    During the meal, Ning Xin¡¯er took a few bites and then looked up at Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, saying, "Yingying, I want to find something to do too. Everyone has something to do except for me, just staying at home, makes me feel uncomfortable."


    Xu Yingying grinned and said, "You should talk to your husband about that, why are you asking me?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted, glanced at Li Yifei, and complained, "He won¡¯t let me, insisting that since I¡¯m a star, wherever I go I¡¯ll attract attention. Does that mean I have to stay home forever?"


    Li Yifei quickly said, "I don¡¯t intend to keep you confined at home, but as a big star, even though you haven¡¯t appeared in the media for a long time, there¡¯s still a lot of interest in you. If word gets out you¡¯re working with me, it would greatly affect our family¡¯s life."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pouted even more, voicing her discontent, "I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m just so bored."


    Ye Yunzhu chimed in, "Xin¡¯er is right. One can¡¯t just be cooped up at home all the time. You need to have things to do to feel better. Otherwise, you might die of boredom, especially women. Only by going out and doing things can one enrich their life. Husband, you can¡¯t deprive Xin¡¯er of this right just because you¡¯re afraid of the trouble, and it could also make a woman age faster."


    Since everyone was saying so, Ning Xin¡¯er was even more determined, glaring at Li Yifei, "Exactly! Wait a few years, and everyone else will still be beautiful while I¡¯ll turn into an old hag. You¡¯ll despise me then, and I¡¯m not having that."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Your words make me seem like the villain. Alright then, for the time being, you can follow me around and have something to do. But remember to put on a good disguise before heading out; it¡¯s better if people don¡¯t recognize you for now."


    "Deal, I¡¯ll make sure no one can recognize me," Ning Xin¡¯er exclaimed excitedly. She then stopped eating and dashed upstairs to get herself ready.


    Seeing how happy Ning Xin¡¯er was, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile too. This was the real Ning Xin¡¯er, the playful one, not the gentle and delicate Ning Xin¡¯er from every day.


    Everyone readied themselves and left the house, with Li Yifei bringing Ning Xin¡¯er to his new company.


    The new company was situated in an office building, occupying two whole floors, currently still in the phase of setup. The actual business hadn¡¯t begun yet.


    The few employees in the company greeted Li Yifei as he passed by, and he responded with a smile. Ning Xin¡¯er, walking beside him, was clearly drawing a lot of attention.


    At the time, Ning Xin¡¯er was dressed in a light gray suit¡ªsharp pencil pants, a pair of light-colored high-heeled sandals, showing off her long, straight legs. A white blouse topped with a blazer accentuated her curvaceous figure. A large pair of sunglasses concealed most of her face. Even if one couldn¡¯t see her features, the sexy little mouth, delicate nose, and smooth skin indicated at first glance that she was a beauty.


    Beauty aside, Ning Xin¡¯er walked with such a graceful poise. With each step, her body swayed rhythmically, pleasing to the watcher¡¯s eye¡ªeven if one didn¡¯t notice Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face, her figure alone was mesmerizing.

 Chapter 955 - 996: Business Goals

    Chapter 955: Chapter 996: Business GoalsUpon arriving at Li Yifei¡¯s office, Li Yifei immediately rolled his eyes at Ning Xin¡¯er, who in turn asked in puzzlement, "Honey, what¡¯s that look for? Did I do something wrong?"


    Li Yifei replied irritably, "You did too well, didn¡¯t you see all those people staring at you? Can¡¯t you just walk normally? Why do you have to walk so attractively?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, leaning halfway over Li Yifei¡¯s back, her eyes brimming with mirth as she said, "Husband, are you jealous of me?"


    Li Yifei responded displeased, "Who wouldn¡¯t be upset with their wife getting so much attention?"


    By now, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mood was indescribably good. Li Yifei¡¯s jealousy meant he was falling for her more and more. "So what do you want me to do? I¡¯m used to walking this way; if you ask me to change, I wouldn¡¯t even know how."


    "Just act like you used to when I first met you, all crazy and frivolous, then you wouldn¡¯t attract so much attention."


    Ning Xin¡¯er made a face and said, "Act crazy and frivolous like before? Husband, I was young then. Now I have a four-year-old daughter; I can¡¯t be like that anymore."


    Li Yifei patted Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s buttocks lightly with the back of his hand and said, "Alright, I was just speaking off the cuff. My wife is so beautiful; how could any man not want to take a second look? If I were to get jealous every day, no matter how big a vat of vinegar I had, it wouldn¡¯t be enough."


    "Really?" Ning Xin¡¯er leaned entirely on Li Yifei¡¯s back, peeking her head over his shoulder, smiling affectionately at him.


    Li Yifei glanced at Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "Alright, I lied. But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. It¡¯s not like I can gouge out people¡¯s eyes just because they look at you, right?"


    "Giggle, husband, I¡¯m falling for you more and more," Ning Xin¡¯er said, planting a kiss on Li Yifei¡¯s face and laughing heartily.


    Li Yifei kissed her back and said fondly, "Okay, stop messing around. Here you¡¯re my assistant, not my wife. Go and sit properly."


    Ning Xin¡¯er obediently took her seat, and Li Yifei got down to his work as well. He had been quite serious about his job lately. After a while, Li Yifei turned his head to look at Ning Xin¡¯er and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er, elbows on the desk and hands supporting her cheeks, said with a smile, "My husband looks really handsome when he¡¯s serious about his work."


    Li Yifei smiled, handed her a document, and pointed to the computer beside him, saying, "Go reply to the recruitment emails on the computer and keep a record."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately responded energetically, "Okay, I¡¯ll make sure to do a good job."


    Ning Xin¡¯er had indeed been quite idle lately. Back when she was a celebrity, she was always running around, but since being with Li Yifei, life had been exceedingly comfortable. While she initially enjoyed it, inactivity soon led to restlessness, especially seeing everyone in the household busy with their own affairs, and she felt the need to find something to occupy herself. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That morning, both Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er worked diligently. Several employees came in to ask for instructions on their tasks, and Li Yifei made arrangements for them.


    As for those sneaking glances at Ning Xin¡¯er, it was an inevitable issue; Li Yifei could only pretend not to notice.


    During a lull, Li Yifei made a couple of calls to arrange for someone to investigate Gu Yandong. Around noon, Li Yifei received a phone call from Qiu Jiming, inviting him out for a meal, to which Li Yifei promptly agreed.


    In a restaurant not far from the office building, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er met with Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai.


    As soon as they sat down in the private room, Qiu Jiming apologized to Li Yifei, "President Li, I¡¯m really sorry about what happened yesterday. We genuinely intended to network with President Xu, but Sunx Nenghui insisted on making us mediators. As longtime friends, we wanted to help smooth things over, but who knew Sunx Nenghui would do such a thing."


    Qian Shengcai added, "President Li, we were truly blindsided. Otherwise, we would have never done such a thing. We are still looking for opportunities to collaborate with you. How could we think of harming your wife? It was all Sunx Nenghui¡¯s manipulation, but of course, we also failed to see people¡¯s true colors and almost caused harm to your wife. We bear undeniable responsibility."


    Both men were prominent executives in Mile City, so much so that a single stomp could send tremors through the city. To see them humbly seeking Li Yifei¡¯s forgiveness was indeed a rare sight.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I trust both presidents, and I won¡¯t hold you accountable for this matter."


    To prosper in Mile City, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to make enemies everywhere. Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai were both influential presidents, and cooperating with them could bring him many benefits. Moreover, since they were unaware of the incident, blaming them would be pointless. If he did blame them, it would be all too easy to make two new enemies.


    "President Li is indeed magnanimous!" Qiu Jiming lifted his glass and said, "Then let¡¯s toast to President Li."


    Qian Shengcai immediately raised his glass as well and said, "We owe President Li a favor this time. If there¡¯s anything we can do for you in the future, just one word from you, and we¡¯ll be there without hesitation."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, picked up his glass, and said, "You¡¯re too kind, presidents. In the future, there will still be plenty of opportunities for us to make money."


    These words made Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai even happier. Not only had they achieved their goal of having Li Yifei overlook their past grievances, but to develop a close relationship with him because of this incident was an unexpected bonus.


    The three of them drained their glasses in one gulp, then all laughed heartily, instantly lightening the atmosphere.


    "President Li, you haven¡¯t introduced us to this beautiful lady," Qian Shengcai said to Li Yifei with a suggestive wink.


    For these presidents, having a mistress was quite normal. They often brought them to various social events, sometimes as a show of status, a necessity they couldn¡¯t do without. They all knew that Li Yifei¡¯s wife was Xu Yingying, so naturally, the woman accompanying Li Yifei must be his mistress.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I suppose you two should recognize her?"


    Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Ning Xin¡¯er earlier, also due to Li Yifei bringing her in, they hadn¡¯t felt it was appropriate to scrutinize her. But upon Li Yifei¡¯s prompt, they took a closer look at Ning Xin¡¯er, and then Qiu Jiming immediately said in confusion, "She looks familiar."


    Qian Shengcai looked at Ning Xin¡¯er again and suddenly said, "Isn¡¯t this Ning Xin¡¯er?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled softly and said, "Hello, presidents," as she took off her sunglasses.


    "It really is you." Both Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai were taken aback, then they gave a thumbs up to Li Yifei and said, "President Li is truly the man!"


    Li Yifei indeed felt quite proud at that moment. Although it wasn¡¯t something he cared about, the attitude from the two men was something that could make any man feel proud.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, brought along by Li Yifei, knew that he didn¡¯t intend to conceal her identity from these two men, so she affectionately looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s and said, "I¡¯m not much of a superstar now; just a little woman by my husband¡¯s side."


    This declaration made Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai admire Li Yifei even more. To them, Ning Xin¡¯er might be modest in Li Yifei¡¯s presence, but to others, she was still a dazzling star. The prospect of getting close to Ning Xin¡¯er was a dream for countless men. With her status, beauty, and pure maiden image, it would have been easy for her to marry into wealth, but now she was simply a woman supporting Li Yifei, which was a testament to his remarkable ability.


    Moreover, at the last social gathering, Li Yifei had brought both Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er. Xu Yingying was there as his wife, but Ning Xin¡¯er never left his side. At the time, everyone thought Ning Xin¡¯er was just a friend of Su Mengxin, but it now seemed very likely that Xu Yingying knew of Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s existence. This highlighted Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities even more¡ªhaving a mistress was one thing, but to have his mistress and wife coexist harmoniously was quite an impressive feat.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was quite adept in social settings. Acting as an accompaniment to Li Yifei, she played a significant role in keeping the mood light, and everyone enjoyed the meal that much more.


    "President Qiu, Manager Qian, you¡¯ve known Sunx Nenghui for a long time. Could you give me a detailed introduction to Tianli Group?" After taking a sip of his drink, Li Yifei casually asked.


    Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai knew Li Yifei was targeting Sunx Nenghui, but they candidly disclosed everything they knew. Firstly, they were intimidated by Li Yifei¡¯s formidable reputation, and secondly, they were frustrated that Sunx Nenghui had used them to provoke Li Yifei. If Li Yifei¡¯s wrath was directed at them, they would face significant trouble. Sunx Nenghui had indeed caused them harm, so they had no more face to save for him.


    Li Yifei listened intently, already formulating a plan. To deal with Sunx Nenghui, he couldn¡¯t rely on martial strength as before. Instead, he wanted to use business tactics to take over Tianli Group, leaving Sunx Nenghui with nothing. This would be the ultimate revenge. Moreover, acquiring a large corporate group would not only boost his financial power but also serve as valuable experience in business maneuvers.


    Sunx Nenghui was intent on revenge but was oblivious to the fact that his stubborn refusal to correct his son¡¯s wrongdoings had made his company a prime target for Li Yifei.

 Chapter 956 - 997: Another Trip to Japan

    Chapter 956: Chapter 997: Another Trip to JapanLi Yifei had many men under his command; getting them to investigate illegal activities or to find out where someone was posed no difficulty for them, nor did executing any mission. However, engaging them as business spies was a different matter altogether¡ªthey just weren¡¯t cut out for it, as Li Yifei had never dealt with such people before and thus lacked talent in that area.


    Now, he could only start with the basics, learning about the company from the people around Sunx Nenghui and then figuring out other methods.


    The assets of Sunx Nenghui¡¯s company were roughly around three billion comprising various industries, with the catering and real estate sectors being the main pillars. In Mile City, a large hotel owned by Sunx Nenghui generated hefty annual profits for him. Although the real estate wasn¡¯t booming currently, it had indeed performed extremely well in the past years, during which Sunx Nenghui had made his fortune.


    Sunx Nenghui¡¯s company wasn¡¯t listed on the stock exchange, and few companies in Mile City were. Unlike the large companies in big cities, which preferred to accumulate a substantial amount of working capital in the stock market, entrepreneurs in Mile City were more accustomed to borrowing from banks and keeping the money in their own hands.


    If it were a publicly-listed company, Li Yifei could hire expert stock manipulators to drive down the company¡¯s shares, then viciously acquire it through a series of maneuvers. Now, however, he couldn¡¯t use such methods; he had to operate differently.


    Li Yifei currently had no specific plan and needed to consult Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying, who were more knowledgeable in this regard.


    "President Li, that Young Master Gu is from the Gu Family. You should be cautious," Qiu Jiming reminded at that moment.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "This is Mile City, not Capital City. The Gu Family¡¯s reach doesn¡¯t extend this far."


    Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai immediately showed smiles and said, "Then we must rely on President Li for making a fortune in the future."


    "As long as you two Presidents wish to be friends with Li Yifei, I¡¯ll certainly not forget you whenever there is an opportunity to make money."


    The three didn¡¯t spell it out explicitly, but Li Yifei had made his dominance in Mile City clear, reassuring Qiu Jiming and Qian Shengcai, while the two Presidents also showed a willingness to follow Li Yifei. That was quite enough.


    After finishing their meal, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er returned to their company. Just then, Li Yifei also received a phone call. His subordinate informed him of Gu Yandong¡¯s whereabouts¡ªthe man had audaciously left Mile City and taken a flight back to Capital City.


    This annoyed Li Yifei. He really wanted to catch Gu Yandong and teach him a harsh lesson, but since he had run back to Capital City, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t pursue him there to move against Gu Yandong.


    The Gu Family was a powerhouse, even stronger than the Xiao and Zheng families. Even without a major confrontation, Li Yifei was in no position to contend with a family like Xiao¡¯s, let alone the Gu Family. If Gu Yandong had remained outside, Li Yifei could have handled him in a conflict, a scenario where even if the Gu Family was discontent, they wouldn¡¯t dare make an extreme move due to respect for the Su Family. But directly going after Gu Yandong in Capital City meant declaring war on the Gu Family, which would be utterly unwise.


    Li Yifei was never impulsive. Known for his wisdom and calm within the Flying Hawk Squad, he certainly wasn¡¯t going to act rashly now. After all, "revenge is a dish best served cold." This time, if he struck Gu Yandong, that boy wouldn¡¯t be content either and would seek revenge later, and it would be excellent to wait patiently for Gu Yandong to come to him on his own.


    Since Ning Xin¡¯er was to work in this company and inevitably interact with the staff, Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er agreed not to use her real name but a pseudonym. She was now called Li Qing. Additionally, with some makeup to make her look more professional, though her appearance didn¡¯t change much, her demeanor differed from the pure, famous Little Jade Girl from before. With a different name, people would only think that this Li Qing in the company merely resembled the famous Ning Xin.


    Ning Xin¡¯er readily agreed to this suggestion. As long as she could work and stay with Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t ask for more and didn¡¯t mind the small details.


    After several busy days at the company, Li Yifei received another call from the Yamaguchi Group; another item had been secured, and he needed to figure out a way to retrieve it.


    In the past, Li Yifei would have faced this matter more casually, but now it was of considerable importance to him. It was a crucial capital accumulation leverage; it wasn¡¯t just about money. It was a significant contribution to the nation, more critical than the missions he completed when he was with the Flying Hawk Squad. The nation would be grateful to him so it would certainly offer him some compensation; benefits or leniency on some major issues. Therefore, Li Yifei had to personally attend this matter.


    This time, the item wasn¡¯t just basic materials but also a sample weighing over a ton, and the sample¡¯s volume was considerable. Bringing this back was clearly going to be more challenging than the last time when he could simply carry it away. He had to use a transportation vehicle to get the goods back to his country, making the target bigger, even easier for the Japanese to discover. Hence, Li Yifei had to prepare well to bring it back.


    The goods were in Tokyo, Japan. For Koboto Kobayashi to get it out was already quite difficult; asking him to move it closer to the coast was beyond his courage. If any part of the process went wrong, neither he nor the entire Yamaguchi group could stay in Japan. So, he could only temporarily stash the goods somewhere in Tokyo and let Li Yifei figure out how to take them away.


    However, it was no easy task for Li Yifei to take them. Air transport was definitely out of the question; he would have to go by sea. Though Tokyo was near the coast, its coastline was far too short to contemplate moving such critical goods. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That meant he had to travel overland from Tokyo, crossing Japan to the western coastline. This coast was not only longer but also closer to Huaxia. Once out at sea, issues generally shouldn¡¯t be significant. Therefore, Li Yifei ultimately decided to retrieve the goods using this method.


    Another issue was that crossing Japan, Li Yifei needed a formal identity with a valid reason for transport. Ideally, he would openly load the goods and use the cover of his identity to transport them.


    Being a tourist wouldn¡¯t work, as it involved no transportation; the best approach was some sort of business investigation or collaboration. This allowed him to move freely there and then find an opportunity to take the goods back.


    All this could only be handled by Li Yifei himself; the higher-ups definitely wouldn¡¯t intervene. After all, should anything go wrong, it would be Li Yifei¡¯s personal issue. But with involvement from the higher-ups, it would rise to an issue between two countries.


    Li Yifei was all too familiar with this from the Golden Eagle Squad; at this time, he didn¡¯t even communicate with Old Master Su. He had to rely solely on himself.


    Li Yifei had been to Japan several times, but there was nothing there that made him want to linger. All he wanted now was to secure the goods and return home as quickly as possible.


    This time, he hadn¡¯t brought Sophia but took four capable subordinates instead. Though not as competent as Sophia, these four were undoubtedly elites. Their adoration for the Golden Eagle compelled them to follow Li Yifei; otherwise, each of them could have easily stood their ground alone.


    During this trip, Li Yifei entered Japan under the guise of a wealthy businessman from Taiwan. Falsifying identities was something he could manage without help from his superiors. His subordinate management staff might not be many, but doing this was too easy, virtually seamless. Whether passing through customs or anything else, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Before arriving in Japan, Li Yifei had used this identity to have his subordinates contact several companies in Tokyo. They were looking to establish a technological partnership, a completely normal commercial collaboration.


    After arriving in Tokyo, he validly negotiated with two companies. Despite Japan¡¯s developed economy and numerous big firms, there were also smaller companies holding advanced technologies, but struggling to develop them locally and eager for opportunities abroad.


    Li Yifei and his team showed enough patience to engage with these two companies and, on the third day, were invited to meet with a third company.


    Suzuki Company, larger than the previous two, was the company Li Yifei had predetermined to exploit, making the negotiations more earnest.


    The other party sensed Li Yifei¡¯s sincerity and, through investigations, realized the strength of his company. A successful collaboration would significantly aid them, so they responded with full sincerity, first taking Li Yifei and his team on a tour of their facilities followed by a small-scale cocktail party in the evening.


    Li Yifei was happy to attend. His preparatory work had to be thorough, ensuring no suspicions about him, making it easier when the time came to leave with the goods.

 Chapter 957 - 998: Meeting Aoki Reiko Again

    Chapter 957: Chapter 998: Meeting Aoki Reiko Again"Mr. Mu Fei, thank you for gracing us with your presence at this reception. Your arrival truly adds luster to our gathering."


    The president of Suzuki Company, Suzuki Jiro, because Li Yifei was Taiwanese, spiced his speech with a touch of Huaxia flavor. He had specifically learned this manner of speaking, but it resulted in a somewhat awkward delivery. Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind and naturally could not use his real name. Currently, he went by the name Mu Fei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Mr. Suzuki, you are too kind. The honor is mine to be able to attend your reception."


    "If Mr. Mu Fei says so, then I have no worries. Come, let me introduce you to a few people. This is my eldest son, Suzuki Yama, this is my second son, Suzuki Naru, this is my daughter, Suzuki Kawako, and this is my daughter¡¯s good friend, Aoki Reiko. She is the daughter of the chairman of the most famous Aoki Group in all of Japan."


    As Suzuki Jiro introduced each person, Li Yifei shook hands with them, and they were all very polite. However, when it came to Aoki Reiko, Li Yifei was genuinely surprised. He had seen this girl before; during his last trip to Japan to gather some information, he had encountered Aoki Reiko in a warehouse, where she had been kidnapped. At the time, Li Yifei had saved her. He never expected that on his second trip to Japan for business, he would meet her again. What a peculiar fate.


    Today, Aoki Reiko was dressed in a classic Japanese kimono, her hair pinned up, her face slightly made up. Her attire was the epitome of what could represent the women of Japan.


    Li Yifei shook hands with Aoki Reiko briefly. She merely grazed Li Yifei¡¯s hand before withdrawing it politely. Although her manners were impeccable, her warmth was not as apparent as that of the others. Given her status, which was much higher than Li Yifei¡¯s Taiwanese identity, her treatment of him was already quite generous.


    After the introductions, Suzuki Jiro invited Li Yifei and the others into the yard for an outdoor reception held in a villa garden laid with grass and lined with two rows of tables where food was being prepared.


    There were also other people there, mostly employees of the Suzuki Company, and several of Suzuki Jiro¡¯s friends, largely young people. Li Yifei was clearly the main focus as everyone knew that the possibility of cooperating with his company could bring a great opportunity. Naturally, as employees, they all took this very seriously.


    Now, Li Yifei wore glasses, and with a bit of makeup, he was unrecognizable as the Golden Eagle. He appeared to be a successful businessman, engaging in lively conversation with Suzuki Jiro and his sons, creating an especially congenial atmosphere.


    Suzuki Kawako and Aoki Reiko, however, were sitting by the pool chatting.


    Suzuki Kawako said helplessly, "Reiko, don¡¯t be so downcast. The atmosphere is so pleasant today. Chat with everyone a little."


    Aoki Reiko shook her head and replied, "Not interested."


    Suzuki Kawako sighed, "It¡¯s been so long since that incident. Why haven¡¯t you gotten over it yet? You weren¡¯t harmed, were you?"


    Aoki Reiko gave a wry smile and said, "I may not have been harmed, but I can¡¯t help but be wary of everyone. I don¡¯t feel safe interacting with others. It¡¯s only when I¡¯m with you that I can relax a bit. Otherwise, I¡¯m tense around everyone, as if they pose a threat."


    Although Aoki Reiko was never a particularly lively girl, she used to be quite happy and her social interactions were normal. However, since the kidnapping, she was left with a mental scar and dared not socialize anymore. At home, aside from her parents, her interactions with anyone else were filled with caution, including the household staff and employees at the company.


    Suzuki Kawako was her classmate from university, and the two shared a deep bond. Now, aside from her parents, she was the only person with whom Reiko could interact normally. Although Aoki Reiko¡¯s parents were worried about her safety, they had to consent to let her spend time with Suzuki Kawako. At the very least, this could help Reiko become a bit more cheerful.


    "Any news about the man who saved you?" Suzuki Kawako changed the subject.


    "No, he hasn¡¯t been found. Not a trace of information. It¡¯s as if he vanished into thin air. Whether it¡¯s our family resources, the police force, or even the private detective I hired, there¡¯s been no news of him."


    As soon as the rescuer was mentioned, Aoki Reiko¡¯s spirits were visibly lifted, and she began to speak more.


    "Do you think you¡¯ll recognize him?"


    "I don¡¯t know," she replied. "I only remember his eyes and a hint of a tobacco scent I¡¯d never encountered before. If I were to smell it again, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d recognize it."


    Knowing that mentioning this person would greatly improve Aoki Reiko¡¯s mood, Suzuki Kawako chuckled lightly and asked, "And if you find him, what then?"


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes revealed a mesmerized look as she said, "I don¡¯t know what I can do, but I want to be his girlfriend."


    "What if he¡¯s already married?"


    Aoki Reiko immediately glanced with determination, saying, "Married? No, that can¡¯t be. I can feel that he¡¯s very young. How could he possibly be married so early? Absolutely not."


    Suzuki Kawako was somewhat surprised by Aoki Reiko¡¯s reaction. Seeing Aoki Reiko like this, it indeed seemed like love at first sight. If the man wasn¡¯t who she imagined, it might just hurt her even more. So she hesitated for a moment before saying, "Reiko, have you ever considered that he might not be a good person, and could possibly be a bad one?"


    "He couldn¡¯t possibly be a bad person. If he was, why would he have saved me? After saving me, he didn¡¯t make any demands of me. Could a bad person do that? At the very least, he should have sought some advantage from me or... he had every opportunity and plenty of time to... violate me, but he didn¡¯t."


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll admit he¡¯s a good person, your own Batman. But what if he¡¯s a rather ugly man?"


    "That... His eyes were very expressive and also extremely confident. A very ugly person wouldn¡¯t have such confident eyes. So I dare say he won¡¯t be ugly, at most not exceptionally handsome. But for a man, what¡¯s the use of being handsome? Only a man with real capability is a good man."


    "Alright!" Suzuki Kawako rubbed her forehead, feeling somewhat helpless, and said, "I don¡¯t know whether I should hope that you find him or hope that you don¡¯t."


    "Why? Wouldn¡¯t you be happy for me if I found him?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m afraid that the gap between your ideal and reality is too large, and that you won¡¯t be able to handle the blow."


    Aoki Reiko asserted strongly, "No, my intuition can¡¯t be wrong. I must find him. Only he can give me a real sense of security. With him, I won¡¯t be afraid and can return to normal."


    At this time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know whether to feel relieved or lament missing out on a great opportunity. He was always careful in his actions, concealing any possible leak of his identity. Like smoking, these past few days he hadn¡¯t smoked the usual Little Panda cigarettes Su Mengxin gave him but instead smoked cigarettes with a stronger scent, so his clothes now carried this new tobacco smell, not the distinct fragrance of Little Panda.


    Aoki Reiko wasn¡¯t just boasting; her sense of smell was extremely keen, several times more sensitive than the average person¡¯s. If Li Yifei had the original tobacco scent on him, Aoki Reiko would have definitely noticed it.


    When Li Yifei met Aoki Reiko just now, the scent wasn¡¯t right. Plus, Li Yifei had worn glasses, which had obscured her view and prevented Aoki Reiko from recognizing him.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re not married yet?" Suzuki Jiro asked with a smile at this time.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, these years I¡¯ve been busy with my career and not in a rush."


    "Mr. Mu Fei, that won¡¯t do. A man busy with his career needs a perfect wife at home to take care of him. In this regard, our women from Great Japan are second to none, and absolutely no women from other countries could claim to be first."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, Japanese women are indeed very good in this aspect. However, with modern developments, women in your country are probably not all staying at home to be good wives and mothers, right?"


    "Indeed, some women have begun to be independent, but many still adhere to our nation¡¯s fine traditions. Take my daughter Kawako, for instance; she excels in this area. I¡¯ve always taught her how to take care of her husband."


    Li Yifei instantly caught the underlying meaning in Suzuki Jiro¡¯s words ¨C it seemed he wanted to introduce his daughter to him. Suzuki Kawako, by ordinary standards, was a fine girl. Although not a ravishing beauty, she was still considered attractive. To an average man, she would definitely be a rare find. Unfortunately, each of Li Yifei¡¯s wives was stunning, and Li Yifei really didn¡¯t want any complications in his emotional life right now. So he merely smiled and said, "Suzuki Kawako is indeed a good girl, it¡¯s just that I have no plans to settle down in the coming years, otherwise, I could truly consider pursuing her."


    Suzuki Jiro couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit disappointed but still said, "That¡¯s a shame. I was hoping that besides being business partners, we could add another layer to our relationship. Now it seems there is no hope."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That doesn¡¯t affect our cooperation. In Taiwan, we have a saying ¨C my fate has not yet arrived."

 Chapter 958 - 999: Verbal Duel

    Chapter 958: Chapter 999: Verbal DuelEven though Li Yifei had already made his stance clear, Suzuki Jiro was still somewhat unwilling to accept it. His company looked good on the surface, but it too had fallen into financial difficulties due to a lack of funds. If he couldn¡¯t find another good partner soon, his company really wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out much longer, and the pressure of repaying the bank loans would become unbearable for him.


    Therefore, he was eager to partner with Li Yifei¡¯s company, but the two other companies that also had the opportunity to partner with Li Yifei were quite competitive. Even though Li Yifei was having a pleasant conversation with him, he wasn¡¯t completely sure he could secure a partnership. If his daughter could become lovers with Li Yifei, then the partnership would be unquestionably secured.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, I truly admire you. I also know that you are probably not interested in my daughter, but as young people, there is no harm in dating, right? Could you possibly start by being friends?"


    With Suzuki Jiro stating his position like that, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse too harshly and just smiled, "Of course, there¡¯s no problem with becoming friends."


    "Haha, that¡¯s great." Suzuki Jiro was immediately overjoyed and led Li Yifei over to Suzuki Kawako, saying, "Kawako, introduce Mr. Mu Fei to some of our Japanese customs. He¡¯s very interested in them."


    Li Yifei found it somewhat amusing; at this point, Suzuki Jiro really did seem to be trying to sell his daughter to him. But now, he had no interest in beauties, and to him, Suzuki Kawako was just an ordinary girl. It was her companion, Aoki Reiko, who was a true beauty. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suzuki Kawako had already received instructions from her father and was somewhat uncomfortable with the situation. Although she didn¡¯t have a boyfriend at the moment, she didn¡¯t want to be used as a business bargaining chip, but she also knew the state of her father¡¯s company. For the sake of her father¡¯s business, she would have to at least pretend to have a good attitude towards Li Yifei.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, thank you for coming to Japan. How many times have you visited our country?" Suzuki Kawako asked with a smile on her face, the kimono she wore lent her an air of simplicity and cuteness.


    "I¡¯ve been here a few times, but it¡¯s always been for business."


    Suzuki Kawako smiled lightly and said, "Oh, then if you have time, Kawako can show you some of Japan¡¯s scenery."


    Li Yifei¡¯s interest was suddenly piqued and he responded, "That would be nice. I have quite a bit of time this trip, and it would be great to see some of the Japanese customs."


    Suzuki Jiro had not expected Li Yifei to agree so quickly, which pleased him greatly. He hurriedly said, "Kawako, you must show Mr. Mu Fei a good time."


    Suzuki Kawako was also surprised at how quickly Li Yifei agreed, but she sweetly said, "I certainly will."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Then I¡¯ll be in your care."


    "No trouble at all, Mr. Mu Fei. As our guest from afar, we also want to ensure the best hospitality."


    Suzuki Jiro then said, "You guys chat, I¡¯m going to check things out over there." And with that, he quickly left, hoping that Li Yifei would get along well with his daughter.


    Aoki Reiko, however, frowned and moved a couple of steps to the side. In her eyes, Li Yifei was a stranger.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t interested in Aoki Reiko either. Even if she looked disdainful at that moment, he did not leave. Now he had a better way to transport the goods, and having Aoki Reiko take him on a tour was a perfect excuse. Plus, with Suzuki Kawako as cover, no one else would be the wiser.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, do you like Japanese cuisine?" Suzuki Kawako initiated the conversation.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I quite like sashimi."


    Suzuki Kawako laughed softly and said, "Our Japanese cuisine isn¡¯t limited to just sashimi; we have many delicacies. We¡¯ve prepared quite a lot today. Would you like to try some?"


    Li Yifei smiled, "Sure, I came tonight to enjoy the food."


    "Then let¡¯s go together. Reiko, you should come with us too." Suzuki Kawako invited with a graceful smile and then called to Aoki Reiko.


    Aoki Reiko hesitated for a moment but still followed Suzuki Kawako. In this place, aside from Suzuki Kawako, she was not keen on interacting with anyone else.


    The three of them arrived at the food area together, where Suzuki Kawako pointed to the various sushi laid out on the table and said, "Mr. Mu Fei, what kind of sushi do you like? We have salmon sushi, tuna sushi, vegetable, and fruit sushi..."


    Suzuki Kawako evidently knew her food well. She introduced over ten kinds of sushi to Li Yifei one by one, while Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯ll just have a few of any kind. I¡¯m not picky about food."


    "Then try one of each type. But if you taste them all, I¡¯m afraid Mr. Mu Fei might not have room for anything else."


    "No problem, I can eat quite a lot. A few pieces of sushi won¡¯t fill me up too much."


    "Men who can eat well are strong, which means Mr. Mu Fei must also be very robust."


    "I do pay attention to physical exercise."


    Suzuki Kawako picked out some sushi for Li Yifei and also gave him some sashimi. Besides that, there were also some fish roe sauces, while Aoki Reiko just casually picked a few vegetable sushi.


    The three of them came to the poolside and began to eat and chat.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, your Japanese is really good, did you specially learn it?"


    Li Yifei actually liked sashimi quite a bit. Fresh sashimi with just a bit of seasoning tasted truly delicious in his mouth. After eating a piece, he replied, "I don¡¯t like working with translators, so I especially studied Japanese for two years to do business."


    "Mr. Mu Fei is really impressive." Suzuki Kawako couldn¡¯t help but express her admiration. Li Yifei spoke Japanese very fluently, and from both his demeanor and conversation, one could tell that he was indeed a very excellent man. This time Li Yifei came here supposedly to be in a dominant position; a bit of pride would have been normal, but Li Yifei had been modest all along. This caused Suzuki Kawako¡¯s fondness for Li Yifei to increase substantially. She wasn¡¯t averse to her father¡¯s suggestions anymore. If she could really date Li Yifei or even marry him, she was quite happy with the idea now.


    She was subjectively not averse to Li Yifei, and she was willing to go along with this task from the start, so now she was even more lively and chatty with Li Yifei, to the point of somewhat neglecting Aoki Reiko.


    This made Aoki Reiko rather displeased. Such a good friend she could get close to, and now Li Yifei might take her away; her dislike for Li Yifei suddenly intensified quite a bit. She frowned at Li Yifei and said, "Mr. Mu Fei, it¡¯s rude to talk while eating."


    Li Yifei could clearly see Aoki Reiko¡¯s dissatisfaction, which surprised him a bit. He had only greeted Aoki Reiko and hadn¡¯t actively spoken to her, not even giving her much of a glance, so he had no idea how he had offended her. However, he still replied with a smile, "You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll talk when I¡¯m not eating."


    Aoki Reiko snorted and said, "As the head of a company, you should be interacting with business partners you¡¯re planning to deal with, not idly chatting with us."


    This was an even more direct way of telling Li Yifei to go away, which left Li Yifei somewhat speechless. Facing Aoki Reiko¡¯s gaze, he said, "Miss Reiko, it¡¯s not working hours now, so I don¡¯t need to discuss work at this time."


    Aoki Reiko looked sharply at Li Yifei and said, "Such receptions are all about building relationships and exchanging feelings, ultimately serving business cooperation. As a company president, don¡¯t you know this?"


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s gaze was not just sharp; her words were also quite cutting. As the sole heir to a major corporation, she had been trained for such things. If not for the last kidnapping incident, Aoki Reiko would be doing important work in the circle by now, so she really understood the business world.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Miss Reiko, people should know when to work hard and when to relax. Work is not everything in life. If a person focuses all their thoughts on work, they lose many joys in life. I enjoy working, but I also enjoy doing other things. If I can add some pleasure to my leisure time at work, I never mind doing that."


    After pausing, he didn¡¯t wait for Aoki Reiko to retort and continued, "Although I don¡¯t know why Miss Reiko has a prejudice against me, I can tell you directly that I have no designs on you. Whether I like a woman or not has nothing to do with whether she has a pretty face; what¡¯s more important is having common interests and truly enjoying each other¡¯s company."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words were just as sharp, and they caused Aoki Reiko to frown furiously. She had grown up envied and pursued for her looks and her family background, with men trying all means to get close to her. No one had ever been so direct about having no interest in her.


    This made Aoki Reiko feel uncomfortable. Staring at Li Yifei, she suddenly didn¡¯t feel intimidated by him anymore, and an idea popped into her head. She blurted out, "Kawako, I want to go out and have fun with you guys too."

 Chapter 959 - 1000 - s: Peers

    Chapter 959: 1000 Chapters: Peers"I just want Kawako to take me. If Miss Reiko comes along, she would probably dislike everything I do along the way. Wouldn¡¯t that make the journey a lot more depressing?"


    Li Yifei made it clear that he didn¡¯t want Aoki Reiko to come. This matter was so important that an additional person meant an added risk of information being leaked, and he genuinely did not want Aoki Reiko to join.


    "I¡¯m good friends with Kawako, and I want to go because of her, not because of you. Surely, Kawako can¡¯t refuse to let me come along just for your sake?" Aoki Reiko glared at Li Yifei. The more he didn¡¯t want her to go, the more she wanted to.


    Aoki Reiko suffered from vigilance syndrome towards people now¡ªif someone was nice to her, she¡¯d assume they had an ulterior motive, perhaps even contemplating kidnapping her. And lately, everyone around her had been looking for ways to care for her. The more they did, the worse Reiko¡¯s condition got. Unfortunately, Li Yifei was completely unaware of this and was not interested in the hassle of bringing Aoki Reiko along, an oil bottle of countless favors and beauty. Ironically, this indifference from Li Yifei kept Reiko¡¯s vigilance syndrome from flaring up.


    Suzuki Kawako was utterly astonished. She and Aoki Reiko had always been good friends, and she knew Reiko very well. Despite being the sole heir to the Aoki Group¡ªa powerful player in Japan¡¯s business world¡ªReiko never acted arrogantly because of her family background. Instead, she was like a traditional Japanese woman: kind, considerate, speaking in gentle tones, seldom arguing with anyone, let alone with a man. Kawako began to doubt if this was the same Aoki Reiko she knew.


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Miss Reiko, I know that being accompanied by the heiress of the famous Aoki Group will put a lot of pressure on us. If something happens to you, Kawako and I will bear a huge responsibility. We just want to enjoy Japan¡¯s scenery, not be constantly worried about ensuring your safety."


    Aoki Reiko remained defiant, "You¡¯re wrong. Here, I¡¯m just Kawasaki¡¯s good friend. Isn¡¯t it okay for me to sightsee with my good friend and you?"


    "That¡¯s just what you say, but what about others? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll bring a whole bunch of bodyguards. Where would our fun in the trip be then?"


    At this, Aoki Reiko did indeed hesitate. The previous incident had scared her and her family, so now, whenever she went out, she was always in the stealthy protection of about a dozen bodyguards, fearing a repeat of the past.


    Seeing Aoki Reiko hesitating, Suzuki Kawako quickly spoke up, "Reiko, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for you to come. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to be with you, but you just had such an incident recently, and I¡¯m really afraid something similar might happen again."


    Aoki Reiko sighed and said, "Alright then, I won¡¯t go with you."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, finally free of this encumbrance. However, he was pleased too soon. Aoki Reiko, who had abandoned the idea, became annoyed upon seeing Li Yifei¡¯s relieved expression and glared at him, saying, "No, I still want to come along. I won¡¯t bring bodyguards if I have to¡ªI refuse to believe I¡¯ll encounter such an incident again. If it does happen, it¡¯s just my fate., but I want my freedom, and I want to live the life I enjoy."


    Li Yifei was now truly at a loss for words, not expecting Aoki Reiko to insist on coming after all. It was too much trouble. Without even eating his meal, he stood up and said, "Fine, if you want to go, you go with Kawako. I won¡¯t go."


    "You..." This move caught Aoki Reiko off guard. Although she was furious, she didn¡¯t know how to retaliate at that moment.


    "Please don¡¯t be like this, Mr. Mu Fei." Suzuki Kawako quickly stood up to stop Li Yifei, saying apologetically, "Mr. Mu Fei, Reiko recently experienced a kidnapping and has since developed a phobia of contact with people. The fact that she wants to go out now, I really think it¡¯s a good idea. Don¡¯t you have a bit of compassion to help and support Reiko?"


    Li Yifei replied, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help her, but her group of bodyguards will make me uncomfortable. If she can come without her bodyguards, I don¡¯t mind her joining, but if she brings them, then I¡¯m sorry, I have to cancel my plans to go sightseeing." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko immediately said, "Fine, then I won¡¯t bring bodyguards."


    "You can say you won¡¯t bring them, but I doubt your bodyguards would let you go with us just like that."


    "This... then I¡¯ll sneak out when the time comes."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t believe Aoki Reiko could slip away from her bodyguards, so he smiled and said, "Alright, I agree. If you come without your bodyguards, then we¡¯ll go together. But if you bring them, sorry, I can¡¯t go with you."


    "Deal," Aoki Reiko replied with a fighting spirit in her eyes.


    The cocktail party was a success for Li Yifei. He now had a better and more suitable cover to transport that important item.


    Suzuki Jiro was also quite happy. Li Yifei had roughly reached an agreement with him the next day to invest five million dollars to transfer his technology and even gave him a five hundred thousand dollar down payment. To Li Yifei, five million wasn¡¯t much, but for a small company like Suzuki Jiro¡¯s, it was significant. Even the fifty thousand down payment could solve his liquidity problems and keep his company running as usual.


    As for the technology transfer, there was no market conflict with Li Yifei¡¯s side, so there was no competition affecting his business. If every country in the world had enterprises willing to transfer his technology, he¡¯d become a billionaire overnight. However, it seemed that aside from Mu Fei from Taiwan, no one else was interested in his technology at the moment.


    Suzuki Jiro saw Li Yifei¡¯s capability in this transaction and was even more eager to facilitate the relationship between his daughter and Li Yifei. He immediately urged Suzuki Kawako to take Li Yifei on a sightseeing trip, so Li Yifei could also return earlier.


    Since it was a long trip, Li Yifei suggested renting two larger RVs so they could eat and sleep on the road, allowing for rest anytime, anywhere.


    Suzuki Jiro naturally took care of it instantly, renting two RVs. These looked like buses on the outside but had bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens inside. They were essentially mobile homes.


    Before departure, Aoki Reiko surprisingly showed up alone, which took Li Yifei aback. Aoki Reiko proudly puffed out her chest in front of Li Yifei and said, "See, didn¡¯t I come by myself?"


    "You are alone, indeed. But can you assure that in the coming days, the Aoki Family¡¯s bodyguards and countless police aren¡¯t looking for us?"


    Aoki Reiko was even more proud as she said, "You can relax about that. I didn¡¯t sneak out; I communicated with my parents, and they agreed to let me go out for a breather."


    "Agreed to let you out alone? Without bodyguards?" Li Yifei was quite surprised. Aoki Reiko had just been kidnapped, so normally, her safety would certainly be a concern. If it were Li Yifei, he wouldn¡¯t easily agree.


    "Yes, they agreed. They believe there might be dangers, but it¡¯s highly beneficial for mental health. If I can¡¯t recover fully, there¡¯s no point in living safely but without meaning."


    Li Yifei actually believed Aoki Reiko¡¯s reason. The Japanese upbringing was quite different from Huaxia¡¯s. Huaxia People always liked to protect their children like treasures, but the Japanese had a spirit of adventure. The Aoki Family, at least, embodied this adventurous spirit¡ªperhaps this was also a reason why the Aoki Group was so extraordinary.


    As long as there were no bodyguards, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried. These two girls wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble and could even be quite useful.


    Li Yifei¡¯s party was five people, plus Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako, making it a total of seven. They didn¡¯t hire drivers, as having drivers would make the accommodation cramped. Everyone could drive, and following the navigation was sufficient. More people would also make transporting items inconvenient for them.


    On the first day, they toured Tokyo. Li Yifei¡¯s four followers took care of driving, while Li Yifei, Aoki Reiko, and Suzuki Kawako chatted and sightseeing in one car, not feeling bored at all.


    When evening came, they left Tokyo and planned to stay in a small village. In Japan, such villages still existed, and that most important item was located in this particular village. Li Yifei intended to get it onto the vehicle that very night.


    Transferring the item onto the vehicle didn¡¯t take much effort, as all five men were exceptionally strong and had some equipment to assist them. However, Li Yifei was aware that the upcoming journey could be unpredictable. The Japanese side had already noticed the loss of the item and was actively searching for it, making Koboto Kobayashi nervous enough to avoid any communication with Li Yifei in the past few days.

 Chapter 960 - 1001: A Bittersweet Misunderstanding

    Chapter 960: Chapter 1001: A Bittersweet MisunderstandingWhen it was time to sleep, Li Yifei and the rest of the five people shared one car, while Suzuki Kawako and Aoki Reiko took another. It was their first time going out to play like this, and in the enclosed vehicle, they weren¡¯t too worried but rather excited.


    Although the lights were off, the two of them still could not fall asleep, having spent another day in the car with Li Yifei, Suzuki Kawako felt even better about him. She was a bit like a spring-struck girl at the moment and said to Aoki Reiko, "Reiko, what do you think about Mr. Mu Fei?"


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s mood was also good today. Being with Li Yifei and Suzuki Kawako, she didn¡¯t feel afraid, so she was quite relaxed. Now chatting with her good friend about girls¡¯ private conversations felt utterly stress-free. She chuckled and said, "It seems you really have taken a liking to him."


    Suzuki Kawako didn¡¯t deny it, smilingly said, "I feel Mr. Mu Fei is really nice, you know. He¡¯s not like our Japanese men who are so patriarchal. He respects me a lot and is quite witty. You, who are always so wary of people, you¡¯re also very comfortable with him, aren¡¯t you?"


    Aoki Reiko said, "I just feel he is not interested in me, that¡¯s why I¡¯m relaxed. I also feel that he¡¯s indeed nice. You could be with him."


    But then Suzuki Kawako said somewhat distressedly, "But I feel that his feelings for me are not that enthusiastic, more like just a friend."


    Aoki Reiko chuckled and said, "How long have you known each other anyway? If he were that enthusiastic so fast, wouldn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s an irresponsible person?"


    "But, with these things, shouldn¡¯t you know at first glance if there are feelings? If he has no feelings for me now, probably won¡¯t have feelings in the future either."


    "Then you should take the initiative. Do you want me to call him over now so that our Kawako can spend a wonderful night with him, and then he¡¯ll like you?"


    "Forget it, if I make a move on him now, he¡¯ll look down on me even more. Let¡¯s take it slow. The main thing is I¡¯m not pretty enough. If I had your looks, my chances would probably be greater. Huh, that¡¯s not right either, he seems to have no special thoughts about you. You¡¯re so beautiful; how can he not take a second look? Oh dear, he couldn¡¯t be... not into women, but into... men, could he?"


    When Aoki Reiko heard this, she shivered suddenly and said, "That¡¯s quite possible, with so many GAY guys around, it¡¯s normal for him to like men."


    "Oh my god, he lives with four men," exclaimed Suzuki Kawako suddenly.


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s face turned grim in an instant and she stammered, "That¡¯s disgusting."


    Li Yifei had no idea that his lack of interest in the two girls had led to such a misunderstanding. The next day, he still normally climbed into the car owned by Suzuki Kawako and Aoki Reiko, but as soon as he got in, he felt uneasy because the two of them were obviously keeping their distance from him and the looks they gave him were very strange.


    Li Yifei really couldn¡¯t figure it out. They had been very careful with their actions last night, only taking things out and putting them in the storage compartment of their camper after making sure that Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako were asleep. At that time, Li Yifei even specifically checked on the two of them to make sure they were still sleeping soundly, so their behavior was certainly not because they had spotted him doing that kind of thing.


    "Miss Kawako, Miss Reiko, what¡¯s wrong with you? Have I done something to upset you?"


    Aoki Reiko shivered again and scooted back, while Suzuki Kawako said awkwardly, "No, not at all."


    "Then shall we go sightseeing? If you don¡¯t want to go with us anymore, we can go by ourselves." Now that he had what he needed, Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind if they left.


    Suzuki Kawako immediately thought of her mission and hastily said, "Of course, we¡¯re going. We just didn¡¯t sleep well last night, that¡¯s all."


    Aoki Reiko quickly followed, "Yes, yes, we didn¡¯t sleep well."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "All right then, let¡¯s continue on our journey."


    The car didn¡¯t take the freeway but the ordinary roads, which were in a very good condition, albeit with a speed limit. Traveling on such roads made it easier to see the scenery along the way. Li Yifei had said he wanted sightseeing, so he was going to play his part well so that Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako wouldn¡¯t have the slightest doubt.


    After driving for a while, Suzuki Kawako introduced Li Yifei to a feature of the scenery they were passing by, proving to be a qualified tour guide. Li Yifei found it quite interesting to sightsee in such a leisurely fashion. He had rarely enjoyed life this way before, even with the women in his family, so it seemed that in the future, he should take some time out every year to take them out for some proper fun.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, have you ever had a girlfriend before?" After passing through the scenic area, Suzuki Kawako asked him this question.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I had one when I was in college."


    "Then why didn¡¯t you stay with her?"


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Back then, I was just a poor boy, and she was a rich girl. Even though we loved each other very much in college, after graduation, there were too many real-life problems, so we had to break up. And since then, I have put all my heart and soul into my work. I can¡¯t let my lack of ability prevent a woman I like from being with me."


    Hearing Li Yifei speak like that, both Suzuki Kawako and Aoki Reiko breathed a sigh of relief, which puzzled Li Yifei, and he asked, "What¡¯s with you two?"


    Kawako chuckled and said, "I can understand if you¡¯re not interested in me, but for you to show the same lack of interest in a stunning beauty like Reiko, that¡¯s just surprising, so we guessed... you might not like women."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly, and he said, "Are your thoughts not too wicked? Do I look like that kind of person to you?"


    Kawako laughed even more heartily and said, "When you don¡¯t even show a hint of amazement at the sight of a great beauty like Reiko, it just doesn¡¯t match a normal man¡¯s reaction."


    Li Yifei glanced at Aoki Reiko, and seeing her smiling face, he spoke with a mixed sense of humor and frustration, "Haven¡¯t I said it earlier? My mind is focused on my business right now. No matter how beautiful a woman is, she won¡¯t shake my resolve."


    He continued, "Besides, I¡¯ve only just begun to achieve some success in my business. Compared to Reiko¡¯s family¡¯s huge conglomerate, it¡¯s like heaven and earth. If I were to harbor any feelings for Reiko, wouldn¡¯t I just be repeating my first heartbreak? I¡¯m not that foolish."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way," said Aoki Reiko, suddenly feeling a bit sympathetic toward Li Yifei and quickly apologizing to him.


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been years since that matter, and I don¡¯t dwell on it anymore. The only thing that bothers me is you guys misunderstanding me."


    When Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako heard this, they couldn¡¯t help laughing again, and the atmosphere returned to the previous jovial mood.


    Soon it was noon, and Li Yifei and his group¡¯s car came to a halt. Everyone started cooking, and Kawako, who was indeed very proficient in culinary arts, cooked up dishes that suited everyone¡¯s taste. However, before they were able to enjoy the meal for long, two police cars pulled up beside their vehicle.


    Li Yifei and the four people he brought with him were all very calm, while Kawako immediately went to meet the officers.


    Four officers got out of the cars, and one of them asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Kawako replied promptly, "We¡¯re out travelling, just having some food and resting here."


    "Please show us your identification." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kawako frowned slightly and asked, "What is this about?"


    "We are carrying out a duty, so please cooperate," the police replied.


    Mumbling, Kawako said, "Since when do we get checked like this just for having fun outside? Do we look like bad people to you?" Still, she took out her ID.


    The police turned to Li Yifei and his group, saying, "You need to cooperate as well."


    Li Yifei and the other few also swiftly produced their identity documents, and Kawako explained, "I¡¯m with Suzuki Company, and they are our business partners. These days, I¡¯ve been showing them the beauty of Japan. As officers, I hope you can leave foreign investors with a good impression of our country."


    The officers then meticulously examined the identities of Li Yifei and his group, and looking them over, walked straight up to Li Yifei and asked, "Which day did you arrive in Japan?"


    Seeing the officers scrutinizing them so carefully, Li Yifei knew they were investigating the missing item; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be checking against foreign tourists this way.


    "Three days ago. We have entry records," he answered.


    "What have you been doing these three days?"


    Kawako grew even more dissatisfied and snapped, "They have been discussing cooperation with our company the whole time. Everyone from top to bottom in our company can vouch for that. What are you really investigating? I¡¯ve never seen the police treat foreign investors this way before."


    Kawako was significantly displeased. Although Li Yifei had already verified the contract with their company, even paying an advance, the attitude of the police might lead him and his group to question the investment environment here. If they could not deepen their cooperation, it would be a significant loss for their company.


    The questioning officer nodded apologetically to Kawako and said, "I¡¯m sorry for the interruption, please excuse us." He then returned the documents to Aoki Reiko, with no suspicion apparently aroused.


    The groundwork Li Yifei had laid in the past days proved critically important now. Even as Japan kept a watch on foreigners, having valid identities and complete witness testimonies from within the country, it meant they could, at least for the moment, rest easy without worry.

 Chapter 961 - 102: Not Honest

    Chapter 961: Chapter 102: Not HonestNext, Li Yifei and his party continued westward, stopping and going, perfectly embodying the look of tourists, never in a hurry to rush their journey, and surprisingly encountered several inspections along the way, all of which they passed smoothly.


    Suzuki Kawako felt somewhat dissatisfied after encountering several checks, saying, "What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many police officers?"


    Aoki Reiko then said, "It seems like there¡¯s some issue, and they¡¯re especially thorough with foreigners. The two cars that were inspected with us just now passed through very quickly, but as soon as they found out Mr. Mu Fei and his group were Taiwanese, they immediately inspected very closely." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is this all about? Mr. Mu Fei, our country doesn¡¯t have any special treatment for foreign investors. I guess it must be something special that happened, related to some foreigners, that¡¯s why."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "We can understand that point, and it doesn¡¯t affect our sightseeing. It¡¯s right for us to cooperate a bit."


    The day finally passed, and Li Yifei knew that the next day would probably be even harder. Today it was just identity checks, with Suzuki Kawako providing proof, without an inspection of the vehicle¡¯s contents. If they encountered an inspection of the items inside the vehicle tomorrow, it would probably not be so easy to bluff their way through.


    What made Li Yifei relieved was that the military wasn¡¯t involved on this side, judging that Japan¡¯s authorities were probably more focused on the port area. After all, to get things out of Tokyo, the fastest way to transport goods was to take them from the nearest coast. And as for them carrying goods openly while sightseeing in Japan, it wouldn¡¯t attract much attention.


    The next day, Li Yifei¡¯s party traveled even slower, taking detours to sightsee in scenic areas, which meant they covered less distance in a day and encountered fewer inspections.


    By the third day, even if Li Yifei and his group encountered the police, they were no longer inspected because the two campervans didn¡¯t seem suspicious at all. The police had already shared their information, and the two campervans had become exempt from inspection.


    However, Li Yifei did not dare to be careless and did not speed up the journey, continuing leisurely sightseeing and traveling.


    From east to west, Japan is only three hundred kilometers, and of course, Li Yifei¡¯s group didn¡¯t travel in a straight line. Even so, their total distance wouldn¡¯t exceed five hundred kilometers. Normally, if just rushing through, they could traverse from Tokyo to the West Coast in less than a day, but it took Li Yifei and his group a full four days, averaging just over a hundred kilometers per day.


    Such expenditure was still worth it, as they didn¡¯t encounter any troubles.


    Li Yifei¡¯s objective this time was to ensure the safe return of the goods to his home country. If an accident occurred and they clashed with Japanese police and military forces, that would be a whole heap of trouble, and it would be uncertain whether he could bring the goods back.


    The two campervans stopped on an open space by the roadside, below which was a beach. Li Yifei, Suzuki Kawako, and Aoki Reiko sat on the beach, around a bonfire, with a grill set up above it. The aroma of grilled meat, grilled fish, and grilled vegetables was very appetizing.


    Li Yifei¡¯s four companions were also having a bonfire nearby, grilling food enthusiastically. They were all in good spirits; tonight, the goods would be moved onto the ship. If they weren¡¯t discovered once on the ship, then there would be no issues at all.


    Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako were in high spirits too, having had a lot of fun these past few days. Although Suzuki Kawako had expressed her affection for Li Yifei several times, and Li Yifei had clearly stated that he didn¡¯t wish to have a girlfriend, which somewhat disappointed Suzuki Kawako¡ªa man like him was really quite captivating to women.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, I know you don¡¯t fancy me, I am not pretty enough, and my figure isn¡¯t great either, but Reiko has both looks and figure; haven¡¯t you really considered it?"


    Aoki Reiko gave Suzuki Kawako a push, saying reproachfully, "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    Li Yifei smiled softly and said, "In my eyes, you are both lovely Japanese girls. Being able to travel with you for these past few days has made me very happy. Haven¡¯t you noticed? Friendship often makes for the most comfortable company. If there were other thoughts involved, it wouldn¡¯t be so comfortable."


    Aoki Reiko nodded repeatedly, saying, "Exactly, exactly. Mr. Mu Fei, I wholeheartedly agree with what you said. I¡¯ve never met a man who could interact with me like this; it really made me feel relaxed. I haven¡¯t had such an easygoing time in a while."


    Suzuki Kawako pouted and said, "Seems I¡¯m the only bad one here."


    Li Yifei handed Suzuki Kawako a grilled meat skewer, saying with a smile, "Kawako, you¡¯re really a good girl. I appreciate you, and we can always remain friends."


    Suzuki Kawako laughed as she took the meat skewer, replying, "Alright, then you eat one too."


    Regarding meat skewers, Li Yifei preferred those that were sizzling with fat, biting into them and having the oil run down his lips¡ªthat was how to enjoy eating. But the meat skewers Suzuki Kawako prepared had at most two small pieces of meat, interspersed with green peppers and mushrooms, which although nutritionally balanced, lacked that satisfying taste.


    Aoki Reiko complained, "You two are ignoring me."


    Li Yifei laughed and gave Aoki Reiko another skewer, saying, "Of course we¡¯ll take care of you. Here¡¯s a skewer for you."


    With a beaming smile, Aoki Reiko accepted it. After spending the past two days with Li Yifei, she truly came to regard him as a friend. The typical wariness she had towards people had completely vanished, something that even she found very odd. But it seemed to be a wonderful thing, and she did not want to live a life that even scared her. Being able to return to normal made her happier than anything, so she was in high spirits at the moment.


    After eating two skewers, Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t eat any more meat, so she picked through the veggies and mushrooms in the middle and left the meat behind. She loved eating vegetables, and within a short time, she had downed six or seven skewers, each left with two pieces of meat.


    "Hey, aren¡¯t you being a bit wasteful? You¡¯re not eating the meat," Li Yifei chuckled as he teased her.


    With a smile, Aoki Reiko replied, "I only like vegetables. I really can¡¯t eat any more meat."


    Suzuki Kawako let out a light laugh and said, "Mr. Mu Fei, Reiko loves vegetables, and you love meat. You two complement each other perfectly. Why don¡¯t you eat all this meat?"


    Aoki Reiko hurriedly protested, "How can that be okay? I¡¯ve already nibbled on some."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind." He then took the remaining meat skewers from Aoki Reiko and quickly cleaned off the meat.


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. For a girl, giving a man the food she had already touched, even leftovers, was something unimaginable since her lips would have come in contact with it.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, you..." Aoki Reiko¡¯s face flushed, too embarrassed to know what to say.


    Li Yifei understood this point, but tonight he had to get rid of that "thing," which would require swimming quite a distance out to sea. That would definitely consume a lot of energy, so he had to eat his fill, and although there seemed to be a lot of meat skewers prepared by Suzuki Kawako, there wasn¡¯t actually much high-energy meat available. Hence, Li Yifei didn¡¯t care about such details at that moment.


    Suzuki Kawako was also surprised by Li Yifei¡¯s actions, but she burst into laughter and teased, "Mr. Mu Fei, you are eating Reiko¡¯s saliva. Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯ve kissed Reiko? Reiko still has her first kiss saved up. Now you have to take responsibility for her."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Reiko, you¡¯re not that traditional, are you?"


    With embarrassment, Aoki Reiko said, "Mr. Mu Fei, you really are too crude."


    Li Yifei laughed softly and apologized, "Sorry, but I am really quite hungry tonight. Seeing all that meat and not eating it would have made me drool."


    Suzuki Kawako laughed and said, "That¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll give all the meat to you today. I¡¯ll give you the meat from my skewers too." Having had a boyfriend before and having gone to bed with him, she wasn¡¯t so mindful of such things. Moreover, she did really like Li Yifei, and doing this felt sweet to her.


    Taking the meat-only skewer that Suzuki Kawako passed over, Li Yifei ate with gusto. Having a partner meant Aoki Reiko wasn¡¯t as embarrassed. Most importantly, Li Yifei didn¡¯t look a bit sleazy while eating the meat, which made her feel more at ease.


    After eating another skewer, Aoki Reiko hesitated a moment but finally handed the rest over to Li Yifei, her face flushed as she said, "Here, you can have it."


    Li Yifei thanked her and took it, eating without any hesitation.


    Watching Li Yifei, Aoki Reiko suddenly felt a burst of sweetness in her heart. For a girl who had never had a boyfriend, sometimes it was just such a moment that touched her heartstrings. Now, she felt like the distance between her and Li Yifei had closed, with a mysterious emotion stirring within her.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t expect such a small gesture to make Aoki Reiko fall for him; otherwise, he really couldn¡¯t have taken the leftover meat from her.


    Everyone was enjoying their meal when suddenly two jeeps sped over, and several soldiers, guns in hands, quickly jumped out and surrounded Li Yifei and the others.


    These people appeared so abruptly and with such targeted action that Li Yifei immediately understood that they were in trouble, and this was not going to be an easy situation to resolve.

 Chapter 962 - 103: Taking Hostages

    Chapter 962: Chapter 103: Taking Hostages"What are you doing?" Suzuki Kawako, who had been hassled by the police these past few days, was already quite impatient. When she saw a group of soldiers coming with guns, although she was slightly afraid, her predominant emotion was anger, and she immediately glared and demanded.


    "Don¡¯t move, or we¡¯ll shoot!" A military officer who seemed to be in charge gave a stern warning, his gaze sweeping toward Li Yifei and the others, as the gun barrels of the two soldiers beside him immediately aimed at Suzuki Kawako.


    By this time, Li Yifei and his people were fairly calm. Knowing that their secret had been exposed, they realized that they could only force their way through, but with around thirty guns aimed at them, they couldn¡¯t make any reckless moves. Even Li Yifei would not be able to dodge the simultaneous firing of thirty guns on such an open beach; after all, he was no Superman, bulletproof.


    Suzuki Kawako really dared not to move now, because she could clearly sense that the other side was not joking; they were serious. But still dissatisfied, she demanded, "What on earth do you want to do?"


    Aoki Reiko was also quite displeased at this point and said, "I am Aoki Reiko of the Aoki Group. What exactly is this about, can you give me an explanation?"


    The Aoki Group had a significant reputation across Japan. Usually, when Aoki Reiko revealed her identity, even if it was the mayor, they most likely couldn¡¯t afford not to give face. But now, when the military officer did not give her any consideration, he snorted coldly, "Search the vehicle."


    Aoki Reiko grew even more irritated and shouted, "Who gave you the right to search our vehicle? If you dare mess around, our Aoki Group will definitely lodge a protest with your military department."


    The military officer looked at Aoki Reiko and said, "You are implicated in stealing important national secrets. Regardless of whether you¡¯re Aoki Reiko or anyone else, if you dare to resist again, we will shoot you on the spot."


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s face turned a furious shade of blue, and she clenched her small fists tightly, yelling, "Fine, then search! If you can¡¯t find anything, you will have to face the wrath of the Aoki Group."


    The military officer was not intimidated at all. With a wave of his hand, more than ten soldiers rushed toward the two RVs. Another ten or so soldiers kept their guns aimed at Li Yifei and his party, all on high alert and not relaxed in the slightest, despite their numbers and the presence of firearms.


    Li Yifei was well aware that as soon as they searched the vehicle, their items would immediately be discovered, leaving no more room for concealment. The most pressing issue was how to escape. There were only thirty soldiers opposing them, and more than ten had split off; if they took the remaining soldiers by surprise, they could readily take care of them. However, there was still the issue of Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako. Having been drawn into this situation, if Li Yifei and his group killed the soldiers to escape, it would bring a devastating blow to both women¡¯s families.


    Li Yifei was no longer the simple operative he had been in the past, so he couldn¡¯t act as he had before when other people¡¯s lives didn¡¯t matter as long as the mission was completed. But now, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that. Besides, having spent several days with Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako, Li Yifei had come to consider them as friends. Sacrificing them was something he couldn¡¯t reconcile.


    After calculating in his mind, Li Yifei suddenly extended his hand and wrapped it around Aoki Reiko¡¯s neck, a small knife instantly poised at her throat as he bellowed, "Nobody move!"


    Li Yifei¡¯s move was so sudden, neither the opposing soldiers nor Aoki Reiko expected it.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, what are you doing?" Suzuki Kawako was the first to cry out.


    Li Yifei said coldly, "Sorry, we used you. There is indeed something very important in our car that we need to transport away. Miss Reiko, please cooperate, because I really don¡¯t want to kill you."


    "Mr. Mu Fei, you... you..." Aoki Reiko became completely stunned, overwhelmed by shock. Mu Fei, who had been so pleasant to be with these last few days, turned out to be a criminal, and now he was even using her as a hostage.


    At that moment, Li Yifei said emotionlessly, "You should be aware of Aoki Reiko¡¯s identity. If I kill her now, even if you retrieve what you want, your military won¡¯t be able to explain this away. The Aoki Group certainly won¡¯t let it go."


    All soldiers at that point had their guns aimed at Li Yifei and Aoki Reiko, waiting for the officer¡¯s command to fire. But the military officer was now hesitating. If Aoki Reiko was involved in the incident, the Aoki Group would also be in trouble, but now as she was unrelated and became a hostage, if they allowed Aoki Reiko to die at this moment, they would indeed have to bear a great responsibility.


    Li Yifei then said, "Now you step back, and we¡¯ll just leave safely, you can take back the items."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, the military officer internally relaxed. His primary mission was to retrieve important military secrets, and if he could bring those back, he would have completed his task. Capturing Li Yifei on the spot would be to add to his accomplishments, but facing the Aoki Group¡¯s vengeful fury was not worth it.


    After a brief pause, the military officer spoke gravely, "You release Miss Reiko, and we will let you leave."


    "You think I would believe that? Don¡¯t worry, as soon as we reach a safe place, we will naturally release Miss Reiko. Now, step back."


    Li Yifei, holding Aoki Reiko hostage, retreated a couple of steps back, and the soldiers immediately moved a couple of steps forward.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand pressed against Aoki Reiko¡¯s throat once more as he shouted, "Don¡¯t come any closer."


    The officer waved his hand and the soldiers behind him stopped moving. He then coldly said, "Don¡¯t think that abducting Aoki Reiko will allow you to escape. In Great Japan, you only have one path¡ªdeath."


    "That¡¯s our concern."


    "Fine, I want to see if you can really walk out of here."


    At this point, Li Yifei shouted again, "I don¡¯t like being sent off by the muzzles of your guns."


    The officer¡¯s eyes bulged, and upon seeing Li Yifei¡¯s dagger press against Aoki Reiko¡¯s neck again, drawing blood, he was finally forced to order, "Put down your guns."


    All the soldiers immediately lowered their weapons. Just then, Li Yifei suddenly acted, shooting several Flying Needles, striking down several soldiers. He could have left earlier if he really wanted to; it wasn¡¯t necessary to go through all this trouble. But considering he had already transported the goods to this location, Li Yifei certainly planned to ship them back to his country.


    Once he moved, the four experts who had been motionless by Li Yifei¡¯s side all sprung into action, drawing their guns and unleashing a barrage of bullets.


    The officer clearly hadn¡¯t expected that Li Yifei¡¯s side, with only five people, would dare to strike, and strike so fiercely at that. By the time they reacted, already about twenty soldiers had fallen to the ground.


    The remaining dozen soldiers hurriedly raised their guns to return fire, but their skills were no match for Li Yifei¡¯s, nor could they compare to the four men with him. Moreover, in their panic, their accuracy was even poorer, posing no threat to Li Yifei and his men.


    In less than two minutes, the area had fallen completely silent.


    "Let¡¯s go!" Li Yifei still hadn¡¯t released Aoki Reiko and started dragging her toward the vehicle.


    Aoki Reiko, who had been completely petrified, suddenly came to her senses and began struggling violently while shouting, "I won¡¯t go, I won¡¯t go! You murderous demon, you devil, let me go!"


    Li Yifei raised his hand and knocked Aoki Reiko on the neck, causing her body to go limp and to collapse into his arms.


    "What have you done to Reiko?" Suzuki Kawako cried out in distress. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Miss Kawako, if you don¡¯t want me to lay a hand on you, it would be best not to struggle pointlessly."


    "Mu Fei, you bastard, you won¡¯t escape, you¡¯ll definitely pay for all you¡¯ve done."


    "You talk too much." Li Yifei, impatiently waving his hand, knocked Suzuki Kawako unconscious as well.


    With both women in tow, Li Yifei and his group drove off in two cars, one after the other. Soon after hitting the highway, the two vehicles sped off in two continuous, same-direction bursts.


    Meanwhile, inside the vehicles, they rapidly activated some devices¡ªequipment that jammed radar signals¡ªrendering their cars invisible to satellite surveillance. Otherwise, with the present technology, locating their vehicles would have been too easy. Now, anyone trying to chase them had to rely on their own eyes and surveillance cameras.


    Li Yifei and his group weren¡¯t planning to completely dodge the pursuit of the Japanese military and police. In addition to evasion, many times they needed to force their way through.


    After Li Yifei and his team left, a soldier struggled to his feet, checking on his comrades to find he was the sole survivor.


    Struck by one of Li Yifei¡¯s needles, he had been unable to move, yet remained fully conscious, hearing the words Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako had said to Li Yifei. Knowing these two women were unrelated to those five men and had simply been deceived, he immediately contacted his superiors to report the situation, emphasizing, "Five individuals on the other side have now taken two hostages, one of whom is Aoki Reiko from the Aoki Group."


    This was the effect that Li Yifei desired. If he had wanted to kill, this soldier wouldn¡¯t be alive. He purposely left a witness to create this illusion, to disassociate Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako from the incident. That way, the Japanese military and police would at most investigate Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako, but it wouldn¡¯t majorly affect them, given they had been deceived as well.


    Had Li Yifei not done this, it would likely have been difficult for the two women to clear their names. Abducting them was truly meant to aid them.

 Chapter 963 - 104 This is my wife

    Chapter 963: Chapter 104 This is my wifeAoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako soon regained consciousness. By this time, both of them had been tied up by Li Yifei. If they were to play a part, they had to play it fully, especially to make them realize that Li Yifei was holding them hostage. If they didn¡¯t feel that way themselves, they would surely be unable to explain things clearly when the police later questioned them.


    "Mu Fei, I must have been blind not to realize you were this kind of person," Suzuki Kawako said through gritted teeth as she glared fiercely at Li Yifei, wishing she could bite a chunk of flesh from him right then.


    Aoki Reiko also looked at Li Yifei with intense venom, saying, "You devil, I will never let you off."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, and the strong smell immediately filled the car. He said slowly, "I¡¯m really sorry, these past few days we indeed used you. We were hoping that after achieving our goal, we could still be friends. But we didn¡¯t anticipate that your people would find out."


    Aoki Reiko spit out in anger, "To think I considered you a friend, I must have been blind. Who exactly are you?"


    "You should have figured it out by now, right? We¡¯re in it for the money. Someone is offering a large sum for something that only exists in Japan, and that¡¯s why we came here."


    "Are you mercenaries?" Aoki Reiko asked again.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Miss Reiko is really smart. Yes, we are mercenaries. As long as the price is right, there¡¯s nothing we won¡¯t do."


    Being mercenaries was somewhat easier; they didn¡¯t get involved with any particular country and just worked for money. In fact, many countries turn to mercenaries for tasks that are difficult or delicate. If the mission fails, it doesn¡¯t involve the employer; if it succeeds, all that¡¯s needed is to pay up.


    Therefore, the mercenary business is quite booming. There are many mercenary organizations in the world, and many of them are quite famous, just like the one that Li Yifei once owned, which now also has a significant reputation.


    "What are you going to do to us now?" Aoki Reiko asked, looking into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei blew a smoke ring that floated between them and said, "To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t want to do anything to you. If all goes well, I¡¯ll take what we want and then send the two of you back. We may not be able to meet in the future, but it would still have been a fine interaction. But now..."


    "Now what? Are you going to kill us?" Suzuki Kawako¡¯s voice trembled slightly.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Of course not. Miss Reiko¡¯s status is not ordinary. With you in our hands, I expect both officials and the police will be hamstrung. If I killed you, wouldn¡¯t that just leave them free to target us without concern? That¡¯d be a foolish move." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko said bitterly, "Don¡¯t delude yourself; I won¡¯t serve you."


    "That¡¯s not up to you. As long as you¡¯re in my hands, and as long as you¡¯re alive, you have value to us."


    At that moment, the window between the driver¡¯s compartment and the back opened, and one of the subordinates turned to Li Yifei and said, "Boss, two Police Cars are catching up to us."


    Li Yifei said in a deep voice, "Deal with them."


    "OK!" The subordinate agreed, then closed the window again.


    Soon after, several gunshots sounded from outside, followed by a massive crash, but the noise rapidly faded until it was gone.


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s face turned pale as she asked, "What did you do?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I merely made sure their cars couldn¡¯t keep up with us."


    "You devil!" Aoki Reiko bit her lip, her eyes seeming to shoot fire.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pay any attention to Aoki Reiko. By now he had put on enough of a show in front of Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako; it was time to genuinely shake off the Japanese pursuit.


    They had already killed more than twenty soldiers, and two Police Cars -- the noise had been substantial. The nearby military and police were probably all converging on their location. To confront them head-on would be impractical; even as powerful as Li Yifei was, he could not contend with the might of an entire national apparatus.


    Li Yifei¡¯s previous success against the Yamaguchi Group didn¡¯t mean he could take on the government. The Yamaguchi Group, which wasn¡¯t a government organization, was accustomed to relying on their own strength against Li Yifei. Though they had weapons and equipment, they lacked the capability to attack Li Yifei on a large scale at any time or place. Li Yifei could use the environment to his advantage and pick them off one by one, whereas the government, with its military and police forces, presented an endless stream of adversaries he couldn¡¯t simply eliminate. Anywhere in Japan, they could strike against Li Yifei, which was dangerously significant.


    The car quickly turned onto a side road and came to a swift stop. Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako felt the vehicle shake a few times, then Li Yifei pulled them out of the car and stuffed each into separate vehicles -- two trucks that looked exactly alike in model, color, and even their license plates. From the outside, there was absolutely no discernible difference between them.


    For such a crucial assignment, Li Yifei would naturally make preparations, and those preparations were quite thorough. Ostensibly, he was taking four people with him, but for this operation, he had secretly sent several more as backup. These individuals might not be needed, but if they were called upon, they would be lifesavers.


    Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako were panicked at this time because they were separated and not together as before. Before Aoki Reiko could speak, Li Yifei had already jumped into the car where she was and then swiftly started the engine.


    "Where... where are you taking me?" Facing Li Yifei alone, Aoki Reiko suddenly felt extremely scared, even more so than when she saw him kill so many soldiers earlier. The reason was simple; back then, at least, she had Suzuki Kawako by her side, but now she was isolated and helpless against Li Yifei, a man who killed without blinking. She had absolutely no power to resist.


    "Miss Reiko, I¡¯m only doing this for my safety and to complete my mission," he said. "If you cooperate with me, I can guarantee your safety. If you don¡¯t, then I can¡¯t make any promises."


    "I will absolutely not cooperate with you. Even if I die, I will make sure you fail your mission."


    "Don¡¯t even dream of making me betray my country."


    "I admire Miss Reiko¡¯s patriotism," Li Yifei said. "However, you only live once, so cherish your life."


    "Hmph, don¡¯t even think about it."


    Li Yifei truly hadn¡¯t expected Aoki Reiko to be as stubborn as she was, but in a way, this was good. The more she hated him, the safer she¡¯d be later. This was Li Yifei¡¯s way of repaying her, in a sense.


    Li Yifei¡¯s destination was over thirty kilometers away, a desolate bay with plenty of rocky outcrops, making it unsuitable for ship docking. Especially since the surrounding environment wasn¡¯t great either, there were hardly any people around, one of the few desolate places left in Japan.


    Beyond that, Li Yifei had already laid several smokescreens. Earlier, it wasn¡¯t just these two vehicles; several other identical ones were now driving in different directions. All these would attract the attention of the military and the police, therefore reducing the pressure on him significantly.


    However, Li Yifei soon furrowed his brow. On this very secluded road, there happened to be a checkpoint, with one military vehicle and a police car parked at the roadside, and barricades had been set up.


    At that moment, Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said, "Now you¡¯ve got no chance to escape."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "Then you¡¯ll see how I manage to escape." While saying this, he surprisingly undid the ropes binding Aoki Reiko with one hand while driving with the other.


    This confused Aoki Reiko. At times like this, shouldn¡¯t she be hidden away? Instead, she was being set free. Nevertheless, she refrained from questioning Li Yifei. After all, the police and soldiers were just ahead, and she couldn¡¯t believe that this man could escape from their clutches.


    Li Yifei stopped the car before the roadblock, and four soldiers with guns immediately approached, shouting, "Get out!"


    Li Yifei feigned panic and asked, "What are you going to do?"


    "Checking. Open the trunk, both of you get out for inspection."


    "We¡¯re just delivering fish," Li Yifei stuttered as he got out of the car and continued, "This is my wife; she¡¯s mute, her legs are paralyzed, and she¡¯s a bit mentally unstable."


    "This man is the one you¡¯re looking for!" Aoki Reiko pointed at Li Yifei, mouth agape, trying to shout out the words. But she discovered that no sound came out. Although she could move her hands, her legs truly wouldn¡¯t budge. Frantically, she pointed at Li Yifei, gesticulating wildly to indicate his identity to the police.


    "Don¡¯t be scared, we¡¯re going home soon," Li Yifei whispered soothingly to Aoki Reiko, almost like a truly concerned husband.


    "I¡¯m not his wife, I¡¯m not mute, this man is the one you need to catch!" Aoki Reiko tried to scream, but couldn¡¯t make any sound, desperation turning her eyes red as she flailed her arms in an attempt to communicate.


    "Sorry about this, my wife is having another episode; I need to calm her down, or she¡¯ll go even crazier," Li Yifei said.


    Seeing Aoki Reiko¡¯s teeth-baring, fierce appearance, the soldiers and police truly believed she was on the brink of madness. They gestured with their guns as if to agree to Li Yifei¡¯s request.


    Li Yifei quickly got back into the car, hugged Aoki Reiko, patted her back, and softly assured her, "Don¡¯t be scared, wife. We¡¯ll be home soon, be good."


    Aoki Reiko struggled fiercely, but after a few moments, she felt completely drained of strength and could only collapse onto Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    At that moment, she felt like she might as well be dead. What was happening to her? She couldn¡¯t speak, and she couldn¡¯t move. Was this man a devil? Had he cast a spell on her? At this thought, a cold sweat broke out on her back.

 Chapter 964 - 105 Ninja Appears

    Chapter 964: Chapter 105 Ninja AppearsThe police officers and soldiers glanced at Aoki Reiko, not giving her another look before they went to inspect the vehicle, which only made Aoki Reiko feel more despondent. Could these people really not recognize her?


    If Aoki Reiko could only see her own face at that time, she would definitely have been furious enough to want to kill Li Yifei. At some point, Li Yifei had smeared several smudges of black grease on her face. Who could recognize her as Aoki Reiko, that great beauty, when even the police officers and soldiers showed no interest in taking a second glance at her? S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The most infuriating thing for her was that the police and soldiers hadn¡¯t noticed her gestures. How could they be so stupid!


    However, Aoki Reiko still held onto hope because she knew that they were transporting that "thing" in the vehicle. If they just opened the vehicle¡¯s compartment, they would surely find it, and Li Yifei would definitely be captured, then she could truly be free.


    Following the sound of opening the vehicle¡¯s compartment, Aoki Reiko¡¯s face showed a flicker of joy. But as she looked at Li Yifei, she felt that although he appeared to be compliant, he actually didn¡¯t seem panicked at all. This made her feel uneasy. Could it be that the soldiers and police weren¡¯t able to find the thing inside the vehicle?


    As Aoki Reiko listened to someone climbing into the back compartment, riffling around, her heart raced uncontrollably. This was her only hope.


    But the sounds from the back ceased quickly, and then she heard the soldiers and police jumping down from the vehicle.


    "You can go."


    The last thing Aoki Reiko wanted to hear finally reached her ears, and then two police officers opened up the roadblock in front of them.


    Li Yifei released Aoki Reiko, thanked the officers, and then slowly started the vehicle, driving forward.


    After a few hundred meters, Aoki Reiko suddenly felt that she could move again. Her lips trembled, and she managed to make a sound. As she looked at the pitch-black empty space on either side, her heart felt like it was in her throat.


    "Where... where are you taking me?"


    "We¡¯ll be there soon," Li Yifei replied indifferently.


    After a while, Aoki Reiko, with her heart in her mouth, asked again, "Why couldn¡¯t I move or speak just now?"


    Li Yifei turned to look at Aoki Reiko, who hastened to lean away from him. Now, the sight of Li Yifei truly terrified her.


    "It¡¯s nothing. I just did a little something to you. It won¡¯t have any effect on you."


    "A little something? Did you cast a... spell on me?"


    "You could say that."


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s complexion turned even whiter, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, feeling an unexplainable chill throughout the vehicle as if the temperature had suddenly dropped.


    Li Yifei did not converse with Aoki Reiko any further and concentrated on driving. This time, the ride seemed very smooth, all the way to the seaside. Li Yifei¡¯s vehicle stopped, and the headlights blinked thrice long, twice short, a signal that was immediately followed by a small boat emerging from behind a sea rock.


    It was like the kind of small boat you¡¯d use in a park, and even though it was made entirely of wood, it was not really that small. It wouldn¡¯t be too crowded even with ten people sitting in it.


    The boat reached the shore, and four men jumped off, securing the boat to the rocks. At that moment, Li Yifei also got out of the car, but before doing so, he patted Aoki Reiko twice, and immediately she felt her legs could not move again.


    Li Yifei opened the rear door of the car, and all five of them hopped in, throwing the boxes underneath out, leaving only one box in the middle that was not very high. The important item they had obtained seemed impossible to fit into such a small space.


    But when the five men lifted that box, they discovered a recess in the bottom of the vehicle¡¯s compartment. The vehicle was specially modified, allowing the items to sink down that much further, which is why the inspectors couldn¡¯t conceive of the possibility that the significant item could fit in there and thus hadn¡¯t given it a second thought.


    Five people strenuously removed the goods and then began to move them onto the boat bit by bit.


    As soon as the goods were loaded onto the small boat, the vessel immediately sank lower. Over a ton of weight was akin to the combined weight of a normal twenty men, and for this tiny boat to carry such a load without sinking was already quite a feat.


    With the goods loaded on the small boat, Li Yifei let out a temporary sigh of relief. The danger on land had been too great, but before he could finish his breath, a sense of alarm suddenly arose in his heart, and he said in a deep voice, "You guys go first."


    Without a word, the four people started pushing the boat towards the sea through the water. All four were exceptionally skilled swimmers, even more agile in the water than on land. With so many rocks around, paddling the boat out would have been extremely difficult, but pushing it through the water made it much easier.


    At this moment, Li Yifei stood on the shore with his hands behind his back, staring intently ahead. The sky was pitch black, and it seemed like darkness enveloped everything before him, but Li Yifei was able to sharply catch four dark figures speeding towards him with great velocity.


    "Ninjas!" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his alertness surged instantly.


    Over the years with the Flying Hawk Squad, he had encountered ninjas numerous times and had clashed with them on several occasions. He knew a thing or two about them. Ninjas were not like the samurai of Japan; samurai would fight you head-on with honor, but ninjas were particularly sneaky, using various terrains and tools to conceal themselves and launching devastating surprise attacks.


    From the speed and stature of these four figures, Li Yifei could tell that each of them was stronger than any ninja he had previously encountered.


    If he didn¡¯t stop these four now, they would undoubtedly rush to the sea and take out his four subordinates, making it impossible to get the goods away.


    Hence, Li Yifei didn¡¯t wait for them to approach. Instead, he suddenly let out a loud shout and fiercely kicked the ground, sending a cloud of sand flying. His figure charged forward, following the rising sand, and threw a punch directly at the ninja in the center.


    The sand kicked up by Li Yifei certainly carried a powerful force. If one were hit by this sand, it wouldn¡¯t be unlike getting struck by small stones, not lethal perhaps, but enough to cause severe bleeding and head injuries.


    But at that moment, the four ninjas dodged with agile movements. Three of them disappeared as if evaporating into thin air, leaving only the one in the center.


    The ninja in the center materialized two ninja swords in his hands, his blades danced through the air, dispersing the sand, and he even took the chance to slash at Li Yifei, displaying incredible reaction speed.


    Li Yifei¡¯s fist retracted cunningly as his body charged forward like a tank, seemingly ignoring the opponent¡¯s blades. The vigor emanating from him made him seem like an indestructible force.


    The ninja felt the might of Li Yifei¡¯s charge and hastily dodged back, retracting his swords. But at that moment, three figures suddenly flashed by his side, and three ninja swords struck at Li Yifei from three different directions.


    "Nice try!" Li Yifei bellowed, his hands whirling in defense. Amidst the clashing sounds of metal, the three ninja swords were forced away, and Li Yifei continued his advance without a pause, still barreling towards the ninja in the center.


    The central ninja retreated rapidly, sheathing his swords, but with his other hand, he continuously unleashed what ninjas are best known for¡ªninja darts. At such a close distance, dodging the darts would have been extremely challenging.


    "Ting, ting, ting..." Li Yifei didn¡¯t even bother to dodge. He was a master of hidden weapons himself; even Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger was no match for him, let alone a ninja¡¯s darts. As his hands flew, he deflected all incoming ninja darts, now armed with two daggers in his own grasp.


    Three gusts of wind sliced towards Li Yifei from the sides and the back. With a thunderous shout, his body suddenly accelerated, narrowly avoiding the side and rear attacks. His proximity to the central ninja now even closer, the daggers in his hands, cold with intent, slashed towards the ninja¡¯s throat.


    "Clang!" In a split-second response, the ninja managed to raise his ninja sword to block Li Yifei¡¯s fatal blow. Although he prevented a lethal injury, Li Yifei¡¯s dagger still carved a long cut along his neck, narrowly missing severing the major artery.


    At that point, the attacks from the rear came again, this time even fiercer. Li Yifei¡¯s assault was finally interrupted, forcing him to turn and meet the charge of the three ninjas.


    In just one exchange, Li Yifei, surrounded by the four ninjas, severely wounded one of them. This stunned the remaining three, who had never imagined encountering such a powerful adversary. They didn¡¯t dare underestimate Li Yifei any longer and went all out in their fight against him.


    Li Yifei was equally surprised. He had recognized their strength immediately and had exerted nearly all of his power from the start, aiming to take out at least one opponent. But in the end, he only inflicted severe injury instead of delivering a kill, which he considered a failure.


    What concerned him most was that the strength of these four ninjas far exceeded his understanding of ninjas. Individually, they were definitely stronger than the members of the Flying Hawk Squad. Had the Squad encountered such ninjas during their missions, they would have suffered greatly. He never expected to face such formidable foes from Japan, and since they didn¡¯t emerge when he was with the troops but in this situation instead, it meant that Japan had not revealed the full capabilities of these ninjas, clearly a hidden strength.


    At that moment, Li Yifei suddenly pondered another issue. He had always believed that the Phantom Squad was the nation¡¯s strongest fighting force, but now, whether that was still true, he wasn¡¯t so sure.

 Chapter 965 - 106: The Battle with the Ninja

    Chapter 965: Chapter 106: The Battle with the NinjaLi Yifei had such a thought, not unfounded; some time ago, during a dispute with Gu Yandong, he encountered two quite formidable masters, both relatively young, which made him feel that these large clans might very well be hiding their true strength.


    Now, encountering such ninjas, Li Yifei also felt that the opponent was strong. That such individuals were completely unknown was a concealment too perfect. Moreover, if such a person were to carry out any mission, they would surely prevail with ease. But domestically, he had never heard of any actions from such powerful ninjas. It was very likely, then, that these ninjas also had adversaries who were by no means Li Yifei and his Flying Hawk Squad¡ªmore likely it was the state¡¯s hidden strength.


    Although the Flying Hawk Squad had always been touted as Huaxia¡¯s premier force, the Phantom Squad remained unknown to outsiders, and Li Yifei, being part of it, only now learned of its existence. Thus, there might be other powers in Huaxia unknown to him, which would be hardly surprising.


    These thoughts merely flickered through his mind before Li Yifei momentarily cast them aside because the three individuals had already switched their fighting strategy. Instead of confronting him directly, they had thrown a smoke bomb and vanished from his sight.


    The ninja¡¯s greatest strength lay in stealth and surprise, mastering the art of ambush and assassination. Li Yifei had driven them to use a less familiar combat style, which had given him the upper hand. Now that the opponents had shifted their tactics, Li Yifei found himself in potential danger.


    Inside the smoke, however, it didn¡¯t affect Li Yifei much. The night was already dark, making it hard to see the surroundings, and the added smoke simply made it harder. But with Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, he often didn¡¯t rely on his eyes, acting more on instinct, his responses naturally occurring without the brain needing to transmit orders to his limbs, which would be too late.


    Yet Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to let the enemies get the advantage, so he moved swiftly, sprinting toward the shore to draw them away. Otherwise, any one of these four ninjas could easily pursue and eliminate the four individuals who had escaped into the sea.


    A fierce killing intent surged from beneath his feet, and Li Yifei leapt, avoiding the slice from a blade grazed along the ground. He didn¡¯t have time to counterattack¡ªseveral whizzing sounds flew towards him as ninja darts streaked through the air. Unable to change direction midair, he waved his hands, deflecting several darts. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two ninja swords then suddenly thrust towards his ribs from the left and right. Li Yifei¡¯s hands were busy blocking the darts, leaving his sides exposed, and with him in midair, he seemed incapable of parrying the swords.


    It had to be said, the four ninjas¡¯ coordination was incredibly precise. Their combined strength was not a simple sum of their individual abilities, but a geometrical increase in their collective threat to Li Yifei.


    However, Li Yifei remained undaunted in the face of danger. His feet suddenly swung hard, his toes striking precisely against the sides of the two swords and kicking them aside as his body barely touched down.


    He had only just landed when another blade stabbed at his back¡ªthe same ninja who had attacked from the ground just before.


    Ninjas, when they struck, never cared about the grace of their moves; the more unpredictable, the better. Their ultimate technique was to take the opponent down unawares. Therefore, against ninja attacks, even the skilled could be overwhelmed. In Li Yifei¡¯s view, there were no more than ten people currently capable of contending with them, and these ten included only those he knew of. As for the hidden masters, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t guess their number.


    With a swift step forward, Li Yifei finally found the space to deflect the incoming blade, but the other attackers surged at him like a tide. The one Li Yifei had heavily injured was not directly engaging but instead periodically threw ninja darts to harass him, moving just as quickly as before, apparently unaffected by his wounds.


    In less than two minutes, Li Yifei was besieged by danger, even appearing somewhat flustered. Any longer, and it seemed inevitable he would be overcome by the four ninjas. Yet, aside from combat, neither Li Yifei nor the four ninjas made a sound, rendering the scene even more eerie, and from beginning to end, not a single word was spoken by any of the ninjas.


    Aoki Reiko sat in the car, having a clear view of the melee outside. She could only see shadows tumbling across the sand, unable to discern the number of participants, but she too felt the intensity of the battle.


    As a Japanese, Aoki Reiko grew up knowing about ninjas, but that was all it was¡ªknowledge. She had never believed in any genuine skill of the ninjas, considering it just a legend from the past. Now, however, Aoki Reiko¡¯s perception had changed, for these four ninjas had shown her that real ninjas did exist¡ªand they were incredibly strong.


    But today, for some inexplicable reason, she found herself unable to move or speak, which created a certain resistance within her. If there could be such a monstrous figure as Mu Fei, then for her country to have ninjas was, after all, quite normal.


    But as she watched the four ninjas besiege Li Yifei, she should have felt relieved, hoping that they would quickly triumph and kill the bastard who had kidnapped her. However, when Li Yifei found himself in danger, her heart raced up to her throat, and it seemed she didn¡¯t want him to be killed after all.


    "Hmph, this villain, using us to steal from our country, and killing so many people, he deserves to die." But soon, her hatred took over again. Although Li Yifei had brought her joy over the past few days, it had all been hidden, with an ulterior motive, so it was despicable, utterly fake, and not worthy of her sympathy for this bad guy.


    The fight was extremely fierce, and now after more than ten minutes, Li Yifei was in even graver danger. It seemed that with just a bit more effort, Li Yifei would be killed, as the offensive from the four ninjas grew even more ferocious.


    "Ah!" Li Yifei suddenly let out a tragic cry and threw himself onto the ground.


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s heart skipped a beat, knowing the fight was coming to an end. One person fighting four was already at a disadvantage, and now with injuries, his death seemed all but certain.


    The three ninjas who were engaged in close combat with Li Yifei pounced at this moment, thrusting their ninja swords at him simultaneously.


    Ninjas possess remarkably strong willpower and usually remain very calm when faced with situations, but after a prolonged battle and finally seeing victory within reach, they couldn¡¯t help but relax a little.


    However, it is often in these moments of relaxation that mistakes occur, and it was the same for these three ninjas. Li Yifei, though appearing to struggle against the attack of the three, was struck by another man¡¯s ninja darts. In reality, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been truly hit; he wanted to create the illusion of vulnerability, to make his opponents let their guard down.


    Although it was only for a brief fraction of a second, for Li Yifei, it was enough. He had created sufficient time for his subordinates. Over these ten minutes, they had pushed the boat out of the reef area, and tied the small boat to a speedboat, which was now powering full throttle towards open sea.


    Li Yifei no longer needed to divert their attention; it was time for him to forcefully counterattack.


    Although these four were strong, certainly the strongest ninjas Li Yifei had encountered, he was not being suppressed as it appeared on the surface. He still had some aces up his sleeve.


    Li Yifei forcefully pushed off the ground with both hands, launching himself into the air, avoiding the incoming attack. The enemies¡¯ strikes followed his movements, but at that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s hands, clutching daggers, suddenly flashed with a cold glint as he hurled them towards the two ninjas at his sides.


    The two ninjas swung their swords with precision, striking Li Yifei¡¯s flying daggers.


    "Clang! Clang!" Two sounds rang out as Li Yifei¡¯s daggers were deflected, but the two ninjas immediately grunted, overwhelmed by the unexpected strength of the throw. They had not used their full force to block, conserving strength for a continued assault on Li Yifei. The powerful throw nearly caused their swords to fly from their hands, and they had to use all their might to prevent this, but the shock left them with a terrible discomfort in their innards, and they nearly vomited blood.


    Li Yifei¡¯s thrown daggers caused the two ninjas to pause, making it impossible for them to aid each other or attack in unison. At that moment, he confronted the remaining ninja head-on.


    Their bodies collided violently, erupting in a series of thuds. By the time the other two ninjas recovered, the pair had already separated; one ninja¡¯s form was sent flying like a kite with its string snapped, while Li Yifei stood firm in his original spot.


    Without the need to look, the two knew the fate of their companion. Without a glance, they transformed into two fading shadows, their swords slashing ferociously towards Li Yifei. Ninjas are known for their resilience and even with the uncertainty of their comrade¡¯s status, they were not visibly affected, but... the speed and force of their assault betrayed their internal uncertainty about their ability to kill Li Yifei.


    Aoki Reiko could hardly believe her eyes; four powerful ninjas, these legendary figures, seemed unable to subdue that big villain. Now, one was injured, another¡¯s fate unknown, and most importantly, it seemed like that big villain was unscathed.

 Chapter 966 - 1007: Dangerous Venture into the Sea

    Chapter 966: Chapter 1007: Dangerous Venture into the SeaLi Yifei, facing three skilled ninjas and the harassment of another with ninja darts, had engaged in battle with these adversaries for so long, showcasing the gap between his abilities and theirs. Now, with only two remaining and the harasser, Li Yifei gained the upper hand. He abandoned his defensive strategy, launching a fierce attack on the two around him.


    The two adversaries were repeatedly forced back, their harassment unable to hinder Li Yifei¡¯s onslaught.


    With a thud, a ninja was struck in the chest by Li Yifei¡¯s fist. Alongside the sound of flesh being hit, there was the noise of breaking bones. The ninja¡¯s body didn¡¯t fly away but collapsed slowly to the ground. It was clear he would not live, as broken ribs had pierced his lungs. All he could do was open his mouth wide, desperately trying to take in a few more breaths.


    Without pausing for a moment, as another swung his sword at him, Li Yifei charged into his embrace. For a master like Li Yifei, every part of the body was a weapon. The ninja was hit in the chest so hard by Li Yifei¡¯s charge that it was as if he had been struck by a speeding heavy truck, sending him flying several meters before he hit the ground, lifeless.


    That left only the last, injured ninja. He was already at some distance from Li Yifei and, seeing the situation, threw a smoke bomb to the ground in hopes of escaping under the cover of obscured vision.


    However, a glint of cold light cut through the smoke. A stifled grunt came from within, and as the smoke cleared, a ninja was seen standing with a ninja sword piercing from his front chest to his back. Then, he slowly fell to the ground.


    Li Yifei had killed four ninjas, relying on close combat and not utilizing the most energy-efficient and lethal Flying Needles.


    Li Yifei¡¯s prowess with the Flying Needles was well known; few in the world were unaware. Employing the Flying Needles would have made it obvious that he was behind this, potentially causing disputes between nations.


    However, Li Yifei did use the Flying Needles when killing those soldiers and even left a survivor. It was not an oversight, but a deliberate ploy to confuse.


    Seeing the soldiers killed by Flying Needles would naturally lead people first to suspect Li Yifei. But while slaying four top-tier ninjas, one should use their most proficient techniques or all their skills. Yet no Flying Needles appeared during the killings of the ninjas, suggesting that Golden Eagle, Li Yifei, wasn¡¯t responsible. Using Flying Needles on ordinary soldiers seemed more like a ruse, framing Li Yifei as Golden Eagle.


    This blend of truth and fiction was something Li Yifei executed with finesse. As an outstanding agent, the goal was to elude suspicion or at littlest prevent direct identification, thus minimizing diplomatic conflicts for his country.


    Yet Li Yifei had to admit that these four ninjas were exceedingly formidable. Any member of the Phantom Squad would have undoubtedly struggled against them.


    Aoki Reiko, in the car, watched Li Yifei slay all four ninjas. She was so astounded that she had no idea what to think. How could such a monstrously powerful person exist in the world? She couldn¡¯t bear to imagine that this was the same Mu Fei who had spent over three days joking around with her.


    And now, that murderous villain was walking towards the car, alarming Aoki Reiko. She wanted to shout but couldn¡¯t, wanted to run but couldn¡¯t escape, and could only watch, wide-eyed, as Li Yifei got back into the car.


    "Miss Reiko, I was able to successfully complete the mission, thanks to your help. To show my gratitude, I¡¯ll spare your life," Li Yifei said, patting Aoki Reiko twice.


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s paralyzed legs suddenly regained sensation, and she knew she could speak again. Staring at Li Yifei, she said, "You bastard, just kill me. So many soldiers, and those four ninjas, they died because of my ignorance."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction from Aoki Reiko, but he couldn¡¯t dwell on it and responded, "Soldiers go to battle prepared to sacrifice. You¡¯re not my enemy; I won¡¯t kill you."


    "You may not kill me, but someday, I will surely kill you," Aoki Reiko said through clenched teeth, her resolve unwavering.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Well, that¡¯s up to you." With that, he prepared to leave the car.


    He had just poked his head out, immediately retreating at an extremely fast speed, and then lunged toward Aoki Reiko. Upon reaching her, he swiftly pushed open the car door and, with Aoki Reiko in tow, hurled themselves out of the vehicle.


    Aoki Reiko let out a cry of alarm. She wasn¡¯t afraid of Li Yifei killing her, but as a woman, she was scared of him violating her. Seeing Li Yifei pounce like that, her instinctual reaction was to think he was going to assault her. Just a girl, she¡¯d be helpless even against an ordinary man, and now facing a deviant like Li Yifei, she knew she wouldn¡¯t escape unharmed.


    And as Aoki Reiko was pinned to the ground by Li Yifei, she was immediately rolled over repeatedly, leaving her no chance to react.


    "Boom!" Suddenly, a huge sound erupted, nearly bursting one¡¯s eardrums, followed by a wave of heat. Aoki Reiko felt her body become weightless, and her vision filled with a blaze of red, though she couldn¡¯t yet understand what had happened.


    Aoki Reiko had no idea what was going on, but Li Yifei knew precisely because he had just heard the sound of a helicopter, turned his head, and saw a streak of fire from the sky targeting his car. That¡¯s why he had hastily pulled Aoki Reiko out in the nick of time.


    Due to having to take Aoki Reiko with him, Li Yifei¡¯s leap from the car had been a second slower than if he¡¯d been alone, and it was this fleeting second that prevented him from completely avoiding the explosion¡¯s massive force. The intense impact hit his back, sending both him and Aoki Reiko flying into the air. Upon landing, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but cough out blood, showering Aoki Reiko, even splattering some on her face.


    The roar of the helicopter intensified, and then a burst of machine-gun fire followed. Li Yifei, unable to steady his breath, quickly tumbled away with Aoki Reiko. The spot where he had just stood was immediately peppered with flying sand from the gunfire.


    Amidst the continuous sound of gunfire, Li Yifei kept moving. Now fully relying on instinct and a keen sense of danger, he moved without thinking. His brain might work fast, but no movement could outpace a bullet. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, Li Yifei was now close to the sea. With several stunning evasions, he finally reached the shore. He didn¡¯t dive straight in; the water was shallow, which wouldn¡¯t have concealed him and would have slowed his movements, making him an easy target. After leaping over some rocks, he finally plunged into the deeper water with Aoki Reiko. Li Yifei quickly swam a few meters toward the shore and then ducked under some rocks.


    Li Yifei¡¯s decision was very wise. Just as he had jumped into the sea, the helicopter¡¯s gunner had unleashed a torrent of bullets over the surface, not only where Li Yifei had dived but also several meters ahead. With the sea¡¯s depth of no more than five meters, the bullets penetrating such depth could still cause significant harm. In the water, Li Yifei had no way to dodge bullets; injury was certain, if not death.


    But by swimming back, he had completely evaded the spray of bullets.


    The machine-gun fire lasted for about half a minute before ceasing. Li Yifei then rapidly swam further into the depths of the ocean with Aoki Reiko, while the helicopter above continued to circle. Normally, a person couldn¡¯t hold their breath underwater for too long and wouldn¡¯t have been able to swim far, so their search radius was within a hundred meters.


    But Li Yifei¡¯s ability to breathe underwater was too strong. He had already covered nearly a hundred meters and was still swimming forward.


    He was fine, but Aoki Reiko wasn¡¯t. Almost a minute had passed, and under normal circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold her breath for more than forty seconds. If not for the life-or-death situation, she wouldn¡¯t have lasted this long.


    Feeling that Li Yifei had no intention of surfacing to breathe, Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t take it anymore, especially as her mind was beginning to cloud. She struggled violently.


    But then a mouth was pressed against hers, and a rush of oxygen flooded into her mouth. Aoki Reiko, driven by instinctual need for air, opened her mouth wide and greedily inhaled the life-saving breath.


    After taking in two breaths of oxygen, Aoki Reiko regained her senses, only to suddenly realize her predicament. Her lips had been pressed against those of the murderous demon, and she quickly tilted her head back, breaking away from Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei, however, paid no attention to Aoki Reiko. All he thought about was swimming forward, knowing only by covering more distance could he safely surface for air.


    The water below was dark, and apart from a glimmer of light above, Aoki Reiko could see nothing. She had never been under the sea like this before; a profound fear rose within her. Even facing a murderous madman, she instinctively felt it was somewhat better to be with Li Yifei compared to the enveloping darkness.

 Chapter 967 - 1089: Underwater Escape

    Chapter 967: Chapter 1089: Underwater EscapeSwimming out for almost five hundred meters, Li Yifei silently moved upwards, but he didn¡¯t fully surface, instead only exposing his mouth and nose above the water to rapidly breathe in a few gulps of air before sinking down again, not once allowing Aoki Reiko to break the surface. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko had no idea that Li Yifei had gone up for air; all she felt was him swimming continuously under the water. When she became breathless, her only option was to seek air from Li Yifei¡¯s lips.


    The first time, Li Yifei had actively given it to her; the second time, he did not offer, and Aoki Reiko, being a young woman, could not bring herself to actively take air from a man¡¯s mouth. But as the suffocating sensation intensified, eventually making her chest feel like it was about to explode, she had no choice but to go to Li Yifei for air.


    The third, the fourth time, Aoki Reiko continued to hold off until she could not bear it any longer before she sought air, but after several iterations, she no longer felt awkward. Realizing it was unnecessary to torture herself, she began to take air proactively when she started to feel uncomfortable, at least making the ordeal less unbearable for herself.


    And all this time underwater, although she still couldn¡¯t see anything, she began to feel less frightened, and her thoughts started to become more active.


    "Oh my God, this guy is really a monster, is he a fish?" she thought after breathing through Li Yifei¡¯s mouth a few times. Since Li Yifei never allowed her head to surface, she hadn¡¯t noticed him going up for air, which led Aoki Reiko to a conclusion unimaginable by anything other than fantastical creatures.


    Li Yifei swam on continuously for two kilometers before finally surfacing and allowing Aoki Reiko to rise to the water¡¯s surface as well.


    They could still hear the helicopter from their position, but Li Yifei knew it was imperative for him to rest now. The shockwave from the recent explosion had seriously injured him, and the constant swimming without any rest had aggravated his internal injuries.


    There didn¡¯t seem to be any immediate danger, so Li Yifei had to quickly recover. What lay ahead was unlikely to be smooth.


    Though Aoki Reiko could swim, she was no expert. Apart from hearing the hum of the helicopter and seeing the lights, she could roughly estimate their distance from the shore. The realization of how far they had traveled in such a short time, especially with her in tow, made her anxious¡ªhis speed was simply too fast.


    Feeling Li Yifei motionless but with his arm still wrapped around her waist let Aoki Reiko know that this "bad guy" probably didn¡¯t want her falling behind.


    "Hmph, you must still be thinking of holding me hostage, wanting me to be your shield," she thought.


    Just as this crossed her mind, Aoki Reiko looked toward the distant beach where cars were still on fire. Suddenly her heart sank¡ªhad Li Yifei not tackled her out of the vehicle, she would have met the same fate as the car. And during the aircraft¡¯s strafing, this "bad guy" could have easily abandoned her to save himself, but instead he kept her with him, thereby preventing her from being riddled with bullets.


    Maybe this "bad guy" wasn¡¯t a real Murderous Demon, at least not as cold-blooded as one. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to save her.


    This left her thoroughly confused; what exactly was this man¡¯s agenda? Why was he protecting her like this?


    "She must be plotting something, I can¡¯t let myself be deceived," she thought to herself. "He killed so many of my compatriots; even if he protected me, he is still my enemy."


    Despite what had happened, Aoki Reiko still felt patriotic. No matter what Li Yifei had done, it couldn¡¯t overshadow the fact that he had killed her countrymen, so even though she acknowledged his protection, her hatred for him grew stronger.


    Li Yifei¡¯s Internal Breath raced, and after five or six minutes, he managed to suppress his injuries somewhat. Yet a complete recovery would take much more time, and there was not enough of it left. He assumed the search would move in his direction since the helicopter had not spotted them at the seaside, and the ships used for smuggling the cargo had not made it far. The Japanese military¡¯s naval blockade would certainly follow, and he had to coordinate with the others to get the goods away.


    Turning to Aoki Reiko, Li Yifei frowned. After killing those four ninjas, he had intended to leave, but the unexpected explosion forced him to take Aoki Reiko with him. Leaving her behind wasn¡¯t an option, yet bringing her along was unquestionably a big problem.


    Aoki Reiko, sensing the change in Li Yifei¡¯s expression, felt a sudden rush of anxiety. Could it be that he was planning to leave her behind?


    "Boom, boom..." The roaring sound of the helicopter neared, and Li Yifei knew if he abandoned Aoki Reiko now, the likelihood of her being killed was high. So with a pull, he submerged with Aoki Reiko once again.


    Aoki Reiko almost choked on water but managed to hold her breath just before submerging, narrowly avoiding a mouthful of seawater.


    The first time Li Yifei got into the water, he directly held onto Aoki Reiko. Later on, Aoki Reiko was holding onto his waist by herself, but this time, Aoki Reiko instinctively grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm. She knew very well that regardless of how much she hated Li Yifei, at a moment like this, if she didn¡¯t hold onto him, she had no chance of survival.


    However, Li Yifei pulled Aoki Reiko into his embrace. Having her grab his arm would definitely affect his movement in the water, so this position was the most energy-efficient.


    At this point, Aoki Reiko also knew she could only hold onto Li Yifei because if she lost grip on his arm in the pitch-black sea, she would likely immediately lose her only support. Additionally, this position made it convenient for her to seek air, so she held onto Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    Li Yifei swam forward like a fish, very quickly. Other than surfacing for a few breaths of air, he was swimming underwater the entire time. This was the fastest way to travel and also made them less likely to be discovered.


    After swimming like this for a full hour, Li Yifei finally stopped. By now, he had swum more than ten kilometers and was temporarily safe. The people from before definitely wouldn¡¯t guess that he could swim so far.


    Aoki Reiko also surfaced beside Li Yifei, still holding him tightly. At this moment, she was shivering slightly. The temperature of the seawater dropped at night; even if it wasn¡¯t very cold now, it was around 26 or 27 degrees Celsius. This temperature would be very comfortable in the air, but in the water, it was tough to endure. To maintain her body temperature, she was already having some negative reactions.


    Li Yifei frowned, knowing that continuing like this wasn¡¯t going to work. If they spent the entire night in the sea, Aoki Reiko might not freeze to death, but she would not be okay.


    "How much longer do we need to swim?" Aoki Reiko asked, shivering.


    "It¡¯s hard to say," Li Yifei said as he looked around. On the vast sea, it was not easy to discern a direction to follow.


    Aoki Reiko said, "If we keep this up, I am going to freeze to death." For more than an hour, she had been holding onto Li Yifei and even had to press her mouth against his every few seconds to breathe, so their relationship seemed to have suddenly become much closer. At this time, she temporarily put aside the fact that they were enemies and focused only on how to survive.


    Under the pressure of survival, people often abandon many things, such as modesty, pride, and even enmity.


    Li Yifei was still very calm at this moment. He snorted and said, "Before I am safe, I won¡¯t let you die."


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s impression of Li Yifei had been quite positive up until this point, but his words sharply brought her back to reality. Irritation welled up inside her as she angrily said, "I¡¯d rather die than be used by you."


    "That¡¯s not for you to decide," Li Yifei said coldly, pulling Aoki Reiko back under the water.


    "Jerk, Murderous Demon, you will surely suffer the cruelest punishment," Aoki Reiko cursed Li Yifei inwardly. But at that moment, she had no other choice but to hold onto him.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of dying. I want to find a better opportunity to seek revenge. To let go of him now would be to die without any value," Aoki Reiko thought to herself.


    The two swam for another hour. Not only was Li Yifei unharmed, but the injuries inside his body had also healed quite a bit, because now he didn¡¯t need to flee in a hurry. While swimming in the water, he circulated his Internal Breath to heal, which made his condition a lot better than when he first entered the sea.


    However, Aoki Reiko was feeling even worse at this point; the sea, colder than her body temperature, was sapping a large amount of her warmth. Although she hadn¡¯t passed out yet, she truly longed for a warm place to rest properly.


    When she sought air from Li Yifei, she noticed that his skin was particularly warm, but she had persisted in not getting too close. However, as the cold became unbearable, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally pressed her face against Li Yifei¡¯s, a rush of warmth spreading from his face to hers. It was like receiving much-needed coal in the snow, exceptionally comfortable.


    Once Aoki Reiko experienced this bit of warmth, she was no longer satisfied with just that. She wrapped her arms tightly around Li Yifei, trying to press her body as closely as possible against his. Her hands undid Li Yifei¡¯s clothes at the waist, and she slipped both hands inside his clothing. The warmth from Li Yifei¡¯s back passed through her hands into her body, which alleviated the icy feeling slightly.


    Now, Aoki Reiko even had the urge to press her chest against Li Yifei¡¯s, but she still had enough wits about her. A girl could not bring herself to do that. Even the current situation was very difficult to bear.

 Chapter 968 - 109: You Forced Me

    Chapter 968: Chapter 109: You Forced MeLi Yifei certainly knew what Aoki Reiko was doing; in fact, he had wanted to do the same earlier, but if he said it out loud, it would seem like he cared about Aoki Reiko. If he showed concern for Aoki Reiko, and if that made her emotional, she might speak in favor of Li Yifei or intentionally hide something when facing the police later. That could easily get her into big trouble, so Li Yifei could only let her figure it out on her own.


    Moreover, when they surfaced again, Li Yifei spoke discontentedly, "Don¡¯t stick your hand inside my clothes."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s dissatisfaction, Aoki Reiko¡¯s mood improved drastically. This was her chance to get back at him. He had taken her hostage and made her freeze like this; what other way could she retaliate against Li Yifei?


    "If you don¡¯t let me reach in, I¡¯ll do it anyway." At that moment, Aoki Reiko even started to pull up Li Yifei¡¯s clothes.


    "If you keep messing around, believe it or not, I¡¯ll throw you over here right now."


    "Fine, then throw me; I¡¯d rather die. But without me as a hostage, you won¡¯t get far either."


    "You really think I can¡¯t find a way to escape without you?"


    "Humph, no matter how strong you are, can you be stronger than our navy? With just your abilities, I don¡¯t believe you can leave the sea alive."


    It seemed Aoki Reiko had struck a nerve, and Li Yifei snorted coldly, "You better behave."


    "I won¡¯t."


    Suddenly, Li Yifei submerged into the water unexpectedly fast. Aoki Reiko got dragged down and choked instantly. Once choked, her senses muddled, and she could only cling tightly to Li Yifei for air, frantically seeking his mouth.


    But Li Yifei didn¡¯t give her respiration and even pushed her away abruptly, which only made Aoki Reiko more desperate to find his mouth.


    "Hey, hey, can¡¯t I breathe on my own?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice suddenly rang by Aoki Reiko¡¯s ear.


    Stunned, Aoki Reiko realized they were still in the sea when she heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice. She quickly opened her eyes, saw their surroundings, took a few breaths, and after several violent coughs, she finally regained her senses.


    "You jerk!" Aoki Reiko really wanted to strangle Li Yifei, who had clearly choked her on purpose.


    Li Yifei simply smiled faintly, "If you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll do this to you again."


    "If you have the guts, drown me."


    "Humph, I won¡¯t bother arguing. I¡¯m warning you now, messing around won¡¯t do you any good. I have no thoughts about you right now since you¡¯re just clinging onto me. But if you get too close, I won¡¯t be able to hold back, and I will definitely rape you."


    "Ah!" Aoki Reiko was suddenly startled. She wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but the thought of being raped by this jerk was too much for her to accept.


    "Humph, back into the sea." Li Yifei said before pulling Aoki Reiko down into the water again. This time, she was prepared and didn¡¯t choke, and dared not cause more trouble, clinging to Li Yifei, wary of provoking his beastly nature.


    But after a while, Aoki Reiko again felt overwhelmed by the cold water. She also thought of a problem: how could this man rape her in the sea? Without leverage, if she just struggled a bit, he couldn¡¯t really force himself on her.


    With this realization, Aoki Reiko was no longer afraid of Li Yifei¡¯s threat and started reaching her hand inside the back of Li Yifei¡¯s clothes again, cheek pressed against his, feeling quite smug¡ªshe was cold, but she wouldn¡¯t let him be comfortable either.


    However, her smugness didn¡¯t last long, because Li Yifei suddenly pushed her away and, before she could recover, had already removed her clothes and caught hold of Aoki Reiko¡¯s breasts.


    Shocked and unable to scream underwater, Aoki Reiko could only struggle furiously, but she couldn¡¯t escape his clutch.


    But her struggling eventually brought them both to the surface, where Aoki Reiko immediately cried out, "Let go of me! Let go of me!"


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t let go of Aoki Reiko¡¯s hands and even squeezed them twice, saying, "I told you not to provoke me. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t rape you in the sea; it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to expend the effort."


    "You... you... let me go, I believe, I believe," Aoki Reiko pleaded while trying to pull away from Li Yifei¡¯s grip, but she couldn¡¯t manage to free herself and could only beg in a pitiful voice.


    "I think this isn¡¯t bad," Li Yifei said with a faint smile, and though he let go, he used Aoki Reiko¡¯s clothes to tie their waists together, saying, "This is much better."


    With their chests pressed together, Aoki Reiko felt ashamed and embarrassed but more so humiliated. No one had ever treated her this way, yet she was utterly powerless to resist.


    "Into the sea now," Li Yifei remarked and then plunged back into the ocean with Aoki Reiko.


    Inside, Aoki Reiko cursed Li Yifei, repeating every swear word she could think of, but it was useless. She had to accept the reality of being in the sea, topless with Li Yifei.


    However, she had to admit that without clothes, she felt significantly warmer, and now with her chest pressed against Li Yifei¡¯s, she wasn¡¯t afraid of his hands wandering, which was somewhat comforting. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When they surfaced again, Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes lit up because she saw a ship, to be precise, a military vessel flying the flag of Japan, which made her feel delighted.


    But Li Yifei quickly pulled her back into the sea, dashing her joy. She hoped to get on the military vessel and be saved, but this terrible man was sure to avoid the vessel, and he was now undoubtedly planning to take her away from it.


    In the darkness, the chance of the military vessel spotting them was incredibly slim unless she could continuously yell for help; the sound of the waves and the noise from the vessel itself would completely drown out her cries.


    To Aoki Reiko¡¯s surprise, when they surfaced again, they were closer to the military vessel, or rather, the vessel was moving in their direction.


    Even knowing it was futile, Aoki Reiko opened her mouth to scream, but even though she felt she used a lot of force, no sound came out. This damn bastard had used this trick again.


    At this point, Aoki Reiko¡¯s endurance had greatly improved; she could only resign herself to her fate.


    What happened next, however, left Aoki Reiko stunned. The military vessel was clearly heading in this direction, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t swim away but stayed on course and wasn¡¯t diving deep. If the vessel came close, they could be fatally hit by its draft.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom what Li Yifei was up to; it was utter madness.


    Soon, Aoki Reiko found out that this bastard was not just risking their lives; it was almost like a suicide mission, and he was dragging her along. When the military vessel approached, this bastard swam right towards it. She wanted to scream, she wanted to struggle, but she found herself completely immobilized at that moment.


    Of course, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t planned to commit suicide. He didn¡¯t head directly for the front of the military vessel but approached it from the side. He had been merely gauging the vessel¡¯s course earlier. Approaching from the side, the force of the water broken by the vessel was immense. Li Yifei had to muster all his strength to move closer to it. Nearly exhausting his energy, Li Yifei finally grabbed onto something on the vessel and pulled himself up half a meter, his other hand also finding a hold. They were then out of the water and free from the force of the impact.


    After catching his breath, Li Yifei quickly climbed up. Reaching the side of the vessel, he paused to listen for a while, then, after a few minutes, he swiftly boarded the military vessel and rolled under a gun turret for cover.


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes widened. Illuminated by the vessel¡¯s lights, she watched Li Yifei in disbelief. What was this madman up to? He had actually boarded the military vessel¡ªdid he not realize that the crew would likely detain him?


    Using her as a hostage? This was a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel. Just surfacing nearby, she could be shot at any moment; there was no way she could serve as a viable hostage.


    After a short wait, Aoki Reiko sensed this bastard moving again. Even with her in tow, he moved like a nimble cat, dodging surveillance equipment and the vessel¡¯s crew, before suddenly diving into a cabin.


    Once on the military vessel, this bastard acted as if he were in his own home, moving with no hesitation, quick or slow, always finding something to hide behind, avoiding detection. Finally, they ended up in a room.


    The room turned out to be nice¡ªspacious, with substantial facilities, it resembled a hotel suite. It looked like an officer¡¯s lounge on the vessel. Coming here, wasn¡¯t it even more likely they¡¯d be discovered?


    At this moment, Aoki Reiko felt her brain was inadequate. This man¡¯s actions completely baffled her.

 Chapter 969 - 1010: Specializing in Villainy

    Chapter 969: Chapter 1010: Specializing in VillainyLi Yifei then unbound Aoki Reiko and placed her on the bed before swiftly pulling down her pants.


    At the moment, Aoki Reiko could neither speak nor move, her eyes full of terror. She hadn¡¯t been afraid in the sea, but in such a room, with Li Yifei taking off her pants, it exceedingly terrified her, as if it meant that Li Yifei was going to rape her.


    This damned beast, even with soldiers all around on the naval ship, was about to commit such beastly acts. But what could she do? She couldn¡¯t move at all, and this helplessness felt even more serious than when she had last been kidnapped.


    At that moment, she suddenly remembered the person who had rescued her, how desperately she wished that person would appear again to save her, but she also knew it was impossible.


    "My God, he is starting to take off his clothes," Aoki Reiko could only move her eyes at that moment and saw that the man began stripping. Instinctively, she hurriedly closed her eyes, but immediately opened them again, terrified that the man would pounce on her the moment she shut her eyes.


    Aoki Reiko watched as the man quickly took off his outer garment, revealing his healthy, wheat-colored skin underneath. His muscles were not very prominent, only slightly stronger than an average person¡¯s, which made her wonder how such a body could have such perverted abilities.


    "Ah, he¡¯s starting to take off his pants...oh my God, he¡¯s even taking off his underwear," Aoki Reiko moaned in her heart. Had she known it would be like this, she would rather have let go of this devil in the sea and let herself freeze or drown, rather than being raped by this man at this moment.


    However, the frightening incident she feared did not happen. That damned villain, that beast, instead opened a cabinet and pulled out a set of navy uniforms, putting them on. This allowed Aoki Reiko to breathe a sigh of relief, as it meant that the man did not intend to rape her.


    And thinking about it, in such a dangerous environment, any small issue could cost the man his life, he hardly had the mind to think about such matters. She thought right; the damned guy then pulled over a blanket, covered her with it, and started packing up both her wet clothes and his, stashing them under the bed.


    The next moment, the man opened the door and left. Aoki Reiko was overjoyed inside, hoping that if a soldier entered now, she might be saved soon.


    After a while, footsteps did come from outside, but they didn¡¯t stop at her door. Then there were a few more times that footsteps passed by, but still, no one entered.


    When the door opened again, it was Li Yifei who entered, which immensely annoyed Aoki Reiko. Were all the soldiers on this ship idiots? How could they allow this guy to freely roam around the ship? And what about the owner of the room, why didn¡¯t they come back to check?


    Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t understand, but Li Yifei did. This room was none other than the highest commander¡¯s¡ªthe captain¡¯s. With such a significant incident tonight, the captain would definitely be in the command room, unable to rest here, making every other soldier¡¯s room dangerous, yet the captain¡¯s room was the safest.


    At that moment, Li Yifei held two bags in his hand, threw them onto the bed, and immediately a tasty smell spread out¡ªall the bags contained were food.


    Li Yifei patted Aoki Reiko, saying, "Get up and eat."


    Aoki Reiko instinctively turned her head in protest but suddenly realized she could move. She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t make any sound, which made her feel hopeful; maybe her chance had come.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t pay attention to Aoki Reiko. He picked up a sausage and began to chomp down. He had exerted too much energy that day and desperately needed to replenish his energy. Nothing else mattered at that moment; Li Yifei was in the mode he had been in during his time with the Flying Hawk Squad, focused solely on victory, ignoring everything else.


    Watching Li Yifei wolfing down his food, Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t help swallowing her saliva. She had been soaked in the sea for so long that even if she hadn¡¯t swum, the sheer caloric burn was immense. Naturally, she was very hungry now and couldn¡¯t help but reach for a piece of bread and tear off a piece to put in her mouth.


    "Give me a bag of milk." The food was eaten hurriedly, and Aoki Reiko choked a little after just two bites. But the milk was a bit far, and she would need to move forward to get it, which could expose more than she wished. Even though Li Yifei had seen and touched everything in the sea, under these circumstances, a girl¡¯s modesty was still very important.


    Li Yifei grabbed a bag of milk and tossed it to Aoki Reiko, who caught it and quickly drank a few sips. With bread and milk, and covered with a blanket, she finally felt warm again.


    "I also want some canned food," Aoki Reiko said as her eyes lit up upon seeing Li Yifei open a tin can. She quickly added a sentence.


    Li Yifei then opened one for Aoki Reiko and also handed her a metal fork for eating.


    Upon receiving the fork, Aoki Reiko was even more delighted, but she forcefully suppressed it, not letting her expression show it.


    Aoki Reiko ate slowly, her ears keenly listening to the sounds outside. Finally, footsteps approached the door. As the sound reached the door, Aoki Reiko suddenly raised her arm and threw the fork, intending to make noise with this method, disbelieving that the people outside would not come in to check.


    The moment the fork left her hand, a smile appeared on Aoki Reiko¡¯s face. She had finally succeeded, and the scoundrel was about to be besieged by everyone on the battleship. Surely there were no less than two hundred soldiers on a battleship. If Li Yifei could escape this time, then he would really be formidable.


    However, Aoki Reiko¡¯s smile instantly froze on her face because, although the fork had flown from her hand toward the wall, a hand suddenly stretched out and firmly caught the fork. Meanwhile, the footsteps outside had already faded until they were no longer audible.


    "Throwing things while eating is a bad habit," Li Yifei said as he handed the fork back to Aoki Reiko, then continued to eat heartily.


    Holding the fork, Aoki Reiko¡¯s face was indescribably ugly. This guy was simply humiliating her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And you don¡¯t need to try seducing me by revealing your chest. Your breasts aren¡¯t big enough to interest me much."


    This statement snapped Aoki Reiko back to reality. She looked down and realized that in her forceful throwing of the fork, she had partly pulled open her blanket, exposing half her chest. She quickly grabbed the blanket and covered herself, then glared fiercely at Li Yifei.


    Seeing her chest had already irritated her, and now he even dared to comment on her size, further fueling her fury. She was at least a B cup, which, if not large, was at least moderately sized. To be mocked so disdainfully by this scoundrel filled her with rage. Without thinking, she raised her hand and thrust the fork towards Li Yifei.


    Aoki Reiko had never been this violent before, but Li Yifei really drove her mad this time. The force she used was tremendous; if she had really pierced him, it would have certainly caused injury.


    But her opponent was Li Yifei, so how could she succeed? Li Yifei casually grabbed her wrist and glared fiercely at her, saying, "If you don¡¯t start behaving, I might really rape you."


    Aoki Reiko was now reckless too, staring defiantly at Li Yifei. "Rape then, let him rape," she thought, but she won¡¯t show any weakness. She, Aoki Reiko, was definitely not someone to be humiliated so easily. Though one hand was caught, she stretched out the other and grabbed a can opener, unhesitatingly stabbing towards Li Yifei.


    She put her full strength into this move, even sitting up completely, ready to expose herself if necessary.


    Li Yifei caught her other wrist, then chuckled sinisterly as his gaze lingered on Aoki Reiko¡¯s upper body. "Sitting up does make them look a bit bigger. Now I¡¯m somewhat interested," he said.


    Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t speak, or else she would have cursed loudly. Facing those previous two kidnappers, she had felt only fear, but facing this scoundrel, all she felt was anger. With both hands caught, she still had her mouth. She bowed her head and bit towards Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei was actually a bit troubled at this point. He thought that intimidating Aoki Reiko would make her behave, but she had gone completely berserk. Even the mention of rape didn¡¯t scare her.


    And Li Yifei couldn¡¯t really rape Aoki Reiko. He could show no mercy to enemies, but against the innocent Aoki Reiko, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to go through with it. The best approach now was obviously to immobilize Aoki Reiko directly, but his method of controlling people couldn¡¯t always be used as it could cause harm, especially if done over a long period; it could even cause muscle necrosis. He had already used it twice today on Aoki Reiko, and using it again might indeed leave sequelae.


    Unable to explain that this was for Aoki Reiko¡¯s own good, he steeled his heart and swiftly pinned her down on the bed, seized the fork and knife from her hands, and tossed them aside. Then he evilly said, "Great, I have time now. Let¡¯s have some fun with you, then kill everyone aboard this ship." He then clutched at Aoki Reiko¡¯s chest.

 Chapter 970 - 1111: Devoting Oneself to Serving the Demon

    Chapter 970: Chapter 1111: Devoting Oneself to Serving the DemonAoki Reiko was pressed down by Li Yifei, unable to move, and he was also pressing down on her chest. This made her both ashamed and furious; she wanted to resist, but she couldn¡¯t move at all. She wanted to scream, but her open mouth let out no sound.


    Li Yifei seemed to be enjoying himself. He said, "I didn¡¯t properly feel in the sea; it turns out your chest is quite nice. I like it."


    "Shameless!" Aoki Reiko tried to shout, but still no sound came out. She desperately twisted her hands, but Li Yifei pressed them above her head with one hand. She tried to kick, but her legs were also pinned by Li Yifei¡¯s legs. She stiffened her waist, trying to throw Li Yifei off, but she felt his body was like a mountain, not only impossible to throw off but causing her body to rub against his; she could even feel a certain hardness in him.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t harbor particular thoughts about Aoki Reiko, but that didn¡¯t mean he had no physical reactions. Pressing down such a beauty and holding her chest, a lack of reaction would be abnormal for any man.


    "Miss Reiko, I can tell you that I¡¯m about to take action on this warship. The lives of everyone on board hinge on your decision. If I¡¯m in a bad mood, I might kill everyone on this warship. Don¡¯t doubt my capabilities. Face to face, I¡¯m not the match for so many soldiers, but on this warship, my opportunities to strike are too many. They will find it extremely difficult to catch me. Now you can move freely and even make a loud noise to call the soldiers over. I believe, in such a big room, they can¡¯t possibly all come at once."


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s struggle suddenly stopped. She couldn¡¯t help but believe Li Yifei¡¯s words. The first time, Li Yifei and his four subordinates had killed over thirty soldiers in less than two minutes; on the beach, he had killed four ninjas, showcasing his tremendous abilities. If he were to stealthily start killing, he could indeed kill many soldiers.


    Aoki Reiko was patriotic; she didn¡¯t want so many of her compatriots to die by Li Yifei¡¯s hands.


    Li Yifei then said, "If you cooperate obediently, I will give you some face and just subdue them, not kill them."


    Aoki Reiko glared ferociously at Li Yifei, then fiercely closed her eyes and stopped struggling altogether; she even relaxed. In the end, she chose to submit, not for herself but for the many compatriots on the ship.


    Li Yifei had to admire Aoki Reiko¡¯s patriotic sentiments. Thinking back to his time in the army, he too had such awareness¡ªalthough more for his family since returning to civilian life, he couldn¡¯t deny his love for his country. If it really came down to national security, he would also willingly sacrifice everything.


    At this juncture, Li Yifei didn¡¯t actually want to do anything to Aoki Reiko; he just wanted her to calm down by breaking her moral fortitude, so she would stop causing trouble. Seeing she had become quiet, Li Yifei immediately stopped his actions, assuming a listening pose.


    Aoki Reiko sensed something was off and instinctively opened her eyes, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression and guessing that someone might be coming.


    Originally, she had hoped someone would come in, but Li Yifei¡¯s words had made her not want anyone to enter, as it would only lead to their death¡ªa fact she firmly believed.


    Furthermore, Aoki Reiko felt a killing intent emanating from Li Yifei, sensing he was ready to burst into violence at any moment, which greatly alarmed her. She didn¡¯t want her compatriots to be sent to their deaths again. This man was a devil, and humans couldn¡¯t compete with a devil.


    Since a normal fight against such a devil was impossible, she suddenly decided to take the role of a devil¡¯s concubine, attempting to soften this devil with her gentleness.


    She stretched out her arms and embraced Li Yifei, her eyes firmly fixed on him as she bit her lip.


    However, Li Yifei was startled; in fact, there had been no noise outside. He had merely pretended to listen to scare Aoki Reiko and deepen her misunderstanding, then take a walk outside and discontinue any involvement with her.


    But Aoki Reiko had unexpectedly taken the initiative, which Li Yifei hadn¡¯t anticipated at all, both underestimating her patriotism and her quick shift in thinking.


    Li Yifei still thought Aoki Reiko¡¯s actions were because she had deduced from his expression that someone was coming, thus she embraced him to prevent him from moving. If someone entered, it would be easier to kill him. So, with a wicked smile, he said, "Miss Reiko, do you think you can control me this way, hoping that someone outside will come in and kill me?"


    Aoki Reiko immediately shook her head forcefully, her gaze softened from hatred to gentleness, wanting to speak, but still unable to make any sound.


    Li Yifei really wanted to hear what Aoki Reiko had to say at this moment, so he instantly restored her ability to speak. This was all about the knowledge of acupoints, and apart from Li Yifei, probably very few people could achieve this feat. He said, "Now you can speak."


    Aoki Reiko gently coughed, her gaze meeting Li Yifei¡¯s again, arms still around his shoulders, her tone becoming exceptionally gentle¡ªthe traditional gentleness of a Japanese woman. She said, "Mr. Mu Fei, please promise me, won¡¯t you? Stop the killings."


    "Why?" Li Yifei frowned, not understanding what Aoki Reiko really wanted to accomplish.


    "Every person¡¯s life is immensely precious, and no one should arbitrarily deprive another of their life. You have already obtained what you wanted, so why must you kill again? If it¡¯s money you want, our Aoki Group can provide it to you. You know the strength of the Aoki Group, and I am still the sole legal heir to it. You should know that my words are not false."


    "Money is a good thing, but we mercenaries have our own rules¡ªwe only collect a reward upon completion of the mission, not just by making money any way possible. If I kidnapped you, surely I would make more money than by finishing this mission, but that isn¡¯t rightfully mine. As for killing, I don¡¯t like it either, but if someone tries to kill me, then for my own protection, I have no choice but to kill them."


    Aoki Reiko became even gentler, a smile on her face as she said, "Hearing you say this proves you have a conscience, and I am relieved. Then can you not harm the people on this warship? We can return to the sea, and I¡¯ll stay with you."


    Only now did Li Yifei understand why Aoki Reiko was behaving this way toward him¡ªshe actually wanted to reform him. This truly left him at a loss for words. Aoki Reiko ought to have become a nun or a missionary; she would have achieved great success in that role.


    "That¡¯s absolutely impossible. If I want to leave, the vast ocean without a ship and equipment is simply unmanageable. That¡¯s why I must commandeer this ship, so I can get away."


    "You%... This idea is too crazy. We can still think of other ways."


    "Don¡¯t try to persuade me. I have already made my decision, and I am going to act on it soon."


    "Mr. Mu Fei!" Aoki Reiko, suddenly frantic, not only wrapped her arms around Li Yifei but also entwined her legs with his. Initially she had wanted to push him away; now, however, she clung to him, not wanting to let him go.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, let me serve you. You¡¯ve always wanted me, right? I¡¯ll give myself to you now. I¡¯ll show you the gentleness of a Japanese woman and let you understand why Japanese women are the most favored by men worldwide."


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s voice as she spoke was both sweet and cloying, full of allure, which seriously infuriated Li Yifei. If things continued this way, Li Yifei felt he really might be unable to resist, and might even end up committing a beastly act upon Aoki Reiko.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, there are many things in life worth pursuing. Open your heart. Enjoy your woman to the fullest today. Even though it¡¯s my first time, I will do it just as well."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei¡¯s hair stood on end. If Aoki Reiko wasn¡¯t a virgin, it would have been one thing, but Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected her to be a virgin. What he had done to her already seemed excessive. If he were to take advantage of her further, it would weigh even more heavily on his conscience.


    With a dour expression and furrowed brows, Li Yifei clearly showed his disinterest.


    "Mr. Mu Fei, what¡¯s wrong?" Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, Aoki Reiko¡¯s heart sank, wondering if she had done something to displease him.


    Li Yifei snorted, "It¡¯s boring. I don¡¯t like forward women. They just don¡¯t interest me." And with that, he attempted to stand up.


    But Aoki Reiko clung even tighter, speaking urgently, "Mr. Mu Fei, so that¡¯s your preference. I understand that. Although I haven¡¯t tried it before, I¡¯ve seen those kinds of films. I know what to do. Mr. Mu Fei, come, I will definitely struggle and ensure you are excited."


    At this moment, Li Yifei was truly dumbfounded¡ªwhat a mess. Just when he thought he had found an excuse, Aoki Reiko refuted it. This woman was determined to bind him, to keep him from harming the people on the warship, even if it meant sacrificing herself. But he really didn¡¯t want it.


    If Japanese men heard what Li Yifei was thinking, they would probably be appalled. Aoki Reiko of the Aoki Group¡ªsecuring her meant also securing a future with the Aoki Group, a dream for so many men.


    S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 971 - 1012: Seizing Control of the Warship

    Chapter 971: Chapter 1012: Seizing Control of the WarshipA wicked glint flashed through Li Yifei¡¯s eyes before he suddenly leapt up. Aoki Reiko gasped softly as Li Yifei¡¯s movement was too sudden, taking her somewhat by surprise. Meanwhile, Li Yifei rapidly tore several strips of cloth from the bedsheet.


    Aoki Reiko felt a pang of distress. Tearing the cloth strips at this moment meant they were definitely intended to be used as ropes. She hadn¡¯t expected this man to have such a twisted fetish.


    Biting her teeth secretly, Aoki Reiko tried to calm herself as much as possible. No matter what, she had to dissuade this terrifying man from his murderous intent to secure a chance for her compatriots to live. So, even if it meant enduring the most humiliating ordeal, she resolved to bear it.


    Li Yifei flipped open the blanket, and Aoki Reiko¡¯s body was suddenly exposed to the air. Instinctively, she covered her chest and a look of terror appeared in her eyes¡ªeight parts out of instinctual fear and two parts because she needed to please this man. Since he seemed to prefer force, showing fear might otherwise make him disinterested.


    Aoki Reiko was undeniably beautiful with an impressive figure, which, combined with her scared and panicked demeanor, could stoke the vilest thoughts in a man. Li Yifei had to admit that he felt the urge to turn devilish at that moment. However, self-control was paramount for a man, and thus he quickly bound Aoki Reiko¡¯s hands and legs with the strips, then covered her again with the blanket.


    "What... what are you going to do?" Aoki Reiko was befuddled; she had prepared herself, yet the act of covering her with the blanket revealed that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t planning something lascivious¡ªinstead, she realized he might be planning to kill.


    "This warship is vital for me to seize, but considering how cooperative you¡¯ve been, I¡¯ll refrain from killing anyone. I¡¯ll just subdue them. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll return to enjoy all of this. You¡¯re truly captivating. I have decided to take you with me to be my woman in the future."


    "You..." Aoki Reiko¡¯s face changed instantly, visibly enraged.


    "You can refuse, but then I might have to kill a few more people," Li Yifei said with a smile as he watched Aoki Reiko.


    "You... you..." Aoki Reiko trembled with anger, believing that this man only intended to possess her once, not foreseeing his intention to make her his woman.


    "My patience has its limits. Will you agree or not?" Li Yifei stood straight.


    Taking deep braths, Aoki Reiko inhaled and exhaled slowly before replying, "Fine, but you must not kill anyone. If even one person dies by your hand, I would rather die than agree."


    "Agreed!" Li Yifei responded and then swiftly exited the room. He refrained from silencing Aoki Reiko, trusting that after the terrifying ordeal, she wouldn¡¯t dare to call out loudly for help.


    On the entire warship, there were indeed many individuals representing various military roles, from pilots to logistics and various specialized soldiers. However, high-level close-combat experts were seldom found on warships, as warships are designed for naval battles. Only some marines preparing for land assaults possess strong combat skills.


    This warship was not one of those, so the onboard soldiers, although they regularly trained and were somewhat stronger than average people, were no match for Li Yifei.


    The sailors on board didn¡¯t expect an intruder to stealthily attack them at this moment. Combined with Li Yifei¡¯s formidable skills, they hardly knew what hit them before they passed out.


    Li Yifei moved from the bottom to the top, methodically searching and knocking out unrelated personnel while sparing those holding crucial positions. Simple enough¡ªonce he had seized control of the warship, he would need it to transport items. Regardless of any disguise, using a Japanese warship was the best way to transport his items.


    Li Yifei was very familiar with warships; although not a navy man, he had boarded them several times during missions and had been aboard Japanese warships, so he navigated them with ease.


    An hour later, Li Yifei had already rendered more than a hundred soldiers unconscious and finally reached the upper command room.


    The warship captain, named Sakuragikaze, had received a mission to capture those who had stolen military secrets and were escaping by sea. At the moment, he was directing the search operation in nearby waters, where the radar had detected a speedboat moving ahead.


    "Follow it, that must be our target," Sakuragikaze declared with excitement. This mission was of great importance to the upper echelons, and if he could complete it, he would earn great merit¡ªa soldier¡¯s most desired reward.


    The warship accelerated, definitely faster than the speedboat, quickly reducing the distance between them.


    However, the speedboat¡¯s agility was something the warship couldn¡¯t match. After a few sharp turns, the speedboat had again widened the gap.


    After several attempts, Sakuragikaze grew frustrated. He had already received orders that if apprehension failed, they should sink the vessel to prevent the enemy from escaping with their possession.


    "Sink that speedboat!" Sakuragikaze ordered decisively.


    The signal soldier immediately relayed the command to the warship¡¯s gunner.


    However, after waiting a while, not a single sound of cannon fire could be heard, which infuriated Sakuragikaze immensely. Such an incident had never occurred on his warship before. Normally, commands were executed swiftly, and the messengers had already repeated the order several times, yet there was still no response.


    "Damn it!" Sakuragikaze roared, about to send someone to check, when suddenly a man pushed open the door and entered, wearing the same captain¡¯s uniform as he.


    "Who are you?" Sakuragikaze instinctively asked, not recognizing the man. How could there be two captains on a single warship?


    Not only was he confused, but the other soldiers were also perplexed at this moment.


    The man who entered was Li Yifei, and at that moment he suddenly stretched out his hands, holding two guns, and said in a stern voice, "Don¡¯t move!"


    Everyone inside the command room froze, finally realizing they were in danger, an occurrence they could scarcely believe possible on a warship.


    "Who are you?" Sakuragikaze glared at Li Yifei furiously.


    Li Yifei stepped in front of Sakuragikaze, smiled faintly, and said, "You don¡¯t need to know who I am. I¡¯m here to tell you that I¡¯m taking over this warship now."


    "You wish!" Sakuragikaze bellowed.


    "If you don¡¯t agree, that¡¯s fine too. I can kill you," Li Yifei said, pressing a gun against Sakuragikaze¡¯s head.


    "You dare?" Sakuragikaze was truly a tough man; he still glared defiantly at Li Yifei, not taking the gun pointed at him seriously at all.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Whether I dare or not isn¡¯t up to you to decide." He suddenly turned around and fired a shot, accompanied by a scream.


    The people there were momentarily stunned because Li Yifei was too close to Sakuragikaze, and he had also moved to the middle of the command room. Someone behind him had secretly drawn a gun, but before he could raise it, Li Yifei had already turned around and shot him.


    What shocked everyone most was that Li Yifei had fired without looking back, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, making everyone hesitant to make any sudden moves. Although the man was not killed, he was shot in the thigh, which was undoubtedly painful.


    Without turning his head, Li Yifei coldly said, "In front of me, you have no right to refuse. If you don¡¯t want to die, do as I say."


    Sakuragikaze snorted and said, "We, the soldiers of Great Japan, will not submit. Even if you kill all of us, we will absolutely not obey you."


    "Is that so?" Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, then suddenly lifted his hand and struck Sakuragikaze¡¯s neck with the butt of his gun, causing Sakuragikaze¡¯s sturdy body to collapse weakly to the floor.


    Li Yifei turned to look at the rest of the people and scoffed, "My patience is limited. If you do not follow my command, I wouldn¡¯t mind killing you all." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing their captain struck down, the soldiers looked at each other, unsure of what to do.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, suddenly raised his hand, and fired another shot, making the messenger cry out in pain. Li Yifei then said sternly, "I don¡¯t want to kill, but I mind even less about killing. If you make decisions that force me to shoot, next time I won¡¯t aim for the leg but for your heads."


    Li Yifei then directly adjusted the radio frequency himself and shouted in Malay through the communication channel, "I¡¯m the head, and I have now taken control of your following warship."


    After finishing, Li Yifei hung up the communication signal, and the radar immediately showed that the speed of the speedboat had slowed down. This level of execution astonished the soldiers on the warship, as it seemed like a well-trained troop. They truly didn¡¯t know what to make of the man in the captain¡¯s uniform.


    Li Yifei had now dealt with all the combat-capable people on the warship, so taking on four more men posed no difficulty, and he used a hoist to lift the speedboat onto the warship as well.


    After the four men boarded the warship, they looked at Li Yifei with fervent eyes. They all knew of Li Yifei¡¯s strength, but this was the first time they had been on a mission with him. The fact that Li Yifei alone had taken control of a warship impressed them even more.


    With four more assistants, Li Yifei found it even easier to maintain control of the warship. The warship continued forward and before dawn, they finally reached the waters near North Korea, finally escaping the maritime zone controlled by Japan. Li Yifei knew victory was finally within sight.

 Chapter 972 - 1013: Golden Eagle Gets Angry

    Chapter 972: Chapter 1013: Golden Eagle Gets AngryAoki Reiko agonized in the room all night; although she was exhausted, she couldn¡¯t sleep at all. She kept her ears peeled for sounds outside but seemed to hear no gunshots and felt no chaos.


    This made Aoki Reiko even more uncertain about what had happened outside. Logically, if that guy wanted to take over the ship, there should have been some noise. The silence was unreasonable; could it be that he failed and left alone?


    Thinking of this, Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t feel relieved. Instead, there was an inexplicable feeling in her heart, indescribable and elusive.


    Just when Aoki Reiko was too tired and about to sleep, the door to the room was flung open, and that detestable man barged in.


    "How did it go?" Aoki Reiko asked.


    Li Yifei casually sat on the bed, dangling a cigarette from his mouth, "What do you think?"


    "Did you... succeed?"


    "Is that even a question? There¡¯s nothing I want to do that I can¡¯t accomplish." Li Yifei blew a puff of smoke into Aoki Reiko¡¯s face, a smug look on his face.


    Aoki Reiko coughed twice and said angrily, "Did you kill anyone?"


    "Do I need to kill them? I can handle them easily; your Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force is nothing special."


    Aoki Reiko breathed a sigh of relief but then glared and said, "That was a sneak attack. In a fair fight, our Maritime Self-Defense Force would definitely be invincible."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t argue with Aoki Reiko, but instead flicked the blanket off and untied the ropes binding Aoki Reiko. He handed her a set of clothes, "Get dressed; we¡¯re leaving soon."


    "You... you¡¯re really taking me with you?" Aoki Reiko suddenly remembered that promise.


    "What, you want to back out?" Li Yifei glared.


    Aoki Reiko took a deep breath, "Fine, I¡¯ll go with you." She then sat up, turned her back, and put on the clothes.


    Just as Aoki Reiko finished dressing, suddenly, there was a clamor of footsteps outside. Li Yifei¡¯s expression changed, and he sprang to his feet, but Aoki Reiko quickly said, "Don¡¯t kill anyone."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow, then chuckled, "Then I can¡¯t take you with me today, but remember what you said. I will definitely come back for you later," and with that, he bolted out before Aoki Reiko could respond.


    There was a burst of gunfire and screams from outside; shortly after, some people rushed into the room. Upon seeing Aoki Reiko, the entering soldiers paused.


    Aoki Reiko immediately raised her hands, "I am Aoki Reiko, the daughter of the president of Aoki Group. I was abducted by that man."


    Aoki Reiko wasn¡¯t foolish; at such a time, it was crucial first to identify herself to avoid being mistakenly shot¡ªan utterly unworthy end.


    The following events led to Aoki Reiko being taken back to her country, followed by a thorough investigation. Aoki Reiko only knew that the man was called Mu Fei, and she recounted the entire abduction process, including the demands Mu Fei had made. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From all the evidence, both Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako had been deceived, which was entirely plausible. It was nearly impossible to trace the real identity of the perpetrator from them, so after detaining Aoki Reiko and Suzuki Kawako for two days, with mediation from Aoki Group, Aoki Reiko was finally back at home.


    The ordeal had shaken Aoki Reiko deeply, and she recuperated at home for over a month, occasionally haunted by memories of that detestable man. Fortunately, her condition of being excessively wary of everyone did not flare up.


    Li Yifei had left Japanese territorial waters, then took a few detours, using several diversions, before finally getting the goods into the country.


    Upon arriving in the country, Li Yifei personally drove the goods to Capital City. On this matter, he couldn¡¯t rely on anyone else, not even the military personnel, as too many people were eager to claim credit, especially those with substantial backing who often stole your accomplishments for their promotions, leaving you nowhere to argue your case.


    Some situations weren¡¯t easily avoidable; the more Li Yifei tried to avoid such issues, the more he encountered them.


    Because Su Mengxin¡¯s grandfather was not in Capital City, but visiting another country, the old man instructed Li Yifei to deliver the goods to a secret location, one Li Yifei had never visited before¡ªa confidential research base that also housed a special forces unit, the Battle Bear Squad.


    Battle Bear Squad was also a renowned team in their country, Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Hawk Squad ranked first while this one could place third. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t particularly familiar with this squad, but he knew their former captain quite well, a highly capable guy with a straightforward personality, and definitely an excellent soldier.


    Therefore, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected to encounter any issues here. Given the secretive nature of the matter, Li Yifei didn¡¯t bring the rest of his team, just himself driving a truck here alone.


    At the gate, the guard stopped Li Yifei¡¯s truck. Li Yifei stopped the vehicle, leaned out, and asked, "I¡¯m here to deliver something. Is your boss around?" As he handed over the documents from the truck.


    The guard didn¡¯t recognize Li Yifei, took the documents, and examined them thoroughly before running into the guardhouse to make a call. Soon, he returned and said, "Please come in. Our boss is waiting for you inside."


    Li Yifei frowned slightly but didn¡¯t stoop to the level of these two new recruits. Although the Battle Bear Squad commanded the area, the outer perimeter was still staffed by some regular soldiers; these two at the gate were merely fresh recruits, far from qualified to join the Battle Bear Squad.


    The gate he had reached was merely the outer perimeter gate, relatively easy to access. A general pass could get one in, but a few hundred meters along a narrow road, there was another gate, heavily guarded, which wasn¡¯t for just anyone to enter.


    Outside the gate, several burly men in black, tight-fitting tank tops which showed off their muscular builds, clearly not your average soldiers, but members of the Battle Bear Squad, stood.


    One of them gestured for Li Yifei to stop the car. Li Yifei parked and got out of the vehicle, surprised to find he didn¡¯t recognize any of them.


    "Are you Golden Eagle?" asked the man in the center, who came up to meet him. He looked to be in his early thirties and somewhat leaner compared to others beside him, with small eyes but a broad forehead. He approached Li Yifei and sized him up.


    Li Yifei slightly frowned. This guy was hardly polite, but as a soldier, pride was always there, especially when seeing members from other squads always acting tough. Li Yifei kept his cool and asked, "Where¡¯s your boss?"


    That man¡¯s face darkened and said, "Are you blind? I am the boss of the Battle Bear Squad."


    Li Yifei was startled and asked, "You¡¯re the boss? Then where is Chen Hu?"


    The man glanced slyly at Li Yifei and said, "Where Chen Hu has gone isn¡¯t my concern. All I know is I¡¯m the boss of the Battle Bear Squad now, and I¡¯m in charge here."


    Li Yifei also scrutinized him, sensing pride not born from battle but rather arrogance in his demeanor, wondering how such a person could become the captain of the Battle Bear Squad.


    "Hey, you¡¯ve already left the Flying Hawk Squad, so you¡¯re no longer military. Leave the stuff and you can go," the guy waved dismissively, clearly impatient.


    "Leave the goods here? For you?" Li Yifei replied with a detached question.


    "That¡¯s right. Hurry up, don¡¯t loiter around. This is my turf, not Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s."


    An indignation surged within Li Yifei. After all the hardships he had gone through to retrieve those items, even the high-ranking officials would have thanked him, yet this guy dared to treat him so disdainfully. This was beyond what Li Yifei could tolerate.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll leave, but I can¡¯t leave the goods behind," Li Yifei said as he turned to get back in the truck, feeling embarrassed even negotiating with such a fool.


    "Stop right there!" the guy suddenly shouted loudly, waving his hand, and several team members immediately rushed up to block Li Yifei. The guy sauntered up to Li Yifei and sardonically said, "You can leave, but leave the goods behind."


    Li Yifei looked at him and slowly said, "Give me one reason."


    The guy sneered, "Anything that arrives here is mine. Do you still think you can take it away?"


    "What if I disagree?" asked Li Yifei, his tone icy.


    "Disagree... ha! This isn¡¯t a place where you can show off. I¡¯m the boss here, and what I say goes. If you won¡¯t leave the goods, then you might as well stay."


    Li Yifei laughed loudly, astonished by how much the world had changed. It hadn¡¯t even been much more than a year since he left the military, and here was this guy, arising from who knows where, daring to boss him around without giving him any respect.


    The guy frowned and barked, "Laugh all you want. If you¡¯re gonna leave, then get out now!"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Great, you¡¯re really something. I have to take these goods today. I really want to see how, under your leadership, the Battle Bear Squad is going to keep me here!"

 Chapter 973 - 1114: I Will Stand Up for Myself

    Chapter 973: Chapter 1114: I Will Stand Up for MyselfLi Yifei had gone through hell and high water to retrieve something, only to be harassed by the captain of the so-called Battle Bear Squad upon his arrival; this filled him with true rage. Rarely did he ever get this angry, even when facing the most cunning of enemies and their insults, he could remain calm.


    But this time was different. It was in his own country, within the military of his own country, to be treated like this was an even greater humiliation than what the enemy could impose. As the captain of the Golden Eagle, Li Yifei had his own pride and he wouldn¡¯t allow some nobody to dishonor him.


    At that moment, the guy smirked and said, "Golden Eagle, you¡¯d better wise up. You¡¯re no longer in the military; you¡¯re just an ordinary citizen now. If you dare to defy my orders here, I could execute you on the spot, and no one would stand up for you." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei glared at the guy, bellowed in a loud voice, "I don¡¯t need anyone to stand up for me. I¡¯ll stand up for myself. I want to see who dares to stop me!" He then strode aggressively towards the guy.


    A powerful fighting spirit burst forth from Li Yifei. If the guy didn¡¯t back off, Li Yifei was absolutely not going to hesitate to make a move, and certainly wasn¡¯t going to pull any punches.


    This guy had heard of the legendary reputation of the Golden Eagle and knew that he was not someone to be trifled with. But considering they were at the premises of his Battle Bear Squad, with more than fifty elite squad members present, he figured that even with Golden Eagle¡¯s fame, these fifty-plus men should be able to take down Li Yifei.


    Although he was arrogant, he didn¡¯t actually have any real skill. Immediately, he took a step back and barked, "Attack! This ungrateful bastard needs to be taught a lesson. Break his legs and throw him out!"


    Several men in black tank tops swiftly surrounded Li Yifei, their faces stern, eager to test their mettle. It wasn¡¯t just about obeying the orders of the Battle Bear Squad captain; the main attraction was the opportunity to clash with the renowned Golden Eagle himself. It was a matter of honor. And they were well aware that not a single one among them was worthy to challenge Li Yifei alone, so they prepared to encircle and outnumber him.


    "Golden Eagle, don¡¯t say we¡¯re ganging up on you because we know you can take on any one of us alone," said one man in front of Li Yifei as he bowed his fist, speaking rather politely.


    Full of rage, Li Yifei saw that his opponent was being somewhat courteous. He knew that the real scum in the Battle Bear Squad was just that captain; the squad members themselves were still men of valor. Though he had intended to go in hard, he now abandoned that thought. Still, since they were listening to that damned captain, Li Yifei felt a need to teach them a lesson.


    "What are you blabbering about, do you want to be locked up?" The captain glared and shouted.


    The squad member frowned, positioned his fists, and said, "My apologies!" as he lunged forward to attack Li Yifei.


    As he initiated the assault, the squad members at the front and sides joined in simultaneously, unleashing their full power from the get-go. Facing an opponent as formidable as the Golden Eagle, they dared not hold back, as doing so would be suicidal.


    Li Yifei also roared, thrusting a fierce punch forward, ignoring the attacks coming from other directions. The tremendous force of his punch was directed straight at the man in front.


    The squad member was shocked, not expecting Li Yifei to focus his full onslaught on him, disregarding the others. He felt that he was incapable of withstanding Li Yifei¡¯s punch. If he didn¡¯t dodge, he would certainly die, so instinctively, he hurriedly pulled back his fist and quickly retreated.


    With that retreat, Li Yifei suddenly pushed off forcefully with his feet, charging forward to break through, effortlessly circumventing the rest of their encirclement.


    "Hmph, is this how your captain teaches you? To falter during an attack and break formation, where is the teamwork?" Li Yifei jeered, immediately causing the man in front to flush with shame. If he hadn¡¯t retreated and had faced Li Yifei¡¯s punch, he might have been injured or even killed, but then Li Yifei would have been caught in the others¡¯ attack.


    "What fools, damn it!" The captain cursed as soon as he heard Li Yifei¡¯s remark.


    The squad member¡¯s face turned ashen. Their Battle Bear Squad had always been incredibly united, but now they were saddled with a captain who appeared out of nowhere. This captain had no real talent, and the squad members initially had no respect for him. However, the guy had such a powerful backer that all their protests were useless. This captain ruled despotically and treated the members harshly, quickly disintegrating the unity the Battle Bear Squad once had.


    Humiliated and infuriated, he bellowed with all his might and launched a punch at Li Yifei, willing to risk his own life to prove himself.


    "Finally, you look the part," Li Yifei remarked, as his fist collided with the man¡¯s.


    With a "thump!" the squad member was sent flying like he¡¯d been hit by a truck, heading straight for their captain.


    The captain, utterly unprepared, let out a cry of alarm as he stumbled, trying to dodge, but he was too slow to avoid the incoming squad member, and they crashed into each other solidly.


    The massive impact sent the captain sprawling, and the squad member brought with him such a powerful force that he almost broke the captain¡¯s ribs on impact. Pinned beneath the squad member, the captain couldn¡¯t push him off for some time.


    Li Yifei was particularly irate with this captain, so he taught him a lesson right from the start, and as for the squad member, he hadn¡¯t suffered serious injury. He was simply winded and had passed out temporarily.


    Members of the Battle Bear Squad, even the strongest, were still somewhat inferior to those of the Flying Hawk Squad, so currently, these few posed no threat to Li Yifei, who handled them with ease. After taking one down, Li Yifei charged at the others¡ªattacking many with few on his side, he forced them into a retreat. This was without even using his full strength; otherwise, these squad members would likely have been lying on the ground by now.


    "Motherfuckers, did you guys skip breakfast or what? So many of you can¡¯t even take down one person, you idiots, you¡¯re useless!" The captain had finally caught his breath, pushed away the unconscious squad member, and began furiously cursing his own team.


    The squad members, being pursued by Li Yifei, didn¡¯t feel downtrodden at all. Instead, they were thrilled with the chance to spar with Golden Eagle¡ªa rare opportunity. Even if they could only remember a thing or two, it would be greatly beneficial. At this moment, they were focusing on fending off Li Yifei while carefully observing his moves in hopes of memorizing some of them. The pressure Li Yifei exerted was helping them gain insights.


    Combat ability could only be honed through tireless practice, and theoretical discussions were useless. You could claim to have practiced a technique, but if it couldn¡¯t be applied in real combat, it was nothing more than flashy, ineffectual moves. Similarly, in Chess, playing against a master improves your skills, while playing against a duffer not only halts progress but also worsens your game.


    However, their golden opportunity was spoiled by the captain¡¯s ranting. Li Yifei suddenly intensified his attack, and they couldn¡¯t withstand it. A squad member was soon sent flying by Li Yifei and, coincidentally, ended up toppling the captain again.


    "Motherfu¡ª" The captain¡¯s subsequent curse was stifled mid-sentence by the impact, and not just that, another squad member soon flew over and landed on top of the first, leaving him gasping and rolling his eyes.


    Then the third, the fourth¡ªone by one they piled on.


    Now, only one squad member was left. He didn¡¯t run but threw a feeble punch at Li Yifei and gave him a wink.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was clear this squad member was seizing the opportunity to get back at the captain, eagerly waiting for Li Yifei to toss him over to crush his leader.


    Naturally, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t let him down. He grabbed the man by his clothes, and the guy¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, prompting Li Yifei to laugh and cry at the absurdity. Li Yifei threw him casually, and the man let out a loud, agonizing scream, clawing at the air as if in utmost pain. When he finally landed atop the pile of men, his face revealed an exhilarating thrill.


    The combined weight of five sturdy men was around seven to eight hundred pounds. Even without smashing down from above, just lying on top of someone would be more than enough to bear. Now, being smashed down one by one like this, it was a wonder the captain was left able to breathe at all.


    The commotion of the fight had already alerted the rest of the squad members in the vicinity, who all rushed out. They didn¡¯t know what had happened yet, but they were aware that a fight had broken out, especially captivated by the pile of men. When they saw the pale-faced captain underneath, their attention was entirely ensnared.


    But most of the squad members didn¡¯t move; only a few hurried over to pull off the men on top and helped the captain to his feet. It was evident that the captain had almost offended every member of the Battle Bear Squad, with only a handful still heeding his word¡ªpresumably his confidants.


    "Son of a bitch! I¡¯m going to kill you today! I must kill you!" The captain was beside himself with rage. Spotting a confidant with a gun, he snatched it, clicked off the safety, and aimed it straight at Li Yifei.

 Chapter 974 - 1015: Taking on a Team Single-Handedly

    Chapter 974: Chapter 1015: Taking on a Team Single-Handedly"Captain! Don¡¯t be rash," someone hurriedly grabbed the captain. In the military, fistfights were normal, but resorting to guns was a serious matter. Although this guy didn¡¯t know what the hell was going on, the fact that Li Yifei was here meant that he must be someone significant; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have made it to this place. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another person also urged anxiously, "Captain, you can¡¯t shoot."


    "Get the fuck out of the way! I¡¯m gonna kill this son of a bitch today!" The captain viciously shoved the two aside and raised his gun at Li Yifei, but Li Yifei stood still, letting him aim, though his expression turned extremely grim.


    "Golden Eagle, you motherfucker strutting around like you own the place, you really don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re coming or going. Do you fucking believe I¡¯ll blow your brains out right now?" The captain took two steps forward, grinding his teeth, feeling like he was invincible with the gun pointed at Li Yifei.


    At this remark, all the squad members turned to look at Li Yifei, and only then did they realize that this was the legendary Golden Eagle, a godlike figure in the military. No wonder the few guys had been piled on top of each other; it had been Golden Eagle¡¯s doing.


    Li Yifei looked at the captain and said indifferently, "I don¡¯t believe."


    "Fuck, you think I don¡¯t have the balls, huh?" The captain flew into a rage, his eyes bulging like light bulbs.


    Li Yifei snorted derisively and said, "I believe you have the guts, but if you dare to shoot, I¡¯ve got the guts to take you down."


    "Take me down? Hahaha... You¡¯re fucking insane! Where do you think you are? You think I wouldn¡¯t dare kill you? Let me tell you, if I want to kill you, no one dares say a word against it."


    "Is that so? Well, you can try, I guarantee that if you pull the trigger, you won¡¯t live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun."


    "Humph, you want me to fire and take the fall for it, huh? Dream on; I won¡¯t fall for your tricks. There are so many of us here, we could poke you to death with our fingers."


    Li Yifei swept his gaze over the people here; there must have been fifty or sixty of them, probably the entire Battle Bear Squad. He still spoke with disdain, "If Chen Hu were here, I might have some concerns, but with just you? You¡¯ve turned the once-heroes of the Battle Bear Squad into actual bears. No matter how many you are, what good will it do?"


    The Battle Bear Squad members were all rather ashamed and helpless. They all knew that ever since this captain took over, the Battle Bear Squad wasn¡¯t what it used to be; it had become his personal team. Under his command, even though some tried to hold onto the original spirit, they just weren¡¯t as serious anymore. How could they still do well under such circumstances?


    "Fuck, you motherfucker are too damn arrogant. I¡¯ll make you learn how to write the word ¡¯death¡¯ today. Get him for me, even if you have to crush him, kill this bastard," the captain thought angrily of how badly he¡¯d been crushed and couldn¡¯t help wanting to take revenge on Li Yifei.


    "Fuck, did you hear me? Get him! Anyone who doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll lock up for a month!" After the captain shouted, he saw no one moved and suddenly roared in anger.


    A few of his lackeys charged out first, one of them yelling, "What¡¯s so great about Golden Eagle? You can show off elsewhere, but not here. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today; you really have a death wish challenging our boss."


    Seeing some had moved, the captain roared again, "Charge! Every one of you! Take down this kid, and I¡¯ll give you a week¡¯s leave."


    With a mix of intimidation and temptation, finally, about ten more people rushed up, and soon fifteen or sixteen of them had surrounded Li Yifei.


    But only the four or five people closest to Li Yifei could actually lay a hand on him; the rest could only circle around the outside.


    At this moment, Li Yifei puffed out his chest, a fighting spirit bursting forth as he bellowed, "Today I¡¯ll discipline you useless bastards on Chen Hu¡¯s behalf." Then, without waiting for them to move first, he launched into an attack.


    Against the others, the Battle Bear guys were formidable, but against Li Yifei, they were just weaklings. Li Yifei was like a tiger amongst sheep; barely anyone could withstand more than a few of his moves before he grabbed and tossed them away. In the blink of an eye, seven or eight of them had already been flung aside.


    As the fight ensued, the Battle Bear members¡¯ fighting spirit surged. Seeing their comrades thrown one by one, and without waiting for the captain to speak, they rushed forward. They wanted to see if Golden Eagle was truly so mighty that he could take on their entire squad alone; if he had the strength to defeat all fifty-plus members of their squad.


    The battle suddenly intensified, and what really roused the members of the Battle Bear Squad was not so much loyalty to their captain as curiosity to see just how strong Golden Eagle could be. After all, Golden Eagle was known to be unbeatable, and if their squad alone managed to take down Golden Eagle, it would be a matter of immense pride.


    Their fighting spirit surged and Li Yifei was also inspired by their zeal. He had never faced a situation where he took on an entire squad alone. In the past, when confronted with multiple enemies, he had relied on assassination, picking off his targets one by one¡ªnever allowing himself to be surrounded.


    And back then, his purpose was to kill as swiftly and efficiently as possible, using the least effort to eliminate his adversaries.


    But now things were different. This was a true battle, a contest of bare-fisted combat, and it whipped Li Yifei into a state of excitement. He shouted, "Come at me, all of you! I¡¯m going to enjoy this."


    The squad members began to whoop and charge like madmen. Even those who were sent flying would get right back up and charge once more as soon as they could stand.


    The captain watched, stunned. He had never imagined his men could be so wild. Usually, he ruled over them, doling out punishments and confinements as he pleased. While his men may have grumbled in private, they never dared speak out. But now, he realized how dangerous this frenzied bunch could be.


    Yet he was pleased. This was his chance to severely discipline Li Yifei. He refused to believe that Li Yifei could withstand the assault of over fifty men.


    Actually, what thrilled him the most was the prospect of swallowing up Li Yifei and claiming the glory for himself. Although he had become captain of the Battle Bear Squad through his family¡¯s influence, he knew that without military achievements, climbing higher up the ranks would be difficult. If he could claim this victory, he was certain he¡¯d get promoted with ease.


    If Li Yifei were still with the Flying Hawk Squad, he wouldn¡¯t dare, but Li Yifei was just an ordinary person now. Even if he bullied Li Yifei, what of it? If he could use this victory to climb another step, he would have even more leverage within the family.


    "Fuck!" As he reveled in his moment of pride, a shadow suddenly soared into the air towards him, causing him to curse before being forcefully pinned to the ground.


    Li Yifei was busy engaging with the others, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten about this bastard captain, occasionally using the other squad members as human shields against him.


    After a full half hour of combat, everyone except for Li Yifei lay on the ground, variously injured, some even unconscious. Those who were awake now looked at Li Yifei with a fervent gaze, finally understanding just how formidable Golden Eagle was. A squad of more than fifty men, all laid low by a single Golden Eagle. Even if these fifty stood still and let someone attempt to take them down, few could achieve it, let alone while they were fighting back. This was not the realm of human capability¡ªit was divine.


    Li Yifei was drenched in sweat from this entirely exhausting battle. Yet, it left him feeling exhilarated, reminiscent of his duel with Satan and battles against the two leaders of Phantom Squad. Those fights were just as thrilling.


    "Fuck you, Golden Eagle, I¡¯ll kill you!" In the midst of his resentment, the captain finally crawled out of the pile of bodies and, preceding his roar, a series of gunshots rang out.


    He had finally opened fire, resolved to kill Li Yifei for the glory¡ªand because Li Yifei had nearly crushed him.


    At the sound of gunfire, the squad members panicked. They understood that Golden Eagle was also undoubtedly exhausted by now. Shooting at this moment, it was uncertain whether Li Yifei could dodge in time. If Golden Eagle, such a powerful adversary, were to fall to a cheap shot from their captain, it would be a loss for the country and a disgrace for the entire Battle Bear Squad.


    While all eyes had been on Li Yifei, it seemed his body swayed left and right for a moment, and then, in the next instant, he appeared in front of the captain.


    Following swiftly, the captain was lifted off the ground as Li Yifei grasped and hoisted him by the neck.


    Choking, the captain couldn¡¯t breathe, flailing his arms and kicking his legs in a futile attempt to break free.


    Li Yifei glared coldly at the captain and said, "I warned you before, if you dared to shoot, I¡¯d dare to kill you. It seems you didn¡¯t believe I had the guts."


    The captain¡¯s face turned ashen as he frantically nodded, wanting to admit guilt and beg for mercy, because he felt that Li Yifei might really kill him. He didn¡¯t want to die¡ªhe still had a bright future ahead of him.

 Chapter 975 - 1016: A Big Trouble

    Chapter 975: Chapter 1016: A Big Trouble"Golden Eagle! Don¡¯t kill him!"


    The members of the Battle Bear Squad hated this captain so much, they would have been happy if he died, but the majority of them were anxiously shouting out. If killing was an option, some of these squad members would not be able to resist getting rid of this guy. However, his background was too powerful, and if they killed him, it wouldn¡¯t just be them personally at risk, even their families could potentially be dragged into the aftermath, which is why they could only endure.


    Golden Eagle was strong, but if he killed this guy, then his backers would definitely come after Li Yifei, which is why they were all shouting out loud at the same time. They were truly looking out for Li Yifei¡¯s best interests at this moment.


    Li Yifei loosened his grip, and the captain immediately dropped to the ground, then gasped for air like a fish that had reached land, mouth gaping. Only when one cannot breathe does one realize the preciousness of air.


    At this point, a few people had struggled to their feet and hurried over to stand between Li Yifei and the captain. One of them said to Li Yifei, "Golden Eagle, let it go, our captain is a member of the Meng Family."


    The Meng Family, that¡¯s even more powerful than the Su Family. No wonder this kid was so brazen.


    Li Yifei had indeed been about to kill this man, but the shouts of the squad members made him give up the idea. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of this guy, but rather due to several concerns. Firstly, killing this man would result in retaliation from his backers, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to deal with that trouble at this moment. Additionally, if he killed him here, even if he had a good reason, these squad members would all be implicated, and Li Yifei felt that these men shouldn¡¯t be dragged into it because of this.


    "Golden Eagle! You dare to choke me... Damn it, weren¡¯t you going to kill me? I bet you don¡¯t have the guts," the captain had now stood up, his face twisted with fury as he gritted his teeth and said, "I¡¯m telling you, this isn¡¯t over. I¡¯m a Meng Family Member, you can¡¯t just attack me and get away with it. I will definitely kill you, I will make you understand what comes from provoking me."


    Li Yifei looked at the captain and said indifferently, "Are you threatening me?"


    "Threatening you? Haha... I never threaten people. You just wait for our Meng Family¡¯s retribution. I will make sure you learn what pain tastes like in this world."


    A smile actually crossed Li Yifei¡¯s face, "You¡¯ve reminded me that no matter what, I¡¯ve offended your Meng Family."


    "That¡¯s right, you¡¯ve provoked me, and that means you¡¯ve offended our entire Meng Family. You just wait for your death. Haha, I won¡¯t let you die quickly; I¡¯ll make sure you die in agony. I¡¯ll let you see how miserable the consequences of hitting me can be."


    The guy even started laughing wildly, but his laughter abruptly stopped because his neck was once again seized by Li Yifei, and no one saw how Li Yifei had managed to grab the captain for a second time.


    "What do you think... you¡¯re doing?" Although the captain wasn¡¯t as panicked as the first time and it was a strain to speak, he still stared and asked. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "I genuinely wasn¡¯t going to kill you, but your reminder made me realize, whether I kill you or not, I¡¯m going to face retribution from your Meng Family, so why should I leave you, a nuisance, alive?"


    "You..." The guy¡¯s eyes suddenly showed a look of terror, but before he could say anything more, he was unable to speak, his eyes bugging out.


    Li Yifei, without a moment¡¯s hesitation this time, exerted force in his hand and had already snapped the guy¡¯s neck. If he couldn¡¯t avoid it anyway, why should he let this guy live? Only after killing this young man did Li Yifei learn that his surname was Meng, as to what his full name was, Li Yifei never asked.


    Relaxing his grip, the captain fell to the ground, lifeless.


    All the members of the Battle Bear Squad were stunned at that moment, none of them going to check on the captain because they all knew from the final neck squeeze that Li Yifei had evidently killed him immediately.


    "Golden Eagle, you¡¯ve really stirred up some big trouble now!" One of the squad members, probably the Deputy Captain, couldn¡¯t help but say.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "If I can¡¯t avoid the mess, I might as well face it head-on. I¡¯m taking the goods. Let the Meng Family come and apologize to get their stuff back; otherwise, I¡¯ll destroy it."


    Having said that, Li Yifei hopped in the car and drove out of the Secret Research Base.


    Li Yifei parked the car by the side of a highway on the outskirts of Capital City, then lit a cigarette and slowly started smoking it before dialing Old Master Su¡¯s number. He had to inform him about this matter.


    Old Master Su cursed with a laugh as soon as he picked up, "You rascal, you¡¯re not looking for benefits from me already, are you?"


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "You chose a good location for me, but when I got to that base, a Meng Family kid gave me trouble and even tried to kill me."


    "What? That kid dared to be so rampant?" Old Master Su immediately bellowed.


    "Yes, so I killed him."


    "Ah..." Old Master Su was clearly shocked and paused for a moment before quickly asking, "Where are you now?"


    "I¡¯m outside."


    "Hurry to our family¡¯s old residence. Once there, no one dares to mess with you. I¡¯ll negotiate with them. Damn it, the Meng Family is way too arrogant. They actually want to take credit for the important things you risked your life to obtain outside. Are they even human? Kid, you did the right thing by killing him. Grandpa¡¯s got your back. I want to see what the Meng Family plans to do about it."


    Hearing Old Master Su say this, a smile appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face. "Mhm, okay, thank you, Grandpa."


    "You little rascal, you finally called me Grandpa."


    Neither of them said much more. They both understood from Old Master Su¡¯s attitude at that moment that Li Yifei had truly realized he was indeed a member of the Su Family. Therefore, his calling him Grandpa was completely heartfelt.


    Li Yifei then thought about making calls to the Ning Family and the Zheng Family, but he hesitated and ultimately decided not to. Those two families definitely did not regard him as family as sincerely as the Su Family did. Faced with such a situation, they would certainly hesitate and shrink back. Even if things were resolved later, a significant rift would form between him and those families.


    Li Yifei was very clear that some families wouldn¡¯t necessarily offer everything, no matter how close they were. They were just a community of shared interests. Asking them for help in dire situations was more difficult, but if it was about adding icing to the cake, they would do it beautifully. Such families were also necessary to have, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to sour the relationship over this matter, which would also spare them the difficulty.


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, a smile appeared on his face. As he answered the call, an excited shout came through, "Boss, that was really unfair of you. How could you go challenge the Battle Bear Squad alone? At least you should have taken me with you."


    The caller was Zheng Mingrui, an important person in the Flying Hawk Squad. It was natural for him to receive such news. Regardless, the Flying Hawk Squad was Li Yifei¡¯s home, where his teammates were his brothers, and at that moment, the sense of closeness was indescribable. He said, "You are now Flying Hawk¡¯s number two, the main soul of the team. How could you take part in such a thing?"


    "It¡¯s still okay to watch, right? But Boss, you were too domineering. You just directly killed Meng Xiaotian."


    Only then did Li Yifei learn that the Meng Family member he had dealt with was named Meng Xiaotian. He chuckled, "What¡¯s so domineering about that?"


    "Boss, the brothers miss you. We want to have a drink with you. You won¡¯t refuse us, will you?"


    "No need for today, I have a lot on my plate. I¡¯ll drink with you guys later."


    "Boss, that¡¯s not right. Don¡¯t you consider us brothers anymore? If one of the brothers got in trouble, wouldn¡¯t you care?"


    Li Yifei sighed. He didn¡¯t want to involve the Flying Hawk Squad. He said, "Mingrui, I know you want to help, but I can handle this matter. I¡¯m not a member of the Flying Hawk Squad right now, so I can act more freely. And this has not spread yet. If contained, it¡¯s better, but if the Flying Hawk Squad makes a fuss, it¡¯ll have a bigger impact later, and it will become uncontrollable. Mingrui, this isn¡¯t about hot-headedness. As the soul of the team, you must bear the responsibility for the future of the entire team."


    "Boss... I¡¯ve thought about this too. In fact, I have my reasons. Now you see, both the Flying Hawk Squad and the Battle Bear Squad are being forced to take orders from outsiders. It¡¯s completely a case of laymen leading experts, and those people are just some spoiled brats. It greatly affects the combat effectiveness of our whole special forces. So, I was thinking of using this as an opportunity to organize the guys of these squads and kick those bastards out, returning us to our true team."


    Li Yifei was indeed surprised and praised, "Mingrui, when you put it this way, I really think it¡¯s a good idea. Okay, I¡¯ll repeat the whole thing to you, and then you can use it to spread the word."


    Zheng Mingrui was overjoyed, "Boss, you agree! That¡¯s really great."


    Li Yifei said smilingly, "You¡¯ve really grown. I¡¯m pleased."


    Li Yifei recounted the events that had transpired with the Battle Bear Squad. It was only then that Zheng Mingrui truly understood the truth behind the incident. He cursed throughout the recounting; those in the squads risking their lives outside all feared being undermined and looked down upon upon their return. This grievance had been building up in their hearts for a long time, and Li Yifei¡¯s incident finally lit the fuse.

 Chapter 976 - 1017: See Whose Backing is Stronger

    Chapter 976: Chapter 1017: See Whose Backing is StrongerInside the Su Family villa, Su¡¯s Third Eldest forcefully patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and burst into laughter, saying, "Kid, I¡¯m starting to like you more and more. Well done, that¡¯s how a man does it. When someone points a gun at your head, if you don¡¯t slaughter him, then it¡¯s just too frustrating."


    At this time, there were several other people from the Su Family present, all important figures. They frowned slightly, their approval of Li Yifei not as high as that of Old Master Su and Su¡¯s Third Eldest. Now that Li Yifei had killed a member of the Meng Family, the Su Family would have to stand up for Li Yifei and confront the Meng Family head-on, which they felt was somewhat undeserved. However, since Su¡¯s Third Eldest held the highest status there, they dared not speak up.


    Suddenly, a man rushed in hurriedly and said anxiously, "Third Master, it¡¯s bad news, a large group of military police are on their way here."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest glared and retorted, "What¡¯s the panic? What can a few military police do to us? Can they really do anything to our Su Family?"


    The messenger immediately looked distressed and remained silent, while a middle-aged man in his forties advised Third Master, "Third Grandpa, this is surely arranged by the Meng Family. This isn¡¯t good for us."


    "No worries, we aren¡¯t standing on reason. I want to see what the Meng Family is really up to."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest wasn¡¯t afraid at all. He patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Kid, let¡¯s go outside and meet these people from the Meng Family. If anyone disagrees, you take them down, Third Grandpa will back you up."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Sure, let¡¯s take them down."


    The other people exchanged glances. Su¡¯s Third Eldest had already been a constant source of trouble for the Su Family, stirring up issues now and then. Now, with the addition of Li Yifei, it seemed the Su Family might become a target for all.


    As everyone left the villa, army trucks stormed into the courtyard within minutes, and over two hundred soldiers burst out, all armed and menacing, pointing guns at Li Yifei and Su¡¯s Third Eldest.


    "Little Liuu, well done, bringing so many men to our Su Family," Su¡¯s Third Eldest mocked as he shook his freshly dyed red hair at the middle-aged man approaching him.


    The middle-aged man approached and said to Su¡¯s Third Eldest, "Uncle Three, I hope you don¡¯t interfere in this matter. Golden Eagle killed the captain of the Battle Bear Squad, and we are here to arrest him."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest sneered and replied, "Do you even know why your Meng Family kid was killed?"


    "It doesn¡¯t matter the reason, Meng Xiaotian was still the captain of the Battle Bear Squad, murdered in this manner, he must be subject to our investigation."


    "Subject to your investigation? Meng Xiaotian is from your Meng Family, and the ones coming to arrest are also your Meng Family members, do you think this is a normal arrest? Do you think because I¡¯m older, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on?"


    Meng Tianhua, known as Meng Family¡¯s Little Liuu, his expression darkened and he said, "Uncle Three, I respect you as an elder, that¡¯s why I¡¯m discussing this with you, please don¡¯t force me."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest grunted and retorted, "So what if I am forcing you? Let me tell you, Golden Eagle now is our Su Family¡¯s son-in-law, Mengxin¡¯s man. If your Meng Family wants to take someone from our Su Family, you¡¯ll have to get past me first."


    The fact that Li Yifei was in a relationship with Su Mengxin was not widely known; people only knew that Golden Eagle had close ties with the Su Family. Now that Su¡¯s Third Eldest had put it this way, it really made the situation more complicated.


    Meng Tianhua said gravely, "Uncle Three, does what Golden Eagle did represent the stance of your Su Family?"


    "Don¡¯t try to trick me with your words. I¡¯ve had more salt than the rice you¡¯ve eaten, crossed more bridges than the roads you¡¯ve walked. The Su Family always behaves uprightly and straightforwardly. If someone errs, we do not coddle them. But when your Meng Family brat tried to steal what Golden Eagle secured and had over fifty members of the Battle Bear Squad attack him, and ultimately tried to shoot him, Golden Eagle was forced to kill in response. Do you really think there was no justification?"


    Meng Tianhua was momentarily speechless but quickly said, "Logically speaking, Meng Xiaotian was at fault first, especially for shooting at Li Yifei. But since Li Yifei is Golden Eagle, even if Meng Xiaotian shot at him, could he have really killed him? Knowing well that Meng Xiaotian couldn¡¯t kill him, yet still killing Meng Xiaotian, that¡¯s premeditated murder."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest scoffed, "That¡¯s quite an accusation. Didn¡¯t your Meng Xiaotian know that firing a gun can kill? If it wasn¡¯t Golden Eagle, should we just let your damn Meng Xiaotian kill him and let it go? So, it¡¯s fine for your Meng Family to kill others at will, but if our Su Family acts in self-defense and kills one of yours, that becomes a major issue?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest might have seemed unruly usually, but when it came down to solving problems, he was indeed sharp-tongued and logical, leaving Meng Tianhua speechless. This was exactly why the Su Family in the capital allowed the Third Eldest to take charge, as he had the capability to settle things smoothly, whether he played by the rules or not.


    Meng Tianhua took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in his heart, and said, "Third Uncle, fine, we won¡¯t judge this matter ourselves. Then, we¡¯ll take Golden Eagle for investigation, and the military court can make the final judgment. That should be acceptable, right?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest glared and retorted, "Nonsense. Then what are you doing here? Does the military court need you Meng Family members to bring someone in? Has the military court become your family¡¯s property, and you still want to bring someone from here? Do you think that¡¯s reasonable?"


    Meng Tianhua flared up too and exclaimed, "Third Uncle, I respect you as an elder of the Su Family and have always treated you courteously. Yet, you are so aggressive. I¡¯m putting it down here; I must take the person with me today."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, I would like to see how you¡¯re going to take the person."


    Meng Tianhua clenched his teeth and ordered, "Take the man."


    All the men raised their guns in unison, and about a dozen of them came forward. They did not dare approach Golden Eagle with fewer men.


    At that moment, Su¡¯s Third Eldest shouted, "Yifei, no need to be polite with them. If anyone dares to make a move, hit them. If you kill them, I have your back." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The soldiers who were initially close to Li Yifei immediately halted. Even if they hadn¡¯t seen Golden Eagle¡¯s abilities firsthand, his legendary status in the military was well-known. Expecting these ordinary soldiers to apprehend him, if he resisted, was akin to courting death.


    "What are you waiting for? Go, and if there¡¯s resistance, shoot to kill!" Meng Tianhua was ruthless at this moment.


    Upon hearing Meng Tianhua¡¯s order, the soldiers hesitantly advanced, their guns raised and aimed at Li Yifei. The pressure of confronting Golden Eagle was immense; sweat formed on their foreheads. Even armed, they had no confidence.


    Li Yifei watched them quietly, showing no reaction, which further terrified them, and they moved cautiously.


    The roar of SUVs erupted outside the courtyard gate and then five jeeps halted, with more than 30 men jumping out. Although they were not in military uniforms, each person looked robust and menacing. The leader was Su Zhian, the key military power of the Su Family, commanding the Tiger Corps, which ranked just below the Flying Hawk Squad and above the Battle Bear Squad.


    Su Zhian strode up to Meng Tianhua, raised an eyebrow, and remarked, "Old Meng, what¡¯s this? Bringing so many people to visit my home without even giving me a heads-up? That¡¯s hardly appropriate, is it?"


    Meng Tianhua, the commander of the armed police in the capital, certainly knew of Su Zhian¡¯s Tiger Corps. He hadn¡¯t realized how closely linked Li Yifei was to the Su Family; even when the Old Master Su mentioned it, he hadn¡¯t believed it. Seeing Su Zhian rush back with members of Tiger Corps, it dawned on him that taking Golden Eagle away was going to be extremely difficult.


    Meng Tianhua¡¯s expression stiffened, and he said, "I am here on official duty."


    Su Zhian glanced around at the armed men and commented, "Old Meng, this is quite a force. If someone didn¡¯t know better, they might think you were here to raid our house, thinking something might have happened to Old Master Su, perhaps even that he might step down soon."


    This accusation took Meng Tianhua by surprise. He hadn¡¯t considered these implications; if word got out, the impact would be significant and could easily be misinterpreted as a political signal. While their families could have their disputes, at the level of Old Master Su, national reputation and standing were paramount. If this affair caused any undesirable impact, not only would Old Master Su be upset, but the higher-ups would be furious, and the Meng Family would be in serious trouble.


    Just as Meng Tianhua was considering retreat, another fleet of jeeps sped to the Su family¡¯s mansion. About thirty more soldiers surged in, exuding even greater fierceness, their eyes red as if ready to fight to the death. The leader among them was Zheng Mingrui; these were the members of the Flying Hawk Squad.


    "Who¡¯s trying to capture our boss of the Flying Hawk Squad?" Zheng Mingrui scanned the scene menacingly and then ordered, "Brothers, watch closely. If anyone dares to move, take them down."


    "Boss!" Zheng Mingrui strode over to Li Yifei, seeing the dozen soldiers surrounding him, and barked, "Scatter! What are your guns for? Are they to fight against our national hero?"


    The soldiers looked at each other, uncertain of what to do next.

 Chapter 977 - 1018: Too Badass

    Chapter 977: Chapter 1018: Too BadassZheng Mingrui was a bit pissed off, and with a couple of swift kicks, he sent the two men blocking his way flying, shouting, "Alright then, a bunch of greenhorns actually dare to disobey me."


    Those rookies lost all their spirit after being kicked away. They were just armed police, while their opponents were from the renowned special forces within the country. In their hearts, the Flying Hawk Squad and the Fierce Tiger Squad were revered entities. They were forced into attempting to capture Golden Eagle today; otherwise, they would have considered it an honor just to see Golden Eagle on a normal day.


    Seeing the members of the Flying Hawk Squad hitting people, Meng Tianhua¡¯s anger also flared up, but he knew that dragging things out here would only make it worse for him, and if things escalated, the Meng Family would bear even greater responsibility.


    Gritting his teeth, Meng Tianhua could only swallow his pride and said, "Fine, since none of you are letting me take anyone, then I won¡¯t take anyone. However, this matter needs to be settled, and the Meng Family won¡¯t just let it go so easily." He motioned to leave with his followers.


    "Hold on!" Li Yifei, who had remained silent, now spoke up with a stern voice.


    Meng Tianhua turned around, fire practically shooting from his eyes as he barked, "What else do you want?"


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "The Meng Family had better give me a satisfactory answer, or I¡¯ll definitely destroy that thing. Whatever Golden Eagle says, he does."


    "You..." Meng Tianhua was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. Gritting his teeth, he said, "We will give you an answer."


    As Meng Tianhua left with his people, the armed police all secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Although they were armed, facing the members of both the Flying Hawk and Fierce Tiger Squads, their guns couldn¡¯t provide them with any sense of security.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really domineering," Su Zhian came over and patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Big Uncle is personally here to protect me. I¡¯m really honored."


    Su Zhian chuckled and replied, "I¡¯m here to thank you. That bastard Meng Xiaotian, I¡¯ve disliked him for a long time. The Battle Bear Squad was great until he completely ruined it. Killing him was the right thing to do."


    At this time, Zheng Mingrui also chimed in, "Boss, don¡¯t worry. Our two squads, along with a few others, are speaking out together. We¡¯ll make sure those bastards who wormed their way into the squads can¡¯t stay in any of them. These guys rely on their family¡¯s power and think they¡¯re over the moon. How could we, who made it by real merit, feel at ease?"


    Su Zhian rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, Old Zheng, ever since you became the boss, you¡¯ve sure got quite the temper, even cursing me."


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and retorted, "What¡¯s wrong with cursing you? Isn¡¯t it because your family is powerful?"


    "Damn, that¡¯s not what I wanted. I earned this position as captain of the Fierce Tiger Squad through my own abilities."


    "Come on, what abilities do you have?"


    "Damn, Zheng Mingrui, you son of a bitch. I can¡¯t provoke Li Yifei, but you really think I¡¯m afraid of you?"


    "Then bring it on. I haven¡¯t beaten anyone up recently, so if you¡¯re not convinced, it¡¯s a good time for me to get moving."


    These two began squabbling, and the members of the Flying Hawk Squad and the Fierce Tiger Squad immediately joined in, supporting their respective sides. These two squads had always been at odds; whenever they met, they¡¯d fight. The Flying Hawk Squad always had the upper hand over the Fierce Tiger Squad, who never accepted defeat.


    "Cut it out, you troublemakers, go outside and cause a scene," Su¡¯s Third Eldest glared, silencing the pair.


    As soon as they quieted down, two sedans arrived one after the other. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling hopped out of the cars and, seeing Li Yifei in front of the villa, both called out sweetly and rushed over.


    To be honest, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t really thought much about the two women these past few days. They felt like they had been foisted on him, and there seemed to be a lack of emotional connection, making everything seem unreal.


    But seeing them so anxious, something sparked in Li Yifei¡¯s heart. After all, these women were now his, and he had to accept them whether he acknowledged it or not.


    He opened his arms, and Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling rushed into his embrace like two little swallows, holding him tightly. They didn¡¯t say anything, but their embrace conveyed their nervousness to Li Yifei.


    "Husband! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alright." Xiao Ling¡¯er looked up, her eyes gazing into Li Yifei¡¯s, as she said with a choke in her voice, "As soon as I heard something happened to you, I rushed here, really worried about you."


    Zheng Yuling added, "Husband, we¡¯ve already contacted our families to come and protect you. Rest assured, with our three families acting together, we¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re fine."


    The members of the Flying Hawk Squad and the Fierce Tiger Squad were flabbergasted at the sight. Golden Eagle was too formidable¡ªboth these beauties were well-known in Capital City, and they all recognized them. Both were calling Li Yifei ¡¯husband,¡¯ which meant that they now belonged to him.


    And just now, Su Zhian called Li Yifei "brother-in-law," which means Su Mengxin, the number one beauty of Huaxia, is also Li Yifei¡¯s woman. This is one dragon and three phoenixes, and each of them is so awesome that any single one of them is a dream girl for any man.


    There were still many people who didn¡¯t know the situation in Li Yifei¡¯s house. People like Zheng Mingrui had a better understanding of Li Yifei. They were used to such situations. Not only was the boss awesome in martial strength, but in picking up chicks, he was even more out of their league.


    "Boss, since the sister-in-law has come, we won¡¯t drag you out for drinks," Zheng Mingrui said with a smile.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling turned their heads at this, having a much better impression of Zheng Mingrui. It was the first time someone had called them sister-in-law.


    However, Su Zhian rolled his eyes and said, "Li Yifei you little punk, this is the one thing I¡¯m peeved about. Just seeing you irks me, I¡¯m out of here." Although he valued Li Yifei in other aspects, the fact that Su Mengxin was following Li Yifei without a clear explanation still irritated him.


    Zheng Mingrui glared and retorted, "Heck, you think you¡¯re a big deal because you¡¯re an uncle, daring to lecture my boss? Come on, little Su, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got."


    Su Zhian instantly got angry and shouted, "Aargh, Zheng Mingrui, you really think too highly of yourself, I should really teach you a lesson, your tail is wagging too high in the sky!"


    "You two rascals, do you not see me in your eyes anymore? Get lost, both of you," Su¡¯s Third Eldest roared.


    Zheng Mingrui and Su Zhian, these two guys, immediately scuttled out, taking their men with them and went who knows where to duke it out. Both squads were incredibly excited; they had always considered each other rivals within Huaxia, so having the chance to spar was something they were eager for.


    "I¡¯m going out to pick up chicks too, you guys just stay here, so no unrelated folks come to disturb," Su¡¯s Third Eldest said and strutted out. Despite his age, he still knew how to flaunt himself. In Huaxia, he really was a class of his own, no branch to speak of.


    Li Yifei led the two women to Su Mengxin¡¯s room, which wasn¡¯t a place Su Mengxin often liked to stay, but naturally, she had a room there.


    The rest of the Su Family members felt somewhat uncomfortable with this arrangement, but Su¡¯s Third Eldest was always like this, sometimes even bringing beautiful women home. Now Li Yifei was acting similarly, he was really becoming quite like Su¡¯s Third Eldest.


    Sitting on the bed, Zheng Yuling complained, "Honey, you were so impulsive this time, killing a Meng Family Member just like that."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er also said, "Yeah, the Meng Family is not easy to deal with. Even the Su Family would not dare say they are stronger than them. If a real conflict starts, we are really afraid something would happen to you."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine now." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that they were still worried, Li Yifei quickly changed the subject. He winked at them playfully and said, "I¡¯m saying, it¡¯s been so long since we saw each other, you wouldn¡¯t just be complaining about me, would you?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were anxious, but Li Yifei¡¯s words made their faces flush. Xiao Ling¡¯er, the bolder one, hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm and cooed, "Husband, of course, we missed you. We couldn¡¯t wait to be with you, and you didn¡¯t come to pick us up."


    Zheng Yuling, syncing perfectly with Xiao Ling¡¯er, also wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "Honey, we¡¯re not leaving tonight, is that okay?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "What¡¯s not okay about that? Having two beautiful wives to accompany me is exactly what I¡¯ve been longing for."


    Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er were both joyous and shy, their faces red as they nestled against Li Yifei, a sweetness indescribable.


    Li Yifei had been truly exhausted these past days. In Japan, he had to face various enemies and even got injured. After coming back, he even took some flak from the Battle Bear Squad. Now hugging the two of them was finally a real moment of relaxation.


    Overcome with drowsiness, Li Yifei said to the two, "Ling¡¯er, Yuling, I¡¯m really tired today. I just want a good night¡¯s sleep. I¡¯ll just hold you to sleep, not because I don¡¯t like you, don¡¯t overthink it."


    "Not at all, this is so nice," they replied.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling weren¡¯t disappointed; in fact, jumping directly into intimacy with Li Yifei was something they were willing to do, but hadn¡¯t really prepared for emotionally, especially under today¡¯s atmosphere. It would seem regrettable as a first time, but Li Yifei¡¯s suggestion seemed just right to them.


    "Honey, do you want to take a shower?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked.


    "Mm, yeah, I¡¯ll take a shower and then go to bed," he replied.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s room didn¡¯t have a separate bathroom, so Li Yifei had to go outside. Of course, he couldn¡¯t do anything romantic with Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er. After the shower, Li Yifei collapsed onto the bed, and the two women stayed by his side, one massaging his arm and the other his leg, showing sweetness.


    Li Yifei enjoyed their care and soon fell into a deep sleep. He really needed a good rest.

 Chapter 978 - 1119: Just a Living Treasure

    Chapter 978: Chapter 1119: Just a Living TreasureLi Yifei slept incredibly soundly that night and didn¡¯t wake up until nearly eight the next morning. As soon as he opened his eyes, Xiao Ling¡¯er excitedly said, "Husband, you¡¯re awake."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "You¡¯re all awake."


    Zheng Yuling chuckled lightly and said, "Yes, sleeping next to you, how could we sleep so soundly? Ling¡¯er has been waiting for you to wake up to do something for her."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er tilted her head and asked, "Don¡¯t you want to?"


    Zheng Yuling blushed, looked at Li Yifei, and said, "I do want to, but I¡¯m not as eager as you. I want to wait for the right atmosphere to do it with my husband, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Li Yifei laughed and stretched out his arms to wrap them around both women¡¯s necks, pulling them closer and said, "Yuling is right, otherwise you¡¯d be left with regrets. I don¡¯t want any of my women to have regrets, I want them to be happy with me for a lifetime."


    Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er felt incredibly sweet hearing this, as it was indeed a sincere admission from Li Yifei. Their previous teasing and coercion could hardly be taken seriously.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er leaned against Li Yifei, her hand resting on his chest, appearing unusually gentle and said, "Husband, we¡¯ve always been afraid that you were forced to be with us and didn¡¯t truly like us, fearing you might not like us as much in the future."


    His words really hit home for Li Yifei, and he honestly confessed, "I won¡¯t lie to you, my liking for you hasn¡¯t reached the level of theirs."


    "Ah!" both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling gasped, their expressions turning a bit frantic.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and turned to gently kiss both their faces, saying, "But we have a lot of time to slowly build our relationship. You both are so adorable; don¡¯t you have the confidence to make me genuinely fall for you?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted and said, "Even if we try hard, what if you still don¡¯t fall for us? We can only follow you now. If you don¡¯t like us, won¡¯t we be sent to the cold palace and live a miserable life?"


    Li Yifei playfully pinched Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s cheek and said, "I¡¯m not an emperor to establish a cold palace. Your worries are unnecessary. Usually, Little Ling¡¯er, you¡¯re fearless and the most boisterous one; now you¡¯ve become so sentimental."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted again and said, "It¡¯s mainly because all the women by your side are too excellent. I really lack confidence." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Yuling nodded earnestly and said, "Ling¡¯er and I have been worried about this these days."


    Li Yifei then spoke more seriously, "Ling¡¯er, Yuling, there¡¯s something I must remind you, in our family, no one should compete for anything. Everyone should treat each other equally and work together for the family. If you really start competing, you¡¯ll only be ostracized by everyone, and that would be truly regrettable."


    "Not compete... is that really possible?" Xiao Ling¡¯er was somewhat skeptical. "My uncles also have several women, but those aunts always quarrel from time to time."


    Zheng Yuling also nodded repeatedly and said, "Husband, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, but women always have their selfish interests, especially when children are involved. We always want more for our own children, and then the disputes start."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I understand, these things have been considered by our family. I¡¯m not saying it will be perfect, but it won¡¯t be terrible either. The most important point is to start with oneself, to have a heart of concession. If you can¡¯t do it yourself, how can you expect others to? I hope you understand that."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling exchanged glances, and Xiao Ling¡¯er asked, "Is Mengxin always like this?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Although Mengxin is known as Huaxia¡¯s top beauty outside, at home, she¡¯s just like everyone else, with no special privileges. Our family is an equal one where family background or personal talents don¡¯t dictate; everyone just does what they can and enjoys what they do."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both smiled apologetically, and Zheng Yuling said, "Husband, we were wrong in our thinking. We were always trying to compete for your affection and trying to make you like us more. Now it seems, if we really acted that way, it would only make you dislike and reject us more."


    Li Yifei smiled with satisfaction and said, "Haha, it¡¯s good that you understand now. Communicate more with everyone and reduce the ¡¯leading-lady¡¯ attitude, and you will soon get along very well with them."


    "We definitely don¡¯t have princess temperaments," Xiao Ling¡¯er pinched Li Yifei and then couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. Although they weren¡¯t the brutish type of princesses, being a bit self-centered was only too normal. That¡¯s why Li Yifei wanted to speak to them seriously about this issue.


    At that moment, Zheng Yuling pouted, looking aggrieved, and said, "Honey, I find this really unfair. We have to give so much, yet you just reap the benefits. When other couples date, the guy has to go through all sorts of hardships to win the girl¡¯s heart. We don¡¯t get that kind of treatment, we have to throw ourselves at you, and face so many restrictions. Are you bullying us?"


    Li Yifei was momentarily lost for words. In this home, he had always been the leader, but now Zheng Yuling had pointed out his Achilles¡¯ heel. The truth was, he really did owe a lot to the women around him.


    Seeing that Li Yifei looked a bit uncomfortable, Zheng Yuling quickly said, "Honey, I¡¯m just joking. If you were an ordinary person, of course, these things couldn¡¯t be spared. But you¡¯re meant for greater things, some sacrifices must be made. Please don¡¯t take it seriously."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er lightly slapped Zheng Yuling and said, "Honey, don¡¯t be mad. What kind of man is our husband? Can he even be compared to ordinary people? He should come home and sit down with authority while all his wives and mistresses spin around him, serving tea and water perfectly. Otherwise, how can we show off how great our husband is?"


    With both of them carrying on like this, Li Yifei also started laughing. "You don¡¯t have to flatter me like that. I really do owe you both. Actually, I¡¯ve thought about it. Once I¡¯ve got things up and running and stabilized, we¡¯ll travel the world as a family, a proper compensation to you all."


    "Oh, yes, yes!" Both of them cheered happily and immediately started planning the route.


    Li Yifei was having a great time talking to the two of them. Time really flew by. Although there was some intimacy, there were no excessive actions. When the three of them came out around noon, the gaze from the Su Family was noticeably suggestive.


    "Kid, getting up so late, you must be exhausted, huh?" The Su¡¯s Third Eldest was sitting in the downstairs hall. Upon seeing the three coming down, he started teasing Li Yifei, not minding Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s presence.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had not really noticed, but with the Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s comment, they suddenly felt their faces turn red. They then realized that still being in the Su Family¡¯s home and lingering in bed until now with Li Yifei was indeed somewhat indecent, which explained the comments.


    The Su¡¯s Third Eldest glanced again at Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, that¡¯s not right. The two girls are still virgins. Kid, you¡¯re really messed up. Holding two beauties and not making a move, you sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with you?"


    This left Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling even more embarrassed, wishing they could just disappear into thin air while also resenting the Su¡¯s Third Eldest for having such a loose tongue.


    Not wanting to make the girls uncomfortable, Li Yifei changed the subject. "Third Master, you seem in a good mood today, must be some good news."


    But the Su¡¯s Third Eldest stuck to the topic, very seriously saying, "Let¡¯s not talk about good news for now. Young man, this is very important. You have to explain it clearly. My granddaughter is going to be with you. If you¡¯re not up to it, won¡¯t she end up a widow? We can discuss everything else, but not this. If you can¡¯t, then my granddaughter definitely can¡¯t be with you."


    Li Yifei, a bit speechless, rolled his eyes and said, "I¡¯m perfectly healthy. Handling two or three in one night isn¡¯t a problem."


    The Su¡¯s Third Eldest asked doubtfully, "Then is it a mental problem? The two girls spent a night and a morning with you without coming out; if it¡¯s not a physical issue, then it must be mental."


    Li Yifei truly wanted to strangle the old man at this point and said irritably, "What if I was just tired, huh?"


    "That¡¯s not good enough, a man no matter how tired, recovers after a night; not making a move by the morning means there¡¯s a problem."


    Li Yifei was truly at a loss and could only roll his eyes again. "Third Grandpa, you really leave me speechless."


    The Su¡¯s Third Eldest kept shaking his head, "Don¡¯t be speechless. You need to clear this up, otherwise, I won¡¯t let Mengxin be with you."


    Li Yifei finally admitted defeat, his eyes wide as he spoke, "This isn¡¯t my home after all. It¡¯s Ling¡¯er and Yuling¡¯s first time; how can I be so reckless? I treat my women like treasures, unlike you who just play with them."


    The Su¡¯s Third Eldest laughed, "So that¡¯s the mental issue. But you¡¯re wrong, kid. Women are indeed to be played with. However, don¡¯t look down on me; I¡¯ve never forced a woman, they¡¯re all willing."


    Li Yifei looked at the Su¡¯s Third Eldest, who was quite pleased with himself, feeling truly unable to communicate on this matter as the old man was indeed a character.

 Chapter 979 - 1020 Meng Family Admits Mistake

    Chapter 979: Chapter 1020 Meng Family Admits Mistake"Finally, they stopped discussing that topic, and Su¡¯s Third Eldest then told Li Yifei about the current situation outside.


    Although it had only been one night and one morning, the upper levels, particularly the Meng Family, had been very busy because of this matter.


    Li Yifei did not leave the items with the Battle Bear Squad; holding onto them was a vital point for the Meng Family. The things he brought back this time were extremely important. The nation had expended a tremendous effort and still failed to obtain them. Just when they were about to succeed, that bastard from the Meng Family messed it up, something the higher-ups absolutely would not tolerate.


    If the Meng Family had swiftly eliminated the problem by directly killing Li Yifei, the upper levels, due to the Meng Family¡¯s influence, would have had no choice but to suppress this matter. However, now that Li Yifei was saved by the Flying Hawk Squad and the Fierce Tiger Squad, and the Su Family also quickly reported it upwards, they were now justified. Even though Li Yifei had killed Meng Xiaotian, his contributions outweighed his faults, and the higher levels were sure to protect Li Yifei. Moreover, they immediately negotiated with the Meng Family¡¯s upper echelons.


    The Meng Family was truly infuriated this time. They had finally managed to take control of the Tiger Bear Squad, only to find that Meng Xiaotian had lost his life and they had lost control of the Battle Bear Squad. In addition, the Flying Hawk Squad, the Fierce Tiger Squad, and several other important squads were all protesting the recent practice of placing outsiders in leadership positions and including unsuitable members in the squads, which greatly weakened the squads¡¯ combat effectiveness and cohesiveness.


    These matters, the big shots above actually had no idea about. Exposing them now caused the higher levels to be greatly dissatisfied with the Meng Family, and they immediately demanded the cessation of such practices. They insisted on maintaining the combat strength of each squad and did not permit unauthorized entry into these squads. Those who had entered previously had to be decisively removed.


    Not only the Meng Family, but several other major families were also affected. People they had placed were all removed, the reason being that the Meng Family had gone too far.


    Moreover, the higher levels demanded that Li Yifei be apologized to, his handing over of the items was not just about returning them but also a way to placate public sentiment. After all, Li Yifei had made such a significant contribution, and the nation had not yet rewarded him; you, the Meng Family, had thrown cold water on him. How could this encourage capable people to devote themselves to the country?


    The Meng Family was nearly furious enough to spit blood. Their own family member had been killed, and yet they were supposed to apologize to the murderer! When had their Meng Family ever suffered such a loss?


    However, the Meng Family was now well aware that this was not a struggle between families, but rather, they had thoroughly crossed the nation¡¯s bottom line. The entire upper leadership was annoyed, and if the Meng Family did not bow their heads, they likely would soon be excluded from the nation.


    Though the Meng Family¡¯s clan power was indeed strong, after all, all of these were under the circumstances of government recognition. If the government ever withheld its approval, they would have no foothold in Huaxia.


    No sooner had Su¡¯s Third Eldest finished discussing these matters with Li Yifei than two people arrived©¤©¤one was Fourth Master Xiao from the Xiao Family, and the other was Fifth Master Zheng from the Zheng Family.


    As soon as Fourth Master Xiao sat down, he slapped the sofa and said, ¡¯Yifei, those bastards from the Meng Family, how dare they give you such trouble! I¡¯ll definitely not let them off.¡¯


    Fifth Master Zheng also spoke with hatred, ¡¯Our Yifei has expended so much effort, and that Meng Family brat is still causing trouble. They really don¡¯t respect our families. This time, we must seek justice.¡¯


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest spoke irritably, ¡¯I¡¯m telling you two, stop pretending to be big players here, will you? What were you doing yesterday? After the issue was resolved, you came here to take credit. I really despise you fellows the most.¡¯


    A hint of shame flashed across the faces of Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master Zheng, but Fourth Master Xiao immediately said, ¡¯Third Su, don¡¯t slander us here. Our Ling¡¯er is with Yifei, which makes us family. How could we not stand up for Yifei? Yifei, you were also a bit in the wrong here. After such a big incident, you didn¡¯t even seek us out to face it together. Doesn¡¯t that mean you don¡¯t consider us family?¡¯


    Fifth Master Zheng rolled his eyes at Third Su, ¡¯Exactly, you old man stirring up trouble between us and Yifei, what are your intentions?¡¯


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest said with a grin, ¡¯I¡¯m not implying anything, just worried that some people who shift with the wind might have intentions. Those kids came running over early, don¡¯t tell me you guys didn¡¯t know in advance.¡¯


    If Third Su kept talking like this, Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master Zheng definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to save face. Though Li Yifei knew they were opportunistic, since it involved face for Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, and considering the actions of the Xiao and Zheng families were actually quite normal, Li Yifei alone wasn¡¯t worth them betting their entire families.¡¯


    "Elder Fourth, Fifth Master, thank you for coming. If I ever have any issues in the future, I will definitely notify you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words finally gave Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master Zheng a way out. Fourth Master Xiao said with a chuckle, "Yifei really understands how things work. It¡¯s not for nothing that our Ling¡¯er likes him."


    Fifth Master Zheng also quickly added, "Yuling has good judgment indeed." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling felt rather ashamed. They hadn¡¯t realized this point before, but today, with the grandfathers rushing over and Third Su saying this, they understood that their families were not as straightforward as the Su Family, who had directly stood by Li Yifei¡¯s side. Now, they had come to mend fences, which was somewhat unscrupulous.


    This made them both feel quite guilty toward Li Yifei, and they also feared that he might hold this against them, which really made them anxious.


    At this point, someone else arrived, this time from the Meng Family. However, it wasn¡¯t Meng Tianhua, but Third Master Meng, the key figure of the Meng Family in Capital City. Considering Meng Tianhua¡¯s previous handling of the situation was inadequate and his fiery temper, Third Master Meng also worried that Meng Tianhua might mess things up further.


    "Yo, isn¡¯t this Third Master Meng? What kind of wind blew you here today? You¡¯re not here to arrest my grandson-in-law again, are you?" Su¡¯s Third Eldest spoke without any politeness, his tone sardonic, without even standing up and arrogantly keeping his legs crossed.


    Third Master Meng already knew of Third Su¡¯s capricious nature and didn¡¯t bother to take offense. However, Third Su¡¯s words still depressed him. He said, "Third Su, we all know the situation well, so let¡¯s not discuss it further. A member of my Meng Family has already died, and I have come here to apologize. I think that should be enough, right?"


    Third Su immediately pretended to be shocked and widened his eyes, "Isn¡¯t this a mistake, Third Master Meng coming to apologize to my grandson-in-law? I must be having ear problems, please say it again."


    Almost bursting with anger, Third Master Meng knew Third Su was deliberately provoking him, but for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to swallow his pride. He looked at Li Yifei, "Golden Eagle, Meng Xiaotian was indeed wrong, and his death by your hand was his own fault. We, the Meng Family, will let this go."


    Although these words weren¡¯t a complete capitulation, for Third Master Meng, this was already quite a concession. Not many in Huaxia could make the Meng Family apologize.


    Third Su did not interrupt this time, but seeing Third Master Meng in such a state, he felt extremely satisfied. The Su Family and Meng Family had their share of conflicts before, but neither had managed to force an apology from the other, and now, not only had the Meng Family lost a direct descendent, but they had also come to humbly apologize, which felt absolutely wonderful.


    Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master Zheng were even more regretful at this point. They had received news today that the upper levels had decided to suppress the incident and had even held discussions with the Meng Family, deciding to support Golden Eagle. But they hadn¡¯t expected it would go this far, forcing the Meng Family to apologize. If they had come directly yesterday, the effect would have been completely different. It seemed Golden Eagle¡¯s influence was indeed significant, not merely that of a special forces soldier.


    Li Yifei felt his resentment fade. The Meng Family¡¯s gesture was enough. Killing someone shouldn¡¯t exceed limits, and pushing the Meng Family too hard wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for him, so he said, "Third Master Meng, we all lacked composure at the time, which led to this situation. I am also at fault."


    Seeing Li Yifei, Third Master Meng suddenly felt a chill. If Golden Eagle had continued to be arrogant and domineering, he would have just considered Li Yifei a reckless man, which would make him easier to deal with in the future. But now, it seemed that Li Yifei was indeed very astute; a clever person was the most difficult to handle. This time, Li Yifei had clearly left himself room for maneuver, putting the Meng Family at a significant disadvantage and left with no room for rebuttal.


    Third Master Meng nodded, "In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave." He then turned and walked out.


    "I¡¯ll send the items over," Li Yifei called out.


    "Ha ha... Ha ha... That¡¯s refreshing!" Third Su suddenly burst into loud laughter.


    At this moment, Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master Zheng couldn¡¯t manage a laugh. The Meng Family¡¯s response was beyond their expectations. They were now highly impressed by Third Su. Despite appearing erratic, he was much more decisive than them during decision-making. They needed to consider what to do next, how to maximize their families¡¯ interests, and how best to mend relationships with Li Yifei.

 Chapter 980 - 1021: Take the Person Away

    Chapter 980: Chapter 1021: Take the Person AwayLi Yifei told Su Zhian the location of that item and asked Su Zhian to deliver it to the research base once again. No one could steal the credit for this task¡ªit was his. Having Su Zhian deliver it was still better than having Zheng Mingrui and his group do it, for fear that upon their arrival, they might not get along with the Battle Bear Squad and even end up in a fight.


    Lunch was had at the Su Family home, including the three elder masters¡ªFourth Master Xiao, Fifth Master Zheng¡ªand Lin Qiong and Zheng Yuling. Su¡¯s Third Eldest didn¡¯t ridicule or mock; the old guy could be crazy and impulsive, but he also knew how to gauge the situation well. Having already given the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family a hard time, he couldn¡¯t embarrass them further over this matter.


    After lunch, Li Yifei said, "Third Eldest, Fourth Master, Fifth Master, I¡¯ve been away from home for a while now. It¡¯s time for me to go back."


    The three seemed just like family, and their rankings were quite smooth.


    Fourth Master Xiao chuckled and said, "That¡¯s right, you should. Oh, and take Ling¡¯er with you. The girl has been missing you at home. You might as well take her with you."


    Fifth Master Zheng immediately added, "Yeah, take Yuling with you too. Sooner or later, she¡¯ll be yours anyway. We don¡¯t need to fuss over formalities."


    Last time, although Li Yifei had gotten both families to agree to let Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling be with him, they had not agreed to let him take them away immediately. But this time, without Li Yifei bringing it up, they took the initiative to suggest it themselves, showing that they truly stood on the same side as Li Yifei. They genuinely considered Li Yifei part of their family now.


    Both Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were overjoyed but looked to Li Yifei, fearing he might not agree.


    Li Yifei took both of their hands and smiled, "Alright then, I won¡¯t be polite."


    Fourth Master Xiao and Fifth Master Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. They¡¯d been worried that Li Yifei might hold a grudge against Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling over the issue. But now, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. As long as Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling could be with Li Yifei, they could later console him and occasionally whisper sweet nothings in his ear to easily mend their relationship.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to leave with the two, Su Mengfei ran back home. She¡¯d been away attending a classmate¡¯s wedding, so she wasn¡¯t home for the past two days, and she was completely unaware of what had been happening at home.


    Upon entering and seeing Li Yifei, Su Mengfei exclaimed with surprise, "Cousin-in-law, what brings you here? Did my cousin not come back with you?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "I¡¯ve been here for two days, and I¡¯m about to leave."


    "Leaving already? Wait, if you are leaving, why do Ling¡¯er and Yuling look so happy?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said proudly, "We¡¯re going with our husband, so you¡¯ll have to play by yourself here from now on."


    Su Mengfei¡¯s eyes widened, "Really, you¡¯re leaving? Then I¡¯m doomed, I won¡¯t have anyone to play with."


    Zheng Yuling laughed lightly, "Sorry, but we have to go with our husband."


    "You two are such traitors, favoring your lover over your friends," Su Mengfei glared at them briefly but then her eyes lit up. "Well, that settles it. I¡¯ll go with you too. I¡¯ve never really visited my cousin-in-law¡¯s place. Cousin-in-law, you wouldn¡¯t mind, would you?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "Of course not, you¡¯re welcome."


    "Oh yeah!" Su Mengfei cheered excitedly. "Wait for me, I¡¯ll just grab some things, and then I¡¯ll join you."


    By eight in the evening, Li Yifei had arrived in Mile City with Zheng Yuling, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Su Mengfei, and had already parked the car in the underground parking garage.


    "Husband, I¡¯m feeling a bit nervous," said Zheng Yuling as she took Li Yifei¡¯s hand, her face slightly pale.


    Li Yifei smiled, "You¡¯re not meeting your in-laws; there¡¯s nothing to be nervous about."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted and said, "If it was about meeting the in-laws, I wouldn¡¯t be this nervous. But meeting your other women, I¡¯m afraid they might not welcome us."


    Li Yifei smiled and assured them, "Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t. I¡¯ve already discussed this with them, and they¡¯ve accepted you."


    Su Mengfei gave Li Yifei a thumbs up, "Cousin-in-law, you are amazing. Managing so many women and keeping the peace."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It¡¯s because they are all so wonderful. Let¡¯s go; everyone is waiting at home."


    With nervousness in their hearts, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling finally reached home. These two girls, who used to be fearless, now followed behind Li Yifei like timid little wives, meekly and silently, scarcely daring to breathe.


    The whole family was indeed at home¡ªXu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, Ye Yunzhu, Su Mengxin, Su Yiyi, Ning Xin¡¯er, He Fangqing, Lin Qiong, and Chu Xiaoyao were all there. Ever since Xu Yingying had forcefully included He Fangqing with Li Yifei that one time, Fangqing had let go of her reservations and moved into Li Yifei¡¯s place. Lin Qiong, being strong-willed and busy with work, hadn¡¯t moved in with Li Yifei; she preferred her freedom. But knowing that Li Yifei was bringing Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling back, she had come over to check them out. After all, they were going to be her sisters, so it was important to meet them beforehand.


    The only one missing was Meng Xiaofei, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t make a fuss over it, guessing she must have had a flying mission.


    Additionally, there were two others who had yet to become a part of this family¡ªLi Xinyue and Song Lianyao, the two gorgeous presenters. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t brought them into the fold yet because, though the house wasn¡¯t small, it was crowded with so many people. If they moved in, it would feel cramped. Once the villa on the other side was completed, Li Yifei could have them move in for real.


    Su Mengxin, though on good terms with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, didn¡¯t step forward at this time. Instead, it was Li Yifei who addressed everyone, "Let me introduce you all, this is Xiao Ling¡¯er."


    At this, Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately stepped forward obediently and said softly, "Hello, elder sisters."


    Su Mengfei burst out laughing, but quickly covered her mouth.


    "This is Zheng Yuling."


    Zheng Yuling did the same, crisply saying, "Hello, elder sisters."


    Su Mengfei laughed again. Seeing her normally playful and mischievous friends Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling behaving so well-behaved at this moment made her find the situation quite amusing.


    Li Yifei then said, "Starting now, Ling¡¯er and Yuling will also be living with us."


    At this time, Li Yifei still radiated the dignity of the head of the family.


    "Welcome, our two younger sisters!" Xu Yingying was the first to come forward, grabbing their hands and saying, "Come on, don¡¯t be shy. From now on, we¡¯re all family. Let¡¯s all get to know each other."


    Li Yifei nodded gratefully at Xu Yingying and added, "Mengfei is Mengxin¡¯s cousin, and she¡¯s here to visit."


    Su Mengfei waved cheerily to everyone, "Sorry to be a bother."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "I guessed you would follow. But I warn you, you can¡¯t make a mess here."


    Su Mengfei replied with a smile, "I know, I won¡¯t cause trouble for you. Otherwise, if brother-in-law treats you poorly, it¡¯s not my fault."


    Su Mengfei then elbowed Li Yifei and said, "Hey, brother-in-law, you really are imposing. All the wives in your home are so beautiful, and you manage to keep them so content. My admiration for you is like the endless flow of the Yangtze River."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "The most important thing is that they all treat me well. That¡¯s my greatest fortune."


    "Yep, your charm is indeed thriving; no denying it."


    At this point, everyone gathered around Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling for casual conversation, mainly Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, Ning Xin¡¯er, and He Fangqing, while the others were not as good at mingling.


    Xu Shanshan was assigned to look after Su Mengfei. In this household, it seemed that just the two of them had no connections to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, watching the harmonious atmosphere at home, felt extremely happy inside; all these women were his, each of them so attractive. Now that he was so familiar with them, it made him feel extremely proud and self-satisfied.


    "Hey, you big womanizer, look how smug you are," Lin Qiong came up to Li Yifei and glared at him irritably.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Lin Qiong¡¯s waist and said, "Qiongqiong, I didn¡¯t expect you to be here."


    "Hmph, I wouldn¡¯t have come for anything else, but with new people joining the family, I¡¯ve got to get to know them. It would be embarrassing to meet them outside and not know we¡¯re family."


    "My Little Qiongqiong is getting more mature," Li Yifei praised with a smile.


    "Are you saying I wasn¡¯t mature before?"


    "No, it¡¯s just that you hadn¡¯t truly accepted this family before. Now that you have, it makes me happy too."


    "Don¡¯t get too pleased with yourself. I just haven¡¯t found anyone better yet, so for now, I¡¯m settling for you."


    Li Yifei knew that Lin Qiong was just stubborn with her words. Given her personality, if she were still uncomfortable, she wouldn¡¯t have shown up. But he didn¡¯t call her out on it; Lin Qiong liked to maintain that bit of false pride, so he let her keep it. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, both very lively girls, felt a bit uneasy at first, but seeing that everyone was very friendly to them, they quickly relaxed and began to interact. They also started memorizing everyone¡¯s names through conversation. Apart from Su Mengxin, there were eight other beauties, dazzling to behold. It took them quite some time to clearly distinguish all eight.


    They also realized that while most people there were on an equal footing, the only exception was Xu Yingying; as the legal wife, she was considered the main wife. To get along well in this family, it was important to build a good relationship with Xu Yingying, so both of them made certain to curry favor with her.


    This pleased Xu Yingying greatly. With Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling joining the household, she was the one who had made the most concessions, and she felt she deserved to have them curry favor with her.

 Chapter 981 - 1022: Not Enough Houses for Everyone

    Chapter 981: Chapter 1022: Not Enough Houses for EveryoneWhen Li Yifei first bought this house, it felt quite spacious. Everyone had their own room, and there were even some to spare, but now it seems a bit cramped.


    Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, Su Yiyi, Su Mengxin, Chu Xiaoyao, Ye Yunzhu, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Lin Qiong made eight people. These people all lived upstairs, and since Ye Yunzhu had to be with her child at night, someone had to move downstairs when everyone was home. Downstairs, there were Xu Shanshan and Meng Xiaofei, plus Little Yifei, and two maids, making it even more crowded.


    Now with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling arriving, and another Su Mengfei, space was even tighter. It was obvious there wasn¡¯t enough room, and three people had to squeeze into one room to sleep.


    That didn¡¯t even include Li Yifei who always needed someone with him at night, so whatever room he ended up in was his room. He no longer had a room of his own.


    After chatting for a while, Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao took Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling upstairs. The rooms they usually occupied were now given to Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, and they would squeeze into someone else¡¯s room.


    Xu Shanshan also took Su Mengfei to her room, as it was undoubtedly most suitable for Su Mengfei to live with her. Fortunately, Meng Xiaofei was not at home; otherwise, three people would have had to squeeze together.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying said, "Honey, we really need to speed up the construction of the other house. We just can¡¯t fit here anymore."


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly, "I¡¯m afraid someone is actually happy about this. Usually it¡¯s two people, but now it¡¯s three. He must be even more pleased."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yeah, our husband is really enjoying himself for the time being."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I haven¡¯t been home these days, so I don¡¯t know how the construction is progressing."


    Su Mengxin replied, "I¡¯ve been there twice. The construction is going quite fast. The foundation work is already done, and they are about to start the ground building. The entire park¡¯s construction is also being carried out simultaneously. If all goes well, the basic construction should be completed in a month."


    Li Yifei immediately asked, "If it¡¯s done so quickly, won¡¯t there be a problem with the quality?"


    Su Mengxin shook her head, "No, our tallest building is only four stories high. Normally, one story can be built in three days. Using a whole month, including some interior construction and external coverings, these don¡¯t really take up much time. The main time-consuming tasks are the decorations. To really get it ready for moving in, I think it will take another three months, which means it¡¯ll be done by the end of July."


    "That means we still have to live here for three months," Li Yifei felt that was quite a long time.


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Actually, it¡¯s quite easy to solve the housing issue. There are still three empty units over there. We could just move there, but it¡¯ll be a bit inconvenient, especially coming here for meals."


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled, "I think we should let our husband live there. Whoever accompanies him at night can stay there. That way, everyone can be a bit more comfortable, like taking a bath or something. After all, we don¡¯t have that much freedom here."


    He Fangqing laughed, "So, Xin¡¯er likes Mandarin Duck baths. That¡¯s really romantic."


    Ning Xin¡¯er blushed and retorted, "Fangqing, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t showered with him."


    Ye Yunzhu shook her head, "You ladies are really shameless. Don¡¯t let my baby hear your conversations."


    Everyone burst into laughter then. They had all become very familiar with each other lately, especially after sharing a bed. The intimacy increased rapidly. Any previous small apprehensions had now completely disappeared.


    After the laughter, Su Mengxin said, "Well, Xin¡¯er¡¯s suggestion is actually good. Being with our husband there will definitely be more relaxed. Especially since here we have Yifei and two maids, and moreover other rooms could be occupied temporarily solving our housing problem. The only condition is that our husband can¡¯t keep bringing people home."


    After discussing, it seemed like a good idea. They temporarily turned the house where Xu Yingying and Li Yifei used to live into Li Yifei¡¯s bedroom. Whoever stayed over at night could stay there. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the other two houses, whoever wanted to stay there could move over. After all, in this home, rooms were no longer fixed by now. It was uncertain who would end up in which room at night. As for clothes and such, it was better to have a designated room to keep them; otherwise, it would be really troublesome to find your own clothes.


    Lin Qiong shook her head, "You guys, can you not spoil him so much? It feels like he¡¯s an emperor now, and whoever accompanies him still has to be chosen by him."


    Ning Xin¡¯er wrapped her arm around Lin Qiong, smiling, "What can we do? If we don¡¯t indulge him and he runs away, what will happen to all of us left here?"


    Lin Qiong huffed, "If he dares to run, let¡¯s just find a bunch of men."


    "Pfft..." He Fangqing had just taken a sip of water and suddenly sprayed it all out, hastily wiping the stains off her clothes while saying, "I say, Lin Qiong, only you would dare to be so daring."


    Li Yifei said with a chuckle, "My Little Qiongqiong, then I¡¯m counting on you tonight."


    "You wish." Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a look and said, "I have to leave in a bit; I still have a mission tonight."


    "How come you still have a mission this late?" Li Yifei frowned.


    Lin Qiong sighed and said, "I can¡¯t help it. I got an informer¡¯s tip this afternoon that there will be a drug deal late at night, so I must go."


    "Oh, then be very careful, and don¡¯t forget to bring Sophia along."


    "I know, I¡¯m not a child. You¡¯re fussing more than my mother," Lin Qiong muttered, but a happy smile was clearly visible on her face. She was like that, clearly happy inside, but stubbornly refusing to admit it.


    After chatting for a while, Lin Qiong left; it was getting late, and it was time to rest. They couldn¡¯t go back there to rest tonight, and the room there hadn¡¯t been occupied for days and was surely covered in dust. Tomorrow, they would get a maid to find some hourly workers to clean up before moving back.


    "By the way, husband, it¡¯s Xiao Ling¡¯er and Yuling¡¯s first night moving in, so why don¡¯t you keep them company?" Xu Yingying directly made this arrangement.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were also downstairs at this time, and upon hearing Xu Yingying say this, both faces turned bright red. However, they knew to be modest, and Zheng Yuling immediately said, "We¡¯ve just arrived and are still unfamiliar with everything. Sister Yingying, maybe some other time. Your husband has also been away from you all for so long, let him stay with you tonight."


    "Yes, we¡¯re quite tired too, and just want to sleep well," Xiao Ling¡¯er added.


    After finishing their words, both hurried upstairs. It was still not appropriate for them to take precedence at this moment; it was better for maintaining a good impression with everyone, and they really felt unprepared for the first night, which also seemed inappropriate.


    That night, Li Yifei stayed with Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin, not because of their status at home, but because Li Yifei had some matters to discuss with them. Apart from them, Ye Yunzhu was another capable person at home, but since Ye Yunzhu had to take care of her child that night, Li Yifei didn¡¯t ask her to come.


    The three lay in bed, bare, which had become a habit, and they felt no embarrassment. The room was air-conditioned to a comfortable temperature, and they were covered with a light blanket that shielded the spring scenery of the two beauties.


    Li Yifei lay in the middle, with Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying each lying close, their arms and legs draped over him.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s hand gently caressed Li Yifei¡¯s chest, sometimes touching Xu Yingying¡¯s arm, but she didn¡¯t pull away. She said, "Husband, the company¡¯s progress is good; all personnel are in place. We have already started to implement the projects based on the preliminary research. Now it¡¯s just waiting for you to make the final decisions."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "You are more familiar with these things. Once you handle them, I can save much effort."


    "I just followed your plan and did a little more; the company is yours to manage, not mine."


    Li Yifei understood Su Mengxin¡¯s intention. This time, he needed to handle everything himself, to better adapt to the business competition. As the head of a family, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t expected to do everything himself; as the family¡¯s operations scaled up, there should be designated people handling these tasks, with Li Yifei making decisions only on major matters.


    But if you don¡¯t understand, you can¡¯t make the right judgment or the best decision. Only with a real understanding can you make the best decisions in significant matters. What Li Yifei was doing now would ease his control in this area as the head of the family in the future.


    Li Yifei then turned to Xu Yingying, "Wife, has everything been going smoothly on your side recently?"


    "Yes, all is well. The company¡¯s sales are improving, but recently, we had a problem in Southeast Asia; a batch of our goods was returned."


    "Returned goods?" Li Yifei was a bit puzzled.


    Xu Yingying nodded, "Yes, there was some defective merchandise in a batch for Southeast Asia. However, it wasn¡¯t a big issue; we¡¯ve already sent replacement goods. Cao Bin also said that the market there still highly supports us."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow. This incident involved Cao Bin, which instinctively made him feel there was something fishy, but for now, he had no leads and could only study it slowly later. One thing was certain, Li Yifei had never trusted Cao Bin.

 Chapter 982 - 1023: Su Mengxin Might Be Pregnant

    Chapter 982: Chapter 1023: Su Mengxin Might Be Pregnant"Ugh, why is it happening again." The next morning, Xu Yingying got up and immediately said in dismay.


    Li Yifei immediately asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Xu Yingying said with frustration, "My period started again. I¡¯ve not been using protection lately. Why haven¡¯t I gotten pregnant?"


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "There¡¯s no rush. The more you worry, the less likely it is to happen. Plus, when you¡¯re with your husband, try to time it with your ovulation. That should help."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glare and said, "It¡¯s all your fault for not putting in enough effort. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not pregnant."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Well, when you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll put in extra effort here."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "When the time comes, let¡¯s give her a few days off. Then let this guy keep the good stuff for you."


    Once a girl turns into a woman, and especially in a unique family like Li Yifei¡¯s, they have no secrets among themselves. Even a relatively traditional woman like Xu Yingying, when outsiders aren¡¯t around, would dare to say anything and could face it calmly.


    "By the way, Mengxin, have you gotten pregnant?" After Xu Yingying had taken care of her business in the bathroom, she came back and asked Su Mengxin, who was still snuggling in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Su Mengxin squinted her eyes and did some mental calculations, then said, "It seems like I am also due for my period these days, but I haven¡¯t felt anything, so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m pregnant or not. Later, I¡¯ll go buy a pregnancy test to try."


    "We have some at home. I¡¯ll get one for you, and you can test it out later."


    Su Mengxin quickly sat up and said, "That would be great."


    After a while, Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying came back; Su Mengxin was beaming with joy while Xu Yingying seemed even more dejected.


    Seeing their expressions, Li Yifei already knew the result and excitedly said, "Mengxin, you¡¯re pregnant?"


    Xu Yingying pouted and said, "Yeah, Mengxin is pregnant, but I¡¯m not. Do I have an illness?"


    Su Mengxin quickly said, "Don¡¯t scare yourself like that; you¡¯re just adding to your stress."


    Xu Yingying shook her head, "No, no, I really need to get checked today; otherwise, I won¡¯t be at peace." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin hugged Xu Yingying and said, "Then let¡¯s get checked out together. Pregnancy tests aren¡¯t always accurate. I also want to be sure."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Then let¡¯s all go together." It was a big deal, and Li Yifei, as the husband, of course, had to be there.


    Once everyone decided to go, a whole group of women accompanied by the sole man, Li Yifei, headed to the hospital, creating quite a spectacle.


    Arriving at the hospital¡¯s parking lot in four luxury cars was eye-catching enough, but when they got out of the cars, everyone who saw this scene stared wide-eyed, thinking simultaneously, "Is this a film crew? Or maybe a group of models? Why are there so many beauties, and they aren¡¯t just any beauties¡ªthey¡¯re not the kind you can make up with makeup. It¡¯s rare to see even one such beauty, let alone this many at once?"


    "Wow, who is that guy? He¡¯s incredibly lucky to be with such a group of beautiful women."


    "He must be from the Rich Second Generation."


    "No way. Even someone from the Rich Second Generation couldn¡¯t bring that many high-class beauties. One of them would cost millions a year, and to have so many, how much money would that take? Even if he¡¯s rich, he can¡¯t be showing off like that."


    "Maybe he¡¯s an agent or director. Only they get the chance to bring so many women out, and it looks like they¡¯re here for a health checkup."


    "Damn, being an agent must be awesome. If I had known, I would¡¯ve become one too."


    "Shh! Don¡¯t talk nonsense, someone¡¯s glaring at you over there."


    Some people were speaking unpleasantly, but then they suddenly noticed that besides the group of women following one man, there were several burly men standing in front and around them. As soon as they spoke out of turn, those men shot them an intense glare, scaring them into immediate silence. These men were clearly not to be messed with, and it wouldn¡¯t be worth starting trouble over a careless word.


    This was the first time Li Yifei had brought his family to a public place like the hospital, and facing those unusual stares, he was unaffected. He anticipated that such attention wouldn¡¯t fade anytime soon. Of course, he didn¡¯t want any negative comments to hurt his loved ones, so he thought it was wise to have a few people around to maintain order.


    At the registration desk, Li Yifei went with Su Yiyi. Inside were several young nurses, one of whom scrutinized Su Yiyi up and down before tentatively calling out, "Su Yiyi?"


    Su Yiyi immediately looked at the young nurse in the light blue uniform, her face lighting up with joy as she excitedly said, "You are An Zhen!"


    "Yes, yes, it really is you," the nurse named An Zhen replied with equal excitement. She took another look at Su Yiyi and asked, "Su Yiyi, what brings you here?"


    Su Yiyi said in a hurry, "My sister came to check her health, and I helped to get her a number."


    "Your sister?" An Zhen obviously knew Su Yiyi¡¯s situation very well and looked puzzled at the moment.


    Su Yiyi explained quickly, "She¡¯s not my biological sister, just a close friend. You have already started working, while I haven¡¯t even graduated yet."


    An Zhen didn¡¯t think too much and said, "I just went to a medical vocational college, and I finished in two years, unlike you who have to attend university for four years. Hehe, this must be your boyfriend, right?"


    At that moment, Su Yiyi really didn¡¯t know whether to acknowledge it or not, so she turned to look at Li Yifei. Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Hello, my name is Li Yifei, and I¡¯m Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend."


    An Zhen smiled and said, "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Yiyi¡¯s high school classmate. We¡¯re really close friends."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯m also pleased to meet you."


    At that moment, Su Yiyi was very happy. Every time she heard Li Yifei acknowledge their relationship in public, she felt exceedingly sweet. She then said to An Zhen, "An Zhen, I¡¯ll leave you my number, and we can get in touch later. We still have things to deal with here."


    "Sure, leave me your number, and we¡¯ll find a time to hang out."


    "Okay." Su Yiyi left her number with An Zhen, also took down An Zhen¡¯s mobile number, secured the appointment, and then left with Li Yifei.


    The other young nurses with An Zhen started chattering at this point.


    "An Zhen, this was your high school classmate, right? She must be very wealthy; just look at her clothes, Chanel, that¡¯s a top world brand."


    "That outfit must cost tens of thousands; I saw it online just a while ago."


    An Zhen didn¡¯t know about the Chanel brand and said doubtfully, "Are the clothes she¡¯s wearing really that expensive?"


    "Yes, if they are genuine, they would definitely be very expensive."


    An Zhen said with uncertainty, "That can¡¯t be right. Her family isn¡¯t well-off; how could she afford such expensive clothes?"


    "That¡¯s simple; she found a good friend, of course. Look at her boyfriend; he¡¯s clearly not a university student, definitely a big boss or maybe a Rich Second Generation. Your classmate must have climbed up the social ladder and become the phoenix."


    "It¡¯s no surprise; she is pretty after all. Nowadays, as long as a woman is attractive, there will always be wealthy men wanting her. Oh, if only we had such pretty faces, then we could also find a big boss instead of standing here all day, tired to death."


    An Zhen frowned slightly. Her relationship with Su Yiyi had been very good in the past, and she felt Su Yiyi was not that kind of person. But it had been almost four years since they last contacted, and she didn¡¯t know if Su Yiyi had truly found a good boyfriend or had become someone¡¯s mistress.


    At that moment, seeing Su Yiyi and Li Yifei surrounded by a group of beautiful women, she was even more confused; so many women, and among them, two were holding Li Yifei¡¯s arms on either side, yet Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t amongst those two women.


    "What on earth is going on with Su Yiyi? Could it be that man is not her boyfriend?" An Zhen was puzzled, thought for a moment, and decided to call Su Yiyi to ask about it properly.


    Everyone arrived at the gynecology department, which was not busy today; there were only two women and a young man outside. The young man was pacing back and forth at the door, presumably waiting for a female companion who was inside for a check-up.


    But when Li Yifei and his entourage arrived, they immediately stunned those three, particularly the young man, whose gaze kept darting around, tempted to sneak a couple of photos with his phone. However, as soon as he took out his phone, Li Yifei glanced at him coolly, prompting him to hurriedly put his phone away. Yet, he kept stealing glances at the beautiful women, oblivious to his girlfriend emerging, which led to him being led away by the ear.


    Li Yifei and his group did not do anything special. After the other two girls had their examinations, Li Yifei accompanied Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying inside.


    The doctor, a woman, looked at Xu Yingying sitting before her, with Li Yifei and Su Mengxin standing behind. The doctor asked, "What¡¯s the problem?"


    Xu Yingying said, "Doctor, I have been unable to get pregnant, and I want to check if there¡¯s something wrong with my body."


    "It¡¯s best if you and your husband come for a check-up together, so we can determine who has the problem."


    "My husband is fine; I just want to see if I have any issues."


    "How do you know he¡¯s fine? Has he been checked?" The doctor glanced at Li Yifei, for his hand was resting on Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder, making their relationship apparent.


    "No, my husband has children already," explained Xu Yingying.


    The female doctor didn¡¯t ask further, though she felt somewhat regretful that such a beautiful woman was involved with a man who was in his second marriage. Nevertheless, she proceeded to prescribe some tests for Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 983 - 1024: All Yours?

    Chapter 983: Chapter 1024: All Yours?Xu Yingying stood up, and Su Mengxin sat down, with Li Yifei and Xu Yingying standing behind Su Mengxin, Li Yifei¡¯s hand resting on Su Mengxin¡¯s shoulder.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Doctor, could you check again to see if I¡¯m pregnant?"


    Even though the doctor was a woman, Su Mengxin¡¯s smile left her somewhat dazed. She had seen all sorts of people in the hospital, but had never come across such a beautiful woman.


    "What man could possibly have the fortune to impregnate this woman?", the doctor thought to herself. Although she saw Li Yifei¡¯s hand on the beautiful woman¡¯s shoulder, she already considered Li Yifei to be Xu Yingying¡¯s husband and thus thought of him only as Su Mengxin¡¯s relative.


    "How long has it been since your last menstrual period?" the doctor asked, trying to calm herself.


    "It should be another two days until I¡¯m due, but I took a test today and it showed I¡¯m already pregnant, so I want to confirm it."


    The doctor nodded, saying, "Alright, you should get that checked then."


    Prescribing the necessary tests for Su Mengxin, Li Yifei said thank you and then walked out with his arms around both women¡¯s waists.


    The doctor was again puzzled. It was normal for this man to be so affectionate with his wife, but to be this close with a relative seemed a bit too intimate.


    Next were various tests. Su Mengxin had fewer tests and finished quickly, now just waiting for the results. Xu Yingying, however, had more tests, and because Li Yifei felt it was inconvenient to have so many people coming and going, he asked Xu Shanshan and the others to stay with Su Mengxin while waiting for the results, which was less conspicuous. Otherwise, wherever they went, everyone would just stare at them and ignore everyone else.


    During her tests, Xu Yingying seemed quite nervous, especially while waiting for the various reports, holding tightly to Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei patted Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, saying, "Wife, don¡¯t be so nervous. Your body is very healthy; nothing will be wrong."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Then why haven¡¯t I gotten pregnant yet? There must be something wrong with me."


    Xu Shanshan said cheerfully, "What¡¯s so good about having children? If you can¡¯t, then don¡¯t. Our family won¡¯t be lacking children anyway. Eventually, they¡¯ll all end up calling you mom, saving you the trouble."


    Xu Yingying gave her sister a look and said, "What do you know? It¡¯s still not the same as having your own."


    "How is it any different? If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have kids. Pregnancy is so uncomfortable, and raising them is even worse. And you might even ruin your figure."


    Xu Yingying said irritably, "I¡¯d still want to."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and then whispered in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Brother-in-law, if my sister can¡¯t have kids, I¡¯ll have one for you."


    Li Yifei kept a straight face, but he was really uneasy inside, while Xu Yingying said crossly, "What are you telling your brother-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "I¡¯m not telling you."


    Xu Yingying glared and demanded, "Are you going to tell me?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed again and said, "I said if you can¡¯t have them, I¡¯ll have one for my brother-in-law, and you can consider it yours."


    Li Yifei was dumbstruck, not expecting Xu Shanshan to actually say that. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You..." Xu Yingying exclaimed, "Even at a time like this, you still joke around."


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I¡¯m just trying to lighten the mood because you both are so tense. Big sister, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine."


    Just then, Xu Yingying¡¯s test results finally arrived. At the same time, Su Yiyi called Li Yifei to say that Su Mengxin¡¯s reports were out, and they were heading to the doctor¡¯s office. Li Yifei quickly took Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan along to meet them.


    Everyone crowded into the doctor¡¯s office. Normally, the doctor would have lost patience and kicked them all out, but seeing so many beautiful women like flowers, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to object.


    Taking the report that Su Mengxin handed over, the doctor briefly scanned it, saw the results, then looked up at Su Mengxin and said, "You¡¯re pregnant."


    "Oh!" As soon as those words fell, a cheer burst from the group of women, startling the female doctor.


    And Su Mengxin, excited, held Li Yifei¡¯s hand and exclaimed, "Husband, this is wonderful."


    Li Yifei also gripped Su Mengxin¡¯s hand tightly and enthusiastically replied, "Yes, it¡¯s wonderful."


    The doctor was a bit stupefied, thinking this man was the other woman¡¯s husband, and now he¡¯s this one¡¯s husband? Whose husband is he exactly?


    "Congratulations, Sister Mengxin!"


    "Congratulations, Mengxin!"


    Everyone expressed their blessings one after another, and Su Mengfei even put her hand on Su Mengxin¡¯s belly and said with a giggle, "Cousin, you already have a little baby in there."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Yes." Then, she gently stroked her abdomen, and a maternal glow involuntarily shone on her face. Knowing that she was indeed pregnant made Su Mengxin seem even more beautiful, as if even though the child was still in her belly, the maternal love had already burst forth, making her absolutely the most beautiful in the glow of motherhood.


    However, Su Mengxin was still quite calm. She immediately stood up and grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, saying, "Yingying, don¡¯t worry. Your results will be out soon, and there should be no problem."


    Xu Yingying forced a smile. Seeing Su Mengxin pregnant made her feel even more unhappy and anxious.


    Everyone also focused their attention on Xu Yingying. At this time, they didn¡¯t dare to get too excited. They all knew that the more excited they became, the greater the disappointment Xu Yingying would feel inside.


    After another half hour, Xu Yingying¡¯s various test reports came out, and she took these reports to the doctor, feeling like she could barely stand, leaning on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly held Xu Yingying and said, "Wife, don¡¯t be nervous, don¡¯t be nervous."


    The doctor, hearing Li Yifei say this, suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "This is your wife?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes."


    "And her?" the doctor pointed at Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin chuckled softly and said, "I¡¯m the mistress." Su Mengxin wouldn¡¯t make trouble for Li Yifei. If she claimed to be Li Yifei¡¯s wife, the doctor might report them for polygamy, a punishable offense. A mistress, though, was more of a moral issue.


    The doctor was dumbfounded. Since when did being a mistress become so natural? And this wife, knowing her husband had a mistress, could still coexist peacefully¡ªwhat kind of family was this?


    "Doctor, please check on my wife first," Li Yifei urged, not in the mood to care about these issues.


    The doctor despised Li Yifei somewhat, but looking at Su Mengxin, she had to admit that any man would like a woman who looked like a fairy, even though it was a pity she was willing to be a mistress.


    Putting aside these thoughts, the doctor carefully reviewed the report, looked up at Xu Yingying, whose face had turned completely pale, and stuttered, "Doc... Doctor, how is it?"


    "There¡¯s nothing wrong with your body," the doctor said these six words.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s tension immediately relaxed, and she quickly asked, "Then why can¡¯t I get pregnant? It¡¯s been over two months since we stopped using contraception."


    The doctor, somewhat amused yet sympathetic, said, "It¡¯s only been two months. Why the rush? Many couples can¡¯t conceive for a year or two. It¡¯s all normal. Maybe you didn¡¯t catch your ovulation period, or maybe stress and work pressure can affect it too¡ªjust relax, and it won¡¯t take long to conceive."


    Xu Yingying finally felt relieved, and a smile appeared on her face as she said, "Thank you, Doctor."


    "You¡¯re welcome. But... you guys... hehe, I¡¯m getting a bit gossipy here." The doctor, usually very serious, couldn¡¯t help but become a bit curious about their unusual situation.


    Xu Yingying gave a slight smile and said, "I have a certificate."


    The doctor looked again at Li Yifei, then shook her head and said, "Take good care of them. No intercourse for now, as it¡¯s easy to miscarry during early pregnancy. After three months, it should be fine, but don¡¯t be too vigorous."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Got it, got it, thank you, Doctor."


    The family jubilantly exited the hospital. As they passed by the nurse¡¯s station, Su Yiyi forgot to greet An Zhen, and although An Zhen saw Su Yiyi and wanted to greet her, she eventually gave up the idea, feeling like she would be out of place among such extraordinary people.


    "Husband, you¡¯re not being fair. It¡¯s clearly because you weren¡¯t trying hard enough, making Yingying worry for nothing," He Fangqing teased, as Li Yifei had been away for a week, and it was now the weekend.


    "Yes, it¡¯s the husband¡¯s fault. I suggest we leave the next few days for Sister Yingying, to help her conceive sooner."


    "Right, right, I agree."


    "I agree too."


    Everyone jovially signified their agreement.


    Xu Yingying, now in a great mood, laughed and said, "You¡¯re just trying to torment my husband. I¡¯m having my period these days; keeping him company would just torture him."


    The room burst into laughter, and Li Yifei, observing the atmosphere at home, felt overwhelmed with joy, especially since Su Mengxin was also pregnant and his third child would soon be on the way.

 Chapter 984 - 1025: All Gathered

    Chapter 984: Chapter 1025: All GatheredIn the afternoon, Li Yifei took his family to visit the plot of land he had acquired, where Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Su Mengfei were amazed by the vast land and the park that was beginning to take shape.


    "Brother-in-law, is this your new home?" Su Mengfei asked, approaching Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, but it will still take about three more months before we can move in. You didn¡¯t come at the right time; we can¡¯t live here yet."


    "Wow, this is huge! Our Su family¡¯s old house isn¡¯t even this big." The Su family¡¯s old house wasn¡¯t actually in Capital City but in another city, the cradle of the Su family. There, they own their largest house, but it was still much smaller compared to Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei said proudly, "I just want comfort. Our family is so big; it wouldn¡¯t be comfortable if the place wasn¡¯t spacious."


    "Ling¡¯er, Yuling, I¡¯m really jealous of you two. Living here in the future would be like staying at an incredible resort."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were also stunned by the vastness of the estate, and especially seeing Su Mengfei¡¯s envious expression, they were more than pleased. Xiao Ling¡¯er said with giggling, "See, our decision to marry such an amazing husband was so wise."


    Su Mengfei nodded repeatedly, while Zheng Yuling whispered into her ear, "You know Mengfei, it¡¯s not too late, secure your brother-in-law, and you could really be part of our family too. We wouldn¡¯t need to be apart, and you could live here as well."


    Su Mengfei glanced at Li Yifei and chuckled, "Forget it, don¡¯t try dragging me into this. I¡¯m not ready to settle down so soon; I still want to enjoy myself for a few more years. Besides, with my cousin and you guys here, I can come here anytime, right? And since I¡¯m still a guest, I¡¯d get some special treatment which makes it even more comfortable, haha, you should think about reversing your decision too."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pinched Su Mengfei playfully and scolded, "Always with your bad ideas. ¡¯Where you marry is where you end up,¡¯ I¡¯m not one to go back on my word. I¡¯m committed to my husband for life."


    Su Mengfei giggled, "Then don¡¯t try to convince me."


    The three of them whispered among themselves without anyone else hearing what they were saying. After a few brief exchanges, they joined everyone else.


    "Despising you two for choosing love over friendship," Su Mengfei mumbled disdainfully and then followed behind. With such a vast place, she wanted to take a good look around.


    As everyone examined the amenities in the park, they discussed what might need further improvement while there was still time.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pointed to a freshly laid lawn and asked, "Yiyi, what is this area for?"


    Su Yiyi smiled and replied, "This is a golf course. It¡¯s not very big, but it¡¯s still nice for casual play. My husband said if he wants to play, he plays, if not, he can always have a walk here."


    Zheng Yuling pointed to the tracks next to the golf course and asked, "And over there? It looks like it¡¯s meant for horse-riding?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s for horse-riding," Su Yiyi confirmed.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er commented, "All these facilities really are high-end. Without this much space, it simply wouldn¡¯t be possible."


    Su Yiyi said proudly, "My husband said, the people of the Li family should have broad interests from a young age and find out what they love. We want to prepare everything they could possibly need."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling involuntarily glanced at Li Yifei. Although they had committed to him as their husband, their understanding of Li Yifei¡¯s philosophy and the way he approached various matters was still quite superficial.


    The introduction of these facilities by Su Yiyi gave them a deeper insight into Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts about future development, a perspective much greater than many in their own families, where most are only concerned with the immediate benefits they can grasp.


    Xu Yingying then came to Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling and smiled, "Do you have any comments about this place? Speak up now, so we can ask the designer to make changes soon. After a while, it won¡¯t be possible to make adjustments."


    Zheng Yuling hurriedly said, "This has already far exceeded our expectations. I can¡¯t think of any improvements needed right now. I¡¯m just looking forward to finishing this place so we can move in."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er nodded and added, "This place is truly wonderful. I never imagined I would live in such a place. Most importantly, it¡¯s so fresh and natural. Once finished, it will feel like living in the ancient Suzhou Gardens. It¡¯s already beautiful now, and I can¡¯t even imagine how it will be later." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying, in a particularly good mood today, said with a smile, "Now that you¡¯re members of the household, you can¡¯t just think about the good aspects. Consider what might be lacking. For example, right now, there are no separate villas for you. You should start choosing locations to build so that you can move in when everything is completed."


    "One villa per person, isn¡¯t that too big?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked with some surprise. At the Su Family, each person only had one or two rooms.


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "We have to consider the children. Once we have children, everyone needs some private space. Think about it quickly."


    After saying this, Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei and said, "Husband, you should also call Xinyue and Lianyao over. Even if they don¡¯t move into our house right now, they should still be involved in this. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it make them feel like they are being treated specially, as if we are bullying them?"


    Li Yifei had indeed forgotten about this. Reminded by Xu Yingying, he felt that it was really necessary, and he was very grateful to Xu Yingying. Just by bringing Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao over, his family would truly be complete.


    "No need for you to make the call. I¡¯ll do it myself," said Xu Yingying as she took out her phone and dialed Li Xinyue¡¯s number.


    At that moment, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were in the office looking at documents. Li Xinyue¡¯s phone rang, and seeing it was Xu Yingying¡¯s number, she felt timid. Li Yifei had been busy all this time and had not contacted them, so they were still unaware of the situation at Li Yifei¡¯s house.


    "It¡¯s a call from President Xu," Li Xinyue said timidly to Song Lianyao.


    Song Lianyao also felt guilty and hesitated before saying, "Then pick it up quickly. Whatever President Xu says, we have to listen."


    Li Xinyue nodded, answered the call, and said cautiously, "President Xu, this is Xinyue."


    "Still calling me President Xu?" Xu Yingying asked with a smiling tone.


    "This..." Li Xinyue was momentarily confused, not knowing what to say.


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "Yifei has already told me about you two. We are all here looking at the new house. You¡¯d better come over and see for yourselves, and see if you have any requests."


    "President Xu...this..."


    "Come on, we are all sisters. From now on, stop calling me President Xu. We are waiting for you here, hurry over."


    After hanging up, Li Xinyue did not move for a while, and Song Lianyao, who was beside her, had heard what Xu Yingying said. She was similarly stunned, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden happiness without any mental preparation.


    "Lianyao, did you hear that? President Xu said we are sisters now?" It took a while before Li Xinyue finally turned to Song Lianyao and said.


    Song Lianyao pinched herself hard, then winced in pain and said, "It hurts. This isn¡¯t a dream, it¡¯s really happening."


    "What should we do?" Li Xinyue was still confused.


    "Rush over, what else? You really are blissfully foolish," said Song Lianyao.


    They hastily ran out of the TV station, still in high heels, yet they were even faster than if they were wearing flats, leaving everyone who saw them quite dumbfounded. When did these two top hosts ever behave such out of character?


    Soon they arrived at the construction site. Someone at the entrance took them in. As they walked further inside, their eyes grew wide. Compared to the likes of Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er, daughters from large families who were speechless at the sight, what more could they expect? This place was more like a park than a home.


    By the river in the middle of the garden, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao finally saw Li Yifei and the others. Everyone was sitting by the river, several people had taken off their shoes and dipped their feet into the cool river water, truly enjoying the moment.


    Xu Yingying saw them and smiled, saying, "Xinyue, Lianyao, come over here. It¡¯s just the two of you we¡¯re missing now."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao hurried over, opened their mouths, but no words came out.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Don¡¯t be nervous. There¡¯s no one else here except for Shanshan and Mengfei. The rest are just like you."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao glanced around at the people, some familiar, some not. But just seeing the number of people, they were secretly astounded. Li Yifei was indeed impressive; his home was filled with many women, each more beautiful than the next. This made them feel even more insecure, realizing how ordinary they seemed by comparison and wondering if they could ever find their place in this home.

 Chapter 985 - 1026: Xinyue’s Family Matters

    Chapter 985: Chapter 1026: Xinyue¡¯s Family MattersXu Yingying took the initiative to introduce everyone to Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, who politely greeted the group. This immediately boosted the confidence of Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, realizing there were newcomers who had joined the family even later than themselves, making them feel less conspicuous.


    After exchanging a few words, Li Yifei led Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, along with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, to take a stroll around the garden area. Except for these four, everyone else was quite familiar with the place, having visited several times.


    In front of Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling felt more at ease. Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed and said, "Husband, so there are ones who arrived after us."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "To let everyone know, yes, they are indeed late, but I¡¯ve been with them for quite a long time."


    Zheng Yuling felt somewhat bummed and said, "Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re still the last ones?"


    "What difference does it make who¡¯s early or late? We¡¯re all one family now."


    It was at this moment that Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao learned. They were the latecomers and seemed to relax considerably. Their main pressure had come from Xu Yingying. Yet since Xu Yingying had already welcomed them and expressed her acceptance, they were no longer afraid. However, they still felt a bit uneasy being with Li Yifei¡¯s other women.


    Li Yifei continued, "You two should quickly check where you¡¯d like your houses to be built. Any requests? Communicate them to the designer."


    The five of them arrived at the villa area, the main residential spot. It was better to have the living spaces closer together; otherwise, traveling from one place to another could take too much time and become quite cumbersome.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had seen a lot of the world and thus had some requirements after walking around the area. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, not quite understanding, felt it was too ostentatious to have houses specially built for them in this place, fearing Xu Yingying and the others might disapprove.


    But with Li Yifei¡¯s encouragement and consulting from Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, the two of them managed to pick out their spots.


    "Husband, why didn¡¯t you prepare a couple more houses?" Xiao Ling¡¯er teased Li Yifei with a playful wink.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You little rascal, are you trying to ask if more people will come here in the future?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er didn¡¯t deny it and playfully shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm, asking with a giggle, "Will there be a need then?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "No need. You all are more than enough for me."


    "Oh, we¡¯re really lucky then," all four of them said in unison, before bursting into laughter.


    This was indeed an answer to their question, leaving all four of them with joyful smiles on their faces. For Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, they could consider themselves the last women Li Yifei would want. Although Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were not the last by time, they were the newest to join the family, which made them feel lucky in a way.


    "I¡¯m the luckiest," Li Yifei said with a smile. "I don¡¯t think there is anyone else in Huaxia as lucky as I am to be adored by you all. I never imagined I¡¯d have you and that you¡¯d be so devoted to following me."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others had sweet smiles on their faces. Their home was extraordinary, and their love between men and women was quite unique, yet for now, it was intoxicatingly sweet.


    As they were talking, Li Xinyue¡¯s phone rang. She frowned at the caller ID, and Song Lianyao immediately asked, "Is it your family again?"


    Li Xinyue nodded and then hung up the call.


    Li Yifei looked at her curiously, "Why not answer the call?"


    Li Xinyue forced a smile, and Song Lianyao explained on her behalf, "Xinyue¡¯s family always asks her for money. She¡¯s got a brother who never does anything productive; instead, he squanders his time on eating, drinking, and gambling. Her parents spoil him terribly, thinking that since Xinyue is a host, she must be making a fortune. So, every few days, they demand money. If she doesn¡¯t give it, they create a fuss. Never have I seen such parents and a brother."


    With a sigh, Li Xinyue said resignedly, "Let¡¯s not talk about this."


    Song Lianyao shook her head, "You see, it¡¯s right to honor your parents and help your brother, but there should be a limit. They treat you like an ATM, never considering your feelings. Such parents and brother are truly hard to bear."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s phone rang once more, and she, wearied by the constant calls, gave Li Yifei a bitter smile, stood up, and said, "Husband, I¡¯ll go take this call."


    "Don¡¯t worry so much," Li Yifei told Li Xinyue. "We¡¯re family. I¡¯ll stand by you as you face this." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes reddened, she nodded, and then stepped away to answer the phone.


    Song Lianyao said to Li Yifei at this time, "In such a family, Xinyue is really unlucky."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, who had always had no concept of income, said, "Then just give it to them. Isn¡¯t Xinyue a host? She makes quite a good income, doesn¡¯t she?"


    Song Lianyao shook her head and said, "Our salary is not much. It¡¯s only by doing some hosting gigs that we can make some extra money, but lately we..." she glanced at Li Yifei and became somewhat embarrassed.


    Li Yifei took over and said, "Is it because you haven¡¯t been going out lately, so the income has decreased?"


    Song Lianyao nodded and replied, "Yes, in the past, such events inevitably involved socializing, but now we only attend if it¡¯s absolutely unavoidable. Otherwise, we just don¡¯t participate at all, which has resulted in a significant drop in income. Xinyue has given almost all her earnings to her family, but because it¡¯s less than before, they are not satisfied. When they ask for money, they speak unpleasantly."


    After a pause, Song Lianyao looked at Li Xinyue and lowered her voice, "Xinyue¡¯s mother passed away early. Now it¡¯s her stepmother, and her half-brother is also born to the stepmother. Her father is a simple man and always listens to his wife. If there is no money to bring back, the stepmother will nag at him. Xinyue feels sorry for her father; she doesn¡¯t want her own father to feel uncomfortable, so she tries her best to satisfy them, but they are just insatiable, it¡¯s endless, and it annoys me to see."


    This was a domestic issue, and also the hardest to deal with, just like Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s situation, which was a rather thorny issue. Nobody expected that Li Xinyue¡¯s family would be like this, and it seemed even harder to handle than Xinyue¡¯s.


    At this moment, Li Xinyue¡¯s voice suddenly rose as she spoke on the phone, becoming incredibly agitated, clearly angered by the words spoken on the other end of the line, "What do you all want? I¡¯ve already given all the money to you, can¡¯t you just spend less?"


    After saying, "I¡¯ve already told you, this is all the money I have. No matter what you say, I don¡¯t have any more," Li Xinyue abruptly hung up the phone. The color drained from her face, and her chest heaved with rapid breaths.


    Li Yifei came to Li Xinyue¡¯s side and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Li Xinyue leaned weakly into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace and began to sob softly.


    Li Yifei gently patted Li Xinyue¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Stop crying. If they just want money, let¡¯s just give it to them. If you don¡¯t have any, I do. I¡¯ll give it to them."


    Li Xinyue quickly said, "No, no, if they find out you¡¯re giving me money, they¡¯ll be even more relentless in asking me for money. You don¡¯t understand how insatiable they are; they¡¯re like a bottomless pit."


    "But we have to resolve this. I can¡¯t bear to see you unhappy because of this. How about this, let me go back with you and take a look?"


    "That... let¡¯s not. I¡¯m afraid if they find out about you, they¡¯ll not only pester me but also start pestering you." After a brief hesitation, Li Xinyue quickly refused.


    "Silly girl, what you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t right. You¡¯re my woman; we¡¯re a family. Your problems are my problems. Whatever happens, I will face it with you. By being with me, you can¡¯t think that I¡¯m just out to enjoy life without making any contributions."


    "But... it¡¯s just that... thinking about them, I¡¯m too ashamed to be with you."


    "I like you, not your family. What does that have to do with you? But since they are your relatives, we must deal with the relationship somehow. Otherwise, if you¡¯re unhappy every day, won¡¯t I be unhappy too?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately said, "I¡¯ll go with you guys."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go; it would just stir things up. It should just be Xinyue and me who go."


    "Husband... I..." Li Xinyue¡¯s voice trembled with emotion, and her eyes reddened once again. She had only hoped for Li Yifei to be a little nicer to her, never expecting that he would treat her like a real spouse and even deal with her family troubles. This made her feel as if Li Yifei really was her husband, and a sense of happiness momentarily diluted the troubles her family brought her.


    "Silly girl, let¡¯s go take a look," Li Yifei patted Li Xinyue¡¯s shoulder again.


    Li Xinyue hesitated for a moment and said, "There¡¯s no rush, right? Everyone¡¯s still here."


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "No problem, everyone¡¯s finished making their requests. Otherwise, we would have had to leave anyway."


    Everyone gathered together, and when Li Yifei mentioned the matter, Li Xinyue also felt quite nervous. However, seeing that no one was angry and that they were even urging Li Yifei to go help resolve the issue, her nervousness lessened.


    "Right, husband, I think... it would be best if you appeared ordinary to avoid them coming to you in the future. They... they have thick skins," said Song Lianyao, hesitating to say outright that Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother and half-brother were shameless.


    Li Xinyue, hearing this, hurriedly added, "Yes, yes, you can¡¯t appear rich; otherwise, they¡¯ll set their sights on you. They would definitely stoop to that level."


    Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. Li Xinyue¡¯s parents were quite a handful. It had to be said that Li Xinyue was indeed pitiable; one would expect comfort from one¡¯s parents, but in Li Xinyue¡¯s case, they brought only endless troubles.

 Chapter 986 - 1027: The Shameless Person

    Chapter 986: Chapter 1027: The Shameless PersonMile City has two counties, one in the south and one in the north. Li Xinyue¡¯s home is located in a suburban village near Beacon County in the south. It took Li Yifei and the others just over half an hour to drive there.


    The car belonged to Li Xinyue, not Li Yifei¡¯s car, which also helped them keep a lower profile. Li Yifei wore very ordinary clothes, the cheap kind, just like when he had first returned to Mile City.


    Wearing these clothes, Li Yifei actually felt quite a sense of closeness. Back then, he was carefree, able to do whatever he wanted without considering any responsibilities. Now, however, his responsibilities were too great. He could no longer be as casual as before.


    "That ahead is my home, I paid to have the house built the year before last." Li Xinyue said with a sigh. Usually, children would be very proud to build houses for their parents, but Li Xinyue didn¡¯t feel that way at all.


    Compared to the surrounding bungalows, Li Xinyue¡¯s house was quite conspicuous, a two-story building with very beautiful exterior decor. It must have cost quite a bit.


    "Hey, why is there a car there?" Li Xinyue frowned when she saw a Land Rover parked in front of her family¡¯s gate.


    "What¡¯s wrong with there being a car?" Li Yifei asked.


    "My dad is an honest person, and my stepmom¡¯s relatives aren¡¯t wealthy. None of them could afford a Land Rover."


    "Maybe it¡¯s just a visitor. Let¡¯s go and see."


    "Ah, I remember now, that car should belong to the owner of the Sea Cloud Bath Center in our county." Li Xinyue furrowed her brows.


    Li Yifei quickly grasped the situation and asked with a smile, "Does he have designs on you?"


    Li Xinyue hurriedly said, "Honey, I really have nothing to do with him. I used to work at the local TV station in the county, and he kept bothering me then. I didn¡¯t agree to anything, and when I transferred to the city, he stopped pestering me. I don¡¯t know why he has come to my house today."


    Li Yifei patted the back of Li Xinyue¡¯s hand and said, "You don¡¯t need to explain anything to me. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. From now on, you¡¯ll face everything together with me, okay?"


    "Mmm!" Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes reddened slightly. She had always considered herself a strong woman, but today, being with Li Yifei, she was moved several times and almost cried repeatedly.


    They parked the car and walked to the courtyard gate. The courtyard was quite neat, with a cement path in the middle and vegetable patches neatly arranged on both sides.


    Li Xinyue whispered, "My dad did all this. I¡¯ve never seen my stepmom do anything in the yard other than play cards."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I could have guessed."


    At that moment, a young man in his twenties came out of the house, wearing ripped jeans, his hair dyed red, and sporting quite a trendy hairstyle with several earrings in his ears¡ªa typical non-mainstream look. He excitedly said, "Sis, you finally came back! I knew you would. Hey, who is this?"


    Li Xinyue quickly said, "Xuehai, this is my boyfriend."


    Li Xuehai, Li Xinyue¡¯s non-mainstream brother, squinted at Li Yifei and asked, "You¡¯re my sister¡¯s boyfriend?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Yes."


    Li Xuehai immediately waved his hand dismissively, as if swatting a fly, and said impatiently, "Then you can leave, my sister has broken up with you."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Li Xinyue¡¯s brother to adopt such an attitude right from the start, and Li Xinyue immediately responded angrily, "What are you talking about?"


    Li Xuehai then turned to Li Xinyue with a grin and said, "Sis, mom has already arranged a marriage for you with Cheng Yunlong from our county. He is really rich. Now you¡¯re set to enjoy a good life."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes widened in anger and she exclaimed, "Arranged a marriage for me? Who I marry is none of your business!"


    Li Xuehai said cheekily, "We¡¯re not the ones deciding. Dad agreed too."


    Li Xinyue snorted and said, "It doesn¡¯t matter who agrees, I make my own decisions about my life."


    At that moment, a woman in her forties walked out of the house, followed by two men. One, aged around fifty to sixty and hunched over, was likely Li Xinyue¡¯s father. The other man, in his thirties, was dressed in a suit, his hair slick and shiny, glasses perched on his face, and a protruding belly; he must be the so-called Cheng Yunlong.


    The woman had a bit of charm, a melon-seeded face, but her chin was overly sharp. Her face was heavily made up, a thick platinum chain hung around her neck, two large bracelets on her wrists, and four rings on her ten fingers¡ªan unmistakable nouveau riche appearance. This was Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother, Wang Xiaohong, who then said, "Xinyue, what you said isn¡¯t right. We only want what¡¯s best for you, and as parents, it¡¯s our responsibility to find you a good family to marry into."


    Li Xinyue impatiently said, "Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be leaving then."


    "Look at you, child, how can you be so impolite? You should know that Boss Cheng doesn¡¯t care about your past indiscretions. Marrying you truly shows his generosity."


    "What past indiscretions have I had?" Li Xinyue was truly annoyed, especially as her stepmother slandered her right in front of Yifei, making it unbearable for her.


    "Ah, what else could possibly happen in that circle of yours, just the usual stuff. It¡¯s all about earning your youth¡¯s worth, and in the end, you¡¯ll have to marry someone. Now that you¡¯re young and in your prime, someone like Boss Cheng taking an interest in you means you should just marry him; it would put my mind at ease as a mother."


    "Big sister!" Li Xuehai, also cheerfully, said, "Being a mistress is nothing compared to being a boss¡¯s wife. We¡¯d also benefit from your good fortune. If you remain as a mistress, we¡¯d all be embarrassed alongside you."


    Xinyue¡¯s face turned livid with anger. Though she was with Yifei, and initially felt like just a mistress, being with Yifei truly made her feel blissful, particularly now, as he gave her a restored sense of self-respect. Being insulted like this was something she couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    At that moment, Xinyue truly wanted to lash out, but seeing her frail and helpless father following her stepmother, she eventually held herself back. She knew well that if she confronted her stepmother, her father would be the one to suffer. Gritting her teeth, she said, "I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll be disappointed. I already have a boyfriend." She then took Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Wang Xiaohong frowned immediately, her face souring as she quickly turned to Cheng Yunlong and said, "Boss Cheng, please don¡¯t be angry. Let me see what¡¯s going on. She never mentioned having a boyfriend before." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cheng Yunlong gestured dismissively, "No need, I¡¯ll handle this." He then stepped forward, looking down at Yifei and asked in a condescending tone, "So, you¡¯re Xinyue¡¯s boyfriend?"


    Yifei smiled faintly, "That¡¯s right."


    Cheng Yunlong scoffed, "Fine, I¡¯ll give you two choices. First, accept five hundred thousand and disappear from Xinyue¡¯s life immediately. Second, choose not to leave, and I¡¯ll see to your disappearance from this world."


    Yifei¡¯s mouth curved in a smirk, "In your eyes, is Xinyue really only worth five hundred thousand? You¡¯re really underestimating her."


    Cheng Yunlong glared and barked, "Nonsense, it¡¯s not about how much Xinyue is worth, but you. I don¡¯t want to leave you any way out, otherwise, I¡¯d take care of you right now."


    Li Xuehai stood by Cheng Yunlong and said, "You heard that? My brother-in-law is telling you to scram. Don¡¯t act too proud, or you¡¯ll regret it. Do you know who my brother-in-law is? In our Beacon County, he¡¯s a man of high stature; one stamp of his foot makes the ground tremble. And you, a mere nobody, dare to chase my sister? You don¡¯t know how out of your depth you are."


    Wang Xiaohong added, "Xinyue, your standards have really disappointed me. I thought that by working as a host in the city, even if you chose a boyfriend, it would at least be someone wealthy and influential. But to choose someone like this... absolutely not, let him go immediately."


    "You¡¯re all being too excessive!" Li Xinyue finally burst out, her teeth clenched as she said, "I¡¯ll handle my own affairs. Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re after? You just want someone to fund you, then sell me off? Let me tell you, that¡¯s not going to happen. Honey, let¡¯s go."


    Cheng Yunlong¡¯s expression darkened, he turned to Wang Xiaohong and said, "It seems you¡¯re playing games with me?"


    Wang Xiaohong shivered in fear and hastily signaled to Li An with her eyes.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s father sighed, then meekly said to Cheng Yunlong, "Boss Cheng, please don¡¯t rush. I¡¯ll talk to Xinyue. Let¡¯s aim for the best, aim for the best."


    Cheng Yunlong snorted, "Then go discuss it. Just know my patience is limited. This was meant to be a good thing, but if you turn a good situation bad, don¡¯t blame me."


    "Alright, alright," Li An nodded repeatedly.


    "Daughter, let¡¯s talk properly inside," Li An pleaded as he looked at Xinyue.


    Xinyue wanted to leave, but Yifei held her back, saying, "Leaving isn¡¯t the solution. Let¡¯s hear what uncle has to say."


    Hearing Yifei say this, Xinyue eventually nodded and went inside with Yifei, followed by her father Li An. Her stepmother, Wang Xiaohong, still smiling, said to Cheng Yunlong, "Boss Cheng, don¡¯t be upset. I¡¯ve got this matter under control; it will be resolved favorably. Xuehai, keep Boss Cheng company."


    After saying this, she also went inside. She had received many benefits from Cheng Yunlong and this time forcing Xinyue to come back was to ensure the deal was completed. Previously she considered Xinyue a goose that laid golden eggs, and now that Xinyue was giving less, she immediately changed her strategy to marry her off to a wealthy man, thus securing another financial source.

 Chapter 987 - 1028: Conscience Not Lost

    Chapter 987: Chapter 1028: Conscience Not Lost"Xinyue..." Li An called out to his daughter, his face full of guilt as he sighed and said, "Daughter, you¡¯re grown up now and it¡¯s time for you to get married. If you keep staying single... the people in the village will gossip."


    Looking at her father, Xinyue felt bitter inside. She clearly understood that her stepmother had forced him to broach the subject. Due to her father¡¯s weak personality, he always listened to her stepmother. She could withstand asking for money and not spending it herself to give to them, but this was about her lifelong happiness. Even without Yifei, she would never agree to marry that Cheng Yunlong, who, despite his decent appearance, was nothing but a thug. Being with him would ruin her life.


    Xinyue rarely refused her father¡¯s requests, but on this matter, she spoke with utmost firmness, "Dad, I can agree to other things, but not this... I can¡¯t agree to this. You see, I already have a boyfriend and our relationship is strong. I¡¯m going to be with him for life!"


    "You child, how can you be so foolish?" At this moment, Wang Xiaohong walked in and immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, "This boy clearly looks like a complete broke, and you are a famous host. How can you be with someone like him?"


    Xinyue didn¡¯t even feel like arguing with her stepmother and calmly replied, "I don¡¯t need any conditions. I want someone who can treat me well, and he can do that, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be with him."


    Wang Xiaohong¡¯s eyes shifted, then said, "Fine, if you want to marry him, that¡¯s up to you. But according to our village¡¯s traditions, we still need a dowry, right?"


    Yifei smiled faintly and said, "How much is the dowry?"


    "Look how serious you¡¯re pretending to be. I¡¯ll lay it out for you. Around here, it¡¯s 880,000 yuan in cash and a car worth 300,000 yuan. Do you have that now?"


    Yifei shook his head, "I really don¡¯t have 880,000 yuan in cash, nor a car worth 300,000 yuan." It was true; although he had a significant sum of money, he certainly didn¡¯t have that much cash on hand. Regarding cars, the cheapest one at his home cost nearly seven to eight hundred thousand yuan, with none as cheap as three hundred thousand.


    Wang Xiaohong snorted, "Pff, you can¡¯t even bring out the dowry money, and yet you dream of marrying our daughter. Do you know how much we have spent on raising Xinyue? You just want to simply take her away, as if we raised her for you? Kid, you are too naive. That¡¯s just the dowry. You still need to buy a house, right? Our Xinyue might not ask for a villa, but she needs at least a hundred-square-meter house, can you afford that?"


    Yifei thought for a moment and said, "I don¡¯t really have a house that¡¯s just over a hundred square meters." The house he was building had three levels per villa, each with nearly three hundred square meters. None were as small as a hundred square meters.


    "Just look, you have nothing and still dream of being with our daughter. You really think a toad can eat swan meat. You¡¯d better drop this idea now. I¡¯m telling you, our family does not welcome you, better stay away where it¡¯s cool."


    Xinyue couldn¡¯t take it anymore and angrily said, "The dowry here is just a few tens of thousands, where did you get that amount from?"


    "Can others be compared to you? You are a big host, with status. How can you compare with ordinary people? Xinyue, let me tell you, if you found someone rich and influential, we could accept that. But you chose a poor boy, and our family cannot afford to lose face because of you. Boss Cheng is very interested in you. Do you know how much money his family has? It¡¯s said to be tens of millions, possibly even hundreds of millions. Besides, his wife died last year, and he hasn¡¯t remarried yet. If you marry him, you¡¯ll instantly become the lady of the house, and all his money would be in your hands to spend however you want."


    Xinyue smirked and said, "So then, it would be even easier for you to ask me for money, right?"


    Wang Xiaohong¡¯s face flushed for a moment, but she quickly asserted as if it were the most natural thing, "I¡¯m your stepmother. I didn¡¯t give birth to you, and if you don¡¯t take care of me, I won¡¯t complain. But you can¡¯t ignore your dad, and what about your brother? He is your father¡¯s real son, surely there¡¯s a blood relation there. He isn¡¯t married yet, and the costs of getting a wife, a house, a car... your dad can¡¯t earn money, so it all depends on you, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Is that so? It seems that the money I give dad is all spent by you."


    Wang Xiaohong unashamedly continued, "Your dad doesn¡¯t like to spend, so I have to buy things for him. Look at everything your dad uses or eats; isn¡¯t it all bought by me? I¡¯ve been taking good care of him for so many years."


    Turning her head to glance at Yifei, Wang Xiaohong glared and said, "What are you still doing here? Can¡¯t you sense what¡¯s appropriate? We are discussing family matters, and you, an outsider, don¡¯t find it awkward to be here?"


    Yifei pulled Xinyue close and calmly said, "Xinyue is my person, so naturally, I need to be here. Do you think if it weren¡¯t for Xinyue, I would give you the time of day?"


    Wang Xiaohong burst into anger, placed one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Yifei, and yelled, "And who do you think you are? Just a poor boy, trying to act all high and mighty here. I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯d better leave right now, or don¡¯t blame me for throwing you out." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei wore a faint smile and said, "If you really dare to kick me out, Xinyue and I will never acknowledge you again."


    Wang Xiaohong suddenly laughed, a scornful laugh as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. "Kid, you really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. I¡¯m not even going to discuss why Xinyue would follow you. Even if she did, with your sorry state, what do you have? I¡¯d lose face acknowledging you."


    Li Yifei squinted his eyes and said, "Alright, you said it."


    Wang Xiaohong glared and snapped, "Nonsense, of course, I said it. Let me make it clear to you now, get as far away as you can. I¡¯d rather die than acknowledge you."


    Li Yifei, with an incredulous look, said, "What if I become rich in the future?"


    "You becoming rich? You really are dreaming big. If you could get rich, then old sows could climb trees and the sun could rise from the west. You¡¯re telling the funniest joke I¡¯ve ever heard. You think money is that easy to earn? Stop dreaming."


    "No way, you love money so much. If I really start making money, wouldn¡¯t you come fawning over me?" Li Yifei asked with a grin.


    "Your face is really thick as hell," Wang Xiaohong retorted. "Even if you do make some money, can you compare with Boss Cheng? Seeing your puny earnings is honestly laughable. If you ever got richer than Boss Cheng, I¡¯d lick your toes. Oh right, where are you working now?"


    Xinyue¡¯s face turned very unpleasant, hearing her stepmother say these things about Li Yifei. It was even more hurtful than if she had been insulted herself. But she also knew her stepmother¡¯s shamelessness. If she knew Li Yifei had money, she would definitely be shameless in trying to get some. Hence when her stepmother mocked Li Yifei like this, she had no choice but to think about pulling Li Yifei away.


    Li Yifei gently squeezed Xinyue¡¯s hand to reassure her, then answered Wang Xiaohong, "I work at a small trading company."


    "Please, just a miserable worker," Wang Xiaohong scoffed. "Nothing to brag about. Go on, get lost. No shame. Our family would never let someone like you marry our daughter. Besides, I¡¯m telling you, if you leave quietly now, there won¡¯t be any trouble. But if you don¡¯t leave... hah, do you know who Boss Cheng outside is? He owns a sauna, influential in both legitimate and illegitimate circles, he could have you killed as if it were nothing."


    Li An had been silent all along but then sighed and said, "Xinyue, let him go. It¡¯s for his own good. He can¡¯t mess with that man. I shouldn¡¯t be saying this, but for his sake, you should let him leave now. Staying here could really lead to trouble."


    Had it been someone else, Xinyue might have been scared off. But who is Li Yifei? Even the city¡¯s renowned Brother Hu would treat Li Yifei with utmost courtesy, just like a junior. Could Boss Cheng, influential as he might be here, compare to Brother Hu?


    "Dad, you want me to marry Cheng Yunlong too?" Xinyue asked her father sharply.


    Li An, meeting his daughter¡¯s gaze, looked deeply ashamed. But, under his wife¡¯s fierce stare, he could only sigh softly and said, "Daughter, a woman must live a stable life eventually. Although being a host looks glorious now, it¡¯s still a career that depends on youth. I really hope you can find a good family. That Boss Cheng..."


    At this point, Li An¡¯s face showed pain, and his voice lowered, barely able to meet his daughter¡¯s gaze, he said, "He is... alright."


    From Li An¡¯s tone and expression, Li Yifei could see that Xinyue¡¯s father was internally opposed to this marriage. But, being characteristically timid and pressured by his wife, he still harbored fatherly affection for Xinyue. Although Li Yifei despised him, he did not hold any substantial grudge against Xinyue¡¯s father.


    Wang Xiaohong immediately took over, "See, even your father agrees. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m scheming against you. I¡¯m doing this for your good. Marrying him, you would live a good life. Look at those big celebrities; in the end, they all marry wealthy people. You might be alright in our city, but can you compete with those celebrities? So, I think this is a great plan. Just agree to it."


    "Okay, you go out first. I want to talk to our daughter alone for a bit. Let me persuade her," Li An suddenly interrupted his wife.


    Wang Xiaohong hesitated, then glared sternly at her husband and said, "Alright, you guys talk. I¡¯ll step out."


    Once Wang Xiaohong left, Li An quickly shut the door and anxiously said to Xinyue, "Xinyue, just pretend to agree for now, then distance yourself from him as far as possible. Your stepmom has taken the dowry from them and gambled it all away. That Boss Cheng won¡¯t let this go easily."

 Chapter 988 - 1029: No Big Deal at All

    Chapter 988: Chapter 1029: No Big Deal at All"Dad!" Li Xinyue had felt some resentment towards her father, but hearing him speak like that made her eyes immediately redden; after all, he was still her father who stood by her side at this moment.


    "Stop talking. Remember what Dad says, go as far as you can. This is the money Dad has secretly saved up over the years, it¡¯s for you." With that, Li An hurriedly stuffed a bankbook into Li Xinyue¡¯s hands.


    "Dad!" Li Xinyue hugged her father tightly, and at that moment, any grievance she felt towards him vanished. Her father was weak, he always listened to his wife, but when it came to his daughter¡¯s life-long happiness, he still took her side.


    "Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯ve let you down for so many years, made you suffer, and I know all that. From now on, live a good life, even if you have no money, it¡¯s better to have a tougher life than to be with that kind of person."


    "But what about you if I leave?" Li Xinyue reflexively asked.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. Once you leave, change your phone and everything, make it so even your dad can¡¯t find you. Then I¡¯ll be relieved."


    "But that Boss Cheng will definitely cause trouble for you."


    "Let him cause trouble. At my age, what can he do to me? No matter what, I can¡¯t let my daughter leap into the fire pit."


    At this point, footsteps came from outside, and Li An hurriedly said, "Remember my words. Pretend to agree with them for now, and young man, you mustn¡¯t cause any trouble, that Boss Cheng is not someone to mess with."


    The door swung open, and Boss Cheng strode in accompanied by Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai. Li An quickly wiped his eyes and said, "Alright, Xinyue has agreed."


    Wang Xiaohong was overjoyed, and without asking Li Xinyue, she excitedly said to Cheng Yunlong, "Boss Cheng, now our marriage is settled."


    Cheng Yunlong laughed heartily and said, "Good, then it¡¯s settled," then he walked straight towards Li Xinyue, his eyes roving over her as he spoke, "Xinyue, don¡¯t worry, marrying me, I won¡¯t let you suffer. I will make sure you have the best life."


    Li Xinyue felt quite uncomfortable under his gaze and subconsciously hid behind Li Yifei. It was then that Cheng Yunlong noticed Li Yifei was still there, and his eyes narrowed as he barked, "Why haven¡¯t you left yet?"


    Li An hastily interjected, "He¡¯s leaving right now, right now. Go on, don¡¯t stay here." Li An placed himself between Cheng Yunlong and Li Yifei, then gave Li Yifei a knowing look, urging him urgently.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Thank you, Uncle. I¡¯ll take care of things from here on out."


    "What are you going to handle? I told you to leave, didn¡¯t you hear? Xinyue is going to marry Boss Cheng, and that has nothing to do with you," Li An scolded loudly, yet he was giving Li Yifei meaningful looks, feeling increasingly anxious inside and secretly blaming Li Yifei, "Why doesn¡¯t this kid know what¡¯s good for him?"


    Li Yifei, somewhat comforted by Li An¡¯s protective stance, said with a smile, "No worries, a little thug like him doesn¡¯t scare me."


    Once, Li An had been a thug himself, and these days, having risen in status, everyone called him boss. He already considered himself a member of high society; it had been years since anyone had referred to him as a small-time hooligan. He jerked away from Li An and glared at Li Yifei with sharp eyes, "Boy, you¡¯ve got quite the mouth. Do you have any idea what the consequences are for speaking to me that way?"


    "What consequences could there be?" Li Yifei asked calmly.


    "I¡¯ll break your legs and then toss you into the sea to feed the fish."


    Without paying Cheng Yunlong any mind, Li Yifei turned to Li Xinyue and said, "Honey, listen to that. Not a bad idea, right? How come I never thought of dealing with people like that before?"


    Li Xinyue had been in a terrible mood, but hearing Li Yifei talk to her like that, she knew that him pretending to be ordinary wasn¡¯t likely anymore. Most importantly, with a guy like Cheng Yunlong around, they wouldn¡¯t be at peace without dealing with him. Now free from constraint, Li Xinyue¡¯s mood suddenly relaxed, and she smiled, saying, "That doesn¡¯t sound so nice, it¡¯s too violent."


    Li Yifei, still smiling, said, "Then what do you think I should do, honey? I¡¯ve never dealt with such a petty person before, I really don¡¯t know how to handle it."


    Li Xinyue tilted her head in thought and said, "I don¡¯t know either, I can¡¯t bully someone."


    "Actually, bullying is quite pleasurable, haven¡¯t you noticed that this guy, once he made a bit of broken money, started bullying others? Since he bullies us, shall we just bully him back, okay?"


    "Sure, husband, whatever you want to do, I¡¯ll follow you."


    The two of them were in cahoots, completely disregarding the other four people in the room.


    Li An was so anxious that he broke out in sweat. Only moments ago, everything had been fine; how had it suddenly changed, with his daughter siding with this kid? Now there was big trouble, and he quickly said, "Xinyue, my good daughter, don¡¯t be impulsive, listen to your dad."


    Li Xinyue gave a slight smile and said, "Dad, there¡¯s no need to worry. Your daughter isn¡¯t someone just anyone can marry whenever they want. With my husband here, even the biggest problem is no trouble at all."


    Wang Xiaohong immediately curled her lips and said, "Him? Just a little worker, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    Li Xuehai took a step forward and reached for Li Yifei¡¯s collar, cursing as he went, "Fuck, you really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, kid. I¡¯ll throw you out right now."


    Li Yifei casually reached out and grabbed Li Xuehai¡¯s wrist, then with a slight pull to the side, Li Xuehai stumbled and fell onto the bed. This was because Li Yifei, seeing that he was Li Xinyue¡¯s brother, had held back despite the young man¡¯s lack of respect.


    "Fuck, you dare to fight back!" Li Xuehai immediately got up again, swinging his fist to hit Li Yifei. Li Xinyue glared and shouted, "Li Xuehai, stop it now!"


    Li Xuehai¡¯s raised fist immediately froze mid-air. Despite being uneducated and usually reckless, he was very clear about one thing: if he wanted to live comfortably, he couldn¡¯t offend this sister, as that was how he could get money from her.


    Li Xuehai said angrily, "Sis, you¡¯re really foolish. How can you be with such a poor guy? You¡¯re a big-time TV hostess. You won¡¯t marry Boss Cheng, a man with money, but stay with this pauper instead? I will never approve."


    Li Xinyue angrily said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense! If you continue to badmouth your brother-in-law, I will never take care of you again."


    Li Xuehai sullenly lowered his hand. Regardless of who Li Xinyue married, if he seriously offended his sister, his future would undoubtedly be bleak. He said, "Sis, you¡¯re really muddled."


    Cheng Yunlong had long turned livid with rage. He hadn¡¯t hoped to make Li Xinyue agree so quickly. Although he had some money and had made a name for himself, Li Xinyue was after all the TV hostess in the city, likely acquainted with some influential people. So, he targeted Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother, tricking her into gambling. Letting her win initially, they then played for higher stakes, and he continued to let her win a little.


    Wang Xiaohong, who didn¡¯t engage in any proper work to begin with, became even more arrogant after winning money, not feeling intimidated even when the stakes were high. But this was a trap set deliberately by Cheng Yunlong, and she couldn¡¯t keep winning forever. Soon, she had lost all the winnings and even her principal capital.


    If Wang Xiaohong had stopped then, it would have been fine, but wanting to win back what she lost, she immediately borrowed money when Cheng Yunlong offered to lend her some. However, she lost every time she borrowed, and soon, she was down by more than one million yuan.


    At that point, Wang Xiaohong began to fear. With so much money gone, even if she asked Li Xinyue for it, she surely wouldn¡¯t get it. Over the years, almost all the money Li Xinyue earned had been frittered away by her. Now, when Cheng Yunlong demanded the money, she was at a loss. Cheng Yunlong was a dangerous man, and she knew that not repaying him could cost her life.


    Cheng Yunlong first intimidated Wang Xiaohong, then set his condition: he wanted to marry Li Xinyue and asked Wang Xiaohong to facilitate it. If she could make it happen, not only would the borrowed money be forgiven, but he would also give Wang Xiaohong a million yuan and buy Li Xuehai a car. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With such terms, how could Wang Xiaohong refuse? So upon returning home, she started to nag Li An in bed. Despite Wang Xiaohong¡¯s crying and creating a scene, Li An still refused to agree. But then Wang Xiaohong directly invited Cheng Yunlong over and tricked Li Xinyue back home, hoping that Cheng Yunlong could further intimidate Li An, which finally made him comply.


    Everything had been going smoothly. Cheng Yunlong thought the matter would be settled¡ªLi Xinyue, obedient and pressured by her father, would have no choice but to marry him. But now, out of nowhere, a poor kid appeared, getting so close to Li Xinyue, which infuriated Cheng Yunlong. In his mind, Li Xinyue was already his, and the thought of another man touching her was unbearable.


    If it had been another place, Cheng Yunlong would have immediately ordered his bodyguards to beat Li Yifei, but in front of Li Xinyue, he still had some reservations. Pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, he said, "Kid, you¡¯ve got some nerve. Well, today I want to see how this is going to be settled. Wang Xiaohong owes 1.2 million, here is the IOU. If you can come up with 1.2 million, I¡¯ll leave immediately."


    Li Xinyue turned to look at Wang Xiaohong, who, feeling embarrassed, quickly turned her head away, avoiding Li Xinyue¡¯s gaze. It was clear as day; she was being pressed for debts and wanted Li Xinyue to marry Cheng Yunlong because of it.


    "Do you want to be with Xinyue? Then you¡¯ll have to take on her burdens. How about it, do you have 1.2 million?" Cheng Yunlong sneered, flicking the IOU. 1.2 million, he believed, was enough to scare off many people, let alone this beggar.

 Chapter 989 - 1030 Roll

    Chapter 989: Chapter 1030 Roll"She borrowed the money, so let her pay it back," Li Xinyue said angrily.


    "Oh, my God, my life is so hard!" Wang Xiaohong slapped her thigh, sat down on the ground, and burst into a loud wail, crying and saying like she was performing in an opera, "Li An, I was so young when I married you; you even had a child, and I didn¡¯t look down on you, I raised your daughter, put her through school, and helped her become a host. Now that I¡¯m useless to you, you just want to kick me aside and let me die, just let me die then."


    Li Xuehai suddenly hugged Wang Xiaohong, snot and tears streaming as he said, "Mom, if you¡¯re going to die, then I might as well die with you. The Li family won¡¯t die out, but that¡¯s no longer my concern."


    As these two went back and forth, Li An suddenly panic, Li Xinyue was his daughter, Li Xuehai was also his son, and he was a man of traditional thoughts; he valued his son somewhat more than his daughter. This mother and son duo knew exactly how to play on Li An¡¯s penchant, resorting to this tactic whenever there was trouble, always managing to coerce Li An into relenting.


    But this time, Li An was truly in a dilemma; on one side was his wife and son, on the other, his daughter. He desperately wished to resolve it amicably, but it seemed he would have to forsake one side, and he found it tough to make a decision. For an average man like him, the matter was simply too overwhelming.


    Cheng Yunlong snorted and disdainfully glanced at Li Yifei, saying, "Wang Xiaohong, you borrowed the money, right? The IOU was written by you, wasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s only right for me to ask you for the money. Doesn¡¯t your daughter have a good boyfriend now? Let him pay it back."


    At that, Wang Xiaohong immediately started crying again and said, "Xinyue, speak with your conscience, did I ever abuse you when you were a child? Have I ever failed to provide you with food or clothing? Though I¡¯m not your birth mother, I was the one who raised you, wasn¡¯t I? Now that I¡¯ve encountered such difficulties, can¡¯t you help me resolve it? Do you really want to watch me die?"


    Li Xinyue¡¯s mouth twitched, at a loss for words over her stepmother¡¯s shamelessness. While it was true Wang Xiaohong hadn¡¯t been like the cruel stepmothers of legend, never beating or scolding her, Li Xinyue had been the one to do everything when she was just a little girl¡ªlaundry, cooking, taking care of her brother, attending university while participating in a work-study program, and working outside jobs to pay for school. But in Wang Xiaohong¡¯s mouth, all these became her own merits. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei frowned, clearly annoyed by the woman wailing on the ground. He took Li Xinyue¡¯s hand and started to walk out of the house.


    Cheng Yunlong stepped forward to block Li Yifei and barked, "Do you think you can just take her away because you can¡¯t pay up?"


    Li Yifei glared and retorted, "Get out of the way, I don¡¯t want to hear this woman¡¯s wailing."


    Wang Xiaohong got even more worked up, playing the victim, "You... you... you dare to insult me? Xinyue, look at the person you¡¯ve found, he has no manners whatsoever."


    Yet Li Xinyue didn¡¯t even glance at Wang Xiaohong; she was already fed up with her antics. If it weren¡¯t for her father, she would have loved to have a full-blown row with this Wang Xiaohong. Now that she had Li Yifei as her husband, she believed he would take care of the matter, so she didn¡¯t care about Wang Xiaohong at all.


    With Cheng Yunlong insulted by Li Yifei, his face turned even uglier as he said darkly, "Kid, do you know how many years it¡¯s been since anyone had the guts to tell me to scram?"


    "Are you going to move or not?" Li Yifei said coldly, glaring at Cheng Yunlong.


    "What if I don¡¯t?" Cheng Yunlong grew even angrier.


    "Then I¡¯ll make you move!" With that, Li Yifei grabbed Cheng Yunlong by the collar and threw him. Cheng Yunlong rolled a couple of times across the floor before coming to a stop, while Li Yifei pulled Li Xinyue out and left.


    Li An, Wang Xiaohong, and Li Xuehai were all stunned at this turn of events; they had never expected Li Yifei to actually lay hands on Cheng Yunlong.


    The first to react was Li An, inwardly lamenting. Li Yifei had hit Cheng Yunlong, who certainly wouldn¡¯t let it go and would seek revenge. This could mean trouble for Li Yifei, and Li Xinyue might also suffer as a result.


    However, Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai were suddenly delighted. This brash and bold Li Yifei had dared to hit Cheng Yunlong, escalating the conflict significantly. Cheng Yunlong would undoubtedly take his revenge on Li Yifei, perhaps even seeking to kill him. Then, to protect Li Yifei, Li Xinyue would have no choice but to marry Cheng Yunlong, and if that happened, the debt she owed would naturally be forgotten, and they might even gain from it.


    All three of them hurried out, helping Cheng Yunlong up, who immediately charged out, picking up a stool on the way and smashing it towards the back of Li Yifei¡¯s head. Cheng Yunlong was a former street fighter who did not hesitate to throw a punch, and in his raging fury, he used all his might.


    "Ah!" Li An cried out in alarm. If Cheng Yunlong¡¯s blow landed, it wouldn¡¯t just knock Li Yifei unconscious; it could kill him.


    At that moment, Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai were genuinely afraid that Cheng Yunlong would smash Li Yifei to death with that blow. Only if Yifei stayed alive could they make Li Xinyue compromise. If he really got smashed to death, that would entirely remove any concerns for Xinyue. Therefore, both of them let out an alarmed cry.


    But they were soon staring agape because Cheng Yunlong¡¯s attack seemed right on target, aimed directly at the back of Yifei¡¯s head. Yet somehow, his footing suddenly slipped, and his strike veered off course, causing him to lose his balance and plunge forward. He tumbled down the steps at the doorway and crashed onto the concrete floor below. The heavy thud of his hundred-and-eighty-to-ninety-pound body made the ground itself seem to quiver, indicating just how hard Cheng Yunlong had fallen.


    At that moment, two burly men burst through the door. Both were in their early twenties, wearing tank tops, with tattoos of dragons and tigers on their beefy arms¡ªa sure sign they were up to no good. They rushed over and quickly helped Cheng Yunlong back to his feet.


    Cheng Yunlong was dazed and in excruciating pain from the fall, but he was even more furious. Waving his hand, he yelled, "Take that little bastard down, kill him!"


    The two newcomers were Cheng Yunlong¡¯s bodyguards. They immediately let go of him, and one pulled out a dagger, lunging at Yifei. They seemed somewhat skilled, and the vicious look in their eyes indicated they were truly ready to strike.


    Li An and Wang Xiaohong screamed in fright. Though Wang Xiaohong might not have been the best of women, the sight of knives and the thought of someone being stabbed still terrified her. After all, she had never witnessed a murder before, and as a woman, her instinct was to be frightened.


    In contrast, Li Xuehai wasn¡¯t scared at all. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he thought this was just the style of a true boss. Just a shout, and his people were willing to kill for him. If Cheng Yunlong became his brother-in-law, Xuehai wondered just how awesome that would be.


    The calmest of all, however, was Li Xinyue. Even as two strong men armed with knives charged at her, she remained unafraid. She knew Yifei¡¯s prowess; such men were no match for him, with or without knives, and posed no threat.


    Indeed, against Yifei, they were far too weak. Without moving his left foot, Yifei¡¯s right foot shot out in a swift kick. With two consecutive strikes, he sent both men flying.


    "Scram!" Yifei shouted after kicking them away.


    Cheng Yunlong had some insight; seeing Yifei kick his two bodyguards away with just a couple of moves, he realized Yifei was a trained fighter. With only his two bodyguards, staying here would not fare well for him. Glaring fiercely at Yifei, he said, "Alright, no wonder you¡¯re so arrogant, boy¡ªyou know a few moves. But you¡¯ll soon learn that in this place, it doesn¡¯t matter if you know a few tricks¡ªeven if Jackie Chan or Jet Li showed up, they¡¯d still have to pour me tea obediently. You better not run away, kid, because I¡¯ll find you. And it won¡¯t just be you¡ªI¡¯ll make sure your whole family gets what¡¯s coming to them."


    Before Cheng Yunlong finished speaking, his vision blurred, and then he felt a scorching pain on his face, accompanied by the crisp sound of several slaps.


    What Yifei hated the most was someone threatening his family. So he made sure those hard slaps spun Cheng Yunlong around twice before the man sat down hard on the ground. Fortunately, his thick skin saved his teeth from being knocked out.


    It took a moment for the two bodyguards to get up and hurry over to shield Cheng Yunlong. They too realized that attacking again would just get them beaten, and protecting their boss was the priority.


    "Scram!" Yifei yelled once more.


    "You wait and see, kid," Cheng Yunlong tossed back a threatening line as he quickly retreated with his bodyguards, and the Land Rover parked outside sped away.


    "Hubby, you¡¯re so handsome!" Upon tiptoeing to plant a kiss on Yifei¡¯s face, Li Xinyue then clung to his arm. Yifei fighting for her made Xinyue indescribably happy.


    "You... what on earth... how could you hit someone? Boss Cheng isn¡¯t someone you can just strike," Li An lamented, visibly upset.


    Wang Xiaohong, however, scoffed and said, "I¡¯ve always said that young men like him are unreliable. Just because they¡¯re a bit stronger, they think they can go around hitting people. Well, now you¡¯ve done it¡ªhit Boss Cheng himself. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re going to do when he comes back with reinforcements."


    Li An, furious now, turned and shouted at Wang Xiaohong, "This is all your fault, and you still have the nerve to talk!"


    Xinyue was taken aback by this display. She couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing her father raise his voice at her stepmother before.

 Chapter 990 - 1031: True Colors of a Father

    Chapter 990: Chapter 1031: True Colors of a FatherWang Xiaohong was yelled at by her husband and was momentarily stunned; clearly, she hadn¡¯t expected her usually meek husband to suddenly start shouting at her.


    But she immediately became angry and, jumping up and down, exclaimed, "What do you mean it¡¯s my fault? It¡¯s that kid¡¯s fault, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve always told him to get lost. If he had left, would we have gotten into trouble with Boss Cheng? And now you still blame me? Li An, you heartless man, think about how poor you were before, struggling with a child, and yet I still stayed with you. Have I ever been unfaithful? Have I ever gone out to find another man? Haven¡¯t I always been living life with you? How much hardship have I endured with you over the years? Look at other men, how much they can earn for their wives and children. And look at you, just guarding your tiny piece of land. How much money have you earned all these years?"


    Wang Xiaohong rattled off like a machine gun, leaving Li An completely disheartened. As a man, he truly hadn¡¯t been able to provide a good life for his wife and child, so he always felt inferior in front of Wang Xiaohong and dejectedly asked, "So what do we do now?"


    Seeing her husband relent, Wang Xiaohong immediately directed her anger at Li Yifei, furiously saying, "It¡¯s all because of you, you jerk! You¡¯re nothing but a disaster! Who do you think you are to dare to hit Boss Cheng? Now get out, get out!"


    At that moment, Li Xinyue got angry and retorted, "What do you mean? My husband should just let that Cheng Yunlong take me away, is that right?"


    Li Xinyue¡¯s outburst momentarily shut Wang Xiaohong up. She rolled her eyes and suddenly realized that she really couldn¡¯t chase Li Yifei away at this moment. If she drove Li Yifei away and Boss Cheng brought his people and couldn¡¯t find him, wouldn¡¯t they come after her? Moreover, since Li Xinyue had no dirt on her hands that Boss Cheng could use, she couldn¡¯t agree to the marriage proposal.


    Thinking this way, she immediately showed a very annoyed expression and said, "Xinyue, I was just anxious, ah. If that¡¯s what you want, there¡¯s nothing I can do. But you better think carefully, there¡¯s no advantage in staying with a poor guy like him."


    Li Xinyue looked at Wang Xiaohong quizzically and asked, "You don¡¯t oppose us being together?"


    Wang Xiaohong sighed resignedly, pretending to be helpless, and said, "Why would I oppose it? This is your life. How can I decide for you? Ah, just let me settle my own issues."


    Upon hearing this, Li An hurriedly said, "Wife, as long as you stop gambling, we¡¯ll find a way to pay him back. At worst, we can sell the house. It should fetch at least five hundred thousand. That would cover half of it, and we can pay the rest gradually."


    Wang Xiaohong was startled by the idea of selling the house¡ªwhat a joke! She only said that to pressure Xinyue; she didn¡¯t really want to pay the money back. But then she thought about it, and it seemed to actually pressure Xinyue. She immediately nodded and said, "Old Li, as long as you¡¯re not angry with me, that¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t gamble anymore. I¡¯ll live well with you, even if it means begging. If we lose the house, so be it. We can always rent somewhere else. Ah, but it¡¯s tough on our Xuehai. It¡¯ll be hard for him to find a wife in the future."


    Seeing Li Xuehai, Li An felt even more heartache. The future of the Li family was supposed to be carried forward by Li Xuehai. If they sold the house, what could Li Xuehai offer a potential wife?


    At that moment, Li Xuehai showed his cunning. He quickly grasped his mother¡¯s intention. His eyes squeezed out two tears, and he said, "Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry about me. I can work. We have to pay off the debt first, and we can talk about me getting married later. Even if I can¡¯t marry, I can¡¯t let you suffer. I¡¯ll definitely be filial to you."


    Then he sneakily glanced at Li Xinyue¡ªhe hoped she would also be filial, as that would solve the problem.


    Unfortunately, Li Xinyue had seen their performances too many times before. In the past, out of sympathy for her father and knowing they were acting, she didn¡¯t expose them. But now it was different. They were going too far, insisting that she marry Cheng Yunlong. This crossed Li Xinyue¡¯s bottom line. Previously, she might have rallied funds for her father, but now she wasn¡¯t afraid of Cheng Yunlong. With Li Yifei around, there was no one in Mile City she feared, and Li Yifei would handle this matter well. She didn¡¯t need to worry herself with it anymore.


    Even though Li Yifei didn¡¯t know much about these two, he caught on quickly that they were acting. At this point, he couldn¡¯t be bothered with them.


    "Husband, it seems we have nothing to do here. Let¡¯s go," Li Xinyue said, deliberately hooking her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s and gently shaking it with a bit of coquetry.


    Li Yifei lightly scratched her nose and replied, "Sure, there¡¯s not much fun here. Let¡¯s head home."


    With that, the two of them actually turned to leave, which completely dumbfounded Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai. Watching the couple walk a few steps toward the courtyard, Wang Xiaohong couldn¡¯t keep her composure any longer. If Li Xinyue really left, she would be in big trouble.


    "Li An, look, look! That¡¯s your daughter. We¡¯re facing a huge disaster, and she just walks away. She really doesn¡¯t care about you, her father, at all. Why is my life so miserable? I raised such a daughter, and when it comes down to it, she won¡¯t even give us the time of day."


    Li Xuehai quickly rushed forward and blocked Yifei and Li Xinyue, exclaiming urgently, "You can¡¯t go! You¡¯ve hit someone, and now you just want to walk away and leave us to deal with the aftermath?"


    Yifei replied indifferently, "Isn¡¯t that what you told me to do?"


    Li Xuehai scoffed and said, "You want to cling to my sister, of course we want you to go. What makes you think you can be with my sister? But since you hit Boss Cheng, you must stay here."


    Yifei narrowed his eyes and asked, "And what if I don¡¯t stay?"


    "You... I... I..." Li Xuehai started to say he would teach Yifei a lesson, but remembering that Yifei had not only hit Cheng Yunlong but also kicked away Cheng¡¯s two bodyguards armed with daggers, he realized there was no way he could handle Yifei. At that moment, he was at a loss on how to deal with the situation.


    "If you don¡¯t have anything else, I¡¯m leaving. You don¡¯t welcome me, and I don¡¯t want to be here anymore." Yifei pushed Li Xuehai aside and continued walking forward with Li Xinyue.


    "Wang Xiaohong, are you stupid? What are you waiting for? Stop that kid!" Wang Xiaohong screamed frantically, hopping on her feet as she yelled at her husband.


    Li An reflexively chased after them, but when he managed to block Yifei and Li Xinyue¡¯s path, he suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Seeing her father¡¯s aged face and his troubled expression, Li Xinyue¡¯s heart softened. She sighed and said, "Dad, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t leave. We¡¯ll handle this."


    "Daughter..." Li An looked at his daughter and suddenly gritted his teeth, "You should leave quickly. The farther, the better. Don¡¯t come back."


    "Dad! You..." Li Xinyue was stunned. These words were usually said in private, but now he had said them in front of Wang Xiaohong.


    Li An sighed and said, "Daughter, I¡¯ve burdened you for years and can¡¯t harm you anymore. I¡¯m just an old man, and I¡¯ve lived enough. But you¡¯re still young. I won¡¯t ruin your life. Leave quickly!"


    Wang Xiaohong was furious, accustomed to her husband always agreeing with her, and now he was directly opposing her. She rushed over, shouting at Li An, "You senile fool! Have you lost your mind or your heart? Now you want them to leave? Do you realize once they leave, Boss Cheng will target us? What will we do?"


    Li An shook his head and said, "We can¡¯t let Xinyue carry this burden. This was our fault, not hers to ruin her entire life."


    Wang Xiaohong hysterically yelled, "You¡¯re talking nonsense! Boss Cheng has money and property, what¡¯s wrong with that? How am I ruining her?" She then pushed him forcefully.


    Li An suddenly pushed Wang Xiaohong away, his face ashen with fury: "All you see is money! How much money has Xinyue given us over the years? If we had lived properly, that money would have been more than enough. But it all went to your lavish spending. This time, if you hadn¡¯t gambled and lost, would we owe so much? When trouble happens, you don¡¯t think of us bearing it ourselves, you even think of selling our daughter to pay your debts. Do you have any conscience left?"


    After pausing, Li An gritted his teeth and said, "All these years, I¡¯ve been holding back, not complaining about you, just to keep our family peaceful and quiet. But have you ever thought about this family? For other things, I might let you have your way, but not this one. I will absolutely not let you sell our daughter. Xinyue..."


    Turning to his daughter, Li An urgently said, "Please go, listen to Dad, hurry!" While saying this, he pushed Yifei and Li Xinyue. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Dad! Don¡¯t push me. I can¡¯t leave. I mustn¡¯t go." At that moment, with tears streaming down her face, Li Xinyue felt the familial bond deeply. She realized that her father truly cared for her, and all the grievances she had suffered over the years suddenly seemed insignificant.


    "No, you have to go. Dad¡¯s an old man with nothing to fear, but you can¡¯t stay. Leave quickly, the farther the better. I¡¯ve never spoken up for you over these years, but this time, I absolutely can¡¯t let others harm you!"

 Chapter 991 - 1032 Venomous Heart

    Chapter 991: Chapter 1032 Venomous Heart"Li An, you... if you dare let them go, I... I won¡¯t stay with you anymore," Wang Xiaohong hurriedly shouted.


    Li An clenched his fists and yelled, "Fine, let¡¯s not stay together! I¡¯ve had enough of you. I didn¡¯t hold it against you for spending money before, always thinking that you were just showing off because you were temporarily living the good life and that you would change for the better eventually. But look at yourself, how much money have you scraped off from Xinyue over the years! Not only are you not grateful, but this time you¡¯ve even done something like this. I¡¯m so disappointed in you."


    "You... you..." Wang Xiaohong was truly stunned for a moment. She had never seen her husband this angry, and his attitude was extremely resolute. Pointing at Li An, her lips trembling, she said, "Fine, fine, Li An, you heartless bastard! I¡¯ve been with you for so many years, and now that I¡¯m in trouble, you want to kick me to the curb? Well, I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s no way in hell that¡¯s happening."


    "Nonsense, when did I say I wanted to kick you to the curb? I can help you pay off the debt, but forcing our daughter to marry Boss Cheng is unacceptable!"


    "You... you... Oh my God!" Wang Xiaohong suddenly sat down on the ground, pounding the floor and bursting into tears, "I can¡¯t live like this, a debt of more than a million, how can I repay it? Just let me die, let me die!"


    Li An, seeing his wife like this, was so angry his face turned ashen. At that moment, he had no time to attend to Wang Xiaohong and hurriedly said to Li Yifei and Li Xinyue, "What are you doing still standing here? Go, quickly!"


    Li Xinyue clutched her father¡¯s hand, choking up, "Dad, don¡¯t be afraid, really, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s really okay."


    "What¡¯s okay? You think just because he can fight, everything will be fine? Boss Cheng knows people from both the underworld and the legal world. He can handle one or two, but what if Boss Cheng brings a bunch? Even if he could win, what if Boss Cheng gets the police involved? Could he still handle it then? That would really lead to a disastrous situation. Child, listen to your dad, leave now. If you live well in the future, Dad will be at peace, and it¡¯ll be a fitting tribute to your departed mom."


    Li Xinyue was even more moved, and in that moment, she forgot her intention to keep Li Yifei out of the spotlight, to avoid their stepmother and brother bothering him. She said excitedly, "Dad, you really don¡¯t need to be afraid. Yifei is amazing. Cheng Yunlong isn¡¯t a problem at all, don¡¯t worry."


    "What kind of amazing? Can he really compare to Boss Cheng? That¡¯s someone who has connections in both the underworld and legitimate circles. Listen to me, leave now. If you don¡¯t, it will be too late."


    Unfortunately, Li An had already made up his mind, and at that moment, no matter what Li Xinyue said, he wouldn¡¯t believe her. He just wanted Li Xinyue and Li Xuehai to leave quickly.


    Wang Xiaohong had never experienced such cold treatment. She declared she wanted to die, yet her husband didn¡¯t come to see about her. While crying, she looked around and sneakily gave her son a meaningful look. Then suddenly, she jumped up and shouted, "Fine, Li An, I¡¯ll die right here for you to see." Saying that, she lowered her head and charged toward the stairs.


    Li Xuehai immediately hugged Wang Xiaohong and cried out convincingly, "Mom, you can¡¯t die! What would I do if you left us? Dad, you have to stop Mom!"


    Wang Xiaohong was really fierce at that moment, not actually seeking death but just trying to scare Li An. She desperately tried to throw herself at the steps.


    Li An was startled too, having never seen his wife so determined. If he didn¡¯t help her now, she might really hurt herself. It could be dangerous. He quickly joined in to help.


    Wang Xiaohong had successfully attracted Li An¡¯s attention, but she kept struggling and said, "I can¡¯t live like this anymore. Just let me die."


    While there was chaos on one side, the sound of a car suddenly came from the doorway. A large group of men, all in their twenties and thirties, holding weapons, marched in menacingly, surrounding Cheng Yunlong as he entered.


    So many people rushing in and Li An was instantly dumbfounded; his daughter was not going to be able to escape now.


    Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai were secretly pleased at this moment, convinced that Cheng Yunlong would definitely give that damned kid a severe beating, maybe even kill him. Then, once Li Yifei pleaded for mercy, they would pitch in to help, and the deed would be done.


    "Boss, is it this guy?" The man at the forefront pointed at Li Yifei with his iron rod and shouted.


    Cheng Yunlong said viciously, "That¡¯s him."


    The men were about to rush forward, and even though Li An was so scared his legs were wobbly, he turned to shield Li Xinyue, smiling nervously, stammered, "Boss Cheng, Boss Cheng, let¡¯s talk this over, we can talk this over..."


    Wang Xiaohong, who had been sitting on the ground, suddenly sprang up with unexpected agility and, together with her son, ducked behind the door, poking her head out to shout, "This has nothing to do with us; it¡¯s all that kid¡¯s fault."


    Li Xuehai also called out, "Boss Cheng, we stopped the kid for you, otherwise he would have run off."


    One was kicking someone when they were down, the other eagerly trying to please; their despicable nature was clear for all to see.


    Li An had always harbored illusions about his wife and son, dreaming that one day they would care less about money and live a good life with him. But at this moment, he truly understood that although husband and wife are like birds sharing the same forest, they fly separately in times of disaster. His wife stayed with him solely relying on the aid from Li Xinyue. She had no real affection for him at all, and though the son was his own flesh and blood, the boy was just as hopeless as his mother.


    This realization left him utterly disappointed, and with that disappointment, he found himself devoid of any affection for Wang Xiaohong. No longer holding any reservations, he turned to Cheng Yunlong and said, "Boss Cheng, I¡¯ll sell this house to pay you back. Please show some mercy and let them go."


    Cheng Yunlong snorted coldly, "Let them go? How naive. This kid dared to hit me. If I don¡¯t break his legs today, how can I continue to hold my head up in Lighthouse Town?" He then looked towards Li Xinyue, evidently harboring the same thoughts as Wang Xiaohong, considering using Li Yifei as a bargaining chip to coerce Li Xinyue into agreeing to his terms.


    At that moment, Li Xinyue¡¯s face did show a trace of panic. Although she knew Li Yifei was formidable, the men that had burst in numbered thirty, all burly and strong. Even a good tiger couldn¡¯t stand against a pack of wolves, and if a fight truly broke out, she wasn¡¯t certain if Li Yifei could handle it.


    "Xinyue, you¡¯d better step aside; I don¡¯t want to hurt you," Cheng Yunlong said, pretending to show some chivalry.


    Wang Xiaohong saw that Boss Cheng didn¡¯t seem to be doing what she had expected and yelled from inside the room, "Xinyue, quickly beg for mercy from Boss Cheng. Only you can make him let Yifei go." She was also reminding Boss Cheng to hurry and threaten Xinyue with Li Yifei.


    Cheng Yunlong actually appreciated Wang Xiaohong¡¯s insight, saying, "Xinyue, what do you say? Do you want him dead or alive?"


    Li Xinyue had been quite flustered at first, but a squeeze of her hand by Li Yifei had calmed her down instantly. She smiled slightly and said, "Of course he will live."


    Cheng Yunlong¡¯s eyes narrowed, "But this guy just hit me. Do you think just by saying that, I am supposed to let him off? Doesn¡¯t seem quite right, does it?"


    "What would you like then?" Li Xinyue asked, still unaffected.


    "You¡¯re a smart woman, aren¡¯t you, Xinyue? Do I really need to spell it out for you?" Cheng Yunlong smirked, his attraction to the increasingly beautiful sight of Li Xinyue making him feel elated.


    Li Xinyue feigned ignorance, "Sadly, I just don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say." Facing off against thirty or so men and still toying with their leader, Li Xinyue felt a strong sense of excitement and accomplishment.


    Now Wang Xiaohong was frantic, clamoring from behind, "Xinyue, what Boss Cheng means is that if you marry him, he¡¯ll let the kid go. I think you should just agree quickly, otherwise, if Boss Cheng gets unhappy, he might just kill that kid and feed him to the fishes."


    At this point, Li An was truly and thoroughly disenchanted. Wang Xiaohong, at a time like this, was still thinking of forcing her daughter to marry Cheng Yunlong, showing not the slightest inclination to weather the storm together as a family. What good was such a wife to him?


    Cheng Yunlong laughed proudly, "Xinyue, let¡¯s be clear then. I¡¯ve liked you for more than a day or two, and you¡¯re well aware of it. Just agree to marry me, and I¡¯ll forget all about the past. As for this little guy, I can let him go too. From now on, what¡¯s mine is yours, and I will treat you well. What do you say?"


    Li Xinyue shook her head, "But I don¡¯t like you. You¡¯re so old, with such a round belly, and not to mention ugly. Just looking at you makes me uncomfortable. The mere thought of it... makes me sick. So what should we do?"


    Listening, Cheng Yunlong¡¯s face grew more and more unsightly, turning blue with anger by the time Li Xinyue finished speaking. "Xinyue, I am truly sincere towards you. It¡¯s out of respect for you that I haven¡¯t laid a hand on this guy yet. Do you really want to watch him die at my hands?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Xinyue smiled faintly, "Go ahead then, do as you please. But don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. You can still walk away now, but if you truly anger my husband, you won¡¯t end well."


    Cheng Yunlong examined Li Yifei once again, feeling that there was nothing special about him, especially his plain clothes, which convinced him that Li Yifei was no one important. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "First, take this kid down." To make Li Xinyue comply, the only option was to beat Li Yifei until she could no longer bear to see his piteous state and would have to agree.

 Chapter 992 - 1333 This is the Real Boss

    Chapter 992: Chapter 1333 This is the Real BossWang Xiaohong felt jubilant as she saw Cheng Yunlong and his men charging over. It was all because of this boy¡¯s appearance that her plan got spoiled. Otherwise, they would have already forced Li Xinyue to marry Cheng Yunlong. Now she just wanted to see Li Yifei get beaten badly and, in his half-dead state, witness Li Xinyue crying and begging before eventually agreeing to marry Cheng Yunlong.


    As beautiful as wishes are, reality is always so cruel. Just as Cheng Yunlong and his men had rushed in, some people unexpectedly leapt over the courtyard wall. Everyone thought they were Cheng Yunlong¡¯s men and didn¡¯t pay them any mind.


    But very soon, everyone realized there was something different about these newcomers. They directly approached Li Yifei and Li Xinyue and began fighting with the people Cheng Yunlong had brought with him.


    Cheng Yunlong had over thirty people with him, while only four had arrived later. This should have been a gang beating, but amongst so many, these four were like tigers entering a flock of sheep, fighting with fists and feet, shoulders and knees, each strike knocking someone down. In less than a few minutes, those four had downed all thirty people, leaving only Cheng Yunlong standing there.


    Li An was dumbfounded, so were Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai, and even Cheng Yunlong was dumbfounded at this point. This situation completely exceeded their understanding, completely surpassed their imaginations. Four men against more than thirty, and in such a short time all thirty were incapacitated. Hearing the groaning and gasping sounds from the ground, one could tell each one was seriously injured.


    "Boss!" After finishing the fight, the four men greeted Li Yifei and then stood behind him. For them, dealing with these ordinary folks didn¡¯t bring any sense of achievement.


    Li Xinyue was also dumbstruck; she had thought Li Yifei would personally take action, never expecting four men to suddenly appear, and clearly, these men were Li Yifei¡¯s subordinates. This was her first time seeing Li Yifei¡¯s people in action.


    "Boss... boss..." Cheng Yunlong wailed internally. With such a title and such formidable subordinates, how could this guy in front of him be an ordinary person? Remembering what he had overlooked a moment ago also suddenly came back to him.


    Li Xinyue, an emcee of her stature, how could an ordinary person attract her attention? The way he faced him, completely calm and aloof, not even regarding him seriously, he hadn¡¯t noticed before. This showed the man was someone capable, and here he had been treating him like an idiotic young man, when he was the real fool.


    "Boss... boss..." Cheng Yunlong swallowed hard, struggling to utter a few words, then with a smile attempting to approach, stuttered, "I truly didn¡¯t recognize Mount Tai. I didn¡¯t know... where does Boss hang out?"


    Li Yifei said indifferently, "You still don¡¯t deserve to know who I am."


    Cheng Yunlong had intended to probe for more details, but the arrogant retort discouraged him instantly, awkwardly saying, "Yes, yes, it¡¯s all my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have thought about... taking advantage of your wife. I won¡¯t dare again, I¡¯m leaving right away, right away." Saying this, he wanted to slip away, not wishing to be knocked to the ground like his underlings.


    Li Yifei snorted, "Leaving just like that?"


    Cheng Yunlong paused, his facial skin twitched as he grimaced, "Does Boss have any other orders?"


    Li Yifei snorted again, "Where¡¯s the IOU?"


    Cheng Yunlong hurriedly pulled out the IOU from his pocket, scampering over to Li Yifei, "Boss, here¡¯s the IOU for you. Consider this debt canceled."


    This 1.2 million was originally a trap he had set, loaned to Wang Xiaohong and then returned to his hands, so he really hadn¡¯t lost anything.


    Li Yifei took the IOU, handed it casually to Li Xinyue, and said, "Scram."


    Cheng Yunlong quickly nodded and bowed, retreating two steps before turning and running out of the courtyard. Those underlings were also gritting their teeth and getting up, leaving swiftly, and Li Yifei¡¯s four men also departed immediately.


    The courtyard was left unusually quiet with only Li Xinyue¡¯s family remaining, but Li An, Wang Xiaohong, and Li Xuehai were all staring at Li Yifei as if looking at a monster.


    "Xinyue, this... this..." Li An stammered, glancing at Li Xinyue and peeking at Li Yifei, his eyes filled with awe.


    Li Xinyue smiled slightly, "Dad, I told you, with my husband here, that Cheng Yunlong can¡¯t do much."


    "Yes, yes..." Li An gave a dry laugh, appearing uneasy in front of Li Yifei, also feeling secretly apprehensive. Li Yifei turned out to be a big boss, possibly involved in some shady dealings. Although young, having his daughter with such a person made him feel uneasy.


    Li Xinyue took her father¡¯s hand, softly saying, "Dad, don¡¯t be scared, Yifei is not a bad person. Only bad people are afraid of him."


    "Is he a police officer?"


    Li Xinyue snorted with laughter, "No, but even the police wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with him, so rest assured."


    "Oh, that sounds impressive," Li An muttered dubiously, but he still had no clue what exactly Yifei did for a living, and he was too afraid to ask.


    It was only now that Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai seemed to recover from their shock. They exchanged looks of astonishment as they had never expected the despised Yifei to be so formidable that even a big shot like Boss Cheng had run off, and even settled a debt of over a million just like that. It was incredible.


    "Go and cozy up to your brother-in-law," Wang Xiaohong nudged her son, knowing she had already deeply offended both Li Xinyue and Yifei. At this point, her intervening would likely only worsen things. Besides, Xuehai was Xinyue¡¯s brother by blood, she wouldn¡¯t really harm him, so it was best for Xuehai to step forward now.


    Li Xuehai quickly trotted over to Yifei with an ingratiating smile, "Brother-in-law, you were really cool just now, I really admire you."


    Yifei frowned; he had always despised such fickle and insincere people. Xinyue¡¯s face also darkened, "Weren¡¯t you trying to drive him away just earlier?"


    Li Xuehai, thick-skinned as ever, chuckled, "Sis, don¡¯t be mad at me. I was just thinking of your best interest, hoping you¡¯d marry well. I didn¡¯t know our brother-in-law was so capable; if I had known, I would¡¯ve agreed much earlier."


    Li Xinyue sniffed, "Please, look after yourself first before attempting to interfere with me."


    "Right, right, sis, brother-in-law, I¡¯ll listen to you from now on. Brother-in-law, were those people earlier all your subordinates? I heard them calling you ¡¯boss.¡¯"


    Yifei ignored Xuehai and instead said to Xinyue, "Xinyue, everything has been sorted. Let¡¯s head back."


    Xinyue nodded, "Okay, let¡¯s go home." Then, she turned to her father, "Dad, we¡¯re heading back. About the household..." She hesitated, truly wanting her father to divorce this woman after Wang Xiaohong had overstepped her bounds grotesquely. She would rather take care of her father herself, but recalling that her father and stepmother had spent over twenty years together, and she had a brother, she couldn¡¯t just force her father to make this decision.


    Li An quickly said, "Then you guys head back." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Yifei and Xinyue about to leave, Wang Xiaohong couldn¡¯t keep calm anymore and hurried over with a smile, "Xinyue, you brought your boyfriend here for the first time, how can you rush off like this? You must at least stay for a meal. Old Li, go buy some groceries quickly. We need to properly host our new son-in-law. No, wait, Old Li, you stay and chat with the kids. Xuehai, go buy the groceries, and get the good stuff."


    Yifei looked at this woman in disgust. A woman may be vain, greedy, and have all sorts of minor flaws, but someone like Wang Xiaohong repulsed Yifei to the point where he couldn¡¯t even bear to glance at her.


    Xinyue, feeling Yifei¡¯s impatience, ignored Wang Xiaohong and told her father, "Dad, I¡¯ll be going first. If you¡¯re ever unhappy, just come into the city. I¡¯ll take care of you."


    Yifei also nodded, "I am very clear about my gratitude and resentments. If you consider what¡¯s best for Xinyue, then I will respect you as Xinyue does. But if anyone tries to bully her, I will show no mercy, no matter who it is." He glanced at Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai as he spoke.


    Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai felt a sudden throb in their hearts out of fear from Yifei¡¯s gaze. Wang Xiaohong frantically signaled her husband with her eyes, but Li An ignored her completely, escorting Yifei and Xinyue out of the yard, watching them get into the car and drive away before heading back inside.


    Wang Xiaohong approached, complaining, "You, why didn¡¯t you make Xinyue and her partner stay? It was their first visit, and you let them leave like that. Isn¡¯t that rude of us?"


    "You¡¯re aware of being rude now?" Li An retorted irritably.


    Wang Xiaohong¡¯s anger flared up as she snapped, "Li An, what are you implying?"


    Li An coldly scoffed, "I mean nothing more than telling you, there has to be a limit in behavior. You¡¯ve crossed my line."


    Wang Xiaohong, who had never seen her husband speak to her like this, nearly threw a tantrum, but suddenly realizing a grave issue¡ªif she pushed Li An too far and he truly divorced her, she would lose everything¡ªshe dared not unleash her temper anymore.

 Chapter 993 - 1034: Decided by Drawing Lots

    Chapter 993: Chapter 1034: Decided by Drawing Lots"Ah..." Li Xinyue suddenly sighed while driving.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "What¡¯s wrong? Are you worried about your dad?"


    "It¡¯s not worry, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m moved. All these years, my dad has always asked me for money. Although I know he didn¡¯t want to, he also listened to my stepmom. I really didn¡¯t expect that today, on this matter, my dad would be so firm, thinking so much about me."


    "He is your biological father. Perhaps for the sake of the family, he had to compromise. But when it really involved a major issue in your life, he still did what he should have done. I¡¯m really relieved for you. Yiyi¡¯s father even thought about selling Yiyi before. Compared to Yiyi, you¡¯re still very fortunate."


    "Ah, that¡¯s another matter. Poor Yiyi."


    "Yes, so when I see your father like that, I feel you should help him. But... your stepmom is really something. I¡¯ve had the urge to slap her."


    Li Xinyue sighed and said, "I¡¯m annoyed by her too. If it weren¡¯t for Xuehai, I really would want my dad to divorce her. But Xuehai is my dad¡¯s son, after all. I guess I¡¯ll still have to compromise with Wang Xiaohong and keep things the same."


    "That¡¯s also okay, but we still need to do something, which is to let your dad live with dignity. We can¡¯t let that Wang Xiaohong boss everyone around at home."


    Li Xinyue forced a smile and said, "I would like that too, but my dad is so timid. We can¡¯t go and argue with Wang Xiaohong, right? Even if we suppress her in the moment, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll make my dad suffer later."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Everyone has weaknesses. Wang Xiaohong must have her weak points too. As long as we grasp those, she can¡¯t help but comply. She bullies your dad, and your dad¡¯s timidity is also a reason. Just let your dad hold his head high and have a say at home, then Wang Xiaohong will have to behave."


    "What do you suggest we do?" Li Xinyue suddenly perked up.


    "Hehe, it¡¯s actually quite simple. First, you need to stand up for yourself. Make Wang Xiaohong realize that if she¡¯s bad to your dad, you will not give her a penny. If she does something excessive at home, you won¡¯t deal with her either."


    "What if she really mistreats my dad?" asked Li Xinyue, somewhat worried.


    "That¡¯s your problem. Wang Xiaohong clearly grasps this weakness of yours. As soon as your dad suffers, you give your dad money, and then she can go spend it. You just need to make her realize that this idea won¡¯t work. That¡¯s when she¡¯ll change."


    "Oh... Now that you mention it, it seems I¡¯ve really spoiled her."


    "Exactly. That¡¯s how people are. If you¡¯re weak, others will bully you. If you¡¯re not weak and others feel they can¡¯t bully you, then how can they bully you anymore? And if they still think about getting advantages from you, they¡¯ll have to come and try to please you, make you happy."


    "Would they come and cause trouble for us?"


    "Sure, if they dare to cause trouble, I¡¯ll throw them out. I¡¯ll be fiercer than Boss Cheng. Evil needs to be faced with evil, and I don¡¯t mind being that person."


    Li Xinyue nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you, my husband. I¡¯ve really been tired all these years because of my dad."


    "From now on, you won¡¯t be tired anymore. If you have to be tired, I¡¯d rather you be tired in bed."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s face turned red, and she suddenly turned the car onto a small road next to them, a secluded cornfield, then hit the brakes. Turning, she looked affectionately at Li Yifei and said, "Husband, make me tired now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart fluttered, and he smiled, "I like this kind of work."


    The couple weren¡¯t new to having sex in the car, and they started doing so again with ease, but this time, Li Xinyue only lasted a short while before stopping, even before Li Yifei had finished.


    "I¡¯m tired now, no more playing," Li Xinyue got off of Li Yifei and began to get dressed.


    "Hey, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit irresponsible?" Li Yifei stared with wide eyes.


    Li Xinyue pressed her lips together in a smile and said, "I can¡¯t do it anymore, now I know everyone takes turns every evening. I can¡¯t sneak in during the day and then lessen the fun for the sisters at night."


    "No way? You¡¯re still teasing me, this is just inhumane," Li Yifei said with frustrated eyes rolling.


    Li Xinyue playfully blinked and added, "Honey, since I¡¯ve entered this family, I can¡¯t break the rules. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to get along well. Even if no one monitors us, we should govern ourselves."


    Li Yifei admitted Li Xinyue made sense, but despite her reluctance that stirred his anger, he slapped her buttock and pretended to scold, "You are getting naughtier by the day."


    Li Xinyue let out a soft cry and flirtatiously said, "Then, when it¡¯s my turn, I¡¯ll let my husband punish me however he wants."


    Li Yifei, appreciating Li Xinyue¡¯s understanding, didn¡¯t press on further. With many people in the house, good rules were essential to avoid issues. If everyone was like Li Xinyue, it would indeed be great. He then praised, "Xinyue, it¡¯s great that you think this way. Now I won¡¯t fear any conflicts among you ladies."


    Li Xinyue chuckled softly and explained, "The main issue between women is just jealousy and envy. I see that no one here has an extremely problematic personality or selfishness. If you treat everyone equally, there naturally won¡¯t be any conflicts."


    Li Yifei nodded, content with the situation. The girls at home were quite considerate, and with capable managers like Su Mengxin, Ye Yunzhu, and Xu Yingying, he wasn¡¯t worried about managing the household. Of course, he himself needed to lead by example, not overly favor Su Yiyi anymore or be excessively kind to Xu Yingying just because she was the legitimate wife.


    When Li Yifei returned home, it was just in time for dinner. With a nanny around, Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to cook as often.


    At the dinner table, nobody asked how Li Xinyue had handled things during the day until after the meal was finished. Li Xinyue briefly explained, and the matter seemed trivial to them, though they were obviously pleased for Li Xinyue; having fewer troubles at home always made for a happier atmosphere.


    Song Lianyao was especially happy for Li Xinyue, having witnessed firsthand how distressed she had been over the years due to family issues.


    On this particularly full-house evening, even Lin Qiong had come home. After Little Yifei and Little Shuxiang had gone to bed and the nanny had returned to her room, Xu Shanshan and Su Mengfei were sent away, prompting the family to finally bring an important issue to the table.


    Xu Yingying cleared her throat and said, "With everyone here tonight, it¡¯s the perfect time to discuss arrangements concerning time spent with Yifei. Although it¡¯s a bit awkward, it¡¯s very important for maintaining true harmony in our home, so we can¡¯t ignore it. Even though we¡¯ve discussed this before, not everyone was present, and the execution was never solid. So, let¡¯s sort it out properly today. Once decided, it cannot be changed."


    After a pause, and looking around, Xu Yingying shared, "Here¡¯s my initial thought¡ªwe¡¯re twelve people in total, and ideally spending one day with each person is good, but that would mean the time is too spread out. So maybe two people a day with Yifei would be better, and then have one day for Yifei to rest. It¡¯s not right for a man to be merry every night. As for who pairs up with him daily, I think we should set a schedule for that."


    There was a moment of silence before Ye Yunzhu spoke up, "A complete fixed schedule won¡¯t work. Seeing Yifei only once a week is already quite infrequent. If someone¡¯s schedule clashes with personal issues, it could be very frustrating."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and said, "That¡¯s true. Maybe we should set fixed times, but allow for swaps among ourselves. Also, pairing up the same two people consistently isn¡¯t good either, as they might grow too close and potentially form cliques. We are all equals in this household, and I hope we can continue treating each other like sisters. Even if disputes arise, they should be faced openly without forming factions which could turn small issues into big conflicts." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "How about we draw lots on weekends? We could have twelve lots, two for each day, and swap if needed to prevent any fixed pairings. Hehe, wouldn¡¯t that be fun?"


    Ye Yunzhu quickly agreed, "Xiaoyao, that¡¯s not a bad idea. It could really avoid many problems. I support this."


    Xu Yingying added, "I think it¡¯s pretty good too."


    Everyone soon voiced their agreement, which made Chu Xiaoyao a bit embarrassed, sticking out her tongue and saying, "I was just tossing the idea around. It¡¯s kind of like drawing lots in ancient times, and yet you all agreed?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed, "It is indeed a good idea. Of course, we¡¯d all agree."


    Chu Xiaoyao felt her spirits lift all at once. In this family, aside from creating chaos, she hadn¡¯t felt much presence. But now, she quickly found her worth, realizing that even her whims could be worthwhile.

 Chapter 994 - 1036: Meng Xiaofei Returns

    Chapter 994: Chapter 1036: Meng Xiaofei Returns"But... I¡¯m at a disadvantage like this, since I¡¯m not here. Can I get a special privilege, and keep Saturday for myself?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly remembered she still had school to attend. The others could schedule their time at home every day, but she couldn¡¯t, so she quickly made a request.


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "No problem. Otherwise, we¡¯d be bullying you."


    Chu Xiaoyao cheered immediately, then, rubbing her hands together, said, "Let¡¯s see who¡¯s left for today. Let¡¯s draw now, hehe, this is definitely going to be fun."


    Everyone was full of excitement at this moment. It was the first time this policy had been implemented, so it was a novelty for everyone. Soon they prepared eleven slips, two for each day from Monday to Friday, and then only one for Saturday. Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t need to draw one; she temporarily had a special privilege because she was attending university.


    The most thrilled were Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao. This result meant they would truly integrate with the other sisters here. Unlike before, when the two of them were only with Li Yifei but had little contact with the rest.


    Whereas Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were always playful, even accompanying their husband now seemed novel. It was particularly fun for them and also signified that they would soon truly be with Li Yifei.


    Lin Qiong had always been quite assertive, but after spending time with everyone recently, she felt that everyone was nice and nobody was competing for anything. This influenced her, so she no longer had the same combative attitude as before. However, when she was alone with Li Yifei, she would still be somewhat petulant.


    They placed the written slips on the table, and then everyone started drawing.


    "Hehe, I got Tuesday," Ning Xin¡¯er drew first.


    Then Xu Yingying drew one and said, "Oh dear, I got Monday. I need to trade, I¡¯ve got my period."


    Next, everyone took turns drawing. Chu Xiaoyao was giggling as she watched until she found the Saturday slip with Song Lianyao.


    "Oh yeah, found a partner," Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed excitedly.


    And Song Lianyao was both shocked and delighted. For her, it was an unexpected joy. On her first day in Li Yifei¡¯s house, she got to be with Li Yifei.


    After everyone had drawn their slips and found their partners, and since almost all were with people they hadn¡¯t been with before, they were inevitably a little more excited.


    Before, when two people were with Li Yifei, it would feel awkward for everyone. But as the whole family settled in, with so many people, it was not possible to be alone with Li Yifei anymore. So it became very normal for two people to be with Li Yifei. Usually, everyone was with someone they were familiar with, like Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi. Now, they had to get to know everyone, and with a change of people, they would find some novelty. They were also curious to see how the rest behaved when in bed with Li Yifei.


    He Fangqing then smiled and said, "Alright, it¡¯s getting late. Xiaoyao, Lianyao, the joys of spring are priceless. Aren¡¯t you wasting time hanging out here?"


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly, saying, "Right, right, uncle, let¡¯s hurry up. I need you to take my virginity tonight."


    The room burst into laughter. They admired Li Yifei for holding back and not going all the way with Chu Xiaoyao, a virgin. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were a bit surprised at this. They had not expected there to be another virgin like them in this house, especially the open and bold Chu Xiaoyao; it was really hard to comprehend.


    Meanwhile, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao felt somewhat uncomfortable because they were no longer virgins when they were with Li Yifei. Judging by the reactions of the others, it was clear that their first times had been with Li Yifei, making them feel instantly inferior.


    Others didn¡¯t notice Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao, but Li Yifei did. He didn¡¯t say anything but took Chu Xiaoyao and Song Lianyao by the hand, saying, "Let¡¯s go rest."


    Amid the teasing of others, Li Yifei led the two out, then they arrived at the home he and Xu Yingying had shared before.


    Chu Xiaoyao was quite familiar with this house, having lived here for quite a while before. She walked in, giggling, and said, "Uncle, I¡¯m going to take a shower first. I¡¯m going to really enjoy myself tonight." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Go ahead, tonight I won¡¯t be holding back."


    "Oh yeah! Uncle, you¡¯ve finally agreed," Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei¡¯s neck, gave him a big kiss on the face, and then joyfully ran off to the bathroom.


    Now Li Yifei sat down on the sofa with Song Lianyao, gently asking, "Is it a bit uncomfortable with someone else?"


    Song Lianyao bit her lip and said softly, "I... I wasn¡¯t a virgin when I was with you. You won¡¯t despise me, will you?"


    Li Yifei laughed softly, saying, "When I was with you, I wasn¡¯t a virgin either. It seems you haven¡¯t despised me."


    Song Lianyao hurriedly said, "It¡¯s different for a man. A man not being a virgin isn¡¯t a big deal, but for a woman... that makes her unclean."

 Chapter 995 - 1036: Meng Xiaofei Returns_2

    Chapter 995: Chapter 1036: Meng Xiaofei Returns_2Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Song Lianyao¡¯s shoulder, gently stroking her long hair as he softly said, "Society nowadays is not what it used to be. I¡¯ve never had a fixation on virginity. Even Fang Qing has been divorced, yet I treated her well all the same. I don¡¯t care about your pasts, what I care about is whether you¡¯re good to me now, whether you truly want to face all kinds of difficulties with me. You¡¯re not trying to run away now, are you?"


    "No! Of course not!" Song Lianyao shook her head repeatedly.


    "There you have it, as long as you don¡¯t have such thoughts, then don¡¯t ever mention whether you are a virgin or not again, or else I might really get upset."


    Song Lianyao saw sincerity in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes, which made a rock in her heart finally fall. She pursed her lips and softly said, "Husband, I truly love you. In this lifetime, as long as you don¡¯t despise me, I will always follow you."


    The feeling of being brought into the family home was incomparable, and Song Lianyao would never have thought this way before. Whenever Li Yifei could come over to her and Li Xinyue¡¯s place, they both couldn¡¯t wait to be with him every single moment, cherishing every second of his time. But now things were different; she could live in Li Yifei¡¯s house every day, see him every day, and she had to consider Li Yifei¡¯s health.


    With that said, Chu Xiaoyao stopped making a fuss. She was already very content, and after snuggling in bed for a while longer, they dressed and got up, joining everyone else together. Chu Xiaoyao felt no embarrassment, quite the opposite, she was proud and lively without being reserved.


    Naturally, this led everyone to tease her good-naturedly, but it was all in friendly jest, and Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t take it to heart. Instead, she went on to talk about what happened the night before.


    Xu Shanshan immediately glared and said, "Xiaoyao, have you no limit? Please be mindful, Mengfei and Little Yifei are here, you shouldn¡¯t corrupt the child¡¯s pure mind."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, I got too carried away. I¡¯ll be careful in the future. When you¡¯re not here, that¡¯s when I¡¯ll boast."


    After eating, everyone sat in the living room for a while before getting busy with their own things. In this family, most people had their own matters to attend to, so it wasn¡¯t always everyone revolving around Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi was tidying up the things on the coffee table. Even with a housekeeper, Su Yiyi, a diligent girl, still liked to take care of the home herself. Her phone suddenly rang.


    Su Yiyi hurriedly grabbed the phone and saw that it was her high school classmate An Zhen from the hospital calling. She immediately answered with a smile, "An Zhen, this is Su Yiyi."


    "Yiyi, do you have time today?" An Zhen asked from the other end.


    "Yes, I do, what¡¯s up?"


    "I¡¯ve arranged a gathering with some high school classmates. Let¡¯s meet up, hehe, it¡¯s all girls, so don¡¯t let your boyfriend worry."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s cheeks turned red. Even though she had been with Li Yifei for so long, and even in bed with other women, she couldn¡¯t change her naturally shy disposition, and she softly replied, "My boyfriend isn¡¯t the type to be worried about me."


    "That¡¯s great, then come over. We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. It¡¯ll be nice to catch up."


    "Sure, what time, and where should I go?"


    "How about you come out early? We¡¯re planning to do some shopping first, and then we¡¯ll go out for dinner and maybe some karaoke."


    Su Yiyi readily agreed, hung up, and turned to Li Yifei, "Husband, An Zhen from the hospital, the high school classmate I met, has asked me out for a get-together."


    "Silly girl, if you want to go out and have fun, just go. Don¡¯t always think about tying yourself to me. Oh, and take some money with you. We might not be flashy, but when meeting classmates, it¡¯s important to be generous when the time comes."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and said, "I know."


    "Do you want me to drive you there?"


    "No need, I can go by myself."


    "Hmm, then I¡¯ll have someone follow you just in case of any unexpected incidents." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No need, just some female classmates, and someone¡¯s with them, so I actually stand out as quite the odd one."


    Li Yifei thought so too and didn¡¯t say any more. Su Yiyi tidied up and came out in a white dress, upon which Li Yifei immediately praised, "Yiyi, you look beautiful in that dress."


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s compliment, Su Yiyi was even happier. Her clothing in the past half-year was no longer as ordinary as before. Not that she wanted to live in luxury, but everyone at home was wealthy. When buying things, they obviously chose the best, and even if Su Yiyi didn¡¯t want to¡ªwhen going out with the group¡ªthey would decide for her. Thus, her clothes now looked simple and were not extravagant, but each outfit was quite valuable.


    And indeed, everyone naturally took care of Su Yiyi, because she never fought or scrambled for things, instead always yielding to others. Moreover, when it came to household chores, she was always eager to help, and there was never a time when she refused a request for help. It could be said that the atmosphere of mutual concession at home was significantly influenced by Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi said, "Well then, I¡¯m off," and then began to change her shoes to leave, but at that moment, the door was opened from the outside, startling her.


    It was Meng Xiaofei who entered, dragging a suitcase, and said, "Yiyi, are you going out?"


    "Yeah, Sister Xiaofei, you¡¯re back."


    Meng Xiaofei nodded and replied, "Finally back."


    "Eh, Sister Xiaofei, are you tired?" Su Yiyi, ever attentive, immediately noticed the difference in Meng Xiaofei that day: usually, she was always energetic except when sleeping, but today she looked utterly fatigued.


    "It¡¯s nothing, I just haven¡¯t slept well these past few days," Meng Xiaofei said, yawning. "I won¡¯t keep you any longer, I need to go catch up on some sleep."


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t press further and after saying goodbye to everyone, she left.


    Meng Xiaofei kicked off her black high heels and tossed the suitcase beside the door. Upon entering, she nudged Li Yifei, who was closest to her, before squishing beside him on the couch, saying, "Move over, let me rest a bit, I¡¯m dead tired."


    Li Yifei shuffled to the side to give Meng Xiaofei more space and asked, "What happened to you? Why are you this tired?"


    "Ah, it¡¯s nothing, just that a friend had an accident and passed away. I was busy with that, so I haven¡¯t been sleeping well," she said, twisting her body and throwing her feet onto Li Yifei¡¯s legs. "Brother Li, could you give my feet a rub? They¡¯re killing me."


    This gesture used to be Xu Shanshan¡¯s domain, but since living here, Meng Xiaofei occasionally joined in, and everyone had grown accustomed to it. So even in front of everyone else, she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed.


    Li Yifei naturally took her foot. Although Meng Xiaofei¡¯s foot didn¡¯t feel as soft and pleasant as Xu Shanshan¡¯s, that was because Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet were exceptional, while Meng Xiaofei¡¯s were also outstanding, so the feeling was still pretty nice.


    At this moment, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, Li Xinyue, and Song Lianyao all watched Meng Xiaofei with curiosity. Weren¡¯t they told that all twelve household members were present? Where did this stewardess-uniform-clad, **** beauty come from?


    Xiao Ling¡¯er couldn¡¯t keep things to herself and whispered to Ning Xin¡¯er, sitting beside her, "Sister Xin¡¯er, who is this..."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled and replied, "This is Meng Xiaofei, an unusual member of our family. She¡¯s considered our husband¡¯s sister."


    "Sister... not a real one, right?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s grin widened, "Of course not, she¡¯s not related by blood at all."


    "Then..." Xiao Ling¡¯er looked even more bewildered. Since there was no blood relation, she was essentially a foster sister. But a foster sister being this intimate with Li Yifei, casually throwing her legs and feet onto his, and due to lifting her legs, even revealing a hint of what lay beneath the short skirt of her stewardess uniform, without seeming to mind¡ªwas this really sisterly behavior? It seemed more appropriate for a lover.


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled softly, "We think that this ¡¯sister¡¯ will sooner or later become one of our ¡¯sisters.¡¯ But since she doesn¡¯t think about these things now, we might as well turn a blind eye."

 Chapter 996 - 1037: A Formidable Enemy Arrives

    Chapter 996: Chapter 1037: A Formidable Enemy Arrives"Hey, Brother Li, why are there more people in the house?" Meng Xiaofei only just noticed Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others, then chuckled and said, "I get it now, these must be the ones you mentioned last time, and now they¡¯re all in the house."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯re really slow on the uptake. Let me introduce you, this is Xiao Ling¡¯er, this is Zheng Yuling, this is Li Xinyue, and this is Song Lianyao."


    The four of them all greeted Meng Xiaofei with smiles, while she casually waved her hand and said, "Ladies, I¡¯m not going to get up, I¡¯m really too tired. I¡¯ll have a good chat with you four later. Brother Li, my legs too, they¡¯re killing me."


    Li Yifei slid his hand along Meng Xiaofei¡¯s flesh-colored stockings to her calf and kneaded it a few times, saying, "You really should sneak some time to rest, you¡¯re exhausted."


    "Stop nagging, worse than my mom. I¡¯m going to catch some shut-eye, don¡¯t stop," Meng Xiaofei said as she closed her eyes, and in less than two minutes, the girl actually fell asleep, obviously very tired.


    Ning Xin¡¯er then said, "You should take Xiaoyao to the room."


    Li Yifei also felt it wasn¡¯t right for Meng Xiaofei to sleep here, making everyone afraid to speak loudly, so he picked her up and carried her to the room.


    After placing Meng Xiaofei on the bed, just as Li Yifei was about to get up, she suddenly flailed her arms and yelled, "No! I won¡¯t agree, I resolutely won¡¯t agree, I absolutely won¡¯t do it."


    Li Yifei was startled, but seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes still shut tight, he realized she must be talking in her sleep. He had no idea what she was dreaming about, but it seemed like a bad dream. He quickly patted her shoulder gently, saying, "Xiaofei, don¡¯t be scared, no one can force you to do anything, and if someone tries, Brother Li will help you."


    Meng Xiaofei moved slightly, then gradually calmed down, her furrowed brows smoothing out. Li Yifei started to withdraw his hand, planning to leave, but seeing her still in her flight attendant uniform, he hesitated and decided to take it off her.


    He knew Meng Xiaofei well; she mostly slept naked, and wearing so much would be uncomfortable for her. He¡¯d seen her body countless times before, so it wasn¡¯t going to make much difference this time. He reached under her neck, lifted Meng Xiaofei¡¯s upper body, and with his other hand, he unbuttoned her flight attendant uniform, easily removing her outerwear. Beneath the uniform was just her underwear, which Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother to remove.


    After laying her down, just as Li Yifei was about to pull his arm away, Meng Xiaofei suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. Caught off guard, he fell on top of her, landing on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s ample chest.


    Li Yifei was startled. What was Meng Xiaofei up to?


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so good to me, I would never betray you, absolutely not," Meng Xiaofei mumbled.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin, clearly, Meng Xiaofei was still dreaming. He stroked her hair and whispered soothingly, "Brother Li knows, now go ahead and sleep well."


    Meng Xiaofei slowly released Li Yifei¡¯s neck, and he finally sat up. Then he also removed her skirt, leaving her stockings and underwear as they were.


    He pulled up the blanket to cover Meng Xiaofei and then walked out of the room, where he was greeted by Ning Xin¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao both wearing mischievous grins.


    Chu Xiaoyao teased, "Uncle, you¡¯re so naughty, taking advantage of Sister Xiaofei while she¡¯s asleep, undressing her, and even lying on top of her."


    Li Yifei closed the bedroom door and tapped Chu Xiaoyao on the head, retorting, "What advantage did I take? Can anyone really sleep comfortably in their clothes?"


    Rubbing her head, Chu Xiaoyao playfully said, "Sister Xiaofei is a girl, not your wife. You can undress me anytime, but undressing Sister Xiaofei? Aren¡¯t you just trying to take advantage?"


    "Stop talking nonsense. If I wanted to take advantage, I could do it anytime, not with the door open like this."


    "See, that just shows how awesome you are, taking advantage of another girl without even having to hide from your own wife."


    "You little rascal, are you asking for trouble?" Li Yifei glared and raised his hand to strike, but Chu Xiaoyao giggled and ran off, then started animatedly telling Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others what Li Yifei had just done.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others had not dared to peek earlier, but now listening to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s story, they all looked at Li Yifei with ambiguous gazes, leaving him somewhat speechless. However, it was not surprising; even though he was very close to Meng Xiaofei, undressing her was a bit over the line. How had he acted so naturally just now? Probably because he was upset about Meng Xiaofei having a nightmare, he wanted to make sure she slept comfortably.


    Just then, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang, and seeing it was a call from Municipal Party Secretary Song Zhentao, he quickly answered with a smile, "Mayor Song, not taking it easy on the weekend?"


    Song Zhentao chuckled and said, "I would like to rest, but our city has been visited by a few important figures. I thought you might want to come and see for yourself."


    "Important figures? Who might that be?" Li Yifei was indeed curious.


    Song Zhentao said, "Our city has just seen several important investors arrive, all with very strong backgrounds, and they are all from big family clans. I think you, Young Master Li, would be interested, right?"


    "All from big family clans? And they all arrived together?" Li Yifei immediately followed up with a question.


    "Indeed, we¡¯ve got the Wei Family from South Su, the Gu Family from Capital City, and the Meng Family. They are all looking to invest in Mile City. However, something about this feels off. Mile City isn¡¯t exactly a bustling city. If they wanted to invest, there are many places with much better environments than ours. Now, you and Angel Group are investing here, yet so many others are also coming to invest, which makes me think our Mile City might be some kind of gold mine to attract so many powerful backgrounds."


    "The Wei Family from South Su... the Gu Family and the Meng Family from Capital City..." Li Yifei¡¯s mind spun, and he began to suspect that these people were probably here because of him.


    Li Yifei had only met someone from the Wei Family from South Su once, which was Wei Zijun, whom Xiao Ling¡¯er introduced to Su Mengxin in Capital City. Although their encounter was brief and Wei Zijun seemed quite graceful, Li Yifei was well aware that individuals from such big family clans, especially those who were exceptional, often concealed their true intentions, unlike those profligate sons who lacked subtlety in their actions.


    He had had two conflicts with Gu Yandong of the Gu Family, and Meng Xiaojun from the Meng Family had directly forced Li Yifei to kill him. Speaking of which, all three families were his enemies and now they had all arrived in Mile City together; this truly seemed very unusual. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Young Master Li, you¡¯ve always been in Mile City, so I think of you as family. Now that these three families have shown up together, ostensibly to invest, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that they might be targeting you. So, I hope you¡¯ll be careful and prepare in advance."


    "Thank you, Secretary Song. I¡¯ll be careful." Li Yifei knew that Song Zhentao was trying to curry favor with him. Although these three families were no weaker than the Su Family, Song Zhentao had no prior relations with them, so initiating a connection wouldn¡¯t be simple, unlike building a relationship with Li Yifei, whom he knew to be a loyal man. Therefore, he still preferred to foster a good relationship with Li Yifei.


    Song Zhentao quickly added, "No need to thank me. At noon today, I¡¯ve invited them to lunch. Why don¡¯t you join us as well and try to figure out their intentions?"


    "Sure, I¡¯ll definitely be there. This matter sounds interesting; I¡¯d like to see what they¡¯re up to. By the way, who from the three families will be coming?"


    "The Wei Family will be represented by Wei Zijun, Gu Family by Gu Yanan, and Meng Family by Wei Qianjun. They are all young people around your age."


    "Got it, I¡¯ll be over in a bit." Li Yifei hung up the phone and Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately asked, "Husband, who is coming from those three families?"


    Li Yifei mentioned the names of the three individuals, and Xiao Ling¡¯er said with some surprise, "Wei Zijun is actually coming. He¡¯s definitely here for Mengxin. And Gu Yanan from the Gu Family and Wei Qianjun from the Wei Family are both talented individuals among the younger generation of their families. They¡¯re not like those prodigal sons; they are extremely capable. Their coming here truly won¡¯t be easy to deal with."


    Zheng Yuling frowned and said, "Wei Zijun has now taken over half of the Wei Family¡¯s business in South Su. Without the halo of Su Mengxin, he would have been the most outstanding individual among the clan¡¯s younger generation. Gu Yanan is currently the main focus of the Gu Family¡¯s efforts to cultivate. He always seems very gentle and always has a smile on his face, but those who know him well understand that there¡¯s often a blade hidden in his smile. He¡¯s likely to strike when you least expect it. Meng Qianjun is rather domineering in his approaches, yet his domineering attitude always seems justified, even if he bullies someone terribly, people find it hard to fault him and believe his actions are warranted."


    Hearing this, Li Yifei became even more intrigued and said, "It seems like these three are truly not ordinary."


    Zheng Yuling nodded and replied, "Indeed, if it were just one of them, it would be manageable. But now that all three are joining forces, if they truly are here to confront you, it does seem difficult to deal with. Husband, you mustn¡¯t be careless."


    At that moment, Su Mengxin spoke up from behind Li Yifei, "Yuling, don¡¯t worry. Even if they aren¡¯t simple, as long as my husband is here, they won¡¯t be able to stir up any trouble." She then stood by Li Yifei¡¯s side.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist and grinned, "But this matter does seem to be very interesting."


    Su Mengxin smiled and added, "It is indeed interesting. These three families usually interact with one another, but their relationships aren¡¯t particularly strong. Them coming together at this time, they may not be so united. A great family¡¯s pride would be affected if word got out that the three of them have united against you. I think their arrival together is more coincidental than premeditated."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s analysis delved more into the specifics, pinpointing issues that lay between them.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and noted, "If that¡¯s the case, then it makes things much easier to handle."


    "Hehe, then husband, do you need me to accompany you tonight?"


    "Of course, if Wei Zijun is coming for you, it would disappoint him if I didn¡¯t bring you along."


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips with a smile, gently touching her belly, and happily said, "If he knew that I¡¯m carrying your child, he would probably be even more disappointed."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and commented, "Then it¡¯s better to let him be thoroughly disappointed. It bothers me when people covet my wife. I prefer to make those who have eyes on you feel uncomfortable."


    Su Mengxin chuckled and remarked, "Then I¡¯m afraid a lot of people are going to be uncomfortable, since you¡¯ve claimed so much for yourself."

 Chapter 997 - 1038: Gathering Storm

    Chapter 997: Chapter 1038: Gathering Storm"Brother Yifei, long time no see!" At the entrance of the restaurant, just as Li Yifei and Su Mengxin got out of the car, they saw Wei Zijun also just getting out of his car. Wei Zijun seemed very enthusiastic, taking the initiative to greet Li Yifei.


    As Li Yifei walked over, he laughed and said, "Young Master Wei graces Mile City with his presence without a prior notice, and I haven¡¯t had the chance to show the hospitality of the host, which is really rude of me."


    As they approached each other, Wei Zijun shook Li Yifei¡¯s hand enthusiastically for a couple of times and said, "I just arrived this morning and was thinking of contacting Brother Yifei. I didn¡¯t expect that Song Zhentao had already contacted you first, making me seem passive. I¡¯ll have to have a good talk with him later."


    To outsiders, Li Yifei and Wei Zijun must have seemed like old friends for many years, but who knew that they had only met once before?


    Li Yifei smiled and asked, "Mile City isn¡¯t very large; Young Master Wei, you¡¯ve come all this way. It couldn¡¯t be that you¡¯ve also taken a fancy to our little place, could it?"


    Wei Zijun glanced at Su Mengxin and said, "Brother Yifei, I won¡¯t hide it from you; Mengxin has always been my idol, my mind full of fantasies about her. I¡¯ve never quite understood how she could be with you, so I came here to see if there¡¯s something special about Mile City and to get to know you better. I want to see just how impressive you are to have Mengxin by your side. Be careful, this time I¡¯m here with no good intentions, I¡¯m here to pursue Mengxin."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Mengxin is such an excellent woman, and there are indeed too many men who like her. Young Master Wei, I admire that you can say this directly to me instead of stabbing me in the back."


    "I, Wei Zijun, regardless of winning or losing, choose to act openly and honorably; I would never engage in villainous acts."


    Su Mengxin came over and hooked her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, smiling as she said, "Young Master Wei, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to be disappointed."


    "Mengxin, matters of the heart are unpredictable. I, Wei Zijun, may not be as emotionally rich as Brother Yifei. When I like a woman, I¡¯m completely devoted. All other women might as well be air to me, ha... Brother Yifei, I¡¯m not criticizing you; I¡¯m just stating a fact."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I understand. Young Master Wei, having a competitor like you is something I quite enjoy. Life is feared as lonely as snow."


    "I feel the same. A woman worth winning without competition is not the finest of women. Only when there are more rivals can it prove she¡¯s truly exceptional. The stronger the competitors, the more worthy the woman is of being pursued."


    "Young Master Wei, Young Master Li, Miss Su, you¡¯ve all arrived already, and here I am, the host, arriving late, which is really rude," Song Zhentao joined them at that moment, hurriedly coming over to greet them. Being the most influential person in Mile City didn¡¯t give him any sense of superiority in front of these three; in fact, he even had to be a bit careful not to offend them, or else it could impact his political career.


    Wei Zijun laughed heartily and said, "Secretary Song, you are really too polite. I will still be doing business on your turf, relying on your care, so I must flatter this great secretary."


    Though polite, Wei Zijun clearly did not lower his stance and still held a dominant air over Song Zhentao.


    Having become Municipal Party Secretary at just under fifty, Song Zhentao was extremely capable and could feel the undercurrents, his deep political acumen preventing him from showing any displeasure. He smiled and said, "Young Master Wei, you flatter me too much. After all, I¡¯m just a small-city Municipal Party Secretary, nowhere comparable to scions of great families like you. In the future, you will be pillars of the country, and I might have to rely on your support."


    "That¡¯s mutual benefit for us. With a good leader like Secretary Song, no wonder Mengxin doesn¡¯t want to leave Mile City. It seems my choice is quite wise."


    "Of course, oh, Young Master Gu and Young Master Meng have also arrived."


    Two more cars arrived; Gu Yanan and Meng Qianjun got out of them.


    Gu Yanan was a refined and cultivated man, not very tall, with a pale face and somewhat thin build, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a scholarly appearance; Meng Qianjun, on the hand, was 185 cm tall, with a muscular build, hair standing on end, wearing a tight tank top that accentuated his physique, and a vivid tiger tattoo on his arm. At first glance, he looked like he belonged to the Underworld, which no one would guess that he was from a prominent family.


    "Mengxin, long time no see, you¡¯ve become even more beautiful!" Meng Qianjun strided over and loudly greeted Su Mengxin first.


    Su Mengxin flashed a faint smile and said, "Young Master Meng is becoming more and more formidable."


    Meng Qianjun flexed his arms, and the muscles immediately bulged as he proudly said, "It¡¯s Mengxin who has an eye for talent."


    At this moment, Gu Yanan also came over and said to Su Mengxin, "Miss Su, hello."


    Su Mengxin politely greeted, "Young Master Gu, hello."


    These two men seemed more acquainted with Meng Qianjun and Su Mengxin, but in reality, Gu Yanan had had more interactions with Su Mengxin in the past than Meng Qianjun had.


    Su Mengxin, holding Li Yifei¡¯s arm, said, "Husband, let me introduce you. This is Gu Yanan from Capital City¡¯s Gu Family and this is Meng Qianjun from Meng Family. Both are the most distinguished talents of their respective families. This is my husband, Li Yifei."


    Li Yifei shook hands with Gu Yanan first, both nodding at each other; Gu Yanan held a polite, calm smile on his face.


    Then, Li Yifei shook hands with Meng Qianjun. As soon as Meng Qianjun grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand, veins popped out on his arm, and he said menacingly, "Kid, you¡¯re something else, crushing my little brother to death just like that. We¡¯ll have to settle this account later."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "If there¡¯s an account, we¡¯re not afraid to settle it. Since Young Master Meng is so inclined, I, Li Yifei, will definitely keep you company."


    Meng Qianjun¡¯s face twitched slightly, then he released his hand and said, "You¡¯re really strong, rightfully the top figure of the Flying Hawk Squad. I¡¯m no match for you." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Young Master Meng is too modest. I didn¡¯t expect you to know the internal martial arts, and to be so powerful at that."


    The two had just tested each other¡¯s strength with a handshake, and Li Yifei¡¯s words were not just polite remarks. Meng Qianjun truly was extremely strong, especially in his internal strength. Li Yifei had wanted to probe further, but Meng Qianjun had backed off already. Even in that brief testing, Meng Qianjun showed strength nearly on par with Yifei, or perhaps it was that Yifei didn¡¯t yet fully grasp the breadth of Meng Qianjun¡¯s strength.


    In recent times, Li Yifei had encountered many from influential families who showed great strength. However, undoubtedly, Meng Qianjun was the strongest, owning rightfully his haughtiness. That information from Su Mengxin was not entirely accurate, and without this real confrontation, Yifei would not have imagined a young man from a major family possessed such formidable abilities.


    Meng Qianjun, too, was quite surprised. Gifted from a young age, he had easily cultivated True Qi. The Meng Family had arranged numerous experts to teach him, making him a supreme expert before he turned sixteen. He had secretly challenged several true masters and had always emerged victorious, including a former leader of the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Thus, Meng Qianjun had always considered himself the strongest. With increasing strength over the years, his confidence only grew. Even knowing Li Yifei¡¯s strength, he had not thought of him as exceptionally powerful.


    Meng Qianjun, ambitious and resolute, disapproved of many family practices. For instance, when Meng Xiaojun joined the Battle Bear Squad, he had strongly objected, feeling it unwise to let a mediocre person join such a unit. However, his family, seeking control, never considered his advice.


    Although Meng Xiaojun was his cousin, Meng Qianjun had no fondness for his arrogant, incapable cousin. Even if Li Yifei had killed Meng Xiaojun, he bore no real resentment toward Li Yifei. Yet, Meng Xiaojun¡¯s death was a matter of the Meng family¡¯s reputation. Despite suppression internally, if the Meng family did not retaliate at all, their prestige would diminish. Therefore, he had to confront Li Yifei and make him pay.


    As a key figure in a major family, his actions couldn¡¯t be as indiscriminate as those spoiled heirs; thus, his aim was to deal with Li Yifei through an honorable manner. But after this initial testing, he surprisingly found that Li Yifei might not only be his equal but could also be slightly stronger, which excited him immensely.


    Though the two had merely exchanged pleasantries, they both felt a strong interest in each other, eyes gleaming with eagerness¡ªan admiration between formidable opponents.


    And with this brief interaction, Li Yifei felt the distinctiveness of these three, incomparable to those spoiled heirs he knew before. These were formidable opponents indeed, making Mile City likely to surge with action and become extraordinarily lively with their presence.


    Just then, another car arrived, and the saintly woman, not seen for many days, reappeared. Her presence immediately caught the attention of Wei Zijun and the others, leaving them stunned despite their strong mental fortitude. Indeed, there was another woman comparable to Su Mengxin in this world.

 Chapter 999 - 1040: Classmates with Some Money

    Chapter 999: Chapter 1040: Classmates with Some MoneyLi Yifei and his group had come to this restaurant, a famous one in the city with high prices, to dine. An ordinary meal there wouldn¡¯t cost less than a couple of hundred, which deterred most ordinary people from dining there. However, Su Yiyi and several classmates had also arrived there today.


    Su Yiyi, An Zhen, and four other high school classmates, totaling six people, had gathered and went shopping together. Besides An Zhen, two others were working, and like Su Yiyi, two were attending university in Mile City.


    After not seeing each other for many years, they naturally started talking about how each of them was doing. Aside from a few casual talks, the lives of these five girls were quite simple and they soon ran out of things to say. So, they shifted the focus to Su Yiyi because she had a boyfriend who seemed to be wealthy.


    "Yiyi, that outfit must have been bought by your boyfriend, right?" asked An Zhen, giggling.


    Although Su Yiyi wasn¡¯t very vain, she was quite proud of how well Li Yifei treated her. She smiled slightly and said, "No, I bought them myself."


    "Yourself? Are you that rich?" An Zhen widened her eyes in surprise.


    "Yes, my boyfriend¡¯s money is with me, I don¡¯t need to tell him when I spend it."


    A girl exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Wow, these outfits cost thousands each; you buy such expensive clothes, and your boyfriend lets you?"


    Su Yiyi smiled somewhat proudly and responded, "Yes, he doesn¡¯t say anything, but I spend casually."


    "Then your boyfriend must be really rich," another girl immediately added.


    "It¡¯s okay; he just does some business."


    An Yao said enviously, "Yiyi, you really found a great boyfriend, not only is he rich, but he¡¯s also good to you. I¡¯m so jealous."


    Su Yiyi smiled sweetly and replied, "You will definitely find someone too."


    An Zhen rolled her eyes and quipped, "If I had your figure and looks, I might have some hope, but who would look at me the way I am?"


    After shopping for half the day, everyone laughing and joking about ¡¯beating the tycoons,¡¯ urged Su Yiyi to treat them to a meal in a nice place. Su Yiyi, who seldom interacted with her classmates like this, happily agreed. She only knew a couple of fancy places, one of which was Shenghua Garden which she remembered and took her five high school friends to.


    However, it was dinner time, and Shenghua Garden was doing good business, so when Su Yiyi and her group arrived, the main hall was already full and there were no private rooms available either.


    Just as Su Yiyi¡¯s group was about to go to another restaurant, a man suddenly approached them excitedly and said, "Su Yiyi, is that really you?"


    Taken aback, Su Yiyi recognized the man who was looking at her excitedly and said somewhat awkwardly, "Ma Wendong, what are you doing here?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ma Wendong responded joyously, "You recognized me! Ha ha, unlike you guys who went off to college, I started a business right after high school. These four years, I¡¯ve made some money. Oh, An Zhen, I didn¡¯t realize these were all high school classmates. This is great, I¡¯ll treat today. If anyone refuses, that¡¯d be an insult to me."


    Girls like Su Yiyi, gentle and beautiful, never lacked suitors. Ma Wendong was one of her suitors in high school, although strictly speaking, Su Yiyi, despite her delicate exterior, was strong-willed and always focused on her studies. If it weren¡¯t for some special experiences with Li Yifei, she wouldn¡¯t have considered dating at all.


    Having made some money now, Ma Wendong felt he had the standing to pursue Su Yiyi again and wanted to impress her in front of their peers.


    Of course, the other girls, including An Zhen, could see Ma Wendong¡¯s intentions, but they didn¡¯t know him well. An Zhen said, "There are no seats here, we¡¯re going to another place."


    Ma Wendong laughed immediately and said, "Others might not have a spot here, but how could I not? The manager here is a good friend of mine, I¡¯ll have him arrange a private room for us right away."


    Without giving Su Yiyi and her friends a chance to refuse, Ma Wendong had already picked up his phone, "Brother Wang, it¡¯s Wendong. I have a few high school classmates here for a meal; they are my best mates, you¡¯ve got to get us a private room... Ha ha, I knew Brother Wang would come through."


    After he finished, Ma Wendong swung his arm, brandishing his Samsung phone, and said, "All set with just one call. Since we¡¯re already here, why bother going elsewhere? By the way, how did you think of coming here to eat, it¡¯s not cheap here."


    An Zhen was about to say that it was Su Yiyi¡¯s treat, but Su Yiyi gave her a look and An Zhen immediately changed her story, "We just happened to walk here and decided to have a meal, not sure if this place is expensive or not."


    Ma Wendong laughed and said, "This is one of the most expensive restaurants in Mile City, but you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll treat you today. Order whatever you want. It would be rude to talk about money when old classmates meet."


    Although Ma Wendong was somewhat ostentatious, he wasn¡¯t excessive; everyone was classmates after all, and they hadn¡¯t seen each other in many years, so it felt very warm, which is why Su Yiyi didn¡¯t refuse.


    When the seven of them reached the upper floor, a waiter immediately arranged a private room for them. Ma Wendong took the main seat, originally wanting Su Yiyi to sit next to him, but Su Yiyi chose a seat further away, and he felt too embarrassed to ask her to sit beside him.


    "Come on, everyone, order. Don¡¯t be shy," Ma Wendong, although he had almost no contact with the other classmates, knew well that it had only been four years since high school graduation and most hadn¡¯t started working yet. Even those who did were not doing exceptionally well, certainly not having a fortune in millions like him. Thus, he felt very confident that with his capabilities, he would definitely win Su Yiyi¡¯s heart.


    An Zhen and the others looked at the menu, all of them secretly amazed. A common dish here cost dozens, even hundreds, and for a moment they felt too embarrassed to order. With Ma Wendong urging them, they each reluctantly ordered one of the cheaper dishes.


    "You guys really see me as an outsider, huh? Alright, I¡¯ll order the rest then. Waiter, bring me a lobster, two kilograms of abalone, and a ginseng. We won¡¯t have shark fin soup¡ªthere is a push against trading that leads to killing, it¡¯s uncivilized to eat shark fin. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m reluctant to buy it."


    Ordering these three items made An Zhen and the others very happy. Abalone was affordable and occasionally within their reach, but lobster and sea cucumber were luxury seafood they had never tried before.


    With these dishes ordered, Ma Wendong saw everyone¡¯s faces light up with anticipation and excitement, which made him quite proud. However, looking at Su Yiyi, he noticed she remained calm, which made him like her even more. She was the kind of wife he needed, not appearing too unsophisticated. He then noticed her outfit and dressing sense, which quite subtly exuded elegance, further satisfying him.


    Then, a girl asked, "Ma Wendong, what kind of business are you in?"


    "Nothing big, just opened a small building materials shop after graduation. These last two years, the real estate market has been good, so my business expanded a bit."


    "How much do you make a year?"


    "Not much, just about one to one and a half million." Ma Wendong modestly swept his glance across everyone.


    "Ah! A million!"


    "My God, Ma Wendong, you¡¯re so young and already making a million a year, that¡¯s really incredible."


    Ma Wendong waved his hand, saying, "Don¡¯t say that; I¡¯m just lucky. I¡¯m still envious of those of you who could go to college. That¡¯s a life experience I remember fondly, no amount of money can replace that."


    "Oh cut it out, don¡¯t say that. What¡¯s the least valuable thing nowadays? A college graduate, that¡¯s what! Even finding a job is hard."


    "Hah, don¡¯t mention it, I¡¯ve even hired a couple of college graduates myself."


    Ma Wendong clearly felt proud and saw a few of the girls admiring him, but to his surprise, Su Yiyi still had a plain facial expression, as if his annual million-dollar income couldn¡¯t cause even a slight change in her demeanor.


    "Su Yiyi, aren¡¯t you about to graduate too? What are your plans after graduation?"


    Su Yiyi smiled slightly, "I don¡¯t have any special plans; I¡¯ll just go help my boyfriend."


    "Boyfriend?" Ma Wendong¡¯s smile stiffened, "You already have a boyfriend?"


    Su Yiyi nodded, "Yes, my boyfriend treats me very well. We¡¯ve been together for over a year, and I plan to be with him always."


    Being young and despite his achievements, Ma Wendong clearly wasn¡¯t yet capable of staying composed under all circumstances. He now seemed somewhat frantic, "Yiyi, what does your boyfriend do? Is he more successful than me? Can he make a million a year like me?"


    Upon hearing that, a few girls looked at Ma Wendong with weird glances, thinking it was a joke. Su Yiyi¡¯s clothes alone cost tens of thousands, and she bought them casually; to suggest that Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend was lesser than Ma Wendong was something they couldn¡¯t believe. Comparing himself with Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend was likely to leave him with a bruised ego.

 Chapter 1000 - 1041: Sharing a Table

    Chapter 1000: Chapter 1041: Sharing a TableMa Wendong had yet to notice everyone¡¯s gaze; he was still staring at Su Yiyi, clenching his fist and saying, "Yiyi, tell me, what on earth does he do? I want to see where exactly your chosen boyfriend is better than me."


    Su Yiyi smiled slightly and said, "Ma Wendong, we are classmates, and I¡¯m genuinely happy to see you at the reunion. The friendship between classmates should be the sincerest, and I don¡¯t want anything else to mix into our relationship as classmates."


    At that moment, Ma Wendong became stubborn, shaking his head and saying, "Yiyi, if you want me to give up hope, then tell me what he does. If he¡¯s not better than me, I won¡¯t be able to let go."


    An Zhen sighed and said, "Wendong, haven¡¯t you noticed that Yiyi¡¯s clothes cost tens of thousands per set? Seeing Yiyi wearing such clothes, can¡¯t you tell whether her boyfriend has any capabilities?"


    Ma Wendong said disdainfully, "What¡¯s the big deal about clothes that cost tens of thousands? I can afford to buy them too. I can provide Yiyi with a car worth hundreds of thousands and buy her a house worth millions."


    An Zhen saw that Ma Wendong was almost bewitched and had to say again, "Wendong, I know you like Yiyi, but she already has someone in her heart. Let¡¯s be rational; otherwise, we can¡¯t even remain friends."


    Ma Wendong stiffened, looking at Su Yiyi and asked, "Yiyi, do I really have no chance at all?"


    Su Yiyi said apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry, but my relationship with my boyfriend is really good, and after graduation, I plan to have a child with him."


    Ma Wendong¡¯s skin twitched a few times on his face, then he shook his head vigorously, let out a chuckle, and said, "Fine, then I wish you well. Even if I can¡¯t marry you, I hope we can still be friends in the future."


    Su Yiyi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The friendship between classmates is the most sincere, and I too hope we can always maintain this."


    Ma Wendong forced a smile and said, "Well then, let¡¯s agree on that."


    At this point, the dishes began to arrive, and the wine was opened; the atmosphere finally became less awkward. An Zhen and others deliberately asked Ma Wendong about his business, speaking of this and that, which also allowed Ma Wendong to regain some confidence. Even if he couldn¡¯t win over Su Yiyi, being able to strut in front of his former classmates was also a very satisfying thing.


    After all, back in school, Ma Wendong belonged to the group that didn¡¯t perform well academically and wasn¡¯t recognized by most classmates. But in society, his achievements were now better than the vast majority of those classmates. To say he had no desire to show off would be nonsense.


    After chatting for a bit, Ma Wendong¡¯s phone rang. He excused himself and went to the entrance to answer the call. Shortly after, he came back and said, "I¡¯m sorry, two of my friends insist on joining us for dinner. I couldn¡¯t refuse, so I had to let them come. I really apologize."


    In the social circle, Moments are often expanded like this; dining with one group, then another group joins, and both groups get to know each other. Especially in business, such occurrences are quite beneficial and are a completely normal thing.


    But Su Yiyi had no interest in such things. She just wanted to catch up with a few of her female classmates, have a chat together, and that would have made her happy. Encountering Ma Wendong was unavoidable due to their status as classmates, but if it were someone else, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to interact much.


    At that point, she suggested, "Wendong, we¡¯ve almost finished eating, so we won¡¯t disturb you and your friends. We¡¯ll be taking our leave."


    Ma Wendong, a bit reluctant, tried to persuade her, "They are just two friends from my business circle, and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for everyone to meet. It¡¯s not easy for us old classmates to gather; we haven¡¯t even talked much, and you¡¯re already leaving. That¡¯s no fun at all."


    Su Yiyi wanted to leave, but the other girls didn¡¯t share her strong desire to do so. They were hoping to meet more capable people; if Ma Wendong, their classmate, was already so impressive, then meeting two more formidable people through him would be an added bonus for them, even if it wouldn¡¯t necessarily help in the future, it was still a bragging right.


    "Right, Yiyi, there¡¯s no need to hurry. Since we¡¯re out to have fun today, let¡¯s just enjoy the meal together," one of them said.


    "Yeah, what are you afraid of? It¡¯s broad daylight, and with so many sisters here, who could take advantage of you?" another added.


    Seeing some people suggest this, Ma Wendong became more spirited and quickly said, "Yiyi, it¡¯s really just about us having a meal together, and I¡¯m here to protect you; nothing will happen."


    As everyone suggested, Su Yiyi found it difficult to insist on leaving and reluctantly nodded, saying, "Well, all right then."


    Within five minutes, two people arrived; one slightly chubby and the other thin, both dressed decently, looking far from any riffraff and giving off a good first impression.


    "Let me introduce them," Ma Wendong said as the two arrived, immediately standing up. "Dear classmates, these two are my friends. This is Zhao Hongji, and this is Wang Chengqiang. Brother Zhao works at the courthouse, and his uncle is the Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. Brother Wang works at the Bureau of Commerce and Industry, and his aunt is the Deputy Director of our city¡¯s Tax Bureau. They¡¯re both quite remarkable people."


    Zhao Hongji laughed and said, "Wendong, don¡¯t flatter us. We earn a mere salary, unlike a big boss like you who can afford to dine here at leisure. If we relied on our salary, we couldn¡¯t afford to eat here at all."


    Ma Wendong immediately laughed and said, "You two old brothers should stop teasing me. No matter what, your social status is there, and even if I gave you all my money, you still wouldn¡¯t give up your jobs to me."


    Both Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang laughed heartily, obviously pleased with Ma Wendong¡¯s remark.


    "Come on, let me introduce you to these six high school classmates of mine."


    Then Ma Wendong introduced Su Yiyi and the others to Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang, and both men¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of Su Yiyi. They didn¡¯t often see a beauty like her, especially with Su Yiyi¡¯s pure and gentle temperament, which was enough to make a man¡¯s heart flutter.


    Men have a protective instinct, and Su Yiyi¡¯s temperament often triggered this desire, making her even more appealing. A girl with a similar appearance but with Su Yiyi¡¯s temperament would usually be more favored by men.


    Wang Chengqiang said with a smiling face, "Wendong, I really didn¡¯t expect you to have such a beautiful classmate."


    Ma Wendong also couldn¡¯t help but say proudly, "That¡¯s right. Although I wasn¡¯t great at studying, having classmates like her is something I¡¯m proud of."


    With more people, two more chairs were added. Zhao Hongji said with a chuckle, "With so many beauties, exactly six, Wendong, should we brothers also sit amongst the beauties today?"


    This joke was normal, and Ma Wendong laughed along, "Yeah, let¡¯s sit wherever there¡¯s a spot." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girls weren¡¯t that conservative, and at this point, they also giggled and shifted their seats, except for Su Yiyi, who seemed reluctant.


    Once everyone was seated again, the three men sat among the six girls, each one next to two girls, and Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t avoid sitting next to Zhao Hongji.


    "Wendong, I really thank you for introducing so many beautiful ladies to us. We brothers are a little late, so let me drink one first," Zhao Hongji said, and downed a glass by himself, then filled another glass, "Come on, this one, I toast to all the beauties. I, Zhao Hongji, have been in Mile City for a few years and know a few people, so if you need anything in the future, I¡¯ll definitely help out without a second word."


    Everyone raised their glasses, Zhao Hongji drank first, followed by the rest, but Su Yiyi only sipped tentatively.


    "Hey, sister, that¡¯s not right. Everyone has drunk, why have you barely touched yours?" said Zhao Hongji, visibly upset.


    Li Yifei apologized with a smile, "Sorry, I can¡¯t drink."


    "No way, this is beer. A little won¡¯t hurt, and even if you have a low tolerance, surely you can¡¯t skip the first glass?"


    Su Yiyi frowned and said, "Brother Zhao, I really can¡¯t, I just can¡¯t drink it."


    "Sister, you¡¯re not giving face," Zhao Hongji swirled his glass, "If you don¡¯t drink, I¡¯ll just have to stay standing while everyone else sits."


    If you were used to dealing with drinking at banquets, you¡¯d know what to do, but Su Yiyi was clearly stuck, hesitating for a moment before lifting her glass, "Then, I¡¯ll drink," and with a frown, she drank down the beer.


    Although Su Yiyi didn¡¯t have a high alcohol tolerance, she could still handle a bottle of beer, and enjoyed drinking beer at home with everyone. But outside, especially with strangers, drinking felt more like medicine to her, completely unenjoyable.


    "Good, the sister is giving face," Zhao Hongji clapped and loudly praised before sitting down.


    Wang Chengqiang did the same thing next, and Su Yiyi, though reluctantly, had to steel herself and drink the glass. In her heart, she made up her mind that after these two glasses, if anyone else pressured her to drink, she wouldn¡¯t drink no matter what.


    But things don¡¯t always unfold as one imagines. Even though Su Yiyi had made up her mind, what happened next was something she hadn¡¯t expected at all and almost led to a huge mistake. From then on, Su Yiyi remembered one thing: never to drink with strangers.

 Chapter 1001 - 1042 The Women of the Li Family Must Not Be Humiliated

    Chapter 1001: Chapter 1042 The Women of the Li Family Must Not Be Humiliated"Not to brag, but in Mile City, there¡¯s nothing us brothers can¡¯t handle. As for the courts, I have absolute sway. If any of your relatives or friends are involved in lawsuits, just give me a call, and I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s taken care of."


    "You know if your relatives or friends run businesses and have any issues, just come to me. Don¡¯t focus on the fact that I¡¯m only at the Bureau of Commerce and Industry because I know plenty of guys in other departments too, and everything can be sorted with just a phone call."


    By now, Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang had already had a few drinks elsewhere. After a few more drinks at the table, they began to slur their words and started showing off in front of the girls.


    Lin Qiu, a classmate of Su Yiyi, was also about to graduate. Hearing how capable the two men claimed to be, she tentatively asked, "Brother Zhao, Brother Wang, can you guys arrange jobs too?"


    Zhao Hongji burst out laughing and said, "Piece of cake. Though I don¡¯t have big sway in the city¡¯s directly-controlled departments, getting a job in district or county departments is no problem at all."


    Lin Qiu¡¯s eyes lit up, "Really? I¡¯ve always wanted to be a civil servant."


    Zhao Hongji glared and lifted his glass, "Just because you doubted your Brother Zhao and Wang Qiang, you¡¯ll have to drink three glasses as a penalty."


    Lin Qiu, even more delighted, quickly lifted her glass, "Brother Zhao, Brother Wang, I¡¯m counting on you then, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not clueless, I¡¯ll pay what needs to be paid just to get in." Then she gulped down three beers in quick succession. For a girl about to graduate, a job was a major milestone in life, and becoming a civil servant was especially highly regarded. Even if it meant drinking too much, she was willing.


    "Good, that¡¯s settled then. We¡¯ll definitely take care of this for you, little sister Lin Qiu."


    "Thank you, Brother Zhao, thank you, Brother Wang," Lin Qiu said, her joy apparent, repeating her thanks.


    While Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang were fairly influential socially, they were clearly boasting about being able to directly place a college graduate into a government department. They were merely blustering to intimidate these fresh graduates.


    Additionally, Zhao Hongji had been drawn to Su Yiyi from the start, and had been making up these boasts to impress her and get her to ask him for help.


    Despite all his shows of bravado, Su Yiyi continued to look down, seemingly uninterested.


    "Hey, Yiyi, aren¡¯t you graduating too? Have you found a job?" Unable to contain himself any longer, Zhao Hongji took the initiative.


    Su Yiyi looked up and said, "I found one."


    "Oh? You¡¯ve found one? Then it looks like your family has strong connections. What does your father do?"


    "My father doesn¡¯t have a job."


    "It must be your mother who¡¯s influential then."


    "No, my mother passed away a long time ago."


    Confused, Zhao Hongji asked, "Ah? Then how did you find a job?"


    "I¡¯m going to work at a company."


    Hearing this, Zhao Hongji¡¯s sense of superiority returned. He quickly said, "What¡¯s the point of working in a company? If you were a man, it might be okay to strive there, but for a girl, stability is most important. I think you should be a civil servant. You¡¯re probably worried about the money, right? Don¡¯t worry, with your Brother Zhao helping you, it won¡¯t cost much."


    "Thank you, Brother Zhao, but I¡¯m not interested in becoming a civil servant," replied Su Yiyi, who was now quite put off by Zhao Hongji and shut him down directly.


    Stung by the rejection, Zhao Hongji was mildly disgruntled, yet he couldn¡¯t lash out¡ªor rather, throwing a fit in front of such a beautiful girl would be embarrassing. And Su Yiyi¡¯s rebuff only made her more attractive to him. After all, the more challenging it is to win over a girl, the more exciting it is.


    At that moment, An Zhen asked, "Brother Zhao, Brother Wang, I want to switch departments at the hospital where I work. It¡¯s too boring at the front desk. Can you guys handle it?"


    Wang Chengqiang chuckled and replied, "It¡¯s a minor issue. I¡¯m well acquainted with your hospital director."


    Quickly lifting her glass, An Zhen said, "Then let me toast to you first, Brother Wang. I¡¯m really counting on your help with this."


    Wang Chengqiang laughed and said, "No problem."


    Su Yiyi was no longer as inexperienced as she used to be. In her family, apart from her and Chu Xiaoyao, who was simple? Take the officials, for example, there were Lin Qiong and Ye Yunzhu, one a Deputy County Head and the other a Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau. None of them had smaller positions than the others, but they never dared to say they could easily arrange jobs for people. Seeing their behavior, everyone only grew more disdainful.


    Moreover, Su Yiyi did not want them to be deceived. These two were boasting excessively here, and if they eventually made any requests, the girls were likely to agree.


    "An Zhen, arranging jobs is not that easy anymore, you shouldn¡¯t be too anxious."


    Wang Chengqiang immediately added, "That depends on who is handling it. For me, it¡¯s really a trivial matter."


    "Yes, yes, with Brother Zhao and Brother Wang¡¯s capabilities, they can surely get it done."


    "Exactly, we are all counting on Brother Wang and Brother Zhao."


    Initially, Su Yiyi wanted to remind her classmates, but now it seemed Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang had completely baffled them; they even started to speak for these two.


    Su Yiyi frowned slightly, but she still earnestly explained to her classmates, "It¡¯s really not that easy. I have two older sisters who work in government departments too. They don¡¯t just arrange anyone anywhere they like. They told me that the entry into the civil service is very strict and requires examinations. Although there are some under-the-table operations, the online supervision is now stringent. If someone reports an issue and it¡¯s discovered, not only will the arranged person be removed, but also the people involved in the arrangement could be investigated. Generally, no one dares to do such things." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girls sobered up a bit after Su Yiyi¡¯s reminder; finding a job was not that easy. Having just met Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang, it was a bit unrealistic to expect them to handle such a big matter as getting a job.


    Wang Chengqiang and Zhao Hongji¡¯s faces turned quite ugly upon hearing what Su Yiyi said. It was as if she was dismantling their stage, a very embarrassing situation. Immediately, Zhao Hongji said, "Look, Yiyi, finding a job is indeed difficult for many people, but for us, it is not tough at all."


    Su Yiyi smiled faintly and said, "Now many departments do not have direct control over their personnel; hiring needs approval from higher-ups. Even for a regular civil servant in a county, you cannot just arrange someone into any department without a series of examinations, even the County Party Secretary can¡¯t."


    Ye Yunzhu was on maternity leave at home, and Su Yiyi took care of her the most. Although Ye was resting at home, her phone was busy all day. Su Yiyi, even without trying to learn, much understood many things about the political scene by being around her.


    Thus, when Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang spoke, Su Yiyi immediately knew they were bluffing, and her rebuttal was well-informed.


    Hearing Su Yiyi speak this way, Zhao Hongji felt like he ran into someone well-informed, which made his face look a bit uglier. But admitting it would be too embarrassing, even just to maintain face, he bravely bluffed, "Yiyi, you make sense. But don¡¯t forget, I also have an uncle in the city. Arranging one person by a city leader can¡¯t be compared to those at the district or county level. So, for Chengqiang and me, arranging someone is still very simple."


    Su Yiyi ignored Zhao Hongji and instead spoke to An Zhen and the others, "I understand your eagerness. If you want a job, it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be in government. If you are willing, I can introduce you to two companies with good benefits. Of course, the decision is yours; everyone has their aspirations. You have my phone number, you can contact me later. I need to go now."


    Saying this, Su Yiyi stood up and said to Ma Wendong, "Wendong, sorry, I have something else, I have to go now."


    Ma Wendong also felt Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang were a bit too much. Chatting and bragging a little was fine, but overdoing it could lead to trouble later.


    However, Zhao Hongji became somewhat furious with shame. As Su Yiyi stood up, he also stood up and blocked her way, saying, "Yiyi, are you just leaving like this?"


    Su Yiyi, neither humble nor arrogant, replied, "Yes, I have something else."


    "But that¡¯s not right, even if you have to go, you should at least have another drink, right?"


    Su Yiyi really disliked Zhao Hongji and was not in the mood to drink with him. She said, "Sorry, I can¡¯t drink, please step aside."


    "What if I don¡¯t?" Zhao Hongji played the rogue, emboldened by alcohol.


    Ma Wendong quickly got up to mediate, "Brother Zhao, Yiyi has other things to do, let her go."


    But Zhao Hongji stared and said, "No, it¡¯s rare for someone who has dined with me to leave first, especially without having a drink. I¡¯ve never encountered that."


    Ma Wendong frowned and said, "Yiyi, just have one drink then."


    But Su Yiyi was no longer the old Su Yiyi, who might have relented and drunk under such circumstances. Now, things were different; she was a woman of the Li family, and people from the Li family couldn¡¯t be forced to drink. Facing Zhao Hongji, she calmly stated, "Mr. Zhao, please show some respect."


    Zhao Hongji¡¯s face turned uglier as he exclaimed, "Wow, talking about my lack of respect? Okay, I will be disrespected today. If you don¡¯t drink this, I really won¡¯t let you leave."

 Chapter 1002 - 1043: Growing More and More Arrogant

    Chapter 1002: Chapter 1043: Growing More and More ArrogantZhao Hongji flew into a rage, causing several girls to be dumbfounded, while Ma Wendong hastily said, "Brother Zhao, don¡¯t be angry, do me a favor and let Yiyi go."


    At that moment, Zhao Hongji was truly infuriated, his eyes widened as he said, "Wendong, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you face, but it¡¯s just a matter of a drink¡ªyour classmate really doesn¡¯t respect me."


    Su Yiyi, who might have been scared of people like Zhao Hongji before, now saw them as nothing more than jumping clowns, completely unscary. Now, as part of the Li family, she was very clear about one thing¡ªshe could not disgrace her family. With a faint smile, she said, "I don¡¯t need to give you face either."


    When she said that, Su Yiyi¡¯s classmates all looked at her in amazement, clearly seeing that she completely disregarded Zhao Hongji. Thinking about the Yiyi of the past, where would she get such courage from? After not seeing her for four years, she had really changed drastically. Moreover, from this sentence alone, they could feel that Su Yiyi was very confident.


    When Zhao Hongji heard this, he became even more furious. With a laugh, he said, "Wendong, look at that, your classmate is really defiant. Now today, I need this face from you. Why won¡¯t you give it to me?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Chengqiang laughed and said, "Hongji, seems like your face isn¡¯t worth much, huh? Even a little girl who hasn¡¯t graduated from college won¡¯t give it to you." He obviously wasn¡¯t afraid of making things worse; instead, he seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, unconvinced that Zhao Hongji couldn¡¯t handle the matter.


    If it were anyone else, Ma Wendong would have joined Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang in teasing, but this was Su Yiyi, not only his classmate but also his secretly cherished crush. He had to think about protecting Su Yiyi, and he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Zhao Hongji and Wang Chengqiang, many of his businesses were tied to these two. With their help, his business flourished, and if he offended them, then his business would be over.


    "Brother Zhao, Brother Wang, as you said, Yiyi is just a student who hasn¡¯t even graduated from college and doesn¡¯t understand the ways of the world. Such people of your stature shouldn¡¯t stoop to her level¡ªit would be beneath your dignity."


    "Since you say so, Wendong, alright, I¡¯ll give you face," said Zhao Hongji. Then, grabbing a beer, he stared at Su Yiyi and declared, "Drink this bottle."


    "What? Didn¡¯t you just say to drink a glass?" An Zhen couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    Zhao Hongji snorted coldly, "I did say to drink a glass, but since the girl refused, clearly she¡¯s disrespecting me, so let¡¯s make it a bottle."


    Su Yiyi looked at Zhao Hongji, shook her head, and said, "You really are so boring."


    Zhao Hongji¡¯s expression turned stern, "Are you drinking or not?"


    With a slight upturn of her lips, showing a disdainful smile, Su Yiyi said, "No."


    This response was a direct and naked face-slap. Zhao Hongji had never encountered such defiance. In normal social settings, no one would make it so difficult for someone to back down, at the very least offering some excuse or alternative. This way, Zhao Hongji could either advance or retreat, but now, Su Yiyi¡¯s direct approach had him stuck, unsure of how to proceed.


    And the more this happened, the uglier Zhao Hongji¡¯s expression became. If he let Su Yiyi leave unchallenged now, he would totally lose face, and he would definitely become a laughing stock in their circles. So he smirked menacingly and said, "It seems you really don¡¯t take me seriously. Do you not know that I work in the court?"


    Su Yiyi replied calmly, "I know, but that means nothing to me. First, I don¡¯t break the law. Second, even if I did, the law would punish me¡ªI wouldn¡¯t need to seek your help."


    Zhao Hongji let out a loud laugh, saying, "Very well, little girl, you¡¯ve got spirit. However, you might not be aware that there¡¯s something called injustice in the world¡ªoften, even if you don¡¯t break the law, trouble can still find you."


    "Is that so? I didn¡¯t know judges didn¡¯t operate according to the law."


    "You¡¯re too na?ve, girl. I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªif you obediently drink this drink, I won¡¯t take it further. But if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll really offend me. I can make things difficult for you in a lot of ways. Do you know who judges interact with the most? Criminals, and we naturally have relationships with them. Those who mess around on the streets won¡¯t dare to disrespect me. Just one word from me, and you won¡¯t be able to attend your university anymore¡ªyou¡¯ll be harassed daily."


    Su Yiyi looked at Zhao Hongji with even more disgust. "It¡¯s unbelievable that a judge is involved in such dealings. It¡¯s a disgrace to have draped yourself in a judge¡¯s robes. Zhao, you¡¯ve truly tarnished the title of a judge."


    At this point, Ma Wendong was truly anxious. Why would Su Yiyi speak so provocatively? His attempts to smooth things over were futile. He quickly shouted, "Yiyi, stop this nonsense!"


    Seeing Ma Wendong¡¯s reaction, Zhao Hongji¡¯s face turned livid as he confronted Wendong, "See, Wendong? This is your good classmate. Today, you need to make your stand clear. Whose side are you on?"


    Ma Wendong turned pale, weighing the pros and cons, and finally sighed, "Yiyi, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t value our friendship, but you¡¯ve really gone too far. I can¡¯t help you with this one."


    Several girls¡¯ faces changed instantly. Under such circumstances, Ma Wendong actually didn¡¯t help Su Yiyi¡ªit seemed he really wasn¡¯t reliable.


    Su Yiyi smiled lightly and said, "I don¡¯t need your help, no one can do anything to me."


    At that moment, An Zhen tugged at Su Yiyi, then said to Zhao Hongji, "Brother Hongji, don¡¯t be mad. Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend also does business in Mile City, maybe you know each other."


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongji became excited and said, "Oh really? Then I have to hear this. Who exactly is your boyfriend? I must meet him sometime."


    An Zhen quickly tugged at Su Yiyi again and said, "Yiyi, hurry and talk about your boyfriend."


    Su Yiyi smiled faintly and responded, "No need, my boyfriend won¡¯t know someone who abuses their little power and uses the sacred authority granted by the state to do bad things."


    Zhao Hongji slammed the table fiercely and angrily exclaimed, "You¡¯ve got quite the nerve. Today I really must find out who your boyfriend is."


    Su Yiyi looked at Zhao Hongji and said quietly, "I advise you to let me leave. My boyfriend has a bad temper, and if he finds out you are forcing me to drink here, then you¡¯ll probably not have good days ahead."


    "You... haha..." Zhao Hongji suddenly burst into laughter. Wang Chengqiang also started laughing loudly and said, "My dear girl, you really don¡¯t know the extent of the sky or the earth. Here in Mile City, when Brother Zhao says a word, nothing fails. Even those company presidents with billions in assets are polite with me, and you think your boyfriend can compare to those billionaires?"


    An Zhen was initially confident in Su Yiyi for securing a rich boyfriend, but after hearing these words, everyone felt unsure. Even if Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend was rich, could he be worth billions? Since he was not as powerful as those billionaires, naturally, he couldn¡¯t provoke Zhao Hongji.


    An Zhen bit her lip and said, "Brother Zhao, Yiyi can¡¯t drink, I¡¯ll drink for her."


    "No!"


    This time, both Su Yiyi and Zhao Hongji exclaimed together.


    After shouting, Zhao Hongji immediately said, "She must drink today, no substitutions will work."


    Su Yiyi also added, "An Zhen, he can¡¯t do anything to me."


    Zhao Hongji nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, you¡¯ve really got guts. I¡¯m laying it out here; if you don¡¯t drink this glass, don¡¯t think about leaving through this door."


    Su Yiyi, looking at Zhao Hongji whose eyes were already reddening, shook her head and said, "Well then, since you won¡¯t let me go, I¡¯ll have my boyfriend come pick me up."


    Zhao Hongji slammed the table and exclaimed, "Haha, using your boyfriend to scare me, go ahead. I want to see what he¡¯s like. I also want to see if he still wants to do business with me."


    Su Yiyi shook her head again, took out her phone, and called Li Yifei. As a girl, she now didn¡¯t have to confront Zhao Hongji directly. Such matters were best handled by Li Yifei. Plus, she knew that if she didn¡¯t let Li Yifei handle if she suffered any mistreatment, Li Yifei would both be distressed for her and blame her. She couldn¡¯t make that mistake.


    "Honey, I¡¯m eating at Shenghua Garden, and there¡¯s someone here not letting me leave, forcing me to drink," Su Yiyi directly stated the situation. Then, others didn¡¯t hear what was said on the other end of the phone, just Su Yiyi mentioning the room name before hanging up.


    "Yiyi, will it work? Otherwise, just drink it," An Zhen still seemed worried.


    Su Yiyi smiled lightly, "Don¡¯t worry, once my boyfriend arrives, some people here might not have such good days ahead."


    Zhao Hongji snorted coldly, his face iron blue as he said, "Let him hurry up then. I believe you¡¯ll come crying to me later, begging. By that time, unless you sleep with me, I won¡¯t let you or your boyfriend off the hook."


    Su Yiyi was extremely furious. This guy had finally spoken his true intentions. She despised such shameless people, and even her, who was usually mild-tempered, wanted to slap him hard.


    Just then, the door of the private room was suddenly kicked open. Before everyone could see the person clearly, they saw Zhao Hongji¡¯s body suddenly fly up and then heavily smash onto the floor.

 Chapter 1003 - 1044 This Really is a Death-Seeking Rhythm

    Chapter 1003: Chapter 1044 This Really is a Death-Seeking Rhythm"Honey!" The sweet call from Su Yiyi finally snapped everyone back to reality, and only then did they notice that there was an extra person in the room¡ªAn Zhen had seen him before; he was Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend, Li Yifei.


    As soon as Li Yifei received Su Yiyi¡¯s call, he rushed over like the wind and upon reaching the door, had heard Zhao Hongji¡¯s reckless words. Thus, he stormed in unapologetically and knocked Zhao Hongji to the ground in one fell swoop.


    Then, he embraced Su Yiyi, taking a good look at her, and asked, "How are you?"


    Su Yiyi smiled softly and said, "I¡¯m fine, honey, I didn¡¯t embarrass you."


    Seeing Su Yiyi¡¯s radiant smile, Li Yifei knew that she had indeed not been at a disadvantage and his heart settled. With a frown, he said, "Weren¡¯t you supposed to be out with a female classmate? Why are there such shady people here?"


    Embarrassed, Su Yiyi explained, "I met a male classmate, then he brought two others..."


    Just as Su Yiyi was about to explain everything, Zhao Hongji suddenly leaped up. As he usually exercised a bit, his body was rather resilient. Li Yifei¡¯s throw was strong, but it hadn¡¯t hurt him. He recovered in a moment, immediately sprang to his feet with fury, and threw a punch at Li Yifei. Right now, he didn¡¯t care who the other party was or what he did; since he was attacked first, he had to strike back.


    Li Yifei was facing away from Zhao Hongji, but the girls could see everything clearly and instantly screamed in shock, while An Zhen anxiously yelled, "Watch out!"


    However, her warning was completely redundant. Without even turning his head, Li Yifei kicked backward. The freshly jumped Zhao Hongji was sent flying backward by the kick, rolling on the ground before slamming into a wall and stopping.


    Zhao Hongji felt an immense pain in his lower abdomen; struggling, he couldn¡¯t even climb up himself. Wang Chengqiang and Ma Wendong hurried over to help Zhao Hongji up. This guy, having been so casually knocked down twice by Li Yifei, still hadn¡¯t realized how formidable Li Yifei was. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, "I¡¯ll fuck your mother, how dare you hit me, I¡¯m going to cripple you! Chengqiang, Wendong, attack him."


    Wang Chengqiang swiftly picked up a bottle while seeing Su Yiyi in Li Yifei¡¯s arms filled Ma Wendong with jealousy and transformed it into resentment. Knowing he couldn¡¯t have Su Yiyi and seeing her in another man¡¯s arms was unbearable. Luckily, he could blame the incident on Zhao Hongji, so he too quickly grabbed a bottle.


    Seeing the others armed, Zhao Hongji didn¡¯t hesitate and grabbed a bottle as well, leading the charge towards Li Yifei.


    The girls screamed in fear. They had no experience with fights, and now that weapons were involved, a bottle to the head could seriously injure someone.


    Unfortunately for them, their screaming hadn¡¯t even stopped when the three men, each armed with a bottle, were already flying through the air, the bottles smashing on the ground with a crisp sound¡ªan incredibly loud noise¡ªmaking the five girls¡¯ screams abruptly stop. They stared blankly at Li Yifei, barely believing their eyes, each thinking the same thing, "This must be an illusion."


    This time, Li Yifei¡¯s blows were a bit heavier; the three men were in deep pain and lost all courage to confront him.


    Zhao Hongji struggled to his feet, and though he dared not attack Li Yifei again, he still refused to submit, and viciously said, "Kid, you dare to hit me? Do you know who I am? I work at the court, and I¡¯ll have you arrested immediately."


    Li Yifei, embracing Su Yiyi, turned around, looked at Zhao Hongji, and shook his head dismissively, "I don¡¯t believe it; the court isn¡¯t run by your family."


    Gritting his teeth, Zhao Hongji said, "Just you wait and see if I can get you locked up. If I can¡¯t even do that, then I shouldn¡¯t bother staying in Mile City. This time I will eliminate you if it doesn¡¯t kill me."


    "Oh really? It seems like you¡¯ve got quite the influence."


    "Nonsense. In Mile City, no one dares to offend me, let alone attack me. Kid, you¡¯re a businessman, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll have the Commercial Taxation Department and the police station inspect you daily, then get some gangsters to disturb your company every day. I¡¯ll drive you out of business in Mile City and then get you arrested and confiscate all your property. I¡¯ll make sure you end up penniless."


    "That sounds pretty scary, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just bluffing, are you?" Li Yifei¡¯s face carried a mocking smile.


    "You can assume I¡¯m bluffing, but you¡¯ll soon find out I¡¯m not," Zhao Hongji felt like he had regained the upper hand, spoke arrogantly, "Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance. If you agree to two of my conditions now, I might still let you go."


    Li Yifei uttered an "Oh" and asked, "Then tell me, what conditions would it take for you to let me go?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhao Hongji moved his body a bit, feeling intense pain, and his anger towards Li Yifei grew even stronger. He bitterly said, "That¡¯s simple¡ªfirst, you kneel down and kowtow three times to me, then crawl between my legs."


    Though it might seem like a simple thing, for a man, it was an immense humiliation. If he really did it, he would never be able to hold his head high in front of others ever again. In this world, the ones who could endure such disgrace and still accomplish great deeds were exceedingly rare, just like Han Xin.


    "What¡¯s the second one?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond to the first condition but pressed on to the next.


    Zhao Hongji thought Li Yifei had conceded and laughed, saying, "The second one... also very simple. Let your girlfriend accompany us for a week."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, and a murderous intent flickered in his eyes. Zhao Hongji dared to make such a demand¡ªLi Yifei felt an urge to kill him on the spot.


    "Scumbag!" Following the loud shout, several people entered the private room, and the shout had come from Song Zhentao.


    The first time Li Yifei knocked down Zhao Hongji, Song Zhentao, Gu Yanan, Wei Zijun, and Gu Qianjun, along with Su Mengxin and the lady, had all reached the door of the private room. However, those inside had been too focused on the situation in the room to notice who was outside.


    Song Zhentao immediately wanted to intervene and stop Zhao Hongji, but Wei Zijun held him back. Gu Yanan and Gu Qianjun also stopped Song Zhentao; they obviously wanted to see what would unfold, which made Song Zhentao frown secretly, though he could only watch from the door.


    Seeing Zhao Hongji becoming more and more outrageous and knowing that Li Yifei was very protective of his woman, to provoke her was akin to seeking death. Song Zhentao genuinely feared that Li Yifei would kill Zhao Hongji in a fit of anger. Moreover, Zhao Hongji¡¯s behavior was tarnishing the government¡¯s image of Mile City. With such influential people present, a few words to the higher-ups could jeopardize his career, hence his outburst to intervene.


    Zhao Hongji¡¯s rant was interrupted by Song Zhentao¡¯s loud shout, which annoyed him. He gave Song Zhentao a sidelong glance and sneered, "What, you looking for trouble too?"


    Song Zhentao was taken aback. Zhao Hongji, a public servant in the court, did not recognize him, the Municipal Party Secretary, which surprised him.


    At this moment, Gu Yanan chimed in from behind, "Kid, you think you¡¯re so tough? Do you know who this is? He¡¯s a big deal in our city. You, a small-time judge, can¡¯t afford to provoke him."


    Song Zhentao was at a loss for words. Gu Yanan had deliberately understated who he was to bait Zhao Hongji, but it wasn¡¯t like he could outright declare himself as the Municipal Party Secretary now.


    Zhao Hongji had indeed been overly arrogant and still did not recognize Song Zhentao. It wasn¡¯t strange, given he was a minor judge who had only seen Song Zhentao on TV, and nowadays, who really watched local channels, especially the news?


    With respect to interactions with Song Zhentao, a low-level judge like him was completely unqualified. Now intoxicated and having just been thrashed by Li Yifei, he was in no mood to deal with interruptions, further worsening his irritation. Giving Zhao Hongji a fierce look, he shouted, "Even if you are someone important, it¡¯s best not to provoke me. My uncle is the Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee."


    Song Zhentao was infuriated by Zhao Hongji, his face turning green with anger. The guy was acting arrogant here; dealing with him later was one thing, but now Zhao Hongji had dragged his uncle into this. If Song didn¡¯t take his uncle down in front of these people, he might end up facing criticism himself.


    "Very well, turns out your uncle is that Zhao Minghui. He really raised a fine nephew."


    "You¡¯ve got some nerve to say my uncle¡¯s name directly," Zhao Hongji was now truly upset, glaring haughtily at Song Zhentao.


    Song Zhentao, grinding his teeth in anger, bitterly said, "So should I kneel down and apologize to you then?"


    Zhao Hongji was not completely foolish and started to sense that Song Zhentao was no ordinary man. So, he didn¡¯t fully burn his bridges but pretended to be magnanimous and waved his hand, "That won¡¯t be necessary, but some people should not be provoked. This doesn¡¯t concern you; just mind your own business."


    "Scoundrel!" Fuming, Song Zhentao finally cursed out loud, yelling, "Get Zhao Minghui here now; I want to see if I, Song Zhentao, really can¡¯t afford to offend him."


    "You really talk big, huh? Song Zhentao is so incredible? Song... Song... Song..." Zhao Hongji was acting arrogant, but suddenly something clicked, his face turned pale, and his body involuntarily began to tremble.

 Chapter 1004 - 1045: It’s Over, All Over

    Chapter 1004: Chapter 1045: It¡¯s Over, All Over"Secretary... Secretary Song!"


    This wasn¡¯t said by Zhao Hongji, but by Wang Chengqiang. At this moment, if he and Zhao Hongji still couldn¡¯t recognize Song Zhentao, the Municipal Party Secretary, then they were truly living in vain.


    "Secretary Song... which Secretary Song?" Ma Wendong really didn¡¯t recognize Song Zhentao; at his level, he had no opportunity to come into contact with Song Zhentao.


    "The Municipal Committee... Secretary Song!" Wang Chengqiang¡¯s lips twitched a few times, subconsciously replying.


    Song Zhentao looked at Zhao Hongji and said coldly, "Well, well, as a judge, you actually use the power in your hands to strut around. With a judge like you, can you still administer justice? Can you handle cases according to the law? It seems that there must be many wrongful convictions in the cases you¡¯ve handled. I will arrange for someone from the Discipline Inspection Commission to investigate immediately."


    Zhao Hongji¡¯s legs gave way, and with a thud, he sat on the ground. If someone else had said this, there might have been room for maneuvering, but these words coming from the Municipal Party Secretary himself, in public, were as certain as a nail hammered into board. And considering his current demeanor and behavior, how could he possibly not be in trouble? He was always one to extort both the plaintiffs and defendants. Once an investigation began, it was not just about losing his job¡ªhe was likely to spend a good ten or eight years in prison.


    "Secretary Song, Secretary Song, I was wrong. Please, give me a way out," Zhao Hongji suddenly knelt in front of Song Zhentao, attempting a final struggle.


    "Give you a way out? When you did those things, did you ever think about the impact your actions had on others? When you wrongfully judged a case, did you ever consider the victims? This time, the investigation will not only happen, but it will be thorough. A person who can decide someone¡¯s fate for life should never be someone like you as a judge!"


    Song Zhentao¡¯s words were uttered with resolute finality, echoing in the private room as if they lingered for a long time, or perhaps it could be said that his words truly struck a chord in the hearts of the few people in the room. An Zhen and the other girls were not only seeing the Municipal Party Secretary for the first time, but were also witnessing such a situation, which really made them feel that this Municipal Party Secretary was extremely upright.


    However, to Su Mengxin and others, Song Zhentao¡¯s personal integrity was certainly commendable, but the element of showmanship was naturally not absent, and they had seen such scenes too often to take it seriously.


    "Thank you, Secretary Song," Su Yiyi said to Song Zhentao at that time, smiling appreciatively.


    Song Zhentao sighed and said, "As long as Miss Su hasn¡¯t been hurt, then I can rest easy."


    "Miss Su..." An Zhen and the five female classmates, as well as Ma Wendong, all stared at Su Yiyi with wide eyes. The Municipal Party Secretary was actually addressing Su Yiyi as Miss Su, and it seemed that the two knew each other. Was this still the Su Yiyi they knew?


    No wonder Su Yiyi had been so calm when facing Zhao Hongji, completely disregarding him and understanding so much about the official circles. It turned out that Su Yiyi¡¯s level had completely changed, now being someone who could connect with the Municipal Party Secretary. Zhao Hongji¡¯s uncle, the Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee, seemed not to matter at all in comparison.


    And it was obviously not by Su Yiyi¡¯s own abilities, so it must be because of Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend¡ªdoes it not mean that her boyfriend is incredibly influential, beyond their wildest imaginations?


    At this time, Meng Qianjun laughed and said to Zhao Hongji, "Kid, you¡¯re really unlucky. Not every girl is up for grabs."


    Zhao Hongji knew that he was truly beyond redemption this time, not just himself, but his uncle was very likely to be implicated as well. He was so full of regret; how could randomly flirting with a girl bring the Municipal Party Secretary down on him? But at that moment, seeing Li Yifei, he shouted hoarsely, "Who is he? Who is he?"


    Gu Qianjun laughed again and then shook his head, "Just with you, you¡¯re not worthy to know who he is. Alright, the show¡¯s over, let¡¯s continue drinking."


    In the eyes of people like Gu Qianjun, someone like Zhao Hongji was simply not worthy to know who they were. They weren¡¯t like those wastrel young masters who flaunted their identities everywhere, craving the flattery of others. Gu Qianjun already considered Li Yifei a true rival, which is why he put Li Yifei in his sights involuntarily.


    Gu Yanan felt that there was no interest left. A person like Zhao Hongji could not be an opponent for Li Yifei, nor could he become an asset for them. So, he and Wei Zijun and the others headed out, while Song Zhentao said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, let¡¯s go. Miss Su, let¡¯s go have a couple of drinks to calm your nerves."


    Su Yiyi agreed and then said to An Zhen, "I¡¯ll go first. I¡¯ll call you guys later."


    "Alright!" An Zhen and the others replied, then watched, dumbfounded, as Su Yiyi left with Li Yifei and the others.


    "It¡¯s over... It¡¯s all over!" Zhao Hongji sat on the ground, looking utterly dumbfounded, muttering just this one phrase over and over. The blow was simply too much for him to imagine; how painful it must be to go from a life of glory to a prison cell.


    Seeing Song Zhentao like this, An Zhen and the others felt a bit of sympathy, but more so contempt. If Su Yiyi didn¡¯t have a powerful boyfriend today, wouldn¡¯t she have been bullied by him?


    Wang Chengqiang hurriedly pulled up Zhao Hongji, urgently saying, "Hongji, hurry up, I see Secretary Song hasn¡¯t arranged this matter yet, we still have time to smooth things over." He wasn¡¯t stupid; Song Zhentao had glanced at him earlier, and he feared that trouble would come his way eventually. Now, he and Hongji had to arrange things quickly, find someone to plead with Song Zhentao; if Song Zhentao truly set his mind to handle this matter, then no one could stop it. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongji leapt to his feet and said frantically, "Yes, yes, I need to find my uncle."


    Then the two of them rushed out like madmen.


    Ma Wendong opened his mouth but in the end didn¡¯t call out, then he also immediately ran out. The investigation of those two would inevitably implicate him and his business dealings with them. He would be easily investigated too, so he had to quickly go home to transfer his assets, or flee. Hongji and Chengqiang had connections, he did not, and with money, he could live the same anywhere. He couldn¡¯t just wait here for death.


    An Zhen and the others stood in the private room for a while before coming to their senses. Then they quickly switched the topic to Su Yiyi. They weren¡¯t just envious of Su Yiyi now, but truly admired her, even feeling honored to be her classmates.


    Li Yifei and the others had returned to the private room by now. Li Yifei reintroduced Su Yiyi, who now could greet Wei Zijun and the others with ease, then she sat down next to Su Mengxin.


    Wei Zijun and his two companions watching Mengxin and Yiyi speaking softly together, looking very intimate, couldn¡¯t help but admire them secretly. Li Yifei was clearly more adept at dealing with women than they were. They were all Li Yifei¡¯s women, yet they got along very well, without jealousy and fighting¡ªquite a rare sight indeed.


    Although Su Yiyi was not as beautiful as Su Mengxin and the saint, her gentle temperament was also very rare. They figured they would like her too, and indeed it was no wonder Li Yifei liked her.


    Gu Yanan then raised his glass to Su Yiyi and said, "Miss Su, I toast to you, please feel free to drink as much as you want."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly picked up her glass and said, "Thank you, Mr. Gu." She gave enough respect to anyone who could dine at the same table with Li Yifei.


    "Cheers," Gu Yanan tossed back his drink, and when he saw Su Yiyi took just a sip without getting upset, he said, "Since Young Master Wei and Young Master Meng have their own targets they are pursuing, trying to woo away from Yifei, I can¡¯t fall behind. I shall pursue Miss Su Yiyi."


    Su Yiyi was taken aback, holding her glass, unsure of what to do.


    Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "These shameless guys, they all say they want to steal my husband. You don¡¯t need to pay attention to them, nor do you need to show them any favor. If anyone pesters you, hit them if you want to hit, scold if you want to scold. After all, they wouldn¡¯t dare to do much."


    Gu Yanan laughed and said, "Mengxin, I¡¯m serious. Miss Su Yiyi fits the criteria I¡¯m looking for in a wife perfectly: gentle and considerate, just looking at her makes me want to protect her. So I will definitely try my best. Yifei has so many women, Yiyi won¡¯t receive the best love and care with him. It would be an absolute waste. I can¡¯t stand by and watch this happen."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "It seems I really have to be careful. If I catch anyone attempting anything with my wife, I won¡¯t show any mercy and will definitely break both of his legs."


    Gu Yanan smiled faintly and said, "Brother Yifei, you wouldn¡¯t be that rough, right?"


    "You are right; I am exactly that rough. I am petty, and stealing my woman¡ªabsolutely not."


    Wei Zijun interjected, "Doesn¡¯t Brother Yifei have any confidence?"


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "Of course, I¡¯m confident, but for example, I also like the businesses of your three families, can I just take them? Confidence is one thing, but if anyone tries to mess with what¡¯s mine, I still prefer strangling it in the bud."


    Meng Qianjun clapped his hands in approval and said, "Good, I like what Brother Yifei is saying. A man has to be like this. If someone provokes me, the fists have to fly. Can you even call yourself a man if you can¡¯t protect your own woman? But in the end, it comes down to whose fists are harder."

 Chapter 1005 - 1046: Strong Alliance

    Chapter 1005: Chapter 1046: Strong AllianceLi Yifei slightly smiled and said, "It seems Brother Meng is convinced that his fist is harder than mine?"


    Meng Qianjun blinked and replied, "I¡¯m no match for you. You are the real Head Eagle of the Flying Hawk Squad. Not just in our country but worldwide, you¡¯re recognized as the top expert. How dare I act foolishly before you?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Brother Meng, you¡¯re mistaken. We just tested each other, and it¡¯s clear you have profound skills, and your strength exceeds everyone¡¯s imagination. I don¡¯t understand; considering the Meng Family has an expert like you, why would you let someone like Meng Xiaojun harm the Battle Bear Squad? Could it be that the Meng Family has other plans?"


    Wei Zijun and Gu Yanan immediately turned their gaze toward Meng Qianjun. They knew Meng Qianjun was skilled in martial arts, although not a secret, they didn¡¯t know how strong he indeed was. To them, Meng Qianjun was just a bit stronger than an average person, nowhere near extraordinary. Now, hearing Li Yifei say this, could it be that Meng Qianjun had always hidden much of his potential?


    Meng Qianjun rolled his eyes and said, "I knew sparring with Brother Yifei would just be asking for trouble. But, Brother Yifei, you don¡¯t have to be so harsh, do you? My little skills compared to yours are like heaven and earth. You deliberately raising suspicions in Young Master Wei and Young Master Gu about me is not quite fair."


    Li Yifei had purposely said it. He knew that if they didn¡¯t genuinely fight and let Wei Zijun witness it, they may not believe Meng Qianjun was an Unparalleled Expert. So he chuckled and said, "Brother Meng is so secretive. How could we know how strong you really are?"


    Meng Qianjun pursed his lips and replied, "Acting strong in front of ordinary people like me is somewhat fair, but comparing me to an expert like you is impossible. You¡¯re harming me without actually harming me. Now, Young Master Wei and Young Master Gu will be more cautious toward me. Ah, you used a good tactic there."


    Having achieved his goal, Li Yifei laughed again and said, "Since everyone here has ill intentions towards my wife, I obviously can¡¯t let you just manipulate us. It¡¯s only right for me to strike back occasionally."


    Everyone also laughed along, but what everyone was thinking was unknown to others. These were no weak individuals; though not completely concealing emotions, they were experts at hiding their real intentions.


    "Ugh..." At that moment, Su Mengxin suddenly covered her stomach and dry-heaved twice. Li Yifei and Su Yiyi gently patted her back from each side, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to her.


    Everyone knew that these reactions were due to Su Mengxin¡¯s pregnancy. Hearing Su Mengxin say it was one thing, but everyone still felt she was deliberately speaking for Li Yifei, killing Wei Zijun¡¯s hope and letting everyone understand the relationship between the Su Family and Li Yifei. But seeing her reaction was another matter; it was now clearly confirmed, and especially for Wei Zijun, it was hard to accept.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s condition seemed stronger today and continued dry-heaving. Li Yifei had no mood to continue being hypocritically polite, so he said, "Excuse us, Mengxin is feeling uncomfortable, I need to take her back to rest early. Young Master Wei, Young Master Gu, Brother Meng, another day I¡¯ll host you all until we drink under the table."


    "If you are leaving, taking the beauty with you, what fun is left for us? Let¡¯s disperse," said Meng Qianjun with a wave of his hand.


    Gu Yanan and Wei Qianjun agreed, and Song Zhentao immediately said, "Alright, let¡¯s end it here for today. Since the three of you wish to expand in Mile City, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to meet again, not just today."


    After a final toast, Li Yifei left with Su Mengxin and Su Yiyi. The Saintess pouted and said, "You promised to spend today with me, I¡¯ll go back with you too," and followed Li Yifei.


    Wei Qianjun and the others also stepped out of the hotel, and after Song Zhentao left, Meng Qianjun said with a smile, "Let¡¯s find another place to have a drink."


    Gu Yanan and Wei Zijun smiled and agreed. Although the three were not allied, having Li Yifei as a common enemy in Mile City made them not mind joining forces. To them, profit was paramount; for the sake of benefits, even former enemies could enjoy a drink together and become friends. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before coming, they hadn¡¯t thought about forming an alliance, but upon witnessing the relationship between Su Mengxin and Li Yifei, and that Angel Group was aligned with Li Yifei, they realized how strong Li Yifei was. If just one of them alone, or just one family, they couldn¡¯t overcome Li Yifei.


    The three found a bar and after a couple of drinks, Wei Qianjun said, "It seems Li Yifei is not that easy to deal with."


    Gu Yanan lightly smiled and said, "Young Master Wei, aren¡¯t you being a bit hypocritical? Young Master Wei is almost invincible in South Su, how could a mere Li Yifei be a problem for you?"


    Wei Zijun took a sip of his drink, slightly swirling his glass and said, "Young Master Gu, do you think I¡¯m stronger than Su Mengxin? Li Yifei has Su Mengxin as a backer, along with the support of Angel Group. Not to mention me, even you two probably don¡¯t have much of a chance."


    Gu Yanan lightly smiled and said, "It¡¯s true that the Su Family stands with Li Yifei, but I think Miss Yanzi from Angel Group is rather questionable. If she was that close to Li Yifei, she wouldn¡¯t start a new venture in Mile City; she would have invested in whatever Li Yifei was doing."


    Meng Qianjun chuckled, saying, "Young Master Gu always has more information; we can¡¯t compare with you."


    Gu Yanan took another sip of his drink, maintaining his usual smile, said, "You don¡¯t need to flatter me. When it comes to information, the Gu Family is indeed more connected since we handle a few departments related to these matters. But to say that you haven¡¯t investigated Li Yifei, I wouldn¡¯t believe that. So I hope we can be frank and open about what we know and what we plan to do, then we can all work out how to proceed together."


    Wei Zijun and Meng Qianjun exchanged looks then burst out laughing and raised their glasses, followed by Gu Yanan lifting his. The three clinked their glasses together and drained them, effectively agreeing to unite their thoughts.


    But whether everyone could truly be open and honest was another matter. For people like them, revealing all their cards was clearly out of the question.

 Chapter 1006 - 1047: There is a Problem Here

    Chapter 1006: Chapter 1047: There is a Problem HereLi Yifei took Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin into the car, and the saint also got into the vehicle, with Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin in the back, and the saint sitting in the passenger seat. Once Li Yifei started the car, she grinned and asked, "So, did I make you proud today?"


    Li Yifei gave a light smile and said, "Of course, having such a beautiful woman claim to be mine really boosts my status."


    The saint laughed happily and said, "I love to hear that, but I find it rather interesting now; there are three enemies seeking trouble with you, and Meng Qianjun is indeed very strong."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "He is indeed strong, I don¡¯t have a guaranteed chance of winning."


    "Really? I didn¡¯t know he was skilled in martial arts when I arrived, so I didn¡¯t test him when we shook hands. But later, I sensed that strong aura from him, which must be what you call internal strength, or ¡¯True Qi.¡¯"


    "Yes, he might even be stronger than Crazy Satan."


    The saint¡¯s eyes lit up and said, "That does make it interesting."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Facing such a formidable person, should we change our target now?"


    The saint pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "Do you think choosing a heart demon is that easy? Once I¡¯ve made my choice, I won¡¯t change it. If you can defeat an enemy who¡¯s stronger than you, I¡¯ll like you even more."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Looks like I can¡¯t escape then."


    "Exactly, I am set on you, but having a challenging opponent is great. I actually hope there are more, and even stronger ones."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid such opponents might kill me?"


    "I have confidence in you. A man I choose wouldn¡¯t push himself if he had no opponents. Only the continuous challenge will make you stronger, and dealing with this heart demon is a great challenge for me too¡ªit¡¯s a breakthrough I need to achieve greater accomplishments."


    As the saint spoke, her face was radiant with a divine light. Her greatest wish was for Li Yifei to have more opportunities to showcase his abilities, as that would truly conquer her heart and completely stimulate her heart demon.


    Li Yifei glanced at the saint and suddenly felt a strong sense of danger. Her heart demon had to be killed by her hands for her to truly break through, and she seemed unafraid of him becoming stronger¡ªsuggesting she was confident she could kill him. Although Li Yifei was always confident in defeating the saint, he suddenly felt his confidence might be misplaced. It seemed she really could kill him.


    Li Yifei was on alert, and he didn¡¯t even ask the saint about it. Firstly, it was his suspicion; secondly, he couldn¡¯t ask her directly as it would only make her hide more, making her more elusive to him.


    It seemed he shouldn¡¯t let his guard down but needed to keep improving himself. Meng Qianjun¡¯s appearance gave Li Yifei a direction to work hard towards.


    "Okay, find a place to drop me off, I don¡¯t want to disturb your family," the saint said.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Won¡¯t you come to visit my place?"


    The saint playfully smiled and said, "If you prevent me from overcoming my heart demon, I might just stay in your house like them and not leave."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "With what you just said, I almost forgot, I haven¡¯t made room for you at my house. Now, I need to prepare one for you."


    The saint¡¯s eyes sparkled and she said, "Great, since you¡¯re so confident, you must make room for me. Otherwise, wherever you live, I¡¯ll have to follow."


    Li Yifei then pulled the car over to the roadside and said, "Alright, that¡¯s settled then." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The saint grinned again and said, "I should remind you, if I see those three failing, I might just help them out."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes again and said, "You¡¯re really ruthless. You want me to unleash my cosmos."


    The saint giggled and said, "Push yourself to become a Gold Saint, then I can only be your woman." Then she opened the door and floated away.


    Li Yifei started the car again, and Su Mengxin smiled from the back seat, saying, "This saint really is a tough character."


    Su Yiyi chimed in and said, "Can she be as smart as Sister Mengxin? Even Sister Mengxin is bearing her husband¡¯s child, so even if she¡¯s a saint, she¡¯ll end up being one of our sisters."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "Yiyi, you¡¯re the best, always thinking that our husband is the best in the world."


    "Isn¡¯t he?" Yiyi replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud and said, "Well said, even if there are powerful enemies, your husband will become even stronger so that he can protect you all."


    Su Mengxin, standing behind, looked at Li Yifei with deep amusement in her eyes. The Holy Maiden admired this confident Li Yifei, and it was for this very reason that he had drawn her to him.


    The next few days passed quite peacefully. Li Yifei dedicated himself to his business, and home life was joyful, especially tonight when He Fangqing and Xiao Ling¡¯er were with Li Yifei. It was Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s first time, and she was quite looking forward to it.


    However, when Li Yifei got home, neither He Fangqing nor Xu Yingying had returned, and Xu Shanshan was not back either.


    Li Yifei then called Xu Yingying. It took a while before the call was picked up, and Xu Yingying hurriedly said, "Hubby, I¡¯ll be home late tonight. There¡¯s another problem with the product, and the goods for Southeast Asia were rejected again. I¡¯m organizing people for an inspection right now."


    "Is it Cao Bin¡¯s goods that had an issue again?" Li Yifei frowned.


    "Yes, hubby. I can¡¯t talk much now; these goods need to be checked quickly to see exactly where the problem lies. This is the second time already, and if this continues, our company could face big problems."


    Li Yifei hung up and turned to Su Mengxin, saying, "Mengxin, this product passed the normal tests, right?"


    Su Mengxin was right next to Li Yifei, so she heard what Xu Yingying had said. She frowned and replied, "I feel there¡¯s a big issue here. We¡¯ve been researching this kind of product for several years, and the tests have been done tens of thousands of times without a single issue. If there were a manufacturing issue, not only Southeast Asia but other regions should have problems too. Maybe there¡¯s an issue in the transportation process?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "That shouldn¡¯t be the case. The same transportation conditions apply, and many shipments even farther than to Southeast Asia haven¡¯t had any issues. I feel that there must be an issue with Cao Bin; he might have tampered with the goods. I¡¯ll go to the factory and check."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Then you should go."


    "I¡¯m coming with you," Xiao Ling¡¯er hurriedly called out. It was her turn today, and she had wanted to spend quality time with Li Yifei, but now he had to leave, and she was getting anxious.


    Everyone understood Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s feelings and teased her a bit, letting Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er leave together.


    Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er arrived at the factory where overtime work was in progress. Ordinary workers were unboxing and retrieving goods, while technicians were inspecting. Xu Shanshan, Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing were all frowning at the inspection results; Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er approached them unnoticed.


    "What¡¯s the situation?" Li Yifei asked.


    It wasn¡¯t until then that Xu Yingying noticed Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er. She said, "You¡¯re here?"


    Li Yifei replied, "I came to check on the situation."


    Xu Shanshan, frowning, said, "It¡¯s so infuriating. We¡¯ve checked so much and found nothing wrong. How could their random checks find issues? Are they that supernatural?"


    He Fangqing also seemed annoyed and said, "Yes, it¡¯s absolutely bizarre. I¡¯m really doubtful about the customs in Southeast Asia. Cao Bin hasn¡¯t managed things well there, and we¡¯ve been sabotaged."


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "Considering the losses are substantial for Cao Bin too, and he¡¯s been in business for so many years, it¡¯s unlikely he couldn¡¯t handle such matters."


    Then Xu Shanshan said angrily, "Then why? You saw it too; we checked so much, and there¡¯s nothing wrong. If it¡¯s not an issue with their customs, why have our goods been rejected twice, when there¡¯s clearly no problem with the product?"


    At that moment, a person rushed in hastily¡ªit was Cao Bin. He arrived sweating profusely, his face showing an indescribable ugliness, and said, "Yingying, why has this batch of goods been returned again? My losses are huge this time."


    Xu Shanshan responded irritably, "You still have the nerve to say that? Surely you haven¡¯t settled things on your end, allowing others to cause trouble? Can¡¯t you handle a bit of business? You made a mistake once and again? This can affect our company¡¯s reputation, do you realize?"


    Cao Bin was taken aback and said, "Can¡¯t be, right? It¡¯s not a problem of the products? I had already taken care of customs there; over the years, we¡¯ve hardly ever had goods returned."


    Xu Yingying handed the inspection data to Cao Bin; he looked through it carefully twice, then said with a troubled face, "Then it really must be a problem on our end. Yingying, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll rush over and handle this matter immediately so that the same thing won¡¯t happen a third time."


    Li Yifei watched Cao Bin from behind, not saying a word. He always felt that Cao Bin, facing such a situation, didn¡¯t seem as anxious as he portrayed himself to be.

 Chapter 1007 - 1048: Xiao Ling’er’s Nervousness and Persistence

    Chapter 1007: Chapter 1048: Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s Nervousness and PersistenceTwo hours later, Li Yifei walked back with everyone. Sitting in the car, Xu Yingying was still rubbing her forehead and looked very troubled,. Xu Shanshan appeared quite annoyed; now that she was managing the factory, this incident had caused her a lot of hardships. She had been wanting to pull out, but now she felt stuck and couldn¡¯t leave.


    Xu Shanshan said impatiently, "Brother-in-law, there must be something wrong here; it must be that Cao Bin who¡¯s causing trouble. Hurry up and deal with him so we can stop being so frustrated."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "The problem definitely lies with Cao Bin, but what¡¯s unclear to me is his motive for doing this."


    He Fangqing shook her head and said, "I also feel that there¡¯s something wrong on his part, but what he¡¯s doing would also cause him a significant loss. Is he really doing this just to destroy our company?"


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t believe it and said, "No way, Cao Bin has invested a lot here and I even went to Southeast Asia specifically for research. If he¡¯s really doing this just to harm our company, then his losses would not be less than ours. After all, as long as we cut off the supply from Southeast Asia, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Li Yifei was also doubtful and spoke up, "That¡¯s what I can¡¯t figure out right now, but you don¡¯t need to worry. I will send people to investigate immediately. This is no longer a normal business issue but seems like a conspiracy. You don¡¯t have to be concerned about this; I will take care of it. Let¡¯s go home and have a good rest tonight." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying nodded; she could sense that there was something unusual about this matter, but she still had some doubt that Cao Bin would do something bad. Firstly, Cao Bin himself was a highly talented individual, and the business cases he had handled over the years were very impressive. Such a person with great business achievements was unlikely to mess around, as it could easily ruin his own future. Secondly, if Cao Bin was really behind this, the loss would be significant, easily amounting to millions. Even if Cao Bin was not weak, he shouldn¡¯t be acting this way.


    Therefore, Xu Yingying always felt that there must be some other issue in Southeast Asia, or perhaps the customs authorities there were deliberately making things difficult for Cao Bin, leading to this situation.


    Soon everyone returned home, and by now it was a little past eight. Li Yifei briefly explained the situation to the other members of the household, who also felt perplexed by it, including Su Mengxin, who couldn¡¯t grasp the current situation either.


    After having some food and chatting for a while, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t feel so troubled anymore. Although the issue was bothering her, as a CEO, she couldn¡¯t let a single problem unsettle her. Now that she had entrusted the matter to Li Yifei, other tasks called for her attention, so she quickly adjusted her mood.


    There was a knock at the door, and the nanny went to open it. Meng Xiaofei entered, dragging a suitcase, and immediately asked with a grin, "Is there any food left?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "You glutton, even if there wasn¡¯t any food, we¡¯d have to make some just for you."


    Meng Xiaofei came over and sat next to Xu Shanshan, put her legs on the sofa, and began to take off her sheer tights. While doing so, she complained, "I¡¯m exhausted; there¡¯s nothing like being at home."


    Li Yifei immediately glared at her and said, "Don¡¯t leave things everywhere."


    When Meng Xiaofei used to live on her own, she would carelessly throw her stockings and underwear around, and Li Yifei would always find these items scattered around her place. Now that she was living here, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s habits remained the same. The other women in the house didn¡¯t say much, but Li Yifei, seeing this, would sometimes chide her.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t throw things around anymore."


    Watching a woman take off her stockings is a tantalizing affair, especially since Meng Xiaofei appeared tired today; combined with Li Yifei¡¯s reprimand, she didn¡¯t whip them off with the same zest. Slowly, she rolled them down, so that when she finally took them off, they formed a roll¡ªa seemingly good habit. However, another man, Li Yifei, was present. As she stripped off her tights, lifting her legs, her lace panties became visible.


    What was worse, Meng Xiaofei was sitting right in front of Li Yifei, so a mere glance in her direction would reveal everything. She seemingly treated Li Yifei as if he were invisible.


    Li Yifei felt a burning gaze but was powerless to do anything about Meng Xiaofei. To complain that she was too casual wouldn¡¯t be quite accurate. Outside the home, she would be careful not to let others take advantage, but at home, she was so casual that even if Li Yifei saw everything, she didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Feeling more uncomfortable as he watched, Li Yifei stood up and said, "Alright, I¡¯m going to rest."


    Since it wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s turn yet in the household rotation, as soon as Li Yifei mentioned going to rest, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to who would be accompanying Li Yifei tonight. He Fangqing was indifferent; after all, she had spent the most time with Li Yifei. But Xiao Ling¡¯er blushed suddenly, her usual playful, lively demeanor gone, as she lowered her head shyly, unable to face everyone.


    He Fangqing smiled and said, "Ling¡¯er, I don¡¯t feel well today and want to rest. You go ahead."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er heard this and quickly asked, "Sister Fangqing, where do you feel uncomfortable?"


    Ye Yunzhu laughed and said, "Your Sister Fangqing feels uncomfortable everywhere."


    Suddenly, Xiao Ling¡¯er understood. He Fangqing knew that this was her first time, so she wanted to give Xiao Ling¡¯er and Li Yifei some private space to fully experience this first time in life.


    Although this was a very good thing, Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately said, "Sister Fangqing, this isn¡¯t right, we can¡¯t break the rules just because of that... otherwise, our family rules would be meaningless, and also..." She bit her lip, then mustering courage, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "And I don¡¯t have any experience. If Sister Fangqing could teach me, I might learn more easily."


    He Fangqing laughed, "Our husband can teach you well enough."


    But Xiao Ling¡¯er was very firm, "That¡¯s absolutely not okay either. Rules are rules. If our Li family is to become a great clan, we cannot change the established rules and family laws so easily. They are the important foundation of our clan¡¯s heritage. If anyone can change the family rules for any small reason, then those rules are no rules at all, merely a decoration."


    Hearing Xiao Ling¡¯er speak so seriously, everyone felt that she was indeed right. At that moment, He Fangqing stood up with a smile, "Ling¡¯er is indeed from a great family, her insights are different. If I continue to play nice, I¡¯d actually be breaking the family rules. So let¡¯s go."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er breathed a sigh of relief but immediately said apologetically, "Sister Fangqing, I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ve broken the rules, I know you meant well."


    He Fangqing embraced Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s shoulders with a smile, "What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? I¡¯m not the kind of person to take offense easily, and can¡¯t distinguish between good and bad intentions. Your words serve as a reminder for all of us. Sometimes, good intentions don¡¯t necessarily lead to good deeds, especially in our family, we must be even more careful."


    "Okay, okay, hurry on now. Husband, it¡¯s all on you tonight. You must take good care of Ling¡¯er," Zheng Yuling playfully teased.


    By then, Xiao Ling¡¯er had also become more confident and chuckled, "Yuling, no need to remind me. It will be your turn tomorrow."


    Zheng Yuling laughed, "It¡¯s all the same sooner or later, I¡¯m not afraid at all."


    Amidst everyone¡¯s laughter, Li Yifei took Xiao Ling¡¯er and He Fangqing away, and the rest continued watching TV and chatting. However, Xu Shanshan felt some darkness in her heart. It had been quite some time since she and Li Yifei had had a proper time together. Although she did feel something when Li Yifei was with Xu Yingying, satisfaction was only met in a sexual context.


    Xu Shanshan had always been content and never demanded too much, but as the house became more crowded and shared Li Yifei¡¯s time, her opportunities to be with him decreased. Without being together genuinely, she couldn¡¯t feel fully satisfied, and this left her feeling quite displeased.


    "This can¡¯t go on, I¡¯ll suffocate at this rate," Xu Shanshan muttered to herself. A thought suddenly sprang to her mind¡ªif her sister could accommodate so many, couldn¡¯t she make room for her own little sister? If Xu Yingying could accept her, she wouldn¡¯t need to keep up appearances all the time and could be openly with Li Yifei.


    But Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t dare to try recklessly; she needed to think of a way to test the waters.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already arrived at their living space with He Fangqing and Xiao Ling¡¯er. Upon entering, Xiao Ling¡¯er felt a bit uneasy. After all, tonight was extraordinarily meaningful for her; she was about to become Li Yifei¡¯s woman in the truest sense, beyond just in name but in actual relationship.


    Without this level of relationship, she always felt that she fell short compared to the other women. Only with such a relationship would she feel no different from anyone else and truly have no sense of alienation.


    She had looked forward to this day, but it was a mix of excitement and nervousness for a girl, especially for a first time that involved another person, He Fangqing, making her even more uncertain about what she should do.


    Seeing Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s nervousness, He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "Husband, why don¡¯t you take a shower first? Today is a big event in Ling¡¯er¡¯s life; you¡¯ve got to clean yourself up well."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Alright, then I¡¯ll take a shower first."

 Chapter 1008 - 1049 Xiaofei

    Chapter 1008: Chapter 1049 XiaofeiLi Yifei emerged from his bath to see Xiao Ling¡¯er and He Fangqing chatting and watching TV in the living room. Xiao Ling¡¯er seemed much more relaxed now.


    "Honey, go back to the bedroom first, we¡¯re going to take a shower," He Fangqing said, pulling Xiao Ling¡¯er to her feet.


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Okay, go ahead."


    "Oh, there was a phone call just now. A man was looking for you. I told him you were in the bath, and he hung up."


    Back in the bedroom, Li Yifei tossed his towel aside, lay naked on the bed, and dialed the number from the earlier call. It was one of his men, whom he had been instructing to investigate Sunx Nenghui for some time. There should be accurate news by now.


    "Boss, I¡¯ve taken care of it."


    Li Yifei said, "Then send the information to my email later."


    "Sure, Boss! Also, there¡¯s something else that¡¯s pretty strange."


    "What is it?"


    "That Sunx Nenghui seems to be colluding with a foreign force, and this organization is very mysterious. We haven¡¯t been able to find out any details about it yet."


    "There¡¯s such an organization?" Li Yifei was surprised. Although there were many organizations worldwide, they usually wouldn¡¯t be so hard to track since they often hosted events to recruit people, making their presence known.


    "We¡¯re puzzled too. So Boss, do we continue the investigation?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "No need to put in too much effort. If it doesn¡¯t relate to us, we shouldn¡¯t provoke them."


    "Understood, Boss."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei shook his head. Could this be a new religious organization that inculcates frequent, subliminal compliance in people? Since Sunx Nenghui was connected to that group, once he took care of Sunx, he should be able to extract some useful information from him.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei remembered the president of the Japanese Yamaguchi Group that he had killed, and the nonsensical words the man had spoken before he died.


    "Could he also have been connected to that organization?" Li Yifei furrowed his brows. If that was true, this organization must be quite powerful, considering that someone of the Yamaguchi Group president¡¯s stature could be influenced.


    But then, Li Yifei found the thought somewhat amusing. A person often makes threats and tries to leave a lasting fear in the hearts of others when facing certain death. He shouldn¡¯t let himself be affected by such things.


    Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, along with He Fangqing and Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s voices, he couldn¡¯t make out their conversation but could tell they were enjoying it. He knew He Fangqing was trying to relax Xiao Ling¡¯er.


    Li Yifei had never felt that kind of love for Xiao Ling¡¯er, but now that she was certainly his woman, he had accepted her and Zheng Yuling in his heart, treating them as his own. It felt like a marriage before the romance, and Xiao Ling¡¯er seemed very adorable. The thought of making her truly his woman tonight was indeed exciting.


    After a while, Xiao Ling¡¯er and He Fangqing emerged from the bathroom wrapped in towels, carrying the fresh scent of their bath, their hair blow-dried but not entirely dry, like two blossoms rising from water, quickening one¡¯s blood flow at the sight.


    "Honey, did you wait long?" He Fangqing asked with a smile, climbing onto the bed and resting on Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Yes, hearing you two showering, I was tormenting myself here."


    "Really? I bet you were just itching for Ling¡¯er to join us. Ling¡¯er, come on, what are you standing there for?" He Fangqing called out to Xiao Ling¡¯er with a laugh.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s face turned red, and after biting her lip, she climbed onto the bed and rested on Li Yifei¡¯s other arm, following He Fangqing¡¯s lead...


    What followed was like every other night, Li Yifei made love to both women, finally leading Xiao Ling¡¯er from girlhood to womanhood.


    When all was quiet, Li Yifei held both women, feeling satisfied and knowing he had shouldered another responsibility. As he was about to fall asleep, he heard Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s soft sobs, which surprised him, "Ling¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong? Having regrets?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er hastily brushed her eyes and said, "No, not at all. I¡¯m happy. But thinking about the end of my girlhood... it¡¯s just a bit sentimental."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Then you should have said so earlier. We could have preserved your girlhood a little longer for you to enjoy."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er pouted and said, "Can you even take it back now? You¡¯ve turned me from a girl into a young wife. You can¡¯t escape responsibility for that anymore."


    Li Yifei flicked Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s nose gently and said, "Why wouldn¡¯t I acknowledge such a wonderful wife?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er lifted her head proudly and said, "That¡¯s more like it. You¡¯re forgiven for knowing what to say." But immediately, she burst into giggles, leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s chest, and turned to He Fangqing, "Sister Fangqing, you were so wild just now. Does it really feel that good? All I felt was pain."


    He Fangqing laughed and said, "You¡¯ll know what it¡¯s like next time, or no, after a good night¡¯s sleep, try again in the morning, and you¡¯ll understand."


    "Really? Honey, is that true?"


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Of course, it¡¯s true. If only the man enjoys it, what¡¯s the fun in that? It¡¯s about both people enjoying themselves."


    Giggling, Xiao Ling¡¯er shared, "I won¡¯t lie, I¡¯ve seen adult films before and always thought the women were just acting, that it wasn¡¯t real. If I hadn¡¯t seen Sister Fangqing just now, I still wouldn¡¯t believe it."


    He Fangqing pinched Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s cheek playfully and said, "That¡¯s the difference between a girl and a woman. You have to taste it to know."


    Suddenly, Xiao Ling¡¯er stretched out her hand and groped He Fangqing¡¯s chest, which made her yelp, "Ling¡¯er, what are you doing?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and said, "Sister Fangqing, yours are so big, mine aren¡¯t as large as yours."


    He Fangqing retorted, "Yours aren¡¯t small either, and you haven¡¯t let your husband work on them. Have him touch them more often - his technique is good, they¡¯ll grow bigger with more massaging."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes sparkled, "Honey, is what Sister Fangqing said true?"


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Yes, a good massage technique can indeed help with breast enhancement."


    "Then you¡¯ll have to massage mine more, I want to grow as big as Xiaofei."


    He Fangqing and Li Yifei both burst into laughter. After a while, He Fangqing managed to compose herself and asked, "Why do you want to be that big?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said earnestly, "A woman with larger breasts looks more attractive, and it means more milk for the baby when I have one."


    He Fangqing couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "But don¡¯t you think Xiaofei¡¯s are a bit too much? Moderation is key. If they¡¯re too large, they can become a burden. Besides, men will always look at your chest first, and that can make your husband uncomfortable."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er wriggled on Li Yifei¡¯s body, her chest brushing against his, "Husband, tell me, do you like them as big as Xiaofei¡¯s?"


    He Fangqing quickly joined in, "Yeah, you really have to answer this one. Do you like Xiaofei¡¯s chest? No denials - you¡¯ve touched them. Share your thoughts."


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "Xiaofei¡¯s are indeed a bit excessively large, and yes, they feel good to the touch, but that was an accident. I didn¡¯t intentionally touch them."


    He Fangqing pursed her lips and said, "You say they feel good without even trying to touch, exposing your true thoughts. Men really do like women with larger breasts."


    Li Yifei awkwardly smiled and placed his palms on their chests, "You¡¯re both not lacking, I like them as they are. Let¡¯s not worry about Xiaofei¡¯s - she¡¯s an exception. How many people in our country have her size?"


    After laughing and joking for a while, He Fangqing said, "Honey, have you talked with Xiaofei these past few days? I feel like she¡¯s not herself, often sighing, as if she has something troubling her."


    Li Yifei had been busy recently and hadn¡¯t spent much time with Meng Xiaofei, so he hadn¡¯t noticed any change. He Fangqing¡¯s words made him consider, "Have you asked her about it?"


    He Fangqing replied, "We did, but she always says it¡¯s nothing. However, we can tell she¡¯s hiding something. Usually, she can¡¯t keep secrets, and it¡¯s not like her to hold back. It¡¯s very abnormal."


    Li Yifei nodded, "I¡¯ll find time to talk to her tomorrow. Maybe something¡¯s up with her family. Ah..."


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Both He Fangqing and Xiao Ling¡¯er looked at Li Yifei, puzzled.


    The corner of Li Yifei¡¯s mouth twitched as he said, "Xiaofei is probably a Capital City Meng Family Member."


    "Meng Family Member?" Xiao Ling¡¯er questioned, "I know quite a few Meng Family Members, but I¡¯ve never seen her."


    Li Yifei smiled ruefully, "She left home quite early, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know her." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re not mistaken, are you?" He Fangqing frowned, knowing the grudge between Li Yifei and the Meng Family. If Meng Xiaofei turned out to be a member of the Meng Family, she wondered how Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei would get along in the future.

 Chapter 1009 - 1050: Consoling Meng Xiaofei

    Chapter 1009: Chapter 1050: Consoling Meng XiaofeiLi Yifei thought Meng Xiaofei was a Meng Family Member for a reason. Meng Xiaofei had mentioned before that she was from a major family and left early because she disliked the atmosphere at home. The only prominent family named Meng seemed to be the one in Capital City.


    After Li Yifei killed Meng Xiaojun and returned to Mile City, Meng Xiaofei also happened to return to Mile City and mentioned that she attended a friend¡¯s funeral. It was clear that she must have attended Meng Xiaojun¡¯s funeral. Although she didn¡¯t like the Meng Family, Meng Xiaojun was still her relative. Even if they weren¡¯t siblings, they could have been cousins.


    Moreover, after Meng Xiaofei returned, when Li Yifei carried her back to her room, the sleep talk Meng Xiaofei uttered included saying she didn¡¯t want to harm him. It seemed that the Meng Family knew about Meng Xiaofei¡¯s relationship with him and wanted her to do something that could harm him. However, remembering Li Yifei¡¯s kindness, she didn¡¯t want to do such a thing.


    At this moment, Li Yifei held no resentment towards Meng Xiaofei and was actually very sympathetic. For someone as straightforward as Meng Xiaofei to be involved in such a situation was utterly difficult. The dilemma and the struggle made it even harder for her to bear.


    The next morning, when Li Yifei went to eat, Meng Xiaofei, who usually greeted him spiritedly, was notably evasive, not acting as carefree as she had been the night before. This led Li Yifei to guess that Meng Xiaofei must have received another urgent message from the Meng Family, making her unable to face him.


    With some time left before the meal, Li Yifei smiled and said to Meng Xiaofei, "Xiaofei, I need to talk to you about something."


    "Huh?" Meng Xiaofei gasped, turning her head away to avoid Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and chuckled, "I have nothing to say."


    Li Yifei tapped on the top of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and said, "You might have nothing, but I do. Come on, let¡¯s talk in your room."


    "I...I¡¯d rather not," Meng Xiaofei murmured with her head down.


    "What do you mean ¡¯no¡¯? Are you even daring to disobey your brother now?" Li Yifei, without further discussion, pulled Meng Xiaofei into the room and locked the door behind him.


    This made Meng Xiaofei extremely nervous. She stammered, "Brother Li, what... what do you want to say? Why did you lock the door?"


    Li Yifei looked at Meng Xiaofei, gently placed his hand on her shoulder, and spoke softly, "Xiaofei, you silly girl, how long were you planning to keep this from me?"


    "I...I..." Meng Xiaofei started, with her eyes reddening.


    With an even gentler and apologetic tone, Li Yifei continued, "Silly girl, I know you¡¯re a Meng Family Member, I know Meng Xiaojun was your brother. If I had thought it through, for your sake, I would have certainly spared his life."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s lips trembled slightly as she said, "You knew?"


    "You¡¯re not good at lying. When you¡¯re troubled, it¡¯s clear to see. Ironically, it was my lack of attention that made others remind me of your connection to the Meng Family."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s nose twitched, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes before streaming down her cheeks. She sobbed, "Brother Li, you¡¯ve been really good to me, not like them, who just want to force me to do things I don¡¯t want to do."


    "I know it¡¯s hard for you. On one side, there¡¯s your blood family, and on the other, there¡¯s me. Hehe, do I think that I am more important to you than your own family?"


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head vigorously and said, "Not at all! Though I have two blood brothers and several cousins, none of them have truly made me feel cared for like brothers. Only you, Brother Li, have truly provided me the caring and pampering akin to an elder brother. In my heart, you¡¯re much closer than they are."


    As she spoke, Meng Xiaofei rested her head on Li Yifei¡¯s chest and began sobbing loudly.


    Li Yifei did not stop her, but instead gently patted her back. He knew she had been holding back her emotions these past few days. If she didn¡¯t let it out, he feared she might fall ill.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s crying grew louder until she was nearly wailing, but after about a minute, her cries softened and eventually stopped.


    Lifting her head, Meng Xiaofei wiped away her tears and flashed Li Yifei a smile, saying, "Brother Li, crying it out really made me feel a lot better."


    With a smile, Li Yifei said, "Yes, you¡¯re not someone who can keep things bottled up. Don¡¯t hold back in the future. If there¡¯s anything, just tell me, and I¡¯ll help you sort it out."


    "Mmm!" Meng Xiaofei nodded vigorously and added, "I¡¯ve made up my mind. Although they are my blood relatives, the things they want me to do are meant to harm you, and I can¡¯t let that happen. If something happened to you, then no one would take care of me."


    "If you disobey them, you are betraying your family," Li Yifei said as he wiped away her tears.


    "I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯ve betrayed them before, and I¡¯ve been fine on my own for many years. Life has been happier with you more than it ever was with them. If they are upset and don¡¯t want me anymore, then let it be, because you won¡¯t abandon me, right?"


    "Yes, are you my sister? If you don¡¯t want to get married, I¡¯ll take care of you for the rest of my life."


    "I knew my brother was the best to me, hee hee, never mind, I¡¯m changing my phone number today so they can¡¯t find me."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Xiaofei, there¡¯s another question I need to ask you."


    "What question?" Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "No matter what the question is, I¡¯ll answer it."


    Li Yifei gave a brief smile, but immediately turned serious and said, "Xiaofei, I won¡¯t hide it from you, there¡¯s bound to be a conflict with the Meng Family, it¡¯s just a matter of time. If that day really comes, I¡¯m really afraid it¡¯ll be tough for you."


    This time, Meng Xiaofei responded quite casually, "What¡¯s so tough about that? They fight with this family and that family every day. There are always wins and losses. If they lose to you, that¡¯s normal too."


    "What if, because of the fight, someone gets hurt... like Meng Xiaojun losing his life?"


    "That... well, whatever then. They are always like that. Helping you, I feel guilty for the gratitude I owe them; helping them, I feel guilty for how good you¡¯ve been to me. So, I might as well help neither side and just do what makes me happy. Life¡¯s only a few decades long; why not just enjoy it while I¡¯m young? Why care so much?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t know whether to say Meng Xiaofei was open-minded or heartless, but he had to admit, such people lived happier lives. Those who carry burdens in their hearts live tired lives. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mm, it¡¯s good you think this way, but out of consideration for you, I¡¯ll try to show some mercy to the Meng Family."


    "Hee hee, that works too. Then I can go home and brag, telling them if it wasn¡¯t for me, Meng Xiaofei, having a good brother like you, they¡¯d all be finished, haha... That would be so cool."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly; Meng Xiaofei¡¯s heart was indeed very big.


    Li Yifei patted Meng Xiaofei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Alright, if you can think this way, then let¡¯s go out for a meal."


    Meng Xiaofei nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, eating is most important."


    Li Yifei held onto Meng Xiaofei and said, "Look at you, switching between crying and laughing. Your face is all smeared. You better clean up quickly."


    Meng Xiaofei exclaimed and quickly pulled out a tissue, wiping her face, while Li Yifei looked around the room, frowning and said, "I¡¯m really fed up with you, I don¡¯t know who would be unlucky enough to marry you; this place always looks like a dog¡¯s nest."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Then I just won¡¯t get married."


    Li Yifei shook his head and went to help Meng Xiaofei tidy up, picking up a pile of undergarments like panties, bras, and stockings in an instant. Fortunately, Li Yifei was used to seeing these things; otherwise, imagining Meng Xiaofei wearing them could really make his nose bleed.


    "Are these cleaned?" asked Li Yifei as he casually looked around.


    "I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll wash them later," Meng Xiaofei said, slightly embarrassed.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "You should leave it to the maid, you lazy pig."


    Meng Xiaofei grinned and said, "Yes, yes, I¡¯m a lazy pig, or why else would I cling to a good brother like Brother Li who treats me well and never leave? I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be another chance like this. Here¡¯s another one." Meng Xiaofei pulled out a pair of underwear from under her pillow and threw it directly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, completely unprepared, had it smack onto his face and quickly peeled it off, both annoyed and amused, saying, "You girl, throwing your underwear at my face."


    Meng Xiaofei laughed heartily and said, "It¡¯s quite fun, maybe next time I¡¯ll put underwear on your head, that would look really cool."


    Li Yifei was speechless, wondering if this girl could ever behave, show some restraint, or act a bit more ladylike. But he also knew, for the rest of her life, Meng Xiaofei was unlikely to change, and he could only let it be.


    From entering to leaving, Li Yifei didn¡¯t ask Meng Xiaofei how exactly the Meng Family planned to deal with him. It would have been difficult for her, or rather, it would have forced her to take his side. Although he knew that if he asked, Meng Xiaofei would definitely tell him, he didn¡¯t want to put her in a tough position.


    After the two came out, no one asked much. They had heard the cries from inside, and seeing Meng Xiaofei come out all smiles, they knew that Li Yifei had resolved her troubles, and that was

 Chapter 1010 - 1051 Cao Bin’s True Conspiracy

    Chapter 1010: Chapter 1051 Cao Bin¡¯s True ConspiracyEveryone had just finished eating and were about to leave when Lin Qiong entered the room, her face visibly exhausted.


    Li Yifei went up to greet her and took her police uniform, frowning as he asked, "Didn¡¯t you sleep again last night?"


    Lin Qiong yawned and replied, "No, I didn¡¯t. We received a tip that a large batch of drugs entered Mile City last night, but despite investigating all night, we got nowhere. It¡¯s really giving me a headache; drugs have been rampant in Mile City lately. We¡¯ve been strictly checking all channels, yet so much is still getting through."


    Li Yifei said with concern, "This isn¡¯t a situation that arose in just a day or two, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Besides, there are many other officers, why exhaust yourself like this?"


    Lin Qiong glared at him and said, "I am a police officer; it¡¯s my duty. How can I slack off? No matter how tough or tiring, I must eliminate the drugs from Mile City completely."


    Knowing Lin Qiong¡¯s personality, Li Yifei understood that advising her was futile. She always wanted to prove herself, to show she could handle things not just because of Li Yifei¡¯s help. As a strong-willed woman, getting her to change her mind was exceedingly difficult.


    "I won¡¯t keep you, I need to grab something to eat and then get some sleep," Lin Qiong said, pushing past Li Yifei and heading straight to the dining hall where she began to eat voraciously.


    Li Yifei shook his head, lacking the energy to assist with this matter for the moment, and knowing Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t have accepted his help anyway. For now, he¡¯d have Sophia keep an eye on her to ensure her safety.


    Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er had dropped their child off at school and then went to the office together. Ning Xin¡¯er was happiest at times like these, even more so than living with Li Yifei, because this allowed her to take care of him like a wife should, constantly being able to see him.


    Li Yifei focused on the emails from his subordinates that had come in yesterday, containing data on Sun Nenghui¡¯s company and his latest activities.


    Previously, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t intended to harm Sun Nenghui, but after what he had done to Xu Yingying last time, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t let him off. If he didn¡¯t deal with him harshly and incapacitate him from causing harm again, he would always be a ticking time bomb.


    Sun Nenghui must also have feared that Li Yifei was after him, so he had been keeping a low profile these days, always accompanied by several highly-paid bodyguards whenever he went out. Yet, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t looking to use martial strength against Sun Nenghui now; he wanted to bankrupt his company and leave him with nothing.


    After reviewing the data, Li Yifei made a few calls. He had recently recruited several business elites who had made a name for themselves with classical cases of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Due to certain special circumstances, they were unable to appear in formal settings, but Li Yifei provided them with substantial protection. Having had previous dealings with them, they knew of Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities and were willing to work for him.


    Ning Xin¡¯er watched Li Yifei with gleaming eyes, admiring the strategic acumen of this man, her man... How could she not feel fortunate?


    In the days that followed, life was relatively peaceful. Li Yifei worked during the day and spent his evenings at home with his family. Zheng Yuling had truly become his woman, and the household was full of harmony and laughter. Other than work, the favorite topic of discussion was who might be pregnant, but it seemed like Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been very effective lately; other than Su Mengxin, no one else showed signs of pregnancy.


    Meng Qianjun, Gu Yanan, and Wei Zijun had not had contact with Li Yifei recently, but he knew they had been making a series of moves in Mile City. Meng Qianjun, handling entertainment businesses, had taken over several major dance halls and sauna industries. With his backing, the police in Mile City didn¡¯t dare trouble him, although people from the underworld had tried a few times, only to be beaten severely by Meng Qianjun himself. After several such instances, they learned not to mess with him. This guy was not only powerful but also a madman; anyone who crossed him got beaten, relying purely on his fists to communicate.


    Meng Qianjun¡¯s business thus clashed with Brother Hu¡¯s interests. Believing in the predominant strength of a local force, Brother Hu wanted to negotiate with Meng Qianjun. However, Meng Qianjun didn¡¯t give him any face, and even got Brother Hu¡¯s men into some trouble.


    This irritated Brother Hu, but he sensed that Meng Qianjun was no ordinary person and specifically sought out Li Yifei to discuss the situation.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t have the energy to directly confront Meng Qianjun at the moment, so for now, he asked Brother Hu to bide his time. Brother Hu was very obedient to Li Yifei¡¯s commands and restrained his men from clashing with Meng Qianjun. Although it appeared somewhat passive, he completely trusted that Li Yifei had a purpose in his approach.


    Gu Yanan was in close contact with several large companies and seemed to be planning to invest in major businesses or corporations; therefore, he wasn¡¯t rushing into actions and continued with negotiations. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Qianjun had specifically set up an investment company and already had some business dealings. With his capabilities, vision, and a team of elite subordinates, he was naturally managing things smoothly in Mile City.


    These three men had been very busy lately, it seemed all were focused on making money, and none had crossed paths with Li Yifei. But Li Yifei knew that sooner or later, they would come face to face.


    Time quickly passed, and half a month later, Xu Yingying¡¯s company¡¯s goods were rejected for the third time in Southeast Asia, which really infuriated her. The batch had undergone strict inspection before leaving the factory and was definitely fine.


    But what happened next was even more unexpected for Xu Yingying; when the goods were returned to the port, they were immediately seized by the police.


    Xu Yingying hurriedly called Lin Qiong, trying to find out what was going on with the shipment, but Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t answering her calls at the time, which made Xu Yingying even more anxious. She then called Li Yifei.


    After listening to Xu Yingying, Li Yifei first comforted her with a few words, then he also tried calling Lin Qiong, but she did not answer either, leaving Yifei somewhat at a loss for words. He could only call Chief of the Public Security Bureau Ning Changzheng, who quickly answered the call.


    "Young Master Li, I was just about to call you," Ning said.


    "What happened?" Li Yifei asked directly.


    "Well, the shipments that your company received back from Southeast Asia were found to contain a large amount of drugs, so we had to detain the goods. I wanted Little Lin to notify you, but since she is the lead investigator on this case, she insisted on not calling you to avoid any conflict of interest."


    Li Yifei was initially shocked, but soon understood the whole situation and said, "Director Ning, please pass a message to Qiongqiong for me, tell her to handle the matter strictly by the book. I won¡¯t hold her back."


    No wonder the recent shipments from Southeast Asia were all sent back; it turned out that Cao Bin had been using them to transport drugs. Since the shipments cleared customs once shipped, the customs declarations were much easier to handle; moreover, given Su Mengxin¡¯s influence, the customs were very accommodating to Dreamfly Company¡¯s products and inspections were lax, which allowed Cao Bin to smoothly bring in the drugs.


    This move was indeed very clever. It seemed like Cao Bin incurred some losses, but compared to the huge profits from drugs, these losses were negligible.


    However, Lin Qiong was really impressive for discovering the drugs here. When this girl got serious, she was truly remarkable.


    Dreamfly Company was quickly sealed off by the police, not just the company but also the factory. Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, Michelle, and other company leaders were all taken in by the police. The factory situation was even more severe as the police conducted a thorough search there, and Xu Shanshan and others couldn¡¯t escape; they were all brought to the Public Security Bureau.


    And Lin Qiong was the one who issued these orders.


    Having these people taken away, Li Yifei had no choice but to confront Lin Qiong directly.


    Lin Qiong was sitting in her office, lost in thought, and didn¡¯t notice Li Yifei¡¯s entrance until he put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to suddenly turn around.


    "What are you daydreaming about?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mouth twitched, then with a bitter smile, she said, "After all the investigation, I never expected that the biggest drug dealer would turn out to be my own family member."


    Li Yifei smiled and asked, "Do you believe that Yingying and the others did it?"


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Of course, I don¡¯t believe it, but since the company is involved now, if we can¡¯t solve the case soon, the company can¡¯t operate. That would be a significant blow to the company."


    "Then solve it," he said. "You¡¯ve managed to get this far, aren¡¯t you near the last step?"


    Lin Qiong met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and asked, "You¡¯re not blaming me?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Why would I blame you? Drugs are inherently evil. Even if it means losing some money, we must completely close down this drug supply route, so I fully support you."


    Lin Qiong leaned into Li Yifei¡¯s chest and said softly, "Thank you."


    "Thank me for what? Are you my wife?"


    "But... I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll face Yingying and the others in the future."


    "There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t face. This is your duty, something you must do. Yingying didn¡¯t want to be used by that Cao Bin either; none of us expected him to use such a method to traffic drugs. Right now, the most important thing is to catch Cao Bin and bring him to justice. That will clear things up for everyone."


    Lin Qiong nodded firmly and said, "Husband, rest assured, I will catch him as quickly as possible and give Yingying and the others an explanation."

 Chapter 1011 - 1052: A Tough Night

    Chapter 1011: Chapter 1052: A Tough NightSelling drugs in Huaxia is considered a major case. As long as it involves drugs, no matter how powerful you are, you¡¯re doomed. Therefore, despite having the backing of Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, the police couldn¡¯t release Xu Yingying and her associates before fully investigating. They had to endure a day in detention.


    However, a key figure in the case, Cao Bin, suddenly disappeared.


    Indeed, Cao Bin had vanished. As soon as the police seized the goods, he knew they would trace it back to him, and he dared not show his face.


    He was really furious, driven almost to madness. The first time was a test, the second time he increased the amount slightly, and this time, he had brought in the biggest shipment ever. The total value of these goods was around five hundred million. Now that the police had seized them, it meant he had lost five hundred million in an instant. And it was all because of Lin Qiong, that woman, leading his meticulously planned scheme to result in utter financial ruin.


    His phone rang, and Cao Bin tensed up instantly. His phone had dual SIMs; one was a regular and publicly known number, and the other was a private one known only to certain people¡ªand it was this number that was displaying on the screen now.


    "What¡¯s the problem?" a deep, husky voice came from the phone.


    With respect and fear, Cao Bin said, "Boss, our goods were seized by the police."


    "Seized?" The voice on the other end turned cold, demanding, "That was five hundred million worth of goods. Didn¡¯t you say the channel was completely secure? Now with such a big issue, how do you expect me to explain this to the higher-ups?"


    Cao Bin, with a pained expression, said, "Boss, I really didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen. I was very well prepared this time. I even collaborated with a classmate¡¯s company. She trusts me, and the company has a powerful backing, almost exempt from inspections. I really don¡¯t know how the police caught onto us."


    "I don¡¯t care what methods you use, you have to resolve this. If you can¡¯t retrieve the goods, then compensate for the loss."


    "Boss! That¡¯s five hundred million worth of goods. Where am I supposed to find that kind of compensation?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t explain to me. The higher-ups only care about results. If you can¡¯t handle it, they will send someone to deal with it."


    "Boss, Boss!" Cao Bin cried out in agitation, "I¡¯m short-staffed right now, I simply can¡¯t handle it. You need to send more people over here."


    "Fine, I¡¯ll send a few people your way. This is the last thing I can do for you. If you still can¡¯t handle it, you know what the consequences will be."


    "Yes! I will definitely handle it."


    "That would be for the best." The person on the other end then hung up the phone.


    "Damn it, all because of that damn cop, causing me to lose so much money." Cao Bin¡¯s hatred was now focused on Lin Qiong. "Damn woman, you¡¯ve made me suffer so much, I will never let you go," he muttered bitterly as he smashed a glass cup to pieces.


    Inside the Public Security Bureau, there was also a lot of chaos. Not because the police were disorganized, but because family members of those arrested had gathered there. They didn¡¯t know what was happening; their loved ones had been arrested, and they were very anxious.


    "You must be my daughter¡¯s colleague, right?" A couple in their fifties saw Li Yifei and quickly approached him.


    Li Yifei recognized them; they were Michelle¡¯s parents, very decent people.


    With politeness, Li Yifei said, "Uncle and Auntie, I am Michelle¡¯s colleague, Li Yifei." He continued without waiting for them to ask, "Don¡¯t worry. This situation is due to a frame-up, and that¡¯s why Michelle is under investigation. It will be cleared up soon, and then Michelle will safely return home."


    Michelle¡¯s mother let out a small sigh of relief but immediately said discontentedly, "What is all this about? If our daughter is not involved, then release her earlier."


    Michelle¡¯s father frowned slightly and asked, "Is what you¡¯re saying true?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Uncle and Auntie, it is absolutely true. My wife is the head of the company and is also detained right now. If it were a real issue, I would be frantic, and if my wife were truly involved in trafficking, would I still be free outside? I¡¯d definitely have been arrested too."


    "So when can she come out?" Michelle¡¯s mother asked another question.


    Li Yifei did not hide anything, responding, "Uncle and Auntie, this situation is a bit complicated. She definitely won¡¯t be able to leave tonight; I estimate it might be possible by tomorrow at the earliest. You shouldn¡¯t wait here. I¡¯ll take your phone number, and as soon as there¡¯s any news, I will notify you."


    Michelle¡¯s parents were reluctant to leave, and the relatives of other employees from the company were also waiting there. Seeing Li Yifei as the company spokesperson, many approached him to inquire about the news. Of course, among them, there were quite a few who blamed and even cursed at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei could only patiently explain. All those arrested were key figures in the company, and Li Yifei knew them and had a good relationship with them. He understood that their relatives were overreacting somewhat.


    After a while, Lin Qiong came out as a representative of the police and addressed everyone, "I am the lead officer on this case. Because it involves a large amount of drugs, key personnel within the company cannot be released for now."


    "Our child traffics drugs, it¡¯s impossible. There must be some mistake."


    "Officer, you can¡¯t wrongly accuse a good person. My son has always been well-behaved and honest. How could he possibly be involved in drug trafficking?"


    Everyone here was intensely agitated, and the scene became even more chaotic.


    Lin Qiong waved her hand and loudly said, "The law will not wrong a good person, nor will it let a bad one go. As for this case, based on the current evidence, it seems they were not involved. However, due to the seriousness of the case, they must cooperate with our police investigation. Please trust our police force."


    But with their family members arrested, everyone was particularly emotional, and it was hard for them to calm down at once.


    "I understand everyone¡¯s feelings, but if they do not cooperate, it will only cast more suspicion on them. Do you want your loved ones to be under constant police scrutiny in the future?"


    As soon as Lin Qiong said this, everyone quieted down immediately. It was only a temporary detention for now, but if it turned out they were involved in something later, it would be a big problem.


    "Officer, can we see our family members then?" someone else asked.


    Lin Qiong shook her head and said, "That¡¯s definitely not possible right now. You all know the dangers of drugs; they harm others as well as oneself. We can¡¯t ascertain whether someone in the company was involved, so unless they can completely clear their names, we cannot let you see them."


    "And when can that be determined?"


    "As soon as twenty hours, or at most forty-eight hours. During this period, I will definitely give you all an explanation."


    With this assurance from Lin Qiong, the situation temporarily stabilized. Lin Qiong then said, "Everyone, please leave for now. Staying here doesn¡¯t help your relatives and also hinders our investigation, impacting our efficiency. I assume none of you want your loved ones to spend another night here?"


    This was effective; immediately, someone calmly said, "Yes, yes, let¡¯s all leave for now. We indeed have an impact here."


    At this moment, Li Yifei also said, "Everyone please go back. As a representative of the company, I will keep an eye on the situation and notify you all immediately if there is any news."


    Under the persuasion of Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, everyone finally dispersed. However, Li Yifei did not leave but went to see those who had been detained. Others might not be able to see them, but Li Yifei still had some privileges.


    Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, and He Fangqing were all incredibly angry, not at the police, but at Cao Bin, that bastard.


    Inside the company, Li Yifei also reassured others, who were all quite calm as they knew they hadn¡¯t done anything and that the matter was unrelated to them. Once Li Yifei reassured them, they were completely worry-free.


    Li Yifei finally went to see Michelle, as she was just finishing an interrogation, not because Li Yifei deliberately avoided her.


    "Brother Li, you weren¡¯t also detained, were you?" Michelle was startled when she saw Li Yifei, then her face showed a trace of joy.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "When the police detain people, would they lock up a man with a woman like you?"


    Michelle blushed immediately, secretly wishing for such a scenario which would have allowed her another chance to be alone with Li Yifei. But Li Yifei shattered this fantasy of hers, leaving her a bit disappointed and embarrassed. "Then how did you get in here?"


    "I came to see you. The police haven¡¯t been hard on you, have they?"


    "No, they¡¯ve been quite polite."


    "That¡¯s good. You don¡¯t need to worry, you¡¯ll be out soon. It¡¯s just about cooperating with the police for now."


    "I understand, don¡¯t worry, Brother Li... I haven¡¯t seen you for many days. Are you alright?"


    Looking at Michelle¡¯s affectionate gaze, the corners of Li Yifei¡¯s mouth curved up. "I¡¯m doing quite well. The house is so lively. Every night, I have different people to keep me company, at least two. How could I not be?"


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red again. She hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to even bring up this matter, but she quickly understood that Li Yifei was informing her of his situation, letting her realize his current home life and that he couldn¡¯t offer her the exclusive love and ideal marriage she envisioned.


    Michelle wanted to let go of her longing for Li Yifei, wanted to give up her love for him, but these past many days, she really couldn¡¯t let go. She still thought about Li Yifei every day and hoped to see him. Sometimes she really thought, if Xu Yingying and the others could do it, why couldn¡¯t she?


    But whenever she saw her parents, she lost her courage. Her parents would never allow such a thing. If she insisted on being with Li Yifei, her parents would surely sever their relationship with her. And Michelle was a very filial daughter. She couldn¡¯t bear to make her parents sad or embarrassed in front of others.

 Chapter 1012 - 1053: Informant

    Chapter 1012: Chapter 1053: InformantLin Qiong had stayed up half the night before she and Li Yifei returned home. At the Public Security Bureau, she could be impartial and stern, but the thought of going home made her anxious. She said, "Husband, will they hate me?"


    "No, everyone understands the situation and knows it¡¯s normal for you to act this way."


    "But... because of me, Yingying, Shanshan, and Fang Qing are all locked up. I always feel like I did something wrong."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "This is your responsibility. If you were to bend the law for the sake of family, then you wouldn¡¯t be a good police officer, and you wouldn¡¯t be the Lin Qiong I love."


    Even with these words, Lin Qiong was still very nervous, and when they arrived home, no one had slept. Given the magnitude of the situation, it seemed impossible to sleep.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong felt like a child who had done something wrong. She glanced at everyone and then lowered her head, too afraid to meet their eyes.


    "Husband, Sister Lin Qiong, haven¡¯t you eaten yet? I¡¯ll heat up some food for you right away," Su Yiyi was the first to break the silence.


    Su Mengxin then said, "Please tell us what happened."


    Li Yifei briefed them on the situation, while Lin Qiong opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.


    After listening, Su Mengxin said to Lin Qiong, "You did the right thing. That¡¯s what makes a qualified and excellent police officer. Our country actually needs more police officers like you. If everyone acted as you did, our country would definitely be more stable and harmonious."


    Lin Qiong looked up at Su Mengxin and finally said, "I know very well that Yingying and the others are definitely not involved, but we still need to thoroughly investigate before we can release them."


    Ye Yunzhu said, "Lin Qiong, you shouldn¡¯t feel any burden. Do what needs to be done. The more our own family is involved, the stricter we must be. This prevents others from criticizing us and negatively impacting the Li family in the future."


    Seeing that no one was blaming her, Lin Qiong was very moved and said, "Then later on, I should properly apologize to Yingying, Shanshan, and Yunzhu for making them suffer."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed lightly and said, "That¡¯s simple. Just give them your chance tonight, and they certainly won¡¯t be mad."


    Everyone burst into laughter. Although Xu Yingying was temporarily in the custody of the Public Security Bureau, they were not worried. If she didn¡¯t come out tomorrow, she would definitely be home the day after.


    The next day, Lin Qiong resumed investigating the case. She confirmed that the first two batches of goods that were returned to the country had been initially handled by Cao Bin¡¯s men, then sent back to Xu Yingying¡¯s company. The drugs had been moved in the process, so Xu Yingying¡¯s company was essentially cleared of involvement, and all involved personnel were released.


    Xu Yingying and the others didn¡¯t blame Lin Qiong, and they all encouraged her to tirelessly pursue Cao Bin and catch him soon to get their revenge.


    This encouragement deeply moved Lin Qiong, and she vowed in her heart that she had to catch that guy Cao Bin at any cost.


    Although a large batch of drugs was intercepted this time, not a single person involved in the drug trade was caught, so it didn¡¯t count as a true success. Catching Cao Bin, the mastermind, was necessary to truly crack the case.


    Lin Qiong was giving it her all during this time; she was up early and returned late each day, using all means to try to locate Cao Bin, who seemed to have vanished from the planet.


    That day, she received a call from an unknown number. When Lin Qiong answered, a man¡¯s voice came through.


    "Director Lin, are you catching Cao Bin?"


    Lin Qiong immediately became alert and asked, "Yes! Who are you?"


    "Who I am isn¡¯t important. What matters is that I know where Cao Bin is."


    "Where?" Lin Qiong asked urgently.


    "Director Lin, I¡¯m providing a clue, and it¡¯s very risky. Shouldn¡¯t I receive some reward?"


    "Of course, if you provide the clue and it leads to Cao Bin¡¯s capture, we¡¯ll give you a reward of 100,000 yuan."


    "Director Lin, I don¡¯t want this to sound petty, but I¡¯d prefer not to wait for police approval to get the money, which could expose me and later endanger me. I need the money now."


    Lin Qiong hesitated for a moment and then said, "Okay, I can give you the money upfront."


    "You¡¯re decisive, Director Lin. Go prepare the money; I¡¯ll call you in two hours."


    "No need to prepare, I can cover it personally."


    "That¡¯s very straightforward of you, Director Lin. But you must come alone. I don¡¯t want anyone else to know. I only trust you, Director Lin, I don¡¯t trust anyone else."


    "No problem!" Lin Qiong replied readily, not worried about being deceived. She would make sure to take down his identification; if he turned out to be a fraud, she could certainly capture him later.


    "Good, then I¡¯ll be waiting at the Flying Bird Bar. Remember, come alone. If I see you¡¯ve brought someone, I definitely won¡¯t show up."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come alone."


    After hanging up, Lin Qiong immediately called Li Yifei to transfer 100,000 yuan. Although she was a director, she didn¡¯t engage in corruption or bribery, so her income was limited; she didn¡¯t have 100,000 yuan of her own.


    "Okay, but can you tell me what you need the money for?" Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t care about the money, especially when it was for his woman, he was still concerned and asked since Lin Qiong suddenly needed a significant amount.


    "There¡¯s an informant who demands payment upfront, and I can¡¯t apply for it at the bureau right now, so I¡¯ll have to cover it myself."


    "Oh?"


    Lin Qiong immediately gave a brief rundown of the situation, urging, "Hurry, I¡¯ll be heading there right away."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll get the money ready for you right away."


    After retrieving the money, Lin Qiong turned to Sophia, who was following her, and said, "I¡¯m going solo for this task, do not follow me."


    Sophia responded indifferently, "Master has instructed me to protect you. As long as you leave the Public Security Bureau, I must follow you closely."


    Lin Qiong frowned. Sophia had been guarding her these past few days, and knowing the stubbornness of this blonde beauty, Lin Qiong realized that without Li Yifei¡¯s intervention, she wouldn¡¯t agree. She had no choice but to call Yifei again.


    Yifei promptly agreed, instructing Lin Qiong to hand the phone to Sophia and then told Sophia she could follow Lin Qiong but from a distance, without alerting anyone. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With Yifei¡¯s instructions, Sophia consented, and Lin Qiong was able to drive alone to the Flying Bird Bar.


    The Flying Bird Bar was located in the city center of Mile City. It wasn¡¯t very large and housed about a dozen tables, with a few private rooms. It was still afternoon, so the bar was quite deserted, without a single customer at the tables, only two bartenders lazily playing with their phones behind the bar.


    Dressed in her police uniform, Lin Qiong attracted attention the moment she walked in. Both bartenders stood up, one of them quickly approaching her, saying, "Welcome, officer. What brings such a beautiful police officer here?"


    Lin Qiong responded flatly, "I¡¯m here to meet someone."


    "Meet someone? It¡¯s just the two of us here, who are you looking for?"


    "Just the two of you?" Lin Qiong frowned.


    "Yes, no customers have come in yet."


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Then bring me a beer," and immediately took a conspicuous seat.


    The bartender promptly served Lin Qiong a beer, then leaned in closer, asking, "Anything else you require?" Seeing such a beautiful police officer for the first time had his mind racing with thoughts about the allure of a woman in uniform.


    Lin Qiong waved her hand dismissively, "No, that will be all, go on with your work." Since these two weren¡¯t the people she was looking for, she didn¡¯t bother engaging further.


    The bartender reluctantly left, leaving Lin Qiong to slowly sip her beer as she waited for her contact.


    Within five minutes, a man entered the bar, seemingly in his early thirties, not very tall, wearing a broad-brimmed hat and large sunglasses that obscured most of his face. Lin Qiong instantly knew this was the man she was looking for."


    The man walked straight to Lin Qiong and sat down across from her, lowering his voice, "Director Lin indeed trusts people, coming here alone."


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Show me your ID. Rest assured, I, Lin Qiong, keep my promises, and everything will be confidential."


    The corners of the man¡¯s mouth curled up, a clear sign of a smile, "Officer Lin, did you bring the money?"


    "I did." Lin Qiong placed a bag on the table, "Without your ID, you won¡¯t be taking this money. I need to verify the authenticity of your information."


    "Officer Lin, you¡¯re quite right, but rest assured, the information I provide is indeed genuine."


    "I can only know if your information is genuine once I catch the person."


    The man smiled again and said, "Officer Lin is truly astute. So, shall I tell you now where Cao Bin is?"


    "Where?" Lin Qiong tensed and leaned forward slightly.


    "He is..." The smile on the man¡¯s face grew thicker, "I¡¯ll take you to him right now."


    Lin Qiong was startled, "Take me?" Yet her body involuntarily jerked, as she felt a sudden dizziness.


    "Yes, if you want to catch him, naturally, I should kindly take you to him. Director Lin, are you feeling very dizzy now?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s heart suddenly lurched, and she tried to stand up to reach for her gun, but once she moved, she realized her body was unexpectedly weak and she lacked even the strength to pull out the gun.


    "Director Lin, that beer was heavily drugged, you might as well stop struggling and cooperate with us; we won¡¯t harm a hair on your head."


    "You¡¯re with Cao Bin..." Lin Qiong tried to keep herself alert, but her head was getting foggier and her body weaker.


    "You¡¯re intelligent, but unfortunately, it¡¯s too late for you now," laughed the man.


    The man¡¯s laughter was the last thing Lin Qiong remembered before losing consciousness, after which she knew nothing more.

 Chapter 1013 - 1054: Cao Bin’s Conspiracy

    Chapter 1013: Chapter 1054: Cao Bin¡¯s ConspiracyLin Qiong awoke once again to find herself in a pitch-dark cabin, roughly making out only the outline of the small room.


    She was bound to a chair at the moment, her clothes still intact, which let her breathe a sigh of relief. After all, she was a woman, and the first thing that came to mind was whether she had been violated.


    Realizing she was unharmed in that respect, she then thought about her current location, remembering why she was there. But as she pondered, Lin Qiong felt quite annoyed. According to what that person implied, she was now in Cao Bin¡¯s hands. Reflecting on her meticulous plans to capture Cao Bin, the irony of being caught by him instead was quite frustrating.


    But what was most important now was why Cao Bin had captured her. Revenge? This was possible, given the sizeable drug seizure this time, which amounted to a substantial loss for a drug trafficker. Retaliation for such a significant loss seemed normal.


    Yet, Lin Qiong felt the situation wasn¡¯t that simple. Even if it was revenge, it shouldn¡¯t be now, as the police force of Mile City was primarily searching for Cao Bin. By kidnapping her, Cao Bin was bound to leave a trail, and simply following her lead would undoubtedly expose him. She didn¡¯t believe Cao Bin would take such a great risk just for the sake of revenge.


    At this time, Lin Qiong did not scream and shout as some women might in such situations. She didn¡¯t make a sound. Her primary concern was her own safety, and screaming was clearly not a wise choice.


    Straining her ears to listen carefully, she heard no voices outside but did hear water sounds¡ªprobably waves lapping against the shore. Coupled with a slight swaying sensation of her surroundings, Lin Qiong deduced she was on a boat, probably in a cabin at the bottom of the vessel.


    Lin Qiong slowly gathered her strength. Ideally, she¡¯d break free on her own and send out a signal to the outside world, capturing Cao Bin and his accomplices.


    But the drug they¡¯d given her seemed potent; her body felt weak and listless, and she lacked the strength to break free from the tightly bound ropes.


    Footsteps approached from outside, and Lin Qiong quickly ceased moving, feigning continued unconsciousness. This might cause Cao Bin and his men to be less cautious¡ªher actual awakening would certainly put them on alert.


    With a clang, the iron door opened, and two people entered, followed by a flash of light that suddenly brightened the space.


    "She¡¯s still not awake. The drug really is strong," said Cao Bin, accompanied by a grim-looking man, upon observing Lin Qiong.


    "The drug¡¯s effect only lasts three hours; she should be waking up any minute now."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Qiong knew she could no longer pretend to be asleep. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting due to the discomfort from the light, and after a moment managed to fully open them. She immediately recognized the two men in front of her. She had not encountered Cao Bin in person, but had seen him countless times in files; she identified the man on the left as Cao Bin, but did not recognize the man on the right.


    "Cao Bin, it¡¯s you. What do you want?" Lin Qiong demanded, struggling slightly, although her voice sounded weak and breathless.


    Cao Bin stepped up to Lin Qiong, his face twisted into a snarl. "Director Lin, you are quite formidable. You managed to wipe out my five hundred million worth of goods."


    Lin Qiong scoffed, responding, "Drugs harm the country and the people. As long as I discover them, I will strike with full force."


    Cao Bin smiled sinisterly, "Director Lin is truly principled. No wonder the Mile City police hold you up as an example. You do have commendable qualities. But by cutting off my revenue, I won¡¯t let this go so easily."


    "Hmph, even if you kill me, your drugs are still lost."


    "That¡¯s not necessarily the case." Cao Bin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he said, "Director Lin, considering your influence with the Mile City police force, if I were to trade you for the five hundred million worth of drugs, do you think the police would agree?"


    This truly frightened Lin Qiong, and she hadn¡¯t anticipated Cao Bin having such a reckless idea. However, she quickly dismissed it with disdain. "That¡¯s impossible. The police will definitely not exchange me for drugs. You might as well give up on that idea."


    Cao Bin laughed heartily, "That¡¯s not necessarily true. You, Director Lin, represent the Mile City police. If you fall into my hands and they let you be killed, it would bring shame onto the Mile City police."


    Lin Qiong spoke indifferently, "You¡¯re mistaken. If Mile City¡¯s police were to use drugs to exchange for me, that would be the real shame. Your drugs could destroy so many people, and at most, I¡¯m just one life. No matter how you compare it, I¡¯m still just one life. You can¡¯t equate that to the health of thousands upon thousands of people."


    "It seems, Director Lin, you won¡¯t cooperate with us?" Cao Bin¡¯s eyes glittered with a malevolent light.


    "What do you think?" Lin Qiong replied dismissively. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then do you know how I will deal with you?"


    "Hmph!" Lin Qiong snorted coldly. She had made up her mind; no matter what, she would absolutely not cooperate with Cao Bin.


    Cao Bin took out a syringe, pride beaming from his face as he said, "No one can resist the allure of drugs. I¡¯m going to give you an injection now and let you experience the bliss of being on the verge of paradise and death."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face changed drastically as she exclaimed, "You wouldn¡¯t dare!"


    Cao Bin laughed heartily, "What wouldn¡¯t I dare? As soon as you are injected with this new type of high-concentration drug, you¡¯ll become addicted. After that, you¡¯ll be begging me for more. If you don¡¯t continue with the injections, you, Director Lin, are going to go mad. I don¡¯t believe you won¡¯t agree then."


    "You bastard, if you dare do this to me, I will never let you go," Lin Qiong yelled furiously.


    With deliberate slowness, Cao Bin took out another glass bottle containing a colorless liquid. He waved it in front of Lin Qiong and said, "If I don¡¯t get you addicted, you definitely won¡¯t let me go. But if I do, would you still not let me go? Director Lin, that kind of torment is not something humans can bear."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it. Even if I die, I won¡¯t cooperate with you."


    "Then let¡¯s see if you really wish to die." Cao Bin casually knocked off the top of the glass bottle and slowly drew the liquid into the syringe, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on Lin Qiong. He relished seeing the look of terror in her eyes. This woman, a police officer who had messed up his plans, needed to be tormented slowly, or he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable.


    "Cao Bin, you son of a bitch!" Lin Qiong watched in horror as Cao Bin drew the drug into the syringe. If he really managed to inject her with this stuff, even if she later escaped and brought Cao Bin to justice, she didn¡¯t know if she would ever be able to kick this new type of drug addiction. The more she dealt with drugs lately, the more she understood about the varieties of drugs. The new ones that came out caused stronger dependencies, making quitting harder, ensuring better sales for the drugs.


    Cao Bin laughed out loud, then gloated even more, "When the time comes, I¡¯ll film you begging me for drugs and share the video. Everyone will then know what kind of person Director Lin truly is. When you want drugs, you¡¯ll have to exchange your body for them. Director Lin, with such a nice figure, I¡¯m sure it will be thrilling in bed. I¡¯m really looking forward to it."


    At this moment, Lin Qiong truly felt like going mad. If it really came to that, she thought it might be better just to die right now. But no matter how much she struggled, she didn¡¯t have the strength to fight back.


    "Director Lin, you know, I rarely force anyone. You¡¯ve forced me to make an exception. Don¡¯t blame me for what happens. You cut off my money flow, and if I can¡¯t get these drugs out, I¡¯ll be the one dying. So, I¡¯m sorry, but I have to compromise you."


    "But rest assured, I do have principles. I respect women. While you were unconscious, if I wanted to rape you, it would have been too easy. But that¡¯s too boring. Even if I forced myself on you now, you¡¯d have no strength to resist, which isn¡¯t fun. I prefer it when a woman is a bit more proactive. Remember, when you come back begging me for drugs later, make sure you¡¯re very pleasing to me, haha."


    The happier Cao Bin spoke, especially seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s pallid face and her fiery glare, the more he felt utterly exhilarated. He intended to make Lin Qiong experience all the suffering he had endured these past days.


    Holding the syringe, he moved to Lin Qiong¡¯s side. Cao Bin blinked and declared, "I¡¯m about to begin now. You¡¯re about to taste that wonderful feeling. It¡¯s truly intoxicating. Even after catching so many drug traffickers, you surely haven¡¯t experienced this kind of pleasure."


    As he spoke, he leisurely pointed the syringe toward Lin Qiong¡¯s exposed arm, visible due to her short-sleeved summer police uniform. One injection, and Lin Qiong would be done for.


    But just as Cao Bin was about to act, Lin Qiong suddenly summoned all her remaining strength, raising her leg sharply and kicking Cao Bin on the shin.


    Though the kick was less than a tenth of Lin Qiong¡¯s usual strength, the tip of her shoe hitting Cao Bin¡¯s shin still made him cry out in pain, almost falling to the ground.


    "Damn it, bitch, you dare kick me? Help me hold her down!" Cao Bin shouted. The man who had been silent up until now came over and grabbed Lin Qiong¡¯s legs, while Cao Bin moved to her side, raising the syringe and aiming it at Lin Qiong¡¯s arm.

 Chapter 1014 - 1055: Monster

    Chapter 1014: Chapter 1055: MonsterIf this injection had been administered, Lin Qiong¡¯s life would have truly been ruined.


    But just then, a cold light flashed by, and Cao Bin suddenly cried out in pain. The syringe slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor.


    And the man who had been holding down Lin Qiong¡¯s leg sprang up and charged towards the door, instantly engaging in a fight with someone.


    Lin Qiong felt as though she had just walked past the Grim Reaper and quickly looked toward the door. The two moved incredibly fast, but Lin Qiong recognized her rescuer immediately¡ªit was Sophia, Li Yifei¡¯s disciple. This woman, dressed entirely in black, wore a mask on her face and her hair was tied up. Yet Lin Qiong recognized her at a glance.


    Seeing Sophia gave Lin Qiong more confidence. If Sophia could find her way here, could Li Yifei be far behind?


    "Kill her! Kill her for me!" Cao Bin now shouted angrily, his arm pierced by Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger, blood gushing out, pain penetrating to the bone.


    "What a fucking idiot, aren¡¯t you a master? Can¡¯t even handle a woman. You always brag about how formidable you are, but is that really all there is to it?" Seeing his man fail to eliminate the intruding woman in so long made Cao Bin very dissatisfied.


    In the organization, Cao Bin was a minor leader with some subordinates, but there were a group of extremely skilled individuals who never regarded these minor figures highly; their arrogance always irked Cao Bin, prompting his sarcastic remark in his moment of ire.


    Sophia too was surprised. With her skills, it was rare for her to encounter a match, and having met the powerful Li Yifei, whom she deemed herself fortunate to be under, showed her luck. Yet, this opponent was also formidable. She went all out but didn¡¯t gain any advantage. It was good to know she had improved under Li Yifei¡¯s tutelage in internal martial arts, which enhanced her capabilities¡ªif she had faced this person before, she might not have been a match for him.


    Of course, Sophia hadn¡¯t yet used her Flying Dagger¡ªshe was confident it could finish her opponent, but she was cautious. The space was too cramped, and with such a strong opponent, if her dagger missed, it might hurt Lin Qiong instead.


    Lin Qiong was now her master¡¯s wife; she couldn¡¯t afford to injure her, otherwise her master would be furious and might refuse to teach her his advanced techniques.


    Sophia was startled and so was her opponent, who knew only of the formidable "Golden Eagle" from Huaxia, but hadn¡¯t expected to encounter such a skilled woman here. His competitive spirit was ignited, eager to determine a victor between him and Sophia.


    "Damn it, not good!" Cao Bin suddenly exclaimed, seizing the moment during their clash to dash out the small door and ran straight onto the deck, disregarding his arm injury, and shouted loudly, "Start the ship, hurry!"


    A woman having found this place likely meant the police could be arriving soon. If they lingered here, the risk would be significant. Cao Bin, having been caught up in his anger, had forgotten about this. Now recalling it, he broke out in a cold sweat. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ship was a small cargo vessel, inconspicuous in this dock. Now quickly starting up, it swiftly moved away from the shore. With no police in sight yet, Cao Bin finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    At that moment, Sophia, and the man also rushed onto the deck. With Cao Bin gone, nobody was left in the room to threaten Lin Qiong, and Sophia decided not to engage with this man there anymore. Thus with a swift move, she dashed out, followed by the man.


    Once on the deck, Sophia was like a fish back in water, no longer needing to worry about her Flying Dagger accidentally hitting Lin Qiong.


    "Kill her!" Cao Bin was considerably worried about Sophia, who had suddenly infiltrated their location, and so he roared again.


    Although the skilled fighter didn¡¯t need orders from Cao Bin, he was there to assist Cao Bin and, encountering a formidable opponent, was thrilled as well. With a loud shout, he charged at Sophia; below, the space was too confined to exhibit his skills.


    But this time, Sophia didn¡¯t meet him with fists or kicks. Without a motion of her arms, a gleam of cold light, swift as lightning, already soared towards the skilled man.


    True to his expertise, the moment Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger left her hand, he sensed it, twisting his body in an unusual posture. The dagger just grazed past his ribs, but his charge didn¡¯t slow as he continued towards Lin Qiong.


    Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers were limitless once she struck; her footsteps faltered as she violently waved both hands, hurling the Flying Daggers relentlessly at her opponent.


    Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers were as fast as bullets. Although the expert was exceptionally strong, he hadn¡¯t anticipated Sophia¡¯s real deadly move to be these Flying Daggers. After dodging two, his forward charge crumbled, his body bobbing and weaving. Sadly, he was still far inferior to Li Yifei¡ªwhile Li Yifei could evade Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers, he couldn¡¯t entirely. When Sophia threw the sixth Flying Dagger, it had already stabbed into his thigh.


    The man immediately rolled behind a wooden crate and dared not face Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers head-on anymore.


    Cao Bin, shocked, stared at Sophia. His expert had been injured by this woman, something he hadn¡¯t anticipated. He stammered, "You... who are you?"


    Sophia looked at Cao Bin coldly and spoke slowly, "You bastard, you dared to capture my master¡¯s wife; today will be your end."


    "Your master¡¯s wife? Who is your master?" Cao Bin, instead of panicking, seemed to calm down.


    Sophia coldly said, "You are unworthy of knowing." Then, with a flick of her hand, two Flying Daggers soared toward Cao Bin. She was responsible for protecting Lin Qiong. Although she had received orders from Li Yifei just now, this felt like a dereliction of duty and a disgrace for her. She aimed to kill Cao Bin, the bastard, to wash away this disgrace.


    "Clang, clang!" Two crisp sounds rang out. The two deadly Flying Daggers were unexpectedly blocked by a short Asian man holding a dagger in each hand. It was his daggers that had deflected Sophia¡¯s two.


    Meanwhile, the man who had been injured by Sophia¡¯s Flying Dagger also leaped in front of Cao Bin. The dagger was still in his leg, but his movements seemed unaffected. Once he stabilized, he yanked the Flying Dagger from his leg, brought the sleek dagger to his lips, and licked the blood off with his tongue, menacingly saying, "Good, you managed to hurt me. Next, I will let you taste being stabbed... but with my thing, in your lower body, in your mouth. I will ensure you enjoy it thoroughly."


    At this moment, Sophia was genuinely horrified¡ªnot by the man¡¯s tolerance, but by the fact that both appeared incredibly bizarre. Their eyes were bloodshot, terrifying to behold, especially after the man pulled out the Flying Dagger. There was no bleeding from his leg, which Sophia could tell even if pants covered it. His agility seemed unaffected by the leg wound, perhaps even more agile than before.


    To Sophia, these two seemed more like wild beasts than humans.


    Sophia waved her hands, flinging several Flying Daggers. But the moment she moved, so did they, charging straight toward her, swinging their arms and miraculously deflecting all of Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers. Their reaction speed was eerily phenomenal.


    They also closed the distance swiftly¡ªwithin the blink of an eye, they had pounced near Sophia.


    Close combat was not Sophia¡¯s forte. Forced into proximity by the two, she found herself on the defensive, retreating quickly while throwing out more Flying Daggers, trying to halt their advance.


    At such close range, Sophia¡¯s Flying Daggers became even harder to dodge. The men¡¯s bodies were instantly struck by her daggers, yet Sophia felt fear instead of relief. With the force she used, the daggers should have buried deep into their flesh, yet they penetrated only slightly, as if their skin had turned metallic.


    Besides protecting their heads, these two seemed to disregard any hits to other parts of their bodies, ferociously lunging at Sophia.


    "Are these even human? They must be monsters!" At this point, Sophia was utterly astonished. Her strongest Flying Daggers had failed; obviously, she was no match for them. If she continued the struggle, she would only find death.


    The wisest choice now was to flee. Below was the sea; diving in could perhaps save her life. But Sophia knew if she fled, Lin Qiong would certainly suffer. Although cold-hearted, she was a woman of her word; having recognized Li Yifei as her master and agreed to protect Lin Qiong, she would protect Lin Qiong¡¯s life even at the cost of her own.


    Since killing them wasn¡¯t an option, Sophia had to think of something else. Her eyes landed on Cao Bin, and an idea formed; Cao Bin was clearly the mastermind. If she could subdue him and use him as leverage, there might be a chance to escape.


    With this thought, Sophia swiftly flicked her hands and several Flying Daggers flew like lightning toward the duo¡¯s faces¡ªher strongest move, intended to buy just a fraction of time.


    Sensing something different about these Flying Daggers, the two instinctively dodged to the side, no longer attempting to block them with their arms.


    Finally, Sophia managed to slow down their approach. Already prepared, she powerfully leaped forward like a bounding panther, pouncing straight toward Cao Bin.

 Chapter 1015 - 1056: The Golden Eagle Arrives

    Chapter 1015: Chapter 1056: The Golden Eagle ArrivesSophia¡¯s speed was swift, in an instant she was just over a meter away from Cao Bin, just a little bit more and she could put her knife to Cao Bin¡¯s throat.


    But Sophia still underestimated the speed of those two, missing it by only a little distance; she felt an intense danger from behind. If she went for Cao Bin, she would definitely be hit immediately, and given the monstrous reaction speed and strength of those two, Sophia knew the consequences of being hit would be horrendous.


    This might be her only chance, though; if she couldn¡¯t control Cao Bin, she would die sooner or later anyway. Even if she was hit, as long as she had a breath left in her, she could control Cao Bin and possibly make him release Lin Qiong first. Then she would have completed her mission.


    The judgment in her mind was instantaneous, but her body had already reacted. All the strength in her body was now concentrated in her back; her eyes dead set on Cao Bin, she was prepared to take the hit just to get control of him.


    "Boom!" A huge impact noise rang in her ears, and Sophia felt a strong hit on her back. Using the momentum of the impact, Sophia¡¯s forward speed increased, bringing her directly in front of Cao Bin, placing her dagger at his throat with a quick step, she was already behind him.


    During this process, Sophia was somewhat surprised, as the hit she received on her back wasn¡¯t as unbearable as she had imagined. Although it was strong, it wasn¡¯t enough to injure her, so her subsequent actions were as smooth as flowing clouds, easily taking Cao Bin hostage.


    Only then did she look forward and understand why she hadn¡¯t been injured¡ªit was because a man¡¯s back was right before her eyes. Even without seeing his face, she recognized at once that this man was Li Yifei, her master.


    "Master!" Sophia cried out in surprise.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t look back and simply waved his hand, saying, "Go and rescue Qiongqiong, I¡¯ll handle it here."


    "Okay!" With a chop to Cao Bin¡¯s neck, Sophia knocked him unconscious, then rapidly descended. Master was about to engage with those two monsters, and this was a rare opportunity to observe. She wanted to return as quickly as possible to watch.


    There were others on the ship, but except for those two monsters, nobody was worth Sophia¡¯s effort. In less than ten seconds, she had already rushed to the cabin where Lin Qiong was imprisoned.


    Seeing Sophia entering again, Lin Qiong immediately asked excitedly, "Is everything resolved?"


    Sophia rushed over and cut the ropes binding Lin Qiong, saying, "The master is here."


    Lin Qiong was overjoyed. With Li Yifei¡¯s arrival, everything would be alright. Anxious, she asked, "Where is Yifei?"


    "Master is up there, fighting those two monsters."


    "Let¡¯s hurry up." Lin Qiong tried to rush up quickly but neglected the weakness in her limbs and nearly fell. Fortunately, Sophia caught her in time and, without further ado, carried Lin Qiong up to the deck.


    On the deck, Li Yifei was engaged in a fierce fight with those two guys, moving extremely fast, with the sounds of their punches colliding incessantly like exploding beans.


    Lin Qiong wanted to shout out, but seeing the intense fight, she quickly closed her mouth as she didn¡¯t want to distract Li Yifei.


    "Qiongqiong, are you alright?" Li Yifei asked first.


    Lin Qiong then replied, "I¡¯m fine, just be careful."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t hurt me, but these two guys are quite tricky."


    Sophia quickly said, "Master, these two guys weren¡¯t supposed to be much, but for some reason, they suddenly became very powerful; even my Flying Daggers couldn¡¯t pierce their bodies."


    Li Yifei, while juggling with the two, said, "These people must have taken some drug that stimulates their potential, and their strength suddenly skyrocketed."


    Li Yifei was aware of such things; many countries conducted research in this area, and some had even made breakthroughs. He had once encountered two individuals whose strength increased by roughly fifty percent after taking drugs, even though they were mediocre before.


    And these two guys seemed to be using drugs more advanced than any he had encountered before, so their strength had increased considerably, especially since it wasn¡¯t just their power and speed that had increased, but also their body¡¯s toughness. He had struck them numerous times, but could only repel them and was actually unable to inflict any injuries.


    Li Yifei had actually arrived on this boat right after Sophia did. Today, when Lin Qiong received that phone call, it made him feel suspicious, so he wasn¡¯t comfortable letting Sophia come alone. But he had remained out of sight because if things went smoothly, he still wanted Lin Qiong to complete the task on her own, to avoid her feeling that everything she did was under the shadow of Li Yifei.


    When Sophia was fighting the first guy, he also noticed that though the man was strong, he was no match for Sophia. But then he saw the guy secretly injecting something into his arm, which instantly turned him into such a formidable opponent, and that really surprised Li Yifei.


    So, he had no choice but to make a move at that point, otherwise, Sophia was going to get hurt.


    After fighting for a while, Li Yifei was fairly certain that what they had enhanced was mainly their own bodies; their martial skills and techniques couldn¡¯t be improved, so even with their added strength, they weren¡¯t much of a threat to him. He wanted to research how much their bodily toughness could be increased, and he also wanted to know how long these people could be boosted by the drugs, so he kept increasing his power, and, accompanied by the sound of his hits, expressions of pain finally started appearing on their faces.


    This indicated that they were feeling pain, and by that time, Li Yifei¡¯s power had reached eighty percent.


    Li Yifei was well aware of his own strength. With eighty percent of his power, he could easily look down on countless experts. Those who could match eighty percent of his power were definitely considered to be super-experts in this world, yet these two guys, with the help of drugs, had reached this level, indicating that the drug¡¯s efficacy was quite formidable.


    After watching for a while, Sophia could see that these two men were still far inferior to her master, but witnessing her master in action was a rare opportunity for her, so she watched with utmost seriousness.


    Meanwhile, Lin Qiong watched with a pounding heart. She was used to seeing Li Yifei take out opponents with ease, often in one strike; this was her first time encountering someone who could actually contend with Li Yifei to such an extent. With her limited strength, she couldn¡¯t discern the intricacies of the fight, only seeing the three of them in heated combat, which naturally made her worry.


    "Ah!" Li Yifei once again punched the guy on the left. This time, the guy let out a loud shout and was sent flying through the air. Li Yifei was taken aback; his punch wasn¡¯t particularly strong since it was meant to be a feint, but it hit the mark. With an effortless swing, Li Yifei¡¯s other fist struck the other man, who also flew out without making a sound, and was actually killed by that punch from Li Yifei. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ten minutes!" Li Yifei estimated the time and immediately knew how long the drug¡¯s effects lasted. Moreover, once the drug wore off, the person would rapidly enter a state of weakness, which meant that these two men couldn¡¯t withstand even his seemingly careless attacks.


    That made the drug pretty domineering; ten minutes was enough for a strong person to accomplish a lot. Just like the situation they had just encountered, if Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been so much stronger than them, he would have been killed by the two of them within those ten minutes.


    "Husband, are you okay?" Lin Qiong rushed up excitedly. By now, the effects of the drug had finally worn off, and she had returned to normal.


    Li Yifei hugged Lin Qiong and said with a smile, "How could you get hurt? It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay."


    Lin Qiong hit Li Yifei lightly and said, "Are you afraid that someone else would take advantage of me and you¡¯d lose out?"


    Li Yifei hugged Lin Qiong close, kissed her forehead, and said, "Of course. You¡¯re my wife. If someone else takes advantage of you, of course I¡¯d be at a huge loss. That¡¯s absolutely not acceptable."


    "Stingy." Lin Qiong chuckled lightly and then pushed Li Yifei away. She walked over to Cao Bin, kicked him, and cursed, "You bastard, you¡¯ve really got some nerve."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but admire Cao Bin¡¯s audacity; even at this juncture, he dared to come back and try to capture Lin Qiong. He turned to Sophia and said, "Get everyone else under control, and don¡¯t kill anyone."


    "Yes!" Sophia responded, circled the boat, and quickly subdued more than a dozen other men aboard. She encountered only minor resistance and knocked out most of them, then took the helm and steered the boat towards the port. For a killer, being proficient in boat handling was a must.


    By this time, Lin Qiong had already called her colleagues. Just after she finished the call, Cao Bin woke up.


    Struggling to sit up, Cao Bin¡¯s eyes widened in shock upon seeing Lin Qiong standing unharmed before him. This meant his operation had failed. He couldn¡¯t fathom it¡ªafter all, the organization had sent two experts, how could it be a failure?


    And when he saw Li Yifei, his eyes bulged even wider. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around why Li Yifei would be here at this time, and with a frown, he asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Li Yifei looked at Cao Bin and said indifferently, "You were using my wife¡¯s company to transport drugs. If I didn¡¯t show up, wouldn¡¯t that be too easy for you?"


    "What do you want to do?" Cao Bin¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, and he instinctively stepped back, but inside he was plotting¡ªto put on an appearance of shock and then take the chance to jump into the sea. Otherwise, if Lin Qiong caught him, he would be done for.

 Chapter 1016 - 1057: Silencing Witnesses

    Chapter 1016: Chapter 1057: Silencing WitnessesLi Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "I don¡¯t want to do anything, I just want to tell you that if you¡¯re targeting someone close to me, you¡¯ll have to pay a hefty price."


    "I... I didn¡¯t do anything to Xu Yingying," Cao Bin said, continuing to back away as he spoke.


    Li Yifei watched Cao Bin, his smile growing wider, and said, "Don¡¯t even think about jumping into the sea. In front of me, you won¡¯t have that chance."


    Cao Bin¡¯s body stiffened, and he gritted his teeth before saying, "Li Yifei, we have no grudges or enmity. As long as you let me go, I will certainly not forget it, and I will give you a large sum of money."


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "No grudges or enmity? Do you know who this is? She¡¯s also my woman, and you actually kidnapped her, yet you say you have no grudge or enmity with me?"


    Cao Bin¡¯s eyes immediately turned to Lin Qiong, and then he said through gritted teeth, "Another of your women..."


    At this moment, Lin Qiong spoke up sharply, "Cao Bin, there¡¯s no use resisting anymore. Come clean for leniency and hope for a lighter sentence."


    "Ha ha..." Cao Bin suddenly burst out laughing and said, "Director Lin, you really are joking. I¡¯ve trafficked so much drugs, even the most generous leniency won¡¯t spare my life. It¡¯s absolutely impossible for you to get anything out of me."


    Lin Qiong was suddenly at a loss for words. Cao Bin had trafficked so much drugs that even dying ten times would not suffice, so this talk of leniency was utterly useless to him.


    Li Yifei said indifferently, "It seems you are quite self-aware."


    Cao Bin¡¯s smile faded, and he looked up at the sky and said slowly, "In life, sometimes one wrong step leads to all the subsequent missteps. To think, I graduated from a prestigious university, I was on the path to success in my career, but just because I took one wrong turn, I¡¯ve come to a point of no return. Sigh..."


    After a long sigh, Cao Bin looked at Li Yifei and said, "Li Yifei, I envy you, being with Yingying. If I had a chance to start over, I would abandon everything else and pursue Yingying wholeheartedly, marry her, and love her with all my heart. I feel sorry for Yingying, that you aren¡¯t cherishing her. Having such a wonderful woman, yet you¡¯re still messing around. I despise you."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that, and you don¡¯t have the right to judge whether Yingying is happy or not."


    "Yes! I¡¯m not qualified, but you¡¯re a bastard too. With your philandering ways, Yingying will leave you sooner or later," Cao Bin roared furiously.


    The boat hadn¡¯t moved far from the shore, and now it had reached the shore. The piercing sound of police sirens was also now carrying over.


    Just as Li Yifei and the others were about to disembark, Li Yifei suddenly felt an intense danger. It was an instinct; he immediately made a judgment, hugged Lin Qiong, and rolled to the ground. The spot where he had just been standing now had two bullet holes. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sniper!" Li Yifei immediately knew what was happening. Snipers were the only kind of opponent that gave him headaches, since he couldn¡¯t fight back and could only take hits¡ªa problem many in the world found troublesome.


    With a dull thud, Cao Bin¡¯s body fell rigidly to the deck.


    It was only then that Li Yifei realized that the target wasn¡¯t him or Lin Qiong, but Cao Bin. Cao Bin had failed his mission, and there was no need for him to stay alive. If the police took Cao Bin away, he could bring trouble for them.


    A drug trafficking organization having a sniper took Li Yifei by surprise; this was definitely not an ordinary drug trafficking organization, but a very organized and powerful one.


    "Damn it all!" Lin Qiong cursed, smashing her fist to the ground. Cao Bin was an extremely important figure, and now that he had been killed, they could no longer delve deeper into the case.


    A large number of police officers had arrived, and Li Yifei and Sophia had already left. Lin Qiong directed the officers to remove Cao Bin¡¯s body and the other people on the boat. As for the master fighter, he had died early on due to the effects of the drug wearing off and suffering heavy blows from Yifei.


    With three important figures dead and about a dozen others still on board, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t expect to get any significant information from them.


    Indeed, as she had anticipated, these people were all subordinates of Cao Bin, only aware that he was the top boss with no clue as to who was above him. Even after several days of interrogation, they failed to yield any more useful clues.


    This case was now basically closed. For the police force of Mile City, however, it was an incredibly significant event. Solving such a major drug trafficking case was exceedingly rare nationwide. These past few days, Municipal Bureau Chief Ning Changzheng had been beaming with joy, taking great pleasure in the accomplishment. As the bureau chief, he naturally had a share in this success, which added substantially to his political capital.


    Having gained so much from it, he was naturally grateful to Lin Qiong, the one who had cracked the case. He had positioned her as a model for the Mile City police force, an initiative of his own making. Now that Lin Qiong had brought him such prestige, he viewed her with even greater satisfaction. Reporting up to the Provincial Department, not only did she receive various awards, but Lin Qiong was also directly promoted to the position of Sub-bureau Chief.


    Although the case wasn¡¯t completely resolved, it had at least eradicated the drug trafficking organization¡¯s network within Mile City for the time being. There wouldn¡¯t be such a plentiful drug supply in the area anytime soon, which was considered a very good outcome. Moreover, Lin Qiong had directed the case from the early stages until nearly the end, so it also fulfilled one of her long-held aspirations and helped her overcome the psychological shadow cast by Yifei.


    As for being promoted to Sub-bureau Chief, Lin Qiong accepted it gracefully. With her rise in rank, her perspective also broadened. Previously, as a frontline officer, her only desire was to solve cases and capture criminals through her own abilities. However, after becoming a leader, she realized that a good leader could inspire a whole team of good police officers. If the leader sets a straight course and acts with integrity, the officers below are sure to follow suit. The impact of leading the entire sub-bureau¡¯s police force to be good echoed far greater than just being a good officer herself.


    That evening, Lin Qiong, Xu Yingying, and Li Yifei were together, marking the first time Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying had been together in the same home. Even without saying it, they both subconsciously acknowledged Xu Yingying¡¯s special status. After all, Xu Yingying was legally married to Li Yifei. Their being with Yifei now was all thanks to Xu Yingying¡¯s magnanimity; otherwise, without her agreement, it would not have been possible to be with Li Yifei so openly¡ªat least, it would have had to be a sneaky affair.


    Hence, Lin Qiong felt a certain thrill being with Xu Yingying. Coupled with her recent good mood, she decided to let loose and really go wild tonight.


    This sort of arrangement had become somewhat familiar to them. Upon arriving at the place they stayed, they didn¡¯t rush to the bedroom. Instead, they sat on the living room sofa together, watching television, chatting. Li Yifei sat in the middle, with Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying flanking him on either side.


    After exchanging a few words, the conversation turned to Cao Bin. Xu Yingying expressed her anger and lament, "Cao Bin was actually quite talented. Even if he had done legitimate business, he could have made a lot of money. I really don¡¯t understand why he chose drug trafficking."


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "Some people just feel that drug trafficking makes fast money, but they completely disregard how harmful it is. Such people deserve to die."


    Xu Yingying added, "I¡¯m not saying he didn¡¯t deserve to die; after the harm he caused, my sense of camaraderie as an alumni disappeared. Sometimes I just reflect on human nature."


    Li Yifei said, "Actually, some people don¡¯t necessarily set out to do bad things. Sometimes, it¡¯s just a case of taking one wrong step, getting on the wrong path, and then there¡¯s no turning back. In the end, they have to brazenly walk down that road of no return. I suspect Cao Bin may have ended up on this path in a similar way. This drug trafficking organization is really mysterious and very powerful. We still don¡¯t clearly understand what kind of organization they are, the composition of their personnel, or that drug they have¡ªit¡¯s quite terrifying. I¡¯m concerned about whether that drug can be produced in large quantities. If it proliferates, the power of this organization is simply unimaginable."


    Lin Qiong also frowned and remarked, "Yes, that stuff is indeed frightening. If it becomes widespread, the consequences for humanity are unimaginable."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "But we shouldn¡¯t be too worried. Such substances are clearly flawed and have considerable side effects on people. Besides, I suspect they are not easy to produce. You know, many countries have research in this field, but they haven¡¯t made any significant breakthroughs. Even if an organization is powerful, it can¡¯t match the resources of a nation."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "That¡¯s true. If such substances are developed, they¡¯re bound to be controlled by governments. They won¡¯t be allowed to spread unchecked."


    Li Yifei laughed lightly and said, "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about these dreary matters. It¡¯s getting late. Shouldn¡¯t we go take a bath now? Are we bathing separately, or together?"


    Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong exchanged glances. Xu Yingying smiled and said, "It¡¯s up to you, let Lin Qiong decide."


    Standing up, Lin Qiong declared, "Of course, we¡¯ll bathe together. I haven¡¯t had the chance to properly bathe due to being so busy these past days. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity to get my back scrubbed."


    With Lin Qiong suggesting so, Li Yifei and Xu Yingying had no objections and all three headed to the bathroom. The space inside was not large, but squeezing in together for a shower certainly had its own charm.


    "Sounds like someone¡¯s knocking," Li Yifei muttered, then said, "I¡¯ll go see who it is. You continue bathing." Wrapping himself in a bath towel, he stepped out. At this hour, it was unlikely to be someone else from the home. So who could it be?

 Chapter 1017 - 1058: The Arrival of the Parents

    Chapter 1017: Chapter 1058: The Arrival of the ParentsLi Yifei looked out through the peephole and immediately felt his soul scatter. In this world, no matter how formidable the strongman, Li Yifei could face them with composure, whether it be a top government official or the head of a top financial consortium. To him, none warranted fear.


    There were still some in the world whom Li Yifei respected, but even they weren¡¯t worth being afraid of. However, when certain people got together, it would create a tremendous chemical reaction, especially at this moment. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified, incredibly so.


    He rushed to the bathroom door and yanked it open. Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying were almost done showering and were drying off their bodies. Li Yifei¡¯s abrupt action startled them. Lin Qiong glared at him and said, "Isn¡¯t someone knocking at the door? What are you running back here for?"


    "Honey, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Xu Yingying saw Li Yifei¡¯s pallor and asked in shock. She had never seen him so panicked before.


    "We¡¯re in trouble, your parents are here."


    "Our parents are here?" Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong asked in unison, but then their voices rose eight octaves, both uttering the identical question, "You¡¯re saying our parents have come together?"


    Li Yifei said with a pained expression, "Yes, yes, your parents, they¡¯re right outside the door."


    Now it wasn¡¯t just Li Yifei who was a nervous wreck, Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were equally terrified, frantically pacing around the bathroom but utterly at a loss for what to do.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s, or Lin Qiong¡¯s parents coming over wouldn¡¯t cause panic for Xu Yingying, nor would Li Yifei be afraid, and Lin Qiong would be fine too. But with both sets of parents showing up simultaneously¡ªespecially catching the three of them together¡ªthat spelled serious trouble, indeed very serious trouble.


    Among Li Yifei¡¯s women, most had families who had already accepted the situation and recognized the truth of Li Yifei having multiple women. Su Yiyi¡¯s father didn¡¯t dare to meddle in the affairs between Li Yifei and Su Yiyi. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s parents were no longer alive, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family was now fully supporting Li Yifei, and Su Mengxin, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling were all families aligned with Li Yifei.


    Currently, the ones who hadn¡¯t won over their parents were Ning Xin¡¯er, Li Xinyue, Song Lianyao, He Fangqing, as well as Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying.


    Regarding the parents of Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying, Li Yifei had some understanding: both families were quite traditional. It wasn¡¯t just about them finding out about the other women around Li Yifei¡ªeven learning just about Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying, they would probably be unable to accept it immediately.


    Outside the door, Lin Qiong¡¯s father said, "Old Xu, it¡¯s not that the kids aren¡¯t home, right? Otherwise, let¡¯s go to our Little Qiong¡¯s place."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head, "That shouldn¡¯t be it. I saw the lights on downstairs; how could there be no one?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s father, Xu Zhenguo, also said, "I heard noises inside just now, they must be home."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother laughed, "Here we are, showing up at the kids¡¯ place in the dead of night without even calling ahead. Those young people need some time to get dressed, don¡¯t they?" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father chuckled, "Old Xu, really, you should have called the kids when you were downstairs. Now, we have to stand guard at the door."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s father gave an embarrassed smile, "I really didn¡¯t consider that. Let¡¯s just wait here a bit longer."


    These four elders had some free time recently and had gathered with old comrades for a get-together. Then, they went out for a stroll for a couple of days. Today, having arrived in Mile City, the Xu Zhenguo couple wanted to see Little Yifei, so they took a detour to visit.


    They could have made a phone call, but for some reason, they arrived here without notifying anyone. It wasn¡¯t a big deal to them, but they had not expected it to scare the people inside half to death.


    "How come they haven¡¯t opened the door after all this time? Could it be they didn¡¯t hear us?" Lin Qiong¡¯s father said after a while.


    They had been waiting outside for about ten minutes now; surely the people inside had time to get dressed. Xu Yingying¡¯s mother knocked on the door again.


    Finally, the door opened, and Li Yifei was standing by it, clothes creased and looking quite disheveled.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother exclaimed in surprise, "Yifei, what happened to you? Did you have a fight with Yingying?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s father frowned, "Even if you did fight, there¡¯s no reason for physical violence. Yingying is really overdoing it." Looking at Li Yifei, it was clear he¡¯d been mistreated. This was actually somewhat comforting for Xu Yingying¡¯s parents. Quarrels between a young couple were inevitable, but on the girl¡¯s side, there¡¯s always fear that an argument might lead to physical abuse. Looking at the current situation, Li Yifei, a former soldier, would likely overpower Yingying in an actual fight. Now, Li Yifei¡¯s appearance clearly showed he had restrained himself from fighting back.


    "Dad, Mom, why did you come? Ah! Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin." Li Yifei¡¯s complexion changed drastically.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately said, "Don¡¯t worry. Tell mom what¡¯s going on. How could this couple fight and yet come to blows?"


    "Dad! Mom!" At this, the voices of two women called out from inside the house.


    The parents of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong looked inside and then saw that Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were actually there.


    "Eh? Little Qiong, why are you here too?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother asked in surprise.


    "I..." Lin Qiong was at a loss for words and then glared fiercely at Li Yifei.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother squeezed past Li Yifei and said, "Yingying, what¡¯s going on? Everything was fine, why did you start arguing?" But after looking at Lin Qiong, she felt that something was off. A quarrel between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying was one thing, but why was Lin Qiong there too?


    The fathers of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong exchanged glances, now feeling somewhat bewildered. A couple¡¯s argument was one thing, but Lin Qiong¡¯s addition was very strange, and her mere presence seemed quite out of place.


    "Are you... our Yifei, or..." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother suddenly stared at Li Yifei and spoke up.


    In an instant, everyone turned their gaze to Li Yifei. Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were both there, but there was only one Li Yifei. What exactly had happened to make all four elders suddenly look so troubled?

 Chapter 1018 - 1059: A Mess

    Chapter 1018: Chapter 1059: A Mess"Yifei, what... what exactly is going on?" Seeing Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying both looking furious, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother thought of a very frightening possibility and asked Li Yifei with trembling lips.


    Li Yifei sighed and said guiltily, "Mom, it¡¯s all my fault. I lied to Yingying and Qiongqiong."


    Xu Zhenguo¡¯s face darkened immediately, "Are you saying that there¡¯s not two Yifeis, but only one?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, I dated both Yingying and Qiongqiong. I¡¯m the one at fault."


    The parents of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were all shocked and stared at Li Yifei. Especially Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, who had always treated Li Yifei like their own son and never considered him an outsider. They could forgive Li Yifei¡¯s past mistakes and even accept that he had a child. They even treated Little Yifei like their own granddaughter. But now, Li Yifei was also dating Lin Qiong, the daughter of their old comrade-in-arms, which was something they could not accept.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were also frowning at this point, but they had not met Li Yifei many times and did not have many deep interactions. They just knew he was Lin Qiong¡¯s boyfriend, but they did not feel for Li Yifei the way Xu Yingying¡¯s parents did. So although they were angry, they definitely weren¡¯t as heartbroken.


    "Yifei... How could you do this? It¡¯s really been good for nothing, how good we¡¯ve been to you," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother burst into tears.


    "Mom!" Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying¡¯s mother to cry. He had thought she would scold him and was prepared for it, but seeing his mother-in-law in tears threw him into a panic.


    Just now, before opening the door, Li Yifei was discussing strategies with Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong. Xu Yingying had advocated not confronting the issue because she knew very well that her parents would not accept this situation. If they found out, they would definitely be furious and might even make her divorce Li Yifei.


    After Lin Qiong calmed down, she had a different idea¡ªit had to be faced sooner or later and it couldn¡¯t be hidden from their parents forever. So instead of facing it later, it was better to confront it now. Today provided such an opportunity, and even if their parents were angry initially, there would be a chance to explain later.


    At this moment, however, Li Yifei was quite hesitant. Facing the parents of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong, he wasn¡¯t really prepared. If their parents were the kind that valued interests above everything else, it would have been much easier, but both sets of parents were ordinary people, both fathers having been soldiers. Soldiers had a stubborn streak and without ulterior motives, they only hoped their children would be happy.


    Deep-rooted in their beliefs, naturally, was the idea of monogamy; sharing one man between two women was unthinkable. Their daughters were everything to them, and Li Yifei¡¯s actions meant irresponsibility toward their daughters and would lead to their unhappiness, and naturally, they would not allow their daughters to stay with Li Yifei.


    The three had very divergent opinions, so for a time, they also dared not open the door. In the end, Li Yifei made a decision to confess but to first push the responsibility temporarily onto himself. This way, the parents might not blame them as harshly and they could explain better to their parents.


    This time Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying refused to let Li Yifei take the blame alone; they wanted to face it together with him. But Li Yifei was adamant. If they disagreed, he would immediately send Lin Qiong out of the window; maintaining the concealment.


    Finally, after some discussion, Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying had no choice but to agree to Li Yifei¡¯s decision. So, when Li Yifei opened the door, the parents saw Li Yifei looking like a victim.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother wiped off her tears and said, "Don¡¯t call me mom. I don¡¯t have such a good son-in-law. I overlooked your mistakes before marriage, and I even loved your child like my own granddaughter. But now, after getting married, you are still messing around. How can you deserve our Yingying?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother stared at Lin Qiong and said, "What are you doing here? Since you knew he was Yingying¡¯s husband, you should have stepped back. Why are you still here?"


    Lin Qiong immediately said, "I won¡¯t. I love Yifei. I want to be with him."


    "You... Are you trying to kill me? Yingying is already married to Yifei, they are a legitimate couple. Are you trying to be the other woman? Besides, if you want to be the other woman, can¡¯t you find someone else? Must you compete with Yingying? Your dad and Yingying¡¯s dad have been comrades for years. How can you let your dad lift his head in front of his comrades after this?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father¡¯s face turned a steely gray as he said sternly, "Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re leaving!"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s father quickly stopped Lin Qiong¡¯s father, saying, "Old Lin, don¡¯t be angry. We haven¡¯t really figured out this situation yet. Let¡¯s calm down first, calm down first, and ask for clarification before we proceed."


    "There¡¯s nothing left to ask. It¡¯s all because of my unworthy daughter. How can I face you in the future?"


    Li Yifei, Lin Qiong, and Xu Yingying were all looking at each other at that moment. They had not expected the situation to turn out this way. They had thought that the blame would be directed at Li Yifei, but now Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were full of self-blame, scolding Lin Qiong and describing her as a shameful mistress.


    It made sense when you thought about it, as the key was that Lin Qiong¡¯s father and Xu Yingying¡¯s father were comrades-in-arms with a very good relationship. Since Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were legally married, they naturally regarded Xu Yingying as Li Yifei¡¯s legitimate wife. No matter the reason, any involvement between Lin Qiong and Li Yifei was disgraceful, even if Li Yifei was also at fault, Lin Qiong was not blameless.


    Seeing the situation turn out this way, Xu Yingying became anxious and hurriedly said, "It¡¯s not like that, I..."


    Lin Qiong, seeing that Xu Yingying was about to expose more, quickly interrupted her, saying, "Mom, Dad, I don¡¯t care what others think, but I love Yifei. Without Yifei, I can¡¯t go on living, so I must fight for him."


    "Nonsense!" Lin Qiong¡¯s father immediately shouted angrily, his face livid as he said, "As a police officer, and now even a station chief, can¡¯t you see clearly? No mistress ever ends up happy. Besides, there are plenty of men in the world, why must you compete with Yingying for a man?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s father quickly held back Lin Qiong¡¯s father, saying, "Old Lin, Old Lin, don¡¯t be so furious. It¡¯s normal for young people to be stubborn about affairs of the heart. Let¡¯s reason with them slowly, reason with them slowly." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that time, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother glared at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, give me a straight answer, are you with Yingying or with Little Qiong?"


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and, taking a deep breath, said, "I... can¡¯t bear to part with either."


    This statement immediately caused all four elders to glare at him, and Xu Zhenguo exclaimed, "Yifei, I always considered you a responsible man, but this has disappointed me. A man can err, it¡¯s normal to like Little Qiong as she is outstanding, but once a man is married, he must be responsible to his wife, not be fickle. You must make a choice."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father said with glaring eyes, "What choice is there to make? Your family¡¯s Yingying is the lawful wife, our Little Qiong is neither legally bound nor rightful. Even if this young man chooses Little Qiong, I will definitely not let him enter our house!"


    Lin Qiong then said loudly, "Dad, this is our own matter. Can¡¯t you let us make our own choice?"


    Xu Yingying now just wanted the parents to leave first and then explain later. She hurriedly said, "Mom, Dad, Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, I, Xu Yingying, am not afraid of challenges. If someone else likes Yifei, it just proves I made the right choice. If nobody liked him, it would mean Yifei is not a good man. Lin Qiong is not some mistress; she was originally my friend, still is my friend, and will continue to be my friend in the future. Her liking Yifei is not her fault."


    Xu Yingying, as a CEO, spoke quite logically, and this temporarily quelled the elders¡¯ fury, especially since by speaking this way about Lin Qiong, she had given Lin Qiong¡¯s parents some face.


    "Mom, Dad, you should also understand how Yifei and I came together, and you should know that actually, the emotional bond between me and Yifei is not strong. Since I¡¯m always busy with work and not giving Yifei enough attention, not being able to spend romantic times or even go shopping with him, as a wife, I haven¡¯t done enough. I completely understand Yifei and Little Qiong being together, so I don¡¯t blame Yifei; if anyone is to blame, it¡¯s me for not being a good wife."


    By shifting the blame away from Lin Qiong, Xu Yingying also helped explain Li Yifei¡¯s position.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father shook his head and sighed, saying, "Little Qiong, do you see? How considerate Yingying is? With this, how can you still be with Yifei?"


    Lin Qiong shook her head and said, "Dad, I know I have wronged Yingying, but love is complicated once entangled, it¡¯s impossible to just withdraw. I love Yifei, and I¡¯m willing to sacrifice everything for him, and so is Yingying. Therefore, we need time to handle our situation. Forcing me away will only leave a lump in our hearts. Rest assured, we are rational people, we¡¯ve grown up, and we will handle this matter carefully. So I am pleading with you here, let us handle this matter ourselves, let us make our own decisions."


    The four elders looked at each other. With Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong being so calm about the matter, if they interfered too much, it would seem rather unnecessary.

 Chapter 1019 - 1060: Defeat Them One by One

    Chapter 1019: Chapter 1060: Defeat Them One by OneIf it weren¡¯t for Lin Qiong, another person would have caused the Xu Zhenguo Couple to have a falling out long ago. But since this is the daughter of an old comrade, even if they are dissatisfied with Li Yifei now, they can¡¯t directly turn against Li Yifei out of respect for the old comrade¡¯s face, which would be like showing disrespect to the comrade.


    Besides, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were incessantly scolding Lin Qiong at this time, which made it even harder for Xu Yingying¡¯s parents to get angry. However, having a third party suddenly appear when they thought they had a good son-in-law was still extremely unsettling.


    "Yifei, you..." Xu Yingying¡¯s mother could only let out a deep sigh, but the blame in her eyes was still obvious.


    Li Yifei apologized, "Mom, I know I¡¯ve hurt your heart, but don¡¯t worry, I will handle it well."


    Xu Zhenguo shook his head, "Well then, let¡¯s go."


    The four elders left, feeling uncomfortable here and realizing that staying wouldn¡¯t resolve the issue, so they decided it was best to just leave.


    Li Yifei quickly followed them out, drove the four elders to a nearby hotel, and then opened two guest rooms for them. After escorting them upstairs, Xu Zhenguo said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, come here, I have something to say to you."


    Li Yifei obediently followed the Xu Zhenguo Couple into the room and closed the door behind him.


    As soon as they were alone, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother began to scold, "Yifei, you rascal, how could you do this to Yingying?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Zhenguo, however, waved his hand, "Don¡¯t get angry yet, I have something to ask Yifei."


    Usually, whatever Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said went uncontested by Xu Zhenguo, but in serious matters, it was Xu Zhenguo who made the decisions. With her husband looking stern, she glared at Li Yifei again and sat down to the side.


    Xu Zhenguo beckoned, "Sit down." Li Yifei obediently sat opposite the two elders and then passed Xu Zhenguo a cigarette.


    Xu Zhenguo didn¡¯t refuse, took a couple of puffs, and then asked, "Yifei, those two aliases were you in the past, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yes, but I didn¡¯t have anything to do with Lin Qiong at that time. We were just normal friends. She needed my help to solve a case, and because there was a reward for solving it, she wanted to ask her parents for money, so she had me pretend to be her boyfriend..."


    Li Yifei roughly explained his relationship with Lin Qiong, even mentioning the part where he posed as a mysterious person to help her.


    The Xu Zhenguo Couple was extremely surprised to hear this. They had no idea that so much had happened in the meantime and didn¡¯t realize that Li Yifei was so capable. Moreover, from what Li Yifei said, the relationship between him and Lin Qiong wasn¡¯t initiated by him nor was it a deliberate attempt by Lin Qiong to seduce him, it just naturally happened.


    At this point, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother no longer blamed Lin Qiong, but she said, "But you¡¯re married to Yingying, how can you not control yourself? You must remember, you are a married man, and you have to be responsible to your wife."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yes, I was wrong in this matter. Mom and Dad, I married Yingying, and I will definitely be good to Yingying for the rest of my life. I will not let her down."


    "What about Little Qiong? Are you cutting ties with her?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother cut to the heart of the matter. In her eyes, to be good to Yingying naturally meant breaking off with any other woman.


    Li Yifei ultimately did not have the courage to be completely honest with them. Given the current situation, it felt better to keep things hidden, so he said, "I will, but you have to give me some time. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m dragging my feet or making excuses, but I really can¡¯t bring myself to hurt Lin Qiong too much. We need a process to handle this matter, rest assured, Yingying, Qiongqiong, and I are not children. We understand the importance of the matter and know how to deal with it."


    Although Li Yifei¡¯s words were somewhat vague, at least he showed an attitude that he would stay with Xu Yingying, which was a kind of reassurance for her parents.


    Xu Zhenguo looked at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, I won¡¯t force you on this. Men sometimes can¡¯t resist temptation, I can understand. But as a man, you must know what to choose. Many things in this world can¡¯t have it all."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Dad, I understand." But inwardly, he thought wryly that he wasn¡¯t just getting both the fish and the bear¡¯s paw now, he was virtually enjoying the whole Manchu Han Imperial Feast.


    "Go on, go explain things to Lin Qiong¡¯s parents as well. They are very heartbroken about this."


    Li Yifei left Xu Zhenguo Couple¡¯s room and went to Lin Qiong¡¯s parents¡¯ room. At this time, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were sighing constantly because the affair was really an embarrassing matter for them.


    "Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin," Li Yifei greeted them.


    "You jerk, having married Yingying, how could you still mess with our Little Qiong?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother hadn¡¯t made things difficult for Li Yifei earlier, constantly blaming her own daughter instead, but that was because Xu Zhenguo Couple were present. Now, without anyone else around, she naturally sided with her daughter, so the one at fault was naturally Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had prepared himself and quickly said, "Auntie, it¡¯s my fault. This really isn¡¯t Qiongqiong¡¯s blame. I couldn¡¯t resist Qiongqiong¡¯s allure, so I kept pestering her. Qiongqiong is a good girl. She knew I was married and didn¡¯t even want to deal with me. It was me who persistently harassed her and caused this situation."


    Hearing this, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents felt much more comfortable. They couldn¡¯t accept their daughter had become the other woman. If it had been their daughter initiating the affair, that would have been even more embarrassing for them. Now that Li Yifei had taken all the responsibility, they suddenly felt their daughter was also wronged, a victim, and that feeling was completely different.


    This also made Lin Qiong¡¯s mother feel much more confident, and she sternly warned, "I¡¯m telling you, from now on you are not to pester our Little Qiong. If you keep bothering Little Qiong, I won¡¯t let you get away with it!"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father also spoke with a grave expression, "Li Yifei, if you truly like our Little Qiong, then you should think more for her. She is in the prime of her career, reaching the position of Deputy Director of the Branch at such a young age. Her future was very promising, but if this gets ruined because of your relationship with her, could you really bear to see Little Qiong¡¯s career come to an end because of you? Do you actually love her?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I know this would harm Qiongqiong. I realize my mistake. I love Qiongqiong, and I will consider her future. I will make sure to handle this matter properly."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother grumbled, "Handle it properly? I just hope that you will not come bothering our Little Qiong in the future. If you let Little Qiong go, that would really be a blessing."


    Li Yifei kept agreeing. In this situation, he couldn¡¯t talk openly about his affair with Lin Qiong or claim her promotion as his doing. This was out of respect for Lin Qiong.


    Seeing that Li Yifei maintained a very good attitude, after scolding him for a bit, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents calmed down a little. At this point, Lin Qiong¡¯s father asked, "Tell me, to what extent have things developed between you and Little Qiong?"


    Li Yifei hesitated before finally saying, "What should have happened has happened."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents¡¯ faces turned a bit sour upon hearing that, but they were mentally prepared for such matters. Their daughter was grown up, and it was natural for a couple to have a relationship. It wasn¡¯t like the old days when people wouldn¡¯t have relations before marriage.


    "So, you just want to break up with our Little Qiong? Why can¡¯t you divorce Yingying and marry Little Qiong?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother blurted out unexpectedly.


    Li Yifei and Lin Qiong¡¯s father were both taken aback. Lin Qiong¡¯s father immediately scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? That is Old Xu¡¯s daughter."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother glared and retorted, "What about Old Xu¡¯s daughter? He¡¯s your comrade-in-arms, but that has nothing to do with me. This is about our daughter¡¯s lifelong happiness. Our daughter has been ruined by this scoundrel. Are you saying we should just let him off without any responsibility?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father was so angry he rolled his eyes and said, "You¡¯re being ridiculous. Can¡¯t our daughter find someone to marry? With our daughter¡¯s qualifications, there are many outstanding men who would compete for her."


    At this point, Li Yifei almost didn¡¯t know whether to cry or to laugh. He had come prepared to be scolded, but he never expected that Lin Qiong¡¯s parents would start quarreling among themselves, providing him with an opportunity.


    "Uncle, Auntie, please don¡¯t fight. I know you want what¡¯s best for Qiongqiong, and I sincerely like Qiongqiong too. If possible, I really hope to be able to live with Qiongqiong forever. But I can¡¯t deny that I also like Yingying. Deep down, I really don¡¯t want to make a choice," Li Yifei admitted.


    After a pause, Li Yifei continued, "Uncle and Auntie, I know my thoughts are shameless, but both Qiongqiong and Yingying like me now. Making this decision now is very painful for all three of us, so please give us some time. We will handle it properly. No matter what decision we make, none of us will be hurt. That¡¯s our common goal right now. Moreover, we will ensure that Uncle Lin and Uncle Xu won¡¯t be put in a difficult position."


    This also reached Xu Zhenguo¡¯s heart, and his opinion of Li Yifei rose a notch. "These matters of you young people, we really shouldn¡¯t interfere too much. If you weren¡¯t married to Yingying, we wouldn¡¯t interfere at all."


    However, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother chimed in, "Didn¡¯t you hear Yingying say that her relationship with Yifei was also ¡¯abnormal¡¯? That shows that their emotional foundation is not solid. And what if they are married? In the end, it depends on who ends up living together for a lifetime."


    Li Yifei was even more delighted inwardly. It seemed this future mother-in-law was quite impressive; he would have to make sure to honor her well in the future.

 Chapter 1020 - 1061: Xu Shanshan Takes Action

    Chapter 1020: Chapter 1061: Xu Shanshan Takes ActionLi Yifei finally returned home, where Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying quickly surrounded him, anxiously asking, "How did it go?"


    Li Yifei took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around both their waists, and said, "It¡¯s all good. I convinced them to give us some time to handle it ourselves."


    Xu Yingying, worried, said, "Did they really agree? Other matters aside, with something like this, I always feel my parents wouldn¡¯t be so easygoing."


    Lin Qiong also expressed doubt, "My parents are like two old antique pieces; how could they so readily agree?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "They love their daughter, of course they want what¡¯s best for her, so as long as I focus on that point, I have my ways." He roughly explained what had happened to the two of them.


    After hearing the story, they were still not quite reassured. Lin Qiong bit her lip and said, "I¡¯ve thought of a way."


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying immediately asked, "What way?"


    Lin Qiong hesitantly said, "Get pregnant."


    Both Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were taken aback, but quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea. If Lin Qiong got pregnant, her parents would have no choice but to acknowledge the situation.


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before saying, "It could work, but don¡¯t you not want to have children so soon?"


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes and said, "What else can I do? If I don¡¯t have a child, my parents will drag me back home."


    But now Xu Yingying was getting anxious and said, "It¡¯s fine for you to want kids, I want them too, but I haven¡¯t gotten pregnant after all this time."


    Lin Qiong immediately responded, "Last checkup showed you had no problems; surely you can get pregnant sooner or later. Once we both have kids, they can¡¯t possibly want them to be fatherless, right? Come on, let¡¯s go now. Today you have to get me pregnant. If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll hold you accountable."


    Lin Qiong pulled Li Yifei up and dragged him toward the bedroom.


    Xu Yingying shook her head. She felt that this approach might not solve the problem, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any alternative. So they might as well give it a try, especially since she really did want a child now.


    That night, Li Yifei gave his all, completely exhausted. Normally, when they were all together, Li Yifei could handle both, preserving his energy, satisfying one first before moving to the other. His stamina was usually sufficient, so such activities were not overly taxing for him.


    But today was different. Both Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying were demanding, and it wasn¡¯t just about physical strength; he had to deliver, and they were afraid they wouldn¡¯t get pregnant on the first try, so they wanted a second, then a third. This was no easy task. In the end, Li Yifei was so drained he couldn¡¯t keep up and collapsed into a deep sleep on the bed, only to be woken up by Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying the next morning.


    When they went to eat, everyone saw how exhausted Li Yifei looked and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Ning Xin¡¯er joked with a laugh, "Say, Lin Qiong and Yingying, you two were wild last night, weren¡¯t you? How did you end up tiring out your husband like this?"


    Everyone laughed along. Li Yifei usually woke up energetic and had never seemed so drained before, so Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words were clearly in jest, and nobody took it seriously.


    But at that moment, Li Yifei managed a wry smile and said, "Yeah, they nearly drained me dry."


    The laughter continued, as nobody really believed it was true. Su Yiyi asked with concern, "Husband, are you so tired because you¡¯re not feeling well?"


    Li Yifei chuckled bitterly and replied, "No, Qiongqiong and Yingying both want to have children, so I just did my best. It¡¯s a bit tiring, but I¡¯ll be fine after some rest."


    Everyone was stunned and then turned to look at Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying appeared a bit embarrassed, while Lin Qiong said, "We had no choice but to have kids. Last night, my parents and Yingying¡¯s caught us in the room."


    "No way?" Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Xu Shanshan even grabbed her sister¡¯s arm and said, "Did our parents really come?"


    Xu Yingying managed a resigned smile and replied, "Yes, they showed up last night out of the blue, without even a phone call beforehand. And they came with Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, too. The worst part is, it was when the two of us were together."


    Xu Shanshan quickly said, "You got caught in bed?"


    "No."


    "Was all this really necessary? You could have just said Qiongqiong had something to do tonight, so she¡¯s staying over."


    Lin Qiong said, "That would have come out sooner or later. How long can we keep this a secret? So we just told them. Better they know sooner and start accepting it than wait till they¡¯re older and their hearts can¡¯t take it, and then something unfortunate happens."


    With that explanation, everyone could understand, but the thought of this troublesome matter was quite headache-inducing. Suddenly, Xu Shanshan burst into laughter and said, "Sis, our parents must have been furious, right?"


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes and said, "You still find this funny. You go and spend time with our parents today. Have a good talk with them, so they don¡¯t get too upset."


    Xu Shanshan stiffened her neck and said, "You¡¯re asking for my help, yet you have this attitude? Forget it, I¡¯m not doing it."


    Xu Yingying quickly interjected, "My dear sister, I knew you¡¯re full of ideas, and you can charm mom and dad too. Could you please handle this for us, okay? Later on, whatever you want, I¡¯ll get your brother-in-law to buy it for you."


    "That¡¯s more like it," Xu Shanshan smiled triumphantly and then snapped her fingers, "Then rest assured, leave it to me. I¡¯ll definitely get mom and dad to accept everyone."


    Everyone looked at Xu Shanshan in surprise. Actually, pulling this off wasn¡¯t easy at all. Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er were the first to face this issue, and although they managed to resolve it, it was because Li Yifei had given the family enough benefits. Big family interests come first, so it was somewhat easier. But for ordinary people, this issue was even tougher to handle.


    Furthermore, Ning Xin¡¯er, Song Lianyao, and He Fangqing hadn¡¯t gotten their families¡¯ approval yet. They were somewhat worried about this issue in their hearts. They could accept this special family, but how could their own families? They just never faced this problem directly and didn¡¯t dwell on it much. Now that Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying were dealing with it, naturally, they wanted to know how to solve it too.


    "Shanshan, do you have a strategy?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked anxiously.


    Xu Shanshan lifted her head in pride, and just when everyone looked at her with expectant eyes, she giggled and said, "I haven¡¯t thought of anything yet."


    "Tsk!" Everyone immediately scorned Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan looked at everyone and said with a grin, "I must tell you, whether this works out or not, it all hinges on me. If you want to follow my brother-in-law, it depends on whether I can pull this off. Treating me like this doesn¡¯t seem very nice, you know."


    "Sister Shan, you¡¯re the best," Xiao Ling¡¯er wrapped her arms around Xu Shanshan¡¯s neck, giggling, "Come on, tell us." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No need to butter me up; I¡¯m immune to that. I prefer material incentives," said Xu Shanshan.


    "Alright," Ye Yunzhu laughed, "If you really sort this out, whatever you ask for, we¡¯ll all pitch in."


    "That¡¯s what I like to hear, Sister Yunzhu. Then just watch me," Xu Shanshan replied cheerfully.


    After dinner, Xu Shanshan took Little Yifei by the hand and said, "Yifei, grandma is here, shall we go see grandma together?"


    Little Yifei immediately cried out excitedly, "Yes! Yes! No kindergarten today, I can see grandma and grandpa."


    Ning Xin¡¯er was taken aback and quickly said, "Shanshan, isn¡¯t it a problem to let Yifei go at this time?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed lightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. I know my parents well. Even if they have grievances against my brother-in-law, they wouldn¡¯t take it out on a child. Plus, they really adore Yifei. With Yifei making a move, we¡¯re halfway there."


    Watching Xu Shanshan leave with Little Yifei, everyone at home felt anxious, but there wasn¡¯t much they could do. Besides, out of all those present, besides Xu Shanshan, none seemed suitable to step in. All they could do now was wait for updates from Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan arrived at the hotel with Little Yifei, and as soon as she opened the door, Little Yifei rushed toward Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother, exclaiming excitedly, "Grandma, I¡¯ve missed you so much!"


    Even if Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother was upset, she couldn¡¯t ignore the affection from Little Yifei, whom she¡¯d looked after for such a long time. The bond was inseparable; she lifted Little Yifei into her arms and kissed her on the face, saying, "Oh, my sweet granddaughter, grandma has missed you too. I came specially to see you, didn¡¯t I?"


    "For real? Grandma, you¡¯re the best," Little Yifei hugged her grandmother¡¯s neck and planted a kiss on her cheek.


    This made Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother even happier, "My granddaughter is so good to me. Grandma¡¯s love for you wasn¡¯t in vain."


    "Grandma, how about I take you out to play with mom today?" Little Yifei tilted her head and asked.


    "Yes, let¡¯s go. Grandma hasn¡¯t had a chance to play here yet."


    With Little Yifei lightening the mood, the Xu Zhenguo Couple felt a bit better. Xu Zhenguo then pulled Xu Shanshan aside with a stern face, saying, "Do you know about your brother-in-law and Lin Qiong¡¯s situation?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed and said, "Of course, I know. You two don¡¯t need to worry about it. What¡¯s meant to be ours will be ours; clinging forcefully to something that¡¯s not won¡¯t help. Brother-in-law and sister know what to do in their hearts."


    "I used to be quite at ease about your sister, but when it comes to matters of the heart, I am not so sure."


    "Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me. I assure you I won¡¯t let brother-in-law get away," said Xu Shanshan.


    "Do you have a plan?"


    "Of course, I do. If I could get my brother-in-law and sister together, I can keep them together for life," Xu Shanshan said confidently.


    Looking at his daughter Xu Shanshan, Xu Zhenguo shook his head. He really wasn¡¯t sure about her handling other matters, but in this regard, it seemed that her cunning ideas were numerous. Perhaps letting her take care of this would indeed yield a better outcome.

 Chapter 1021 - 1062: This Son-in-Law is So Powerful

    Chapter 1021: Chapter 1062: This Son-in-Law is So PowerfulXu Yingying¡¯s parents took Little Yifei to the neighboring room of Lin Qiong¡¯s parents. Seeing how adorable Little Yifei was, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents also couldn¡¯t help adoring her. They knew this child was born to Li Yifei¡¯s former girlfriend, and they admired the Xu Zhenguo couple¡¯s magnanimity for accepting this child into their family.


    But now, seeing Little Yifei, they felt the child was truly too cute, and if they were in that position, they too would have accepted this granddaughter.


    After a night of reflection, the Xu Zhenguo couple had also cooled down. Xu Zhenguo didn¡¯t want to let the friendship with his old military comrade fracture, so he patted Lin Qiong¡¯s father¡¯s shoulder and said, "Hey, Old Lin, the young people¡¯s matters are their own, we¡¯re old war buddies who have been through years together, we can¡¯t let our feelings be damaged over these kids."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father sighed and said, "I don¡¯t want to either, but I can¡¯t help feeling a bit stubborn about it. If it wasn¡¯t for my Little Qiong, none of this would have happened."


    "Let it be, don¡¯t think too much. Young people at this time tend to be impulsive; after a while, once everyone has calmed down, they¡¯ll settle down."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father said, "Hopefully it¡¯ll be like that, but Old Xu, I have a question for you, am I really not supposed to resent that boy Yifei?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Zhenguo chuckled and replied, "The fault does lie with him, so how can we not resent him? But Yingying likes him, Little Qiong likes him too. No matter who he ends up with, won¡¯t he still be close to us? So if we become estranged from him now, we¡¯re the ones who will end up embarrassed in the end."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father shook his head and remarked, "You really are open-minded. But that lad really has some skills. Look at Yingying and Little Qiong, they¡¯ve got looks and careers. They could have any man they wanted, yet they¡¯re both hung up on him, like moths to a flame."


    "You just don¡¯t understand how special Yifei is. He¡¯s a special forces soldier and remarkably capable. Little Qiong¡¯s rapid rise from the start of her police career was with Yifei¡¯s help. How could she not have feelings for him?"


    "What?" Lin Qiong¡¯s father immediately exclaimed in surprise.


    "You didn¡¯t know? Yifei and Lin Qiong¡¯s acquaintance began because Yifei helped Little Qiong with a case. And in a few dangerous cases, he saved her, which helped her crack big cases and climb the ranks."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father frowned and said, "Why didn¡¯t that boy mention any of this to me when he came over last night?"


    Xu Zhenguo explained, "I do understand Yifei a bit. He wants to take all the responsibility on himself, not wanting you to blame Little Qiong."


    "That boy..." Lin Qiong¡¯s father¡¯s eyes carried an indescribable sentiment.


    "Hehe... Actually, to tell you the truth, I really admire this kid."


    "Ha... Now look at you, Old Xu, praising this lad non-stop. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll encourage my daughter to snatch your son-in-law?"


    Xu Zhenguo narrowed his eyes and said, "Alright then, Old Lin, you¡¯ve always been competitive with me in the army. We¡¯ve never acknowledged defeat to each other, and we haven¡¯t competed in many years. Competing for a son-in-law now, that indeed would be interesting."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father chuckled and remarked, "Wouldn¡¯t that put you at a disadvantage? Yifei and your daughter have already registered their marriage."


    "That¡¯s just my daughter getting a head start, which in plain terms means she got lucky. If you, Old Lin, want to compete, your daughter will have to put in some extra effort."


    The two shared a glance and then burst into hearty laughter. Cherishing their friendship as old comrades-in-arms, they understood that this matter could easily destroy their bond. So they resolved the potential crisis through this banter, undeniably untangling the knot in each other¡¯s hearts.


    Behind them, Xu Shanshan then chimed in with a grin, "That¡¯s right, my brother-in-law is so incredible. It¡¯s only natural that Lin Qiong likes him."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father smiled and prompted, "Then tell me, how exactly is your brother-in-law impressive?"


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "I¡¯ll just mention a few things. A while back, my sister got hurt by people from the Japanese Yamaguchi Group..."


    "What? When did this happen?" Xu Zhenguo immediately widened his eyes.


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue and replied, "At that time, we were worried it would worry you, so we didn¡¯t tell you. Anyway, my sister is fine now, so there¡¯s no need for you to be so shocked. Now, the main point is, back then, my brother-in-law alone went to Japan to seek revenge on the Yamaguchi Group."


    "What? Went alone to Japan, to the Yamaguchi Group?" At this, both Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father exclaimed in shock. They had some awareness of what the Yamaguchi Group was ¨C seeking revenge alone against them was like courting death.


    "Yes, exactly. Those bastards from the Yamaguchi Group dared to hurt my sister. Could my brother-in-law just let that slide? He went there alone and took down several of their branches, eliminated everyone in those branches, then went after the head of the Yamaguchi Group and actually killed him, returning without a scratch."


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father took a while to recover their senses. Xu Zhenguo said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re not just bragging, are you?"


    "There¡¯s nothing to brag about. You guys don¡¯t know how powerful my brother-in-law really is. My brother-in-law is the strongest in our country¡¯s most elite special forces. No one in the world can beat my brother-in-law."


    "That can¡¯t be that impressive," Xu Zhenguo glanced at his daughter skeptically.


    "How can it not be impressive? My brother-in-law has a classmate who used to be a Township Chief. With just a phone call from my brother-in-law, his classmate got promoted to Deputy County Head and will soon become the Director of the City Education Bureau. And all this happened in less than a year. Take Lin Qiong, for instance, she went from a junior police officer to Deputy Director of a Sub-bureau. It¡¯s all thanks to my brother-in-law¡¯s influence. Otherwise, do you really think Lin Qiong could have been promoted so quickly?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father was truly puzzled by this. Being part of the Public Security System himself, he understood how many years it took for a junior officer to become a Deputy Director, not to mention the connections needed. And climbing from Deputy Director to Director was even harder. Lin Qiong had been promoted smoothly in such a short time, sometimes he even wondered if he was dreaming.


    Now, he finally understood that it was all thanks to Li Yifei. With such a supporter behind her, Lin Qiong could be promoted smoothly.


    "Old Xu, you have really struck gold," said Lin Qiong¡¯s father, looking enviously at Xu Zhenguo.


    Xu Zhenguo immediately replied modestly, "Old Lin, it¡¯s not certain yet, that treasure might become part of your family."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother and Xu Yingying¡¯s mother had been playing with Little Yifei but were also listening to the conversation. They were astonished by what Xu Shanshan had revealed. They had never imagined Li Yifei to be such a powerful person. Especially Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, who had always thought Li Yifei was just an ordinary soldier reentering civilian life and believed her daughter was doing Li Yifei a favor by marrying him. She now realized her son-in-law actually had such great influence, and that her daughter was the lucky one.


    "Grandma, let¡¯s go out and play, I¡¯ll take you to see our new house," Little Yifei tugged at Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s hand and said in a babyish voice.


    "New house, what new house? Did you buy a new house?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother asked, puzzled.


    Xu Shanshan said with a giggle, "Let¡¯s go have a look, you¡¯ll find out when we get there."


    Xu Zhenguo and the others quickly got ready and followed Xu Shanshan out the door. Now their curiosity about Li Yifei had grown even more, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s mystique only heightened their interest.


    Xu Shanshan drove them to the Garden Villa. Half a month had passed, and the main structures were mostly complete, except for a few new villas that were still under construction. The garden was also taking shape, with pavilions, gardens, and fishponds all built, just awaiting final touches.


    "Shanshan, why are you bringing us to a park?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother got out of the car and asked in confusion.


    Xu Shanshan burst into laughter, and Little Yifei excitedly said, "Grandma, Grandpa, this is our new home."


    "New... home?" Xu Zhenguo and the others exclaimed in shock.


    "Yes, this is our new home," Xu Shanshan confirmed. "Come in and take a look. You all can live here too. Later on, you can play chess, go fishing, or even play golf together. The air is great here, and the scenery is beautiful."


    Xu Zhenguo and the others were dumbfounded, not even realizing Xu Shanshan was suggesting that they all move in, not just one family.


    "Miss Xu, hello!" Several gardeners greeted Xu Shanshan¡ªthey would be working and living on the property and recognized her.


    Xu Shanshan smiled slightly and said, "Carry on with your work, we¡¯re just having a look around."


    "Yes!" The gardeners respectfully stepped aside and resumed their work.


    Meanwhile, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother looked at Xu Shanshan and said, "They¡¯re very respectful towards you."


    Xu Shanshan replied proudly, "Of course, I¡¯m the owner of this house. If they¡¯re not respectful, they¡¯ll be fired."


    With a new home to show off and not many chances to do so, Little Yifei eagerly said, "Grandma, Grandma, there¡¯s a little stream here with lots of fish in it. Oh, and Shanshan Mom, Dad said he¡¯ll put some pretty big fish in there. Are they there yet?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed, "They should be. Let¡¯s go have a look."


    As Xu Shanshan led everyone through the estate, she pointed out various facilities, leaving Xu Zhenguo and the others stunned. The vastness and beauty of the area were incredible, comparable to the legendary Suzhou Gardens. Living here would indeed be the ultimate luxury.

 Chapter 1022 - 1063: What a Great Son-in-law He Is

    Chapter 1022: Chapter 1063: What a Great Son-in-law He IsAfter strolling for over two hours, everyone finally made a rough tour of the estate, though they hadn¡¯t looked closely at many places. If they were to appreciate each spot in detail, it would probably take all day to admire everything.


    "This place is truly beautiful," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother marveled from time to time.


    "This is huge. Is this still a home? It looks like a park," Lin Qiong¡¯s mother muttered continuously.


    Although Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father didn¡¯t express it outright, their eyes revealed their fondness for this place. Once people reach a certain age, they aren¡¯t attracted to luxurious buildings. Instead, a house with a courtyard becomes their ideal home, a place to dream of, and living here for older people would be like a health retreat, certainly adding a few more years to their lives.


    "Shanshan, such a vast place, how much did this cost?" Xu Zhenguo finally asked.


    Xu Shanshan nonchalantly replied, "It didn¡¯t cost much, probably around two hundred million."


    "Two hundred million..." Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father both gasped at this moment.


    Xu Yingying was relatively wealthy, and Xu Zhenguo believed she could come up with a few million, but that billion clearly wasn¡¯t hers, so it had to be Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Xu Shanshan laughed, "Anyway, I¡¯ve no idea how much exactly; our brother-in-law is loaded and spends freely."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother¡¯s jaw nearly dropped as she said, "Where did Yifei get so much money?"


    Xu Shanshan playfully winked, "Extorted it."


    "Extorted?" Everyone was now used to these sudden shockers.


    "Hee hee, last time when Sis got hurt, Brother-in-law took out the Yamaguchi Group¡¯s president and was about to finish off the entire group. The new president finally compensated Brother-in-law with one billion dollars, and only then did he let them go."


    "That really works..." The eyes of Xu Zhenguo and the others were about to pop out.


    Xu Shanshan laughed, "If Brother-in-law wants to make money, it¡¯s incredibly easy. It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t want to indulge in shady paths, and besides, Brother-in-law is already wealthy. The company originally belonged to him, and our elder sister was just working for him."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help but say, "That brat, claiming to be a small security guard and pretending to be Yingying¡¯s boyfriend, just loves to act poor."


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "I have an eye for talent, right? I saw early on that my brother-in-law is a treasure, so I spared no effort to get my sister to be with him. Don¡¯t you think you should praise me?"


    "I¡¯ll give you two slaps; how dare you not tell us these things sooner? Raising you was really a waste," Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother rolled her eyes at her daughter, though she was secretly delighted.


    As parents, who wouldn¡¯t want their daughter to marry a successful man? They were always satisfied with Li Yifei as a person, but they were somewhat disappointed in his abilities. They believed even someone like Yifei could take care of their daughter, so they reluctantly accepted him.


    Now they understood that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t lacking in abilities; he was just too capable¡ªso much so that it was beyond their imagination. Forget "Mr. Tall, Rich and Handsome"; compared to Li Yifei, those were nothing.


    "Grandpa, can you help me catch some fish?" Little Yifei tugged Xu Zhenguo¡¯s hand.


    Xu Zhenguo immediately said, "Sure, Grandpa will go with you."


    "Yifei, would you like Grandpa Xu to help you too?"


    "Yes!" Little Yifei shouted excitedly.


    Xu Zhenguo rolled his eyes once more, "Old Lin, you¡¯re out of line; how come you call yourself Grandpa?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father laughed heartily, "With such a great son-in-law, I can¡¯t help but want to snatch him. Little Yifei is Yifei¡¯s daughter. If I can get this son-in-law, wouldn¡¯t she be my granddaughter?"


    "You old rascal, you really are crafty!" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two men laughed as they took Little Yifei to the riverside to catch fish. Meanwhile, Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, along with Lin Qiong¡¯s mother, continued walking in the courtyard. Women love to wander around, whether shopping for clothes or otherwise, just as long as it¡¯s something they¡¯re interested in. The two mothers were just over fifty and still in great health, so their enthusiasm for strolling remained high.


    "Ouch! Mom, why did you pinch me?" Xu Shanshan rubbed her arm, looking at her mother.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother immediately glared, "Why do you think I pinched you?"


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue¡ªa signature move from Meng Xiaofei, and having spent so much time with her, she learned it too, "We can¡¯t be so materialistic. Our elder sister is with Brother-in-law because of who he is, not because of his money or background, right?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother remarked with feigned exasperation, "That¡¯s one way to put it, but the mother-in-law doesn¡¯t even know what her son-in-law is about; is that acceptable?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "But now you know, right? Our brother-in-law is low-key and doesn¡¯t like to show off."


    "Building such a large mansion and still claiming not to show off? There¡¯s probably no one else in the country who built such a big house."


    Xu Shanshan laughed, "Well, you don¡¯t know; there are many families with large estates, passed down through generations, unlike Brother-in-law¡¯s new construction. These days, the hardest part is getting land approvals. Brother-in-law made significant contributions to the country, so he got a special land grant."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother chimed in, "A special grant from the country?"


    Xu Shanshan boasted, "Of course! Otherwise, do you think connections alone can get such a large plot? The public keeps an eye on such matters; if someone uses a large plot for a mansion, people would take photos and report it."


    "That¡¯s true. But being granted such large land must mean significant contributions."


    Xu Shanshan grew even prouder, "Of course! But I don¡¯t know the specific details. The things Brother-in-law does are national secrets. Even sis can¡¯t be told."


    "I understand," nodded the two seniors repeatedly; the son-in-law¡¯s work being national secrets signified his exceptional strength.


    "By the way, who are all these houses for?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother asked with a smile, and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother perked up, listening intently.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Such a big estate can¡¯t be managed alone; many people will be hired, like chefs, cleaners, laundry workers, gardeners, security, drivers, etc. These people need places to stay too."


    "You¡¯re hiring people; do they need such good places to live?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother seemed unsatisfied with this answer.


    Xu Shanshan lightly held her mother¡¯s shoulder, smiling even brighter, "And of course for the in-laws, sister-in-law, and family to have their places too."


    Hearing this, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother beamed with joy but still lightly hit her daughter¡¯s hand and replied, "I wouldn¡¯t want to move here; my own home is still more comfortable." But gazing at such a vast courtyard, it was clear that saying she didn¡¯t want to live there was a blatant lie.


    In contrast, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother said, "I do like such a nice estate. If I could live here, I definitely would."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother, hearing Lin Qiong¡¯s mother¡¯s words, immediately said, "Sister-in-law of the Lin family, our Yingying is Yifei¡¯s wife, so you..."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother, feeling embarrassed, chuckled awkwardly, "I just said this place is nice. I meant nothing else; don¡¯t overthink it, sis."


    Smiling, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother said, "Lin family sister-in-law, I didn¡¯t mean anything either, but that young man Yifei really is something. I¡¯m truly satisfied with this son-in-law now."


    "Indeed, if I were in your position, I¡¯d be satisfied too. If only our Little Qiong wasn¡¯t so careless all the time, sigh."


    Seeing one mother proud and the other regretful, Xu Shanshan snickered to herself. Last night they were all criticizing Li Yifei, and today they were praising him; these two were indeed a bit opportunistic.


    However, this was quite common. It wasn¡¯t that Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother were insincere. As mothers, they all hoped their daughters would marry well. If the family were merely wealthy, like some Rich Second or Second Generation Officials, they wouldn¡¯t really covet it, as they feared their daughters wouldn¡¯t necessarily be happy marrying into such families.


    But Li Yifei was different. He stood on his own, and whoever married him would become the rightful mistress. The vast family business would be under their daughter¡¯s control. Moreover, with Li Yifei¡¯s abilities, his future prospects were boundless. Thus, their daughters wouldn¡¯t only live a life of luxury but also hold high social status. Which mother-in-law wouldn¡¯t be pleased with such a good son-in-law?


    Now, both mothers genuinely believed Li Yifei was a good son-in-law, laying a positive foundation for the future. When they learned that both Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying wanted to be with Li Yifei, albeit internally uncomfortable, their resistance would be considerably lessened.


    Li Yifei had always refrained from showcasing his strengths in front of Xu Yingying¡¯s and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, fearing it would seem coercive. Even in yesterday¡¯s circumstances, he only simply shared the story of his relationship with Lin Qiong.


    But Xu Shanshan had a different perspective. She needed the elders to acknowledge Li Yifei and feel that letting go of such a son-in-law would be regretful. So she didn¡¯t hesitate to display Yifei¡¯s strengths, which, truth be told, was quite effective.

 Chapter 1023 - 1064 Joyous Harmony

    Chapter 1023: Chapter 1064 Joyous HarmonyXu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father accompanied Little Yifei as they fished and struck up a conversation.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father caught a small fish and put it into an off-duty bottle for Little Yifei, "Old Xu," he said, "we¡¯ve served as soldiers for so many years and we really didn¡¯t know special forces had such good treatment. If I had known it was like this, I would¡¯ve continued serving."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily, "Forget it. Even if we had continued, what could we have done? At best, we might have become regimental leaders or something. Without connections or backing, it¡¯s impossible for us to have climbed any higher."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father nodded and said, "That¡¯s true. Even if we could have made it further, we couldn¡¯t compare to Yifei. There are so many generals and division commanders in the military region, but none of them have treatment like that."


    Xu Zhenguo scooped up water forcefully, but his hands came up empty, and he chuckled at Little Yifei, "Oops, it got away."


    "Grandpa¡¯s so clumsy," Little Yifei laughed merrily, pointing at Lin Qiong¡¯s father, "Grandpa Lin caught four for me, and you¡¯ve only caught two."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father laughed heartily, "That¡¯s right, Grandpa Lin is the best. Forget about your Grandpa Xu, from now on you need Grandpa Lin."


    Waving her little hands excitedly, Little Yifei said, "Okay, but I can¡¯t do without Grandpa. Grandpa Lin is also my grandpa. That way, I¡¯ll have two grandpas to catch even more for me!"


    "You little rascal," Xu Zhenguo chuckled and scolded. Then he turned to Lin Qiong¡¯s father, "Old Lin, haven¡¯t you noticed? Our daughters really have a strong hold on that boy Yifei. Just look at how embarrassed he was yesterday."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father chuckled, "Exactly. With Yifei¡¯s abilities, he could have easily found any kind of woman, but in front of our daughters, he can only endure. Especially in front of us, he¡¯s extremely respectful. We can scold him all we want, but he doesn¡¯t react at all. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn¡¯t have put up with us by now."


    Xu Zhenguo nodded, "Indeed. That¡¯s what¡¯s most commendable: he¡¯s not arrogant and recognizes family ties."


    "Old Xu, I¡¯m not joking with you," continued Lin Qiong¡¯s father. "I¡¯m really considering having Little Qiong compete with your daughter for Yifei. Such a great son-in-law, I really want to snatch him for myself, and I¡¯ve even thought about retiring here."


    Xu Zhenguo glared, "You, Old Lin, are actually serious. Then I have to ensure my daughter keeps a firm grip on Yifei, so you old guy can¡¯t succeed."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father chuckled, "How about we discuss this in advance, okay?"


    "Discuss what?" Xu Zhenguo gave Lin Qiong¡¯s father a blank stare.


    "If Yifei decides to stay with Yingying anyway, then when I have some free time, I¡¯ll come over to your place and hang around, and you can¡¯t drive me away. If Little Qiong wins, then you can stay here as long as you want, how about that?"


    "Old Lin, you really cover both ends. If you win, you gain, and if you lose, you still don¡¯t lose. I¡¯m impressed. But do we really need to talk about such things between us old brothers? Whenever you want to move in, I couldn¡¯t refuse anyway. Plus, it¡¯ll give us old pals something to do. Otherwise, just the two of us in such a big house, it wouldn¡¯t be comfortable."


    "Agreed, that¡¯s settled then. Hehe, looks like I can really spend my later years here, not bad at all."


    "Yes, we¡¯ll pick a quiet place to live later, not bothering those young folks. We¡¯ll just grow some vegetables, play chess, walk birds, feed fish, plant flowers, and tend to the grass. Just thinking about it feels like we¡¯re living in bliss."


    "Exactly, we¡¯ve been through so much over the years. Now that we¡¯re old, we should enjoy some bliss. Let the young people deal with their own affairs."


    "Let¡¯s not worry about it. The younger generation will have their own fortune. They¡¯re all grown up. Their era isn¡¯t the same as ours either. The more we get involved, the less good it seems to do, in fact, it might even cause harm. In any case, they¡¯re all capable. Your daughter Little Qiong will definitely accomplish a lot at the Public Security Bureau. She¡¯s already a Sub-bureau Chief now. Despite our many years of service, we haven¡¯t even reached the position she holds."


    "Haha, that¡¯s true. But your daughter Yingying is also impressive. She¡¯s great at business, helping Yifei earn even more money. That¡¯s what you call a couple working together."


    By now, the two elders had been completely captivated by the estate, and they were fantasizing about how they would enjoy their future days here. Even though they didn¡¯t have high material needs, this kind of enjoyment wasn¡¯t just material¡ªit was also spiritual, an offer they found irresistible.


    Normally, Li Yifei and the others would only stay here for half a day before returning, or even for a shorter period. But Lin Qiong and Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents stayed for an entire day until nightfall, and they were a bit reluctant to leave. They liked everything about this place too much.


    In the end, it was only because Little Yifei got tired from playing and fell asleep on Xu Zhenguo¡¯s back that everybody finally decided to head back.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s parents went back to their old home, while Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents came to the place where Li Yifei had been living these days. Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were already there, and Little Yifei was sent back to Ning Xin¡¯er. Li Yifei had prepared a sumptuous dinner, just waiting for them to come back and eat.


    Now, it was just Xu Zhenguo¡¯s family of five, as if they were going back to the scene when Xu Yingying and Li Yifei first got married.


    "Yifei, come here, let me have a few words with you," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said, assuming the stern demeanor of a mother-in-law as she called Li Yifei over as soon as she walked in.


    Li Yifei sat down obediently next to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother and said, "Mom, please speak."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother snorted and said, "Yifei, what you did was not good at all, and I am very dissatisfied."


    "Where did I go wrong? Please tell me, and I will definitely change," Li Yifei responded, his attitude still one of eager-to-learn humility. He had already secretly talked on the phone with Xu Shanshan earlier in the day, so he knew that Xu Yingying¡¯s parents were no longer so angry, which gave him some reassurance.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s good attitude, and the apron he was wearing on his chest, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother actually became more satisfied with him. With such family assets and strong capabilities, yet Li Yifei was still willing to cook for their daughter¡ªhe was truly a rare find. However, she still kept a stern face and said, "Yifei, let me ask you, why don¡¯t you treat us as family?"


    Li Yifei hastily replied, "Mom, what are you talking about? How could I not treat you as family? My parents passed away early, and I¡¯ve long since regarded you as my own parents."


    "Then why did you keep secrets from us?"


    "Mom, I didn¡¯t mean to hide anything from you. Right now, the courtyard isn¡¯t finished yet. I was thinking of waiting until it¡¯s done to bring you over to give you a surprise. By that time, everything will be ready, and you can move right in. Besides, I was worried you¡¯d see such a big courtyard and get anxious to help. What if you got tired?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s words made Xu Yingying¡¯s mother even more comfortable as she said, "You sure know how to talk smooth. I bet you¡¯re worried we might meddle too much and disrupt your plans, aren¡¯t you?"


    "No, no, that¡¯s not it at all, mom," Li Yifei insisted, looking genuinely alarmed.


    At this point, Xu Zhenguo interjected, "All right, wife, stop putting on an act. Yifei, I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so successful. Still, I must say this: our Yingying didn¡¯t choose you for your wealth; she liked you for the person you are. Your mother-in-law and I agree on this. So, I hope you¡¯ll treat Yingying right." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Dad, Mom, rest assured, Yingying is my wife for life, and that will never change."


    "With your word, I can rest easy. I believe you¡¯ll keep your promise."


    "I will definitely keep my promise."


    Normally, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother would surely have followed up with a question, "What about Lin Qiong?" But she didn¡¯t. Now that Li Yifei had expressed his stance, she couldn¡¯t pressure him too much. Matters of the heart sometimes require giving a bit of freedom. To have a more caring family environment, it¡¯s better not to focus on one mistake and incessantly criticize, which can easily lead to irreparable rifts.


    "Mom, Dad, stop nagging and let¡¯s eat; I¡¯m starving," Xu Shanshan called out at that moment.


    "Alright, let¡¯s eat. Yifei, is there any alcohol? I¡¯d like to have a couple of drinks today."


    "Yes, yes, I have some top-notch Maotai. I specially asked someone to get it from the factory¡ªa guaranteed thirty-year brew. I originally intended to take it to you as a gift, but let¡¯s have some now." Li Yifei said as he got out a bottle of Maotai.


    "That¡¯s really something. I must have a taste," Xu Zhenguo¡¯s eyes lit up as he took the bottle, opened it, and before he even brought it to his nose, he praised loudly, "Excellent, so fragrant and mellow! This is high-quality liquor right here. Come, Yifei, let¡¯s have a good drink together today."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I haven¡¯t drunk with Dad for a long time; today, I¡¯m going to make sure I accompany you properly."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Drink less with Dad; his heart isn¡¯t very good."


    Xu Zhenguo glared and said, "This is a fine wine, it won¡¯t hurt."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother also said with a smile, "Okay, let him have some today; your father is really happy about that courtyard."


    The dinner was exceedingly enjoyable, more so than ever before. After a while, while Li Yifei was still drinking with Xu Zhenguo, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother took Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan into the bedroom. There were some things she had to make clear to her daughters. Xu Yingying was too na?ve, letting someone as good as Lin Qiong get a chance. Now, seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, it was clear they were quite satisfied with Li Yifei, and she couldn¡¯t let them snatch away their excellent son-in-law.

 Chapter 1024 - 1065: Starting to Snatch the Son-in-law

    Chapter 1024: Chapter 1065: Starting to Snatch the Son-in-lawIn Lin Qiong¡¯s home, the family of three was sitting together, with Lin Qiong being interrogated.


    Lin Qiong had braced herself for a scolding from her parents, but observing their expressions, she felt perplexed as they didn¡¯t seem as furious as she had imagined.


    Her parents just looked her up and down without saying a word, making Lin Qiong feel uncomfortable. Finally, she clenched her teeth and said, "Mom and Dad, I know you are very angry about this, but matters of the heart aren¡¯t something I can just let go of..."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother waved her hand, interrupting her, saying, "Let me ask you, did Yifei contribute to you reaching this position as chief?"


    Lin Qiong, not understanding why her mother would ask that, still nodded and said, "Yes, without Yifei¡¯s help, I would still be a minor police officer at the police station."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father then asked, "Did he use many connections to help you get promoted?"


    Lin Qiong shook her head and said, "No, it¡¯s just that I always wanted to solve big cases, so I often rushed to the front without considering how ruthless the criminals were. I was often in danger, and Yifei was always there to help me. He caught those criminals and didn¡¯t want to be in the spotlight, so all the credit went to me."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father immediately smiled proudly and said, "I knew it. My daughter is not just a pretty face who needs a man to succeed. That would have been really boring." As a former soldier, he had his pride. If his daughter had climbed up to chief solely through Yifei pulling strings, he would have been displeased. But knowing that Yifei merely assisted and that it was more about his daughter¡¯s efforts, he was able to accept it.


    The praise seemed directed at her, leaving Lin Qiong even more baffled. Why were her parents acting like this today?


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother then asked, "Little Qiong, let me ask you, do you truly like Yifei?"


    Without hesitation, Lin Qiong nodded and said, "Yes, I really like him, mainly for his capabilities. I¡¯ve always been attracted to strong and capable men. I don¡¯t care much about looks, and Yifei is the strongest man I¡¯ve met. So no matter what, I want to be with him."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother clapped her hands and exclaimed loudly, "Good! That¡¯s the spirit, my daughter. Such a man must be seized. I support you!"


    "What?" Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes widened, barely believing her ears. Her mother had scolded her terribly the night before, so why was she supportive now?


    Lin Qiong¡¯ mother then sternly asked, "And have you heard that Yifei built a big garden?"


    "Yes," Lin Qiong replied, having spoken to Yifei on the phone today and knowing that her parents had visited the garden.


    "So, you¡¯re aware of everything involving Yifei?"


    "Yes, Yifei hides nothing from me, except for certain confidential matters that are state secrets."


    "Well then, if such a good man likes you, and you don¡¯t snatch him up to be your husband, wouldn¡¯t you be a fool?"


    "Mom, but he¡¯s already married to Yingying!"


    "So what if they¡¯re married? People get divorced. If you snatch him away and marry him, then he¡¯s married to you."


    Lin Qiong was dumbfounded, at a loss for words, merely staring blankly at her mother. Lin Qiong¡¯s father then coughed twice and said, "You shouldn¡¯t teach our daughter that. Yingying¡¯s father is my comrade. We can¡¯t just tell her to steal someone else¡¯s husband. Little Qiong, matters of the heart should take their natural course. If Yifei ends up choosing you, I support you. But if he chooses Yingying, we shouldn¡¯t be heartbroken. If we can¡¯t be spouses, we shouldn¡¯t become enemies."


    Lin Qiong quickly added, "That¡¯s what I and Yingying think too, which is why I wanted you to give us time to sort things out ourselves."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother nudged her husband, saying, "You old man, I¡¯m talking to our daughter. Go away."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father chuckled and said, "Then you two go talk in the bedroom. I¡¯ll watch some TV. Otherwise, you¡¯ll accuse me of eavesdropping through the keyhole again."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately took Lin Qiong into the bedroom, closed the door, and beckoned her to sit on the bed. She whispered, "Little Qiong, tell me honestly, do you think Yifei likes you more, or does he like Yingying more?"


    "It¡¯s about the same."


    "The same, huh? I thought men preferred novelty and would like you more."


    "That¡¯s not how Yifei is."


    "Alright, then let me ask you another thing, have you and Yifei been intimate?"


    Seeing Lin Qiong nod, her mother quickly added, "I¡¯m telling you, men are animals driven by their desires, especially in sexual matters. If you want Yifei to like you more, you need to put more effort into that aspect."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s eyes nearly popped out, shocked that her mother would discuss such matters. It was something she had never dreamt of.


    "You don¡¯t need to glare. This isn¡¯t something shameful. I¡¯m not an antique, you know. As a woman, you should make men happy. Then he¡¯ll think about you every night, and if he¡¯s thinking about you, he¡¯ll want to marry you so he can be with you every night, right? And, seeing that you¡¯re a police officer, young people nowadays like playing dress-up, right? You inherently have an advantage. You definitely have to make full use of it."


    Lin Qiong just felt like countless black lines were popping out on her forehead, then crashing to the floor. Was this still the same mother she knew? She couldn¡¯t really hear anything her mother said next.


    "Are you even listening to me?" Seeing Lin Qiong spaced out, her mother gave her a smack.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s body jolted, and she chuckled nervously, "Listening, listening."


    "Listening to what? I see you¡¯re just daydreaming here. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not like our time anymore. In our days, men had to take the initiative. Now, good men are rare, and if you catch one, women should take the initiative too. If you wait for someone to pursue you, you¡¯ll have missed the boat." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stop!" Lin Qiong suddenly shouted, waving her hand in front of her mother¡¯s face.


    "What are you waving for?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother brushed away her daughter¡¯s hand.


    "Mom, are you sleepwalking or something?"


    "You child, I¡¯m speaking seriously here, and you say I¡¯m sleepwalking." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother smacked her daughter lightly.


    "But... just last night you scolded me, saying I shouldn¡¯t steal Yingying¡¯s husband, and now you¡¯re encouraging me? If this isn¡¯t sleepwalking, then you must be talking nonsense."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother glared, saying, "Is that any way to talk to your mother?"


    "But... are these really your words? I¡¯m skeptical. Has someone possessed you?"


    "If you keep talking nonsense, you believe I¡¯ll smack you?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother raised her hand.


    "Ah, that sounds about right." Lin Qiong ducked her head.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother glared at her daughter again, then spoke earnestly, "Little Qiong, I¡¯m serious here. It¡¯s rare to meet such a good man. You really should fight for him. As long as we don¡¯t use underhanded tactics, if you can win him fair and square, then no one could object."


    Lin Qiong shook her head and slapped her cheek, asking tentatively, "You really aren¡¯t mad at me?"


    "Not mad."


    "And you support me dating Yifei?"


    "Of course." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother answered decisively.


    Lin Qiong grinned, asking, "What kind of spell has been cast on you?"


    "Here you go again. I¡¯m very clear-headed now, and because of that, I see how good Yifei is. It¡¯s normal for any woman to like such a man. Even if you don¡¯t want to compete, thinking back, you¡¯ll see how many women have their eyes on him. Yingying is always busy with work, which isn¡¯t satisfying to a man. So you have a chance now, and you can¡¯t wait for other women to enter the picture before competing, or you¡¯ll lose your advantage."


    "Do I really fall that short?" Lin Qiong muttered discontentedly.


    "For an average man, our daughter is beyond compare. But next to Yifei, you¡¯re just average. You¡¯re not gentle, you don¡¯t take care of people, you can¡¯t cook, you don¡¯t¡ª"


    "Stop, stop!" Lin Qiong hurriedly made a stopping gesture, saying, "If you keep going, you¡¯ll make me out to be totally worthless."


    "These points are important. For an average man, a strong wife is tolerable, but successful men prefer women who depend on them, women who stand behind them. So, in the future, you need to be gentler, think more about what Yifei needs, what he likes, where he is every day, and what you can do..."


    "Stop, stop!" Lin Qiong called out again, hand on her forehead, saying, "Mom, don¡¯t you know your daughter? Asking me to do all that might as well kill me."


    "What nonsense. A woman is a woman. Now you just be a bureau chief. Without Yifei, could you have become chief? You should pay more attention to Yifei. Men might like women with personality momentarily, but the ones who truly secure a man¡¯s heart are always the gentle, considerate women, always those who place men first..."


    "My goodness, Mom, you¡¯re really going heavy on the parallelism today. Please, can you cut down on it? Your daughter¡¯s fragile spirit really can¡¯t take such torment."


    Right now, Lin Qiong felt relieved deep down. Her mom wasn¡¯t stopping her anymore, and although she didn¡¯t know what exactly would happen when the truth came out, at least the immediate crisis had passed.

 Chapter 1025 - 1066: A Man Needs to be Coaxed

    Chapter 1025: Chapter 1066: A Man Needs to be CoaxedLi Yifei was still drinking with Xu Zhenguo at his home, and both of them were quite happy with the wine, which made their spirits even higher.


    Inside the house, it was the three women of the Xu family. Xu Yingying and her mother were sitting on the edge of the bed, while Xu Shanshan was kneeling on the bed, her arms wrapped around her mother¡¯s neck.


    "You, my girl, are choking me to death. You can¡¯t even sit properly. Look at your sister, she¡¯s married a good husband. Why don¡¯t you make some effort? You never seem to get anything right."


    Xu Shanshan immediately retorted discontentedly, "Mom, aren¡¯t you being too blatantly biased? If it hadn¡¯t been for me, could my sister have ended up with my brother-in-law? You¡¯re just cutting off the bridge after crossing the river."


    "What bridge am I cutting off? I¡¯m considering the most important affair of your life! You managed to find a good husband for your sister, so you should try harder yourself. When will you find someone like your brother-in-law for us to meet?"


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "Brother-in-law is so impressive, there¡¯s no second one like him in the world. You¡¯re asking me to find someone like him, aren¡¯t you making me destined never to marry, Mom? That¡¯s a pretty harsh curse."


    "Enough with the disruptions, I¡¯m speaking about serious matters with your sister," her mother turned to Xu Yingying and said, "Yingying, I¡¯m not criticizing you, but in the future, you can¡¯t be so busy with work all the time. A woman ultimately has to prioritize her family. Even if you have a successful career, it¡¯s a failure if you don¡¯t have a happy family. This time, that girl Lin Qiong ended up with Yifei and it was largely your fault. If you were with Yifei every day, then how could he have had the chance to be with someone else?"


    Xu Yingying felt somewhat speechless. What was all this about? Li Yifei had an affair, and now she had to shoulder most of the blame? Her mother was really being too partial toward Li Yifei.


    "Mom, am I your daughter or is Yifei your son? I feel like you¡¯re just endlessly making excuses for him."


    "A son-in-law is still a son. Isn¡¯t everything mutual? If I treat my son-in-law well now, won¡¯t he take good care of me in the future?"


    "Okay, okay, just treat him as your son then."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said sternly, "I¡¯m being serious with you. In the future, you really need to take better care of the home. You used to work for others, so you had to work hard, but now the company is our own. You should relax a bit, so you can keep a hold on your husband¡¯s heart."


    Xu Yingying cracked a smile and said, "So not only should I not hold his affair against him, but I also have to treat him even better?"


    "Well, men making mistakes is normal. If a man never makes mistakes, he probably won¡¯t achieve much. Men, in their youth, are disciplined by their mothers. If they make mistakes, it¡¯s the mother¡¯s job to educate them. Once married, it¡¯s up to the wife. Whether the wife can manage him well is a matter of her abilities. Now, you can¡¯t just focus on Yifei¡¯s faults; you also have to reflect on yourself. Only after you¡¯ve resolved your own issues can you rightfully manage your husband."


    "Alright, alright, I reflect. I used to put work first, neglecting my husband. From now on, I¡¯ll definitely spend more time with him. Is that better?"


    "Your attitude isn¡¯t sincere enough. You must recognize this sincerely so you can do better."


    "Mom, I truly recognize it from the bottom of my heart. Otherwise, I would have divorced him already. Don¡¯t worry."


    "Sigh, I want to be reassured, but Yifei is such an outstanding man. I don¡¯t know how many women will be attracted to him in the future or how many temptations will be out there waiting for him. I really don¡¯t know if you will be able to handle it."


    Xu Shanshan chimed in with a grin, "No worries, I¡¯m here too. I¡¯ll definitely help my sister keep a close eye on my brother-in-law."


    "If you could keep an eye on him, then Lin Qiong wouldn¡¯t have gotten close to your brother-in-law."


    "That was because they already knew each other from before. From now on, any strange woman who tries to approach my brother-in-law, I¡¯ll definitely chase her away."


    After the three women chatted in the room for quite a while, seeing that Xu Yingying was truly intent on staying with Li Yifei and wanted to make changes for herself, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother stopped nagging. Together, they came out to join Li Yifei and Xu Zhenguo for a little more drinking before they finally prepared to go to bed.


    In the bedroom, Xu Yingying snuggled up next to Li Yifei. Both were somewhat bemused; what they thought would be a major turmoil ended up resolving in such a manner, which was unexpected.


    "Husband, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve been alone together," Xu Yingying embraced Li Yifei, closing her eyes contentedly.


    Li Yifei gently stroked Xu Yingying¡¯s hair, which had grown longer and had been curled, and said, "Wife, tell me the truth, do you have any regrets?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t say I have regrets, but sometimes I do wonder, if I had really focused all my attention on you back then, would you have had less contact with other people and then had no choice but to be with me?"


    "Wife, when I married you, I really wanted to be with you for the rest of my life, but..."


    "No need to explain, it¡¯s been so long. If I truly cared, I would have been overwhelmed by now. What I think now is that in the future, you should still try to have some alone time with everyone. After all, private space for two people can create a different atmosphere."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I will. Actually, our time together now often feels more physical than emotional. Every night when we¡¯re together, everyone just thinks about how to go wild that night. I should spend more time with you all."


    "Mm, since this family has come together, I still hope that we can all pull together and get along harmoniously, making the Li family thrive even more."


    The next day, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents came to the garden that was still under construction. This time it was Li Yifei who accompanied them personally. Both sets of elders liked it more and more and seemed reluctant to leave.


    However, in the afternoon, all four of them boarded a flight back home. They were not yet of retirement age, and they had taken a long leave to come here, so they needed to return to work.


    Having finally sent off these four people, Li Yifei breathed a long sigh of relief. This situation had indeed been a significant crisis for him, but fortunately, it was resolved.


    When he returned home in the evening, Xu Shanshan suddenly became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. They all asked her how she had resolved the situation. Xu Shanshan proudly recounted the entire event. Although the method was simple, everyone admired it since no one else had thought of it.


    He Fangqing, Song Lianyao, and Ning Xin¡¯er were also contemplating the same question at this time: could they use the same method to handle their own family members?


    Last night should have been Su Yiyi and Li Xinyue¡¯s turn, but because Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents had arrived, they were with Li Yifei tonight instead. The others had their turns postponed, and at most, Li Yifei would just have to work through the weekend.


    "Husband... I have a favor to ask you." In bed, Su Yiyi said a little hesitantly.


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Yiyi, do we still need to speak of favors between us?"


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and said, "I want to ask if my dad... could work as a gardener in our new home."


    "How could that be possible!" Li Yifei immediately shook his head.


    Su Yiyi was stunned. She had been hesitant to ask because her father was at home alone, and she was always worried he might gamble again, so she mustered the courage to bring it up to Li Yifei. Considering how he usually indulged her, she had thought he wouldn¡¯t refuse. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then... never mind," Su Yiyi said, somewhat disappointed. She had never asked Li Yifei for anything before, and now the first time she did, he had refused.


    At that moment, Li Yifei straightened his face and said, "Even if he is not a good man, even if he has a gambling issue, he¡¯s still your father, isn¡¯t he? How could I let him be a gardener there? If someone moves in and asks who he is and I say my father-in-law, what would others think of me, what would they think of you? With such a big garden yet having your father work as a gardener..."


    "That... seems true," Su Yiyi admitted, feeling relieved by Li Yifei¡¯s reasoning. It indeed didn¡¯t seem appropriate.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Silly girl, if you want your dad to move in, just let him enjoy it there. We can¡¯t let him work."


    "But... husband, that doesn¡¯t seem right either. No one else has brought family in, but if I bring my dad, it might cause dissatisfaction among others. Really, I just want him to have something to do, to earn a bit of money."


    Li Yifei thought it over and suggested, "Well, how about this? I¡¯ll set up a storefront for him and let them open a little shop. Whatever they earn is theirs to keep, and if they lose money, it¡¯s on us. It gives him something to do, and being a boss isn¡¯t too shabby, right? It won¡¯t embarrass you."


    "That... sounds good." Su Yiyi had enough money now, and it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to give her father a few tens of thousands, but she always hesitated to do so, fearing he might fall back into gambling. The method proposed by Li Yifei sounded much better, keeping her father busy enough to potentially keep him away from gambling.


    "Xinyue, how are things with your dad?" After discussing the matter with Su Yiyi, Li Yifei turned to ask Li Xinyue.


    Li Xinyue shook her head and sighed, "Now my stepmother is treating my dad a lot better, obviously because of your influence, so she doesn¡¯t dare to bully him anymore. But my brother keeps calling me, wanting to find some profitable work. With his unreliable track record, I really don¡¯t dare to find him anything."

 Chapter 1026 - 1067: Fathers-in-law Are Made By Fighting

    Chapter 1026: Chapter 1067: Fathers-in-law Are Made By FightingLi Yifei still had an impression of Li Xinyue¡¯s brother, and that guy was obviously a lazy, greedy slicker who just waited for pies to fall from the sky. Having such a person by his side would definitely not work. He wouldn¡¯t be helpful at all and might even bring a lot of negative impact.


    In the Flying Hawk Squad, and in his previous mercenary corps experiences, Li Yifei understood very clearly that if he wanted his subordinates to work loyally for him, he couldn¡¯t let his family members throw their weight around. For example, if he tolerated a no-good relative giving orders, even if his men temporarily accepted it, they would eventually grow weary of it. Just like in the Flying Hawk Squad, having an unsatisfactory person appointed over him had left troubles behind.


    If the Li family wanted to last, they had to eradicate this phenomenon. It didn¡¯t matter that it was Li Xinyue¡¯s brother¡ª even his own children would have to be restrained in the future. Just like many powerful families, their expert members earned sufficient respect and weren¡¯t casually bossed around by ordinary descendants. This was one of the reasons those great families remained strong, whereas the decline of many families was probably related to this issue.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t deny it and said, "Xinyue, your brother really gives me a headache, and I still haven¡¯t figured out how to arrange for him."


    Li Xinyue immediately said, "Husband, you really can¡¯t bother with him. I understand his character all too well. If he comes over, he¡¯ll definitely create havoc in the company, causing dissatisfaction among the others. I can¡¯t do something that provokes public outrage. Just leave him be for now, and when he starts to comprehend some things, then I¡¯ll see about handling him."


    "But I¡¯m managing Yiyi¡¯s father," Li Yifei said. "If I don¡¯t deal with your brother, wouldn¡¯t that be unfair?"


    "What¡¯s unfair about that? Haven¡¯t you taken care of my father as well? Now my dad¡¯s life is so much better. It¡¯s manageable for you to look after our parents, but if you had to manage all the relatives, how much energy would you need? Besides, with so many relatives of mixed quality, some can be hard to manage. If we start this trend, others will want to bring all sorts of relatives into our home and company. Then wouldn¡¯t it become a family business? There are few such companies in the world that can last."


    Li Yifei thought about it and said, "Then we¡¯ll just take extra care of your father later, like with Yiyi¡¯s father, set him up with a storefront. If he wants to do business, he can; if not, earning some rent each year isn¡¯t bad either."


    Li Xinyue didn¡¯t refuse this time but still said, "However, the property can¡¯t be transferred to them; they might just sell it off, and they would definitely do something like that." Of course, she also hoped to improve her father¡¯s life.


    "Okay, then it will be under your name."


    "No way, if it¡¯s under my name, my stepmother will definitely urge my dad to ask for it, and I might not be able to stand firm. In your hands, they¡¯ll have nothing to say."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Your stepmother and brother really are a headache."


    Li Xinyue sighed and said, "If only my family could be as easygoing as Yiyi¡¯s dad."


    Su Yiyi suddenly spoke up with some embarrassment, "My dad wasn¡¯t much before either, he gambled fiercely, almost sold me off. Then... my husband scared him straight, and he started behaving."


    "Scared..." Li Xinyue was suddenly at a loss.


    "At that time, Yiyi and I weren¡¯t together yet," Li Yifei admitted with some embarrassment. "Seeing her dad behaving so badly, I just gave him a beating." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That... well, let¡¯s forget about that. My dad isn¡¯t in good health anymore." Li Xinyue wouldn¡¯t dare to follow that example, and the thought of her father being beaten by Li Yifei was hard for her to accept.


    "Husband!" After wrapping up that topic, Su Yiyi spoke to Li Yifei, "Our school¡¯s graduation ceremony is coming up soon. Can you find some time to attend my graduation?"


    Li Yifei immediately agreed with enthusiasm, "Of course I¡¯ll go. My biggest regret is never having attended university. Experiencing your graduation ceremony is something I look forward to."


    "Mhm, it¡¯s at the end of this month."


    "The end of the month? Doesn¡¯t that mean we only have a little more than ten days to prepare?"


    "There¡¯s nothing to prepare for. Just go, the most important thing is to take some graduation photos."


    "Oh... okay, then I¡¯ll definitely be there on that day. Yiyi¡¯s graduating, stepping onto a new path in life. As her boyfriend, if I didn¡¯t go, wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing for you?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s sweet smile revealed her happiness. These past days at school, everyone had been talking about the graduation ceremony. Her four years of university life were about to end, and Su Yiyi found it hard to let go. When her classmates asked her to bring her boyfriend along, she happily agreed.


    "By the way, there¡¯s a job fair at the school this weekend. Is our company going to recruit there?" she asked.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Sure, recruiting fresh university graduates isn¡¯t a bad idea. I¡¯ll organize some people to attend. Do I need to pull some strings for your classmates or anything?"


    "No need, I was just thinking about how the company is short-staffed, so that¡¯s why I brought it up."


    Time flew quickly, and three days passed. On Sunday, representatives from Li Yifei¡¯s company, as well as from Xu Yingying¡¯s Dreamfly Company, were sent by their Human Resources Departments to Mile City University for the job fair.


    Li Yifei had a bit of breathing room today, so he accompanied Su Yiyi to the university.


    In today¡¯s society, college graduates aren¡¯t valued highly. Many who¡¯ve graduated can¡¯t find jobs, and even those who do often can¡¯t find work that meets their expectations or justifies the sixteen years of hard study. So, the job fair was packed. Dozens of companies were besieged by students. Out of the nearly five thousand graduates from Mile City University, about half were in attendance at the job fair.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Su Yiyi spotted some classmates and said to Li Yifei, "Honey, I¡¯m going to chat with my classmates for a bit."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Go ahead, I¡¯ll take a stroll on my own. I won¡¯t come with you so you don¡¯t have to keep thinking about me."


    "Mhm!" Su Yiyi nodded and quickly made her way over. She wouldn¡¯t be seeing these classmates much longer, so it was best to make the most of the time they had left.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t head directly for his company¡¯s booth. There were professionals handling the recruitment process, and he wouldn¡¯t be much help. His presence might even inhibit their performance, so he strolled around casually instead, checking out the recruitment efforts of other companies. As a CEO aiming to succeed in the business world, Li Yifei always took the opportunity to learn from things he thought were worth emulating.


    The place was packed, and virtually no one noticed Li Yifei, nor did he encounter any familiar faces, as company CEOs rarely attended such job fairs. He enjoyed the tranquility of his anonymity.


    While chatting with a few classmates, Su Yiyi also sent resumes to the companies they were interested in. Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning, Su Yiyi¡¯s closest university roommates, shared a strong bond with her, unlike another roommate, Cao Yue, who wasn¡¯t there. Cao Yue had a bad relationship with them and used to bully Su Yiyi until Li Yifei sorted her out. Then, she toned down.


    "Yiyi, you¡¯re so lucky to have such a great boyfriend. You don¡¯t even need to look for a job," said Song Xiaoli, squeezing out of the crowd and wiping the sweat from her forehead, her voice filled with envy.


    Su Yiyi smiled, "I¡¯m going to work too. Once I graduate, I¡¯ll work at my boyfriend¡¯s company."


    Xiao Ning said with a chuckle, "Yiyi, maybe you could talk to your boyfriend and let me work at his company. I¡¯m not demanding; I just need something to get by for now."


    Apologizing, Su Yiyi said, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you guys, but even if you want to join my boyfriend¡¯s company, you would still need to go through their Human Resources interview process. If you pass, I¡¯ll definitely take care of you once you¡¯re in the company."


    Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning knew Su Yiyi well and understood that if she could help, she would. This was just a trial for them, and it wasn¡¯t as if they needed to find jobs immediately.


    Song Xiaoli joked, "Anyway, if we end up starving, you can¡¯t ignore us."


    "Of course not," Su Yiyi said eagerly. "You¡¯ve helped me so much during school. If you ever run into trouble in the future, I¡¯ll definitely help you."


    "Oh! Isn¡¯t this Su Yiyi?" A woman¡¯s sardonic voice sounded from behind.


    Su Yiyi turned around and saw Chen Min, another classmate. Chen Min was average-looking but extremely competitive, perhaps excessively so. She insisted on winning scholarships every year and always strived to be the best in her class, no matter what. She was undoubtedly capable, but her personality tended to be on the extreme side; she couldn¡¯t stand seeing anyone else excel beyond her. Su Yiyi had always been on the weaker side in school and didn¡¯t compete with her. However, because Su Yiyi gained the attention of the few male students in class, including one that Chen Min liked, Chen Min always harbored hostility toward Su Yiyi.


    Today, after submitting several resumes and interacting with recruiters, Chen Min could sense their satisfaction with her. While many others were anxiously submitting resumes, she felt a sense of superiority as she could choose which companies to apply to. Yet, seeing Su Yiyi chatting and laughing with ease, she felt an inexplicable discomfort.

 Chapter 1027 - 1068: Michelle Has Lost Weight Again

    Chapter 1027: Chapter 1068: Michelle Has Lost Weight Again"Chen Min, you¡¯re applying for jobs too?" Su Yiyi didn¡¯t take Chen Min¡¯s tone to heart. Since everyone was going their separate ways, there was no need to hold on to any old grudges.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s attitude made Chen Min feel that any more sarcastic remarks would make her seem petty. Flipping her hair, she said, "Well, we¡¯ve graduated, so it¡¯s time to look for a job. Although I¡¯ve already been hired by a few companies, I still want to have a good look around. After all, a job is a big deal, especially the first one. It has to be good so that even if I switch jobs later, I¡¯ll have better capital for improving my social status, right?"


    Su Yiyi smiled slightly, "With your excellent grades and strong capabilities, you¡¯ll surely find a good job."


    Chen Min smiled, "Of course. So, where are you planning to go?"


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t want to compete with Chen Min, so she humbly said, "I¡¯ve found a small company and I¡¯ll be working there."


    "Oh, so you¡¯ve found a job already. But I think you should look around more. You shouldn¡¯t just settle for any small company. In places like that, management is irregular, with far more messy issues. And with your looks, the boss will definitely have designs on you."


    Chen Min was always able to outdo Su Yiyi in class, but when it came to natural beauty and temperament, she could never compare to Su Yiyi. So, given the chance, she would go all out to take a dig at Su Yiyi in that regard.


    Although Chen Min was strong in class, she wasn¡¯t very popular. Song Xiaoli immediately retorted, "Chen Min, the place where Yiyi works belongs to her boyfriend, it¡¯s like her own family¡¯s company. She¡¯s essentially the boss¡¯s wife, so why would she fear unspoken rules? Even if there were any, it would be between her and her boyfriend, a matter of mutual consent."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red, and she pulled at Song Xiaoli.


    Chen Min displayed a disdainful expression, "Right, you found a rich boyfriend, and that we can¡¯t compete with. Without your looks, we can only rely on ourselves to fight our way up. But watch out, Su Yiyi, in no more than three years, I will surely surpass you."


    Still smiling, Su Yiyi said, "With your ability, you will certainly succeed." But inside, she thought there was no chance for Chen Min in this lifetime. However, she didn¡¯t see this as Chen Min overestimating herself, but rather admired the girl¡¯s competitiveness.


    Chen Min clenched her fist with vigor, "You¡¯re right, I will strive for everything I want based on my abilities. Just wait and see, I will be stronger than all of you."


    Xiao Ning sneered, "If you¡¯re strong, you¡¯re strong; no need to keep talking about it."


    Chen Min snorted, "In a few years, I believe, when you are changing jobs, by that time I will already be the person deciding your fates."


    Song Xiaoli said impatiently, "Are you done yet? You¡¯re not the one to decide our fates."


    Chen Min paid no attention to Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning. In her eyes, these two weren¡¯t even qualified to be compared with her. She then said to Su Yiyi, "Let¡¯s see where we stand in three years. I hope you won¡¯t forget me."


    "I won¡¯t. We were college classmates, how could I forget you?"


    Just then, a girl ran over, "Su Yiyi, Xiao Ning, Song Xiaoli, Chen Min, there is a company over there with really good terms. Haven¡¯t you gone to see?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Which company?" asked Song Xiaoli.


    The girl quickly said, "It¡¯s called Dreamfly Company, and there¡¯s also Flying Dragon Trading Company next to it. Both offer good conditions and their requirements aren¡¯t too high. It looks like there are opportunities."


    Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning hurriedly said, "Then let¡¯s go have a look."


    They all rushed in that direction, but they noticed that Su Yiyi didn¡¯t follow. Xiao Ning stopped and asked, "Yiyi, aren¡¯t you coming over to take a look?"


    Su Yiyi smiled, "Alright, I¡¯ll come and have a look."


    Both companies were Li Yifei¡¯s, but she didn¡¯t want to tell her classmates, as it might affect the recruitment at Li Yifei¡¯s company. After all, if she recommended them, her classmates would have an easy time getting hired. However, Su Yiyi didn¡¯t want her presence to cause any impact on the company.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t there, and the people present were employees from inside the company, who really didn¡¯t recognize Su Yiyi; she had never been to the company. The only person Su Yiyi knew there was Michelle, who was in charge that day. The manager of the Human Resources Department had taken a couple of days off, so she had taken on the responsibility.


    But as Su Yiyi stood behind the crowd and Michelle was busy, she didn¡¯t notice Su Yiyi.


    Finally, it was Chen Min¡¯s turn. She sat down in front of Michelle and handed over her resume, saying, "Hello, I am Chen Min, I studied international trade English, I have already passed level six of English, and it is not just about answering questions, I can communicate normally in English."


    Michelle looked up at Chen Min. The girl left a good impression on her, quite confident, and considering that the company was involved in a lot of foreign trade these days, they really needed people who could speak English. She nodded and spoke, "Then, may I ask, why did you choose our company? Our company is not the strongest in Mile City."


    Chen Min had already looked over the job advertisement and used her phone to search for Dreamfly Company¡¯s information before coming in, and immediately replied, "Although Dreamfly Company is not a super-large company in Mile City, it is a vibrant and emerging company with enormous potential. In such a company, I believe it is more conducive to leveraging my strengths and would offer me more opportunities to show what I can do."


    Michelle nodded. "Hmm, your answer is very good. I¡¯ll keep your resume, and we will notify you when the interview is scheduled."


    Chen Min thanked her, then got up and left. She saw Su Yiyi and looked at her with a sense of superiority, saying, "See? That¡¯s strength."


    Su Yiyi hesitated for a moment before saying, "You probably shouldn¡¯t take the job at this company."


    "Why not?"


    "It¡¯s... no reason." Su Yiyi had been classmates with Chen Min for four years in university and knew her personality. If she found out that she was actually the boss¡¯s girlfriend, Su Yiyi was sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it, so she didn¡¯t want Chen Min to go to this company.


    "Haha, are you afraid that I¡¯m not strong enough? I have already observed that the manager only casually asked the others one question, but she spoke much more with me, so she will definitely hire me."


    After finishing, she walked away, pleased with herself.


    Su Yiyi shook her head, wondering whether she should tell Michelle not to hire Chen Min. But after thinking it over, she ultimately dismissed the idea. After all, Chen Min was a capable person. If she joined the family company, it would be bringing in good talent. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to avoid meeting her.


    At noon, Li Yifei invited everyone to a nearby restaurant for a simple work meal. It wasn¡¯t a particularly good restaurant nor did it serve particularly fancy food, as the staff gathered around the table.


    Su Yiyi did not join them, firstly because these employees did not know her, and secondly, Li Yifei¡¯s special family status meant it was better not to be ostentatious. Moreover, there weren¡¯t many opportunities left to have meals with her classmates, so she decided to join them in the school canteen instead.


    Inside the company, everyone already knew about the relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying. As for his relationship with Michelle, in the eyes of others, that was now a thing of the past.


    No one looked down on Li Yifei; instead, they envied him, being able to marry someone like Xu Yingying, a company president - indeed a win-win situation in terms of talent.


    However, people sympathized greatly with Michelle. During Li Yifei¡¯s time at the company, everyone had noticed how deeply Michelle cared for Li Yifei. Everyone knew how good Michelle had been to Li Yifei, and after Li Yifei got together with Xu Yingying, the smile on Michelle¡¯s face had clearly become less frequent than before. Almost all she seemed to do at the company was work, incessantly.


    Today, since Li Yifei was treating everyone to lunch and he had a special status, and Michelle was their current leader, both being leaders naturally had to sit together.


    Everyone tried not to look at Michelle and Li Yifei, focusing on eating their own meals instead. The atmosphere turned very strange, and within less than fifteen minutes, these people had finished eating and quickly cleared out, leaving only Li Yifei and Michelle in the room.


    Li Yifei also felt somewhat awkward at that moment. He didn¡¯t know if everyone was creating an opportunity for him and Michelle or if they feared showing any inappropriate expressions that might offend him.


    "Michelle, you¡¯ve lost weight again recently," Li Yifei said, looking at Michelle¡¯s fair profile and sighing softly.


    Michelle fiddled with the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks and turned to smile at Li Yifei, saying, "Losing some weight is good, isn¡¯t it? Men these days all like slender girls, don¡¯t they?"


    Li Yifei felt a pang of distress and said, "I still prefer the old you. Your face is too thin now; it looked better with a bit more flesh on it."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes reddened in an instant, and she quickly lowered her head to resume pushing the grains of rice around in her bowl.


    "Eat more. I¡¯ll eat with you. No matter what, your health comes first. If you really wear yourself down, then our company would suffer a great loss," Li Yifei almost said he would feel distressed too, but at the last moment, he changed his words.


    Michelle just hummed, picked up a few grains of rice to her mouth, but even those few grains took her a long while to chew before swallowing.


    "You silly girl, that¡¯s not how you eat. Come on, open your mouth, eat some more," Li Yifei urged, scooping up a spoonful of rice and bringing it to Michelle¡¯s mouth.


    Michelle lifted her head and stared blankly at Li Yifei, stunned for a moment by his gesture.

 Chapter 1028 - 1069: The Splendid Moment of Youthful Bloom

    Chapter 1028: Chapter 1069: The Splendid Moment of Youthful Bloom"Behave now, if you don¡¯t eat properly, your body won¡¯t be able to take it," Li Yifei said with a soft gaze, his tone indescribably tender.


    Michelle unconsciously opened her mouth, letting Li Yifei spoon the food into her mouth.


    "Chew slowly, it¡¯s good for the body... Yes, just eat like that. You¡¯re really a child to worry about when it comes to eating. Have some vegetables, and if you don¡¯t like this place¡¯s dishes, I can take you somewhere else, we could have a feast¡ªseafood, Japanese cuisine, French food¡ªwhatever you want to eat, I¡¯ll take you there."


    "No... no need!" Michelle chewed and swallowed the food in her mouth, suddenly smiling, and said, "The food here is quite delicious."


    "Is it? Then let¡¯s eat here." Li Yifei understood why Michelle said the dishes were good¡ªit was because he was feeding her. Initially, he was just anxiously watching her, but now he had no choice but to continue feeding her, though he had thought Michelle would feel embarrassed and refuse his help. However, today¡¯s Michelle was smiling at him, seemingly perfectly happy and showing no intention of eating by herself.


    "I want to eat that..." Michelle pointed at a dish on the table.


    "Alright! Let¡¯s eat this then." Li Yifei picked up some with his chopsticks, placed it on her plate, then gently brought it to Michelle¡¯s mouth.


    Michelle opened her small mouth, revealing teeth as white as shells, and gently bit down, then slowly swallowed the food, eating with relish and looking especially delightful, especially with that sweet smile that was mesmerizing. At that moment, Li Yifei didn¡¯t feel feeding Michelle was awkward, but rather felt truly happy.


    "You can¡¯t eat anymore. You¡¯ve already had more than a bowl. You usually eat so little, eating this much at once, your stomach won¡¯t be able to handle it." Li Yifei quickly fed Michelle a bowl of rice, but she still wanted to eat. Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare let her eat more.


    Michelle pouted a little and said, "I¡¯m not full yet."


    "You can¡¯t eat anymore, behave. It¡¯s still early; let¡¯s go for a walk."


    It was only then that Michelle agreed to stop eating. They paid the bill and left the restaurant together. Li Yifei asked, "Where do you want to go?"


    Michelle looked around and said, "Let¡¯s just stroll around the campus."


    Li Yifei nodded in agreement, and they walked side by side along the shaded path in the campus.


    Michelle was still wearing the dress that Li Yifei had bought for her. It was the same dress he had bought the previous summer. For a girl, especially someone like Michelle who was a company manager, wearing the same dress for two summers seemed a bit odd.


    Li Yifei fully understood why Michelle always liked to wear that dress. It was the only piece of clothing he had ever bought for her, and it carried an indescribable affection between them.


    "Brother Li, it¡¯s been a long time since I walked with you," Michelle said softly.


    Li Yifei sighed lightly and said, "Yes, it has been a long time."


    Watching the couples among the university students passing by, all appearing very close, Michelle¡¯s eyes showed a hint of envy, "It¡¯s nice to look at them, carefree, not thinking about the future, just loving each other."


    "Young and unaware of the sorrows of life. Perhaps many of them will go in separate directions after graduation."


    Michelle said sadly, "Yes, love is beautiful, but in the face of reality, it often turns out so fragile, with so many things binding you, preventing you from loving."


    Li Yifei had thought that Michelle would let go of their feelings quickly, but it had been so long, and not only had she not let go, she seemed even more haggard because of it. What was intended for her benefit now felt more like it had hurt her. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, rain started to fall from the sky, and Li Yifei hurriedly said, "It¡¯s raining, let¡¯s find a place to take shelter."


    Michelle shook her head, "This light rain is quite nice. I always loved walking outside on rainy days like this when I was little. The feeling of the raindrops on your body¡ªit¡¯s really refreshing."


    Since it was midsummer, a little rain indeed felt cool. Michelle liked it, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t object.


    They reached a small lake nearby, standing by the lake and watching the raindrops create ripples on the surface, listening to the sound of rain hitting the water. It brought a peacefulness to their minds.


    Neither of them spoke, just standing quietly there, letting the rain drench them, not knowing what the other was thinking or even what they themselves were thinking. Perhaps at that moment, they weren¡¯t thinking anything at all, simply enjoying the unique sensation that the drizzle brought.


    The rain intensified, and the droplets became larger. Both their shoulders were quite wet. Li Yifei took Michelle¡¯s hand and said, "Let¡¯s go, if we don¡¯t take shelter soon, we¡¯ll really turn into drenched chickens."


    Michelle turned to look at Li Yifei, nodded gently, and then grasped his hand. Her hand was very cold, chillingly so.


    "Run, let¡¯s take shelter from the rain there."


    Right by the lake was a small gazebo; Li Yifei took Michelle¡¯s hand and they hurried toward the gazebo. Initially, Michelle was being pulled along by Li Yifei, but as the rain grew heavier, she began to run on her own.


    "Ah, the rain is so heavy, I¡¯m completely soaked," Michelle said as she ran into the gazebo, wiping the rain from her face. She glanced at her hand and suddenly exclaimed, "Look at me, is my makeup all smeared?"


    Li Yifei, with a smile, replied, "It is a bit smeared, better wipe it off soon."


    Michelle quickly took out a wet wipe from her bag and, while wiping, asked Li Yifei, "Is it okay now?"


    "There¡¯s still a bit on this side, a little higher, a bit to the left..."


    "Could you wipe it for me? I don¡¯t have a mirror." Michelle pouted slightly and handed the wet wipe to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei took out a wipe and gently rubbed off the makeup that the rain had smeared on Michelle¡¯s face. He was very meticulous and gentle. The distance between their faces was not very far, close enough to feel each other¡¯s breath.


    Michelle¡¯s breathing grew more rapid, her cheeks reddened, and her gaze became increasingly intense.


    Li Yifei had seen this reaction many times before, and of course, he knew what Michelle wanted to do now, but could she reject it? Could she escape it?


    "Brother Li..." Michelle called out dreamily, then gently closed her eyes, her eyelashes quivering gently. She tiptoed, tilted her neck up, puckered her lips slightly, waiting for Li Yifei to savor, to pluck.


    Li Yifei¡¯s wet wipe slipped from his hand, and then he stretched his arms, embracing Michelle¡¯s waist and lifting her body upward. Instantly, their bodies pressed tightly together, and he lowered his head and kissed Michelle¡¯s lips.


    "Mmm..." A kitten-like sound escaped Michelle¡¯s throat, and she wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her tongue eagerly extending into Li Yifei¡¯s mouth. This wasn¡¯t her first kiss; her first had already been gifted to Li Yifei. This kiss was no longer inexperienced but full of passion and impulsiveness, yet even more intoxicating and blood-stirring.


    The rain grew heavier, drumming rhythmically on the gazebo¡¯s roof like a symphony of love, witnessing the emotions between Li Yifei and Michelle.


    The rain came quickly and left just as rapidly. By the time Li Yifei and Michelle finally separated, the proud sun had once again revealed its smiling face.


    Michelle¡¯s cheeks were flushed, her eyes dewy. The days of worries vanished with that kiss from Li Yifei.


    "Ah! A rainbow! So beautiful." Li Yifei was facing toward the lake, and just above the water, a rainbow had appeared, forming a unique scenery in his vision. The rainbow was beautiful, but Michelle was even more so, making Li Yifei involuntarily praise.


    Michelle turned her head and saw the rainbow too, overwhelmed with joy, "There really is a rainbow! I can¡¯t remember the last time I saw one."


    Li Yifei and Michelle stood together admiring the rainbow, their hands clasped naturally.


    Unfortunately, the rainbow was fleeting, lasting less than two minutes, but those two minutes were satisfying enough.


    "The rainbow is so beautiful, it¡¯s just a pity that it lasts for such a short time," Michelle said, slowly turning to gaze into Li Yifei¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, but even those two minutes are enough to show its beauty."


    "Brother Li, is love like a rainbow too, brilliant in a moment, only to remain forever in memory?"


    Li Yifei looked at Michelle, gently caressing her cheek, "Michelle, a few days ago, Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents came to our house. Although I didn¡¯t tell them everything about our home, I did tell them that both Yingying and Lin Qiong are with me."


    "Ah? What did they say?" Michelle suddenly became nervous.


    "They only know that the two of them want to be with me, but they don¡¯t yet know that they are indeed with me. It will take time, but I think I¡¯ll eventually convince them."


    After pausing, Li Yifei finally said, "Michelle, can we try?"


    Michelle¡¯s body stiffened, and she stared blankly at Li Yifei, remaining silent for a long time.

 Chapter 1029 - 1070: The Feeling of Love

    Chapter 1029: Chapter 1070: The Feeling of Love"Brother Li... you... you..." Michelle¡¯s lips quivered, and she found herself at a loss for words.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Snow, I always thought that by rejecting you, I was doing what was best for you. I believed that with so many women around me, I couldn¡¯t make you happy. But seeing you become more and more haggard, watching you grow increasingly unhappy, I¡¯ve realized I was wrong. I think I should pursue you, I should let you be with me."


    Tears suddenly spilled from Michelle¡¯s eyes, and she threw her arms around Li Yifei, clinging to him and sobbing.


    Li Yifei had started working with Michelle in the same office since his return to Mile City. They were the earliest to know each other and had the most interaction. It was Michelle who first expressed her feelings for Li Yifei, but even so, Li Yifei ended up with over a dozen other women, never being with Michelle.


    Thinking differently, it seemed Li Yifei must have cared for Michelle more. Therefore, he had many more reservations about being with her, worried she wouldn¡¯t be happy with him, afraid of the pressure she would feel. Despite their profound love for each other, it was only now that Li Yifei was speaking such words to Michelle for the first time.


    "Silly girl, stop crying. You haven¡¯t told me whether you agree or not. You can¡¯t leave me hanging here. Come on, just give me a straight answer," said Li Yifei, gently stroking Michelle¡¯s hair.


    Michelle stopped crying, looked up at Li Yifei, bit her lip and with pouted lips said, "I don¡¯t agree."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face fell as he said, "Ah, really? You don¡¯t agree? This is actually my first time pursuing a girl like this, and it¡¯s turned out to be a failure."


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, Michelle¡¯s heart flooded with sweetness. So many women had been the ones to pursue Li Yifei. She blinked playfully and said, "That¡¯s because you¡¯ve rejected me so many times, causing me so much heartache for so long."


    "Alright, alright, consider it my karma. Later, you can reject me a few times too and let my heart ache."


    "You won¡¯t feel any heartache. With so many people in your family, once you go home, you¡¯ll forget about me."


    Li Yifei looked at Michelle and said, "Do you still want to be with me? I¡¯m just afraid you won¡¯t be able to accept it later on. After all, love is selfish, and sharing it with so many people will definitely be too much for you. I¡¯m really afraid it will make you unhappy."


    Michelle sulked, "It¡¯s still better than how I am now, isn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei playfully flicked Michelle¡¯s nose and said indulgently, "You little fool, knowing it¡¯s a pit of fire and still wanting to jump in."


    "Isn¡¯t that what love is, like a moth to a flame? For that instant of brilliant beauty, I¡¯d rather shatter to pieces."


    "Don¡¯t talk like that. By the way, Snow, what about your parents? That must be your biggest concern. We need to convince them, so you can be at ease with me. If they firmly oppose, you¡¯ll be caught in the middle and will suffer the most."


    Mentioning this, Michelle became worried and said, "This is really difficult; my parents are very stubborn. I really don¡¯t know if we can convince them." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei kissed Michelle¡¯s forehead gently and said, "Then let¡¯s work hard together. For my Little Snow, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to win over your parents."


    "That¡¯s up to you then. After all, you¡¯re the man, and you should be the one to do such things."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Little Snow¡¯s order, I¡¯ll certainly obey."


    With Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, and knowing he had managed to persuade the parents of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong, Michelle felt a new confidence. Above all, having liked Li Yifei for so long, she could finally be intimately together with him. She decided not to think about those worries for now, wanting to simply chat with Li Yifei and engage in some playful banter.


    In normal times, Michelle was quite rational. Even though she liked Li Yifei desperately, she restrained her feelings out of consideration for her parents. However, with Li Yifei taking the initiative, love¡¯s great magic swept away her rationality. At that moment, she just wanted to experience the sweetness of love, putting aside all other thoughts.


    The two walked along the lakeside, behaving much like any other university couple, oblivious to the world around them.


    "Hello, Manager Mi," a female student greeted Michelle politely.


    The greeting startled Michelle, and only then did she notice the girl looking at her. Michelle remembered her; it was Chen Min, the girl who had applied that morning and made a strong impression, seeming to be quite capable, which is why she remembered her. Michelle smiled faintly and replied, "Hello."


    "I¡¯m sorry to disturb you both, but it would¡¯ve been impolite not to greet you," Chen Min said apologetically.


    "That¡¯s alright," Michelle replied with a casual smile. She had always been friendly towards company colleagues, and feeling that Chen Min would likely be hired, she treated her well.


    "It seems like Manager Mi is touring Mile City University; I could offer a tour guide," Chen Min offered.


    "That won¡¯t be necessary; we¡¯re just going to have a casual stroll and then head back for the afternoon recruitment. Thank you."


    "I won¡¯t disturb Manager Mi any further then." Chen Min smiled slightly before politely taking her leave.


    It looked like a chance encounter, but it was actually a deliberate move by Chen Min to meet Michelle again, solidifying a stronger impression on her, which would be advantageous for her job application.


    In doing this, one could say that Chen Min is a smart and scheming individual; many successful people thoroughly prepare for their endeavors. Although she didn¡¯t openly stare at Li Yifei, as it would be impolite, she did catch a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye and committed his features to memory. After all, he¡¯s Manager Mi¡¯s boyfriend and this might be useful information for future use.


    Li Yifei and Michelle walked out of the woodland path, and there were many people outside. Despite her reluctance, Michelle let go of Li Yifei¡¯s hand, smiling sweetly, "I need to start working again."


    Li Yifei also felt that the moments they had just shared were quite sweet, and smiling, he said, "Why let go? Let¡¯s just go like this."


    "No way! This is Yiyi¡¯s school. If a classmate who knows Yiyi sees us, it could cause trouble for her."


    "But I haven¡¯t had enough of holding hands," Li Yifei grumbled.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, Michelle¡¯s heart filled with joy, "I¡¯ll let you hold hands later, no fussing, okay? Look, there are lots of people waiting; I have to go now."


    "Alright then, you go ahead and busy yourself," Li Yifei said helplessly.


    Michelle gave Li Yifei another sweet smile, waved her hand, and briskly walked towards the recruitment site.


    "Manager Mi, you seem to be in such a good mood today?" The colleagues who came with Michelle soon noticed the change in her and were surprised. Although Michelle hadn¡¯t been walking around with a frown, one could sense her unhappiness recently. Besides work, she rarely chatted with others or showed a smile, but today, she was radiant and seemed like a completely different person.


    Michelle laughed lightly and said, "Can¡¯t I be in a good mood? Let¡¯s get to work."


    Li Yifei did not follow her; he was still basking in the happiness of being in love. At home, from the twelve people there, only Ye Yunzhu, his first love, had experienced such a coming together and parting, and since then no one else had. The sweetness of this feeling had Li Yifei standing there, savoring it for a long time.


    Moreover, Li Yifei thought about his family. At home, aside from chatting with everyone, he would take two people back to the little house to sleep. There were no other activities; it felt fine usually, but now he realized that life was too monotonous. They might not feel it for the time being, but it would become boring over time.


    As the man of the house, he needed to change this lifestyle and ensure his family lived more fulfilling lives.


    He took out his phone and dialed Zheng Yuling.


    "Husband!" The phone was quickly answered, and Zheng Yuling called out sweetly.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yuling, let¡¯s not eat at home tonight. Let¡¯s eat out and then go watch a movie afterward."


    "Ah? Really? Great!" Zheng Yuling exclaimed excitedly.


    "Hehe, it¡¯ll just be you and Xin¡¯er, we won¡¯t bring anyone else."


    Zheng Yuling paused, asking, "Is that okay?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with that? In the future, we¡¯ll do this often. Always thinking of just going to bed when we come home, I feel we should find something more romantic to do."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go tell Xin¡¯er." Zheng Yuling, extremely excited, had been with Li Yifei for a while now, but she genuinely had never done anything romantic with him before.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei felt very pleased. From Zheng Yuling¡¯s reaction, he could tell how happy his actions made them. Sometimes, just a little more thought on his part could bring them such pleasant surprises. Love needs romance, and marriage requires effort. He couldn¡¯t just because they were with him, neglect the romantic gestures. That would be utterly unfair to them.


    His phone rang; it was Su Yiyi calling. Li Yifei gave her a rough idea of his location, and quickly, Su Yiyi found him, accompanied by her two good friends, Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning, as well as the driven girl, Chen Min.


    When Chen Min was with Su Yiyi before, Li Yifei was not by her side, so he had no idea that Chen Min was Su Yiyi¡¯s classmate. Now seeing her, he was rather surprised.


    And Chen Min, upon seeing Su Yiyi come up to Li Yifei and affectionately link arms with him, was also taken aback, clearly unprepared for this turn of events.

 Chapter 1030 - 1072: Su Yiyi’s Special Physique

    Chapter 1030: Chapter 1072: Su Yiyi¡¯s Special Physique"Yiyi, who is this? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me?"


    Chen Min reacted quickly, smiling at Su Yiyi and already analyzing the situation in that brief moment. She figured out that Li Yifei was Su Yiyi¡¯s boyfriend, but also Michelle¡¯s boyfriend, clearly playing both sides. Revealing it now would certainly embarrass Su Yiyi, which would somewhat satisfy her own feelings, but it would also undoubtedly offend this man. If he bad-mouthed her to Manager Mi, her job would be at risk.


    Moreover, by pretending not to know, this man would definitely be grateful to her, and he would naturally speak well of her later. Holding this leverage over him was a pretty good deal, with so many benefits, she should certainly make good use of it.


    Li Yifei had no idea who Chen Min was, but her playing dumb pleased him. After all, exposing the truth would make both Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning look at Su Yiyi differently, and he couldn¡¯t let Su Yiyi feel that way.


    Arm in arm with Li Yifei, Su Yiyi wore a radiant smile and said, "This is my boyfriend, Li Yifei, Brother Li. This is my classmate, Chen Min."


    Chen Min reached out her hand, smiling, "I¡¯ve heard so much about Yiyi having a handsome, wealthy boyfriend. Seeing you today, you really live up to the expectation."


    Li Yifei shook hands with Chen Min, replying, "Thank you for the compliment."


    Chen Min gave Li Yifei¡¯s hand a firm squeeze, her face showing a sly smile with an understanding glance, "You really have good taste. Yiyi is famously the ¡¯campus beauty¡¯ of Mile City University, gentle and considerate¡ªa perfect wife."


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, turning tenderly to Su Yiyi, "I think so too."


    While Chen Min wore a smile, her heart scorned his pretense. Moreover, she felt an inexplicable joy; being average-looking and without any family backing, she had to rely on her own efforts to make something of herself. Therefore, for someone like Su Yiyi, who could change her fate just because of her good looks, she felt a deep disdain, or rather a subconscious jealousy. Now she was no longer jealous. Su Yiyi might look impressive, but her boyfriend was cheating. There¡¯d be a time when Su Yiyi would cry, and right now, if not for her job, Chen Min would love to expose Li Yifei¡¯s infidelity right then to embarrass Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi was rather puzzled; usually, Chen Min was sardonic when talking to her, especially after finding out she had a wealthy boyfriend. Su Yiyi was really worried Chen Min would speak to her in that tone in front of Li Yifei, but now she was behaving normally, surprisingly so.


    However, it was better this way, at least there was no awkwardness as she said, "Brother Li, there are some things in my dorm I need to bring back. Could you help me fetch them?"


    Li Yifei grinned, "Sure, but can I actually enter your dorm now? Weren¡¯t boys not allowed in previously?"


    Su Yiyi smiled, "Now that we are graduating, they¡¯re not so strict."


    Song Xiaoli and Xiao Ning laughed, "Then we won¡¯t come over to help. It¡¯s your boyfriend¡¯s first time entering the girls¡¯ dorm, let¡¯s create some romance."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face turned red as she retorted, "We¡¯re just going to grab some stuff."


    "Exactly, just grabbing stuff. Since your stuff isn¡¯t that much, the two of you will be enough; why bother us?" The pair left laughing.


    Chen Min also smiled slightly, "Then I won¡¯t disturb you two," then winked as she left. In front of Li Yifei, she still needed to maintain her demeanor, not knowing if Li Yifei would end up with Michelle or not, which could greatly impact her career, so she couldn¡¯t afford to offend him.


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi affectionately made their way to Su Yiyi¡¯s dormitory building. Li Yifei had been here a few times to drop off Su Yiyi, but never entered, as he hadn¡¯t even been to a university male dormitory, let alone a female one, so he was quite curious.


    The dorm manager was indeed easy to talk to this time; Su Yiyi mentioned retrieving some items, and she let Li Yifei go up with Su Yiyi.


    Since the building housed graduating students, many were at job fairs, leaving few people in the dorm, but Li Yifei still got an eyeful. The girls were dressed quite lightly, one even wearing just underwear and a T-shirt came out of her room, screamed upon seeing Li Yifei, a man, and ran back to her room.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin, "No wonder boys aren¡¯t usually allowed in here."


    "Don¡¯t peek around, or I¡¯ll tell on you when I get home," Su Yiyi gave Li Yifei a playful twist.


    Li Yifei smiled, "My little Yiyi learned to tattle, that¡¯s really trouble. I thought you were always on my side."


    "Now I need to stand with everyone. Will you treat me fairly?"


    "Alright, alright, my little Yiyi is getting smarter. Brother Li really didn¡¯t dote on you for nothing."


    Laughing and talking, they reached Su Yiyi¡¯s third-floor dorm. The room was a four-person space, not large, with two bunk beds on either side of a window and a rectangular table in the middle covered with computers and various bottles and jars, looking rather cluttered. Mosquito nets hung on the beds and the walls were decorated with posters, making it quite a cozy space.


    Over the window, several ropes stretched across, hanging the laundered clothes, mostly women¡¯s underwear in the summer, colorful and pleasing to the eye.


    Li Yifei had seen plenty at home¡ªtwelve wives meant a mountain of daily lingerie. He even witnessed lingerie shows every day, so he just glanced and didn¡¯t think much of it. If a young boy came here, he might nosebleed, those with vivid imaginations tend to get carried away upon seeing lingerie.


    Su Yiyi pinched Li Yifei again, chiding, "Don¡¯t stare."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Then I¡¯ll only look at Yiyi¡¯s, not anyone else¡¯s."


    With blushing cheeks, Su Yiyi said, "Haven¡¯t you seen enough of mine?"


    Li Yifei hugged Su Yiyi and kissed her forehead, "Even a lifetime wouldn¡¯t be enough."


    Su Yiyi wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s waist and whispered, "As long as Brother Li likes to look, Yiyi is willing to let Li Yifei look her whole life."


    When Li Yifei and Su Yiyi came to the dormitory, they initially had no other intentions, but Su Yiyi¡¯s words were so enchantingly sweet that Li Yifei suddenly felt an urge. He whispered in Su Yiyi¡¯s ear, "Then, how about I take a look now?"


    After all that fuss, more than an hour had passed before the two of them left the dormitory. Since Michelle and her recruitment event were still not finished, Li Yifei decided not to disturb them.


    However, before leaving, Li Yifei still made a phone call to Michelle. Although it was just a brief exchange, he could tell how incredibly happy and sweet Michelle felt.


    The two of them got into a Mercedes. Su Yiyi was already accustomed to the peculiar looks from her classmates, whether they said she was being kept or she was the other woman. Anyway, she felt very happy and content, and that was enough for her. Moreover, she was about to leave school soon, and once she entered society, who would still talk about her?


    Buckling her seatbelt, Su Yiyi smiled and said, "Brother Li, the tone of your voice when you were talking to Sister Xue¡¯er on the phone was different from before."


    It wasn¡¯t worth denying, so he smiled and said, "After all, I couldn¡¯t hold out. I agreed to be with Xue¡¯er, but only after solving her parents¡¯ issues."


    "I thought so. Sister Xue¡¯er has finally seen the light after the clouds parted. Otherwise, I would really feel sorry for her. She likes you so much, has known you for so long, and despite many people in her family, you were particularly reluctant to let her in. I was really anxious for Sister Xue¡¯er."


    "You¡¯ve got a kind heart. Wasn¡¯t I always afraid that she¡¯d face too much resistance and wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it?"


    "So why did you agree now?"


    "Firstly, Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents gave me more confidence. Secondly, I saw how much pain Xue¡¯er was in. If it continued that way, I feel she wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the torment."


    "I believe my husband will definitely solve it, and Sister Xue¡¯er will surely be happy." When there were other people around, Su Yiyi was used to calling Li Yifei ¡¯Brother Li¡¯; at home or when they were alone, she would call him ¡¯husband¡¯.


    Soon, they arrived home. It was Saturday, and the house was full of family members, all chatting together. Zheng Yuling and Ning Xin¡¯er were particularly happy today because Li Yifei was taking them out tonight to watch a movie and dine out, which were very romantic things.


    As soon as Su Yiyi got home, she hurriedly grabbed her most important bag and ran to her room. Then she gathered some other clothes and threw them into the washing machine. Thinking about the day¡¯s events, she felt embarrassed and shy, and somewhat worried about her own body¡¯s reactions. In the future, when she was with Li Yifei, she would really need to be more careful. If others saw, how could she face anyone in this house?


    Downstairs, Li Yifei was surrounded by family members.


    Ye Yunzhu, holding her daughter, said, "Husband, you are quite biased. Why are you only taking Xin¡¯er and Yuling out tonight and not us?"


    Lin Qiong also said, "Exactly, how can you do this? If you are going to take anyone, take everyone, why only two? Are you trying to make us jealous?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "One of you is the county head, and the other is a bureau chief; are you really being so petty? I just feel that our daily life is still too bland, so I decided to spend more time to romance you. If I took everyone, that wouldn¡¯t be romantic, would it? So, I switch it up every night and take someone different out. Of course, this isn¡¯t mandatory. I also need time; don¡¯t be angry that you didn¡¯t get to go this time."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "What¡¯s gotten into you today, suddenly being so romantic?" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, "Because today I saw Michelle."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, everyone looked at him, with curious faces. Xu Yingying asked, "You saw Michelle, and then what?"


    "And then... we had some food together, then walked around the campus..."


    "And then what?" Chu Xiaoyao asked eagerly.


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly, "And then it started raining, and we went to take shelter together."


    "Is that all?" everyone asked in unison.


    Finally, Li Yifei laughed dryly, "I promised her that I would let her... be with me."

 Chapter 1031 - 1073: Forced to Be the Other Woman

    Chapter 1031: Chapter 1073: Forced to Be the Other Woman"Pfft!" Aside from Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, everyone else made a dismissive face and then turned away, ignoring Li Yifei.


    "Hey, wives, I just said a while ago that I¡¯d never fall for someone else, and now I¡¯m getting together with Michelle. I know I¡¯m wrong, but Michelle is really heartbroken right now. That look of exhaustion, Yingying, Fangqing, you both know it all too well. How can I be so heartless?"


    But Xu Yingying and He Fangqing completely ignored Li Yifei, leaving him feeling very uneasy. If his wives were really angry, that would be a huge headache for him. He had thought that since everyone at home knew about Michelle and they all had a good relationship with her, everyone would agree, but to his surprise, their attitudes were all like this.


    Xu Yingying stood up and said, "Ah, I still have a lot of work to do at the company, Fangqing, let¡¯s go upstairs and discuss."


    He Fangqing immediately stood up as well and said, "Right, this matter is indeed a bit tricky; we really need to look into it."


    After saying that, the two went straight upstairs.


    "Ah, I¡¯m about to switch to a new position soon, I need to organize things too, getting ready to hand over." Ye Yunzhu said, and then she too went upstairs.


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a glance but didn¡¯t say a word and went upstairs, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao stuck out their tongues and quickly followed Lin Qiong.


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "Uncle, you¡¯re on your own now." Then she slipped away too.


    Li Yifei looked at Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "Hey, Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re not leaving too, are you?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips and smiled, "That¡¯s something I can¡¯t manage." Sure enough, she slipped away too.


    Seeing that only Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were left, Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "It seems I¡¯ve really angered everyone."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had recently become close with everyone. Both shook their heads and said, "Honey, we really had no idea about this; we don¡¯t have a say in it." Then they, too, slipped away.


    Suddenly, only Xu Shanshan, Su Mengfei, and Meng Xiaofei remained in the hall.


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really something else, huh? Michelle finally couldn¡¯t escape your clutches."


    Li Yifei said awkwardly, "You know Michelle¡¯s situation too. I really couldn¡¯t refuse now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m finding someone new, this is just resolving a lingering issue from the past."


    Xu Shanshan curled her lip and said, "I just worry that these ¡¯lingering issues¡¯ will keep coming up more and more."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "No, that¡¯s absolutely not going to happen anymore. I¡¯m clear about those with whom I have emotional ties; there really aren¡¯t any left."


    "Really not any left?" Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei suddenly felt guilty. Wasn¡¯t Xu Shanshan right in front of him? But with Su Mengfei and Meng Xiaofei there, he couldn¡¯t explain.


    Meng Xiaofei then came over to Li Yifei, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a mischievous grin, "Brother Li, you¡¯re getting bolder by the minute! There¡¯s an increasing number of girls in the house, I¡¯m worried that one day you might just collapse under them."


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Can¡¯t you say something nice?"


    "Hehe, I¡¯m just looking out for you. If you don¡¯t appreciate it, fine, I¡¯m off to hang out with Yifei."


    "I¡¯m going too!" Xu Shanshan glared at Li Yifei again and followed Meng Xiaofei.


    Su Mengfei smiled warmly at Li Yifei and said, "Cousin-in-law, you really are quite the lover. I haven¡¯t been here many days, and you¡¯ve already added three more. If this keeps up, you¡¯ll need to expand your place into a regiment!"


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "This is really the last one; Michelle has liked me for over a year now."


    "I can see it now, anyone likes you, and you won¡¯t refuse them, ah... men love to have plenty of women around." Sighing, Su Mengfei shook her head and sauntered off.


    Left alone in the vast living room, Li Yifei felt even more worried. Though capable of facing any formidable foe with composure, the wrath of his wives was a different story, especially when so many opposed a single matter leaving him with no say at all. Finding himself finally ready to be with Michelle, only to meet such strong resistance from his own family, perhaps even greater than Michelle¡¯s family, was a tough hurdle to face indeed.


    Li Yifei was extremely frustrated at this point, but all he could do now was push the issue aside. Based on everyone¡¯s reactions, it didn¡¯t seem like they were seriously angry, or maybe they were just warning him.


    Over the next hour or so, not everyone stayed upstairs; people would come down from time to time, walking around and chatting as usual. However, there was a difference¡ªeveryone deliberately ignored Li Yifei. It was treatment Li Yifei had never received before, and all he could do was try to please them repeatedly, only to be rebuffed each time.


    Just after three o¡¯clock, the unbearable situation finally came to an end. Zheng Yuling and Ning Xin¡¯er came out, and Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Honey, shouldn¡¯t we be leaving now?"


    Finally, someone acknowledged him. Li Yifei immediately replied excitedly, "Yes, yes, let¡¯s go right away."


    Li Yifei then realized that everyone was just showing him some attitude deliberately to keep him from messing around again in the future. In fact, regarding Michelle¡¯s issue, they were not genuinely opposed. If they had been, their attitude would have been different.


    "Where are we going to eat?" after getting into the car, Zheng Yuling asked with a smile.


    While buckling his seatbelt, Li Yifei responded, "If we want something romantic, I think the Western restaurant is nice. How about we go there for dinner?"


    "That sounds good, let¡¯s go have Western food then," Ning Xin¡¯er agreed.


    Li Yifei said, "I know a Western restaurant here that¡¯s really good. They serve authentic French cuisine. Let¡¯s go there."


    "Great, I love foie gras and caviar," Zheng Yuling immediately responded.


    "Yes, in a French restaurant, the foie gras and caviar are the tastiest," Ning Xin¡¯er chimed in.


    Heh-heh, Li Yifei laughed, "I still prefer French lobster though. It has the most meat, and that¡¯s what really tastes good."


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave Li Yifei a look and said, "We can¡¯t eat that much, so it¡¯s better to keep it simple. The main point is to enjoy the ambiance."


    Zheng Yuling added, "Honey, you aren¡¯t lacking in taste, are you?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Whether I have taste or not, I have to show some today, otherwise my wives wouldn¡¯t think highly of me."


    Eating at a high-end French restaurant generally involves a great expense; ordinary people really can¡¯t afford it. A genuine French feast could even cost hundreds of thousands. Of course, in a place like Mile City, even if there¡¯s a French restaurant, it might not have everything, but signature items like caviar, baked snails, lobster, and foie gras are indispensable.


    Sitting in the restaurant, listening to the soothing piano music, sipping red wine, and slowly savoring various exquisite delicacies was definitely a romantic affair to many women.


    For rich girls like Zheng Yuling and Ning Xin¡¯er, dining in a French restaurant was nothing unusual, but enjoying a meal there with Li Yifei was quite a treat.


    The best spot in a French restaurant isn¡¯t a private room but the main hall. Dining there had a more refined ambiance, and those who dine there are expected to maintain decorum. Even the rudest guests would put on a cultured fa?ade to avoid revealing their coarseness. In such an environment, dining indeed had a special charm, and Zheng Yuling and Ning Xin¡¯er occasionally cast affectionate glances at Li Yifei while eating the delicious food; it was truly quite enjoyable.


    "Fuck, are you agreeing or not?" Suddenly, a man¡¯s rough voice broke the ambiance, causing everyone to look toward the middle of the room, where a man and a woman were sitting. The man, in his forties with a large belly and an oily face, was glaring at the woman sitting across from him.


    The woman, dressed in a simple, cheap-looking long dress, had her head bowed, her long black hair covering her face, concealing her features. Her slight shoulders were trembling, evoking a feeling of pity.


    "Are you mute? Just say yes or no, my money doesn¡¯t just blow in with the wind. Agree, and I¡¯ll pay for your college, but if you don¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t care less about you."


    Finally, the girl lifted her head, revealing an extremely delicate face¡ªa beauty indeed, her frail demeanor resembling that of Su Yiyi. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sir, please, I can help you with household chores, or I could tutor your son. Would you sponsor my education then?"


    "I could just hire a maid for chores or find a teacher for tutoring at school, couldn¡¯t I? I¡¯m offering you a chance since I pity you. I don¡¯t need you around all the time, just a few days a month. Plus, when I have social obligations, you can accompany me¡ªwhat¡¯s the big deal?"


    "Sir, I really can¡¯t do this, I... I can¡¯t be a mistress."


    Once everyone heard this, they understood the situation¡ªthe man intended to finance the woman¡¯s education in exchange for her becoming his mistress, but the woman still resisted.


    Having a mistress wasn¡¯t unusual nowadays, but for a man to coerce a woman like this was certainly despicable. Additionally, the vulnerability of the woman only garnered more sympathy;it would indeed be a shame for such a woman to become a mistress to such a corpulent man.

 Chapter 1032 - 1074: Saved a Beauty

    Chapter 1032: Chapter 1074: Saved a Beauty"Sir, please keep your voice down and not disturb the other guests," a polite waiter approached the portly middle-aged man to remind him.


    The chubby man glared and said, "I¡¯m not here without paying; I¡¯ll say whatever I want. I¡¯m a customer here, and that makes me God. Is this how you talk to your God? Do you no longer want your job?"


    "Sir, I believe you are a person of quality and class. Dining in our French restaurant means you are highly respected in society. Being such a dignified person, how could you trouble a mere waiter like this?"


    The waiter¡¯s quality was evidently high. His words, though seemingly flattering the man, made it hard for him to continue his tirade without appearing ungracious.


    "You know your place," the man waved his hand and then said, "Bring me the check."


    The waiter was only too glad to see such an uncouth patron leave, promptly settled his bill, and nobody paid him any more attention. As for the girl¡¯s fate, it was now up to her own decision.


    "That girl is quite pretty; looks a bit like Yiyi and so pitiable. Honey, don¡¯t you want to play the hero and save the beauty? Then she might repay you with her gratitude?" Ning Xin¡¯er teased Li Yifei with a smile.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "Talk of playing the hero, you all gave me cold looks over Michelle¡¯s matter. If I stir up more trouble, wouldn¡¯t I be even more miserable? Besides, I really don¡¯t have such thoughts now, my feelings with Michelle have been long-standing."


    Ning Xin¡¯er pursed her lips and smiled, "I know, I know. Besides, if there were any more, even an iron man would collapse under the pressure."


    As the three whispered among themselves, a commotion arose once more. This time, it wasn¡¯t the man shouting but the girl¡¯s voice, soft yet audible in the quiet restaurant, "I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t need your help anymore."


    Everyone looked towards the two, seeing the man grabbing the girl¡¯s arm while she struggled, her face filled with panic.


    "Enough talk," the man hissed quietly, his face twisting into a ferocious expression, "You¡¯ve been such a hassle. You think you can just refuse my help like that? No such luck. Come with me!"


    "Please... let me go. I don¡¯t want your money, nor do I need your help," the girl struggled while pleading.


    "Damn it, do you believe I can make it so you can¡¯t even attend school here?"


    The girl stiffened, and the man¡¯s face smugly said, "As long as you behave, not only will I give you money for university, but I¡¯ll also ensure you live comfortably. I¡¯ll cover all your expenses and even buy you designer clothes and handbags."


    This era¡¯s girls do like such things. Seeing the girl stop struggling, the diners felt a pang of regret as it seemed she was about to give in, earning disdain from Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, who couldn¡¯t imagine being without money.


    "I don¡¯t want it!" Suddenly, the girl forcefully pulled away from the man¡¯s grasp, attempting to run, but he quickly reached out and tugged at her clothes. Rushing too quickly, she lost balance, tripped over a table leg, and cried out, her body staggering almost to a fall.


    Her table was close to where Li Yifei and his group sat, and with her fall, she even tumbled towards them, primarily towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei instinctively reached out, steadying her by the waist as she instinctively clung to him.


    "Get up, there¡¯s nothing to worry about," Li Yifei said calmly.


    The girl straightened up, her face flushed and she whispered softly, "Thank you," before trying to head towards the door, but the middle-aged man had already blocked her way.


    Quickly stepping back with tears in her voice, she pleaded, "Uncle, please let me go. I¡¯m just a kid; I¡¯ve just graduated from high school and still need to go to university. Don¡¯t bully me..."


    With glaring eyes, the man retorted, "When you came here, wasn¡¯t it I who paid for your fare? Wasn¡¯t it my money that paid for this meal? Now you think you can use me and dump me, no way." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯ll pay you back, I promise," the girl urgently said, "I¡¯ll work and earn money this holiday, I really will."


    "No way. What if you run away? Come with me now."


    "I won¡¯t... I won¡¯t go with you," the girl stepped back, tears streaming down her face.


    "F*ck, are you coming or not?" the man burst out, reaching out to grab her.


    She quickly dodged backwards, and falling once more, this time into Ning Xin¡¯er, who quickly steadied her and angrily said, "How shameless can you be? Are you trying to abduct this girl?"


    "It¡¯s none of your business, stop..." The man had just started glaring at Ning Xin¡¯er, but upon seeing her beautiful appearance, he couldn¡¯t continue the foul language he was about to say.


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling hadn¡¯t planned to get involved; it was rare for them to have a romantic outing with Li Yifei, and they found it distasteful to be disturbed. However, the girl defended her dignity in the end, and they couldn¡¯t bear to see her bullied by this fat man. Ning Xin¡¯er glared and said, "What do you mean it¡¯s none of my business? When you do something like this, everyone in the world has a right to intervene. The girl doesn¡¯t agree, what right do you have to force her, to seek out a mistress? That also requires consent; forcing her like this, you¡¯re nothing but scum."


    Ning Xin¡¯er had always been known as a pure and innocent girl, but her true nature was that of a feisty woman. At that moment, overwhelmed by anger, her fiery side immediately showed itself. Her words were as piercing as a barrage of bullets.


    Zheng Yuling wasn¡¯t one to back away from trouble either. Although she had become more restrained since being with Li Yifei, facing such a situation now, she furiously said, "I¡¯ve seen shameless, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as you. Look at your age, still targeting a young girl. You jerk, does your wife know? Do your children know?"


    "You..." The fat man was left with an ugly expression by Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s scolding.


    "One should have a bottom line as a human being. Don¡¯t think that just because you have some money, you can disregard a young girl¡¯s feelings. I advise you to stay as far away from us as possible," Ning Xin¡¯er glared again.


    The fat man could no longer bear it and gritted his teeth, saying, "You really talk like it doesn¡¯t concern you. Do you know how much money she spent on me?"


    "I...I didn¡¯t spend much, you only gave me a thousand yuan."


    "Nonsense, didn¡¯t you see us eating here? Just now, it cost over two thousand."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately retorted disdainfully, "You really have the nerve to mention that, taking someone out to eat, and then you want to put the cost on the young girl¡¯s shoulders? She accompanied you to dinner, that was giving you face. Just look at yourself, and look how beautiful the girl is, you should be thankful she hasn¡¯t asked you for money."


    The girl quickly said, "I will return it, I¡¯ll pay it back."


    Li Yifei, already impatient, took out a stack of money from his pocket and said, "Here¡¯s the money, and stop bothering us."


    Regarding Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, the middle-aged man didn¡¯t have many options, but when it came to Li Yifei, he became aggressive and with glaring eyes, roared, "Kid, who the hell do you think you are? Acting all high and mighty in front of me."


    "Better watch your mouth. I¡¯m in a good mood today and don¡¯t feel like hitting anyone."


    "I curse you, acting all tough; hit me if you dare, I¡¯ll cripple you on the spot..."


    "Slap, slap!" Two crisp slaps rang out, and along with them, the fat man spun around on the spot and then thudded onto the ground, sitting there staring dumbfounded at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, "If you know what¡¯s good for you, get lost."


    The middle-aged man then came to his senses and, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, sprung up and lunged at Li Yifei with claws bared. However, before he could reach Li Yifei, Yifei kicked him and sent him rolling across the floor like a tumbling squash.


    The man, fat as he was, rolled like a ball, which was comically indescribable. Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling couldn¡¯t help but snort laughter watching the scene.


    "You... you... wait and see!" The fat man struggled a bit before finally getting up, but he knew he was at a disadvantage in a fight with Li Yifei, so after dropping those words, he immediately ran off, covered in dust.


    "Thank you... thank you, big brother, thank you, sisters." The girl quickly expressed her thanks to Li Yifei, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to be so formal. Just be cautious when asking for help in the future, some scums simply don¡¯t have good intentions."


    The girl¡¯s eyes reddened as she softly said, "I understand."


    Zheng Yuling also spoke up, "Don¡¯t feel aggrieved. When you encounter such scum, don¡¯t be afraid to resist. If they act inappropriately, call the police; if you show fear, they¡¯ll think you¡¯re easy to bully."


    "Okay, thank you." The girl nodded repeatedly and then gave Li Yifei a glance, saying, "Big brother, I... I will repay you."


    Li Yifei laughed, "He didn¡¯t take it; what¡¯s there to repay?"


    "Then... then I¡¯ll be going." The girl bowed to the three of them and gave them a grateful look as if committing them to memory. Then she quickly walked out of the restaurant with brisk steps.


    With their interest not dampened by this interruption, Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were rather pleased; facing a bit of trouble was a diversion, and more importantly, doing a good deed indeed felt comforting.

 Chapter 1033 - 1075: Doing Good Deeds Anonymously

    Chapter 1033: Chapter 1075: Doing Good Deeds Anonymously"Hubby, you just saved that girl, why didn¡¯t you even ask for her phone number?" Ning Xin¡¯er teased Li Yifei.


    Zheng Yuling also chuckled and said, "Yeah, what a great opportunity, a beauty throwing herself into your arms, and she¡¯s exactly your type, like Yiyi."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly added another line, "She¡¯s just graduated from high school, very tender, even younger than Xiaoyao."


    Li Yifei was both amused and annoyed as he said, "So what, should we chase after her right now and snatch her back to be the lady of the stronghold?"


    Both Zheng Yuling and Ning Xin¡¯er laughed out with a ¡¯pfft¡¯ and then nodded in unison, "Yes, we should, we should."


    The laughter of the trio was kept very quiet, so as not to disturb others. Chatting and joking like this was quite delightful. Of course, Li Yifei didn¡¯t take the matter to heart; although the girl was beautiful, no matter how pretty, girls no longer meant much to him now.


    At about six o¡¯clock, Li Yifei left the western restaurant with Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. It wasn¡¯t early anymore. The movie tickets they booked were for seven o¡¯clock, and it was the perfect time to head to the cinema.


    However, as soon as they left the western restaurant, seven or eight people rushed out of a van parked at the door, all wielding steel pipes and heading straight for Li Yifei.


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling both screamed out in surprise, which was merely an instinctual reaction, but they quickly brushed it off. With Li Yifei present, there was no danger, no matter how many people there were.


    There were quite a few people passing by, who all scattered in fear upon seeing the commotion, to avoid getting caught in the fray.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with such people and went straight towards them, fists and feet flying. In no time, he had knocked down all seven or eight hoodlums. Wasting time with them was utterly boring.


    The fatso from before was sitting in the van, by his side was that girl. After the girl ran away earlier, he had caught her, and since Li Yifei had hit him, he naturally couldn¡¯t let it go so he waited there for a chance to get even.


    Seeing Li Yifei come out, he directed those hoodlums to attack and was preparing to strut over to a beaten and downed Li Yifei to vent his anger from being hit. But just as he was about to step out of the car, he saw that Li Yifei had already floored his attackers. His face turned pale with fright; this guy was too insane, managing to knock down seven or eight men armed with steel pipes so quickly.


    He quickly retracted his foot, hurriedly starting the car in an attempt to flee, not willing to take another beating.


    "Help! Help!" The girl had been intimidated by the fatso earlier and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound, but seeing Li Yifei knocking everyone down, she suddenly called out excitedly.


    Li Yifei had planned to leave, but upon hearing the girl¡¯s cries, he dashed over in a flash. The fatso hadn¡¯t managed to start the car when Li Yifei yanked open the door and dragged him out.


    "Damn it, you fatso, I let you go earlier and instead of being thankful, you bring folks to trouble me and you capture this girl again. You¡¯re really asking for it!" With a swing of his arm, Li Yifei slapped the fatso.


    By this time, Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling had already released the girl, who, like finding a relative, threw herself into Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s arms and started to cry, sobbing, "He said he¡¯d kill me if I dared to run, I was so scared."


    This made both Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling unusually angry; that fatso was too despicable. Zheng Yuling went to Li Yifei¡¯s side, teeth clenched, and said, "Hubby, can I hit someone?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "No problem."


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuling was overjoyed and immediately gave the fatso a hard kick, followed by another, and after four kicks, she said to Ning Xin¡¯er, "Xin¡¯er, this fatso¡¯s flesh is thick, doesn¡¯t hurt the foot at all when kicking, do you want a go too?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er hurriedly said, "Sure, I want to kick too. Hubby, you wouldn¡¯t be mad, right?"


    "Not at all, not at all. Since it doesn¡¯t hurt, kick to your heart¡¯s content."


    The fatso tried to run, but his bulky body didn¡¯t allow for a quick escape. Besides, there was a man who had knocked down seven or eight hoodlums standing right there. Now, he dared not retaliate and could only shout loudly, "Stop kicking, stop kicking, I¡¯m thick but too many kicks will still hurt."


    "You fatso, even you know pain. With scum like you, if you don¡¯t feel pain, you won¡¯t learn. Yuling, beat this bastard hard."


    Ning Xin¡¯er then kicked the fatso twice more and said to the stunned girl nearby, "Come on, you kick too. He bullied you so much, shouldn¡¯t you hit him back to vent?"


    "Ah..." The girl stared, flustered, and then shaking her head stuttered, "I... I can¡¯t."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, who was full-on devilish today, flipped her hair back and said fiercely, "Afraid of what? People like him deserve to be put in their place, or else they¡¯ll go on to harm others."


    "But... but I can¡¯t... hitting people... is wrong."


    Both Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling stopped hitting, looked at each other, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time. They were helping this girl, and in the end, she made them feel like the bad ones.


    "Forget it, forget it. Since you¡¯re so kind-hearted, let¡¯s just let this fatso go," Ning Xin¡¯er said with a clap of her hands and a tone of resignation.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Well, then consider it his lucky day. We¡¯re in a good mood today, so let¡¯s not hold a grudge."


    The fatso exhaled in relief at this moment. Although Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were just two women, their kicks still hurt. Fortunately, he was quite fleshy and probably wouldn¡¯t sustain any internal injuries. He carefully got up and thought about making a run for it.


    Li Yifei glared at him and barked, "You think you can just leave like that?"


    The fatso instantly stiffened up and hastily said with a smile on his face, "Boss, my apologies. I didn¡¯t recognize an important person like you. Please be the bigger man and let this slide."


    Li Yifei grunted and said, "I don¡¯t care who you are, but if I find out you dare to harass this lady again, Brother Hu will come looking for you."


    "Ah! Brother Hu?" The fatso shivered on the spot and then nodded profusely, saying, "Yes, yes, I won¡¯t dare to do it again. I swear I won¡¯t."


    Li Yifei waved his hand in disgust, and only then did the fatso hurriedly jump into his car and speed away. The thugs he had brought along had already vanished without a trace by then. They were much wiser than the fatso, knowing they were no match and had no intention to fight, so they quickly made their escape.


    It was a rare sight to see two beauties beating someone up, thus attracting a crowd. Some people even took out their phones to record videos. Thankfully, Ning Xin¡¯er often wore makeup when going out, so she wouldn¡¯t be easily recognized if the videos ended up online. No need to worry. Now that the show was over, the crowd dispersed.


    "Little sister, where do you plan to go now?" Ning Xin¡¯er kindly asked the girl softly.


    "I... I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m an orphan. I was accepted into Mile City University this year, and when I got the acceptance letter, I thought I¡¯d come here to work and earn some money. But I don¡¯t even have money for the fare. A scholarship organization helped me connect with that man, so I came to him, not knowing... not knowing he would be such a person. Now I... I don¡¯t know where to go."


    Zheng Yuling angrily said, "That bastard, using such a guise to deceive young girls. He¡¯s really thought of everything."


    Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head and looked at Yifei, saying, "Let¡¯s help her."


    Yifei wasn¡¯t keen on getting involved with any girls, especially pretty ones, at this time. He immediately pulled out his wallet, took out a stack of money, and handed it to Ning Xin¡¯er, saying, "Give this to her."


    Ning Xin¡¯er, quite satisfied with Yifei¡¯s gesture, handed the money to the girl, saying, "Here, take this money for now. Find a hotel to stay in, and then think about what you want to do."


    The girl looked at the stack of money, a total of six or seven thousand, and waved her hands frantically, saying, "No... I can¡¯t take that..."


    Ning Xin¡¯er grabbed the girl¡¯s hand, forcefully stuffed the money into it, and said, "Just take it, we¡¯re not short on cash." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, without waiting for the girl to refuse, Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, each hooking one of Li Yifei¡¯s arms, walked toward the car.


    "Big sister, I really can¡¯t use so much," the girl hurriedly followed.


    Zheng Yuling smiled, "Save it if it¡¯s too much. Use it for tuition later to avoid urgent needs for money and being taken advantage of by bad people again."


    The girl¡¯s eyes turned red, and she choked up, "Big brother, big sisters, you are really too kind."


    Helping someone and receiving such gratitude made Li Yifei and the others feel quite fulfilled. Sometimes doing good deeds was about hoping to see the person you helped escape their plight, a true elevation of one¡¯s emotions.


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled and said, "Don¡¯t mention it. Just focus on your studies. Hardships are only temporary."


    The girl nodded vigorously, biting her lip, "Big brother, big sisters, you are really good people. But I consider this a loan from you, and I will definitely pay you back in the future."


    Yifei didn¡¯t want to get entangled with the girl any further, and said, "That¡¯s up to you. We have to get going now."


    Zheng Yuling and Ning Xin¡¯er both gave the girl a smile, each taking Yifei¡¯s arm, ready to get into the car.


    "Big brother, big sisters, I still don¡¯t know your names," the girl took another step forward.


    "If we¡¯re fated to, we¡¯ll meet again," Ning Xin¡¯er waved her hand, as if to say doing good deeds without leaving a name was more fun.


    "But... my name is Lin Xiaohua, and my phone number is..." The girl took out a very outdated mobile phone, intending to save Yifei and their phone numbers.


    Yifei waved his hand, "We have to go, we¡¯re in a hurry." He then started up the car and drove off with Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling.


    In the rearview mirror, Yifei could still see the girl standing there, gazing after their car with an excited and grateful expression on her face.

 Chapter 1034 - 1077: The New Home Will Be Established

    Chapter 1034: Chapter 1077: The New Home Will Be EstablishedThe next morning, Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to get up so early. It was Sunday, the perfect day to sleep in. Since Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t come back this week and with final exams just a few days away, she was busy cramming at school. Once she finished her exams, she would be on vacation and wouldn¡¯t specifically need to come back on a Saturday anymore.


    Last night had been wild. Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were still lounging in bed, too lazy to move, with their arms and thighs wrapped around Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone buzzed with a WeChat notification. There were no strangers on this WeChat account of his; aside from family, it was just some close friends.


    This time, it was Michelle who sent a message. It wasn¡¯t a voice message, just a text.


    "Brother Li, are you awake yet?"


    "Yeah, but I haven¡¯t gotten out of bed." Li Yifei quickly replied.


    "You¡¯re such a lazybones. It¡¯s almost eight o¡¯clock and you¡¯re still not up."


    "Isn¡¯t it the weekend? It¡¯s rare to indulge and stay in bed."


    As Li Yifei chatted with Michelle like this, he felt a sweet sensation in his heart, especially sensing the happiness in Michelle¡¯s words. He felt more convinced that he was doing the right thing; otherwise, Michelle would be truly miserable.


    "You seem to be enjoying your chat," Ning Xin¡¯er leaned in to peek at the chat between Li Yifei and Michelle. Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her; he let her read everything.


    Li Yifei smiled and asked, "Do you want to chat with Little Snow for a bit?"


    "Sure." Ning Xin¡¯er unceremoniously grabbed the phone and sent a voice message, "Morning, Little Snow! This is Ning Xin¡¯er. We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long!"


    The reply from the other side came quickly. This time Michelle also sent a voice message, "Sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning."


    "No worries, we¡¯re all awake, just lying in bed. Little Snow, when will you come stay with us? I¡¯ve been drooling over you for a while. I really want to pamper you a bit."


    "Ah... what do you mean by pampering... Sister Xin¡¯er, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying."


    "Hehe, we have so many people in our family. If each person spends one day with Brother Li, when would it be my turn? That¡¯s why Brother Li enjoys a duo every day. If you come over, we might even add another one at night. Then we could all be together. Not only could Brother Li pamper you, but I could also pamper you. I really like shy girls like you."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, playfully scolding, "Xin¡¯er, you little rascal, don¡¯t scare Little Snow."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately sent another voice message, "Little Snow, your Brother Li said I scared you. Hehe, at most, I¡¯ll just watch without touching."


    It took a while for Michelle to reply, "Sister Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re such a rascal."


    Laughing, Ning Xin¡¯er responded, "Our family is full of rascals now. If you join us, it¡¯ll be the same sooner or later. The thicker your skin, the more you¡¯ll enjoy it. If you¡¯re too shy, you might miss out completely."


    "I... My mom is calling me for something. Let¡¯s talk later." Michelle retreated abruptly. She liked Li Yifei, but discussing such topics directly with Ning Xin¡¯er was more than she could handle.


    "Honey, I didn¡¯t mean to scare Michelle on purpose. This is just the reality of our household. If she really wants to be with you, she needs to be prepared for this. It¡¯s better to let her know early, so she can be mentally prepared, right?"


    Li Yifei agreed with Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s point of view. Besides, it wasn¡¯t really appropriate for him to speak those words to Michelle. Having Ning Xin¡¯er say it jokingly could help Michelle think things through, so she wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard and become miserable once she joined in.


    After sending that message, Michelle hadn¡¯t contacted Li Yifei again, assuming that there must be others around Li Yifei, and fearing more teasing from them. She was quite familiar with the people in Li Yifei¡¯s house, except for Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er. She also knew that everyone wouldn¡¯t ostracize her, but she still found such teasing a bit too much to handle.


    On one weekend, Li Yifei and his family all went to the new house. Li Yifei called Michelle to come over, but she was going shopping with her mother and, fearing the teasing, declined the invitation. Li Yifei didn¡¯t press her.


    By mid-July, the house was nearing completion, with the decor largely finished and the facilities in the yard basically done. Most of the workers had left, and now it really looked like a beautiful Suzhou Garden.


    The external staff had now moved into the garden to work. Li Yifei¡¯s primary focus was on the security measures for the perimeter, which was the most critical barrier protecting his family. He couldn¡¯t afford the slightest negligence.


    Much of this was personally arranged by Li Yifei. During his many years with the Flying Hawk Squad, security work was a very important aspect of his role, for how else could he protect those high-profile leaders?


    Investing heavily in his own home, Li Yifei had poured over thirty million into the security equipment.


    Everything was installed to high standards, satisfying Li Yifei. The next important aspect was the security staff; these individuals were experts who used to kill without blinking. Now that they were older, their state of mind had settled, and they found contentment working as security for Li Yifei. Most didn¡¯t care about status but rather a way of living, and a strong presence like the Golden Eagle made it an appealing post. The fact that Li Yifei chose them thoroughly guaranteed their loyalty.


    Sophia, Li Yifei¡¯s disciple with considerable strength, was in charge of these external staff members. Inside the house, Li Yifei had hired a butler in his forties, bringing over a decade of experience in the profession.


    Don¡¯t underestimate the importance of a butler, who manages all domestic affairs. Throughout history, large families and well-to-do households have relied on capable butlers to save the owners a great deal of trouble.


    The butler was responsible for a lot, taking commands from all house staff. Inform the butler of the master¡¯s needs, and he would ensure everything was organized impeccably.


    Li Yifei¡¯s house now had over forty workers, and having the wives of the household manage them would have been an undue burden.


    After inspecting the perimeter for more than three hours, Li Yifei knew that such matters couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. Even the smallest oversight could be enough for an expert. He believed any troublemaker seeking him out wouldn¡¯t be weak; hence, his defenses were tailored for experts. Ordinary people would likely be caught way before reaching the walls.


    Satisfied after the inspection, Li Yifei returned to the courtyard, where everyone was gathered in the dining room. Since it was quite simple, the dining room had been ready earlier. Many people had moved in, all requiring meals, so everything was already prepared. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having their first meal in this house, everyone was noticeably happy. The young girls might not have been beautiful, but they had a certain presence. Serving as common nannies here, they received high wages and lived in such a beautiful courtyard, which they found a source of pride. Being known as part of this household was indeed prestigious.


    Little Yifei had only eaten a bit before running off to play, now the little princess of the house. As soon as she ventured out, two girls followed to accompany her and ensure her safety, which made Little Yifei even more excited. The people attending her usually didn¡¯t listen to her quite as much as they did now.


    After the meal, the butler approached Li Yifei, bowing slightly and said, "Sir, this afternoon, we¡¯re still short on staff. Hence, I¡¯ve engaged a professional recruiting firm to select a group of candidates for us to choose from. Would you like to review them?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Let¡¯s take a look."


    Internal staff were also quite important. If any could be bribed to become a mole, they would pose the hardest challenge to defend against.


    No matter how many precautions you take, it¡¯s difficult to guard against a traitor within the home, especially those in close contact with the family. Li Yifei was even more meticulous in his screening. The previous batches of hires underwent rigorous checks: family backgrounds with local, non-official, non-business-owning parents (or being an orphan was preferable), good character and temperament, diligent and mild-mannered with team spirit, and, importantly, having no criminal record. Girls with dubious pasts, like those called Little Taimei, were firmly off the list. Li Yifei¡¯s selection criteria were as strict as a political vetting process.


    The butler brought the files of twenty-one candidates, all of whom had already passed initial screenings and met the requirements.


    Then the butler led the candidates in for Li Yifei to review, judging their character based on his own experience. Without letting emotions cloud his judgment, Li Yifei could spot anyone with ulterior motives with just one look.


    As his gaze swept over the group, a familiar figure caught Li Yifei¡¯s eye, a surprising sight indeed. He hadn¡¯t expected to see this girl here; whether by coincidence or some other reason, he couldn¡¯t tell. The girl herself was extremely surprised, opening her mouth but unable to speak.

 Chapter 1035 - 1078: Refusal

    Chapter 1035: Chapter 1078: RefusalThe girl was indeed the one Li Yifei saw yesterday at the Western restaurant with Ning Xin¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Surprisingly, today she came to apply for a job here.


    Li Yifei took another look at the girl. Once was a coincidence, twice was chance, but sometimes coincidences mean there might be a problem. For someone as cautious as Li Yifei, he wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake.


    However, besides surprise, the girl also looked fearful, which is a normal reaction. At least from the outside, there seemed no reason to suspect her of anything.


    Li Yifei greeted each of the girls and asked a few questions. Among these girls, some were recent university graduates. Working here would earn them more than being an office worker outside, so even to be a nanny, many people were applying.


    When the girl came in front of Li Yifei, he said indifferently, "Didn¡¯t you say you were going to university? Why are you coming here to work?"


    "I... my class starts in September, I can work for two months."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "I only want those who can work here long-term, not short-term."


    "Brother... Brother, I really need a job. I can do everything¡ªcook, wash clothes, clean the house. I really can do it all. I won¡¯t be lazy. Please let me work here."


    "Why did you choose to come here?" Li Yifei asked again, staring at the girl with a sharp gaze.


    The girl trembled in fear and quickly said, "I wanted to be a nanny, and they referred me here. I didn¡¯t know... I really didn¡¯t know Brother that it was you here. If I had known it was you, I could do without salary, just as long as... as long as there¡¯s food and a place to stay."


    Li Yifei looked at the girl again, then waved his hand dismissively, "Go to the side for now."


    The girl opened her mouth but didn¡¯t say anything, just stood to one side.


    After interviewing everyone, the butler asked them to leave, saying they would be notified tomorrow if they could stay.


    Before coming here, many girls were attracted by the high salary. But seeing the grandeur of just a corner of the courtyard was enough to amaze them. In Mile City, such a place was unimaginable¡ª so luxurious, so grand, so beautiful. Living here, must be someone extremely influential. To work here wouldn¡¯t just be about having a great work environment but also meant becoming a part of this household. It might make matters easier in the future.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t talk much with that girl. Although she seemed pitiable, he has strict requirements for anyone living in his house. Even if the girl had no issues and appeared hardworking and responsible, the fact that she could only work during the vacation was unsatisfactory for Li Yifei.


    This matter was not discussed with family members. In a usual husband and wife scenario, the wife would be more involved, but due to the special nature of this family, some matters were left for Li Yifei to decide on his own. This was a prerogative expected of the head of the household, and everyone tacitly agreed to this authority.


    They were all aware that they couldn¡¯t undermine Li Yifei. If they did, it would disrupt the household. Only with Li Yifei¡¯s sufficient authority could the family revolve around him, maintaining long-term harmony.


    After confirming the hires with the butler, Li Yifei stepped out of the room. Ning Xin¡¯er was chatting with Su Yiyi nearby. Li Yifei approached, and Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "Husband, I saw that girl from yesterday. She came to apply too?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yes, she did, but I am not considering hiring her."


    Ning Xin¡¯er asked puzzled, "Why? She seemed quite good. Kids from poor families typically are willing to work hard, and she seems to have a good temperament too. Besides, it¡¯s tough for her, helping her wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, would it?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Helping her can be done in many ways, but we must carefully select anyone who joins our household. It¡¯s a matter of responsibility to our family. I can¡¯t afford any risks in my home. Moreover, nowadays, they need rigorous training. They will have to serve you particularly, each with a villa of your own. How could we do without dedicated personnel, and how could such persons only work temporarily?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er stuck out her tongue, "You make it sound so serious. Alright, alright, you¡¯re the head of the household. We¡¯ll listen to what you decide."


    In fact, at this moment, Ning Xin¡¯er found herself even more fond of Li Yifei. A man needs to have principles. Without them, where would his assertiveness be?


    The renovation of the entire house was nearly complete. In about half a month, everything should be ready; the furniture, already ordered, could then be installed.


    However, even once all was set, they couldn¡¯t move in immediately. Despite choosing high-quality materials, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t risk their safety. Many people fall ill due to renovation materials, so, at the very least, professional detoxification treatments followed by a month of ventilation would be needed to eliminate any harmful substances.


    In the afternoon, Li Yifei joined everyone for a stroll in the garden, focusing mainly on the main villas. Everyone liked the idea of each having their little villa. Besides Su Mengxin, even Ning Xin¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Xiao Ling¡¯er¡ªgirls from influential families¡ªdidn¡¯t have their own personal villas back in their family homes. Now, having one of their own was beyond their previous expectations.


    In the morning, they explored their villas on their own, and in the afternoon, Li Yifei visited each one. The villas were their private spaces, but they were happy to share them with Li Yifei, the master of the house.


    Everyone simply ate dinner here before going home to rest, and the next day, they returned to work normally.


    After arranging work until it was almost ten o¡¯clock, Li Yifei made a call to Michelle. Last night¡¯s incident had left Michelle feeling awkward, but since Ning Xin¡¯er had gone out, this was a good opportunity to talk to Michelle properly.


    The call connected quickly, and Michelle¡¯s voice came through immediately, "Brother Li, are you not busy anymore?"


    Li Yifei smiled and responded, "Yes, I just finished the work at hand and called you right away."


    "Yeah, you¡¯ve been so busy."


    Li Yifei, hearing the implication in her words, said, "Yes, our family is in this situation, so we definitely can¡¯t be like those normal couples who spend all day romancing; I¡¯m really afraid you might not be able to handle it."


    Michelle hurriedly interjected, "No, no... this is fine, I have work too, and I need to spend time with my parents too. The occasional phone call and having meals together when there¡¯s time is quite nice."


    Li Yifei could feel Michelle¡¯s sincerity and said softly, "You really are a silly girl."


    "I¡¯m just silly¡ªI¡¯ve made myself sad for so long. If it had been like this from the start, I wouldn¡¯t have had to be sad for so long."


    "Hehe, alright then, I have to admit my mistakes too. If I had been brave enough to take responsibility earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have had to be sad. How about we have lunch together?"


    "Sure...but don¡¯t you need to accompany someone else?"


    "Together," Li Yifei said with a chuckle.


    "This...let¡¯s not for now, I feel a bit awkward."


    "Awkward about what? You¡¯re not unfamiliar with them, are you?"


    "It¡¯s familiar alright, but it¡¯s not the same as before. I¡¯m afraid they might tease me. Let me get ready for a while; otherwise, I really don¡¯t know how to face them, especially...in that way. I¡¯m really scared."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh, knowing that Michelle was referring to Ning Xin¡¯er teasing her, and said, "Alright, I respect your opinion. We¡¯ll wait until everything falls into place."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so nice..." Michelle paused for a moment before softly adding, "Brother Li, now that I¡¯ve made up my mind to be with you, I will definitely... adapt to your family situation."


    Li Yifei felt a stir in his heart, and his gaze became somewhat misty. Men, even if they don¡¯t admit it verbally, their nature still makes them crave novelty. Michelle and Li Yifei, having known each other for so long and even having slept naked together on that island, had not actually been intimately involved, which still left Li Yifei eagerly anticipating that moment.


    "Brother Li, why aren¡¯t you speaking?" Michelle asked softly.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Little Snow, you¡¯ve now learned to seduce me. Just that one sentence made me restless."


    "Naughty Brother Li, you¡¯re not thinking good thoughts," Michelle immediately spat at Li Yifei.


    "Hehe, so, do you like me being naughty or not?"


    "Annoying, I definitely don¡¯t like it. Don¡¯t harbour any bad intentions; I¡¯m only your girlfriend now, not yet your wife."


    "True, you¡¯re still just my girlfriend. I still need to pursue you earnestly."


    "You know it, and besides, you haven¡¯t yet convinced my parents."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle that. If I want to be with you, I must take on such responsibilities, just like Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong. No matter how strong the opposition, I must break through it."

 Chapter 1036 - 1079: Still the Good Son-in-law of the Past

    Chapter 1036: Chapter 1079: Still the Good Son-in-law of the PastLove requires effort and dedication. A pair of lovers can¡¯t stay together based solely on love; they both need to work together to nurture their relationship. Only by doing so can their love last and their family be happy.


    Under Li Yifei¡¯s deliberate efforts, the atmosphere at home had been incredibly pleasant recently. Everyday, everyone was cheerful and visibly happier than before. This gave Li Yifei even more motivation. Aside from his career, he devoted the rest of his time to his family. Whether it was watching a movie, shopping, admiring the moonlight from a mountaintop, or listening to the waves by the sea, sometimes a simple activity could bring joy to his family members. Why wouldn¡¯t Li Yifei do them?


    Having chosen to be with his family, Li Yifei knew he had to give something in return. They had already embraced him with the utmost tolerance. If he did not make an extra effort to bring them happiness, he would truly be letting them down.


    However, in recent times, Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong were feeling quite troubled. Both sets of parents were pressuring them to pursue their goals, especially Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, who frequently called to urge Xu Yingying to formalize her marriage with Li Yifei.


    Both of them already had their marriage certificate, but to the elderly, without a wedding ceremony, it wasn¡¯t really considered a true marriage. Only after a wedding would they feel that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were truly married, and only then would it put their minds at ease.


    Xu Yingying herself was looking forward to having a wedding ceremony, but given the current situation at home, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to hold one. If she and Li Yifei were to have a wedding, it would undoubtedly upset the others. Xu Yingying was highly respected in the family, even Su Mengxin respected her opinions, so she had to set a good example.


    For now, she could only keep delaying, but it seemed like she couldn¡¯t put it off much longer. Her parents were planning to visit in the next few days. The reason they gave was to check on the house that was almost ready, but their main goal was still to push Li Yifei and Xu Yingying to have a wedding ceremony. If they didn¡¯t get an answer, they were prepared to stay put.


    Xu Yingying was at her wits¡¯ end, and Lin Qiong was equally overwhelmed. Having just finished work for the day, Lin Qiong lamented to Li Yifei, "What should I do, my parents are coming, and they won¡¯t listen to reason."


    Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying hadn¡¯t kept their family issues a secret from everyone. Lin Qiong¡¯s parents wanted her to win over Li Yifei. It was understandable¡ªa man as outstanding as him who had been intimate with their daughter and shared deep feelings¡ªif they let him go, it would indeed be a pity.


    This was what everyone had been looking forward to, but now that both families were pressing them, it had become a big headache for Li Yifei and the others. Right now, the two sets of parents only approved of Li Yifei as a person and hoped their daughters could be with him. However, they clearly hadn¡¯t considered letting their daughters share Li Yifei. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How can we reveal our situation to them now? We need to test the waters with them. Unfortunately, my husband, Yingying, and Lin Qiong are all unsuitable for this task. It seems like Shanshan will have to be the one to divulge the information."


    Su Mengxin stroked her lower abdomen gently, speaking languidly. She was only over two months pregnant, and her abdomen wasn¡¯t yet showing, but as an expectant mother, she particularly liked this gesture. It seemed as if this way she could communicate with the little life inside her.


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "You¡¯re all lovey-dovey every day, and then I always end up having to smooth things over for you. Why am I so unlucky?"


    Xu Yingying glared at her and retorted, "What part of what¡¯s here isn¡¯t yours? Look, whose family members are living with us? You¡¯re the special case here, shouldn¡¯t you be doing more? If you keep being so reluctant, I might just kick you out."


    Xu Shanshan immediately exclaimed, "Ah, big sister, you¡¯re so ruthless! After all I¡¯ve done for you, you¡¯re tossing me aside like a used matchmaker after the wedding!"


    Su Mengxin winked at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re the only one who can settle this."


    There was an unspoken understanding between Su Mengxin and Xu Shanshan. Among the people here, only Su Mengxin knew the relationship between Xu Shanshan and Su Mengxin.


    Xu Shanshan let out a resigned sigh, "I can hint about this to my parents, but I have no sway over Lin Qiong¡¯s parents. Surely, I can¡¯t be expected to be the mediator for them as well?"


    Ye Yunzhu thought it over and said, "Actually, just communicating with Yingying¡¯s parents is enough. As long as Yingying¡¯s parents can accept this matter, then Lin Qiong¡¯s parents won¡¯t have any reason to refuse. After all, in the eyes of Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, this is about seizing Yingying¡¯s husband. Reaching a win-win situation is what they hope for, so they have no right to demand anything more. Lin Qiong, I mean no offense, don¡¯t take it to heart. In our family, we are all treated the same."


    Lin Qiong quickly said, "I understand this very well, and I won¡¯t overthink it."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Yunzhu is right. As long as Yingying¡¯s parents agree, then this matter won¡¯t be so difficult. But what I¡¯m worried about now is that even if they are willing to accept Lin Qiong, it will still be very difficult for them to accept this big group of us."


    Xu Shanshan then said, "I think we need to use the old trick again, we¡¯ll have to keep it a secret for now. As long as we get them to accept Yingying and sister Lin Qiong first, then even if the others find out later, the deed will have been done, and they will have no choice but to accept it, despite their anger. Just like in our family, my sister initially only accepted Xiaoyao and Yiyi. Once that precedent was broken, everything else followed naturally."


    Everyone listened to Xu Shanshan¡¯s reasoning and truly felt it made a lot of sense. The first time is always the hardest to accept, the second time stirs reluctance, but as more come along, it¡¯s like having too many debts to worry about or too many lice to itch.


    After two days, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents were the first to arrive in Mile City. This time, they didn¡¯t come unannounced; Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan drove to pick them up. Xu Yingying was occupied with company matters and couldn¡¯t come today. Moreover, she wanted to deliberately give Xu Shanshan and her parents a chance, hoping Xu Shanshan could resolve the situation sooner rather than later.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s parents took the early morning flight and arrived in Mile City just after nine o¡¯clock. Li Yifei originally planned to take them straight home, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother smilingly said, "We slept on the plane and aren¡¯t tired at all. If you¡¯re not busy, why don¡¯t you show us your new garden?"


    Li Yifei cheerfully agreed and drove straight to the new garden. This time, it wasn¡¯t as convenient to get in as before; the boundary wall had already been built, and the two silvery white, specially made metal grille gates opened automatically. Those gates were not simple; despite their simple appearance, the metal was incredibly tough. A regular grenade couldn¡¯t destroy them. Should anyone try to scale the gates, there would be an automatic electrical discharge above the two-meter-high mark. Although it wouldn¡¯t be lethal, it would definitely paralyze someone and cause them to fall off the gate. Of course, if there were a large-scale assault, the gates had even more defensive features, but that would require manual operation.


    Li Yifei needed to have electronic recognition to drive through, and this recognition was also verified through fingerprints. This was to prevent outsiders from stealing identification cards since they¡¯d be useless without the matching fingerprint verification.


    Moreover, to enter the main gate, it required manual operation from within. This was why the method was only used by hired personnel; for the time being, aside from trusting the external staff, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t fully trusted the internal staff, and so wouldn¡¯t grant them such access.


    Once inside the gate, there was a cement road. For the first twenty meters from the entrance, there was a lawn without tall trees or even shrubs. If someone managed to sneak in, they would be immediately exposed.


    The road wasn¡¯t very wide, allowing a maximum of three vehicles side by side. After twenty meters, there were trees several meters high on both sides, offering shade. Behind the trees were all kinds of flowers and plants, marking the beginning of the true residential area. Everything inside was designed for comfort and living.


    A month ago, Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents thought the place was a bit messy, but now that chaotic feel was gone. The scenery, reminiscent of a Suzhou Garden, kept them so entranced they could barely take it all in. Even the usually composed Xu Zhenguo was beaming with excitement.


    A few minutes of driving brought them to the main villa at the center of the garden. The villa belonged to Li Yifei and was the largest in the entire garden. Besides serving as Li Yifei¡¯s residence, the lower floor was a reception hall to entertain guests when they visited.


    "Mom, Dad, the furniture isn¡¯t in place yet, so we can only look around for now," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    Xu Zhenguo laughed, "It¡¯s changing every day. Seeing such a big garden taking shape, I can¡¯t help but feel excited."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother boastfully said, "Well, who do you think it belongs to? It¡¯s your son-in-law¡¯s place."


    Xu Zhenguo chuckled heartily, "Indeed, I thought Yingying had found an ordinary fellow, but it turns out she caught a super-rich tycoon. That was unexpected." In Li Yifei¡¯s presence, they felt completely at ease. Even though Li Yifei¡¯s net worth had changed, his attitude towards them remained the same, which made them feel like he was still the good son-in-law he had always been.

 Chapter 1037 - 1080: Lobbying

    Chapter 1037: Chapter 1080: LobbyingLi Yifei shook his head and said, "Dad, Mom, don¡¯t let Shanshan boast too much on my behalf. This land is indeed mine, and I do have enough income to build here, but there are some things that I still need some help with. Some of the villas here are being built for others."


    "Others have villas here too?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately looked at Li Yifei with confusion.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, the fact that I have all this now is largely thanks to an important friend who has helped me a lot, which is Su Mengxin from the Capital City. Although I¡¯ve made many contributions to the country, without the backing of a prominent family, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand firm. The Su Family is my strongest support, and Mengxin is the best friend to Yingying and me. So, I¡¯ve reserved quite a bit of space here for Mengxin and her friends to stay often, but overall, the property rights are still mine."


    Xu Zhenguo nodded and said, "That¡¯s how it should be. Without any backing, doing something this big could easily attract envy."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother immediately spoke up, "If someone stays here, won¡¯t they be influenced by her?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Of course not. When she comes here, she will stay with us, and Yingying and I will still be the ones in charge of everything."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother patted her chest and said, "That¡¯s good. You really gave me a scare. I thought our happiness was for naught."


    Xu Shanshan curled her lips and said, "Mom, it¡¯s because you¡¯re just looking forward to living here. How could my brother-in-law forget about you, when he¡¯s so filial?"


    Her mother glared at her and said, "What do you mean we¡¯re keen to move in? We just really like this place and are thinking of visiting during the holidays. Besides, isn¡¯t this place big enough? Otherwise, I¡¯ll stay in your old place, and you can sleep on the sofa. Would you like that?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "I get it, let¡¯s go and look around everywhere. We¡¯ll eat here at noon today."


    "Good day, sir; good day, madam," the butler came over and respectfully greeted Mr. and Mrs. Xu Zhenguo.


    Xu Zhenguo and his wife were somewhat flustered and repeatedly said, "Hello."


    Li Yifei said, "My parents are having lunch here today, please ask the chef to make a couple more dishes."


    "Yes!" The butler agreed and then went to make arrangements. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shanshan, who is that?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother asked softly.


    "That¡¯s the butler. With such a big garden, we¡¯re busy on regular days, so of course we need a butler to manage it."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother frowned and said, "Why do we need a butler? I think I can manage."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily and said, "My wife, you¡¯ve got the mindset of a small-scale farmer. You might manage our little household fine, but with so many people here, and with all the food and care for the horses, there are a lot of things to handle. Do you think with your ability to manage our household, you could handle such a big estate?"


    "I would be fine; I just haven¡¯t had the chance before," Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother retorted with a glare, but she also knew in her heart that she couldn¡¯t manage such a large estate.


    There were already many people in the garden, and they occasionally bumped into pairs of them. On seeing Li Yifei and the others, these people would stand aside on the path, greet them respectfully, and only continue on their way after they had passed.


    Xu Zhenguo and his wife were initially a bit uncomfortable with such reverent treatment, but after it happened a few times, they grew accustomed to it and even started to enjoy it. Modern people talk about equality, but who doesn¡¯t want to stand above the rest? Who doesn¡¯t want to be respected, especially when you truly experience it? It¡¯s not easy to go back to your previous ordinary life.


    It¡¯s a good thing to look at houses, but whether or not their daughter can be with Li Yifei for a lifetime is the most crucial point. Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother caught up with Li Yifei and whispered, "Yifei, when are you and Yingying planning your wedding? Your parents are already looking forward to it. If you don¡¯t have a ceremony, we always feel like something is missing."


    Li Yifei knew this question would definitely come up. He smiled ruefully and said, "Mom, Yingying and I aren¡¯t deliberately delaying it, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s so much going on right now, and we can¡¯t get away just yet."


    "What do you mean, ¡¯can¡¯t get away¡¯?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother glared with dissatisfaction and said, "Those are just excuses. Don¡¯t always use being busy with work as an excuse. Work is something you¡¯ll never finish in a lifetime, but marriage is a major event in life. How can you be so careless? Give me a straight answer, is it still because of that girl Lin Qiong?"


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "Mom, I guess it is."


    "What? You... do you really want to divorce our Yingying and marry Lin Qiong?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother suddenly became anxious.


    Li Yifei quickly shook his head and said, "No, I definitely have no intention of divorcing Yingying, but... I really can¡¯t let go of Lin Qiong. I know by saying this, Mom, you¡¯ll be very angry with me. You¡¯ll say I¡¯m irresponsible, that I¡¯m a playboy, but I am truly troubled. I¡¯m crazy about Yingying, and I want to spend my life with her. No matter the reason, I will not divorce her. But it¡¯s also true that I can¡¯t bear to part with Lin Qiong."


    Li Yifei spoke the first few sentences with some confidence, but the last sentence clearly lacked conviction, and he was almost too nervous to look his mother-in-law in the eyes.


    "You... what do you mean by that? You don¡¯t want to leave this one, and you can¡¯t bear to part with that one. Do you really want both?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother¡¯s voice was filled with anger as she questioned sharply.


    Xu Shanshan, who was walking ahead with her father, had been listening to the conversation between her mother and Li Yifei with keen interest. She quickly turned around, wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s shoulders, and said cheerfully, "Mom, if he wants both, let him have both. I think Sister Lin Qiong isn¡¯t bad, and she gets along pretty well with our sister."


    "What? You little wretch, who talks like that? This is your sister¡¯s husband, not your brother. You even support your brother-in-law having a mistress; isn¡¯t this turning the world upside down?"


    Xu Shanshan shook her mother¡¯s shoulders and said, "Mom, there¡¯s no need to be so angry. Think about it, how many of those rich people nowadays don¡¯t have mistresses? Let¡¯s take the people around us as an example. That bureau chief, my dad, doesn¡¯t he have several lovers? You must know about it. And what about that guy Li something or other from downstairs? Didn¡¯t he just get rich from doing business, and now he¡¯s got a mistress too?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother glared back and said, "How can that be the same? Just because others don¡¯t behave properly, does that mean your brother-in-law can misbehave too?"


    "It¡¯s not about misbehaving. Our brother-in-law now is so high-end, majestic, and classy. Think about how many people have their eyes on him. Our older sister is all about her career, when does she have the time to keep an eye on brother-in-law? Besides, you know that someone like brother-in-law who is bound to entertain others won¡¯t be able to avoid those temptations. When that happens, all the flowers and grass around him will swarm over."


    After a pause, Xu Shanshan gauged her mother¡¯s expression before continuing, "What man doesn¡¯t like a bit of temptation? Dad was the same; there was a time when he almost couldn¡¯t resist, wasn¡¯t there?"


    Xu Zhenguo cleared his throat repeatedly and quickly looked away. Xu Shanshan¡¯s words had put him in a position where he didn¡¯t dare to join the conversation anymore.


    Li Yifei was a bit surprised too; he hadn¡¯t expected Xu Zhenguo to have his own romantic adventures.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother was also quite embarrassed. Her husband held a leadership position in the Public Security System, and in previous years, there had been a woman who was very fond of him. Xu Zhenguo was quite a steadfast man, but he had come close to making a mistake. Fortunately, it was all in the past now, and since it hadn¡¯t led to any real wrongdoing, she hadn¡¯t been too harsh on her husband. However, with Xu Shanshan bringing it up, she clearly understood that if a man gained some status, those temptations are bound to come at him.


    Xu Shanshan continued, "I am my sister¡¯s own little sister, and of course, I¡¯m going to speak up for her. There was a time when my sister was too busy, and I was always working with brother-in-law, you know, to keep an eye on him. But in doing so, I realized that it¡¯s actually impossible to monitor him like that. If brother-in-law wasn¡¯t controlling himself, who knows how many beauties would be surrounding him. Now that he is with Lin Qiong, it¡¯s actually quite commendable."


    Her mother protested, "So, according to you, your brother-in-law having an affair is reasonable?"


    Xu Shanshan said with a grin, "Of course, having an affair is unreasonable, but you have to look at both sides. Since brother-in-law inevitably gets harassed by beautiful women, with one today, another tomorrow, it¡¯s better to have a fixed one. That way, with my sister and Lin Qiong both keeping an eye on him, and the two being able to get along, that¡¯s more attractive than anything else for a man. He naturally won¡¯t want to look elsewhere anymore."


    "What convoluted and twisted logic you have," Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother felt Xu Shanshan seemed to make sense, but her traditional values made it hard for her to easily accept the idea of her son-in-law having a lover.


    "It¡¯s not convoluted or twisted. I¡¯ve been living with my sister and brother-in-law for over a year, so I¡¯m very clear about their situation and have the most right to speak. Mom, I really think letting Lin Qiong be with brother-in-law is pretty good. In fact, I know what you¡¯re worried about is that sister and I might get divorced, right? Don¡¯t worry, Lin Qiong respects my sister very much, and she doesn¡¯t seek any status in the relationship."


    "So Lin Qiong does know what¡¯s appropriate, after all."


    Hearing her mother¡¯s tone soften, Xu Shanshan was secretly delighted and quickly said, "Yes, exactly! So why should we make things difficult for brother-in-law and sister? If the two of them manage him, he will definitely behave properly. Besides, dad and Uncle Lin, the old comrades-in-arms, becoming relatives is even better. Then all four of you can live here together. You¡¯ll have people to talk and chat with when you¡¯re not busy. Why not enjoy it?"

 Chapter 1038 - 1081: Xu Yingying’s Parents Finally Agreed

    Chapter 1038: Chapter 1081: Xu Yingying¡¯s Parents Finally AgreedLi Yifei took advantage of the moment and said, "Mom and Dad, I know this is very unfair to Yingying, and I am really guilty about it. I can only treat her better and better, not worse because of Lin Qiong."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t speak immediately. After a while, she asked Xu Zhenguo, "What do you think?"


    Xu Zhenguo sighed, "To be honest, of course, I hope Yingying could be with Yifei alone, which is the norm for a couple. Even if there are quarrels, that¡¯s normal. But under these circumstances, I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s best. As a man, I clearly understand how big the temptations from the outside world are. Even the most resolute person, when facing temptation, can have moments of weakness. The more successful a man is, the greater the temptations he faces. This doesn¡¯t mean those women are shameless. A successful man is also very attractive to them. But is it really good to have both Yingying and Lin Qiong together? Wouldn¡¯t that be like having a wife and a concubine? That isn¡¯t right. Moreover, by not giving Lin Qiong a formal status, over time, wouldn¡¯t she feel disappointed? What would her parents say and how would we face our relatives and friends in the future? Would they be happy with a daughter of a bureau chief being someone¡¯s mistress?"


    Turning to look at Yifei, Xu Zhenguo spoke earnestly, "Yifei, you need to think this over carefully. You¡¯re young. It might feel nice having a wife and a lover, but it also means your responsibilities are much greater. Conflicts between spouses can also become more frequent. There¡¯s no avoiding problems when two people with completely different habits start living together, and adding another person only complicates matters. Even a small hint of favoritism on your part could cause instability at home. These might sound like small issues, but whether a couple can stay together for a lifetime often depends on these small things. How many divorces happen over major principles? It¡¯s often the unresolved small disagreements. The minor problems you¡¯ll face later could well be not just simple additions; conflicts between two women can escalate exponentially."


    At this time, Li Yifei said seriously to Xu Zhenguo, "Dad, I fully understand what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m not some na?ve young guy who takes marriage lightly. Since I¡¯ve chosen this path, I must bear the responsibilities and even work harder for them. Yingying and Lin Qiong have also been working hard. From what I see, the three of us do get along quite well. Yingying and Lin Qiong are both open-minded and cultured. If there are conflicts, we will discuss them openly and resolve them in the light of day."


    "Are the three of you together now?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly and said, "Mom, last time you visited our house, Lin Qiong was already living with us. We just couldn¡¯t explain it at the time, so we had to put on that act."


    "You all... really..." Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head repeatedly. In her view, she would never allow another woman to share her husband, but her daughter was able to do just this, which really made her feel helpless and annoyed.


    "Mom, there¡¯s one more thing I need to clarify. We three are also trying out this way of life. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, Lin Qiong has said she will leave and let Yingying and I be together."


    "Really? Did Lin Qiong really say that?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately asked.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, we are together now."


    "This world is too crazy. What¡¯s going on?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother sighed repeatedly.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, shaking her mother¡¯s shoulder, "Mom, times are changing. There are some things you might not like, but that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no happiness. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on them, and it feels pretty good. My sister and Lin Qiong get along well. Besides, with my brother-in-law having such a big family business, what¡¯s the harm in having an extra woman around? My sister¡¯s position as the main wife is solid and unchanging. Who will care when your son-in-law, is still considered your son-in-law?"


    "You, you side-stepper, what were you doing earlier? Such a big matter, and you didn¡¯t even mention it to me," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother vented her frustration on Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan grinned and replied, "If we told you two old antiques earlier, wouldn¡¯t you have made a big fuss already? Just relax. Our brother-in-law will always treat you like his own parents. Look, he even specifically reserved this house for you two old folks. Where else would you find such a good son-in-law? Just turn a blind eye, and as long as you two don¡¯t make trouble over this, my sister and brother-in-law will definitely arrange the wedding ceremony when they find time. If they don¡¯t, you can take it out on me."


    "Silly girl, are you threatening me?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother glared.


    "No way, I¡¯m just stating the facts. If sis and brother-in-law aren¡¯t holding the wedding yet, isn¡¯t it because they¡¯re afraid you won¡¯t agree to Lin Qiong¡¯s involvement? Hehe, come on, getting angry is bad for your health. What¡¯s there to be angry about over such a good thing?"


    Xu Zhenguo and his wife exchanged glances and then shook their heads at each other with a sigh. Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother said, "Alright, then, I won¡¯t interfere with this matter. It¡¯s your young people¡¯s business. If you really think it¡¯s good, then go ahead."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Thank you, mom. Thank you, dad. I¡¯m really grateful."


    Patting Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, Xu Zhenguo said, "Yifei, even though we agree, I hope you keep a low profile and avoid stirring up public sentiment. After all, this kind of thing is still generally unacceptable, and Lin Qiong is a police officer at the Sub-bureau. If this gets out, it could ruin her career. Sure, with your status, whether Lin Qiong works doesn¡¯t really matter to you. But remember, a woman with her own career is always the most beautiful."


    Li Yifei nodded earnestly, "Dad, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t make a spectacle of ourselves. We just want to be happy. If we flaunted it, that would only bring unnecessary pressure on us; it would be disrespectful to you."


    "Haha, that¡¯s excellent. A joyful conclusion, isn¡¯t it? Brother-in-law, so about that sports car for me?" Xu Shanshan nudged Li Yifei with her shoulder. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Whatever you want, can I possibly refuse to buy it for you?"


    "Damn girl, selling out your sister for a sports car," Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother muttered, but since she had agreed, there was no need to fuss over it anymore. Moreover, seeing the relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, it was clear that Li Yifei and her family were like one.


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. It was Lin Qiong. Li Yifei quickly answered, and Lin Qiong said, "Yifei, my parents just got off the plane. Could you pick them up?"


    Li Yifei promptly agreed, and after hanging up, he turned to the Xu Zhenguo couple and said, "Mom, Dad, Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin have also arrived in Mile City. I¡¯m going to pick them up."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mother said, "These two, they move so quickly. By the way, have you talked to them about it yet?"


    Li Yifei shook his head. "We haven¡¯t brought it up to them yet."


    Xu Shanshan said with a giggle, "Later on, Mom, you¡¯ll have to help out and be the mediator."


    "What? You¡¯re making me talk about this? Can¡¯t you guys handle it? I¡¯m not going, I¡¯m not losing face on this. It¡¯d be like I¡¯m begging for Lin Qiong to join the family."


    Li Yifei quickly made his escape, thinking it would be better to let Xu Shanshan persuade her parents. It was somewhat inconvenient for him to hang around.


    At the airport exit, he met Lin Qiong¡¯s parents. Seeing it was Li Yifei who came to pick them up, smiles spread across their faces, and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother warmly said, "Yifei, why didn¡¯t Qiongqiong come with you?"


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Qiongqiong had a meeting at the City Bureau, so it¡¯s just me."


    "Hehe, you¡¯re also a busy man. There was no need for you to specially come for us. We could have just taken a taxi." Although that¡¯s what she said, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was clearly pleased. Li Yifei¡¯s gesture of picking them up showed that his relationship with Lin Qiong must be good, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have come.


    "Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, Yingying¡¯s parents also arrived today. They are at the new house, and we¡¯re having lunch there. Do you want to join us?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother frowned slightly¡ªshe hadn¡¯t known about the Xu Zhenguo couple¡¯s arrival. This trip was supposed to be to speak directly to Li Yifei and Lin Qiong. Now that Yingying¡¯s parents were here, it would be inconvenient. Nevertheless, Lin Qiong¡¯s father said with a smile, "Old Xu is here too? Well then, let¡¯s go there."


    "That¡¯s good, let¡¯s head to the new house," Li Yifei quickly replied.


    In the car, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother asked, "Yifei, how are things between you and our Qiongqiong now?"


    Driving, Li Yifei replied, "Pretty good, we¡¯ve been getting along well."


    "And... how about with Yingying?"


    "Also pretty good."


    "You kid, how can everything be ¡¯pretty good¡¯? You have to choose one eventually."


    After discussing it with the Xu Zhenguo couple, Li Yifei now felt relaxed and smilingly said, "Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, let¡¯s talk about this slowly. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely give Lin Qiong a proper explanation."


    "I¡¯m telling you, you can¡¯t just keep dragging this along. After all, Yingying is still your lawful wife. Our Qionqiong can¡¯t keep waiting like this."


    "I know, I know," Li Yifei repeatedly assured them, confident that once the Xu Zhenguo couple helped mediate, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents would definitely be convinced.

 Chapter 1039 - 1082 Xu Shanshan is really too cunning

    Chapter 1039: Chapter 1082 Xu Shanshan is really too cunningArriving at the new garden, Xu Zhenguo immediately said with a smile, "Old Lin, we really do have a tacit understanding, don¡¯t we? We just got here, and you came right after us."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father also smiled and said, "Yes, indeed, it¡¯s quite the coincidence that we came on the same day without prior arrangement." However, there was a hint of self-mockery in his words. In his mind, he still hoped that Lin Qiong would back out, but his wife was stubbornly pushing her, insistent on having Lin Qiong snatch Li Yifei. He was genuinely worried that if this became a reality, he would have a hard time facing Xu Zhenguo later.


    "Come on, Old Lin, the koi in here are really nice, there are a few that I particularly like. Let¡¯s go take a look," Xu Zhenguo said, pulling Lin Qiong¡¯s father aside. Men could sometimes communicate better. He believed that discussing this matter with his old comrade would lead to no objections; it was just that women tended to complicate things, so it was better to let his wife and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother talk.


    At that moment, Li Yifei could only follow along with Lin Qiong¡¯s mother and Xu Yingying¡¯s mother. He couldn¡¯t avoid being involved in this issue, although he knew that Lin Qiong¡¯s father was easier to talk to.


    Seeing Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother also felt somewhat awkward; after all, morally speaking, Lin Qiong was in the wrong, and as her mother, encouraging her made it even worse. She said, "Sister-in-law, this really is quite the coincidence."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother smiled and grasped Lin Qiong¡¯s mother¡¯s hand, saying, "Yes, isn¡¯t it just like ¡¯not one family, yet entering the same door¡¯?"


    Li Yifei was immediately surprised inside. Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s attitude was so positive, clearly she was gearing up to advocate for him. He had no idea how Xu Shanshan managed that. He turned to look at Xu Shanshan, who winked triumphantly at Li Yifei.


    "Hehe..." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother felt that Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s words were a bit baffling, so she wasn¡¯t sure how to respond and just chuckled lightly.


    "Yifei, why don¡¯t you show us where we will be staying?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Sure, let¡¯s drive there."


    The residence area at the base of the mountain was about seven or eight hundred meters from there. Although it wasn¡¯t very far to walk, the path winding through the garden would take about twenty minutes on foot, so driving was more convenient. They could return just in time for dinner.


    "Sister-in-law, how do you like this house?" When they arrived, everyone entered one of the houses, a villa that Li Yifei had originally intended for his and his wives¡¯ relatives since they¡¯d often stay over, especially the parents, who needed a stable place. Of course, this place wasn¡¯t one villa per person; two families sharing one villa was already quite spacious.


    "It¡¯s really nice," Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately praised. However, when Xu Yingying¡¯s mother introduced it with a tone of a hostess, it irked her somewhat. The outcome of who wins or loses wasn¡¯t decided yet. If Lin Qiong were to win later, she could just as easily say such things.


    "Hehe, I also think it¡¯s nice here. Yifei, what about assigning this building to us and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents?"


    Li Yifei hastily replied, "Sure, pick wherever you like, feel free to stay wherever you want."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was still a bit confused. She always felt that Xu Yingying¡¯s mother had an underlying message today and finally couldn¡¯t help saying, "Sister-in-law, let¡¯s speak plainly, please. With the way you talk, I¡¯m really getting confused."


    With a sigh, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said, "What else could it be? It¡¯s about our daughter and Yifei. We arrived a step earlier and knew beforehand that both our Yingying and your Little Qiong want to be with Yifei."


    "What do you mean?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was still puzzled.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother explained, "It means that Yifei doesn¡¯t need to choose anymore; he¡¯s taking both of them."


    "How can that be!" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother exclaimed with wide eyes. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother sighed again, "When I first heard about this, I was also shocked, just like you. But this is the children¡¯s decision; they just won¡¯t listen to me. What can I do? Sigh..."


    "This won¡¯t do... this won¡¯t do... How can two people be with Yifei?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother shook her head repeatedly.


    "Sister-in-law of the Lin family, then what do you suggest we do? Old Xu and I are out of options. If you can come up with a good solution, we¡¯ll listen to you."


    "This..." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was suddenly bewildered, opening her mouth several times without making any sound, simply because she had no solution at that moment.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother then spoke, "Sister-in-law of the Lin family, we were all kept in the dark. These three have been living together for quite some time now, and apparently, they are living quite well. I really don¡¯t understand what Yingying and Little Qiong were thinking. Even if Yifei is outstanding, how could these two women agree to share one man?"


    "Sister, did you agree to this?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother finally thought of a key question.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother again spoke with a look of helplessness, "I didn¡¯t want to agree, but now I can¡¯t do anything. Didn¡¯t you see that Yingying and Lin Qiong both avoid showing up, afraid that we would quiz them, only appearing after we give our consent."


    "Ridiculous... This is really too ridiculous." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother furrowed her brows and then apologetically said to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, "Sister, I¡¯m not criticizing you, but this, this is just... too ridiculous."


    "Yes, it¡¯s absolutely absurd. You see, your Little Qiong is already the Sub-bureau Chief, with an unlimited future ahead of her. How could she insist on being with Yifei? I also advised Yingying to give it up. After all, she¡¯s also a big manager and won¡¯t have trouble finding a good family in the future. But the girl just won¡¯t listen. It¡¯s like kids grow up and get too headstrong, not minding us old women. Sister-in-law of the Lin family, you have to take charge here, I can¡¯t handle it."


    "I make the decisions... I... I..." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother gritted her teeth, wanting to suggest that Lin Qiong leave Li Yifei, but it felt like a pity to let go of such a son-in-law. To suggest Yingying leave Li Yifei was also difficult to voice at that moment since Xu Yingying was already Li Yifei¡¯s wife and even Xu Yingying¡¯s mother had acknowledged the trio being together. Demanding such would be rather excessive.


    "Aunt Lin, actually, you don¡¯t have to be angry. My brother-in-law and Lin Qiong are also very affectionate. The three of them are living together quite well right now, so just let them be. If they find it unsuitable later on, then whoever feels that way can leave."


    "But, but... our Little Qiong follows Yifei without a proper status. What if they can¡¯t get along in the future?" This was Lin Qiong¡¯s mother¡¯s greatest worry, as Lin Qiong had no formal status. If she were thrown out in the future, it would be even worse than divorce.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Aunt Lin, rest assured, we have been living together for several months now and we really suit this lifestyle. Moreover, I am truly sincere toward Lin Qiong and will definitely not change my heart. Additionally, to make uncle and aunt feel at ease, I will invest in a company worth no less than fifty million, and then transfer it to Qionqiong¡¯s name."


    Using money in this situation is the most boring thing, but usually, it¡¯s also the most effective. A man¡¯s willingness to spend money on a woman often signifies his true love. Li Yifei¡¯s willingness to spend fifty million for Lin Qiong means he truly wants to be with her.


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother¡¯s expression eased slightly, though she still furrowed her brow, saying, "It still feels so absurd to me."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother then interjected, "I think so too, but looking at a man like Yifei, who knows how many women will be eyeing him later on? Let Yingying and Little Qiong keep an eye on him, otherwise, one person might not be able to fend off all those bumblebees and butterflies, and if anything happens then, it will be even worse."


    This really struck a chord with Lin Qiong¡¯s mother who had been trying to teach Lin Qiong how to keep Li Yifei¡¯s heart. Considering a person like Li Yifei, relying solely on Lin Qiong would indeed be difficult. But if she could team up with Yingying, that would indeed be a more assured approach.


    Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s mother loosening her stance, Xu Yingying¡¯s mother repeated the points Xu Shanshan had made earlier which now seemed more convincing. Although Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was still somewhat helpless, at least she was no longer that irritated.


    "But our Little Qiong being like this her whole life without proper status, I still feel uncomfortable." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother voiced another major concern.


    Xu Shanshan cheerfully said, "That¡¯s simple, just register for marriage."


    "Register for marriage?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother both widened their eyes in surprise, not excluding Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan confidently said, "Yes. My brother-in-law and my sister are married, so they can¡¯t register again, but if they get divorced, then he could register with sister Lin Qiong. Then who could say anything?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother immediately widened her eyes, saying, "How could that be?"


    Xu Shanshan, placing an arm around her mother¡¯s shoulder, said, "What¡¯s wrong with that? Since the three of them are willing to live together, whose name is on the certificate doesn¡¯t really matter, right? Isn¡¯t this for easing Aunt Lin¡¯s mind? At worst, we switch every year¡ªthis year with my sister, the next year with Lin Qiong. Everyone will technically have a certificate then, right? This must involve mutual trust; if there is suspicion between them, how can they continue harmoniously?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother suddenly brightened up, saying, "That is indeed a good idea. Sister, what do you think?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, both annoyed and angry¡ªif Xu Shanshan had mentioned this from the beginning, she would have opposed it. But now, she had turned into a mediator. If she disagreed now, wouldn¡¯t that invalidate her earlier advocacy, effectively slapping herself? Reluctantly, she could only say, "Not bad, this plan is really good. I agree. This way, not only can Yifei hold a wedding with Yingying, but also with Little Qiong. It looks good for everyone, and there is also an explanation for family and friends."

 Chapter 1040 - 1083: The Irrepressible Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 1040: Chapter 1083: The Irrepressible Xu ShanshanXu Yingying¡¯s mother was originally displeased with Xu Shanshan¡¯s proposal, thinking that Shanshan was clearly bending the elbow outwards, but when she heard that this would make the wedding possible, it seemed to be a solution to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother¡¯s most troubling issue. Despite feeling some discomfort, she saw it as somewhat accommodating.


    For Lin Qiong¡¯s mother, the significance was even greater. After all, Lin Qiong being with Li Yifei in this manner was unofficial and vulnerable to gossip. If they could hold a wedding with Li Yifei later, then they would be legitimate in the eyes of others. Among relatives and friends, they could definitely justify it and proudly present this son-in-law. For her daughter, this would not impact her career, and all problems seemed to be solved at once.


    "Yifei, is what Shanshan said true?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother asked Li Yifei, still somewhat anxious.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Of course it¡¯s true. I¡¯ve got to give Qiongqiong a proper status."


    "That¡¯s good. As long as you three are willing and my younger sister agrees, I won¡¯t be the bad guy," Lin Qiong¡¯s mother said magnanimously. She actually felt that this way, it was as if her daughter had the advantage, while Xu Yingying was at a disadvantage. Then she immediately continued, "Looking at all these houses here, we really should choose carefully. Though we can¡¯t always live here, we should pick a nice one for occasional visits."


    "Yes, yes, I agree. But Yifei said some of these houses must be reserved for some important figures to vacation in, so those are not for us to choose."


    "We have to keep our own place for these purposes, huh."


    "My sister-in-law, this garden is so large, even if we really moved in, we wouldn¡¯t use much of it. Using it to cultivate relations with higher-ups is what can help the children¡¯s careers soar and succeed. We don¡¯t understand these matters, so let¡¯s not worry about them."


    "That¡¯s true. So there¡¯s no problem with these houses, right?"


    "These are all fine," Li Yifei said hastily. "You can live wherever you want, even change houses every day if you wish. There will be people especially assigned to serve you."


    Once Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying¡¯s mothers had decided, the two seemed to become much closer instantly. After all, their relationship was previously only through their husbands¡¯ comradeship; they hadn¡¯t had much to do with each other. Now, because of their children, they had become family, naturally drawing closer to one another.


    And because they were choosing houses, they found common ground, which rapidly improved their intimacy.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan followed behind them, but once they entered a villa, they left them to explore upstairs and downstairs.


    "Brother-in-law, how are you going to reward me this time?" Xu Shanshan pouted her lips and raised her eyebrows at Li Yifei.


    "Whatever reward you want, I¡¯ll give you," Li Yifei said. "You¡¯ve helped me solve a big problem."


    Xu Shanshan complained discontentedly, "Hmph, whenever there¡¯s trouble, you always make me clean up after you. When it¡¯s over, you¡¯re all about your wives and never think of me."


    Li Yifei really hadn¡¯t been with Xu Shanshan in a long time. Firstly, whenever he had time, Li Yifei tried to spend it seeking fun activities with the two people of that day. Secondly, there was a lot going on in the company, and both he and Xu Shanshan were quite busy, hardly able to meet even during the day. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shanshan, I¡¯m really sorry. Wait until you¡¯re done at the factory, then come and help me, and we¡¯ll be able to see each other every day."


    "That sounds more like it," Xu Shanshan responded, stealthily reaching out to touch Li Yifei between the legs.


    Li Yifei was startled and said in a hushed tone, "Mom¡¯s here, and you dare to mess around?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and suggested, "Let them watch, and we find a place to go."


    A wave of desire passed through Li Yifei¡¯s heart. He had missed being with Xu Shanshan for so long. Since returning to civilian life from the military, the person he spent the most time with was not his wife, Xu Yingying, nor his most beloved girl, Su Yiyi, but Xu Shanshan, who had brought him endless joy. In this family, without Xu Shanshan¡¯s help in resolving many issues, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly have been with so many women he adored. It could be said that in this family, Xu Shanshan had played an immensely critical role.


    But he could only be with Xu Shanshan in secret and couldn¡¯t openly be together, which was what Li Yifei felt he owed her. At that moment, he nodded and called out loudly to the upstairs, "Mom, Aunt Lin, Shanshan and I have something to attend to, so we¡¯ll step out for a bit. We¡¯ll come back to pick you up later."


    "Go ahead with your business, we can look around by ourselves," Xu Yingying¡¯s mother replied.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan quickly sneaked out, not going far before they returned to a small villa they had just visited. Since the two elders had just viewed it, it was unlikely they would come back in.


    As soon as they entered, the two of them were tightly wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, lips immediately meeting, tongues intertwining in a passionate kiss.


    Twenty or so minutes later, Li Yifei had finally satisfied Xu Shanshan. They got dressed, and Xu Shanshan¡¯s face was aglow with the bloom of spring, charmingly enchanting, clearly benefiting from a man¡¯s touch.


    "Oh dear, we were too impulsive just now. I wonder what your sister is up to," Li Yifei suddenly thought of Xu Yingying and became a bit worried.


    "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s almost noon now, she must be out for lunch. Besides, she¡¯s an adult. She can handle a little surprise without any embarrassment,"


    Li Yifei reasoned that Xu Yingying likely didn¡¯t have anything particularly special going on today and would be at the company where as the boss, she could handle the situation with ease, so there was nothing to worry about.


    "Brother-in-law, that was so good. I wish we could do this every day," Xu Shanshan pouted playfully, her demeanor no longer one of grievance but rather filled with seduction.


    "That might be difficult. Besides, doing this every day would be too much for your sister to handle," he said.


    "I know, but I really enjoyed it. If we didn¡¯t have to eat, I¡¯d want to do it again," she confessed.


    "Alright, you little glutton, when you come over to my place, will you ever lack opportunities?" he teased.


    "Hehe, true. Okay then, I¡¯ll let you off the hook for today," Xu Shanshan said with a giggle, threading her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s as they walked out. They separated at the doorway and after Li Yifei surveyed the outside, they left.


    He found Xu Shanshan¡¯s and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother still happily picking out items, chatting away in high spirits. It seemed that they had truly come to terms with their daughters¡¯ affair.


    Having agreed to continue their outing after lunch, Li Yifei brought the two women back to the restaurant, then fetched Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father. Both men glared at Li Yifei somewhat mockingly, but there was an implicit agreement in their gaze.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother spoke up, "Right, let¡¯s call Yingying and Little Qiong over. It¡¯s broad daylight; there¡¯s no need for them to hide anymore."


    Li Yifei hastened to agree, hurriedly calling Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong. Both responded joyously and arrived in less than half an hour. However, they still felt somewhat apprehensive facing their parents.


    Xu Zhenguo then asked in a heartfelt tone, "Yingying, Little Qiong, are you sure you¡¯ve thought this through?"


    Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong nodded firmly and said in unison, "We¡¯ve thought it through."


    Xu Zhenguo smiled faintly and said, "Since you¡¯ve made up your minds, we parents won¡¯t meddle further. However, Yingying, I still must emphasize: since you¡¯ve chosen this path, you must get along with Little Qiong as if you were real sisters, and you can¡¯t be selfish. Otherwise, over time, it¡¯ll be easy for conflicts to arise."


    "Dad, I will, I can definitely do it," Xu Yingying assured anxiously.


    With Xu Zhenguo having expressed his stance, Lin Qiong¡¯s father also spoke, "Lin Qiong, Yingying is so magnanimous to let you be with Yifei. You should be grateful to her. You must work on improving that bad temper of yours; how else will you be worthy of Yingying¡¯s generosity?"


    "Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve grown up and am no longer the capricious little girl I used to be. I know what I should and shouldn¡¯t do," Lin Qiong hurriedly replied.


    Xu Yingying quickly added, "Uncle Lin, you can rest assured, Little Qiong and I really get along very well, she is very good to me now."


    "That settles it. Old Lin, today our families become even closer. This noon, we must have a good drink, not stopping until we¡¯re completely drunk. How does that sound?"


    "No problem. Let¡¯s see who among us will be the first to hit the floor," Old Lin agreed.


    With a shared laugh between them, the atmosphere eased considerably.


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 Chapter 1041 - 1084: Private Conversation

    Chapter 1041: Chapter 1084: Private Conversation"Dad, Uncle Lin, I raise this glass to you both. Without your understanding, I wouldn¡¯t be able to be with Yingying and Qiongqiong."


    In the luxurious dining room, the table was laden with delicious dishes, prepared by top-notch chefs using the finest ingredients. The family sat together, creating such a warm atmosphere that Li Yifei picked up his glass and first toasted Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father.


    Xu Zhenguo chuckled and said, "Yifei, you must be fair with your attention; showing favoritism as soon as you start off isn¡¯t good."


    Li Yifei immediately caught on and hurriedly said apologetically to Lin Qiong¡¯s father, "Uncle Lin, I guess I¡¯ll switch over today, then. I hope you don¡¯t have any objections?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father laughed heartily and said, "I have no objections, but this does seem a bit hasty. I didn¡¯t even have time to prepare a meeting gift."


    "As long as you accept me as your son-in-law, that¡¯s enough. What greater gift could there be than giving your daughter to me? To both dads, I raise this glass."


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father both picked up their glasses, filled with fine Maotai, and drank with a hearty laugh, especially Lin Qiong¡¯s father, who was called dad by Li Yifei for the first time¡ªand it felt pretty good.


    Li Yifei poured another glass and said to Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying¡¯s mothers, "To both moms, I raise this glass to you, thanking you for entrusting me with your daughters, whom you¡¯ve raised for so many years. I will definitely treat them well, care for them more attentively than even you did, and ensure they have a better life."


    Both Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s mothers picked up their glasses, smiles on their faces. Indeed, seeing Li Yifei sitting between Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong didn¡¯t seem so out of place anymore, especially with both girls smiling like flowers¡ªyou could tell they were truly happy. And their mothers couldn¡¯t have any complaints either.


    "With that statement from you, Yifei, I can rest easy," said Lin Qiong¡¯s mother first.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother added, "Yifei, from now on, if you make any mistakes, you won¡¯t just have Yingying¡¯s dad and me to face¡ªwe¡¯ll also have Lin Qiong¡¯s parents to deal with you."


    "Yes, yes..." Li Yifei quickly agreed, knowing full well that he would continue to make mistakes in the future, but he was confident that no issue was too big to handle.


    After making the rounds with toasts and enjoying some dishes, Lin Qiong raised her glass towards the Xu Zhenguo couple and said, "Uncle Xu, Aunt Xu, I¡¯m truly grateful to both of you."


    Her words carried an unspoken understanding, as Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, in a way, had made sacrifices¡ªsharing their would-be son-in-law with Lin Qiong.


    "Little Qiong, no need to overthink this. From now on, we¡¯re all one family, and as a family, we should act accordingly. It¡¯s improper to speak like an outsider," Xu Zhenguo said cheerfully, raising his glass and then drinking it in one gulp.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother smiled and said, "Little Qiong, my husband is right. From here on out, you¡¯re just like Shanshan, Yingying¡¯s good sister. And just like to her, I¡¯ll be like your mother. If you need anything, just tell me, and I¡¯ll sort it out for you."


    "Mhm mhm," Lin Qiong replied, her eyes slightly reddening as she emptied her glass.


    At that point, Xu Yingying also raised her glass and smilingly said to Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, "Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, I will treat you just like my own parents from now on."


    "That¡¯s great, good child," Lin Qiong¡¯s parents nodded repeatedly. Seeing how well Xu Yingying treated Lin Qiong, they knew she would be well taken care of, and unlike a ¡¯mistress¡¯, Lin Qiong would even get to marry Li Yifei one day. Their gratitude towards Xu Yingying was significant, but such things needn¡¯t be said out loud. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The meal that followed was exceptionally joyful. Xu Zhenguo and Lin Qiong¡¯s father chatted about their children, the past, and the future, clearly enjoying themselves immensely. They drank quite a bit but remained sober, with Li Yifei accompanying them. He was extremely excited; this vexing issue was resolved, and he knew their home would only get better and better.


    After the meal, Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s mothers went to look at villas again, this time accompanied by Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying. With everyone voicing their opinions, it was even more enjoyable.


    The mothers quietly observed Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong too, to see if their relationship was genuinely harmonious. As it turned out, the two women were like true sisters, always smiling and even whispering in each other¡¯s ears from time to time during their chats¡ªa level of comfort that couldn¡¯t be faked.


    Seeing Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong like this, both mothers were truly reassured. Even if the situation was somewhat absurd, handling it well was far better than resorting to conflicts that exhausted everyone.


    Without planning, Xu Yingying found herself with her mother in one room, while Lin Qiong and her mother were in another. Xu Shanshan, meanwhile, had stepped back after achieving satisfaction with Li Yifei earlier, and having lost interest in house-hunting, soon rejoined Li Yifei and the others.


    "Yingying, how can you be willing to share your good husband with Lin Qiong?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother still couldn¡¯t fathom this matter.


    Xu Yingying complained, "Here you go again. Do you really have to witness some conflict between us?"


    "Of course not, but having two women with one man, Mom always feels it¡¯s a bit odd. How could you not bicker?"


    "What¡¯s there to bicker about?"


    "But there¡¯s plenty to bicker about, like if Yifei is nicer to one of you than the other, or if he¡¯s playing favorites, or... who he¡¯s with at night."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she scolded, "Mom, why do you have to say everything?"


    "What¡¯s the big deal? I¡¯m your mother, and you¡¯re all married people now. You¡¯ve also been with Yifei for so long, what¡¯s there not to say? Besides, this matter is quite important. So many men cheat because they are unfulfilled in this aspect. Oh my, is that why Yifei ended up with Lin Qiong?"


    Xu Yingying, both embarrassed and awkward, still managed to say with a blush, "That¡¯s not it, but... Yifei is just so strong, I couldn¡¯t handle it alone. With Lin Qiong moving in, it¡¯s been much better for us."


    "That¡¯s true. Yifei may not look very muscular, but as an ex-special forces soldier with such great skill, his stamina must be excellent. It¡¯s normal that he¡¯s stronger in this respect."


    "Alright, alright, stop asking non-stop. Just know that we are very happy together."


    "You, child, doesn¡¯t Mom worry about you?" Xu Yingying shot her daughter a glance but then stopped probing and went back to exploring the room.


    At this time, Lin Qiong faced the same awkwardness as Xu Yingying. Her mother asked all sorts of questions until she too reached the topic of their intimate life, though her approach was different from Xu Yingying¡¯s mother.


    "Little Qiong, when you¡¯re all together, Yifei isn¡¯t neglecting you, is he?"


    Lin Qiong was more straightforward than Xu Yingying and replied, "Not at all, we¡¯re together every day."


    "I mean that kind of thing, you know, at bedtime, does Yifei spend more time with Yingying or with you?"


    "All three of us share one bed, so tell me who has more or less." Lin Qiong had long been annoyed by her mother¡¯s questioning but patiently replied with a dominant air.


    "All three of you in one bed every day?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "Yes, since Yifei is so strong, one person can¡¯t handle it, so the two of us manage together. Now you don¡¯t need to worry about who gets more or less, right? Mom, we¡¯re doing great together, but you keep worrying. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t meddle in our affairs too much. Otherwise, if your words cause Yingying and me to have a conflict, would you be happy to see that?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother rolled her eyes, "I¡¯m only thinking of your best interests."


    "I know you mean well, but meddling too much can make things worse. Think about it, when you were young, grandma used to interfere in our family matters so much that it made you angry many times. Now here you are doing the same."


    "How can it be the same? Daughters and sons are different." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother gave her a stern look, but Lin Qiong¡¯s words did serve as a reminder. Meddling too much in her daughter¡¯s marital life wasn¡¯t a good thing. As parents, they should help resolve problems only when their daughter faced them. It was better to let the couple handle their matters themselves.


    Xu Shanshan was now sitting beside Li Yifei, pouring drinks for the two older men and Li Yifei. Lin Qiong¡¯s father praised continually, "Old Xu, your daughter is wonderful, so sensible. Having two daughters like this, you¡¯re truly fortunate."


    Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily, "Now we are all one family. My daughters are also your daughters. Come on, drink up!"


    Xu Shanshan sat down with a smile, appearing very proper, but one of her hands was already on Li Yifei¡¯s thigh, gently caressing, especially making sure to nudge closer to the base of his thigh now and then.


    Although she didn¡¯t dare to be too bold in front of their parents, while they were all happily drinking, she could engage in some subtle actions under the table. Besides, he was always keen on such things, ready to take any opportunity for a bit of mischief.


    Watching Li Yifei¡¯s simultaneous excitement and discomfort, unable to move freely, brought a secret thrill to Xu Shanshan. It seemed this girl had a special fondness for sneaky touches, enjoying the thrill of covert activities with Li Yifei in front of others. Without an audience, she probably wouldn¡¯t be so excited.

 Chapter 1042 - 1086: Challenge

    Chapter 1042: Chapter 1086: ChallengeLi Yifei had recently arranged to deal with Sunx Nenghui in a way that was a textbook example of a hostile takeover. He intended not only to seize the other party¡¯s company but also to leave them penniless.


    Under normal circumstances, such malicious takeovers are strictly regulated by corporate law in foreign countries, but in Huaxia, the relevant laws are somewhat lacking. Moreover, the experts that Li Yifei had hired were highly skilled; as long as the funding was sufficient, they could ensure that nothing would go awry, ultimately escaping legal repercussions.


    These were areas Li Yifei had never dabbled in before, so he took his learning very seriously. Although there were some matters he could not personally handle, he still became a mastermind in full control. As the helmsman of a major family clan, he only needed to make good use of the people around him.


    Sunx Nenghui sensed the danger to his company and was struggling desperately. However, as the company¡¯s shares were increasingly divested, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before the company changed hands.


    "Li Yifei, you¡¯re ruthless. You¡¯ve turned my son into a fool, and now, you¡¯re driving me to bankruptcy. You will get your comeuppance," Sunx Nenghui snarled through gritted teeth after dialing Li Yifei¡¯s number.


    Li Yifei responded with a faint smile, "I also believe in retribution, but everything I¡¯ve done has been in retaliation after others have moved against me first. And all of this is your retribution."


    "Fine, Li Yifei, you¡¯ve got guts. But don¡¯t think this will be as simple as you think. Do you believe that by taking over my company, you¡¯ve won? I¡¯m telling you, this is just the beginning. I will return everything to you twofold." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have that chance. When I, Li Yifei, do things, I don¡¯t like leaving loose ends. The acquisition of your company is simply a business experiment. If I really wanted to deal with you, I have plenty of ways to do so."


    "Oh? Then we shall see," Sunx Nenghui hung up the phone, then turned and respectfully stepped aside. Two other people were in the room: a tall man and a woman in black clothes with a veil over her face. She was not very tall or particularly curvaceous, standing there like a ghost in the night. But Sunx Nenghui¡¯s respectful attitude was directed towards her.


    The tall man snorted, "This brat has repeatedly wrecked our big plans. The influence we painstakingly cultivated in Japan was destroyed by him, and our foothold in Mile City was also ruined by him. If we don¡¯t get rid of him, the authority of our organization will be greatly affected."


    The veiled woman shook her head, speaking in fluent Chinese, her voice soft and delicate, "It¡¯s precisely because he¡¯s too powerful that I don¡¯t recommend using force. Doing so may lead to even greater losses for us."


    "Hmph, no matter how strong he is, with the help of ¡¯No. 5 Divine Water,¡¯ I can certainly defeat him and tear him to pieces."


    "We¡¯ve already lost two experts last time. Are you eager to throw your life away too?"


    "Those two were not on my level. Their demise just shows they were not strong enough."


    "Alright, then you go ahead. Just remember, if you fail, I won¡¯t take any responsibility."


    "You don¡¯t need to." The man replied arrogantly, then turned to Sunx Nenghui, "Come on, watch me avenge you. I¡¯ll tear that kid into pieces and capture all his women for your idiot son to take as wives."


    Sunx Nenghui was overjoyed but replied respectfully, "Thank you, General."


    The man strode out with Sunx Nenghui in tow, leaving only the woman in the room. She shook her head and murmured, "You have no idea how powerful the Golden Eagle is. By the time you realize it, it will be too late." The room darkened, and the woman had vanished without a trace.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang again while he was with Chu Xiaoyao and Ning Xin¡¯er. Chu Xiaoyao had finally gotten her vacation and could stay home every day, but she still couldn¡¯t spend every night with Li Yifei. It was a rare occasion for her to be with him, and even more so with Ning Xin¡¯er, the big star she admired. Worried, she thought Li Yifei might have to leave as he answered the phone.


    Seeing the caller ID was Sunx Nenghui, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he answered, "Manager Sun, it¡¯s so late, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Sunx Nenghui spoke coldly, "Someone wants to meet you."


    "Is that so? But I don¡¯t meet with just anyone who wants to see me."


    "You don¡¯t have to come. We¡¯ll be waiting for you on Dragon Top Mountain for one hour. If you don¡¯t show up, then we won¡¯t bother looking for you again."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed, "You sure know how to pick a spot. The feng shui there is not bad, quite suitable as a resting place for the deceased."


    Sunx Nenghui sneered, "Li Yifei, there¡¯s no need for verbal jousting¡ªaren¡¯t you the one who boasts of being the strongest person in the world? So why the cold feet?"


    "Hmm, your attempt to provoke me worked; I¡¯ll go check it out."


    Li Yifei hung up the phone, and right away, Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "Uncle, you¡¯re going out?"


    Li Yifei patted Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s cheek and said, "Be good, wait for uncle. It won¡¯t take long for me to come back."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "Be careful. If Sunx Nenghui dares to call you out like this, I fear there might be a trap waiting. Why don¡¯t you take a few more people with you?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful. I never gamble with my life."


    In this respect, Li Yifei had always been consistent. Indeed, he was now a master, and it could be said that, in this world, there were not many who could beat him. However, many a time, high skill alone was not enough to save a life¡ªcountless masters have died at the hands of those far less skilled.


    After leaving home, Li Yifei drove to the foot of Dragon Top Mountain. The mountain, located by the sea, was not very high, just over two hundred meters, but it was covered with shrubbery and strangely formed steep rocks, making it very precipitous. Therefore, it remained undeveloped and was scarcely frequented.


    To ascend the mountain, Li Yifei had no choice but to climb up on foot, but he did not take the only trail going up the mountain. Instead, he set a direction, crossed through the bushes, clung to the rocks, and climbed swiftly upward.


    As he scaled the mountain, he watched his surroundings intently. Even in the dark, if anyone was lying in wait nearby, Li Yifei was sure to notice them. But along the way, he encountered no obstructions, nor did anyone hide in ambush.


    Such a situation suggested a single possibility: the people above were extremely confident they could eliminate him, likely a formidable master who had no need for sneaky tricks or deceit.


    This made Li Yifei even more vigilant. Though he was strong, he never believed there were no competitors who could defeat him. If the opponent really had such strength, then he must leave himself an escape path. There was no need for a senseless death.


    When he was a mere ten meters from the summit, a voice called out, "The mighty Golden Eagle takes the path less traveled?"


    Li Yifei pressed his hand against a nearby rock, his body soaring upward, leaping over two meters high, then pushing off another rock to gain another two meters. After a few such vaults, he had already landed atop the mountain. The summit of Dragon Top Mountain was fairly flat, featuring a plateau roughly ten meters in diameter. On it stood two men, one of whom was Sunx Nenghui, and the other, a towering Asian man. The latter had been the one speaking, and judging by his accent, he was not likely Huaxia People.


    The weather was fair that day with moonlight bathing the plateau. Although hazy, it was still easy to see each other clearly. Li Yifei felt he had never seen this man before, and he seemed to have an impression of others who would challenge him. This indicated the stranger was not widely known.


    A challenger of his caliber, unknown to the public, prompted Li Yifei to be even more cautious. He knew nothing about this man, whereas his own reputation had spread far and wide. The opponent was likely well-informed about him. It was imperative to know both oneself and the enemy to emerge unscathed from many battles. Being ignorant of the opponent already put him at a disadvantage.


    With a faint smile, Li Yifei said, "One should neither harm others nor fall short of taking precautions."


    "Well said, but today, I intend to battle you fair and square¡ªyou shall die by my hand," the man¡¯s eyes gleamed with red, becoming more intense, as if filled with blood.


    Li Yifei was familiar with such a gaze; those two men from Cao Bin, after taking the drug, had looked exactly like this, which let Li Yifei know that Sunx Nenghui, like Cao Bin, was associated with that mysterious organization. This guy, so brazen, surely intended to boost his strength with the drug¡¯s potency rather than rely on his own inherent power.


    "Is that so? Then at least let me know your name. Even if I am to die, I should die with clarity."


    "Haha... well said. I didn¡¯t expect the Golden Eagle to be so sensible. I¡¯ll let you die with full understanding¡ªI¡¯m Park Sung-ho."


    "North Korean?" Li Yifei felt this guy must be Korean from his tone, but he deliberately referred to him as a North Korean. Since the opponent¡¯s strength increased significantly with the drug, Li Yifei was uncertain how strong he would be post-dosage. Dragging out the time now would decrease the effectiveness of the drug.


    Real combat involves not only exchanging blows but also a battle of wits and bravery. A rash strongman never lives for long.

 Chapter 1043 - 1087: Pseudo Master

    Chapter 1043: Chapter 1087: Pseudo Master"Li Yifei, are you insulting me?" Park Sung-ho¡¯s angry eyes grew even redder.


    Li Yifei offered an apologetic smile and said, "Then you are indeed a Korean, the great Korean nation is indeed powerful. Recently, I have not heard of any masters coming out of Korea, guess you¡¯ve been hiding all along."


    Park Sung-ho proudly smiled and declared, "That¡¯s right, our great Korean nation is absolutely the most powerful nation in the world."


    "Is that so?" replied Yifei, "Then why can you still be manipulated by someone?"


    Park Sung-ho¡¯s face stiffened, and he angrily said, "Golden Eagle, cut the crap. This year we settle matters of life and death."


    Li Yifei waved his hand dismissively and said, "What¡¯s the rush? I have a few questions for Sunx Nenghui, you¡¯re not scared of me, are you?"


    "Nonsense. If I were scared of you, I wouldn¡¯t have let you come here."


    "Then I just have a couple of questions. Just wait a moment, otherwise, I¡¯ll die with regrets."


    Park Sung-ho hesitated for a moment, while Sunx Nenghui quickly said, "Stop stalling for time, I have nothing to say to you."


    This remark was mainly a reminder for Park Sung-ho, who finally understood why Li Yifei was being so talkative. He suddenly felt a shock in his heart. The drug he had taken had a maximum effect of only fifteen minutes, and he had taken it preemptively the moment he saw Li Yifei arrive. If Li Yifei were to delay any further, five or six minutes would already have passed.


    At that moment, Li Yifei suddenly bellowed, "Since you¡¯re eager to die, let me aid you on your journey!" With his shout, Li Yifei¡¯s body lunged forward, delivering a punch towards Park Sung-ho.


    The punch was tremendously powerful, even producing a sound that ripped through the air, evidencing its immense force.


    Park Sung-ho did not expect Li Yifei to strike as soon as he spoke. One meter away from his target, he could already feel the immense pressure from the punch. Even with the drug¡¯s enhancement, the feeling of being overpowered was unavoidable.


    This filled Park Sung-ho with alarm. He had been confident, but Li Yifei¡¯s attack instilled fear in him. If he dodged now, that fear would only deepen. So, he too roared and threw a punch to meet Li Yifei¡¯s.


    Li Yifei used no fancy maneuvers; he actually wanted to test this opponent¡¯s strength, so he met his fist head-on.


    "Thump!" The impact was like a muffled thunderclap. Li Yifei¡¯s body quickly retreated three meters before he firmly regained his stance.


    Yet Park Sung-ho stood motionless, solid as Mount Tai.


    Sunx Nenghui was initially anxious, unsure if Park Sung-ho could really take down Li Yifei, but after the first exchange, his confidence soared. Even though he had no knowledge of martial arts, seeing Park Sung-ho repel Li Yifei, it seemed to indicate that Park Sung-ho was the stronger one.


    However, Park Sung-ho had his own troubles. Though he stood his ground, the formidable power from Li Yifei¡¯s punch, despite his drug-enhanced body, felt nearly unbearable. His chest churned, and he even felt an urge to vomit blood.


    Though Li Yifei seemed to be repelled, it was a self-protective act. As he retreated, he neutralized the massive force of the punch; despite stepping back, he was completely unharmed. Considering one¡¯s appearance in battle is foolish¡ªif something was advantageous, Li Yifei didn¡¯t care about looking courageous or not.


    This encounter let Li Yifei roughly gauge that his opponent¡¯s strength, while slightly inferior to his, was minimal at best. Fighting such a formidable foe, a swift conclusion was impossible, and this guy¡¯s body, fortified by pharmaceuticals, was much tougher than average. Defeating him now would certainly come at a cost for Li Yifei.


    Securing the greatest victory with the smallest price was Li Yifei¡¯s goal. Having just retreated, he immediately rushed at Park Sung-ho again. Knowing the opponent was weaker, he had nothing to worry about. He did not seek an immediate kill, but he wanted to test how strong Park Sung-ho really was and whether he had any weaknesses, for encounters with these types of individuals were likely in the future. Uncovering their weaknesses allowed him to be more targeted and potentially ensure an unassailable position.


    This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t confront him head-on, every move quick as the wind, touching and immediately retreating. While Park Sung-ho was also quite fast, compared to the increase in strength and body toughness, his speed was somewhat lacking, as was his reaction ability. Although Park Sung-ho was a master and had some impressive moves, he was noticeably inferior when compared with Li Yifei at this moment.


    In less than three minutes, Li Yifei had already struck Park Sung-ho six times, but those strikes were without full force. Yet, such force would have been unbearable for an average master to withstand even once, let alone six times. However, these blows had little effect on Park Sung-ho, merely causing his body to shake and inflicting no substantial damage.


    This made Li Yifei admire the power of the drug, which could strengthen a person¡¯s muscles to such an extent; it was truly defying the heavens.


    Yet Park Sung-ho was furious. After taking the drug, his strength had doubled, but he was still repeatedly hit, an immense humiliation. His rage intensified, and he attacked Li Yifei like a madman, bellowing as he came on.


    Five or six minutes into the fight, Li Yifei was more confident now. Although he couldn¡¯t take down Park Sung-ho, it was impossible for Park Sung-ho to hurt him. Once the drug¡¯s effects wore off, Park Sung-ho would have nothing but a death path.


    But now, Li Yifei was more interested in discovering Park Sung-ho¡¯s real weakness while under the drug¡¯s effect. If he could quickly eliminate him after he had taken the drug, then Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have to wait for the drug to wear off to deal with such opponents in the future.


    Another concern was that he had now encountered three such individuals. Considering the mysterious nature of this organization, there was no telling how many members they had. If there were several masters like Park Sung-ho who could launch a combined attack, then even Li Yifei was not sure he could escape unscathed.


    Therefore, Li Yifei¡¯s offensive suddenly became more ferocious, attacking while also observing Park Sung-ho¡¯s reactions to see if he had any specially protected areas. This was like those who practiced martial arts techniques like Golden Bell Cover or Iron-cloth Shirt; though seemingly impenetrable, there were always weak spots. If you found and breached their weak spot, then their Golden Bell Cover or Iron-cloth Shirt would be broken.


    Aside from protecting his head and groin, Park Sung-ho seemed to disregard attacks to other areas.


    The groin and head were naturally the most vital parts, and even after taking the drug, these areas were probably not as strong. So these were likely the weaker spots.


    As time passed, Park Sung-ho became increasingly frenzied. It had been ten minutes, and he had less than five minutes of the drug¡¯s effect left. He hadn¡¯t been able to do much to Li Yifei, and if he couldn¡¯t kill Li Yifei in the remaining time, once the drug wore off, he would fall into extreme weakness. Then, not only Li Yifei but even an ordinary person could kill him. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, he gambled everything on these last five minutes. Now it was a matter of life and death, with no second path for him.


    Park Sung-ho¡¯s mad assault increased Li Yifei¡¯s pressure, and it was more challenging than before to attack him as at the beginning. After all, Park Sung-ho was a master too, and not a weak one at that; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to challenge Li Yifei after taking the drug. It was not so easy to find his weakness now.


    Since it was futile, Li Yifei chose no longer to take the risk and adopted a hit-and-run strategy instead, evading Park Sung-ho¡¯s attacks as much as possible to drain the last few minutes.


    Park Sung-ho, like a mad tiger, thought of nothing but attacking, his eyes a frightening red. But no matter how wild he became, the disparity in strength was evident; it was impossible for him to kill Li Yifei.


    Sun Nenghui initially had a lot of confidence, even dreaming about vengeance. But as time went on, his worries grew, and by now, he realized that killing Li Yifei was impossible. Staying here would lead him to a dead end, so he began to retreat slowly while the battle was still intense ¨C he did not wish to die. As long as he lived, there would always be a chance.


    Just as Sun Nenghui reached the edge of the platform, preparing to run down the mountain, he suddenly felt a severe pain in his leg. It was incredibly painful, as if a chunk of flesh had been brutally torn off, causing him to cry out involuntarily.


    At that moment, Park Sung-ho¡¯s drug effect wore off. His final punch was limp and lacked any strength. Li Yifei, hearing Sun Nenghui¡¯s cry, immediately turned to look and saw him falling to the ground.


    Abandoning Park Sung-ho, Li Yifei dashed to Sun Nenghui¡¯s side in a few quick steps, checked his breathing, and found that he was already dead. With a push of his foot, he leapt backward.


    But by then, a shadow had already reached Park Sung-ho first, grabbing him and lunging towards the cliff¡¯s edge.


    Li Yifei flicked his wrist, and several flying needles shot out towards the shadow.


    PS: Friends reading this book on Tencent Bookstore, you can now cast your monthly votes too. If you like this book, cast your monthly votes for it. A big thank you in advance for tomorrow.

 Chapter 1044 - 1088: Mysterious Person

    Chapter 1044: Chapter 1088: Mysterious Person"Ding ding..." A series of metallic clangs rang out as Li Yifei¡¯s usually infallible Flying Needles were unexpectedly repelled by the dark shadow, which hurdled off the edge of the cliff without slowing down.


    Li Yifei rushed to the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, two streaks of cold light shot up from below. Li Yifei tilted his head back, avoiding the chilly gleams. He peered down once more but could see nothing in the darkness.


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow, filled with shock. The figure he had just seen seemed dainty, and there was a faint fragrance lingering in the air¡ªsurely, it was a woman. Such a petite figure possessed the strength to block his Flying Needles, a capability Li Yifei could not attribute to any woman he knew.


    If the opponent had taken some drugs, that would have been one thing, but if she had not and still possessed such strength, that would be truly terrifying. She would be a formidable adversary; even face-to-face, Li Yifei was not confident in his victory.


    This woman had saved Park Sung-ho, so clearly, she must be in on it together with him. If she had joined forces with Park Sung-ho back then, Li Yifei probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten away unscathed. The fact that she didn¡¯t make a move until the end to save Park Sung-ho puzzled Li Yifei.


    He turned back to approach where Sun Nenghui had been, but after only a step, Li Yifei paused. In the brief interlude, Sun Nenghui¡¯s body had also vanished.


    "Damn!" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but curse. Since joining the Flying Hawk Squad, this was the first time he had been so thwarted¡ªthe enemy had managed to remove bodies right under his nose twice now, and he didn¡¯t even know their identity.


    Li Yifei was inwardly alarmed. This organization was terrifyingly powerful. His complacency could be disastrous. There were indeed many powerful enemies within the organization, and he even felt outmatched in strength¡ªbut increasing his strength wasn¡¯t a viable option at the moment. Upon leaving the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei had felt he had reached a bottleneck. After returning to the city, over a year had passed without a breakthrough. At this level, advancing further was extremely difficult.


    It had only been about twenty minutes at this location, but it had been years since something had so perturbed Li Yifei. His phone rang, snapping him out of his deep thoughts.


    Seeing the call was from Chu Xiaoyao, Li Yifei quickly answered. An anxious Xiaoyao immediately asked, "Uncle, how are you?"


    "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ll be heading back soon."


    "Is it taken care of?"


    "Heh, dealt with. Is there anything your uncle can¡¯t handle?"


    Li Yifei maintained a lighthearted tone to ease Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s concerns.


    "I knew Uncle would be okay. Hurry home, I¡¯m all cleaned up waiting for you."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there."


    Even though he hadn¡¯t shared the organization¡¯s strength with his family, Li Yifei had started his investigation, sending many to gather information. However, understandably, no useful intelligence came to light immediately. Until now, neither officials nor the Underworld had heard of this organization, which attested to its tight operation. Had it been easy to acquire information, they would likely have been exposed long ago. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei could only stay alert to any developments, hoping the organization wouldn¡¯t trouble him further.


    Today, Li Yifei had some business at Xu Yingying¡¯s Dreamfly Company. As he entered, he encountered Chen Min, a classmate of Su Yiyi. Dressed in professional attire, Chen Min looked spirited¡ªwhile not beautiful, her vitality could entice men.


    "What a coincidence," Chen Min said, greeting Li Yifei with a smile.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t have any dislike for Chen Min, one of his subordinates, replying with a smile, "You already work here."


    "Yes, I¡¯ve been working for over a week. You¡¯re here to see Manager Mi, she¡¯s in her office."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Alright, you be busy then."


    "Good day, President Li, good day," more employees greeted Li Yifei, whom he acknowledged with smiles as he walked in.


    Chen Min watched him go, a peculiar smile crossing her lips. At that moment, several female employees joined Chen Min, one of whom was also a new hire.


    "That President Li just now, who is he?" asked the curious newcomer.


    An experienced employee laughed, "That¡¯s our former Human Resources Manager. He¡¯s started his own company."


    "No wonder he¡¯s familiar with everyone. Wow, having his own company, that¡¯s awesome. If only my boyfriend could do that."


    "You might as well save your energy, they are already married."


    "Married? No way? They got married so young?"


    "Of course, do you know who his wife is?"


    "Who?" Chen Min had been listening on the side, growing more and more excited. Could it be that Li Yifei was already married to Michelle and playing coy with a secret marriage? And then Su Yiyi got together with Li Yifei after that? This could be quite the spectacle.


    "Hehe, his wife is someone from our company, take a guess." An old employee said with a chuckle.


    "Isn¡¯t it Manager Mi?" Chen Min immediately asked.


    The old employee quickly looked around and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, it¡¯s true that President Li used to date Manager Mi, but Manager Mi is definitely not President Li¡¯s wife. Everyone in the company knows this, and no one would speak out of turn about it, otherwise it would look bad for Manager Mi¡¯s reputation."


    Chen Min¡¯s eyes widened in shock, "No way?"


    "What can¡¯t be? I¡¯m telling you, President Xu is President Li¡¯s wife. If you say President Xu¡¯s husband is someone else¡¯s husband, aren¡¯t you asking for trouble? If President Xu found out, would you still want to work here?"


    Chen Min¡¯s mouth could fit an egg, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Who on earth was Li Yifei, with a wife like President Xu of the company, and yet involved with Michelle, and also with Su Yiyi, doesn¡¯t it mean that Su Yiyi is not even the third person in this affair?


    Haha... The thought made Chen Min¡¯s heart suddenly bloom with joy. Su Yiyi had found a wealthy boyfriend, and although she wouldn¡¯t admit it out loud, Chen Min was always full of envy and resentment. Now it seemed that Su Yiyi was merely a minor affair. When their classmates meet again and if she let this story out, Chen Min couldn¡¯t imagine how colorful Su Yiyi¡¯s face would be.


    And watching others, who obviously didn¡¯t know about Li Yifei¡¯s involvement with Michelle and Su Mengxin, made her think she could make good use of this information later on.


    Although Chen Min had only been working here for just over a week, she felt the company had considerable potential. However, with so many young people here, competing to rise up wouldn¡¯t be easy. If she didn¡¯t have some special trick up her sleeve, climbing up from an ordinary employee wouldn¡¯t be so simple.


    When people start thinking about shortcuts, they often lose the motivation to strive on their own merits, and it seemed Chen Min was now doing just that.


    In Xu Yingying¡¯s office, Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Li Yifei were sitting together, discussing some important company moves. Although these things could also be discussed at home, since home was a place to relax, Li Yifei still preferred to talk about these matters during the day when he was more focused.


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing felt the same way, both preferring to talk about work with Li Yifei here, while at home, they all wanted to get cozy with Li Yifei.


    When it was almost time for lunch, Li Yifei stopped and said, "My two wives, may I go out to lunch with Snow today?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "It seems like coming here to talk about work was just a pretense, and you actually wanted to have a date with Michelle, right?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Wife, you can¡¯t wrong me like this."


    Xu Yingying laughed lightly and said, "Okay, go ahead. Fangqing and I still have things to discuss."


    Li Yifei kissed each of them on the face and then left for Michelle¡¯s office. There were people in Michelle¡¯s office, so immediately she said, "Alright, that¡¯s it for today. You can go back to work now."


    The two employees quickly acknowledged, said hello to Li Yifei, and walked out.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around Michelle and said, "My Little Snow, you¡¯re so busy lately, make sure you rest enough."


    Michelle quickly glanced toward the door, saw that it was closed, then smiled radiantly and said, "It¡¯s good to be busy, isn¡¯t it more fulfilling?"


    "Then, do you have time to have lunch with me today?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    Michelle was delighted and said, "That would be great."


    Although Li Yifei and Michelle had confirmed their relationship recently, they hadn¡¯t had many chances to spend time together, only twice in total. Michelle, who was in the throes of a new romance, naturally hoped to spend more time with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll leave right now."


    "No, you go first, I¡¯ll come find you in a bit. If people in the company see us leaving together, it¡¯s easy to stir up gossip. If it causes talk, it¡¯d be very embarrassing for President Xu."


    Their relationship, naturally, wasn¡¯t ready to be made public yet, and Michelle had her concerns, which were completely natural. This inevitably made Li Yifei feel a twinge of guilt; having multiple women did make certain areas of life less than

 Chapter 1045 - 1089: An Unexpected Encounter on a Date

    Chapter 1045: Chapter 1089: An Unexpected Encounter on a DateLi Yifei stepped out of Michelle¡¯s office and was descending the stairs between the second and first floor when he encountered Chen Min again. Li Yifei nodded to her, intending to pass by.


    Chen Min deliberately leaned closer to Li Yifei and whispered, "President Li, you really are something."


    Li Yifei stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at Chen Min, saying, "What do you mean?"


    Chen Min blinked at Li Yifei and said, "President Li wouldn¡¯t forget that I¡¯m Su Yiyi¡¯s classmate, right? That day at school, I saw you with Manager Mi."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "I remember, so what?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, I just feel that President Li really has a way with women. So many beautiful girls like you."


    Li Yifei said indifferently, "You know that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t talk too much."


    "Of course, I know my place and I definitely won¡¯t blab," Chen Min said with another smile. "President Li, I¡¯m off to work."


    Striding upstairs lightly, Chen Min felt pleased with herself. Li Yifei¡¯s words made her feel that she now had leverage over him. Should she need something from him in the future, Li Yifei would surely agree. She had not spoken directly because she had not yet decided what she wanted from Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t consider Chen Min a big deal. The fact that he was popular with the ladies wasn¡¯t something he wanted to broadcast, but a few people knew it already. He certainly didn¡¯t think a student like Chen Min would be so scheming.


    Having reached the ground floor, Li Yifei sat in his car and waited for a few minutes before Michelle sneaked in, looking around cautiously and with the air of a cat burglar, which Li Yifei found amusing.


    Once Michelle slipped into the car like a thief, Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Michelle, we aren¡¯t thieves, no need for all this cloak-and-dagger, right?"


    "We have to, though. I don¡¯t mind, and Sister Yingying doesn¡¯t either, but other people may not understand. If someone sees us, wouldn¡¯t that be troublesome? For now, this is how it is, and I think it¡¯s quite good."


    "So Michelle has this sort of kink, finding pleasure in these situations."


    Michelle slapped Li Yifei on the shoulder lightly and scolded, "Stop it, I do not! It¡¯s all because you haven¡¯t talked to my parents yet. They haven¡¯t agreed, and I wouldn¡¯t dare let everybody know."


    Now that she was officially Li Yifei¡¯s girlfriend, Michelle felt especially affectionate. Perhaps it was the tension from the recent past, but once released, her intensity was even stronger than most.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll try my best soon. But Michelle, I won¡¯t deceive you, the difficulty level is still quite high if I go now. It¡¯s better to take it slow. If your parents remain unyielding, then maybe I¡¯ll move you up in the schedule, which should reduce the resistance."


    Michelle knew that Li Yifei was referring to the sequence of getting married. Though she was not yet living in Li Yifei¡¯s home, she was privy to many things, especially those concerning their future.


    Michelle quickly interjected, "No, no, that won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t just cut in line like that. It could make others feel uncomfortable. I don¡¯t want to be ostracized before I¡¯ve even joined the family."


    "It¡¯s not that serious. We all understand each other."


    "That¡¯s exactly why I need to be more considerate, not to disrupt this understanding. If someone feels upset and speaks to you about it, wouldn¡¯t that put you in a difficult position?"


    "Michelle, wouldn¡¯t that be too unfair to you?"


    "What¡¯s unfair? I¡¯ve decided to be with you, and I¡¯ve considered all these things. We can take our time. Anyway, people are marrying later and later. If you can marry me before I turn thirty, then my parents will definitely be convinced."


    "Michelle, I truly am..."


    "Then say something nice, I love hearing it," Michelle said, tilting her head and smiling sweetly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was originally quite touched, but Michelle¡¯s playful antics made him laugh as he responded, "Alright, my Little Snow is gentle and considerate. A girl like her is hard to find, even with a lantern. Being with me now, I must have chanted countless mantras in my past life to have earned such a blessing."


    "There¡¯s more, isn¡¯t there?" Michelle¡¯s eyes crinkled into slits, her brows curved like crescent moons, her face flushed with happiness and joy.


    Over the past year, Li Yifei had become used to being with women, and sweet nothings came easily to him. He knew these pleasantries were important to say often, as women always liked to hear them, no matter how much they heard.


    Contended, Michelle giggled the entire trip, until they arrived at a homely little restaurant.


    Li Yifei had only recently discovered this eatery while looking for romantic venues around Mile City. The place had a unique flavor, and they only served five tables per day, requiring reservations in the morning for a spot. That morning, before Li Yifei went to the office, he thought about having lunch with Michelle, so he had already booked a table in advance.


    Michelle was clinging to Li Yifei¡¯s arm. Wherever they went for a meal was unimportant; what mattered most was that she could be close and affectionate with Li Yifei.


    "Ah! Big brother, it¡¯s you." As they entered, the waitress at the door exclaimed in surprise.


    Li Yifei turned his head to look, equally surprised. The girl was the same one he had encountered that day in the Western restaurant, who had later come to his house to apply for a job. He hadn¡¯t hired her at the time and hadn¡¯t followed up on how she was doing. He hadn¡¯t expected to bump into her again today.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Yes, I didn¡¯t expect to see you again either."


    "Yes, brother, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here either."


    "How did you end up here?"


    "I¡¯m working here. After I visited your place last time... since you didn¡¯t hire me, I kept looking for work. I had two other jobs, both were... later, I found this place. It seems quite good, and I¡¯ve already been working for over a week."


    The girl didn¡¯t go into details about the two jobs, but Li Yifei could guess. The girl was very pretty; if she went to a messy place, she would definitely draw unwanted attention, so it was normal for her to not stick around.


    "Mmm, make sure you go back to school after the holiday. Doing some work-study programs in school would be safer."


    The girl nodded repeatedly, saying, "Mmm, once I enroll, I will strive to do that."


    "Good, we are going to eat now, you¡¯re busy," Li Yifei nodded and proceeded further inside.


    The girl hurried after them, saying, "Big brother, let me lead the way, I am in charge of welcoming guests."


    "Oh, I¡¯m in the Plum Blossom Room."


    "Okay."


    The girl hurried ahead to lead the way. After bringing Li Yifei and Michelle to their room, she bit her lip and spoke softly, "Big brother, could you tell me your name and phone number?" She quickly added, "I¡¯ll pay you back later."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "No need, that money is for you. Since I didn¡¯t hire you and caused you to work hard outside, consider it compensation."


    "Big brother, I later found out that you needed a long-term worker. Since I have to attend university, I couldn¡¯t work for you. I really need the money now for registration and tuition fees, but I must pay you back."


    At that moment, the girl resembled Su Yiyi from the past: seemingly fragile yet very determined in her actions. This also touched Li Yifei¡¯s heartstrings, and he said, "My name is Li Yifei, here¡¯s my business card. If you run into any difficulties, you can call me, and I¡¯ll help you."


    The girl eagerly took the business card, her face brimming with joy. After glancing at it, she carefully tucked it into her pocket and said, "Brother Li, my name is Jiang Ningxiang."


    "That¡¯s a very pretty name," Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but compliment.


    "Thank you, Brother Li. What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll order for you right away."


    Li Yifei and Michelle ordered four dishes, and Jiang Ningxiang left jubilantly.


    "She¡¯s a really nice girl." Michelle winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Michelle, you are really becoming like them. Whenever I talk to any pretty girl, you have that tone, as if I want to get my hands on every pretty girl I see."


    Michelle pouted, "Who told you to have so many women around you."


    "Okay, my fault, but I¡¯m also quite surprised. I didn¡¯t know this girl at all before, and in just one month¡¯s time, I¡¯ve already seen her three times." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle giggled softly, "Maybe that¡¯s fate."


    "You..." Li Yifei extended his hand and pinched Michelle¡¯s cheek across the small square table, jokingly saying, "If I were that kind of man, I would have made my move on you long ago."


    Michelle grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s wrist, her face rubbing affectionately against his palm, coquettishly saying, "If you wanted to take advantage of someone, they might not agree. I¡¯m not that easy." Michelle¡¯s cheeks were smooth and tender to the touch, truly comfortable. During their time together, they hadn¡¯t been overly intimate; kissing was the most common act between them. Despite the physical contact, Li Yifei found himself actually enjoying it. Now for him, going to bed was not something he pursued; this kind of soulful love was what mesmerized him even more.

 Chapter 1046 - 1090: Young Master Meng’s People

    Chapter 1046: Chapter 1090: Young Master Meng¡¯s PeopleShortly after, the dishes were served, and Li Yifei and Michelle didn¡¯t drink alcohol but opted for some juice and food. The main appeal was the serene atmosphere of the small, elegantly decorated private room. What came after the meal was Michelle¡¯s favorite part.


    Before long, they finished eating. By now, Li Yifei and Michelle were no longer sitting face to face, but side by side, with Michelle nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, counting his fingers. It was indeed a blissful moment.


    A few minutes later, their lips already pressed together, a passionate kiss seemed inevitable.


    But just as they started to get intimate, a noise came from outside, though it didn¡¯t disturb their moment.


    "Let go of me... let go of me... help!" Yet, hearing such cries, Li Yifei and Michelle finally paused. With a puzzled look, Michelle said, "That sounds like the girl from earlier."


    Frowning, Li Yifei said, "Let¡¯s go have a look."


    Michelle nodded. She had a good impression of that girl and didn¡¯t want to stand by idly if the girl was in trouble.


    The noise had come from the hall. When Li Yifei and Michelle reached it, they saw two oddly dressed young men with multicolored dyed hair, grabbing the arms of the girl called Jiang Ningxiang, while a woman was blocking the doorway, negotiating with the young men.


    "Ladies, this is not a place for you to cause trouble," the woman, who was probably in her thirties, said sternly with a dignified air and pleasing appearance.


    "We want to cause trouble, what can you do about it? I fancy this girl, and I¡¯m taking her with me," a young man with yellow hair said cheekily.


    "Do you know the consequences of causing trouble here?"


    "What are they? Are you so tough? Let¡¯s hear it."


    "Kid, you really don¡¯t know how high the sky is. This place belongs to Brother Hu. You¡¯d better let her go now. I can overlook this incident. But if you keep messing around, huh... I believe the sharks in the sea wouldn¡¯t mind some extra food."


    The woman spoke quite domineeringly, apparently a direct subordinate of Brother Hu; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so confident.


    Hearing Brother Hu¡¯s name, the yellow-haired boy still showed no fear and arrogantly responded, "Is Brother Hu that impressive? Don¡¯t use Brother Hu to scare us. We¡¯re Young Master Meng¡¯s men. Would Brother Hu dare to disrespect Young Master Meng?"


    The woman¡¯s expression changed abruptly but she retorted coldly, "Did Young Master Meng send you here?"


    "Do you think someone like Young Master Meng would care about a small place like this? What a joke."


    "Fine then, even if I break your legs, Young Master Meng won¡¯t defend you. You two lackeys are really swaggering around Mile City under Young Master Meng¡¯s banner."


    The "Young Master Meng" the yellow-haired boy mentioned was Meng Qianjun, who mainly dealt with entertainment venues in Mile City, where interactions with hooligans were inevitable. Given Meng Qianjun¡¯s power, the local officials wouldn¡¯t dare trouble him, ensuring smooth operations here with many hooligans flocking to him.


    Originally, Meng Qianjun hadn¡¯t arrived and Li Yifei helped Brother Hu eliminate his biggest competitor, which allowed Brother Hu to thrive in Mile City. However, Meng Qianjun¡¯s arrival had significantly curtailed Brother Hu¡¯s influence. Though there had been no major clashes lately, it seemed unavoidable now.


    "Wow, the boss lady really talks tough. You¡¯re just Brother Hu¡¯s woman, does that scare us? We¡¯re taking this girl today, let¡¯s see how you break our legs," said the yellow-haired boy before he and another guy started dragging the girl away.


    The boss lady frowned. Most local thugs knew this was Brother Hu¡¯s territory, so no bullies had dared to act rashly since the opening. The establishment operated normally without even a need for bouncers. Finding help now was too late, but she couldn¡¯t just watch these guys take the girl away, as that would disgrace her enormously.


    "Help... help..." Struggling desperately, Jiang Ningxiang immediately spotted Li Yifei and shouted urgently, "Brother Li, help, please!"


    Li Yifei had intended to help the girl, initially just observing to see how far Meng Qianjun would go. Now he couldn¡¯t just watch. Taking a few steps forward, he blocked the thugs and said sternly, "Let her go."


    The yellow-haired boy rolled his eyes and sneered, "Kid, who do you think you are? Let me tell you, don¡¯t try to play hero; you might lose your life."


    Li Yifei, not wanting to waste words with such riffraff, stretched out his hands, grabbed both their wrists, and with a slight exertion, the two thugs immediately screamed like slaughtered pigs, naturally releasing Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang felt a relief on her arm and quickly threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, hugging him and bursting into loud sobs.


    Li Yifei waved his hands, and the two thugs staggered back a few steps. Then they clutched their wrists and screamed in pain. Li Yifei had just squeezed and already broken their wrist bones, which explained their screams.


    "Get lost!" Li Yifei glared at the two men once more.


    At this time, the blond thug, still oblivious to his imminent danger, yelled, "Kid! You... you dared to break our hands, we are Young Master Meng¡¯s people, and he will definitely settle this score with you!"


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened, and he coldly said, "Even if Meng Qianjun himself were here, I¡¯d still break your hands. If you don¡¯t disappear from my sight in five seconds, I¡¯ll break your legs too."


    The two men were terrified. Mentioning Meng Qianjun¡¯s name in Mile City was almost invincible. Anyone who mentioned Meng Qianjun would have to respectfully call him Young Master Meng. Yet here was someone who called him by name and even added ¡¯that kid,¡¯ indicating that he might have the strength to confront Meng Qianjun.


    Blondie clenched his teeth and asked another question, "Who... who are you?"


    "Five seconds are up." As soon as Li Yifei finished speaking, he took a quick step forward and kicked out his right foot, hitting the two men¡¯s thighs. With two screams, the men flew out of the hall, and by then, Li Yifei had also broken their leg bones.


    If it had been anyone else, Li Yifei might have shown some deference, but for Meng Qianjun¡¯s men, he really didn¡¯t need to show any mercy. Meng Qianjun surely knew that Brother Hu was now his man. His men still dared to cause trouble on Brother Hu¡¯s territory, and if he didn¡¯t make a strong impression now, Meng Qianjun would really underestimate him.


    "Thank you, sir!" Brother Hu¡¯s woman came up and gratefully thanked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "It¡¯s nothing."


    "And may I ask for your esteemed name?"


    Li Yifei replied indifferently, "Tell Brother Hu, they¡¯ve shit on our heads, and we need not be polite with them."


    "Ah! Li... Young Master Li!" The woman stammered since she was Brother Hu¡¯s woman and knew who was backing Brother Hu now. Although she did not recognize Li Yifei, she finally met him.


    "Right, you know what¡¯s what." Li Yifei nodded and then patted Jiang Ningxiang, who was still sobbing on his chest, saying, "Alright, stop crying. I chased the bad guys away."


    Jiang Ningxiang turned her head, and seeing that the two thugs were indeed gone, she relaxed. Then she realized she was still embracing Li Yifei and quickly let go, her face blushing as she said, "Thank you, Brother Li; thank you, Brother Li."


    "It¡¯s alright now. You¡¯ll work here from now on, and no one will bully you."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded repeatedly, and Brother Hu¡¯s woman quickly said, "Young Master Li, rest assured, placing Ningxiang here, I will definitely protect her. If anything happens to her, it¡¯s on me."


    Li Yifei saw that the woman misunderstood his relationship with Jiang Ningxiang, but he did not specifically clarify. He wasn¡¯t familiar with Brother Hu¡¯s woman and didn¡¯t need to explain. Besides, Jiang Ningxiang was indeed a pitiable girl who often got into trouble and had no ability to protect herself. Letting Brother Hu¡¯s people take care of her would prevent her from being harmed by bad people, which was itself a good deed.


    The disturbance caused by the two thugs had spoiled the mood for eating, so Li Yifei and Michelle left. Jiang Ningxiang immediately called Brother Hu and relayed everything that happened. Brother Hu was furious, but when he heard the message Li Yifei asked to be passed on, he was instantly thrilled. He had been frustrated for a long time, and now that Li Yifei was finally ready to confront Meng Qianjun directly, he felt a nauseating satisfaction would finally be released. In his heart, Li Yifei was a godlike figure, and not even a Young Master from the Capital City could impress him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Right, that girl, Young Master Li specifically told me to take care of her. What should I do?"


    "Ah, Young Master Li said that?"


    "Yes, he said it himself."


    Brother Hu was aware that Li Yifei had connections with several attractive women, like the two beautiful news anchors, so in Brother Hu¡¯s eyes, Li Yifei indeed had a preference for beautiful women. Thus, the woman Li Yifei asked to be cared for was certainly his woman¡ªjust inconvenient to take home at the moment. He quickly said, "Then you must take very good care of the girl. Treat her like a lady and ensure not to offend her."


    "Understood, Brother Hu. Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of this young lady." Knowing Brother Hu¡¯s background and that he backed by Young Master Li, pleasing Young Master Li¡¯s woman would surely make Young Master Li satisfied. In turn, Brother Hu¡¯s protection would only improve, ensuring better days for herself.

 Chapter 1047 - 1092: Pressure from the Saintess

    Chapter 1047: Chapter 1092: Pressure from the SaintessBrother Hu¡¯s woman was named Wang Lin, and she was thirty-three years old this year. She had been with Brother Hu since her early twenties. Although Brother Hu couldn¡¯t marry her, he treated her very well, so she had always stayed by his side.


    She was also a very shrewd woman, and her actions were very reassuring to Brother Hu. After she hung up the phone, she stepped out and saw Jiang Ningxiang tidying up the hall. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Ningxiang, and said, "Little Jiang, you don¡¯t have to do this work; let someone else do it."


    "Ah, boss, this is my job," said Jiang Ningxiang with a confused look on her face.


    Wang Lin hurriedly said, "What¡¯s your job? There¡¯s no job for you here."


    "Boss... are you firing me?" Jiang Ningxiang suddenly panicked, staring at Wang Lin in terror. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Lin quickly said, "Not at all. You are now the little lady of this place; how dare I fire you? You belong to Young Master Li; how can I make you work?"


    Jiang Ningxiang looked confused and said, "I... I don¡¯t quite understand."


    Wang Lin chuckled secretly. It seemed this young girl was still very innocent. Young Master Li had taken an interest in her, and she was oblivious. Since this was the case, she couldn¡¯t be too obvious about it. If Young Master Li found out she was meddling, it wouldn¡¯t be good. After thinking it over, she said, "Well then, from now on you can work at the cash register."


    "The cash register... But boss, aren¡¯t you the one who handles the money?" Jiang Ningxiang was still very confused.


    "I want to take it easy for a while. From now on, you will handle the money matters. How¡¯s that? Surely you can do that, can¡¯t you?" Wang Lin purposely teased Jiang Ningxiang.


    "I can, I can do it for sure!" Jiang Ningxiang quickly replied.


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Oh, and if you are going to be handling the cash, you can¡¯t wear these waitstaff clothes."


    "But... I don¡¯t have any clothes nicer than these," Jiang Ningxiang said, looking down, somewhat embarrassed.


    "If you don¡¯t have any, we¡¯ll go buy some. You¡¯ll be working for me, and I¡¯ll be the one paying. Come on, let¡¯s go buy some now." Saying this, Wang Lin pulled Jiang Ningxiang and set out. Since she had to take care of the girl for Li Yifei, she naturally wanted to do her best; she had to dress this young lady up to look pretty and nice, so that Young Master Li would be happy when he next visited.


    Li Yifei had no idea that a casual remark of his had completely changed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s fate. He had just parked in a secluded spot and was kissing Michelle. At Wang Lin¡¯s place, they had only just begun to taste the sweetness before they were interrupted. Li Yifei could deal with the interruption, but Michelle was not content and suggested finding a quiet place to sit, seeing as it was still early to return to the company.


    After Li Yifei dropped Michelle off at the company, he made a call to Brother Hu and met with him at his villa.


    "Young Master Li, are we really going to counterattack?" Brother Hu asked with excitement, clenching his fists.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Yes. Before I wanted to see what he was up to in Mile City, but now they¡¯re about to openly disrespect us. If we don¡¯t show them some color, we won¡¯t be able to hang around Mile City anymore."


    Li Yifei had no intention of getting involved in underworld activities, but Meng Qianjun was being excessively overbearing. If Meng Qianjun took over the entire underworld of Mile City, it would pose a significant threat to Li Yifei. One should not overlook the likes of Brother Hu and his men; though they might seem to lack strength, if they aimed to ruin a person or company, they could cause severe difficulties. Even if Li Yifei did not want to get involved, he couldn¡¯t let Meng Qianjun have his way.


    Brother Hu rubbed his hands and said, "Then Young Master Li, what should we do? I won¡¯t hide it from you; I haven¡¯t really faced such big scenes before. I¡¯m very excited now but have no idea where to start."


    Li Yifei glanced at Brother Hu, who said somewhat awkwardly, "Young Master Li, we¡¯ve only ever been involved in minor skirmishes. We¡¯ve never experienced anything like those big gang brawls in the movies. Now with Meng Qianjun¡¯s momentum so fierce, it seems we won¡¯t be able to regain our advantage without a fight."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Gang brawls are definitely not an option. That would make you truly part of the underworld. Even if you¡¯re in the clear now, you might not be later. Besides, my wife is a police officer. If such things happen, it would make things difficult for her."


    Brother Hu was even more puzzled and asked, "Then what should we do?"


    Li Yifei pointed to his head, "Use your brain. Not everything has to be settled by martial strength. Our goal is to make sure Meng Qianjun can¡¯t rest easy and slow down his expansion."


    Brother Hu furrowed his brow in thought, but still couldn¡¯t come up with anything. Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It¡¯s simple. Didn¡¯t Meng Qianjun come to make trouble at your club? You go make trouble for him, too. Right now, we¡¯re not looking for any significant outcome, but at the very least, we have to send Meng Qianjun a signal that you, Brother Hu, are not afraid of him."


    Brother Hu perked up, "Okay, I¡¯ll send people to make trouble for him."


    Li Yifei nodded, "I¡¯ll send a few people to assist you, but remember one thing¡ªif you encounter Meng Qianjun himself, leave immediately. Do not confront him directly; the man is dangerous. It¡¯s not worth risking lives over petty conflict."


    Brother Hu nodded repeatedly, fervently agreeing and admiring Li Yifei even more. Unlike himself, who would never consider the safety of his subordinates when taking action, Li Yifei, as a young master with strong ability, still took the safety of his lower-level employees into account. This was truly a different class, and it was clear that Li Yifei had the makings of a great leader. Compared to Li Yifei, Brother Hu realized he had much to learn.

 Chapter 1048 - 1092: Pressure from the Saintess_2

    Chapter 1048: Chapter 1092: Pressure from the Saintess_2And next, Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much. He only outlined the main points to give Brother Hu a direction, as getting too involved would not only undermine Brother Hu¡¯s capabilities but also drag himself into unnecessary trouble.


    Once Brother Hu received Li Yifei¡¯s instructions, he felt confident about taking action. He immediately arranged for his men to cause trouble at Meng Qianjun¡¯s place. His woman had been humiliated by Meng¡¯s men, and he was already seething with rage. If he didn¡¯t strike back, he would lose face as a leader.


    Meng Qianjun, on his part, was not willing to show weakness either. Both sides immediately clashed, but Meng didn¡¯t restrain his men, and for the moment, both were engaged in minor skirmishes. However, to the discerning eye, it was clear that a serious conflict was inevitable between Meng Qianjun and Brother Hu¡ªone the outsider trying to establish authority and the other the local force.


    As the chief, Lin Qiong was immediately informed of the situation. Knowing that Brother Hu was acting on Li Yifei¡¯s advice complicated things for her. As a police officer, she of course couldn¡¯t allow any gang conflicts, and she intended to eradicate such activities.


    Now that both Li Yifei and Meng Qianjun were involved, she really didn¡¯t know what to do.


    "Husband, your involvement in these affairs really puts me in a difficult position," Lin Qiong said one evening, her brow furrowed as she spoke to Li Yifei and Song Lianyao.


    Li Yifei just smiled unconcernedly and replied, "Wife, you don¡¯t have to worry, just do whatever you need to do. You are a police officer, after all. Do what you must."


    "Huh?" Lin Qiong was a bit confused.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette, took a drag, and explained, "My wife is a police officer. How could I step into the underworld? But as for Meng Qianjun, that guy has made it clear he wants to play dirty, and if I don¡¯t respond, it would just show that I¡¯m too weak. It wouldn¡¯t be good for our Li family¡¯s future. He¡¯s just playing a game now and those people are merely his pawns. Eventually, it will come down to who plays smarter."


    "I still don¡¯t understand. If I arrest all the troublemakers, including your people, what will you do?"


    "Wife, given Meng Qianjun¡¯s current power, even if you want to arrest him, the higher-ups will just let him go. You can¡¯t stop that. And if they let go of Meng Qianjun¡¯s men, they can¡¯t just keep mine. Let¡¯s let Meng Qianjun take the lead now."


    "Oh, I see. Then I can really go all out."


    "Yeah, just go ahead, but be sure to stay safe. Meng Qianjun is dangerous; never confront him directly. If it¡¯s absolutely necessary to face him, make sure to inform me." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, I understand now."


    Lin Qiong, realizing that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t truly interested in underworld activities, felt relieved. She didn¡¯t want to be on opposing sides with Li Yifei. As Meng Qianjun was Li Yifei¡¯s enemy, using some tactics against him seemed justified.


    "Oh, wife, we can¡¯t just target him because he¡¯s my enemy."


    Lin Qiong indeed harbored such intentions. She wanted to be a fair police officer, but Meng Qianjun was clearly a bad character. Helping her husband and her family by leveraging her position seemed reasonable, but having Li Yifei point it out directly made her somewhat embarrassed. She quickly turned the tables by pinning Li Yifei under her, saying, "Got it, now I¡¯ll handle you."


    Li Yifei immediately cried out dramatically, "Wife, spare me, Lianyao, save your husband!"


    Song Lianyao chuckled and said, "This time I have to firmly stand by Lin Qiong¡¯s side. I want to bully you too." With that, she kissed Li Yifei, while Lin Qiong sat on top of him, frantically engaging in the most primal actions.


    In the following days, Lin Qiong launched some operations and arrested quite a few people, but just as Li Yifei had predicted, Meng Qianjun pulled some strings and his men were quickly released.


    Li Yifei had also put in a word with the higher-ups, and Brother Hu¡¯s men were released as well.


    This immediately sent a signal to the people below that Brother Hu¡¯s backing was just as strong as Meng Qianjun¡¯s. Otherwise, the police wouldn¡¯t have released all the arrested individuals. Whose power was stronger, their people got out; the weaker had to stay.


    Meng Qianjun¡¯s people took it for granted, but Brother Hu¡¯s men¡¯s confidence greatly increased. Knowing they had such strong backing, there was nothing to fear in clashing with Meng Qianjun¡¯s men. After all, if anything went wrong, there were those above to handle it.


    For the moment, things rested there. Li Yifei continued to focus a lot of his energy on managing his company. Now, his adversaries were not limited to Meng Qianjun; Wei Zijun and Gu Yanan were also threats. Although not as direct as Meng Qianjun, once these two made their move, they could pose significant dangers.


    Additionally, there was a woman known as the Holy Maiden, whose actions were peculiar and now posed the greatest pressure on Li Yifei, as his business had started operating normally. The Holy Maiden¡¯s company was similar to Li Yifei¡¯s, and competition arose between them as they operated.

 Chapter 1049 - 1092 Pressure from the Saint_3

    Chapter 1049: Chapter 1092 Pressure from the Saint_3Moreover, Li Yifei had already had two deals snatched away by Saintess, which left him a bit frustrated. He didn¡¯t necessarily want to compete with Saintess, but she was clearly playing very seriously. As long as Li Yifei was about to launch a business, she would certainly follow up, as if she¡¯s deliberately opposing Li Yifei.


    If things continued like this, Li Yifei¡¯s company might not last long before getting messed up by Saintess¡¯s company. This girl was indeed persistent. However, now Li Yifei had no choice but to fight back. He needed to establish a family. If he couldn¡¯t solve problems like this, how could he pave the way for his family and children in the future?


    And this time, one of Li Yifei¡¯s businesses was about to directly compete with Saintess¡¯s company, a multinational corporation that required millions of electronic components monthly. Li Yifei and his team planned to bid on this.


    Li Yifei was determined to win this deal, so he prepared extensively in advance, conducting comprehensive research and making full efforts in various aspects of component procurement.


    Inside the company, it wasn¡¯t just Ning Xin¡¯er anymore. Xu Shanshan had finished her work at the factory and was now here, finally able to be with Li Yifei every day. Su Yiyi, having graduated from university, also came over to help Li Yifei. Besides these three, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling initially wanted to help too, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t need that many people for now. They didn¡¯t understand these things at all; they wouldn¡¯t just be unhelpful but might even cause negative effects, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t let them come.


    This left Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling a little frustrated. They used to be the darlings of fortune, focused on having fun, with their families not minding since they would eventually get married anyway. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they married into a big family, they wouldn¡¯t have to do much, just have two kids and support their husbands¡¯ social engagements. But now, in Li Yifei¡¯s family, everyone had something to do and was striving for this family. They couldn¡¯t just idle around, as that would make them feel useless and uncomfortable.


    Li Yifei also understood their feelings. After discussing with Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying, they decided to let the two go over to Xu Yingying¡¯s side to learn to do something.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were happy with this arrangement, working very diligently in this period and suddenly finding their lives more fulfilling. Compared to the aimless and drunken revelry before, their current lives, though somewhat tough and not as free, were much more interesting and meaningful.


    Everyone at home had something to do, leaving Su Mengfei rather troubled. Initially, when she first arrived, she could play with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling every day. Now that these two were working, she found herself idle. The only other person at home was Su Mengxin, who was nurturing her pregnancy and not playing with her, leaving the once fun-loving her extremely bored. Still, she didn¡¯t want to return to the Capital City, as she¡¯d be even more bored there without Xiao Ling¡¯er. So, she stayed here, chatting with Su Mengxin every day.


    Ning Xin¡¯er had been collaborating with Li Yifei in the company for quite a long time, and she was now well-adjusted to the job. Although Xu Shanshan often seemed mischievous and playful, she had many ideas when it came to serious matters. After honing her skills at the factory for a while, Xu Shanshan had grown considerably, and her working style now somewhat resembled her sister¡¯s.


    Su Yiyi majored in English, making her work quite challenging. However, Su Yiyi had always been a tenacious girl, trying very hard to contribute to the family.


    Every day with these three beauties by his side, his two wives didn¡¯t mind, getting close at home, but at the company, they didn¡¯t mess around with Li Yifei. It was Xu Shanshan, the sister-in-law, who always had some secret flirtations with Li Yifei, and she thoroughly enjoyed it.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t do much about Xu Shanshan. Their relationship couldn¡¯t be made public, so Xu Shanshan was the one he felt most indebted to. Therefore, he let things be, and these furtive flirtations were indeed exciting, making Li Yifei enjoy them quite a bit.


    However, Li Yifei never neglected his primary responsibilities. He was someone who always knew how to prioritize. His main goal now was to strengthen his family, so everything he did was in service of this objective.

 Chapter 1050 - 1093: On a Business Trip with Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 1050: Chapter 1093: On a Business Trip with Xu ShanshanThe headquarters of this multinational company was in Australia, and so was the bidding conference. Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden were on the same flight to Australia.


    At the airport, they ran into each other. The Holy Maiden was dressed in a set of professional attire, not only stunningly beautiful but also exceptionally keen and capable. She was a woman who definitely rivaled Su Mengxin. Whatever she did, she would do it the best, and the aura she brought with it was absolutely incomparable by others.


    "Yifei, it¡¯s been a while since we last saw each other. I missed you so much." The Holy Maiden greeted Li Yifei with open arms and a brilliant smile on her face.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and also opened his arms, giving the Holy Maiden a warm hug. However, after hugging her, he didn¡¯t let go like a simple, polite embrace but instead wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter into his arms, "Really? Or just pretending?"


    The Holy Maiden didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei would do so, but she quickly understood his intention. Clearly, the guy had some thoughts of revenge. Her smile grew even brighter, one hand resting on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and the other gently caressing his chest. She squinted her eyes and said, "My heart only has you in it. Why don¡¯t you verify it?"


    "How to verify, by feeling your heart?" Li Yifei asked with a mischievous smile.


    "Yes." The Holy Maiden replied, blooming like a flower, not at all embarrassed.


    At this, Li Yifei was actually caught off guard by the Holy Maiden. He surely couldn¡¯t just grope her chest in public, could he?


    "Giggle, let¡¯s save the verification for when we¡¯re alone then. At least save me some face in front of all these people."


    The Holy Maiden gave Li Yifei a way out, and he couldn¡¯t help but take it. He let go of her and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll let you off for now."


    In the eyes of others, Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden looked like a couple who hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, flirting and teasing each other here. But Li Yifei was very clear that he had just tried to play a trick on the Holy Maiden, and it turned out he had been played instead. That was quite frustrating. The Holy Maiden was not guarded against him, so these slightly insulting tricks were completely ineffective.


    This time Li Yifei had brought Xu Shanshan with him on the trip, both because Xu Shanshan had requested it, and because bringing either Ning Xin¡¯er or Su Yiyi would only make others envious. These seemed like trivial matters, but they were things Li Yifei also needed to be mindful of. However, by bringing Xu Shanshan, he could completely prevent such situations, and also spend time with Shanshan. In a way, it was compensation for her.


    "Humph, what are you doing?" Xu Shanshan pinched Li Yifei¡¯s waist from behind.


    Li Yifei let out a wry smile and said, "I wanted to get back at her, but it didn¡¯t work out."


    "Humph, I think you just wanted to take advantage of her." Xu Shanshan pouted dissatisfiedly, not fond of the Holy Maiden. She had become good friends with the very intelligent Su Mengxin at home, but because she knew about the ¡¯heart demon¡¯ issue between the Holy Maiden and Li Yifei, she always felt that the Holy Maiden would pose a threat to Li Yifei in the future.


    Everyone arrived on time. After going through security, they waited for a while before boarding. Xu Shanshan stayed close to Li Yifei, not giving the Holy Maiden a chance to approach Li Yifei, while the Holy Maiden didn¡¯t deliberately try to approach Li Yifei either and was talking with another woman instead.


    After boarding the plane, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan headed straight to the First Class Cabin, while the Holy Maiden and that woman sat next to Li Yifei. Seeing this, Xu Shanshan immediately pushed Li Yifei toward the inside seat and sat by the aisle herself. Then, with a defiant lift of her chin toward the Holy Maiden.


    The Holy Maiden just smiled sweetly, not taking issue with Xu Shanshan, and sat down gracefully on the aisle side.


    The air conditioning on the plane was very comfortable, but at this moment, Xu Shanshan asked for two blankets, covering Li Yifei¡¯s and her own legs. Then she winked at Li Yifei.


    The plane took off quickly. For frequent flyers, takeoff was nothing to fuss about. Once the plane climbed to cruising altitude and began flying smoothly, Xu Shanshan pulled down the tray table in front of her. This also served to block the view of their little movements under the table and blankets. Li Yifei felt Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand moving under the blanket onto his leg.


    For such mischief, Xu Shanshan was skillful and Li Yifei was quite used to it. A rare trip out together, if Shanshan didn¡¯t stir up some trouble, she wouldn¡¯t be herself.


    And the girl was daring indeed, not only touching Li Yifei¡¯s leg but through his trousers, touching him there. That started becoming a bit too much for Li Yifei to handle, and he whispered in Xu Shanshan¡¯s ear, "Shanshan, stop it. If anything happens, it¡¯ll be really embarrassing to stand up."


    Xu Shanshan also whispered back, "Why would you need to stand up?"


    "Shanshan, it¡¯s uncomfortable too, being neither here nor there. Aren¡¯t you torturing me?"


    "Giggles, then let me be uncomfortable as well. I don¡¯t mind."


    "You little rascal."


    Xu Shanshan pouted her little mouth and said, "What, are you afraid that the holy girl will see it? I want her to see it. What can she do to me? I won¡¯t let you be with her."


    "Okay, okay, my little goddess, can we not provoke her?" Li Yifei said, while stretching his hand to Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg.


    "It all depends on how you perform," Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was both annoyed and amused, but of course, he felt more affection than anything. How could he dislike such a Xu Shanshan? He could only like her, and it wasn¡¯t just him¡ªany man would feel the same way.


    The little flirtations between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei had grown more frequent, and their technique had become quite skillful¡ªnot to mention Li Yifei¡¯s technique, which was really well-honed. But he really didn¡¯t dare to overstep; if things got too intense, Xu Shanshan might not be able to handle it. If they caused a scene, it would be really embarrassing.


    After all, they were on a plane, and there were eight other people in the First Class Cabin. To make a commotion would embarrass them both. For Xu Shanshan, however, such interactions were extremely satisfying.


    Flying from Capital City to Sydney took over eighteen hours¡ªa truly long journey. After playing around with each other for a while, Xu Shanshan began to feel sleepy and soon dozed off with her eyes half-closed.


    Li Yifei felt the holy girl looking at him and turned his head to look back at her. The holy girl then pointed to Xu Shanshan¡¯s leg, touched her own leg, and winked playfully at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face flushed red immediately. It seemed that their secret antics might fool others, but they had not fooled the holy girl.


    The holy girl mouthed three words silently, but Li Yifei understood instantly. She was clearly calling him a "big hooligan," and at that moment, Li Yifei could only accept the title since the holy girl had discovered his and Xu Shanshan¡¯s mischievous deeds.


    When Xu Shanshan had slept enough and had some snacks on the plane, the mischievous girl wanted to cause trouble again. Li Yifei quickly held Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and whispered in her ear, "Stop it, the holy girl has noticed."


    Xu Shanshan was taken aback, but soon snorted and whispered back in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Even better if she has noticed. What do we have to fear then?"


    "Shanshan, let¡¯s just forget it. If she goes home and tells your sister something, we would be screwed."


    "Now that she has seen it, do you think she won¡¯t say anything? Don¡¯t be afraid of this woman. If she uses such a thing to threaten you, that would be pretty low of her. She wouldn¡¯t even be worthy of being mentioned alongside Mengxin then."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, but he felt that Xu Shanshan made a lot of sense. The more someone was like the holy girl, the less likely they would be to use threats to achieve their goals. That would only demean themselves, so the thing he had been worrying about suddenly seemed no longer worrisome.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan affectionately linked her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s and turned her head to raise an eyebrow defiantly at the holy girl.


    The holy girl simply smiled faintly and then returned to reading her documents, leaving Xu Shanshan hitting a soft nail.


    "Hmph, what¡¯s she showing off for? Thinking she can steal my brother-in-law? No chance," Xu Shanshan muttered under her breath, leaning her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. This time, however, she didn¡¯t engage in any more flirtatious antics with Li Yifei. It seemed that once their actions were discovered, it wasn¡¯t quite as fun anymore.


    With Xu Shanshan calming down, Li Yifei also started to read his documents seriously. The holy girl was so focused, and having beaten him twice already, he had no reason to slack off any further, allowing her a third win.


    By noon the next day, they finally arrived at Sydney Airport and headed straight for the hotel they had booked. Although flying on the plane seemed comfortable, it was certainly not as cozy as a bed, so they were a bit tired.


    The room was booked by Xu Shanshan, who naturally only booked one. Rarely did she get the chance to be alone with Li Yifei like this, and naturally, she wanted to spend quality time with him.


    Although they were quite tired, once they reached the suite in the hotel, Xu Shanshan threw herself onto the large bed and, after bouncing a few times, her spirits lifted. She propped her head on her hand in a very seductive pose and said, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you want to do something now?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei, looking at the tempting Xu Shanshan, put down what he had in his hands and said, "If I don¡¯t do something now, you won¡¯t let me off."


    "So what do you say?" Xu Shanshan lazily twisted, looking even more tantalizing.


    Li Yifei chuckled mischievously and pounced on Xu Shanshan. If he didn¡¯t do something now, he would really be letting Xu Shanshan down.

 Chapter 1051 - 1094: Air Disaster

    Chapter 1051: Chapter 1094: Air DisasterAfter resting for a day, the tender process began the next day, and at the entrance of the tender meeting, Li Yifei and the Saintess met once again.


    "Yifei, this time I won¡¯t hold back, I will strive with all my might," the Saintess said with a smile, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "This time you won¡¯t succeed, I am determined to secure this contract."


    "So confident, I like it. But if you succeed, that¡¯s even better."


    With full confidence, Li Yifei said, "If I always let you win, then I¡¯d be throwing the game."


    "I think so too. I love to see how you defeat me."


    "Then just watch, I won¡¯t disappoint you."


    Actually, this time there were plenty of competitors for the tender, and the competition was fierce. Nonetheless, Li Yifei¡¯s company actually won the bid. However, when Li Yifei¡¯s bid price was announced, everyone frowned.


    In fact, everyone who wanted to do this had already made a precise calculation of the costs, and Li Yifei¡¯s price was simply unprofitable. To be precise, with his price to supply, after deducting procurement costs and adding transportation and personnel expenses, it was merely a break-even situation. Business is meant to be profitable, and after putting in so much effort only to break even, how could such a business be done?


    Even the Saintess couldn¡¯t figure this out. After Li Yifei signed the contract with this company, she couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity and found Li Yifei.


    "Yifei, what are you doing? I¡¯ve figured out the cost calculations and your price is definitely unprofitable. What sense does it make to sign this contract?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Really? It feels quite meaningful to me, at least I finally snatched a contract from your hands."


    The Saintess chuckled charmingly and said, "Don¡¯t try to fool me. I don¡¯t believe you signed the contract just to compete with me. You must have another reason."


    Li Yifei truly admired the Saintess; her insight was indeed different. Even Ning Xin¡¯er and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t understand his pricing.


    "Then you just wait and see. Sometimes a loss is a blessing."


    The Saintess eagerly said, "Then I really want to keep an eye on you. I really want to see how you turn this unprofitable business into profit."


    Li Yifei¡¯s actions, which she couldn¡¯t comprehend, only made the Saintess like Li Yifei even more. If Li Yifei did everything predictably, then she wouldn¡¯t have any expectations for him.


    Li Yifei squinted his eyes and said, "If you don¡¯t believe it, next time you can also sign a losing contract."


    The Saintess chuckled charmingly and said, "That would be malicious competition. I won¡¯t do unprofitable business."


    "Really? So you want to earn points by letting me become your inner demon."


    "What, are you scared?"


    Li Yifei nodded seriously and said, "Yes, I am indeed a bit scared."


    "Ha ha, there are things you¡¯re afraid of. All right, I love making you scared. You wouldn¡¯t want to back out now, would you?"


    "Manage won¡¯t, but I still have to think about how to resolve this matter quickly."


    "Then let me love you to death, and then let me kill you." The Saintess laughed coquettishly and floated out of Li Yifei¡¯s room.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "What a seductress."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t be mad, we still have time today, let¡¯s go shopping, and I¡¯ll buy you some things."


    "You want to buy things for your wives, using me as a helper."


    "Aren¡¯t you also one of my wives?" Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist and kissed her on the cheek.


    "I¡¯m your sister-in-law, your charming sister-in-law, your one and only sister-in-law." Xu Shanshan returned the kiss, displaying a bewitching allure.


    This was Xu Shanshan¡¯s first time in Sydney, and she naturally loved shopping. On the day before departing, she and Li Yifei went on a shopping spree and had a great time together, without fearing any familiar eyes. Being with Li Yifei, she had no worries and was extremely happy.


    The next afternoon, they boarded the return plane, and unexpectedly, the Saintess was on the same flight, which made Xu Shanshan a bit displeased. She clung to Li Yifei, preventing him from paying attention to the Saintess.


    The plane took off smoothly, and after flying for a few hours, it suddenly shook. Frequent flyers know that this kind of turbulence is usually caused by flying through an airstream, and it¡¯s nothing serious. Once out of the airstream, everything would be normal.


    However, this turbulence didn¡¯t pass quickly as usual and became increasingly intense. Li Yifei, who could fly a plane, understood the situation. Although he hadn¡¯t flown a large passenger jet, he quickly realized that the plane¡¯s shaking wasn¡¯t due to an airstream but due to a malfunction.


    "What¡¯s happening?" Xu Shanshan opened her eyes, still a bit confused.


    Li Yifei lowered his voice and said, "The plane has malfunctioned."


    "Ah!" Xu Shanshan instantly gripped Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her face turning pale with fear.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan¡¯s shoulder and whispered, "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here." But he too felt uncertain because, on large passenger planes, there are two to four engines. The one they were on had four engines. If one engine failed, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem; the concern was if multiple engines malfunctioned. Moreover, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t yet determine what exactly went wrong.


    As the turbulence continued, the passengers started to panic, with murmurs rising all around.


    "Dear passengers, the plane has experienced a minor malfunction. The crew is making urgent repairs. We believe it won¡¯t be long before the plane returns to normal. Please remain calm, fasten your seatbelts, and stay seated to avoid injuries from the turbulence."


    A flight attendant came out to reassure the passengers, her charming smile providing some comfort, but the fear hadn¡¯t lessened much. Flying at ten thousand meters, if something went wrong, the chances of survival were slim.


    "Brother-in-law, will the plane crash?" Xu Shanshan clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm with both hands, looking at him pitifully. At a moment like this, she couldn¡¯t continue her usual playful antics.


    Li Yifei said gently, "It won¡¯t."


    "But why hasn¡¯t the turbulence stopped yet, brother-in-law? I haven¡¯t lived enough. I still want to be with you every day. If I die like this, I won¡¯t be content."


    "No, no, I haven¡¯t lived enough either. Your sister and the others are waiting for us at home."


    "Brother-in-law, hold me tight, I¡¯m scared." Xu Shanshan changed to hugging Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    Li Yifei hurriedly held Xu Shanshan tightly. Though he remained calm, this was the first time he felt powerless over his own life.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t try to go to the cockpit to check the situation. The operation of a large passenger plane was significantly different from a regular military aircraft. The pilots on board were definitely more familiar with the plane than he was, and he couldn¡¯t help.


    He turned to look at the Saintess, and she also glanced at him. Though her face seemed calm, her slightly furrowed brow revealed her uncertainty. No matter how strong she and Li Yifei were, falling from ten thousand meters meant certain death.


    "What¡¯s happening? Why hasn¡¯t the plane been fixed yet?" Only a few minutes had passed, yet for those on the plane, it felt like an eternity. Some passengers, with lower tolerance levels, were showing signs of agitation and began questioning loudly.


    The flight attendants quickly comforted them with soft voices, showcasing commendable professionalism, but their expressions showed some worry.


    After a few more minutes, the continuous rumbling noise suddenly stopped, alarming Li Yifei. He knew big trouble was coming, as this meant all four engines were severely damaged, and a crash was inevitable without power.


    Panic among the passengers intensified, with louder cries and screams as they understood the implications.


    "Dear passengers, please remain calm. Our crew is committed to repairing the plane and ensuring everyone¡¯s safety. However, to prevent accidents, please keep your seatbelts fastened. Bend your knees, lean your head forward as much as possible, and rest it on your knees..."


    The flight attendant still tried her best to reassure the passengers, but at this point, very few could remain calm and follow the instructions.


    In such a situation, Li Yifei could only think about self-preservation. Fortunately, he considered one small favor: their seats were closest to the emergency door, which meant a relatively better chance for escape.


    During a plane crash, people don¡¯t always die immediately. Many perish because of the sudden fire and toxic smoke that burst forth after the plane hits the ground.


    "Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law, am I really going to die?" Xu Shanshan began to cry, completely showing her vulnerability at this life-and-death moment.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure you survive, definitely. Trust me," Li Yifei patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Listen to me, be prepared."


    "No! I don¡¯t want to be apart from you. Even in death, I want you to hold me." Xu Shanshan was stubborn at this moment, refusing to let go of Li Yifei, clinging so tightly as if trying to merge her body with his.


    Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1052 - 1095: Seeking Life in the Face of Death

    Chapter 1052: Chapter 1095: Seeking Life in the Face of DeathXu Shanshan would definitely die in a plane crash, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just let her be. He pushed Xu Shanshan away and shouted, "Shanshan, listen to me, we won¡¯t die. You won¡¯t die, I won¡¯t die either. But if you don¡¯t listen to me, you will certainly die!"


    Xu Shanshan was stunned for a moment and finally regained some sense, stammering, "Are we really not going to die?"


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, saying, "Absolutely not. Just like you said, we haven¡¯t lived enough yet."


    Xu Shanshan bit her lip forcefully and finally nodded, saying, "I believe in you, brother-in-law."


    "That¡¯s a good girl. Now do as I say, pull up your legs, lean back as much as possible, and then lie on your legs with both hands protecting your head," Li Yifei instructed softly.


    Xu Shanshan did as he said, and Li Yifei quickly did the same, but before he lay down, he looked at the saintess one last time. The saintess gave him a bitter smile and said, "I hope we all survive."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "If you die, you would really lose."


    The saintess¡¯s face lit up with a brilliant smile, "You¡¯re right, I won¡¯t give up like that," and then she also lay down.


    Less than a minute after doing all this, the plane had already violently collided with the ground. The tremendous force almost knocked everyone unconscious, but Li Yifei remained alert. He had never experienced a plane crash before, so he wasn¡¯t sure what this situation meant, but it was simple¡ªhe was still alive. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although all the engines had problems, the captain had made his best effort as the plane descended. Thus, the plane didn¡¯t smash headfirst into the ground, but landed parallel to it. If it were a runway, the plane might have landed without much problem.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t a runway, but a desert. The landing gears sank into the sand as soon as they touched the ground, eliminating the forward sliding that could have cushioned the impact. The entire plane then struck the sandy ground directly.


    Even though sand is soft, crashing into sand is not much different from hitting solid ground¡ªespecially not during a plane crash. The violent impact tore the plane into two pieces, which then uncontrollably hurled in opposite directions.


    Feeling that the plane was out of control, the captain had already begun to release the fuel from the tanks in midair to prevent a fire upon landing. Still, there wasn¡¯t enough time; the plane hit the ground while still shedding fuel, and a fire erupted while it was still sliding.


    Li Yifei removed the oxygen mask from his face. The flames hadn¡¯t reached him yet, but thick smoke was pouring in¡ªsmoke thick enough to be lethal. Not hesitating anymore, he sat up, quickly reached for the emergency exit, and opened it.


    Then he hurriedly unbuckled both his and Xu Shanshan¡¯s seat belts and prepared to leap out, but a quick glance at the saintess showed she was still in her prone position, seemingly knocked unconscious by the impact.


    Despite the potential complications in his future relationship with the saintess, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t leave her behind, not after she had saved Xu Yingying. He quickly unbuckled the saintess¡¯s seat belt, picked her up, and without pausing, led both Xu Shanshan and the saintess out of the plane.


    The plane was still speeding across the ground. Jumping out with Xu Shanshan and the saintess was almost like jumping from a moving vehicle¡ªan extremely risky maneuver.


    However, Li Yifei was highly skilled in martial arts. Upon landing, he rolled several times with the two women, successfully dissipating the force of the impact. Remarkably, all three of them were unharmed due to the soft sand.


    "Boom... boom..." Two muffled explosions sounded. The plane, now split in two, was completely engulfed in flames. Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare linger; he grabbed Xu Shanshan and the saintess and sprinted away from the wreckage. The explosive force of the plane could rival a sizeable cannon shot; if they didn¡¯t get far enough away, the shrapnel alone could sever them in half.


    "Boom!" Another loud noise. Li Yifei instantly threw himself to the ground, pressing Xu Shanshan and the saintess beneath him as a wave of intense heat rolled over his back, almost scorching him.


    Fortunately, the wave of heat passed quickly. As soon as it was over, Li Yifei hurriedly led the two women further ahead until they reached a safe distance. Turning back, he saw both sections of the plane were now completely enveloped in flames, and there was no chance for anyone inside to escape.


    In such a disastrous plane crash, humans seemed incredibly fragile. If it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei¡¯s clear-headedness and proximity to the escape door, his chances of surviving would have been slim. It felt like a stroke of enormous luck, and he felt profoundly relieved.


    Li Yifei wanted to help others, but under these circumstances, he was powerless. Those in the cabin were undoubtedly dead; all that remained was to see if anyone thrown from the plane during the breakup was still alive.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei remembered Meng Xiaofei, who spent endless days flying. Despite aircraft having the highest safety rating among transportation methods, an accident could instantly be fatal. Now, Li Yifei thought he must convince Meng Xiaofei to stop being a flight attendant, as it seemed far too dangerous.


    "I¡¯m still alive?" A voice from the saintess came from his arms.


    Li Yifei lowered his head toward the holy woman, saying, "It seems that only the three of us are alive now."


    The holy woman smiled charmingly and said, "It looks like I lost to you this time. If you hadn¡¯t saved me, I would have been done for."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "You saved Yingying, so naturally, I had to save you."


    "Then you won¡¯t renege on keeping my inner demon at bay?"


    "Ha ha, one thing at a time, what I promised, I will do. You needn¡¯t worry, but can you stand up now?"


    "Being in your arms feels so comfortable, I really don¡¯t want to get up," the holy woman teased, blinking, but she stood up nonetheless.


    At this point, Li Yifei pinched Xu Shanshan¡¯s philtrum a few times, calling out, "Shanshan, Shanshan."


    Xu Shanshan slowly opened her eyes and with reddened eyes, said, "Brother-in-law, have we arrived at Hell?"


    Li Yifei tenderly kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s cheek and said, "Silly girl, what Hell? We¡¯re still alive. When have I ever failed to keep my promises?"


    "Ah! We¡¯re still alive..." Xu Shanshan hurriedly struggled to stand, while Li Yifei still held her waist.


    Looking at the distant burning remains of the plane, Xu Shanshan felt a chill in her heart and stuttered, "Are... are just the three of us still alive?"


    Li Yifei sighed and replied, "This is the most I could do."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly collapsed in Li Yifei¡¯s arms. Just moments ago on the plane, although there weren¡¯t many people in the First Class Cabin, there were definitely about three hundred people in Economy Class; all those people dead all at once was something she found hard to accept.


    Li Yifei sighed again and said, "You two rest here for a bit. I¡¯m going to look around and see if there are any other survivors."


    Xu Shanshan quickly grabbed Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t leave me behind. I¡¯ll come with you."


    Knowing Xu Shanshan had just been through such an ordeal, and that she was truly weak, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t just leave her. He turned to the holy woman and asked, "How about you?"


    The holy woman smiled sweetly and said, "I¡¯m fine. I just got dizzy when we crashed, but I¡¯m completely back to normal now."


    "Then let¡¯s all go take a look," said Li Yifei, and he had already lifted Xu Shanshan and began surveying the area.


    The holy woman followed them, and the three made a wide circle nearby. No survivors were to be found, but they did see more than a dozen corpses, thrown from the plane when it broke apart, dying terrible deaths, some torn into pieces. Seeing this, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but vomit.


    Li Yifei hurriedly took Xu Shanshan away from the scene. There were no survivors there, and while they had survived themselves, their outlook was not optimistic. They were in the Grand Desert, presumably the largest desert in Sydney.


    If they had landed in a forest or the ocean, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have been so worried; at least in such places there would be food and water. Although sea water is salty, you can catch live fish, which also helps with hydration. But in the desert, if they had no water, they wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Moreover, the sun was scorching hot. In just a short while, the three were already drenched in sweat. If they continued to be exposed to the sun, they wouldn¡¯t last much longer in the desert.


    "Yanzi, you stay here with Shanshan. I must go find something, or else the three of us will die of thirst in the desert."


    The holy woman nodded in agreement. Although she was a skilled and intelligent woman, her ability to survive in the wilderness was lacking. As a holy woman, she had never encountered such situations before and had no knowledge in this area. Now, she had to rely entirely on Li Yifei to survive.


    Although Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t want to leave Li Yifei, the thought of those corpses made her stomach churn, and she didn¡¯t want to go back there. So she nodded in agreement but weakly said, "Brother-in-law, be quick."


    Li Yifei nodded and sprinted away.

 Chapter 1053 - 1096: Temporary Shelter

    Chapter 1053: Chapter 1096: Temporary ShelterThe interior of the burning cabin had basically been incinerated, leaving nothing behind. Li Yifei had no intention of searching there any longer. Fortunately, when the plane broke apart, a lot of items were thrown out, including some passengers¡¯ luggage. From these, Li Yifei managed to find some clothing, two parasols, as well as a few bottles of sunscreen. Most importantly, he found several bottles of mineral water, but there wasn¡¯t any food. At the time of the crash, it wasn¡¯t mealtime, so no food was in the aisles, which by now had been thoroughly burnt to a crisp.


    Stowing these items into a backpack, Li Yifei returned to where Xu Shanshan was, took out the two parasols, and said, "Use these to block out the sunlight."


    Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden quickly opened the umbrellas. Xu Shanshan stood with Li Yifei, holding an umbrella over both their heads.


    Li Yifei did not refuse. In just a short while, he had sweated profusely, which implied a loss of fluids. In the desert, water was the lifeline, and they had to avoid dehydration as much as possible.


    At this moment, the Holy Maiden took out her phone and said, "My phone has no signal. It seems unlikely that we¡¯ll be able to contact the outside world from here."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "This is a desert; cellphone signals can¡¯t reach here. Unless we used the airplane¡¯s radio, but the plane has burned down, and the radio is unusable. We¡¯ve lost all contact with the outside world."


    "What do we do now?" asked the Holy Maiden.


    Li Yifei said, "Right now, we don¡¯t know if the plane had contacted the airport before the crash. If they reported the accident, then we should wait here for rescue. After all, looking for a way out in this desert is very dangerous."


    The Holy Maiden, now fully collected, asked, "Then how do we determine that?"


    "It¡¯s simple. If the communication equipment on the plane was working before the crash, then the position of the crash should be easy to pinpoint. I think one day¡¯s time is enough for the rescue team to reach us."


    "What if they don¡¯t make it within a day?"


    "Then we¡¯ll have to find our own way out. We have no food, just a few bottles of water, which won¡¯t last us very long. Staying here is just waiting to die. If we set out to find a way, we might have a chance to survive."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯ll wait here for a day," said the Holy Maiden with a smile to Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "You could choose not to listen, you know. I wouldn¡¯t mind at all."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Shanshan, the three of us have to stick together now. Only then do we stand a better chance to survive."


    Xu Shanshan pouted again and said, "Being in the same boat with her is just my bad luck."


    The Holy Maiden, however, smiled and said, "This is fate."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes but said nothing more. She knew even if she disliked the Holy Maiden, the strength of an extra person was critical. Now the three of them had to work together to have a chance at survival.


    It was just past noon. Waiting under the harsh sun all afternoon, the three of them could easily get baked. Li Yifei went back to the wreckage and scavenged for some items¡ª several small fragments and one large piece measuring about four square meters. The Holy Maiden and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t understand what Li Yifei intended to do with these things.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "If we¡¯re going to wait here for a day, then we need to make a nest to protect ourselves."


    He then planted the large fragment into the ground. The fragment was already semi-circular, which provided shade underneath.


    "This is good, better than the umbrellas," said Xu Shanshan, immediately excited.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s not enough." He then started to dig sand under the shade of the large fragment with one of the smaller pieces.


    "Yifei, what are you doing?" asked the Holy Maiden, curiously.


    Li Yifei, while rapidly digging, replied, "The ground is too hot. Even with shade, it¡¯s not good enough. I¡¯m digging a pit; the sand underneath will be cooler."


    "Then I¡¯ll help you," the Holy Maiden quickly picked up a fragment and started digging as well.


    Not to be outdone, Xu Shanshan joined in, and the three of them working together made the work much more efficient. After a while, Li Yifei let Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden support the large fragment while he continued to dig deeper. After nearly two hours, Li Yifei had dug a two-meter-deep pit, about two meters in length and width. The sides of the pit were lined with fragments to prevent the surrounding sand from collapsing in, and the large piece at the top provided shade from the sun.


    The three sat in the pit and indeed felt much cooler. The Holy Maiden stretched and said happily, "Not bad, it¡¯s much more comfortable now."


    Xu Shanshan leaned against Li Yifei and proudly said to the Holy Maiden with a smile on her face, "Of course. Being with my brother-in-law is your good fortune; otherwise, you¡¯d have been dried out by the sun by now."


    The saintess nodded repeatedly and said, "Yeah, I definitely couldn¡¯t have thought of that method."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Alright, let¡¯s rest here first. Are you guys thirsty?"


    "Thirsty!" Xu Shanshan and the saintess said in unison.


    Li Yifei took out two bottles of water and handed them to them, saying, "Try to drink a little at a time. We¡¯re not sure how long we¡¯ll be here, so the water is really too precious."


    Xu Shanshan and the saintess nodded repeatedly, each took only a small sip of water, and then tightly screwed the caps back on, fearing any would leak out.


    "Brother-in-law, why aren¡¯t you drinking?" Xu Shanshan turned to look at Li Yifei, who hadn¡¯t drunk any water, and immediately asked.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "I¡¯m not thirsty yet."


    "Liar, you¡¯ve been busy for half the day, sweated so much, how can you not be thirsty? Drink some." Xu Shanshan offered her bottle of water to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei knew that if he didn¡¯t drink, Xu Shanshan would never agree, so he could only take a small sip.


    At this time, none of the three were in the mood for fun. They all listened intently for any noise outside, but even as the sun set beyond the mountains, there was no sound.


    In the desert, the temperature difference between day and night is extreme. The daytime ground temperature can reach over fifty degrees, but at night, it can drop to just a few degrees above zero. Feeling the chill, Li Yifei took out the clothes he had found and had Xu Shanshan and the saintess put them on. He also found three blankets, which came in handy now, spread on the ground to keep out the cold at night.


    "Brother-in-law, I want you to hold me." Now that the saintess knew about her relationship with Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan was without reservations at this moment and especially sought comfort in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Li Yifei felt a bit awkward. The saintess chuckled softly and said, "Go ahead and hold her. Actually, I also want you to hold me, but I guess Shanshan wouldn¡¯t agree, so I won¡¯t ask you to do that."


    "Hmph, don¡¯t think that just because we¡¯re in this situation you can take advantage of my brother-in-law. He¡¯s mine now." Xu Shanshan said, already lying down in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, then she pulled a blanket over them.


    The saintess chuckled softly and said nothing, also lying down and covering herself with a blanket.


    But at this time, none of them felt sleepy at all. Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, I really miss home. Our new home was all set, and we were about to move in. It¡¯s so comfortable there, with flowers, grass, trees, and a big bed. And yet, here we are, sleeping in a place like this."


    Li Yifei comforted Xu Shanshan, "Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely take you back home. I haven¡¯t even stayed in that garden since it was completed."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s really nice there. Brother-in-law, I¡¯m getting a bit hungry."


    Li Yifei sighed inwardly. The biggest problem they faced now was the shortage of food and water. For now, they still had some water, but no food. They could endure it for a short time, but if it dragged on, the gnawing hunger would drive them crazy.


    "It¡¯s too late to find any food now, but tomorrow, I¡¯ll get something for us to eat."


    "Brother-in-law, is there anything to eat in this desert?"


    "Yes, there is. Some places may seem uninhabitable to humans, but for other creatures, there¡¯s no environment they can¡¯t adapt to. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll catch something and roast it. It¡¯ll be delicious." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Barbecue, sounds good. I knew brother-in-law is the best."


    But Li Yifei was secretly sweating inside. The kinds of creatures that could be found in the desert were few and far between, usually just lizards and scorpions, along with a few types of snakes that could survive there. But that day, he hadn¡¯t come across one. Hopefully, they¡¯d have better luck tomorrow and find a few to satisfy their hunger.


    "Brother-in-law, it¡¯s so cold. Hold me tighter." As the night deepened, Xu Shanshan could hardly bear the cold and snuggled more into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan tightly so she could feel a bit warmer.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m reminded of the last time we lived on the island. Back then, we were both bare, and like this, we held each other. It was so much fun."


    Li Yifei was somewhat comforted that Xu Shanshan could make the best out of a difficult situation. In such a place, the will to survive was incredibly important; it could mean the difference between lasting a few more days. Without that strong will, one might only last a day or two under normal circumstances.


    Therefore, Li Yifei went along with Xu Shanshan¡¯s sentiment, "Yes, the situation we encountered that time wasn¡¯t any better than this, and we made it through, didn¡¯t we? Besides, this is an adventure in itself. Years from now, when we¡¯re together talking about these experiences, we¡¯ll definitely cherish these memories."


    Xu Shanshan excitedly said, "Not just cherish, but also feel so happy. Being with brother-in-law is the best. Even in the worst of conditions, it¡¯s still an enjoyable adventure."

 Chapter 1054 - 1097: Lizards and Scorpions as Food

    Chapter 1054: Chapter 1097: Lizards and Scorpions as FoodXu Shanshan finally fell asleep, but the saintly woman hadn¡¯t. Lowering her voice, she said, "Yifei, is the chance of us surviving and getting out of the desert very slim?"


    Li Yifei, careful not to wake Xu Shanshan and more importantly, to not shake her morale, responded honestly to the saintly woman, whose willpower was evidently strong, "Indeed, but it¡¯s not completely hopeless. It all depends on our luck now. If there¡¯s no rescue, with the water we have left, I can guarantee to sustain us for a week. We must leave during this week or find a water source to replenish our supplies."


    The saintly woman spoke softly, "A week, I hope our luck isn¡¯t that bad."


    "If we were outside, a week would suffice for many things, but here in the desert, unable to discern direction, lacking water and food, we¡¯ll face many difficulties."


    "Oh, then I¡¯ll trust you. You¡¯ll definitely lead us out."


    "Mm, I definitely do not want to die; I still have so many things left undone."


    "That¡¯s right, you have so many wives at home. If you died, they would all be widows. Hehe, what you¡¯re probably most worried about isn¡¯t them being widows, but them marrying someone else, which would hurt you even more."


    "Hehe, yes, so I cannot die. I must get out, for them, and I must bring you two with me. Now, let¡¯s sleep. Sleep reduces consumption."


    "Mm." The saintly woman agreed, then stopped talking. Soon, both she and Li Yifei fell into a deep sleep.


    The next day, as temperatures rose, the three woke up one after another. Li Yifei, the first to awaken, crawled out of their small, cool shelter and took another round near the plane wreckage, hoping to find something valuable. However, finding absolutely nothing but charred remains, especially of the bodies, would have made anyone else feel nauseous, unless they were as mentally resilient as him.


    While the sun was not yet strong and the ground still retained some coolness, Li Yifei searched around. Shortly after, he found six small lizards and two scorpions. As the sun rose, these creatures disappeared completely, hiding under the sand, and catching them became significantly challenging for Li Yifei.


    Xu Shanshan and the saintly woman were stunned to see Li Yifei return with lizards and scorpions. Xu Shanshan stuttered, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re not really making us eat these, are you?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never tried them. These things are actually delicious, and you usually can¡¯t even get them."


    "Gross, I¡¯d never eat those," Xu Shanshan¡¯s head shook like a rattle drum.


    Even the usually calm and graceful saintly woman couldn¡¯t help but grimace and said, "Are those edible? Especially the scorpions, aren¡¯t they poisonous?"


    Li Yifei laughed and explained, "Scorpions are poisonous, but only the tails are. Remove the tails, and the meat on the body is poison-free."


    "How do we eat them? Raw? Surely you don¡¯t have a lighter on you, those aren¡¯t allowed on planes," the saintly woman asked with a tight face.


    Proudly, Li Yifei pulled out an object, saying, "No need for a lighter, many things can start a fire." It turned out to be a magnifying glass, which he had found in the wreckage.


    Li Yifei popped open a small device with his keychain, revealing a sharp little knife, which was small enough to be carried on the plane. He first used the knife to roughly process the lizards and scorpions, then he gathered some dry grass.


    Although the desert appears barren, some plants still manage to survive, so finding some dry grass wasn¡¯t that difficult. Li Yifei also found some rags, and using the magnifying glass with the sunlight, he quickly ignited the dry grass. He then used the rags to enhance the fire, and soon, the six lizards and two scorpions were roasted.


    Neither of the three had eaten much on the plane, and having not eaten all day, they naturally grew hungry. The scent of the roasted lizards and scorpions was surprisingly tantalizing, causing Xu Shanshan and the saintly woman to salivate¡ªpeople like them were typically unaccustomed to feeling hunger.


    But the thought of eating lizards and scorpions immediately killed their appetite.


    Li Yifei handed two lizards to Xu Shanshan, saying, "Shanshan, try it. It¡¯s really tasty."


    "No, no, I¡¯d rather die," Xu Shanshan shook her head repeatedly, retreating, and flatly refused to take the lizards offered by Li Yifei.


    "Yanzi, how about you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid to try them too."


    The saintly woman gave a wry smile and said, "I think I can hold on for now. I¡¯ll pass for the moment."


    No matter how much Li Yifei tried to persuade them, Xu Shanshan and the holy woman simply refused to eat, which left Li Yifei with no choice. Considering they weren¡¯t starving to a critical degree yet, he thought, "If they won¡¯t eat, so be it."


    "Fine, if you won¡¯t eat, I will," Li Yifei said, casting them a glance before stuffing a scorpion into his mouth.


    Listening to the crunching noise from Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, both the holy woman and Xu Shanshan felt nauseous and quickly crawled into their small shelter.


    Li Yifei shook his head and ended up eating the two scorpions. Each was only slightly bigger than a thumb, hardly enough to quell his hunger. Even if he had consumed all six lizards, it would not have been enough, but he didn¡¯t eat the lizards. Instead, he carefully stored them in his backpack. Opportunities to find food during the day were rare, so it was best to save them in case Xu Shanshan and the holy woman became desperate enough to eat, and it would also provide him a bit of energy. He thought they would manage without problems today.


    After enduring a day of waiting in the small shelter, no rescue teams came, affirming Li Yifei¡¯s suspicion that not only had the plane experienced engine trouble before the crash but its entire communication equipment malfunctioned as well. This was highly irregular; planes not only malfunction but also undergo strict inspections before taking off, ensuring even minor issues are rectified long before they become serious.


    This strongly suggested sabotage. As to why the plane was sabotaged and who the target might have been was unclear, it could even have been targeting him.


    But without any evidence, Li Yifei decided not to speculate for now. His current priority was figuring out how to survive and exit the desert.


    After a day of waiting, Xu Shanshan and the holy woman grew anxious. Xu Shanshan particularly blamed the Australian officials for not locating such a large aircraft until now.


    Li Yifei comforted Xu Shanshan and, while the sun was just setting and it wasn¡¯t dark yet, he attempted to catch more lizards, but the ground was still very hot, and none were visible.


    Once it cooled down at night, they still couldn¡¯t see any creatures, so Li Yifei had to give up.


    Back in the shelter, Xu Shanshan kept complaining about being hungry, but whenever Li Yifei offered her lizard meat, she immediately claimed she wasn¡¯t hungry. This went back and forth several times until, from sheer hunger, Xu Shanshan finally fell asleep.


    The holy woman didn¡¯t complain of hunger, but she clearly was suffering too. However, her formidable strength meant she could cope with the hunger for the time being.


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up before dawn and, once it was light, started catching lizards. This time he was quite successful, catching around thirty lizards and more than ten scorpions. After cooking them, he ate all the scorpions, finally feeling full and energized.


    After two days without food, Xu Shanshan had grown weak from hunger. Li Yifei knew this couldn¡¯t continue, forcibly pinched her nose, and stuffed some lizard meat into her mouth.


    Xu Shanshan struggled for a bit but then stopped wriggling and commented, "Actually, it tastes pretty good."


    Li Yifei gave her a look and said, "I told you to eat earlier. You refused and ended up like this. I really can¡¯t understand you."


    "Those things really look disgusting," Xu Shanshan pouted, but she shied away from touching the lizards herself. She grimaced and said, "Brother-in-law, tear it up for me to eat, otherwise I feel uneasy just looking at it."


    Li Yifei laughed and sighed, "Alright, alright, after all that fuss and you still eat." He then tore up the lizards and handed them to Xu Shanshan, who started to eat heartily.


    The holy woman, also very hungry by this point, and seeing Xu Shanshan able to eat, felt her hunger intensify. She nudged Li Yifei and said, "What about me?"


    Li Yifei asked with a curious tone, "You don¡¯t want me to tear it open for you too, do you?"


    The holy woman stuck out her tongue and replied, "Yes, I also feel uncomfortable seeing it whole. Besides, I am a girl too."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and retorted, "Okay, okay, since you are the holy woman, such gruesome tasks are naturally not meant for you." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He tore up more than twenty of the thirty lizards and let them eat. Xu Shanshan consumed more than ten but was still hungry, looking at the remaining ones and pleading, "Brother-in-law, I still want to eat."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Let¡¯s save these for daytime. If you want more, we¡¯ll have to catch them tomorrow morning. This is all we have for today¡¯s food."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Shanshan and the holy woman could no longer insist on eating, fully realizing the stark reality of their hunger. They truly did not want to experience it any further.

 Chapter 1055 - 1098: Persevering Through Hardship

    Chapter 1055: Chapter 1098: Persevering Through HardshipAfter eating, the three prepared to set out. Li Yifei packed blankets and clothes into the backpack, but from the plane wreckage, he only kept a few small pieces, leaving the larger ones behind.


    The three had eaten something in the morning and felt much more spirited, ready to depart. However, before setting off, Li Yifei carved a few words into one of the large pieces of wreckage: "Three survivors, Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan, Yanzi, heading north."


    This was a signal left behind. If the rescue team were to come, they could follow this direction to find them. Moreover, it was also a message for their families, to ease their worries somewhat.


    But now Li Yifei had to lead the two on their way. Food was momentarily solvable, but water was a critical issue. Staying here wouldn¡¯t resolve it. He had managed to gather only seven bottles of mineral water. Normally, a person would need two bottles per day. In the past two days, even conserving as much as they could, they were down to three bottles. Staying any longer meant they¡¯d soon run out of water, and if rescue didn¡¯t arrive in time, they would die of thirst.


    So he had to take both of them in search of a water source. Only by solving the water issue could they survive.


    Choosing to head north was because to reach the cities of Australia, they would need to travel north through the desert, whereas south lay the sea. Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure where exactly they were in the Grand Desert, but there was a road somewhere in it. Therefore, by traveling north, they would either reach a city or find the road, either of which would increase their chances.


    After walking for over an hour, Xu Shanshan was already finding it tough, despite her decent physical condition from dancing. Xu Yingying, on the other hand, probably wouldn¡¯t have lasted even half an hour.


    The main issue was the soft sand underfoot in the desert, making walking extremely difficult. Moreover, Xu Shanshan was wearing high heels, which made the journey even harder. Walking barefoot might have been easier, but the scorching sand would have burnt their feet in no time.


    The Sacred Lady was also wearing high heels, but with her martial skills, she moved much more effortlessly.


    Finally, they found a sand dune and rested in the shade, away from the sun. Xu Shanshan asked with a pained expression, "Brother-in-law, how far have we walked?"


    "Just over a kilometer."


    "Only a kilometer..." Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened in dismay.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Yeah, we¡¯re moving so slow, did you think we had covered more distance?"


    "Oh my God, the desert is so vast, if we only manage a little over a kilometer per hour, how long would it take us to get out?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want Xu Shanshan to lose hope, so he reassured her, "Shanshan, don¡¯t worry, I will definitely lead you out."


    "Mm!" Xu Shanshan leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, trusting him completely. Having survived such a severe plane crash, a desert could surely not defeat her brother-in-law.


    That day, they made several stops and covered around fifteen kilometers. Li Yifei and the Sacred Lady were still fine, but Xu Shanshan was already complaining endlessly. At night, they took shelter at the base of a dune and finished off what little food they had left. Only one bottle of water remained, and that was after Li Yifei had strictly managed their water use. Otherwise, they would have had none left.


    Large blisters had formed on Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, which hurt terribly when she took her shoes off. She had persevered the whole day and walked on her own.


    Li Yifei lanced the blisters on Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet so they would heal faster. Seeing her like this pained him, and he said, "Shanshan, I¡¯ll carry you tomorrow."


    "No need, I can keep up," Xu Shanshan immediately shook her head, realizing just how grueling their situation was. Being pampered at this time would only cause immense trouble.


    "Rest assured, my strength is good, carrying you for a day is absolutely no issue," he insisted. "Your feet will almost be healed in a day, and you can walk on your own then. But if you insist on walking tomorrow, you definitely won¡¯t be able to continue for the following days."


    "If that¡¯s the case... well, okay, you can carry me tomorrow, brother-in-law... I feel like such a burden now."


    "What are you saying, silly? Carrying you, you can hold an umbrella for shade, and I¡¯ll be a bit more comfortable too."


    "Mm-hmm!" Xu Shanshan leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, finding her brother-in-law truly considerate. Even in such moments, he remained kind to her.


    After chatting for a while, the three lay down to rest, conserving their energy as much as possible. The night was noticeably colder without their small nest from the previous two nights, and Xu Shanshan curled up in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, shivering from time to time.


    Li Yifei turned to the holy woman and said, "Let¡¯s sleep together, the three of us. That way we can maintain our body temperature and avoid unnecessary energy consumption." At this point, Li Yifei had to account for everything, even a slight excess of physical exertion was unnecessary.


    The holy woman agreed and moved over. The three of them reorganized the blankets, laying one beneath them and covering themselves with two more. Xu Shanshan was in the middle, with Li Yifei and the holy woman on either side, hugging each other tightly. This was to keep their body heat and avoid wasteful expenditure of energy.


    In such a situation, there was no arousal of sexual desire between the men and women, everything was just for the sake of surviving, so there was no need for any sort of evasion.


    The next morning, as soon as a glimmer of light showed on the horizon, both Li Yifei and the holy woman woke up. The holy woman said, "Let¡¯s search for food together today. That way, we can gather more too."


    Li Yifei nodded. The strength of two people was definitely stronger than one. Xu Shanshan was still asleep, so the two set off immediately, catching lizards and scorpions in the vicinity around Xu Shanshan.


    After a while, Li Yifei had caught quite a few, whereas the holy woman had only caught a few, chuckling sadly, "I am still a bit scared, so I don¡¯t dare to do it much." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "You¡¯ve caught some without fail; that¡¯s already quite good."


    Today, when Li Yifei was processing the lizards, he was even more careful. Water was scarce, and he tried to give most of it to Xu Shanshan and the holy woman to drink. But if he didn¡¯t replenish his own fluids, he simply couldn¡¯t last much longer either. There was some blood in the lizards, which, despite the lizards being small and their blood even less, few drops squeezed out was still beneficial. Moreover, drinking blood was also necessary to replenish salts.


    The holy woman saw this and immediately turned her head with her mouth twisted, but she understood why Li Yifei was doing this. Even though she couldn¡¯t bear to watch, she didn¡¯t speak up to stop him.


    The day¡¯s haul was a bit more than the day before, and there was also plenty of dry grass near the sand dune, so there was no problem in roasting the lizards and scorpions.


    Xu Shanshan woke up smelling the aroma. Today, both she and the holy woman declined to let Li Yifei tear the meat. In harsh environments, people quickly adapt, or else there is only one path left¡ªthat of death.


    After they had eaten, they neatly packed up the blankets and other things. Li Yifei left one piece of clothing behind and said to the holy woman, "Take off your shoes."


    The holy woman was a bit puzzled but still sat down and slipped off her high heels, while Li Yifei had already torn the piece of clothing in two, saying, "Wrap the clothes around your feet to use as shoes."


    The holy woman gave Li Yifei a sweet smile and said, "That¡¯s a good idea."


    Although it was already the fourth day in the desert, the holy woman still maintained an elegant demeanor. Although she had no water to wash her face, her face was still clean. On the other hand, Xu Shanshan looked somewhat disheveled, her face covered in dust. With sweat streaking through, it looked like a heavily painted face.


    While these might not seem impressive skills, they could bring about an extra bit of hope for survival in such harsh conditions. If the holy woman had been left alone in this desert, she knew well that she would have already faced a dire situation, causing her to admire Li Yifei all the more.


    The three of them set off again, with Li Yifei carrying Xu Shanshan and the holy woman carrying the backpack. They moved much faster now, walking for nearly three hours and covering roughly ten kilometers before they rested.


    But looking out, all they could see was the endless yellow sand, as if they would never reach the end.


    "Shanshan, are you thirsty? Have some water," Li Yifei said as he gently placed Xu Shanshan down and noticed her cracked lips, taking out the half-full bottle of water.


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips and shook her head, "I¡¯m not thirsty. Brother-in-law, you¡¯ve been carrying me for so long, you drink."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s head and said, "Brother-in-law isn¡¯t thirsty. I drank some lizard blood this morning."


    Xu Shanshan grinned but still shook her head, "Then I won¡¯t drink either. This water is lifesaving for us now. To run out would mean we have no hope left."


    The holy woman added, "That¡¯s right, let¡¯s endure as long as we can. If we had been more sparing with it the past two days, it would have been better."


    Li Yifei also felt somewhat helpless, the water consumption had indeed been a bit too much the previous days, but now it was too late, they had to confront the issue.


    After resting for half an hour, they continued on their way. This day they walked the furthest yet, covering more than thirty kilometers. Moreover, Li Yifei¡¯s sense of direction was quite accurate, and they didn¡¯t get lost.


    They¡¯d covered about fifty kilometers by now. Considering the Grand Desert¡¯s total area of almost four hundred thousand square kilometers and a north-south depth of about four hundred kilometers, they had traveled about one-eighth of the way. If Li Yifei¡¯s judgment was correct, under good conditions, they should reach the highway in three more days. However, whether they could endure these next three days was difficult to say.

 Chapter 1056 - 199: Finally Seeing the Oasis

    Chapter 1056: Chapter 199: Finally Seeing the OasisAfter walking in the desert for three more days, the three of them had long since run out of water and had to rely on the little blood from the lizards they caught daily to quench their thirst. Even the Saintess and Xu Shanshan, two beauties, had to resort to a primitive lifestyle of drinking blood. They could even bite through the lizard¡¯s skin to suck the pitiful amount of blood inside.


    However, that small amount of blood was far too insignificant compared to the water their bodies were losing; it didn¡¯t solve the dehydration problem at all. Xu Shanshan¡¯s constitution was far weaker compared to Li Yifei and the Saintess; she was already in a comatose state.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face had grown gaunt, having lost over ten pounds since they first entered the desert, but his eyes were still as spirited and even brighter than usual. The more severe the circumstances they found themselves in, the stronger his fighting spirit became; he refused to submit.


    The Saintess¡¯s willpower wasn¡¯t as strong as Li Yifei¡¯s. Although her skills were formidable, even having some capabilities Li Yifei didn¡¯t know about, she had been raised in comfort and had never encountered such conditions before. Physically she could barely manage, but her mental state was quite poor.


    "Yifei, can we really make it out?" This was already the tenth time the Saintess had asked that day.


    Li Yifei nodded with certainty, saying, "We can!"


    "But now we have no water, and our physical strength is depleting faster and faster; I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to hold on much longer."


    Li Yifei stared into the horizon and slowly said, "As long as we persist, we will eventually find a way."


    "Heh, even though I know you¡¯re trying to comfort me, seeing your determination, I must grit my teeth and continue," the Saintess said with a shake of her head and a bitter smile. In terms of willpower, she had to admit she was no match for Li Yifei.


    "We have persisted for so long, if we give up now, then all our previous efforts will have been in vain."


    The Saintess looked at Xu Shanshan, who was lying unconscious on Li Yifei¡¯s back, and said, "Actually... instead of all three of us dying here, our chances of survival might be greater if just the two of us continued."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened as he said, "That¡¯s not an option. As long as there is hope, I won¡¯t give up on Shanshan."


    The Saintess shook her head, saying, "I was just speaking without thinking. Right now, being your woman feels really good. Having a man who would never abandon me in any situation, your wives are truly fortunate."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything more and continued to struggle forward.


    After walking for another hour, the Saintess staggered and fell to the ground. She struggled a bit, but couldn¡¯t get up again. It seemed her physical strength had also reached its limit.


    Li Yifei stopped and said, "Can you still keep going?"


    Despite her situation, the Saintess¡¯s face still held a sacred purity as she shook her head, saying, "I can¡¯t go on. Don¡¯t worry about me, just leave me and go."


    Li Yifei glared, responding, "Your physical strength hasn¡¯t reached its limit yet. It¡¯s your willpower that¡¯s giving up first. In my eyes, you¡¯re supposed to be a woman who never gives up. Has this small hardship made you cower and resign?"


    The Saintess gave a bitter smile and weakly said, "I don¡¯t want to give up, but now every step requires all my strength, and my legs feel as heavy as if they were filled with lead. Moreover, I really don¡¯t have the strength anymore. You really don¡¯t need to worry about me, I can only be a burden to you now."


    Li Yifei took a deep breath, the air burning hot as it entered his trachea, making it unbearable, yet it contained a faint hint of moisture. This made Li Yifei¡¯s eyes light up. He stared ahead with a wild joy flashing in his eyes and said, "Get up quickly, I can smell the moisture. It¡¯s straight ahead."


    At those words, the Saintess jumped up unexpectedly. Now, neither fame nor the Holy War Organization mattered to her anymore. The only thing in her heart was water; she would trade anything for it.


    The two circumvented a large sand dune, and what appeared before their eyes was a vast oasis. This sight excited not just the Saintess but also Li Yifei. Seeing the oasis meant they could resolve their water crisis and secure their survival.


    "Water! Water!" The Saintess exclaimed like a child, feeling a surge of boundless strength within her.


    "Yes, we finally found water," Li Yifei said, feeling his eyes moisten. He had been encouraging the Saintess and Xu Shanshan, but he himself had been losing confidence. Now, revived from desperation, even a tough man like Li Yifei nearly broke down in tears.


    "Water... where is the water?" Xu Shanshan, who had been lying dizzily on Li Yifei¡¯s back, surprisingly came to her senses at that moment.


    "Shanshan, it¡¯s okay now, we have water, we have water," Li Yifei turned his head, kissing Xu Shanshan on the cheek.


    Xu Shanshan finally saw the oasis ahead, her spirits uplifted, she urgently said, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s hurry over, I want to drink water, I want to drink water."


    The three of them rushed over quickly, passed through a not so lush thicket, and finally saw a small lake. At this point, they no longer cared about appearances and joyfully rushed into the lake. The water near the shore wasn¡¯t deep, just over half a meter. The Holy Maiden immediately plunged into the water, gulping it down eagerly.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei quickly lifted Xu Shanshan down, supporting her as she began to drink water as well.


    After drinking their fill, all three of them soaked in the water. The feeling was indescribable, so comfortable that every single pore in their bodies seemed to be singing.


    But just then, Li Yifei saw something resembling a piece of deadwood bob up to the surface and then disappear immediately. Li Yifei stiffened for a moment, then his muscles tensed suddenly. He yanked up the Holy Maiden and Xu Shanshan. Before the two even realized what was happening, he had already thrown them onto the shore.


    While Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden were still airborne, a massive jaw suddenly burst out of the water. It was a crocodile¡¯s jaw, which came terrifyingly close to biting Xu Shanshan. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei had thrown the Holy Maiden and Xu Shanshan out, causing his body to momentarily sink downwards. Just then, another crocodile lunged at him with its gaping mouth.


    Normally, Li Yifei could have easily leapt up, but these days his strength had been drained to its limits. Drinking some water had only temporarily restored a bit of his strength. Throwing the Holy Maiden and Xu Shanshan out had nearly depleted him of the last bit of energy in his body.


    However, Li Yifei was, after all, the formidable Golden Eagle. Even under such circumstances, he remained fearless and surprisingly calm. Summoning his remaining strength, he plunged fiercely into the water and narrowly dodged the crocodile¡¯s bite.


    Then, without pausing for a moment, he pushed off the back of the crocodile and finally burst out of the water, collapsing onto the shore. At that moment, his energy was almost entirely spent; he could only scramble clumsily towards the shore, rolling and crawling the last two meters until he collided with the Holy Maiden and Xu Shanshan.


    Crocodiles hunt in the water and don¡¯t chase prey onto the shore since their movements become sluggish there. The heads of the two crocodiles wobbled a bit at the water¡¯s edge, then submerged back into the water.


    Li Yifei suddenly collapsed onto the sandy shore, feeling completely devoid of any strength.


    It was only then that the Holy Maiden and Xu Shanshan realized there were crocodiles in the water. Both were extremely frightened and gathered their strength to drag Li Yifei a few more meters towards the shore. Li Yifei said, "It¡¯s alright now, stop dragging me, I¡¯m falling apart."


    Only then did the two stop, sitting breathlessly on the spot. After a long moment to catch their breath, the Holy Maiden, still shaken, said, "That was really dangerous just now. We were almost eaten by a crocodile. Yifei, you saved us again."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Why mention it? Thankfully we have good luck. We spotted the crocodile just in time."


    The three were immensely relieved. After a while, they finally calmed down. Xu Shanshan asked curiously, "Are there crocodiles in Australia?"


    Li Yifei replied, "There are, but the crocodiles here might not be a known species. In many parts of the world untouched by humans, unusual creatures can be found. Now that we have these crocodiles here, there might be other animals as well."


    "Could there be other predators?" The Holy Maiden immediately looked around nervously. Under normal circumstances, she would not concern herself with such beasts. Even if she didn¡¯t kill them, protecting herself was extremely easy. But in their current state, if they encountered any predators, she genuinely doubted they could handle it.


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, "Don¡¯t be so anxious. This oasis isn¡¯t particularly large, so the likelihood of two predator species living here isn¡¯t great, but there will definitely be small creatures. We¡¯ll soon have a chance to improve our situation."


    "What small creatures? I haven¡¯t seen any," Xu Shanshan asked, puzzled.


    Li Yifei explained, "Think about it, inside this lake, there¡¯s not just one crocodile. If they are to survive, they clearly need enough food. Such large crocodiles definitely need to eat large animals, which means many herbivores must come here. It¡¯s too hot now, and the animals haven¡¯t come yet, but as it cools off in the evening, they will come to drink, and then we can catch one for a good meal."


    Hearing this, both Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden immediately became excited.

 Chapter 1057 - 1100 Recovery

    Chapter 1057: Chapter 1100 RecoveryAfter taking a break, Li Yifei regained some strength, and the trio moved to the shade of a nearby tree, which was even more comfortable. Li Yifei leaned against a tree trunk, while Xu Shanshan and the saintess both dozed off using Li Yifei¡¯s thigh as a pillow. In those days, the three of them had depended on each other for survival. Xu Shanshan no longer had any animosity towards the saintess, and the saintess completely disregarded any distinction between men and women when it came to Li Yifei.


    By sunset, the oasis had become lively, filled with the sounds of animals and birds. To the three of them, it was like hearing the most beautiful music in the world. For days, all they had heard was the sound of wind whipping up sand, a drudgery beyond description.


    "Wow, there really are animals! Look, look, what¡¯s that?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and the saintess had already seen them. They were Desert Big-Horned Antelopes, creatures with a robust will to live, subsisting on the sparse vegetation of the desert, drawing moisture from the plants, allowing them to go days without water.


    But occasionally they would come to the oasis to drink.


    The instincts of animals in the desert were far superior to those of humans, easily finding oases. In such harsh conditions, they managed to thrive.


    Looking at the large antelopes, the saintess asked with a frown, "Can we catch them now?"


    Li Yifei responded with a wry smile and a shake of his head. "With our current physical state, it would be impossible to catch them."


    "What about your Flying Needle?" the saintess inquired further.


    "No good, the Flying Needle relies on strength for its lethality. With my current energy levels, let alone hitting the target, even a hit wouldn¡¯t inflict a fatal injury."


    "Brother-in-law, you must have a way, right?" Xu Shanshan had complete faith in Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly. "Of course, there¡¯s a way. Alright, we¡¯ve rested enough. Let¡¯s start preparing dinner."


    While the three of them lacked strength and Xu Shanshan was still very weak, Li Yifei and the saintess had finally managed to recover to the level of an ordinary person. Under Li Yifei¡¯s direction, the two dug a pit over a meter deep on the bank and then planted a few sharpened stakes at the bottom. They concealed it with fine twigs and leaves, and finally covered it with a layer of fine sand. From the outside, it looked no different than before.


    With the trap set, they hid on the side, waiting for an animal to fall in.


    As night fell and more animals came to the oasis, none stepped into Li Yifei¡¯s trap, which made the trio very anxious. Watching the plump prey that they couldn¡¯t catch was incredibly frustrating.


    "Splash!" A sudden rush of water nearby¡ªa crocodile had surged out and snatched a Desert Big-Horned Antelope, dragging it into the water. The other animals, startled, scattered in every direction. One deer-like animal, in its panic, stepped right into the trap Li Yifei had set.


    Li Yifei, the saintess, and Xu Shanshan all cheered. Li Yifei and the saintess rushed over, tackling the injured deer as it struggled out of the trap and, without mercy, Li Yifei killed it. For survival, he no longer had any room for pity for such a small animal.


    While preparing the trap earlier, Li Yifei had also found some dry grass and branches. They now ignited a bonfire using the primitive drill method. The saintess had already sliced off two deer hind legs, roasting them over the fire.


    Soon, the scent of meat filled the air, and the mouths of all three watered. Li Yifei simply used a knife to slice off the outer layer of meat that was cooking and placed it back over the fire. This quickened the cooking process significantly, and before long, they were finally able to eat the venison.


    "Don¡¯t eat too much at once. We haven¡¯t had a proper meal in days. Our stomachs can¡¯t digest too much food at once, especially meat. Falling ill here would be very troublesome. We can¡¯t afford to get sick now that we¡¯ve finally found water and food."


    Xu Shanshan and the saintess had wanted to indulge, but now they dared not overeat. After eating their fill, to a moderate level, Li Yifei did not allow them to eat more.


    With the fire burning, animals did not dare come close, but Li Yifei remained vigilant. Some carnivores hunted at night, and there was no knowing what other meat-eating animals might be lurking in the area.


    That night, Li Yifei stayed alert, not allowing the fire to die out. Luckily, there was plenty of firewood, and it wasn¡¯t as cold by the fire, allowing Xu Shanshan and the saintess to finally get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The next morning, after eating another meal of venison, their strength had greatly recovered. Li Yifei felt that he had regained at least half his usual energy level, which meant they could handle any danger that came their way.


    Li Yifei had stayed up, so he let the saintess and Xu Shanshan take turns keeping watch, especially with the saintess who could handle any threat. He then had a good sleep himself.


    By the time Li Yifei woke up again, it was already afternoon. With his strength largely restored, all three were in high spirits. Life in the oasis was like heaven compared to the previous days.


    Because Xu Shanshan had been dehydrated and hungry, now that they had water and food, her condition had improved significantly. She was able to talk and move freely with laughter.


    "Brother-in-law, I really want to take a bath; I feel so uncomfortable," Shanshan said. The desert hadn¡¯t bothered her much, but now that she was feeling better and had access to water, rolling around in the sand and sweating profusely for several days became unbearable, and she desperately wanted to bathe.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and replied, "Do you want to feed the crocodiles?"


    "But I¡¯m feeling so itchy all over, and look at me, I¡¯m covered in sand. I can¡¯t stand it anymore, I don¡¯t care, you need to figure something out for me, I need to bathe."


    The Holy Maiden also looked at Li Yifei with pleading eyes. She was even more conscious of her appearance than Xu Shanshan and was truly in a sorry state.


    Li Yifei, made uncomfortable by their gazes, smiled wryly and said, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll think of something."


    "Hehe, be careful, okay? Don¡¯t get eaten by crocodiles," Xu Shanshan giggled, but she was not worried at all. What was there to fear about crocodiles? Her brother-in-law could even kill sharks; crocodiles would be no challenge.


    Li Yifei gave Xu Shanshan a glance and said, "Just wait."


    "What good solution could Yifei possibly have?" the Holy Maiden squinted as she watched Li Fei disappear into the woods.


    Xu Shanshan lifted her chin proudly and declared, "Then you just don¡¯t know my brother-in-law well enough. He can handle this easily; just wait and see."


    The Holy Maiden turned to Xu Shanshan and said, "The more I know your brother-in-law, the more I discover his impressive qualities. I now feel that what truly moves a woman¡¯s heart isn¡¯t necessarily a man who always strives to be first in big matters, but rather one who can provide a sense of security on smaller things."


    "You¡¯re only realizing that now? But what you said isn¡¯t quite right. My brother-in-law is someone who excels at whatever he decides to do; it¡¯s just a matter of whether he¡¯s willing to do it or not."


    The Holy Maiden said nothing more, but a special gleam shone in her eyes. She understood that this journey through the desert was indeed worthwhile. Li Yifei was increasingly touching her inner demons, and she could even feel them stirring.


    She had initially sought to be conquered by Li Yifei¡¯s great abilities, thinking that would intensify her inner demons substantially. But now, she felt she might have been wrong. A person¡¯s strength alone would merely win her admiration. To rouse her inner demons so vividly, however, it turned out that the minor things mattered more.


    True to Xu Shanshan¡¯s faith in him, Li Yifei did not disappoint. After little more than an hour, he brought Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden to a tree with a vertical hollow filled with water. At human height, there was a small hole, currently plugged, with a broad leaf beneath it, punctured with tiny holes. If they opened the plug, the leaf would serve as a natural shower head.


    Xu Shanshan burst into excitement, "Wow, brother-in-law, you are amazing! I thought you¡¯d just fetch some water for me to wash off, but you¡¯ve created a shower instead. I asked for a bit of candlelight, and you gave me a starry sky."


    Li Yifei tapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s forehead and said, "Then hurry up and bathe. I¡¯ll keep watch for you both here."


    Once Li Yifei had gone, Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden immediately stripped down and began bathing. Bathing in the embrace of nature had a unique charm.


    After a full half-hour, they had nearly used up all the water in the hollow tree and dressed in satisfaction, not in their own clothes, as those were too dirty. Fresh from the bath, they couldn¡¯t bear to put on dirty clothes, but fortunately, Li Yifei had brought a few extra garments. Although the fit wasn¡¯t perfect, both women put them on, sans undergarments. Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t mind at all and went braless, while the Holy Maiden, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, did the same.


    When they reappeared before Li Yifei, they looked like new people, causing him to do a double-take in admiration. By contrast, his own clothes, dusty and worn, simply wouldn¡¯t do. He soon fetched more water and took a bath as well.


    They rested there for two days, torn between continuing their journey or leaving. After much discussion, they decided to press on. They couldn¡¯t stay in this place forever, and considering the lack of signs of any other visitors, the chances of being found seemed slim. They would have to rely on their own abilities to make it out.


    This time they prepared thoroughly. Li Yifei caught three young deer, cooked their meat, and dried it, providing enough food for over two weeks.


    Li Yifei saved the empty water bottles, filling them, but this small amount wouldn¡¯t last long. He made several large waterskins from deer hide, which allowed them to carry much more water, ensuring they were well stocked.


    Additionally, they found some wild berries that could stave off hunger and quench thirst, a rare and valuable find in the desert.


    However, their increased provisions meant carrying a greater load, which was challenging. Thankfully, they had mostly recovered their strength, and Li Yifei bore the majority of the weight. Once again, the three set out on their path.


    Their preparations were so thorough that their confidence soared, but Li Yifei and the others were unaware of the greater dangers they would soon face, dangers that nearly cost them their lives.


    Meanwhile, back in Mile City, a storm was brewing. After Li Yifei¡¯s plane went down, and he went missing, Gu Yanan, Wei Ziqiang, and Meng Qianjun began to set their sights on Li family¡¯s assets. The entire Li family was in a state of extreme peril.

 Chapter 1058 - 1101: Special Communication

    Chapter 1058: Chapter 1101: Special CommunicationAfter three days of travel, Li Yifei and his companions were not as taxed as they had been previously. They had prepared ample supplies of water and food, ensuring that survival in the desert was not an issue. Moreover, they no longer had to trek desperately during the day as they did in the past. They generally walked for two hours in the morning and evening. The daytime was too hot for travel, and at night it was too cold and easy to lose their way, so they also refrained from traveling then, which made things much easier. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Somebody seems to be following us," the saint whispered to Li Yifei during their rest that night.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "They must have started this afternoon."


    "Could the person tracking us in the desert be a thief?"


    "Do you think ordinary thieves have such great skills? Moreover, their equipment is quite advanced; they have been tracking us but have not shown themselves, and besides, do we have anything worth stealing?"


    "Am I, and Shanshan, not worth stealing?" The saint gave Li Yifei a sweet smile.


    Li Yifei chuckled, wrapped his arms around Xu Shanshan, and said, "If they could steal you away, I¡¯d let them."


    "You¡¯re biased, always favoring Shanshan," the saint pouted, looking aggrieved.


    Xu Shanshan said proudly, "I am my brother-in-law¡¯s treasure, and you are not."


    "Yes, yes, you¡¯re the treasure, while I¡¯m the poor soul nobody wants," the saint said, hugging Li Yifei¡¯s arm. Her demeanor, so clingy and dependent, was hardly inferior to that of Su Yiyi.


    "You really do have a thick face," Xu Shanshan said with contempt, but she wasn¡¯t really angry. These days, they had depended on each other for survival, and her opinions of the saint had lessened considerably.


    After a few jokes, the saint whispered, "Why don¡¯t those people make their move since they¡¯re following us?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he explained, "It¡¯s simple; they know who we are, and right now, they have no assurance if they strike, so they want to drag it out, wait for us to become weak, then they will act. Right now, we should just sleep; no need to worry about them."


    "I understand now. They¡¯re probably the ones behind the plane crash, so they found the wreckage earlier, maybe even buried it, preventing rescue teams from finding it. But we didn¡¯t stay there waiting. By the time they found the wreckage, we had already left. The message we left for the rescuers must have led them to us; luckily, they didn¡¯t find us at our weakest, or else we would have been in real trouble."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Exactly. Today they finally caught up with us, but they found out we¡¯ve got supplies, so now they¡¯re not making a move. They just want to exhaust our supplies, and then they will have their chance."


    Xu Shanshan snorted, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s just go and finish them off."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "These people must have advanced equipment; they¡¯re three kilometers away from us. If we tried to sneak up, they would surely detect us, and no doubt they¡¯ll be heavily armed too. In the desert, a sneak attack would be extremely difficult."


    "So we can¡¯t just keep dragging this out," the saint said with a smile, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then we¡¯ll do whatever you say."


    The saint shook Li Yifei¡¯s arm gently, coquettishly saying, "No, no, I just want to see you display your manliness. In front of you, I¡¯m just a weak little girl."


    Xu Shanshan pulled the saint¡¯s arm twice, saying, "Hey, hey, you can talk, but don¡¯t act so cutesy."


    The saint pouted and said, "Shanshan, I¡¯ve rarely had time alone with your brother-in-law. Can¡¯t I show a bit of a woman¡¯s charm? That way, he might dote on me a bit, and sharing a little with me wouldn¡¯t hurt."


    Xu Shanshan grew more smug, "Alright then, I¡¯ll share a little, but only in this desert. Once we¡¯re out, I won¡¯t let you take advantage of my brother-in-law anymore."


    "Thank you, Shanshan. I knew you were the best. Yifei, be nice to me, you¡¯ve never hugged me on your own initiative."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Don¡¯t tease me; I¡¯m a man, and if I lose control, I might just devour you."


    "Eat? Do you still eat human flesh?" The Saintess looked at Li Yifei with innocent eyes.


    Xu Shanshan chimed in, "When brother-in-law said he ¡¯ate¡¯ you, he meant he¡¯s slept with you. It¡¯s about stripping you bare and turning you from a girl into a woman."


    "Is that so... Well, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad. I¡¯ve liked you for a long time anyway, and it¡¯s normal to do such things. Yifei, why don¡¯t we just do it now?" As she spoke, she rubbed herself against Li Yifei.


    In the past, everyone had been struggling for survival, so even though there were two beauties accompanying him, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had any such thoughts. But these past few days, as everyone¡¯s physical strength had recovered and there were no immediate worries, the Saintess¡¯s teasing became too much for Li Yifei. He quickly said, "Stop it, I really can¡¯t take it anymore."


    The Saintess giggled, "Seems like my charm isn¡¯t too low after all. I¡¯m very happy." But she moved a bit away from Li Yifei. This desert trip had caused the demons in her heart to stir more frequently, letting her know her feelings for Li Yifei had grown stronger. However, she still needed to allow her inner demons to strengthen, so once she broke through, she would become much more powerful. That¡¯s why she truly didn¡¯t dare to provoke Li Yifei now.


    Just because the Saintess wasn¡¯t teasing him, didn¡¯t mean Xu Shanshan wouldn¡¯t. Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand had already stealthily reached ¡¯that place¡¯ on Li Yifei, feeling its firmness, her heart heated up instantly, and she whispered into Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Brother-in-law, you want it, don¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei let out a dry laugh, without speaking.


    "Brother-in-law... I want it too..." Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice became even more enchanting as she twisted her body gently against Li Yifei, her hand venturing deeper into his pants.


    "Shanshan, stop it," Li Yifei urgently whispered, trying to stop Xu Shanshan.


    However, the Saintess just giggled and said, "You two do what you need to do; I¡¯ll go have a look around." Saying so, she stood up.


    "Don¡¯t go too far," Li Yifei warned the Saintess but didn¡¯t stop her. Since the Saintess was aware of his relationship with Xu Shanshan, he didn¡¯t feel the need to hide his intimacy with Xu Shanshan.


    As soon as the Saintess left, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan immediately rolled together, and Li Yifei remembered something important. He should have done this long ago with Xu Shanshan, and berated himself for being such an idiot for having worried his family for so long.


    At this moment in the family residence in Mile City, Xu Yingying and everyone else were sitting in the living room. It had been almost ten days, and there was still no news of Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, not even the wreckage of the airplane had been found, which left them all in grave anxiety. Even if they knew Li Yifei was powerful, an airplane accident was something that even the strongest people might not survive. With the plane still missing, they clung to a ray of hope, comforting each other on the surface, but in secret, they had cried countless times.


    "When will Daddy come back? I miss Daddy." Little Yifei didn¡¯t understand the gravity of the situation but felt the house had been too somber these days. Everyone used to play with her, but now they were all listless. Even those who kept her company seemed to have no spirit. She knew it was because Daddy hadn¡¯t come home, so she really hoped Daddy would come back soon.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears as she spoke softly, "Sweetheart, Daddy¡¯s on a business trip. He¡¯ll be back in a few days."


    "Then I¡¯ll call Daddy and ask him to come back sooner. If he doesn¡¯t come back, none of you are happy, and Yifei isn¡¯t happy either." Little Yifei randomly picked up a phone from the table and tried to dial Li Yifei¡¯s number, which she remembered very clearly, as Li Yifei had taught her.


    But after several attempts, the call didn¡¯t go through. Little Yifei immediately burst into tears, sobbing, "Bad Daddy, bad Daddy, why won¡¯t you answer the phone? Don¡¯t you want your daughter anymore?"


    As Little Yifei cried, everyone couldn¡¯t help but sob softly. Emotions are contagious, and they had all been restraining themselves these days. Once they started crying, it became harder to stop, and the crying grew louder until they were all holding their heads, weeping bitterly.


    "Uh..." Xu Yingying was crying in sorrow, but suddenly, a strange feeling came from her bottom, and it quickly intensified, so much that she couldn¡¯t even cry anymore.


    Su Mengxin was also crying hard. Although she was the strongest among these people in terms of mental fortitude, she was quite fragile at this moment. Being close to Xu Yingying, she was the first to notice Xu Yingying¡¯s unusual state. Her crying stopped abruptly as she grabbed Xu Yingying excitedly, "Yingying, Yingying, what¡¯s happening to you?"


    "I... I..." Xu Yingying, heartbroken and upset, was now overwhelmed with embarrassment. She didn¡¯t know how to voice it, in spite of feeling so saddened, "Yes..."


    "Ha ha... Ha ha..." Su Mengxin suddenly burst into laughter, jumping up excitedly, "Everyone, don¡¯t worry! Yifei is fine, Shanshan is fine too, ha ha."

 Chapter 1059 - 1102: Exposure of the Sensitive Matter

    Chapter 1059: Chapter 1102: Exposure of the Sensitive MatterAll the crying stopped suddenly, and everyone stared at Su Mengxin, dumbfounded. Chu Xiaoyao suddenly rushed over and embraced Su Mengxin, anxiously asking, "Sister Mengxin, is this true? Is it really true?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. My husband is really fine, absolutely fine. He and Shanshan are both safe," Su Mengxin said with excitement, which finally settled into calm, and she showed everyone a radiant smile.


    Ye Yunzhu asked excitedly, "How do you know?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er also said anxiously, "Exactly, Mengxin, you can¡¯t lie to us."


    These days, everyone had been coming up with various reasons why Li Yifei was fine, and possibilities that he was all right, but deep down they all knew that they were just comforting themselves.


    "This..." Su Mengxin suddenly hesitated.


    "Ah... Mengxin, you don¡¯t have to comfort us anymore. We all know deep down..." Ye Yunzhu saw Su Mengxin¡¯s hesitation and slumped down dejectedly.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes reddened, she shook her head, and her body went limp, while the others couldn¡¯t help but start sobbing again.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin quickly analyzed in her mind. She now knew that Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were definitely fine. However, although Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were together, they definitely weren¡¯t in a place with communication. Otherwise, Li Yifei would have made a call to let everyone know he was safe. It seemed that it might still take some days for Li Yifei to come out.


    Seeing the state her family was in now, after just over ten days, it had already worn everyone down like this. If they had to hold on for a few more days, things would likely become even worse. If someone were to act impulsively and cause an incident in their current state, that would be even more troublesome.


    And the matter between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t be hidden forever. After weighing the situation, Su Mengxin approached Xu Yingying, who was still distressed, and said, "Yingying, I have a question for you."


    Right now, Xu Yingying really wanted to run away. In a situation where everyone was so heartbroken, she had such a reaction. She wished she could just die. Su Mengxin¡¯s grave expression still left her utterly puzzled, but she nodded and said, "What question?"


    "If Yifei and Shanshan can return safely, wouldn¡¯t you stop caring about everything else?"


    "Of course, I wouldn¡¯t care. As long as they can come back safely, even if it cost me my life, I would be willing," Xu Yingying answered resolutely.


    "Really?" Su Mengxin asked again.


    Xu Yingying felt there was more to Su Mengxin¡¯s words, but at this moment, she still didn¡¯t hesitate to say, "Certainly, as long as they are alive, nothing else matters to me."


    "Phew... then I¡¯ll tell you. Your current reaction is actually the psychic connection between you and Shanshan."


    "What? What psychic connection?" Xu Yingying was completely taken aback.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s the psychic connection. When Shanshan is being intimate with someone, you¡¯ll have such a reaction."


    "Ah?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened, and she suddenly grabbed Su Mengxin¡¯s arm in excitement, saying, "Then you mean Shanshan is being intimate with someone right now, she¡¯s still alive?"


    Su Mengxin nodded seriously and said, "Yes, so Shanshan is still alive. And if Shanshan can be alive, how could Yifei not be?"


    Ye Yunzhu then quickly asked, "Mengxin, how do you know this?"


    Everyone held their breath, as they were afraid that Su Mengxin was just making up reasons to calm everyone down.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "I saw it with my own eyes. But because it¡¯s quite embarrassing, Shanshan didn¡¯t let me tell anyone, so I haven¡¯t mentioned it to you all."


    "Mengxin, you¡¯re not... lying to us, are you?" Su Yiyi sobbed and shakily asked.


    Su Mengxin gave a bitter smile and said, "Yingying, you¡¯re the clearest about this sort of reaction. Does it feel just like when your husband penetrates you? And you have also tried it from behind before; isn¡¯t it exactly the same feeling as now?"


    Xu Yingying became very embarrassed, but there were no real secrets between them, especially regarding such matters. There was no privacy at all, and this matter was indeed too important. She hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, it feels exactly the same."


    "Yes, so now you¡¯re sitting here, with nothing actually entering. If it¡¯s not a psychic connection, then how could you possibly have such a feeling?"


    Xu Yingying stammered out, "So... it¡¯s because of Shanshan?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Of course it¡¯s true. Moreover, I can tell you something else, Shanshan has the same telepathy. When you and your husband are being intimate, she reacts just like you are now."


    "What?" Xu Yingying cried out in disbelief.


    Su Mengxin giggled and said, "You twins are really interesting. Having this kind of telepathy is truly unique in the world, haha... I¡¯m glad I got that off my chest and feel much lighter now."


    At that moment, Xu Yingying suddenly let out a stifled cry and collapsed onto the couch, her body convulsing a few times because she had just reached climax.


    Seeing Xu Yingying like this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but believe it. Most importantly, Su Mengxin¡¯s elated and joyful demeanor didn¡¯t seem feigned at all. Gradually, smiles began to bloom on everyone¡¯s faces. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally sitting up, Xu Yingying¡¯s face was flushed, and Ye Yunzhu said to her, "Yingying, are you sure about this?"


    Xu Yingying, both shy and embarrassed, said, "I¡¯m sure now. That wretched girl, she¡¯s safe now and didn¡¯t even tell me, yet she¡¯s still doing such things. I¡¯m going to fix her when I get back."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "My guess is that even though Shanshan and Yifei are safe now, they must be somewhere without any communication, so they can¡¯t inform us. Otherwise, our husbands wouldn¡¯t fail to give us a call."


    With Xu Yingying¡¯s confirmation and seeing the relief that shone from Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes, everyone finally believed that Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were still alive. The atmosphere at home suddenly became incredibly relaxed. The sorrow and grief that had weighed down their hearts for many days were now able to be dispelled.


    Everyone¡¯s thoughts quickly became more lively, and they couldn¡¯t help but cast curious looks at Xu Yingying, their expressions a bit awkward. Xu Yingying also looked quite uncomfortable, and Chu Xiaoyao suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, oh no, this is really bad."


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Meng Xiaofei asked curiously.


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head repeatedly and said, "This is terrible. Now my husband is going to be cuckolded."


    "What cuckold? Who among you is going to have an affair?" Meng Xiaofei, a perfect audience member, asked quite appropriately.


    Chu Xiaoyao grinned and said, "Think about it. When Sister Shanshan is intimate with her boyfriend, Sister Yingying feels it too, right? Doesn¡¯t that mean Sister Yingying is also being intimate with her brother-in-law? Doesn¡¯t that equate to her husband being cuckolded, hehe? And then our husbands will be cuckolded by Shanshan¡¯s husband too. This is really hilarious."


    Everyone actually had thought of that, but no one had said it out loud since it was truly an awkward matter. The only one who knew the truth, Su Mengxin, was silently observing Xu Yingying¡¯s reaction.


    Feeling even more uncomfortable, Xu Yingying had previously thought it was her own body¡¯s issue. But now she realized that the real cause was her sister, and just as Chu Xiaoyao had said, her current feelings were as if she had been intimate with Xu Shanshan¡¯s man, which gave her a strong sense of betrayal and shame.


    Suddenly, Xu Yingying remembered an important question and urgently said, "Mengxin, since you know that Shanshan and I have this telepathy, you must also know who Shanshan¡¯s current boyfriend is, right?"


    Su Mengxin spread her hands and said, "How would I know if her own sister doesn¡¯t?"


    "That wretched girl, she¡¯s been tight-lipped all along, but your words have made me realize something. I¡¯ve had this feeling for almost a year now, which means she¡¯s had a man since a year ago. She¡¯s never mentioned him. That¡¯s infuriating!"


    "Well, I wouldn¡¯t know. Maybe she just feels it¡¯s not the right time, and she doesn¡¯t want to marry the guy yet."


    "Not wanting to marry him yet still being intimate with him? How careless for a girl to not be careful about this."


    The more Xu Yingying talked, the angrier she became. If Xu Shanshan had just one boyfriend, it would be acceptable, but if she had gone through several, that was even more disgusting. Moreover, that little wretch, why did she enjoy anal play? The front was perfectly fine, why not stick with that, why insist on doing it from behind?


    However, Xu Yingying knew that her thoughts were unreasonable. She herself was trying alternative things with Li Yifei. Finding some excitement in a marital relationship was inevitable. Besides, according to Su Mengxin, it was when Xu Shanshan engaged in anal play that Yingying had these responses. When she had vaginal intercourse, Shanshan would feel it. That meant that the frequency of intimate moments between her and Li Yifei indicated that Shanshan might have passively experienced these sensations numerous times. In this light, Xu Shanshan was the one who had suffered the most.


    And more importantly, didn¡¯t this also mean that Xu Shanshan practically had intercourse with Li Yifei? This thought made Xu Yingying feel indescribably complicated.


    But obviously, it seemed more bearable for Xu Yingying to think that Shanshan might feel this telepathy since Shanshan and Li Yifei were already close. The real discomfort for Yingying was feeling Shanshan¡¯s experiences, which felt like being violated without her consent, not even knowing who it was by. Furthermore, Li Yifei knew about it, leaving her unsure how to face him in the future.


    The more she dwelled on it, the worse she felt, to the point where her tears started to flow uncontrollably.


    Chu Xiaoyao was startled and quickly tried to console her, "Sister Yingying, don¡¯t cry. I was just joking. It¡¯s only telepathy, not reality, and Uncle will never blame you for it, really."


    With these words from Chu Xiaoyao, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face like a river, leaving everyone looking at each other unsurely, realizing that this matter was perhaps too delicate to easily console Xu Yingying.

 Chapter 1060 - 1013: Luring the Enemy

    Chapter 1060: Chapter 1013: Luring the Enemyn?vel.co?Li Yifei had been playing with Xu Shanshan, and it wasn¡¯t long before the topic turned to their current predicament.


    "Shanshan, we¡¯re in a bit of trouble now, if your sister has developed a psychic connection, then Mengxin will know we¡¯re still alive. She¡¯ll definitely try to reassure everyone, but I have no idea if she¡¯ll be able to keep it a secret."


    "Ah... Really? They can have a connection over such a distance?" Xu Shanshan stretched her lips into a strained smile. The thought of her sister learning the truth filled her with trepidation.


    Li Yifei managed a wry smile and said, "I¡¯m torn, part of me hopes there is a connection so that they won¡¯t worry, but I¡¯m afraid if your sister does have a connection, our cover will be blown."


    Xu Shanshan rubbed her nose and responded, "Let¡¯s just go with the flow. At worst, we¡¯ll just come clean when we get back. It¡¯s not like my sister can eat me, and besides, if she can accept others, why not me? Does she really want me to marry someone else and have her sense my intimacy with another person every day?"


    Left without options, Li Yifei decided to play it by ear. Perhaps it was better for Xu Yingying to know they were still alive rather than to be constantly worried.


    Soon after their conversation, the Saintess returned, teased them a little, and then the three huddled together to sleep. These days, the three of them constantly slept together, with Xu Shanshan in the middle for two reasons: firstly, she was the weakest and needed the warmth, and secondly, it prevented the Saintess from getting too close to Li Yifei.


    In the following days, Li Yifei and his companions kept moving forward, while the group behind them continued their relentless pursuit. Li Yifei had tried to probe their trackers, but they were obviously skilled professionals. If he got within two kilometers of them, they would retreat, never allowing him to get close.


    The enemy clearly didn¡¯t want a direct confrontation yet, it was a war of attrition, and they appeared confident they could outlast Li Yifei and his group. And Li Yifei had no doubt about this; without finding a way out of the desert or stumbling upon another oasis, their supplies simply wouldn¡¯t last.


    After five days of travel, the desert still lay endless before them, and their supplies had thinned dangerously. If this continued, they would be in real trouble. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing the enemy was waiting for them to run out of supplies, Li Yifei decided to draw them in. While they still had the strength to last a few more days, they could feign a lack of supplies. This ploy would likely lure the enemy in, giving them a chance to strike and seize their equipment and provisions, which would enable their escape from the desert.


    "Boss, it looks like they¡¯ve run out of food and water."


    Three days later, the group tracking Li Yifei gathered atop a sand dune, equipped with high-powered telescopic binoculars. Even three kilometers away, they could see Li Yifei¡¯s party clearly.


    "Can we take action now?" A man with a sharp dagger licked it, his face emanating fierce aggression.


    "Boss, let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s unbearable staying in this godforsaken place. We¡¯ll finish them off quickly and then we can enjoy ourselves."


    Sensing the agitation around him, a blond man peered through his binoculars once more and said coolly, "Wait a little longer. Even if they¡¯re short on food and water, Golden Eagle¡¯s combat abilities won¡¯t have diminished much in such a short time. I don¡¯t want us to suffer any losses."


    Another guy, consulting a map with a GPS, said, "But, boss, there¡¯s another oasis less than a hundred kilometers ahead. If we don¡¯t kill them before they reach it, once they resupply, we¡¯ll miss our chance."


    A glint of cold light flickered in the blond man¡¯s eyes as he said, "We¡¯ll wait another day. Tomorrow night, we strike."


    Excitement surged through the group. To kill Golden Eagle, the infamous Golden Eagle¡ªit would be the ultimate honor for them.


    "Boss, what about the Saintess?" another person inquired.


    "Take her out too."


    "That¡¯s a pity, the Saintess, the idol of all the believers in the Holy War Organization. God knows how many men dream of her."


    "Hehe, it¡¯d be great if we could have a little fun before finishing her off."


    "Shut up!" the blond man barked, his face stern as he spoke, "The saintess is also an extremely dangerous figure. Don¡¯t underestimate her; we must kill on sight. Our organization may be powerful, but the Holy War Organization is definitely not inferior to us. If they carry out a crazed retaliation, our organization will suffer great losses. If something goes wrong here, you all know the consequences."


    The people who had been joking around suddenly fell silent. Their expressions turned ferocious; they were a bunch of killing fanatics. Their mission was to eliminate anyone detrimental to the organization. Normally, they underwent extremely strict training. Once they got serious, their discipline was immediately evident.


    Another day passed, and these ten men noticed that Li Yifei and his group had covered less than twenty kilometers in one day and seemed to be walking with great difficulty. It looked like the three of them were truly exhausted, and it was time for them to make their move.


    Still, they waited until it got dark. Everyone donned infrared glasses¡ªthis way, they could see Li Yifei even in the darkness. Each person was wielding an AK47; taking down Golden Eagle with guns would certainly be safest.


    The ten men proceeded very carefully. Golden Eagle¡¯s reputation was well known; among the organization¡¯s killers, even those who had taken drugs died by his hand. The strongest among them was the blond man, a gold medal assassin. The rest were silver medal assassins, whose skills were far inferior to Li Yifei¡¯s. Now they had no drugs to enhance them, and against even a weakened Li Yifei, they dared not be careless, not to mention there was the dangerous saintess as well.


    They were a little over a hundred meters from Li Yifei¡¯s group, who were still lying on the ground. The blond man made a slight hand motion, and everyone, with even lighter steps, crouched forward. Their footsteps were so faint that only someone with exceptional hearing could detect them.


    Ninety meters... Eighty meters... Seventy meters...


    When they reached a distance of ten meters, the blond man waved his hand sharply. The muzzles of the ten AK47s spewed fire all at once, all aimed at Li Yifei lying on the ground.


    The flash from the gunfire seemed to light up the area; not just three people, but even three elephants would have been shot dead on the spot at that moment.


    But the instant their guns spewed fire, Li Yifei and the other two, who had still been on the ground, suddenly disappeared. The blond man instantly yelled out, "Be careful!" Then he raised his gun barrel slightly and swept it across in a barrage of gunfire.


    The others reacted just as quickly. Some tilted their barrels upward, some to the left, some to the right, sealing off all possible angles of evasion for Li Yifei and his companions. Even if they could dodge at that moment, they couldn¡¯t possibly escape the waterfall of bullets.


    "Click, click..." The sound of empty chambers rang out. Everyone had fired their entire magazine in the effort to kill Li Yifei in one go.


    After discarding their guns, everyone drew out sharp daggers. Even though this was a perfect ambush, they were facing the formidable Golden Eagle, and not a single one dared to be negligent.


    The ten men looked around. With those glasses, they could see everything around them, but not a single trace of anyone. It was as if Li Yifei had vanished into thin air.


    The ten slowly moved toward the spot where Li Yifei and the others had lain. They took every step with extreme caution; they took a whole minute to cover that ten-meter distance.


    And when they were five meters away from the place where Li Yifei¡¯s group had been lying, suddenly, two handfuls of sand flew into the air. The speed and force of the sand instinctively made them all shut their eyes.


    Naturally, disappearing into thin air was impossible, but Li Yifei could burrow into the ground. After pretending to be weak for several days, he had finally awaited the ambush from these men. How could he not be fully prepared? Right next to where they were lying was a pit about a meter deep. At the instant the men started shooting, he had already rolled into the pit with Xu Shanshan and the saintess, taking cover. Don¡¯t underestimate the sand; it has significant resistance, so the bullets couldn¡¯t penetrate very deep. A pit over a meter deep was enough to dodge any bullet.


    The enemy had run out of bullets, and they were so close¡ªthe time had come for Li Yifei and his companions to fight back.


    The two handfuls of sand were enough to distract their opponents, which was sufficient for experts like Li Yifei and the saintess. Like spring-loaded, they leaped out of the pit and directly into the crowd.


    Li Yifei never showed mercy to those who wanted to kill him. When he struck, it was lethal. To be kind to enemies was to be cruel to oneself. Only by killing all his enemies could he ensure his own safety.


    But Li Yifei also felt that his opponents were not weak. After several moves, he had only taken down three men.


    At that moment, the saintess had killed two men, though it was unclear if she had actually taken their lives, but the two men lying on the ground were certainly incapacitated.


    The remaining five men had now gathered together and started a frenzied counterattack against Li Yifei and his companions. Their counterattack was quite threatening, especially the blond man, whose strength could not be underestimated. In coordination with others, he had even forced Li Yifei to retreat a few steps.

 Chapter 1061 - 1104: Encountering Another Sandstorm

    Chapter 1061: Chapter 1104: Encountering Another SandstormAt this time, the sky was pitch black, which was a decidedly unfavorable situation for Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden. Without night vision goggles, they couldn¡¯t see their opponents and could only rely on their keen senses to dodge the attacks. Therefore, even though they were significantly more skilled than their adversaries, they still didn¡¯t hold any advantage. If it weren¡¯t for the difficult feat of immediately dispatching five enemies, being surrounded by ten people would have actually placed them at a disadvantage.


    However, even with such advantageous conditions, it was still extremely difficult for the opponents to harm Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden, and the battle quickly reached a stalemate.


    The fight involving seven individuals was intense when suddenly, a wind abruptly swept through. This wind was not only sudden but also strong and carried moisture in the air. Then, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky.


    This lightning was a tremendous opportunity for Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden, who immediately intensified their assault and quickly injured two more people, breaking the balance. Even without the lightning, Li Yifei and his partner began to gain the upper hand. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Holy Maiden entangled another two men, while Li Yifei focused on attacking the blond man. Li Yifei wanted to extract useful information from this man¡¯s mouth; these people had tracked him down with clear premeditation, and he felt that they were likely from that mysterious organization. After several encounters without getting any clues from them, he certainly couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    Another flash of lightning cut through the sky, and Li Yifei¡¯s palm struck the blond man¡¯s neck, knocking him unconscious, and at that same moment, the Holy Maiden took down the other two men.


    Having captured an important figure, Li Yifei was somewhat excited. If he could extract important information from their mouths, find out exactly which organization they were from, and what they were planning to do, then he could target this organization in the future and wouldn¡¯t have to be as passive as he was now.


    "Who are these people?" the Holy Maiden asked at this time. "Their combat skills are very impressive; they would definitely be considered masters in our Holy War Organization. I really wonder who could gather so many skilled fighters."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I only know they¡¯re likely from an organization I¡¯ve had several conflicts with."


    "There¡¯s actually such an organization," the Holy Maiden muttered under her breath. As the Holy Maiden of the Holy War Organization, she had a general understanding of organizations around the world. Now that she didn¡¯t recognize this one spoke volumes about the enigmatic nature of this organization.


    At that moment, the wind grew stronger, and it even began to rain in the desert. Other than the most dangerous blond man, Li Yifei checked the others and found they were all dead. The Holy Maiden was ruthless, not leaving a single survivor.


    The desert was already cold, and with the rain pouring down without shelter, it was bone-chillingly cold. Li Yifei quickly found a pair of night vision goggles and put them on, calling out, "Wait for me, I¡¯ll be back really soon."


    Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden didn¡¯t know what Li Yifei was planning, but in less than fifteen minutes, he returned, laden with bags containing numerous items. These were the equipment of the assassins who had attacked them; obviously, they couldn¡¯t carry these items during the assault. Li Yifei had gathered them up, including tents for sleeping at night.


    Quickly setting up two tents, Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden shared one, while Li Yifei took the blond man to the other.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t rush to interrogate the blond man. Such an individual would not easily spill his secrets. Pressuring him now would likely be futile, so Li Yifei left him out in the rain to soak and went to sleep to save his energy, planning to deal with the man the next day.


    Rainwater is precious in the desert, but Li Yifei had no need for it now. After a good night¡¯s sleep, the next morning, Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan, and the Holy Maiden packed up and set off once again, blond man in tow.


    With the willpower this guy must possess, Li Yifei planned to starve and dehydrate him for a couple of days to wear down his physical strength and willpower, making it easier to extract useful information from him.


    The blond man indeed had great physical endurance. Despite being chilled all night and injured by Li Yifei, he was still full of vigor now and occasionally sneered, clearly understanding Li Yifei¡¯s intentions, but he was by no means ready to submit. All Li Yifei¡¯s efforts seemed to be in vain.


    Xu Shanshan felt quite upset about Li Yifei bringing such a man along. In her view, he was clearly an unwanted burden, a third wheel; just looking at him was bothersome, and she would rather have killed him outright.


    Having been through life and death with Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan had also become ruthless, seemingly untroubled by the thought of killing the blond man.


    Li Yifei found equipment from these men, but to his annoyance, these fellows had neither a satellite phone nor radio equipment; otherwise, he could have managed to communicate with his family now.


    However, he did find a map and a positioning system, which were incredibly important for the three of them. After ascertaining their location and consulting the map, Li Yifei knew that after another day¡¯s journey, they would encounter an oasis, and after three more days, they would reach a highway. Then, they could leave the desert.


    They only stayed one night at the oasis, and then the three of them set off again. By the fourth day, they were getting closer and closer to that highway. The golden-haired man was unusually exhausted by now. Li Yifei knew it was time to interrogate this guy. With his methods, he didn¡¯t believe he couldn¡¯t get something useful out of this guy¡¯s mouth.


    "Brother-in-law, what is that over there?"


    Just as Li Yifei was about to interrogate the golden-haired man, Xu Shanshan pointed at something dark pressing in from the distance and cried out.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart tightened, cursing his luck. They were already about to leave the desert, and yet they had run into this unfortunate event.


    What¡¯s the most extreme weather in the desert... There¡¯s only one answer, that would be a sandstorm.


    When the sandstorm struck, the wind swept up the wild sands, darkening the skies, it truly felt like the end of the world. Li Yifei and his companions had set off again only to encounter a sandstorm after several days of good weather.


    The Holy Woman and Xu Shanshan had never been in the desert before and already found walking there to be the most exhausting thing. Now, seeing this sandstorm, they gained a whole new understanding of the desert, realizing that their previous knowledge of the desert was too superficial.


    Li Yifei had executed missions in the desert before, but he had always been well-prepared, and even if it was hard, he could always come out with ease. Now, without preparation, he encountered a sandstorm like none he¡¯d faced before, and it made him feel utterly doomed.


    However, Li Yifei had an understanding of sandstorms. Seeing the sweeping yellow sand enveloping the sky, he immediately picked up Xu Shanshan and ran towards the shelter of a sand dune. The Holy Woman had completely lost her ability to judge the situation and hurriedly followed Li Yifei.


    At this moment, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t care less about the golden-haired man; he had no choice but to leave him behind.


    Unfortunately, the sand dune was still far from where they were, and the sandstorm moved indescribably fast. In the blink of an eye, it was already less than a hundred meters away from them.


    "Get down." Li Yifei knew they couldn¡¯t possibly make it to the sand dune now, and standing or running in a sandstorm was undoubtedly looking for death. So without hesitation, he shouted.


    The Holy Woman didn¡¯t hesitate and lay down beside Li Yifei, who lay between the two of them, sheltering them beneath him. He also pulled out a piece of clothing, wrapping the shoulders of the two women with his arms and draping the cloth over their heads.


    No sooner had they lain down than the fierce wind, carrying a sky full of yellow sand, struck them. Even clothed, the sand whipping against their bodies was painful, and it would have been much worse if their faces weren¡¯t covered by the cloth.


    In a sandstorm, if you lie down, you generally won¡¯t encounter too many problems. Unless it¡¯s an exceptionally strong storm, there¡¯s no worry about being buried by the sand; you simply wait for it to pass.


    But Li Yifei and his companions must have been incredibly unlucky. This sandstorm was brought on by a tornado, and to make matters worse, the tornado was directly sweeping over the three of them.


    Li Yifei was strong, and so was the Holy Woman, but under such a force of nature, they seemed incredibly small. Compared to others, their strengths were great, but now they felt as weak as ants, their bodies fluttering like three torn pieces of paper, swept up in the wind.


    Li Yifei felt extremely unlucky, truly too unlucky. This trip to Australia was so cursed, and now, in this situation, all he could do was desperately hold Xu Shanshan tightly in his arms; there was nothing more he could do but let the wind carry them higher and higher.


    The Holy Woman did the same, holding tightly onto Li Yifei¡¯s waist.


    The three of them spun in the air with the gusts of wind, quickly becoming dizzy. The sand whipping in the wind against their faces was as painful as being cut by a knife. Xu Shanshan and the Holy Woman instinctively buried their faces in Li Yifei¡¯s chest, while Li Yifei¡¯s face was completely exposed, making the pain unimaginable.


    However, what was most important was that Li Yifei didn¡¯t know when they would be thrown down. That was the most fatal. If they were too high, they would surely be smashed into a pulp even if they fell onto the sand. A plane crash would at least offer a significant cushioning effect, not instantly taking their lives. But if their lives were claimed by a tornado, it would truly be a tragic end.

 Chapter 1062 - 1105: If We Die, We Die Together

    Chapter 1062: Chapter 1105: If We Die, We Die TogetherEven though hope seemed faint, Li Yifei possessed a strong will to survive. In such moments, even when he could do nothing, he forced himself to stay calm¡ªonly with calmness was there a slight chance of survival when the wind ceased.


    Over the years, Li Yifei had lived through countless dangerous situations, and this willpower was undeniably a crucial factor.


    Li Yifei had no idea how much time had passed. He felt his strength gradually draining away, and holding onto Xu Shanshan¡¯s arm became increasingly difficult. However, no matter what, he refused to let go of her.


    There was a struggle within Li Yifei¡¯s heart: if he let go of Xu Shanshan, his energy would not deplete as quickly, and there might be a glimmer of hope for survival. This would be a wise choice, considering he had so many wives at home; it didn¡¯t seem right to let all of them grieve for the sake of one person.


    But Li Yifei dismissed this thought quickly because Xu Shanshan seemed to sense his weakening grip¡ªshe actually began to pry his arm off. Even though Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t speak now, Li Yifei understood she wanted to leave him with a chance to live.


    If Xu Shanshan could be so selfless, what reason did Li Yifei have to abandon her? He tightened his embrace even more to convey his resolve. At this moment, even if it meant death, they would die together. If they survived, then he would make sure to take Xu Shanshan back with him.


    Xu Shanshan felt Li Yifei¡¯s determination and stopped pulling at his arm. Instead, she clung tightly to his waist, holding on for dear life, fully aware that death might be imminent.


    She suddenly imagined them shattered to pieces, and though it would be tragic, they would be bonded in flesh and bone, indistinguishable from each other. Even in death, this constituted a different kind of happiness.


    At this point, Xu Shanshan found sudden peace in her heart. Even if she couldn¡¯t show affection for Li Yifei at home or be with him as other women could, she always appeared happy around him. Yet, her love was tinged with suffering¡ªdidn¡¯t she long to be with Li Yifei every day, to be casual and open rather than sneaking around?


    To love someone is to be with them, even if it¡¯s hard to be together in the real world, then let them be together in another world.


    Li Yifei kept holding on, and finally, his perseverance seemed to pay off. He felt himself descending, but not rapidly¡ªthe wind was no longer strong enough to lift him, but it still provided upward force so that the descent wouldn¡¯t be a straight plummet.


    This was undoubtedly the best news. As the descent speed increased, Li Yifei knew he was about to hit the ground. Still blindfolded by the sandstorm and unable to open his eyes, he gathered all his strength, preparing for the impact of landing.


    At last, Li Yifei¡¯s feet touched sand. An ordinary person would fail to respond appropriately at this moment, but Li Yifei, having prepared himself and with lightning-fast reflexes, immediately bent his legs as his soles touched the sand. His knees served as shock absorbers; then he rolled to dissipate the remaining force. If luck were on their side, they could survive this¡ªhe gauged the time from being airborne to accelerating towards the ground to be no more than two seconds, which indicated a height of about ten meters, equivalent to a three- or four-story building height. This was a height Li Yifei could handle.


    But all of Li Yifei¡¯s preparations turned out to be in vain. Upon landing, he did not encounter the expected reaction force. It was as if he¡¯d fallen into water, sinking straight into the ground. He was certain it wasn¡¯t water but sandy terrain¡ªspecifically, an unusually soft patch of sand.


    Quicksand...


    A terrifying thought surged into Li Yifei¡¯s mind. Quicksand was not something to be trifled with. Once caught in quicksand, it was extremely difficult to escape. Scientists had experimented and concluded that if a person fell into quicksand, even if they did not sink completely, a crane would be needed to pull them out¡ªotherwise, the suction of the sand made rescue impossible.


    Encountering quicksand in the desert was fatal. Even if not fully swallowed by quicksand, being stuck with no hope of rescue and without water or provisions meant one would be baked to death by the sun within two days.


    Li Yifei¡¯s thought was fleeting, and he instinctively reacted. Diverting all his strength to his arms, he hurled Xu Shanshan with all his might.


    Feet mired in quicksand, Li Yifei¡¯s action confirmed his fears. He sank rapidly, already up to his chest and still sinking without any sign of stopping.


    This filled Li Yifei with horror. If only his legs had been trapped, there might still be hope, but sunk to the chest meant virtually no chance of escape. Now descending further, he would soon be engulfed by the quicksand, with his life ending in the next moment.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t know why but her reaction was so quick; she lunged forward and had already grasped Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    "Let go!" Li Yifei shouted urgently. In the quicksand, human strength was of no use; Xu Shanshan¡¯s actions were only causing her to fall into danger alongside him.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan, initially dazed and confused, now suddenly understood their predicament, and with a sad smile, said to Li Yifei, "If you die, I can¡¯t live on either. I¡¯d rather die with you. Moreover... Brother-in-law, I feel the same way here." Saying this, she lunged again and had already wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was still sinking at this time, with his arms already ensnared by the quicksand, making it impossible to shake Xu Shanshan off. And Xu Shanshan was similarly sinking; although he had thrown Xu Shanshan out, she was still in the quicksand. Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s resolute gaze, Li Yifei finally gave up. He looked at Xu Shanshan tenderly and said, "Shanshan, we are going to die, are you scared?"


    "Not scared, as long as I can be with you, Brother-in-law, I¡¯m not afraid to die!" Xu Shanshan revealed an exceptionally radiant smile, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to Li Yifei¡¯s.


    At that moment, Li Yifei thought of nothing else and kissed Xu Shanshan deeply. This was a kiss of death but such a kiss was extraordinarily moving.


    "Yifei, can you kiss me?" The Saintess suddenly said in a soft voice from behind.


    Li Yifei, with Xu Shanshan in tow, turned his head to look at the Saintess, whose face still bore the smile of an angel, devoid of panic but filled with longing.


    Xu Shanshan, at that time, let go of Li Yifei on her own initiative. They were all going to die together, and it was the Saintess¡¯s last wish before death; she had no reason to refuse.


    Li Yifei held the same thought and kissed the Saintess directly on her lips.


    The Saintess let out a soft moan, her face showing an even sweeter smile before her head sank below the sand.


    The Saintess was shorter than Li Yifei, so her head went in first. Li Yifei let go of the Saintess, turned his head and kissed Xu Shanshan again, and then in an instant, they too were swallowed by the sand. The quicksand following the sandstorm flowed into the spot where Li Yifei and the others had sunk, then settled back into calmness.


    In Mile City, knowing that Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were still alive and that even a plane crash couldn¡¯t kill Li Yifei, there was nothing left to worry about. Everyone quickly refocused their energy on the present.


    And now, Li Yifei¡¯s family was facing an unprecedented crisis. Xu Yingying¡¯s company was subjected to various suppressions like never before. Previously, it had strong support from the Municipal Government with every manner of assistance readily provided; now, not only was the support gone, but inspections were being carried out periodically.


    Although Su Mengxin stepped in, she couldn¡¯t improve the situation much. Under the pressure exerted by Meng Qianjun, Wei Zijun, and Gu Yanan, even Su Mengxin¡¯s influence couldn¡¯t compare to the combined efforts of these three.


    Moreover, in terms of sales, there were several issues with the products, where counterfeit goods were said to be mixed in. Xu Yingying and her team knew well that this was a sabotage by Wei Zijun and his allies, but they were helpless against it. The influence of these three men was too significant; many people, even if they knew it was a framed charge, would not step forward to support Xu Yingying¡¯s company.


    Normally, with Li Yifei around, the Su, Xiao, and Zheng families would stand united, but now in his absence, and with the outside world convinced that Li Yifei was certainly dead, these powerful families¡¯ support for the Li family was limited. They were even urging Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others to step back and not get involved further.


    For these large families, interests were always paramount. Although Li Yifei may not bring them the most direct benefits, he was an anchor that united them. Without Li Yifei, that bond was gone, and naturally, their alliance began to falter.


    With the Wei, Gu, and Meng families stirring the pot, their union, although not yet crumbled, was clearly no longer as cohesive as before with each family keeping their own backup plans¡ªnot as closely aligned as they had been.


    Li Yifei¡¯s company, although small, was not spared by Wei Zijun and his allies. Now the company stumbled with difficulty. Ning Xin¡¯er and her colleagues could only persevere. Fortunately, Li Yifei and his team had no financial issues at hand, and could maintain these companies for the time being without major problems.

 Chapter 1063 - 1106: Outsmarting Oneself

    Chapter 1063: Chapter 1106: Outsmarting OneselfInside Meng Qianjun¡¯s private club, Wei Zijun, Gu Yanan, and Meng Qianjun sat together in a VIP room. They were having drinks without the company of any beauties. For men of their stature, ordinary, mediocre women simply did not catch their eye, and the matters they discussed were not suitable for outsiders.


    Wei Zijun took a sip of his drink and said, "That Li Yifei died just like that; it¡¯s really quite dull."


    Meng Qianjun also expressed regret, saying, "Indeed, it¡¯s rare to come across an adversary. I wanted to play with him slowly, but now he¡¯s just gone like that, it¡¯s really killed my interest."


    Gu Yanan said leisurely, "Sometimes, that¡¯s how it is. When you¡¯ve made full preparations, your opponent suddenly loses all power to retaliate, which is like punching into cotton."


    The three of them all felt this way. With Li Yifei gone, it left them all in a rather foul mood.


    Meng Qianjun shook his head, then said directly, "Alright, let¡¯s not be so downcast. That kid Li Yifei left behind quite a bit, let¡¯s discuss how we should divide his leftovers."


    Wei Zijun said, "All his assets combined are worth over six billion, but not quite seven billion. That¡¯s easy to split. The three of us take two billion each, and that¡¯s about right."


    Two billion, even for a major family, was definitely not a small amount. Though they spoke lightly of it, all three were eying this prize. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be pressing down on Li Yifei¡¯s company after his plane incident. There was no reason for them to not take advantage of such a great opportunity.


    Gu Yanan, still in his unhurried manner, said, "It sounds easy enough, but I suspect it won¡¯t be that simple. After all, there¡¯s still Su Mengxin to consider. The Su Family definitely won¡¯t let go of these assets. Moreover, there are the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family; they will surely be eying them, too. If we don¡¯t offer them some benefits, they won¡¯t back down, right?"


    Wei Zijun smiled sinisterly and said, "Then it¡¯s even simpler. Li Yifei is dead, and so his women are without a master now. Su Mengxin is mine. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling will go to the two of you. As long as the women are ours, then all these assets will naturally be ours too. As for anyone else, they are nothing to worry about. The Ning Family hasn¡¯t been involved, and Ning Xin¡¯er is not a threat. Whoever wins her will depend on their own ability. Plus, it¡¯s a buy one get one free deal¡ªwe get a little lolita to groom, which isn¡¯t a bad thing at all."


    "Hahaha..." Meng Qianjun laughed wildly. "We¡¯re taking the Golden Eagle¡¯s assets, playing with his wife, and in the end, his daughter too. If he knew about all this from his grave, would he be angry enough to come back to life?"


    Gu Yanan, with a smile, said, "It¡¯s impossible for him to come back to life in a rage, but when his wife and daughter meet him down there, with green hats all over his head, I wonder what he would look like?"


    Wei Zijun downed his drink and said, "It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t see that expression. If we could, my grudge would be settled. That bastard, he took Mengxin and even got her pregnant. I wish I could kill him myself."


    Gu Yanan still smiling, said, "That¡¯s not bad at all. Su Mengxin is part of the Su Family. If you get her, that would mean your Wei Family and the Su Family forming a powerful alliance. At that point, Huaxia would belong to Young Master Wei. When the time comes, you can¡¯t forget about us two allies."


    Wei Zijun immediately slapped his chest and said, "Rest assured, I, Wei Zijun, am not one to forget kindness and betray friends. As long as you help me in this matter, I will surely not forget you. Not just the Su Family, but Meng Family, Gu Family, you¡¯re all allies of Wei Zijun."


    Gu Yanan, smiling, said, "With Young Master Wei¡¯s word, I¡¯m reassured." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, everyone knew whether they were truly reassured or not, and whether they could be united at this moment. They could share Li Yifei¡¯s fortune, but women, with their complicated entanglements and greater interests, were another matter. And if Wei Zijun were to truly grow stronger, they wouldn¡¯t be at the same level. How could Gu Yanan and Meng Qianjun stand idly by while Wei Zijun grew in power? However, that wasn¡¯t an immediate concern, so the three still prioritized forming an alliance.


    "Yanan, what do you think we should do next?" Meng Qianjun asked.


    Gu Yanan smiled slightly and said, "Let¡¯s have Young Master Wei decide on this matter. I¡¯ll just be a Front Soldier."


    Wei Zijun immediately said, "Young Master Gu, you¡¯re too modest. Everyone knows that you¡¯re the most resourceful, so you take the lead."


    Meng Qianjun glared and said, "Come on, you two, what¡¯s with the mutual flattery at this time? If you have ideas, just speak up. Let¡¯s quickly go after the Golden Eagle¡¯s money and his wife, haha."


    Gu Yanan modestly waved his hand, and then Wei Zijun said, "Actually, it¡¯s quite simple now. What Su Mengxin and her team rely on is the large amount of capital they still have in their hands. I plan to use connections to freeze their assets. That way, they will immediately fall into financial difficulties. Their company won¡¯t be able to operate, and even if they hold on to a few companies, they¡¯ll be of no use. At that time, we can each employ our own methods, making them come begging to us. Wouldn¡¯t we then gain both people and wealth?"


    "Brilliant! That¡¯s truly brilliant! Young Master Wei is indeed Young Master Wei, far beyond my own capability." Gu Yanan clapped in admiration, making Wei Zijun quite pleased with himself, but he was also aware that Gu Yanan¡¯s praise wasn¡¯t entirely sincere¡ªat least half of it was probably just flattery.


    At Li Yifei¡¯s home, everyone wore grim expressions. Xu Yingying angrily slammed her hand on the table and said, "This is just too shameful, what right do they have to freeze our bank accounts?"


    He Fangqing sighed and said, "Now they¡¯ve pinned the label of money laundering on us, and this sum of money indeed came from outside through Yifei; it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call it laundered money."


    Chu Xiaoyao angrily said, "Why didn¡¯t they care before? Why act now? It¡¯s clear they¡¯re just waiting for Yifei to be absent so they can come and rob us when we¡¯re weak."


    "I don¡¯t think the problem is that big," Ning Xin¡¯er said. "Although they¡¯ve frozen Yifei¡¯s account, we all have money. If we pool our funds, I reckon gathering several tens of millions isn¡¯t a big issue."


    "I have a little over two million," Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately said.


    "I also have a little over two million," Zheng Yuling added. Though both had joined later, they stood firmly united with everyone in this matter.


    Ning Xin¡¯er said, "I have just under twenty million."


    Su Yiyi hurriedly said, "I have over fifty million." This was money previously managed by Li Yifei and had always been in Su Yiyi¡¯s care, and much of the household expenses were handled by Su Yiyi, so the money had always been with her.


    Everybody was talking at once, each one ready to contribute their money.


    At this moment, Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "We don¡¯t need to use this money."


    "Eh?" Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said anxiously, "Mengxin, we have to use it, or else our company won¡¯t even be able to pay salaries, and it will quickly fall apart."


    Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly and said, "I also feel we don¡¯t need to use it for now. Those people just want to see us in trouble, so let¡¯s give them a good look. They don¡¯t know Yifei is still alive, they think he¡¯s dead, and that¡¯s why they dare to be so arrogant. This is a chance for us to see if the people around us are loyal; those who are with us through thick and thin now, we must value in the future. But those who turn against us at this time, we can¡¯t employ them later, and we need to be cautious with the fickle ones."


    Su Mengxin laughed lightly and said, "Yunzhu is right, and by doing this, we can also catch them off guard. When Yifei returns, we can strike a decisive blow and deliver a fatal hit to them. For now, let¡¯s use their own strategy against them. The fact that Yifei is still alive must not be leaked for now. And we need to pretend as if he¡¯s already dead to outwit them."


    Ye Yunzhu continued, "This is definitely a great opportunity. People like Wei Zijun, Meng Qianjun, Gu Yanan¡ªthey¡¯re all very astute and capable. If we were to confront them directly, it would be hard for them to expose any weaknesses. Even using some strategy, it¡¯s unlikely we could fool them easily. Now that they¡¯re prejudiced, it¡¯ll be hard for them not to fall for it. As for us, we don¡¯t need to make an effort to show anything; just acting normally is fine. Possibly, they¡¯ll see this and think that we¡¯re still desperately hiding our true state, merely putting on a strong front, holding on to a delusion that our husband is alive. They¡¯ll think of breaking our illusion to defeat us."


    Su Mengxin clapped her hands in approval, "What Yunzhu said is good; we really don¡¯t need to play any roles now. If we are happy, they won¡¯t believe it. Everyone has their own idea of being clever, especially those who think themselves smart. They¡¯ll think exactly like that, and we don¡¯t need to set the trap¡ªthey¡¯ll fall into it themselves."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly got excited and said, "Alright, alright, we¡¯ll do it this way. Hehe, when Yifei comes back, we¡¯ll definitely settle the score with them and get our revenge."


    Chu Xiaoyao was also dancing with excitement, "Yes, yes, when the time comes, we¡¯ll have to teach them a severe lesson, let those bastards know how formidable uncle can be."


    Everyone grew more and more excited, turning what was initially a troubling issue into something positive. A smile also came to Xu Yingying¡¯s face; these past days, she had suffered a lot. In her business experiences, she had never felt so stifled. Thinking about releasing all that pent-up anger and imagining the shock on those people¡¯s faces when they see Li Yifei return made her mood all the better.

 Chapter 1064 - 107: The Gamble

    Chapter 1064: Chapter 107: The Gamble?§Ôeew§×bnovel.com"Mengxin, I know you¡¯re heartbroken, but it¡¯s been so long, and the plane that crashed still hasn¡¯t been found. The chances of survival are really too slim. You are a rational person, so you should think about what to do in the future."


    In a cafe, Wei Zijun and Su Mengxin were sitting in a booth by the side. Su Mengxin stirred her coffee in front of her, not taking a sip for quite some time, while Wei Zijun, looking gentle and refined, was patiently persuading Su Mengxin.


    To outsiders, Wei Zijun was like Su Mengxin¡¯s confidant, a man who was both handsome and genteel, certainly capable of captivating countless women.


    Wei Zijun was in an exceptionally good mood today. He had asked Su Mengxin out several times, and she had refused, but today she had surprisingly agreed to come out for coffee with him, which was unexpected, yet also made him sense an opportunity.


    "Mengxin, I know you¡¯re a strong person. A thing like this, I believe, can¡¯t beat you. Life must go on, and the journey of life continues."


    Finally, Su Mengxin lifted her head, her complexion still a bit pale, and sighed, "I also know that Yifei¡¯s chances of survival are too slim. If this hadn¡¯t happened to Yifei, I would have viewed this matter rationally too, but once it happens to oneself, sometimes it¡¯s no longer a matter of being rational."


    Wei Zijun immediately said, "You¡¯re right, that¡¯s how people are. As bystanders, we can always see things clearly, but when we¡¯re in the midst of it, it¡¯s often hard to see clearly."


    Su Mengxin forced a smile and said, "That¡¯s probably the case. I always think about how strong Yifei is. Despite many years in the midst of gunfire and bullets, the only injury he has ever sustained was taking a bullet to protect me. Even though the plane crashed, there are often survivors. If anyone survived from that plane crash, it must be Yifei."


    Wei Zijun felt quite annoyed inside, seeing how deeply Su Mengxin cared for Li Yifei, but his face didn¡¯t show it at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "You¡¯re right. Then let¡¯s hope that Yifei managed to survive."


    Su Mengxin looked at Wei Zijun, shook her head, and said, "Young Master Wei, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Can you explain it to me?"


    "Sure, tell me," Wei Zijun replied quickly.


    "The conflict between you and Yifei, let¡¯s just say it started because of me. But now that Yifei is missing, presumed dead, why do you still press so hard against us? Do you really have to push us to death?"


    Wei Zijun looked into Su Mengxin¡¯s eyes, then sighed softly, "Mengxin, I won¡¯t lie to you. I¡¯m involved in this too. Because I¡¯m jealous. I¡¯ve always liked you. Although we didn¡¯t interact much in the past, you¡¯ve always been the woman of my dreams. I swore that I would marry you, but then you got together with Li Yifei. I couldn¡¯t accept it, it pained me. If Li Yifei were alive, I would fight him to see who¡¯s better. Now that he¡¯s dead, this jealousy still hasn¡¯t dissolved, which is why I ended up doing such extreme things."


    Su Mengxin sighed and said, "Even if Yifei is no longer with us, why must you do this?"


    Wei Zijun gazed at her intensely and said, "Because... I want to pursue you, I want to marry you. Only when I erase all of Li Yifei¡¯s traces in your heart can you truly be with me."


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "It¡¯s impossible. Even if Yifei really isn¡¯t around, I won¡¯t find anyone else. I¡¯m already pregnant with his child. I will give birth to this child and raise them."


    "You, a woman alone with a child, won¡¯t you suffer? And a child without a father, isn¡¯t that very tragic?"


    "What can I do?" The corners of Su Mengxin¡¯s mouth twitched, revealing a mournful smile.


    Wei Zijun looked at her lovingly and said, "I could... I could be the father of the child."


    "You..." Su Mengxin looked at Wei Zijun in astonishment.


    "Yes, even though I¡¯ve always disliked Li Yifei, the child is innocent. Plus, I won¡¯t be as fickle as him. I will be devoted to you. As long as the child is yours, I would treat them as my own flesh and blood." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin lowered her head and said, "Thank you, but this child is Yifei¡¯s, and I can¡¯t let them bear someone else¡¯s name. And..." Su Mengxin looked up again and continued, "Not only do I have to protect Yifei¡¯s child, but I also have to guard everything that belongs to Yifei. If you continue to treat Yifei¡¯s business this way, then I can only oppose you head-on. Even though I have gradually stepped back from the Su Family, it doesn¡¯t mean I lack the strength."


    Wei Zijun¡¯s face stiffened and he said, "Mengxin, why put yourself through this? Yifei is gone, his family doesn¡¯t exist anymore. If you keep this up, what¡¯s it for?"


    With a faint smile, Su Mengxin replied, "I didn¡¯t understand before. I only knew that if it was beneficial to our Su Family, then I would do it, regardless of whether it was right or wrong. But now I understand. There are many things more important than profit, like love and family affection. When in a big family, affection has to make way for profit, that family will not last long. With Yifei, the Li family is here. Without Yifei, the Li family is still here, because we carry Yifei¡¯s legacy."


    Wei Zijun looked even more troubled, took a deep breath, and said, "Mengxin, am I really not even worth a dead person?"


    "You are excellent. As a man, you are very successful. Within our Huaxia, it¡¯s hard to find many men better than you. But you also have faults. You don¡¯t understand what a woman truly desires in her heart, what she really needs. So... even if Yifei is truly dead, I will not choose you."


    "All right... Mengxin, it¡¯s exactly your character I like. Although you can¡¯t accept me now, I will persist. I believe that someday I will move you. However, I must admit, I must destroy everything of Li Yifei¡¯s. It¡¯s my resolve as a man; no matter how much I like you, I won¡¯t change this decision."


    "Well then, let¡¯s wait and see," Su Mengxin stood up, flashed a slight smile at Wei Zijun, then walked straight out of the coffee shop. Wei Zijun didn¡¯t follow her; in front of Su Mengxin, there was no need for pretense or deliberate flattery, because he was very clear that doing so would certainly make Su Mengxin look down on him.


    Today, since Su Mengxin had agreed to meet with him, it was already a breakthrough. Wei Zijun hadn¡¯t expected to win Su Mengxin¡¯s heart that day; it was definitely going to be a long-term effort, but if he succeeded, all the efforts would be worth it.


    From another perspective, Wei Zijun also felt that the Su family was indeed being heavily suppressed by them. Just a little more pressure and everything belonging to Li Yifei would crumble into ashes.


    "Li Yifei, if you could live to see all this, how great that would be," Wei Zijun murmured to himself, unable to hold back the words.


    Wei Zijun exited the coffee shop but at the door, he saw Su Mengxin again, which delighted him. He hurried over and said, "Mengxin, you¡¯re still here."


    Su Mengxin gave a faint smile and said, "Young Master Wei, something just occurred to me."


    "What is it?" Wei Zijun asked politely.


    "I want to make a bet with the three of you."


    "A bet?" Wei Zijun looked puzzled at Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin gently caressed her lower abdomen and said, "It¡¯s simple. I bet that you can¡¯t bring down our Li family within a month."


    Wei Zijun was intrigued and asked, "What do you mean by ¡¯bring down¡¯?"


    "Naturally, it means to make our Li family fall apart and cease to exist."


    Wei Zijun met Su Mengxin¡¯s gaze and queried, "And what¡¯s the stake?"


    "If you win, I will agree to your request."


    "And if we don¡¯t succeed?"


    "Simple, ten billion. You give us ten billion as compensation."


    "Ten billion is no small sum."


    "It¡¯s not, but the Li family¡¯s assets are close to seven billion. Besides, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m worth the remaining three billion?"


    "Of course, the wager is indeed fair, and even beneficial to us. But since this isn¡¯t just up to me, I can¡¯t give you an answer right now."


    "Fine, then go back and discuss it among yourselves." Su Mengxin smiled again, turned, and got into an armored Mercedes parked at the entrance.


    Watching Su Mengxin leave, Wei Zijun furrowed his eyebrows. Her sudden proposition really baffled him; after pondering for a bit and still clueless, he called Gu Yanan and Meng Qianjun to arrange a meeting.


    Half an hour later, the three men reconvened in Meng Qianjun¡¯s clubhouse. Wei Zijun relayed the details of Su Mengxin¡¯s proposed bet.


    Meng Qianjun immediately said, "Why should we bet with them? Even without the bet, we can obtain the same things."


    However, Gu Yanan hesitated for a while before suggesting, "Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something off about Su Mengxin proposing this bet at this time?"


    Meng Qianjun rolled his eyes and countered, "What¡¯s the problem? We¡¯ve already squeezed Li Yifei so hard that he can¡¯t make a move. If the authorities weren¡¯t so strict now, preventing us from acting rashly, we would have brought them down already. Even at this rate, they will collapse in less than a month, in just another ten days."


    Suddenly, Gu Yanan said, "Actually, I¡¯ve just thought of a possibility. What if Li Yifei isn¡¯t dead? And what if Su Mengxin knows something, which is why she dares to bet with us?"


    Meng Qianjun and Wei Zijun were both taken aback, then they both furrowed their brows simultaneously.

 Chapter 1065 - 1108: The Crisis of the Li Family

    Chapter 1065: Chapter 1108: The Crisis of the Li FamilyMeng Qianjun repeatedly shook his head and said, "Impossible, all the search and rescue teams have our informants. If Li Yifei and his people were still alive, we should have heard something."


    Gu Yanan still spoke at his leisurely pace, "Just because the search teams didn¡¯t find the plane doesn¡¯t mean that Li Yifei himself couldn¡¯t contact the outside world."


    Wei Zijun thought for a moment and said, "There is such a possibility, but what do you think are the chances of survival after a plane crash? Besides, if Li Yifei were still alive, wouldn¡¯t we have heard something by now, after half a month?"


    Meng Qianjun stroked his chin and said, "Plane crashes are unpredictable. Even with the highest skill, in such circumstances, the chances of survival are too slim. Moreover, from various reports, it seems the plane might have fallen into the desert. Even if the crash didn¡¯t kill him, without equipment, his chances of surviving in the desert are also quite low."


    Gu Yanan slightly smiled and said, "I mentioned this possibility. There¡¯s another bigger possibility¡ªthey are delaying time or creating a distraction for us. But I rather like this bet; Su Mengxin has been known as the most capable of the younger generation in Huaxia. We¡¯ve always lived in her shadow. If we never defeat her, we will always be suppressed by her, even if she exits the stage, we will still harbor a grudge in our hearts."


    Wei Zijun and Meng Qianjun both nodded involuntarily. Undeniably, in the eyes of all the elders, Su Mengxin was indeed more outstanding than them. If it weren¡¯t for Su Mengxin being a woman, she would probably receive even higher praise. Su Mengxin was a thorn in their hearts.


    Meng Qianjun slapped his chest boldly and said loudly, "Let¡¯s bet, what¡¯s the big deal? Even if that kid Li Yifei comes back alive, what can he really do? Aren¡¯t we just supposed to deal with him? If he really comes back, wouldn¡¯t it be more satisfying to take care of him as well?"


    Wei Zijun nodded and said, "I agree too. I see no reason to feel defeated."


    Gu Yanan flashed a smile and said, "Since you both agree, I have no objections either."


    Wei Zijun and Meng Qianjun rolled their eyes. Clearly, it was Gu Yanan who wanted to make the bet, and yet he concluded with such a statement, which was really sly.


    Gu Yanan then added, "However, regarding the stakes, we should make a new demand. It shouldn¡¯t just involve Su Mengxin, but all of Li Yifei¡¯s women. If we win, they all have to follow us, split evenly among the three of us. Seems like he has twelve women now, not even counting Young Master Meng¡¯s cousin."


    Meng Qianjun snorted and said, "Forget that troublesome girl, always playing both sides."


    Wei Zijun laughed and said, "Then let¡¯s just gift Young Master Meng his sister. That way, she can¡¯t play both sides anymore."


    Gu Yanan then said, "However, regarding how to divide them, I do have a suggestion."


    "What suggestion?" Meng Qianjun asked eagerly.


    "Although Young Master Wei has always pursued Mengxin, I won¡¯t deny that I also like Mengxin, I just never show it."


    "What?" Wei Zijun¡¯s eyes widened immediately.


    Gu Yanan waved his hand and spoke calmly, "Young Master Wei, there¡¯s no need to get worked up. Mengxin, being Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman, embodying both beauty and talent, would make any man¡¯s heart flutter. Qianjun, you can¡¯t deny this either, can you?"


    Meng Qianjun chuckled and said, "Young Master Wei, I really can¡¯t deny that."


    "What do you two mean?" Wei Zijun was getting annoyed.


    Gu Yanan smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be angry, Young Master Wei. Let me explain slowly. Since we all have designs on Mengxin, and we all know full well the benefits that having Mengxin would bring are immense, I suggest we divide Li Yifei¡¯s twelve women by drawing lots. Whoever draws Mengxin gets her."


    "No way!" Wei Zijun immediately objected.


    Gu Yanan continued, "I haven¡¯t finished. We know you have special feelings for Mengxin, Young Master Wei, but it¡¯s really hard for us to just give her up. So, if we draw Mengxin, we could still give her to you, but you¡¯ll have to compensate us by giving up all the other benefits."


    Wei Zijun took a deep breath and weighed his options before saying, "Alright, I agree."


    After discussing these matters, Wei Zijun contacted Su Mengxin, and the next day, they met again in a cafe. Wei Zijun relayed the results of their discussion to Su Mengxin, but of course, he did not mention that everyone was planning to draw lots to determine ownership; instead, he simply stated that he only wanted Su Mengxin and none of the others.


    Young Master Wei, this isn¡¯t just about me. I must go home and discuss this with everyone. Let¡¯s confirm this tomorrow." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Zijun quickly responded, "That¡¯s only proper, Mengxin. Don¡¯t overwork yourself."


    "I know." Su Mengxin smiled and then left the cafe.


    On the third day, Su Mengxin represented everyone and signed a wager agreement with Wei Zijun, Meng Qianjun, and Gu Yanan. Additionally, several respected elders from the major clans were invited to witness the agreement, ensuring that no one could default on their promise. Now, no one dared claim supremacy in Huaxia and disregard other families; violating such an agreement would make them adversaries of all major clans, which even powerful clans like the Su, Wei, Meng, and Gu families could not afford.


    After signing the agreement, Old Master Su immediately called Su Mengxin, expressing his frustration, "Mengxin, how could you be so reckless? Do you realize what this agreement means?"


    Su Mengxin replied calmly, "Grandfather, I know."


    "You still signed it?"


    "I had no choice. At this time, our family¡¯s support is limited. I can only rely on ourselves to ensure the Li family¡¯s survival."


    Old Master Su fell silent, sighed, and said, "Mengxin, it¡¯s not that Grandfather doesn¡¯t want to interfere, but since Yifei is gone, we really shouldn¡¯t confront the Three Great Clans head-on. There¡¯s nothing to be gained from it."


    "I understand, Grandfather, but I have my convictions. Besides, even if I fail, it doesn¡¯t seem like there will be any harm. At worst, I¡¯ll join Wei Zijun, and that will align the Su family with the Meng family, bringing benefits to the Su family."


    Old Master Su sighed again, "We do not wish to ally with the Meng family. There are things you do not know, Mengxin. Well, since you¡¯ve decided, I trust you, but you must prioritize your safety above all."


    "I will." Su Mengxin hung up the call.


    At this time, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling faced similar circumstances. Their families were also pressuring them, but they supported the wager agreement because the Wei, Gu, and Meng families were more powerful than theirs. Although Li Yifei was also strong, he represented an individual¡¯s strength, not that of a large clan. The benefits they could derive were brought by the Su family.


    Without Li Yifei to maintain their ties, their closeness with the Su family significantly lessened, and joining one of the Three Great Clans would undoubtedly be more advantageous than disadvantageous for them.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling deeply resented their family¡¯s machinations. Even if Li Yifei were truly in trouble, they did not want to be manipulated by their families. Preferring independence like Ning Xin¡¯er and Meng Xiaofei, and knowing Li Yifei was unharmed but not yet back, they felt secure and outright refused their families¡¯ demands. This also helped them see their family matters more clearly.


    Ten days passed quickly, and under the joint suppression by Meng Qianjun, Gu Yanan, and Wei Zijun, Li Yifei¡¯s enterprises were nearly collapsing. However, Li family¡¯s last stronghold, their garden estate, still stood. Meng Qianjun and others knew that only by seizing this garden could they truly ruin all of Li Yifei¡¯s business ventures and win the wager.


    Meanwhile, Brother Hu¡¯s business was being devoured by Meng Qianjun. Previously, with Li Yifei around, various aspects of Mile City took care of them, but now they not only lacked this care but were also being suppressed, making Brother Hu truly miserable.


    Holding out to the end, with only two businesses left, Brother Hu would face only a dead end if he continued to resist and thus reluctantly gave up, being absorbed by Meng Qianjun.


    At this time, Xu Yingying and the others had moved into the new garden. Although it wasn¡¯t fully finalized, this garden represented the foundation of the Li family. As long as the Li family¡¯s garden existed, it signified the persistence of the Li family. All people responsible for security there were strong, not typical underworld figures, and couldn¡¯t easily be swayed by Meng Qianjun or others. At least for now, their loyalty to the Li family ensured everyone¡¯s safety.


    For Meng Qianjun and his allies to take this garden, they couldn¡¯t simply suppress it as they did with other Li companies. They had to truly own it, meaning they needed to eliminate those loyal to Li Yifei.


    This also meant they had to resort

 Chapter 1066 - 109 Reinforcements

    Chapter 1066: Chapter 109 Reinforcements"Yifei, why hasn¡¯t he come back yet?"


    In the garden, in the living room of the villa exclusively for Li Yifei, everyone was seated together. At this time, worry had begun to appear on their faces. These days, Xu Yingying had lost all sensation, and since the last time they received any sense of him, half a month had passed, stirring everyone¡¯s concern once again.


    Now Meng Qianjun and his people were pressing step by step, and the Li family¡¯s compound had become their last bastion. Also, from the messages received from outside, Meng Qianjun had already summoned a large number of experts, and it was feared they would soon make their move against the Li family. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t return, the situation would indeed be dire. If the enemy were to take down this compound, they would have truly lost the wager, and even if Yifei returned, it would be too late.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin¡¯s phone rang. She quickly glanced at the number and answered, "Third Grandpa."


    "Girl, come out and pick someone up."


    "What?"


    "I¡¯m right outside your garden gate, damn it, they won¡¯t let me in."


    "Ah! I¡¯ll be right there." Su Mengxin hurried out, running towards the entrance.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling were overjoyed at this moment, quickly saying, "Let¡¯s hurry out, Mengxin¡¯s Third Grandpa has arrived. His coming at this time likely means he¡¯s here to help us."


    Upon hearing this, everyone quickly dashed out; they were in dire need of reinforcements.


    As they rushed to the gate, they saw a dense crowd of people, nearly fifty, all of them men, each looking heroic and formidable.


    "Third Grandpa, Uncle, Mingrui, why have you all come?" Su Mengxin asked in surprise as she looked at these people.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest laughed heartily, "How could your Third Grandpa miss such a lively event? Whoever dares to bully my granddaughter, I will have to take a stand for you, then this kid heard about it and instantly brought his people over."


    It was understandable for Su family members to come to help, since the fight was a family struggle, it was natural to have such people involved, but Su Mengxin smiled bitterly when she saw Zheng Mingrui had brought the Flying Hawk Squad with him, "Mingrui, how could you bring the entire squad? This is against discipline."


    A glint of coldness flashed in Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes, "When we¡¯re out on missions, we abide by discipline, but now... we¡¯re handling private matters. We¡¯ve come to stand up for our brother. Sister-in-law, we will not back down on this matter."


    Su Mengxin sighed. She was grateful for Zheng Mingrui and their arrival, but she also felt that dealing with the aftermath would be tricky, "Let¡¯s go inside and talk first."


    As they entered the compound and saw the facilities, even the worldly members of the Flying Hawk Squad were wide-eyed with astonishment. If it weren¡¯t for the presence of all the sisters-in-law, they would have been shouting out in excitement.


    But Su¡¯s Third Eldest wasn¡¯t so reserved, and yelled out loudly, "Wow, Mengxin girl, this place is great, I love it. Do you have somewhere for me to stay? I want to live here too."


    Su Mengxin smiled and replied, "Third Grandpa, it¡¯s our honor to have you here. If you¡¯re willing, you can stay here every day, no problem at all."


    "Haha, that¡¯s settled then. When your Third Grandpa gets tired of playing around, I¡¯ll come here to retire, damn it. Yifei really built himself a great compound, awesome."


    Inside the living room, Su Mengxin introduced everyone to each other. Some of the people here were unfamiliar to Zheng Mingrui and company. Only then did they realize how impressive their boss was, with twelve wives hidden at home. They were almost tired of saying ¡¯sister-in-law¡¯.


    After the pleasantries, Su¡¯s Third Eldest sat in the main seat and said to Su Mengxin, "That brat Yifei, still not back yet, has actually left us to protect his wives and children. When he returns, I¡¯ll have a good scolding session with him."


    Su Mengxin asked, "Third Grandpa, do you also believe that Yifei is okay?" Besides the family, she was sure no one else knew whether Li Yifei was alive.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest pursed his lips, "That kid is like a cat, not so easy to kill. Just a plane crash, it¡¯s not like the plane exploded in the sky. If he can¡¯t survive that, I¡¯ll eat my hat."


    Zheng Mingrui also smiled, "Our boss isn¡¯t so easy to kill. I also firmly believe he is still alive. He¡¯s just run into some trouble. If he could die that easily, I wouldn¡¯t know how many times I would have died by now."


    "Exactly, what kind of person is our boss? A plane crash is just a trifle, not even worth mentioning."


    "Maybe the boss is somewhere living the high life right now."


    Zheng Mingrui glared and said, "What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you see that all the sisters-in-law are here?"


    The guy who had said the wrong thing chuckled and replied, "I was just speaking off the cuff."


    With this exchange, the atmosphere became even more relaxed. Su Mengxin smiled and said, "I won¡¯t hide it from you, Yifei is indeed alive. He has sent us a message, but we really don¡¯t know where he is or when he will return."


    "I knew it, the boss must be fine," the guy suddenly boasted. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No one asked how Li Yifei had sent the message. If Su Mengxin could talk about it, she naturally would. It must be their special form of communication.


    Although everyone believed that Li Yifei was alive, there was still some worry in their hearts. Now that they had confirmed information, they were even more excited and looked down even more on the Three Great Clans.


    Especially the members of the Flying Hawk Squad, in their eyes, Li Yifei was like a god. As long as Li Yifei was alive, nobody could touch his family members. They had no more worries, certain that even if they caused a big problem, Yifei would help them resolve it afterward.


    Seeing so many people from the Su Family, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling inevitably felt a sense of melancholy. As members of great families themselves, their vision was much worse than that of the Su Family. They only thought about relying on others and could not strive for things based on their own strength. Therefore, they were afraid that the gap between them and the other Capital Families would grow larger and larger until they might even be eliminated by the elite families of the Capital City.


    After chatting for a few moments, Su Mengxin looked at Zheng Mingrui and said earnestly, "Mingrui, I really feel that you can¡¯t stay here."


    Zheng Mingrui quickly said, "Sister-in-law, those guys have so many experts under them. How can we leave?"


    "Exactly, sister-in-law, how can we just stand by and watch you get bullied? That¡¯s absolutely not okay."


    "Right! Sisters-in-law, you just rest assured. With us around, those bastards can¡¯t turn the sky."


    Su Mengxin gratefully said, "I appreciate your feelings, but your identities are indeed very special. You are not just any family member; you¡¯re from the military. If you get involved, the political implications would be huge, and the higher-ups would absolutely not tolerate it. Moreover, if we drag the military into this, the other Three Great Clans will definitely find people to support them. If this escalates, the government will not sit idly by and watch. In the end, it would be a lose-lose situation. But if you withdraw, they can only use members from their own families, and the government might turn a blind eye. Even if it escalates, they will not intervene."


    Zheng Mingrui frowned and said, "I know this, but aren¡¯t there so many experts here now? If we¡¯re not here and you suffer losses, how can we face the boss afterward? We¡¯ve already decided before we came: in the worst case, we¡¯ll simply leave our positions and follow the boss from now on, rather than let you sisters-in-law be at a disadvantage."


    At that moment, everyone was deeply moved. The Flying Hawk Squad was an absolute top-tier unit within the special forces, and every special forces soldier took pride in being able to join them. Now, for Li Yifei, they were even willing to give up such an honor. What deep brotherly camaraderie this was.


    They also felt proud of Li Yifei¡¯s authority; not every leader can inspire such unwavering loyalty from his subordinates, a testament to the true strength of Li Yifei¡¯s character.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Yifei has recruited many experts recently, including some top-tier ones. I doubt the Three Great Clans will show all their cards so easily, so while there might be many who come here, the number of real experts will definitely not be large. We will absolutely be able to handle it."


    Zheng Mingrui still shook his head and said, "No, I really can¡¯t be at ease. If those bastards bully you and I¡¯ve left early, I¡¯ll have no face to see the boss afterward."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest chuckled and patted Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder, "Kid, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t catch up with Golden Eagle. It¡¯s because you sometimes act too impulsively. Keeping a cool head is how you truly become a top man. I¡¯ve never achieved much because I always act according to my own whims. You should learn from that."


    Zheng Mingrui rolled his eyes. He had no way of dealing with the disrespectful old man of the Su Family, who could make anyone frown upon encountering him. But no matter what, he still didn¡¯t want to leave. With such a big incident at the boss¡¯s home, could he really leave in peace?


    At this moment, Su Mengxin¡¯s phone rang. She glanced at Third Grandpa and said, "It¡¯s Grandpa calling."


    "Then you should answer it," Su¡¯s Third Eldest said with a grin.


    "Mengxin, regarding the situation with you all, the higher-ups are already aware, and they¡¯re taking this very seriously. So they specifically discussed it with several families and have made a decision. You all are not allowed to engage in large-scale armed conflicts. If such incidents occur, regardless of which family is involved, there will be no leniency. This is a way for the higher-ups to restrain the families, and it is not just an empty threat."


    "Thank you, Grandpa," Su Mengxin said. She was aware of some of the decisions the government made regarding large families, and issuing this policy at that time was not surprising. Her grandfather must have made considerable efforts.


    "Also, the higher-ups have issued a strict order prohibiting anyone from the military or government agencies from getting involved. If someone does participate, they will be dealt with very seriously."


    Su Mengxin nodded. This policy was aimed at the Flying Hawk Squad, and she also didn¡¯t wish for them to be involved. With this order, if Zheng Mingrui and his group didn¡¯t listen, it would be tantamount to betrayal.

 Chapter 1067 - 1110: A New Bet

    Chapter 1067: Chapter 1110: A New BetSu Mengxin had just finished a phone call when Zheng Mingrui immediately received the news. Even though he was ordered, Zheng Mingrui still planned to stay here, even if it meant facing severe punishment.


    Su Mengxin quickly advised, "You should know that they can¡¯t take large-scale actions against us right now, which gives us plenty of opportunities to manoeuvre. Moreover, if you stay here, it would really put the Li family in a national trust crisis. Once the higher-ups believe that the Li family can still have such a huge influence on the army, especially an important unit like the Flying Hawk Squad, you can imagine the predicament the Li family will find itself in."


    At this point, Zheng Mingrui truly couldn¡¯t stay here anymore, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be helping Su Mengxin; he would be harming Li Yifei¡¯s house. This made the Flying Hawk Squad members rather dejected, but it was the only option, given their exceedingly sensitive identities.


    When Su Mengxin and her group received this news, Wei Zijun and his companions received it as well. Compared to Su Mengxin and her group, these three were somewhat depressed.


    They had originally planned to send in their experts in the next two days to storm into Li Yifei¡¯s house and obliterate it, thus effectively ending the Li family altogether. They naturally would have won the wager, but the order from above stopped them, and they didn¡¯t dare act recklessly. Even if their family influence was significant, it still had its limits. Now that the higher-ups paid attention, they truly had to tread carefully.


    "What¡¯s going on? We can¡¯t make a move. Aren¡¯t we directly losing?" Meng Qianjun slammed the table, visibly annoyed.


    Wei Zijun also said with a gloomy face, "This is indeed quite troublesome."


    Showing dissatisfaction, Meng Qianjun exclaimed, "I really don¡¯t understand what those old men are thinking. These past few years, every little thing involves going against us big clans; they even want to intervene in this trivial matter."


    Gu Yanan tapped his fingers lightly on the coffee table, saying, "It¡¯s quite simple, the authorities just want to weaken the power of us big families. Nowadays, isn¡¯t everything about governing by law? Our big families are obviously hindering this process."


    With a serious expression, Wei Zijun said, "There is indeed such a trend right now, but these things definitely cannot be accomplished in the short term. What we need to consider is how to resolve the current situation. Young Master Gu, you often have the most ideas; we¡¯ll have to rely on you."


    Gu Yanan said with a wry smile, "Young Master Wei, Young Master Meng, both of you clearly know the situation. Must you really make me spell it out? Okay then, I¡¯ll say it. It¡¯s not that difficult actually. Since Su Mengxin signed this wager with us, they must also accept our challenge. We¡¯ll just bet with them again then."


    "How will we bet?" Meng Qianjun asked.


    Gu Yanan said, "Their last trump card is the people Li family currently holds, right? Let¡¯s bet on that."


    Wei Zijun quickly added, "I understand now, it¡¯s about showing our true capabilities."


    Upon hearing this, Meng Qianjun immediately became excited again, saying, "This idea is good. Damn, I thought there would be no fights at all, but it seems there are still opportunities."


    Gu Yanan laughed, saying, "Yes, but it can only be a battle of wits now; we cannot truly satisfy Young Master Meng¡¯s craving for a fight."


    "That works too. These days, my hands have been itching fiercely, and I don¡¯t know if Golden Eagle can get hold of some good men."


    In front of others, Meng Qianjun always claimed to be a master, but the skill he displayed was always just slightly stronger, so when he said such things, it always seemed like he was bragging. However, neither Wei Zijun nor Gu Yanan would expose him.


    But this also made it easier to conceal his true identity as a master. Apart from the day Li Yifei secretly tested Meng Qianjun and found out he was a real master, even the sons of the big families in Capital City, and even most members of the Meng Family, were unaware of Meng Qianjun¡¯s profound skills.


    When Wei Zijun met with Su Mengxin again, they discussed the method the two families would use to decide the outcome. Su Mengxin guessed that the opponents would definitely use this method, and she couldn¡¯t refuse as it concerned the entire Li family¡¯s dignity. Refusing the challenge would basically be admitting defeat for the Li family, so she had to agree¡ªmoreover, this was exactly what Su Mengxin hoped for.


    "Since this will be our deciding battle, I hope you can give us a bit more time; we need to make some preparations."


    Seeing that Su Mengxin had agreed, Wei Zijun was naturally not in a rush, realizing that with the current resources of Su Mengxin¡¯s group, it would be extremely difficult to gather more experts from outside. Thus, he was content to extend this favor, saying, "No problem, there are still twenty days left in the month, so let¡¯s give you ten more days to prepare. How does that sound?"


    "No problem. See you in ten days then. Li family eagerly awaits your esteemed presence."


    "Okay!"


    "Young Master Wei, you truly are capable, bullying us women of the Three Great Clans; I really admire that," but in the end, Su Mengxin didn¡¯t forget to make a sarcastic remark to Wei Zijun.


    Wei Zijun smiled lightly, saying, "Mengxin, you understand this as well. Sometimes we are compelled to act in certain ways."


    "Yeah, living just for oneself can sometimes be quite exhausting. I actually like my life now ¡ª at least I¡¯m living for myself." After saying this, Su Mengxin turned and left.


    This gamble involved each side sending out nine people for nine rounds, with the first to achieve five victories deemed fair.


    During the ten days of preparation, the Wei Zijun trio kept a close eye on Li Yifei¡¯s house¡¯s situation, but everything there seemed very peaceful. After the Flying Hawk Squad left, aside from a few people from the Su Family who stayed, no one else entered the Li family¡¯s courtyard. Additionally, the Li family¡¯s women simply stayed inside the whole time, not venturing beyond the courtyard.


    This puzzled Wei Zijun and his companions ¡ª with just the current members at Li family¡¯s house, it seemed like a guaranteed loss. Did they perhaps have some kind of ace up their sleeve?


    Even if the Su Family sent their top talents, the top talents from the other three clans present were the absolute best and wouldn¡¯t lose to the Su family members. Besides, the Su family could only have so many top talents, and how could they possibly send all of them? A few, two or three, would be impressive already. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ten days passed quickly, and in a large resort in the suburbs, people from both sides arrived, along with several members of the major families from the Capital City, who were there to bear witness. Since this was a family feud, it had to be handled according to the rules between families.


    However, these prominent family members didn¡¯t really take it seriously. The Wei family, Gu Family, and Meng Family were all long-established major families, while Li Yifei¡¯s family barely counted as one. If it weren¡¯t for Su Mengxin, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling being significant figures, as well as support from the Su Family making it barely qualify as a family, they wouldn¡¯t even bother to show up.


    And in their eyes, this wasn¡¯t really a fair wager at all ¡ª after today, this so-called Li family would be thoroughly defeated.


    When the two sides met, Wei Zijun, Meng Qianjun, and Gu Yanan, the three young masters, faced a group of stunning women, making it seem like they were surrounded by beauties. To an uninformed onlooker, it might appear the trio was selecting beauties for a beauty pageant.


    Meng Qianjun, Gu Yanan, and Wei Zijun scanned the faces of these women. It was their first time seeing them all together, and they couldn¡¯t help but admire Li Yifei¡¯s fortune in women ¡ª each one was exceptional, and they all followed that guy, remaining united. It was enviable; in their own major families, many might have several wives, but it was mostly daily disputes and no peace, unlike the harmonious atmosphere in Li¡¯s residence.


    But soon, these women would belong to them. For men like them, capable of significant endeavors, women were merely secondary, yet now they actually were considering taking these women for themselves. The attitude of men here, the way of harmonious coexistence, even if they brought several more women into their households, they wouldn¡¯t worry about causing any trouble.


    Everyone remained silent, planning to speak after completing the competition. However, as both sides were about to leave, Meng Qianjun shouted, "Xiaofei, come here."


    Meng Xiaofei stopped, turned around, and asked, "What?"


    Meng Qianjun frowned deeply and asked, "Do you still want to stay there?"


    Meng Xiaofei lifted her chin and said, "Of course, I want to stay here."


    "How absurd! You¡¯re not Li Yifei¡¯s woman. What are you doing there? Get over here now."


    Meng Xiaofei clenched her fists and shouted, "I won¡¯t! No one has ever treated me as well as Brother Li. He doesn¡¯t force me to do what I don¡¯t like, nor think about marrying me off to someone I dislike. I refuse to be your tool; I am who I am, and I want to do what I like, with the people I like."


    Meng Qianjun glared angrily and barked, "Foolish girl, don¡¯t you realize you¡¯re a member of the Meng Family?"


    "Yes, my surname is Meng, but what¡¯s it like to be a woman in the Meng Family? Ultimately, they all become tools traded for benefits. I¡¯m not that foolish."


    "Don¡¯t you understand the situation right now?"


    "Do you think you have certainly won? Let me tell you, we have a lot of top talents here, and we will surely leave you searching for your teeth."


    "Hmph, without Li Yifei, do you think that¡¯s possible?"


    "Who says it¡¯s not? My Brother Li is already back, and you just wait and see. Haha, with Brother Li here, it doesn¡¯t matter how strong you are, you¡¯re bound to suffer a great loss."


    After she finished, Meng Xiaofei triumphantly returned and ignored Meng Qianjun entirely.


    Meanwhile, Meng Qianjun felt a sudden shock. Meng Xiaofei was not a schemer, and if she were lying, he could definitely tell. He had just been probing Li¡¯s family¡¯s situation, but from her words, could it be that Li Yifei truly wasn¡¯t dead!

 Chapter 1068 - 1111 Yifei Returns

    Chapter 1068: Chapter 1111 Yifei Returns"Li Yifei must still be alive," Meng Qianjun whispered to Wei Zijun and Gu Yanan.


    Both men frowned simultaneously. Wei Zijun said, "Then why haven¡¯t we heard any news yet, and among these people, there¡¯s no sign of him?"


    Meng Qianjun shook his head. "My cousin has no guile; if Li Yifei were dead, she definitely wouldn¡¯t speak to me in that tone."


    Gu Yanan pondered for a moment before saying, "Even if Li Yifei is alive, does he still have the capability to turn the situation around? Even if he¡¯s formidable, he might win a round, but what about the others? It¡¯s already a checkmate now. If he comes back, he would just watch all his women becoming ours. Wouldn¡¯t that be even more satisfying?"


    Wei Zijun and Meng Qianjun both brightened at this, though Wei Zijun still expressed some concern, "This guy hasn¡¯t shown himself till now, and I¡¯m just worried he might have other tricks up his sleeve."


    Gu Yanan narrowed his eyes and said, "He has tricks, don¡¯t we have tricks too? I¡¯m actually quite happy now that he¡¯s not dead."


    Wei Zijun and Meng Qianjun exchanged looks, then both smiled. They were just surprised to know that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t dead, but it wasn¡¯t a bad thing at all. Killing Li Yifei and seizing his assets and women might be satisfying, but taking everything in front of his eyes would be the ultimate pleasure. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The notary blurted out some meaningless words, signaling the start of the event.


    The first to come out from the Li family was a man in his thirties, and the representative from the Three Great Clans was also a man in his thirties. Both had stern faces and looked impressively fierce.


    This fight had no rules or referees, and would only stop if one side admitted defeat or lost the ability to fight. The two men bowed to each other and the battle commenced.


    The man from the Li family was ruthless in his attacks, each move deadly, while his opponent was precise and his strikes extremely sharp.


    Among Li Yifei¡¯s women, aside from Su Mengxin, no one had ever witnessed such a clash of true masters. They were stunned at first, then loudly cheered on their fighter.


    The man from the Li family had been a mercenary, adept at killing. If it were about killing methods, he was certainly superior to his opponent, but in terms of martial arts skills, the opponent had the upper hand. They were evenly matched initially, but as time passed, the player from the Three Great Clans got the upper hand, landing two consecutive punches that made his opponent spit blood and won the first round.


    Following this, the Three Great Clans won two more rounds. In the fourth round, Sophia stepped up and managed to win back a round. But in the fifth round, the Three Great Clans claimed victory again. After five rounds, with a score of four to one, just one more win for the Three Great Clans would end the competition completely.


    Wei Zijun and the others were pleased, though they didn¡¯t forget to observe their opponents. Aside from Su Mengxin, everyone else seemed anxious, which brought them even more joy. Such anxiety clearly indicated a lack of confidence.


    And concerning Li Yifei, whom they had been worried about all along, he still hadn¡¯t appeared.


    "Damn it, these bastards are really tough. Come on, who wants to fight me?" Su¡¯s Third Eldest jumped into the arena.


    This worried Wei Zijun and his colleagues. Su¡¯s Third Eldest was not someone to be trifled with. Even though they were bullying the Li family now, they dared not truly offend the Su Family, particularly since they were contemplating allying with them through Su Mengxin. They certainly couldn¡¯t provoke Su¡¯s Third Eldest now.


    After exchanging glances, Meng Qianjun said to someone next to him, "You go down, lose on purpose."


    Understanding his intent, the man immediately leapt into the arena.


    Naturally, Su¡¯s Third Eldest won this round without question. Everyone was aware that this round was merely giving face to the Su Family, to the Third Eldest, but given the circumstances, this was the decision anyone would have made.


    "Shit, you guys really know how to give favors, letting me win a round for nothing," Su¡¯s Third Eldest said, eyes squinting, looking extremely smug.


    Wei Zijun smiled humbly and said, "Third Master, we younger ones can¡¯t fail to give you face; even if you wanted to beat me up, we wouldn¡¯t dare resist, let alone when you just wanted to stretch your limbs."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest chuckled, "Then you three come down here, and I¡¯ll fight each of you in turn."


    Wei Zijun and his companions immediately looked dismayed. Su¡¯s Third Eldest was really shameless to make such a request. Wei Zijun laughed awkwardly and said, "Third Master, we wouldn¡¯t dare compete with you. Besides, the rules which were agreed upon beforehand stated that one could only fight one round, you can¡¯t break the rules."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s smile grew broader, "Then we won¡¯t count it as a competition, I just find you three lads annoying and want to teach you a lesson."


    Gu Yanan then said, "Third Master, you¡¯re really putting us in a difficult position. With your status, how could you stoop to our level?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest thick-skinned, continued, "Well, I just want to stoop to your level. Everyone knows Su¡¯s Third Eldest is a madman, and I find it enjoyable to bully the younger generation."


    Wei Zijun and his group were incredibly frustrated; they couldn¡¯t afford to offend Su¡¯s Third Eldest, but letting him create such chaos here was unreasonable. They all looked pleadingly toward the few witnesses on the stage.


    An elder lightly coughed and said, "Third Su, if you want to teach the youngsters a lesson, wait until this matter is settled before you do that. Let¡¯s get the main issue resolved quickly; we have other places to be."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest still wanted to speak, but catching a glance from somebody nearby, he suddenly chuckled and said, "Well then, I¡¯ll give you some face. Since the main person has arrived, I don¡¯t need to worry about the rest."


    "Darling!" As soon as Third Su finished his sentence, Su Mengxin and the others burst into cheers and ran toward the three approaching figures.


    Wei Zijun and his group hurriedly looked over, and indeed, it was Li Yifei along with Xu Shanshan and the Holy Maiden. Li Yifei appearing at this moment was somewhat expected yet also surprising.


    Twelve wives rushing up at once threw Li Yifei into disarray, hugging one and then another. The joy of such a reunion was indescribable.


    These days, the longing his women felt for Li Yifei was beyond words, and now that they had reunited, they were so excited they didn¡¯t know what to say. In fact, with so many people, it was simply impossible to share all their pent-up feelings.


    Watching the lively scene, Meng Qianjun and Gu Yanan felt somewhat impatient, but Wei Ziqiang was practically spitting fire. Su Mengxin, such a woman, was also just as thrilled to see Li Yifei, hardly resembling the beauty who made countless men in Huaxia fall for her.


    "Hey, hey, are you done yet?" Meng Qianjun couldn¡¯t resist shouting loudly first.


    Li Yifei patted Su Yiyi, the last person in his arms, on the shoulder. Yiyi immediately released Li Yifei, and everyone moved behind him, which suddenly made him stand out like a star amongst the crowd.


    Meng Qianjun, watching this, felt quite displeased and said, "Li Yifei, you really are lucky to still be alive."


    Li Yifei looked at Meng Qianjun and suddenly shouted, "Meng Qianjun, Gu Yanan, Wei Zijun, I had thought the three of you could also be considered heroes. It turns out you took advantage of my absence to bully my women. Such petty actions, if I, Li Yifei, do not teach you a lesson today, I won¡¯t deserve to call myself a man. Come on, are we doing this together, or what? I, Li Yifei, am ready to take you on."


    His words were powerful, full of a commanding presence, showcasing Li Yifei¡¯s masculine aura. Listening to him, Su Mengxin and the others felt a sense of indescribable comfort; this was their man, a man capable of protecting them.


    Even those who had acted as witnesses couldn¡¯t help but regard Li Yifei with new respect, thinking that this young man really had a domineering attitude. It was no wonder he had so many women who liked him, and no wonder he now wanted to establish a new family, indeed showing the dominance of a family head.


    Meng Qianjun and the others felt somewhat embarrassed by Li Yifei¡¯s words. Their actions really had been somewhat underhanded and unsportsmanlike. Gu Yanan just smiled lightly and said, "Brother Yifei, you¡¯ve been so elusive, if we hadn¡¯t forced your hand like this, maybe you wouldn¡¯t have come out at all."


    "Gu Yanan, don¡¯t try to justify what you¡¯ve done here. You know what you¡¯ve done, and so do I. I, Li Yifei, do not wish to engage in a verbal dispute. I will remember what you¡¯ve done to my family, and I¡¯ll pay you back tenfold, a hundredfold."


    "If you¡¯ve got the capability, we¡¯re ready to face it. But now, in this wager, we¡¯ve already won four rounds. Just one more victory, and the Li family will be annihilated. Then, your women will be our women, and you¡¯ll have nothing. What will you challenge us with then?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯re thinking too naively. You¡¯ve only won four rounds so far. In the next three rounds, we will be victorious. To defeat our Li family, you¡¯ll need to keep dreaming in this lifetime."


    "Brother Yifei is confident, then. Come on, who will you send up next?" Meng Qianjun looked at Li Yifei and said, "It¡¯s not going to be Brother Yifei himself stepping in right away, right?"


    "Let me join the fun first," said the Holy Maiden, coming to stand beside Li Yifei with an angelic smile on her face.


    "Miss Yanzi, you want to join in the fun as well?" Wei Zijun frowned.


    The Holy Maiden smiled lightly and said, "I¡¯ve already said, I¡¯m also one of Yifei¡¯s women. What concerns the Li family also concerns me. Since all our experts have made their moves, I guess I¡¯ll have to step up as well."


    Meng Qianjun chimed in, "Miss Yanzi, this isn¡¯t a joke. If, by some fluke, you get injured, that would be troublesome."


    "That won¡¯t happen. You don¡¯t have the capability," said the Holy Maiden, as she airily made her way into the center of the arena.


    Wei Qianjun and the others exchanged glances and then signaled to someone behind them.


    There stood a man in his fifties, not very tall and seemingly unimpressive, but he was indeed one of the strongest present.


    Seeing that the Holy Maiden dared to enter the fray at this moment, they couldn¡¯t afford to take her lightly and thus carefully sent out a true expert.

 Chapter 1069 - 1112: Expert Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 1069: Chapter 1112: Expert Xu ShanshanLi Yifei and the girls had already returned to their seats by this time, with Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying sitting beside him. Although no one had ever been ranked above or below anyone else in front of Li Yifei, in everyone¡¯s hearts, Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying still had the highest prestige there. Xu Yingying whispered, "Can she handle it? We can¡¯t afford to lose any of the next three matches."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "They¡¯re not even fit to carry our shoes."


    But before the sound of his voice had faded, the match on the field had already ended¡ªthe Saintess had sent that expert flying out with a single palm strike.


    Normally, that expert wouldn¡¯t have been so quickly dealt with by the Saintess, but the Saintess was a woman, and not just any woman, but a beautiful one. With a smile at that guy, he was somewhat distracted. The Saintess was already a master among masters, with strength far surpassing his. When her palm struck, he realized too late and failed to use his full strength to resist, naturally resulting in the Saintess settling the score with a single blow.


    "Yifei, I didn¡¯t embarrass you, did I?" the Saintess asked with a mischievous smile upon returning to Li Yifei¡¯s side.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "No, you definitely didn¡¯t embarrass me."


    "Thanks for the compliment." After speaking, the Saintess smiled at Su Mengxin and the others, then sat down beside the group. She didn¡¯t swell with pride but instead came across as very modest, which greatly increased everyone¡¯s fondness for her.


    Wei Zijun and the others were exchanging glances at this point, thinking that the match had ended too quickly. They had already sensed that Yanzi was no ordinary person, but they hadn¡¯t expected her to be so formidable. One of their experts had been defeated without managing to take even a single hit, which was incredibly embarrassing.


    At four to three, with the Saintess¡¯s victory adding considerable pressure to Wei Zijun and his companions, they only needed to win one of the last two matches. However, with Li Yifei¡¯s return and the Golden Eagle¡¯s acknowledged strength, it was common knowledge that no one from the family attending could be his match. That meant, apart from the match against Li Yifei, they had to win the rest; otherwise, they would be the losers.


    Looking over the people behind him, Wei Zijun pointed at one and said solemnly, "Uncle, it¡¯s your turn. No matter what, you can¡¯t lose."


    The chosen one was an elder in his sixties with a goatee and wearing a light-colored silk Tang Suit, exuding an air of ethereal daoist presence. He wasn¡¯t Wei Zijun¡¯s actual uncle but a family retainer of the Wei Family, serving for over forty years. He had been recognized as a family deity over a decade ago and was unquestionably the most skilled martial artist among them. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The elder nodded, didn¡¯t say anything, and stepped into the arena with his hands clasped behind his back.


    Meanwhile, Meng Qianjun was still staring at Li Yifei. If Li Yifei entered the fray in this match, they would immediately change their contender. This expert had to be saved for the most stable match.


    "Hubby, who should we send out for this match?" Xu Yingying asked worriedly, looking at Li Yifei. Now they only had Li Yifei as their sole expert, and this match, like the others, allowed no room for defeat.


    Li Yifei said with a sly grin, "Shanshan, it¡¯s your turn to enter the ring."


    Xu Shanshan immediately waved her hand excitedly and said, "Alrighty!"


    "Shanshan..." Everyone from the Li family called out in astonishment, staring at Xu Shanshan. They all knew exactly what Xu Shanshan was capable of¡ªsending her into the match at this point was tantamount to conceding defeat.


    Xu Yingying was the first to protest excitedly, "Hubby, how can this be right? Shanshan doesn¡¯t know martial arts, how can she go in?"


    "Yeah, yeah, you can¡¯t let Shanshan go."


    "Uncle, you aren¡¯t forsaking us, are you? Planning to give us away?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Just watch¡ªShanshan will bring home victory."


    Xu Shanshan also smiled proudly and said, "You¡¯re actually underestimating me. Today, I will show you just how amazing I am." Saying so, Xu Shanshan suddenly leaped up, drawing a beautiful arc through the air. With a four or five-meter distance, she effortlessly soared over.


    This left Xu Yingying and the others flabbergasted. After a long moment, Xu Yingying turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Hubby, what¡¯s going on with Shanshan?"


    Li Yifei held Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry. Shanshan had a fortuitous encounter, and she¡¯s suddenly become a top expert¡ªnow I¡¯m not even sure I could beat her."


    "No way? Is that even possible?" Xu Yingying was almost disbelieving her own ears.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It¡¯s true. Let¡¯s settle things here first, and then we can have a proper chat, but now, let¡¯s watch Shanshan¡¯s performance."


    Xu Shanshan had already approached the elder, eyes wide with determination, "Old man, please don¡¯t pretend to be a sage with your hands behind your back there. It¡¯ll be even more embarrassing for you when I defeat you."


    The elder¡¯s expression darkened, "Child, mind your language."


    "Tsks tsk tsk," she mocked, "such a profoundly feigned act. Coming here to seize property and wives, yet still pretending. You should be brutally wicked; that would be more fitting for your status."


    "Quit boasting and just fight. I¡¯ll let you have three moves," the elder said, watching Xu Shanshan¡¯s nimble approach. Although light, he didn¡¯t take her seriously. Over the years, he had seen many masters, but few could truly compete with him. And a young girl like this, even if she started training in her mother¡¯s womb, would certainly not be his match.


    "Alright, old man, prepare to take a beating," Xu Shanshan taunted with a confident laugh, and struck out with her palm.


    The elder easily dodged Xu Shanshan¡¯s palm with a slight side-step. Her successive punch missed as well, followed by a turning side kick that was smooth and adept. Even though none of the three moves hit the elder, anyone with a discerning eye could see Xu Shanshan was indeed a master, not merely putting on a show of fancy moves.


    "Shanshan actually knows martial arts!" Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in amazement.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately cried out in urgency, "Wow, Sister Shanshan is so impressive. Uncle, you have to teach me too, otherwise it¡¯s just not fair."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "It¡¯s a rare opportunity. Shanshan having such an experience is really unexpected. If you want to practice martial arts and reach Shanshan¡¯s level, you¡¯ll probably need at least ten years, not to mention you¡¯ll have to endure a lot of hardship."


    "Endure hardship? I¡¯ll pass on that," Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue. She was not one to tolerate suffering.


    Meanwhile, the fight was intensifying. The elder hadn¡¯t taken Xu Shanshan seriously, thinking he could subdue her in under two minutes. But he quickly realized she wasn¡¯t an easy opponent. In the beginning, her moves felt a bit rusty and disjointed, which gave him several opportunities to defeat her.


    But amazingly, every time he thought he had her cornered, she would dodge miraculously with an odd stepping technique. As the fight progressed, her movements became more polished, her strikes increasingly forceful. Now it was a struggle even to hold his ground, let alone win.


    Wei Zijun and Gu Yanan watched in astonishment. When had the Li family gathered so many strong women, particularly this Xu Shanshan? They had investigated her before and knew she was just Li Yifei¡¯s wife¡¯s twin sister, someone who didn¡¯t know martial arts. How had she become so formidable?


    Xu Shanshan was getting more and more thrilled with the fight. Over the years, she had come across a fortuitous adventure, an extraordinary one that she never even dared to dream about, suddenly turning her into a master. However, she had no idea how powerful she truly was; she only knew Li Yifei said she was formidable. She had sparred with Li Yifei a few times, but without any intention of competing, just to get familiar with what she learned. This was the first time she was truly fighting someone.


    Her initial awkwardness quickly faded away as she became more spontaneous and comfortable with her striking. At this moment, she no longer saw her opponent as a challenge; she was just freely using what she had learned.


    Xu Shanshan was at ease, while the elder was in deep trouble. He now lacked the strength to counterattack, could only defend himself, and had no way to fend off the onslaught of tight, powerful attacks. Each defense became increasingly strenuous.


    "Thud!" With a muffled sound, the elder¡¯s body flew through the air, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood before crashing to the ground. He struggled briefly but couldn¡¯t get up, indicating the severity of his injuries.


    Xu Shanshan lost her target and instinctively stopped, looking at the fallen elder confusedly, "Are you done fighting?"


    "You..." The elder, already badly injured, felt insulted by Xu Shanshan¡¯s words. Another mouthful of blood spurted out, and he fainted from anger.


    The pressure was now on Wei Zijun and his comrades. The final battle would inevitably be against Li Yifei. With their strongest expert defeated, who could they send to fight Li Yifei now? Didn¡¯t that mean they had lost the bet?


    And there was Li Yifei, already leaping into the ring, gently patting Xu Shanshan¡¯s shoulder, "Shanshan, leave the rest to me."


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a playful smile, "Brother-In-Law, I was impressive, wasn¡¯t I?"


    Li Yifei responded with a smile, "Impressive indeed."


    "Then it¡¯s all up to you now. Beat them hard," Xu Shanshan said before moving aside, immediately surrounded by Xu Yingying and the others who barraged her with questions.


    Li Yifei faced Meng Qianjun and shouted, "Meng Qianjun, it seems the outcome of this fight will depend on our battle."

 Chapter 1070 - 113: Will Be Returned Two-fold

    Chapter 1070: Chapter 113: Will Be Returned Two-foldAmong these people opposite him, aside from Meng Qianjun, there was no one who could fight Li Yifei head on. Li Yifei was also annoyed that these people had dared to attack his family members during his absence. Now harboring a murderous intent, he was ready to kill Meng Qianjun with all his might. In such a contest, even if he killed Meng Qianjun, nobody could object.


    Meng Qianjun¡¯s face changed a few times, and suddenly he revealed a brilliant smile to Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Yifei, are you joking? Who doesn¡¯t know the great name of Golden Eagle? In this world, who could possibly be a match for you in combat? To fight you would simply be throwing my life away, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    Li Yifei revealed a disdainful smile and said, "So you¡¯re a coward, aren¡¯t you?"


    Meng Qianjun laughed heartily, "I¡¯m someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong. Naturally, I would immensely bully those weaker than me. Fighting you would only mean getting bullied myself; I¡¯m not that foolish. I think we don¡¯t need to bother with the final round. The Li family has won, and I concede."


    Li Yifei did not expect Meng Qianjun to not come forward and fight him in the end. Clearly, Meng Qianjun was not sure of defeating him and, as a powerful fighter, challenging other strong opponents is often a lifelong pursuit. Yet, Meng Qianjun did not do so, apparently still intent on keeping his status as a top master a secret.


    He couldn¡¯t help but admire Meng Qianjun¡¯s deep strategic mind. At a time like this, he could still swallow his pride and back down, further proving that despite his outward crudeness, his scheming was indeed profound.


    But right then, Li Yifei could not just rush over and fight Meng Qianjun. Although he was determined to kill Meng Qianjun on the spot, Li Yifei was not entirely sure he could succeed. This guy was too inscrutable, especially now showing such restraint, so Li Yifei thought even more highly of him.


    It appeared that among Wei Zijun, Meng Qianjun, and Gu Yanan, Meng Qianjun seemed the roughest and presumably the easiest to handle. But, Li Yifei knew very well that the most difficult to deal with was Meng Qianjun.


    Wei Zijun and Gu Yanan¡¯s expressions both changed, but by now they realized that under these circumstances, they no longer had a chance to turn the tide. Unwilling as they were, with Li Yifei¡¯s unexpected return and the emergence of Yanzi and Xu Shanshan¡ªtwo formidable masters¡ªit was truly an unjust defeat for them. Despite being so well-prepared, they did not gain any advantage and even ended up losing a hundred billion. Although the cost would be shared among the three families, amounting to over thirty billion each, it was definitely not a small sum and a significant loss for their clans.


    At this moment, Su¡¯s Third Eldest laughed heartily, "Boys, I told you you¡¯re still green. How does it feel to lose?"


    The trio Wei Zijun looked at Su¡¯s Third Eldest, their frustration mounting. Although Su¡¯s Third Eldest could be considered a master himself, they could have won against him by dispatching a true master from within their families. But due to saving face at that time, they held back, and ironically, they ended up losing because of the match with Su¡¯s Third Eldest. They truly felt like pinning him down and giving him a good thrashing.


    But it was too late for regrets; time could not be reversed, and they had to accept the defeat.


    Wei Zijun snorted coldly, "Brother Yifei, you are indeed formidable, but our conflict won¡¯t end here."


    Li Yifei proudly said, "Whatever skills you have, just bring it on. If you guys are willing to keep giving me money for no reason, I¡¯m more than happy to accept it with a smile."


    Wei Zijun, through gritted teeth, said, "Rest assured, we will pay you every penny we owe. I hope you will take good care of it because sooner or later, we will take it back."


    "If you truly have the ability, then just bring it on. But I¡¯ll tell you this, I, Li Yifei, won¡¯t let this matter rest either. I will pick an auspicious day to pay a proper visit to all of you. In my dealings, I always believe in clear distinctions of gratitude and grudges, and I never fail to repay my debts."


    His words carried a strong threat, and both Gu Yanan and Wei Zijun were secretly alarmed. Previously, as everyone had not completely fallen out, Li Yifei would certainly have some reservations, but now that all pretenses were dropped, if Li Yifei were to come after them directly, it would be a big trouble for sure, considering even the head of the Yamaguchi Group was not safe from Li Yifei¡¯s relentless pursuit. They really weren¡¯t sure if the masters of their families could withstand Li Yifei¡¯s vendetta.


    "Li Yifei, this matter is over, and we hope that you will leave it at that," a witness said gravely.


    Li Yifei looked at the witness and said coldly, "What a nice way to say to leave it at that. If we had lost, our family would have been left destitute and destroyed. They lost and only had to give up a hundred billion¡ªa truly profitable deal. I appreciate your presence to witness this event, but the conflict between me and these three men is far from over. The next time I clash with them, I hope you will be there to witness, not to do anything else."


    The witness¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "I am just reminding you that even though you have won this round, you are not able to contend with the Three Great Clans."


    Li Yifei laughed proudly, "Even if our strength is not as great as theirs, I¡¯d like to see which family can withstand the wrath of Li Yifei."


    His words were full of arrogance. Given the current situation of the Li family, it was basically Li Yifei single-handedly challenging the large clans, and yet he had such audacity¡ªnot a statement just anyone could make.


    "Since you are so obstinate, we won¡¯t say more. Let¡¯s go."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest laughed heartily, "What¡¯s the hurry, you old fellows? Why are you so eager to leave?"


    The witnesses really didn¡¯t dare to neglect Su¡¯s Third Eldest and exchanged pleasantries with him before leaving.


    After Wei Zijun and the others left and the witnesses departed, the crisis Li Yifei and his group faced was also resolved, and they joyfully returned to the garden.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t rush to pour his heart out to his wives. The people brought by the Su Family had been a huge help this time, so Li Yifei naturally wanted to thank them first.


    However, Su¡¯s Third Eldest gave Li Yifei a hearty slap on the shoulder and said, "Alright, you rascal, no need to stick around here with me anymore, go and comfort your wives. If not, I¡¯m afraid my old bones will be reduced to ashes under your wives¡¯ glares."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stand on ceremony anymore. He and Su¡¯s Third Eldest never needed to be so polite with each other. After excusing himself, he ran back to see his wives.


    Little Yifei had no idea about any crisis at home these past few days. Since she didn¡¯t have to go to kindergarten and was staying in this new garden, she had a lot of fun every day. However, seeing Li Yifei today, she stopped playing and clung to Li Yifei excitedly.


    Li Yifei was naturally overjoyed to see his daughter, hugging and kissing Little Yifei repeatedly, and then picked up Ye Yunzhu¡¯s child and showered them with kisses as well.


    Little Yifei, after all, was just a child. After being cloyingly affectionate with Li Yifei for a while, she ran off to play again. Only then did everyone have the chance to talk about their time apart.


    "Husband, what on earth has been happening these past few days?" Now, everyone¡¯s primary concern was Li Yifei¡¯s recent experiences, and Su Mengxin was the first to ask.


    Li Yifei recounted the events of the past few days to everyone. Everyone listened in stunned silence, thinking it was just a plane accident, unaware of the many more incidents that followed.


    When it came to the part about falling into Quicksand, everyone was already listening with pounding hearts. In such perilous circumstances, they couldn¡¯t imagine how Li Yifei and the others had managed to survive.


    Not to mention the family at home, even Li Yifei and the others thought it was over at that moment. Their bodies were quickly being swallowed by the quicksand, feeling themselves sliding deeper and deeper along with the quicksand.


    It was impossible to breathe in the sand. Had it not been for Li Yifei¡¯s strong lung capacity, he and Xu Shanshan would have died immediately. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But after about four or five minutes, the quicksand suddenly sped up. Then, Li Yifei and the others felt their bodies lighten, and the sand around them lost its pressure all at once.


    Li Yifei rejoiced. Although he couldn¡¯t see anything yet, he could tell there must be a spacious void below - they had fallen down with the sand.


    Or rather, it wasn¡¯t quicksand at all. When they fell from the air, they broke through the ceiling of a space below due to the strong impact. The sand flowed down, so it felt as if it was quicksand.


    Since it wasn¡¯t quicksand, there was a chance to survive. Li Yifei could finally speak, and he hurriedly shouted, "Saintess, watch your step."


    The Saintess was also aware at this moment and responded. Both exerted all their power, bracing for the impact upon landing.


    After falling more than ten meters, they finally hit the ground, which was covered in newly fallen, soft sand. All three of them landed without injury.


    Naturally, this made the three of them ecstatic. However, as sand kept falling from above, the three didn¡¯t want to be buried there and quickly rolled out of the area, holding hands and searching for a direction.


    Li Yifei and the others had lost all their possessions in the sandstorm, and now they had no equipment. In this dark place, they were virtually blind, groping their way forward. After about ten minutes, they finally touched a wall. The wall was uneven stone, somewhat moist, suggesting it might be an underground cave.


    Li Yifei tried to see if they could climb up. The bottom was manageable, but not even two meters up, the stone wall became smooth and curved, making it impossible to climb higher.


    In the time that followed, the three of them continued to explore the cave in the dark, thinking of ways to get out.


    Although they found a few smaller branches of the cave, they didn¡¯t find a real way out. And the most pressing issue was that they had nothing to eat, and they would starve if this continued.

 Chapter 1071 - 114: Where is Shanshan’s Boyfriend?

    Chapter 1071: Chapter 114: Where is Shanshan¡¯s Boyfriend?But it seemed that during this trip, Li Yifei and his companions always found a turning point at the most critical moments. Unexpectedly, they stumbled upon a type of fungus under a rock wall. Hungry and in haste, they did not know if it was poisonous but decided to eat it regardless. The fungus turned out to be quite delicious, containing water that could stave off both hunger and thirst.


    Replenished, the three continued their search in the cave but on the fifth day, Xu Shanshan suffered relentless abdominal pain after eating an unusually large fungus, terrifying Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden¡ªfalling ill here could mean even a minor sickness might be fatal.


    Despite having abundant wilderness survival skills, Li Yifei felt somewhat helpless at this moment. He tried to induce vomiting in Xu Shanshan by pressing her throat with his fingers, but that proved futile. Now, their only resort was to pray, the most desperate measure.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s abdominal pain lasted for about an hour before it eased. Following this, she fell into a deep sleep for two days, puzzling Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden even more.


    However, when Xu Shanshan woke up, she discovered her body was filled with an explosive energy. Li Yifei tested her strength, finding it only slightly weaker than his.


    This was truly a legendary serendipity as if Xu Shanshan had consumed something miraculous that instantaneously improved her constitution or something from novels that enhance a person¡¯s inner strength. Upon careful examination, Li Yifei confirmed that Xu Shanshan indeed possessed a unique inner power, which was quite strong.


    Then another stroke of luck occurred as they passed through another cave and finally saw light. There, they found an ancient martial arts manual written in traditional Huaxia script. Li Yifei could recognize it.


    Finding a Huaxia ancient martial arts manual in Australia was unexpected. This manual described how to harness Innate Vital Energy. Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden tried it, but to no effect, initially thinking it was just a hoax.


    But to their disbelief, after lightly practicing what was in the manual, Xu Shanshan succeeded almost instantaneously. This left Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden at a loss for words.


    They realized that both he and the Holy Maiden had trained to develop their True Qi, while Xu Shanshan had directly consumed something that apparently granted her Innate Vital Energy, enabling her to successfully practice the techniques. This was truly an unparalleled fortunate encounter for Xu Shanshan.


    Eventually, Li Yifei and his companions found the way out. All three safely emerged from the cave, found a highway after a day¡¯s travel, and swiftly called home. Only then did they understand the current situation at home. Without the time for elaborations, Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan, and the Holy Maiden hurried back.


    Having explained everything, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly, the eyes that looked at Li Yifei were burning with eagerness.


    Li Yifei stretched lazily, saying, "It¡¯s been many days since I¡¯ve had a proper bath; today I¡¯ll thoroughly enjoy one."


    Su Yiyi quickly responded, "I¡¯ll go get your bathwater ready."


    In Li Yifei¡¯s house, there were dozens of servants, but such a task was still better done by oneself. What followed could only be described as endlessly affectionate. Despite Li Yifei¡¯s strong physique, satisfying twelve wives at once proved overwhelming, so he lovingly spent time with six, leaving the rest for the next day lest he exhaust himself completely.


    The next day, Li Yifei emerged from a tangle of tender arms and legs, stretching languidly, feeling unspeakable comfort¡ªa stark contrast to the past days of hardship. There¡¯s truly no place like home.


    But current affairs at home were too numerous. Though they had made it back in time, not only preventing losses but also gaining an additional hundred billion, Li Family had suffered greatly; urgent actions were required to facilitate a swift recovery.


    Firstly, Xu Yingying¡¯s company had halted operations, almost all their market was lost; everything had to be started anew.


    Li Yifei¡¯s own small company, though less affected, was his first personally managed enterprise, and he was determined to revive it.


    Additionally, Sunx Nenghui¡¯s company, now a part of Li Yifei¡¯s assets, needed proper management. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Most importantly, all of Li Yifei¡¯s assets were frozen. Resolving this issue was a priority. Although the Wei Family had lost, they wouldn¡¯t be inclined to help resolve Li Yifei¡¯s issues, preferring to see his family remain restrained.


    In light of these matters, Li Yifei decided to take a high-profile approach, consolidating all his companies under the newly formed Li Group, appointing himself as the chairman, Xu Yingying as the president, and He Fangqing as CFO of the group, while other departments were managed by capable individuals.


    Like Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, they also hold positions in Li Yifei¡¯s company, but Li Yifei doesn¡¯t grant them too much power. Despite being family, Li Yifei knows well that a big company needs genuinely capable people to manage it. Therefore, the general managers of his subsidiary companies are all professional managers he hired to ensure healthy development of the company.


    Although the bank funds are still in processing and cannot be used right now, Li Yifei¡¯s family has substantial assets. Thus, Li Yifei decided to take out a portion to distribute a large bonus to his employees, settling their hearts and letting them know that following Li Yifei was a prospect-filled choice.


    That night, Li Yifei also invited several important municipal leaders to his house for dinner. Nowadays, regulations on hosting banquets are strict, even mayors and the Municipal Party Secretary are extremely cautious, but having a simple home-cooked meal at Li Yifei¡¯s house was nothing out of the ordinary.


    In the past few days, these leaders had distanced themselves from Li Yifei¡¯s household. However, this time, a few crucial figures still showed up.


    "Yifei, we really couldn¡¯t help much during this period..." Song Zhentao began, apologetically.


    Li Yifei quickly interrupted, saying, "Secretary Song, you¡¯re being too formal. Under the pressure from the Three Great Clans, it was truly impossible for you to confront them. That you could come to dine at my house already gives me, Li Yifei, a lot of face."


    "Yifei, for that statement alone, I¡¯m willing to be your friend, and as long as I¡¯m in Mile City, I will do my utmost to support the Li family."


    Seeing Mile City as his base, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t afford to offend these leaders. Hence, he was very polite at that moment, and everyone enjoyed pleasant conversations. Those municipal leaders also promised to help Li Yifei resolve the issues left over from earlier as soon as possible.


    Wei Qianjun, Gu Yanan, and another person from Wei Qianjun¡¯s side had all left Mile City by then. Staying in Mile City was no longer safe for them, and they believed that if they stayed, Li Yifei would definitely make a move against them. Thus, they dared not stay; they could contend with Li Yifei, but they certainly didn¡¯t want to confront him directly due to the high risk.


    With their absence, Li Yifei naturally wouldn¡¯t let go of their industries. Now, he began to eat into their businesses. If the Li family wanted to grow and strengthen in Mile City, the more good resources, the better.


    The Li family¡¯s mansion was now completely constructed, and after discussing with everyone, Li Yifei decided to hold a housewarming party, inviting all influential figures in Mile City to attend. From then on, the Li family would have a high-profile presence, ensuring that nobody would dare to look down on them again.


    During the day, Li Yifei was busy, and nights remained sensual. After several wild days, everyone finally vented their accumulated emotions and returned to normal, again spending every evening with Li Yifei.


    As everyone¡¯s emotions settled, Xu Yingying suddenly remembered an important issue. One evening after dinner, while sitting in the living room chatting, she turned to Xu Shanshan and asked, "Shanshan, have you got a boyfriend?"


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. These past few days everyone had been busy with all sorts of things, and they had temporarily forgotten about this issue.


    Xu Shanshan reacted quickly, smiling cheekily, "What do you think?"


    "Don¡¯t try to fool me. You think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on?" As soon as this topic arose, Xu Yingying blushed and glared at Xu Shanshan, demanding, "Who exactly is your boyfriend?"


    Xu Shanshan continued to play dumb, saying, "What boyfriend? I don¡¯t have one." Then she looked towards Su Mengxin, who was embracing Ye Yunzhu¡¯s daughter, playing with the little girl with a totally enraptured expression, her affection for children growing stronger the longer she was pregnant. Now, she loved nothing more than holding Ye Yunzhu¡¯s child or playing with Little Yifei, her maternal instincts growing ever stronger.


    "Still pretending?" Xu Yingying was getting annoyed. "We have such a strong emotional connection, I already know, huh, you think I wouldn¡¯t know whether you have a boyfriend or not?"


    "Hehe, you knew? I thought you never noticed," Xu Shanshan suddenly took on a very mischievous demeanor, not at all flustered.


    "Humph, and you didn¡¯t even tell me, leaving me in the dark for so long."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, saying, "How dare I let you know? Tell me, whenever you and brother-in-law are intimate, I feel it too, just like I¡¯m doing it with my brother-in-law. How could you feel comfortable knowing that?"

 Chapter 1072 - 1115: This Matter Is Really Absurd

    Chapter 1072: Chapter 1115: This Matter Is Really AbsurdXu Yingying immediately felt extremely awkward, this matter was indeed quite embarrassing. She coughed lightly and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about that for now. Tell me, who are you with exactly?"


    "What are you talking about? Think about it, this time I¡¯ve been with my brother-in-law and the Holy Maiden the whole time. Where could I find a second man?"


    "Ah..." Everyone gasped in unison, then their gazes shifted back and forth across Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s faces. With Xu Shanshan saying that, wasn¡¯t she implying that the one who had done that thing with her was Li Yifei?


    Li Yifei smiled wryly to himself, but felt that this matter would eventually need to be addressed. Since Xu Shanshan was bringing it up now, he might as well admit it.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Shanshan chuckled at this moment and said somewhat coquettishly, "Don¡¯t look at my brother-in-law like that, it wasn¡¯t him. I¡¯m still a virgin to this day, you know. If you don¡¯t believe it, we can go to the hospital for a check."


    Upon hearing this, everybody paused for a moment. Xu Yingying quickly said, "Then what¡¯s going on? Have you been using... the other way?"


    That was indeed the correct guess, but Xu Shanshan said with embarrassment, "You¡¯re forcing me to say it, so I¡¯ll tell you. I don¡¯t know since when I realized that touching the back would feel good, so I just... did it myself... I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, so what¡¯s wrong with comforting myself? This time I even used that method to send you guys a message. Otherwise, how would you know we haven¡¯t died yet?"


    Everyone had a rather strange expression on their face, but they also understood how Li Yifei felt, knowing that women sometimes can¡¯t help but comfort themselves under certain temptations. Almost all the women in the household had done such things, but still, the thought of Xu Shanshan doing it from the back was inevitably amusing.


    Hearing Xu Shanshan did not have a boyfriend put Xu Yingying at ease, finally unraveling the knot in her heart that had been bothering her for days.


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Look at that expression on your face. Aren¡¯t you just afraid that I found a boyfriend who would do something to me, just like he did to you? You feel like you¡¯re putting a green hat on our brother-in-law. Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t thought about finding a boyfriend yet. Otherwise, I would feel like I¡¯m always putting a green hat on my boyfriend."


    Xu Yingying said awkwardly, "Who told you not to find one... You could just not let him do it from behind."


    "Forget it, drop that little scheme of yours. You might feel relieved, but I¡¯m still uncomfortable. Honestly, I¡¯m the unluckiest one here." Xu Shanshan shook her head and stood up, twisting her body as she walked out.


    After Xu Shanshan left, everyone still looked at Li Yifei with weird gazes. Chu Xiaoyao hugged Li Yifei from behind and said with a giggle, "Honey, you¡¯re really amazing, managing to get sister-in-law like that."


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly and said, "That doesn¡¯t count, does it?"


    Chu Xiaoyao continued with a giggle, "How does it not count? For Sister Shanshan, it¡¯s as if she has been with you countless times. Isn¡¯t that basically you having done it with her?"


    This statement really hit the nail on the head for everyone, as they all subconsciously nodded, while Xu Yingying frowned and asked, "So what do we do now?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and said, "Isn¡¯t it simple? Just let Sister Shan be with our husband too."


    "No way! Absolutely not!" Xu Yingying immediately rejected without a second thought.


    Ning Xin¡¯er followed up, "Sister Yingying, it seems like there¡¯s really no other solution to this matter. Given the current situation, it¡¯s as if Sister Shan is always with our husband. And if Sister Shan finds a man and does it from behind with him, would you be able to accept it? People in love always tend to experiment, especially since Sister Shan has a special physique, it¡¯s harder to control. That would leave both of you with a big knot in your hearts. But if Sister Shan is with our husband, then you¡¯ll have no qualms. Whatever you do would be normal, and it could even add some spice, why not enjoy it?"


    Xu Yingying opened her mouth; she understood Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s words, of course, and knew it seemed like the best solution. But if their parents found out about it, what would they do? They might accept Lin Qiong and others in the future, but having both daughters with Li Yifei would be very hard for them to accept - at least she herself hadn¡¯t gotten over this hurdle yet.


    Su Mengxin then raised her head and said, "We don¡¯t need to rush into it. Let¡¯s just go with the flow. Considering Sister Shan¡¯s abilities now, finding a man she likes is not going to be easy. Let¡¯s see how things evolve in the future."


    It seemed that was the only solution for now, otherwise no one could think of a better way.


    Before resting, Li Yifei escorted Su Mengxin back to her villa. Now that Su Mengxin was pregnant, Li Yifei took extra care of her, which everyone understood.


    Walking hand in hand along the shaded pathway at home, Su Mengxin chuckled and said, "Shanshan is really clever, to come up with such an excuse."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "I didn¡¯t think of that problem at all. At that time, I just focused on how to survive, and then I dealt with so many things at home. If it weren¡¯t for Shanshan speaking up like that, I would have admitted it today."


    "It¡¯s okay to admit it. Yingying wouldn¡¯t find it too hard to accept, after all, if another man were to get involved in such a sensation, she¡¯d find it even harder to accept."


    "But now that Shanshan has put it that way, I can¡¯t say much more. By the way, Yingying had a reaction at home, how did you explain it to her then?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, saying, "I only said I knew about the connection between Shanshan and Yingying, but I didn¡¯t know whether Shanshan had a boyfriend before."


    "Then you definitely would¡¯ve thought of Shanshan being with a man. Didn¡¯t you think of me?"


    "Of course we thought of you. Did you think you could escape that?"


    "Was Yingying angry then?" Li Yifei was still very concerned about Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings.


    "Of course she was angry. She was mad that another man gave her such feelings, as if she was betraying you. If it weren¡¯t for Shanshan admitting it was her doing, I think Yingying wouldn¡¯t even know how to face you now."


    Li Yifei felt this matter was really absurd, and it seemed as though Xu Shanshan and Xu Yingying having such a special connection meant they were destined to marry one man, otherwise both would surely find it unbearable.


    "Giggle..." Su Mengxin suddenly blinked and said, "Husband, guess what I¡¯m thinking now?" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thinking what?" Li Yifei asked curiously.


    Su Mengxin pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "I was thinking about how interesting it must be when Shanshan and Yingying are with you. You with Yingying, Shanshan can¡¯t take it; you with Shanshan, Yingying reacts. Watching this would be incredibly thrilling. By then, we must really enjoy watching that play."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s mention made Li Yifei too start fantasizing about that erotic scene, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit heated, but it was not possible yet. Xu Yingying had to truly accept the situation.


    "Hehe, feeling a bit impatient, are we? Then work hard," Su Mengxin chuckled again.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Mengxin, you¡¯ve also started to learn bad habits now."


    "It¡¯s not learning bad habits, this is about romance. After giving birth, I will definitely have a wild time with you."


    The next day, seizing the opportunity to be alone with Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei immediately said, "Shanshan, why didn¡¯t you just admit to what happened yesterday?"


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "Admit what? Right now, my sister is feeling awkward, but she¡¯s not reached the limit of her tolerance. For her to accept me would surely make her feel uncomfortable, so I plan to let her stew a bit longer. Eventually, she will come to me begging to be your wife, hehe..."


    Li Yifei was both amused and exasperated, saying, "You really know how to scheme against your sister."


    "How is that scheming against her? This is for her own good. Do you think I want her to feel uncomfortable? If it ended up driving a wedge between us sisters, how boring would that be? Besides, right now I¡¯m quite happy. As your sister-in-law, I¡¯m so cherished. Everyone makes concessions for me. If I were really your woman, I wouldn¡¯t have this privilege anymore."


    "You little devil," Li Yifei laughed and slapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s buttocks.


    Xu Shanshan smiled proudly and sat on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, her arms wound around his neck, saying, "With a sister-in-law like me, you¡¯re in for a treat."


    "Yeah, I really am spoiled," Li Yifei said, wrapping his arms around Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist. Since coming back home, this was their first time being alone together, their first time this intimate.


    "Hehe, should we go and stir things up with my sister?" Xu Shanshan gently twisted her waist and rubbed her buttocks on Li Yifei¡¯s legs, her face full of seductive charm.


    Li Yifei kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s cheek and said softly, "We¡¯re moving in a good direction now, your sister also understands what the connection is, if she feels something during the daytime, she¡¯ll think you¡¯re up to this even while working, and she¡¯ll scold you when you get back."


    "Let her scold then. Am I afraid of her? Brother-in-law, want to have some fun? I haven¡¯t been intimate with you for days, and I miss you."


    Li Yifei was temptingly aroused by Xu Shanshan, but he really couldn¡¯t be intimate with her right now, there were too many things in his hands, and he had to go out soon after.


    Xu Shanshan kissed Li Yifei and smiled, "Alright, I¡¯m just teasing you. With things so busy now, if we really got started, you¡¯d be in trouble later, stuck in the middle of it, and I¡¯d be suffering too."


    Just as Xu Shanshan said, footsteps soon sounded in the corridor outside. Li Yifei quickly pushed Xu Shanshan away, and a department manager knocked and came in, starting another busy day of work.

 Chapter 1073 - 1116: A Little Bit

    Chapter 1073: Chapter 1116: A Little BitAfter being busy for several days, the weekend finally arrived. Although Li Yifei had a lot to do, he wanted to take a break. Rushing things wouldn¡¯t help. He hadn¡¯t really taken the time to enjoy the garden these days, but today seemed like a great opportunity to do just that. Moving in and wandering around before, felt like two completely different experiences.


    Everyone strolled together in the garden, and the others were also stressed during this time. Although they had moved in early, they really hadn¡¯t walked around the place properly. Now, it truly felt perfectly pleasant. The women, fearing the sun, sat chatting under the shade of trees while Li Yifei continued to look around.


    "Ah... Help!" Suddenly, a shout came from a nearby orchard. Judging by the voice, it should be Meng Xiaofei. In her own house, Meng Xiaofei was actually shouting for help, which shocked Li Yifei greatly. He hurriedly dashed towards the source of the noise.


    By then, he finally saw Meng Xiaofei, who was currently climbing a pear tree branch, no thicker than half the girth of a small arm, trembling incessantly. It was a mystery how she even got up there.


    "Brother Li, help!" Seeing Li Yifei, Meng Xiaofei shouted even louder. As she did, the branch trembled again, her hands lost grip, and she fell straight off the tree.


    At that moment, Li Yifei was still about ten meters away from the pear tree. Rushing over normally wouldn¡¯t allow him to catch Meng Xiaofei in time, so he burst off the ground and flew like an arrow. Spreading his body, he glided like a glider, reaching Meng Xiaofei¡¯s falling spot first, and he lay flat on the ground, cushioning her fall with his own body.


    "Ah! Why doesn¡¯t it hurt?" Meng Xiaofei, a bit calmer now, mumbled in confusion.


    "Get up quickly, you¡¯re suffocating me." At that moment, a muffled voice came from beneath Meng Xiaofei, sounding as though his mouth was blocked by something.


    Meng Xiaofei then felt a warm sensation at her chest and realized her chest was pressing against Li Yifei¡¯s face. She quickly propped herself up with her arms and sat up.


    Glancing at her clothes, seeing a damp patch at the chest, Meng Xiaofei exclaimed, "Brother Li, are you taking advantage of me?"


    Li Yifei also sat up and glared at Meng Xiaofei, retorting irritably, "You ungrateful girl, catching you almost crushed me, nearly suffocating me to death, and yet you accuse me of taking advantage of you."


    Meng Xiaofei pointed at her chest, saying: "Of course, it¡¯s taking advantage! Look, you¡¯ve even made it wet here, you definitely did that on purpose just now."


    Rolling his eyes, Li Yifei raised his hand and said, "Are you asking for a spanking?"


    Meng Xiaofei shrank her neck, stuck out her tongue, and giggled, "Just kidding with you, Brother Li. If you wanted to take advantage, any time would do; no need for an excuse like this. Besides, you¡¯ve ¡¯eaten¡¯ a lot of my ¡¯tofu¡¯ already. Eating a bit more won¡¯t make a difference, haha. Are you okay?"


    Li Yifei, somewhat embarrassed by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words, replied, "I¡¯m fine. Why did you climb so high anyway? And if you climb trees, shouldn¡¯t you do it with someone?"


    Embarrassed, Meng Xiaofei smiled and said, "I was just bored, I don¡¯t have to work these days, and I didn¡¯t know what to do. Sleeping all day isn¡¯t good either, so I just came here to pick some pears."


    "You still want to pick?"


    "Yes. Brother Li, will you help me pick, please?" Meng Xiaofei excitedly called out.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll help you; you wait below while I pick them."


    "No, no, no, I don¡¯t want to just wait; that¡¯s no fun. I want to pick them myself. Oh right, I want those ones up there. They seem ripe." Meng Xiaofei pointed to a few pears at the tip of the branches, which looked deliciously ripe but were about three meters above the ground, clearly explaining why Meng Xiaofei had to climb the tree.


    "So you still need to climb the tree?"


    "No need this time. I¡¯ll ride on your shoulders, then I can reach them. Brother Li, hurry, squat down; I¡¯ll ride your shoulders, it¡¯ll definitely work."


    "Hey, really?" Li Yifei was about to protest, but Meng Xiaofei had already pulled him under the pears, forced him to squat down, looped her arms around his head, swung one leg over, and was already straddling Li Yifei¡¯s shoulders, and then hoisted her other leg up, truly riding on his neck.


    "Brother Li, stand up."


    "Come on, hurry up and pick them, it¡¯s already so heavy, yet you¡¯re still so greedy."


    "I¡¯m not heavy, just a bit over a hundred pounds."


    Meng Xiaofei indeed wasn¡¯t fat; as a flight attendant, with her height almost reaching 1.7 meters, a little over a hundred pounds was really considered thin. The only thing that made her look fat was her chest; those weapons really gave the first impression that she must be quite full. However, Li Yifei, who was very familiar with Meng Xiaofei, knew very well that aside from her chest, she could be considered a skinny beauty.


    "Alright, alright, you¡¯re thin. Now hurry up and pick," Li Yifei urged as having Meng Xiaofei on his neck felt kind of weird.


    Meng Xiaofei quickly reached out to pick some pears, finally getting two she liked, but then she spotted an even riper, yellower pear a bit higher up. She hurriedly said, "Brother Li, move a little to the left, yes, now a bit forward. Ah, still a bit off, go a bit higher."


    Meng Xiaofei reached for the pear, but it was still too high. She tried to stretch her body to reach it but sat back down fearing she might fall. Going back and forth like this made Li Yifei feel incredibly uncomfortable.


    Li Yifei quickly gave a little jump with Meng Xiaofei. Although it wasn¡¯t a high jump, it was enough for Meng Xiaofei to finally pick the pear.


    But after picking the pear, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s legs were tightly clutching Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her hands holding the pear against Li Yifei¡¯s head, and she went completely still.


    "Hey, Xiaofei, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked.


    "Uh... nothing... nothing."


    "What¡¯s really going on?" Li Yifei was even more puzzled.


    "Really... it¡¯s nothing, let me down."


    Li Yifei crouched down, and Meng Xiaofei quickly scrambled down, then darted away before Li Yifei could turn around.


    "What¡¯s with that girl? What happened?" Li Yifei watched Meng Xiaofei¡¯s retreating figure, quite baffled. The way she ran off definitely suggested she was up to no good, up to no good... Li Yifei suddenly felt something wet on his neck and touched it, finding it a bit damp.


    This made Li Yifei¡¯s expression turn quite strange. Having been around so many women, he understood quite well what the dampness on his neck was all about.


    "This girl... actually..."


    Li Yifei shook his head, feeling both amused and annoyed. Talking about offense, it would be offensive if someone peed on your head, but since what Meng Xiaofei left was not urine but secretion, it couldn¡¯t really be considered offensive. This indeed made Li Yifei feel quite stirred.


    When Li Yifei returned to his wife, Ye Yunzhu immediately asked, "Did you see Xiaofei just now?"


    "Nope," Li Yifei responded with a smile.


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled, "Then I don¡¯t know what that girl was up to, she ran off like a thief, we called her, but she didn¡¯t stop and just ran away."


    Chu Xiaoyao grinned, "Sister Xiaofei acting like this must have been up to some mischief. Probably caused some damage somewhere. We should check it out."


    "It must be she dismantled something. But that area is the orchard; there¡¯s not much to damage, right?"


    "Who says? There are lots of expensive plants and flowers in the garden there. Maybe she uprooted everything?"


    "Xiaofei is not a kid, would she even do that?"


    "What else could she have done? Ah, what if she brought down a scenic hill there?"


    Listening to everyone speculating wildly about what bad things Meng Xiaofei had done, Li Yifei wanted to laugh but dared not. He knew very well that even if he told them, his wives wouldn¡¯t blame him, at most they would tease him a bit. After all, Meng Xiaofei had been around so long in their family and had firmly stood by them during this crisis, gaining everyone¡¯s approval.


    However, Meng Xiaofei might sometimes seem thick-skinned, but at times, she is quite thin-skinned, especially when she thinks she has done something wrong. She would definitely avoid everyone and hide. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t say anything, in two or three days, she¡¯d be mixing with everyone and have forgotten this incident. If he told, she might not dare show her face for many days. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet thinking back to what happened, even though there were some intimate gestures between Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, Meng Xiaofei has never reacted before. This reaction was truly unexpected.

 Chapter 1074 - 1117: The Agony of Longing

    Chapter 1074: Chapter 1117: The Agony of LongingOver the weekend, Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t appear in front of everyone even once, always avoiding the group. Even during mealtimes, she had the nanny deliver food directly to her. After all, there was a dedicated young lady serving her in her villa, so there was absolutely no way she would go hungry.


    After returning, Li Yifei had been in contact with Michelle but hadn¡¯t met her in person. Knowing that Li Yifei had been away from home for so long, she thought this was the time he should be accompanying his wife, so she didn¡¯t want to affect Li Yifei. Li Yifei, on the other hand, wanted Michelle to visit the Li family mansion, but Michelle refused. She felt that her relationship with Li Yifei hadn¡¯t reached that point, so she still didn¡¯t want to enter the mansion; that was Michelle¡¯s stance.


    Today, Li Yifei needed to go to Xu Yingying¡¯s company because it was undergoing a restructuring, and today there would be a large meeting to mobilize all staff members. Now he could no longer act with the status he had before.


    However, Li Yifei arrived quite early today, coming to the company an hour before the meeting. He also wanted to see Michelle, as he hadn¡¯t seen her for several days and really missed her, considering they were also in a passionate relationship.


    As soon as he entered the company, Li Yifei saw Chen Min, Su Yiyi¡¯s college classmate. The last time Li Yifei had been to the company, he had seen her too.


    "Ah, President Li, what a coincidence to see you again," Chen Min immediately greeted Li Yifei with a beaming smile.


    Li Yifei responded with a slight smile, "It is a coincidence." He was polite and courteous to Su Yiyi¡¯s classmate as he should be.


    "You¡¯re here to see Manager Mi, right? But today¡¯s not a great day. There¡¯s a big meeting in a little while and Manager Mi is probably busy right now. Oh no, Yiyi is also here; President Li, you¡¯re being too careless with this matter."


    While Chen Min was talking, she saw Su Yiyi entering the company with Ning Xin¡¯er and quickly lowered her voice to warn Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei just smiled and said, "It¡¯s fine, we came together for the meeting."


    Chen Min expressed her surprise, "Really? Does Yiyi know?"


    Li Yifei just smiled and offered no explanation, as Su Yiyi had already come over and greeted Chen Min.


    Chen Min glanced at Li Yifei first, then cheerfully asked, "Yiyi, are you here for business negotiations?"


    Su Yiyi understood that Chen Min was petty and bringing up the current status of Li Yifei and herself was bound to displease Chen Min, but if she didn¡¯t say it, Chen Min was bound to learn it from today¡¯s big meeting anyway. So, she just said, "We¡¯re here for the meeting."


    "Ah, your meeting... what kind of meeting? Ah, Yiyi... you wouldn¡¯t..." Chen Min purposely trailed off.


    Su Yiyi smiled and said, "Yes, I know."


    "Then you... never mind, as long as you think it¡¯s good." Chen Min held even more contempt for Su Yiyi, thinking that since she knew Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were married and she still followed Li Yifei here, she was willingly being the third party. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of Xu Yingying finding out about her? If she did find out, Su Yiyi wouldn¡¯t be in a good position.


    At that moment, Li Yifei addressed Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi, "You two go to Yingying first, I¡¯m going to check on Michelle." Then he nodded at Chen Min and went upstairs first.


    "Alright." Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er both replied.


    Su Yiyi and Ning Xin¡¯er were both dressed in professional suits, and their clothing was of a very high grade. Although Chen Min was also wearing a professional suit, the comparison between her and them was like that of the ugly duckling and the swans; she might not be less spirited, but it still felt like a stark contrast.


    "Chen Min, we¡¯ll go up first," Su Yiyi smiled at Chen Min and prepared to go find Xu Yingying with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Chen Min hurriedly grabbed Su Yiyi and took her a couple of steps to the side, lowering her voice to whisper, "Look, Yiyi, isn¡¯t this a bit foolish of you?"


    Su Yiyi smiled lightly, "Not at all, I feel great."


    Chen Min feigned deep concern, "He¡¯s married, and being with him like this, it¡¯s not proper or justified. Aren¡¯t you afraid President Xu will find out?"


    Su Yiyi thought that Chen Min didn¡¯t speak as sharply as she used to, perhaps because having started to work had smoothed out her edges. Su Yiyi was always sincere with people; if someone was good to her, she treated them even better, so she didn¡¯t dwell on past incidents and said, "It¡¯s okay, President Xu and I are good friends."


    "Good friends? Does President Xu already know about your relationship with President Li?"


    Su Yiyi nodded, "She knows."


    "No way?" Chen Min¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Su Yiyi just smiled, "Let¡¯s not talk about this now, there¡¯s a lot to do today, we¡¯ll have a good chat later." Having said that, she went upstairs with Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Chen Min watched Su Yiyi¡¯s retreating figure, still unable to believe that this was real. She could accept Su Yiyi being a shameful mistress because even if Su Yiyi was doing better than her, the relationship between Su Yiyi and Li Yifei was supposed to be a secret, nothing to brag about. She felt she was still superior to Su Yiyi.


    But it was different knowing that Xu Yingying was aware of it and even gave her silent consent - that made Su Yiyi¡¯s status publicly acceptable. The difference in their status was night and day. Chen Min was working so hard and was still just a low-level employee, while Su Yiyi did nothing but rely on her pretty face for advancement ¨C it was incredibly upsetting for her.


    By this time, Li Yifei had already arrived at Michelle¡¯s office. Hearing only Michelle¡¯s voice inside, he pushed the door open without knocking.


    Michelle was absorbed in her work and frowned when the door opened without her hearing a knock, but as soon as she saw it was Li Yifei, her frown turned into a joyful smile.


    Li Yifei closed the door behind him and locked it, then walked over to Michelle, who stood up. Like a Little Swallow, she threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, and they embraced tightly without a word.


    After hugging for a while, they released each other as though by mutual understanding. Li Yifei then picked Michelle up horizontally. Michelle let out a low cry and wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, softly saying, "No funny business, okay? We still have a meeting soon."


    Li Yifei whispered in her ear, "I just missed you. Even if we don¡¯t do anything else, at least let me hold you to ease my yearning."


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s tender words in her ear, a warmth coursed through Michelle, weakening her body. Having not seen Li Yifei for such a long time, her longing for him was just as intense as any woman from the Li family, especially since Li Yifei had returned ¨C she couldn¡¯t wait to meet him. Finally seeing Li Yifei, she wished desperately to be intimate with him, but thinking of the crucial meeting at the company later, she managed to contain her emotions and softly said, "Then we can only hug."


    Li Yifei, holding Michelle, sat down on the couch and saw how gaunt her face had become. "Michelle, you¡¯ve lost weight," he couldn¡¯t help saying with a pang of heartache. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle caressed Li Yifei¡¯s face with her hand, her gaze soft and loving. "How could I not worry after such a big incident happened to you? Thankfully you¡¯re back now, and I¡¯ll soon put the weight back on."


    "I¡¯m sorry for making you worry, Michelle. I want to kiss you."


    "Don¡¯t - my makeup will get ruined," Michelle quickly protested, seeming feeble in her refusal.


    "Just a peck on the lips."


    "There¡¯s lipstick on them."


    "Just one kiss, the lipstick won¡¯t come off, will it?"


    "Well... okay, just one," Michelle said gently, closing her eyes.


    Li Yifei slowly lowered his head and lightly kissed Michelle¡¯s lips, then slightly lifted his head, his face just a few centimeters away from hers. Michelle opened her eyes, her look dazed. "You¡¯ve kissed me, so why aren¡¯t you getting up?"


    "I really didn¡¯t get enough with just one kiss," Li Yifei said in a tone filled with affection, "I want to kiss you again."


    "No, we have a meeting soon, and if my lipstick gets smeared, it will look terrible."


    "You always carry lipstick in your purse, right?" Li Yifei said, squinting at Michelle.


    "I didn¡¯t... bring it," Michelle¡¯s voice was barely audible as she closed her eyes again.


    Their lips met once more, not parting immediately this time but clinging tightly to each other. After a minute, their bodies were pressed tightly against one another, their arms wrapped firmly around each other, their tongues entwined. The longing from many days apart was simply not easily restrained.


    About ten minutes later, Michelle finally pushed Li Yifei away, her eyes heavy with seduction, body weak, and she reproachfully said, "You bad boy, I told you we have a meeting, and yet you continue with your mischief. Are you going to let me go to the meeting at all?"


    Li Yifei, who had finally eased his longing, said with a smile, "I have to attend the meeting too."


    "You¡¯re a man; a quick wipe of your mouth and you¡¯re done. I have to redo my makeup, and now my clothes are all wrinkled because of you, you bad boy." Michelle struggled to stand from Li Yifei¡¯s lap. Although she enjoyed sitting on his lap, there will be plenty of time for them to be tender with each other later ¨C the upcoming meeting was too important.


    Li Yifei sat on the couch, watching Michelle touch up her makeup. He truly enjoyed watching her meticulousness, and every time she sent a come-hither look his way, it delighted him even more.


    "Get up, your clothes are wrinkled too. Let me help you straighten them out." After tidying herself up, Michelle quickly pulled Li Yifei to his feet and carefully straightened out his clothes for him.


    Michelle acted just like a loving little wife, making Li Yifei feel extremely happy, almost unable to resist pulling her into another embrace, though he eventually managed to hold back.

 Chapter 1075 - 1118: Group Appearance

    Chapter 1075: Chapter 1118: Group AppearanceInside the conference room of the company, it was already filled with people. All the employees of the company were sitting here by now, and the meeting hadn¡¯t started yet. The seats at the main table on the stage were still empty; the senior executives hadn¡¯t arrived, but the ordinary employees were already present.


    Recently, the company has been through some troubles, which made everyone feel the pressure. However, most of them joined the company since its establishment and had strong feelings for the company, so the majority have stayed on through thick and thin.


    For new employees like Chen Min, although their emotional ties to the company weren¡¯t as deep, they knew there were problems, but at least their salaries weren¡¯t halted, so they were still watching and waiting. In the past few days, the company took some actions that were obviously moving in a positive direction. There were even rumors that the company was going to merge with several other companies to form a group, which seemed like a move toward much larger scale development. Therefore, they were also looking forward to the company¡¯s resurgence.


    "Does the company have any new moves this time?" someone whispered to the person next to them.


    "I don¡¯t know, but it feels like it won¡¯t be a small move."


    "Exactly. Our company has had such serious operational issues recently; I wonder how it will get through this difficult time."


    A person who appeared to be a veteran said at this time: "You don¡¯t know but the recent problems were caused by the pressure from a large group company. That company is very powerful, and even our city¡¯s leaders have to show them respect."


    Someone immediately said with concern: "Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re finished?"


    "It was indeed quite dire recently, but as far as I know, our company has resolved the issue, and now the company is planning to expand further."


    "You just said that group is very formidable; how could our company possibly resolve this issue?"


    "The specifics I do not know, but it seems our company has a strong backing indeed, and in the end, we managed to overcome that group."


    Everyone here was whispering privately, and during this time a lot of rumors circulated. However, Meng Lei, Song Tao, and Liu Ying, the three relatives of Li Yifei, did not speak out. They were not quite clear about the situation either, but they knew that Li Yifei had returned and that there must no longer be any problems with the company, and even better opportunities lay ahead, which was something worth celebrating for them.


    At 9:25 am, more than ten people entered the conference room, with Li Yifei at the forefront followed by Xu Yingying and He Fangqing to his left and right, with Ning Xin¡¯er and Su Yiyi behind them, along with some other middle-level leaders of the company, including Michelle.


    These people seated themselves at the main table, but what puzzled the employees below was that Li Yifei was sitting in the central seat, where Xu Yingying usually sat.


    The fact that Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were married was known within the company, but in everyone¡¯s hearts, Li Yifei was just someone who had climbed up the ladder by marriage, while Xu Yingying was seen as the real leader of the company. Now Li Yifei sitting there seemed quite strange.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, today we are holding the company¡¯s first all-staff meeting, and I am very grateful that everyone could attend! This time our company will have many new initiatives. First of all, our company will join with several other enterprises to establish Li Group, and from then on, Dreamfly Company will become a subsidiary of the group. Now let¡¯s have our group¡¯s chairman, Mr. Li Yifei, speak."


    Xu Yingying delivered a brief opening, and as soon as she finished, a buzz of discussion erupted below because this news was too sudden for them.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat, and the conference room immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at Li Yifei. Li Yifei used to be just a manager in the Human Resources Department, but now he had become the chairman of the group overnight. The change was so great that everyone found it quite hard to accept.


    "Colleagues, I think you must all be very surprised by this matter, so I want to discuss the situation of our group with you. Li Group is a fully privately-owned company, currently holding four large and medium-sized businesses with assets close to one billion. I will increase investment efforts. In the future, we will focus on developing several key industries, with an expected investment scale of over ten billion."


    Li Yifei paused here, and the expressions on the employees¡¯ faces were incredibly vivid. An investment of tens of billions... and still purely private enterprise, which would be unrivaled in Mile City and even noteworthy nationwide.


    "In the past period, our company faced some difficulties, and I am very grateful that everyone has stuck with the company through tough times. Now, I can solemnly announce that these difficulties are behind us. Li Group will develop rapidly, and every employee currently with our company will have significant opportunities in the future. I hope that each of you here will be able to stand on your own in our subsidiaries one day."


    These words instantly stirred excitement among these young people. They were now considered veterans of the company, and Li Yifei¡¯s words suggested that the company would continue to value its current employees in the future. For young people, this had incredible appeal.


    Next, Li Yifei highlighted several industries that the company was going to develop vigorously. As long as there was sufficient capital, everyone knew that making money would be easy in these fields, and they were even more optimistic about the company¡¯s prospects, with everyone visibly thrilled.


    At this point, Chen Min should have been overjoyed as well. The bright future of the company meant that her choice to work here was absolutely right, greatly benefitting her career.


    However, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to be happy, looking at Su Yiyi writing something with her head down in the front, and sitting with the senior leaders of the company, there appeared to be a huge gap between them.


    She had thought Li Yifei was just a small boss with a bit of money, and Su Yiyi being someone¡¯s mistress was no glorious matter. But now that Li Yifei turned out to be an ultra-wealthy boss with assets worth billions, the meaning changed. If she were in Su Yiyi¡¯s shoes, she¡¯d certainly have no qualms about becoming the other woman, too. It was just unfortunate that she didn¡¯t have that kind of beauty, which made her feel extremely unjust.


    Meng Lei and Song Tao, Li Yifei¡¯s cousins, were stunned at the moment. They knew their cousin was now extraordinary and very impressive, but they never imagined he would be this successful¡ªworth billions¡ªsurely one of the nation¡¯s wealthiest.


    No wonder Ning Xin¡¯er, such a big star, followed Li Yifei; and no wonder Xu Yingying, such a senior executive, stayed with Li Yifei through thick and thin.


    In the eyes of ordinary people, Li Yifei¡¯s formidable capital was the reason these beauties kept by his side. But only the wives who were closest to Li Yifei knew that wasn¡¯t why they were with him.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I have one more announcement to make. Because everyone has helped the company through difficult times, the group has decided to reward each person with 5,000 yuan."


    Li Yifei¡¯s words were the most effective. Even if everyone was already looking forward to the company¡¯s future, nothing beat having cash in hand, which immediately prompted a round of cheers, followed by a warm round of applause. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the excitement died down, Li Yifei gestured with his hand, and everyone immediately fell silent, his leadership now firmly established.


    "Seeing everyone¡¯s love for money, let¡¯s talk about it. Going forward, the group will implement a series of reward and punishment systems. As long as everyone works hard, we will never let anyone who contributes to the company down. Conversely, we absolutely do not need those who are complacent and simply want to coast through their time at our company. We will not tolerate it."


    First mentioning the bonus and then addressing this matter made it easy for everyone to accept the idea. Obviously, as long as the work was good, future bonuses would definitely be generous.


    Next, Li Yifei announced some internal personnel changes within the group. The company would have professional managers for future operations, while Michelle was transferred to the group company. Other personnel were also promoted, and some employees were elevated to leadership positions within the company, Chen Min included, due to her strong capabilities.


    After the meeting, Li Yifei specifically called Meng Lei, Song Tao, and Liu Ying into Xu Yingying¡¯s office. Inside the office, there were also Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, Michelle, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Su Yiyi.


    "Sister-in-law!" The three of them greeted Ning Xin¡¯er, but they hesitated on how to address Xu Yingying.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "These are all your sisters-in-law."


    The three were momentarily stunned, but then they quickly caught on with the greeting. Xu Yingying and the others really felt somewhat uncomfortable. This was their first time interacting in such a capacity with Li Yifei¡¯s relatives, especially Michelle, who was feeling particularly awkward.


    After greetings were exchanged, Li Yifei said, "Little Lei, Little Tao, and Liu Ying, I haven¡¯t promoted you. I¡¯m sure you have your concerns about that. Although the company is mine and you¡¯re my relatives, which should mean looking after you more, it really doesn¡¯t fit with the company¡¯s management style. I still hope that you can climb up by your own abilities¡ªthat will be more credible. If you ever need money, you can tell me or your sisters-in-law. No matter how much it is, there will be no hesitation. I hope you can understand."


    Meng Lei was simple and didn¡¯t have many thoughts, but Song Tao and Liu Ying couldn¡¯t help having their ideas. Yet, upon hearing Li Yifei say this, they understood too. They were clear that by following their cousin, they would not be left behind.

 Chapter 1076 - 1119: Brother Hu’s Troubles

    Chapter 1076: Chapter 1119: Brother Hu¡¯s TroublesAfter discussing serious matters, the three couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe towards Li Yifei. Seeing their awkward expressions, Li Yifei smiled and said, "At the company, I won¡¯t treat you differently, but outside, you are my brothers. When you see me, just act as usual, no need for this, right?"


    Meng Lei chuckled, and Song Tao glanced at the five sister-in-laws and said, "Bro, I thought there were only two sister-in-laws, now there are so many, my eyes are dazzled."


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled and said, "Not just five, there are a bunch more at home, you¡¯ll truly be unable to recognize them by then."


    "And there¡¯s..." Liu Ying gasped softly.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying smiled and said, "After we get through these busy days, sister-in-law will invite you over to our house for a visit. It¡¯s been so long, and I haven¡¯t properly invited you all for a meal, which is truly impolite."


    "That would be great," said Song Tao eagerly.


    They had never been to Li Yifei¡¯s mansion, and even now, they can¡¯t imagine what the mansion would be like.


    Li Yifei then said, "Alright then, let¡¯s leave it at that for today. I have a lot of things to take care of and can¡¯t chat with you much longer. Oh, and next weekend, our family will host a housewarming party. Tell Fourth Aunt and the others."


    Xu Yingying quickly said, "How can we let Little Tao and the others tell them? We should call them ourselves to inform and arrange the transport. That would be appropriate."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately added, "Right, they are our elders, we can¡¯t disrespect them by not inviting them ourselves."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright, alright, my oversight. You take the lead then."


    Seeing how the sister-in-laws took them in as family, Song Tao and the other two were thrilled. Seeing there was nothing else to discuss, they took their leave.


    "I can¡¯t believe Brother Li is so impressive, my goodness!" Liu Ying couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as they left.


    Song Tao immediately said proudly, "Didn¡¯t you see whose brother I am? You didn¡¯t make a mistake following me, right?"


    "That¡¯s Brother Li¡¯s capability, not yours. What are you boasting for?" Liu Ying rolled her eyes at Song Tao.


    Huzi chuckled and said, "Brother Li¡¯s capabilities mean he won¡¯t let us down, right?"


    "That¡¯s true, but we also have to know our place. With so many sister-in-laws, if we keep asking Brother Li for favors, and if any sister-in-law says something, wouldn¡¯t that put Brother Li in a difficult position? We need to rely on our own abilities to make Brother Li value us, so if we do ask for his care, we can do so with a clear conscience."


    Liu Ying is indeed a great girl, especially the words she said just now; they are truly commendable. In big families, what¡¯s feared most are those relatives who don¡¯t recognize their limits and try to profit within the company. Many a big corporation faces immense troubles, and even bankruptcies, because of such relatives.


    Next, Li Yifei visited various branches, boosting the morale of his entire corporation.


    Since returning, Brother Hu has been gloomy every day, sighing deeply; today, he was drowning his sorrows in Wang Lin¡¯s Private Restaurant, feeling worse than ever.


    Wang Lin, accompanying Brother Hu, poured him half a glass of wine and said, "Brother Hu, drink less, you¡¯ve been looking a lot worse these days."


    Brother Hu downed that half-glass and then sighed deeply, "Life is all about choices. Choose right, and you¡¯re endlessly glorious; choose wrong, and you never rise again."


    Wang Lin moved behind Brother Hu, letting his head rest against her ample chest, gently massaging his head, "Are you referring to this recent incident?"


    Weakly, Brother Hu said, "Yes, if I had just held on back then, when Young Master Li returned, I would have been his absolute hero, and following him, I was sure to rise high. But at that time, I chose to surrender, really, just a bit more persistence, and my life would have truly changed."


    "I¡¯ve actually been thinking about it these past days myself, and it doesn¡¯t seem all that terrible."


    "How is it not terrible? I betrayed Young Master Li, and now Mile City is completely his domain. Do I even have a place here anymore?"


    "Although you surrendered to Meng Qianjun, it was out of desperation, and you didn¡¯t do anything bad to Young Master Li. It was purely due to the circumstances, absolutely justifiable. A great man like Young Master Li would definitely understand."


    Brother Hu shook his head, "No, you¡¯re wrong. For someone like Young Master Li, loyalty is paramount and he dislikes flip-floppers the most. I definitely won¡¯t have another chance."


    "You¡¯re right, but you¡¯ve forgotten about someone." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Forgotten about someone? Who?" Brother Hu asked, puzzled.


    "Jiang Ningxiang! The cashier at our Private Restaurant."


    "She..."


    "Yes, she is someone Young Master Li asked us to look after. We¡¯ve been taking very good care of her, and since she¡¯s such a beautiful girl, she must be Young Master Li¡¯s woman, or at least someone he wants to groom. If we¡¯ve been taking good care of her all this time, that shows our loyalty to him. Back then, it was just to conserve our strengths, waiting for Young Master Li¡¯s return."


    "This... would Young Master Li believe this?"


    Wang Lin confidently said, "Without Jiang Ningxiang, Young Master Li might believe half of it, but with this girl around, there¡¯s at least an 80% chance he will believe us."


    Brother Hu¡¯s eyes lit up, saying, "I understand, but truth be told, I did have the thought of preserving my strength. I¡¯m just worried Young Master Li wouldn¡¯t trust me."


    "You won¡¯t know unless you try. If you don¡¯t dare to meet Young Master Li, what would he think of you? So, you should take the initiative to meet him now."


    "Alright, you really are a great help to me, I¡¯ll call Young Master Li right away." Brother Hu excitedly picked up the phone, but upon finding Li Yifei¡¯s number, he became a bit nervous.


    Finally, Brother Hu gritted his teeth and dialed Li Yifei¡¯s phone number.


    "Young Master Li! It¡¯s Huzi." At this moment, Brother Hu was even stuttering.


    "It¡¯s Brother Hu, I¡¯ve been really busy these days. I wanted to call you but just couldn¡¯t find the time."


    Hearing that Li Yifei¡¯s tone was not too bad, but the words could be interpreted in various ways, not understanding Li Yifei¡¯s true intentions, Brother Hu plucked up his courage and said, "Young Master Li, do you have some time these days? Huzi has something to discuss with you."


    "Today is actually a good day, find a place, and I¡¯ll come right over."


    Li Yifei did not ask Brother Hu to come over, which greatly reassured Brother Hu, showing that at the very least, Li Yifei trusted him. Otherwise, he would have asked him to come over. Quickly, he said, "I¡¯m at Private Restaurant, the same place you visited last time."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be there in half an hour."


    Half an hour later, Li Yifei arrived at the Private Restaurant. He came alone, and Brother Hu, Wang Lin, along with the young lady Jiang Ningxiang, were waiting at the entrance.


    "Young Master Li, you¡¯re here!" Brother Hu and Wang Lin quickly greeted him.


    "Hehe, why so formal, come on in and we can talk inside," Li Yifei treated Brother Hu just like before.


    This realization both flattered and surprised Brother Hu and Wang Lin. They had not expected Li Yifei to behave this way; they thought that, even if Li Yifei forgave them, he would at least scold them.


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang was slightly excited and thrilled as she called out.


    Li Yifei gave Jiang Ningxiang a faint smile, saying, "Are you doing well?" To be honest, Li Yifei had almost forgotten about her. If he hadn¡¯t seen her just now, he wouldn¡¯t have even remembered her.


    Li Yifei¡¯s casual remark made Brother Hu and Wang Lin tense up, nervously watching Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s reaction.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly said, "I¡¯m doing well. Sister Lin takes great care of me, letting me handle the cashier duties. It¡¯s quite relaxing, and I even have time to read books."


    Brother Hu and Wang Lin instantly relaxed, and Wang Lin immediately added, "Young Master Li, the person you asked me to look after, I must take good care of her. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t even have the face to see you."


    Li Yifei glanced at Wang Lin, knowing she misunderstood, but he didn¡¯t explain further. A poor girl, if Wang Lin wants to take care of her, let her; besides, it seems the girl is about to start school soon, and then she won¡¯t be with Wang Lin anymore, which will naturally clear up the misunderstanding.


    Inside the best private room, Wang Lin said, "Young Master Li, Brother Hu, sit and chat. I¡¯ll go cook some good dishes myself. Today, I¡¯m cooking personally, and I definitely want Young Master Li to be satisfied."


    Just as Jiang Ningxiang was about to follow her out, Wang Lin quickly said, "You stay here with Young Master Li today, you don¡¯t have to do anything."


    Jiang Ningxiang was momentarily taken aback, saying, "But I need to do the cashier."


    Wang Lin smiled, "There aren¡¯t many customers today anyway, let someone else handle it."


    "I..." Jiang Ningxiang was at a loss for words.


    Li Yifei then waved his hand, saying, "She doesn¡¯t need to stay, I¡¯ll chat with Brother Hu."


    Once Li Yifei spoke, Wang Lin then took Jiang Ningxiang out, leaving only Li Yifei and Brother Hu in the room. Brother Hu became very nervous, clasped his fists, and said, "Young Master Li, I..."


    Li Yifei waved his hand, saying, "Brother Hu, I fully understand the decision you made at that time. Back then, you would have had no other way but death if you clashed; preserving your strength to make a comeback was a very wise choice."


    Brother Hu stared blankly at Li Yifei; his own reasoning was unexpectedly voiced by Li Yifei first.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile, saying, "I also heard that you fought against them till the end before being forced to surrender. If I still held it against you, I would really be heartless."


    The tough man Brother Hu, who had never cried in the face of danger, now had tears streaming down his face because of Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    Li Yifei was quite pleased with Brother Hu¡¯s reaction. In Mile City, if he truly wanted to settle down, the underworld must be under control. Not that he wanted the underworld directly in his hands, but having a fully obedient underworld boss here would ensure that his family in Mile City wouldn¡¯t be pulled back. Brother Hu was definitely the best choice. Now was the time to implement both kindness and authority to completely win Brother Hu over.


    Just then, a commotion suddenly came from outside. Li Yifei¡¯s mouth curled upwards, saying, "It seems some people really don¡¯t take you seriously, Brother Hu. Show them that here in Mile City, Brother Hu is still the boss. Not just any small fry can come and pull your whiskers."

 Chapter 1077 - 1120: A Tiger in Trouble is Bullied by Dogs in Pingyang

    Chapter 1077: Chapter 1120: A Tiger in Trouble is Bullied by Dogs in PingyangThe rivalry between Li Yifei and Meng Qianjun was completely unknown to outsiders; the city leaders only knew that Meng Qianjun had temporarily withdrawn from Mile City, so they figured it must have been a victory for Li Yifei, but as for the specifics, they were just as clueless.


    The higher-ups were unaware of the situation, so naturally, those below them were even more in the dark, especially those figures in the underworld. During this time, most had followed Meng Qianjun. Although Meng Qianjun had left for the time being, his enterprises were still there, so his influence hadn¡¯t dissipated. Thus, they believed that Brother Hu was now nothing more than Meng Qianjun¡¯s Front Soldier, nothing to be in awe of.


    Especially those who had suffered at Brother Hu¡¯s hands before now saw a golden opportunity to settle scores with Brother Hu. Today, a group barged into Wang Lin¡¯s place, even thinking of messing with Wang Lin today to humiliate Brother Hu thoroughly.


    As soon as a few people entered, they started shouting and making a racket. Wang Lin was in the kitchen preparing food, and the front desk staff immediately ran to notify her.


    This infuriated Wang Lin. In the past, who would dare to cause trouble here? If some hooligans came to dine, they¡¯d have to leave extra money. Now, on the contrary, there were people causing trouble from time to time. A few days ago, Brother Hu could only lay low and Wang Lin had to endure it, but today Young Master Li was here, so what did she have to fear?


    "What are you doing? Get out, all of you! This isn¡¯t a place for you to run wild." Wang Lin burst out, only to see six young men crowding around a man in his forties, making a scene. She immediately started yelling angrily.


    "Oh ho!" The forty-something man named Guan Gaochao had been a thug in his early years. After so many years, he had achieved some minor success, running a bar and a karaoke establishment. He had once had a conflict with Brother Hu and gotten beaten up by him. He dared not say anything back then but always held a grudge. Now, finally having an opportunity, he leered at Wang Lin, saying, "Brothers, this chick is damn fine. Wouldn¡¯t it be awesome to have a bit of fun with her?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯ll definitely be a blast. Brother Gao, you go first. Will you let your brothers have a taste afterward?"


    The lackeys around him immediately started to jeer with dirty, vulgar language.


    "Guan Gaochao, you really have grown bolder, daring to make passes even at me. Seems like you think your life¡¯s too long," Wang Lin said, recognizing Guan Gaochao and shouting with an ashen face.


    Guan Gaochao squinted his eyes, letting his gaze wander blatantly over Wang Lin¡¯s body, saying, "If it were two months ago, I definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to flirt with you, but times have changed. Today, I not only dare to flirt with you, but I also dare to play with you. Do you think that sick cat can still protect you? Haha..."


    "Brother Gao put it so well. Before, he was Brother Hu, but now he¡¯s just a sick cat who needs to act tame,"


    "That¡¯s right, that sick cat can barely protect himself now, how could he protect you? You¡¯d be better off giving in to our Brother Gao. With Brother Gao covering for you, you¡¯ll surely get to eat and drink well."


    Wang Lin was so angry she trembled, but she was a cunning woman. Knowing that with Li Yifei present, these men would definitely not end well and she wouldn¡¯t suffer a loss, she needed to show her loyalty to Brother Hu at this moment. Grinding her teeth, she said, "Do you really think Brother Hu is done for? Let me tell you, you¡¯re all dreaming. It won¡¯t be long before you realize that a few out-of-towners can¡¯t take control of Mile City."


    Jiang Ningxiang rushed over at this time, her face a mix of panic, but still mustering the courage to say, "You... you can¡¯t mess around, or else I¡¯m calling the police."


    "Sure, go ahead and call the police. We¡¯re Young Master Meng¡¯s people, even if the police come, we¡¯re not afraid." Guan Gaochao gave Jiang Ningxiang the once over, his eyes lighting up, and said, "I didn¡¯t expect there to be such a fine girl here; this trip is really worth it."


    Wang Lin extended her arm to pull Jiang Ningxiang behind her, shouting, "You¡¯d better not touch her."


    "What if I do? Brothers, this woman is yours, I¡¯ll take the little girl," Guan Gaochao sneered lecherously, completely disregarding Wang Lin, reaching towards Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face.


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang screamed, ducking behind Wang Lin.


    "How dare you!" With a roar, Brother Hu charged out. Guan Gaochao instinctively withdrew his hand and retreated a few steps, hiding behind his lackeys. Even if Brother Hu¡¯s power had waned, his commanding presence remained, causing Guan Gaochao to back off on instinct.


    Brother Hu glared at Guan Gaochao, his eyes filled with ferocity, bellowing, "Look at you, Guan Gaochao, you little scoundrel, daring to challenge me here today."


    Guan Gaochao had been frightened only momentarily and now puffed out his chest, saying, "So what if I challenge you here? Times have changed. Do you think you still hold your former glory? Let me tell you, you better keep your tail between your legs, or you¡¯ll regret it."


    "Is that so? What if I don¡¯t cooperate?" Brother Hu stepped forward, his fists cracking.


    "If you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, then I won¡¯t be polite anymore. Brothers, beat him up!" Guan Gaochao had come here specifically to get back at Brother Hu. With Brother Hu present, he couldn¡¯t ask for more, so what he wanted most now was to beat Brother Hu up, then mess with Brother Hu¡¯s woman, to vent out his pent-up frustration.


    "Thinking of beating me? You¡¯ll have to wait a few more years for that," Brother Hu roared, charging at the six thugs. Brother Hu knew some martial arts; not advanced, but more than enough to handle a few regular guys.


    And these days, he had always been holding back a burst of anger, now that these people had come, it was just the opportunity for him to vent, especially with Li Yifei here. If he couldn¡¯t even deal with a few underlings, how was he supposed to continue being the boss? So, he fought with even greater ferocity.


    Guan Gaochao thought that bringing six men would be enough to get the upper hand over Brother Hu, who currently had no underlings with him. However, to his surprise, Brother Hu fought with such ferocity that instead of gaining the upper hand, his six-on-one assault made them retreat in embarrassment. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Grab your weapons, cripple him for me," roared Guan Gaochao furiously.


    The six thugs all pulled out their daggers at once, and Brother Hu¡¯s advantage was immediately reversed. Even though Brother Hu was fierce, he could take on one knife-wielding thug without fear, and even had a chance against two. But against six, he was completely outmatched.


    "Ah! Knives... they have knives!" Jiang Ningxiang cried out loud, trembling all over in fear.


    Wang Lin was also trembling with fear at this moment. Faced with such a situation, she suddenly lost her nerve. She really wanted to call for Li Yifei¡¯s help but couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it.


    "Brother Hu, it looks like you¡¯ll need to train harder in the future. Although it¡¯s normal for a boss to have underlings, you¡¯ve got to have the ability to protect yourself."


    "Young Master Li, I..." At this moment, Brother Hu was filled with extreme shame. Now facing a few thugs and not being able to resolve it, he felt pathetic as a boss.


    "I¡¯ll take care of them for you first," said Li Yifei as soon as he finished speaking. He casually walked into the fray. His two underlings, one from the left and one from the right, swung their daggers at Li Yifei, but they didn¡¯t even see how he moved. They just felt severe pain in their chests and then their bodies were sent flying until they hit the ground, and excruciating pain made them scream.


    Li Yifei moved seamlessly, and in the blink of an eye, all six thugs were thrown out by him and couldn¡¯t get up from the ground.


    "You take care of the rest," Li Yifei said, and then smiled at Wang Lin, "Sister-in-law, I¡¯m still waiting for your side dish for the drink."


    This address of "sister-in-law" made Wang Lin¡¯s heart blossom with joy. She quickly agreed and ran happily into the kitchen.


    Li Yifei then turned around and went back into the private room. How Brother Hu dealt with Guan Gaochao, he did not want to concern himself with. These were the types of matters he did not want to get involved in initially. All he needed was to help Brother Hu rise up and work for him.


    Brother Hu turned to look at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "Go keep Young Master Li company."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly agreed and ran into the private room, still tremulous. Upon entering, her legs were still a bit shaky, and she immediately collapsed onto a chair.


    Li Yifei smiled at Jiang Ningxiang and poured her a cup of tea, handing it over to her, "Drink some water to calm your nerves."


    "It was really terrifying," said Jiang Ningxiang as she took the cup, her hand still shaking, and a bit of water spilled from the cup. After drinking two sips, she finally settled down a bit.


    Li Yifei looked at the girl and truly had no intentions towards Jiang Ningxiang. However, having met her a few times, he considered it a kind of fate, and said, "Society is indeed very complex. You, as a young girl, if it¡¯s not necessary, better just focus on studying well in school."


    Jiang Ningxiang lowered her head and whispered, "I... I didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a thing. I just wanted to earn some living expenses during the holidays."


    "Sigh, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, for this holiday stay here, and during the winter break come work at my company, at least that way you won¡¯t be harassed."


    "Ah... but I don¡¯t know anything... I¡¯m not even qualified... to be a nanny at your house."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not qualified; it¡¯s just that the housekeepers at my home are all long-term employees, and besides, you¡¯re still too young and should focus on your studies. Being a nanny would be a waste of your talent."


    "Thank you, Brother Li. Thank you so much, you¡¯re really a good person," Jiang Ningxiang thanked him repeatedly.


    "Haha, receiving a ¡¯good person¡¯ card, alright, no need to be polite. I guess I¡¯ve done a good deed, accumulating some virtue for my children," Li Yifei chuckled.

 Chapter 1078 - 1121: Go All Out

    Chapter 1078: Chapter 1121: Go All OutJiang Ningxiang appeared rather uneasy in front of Li Yifei. Li Yifei smiled and said, "Am I that terrifying?"


    "No! Not at all! Brother Li is a really good person," Jiang Ningxiang quickly responded.


    "Why can¡¯t you lift your head to look at me then?"


    Jiang Ningxiang lifted her head slightly but immediately lowered it again, gently twisting the hem of her clothes, and softly said, "Brother Li is an important person, and I¡¯m just a little girl. Seeing you... I get nervous."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s mannerisms reminded Li Yifei somewhat of Su Yiyi; even their temperaments were slightly similar, which evoked a bit more compassion from him. He softly said, "There¡¯s nothing to be nervous about. I won¡¯t scold you."


    Finally, Jiang Ningxiang looked up, met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze briefly, then quickly looked away, but at least she didn¡¯t lower her head again. She timidly asked, "Brother Li, what exactly do you do?"


    "Me? I¡¯m just doing some business."


    "But... I heard that Brother Hu is... from the Underworld, and even he respects you so much."


    "Are you afraid I¡¯m involved in the Underworld?"


    "No, not at all. Even if Brother Li is involved in the Underworld, you would be the best of the Underworld."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, finding the girl¡¯s words quite amusing. He said, "People should follow the right path; only then can the money earned be spent with peace of mind."


    "Yes, I know. I won¡¯t earn money through wrongful means. I will study hard and work hard in the future."


    At this moment, Li Yifei spoke to the doorway, "Brother Hu, why are you just standing by the door? Come in."


    After dealing with Guan Gaochao¡¯s matter, Brother Hu returned to the private room¡¯s doorway and heard Li Yifei¡¯s laughter. Guessing that Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang were enjoying their conversation, he waited at the door to avoid disturbing Li Yifei¡¯s enjoyment. But just as he steadied himself, he heard Li Yifei calling him. His respect for Li Yifei deepened; despite his light footfalls and the door being closed, Li Yifei knew he was there, truly a superior person beyond compare.


    Pushing the door open, Brother Hu smiled and said, "Young Master Li, am I interrupting?"


    "Interrupting? Not at all. Come, have a seat. Ningxiang, you may leave," Li Yifei didn¡¯t want Jiang Ningxiang, a young girl, to know about the matters he was discussing with Brother Hu.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly agreed, stood up, left the room, and closed the door behind her. Brother Hu then sat opposite Li Yifei.


    "Thank you, Young Master Li," Brother Hu gratefully began.


    "Don¡¯t mention it. What we need to do now is to take back what was lost and also seize Meng Qianjun¡¯s assets."


    Brother Hu instantly became excited, saying, "Alright, I¡¯ve been eager for a big action. I¡¯ve been holding back a lot of frustration lately."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then go ahead with your big action; don¡¯t hold back. You need to show some power in the initial stage. If there¡¯s any issue, I¡¯ll help you negotiate."


    Brother Hu felt even more confident, clenching his fists, eyes gleaming with a ruthless light, and said, "Young Master Li, rest assured, I, Huzi, will not let you down this time."


    "Ha, but let me remind you, although I can support you, I won¡¯t openly engage in these affairs. So, the underground power in Mile City will still be led by you, Brother Hu."


    Brother Hu quickly said, "How can this be? Without you, Young Master Li, there would be no me, Huzi. From now on, I am your Front Soldier; everything is as you command, Young Master Li." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Firstly, I don¡¯t like the lifestyle of the Underworld; secondly, I¡¯m not short of that income. I want you to control the underworld forces because I need someone I can trust to not trip me up. So, all this is yours."


    "Young Master Li... this..." Brother Hu was a bit dazzled, he felt the favor was perhaps too great.


    Li Yifei took a sip of tea, said lightly, "Don¡¯t overthink it. I need to accumulate some virtue for my children¡¯s sake, so it¡¯s better to do more good deeds. I also hope you avoid drugs, which I despise most. Also, in doing things, you need to understand limits; do not oppress the good. Especially when managing sex-related places, never force women into prostitution."


    Brother Hu solemnly replied, "Young Master Li, rest assured, I, Huzi, am not someone who would do anything for money."


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Also, I¡¯ll send a few more people to assist you soon. If there¡¯s any trouble, they will intervene. In such times, you must act decisively and seize all of Meng Qianjun¡¯s assets."


    "Give me one month, Young Master Li. Within one month, I, Brother Hu, will settle this matter."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "That will do. I smell something good; it seems Sister-in-law¡¯s cooking is excellent."


    At that moment, the door to the private room opened, and Jiang Ningxiang carried in two dishes.


    Brother Hu chuckled and said, "When I first took a liking to Sister Lin, it was because of her excellent cooking. Once I tried her food, I didn¡¯t want to eat anywhere else."


    Li Yifei tasted a couple of bites and said, "It¡¯s really delicious, totally different from what we usually have here. It seems Sister Lin hasn¡¯t been cooking herself before."


    Brother Hu quickly said, "From now on, whenever Young Master Li comes over, I will have Sister Lin cook personally."


    Li Yifei laughed out loud and said, "Now that you mention it, I¡¯m tempted to hire Sister as my chef."


    Brother Hu quickly said, "That would be great! Tomorrow... no, let her come over today."


    Li Yifei was just joking and seeing Brother Hu taking it seriously, he quickly waved his hands and said, "I was just joking, don¡¯t take it seriously. If you really sent Sister over, I¡¯d be too embarrassed."


    Brother Hu was quite serious. If Sister Lin could really go to the Li family to cook for Li Yifei, it would strengthen their relationship even more. However, Li Yifei clearly did not mean it, and he could not force her, so he said, "Young Master Li, if you ever feel like eating dishes cooked by Sister Lin at home, just give us a call, and I¡¯ll send her right over."


    "Hmm, if I ever do need that, I won¡¯t be shy."


    It wasn¡¯t long before Sister Lin prepared six dishes and a soup. Seeing that Li Yifei and Brother Hu were not discussing any business, she and Jiang Ningxiang stayed behind to join them.


    Sister Lin helped to keep the atmosphere lively. Everyone enjoyed the meal and drank a bit as well. Encouraged by Sister Lin, even Jiang Ningxiang drank two glasses of beer, her face turning red, and she occasionally held her forehead, appearing slightly unsteady.


    "Come on, Young Master Li, let me toast you. Considering your status and you still calling me Sister, I should toast you, and you¡¯re not allowed to refuse. Otherwise, it means you look down on your Sister."


    As Sister Lin interacted more with Li Yifei, she realized he wasn¡¯t very pretentious. Acting too nervous around him would make him uncomfortable, so she began to speak more freely.


    Li Yifei laughed, "I¡¯ve eaten the dishes Sister cooked; that means I owe you a favor. How could I not drink when you ask?"


    After downing a drink, Sister Lin told Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, Young Master Li has taken good care of you, you should toast him too."


    At the rectangular table in the private room, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang sat on one side, with Brother Hu and Sister Lin on the other. The two beers Jiang Ningxiang drank earlier were with everyone. Now, facing a direct toast, she couldn¡¯t escape it. She picked up her glass shyly and said, "Brother Li, thank you for looking after me. Without you, I would have been bullied long ago. Cheers." She didn¡¯t wait for Li Yifei to respond before she started drinking.


    It was somewhat impolite but showed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s innocence, clearly unfamiliar with the drinking rules. Especially her way of drinking, sipping little by little with a frown, she clearly found it difficult but still tried her best to finish the drink.


    Li Yifei laughed, "If you can¡¯t drink, drink less."


    "No! I want to drink." Jiang Ningxiang insisted and finished off the rest of her drink, sitting down and wiping her mouth, already seeming a bit unsteady.


    Li Yifei simply smiled and also took a drink.


    Brother Hu and Sister Lin clapped their hands for her, lavishing praises on Jiang Ningxiang.


    Having a few more bites, Sister Lin raised her glass to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, you¡¯ve really helped me a lot recently, making things much easier for me. Here, Sister toasts you."


    Normally, Jiang Ningxiang would call Sister Lin ¡¯sister,¡¯ but today, Sister Lin had her call her ¡¯Sister,¡¯ linking Jiang Ningxiang and Li Yifei together.


    Jiang Ningxiang gently shook her head, standing up nervously and said, "Sister, it should be me thanking you. You¡¯ve taken care of me, otherwise, I would be homeless. Sister, cheers to you."


    Sister Lin laughed, "Ha, whether you toast me or I toast you, it¡¯s all the same. Cheers, let¡¯s drink."


    They both drank another, and Jiang Ningxiang seemed a bit drunk already, downing this glass much easier in two gulps.


    The conversation continued merrily, and Sister Lin occasionally made Jiang Ningxiang drink a little more.


    Jiang Ningxiang was a lightweight and soon couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, then she leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder. Li Yifei held her up, called her name, but got no response. He took a closer look and found that she had actually closed her eyes and fallen asleep.


    Sister Lin laughed softly, "Ningxiang really can¡¯t hold her liquor. Young Master Li, shall we continue to drink?"


    Li Yifei pointed at Jiang Ningxiang, "Maybe not?"


    Sister Lin blinked, grinning, "Hehe, let her sleep then. But this position doesn¡¯t seem very comfortable. Maybe... Young Master Li, you can let her lie down with her head on your lap, that would be more comfortable for her." Her face carried a hint of suggestiveness.


    And Brother Hu was chuckling knowingly; as a man, he understood what it meant when a girl ends up in such a position on a man.

 Chapter 1079 - 1122: Huge Misunderstanding

    Chapter 1079: Chapter 1122: Huge MisunderstandingIf it were his own woman, even if it were Meng Xiaofei and Su Mengfei, those two girls, Li Yifei could continue drinking like this, but Jiang Ningxiang was just a young girl, Li Yifei had no such thoughts, and said: "Let¡¯s call it a day, I still have things to do when I get back."


    Wang Lin hurriedly asked: "Young Master Li, what about Ningxiang?"


    Li Yifei glanced at the girl with a flushed face and said: "Let her sleep."


    "Not that... I mean, aren¡¯t you taking her with you?"


    "Why would I take her with me?" Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said: "Sister Lin, you¡¯ve got it wrong, Jiang Ningxiang just happens to have crossed paths with me a few times, I feel bad for her, that¡¯s why I helped her out. I don¡¯t have any designs on her."


    Wang Lin giggled and said: "No thoughts now, just keep her around, and we¡¯ll talk about it when you feel like it later on."


    Li Yifei was speechless and said: "That¡¯s not my kind of hobby."


    "Such a good girl, it would be a pity for others to ruin her. Anyway, I¡¯ll take care of her for you first, absolutely no one will bully her. When Young Master Li is interested, you can take her away."


    Li Yifei realized this was not going to be clear, he was too lazy to explain further, and said: "Alright, alright, where is she going to sleep? Let¡¯s take her over there first."


    Seeing Li Yifei didn¡¯t refuse, Wang Lin and Brother Hu were even more convinced that Li Yifei was interested in this girl, but now he might think Jiang Ningxiang was too young, or maybe his family had not yet approved the matter, so it wasn¡¯t good to take her home yet. Anyway, taking good care of Jiang Ningxiang was now considered the most important thing by Wang Lin.


    "Ningxiang will stay with me at the hotel, I¡¯ll take Young Master Li." Wang Lin and Brother Hu didn¡¯t seem to want to help. After they stood up, they waited at the door.


    Li Yifei shook his head and had no choice but to carry Jiang Ningxiang in his arms. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Following Wang Lin to a room further inside, just as he brought Jiang Ningxiang in, Wang Lin had already left and even closed the door behind her.


    Li Yifei shook his head, it seemed his reputation as a womanizer had spread; as soon as people saw him with a beautiful girl, they would probably assume he had intentions towards her.


    After placing Jiang Ningxiang on the bed, Li Yifei was about to stand up when the girl on the bed suddenly started flailing her arms and called out: "Daddy... Daddy! Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t you want your daughter? Daddy... Daddy, I miss you... Wuu..."


    Jiang Ningxiang called out twice and actually started crying. Li Yifei originally wanted to leave, but seeing Jiang Ningxiang like this, he finally sat down beside the bed and held her left hand.


    Jiang Ningxiang instantly gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly; her other hand also latched onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, her eyes briefly opened but then closed again, and she murmured: "Daddy, you¡¯re back, you can¡¯t leave, I really miss you, without you, no one cares for Ningxiang, always being bullied, Ningxiang is so pitiful."


    Li Yifei, being a father himself, was touched by this, instantly stirring his paternal affections. His other hand gently stroked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair as he spoke softly: "Ningxiang, don¡¯t be afraid, from now on, Brother Li will protect you, no one will bully you again."


    "Daddy, you are so kind, with you protecting me, I won¡¯t be bullied anymore." Jiang Ningxiang showed a sweet smile.


    Li Yifei waited for Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s breathing to become even before trying to pull his hand away to leave, but then she suddenly clutched his hand tightly again, showing a panicked expression. This made Li Yifei¡¯s heart quite aching, and he could only hold her hand again.


    Wang Lin and Brother Hu sat in the lobby, waiting for Li Yifei to come out, but after more than twenty minutes, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t come out yet; both of them had ambiguous smiles on their faces.


    "Hehe, it seems Young Master Li is having good times with that little girl," Brother Hu smirked.


    Wang Lin pursed her lips and smiled: "Yeah, he¡¯s been in there so long, it must be happening. Young Master Li just said he had no plans, and now he¡¯s getting busy."


    Brother Hu quickly said: "Shush, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Young Master Li may have many women, but he never bullies any of them. The women with him are always willing."


    "Mhm, I know. Being with someone like Young Master Li would be good fortune for any woman. Just one word from him and loads of beauties are willing to throw themselves at him. I¡¯m really happy for that girl Jiang Ningxiang."


    "Yeah, she is lucky indeed. But I think Young Master Li doesn¡¯t seem to have the intention of taking her home, at least not in the short term, so you must take good care of her."


    Wang Lin nodded repeatedly, saying: "I will cherish her like an ancestor from now on."


    "Cough..." Li Yifei¡¯s light cough startled Wang Lin and Brother Hu, making them stand up quickly.


    Wang Lin spoke first with a smile: "Young Master Li, leaving so soon? Why don¡¯t you stay here tonight?"


    Li Yifei had already roughly heard their conversation, rolled his eyes, and said: "I have other things to do, I¡¯ll be going first." Then, without paying attention to them, he hurriedly made his escape, otherwise, who knows what else they would say.


    "Hehe, this Young Master Li, can be quite thin-skinned sometimes, can¡¯t he?" Wang Lin couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud.


    Brother Hu also felt a bit amused. It was really beyond his imagination that someone like Li Yifei would also have moments of frantic escape, but it also made him feel that Li Yifei was more real, and instantly felt a closer connection.


    It was almost evening when Jiang Ningxiang finally came out. Wang Lin hurriedly poured water for Jiang Ningxiang, making her quite surprised and flustered, as she quickly said, "Sister Lin, I can do it myself."


    Wang Lin feigned anger and said, "What ¡¯Sister Lin¡¯? Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me ¡¯sister-in-law¡¯? Young Master Li calls me ¡¯sister-in-law¡¯, and from now on, you must call me ¡¯sister-in-law¡¯."


    "Yes, sister-in-law," Jiang Ningxiang took a sip of water and said, "I¡¯m really embarrassed, I can¡¯t drink alcohol. I get drunk with just a little bit, and I didn¡¯t even realize that Brother Li had left."


    Wang Lin blinked and said, "You don¡¯t really know anything, do you?"


    "Ah? I really don¡¯t know, I only remember that we were drinking together, and then after one drink, I fell asleep."


    Wang Lin widened her eyes and said, "Really? Young Master Li carried you back, he stayed in your room for quite a while."


    "Ah..." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned red, and she stammered, "Brother Li... why was he... in my room?"


    "You fell asleep and couldn¡¯t walk by yourself, so Young Master Li carried you inside. He was there for so long, hehe, you two..."


    "I... I... Sister-in-law, are you saying... Young Master Li took advantage of me?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened.


    "That¡¯s not called taking advantage," Wang Lin hugged Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s shoulders, grinning and saying, "Young Master Li is a big shot; he¡¯s going to be the most powerful man in Mile City. If he likes you, it¡¯s your good fortune. In the future, you¡¯ll be his woman. Do you know how many women wish for that? They would be envious."


    "But... but... I don¡¯t know anything, and why would Brother Li like a little girl like me?"


    "Anyway, since you¡¯ve been with him like that, you¡¯re his person now. Let me tell you, even if you go to school later, you can¡¯t get too close to other boys. That would be betraying Young Master Li. Having become Young Master Li¡¯s woman, you should follow him properly."


    "I... Sister-in-law... I don¡¯t seem to feel anything."


    "Don¡¯t feel anything? Could it be that you weren¡¯t a virgin before?" Wang Lin frowned. If Jiang Ningxiang wasn¡¯t a virgin, then Li Yifei might not be interested in her.


    "Yes, that¡¯s why I said I didn¡¯t feel anything. I heard... it should be painful, but I feel very normal."


    "So, when you woke up... were your clothes all intact?"


    "They were, only my shoes were off."


    Wang Lin suddenly didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry, saying, "Then it¡¯s a real misunderstanding. Young Master Li didn¡¯t do anything to you. I thought that he stayed in your room for such a long time, he had done something to you?"


    "Ah, I remember now, at that time it felt like my father had come back. I kept holding his hand, not letting him leave."


    "Sweat, so that¡¯s how it is." Wang Lin was really confused now. How could Young Master Li stay alone in a room with such a pretty girl and not do anything? Was he even a man?


    Could it be that Young Master Li didn¡¯t really like Jiang Ningxiang? If that were the case, taking care of her would be pointless. But on second thought, it didn¡¯t seem right. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t like Jiang Ningxiang, he wouldn¡¯t have taken care of her for such a long time. If he was going to let her be, he should have left.


    Maybe Young Master Li wasn¡¯t in a hurry to ¡¯devour¡¯ this little girl. Raising a Lolita could also be quite an achievement. She better keep taking good care of Jiang Ningxiang.


    At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang asked again with trepidation, "Sister-in-law, what¡¯s really going on?"


    Wang Lin chuckled lightly and said, "It¡¯s nothing, but Ningxiang, let me ask you, do you like Young Master Li?"


    "I... I..." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned very red, and she stuttered, "I don¡¯t know."


    "Hehe, what do you mean you don¡¯t know? I asked if you like him, how could you not know?"


    "I really don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just grateful to Brother Li for helping me so much. Moreover, Brother Li is so amazing, and I¡¯m just an orphaned little girl, miles apart from him. He wouldn¡¯t like me."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s not necessarily true. For someone like Young Master Li, he won¡¯t care whether you have money or parents. Even if your family was rich, could they be richer than Young Master Li? As long as you¡¯re pretty, and know a thing or two, he¡¯ll like you."


    Seeing Jiang Ningxiang lost in thought, Wang Lin continued, "Let me tell you, this is the best opportunity. If you can be with Young Master Li, you can enjoy life from now on. For us women, the most important thing is to find a good man. Sister-in-law will teach you how to capture a man¡¯s heart, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be able to be with Young Master Li."


    Wang Lin had made up her mind; even if there was nothing between Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang now, she would make something happen between them. Moreover, if they got together, they would be even more grateful to her in the future, and her and Brother Hu¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei would only get better.

 Chapter 1080 - 1123: Brother Hu’s Revenge

    Chapter 1080: Chapter 1123: Brother Hu¡¯s RevengeFlying Dragon Disco at night, it¡¯s a crazy place every night, where young people love to vent their emotions. It¡¯s common for customers to spend around 100-200 yuan a day here, but due to the crowd, the daily sales of the disco hover around 50,000 yuan, with a net profit of more than 20,000 yuan. That¡¯s around 600,000 yuan a month and six to seven million yuan a year in net profit, which is considered a very high income for many people.


    The owner here is named Wang Dong. Previously, Brother Hu was collaborating with him, but after Meng Qianjun swept through the underworld of Mile City, Wang Dong kicked Brother Hu out and started working with someone Meng Qianjun sent named Zhao Kailang.


    Zhao Kailang used to be just an underling of Brother Hu, but this guy has always been ambitious, always looking for a chance to climb up. Now, his chance has finally come. Although he just switched to a new boss, this boss has given him power he never had before. Like this disco, it¡¯s completely under his management now, and he even collaborates with Wang Dong under his own name, holding 20 percent of the shares. It¡¯s like a pie falling from the sky.


    Wang Dong is currently drinking with Zhao Kailang, and now the business in the disco is even better. Previously, Brother Hu had some restrictions on them, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow drugs in his venue, but Zhao Kailang doesn¡¯t care about that, whatever makes money goes. Now things like ecstasy are sold a lot in the disco, and many people come here to do drugs, which has made the business better and brought both Wang Dong and Zhao Kailang a lot of benefits. They are quite happy.


    "President Wang, I¡¯m covering this place now, it¡¯s better than before, right?" Zhao Kailang took a sip of his drink and looked smug.


    Wang Dong was also quite satisfied, saying: "Of course, Brother Zhao, with you covering my place, the income now is more than half as much as before. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely get your share."


    Zhao Kailang snorted, saying: "It¡¯s all because of that idiot Huzi, playing in the underworld yet so many don¡¯ts, he¡¯s cost me a lot of opportunities to make money. I have disliked him for a long time, clever as he was to finally side with Young Master Meng, or else we would have killed that idiot by now."


    "Ha ha, even if not killed, he¡¯s now like a street rat anyway, what can he do? If you ever think about dealing with him, it¡¯s just a matter of saying the word."


    While they were happily chatting, the lights in the room suddenly went out, and then the music in the whole disco stopped as well. The people who were cheerfully dancing became a bit panicked, with noisy commotion rising all around.


    "F*ck, why is there a power outage?" Zhao Kailang couldn¡¯t help but curse; a power outage is the most problematic thing, really affecting business.


    "Brother Hu seeks revenge, unrelated people leave!" The lights suddenly came on again, but the music did not start again. Instead, voices came from the disco¡¯s loudspeakers.


    "Brother Hu seeks revenge, unrelated people leave, anyone still in the disco within five minutes is Brother Hu¡¯s enemy."


    The disco quieted down for a few seconds, then the customers all hurriedly rushed towards the door. Although gang revenge is thrilling, it¡¯s clearly not a spectacle to be watched, otherwise your life might be lost here. It¡¯s wise to choose to leave for now.


    "Damn it!" Zhao Kailang roared, saying: "This son of a b*tch, really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him, daring to come here."


    At this moment, Wang Dong¡¯s face turned somewhat ugly, he anxiously said: "Brother Zhao, it¡¯s all up to you now."


    "Don¡¯t worry, he might have come here alive, but he won¡¯t leave alive. After today, there won¡¯t be a place for him in Mile City anymore." Upon reaching the door, Zhao Kailang shouted: "Brothers, someone¡¯s come to us, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves today, wipe out that bastard Brother Hu, there¡¯s a big reward for it."


    Though it was said to be five minutes, in less than three minutes, the guests in the disco had left cleanly. Brother Hu¡¯s tall figure appeared in the very center of the dance floor, four subordinates stood behind him, each wearing a tight tank top and light blue jeans, holding a long machete, and with that fierce expression, he truly had the air of an underworld boss.


    "Who do I think it is? Isn¡¯t this Brother Hu? What kind of wind blew you here today? Oh, I forgot, this place used to be your territory, Brother Hu, but not anymore," Zhao Minglang said sardonically as he and his men surrounded Brother Hu.


    Brother Hu coldly looked at Zhao Minglang, solemnly said: "Zhao Minglang, I¡¯m giving you one minute to get the hell out of here, otherwise don¡¯t blame me for being impolite."


    "Well, Brother Hu really has quite the presence, although, if this was a month ago, I definitely would have listened and scooted off. But..." Zhao Minglang¡¯s eyes flared with viciousness, he said fiercely: "Now this isn¡¯t your territory anymore, Brother Hu, and there won¡¯t be a place for you in Mile City either. Calling you Brother Hu is giving you face, not killing or crippling you now is partly because I¡¯m remembering old times. You f*cker can¡¯t seem to keep a low profile, and now you¡¯ve even come here to challenge me, I think you really wish you had a longer life."


    "Thirty seconds left!" Brother Hu¡¯s tone was chilling.


    "F*ck, you¡¯re really getting bold, just you few people daring to come here and challenge me, who do you think you are?"


    "Twenty seconds!"


    "Okay, okay, I want to see what the fuck you can do after a minute."


    "Ten...nine...eight...one! Kill!" When reading the last second, Brother Hu roared and charged at Zhao Minglang with a watermelon knife.


    His four bodyguards also immediately rushed towards the others. This made Zhao Minglang and his people feel quite ridiculous. Even though Brother Hu¡¯s group of five had watermelon knives, there were about twenty people on their side, all armed. It seemed like Brother Hu was just sending himself to death.


    But before they could prepare to swarm Brother Hu, suddenly a loud shout came from outside, and dozens of people charged in, all armed as well. Suddenly, the numbers flipped, and Zhao Minglang and his group started screaming and resisting, then they prepared to run. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What a joke, fighting against more than twice their number¡ªthat would be like waiting for death. Being in the underworld isn¡¯t about throwing your life away.


    In less than five minutes, the fight was over, and at this point, Zhao Minglang was covered in blood on his arm, with a long knife wound on his back, kneeling in front of Brother Hu, pale-faced and shivering non-stop.


    "Zhao Minglang, I¡¯ve been good to you over the years. I don¡¯t blame you for what happened a while back due to circumstances, but recently, your people dared to trouble my woman. If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson, you really wouldn¡¯t take me seriously anymore."


    "Brother Hu, Brother Hu, I know I was wrong, please spare my life!" Zhao Minglang was kowtowing like mad. To save his life, he had no dignity left, and he wasn¡¯t a man of integrity to begin with.


    Brother Hu sneered maliciously and said, "I won¡¯t kill you today. I just want everyone in Mile City to know that what¡¯s taken from me will be reclaimed. You all better be prepared."


    Hearing Brother Hu say this, Zhao Minglang felt immensely relieved and quickly said, "I¡¯ll definitely pass on the message, definitely."


    "Get lost!" Brother Hu shouted fiercely, and Zhao Minglang scurried and crawled out of the disco. At this point, no matter how severe his injuries were, he dared not stay here any longer.


    In the following days, Brother Hu began a furious reclamation. It might have seemed like Mile City¡¯s underworld was under Meng Qianjun¡¯s control, but people weren¡¯t truly loyal to this outsider¡ªthey merely complied due to Meng Qianjun¡¯s powerful backing.


    Now that Meng Qianjun had left, not only had he gone, but he also took all his subordinates with him. Without Meng Qianjun¡¯s support, even though those people initially resisted, they were no match for the experts that Li Yifei had sent. Once Brother Hu had taken several places, and there was no word from Meng Qianjun, the rest realized he had given up on Mile City and dared not oppose Brother Hu any longer.


    Moreover, while the local officials in Mile City had never overtly supported Meng Qianjun, his people never encountered problems no matter what they did. Now it was the same with Brother Hu¡¯s actions¡ªthis strong signal was clear to those involved in the underworld.


    Brother Hu¡¯s power quickly grew like a rolling snowball, and thereafter, resistance vanished and many voluntarily sought peace with Brother Hu.


    Li Yifei monitored the situation from Brother Hu¡¯s side and after demonstrating power a few times. Li Yifei advised Brother Hu to restrain himself to avoid unnecessary killings since, after all, the country was governed by laws, and defying the law excessively would certainly lead to a bad outcome.


    Lin Qiong, however, had some reservations. As a police officer with a strong sense of justice, she didn¡¯t want to see such acts of vengeance occur, regardless of the reasons.


    But personally, Meng Qianjun and his lackeys had truly incensed Lin Qiong this time. Even killing these scoundrels wouldn¡¯t quench her anger. If they hadn¡¯t stirred trouble in Mile City, it wouldn¡¯t be like this. In a way, Li Yifei¡¯s actions were meant to stabilize Mile City, which overall, was good.


    Balancing justice and personal feelings is challenging, but the authorities turned a blind eye to this matter, which also involved her family. She avoided getting involved to prevent personal dilemmas.


    Li Yifei also communicated multiple times with Lin Qiong during these days, not wanting her to harbor unease over this matter. Eventually, Lin Qiong realized that Brother Hu¡¯s actions were relatively measured, which eased her internal conflict and provided Li Yifei some relief.

 Chapter 1081 - 1124: This is All We Can Do For Now

    Chapter 1081: Chapter 1124: This is All We Can Do For NowLi Yifei¡¯s days were bustling and fulfilling, and spending time with the woman he loved in his own home at night was the most relaxing moment of all.


    Tonight, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Xu Yingying were with Li Yifei. Li Yifei now had his own independent villa, and whoever¡¯s turn it was would take the initiative to come over in the evening.


    As for who would come, Li Yifei never inquired. Someone would naturally show up when the time came, so why should he ask? Besides, everyone tacitly arranged this matter quite well, and he didn¡¯t need to worry about it at all.


    "Hubby! I¡¯m here." Xiao Ling¡¯er was the first to arrive, sitting down beside Li Yifei with a smile.


    Li Yifei turned his head and kissed Xiao Ling¡¯er. This kind of kiss wasn¡¯t about eroticism or wanting to do anything; it was just a simple peck, but often this simple gesture was the most effective in promoting affection, and Li Yifei never overlooked such details.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er scooted over and sat on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hubby, when are we going out to have fun?"


    "Feeling bored, are you?" Li Yifei asked with a chuckle.


    "Not bored, just that I see you working too hard. You can¡¯t be working all the time."


    "It must really be tough on you. You were such a lively girl before, and now you¡¯re cooped up at home all day since being with me. You must feel terrible."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled and replied, "Not really. There are so many people here, I have things to do during the day, and if I¡¯m not with you at night, we all play together. It¡¯s pretty good. I¡¯m actually worried about you because you¡¯re working so hard."


    "Indeed, marrying off does change a person. You deserve praise."


    After chatting and laughing for a while, Xiao Ling¡¯er looked towards the door. "Why hasn¡¯t Sister Yingying come over yet?"


    "Is it Yingying¡¯s turn tonight? She seemed to have nothing on today; why hasn¡¯t she come?"


    "I¡¯ll give her a call." Xiao Ling¡¯er picked up her phone and dialed Xu Yingying. It took a while for Xu Yingying to answer.


    "Sister Yingying, why haven¡¯t you come over?"


    "Oh... I still have some work on my hands. You guys... go to bed first."


    Li Yifei could hear what Xu Yingying said but found it a bit strange since her words seemed a bit forced, as if she was avoiding him.


    "Hehe, Sister Yingying, don¡¯t overthink, just come over. I don¡¯t feel good hogging all the attention."


    "I... Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After Xiao Ling¡¯er hung up the phone, Li Yifei immediately asked, "What¡¯s wrong with Yingying?"


    With a light laugh, Xiao Ling¡¯er answered, "It¡¯s all because of her psychic connection with Shanshan. She¡¯s feeling awkward about it."


    "Ugh... still feeling awkward." Li Yifei was a bit frustrated since Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t just snap out of it easily.


    After a while, Xu Yingying arrived, still carrying her laptop.


    "Sister Yingying, you¡¯re so busy, still working with the computer at night," Xiao Ling¡¯er teased with a twinkle in her eye.


    Xu Yingying looked a bit embarrassed. "There¡¯s naturally a lot to do right now. Alright, alright, you two go rest. I¡¯ll join in a bit."


    But Xiao Ling¡¯er grabbed Xu Yingying, grinning. "You¡¯re not planning to work all night, are you? It¡¯s only once a week, do you really want to miss this chance to be with hubby? Come on, you were with hubby before you knew all this, just think it¡¯s the same as before."


    Even after being dragged into the bedroom by Xiao Ling¡¯er, Xu Yingying still said with a wry smile, "Hubby, I think I¡¯ll pass. Every time I think about us being like this here, and Shanshan feeling the same over there, I just can¡¯t get over this emotional barrier."


    Now Li Yifei understood how big of an impact this was having on Xu Yingying and said with empathy, "I know, I won¡¯t force you. Let¡¯s face this issue gradually."


    Xu Yingying gratefully said, "Thank you, hubby, for your understanding."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er blinked and cheekily suggested, "Actually, there¡¯s no need for this. Sister Yingying, if you use the back, Shanshan won¡¯t have the connection, right? You would still feel it, wouldn¡¯t that solve the problem?"


    "Ahh... right." Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up with a bit of excitement.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er proudly exclaimed, "Hehe, there¡¯s always a solution to a problem, no need to keep avoiding it."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, "Right, right, that¡¯s a good idea."


    Using this method, Xu Yingying no longer felt such an emotional burden, and the night turned out to be quite passionate. However, afterward, Xu Yingying said with a tinge of complaint, "It was already tiring for me to get pregnant, and now with this, who knows when I¡¯ll be able to conceive."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said merrily, "That¡¯s easy, just go in for a moment at the very end, then you¡¯ll have a chance of getting pregnant."


    This is actually a solution, and it¡¯s only at the very end. Even if Xu Shanshan has a reaction, it won¡¯t be too intense anymore. This allows Xu Yingying to accept it, and it also doesn¡¯t hinder pregnancy. At last, it seems Xu Yingying¡¯s concern is temporarily resolved.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s worry may have been settled, but the next day, Xu Shanshan was not having it. She knew that Li Yifei spent the previous night with Xu Yingying. She was all prepared, but in the end, she didn¡¯t feel a thing, which was absolutely frustrating.


    "Stupid brother-in-law, what are you up to with my sister?" Xu Shanshan pouted, looking very cross.


    Li Yifei knew Xu Shanshan would make a fuss and was prepared. He hugged her shoulders and said, "Your sister was feeling uncomfortable; I couldn¡¯t force her."


    "Always knew she was trouble. So petty, treating me like an enemy every day," Xu Shanshan complained, shrugging off his hand.


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand jerked. Not only did he get shrugged off, but his body almost staggered to the side. He quickly rotated his True Qi within his body to stabilize himself and exclaimed in surprise, "Shanshan, have you gotten stronger?"


    At that, Xu Shanshan also seemed puzzled as she replied, "I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t been practicing on purpose since I came back."


    "You haven¡¯t practiced since you¡¯ve been back?" Li Yifei widened his eyes at Xu Shanshan.


    "Yeah, I feel like I¡¯m already pretty awesome. Plus, with brother-in-law here, why should I bother with the trouble?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Weren¡¯t you always eager to become strong? Why have you lost interest now?"


    Xu Shanshan raised an eyebrow and responded, "Am I not strong enough now? Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re not even sure you could beat me now? If I get any stronger, and I end up beating you too, that would be so boring. So, I think I¡¯m just fine this way."


    Li Yifei offered a bitter smile and said, "What kind of reasoning is that? If Mingrui and others heard about this opportunity, they would train themselves to death. This really is a waste!"


    Xu Shanshan nonchalantly said, "As long as I know there aren¡¯t many people who can beat me, getting any stronger is pointless."


    "Alright, if you don¡¯t like it, then don¡¯t do it, but still, it feels like such a waste," Li Yifei said shaking his head.


    Xu Shanshan snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, batted her eyelids playfully, and said, "I¡¯m mainly afraid that I might become too strong in... that area, and I¡¯ll wear you out. Then, I won¡¯t know how to explain it to my sister."


    "Really?" Li Yifei lifted an eyebrow. As a man, how could he admit defeat in such a matter?


    "Hehe, shall we try it out later?"


    "Now... let¡¯s forget about it. If your sister finds out, it would only cause trouble."


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips, saying, "Now this won¡¯t do, and she still won¡¯t do it with you¡ªit¡¯s like killing me. I don¡¯t care; you better think of something fast."


    "Aren¡¯t you usually the one coming up with ideas?"


    "Can¡¯t I run out of ideas? I¡¯ve thought of plenty already; it¡¯s your turn this time."


    "Ok, ok, I¡¯ll think of something quickly." Li Yifei had to agree. Xu Shanshan had already done so much for him, and frankly, he hadn¡¯t done much for her.


    At that moment, the door unexpectedly swung open. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t hear any footsteps and were so startled that they quickly separated, turning to look at the door.


    "Giggle... making out in the office in broad daylight, I¡¯m impressed with you two." The one who entered was none other than the Saintess herself.


    Xu Shanshan gave the Saintess a blank look and said, "Can¡¯t you at least make a bit of noise when you come?"


    The Saintess blinked and said, "I heard the brother-in-law and sister-in-law¡¯s affair from outside, didn¡¯t want to disturb you two."


    After surviving the desert tribe together, Xu Shanshan and the Saintess had become quite close, sharing a special bond after their hardships, "What brings you here?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saintess spoke with a tone of reproach, "You guys are so unreasonable. After all the time we¡¯ve spent together, now you don¡¯t even check in on me. I regret not intentionally losing that day, I should have let someone¡¯s wife lose to someone else."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "That¡¯s my fault."


    "Now there¡¯s a true man, willing to admit his mistakes. I like that." The Saintess complimented, "Yifei, that contract is starting now. I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯ll handle it."


    Li Yifei replied, "Weren¡¯t you trying to compete with me? Why ask me now? You¡¯re acting like corporate espionage."


    "I feel like I was on the wrong path before. Even if you beat me outright in business, it wouldn¡¯t help much with my emotional growth. But the little moments I¡¯ve shared with you have contributed significantly, so I¡¯m changing my strategy. I want to spend more time with you, not constantly fight against you."


    Xu Shanshan snorted, "I think you just want to be with my brother-in-law and are coming up with all these excuses."


    "Alright, you got me," the Saintess confessed. "I¡¯ve realized that even if I perfect my emotional control, breaking free from it has become incredibly difficult, perhaps even impossible."

 Chapter 1082 - 1125: Kiss of the Saintess

    Chapter 1082: Chapter 1125: Kiss of the Saintess"Why?" Li Yifei looked at the Saintess puzzledly. It was the first time the Saintess admitted that conquering inner demons was impossible.


    The Saintess rolled her eyes at Xu Shanshan and said, "Isn¡¯t it because of you? All of a sudden, you¡¯ve become so powerful, a great asset to Yifei. How am I supposed to defeat Yifei then?"


    Xu Shanshan waved her fist at the Saintess and said, "I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to cross my brother-in-law, I¡¯ll forget our past and certainly kill you."


    The Saintess gave a bitter smile and said, "Yes, that¡¯s why I say it can¡¯t be done."


    Li Yifei looked at the Saintess seriously. "So, you still want to keep me as your inner demon?"


    The Saintess helplessly said, "Once selected, the inner demon can¡¯t be changed. If only I knew it would turn out this way, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen you. Now it¡¯s too late not to see you as my inner demon."


    "But if you can¡¯t defeat it, what¡¯s the point of having this inner demon?"


    Facing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, the Saintess said, "I¡¯ve said before, if I fail, then I¡¯ll just have to devoutly become your woman."


    Xu Shanshan glared at the Saintess and said, "Then just say that, why bring up the inner demon?"


    "But I have to try anyway, perhaps I have a chance," the Saintess winked and changed the topic, "Tell me quickly, how exactly should I handle that contract?"


    Li Yifei smiled lightly, "It¡¯s actually quite simple. First, break even for a while, then negotiate separately with the two parties. They should both know how much profit I¡¯m making, and eventually, they will give me some leeway. Both sides compromise a bit, and I¡¯ll have my margin by then."


    Li Yifei made it sound simple, but in the business world, there was such a legend. Initially, a merchant did exactly this, not making money for half a year. Since he didn¡¯t earn money continuously, both the demand and supply sides had a lot of profits and became friends with the merchant. They then asked the merchant why he did this, and the merchant explained honestly. Both sides thought the merchant was clever, and even giving him some profit was better than seeking new contracts elsewhere, so eventually, they both gave some profit to the merchant. By compromising this way, the merchant ended up earning more than other merchants.


    The Saintess immediately smiled and said, "I understand now. I¡¯ve seen this case too, but I really hadn¡¯t thought of applying it in real practice. However, whether it can be successful in this era is still uncertain."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Yes, I¡¯m just trying. Mainly because this is my starting point, that¡¯s why I can go about it this way. If I¡¯m really doing it, I wouldn¡¯t do it this way."


    "That¡¯s great, your greatest strength is applying knowledge flexibly, unlike those rigid people."


    Xu Shanshan proudly said, "That¡¯s right, my brother-in-law is the most formidable man in the world, whatever he wants to do, there¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t do well."


    "By the way, you just mentioned spending more time with my brother-in-law, what are you up to?" Xu Shanshan looked at the Saintess doubtfully, "You¡¯re not planning to move into our house, are you?"


    The Saintess smiled slightly, "Not for now, I need to go back and make some final preparations in a few days." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan immediately asked, "What preparations?"


    The Saintess¡¯s smile brightened, "I need to make one last effort to break free from the inner demon, it all depends on my return trip now."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at the Saintess, "Didn¡¯t you say you were going to give up? You liar!"


    The Saintess turned to look at Li Yifei, "If I were a woman who gave up easily, Yifei probably wouldn¡¯t like me. If I don¡¯t do my utmost, I¡¯ll never be content. Even if I lose, I won¡¯t sincerely be with Yifei."


    Li Yifei looked at the Saintess and nodded, "Okay, do your best. Whenever it is, I¡¯ll accept your challenge."


    A special affection gleamed in the Saintess¡¯s eyes, "Hmm, you really are a man worth loving. Choosing you as my inner demon, it seems no matter whether I win or lose, I am a victor."


    Xu Shanshan snorted, "But it seems if my brother-in-law loses, then many people are the losers."


    Li Yifei smiled proudly, "I will definitely not fail."


    Xu Shanshan clenched her fists tightly, "Yes, my brother-in-law won¡¯t fail, especially not with me by his side. Initially, I didn¡¯t want to try hard, but now I will. I¡¯ll defeat you alone when the time comes, and you won¡¯t even have the qualifications to challenge my brother-in-law."


    "Giggle, alright, Shanshan, I really look forward to your strength."


    The Saintess was not worried at all, rather, she seemed quite excited. At her level, encountering strong opponents would not be disheartening, only exhilarating.


    Xu Shanshan then asked, "When exactly are you coming back?"


    The holy woman looked at Li Yifei and said, "I can¡¯t say for sure now, maybe a month or two, maybe a year or two."


    "A year or two, that long?" Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei both looked at the holy woman in surprise.


    The holy woman playfully blinked and said, "It seems you will miss me a lot, I¡¯m really so blessed."


    Xu Shanshan pouted, and Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s normal to miss you, after all, you saved Yingying and shared life and death with us in the desert. It¡¯s a rare friendship."


    "Yes, we ate together, lived together, and before falling into Quicksand, you even kissed me. When we were underground, we didn¡¯t even shy away when it came to personal matters..."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened instantly, the holy woman was right; during the first few days underground, Li Yifei and the holy woman were very weak, and since it was so dark, straying a few steps could lead them to get separated, so even during personal moments, they dared not split up.


    The relationship between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei was naturally unremarkable, but the relationship between Li Yifei and the holy woman hadn¡¯t reached that level, so at that time, it didn¡¯t feel like anything, but now speaking of it, it inevitably seemed quite ambiguous.


    The holy woman rested her right hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, squinted her eyes, and said, "Yifei, no matter what happens in the future, this period of time really leaves me with an indelible memory, it feels very sweet when I think about it now."


    "I also feel good about it," Li Yifei smiled slightly. Regarding the holy woman, he never hid his feelings, but to say he loved the holy woman, Li Yifei still couldn¡¯t reach that point.


    "Okay, I have to go now, aren¡¯t you going to see me off?"


    "You really want to go?" Li Yifei looked at the holy woman with doubt.


    The holy woman chuckled lightly and said, "Do you plan to keep me in your company?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and said, "Alright, I will see you off."


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t move and said, "Alright, I won¡¯t be the third wheel here, remember my kindness in the future."


    The holy woman waved at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, you are my good sister, definitely my best sister in this lifetime, see you."


    "Go on, stop being so sentimental," Xu Shanshan said impatiently, waving her hand.


    Li Yifei and the holy woman walked out of the manager¡¯s office. The holy woman naturally took Li Yifei¡¯s arm, resting her head on his shoulder like a couple, and Li Yifei did not refuse.


    Along the way, they ran into several company employees, all of whom looked at Li Yifei in surprise. Initially, Li Yifei came here with Ning Xin¡¯er, and they thought Ning Xin¡¯er was Li Yifei¡¯s woman, but these days, they all knew that the company was merging into the Li Group, and Li Yifei was a big boss whose wife was Xu Yingying. Now being with such a stunningly beautiful blonde, they just couldn¡¯t figure out the relationship between Li Yifei and this woman.


    Li Yifei escorted the holy woman all the way to the company¡¯s exterior, standing by the car, the holy woman looked at Li Yifei and said, "Can you sit in the car with me for a few minutes?"


    Li Yifei, teasingly said, "It seems like there¡¯s something good."


    The holy woman smiled coquettishly and said, "You guessed right, you won¡¯t refuse me, will you?"


    "Of course not." Li Yifei took the holy woman¡¯s hand and proactively got into the car.


    The car was a luxurious stretch Mercedes; neither the driver nor the outside could see inside the car, providing an absolutely private space.


    The holy woman and Li Yifei sat side by side, turning their heads to face each other, both smiling slightly, then the holy woman placed her hand on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, leaning in to whisper, "Yifei, the last time in the quicksand, although you kissed me, we both thought we were going to die, and it was brief. I really didn¡¯t savor what kissing feels like. Can I properly experience it this time?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s grin was radiant, "With a beauty offering a kiss, do I have a reason to refuse?"


    The holy woman playfully smiled, "It¡¯s up to you whether you want to refuse, I can¡¯t force you."


    Li Yifei suddenly pulled the holy woman close, pressing her body against his chest, and with a tilt of his head, he had already kissed her lips.


    The body of the holy woman was exceptionally soft, practically bonelessly soft; holding her body left one immensely enthralling sensation, unimaginable if it had moved to the bed.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t had such thoughts about women for a long time; the women at home were all top-notch, and with them, Li Yifei was entirely satisfied in this aspect, so he had no interest in other women anymore. Only a woman like the holy woman could stir such thoughts within him and provoke such an impulse.


    Indeed, the holy woman was a top-notch woman, the cr¨¨me of the crop. Now, Li Yifei was even more looking forward to the heart demon affair, to truly let the heart demon of the holy woman be unbreakable, then this woman would really have to let him do whatever he desired.

 Chapter 1083 - 1126: Return Home in Glory

    Chapter 1083: Chapter 1126: Return Home in GloryThe saintess actually left without notice, not even calling Li Yifei before leaving, but she did call Xu Shanshan.


    Li Yifei really did not expect this; the saintess always spoke in a mix of truth and deception, and he thought her saying she wanted to leave was just a joke.


    As for the saintess¡¯s departure, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t disappointed. Her departure meant that the demons in her heart had grown strong, and she was preparing for her final breakthrough.


    That also meant that when the saintess returned, they would face a life-and-death battle. It was a laughably tragic situation, yet unavoidable. It was somewhat like lovers, marrying after a tumultuous relationship filled with ups and downs, resulting in varying outcomes.


    When the saintess was in Mile City, she and Li Yifei didn¡¯t meet often, but her departure made Li Yifei miss her more, which he found quite despicable of himself. It seemed that people never cherish what is easily available; only upon losing it do they realize how fortunate they were.


    This weekend, Li Yifei¡¯s family, along with Meng Lei, Song Tao, and Liu Ying¡¯s family, carrying a heap of gifts in five luxury cars, arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s fourth aunt¡¯s house.


    Next week, Li Yifei¡¯s family mansion will celebrate a housewarming, and naturally, he wanted to invite them. A phone call would have sufficed, but after discussing with his family, apart from Ning Xin¡¯er, none had visited these relatives or met them before, which seemed quite impolite, so they all came together this weekend.


    Li Yifei¡¯s three aunts and their families were all at the fourth aunt¡¯s house, waiting for their arrival.


    Now, Mercedes cars aren¡¯t a novelty, even seen frequently in villages, but a convoy of five Mercedes was certainly eye-catching. As Li Yifei and his family entered the village, the villagers stopped to watch, wondering if some high official had come, though they hadn¡¯t heard of any relatives with such grandeur.


    The curiosity was about which house the convoy was visiting, as that would imply the power of the host.


    The cars stopped at the fourth aunt¡¯s doorstep; Li Yifei¡¯s family alone counted fifteen, plus Meng Xiaofei and Su Mengfei, as well as Xu Shanshan, adding up to eighteen people.


    These eighteen stepping out of the cars instantly dazzled the villagers, who wondered if they were witnessing a beauty contest or model troop, as all were stunning young women.


    Surrounded by such beauties, Li Yifei, a robust man, completely lost his luster and went unnoticed.


    "Mom, second aunt, third aunt, why are you all stunned?" Song Tao, pulling Liu Ying and puffing up his chest, swept his eyes over the villagers with indescribable pride. Though not his relatives, they were his cousin¡¯s, and he felt proud.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er quickly stepped forward, greeted Li Yifei¡¯s aunts warmly, and said, "Don¡¯t you recognize me?"


    "We do, we do!" The three aunts quickly grabbed Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hands, their eyes sweeping over the other women. They had heard from Song Tao that Li Yifei now had several wives. Although they felt it wasn¡¯t ideal, wealthy people nowadays keeping lovers seemed normal, though they felt sorry for Ning Xin¡¯er, a big star, every man¡¯s dream. Having her as a wife alone was a great fortune.


    But seeing the other girls beside Li Yifei, none looked less attractive than Ning Xin¡¯er; some even more so, dazzling their eyes. Where did Li Yifei find all these beauties?


    In essence, the three aunts were clearly closest and most familiar with Ning Xin¡¯er. The fourth aunt held Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s hand, saying, "Xin¡¯er, you haven¡¯t visited for so long, we¡¯ve really missed you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly responded, "We¡¯ve been busy lately, and now we¡¯ve all come to see you. Let¡¯s go inside and I¡¯ll introduce everyone."


    "Sure, sure." The aunts felt talking to Ning Xin¡¯er alone seemed improper and hurried everyone inside.


    Despite the fourth aunt¡¯s big house, squeezing seventeen of Li Yifei¡¯s group plus the three aunts¡¯ families inside felt cramped; the fourth aunt quickly urged everyone onto the traditional heated Kang bed.


    Xu Yingying and the others felt awkward climbing onto the Kang immediately upon entering a relative¡¯s house, which didn¡¯t seem proper.


    Ning Xin¡¯er, seizing a rare opportunity to be in the spotlight at home, took off her shoes, climbed onto the Kang and said with a smile, "Come on up, this isn¡¯t a stranger¡¯s house; it¡¯s our in-law¡¯s home, there¡¯s nothing to be shy about."


    "Exactly," agreed the fourth aunt, "everyone come up on the Kang, this is your own home, don¡¯t be strangers."


    Ye Yunzhu, also holding a child, confidently climbed onto the Kang. Su Mengxin¡¯s pregnancy was showing, and after a long car ride, she too was tired and took the opportunity to stretch out a bit on the Kang. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Someone took the lead, and Xiao Ling¡¯er and a few others also climbed onto the kang, making the room a bit more spacious.


    "This... should be the chief anchor from the TV station, Li Xinyue, right? Ah, and this one must be Song Lianyao?" Third Aunt suddenly exclaimed looking at Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao.


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were visibly delighted. Although at home everyone addressed each other as sisters and were equals, they always felt somewhat inferior deep down. In terms of looks, they did not stand out at home; in terms of social status, many relatives outranked them; and in terms of family background, they did not compare, especially since neither of them had officially been with Li Yifei, so they always felt a bit lower than others at home.


    Now that Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Aunt had recognized them first, it was indeed a huge surprise. For a moment, both of them were too excited and didn¡¯t know how to react.


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled, "Yes, yes, they are indeed our famous hosts from Mile City."


    Fourth Aunt excitedly said, "Really, I am so thrilled. I love watching the programs you host. I never thought I¡¯d see you here."


    By now, Li Xinyue had regained her composure and quickly said, "Fourth Aunt, look at what you¡¯re saying, we¡¯re just minor hosts."


    "What do you mean ¡¯just¡¯? You don¡¯t know how many people in our village like you. During chats, everyone talks about you, especially the young men; whenever you are mentioned, they are all eyes."


    Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao both coughed awkwardly. Song Lianyao said, "Fourth Aunt, you¡¯re making it so that Yifei has to scold us when we get home."


    Only then did Fourth Aunt realize and said embarrassedly, "Yes yes, you are now my nieces-in-law. If those young rascals mention you again, I¡¯ll have to scold them."


    Li Xinyue quickly said, "Fourth Aunt, please don¡¯t talk about us anymore. Look at all the people here; each of them is stronger than us."


    "Really..." Fourth Aunt and everyone else looked towards Xu Yingying and the others. These women were undoubtedly beautiful, but could they be more impressive than big celebrities?


    At this moment, Ning Xin¡¯er said with a smile, "This is Xu Yingying, Yifei¡¯s official and only wife with a certificate. She¡¯s the CEO of a huge company with assets worth billions. Little Tao and the others work there."


    Xu Yingying hurriedly said respectfully, "Dear aunties and mothers-in-law, I am Xu Yingying."


    The family, having heard from Song Tao, Liu Ying, and Meng Lei how grand and impressive the company they worked at was, revered Xu Yingying immensely in their hearts. Now that she was also their niece-in-law, they found themselves quite nervous while facing her.


    "This is Su Mengxin, the number one beauty in Huaxia. Not only is she the most beautiful, but she is also exceptionally talented. Previously, she managed numerous companies, and the funds that passed through her hands every day amounted to billions. All of us combined don¡¯t compare to Mengxin alone."


    Su Mengxin said with a smile, "Now I¡¯m focused on having children for Yifei, just peacefully living as a little woman."


    Hearing about Su Mengxin, Fourth Aunt and the others were somewhat dumbfounded. For them, someone like Su Mengxin seemed too far out of reach.


    "And this is Ye Yunzhu, Yifei¡¯s childhood sweetheart who is now the Director of the City Education Bureau of Mile City."


    "Ah, you are Yunzhu..." Several aunties were surprised as they looked at Ye Yunzhu. They knew about her when Li Yifei was in high school dating Ye Yunzhu, and Li Yifei had even brought Ye Yunzhu here to play, but it had been so many years they no longer recognized her.


    Ye Yunzhu smiled and said, "Yes, I¡¯ve been here to play before. Back then I even wore pigtails."


    Fourth Aunt immediately said excitedly, "Right, right, I remember you wore a red sweater back then. We all said Yifei found a good girlfriend. Later when Yifei joined the army, we really thought it was such a pity. Now it¡¯s good, you are finally together, even have children, how wonderful."


    Third Aunt exclaimed with widened eyes, "Yunzhu, Xin¡¯er mentioned that you are now the Director of the City Education Bureau, is that true?"


    Ye Yunzhu humbly responded, "I just transferred there, haven¡¯t even worked a full month yet."


    With a knowing expression, Third Aunt muttered, seemingly hesitant to say more.

 Chapter 1084 - 1127: Not in a Hurry

    Chapter 1084: Chapter 1127: Not in a Hurry"And this lady here is Lin Qiong, the Chief of Public Security Bureau in Mile City."


    "The Chief... of the Public Security Bureau..."


    As soon as Lin Qiong¡¯s identity was revealed, everyone¡¯s eyes widened once again. Compared to the previous introductions, Lin Qiong¡¯s was even more shocking. For ordinary people, the Public Security Bureau is a place of great reverence, and a Chief even more so, someone numerous ordinary people would handle with utmost care.


    And such a beauty turned out to be the Chief of Public Security Bureau, and this Chief was also associated with one¡¯s own nephew, it was truly unbelievable. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong had been mingling with everyone during this time and had tempered her attitude quite a bit. In front of Li Yifei¡¯s family, she felt somewhat embarrassed and awkwardly smiled, saying, "Let¡¯s not talk about this, here, aren¡¯t we all the same."


    Then, Ning Xin¡¯er continued with the introductions. Except for Su Yiyi and Chu Xiaoyao, who didn¡¯t have a notable background, the rest of the ladies left Li Yifei¡¯s relatives wide-eyed in astonishment. Any of these beautiful women would be the target of countless men¡¯s pursuits, and now they were all associated with Li Yifei alone. His nephew was indeed impressive.


    After the introductions, Xu Yingying spoke, "It¡¯s been a long time, and we haven¡¯t visited the three aunts and uncles yet, please don¡¯t take it amiss."


    A company CEO uttering such words made the aunts feel very gratified.


    "There¡¯s another thing. We are planning to move to a new house and organize a housewarming party. Naturally, Yifei¡¯s relatives must attend. We especially came to invite everyone, hoping that the aunts and uncles can make time to come."


    "Of course, of course, we will definitely come," everyone responded in agreement.


    After discussing the formal matters, everyone started chatting about casual household topics. Except for Su Yiyi, the rest of the girls were quite talkative. And because of their identities, chatting with Li Yifei¡¯s relatives felt like an honor for them, which naturally made for a great conversation atmosphere.


    "Yunzhu, there¡¯s something I want to ask for your help with, would that be okay?" Third Aunt asked Ye Yunzhu somewhat embarrassedly after chatting for a while.


    Ye Yunzhu immediately replied, "Third Aunt, please tell me, if it¡¯s something I can do, I¡¯ll definitely help."


    Third Aunt cleared her throat and said, "It¡¯s like this, your Third Uncle¡¯s brother¡¯s grandson... haha, that kid should also call your Third Uncle ¡¯Third Master¡¯, and it¡¯s a fairly close relationship. He is supposed to start middle school this autumn and according to the school district, he should have been assigned to the Mile City¡¯s best middle school, but somehow he was assigned to Ninth Middle School. We looked into it and it seems that because the best middle school has a lot of people pulling strings to get their out-of-district kids in there, they couldn¡¯t take in so many students and the ones who were supposed to go there got moved to Ninth Middle School."


    Ye Yunzhu frowned slightly and said, "Third Aunt, I need to inquire about this when I return. Since I just joined the Education Bureau and haven¡¯t managed this department before, I¡¯m not very familiar with it. But if what you say is true, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s taken care of."


    Ye Yunzhu had joined the government, largely due to family reasons, but her competence was undoubted. Although she wasn¡¯t as strict about laws and principles as Lin Qiong, she also adhered to her own ethical baseline and wouldn¡¯t just bend the rules for convenience.


    Educational resources are incredibly scarce right now. A good school had countless parents trying to get their children admitted, those who didn¡¯t fit the requirements would inevitably seek connections. Even though Ye Yunzhu had just joined the Education Bureau, she had already learned about such matters. If Third Aunt wanted her to force the child into the best middle school without proper qualifications, based on Li Yifei¡¯s influence, she would reluctantly assist, but she wouldn¡¯t feel good about it unless the situation truly warranted her intervention.


    Third Aunt hastily said, "Yunzhu, what I said is absolutely true, under normal circumstances, that child would indeed be assigned to the best middle school."


    Ye Yunzhu smiled and said, "If that¡¯s the case, then I can assure you, I will definitely get that child placed in the best middle school."


    "Good, good, thank you so very much." Third Aunt¡¯s face broke out into a relieved smile.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re really too impressive. All these wives, each more beautiful and capable than the last, if your parents were still alive, they would definitely be grinning from ear to ear," Second Aunt¡¯s husband patted Li Yifei on the shoulder with a smile.


    "Second Uncle, saying this, I really feel very unfilial. These past few years, I didn¡¯t even go to pay respects at my parents¡¯ graves. I¡¯ll have to go and visit tomorrow."


    "You were busy before, but now that you¡¯re back, you should definitely go. Let your parents see these daughters-in-law; even if they are watching from the underworld, seeing how successful you are, they¡¯d be comforted too."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, somewhat sadly remarking, "Yes, I¡¯ve already given them two granddaughters, but they haven¡¯t seen them yet."


    "Daddy, I want to go outside and play." Little Yifei couldn¡¯t stay still in the house anymore; the last time she was here, it was winter, and she didn¡¯t get to play properly. Even though the new house had everything, including a big yard with many places for her to play, she still lacked playmates her age, but there were some children here she had long wanted to go out and play with.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then go ahead."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "I¡¯ll go with you." In such situations, everyone was revolving around Li Yifei¡¯s women, and she, being the sister-in-law, didn¡¯t find anything interesting here, so Su Mengfei and Meng Xiaofei also immediately followed out.


    Li Yifei and the others chatted in the house for over half an hour, when suddenly someone hurried in, exclaiming, "Brother Song, bad news, some guys, including Blockhead, have stopped your guests." This Brother Song referred to was Song Tao¡¯s father, Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Uncle. Hearing this, he was utterly shocked and urgently asked, "Where, where?"


    "By the pond at the entrance of the village, you better hurry over, otherwise I¡¯m afraid your guests might be at a disadvantage."


    Song Tao and Meng Lei immediately rushed into the kitchen, each grabbed a kitchen knife and dashed out again, frightening several of the elders. Fourth Aunt hastily asked in panic, "What are you doing...?"


    Meng Lei, with a fierce look in his eyes, said gruffly, "Those bastards, Blockhead and his crew, can¡¯t be dealt with without weapons."


    "What if someone gets killed?" Fourth Aunt¡¯s face turned pale.


    At this moment, Li Yifei spoke with a smile, "You two put down the knives, it will be alright."


    Song Tao urgently said, "Big brother, you don¡¯t understand, that Blockhead is not a good guy, he¡¯s done all sorts of bad things. When he was alone in the village, he still had some reservations, but after spending a few years in prison, he got together with even worse companions. Now he often causes trouble with those bad guys, roaming around the village."


    Li Yifei remained calm and said, "It¡¯s still nothing serious, just a few thugs. Quickly put away those weapons, it doesn¡¯t look good to be seen like this. Don¡¯t forget, Lin Qiong¡¯s sister-in-law is here, and she is the Chief of Public Security Bureau. A few small-time thugs are nothing to worry about."


    Hearing this, the aunts immediately felt relieved; even if those thugs were bold, they wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with a police officer of the Public Security Bureau. After hesitating for a moment, Song Tao and Meng Lei also put down their knives.


    However, Li Yifei was still unhurried, which made Fourth Aunt anxious. She said, "Then let¡¯s hurry over too, don¡¯t let them suffer any harm."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled lightly, saying, "Fourth Aunt, you don¡¯t need to worry, they¡¯re just a few thugs, they can¡¯t do much."


    Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Uncle hurriedly said, "Those aren¡¯t ordinary thugs; they can engage in all sorts of ruffian behaviors, these... these three young ladies are so pretty, they might get some bad ideas. If we¡¯re too late, and something happens... it would be too late."


    Li Yifei, having brought many beautiful girls, had made it so that even now Fourth Uncle couldn¡¯t remember a few of them, and the three who had gone out, he couldn¡¯t even tell if they were Li Yifei¡¯s women or not, so all he could refer to them as was those three young ladies, and his later words were quite vague, but everyone could understand clearly.


    Li Yifei still responded unhurriedly, "Fourth Uncle, really, it¡¯s fine, they can¡¯t bully Shanshan and the others."


    "Oh dear, you child, why are you so slow? They don¡¯t know your status, nor do they know the Chief of the Public Security Bureau is here. If they finish their misdeeds, even killing them all won¡¯t be of any use." Second Aunt was really quite annoyed at this point.


    Lin Qiong tugged at Li Yifei, saying, "Hurry and go over there, otherwise if something big really happens, it would be troublesome."


    What Lin Qiong referred to as something big wasn¡¯t what the aunts were thinking but worried that Xu Shanshan might accidentally kill those thugs. Although Xu Shanshan was very skilled, she hadn¡¯t seriously practiced and whether she had control over her strength was unknown. Against a skilled opponent, someone might withstand a blow from Xu Shanshan without dying, but with ordinary thugs, whether they could survive a slap from her was really unclear.


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "Alright then, let¡¯s go."


    However, those who followed, apart from the aunts and Li Yifei and Lin Qiong, included Xiao Ling¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao who loved lively scenes. The rest stayed behind. They weren¡¯t worried about Xu Shanshan and the others facing any danger, and having seen many big events, dealing with a few small-time thugs didn¡¯t interest them, so they just stayed behind.

 Chapter 1085 - 1128 Heroine Shanshan

    Chapter 1085: Chapter 1128 Heroine ShanshanLi Yifei and his group quickly arrived at the pond near the village entrance, where a large crowd was gathered, pointing and discussing.


    Fourth Aunt and the others still couldn¡¯t see what exactly was happening in the middle, but seeing the villagers gathered without leaving, their hearts suddenly chilled. If Blockhead and his group were still here, the villagers wouldn¡¯t dare to spectate. Now that they dare to watch, it meant that something had happened, meaning Blockhead and his group had either finished bullying and left, or had taken someone away.


    Thinking of this, all the relatives were filled with immense anger, especially the men, whose veins were bulging with rage.


    "Ah, Old Song is here!" someone saw Li Yifei and his group and immediately shouted out.


    Everyone turned around and quickly surrounded Li Yifei and his group, who still couldn¡¯t see the situation ahead.


    Fourth Uncle didn¡¯t dare to go forward either, and stammered, "How... how is it?"


    "Old Song, where did these relatives of yours come from?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s really terrible, their legs are broken."


    "Ah!" Fourth Aunt screamed, nearly passing out, Song Tao and Meng Lei immediately got excited and shouted, "I¡¯m going to fight them." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Someone puzzled asked, "Fight them? Blockhead and his lot are lying on the ground, do you still want to beat them up again?"


    "What? Blockhead is lying on the ground? How did that happen?" Song Tao quickly grabbed the speaker and urgently asked.


    "Brother-in-law, how did you all get here?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice came from outside the crowd.


    The crowd immediately dispersed, and Xu Shanshan, Meng Xiaofei, Su Mengfei, and Little Yifei walked in.


    "You... you¡¯re all okay?" Fourth Aunt¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Xu Shanshan playfully smiled, "How could we be in trouble?"


    Meng Xiaofei boasted, "Exactly, just a few punks, with our Heroine Shanshan here, it only took a moment to have them crying out in pain."


    Little Yifei was even more animated, saying, "Mom Shanshan is so awesome, Mom Shanshan is so awesome, I want to be as awesome as Mom Shanshan when I grow up."


    Fourth Aunt and the others were all confused at this point, but knowing that Xu Shanshan and the others were alright let them breathe a sigh of relief and begin to think clearly about the situation.


    "So, where are Blockhead and his squad?" Fourth Uncle was the first to ask.


    Little Yifei pointed towards the pond and said, "They¡¯re over there." She then pulled Xu Shanshan and asked, "Mom Shanshan, how can I become as awesome as you?"


    Xu Shanshan proudly responded, "When we get back I¡¯ll teach you, and make you just as awesome as me."


    "Yes, yes!" Little Yifei excitedly clapped her hands and cheered, "Then I¡¯ll make all the annoying boys in our class lie down, and make them listen to me."


    Li Yifei was suddenly sweating profusely, thinking that while teaching Little Yifei some self-defense might not be a bad idea, seeing Xu Shanshan fight and now being so excited about it, teaching this young girl martial arts might turn her into a little devil, and that would be problematic.


    He quickly picked up Little Yifei and said, "Sweetheart, learning martial arts isn¡¯t for bullying others, that would make you a bad person."


    Little Yifei pouted and said, "But they bully me because they are stronger."


    "Well... they just want to play with you, not really bully you. If you beat them up, then you would be the one bullying."


    "Why is that? Why is it bullying if I beat them? Aunt Shanshan beat someone, and all these uncles and elder brothers cheered."


    "Well..." Li Yifei suddenly found himself at a loss for words, as educating a child isn¡¯t an overnight task, and decided to change the subject by saying, "We¡¯ll discuss this matter properly when we get back."


    "Okay." Little Yifei, although confused, tilted her head like a little adult, lost in her thoughts.


    At this time, Yifei¡¯s Fourth Aunt finally noticed the situation by the pond, where five men lay groaning continuously, none able to stand up, creating a terribly pitiful scene. These men were none other than the village bullies led by Blockhead.


    "What... happened here?" Fourth Aunt and the others could not understand the situation despite the presence of many villagers. They couldn¡¯t believe the villagers had banded together to beat Blockhead and his gang, since Blockhead had been bullying the village not just for a day or two. If the villagers could have united, they would have done so long ago, not just today.


    "Aunt Song, it was so satisfying earlier. That girl alone made those five men cry and scream for their parents, she is really formidable..."


    A woman in her twenties, quite eloquent, vividly retold the recent events.


    Little Yifei had just run out and encountered some children from the village. Before coming here, she had prepared lots of high-quality candy to distribute to the children. Even though nowadays rural children¡¯s living conditions are not poor, what Little Yifei brought was high-end candy they had never tried before. Under the temptation of the candy, they immediately agreed to play with Little Yifei, who indeed showed great leadership. It wasn¡¯t long before she became the leader of the group.


    Shanshan and her friends found this amusing and didn¡¯t disturb Little Yifei, just chatting on the side as they followed the group of children to play by the pond.


    However, within a few minutes of playing, Blockhead and his four companions were right there barbecuing by the pond and spotted Shanshan and her two friends.


    The village didn¡¯t have girls as beautiful as Shanshan and her friends. As soon as Blockhead and his companions saw them, their eyes were glued to them and they came over and surrounded the three women.


    "Beauty, come and have a drink with us." Blockhead, shirtless with a dragon tattoo linked from his arm across his body and a muscular physique, was somewhat intimidating. He then playfully winked at Shanshan and her friends.


    Mengfei had been feeling bored these days, hanging out with friends who were all married and no longer partied like before. Now, she was actually excited to have someone provoke her, glaring fiercely and shouting, "All of you, scram!"


    "Yo, the beauty has a fiery temper. I like it," chuckled Blockhead. He reached out to touch Mengfei¡¯s chin in a sleazy manner, saying, "I like it, come on, let me touch."


    Mengfei was startled. How could this ruffian just make a move like this? Unlike those pampered young masters in the Capital City who would at least strategize somewhat even when they tried to flirt, this confrontation left her usual methods of dealing with people ineffective. She swiftly stepped back to avoid Blockhead¡¯s hand.


    "Oh, the beauty is shy, hehe, I didn¡¯t expect such a top-quality beauty to show up here. Let¡¯s have some fun together."


    The five men all moved forward, their hands reaching towards Shanshan and her friends, targeting their chests and faces.


    "Mengfei, beat up these bastards!" Shanshan immediately shouted loudly.


    Shanshan rubbed her palms together, excitedly said: "Absolutely!" Suddenly having acquired martial arts skills, today was the first chance for her to show them off since her fight on the day she returned. Now with trouble coming right to her doorstep, she was indeed thrilled.


    Shanshan had always been excited by heroics. Before, when Yifei dealt with bad guys, Shanshan was especially thrilled, which was one reason for her infatuation with Yifei. Now that she had her own chance, she certainly wasn¡¯t going to miss it. Stretching out her hand to pull Mengfei and Xiaofei behind her, she fended off the approaching hands and squinted, saying, "Are you asking for a beating?"


    "Awesome, we like being beaten by a beauty. Play SM, we are the best at it!" Blockhead laughed even more.


    Shanshan chuckled, "You asked for it, so I won¡¯t hold back."


    "Alright, beautiful, go ahead and hit us. We will make sure you have a great time and reach the climax, haha..."


    With a stern face, Shanshan stepped forward and slapped Blockhead across the face.


    Blockhead slightly tilted his head, first because he didn¡¯t think Shanshan¡¯s slap would be that hard, and second, because he reached for Shanshan¡¯s wrist, thinking he could restrain her in his arms easily.


    Unfortunately for him, his plan was good, but reality was brutal. Shanshan¡¯s slap was too fast; he couldn¡¯t even dodge, let alone grab her wrist. With a crisp slap sound, the force of it actually made Blockhead spin around twice, barely managing to stand and not fall on his butt.


    "Brother Dumbfounded, you really know how to play with a beauty." The other four guys didn¡¯t realize Blockhead was at a disadvantage and thought he was just playing along, continuing to cheer.


    "You Brother Dumbfounded really know how to play," Shanshan chuckled, and with a backhand slap, she made Blockhead spin another two circles. This time without pausing, Shanshan followed up with several more slaps, each harder than the last. For such a brazen bully, Shanshan showed no mercy.


    With her successive slaps, Blockhead was knocked to the ground, incapacitated though not dead, and soon passed out.


    "Haha, Brother Dumbfounded, you¡¯re really awesome, your acting is so realistic! Beauty, Brother Dumbfounded has been brought down by you, come on, he can¡¯t wait any longer." The remaining four guys still didn¡¯t grasp the situation and continued excitedly cheering, completely unaware of the impending disaster.

 Chapter 1086 - 1229: Master Style

    Chapter 1086: Chapter 1229: Master StyleSu Mengfei chuckled and said, "Yeah, your Blockhead brother is really awesome."


    Meng Xiaofei also gave a mischievous smile, "Right, since Brother Dumbfounded is so cool, you guys should quickly learn from him and let us have a go at beating you up."


    At first, the four guys were quite pleased with themselves, but seeing Su Mengfei and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s expressions, they suddenly had a bad feeling. One of them shouted, "Brother Dumbfounded, what happened to you?"


    But after calling out several times, Blockhead had no response. The guy quickly squatted down to check, and suddenly yelled out in horror, "Brother Dumbfounded has passed out!"


    "F*ck! This chick¡¯s pretty fierce, let¡¯s take her down together."


    Although these people saw that Blockhead was knocked down, they just assumed he fell for Xu Shanshan¡¯s trick. A girl, no matter how strong, couldn¡¯t be that formidable, right? How could she beat four grown men? So after one of them shouted, all four immediately rushed at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan was slightly panicked, mainly because she had never fought against four people at once before, and wasn¡¯t sure if she could win. But watching the fists coming towards her, they seemed so slow in her eyes, like the slow motion scenes on TV, she was able to easily dodge them.


    This was actually an illusion. The four men¡¯s movements were still normal, even faster than usual, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s martial arts had enhanced her bodily perceptions greatly, increasing her reaction speed, so their speed felt slower to her.


    If it were Li Yifei, naturally, he could do whatever he wanted, dealing with the four men to whatever extent he desired. However, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t have such experience at the time. Even though she felt she could handle it, she wasn¡¯t completely confident, so she quickly counterattacked. After a flurry of hands and feet, all four men were sent flying. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The men¡¯s mistake was attacking all at once, which panicked Xu Shanshan, and because of her panic, she didn¡¯t hold back in her attacks. Xu Shanshan¡¯s current strength could even be compared to Li Yifei¡¯s. These guys couldn¡¯t withstand it at all. Two of them had their arms broken upon impact with Xu Shanshan¡¯s arms, and the legs of two others broke when kicked by Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet.


    "Wow, Shanshan, you are really amazing." Su Mengfei and Meng Xiaofei both shouted excitedly, almost treating Xu Shanshan as their idol.


    Little Yifei was originally playing with a few other kids nearby. Seeing all this, she proudly told them, "See that? That¡¯s my mom Shanshan, isn¡¯t she awesome? She took down five big baddies all by herself."


    The other kids admired Little Yifei even more, which also contributed to Little Yifei¡¯s adoration for Xu Shanshan.


    A few villagers happened to pass by and saw what happened. They didn¡¯t dare to come over at first, but when they saw Xu Shanshan knock down all five of Blockhead¡¯s group, they were stunned for a moment, then crowded around. That¡¯s how it is in the villages ¨C a little event could quickly draw the entire village. And right on cue, almost the whole village gathered around. Someone who heard the news went to notify Song Tao¡¯s father.


    Li Yifei heard about it and didn¡¯t take it seriously. It was all normal to him. Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t kill them, so they were lucky to be alive.


    But Fourth Aunt¡¯s family was a bit worried at this time. Now that they had beaten Blockhead, they were sure he would seek revenge once Li Yifei and the others left.


    Li Yifei had already thought of this. He had a lot of experience dealing with such people. You either have to scare them off so they wouldn¡¯t dare to bother you again, or you get rid of them completely so they no longer have the chance to bother you.


    Since Li Yifei couldn¡¯t simply kill people at will, the best approach was naturally the first one.


    "Who¡¯s Blockhead here?" Li Yifei pointed at the five men.


    Song Tao pointed at a motionless Blockhead and said, "It¡¯s that guy."


    "Bring him around," Li Yifei said indifferently.


    Song Tao was stunned for a moment but then excitedly ran to the pond. There was a bucket nearby, and he scooped up half a bucket of pond water and poured it all over Blockhead¡¯s head.


    The cold water shocked Blockhead awake, and he sat up with a start, cursing loudly, "Who poured water on me? Which son of a bitch did it?" His voice was loud, but quite a few of his teeth had been knocked out by Xu Shanshan¡¯s slaps, and his speech was whistling and unclear, lacking any trace of intimidation.


    Song Tao used to be scared of this Blockhead, but now he was not afraid at all, glaring at him and bellowing, "It was me who splashed it, so what?"


    "Song Tao... you little bitch, don¡¯t think that you can act all mighty just because you spent a few days in the city. I will beat the crap out of you today, no matter what."


    Suddenly, Song Tao felt that this Blockhead was really fucking clueless. In this situation, the guy still dared to be so arrogant. He sneered dismissively, "You think you¡¯re up to it?"


    "Fuck! I¡¯ll show you right now if I¡¯m up to it." Blockhead leaped up fiercely, ready to throw a punch at Song Tao, but Xu Shanshan quickly stepped in front of Song Tao and kicked Blockhead hard in the chest.


    Blockhead¡¯s body, weighing about one hundred and eighty or ninety pounds, suddenly flew three or four meters away before crashing heavily to the ground.


    "Ah!" Blockhead cried out in pain, struggling to get up, but was unable to rise, clutching his chest in agony.


    This was a shock to everyone present. Two hundred pounds ¡ª even a strong man could at most lift that weight, but who could kick someone that far with a single kick? And the one who did it was a pretty girl, which was even more astonishing.


    Luckily, Xu Shanshan held back on that kick. Otherwise, Blockhead¡¯s ribs would have been broken, and if his sternum had been pushed into his chest cavity, it might have killed him right there.


    Xu Shanshan stood with her hands behind her back and said indifferently, "Idiot," really painting the picture of a master.


    The Blockhead had been too arrogant, never taking the villagers seriously. Coupled with having been splashed with water and not understanding the situation, the sharp pain now brought him back to his senses. Hearing his four brothers still wailing not far off, he realized the predicament he was in.


    "Who... who are you guys?" Blockhead took a quick look around and noticed a few strangers. Villagers would not dare to provoke him, but now that Song Tao was so bold, plus these strangers, he guessed immediately that they were Song Tao¡¯s family.


    Looking at Blockhead, Song Tao felt a strong sense of superiority. The fear that he used to have was completely gone. He disdainfully said, "You think you¡¯re worthy of knowing who my Brother Li is? Ridiculous."


    Blockhead clenched his teeth and glared at Song Tao with a venomous tone, "Song Tao, you¡¯re pretty impressive. Just you wait."


    He had already made up his mind; now, Song Tao had backup, especially that woman, who was way too formidable. A wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him; he would settle the score with the Song Family after these people left.


    Su Mengfei quickly shouted, "Brother-in-law, this guy clearly hasn¡¯t accepted defeat. He¡¯s thinking about revenge!"


    Meng Xiaofei also chimed in, "Yes, yes, this guy is still so arrogant. Brother Li, go beat him up. He won¡¯t learn his lesson until you teach him a good one."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er managed to hold her tongue since she was now a married woman, but Chu Xiaoyao was still the same Chu Xiaoyao, swinging her fists and shouting, "What a blind bastard! He dares to harass people from the Li family. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t value his life. Sister Shanshan, beat him up, beat him till he can¡¯t take care of himself."


    Xu Shanshan gave Chu Xiaoyao a sideways glance and said, "As a master like us, to strike against such a powerless hooligan, wouldn¡¯t it be beneath my dignity?"


    To outsiders, that comment seemed to fit quite well, but to Li Yifei and the girls from the Li family, it sounded quite pretentious. However, family doesn¡¯t expose each other¡¯s shortcomings, so they all held back their laughter.


    Now everyone finally understood that this young man surnamed Li was the most important person among this group, and it seemed that he was from the Li family. It appeared that the Li family was highly important. Just think, they arrived here in a fleet of all-Mercedes cars, dressed impeccably, a clear sign of not just ordinary people. Plus, most villagers knew these were Song Tao¡¯s relatives. No wonder Song Tao was so bold facing Blockhead.


    Blockhead, seeing these pretty women not taking him seriously and even talking about beating him up, felt a chill in his heart. Who exactly were these people, and why were they so awesome?


    Lin Qiong then whispered in Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Let it be, this kind of village bully is exactly who we¡¯ve been cracking down on lately. We¡¯ll just arrest him later, especially since they are all injured. If we fight again, it¡¯s going to look really bad. Our Li family is rebuilding and needs to establish a good image."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then I¡¯ll follow your lead."


    Brother Hu¡¯s recent actions conflicted with Lin Qiong¡¯s principles, but she still respected Li Yifei¡¯s perspective. In such matters, Li Yifei naturally fully respected Lin Qiong¡¯s views. But this also meant that Blockhead would be having state-sponsored meals in prison for a few years to come.

 Chapter 1087 - 1130: A Powerful Background

    Chapter 1087: Chapter 1130: A Powerful BackgroundLi Yifei and his group did not do anything further to Blockhead and his cronies, and completely disregarded their injuries. As the villagers watched Li Yifei and his companions leave, they dispersed in a hubbub. No one felt sympathy for those few individuals. Seeing them in such a state, everyone felt a satisfying sense of vindication, wishing they could just let them writher in pain and die right there.


    On the way back, Chief Liu hurried over and whispered to Song Tao¡¯s father, "Old Song, is this matter just going to be left like this?"


    At this moment, Song Tao¡¯s father also felt somewhat uneasy and whispered back, "Chief Liu, what else can we do?"


    Chief Liu frowned and said, "I¡¯m also worried. I see that your relatives definitely have some substantial backing and are certainly not afraid of Blockhead, but I¡¯m afraid that after they leave, they might come back to trouble you again."


    Lin Qiong stopped in her tracks and said to the village chief, "You don¡¯t need to worry about this. These village bullies have long been our focus for law enforcement. We will crack down severely on such behavior. You can start to collect some evidence of their crimes in the village, and when the time comes we can have them convicted directly."


    The village chief said, "Girl, it¡¯s not that simple. Over the past few years, quite a few people in the village have filed complaints, but in the end, they all came to nothing. I heard Blockhead has connections inside the police station, so it¡¯s difficult to arrest him. Moreover, whoever files the complaint, ends up being dealt with by Blockhead upon their return."


    Lin Qiong snorted and said, "No matter what kind of backing these people have, we will arrest them all the same. Anyone who dares to shield them will face serious consequences, especially those involved in collusion between officials and bandits. Our various sub-bureaus are undertaking a cleanup. Once we find concrete evidence, those people will certainly be removed from the police force."


    Lin Qiong has been a director for some time, and when she spoke, she really had the air of a leader. The village chief, overawed by Lin Qiong¡¯s demeanor, lightly tugged at Song Tao¡¯s father and whispered, "Who is this girl? She seems formidable, doesn¡¯t she?"


    Song Tao¡¯s father immediately grinned and was about to respond when Song Tao interjected, "Our sister-in-law is the Chief of the Public Security Bureau."


    "Chief of the Public Security Bureau? So young, and a woman?" The village chief was clearly skeptical.


    Song Tao rolled his eyes and said, "Chief Liu, just ask around in the city. Who doesn¡¯t know of Director Lin Qiong of the Public Security Bureau? Blockhead and his gang actually dared to provoke us, they¡¯re truly courting death."


    Song Tao¡¯s father chimed in with a smile, "That is absolutely true."


    The village chief shivered. He hadn¡¯t given much regard to Song Tao¡¯s family before, but he had never imagined the Song Family would have such influential relatives. From now on, he definitely couldn¡¯t afford to offend Song Tao¡¯s family. Having become the village chief, he wasn¡¯t exactly clean himself¡ªif he crossed Song Tao¡¯s family and they had him arrested, he¡¯d be finished.


    When everyone returned to Fourth Aunt¡¯s house, they were even more excited discussing the recent incident, especially Fourth Aunt¡¯s family, who were overjoyed. From now on, they would be the most prestigious family in the village. Villagers often value face and reputation above all else¡ªit means more to them than anything. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After having lunch at Fourth Aunt¡¯s house, they decided to come back next week to pick them up. Li Yifei and the others left in the afternoon but of course, left behind many gifts.


    Once they were gone, villagers young and old swarmed to Fourth Aunt¡¯s house, even those who had previously had little contact. People are pragmatic¡ªwealth in the mountains brings distant relatives; poverty in tumult attracts no inquiries. Now it wasn¡¯t just about money, but also power. With power, it was the same.


    Having returned home, Li Yifei discussed with everyone about visiting the ancestral graves and received strong support, especially since the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, a traditional Ghost Festival, was just a few days away. It was indeed time to burn some offerings for the deceased relatives.


    The next day, after preparing some offerings, they went to the cemetery.


    Finding the grave of his father, Li Yifei immediately asked with doubt, "Has someone come here before to offer tribute?"


    Ye Yunzhu quickly responded, "I make time to visit every year."


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment, then hugged Ye Yunzhu¡¯s shoulder with emotion, "Yunzhu, I really can¡¯t thank you enough."


    Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei and said, "You ran off and didn¡¯t need me anymore. But I¡¯ve always considered myself the daughter-in-law of mom and dad; if you¡¯re not sweeping the graves, of course, someone should come to check on them."


    At that moment, Li Yifei realized just how deep Ye Yunzhu¡¯s feelings for him had been over the years. If he had really missed his first love like that, it would be the greatest regret of his life.


    After setting up the offerings, Li Yifei knelt in front of his parents¡¯ graves, and behind him, others knelt down in a row. Being considered daughters-in-law of the Li family, it was completely appropriate for them to kneel, and Xu Shanshan, who had long considered herself Li Yifei¡¯s own, also naturally knelt down. Meng Xiaofei and Su Mengfei exchanged glances, and then Meng Xiaofei whispered, "If we don¡¯t kneel, could it cause Brother Li¡¯s parents to come knocking at our doors at night?"


    Su Mengfei shivered and said, "Who knows, if they can¡¯t recognize, they might mistake us for their daughters-in-law, not kneeling could be dangerous."


    "Then let¡¯s kneel."


    Both of them hurriedly knelt down as well.


    Li Yifei kowtowed three times, inserted the three sticks of incense into the small incense burner in front of the grave, and said softly, "Mom and Dad, I¡¯ve come to see you. Your son has been unfilial, not visiting you for all these years, I know you must be very angry. From now on, I¡¯ll make sure to visit you more often. How I wish you were still here to see how well our family is doing now, with so many daughters-in-law showing filial respect to you, and two granddaughters as well, and there will be even more. You would surely be grinning from ear to ear..."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei¡¯s tears couldn¡¯t help but flow out. As a tough man, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t cried since he joined the army, only during the time when Xu Yingying was hurt he had shed tears, and then never again. Now, kneeling in front of his parents¡¯ grave, he cried once more.


    The women were mumbling something, but Li Yifei didn¡¯t really care what they were saying.


    A few minutes later, Li Yifei got everyone to stand up. There was naturally sorrow, but Li Yifei quickly composed himself and said, "Mom and Dad, I¡¯m doing very well now, as you can see. Your son has made something of himself. We¡¯ll come visit you again after a while."


    The main point of grave visiting is to convey a sense of missing one¡¯s relatives, the formality and length of time aren¡¯t important, which is why after half an hour, Li Yifei led his family away.


    In the afternoon, after returning home to a very nice sunlight, everyone discussed going swimming. There was no need to go elsewhere for swimming, as there were three private pools in the yard, one of which was right in the middle of the main house. The other two were respectively in the resting area for staff and the slightly remote guest area.


    Everyone was in high agreement with this suggestion, it was rare for a weekend when no one had anything urgent, swimming not only served as exercise but also as a way to beat the heat, definitely a great activity.


    "Hey, have you noticed? Someone¡¯s eyes are already shining," Xiao Ling¡¯er said with a giggly laugh.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze immediately turned to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "The thought of all my wives in bikinis just makes me uncontrollably excited."


    "Pervert!" The women collectively despised Li Yifei, then giggled and went off to change.


    Li Yifei also changed into his swimwear and headed early to the poolside. It was a standard size pool, fifty meters long and twenty-five meters wide; an impossible dream for an ordinary household to have such a pool, but for Li Yifei, it was no problem at all.


    Moreover, there was a three-meter-high diving platform and springboard set up above the pool. As for a ten-meter-high one, that was deemed unnecessarily extravagant as Li Yifei had no plans of training a diver in his own home.


    The diving area was deeper, reaching up to three meters at its deepest point, all in preparation for safe diving; too shallow and one could hit their head hitting the bottom.


    Next to the pool was a smaller one, with much shallower water and built with water slides, designed for children to play in. The whole garden was designed with nearly every aspect of future life in mind.


    Sitting by the poolside, Li Yifei dipped his legs into the water, the cool temperature was extremely comfortable. Looking ahead, the sight of gorgeous blossoms, pavilions, and towers was enchanting. To enjoy such a view at home made Li Yifei himself a bit intoxicated.


    A burst of laughter came from behind, and Li Yifei turned to look. In an instant, his eyes were transfixed, as more than a dozen beauties in bikinis showed up, radiant in various colors, showcasing their proud figures.


    Li Yifei and these women had mostly swum together at the beach, where everyone was relatively conservative in their attire, either one-piece swimsuits or if two-piece, then with more fabric. But now, their swimwear was as minimal as it could be, which was quite an eye-catcher.


    Among these women, except for Meng Xiaofei and Su Mengfei, all were his women. He was very familiar with their bodies, but beauties possessed this kind of charm, wearing different clothes, giving men diverse thrills even when they are familiar.


    "Hey, husband, can you act a little more decently?" Xu Yingying came over, gave Li Yifei a look, and rolled her eyes at him.


    Li Yifei looked down and instantly felt extremely embarrassed; he had gotten a reaction, and his swim trunks were pitching a big tent, wasn¡¯t this a joke for Su Mengfei and Meng Xiaofei to laugh at? He hurriedly and awkwardly jumped into the water, finally able to cover up his embarrassment.

 Chapter 1088 - 1131: Joy of the Swimming Pool

    Chapter 1088: Chapter 1131: Joy of the Swimming PoolThe residential area of the Li family is off-limits to outsiders, accessible only to internal personnel, but these include the maids who serve the family, so the women at home aren¡¯t afraid of being taken advantage of and feel comfortable swimming in bikinis.


    Everyone eagerly jumped into the water. Little Yifei now has playmates as well; among the outsiders Li Yifei brought in, a few families have moved here, and two of them have little girls who have become Little Yifei¡¯s companions.


    As for these people, Li Yifei is even more at ease. If they¡¯re willing to move their families here, it means they¡¯ll be loyal to him, and he¡¯ll take better care of their families, especially the children. Raised here, they will grow even more loyal to the Li family.


    Swimming with family, Li Yifei is naturally in his element, diving into the water and swimming around like a fish, occasionally groping his wife¡¯s waist, other times caressing another one¡¯s leg, or sneakily touching a breast¡ªthe fun of it is indescribable.


    Li Yifei, having too much fun, sometimes overlooks certain things. Once, when swimming next to another beauty, he boldly groped her bottom and, needing air, suddenly surfaced, wrapping his arm around the beauty¡¯s waist.


    "Brother-in-law, what are you doing?" Su Mengfei¡¯s shout scared Li Yifei into hastily letting go. He had forgotten that two of the people here were not his wives, one of whom was Su Mengfei.


    "Sorry... Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do it," Li Yifei quickly apologized, his face red.


    Su Mengfei rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "You¡¯re just a big perv, aren¡¯t your many wives enough for you to touch that you have to grope me too?"


    Su Mengfei¡¯s voice was not soft, and everyone heard her; they all swam over. Su Mengfei immediately clung to Su Mengxin¡¯s arm and began to complain, "Cousin, look at your man, he¡¯s taken liberties with me."


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly and said, "So what if he takes a little advantage? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll get pregnant from a little groping."


    Su Mengfei rolled her eyes and said, "What kind of sister are you? Your husband takes liberties with me, and you don¡¯t even care."


    With a playful wink to Xu Shanshan, Su Mengxin said, "Didn¡¯t you notice how many times sister-in-law Shanshan here has been groped by brother-in-law? Nothing happened to her, right? So what if he touches you too?" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan immediately protested, "Why drag me into this? What I have with my brother-in-law is all above board. Mengfei, this is sneaky, and that¡¯s a big problem."


    Whispering into Su Mengfei¡¯s ear, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "Mengfei, what¡¯s the big deal? Remember that time we went bungee jumping? In the end, it was your husband who sorted you out." Now a married woman herself, Xiao Ling¡¯er had no reservations talking about such things, especially since Su Mengfei had always been her best friend. They even discussed intimate details about Li Yifei.


    Su Mengfei coughed dryly and said, "Can that time be compared to now? Back then, we were just messing around."


    With a giggly smile, Zheng Yuling said, "Why can¡¯t it compare? We were good sisters before, and we can still be good sisters. Since you¡¯ve been that close to our husband, why not just give in and be another of his women?"


    Su Mengfei glared and said, "Dream on, I won¡¯t be foolish like you girls. I¡¯m going to find my true love to marry. Someone who isn¡¯t fickle and will be good only to me."


    The group laughed and didn¡¯t take it seriously¡ªit was just an accident, after all, nothing more than idle chat.


    "Let¡¯s go diving," Xu Shanshan suggested, looking at the diving platform and changing the subject.


    "Diving? That¡¯s too high; let¡¯s not," Xu Yingying quickly shook her head.


    Most of the group also shook their heads. Three meters high is quite a jump, not everyone has the courage for it.


    But some are braver. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling loved fun activities like bungee jumping and weren¡¯t afraid of diving. Chu Xiaoyao, always up for something new, wasn¡¯t about to miss out, and the mischievous Meng Xiaofei also clamored to join them.


    In the end, these few made their way out of the water and headed to the diving platform. Xu Shanshan went first to the edge of the platform. She would have been afraid in the past, but now heights didn¡¯t scare her at all. With a push of her legs, she soared over two meters into the air, then dove head first into the water.


    Despite the lack of flamboyant moves, it was still a sight to behold, and everyone immediately broke into applause.


    "Honey, catch me below, I¡¯m a bit scared," Xiao Ling¡¯er called out from the edge, looking down.


    Li Yifei smiled, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll catch you below. Dive without worry."


    With newfound courage, Xiao Ling¡¯er leaped, and as she jumped, Li Yifei promptly dived in, ready to catch her.


    When diving, for beginners, there is a moment after entering the water where the brain blanks out a bit, leading to the chance of choking on water. Holding them at this time prevents panic.


    Zheng Yuling and Chu Xiaoyao followed suit and jumped in, and Li Yifei held them in the water, both without any problems.


    The last one, that rascal Meng Xiaofei, was all gung-ho when she climbed up. But when it was her turn, she chickened out, dawdling over to the edge. Holding tight to the handrails, she peeked down and suddenly let out a scream, then her legs gave way, leading her to sit on the platform¡¯s edge.


    Nobody expected this, and after a moment of shock, everyone burst into laughter. Chu Xiaoyao, waving her arms, called out, "Sister Xiaofei, don¡¯t be scared! It¡¯s truly thrilling, just jump down!"


    "No... I can¡¯t... I¡¯m too scared..." Meng Xiaofei¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke.


    "Didn¡¯t you see all of us jump down without any problem? Plus, you¡¯ve got Brother Li down there to catch you. What are you afraid of?" Xiao Ling¡¯er also joined in the encouragement.


    Meng Xiaofei peeked out again before quickly retracting her head and shaking it, "It¡¯s so high, I really can¡¯t do this."


    Ning Xin¡¯er said, unable to suppress a smirk, "Xiaofei, you¡¯re a flight attendant, you fly all the time. Don¡¯t tell me you have a fear of heights?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuttered out, "I... I think a bit dizzy."


    Everyone was speechless, with nothing left to do but to convince this headstrong girl.


    Xu Shanshan then suggested, "Then just go back."


    "I... My legs are too weak," was Meng Xiaofei¡¯s response, once again eliciting mixed laughter and tears.


    Li Yifei spoke, utterly at a loss, "Alright, I¡¯ll come up to get you."


    "Okay!" Meng Xiaofei hastily agreed. But as she relaxed, her grip slipped from the handrail.


    Had she not reacted, she would have been fine, but her hands flailed upon letting go, and instead of re-gripping the handrail, she fell from the platform.


    All the girls gasped. Falling down versus jumping down felt completely different, and if the posture wasn¡¯t right, and you hit the water flat, it would be incredibly painful and could even lead to injury.


    In mid-air, Meng Xiaofei let loose a series of wails that were nothing short of miserable.


    Li Yifei was struck by disbelief. However, in the water, he was able to catch Meng Xiaofei with both hands, although due to the lack of force under his feet, Meng Xiaofei would still hit the water hard. So when Meng Xiaofei fell, Li Yifei stretched out his hands and pushed her so that her originally flat-falling position switched to a dive, thus avoiding any issue.


    Because of Li Yifei¡¯s intervention though, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s falling force dragged him under the water. Underwater, Li Yifei grabbed hold of Meng Xiaofei and waited for her momentum to dissipate before hugging her waist and swimming upwards.


    Unexpectedly, Meng Xiaofei suddenly clung tightly to Li Yifei, thrusting her body upwards forcefully. Li Yifei, who had been holding her waist, now found himself gripping her thighs, while Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hands were wrapped around his head.


    The pool water was crystal clear, and normally, you could see everything underwater. But now, Li Yifei could only see darkness as his face was buried in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest. Li Yifei had accidentally taken advantage of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest numerous times, which was not a big deal in itself, but the worst part was, during the fall, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s swimsuit, either too big or improperly fastened, had slipped down to her waist, obstructing Li Yifei¡¯s face and mouth entirely.


    The sensation came too suddenly, leaving Li Yifei entirely unprepared, the soft press against his face momentarily short-circuiting his brain.


    Meng Xiaofei finally surfaced, but having taken in water during her fall, she felt disoriented. Even after her head was above water, she wasn¡¯t clear-headed and kept holding on to Li Yifei¡¯s head, unaware that she was already out of the water.


    "Xiaofei, Xiaofei, are you alright?"


    Xu Shanshan and Xiao Ling¡¯er hurried over, asking worriedly.


    Hearing their voices, Meng Xiaofei came back to her senses, quickly opening her eyes and seeing that her head was already above water. She took a deep breath, having held her breath the entire time.


    "I was so scared. Thankfully, I¡¯m fine," said Meng Xiaofei, emotions swiftly shifting as she immediately grinned proudly. But she noticed everyone looking at her oddly and instinctively glanced down, leading to a scream as she quickly let go of Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    ps: Announcing an official fan group for tomorrow: 343567327. Readers who enjoy the book are welcome to join and discuss together. Also, a gentle request for monthly tickets ¨C it seems there are readers who still don¡¯t realize they can cast monthly votes which can be done on the book page. Your valuable monthly vote can be a great help to tomorrow¡¯s progress.


    ---


    Note: The above translation is intended to convey the narrative and flow of a novel scene in a manner similar to how a native English speaker might describe it, taking into account the listed plot keywords and tone.

 Chapter 1089 - 1132: Xiaofei’s Change

    Chapter 1089: Chapter 1132: Xiaofei¡¯s ChangeMeng Xiaofei let go of Li Yifei, and her body immediately sank back into the water. Xu Shanshan quickly grabbed her from the side.


    "Fake, it¡¯s all fake!" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head emerged from the water, frantically pulling at her swimsuit while shouting loudly.


    Li Yifei¡¯s head also popped up at this time. The situation made everyone quite embarrassed. It was okay when he accidentally touched Su Mengfei earlier¡ªit was just a brief touch, no big deal. But now, it looked overly sensual, and he could feel everyone looking at him strangely.


    "Cough..." Li Yifei coughed lightly, saying, "It was an accident, definitely an accident."


    Chu Xiaoyao swam over to Li Yifei, hugged his neck from behind, and, peeking her head around, said with a teasing smile, "Uncle, was it really a misunderstanding?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly replied, "Of course, it was a misunderstanding. Didn¡¯t you see Xiaofei was hugging my head unconsciously?"


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "Uncle, then why is it that every misunderstanding involves you doing something to Sister Xiaofei¡¯s chest? Could it be because none of us have a chest as big as Xiaofei, and you¡¯re always thinking about hers?"


    Li Yifei coughed again and said, "That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s just that Xiaofei¡¯s is too big, so every misunderstanding just happens to involve touching there. I¡¯m definitely not doing it on purpose."


    Meng Xiaofei also hurriedly added, "Yeah, it¡¯s my fault for being too big, so whenever someone touches me, they touch my chest. Don¡¯t blame Brother Li."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er cheekily said, "Hubby, does the feeling of laying your head on Xiaofei¡¯s chest differ from ours?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "There was no feeling at that moment; I was just trying to save her."


    Zheng Yuling smirked, "Really? I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t feel anything. By the way, Xiaofei, how does it feel to let our husband take advantage of you?"


    By this time, Meng Xiaofei had sorted out her swimsuit and waved her hands, saying urgently, "Really, I didn¡¯t feel anything! I was scared to death, how could I think about anything else?"


    "Hehe, how about letting hubby try it again now?" Ning Xin¡¯er also joined in teasing.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck her tongue out and said, "I dare not. Sisters, please don¡¯t tease me anymore, otherwise, I¡¯ll run away."


    Everyone then finally stopped teasing Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei. Meng Xiaofei quickly escaped to the side, climbed ashore, and went straight over to play with the kids including Little Yifei.


    Su Mengxin, though pregnant now, was still in the water swimming. As long as it wasn¡¯t strenuous, it was beneficial. She swam over to Li Yifei and said smilingly, "I¡¯ve noticed Xiaofei acting a bit unusual lately?"


    Li Yifei looked at Su Mengxin and said, "You¡¯re not going to tease me as well, are you?"


    Su Mengxin shook her head, "Of course not. Think about it, in the past, even if Xiaofei had some embarrassing moments with you, she¡¯d just laugh it off and not care. But now, she seems a bit scared of you."


    "What¡¯s wrong with that?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s not right. It shows she¡¯s feeling guilty, and why would she feel guilty if not because she¡¯s fallen for you?"


    "She¡¯s always kind of liked me," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    "But this kind of liking is different from before. Now it¡¯s pretty much the same as ours."


    Li Yifei looked over at Meng Xiaofei, who at that moment also happened to look over. Their eyes met, and she immediately turned her head away, clearly avoiding Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei had known Meng Xiaofei for nearly two years and was very clear on what sort of person she was. She was someone who couldn¡¯t hide her feeling well, and her reactions now, just like Su Mengxin had said, showed her feelings were changing.


    "This girl..." Li Yifei shook his head, suddenly recalling the day when they were picking pears in the yard, and this girl ended up feeling something while sitting on his neck¡ªit was pretty amusing.


    "So, looks like Xiaofei is going to be your woman too, feeling proud?" Su Mengxin really was teasing Li Yifei now.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "There¡¯s nothing to be proud of. Xiaofei has been with us for so long; her wanting to be with me seems only natural. I was just reminiscing about that day."


    Xu Yingying then swam over, and Li Yifei retold the story of picking pears. Both Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then Su Mengxin said smiling, "Sounds fun. Once I have had the baby, I¡¯ll try it too, see if I can feel the same way. Yingying, you might as well try it now."


    Xu Yingying immediately said sharply, "What¡¯s there to try? That¡¯s so perverted."


    "Between a husband and wife, sometimes a little perversity adds to the fun."


    The two quietly joked and chuckled, showing no displeasure despite Meng Xiaofei revealing her different feelings towards Li Yifei. Meng Xiaofei had long been a part of the family, whether as Li Yifei¡¯s sister or as his woman; it hardly made a difference.


    A scream rang out, an excited scream. Li Yifei and the others turned towards the source of the sound. It was Xu Shanshan diving into the water. Her first two attempts were not so smooth, but after diving a couple of times, she started doing it effortlessly. She had complete control over her body, freely moving in mid-air, almost comparable to professional divers.


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "Shanshan has always been restless, and now she¡¯s become so formidable, who knows how much trouble she¡¯ll stir up in the future."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Shanshan won¡¯t actively court trouble. If trouble comes, it¡¯s usually others provoking her first. Now that she can defend herself, we can be at ease even when she goes out. Plus, taking her with us is like having a strong bodyguard."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Don¡¯t entertain such thoughts. You still need to bring bodyguards when going out. Although Shanshan is formidable, a bodyguard needs extremely sharp observational skills and calm judgment, which Shanshan lacks. No matter how strong her abilities might be, without a professional bodyguard, there¡¯s still a significant danger."


    Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin, smiling, said, "We understand."


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s mobile phone lying on the shore rang. He swam to the bank, climbed up, and wiped his hands before answering the call.


    The call was from Meng Qianjun. Li Yifei went straight to the point, "Young Master Meng, are you finally ready to pay me?"


    Meng Qianjun burst into laughter, "Such a small amount of money is nothing, and I can¡¯t let it tarnish the Meng Family¡¯s reputation, can I?"


    "Is that so? But it¡¯s been quite some days now, and you, Young Master Meng, haven¡¯t paid me a penny yet."


    "Brother Yifei, although I haven¡¯t proactively given you money, aren¡¯t you holding on to quite a bit already? The properties I had left in Mile City, worth billions, are now yours."


    "Really? I wasn¡¯t aware that it was yours. But even if it was, consider it just as interest. If you, Young Master Meng, are not satisfied, feel free to take it all back."


    Meng Qianjun laughed loudly again, "A small place like Mile City doesn¡¯t offer much leverage. Besides, you, Young Master Li, haven¡¯t risen to power yet. There¡¯s no fun in fighting with you. I heard that the Li family is formally establishing itself, so consider that property a congratulatory gift from me."


    Meng Qianjun¡¯s shrewdness was indeed deep. Regardless of what Li Yifei said, he didn¡¯t get angry. Li Yifei¡¯s sardonic tone only made him seem petty. Then he laughed, "Young Master Meng is indeed generous. Then I will not refuse."


    "No need for formalities, Young Master Li. When are you planning to expand further? We should have a good game together."


    "I believe it won¡¯t be long. But Young Master Meng, you haven¡¯t told me why you called."


    Meng Qianjun paused, then said slowly, "I wanted to ask you something."


    "Go ahead."


    "Have you ever encountered some special individuals who, though ordinary in strength, become vastly stronger after consuming some drugs?"


    Li Yifei became serious, "It seems you¡¯ve encountered them too."


    "I haven¡¯t personally, but recently my men in Africa ran into such people and suffered some losses."


    "So, there are also such cases in Africa. It seems this organization has a long reach. Do you know anything about this organization, Young Master Meng?"


    "I¡¯m asking you because from what you say, I didn¡¯t know they were an organization."


    Li Yifei said, "It seems the organization is indeed mysterious, with even someone capable like you, Young Master Meng, unaware of it."


    "Don¡¯t tease me, Brother Yifei. When it comes to intelligence capabilities, you¡¯re certainly not weaker than me. If you can¡¯t find anything, neither can I. But I feel this is a significant threat. Brother Yifei, do you have any good suggestions?"


    "Right now, I know nothing about them. My plane crash in Australia was their doing, and in the desert, I was also chased by them." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So vicious, to let a whole plane of people be buried with you."


    "Yes, so you¡¯d better be cautious too, Young Master Meng. Since there¡¯s already been a clash with this organization, they might not let it go so easily."


    "Brother Yifei, you should also be careful. Eventually, we have to decide the winner between us, and I wouldn¡¯t want any other matter to rob me of this opportunity."


    "You too, be careful, Young Master Meng."


    In dealing with this mysterious organization, it appears that Li Yifei and Meng Qianjun are on the same side. Therefore, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t mind sharing some information with Meng Qianjun. If Meng Qianjun and his forces contribute more, it would only benefit him. There are no eternal enemies in this world. Having just established his family, Li Yifei understood this point.


    However, before hanging up, Li Yifei still added a line, "Young Master Meng, you still owe me that money."

 Chapter 1090 - 1133: Quite a Lot of Trouble

    Chapter 1090: Chapter 1133: Quite a Lot of TroubleAfter playing in the water for over an hour, everyone took to the shore and rested, some sitting, some lying down.


    Xu Shanshan scooted next to Li Yifei and lay down, placing her feet on Li Yifei¡¯s legs, saying, "Brother-in-law, my feet are sore, could you massage them for me?"


    This had already become a customary thing, and Li Yifei naturally grabbed Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, but Xu Yingying suddenly glared and shouted, "You get up."


    Xu Shanshan, lying on the ground, did not move and said, "What¡¯s wrong? My feet are sore, can¡¯t brother-in-law massage them?"


    "No!" Xu Yingying¡¯s tone was resolute.


    At this moment, Li Yifei also froze and unconsciously let go of Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet, while Xu Shanshan discontentedly said, "Hey, big sis, are you taking the wrong medicine?"


    Xu Yingying pulled Xu Shanshan¡¯s legs apart while pulling and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Even if your feet were sore in the past, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. Now you have such high skills, can your feet still get sore? And if so, you don¡¯t need brother-in-law to massage them, get up quickly."


    Xu Shanshan was at a loss for words instantly. What Xu Yingying said made her completely unable to retort. Rolling her eyes, she said, "I¡¯ve been letting brother-in-law massage them, it¡¯s quite comfortable. Even if I¡¯m not worried about having foot problems, I help you with work selflessly, it¡¯s not a big deal for brother-in-law to massage my feet."


    "That¡¯s still not okay, your... your brother-in-law massaging your feet like this makes me uncomfortable."


    "Ah! I get it now!" Xu Shanshan immediately sat up, looking disdainfully at Xu Yingying, "You know, big sis, you really are petty. I haven¡¯t even mentioned it, and yet here you are making a fuss. When you¡¯re with brother-in-law, I react, do you feel like I¡¯m having an affair with him or what?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth opened, but she was essentially suggesting that, so she couldn¡¯t retort.


    "Hmph, you think I want this? But we just have such a physique. What can I do? I¡¯m so close to my brother-in-law not because of anything else but because of this, so him massaging my feet, I really don¡¯t see it as anything, just like when brother-in-law massages your feet, isn¡¯t that very normal?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth twitched, "You even dare say that."


    "What¡¯s there not to dare to say? That¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m not asking for anything more, not aiming to become brother-in-law¡¯s woman like you. Besides, brother-in-law massaging his sister-in-law¡¯s feet is initially nothing much. It¡¯s just you overthinking. Mengfei, right?"


    Su Mengfei giggled and said, "I wouldn¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never let my cousin-in-law massage me."


    Xu Shanshan cheerily said, "Then come try it, it¡¯s really comfortable."


    Su Mengfei turned her eyes and said, "Sure, cross-gender massage is indeed a very enjoyable thing." Saying that, she sat beside Li Yifei on his other side and placed her feet on his legs.


    Xu Shanshan winked proudly at Xu Yingying, saying, "See, now you have nothing to say. Sister-in-law here, teasing brother-in-law, that¡¯s normal. Come on, brother-in-law, massage us nicely, if you don¡¯t do it well, we¡¯re not letting it go."


    Xu Yingying really felt embarrassed at this point. Su Mengfei quickly pulled Xu Yingying aside, saying, "Yingying, let it go, just turn a blind eye."


    Xu Yingying gave a bitter smile, "I used to not know and didn¡¯t feel anything, but now, seeing my husband being close to Shanshan, my heart feels a bit uncomfortable."


    "This is really all in your mind. Look, Mengfei letting Yifei massage her, I don¡¯t see it as anything. Even just now in the pool when Yifei unintentionally took advantage, it was also very normal. Brother-in-law and sister-in-law interacting more, a bit of small ambiguity is unavoidable, the main thing is how you view it in your heart."


    "I know, but... think about it, I really can¡¯t be like you."


    "Well, you¡¯ve got to adapt. Can you not have this sister? Can you ask her not to recognize this brother-in-law? Besides, Shanshan and Yifei have known each other for so long, they¡¯ve always had a good relationship. Shanshan still being a virgin till now, you should know your sister can control herself."


    The fact that Xu Shanshan was still a virgin was indeed the most comforting thing for Xu Yingying, she sighed, "Alright then, I¡¯ll listen to you, just turn a blind eye."


    "That¡¯s right, how much Shanshan cares for you, you should know best. Don¡¯t always use your elder sister¡¯s authority on her, open your mind a bit, you¡¯ll feel better."


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er also came over and said, "Sister Yingying, really, don¡¯t be mad. Shanshan is just a child at heart."


    Xu Yingying sighed again, "Sigh, I really don¡¯t know when she will grow up."


    Su Mengxin then said, "Alright, let¡¯s talk about something serious now. We definitely need to invite many guests next week. We don¡¯t need to consider some of the leaders from the city, but what should we do about each family¡¯s members?"


    Upon this topic, Li Yifei felt a headache brewing. Logically speaking, the family members of his twelve wives should all be invited, but there were still some unresolved issues. If all these people were invited, what the scene would be like at that time was really uncertain for Li Yifei.


    Su Mengxin continued, "It¡¯s easy to address Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, both of their elders have already talked it through. But if they see other people¡¯s family members, that won¡¯t necessarily be okay. Ye Yunzhu, Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and my several families absolutely have no issue; they won¡¯t be angry no matter who they see."


    Xu Yingying then put aside her entanglement because of Xu Shanshan, saying, "Chu Xiaoyao has no parents now, and Su Yiyi¡¯s father has long been dealt by Li Yifei, so there won¡¯t be any problems with them two. But it¡¯s hard to say for Xin¡¯er."


    Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head and said, "I think let¡¯s forget it for now, I don¡¯t want them to come over. Just don¡¯t notify them."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Is that really okay?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er slightly smiled and said, "There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. My life has always been under my control, and things are still not stable now. I also don¡¯t want our family to face any unforeseeable troubles. I hold no grievances in my heart. Being able to be with my husband and seeing our daughter happily grow up is enough for me."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "There¡¯s no issue with Xin¡¯er then. Now we only have Xinyue, Lianyao, and Fangqing¡¯s families left."


    Li Xinyue immediately chimed in, "I also do not plan to notify my family. My stepmom and my brother are just hopeless. If they knew how glorious Yifei is now, they would certainly come to cause trouble."


    Song Lianyao hesitated for a moment and said, "I do want my parents to come and see, but I don¡¯t have to tell them about being with my husband now. I¡¯ll just say I am working for my husband, so I invited them as guests too."


    Song Lianyao¡¯s suggestion was indeed not bad, but it would still somewhat slight her family members. Li Yifei hurriedly said, "I haven¡¯t met them yet, why don¡¯t I personally go invite them?"


    Song Lianyao smiled sweetly, "No need, if you go to invite them, then they will know you are their son-in-law, and it will be hard to explain then. Let¡¯s not tell them for now."


    Finally, only He Fangqing was left. He Fangqing gave a wry smile and said, "I feel my parents will be the toughest."


    "Why?" everyone asked together.


    He Fangqing sighed, "My dad is absolutely a stubborn old man. Once he sets his mind on something, not even ten cows could pull him back. He never liked my marriage from the start, and after I got divorced, he reprimanded me countless times, saying I shouldn¡¯t have disobeyed him. In his eyes, I should have just found someone modest and honest. To him, wealthy people are not acceptable."


    Xu Yingying laughingly said, "That¡¯s quite similar to Michelle¡¯s parents."


    He Fangqing responded, "Yeah, so I think, might as well not invite them for now. Later, once I have reasoned with them, then we can invite them over."


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "Right, and later we should also invite Michelle¡¯s parents."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯ll talk to Michelle later. But not inviting Lianyao, Fangqing, and Xin¡¯er¡¯s parents, I always feel like I owe them something."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed and said, "This is also for our family¡¯s good. Our way of living definitely won¡¯t be approved by many people. If they don¡¯t even approve of this, inviting them now isn¡¯t good, it¡¯s actually bad."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er then said, "Even if we can settle on these people now, there will still be a problem later. Like Yingying¡¯s parents and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents can openly show up, but what about the others? How to arrange them then? If they are together, a few words might slip." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Yuling said, "I think they can¡¯t be arranged together. Like our families here, everyone understands the situation fine, but Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents don¡¯t know yet. Once they find out about this, it could easily lead to big trouble."


    Xu Shanshan playfully said, "Actually, I feel we should invite everyone."


    "Why?" Everyone looked towards Xu Shanshan.


    Proudly smiling, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, massage higher, and rub my legs a bit."


    With an eye roll, Xu Yingying kept silent at this time.


    Li Yifei awkwardly laughed and started massaging Xu Shanshan¡¯s legs, and then Xu Shanshan said, "Actually, it¡¯s very simple. I must state in advance, this is not about comparing using statuses. Whether it¡¯s Mengxin¡¯s family, Ling¡¯er, or Yuling¡¯s families, everyone is equal. But from a parent¡¯s perspective, that might not be the case. Like our old man, if he sees big officials from Mengxin¡¯s, Ling¡¯er¡¯s, or Yuling¡¯s families, he¡¯d probably ingratiate himself immediately. Seeing such impressive people who have given their daughters to our brother-in-law, what could they possibly be unhappy about?"


    "Is that how you should talk about our dad?" Xu Yingying glared at Xu Shanshan, but in her heart, she felt Xu Shanshan made a valid point.

 Chapter 1091 - 1134: Super Expert

    Chapter 1091: Chapter 1134: Super ExpertLin Qiong pondered for a moment before saying, "This idea is actually feasible. My dad and Yingying¡¯s dad both have a military background and hold a special affection for the army. If senior military officers come, they would definitely have no objections."


    Su Yiyi, who had been quiet, said, "I also think it¡¯s good. This is a kind of chain effect. Although normally it would seem unreasonable, it depends on who is involved in the matter. If even important figures from the country endorse it, they will easily accept it too."


    He Fangqing and Song Lianyao were somewhat hesitant at this time, then He Fangqing said, "So, you mean that our parents should also come."


    Xu Shanshan said cheerily, "Yes, we can invite them over first without saying anything. Let them sit with these top leaders for a chat and I don¡¯t believe they won¡¯t agree."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ll be using Mengxin and their families as lobbyists?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling quickly said, "No problem at all, they would definitely be willing."


    During the last crisis of the Li family, the Xiao and Zheng families merely stood by and missed the opportunity to bond with Li Yifei, an issue they have always regrets about. Now, they finally have the chance to deepen their family¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei, and they are naturally willing to do so. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the Xiao and Zheng families are also prominent in Capital City, they are still not considered top-tier in terms of prestige. Therefore, having a close relationship with a top-tier family like the Su Family, facilitated by Li Yifei, is particularly desirable for them.


    The last time Li Yifei was in trouble, they did not offer help. Afterwards, Li Yifei forced the Three Great Clans to lose over thirty billion. Although thirty billion might not significantly impact these major clans, it was a loss nonetheless. Li Yifei¡¯s family might still have been in preliminary stages, but to be able to challenge the Three Great Clans highlighted the profound implications.


    This wasn¡¯t just about having money or strength; it indicated that significant figures were supporting Li Yifei behind the scenes. Otherwise, no matter how wealthy or strong you are, these big clans have many ways to ruin you overnight.


    Thus, they now held Li Yifei in even greater esteem, and befriending Li Yifei was not something they could afford to ignore.


    Everyone felt that the plan was feasible and then carefully discussed the details of the matter, contemplating potential issues and solutions. Su Mengxin, Xu Yingying, and Ye Yunzhu, being elite figures, naturally considered all aspects thoroughly.


    At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s cell phone rang again. Seeing the number, he quickly answered, his expression turning respectful¡ªit was a call from Su Mengxin¡¯s grandfather. Previously, he hadn¡¯t shown much respect to him because of issues concerning Xu Yingying, but this time, with the Su Family reaching out during Li family¡¯s dire situation, Li Yifei truly respected the old man from the bottom of his heart.


    "Grandfather," Li Yifei greeted first.


    "Young man, come to Capital City tonight."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll set off immediately."


    After hanging up, Li Yifei quickly stood up, separating the legs of Xu Shanshan and Su Mengfei, and said, "I¡¯m heading to Capital City right away."


    "What happened?" everyone asked in unison, their faces filled with concern.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "The old master asked me to come immediately, but he did not specify why. I believe it must be something important, so I need to rush there."


    The old master not elaborating and Li Yifei not probing further meant the matter was inconvenient to discuss over the phone. If there had been any issue at home, the old master would surely have mentioned it.


    Thus, Li Yifei quickly got ready and set off for Capital City. As there were no flights available at that time, he had to drive himself. Fortunately, Mile City was only five to six hundred kilometers away from Capital City. Li Yifei sped all the way, reaching Capital City in less than four hours.


    Upon arriving in Capital City, Li Yifei called the old master, but it was his secretary who picked up. The secretary disclosed an address and asked Li Yifei to rush there.


    Hearing the address, Li Yifei furrowed his brows, a surge of perplexity rising within him. This place was where the central leaders discussed national affairs. Why was he directed there? Could it be that this time, he wasn¡¯t just meeting the old master but other significant national leaders as well?


    This place, Li Yifei had visited several times before. Thus, at this time, he quickly arrived via familiar route. The guards here were extremely stringent. Even for Li Yifei, entering was absolutely no trivial matter. Anyone who dared to force their way in would be turned into a corpse in less than three seconds.


    Old Master Su¡¯s secretary was waiting at the gate for Li Yifei. Yet, even with the secretary¡¯s guidance, Li Yifei had to go through numerous checks before finally being allowed inside.


    Before a three-story building, the secretary said, "Several seniors are waiting for you inside, go ahead."


    As Li Yifei approached the entrance, he felt an intense pressure. His gaze shifted to a tree where an elderly man with graying hair stood beneath it, facing away from him, hands clasped behind his back, and his posture ramrod straight. The pressure emanated from him.


    The magnitude of this pressure was something Li Yifei had never experienced before. Instinctively, he straightened up, his fighting spirit emerging, resisting the formidable pressure.


    Fighting spirit and pressure are mysterious things. Even Li Yifei couldn¡¯t clearly comprehend it, but he knew that both his fighting spirit and the pressure increased with his own strength. A martial arts master, if able to suppress the opponent in terms of fighting spirit, basically confirmed that his strength surpassed that of the opponent.


    In recent years, aside from a few almost equally matched rivals, Li Yifei had never felt such pressure from anyone else. Yet this old man, without even turning his head, exuded such pressure, his strength unimaginable.


    Li Yifei¡¯s fighting spirit surged, unwilling to be outmatched. However, as his fighting spirit increased, so did the pressure from the opponent, always surpassing his own by a margin.


    Meeting a stronger opponent fueled Li Yifei¡¯s competitive spirit, making him exert all his efforts to elevate his fighting spirit.


    Suddenly, the pressure from the other side vanished. Li Yifei¡¯s fighting spirit found no outlet, akin to throwing a full-powered punch into a soft cotton mass¡ªan indescribable discomfort.


    Yet the old man remained unmoved. Li Yifei, suppressing the tumult within him, couldn¡¯t help but reveal a stunned expression. The old man¡¯s strength could only be described as unfathomably profound. Even without actually exchanging blows, Li Yifei knew he was no match for him.


    Li Yifei never considered himself the strongest; he knew there were others out there more formidable than him. But he didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a person here. He had protected high-ranking national leaders before, never sensing the presence of such individuals. Yet in this heavily guarded place, such a strong presence indicated a profound implication.


    Suddenly, Li Yifei understood something. His recent actions, quite arrogant, disregarding the influential families and daring to confront them. Now, being summoned, with such a master present, was likely a warning for him to realize that there are stronger individuals within the country, not revealed until necessary. If he overstepped, such masters could easily put him to death.


    Encountering such a master also served as a cautious reminder for Li Yifei. Taking a deep breath, he saluted the old man, who, as if having eyes on his back, gestured to Li Yifei with a wave of his hand.


    Suppressing some negative emotions, Li Yifei entered the building and heard voices coming from the living room ahead. There were no other individuals around, allowing him to walk straight through.


    At the living room entrance, Li Yifei saw four elderly men sitting inside. Upon recognizing these four, Li Yifei was greatly startled. These were some of the nation¡¯s most important leaders¡ªNo. 3, No. 4, No. 5, along with Old Master Su, the vice-chairman of the Military Commission. Compared to these three leaders, Old Master Su seemed lesser. They were all waiting to meet him, which was an immense honor but also an overwhelming pressure.


    "Hello, leaders!" Li Yifei gave a perfectly standard military salute. In front of these leaders, he dared not show the slightest disrespect.


    "Golden Eagle, long time no see!" The No. 4 leader smiled and waved at Li Yifei. They had traveled together before, so he had a deep impression of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei hurriedly said respectfully, "Thank you, Leader, for remembering me."


    "Come over and sit down. When we were discussing some matters, we thought of you and wanted to have a chat," said the leader.


    Of course, Li Yifei knew the matter couldn¡¯t be that simple. If it were, Old Master Su wouldn¡¯t have urgently called him over from Mile City.


    Approaching, Li Yifei respectfully sat beside the four senior leaders. He glanced at Old Master Su, but he showed no reaction, which made Li Yifei even more apprehensive, wondering what the elders could possibly want with him.

 Chapter 1092 - 1135: Extend an Olive Branch

    Chapter 1092: Chapter 1135: Extend an Olive Branch"Golden Eagle, I heard you have established a family," chuckled Chief Number Four, asking Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei promptly responded humbly, "Yes, my personal relationships are somewhat complex. In order to provide a good life for them, I had no choice but to establish such a family."


    Chief Number Four nodded and said, "I can understand that, but do you know what comes with establishing a family?"


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Grandpa Su had mentioned it to me before, and I also have some understanding of it."


    "Now, tell me about your own thoughts," Chief Number Three said solemnly.


    Chief Number Three, always known for his serious demeanor, seldom interacted with Li Yifei, but Li Yifei knew this was just his usual manner and not something directed at him. Gathering his thoughts, he said, "Firstly, my initial idea was simple, to allow my family to lead a happy and blissful life. However, due to some people constantly targeting me, I was unable to protect them on my own, so I had to gather some people, but I never intended for them to commit any acts." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, the chiefs remained silent. Li Yifei continued, "I¡¯m aware that this will inevitably lead to conflicts, like the recent clashes with the Meng Family, Gu Family, and Wei Family that were unavoidable."


    Chief Number Three spoke solemnly, "Have you considered that such conflicts might escalate and become more frequent in the future? It¡¯s easy to run afoul of the law when that happens. Our country is now a nation of laws, and regardless of the circumstances, such conflicts are not permissible."


    Li Yifei inhaled sharply and said, "I understand, but no matter the challenges, I must face them." Then, he anxiously looked at the chiefs, knowing their words could determine the fate and future of the Li family.


    For well-established major families, the chiefs handled them with many reservations, due to their significant entangled power. But for a family like his, it was straightforward¡ªthey could be dealt with without any such concerns.


    "Very well, such a spirited young man," after a pause of ten to twenty seconds, Chief Number Three suddenly said.


    Li Yifei felt relieved, it seemed that the chiefs were not opposed to the matter.


    Chief Number Four smiled and said, "Golden Eagle, we asked you to come today because we have a task for you."


    Li Yifei immediately stood up, heels together, and loudly responded, "Mission will be accomplished." This was a natural response of a soldier in the presence of his superiors.


    All the chiefs nodded. Chief Number Four said, "It seems you have not forgotten that you are a soldier, and moreover, an elite among soldiers. But I must remind you that this is not a simple matter."


    Li Yifei spoke loudly, "No matter how difficult, I will try my best to complete it."


    "Then sit down, let¡¯s all take a seat and talk slowly."


    Over two hours later, Li Yifei and Old Master Su walked out of the villa together. Li Yifei was still in a daze, not knowing how he managed to walk out of the premises; he had never expected to be assigned such a task, seemingly meant for more than one person, yet it was handed to him alone. The enormity of the task was beyond imagination, but its significance was profound if accomplished.


    Getting into the car, Old Master Su patted his shoulder and said, "Stop dazing, start driving."


    Li Yifei then came back to himself, turned to look at Old Master Su, shook his head, and said, "Grandpa, this responsibility is too great."


    Old Master Su smiled lightly and said, "It is great. Whether it can be successful, no one can predict; you just have to do your best."


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "I¡¯ll give it my all."


    "Alright, then let¡¯s go home."


    Li Yifei drove Old Master Su home, where Old Master Su provided him with further advice, things that couldn¡¯t be mentioned in the setting they had just left, all proving immensely beneficial for Li Yifei.


    After discussing these matters, Li Yifei recalled something and asked, "Grandpa, does our country still have some special masters?"


    Old Master Su smiled slightly and answered, "Naturally, outside, your Flying Hawk Squad is the strongest force in our country, but that¡¯s just externally. In fact, with our country¡¯s 5000 years of heritage, there are truly top-tier masters, albeit few, but certainly exist, like the one you encountered today; he is one of them."


    "How many such masters are there?"


    "I am not quite sure myself; actually, such top-tier masters, I have only met two. These individuals can only be commanded directly by Chief Number One and Number Two, and they wouldn¡¯t appear unless in extremely significant events."


    Li Yifei was startled and exclaimed, "So many!"


    "Hehe, did you always think you were the strongest?"


    "No, I¡¯ve always believed there are surely people stronger than me, but I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many."


    "However, these masters have rather peculiar temperaments. Even the Number One and Number Two leaders can¡¯t truly command them. It all depends on whether they agree or not, and as far as I know, they have intervened only a few times."


    "Yes, I understand. They are only meant to handle particularly significant emergencies. They do not typically involve themselves in everyday affairs."


    "Yes, but if you have the chance to make their acquaintance, it would indeed be beneficial. It would greatly elevate your status."


    Aside from today, Li Yifei truly had not encountered such masters. He held a deep admiration for the strong. If he could really get to know such people, Li Yifei would look forward to it eagerly.


    At that moment, someone came to inform them that members from the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family had come to visit. Old Master Su said with a smile, "Yifei, it seems that the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family have come to extend their goodwill."


    Li Yifei grinned slightly and said, "They are also my wife¡¯s family. How could I possibly quarrel with them?"


    "Yes, this is how large families function. Interests are always the primary concern. For the sake of family interests, many times they don¡¯t even consider national interests. Although they have indeed contributed greatly to the nation in the past, they are now hindering national development."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I understand. Let¡¯s go see them then."


    The two entered the living room, where six people were already present. Two of them were familiar to Li Yifei, one being the Fourth Master of the Xiao Family, and the other being the Fifth Master of the Zheng Family. The other four, although not well-known to Li Yifei, were recognizable. All four were high-ranking national leaders, and although they did not hold positions as influential as Old Master Su, their roles were still considerably prominent.


    "Old Master Su!" All six greeted Old Master Su respectfully.


    Old Master Su laughed heartily and said, "Elder Xiao, Elder Song, sorry for not coming out to meet you."


    "Old Master Su, you flatter us."


    The two speaking were the leaders of the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family, both were significant former leaders of the Central Government. Now retired, the other two still held posts in the Central Government but have never reached the status achieved by the former leaders of their family; hence the decline in influence of their families over the past years.


    After exchanging courtesies with Old Master Su, Li Yifei stepped forward to greet everyone.


    In front of Old Master Su, people from both Xiao and Song families behaved reservedly towards Li Yifei, merely offering simple greetings before they all took their seats.


    Old Master Su chatted briefly with the two families and then said, "Sorry, I have some matters to attend to and need to excuse myself first, Yifei, please host our guests."


    Normally, it would be quite rude for a host to leave shortly after the guests¡¯ arrival, but at this moment, members from the Xiao and Zheng families were actually grateful to Old Master Su, as this provided them with the opportunity to converse with Li Yifei.


    Once Old Master Su left, the living room quieted down for a moment. Elder Xiao from the Xiao Family coughed slightly and said, "Yifei, regarding the incident last time... we are very sorry."


    Elder Song from the Song Family continued, "At that time, your life was at stake, and our families, neither too large nor too small, simply didn¡¯t possess the strength to confront those three families; we genuinely lacked the courage to challenge them."


    Although Li Yifei knew that the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family had come to make amends, he was still surprised by the humility of these two family heads. This was not merely an attempt to make amends; it was practically an apology.


    "The two of you, I understand your decision at that time, so I do not blame you. Besides, being the younger generation, how could I blame you?"


    "That¡¯s good to hear!" The old masters exchanged looks, their faces revealing nothing, yet there was a hint of joy in their eyes. Elder Xiao said, "Yifei, since you can put this matter behind you, from now on, we are a family. If you ever need anything from us, just say the word. We are not outsiders."


    Elder Zheng from the Zheng Family also said, "Yes, after all, you are my grandson-in-law, so there¡¯s no need for separation within the family. Whatever help you need, we will certainly provide."


    Li Yifei quickly expressed his gratitude. The family heads inquired about Zheng Yuling and Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s situation in the Li family, and also asked what kind of help Li Yifei currently needed. While Li Yifei was mainly developing his business in Mile City and didn¡¯t need much help from the two families at the moment, he would definitely need their support in the future, so he was very cordial towards both families.


    "By the way, Yifei, I heard you are moving to a new home this weekend. We must come over for a celebration drink. You wouldn¡¯t mind, right?"


    Li Yifei replied cheerfully, "Otherwise, I would have invited everyone anyway. If I didn¡¯t invite you, wouldn¡¯t that be rude of me?" He was planning to ask these families to speak on his behalf at that time.


    "Very well, then we will certainly attend," the two family heads readily agreed, their excitement evident.

 Chapter 1093 - 1136: The Money Has Arrived

    Chapter 1093: Chapter 1136: The Money Has ArrivedAfter seeing off the elders from the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family, Li Yifei felt a bit perplexed. Their reactions were overly enthusiastic, and with his current capabilities, he was nowhere near the level that would warrant such flattery from both families.


    Even if it was to maintain their relationships with the Su Family, there was no need for them to treat him like this. There was definitely something Li Yifei didn¡¯t know yet.


    At this moment, his phone rang. It was a call from home. Li Yifei answered, and Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s voice came through: "Husband, is everything okay over there?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m at the Su Family¡¯s place now. Your grandpa and Yuling¡¯s grandpa just left."


    "Ah, they went there, huh? Did you guys ..."


    "We¡¯re good. By the way, did you tell them I was in Capital City?"


    "Yes, after you left, we were worried you might encounter some issues in Capital City, so we informed them."


    Li Yifei raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking of something.


    "Husband, what¡¯s wrong?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked again.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile, "Nothing. We¡¯ll talk when I get back. By the way, I have some matters to attend to here, so it might take a couple of days before I return."


    "Oh, okay then, be careful. If anything comes up, go find my grandpa and the others." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After hanging up, Li Yifei somewhat guessed the situation. Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling, hoping to repair his relations with both families, had called home, seeking an opportunity for him to make contact and thaw relations. It was indeed with this motive in mind that the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family came to see him, but they unexpectedly learned of his meeting with several high-ranking officials today.


    Li Yifei met with the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 leaders. The trio¡¯s joint appearance held much significance. Even the clan chiefs of any major families at present wouldn¡¯t expect to be received by all three leaders together. Although the two families didn¡¯t know what exactly was discussed between the leaders and Li Yifei, it was definitely important, implying that Li Yifei¡¯s status and identity were absolutely extraordinary.


    Thus, the Xiao and Zheng families did not just send a few elders to handle the situation as before but had both patriarchs personally step in, showing a favorable attitude.


    However, Li Yifei still had a doubt¡ªhis meeting with these leaders was supposed to be confidential. The leaders had made it clear that Li Yifei¡¯s current activities must be conducted in secrecy. How had the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family found out so easily?


    At this point, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang again, this time from Wei Zijun.


    "Young Master Wei, what¡¯s the special occasion? What made you think to call me?" Li Yifei teased as a preemptive move.


    Wei Zijun¡¯s laughter sounded a bit strained, but he quickly said, "Brother Yifei, we are old acquaintances, aren¡¯t we? It¡¯s only right to make a call."


    "Really? But you, Young Master Wei, are my enemy. We still have unfinished business."


    Wei Zijun laughed heartily and said, "We who handle big affairs know that the line between friend and foe isn¡¯t always clear, and I¡¯m certain Brother Yifei isn¡¯t one to hold petty grudges."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly, "You¡¯re quite wrong, Young Master Wei. My tolerance isn¡¯t indeed very wide, especially for those who wish for my family¡¯s downfall¡ªI remember that for a lifetime."


    There was no need for Li Yifei to beat around the bush with these people. Since they were enemies, there was no need for pleasantries.


    "Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about that for now. I¡¯m calling you, Brother Yifei, to fulfill our bet. I¡¯ve been quite busy recently, and also, gathering those thirty billion wasn¡¯t easy. I¡¯ve just managed to pull it together today, and I¡¯m about to transfer it to you now."


    Li Yifei replied with surprise, "Young Master Wei, am I hearing wrong? It seemed like you guys have always been stalling."


    One of Li Yifei¡¯s purposes for coming to Capital City was to go after these three families for badgering his family severely, and then dragging their feet on settling the bet. Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t let it slide easily.


    "You¡¯ve misunderstood, brother Yifei, I wasn¡¯t dragging my feet, there were reasons indeed. The money is ready now, I¡¯ll transfer it at once, showing my sincerity."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t stand on ceremony this time and directly gave his account details to Wei Zijun. After hanging up, it wasn¡¯t long before Li Yifei received the funds, and Wei Zijun then sent him a message confirming the transfer, instead of calling again, evidently not wanting to hear more of Li Yifei¡¯s taunts.


    Looking at the string of numbers, Li Yifei shook his head¡ªover thirty billion, just like that, handed over. Was Young Master Wei out of his mind?


    Pondering this, he received a call from Gu Yanan. Li Yifei asked straight away, "Young Master Gu, are you sending me money as well?"


    Gu Yanan replied very calmly, "Indeed, I honor bets and promises, Young Master Gu doesn¡¯t go back on his word. Please, Brother Yifei, give me your account number, and I¡¯ll transfer the money immediately."


    Li Yifei gave him the account details, and, as expected, within minutes, Gu Yanan¡¯s money was transferred in.


    Just after wrapping up with Gu Yanan, a call from Meng Qianjun came through, also about transferring money.


    "Young Master Meng, you guys really do have a tacit understanding. All the money came together right on schedule," Li Yifei teased.


    Meng Qianjun responded directly, "Look, Brother Yifei, even if we wanted to renege now, we can¡¯t. With higher-ups backing you, if we defaulted on our debts, wouldn¡¯t we just be asking for trouble?"


    Li Yifei laughed it off and said, "Young Master Meng is really well-informed."


    "Haha, I surely don¡¯t want to make such a powerful enemy, so I¡¯d better pay up nicely."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei considered the affairs of the Xiao Family, the Zheng Family, and Meng Qianjun, sensing that something was odd. Could it be that his meeting with several leaders from the Central Government had already become widely known throughout Capital City? Otherwise, why would they act this way?


    Old Master Su returned at this moment, and Li Yifei immediately shared his confusion.


    Old Master Su laughed heartily and said, "Of course, that was a message intentionally released by the top brass. Otherwise, how would others come to know about it?"


    "A message they released?" Li Yifei didn¡¯t quite understand for a moment.


    "That¡¯s right, they¡¯re letting you handle such a big matter. Officially, they can¡¯t do much, but your family has just been established, and you will undoubtedly face many difficulties later. By putting out this information now, it makes the other major families cautious not to provoke you, which is more favorable for your development. This is the support they are offering you right now."


    Li Yifei suddenly had an epiphany, then smiled wryly, "It seems these people really know how to grasp the leaders¡¯ intentions. Just releasing news of a meeting with me can make all these big families treat me like this."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t act smart with me, kid. At least, for now, your initial development funds are sufficient."


    Li Yifei nodded, feeling quite pleased with the ten billion he had obtained, and chuckled, "And I think the benefits aren¡¯t just for now. There will be a lot of indirect benefits in the future too."


    "Naturally, a single word from the leaders can often bring significant impact. I¡¯ll just sit at home and wait for the pie to fall from the sky."


    "By the way, grandpa, I¡¯m moving this weekend. Are you coming?"


    "I¡¯d better not. My current status is quite sensitive, and it would be troublesome if I went. Having the patriarchs of the Xiao Family and the Zheng Family there should be more than enough to support you."


    Old Master Su is the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, so wherever he goes would undoubtedly cause a huge stir. Therefore, it¡¯s completely normal for him not to go.


    "I¡¯m not going, but your Third Grandpa will definitely go for the excitement. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t look good for you." Su¡¯s Third Eldest added with a chuckle.


    Li Yifei felt speechless when he thought of Third Grandpa. After the last incident at his home was resolved, Third Grandpa actually went to a bar and picked up a girl, bringing her back. At his age, still having such spirits and charm, truly a remarkable character.


    As they were talking about Third Master, Third Master returned and, seeing Li Yifei, said excitedly, "Yifei, you¡¯ve actually come. That¡¯s fantastic."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Third Grandpa, thank you for helping me last time."


    "Forget that, it¡¯s so boring. By the way, Mengxin didn¡¯t come back with you, did she?"


    "No."


    "And the other girls didn¡¯t come with you either, right?"


    "Right."


    Third Grandpa slapped his hand and declared, "Perfect! Today, you¡¯re going out with Third Grandpa to pick up girls."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened immediately, "Third Grandpa, I¡¯d rather not."


    "What do you mean not going? You¡¯re young and should go out and have some fun. What¡¯s the big deal?"


    "But... I¡¯m really not interested in that anymore."


    "No, no! If you don¡¯t go with me, then you¡¯re not treating me as a bro. Isn¡¯t there a saying? ¡¯Friends that have been under fire together, shared a bunk, split loot, and visited brothels - those are true bros.¡¯ We haven¡¯t been under fire together, haven¡¯t shared a bunk, nor split loot, so we can only go to a brothel together. You mustn¡¯t refuse, or else you don¡¯t see me as your brother."


    Li Yifei felt a cold sweat run down his forehead and said with a wry smile, "Third Grandpa, you¡¯re my elder, how could you be a brother?"


    "Nonsense. Generational ranking is one thing, brotherhood is another. I tell you, if you don¡¯t go with me, I¡¯ll cut ties with you from now on." With that, Third Grandpa disregarded Old Master Su, dragged Li Yifei, and headed outside.


    Li Yifei was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. What kind of logic was this? And Old Master Su just smiled on the side, with no intention to stop them. It seemed he had no way to deal with his brother.

 Chapter 1094 - 1137: Reunited with Aoki Reiko

    Chapter 1094: Chapter 1137: Reunited with Aoki ReikoLi Yifei¡¯s trip to Capital City this time really brought him great benefits, yet it also saddled him with a tremendous responsibility. This responsibility might take a lifetime, perhaps even remain unfulfilled, but it established a life goal for Li Yifei, filling him with fighting spirit once again.


    Previously, he had only been striving for his own little household, but now, he had to exert himself for the nation, his larger family. Even though he had retired from service, as a former soldier, taking on the country¡¯s worries was an inescapable duty.


    Yet the thought of Su¡¯s Third Eldest made Li Yifei shake his head involuntarily; this unruly old fellow was really a headache. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t bring him along to solicit prostitutes, but instead to a bar.


    In the bar, Li Yifei witnessed the old man¡¯s true madness. Far from behaving like a man nearing sixty, he was more like a young lad in his twenties. And because of his age, he surprisingly attracted countless beautiful young women, shining like a dazzling star. Quickly, he hooked up with a rather nice-looking lady.


    The old guy even constantly egged on Li Yifei to pick up girls. In the end, Li Yifei could only pretend to find a girl himself, and when the old man took the beauty to a hotel room, Li slipped away and stood her up.


    With a wife, and so many at that, Li Yifei had already lost all interest in such matters.


    Initially, he had planned to spend a few days in Capital City, but the Three Great Clans were quite obedient in sending money over, so there was no need to trouble them further. And he really feared that Su¡¯s Third Eldest would seek him out the next day, so after standing up the woman, he didn¡¯t even return to the Su family and instead drove straight to Mile City.


    The return trip was not as urgent as the journey there, so Li Yifei drove at a normal pace. However, about a hundred kilometers from Mile City, the highway was closed due to an accident ahead, and Li Yifei had to exit and follow a national road to Mile City.


    It was already past two in the morning, the traffic on the national road was sparse, and Li Yifei¡¯s speed was not slower than on the highway. After driving for about tens of kilometers, he saw a figure standing vaguely by the roadside, wildly waving, as if trying to flag down a car.


    Flagging down cars by the roadside at this hour, in such a place, led Li Yifei to instinctively suspect that the person harbored ill intentions, so he didn¡¯t bother with them.


    But when his car was a few hundred meters away from the person, they suddenly darted into the middle of the road, flailing their arms strenuously, as though determined to force Li Yifei¡¯s car to a halt.


    Li Yifei urgently stomped on the brakes, feeling somewhat irritated. These robbers sure had guts, not fearing that they¡¯d get hit. It was at this moment that he could see it was a woman, not a man.


    Li Yifei barely brought the car to a stop when the woman hurried over, as if in fear that he might drive off, blocking the front of the car and waving her hands while speaking loudly, "I¡¯m lost, I can¡¯t find my car, could you please help me and give me a ride?"


    Japanese! The woman was speaking Japanese, likely a Japanese national. That probably ruled out a robber, and why did her voice sound so familiar to Li Yifei?


    Aoki Reiko... Li Yifei suddenly remembered who the woman was.


    Seeing this Japanese woman, Li Yifei¡¯s first instinct was to flee immediately. During their last encounter, due to special circumstances, he hadn¡¯t refrained from taking advantage of Aoki Reiko, and he had also caused quite some trouble for the Aoki Group. Although Li Yifei had been very careful, with such a big incident, how could Aoki Reiko extricate herself so easily?


    But Aoki Reiko was now blocking his car. Unless Li Yifei reversed abruptly and then sped past her, which was not difficult for him, he did not choose to do so. It was odd for Aoki Reiko to appear at this time and place. If he left her to continue flagging down cars, she was very prone to encounter trouble.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, he realized she probably wouldn¡¯t recognize him since he had been in disguise at that time. He rolled down the car window and said, "Hey, miss, could you say something I can understand?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh! Hello... my name is Aoki Reiko, I¡¯m... lost right now. Could you please take me to the downtown area? I beg you!" Aoki Reiko explained her situation in her unpolished Chinese, then bowed deeply to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Alright, then get in."


    "Thank you! Thank you!" Aoki Reiko bowed twice more before opening the door and sitting in the passenger seat.


    Once Aoki Reiko was seated, Li Yifei started the car and asked, "You¡¯re Japanese?"


    Aoki Reiko buckled her seatbelt and nodded, replying, "Yes."


    "How did you end up lost in China?" Li Yifei continued.


    Aoki Reiko, however, turned to look at Li Yifei. She only understood a little Chinese, so Li Yifei¡¯s question was incomprehensible to her. Apologetically, she said, "I¡¯m sorry, I... didn¡¯t understand."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said in Japanese, "Then speak in Japanese, I can understand it." His identity wasn¡¯t ordinary now; at the very least, Aoki Reiko could eventually find out who he was, so there was no need for excessive concealment, as long as he didn¡¯t allow Aoki Reiko to connect him with that person from Japan.


    "Ah! That¡¯s really wonderful!" Aoki Reiko exclaimed excitedly in Japanese.


    "Hehe, you¡¯re Japanese, so how did you end up in our country and even get lost?"


    "I¡¯ve always greatly admired Huaxia¡¯s culture. I came to Huaxia recently to visit, and today I ended up on a mountain here. When I came down, I took the wrong path, and it wasn¡¯t until past midnight that I reached the highway. I wanted to hitch a ride back to the city, but no one would stop for me. I¡¯m really sorry for dangerously blocking your car just now."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Around here, sometimes there are bad people who stop cars to rob them, so drivers won¡¯t stop to pick up pedestrians."


    "I see, no wonder no one stopped for me. By the way, sir, my name is Aoki Reiko. May I ask for your name?"


    "My name is Li Yifei."


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Li. Once again, thank you for your help."


    "You¡¯re welcome. Huh, Aoki Reiko... that name sounds somewhat familiar."


    "You¡¯ve heard of my name?" Aoki Reiko looked at Li Yifei, puzzled. Even though it was very dark inside the car, she still looked at him.


    "Yes, I¡¯ve seen it somewhere. I remember now, the daughter of the Japanese Aoki Group is also called Aoki Reiko. You wouldn¡¯t happen to be her, would you?"


    "Yes, I am Aoki Reiko."


    "To actually meet you, what a surprise! Aoki Group, such a large conglomerate, with assets no less than tens of billions of US dollars, and you as the sole legal heir to the group, have come to Huaxia alone. Aren¡¯t you afraid of the dangers?"


    "I¡¯ve been in Huaxia for almost a week, but I haven¡¯t encountered any danger. People don¡¯t know my identity; I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Li to recognize me."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to you. I¡¯m also in business, so I pay attention to these matters. There was a time when I considered cooperating with Aoki Group, but then I felt my strength wasn¡¯t enough, so I didn¡¯t go through with it."


    "Oh, so Mr. Li is also an accomplished young man. If there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, perhaps we could try cooperating."


    "Thank you, Miss Reiko, but I wouldn¡¯t want you to cooperate with me just because I did you a small favor. Business should be conducted in a straightforward and proper manner."


    Li Yifei dared not cooperate with Aoki Group, especially through Aoki Reiko. If they were to interact more in the future, she might recognize him, and that would be troublesome. So at this moment, he used a righteous-sounding excuse to deflect.


    "Mr. Li, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such an ambitious person. I really admire you. If I may ask so boldly, what is your company¡¯s name?"


    Li Yifei said, "Previously, I only had a few small companies, nothing worth mentioning." At first, Li Yifei mentioned his name because he thought Aoki Reiko should know who he was, but now she seemed willing to thank him by cooperating with his company, and Li Yifei no longer wanted to discuss it. He just didn¡¯t want any more interaction with Aoki Reiko.


    "Oh? Why wouldn¡¯t Mr. Li say?" Aoki Reiko looked at Li Yifei with curiosity, as this clearly didn¡¯t follow normal logic. Business people, when faced with a profitable opportunity, would try to establish relations with the other party. Yet Li Yifei seemed to be pushing away the business opportunity that had come knocking.


    Li Yifei also felt his refusal was somewhat unreasonable and laughed, "Miss Reiko, it would naturally be good to cooperate with Aoki Group. However, our company is currently in the restructuring phase. We are focusing on our existing projects and don¡¯t have any plans for overseas expansion. Blind expansion would involve a large amount of our company¡¯s funds, which wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for our current development."


    Aoki Reiko looked at Li Yifei with fresh eyes and said, "Mr. Li, I rarely see such a calm businessman who can resist such a huge profit set before them. Just for that alone, your company will surely develop even better. I am becoming even more interested in cooperating with you. Our Aoki Group has also hit a development bottleneck in our home country, and we are considering overseas expansion. Working with someone like you, Mr. Li, would certainly put us at ease. Even if you aren¡¯t considering a partnership right now, we can still keep in touch. There will always be an opportunity to cooperate in the future."


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words; his attempts to evade had somehow led to this effect, drawing Aoki Reiko closer rather than pushing her away. This was definitely not good news.

 Chapter 1095 - 1138: You are Mu Fei

    Chapter 1095: Chapter 1138: You are Mu FeiAt this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s car had already reached a small town, prompting him to change the subject. "Miss Reiko, we have arrived at a small town. There should be places to stay here. Would you like to get off?"


    Aoki Reiko looked even more surprised, thinking that Li Yifei, being a businessman, should seize the opportunity to converse more with her at this time. Instead, he seemed to want her to leave. The street lights were on now, allowing her to see Li Yifei more clearly. She scrutinized him and suddenly exclaimed, "Are you Mr. Mu Fei?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He truly didn¡¯t expect Aoki Reiko to recognize him at this moment. Detecting a hint of doubt in her voice, he quickly asked, confused, "Miss Reiko? What are you saying? Who is Mr. Mu Fei?"


    "Stop the car... you!" Aoki Reiko urgently called out.


    Li Yifei pulled over to the roadside, his hands on the steering wheel, turned his head to look at Aoki Reiko and said with a smile, "Miss Reiko, do you want to get off now?"


    Aoki Reiko raised her hand and turned on the car¡¯s light, examining Li Yifei again. Her gaze revealed confusion as the Li Yifei in front of her resembled Mr. Mu Fei by eighty percent, yet there was a twenty percent disparity.


    "Miss Reiko, what¡¯s the matter?" Li Yifei frowned slightly, a look of "confusion" on his face as he watched Aoki Reiko.


    Aoki Reiko bit her lip and said, "Are you really not... Mr. Mu Fei?"


    "I am Li Yifei. Miss Reiko, would you like to see my ID?"


    "That... may I take a look?" Aoki Reiko was actually eager to see.


    Li Yifei inwardly panicked, although Aoki Reiko had not confirmed who he was, it was clear she was suspicious. This was not a good start. He never imagined Aoki Reiko would come to Huaxia and, by such coincidence, meet him.


    "How interesting, Miss Reiko. Although I don¡¯t know who this Mr. Mu Fei is, to clear your doubts, I will let you take a look," he conceded.


    Aoki Reiko took the ID card handed over by Li Yifei and looked it over carefully. Although she couldn¡¯t recognize all the characters, she scrutinized the photo of Li Yifei carefully. Huaxia¡¯s ID photos were usually less flattering which made it even harder to discern.


    Indeed, there was a reason Aoki Reiko recognized Li Yifei so quickly. During the last period of time they spent together, due to heavy exposure in the sea, even though his makeup was made of special materials, some of his real features were exposed. However, Aoki Reiko hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Li Yifei¡¯s changes back then. After he left, the image that remained in Aoki Reiko¡¯s mind was the last appearance of Li Yifei, which currently looked almost the same, so upon seeing Li Yifei now, she recognized him as Mu Fei.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s composure made her hesitate to confirm. After all, this Li Yifei had never shown any indication of recognizing her, and encountering him in Huaxia also made it completely unbelievable for her.


    At this point, Li Yifei chuckled, "Oh, I see now. Miss Reiko, you must have mistaken me for someone else. What a coincidence."


    "Yes, I am really sorry," Aoki Reiko smiled apologetically, adding, "I really do look like him."


    "Is that so? Well, there are many people in the world who look alike. But from your reaction, Miss Reiko, it seems Mr. Mu Fei must have a deep relationship with you."


    This comment suddenly made Aoki Reiko¡¯s face look somewhat uncomfortable. Indeed, she couldn¡¯t clearly define her feelings for Mu Fei. Normally, that guy used her to steal important technology from her nation and even assaulted her; she should utterly despise Mu Fei.


    But within her hatred for Mu Fei, there was another feeling, especially since Mu Fei risked his life to save her from nearly being blown up by a plane. In the sea, Mu Fei gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and also the scene on the boat where Li Yifei tried to assault her, these memories were unforgettable for her.


    Thus, her feelings for Mu Fei were truly complicated. When she saw Mu Fei just now, her initial reaction was excitement, only now followed by hatred ¨C implying that her love for Mu Fei perhaps outweighed her hate.


    "Miss Reiko, I apologize, I shouldn¡¯t have brought that up," Li Yifei stated, interrupting Aoki Reiko¡¯s thoughts. She gently shook her head, looked at Li Yifei again, and displayed a sweet smile, noting, "It¡¯s okay, Mr. Li. This town is too small; I don¡¯t want to get off here. Can you take me to a bigger city?"


    At this moment, Li Yifei really wanted to drop Aoki Reiko right there, but this might only arouse more suspicion. So, he smiled and replied, "Sure, that would be great. I feel quite lonely driving alone, having Miss Reiko to talk to would be a delightful thing."


    "Thank you, Mr. Li," Aoki Reiko smiled sweetly again.


    Li Yifei started the car again, but he inwardly groaned. Aoki Reiko¡¯s suspicion was clear, and it was significant. If he couldn¡¯t dispel her suspicions, she might very well come looking for him again. Now, unlike in Japan, he couldn¡¯t simply run away and escape it all.


    Aoki Reiko spoke first, "Mr. Li, it¡¯s so late now, where are you going?"


    Li Yifei replied naturally, "I¡¯m going home now."


    "May I ask, where is Mr. Li¡¯s home?"


    At this point, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. Even though Aoki Reiko was Japanese, his identity would become increasingly well-known. So he honestly said, "I live in Mile City, just a few dozen kilometers from here."


    "Mile City? I¡¯ve never been there before. Perhaps, Mr. Li, you could take me to Mile City. If you have time, I would appreciate it if you could be my guide."


    "I¡¯m really sorry, I¡¯m quite busy these days and probably won¡¯t have the time to entertain Miss Reiko. However, since Miss Reiko is an honored guest, perhaps my wife could guide you instead."


    Aoki Reiko was taken aback, "Mr. Li, you are already married?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve been married for over a year, and I already have two daughters."


    "You¡¯ve been married for just over a year and already have two daughters?" Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t seem to do the math.


    "Hehe, though I only have one legal wife, I also have several lovers who have borne my children."


    "Oh? Mr. Li, isn¡¯t that somewhat inappropriate?"


    "That¡¯s just the kind of person I am. I have feelings too, and once they are formed, I can¡¯t bear to abandon them."


    "Really? But doesn¡¯t that make you even less responsible?"


    Li Yifei shrugged, "Everyone has their own lifestyle. At least for now, it feels quite right."


    "Well, that¡¯s your personal life, I won¡¯t pry further."


    "Right, let¡¯s talk about you. With such a status, how come you are here alone?" This was what Li Yifei wanted to know.


    Aoki Reiko looked at Li Yifei and slowly said, "Recently, someone came to Japan to talk business with a friend of mine. His name is Mu Fei, and he looks a lot like you. My friend and I took him traveling. We had a great time. In our hearts, he is a great man¡ªhumorous and amusing. After an incident that made me wary of strangers, surprisingly, I felt comfortable around him and enjoyed chatting with him. We even argued at times; he¡¯s genuinely one of the most interesting men I¡¯ve met."


    "What happened next?" Despite feeling a chill down his spine, Li Yifei still asked like a keen listener.


    Aoki Reiko continued, "Then a lot of police and military personnel came to investigate us. At that time, I found them annoying as they made our guest uncomfortable. But who would have thought he was actually a major spy, sneaking into our country to steal crucial technology housed right in our RV? Ironically, I kept covering for him, helping him pass many checkpoints. Don¡¯t you think I was foolish?" Saying this, Aoki Reiko gave a bitter smile.


    Li Yifei said, "You weren¡¯t foolish. Even as the heiress of Aoki Group, you couldn¡¯t possibly have noticed those spies; they¡¯re experts at concealment."


    "Perhaps. And after that, things got even more spectacular. Yes, I have to say spectacular. These scenes, I¡¯d only expect to see in a Hollywood blockbuster. Surrounded by military and police, I even saw senior ninjas. Being Japanese myself, it was only then I realized that we really do have senior ninjas in our country, and it¡¯s not just something out of legends."


    "There were actually ninjas? They must be quite formidable?" Li Yifei looked genuinely excited.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s excitement, Aoki Reiko felt inexplicably melancholic but continued to narrate the day¡¯s events, having recounted them many times to the military previously. Back then, she spoke with hatred and simply stated the facts, which was nothing like now, where she used her true emotions to recount. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko softly said, "The ninjas are quite formidable. There were four ninjas attacking Mu Fei alone. Their greatest skill is to conceal themselves, and it was dark at the time. I thought those four ninjas would surely capture or kill him, but unexpectedly, he managed to kill all four ninjas by himself. He really is incredible." As she said this, her eyes sparkled with an unusual light.

 Chapter 1096 - 1139 Aoki Reiko’s Emotions

    Chapter 1096: Chapter 1139 Aoki Reiko¡¯s EmotionsLi Yifei exaggeratedly exclaimed, "That Mu Fei is actually so amazing, judging by the name, he must be one of the Huaxia People, right?"


    "At that time, he was dealing with us as a Taiwanese, but I now know for sure that¡¯s not his real name, so he definitely isn¡¯t Taiwanese either. As a spy, how could he possibly expose his own identity? However, looking at his appearance, he does look more like a Huaxia person, just like you."


    "Hehe, if only I were as impressive as him, that would have been great. What happened next? It must have been thrilling, right?" Li Yifei wore a look of "yearning."


    Aoki Reiko glanced at Li Yifei again, then seemed to immerse herself in her memories, squinting at Li Yifei as if seeing Mu Fei in him, and said, "When Mr. Mu Fei was fighting those four ninjas, I was tied up in the car, unable to speak. After he killed the ninjas, he was about to leave. At that moment, I felt so angry and annoyed, watching helplessly as a spy stole our nation¡¯s crucial technology."


    Pausing briefly, Aoki Reiko continued, "Just then, military helicopters arrived. I thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape this time, but unexpectedly, the helicopter attacked the car I was in first, where the important technology was, completely disregarding my presence in the car."


    Li Yifei gasped, "You were tied up in the car? Wasn¡¯t that too dangerous?"


    "Yes, but at that time, being inside the car, I had no idea. I just saw Mr. Mu Fei dash to the car and before I could react, I was already out of the car. Immediately after, there was a loud explosion, and the RV was destroyed."


    Li Yifei let out a breath, "That was really dangerous, but that Mu Fei is quite something to have saved you in the end."


    "Yes, spies like him are supposed to do whatever it takes to complete their missions, yet he took a great risk to save me. He carried me and jumped into the sea, and that was when I realized he was severely injured by the blast wave. If not for saving me, he wouldn¡¯t have been hurt." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Even though he saved you, he must have stolen your country¡¯s secrets. In the end, it must have been a guilty conscience, nothing praiseworthy."


    Li Yifei noticed Aoki Reiko¡¯s mesmerized expression and became even more alarmed. Clearly, Aoki Reiko had developed special feelings for Mu Fei, which was a very troubling matter. He hastily spoke disparagingly of himself.


    "Yes, I really should hate him, even if he saved me, it doesn¡¯t outweigh the harm he did. Later, we jumped into the sea, the two of us..." Aoki Reiko paused, her eyes watery and her brows softened, her lips slightly curled into a sweet smile, it took a while before she said, "You carried me swimming in the ocean for so long, the water cold, also dodging planes from above. If I were alone, or if it were someone else, I would have died long ago, yet I miraculously survived."


    Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t mention the Breathing Transition underwater, but Li Yifei understood from her expression that her remembrance of their time underwater was causing it.


    "Later, he secretly took me onto a battleship. He was really amazing. Despite the large size of the battleship, no one noticed he had sneaked me onboard. What¡¯s more outrageous is that he took me directly to the captain¡¯s quarters and eventually even hijacked the battleship, making a successful escape."


    This part, Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t mention how Li Yifei threatened her or anything that happened inside the cabin. Those were her secrets, and remembering them always brought her profound sweetness.


    After Aoki Reiko finished, the car fell silent, only moving forward steadily. Roadside lamps were already lit, casting a peculiar glow on both their faces inside the car.


    Aoki Reiko kept looking sideways at Li Yifei, wondering how she would react if Mu Fei were driving. Should she scold him or confess her affection? Aoki Reiko was confused herself.


    By this time, Li Yifei had reached Mile City. He was truly frightened of being with Aoki Reiko and said, "Miss Reiko, we¡¯ve reached Mile City. I¡¯ll arrange a hotel for you to rest properly. How does that sound?"


    Aoki Reiko kept staring blankly at Li Yifei, unresponsive. Li Yifei coughed lightly and raised his voice to repeat what he just said.


    "Then, thank you," Aoki Reiko finally responded, but her face showed a tinge of loss and gloom.


    Li Yifei hurriedly sent Aoki Reiko to a nearby hotel, reluctantly helping her check into a room and accompanied her there. These were actions Li Yifei did not want to undertake, but as the head of a company, when dealing with an heiress of a major conglomerate like Aoki Reiko, it was a necessary courtesy.


    "Okay, get some rest. I need to hurry home or my family will worry."


    Li Yifei stood at the door without entering.


    Aoki Reiko nodded, "Thank you again."


    With a smile, Li Yifei turned and left. Neither had asked for the other¡¯s phone number.


    Aoki Reiko watched Li Yifei¡¯s figure disappear down the staircase, her eyes suddenly changing as she murmured to herself: "If you don¡¯t come to see me tomorrow, it would mean you are Mu Fei."


    This line of thought was reasonable, considering she had already mentioned her plans to expand in Huaxia. Any CEO, even if temporarily not thinking about a collaboration with the Aoki Group, would definitely want to maintain a good relationship with her¡ªWho knows if there would be a chance to cooperate in the future? Li Yifei had no reason not to seek her out, unless he was indeed Mu Fei and therefore afraid to meet her.


    By the time Li Yifei got home, it was almost four o¡¯clock. After parking his car, he tiptoed towards his villa. At this hour, everyone else was still asleep, so he opted not to disturb them.


    Suddenly, a dangerous aura approached from above, and Li Yifei quickly stepped back, only to see a shadow plunging from the sky with two palms striking towards his chest.


    "Shanshan, it¡¯s me." Li Yifei quickly whispered. With such skill and being here, it could only be Xu Shanshan.


    The person indeed was Xu Shanshan, who instantly withdrew her strength in her palms, then spread her arms wide and like a little swallow, threw herself onto Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan and spun around in place, whispering softly, "Why haven¡¯t you gone to sleep yet?"


    Hanging onto Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan answered, "What do you mean, sleep? I woke up to use the bathroom, and when I heard footsteps, I thought it was a burglar."


    "Heh, your vigilance has really increased now."


    "That¡¯s right¡ªI am now as skilled as you are."


    "Okay, master, is it time to go back to sleep now?"


    "Brother-in-law, in such a beautiful moment, you want me to go back to sleep by myself? Isn¡¯t that a mood killer?"


    Li Yifei chuckled softly, "It seems it really is." Then he carried Xu Shanshan and jumped into her villa.


    Having been apart for a long time, their reunion naturally ignited a passionate fire¡ªa flurry of kisses and then the shedding of clothes, ready to engage in their most beloved activity.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to proceed as usual, Xu Shanshan held him tight and seductively said, "Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t you go straight in from the front this time? That way my sister won¡¯t have any feelings, and she won¡¯t have anything to complain about again."


    A surge of excitement washed over Li Yifei. Their affair had reached a point of no return. Regardless, he was determined to keep Xu Shanshan by his side, so he had no objections to proceeding.


    Previously, they had never taken the traditional path¡ªone, because Xu Shanshan was deceiving herself by not breaking the conventional barriers, supposedly not overstepping her sister¡¯s bounds, and secondly, in case they were exposed, at least there was an excuse.


    However, now that Xu Yingying was aware of the intimacy, continuing in the old way would only expose them further. Thus, Xu Shanshan no longer insisted on her previous thoughts.


    "Shanshan, are you really sure?" Li Yifei gently kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s earlobe, his warm breath teasing her ear.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s heart fluttered, her eyes half-open, she murmured enticingly, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ve made up my mind. I don¡¯t want every time to feel that soul-stirring sensation through my sister. I want to experience it myself. Brother-in-law, don¡¯t hold back, treat me just like you treat my sister¡ªgo all out."


    "Silly girl, it¡¯s your first time, and that might hurt you." As he spoke, Li Yifei kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s cheek. Since it was her first time, he wanted to create a perfect ambiance for her.


    "It¡¯s okay. Now that my skills have improved, as long as I¡¯m careful, it shouldn¡¯t hurt much. Besides, if I really can¡¯t handle it, I wouldn¡¯t have suggested it. Brother-in-law, are you ready?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s body squirmed gently in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, the friction making him feel blissful beyond words.


    Unable to resist any longer, Li Yifei, kissing Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips softly, whispered, "Shanshan, I¡¯m coming now."


    "Mm!" Xu Shanshan responded with a murmur, already capturing Li Yifei¡¯s lips, her agile little tongue darting into his mouth. She too was deeply moved and impatient.

 Chapter 1097 - 1140: A Last Minute Kick

    Chapter 1097: Chapter 1140: A Last Minute KickLi Yifei, over the past two years, already had twelve women accompanying him at home. Among them, Xu Yingying was the one he spent the most time with, but it seemed that even Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t compare to Xu Shanshan. Whenever Shanshan was with Li Yifei, he always felt more relaxed and happy. Whenever there was a problem, Shanshan would help him think of ways to solve it, even if it was about romantic issues.


    Li Yifei had long been used to having Xu Shanshan by his side. If now he had to choose only one person to stay by his side, Li Yifei himself really couldn¡¯t decide. However, deep down, he felt that it should probably be Xu Shanshan who stayed with him.


    In these two years, the feelings he had for Xu Shanshan had already transcended friendship, kinship, and romance. It was a special kind of emotion that absolutely couldn¡¯t be expressed with adjectives.


    Now the two were finally about to breach the last defense. Li Yifei was truly excited, but his movements were still so gentle. This was his treasure; he couldn¡¯t bear to let Xu Shanshan get hurt even a bit.


    However, just as Li Yifei reached the door, ready to sneak inside, Xu Shanshan suddenly pushed him hard and sat up.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong?" Xu Shanshan had used a lot of force, and Li Yifei wasn¡¯t prepared at all; he was pushed so hard that he almost flew toward the wall. Li Yifei quickly braced himself against the wall and flipped back onto the bed, looking at Xu Shanshan in surprise.


    Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue, kissed Li Yifei, and said with a giggle, "No no, not now."


    "Why?"


    "I can¡¯t really explain it clearly, but I just feel it¡¯s not the right time yet. If my sister finds out I¡¯ve lost my virginity, she will definitely catch the guy, and where would I find that man? If I really find a stand-in, could you really withstand having to act all intimate in front of my sister?"


    "I couldn¡¯t bear it!" Li Yifei immediately widened his eyes and declared, "Then I would definitely crush that kid¡¯s nuts."


    "Giggle, exactly, so we can¡¯t right now. Plus, if my sister finds out I have a man, she would be even more awkward. Then our situation would become much more troublesome, so let¡¯s just wait."


    Listening to Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei thought it made sense, but he bitterly smiled and said, "You little stinker, you¡¯ve riled up all my passion. I thought tonight would be the most soul-stirring night with you, but it ended up being nothing."


    "Stinky brother-in-law, can¡¯t I also satisfy you? So, my way doesn¡¯t satisfy you?"


    "Hehe, let¡¯s just try then. Your skills have improved lately; I wonder how much your skills have improved in bed."


    "Well, you just watch."


    As Xu Shanshan spoke, she had already pounced on Li Yifei, knocking him down on the bed, and they began doing what they usually did. They were already adept at it, and since Xu Shanshan was special, they didn¡¯t even need any lubricant, making everything much smoother.


    Xu Shanshan had previously learned dancing, so her body¡¯s flexibility was indescribably good, and her stamina was very robust. Now with her superior skills, her body was even stronger. When doing it, her combativeness was overwhelming, and many moves that couldn¡¯t normally be performed were no problem now. Although they didn¡¯t truly use that method tonight, it still delighted Li Yifei nearly to the heavens.


    The two went at it until past six in the morning, and then Li Yifei finally left Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa and returned to his own. Everyone had to work early today, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if people saw them.


    In the morning, everyone was somewhat surprised to see Li Yifei. Li Yifei explained how he had to run back last night to avoid Su¡¯s Third Eldest, which made everyone chuckle. Because of the previous incident, everyone had a good impression of Su¡¯s Third Eldest. Even though he was a bit eccentric, he had stepped in during a critical time for the Li family, which was enough for everyone to remember him for a lifetime.


    "Yingying, you need to accompany me to meet someone today."


    Xu Yingying elegantly wiped her mouth with a tissue. Living here and being attended to daily had added an elegant and refined touch to Xu Yingying, making her seem even more like a noble lady. "Meet who?"


    "Miss Reiko Aoki, the heiress of Aoki Group."


    "What? She came looking for you?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei in astonishment, and the other women also stared at him in amazement. During his previous trip to Japan, although Li Yifei didn¡¯t talk about national secrets, he had told them about Aoki Reiko. Now anything involving women, Li Yifei was completely transparent to his wives at home, except about Xu Shanshan.


    "I feel it¡¯s a bit troublesome. Last time, what I did was almost intended to make her hate me, but who knew she would develop a special kind of affection for that version of me, and she still hasn¡¯t stopped thinking about me. Now I¡¯m really in a big mess. She even almost recognized me last night. Although I didn¡¯t give myself away then, I believe she¡¯s still suspicious, so the matter I¡¯m handling now absolutely can¡¯t go wrong. It¡¯s not just about my personal issue¡ªit also involves national concerns. If the Japanese officials find out I¡¯m the one who stole important items from them, they definitely won¡¯t let it go."


    Everyone was prepared to tease Li Yifei a bit, but when they heard him say this, they quickly got serious, deciding not to go to the office for now, and instead focus on how to deal with the troublesome Aoki Reiko.


    Following the conversation Li Yifei had with Aoki Reiko last night, everyone finally agreed to let Xu Yingying and Xiao Ling¡¯er accompany Li Yifei to meet Aoki Reiko. Xu Yingying, being Li Yifei¡¯s legal wife, definitely needed to make an appearance, while Xiao Ling¡¯er, being rather clever and adept at lying without giving anything away, would ensure stable interaction, as others might not be as reliable.


    However, Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er did not go immediately; Li Yifei going without sleep for a night was fine, but Aoki Reiko, having not slept all night, would certainly be exhausted and was likely sleeping deeply in the hotel, and disturbing her then would obviously be impolite. Thus, Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er only went to the hotel around noon.


    Using the hotel¡¯s internal phone, they called Aoki Reiko¡¯s room, and the call was quickly connected. The voice on the other end, conveying a Japanese accent in her Chinese, said: "Hello."


    "Miss Reiko, hello, this is Li Yifei, sorry to disturb your rest."


    "No, I¡¯m already up." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then perhaps Miss Reiko hasn¡¯t had lunch yet? May I have the honor to have lunch with you, along with my wife?"


    "Sure."


    "I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the lobby downstairs."


    In less than ten minutes, Aoki Reiko came downstairs. Today, she wore a long dress, pale blue in color, which gave her an elegant and dignified appearance. Coupled with the inherent humility of Japanese women, her demeanor was extraordinarily graceful, though her face did show signs of fatigue, clearly not having slept well last night nor this morning.


    Li Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er went to meet her, and Li Yifei said with concern, "Miss Reiko, it seems you haven¡¯t rested well. Had I known, I would have let you sleep a bit longer."


    Aoki Reiko smiled politely, "I¡¯ve slept quite well, at least it was one of the better nights I¡¯ve had these days."


    "Let me introduce you, this is Xiao Ling¡¯er, my girlfriend."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately extended her hand, saying, "Hello Miss Reiko."


    Aoki Reiko shook hands with Xiao Ling¡¯er, sizing her up, and commented, "Miss Ling¡¯er you are very pretty, no wonder Yifei likes you."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, who had enjoyed visiting Japan and even lived there for six months, had no problem communicating in normal Japanese. She replied with a sweet smile, "My husband treats all of us very well."


    Aoki Reiko looked at Xiao Ling¡¯er somewhat surprised, and said, "So you already know about Yifei..."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, smiling even more brightly, said, "Yes, Sister Yingying is really busy with work at her company today, otherwise she would have come to meet you. Right now, I can only represent her; I hope Miss Reiko doesn¡¯t mind."


    Aoki Reiko, seeing no trace of falsity or dissatisfaction on Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s face, only a full sense of happiness, was quite puzzled. In some special countries in Africa, maybe, but this was Huaxia, isn¡¯t it supposed to be monogamous? Yet Xiao Ling¡¯er managed to get along well with Li Yifei¡¯s wife and other women, an idea quite unimaginable to her.


    At this moment, Li Yifei interjected, "Miss Reiko, let¡¯s go have lunch together. I¡¯ll take you to try some local specialties of Mile City."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er also immediately linked her arm with Aoki Reiko¡¯s, saying, "Right, let¡¯s go eat."


    Aoki Reiko followed them out of the hotel and got into Li Yifei¡¯s car. Initially, she came to test whether Li Yifei was really Mu Fei, but now it didn¡¯t seem likely. In her heart, Mu Fei shouldn¡¯t be such a philanderer, which made her somewhat disappointed yet also somewhat relieved. If Li Yifei were really Mu Fei, she wouldn¡¯t have accepted it.


    However, Aoki Reiko was still grateful for Li Yifei¡¯s assistance last night, so her heart was now at peace, taking it as giving thanks to Li Yifei, and thinking about what she might be able to do for him in return.

 Chapter 1098 - 1141: Li Yifei’s Arrangement

    Chapter 1098: Chapter 1141: Li Yifei¡¯s ArrangementLi Yifei and Xiao Ling¡¯er brought Aoki Reiko to Wang Lin¡¯s private restaurant, where Wang Lin¡¯s cooking skills were quite remarkable. Surely it would satisfy Aoki Reiko.


    Before coming, Li Yifei had already called Wang Lin. As such, upon their arrival, not only was Wang Lin waiting at the entrance, but Brother Hu was there too. Brother Hu had completely risen in status recently. The entire underground forces of Mile City had come under his control, so he was brimming with vigor, a stark contrast to his previously dejected demeanor.


    Brother Hu knew full well where all his success had come from, and he was very aware of the extent of Li Yifei¡¯s influence. Even though he now possessed all this, if Li Yifei looked at him unfavorably, everything he had would vanish into thin air. Therefore, he felt not only gratitude towards Li Yifei but also reverence. Hearing that Li Yifei was coming, he immediately put aside his work to accompany him personally.


    However, both of them were now standing behind the young girl Jiang Ningxiang, which put her in the spotlight. To outsiders, it seemed as though Jiang Ningxiang was the owner, and Brother Hu and Wang Lin were merely her followers.


    At this moment, however, Jiang Ningxiang seemed a bit flustered. She glanced at Li Yifei and quickly lowered her head, and a blush rapidly spread across her cheeks.


    "What are you doing? I¡¯m just bringing guests for a meal, and you¡¯re all setting up a welcome?" Li Yifei appreciated Brother Hu¡¯s respect, but when it was necessary, he exerted pressure on Brother Hu. However, in normal times, he wanted Brother Hu to have a relaxed mindset. Only by doing so could he truly keep Brother Hu in his grasp.


    Brother Hu and Wang Lin had always believed that Jiang Ningxiang would surely become Li Yifei¡¯s woman, even if not now, definitely in the future. Thus, they deliberately pushed her forward today, hoping to facilitate interaction between Jiang Ningxiang and Li Yifei. But seeing Jiang Ningxiang with her head bowed, not daring to speak, Brother Hu had to say, "Young Master Li, when you arrive, how could we not come out to welcome you?"


    Wang Lin¡¯s gaze shifted to Xiao Ling¡¯er and Aoki Reiko, and she couldn¡¯t help but take a few more looks. The two women were so beautiful, especially their aura, which made it clear they were not ordinary people and certainly came from no simple background. As the owner of a restaurant, she was quite confident in her own judgment.


    Seeing that Li Yifei had brought two women, Wang Lin felt it was inappropriate to push Jiang Ningxiang forward at this moment. She smiled and said, "Young Master Li, please come inside quickly. We¡¯ve prepared everything for you. I will personally cook today, and I guarantee you will be satisfied with the meal."


    Li Yifei smiled and nodded, "That would be great. Thank you for your trouble."


    Li Yifei, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Aoki Reiko entered the private room together, and then Wang Lin and the others left.


    Speaking Japanese, Li Yifei smiled and said to Aoki Reiko, "Miss Reiko, the owner of this place is an excellent cook, and the food is quite delicious. However, I¡¯m not sure if it will suit your taste."


    Aoki Reiko smiled lightly, "I really like Chinese cuisine, which is much more diverse than our Japanese cuisine. I¡¯ve had a lot of Chinese food these past few days and it¡¯s truly delicious."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "Miss Reiko, I also owe it to you for finding such a great place. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have known about it." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko squinted her eyes and said, "It seems like Feijun rarely takes Miss Ling¡¯er out?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed, "He¡¯s a busy man with a lot of work. We mostly eat at home, so it¡¯s indeed rare for us to go out for meals."


    "Oh, do you have any complaints?"


    "No, not at all. Yifei is really good to us. Whenever he has time, he accompanies us. It¡¯s just that for some things, we really don¡¯t have the time to do them." While speaking, Xiao Ling¡¯er looped her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s and rested her head on his shoulder, a look of bliss across her face.


    This wasn¡¯t for show to Aoki Reiko; Xiao Ling¡¯er genuinely felt this way. Since being with Li Yifei, while it wasn¡¯t like her girlish fantasies with her beloved man among flowers under the moon every day, she did feel an extraordinary sense of warmth. Li Yifei¡¯s affection for her was deeply satisfying.


    Aoki Reiko could also sense the happiness emanating from Xiao Ling¡¯er, and shook her head, truly unable to comprehend this family.


    At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Jiang Ningxiang came in, bringing tea, and said softly, "Young Master Li, do you need anything else?"


    Li Yifei waved his hand, "Nothing else needed."


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll pour the tea for you." As Jiang Ningxiang said this and poured tea for the three of them, she intended to start with Li Yifei, but he quickly pointed to Aoki Reiko, "This is our guest, pour for the guest first."


    Jiang Ningxiang hastily poured for Aoki Reiko, then for Xiao Ling¡¯er, and finally for Li Yifei, who was closest to her.


    However, as she poured tea for Li Yifei, her face flushed again, and her hand shook involuntarily, tilting the teapot so that the tea spilled onto the table and splashed onto Li Yifei.


    At that moment, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t looking at Jiang Ningxiang and thus didn¡¯t notice what happened until he heard the sound and it was too late.


    "Young Master Li, I am so sorry!" Jiang Ningxiang was extremely flustered. She hurriedly set down the teapot and grabbed some paper napkins to wipe the water off Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t take it seriously. There weren¡¯t many water stains on his clothes anyway, so he casually grabbed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s wrist and said, "It¡¯s okay, no worries, I¡¯ll just wipe it off myself."


    But Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body stiffened, and she stammered, "Young Master Li... I... I¡¯m so sorry, I... I can¡¯t afford to compensate for your clothes."


    "Compensate..." Li Yifei paused for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, releasing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand. As he wiped his clothes, he said, "It¡¯s just a little water, do you need to compensate for that?"


    Jiang Ningxiang sighed in relief and said, "Ah, no need to compensate? Then I can rest assured. Young Master Li¡¯s clothes must be very expensive. Last time someone¡¯s clothes got dirty in our store, they had to pay 10,000 yuan."


    "That¡¯s a rip-off. Alright, go on and get back to your work, there¡¯s nothing for you here."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly stepped out, but Xiao Ling¡¯er took a second glance at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "That was Jiang Ningxiang, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er had never seen Jiang Ningxiang before, but she¡¯d heard Li Yifei and Ning Xin¡¯er mention her, so she had some impression of her. Now, seeing her in person, Xiao Ling¡¯er felt that the girl was really quite nice. Compared to the women back home, she wasn¡¯t particularly outstanding, but what caught her attention the most was Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s shy demeanor ¨C did it mean something was not quite normal between her and Li Yifei?


    However, looking at Li Yifei, he seemed unfazed, probably thinking that the girl had a crush on him. But now, Li Yifei¡¯s taste had evidently become more selective, and not just any beauty could tempt him. In fact, even the most beautiful woman might not stir his heart nowadays.


    Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t understand what was just said. Xiao Ling¡¯er didn¡¯t ask Li Yifei any more about it and resumed chatting with Aoki Reiko.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er had traveled around the world over the years, her experiences were quite extensive. She was very familiar with Japan and found many common topics to discuss with Aoki Reiko.


    Soon, the dishes arrived, and the three of them ate and talked. Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t stop praising Wang Lin¡¯s cooking. It¡¯s just that locals don¡¯t usually find their own cuisine very special, but always appreciate food from other countries. It¡¯s like the Japanese restaurants in Huaxia, which are really popular and expensive too.


    "Feijun, could I visit your company?" After finishing their meal, Aoki Miss Reiko had a new request.


    Li Yifei apologetically said, "Miss Reiko, I¡¯m really sorry, but I have some important work this afternoon and won¡¯t be able to accompany you. However, I can ask Ling¡¯er to be with you. I hope you won¡¯t mind."


    Aoki Reiko nodded and said, "Then I won¡¯t trouble you, Feijun. Miss Ling¡¯er, I¡¯ll be in your care."


    "Sure, no problem. It would be my honor to serve as Miss Reiko¡¯s guide."


    Li Yifei arranged a car for Aoki Reiko and Xiao Ling¡¯er to leave first, while he stayed behind as he had some matters to discuss with Brother Hu.


    Brother Hu knew Li Yifei had stayed back for a reason and quickly came in to listen to Li Yifei¡¯s instructions.


    "Brother Hu, I need you to take care of some business for me," Li Yifei said with a very serious expression.


    Brother Hu immediately replied, "Young Master Li, no matter what it is, if you ask me to do it, I¡¯ll do it without question."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "This task is dangerous, you could even lose your life. I¡¯m warning you now, and you don¡¯t have to rush to respond. If you don¡¯t want to do it, I won¡¯t force you."


    "No need, I¡¯m definitely going to do it. My life was given to me by you, Young Master Li. I have already entrusted my life to you."


    Li Yifei was very pleased with Brother Hu¡¯s response and slowly said, "I need you to go to the provincial city and make a name for yourself there. But don¡¯t be rash; just get settled first. Keep a low profile, but also be ready for conflicts. I¡¯m not confident about others handling this, but you¡¯re familiar with this kind of thing, so I thought of you."


    Brother Hu clenched his fists with fervent excitement and said, "Young Master Li, I will definitely take on this task." Although Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been very explicit, Brother Hu understood immediately ¨C Li Yifei was planning to expand into the provincial city. Mile City was too small for Li Yifei, and Brother Hu couldn¡¯t miss out on such a monumental venture. Of course, he had to be at the forefront, where the greatest merit lay.

 Chapter 1099 - 1142: The Change in Yiyi’s Father

    Chapter 1099: Chapter 1142: The Change in Yiyi¡¯s FatherLi Yifei didn¡¯t have such grand ambitions; all he wanted was for his family to develop well enough, but this trip to Capital City endowed this simple wish with greater responsibility. This meant Li Yifei had to start taking action. Although he wasn¡¯t yet strong enough to take on the provincial city, making some preparations in advance was essential. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brother Hu took on the task with absolute excitement. Following Li Yifei¡¯s orders, the very next day he rushed to the provincial city. Li Yifei didn¡¯t detail how it should be done, but if Brother Hu needed Li Yifei to instruct him on everything, then he would seem utterly useless.


    Aoki Reiko, accompanied by Xiao Ling¡¯er, also got to know Li Yifei¡¯s company. She recognized that although these companies had been established at different times, their achievements indicated that Li Yifei must be a successful businessman. To reach this level, it would require a great deal of effort, something a spy could not have accomplished, which meant Li Yifei definitely couldn¡¯t be Mu Fei.


    This realization left Aoki Reiko somewhat disappointed, so in the end, she retained the notion of showing gratitude by looking around here, and perhaps cooperate with Li Yifei¡¯s company in the future if the opportunity arose; otherwise, her interest faded.


    The next day, Aoki Reiko left Mile City, which was a relief for Li Yifei.


    If it had been just an ordinary girl, even if caught up with her, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t have been too worried, but Aoki Reiko¡¯s identity was too sensitive. Moreover, Aoki Reiko was a very patriotic woman. If she found out that he was the real Mu Fei, the consequences would be too significant for Li Yifei to bear, so he did not dare let Aoki Reiko recognize him.


    With Aoki Reiko gone, Li Yifei and his family devoted themselves to arranging the relocation ceremony. This event was also significant, so Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare be the least bit negligent. He invited leaders from Mile City and important figures from all walks of life. This was an opportunity for the Li family to showcase its strength. From this weekend on, the Li family would be the foremost family in Mile City.


    To resist external threats, one must first ensure internal stability. This time, Li Yifei was determined to put his household in order to avoid future worries.


    On Wednesday, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents had already arrived in Mile City and were staying in the Li family compound. The servants respectfully addressed them as "Lord" and "Lady." Even though all four elders only nodded solemnly in person, they were extremely delighted behind closed doors.


    But of course, they couldn¡¯t let them know the current situation of the household just yet; they definitely would find it hard to accept.


    On Thursday, Su Yiyi brought her father over, a once avid gambler who seemed much more spirited now. Li Yifei had bought him a storefront that he was renting out. With an annual rental income of seventy to eighty thousand yuan, the rent was prepaid, giving him a year¡¯s rent in advance, so his current life was quite comfortable.


    It could be that Li Yifei had given him a tough lesson, or maybe it was just that he¡¯d aged and finally wanted to live a settled life, but he had not gambled since, much to Su Yiyi¡¯s relief.


    Before coming this time, Su Yiyi had already briefed her father about the Li family¡¯s current situation. Instead of being excited by Li Yifei¡¯s wealth, her father was somewhat worried: "Yiyi, have you really thought this through? Our family has nothing, I can¡¯t give you anything to be proud of, and you¡¯ll have to be taken care of by others. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to hold your head up high in the future. Otherwise... let¡¯s just find an honest man for you to marry. We don¡¯t need the storefront he gave us. I can work and support myself, and I won¡¯t be a burden to you."


    Su Yiyi looked at her father in surprise, never expecting him to say such things. It was a father¡¯s love for his daughter, a sentiment that seemed to have been missing for the past five or six years.


    "Dad!" Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes reddened and she choked up: "Dad, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m really doing well there. This time, I¡¯m inviting you to attend the joy of our new home¡¯s relocation. Once you¡¯re there, you can see for yourself what kind of life I¡¯m leading, and you won¡¯t worry anymore."


    "Alright! Then Dad will go have a look. If I find out that you¡¯re being mistreated, I¡¯ll take you back."


    Su Yiyi was deeply touched¡ªthis was her father, this was the affection between father and daughter. She would cherish and take good care of such a father in the future.


    Upon arriving at the Li family, as they entered through the front gate, the security guard respectfully greeted, "Miss Su."


    Su Yiyi smiled slightly, saying: "Hello, this is my father. He¡¯ll be staying here for a few days and might come by often in the future. Please help him with the identity verification."


    "Of course, Elder Su, please come with us."


    Outside the gate, Su Yiyi¡¯s father had already seen the tall walls and the imposing gate, feeling that the Li family was really too grandiose. As for the identity verification, he didn¡¯t understand at all, and he followed them bewilderedly, going through several electronic devices as instructed before being led back out.


    "Yiyi, what was all that about?" Su Yiyi¡¯s father whispered to her.


    Su Yiyi softly explained: "Our family¡¯s gate is not something anyone can just walk through. Ordinary people need to be announced and granted permission to enter. Once our own family members complete the identity verification, the guards will recognize them, and they will be able to come and go freely in the future."


    "Shouldn¡¯t the guards be some old men or something? Why do I see only young guys?"


    "Dad, our Li family isn¡¯t just any household. These guards are the first line of defense for protecting the Li family, all very capable individuals, and are paid high salaries. How could we employ old men?"


    "I see." Su Yiyi¡¯s father grinned a little, looking around. The lavishness inside was dazzling, beyond his comprehension. "This isn¡¯t just someone¡¯s home; it¡¯s practically a park."


    "Miss Su, good day!" Two gardeners saw Su Yiyi, quickly stopped their work, and gave her a bow of respect.


    "Carry on with your work."


    "Miss Su, good day!" Soon after, two nannies passed by.


    Su Yiyi responded again with a nod of her head.


    Seeing how these people were so respectful towards Su Yiyi, her father, who was initially bent over in fear, started to straighten his back more and more. His daughter obviously held a high status here; if he continued to act the way he had been, wouldn¡¯t he just embarrass her?


    Su Yiyi also noticed her father¡¯s change in demeanor and felt happy in her heart. She said, "Dad, you see, here I am the mistress of the Li family. All the security guards and servants in the yard have to listen to me."


    "Oh oh, I see it now, I used to think you were... haha, the other woman. It seems that¡¯s not the case."


    "Mm-hmm, it¡¯s not. Here, all of Yifei¡¯s women are treated the same. The servants and security guards here know this too, and they dare not treat us differently."


    "Mm-hmm, that reassures me."


    After walking for over ten minutes, Su Yiyi led her father to her own villa and said, "Dad, this is where I live."


    A girl of about twenty years old immediately came to greet them. She was Su Yiyi¡¯s nanny, Li¡¯er. After introducing her father to Li¡¯er, Li¡¯er respectfully said, "Elder lord, good day, please take a seat. I¡¯ll make some tea for you."


    "No... there¡¯s no need to trouble yourself."


    Su Yiyi pulled her father inside, saying, "Dad, it¡¯s fine."


    When they reached the sofa, Su Yiyi¡¯s father did not sit down immediately; looking at the high-grade sofa, he was somewhat reluctant to sit down. In the end, Su Yiyi had to insist he sit.


    "Do several people live here?" Su Yiyi¡¯s father could tell from the outside how good this villa was. A villa like this would sell for at least two to three million, even in a city like Mile City.


    "This is my villa, but it¡¯s not only me living here, Li¡¯er also lives here. She is responsible for taking care of me."


    "A villa this big just for one person?" Su Yiyi¡¯s father was astonished.


    "Yes, each of us has our own separate villa, and each has a dedicated nanny." Saying this, Su Yiyi was quite proud, and then went on to say, "If you move in here in the future, you can just live with me."


    "Great!" Su Yiyi¡¯s father immediately agreed excitedly, but then shook his head and laughed, "No, no. Seeing that you¡¯re living so well, I¡¯m already at ease. Staying here, I¡¯d only affect you negatively. If someone else had been treated by their father the way you were treated by me, they would have disowned me by now. Now you¡¯ve even bought me a shop to ensure my livelihood for the rest of my life; I am truly content."


    Knowing that such a large villa was inhabited by Su Yiyi alone put her father more at ease. If there were other women living there, he would be afraid that they might dislike him. If he dirtied something in the villa accidentally, they might have complaints, which could cause trouble for his daughter.


    Su Yiyi quickly said, "Dad, don¡¯t worry, Yifei won¡¯t be angry, and the others won¡¯t look down on you. They¡¯re like real sisters to me."


    "No, Dad knows you¡¯re filial, but now I am happy living outside. If I were here, I¡¯d surely feel uncomfortable, especially in the presence of your...man. I would always feel awkward."


    Su Yiyi too felt a bit embarrassed - after all, Li Yifei had once beaten her father. It would be awkward for a father-in-law and a son-in-law to be together.


    Her father chuckled and said, "However, I¡¯m really grateful to him now. If it weren¡¯t for him, I¡¯d still be gambling every day, causing more harm to you, or even dead at someone¡¯s hands by now. I wouldn¡¯t have the life I have now. All of this is thanks to him. I¡¯m genuinely happy in my heart that you¡¯re with him. If your mother could see how good your life is, she would be extremely happy too."


    The father and daughter fell into a moment of silence but their bond as parent and child had become much closer.

 Chapter 1100 - 1143: Eve of the Celebration

    Chapter 1100: Chapter 1143: Eve of the CelebrationIn the evening, everyone made a special trip to visit Su Yiyi¡¯s father, and they were highly respectful towards him. Despite his past as a gambling addict and his poverty, he was still Su Yiyi¡¯s father, and they had to show him sufficient respect.


    This left Su Yiyi¡¯s father pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed. However, seeing the beautiful women around, he was also worried. He always thought his daughter was very beautiful and hence would be highly favored here, but now he realized that the girls here were each more beautiful than the next, and Su Yiyi¡¯s appearance did not stand out.


    However, Li Yifei did not come over, as he had a dinner to attend this evening, which spared Su Yiyi¡¯s father some awkwardness.


    Tonight, Su Yiyi¡¯s father enjoyed delicacies he usually didn¡¯t have the chance to eat. After dinner, he walked around the garden-like courtyard before returning late to sleep in a room that was like those in a star-rated hotel, feeling as if he were dreaming.


    Today, Su Yiyi did not arrange for her father to meet Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents. It was fine for her father, but there would definitely be issues with Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s fathers, so they decided to wait and meet together on Saturday.


    On Friday, the Li family¡¯s house was even busier. The first to arrive were He Fangqing¡¯s parents, specially picked up by her. Her parents were ordinary people working in a government agency without significant authority, especially her father, who was very stubborn and principled. He had never been corrupt or taken advantage of his position, which was exactly why He Fangqing found him challenging.


    Li Yifei and He Fangqing went to the airport to pick them up together. Upon seeing Li Yifei, He Fangqing¡¯s mother scrutinized him and smiled, clearly satisfied with him, while her father remained stern and silent.


    Once in the car, He Fangqing sat in the front while her parents sat in the back. Finally, her father spoke.


    "Do you know Fangqing has been divorced before?"


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Yes, uncle, I am aware."


    "Then, with your conditions, what kind of girl could you not find? Why choose our Fangqing?" He Fangqing¡¯s father did not like these wealthy individuals. He preferred his daughter to marry a sincere, ordinary man. His previous son-in-law appeared too slick, which made him uneasy.


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "It¡¯s all about fate. Fangqing and I get along well, and we have a great relationship. I don¡¯t care if Fangqing has been married before. I only know that she likes me now and wants to be with me, and that¡¯s enough."


    "Do you intend to marry Fangqing?"


    "Yes."


    "Would you be willing to joint own the family assets as shared property with your spouse?"


    He Fangqing¡¯s mother immediately said, "You old man, why bring this up?" But she was eyeing Li Yifei, indicating that this matter was very important to her. Whether a man is willing to spend money on a woman signifies his affection, and in the case of a wealthy person, his willingness to share his assets even more so illustrates the sincerity of his intentions to marry.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Everything I own will be shared with Fangqing. When we marry, I will certainly follow what uncle and aunt suggest."


    "Are you just saying this?" He Fangqing¡¯s father followed up.


    Li Yifei earnestly responded, "Uncle and aunt, without a stable family, no matter how great the achievements, it¡¯s not a success. I will never part from Fangqing in this lifetime, so what¡¯s mine is Fangqing¡¯s."


    He Fangqing¡¯s parents were finally satisfied with Li Yifei¡¯s answer.


    Most importantly, Li Yifei gave a very reliable impression, absolutely not like the previous one, making He Fangqing¡¯s father feel uneasy.


    Upon reaching Li Yifei¡¯s mansion, He Fangqing¡¯s parents were astounded. Although they knew Li Yifei was wealthy, they had never imagined to what extent; it was beyond their imagination.


    After settling He Fangqing¡¯s parents, Li Yifei went to pick up Song Lianyao¡¯s parents, who were businesspeople owning a small factory with assets worth a few million. Businesspeople tend to be more tactful, and given Li Yifei¡¯s wealth, they showed a flattering attitude, making them much easier to deal with. After seeing the Li family¡¯s mansion, both were eager for Song Lianyao to marry Li Yifei immediately, and after settling them, Song Lianyao told her parents that her close friend, Li Xinyue, was also following Li Yifei.


    This left Song Lianyao¡¯s parents somewhat disappointed, yes, just disappointed, not angry. If they only had a daughter and Li Yifei was an orphan, they could have considered this place half their home in the future. Now with others involved, they couldn¡¯t do so.


    Song Lianyao mentioned Li Xinyue precisely because she knew her parents were quite snobbish. If she didn¡¯t let them know early, they would easily get suspicious, and since Li Xinyue was her close friend, her parents would more readily accept her.


    These people had arrived early, and Li Yifei did not accompany them that evening. Although he really had no engagements tonight, dining with anyone would still be problematic, so he simply hid away, deciding to deal with everything tomorrow.


    Saturday, the day before Li Yifei¡¯s grand housewarming celebration, all the family relatives were due to arrive today, otherwise, someone would miss the ceremony scheduled for eight o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the afternoon, several key figures finally arrived. First were the Ye family members with the Old Master of the Ye Family personally attending, besides Ye Yunzhu¡¯s parents and the young girl, Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Li Yifei had just welcomed them when Su¡¯s Third Eldest, the old men from Xiao and Zheng Families also arrived, bringing along several other important members of their families.


    The Old Master of the Ye Family was already a notable figure, but compared to these three families, he was somewhat less significant.


    What made Li Yifei somewhat uneasy was that in addition to these three families, a significant family from the Capital City had also arrived, comprising Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s family, with the Ning Family¡¯s Old Master, her parents, and several other key Ning family members attending.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest clapped Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and chuckled, "I say, kid, you stood me up last time, so this time I brought the Ning family too. You eloped with their daughter, let¡¯s see how they settle this with you."


    Li Yifei knew Grandpa Ning and approached him with an awkward greeting, "Hello, Grandpa Ning."


    Grandpa Ning glared and snapped, "Humph! You scoundrel, eloping with my granddaughter, and you still dare to address me like that? Believe it or not, I could smack your ear!"


    Li Yifei hurriedly replied with a smile, "Yes, yes, Grandpa, if hitting me eases your anger, go ahead."


    "Humph, you think I wouldn¡¯t hit you?" Grandpa Ning, a former high-ranking military officer, still carried an imposing aura, and raised his hand menacingly but eventually patted Li Yifei on the shoulder.


    "Grandpa!" Ning Xin¡¯er approached at that moment.


    "You little rascal, that¡¯s really inappropriate," Grandpa Ning scolded Ning Xin¡¯er, but his eyes softened with affection. Ning Xin¡¯er had always been his most beloved granddaughter, and he had missed her greatly during the years they saw little of each other.


    "Grandpa, I¡¯m wrong, please don¡¯t be mad," she pleaded.


    "If I were truly mad at you, you¡¯d be long gone by now. Where¡¯s my great-granddaughter? Bring her here for me to see."


    Ning Xin¡¯er quickly brought over Little Yifei. The Ning family members crowded around, confusing the little girl slightly, but fortunately, she was now used to having many grandparents around, and she wasn¡¯t shy.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder again and winked, "Kid, you¡¯re really something now. You eloped with their daughter, and they don¡¯t even make a fuss about it. If it were someone else, the Ning family would¡¯ve chopped him up and fed him to the turtles by now."


    Li Yifei understood that the Ning family¡¯s current amiable attitude likely resulted from his recent interactions with several senior officials. Now a highly sought-after figure, these prominent families wouldn¡¯t want to miss such an opportunity.


    Watching the camaraderie between Li Yifei and Su¡¯s Third Eldest made members of the Xiao and Zheng Families envious. If only they hadn¡¯t made poor decisions before, their relationships might not have been as close as Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s, but it would have been much closer than others¡¯. Now, because Ning Xin¡¯er had given birth to Li Yifei¡¯s first child, the Ning family had become closer to Li Yifei than they were.


    Li Yifei led the guests around his estate, and even these prominent families couldn¡¯t help but admire Li Yifei¡¯s home. These influential families could easily establish such a home without much effort, but doing so could attract a lot of criticism, unlike Li Yifei who did it with ease and grace.


    The only families now missing were Li Xinyue¡¯s and Michelle¡¯s. Li Xinyue originally didn¡¯t want her family to come, as she felt strong aversion towards them. But for such a grand event, it would be inappropriate if her family didn¡¯t attend. After some discussion, Li Yifei decided to invite Li Xinyue¡¯s family. Even if her stepmother was not very nice and her brother was somewhat scoundrelly, Li Yifei had many ways to deal with them if they crossed the line.


    As for Michelle¡¯s parents, Li Yifei had not had much contact with them, meeting them only twice before. He planned to personally pick them up later. As the only woman close to Li Yifei besides his wife, he was determined to ensure that Michelle would enter the Li family in full glory.

 Chapter 1101 - 1144: Meeting Between Fathers-in-Law

    Chapter 1101: Chapter 1144: Meeting Between Fathers-in-LawLi Xinyue¡¯s family of three also arrived, they too were picked up by Li Xinyue, arriving at the gate of this grand courtyard in a Mercedes, all three of them were dumbfounded.


    Then Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother excitedly exclaimed, "Xinyue, you... you live here?"


    Li Xinyue, feeling displeased by her stepmother¡¯s expression, held back her disgust on this happy occasion, saying, "Yes."


    "This... it¡¯s a villa, I wonder how much money it must have cost to buy."


    "Over a hundred million," Li Xinyue remarked indifferently.


    She decided to reveal Li Yifei¡¯s family wealth as everyone suggested since her stepmother was calculative and her brother a rascal; this could keep them in check.


    And it seemed the method indeed was somewhat effective; her stepmother¡¯s mouth hung open, stuttering after a long while, "Xinyue, you mean... you¡¯re saying... you married a billionaire?"


    Li Xinyue, linking arms with her father, said, "Yes, Dad, let¡¯s go in."


    "Okay okay!" Li Xinyue¡¯s father¡¯s lips trembled, nodding repeatedly, his steps slightly faltering, while Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother and brother were already excited, eager to go inside and take a look.


    Upon entering the gate, Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother turned into Liu Lao Lao, appearing exactly as Liu Lao Lao did when she first entered Grand View Garden.


    "Sis! This... this is just too big! And so beautiful!"


    "Mmm, let¡¯s go in and take a look. Don¡¯t talk nonsense here, there are many important figures today. If you don¡¯t want to embarrass me, just behave." She could not speak much to her stepmother, but she could be stricter with her brother.


    "Yes, yes, sis, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely behave well and won¡¯t talk nonsense," Li Xinyue¡¯s brother nodded repeatedly, showing obedience for the first time in front of Li Xinyue.


    Li Xinyue was still uneasy, saying, "Let me tell you, there are many senior leaders from the Central Government here today, even our city¡¯s Mayor and Municipal Party Secretary are nothing compared to them. If you cause me trouble, you¡¯ll know the consequences."


    Her brother shrank his neck, saying, "Sis, really?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true. Do you think I¡¯m bluffing? Your brother-in-law is definitely not as simple as you think."


    By then, Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother was too scared to make a sound, and Li Xinyue¡¯s father¡¯s legs trembled even more.


    "Where is brother-in-law?" asked Li Xinyue¡¯s brother.


    "Your brother-in-law is busy; he has gone to pick up a sister¡¯s parents for me. And let me tell you something else, besides me, your brother-in-law has twelve other women."


    "Ah?" The three exclaimed in shock.


    Li Xinyue then said, "If you want me to stand firm here, don¡¯t cause me trouble. My husband won¡¯t treat you badly, but if you make it so I can¡¯t stay, you won¡¯t get anything good."


    "Got it," nodded Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother and brother, not caring whether Li Xinyue was being Li Yifei¡¯s lover or not.


    But Li Xinyue¡¯s father stuttered, saying, "Xinyue, this isn¡¯t..."


    "Dad, I know what you¡¯re going to say, you¡¯ll understand once you go inside. This decision of your daughter is definitely not to bring you disgrace."


    Li Yifei had already arrived at Michelle¡¯s house, who said today she was taking her parents to the company vice-president¡¯s housewarming celebration without mentioning her relationship with Li Yifei.


    Seeing Li Yifei arrived, Michelle¡¯s parents were somewhat surprised; they knew Li Yifei was a top executive in the company, but why would a high-ranking official come to welcome them to a celebration?


    "Uncle, Auntie, can we leave now?" His glance shifted towards Michelle, who was exceptionally beautiful today, dressed in a long gown, her hair done exquisitely, more splendid and elegant than usual.


    Standing behind her parents, Michelle felt the admiration in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes and her smile grew even brighter.


    "Alright, alright, it¡¯s really embarrassing that President Li himself came to pick us up," Michelle¡¯s father appeared a bit awkward.


    "This is how it should be." Li Yifei smiled.


    At this moment, Michelle¡¯s parents weren¡¯t thinking about anything else, because Michelle had just been promoted and was now the Vice-president of the company. Given such a position, it seemed reasonable for a senior executive of the company to come and pick them up; perhaps it was also a sign of the company¡¯s human touch.


    The four of them went downstairs. Li Yifei opened the rear car door for Michelle¡¯s parents to enter, while stealthily pinching Michelle¡¯s hand. Michelle was startled and quickly withdrew her hand, glancing back to see if her parents, who were bending over to get into the car, had noticed. Relieved that they hadn¡¯t seen, she let out a sigh of relief.


    Michelle was actually very nervous today. Today was the crucial moment when her mother was about to discover her relationship with Li Yifei. She was unsure if her parents would agree and had not dared to let them know about it had it not been for everyone¡¯s encouragement.


    Upon arriving at Li Yifei¡¯s house, Michelle¡¯s parents, like everyone else, were completely stunned and somewhat bewilderedly guided inside to settle down.


    Now everyone had brought their parents to their respective villas, so there hadn¡¯t been a meeting between them yet, and momentarily there were no issues.


    All the parents had been brought here, and Li Yifei started the second phase of his plan. The most important were the parents of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong. In their minds, their daughters were the hostesses of the place. Having outsiders participate would definitely be hardest for them to accept, so Li Yifei began by addressing their concerns first.


    Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents were strolling in the garden with Xu Shanshan¡¯s company. Many people had come to the big courtyard today, unfamiliar faces likely important people associated with Li Yifei; they did not intrude but felt puzzled when their granddaughter hadn¡¯t come along, urging Xu Shanshan to bring Little Yifei over.


    "Isn¡¯t Yifei over there?" Xu Shanshan pointed at a crowd ahead.


    Everyone hurried over, and Little Yifei had already spotted Xu Shanshan and others, excitedly shouting, "Grandma, Grandpa!" as she ran towards them, with the group following close behind.


    "Grandma, Grandpa, I have new grandparents now, and even a Great-grandfather!" Little Yifei explained lively, waving her small hand towards the Ning Family.


    "New grandpa?" Xu Zhenguo suddenly looked puzzled at the crowd and upon seeing Ning Xin¡¯er, he instantly understood these must be her family members; having visited here several times before, he had met the girls, including Ning Xin¡¯er, Little Yifei¡¯s biological mother, which he was particularly aware of.


    However, Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai were unaware of Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s background. At that moment, as they looked at the group, they felt a flash of recognition but couldn¡¯t recall where they had seen these people before.


    As the groups merged, Ning Xin¡¯er greeted Xu Zhenguo first, then introduced, "Uncle, auntie, this is my grandfather, my father, and mother; they¡¯ve come to see Yifei too, as well as to attend Yifei¡¯s housewarming celebration. Grandpa, Dad, Mom, these are Yingying¡¯s parents, these are Lin Qiong¡¯s parents."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s grandfather chuckled, "Well, we¡¯re practically family now, and we must get closer in the future."


    Xu Zhenguo frowned secretly. Although Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei had a daughter together, Li Yifei was not with Ning Xin¡¯er at the moment. But why did her grandfather speak as if Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Yifei were together? And what did he mean by "family"?


    "Old Xu, Old Lin, you¡¯re also from the Public Security System, aren¡¯t you?" Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father came forward.


    Both Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai nodded, sizing up Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father. This square-faced man seemed familiar. Xu Zhenguo, puzzled, asked, "Are you also from the Public Security System?"


    "I am indeed an old public security officer, though I¡¯ve never worked in this province. Currently, I work at the Su Province Public Security Bureau."


    "Ah!" Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai gasped in unison; Lin Zhenhai excitedly said, "You¡¯re Director Ning."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father smiled, "What director or not, let¡¯s not talk about that here."


    Xu Zhenguo, excitedly shaking hands with Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father, said, "Director Ning, I truly admire you. In our Public Security System, you, Director Ning, are certainly someone who commands the respect of all police officers."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father sternly noted, "See, here you go again, don¡¯t forget, this is a family gathering for the children, and we are all family here; let¡¯s not mention the unnecessary stuff. I wouldn¡¯t be pleased."


    "Director Ning... haha, big bro, shall we call you big bro?"


    "Let¡¯s compare, see who¡¯s older, otherwise I dare not assume the title of ¡¯brother.¡¯"


    Being able to discuss brotherhood with a Director of the Public Security Bureau thrilled Lin Zhenhai and Xu Zhenguo immensely. Even if other governmental officials held higher ranks, for them, belonging to the same Public Security System brought a profound sense of connection.


    "However, let¡¯s not rush this discussion. Let me introduce others to you. This is Mengxin¡¯s Third Grandpa, this is Ling¡¯er¡¯s grandfather and parents, and Yuling¡¯s grandparents and parents. These folks are all doing better than me."


    This statement startled Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai. Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father being the Director of the Provincial Public Security Bureau was already a high rank, yet these individuals were even more successful than him. Just what levels could they be at?


    However, it wasn¡¯t too strange when thought through, as they were aware of Su Mengxin¡¯s status and knew her friends must also come from substantial backgrounds. Initially, these people presumably came for Su Mengxin, but why were they so enthusiastic about them, even seemingly revering them?


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1102 - 1145: The Mischief-Making Old Child

    Chapter 1102: Chapter 1145: The Mischief-Making Old ChildXu Shanshan winked at Xiao Ling¡¯er and the others, and they all took Little Yifei to play on the side. Matters like these should be handled by the old folks. Their presence here would only make it harder for the elders to save face.


    Meanwhile, the three patriarchs from the Xiao Family, Zheng Family, and Ning Family had already moved aside. It was somewhat beneath their dignity to get involved in these affairs, so they let the people of their generation handle it.


    But Su¡¯s Third Eldest did not leave; he was the only one from the Su Family who came this time. Su Mengxin¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t make it due to some important matters, so he was the sole representative. Besides, Su¡¯s Third Eldest loved lively scenarios, how could he miss such amusing events?


    "Hehe..." After a mischievous laugh, Su¡¯s Third Eldest said to Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai, "Don¡¯t you find it strange to have these people here?"


    "Who is this..." Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai weren¡¯t familiar with this elder. They frowned upon seeing him ¨C dressed in flashy clothes and looking every bit the rogue.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s father hurriedly said, "This is Su Mengxin¡¯s third grandpa, a man who could make Capital City shake with just a stomp of his foot."


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai might not be aware of every prestigious family, but they did know of Su Mengxin¡¯s influence. They knew that Xu Yingying used to work for Su Mengxin, and Li Yifei had received a lot of sponsorship from her. Learning that this man was Su Mengxin¡¯s Third Grandpa, they instantly treated him with respect.


    "Good to see you, Uncle Third."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest waved his hand, smiling cheerily, "None of that Uncle Third business, that kid Yifei and I are friends. Let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. Now listen, haven¡¯t you noticed something odd about these guys?"


    "Uncle Third, this..." Lin Zhenhai and Xu Zhenguo both felt the atmosphere today was unusual, but surrounded by such influential figures, they didn¡¯t dare speak out of turn.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest said with a sly grin, "Hehe, these guys are all up to no good, aiming to snatch your son-in-law for their daughters."


    "What?" Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai gasped in surprise, then simultaneously shook their heads, saying, "Uncle Third, you must be joking?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s smile grew even broader, "Joking? Do I look like I¡¯m joking? You¡¯re both so na?ve. Why would Yifei build such a big garden if not for his own use? Plus, the women living here, if they have no connection to him, do you think he¡¯d be so idle to go out of his way to arrange villas and maids for them?"


    "Uh... This... this..." Lin Zhenhai and Xu Zhenguo were at a loss for words, mouths agape and minds blank.


    The people from the other three families were looking rather embarrassed by now. Even if they came as mediators and were mentally prepared, Su¡¯s Third Eldest¡¯s meddling made things quite awkward.


    "You¡¯re all really too easygoing, unable to see the obvious. Mengxin is currently pregnant with a big belly, and Yunzhu is holding her little daughter, both sired by Yifei."


    Even when talking about his own granddaughter, Su¡¯s Third Eldest wasn¡¯t mincing his words. Seeing the displeased expressions on Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai¡¯s faces only made him laugh even more joyfully.


    Seeing Su¡¯s Third Eldest might mess things up, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father coughed dryly and said, "Old Xu, Old Lin, I know you must be very upset hearing this, but..." He found it hard to express himself but still forced himself to continue, "Initially, we didn¡¯t agree either, but since the kids all want to be with Yifei, we just have to accept it."


    "Director Ning..." Understanding Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father¡¯s point of view, Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai could somewhat relate. After all, Ning Xin¡¯er had already had a child with Li Yifei. With a child involved, it seemed difficult to sever ties with Li Yifei. But what about Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling¡¯s parents? As major figures themselves, did both families really consent?


    And what about Su Mengxin¡¯s status? She could have vied for Li Yifei with her beauty and power and easily won him over ¨C was she planning to follow in Lin Qiong¡¯s footsteps?


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s father also gave a light cough and said, "Old Xu, Old Lin, what the Third Master says is true. This is the consensus among us all."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s father nodded in agreement, "Indeed, we hope you can accept these children."


    It took a while for Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai to gather their wits. Xu Zhenguo stuttered out, "You mean... you all agree with the kids following Yifei just like that?"


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest immediately said with a chuckle, "That¡¯s right, they can¡¯t disagree even if they want to. Their daughter is living with your son-in-law, sleeping in your son-in-law¡¯s bed."


    This turned everyone¡¯s faces dark again. As a grandfather, should he really be speaking like this?


    "But... but considering your statuses, this child... this way..." Lin Zhenhai said stammeringly. If he and Xu Zhenguo tacitly agreed to this matter, then all was well. They were just ordinary people, and a good son-in-law like Li Yifei was indeed hard to find. Plus, with the children willing, they wouldn¡¯t interfere. But these people here, each one a significant figure, actually agreeing to such things... wasn¡¯t that absurd?


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest continued with a mischievous smile, "There¡¯s no helping it, who told you that your son-in-law has such charm with the ladies? Always flirting around; I¡¯ve long advised him not to mess with these women, but he just doesn¡¯t listen. Now look what happened, he¡¯s involved with so many women, I¡¯m really worried for him."


    This guy wasn¡¯t here to mediate; he was clearly here to make trouble. The other day, Li Yifei stood him up, and the old man took it to heart. This was his way of getting back at Li Yifei, making sure the young man remembers: you don¡¯t stand up an old man without consequences.


    The three old masters hadn¡¯t gone far and were still paying attention to the situation here. Hearing Su¡¯s Third Eldest speak increasingly out of line, they couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and hurriedly came over, dragging Su¡¯s Third Eldest away with them. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t want to provoke him, but at this moment, they couldn¡¯t let him continue.


    "Hey, hey, what are you dragging me away for? Watch out, you guys, that young man might bring home more and more women in the future, you better deal with him properly, haha..."


    At this moment, everyone sported frowns, even Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai. With Su¡¯s Third Eldest causing such a scene, it seemed like everyone¡¯s attention was fixated on the Third Elder, temporarily forgetting what they were all originally supposed to discuss.


    "Old Xu, Old Lin, let¡¯s sit down and talk this over slowly." People sat down again, and a few ladies also took their seats¡ªXu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s mothers looked even more upset than Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai.


    "No, I have to get Yifei over here to explain himself," said Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, the first to lose her composure. She could accept Lin Qiong, but now what¡¯s with all these others? Was he trying to be an emperor?


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother also immediately said, "Exactly, that boy has stirred up such a mess, he really makes me angry."


    As they were speaking, Li Yifei had already appeared before everyone. The elders welcomed him, and Su¡¯s Third Eldest was particularly excited as he said, "Kid, you stood me up last time, and now I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t get away with it."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Third Grandpa, you can¡¯t be serious?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s grandfather said with a wry smile, "This old guy really doesn¡¯t know how to say anything nice, for sure."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest burst into hearty laughter, "Kid, what are you glaring at? Come on, hit me if you dare?"


    Li Yifei was truly at a loss whether to laugh or cry at this point. Su¡¯s Third Eldest really didn¡¯t know his limits, and Li Yifei quickly made his way in front of this large group of in-laws. With Su¡¯s Third Eldest causing such a commotion, there was no telling how upset Xu Zhenguo and the Lin Zhenhai couple might be.


    "Yifei, you tell me, what exactly is going on?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother said with an unpleasant expression as she glared at Li Yifei.


    "Mom!" Li Yifei quickly gave an apologetic smile and said, "I¡¯m at fault here. I¡¯m willing to take any scolding or beating without complaint."


    "You... What do you mean by that? Don¡¯t you want to explain yourself?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother became even more upset.


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "Mom, it¡¯s my fault for keeping you in the dark, and that¡¯s on me. Marrying Yingying while being involved with others, that¡¯s an even bigger mistake. No matter how I explain it, even if there are many reasons for us being together, nothing can excuse my actions."


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother then said to Xu Yingying¡¯s mother, "Sister-in-law of the Xu family, I understand you¡¯re angry. If it had been my daughter who married Yifei first and this happened, I too would have been very upset. But now that it¡¯s happened, our families can only thicken our faces and ask for your forgiveness."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother also said, "Sister-in-law of the Xu family, it¡¯s right for you to be angry, but try to see it from another angle. Yifei is not an ordinary man. For the entire Li family to flourish and grow, just Yifei¡¯s strength won¡¯t suffice. Only with the support and help of our big families can the Li family develop."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mother also commented, "We all know this is very unfair to Yingying and Lin Qiong, but if we really look into it, Xin¡¯er was the first to have a child with Yifei. However, we are not vying for anything, only hoping the children will be happy and that it will strengthen the families. This is what we, the older generation, hope for too, right?" The three mothers were all coaxing Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s mothers, especially the words from Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s mother, which carried weight. Indeed, Ning Xin¡¯er had the most advantage and now was content to be the unnamed woman in the background. With these people having such backgrounds, being able to do this was truly not easy. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1103 - 1146: Third Master Loses His Temper

    Chapter 1103: Chapter 1146: Third Master Loses His TemperLi Yifei spoke again at this time: "Dad and Mom, no matter what, my feelings for Yingying and Qiongqiong have never changed. Just ask Yingying and Qiongqiong, and they will tell you I¡¯m not lying. If they weren¡¯t happy, we wouldn¡¯t all be together now."


    "But... but with so many people... What a mess this has turned into." Lin Qiong¡¯s mother stomped her foot, feeling the whole situation was ridiculous.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest squeezed in at this moment, chuckling, "Right, right, it is indeed ludicrous. I think you should not agree to this. You should drive all those women away, and then drive us all away too. That would be proper."


    "Third Su!" Li Yifei could not help but glare and yell loudly.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest smiled even wider, blinked, and said: "Kid, are you upset? Next time when you try to pick up girls with me, will you still stand me up?"


    "Do you believe that I¡¯ll kick you out right now?" Li Yifei gritted his teeth. He had realized that he couldn¡¯t treat Third Su as an elder; this guy had no sense of being one.


    Old man from Xiao family tugged at Su¡¯s Third Eldest, saying: "You old mischief, they have such a serious matter here, and you¡¯re making trouble. Do you really want your Su Mengxin to be driven out?"


    "Driven out then so be it. Our Mengxin, even with a child, she still has a bunch of guys lining up. And there¡¯s your Little Ling¡¯er, Little Yuling, and Little Xin¡¯er. What kind of man can¡¯t they find? Why must they hang themselves on a tree for some stinky kid? If you ask me, you should all take the kids and leave. Later, we can join forces to take revenge on this kid, make his family history. Wouldn¡¯t that be more satisfying?"


    These words gave Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai quite a scare¡ªthey knew the power these people had. Any one of them could destroy someone so completely that nothing would be left. If they teamed up, they could certainly ruin or even kill Li Yifei.


    Xu Zhenguo spoke hastily: "Third Uncle, don¡¯t be rash, we can discuss this."


    Lin Zhenhai also followed: "Exactly, as his elder, you can¡¯t be so petty with the children."


    "That won¡¯t do, that won¡¯t do. Didn¡¯t you see the attitude this kid just gave me? He didn¡¯t take this Third Master seriously at all. This time, I must take our Mengxin back. It¡¯s not like Su family¡¯s women can¡¯t get married. If our family head finds out, he will lose face as the chairman of the Military Commission."


    When this name was mentioned, the jaws of Lin Zhenhai and Xu Zhenguo nearly hit the floor. They exclaimed in unison: "Are you referring to Chairman Xu?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s him. He doesn¡¯t mind his granddaughter being someone else¡¯s ill-legitimate mistress, and this damn kid doesn¡¯t appreciate it. It really pisses me off. We can¡¯t let this go; I¡¯ll speak with our family head later and make sure we deal with this kid properly."


    "Third Uncle, please, take it easy, don¡¯t be impulsive!" Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai quickly grabbed Su¡¯s Third Eldest from both sides.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s and Lin Qiong¡¯s mother also hurriedly said: "Yifei, how could you speak to your third grandpa like that? He¡¯s your elder. You can¡¯t be so disrespectful."


    Li Yifei replied with some difficulty: "Third Grandpa, I was wrong just now."


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest snorted, saying: "Stop it with your act; I¡¯m really going to take a stand against you. Nobody in Capital City dares to yell at me like that, and you, little bastard, even dared to try to drive me away. If I let you off the hook, then I wouldn¡¯t be Third Su."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother hurriedly interjected: "Third Uncle, I know you¡¯re angry, but Mengxin is already pregnant with Yifei¡¯s child, you can¡¯t just let the child be born fatherless."


    "So what? Our Su family¡¯s daughters, especially Mengxin, it¡¯s not an issue even if she has a dozen kids. The good-looking young men in Capital City are plenty to choose from. Having them step in as a father is already a bargain for them."


    "But that¡¯s still not the child¡¯s biological father. The child might suffer in the future."


    "Pfft, who dares to mistreat a child from the Su family? I¡¯ll tear them apart."


    When Su¡¯s Third Eldest lost his temper, it really seemed hard to persuade him. After much effort from the Xu Zhenguo couple and Lin Zhenhai couple, they finally managed to calm Su¡¯s Third Eldest down.


    "Kid, I¡¯m letting it go for their sake today. But you remember this¡ªif you dare to treat Mengxin badly, and the same with Ling¡¯er, Yuling, and Xin¡¯er, if any of them feel wronged, just you wait and see."


    "Yifei, quickly express your stance." Xu Yingying¡¯s and Lin Qiong¡¯s mothers both glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was sweating bullets¡ªhe could tell that despite Third Su¡¯s seemingly crazy behavior, the man was actually full of ideas. By making a scene, the two mother-in-laws, who were originally angry, were now trying to placate Third Su instead. He quickly said: "Third Grandpa, I will definitely treat them well."


    "That sounds more like it," grunted Third Su, then turned on his heel and walked away.


    Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai looked at each other unsure if Su¡¯s Third Eldest was truly done venting his anger.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother said at this time: "Sister-in-law of the Xu family, sister-in-law of the Lin family, look at the mess this has turned into..."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother quickly said: "This is just a misunderstanding. We are all relatives by marriage, and it can be resolved by talking it out. When the kids are together, we, as parents, can¡¯t become enemies, right?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother also expressed her stance, adding: "Exactly, exactly. Since the children are already together, it wouldn¡¯t be right to separate them. We need to look after their home. If the young people make some mistakes, it¡¯s forgivable."


    "Ha ha... Ha ha..." A burst of wild laughter from Su¡¯s Third Eldest came from a distance, leaving Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai couple looking at each other, not sure if the old fellow was still not satisfied. Although they knew that Su Mengxin¡¯s status was extraordinary, they were unaware that her grandfather was actually the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission. What kind of level was that? They had all agreed to give their granddaughter to Li Yifei. It was also an honor for Xu Yingying to become friends with someone like Su Mengxin. What else could they oppose?


    The situation then improved a lot. Parents from the Xiao Family, Zheng Family, and Ning Family took great pains to court the parents from the Xu family and Lin family. These two families were also a bit worried that they had truly offended the major families, which would put Li Yifei and Xu Yingying in real danger. Moreover, since the others had made such concessions, they couldn¡¯t be too pretentious.


    Li Yifei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With the problem of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s parents solved, the next steps would be much easier.


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family hadn¡¯t come over just now. Although they were high-status in the provincial city, they paled in comparison to these great families from Capital City. Therefore, there would basically be no problems with their arrival now.


    If Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai had first made contact with Ye Yunzhu¡¯s family, they definitely would have been shocked by their status. But now that they had met the major families of Capital City first, they could interact with the Ye family with a bit more composure.


    Having contact with these people put huge pressure on Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai couple. How did Li Yifei manage to get involved with the daughters of so many influential families? By comparison, their children were at no advantage. They were finding it quite difficult to maintain their status. This also showed that Li Yifei was indeed treating Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong very well; otherwise, any of these individuals could have the strength to snatch Li Yifei away.


    "Cough cough, what exactly is the situation at home now? Don¡¯t tell me they are all...?" Xu Yingying chatted with everyone for a bit, then took the opportunity to pull Li Yifei aside to ask.


    Li Yifei awkwardly said: "Xiaofei and Mengfei are not." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother counted on her fingers and then glared fiercely at Li Yifei, saying: "You think this is Grand View Garden, conjuring up twelve Golden Hairpins?"


    Li Yifei coughed and said: "Mom, there¡¯s also Michelle."


    "More... Thirteen Taibao, you¡¯re really something."


    "Mom! Surely they can¡¯t be called Taibao, right?"


    "Don¡¯t try to fool me, you boy. Tell me, why are you so fickle... sigh!"


    "Mom, about that..." It was indeed a difficult topic to explain.


    "Forget it, forget it. When there are too many lice, you don¡¯t itch; when there are too many debts, you¡¯re not worried. It¡¯s thirteen then, right? Now let me ask you, can you definitely be good to Yingying in the future?"


    Li Yifei quickly nodded his head vigorously, saying: "Mom, you can rest assured. No matter what happens, I will always treat Yingying well. I can absolutely guarantee this to you."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother shook her head and said: "I also know you¡¯re someone responsible. Otherwise, in this situation, I really should have taken Yingying away."


    "Mom, please don¡¯t. Yingying is already a part of my life, I absolutely won¡¯t let go. If you insist on taking Yingying away, I will stubbornly follow."


    "Humph, that would be even better." Xu Yingying¡¯s mother gave Li Yifei a stern look and said: "Alright, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. It¡¯s a big celebratory day with guests around. If I make a scene with you, that would embarrass our own family. By the way, besides these few families, how many others are there?"


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said: "I haven¡¯t communicated with them about this matter yet. I was most worried about you all disagreeing."


    This response seemed to satisfy Xu Yingying¡¯s mother; at least it showed that their two families were what Li Yifei valued the most.


    "So it seems, should we also help you plead your case?" Xu Yingying¡¯s mother once again gave Li Yifei a stare.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said shyly: "If mom is willing, that would be great, of course."


    "You¡¯re trying to win over each and every one, quite a clever plan, huh. If you ever mistreat Yingying in the future, see if I don¡¯t give you a good smack."


    Li Yifei immediately puffed out his chest and said: "If I do that, even if you break my legs, I will accept it."

 Chapter 1104 - 1147: Gathering Together

    Chapter 1104: Chapter 1147: Gathering TogetherHaving overcome the first hurdle, Li Yifei planned to unveil everything in one fell swoop.


    By dinner time, all the family members gathered in the dining room. Li Yifei didn¡¯t sit with the elders but took a table with his own family. The rest of the relatives were seated at three separate tables.


    Seeing such an arrangement, the few families who were unaware of the situation were somewhat puzzled. What did this seating plan mean?


    Li Yifei stood up with the women of his family, holding a glass of wine in his hand, exuding the authority of a family patriarch, and said: "I am truly happy that everyone could come today. We are not all well-acquainted with each other yet, so now I will take the opportunity to make introductions."


    "These two are Yingying¡¯s parents, these two are Lin Qiong¡¯s father, and this is Mengxin¡¯s Third Grandpa from Capital City. Mengxin¡¯s grandfather is the vice-chairman of our country¡¯s Military Commission."


    Li Yifei now had no choice but to reveal Su Mengxin¡¯s family background, starting off by disclosing her grandfather¡¯s prestigious position.


    The major families were one thing, but parents like Michelle, He Fangqing, Song Lianyao, and Li Xinyue were taken aback.


    After a brief pause, when everyone settled down, Li Yifei continued introducing the Xiao Family, the Ning Family, the Zheng Family, and the Ye Family. Even though they had already been shocked once by the mention of the Military Commission Vice Chairman, the news of so many high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals still left parents like Michelle¡¯s quite frightened.


    "These are Fangqing¡¯s parents."


    He Fangqing¡¯s parents quickly stood up, looking at a loss, not knowing where to put their hands and feet.


    Kindly nodding at them, these influential family members had the couple feeling overwhelmed. Never in their lives had they imagined dining with such people, let alone being treated with such regard.


    When introducing the other parents, they all more or less reacted similarly, the vast difference in status pressuring them greatly.


    After completing the introductions, Li Yifei took a deep breath and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I invited you all to join the Li family¡¯s relocation celebration because you are my kin, my dearest relatives. You raised exceptional daughters, and I would like to express my deepest respect and gratitude to you."


    Seeing Li Yifei bow, the parents of families like Michelle¡¯s were confused. If Li Yifei was only talking about one of them, they would have understood. But he mentioned everyone, and these girls were all sitting at Li Yifei¡¯s table. Could it be that all these women were Li Yifei¡¯s lovers?


    "Additionally, I must apologize to all aunts and uncles present. I have deceived you; each person here is my beloved, yet you were unaware of the man your daughters were with."


    As soon as Li Yifei uttered these words, the entire dining room fell into an eerie silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.


    Michelle, He Fangqing, and Song Lianyao looked nervously at their families, having suddenly become Li Yifei¡¯s women, they were also afraid their parents would erupt in anger on the spot.


    However, to their temporary relief, their parents, although their faces looked terrible, had yet to say a word. Everyone¡¯s gaze was mainly focused on the faces of the families like Michelle¡¯s.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father, encountering so many important people here, had already been scared stiff, not daring to make a sound. Besides, Su Yiyi had informed him beforehand, so he was not worried at all.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s father, like Su Yiyi¡¯s, was someone without much experience, but his wife and son seemed very excited and thrilled. To them, whether Li Xinyue was being the other woman or not was irrelevant; becoming relatives with these prominent figures was an incredibly prestigious matter.


    The fathers of He Fangqing, Song Lianyao, and Michelle frowned but said nothing. No matter what, they had no chance to speak out in front of these dignitaries, waiting for these influential figures to make a move first, to lose their temper first, and then they would just take their daughters and leave.


    Unexpectedly, at this moment, Su¡¯s Third Eldest spoke: "Alright, everyone is here with you now, and you¡¯ve gotten them pregnant. Why spout such chilly nonsense? Let¡¯s start the meal; I¡¯m starving to death."


    This reaction from Su¡¯s Third Eldest left the parents like Michelle completely baffled. What did this mean? Could it be that Su Mengxin, the granddaughter of the esteemed Military Commission Vice Chairman, was just following Li Yifei like this? And not caring that Li Yifei had other women?


    At this time, the old man from the Xiao Family laughed and said: "Come on, Third Su, why such a hurry to eat? Later we should also enjoy a good drink. This is the first time we drink together as relatives; if we don¡¯t drink merrily, it would really dampen the mood."


    "Indeed, today we should indeed drink to our heart¡¯s content," added the old man from Zheng Family.


    Su¡¯s Third Eldest immediately called out: "Hey, you rascal, you sure we have enough booze?"


    Li Yifei quickly responded with a smile: "Of course there¡¯s enough to go around. There may be a shortage of other things, but there¡¯s definitely no shortage of alcohol here. Whatever you want to drink, I¡¯ve got it all."


    "That sounds more like it. I haven¡¯t let my Su Family¡¯s daughter follow you for nothing."


    Watching these major families make their statements one after another, and then the parents of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong also agreed, the relatives of Michelle were left dumbfounded. What¡¯s going on here? Weren¡¯t these people supposed to be opposed? Shouldn¡¯t they be cursing Li Yifei and then taking their daughters home? Why are they now thinking about drinking and even seem quite happy about it?


    Looking at their daughters sitting with Yifei at the same table, it seemed that the daughters weren¡¯t unhappy at all. Although they glanced over now and then, it was clearly out of nervousness, without a trace of anger. Doesn¡¯t this mean that their daughters already knew all about this and were willing? Could all their daughters have lost their minds?


    All of this left them bewildered, not knowing what to do next.


    "Old Mi, this is our first meeting. But as the saying goes, ¡¯strangers at first, but soon friends.¡¯ We will be visiting each other more often. Come on, let¡¯s have a drink, just the two of us," Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s father, who was sitting next to Michelle¡¯s father, said. Their seats were intentionally intermingled with each other, which facilitated networking.


    "This... Director Xiao, you... agree with this?" Michelle¡¯s father eventually couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s father smiled slightly, "Of course I agree. Why wouldn¡¯t I?" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But... but our country practices monogamy, and this is against the law."


    "Such matters are not pursued if the public doesn¡¯t raise a fuss. Besides, Yifei only has a marriage certificate with Yingying, none with the others, so this is only a moral issue and does not involve the law."


    "But if this gets out, your daughter being someone¡¯s... won¡¯t that be a laughingstock?"


    Upon hearing this, the fathers of He Fangqing and Song Lianyao looked towards Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s father.


    With a smile still on his face, Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s father said, "If it were any other man, that might indeed be the case. But this is Yifei we¡¯re talking about. I¡¯ll only receive envy. Old Mi, you don¡¯t realize how many people want to give their daughters to Yifei. Even Chairman Su¡¯s granddaughter is betrothed to Yifei, and you should be aware that I¡¯m not exaggerating."


    "This can¡¯t be true? Has everyone gone mad?" Michelle¡¯s father still shook his head in disbelief, sharing the same thoughts as the fathers of Song Lianyao and He Fangqing.


    At this point, Zheng Yuling¡¯s father chimed in, "Do you think all of us here are mad?"


    "Well..." Song Lianyao¡¯s father gave a wry smile and replied, "Certainly not."


    Every one of these individuals held positions of power and influence. If one person were to do something crazy, that¡¯s one thing, but for so many influential people to make this decision, it surely couldn¡¯t be madness. Instead, it meant that Li Yifei had genuinely won their approval to marry their daughters, even if the relationships weren¡¯t officially recognized. What kind of extraordinary man was Li Yifei to possess such charisma?


    Ye Yunzhu¡¯s father then spoke up, "Let me clarify things. Yifei is now closely watched by the higher echelons of the country, with limitless prospects for the future. While Yifei might not enter politics, he will undoubtedly be a pillar of the nation in other capacities. If this were ancient times, he might very well be a high-ranking borderland official. I believe giving my daughter to Yifei is definitely not a loss."


    While these major families were already aware of this and remained composed, it was astonishing for the more ordinary folks, leaving them speechless. Such a scenario was so bizarre they couldn¡¯t believe it. Could there be such people in modern society?


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s father then said, "Come on, everyone, let¡¯s not be so grim. I believe some of the in-laws still have doubts. Let¡¯s eat and chat, and gradually you¡¯ll get to know your son-in-law better."


    With so many influential figures mediating, it was much easier for those who were still unfamiliar with the situation to come to terms with things.


    The mothers also gathered to talk, and their topics differed from the men¡¯s. While the men discussed the broader picture, the women focused on more practical, everyday matters.


    Song Lianyao¡¯s mother lowered her voice and asked, "Can I ask, with thirteen people together, will they be able to get along harmoniously in the future?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother replied, "I¡¯ve been here the longest, and honestly, they really do get along well. They¡¯ve never fought."


    Even though He Fangqing¡¯s mother felt somewhat embarrassed, she still asked, "But isn¡¯t that because it hasn¡¯t been long? Not to mention other things, just the... time spent with Yifei. It¡¯s only once every half a month. Won¡¯t there be grievances over time?"


    The mothers, who were women themselves, were most concerned about this matter because they could understand all too well the feeling of a woman left alone in her room.

 Chapter 1105 - 1148: Finally Done

    Chapter 1105: Chapter 1148: Finally DoneUpon mentioning this matter, over ten mothers turned their gaze towards Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong¡¯s mothers. Xu Yingying¡¯s mother smiled awkwardly and said, "To be honest with you all, I¡¯m also not very clear about it."


    He Fangqing¡¯s mother furrowed her brows and said, "Then we must clarify this. We¡¯re all women here, and we should be aware that if this matter is not handled well, our relationships will definitely worsen. Rather than waiting for the children to leave later, I would rather have my child leave now to avoid becoming more deeply involved."


    Michelle¡¯s mother also nodded repeatedly and said, "That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t be vague about this matter. This family isn¡¯t like ordinary families where the couple just needs to love each other; this isn¡¯t just about emotional matters."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother then took over and said, "I actually did ask my daughter, and she said that every night they both spend time with Yifei, so she gets to be with Yifei once a week."


    "Two people each night..." Many mothers here blushed, feeling this was even somewhat excessive.


    "Every single night... A man¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand it, not to mention two in one night," He Fangqing¡¯s mother kept shaking her head. Even if Li Yifei had a promising future, following him like this made her worry about her daughter¡¯s happiness.


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother chuckled lightly and said, "Regarding this point, you don¡¯t need to worry. Yifei was previously a special forces member; he is in superb physical condition and can definitely handle two a night."


    "How do you know that?" immediately inquired Michelle¡¯s mother.


    Zheng Yuling¡¯s mother¡¯s smile turned even more meaningful as she said, "Just go back and ask your daughter; then you¡¯ll know."


    "Ask her how will I know?" Michelle¡¯s mother still didn¡¯t understand.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother chuckled lightly and said, "For such matters, it¡¯s better for mothers and daughters to share heart-to-heart talks."


    Michelle¡¯s mother, feeling quite anxious, secretly pulled Michelle aside and asked, "Michelle, are you sure you want to be with Yifei?"


    Michelle bit her lip and nodded emphatically. "Mom, I want to be with Yifei. I¡¯ve liked him for two years now, but I¡¯ve been restraining myself. I¡¯ve been very miserable, but ever since I decided to be with him, I¡¯ve been very happy."


    "Well then, let me ask you another question... When you two are together, how is it?"


    "It¡¯s very good, I¡¯m very happy, Yifei loves me a lot."


    "I¡¯m not asking about that, I mean... with so many women, when you¡¯re together... that... how is that part?" Michelle¡¯s mother, being a more conservative woman, found it tough to ask such questions.


    Michelle¡¯s face flushed immediately and said, "Mom, what are you saying? Yifei has always respected me. I haven¡¯t officially entered his household yet; we haven¡¯t done that kind of thing."


    "Not yet... then do you know, with his many women, once you enter his house, when will you ever get a turn? Isn¡¯t that just staying alone in an empty room?"


    Michelle, embarrassed, retorted, "Mom, why bring up such matters?"


    "I must say it; this is a big deal. If things aren¡¯t handled well, how can you two continue to live well together in the future? How can I be reassured?"


    Michelle, still biting her lip, said, "Mom, really... Alright then, I will tell you. Even though I haven¡¯t done that with Yifei, I have talked with the sisters. They say Yifei is very strong in that area; one person simply can¡¯t handle it, two people just barely."


    "Even then, wouldn¡¯t that be too much over time?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Yifei has an excellent constitution and pays a lot of attention to exercising his body. Moreover, he has trained in real martial arts, not just performance arts, but true martial arts. Even if ten or twenty special forces came, they wouldn¡¯t be his match."


    "Really?" Michelle¡¯s mother was still somewhat incredulous.


    "Of course, it¡¯s true, Mom. I¡¯m not a fool, and you should know your own daughter. I always handle things rationally, even in matters of love. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have liked him for two years without deciding to be with him until now. I¡¯ve thought everything through, including your honor. If it wasn¡¯t for Yifei¡¯s current status and position, you¡¯d face criticism later on, but with the current situation, you wouldn¡¯t lose face in front of relatives when talking about me."


    "That makes sense; to say my daughter and the Chairman¡¯s granddaughter are like sisters does boost our status."


    "Exactly, so you don¡¯t need to worry at all; I will definitely be happy." Michelle affectionately hugged her mother¡¯s shoulders, sensing at least that her mother was not so opposed anymore. As long as her father could be convinced, there would be no more problems with her being with Li Yifei.


    Michelle¡¯s mother returned to the group of mothers, where He Fangqing and Song Lianyao¡¯s mothers immediately asked, "How did it go?"


    Michelle¡¯s mother said with some embarrassment, "My daughter says Yifei is very strong; handling two a day would wear people out."


    All the mothers had smiling faces, and Song Lianyao¡¯s mother softly said, "With such a strong boy, we have nothing to worry about."


    Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother was also sitting with everyone; initially, she dared not even utter a word. Since Li Xinyue wasn¡¯t her biological daughter, and in the presence of such distinguished ladies, she really felt inferior and totally dared not speak, fearing that people would look down upon her.


    But seeing how well everyone was getting along, especially since those ladies were without pretense and even referred to themselves as sisters, it excited her greatly, suggesting she might also become one of these distinguished ladies in the future.


    Living in this society, it is impossible to be completely unaffected by worldly views. A person¡¯s social status also often determines their influence. Michelle, He Fangqing, and Song Lianyao¡¯s father were very conservative, but under the influence of these important figures, their usual persistence also seemed utterly insignificant.


    Thus, the atmosphere was getting even better, and Li Yifei took the opportunity to toast with everyone, further deepening their bonds.


    Bonding between men often warms up fastest over drinks, plus these major families were helping Li Yifei as intermediaries in order to strengthen their relationships with him, putting on a very humble demeanor. The fathers of these lesser figures like Michelle and others were completely charmed, drinking more and more, and the atmosphere continued to improve.


    Li Yifei and the ladies were all smiles at this moment. It had always been a heavy burden in their hearts, but now it seemed they could finally let go of it, no longer having to worry about anything in the future.


    Li Yifei was with the men, so the women gathered with their mothers.


    The mothers were all concerned about their daughters¡¯ living conditions here. Whether their daughters were happy or not was more important than anything else.


    The courtyard was so big, and each mother-daughter pair found a secluded spot for their private chats. Only Chu Xiaoyao and Su Yiyi had no one by their side, which made Chu Xiaoyao look a bit dejected. Holding Su Yiyi¡¯s hand with slightly reddening eyes, she said, "Sister Yiyi, I miss my mom."


    Su Yiyi sighed softly and said, "I miss my mom too. If she saw how I am now, I don¡¯t know if she would also be very happy."


    Chu Xiaoyao looked up at the starry sky and softly said, "I don¡¯t think my mom would be happy."


    "Why is that?"


    "My mom and dad passed away because of my dad¡¯s infidelity. She was really extreme. If she knew that my uncle had so many wives, she would definitely disapprove."


    "That might not be the case. Look, so many people have agreed, right?"


    "I guess so, hehe. Anyway, they¡¯re no longer here, and it¡¯s up to me now. Even if they were alive and disagreed, I¡¯d still follow my uncle. I wouldn¡¯t listen to them. But... I still miss my parents."


    Chu Xiaoyao, generally a carefree girl, seemed to have recovered quickly after her parents¡¯ death, but that was just a facade. How could a girl not miss her parents?


    "Xiaoyao, Sister Yiyi," Zhou Xiaoyue ran over, calling out excitedly.


    Su Yiyi and Zhou Xiaoyue were familiar with each other, and Chu Xiaoyao, holding Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s hand, asked, "Where did you run off to?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue grinned and said, "Such exciting stuff happening, I had to go and gather some gossip. Plus, I heard a lot of explosive news."


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes lit up, "What explosive news did you hear?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue, with a mischievous smile, said, "I heard when you and your brother-in-law are together, it¡¯s always a threesome."


    Chu Xiaoyao pouted, "That¡¯s nothing new; I already told you about that."


    Zhou Xiaoyue chuckled mischievously again, "I also heard that you guys... sleep together, hehe, it¡¯s really wild."


    Chu Xiaoyao, unfazed and rather proud, said, "Exactly, our uncle is strong, right? Others might have the intention, but they don¡¯t have the stamina." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thick-skinned," Zhou Xiaoyue snorted.


    "How about it? Curious? Let me tell you, tonight our home will definitely indulge wildly. How about I let you observe tonight?" Tonight was a special day. It would surely be a sleepless night.


    "No thanks, I¡¯m afraid of getting a stye," Zhou Xiaoyue scoffed at Chu Xiaoyao and then excitedly said, "Xiaoyao, Sister Yiyi, shall we go swimming?"


    Just as the three of them were about to leave, Meng Xiaofei, Su Mengfei, and Xu Shanshan also came over. Today was so lively, yet now it seemed like they had nothing to do.

 Chapter 1106 - 1150: The Eve of the Celebration

    Chapter 1106: Chapter 1150: The Eve of the CelebrationBack at Li Yifei¡¯s villa, this time all thirteen wives were here, and everyone had yet to fully digest the day¡¯s events.


    Now that there were no obstacles at home, everyone felt light and relaxed, cheerfully chatting while preparing for tomorrow.


    "Sister Yiyi, should I wear this dress tomorrow?"


    "I can¡¯t really tell either, Sister Xin¡¯er, please help us decide."


    "Hehe, this one is nice, Yiyi, you should wear white; it suits your temperament more."


    Tomorrow is going to be a grand occasion, and as the mistresses of this home, they all need to dress formally. Everyone at home had prepared several dresses, and now they were discussing which to wear. To make the consultation easier, everyone was at Li Yifei¡¯s place exchanging.


    Watching everyone try on different dresses, Li Yifei¡¯s eyes were overwhelmed by the sight. His wives, all dolled up, each looked stunning, a dream for any man, yet now they were all his.


    Finally, by the time everything was sorted out, it was already past ten. Li Yifei joked, "Today has been so fun; how about everyone stays over?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled lightly, "Be careful not to wear yourself out so you can wake up tomorrow."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Don¡¯t worry, I can handle going a little wild occasionally with no problems."


    "Forget it, I¡¯d better not join, don¡¯t want the baby to be squashed," Su Mengxin chuckled, preparing to leave.


    Michelle quickly said, "I¡¯ll head back too."


    "Michelle, how can you leave? You¡¯ve just arrived," Xiao Ling¡¯er teased with a smile.


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled, "Michelle probably wants to save the best for a wonderful night. With so many people today, that wouldn¡¯t work."


    Apart from Su Mengxin and Michelle leaving, Zheng Yuling also didn¡¯t join as it wasn¡¯t convenient for them today, naturally excluding them. Additionally, Song Lianyao, Li Xinyue, and He Fangqing did not attend either, as they had to return to their parents¡¯ place. Their parents had agreed on the surface, but now they still had to do some work to prevent any worries from their parents.


    With six gone, there were still seven left. This night, Li Yifei once again went wild, as today was indeed a memorable day.


    "Ah!" When it was finally Li Yifei¡¯s turn with Su Yiyi, everyone shouted and scattered.


    At this moment, Su Yiyi really wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Ever since that special physical trait of hers was discovered under a unique circumstance with Li Yifei at school, whenever she was with Li Yifei, she couldn¡¯t fully immerse herself, fearing that it would happen again. However, it hadn¡¯t occurred again for some time. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But today, she was extremely happy as well, thus her guards were down. At her most impulsive moment, she forgot about her condition, and it showed up again in front of so many people.


    "Wow, Sister Yiyi, you are so amazing, you can even do this..." Chu Xiaoyao was the first to shout out enviously.


    "Yes, Yiyi, I really didn¡¯t expect, you always seem so shy, yet you could squirt, it¡¯s unimaginable."


    These women were no longer young girls; they were all married women, and once a woman is married, she loses many inhibitions and understands a lot more. They all naturally understood what was happening to Su Yiyi, and they also knew that such an event can be very gratifying for a man.


    Hearing everyone¡¯s envious words made Su Yiyi a bit stunned, while Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yiyi, as I said before, no one here will laugh at you."


    Su Yiyi blushed, unable to meet everyone¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t feel too embarrassed because her fear was others mocking her, but nobody did. "But... the sheets are all wet, how can we sleep?"


    "Let¡¯s just change it, it¡¯s no big deal."


    Everyone got out of bed, changed the sheets, and then finally had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    In fact, nobody slept very long that night; by four o¡¯clock in the morning, everyone was already up, doing their hair and makeup, which took quite some time. It was only after six that everyone was ready.


    Then everyone quickly had breakfast and went to the front gate to welcome the guests. Li Yifei, with his thirteen beautiful wives, each one dressed in formal attire, created an extraordinary scene at the entrance. Everyone coming in couldn¡¯t help but take a few extra looks. Although some recognized one or two of the women, most didn¡¯t know who they were, leading to much speculation about their identities. However, one thing was clear to all: these beauties were certainly not mere greeters.


    The ceremony was scheduled for eight o¡¯clock, and the guests arrived very early, including key city leaders who had arrived well before 7:30.


    Upon their arrival, they felt it had been wise to come early as they saw some provincial leaders and even some from the Capital City, whom they couldn¡¯t ordinarily meet. Making an impression here could greatly benefit their future advancement.


    Especially those who were not very familiar with Li Yifei now realized how powerful his background was. Those who had previously harbored animosity towards Li Yifei were secretly alarmed, thankful that they hadn¡¯t crossed him¡ªoffending Li Yifei could mean an unknowable demise.


    The Li family members felt especially honored seeing so many important figures attend the celebration. It confirmed the prominence of their place of employment. Seeing how respectfully these notable figures treated Li Yifei, they understood the strength of the Li family, and were proud to be associated with it, knowing it carried significant respect.


    Sometimes, the source of cohesion is exactly this¡ªhonoring one¡¯s affiliation naturally fosters loyalty and a protective attitude.


    Today, all visitors felt comfortable here, but Li Yifei did not let his guard down regarding security. The entrance was the least guarded, yet no unauthorized person could access other areas.


    Brother Hu did not come today; firstly, because he was in the provincial city, and secondly, his identity did not permit him to be here. However, Wang Lin brought Jiang Ningxiang with her. Wang Lin was astounded by the scene; she had always known Li Yifei was powerful but hadn¡¯t realized to what extent. Now she fully understood why even a figure like Brother Hu was devotedly loyal to Li Yifei; such a powerhouse was simply incomparable to someone like Brother Hu, who wasn¡¯t exactly walking the straight path, and only such backing could guarantee his lifelong security.


    Most numerous here were Li Yifei¡¯s employees. Although just staff members, these individuals were the main pillars for Li Yifei¡¯s future development, and he of course wouldn¡¯t mistreat them. His family¡¯s housewarming was an event they definitely had to attend.


    Wealthy merchants and officials brought gifts which Li Yifei accepted without exception, yet he had instructed beforehand not to accept gifts from his employees¡ªjust their presence and participation were sufficient.


    The employees had indeed arrived early. Although they wanted to lend a hand with the preparations, this was unnecessary as many servants had already arrange everything perfectly, leaving no need for their help.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s classmate, Chen Min, also arrived. Upon entering, Su Yiyi warmly greeted her, saying, "Chen Min, welcome."


    Chen Min was initially taken aback. Although she knew about Su Yiyi¡¯s relationship with Li Yifei, she thought that, given today¡¯s event celebrating Li Yifei¡¯s new home, Su Yiyi, as merely another mistress, would likely attend as just an employee. But her dress and manner of speaking seemed more like those of a hostess.


    Puzzled, Chen Min glanced at the other women dressed similarly to Su Yiyi and realized it seemed that Su Yiyi was just a greeter¡ªhow else could there be so many beauties like her?


    This was due to her lack of social experience; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have such thoughts¡ªhow could a greeter be on the same display level as Xu Yingying, the hostess?


    "Wow, Yiyi, you look really pretty today. But be careful, don¡¯t let President Xu notice, or you¡¯ll be in trouble."


    Su Yiyi paused, aware of Chen Min¡¯s misunderstanding but chose not to clarify outright. Smiling, she said, "No worries, just come on in and relax."


    "Got it, I¡¯ll go ahead then. Remember to be careful," Chen Min winked at Su Yiyi, showing good intentions, although her true thoughts were known only to herself.


    The relationship between Li Yifei and the women, though approved by all parents, was somewhat concealed upon elders¡¯ advice. Although Li Yifei could handle controversy, the women might not withstand public scrutiny as well.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t want them burdened or pointed out, so for the outside world, Xu Yingying remained his wife.


    However, he wasn¡¯t wholly secretive about other relationships¡ªknowing about his involvement with someone else might at most seem like a romance, unlikely to cause much stir.

 Chapter 1107 - 1151: Generous Gift

    Chapter 1107: Chapter 1151: Generous Gift"Brother Yifei, congratulations!" A hearty laughter came from the entrance.


    Li Yifei looked towards the source of the voice and saw Meng Qianjun, Wei Zijun, and Gu Yanan approaching. This made Li Yifei frown; these three really knew how to pick their time. Coming at this moment meant they knew well that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly do anything to them today.


    "Young Master Wei, Young Master Gu, Young Master Meng, what wind has blown you here?"


    Li Yifei also greeted them cheerfully and embraced each warmly. To the onlookers, it seemed like the excitement of old friends visiting; who would know that Li Yifei already bore deep grudges against them.


    The wives behind Li Yifei were all glaring furiously at these three. They didn¡¯t need to maintain composure like Li Yifei. If it weren¡¯t for the special occasion today, they would really have swept these three out the door.


    "Young Master Li, on this important day for the Li family, how could we old friends not come?" Wei Zijun patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    Gu Yanan still had that signature smile, saying, "Indeed, on such an important day, it would be rude not to come and celebrate."


    Li Yifei laughed: "You didn¡¯t come empty-handed, did you? Surely, you¡¯ve prepared some congratulatory gifts?"


    Meng Qianjun laughed heartily and said, "Of course, gifts are a must. It¡¯s just a matter of whether you¡¯ll like them, Young Master Li."


    The people brought by Meng Qianjun immediately delivered three items. Meng Qianjun was the first to bring a red square box which was not small. He opened it right in front of Li Yifei, causing the bystanders to be dazzled by the brilliant colors that nearly blinded them.


    Upon regaining focus, the women at the door all gasped because inside were twenty uniformly sized and neatly arranged diamonds.


    Each of these diamonds was about ten carats. Knowing that diamonds of this size usually cost about five million each in the market, and there were twenty of them, the value here was a billion. More importantly, the uniform size of these twenty made them even more rare and probably more valuable.


    Li Yifei joked, "Young Master Meng, you are too stingy, trying to fob me off with some glass," and then casually picked up and closed the lid, handing it to Su Yiyi, saying, "Take Young Master Meng¡¯s twenty pieces of glass."


    Everyone around then breathed a sigh of relief. If they were all real diamonds, owning even one could be a woman¡¯s lifelong pursuit, let alone twenty; ordinary glass was more manageable.


    But it seems that Young Master Meng wasn¡¯t a simple character; how could he give ordinary glass? That was a bit puzzling.


    Chen Min was about to walk inside when she heard the commotion and turned back with a few female colleagues, coming up to Su Yiyi, and said, "Let me have a look."


    Su Yiyi knew they were real diamonds, but since Chen Min insisted, she reluctantly opened the box. Chen Min and a few female colleagues immediately gathered around to look.


    One female colleague said, "Is this really glass? It¡¯s made so exquisitely, it looks just like real diamonds."


    Another quickly said, "I can check; I specifically learned online how to authenticate diamonds."


    "And how do you authenticate?"


    The woman proudly said, "It¡¯s simple. First step is to look; the luster and color of a real diamond can reveal its authenticity. Well-polished real diamonds display strong and colorful radiance, while the light emitted by high-refractive imitation products seems stiff and dull. Look at these colors... wow, they actually look really nice."


    "And what¡¯s the second step?" Chen Min eagerly asked.


    "The second step is to check the diamond¡¯s edges," the colleague picked up a diamond¡ªSu Yiyi wanted to stop her but thought better of it and let her proceed.


    "A diamond¡¯s hardness is very high, and its edges are very sharp. Only imitations would have worn edges due to insufficient hardness; their lines and vertices tend to appear rounded. You usually need a magnifying glass to observe this closely, but this one is large enough so you can almost see with the naked eye... Huh, looks like the edges are quite sharp too."


    "Where? Let me see," the colleagues all started looking closely.


    "It looks like it¡¯s real," the woman muttered, then dripped a drop of mineral water onto the diamond.


    "What are you doing now?" Chen Min asked curiously.


    "Diamonds have oleophilic and hydrophobic properties; when you drop water on a diamond, the water won¡¯t spread. If it¡¯s a fake, the water will disperse."


    "But it didn¡¯t disperse either," Chen Min said, puzzled.


    "This... this seems to be real," the colleague holding the diamond trembled, and the other women, who had been focusing on the diamond, now turned to look at Su Yiyi.


    Su Yiyi gave a bitter smile and said, "It¡¯s really real. President Li was just joking with him."


    "My goodness!" exclaimed the female colleague, quickly putting the diamond back into the box. This diamond alone was worth millions; if she damaged it, even selling herself wouldn¡¯t cover the cost.


    Su Yiyi closed the box and said, "Let me go deliver this." She then took it to the gift reception, where the staff immediately began to register it.


    When Su Yiyi returned, Chen Min and a few other female colleagues clearly hadn¡¯t snapped out of their stupor from the diamond, still somewhat dazed until Su Yiyi greeted them, snapping them back to reality.


    "Yiyi, are you really just giving away something so valuable?" Chen Min asked with a grin.


    Su Yiyi smiled and replied, "They are responsible for receiving gifts, so of course I gave it to them."


    "But... those diamonds are worth tens of millions at least. What if they embezzle them?"


    Su Yiyi¡¯s smile grew brighter as she said, "Everyone here is carefully selected; nothing like that will ever happen."


    "Wow, that¡¯s impressive!" The female colleagues were all secretly astounded. They finally realized just how powerful the company they were working for was. It turns out that their boss, Li Yifei, was truly a man of capability. Working here promised a bright future indeed.


    One female colleague said enviously, "If I had a diamond like that, I¡¯d be happy doing anything."


    Another colleague immediately responded with a sly smile, "Then strip and get into President Li¡¯s bed, maybe he¡¯ll be so pleased he¡¯ll give you one."


    "Shush, don¡¯t spout nonsense; do you want me to lose my job? Besides, I¡¯m not his type."


    Chen Min chimed in, "Yeah, none of us are his type. Maybe if it were Yiyi." She then winked at Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, surely one of these diamonds will be yours." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, Su Yiyi, you really have a chance, being so beautiful and so favored by President Li. Just put in a little effort and you¡¯ll surely get one."


    Su Yiyi just smiled and said nothing. At home, whatever she wanted, Li Yifei would give to her without hesitation. To her, a mere diamond meant little.


    When everyone learned that the twenty diamonds Young Master Meng had given were real, nobody wanted to enter first anymore; they were all eager to see if any more shocking gifts would appear.


    At this moment, Meng Qianjun¡¯s face darkened, but he still laughed and said, "Brother Yifei, it seems my gift was too commonplace."


    Wei Zijun interjected, "I told you, those gifts of yours are too mundane. Yifei isn¡¯t short on money; he can get those things on his own without needing them from you."


    Meng Qianjun shook his head, "Alright, let¡¯s see if Brother Yifei will fancy the gifts you picked."


    Wei Zijun smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯m not that confident; I¡¯m just here to join the fun. Brother Yifei, I¡¯ve never been to your study, and I don¡¯t know if this suits your taste. Here are four paintings for your study."


    "Oh? Anything from Young Master Wei must be extraordinary. I¡¯m eager to see it firsthand." Su Mengxin, fond of calligraphy and paintings, added.


    Li Yifei, not very knowledgeable about these things, nevertheless opened the paintings with a smile upon Su Mengxin¡¯s interest.


    "It¡¯s actually Qi Baishi¡¯s Four-Screen Birds and Flowers; this is truly rare." Su Mengxin exclaimed in surprise.


    In the past, such praise from Su Mengxin would have thrilled Wei Zijun, but now that she belonged to Li Yifei and was even pregnant with his child, and given their current deep disputes with Li Yifei, Wei Zijun wasn¡¯t harboring any thoughts towards her.


    "It¡¯s an honor to receive praise from Mengxin."


    Everyone was looking at the paintings, but very few truly understood their value. Chu Xiaoyao, especially curious, asked, "Sister Mengxin, are these paintings very valuable?"


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly, "Qi Baishi¡¯s paintings are indeed quite valuable. These four bird and flower screens were auctioned for ninety-two million a couple of years ago. Now in Young Master Wei¡¯s hands, they¡¯re probably worth even more, easily surpassing a hundred million."


    Chu Xiaoyao excitedly shouted, "Wow, that expensive? Can I play with them?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Sure, you can take them to play."


    Chu Xiaoyao excitedly took them.


    Everyone was dumbfounded. A work worth a hundred million was just handed to Chu Xiaoyao, who clearly didn¡¯t understand its value, and she was even just playing with it. It was utterly wasteful! If Qi Baishi knew, who knows if he would come back to life in anger, snatch the paintings, and burn them.


    PS: Thanks to "Cao My Dad Once Loved You" for your rewards; this Chapter is an added update for you. Also thanks to "Dazzling Moon Xiaoyao Dreams" for your continued rewards, becoming the protector of this book¡¯s fans. There will be another Chapter added for today, making four Chapter updates in total! Additionally, I¡¯m requesting monthly tickets, and for every fifty extra tickets today, there will be an extra update tomorrow! (This bonus update only applies to Creation and QQ Book City readers, not other sites.)

 Chapter 1108 - 1154: Victory Before The Battle

    Chapter 1108: Chapter 1154: Victory Before The BattleSu¡¯s Third Eldest nudged his way to Meng Qianjun and his group, wearing a grin, said, "Have you seen this? This lad¡¯s not going to let you off the hook, so you¡¯d better watch out."


    Wei Zijun responded with a faint smile, "We will be careful."


    "Then give me a hint, how do you plan to handle this? We want to know how to make it more fun."


    Wei Zijun and his two companions truly despised Su¡¯s Third Eldest. Had Su¡¯s Third Eldest not meddled last time, they would have already crushed the Li family, eliminating their existence. If the Li family were gone, the higher-ups would no longer pay attention to Li Yifei, and none of today¡¯s events would be happening.


    So now they were on guard against Su¡¯s Third Eldest as if he were worse than a thief.


    Li Yifei¡¯s speech wasn¡¯t long; he merely wanted to let everyone know about the establishment of the Li family. Moreover, today was a day of great joy, and he didn¡¯t wish to dampen the spirits with further negative remarks, so after displaying his dominance, he only spoke some grandiose and righteous words.


    Next came a few small ceremonies. The establishment of the Li family couldn¡¯t be called high-profile since not many prominent families attended, but it wasn¡¯t low-profile either. The mere presence of several major families from Capital City marked a significant show of face, along with important figures from Mile City, which definitely signified the level of importance the new family held in the eyes of the upper class.


    In fact, the families attending Li Yifei¡¯s family establishment weren¡¯t the only ones; many others sent congratulatory gifts through the Su Family and other families. These families hadn¡¯t previously made contact with Li Yifei and felt it inappropriate to come uninvited.


    These families were all prestigious families from Capital City. Only they were privy to Li Yifei¡¯s interactions with the higher-ups, while provincial-level families were completely unaware of such matters.


    Their gifts to Li Yifei weren¡¯t just about currying favor. Even if Li Yifei had the higher-ups¡¯ approval, it wasn¡¯t enough for him to rival them. But the signals from above were too overt, implying that, for the time being, no one should lay a finger on Li Yifei. They thought it better to make an impression on Li Yifei now and pave the way for smoother interactions in the future.


    Such matters were beyond most people¡¯s understanding. Even among Mile City¡¯s local dignitaries, only a few truly grasped the major families¡¯ intentions.


    After the ceremony, everyone was free to do as they pleased. They could tour Li Yifei¡¯s house, chat over drinks, and the event was like an open-air cocktail party with an endless supply of food and drink. There was also a swimming pool open for use. Even though it was only morning, temperature control allowed for a delightful swim at this hour.


    The important figures who arrived were mostly of the older set, mostly interested in Li Yifei¡¯s golf course at home. Although it wasn¡¯t a professional course, it was sizeable, and they found it to be quite enjoyable.


    However, the employees of Li Yifei¡¯s company were having a blast. They marveled at the size and beauty of Li Yifei¡¯s grounds, and some female colleagues toured Su Yiyi¡¯s villa, which left them green with envy.


    The biggest draw was undoubtedly the swimming pool, with both men and women donning swimsuits to enjoy swimming in a private pool, a thoroughly delightful experience.


    At this moment, Meng Qianjun stood atop a faux-mountain rock with Li Yifei, and to their surprise, Meng Xiaofei was behind them at Meng Qianjun¡¯s special request.


    "Brother Yifei, I don¡¯t intend to talk peace," Meng Qianjun said. "You killed my brother, and I nearly took your wife. Now my sister¡¯s with you. Our relationship is truly a tangled mess."


    Meng Qianjun, with hands clasped behind his back and gazing at a nearby garden brook, did not seem as brutish without the other young masters around, but rather composed and steady.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately protested, "Hey, don¡¯t spout nonsense. I¡¯m just Brother Li¡¯s little sister. You¡¯re my blood cousin, and he has treated me better than you ever did."


    Meng Qianjun chuckled, "It¡¯s true what they say; girls always look outward. Once a woman has a man she likes, she dedicates all her thoughts to him."


    Meng Xiaofei, clearly irked, retorted, "I told you, Brother Li is just my brother, but you keep spewing nonsense. If you keep this up, I¡¯ll get Brother Li to beat you up." Her voice, however, lacked confidence, and her cheeks reddened as she glanced at Li Yifei.


    Meng Qianjun turned to Meng Xiaofei and said slowly, "Xiaofei, I¡¯m six years your senior, and I¡¯ve watched you grow up. You¡¯re not one to hide your thoughts. Whatever is on your mind, it¡¯s written all over your face."


    "Ah... No way... I definitely don¡¯t," Meng Xiaofei covered her face with her hands, growing even more flustered, and dared not to look at Li Yifei.


    Meng Qianjun patted Meng Xiaofei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Xiaofei, being with Brother Yifei could be a good thing or a bad thing for you."


    "Ah... What bad thing?"


    Meng Qianjun sighed, "Brother Yifei and I will inevitably have a fierce battle to the death. And when that happens, one of us will surely die. If Brother Yifei kills me, you, a tough girl, will still stand by his side. But if I were to kill your husband, then you¡¯d be a widow. Me, as your brother, turning my sister into a widow... that would be tragic."


    "You couldn¡¯t possibly kill Brother Li. Don¡¯t be so full of yourself," Meng Xiaofei said disdainfully. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Qianjun laughed again, "Alright, in your heart, your man¡¯s life means much more than your blood cousin¡¯s. But following Brother Yifei does have its perks. If I were to die, for your sake, Yifei wouldn¡¯t completely annihilate our Meng family. This at least ensures our Meng family remains undefeated. So, even before the battle, I¡¯ve already won half the fight."


    Meng Xiaofei cast a quick glance at Li Yifei and then whispered softly, "Why do the two of you insist on fighting each other to the death?"


    Meng Qianjun cracked a slight smile, looked at Meng Xiaofei affectionately, and said, "Xiaofei, you¡¯re really not suited for life in a large family. Your thoughts are too pure. But the battle between Brother Yifei and me... it¡¯s not about family strife. Instead... it¡¯s a duel between the strong. For a strong person, nothing is lonelier than having no rivals, and nothing is more satisfying than a life-and-death battle with a master. These are things you just don¡¯t understand."


    At this moment, Li Yifei responded with a slight smile, "Young Master Meng, do you really think that only I am worthy to be your opponent?"


    "Indeed!" Meng Qianjun replied with authoritative confidence.


    "Then I¡¯m afraid Young Master Meng will be disappointed. Recently I met a master, someone absolutely beyond me."


    "Really?" Meng Qianjun¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.


    "Indeed. We didn¡¯t fight, but just in terms of the will to battle, he already completely defeated me. If we were to truly fight, I certainly wouldn¡¯t be his match."


    Meng Qianjun¡¯s excitement mounted as he said, "So there are masters like that."


    "Of course, Young Master Meng. If we never encountered any opponents before, it only means our experience was insufficient. So it seems you¡¯ve been looking in the wrong direction by considering me as your lifetime rival."


    Meng Qianjun clenched his fist excitedly, but then he shook his head and said, "You¡¯re wrong. You still are my lifelong rival. I dare say the master you met must be of considerable age. At our age, they definitely didn¡¯t have our strength. Our potential is still enormous; surpassing them is just a matter of time. However, such masters can indeed help us improve faster."


    At this moment, Li Yifei still held a fair amount of admiration for Meng Qianjun. This man not only possessed tremendous strength, but his intelligence and way of handling problems were also far above the average person.


    "Brother Yifei, do you think we¡¯ll have the chance to battle with such a master? Right now, I really want to challenge such a master, even if I am defeated, it¡¯s a risk worth taking."


    "I¡¯m not sure about that. But if there really is a chance for such a battle, I wouldn¡¯t mind Young Master Meng stretching your legs too. I certainly don¡¯t want to lose my life."


    "Ha ha, Brother Yifei, now burdened by family matters, indeed lacks the dominance you once had. Actually, taking away your women might not have been such a bad idea after all."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Let¡¯s forget about that."


    "Then I hope, Brother Yifei, that you won¡¯t spend all your energy on your women and still practice your martial arts. Although we haven¡¯t fought, I feel that it¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance between us now. Give it another year, and I might have a seventy percent chance of winning."


    Li Yifei replied with a casual smile, "That¡¯s not necessarily the case."


    "I hope so. Anyway, although the Wei Family and the Gu Family haven¡¯t made any moves for now, they definitely won¡¯t give up so easily. I hope you won¡¯t be caught off guard by them."


    "Aren¡¯t you always on the same side as them?"


    "They?" Meng Qianjun scoffed dismissively. "A smart brain is indeed important, but only a strong fist is the real deal. Moreover, our brains have always been no weaker than theirs, they¡¯re simply not worthy of comparison with me."


    "Good, I really like this kind of spirit from Young Master Meng."


    "Ha!" Meng Qianjun laughed loudly again and then said, "Actually, I find your sister-in-law quite peculiar too. If she were to improve, she might even be able to battle with you and me."


    "Young Master Meng¡¯s insight is not bad. If you ever want to kill me, and my sister-in-law and I joined forces, we could definitely take you down."


    "Is that so? Pity that although your sister-in-law is not weak, her actual combat ability is still too poor."


    Meng Qianjun hit the nail on the head with that comment about Xu Shanshan¡¯s weakness, while Li Yifei just smiled faintly and said, "Indeed, right now I don¡¯t want her to become too powerful, otherwise if I have any conflicts with her sister, I¡¯d have to be wary of this sister-in-law coming after me."


    "Ha ha... Women are a disaster indeed!" Meng Qianjun laughed again and then looked at Meng Xiaofei suggestively before turning and striding away with large steps.


    PS: This Chapter is an additional update for the fans by Xuan Yue Ying Xiao Meng, and there¡¯s also a plan to release a burst of updates tomorrow. However, the support from reader votes and the like is still not very strong. The more support from readers, the harder I will work on updates, so come on, don¡¯t be shy, come support me.

 Chapter 1109 - 1155: Xu Shanshan’s Request

    Chapter 1109: Chapter 1155: Xu Shanshan¡¯s RequestAs soon as Meng Qianjun left, only Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei remained.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said in a panic, "Brother Li, I¡¯m going to play." Then she turned to run, but she completely neglected that she was on a rocky surface and thought it was flat ground. She stepped into the air and fell down.


    Li Yifei quickly stretched out his hand to grab Meng Xiaofei. She spun around and instinctively hugged Li Yifei tightly.


    Patting Meng Xiaofei¡¯s shoulder, Li Yifei said with a smile, "It¡¯s okay now."


    "Ah!" Meng Xiaofei yelled and hastily pushed Li Yifei away, but she backed away too forcefully and almost fell again. Li Yifei had to pull her back, causing her to bump into his chest once more.


    Being bumped twice by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest, the feeling was actually rather nice. Holding onto Meng Xiaofei, Li Yifei felt somewhat reluctant to let go.


    "Brother Li... let go of me," Meng Xiaofei said with a soft voice, gently wriggling in Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    Li Yifei looked down at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s flushed cheeks and said with a grin, "It¡¯s comfortable holding you. Let me hold you a bit longer."


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head repeatedly and said anxiously, "No, no, if the sisters-in-law see this, I¡¯m done for."


    "So if they don¡¯t see us, I can just hold you whenever I want?" Li Yifei teased as he winked at Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei felt even more embarrassed, but soon she pouted and frowned, saying, "Brother Li, you big pervert, if you don¡¯t let go of me... if you don¡¯t let go of me..."


    "What will you do if I don¡¯t let go?" Li Yifei¡¯s smile grew broader.


    "I... I¡¯ll scream out loud, and then you¡¯ll really lose face," Meng Xiaofei said, feeling quite proud of her idea as she watched Li Yifei.


    "You go ahead and scream. Even if you lose your voice, no one will care. This is our home, after all."


    "Then... then... Brother Li..." Meng Xiaofei suddenly looked distressed and spoke with a feeling of injustice, "You never used to bully me like this."


    "Oh, so you¡¯re not ready yet?" Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s expression, Li Yifei felt a bit guilty. Even though Meng Xiaofei might have feelings for him, it seemed he had been too forward, so he let go of her.


    Meng Xiaofei quickly stepped back, but this time she was more careful and did not fall down. Then she turned around and leapt down. She touched her cheek and said, "Brother Li, you big pervert, I will report you, I definitely will." Then she ran off.


    Li Yifei did not chase after her. He knew Meng Xiaofei would definitely not tattle. Despite her appearance of being carefree, she was actually quite thin-skinned. Besides, even if she did tell on him, everyone already treated Meng Xiaofei as a member of their own family. If there was anything between the two of them, nobody would say a word about it.


    A figure suddenly leaped up, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, "Shanshan, can we not appear and disappear so mysteriously?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Didn¡¯t you notice I was nearby?"


    "No, I really can¡¯t tell when you deliberately hide yourself."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes beamed with joy as she said, "Then it seems I¡¯ve become more impressive."


    "Yes, indeed. Your progress truly leaves me in the dust. I think it won¡¯t be long before I¡¯m no match for you at all." Li Yifei was truly not being insincere or simply flattering Xu Shanshan. Her progress was indescribable, whether it was the continuing effects of that special type of fungus or because her Innate Vital Energy was getting stronger. In any case, Li Yifei felt truly inferior.


    "Hehe, then I¡¯ll protect you. Didn¡¯t you say there are some formidable experts out there? If you can¡¯t beat them, I will," Xu Shanshan offered playfully.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll definitely be counting on Heroine Shanshan¡¯s care in the future."


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Xu Shanshan made a fist salute, indeed exhibiting the demeanor of a heroine.


    "Brother-in-law, Meng Qianjun said my practical combat skills are too weak, which seems about right. I have an idea, I wonder if you agree?"


    "What¡¯s the idea?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan rubbed her nose, a gesture she picked up from Li Yifei, and said, "I want to go out and gain some experience."


    "Go out?" Li Yifei furrowed his brows and was about to refuse.


    Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t wait for Li Yifei to refuse, hurriedly interjecting, "Brother-in-law, I know you¡¯re worried about me, not wanting me to go out for fear I might encounter dangers. But at home, besides you and those people from before, I can¡¯t find anyone else to spar with. Sparring with you all, there¡¯s simply none of that pressure of a life-and-death fight. You¡¯ve said before, without experiencing a real battle of life and death, there¡¯s no way to truly improve. What I know now is just some fancy moves. Against someone weaker, sure, there¡¯s no problem, but facing a stronger opponent, my strength will probably be cut in half."


    Pausing, Xu Shanshan continued, "Brother-in-law, now I understand that the adversaries you¡¯ll face in the future are definitely going to be stronger. I really don¡¯t want to be unable to help you when the time comes, so I hope you¡¯ll give me a chance to go out and toughen up. That way, when we face danger at home, I¡¯ll be able to bring all my strength to the table."


    Looking at Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t expect her to have such thoughts. Xu Shanshan was his woman, and his affection for her went without saying; how could he bear to let her do something dangerous? But seeing how determined Shanshan was and how reasonable her words sounded, he couldn¡¯t help feeling conflicted. After a long while, he extended his arm to embrace Xu Shanshan and said softly, "Shanshan, you¡¯ve really grown up."


    Xu Shanshan also wrapped her arms around Li Yifei, her head resting against his chest, and murmured, "Brother-in-law, I can¡¯t bear to leave you either, but I really want to do something for you."


    Li Yifei exhaled and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll let you train within the mercenary organization." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan raised her head, her face full of excitement.


    "Sigh, but I really can¡¯t bear it; there will be many dangers, and for a girl like you to experience those risks, it hurts me just to think about it."


    Xu Shanshan smirked playfully, "How else can one see a rainbow without going through a storm? Besides, I believe that after I come back from this experience, you¡¯ll miss me even more."


    Li Yifei gently scraped her nose with his hand, saying indulgently, "Even a day apart from you, I would miss you, not to mention a longer time."


    Xu Shanshan laughed joyfully, "But you can¡¯t tell my sister about this. Otherwise, she¡¯ll nag on and on and definitely won¡¯t let me go. Oh, and the same goes for my parents; otherwise, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it."


    "Ah, someone¡¯s coming." Xu Shanshan suddenly said, promptly releasing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei also heard footsteps, and not just one person¡¯s, both of them jumped off the rock and followed the sound, only to see Jiang Ningxiang looking around in confusion.


    "Ningxiang, what are you doing here?" Li Yifei asked in puzzlement.


    Upon seeing Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, relief washed over Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face, and she hurried over, saying, "Brother Li, I¡¯m so glad to see you. This place is really huge. I was just walking with Sister Lin, then she was gone in the blink of an eye, and I couldn¡¯t find my way."


    "With so many people here, how could you still get lost?" Li Yifei was still somewhat confused; in their own internal garden area, there were no cameras, and it really wouldn¡¯t be strange to get lost in such a big yard on a regular day, but today there were a lot of visitors, so Jiang Ningxiang getting lost was a bit odd.


    Jiang Ningxiang said even more embarrassed, "I saw a few people, and they told me the way, but... as I walked, I lost my way again, I¡¯m... I¡¯m... directionally challenged, I have no sense of direction."


    Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but find it interesting, "Then don¡¯t you get lost frequently?"


    Jiang Ningxiang twiddled her fingers awkwardly, speaking softly, "Yeah, I really seldom go out. When I came to Mile City to attend college, I got lost so many times. Later, when I was with Sister Lin, I just stopped going out."


    Xu Shanshan said in astonishment, "So you mean, you haven¡¯t gone out at all when you were with her?"


    "Yeah, I work there during the day and sleep in the store at night. Though Sister Lin did take me out a few times for clothes shopping, I didn¡¯t dare to go out on my own."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "That¡¯s really interesting. So from now on, should we keep a note in your pocket with your address on it? Otherwise, if you get lost, you might not find your way back."


    Li Yifei tapped Xu Shanshan on the head lightly and laughed, "Nonsense. Ningxiang is just bad with directions, not senile. If she can¡¯t ask for directions, she can always take a taxi, right?"


    Xu Shanshan laughed heartily, "True, true. Ningxiang, I was just joking with you, no offense meant."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly responded, "No, no, Brother Li is being so helpful, I know you both are good people."


    Li Yifei waved his hand and asked, "You¡¯re starting school in a few days, right? Are you all prepared?"


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately replied, "Sister Lin has already prepared everything for me, thank you for your concern, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Well, that¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go."


    Xu Shanshan rather liked Jiang Ningxiang, the sweet girl, and looped an arm around her shoulders. However, her steps halted abruptly for a moment before she continued walking forward with Jiang Ningxiang, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes. Li Yifei¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on Xu Shanshan, so he didn¡¯t notice.

 Chapter 1110 - 1156: Suspicion

    Chapter 1110: Chapter 1156: SuspicionThe three were walking forward when Xu Shanshan¡¯s foot was suddenly tripped, causing her body to lurch forward, and she pulled Jiang Ningxiang along with her.


    This made Li Yifei momentarily stunned. Given Xu Shanshan¡¯s current skills, she should not have been easily tripped by something on the ground. Even if she was tripped, she should have been able to quickly regain her balance and not fall like that.


    Li Yifei was about to reach out to help, but Xu Shanshan turned her head and gave him a look, which puzzled him even more. Xu Shanshan¡¯s actions seemed deliberate, but what was her intention?


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang both exclaimed and lunged forward a few steps, but they managed to regain their balance. Jiang Ningxiang then patted her chest, looking visibly shaken, while Xu Shanshan apologized to her, "Ningxiang, I am so sorry. I almost made you fall."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly responded, "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I wasn¡¯t careful either. It just gave me a scare."


    "That¡¯s good, I was really afraid you would fall. Your delicate body couldn¡¯t take such a fall."


    "Oh no, actually, my body is quite strong. I¡¯ve never been sick all my life."


    "Oh? Never been sick even once?" Xu Shanshan narrowed her eyes at Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Yes, never ever. I don¡¯t know how, but even when the entire class caught the flu, I was fine. We are poor, so we never waste leftover food. Even if it spoils, I would eat it, but I never get a stomach ache."


    Xu Shanshan examined Jiang Ningxiang up and down, saying, "Oh, then you have a quite special physique."


    "It seems so. But I don¡¯t really know why. Since I don¡¯t get sick, I don¡¯t need to go to the hospital, which saves money."


    Now that they had reached a crowded place, everyone greeted Li Yifei, and the conversation between Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang was interrupted. Jiang Ningxiang saw Wang Lin, waved at Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, and ran over to Wang Lin.


    After dealing with a few people, Li Yifei asked softly, "Is there something off about Ningxiang?"


    "I feel there¡¯s something major, yet it seems like there¡¯s nothing," Xu Shanshan frowned.


    "What do you mean?"


    Xu Shanshan lowered her voice and said, "When I tripped, I actually felt that her physique is the same as mine."


    "The same? You mean she possesses Innate Vital Energy?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, this was unexpected news.


    "Yes, that¡¯s what I mean, Innate Vital Energy. An ordinary-looking little girl possessing such energy, don¡¯t you think there is something fishy about it?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Indeed, it is peculiar." He quickly recalled his acquaintance with Jiang Ningxiang¡ªthe first time in a bar where he saw her being bullied by a man, the second when she came to his house to apply for a nanny position, and the third was at Wang Lin¡¯s Private Kitchen. All these seemed like coincidences, but it felt like they could have been set up.


    Xu Shanshan then added, "But what¡¯s even more off is that she seems incapable of utilizing this True Qi. You saw it too when I deliberately fell; her reaction was just like an ordinary person¡¯s. Besides, she herself said she¡¯s never been sick since childhood, which sounds like she¡¯s completely unaware of her own physique."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "We really need to investigate this. If she¡¯s intentionally hiding it, then she¡¯s extremely cunning and definitely a threat to us. But if she¡¯s genuinely unaware of her physique, then she could be a valuable ally. In the future, if we recruit her into our household and you train her in martial arts, then we would have two masters of Innate Vital Energy in our household."


    "Oh, thinking of expanding your harem, are you?" Xu Shanshan said sourly.


    Li Yifei laughed, "I didn¡¯t mean that, but wouldn¡¯t it be good to have you take a disciple?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, if she really has no issues, I¡¯ll definitely take her as my disciple. Ha ha, I¡¯ll also be a master. Just thinking about it feels great."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t get too excited; we must get to the bottom of this. I also feel there¡¯s a high possibility that Jiang Ningxiang is problematic."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Anyway, I¡¯m leaving, and by the time I¡¯m back, you¡¯ll surely have figured it out."


    Mentioning this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit down¡ªhe genuinely didn¡¯t want his sister-in-law to leave his side.


    After noon, most of the guests had left, and his colleagues from the company who were still around no longer required special attention from him; only family members remained. In the morning, Li Yifei¡¯s aunts not only witnessed the luxury of Li Yifei¡¯s house but also met many important figures, which made them feel almost like they were dreaming.


    However, they were merely happy for Li Yifei, proud of how well their nephew was doing; they were satisfied with their lives and appreciative of the care Li Yifei showed them, not asking for more.


    Not everyone is without greed, however, like Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother and brother, who had already started thinking about how to take advantage of Li Yifei.


    Some time ago, Li Yifei had bought a shop for Li Xinyue¡¯s father to secure rental income, which had made their life quite comfortable and peaceful. But today, seeing the opulence at Li Yifei¡¯s home suggested his wealth was unimaginable, and a single shop was no longer satisfying.


    Last night, Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother spent the night persuading her husband to ask for more money from Li Yifei. But Li Xinyue¡¯s father decisively refused, finally seeing his daughter leading a good life; he didn¡¯t want to put her in a difficult position in this family, which could ruin Li Xinyue.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother was surprised by her husband¡¯s firm stand. Now, with Li Xinyue having met such a capable man, if they ever upset father and daughter to the point of divorce, Li Xinyue would easily find another woman for him¡ªeven an innocent eighteen-year-old girl wouldn¡¯t be impossible.


    So she stepped back and suggested letting their son work at Li Yifei¡¯s company, given he had no job and that Li Yifei had plenty of businesses.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s father was indeed worried about his son, who was not successful, which troubled him while his daughter prospered. Getting his son a job at Li Yifei¡¯s would be good, so he was tempted by the idea.


    But according to Li Xinyue¡¯s father¡¯s plan, he intended to discuss this with Li Xinyue first, and then let her talk to Li Yifei. However, Wang Xiaohong, Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother, decided to directly bring it up in front of everyone, ensuring Li Yifei couldn¡¯t refuse without making them lose face.


    So, when the guests had left and the family gathered for a chat, Wang Xiaohong coughed lightly and said, "Yifei, I need a little help from you?"


    Everyone immediately looked in her direction, and Li Xinyue¡¯s brow furrowed immediately. Her stepmother surely had demands to make at this time, putting her in an awkward position, but she couldn¡¯t outright speak against it without seeming rude.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Aunt, please say whatever you have in mind." He could call every mother of the women in his house ¡¯mom,¡¯ but he could never call Li Xinyue¡¯s stepmother that.


    "It¡¯s like this¡ªI see that you have many businesses and must be very busy, unable to manage everything. Since Xinyue¡¯s brother isn¡¯t doing anything, let him come over and help you. Although he might not know much, he can learn and gradually help you more," she said, framing her request generously as a favor to Li Yifei but clearly aiming for her son to get a position in the company. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s father hadn¡¯t expected his wife to raise this now and kept shaking his head, not knowing how to defuse the situation.


    Li Xuehai, Li Xinyue¡¯s brother, was excited; if this worked out, he would be in a leadership position, a thought he found glorious.


    Everyone was looking at Li Yifei now; although it seemed a small matter, it was crucial for the Li family¡¯s future. Agreeing to this could lead to more relatives asking for favors, which might lead to many Li family members being placed in the company. While employing family might seem more trustworthy, it truly could be detrimental for a company managed by systematic governance.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Aunt, if Xuehai really wants to develop in this way, I¡¯m happy for him."


    Li Xuehai and Wang Xiaohong asked excitedly in unison, "So you agree?"


    Su Mengxin and others frowned quietly; agreeing to this was not a good thing. But then, in agitation, Li Xinyue immediately said, "No, I do not agree."


    The faces of Li Xuehai and Wang Xiaohong turned very ugly, but Li Xinyue¡¯s current standing was vastly different from before¡ªthey really dared not retort.

 Chapter 1111 - 1157: The Demeanor of a Clan Chief

    Chapter 1111: Chapter 1157: The Demeanor of a Clan ChiefLi Yifei waved his hand and said, "Xinyue, it¡¯s good that Xuehai wants to learn. How can you, as his sister, not agree?"


    Li Xinyue bit her lip and said, "I know, but Xuehai has never had a serious job before, let alone worked in a big company. He doesn¡¯t understand anything about company management. This would definitely not be beneficial for our company."


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile remained as he said, "Actually, this can be easily resolved. If Xuehai doesn¡¯t understand, he can always learn, right? I think we can start by letting Xuehai work from the bottom up, to learn about company management and operations. When he truly learns and is capable of a leadership position, then it would not be too late to promote him."


    Hearing Li Yifei say this, Li Xinyue immediately let out a sigh of relief and said, "In that case, it¡¯s acceptable."


    However, Wang Xiaohong and Li Xuehai were quite disappointed. Li Xuehai nudged his mother, while Wang Xiaohong put on a smile and said, "Yifei, isn¡¯t that too much trouble? If you let Xuehai train at the grassroots level, he won¡¯t learn how to be a leader. I think it would be better for you to find a leader to mentor Xuehai so he can learn faster."


    Li Yifei really admired the thickness of Wang Xiaohong¡¯s skin. He had already made himself clear, leaving her enough dignity, yet she was still unrelenting. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this was Li Xinyue¡¯s brother, he really wanted to throw them out right then and there.


    "Auntie, we are a large group company. We manage people with systems. The most important thing is for all our employees to feel there is a promising career path in the company, that if they work hard and have the ability, they will have prospects. If we fill leadership positions with our own unqualified family members, would the employees accept that? If the employees are unconvinced, would they still work hard? If they don¡¯t work hard, can our company continue to develop well?" S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This..." Wang Xiaohong was rendered speechless by Li Yifei¡¯s question. She had no understanding of these matters and was merely trying to use connections. She knew her son¡¯s capabilities¡ªor lack thereof.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and scanned his eyes over everyone before saying, "My wives, I will love and cherish them, and I will also take care of my wife¡¯s family. I, Li Yifei, am not a disloyal and heartless person. But for the Li family to develop, this kind of development is not like some nouveau riche¡¯s superficial burst, but to truly become a great family, a large group. Therefore, there are some things that I just cannot do, and I hope all our relatives understand."


    "Well said!" Several elders applauded, they had been observing how Li Yifei would handle the situation and now they finally understood that Li Yifei was not only skilled in martial strength, but also truly adept at managing the company and the family. This was exactly the mettle a clan chief of a great family should have.


    At this time, Li Yifei¡¯s Fourth Aunt also spoke, "Mother-in-law, it¡¯s not that our Yifei is disrespecting you. Our Little Tao and Third Sister¡¯s Little Lei are also training at the grassroots level in the company."


    Xu Zhenguo spoke up as well, "I also agree with Yifei¡¯s approach. This is a lesson for all of us. We all hope for the best for our daughters and for the Li family, so we can¡¯t hold Yifei back."


    Hearing everyone say this, especially these influential figures, and Xu Yingying¡¯s father, the formal wife, Wang Xiaohong instantly lost her temper and said awkwardly, "Alright, I¡¯m just a rural woman and didn¡¯t think that much. I just wanted to make things better for my son."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile, put his arm around Li Xinyue¡¯s shoulder, and said, "In my heart, Xinyue is no different from anyone else. So, the way I treat others¡¯ families is the same as I treat yours. I can promise here that as long as Xuehai works hard and learns, he will definitely have opportunities in the future. After all, using our own family members is always better than relying on outsiders."


    This was to console Wang Xiaohong, who he knew very well what kind of person Li Xuehai was. With such a character, expecting him to work diligently was simply impossible. When Li Xuehai failed to perform well, he could easily dismiss him. Li Yifei had already decided not to place Xuehai in any important position, to let him spend a few days in some less critical areas to learn his limits and then step back.


    At this point, Li Xinyue¡¯s father quickly said, "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. As long as Xuehai can have a job, I¡¯ll be content."


    At that moment, Wang Xiaohong could only secretly glare at her husband, but she dared not say anything more. If Li Yifei only had Li Xinyue as a woman, she wouldn¡¯t let it go at that, but knowing the house had more than just Li Xinyue, she certainly didn¡¯t dare to cross Li Yifei. Otherwise, if Li Yifei left Li Xinyue, she would lose this big pillar of support. Moreover, with Li Yifei¡¯s wealth, it was unlikely that Li Xinyue would ever be short of money. And since Li Xinyue was always filial, she would definitely help her father, so even without working, she and her son wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing.


    And this matter not only gained the approval of several large families but even Michelle and the others¡¯ family members also saw that Li Yifei, their son-in-law, could develop to such a state, certainly possessing extraordinary capabilities. If it weren¡¯t for Li Yifei having too many women around him, they would have been very satisfied.


    At that time, people from several large families proposed to take their leave. They had been here for two days, which was already a long time for them. Li Yifei did not insist on keeping them and saw them off.


    The Ye family, however, did not leave right away but had a detailed discussion with Li Yifei for over an hour. For them, Li Yifei had suddenly become their main support. The Ye family had always been ambitious but lacked sufficient strength. Now, with Li Yifei as a strong backer, they naturally aimed to achieve great things in the provincial capital.


    However, Li Yifei advised the Ye family to lie low for some time and wait for the Li family¡¯s strength to grow even further before taking the next step.


    The Old Master of the Ye Family completely agreed with this. Although they had now gained approval from the upper echelons through Li Yifei, they knew that the future development would depend entirely on Li Yifei, and the authorities above would no longer interfere. This time was perfect for them to recuperate and restore their energy.


    Of course, Li Yifei also asked the Ye family to take good care of Brother Hu¡¯s development in the provincial city, and the Ye family promised to do so without hesitation.


    After seeing off the people from the Ye family, the rest of the families, having no particularly special members and under the invitation of Xu Zhenguo and Lin Zhenhai, also stayed. However, they went to the backyard to play golf, something they had not even dared to dream of before. Now having the chance to play it, seemed to elevate their status quite a bit.


    At this time, Li Yifei gathered with his family members, and Li Xinyue said apologetically, "Husband, about today..."


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Xinyue, it¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t blame me for this matter."


    "How could I blame you? I¡¯m afraid you might blame me."


    "Silly girl, what is there for me to blame you for? I know about your stepmother and your brother; I know what kind of people they are, so this isn¡¯t your fault. Just remember, you are Li Yifei¡¯s woman, and you don¡¯t have to worry about anything in the future."


    "Thank you, husband." Li Xinyue¡¯s eyes reddened slightly, and then she nodded firmly.


    Li Yifei patted Li Xinyue¡¯s shoulder and then went to Xu Yingying, saying, "Yingying, I¡¯ve made another decision today, which is to send Shanshan to Capital City for a while."


    Xu Yingying immediately said with confusion, "Just send her on a trip, what¡¯s there to tell me?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Shanshan has now acquired remarkable martial skills, but she lacks real combat training, which is entirely disadvantageous for her. There happens to be a women¡¯s special forces unit in Capital City, and I want Shanshan to go there and gain some experience. Besides giving her some exposure, it¡¯s also an asset, which will be very beneficial to our Li family¡¯s overall strength in the future. I¡¯ve talked with Shanshan about this, and she agrees, but I must seek your consent as her elder sister."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a sideways glance and said, "You¡¯re putting the cart before the horse here. What else can I say? But I want to ask, there won¡¯t be any danger there, right?"


    Xu Shanshan immediately interrupted, "Of course, there¡¯s no danger. Didn¡¯t you hear my brother-in-law? It¡¯s a women¡¯s special forces unit. Going there is just to toughen up."


    "If there¡¯s no danger, then you can go. But once you¡¯re there, don¡¯t start causing trouble just because you have good martial skills. Also, the discipline in the military is very strict. You¡¯re used to being lax in your everyday life, and that won¡¯t fly there."


    "I know, I know. Elder sis, can¡¯t you stop treating me like a child all the time? I was only born an hour later than you."


    Xu Yingying rolled her eyes and responded, "Even if it was just a minute, you¡¯re still my younger sister. Besides, who can be at ease when you usually cause so much worry? You think I like to watch over you all the time?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Wife, rest assured, being in the military is the best way to temper a person. I guarantee that when Shanshan comes back, she will have changed completely."


    Xu Shanshan proudly said, "Did you hear that? My brother-in-law said so himself. What more do you have to worry about?"


    "Alright, alright. Then go tell mom about it. It¡¯s a big deal, and you can¡¯t just make a decision without their consent, or else you¡¯ll get scolded."


    "I know, I know. I¡¯ll go tell them right now." Xu Shanshan finished speaking and quickly dashed out of the hall. Ever since she had developed her skills, she would rush off like a flash unless others were around; everyone was already accustomed to it.


    Meanwhile, Su Mengxin, when no one was paying attention, leaned in and whispered to Li Yifei, "I seem to have heard that the women¡¯s special forces unit in Capital City is just a ¡¯vase¡¯ unit."


    Li Yifei chuckled knowingly, aware that in front of the clever and well-informed Su Mengxin, such a lie simply wouldn¡¯t stand.

 Chapter 1112 - 1158: Xu Yingying Suffers

    Chapter 1112: Chapter 1158: Xu Yingying SuffersToday was supposed to be Li Yifei¡¯s day off, but he was so elated that he couldn¡¯t rest and spent the whole night having a blast with everyone, though he did not spend it with Michelle. Michelle, on the other hand, stayed with her parents.


    Michelle¡¯s parents also had a deep conversation with her, in which Michelle detailed her relationship with Li Yifei over the past two years. She especially mentioned how painfully in love she was until she recently decided to be together with Li Yifei, and how happy their journey has been, which she shared with her parents.


    This reassured her parents, showing them that their daughter was truly persistent, and also made them realize that Michelle genuinely loved Li Yifei. Therefore, they didn¡¯t say much about it.


    However, Michelle¡¯s parents still hoped she would keep things low-key for now, as such matters are not easily accepted by the general public. If rumors spread, it would affect the family¡¯s reputation. They thought it would be best if she and Li Yifei could hold a wedding and legally register their marriage before making it public.


    Michelle readily agreed, as Li Yifei had already promised this, and she truly believed in Li Yifei¡¯s promises.


    With the establishment of the Li family, it meant Li Yifei was even busier. The next day, he and his family immersed themselves in work.


    Currently, they only had a few companies, which were not enough to support a large family. Therefore, Li Yifei planned to venture into more industries based on his family members¡¯ expertise.


    Firstly, there was the entertainment company. Ning Xin¡¯er was a big star, Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao were hosts; they knew a lot about this field, making the setup of such a company easier for them.


    Next, Li Yifei planned to invest in the shipping business. Mile City was coastal, and although it didn¡¯t have a major port, shipping was quite developed there. Since there were no large shipping companies in Mile City and the Su Family had strong capabilities in this area, it was natural to leverage that.


    Lastly, Li Yifei also planned to invest in real estate. Even though the national government was suppressing the real estate market, local governments weren¡¯t implementing it well to sustain economic growth. This time, the higher-ups had given Li Yifei substantial support, and he wanted to reciprocate by establishing a real estate company aimed not at high profits but at fostering a healthy industry environment.


    Li Yifei discussed these plans with Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Su Mengxin carefully, but Su Mengxin threw cold water on it, feeling it was somewhat impractical.


    The national policy hadn¡¯t been able to suppress housing prices, and it was impossible for a single company like Li Yifei¡¯s to do so. Such action would affect the whole industry, and everyone would oppose him. Moreover, almost all real estate companies were heavily indebted. If Li Yifei¡¯s actions suffocated them, leading to many bankruptcies, this would cause a multitude of social issues, and the government would face tremendous pressure and ultimately would not support Li Yifei¡¯s approach.


    Li Yifei was stunned by this realization; he hadn¡¯t known the issue was so extensive. Thus, he had to temporarily abandon his beautiful dream. However, establishing a real estate company was still supported by Su Mengxin, as the Li family currently had sufficient funds and wouldn¡¯t bear huge interest pressures, making it easier for them than others.


    Having settled on these three main directions, Li Yifei¡¯s family was incredibly busy but felt truly fulfilled.


    Additionally, Li Yifei had someone investigate Jiang Ningxiang, and all her information turned out to be accurate. She had lived in a mountain village, and the locals and the police station could confirm this.


    This relieved Li Yifei since he had previously been unaware of Innate Vital Energy until he learned through Xu Shanshan. Knowing the power that comes with Innate Vital Energy, if Jiang Ningxiang had turned out to be a hidden enemy, it would be a grave concern. Having such a formidable enemy was definitely not a good thing.


    However, this also meant that Li Yifei could gain a strong ally. As long as Xu Shanshan could harness the Innate Vital Energy within Jiang Ningxiang, they would have another top expert. With two Innate Experts in the family, along with Li Yifei himself and several more ordinary experts, their family could now stand against those major families.


    Yet, Li Yifei felt slightly uneasy, as if this advantage was too good to be true. The greater the benefit, the higher the risks, according to his years of experience. Thus, the more beneficial and easier something seemed, the more cautious Li Yifei tended to be.


    On Wednesday night, the family held a farewell dinner for Xu Shanshan as she was leaving the next day. Xu Yingying gave her sister numerous instructions, seeing Xu Shanshan as the child who never grew up, leaving her worried beyond words.


    Usually, Xu Shanshan grew tired of her sister and mother¡¯s nagging, but this time, she wasn¡¯t bothered at all. She didn¡¯t know how long it would be before she could return, fearing she might not hear her sister¡¯s nagging for quite a while, making this moment feel particularly warm.


    It wasn¡¯t until after nine in the evening that Xu Shanshan prepared to leave. But before leaving, she hugged Li Yifei, which was normal. However, what wasn¡¯t normal was her whispering into Li Yifei¡¯s ear, "Brother-in-law, tonight, you must come to keep me company."


    Li Yifei nodded, it was necessary. Before he left, he indeed wanted to spend time with Xu Shanshan. He couldn¡¯t bear her departure.


    This night, Li Yifei was with Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin. By now, Su Mengxin was more than four months pregnant and could be intimate with Li Yifei, though they still needed to be careful. Therefore, Su Yiyi took the main role. Whoever could be with Su Mengxin at this time, it was truly exciting, because tonight, most of the time was hers.


    Su Yiyi had developed that special physique which made her easily aroused, and the feelings were particularly intense. However, this was also very exhausting. After making love with Li Yifei, she was too tired and fell asleep.


    "Go ahead." Su Mengxin did not get intimate with Li Yifei but gently pushed him away.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t say much, gently kissed Su Mengxin¡¯s lips and carefully kissed her bulging belly, then put on his clothes and left his villa. Being with Su Mengxin, many things went without saying, and were clearly understood between them.


    When he arrived at Xu Shanshan¡¯s place, the two didn¡¯t need to say much, they just embraced each other. Perhaps next time, they wouldn¡¯t know when it would be, so both cherished the night¡¯s moments.


    And yet the two did not break the last barrier, but could still be intimate as if without any limits. When lovers are together, there¡¯s always so much passion.


    Tonight, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were so fervent, but it was tough on Xu Yingying, who was also experiencing that indescribable flavor.


    "This damn girl, what is she doing? It¡¯s killing me." Xu Yingying inwardly muttered, not understanding what her sister was up to tonight, struggling for so long, and now for the third time.


    Before marriage, Xu Yingying comforted herself occasionally, mostly in half-sleep, driven by impulsive urges, but her sister kept going on and on. If this continued, how would her body handle it?


    When the fourth wave of sensation hit, Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Normally, this feeling should be comfortable, but endlessly like this, her body couldn¡¯t take it.


    "This damn girl, you know martial arts, but shouldn¡¯t be like this. Don¡¯t you consider me at all? You¡¯re gonna get me killed." Struggling up, Xu Yingying left her villa; she wanted to see what Xu Shanshan was up to and remind her that too much could hurt her body.


    Walking now was very painful for Xu Yingying; the sensations kept attacking her while her body was truly exhausted, making each step difficult.


    "Mrs. Xu!" A nanny happened to pass by and saw Xu Yingying, visibly surprised, and quickly greeted her respectfully. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying straightened up and said, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just taking a walk."


    "Okay." The nanny walked a few steps but then looked back and noticed Xu Yingying¡¯s unusual gait. She immediately ran back to support Xu Yingying¡¯s arm, asking, "Mrs. Xu, are you feeling unwell?"


    Xu Yingying inwardly sweated; she indeed felt uncomfortable but couldn¡¯t possibly discuss it with a nanny, quickly saying: "I¡¯m fine, you can go to sleep. I¡¯m just going to see Shanshan."


    "Let me help you get there."


    "No need. Just go, why so many questions."


    The nanny was startled. Although Xu Yingying was not very easy-going with the domestics usually, she wasn¡¯t prone to losing her temper either. Confused by the sudden outburst, the nanny hastily walked away; nobody dared to upset Mrs. Xu in this household.


    Xu Yingying was embarrassed, feeling this mishap might have ruined her image. Shanshan, that damn girl, would get a good scolding later.

 Chapter 1113 - 1159: A Kiss Before Parting

    Chapter 1113: Chapter 1159: A Kiss Before PartingFinally arriving at Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa, after knocking on the door, the nanny serving Xu Shanshan hurriedly ran over, draped in clothes, to open the door. Seeing Xu Yingying, she quickly said, "Good evening, Mrs. Xu."


    "Alright, you can go back to rest. I¡¯m going upstairs to have a chat with Shanshan."


    The nanny agreed and followed Xu Yingying to the stairway. Thankfully, at that moment, Xu Yingying didn¡¯t have any unusual feelings, so she managed to go upstairs normally. Otherwise, if the nanny saw her awkward gait, she might have to temper her irritation to resolve it.


    Upon reaching the upstairs, Xu Yingying approached Xu Shanshan¡¯s door and gently knocked.


    From inside immediately came Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice: "Who is it?"


    "It¡¯s me!"


    "Sis, why did you come over? I was just about to sleep."


    "You little rascal, open the door for me."


    After a little while, Xu Shanshan came to open the door. Xu Yingying quickly entered the room and carefully looked around. However, she didn¡¯t see the presence of any men, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She really feared that Xu Shanshan might be with some man at the time, although in her own home, it would be impossible for a man to sneak in.


    Sitting by the bed, Xu Yingying felt a wave of weakness but still glared at Xu Shanshan, saying, "What¡¯s gotten into you, how long have you been tossing and turning tonight?"


    "Heh, feeling lonely, huh," Xu Shanshan climbed into bed and flopped down, tiredly saying, "You have a husband, so naturally you won¡¯t feel lonely. I¡¯m alone now, and I can¡¯t find a boyfriend, otherwise, you couldn¡¯t stand it. So, of course, I can only take care of myself."


    Xu Yingying felt a bit guilty when Xu Shanshan said this and lay down beside her sister, saying, "Shanshan, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t let you have a boyfriend. You will have to get married eventually."


    "Really? If I get married, can you handle it? Could you really accept it in your heart?" Xu Shanshan turned to look at her sister.


    "If I don¡¯t accept it, what can I do? I can¡¯t make you stay single all your life. How about this, in the future, don¡¯t let him... go through the back, then I won¡¯t be affected."


    "Then, can you not let Brother Li use the front with you?"


    "This..." Xu Yingying was at a loss for words. She had indeed controlled it recently, but to say she wouldn¡¯t do it at all was simply impossible. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, let¡¯s talk about this later, I don¡¯t plan on getting married right now anyway."


    "Well... okay then. But Shanshan, what was going on with you just now? It was too frequent, your body can¡¯t take it, and I¡¯m worn out because of you. Moreover, this isn¡¯t normal."


    Xu Shanshan said giggling, "Just having some fun, sis. Why don¡¯t you try it too, it¡¯s quite enjoyable."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s face darkened with worry, "Shanshan, this is definitely a psychological issue, it¡¯s really not good."


    "What should I do then? I just like it this way. I don¡¯t get as excited using the front, and once I start, it¡¯s very hard to stop. Before, when I didn¡¯t know martial arts, doing it once or twice was okay, but now, with my strength, I kind of can¡¯t control myself."


    "Ah? Then we should see a doctor."


    "See a doctor? You want me to tell a doctor that I like backdoor fun, and by myself no less? How could I face people?"


    "If you don¡¯t conceal your illness, you won¡¯t get medical treatment. I truly feel you have some sort of psychological condition."


    "I¡¯m not sick at all. Besides, if you and Brother Li are together, wouldn¡¯t my actions also stimulate you, making things more exciting? What¡¯s wrong with that?"


    "Enough, I don¡¯t want that kind of excitement. Shanshan, I¡¯m serious. This isn¡¯t the way to go."


    Xu Shanshan spoke nonchalantly, "It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t do it every day, just occasionally, once or twice. It¡¯s just that today it was more frequent, but you know that."


    "This..."


    "Come on, stop worrying about nothing. Masturbation is no big deal, it¡¯s common for both men and women. As long as it¡¯s not too frequent, it¡¯s absolutely fine. Besides, tomorrow I¡¯m going to the military, where I won¡¯t have so much leisure time to even feel inclined for it."


    "Okay then, I¡¯ll stay and sleep with you tonight. It¡¯s been a long time since us sisters slept together."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "Alright then, let¡¯s chat for a bit more," and then glanced outside the window.


    Li Yifei had been hiding outside the window. Knowing that Xu Yingying was staying, and that he couldn¡¯t stay here any longer tonight, he left and headed back to his own villa.


    Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin were already asleep. Li Yifei stripped off his clothes, squeezed in between them, wrapped his arms around them, and quickly fell asleep as well.


    The next day, Xu Shanshan was departing, and Li Yifei and Xu Yingying were seeing her off at the security checkpoint, where Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t stop giving Shanshan instructions.


    "Alright, Shanshan is not a child anymore, you don¡¯t need to go on instructing her. Shanshan, be careful with everything, and no matter the situation, ensure your safety first."


    Xu Shanshan nodded emphatically, then tried to give Li Yifei a playful smile, but tears started to flow involuntarily as she choked up, "Brother-in-law, I will definitely take good care of myself."


    Li Yifei felt a sourness in his heart too; he had never sent a person he liked away for such a long time before, and to a dangerous place at that without being by her side.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan extended her arms.


    Li Yifei hugged Xu Shanshan tightly, softly saying, "Remember my words, if you get even just a tiny bit hurt, I will scold you when you come back."


    "Brother-in-law, if I get hurt, don¡¯t you have to avenge me instead of scolding me?" Xu Shanshan looked up at Li Yifei with teary, reproachful eyes.


    "Right, I will scold you, that¡¯s why you have to protect yourself well. If you come back without a scratch, whatever you want then, I will agree to it."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Xu Shanshan hugged Li Yifei tightly again, suddenly stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Li Yifei¡¯s face, saying, "You better keep your word."


    "Brother Li would never deceive you." Li Yifei also gently kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s face, then took a deep look at her before letting go.


    Xu Yingying watched Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan embracing and even kissing each other, but she didn¡¯t feel anything inappropriate. The relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan was indeed close, and since it was done in front of her, it actually seemed very normal.


    Xu Shanshan then hugged her sister, saying, "Sis, I¡¯ll call you when I get there, don¡¯t worry." Then she turned and went through the security checkpoint.


    "Shanshan, remember to call me when you arrive."


    "I will." Xu Shanshan looked back with a smile, waved her hand, and then briskly walked through.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying stood at the security checkpoint for about half a minute. Li Yifei put his arm around Xu Yingying¡¯s shoulder and said, "Let¡¯s go, Shanshan has grown up; it¡¯s time for her to fly on her own."


    Xu Yingying sighed, "Yes, Shanshan has indeed matured. I always thought she was a sister who made me worry, but now she suddenly has her own decisions and pursuits. I am still not quite used to it."


    "Heh, it¡¯s a good thing, and now you can devote your energy to our child instead."


    Xu Yingying immediately became somewhat annoyed, "Are you saying you¡¯re getting tired of me?"


    "Honey, how could I ever get tired of you? That would be a grave injustice."


    Xu Yingying said resentfully, "You say you¡¯re not tired of me? It¡¯s been so long and I¡¯m still not pregnant."


    "Silly wife, didn¡¯t we go get a check-up? There¡¯s nothing wrong with your health. It¡¯s just that the right moment hasn¡¯t come yet. Our baby doesn¡¯t want to come to our home yet. When the time comes, they will find their way to your womb."


    "I still don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get pregnant. Don¡¯t let it happen that Mengxin has her baby and I¡¯m still not pregnant."


    "Heh, you are too obsessed with this. Let¡¯s just let it happen naturally. Besides, with so many things happening in the Li family, if you got pregnant now, there really would be no one to help me."


    "You just want to use me as a workhorse." Xu Yingying hit Li Yifei, but her heart was very content.


    With only a few days left until school started, Chu Xiaoyao was also leaving for the colorful university life she loved. Since Li Yifei was often busy and had little time to accompany her, she too was obediently ready to return to school.


    And with Chu Xiaoyao starting school, it meant that Jiang Ningxiang, that girl, was also starting school. Before, Li Yifei had only casually helped Jiang Ningxiang, but this time, he felt it would be better to help her, especially considering that this girl wanted to strive to serve the Li family in the future. Gaining such a talent would definitely benefit the Li family greatly.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t have the time to send Jiang Ningxiang off to school, and it seemed a bit too much for him to intervene in such a matter, so he asked Su Yiyi to accompany Jiang Ningxiang instead. It was perfect since Su Yiyi was also a student at Mile City University and was familiar with the school.


    In the morning, Su Yiyi went to meet Jiang Ningxiang, and Li Yifei was busy with his own work at the company. Then a call came from Su Yiyi. Li Yifei casually picked up and heard Su Yiyi¡¯s anxious voice: "Brother Li, something terrible has happened ¨C Ningxiang was hit by a car."


    "How is she now? And how are you?" Li Yifei¡¯s brow furrowed immediately.


    "I¡¯m fine, Ningxiang got hit because she was protecting me. She¡¯s in the hospital now, and the details are not yet clear."


    Knowing that Su Yiyi was alright eased Li Yifei¡¯s mind, and he quickly said, "I¡¯ll come right over, don¡¯t panic."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei hurried to the hospital. He was concerned about Jiang Ningxiang and, since she had been hit while trying to protect his wife, he felt obligated to be there, as any husband should.

 Chapter 1114 - 1160: Satan Visits

    Chapter 1114: Chapter 1160: Satan VisitsLi Yifei rushed to the hospital, Su Yiyi was anxiously waiting outside the emergency room, and a cold-faced woman in her thirties quietly stood to the side. This woman was Su Yiyi¡¯s attendant and driver, as well as a martial arts expert.


    "What happened?" Li Yifei first patted Su Yiyi¡¯s shoulder, and then, instead of asking Su Yiyi, he asked the bodyguard.


    "We just parked the car at the entrance of the university. Miss Su, Miss Jiang, and I were there. I opened the trunk to get their things when suddenly a car rushed towards us, and it was about to hit Miss Su. I was ready to pull her away, but Miss Jiang was quicker and pushed Miss Su out of the way. However, she couldn¡¯t dodge in time herself."


    Li Yifei nodded, the bodyguard had stated the absolute truth, without any subjective bias. That meant the car was going to hit Su Yiyi, but Jiang Ningxiang, in a moment of urgency, triggered her Innate Vital Energy first and pushed Su Yiyi away, although she was hit by the car.


    This dispelled Li Yifei¡¯s only suspicion towards Jiang Ningxiang and also made him more concerned for her. To Su Yiyi, Jiang Ningxiang was a lifesaver. Even though Jiang Ningxiang would have been fine if she hadn¡¯t moved, her decision to act made Li Yifei appreciative.


    But right now, they didn¡¯t know Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s condition and could only wait here. Turning his head towards the bodyguard, he asked, "Was the driver who caused the accident caught?"


    "The driver did not run away. It was a female driver who got her driver¡¯s license less than a week ago. She was so scared that she cried on the spot and is now making a statement at the Traffic Police Team."


    "A newbie female driver..." Li Yifei was somewhat speechless. Not that he looked down on women, but newbie female drivers tend to panic in emergencies due to certain physical reasons, making them more prone to accidents. Unexpectedly, Su Yiyi had encountered this, causing trouble for Jiang Ningxiang.


    At this moment, the light in the emergency room went off, and Li Yifei and Su Yiyi hurried to the exit. Soon a doctor came out first.


    Su Yiyi rushed to ask, "Doctor, how is the patient?"


    The doctor, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, said, "There¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s just a concussion from the hit on the head that caused the coma. She has already woken up, and there¡¯s only a slight bruise on her thigh. To be hit by a car and suffer almost no injuries is indeed quite strange."


    Su Yiyi let out a long sigh of relief, while Li Yifei felt it was quite normal. Jiang Ningxiang had Innate Vital Energy in her body, which would automatically trigger and protect her in an emergency, just like the True Qi in Li Yifei¡¯s body that would protect him without his command.


    By then, Jiang Ningxiang had already walked out with the help of a nurse, and Su Yiyi quickly went to support her, saying, "Ningxiang, I¡¯m so glad you are alright. You really scared me."


    Jiang Ningxiang hastily said, "Sister Yiyi, I¡¯m fine, really. My body is in good shape. Ah, Brother Li, you came too."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Thank you."


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed slightly and said softly, "Brother Li, you have helped me so much. To do what I can, that is the least I should do."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Ningxiang, you did well. If there¡¯s anything in the future, you can come to me. I will definitely help you."


    "Thank you, Brother Li, you¡¯ve already helped me a lot. I¡¯m really happy that I can go to school now."


    "Ah, we haven¡¯t registered yet. We really need to hurry to the school," Su Yiyi suddenly became anxious.


    Jiang Ningxiang also became flustered and said, "Then let¡¯s hurry."


    Since Li Yifei had come out, he accompanied Su Yiyi to send Jiang Ningxiang to the school. However, he did not enter the school. With his current status, he couldn¡¯t be as leisurely as before.


    Around noon, Su Yiyi returned to the company. She couldn¡¯t help but talk about the morning¡¯s events again, expressing her emotional connection with Jiang Ningxiang. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Present were Xu Yingying, Xiao Ling¡¯er, and Zheng Yuling. Hearing about the incident, they all had a high impression of Jiang Ningxiang. It could be said that Jiang Ningxiang had now received unanimous approval from the Li family.


    "Hubby, I think that little sister Jiang Ningxiang is pretty good. Maybe we should take her in?" Xiao Ling¡¯er teased Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head and said, "Enough, don¡¯t try to pair me with every pretty girl you see. I¡¯m not in the mood for that now."


    "Don¡¯t say that, hubby. You are so strong, a couple more wouldn¡¯t be a problem," Zheng Yuling also teased Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave each of them a light pat on the buttocks and said, "Ningxiang is a very special person. She has the same constitution as Shanshan, but it hasn¡¯t been developed yet. I¡¯m planning to have Shanshan take her as an apprentice when she returns. If we can develop Ningxiang¡¯s strength, then our Li family will have another master, and it would be a great help to us."


    "Miss Su must be very happy," Xu Yingying said with a smile.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯ve already talked to Shanshan about this. She¡¯s quite happy too, so you guys should stop involving me in the future."


    "It¡¯s rare for our husband to be so serious. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore."


    After putting the matter with Jiang Ningxiang aside, another busy afternoon went by. In the evening, Li Yifei attended a city-organized event and only got back home by driving after ten.


    He was just a few hundred meters away from his home when Li Yifei saw a person standing by the roadside. The person was tall and burly, dressed in a leather jacket and a cloak, attire that was so distinctive, especially just a few days before September, when wearing such clothes made it all the more bizarre.


    Li Yifei stopped the car, got out, and went directly behind the man, speaking slowly in English, "Satan, I didn¡¯t expect you to come here."


    Others might find this man weird, but Li Yifei knew him all too well. This was Crazy Satan, the strongest member of the Italian Mafia, and arguably the most formidable person known in Europe.


    But now, Li Yifei no longer thought this way. In his own country, there were hidden masters whom he looked up to. The same must be true for Europe; there would definitely be people stronger than Crazy Satan, it¡¯s just that they remained out of sight, unknown to the public because Satan was so famous.


    "Golden Eagle, are you living a life that¡¯s too comfortable now?" Satan remarked indifferently.


    "I feel pretty good now," Li Yifei lit a cigarette and then offered one to Satan, "Want one?"


    "Tobacco numbs the nerves, it can affect a person¡¯s strength, I advise you not to smoke."


    Li Yifei blew a smoke ring, saying with a look of enjoyment, "Been smoking for many years now, I¡¯m used to it."


    "Golden Eagle!" Satan shook his head, slowly turned around, his gaze fixed on Li Yifei, "You really disappoint me now."


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone was still calm, "I live not for you. Whether you¡¯re disappointed or not, I¡¯m not the least bit interested."


    A cold light suddenly burst forth in Satan¡¯s eyes as he said chillingly, "Do you know why I¡¯ve come here?"


    "Why?" Li Yifei met Satan¡¯s gaze and asked slowly.


    Satan said slowly, "I¡¯ve come to fight you again. Last time, I lost by half a move, and this time I intend to win it back. But I see that your life is too comfortable, which has caused your martial skills to completely regress. In martial arts, one must constantly advance like a boat against the current; if you do not progress, you regress. You have regressed, while I have progressed. Do you think it¡¯s still necessary for me to fight you?"


    The last battle was incredibly intense, and it wasn¡¯t clear who won between Li Yifei and Satan¡ªmost people thought they ended in a draw. Only if they heard Satan¡¯s words would they know that Satan indeed lost last time.


    But Satan only lost by half a move, and for Li Yifei to kill him would be impossible. The gap between their strengths was too narrow; to kill each other would mean both paying a very heavy price. Therefore, after losing by half a move, it was unnecessary for Satan to continue fighting.


    "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary either. So, you¡¯d better go do whatever you need to do, and I¡¯ll continue living my comfortable life."


    Satan stared at Li Yifei and shook his head again, "Golden Eagle, you are a warrior. Warriors should walk the path of the strong, constantly challenge, challenge enemies, challenge oneself. That is what you should be striving for. Snap out of it!" The last phrase was shouted by Satan, the sound booming like thunder on a clear day.


    Unmoved, Li Yifei said, "Satan, everyone¡¯s pursuit is different. You seek the path of the warrior, while I pursue something else. I don¡¯t think my pursuit is wrong, and you think yours isn¡¯t wrong either. We are now walking different paths, so there¡¯s no longer any need for us to intersect."


    "Is that so? It seems you¡¯ve strayed off path. Then let me bring you back to the warrior¡¯s path."


    "What are you going to do?" Li Yifei frowned. Right now, he really didn¡¯t want to fight Satan again because he could feel that Satan was much stronger than before. He no longer had any assurance of victory, and the Li family was at a crucial stage of development. If anything happened to him, it would cause major problems for the entire Li family.


    Satan¡¯s gaze was icy as he said, "It¡¯s simple. I will destroy everything that holds you back, especially those women. When that happens, you will surely hate me. In order to kill me, you will once again step onto the warrior¡¯s path. Haha..."

 Chapter 1115 - 1161: Clash Again

    Chapter 1115: Chapter 1161: Clash AgainSatan¡¯s nickname is "Mad Devil," and he always acts with extreme madness, never considering whether his actions might harm others. In his eyes, whether it¡¯s the women around Li Yifei or wealth, those are just stumbling blocks hindering Li Yifei from becoming stronger. Now that he speaks such words, it means he will truly act on them.


    Li Yifei looked at the Mad Devil and shook his head, saying, "Satan, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t fight you, but that I don¡¯t wish to fight you right now. Do you really think I have regressed?" As he spoke, Li Yifei¡¯s chest puffed out, and a surging fighting spirit immediately burst forth, enveloping Satan¡¯s entire body.


    Satan¡¯s fighting spirit rose in response, clashing fiercely with Li Yifei¡¯s. Such a collision of fighting spirits could truly only be felt by those involved; others simply couldn¡¯t perceive it.


    The two stood there like a pair of stone statues, remaining motionless for two whole minutes until Satan suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "Well said, Golden Eagle, I truly didn¡¯t expect this. You¡¯ve caught me by surprise. I thought you would be lost in wine and women, yet it turns out you also haven¡¯t forgotten the importance of increasing your strength!"


    Li Yifei replied with a faint smile, "With such a powerful opponent like you around, do you think I can afford to relax?"


    However, Satan shook his head and said, "Golden Eagle, then, do you think it¡¯s me who has progressed faster, or you?"


    Li Yifei, confronting Satan¡¯s gaze, said, "Indeed, you have progressed quickly. This time, I don¡¯t have the confidence to beat you."


    "So you see, even though you¡¯re still striving, certain things have indeed drawn a lot of your energy, especially women. You have too many women, and that¡¯s a significant reason why your progress has been slow. Hence, I still intend to kill your women."


    The bodyguards Li Yifei had arranged for his women might be able to deal with ordinary experts, but against top-notch masters like Satan, they would be no match at all. Should the time come, there would be no alternative but to be killed by Satan.


    "Satan, for you, relatives might indeed be stumbling blocks that hinder your progress, but for me, they are an indispensable part of my life. If you kill them, I would hate you, and I would make myself stronger, solely to make it possible to kill you. However, you should also know that at our level, it¡¯s not through sheer effort alone that one can achieve greater progression. It requires some opportunities and some enlightenment. If my mind were consumed by hatred every day, then no matter how hard I try, I would likely be unable to make even the slightest progress."


    After a pause, Li Yifei looked at Satan and said, "I can give you a deadline. On the first of September next year, at the same island where we first fought, let¡¯s have a true battle. I will make sure you never wish to fight me again."


    Satan gazed at Li Yifei and finally nodded, agreeing, "Alright, it¡¯s a promise."


    "It¡¯s a promise!"


    The two fighters slammed their palms together forcefully, making a dull thud that was utterly different from the crisp sound of ordinary people high-fiving.


    Suddenly, Satan¡¯s palm morphed into a fist, launching a punch towards Li Yifei and shouting, "Golden Eagle, even though I greatly look forward to our battle in a year, it would be a lifelong regret if I didn¡¯t fight you upon meeting you this time."


    Li Yifei swung his hand down fiercely, cutting towards Satan¡¯s wrist, and declared loudly, "Let¡¯s fight, I have no fear of you!"


    Instantly, they engaged in combat, their strikes as swift as the wind and incredibly powerful. It had been almost a year since they last fought, and Satan¡¯s progress was truly astonishing to Li Yifei. The intense pressure had increased by at least twenty percent since their last encounter.


    Li Yifei may not have spent much time practicing martial arts this past year, but he had not been negligent. Especially after being ganged up on by the former leaders of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei had gained great enlightenment, and his strength had considerably increased.


    Subsequently, Xu Shanshan suddenly became an expert. As the two of them sparred from time to time, Xu Shanshan¡¯s skills, though not something Li Yifei could learn, frequently crossing blades with such a master like her certainly stimulated Li Yifei¡¯s improvement. Therefore, Li Yifei¡¯s progression over the past year had indeed been substantial.


    Even so, Li Yifei had to admit that Satan¡¯s improvement was somewhat faster. If he had won by half a move last time, this half move was now utterly out of reach.


    This was a fight between two equally matched forces, and at such a level, with equal strength, it came down to adaptability in actual combat. However, both were veterans of countless battles, with no flaws in this area, and neither would give the other any chance.


    At this point, to determine a victor between the two, it seemed only a contest of stamina remained¡ªwhomever ran out of energy first would lose. But neither Li Yifei nor Satan wished to fight like that.


    They fought from the road to the roadside, then from the roadside up to the hillside. Like two tanks, they left a trail of destruction in their wake ¨C whether it was meadows or shrubs and small trees, everything was utterly devastated as if a giant beast had passed through and wrecked it all.


    After a full half hour of combat, neither had emerged victorious. If Li Yifei¡¯s phone hadn¡¯t rung from his pocket, the fight would probably have continued.


    As if in tacit understanding, the ringing halted their fight, and both men backed away. Li Yifei pulled out his phone, whereas Satan didn¡¯t leave but stood with hands clasped behind him on a boulder. At that moment, a breeze blew by, his cloak flapping majestically, embodying the true masculine aura of a man.


    The call was from home, and it was Ye Yunzhu who was calling. Li Yifei immediately said, "Wife, I¡¯ll be back soon, don¡¯t worry."


    "Sure, take it slow when driving."


    After hanging up the phone, Satan said, "Golden Eagle, as you can see, we are evenly matched right now. If another year passes and you remain as complacent as you are, I will kill you on the spot. By then, you won¡¯t be worthy to be my opponent anymore. You¡¯re seeking a family life, right? Well, let me tell you, if you lose then, not only will I kill you, but I¡¯ll also slaughter your woman and children, not leaving a single one alive. I¡¯ll ensure that you¡¯ll reunite with them in another world."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t give you the chance," Li Yifei responded with an equally domineering tone.


    "Excellent. Then I¡¯ll look forward to September 1st next year. Haha..." Satan burst into laughter, then suddenly stomped his foot and lunged at a nearby tree.


    Li Yifei hurried forward to meet him, exchanging several blows with Satan in mid-air.


    "This is another weakness of yours, being too protective of your subordinates," Satan said, leaping down from a rock. His cloak billowing behind him, he glided down like a large bird.


    Under that tree, two people stood at that moment¡ªone was Sophia and the other a top-notch expert from Li Yifei¡¯s household guards. They had followed the sound to investigate.


    As they arrived, they saw Li Yifei engaged in battle with Satan, and they were completely dazzled by the sight. Witnessing a fight between such high-level masters was a rare opportunity of a lifetime.


    Sophia knew of Li Yifei¡¯s prowess, so she was genuinely pleased to have him as her master. But she had never imagined that Li Yifei would be this formidable. This level of skill was something Sophia had never even considered possible before, and now her admiration for him had intensified exponentially.


    When Satan aimed his attack at them, the two were initially too stunned to react in time, and if not for Li Yifei¡¯s intervention, they would have been dead.


    "Boss! Is that man Satan?" The household guard stuttered.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Indeed, that¡¯s Satan. But don¡¯t tell the ladies about the arrangement I have with him. We don¡¯t want them to worry."


    Sophia and the guard nodded repeatedly. In this household, their ultimate loyalty lay with Li Yifei, and only then with the rest of the family.


    "Master, you haven¡¯t trained me for days," Sophia said, clenching her fists, her eyes shining with excitement.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Alright, I will set aside some time every day to train you. Also, I¡¯m going to schedule more training sessions for everyone. Go back and notify them."


    The guard was instantly thrilled, assenting repeatedly. They had joined the Flying Hawk Squad to follow Golden Eagle; having Golden Eagle himself provide personal guidance was something that excited them beyond belief.


    Driving into the courtyard, Li Yifei headed inside on foot, and Sophia followed eagerly. Li Yifei grinned, "It¡¯s too late today, shall we skip tonight¡¯s session?"


    Sophia promptly said, "Master, I just want to be with you. Your strength makes me feel like I¡¯m overflowing with endless energy just by walking with you."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly, "Now you¡¯ve started to flatter too, huh?"


    "I¡¯m not flattering," Sophia replied seriously. "Seeing you battle Satan, I really feel the difference in strength. Master, I want to ask, was that your full strength? Or are you still hiding your true capabilities?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "That was my full strength." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But you didn¡¯t use your Flying Needles at that time."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and explained, "Against someone as strong as Satan, I never had the chance to use my Flying Needles. Even if I could, his formidable defense would render them ineffective. While the Flying Needle is a fine hidden weapon, when facing a true master in close combat, victory can only be decided by actual strength."


    Sophia nodded firmly, "I understand, Master. I will work hard from now on. I want my own strength to surpass what I could do with the Flying Dagger."


    Li Yifei nodded in approval. Sophia was indeed a woman with great potential. Investing effort in training her was truly worth it.

 Chapter 1116 - 1164: Coercion

    Chapter 1116: Chapter 1164: CoercionLi Yifei didn¡¯t immediately take Michelle back to his villa, but instead, they took a leisurely walk in the yard.


    Michelle, holding onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, had the flush on her face faded, replaced by a sweet happiness.


    "Michelle, have you gotten used to living at home recently?" The two sat by the river, took off their shoes, and dipped their feet into the clear river water. The cool, clear water was very comforting.


    "I like it very much here. Most importantly, I don¡¯t have to just watch you silently like before."


    "Hehe, you really are a silly girl."


    "If I weren¡¯t silly, it wouldn¡¯t have taken me so long to be with you."


    Li Yifei has been increasingly concerned about emotional communication with his family. While chatting with Michelle, her mood also relaxed more and more until it was dark before they returned to the villa.


    When they reached Li Yifei¡¯s bedroom, Michelle felt a bit shy and nervous. After all, it was her first time, and no matter how much had been prepared before, a girl¡¯s reaction is always like this.


    "Ring ring..." A pleasant sound came from the window, and Michelle followed the sound to see a string of wind chimes hanging there, made from seashells collected at the beach, sounding lovely as they clinked together in the wind.


    "Ah!" Michelle¡¯s eyes showed surprise and she excitedly said, "This is the wind chime I made for you. After moving the company several times, I thought it was lost."


    Li Yifei, with his arm around Michelle¡¯s shoulder, looking at the wind chimes, softly said, "How could I bear to throw away these wind chimes? You made these as a novice, your fingers were punctured by so many little holes, it pained me to see."


    "Really? But back then you didn¡¯t show it, I thought you hadn¡¯t noticed."


    "Silly, how could I not notice? It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t know what to say at the time. If it were now, I¡¯d have taken your hand and blown on it to soothe you." Saying this, Li Yifei took Michelle¡¯s hands, bringing them to his lips and gently blowing.


    Michelle playfully said, "My hands are healed now, and you only think of blowing on them when it¡¯s useless."


    Li Yifei looked at Michelle with intense eyes and softly said, "Who says it¡¯s useless? That¡¯s very useful."


    Michelle tilted her head, "How come I can¡¯t think of what use it could possibly have?"


    Li Yifei lowered his head further and gently kissed Michelle¡¯s slender fingers, saying, "Let me show you what it¡¯s useful for." Then he opened his mouth and took Michelle¡¯s fingertips into it, gently touching them with his tongue while looking at her. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michelle only felt a tingling sensation on her fingertips, a rather pleasant feeling, but still teased, "What use is this?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t speak, but continued to gently stimulate Michelle¡¯s fingertips with his tongue and suck on them. Michelle¡¯s body quivered slightly. The fingertips are the most sensitive places for touch; Li Yifei¡¯s actions intensified the tingling sensation, spreading it from the fingertips to the hand, then up the arm, and soon throughout her entire body, sparking a deep desire from the bottom of her heart.


    The Tender Country is a grave for heroes. Li Yifei was deeply aware of this. Getting up every morning was the hardest part of his day, but Li Yifei knew very well that if he didn¡¯t make himself stronger, this kind of life might soon cease to exist. Even Xu Shanshan resolutely went out to train for the sake of their home. As the head of the family, what reason did he have not to protect his loved ones?


    The last time he met that strong opponent at the leader¡¯s place had already put a lot of pressure on Li Yifei. This stimulation from Satan made him even more aware that he wasn¡¯t the strongest; there were many others more formidable than him. To build this family, he might genuinely become enemies with those super fighters; he didn¡¯t want to end up obliterated.


    But Li Yifei faced a problem too; even if he trained now, the progress wasn¡¯t significant. His subordinates weren¡¯t nearly strong enough to aid in his improvement.


    If he could spar with strong fighters like Satan, that would be perfect. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t be unattached like Satan as his family demands too much of him.


    So what Li Yifei needed to do most was to train the people at home into strong fighters, ensuring the safety of his own family first. Then, once the family¡¯s major businesses were on track, he would challenge himself and transform.


    During two hours, Li Yifei not only sweated profusely but also exhausted those he trained, who were all worn out from attacking him together.


    Actual combat is the best way to improve. Every time Li Yifei defeated these men, making them unable to get up, they gained a lot of improvement. They also enjoyed this method, even if it meant getting injured.

 Chapter 1117 - 1164 Intimidation_2

    Chapter 1117: Chapter 1164 Intimidation_2Especially Sophia, this female disciple, each time is like playing with her life, that fierce momentum sometimes makes Li Yifei feel as if she is an enemy who bears deep hatred against him, rather than his own disciple. But more often, he feels gratified, because he knows Sophia is doing this to improve faster and become stronger. Li Yifei is now never afraid of the people around him becoming stronger, the more the stronger, the better.


    Sophia¡¯s desperate efforts also motivate others. If a woman can do so much, the men can hardly let themselves be outdone by a woman. Thus, this training atmosphere is very exciting and comforting for Li Yifei.


    Time flies, two months have passed quickly. Li Yifei recently has been very busy but fulfilling. Moreover, he is very happy and comfortable. Although there are thirteen wives at home, they never have any conflicts. Everyone living together every day is rather joyful. Moreover, basically they all have found their own things to do. Even when Li Yifei isn¡¯t accompanying them, they can still find plenty of fun at home.


    The company has also developed quite well recently, with sixteen billion in funds which is absolutely ample. With sufficient funds and strong government support, the industries Li Yifei is involved in are all progressing very smoothly.


    Little Yifei has started going back to kindergarten. Although good teachers can be hired at home, Li Yifei still hopes that Little Yifei can adapt to a group environment, rather than being a proud little princess.


    Little Yixiang can now crawl, and her tiny form is really adorable. When family members have time, they always enjoy teasing Little Yixiang, which makes them feel more at ease to go about their own affairs.


    Su Mengxin¡¯s belly is also growing bigger, and she is extremely diligent about the baby¡¯s care, eating a lot every day. Now her body has gained much weight, but even so, her beauty has not diminished. On the contrary, she appears even more radiant with maternal glow, which makes other family members jealous.


    Additionally, there¡¯s good news that Xiao Ling¡¯er and Song Lianyao are also pregnant, which is another happy event.


    However, with the family members getting pregnant one after another, Xu Yingying feels increasingly lost. She is very attentive when she¡¯s with Li Yifei, trying to get pregnant. But the harder she tries, the less successful she seems to be.


    Xu Yingying is anxious, even suspecting that her previous pregnancy test was wrong, and secretly went for another test. The result still didn¡¯t show any issues, which really depressed her. Since there is nothing wrong with her body, why can¡¯t she get pregnant?


    Everyone knows that Xu Yingying is anxious and they often comfort her. The most common thing they say is, "The more anxious you are, the more it will affect conception."


    Xu Yingying knows this, but she¡¯s really in a hurry and finding it hard to relax.


    Tonight it was Xu Yingying and He Fangqing¡¯s turn to accompany Li Yifei. There was nothing special going on, and it was also Friday night, so there¡¯s no need to get up early tomorrow. Li Yifei decided to take the two of them out for a romantic evening, which might also help Xu Yingying relax and increase her chances of conception.


    It¡¯s already the end of October, and autumn has set in. The three of them were dressed in autumn clothes, not as cool as usual. However, having some barbecue and a little drink by the seaside is also quite a pleasant affair.


    With their status, it was now rare for them to eat at ordinary open-air barbecue stalls. The rarity of coming here made it somewhat more special, and even Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were very happy.


    "Hey, isn¡¯t that the girl Jiang Ningxiang?" A group of young people, who seemed to be university students, passed by the barbecue stall in front of Li Yifei and his group, and He Fangqing whispered.


    Li Yifei and Xu Yingying turned their heads and indeed saw Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s figure. She was with five girls and six boys, walking together in a big group, but didn¡¯t look towards them.


    Xu Yingying said: "This should be an inter-dormitory fellowship activity for them, right?"


    Li Yifei, puzzled, asked, "What fellowship activity?" He didn¡¯t go to university, so he wasn¡¯t very aware of such things.


    Xu Yingying explained: "The thing that university students love most is dating, and if they date, they need a partner. During the pursuit, they need to find a chance to interact. Thus, some people will organize inter-dormitory fellowships through relations like fellow townsfolk or student unions. On the surface, it¡¯s about coming out together for mutual support, but actually, this is often when they pick someone they like and start pursuing them."


    Li Yifei smiled and said: "Then Little Ningxiang certainly won¡¯t lack pursuers."


    He Fangqing nodded and said, "Yes, Ningxiang is pretty, indeed she will have many pursuers."


    A regretful expression suddenly appeared on Li Yifei¡¯s face, causing Xu Yingying to frown and say, "You¡¯re not thinking about Ningxiang, are you?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t overthink it. I just feel that if Ningxiang could be in our family, she would definitely be a great asset. But now if she gets a boyfriend, she might not really stay with us. It¡¯s a pity to lose such a potential talent."

 Chapter 1118 - 1164 Intimidation_3

    Chapter 1118: Chapter 1164 Intimidation_3He Fangqing raised an eyebrow and said, "Then just tell her directly. I think you¡¯ve been such a big help to her; she should be grateful and return the favor."


    Li Yifei shook his head again and said, "Everyone has the right to choose their life, like me¡ªafter I came back to Mile City, I wanted to live a comfortable life. Back then, if anyone tried to change my life, I would have really disliked it. But now I am living such a life, and it wasn¡¯t forced upon me by anyone. It was my own choice, and that¡¯s why I accepted it happily. So I don¡¯t want to change someone else¡¯s life because of me, unless it¡¯s voluntary."


    Xu Yingying and He Fangqing both nodded. Having spent a long time with Li Yifei, they understood him very well and didn¡¯t say more on this matter. They continued chatting about more lighthearted topics.


    Meanwhile, Jiang Ningxiang and her group sat down at a barbecue stall next to Li Yifei¡¯s. These youngsters were carefree, and having just escaped from their parents¡¯ control, some were naturally a bit boisterous, which made them rather noisy.


    However, Li Yifei and company didn¡¯t mind. They came here for the atmosphere; such an ambience brought back memories of their own youthful days. Even though Li Yifei had not attended university, he could still experience the vibrant student life.


    After about an hour, Li Yifei and his two companions were ready to leave when something happened at Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s table, causing them to sit back down temporarily.


    "Quiet down, everyone!" A boy stood up, holding a glass in his hand. As soon as the boisterous group of youngsters quieted down, it seemed this boy had quite some influence.


    The boy went over to Jiang Ningxiang, looked at her affectionately, and said, "Ningxiang, we¡¯ve known each other for a while now. From the first moment I saw you, I fell for you. Be my girlfriend."


    "Oh..." All the boys and girls exclaimed in surprise, then the boys and girls began to urge, "Agree to him, agree to him."


    This young man, named Wang Hongyuan, was a local from Mile City. His family was somewhat wealthy¡ªworth about ten to twenty million. To Li Yifei, this sum was nothing, but to the average university students here, the son of a multimillionaire was quite enviable. With Wang Hongyuan pursuing Jiang Ningxiang, the boys didn¡¯t dare compete, and the girls felt Jiang Ningxiang had struck it big.


    "No... no..." At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang shook her head frantically, her little face paling.


    "Ningxiang, I really like you. Do you think I¡¯ve done something wrong?" Wang Hongyuan leaned down a little further, but still looked down at Jiang Ningxiang, giving her a strong sense of oppression.


    Stammering, Jiang Ningxiang said, "Wang... Wang Hongyuan, I only... only think of you as an ordinary friend. I... I really never thought about dating in university."


    "Ningxiang, I like you, and you don¡¯t have a choice. Whatever you want, I¡¯ll give you. I, Wang Hongyuan, will make sure you live like a princess."


    Li Yifei, Xu Yingying, and He Fangqing exchanged glances and then couldn¡¯t help but smile to themselves. Young people always think they are very capable and will make a lot of money in the future, but only when they truly enter society will they realize that making money is not that easy. Their youthful arrogance will seem quite laughable when they get older.


    At that moment, Jiang Ningxiang shook her head again, her tone firm, "No! I cannot agree to it. I have to study hard and in the future, I must be able to support myself with my own abilities."


    Li Yifei and company nodded repeatedly; they liked a girl who had such an attitude. Overly materialistic girls were definitely not to their liking.


    "Ningxiang, am I not handsome enough for you?" Wang Hongyuan¡¯s face looked a bit ugly. Publicly asking for love and being rejected by Jiang Ningxiang was a hard blow to his pride.


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip and said, "You are handsome."


    "Then you think my family isn¡¯t wealthy enough?"


    "I know your family has money," Jiang Ningxiang answered swiftly.


    "Then why can¡¯t you be with me?"


    "It¡¯s not about your looks or wealth; it¡¯s that I really don¡¯t want a boyfriend. Besides... you¡¯re not the type... that I like." As she spoke, a faint blush crept onto Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face.


    "Do you have a boyfriend?" Wang Hongyuan asked excitedly.


    "No... I don¡¯t!" Jiang Ningxiang shook her head vigorously and said, "Sorry, I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy. I need to go." With that, she stood up and swiftly walked out.


    Normally in such a situation, after being rejected, one would say some polite words to save face, but Wang Hongyuan clearly had a bad temper and was quite self-righteous. At that moment, he violently threw his glass and shouted loudly, "Jiang Ningxiang, if you don¡¯t agree to me today, then you don¡¯t need to study at Mile City University anymore." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His words made the faces of his classmates change, and Li Yifei and his two companions frowned.

 Chapter 1119 - 1165: I Am Brother Hu’s Big Brother

    Chapter 1119: Chapter 1165: I Am Brother Hu¡¯s Big Brother"Hongyuan, don¡¯t get agitated." A student quickly came over to persuade Wang Hongyuan.


    Wang Hongyuan flung his hand away furiously and said with a stern face, "Do you all think my family is just wealthy? Let me tell you, not only does my family have money, but I also know several big brothers in Mile City. Whoever Wang Hongyuan fancies, no one dares to decline."


    This statement seemed to truly be quite intimidating, as the students one by one looked at Wang Hongyuan with a trace of terror in their eyes.


    Wang Hongyuan couldn¡¯t help feeling smug and continued, "Do you know who the most powerful person in Mile City is? I¡¯ll tell you, his name is Brother Hu. No one in the whole Mile City dares to offend Brother Hu, and the big brothers I know, they¡¯re Brother Hu¡¯s subordinates, and the most capable ones at that."


    "Befriending me, Wang Hongyuan, not only will no one dare to bully you at school, I guarantee that no one in Mile City will dare to bully you either. But if you provoke me, Wang Hongyuan, I won¡¯t be courteous. My brothers under those big brothers have lots of other brothers; to take care of someone is a piece of cake. Jiang Ningxiang, don¡¯t think just because you have a pretty face you can be proud. I give you two choices: one, become my girlfriend, and I, Wang Hongyuan, will surely treat you well. The second, you can refuse, but then... don¡¯t even think about attending Mile City University anymore."


    At this point, Jiang Ningxiang stuttered, "I... I also know Brother Hu."


    "You know Brother Hu? Haha..." Wang Hongyuan suddenly burst into loud laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip and said softly, "I really... know Brother Hu, and... I also know Brother Hu¡¯s boss. You... if you dare to bully me, I... I..."


    "What are you going to do?" Wang Hongyuan approached Jiang Ningxiang with a mocking face and said, "Are you trying to tell me that Brother Hu will definitely stand up for you? Haha... Jiang Ningxiang, I really did not expect that, you, a girl, would even come up with such a story. Do you even know who Brother Hu is? Is Brother Hu someone that anyone can just casually claim to have a connection with? Moreover, you¡¯re even more hilarious, saying that Brother Hu has a boss over him. Don¡¯t you know that the entire underworld of Mile City is at Brother Hu¡¯s command?"


    Jiang Ningxiang clenched her fists, her voice raised slightly, "I do know because I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes."


    "You¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes?" Wang Hongyuan¡¯s face showed more disdain, "Jiang Ningxiang, do you think I¡¯m easily scared? If you want to intimidate me, you¡¯d better come up with a better reason. You¡¯re not even from Mile City, how could you possibly know Brother Hu? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re related to Brother Hu."


    "No... No."


    "Since not, how could you know Brother Hu? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re Brother Hu¡¯s woman."


    "You... you¡¯re talking nonsense! Brother Hu takes good care of me because he thinks... his boss likes me."


    "Ha, you just get more and more absurd as you speak. Go then, bring out this boss of Brother Hu. I¡¯m really curious to see what kind of person Brother Hu¡¯s boss is."


    "I... I can¡¯t find him..." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s voice suddenly dropped, as she softly spoke, "He¡¯s an incredible person, and I¡¯m just a little girl. He has already taken great care of me; I can¡¯t trouble him anymore."


    "Oh wow, such a delicate excuse, it¡¯s almost touching. Since you can¡¯t summon him, then let me ask you one more time, do you agree to be my girlfriend?" Wang Hongyuan¡¯s face turned ferocious as he paused and then said, "Think carefully before you answer. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t think that eating with me a couple of times means you¡¯re dealing with an average college student. When Wang Hongyuan takes action, I never show mercy."


    Jiang Ningxiang turned pale but her tone was exceptionally firm, "I... I can¡¯t agree."


    "Good! Good!" Wang Hongyuan¡¯s face turned extremely unsightly and said, "Then let¡¯s see what happens when you refuse me." He said and reached out to grab Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Stop!" Suddenly a loud shout came from the neighboring barbecue restaurant, and it was a woman¡¯s voice. Xu Yingying could no longer hold back and spoke up to intervene.


    Wang Hongyuan instinctively paused for a moment, while Jiang Ningxiang quickly fled, and then saw Li Yifei coming over with Xu Yingying and He Fangqing.


    "Brother Li!" Jiang Ningxiang immediately called out excitedly, and then tears uncontrollably started flowing.


    Xu Yingying immediately came over to hug Jiang Ningxiang, softly saying, "Ningxiang, don¡¯t be afraid, your Brother Li is here."


    At this moment, Wang Hongyuan also saw Li Yifei and his two companions, and his eyes suddenly registered surprise. Li Yifei and his friends were dressed very casually today, so they didn¡¯t stand out particularly, but the mature beauty of Xu Yingying and He Fangqing still made a young man like Wang Hongyuan stare somewhat blankly.


    "Who are you?" However, this youngster Wang Hongyuan was quite arrogant, glowering as he barked the question.


    Li Yifei really didn¡¯t want to stoop to the level of such a brat, but this Wang Hongyuan was truly troublesome. If he wasn¡¯t dealt with, Jiang Ningxiang would easily be bullied by this guy at school in the future. His face darkened, he said, "Haven¡¯t you heard Ningxiang mention that she knows the boss of Brother Hu?"


    Wang Hongyuan gave a disdainful sideways glance and said, "You¡¯re not about to tell me that you¡¯re Brother Hu¡¯s boss, are you?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and responded, "Indeed, it seems you¡¯re not completely foolish."


    "Ha..." Wang Hongyuan suddenly burst into loud laughter, and after laughing a few times, his face turned fierce as he said, "Kid, you might pretend to be someone else in front of me and that¡¯s fine, but you even dare pretend to be Brother Hu¡¯s boss. You really don¡¯t know whether to live or die. Do you believe that with just one phone call, I can have countless underlings of Brother Hu come over, chop you into pieces, and feed you to the sharks in the sea?"


    "I really don¡¯t believe that," Li Yifei sneered coldly.


    "Fine, fine, since you have a death wish, let me show you today what death looks like," Wang Hongyuan said as he took out his phone and dialed a number. It was quickly connected, and he sneered at Li Yifei, saying, "Brother Fishman, it¡¯s Wang Hongyuan... yeah, the son of him... Brother Fishman, I¡¯ve come across a guy who¡¯s pretending to be Brother Hu¡¯s boss right in front of me, fucking bullshit... Yep, I¡¯ll keep an eye on him, come over as soon as you can."


    Hanging up the call, Wang Hongyuan brandished his Apple smartphone proudly and said, "Know who I called? Fishman the Second! Know who Fishman the Second is? He¡¯s one of Brother Hu¡¯s most capable lieutenants. He¡¯s going to be here soon; you¡¯re going to be dead, kid."


    Fishman the Second? Li Yifei felt like he¡¯d heard this name before and after careful thought, he remembered who that guy was. When he was eyeing that piece of land, the manager of the Steelmaking Plant, Zhao Shenggang, went to seek out Fishman the Second to extort Li Yifei. That guy had been quite arrogant back then, but he wilted the moment Brother Hu showed up. It was interesting that Wang Hongyuan had reached out to Fishman the Second.


    By now, Jiang Ningxiang had stopped crying and said to Wang Hongyuan, "Wang Hongyuan, it¡¯s best if you leave now. If Brother Hu¡¯s people come later, you¡¯ll be in a miserable state."


    Jiang Ningxiang spoke with genuine kindness. She knew very well how much respect Brother Hu had for Li Yifei. Even Brother Hu respected Li Yifei so much, so a subordinate of his would definitely respect him even more. Knowing that Wang Hongyuan was yelling at and cursing Li Yifei, it was certain that he wouldn¡¯t let Wang Hongyuan off the hook.


    But unfortunately, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s words sounded like a big joke to Wang Hongyuan. With a cold smile, he said, "Jiang Ningxiang, you¡¯re quite the actress. Not applying to a fine arts college is a waste. Well, let¡¯s just wait and see who will be the one to suffer."


    Jiang Ningxiang sighed and then came to Li Yifei¡¯s side, timidly saying, "Brother Li... he... after all, he¡¯s still my classmate. Please don¡¯t take him too seriously."


    Li Yifei patted Jiang Ningxiang on the shoulder, speaking softly, "Ningxiang, a person must take responsibility for their words and actions. As classmates, even if we can¡¯t necessarily be kind and loving to each other, intimidation and threats are definitely not what classmates should resort to."


    "But... but he is still young after all."


    "I know your heart is in the right place, but have you thought about it? Just because he¡¯s young, he dares to behave so recklessly. If he gets older, who knows what else he¡¯ll dare to do? This kind of person doesn¡¯t lack care; what he lacks is discipline. Since his parents can¡¯t manage him, I¡¯ll properly discipline him for them."


    "Then... then... Brother Li, please show some mercy," Jiang Ningxiang sighed again and retreated behind Li Yifei, originally standing together with Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, but then she stepped back half a step behind them.


    This small move might seem insignificant, but it allowed Xu Yingying and He Fangqing to sense that the girl was quite considerate.


    The words spoken by Jiang Ningxiang to Li Yifei were also heard by Wang Hongyuan, which only added fuel to his ire. With a sneer, he said, "Jiang Ningxiang, Jiang Ningxiang, I just said you could attend the art college, but now I think that¡¯s underestimating you. You could win an Oscar with your acting. Too bad your performance is about to end. Fishman the Second is here; now let¡¯s see how this supposed Brother Hu boss you mentioned meets his end."


    A van screeched to a halt in front of the barbecue stand, and several people jumped out from the vehicle. One of them was indeed Fishman the Second, whom Li Yifei had met before. This guy puffed out his chest and stood tall, looking quite proud, as if life had been treating him well recently. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1120 - 1156: Fishman Second Generation Big Brother

    Chapter 1120: Chapter 1156: Fishman Second Generation Big BrotherJiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates were terrified at this moment. Being ordinary children, they were not accustomed to big scenes. Wang Hongyuan had already scared them, and now seeing cars arrive carrying threatening men who clearly looked like trouble, they were too scared to utter a word.


    They were also extremely worried about Jiang Ningxiang. With the situation escalating, they didn¡¯t know what could happen next.


    "Brother Fishman!" Wang Hongyuan rushed forward with excitement. He didn¡¯t really have any relationship with the second generation of Brother Fishman, only having met him a few times through his father and memorized his phone number. If it weren¡¯t for someone impersonating Brother Hu¡¯s boss, the second generation of Brother Fishman wouldn¡¯t have shown up. But now, this naturally won him some face and would boost his prestige in front of his classmates. From now on, he could swagger around school untouchable.


    Brother Fishman nodded, his face stern, "Who dares to pose as Brother Hu¡¯s boss?"


    Wang Hongyuan pointed at Li Yifei and yelled, "It¡¯s him! This guy dared to pose as Brother Hu¡¯s boss, damn, he doesn¡¯t know whether he¡¯s alive or dead. I wanted to deal with him earlier but was afraid he¡¯d run away and we¡¯d lose track of him, so I called you, Brother Fishman. This guy is too cocky, bringing just two girls and still daring to show off. Brother Fishman, let me go hit him first."


    Wang Hongyuan wanted to show off in front of Brother Fishman¡¯s second generation. He lunged towards Li Yifei in a flash, swinging his arm towards the back of Li Yifei¡¯s head, as Li Yifei had his back turned towards them.


    "Snap!" A crisp sound startled everyone. Wang Hongyuan was indeed bold in his attack, to think they had such a classmate, they needed to be extra careful around him from now on.


    But then they sensed something was wrong. How come after Wang Hongyuan hit someone, he staggered backwards several steps, still clutching his face?


    "You... you... you dare hit me?" Wang Hongyuan, covering his face with one hand and pointing at Li Yifei with the other, couldn¡¯t believe this was happening, with Brother Fishman¡¯s crew present and yet he got hit.


    Jiang Ningxiang whispered at the moment, "Wang Hongyuan, you better leave now, don¡¯t make Brother Li angry, or else you..." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Enraged, Wang Hongyuan stomped and cursed, "Jiang Ningxiang, you little bitch, still pretending here. If I don¡¯t mess you up today, I won¡¯t be a Wang." To him, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s words were not advice but an insult. After cursing, he suddenly slapped towards Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates couldn¡¯t help but scream. Such a delicate girl like Jiang Ningxiang could be severely hurt by the slap. Jiang Ningxiang also cried out in shock, too frightened to dodge.


    However, a foot suddenly appeared between the two, kicking Wang Hongyuan solidly in the stomach. Wang Hongyuan flew backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground with a muffled groan, unable to even scream. The kick had been so powerful that it almost knocked the wind out of him.


    Wang Hongyuan and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates were all dumbfounded. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Brother Li seemed really dominating. Despite the presence of Brother Fishman¡¯s second generation, he dare hit Wang Hongyuan, clearly not considering the second generation of Brother Fishman a threat.


    Brother Fishman¡¯s second generation¡¯s men were furious; their boss being there yet this guy was so arrogant. They cared deeply about face and began cursing.


    "F***, this kid is too cocky. Brother Fishman¡¯s second generation is here, he¡¯s looking for death."


    "Boss, let¡¯s beat him to death!"


    Brother Fishman¡¯s second generation was also furious, "F***, everyone charge, I want to see who this person pretending to be Brother Hu¡¯s boss really is."


    Upon hearing their boss¡¯s order, the minions howled and charged forward. Group fights were their specialty, especially beating up one person which was quite a thrilling task.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates were all pale with fear. To them, these were members of the underworld, and gang fights were frightening even to think about, let alone witness.


    But Xu Yingying and He Fangqing were not worried at all, not even slightly scared. For them, such incidents were just trivial matters.


    Jiang Ningxiang also knew how strong Li Yifei was, so she wasn¡¯t worried either.


    "Brother Fishman, you really are audacious," Li Yifei turned around, then with a lift of his foot, kicked the nearest thug flying who had charged forward.


    "Ah!" At this moment, Brother Fishman finally saw Li Yifei¡¯s face, and immediately exclaimed in shock. Brother Fishman was a sly guy, and given how he mixed in Mile City, he naturally had his ways. He knew very well who could be offended and who couldn¡¯t be; he was vividly clear about this face¡ªit was someone even Brother Hu had to treat with great respect.


    "Stop!" Brother Fishman reacted quickly. After his surprise, he immediately shouted.


    But at that moment, those small-time hoods had just rushed in front of Li Yifei, their punches swinging and feet kicking. It wasn¡¯t something that could be stopped just because he said so, making Brother Fishman panic. He didn¡¯t know where he got the strength from, but he suddenly charged forward like a flying rabbit with stunning agility.


    Just as Wang Hongyuan had caught his breath and was getting up, he saw the figure of Brother Fishman charging, staring in astonishment. He only remembered this Brother Fishman as a sleazy, fat guy, and had never heard that he could fight. Now he realized that Brother Fishman had real skills to become a boss, thinking that the rumors in the streets were indeed false. With such a powerful Brother Fishman, dealing with that guy would be a piece of cake.


    Eh, something doesn¡¯t seem right. Why isn¡¯t Brother Fishman hitting that guy, but hitting his own men instead? And while doing so, he also cursed loudly, "Didn¡¯t you hear me telling you to stop? Did you hear?! F***, you all are asking for a beating!"


    Aside from the three guys kicked away by Li Yifei, the other underlings were all beaten by Brother Fishman into stopping. At this moment, they all looked bewildered ¡ª what¡¯s going on here, why is their boss hitting them? This is illogical.


    The classmates of Jiang Ningxiang were also completely confused by the scene. Weren¡¯t they supposed to beat Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s big brother? Why did their own people start fighting each other?


    One underling, rubbing his head in distress, asked, "Boss, are... are you alright?"


    "What¡¯s your fucking problem!" Brother Fishman gave another kick, sending the guy stumbling, but his face quickly changed to a smile as he respectfully approached Li Yifei, saying, "Big... Big Brother, I¡¯m Brother Fishman, do you remember me?"


    Li Yifei grunted, "Do you think I would forget you?"


    "No, no, Brother, I really didn¡¯t know what was going on here. If I knew you were here, I wouldn¡¯t have come at all, no, no, I would¡¯ve rushed here to toast you immediately, not fight with you. This is all a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding!"


    "Big... Big Brother?" Everyone inwardly gasped, Brother Fishman actually called this man big brother, could this person be Brother Hu?


    But the underlings of Brother Fishman immediately dismissed that thought; they knew Brother Hu, and this man was definitely not Brother Hu.


    "You seem to be doing well," Li Yifei observed Brother Fishman.


    Brother Fishman shuddered and inwardly lamented. Brother Hu was someone he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke in Mile City. Although it seemed Brother Hu was suppressed a while ago, who knew he¡¯d come back so powerfully, sweeping the Mile City underworld with lightning force, now at the peak of his power, no one dared to mess with Brother Hu. And Brother Hu respected Li Yifei so much; if he really offended this boss, just a word from him to Brother Hu would leave Brother Fishman with no place in Mile City.


    Being a deceitful and treacherous guy by nature, Brother Fishman always saw his brothers as tools for betrayal. He did not have much interaction with Wang Hongyuan, and now there was no need to stand up for him, especially since all this trouble was started by him. Without him angering Li Yifei and calling him, why would Brother Fishman come and offend Li Yifei?


    "Brother, it¡¯s all this guy¡¯s nonsense that deceived me. Brother, dealing with such a scumbag yourself would dirty your hands." Then pointing at Wang Hongyuan, he shouted, "Beat him up!"


    Those underlings were still confused and stood there not knowing what to do, which further infuriated Brother Fishman. But at that moment, he had no patience to reprimand them and dashed forward in a flash, ferociously kicking Wang Hongyuan.


    "Brother Fishman, I¡¯m Wang Hongyuan... why are you hitting me?" Wang Hongyuan hadn¡¯t understood what was happening yet and cried out while protecting his head.


    "I¡¯m hitting you, you bastard, you really don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, do you know who this is? This is Brother Hu¡¯s boss, and you dare to shout and yell here, I¡¯ll beat you to death today!"


    Seeing Brother Fishman hitting so fiercely, the underlings finally grasped the situation and immediately rushed over, joining in beating Wang Hongyuan. Anyway, they didn¡¯t have any relationship with Wang Hongyuan, so why not just strike?


    Meanwhile, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates were all dumbfounded, the plot turning completely unlike what they had imagined. How incredibly bizarre!

 Chapter 1121 - 1167: Did You Come Up with the Name Too?

    Chapter 1121: Chapter 1167: Did You Come Up with the Name Too?"Brother Li... Brother Li, can you... can you stop them from hitting him anymore? If they keep hitting him, he¡¯ll... he¡¯ll be beaten to death." Jiang Ningxiang tugged at Li Yifei¡¯s sleeve, her face full of worry.


    Li Yifei asked, "This kid is no good. He¡¯s so arrogant at such a young age. If we don¡¯t deal with him properly, he won¡¯t learn his lesson."


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip and said, "But... if he really gets beaten to death or hurt, that... that wouldn¡¯t be good either."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "You really are a kind-hearted girl. Just now he was bullying you."


    "He is still my classmate, I... I can¡¯t just watch him being beaten... to death."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll give you face this time." Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, stop hitting him."


    The second generation fishman immediately stopped, but some of his followers stopped while others did not.


    "F*ck! Brother said stop, you motherf*ckers still hitting, are you asking for death!" The second generation fishman suddenly leaped up, swung his arms, and delivered a severe beating to those who hadn¡¯t stopped.


    Those followers were really a bit wronged, but they dared not protest now, quickly dodging to the side in disgrace.


    Turning back to Li Yifei, the second generation fishman¡¯s face instantly filled with a smile and said, "Brother, sorry to have embarrassed you, it¡¯s all because I didn¡¯t manage them well. I will definitely discipline them better in the future." His face changed faster than flipping a book.


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "Enough, I won¡¯t hold it against you. Just make sure that kid understands that if he bothers Ningxiang again, I won¡¯t let him off so easily next time."


    The second generation fishman nodded energetically and said, "Yes, Brother, I will teach him well." Then he sneaked a glance at three of the women behind Li Yifei, without knowing which one Jiang Ningxiang was. But being so close to Li Yifei, all three must have close relationships with him, so he made a mental note to be careful when meeting them in the future. This man is now the hottest figure in Mile City, someone he absolutely cannot afford to offend, including his close family members.


    The second generation fishman used to fear Brother Hu, and now even more so as he was good at sailing with the wind. After Brother Hu unified the underworld, he immediately followed him. Although Brother Hu didn¡¯t completely trust him, he could still use some of his skills, so he kept him under his wing. Thus, the second generation fishman now had to listen to Brother Hu, and of course, to Li Yifei, a major figure above Brother Hu.


    "Ningxiang, do you need us to take you back to school?" Li Yifei asked Jiang Ningxiang, not bothering with the second generation fishman anymore.


    The second generation fishman noted that this girl was Jiang Ningxiang, whom he would definitely not forget in the future.


    Jiang Ningxiang hesitated, then said, "Brother Li, I came with my classmates. I¡¯d better go with them."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then go ahead. If you¡¯re free this weekend, you can also come to my place to play."


    "Thank you, Brother Li, but I¡¯m afraid... I might get lost."


    Li Yifei paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, remembering that this girl was directionally challenged, and said, "Well, if you want to come over, just call me or Yiyi, and we will arrange a car to pick you up."


    "Thank you, Brother Li," Jiang Ningxiang smiled sweetly.


    Li Yifei left with Xu Yingying and He Fangqing, and the second generation fishman let out a long breath, then went straight towards Jiang Ningxiang. Jiang Ningxiang got frightened and nervously said, "What... what are you going to do?"


    The second generation fishman quickly waved his hands and said, "I mean no harm, I just want to ask Miss Jiang how you want to handle this kid, I will make sure it¡¯s taken care of properly."


    "I... I don¡¯t know," Jiang Ningxiang was totally flustered.


    At that moment, Wang Hongyuan, terrified, quickly said, "Jiang Ningxiang, I was wrong, I really was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have offended you, I promise I won¡¯t bother you ever again, please let me go."


    The second generation fishman turned his head and glared, shouting, "Shut up, it¡¯s not your place to speak." One of Wang Hongyuan¡¯s followers immediately slapped him on the head, causing Wang Hongyuan to quickly quiet down, but he still looked at Jiang Ningxiang with pleading eyes.


    Now, everyone turned to Jiang Ningxiang, including her classmates. The look in their eyes towards Jiang Ningxiang was one of awe, over the past two months, they had thought Jiang Ningxiang was ordinary, despite her beauty and nice personality, while Wang Hongyuan was a notable figure in class. But now, they realized that Jiang Ningxiang was actually a hidden big boss. Compared to her, Wang Hongyuan was nothing but trash.


    "Brother Fishman, can I... can I ask you for a favor?" Jiang Ningxiang looked at the second generation fishman with caution.


    The second generation fishman immediately patted his chest and said, "Miss Jiang, just say the word, whatever you ask of me, I¡¯ll do it without hesitation."


    "In that case... could you let him go?" Jiang Ningxiang pointed at Wang Hongyuan.


    The second generation fishman frowned slightly, but then quickly said, "Alright, Miss Jiang¡¯s generosity truly impresses me. I was planning to take him and teach him a lesson, but since you¡¯ve said so, I won¡¯t take him away."


    "Thank you, thank you." Jiang Ningxiang expressed her gratitude repeatedly.


    For the underworld second generation, this naturally saved trouble, and also allowed him to earn some favors, which was certainly welcome. However, he still had to follow Li Yifei¡¯s orders. He strode up to Wang Hongyuan, kicked him, and demanded, "Did you hear that?"


    "I heard it, I heard it." Wang Hongyuan¡¯s face showed joy as he quickly agreed.


    "Hmph, look at Miss Jiang, then look at you. You¡¯re just a scum, wielding a bit of broken money without knowing how to behave. Miss Jiang, despite her powerful background, is still so low-key and kind-hearted. I¡¯m warning you, if you ever dare to upset Miss Jiang again, not only will I deal with you, I¡¯ll take care of your father as well, since he didn¡¯t teach his own son properly."


    Wang Hongyuan hurriedly said, "Brother Fish, I understand, I¡¯ll never bother Jiang Ningxiang again."


    The underworld second generation raised his hand and slapped him, angrily shouting, "Damn it, what did you just call me?"


    "Ah, Miss Jiang, I misspoke," Wang Hongyuan quickly corrected himself this time.


    "Good that you know your place. Even I have to call her Miss Jiang, and here you are, trying to act smart in front of me. Get lost now, and don¡¯t disturb Miss Jiang¡¯s peace here."


    Wang Hongyuan quickly got up; he had been sitting on the ground all this while. Just as he was about to leave, the underworld second generation kicked him again, angrily saying, "Just going to leave like that?"


    "Brother Fish, what... what else do I need to do?" Wang Hongyuan¡¯s face was full of misery. All his life, he had never been beaten like this, and it was the underworld second generation who was hitting him this time. He could not even think about retaliation, feeling extremely aggrieved inside.


    "Nonsense, if it wasn¡¯t for Miss Jiang letting you off, do you think you could just walk away? Can¡¯t you even say thank you?"


    Finally realizing, Wang Hongyuan quickly ran in front of Jiang Ningxiang and bowed deeply, saying, "Miss Jiang, I was blind to your grace. I apologize to you, and I will never dare to bother you again. Thank you for letting me go."


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed and stuttered, "No... no need to thank me, we are still classmates."


    Wang Hongyuan muttered in his heart, ¡¯We¡¯re still classmates? From now on, you¡¯re my boss.¡¯ But he dared not speak those words out loud again.


    The underworld second generation finally let Wang Hongyuan go, then came over to Jiang Ningxiang and said, "Miss Jiang, please continue to enjoy, I¡¯ll cover all the expenses here." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No... no need."


    "How can it be? It¡¯s a rare opportunity, and it¡¯s something I should do." The underworld second generation said, calling the owner over, spoke a few words, and then left with his people.


    With these people gone, only Jiang Ningxiang and her ten classmates were left.


    At this moment, everyone just looked at each other, not knowing what to say.


    Jiang Ningxiang gave a bitter smile and said, "Don¡¯t look at me like that, I... I¡¯m just... we are still classmates."


    This eased everyone a little, and finally, a classmate close to Jiang Ningxiang spoke up, "Jiang..." but they didn¡¯t know how to address her properly. They thought about calling her by her first name but remembered the fierce demeanor of the underworld second generation and felt awkward calling her Miss Jiang.


    "I¡¯m just Jiang Ningxiang, please don¡¯t listen to whatever the underworld second generation said," Jiang Ningxiang quickly added.


    "That Jiang Ningxiang, that Brother Li earlier, who exactly is he? Is he really an underworld boss?"


    Jiang Ningxiang shook her head, "No, he¡¯s a businessman."


    "Then why is the underworld second generation so afraid of him?"


    "Because the underworld second generation¡¯s boss is Brother Hu, and Brother Hu is acquainted with Brother Li, so he doesn¡¯t dare to mess with Brother Li."


    "But didn¡¯t you just say... your Brother Li is Brother Hu¡¯s older brother?"


    Jiang Ningxiang blurted that out in a hurry at that moment but then remembered that Li Yifei never really dealt much with the underworld, she hastily said, "I was just trying to scare Wang Hongyuan. But indeed, Brother Hu does respect Brother Li a lot."


    "Wow, your Brother Li is really amazing, by the way, what exactly is your relationship with him? He seems to treat you quite well, you¡¯re not going to be..."

 Chapter 1122 - 1168: Special Forces Competition

    Chapter 1122: Chapter 1168: Special Forces CompetitionJiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment as she hurriedly explained, "No, no, you got it all wrong. The two earlier are Brother Li¡¯s wives."


    "Two?" Ten classmates almost simultaneously asked.


    Jiang Ningxiang realized she misspoke and hastily corrected, "No, no, only one of them is his wife, the other is her colleague and good friend."


    "That really scared me, but I¡¯ve heard that these rich folks always keep mistresses. Your Brother Li isn¡¯t even thirty, so young, rich, and handsome¡ªI wonder how many girls he¡¯s charmed."


    "Yeah, it would be great if he took a fancy to me. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even give me a proper glance earlier. By the way, Ningxiang, you haven¡¯t told us what exactly your relationship with Brother Li is?"


    After hesitating, Jiang Ningxiang roughly explained how she met Li Yifei after arriving in Mile City, which excited those romantically-minded girls. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wow, I know who Li Yifei is now. Just search it up, there¡¯s information about him," a male student exclaimed while holding up his phone.


    Immediately, everyone took out their phones to search, followed by a chorus of gasps.


    "Wow, assets worth billions!"


    "He owns so many companies!"


    "His wife is also gorgeous; they are truly a match made in heaven, an Immortal Couple."


    "Oh my, is that his house? It¡¯s huge!"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s practically a neighborhood."


    "What neighborhood, it¡¯s like a garden. It¡¯s just too amazing, Ningxiang, have you been to his house?"


    Regarding Li Yifei¡¯s house, the details were limited to the size of the property and a brief description, with only exterior wall photos available, which piqued everyone¡¯s curiosity.


    "I¡¯ve only been there twice," Jiang Ningxiang said.


    "Is it beautiful inside?"


    "Very beautiful, like a garden. I got lost inside, and I¡¯m usually terrible with directions."


    "Wow, that¡¯s so enviable. Ningxiang, if possible, could you take us there sometime?"


    Jiang Ningxiang showed a troubled expression, replying, "I¡¯ve only been there twice myself¡ªit¡¯s not a place you can just enter."


    "Ningxiang, please help us out. We just want to see it; we won¡¯t cause any trouble."


    Jiang Ningxiang gave a bitter smile and added, "I really can¡¯t say for sure. Next time I see Brother Li, I¡¯ll ask him, but don¡¯t get your hopes too high. Only family members or very important people get into Brother Li¡¯s house."


    "Since you got in, does that mean you¡¯re considered family?" another girl teased.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately waved her hands and denied, "No, as I told you earlier, I was working at Sister Lin¡¯s restaurant, and she brought me along."


    This made them even more envious as such an opportunity was something they might never encounter in their lifetimes. They understood one clear fact: Jiang Ningxiang was not someone to be slighted; maintaining a good relationship with her might lead to unexpected surprises.


    A few days later, Li Yifei received a call from Old Master Su.


    "Yifei, there¡¯s another task I need you to participate in."


    "A task? What task?"


    "At the end of this month, there will be an international Special Forces Competition. Each country will send their elite special forces to participate; it¡¯s a display of military strength."


    "I¡¯m aware, but these competitions are generally just for show, right? They don¡¯t really serve any practical purpose, do they?" There are annual Special Forces Competitions, but countries usually don¡¯t send their most elite teams, and Huaxia never sends the Flying Hawk Squad for such tasks.


    "This time is different from before. The current international situation is chaotic, and a country¡¯s military strength will play a decisive role. Special forces are of crucial importance, involving the protection of national political figures and posing a threat to foreign dignitaries. Therefore, every country will send their strongest troops to participate."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression suddenly turned solemn, and he said, "Then why not send those experts?"


    "Do you think those people are so easy to command? In such a competition, they simply won¡¯t make a move, so you have to lead the team. Only by sending you can we feel reassured."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll go!"


    "Good, I¡¯ll arrange it for you. Come to Capital City as soon as possible. It¡¯s not just you this time; several members from the Flying Hawk Squad will also be there. You can choose the team when you arrive."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Alright, but I need to bring one more person."


    "No problem."


    After deciding on this, Li Yifei immediately called Sophia over.


    After Sophia entered, she respectfully greeted him as "Master," showing even more respect towards Li Yifei during this time, a deep veneration from within.


    "Sophia, I¡¯m taking you out for a while this time, as there¡¯s a better training opportunity."


    "Okay!" Sophia¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled, her sapphire-like eyes shining even more beautifully.


    "Well then, go get ready. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow."


    Sophia agreed, promptly withdrew, and didn¡¯t ask what exactly they were going to do.


    Li Yifei also talked about this with his family. Everyone was very reluctant. Recently, everyone had been very happy with Li Yifei being at home every day, having grown accustomed to life with him around. Now that Li Yifei was leaving for half a month, or possibly even a month, it felt like a very long time for them.


    However, they also knew that if Li Yifei had decided something, it must be very important. No one tried to stop him, only repeatedly telling him to be careful and to return early.


    The next day, Li Yifei and Sophia arrived in Capital City, and they directly went to the Flying Hawk Squad. Last night, Old Master Su had also sent him the details of the competition, making it clear why Li Yifei needed to participate in this Special Forces Competition.


    This Special Forces Competition was entirely different from previous contests. Previously, the competitions involved several tests to determine which country¡¯s special forces were the strongest. Aside from one combat event, there was barely any confrontation, hardly a true measure of a country¡¯s special forces¡¯ strengths and weaknesses.


    This time was completely different. All the challenges were unified into one event where all nations¡¯ troops would essentially conduct independent operations. The winner would be determined by which country¡¯s special forces had the fewest casualties and eliminated the most enemies.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t actual killing. To put it figuratively, it was like a live-action version of CS, but much more precise. Some states could determine injuries, allowing continued competition, but once "killed," one couldn¡¯t continue.


    This might seem like a game, but it provided a true test of a special forces unit¡¯s real strength. Under those circumstances, even unarmed combat could lead to actual death, definitely not just for fun.


    The participants in this competition included over thirty countries, all military powerhouses, prominently featuring the United States¡¯ Seal Team, United Kingdom¡¯s Commando Special Forces, Russia¡¯s Alfa Special Forces, and Japan¡¯s Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces among others.


    These special forces would not normally participate in such competitions because each country preferred to hide their highest strengths, keeping them as mysterious as possible.


    But this time was clearly different; these units were participating, and Li Yifei suspected that, since Huaxia was sending him, other countries would also send their strongest. This included Mig from the United States¡¯ Seal Strike Team, who would definitely participate.


    This thought made Li Yifei¡¯s blood boil. He had been training daily, increasingly finding it frustrating not to have equals to challenge him. Now, having the opportunity to compete against the world¡¯s elite special forces was thrilling. Apart from Mig, a top expert, there were many others nearly as capable, though not as well-known as Mig. However, their strength was undeniable, and Li Yifei knew they were formidable opponents.


    With so many adversaries, Li Yifei believed that advancing his skills wouldn¡¯t be difficult in this competition. Gathering all these competitors together was usually an effortless task.


    In fact, having Xu Shanshan participate in such an event would be terrific too, as she would gain significant combat experience. However, Xu Shanshan had already made a name for herself in the mercenary world as "Fire Rose," because she always wore a fiery red rose embroidered on her clothing during missions.


    Xu Shanshan had recently completed three A-level missions, extremely challenging tasks that regular small mercenary groups wouldn¡¯t dare to accept. For a newcomer to complete these tasks in such a short time, she had become a legend in the mercenary world, and gaining fame was natural.


    Moreover, what everyone particularly talked about was that Xu Shanshan never revealed her true appearance during missions. Currently, everyone knew Fire Rose as a person from Asia, but no one really knew which country she was from or what she looked like.


    Since Xu Shanshan was already getting enough training there and maintaining a mysterious identity, Li Yifei decided not to expose her. Having a hidden expert in the family was crucial for the Li family.

 Chapter 1123 - 1169: One-on-One with the Flying Hawk Squad

    Chapter 1123: Chapter 1169: One-on-One with the Flying Hawk SquadLi Yifei once again arrived at Flying Hawk Squad, and this made everyone in the squad extremely excited, because they had also received the news that this time, it would be Li Yifei leading them to carry out the mission.


    "Mingrui, this time I¡¯m going to temporarily take over your position as squad leader again. You don¡¯t have any objections, do you?" Li Yifei said with a smile, patting Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder.


    Zheng Mingrui laughed heartily and said, "Boss, with you here, I¡¯m always your second-in-command."


    "Eh, Mingrui, you¡¯re not bad either. You¡¯ve made significant progress recently." Li Yifei looked at Zheng Mingrui closely with surprise. Even though he still appeared to joke around as before, Li Yifei could clearly sense that he was much more composed and his aura much more restrained. All signs showed great improvement.


    Speaking of Zheng Mingrui, he was considered a master before, but he was only about on par with Sophia from the past. As for Sophia¡¯s progress during this period, Li Yifei was well aware of it. It was uncertain who would win or lose if Sophia were to confront Zheng Mingrui.


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "Boss, since you¡¯ve handed the Flying Hawk Squad over to me, I can¡¯t tarnish our squad¡¯s reputation, can I? So I¡¯ve had no choice but to push myself hard. Even if I can¡¯t reach your heights, boss, I can¡¯t fall too far behind either."


    "Very good!" Li Yifei patted Zheng Mingrui¡¯s shoulder more vigorously, saying, "Mingrui, I¡¯m truly happy for you and for our Flying Hawk Squad."


    "Boss, how come you brought a sister-in-law along this time?" Zheng Mingrui teased Li Yifei with a mischievous grin.


    Li Yifei glared and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. This is my apprentice Sophia. I¡¯m also bringing her along for this mission. But this means taking up one of your slots, so I hope all the brothers will forgive us."


    The men of Flying Hawk Squad were all hot-blooded, and participating in missions only excited them more. Now that Li Yifei had taken up one of the slots, some naturally started to worry whether their own slot would be taken by Sophia.


    "Boss, you¡¯re playing favorites here," one of the team members said with a smile.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "I knew you guys wouldn¡¯t be so easily convinced. How about this: after I¡¯ve picked out the primary members, we¡¯ll have a few substitutes. Those substitutes can challenge Sophia later on, and whoever amongst you defeats her will get that slot."


    The members all let out an excited shout. They respected Li Yifei¡¯s strength, and had he been bringing his apprentice just for fun, they would have been delighted to entertain her. But when it came to taking up a slot, they were not so willing to accept it.


    This wasn¡¯t out of disrespect for Li Yifei, but a tradition of Flying Hawk Squad: whoever is stronger has more say.


    Li Yifei scanned the crowd and continued, "It¡¯s been almost two years since I last fought alongside everyone. So this time, I want to see just how much everyone has improved and who in our squad is the strongest. These next few days, don¡¯t hold back; you¡¯d better make a strong impression."


    "Boss, just you watch!"


    "We definitely won¡¯t disappoint you!"


    Everyone started shouting, not reacting like a typical military unit would with officers speaking and the subordinates simply replying yes or no. It wasn¡¯t a lack of respect for Li Yifei or discipline; it was just the tradition of Flying Hawk Squad. When out on a mission, the discipline of these men was incomparable to that of ordinary troops.


    Li Yifei nodded and announced loudly, "Then what are you waiting for? Get training, you don¡¯t have much time left."


    However, at this moment, Zheng Mingrui grinned and said, "Boss, I¡¯ve thought of an even better training method."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and asked, "What method?"


    Zheng Mingrui said with a mischievous smile, "That would be to have a bout with the boss."


    "What the heck, Captain, you can¡¯t be serious. Us sparring with the boss? That¡¯s just masochistic."


    "Yeah, Captain, you can¡¯t mess with us like that. Are you going to leave us any way out?"


    Zheng Mingrui waved his hand, and everyone immediately quieted down, proving his unquestionable status within Flying Hawk Squad. Then he said, "You guys are really too dense. When I said to spar with the boss, I didn¡¯t mean to go one-on-one. We can have a group fight. After all these years of getting thrashed by the boss, don¡¯t you wish for once to give the boss a good beating?"


    Everyone turned their eyes toward Li Yifei simultaneously, faces alight with excitement and eagerness, Sophia included. Although Li Yifei had always been fighting groups by himself, those people were family, each with considerable ability. But this was Huaxia¡¯s number one special forces team, and the members here were definitely stronger than those at home.


    Li Yifei swept his gaze over everyone, slowly saying, "Do you really want to give it a try?"


    "We do!" This time the response was extremely unified and the sound quite thunderous.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Alright then, today I¡¯ll take you all on at once. Let¡¯s go, we need to change locations."


    Half an hour later, Li Yifei and all the Flying Hawk Squad members had arrived at one of the squad¡¯s training rooms, about two hundred square meters in size with a plain cement floor. All the members, including Li Yifei, were dressed in camouflage uniforms.


    There were thirty-two members of the Flying Hawk Squad present, now standing in a semicircle. Li Yifei was at the center of this semicircle, hands behind his back, as relaxed as ever.


    "Boss, you seem pretty confident you can knock us all down," Zheng Mingrui provocatively raised his eyebrows at Li Yifei.


    "I also want to challenge you and see if you guys have what it takes."


    Zheng Mingrui chuckled and said, "Okay then, we won¡¯t hold back." Then he yelled loudly, "Brothers, the time to take down the boss has come, no one pull any punches. First group, go!"


    As soon as Zheng Mingrui finished speaking, five members of the squad rushed out, with the rest circling around the perimeter.


    Although there were thirty-two individuals present, they couldn¡¯t all rush in at once¡ªthat would not only make it impossible to get close to Li Yifei, but it would also impede their own team members¡¯ movements. Five people attacking at once was perfect for mounting an assault.


    This was all pre-planned. They didn¡¯t expect these five to overpower Li Yifei but to drain his stamina. They weren¡¯t going to wait for these five to be taken down by Li Yifei before rotating out with another group, instead, they would withdraw after a short fight and rest, maintaining their enduring combat strength. They could keep this up for a whole day without issue, and they were certain they could wear Li Yifei down.


    Li Yifei, however, didn¡¯t think too much about it. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to fight hard; he wanted to see how much improvement the squad members had made since his departure.


    Fighting against Li Yifei was incredibly exciting for the squad members. When Li Yifei was around before, they often sparred with him in groups. Although they got roughed up, they always gained a lot from each encounter. Now, even though they were set on retreating if things got tough, they didn¡¯t want to back out too soon. And knowing full well Li Yifei¡¯s strength was leagues above their own, they went all out unrestrained.


    Once the fight kicked off, Li Yifei internally praised the squad members. Their strength had indeed improved significantly¡ªif put into figures, roughly a thirty percent increase.


    That thirty percent shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. For these experts, even a thirty percent increase was formidable, achieved only because they regularly undertook hazardous missions, allowing them to greatly improve amidst life-and-death situations. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But with just these five, defeating Li Yifei was impossible. Punching and kicking, the sounds of his blows connecting were incessant, yet Li Yifei effortlessly weaved through the five.


    "First group, fall back¡ªsecond group, go!" After about five minutes, Zheng Mingrui shouted again.


    Although the first five were reluctant, they quickly withdrew, and another five eagerly charged in. Already itching for action, it was only their strict discipline that stopped them from jumping in earlier.


    After six continuous waves like this, everyone except Zheng Mingrui had crossed fists with Li Yifei. By now, Li Yifei was breaking a sweat on his forehead. Half an hour of continuous high-intensity fighting was strenuous for anyone.


    Li Yifei then realized these guys¡¯ intentions, glaring and bellowing, "Zheng Mingrui, you little rascal, you¡¯ve really got something up your sleeve, playing a war of attrition with me. I almost fell for it."


    Zheng Mingrui laughed heartily, proudly saying, "Boss, it¡¯s because you¡¯re so strong. We, your brothers, have long wanted to give you a good thrashing. Just accept it."


    "In your dreams!" Li Yifei shouted again, suddenly changing his tactics. He no longer waited for five people to encircle him but darted towards the crowd, aiming to create chaos and disrupt their formation.


    The squad members quickly saw through Li Yifei¡¯s intent. In an instant, they split into six groups of five or six, regardless of where Li Yifei attacked, they would all fight together, with others not joining in.


    This truly put a lot of pressure on Li Yifei. If this continued, there was a real risk that he would be worn down and beaten. This further elevated his admiration for Zheng Mingrui and the squad members¡ªit was a display of capability. Sometimes sheer individual strength isn¡¯t the best; it¡¯s the power of a group that¡¯s the strongest.


    "Brats, you think this is enough? Now let me show you that in the presence of absolute strength, everything else is futile." Li Yifei roared, his aura surging explosively. With a fierce punch forward, the force carried with his fist seemed capable of obliterating everything.

 Chapter 1124 - 1170: Super Brawl

    Chapter 1124: Chapter 1170: Super BrawlThis punch was not only powerful but also carried an overwhelming momentum. The teammates facing Li Yifei were completely enveloped by the force of this punch. If they dodged, it would result in severe injuries, and clashing head-on with Li Yifei would create an opportunity for their teammates. Thus, he made a split-second decision, shouted loudly, and threw both fists forward to meet Li Yifei¡¯s punch head-on.


    This exemplifies the caliber of the Flying Hawk Squad members. When faced with true danger, they often think not of themselves, but of their teammates, their team. To achieve overall victory for their team, they fear not sacrificing their lives. This is one of the reasons why the Flying Hawk Squad has always been the strongest among all of Huaxia¡¯s special forces.


    The two punches collided fiercely, and that team member¡¯s body was sent flying as if hit by a heavy truck. Meanwhile, the other four teammates took this opportunity to attack Li Yifei with a flurry of punches and kicks.


    Even though Li Yifei took on that team member head-on, it didn¡¯t affect his speed. He thrust his elbows backward, pushing back the two attackers behind him, and his left foot collided with another opponent¡¯s foot, sending him flying as well. Using the reaction force, his body accelerated and crashed into the guy on the right, his shoulder knocking him flying.


    Before this absolute power, all techniques seemed futile. Li Yifei¡¯s sudden burst of formidable strength sent three members of the five-man squad flying and forced the other two to retreat. This terrifying power heated up the eyes of all the teammates.


    Instead of being intimidated by Li Yifei¡¯s fearsome strength, it excited them even more. They were willing to be beaten if it meant bringing out the leader¡¯s true strength. With a battle cry, another group charged forward.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and shouted, "Lads, bring out all your strength!" and then rushed to engage the group in combat.


    Li Yifei was like a tank, like an armored vehicle¡ªwherever he went, people were sent flying.


    But these teammates were no weaklings. Li Yifei¡¯s outburst fully ignited their fervor. They were like members of the Suicide Squad, carrying explosives. Even if being knocked flying by Li Yifei, they still wanted to land a hit on him.


    Sophia watched, dumbfounded. This was no ordinary sparring; this was a fight to the death, far more savage than the training back home. Damn, that guy even tried to bite¡ªthis was not the act of a master, but of a scoundrel.


    After a grueling half-hour, the ground was littered with bodies. Only Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui remained standing. Zheng Mingrui chuckled mischievously, "Boss, looks like I might actually have a chance to beat you today."


    By this time, Li Yifei had been fighting for over an hour. These teammates were tough to handle, so his physical exhaustion was substantial. He was panting heavily, his sweat soaking through his clothes.


    Grinning, Li Yifei sized up Zheng Mingrui, "You sneaky kid, trying to take advantage of me. Let¡¯s see your true strength then."


    "Boss, I won¡¯t hold back. I¡¯ve waited for this day for a long time, and I won¡¯t be polite," Zheng Mingrui responded with a shameless smile, then his expression turned incredibly solemn, his aura suddenly bursting forth, and he rushed at Li Yifei, unleashing his full strength.


    Zheng Mingrui respected Li Yifei and never harbored malicious thoughts toward him, but the opportunity to thrash Li Yifei was indeed something Zheng Mingrui relished. Now seeing Li Yifei so exhausted and weakened, the chance to beat him was immensely satisfying, and would also serve as a bragging right among the teammates later.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dodge or evade but met Zheng Mingrui¡¯s attacks head-on. Their punches and kicks collided several times before both stepped back simultaneously.


    "That felt great!" Zheng Mingrui exclaimed excitedly, having forced Li Yifei back for the first time ever¡ªan unprecedented event which massively boosted his confidence. With a spring in his step, he lunged at Li Yifei again.


    Although Li Yifei was visibly tired, seeing Zheng Mingrui¡¯s progress filled him with joy. These men were once his soldiers, so for Li Yifei, nothing could be more gratifying than seeing his soldiers improve. Regardless of his fatigue, he was determined to have a satisfying fight with Zheng Mingrui.


    With a loud shout, Li Yifei also charged forward, and they clashed fiercely again. This time their fight was intensely rigorous. Li Yifei could no longer send the men flying like before. Outwardly, it appeared he was evenly matched with Zheng Mingrui.


    All the teammates struggled to their feet, having been knocked down by Li Yifei yet not seriously injured. They could have rejoined the fight, but none of them moved. Watching the current and former team leaders in action was purely enjoyable, and observing the fight also enlightened them on many aspects.


    After Li Yifei left, Zheng Mingrui put in the most effort to gain the trust of all the members. His improvement during this period was also the most significant. Now, by demonstrating all his skills, everyone finally realized that although Zheng Mingrui, as their captain, was not as freakish as Li Yifei, he still possessed enough strength to lead them.


    The two of them fought for another twenty minutes. Zheng Mingrui initially thought that Li Yifei would be greatly worn out by now and that he might have an opportunity to take advantage. However, as the fight progressed, Li Yifei, even though not as freakish as before, did not show any signs of disadvantage. This made Zheng Mingrui inwardly curse him as a freak because his stamina was just too formidable.


    "Thump!" Another muffled sound as Zheng Mingrui¡¯s fist hit Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, and Li Yifei¡¯s foot kicked Zheng Mingrui¡¯s thigh. The two strikes almost occurred simultaneously, so it sounded like one.


    Zheng Mingrui staggered a couple of steps to the side, while Li Yifei took a few steps back; both steadied themselves after swaying.


    "Are we still going?" Li Yifei chuckled, his eyes filled with provocation.


    Zheng Mingrui rolled his eyes and said, "No more fighting. I¡¯ve exhausted you so much, yet I still can¡¯t beat you. It¡¯s really embarrassing."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Stop being so melodramatic, look at the wrinkles at the corners of your eyes."


    Zheng Mingrui immediately laughed proudly, "It feels awesome. At least I got a few hits on you." Then, grinning and rubbing his thigh, he said, "Boss, you¡¯re just too freakish. You almost broke my bones with your kicks."


    Everyone burst into laughter. Today¡¯s battle was immensely satisfying for everyone. To be able to fight like this against Li Yifei, the freak, was an achievement they were already content with.


    Sitting on the cement floor, Li Yifei caught a bottle of water thrown by a teammate and gulped it down in one go before saying, "You guys really have improved a lot, and I¡¯m truly relieved. But there are still some areas where you¡¯re lacking. Let me talk about them. Blackie, your offensive is too aggressive, but you lack self-protection. Against weaker opponents, you can quickly defeat them, but if someone on par with you defends first and waits till you¡¯ve expended some energy, you¡¯re just going to be pounded; Little Tiger, that elbow strike you did just now, you pulled your elbow too far back, which can easily cause you to lose balance and give your opponent an opportunity..."


    Li Yifei pointed out everyone¡¯s weaknesses one by one, leaving Sophia flabbergasted. Despite the intense fight with everyone, he managed to remember all these details clearly¡ªhis memory was too freakish.


    It wasn¡¯t that Li Yifei¡¯s memory was overly freakish per se, but when it came to martial arts, he naturally remembered everything clearly, almost like it was fully enhanced. Therefore, as he sparred with his opponents, he could almost remember all their moves. However, if it was anything other than martial arts, his memory wasn¡¯t freakishly good. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The members of the Flying Hawk Squad were used to this since Li Yifei often coached them like this. They listened very attentively now, knowing that what Li Yifei pointed out were their most crucial deficiencies. Addressing these would greatly benefit them.


    Sophia also listened very seriously, as all of this was extremely important to her too. Within these deficiencies of others, she could identify her own shortcomings.


    The whole afternoon was spent in this training arena. In the evening, Li Yifei and everyone indulged in a hearty drink, all getting thoroughly drunk, including Li Yifei himself.


    Sophia didn¡¯t drink much, firstly because she wasn¡¯t fond of alcohol, and secondly, as she was still quite new among everyone, she found it hard to immerse herself in the carefree bonding with comrades. Ultimately, she was the only one sober.


    She didn¡¯t bother with the others, but as for her master, Li Yifei, she definitely had to take care of him. She carried Li Yifei back to his room.


    Watching Li Yifei deep in sleep, Sophia frowned, then went over to remove his shoes, instantly filling the room with an unpleasant smell. After the afternoon¡¯s intense sparring, his body, including his shoes, was soaked with sweat, and since he hadn¡¯t changed his shoes, it was bound to be stinky.


    Shaking her head, Sophia fetched a basin of water and started washing Li Yifei¡¯s feet. At this moment, she had no other thoughts; respecting her master was the sole reason for her actions.

 Chapter 1125 - 1171: Someone Upstairs Has Been Sent Over

    Chapter 1125: Chapter 1171: Someone Upstairs Has Been Sent OverThe next day, Li Yifei woke up, stretched lazily, and after a night¡¯s sleep, his body felt completely fine. But as he sat up, he was somewhat surprised to find that he was already wearing a set of pajamas. He should have been in sweat-drenched clothes, but now even those were gone.


    He remembered very clearly that before he passed out drunk yesterday, his clothes were already dirty. This must have been someone else¡¯s doing, and the members of the Flying Hawk Squad, each one of them too drunk to function properly. And even if they weren¡¯t drunk, it wouldn¡¯t have been like them to carefully change him into pajamas. It must have been Sophia who changed him.


    Changing clothes was one thing, but someone must have wiped off the dirt on his body as well. For him, a grown man, to be looked after by a female apprentice like this, seems somewhat improper.


    "Master!" At that moment, Sophia walked in, greeting him respectfully, her face betraying no sign of anything unusual, just as usual.


    Li Yifei opened his mouth, but seeing Sophia like this, asking further might just make things awkward for both of them. He nodded and said, "Did you sleep well last night?"


    Sophia nodded and said, "Not bad, the conditions here are better than I expected."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "This is the nation¡¯s top special forces unit, it¡¯s not like ordinary troops where everyone has to fend for themselves. We also have some regular soldiers at our service."


    "Mhm."


    After freshening up, Li Yifei saw his teammates in the canteen. Although they had been beaten badly by Li Yifei yesterday, in reality, none of them were really hurt, and this morning they were all as lively as dragons and tigers.


    As they ate breakfast and chatted casually, everyone was ready to start the new day¡¯s training.


    "Captain! Someone¡¯s here again." Just after walking out of the canteen, a team member came over to report.


    Zheng Mingrui immediately furrowed his brow and said, "These people really can be annoying."


    Li Yifei did not speak. Although he was once the captain, the current captain of the Flying Hawk Squad was Zheng Mingrui, and Li Yifei did not want to undermine Zheng Mingrui¡¯s authority.


    The team member frowned and said, "Captain, this time it¡¯s Commander Qin from the Command Headquarters of the Capital City Military Region."


    Zheng Mingrui snorted and said, "Then let him in."


    The team member immediately ran out, and at this moment, Zheng Mingrui turned to Li Yifei and said, "Boss, these officers can be so annoying. They still think the Special Forces Competition is like before, so now they are trying to pull strings to get people in, hoping to earn some battle honors."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Now you¡¯re the captain, you handle it."


    Zheng Mingrui quickly responded, "Come on, they want to participate in the Special Forces Competition. You¡¯re in charge of selecting people. If you aren¡¯t, then who will? I don¡¯t want to deal with that."


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Alright, if you really can¡¯t get out of it, let them have a spot in our squad."


    "Damn it!" Zheng Mingrui immediately glared, his eyes wide. The teammates had yet to accept Sophia taking a spot, and if someone else was to take another place, the teammates would get really anxious, "Boss, you¡¯re ruthless. Wait for me, I¡¯ll take care of it. But damn, this is going to offend people, especially Commander Qin, who¡¯s always in charge of the Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s supplies. If we offend him and he decides to cause trouble behind the scenes, our soldiers¡¯ conditions will worsen a lot."


    Li Yifei let out a hearty laugh and said, "You¡¯re not of low rank now either. You shouldn¡¯t need to tell me this; you should be able to handle such things."


    "Boss, if it¡¯s about executing a mission, I fear nothing, but when it comes to dealing with these relationship matters, it¡¯s a real headache. But with all our brothers here, I can¡¯t just offend everyone. These people might not be good at doing anything solid, but when it comes to scheming and messing you up, they¡¯re quite capable each."


    Li Yifei knew that Zheng Mingrui was telling the truth. He had left the Flying Hawk Squad in the past because a very crappy leader was placed in the squad, making it difficult for him to work. Recently, because of Li Yifei¡¯s killing of Meng Xiaojun, the higher-ups were shocked and realized the current state of the military. They pulled out those who were clueless about military affairs, but not every issue could catch the attention of the top brass; many matters still had to be coordinated by the squad itself.


    At that moment, a military officer in his fifties walked in with a young man, and Zheng Mingrui immediately went to greet them, laughing heartily, "Commander Qin, what brings you here?"


    Commander Qin also laughed heartily and said, "Your team is the most important part of our military. I have to come frequently to check on your conditions, making sure not to let down you hard-working fellows by providing poor logistics."


    "Thank you very much for your concern, Commander Qin. It seems our soldiers will have good days ahead."


    "That¡¯s for sure, even if other units have slightly worse supplies, we must prioritize yours."


    After exchanging some pleasantries, Commander Qin surprisingly did not introduce the young man next to him. That young man appeared rather arrogant; although his uniform showed that he was only a Major, he did not show the kind of respect one would expect when faced with a Colonel like Zheng Mingrui.


    Zheng Mingrui brought the two into the reception room, and Li Yifei followed them in. Zheng Mingrui did not introduce Li Yifei¡¯s identity either. When Li Yifei was here previously, Commander Qin was not in charge of supplies for the Flying Hawk Squad, so the two had not met before, and Commander Qin did not recognize Li Yifei.


    When Commander Qin saw Li Yifei enter, he frowned slightly and said, "Captain Zheng, who is this...?"


    Zheng Mingrui responded with a faint smile, "This is our squad¡¯s strategist, newly assigned to our squad. He and I are responsible for all matters."


    Commander Qin had no authority to interfere with the personnel arrangements of the Flying Hawk Squad. Although he felt somewhat surprised, he still greeted Li Yifei, and Li Yifei shook hands with Commander Qin.


    It was only then that Commander Qin spoke up, "Captain Zheng, Strategist Li, let me introduce someone to you. This is Wang Xinfeng, the nephew of Commander Wang. He wishes to get some practice with your squad. Xinfeng, come and pay your respects to Captain Zheng and Strategist Li." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hello, Captain Zheng. Hello, Strategist Li!" It was at this moment that Wang Xinfeng saluted Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui, but his expression still seemed very arrogant, clearly not taking Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui seriously.


    Zheng Mingrui frowned slightly. Commander Wang was the head of the Capital City Military Region, holding the rank of General - he was definitely not someone to be trifled with. The Flying Hawk Squad was also part of the Capital City Military Region, so technically, Commander Wang was a superior.


    At this point, Commander Qin lowered his voice and said, "Captain Zheng, Commander Wang doesn¡¯t want to intervene directly, which is why he sent me to bring Xinfeng here. I know that it¡¯s not allowed to go directly to your Flying Hawk Squad, but for this Special Forces Competition, it¡¯s possible. With just one word from you, Captain Zheng, he could join, and I can guarantee you his military qualification is solid. He excels in close combat and shooting and would certainly not drag the team down."


    Zheng Mingrui gave a wry smile and replied, "Commander Qin, if it were any other matter, it wouldn¡¯t matter if it were Commander Wang or Commander Qin himself; I would absolutely comply. However, this Special Forces Competition is very different from the past, with significant risks involved. If something unexpected were to happen, how would I explain it to you and Commander Wang afterward?"


    Commander Qin frowned and said, "Captain Zheng, this matter was entrusted to me by Commander Wang. Surely you won¡¯t refuse?"


    This was a clear case of using Commander Wang¡¯s authority to pressure him. Zheng Mingrui immediately felt a headache and said, "Commander Qin, I¡¯m truly not trying to shirk responsibility, but the danger is just too great for me to dare to take that responsibility."


    As they were speaking, a team member ran in and said, "Captain, Commander Yao has brought people here."


    Zheng Mingrui quickly responded, "Okay, I¡¯ll go out right away." He then turned to Commander Qin and said, "Commander Qin, Commander Yao is here; I must go welcome him."


    Commander Qin rolled his eyes. With another commander arriving at this time, their intentions were obvious. However, he was not worried; relying on Commander Wang¡¯s connections, he did not believe Zheng Mingrui would dare to refuse face. As for Commander Yao, although he was of the same rank, he certainly could not have an influence as significant as Wang Xinfeng.


    Soon, Zheng Mingrui brought Commander Yao in, who also had brought a Major, implicitly aiming to participate in the Special Forces Competition too.


    "Oh, I didn¡¯t expect to see Commander Qin here," said Commander Yao, seemingly taken aback.


    "As if you, old Yao, can come, and I can¡¯t," chuckled Commander Qin.


    "Haha, of course you can. Moreover, it seems our goals are the same."


    "Naturally."


    Commander Yao was quite straightforward, "Captain Zheng, this is Li Zhiyuan from the Li family, also looking to participate in this Special Forces Competition. I hope you can help make arrangements. Captain Zheng should be aware of what the Li family represents, so I won¡¯t say more."


    Zheng Mingrui felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. The background of Commander Wang was already powerful enough, and the Li family was certainly not to be trifled with. Among the Li family, there were at least three individuals who could be compared with Commander Wang, and there was even one high-ranking individual far above Commander Wang. Now that they wanted to send someone over, if he directly refused, it would definitely cause trouble for the Flying Hawk Squad.


    At least Wang Xinfeng spoke somewhat courteously, whereas Li Zhiyuan didn¡¯t take Zheng Mingrui seriously at all. He arrogantly said, "Captain Zheng, right? Hurry up and make arrangements for me. It¡¯s so annoying. Why bother with a Special Forces Competition, competing with a bunch of dimwitted soldiers? It¡¯s simply beneath my dignity."


    This set off a fire inside Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei. Without these ¡¯dimwitted soldiers¡¯ risking their lives to serve the country, how could their families live comfortably and wield power? And yet now, they had the audacity to lord over them, which was utterly infuriating.

 Chapter 1126 - 1172: If You Want to Come, Then I’ll Let You Come

    Chapter 1126: Chapter 1172: If You Want to Come, Then I¡¯ll Let You ComeLi Yifei saw that Zheng Mingrui was already somewhat at a loss for how to handle the situation, and took over the conversation: "Commander Qin, Commander Yao, now not only your two families are sending contestants, but also several other families. There are only so many spots available for the competition, and it¡¯s really not that easy to manage."


    Li Zhiyuan snorted, saying, "I don¡¯t care whether it¡¯s easy or not, I, Li Zhiyuan, must have a spot."


    Li Yifei ignored Li Zhiyuan, the idiot, and turned to look towards Commander Qin and Commander Yao, slowly saying, "Commanders, under the current circumstances, both of you are mighty figures. We can¡¯t afford to offend either of you, so it seems this time the contestants will have to be all your men."


    Commander Qin and Commander Yao both frowned upon hearing this. Although they did not know why the Special Forces Competition suddenly required the Flying Hawk Squad to participate, it was obvious that this competition was given greater importance by the higher-ups than before. Therefore, participating in the competition would undoubtedly present an opportunity to establish significant merit, which was the main reason why all the major forces wanted to send their people.


    However, precisely because the higher-ups placed great importance on the competition, if things were mishandled, not achieving any results could lead to serious problems.


    Li Zhiyuan glared and bellowed, "What the fuck are you playing at, acting all high and mighty, talking about letting us all participate? Then what¡¯s the fucking point of competing? When I participate, I¡¯m there to claim a spot, not to really compete with those dumbass special forces."


    "Slap!" A crisp sound of a slap rang out. Li Zhiyuan spun around twice on the spot, then sat down on the ground with a thud, while Li Yifei stood in front of him, coldly saying, "You¡¯re the fucking dumbass. Whose bitch didn¡¯t fasten her pants properly and squeezed you out like shit?"


    "You... you... you dare hit me?" Li Zhiyuan, holding his face, sat on the ground and looked at Li Yifei in disbelief.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and declared, "I¡¯ve decided now, no matter who else I¡¯m not bringing, I will definitely take you with me. Commander Yao, you can go and tell the old master of the Li family, just say that I, Li Yifei, want to take their Li Zhiyuan to the competition."


    "Li Yifei! You¡¯re Golden Eagle!" Commander Yao and Commander Qin exclaimed in unison.


    Although the Flying Hawk Squad was part of the Capital City Military Region, and Li Yifei was once a soldier in their ranks, they would not have been so surprised to hear Li Yifei¡¯s name a couple of years ago. But in recent times, Li Yifei¡¯s feud with the Three Great Clans had been creating an uproar, and his reputation had spread throughout the upper echelons of Capital City, his fame now much greater than when he was just a soldier.


    Moreover, the fact that Li Yifei could confront the Meng Family, Gu Family, and Wei Family and still remain unscathed was proof enough of how strong his backing was now. The Li family wasn¡¯t a small clan by any means, but it was more or less on the same level as the Gu or Meng Families. So for the Li family to confront Li Yifei seemed to hold no advantage.


    "Indeed! I am Li Yifei. Commander Qin, Commander Yao, don¡¯t you wonder why this Special Forces Competition specifically required the Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s participation? Have you thought about why I still would personally come back for this competition?"


    Commanders Qin and Yao were even more startled by this. They had indeed thought about this matter, but only from a positive perspective, believing that a more important competition meant greater military achievements for those involved.


    Commander Qin asked, "Golden Eagle, what¡¯s really going on?"


    Li Yifei looked disdainfully at Li Zhiyuan and slowly said, "If this guy is truly lucky, then let him come back and tell you."


    Commander Yao turned pale with shock, urgently asking, "Lucky? You mean this competition is very dangerous?"


    Li Yifei snorted, "Not dangerous, not at all dangerous, perfectly suitable for those who want to steal the glory to join. I don¡¯t care about the others, but I must make this foul-mouthed Li Zhiyuan participate. Didn¡¯t he say special forces are dumbasses? Well, I¡¯ll let him be a dumbass for once. I want to let him experience first-hand what it really means to be a dumbass."


    Commander Yao hastily said, "Golden Eagle, let¡¯s discuss this more carefully, more carefully." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No need for long discussions. This boy, not only has he insulted me, which is fine, but he has also insulted my brothers, insulted the Flying Hawk Squad, and even more so, insulted all the special forces soldiers who struggle in the most dangerous environments. I must make him understand that when you call someone a dumbass, there is a price to pay."


    Li Yifei¡¯s last words were spoken decisively, leaving no room for doubt.


    "Golden Eagle!" Commanders Qin and Yao tried to persuade him further, or to clarify things more, but Li Yifei cut them off, gesturing with a wave of his hand and barking, "Get out!" Then he strode out with Zheng Mingrui.


    "Motherfucker, you dare to hit me, you¡¯ll soon know what the consequences are. You dare mess with the Li family, I see you really don¡¯t want to..."


    Li Zhiyuan suddenly jumped to his feet and started cursing, but he had only gotten halfway through when his face was heavily slapped again, and this time it was Zheng Mingrui who had struck.


    Zheng Mingrui was already furious at Li Zhiyuan, but since he was still in the Flying Hawk Squad, there were some reservations at the moment. He hadn¡¯t been the first to strike out just now, but now that Li Yifei had already hit the guy, the feud was set. There was nothing he held back, he would beat up this deserving fool first and talk later.


    "Commander Yao, they both hit me, they actually dared to hit me!" Li Zhiyuan came to his senses after Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui left and immediately started shouting angrily. A man of one meter eighty in height, tears couldn¡¯t help but flow at this moment. Although he was a major, he was not a tough man. He was promoted to this rank relying on his family¡¯s connections. He had never been hit before, and now that he had been beaten, the tears just wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Both Commander Qin and Commander Yao frowned internally. Such a man would cry after being beaten and still serve as a soldier, truly a disgrace to the military title.


    At this moment, Wang Xinfeng was secretly relieved. It was fortunate he hadn¡¯t said anything out of turn earlier; otherwise, Li Zhiyuan might not have been the only one beaten.


    Commander Yao patted Li Zhiyuan on the shoulder, consoling him, "Young Master Li, don¡¯t act rashly. Golden Eagle is not someone to be trifled with. Let¡¯s go back and discuss this properly. I have a feeling that his insisting you attend might not bode well for you."


    "I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a Golden Eagle or a Silver Eagle, daring to hit me, I¡¯ll make sure to flay their skin." Li Zhiyuan gritted his teeth, trying to seem more ferocious, but with tears all over his face, he looked more like a wronged little brat no matter how one looked at him.


    "We should talk about it when we get back, as we can¡¯t take advantage here."


    The four men left quickly, quite the opposite of their arrogant arrival, now looking rather disheveled.


    "Boss, you¡¯re not really going to let that Li Zhiyuan participate in the competition, are you?" Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t help asking after the four had left.


    Li Yifei snorted, "As if that guy is fit to compete with us, he¡¯s dreaming."


    "Then why did you just..." Zheng Mingrui stopped mid-sentence.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face showed a sly smile and patted Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder, saying, "I had a confrontation with him, then insisted he participate, sending a signal that participating in the competition would be very dangerous. How could they let him go to his death willingly? They would naturally try to prevent it. And if they try to prevent it, I¡¯ll insist on dragging him along, then his family will naturally come pleading. We¡¯ve got to take a good knock at them, how else could we live up to their expectations?"


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes lit up, and he gave Li Yifei a thumbs up, "Boss is truly the boss, I told them long ago that this competition is dangerous, but they didn¡¯t believe it, thought I was just making excuses. Now, I want to see who would still want to push others into the fire pit knowing what it is."


    Commander Yao took Li Zhiyuan back to the Li family. The Li family was quite angry to see that Li Zhiyuan had been beaten within the Flying Hawk Squad, but after hearing the account of events from Commander Yao, the Li family¡¯s people were inwardly shocked.


    Commander Yao was a division commander, but still far from reaching the level of the great clans. He didn¡¯t know that Li Yifei and even those higher up quite valued him. Now that the Li family had clashed with Li Yifei, it really wasn¡¯t a wise move.


    This dimwit Li Zhiyuan was still shouting angrily, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, you have to take revenge for me, I¡¯m going to kill that idiot Golden Eagle."


    "Alright, go treat your face first. We will handle this matter."


    Despite many wastrels among the younger generation of the big clans, those who eventually hold important positions in the family have some ability. Now these few were very rational. They dealt with Li Zhiyuan first and started to discuss countermeasures.


    "This time they¡¯re not only using the Flying Hawk Squad but also having Golden Eagle rejoin for the competition, which shows that it is very important."


    "Indeed, there is no doubt about this. But after Golden Eagle had a conflict with Zhiyuan, insisting that Zhiyuan participate makes the matter much bigger. It indicates that the competition is extremely dangerous. Sending Zhiyuan is akin to murder by proxy, plotting to send Zhiyuan to his doom."


    "That¡¯s how I see it too, we definitely can¡¯t let Zhiyuan participate."


    "But Golden Eagle has already made threats. If he insists on Zhiyuan participating, it seems Zhiyuan really can¡¯t refuse."


    "Sigh, this kid Zhiyuan is just too arrogant. Even though our Li family is not weak, there are always some people we can¡¯t provoke. Now we¡¯ve really attracted trouble."


    "Worrying openly won¡¯t help; let¡¯s think of a solution instead. I think Golden Eagle¡¯s actions are not necessarily aimed at making Zhiyuan go, but rather to vent about Zhiyuan¡¯s disrespectful words. I think we should go talk to him, and maybe offer something to appease the situation."


    Really, there were indeed some talented people within such large clans like the Li family who guessed Li Yifei¡¯s intentions. But even though they figured it out, they could only go along with Li Yifei¡¯s wishes, otherwise they would indeed be sending Li Zhiyuan to his death.

 Chapter 1127 - 1173: Not Giving Face to Anyone

    Chapter 1127: Chapter 1173: Not Giving Face to AnyoneIn the afternoon, the members of the Flying Hawk Squad were training together, and Li Yifei was observing the strength of these members. For this competition, he could not afford any ambiguity, and selecting team members had to be done carefully.


    However, Commander Liang came to visit again, but this time he did not bring Li Zhiyuan with him; instead, he was accompanied by the Li family¡¯s current second generation¡¯s third person in command, who was Li Zhiyuan¡¯s third uncle, Li Tianhua.


    Li Tianhua already held the official rank of a full minister, which was quite high in the bureaucratic hierarchy.


    Given the arrival of such a high-ranking person, Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei should have welcomed him, but instead, they acted as if they hadn¡¯t seen them and continued with their training.


    This caused both Commander Yao and Li Tianhua to frown in irritation, feeling a burning sensation of anger. People of their status were not usually treated with such disdain anywhere, but now they could only suppress their frustration.


    After waiting for over twenty minutes, Zheng Mingrui finally came over with a smile and said, "Commander Yao, what brings you here? Oh, this person... he looks familiar. Seems like some big official, huh?" Despite mentioning a ¡¯big official¡¯, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s face did not show much respect. With Li Yifei backing him up, he evidently felt much more confident.


    Commander Yao felt the simmering anger within but still managed to say, "This is Director Li."


    "Ah, it¡¯s Director Li, I was wondering why you looked so familiar, I¡¯ve seen you on TV often."


    Li Tianhua managed to suppress the anger in his heart and asked, "Where is Golden Eagle?"


    "You¡¯re looking for our boss? Our boss is in the middle of training the members. We are about to enter the Special Forces Competition, and I¡¯ve heard that this time, the rules are the laws of the jungle; it¡¯s a life-or-death situation once you¡¯re in. Our Flying Hawk Squad cannot afford to tarnish our nation¡¯s prestige. Everyone is vying to participate. Even if we die there, we must bring glory to our country."


    Li Tianhua¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched at this. The special forces soldiers fear no death and are eager to participate, while members of their influential families rush forward when there¡¯s glory to be had, but want nothing to do with danger.


    Furthermore, Zheng Mingrui¡¯s words meant to intimidate him were not entirely false, as Li Tianhua was already aware from higher authorities that this Special Forces Competition was genuinely very dangerous.


    "Boss, Director Li is looking for you!" At this moment, Zheng Mingrui shouted.


    Li Yifei then approached with a deliberate slowness, his expression grave as he came before Li Tianhua and said, "Director Li, this is the Flying Hawk Squad. You are not military. What¡¯s your important business here?" The tone was devoid of any consideration for Li Tianhua¡¯s feelings.


    Li Tianhua was infuriated, but had to balance the need to not offend Li Yifei too harshly, and also for Li Zhiyuan¡¯s sake, hence he forced a smile and said, "Golden Eagle, I¡¯ve come to talk with you about Zhiyuan."


    "Li Zhiyuan... huh. He insists on participating in this competition, right? Then I¡¯ll let him participate. This time, the Flying Hawk Squad has the authority to recruit from all military regions, which Commander Yao should be very clear on."


    Li Tianhua¡¯s face sunk almost immediately, nearly bursting out on the spot. Given his status, his coming here was already granting Li Yifei enough respect, or so he thought, but Li Yifei¡¯s direct attitude was more than he could bear.


    Seeing that things were about to go south, Commander Yao quickly interjected, "Golden Eagle, you indeed have the authority in this matter, but such an important competition requires the best of the elite. Tianhua¡¯s capabilities are far behind those of your Flying Hawk Squad. Having him participate would only hold the team back."


    Li Yifei did not give Commander Yao any face either and said coldly, "Since Commander Yao understands this, I presume the Li family does too. Nevertheless, you still want to send that Li Zhiyuan over here. He must be extraordinary for you to insist on this, isn¡¯t he? If I don¡¯t use him, wouldn¡¯t that waste talent? No, no, I must have Li Zhiyuan participate in this competition. This could increase our chances of victory and afterward earn us substantial honors."


    Li Tianhua angrily exclaimed, "Golden Eagle, don¡¯t push it too far."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, saying, "Am I being too extreme? In the eyes of your Li family, we soldiers of the special forces are just a bunch of idiots. So many of my comrades have sacrificed their lives for the country, and yet they¡¯re seen as mere fools. If I don¡¯t let him experience how one becomes such a ¡¯fool¡¯, then wouldn¡¯t I be failing my fallen comrades?"


    Nearing the end of his tirade, Li Yifei took an aggressive step forward, causing Li Tianhua to hastily step back two paces. Li Yifei then glared and shouted, "So there¡¯s no room for discussion. I need Li Zhiyuan, I must have him. If anyone dares not to cooperate, I will report this directly to the higher-ups. I want to see who, which department, dares to obstruct my decision this time."


    Li Tianhua¡¯s chest heaved with rapid breaths, never having anticipated Li Yifei to be this uncompromising. Not only did he show no courtesy, but he also roared so openly, disregarding him in front of all the squad members.


    "Fine! You¡¯re impressive. We shall see about that. I¡¯m curious to see how exactly you insist on having Li Zhiyuan join you." With that, he swung his arm fiercely and strode out.


    Commander Yao, with a deeply furrowed brow, said to Li Yifei, "Golden Eagle, this isn¡¯t such a big issue, why let it become so tense?"


    Li Yifei sneered, "For a leader like you, it¡¯s naturally not a big deal, but for us team members who risk our lives with every mission, it is definitely not trivial. No need to send me off!" With that, he issued an unmistakable eviction order.


    Commander Yao¡¯s expression turned extremely ugly, his mouth twitching slightly as he turned to follow Li Tianhua¡¯s departure.


    "Wow!" At this moment, all the team members let out a strange shout, startling Li Tianhua and Commander Yao, who were still near, into stumbling.


    "Boss! I seriously admire you so much!"


    "Boss, you really made us proud."


    "Damn, these little shits, always throwing their weight around in front of us, and now we¡¯ve truly had a satisfying setback."


    Members of the Flying Hawk Squad, who usually have many privileges, would be quite impressive individuals wherever they go, but in Capital City, they have no advantage at all. They¡¯ve really felt aggrieved, and as hot-blooded men, this kind of aggravation made them extremely uncomfortable.


    Today, Li Yifei really did vent for them. Even though he hadn¡¯t done anything yet, the fact that he made leaders like Li Tianhua and Commander Yao leave in such a disheartened manner was utterly exhilarating.


    Sophia watched from the side as the team members fervently gathered around Li Yifei, her eyes sparkling with excitement. The more she interacted with this master, the more she discovered his gleaming qualities. Her mentor indeed had charismatic personality, and just now, she felt an impulse to shout out loud from the bottom of her heart.


    Li Yifei quieted everyone down and then dialed the number to the Command Headquarters of the Capital City Military Region. Identifying himself as Golden Eagle, he requested the operator to connect his call to Commander Wang. The call was quickly connected, and Li Yifei got straight to the point: "Commander Wang, I want to transfer someone over. His name is Li Zhiyuan, from the Capital City Li family."


    Just yesterday, Commander Wang had asked Commander Qin to send over Wang Xinfeng, and then he received an internal order from the military, instructing him to fully cooperate with Li Yifei¡¯s Golden Eagle. Any sign of dragging their feet would result in serious consequences. This made Commander Wang break out into a cold sweat, realizing he had been a bit muddled, by trying to get his nephew into the Special Forces Competition without grasping the special circumstances. Luckily, Li Yifei had refused, otherwise, he would have been in big trouble. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Li Yifei¡¯s call came today, Commander Wang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, worried that Li Yifei might be calling to cause trouble over yesterday¡¯s incident.


    Although the Flying Hawk Squad was part of the Capital City Military Region, they had a high degree of independence, and the Military Commission¡¯s recent directive indicated that the Squad would have even greater privileges this time. As such, Commander Wang, in his role, could no longer order the Flying Hawk Squad around.


    Naturally, Commander Wang had heard about the conflict between Li Yifei and Li Zhiyuan from yesterday. Hearing Li Yifei specifically asking for Li Zhiyuan now, Commander Wang understood what Li Yifei intended. Though the Li family was powerful, could they compare with the Military Commission? Obviously not, so he immediately said, "No problem, I¡¯ll issue the transfer order right away."


    "Thank you for your support, Commander Wang."


    "Let me know whatever you need, I will definitely support you with all my might."


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, they hung up the phone. Li Yifei hadn¡¯t brought up the matter of Commander Wang¡¯s nephew, and Commander Wang also chose to play dumb.


    Commander Wang did not dare to neglect this matter, and promptly dispatched a transfer order to the regiment where Li Zhiyuan belonged.


    The regiment quickly summoned Li Zhiyuan for a talk, causing him to explode with anger. Slapping the table, he shouted at the regiment leaders, "I won¡¯t go! I¡¯m staying right here, who can do anything to me?"


    The regimental commander knew Li Zhiyuan was a tough cookie, but he thought that this transfer order was a good thing, believing that joining the Flying Hawk Squad was the dream of many soldiers, as it was the best place to earn military honors, greatly benefiting future promotions. He had expected Li Zhiyuan to be thrilled upon hearing the news, but instead, Li Zhiyuan lost his temper on the spot.


    The regimental commander quickly tried to persuade Li Zhiyuan, saying, "Zhiyuan, going to the Flying Hawk Squad is a good thing. Once you get there..."


    Li Zhiyuan, furious, slammed the table again and barked with bulging eyes, "I said I¡¯m not going, and I won¡¯t. I don¡¯t believe anyone can force me." Then he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.


    This left the regiment leaders utterly bewildered. Why would Li Zhiyuan react this way to such a great opportunity as joining the Flying Hawk Squad? He not only refused but also lost his temper. What was going on?


    But with Li Zhiyuan behaving this way, the regiment had no choice but to report it higher up, as even the regimental commander didn¡¯t dare to provoke this guy.

 Chapter 1128 - 1174: You Must Come If I Ask You To

    Chapter 1128: Chapter 1174: You Must Come If I Ask You ToLi Zhiyuan returned to his barracks and in a fit of rage, he smashed a cup on the table to the ground. The anger in his heart was indescribable. He slammed his fist onto the table and cursed, "Golden Eagle, you bastard, after hitting me, you still want to transfer me over? I won¡¯t go. What can you do about it? Just wait, I¡¯m not done with you."


    As he was cursing Li Yifei, the phone rang. Li Zhiyuan picked up without even checking the caller ID and barked, "Who is it?"


    "It¡¯s Wang Shun!"


    "Wang Shun? Who¡¯s that? I don¡¯t know you." Saying that, he hung up the phone with a slam.


    No sooner had the phone been hung up than Li Zhiyuan suddenly came to his senses; that voice sounded familiar. Then, in an instant, he remembered who it was¡ªthe Commander of the Capital City Military Region, Commander Wang.


    Although he was a direct descendant of the Li family, and there were those in his family with higher ranks than Commander Wang, even the elders in his family had to be polite and respectful when they were with Commander Wang. And here he was, losing his temper at Commander Wang. That was surely not going to end well.


    He quickly redialed the phone, and the call was promptly connected. Li Zhiyuan hurriedly said in an ingratiating tone, "Commander Wang, I was in a bad mood just now and spoke out of turn. Please don¡¯t take offense."


    Commander Wang¡¯s voice was unexpectedly stern as he said, "Li Zhiyuan, I heard that you have been assigned to the Flying Hawk Squad and you have objections?"


    Li Zhiyuan quickly responded, "Commander Wang, it¡¯s not that I have objections, but I have offended Golden Eagle. He wants me there to get rid of me. Commander Wang, you can¡¯t just send me off to die, right?"


    Commander Wang snorted coldly and said, "This is the military, not some local place. An order is an order. It can¡¯t be changed that easily. You have two hours to report to the Flying Hawk Squad!" And with that, he hung up the phone with a click.


    Li Zhiyuan stood there with the phone in hand, in a daze. Commander Wang usually had a good relationship with their Li family, typically revered and conversed gently with him, but this time, there was no such gentleness. It was the attitude of a military region leader conducting official business.


    This made Li Zhiyuan feel that things were not looking good, so he hurriedly called his third uncle and urgently said, "Third Uncle, there¡¯s trouble. I just received a transfer order to the Flying Hawk Squad."


    Li Tianhua immediately frowned. Commander Wang could have known about the special nature of yesterday¡¯s competition, so naturally, he would have received the news. He could understand why Li Yifei would refuse to let Li Zhiyuan participate, but who would have thought that Li Yifei would not let it go and still want Li Zhiyuan to go.


    And judging by Li Yifei¡¯s attitude, if Li Zhiyuan went, he was likely to be severely tormented, if not killed.


    Li Zhiyuan didn¡¯t hear his third uncle responding and called out anxiously, "Third Uncle, and this order is from Commander Wang himself. He just called me, his tone was very strict, and he even gave me two hours to report to the Flying Hawk Squad. Third Uncle, I really don¡¯t want to go to the Flying Hawk Squad. If I go there, that bastard Golden Eagle will definitely kill me."


    "Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll communicate with Commander Wang," Li Tianhua reassured Li Zhiyuan and then called Commander Wang.


    "Commander Wang, it¡¯s been a while. How have you been?" Li Tianhua tried to start with some pleasantries.


    But Commander Wang immediately said, "Director Li, I¡¯ve been extremely busy lately, and I have a meeting to attend soon."


    Li Tianhua hurriedly said, "Then I¡¯ll get to the point. My nephew Zhiyuan heard he¡¯s being transferred to the Flying Hawk Squad."


    Commander Wang feigned ignorance and said, "Yes, didn¡¯t he always want to go? There¡¯s an opportunity now with a competition coming up, so I immediately arranged his transfer."


    Li Tianhua cursed Commander Wang as a sly old fox in his heart, but of course, this could not be pointed out. He could only say, "Commander Wang, my nephew doesn¡¯t want to go now. Is there any way you could cancel the transfer?"


    Commander Wang immediately said, "That¡¯s difficult. The transfer isn¡¯t just up to me. Golden Eagle personally singled out Zhiyuan, and the top brass has already given clear instructions¡ªwhatever the Flying Hawk Squad requires, all departments must comply. I dare not refuse."


    "Commander Wang, isn¡¯t the Flying Hawk Squad under the jurisdiction of your Capital City Military Region?"


    "But the situation is special this time. Now, the Flying Hawk Squad has completely broken away from our military region, directly under the control of the Military Commission. I really can¡¯t help with this matter. If you don¡¯t want your nephew to join the Flying Hawk Squad, then you should go to the Military Commission and find someone there. Director Li, I have to run¡ªI need to attend a meeting at the Military Commission. Let¡¯s leave it at that for now."


    Upon finishing, Commander Wang hung up the phone, which left Li Tianhua feeling frustrated. Commander Wang had directly shifted the issue to the Military Commission. Though their Li family was powerful, the Military Commission, being at the top level of national governance, was out of reach for a large family. Just like the Su Family, they have an old man in the Military Commission, but he has almost stopped being involved in family affairs. Now, it has almost become a default tradition that at the highest levels, interests tied to the family must be severed.


    But without proper resolution to this matter, Li Zhiyuan was indeed likely to be killed by Li Yifei, so Li Tianhua immediately started contacting several people to try and resolve the issue and smooth things over.


    Li Zhiyuan anxiously waited in his barracks; over an hour had passed when Li Tianhua¡¯s call finally came through.


    "Third Uncle, how did it go?" Li Zhiyuan asked eagerly.


    "Zhiyuan, this is difficult to handle. I¡¯ve contacted many people, but they all say they can¡¯t help. We have to go directly to Golden Eagle and apologize."


    Li Zhiyuan immediately roared furiously: "On what grounds? Just because he¡¯s the captain of the measly Flying Hawk Squad, he expects me to admit I¡¯m wrong? No way in hell."


    "Zhiyuan, I don¡¯t want this either, but the Flying Hawk Squad is now under the direct command of the Military Commission, and the Military Commission has empowered them. Now we either have to smooth things over with the Military Commission, which is too difficult, or we can only plead with Golden Eagle for mercy."


    "Damn it, I won¡¯t go. I refuse to believe they can actually do anything to me!" Li Zhiyuan had always been arrogant, and even at this moment, he still couldn¡¯t believe anyone could do anything to him.


    Just then, the door was suddenly slammed open, and six people in military uniforms, armed and ready, rushed in.


    "What are you doing? Who let you in?" Li Zhiyuan, already furious, immediately started shouting.


    "Li Zhiyuan, we are from the Guard Corps, ordered to escort you to the Flying Hawk Squad for reporting. Please cooperate," one of them, with an icy expression, stated their identity.


    Li Zhiyuan glared and said, "So what if you¡¯re from the Guard Corps? I¡¯m not going."


    The man spoke calmly, "If you don¡¯t cooperate, we will have to escort you by force."


    "How dare you!" Li Zhiyuan¡¯s roar grew even louder.


    "Take action!" The leader gestured, and the other five swiftly swarmed forward, efficiently subduing Li Zhiyuan.


    "Assholes, let me go! Do you know who I am? All of you piss off, I¡¯ll kill you! Uncle, help me!"


    Li Zhiyuan started off quite defiant, but these men were indifferent to him. They subdued him in an instant, which truly panicked him, and he quickly shouted for help into the phone that had fallen on the table.


    "Stop! Stop! I am Li Tianhua!" Li Tianhua shouted loudly from the other end.


    It was still the head of the Guard Corps who now picked up the phone and said, "We are carrying out orders," and then hung up the call.


    Although Li Zhiyuan was still struggling, the Guard Corps had their orders¡ªthey had to deliver him to the Flying Hawk Squad by force if necessary. At this point, they were not intimidated by Li Zhiyuan at all, and their handling of him was rather rough.


    The commotion was now quite big, and all the people from the barracks rushed out. Li Zhiyuan immediately shouted: "Arrest these men, arrest them."


    The soldiers in the unit were accustomed to being yelled at by Li Zhiyuan and were afraid of him. At this moment, they instinctively went to follow Li Zhiyuan¡¯s orders, but the lead member from the Guard Corps immediately shouted, "We are from the Guard Corps, under orders to take Li Zhiyuan!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did everyone notice the uniforms of the opposition. They all gasped; the Guard Corps was under the direct jurisdiction of the Capital City Military Region¡¯s headquarters. How could they, merely a battalion-sized unit, dare to provoke the Guard Corps?


    So even though Li Zhiyuan was screaming and cursing loudly, the soldiers didn¡¯t dare to act recklessly.


    Once outside the barracks, Li Zhiyuan was pushed onto a military jeep and swiftly transported to the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Upon reaching the Flying Hawk Squad, the head of the Guard Corps respectfully saluted Zheng Mingrui, who came to meet them, and said, "We are ordered to deliver Li Zhiyuan to the Flying Hawk Squad. Captain Zheng, please take him into custody."


    Zheng Mingrui looked at Li Zhiyuan, who was now pale as death, and a cruel smile appeared on his face. This sent a shiver down Li Zhiyuan¡¯s spine as he realized that he was about to be subjected to inhumane treatment.


    After completing the handover procedures with the Guard Corps, they left. Li Zhiyuan suddenly felt utterly alone, as if those fierce Guard Corps members were somehow more affable than the people of the Flying Hawk Squad.


    "Slap!" Zheng Mingrui smacked Li Zhiyuan¡¯s neck with his hand, almost knocking Li Zhiyuan to the ground, and barked, "What did you learn in the army? Is this how you respond to a superior?"


    Li Zhiyuan managed to steady himself and glared at Zheng Mingrui with fiery eyes, his lips tightly pursed as he said venomously, "Zheng Mingrui, you dare to hit me! You¡¯re a dead man!"


    Zheng Mingrui laughed heartily and said, "Oh good, then I¡¯m eager to see how you¡¯ll kill me. Blackie, this greenhorn is now your responsibility; teach him how to follow the rules here in Flying Hawk Squad."


    A nearly two-meter-tall burly man charged over in a flash, licking his lips with his tongue, and his eyes¡ªbig as copper bells¡ªstared at Li Zhiyuan like a hungry grey wolf eyeing a juicy lamb. "Captain, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll train him well," he said.


    Li Zhiyuan¡¯s entire body went cold. What exactly was this giant man Blackie going to do to him?

 Chapter 1129 - 1175: Torturing Li Tianhua

    Chapter 1129: Chapter 1175: Torturing Li TianhuaLi Zhiyuan had been with Flying Hawk Squad for less than two hours when Li Tianhua from the Li family came once again to Flying Hawk Squad. Knowing that Li Yifei had deep connections with Su Family, Zheng Family, Xiao Family and Ning Family, he contacted these four families hoping they would intercede on his behalf so Li Yifei would spare Zhiyuan.


    However, all four families essentially responded with the same sentiment. Although their daughters were close to Li Yifei, what Li Yifei decided to do was beyond their control as he did not rely on their families, especially since it involved military matters which made it inappropriate for them to intervene.


    This secretly alarmed Li Tianhua. Normally, when there is a conflict between the younger generations of great families, the elders would mediate and defuse the situation, and after his shamelessly begging, they should have given him some face.


    Yet they did not afford him that respect, leading to two possibilities: first, they were all entirely aligned with Li Yifei, or second, Li Yifei had already gained enough strength to be on par with these great families and they couldn¡¯t influence his decisions.


    With all options exhausted, Li Tianhua had no choice but to personally plead for mercy. He could not bear to see his nephew perish in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    In military training, the death of a person, though considered an accident, isn¡¯t regarded as a severe issue because accidents are deemed inevitable during military training.


    If an accident happened in the Flying Hawk Squad causing Li Zhiyuan to die there, it was certain that no one would pursue the members of the Flying Hawk Squad, and if they even tried, each member of the squad was savvy enough to manage such situations without fault or else they wouldn¡¯t belong in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    Li Tianhua arrived at the entrance of the Flying Hawk Squad, but the guards stationed there stopped him.


    "I am Li Tianhua, I need to see your captain and Golden Eagle," Li Tianhua stated gravely, revealing his identity.


    The guards at the entrance were members of the Flying Hawk Squad and showed no respect to Li Tianhua, stating flatly with stern faces, "The squad is currently training, and no visitors are allowed."


    That he was snubbed by Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei was one thing, but now even a regular member of the Flying Hawk Squad dared to speak to him with disdain: "Bastard, don¡¯t you know who I am?"


    "Sorry, no one is allowed to disturb us at this time."


    "What if I insist on entering?" Li Tianhua was furious, knowing the longer his nephew stayed inside, the more dangerous it would be, prompting him to try and force his way in.


    "Click-click!" Two guards promptly cocked their rifles and aimed directly at Li Tianhua, stating unequivocally, "Flying Hawk Squad barracks are off-limits. Forcing your way in will be met with lethal force!"


    "You dare?" Li Tianhua¡¯s eyes widened and veins on his forehead bulged.


    The two guards remained silent, fingers firmly on the triggers, unflinching and ready to shoot if Li Tianhua took another step forward.


    Realizing the guards¡¯ resolve, Li Tianhua, although furious, dared not risk his life, and huffed, "Then hurry up and let them know I¡¯m here."


    "Sorry, it¡¯s training time, no disturbances allowed. You¡¯ll have to wait until after the training to send a message."


    "You... you bastards, just you wait!" Li Tianhua was enraged, seething, stiff with anger because they wouldn¡¯t inform or let him in. He had no choice but to wait there.


    "Ah! Ah!" Faintly, Li Tianhua heard a scream, a painful one that sounded distressingly like his own nephew, Li Zhiyuan.


    This made him even more anxious, but no matter how distraught he was, he could not enter and could only pace back and forth. There was small comfort in knowing at least that Zhiyuan was still alive.


    About ten minutes later, Zhiyuan¡¯s voice suddenly stopped, causing Li Tianhua¡¯s heart to race again, and he attempted to storm in once more ¨C but the two guards once again readied their rifles without hesitation.


    "Let me in, you¡¯ve killed Li Zhiyuan!" Li Tianhua¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, not believing the guards would truly shoot, he crazily attempted to break in.


    As he guessed, the guards indeed did not shoot, but that didn¡¯t mean they allowed Li Tianhua to enter. One of them raised the butt of his rifle and struck Li Tianhua on the back of his neck.


    "You..." Li Tianhua¡¯s body shook, only managing to utter those two words before collapsing to the ground, motionless.


    The two guards chuckled, one of them remarking, "Hitting a director, damn, first time doing this kind of thing ¨C truly thrilling."


    "Really that thrilling?" the other guard questioned.


    "Of course, it¡¯s thrilling, damn, hitting important people really does give a different feeling. Why don¡¯t you try too?"


    "Heh, let me have a go then," said the other, as he kicked Li Tianhua twice more, then laughed, "Indeed quite satisfying, just thinking that a director is lying here makes it incredibly exhilarating."


    "What are you doing? He¡¯s already knocked out," came the voice of Li Yifei from behind them.


    The two immediately straightened up and then said guiltily, "Boss, wasn¡¯t it what you said? No matter who tries to come in, we should not let them in, and to beat them up if they force their way through."


    Li Yifei gave them a look and said, "When I told you guys to beat them up, it should be when they are awake, that way they would remember it clearly. You knocked him out first and then continued to beat him, how would he know what happened?"


    The two were stunned for a moment, then felt extremely annoyed. Turns out their beating was still wrong after all. If they followed Li Yifei¡¯s method, wouldn¡¯t it be even more satisfying?


    Luckily, Li Tianhua was unconscious at this moment. If he was awake now, he would be furious enough to spit blood.


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "Alright, first take him to the guardhouse now, if we leave him out in the sun too long and he dies, then we are really in trouble."


    The two officers immediately carried Li Tianhua and dumped him inside the guardhouse like tossing a sack. Having not satisfied themselves with the beating earlier, this could be considered as making up for the loss.


    Li Yifei quickly switched out the officers on duty, gave the new ones some instructions, and then turned around to enter the barracks.


    After another ten minutes or so, Li Tianhua finally woke up, immediately feeling a sharp pain in his neck, and it seemed like his body had suffered a beating, and he also realized he was inside the guardhouse.


    This filled Li Tianhua with indescribable anger; two ordinary officers had dared to beat him, this was simply too disrespectful. In one swift motion, he charged out of the guardhouse and bellowed, "You two bastards dared to beat me!"


    "Stop, don¡¯t move!" A guard immediately shouted, pointing a gun at Li Tianhua.


    Li Tianhua halted, then realized that these two guards were not the ones from before.


    "Where are the two guards from before?" Li Tianhua asked angrily.


    "What two guards from before? We have been standing guard here for more than two hours."


    "Two hours?" Li Tianhua checked his watch; it hadn¡¯t even been an hour since he arrived.


    "When you came here, you stumbled and directly fell down here, and we took you to the guardhouse," another guard interjected, "Quickly, who are you? This is a military area, what is your purpose here?"


    "What? You said you¡¯ve been here for two hours?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you confused? Since you¡¯re awake now, just leave this place quickly; you shouldn¡¯t be staying here."


    The two guards bewildered Li Tianhua, who subconsciously turned to leave, but after a few steps, he abruptly turned around and angrily declared, "I am Minister Li Tianhua, uncle to Li Zhiyuan, and I am here to see Captain Zheng and Golden Eagle."


    "So it is Minister Li, but our team is currently training, and you cannot enter now."


    "Then let me notify them."


    "Not possible, no one can disturb during training."


    "You..." Li Tianhua clenched his fists in fury but did not force his way in again. Having reached this position, he was certainly capable and was well aware that this was a little trick by the Flying Hawk Squad. If he forced his way again, he would undoubtedly be knocked down like before. He realized that the members of the Flying Hawk Squad dared to do anything; he did not want to get beaten again.


    Fortunately, Li Tianhua did not make another attempt to barge in, otherwise these two fellows would not have just knocked him out first, but would have truly given him a vigorous beating.


    Seeing Li Tianhua backing down, the two guards felt somewhat disappointed; it was a great opportunity to beat up a high-ranking official¡ªa chance that wouldn¡¯t come again. Since Li Tianhua did not force his way in, they couldn¡¯t just rush up and beat him.


    Wait, wait, another whole hour had passed, and Li Tianhua, baked by the sun until his head felt oily, finally saw Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei walking towards the gate.


    "Minister Li, when did you arrive?" Zheng Mingrui came up, appearing very warm.


    Li Tianhua was furious inside, but he knew he absolutely couldn¡¯t lose his temper at this moment. These people were nothing short of ruffians; trying to establish any relations with them was utterly unfeasible. He forcibly suppressed his anger and said, "I¡¯ve been here for a while, but since you were training, I could only wait here."


    Zheng Mingrui immediately berated the two guards: "Minister Li is here, how could you not report this? Even if you didn¡¯t report, could you not let Minister Li wait inside the guardhouse? How could you let Minister Li stand out in the scorching sun for so long?"


    Watching Zheng Mingrui playing this act, Li Tianhua¡¯s inner rage intensified. This was clearly intentional on their part, these damn rascals. Once this matter was settled, he would see how he would deal with them.

 Chapter 1130 - 1176: Completely Stupefied

    Chapter 1130: Chapter 1176: Completely StupefiedLi Tianhua finally entered the Flying Hawk Squad, gulping down several mouthfuls of water before he felt a bit more comfortable.


    Taking a deep breath, Li Tianhua said, "Captain Zheng, Golden Eagle, I¡¯ve come here to apologize. Zhiyuan is too young and doesn¡¯t know how to show respect. I hope you won¡¯t take offense at the ignorance of a youngster."


    Zheng Mingrui immediately replied, "Director Li, you are mistaken. I have no intention of stooping to his level. We saw his eagerness to participate in the competition, so we gave him the opportunity. There aren¡¯t many young people as confident as he is."


    Li Tianhua was taken aback, but he absolutely did not believe Zheng Mingrui¡¯s words were sincere. With a bitter smile, he said, "Then let¡¯s be candid. What will it take for you to let Zhiyuan off the hook? Whatever conditions you have, as long as the Li family can fulfill them, we will agree."


    "Director Li, you¡¯re thinking about this the wrong way. We are actually putting in effort to train Zhiyuan in hopes that he can participate in this competition."


    Thinking about the screams he heard from Zhiyuan outside, Li Tianhua couldn¡¯t help feeling a chill run down his spine. He hurriedly said, "No, no, our Zhiyuan will not participate. Absolutely not."


    Zheng Mingrui spoke unhurriedly, "Zhiyuan is not bad, he has potential. I want to keep him and train him slowly. Even if there are issues with his participation this time, he could still become a core member of the Flying Hawk Squad in the future. Director Li, you must know that our Flying Hawk Squad offers more opportunities to earn military honors than other places. This could be a big opportunity for Zhiyuan."


    Li Tianhua really wanted to give Zheng Mingrui a thrashing, but with Li Zhiyuan in the hands of the Flying Hawk Squad, he had to bow his head. He gave a dry laugh and said, "I appreciate your high regard for Tianhua, but our family simply wishes for his safety without seeking grand advancement. So please, Captain Zheng, I beseech you to show mercy and spare our Zhiyuan."


    Zheng Mingrui shook his head with a look of regret, "It¡¯s truly a shame to lose such a promising talent. However, since Director Li insists, we can¡¯t force him to stay. We¡¯ll go to the Command Headquarters later to apply for a transfer order to send Zhiyuan back."


    Hearing about applying for a transfer order made Li Tianhua anxious, as it sounded like a delay tactic. If Li Zhiyuan had to stay even one or two more days, it was uncertain whether he would leave alive. He quickly said, "There¡¯s no need for such trouble. We can deal with the transfer order later; just let Zhiyuan go for now."


    "That wouldn¡¯t be good. It wouldn¡¯t comply with the rules. We are just ordinary people, with no powerful backers. If the higher-ups start looking into this, it would cause us big trouble."


    "I will take full responsibility for this matter."


    "Is that so?" Zheng Mingrui appeared distressed, "Well then, alright. But, Director Li, you must leave us a written statement. If someone from above starts asking questions, I will need something to say. We are people accustomed to straightforward struggles; we don¡¯t understand these intricate maneuvers."


    Li Tianhua inwardly cursed; how could they not understand these intricate maneuvers? They had been leading him in circles.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll write a statement. Please, Captain Zheng, call Zhiyuan out so I can take him away." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Tianhua wrote a statement for taking the person away and finally received Li Zhiyuan. At this time, Li Zhiyuan was able to walk but looked dazed and vacant, like a soulless shell, which slightly relieved Li Tianhua¡ªit meant Li Zhiyuan had not lost any limbs.


    Having taken Li Zhiyuan out of the Flying Hawk Squad and into the car, Li Tianhua held his hand and asked, "Zhiyuan, how are you?"


    "Third Uncle... Third Uncle, you¡¯re here, save me, please! They¡¯re going to kill me! They really are... Waah..." Li Zhiyuan suddenly clung tightly to Li Tianhua and burst into tears.


    "We¡¯re already out, don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s all right now." Li Tianhua quickly patted his nephew¡¯s shoulder, gently comforting him.


    It took a while before Li Zhiyuan calmed down. Li Tianhua then asked about his time in the Flying Hawk Squad. Li Zhiyuan shivered, his face showing extreme horror, yelling as he covered his head, refusing to reveal anything.


    This made Li Tianhua hesitant to press further, afraid of further traumatizing Li Zhiyuan. But judging from his reaction, Zhiyuan must have suffered intense distress in the Flying Hawk Squad.


    And when Li Tianhua brought Li Zhiyuan back to the Li family, seeing his condition incited widespread outrage. But now they could do nothing, for it was their own decision to send Li Zhiyuan to the Flying Hawk Squad. Moreover, the news about Zhiyuan being forcefully taken to the squad had leaked from the military, where initially joining the Flying Hawk Squad was a matter of honor. However, the fact that Li Zhiyuan ended up this way was a profound disgrace, revealing to the Li family that their own Li Zhiyuan was someone utterly lacking in ambition.


    The repercussions of the incident didn¡¯t stop at the Li family but extended throughout Capital City. Originally, many families with ties to the military had sought the opportunity to send their sons to the competition. Now, no one dared broach the subject again. Moreover, the prestige of the Flying Hawk Squad was once more established, making all the major families realize that the squad didn¡¯t give special treatment to anyone. Those families would have to think twice before attempting to influence the Flying Hawk Squad again.


    As for Li Yifei, there was an additional profound significance. The Flying Hawk Squad had become independent of the major families¡¯ control, and he was the ex-captain with unmatched prestige within the squad. Thus, the Flying Hawk Squad turned into a powerful asset for his Li family.


    Clearly, those in higher positions were well aware of this, and their actions evidently helped him once again.


    In the following days, the Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s training was no longer affected by any external factors, and Li Yifei selected eight people from the team. These eight were the best of the best within the Flying Hawk Squad, and in terms of overall capabilities, they were also the strongest in the squad.


    However, for the upcoming competition, there could only be five official members and two alternates, totaling seven people. Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui made up two of the slots, and the remaining five would be from these eight people, plus Sophia.


    On the training ground, Li Yifei said to the eight Flying Hawk Squad members and Sophia, "Now, we will conduct the final training exercise. The results of this training will directly determine who among you will participate in the competition."


    At this moment, all nine stood erect, their figures straight. As soldiers, and particularly as elite soldiers, honor is frequently a major concern for them, and none wished to be eliminated.


    Over these days, Sophia had been immersing herself in military culture. At this time, she stood there in full military uniform, a perfect image of a soldier, and as a woman, she exhibited an even more dashing and heroic bearing.


    "This time, I want to conduct a simulated test. We¡¯ll go to a primitive forest. Each person will be on their own, and whoever can get out the fastest with the least injuries will be the winner. Any objections?"


    "None!" the nine replied in unison, their voices loud.


    "Good, we¡¯ll depart now."


    After a helicopter ride of over two hours, Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui brought the nine to a forest. After dropping them at a designated spot, they headed to a camp 30 kilometers away to wait.


    "Boss, which position do you think your female disciple will come out in?" Zheng Mingrui was curious about Sophia¡¯s strength.


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, she should be the first to come out."


    "That confident? Each of our team members is already well-versed in this kind of wilderness training. How could she be stronger than them?"


    Li Yifei tossed a cigarette to Zheng Mingrui and lit one for himself, saying, "Sophia¡¯s abilities were already strong to begin with, certainly not inferior to any of you. Plus, she used to be an assassin, so her wilderness survival skills are definitely not weak. With the training she has received from me recently, her strength has increased even more. That¡¯s why I believe she¡¯ll be the first."


    "Boss, you¡¯re biased," Zheng Mingrui took a heavy drag from his cigarette.


    "Heh... it¡¯s because she¡¯s my disciple. I only have this one disciple; how could I not teach her properly?"


    "Forget it, you just favor romance over friendship. You¡¯re just trying to turn this female disciple into your woman."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I truly haven¡¯t had such thoughts. If she really were my woman, I wouldn¡¯t have the heart to let her go through this."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei thought of Xu Shanshan. She hadn¡¯t contacted him for several days, and he didn¡¯t know how she was doing. He was particularly concerned about Xu Shanshan, even though he knew she was strong enough to handle most situations, unless she encountered extreme danger. But as the saying goes, ¡¯concern leads to chaos.¡¯ As a man, he still hoped his woman could live a carefree life under his protection.


    Five hours later, a figure finally appeared before Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui. The person was dressed in camouflage gear without a hat, their golden hair shining brightly in the sun. It was none other than Sophia.


    Zheng Mingrui gave Li Yifei a thumbs-up, no further words needed. Sophia indeed possessed sufficient strength.


    Soon after, the rest of the team members emerged one after another, the gaps between them incredibly small, with not more than a ten-minute difference.


    Among the nine people, Sophia bore signs of injury in three places, while the others had at least four.


    At this moment, the admiration in the gazes of the eight squad members towards Sophia was undeniable. They hadn¡¯t colluded to single out Sophia, so the competition was entirely fair. Each of them had sparred with Sophia and knew full well that her ability was above theirs.


    Thus, they had no objections to Sophia participating in the competition.


    Li Yifei then chose the four team members with the best performance. Their team of seven was now formed. Li Yifei was ready to bring glory to his country once again, and return to the battlefield, ready to let the special forces of other countries know that as long as the Golden Eagle was still there, the Flying Hawk Squad was the strongest.

 Chapter 1131 - 1177 Dangerous Aura

    Chapter 1131: Chapter 1177 Dangerous AuraThe heart of the Pacific Ocean, Yaum Island, is a savage island covering over twenty square kilometers. Though the island can be marked on a map, it remains largely unexplored due to the numerous reefs surrounding it and its harsh environment, which is constantly shrouded in fog. From satellite images, only the outline of the island is visible; thus, it has always been uninhabited.


    What exactly is on the island, and how the environment inside it is, nobody knows.


    For fairness and justice, the competition required all squads to reach the island via airdrop. Initially, they gathered on an aircraft carrier, but they did not see any other squads there. Each squad was confined to a separate room upon boarding the carrier and was not allowed to come out until they boarded the helicopters to the island, though not at the same time.


    The airdrop locations were predetermined spots marked on the radar. What lay beneath was unknown to all.


    This time, the rules made the contest exceptionally competitive. Each participant wore a card containing personal information. The squad with the most collected cards by the end of the event would be the victor. Losing your card meant losing the right to continue and the only option then would be to use an additional transmitter to signal for helicopter evacuation.


    To collect an opponent¡¯s card, incapacitation was a must. However, no one was allowed any weapons on the island¡ªonly their card and a transmitter. Despite these precautions, in the eyes of the elites, many objects could serve as weapons, and even bare hands could prove lethal.


    To minimize casualties, the competition stipulated that killing an opponent would deduct ten cards, causing a severe injury would deduct five, while minor injuries ranged from one to three cards deducted. This added a layer of complexity for all squads.


    Only the strong could participate in the contest. While eliminating opponents using various means wouldn¡¯t be too difficult, subduing them without inflicting harm proved quite challenging.


    Thus, the competition wasn¡¯t just a test for Li Yifei and his Flying Hawk Squad, but also a formidable challenge for elite teams worldwide, requiring their utmost capabilities to triumph.


    The competition lasted for three days. By noon of the third day, the event would conclude. If a participant failed to exit the island and reach the rendezvous point within this time, no matter how many cards they had, they would all be invalidated.


    The rules of the competition were only disclosed to Li Yifei and his team upon boarding the helicopter. The loud noise inside the aircraft wasn¡¯t conducive to discussing tactics. They could only contemplate their strategic approach upon landing.


    Li Yifei¡¯s team slid down the ropes onto the island, frowning as they touched down onto a swamp with knee-deep water and dense aquatic plants that made walking difficult.


    Additionally, they were unaware if any ferocious carnivores, like crocodiles, lurked within the swamp, which could add to their troubles.


    Two Flying Hawk Squad members quickly surrounded Li Yifei and Zheng Mingrui in the center, vigilantly observing the surroundings.


    Yifei and Mingrui immediately began discussing tactics. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boss, these rules seem to be in our favor. Hand-to-hand combat¡ªI don¡¯t believe anyone can beat you," one of them said.


    Li Yifei shook his head: "This is about team collaboration, not solo combat. Plus, there are many unknowns, so we mustn¡¯t be careless."


    Zheng Mingrui nodded earnestly: "I understand, but I¡¯m confident that we will prevail."


    Li Yifei spoke with gravity: "I was thinking, with these rules, we must aim to seize the opponents¡¯ cards, and they¡¯ll be after ours. We can expect to be under siege from all sides, with no allies to speak of."


    "Indeed! Any strategy planning to form alliances is unreliable. Boss, I have an idea. What if we hold our position at first, tail a stronger squad, and after they¡¯ve collected enough cards, we then..." Zheng Mingrui gestured with a forceful sweep of his hand downward and chuckled.


    Li Yifei nodded: "That¡¯s a good strategy, but primarily, we must conceal our tracks well. And if an opportunity arises, we could seize cards ourselves. The key is not to expose our whereabouts too early."


    After discussing some more details, they felt confident with the plan. Meanwhile, the other three had found the best route to leave the swamp, which was an urgent priority as staying there could easily reveal their position. They started moving in that direction, and when they were about fifty meters from the swamp¡¯s edge, Li Yifei suddenly sensed danger. He signaled for the team to stop and cautiously scanned the surroundings. Yet, no trace of anyone was around¡ªonly insects like dragonflies and butterflies hovered above the water, along with a few frogs. The unseen danger felt all the more threatening.


    The absence of a visible threat, especially one from beneath the water, could suggest a crocodile ambush. Such creatures were adept at stealth attacks from underwater, often going unnoticed until it¡¯s too late. Crocodiles do not exactly live in solitude; there should be a few in such a swamp, and facing an attack from a group would be overwhelming.


    But if crocodiles lived here, they should¡¯ve surfaced at some point. Considering their absence, it seemed unlikely they were the cause of danger. So what could possibly instill such a sense of peril in Li Yifei?

 Chapter 1132 - 1178: Waiting for a Rabbit by a Stump

    Chapter 1132: Chapter 1178: Waiting for a Rabbit by a StumpLi Yifei¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t wrong; indeed, there were no crocodiles in this swamp, but there was another kind of ferocious animal living within, a creature even more ferocious than the crocodiles. If a crocodile were to fight this animal, the crocodile would have an eighty percent chance of losing.


    All five members were vigilantly watching the surface of the water, moving forward slowly. Zheng Mingrui, who was bringing up the rear, suddenly stopped in his tracks as he finally saw a dark shadow shooting up from under the water, aiming straight for him, the last in line.


    It was a water python, its head seemingly not much smaller than a human¡¯s. When it opened its mouth, it resembled a washbasin, coming straight for Zheng Mingrui¡¯s shoulder.


    The water python is perhaps the largest snake in the world: nonvenomous but of immense size, with astonishing constriction power. Once it bites its prey, it immediately wraps around them, tightening its grip with each breath the victim takes, until they suffocate to death. Only then will it consume its prey. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some movies show scenes where pythons swallow people whole, with the victims screaming as they go down. That¡¯s complete nonsense¡ªa python won¡¯t eat its prey without suffocating it first.


    The python¡¯s biting speed is incredibly fast, but because Zheng Mingrui was prepared, he immediately shrugged his shoulder and struck fiercely at the side of the python¡¯s head.


    The power of Zheng Mingrui¡¯s blow was enormous. Even the robust python was knocked off course by the strike, its body heavily hitting the surface of the water before sinking back down.


    Pythons capture their prey through surprise attacks. If they miss on the first attempt, they will submerge and prepare again. They are not as difficult to deal with as lions and tigers on land. As long as you¡¯re not bitten the first time, you¡¯re likely to be safe.


    But Li Yifei and his team didn¡¯t dare to be careless. Although this python had failed its ambush and wouldn¡¯t attack again, who knew how many pythons there were under the surface of the water? Everyone immediately quickened their pace towards the shore; in such a place, their combat effectiveness was greatly diminished, and the risk was simply too high.


    Finally making it to shore, Zheng Mingrui exhaled and cursed, "Damn it, who chose this lousy place, with such freakish things in it?"


    The other two team members, Xiao Qiang and Qu Shouping, seemed pretty relaxed. Qu Shouping said with a grin, "I don¡¯t think the place itself is wrecked. It¡¯s just that our landing spot was unlucky, dropping us right into this swamp. Fortunately, there isn¡¯t any of that man-swallowing sludge here, otherwise, it would be even more troublesome."


    This was indeed true. If they had encountered deep mud, it would be even more dangerous than quicksand. If one got stuck in it, it would be incredibly difficult to get out. Last time in the Quicksand, if Li Yifei hadn¡¯t found an unexpected escape, he would have really been done for.


    The group only paused briefly at the shore before quickly submerging into the dense woods, concealing themselves¡ªthis was their most crucial task.


    Li Yifei and his team had this idea, and so did others. At this point, no one wanted to expose themselves prematurely. The island was almost entirely primitive forest. Making the first move was not only difficult in finding the enemy but also made one vulnerable to ambush. No one would be so foolish as to take that risk now.


    However, the initial rules were quite strict, precisely to prevent this situation. It was specified that one must reach the gathering point within a certain time to be considered valid. Thus, although they wanted to hide, they still had to make their way to the gathering point.


    And the closer they were to the gathering point, the greater the chance of encountering others, the higher the possibility of being attacked, but also the more opportunities there might be.


    On the first day, Li Yifei and his team had no mishaps. After a day¡¯s analysis, they decided to change their strategy. Though preserving their strength was wise, they would inevitably meet many strong opponents later on, and the risks would be enormous. Whether they could really make it out safely was uncertain.


    Therefore, Li Yifei decided to take a proactive approach during this period. With everyone spread out widely, they could quickly eliminate an opponent team and other teams wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive fast enough. The success rate would be higher than if they waited until the end to strike.


    However, this approach had a downside: by acting this way, their chances of being exposed increased. They would need to be even more meticulous in hiding their movements.


    Nonetheless, the advantages clearly outweighed the dangers. After discussing with the four others, Li Yifei decided to adopt a bolder strategy.


    Having made their decision, the five immediately sprang into action.


    However, on such a large island, finding other squads is definitely not an easy task. First, the forests on the island are too dense; even if you were just dozens of meters away, you might not see the other party. Moreover, everyone here is skilled at concealing their tracks, making it even more difficult to locate each other.


    Li Yifei then proposed a method that immediately excited everyone in Zheng Mingrui¡¯s team, and they all agreed that Yifei¡¯s idea was excellent. Then the five of them immediately started taking action.


    The special forces from the Philippines should be considered one of the weaker squads, but the five members of this squad never saw themselves as such. They always believed they were a very strong team. However, they had the misfortune of unintentionally encountering the French special forces.


    At this point, there was no other choice but to fight. Both sides wanted to capture the other¡¯s card, and the ten soldiers quickly employed all their skills, launching attacks on each other.


    But the Philippine special forces soon realized that they were indeed not as strong. Under the attack of the French special forces, the five of them were completely outmatched. If not for the restriction against inflicting injuries, all five might have already been eliminated by their opponents.


    The French special forces also felt it would be somewhat strenuous to take all five of them down and were concerned about others arriving. So, in the end, they only targeted two people. The remaining three members of the Philippine team made a quick decision: to abandon their teammates and run away. After all, this wasn¡¯t actual death; they would just be unable to continue in the competition. With three of them still around, if they found a good opportunity, there was still a chance for them to turn the tables.


    Losing two members in their first battle, the remaining three lost all confidence. They decided to quickly make their way to the rally point. As long as they got there, it meant someone survived. Even if they hadn¡¯t captured any cards, they still had three members left. If the other squads were in a chaotic battle, very few might make it out, and they could still manage to place well. That would still count as a commendable achievement when they returned home.


    After walking for two hours, the three members of the Philippine special forces had not encountered anyone else, which they found extremely fortunate. They guessed that the other squads hadn¡¯t adopted the same strategy as them, so they might actually succeed.


    "Swoosh!" Suddenly, one of the men flew into the air and began screaming. A vine had wrapped around his foot and was tied to a tree branch on the other end. The tree branch was bouncing, leaving the soldier hanging upside down.


    "Not good, enemy presence!" the other two shouted at once.


    But they were too late to realize this. Four men suddenly leaped out from both sides of the path, completely blocking their escape. It was Zheng Mingrui and his team, who immediately attacked the two soldiers.


    The Philippine special forces were indeed outmatched by the Flying Hawk Squad¡¯s capabilities. Even one-on-one, they stood no chance, let alone two against four. Within less than two minutes, the four members had pinned them to the ground and searched their pockets for the cards.


    The soldier in the air had managed by then to untangle the vine from his feet. However, by the time he landed, his two comrades had already been thoroughly defeated. Facing four alone, he had no chance at all. He surrendered his card directly to avoid further physical pain.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s team immediately left the area. Once a location had been used, there was no need to stay.


    With a victorious first battle, they had acquired three cards at once, which left the group quite thrilled. They had immense respect for Li Yifei¡¯s strategic approach.


    Yifei¡¯s strategy wasn¡¯t exactly brilliant; it was simply a "wait-and-see" trap. They marched quickly to a position ahead and waited for passing teams, setting up traps. If the trap could directly catch one or two, that would be ideal. Even if it didn¡¯t, it was sure to catch the opponents off guard, greatly increasing their chances of victory.


    Many methods seem simple when spoken of but are not so easy to apply. The right method must be used at the right moment, and this relies on having a leader with robust analytical abilities.


    And indeed, Yifei¡¯s method proved effective. Weaker squads like those from the Philippines fell into the traps since they shared the same idea of leaving early.


    In less than half a day, Yifei¡¯s team had already captured thirteen cards. Besides the Philippine special forces, they had wiped out two more squads. And all three times, Yifei hadn¡¯t needed to lift a finger; Zheng Mingrui and his team were enough.


    Zheng Mingrui¡¯s team was well-coordinated. Sophia was slightly less so, but Yifei took this opportunity to let them practice teamwork. Among team members, coordination during real combat would enhance their understanding.


    Then, as dusk approached, Yifei¡¯s team awaited the arrival of the fourth squad, which made even Yifei cautious. It was the Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces from Japan.

 Chapter 1133 - 1179: Successfully Ambushing the Kamikaze Squad

    Chapter 1133: Chapter 1179: Successfully Ambushing the Kamikaze SquadLi Yifei had completed several missions in Japan and had even killed the leader of the Yamaguchi Group by himself. It seemed that there weren¡¯t many experts in Japan, but during his last mission there, after encountering those high-skilled ninjas, Li Yifei gained new respect for the Japanese masters.


    Moreover, after encountering Meng Qianjun and the other expert from when they met the leader, Li Yifei knew there were still many hidden masters in the world, and that his own strength was far from invincible.


    Because of World War II, Japan never had an official Special Forces team. The Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces had never participated in various Special Forces competitions before. However, their decision to participate in the most challenging competition this time was indeed abnormal.


    In addition, Japan¡¯s new prime minister seemed to be following the previous militaristic path, with frequent aggressive movements to showcase Japan¡¯s strength. Therefore, their participation in this competition undoubtedly meant they intended to place highly, which also meant they would definitely send highly skilled masters to compete, possibly including those who were even stronger than the three high-skilled ninjas Li Yifei had encountered before.


    Li Yifei¡¯s judgment in this matter was indeed accurate. As soon as those five people appeared in their sight, Li Yifei immediately identified that there was a ninja among them whose strength was definitely much greater than the three ninjas he had encountered last time.


    As for the other four people, they were certainly not weak, but without taking action, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure if Zheng Mingrui and the others would prevail.


    Zheng Mingrui looked at Li Yifei, with a questioning look in his eyes. He too could sense the strength of the opponents and was uncertain if they could win if a fight broke out.


    At this moment, Li Yifei slightly nodded at Zheng Mingrui. The honor of the nation was important for this outing, but it was also about challenging the strong. Encountering such a powerful ninja, how could Li Yifei miss this opportunity?


    He also assessed that even if they didn¡¯t have a great chance of stealing cards, it was impossible for the opponents to snatch their cards as well.


    Li Yifei then signaled to Zheng Mingrui that he would take the first move and asked them to wait for his signal to take action.


    Zheng Mingrui relayed Li Yifei¡¯s commands to the other three using simple hand signals, silently carried out, so the five people below from the Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces wouldn¡¯t notice anything.


    At this time, those five people had already reached the tree where Li Yifei was hiding. The strongest ninja suddenly looked up and then leaped, moving between two trees with astonishing speed, lunging straight at Li Yifei.


    This confused Zheng Mingrui and the others; the ninja hadn¡¯t discovered them but had somehow noticed Li Yifei first, which seemed illogical. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But since Li Yifei had not given the signal, they remained hidden, motionless.


    "Come out and die!" the powerful ninja shouted as he soared five or six meters into the air, swinging his arm at Li Yifei¡¯s hiding spot.


    Li Yifei, however, didn¡¯t engage in combat with him. His feet furiously kicked against the tree trunk, propelling his body down like a cannonball, aiming for one of the other four members of the Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces on the ground.


    Li Yifei was primed to strike, while the ninja had mustered all his strength to attack upwards. Like two trains speeding past each other, they swiftly crossed paths.


    "Dammit! Be careful!" the ninja in mid-air shouted. He immediately understood Li Yifei¡¯s strategy: to draw away the strongest ninja and then target the weaker members below. Though he wanted to provide support, he was inevitably a step too slow and could only warn his teammates below.


    The four men below weren¡¯t weak; while they were surprised, they weren¡¯t panicked and prepared to face Li Yifei¡¯s attack.


    Indeed, these four men were no pushovers, but their strength was, at most, comparable to an ordinary member of the Flying Hawk Squad. Li Yifei could take on the entire Flying Hawk Squad alone, so how could these four stand a chance against him? Plus, Li Yifei¡¯s attacks against them wouldn¡¯t be as merciful as those against the Flying Hawk Squad. His strike was thunderous and overwhelming, like Mount Tai crushing down on one of them.


    Boom!


    Li Yifei launched punches and kicks while in the air, hitting all four men in an instant. Even without any support, this move made the four feel a salty taste in their throats as they involuntarily staggered back several steps.


    And just as Li Yifei landed, only lightly touching the ground with the tips of his toes, his body spun like an agile leopard, pouncing towards one of the four¡ªspecifically the weakest among them.


    Having tested them with one move, Li Yifei had already determined this person to be the weakest, making him the first target. Successfully taking down one would make it five against four. If he could then hold off the most formidable ninja, allowing Zheng Mingrui and the others to fight three on four, their chances of victory were significantly increased.


    The three remaining ninjas were shaken by Li Yifei¡¯s initial move. As they saw Li Yifei attack the weakest among them, it was completely too late for a rescue, and the strongest ninja in the air could only shout desperately. But Li Yifei¡¯s actions were too fast, and he had successfully lured him away before, which now made timely support impossible.


    The weakest of them all had yet to steady himself when he saw Li Yifei coming at him. Panic instantly filled his heart, but it was too late for any other reaction. He threw both fists forward, hoping only to protect himself until their strongest ninja could arrive.


    Alas, he was ignorant of Li Yifei¡¯s terrifying strength. Just now, when Li Yifei fought one against four and his power was dispersed, it had nearly caused them to cough up blood. Now, attacking just one, this guy didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Their fists collided with a thud, and the fellow¡¯s body immediately flew backward, while Li Yifei didn¡¯t even pause, pursuing the man through the air. By the time they both landed, Li Yifei had acquired a card, and the unfortunate fellow lay motionless on the ground.


    The whole process sounds slow in the telling but in reality, it was over in ten seconds. From the beginning, when he lured away the strongest ninja, to successfully snagging a card at the end, all had been part of Li Yifei¡¯s meticulous plan¡ªa textbook example of a sneak attack.


    At this point, the ninja finally caught up with Li Yifei, but upon seeing Li Yifei steal his teammate¡¯s card, he didn¡¯t immediately strike. Instead, he stared at Li Yifei with piercing eyes and said slowly in Chinese, "You are... Golden Eagle."


    Li Yifei pocketed the card, barely concealing a smile, and replied, "Exactly."


    "As expected of Golden Eagle, truly formidable," the ninja said, eyes devoid of rage but filled with excitement instead.


    Facing the man¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei asked, "And you are?"


    "Inoue Aoga."


    "Inoue Frog?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened. "Who names themselves like that?"


    Inoue Aoga remained unangered, clearly of strong mentality, and explained, "Isn¡¯t there a Chinese saying about the frog at the bottom of the well? It speaks of the narrow point of view, just like a frog at the bottom of a well, only able to see a slice of the sky. I am the frog above the well, able to see the entire blue sky."


    Li Yifei gave him a thumbs up, praising, "Admirable, truly admirable. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re Japanese¡ªif not, this name would be explosively cool."


    "Golden Eagle, despite your strength and having already taken down one of us, we now have four against your one. This isn¡¯t very wise of you."


    "True, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so formidable, so I¡¯ve decided..." Li Yifei blinked and suddenly retreated rapidly, saying while retreating, "I¡¯m not playing with you anymore."


    "Thinking of leaving? Dream on!" Inoue Aoga let out a cold snort and pursued Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was extremely fast, and Inoue Aoga was hardly slow. The distance between them remained around five to six meters, but the Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces¡¯ remaining three were much slower. Coupled with the dense forest, in the blink of an eye, they had lost sight of the two.


    This frustrated the trio, forcing them to halt. Continuing the chase risked getting separated, and without their strongest to lead them, the three were in danger, vulnerable to being subdued by another Special Forces squad at any moment.


    Additionally, one of them had just been taken down by Li Yifei, whose condition they needed to check on. Normally, Li Yifei shouldn¡¯t have caused injury, but there had been ongoing overt and covert disputes between Huaxia and Japan over a certain island lately. It wasn¡¯t impossible that Golden Eagle took this opportunity to kill their man.


    As the three were retracing their steps, suddenly dark objects hurled at them from the trees on both sides. These turned out to be rows of sharpened stakes fashioned as spike boards that, if landed on a person, would surely lacerate them with wounds. Instinctively, the trio dodged.


    Two dodged forward, but the last one faced the predicament of being sandwiched by the spikes boards from both sides, forcing him to retreat.


    With his retreat, four individuals pounced from the trees on both sides and attacked him in unison, revealing themselves as Zheng Mingrui and Sophia¡¯s group of four.


    Four against three typically meant a sure win, despite exerting a bit of energy, but four on one left the opponent utterly powerless.


    By the time the other two recomposed themselves, Sophia had already found a card on the downed man, who now lay unconscious.


    The remaining two cursed angrily and charged at Zheng Mingrui and his group. By then, they had ignored the difference in their abilities, which was essentially volunteering for their own demise.

 Chapter 1134 - 1180: The Calm Before the Decisive Battle

    Chapter 1134: Chapter 1180: The Calm Before the Decisive BattleFour against one was an instant kill, and four against two was nearly a total domination. These two resisted for less than two minutes before being knocked down, and their cards were already in Zheng Mingrui and his team¡¯s hands.


    Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Hawk Squad, although also valuing individual heroism, placed more emphasis on teamwork. A team¡¯s strength is always greater than that of an individual. Unleashing the power of the team leads to unstoppable success.


    The Eastern Kamikaze Special Forces of Japan, already one of the world¡¯s strongest special forces, had become even stronger with the addition of a skilled member.


    However, it was a pity that Inoue Aoga, despite his personal strength, lacked a sense of teamwork. If he had been aware of this, he shouldn¡¯t have chased after Li Yifei alone, but rather should have stayed with his teammates.


    This is like playing the battle game League of Legends, where even if one person is very strong, if the teammates are bad, then most probably they will lose. Winning the game only happens when all teammates are uplifted.


    All of Li Yifei¡¯s strength was forged in the Flying Hawk Squad, where he had developed a strong sense of teamwork. This time, it was another perfect example of team combat.


    Li Yifei circled around in the woods, leading Inoue Aoga back to where they had started, while Zheng Mingrui and his team had once again ambushed. Only four Eastern Kamikaze members were on the ground, all alive but unconscious.


    "Baka!" Inoue Aoga couldn¡¯t help but roar again.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s a pity, you are strong, but your teammates have fallen. Your Kamikaze Squad no longer stands a chance."


    Inoue Aoga gritted his teeth but soon regained his composure, responding coldly, "Golden Eagle is indeed skilled, but don¡¯t forget, as long as I am here, our Kamikaze Squad still has a chance."


    Li Yifei disdainfully said, "Is that so? But I feel like you have no chance left." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then see if you can capture me," said Inoue Aoga, suddenly charging towards Li Yifei.


    In most people¡¯s minds, a Japanese Ninja is someone who wears a mask, dressed in black ninja attire, wielding a Katana, and incessantly throwing shuriken as if without them, one isn¡¯t a Ninja.


    But this is only the image depicted in movies or comics. Real Ninjas rely on enduring unbearable hardships to push their physical limits and enhance themselves. A high-level Ninja can turn any part of their body into a weapon, formidable even without Ninja Swords and shuriken.


    Fueled by anger, Inoue Aoga struck with his full capacity, no longer aiming to subdue Li Yifei but to kill him. Even if killing would cost him ten cards, eliminating Golden Eagle was momentously more significant for both the Eastern Kamikaze Squad and Japan as a whole.


    Additionally, by killing Golden Eagle, he could claim all the cards Golden Eagle possessed, which even after a possible ten-card deduction would still be substantial, potentially helping him to rank higher.


    Therefore, he held nothing back; his attacks were lethal.


    Li Yifei did not speak, taking the opportunity to spar with a Ninja master like Inoue Aoga was a favorable occasion for him. He swiftly stepped forward, fists flying with an aggressive offense, immediately transforming their fight into a life-and-death battle.


    Their powers were evenly matched, continuing for over ten minutes without a decisive victor.


    For experts like them, once the fight escalated to this point, they became completely immersed, seeing nothing but the opponent in front of them.


    Zheng Mingrui and his team hid in trees, dazzled by the skilled exchange below. Such a high-level showdown was rare, yet Zheng Mingrui remained rational. Although watching the duel was captivat...


    The sun had set, and the island was plunged into darkness. The two combatants remained engaged in their fight, yet Inoue Aoga was significantly excited at this moment. A ninja¡¯s best skill is to use the surrounding environment to enhance their strength. It¡¯s not really about becoming stronger, but about making better use of the environment. Like the current darkness, they can use it to conceal themselves and stealthily attack the enemy. In a head-on fight with Li Yifei, he hadn¡¯t gained any advantage, but in terms of sneak attacks, he didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei could surpass him.


    However, at this moment, both stopped as they heard someone approaching. Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Fool in the well, now you¡¯re done for."


    Inoue Aoga sneered back, "Golden Eagle, do you think you can win just because your teammates are coming? You¡¯re wrong. In the darkness, we ninjas are the kings. I will kill your teammates first and then come for you. Whatever you do to us, I will repay you double."


    After saying that, his figure flashed and disappeared into the darkness, no longer visible.


    Li Yifei also silently hid himself, those approaching were indeed not Zheng Mingrui and the others. Zheng Mingrui and his team were still hiding in the trees at that moment, not knowing which squadron it was. Let Inoue Aoga deal with those squadrons first to wear him out. If he encounters several strong squads, it might not just be about draining his stamina, he might actually be at a disadvantage then.


    Soon, the sounds of fighting could be heard, but there were no cries of attack. Judging by the sounds, the battle was extremely fierce, clearly indicating a very strong squad was involved; otherwise, in the darkness, Inoue Aoga would definitely have the capability to eliminate them.


    Li Yifei, however, did not go to watch, but continued moving with Zheng Mingrui and the others towards the rendezvous point, taking the time to rest a bit and replenish their strength, preparing for the next ambush.


    Li Yifei actually wanted to have a good fight with Inoue Aoga, but since this was a team competition and involved national honor, he couldn¡¯t prioritize his personal desires over the most important matters. Moreover, it was already the second night, with the competition ending at noon the next day. By then, some teams would be desperate, possibly making ruthless moves without restraint, risking the lives of his teammates could lead to deep regret.


    "Boss, that Little Japan is really formidable!" After walking for more than an hour, they found a concealed place to rest. Zheng Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but comment.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "He is indeed formidable. If we encounter such people during missions in the future, other than running away, we have no other choice. And whether we can escape successfully also depends on luck."


    "Then why didn¡¯t you just kill him earlier, Boss? We have enough cards now; losing a few wouldn¡¯t be too damaging if we¡¯d killed him."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to kill him, but that I couldn¡¯t."


    Zheng Mingrui and the others gasped in shock. They had thought Li Yifei had been holding back, only now realizing that Inoue Aoga was even more formidable than they had imagined.


    Currently, Inoue Aoga, despite being slightly less skilled than Li Yifei, making it difficult for him to kill him, did pose a genuine concern. With Great Japan deploying such an expert, who knew if other countries had also deployed extremely formidable talents. If they encountered such individuals, it would indeed be perilous.


    That night near Li Yifei¡¯s location, more people were present compared to during the day.


    Tomorrow they would reach the gathering point; tonight was for making final preparations. In the darkness, it was easier to launch sneak attacks. Securing more cards tonight was crucial.


    The night was chaotic; many squads encountered conflicts, and sounds of fights and shouts were intermittently heard, stirring some unease within Zheng Mingrui and the others.


    Yet, Li Yifei disagreed with participating since there were many people around; any conflicts would likely just allow others to benefit cheaply. Not many were genuinely in it to expend effort.


    Li Yifei¡¯s judgment was spot on. Just beneath the tree where they were concealed, a conflict erupted; the two groups initially fought fiercely but ceased before a victor emerged as several other squads turned up, neither side wished to give the benefit to others as bystanders.


    Before the final moments, no one wanted to reveal their full hand or waste too much energy unnecessarily. It was easy to get injured at this time, which could be fatally damaging for the team.


    Thus, although the night was chaotic, it was also unexpectedly calm, with everyone waiting for the final battle the following morning.

 Chapter 1135 - 1181: Crisis Lurking Everywhere

    Chapter 1135: Chapter 1181: Crisis Lurking EverywhereAt midnight, Li Yifei and the other four members were all awakened. This time, although normally the sleepiest period for humans, marks the real start of combat for each squad on the island.


    From now until noon tomorrow, there are ten hours left. Under normal circumstances, it would take about half an hour to cover the straight-line distance of five kilometers to the assembly point, but with special terrain, it might take an hour or even more.


    As soldiers participating in this competition, Li Yifei and his team aim for first place. They currently hold seventeen cards, plus their own five, making a total of twenty-two. However, this is far from enough. With over thirty squads, each consisting of five members, there are more than one hundred and fifty cards in total. To strive for first place, they need at least fifty cards, and even then, if they only end up competing against the strongest few teams, having less than half of the total cards doesn¡¯t guarantee victory.


    Thus, Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Hawk Squad must also take action.


    At this moment, the other strong teams naturally wouldn¡¯t fall behind and began to move.


    Li Yifei¡¯s team first encountered a special squad from Chile. This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t hold back his strength. He took the initiative to knock down one person and then pounced on the strongest member of the opposing team. Meanwhile, Sophia and Zheng Mingrui teamed up to take down another. Quickly after, they subdued that person and each targeted another opponent. The four of them managed to take down the remaining two. By then, the strongest member of the Chilean team prudently handed over their cards knowing that facing a formidable opponent like the Golden Eagle was just bad luck; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so swiftly.


    Now, Li Yifei¡¯s strategy was to find a squad and break them down individually. Li Yifei would take down one, then entangle the strongest, while Zheng Mingrui and Sophia, the two strongest, teamed up to handle another. The remaining two were responsible for engaging the enemies, waiting for Zheng Mingrui and Sophia to finish their fight before assisting them.


    This strategy proved to be quite effective, as it always allowed them to take advantage of numerical superiority in skirmishes.


    Of course, this strategy could only be implemented because they had an exceptional teammate like Li Yifei. Otherwise, it would be utterly unfeasible.


    As they proceeded, Li Yifei¡¯s team swiftly dealt with four teams, collecting twenty-six more cards in the process, as some of these teams had already acquired cards from others, providing Li Yifei¡¯s team with convenient pickings.


    Forty-eight cards, a substantial number indeed. Even if they didn¡¯t acquire any more cards, they were already assured a top-three position. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s team hadn¡¯t yet encountered America¡¯s Navy SEALs, the United Kingdom¡¯s Commandos, or Russia¡¯s Alfa Special Forces. These three powerhouse teams were likely also reluctant to face Flying Hawk Squad.


    "Be careful!" As they advanced, Li Yifei suddenly shouted in a low voice and swiftly lunged toward the rear right, while Zheng Mingrui quickly dove forward¡ªan instinctive reaction to danger, honed by years of training.


    A dark shadow swept over Zheng Mingrui. Li Yifei¡¯s lunge, however, missed the shadow.


    "Flying Hawk Squad truly lives up to its reputation, but from now on, I will be your nightmare. I will defeat you one by one and take all the cards on you," a sinister voice sounded not far away.


    It was Inoue Aoga. He had finally found Li Yifei¡¯s team.


    Li Yifei frowned secretly; Inoue Aoga was indeed a formidable master. Facing him directly would be extremely difficult, especially now as dawn had not yet broken. In this darkness, a Ninja¡¯s skills could be even more effective, while Li Yifei¡¯s team would be at a disadvantage. Being targeted by this man was definitely not good news.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you, but I definitely won¡¯t let you off easily. I will let you experience true Ninja techniques and torture you without leaving a mark, hahaha..."


    "Damn it, if you dare, come out and fight us!" Zheng Mingrui cursed loudly.


    "A fair fight? If you had fought us fairly yesterday, I would have no objections. But since you resorted to despicable tactics yesterday, today I will use the same means against you."


    "That¡¯s called tactics, don¡¯t you understand the importance of tactics?"


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll just play my tactics with you now, hahaha..." Inoue Aoga laughed loudly again, then fell silent.


    "Boss, what do we do now?" Zheng Mingrui also seemed at a loss.


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Hold positions, we won¡¯t move."


    Zheng Mingrui and Li Yifei exchanged glances and immediately understood Li Yifei¡¯s intention. He smirked and said, "This is a good plan."


    Five people quickly found an open space and brought some dry branches along the way, sitting in a circle with several fires. The fires were positioned in four directions, about five to six meters apart, with Li Yifei and his group of five in the middle to ensure their vision would not be disturbed.


    Inoue Aoga did not expect Li Yifei and his team to do this. Now, Li Yifei and his team were exposed while he was hidden, but as soon as he came within five meters of them, he would definitely be discovered, making it impossible for him to launch a surprise attack.


    Without the element of surprise, he had no advantage. Trying to snatch the card directly from Li Yifei was an impossible task.


    This made Inoue Aoga quite annoyed. As a top expert in Japan, his presence was absolutely secretive. Japan had sent him to demonstrate the nation¡¯s strength, thinking that even if he couldn¡¯t beat Huaxia¡¯s Golden Eagle Squad or the United States¡¯ Seal Team, they should at least manage to be among the top three.


    But he had overlooked one crucial issue: the cooperation between Li Yifei and the Flying Hawk Squad, which was the result of many years of practice. As a top expert, he stood out in his squad, and although his individual strength was exceptional, he couldn¡¯t integrate well with team efforts, leading to the current embarrassing situation.


    "Damn it!" Inoue Aoga cursed in his mind, searching for an opportunity to strike, but he couldn¡¯t find the right moment. "You guys wait here, I¡¯ll find someone else. Even by myself, I can still win glory for The Empire of Japan."


    Li Yifei and his team could afford to wait, but Inoue Aoga couldn¡¯t. Half an hour later, he had no choice but to leave. He needed to snatch cards from other teams. If the strong teams had already taken them, it would be too difficult for him to get cards from them alone.


    Just a short while after Inoue Aoga left, Li Yifei gave a hand signal, and everyone quickly extinguished the fires.


    "Master, is he not coming back?" Sophia asked softly.


    "He can¡¯t outlast us," Li Yifei replied quietly. "We have over forty cards, he has at most ten. Although he wants revenge, what¡¯s more important is that he needs enough cards, so now he has to go and find trouble with others."


    Sophia snorted, "I actually hope someone takes him out. Every time I see that guy, I feel a chill."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "If I get the chance, I¡¯ll take care of him."


    It seemed like it should be getting light, but it felt darker to everyone. Eyes that had adjusted to the darkness could usually see a few meters away, but now one couldn¡¯t even see their own hand. This was due to the heavy morning fog blocking all light.


    Under such foggy conditions, even a ninja like Inoue Aoga couldn¡¯t exploit it, and everyone felt momentarily blind. You only knew there was a tree in front of you when you bumped into it.


    Under these circumstances, the wisest choice seemed to be to stay put. Li Yifei and his team also made this choice. They groped their way to a large tree and quickly climbed up, as staying in the trees was much safer than on the ground.


    But some people would still prefer different ideas; since the thick fog made it inconvenient to move, they thought it better to advance quickly and get closer to the rally point, possibly preparing for when the fog cleared.


    Rustling footsteps approached from under the tree. For Li Yifei, he could determine the location of the approaching party by sound. If they were weak, he could instantly take a few down; if strong, under the cover of this dense fog, he could easily escape, presenting a perfect opportunity for an ambush.


    Grasping Zheng Mingrui¡¯s hand, Li Yifei drew a few characters on it, then slid down the tree trunk. He swooped down on the disoriented group like a phantom, ready to strike again.


    Creeping stealthily, Li Yifei quickly neared the group. Judging the direction, he darted out like a shadow, chopping his hand towards the neck of the last person.


    Killing or injuring was not allowed, knocking someone unconscious was the best way. Under these conditions, it should have been a guaranteed success for Li Yifei to launch a surprise attack.


    However, before Li Yifei¡¯s hand reached the opponent¡¯s neck, a sense of danger surged in his heart. He immediately switched from attack to defense, pressing his hands swiftly down on a sturdy lower leg.


    With a "thump!", Li Yifei¡¯s body used the force to glide five meters away, while the heavy footsteps of the opponents also retreated two steps.


    "Mig!"


    "Golden Eagle!"


    Both called out simultaneously, the two strongest members of the world¡¯s special forces had finally met in the dense fog.

 Chapter 1136 - 1182: An Unexpected Encounter with Two Masters

    Chapter 1136: Chapter 1182: An Unexpected Encounter with Two MastersLi Yifei really didn¡¯t expect to encounter Mig¡¯s SEAL team here, and Mig clearly didn¡¯t expect to bump into Li Yifei at this time.


    After they called out each other¡¯s names, both of them suddenly fell silent.


    Mig was the first to speak, "Golden Eagle, it seems your luck isn¡¯t that great, to sneak attack right into me."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Indeed, quite unlucky. It wasted a good chance for a sneak attack."


    "I say Golden Eagle, how many cards do you have now?" Mig suddenly asked.


    "Not many, just over fifty."


    Mig said with his characteristic American humor, "You¡¯ve already got over fifty, could you possibly share a few with me? I¡¯ve only got a little over forty."


    "Sure, since you¡¯re putting it that way, even if you asked for them all, I¡¯d give them to you." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Golden Eagle is really generous, but I still prefer to snatch them from your hands. Come on, we haven¡¯t seen each other for over a year. Just so you know, I¡¯ve improved a lot, while you seem to have been living too comfortably, probably haven¡¯t made much progress, have you?"


    "Big or not, we¡¯ll only know after we try, won¡¯t we? Do you want to fight now, or wait until the end?"


    "I think it¡¯s better to wait until the end. If we determine the victor between us, I¡¯m afraid the winner would be completely exhausted, and then any small team could come and wipe us out. That would be a big loss."


    "No problem, I just had a fight with that guy Satan a while ago, this time will be great to enjoy a good fight with you."


    "That¡¯s OK then, Golden Eagle. How come you¡¯re alone, don¡¯t tell me all your teammates are done for?"


    "Haha, the only done for teammate I know of is Inoue Aoga from the Japanese Kamikaze Squad."


    "Inoue Aoga, who is that? I¡¯ve never heard of them," Mig said, puzzled.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I, for one, hope you run into him."


    "It sounds like this guy must be strong. Although I know you mean no good by saying this, I still fancy seeing what kind of experts Japan has."


    Japan always used to look up to the United States, but over the last two years, they haven¡¯t been so willing to listen to us. As a senior SEAL from the United States, this kind of thing feels really annoying, like a betrayal. So, if Mig gets the chance to confront an expert from the Japanese side, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t mind giving them a good thrashing.


    "Then I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Carry on," said Li Yifei, and he had already stepped back swiftly. If Mig really did get into a fight with that guy Inoue Aoga first, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t mind at all. By then, he might very well gain an advantage by being the beneficiary of others¡¯ battles.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t wait for Mig and Inoue Aoga to encounter each other, but instead, another two squads turned up.


    These two squads also encountered each other unexpectedly. The first one, upon realizing someone was following, stopped to prepare for an ambush, while the other squad, caught off guard, was taken by surprise,


    although the ambushed squad seemed a bit stronger. Despite losing one man in the ambush and being in a four against five situation, they still managed to fight on equal footing with the opposition.


    Li Yifei was in no hurry to make a move, letting them finish almost to the end before he would act.


    The squad members continued to fight while moving, quickly leaving the area below the tree where Li Yifei¡¯s squad was stationed, and Yifei kept his distance from them.


    Finally, the battle reached its climax, and ironically, the remaining four-person team ended up overwhelming the five-person team. Not only did they take back the lost card, but they also snatched five more cards. However, they paid a price, with three members of their team "killed," which meant they could no longer participate in the competition. Unless they planned on cheating, which would involve eliminating all the members of the five opposing squads.


    As soldiers, especially from the strongest elite forces, they all greatly cherish their reputations. Even if they can¡¯t bring honor to their country, they must not bring disgrace. Tactics can be discussed, but outright cheating, unless it could go undetected, is something none would do.


    With only two people remaining, they were nearly exhausted from the fight and were just about to sit down and rest to enjoy the fruits of victory when three shadows suddenly shot out of the thick fog, all charging towards them.


    Among them was Li Yifei, and it was only when he charged in front of those two that he realized there were two other people around, who he hadn¡¯t noticed before. Those skilled enough to remain unseen were none other than Inoue Aoga and Mig.


    Inoue Aoga and Mig also didn¡¯t expect there to be another two opponents. At this moment, they both let out a low shout, neither daring to make a move on the other two, stopping their advance instead. Launching an attack and seizing the cards at this moment would certainly provoke a joint attack from the other pair, which definitely wasn¡¯t a wise move.


    A gust of wind blew by, clearing the fog a bit, broadening their visibility. Only then did the two notice Li Yifei and the others, jumping up at once, back to back, nervously staring at the trio.


    Mig spread his hands and asked, "Golden Eagle, what do you think?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I don¡¯t want it, you two go ahead."


    Mig chuckled and replied, "If you don¡¯t want it, then neither do I." He then walked towards Li Yifei as if really giving up, catching up with Yifei like old times.


    The two back-to-back were German special forces members. Hearing that this was the famous Golden Eagle and the other was that fellow Mig, and though they didn¡¯t recognize the third person, seeing that even Mig and Golden Eagle were wary of him, they knew he must also be a formidable character. Now in front of these three experts, they couldn¡¯t muster the slightest will to resist. They were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, powerless to have a say in how they¡¯d be divvied up.


    Just as Mig was two meters away from Li Yifei, he suddenly grinned at Li Yifei and said, "Golden Eagle, I always felt you were my biggest opponent. If we were to fight at the end, my chances of winning are slim. So I¡¯ve decided, to team up with Inoue first and take you down."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "I truly didn¡¯t see that coming."


    Inoue Aoga let out a sinister smile and said, "You didn¡¯t expect this, did you? Our Great Japan has always maintained close military ties with the United States. It¡¯s only natural for us to work together."


    Li Yifei indeed hadn¡¯t expected Mig to team up with Inoue Aoga, which is why he had let Mig easily get into position right in front of him, while Inoue Aoga was right behind him. The three of them were in a straight line, with Li Yifei caught in the middle¡ªa decidedly disadvantageous position for him. With a light smile, Li Yifei said, "I overlooked this point. Still, I¡¯m grateful to you, Mig. If you had just ambushed me, I would surely have been in a tight spot."


    Mig shrugged his shoulders and said, "Golden Eagle, you¡¯re a strong fighter. I¡¯ve always wanted a fair fight with you. But this time national interests are involved, and as a soldier, I have to put my country¡¯s interests first. I need to claim this card for myself, as you pose the greatest threat to me. I hope you understand."


    Inoue Aoga snorted, "Golden Eagle, just surrender gracefully. Hand over your card, and I can spare your life. With our combined attack, you have no chance at all."


    "Is that so?" Li Yifei replied lightly.


    "Haha, why even ask? Your strength is comparable to mine. In terms of power, as Huaxia people say, we are evenly matched. One-on-one, it¡¯s indeed tough to determine a winner. But two-on-one, what choice do you have but to surrender?" Mig said while sighing.


    "Mig," he continued, "I think Inoue is right. Hand over the card you have, this isn¡¯t a fair duel and I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. Otherwise, I¡¯ll lose a worthy opponent."


    Li Yifei had roughly figured it out by now; Mig didn¡¯t really want to kill him. He was after the card in Li¡¯s hand. For Mig, the threat posed by Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Hawk Squad to his team was still too great. If Li Yifei handed over the card, it would mean withdrawing from the competition, which was enough for Mig. However, Inoue Aoga clearly didn¡¯t think so. What he wanted most was to egg Mig on, to join forces and kill Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Good suggestion, but I too am a soldier. For the honor of my country, I cannot give up so easily."


    Inoue Aoga was elated. This was in line with what he and Mig had agreed upon beforehand. If Li Yifei were to concede, they would spare him, but if he refused to surrender, they would have no choice but to take action. Wary of Mig having second thoughts, Inoue shouted, "Golden Eagle, prepare to die!" He lunged at Li Yifei immediately.


    Mig shook his head; his aura burst forth and with a deep shout, he launched a punch at Li Yifei. Knowing Inoue Aoga¡¯s treacherous nature, Mig had no choice but to strike.


    "So you want to kill me? You¡¯re too naive!" Li Yifei bellowed, his fighting spirit surging out as he stamped his foot hard and sent two fists hurtling towards Mig with the force of thunder, inexorable and with the air of someone betting everything on one strike.


    Mig was shocked; he had only used a portion of his strength with the punch, merely wanting to force Li Yifei into a desperate situation and have him clash head-on with Inoue. But Li Yifei had actually targeted him from the start.


    Despite being surprised, a fighter like Mig had a swift reaction. With another loud yell, he increased the power in his punch to nine-tenths of his full strength ¨C reaching full power was impossible in such a short time.


    Yet Mig considered Li Yifei¡¯s actions incorrect, as a full-force clash like this wouldn¡¯t hurt him much. At most, it might push him back, but his counterattack would force the best response from Li Yifei. Meanwhile, Inoue Aoga behind was aiming for the kill. Wasn¡¯t this just giving Inoue Aoga the opportunity he wanted?

 Chapter 1137 - 1183: Perfect Tactics

    Chapter 1137: Chapter 1183: Perfect TacticsInoue Aoga did not anticipate that Li Yifei would do this. Even when joining forces with Mig, he did not believe that the two of them could easily defeat Li Yifei, let alone kill him.


    He also thought that Li Yifei should focus more energy on him, so even if Mig found an opportunity, he wouldn¡¯t truly kill Li Yifei, but rather would show mercy.


    The opportunity came too suddenly, catching Inoue Aoga off guard. However, as a master like him, once the opportunity arose, he wouldn¡¯t easily let it slip away. He immediately burst forth at full power, rushing towards Li Yifei, confident that under Mig¡¯s interception, Li Yifei would completely lack the ability to withstand his attack. Even if it didn¡¯t kill Li Yifei, it would certainly leave him severely wounded.


    As Mig¡¯s fists collided with Li Yifei¡¯s, Mig could imagine the tremendous force behind his punch, which excited him. Trading blows with a formidable opponent like Li Yifei, no matter the circumstances, he found it difficult to control his emotions.


    But when their four fists met, Mig immediately felt something was off. Although Li Yifei¡¯s punch was extremely strong, it definitely did not utilize his full body strength. The force of the impact was not as great as his. If it were someone else, Mig wouldn¡¯t have been surprised, but he would never expect Golden Eagle to be this weak. Such a situation could only mean one thing: Li Yifei¡¯s attack was a feint, not a real attempt to clash hard with him.


    However, by that time, Mig¡¯s power was already committed to his punch, and he couldn¡¯t hold back. He struck hard, and although he faced formidable resistance, it certainly wasn¡¯t an impact. To Mig, his fists felt like they were pushing against a piston or hitting a spring. He ended up compressing Li Yifei¡¯s power within Golden Eagle¡¯s body.


    "Be careful!" Mig suddenly shouted loudly, realizing what Li Yifei was doing. It seemed like a full-powered attack at him, but it was essentially a feint; Li Yifei was actually holding back energy. The moment their powers met, Li Yifei deflected his power in a strange, spring-like manner, also diverting Mig¡¯s power onto his own body. Seeing Li Yifei get thrust backward even faster, he directly crashed into Inoue Aoga.


    Hearing Mig¡¯s warning, Inoue Aoga thought it was meant for Li Yifei, cursing inwardly. The alliance between their nations was meant to unite against Golden Eagle, and he had already declared his intention to kill Golden Eagle without the need for any card or rank.


    If Inoue Aoga had known the warning was for him, he definitely would have thought differently.


    Seeing Li Yifei charging at him like a cannonball, Inoue Aoga gathered all his strength into his fists and struck mercilessly at Li Yifei¡¯s back.


    But Li Yifei, as if his back had eyes, suddenly swung his elbows powerfully backward, directly meeting Inoue Aoga¡¯s fists.


    Inoue Aoga¡¯s fists didn¡¯t change direction; it was his ultimate blow, fueled by all his strength, aiming for a sure kill. Diverting now would dissipate his power, and Li Yifei¡¯s hasty elbow counter was purely defensive¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be effective. So, his fists slammed into Li Yifei¡¯s elbows.


    "Boom!" With a muffled sound, Li Yifei¡¯s body staggered and fell to the ground, then stumbled a few steps forward, standing firm like a javelin.


    Meanwhile, Inoue Aoga, like a cannonball, flew backward in the air, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood before landing, almost collapsing but managing to steady himself using a tree.


    This outcome shocked him; he never anticipated it. It was ludicrous. How could he be the one injured? Golden Eagle was supposed to be the one hurt.


    Inoue Aoga couldn¡¯t figure it out, but Mig understood perfectly. Li Yifei had used the combined force of two men to counter-attack Inoue Aoga. Each of them was strong, but the combined force of two was simply insurmountable for one.


    "Golden Eagle, it seems I underestimated you this time; you¡¯ve won," Mig shook his head and said, "I need to train harder, or else I¡¯ll surely lose the next time we fight."


    Li Yifei smiled proudly, "Good, I¡¯m looking forward to that day."


    Mig smiled at Li Yifei again and strode away.


    Seeing this, Inoue Aoga immediately dashed into the thick fog, severely injured, not wanting to be pursued by Li Yifei.


    "Golden Eagle, here are our cards!" The two German special forces soldiers who witnessed the staggering strike were awestruck. Golden Eagle had severely injured a Japanese master despite being double-teamed by Mig and him. His strength earned their respect, something they could not match. Engaging Li Yifei any further was now pointless.


    Li Yifei nodded, unceremoniously accepting the cards, then vanished into the thick fog.


    To onlookers, Li Yifei seemed to have the upper hand in the battle, but that was just the surface. His method of using borrowed force was effective against weaker opponents, but against a master like Mig, it came with immense pressure. In fact, he was also significantly internally wounded.


    If Mig and Inoue Aoga had continued their assault, he wouldn¡¯t have lasted long without exposing his vulnerability. Fortunately, he injured Inoue Aoga first, deterring both opponents, allowing him to safely retreat.


    Quickly finding his teammates from Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, coughed lightly, and spat out a bit of blood.


    "Boss!"


    "Master!"


    Zheng Mingrui and Sophia immediately shouted in panic when they truly saw Li Yifei injured and vomiting blood.


    Li Yifei wiped his lips and smiled bitterly, saying, "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about me. I just got a bit hurt. I just need to rest well. I still have thirteen cards, and now we have almost sixty in our hands. As long as we keep these cards, we won¡¯t just be second, we can aim for the first place."


    Zheng Mingrui hurriedly said, "Boss, leave it to us. You should rest well."


    Li Yifei immediately began to regulate his breathing. The type of Innate Vital Energy that Xu Shanshan had received could only be practiced by him, but it was not entirely useless; at least one of the breathing methods was very effective for healing. About two hours later, Li Yifei opened his eyes again, and his injuries had healed by fifty to sixty percent. Now, as long as he didn¡¯t confront Mig face to face, it wouldn¡¯t affect him much.


    "Boss, how did you get hurt?" Seeing Li Yifei open his eyes, Zheng Mingrui immediately asked anxiously.


    Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "I encountered Mig and Inoue Aoga."


    "Those two teamed up?" Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes widened.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes!"


    "Damn!" Zheng Mingrui¡¯s eyes bulged. He had seen the strength of Inoue Aoga, and Mig had always been on par with Li Yifei. With such strength, the two teaming up against Li Yifei and him merely vomiting blood upon return was already quite formidable.


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go. I think that Inoue Aoga won¡¯t dare to trouble us for now. As long as we don¡¯t encounter Mig¡¯s SEAL team, there will be no problem."


    Everyone was stunned for a moment, and Sophia immediately asked, "Master, how is that Inoue Aoga now?"


    "He should be more injured than me, but Mig is fine." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Damn!" Zheng Mingrui and the other two members of the Flying Hawk Squad shouted out. To think that Li Yifei, even when faced with two masters, still managed to heavily injure one of them, was incredibly awesome.


    Li Yifei also detailed the recent events, leaving the four of them dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of strength anymore, but also the application of tactics. Even if it were them in his place, having Li Yifei¡¯s strength, they absolutely couldn¡¯t have handled it as perfectly as Li Yifei did.


    It was already broad daylight, and the dense fog had also dispersed. It was past eight in the morning, and it was time for them to head to the rendezvous point.


    Because Li Yifei was injured, they had delayed too much time. By the time they reached near the gathering point, almost everyone had arrived. Though Mig¡¯s SEAL team had intercepted several squads, there wasn¡¯t only one way to the gathering point, and some teams still successfully reached.


    Those squads had some combat capabilities, and Mig¡¯s SEAL team did not go after Li Yifei, who was the last to emerge, but instead reported at the gathering point, indicating they didn¡¯t want to compete further. Thus, Li Yifei¡¯s team faced no obstacles on their way to the gathering point.


    In the end, the Flying Hawk Squad led by one card advantage over Mig¡¯s SEAL team and took first place. Originally, Inoue Aoga could have spoken about his severe injuries caused by Li Yifei to deduct three to five cards from him, but Inoue Aoga was concerned about his face; speaking out would tarnish his future reputation, so he ultimately gritted his teeth and bore with it. Importantly, Mig didn¡¯t ask him to do so either, otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to refuse.


    Mig leaned in close to Li Yifei and asked softly, "Golden Eagle, isn¡¯t that force-dissipation technique of yours still unrefined?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "You¡¯re right. I¡¯m still working on it, hoping to perfect it next time we face each other."


    "Alright, it¡¯s interesting. Let¡¯s see how your technique holds up on September 1st when I team up with Satan."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately, the thought of that scenario truly sent shivers down his spine. Satan, although not much stronger than Inoue Aoga, had an absolute edge in actual combat abilities compared to Inoue Aoga.

 Chapter 1138 - 1184 Mudfish

    Chapter 1138: Chapter 1184 MudfishTwo days later, Li Yifei returned to Mile City. This time, he had won glory for the country and received audiences with several top leaders, which greatly satisfied them. They also awarded Li Yifei some honors, but these were not important to Li Yifei. What mattered most was that Li Yifei now received more significant recognition from the state. Although he had left the Flying Hawk Squad, he was once again in control of it, and its status was raised again, laying a solid foundation for important future endeavors.


    Through this competition, Li Yifei gained more experience, having the chance to compete against so many experts, a rare opportunity indeed, especially the battle with Mig and Inoue Aoga. Although it lasted only about ten seconds, comprising a single strike, it pushed Li Yifei¡¯s potential to the limit, unconsciously enhancing it. This burst of potential in a perilous situation was far more effective than several years of regular training.


    Arriving home, naturally, his family was overjoyed. Surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women, holding his younger daughter Yixiang in his arms and his older daughter Yifei sitting on his lap made him feel unspeakably wonderful. To maintain this happy family life, Li Yifei knew he had to work even harder.


    Hence, after returning, Li Yifei plunged into work the next day, staying exceedingly busy. Apart from a few who were pregnant, everyone in the family was working hard. No one wanted to appear useless, and everyone strove to contribute to the family¡¯s prosperity, a common goal for the Li family.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t have a chance to rest even on Saturdays; only on Sundays did he find time to relax at home.


    Sitting by the small creek in the courtyard, Li Yifei enjoyed the rare tranquility. His female relatives were equally enjoying their day off, gathering in groups to play Mahjong or go shopping, leaving him alone for once.


    This wasn¡¯t due to any coolness in their relationships but simply because, as couples, they didn¡¯t need to cling together all the time. Moreover, the women found pleasure in each other¡¯s company, and on days off, they chose to do things they enjoyed.


    "Huh?" Li Yifei suddenly frowned. The usually clear creek seemed murky. The creek passed through a settling pond before flowing into the yard, which usually filtered out debris, keeping the creek water clear.


    Standing up, Li Yifei followed the creek upstream and soon saw someone in the water, bending over scooping soil into it from the bank. It was none other than Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei was working enthusiastically. Unaware of Li Yifei¡¯s approach, her pants rolled up high though already soaked, her body splattered with mud, and sweat dripping from her forehead, she remained engrossed in her task.


    "Xiaofei, what are you doing?" After watching for a while, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t figure out Meng Xiaofei¡¯s intentions and couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Meng Xiaofei looked up, wiping the sweat from her forehead but smearing mud across her face instead. She grinned at Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m catching shrimp."


    "Catching shrimp?"


    "Yes, the creek splits here, right? I¡¯m blocking this side to divert the water to the other side. Soon this side will dry out, and the little shrimp will follow the water flow and end up in the net below."


    "Have you done this at home before?" Li Yifei asked, puzzled.


    "No, I saw it online last night. They mentioned this could be a way to catch shrimp in small creeks, so I thought I¡¯d give it a try."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "You really know how to have fun."


    "Brother Li, come down and help me. It¡¯s too slow on my own."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment then said, "Alright, I¡¯ll join you for a bit of fun, but I think calling Little Yifei over would make her happier."


    "Yes, yes, quickly call Yifei over!"


    Li Yifei agreed and called Ning Xin¡¯er, who mentioned that Little Yifei was running wild somewhere in the yard with other kids. Li Yifei decided not to specifically look for her; this time was just a trial. If they really caught something, they would bring Little Yifei next time for fun.


    Taking off his shoes, Li Yifei also stepped into the creek to help Meng Xiaofei build a mud dam to block the water.


    The two of them worked swiftly, and when the upper dam was nearly complete, Meng Xiaofei quickly ran down to set a net, which she had made herself out of cheesecloth, its makeshift ugliness unmistakably her handiwork.


    Once the water was blocked completely, water in the creek beside them rapidly diminished, and small fish and shrimp could no longer stay in that section of the creek, flowing into the net instead.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately began shouting excitedly, and Li Yifei found it quite fun. His yard also housed a lotus pond with many beautiful koi, but those were only for viewing, nowhere near as fun as catching these small fish and shrimp.


    In no time, they had caught about three to four pounds of small fish and shrimp. The creek section in their yard was the most pristine, pollution-free, hence the abundant spawn. By blocking this part of the creek, they had caught quite a lot.


    "Ah, there are mudfish too; I hate mudfish." Shrimp and small fish were the first to come down, but later on, mudfish appeared, which Meng Xiaofei clearly disliked.


    Li Yifei suggested, "Then let¡¯s remove the net."


    Although Meng Xiaofei was reluctant, she felt catching mudfish was not only unenjoyable but also uncomfortable. She feared snakes and anything that resembled them, including mudfish.


    Meng Xiaofei pulled the net apart, but slipped and plopped down into the water, sending the loaches flying out of the net.


    "You really are careless," Li Yifei teased Meng Xiaofei with a smile before going over to help her up.


    But at that moment, Meng Xiaofei suddenly let out a strange scream, her face turned deathly pale, and her body trembled violently as if she had encountered something extremely terrifying.


    "Xiaofei, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei was startled and didn¡¯t dare to pull Meng Xiaofei up forcefully without knowing her exact condition, as it might not be a good idea.


    "Leg... leg..."


    "What¡¯s wrong with your leg? Where does it hurt?" Li Yifei hurriedly crouched down, wanting to see what was wrong with Meng Xiaofei¡¯s leg, wondering if she had twisted it when she slipped, which shouldn¡¯t be anything serious.


    Meng Xiaofei sat in the water, her legs were not even submerged, yet she became even more panicked and said, "Loach... loach..."


    "What exactly is wrong with you, mentioning both your leg and the loach?"


    Meng Xiaofei grimaced, nearly crying, and said urgently, "The loach... the loach has crawled inside my pants."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "If it crawled in, just stand up and it will fall out."


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head vigorously, tears about to flow, and said urgently, "Brother Li, I¡¯m scared to move, please help me get it out quickly."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Really now, in which leg."


    "Left leg, no, it¡¯s the right leg..."


    "Which leg is it actually?"


    "Right leg."


    "And how am I supposed to help you get it out, you can¡¯t just take off your pants, can you."


    "Take them off, quickly, ah, it¡¯s crawling further in, Brother Li, save me!"


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei so terrified, Li Yifei didn¡¯t know whether to cry or laugh, but seeing her like this, he couldn¡¯t just do nothing. He forcefully pulled Meng Xiaofei up, making her stand and shook her a bit, "It should be out now, right?" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No... no, it has crawled into my underwear." Meng Xiaofei¡¯s legs weakened again, nearly collapsing completely.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, a loach inside the underwear, could this situation get any more ludicrous? Possibly now he really had to strip Meng Xiaofei completely.


    "Ah! Help, it¡¯s crawling deeper, deeper, it¡¯s going to get inside me..." Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.


    Li Yifei was dumbfounded, especially after hearing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s last words, he also got frightened, thinking it wasn¡¯t impossible for the loach, as they could burrow, and Meng Xiaofei had two holes down there; the back one was too tight for the loach to get through, but the front, it could probably slip in.


    Quickly putting Meng Xiaofei down, Li Yifei stripped off her pants and underwear in one go.


    A loach, as thick as a little finger, immediately fell out¡ªit really had run into Meng Xiaofei¡¯s underwear.


    This thought alone made Li Yifei shudder, but considering Meng Xiaofei¡¯s words about the loach crawling inside, he didn¡¯t know if there was another one. If there really was, not dealing with it immediately seemed terrifying.


    But this inevitably meant he had to take a look down there, which seemed inappropriate, making Li Yifei hesitate again.


    After hesitating for a moment, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s safety was the most important, everything else could be put aside, so Li Yifei still knelt down, spread Meng Xiaofei¡¯s legs apart, and then pried open that hole to check for any loach.


    "Husband, what are you doing?" Suddenly, a shocked voice came from behind.


    Li Yifei jumped in fright, quickly turned around, and saw Lin Qiong and He Fangqing standing behind him, both wearing quite peculiar expressions, especially Lin Qiong, who looked somewhat angry.

 Chapter 1139 - 1185 Damn Mudfish

    Chapter 1139: Chapter 1185 Damn MudfishLi Yifei awkwardly coughed and said, "Ahem, it¡¯s good that you guys are here, hurry up and check on Xiaofei, she said a loach slipped in there and then she fainted, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true."


    Lin Qiong said irritably, "That¡¯s such a lame excuse; we didn¡¯t oppose you and Xiaofei being together, but in broad daylight, and with people coming and going in the garden, if the servants see, won¡¯t it embarrass you as clan chief?"


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "It¡¯s true, help quickly, it¡¯s not a joke when that thing gets inside."


    He Fangqing, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s urgency, quickly squatted down and said, "No way?"


    "It¡¯s true, we were catching fish here and Xiaofei fell, then a loach crawled up her pants leg. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then the loach crawled further in, and when I took off her pants, one came running out, not sure if there¡¯s still another one inside."


    Lin Qiong snapped, "Then hurry up and check, why all this useless chatter?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened and he stopped bickering with Lin Qiong, and hurriedly went to check again while He Fangqing turned on the flashlight function on her phone.


    He Fangqing looked carefully and said, "Should be none left, if there was, we¡¯d see it by now."


    Li Yifei sighed in relief, sat up, and said, "To encounter such an incident is truly bizarre."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "I think it¡¯s all your doing."


    Li Yifei grinned and said, "Next time I¡¯ll do it deliberately with you."


    "Disgusting! If you harbor such evil thoughts, I won¡¯t ever come to your bed again," Lin Qiong glared furiously at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smirked again, and after He Fangqing pulled Xiaofei¡¯s pants back up, he pinched Xiaofei¡¯s philtrum and she soon woke up, then immediately screamed, "It got in, it got in, help." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei gently patted Xiaofei¡¯s cheek and said, "It¡¯s okay, nothing got in, it¡¯s out already."


    "It got in, it definitely did, I felt it," Xiaofei totally disbelieved and was still trembling.


    Li Yifei said, "It really came out."


    "Out? Did you catch it?" Xiaofei immediately stared wide-eyed at Li Yifei.


    "It didn¡¯t even get in at all; it fell out as soon as I took off your pants."


    "No no, there was another one, it¡¯s definitely inside, it¡¯s over, I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯m really going to die!"


    Seeing Xiaofei¡¯s panicky demeanor, even Li Yifei, He Fangqing, and Lin Qiong started having doubts; could there still be another one?


    "Ah, it¡¯s still moving, it burrowed into my belly, and then into my heart, I¡¯m going to die!"


    Hearing Xiaofei say this, Li Yifei and the others were actually reassured, realizing it was just Xiaofei¡¯s panicked psychological reaction, and direct persuasion wouldn¡¯t be effective, Li Yifei could only say, "Yes, it was me who took it out earlier, I checked inside thoroughly, nothing left."


    "Really?" Xiaofei immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and stared at him with wide eyes.


    "Yes, could Brother Li deceive you?"


    Xiaofei had always trusted Li Yifei deeply, and hearing him say this, she finally believed somewhat and touched her belly, saying, "Seems like it¡¯s really gone."


    "Yes, don¡¯t be scared now."


    "Phew... I was really scared to death just now, damn loach, dead loach, it actually crawled towards there, Sister Fangqing, Sister Qiong, you have no idea, it was really terrifying, you¡¯d be scared too if you faced the same stuff."


    Lin Qiong and He Fangqing both darkened their faces and said in unison, "We definitely don¡¯t want to encounter that."


    But then, Xiaofei suddenly pulled her pants down again, so abruptly that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t look away in time and saw what he shouldn¡¯t have, quickly turning his head, saying, "What are you doing now."


    "I still feel a bit uncomfortable, just checking, okay, really none left," Xiaofei quickly pulled her pants up again and stood up.


    He Fangqing and Lin Qiong were both amused and exasperated, He Fangqing said, "Xiaofei, really, when you¡¯re in front of Brother Li, you¡¯re utterly uninhibited, not even shy when naked."


    "Ah?" Xiaofei froze, then suddenly pushed Lin Qiong away and sprinted off, vanishing in the blink of an eye.


    "Hubby, congratulations," Lin Qiong said with a full smile but pinched Li Yifei¡¯s waist hard.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "It was an accident, you all saw it, I truly didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of Xiaofei."


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and said, "You¡¯ve already taken quite a bit of advantage, and besides, Xiaofei will eventually be yours anyway. But this girl is quite interesting."


    Lin Qiong huffed and said, "If Xiaofei is smart, she should leave sooner rather than later, otherwise she will eventually fall into his clutches."


    An extra dish was added to the dinner menu, which was the small fish and shrimp caught by Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei.


    "The flavor is really good today, very fresh," Xu Yingying commented as she ate some shrimp and immediately praised them.


    Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Yes, these little fish are also good. The chefs should make more of this kind of dish instead of always cooking yellow croaker and mandarin fish that we¡¯ve grown a bit tired of."


    He Fangqing chuckled again and said, "Of course it¡¯s delicious. These were caught by our husband and Xiaofei in the little stream in the yard."


    Everyone became very interested when they heard that, and started asking all about it. Meng Xiaofei, who had been eating with her head down, perked up seeing everyone¡¯s interest and excitedly began to recount the story of catching fish and shrimp.


    Although Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t the best at expressing herself, since it had just happened and she was quite proud of it, she described the story vividly which everyone found amusing. They all talked about going to catch them next week, which made Meng Xiaofei even more proud, saying, "No problem, I¡¯m an expert at this, I¡¯ll make sure you guys have a blast."


    "By the way, are there any loaches in our little stream? I love eating loach," Xiao Ling¡¯er suddenly asked.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face instantly changed color and she quickly said, "No... absolutely not!" Her eyes then darted towards Li Yifei, her cheeks turning crimson in an instant.


    "Sister Xiaofei, what¡¯s wrong?" Su Yiyi asked, puzzled.


    "It¡¯s nothing... I¡¯m done eating, you guys eat, I¡¯m going out to play." After saying that, Meng Xiaofei dropped her rice bowl and ran out, almost knocking over her chair.


    "What¡¯s with Xiaofei?" Everyone turned their gaze towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and rubbed his nose without saying a word, but He Fangqing laughed and retold the loach incident, causing everyone to burst into laughter as the story was truly bizarre.


    But thinking about it, if this had happened to oneself, anyone would probably react like Meng Xiaofei did.


    Of course, the most fun part was teasing Li Yifei about how he tried to catch the loach for Meng Xiaofei. Everyone chimed in with their comments, making Li Yifei feel very awkward. Eventually, he just thickened his skin and joked along with everyone, not feeling too defensive.


    "Speaking seriously though, husband, what do you plan to do about Xiaofei? Are you going to take care of things soon?" Su Mengxin, touching her belly because of the child inside, couldn¡¯t laugh out loud and thus shifted the conversation.


    Everyone immediately turned their gaze towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "That depends on Xiaofei. I think things are fine as they are now, she¡¯s quite comfortable. Why ruin the situation we have?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er then said, "A woman¡¯s prime years are limited. In a few years, after she¡¯s thirty, she¡¯ll be past her prime. Do you really want Xiaofei to waste her best years?"


    Although Ning Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t much older than the others, she had the most pain in her relationship with Li Yifei. So anytime similar situations arose, she always hoped for a quick resolution rather than dragging things out.


    Michelle chimed in, "Exactly, better to cut through the chaos quickly. You¡¯ve kept me in suspense for nearly two years, do you want Xiaofei to be in suspense that long too?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You and Xiaofei are different. You want to be with me, while Xiaofei enjoys living her life freely, without constraints. If I force her, it would only make her unhappy later. Let¡¯s just wait until she¡¯s had enough fun."


    Xu Yingying nodded in agreement, "Husband is right. It¡¯s better to respect Xiaofei¡¯s wishes. And she is here with us every day, we see her all the time. Let things take their natural course; being together or not is just a matter of whether we share a bed or not, there is no need to stress over it."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er giggled, "Actually, the difference isn¡¯t so big. Like today, the things our husband did, the boundaries have really stretched huh."


    Everyone burst into laughter again.


    Zheng Yuling smirked and said, "But to talk about today¡¯s incident, it¡¯s actually quite fortunate. If a loach really got in there, our husband would have suffered a big loss."


    Ye Yunzhu couldn¡¯t help but snort with laughter, "Exactly, having his wife compromised by a loach would be quite a tragic event."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er mischievously added, "A loach becoming the third party would definitely make a historically bizarre tale."


    "Hehe, at that point, husband should have just taken action. That would have been playing a trio with the loach, haha..."


    Chu Xiaoyao said this without any filter, but as everyone was used to such jokes from daily interactions, they didn¡¯t feel too awkward and continued laughing heartily.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Xiaoyao, sounds like you¡¯re quite interested. Later I¡¯ll catch a loach, and we can give it a try tonight."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately stuck out her tongue, "Loaches are too scary. Can¡¯t we try something else?"


    Everyone collapsed with laughter; Xiaoyao, despite being with Li Yifei for so long, still acted like a child, daring to say anything.

 Chapter 1140 - 1186: The Old Pervert

    Chapter 1140: Chapter 1186: The Old PervertLi Yifei¡¯s shipping business should be considered his largest investment here. Nowadays, the price of an ocean-going cargo ship is measured in the billions, so Li Yifei takes this industry very seriously. In addition to ordering several new ocean giants, Li Yifei has also acquired a few existing ships, allowing him to get started in this industry earlier.


    Hard issues can be resolved with sufficient funds, but there are also soft issues that require running around. Without the necessary procedures, this shipping company could not even begin to operate, and these procedures have been persistently pursued in recent times.


    The procedures at the municipal level are not problematic, but these are not only matters that can be resolved at the municipal level. Many things still require a trip to the provincial level. Compared to the convenience of dealing with the city, dealing with the provincial level is not so easy.


    Li Yifei is currently handling affairs in Capital City, which should be quite easy, but in the province, things are not going so smoothly for Li Yifei. The reason is simple; the upper echelons have only signaled to the major families in Capital City regarding taking care of Li Yifei. As for the provincial level, no such gestures have been made. Aside from the Ye family, other families in the province have no idea that Li Yifei has such a powerful backing.


    Furthermore, as the saying goes, local authorities have more power than distant ones. When running a large business, it is inevitable that some people will want to take advantage of it.


    He Fangqing and Michelle are currently handling this matter. That day, after returning from the province, they entered Li Yifei¡¯s office and He Fangqing complained, "This is infuriating. These people are dragging their feet. It¡¯s an approval process that¡¯s been almost half a month, and they still haven¡¯t granted it. If it¡¯s not the leaders going out, it¡¯s one thing or another."


    Li Yifei poured water for the two of them and said, "Do they just want some benefits? Then just offer them some."


    Michelle snorted, "I¡¯ve already given them a hundred thousand yuan in gratuities."


    "A hundred thousand yuan should not be too little. It¡¯s just a procedure, do they still think it¡¯s not enough?" Li Yifei frowned. He greatly disliked the idea of conducting normal business in abnormal ways, but currently, for the sake of his enterprise, he did not have the energy to arm-wrestle with these people, so he had to go against his own principles.


    With displeasure, He Fangqing said, "They¡¯ve taken enough money, but what they¡¯re after is your wife, wanting us to sleep with them."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face instantly darkened, "What¡¯s going on?"


    Michelle, who had been holding back her anger, then recounted the whole incident.


    They had visited the Provincial Department of Transportation this time. They had submitted all the normal paperwork and the clerks confirmed everything was in order, just waiting for the higher-ups to sign off. After waiting for several days without any news, Michelle and He Fangqing asked if anything was missing, only to hear from the clerks that their chief was holding back approval and suggested that they should contact the chief themselves.


    They went to see the chief, who spoke in official jargon, offering evasive replies. He Fangqing and Michelle immediately understood his implication and presented him with an envelope containing money. The chief¡¯s attitude changed for the better right away, but then he mentioned that the matter would need to be approved by the Deputy Director, so they needed to seek him out as well.


    Reluctantly, they went to find the Deputy Director, a balding, overweight man in his fifties who leered at them the moment he saw them. After beating around the bush with more official talk, he also accepted the money offered by He Fangqing and Michelle.


    Thinking that there should be no more issues this time, He Fangqing and Michelle were dismayed to find out that the matter was delayed yet again. When they phoned the Deputy Director, he just hedged, failing to give a clear approval. Eventually, the implication became clear to both of them; the old man was interested in them both, wanting them to go out for dinner together, for a ¡¯good time¡¯.


    "You handle this matter, deciding whether to sacrifice your wife or to solve it yourself," a furious He Fangqing sat down on the sofa.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was also extremely agitated, "This is ungrateful behavior. People like him in such positions are a scourge to the nation. Let¡¯s all go together today; I want to see why that guy dares not to approve it."


    Having voiced her grievances, Michelle felt some of her anger dissipate, "Hubby, we can¡¯t just strong-arm our way through; after all, we are in business and it¡¯s better to be tactful in some situations."


    Li Yifei patted Michelle¡¯s shoulder, "If he wanted more money, I wouldn¡¯t bother to argue with him. But he dares to covet my wife; that is unforgivable. Most important is his position and the atrocious behavior he exhibits in it. If we don¡¯t deal with him now, who knows how many people will suffer at his hands in the future. I must take care of him."


    Michelle nodded and suggested, "Then you should plan it well and not leave any leverage that could cause us trouble later on."


    Li Yifei said, "Hmm, then let¡¯s carefully strategize how to deal with that bastard."


    The Deputy Director mentioned by Michelle and He Fangqing is named Yan Changshun, fifty-seven years old this year. At his age, he no longer has any chance of promotion, so his thinking was quite simple: to grab as much money as possible before retirement.


    In his position, it was very easy to embezzle funds. In less than two years, he had already collected tens of millions in ill-gotten wealth. Even if he restrained himself later, making one or two million a year was still effortless. By the time he retired, having tens of millions would allow him to live out his days in peace and leave something for his children.


    Once he had embezzled enough money, his thoughts began to stray. When He Fangqing and Michelle came for business, he immediately took a liking to the two beauties. There were many beautiful women in the world, but not many with real class. Women like He Fangqing and Michelle were able to handle big matters at a young age, obviously reflecting their class. If he could make these two women his mistresses, even if just to sleep with them once, he would die without regrets.


    This morning, He Fangqing called to invite him to dinner, exciting Yan Changshun immediately. In his eyes, Michelle and He Fangqing were like two hard nuts to crack. Inviting him to dinner at this time undoubtedly implied a tacit understanding. Just thinking about turning the tables with two top beauties tonight made him almost uncontrollable.


    He rummaged in his cabinet and carefully tucked the Viagra he bought before into his wallet. At his age, his stamina was no longer sufficient. To enjoy the services of two beauties, he had to rely on medicine for endurance. Even if he was too exhausted to get up the next day, it would be worth it. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before leaving the house, Yan Changshun made an extra effort to groom himself, carefully arranging the few hairs on his head. Eating with beauties, of course, required a bit of style.


    Upon arriving at a private room in a five-star hotel, he pushed the door open to find Michelle and He Fangqing already there. Both seemed to have dressed up meticulously today, one mature and dignified, the other gentle and charming; truly soul-stealing at first glance.


    "Deputy Director Yan, you¡¯ve kept us waiting for quite some time," greeted He Fangqing warmly.


    Yan Changshun, still mindful of his status, slightly smiled and said, "I had many things to attend to at work. I apologize for making you two wait."


    He Fangqing smiled gracefully and said, "For an important person like Deputy Director Yan, it¡¯s only right for us to wait. Please, have a seat. We¡¯ve already ordered the dishes. We¡¯re just not sure if there are any foods you dislike; if so, we can change the order."


    "No, just a casual meal, nothing too particular," said Yan Changshun while his gaze wandered over the faces and bodies of He Fangqing and Michelle.


    He Fangqing and Michelle both felt extremely uncomfortable inside, but thinking about dealing with this guy later, they patiently refrained from turning hostile.


    After seating Yan Changshun in the place of honor, He Fangqing and Michelle sat beside him, maintaining a distance to prevent any unwelcome advances, which would otherwise disturb their sleep that night.


    With a bit of wine and food, Yan Changshun had not yet lost his composure. After all, given his status, he couldn¡¯t act as impetuous as a small-time hooligan, and besides, beautiful women like these needed to be savored slowly. It would be less enjoyable to rush into things.


    However, after a little alcohol, even Yan Changshun was starting to feel impatient. He glanced at Michelle, then at He Fangqing, and said, "Seeing how young you both are, I¡¯m really envious. If I were twenty years younger, I¡¯d definitely pursue you."


    That was a signal. Usually, the other party would follow up on his words. He Fangqing indeed said, "Deputy Director Yan, that¡¯s not true. You¡¯re at your most charming age now. What¡¯s interesting about those juvenile boys?"


    Hearing this, Yan Changshun felt overjoyed and chuckled, "That¡¯s true. Those young kids are too impulsive and don¡¯t appreciate any skills. It¡¯s us, people with skills, who know how to enjoy."


    He Fangqing and Michelle nearly spat out their food. This old man was really crude, going low right away. Michelle said, "Deputy Director Yan, we¡¯ve been waiting for this approval document for quite a while now. When can you give us the approval?"


    Yan Changshun narrowed his eyes and said, "This... it¡¯s quite easy. I¡¯ll approve it for you tomorrow. But we..."


    As he said that, Yan Changshun¡¯s gaze no longer concealed his intentions, believing the two should understand.


    With the document approval in his hands, he wasn¡¯t afraid they would not comply. While speaking, his hands reached out, aiming for their thighs.

 Chapter 1141 - 1187: Falling Right into the Trap

    Chapter 1141: Chapter 1187: Falling Right into the TrapHe Fangqing and Michelle quickly moved aside to avoid Yan Changshun¡¯s hand, which caused Yan Changshun to frown for a moment, but he didn¡¯t get angry. Women like these had more flavor to them. If they had let him touch them readily, then they would have seemed cheap. The more they resisted, the more he couldn¡¯t help but feel itchier. He picked up his glass and said, "Come on, it¡¯s rare to have two beauties join me for a drink today, let¡¯s drink up."


    Since the situation hadn¡¯t escalated yet, Yan Changshun wanted to set the mood and drink more. Once they got a bit drunk, wouldn¡¯t they be at his will?


    He Fangqing and Michelle reluctantly drank a glass with Yan Changshun. Michelle looked at Yan Changshun¡¯s increasingly lascivious gaze and said, "Director Yan, we really appreciate you approving our application."


    Yan Changshun laughed loudly and said, "The approval is just a trivial matter. If I say approve, it¡¯s approved. If I say no, then it¡¯s not. If it were someone else, I wouldn¡¯t approve it, but for you... of course, I would." As he spoke, his hands creepily reached out again towards Michelle¡¯s leg.


    Michelle shifted away again to avoid his hand, her face unable to hide her disgust, and said, "Please respect yourself, Director Yan."


    Yan Changshun¡¯s hand stiffened. Michelle¡¯s harsh words made it difficult for him to save face, and his expression darkened as he withdrew his hand and said, "Are you refusing the approval?"


    Michelle spoke firmly, "Director Yan, our paperwork is already complete. If you think our gift is not sufficient, please give us a figure, and we will deliver it to you immediately."


    Yan Changshun picked up his glass, took a sip of wine, and said leisurely, "I¡¯m not short on money right now. I think you both know what I want."


    Michelle took a deep breath and said, "If it¡¯s women you want, Director Yan, we can arrange that for you. They all have excellent looks and grace, and won¡¯t disappoint you."


    Yan Changshun looked at Michelle, and now he was even more pleased. The more self-respecting they were, the cleaner, and to him, that made the game all the more thrilling. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, "Those who are out there for sale, if I wanted to play with them, wouldn¡¯t I have already done so? I like the two of you just the way you are."


    Michelle said coldly, "I¡¯m sorry, Director Yan, but we cannot agree to this request. We both have husbands."


    Yan Changshun narrowed his eyes and said, "Having husbands is good, too. If you both were virgins, there might be a problem when looking for boyfriends later, but since you both are married, what¡¯s the big deal about doing it once? Rest assured, I¡¯m not someone who messes around mindlessly. I wouldn¡¯t want those dirty women even if they were offered for free, and I¡¯m definitely clean, there won¡¯t be any problems for you."


    Michelle¡¯s face flushed with anger and she said, "Is this the kind of thing you should be saying as a director?"


    Yan Changshun smiled faintly and said, "You know I¡¯m a director, so let me tell you, if you two can make me happy, there will be no problem with the approval, otherwise... just wait."


    "You..." Michelle slammed her hand on the table in anger.


    Yan Changshun¡¯s face turned stern and said, "I¡¯ve said what needed to be said. Now you decide. I¡¯m going to use the restroom. When I come back, I expect a satisfying answer from you."


    After speaking, Yan Changshun went straight to the restroom inside the private room.


    Michelle and He Fangqing exchanged glances, both extremely furious. A director with such shamelessness - there was no longer any reason to be polite to him.


    Both nodded. He Fangqing took out a small paper packet from her bag and quickly poured a little powder into Yan Changshun¡¯s glass. If Yan Changshun simply wanted more money, they would have given it to him straight away just to get the approval, but since Yan Changshun¡¯s desires were so audacious, wanting them to accompany him, they had no choice but to resort to trickery.


    Before long, Yan Changshun came out of the restroom and first looked at Michelle and He Fangqing¡¯s faces. Although their expressions were not very pleasant, the fact that they had not left made him sure that they would eventually submit.


    "Haha..." Yan Changshun laughed and said, "Beautiful ladies, I was a bit rash just now and made you uncomfortable. Come on, let¡¯s drink some more wine and cultivate the mood."


    When Yan Changshun sat down, He Fangqing immediately picked up her glass and said, "Director Yan, we are not people who behave inappropriately. You are being too direct, and we really can¡¯t handle it."


    Yan Changshun also picked up his glass and said, "True, hasty work spoils the broth. Come on, let¡¯s drink first."


    Watching Yan Changshun drink the glass of wine, He Fangqing and Michelle exchanged a glance, with a hint of a smile on their faces.


    After drinking two more glasses, when Yan Changshun tried to make a move again, He Fangqing and Michelle stood up together saying they needed to use the restroom. Yan Changshun urged them to hurry, while he himself drank another glass. At this point, he just felt his head starting to spin and his vision slightly blurry.


    "I can¡¯t drink anymore, if I drink too much, I won¡¯t be able to do anything." Shaking his head to clear it, Yan Changshun was already planning to go to a hotel room once Michelle and He Fangqing were back. He took out a Viagra from his bag and swallowed a pill, but his vision seemed to be getting blurrier.


    At this moment, the door to the private room opened, and two people walked in. Yan Changshun immediately stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go."


    The two of them immediately came over and, one on each side, helped Yan Changshun stand up; his hands wrapping around their necks. By the time they were done, his hands had already reached onto their chests, and the women let out a delicate cry, offering no resistance.


    Yan Changshun couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, saying, "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. Tonight, we¡¯ll have ourselves a blast."


    The hotel had rooms available, and once in a room, Yan Changshun, with the effects of Viagra kicking in, threw himself onto the bed with the two women like a dog in heat, tore off one of the woman¡¯s clothes, and began their frenzied encounter.


    After a whole night of exertion, Yan Changshun was utterly exhausted. It wasn¡¯t until after nine the next morning that he woke up. Opening his eyes and looking around, he saw that the two beauties were already gone from the bed. However, there was a man sitting on the chair beside the bed.


    "Who are you?" Yan Changshun sat up in a panic, eyeing the man nervously.


    That person was none other than Li Yifei, who was toying with a DVD player in his hand. Slowly, he said, "Who I am isn¡¯t important, but what I have here will definitely interest Director Yan."


    "You... you filmed this?" Yan Changshun was startled; this was no trivial matter. Many had fallen because of such videos, and if last night¡¯s footage were to get out, he could well anticipate the consequences.


    Li Yifei said leisurely, "I didn¡¯t expect that, despite his age, Director Yan would still be so virile. I¡¯m impressed, truly impressed."


    "What do you want?" Yan Changshun hastily dressed himself and glared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "What do I want? Don¡¯t you know already?"


    "Approval documents?" The thought struck Yan Changshun, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke, "You¡¯ve conspired to set me up."


    "This is the hole you dug yourself. Setting a trap for you is letting you off easy."


    "You... Fine! I¡¯ll give you the approval documents." Yan Changshun said and began rummaging through his bag. In fact, he had placed the documents in the bag the night before, intending to hand them over to He Fangqing and Michelle after enjoying himself. However, after searching for a while, he couldn¡¯t find them.


    Li Yifei held up a bag in his hand, saying, "Stop looking, they¡¯re already with me."


    Yan Changshun forced himself to calm down and said in a deep voice, "You¡¯ve already got the documents, what else do you want?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Director Yan, you are indeed smart. My requirement is simple."


    "Name your price," Yan Changshun said coldly, eyeing Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head, "I don¡¯t want money."


    "If you don¡¯t want money, then what do you want?" Yan Changshun was taken aback; a person who doesn¡¯t want money is the hardest to deal with. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The smile remained on Li Yifei¡¯s face, "Simple. You turn yourself in to the Discipline Inspection Commission."


    "What?" Yan Changshun jumped out of bed, his face twisting as he looked at Li Yifei. This was practically a death sentence. Turning himself in to the Discipline Inspection Commission, considering all he had embezzled, even if he wasn¡¯t sentenced to death, he¡¯d still get at least fifteen to twenty years. At his age, wouldn¡¯t that mean spending the rest of his life in prison? What was the use of all the money he had skimmed then?


    Li Yifei observed Yan Changshun, remaining silent. Li Yifei could sometimes be soft-hearted, but most often he was very hard-hearted, especially towards his enemies. Li Yifei would never show mercy, especially to a person like Yan Changshun, a department head involved in corruption and even targeting his family, he was a person that absolutely could not be spared.


    "You want to destroy me?" Yan Changshun glared at Li Yifei, teeth clenched.


    "You got that right. Everyone must face the consequences of their actions. If you¡¯d only stolen money, I might not have bothered with you, but you targeted my wife. Do you think I can let you go?"


    Yan Changshun¡¯s face twitched several times, "Brother, I was wrong. But what¡¯s done is done. If this video gets out, you¡¯ll be disgraced too."


    Li Yifei replied with disdain, "It¡¯s astonishing that at your age, you¡¯re still so na?ve. This video? You should enjoy it yourself." He then threw the DVD to Yan Changshun.


    Yan Changshun caught the DVD and quickly started playing it. The video showed him with two women, in the throes of passion on the bed, with numerous close-ups of his face. Anyone who saw the video would recognize him, but... the two women, they were complete strangers; not Michelle or He Fangqing at all.

 Chapter 1142 - 1188: Using People from the Underworld

    Chapter 1142: Chapter 1188: Using People from the UnderworldThose two women were not only not Michelle or He Fangqing, they were not even close to being beauties. To say they were extraordinarily ugly would be too much, but they were certainly very average in appearance and their figures were nothing special, completely lacking in class. Yan Changshun couldn¡¯t understand how he hadn¡¯t realized it at the time.


    He wouldn¡¯t have noticed, as he had been under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug at the time, combined with his own consumption of Viagra. He probably would have mistaken even two old sows for fairies. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei¡¯s men included all sorts, not just the proficient in martial arts, but various talents as well, especially many who had done unsavory things in the past. Producing these kinds of hallucinogenic drugs was really quite common for them.


    "Director Yan, you may not want to come forward voluntarily, so I¡¯ll just post this video online later, with the title ¡¯Director Yan¡¯s Blade Still Sharp, Nearly Sixty and Flying with Two¡¯."


    "You..." Yan Changshun glared at Li Yifei venomously, but his hands were swiftly operating on the DVD. He was very familiar with this kind of thing. In just a moment, he had deleted the contents of the DVD completely, then tossed the DVD to Li Yifei, and said sinisterly, "Kid, go ahead and post it."


    Li Yifei exclaimed in surprise, "You deleted it!"


    "Nonsense. Kid, you¡¯re still too green. Damn it, do you think you can threaten me with this? I¡¯m telling you, just because you¡¯ve got a permit doesn¡¯t mean anything. I can invalidate that permit as soon as I get back. You want to fight with me? Wait another twenty years."


    Yan Changshun sneered, stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Kid, you think you can blackmail me? No way. Let me tell you, unless those two women come to my bed willingly, don¡¯t even dream about getting that permit. You think you can play this game with me? You¡¯re still wet behind the ears."


    Li Yifei watched Yan Changshun with a slight shake of his head and said, "Some people, you offer them a way out and they don¡¯t want it. Well, then there¡¯s nothing more to talk about." Having said that, he turned around to leave. However, just as he reached the door, Li Yifei turned back and said, "I forgot to tell you, I made a backup of that video."


    "Ah!" Yan Changshun let out a shocked exclamation and hurriedly shouted, "Wait a moment."


    But Li Yifei simply ignored him, closed the room door with a thud, and by the time Yan Changshun chased out the door, Li Yifei¡¯s figure had already disappeared.


    In another hotel room, Li Yifei arrived at Michelle¡¯s and He Fangqing¡¯s room. The two of them immediately asked, "How did it go?"


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I listened to you and wanted to give him a chance, but he didn¡¯t appreciate it at all. He even said he was going to cancel the permit. I think such people are beyond help."


    Originally, according to Li Yifei¡¯s plan, he would have thoroughly dealt with that guy, but Michelle still had a kind heart. They felt that Yan Changshun was truly no good person, but after all, they hadn¡¯t suffered any loss; to push a person to death seemed too much for her, and she was also of the view that one should not involve the innocent family, let Yan Changshun bear the consequences himself. If they directly posted Yan Changshun¡¯s video online, Yan Changshun¡¯s wife and children would also be greatly affected.


    Therefore, Li Yifei was just wasting his breath with Yan Changshun. However, such people truly deserved no sympathy.


    At that moment, He Fangqing¡¯s phone rang. She looked at the number and said, "It¡¯s that Yan Changshun."


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Then answer it, let¡¯s see what he has to say."


    He Fangqing picked up the call, and Yan Changshun immediately said, "Manager He, let¡¯s talk nicely. I¡¯ve got the permit now, so you should give me all the videos."


    He Fangqing winked mischievously at Li Yifei and Michelle, feigning ignorance, "Director Yan, what video are you talking about?"


    "Manager He, it¡¯s wise to leave room for reconciliation. Must you really go to such extremes? As long as you give me the videos and ensure there are no more in the future, the permit you have will definitely be valid. You are in business to make money, aren¡¯t you? Why ruin our good relations?"


    "Director Yan, look at how you¡¯re talking. You¡¯re a big director, and we¡¯re just ordinary businesspeople. How could we dare to upset you? Rest assured, we are decent businesspeople, and will conduct our business properly. Unless someone tries to mess with us in shady ways, we definitely won¡¯t retaliate."


    He Fangqing and Michelle had been treated poorly by Yan Changshun, so naturally, they wanted to take the opportunity to snub him. And He Fangqing, having struggled in society for many years, was certainly more adept at this than Michelle.


    "What exactly do you want?" Yan Changshun was getting impatient, as this was a matter that could determine his whole future.


    "We don¡¯t want much. Having something on hand always makes one work more diligently and properly, avoiding unscrupulous methods."


    Yan Changshun took a deep breath and said, "Alright, alright, then I¡¯ll cooperate with you."


    Just then, the door was violently smashed open, and several fierce-looking young men charged in. Michelle involuntarily let out a shriek, but she immediately calmed down. With Li Yifei here, she simply had nothing to fear.


    Evidently, Michelle¡¯s scream had also reached Yan Changshun through the phone, and at this moment, he burst into a wild, deranged laugh. Then he roared, "Manager He, seems like some people have barged into your room, haven¡¯t they?"


    He Fangqing smiled faintly and said, "Yes, let me count, one, two, three... a total of seven people, all looking quite strong and fierce."


    He Fangqing¡¯s calmness unsettled Yan Changshun, but then his other phone rang. After confirming that his people had arrived, he ferociously said to He Fangqing, "Don¡¯t pretend to be calm. Hand over the goods immediately or you¡¯re going to have it rough."


    "I was thinking, Director Yan, we were indeed planning to have a proper chat with you. But now that you¡¯ve sent these kinds of people, it seems there¡¯s really nothing left to discuss."


    "Wanna talk? Come and talk on my bed. Get moving and search for the goods." The latter command was shouted into the other phone.


    The seven men had already shut the door; the leader in his thirties, with flesh plastered across his face and a horse bite scar on his forehead, glared fiercely. Putting down the phone, he turned his attention to Li Yifei; the two beauties, he did not take to heart at all.


    The thug slammed a fist down on a table, further bolstering his menacing stance, and barked, "Will you hand it over yourselves, or wait for me to find it?"


    "Bro Bing, I think it¡¯s better if we do the search ourselves."


    "Yeah, yeah, the thing must be on those two women, let us search."


    As the other six entered, their gaze barely left He Fangqing and Michelle, and they now lewdly egged each other on, advancing towards He Fangqing and Michelle. Such an opportunity was too good to miss ¡ª to forgo it would be a lifelong regret.


    Bro Bing didn¡¯t stop them; although he was here to do Yan Changshun¡¯s bidding, Yan Changshun had only asked them to retrieve the items. He had said nothing about what to do with these people, so they felt no compunctions about doing whatever they wanted to the two beauties.


    Bro Bing snorted coldly and said, "Kid, you¡¯ve got some nerve, using such rotten tactics on Director Yan. Don¡¯t you know? My boss is sworn brothers with Director Yan."


    Li Yifei stretched out his hand and tossed the two guys who were in front straight back, stumbling the ones behind. Then, squinting his eyes, he said, "I never expected Director Yan to have such friends. Seems he¡¯s been involved in more messes, which makes me feel all the less unjustified dealing with him."


    With that move, Li Yifei instantly subdued the others. Bro Bing, with a stern face, said, "Not bad, kid, a trained fighter. No wonder you¡¯re so arrogant." He clasped his hands together, cracking his knuckles ¡ª clearly someone who had trained in martial arts.


    "Bro Bing, beat him!" The thugs immediately cheered, fully convinced of Bro Bing¡¯s abilities.


    "Come on, kid, I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today. Don¡¯t think you can be so arrogant just because you¡¯ve learned a few moves." Bro Bing shouted coldly, and threw a punch at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei just watched Bro Bing, not moving an inch. This infuriated Bro Bing, who perceived it as complete disrespect. He pushed off the ground to add momentum to his punch and lunged even faster towards Li Yifei.


    The lackeys were all excited, stars practically shone in their eyes. Bro Bing was their idol; whenever he took action, he never lost. They could already imagine Li Yifei being pummeled into a pig¡¯s head by Bro Bing, after which they would have their way with the two beauties.


    Just when Bro Bing¡¯s punch was about twenty centimeters from Li Yifei¡¯s chest, Li Yifei¡¯s hand suddenly moved, lifting just so, and met Bro Bing¡¯s punch. It seemed not fast, but it was preemptive, perfectly blocking Bro Bing¡¯s punch.


    Normally, trying to block a direct punch like that would be impossible, but Bro Bing¡¯s punch, carrying massive force, upon contact with Li Yifei¡¯s palm, could no longer advance an inch, and even Bro Bing¡¯s body suddenly stopped.


    "Bro Bing, hit him!" The lackeys were still clueless and yelled raucously.


    However, Bro Bing was now sweating bullets, his complexion indescribably awful. Others may not have understood, but he knew clearly he had met a true master today. His own level, compared to Li Yifei¡¯s, was utterly weak. Too late to retract his hands now, Bro Bing¡¯s punch was firmly caught by Li Yifei, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t pull it back.

 Chapter 1143 - 1189: A Big Brother in the Provincial Capital

    Chapter 1143: Chapter 1189: A Big Brother in the Provincial CapitalThat soldier, fierce as he was, could not break free as his right fist was caught, but his left hand suddenly whipped out a dagger and violently stabbed towards Li Yifei¡¯s abdomen. This move, though a sneak attack, would be perfect if successful. Even if it failed, he believed it would at least force his opponent to dodge, allowing him to escape.


    Yet, he still hadn¡¯t truly realized the gap between him and Li Yifei, a gap that no weapon could bridge.


    Li Yifei remained immobile, his stance unchanged. With just a slight exertion of strength in his hand, the soldier¡¯s body uncontrollably turned half-circle, his dagger now stabbing into a wardrobe beside him with a thud.


    Then, Li Yifei exerted force in his palm, and the soldier felt a sharp pain in his own palm, along with a sound of bone fracturing that only he could perceive. He knew his hand was now useless.


    Only then did Li Yifei release the soldier and said coldly, "Call Yan Changshun."


    Biting his teeth, the soldier took out his mobile phone and dialed Yan Changshun¡¯s number with his left hand.


    The call connected quickly and Yan Changshun immediately said excitedly, "Don¡¯t hurt those two beauties, just give that kid a good beating."


    "Director Yan, the operation failed," the soldier said through gritted teeth, glancing at Li Yifei and seeing no intent to stop him from speaking.


    "Failed? What happened? Didn¡¯t find the goods? Or did they escape?" Yan Changshun shouted.


    The soldier glanced at Li Yifei again. Li Yifei didn¡¯t even bother to look at him directly and stood there with his hands behind his back, exuding an aura that made the soldier feel utterly insignificant. "Director Yan, we can¡¯t afford to mess with him, he¡¯s far too strong," the soldier explained. "He¡¯s already disabled my hand."


    "Dammit, haven¡¯t you trained for this?"


    "His martial arts are superior, so much so that I¡¯m not even fit to carry his shoes. Director Yan, you¡¯d better find someone more capable for this. I think anyone in the underworld wouldn¡¯t want to cross paths with such an enemy."


    It was then that Li Yifei took over the phone, over which Yan Changshun¡¯s angry voice could still be heard, "You¡¯re such a piece of trash, what the hell is Zhao Gong doing with rubbish like you under him?"


    "Director Yan, you¡¯ve really disappointed me," Li Yifei said. "I was going to let you off, but now it seems there¡¯s no reason for me to spare a director still involved with the underworld."


    "Kid, don¡¯t you fucking swagger before me. You¡¯d better hand over the goods immediately, or I swear I won¡¯t let you leave the provincial city. Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯ve dealt with a small-time thug, I have no way of dealing with you. If I want to take you down, there are plenty on both sides of the law who will do it."


    Director Yan usually kept a low profile, especially now with the harsh anti-corruption crackdown, he dared not be too flamboyant. Even though he had a brother in the underworld, he never spoke of it to others. Now, with critical leverage in Li Yifei¡¯s hands, he completely ripped away his own disguise, roaring in anger.


    Li Yifei casually hung up the phone and threw it to the soldier, barking, "Get lost!"


    The soldier clenched his teeth, then cradling his hand, he led his people away. The lackeys followed suit, dejected and not leaving behind any bold declarations. Their idol had just been taken out with ease; the six of them didn¡¯t dare to muster that courage.


    Just then, He Fangqing shook her head and said, "This Yan Changshun has really gone too far."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and replied, "A cornered dog will jump over a wall, but I¡¯m curious to see what he can pull off."


    Michelle hesitated before speaking, "Honey, we¡¯re in the provincial city. If there¡¯s any trouble, it could be quite problematic. Once we get the approval document sorted, there¡¯s no need to persist in this feud with him."


    Li Yifei wrapped an arm around Michelle¡¯s shoulder, "He dared to target my wife, and as an official, he¡¯s simply a menace. Removing him would be a blessing for the people."


    Michelle opened her mouth but said nothing, knowing Li Yifei made sense. Yet, she worried since they were in the provincial city, where Director Yan definitely held significant clout¡ªit might not be so easy to handle him.


    Li Yifei had his own thoughts. Dealing with Director Yan was a minor matter. Sooner or later, he would come into contact with the province¡¯s influential families. He would definitely need to grow his influence here, and although the Ye family and Brother Hu had already made headway, helping them solve some problems now could be advantageous for his own development.


    The trio sat in the hotel for less than half an hour when they heard a knock on the door.


    Li Yifei spoke evenly, "Come in."


    The door opened, and two sturdy men in black suits entered first, scanning the room warily before nodding towards the person behind them. A man in his forties then came in, followed by two more robust men.


    These four brawny men all exuded an air of ruggedness, the kind that¡¯s not feigned but emanates from their very bones. With just one look, Li Yifei knew they must have military backgrounds, likely from special forces, and had seen real combat, maybe even taken lives on the battlefield. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t possess such an imposing presence.


    The man in the middle wasn¡¯t tall, yet he carried a certain authority. He now stood before Li Yifei, staring intently at him.


    Li Yifei gestured to them and said, "Have a seat."


    At that moment, all four men frowned. Li Yifei remained seated without even standing up, speaking with casual indifference, much like a leader summoning a subordinate, which they found quite uncomfortable.


    The middle man showed some restraint and took a seat in front of Li Yifei, inquiring, "How should I address you?"


    "Li Yifei," he replied blandly, stating his name.


    "You seem unfamiliar. Brother, you weren¡¯t mingling in the provincial city before, were you?"


    "That¡¯s not important."


    The man¡¯s brow furrowed, but one of the sturdy men behind him couldn¡¯t contain his impatience and bellowed. Reaching out to grab Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, he said, "Kid, you stand up when you speak to Brother Zhao."


    With a quick lift of his palm, Li Yifei had already grasped the man¡¯s wrist, and with a gentle release, the fellow staggered back three steps before stabilizing, his face instantly showing astonishment. Although Li Yifei¡¯s move was simple, he knew that the effortless deflection and the fact that he was forced back three steps signified that Li Yifei was a true expert¡ªa group of four might not even match up to him.


    Li Yifei glanced at the man who reached out and said, "Considering you were once a soldier, I won¡¯t hurt you."


    "You used to serve as well?" The sturdy man immediately asked, eyes wide with question.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond, which was as good as a confirmation.


    "May I ask which unit were you with, brother?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t know of it."


    The man¡¯s expression changed. Although he too was from the special forces, there were many such units in Huaxia, most publicly known for nothing extraordinary. But a few were the elite of the elite, and it was clear that Li Yifei came from one of those. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am Zhao Gong, and I¡¯d indeed like to make your acquaintance," said the seated man with an increase of courtesy in his voice after gauging Li Yifei. He had paid a high price for these four subordinates who had served him well over the years. He knew the strength of his men¡ªall capable of taking on over a dozen others. And now, they looked at Li Yifei with a kind of reverence, indicating that this was not someone to be trifled with.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Zhao Gong, I don¡¯t mind befriending you, but let me advise you to stay out of Yan Changshun¡¯s business. I am certainly going to handle him."


    Zhao Gong¡¯s brows furrowed, and he said, "Brother, I¡¯ve done my research. Is it that Director Yan couldn¡¯t resist his desires? After all, he didn¡¯t truly lay hands on your woman. In the underworld, we leave some room for maneuver so we can face each other again in the future. I want to mediate this matter. If you have any demands, feel free to voice them. I can make decisions on behalf of Director Yan."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "This matter is non-negotiable."


    "Don¡¯t be so absolute, brother. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m dealing with this matter. If you insist on being bull-headed, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to offend you. I don¡¯t play by any rules in the underworld. You might be strong, but can you beat all of my brothers? And is your family equally strong?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed, a chill flashing within them as he said, "Are you threatening me with my family?"


    "That¡¯s one way to interpret it," Zhao Gong replied coldly, maintaining his gaze on Li Yifei. Despite not being a dominant figure in the provincial city, he held some status. And although Li Yifei was formidable, he was but one man, and Zhao Gong was far from intimidated.


    "That¡¯s good to know. No matter who you work for or what you do, I¡¯ll tell you this: if you think of touching my family, there¡¯s only one outcome... and that¡¯s death!"


    Fury instantly surfaced on Zhao Gong¡¯s face, but Li Yifei¡¯s gaze injected him with a piercing coldness. He could actually feel that Li Yifei meant every word, and the four men around him now stood guard, tense and alert. They could sense the overwhelming combativeness emanating from Li Yifei.


    They had combativeness, too, enough to make ordinary opponents¡¯ knees weaken without even fighting, but now they felt utterly powerless against Li Yifei¡¯s formidable aura. It seemed that the moment Li Yifei made a move, their only option would be to wait for death.


    Just then, the sound of hasty footsteps came from outside, followed by a swarm of people rushing in.

 Chapter 1144 - 1190 They Are All Epileptic

    Chapter 1144: Chapter 1190 They Are All Epileptic"Zhang Hu!" Zhao Gong turned his head and saw a familiar figure, who had recently arrived in the provincial city and started encroaching on his territory. Although there was no open conflict between the two, Zhao Gong had long regarded Zhang Hu as a potential enemy and had been looking for an opportunity to deal with him. But he had not expected to encounter Zhang Hu here today.


    "Young Master Li!" Zhang Hu is none other than Brother Hu. In Mile City, everyone called him Brother Hu, and his surname had been somewhat forgotten. At this moment, he did not care about Zhao Gong but instead respectfully bowed to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded, and Brother Hu respectfully said to He Fangqing and Michelle, "Greetings to the two young mistresses."


    He Fangqing and Michelle both nodded. Although they were not familiar with Brother Hu, they had become accustomed to being addressed this way at home, and they naturally responded in kind.


    However, the moment Brother Hu spoke, Zhao Gong started to feel uneasy. If Li Yifei was merely a martial artist flaunting his prowess, Zhao Gong wouldn¡¯t be afraid. But if the other party also had a significant power backing him, then he would need to rethink his approach seriously.


    From Brother Hu¡¯s demeanor towards Li Yifei and his addressing the two beautiful women as ¡¯young mistresses,¡¯ and since these women stood behind Li Yifei the whole time, clearly they were Li Yifei¡¯s women. A man who could be called ¡¯Young Master Li¡¯ and had two beauties as his wives immediately reminded him of the prestigious families in the provincial city, and his brows furrowed deeply.


    "Young Master Li, it seems you are from a prominent family?" Zhao Gong looked at Li Yifei and ventured a guess but seeing no response, he added, "I am a friend of Young Master Sunx from the Sunx Family."


    "The Sunx Family? I do know a Sunx Dongming," Li Yifei replied indifferently.


    Hearing this, Zhao Gong perked up and said, "Yes, Sunx Dongming is indeed from the Sunx Family, but the one I know is Sunx Dongliang. You should give some face to the Sunx Family. Let¡¯s not be too hard on Yan Changshun."


    "Why should I give any face to the Sunx Family?" Li Yifei retorted.


    "You... aren¡¯t you also from a prominent family?"


    "Do you think a Sunx Dongliang is worth my giving face? Even if the clan chief of his family came, I wouldn¡¯t show him face. I¡¯m letting you stay here today just to tell you that you¡¯d better cooperate with Brother Hu, otherwise Yan Changshun¡¯s fate will be your example."


    At this, Zhao Gong inhaled sharply. Some people brag, and it feels like bluster, but coming from Li Yifei, Zhao Gong felt everything he said was true.


    At this moment, he genuinely did not know how to handle the situation. He had thought his opponent would give him some face, but now it seemed even his powerful connections could not secure that respect for him; how could he not feel awkward here?


    Just then, a commotion arose outside, and four police officers rushed in.


    The room occupied by Li Yifei and his group was already crowded; despite its spaciousness, it was quite congested. The four officers, upon entering and seeing the multitude inside ¨C many with fierce expressions ¨C were visibly intimidated. It looked like a gang negotiation; could these four ordinary officers manage an arrest here?


    Zhao Gong, however, found this amusing. The police must have been summoned by Yan Changshun. Even if Li Yifei didn¡¯t regard him, could he really resist the police?


    "Who are you?" One of the officers, a man in his forties, asked sternly.


    Zhao Gong shrugged his shoulders and said, "It¡¯s none of our business; we¡¯re just here to spectate. Let¡¯s go, guys. Oh, you¡¯re probably looking for one man and two women, right? They¡¯re over there." He pointed towards Li Yifei, He Fangqing, and Michelle.


    These four officers were indeed looking for the three individuals. They feared that the crowd was together, and taking custody would be impossible with just the four of them. Now, seeing a group leaving, they were relieved.


    Zhao Gong and his group, saying they were leaving, only moved out of the room but did not truly leave. Such an exciting event was too good to miss; they wanted to watch how Li Yifei would handle the police.


    Li Yifei gestured with his hand, and Brother Hu also stepped out, his followers trailing behind. Then he stared down Zhao Gong, who, stared by Brother Hu, angrily retorted, "Keep looking at me, and see if I don¡¯t gouge out your eyes?"


    Brother Hu chuckled, licked his lips, and said, "I don¡¯t believe that, but I do believe you¡¯ll soon be my subordinate."


    "You¡¯re dreaming."


    "The words of Young Master Li never fail. You¡¯d best obediently become my subordinate. I might still look out for you then. If you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you and end up suffering, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you."


    Zhao Gong stared at Brother Hu, who exuded a powerful confidence that made him uneasy. Having been in the provincial city for many years, although he appeared to be a big shot, he was never truly powerful, merely surviving between the cracks of major forces. Although he had some connection with Sunx Dongliang from the Sunx Family, it was only for occasional illegal dealings, while Sunx Dongliang might make a call on his behalf in times of trouble but didn¡¯t actually have any real friendship with him.


    Zhao Gong had always wanted to expand his influence and had even connected with Yan Changshun, but in the province, a Deputy Director was virtually useless, and he could only maintain his current standing, making him very discontented.


    If Li Yifei genuinely had significant influence, he might indeed consider pledging allegiance.


    Zhao Gong was here turning over thoughts when those four police officers had already approached Li Yifei. They were from the nearby police station, and the leader was the Deputy Director named Chu Guanghui.


    "You¡¯re Li Yifei?" Chu Guanghui asked as he looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded and still sat on the sofa, saying, "What do you want with me?"


    Chu Guanghui said, "You¡¯re suspected of being involved in an extortion case involving a facility, please come to the station for investigation."


    "No problem with cooperating, but where are your credentials?"


    Chu Guanghui didn¡¯t have any credentials; he rushed over right after receiving a call from Yan Changshun and immediately frowned.


    A young police officer next to him glared and shouted, "You¡¯re told to cooperate with the investigation, just do it quietly. Why all this nonsense?"


    "Without credentials, I refuse to cooperate," Li Yifei responded calmly.


    "F*ck, who do you think you are, stand up for me." The young police officer reached out and grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, attempting to pull him up rudely.


    But his body suddenly flew up, drawing an arc in the air, then heavily fell on the ground with a dull sound, before bouncing slightly and then lying still.


    "You dare assault a police officer?" Chu Guanghui widened his eyes, angrily shouting. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other two police officers immediately rushed up, both lunging at Li Yifei, but like the first one, they flew into the air and then heavily slammed onto the ground, unable to get up after groaning for a while.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t even lay a hand on Zhao Gong, but was unmerciful towards the police officers since he despised those who, relying on some authority, didn¡¯t do their proper duties but instead misused their power for personal gains, thus he showed no mercy.


    Chu Guanghui took two quick steps back, warily saying, "This is assaulting an officer, do you know that¡¯s a serious crime?"


    "Assaulting an officer? You guys are police? I wasn¡¯t aware since I didn¡¯t see any documents or credentials from you, I thought you were a bunch of idiots trying to rob." Li Yifei asked leisurely.


    He Fangqing and Michelle both couldn¡¯t help but giggle, finding their husband¡¯s antics rather amusing.


    Chu Guanghui quickly pulled out his credentials, saying loudly, "See, I¡¯m a police officer."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Oh, so you are a police officer, so what?"


    Chu Guanghui mustering courage shouted, "Then you have assaulted an officer, and I¡¯m going to arrest you now."


    "Assaulted, which eye of yours saw me assaulting them? Those three dumb ass officers, oh, I don¡¯t even know if they are police or auxiliaries, it¡¯s common for police when there¡¯s trouble to rely on auxiliaries."


    Those three police officers finally managed to get up, each one angrily pulling out their credentials and glaring at Li Yifei.


    "Oh, turns out they aren¡¯t auxiliaries, they really are police."


    "Then what do you have to say now, you can¡¯t escape the serious crime of assaulting an officer." Originally, coming here to capture these three people, it was clearly a shaky cause, but now that Li Yifei had hit three police officers, it was a good excuse.


    "You saying I assaulted them, which eye of yours saw me attack? I¡¯ve been sitting here the whole time, neither my hands nor feet moved, when did I attack them? They freaked out and fell on their own, how is that my fault?"


    Chu Guanghui¡¯s expression froze, indeed he had only seen the three officers getting thrown out, but had not seen Li Yifei making a move.


    "As the police, whatever you do, better have evidence, it¡¯s no longer the old days where police say goes, without evidence, if you dare to mess around, you won¡¯t be able to wear that uniform anymore."


    Chu Guanghui suddenly turned and shouted at Zhao Gong and others, "Did you see him assaulting the officers?"


    Zhao Gong grinned and said, "Officer, we didn¡¯t see anything, you were so close, if you didn¡¯t see, how could we possibly?" Realizing that Li Yifei was really not someone to be messed with, and not wanting to offend him, he quickly added another line, "Officer, bringing subordinates with epilepsy to handle tasks, that¡¯s not very safe."

 Chapter 1145 - 1191: Took In A Little Brother

    Chapter 1145: Chapter 1191: Took In A Little BrotherZhao Gong¡¯s remark instantly incited loud commotion among his four subordinates.


    "Yeah, when you police handle cases, you do need to care about evidence. You can¡¯t just spout accusations willy-nilly. You aren¡¯t becoming like us gangsters, are you?"


    "That would mean there¡¯s not much difference between the police and us."


    "No, no, that¡¯s not right. There is a difference between the police and us. Even if they want to frame you, they do it under the guise of the law. They¡¯re really something else."


    "It¡¯s not like that either. It¡¯s a time of intense anti-corruption now. If they get used and do something illegal, they will definitely be dealt with. We can even write directly to the Discipline Inspection Commission."


    "Right, right! Let¡¯s hurry and record this. We are good citizens, after all. We need to contribute to the nation¡¯s fight against corruption."


    All four men were former special forces, aware that Li Yifei came from a mysterious special forces unit, they couldn¡¯t help but look up to him. Seeing Li Yifei being so impressive even when dealing with the police deepened their admiration, especially since they noticed Zhao Gong¡¯s interest in making connections with Li Yifei. At this moment, how could they not seize the favorable moment?


    Chu Guanghui became the butt of their jest, his face turning red and then white. Nowadays, everyone emphasizes civilized law enforcement and handling cases according to the law. If they handled cases so carelessly and a video recording got out, it would be a big headache.


    Suddenly, a cellphone rang. Chu Guanghui looked at the caller ID, his expression growing even uglier, but he still answered the call. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Little Chu, how¡¯s the situation?" Yan Changshun¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    Chu Guanghui hurriedly replied, "Director Yan, the situation is quite tricky. The other party is not cooperating."


    Yan Changshun immediately became angry and barked furiously, "Cooperate? Are you fucking sick? Who talks about cooperating with police when arresting someone? It shouldn¡¯t be this troublesome to detain a person. Just take him into custody for me. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll cover for you."


    "But, Director Yan, the other party is formidable, and we..."


    "Do you not have guns? If he dares resist arrest, just shoot him dead! Dammit, if you can¡¯t handle this situation well, I¡¯ll have someone take your position tomorrow."


    Chu Guanghui was startled. He had gotten his Deputy Director position after Yan Changshun put in a word for him; otherwise, he would still be a low-ranking officer. Seeing how furious Yan Changshun was, he gritted his teeth and affirmed, "Alright, Director Yan, I¡¯ll handle it right away."


    After hanging up, Chu Guanghui swiftly drew his gun and shouted loudly, "Handcuff him! Kid, if you dare to resist, I will shoot without hesitation."


    Seeing Chu Guanghui draw his gun, Zhao Gong, who was outside, was shocked. Glancing at Brother Hu, he found him still calm, not the least bit worried.


    Brother Hu¡¯s reaction to a situation like this usually implied two possibilities: one was that Brother Hu simply didn¡¯t care about Li Yifei¡¯s life or death and didn¡¯t take him seriously; the other possibility was that Brother Hu had great confidence in Li Yifei and didn¡¯t believe Chu Guanghui could do anything to harm him.


    Chu Guanghui tended to believe in the second possibility. He stared at Li Yifei, eager to see how he would handle the situation. Then his gaze fell on the two women behind Li Yifei. Although the women looked slightly panicked, they remained remarkably composed, which convinced him even more that they must be used to such scenes. Otherwise, any other woman would have been white with fear by now.


    The three officers who had been beaten had not realized this and, seeing Chu Guanghui pull out his gun, did not believe Li Yifei would dare to resist. They sneered and one of them pulled out handcuffs, approaching Li Yifei with malevolent intent.


    Li Yifei still sat there and said, "As a policeman, you should be eliminating violence and maintaining peace, taking it as your own duty to ensure the stability of society and protect the safety of people¡¯s lives and property. But here you are, becoming the running dogs of power. I truly feel sorry for you."


    "Kid, you sure talk a good talk. Now that we¡¯re going to arrest you, let¡¯s see if you still dare to resist."


    After the three officers had finished speaking, they lunged directly at Li Yifei. They had not fallen lightly just moments before, and now, intent on subduing Li Yifei, they were all determined to teach him a harsh lesson.


    But reality is always so far from the ideal. As soon as they touched Li Yifei, they found themselves flying through the air once again. However, this time they did not collide with the floor to the side; instead, they hurtled straight towards Chu Guanghui. Chu Guanghui had a gun in his hand, but with the three men flying towards him, they blocked his line of sight, making it impossible to shoot. The worst was that all three collided with him, knocking him to the ground.


    The combined weight of the three men was over 500 pounds, and together with the momentum of their flight, Chu Guanghui couldn¡¯t catch them, resulting in all four tumbling into a heap. Especially Chu Guanghui, who was nearly crushed breathless, and his gun was flung out of his grasp.


    At this moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. He answered the call and said with a smile, "Uncle San."


    The call was from Ye Yunzhu¡¯s third uncle, who burst into laughter and said, "Kid, you really can¡¯t sit still. You come to the provincial city and don¡¯t visit our home, but instead, you give me trouble to deal with."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Third Uncle, you¡¯ve just joined the Discipline Inspection Commission. If I don¡¯t get you some cases, how will you make your mark?"


    "I feel like I¡¯m just wiping your ass for you. Let me tell you, I¡¯ve got Yan Changshun under control."


    "Then, thank you, Third Uncle."


    Li Yifei hung up the phone, and only then did the four police officers get up. Chu Guanghui hurriedly scrambled to pick up his gun, raised it, and aimed at Li Yifei again. Li Yifei just smiled faintly and said, "Yan Changshun has been arrested. You¡¯d better go back and figure out how to clear your own name."


    Chu Guanghui hesitated, observing Li Yifei¡¯s calm demeanor and could not help believing it to be true. He quickly took out his cell phone and dialed Yan Changshun, only to find that the phone was switched off. This alarmed him since under normal circumstances, Yan Changshun wouldn¡¯t have turned off his phone. At this moment, he was truly flabbergasted.


    After a while, Chu Guanghui collected himself, quickly put away his gun, cleared his throat, and said, "This... Sir, we were too presumptuous just now. I apologize to you here."


    Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "You should spend some time reflecting on whether there¡¯s anything in your years as a police officer that keeps you up at night."


    "This... this... it was Yan Changshun who sent me. He¡¯s a bureau chief; I couldn¡¯t dare to disobey."


    "Is that so? He¡¯s your immediate superior? I¡¯ve never heard that two totally unrelated departments have the authority to command personnel from another."


    "This... please, be magnanimous, let me off."


    "Whether I let you go or not is not up to me. You should worry about what Yan Changshun will do. I think you¡¯d better hurry back to deal with your own problems."


    Chu Guanghui¡¯s mouth twitched, then he turned and dashed out. His hands were certainly not clean, and if he got dragged into this, he¡¯d be in deep trouble. The other three officers also wanted to leave, and Li Yifei said from behind, "As police officers, if you don¡¯t understand what the national emblem on your head or the uniform on your body stands for, I don¡¯t think you should keep on being cops."


    The three officers didn¡¯t dare to fart and quickly ran off.


    Zhao Gong also dialed Yan Changshun¡¯s cell phone and of course couldn¡¯t get through either, which shocked him even more. He had often helped Yan Changshun with tasks and could likely be implicated if anything happened to Yan Changshun. Thinking fast, he rushed in, took a deep breath, and said, "Young Master Li, if there¡¯s anything in the future, just command me."


    "In the future, just listen to Brother Hu. He¡¯s my spokesman in the provincial city," said Li Yifei indifferently.


    "Sure!" Zhao Gong readily agreed. He was a smart man and knew that by Li Yifei saying that, it meant Yan Changshun¡¯s issues would not affect him, and moreover, following Li Yifei seemed to offer a better future.


    Li Yifei looked at Zhao Gong with a sharp glint flashing in his eyes and said, "The thing I dislike the most is double-dealing. If you think you can endure my wrath, then go ahead."


    Li Yifei spoke calmly, but Zhao Gong felt as if he had been completely exposed. In front of Li Yifei, it seemed he had no secrets at all. He quickly said, "Young Master Li, rest assured, I, Zhao Gong, have never found a boss who I truly admire. You have earned my respect, and I will follow you from now on."


    Li Yifei nodded, his gaze softening, he waved his hand and said, "Brother Hu will tell you what to do in the future."


    "Yes."


    "Go wait outside for a while. I have a few words to say to Brother Hu."


    Zhao Gong quickly left, respectfully closing the door behind him. Soon Brother Hu came out, and they left together. Brother Hu¡¯s admiration for Li Yifei grew even more profound. With just a small matter, Li Yifei had taken Zhao Gong under his wing without a fight. Of course, since Li Yifei had shown enough might, Brother Hu needed to reassure Zhao Gong and explain the benefits of following Li Yifei, using both carrot and stick to incorporate Zhao Gong into his fold.


    "Husband, you were so cool just now." Once everyone had left, He Fangqing sat on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, her arms climbing around his neck.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t you think I was just putting on an act?"


    "That¡¯s what makes a man. You really made me fall for you. Husband, while we still have some time, I want you to love me properly, with that domineering manliness." As He Fangqing spoke, her lips were already kissing Li Yifei¡¯s face, her hands frantically pulling at his clothes.


    Of course, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t let He Fangqing down. With a laugh, he said, "Alright, today I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied. Xue¡¯er, don¡¯t just watch. Join us."

 Chapter 1146 - 1192: Star Scout

    Chapter 1146: Chapter 1192: Star ScoutYan Changshun really didn¡¯t expect the Discipline Inspection Commission to find him so quickly, but the moment he saw someone from the Commission, Yan Changshun immediately wilted. As a leading official, perhaps in the past, he could be more audacious when encountering the Commission, hoping to save himself through certain connections¡ªand indeed, many in the past had managed to do so, ultimately emerging unscathed through various relationships.


    But now, that was completely unfeasible. There was intense pressure from above on anti-corruption efforts¡ªlet alone for a bureau director like himself, even those provincial and ministerial level officials in Capital City would be investigated without mercy if the order came down.


    So now, as soon as anyone was under investigation, people wouldn¡¯t come to help; they were more eager to distance themselves to avoid being implicated.


    Yan Changshun knew that his downfall was sealed, yet he still couldn¡¯t believe that his trouble resulted from this particular incident alone. However, when the person interrogating him took out the video right away, he understood that it was those two women, and that man, who had ruined him.


    "My God, I was destroyed by their hands. Who on earth are they?" Yan Changshun wailed internally. He wanted to use the Commission members to find out who these people were, but sadly nobody paid him any attention anymore. He was no longer a bureau director, merely a prisoner.


    He absolutely didn¡¯t believe that the Commission would grab him based solely on a video. There could only be one possible explanation for this situation: the other party had a formidable social background. He had been foolish, taking their money but also wanting to play around with their women, and that¡¯s why they wouldn¡¯t let it slide.


    He regretted that his lust had led to this outcome. If only he had just taken the money and done their bidding, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have met this fate. But there was no medicine for regret in the world, and his remaining years would inevitably be spent in prison. All he had evaporated into nothing, his final efforts all in vain¡ªthe Commission¡¯s investigation ensured that he couldn¡¯t hold onto any of his ill-gotten gains.


    Regarding what would happen next to Yan Changshun, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore. It was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s third uncle who took care of this matter, of course, there would be no mercy for Yan Changshun. Moreover, given the overall environment, any corruption brought to light would most certainly lead to a dire end.


    With Yan Changshun arrested, those below him didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on, but those above had at least some inkling of the reason. Thus, who would dare to cause trouble for Li Yifei¡¯s approvals now? They were successfully processed without a hitch.


    This approval was arguably the most critical link for the Oceanic Freight Company. With this issue resolved, the company could now operate completely legally.


    "Brother Li, I...I..." On Friday, Li Yifei received a call from Jiang Ningxiang, and the girl was somewhat hesitant to speak.


    "If there¡¯s something you need to say, just say it. Don¡¯t be afraid," Li Yifei said gently. He prized Jiang Ningxiang quite a bit.


    "Well...my classmates...want to visit your...home, and I...I know I shouldn¡¯t have agreed, but I..."


    Li Yifei laughed instantly, saying, "Then bring them over, it¡¯s no problem."


    "Ah, thank you, Brother Li, thank you, Brother Li," Jiang Ningxiang immediately exclaimed with excitement. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Heh, no need to be so formal. Last time you risked your life to save Yiyi, just for that, our home is always welcoming to you."


    "Ah, it was nothing, Brother Li... Can I ask you for one more favor?"


    "What is it?"


    "Well...you know I¡¯m terrible with directions, and I¡¯m afraid that I..."


    "That¡¯s easy, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up."


    "Sorry to trouble you, bringing classmates over and even needing you to pick me up," Jiang Ningxiang felt even more awkward.


    "Alright, stop worrying so much. What time is good to pick you up?"


    "Four o¡¯clock, let¡¯s say four o¡¯clock. My classmates and I will wait at the school gate."


    Li Yifei checked the time and saw that he didn¡¯t have any other engagements at that moment, so he decided not to send someone else and went to pick them up himself.


    When he arrived at the school gate, there were still more than ten minutes before four o¡¯clock, but Jiang Ningxiang was already there, with five other girls around her who were presumably her roommates.


    Cars weren¡¯t allowed to stop at the school¡¯s entrance, so Li Yifei parked on the side and then walked towards the school gate. As he was about to greet Jiang Ningxiang, two people stepped up to intercept her in front of him.


    "Eh, there¡¯s something unusual about this girl."


    "Yes, it seems like she possesses Innate Vital Energy."


    The two, a man and a woman, spoke in soft tones, but Li Yifei overheard them as he was right behind them. This surprised him; not only did they know about Innate Vital Energy, but they also detected that Jiang Ningxiang had it. This was definitely no ordinary feat¡ªLi Yifei currently didn¡¯t have this ability to tell that Jiang Ningxiang was endowed with Innate Vital Energy.


    Li Yifei suddenly became more vigilant. He initially intended to greet Jiang Ningxiang, but now he moved a step to the side, conveniently using those two people as a screen to block Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s line of sight. He wanted to see what these two were up to.


    "Hello, young girl!" The woman approached Jiang Ningxiang and asked warmly.


    Jiang Ningxiang looked at the woman doubtfully, but still politely said, "Hello."


    "Are you a student here?" the woman continued to ask.


    "Yes, is there something I can help you with?" Jiang Ningxiang replied.


    "Oh, it¡¯s like this. We¡¯re talent scouts, and I think you have great potential to be a star. I was wondering if you are interested in pursuing a career in this field." As she spoke, she took out a business card and said, "This is my card."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates immediately became very excited. For kids their age, becoming a star is something most of them dream of.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I... I don¡¯t want to be a star," Jiang Ningxiang shook her head. Although she took the business card, she still politely refused.


    "Young girl, don¡¯t you want to act in movies, TV dramas? Moreover, you have a very nice voice, you could also pursue a singing career in the future, and we could make you into a triple-threat star in film, TV, and music."


    The man then said, "We¡¯re from the Ningyuan International Film and Television Center, not some small studio."


    At this point, one of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates exclaimed, "Ah! Ningyuan International Film and Television Center? My goodness, I remember many big stars are with your company."


    The woman smiled slightly and said, "So you know about our company. The stars that we have packaged have become top-tier celebrities. This young girl fits our company¡¯s image perfectly. Ever since Ning Xin¡¯er left the entertainment industry, our company has been lacking someone with a pure and innocent image, and you meet our standards exactly."


    "Ning Xin¡¯er... Wow, Ningxiang, you really struck gold. If this really happens, don¡¯t forget us later on."


    "Yes, yes, oh my goodness, Ningxiang, we are so envious of you. This is truly a pie in the sky."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates were again shouting excitedly. The man and woman were also looking at Jiang Ningxiang with smiling eyes. For a girl, the attraction was simply too great.


    But Jiang Ningxiang still shook her head firmly and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I really don¡¯t want to be a star."


    "Little girl, we¡¯re talking about signing an official contract here. In the first year, you could be looking at a contract worth millions. Aren¡¯t you going to college to earn money anyway?"


    Jiang Ningxiang still resolutely shook her head and said, "I really don¡¯t want to go. Thank you, though."


    The two people looked at each other, and then the woman said, "Well, we hope you will consider it carefully. Keep my card, and if you change your mind, you can contact us anytime."


    After the two left, Li Yifei came out. Jiang Ningxiang excitedly approached and asked, "Brother Li, why did you come here yourself?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "You¡¯re coming over to my place. How could I not come to pick you up personally? Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it look like I¡¯m not giving you face?"


    "I¡¯m just a little girl; picking me up like this is giving me too much face," Jiang Ningxiang said sweetly to Li Yifei. Having been around Li Yifei longer now, she was no longer as scared of him as before.


    "Haha, these are your classmates. I¡¯ve met them last time. Let¡¯s go, get in the car."


    Today, Li Yifei was driving a business van, with two rows of seats in the back, just enough for five people, while Jiang Ningxiang sat in the front passenger seat.


    The five female classmates were now very well-behaved. To them, being around a big boss inherently felt pressuring, and this boss was influential in both legitimate and illegitimate circles. Even the second-generation tycoon had to act obediently in his presence, so these ordinary college students dared not speak out of turn.


    However, they were most interested in the recent encounter with the talent scouts looking for Jiang Ningxiang. Soon after, one of the girls asked, "Ningxiang, why didn¡¯t you agree to the talent scout¡¯s offer? It¡¯s such a great opportunity. You could become a super star, even like Ning Xin¡¯er."


    Jiang Ningxiang turned to glance at Li Yifei, then said, "I think you¡¯ll find out in a moment."


    "Why will we know soon?" the classmates were obviously puzzled.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You will meet someone soon, and then you¡¯ll understand why Ningxiang didn¡¯t accept."


    The five students were even more baffled, but they could only wait patiently, which only increased their anticipation. This Li Yifei, who even made the so-called gangster addressed as the second-generation tycoon call him ¡¯Boss¡¯ last time, was rumored online to be worth billions. For a girl who had just come of age, there was fear towards such a high-status man, but even more so, there was curiosity.

 Chapter 1147 - 1193: What a Big Star!

    Chapter 1147: Chapter 1193: What a Big Star!Li Yifei was feeling quite worried at the moment. He had been following those two people earlier and knew clearly that their offer to Jiang Ningxiang to become a talent scout was just a pretext. What they were really interested in was Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s innate physique.


    Although Li Yifei still didn¡¯t know who those people were, even if those two had no malicious intent, there was a good chance they could take Jiang Ningxiang away. For Li Yifei, that would be a significant loss. Moreover, if they had ill intentions and trained Jiang Ningxiang for nefarious purposes, that would be a matter of great concern indeed.


    So now, he needed to have a serious talk with Jiang Ningxiang. He wanted to keep this treasure close by himself.


    "Ningxiang, give me that talent scout¡¯s business card," Li Yifei said as he parked the car after entering the gate of the house and turned to Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately handed over the business card, saying, "I was just about to throw it away, I don¡¯t want to go."


    "Hmm, I have some use for it. You go ahead and help your classmates get out of the car."


    Li Yifei got out of the car, took the business card and talked briefly to a security guard. The man immediately took the card and then made arrangements. Li Yifei was now determined to thoroughly investigate those two men to find out who they were.


    By this time, Jiang Ningxiang had already led her classmates out of the car, and they all stood there dumbfounded. It took a while before one of the girls asked, "Ningxiang, where is this place? This complex is just too luxurious."


    Jiang Ningxiang chuckled lightly and replied, "This isn¡¯t a residential complex, this is Brother Li¡¯s house."


    "House? All of this is his?"


    "Yes, all of this."


    A slight pride could be seen on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face.


    "This... this is just too wealthy. The house is just too big."


    All five female classmates were utterly astonished. In their minds, wealthy people lived in villas, perhaps with a private swimming pool at best. But a place like this was like a grand garden.


    They had really never imagined Li Yifei¡¯s home would look like this. Even if they had seen the external images of Li Yifei¡¯s house on the internet, it was mostly just some partial contours; there were no photos of the whole place. Although they were only at the entrance now, the feeling was completely different¡ªit totally overwhelmed them.


    "I¡¯m going to take a picture to show off when I get back. This is just too awesome," one of the girls excitedly took out her phone.


    "Stop, don¡¯t take pictures. It¡¯s not allowed here. Just have a look," said Jiang Ningxiang. "Brother Li doesn¡¯t want to make a show of it." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl immediately stuck out her tongue and obediently put away her phone, saying, "Okay, okay, we won¡¯t take pictures. Rich people¡¯s homes do have more rules."


    "Ningxiang, haven¡¯t you only been here twice? How are you so familiar with this place?"


    "Well, I have to remember the rules here. If there¡¯s a problem, Brother Li won¡¯t be happy."


    "Hey, Ningxiang, come clean, what exactly is your relationship with him? Could it be that you are his mistress?"


    "That¡¯s right, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, you know. Being his mistress would be such a happy thing. To live in such a big house, I wouldn¡¯t want to go out for the rest of my life."


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense. If the lady hears us, I¡¯ll be in trouble."


    Everyone stuck out their tongues, feeling that talking about such things in someone¡¯s house was indeed not very nice. But seeing the splendor of Li Yifei¡¯s home, their views on life changed in an instant. Previously, when they heard about mistresses and the like, they would disdain such a status. But now, they felt that it was the man who was not good enough. If it were a man like Li Yifei, even being a mistress would not be a humiliation but rather an honor.


    At this moment, Li Yifei came over and said with a smile, "Ningxiang, let¡¯s take your classmates inside."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly agreed and followed behind Li Yifei with her classmates, while Li Yifei explained the nearby buildings to them. The five girls listened with gleaming eyes, unable to describe their feelings at the moment.


    Suddenly, a car approached from behind, and the passenger window rolled down. He Fangqing, sitting in the front passenger seat, smiled and said, "Ningxiang, you¡¯re here."


    "Hello, Sister-in-law Fangqing. I brought my classmates to visit," replied Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Hehe, you guys have fun. We¡¯re going to change clothes and come back. Darling, make sure to take good care of Ningxiang," Fangqing said.


    "You guys go inside first," Li Yifei waved his hand, and the Mercedes drove in.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates had seen He Fangqing before. At the barbecue last time, the women accompanying Li Yifei were Xu Yingying and He Fangqing. Although it was Xu Yingying who was talking at that time, these five couldn¡¯t quite remember which one was Xu Yingying and which was He Fangqing. Seeing how He Fangqing spoke now, they recalled that He Fangqing was Li Yifei¡¯s wife.


    "Brother Li, your wife is really beautiful," one of the girls quietly admired as they watched the car drive away.


    Another added, "Yeah, with such looks and temperament, she¡¯s indeed a perfect match for Brother Li."


    Li Yifei just smiled faintly without elaborating further. After walking a few dozen meters, another car drove up, and the window rolled down again. Michelle, smiling, said to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang came over."


    "Hello, Sister-in-law Xue¡¯er. I brought my classmates to hang out."


    "Good, feel free to come over and play when you¡¯ve got time. I¡¯m going in now, and I¡¯ll come greet you later."


    "Sister-in-law Xue¡¯er, you¡¯re busy."


    "Hubby, I¡¯m leaving now." Michelle gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, and then the car drove into the yard.


    The female classmates were a bit puzzled all of a sudden, looking at Li Yifei and then at Jiang Ningxiang. Jiang Ningxiang chuckled and said, "She¡¯s also one of Brother Li¡¯s wives."


    "Both? Both are?" Several of them asked in unison.


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded, which led the five of them to turn their gazes towards Li Yifei again, their expressions turning strange.


    Just then, another car arrived, and this time Ning Xin¡¯er got out of the car, enthusiastically telling Li Yifei, "Hubby, I¡¯m back."


    Li Yifei smiled, "You seem so happy today, must be something good."


    Ning Xin¡¯er excitedly said, "Yes, the company... Oh, Ningxiang is here too. Who are these people?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "These are Ningxiang¡¯s classmates."


    Ning Xin¡¯er said with a laugh, "Oh, Ningxiang¡¯s classmates! Hehe, sorry Ningxiang, I was too excited just now and neglected you."


    Jiang Ningxiang flashed a sweet smile and said, "Hello, Sister-in-law Xin¡¯er."


    "Another sister-in-law..." The five female classmates exclaimed in their hearts and then all felt that something was odd - why did this beauty look so familiar?


    Then, in an instant, all five recognized her and shouted in unison, "Ning Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re Ning Xin¡¯er!"


    Ning Xin¡¯er gave a slight smile and said, "That¡¯s me, welcome to my home as guests."


    "Wow, it really is Ning Xin¡¯er. I want an autograph!"


    "I want a photo with you!"


    The five girls suddenly surrounded Ning Xin¡¯er; getting so close to a big star for the first time, they were truly at a loss for words.


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed lightly and said, "You¡¯re all at my house now, I can¡¯t run away. But the outfit I¡¯m wearing now doesn¡¯t seem suitable for photos, let¡¯s go inside first." Ning Xin¡¯er was dressed in a professional business suit, looking sharp and capable, which indeed was very different from her previous innocent image.


    "One of the girls finally got to the heart of the matter and asked, "Ning Xin¡¯er, you say you are his... this... It¡¯s not for real, is it?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately took Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said with a grin, "Of course it¡¯s real, otherwise could I live here? But please, don¡¯t spread the word outside."


    "No, we won¡¯t!" The girls nodded repeatedly, realizing they had stumbled upon Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s secret; it was like obtaining an incredibly valuable treasure, their excitement was indescribable.


    "Ningxiang, you take your classmates. I need to discuss some matters with hubby," said Ning Xin¡¯er as she walked ahead with Li Yifei, starting a conversation about the company.


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s film and television company was doing exceptionally well, especially today as they had signed two of the more popular stars recently. For a film company, aside from discovering new talent, they needed some well-known stars to establish themselves in the early stages.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Haha, it must be thanks to your influence; otherwise, who would dare sign with our newly opened company?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled, "Of course, impressive isn¡¯t it?"


    "Impressive, my Little Xin¡¯er has always been impressive, you used to tower over me that I¡¯d run whenever I saw you, how could you not be impressive?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er pinched Li Yifei and chided, "Back then you bullied me too." Then she giggled again, the memories of their past together filling her with warmth.


    Meanwhile, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates were most curious about Li Yifei and whispered to her, "Ningxiang, how many women does your Brother Li actually have?"


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face also showed a smile, "This I really shouldn¡¯t say. If you want to know, you can ask Brother Li yourself."


    "It can¡¯t just be these three, hehe, and there¡¯s our Ningxiang too."


    Jiang Ningxiang hastily said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I really am not."


    "You can strive for it, Ningxiang, we believe in you."


    "Yeah, go for it, we support you. If you also become the lady of the house here, then it seems like we won¡¯t have any worries in the future. Remember us, your roommates, by then."


    Looking at Li Yifei ahead, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face flushed with a shy crimson as she whispered, "I¡¯m just a little girl, Brother Li won¡¯t like me."

 Chapter 1148 - 1194: Developing Jiang Ningxiang

    Chapter 1148: Chapter 1194: Developing Jiang NingxiangAfter Su Yiyi came back, she took Jiang Ningxiang and her classmates for a stroll about the yard and then they had a sumptuous dinner.


    The architecture and gardens within the compound, as well as the restaurant that could rival a five-star hotel, made Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s classmates feel as if they were Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.


    And after arranging a place for them to rest, Li Yifei called Jiang Ningxiang to his study.


    "Ningxiang, have a seat," Li Yifei beckoned, his attitude very kind.


    Following his words, Jiang Ningxiang sat down opposite Li Yifei, and said somewhat nervously, "Brother Li, did you want to see me for something?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Indeed, it¡¯s something important, and it concerns your whole life."


    "Ah?" Jiang Ningxiang stared at Li Yifei in astonishment, then her face flushed with a sudden blush, and she stammered, "Brother Li... I... I..."


    Li Yifei broke a sweat and said, "Ningxiang, you¡¯ve got the wrong idea, Brother Li is talking about serious matters."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face blushed even more, and she replied coyly, "Brother Li, what is it about then?"


    Li Yifei stood up, lit a cigarette, and said, "Ningxiang, do you know why you have such a special constitution?"


    "I don¡¯t know. Do you, Brother Li?" Seeing that Li Yifei is referring to her constitution, the flush on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face faded.


    "I do. It¡¯s because you have a constitution with Innate Vital Energy. To put it simply, there is a very powerful force within you, but you don¡¯t know how to use it. It only manifests in emergencies, like when you saved Yiyi last time; that was the power inside you at work."


    "Oh, so that¡¯s how it is." Jiang Ningxiang still looked a bit puzzled at Li Yifei, unsure what he intended by telling her all this.


    Li Yifei took another drag of his cigarette and then stubbed it out. "A constitution like yours, Shanshan has as well, and Shanshan can already use this ability stemming from her constitution."


    Jiang Ningxiang said excitedly, "Brother Li, so you mean to teach me how to harness this constitution?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "Yes. Initially, Shanshan planned to accept you as her disciple when she got back. But I feel that developing your Innate Vital Energy earlier isn¡¯t a bad thing, so I¡¯m taking you on as her disciple for now."


    Jiang Ningxiang replied even more excitedly, "That¡¯s wonderful, I¡¯ll have a master then."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "If you are willing, then there¡¯re no issues."


    "Of course, I¡¯m willing! I hope to become very strong, so no one can bully me anymore. And... later on, I can help Brother Li with some things too."


    Hearing Jiang Ningxiang say this made Li Yifei feel a bit ashamed. "Ningxiang, to be honest, I¡¯m also a bit selfish. Those two talent scouts today, they are actually experts, and they noticed you possess Innate Vital Energy, that¡¯s why they approached you. I¡¯m not sure what their motives are, but I truly hope you can help my family with some things in the future."


    "So that¡¯s how it is. But Brother Li, since I¡¯ve grown up, you¡¯ve been the best to me. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t know what would have become of me. So, no matter how others treat me, I¡¯ll only follow you, Brother Li, and I definitely won¡¯t go with anyone else."


    "Heh, you don¡¯t blame your Brother Li for being selfish?"


    "Why would I? Brother Li, you¡¯re also doing this for my sake. Anyone might harm me, but Brother Li definitely won¡¯t. I trust you, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei then felt greatly comforted. "Since you think like this, then I am relieved. Today, I¡¯ll teach you some basic introductory techniques. To be honest, I don¡¯t quite understand Innate Vital Energy myself. Shanshan also inadvertently acquired Innate Vital Energy, and moreover, she gained the ability to use this Innate Vital Energy, which I don¡¯t possess."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so powerful, yet you don¡¯t have Innate Vital Energy?" Jiang Ningxiang asked playfully.


    "Yes, I don¡¯t. You should know, if you fully utilize this Innate Vital Energy, even I might not be able to beat you."


    "No way, is it that powerful?" Jiang Ningxiang looked at Li Yifei in amazement.


    "Yes, but it always takes some time. Come, I¡¯ll start teaching you."


    The technique Xu Shanshan acquired in the desert had been thoroughly studied by Li Yifei. Although it was not very useful to him, he had memorized every detail, so it was effortless for him to explain it to Jiang Ningxiang.


    The first step was to teach Jiang Ningxiang how to control this Innate Vital Energy, to make it serve her own purposes.


    Compared to Xu Shanshan, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy seemed even purer, but as for its magnitude, Li Yifei was not sure.


    Because it¡¯s so pure, the learning isn¡¯t worse than that of Xu Shanshan, but Li Yifei finds teaching it much more exhausting.


    The reason is simple, when Xu Shanshan received this technique, she didn¡¯t understand anything either, it required the circulation of some internal True Qi. Between Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, there are no taboos, so he could guide her by hand and freely touch her body to demonstrate the pathway of True Qi.


    However, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang obviously don¡¯t have that kind of relationship, and currently, Li Yifei doesn¡¯t want to get involved with this little miss, so there are many concerns, making the teaching inherently troublesome.


    More than two hours later, Li Yifei managed to get Jiang Ningxiang to understand a bit, then asked her to practice on this basis for the time being and would teach her slowly in the future.


    After Jiang Ningxiang left, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom, where Li Xinyue and Lin Qiong were chatting on the bed.


    "Hubby, are you done so soon? That¡¯s not your style," teased Li Xinyue with a smile.


    Li Yifei laughed as well: "Don¡¯t tease that little girl Ningxiang. I was teaching her martial arts."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "If you have the time, why not teach me properly instead of that girl? You clearly don¡¯t have good intentions."


    "How have I not taught you? You¡¯ve been following along and practicing quite a bit recently, and your strength has improved dramatically. But Ningxiang has the same type of Innate Vital Energy as Shanshan. Today, I encountered two people who also knew about Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy, and I¡¯m afraid that if they snatch her away, that would be troublesome."


    "Ah? There are such people?" Lin Qiong immediately sat up, her expression turning quite grave. As a police officer, she is instinctively sensitive to potential dangers. After Xu Shanshan acquired Innate Vital Energy, the change in her strength was something Lin Qiong knew all too well. Now that two individuals who were aware of the Innate Vital Energy had appeared in Mile City, it meant that there could be instability brewing.


    "I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate them, and I am a bit worried myself."


    Li Xinyue quickly said, "We indeed should look into this thoroughly. If it comes to it, have Shanshan come back home. Having two more experts in the family would make things safer."


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "That¡¯s not necessary for now. I¡¯ve never encountered anyone with Innate Vital Energy other than Shanshan. It¡¯s only after Shanshan learned it that I knew such people existed. Those who possess Innate Vital Energy probably won¡¯t reveal themselves easily, nor will they act rashly."


    Lin Qiong continued, "Then you really should train Ningxiang sooner. Right, keep her close to you and, if need be, take her under your wing."


    Li Yifei was suddenly at a loss for words and said, "You used to give me the cold shoulder, and now you have such thoughts?"


    Lin Qiong said seriously, "Times have changed. Besides, that girl Ningxiang is indeed very important to our family. We can¡¯t let her be an advantage to others. If she becomes your enemy, it means we¡¯ve missed out on an expert and needlessly gained a powerful foe - we¡¯d suffer losses on both ends."


    Li Xinyue also added, "Yeah, we really can¡¯t be careless. No matter what the relationship, it¡¯s not as reassuring as having our own family around."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No need. Later on, I¡¯ll have Shanshan take Ningxiang as her disciple. That kind of relationship should suffice. I¡¯d rather focus my energy on taking care of my current wife." Then he jumped onto the bed with a smile.


    Lin Qiong kicked out, saying, "Go take a shower first, don¡¯t think about getting into bed without washing up, that¡¯s not happening."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Wife, wait for me to come back clean, and I¡¯ll take good care of you both."


    After having the bath, Li Yifei lay down in the middle of the two women, and Lin Qiong said, "Hubby, the department has arranged for me to go on training soon, which might last for three months."


    "What training?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s an internal training within the Public Security System; it¡¯s also a kind of experience."


    Li Xinyue immediately chimed in, "That¡¯s a good thing. Usually, those with opportunities for advancement are the ones who go for training. It seems you¡¯ll be promoted soon."


    Lin Qiong shook her head, "Not really. It¡¯s normal for someone at the department head level to go for training. But I was promoted so fast, I never had such training even when I became the bureau chief."


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Since it¡¯s normal and good for your future, you should go. Heh, I actually hope you achieve a higher position; that would make our family even more impressive."


    Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance, "Your flattery is excessive; even if I attain a higher position, I won¡¯t use my power for personal gain. I am a police officer, and at all times, maintaining social stability and protecting the people¡¯s safety and property are my top priorities."


    "Absolutely, my wife is the most principled. I like that about you. If you hold a higher position, you can create even greater benefits for the people. I fully support you."


    Lin Qiong smiled contentedly, then suddenly flipped over on top of Li Yifei, "Hubby, I¡¯ll be leaving in a few days, so you better take good care of me tonight!"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "No problem! I¡¯ll make up for the next three months all tonight."

 Chapter 1149 - 1195: Refusal

    Chapter 1149: Chapter 1195: Refusalf?eewebnove?.co?Lin Qiong is a woman with a strong personality. Even being with Li Yifei, and even if she did nothing for the rest of her life, she could still live in luxury. Yet, she did not become an appendage of Li Yifei. She remained true to herself and still loved being a police officer, with her initial intentions unchanged.


    Li Yifei did not dislike Lin Qiong being like this. He was somewhat chauvinistic and wanted his woman to live happily under his care. However, those who liked living that way, he welcomed, but he also supported those who wanted their own independent lives. He couldn¡¯t let these women revolve around him just because they were with him.


    Just like Xu Shanshan, even when she went to do dangerous things, Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop her. Lin Qiong was just working harder in the career she loved, so naturally, Li Yifei fully supported her.


    The next day after breakfast, Li Yifei said to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, let Yiyi take you and your classmates out to play today."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately said excitedly, "Okay." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you in my room," Li Yifei said and left.


    Jiang Ningxiang walked out of the dining room with a few classmates, and a girl teased Jiang Ningxiang ambiguously, "Ningxiang, during the daytime... hehe..."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned red, and she retorted, "Don¡¯t get the wrong idea! Brother Li has things he needs me to do."


    "Yeah, you two doing things together."


    "Be careful not to get pregnant."


    The girls, around eighteen or nineteen years old, joked without reservations in the absence of others.


    Jiang Ningxiang retorted, "You guys really, I won¡¯t bother with you anymore, just have fun. I won¡¯t have time to play with you these next few days."


    "Go ahead, we support you."


    Jiang Ningxiang, unbothered by her classmates¡¯ teasing, excitedly went to the villa where Li Yifei was staying.


    "You seem happy," Li Yifei, sitting on the living room sofa, asked Jiang Ningxiang with a smile.


    Jiang Ningxiang replied sweetly, "I¡¯m just happy thinking that I¡¯ll be able to help Brother Li with many things and not be a weak little girl anymore."


    Li Yifei replied with a smile, "Then let¡¯s begin."


    Today, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s learning pace was about the same as last night; for almost half a day, she could only feel the True Qi within her, but was clearly far from controlling it.


    At noon, Li Yifei told her to stop, and Jiang Ningxiang pouted, "Brother Li, am I too dumb?"


    Li Yifei smiled, "Not really, if you can feel it today, it won¡¯t be long before you can control it."


    "But I heard you say, Sister Shanshan mastered it very quickly, so I must be really dumb for being so slow."


    Li Yifei consoled her, "Martial arts is indeed related to talent, but it¡¯s even more connected to the effort put in afterward. Like in our troops, some people aren¡¯t naturally talented, but because of their efforts, they still excel."


    Jiang Ningxiang clenched her small fists, "Brother Li, don¡¯t worry, I will try very hard. I¡¯ll master it soon and won¡¯t embarrass you, so I can start helping you with things."


    "Silly girl, I don¡¯t need you to do anything now, just focus on your learning," Li Yifei said and reached toward Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head in a loving gesture, devoid of any other intention.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body instinctively flinched backward very fast, evading Li Yifei¡¯s hand, which startled him, followed by some embarrassment. He clarified, "Ningxiang, don¡¯t overthink it, I didn¡¯t mean anything else."


    Jiang Ningxiang, somewhat flustered, explained, "Brother Li, I... I didn¡¯t mean to dodge. It... it¡¯s like an instinctive reaction, I... I was bullied when I was young, so I... just react like this."


    "Bullied?" Li Yifei frowned.


    Jiang Ningxiang fiddled with the hem of her clothes and said softly, "Yes, when I was fourteen, a neighbor always patted my head, praising me for being smart and pretty, and since we were familiar, I thought he was complimenting me and didn¡¯t mind his touches. But one time, when I was home alone, after patting my head, he tried... to bully me. I struggled desperately, and he didn¡¯t succeed, but since then, anyone touching my head would trigger my instinctive rejection."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know. But you know I¡¯m not some weird uncle."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly said, "I know, Brother Li truly cares for me, and besides, Brother Li, you wouldn¡¯t oppress me like that given how beautiful your sisters-in-law are."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "It¡¯s good that you trust me. I¡¯ll be more cautious in the future. Now, let¡¯s go out for a meal."


    As they walked out, Jiang Ningxiang walked slowly. Li Yifei stopped and asked, "Ningxiang, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang bit her lips, "Brother Li, were you angry just now?"


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "No, I¡¯m not that petty."


    "Really?"


    "Of course, silly girl, let¡¯s go now."


    "Brother Li, you are so kind." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face bloomed into a smile, then she cheerfully followed Li Yifei into the courtyard.


    During the weekend, Li Yifei was carefully training Jiang Ningxiang, but her progress was slow, which made Li Yifei somewhat anxious. On Sunday, Li Yifei said to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, I have an idea, what do you think?"


    "Brother Li, I¡¯ll listen to whatever you say."


    "I think you should not stay at the school dormitory for a while. In the evenings, you can come and stay here, and during the day when you have school, I¡¯ll arrange for a driver to pick you up and drop you off."


    "Really? That means you can teach me every day?"


    "Yes, I also want you to master this Innate Vital Energy soon, otherwise it feels like a waste."


    Jiang Ningxiang smiled sweetly, "Okay, I¡¯ll come here every day from now on. My classmates will be so jealous."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Brother Li now makes you a promise, if you always help Brother Li, this place will be your home."


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face suddenly blushed.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, realizing Jiang Ningxiang had misunderstood, and quickly explained, "I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Look, we have Shanshan, Xiaofei, and also Mengfei who all live here frequently. What I mean is, you will be just like them."


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue shyly and said, "Brother Li, you really scared me, I thought you..."


    "Hehe, do you think Brother Li is that kind of person?"


    "I know Brother Li is not... but... still so many sisters-in-law."


    "You¡¯re getting mischievous now."


    Li Yifei is now increasingly fond of Jiang Ningxiang, and her attitude also pleases him a lot. If such a gem were taken by someone else, he would regret it immensely.


    The two people he encountered that day, the investigation results came out. The film company indeed had two people by those names, but the photos were absolutely not of the two people Li Yifei saw. Obviously, those two were just impersonating the identities of the two from the company.


    These two were even more mysterious, making Li Yifei uneasy. After thinking, he called Old Master Su. The old man was clearly busy and didn¡¯t pick up immediately, calling Li Yifei back in the evening.


    "Kid, what¡¯s up?"


    "I just wanted to have a chat."


    "Don¡¯t flatter me, I know you; would you even remember me if you didn¡¯t want something?"


    "Hehe, I do need a favor actually."


    "I knew it. Let¡¯s hear it, this must be no small matter."


    "It¡¯s like this, I want to meet the expert we saw that day at the senior official¡¯s place. Can you arrange it?"


    "You want to see him? What for?"


    Li Yifei straightened his attitude and said seriously, "Grandpa, there are some things about kung fu that I don¡¯t understand, and I¡¯d like to seek his guidance."


    "I see... I can¡¯t promise anything, but I will inquire for you, and I¡¯ll call you whether it works out or not."


    Li Yifei eagerly said, "Great, I¡¯ll be counting on you grandpa. I believe with you handling it, success is certain."


    The old man then seriously said, "Don¡¯t butter me up. Actually, I can¡¯t guarantee this. Those people are very idiosyncratic; even my influence might not sway them, so I can only try and ask."


    "Alright then, but I still hope it works out. This is about the development of the Li family, as I¡¯ve noticed some adversaries with incredibly high skill levels. If I don¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll sooner or later fall to their hands."


    "Naughty boy, it¡¯s not that grim. Alright, I¡¯ll handle this quickly. Besides, if you have time, bring Mengxin back for a visit; you whisked away my granddaughter, and I haven¡¯t been able to see her often."


    "Sure, I¡¯ll take her to visit you soon."


    For this matter, Li Yifei took it very seriously. He now needed to better understand experts in Innate Vital Energy. Xu Shanshan was such an expert, but even she didn¡¯t understand it herself, whereas those hidden super experts might, and understanding from them could better equipping Li Yifei to deal with such formidable foes. He might even help enhance Xu Shanshan in the process.

 Chapter 1150 - 1196: Super Expert

    Chapter 1150: Chapter 1196: Super ExpertThree days later, Li Yifei had already arrived in Capital City and was sitting in a tranquil courtyard with the pinnacle expert he had met before. The two were seated at a small wooden table which held a teapot and two cups. Both settled into their rattan chairs, the atmosphere was one of leisure.


    The elderly man poured two cups of tea and said, "This is top-grade Red Robe Tea, which even I seldom enjoy throughout the year. Not bad at all, this will do nicely for my annual indulgence."


    The tea was a gift from Li Yifei to the elder, and it was evidently the right choice; the elder¡¯s attitude while brewing the tea was quite cordial.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Hehe, if Master Murong likes it, I can get some for you every year."


    The elder¡¯s name was Murong Yuanqing. He glanced at Li Yifei and said, "Such a superb Red Robe Tea is not something one can acquire even with money. For tea lovers, this is more precious than gold. You¡¯ve given me such a fine gift, clearly you must be asking for something in return."


    Li Yifei nodded and respectfully said, "Indeed, I¡¯ve recently encountered a few people who possess Innate Vital Energy. I know next to nothing about this, so I was hoping to learn more from you."


    Murong Yuanqing frowned slightly and asked, "People with Innate Vital Energy, and there¡¯s several of them? Are you sure?"


    Li Yifei hesitated, then honestly replied, "My sister-in-law currently possesses Innate Vital Energy. I also know a young girl named Jiang Ningxiang who has it too, but she has never learned how to use it. A few days ago, I encountered another two individuals, a young man and woman. Upon seeing Jiang Ningxiang, they immediately discerned her Innate Vital Energy and showed an interest in recruiting her. They pretended to be scouts from a film company, but after I investigated, their identities turned out to be entirely false."


    Murong Yuanqing took the teacup, sniffed it, and praised, "Indeed a good tea."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. They were discussing serious matters, yet this old man was engrossed in tasting tea. However, Li Yifei also understood that these experts often had their peculiarities, so he could only wait patiently.


    Murong Yuanqing took another sip of tea, squinting his eyes in enjoyment for a moment before finally saying, "Innate Vital Energy is generally a matter of fate, out of reach for most. But once Innate Vital Energy is present, as long as one can awaken it through appropriate methods, that person is bound to become a top-notch expert. With your current abilities, if you encounter a true Innate Expert, defeat is certain."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, I¡¯m aware of that. My sister-in-law¡¯s strength is already comparable to mine, and after a period of time, I surely won¡¯t be her match."


    "Since you know that, why come to me?" Murong Yuanqing took another sip of tea and looked at Li Yifei with a smile.


    Li Yifei also gently sipped his tea and asked, "Master Murong, are you an Innate Expert then?"


    Murong Yuanqing shook his head and replied, "I¡¯m not that lucky. Innate Vital Energy is extremely rare, maybe one in a million, and many people with such a constitution end up leading mediocre lives without ever meeting someone who understands it."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up and he said, "So, Master Murong is not of Innate Vital Energy yet possesses such strength, that sets my mind at ease." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Yuanqing looked at Li Yifei, laughing suddenly, "You lad, don¡¯t tell me you came just to find some mental balance?"


    Li Yifei proudly smiled and said, "Indeed, if a top-notch expert like Master Murong relied on Innate Vital Energy, then I¡¯d probably lose the confidence to strive further. However, since you have achieved such strength without Innate Vital Energy, it means that as long as I work hard, one day I can reach your level. Innate Vital Energy is nothing to fear."


    "Good lad, I like your spirit. As a martial practitioner, whether in adversity or prosperity, maintaining steadfast confidence is too important."


    "Thank you for your praise, Master Murong. Might I inquire if you¡¯d be interested in teaching me a few moves?"


    "Haha, I¡¯ve accepted your gift, and one should not be ungrateful for what they¡¯ve received. If I don¡¯t teach you a few things, you might talk poorly of me in the future. Let¡¯s not waste the tea; after we finish, we¡¯ll proceed."


    Li Yifei was overjoyed. Apart from the guidance he received from a few former captains of the Flying Hawk Squad during the first two years upon his arrival, for the following years, he had virtually no rivals. Apart from instructing others, nobody could teach him anymore. Now, having the opportunity to once again seek instruction as a student felt indescribably wonderful.


    After finishing the pot of tea, Murong Yuanqing stood up and said, "Come at me with an attack, use all your strength. Let¡¯s see just how powerful the ¡¯Golden Eagle,¡¯ feared by all nations around the world, truly is."


    Li Yifei stood opposite Murong Yuanqing, cupped his hand in the other before his chest, and said respectfully, "Mr. Murong, the young man has offended you."


    Li Yifei had no idea about the strength of the Murong Yuanqing standing in front of him, so at this moment, he held nothing back and quickly adjusted himself to the best state, stepping forward with his right foot, exhaled with a shout, and delivered a Solar Plex punch straight toward Murong Yuanqing¡¯s chest.


    This was one of the most basic moves. Anyone with a bit of martial skill could easily avoid it. However, it also depended on who executed the move. With Li Yifei using all his strength, every part of the opponent¡¯s body was enveloped in the power of his punch. If their strength were slightly inferior, they would feel an overwhelming pressure and would have to brace against it head-on to counteract this force.


    "Good!" Murong Yuanqing exclaimed loudly, with his left hand behind his back and his right hand shaped like a palm, directly meeting Li Yifei¡¯s fist.


    Li Yifei¡¯s punch landed on Murong Yuanqing¡¯s palm, but the immense power of his own fist suddenly felt like it had been cast into the boundless sea, swallowed up in an instant.


    Li Yifei was shocked. This technique of neutralizing force was really strong. He had also practiced Tai Chi, which he was rather good at. When he fought Crazy Satan to the bitter end for the first time, he used Tai Chi. It could also be said that Tai Chi was Li Yifei¡¯s strongest technique. But his Tai Chi was clearly inferior to Murong Yuanqing¡¯s method of neutralizing force.


    After the first exchange, Li Yifei could already tell how strong Murong Yuanqing was. He became even more unrestrained, immediately using all of his best moves to attack Murong Yuanqing.


    At first, Murong Yuanqing was still able to handle it with ease, but as he continued to defend without attacking, it did start to wear him out a little. Before long, he had to use both hands, and after Li Yifei had exhausted all his moves, Murong Yuanqing had broken into a sweat as well.


    "You sneaky kid, indeed have some skills. It¡¯s been a long time since someone has forced me to sweat," said Murong Yuanqing as he sat down and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue.


    At this time, Li Yifei was also sweating profusely, truly invigorated by the bout. Such an unrestrained exhibition of all his skills was a rare opportunity, leaving even his bones feeling more relaxed.


    "Mr. Murong, you are really too strong." Li Yifei gestured a thumbs up to Murong Yuanqing, sincerely admiring him.


    Murong Yuanqing began to prepare tea again, speaking while he did so, "Actually, in terms of moves and combat ability, you are already stronger than me."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, "Mr. Murong, you are..."


    Murong Yuanqing smiled faintly and said, "I¡¯m not consoling you, I¡¯m telling the truth. Old fellows like us have mostly not practiced our hands for many years, and we are more focused on nurturing our character. Our ability to fight has degraded quite a bit, and what you lack now is True Qi. Your True Qi is insufficient, and that¡¯s why many of your moves can¡¯t unleash their full power."


    This statement stirred up excitement in Li Yifei. Things like True Qi were not well understood even by the former leaders of the Flying Hawk Squad. Li Yifei¡¯s current method of practicing True Qi was very incomplete, being something everyone had researched and revised together. Yet, Murong Yuanqing was clearly someone who truly knew the methods of cultivating True Qi.


    Murong Yuanqing continued, "When you sparred with me just now, your True Qi was strong but impure. You must understand, if two people¡¯s Meridians are trained similarly and can store about the same amount of True Qi, the purer the True Qi, the stronger the strength."


    Li Yifei listened attentively to every word Murong Yuanqing said, regarding them as precious truths. He did not expect to receive further guidance from Murong Yuanqing in the future, so he had to grasp this opportunity, to remember and to understand without interjecting.


    Murong Yuanqing, seeing Li Yifei¡¯s extreme seriousness, nodded with satisfaction and said, "However, it¡¯s not that simple to improve True Qi. It requires one¡¯s own strong perception, as well as relentless cultivation, to make your True Qi stronger and purer. Of course, there is also another good method."


    At this point, Murong Yuanqing smiled at Li Yifei and said, "To be honest, there haven¡¯t been many people over the years who have really moved me. But you, kid, are to my liking. I¡¯ll teach you my insights concerning True Qi."


    Li Yifei was stunned, then overwhelmed with excitement. He had only hoped to gain some guidance from Murong Yuanqing, but he did not expect that Murong Yuanqing would actually impart such important knowledge to him, becoming almost like a master to him. He stood up, ready to kneel down and acknowledge Murong Yuanqing as his teacher.


    But Murong Yuanqing extended his hand to prevent Li Yifei, saying with a stern face, "I have sworn an oath not to take on any more disciples. The knowledge I¡¯m teaching you does not come without a condition. When the time comes, you¡¯ll need to do something for me."


    Seeing Murong Yuanqing so resolute, Li Yifei did not kneel but gave a deep bow instead, saying, "Please speak, Mr. Murong. As long as it is within my power, I will surely help you accomplish it."

 Chapter 1151 - 1197: There Really Are Quite a Few Strong People

    Chapter 1151: Chapter 1197: There Really Are Quite a Few Strong People"This matter isn¡¯t very important, it¡¯s just a knot in my heart from this lifetime. I once accepted a disciple, but at that time I misjudged his character and taught him all my skills. Only to discover later that his character was poor. I wanted to cripple his martial arts, but he unexpectedly poisoned my tea when I was unguarded. By then, his skills were nearly equal to mine, and even though I realized in time, I was still slightly affected by the poison, allowing him to wound me and he fled."


    Li Yifei coughed dryly and said, "This sounds like something out of a novel, just like Xiao Yaozi and Ding Chunqiu in ¡¯Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.¡¯"


    Murong Yuanqing smiled slightly and said, "Yes, it¡¯s really melodramatic by today¡¯s standards. Since then, I have been unable to locate my disciple, unlike Ding Chunqiu. The more it is like this, the more I worry. With his abilities, it¡¯s certain he didn¡¯t die that time, and with his character, he definitely won¡¯t go into hiding quietly. I always feel he is planning something major, and once he emerges, he could bring great harm to society."


    Li Yifei looked at Murong Yuanqing and asked, "Does the master mean that I should also find him and kill him?"


    Murong Yuanqing shook his head and replied, "No, there are still many strong figures in this world; he is not invincible. As long as he commits evil, there will be others to act against him. I merely want you to convey a message to him."


    "What message?" This request piqued Li Yifei¡¯s curiosity greatly.


    "Qingcheng Mountain, Mist and Sunset Cave, Nine Palaces Gen!"


    "Just these nine words?"


    "Yes, just these nine words."


    Li Yifei repeated it several times, feeling it must signify a place, but he had no clue about its exact meaning. Since Murong Yuanqing did not ask further, Li Yifei did not pursue it.


    "By the way, I should at least know the name of this disciple, right?"


    "He was an orphan with no name; he took my surname. I named him Murong Zheng. Unfortunately, as the saying goes ¡¯opposites react,¡¯ I named him Zheng (righteous), yet he chose a crooked path. I¡¯m guessing he has long since changed his name and appearance to match his habits. The only sure way to identify him would be by a particular trait in one of his moves," Murong Yuanqing sighed and stood up.


    Li Yifei also quickly stood up. Murong Yuanqing slowly demonstrated a move and said, "This move is called Dragon-Tiger Slash. It means that when facing a dragon or tiger, you can still strike them down. As long as one¡¯s True Qi is sufficient, its power is indeed immense."


    Li Yifei watched the Dragon-Tiger Slash intently, careful not to miss anything. This was an opportunity to learn from a super master, and any oversight would be a lifetime regret.


    "This move, you must learn it carefully. For now, this move will be of great help to you. When facing an opponent of the same level, this move can definitely give you a significant advantage."


    Li Yifei thought Murong Yuanqing was just showing him the move, but it turned out he was really teaching him. He quickly said, "Thank you, master, for your guidance."


    Following that, Murong Yuanqing taught Li Yifei the move in detail. Apart from the outward form, the key was the coordination with True Qi. Although it was just one move, and even for an expert like Li Yifei, it took over half an hour to fully grasp.


    "Not bad, not bad. When I first learned this move, it took me half a day. This clearly shows your talent is truly top-notch," Murong Yuanqing praised.


    Li Yifei humbly replied, "It¡¯s all thanks to the master¡¯s excellent teaching."


    "Ha, that also has some truth. My master wasn¡¯t very good at teaching disciples," Murong Yuanqing stroked his beard, then added, "The main reason I taught you this move is actually to enable you to recognize Murong Zheng." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This move can identify him?"


    "Yes, when you encounter a master, you will inevitably use this move. Many masters have different countermeasures, but there is one person who has a unique way of countering. He will surely first sidestep and take a step back, then kick out with his right leg aiming for your knees, followed by chopping at your right arm with his left hand. This is the best method to break this move, and only a person deeply proficient in Dragon-Tiger Slash would counter thus, and that person must be Murong Zheng without a doubt."


    The two demonstrated again, and Li Yifei realized that this powerful move had its counters too.


    Moreover, if countered this way, he would likely be severely injured on the spot.


    Murong Yuanqing smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯ll teach you another counter-move. If the opponent uses this method to counter, you use this move I¡¯m about to show you to counter back, and that will surely injure him. In fact, the previous move was bait, the real killing move is this next one."


    Then, Murong Yuanqing taught Li Yifei another move, linked to the previous one. This move was to be used when the opponent tried to counter the first move, effectively setting them up to be struck. The subtlety involved was something Li Yifei had never encountered before.


    This made Li Yifei respect Murong Yuanqing¡¯s martial arts mastery even more. He realized he had truly underestimated his own narrow experience before.


    It took another half an hour, and Li Yifei learned another move. He really wanted to learn more from Murong Yuanqing, but Murong Yuanqing clearly had no intention of teaching further, and Li Yifei could only give up.


    Seeing that Li Yifei was somewhat disappointed, Murong Yuanqing smiled slightly and said, "A move is just an external strength, these things you will be able to understand on your own in the future. A true master sees moves as just a means, reaching a certain level, moves become a constraint instead. Winning without moves, that is what a true master is."


    "Winning without moves? That sounds like something only found in martial arts novels, right?"


    "Not so. Although martial arts novels are a product of imagination, some ideas in them are quite sensible. When you are confined by specific moves, you are definitely not a true master. A true master, in every movement you make, can already predict your actions and see where your weaknesses lie. Therefore, they directly target those weaknesses, using moves in such situations actually puts them at a disadvantage."


    Li Yifei carefully chewed over Murong Yuanqing¡¯s words, feeling a sense of enlightenment, but truly understanding them would still require some time.


    "So now I will teach you the most important method of cultivating True Qi, which is what you need to improve most right now."


    Li Yifei respectfully said, "Yes, I understand."


    Murong Yuanqing smiled and nodded, clearly satisfied that his student was teachable.


    Li Yifei stayed with Murong Yuanqing for three days. During these days, Li Yifei experienced a qualitative leap. Although his strength had not significantly improved for the moment, the significance was far greater than any immediate improvement. Previously, Li Yifei¡¯s skill was at a standstill, but now it¡¯s as if he¡¯s standing at the base of a pole again, and how high he climbs depends on his efforts, hence the future is full of limitless possibilities.


    During these three days, not only did Li Yifei learn a lot from Murong Yuanqing, but they also became close friends.


    During a break, Li Yifei asked something he was curious about, "Mr. Murong, are there many masters like you in the world?"


    Murong Yuanqing squinted his eyes, seemingly lost in memories, and said slowly, "In our country, there are about five people like me. Initially, we even gave ourselves nicknames like those in Jin Yong¡¯s novels. Guess what they call us?"


    "You can¡¯t mean Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar, Central Divine?"


    "Haha, close. We also read Jin Yong¡¯s novels, and indeed, we found the titles fitting, though we are not named exactly like that: Eastern Madman, Western Scholar, Southern Hero, Northern Drifter, Central Mystery."


    "That... doesn¡¯t sound as imposing as in Jin Yong¡¯s novels."


    "Yes, it¡¯s just for fun. Can you guess which one I am?"


    "You, I feel like you should be the Western Scholar."


    "Exactly smart. Among us, the strengths of east, south, west, and north are indeed similar, and every year, one of us takes turns staying in Capital City as promised to our leaders."


    "Oh, I see."


    "As for Central Mystery, because this person is too mysterious, we don¡¯t even know who they are. They always cover their face with a black veil and wear a mask. We don¡¯t even know if they are a man or a woman."


    "No way?"


    "We have always wanted to solve this mystery. Even though we have fought with them, none of us could force them to remove their mask, and it¡¯s clear they weren¡¯t exerting their full strength. Only if the four of us join together, otherwise this mystery will remain unsolved."


    Li Yifei exclaimed in surprise, "There¡¯s indeed such a strong person."


    Murong Yuanqing sighed softly, "Yes, the path of martial arts truly has no end, life is too short, no one knows where the real peak is. But from what I see, they must possess Innate Vital Energy. Among the four of us, we are already one step behind in terms of Innate."


    Just then, Li Yifei remembered something and said, "According to what you said, possessing Innate Vital Energy is extremely rare, and even fewer know about it. Then the two people I encountered that day were indeed somewhat strange."


    "That¡¯s right, though it¡¯s not surprising. Even if someone knows about it, possessing Innate Vital Energy only gives one an advantage. Whether they can truly succeed still depends on many opportunities."


    Li Yifei acknowledged with an "oh," but he couldn¡¯t help feeling that the appearance of those two people was somewhat odd.

 Chapter 1152 - 1198: What a coincidence!

    Chapter 1152: Chapter 1198: What a coincidence!"Besides the five people within our country, many other countries also have masters whose skills are not much different from ours. I¡¯ve met two from Japan, and two from Korea. I haven¡¯t encountered any from the other countries, but other people among us have. Hence, there are indeed many masters in this world. It¡¯s just that those of us here now generally do not get involved in national affairs, so you¡¯ve never come across them."


    After saying this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly relieved. If he had encountered such masters in the past, he probably wouldn¡¯t know how many times he would have died by now.


    Three days later, Li Yifei arrived at the airport, ready to head back to Mile City. These three days had been like a dream to him, yielding such immense gains that he was still immersed in the profound mysteries of Martial Arts. While walking, he didn¡¯t pay attention to his surroundings.


    "Ouch!" Following a soft exclamation, a woman bumped into Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei instinctively reached out to steady her arm, helping her regain balance, and then both of them looked at each other, taken aback. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yifei!"


    "Aoki Reiko!"


    Li Yifei had almost forgotten about Aoki Reiko during this time. He really didn¡¯t expect to run into her at the airport today.


    Seeing Li Yifei here, Aoki Reiko was also quite surprised and said, "Yifei, what a coincidence to see you here again."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s really a coincidence. By the way, haven¡¯t you returned to your country?"


    "I stayed in my country for a while, but now I¡¯ve grown very fond of Huaxia, so I¡¯ve come back."


    "So you are..."


    "I¡¯m going to Mile City."


    "You¡¯re going to Mile City?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    Aoki Reiko narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Does Yifei mind?"


    Realizing his reaction had been a bit over the top, Li Yifei quickly said, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwelcoming, but it surprises me that you¡¯re visiting Mile City. There are many wonderful places in Huaxia, and Mile City really isn¡¯t one of the top choices."


    "Hehe, I don¡¯t know why, but I have this mysterious feeling that I could find something I¡¯ve lost in Mile City, so I still want to visit."


    Li Yifei internally broke out in a sweat. The ¡¯something lost¡¯ Aoki Reiko was referring to was naturally his Mu Fei identity. People say that women¡¯s intuition is unreliable, but Aoki Reiko¡¯s intuition was uncannily accurate.


    However, Li Yifei certainly couldn¡¯t show any sign of this and instead said excitedly, "Then that¡¯s an honor for our Mile City."


    "Thank you, Yifei. I¡¯m not familiar with Mile City, so I¡¯ll have to rely on you to look after me." Saying this, Aoki Reiko bowed to Li Yifei.


    "You¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s what I should do. It¡¯s almost time; we should go through security."


    After passing through the security check, they chatted briefly before starting to board the plane. Li Yifei didn¡¯t have anyone book his ticket this time, so he only got a seat in the economy class. To his surprise, Aoki Reiko also bought an economy ticket, and her seat happened to be right next to his. It seemed like whatever he feared would happen, there was nowhere to hide.


    "What a coincidence?" they said simultaneously, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Both of them carried only simple luggage. Li Yifei placed the luggage on the overhead shelf, then let Aoki Reiko sit by the window while he took the middle seat.


    At the moment, the cabin was rather chaotic with everyone finding their seats and settling in. Li Yifei and Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t talk much. When things quieted down, they exchanged only a few simple words. Despite having not seen each other for a long time, they didn¡¯t really have any common topics for the time being. Aoki Reiko seemed to be in low spirits and after a while, she apologized, saying she wanted to rest, and then closed her eyes.


    This actually relieved Li Yifei. What he feared the most now was having an extensive conversation with Aoki Reiko. She was very sensitive, and who knew which sentence might reveal his secrets.


    Not long after the plane took off, Aoki Reiko opened her eyes and apologetically said to Li Yifei, "I need to step out for a moment. Could Yifei please explain for me?"


    Li Yifei nodded and spoke to another man beside him in Chinese, who glanced at Aoki Reiko before moving aside to let her through.


    Five or six minutes later, Aoki Reiko returned and was sideways, trying to get back to her seat. When she reached Li Yifei, the plane suddenly underwent severe turbulence, causing Aoki Reiko to lose her balance and fall into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    This was so sudden that Li Yifei had no time to prepare; Aoki Reiko fell fully into his embrace.


    "Ah!" Aoki Reiko let out a soft cry, then instantly sprang up, but... just as she did, the plane jerked again, and she once again... fell into Li Yifei¡¯s arms.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is currently encountering turbulence, which may cause some bumps. Please remain seated, fasten your seatbelts, and refrain from walking to avoid injury."


    The pleasant voice of the flight attendant came through the speakers, and the plane continued to shake incessantly, as if passing through a particularly strong air current. Aoki Reiko tried to stand up, but each attempt ended with her falling back into Li Yifei¡¯s arms due to the turbulence.


    Li Yifei was frankly speechless. It was as if what he feared most had happened. He had wanted to keep his distance from Aoki Reiko, and yet here he was with such close contact. Could it be that fate was on Aoki Reiko¡¯s side?


    If Aoki Reiko simply sat still on Li Yifei¡¯s lap, there wouldn¡¯t be a significant problem, but her constant getting up and sitting down made every contact intensely challenging. After all, Li Yifei was a man with normal desires, and even more so than an average person. Despite not tending to such thoughts during his days in the Capital City, Aoki Reiko¡¯s stimulation had quickly elicited a reaction from him.


    "Miss Reiko, please, I beg you not to stand up anymore." Li Yifei meant for her to stop troubling him, as it only made him feel more uncomfortable.


    However, Aoki Reiko completely misunderstood Li Yifei¡¯s intention. She felt the change in his body, and upon hearing what he said, she thought Li Yifei was trying to take advantage of the situation. She had only been intimate with Mu Fei in her life and had never gotten so close to any other man. She was both embarrassed and indignant; if it weren¡¯t for being on a plane, she might have slapped Li Yifei.


    Nevertheless, Aoki Reiko managed to grasp the situation; the more anxious she became, the more she contacted Li Yifei. So she quickly grabbed the seat in front of her and shifted her body forward, settling down to the side of Li Yifei¡¯s knee, minimizing further contact with him.


    Li Yifei finally felt a bit relieved, but the sensation he had just experienced was indeed intoxicating. Although Aoki Reiko¡¯s posterior was not large, it was quite sensual. Now sitting on his knees, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene on the naval ship when he had seen Aoki Reiko completely naked.


    The two maintained this awkward position, and the man next to them looked enviously at Li Yifei, wishing the turbulence had started earlier. Then, perhaps the beautiful woman would have been seated on his lap, but now he could only watch with longing eyes.


    When the turbulence finally subsided, Aoki Reiko immediately stood up, moved to the adjacent seat, and sat down without looking at Li Yifei, her face clearly showing displeasure.


    Li Yifei noticed Aoki Reiko¡¯s apparent anger. He cleared his throat, intending to explain, but after hesitating, he decided against it. If Aoki Reiko had a bad impression of him, it might not be such a bad thing, keeping their future entanglements to a minimum.


    The rest of the journey passed in silence, with Aoki Reiko not speaking to Li Yifei until they disembarked from the plane.


    Li Yifei would¡¯ve preferred to just walk away and distance himself from Aoki Reiko, but he thought it might seem too deliberate. As he walked through the passageway, he still spoke to Aoki Reiko: "I¡¯m really sorry about what happened just now. I apologize."


    A flush appeared on Aoki Reiko¡¯s face as she turned and glared at Li Yifei, "You do this, does your wife know?"


    Li Yifei forced a smile, "I really didn¡¯t mean to earlier. If I say it was a normal physiological response, would you believe me?"


    "Hmph, if a person doesn¡¯t harbor filthy thoughts, they won¡¯t have filthy reactions."


    "Since you believe that, then I have nothing to explain," Li Yifei shrugged, then said no more.


    The corridor was long; after walking for five minutes, they still hadn¡¯t reached the exit. Seeing that Li Yifei was not offering any further explanation, Aoki Reiko began to reflect on the incident. If Li Yifei had truly intended to take advantage of her, he could have used the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist or more, but Li Yifei had not done so. It seemed everything was due to the turbulence, and Li Yifei made no superfluous movements.


    As a Japanese woman, although Aoki Reiko had never engaged in genuine intimate behaviors with men, she was trained on serving men. She understood men¡¯s reactions in such situations better than a married woman might, and she knew that Li Yifei¡¯s response was indeed normal.


    Li Yifei had helped her, and he wasn¡¯t to blame for the situation. Her treatment of him was indeed unfair. After walking a few more meters, Aoki Reiko finally turned around and apologetically said to Li Yifei, "I¡¯m sorry, I overthought earlier. Yifei Jun, please forgive my attitude just now."


    Li Yifei was taken aback, then smiled, "It¡¯s okay. I thought you would be angry for a long time."


    Aoki Reiko gave a toothy grin, sincerely adding, "It was just an accident. If I blamed you for that, I indeed wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for me."


    Li Yifei admired her inwardly. He might not like the Japanese as a nation, but a Japanese woman like Aoki Reiko who could openly and sincerely admit her mistakes when she realized she was wrong was indeed a rare and excellent character trait.

 Chapter 1153 - 1199: Awkwardness Resolved

    Chapter 1153: Chapter 1199: Awkwardness ResolvedSince the girl has already done so much, Li Yifei, being a man, couldn¡¯t be petty. He hurriedly said, "Miss Reiko, I was the one who intruded upon you, yet you¡¯re apologizing to me. This makes me feel even more uncomfortable."


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s face blushed even more as she said, "Yifei, can we not talk about this anymore?"


    "Of course," Li Yifei chuckled, quickly changing the subject. "Where did you plan on going this time? I¡¯ll take you there."


    Aoki Reiko brushed her hair from her forehead. Having been trained in etiquette from a young age, even such a simple gesture was extremely graceful. She said, "I want to find a hotel first, and later I plan to rent or buy a place."


    "So you really plan to stay here for a long time?" Li Yifei was genuinely surprised.


    "I like it here. Even if I don¡¯t stay all the time, I can visit often. Having my own place here would be convenient. Yifei, could you help me with this?"


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Of course, no problem. I have a spare house, if you don¡¯t mind, you could live there."


    "Wouldn¡¯t that be inconvenient?"


    "Not at all, it¡¯s my old house and no one has lived there for a while now."


    "That would save a lot of trouble. Why not sell that house to me then?"


    "No need for that, we¡¯re friends after all, and I should be the one hosting you."


    "Well...then I¡¯ll at least pay you rent."


    "You can do as you like. If I didn¡¯t accept any payment, it would make you uncomfortable."


    "Thank you, Yifei."


    Both of them exchanged a smile. For both of them, money wasn¡¯t a concern. This arrangement allowed both sides to be at ease, avoiding owing each other favors over a house. For a woman like Aoki Reiko, owing someone a favor could be a life-changing event for an ordinary person.


    Leaving the airport terminal, there was a driver waiting outside. Currently, everyone at home was busy, and the company was large, now having many drivers made things much more convenient.


    Li Yifei directly took Aoki Reiko to his old residential area. He said, "I have a few properties here. One is a two-story interior, and there are a few with a smaller square footage. Which one would you like to live in?"


    Aoki Reiko quickly responded, "I¡¯ll live in the smaller one. It¡¯s just me, and I don¡¯t want to spend too much time cleaning."


    "Alright."


    Li Yifei took Aoki Reiko to the place he and Xu Yingying used to live. It was quite well equipped, and Aoki Reiko wouldn¡¯t need to bring much.


    Li Yifei let Aoki Reiko into the living room and said, "This is where my wife used to live. After moving out, we never sold it. This place holds many beautiful memories of us."


    "Would that destroy those memories?"


    "Not at all, we always have to look forward. We can¡¯t live in the past forever. So, do you like it here?"


    Aoki Reiko looked around and nodded repeatedly, "This place is very nice. I really like it."


    "That¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll have someone clean up for you later."


    "No need, I can clean it myself."


    "You?" Li Yifei looked at Aoki Reiko somewhat skeptically.


    Aoki Reiko smiled sweetly, "Do you think I can¡¯t clean?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin, "Yes, cleaning somehow doesn¡¯t seem like something you should be doing."


    "Well, that¡¯s not necessarily true. I find cleaning my own place to be a joyful thing."


    "This gives me a whole new perspective on Japanese women."


    "Really? What was your impression of Japanese women before?"


    "I thought that with societal changes, Japanese women would go to work and abandon many of your traditions. But in you, I seem to see those traditional virtues of Japanese women once again."


    Aoki Reiko chuckled lightly, "Are those the virtues of exclusively serving men?"


    "Well... now that you mention it, it seems like those are virtues more for men."


    "Yeah, is this kind of a restriction for us women? But I¡¯ve noticed that you Huaxia women seem to have handled it quite well, mostly liberated."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Liberated in what way?"


    "I see that women in Huaxia are really impressive. I often see women losing their temper, which is quite rare in Japan."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "You¡¯re right, our Huaxia women are indeed becoming more and more formidable."


    After a couple of jokes, the awkwardness on the plane seemed to have dissipated. Li Yifei looked around and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this yourself?"


    "Yes, but if there¡¯s anything that shouldn¡¯t be moved, you¡¯d better tell me."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "There¡¯s nothing special, just some unwanted clothes. Since no one was living here before, they were just kept there. Now that you¡¯re going to live here, feel free to throw them away. You can handle everything in here."


    "That settles it then. You go ahead with your work. You should have gone home first after coming back, but here you are helping me first. If your wives... knew about this, there might be some unnecessary misunderstandings."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Then I won¡¯t help you anymore, I¡¯m heading back. If there¡¯s anything, just give me a call. You have my number, right?"


    "Sorry, could you give me a business card again? I had your number saved on my phone, but I lost it."


    Li Yifei took out a business card, "No worries if you lost it, you know the company I work for here. You can just come and find me directly in the office."


    "Thank you." Aoki Reiko took the business card and smiled gratefully at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei left the place. Regarding Aoki Reiko, he really didn¡¯t know how to properly handle the situation, sometimes he felt sorry for her as she had traveled all the way to Huaxia, helpless and alone. All of this was caused by him masquerading as Mu Fei, so he held an undeniable responsibility. However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t want to admit it, knowing the kind of personality Aoki Reiko had, this might make her even more entangled and might even cause a lot of trouble for Li Yifei due to national interests.


    It was still early, so Li Yifei went back to the office first, where Su Yiyi was intently reviewing something. Hearing the door, she looked up, saw Li Yifei, and excitedly said, "You¡¯re back."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yeah, how¡¯s it going? Been very busy these last few days?"


    Su Yiyi immediately made a cup of tea for Li Yifei, and as he sat down, she began massaging his shoulders, "It¡¯s been alright. How did it go on your side?"


    Li Yifei leaned on Su Yiyi¡¯s chest and happily said, "Not bad, this trip to Capital City was greatly fruitful." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did you gain?"


    "Heh, I met a real master this time, someone much better than me. He taught me a lot of things, and now I can make a significant improvement."


    "I believe my husband will surpass him one day."


    Li Yifei laughingly patted Su Yiyi¡¯s hand, "That won¡¯t be easy, such a master is truly formidable. I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll surpass him, reaching his level feels like a distant thing."


    "Everything is up to human effort, and you¡¯re still young, there¡¯s plenty of time, let¡¯s take it slow."


    After chatting casually, Li Yifei started working, and Su Yiyi began discussing important matters of the past few days. These were handled by He Fangqing and Xu Yingying, and were mostly without issues, often even better managed than by Li Yifei.


    "Honey, there¡¯s one thing, although it¡¯s not big, it¡¯s quite troublesome. Sister Yingying and Sister Fangqing are both unsure how to deal with it."


    Li Yifei asked curiously, "What¡¯s so troubling that even they don¡¯t know how to handle?"


    "It¡¯s like this, remember Sister Xinyue¡¯s brother, Li Xuehai, who works at one of our subordinate companies?"


    Li Yifei immediately frowned, "Is he messing around over there?"


    "That¡¯s right, he was barely managing at the beginning, but within a few days, he started throwing your name around, acting all high and mighty, and the manager there is really troubled by him, but can¡¯t really interfere deeply. What¡¯s worse, after a while, he even meddled in the company¡¯s procurement and had some materials delivered that the company needed, but the materials were of poor quality and completely unusable. The manager there is very annoyed and now doesn¡¯t know what to do."


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, "That¡¯s just a scoundrel, absolutely worthless, tell the manager there to fire him immediately."


    Su Yiyi quickly said, "Honey, don¡¯t be impulsive, he is, after all, Sister Xinyue¡¯s brother. If we handle him directly like this, it won¡¯t look good for Sister Xinyue either. You should discuss it with Sister Xinyue first and then decide how to deal with it."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, "Alright, I¡¯ll talk to Xinyue about it tonight. Ah, this matter is definitely difficult for Xinyue, having such a brother must be really frustrating."


    Su Yiyi nodded, "Yes, so when dealing with this matter, be sure to discuss it carefully with Sister Xinyue and respect her opinion. Our family isn¡¯t short of that small amount of money."


    "It¡¯s not about the money, it¡¯s about not setting this precedent. If we let him do whatever he wants, others will surely follow suit in the future. With such a big company it would be chaos, so this matter needs to be dealt with, but how to manage Li Xuehai, we still need to think it through."


    Li Yifei found this matter quite troublesome. At the time he agreed to have Li Xuehai working at the company, Li Yifei thought it was a good idea. If Li Xuehai didn¡¯t perform well, he would simply fire him. However, now that it came to actually doing it, he realized it wasn¡¯t so easy to decide.

 Chapter 1154 - 1200: The Arrogant Li Xuehai

    Chapter 1154: Chapter 1200: The Arrogant Li XuehaiIn Yifei¡¯s study, only Li Yifei and Li Xinyue were present. Yifei did not involve others to save Xinyue¡¯s face. As one family, despite everyone being as close as sisters, even real sisters fight sometimes. Yifei still had to consider more¡ªto avoid any avoidable issues.


    "This jerk, I told you that he¡¯s not the type of person to help; helping him would definitely cause you all sorts of problems." After hearing Yifei¡¯s words, Xinyue immediately became very angry, her face ashen.


    Li Yifei steadied Li Xinyue¡¯s shoulders and asked her to sit down, saying, "Xinyue, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s better for us to think of a perfect solution to settle this matter."


    Tears suddenly streamed down Xinyue¡¯s face as she said, "How can it be perfect? He is my brother, and him being like this, what would everyone think of me?"


    Li Yifei gently patted Xinyue¡¯s shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry too much. Everyone is clear about this¡ªit¡¯s not your fault. If you were only concerned about protecting your brother, disregarding our family¡¯s situation, they might have opinions, but you always consider our family. It¡¯s just that you happen to have such a brother, who can blame you?"


    Xinyue sobbed and said, "I know they don¡¯t blame me, but that makes me feel even guiltier."


    Yifei tenderly wiped Xinyue¡¯s tears and said, "This isn¡¯t your fault; it¡¯s something you can¡¯t help. Don¡¯t be sad, we just need to think about how to deal with this now."


    Xinyue leaned weakly in Yifei¡¯s arms and said, "I really don¡¯t know, you decide what to do, no matter what, I¡¯ll support you."


    Yifei sighed. For him, Li Xuehai might be a stranger, but for Xinyue, that¡¯s still her brother. Even if she¡¯s dissatisfied with her brother, familial affection is still tough to sever. Moreover, this matter also puts her father in a difficult position, which is what Xinyue is most unsure about.


    "Xinyue, we have to deal with Xuehai for sure, and the company can definitely no longer keep him; otherwise, the impact would be really bad."


    "No problem, I¡¯ve said before he¡¯s not suitable; he¡¯s all talk and no action, always thinking of reaping without sowing."


    "But if we directly kick him out, I¡¯m afraid your stepmother and brother will go back to bothering your father at home, so I think it might be better to send Xuehai to the military."


    "To the military? Can he even go?"


    "He originally doesn¡¯t want to, but sometimes, he¡¯ll have to face special circumstances whether he wants to or not."


    "Ah? What should we do then?"


    Yifei gave a small smile, leaned into Xinyue¡¯s ear, and whispered.


    Xinyue listened, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, then finally said, "I can¡¯t believe you thought of that, but it should certainly work."


    "If you don¡¯t object, then I¡¯ll proceed that way. Sending him to the military is the best place for training. Even if he¡¯s a weakling, under that system, he¡¯ll have to toughen up if he doesn¡¯t want to be disciplined. This way, he might be better brought up."


    "Mhm, that would be best. If he really could be taught well, that would be better than anything else." Xinyue got excited at this point.


    "That¡¯s settled then, I¡¯ll arrange everything immediately, and we¡¯ll start tomorrow."


    The next day, Li Yifei arrived at the company Li Xuehai was part of. This company was a minor subsidiary under the Sun Nenghui company, with assets mere in the teens of millions and annual benefits less than a million. For Yifei, this was a negligible company, but since it was profitable, there was no need to discard it.


    This time, he came alone without bringing anyone else; he wanted to see what Xuehai had turned the place into.


    Yifei had never visited this company before, and the employees barely knew him, only aware that the company currently belonged to the Li Group.


    Upon arriving, Yifei strolled inside. This was a small trading company with just over thirty employees, occupying a floor of an office building. Yifei arrived slightly past 8:30 AM, which was already past the start of the workday and all employees should have been present.


    The female receptionist was very pretty. Seeing Li Yifei coming in, she quickly said politely, "Hello sir, this is Ocean Trading Company. May I help you with anything?"


    Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "I¡¯m here to see Li Xuehai."


    A flash of distaste crossed the receptionist¡¯s eyes, but she still smiled and said, "Li Xuehai has not yet arrived at the office. Could you please call him directly?"


    "Isn¡¯t it already past the start of the workday? Why hasn¡¯t he come yet?"


    The receptionist immediately said, "Sir, if you are handling business matters, we have excellent salespeople to serve you. If you are here for personal reasons to see Li Xuehai, it¡¯s better if you call his personal number."


    Yifei frowned slightly. From the receptionist¡¯s attitude, it was clear that Li Xuehai had already made everyone in the company dislike him, and they had even rejected the notion of him being part of the company.


    "Am I not allowed to do business with him?"


    The receptionist spoke calmly: "Sorry, sir, apart from Li Xuehai, every employee in our company is extremely serious and responsible. We make sure every client is satisfied."


    It was clear from her words that if Yifei insisted on doing business with Li Xuehai, the company would rather not have this deal.


    Li Yifei squinted his eyes and said, "It seems that Li Xuehai is quite unpopular in the company."


    "Sir, that¡¯s an internal matter of our company. If you are here to talk business, I will introduce you to a sales representative right away."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright then, introduce me to one."


    The receptionist immediately introduced a sales representative to Li Yifei, also a fiery lady named Hu Rui.


    Li Yifei feigned an interest in doing business with electronic components, and the sales representative earnestly started conversing with him. After a while, Li Yifei changed the subject and asked, "Miss Hu, may I ask why I can¡¯t do business with Li Xuehai?"


    "If you have other motives, that¡¯s a different story, but if you want to do genuine business, it¡¯s better not to deal with him."


    "Miss Hu, it seems a bit inappropriate to speak of your colleague this way, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Him? A colleague? That¡¯s laughable. Just because his sister has an affair with our head office¡¯s boss, he struts around here as if he¡¯s the manager. He doesn¡¯t have any real skills, just boasts all day. If he stays here any longer, I¡¯d think about changing jobs."


    Li Yifei laughed: "Miss Hu is really straightforward."


    Hu Rui pursed her lips, saying, "We workers just want to find a company where we can work comfortably. With someone like him stirring trouble, can the company be good?"


    "Why haven¡¯t I seen him yet?"


    "Him? With his kind of status, how can he just come to work anytime? He comes if he feels like it. If not, you wouldn¡¯t see him for days." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is really too much. Such a person is tarnishing the company¡¯s reputation. If it were me, I would have fired him long ago."


    "Forget it; his background is strong. Who could fire him? You have to keep a smile when you see him, otherwise, with just a word from him, it¡¯d be easy to fire us."


    "He¡¯s not even the manager, how can he fire you?"


    "He may not be the manager, but he acts even bigger than one. Ah, don¡¯t mention him anymore."


    After chatting with the two, Li Yifei got a more direct understanding of Li Xuehai¡¯s behavior here. He didn¡¯t just want to act on one-sided stories which is why he came here to investigate personally, also taking responsibility towards Li Xinyue. Seeing this situation, he understood that it really was necessary to fire Li Xuehai.


    At this time, noisy voices came from outside; Li Xuehai¡¯s voice was among them.


    Li Yifei immediately followed Hu Rui out of the office. There was already a crowd in the hallway; Li Yifei stood at the back, watching the situation unnoticed.


    In the center were three people: Li Xuehai, the beautiful receptionist, and a young man, who was glaring furiously at Li Xuehai while the receptionist was wiping her eyes, looking very wronged.


    "Li Xuehai, you scum!" The young man roared furiously, wanting to rush up and hit Li Xuehai, but the receptionist quickly held the young man back, urging, "Don¡¯t be rash, don¡¯t be rash."


    At this moment, Li Xuehai had a smug look on his face and said, "Wang Tao, I¡¯ve taken a liking to her, so what are you going to do about it?"


    "You bastard, you better stay away from Little Qing, or else I¡¯ll fight you to the end."


    "Please, with what will you fight me? Just with one word from me, you and Little Qing will have to get out. Just listen to me, and you can work here nicely."


    "Who do you think you are, thinking you can fire me?" Wang Tao was furious.


    "Who am I? Do you know who owns this company? It belongs to my brother-in-law. Why do I come here? To see how you all work. I decide who¡¯s good and who¡¯s not." At this moment, Li Xuehai was truly arrogant, looking around proudly and declaring, "You don¡¯t have to be unhappy; I can decide your fate. Whoever wants to work in this company has to listen to me obediently. If anyone disobeys, I will surely fire them."


    Everyone then had very unpleasant expressions, but all were furious yet dared not speak out. For them, having a job was hard-won, and no one wanted to lose it due to offending Li Xuehai.

 Chapter 1155 - 1201: Scram!

    Chapter 1155: Chapter 1201: Scram!"Fuck it, I¡¯ll just quit!" That guy named Wang Tao was also being stubborn at this point.


    The receptionist girl quickly grabbed his arm and whispered, "Little Tao, don¡¯t be impulsive, if we lose our jobs, how are we going to pay our mortgage?"


    Wang Tao¡¯s face instantly changed, his confidence deflated. He and the receptionist girl were a couple; they had registered for marriage and taken out a loan together to buy a house. After paying the mortgage every month, they barely had any savings left. Now, if they lost their jobs and couldn¡¯t find new ones in time, the mortgage would suffocate them.


    "Just why are you getting so worked up? I haven¡¯t done anything to her. It¡¯s just a joke, isn¡¯t it? I haven¡¯t actually laid a finger on her, heh heh." At this moment, Li Xuehai shamelessly burst out laughing.


    "Li Xuehai, have you had enough?" A middle-aged man approached, rage written all over his face.


    Li Xuehai looked at the middle-aged man and said with a sardonic tone, "Whoa, Manager Chen, what¡¯s the problem? I¡¯m just joking with colleagues for fun, livening up the company atmosphere."


    "Li Xuehai, this is a workplace, where everyone comes to work. What you¡¯re doing is completely disrupting everyone¡¯s normal work. I warn you, if you continue this nonsense, I will definitely report you to the higher-ups again."


    Li Xuehai scoffed disdainfully, "And what good will your report do? This company belongs to my brother-in-law, I can do whatever I want."


    "You... you..." Manager Chen shuddered with anger.


    "What¡¯s with you, you? Listen here, Manager Chen, you better not trouble me. You¡¯re no spring chicken; being a manager ain¡¯t easy. If you lose your job, it won¡¯t be easy to provide for your wife and kids."


    Li Xuehai, growing even more smug, said, "Let me tell you all, my brother-in-law already told me that he just wants me to gain some experience for now. Later on, he¡¯s going to give me a position, and he might even hand over the company to me. By then, you¡¯ll all be my subordinates. It would be wise to just do as I say, haha..."


    Everyone in the company was now extremely angry, but they were all too afraid to speak out. Li Yifei¡¯s face was particularly ugly. Even though he knew Li Xuehai was messing around here, he never imagined Li Xuehai could cause such a scene. At this moment, he stepped forward, eager to see what else Li Xuehai would say.


    But his arm was held back by someone; it was that salesman, Hu Rui, who whispered, "What are you going to do?"


    "Hmph, if you all don¡¯t dare to curse him, I will," Li Yifei said in a low voice.


    Hu Rui was startled and quickly replied, "Hey, please don¡¯t make trouble. If you provoke him, I might as well not even work here anymore."


    "Hmph, he¡¯s not capable of causing real trouble; I¡¯ll kick him out of the company in no time."


    "Kick him out? You¡¯ve got to be joking. His sister is the wife of our company¡¯s president. No one dares to mess with him. Just don¡¯t stir up more trouble for us. He¡¯s like a donkey, the more you provoke him, the more spirited he gets. If no one pays him any attention, he¡¯ll calm down after a while."


    "That¡¯s not okay either. Such a person is an absolute disaster in the company. I can¡¯t let the company be destroyed like this."


    "Man, who the hell are you, thinking you can kick him out?" Hu Rui looked at Li Yifei skeptically.


    Li Yifei just smiled faintly and said, "I¡¯m not that old yet."


    "That¡¯s just my catchphrase, no other meaning. Seriously, what¡¯s your role here? You¡¯re not one of his men, are you?" Hu Rui eyed Li Yifei warily.


    Li Yifei snorted, "I do have a bit of a relationship with him." Saying that, he shook off Hu Rui¡¯s hand and strode forward, shouting, "Li Xuehai, you¡¯ve got a lot of nerve."


    "Damn it, who¡¯s talking about me? Who dares to speak about me?" Li Xuehai didn¡¯t have much contact with Li Yifei and couldn¡¯t recognize his voice. When he heard someone talking about him, he immediately cursed out angrily.


    All the employees scattered in surprise at that moment, all looking toward the person who dared to directly challenge Li Xuehai.


    But before they could clearly see who it was, a dark figure suddenly leapt in front of Li Xuehai. Then there was a crisp snap¡ªa slap echoed as Li Xuehai staggered, having been slapped squarely across the face by that person.


    This shocked everyone present. Who was this? Who had the audacity to slap Li Xuehai across the face? Now they had truly stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest. Not only was that person going to be dealt with, but it might also implicate the rest of the company¡¯s staff. Everyone¡¯s expression turned extremely sour; all they could do now was wait and see how Li Xuehai would respond.


    Everyone thought that Li Xuehai would surely make a fuss at this time, but after being slapped, his face showed only a trace of anger at first, but then immediately a look of extreme terror.


    This stunned everyone. Li Xuehai had never been afraid of anyone in the company before. Who on earth was this person that could scare Li Xuehai so much?


    "Br-brother-in-law, why...why are you here?" Li Xuehai stammered, looking at Li Yifei, completely devoid of confidence, panic written all over his face.


    "Brother-in-law?" When these two words reached everyone¡¯s ears, they were all inexplicably shocked, because these words were always on Li Xuehai¡¯s lips whenever he appeared, and it was because of these words that no one in the company could do anything about him. Now that the actual brother-in-law had appeared.


    "Humph, you still remember me?" Li Yifei asked coldly.


    "This... brother-in-law, you are indeed my real brother-in-law, how could I not know? I just didn¡¯t recognize your voice just now, so I spoke nonsense. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, brother-in-law. Why have you come here? Please, come inside, let me make you some tea." Li Xuehai was all smiles, trying to ingratiate himself, yet his heart was pounding. He had no idea whether Li Yifei¡¯s slap was because of his curse words or because of everything he was doing here.


    "You¡¯re really something. I sent you to the company to get some experience, but you¡¯ve turned my company into a total mess. If I hadn¡¯t come, I¡¯m afraid it would take only a few days before you¡¯d run it into the ground."


    "No...no, I really am working hard here. I¡¯m... I¡¯m just learning to lead, so it¡¯s normal to scold them a bit, right?"


    "Bastard!" Li Yifei glared at him.


    Li Xuehai shivered with fright at Li Yifei¡¯s shout, with a pained expression he said, "Brother-in-law! I was wrong! I won¡¯t act recklessly ever again, please don¡¯t be angry, I beg you not to be angry."


    "Humph, I can¡¯t be bothered to stay mad at you. When you came here, I told you clearly: practice well here. But is this the way you practice? I see you¡¯re just not cut out for this, pack up your things and leave right away."


    "Ah, brother-in-law, where do you want me to go?"


    "Go wherever you want, I can¡¯t afford to employ a ¡¯master¡¯ like you." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother-in-law... you can¡¯t just kick me out. I just made a small mistake, can¡¯t I change?"


    "Get out!" Li Yifei suddenly roared, his eyes flashing coldly.


    Li Xuehai had a deep memory of that kind of glance. That one time at home when he beat up that guy from the county to a pulp, Li Yifei was really on fire. If he provoked him again now, he¡¯d likely get beaten up. Hurriedly he said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll leave, I¡¯ll leave," and then he dashed out in a very sorry state.


    The boy thought he had a good plan. Li Xinyue was now Li Yifei¡¯s woman, making him Li Yifei¡¯s brother-in-law. No matter what, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t do much to him. Later, he could just let his sister speak to Li Yifei, and he wouldn¡¯t have any problems ¨C these people are just employees after all, how could they compare to him, the brother-in-law.


    With Li Xuehai gone, the employees in the company looked at each other with no one speaking out. For them, seeing someone from the head office was rare, let alone expecting the President Li to come here.


    "President Li!" Manager Chen had at least seen Li Yifei before, and seeing Li Yifei berate Li Xuehai out of the office, he quickly approached Li Yifei, looking uneasy.


    Li Yifei nodded, he didn¡¯t have much impression of this Manager Chen. After all, the company was too small for Li Yifei to pay any attention to. He said, "To all employees, I am here to apologize. Li Xuehai was assigned here by me. He made you all suffer a lot of grievances, and I also bear an undeniable responsibility."


    Everyone was still looking at Li Yifei, yet no one spoke. They had no idea what was going on in the mind of the president¡ªafter all, Li Xuehai is the brother-in-law, and they are outsiders.


    "I hereby promise that Li Xuehai will no longer be in this company. You all can work peacefully from now on. In our company, everything is regulated. It doesn¡¯t matter who the person is, not to mention my brother-in-law; even if my own father came here, if he doesn¡¯t follow the company¡¯s regulations, it won¡¯t be tolerated. As long as you comply with the regulations, you can question anyone, and the company will handle it impartially without any bias. Moreover, as long as you have the ability, your talents won¡¯t be buried in the company. As you know, our company is expanding aggressively. Talented individuals can work in other departments or branches. I hope everyone works hard to become pillars of the company soon."


    The room was still quiet, then someone started clapping, followed by thunderous applause. Li Yifei¡¯s attitude not only released the pent-up frustration of these past days but also gave them hope.


    Li Yifei gestured for silence, and everyone quieted down. He then addressed Wang Tao and the receptionist, "I apologize once again for the trouble you have been through just now, and I will also provide some financial compensation. I hope you can forgive me."


    "President Li... we...thank you, President Li!" Both of them were too excited and almost at a loss for words. They had never imagined that a president like Li Yifei would ever apologize to them¡ªhis reputation in this small company suddenly skyrocketed to a great height.

 Chapter 1156 - 1202: Murdered

    Chapter 1156: Chapter 1202: MurderedAfter Li Xuehai slipped out of the company, he immediately called Li Xinyue to tell her about the situation. Of course, he didn¡¯t put it bluntly, just mentioned that he had made a small mistake which angered Li Yifei, and he hoped Xinyue could plead on his behalf.


    Li Xinyue was truly disappointed in her younger brother. With a cold snort, she said, "Your brother-in-law knows everything you did, crystal clear. There¡¯s nothing I can do; you had your chance and you didn¡¯t seize it well, don¡¯t blame me."


    "Big sis, even though I made a mistake, I am still your brother. Brother-in-law is so rich and has so many companies. I did act foolishly this time because I wanted to lead, not just be a soldier, but I promise to do well next time. Just let Brother-in-law assign me a small company to manage, and I will handle it well."


    Li Xinyue was really furious, thinking her brother was really unaware of his own capabilities. Managing a company with his abilities would turn disastrous in less than half a year, causing outrage. She said irritably, "I can¡¯t help you," and then hung up the phone in anger.


    "Hey, hey... What¡¯s with the act, feeling all high and mighty because you married a rich guy?" Li Xuehai put away his phone resentfully, unable to accept it, but still not daring to provoke his sister, upon whom his future success potentially depended.


    At this moment, someone called him to go out for drinks with some recent acquaintances, friends of questionable character, and he readily agreed. He had earned some money in the company lately, so he decided to enjoy himself for now and worry about other things later.


    With four or five friends, they drank and bragged. Li Xuehai quickly became partially drunk and saw a pretty girl nearby. They went over to harass her.


    The girl was quite fierce and immediately splashed her drink in Li Xuehai¡¯s face. This made Li Xuehai furious, and he reached out to grab her shoulder. At that moment, a man rushed over and started a fight with Li Xuehai.


    Fueled by alcohol, Li Xuehai called his friends to join in, and soon they had beaten the man down.


    Then Li Xuehai boasted arrogantly, "Damn it, dare to mess with me? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Li Xuehai, Li Yifei¡¯s brother-in-law!"


    After the fight, Li Xuehai took a cab home. But not long after he fell asleep, he was woken up by a call from his friends.


    "Xuehai, it¡¯s bad, something big happened."


    "What big thing?" asked Li Xuehai nonchalantly.


    "The guy we beat today, we beat him to death."


    "Beat to death?" Li Xuehai sat up all of a sudden.


    "Yes, you better run, the police are after you now."


    "Holy shit, are you serious? Don¡¯t joke with me."


    "It¡¯s true, you best handle this quickly, we¡¯re all relying on you."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to my brother-in-law, it¡¯s just killing a person, no big deal." Li Xuehai said lightly, but he felt really uneasy.


    He dared not call Li Yifei, nor even Li Xinyue, and tearfully told his father the entire incident, asking him to reach out to Li Xinyue.


    Li Xinyue¡¯s father and stepmother were shocked and quickly called her. Xinyue was extremely worried, and soon after, Li Yifei called Li Xuehai back.


    "The situation is severe, and with a murder, even I can¡¯t cover that. But I don¡¯t want Xuehai to suffer too badly. Here¡¯s what we will do: I¡¯ll provide compensation to settle this for now, and Xuehai can¡¯t stay in this place any longer. I will send him to the military to lay low. After a couple of years, when he resumes civilian life, things should be clearer."


    Li Xuehai agreed immediately, willing to do anything to avoid the police.


    Li Yifei promptly arranged for Li Xuehai to be picked up and sent him to the military unit where he once served, with many familiar faces. He had spoken to them, instructing them to give Li Xuehai no quarter in toughening him up.


    Given Li Xuehai¡¯s lazy nature, it was imaginable how much suffering he endured in the military, particularly from the old soldiers who didn¡¯t go easy on him. However, he didn¡¯t dare to show off or even think of deserting, knowing that, after all, it was better than being a fugitive and ending up in prison.


    Unbeknownst to Li Xuehai, he hadn¡¯t actually killed anyone. This entire incident was orchestrated by Li Yifei, a setup to discipline him. If it had been anyone else, Li Yifei would have dealt with them directly, but because Li Xuehai was his brother-in-law, he chose this method as a reluctant necessity.


    This incident also brought some changes in Wang Xiaohong¡¯s attitude. Women like her cared deeply for their sons¡¯ well-being. Now that her son was in trouble, if she continued to misbehave and upset Li Yifei, who might then ignore her son, she¡¯d lose her support.


    Li Xinyue was very pleased and relieved with how Li Yifei handled things. Her brother truly needed shaping up, and military training might just improve him. More importantly than any amount of money, this could really help him.


    Having dealt with this family issue that had troubled Li Yifei, he once again focused peacefully on managing his companies and on bettering himself.


    Regarding the usage of True Qi, Li Yifei had gained new insight. Through the techniques taught by Murong Yuanqing, he felt the True Qi in his Meridians was impure. Purifying his True Qi was not something that could be achieved overnight.


    After dinner, Jiang Ningxiang came to Li Yifei¡¯s place again. She had made some progress during this time and was slightly able to control the Innate Vital Energy within her body.


    "Ningxiang, have those two people looked for you in the past few days?" Li Yifei asked Jiang Ningxiang as he took a seat.


    Jiang Ningxiang shook her head and said, "No, I didn¡¯t give them my phone number either."


    "That¡¯s true," Li Yifei squinted his eyes and said, "How about we give them a call?"


    "Why should we call them? I don¡¯t want to go with them. Learning from Brother Li is good enough for me."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I¡¯m really suspicious of those two people¡¯s motives and their backgrounds, so I want to investigate a bit. There¡¯s been no trace of them lately, and I want to find them and understand this matter clearly."


    Jiang Ningxiang uttered an "Oh" and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll call them, but what should I say to them?"


    Li Yifei, already prepared, moved closer to Jiang Ningxiang and said, "Just tell them you¡¯ve decided to become a star and ask them what you should do."


    "Okay." Jiang Ningxiang then took out her phone, but suddenly made a troubled face and apologetically said, "Brother Li, I threw away their business card."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I have their number."


    He had taken note of the number during a previous investigation when someone was instructed to call them. Although the other party answered the call, they hung up as soon as they realized it wasn¡¯t Jiang Ningxiang. Clearly, they didn¡¯t answer calls from just anyone, and it seemed they only answered because it was a call from Mile City, suspecting it might be Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang dialed the number, and soon it was answered with a woman¡¯s voice from the other side, "Who is this?"


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately said, "I... I¡¯m Jiang Ningxiang, are you the star scout sister?"


    "Oh... It¡¯s you. I¡¯ve been waiting for your call. That day I was confused and even forgot to get your number. So, have you decided?"


    "Yes... Yes, I have. I want to become a star."


    "I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that. However, I¡¯m quite busy lately and don¡¯t have time to come and fetch you. I can¡¯t trust anyone else to do it. So, let¡¯s wait for a month. After I finish up my things here, I¡¯ll come for you."


    "Oh..." Jiang Ningxiang looked toward Li Yifei, who softly nodded, signaling her to agree.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly said, "That¡¯s fine then."


    "By the way, give me your bank card number so our company can send you some advance payment. That way, you¡¯ll know I¡¯m not a fraud."


    Jiang Ningxiang looked at Li Yifei again, and he nodded once more. Then she provided her bank card number.


    "Let¡¯s leave it at that for now. Don¡¯t go running off somewhere else. If I can¡¯t find you when the time comes, and it affects our company¡¯s contract, you¡¯ll be responsible, you know?" the woman on the other end jokingly said.


    "I won¡¯t."


    "Great, see you in a month, goodbye."


    After hanging up, Jiang Ningxiang wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "Brother Li, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did I?" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, you did very well." Li Yifei handed Jiang Ningxiang a tissue, and she gave him a sweet smile. While wiping her sweat, she said, "Brother Li, doing this feels a bit like doing something bad, it¡¯s really nerve-wracking."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "This is not doing something bad. Since some people have ulterior motives, we can¡¯t handle them in the usual way. Using some special methods occasionally is also a normal way to protect ourselves."


    "I understand." Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue slightly and said, "I¡¯m just too straightforward, so doing things like this always feels clumsy to me."


    Soon after, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s phone beeped with a message alert showing that 20,000 yuan had been transferred into her bank account.


    Li Yifei immediately arranged for someone to investigate the source of this fund. Under normal circumstances, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to trace it, but for Li Yifei, this was definitely not a problem. However, when the results came back, Li Yifei was somewhat disappointed. The account was only a personal one, and such accounts are too simple to set up. Unless the other party was very careless, this didn¡¯t represent much and couldn¡¯t trace back to anything too useful.

 Chapter 1157 - 123: Experiencing Innate Vital Energy

    Chapter 1157: Chapter 123: Experiencing Innate Vital Energy"Ningxiang, today I need to deepen my understanding of the flow of your True Qi."


    Setting aside the trouble those two mysterious people had brought him, Li Yifei still focused on how to improve himself and Jiang Ningxiang. As long as their strengths were increased, even if they encountered masters, it would temporarily not be a problem.


    The method taught to Li Yifei by Murong Yuanqing indeed could enhance his own capabilities, but Li Yifei also wanted to understand Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy better. He didn¡¯t possess this type of vital energy, but the more he understood it, the easier it would be for him to deal with such people.


    Of course, it would be best if Xu Shanshan were here, then the two of them could study without any reservations. However, studying with Jiang Ningxiang, a young girl, was always somewhat inconvenient.


    Unfortunately, when Xu Shanshan was here, Li Yifei knew nothing about Innate Vital Energy and did not understand his own True Qi as well. Now that he finally had a deeper understanding of True Qi, Xu Shanshan was no longer by his side, and he could only study with Jiang Ningxiang.


    In the past few days, Li Yifei had already roughly grasped the situation of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy, but to understand it further, he would need to have more physical contact with her, especially near some sensitive areas where important meridians are located. Without truly experiencing it, it would be impossible to fully comprehend the flow of the Innate Vital Energy.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll listen to Brother Li," Jiang Ningxiang immediately responded excitedly.


    "This... Ningxiang, today¡¯s study is a bit special, I..." Li Yifei found it really difficult to continue.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Brother Li, why have you stopped talking?" Jiang Ningxiang asked with a curious face.


    "Ahem... It¡¯s this, to fully understand the Innate Vital Energy inside your body, I must track the flow of your True Qi through you, so I will... need to touch you with my hands."


    "Touch me?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face instantly flushed, she bit her lip bravely meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, and said, "It¡¯s okay, Brother Li, I know you don¡¯t mean to take advantage of me. If you need to touch, just touch."


    Li Yifei felt even more embarrassed and said, "This is not just ordinary touching of your arms and legs, it might also involve touching your... private parts."


    "Ah... this... this... you touch there too?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned as red as an apple, stammering and not knowing what to say.


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and said, "I know this is very difficult for you, so let¡¯s take it slowly. I might have been a bit too eager."


    "No, no, no... Brother Li, I¡¯m not having difficulties. I know Brother Li is doing this for my benefit, not to take advantage of me, so... let¡¯s do it." Having said that, Jiang Ningxiang lowered her head.


    Jiang Ningxiang had agreed, but Li Yifei felt this was somewhat shameless of him - after all, the other party was just a young girl. Wasn¡¯t this a bit too beastly?


    Fiddling with the edge of her clothes, Jiang Ningxiang said softly, "Brother Li, you needn¡¯t worry. Without you, Ningxiang wouldn¡¯t be here today. I¡¯m willing to give everything for you. It¡¯s not just touching or holding me, even if it¡¯s... whatever you ask, I¡¯m willing."


    Li Yifei took a deep breath. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s words truly moved him. This little girl was clearly not guarding against him. He replied, "Ningxiang, thank you for trusting me so much. Brother Li won¡¯t beat around the bush any longer, let¡¯s begin."


    "Mm-hmm." Jiang Ningxiang lifted her head, bit her lip, and then asked, "Do I need to take off my clothes?"


    "Cough, cough... no need for that, I think I should be able to feel it through the clothes."


    Seeing Li Yifei blush, Jiang Ningxiang suddenly giggled, saying, "Brother Li, it turns out you¡¯re quite shy too."


    Li Yifei replied awkwardly, "Although your Brother Li usually thick-skinned, this feels like a grown man deceiving a little girl. It¡¯s truly sinful."


    "I¡¯m not that young. I¡¯m about the same age as Xiaoyao, and isn¡¯t she your woman too?"


    "This... well, I admit it, I really am a despicable old man."


    "Giggle, you¡¯ve admitted it." Jiang Ningxiang covered her mouth and giggled.


    Having interacted with Li Yifei for a long time, Jiang Ningxiang had become much more lively in his presence, even making small jokes with him. This eased the awkward atmosphere between them by quite a bit.


    "Ningxiang, let¡¯s get started then," Li Yifei said earnestly, looking at Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Yes, we can¡¯t mess around anymore, otherwise I¡¯ll be taking up the sisters¡¯ time, and sister-in-law will send me away."


    "You, girl, are becoming naughtier and naughtier," Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    When they began the training, Li Yifei first had Jiang Ningxiang start circulating her Innate Vital Energy. As she slowly immersed herself in that sensation, Li Yifei gently placed his fingers on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s wrist, feeling her True Qi, and then chose a point to track the movement of that bit of True Qi.


    Normally, Li Yifei could use his True Qi to track Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi, but the Innate Vital Energy inside Jiang Ningxiang resisted ordinary True Qi greatly. Once Li Yifei¡¯s True Qi entered Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body, it would either be dissolved or repelled immediately, so Li Yifei simply couldn¡¯t use that simplest method and had to resort to this tedious approach to try.


    The bit of True Qi followed the Meridians up Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s right arm until it reached her neck, then it headed towards Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head. Li Yifei¡¯s fingers touched Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head, and she immediately shook her head, opening her eyes with a terrified expression on her face.


    Li Yifei was startled, but then he immediately remembered what Jiang Ningxiang had told him before¡ªthat she could not let others touch her head.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry, it was a reflex," Jiang Ningxiang apologized to Li Yifei with a bitter smile, then quickly added, "I¡¯ll be more careful this time and try not to move."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Just try to relax, we¡¯ll try again."


    When they resumed, Jiang Ningxiang still moved when it reached her head, leading to another failed attempt by Li Yifei to follow the True Qi.


    "Brother Li, how about this, touch my head first to let me get used to it, otherwise, I really can¡¯t control myself," Jiang Ningxiang actively suggested a solution.


    Li Yifei felt this was the only way and so he reached out to touch Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head. As she watched Li Yifei¡¯s hand slowly rest on her own head, her small face was filled with nervousness. When Li Yifei¡¯s hand made contact with her head, she instinctively dodged to the side again.


    "Ningxiang, relax. Brother Li isn¡¯t bullying you, and he won¡¯t bully you. You can think of Brother Li as your father," Li Yifei comforted. "If your father touched you like this, you would definitely feel very happy."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as she said softly, "I really miss my dad."


    "Mm, Brother Li will protect you like your father from now on, and won¡¯t let others bully you anymore."


    "Dad..." Jiang Ningxiang closed her eyes and murmured softly. When Li Yifei¡¯s hand touched her head again, her head only trembled slightly, but she did not avoid it.


    Li Yifei gently stroked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head. His heart was filled with nothing but compassion, feeling sympathy for this poor little girl. Being a father of two daughters himself, he understood more than anyone a father¡¯s love for his daughter. He naturally started to see Jiang Ningxiang as his own daughter, even though this "daughter" was rather grown up and even of age with one of his wives.


    After a while, Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes and gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, saying, "Brother Li, this feels really nice."


    Li Yifei ruffled Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair again, saying, "From now on, this is your home." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mm, thank you, Brother Li," Jiang Ningxiang smiled again at Li Yifei and said, "Let¡¯s try again then."


    The two started once more, and this time, as Li Yifei¡¯s fingers followed that bit of True Qi to Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head, she finally kept still, allowing Li Yifei to continue downward.


    After circling around the head, the True Qi moved downward, again on the left side of the body, but this time, instead of the arm, it went down the neck, quickly reaching the left side of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s chest, a sensitive area for her. The moment Li Yifei barely touched the edge of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s breast, her True Qi suddenly went chaotic, and her eyes opened wide.


    Li Yifei quickly withdrew his hand, and Jiang Ningxiang, with a flush on her small face, said, "Brother Li, it reaches here too?"


    Li Yifei awkwardly replied, "Yes, indeed it¡¯s up to here."


    "Sorry, I wasn¡¯t prepared just now. This time... I won¡¯t move," Jiang Ningxiang whispered with a red face.


    Li Yifei was also quite embarrassed, but still said through clenched teeth, "Ningxiang, just once will do, you can hold on."


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip and nodded firmly, saying, "Brother Li, this time I definitely won¡¯t mess things up."


    "Mm," Li Yifei nodded. At this point, anything else was superfluous; they simply had to finish this as quickly as possible.


    Once again, starting from a point of Innate Vital Energy, Li Yifei followed it again. After circling through the arm and head, he gained a basic understanding of how the Innate Vital Energy moved through the Meridians. Now, as he moved downward again, they reached Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s chest.


    This time, Jiang Ningxiang was clearly well-prepared. Although there was some fluctuation in the True Qi when it reached that area, it didn¡¯t dissipate. However, when Li Yifei¡¯s fingers passed over Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s breast, he still lifted his hand.


    Startled, Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes and looked at Li Yifei, asking, "Brother Li, what¡¯s wrong this time?"


    "Well... Ningxiang, your bra is preventing me from feeling the True Qi," Li Yifei awkwardly revealed the truth.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and her small face turned deep red in an instant.

 Chapter 1158 - 1204: Forgot Something

    Chapter 1158: Chapter 1204: Forgot Something"What... what should we do?" Jiang Ningxiang stammered with hesitation.


    Li Yifei coughed dryly, feeling that he had coughed too many times today while being with Jiang Ningxiang, but since they had already come this far, it would be a pity not to see it through. So he steeled himself and said: "Can you... take off your bra?"


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded lightly, then teased Li Yifei with a playful wink, "Would it be more convenient if I took off all my clothes?"


    "You little rascal, always teasing your Brother Li, hurry up and take it off," Li Yifei tapped Jiang Ningxiang on the head.


    Jiang Ningxiang giggled, then looked at Li Yifei and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re not going to just watch me undress, are you?"


    "Oh..." Li Yifei quickly turned his head away, and behind him came the rustling sound of Jiang Ningxiang taking off her clothes.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m ready, you can turn around now."


    When Li Yifei turned around, he saw Jiang Ningxiang already lying on the bed, with a tight T-shirt accentuating her curves.


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so naughty," Jiang Ningxiang said as she covered her chest with both hands.


    Li Yifei felt incredibly embarrassed and said, "Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it."


    "Then why are you still looking?" Jiang Ningxiang pouted, then slowly let her hands fall away.


    Li Yifei, trying not to stare, took a deep breath and said, "Ningxiang, let¡¯s continue, try to relax as much as possible. If Brother Li¡¯s fingers touch you, try not to think about anything else."


    "I won¡¯t, as long as Brother Li doesn¡¯t have any distracting thoughts."


    "You¡¯re getting more and more cheeky," Li Yifei scolded with a smile, and then closed his eyes.


    Jiang Ningxiang also dutifully began rotating her Innate Vital Energy. It wasn¡¯t long before Li Yifei¡¯s finger touched Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s arm again.


    Following the arm upwards to the shoulder, and then down, Li Yifei¡¯s finger finally landed again on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s chest. This time, Jiang Ningxiang didn¡¯t make any superfluous movements, allowing Li Yifei¡¯s finger to travel over the hills and then quickly passed by, overcoming the second hurdle between them¡ªthe first being Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head, naturally.


    Both Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then continued downwards, Li Yifei¡¯s fingers glided over Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s lower abdomen, where True Qi entered the Dantian Acupoint.


    The Dantian is the source of all True Qi and the gathering place for it. As the True Qi entered the Dantian, Li Yifei could no longer detect it. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Dantian was brimming with energy, swelling with the precious Innate Vital Energy that she had not yet fully unleashed; she had only started a small part of its rotation.


    After about two minutes, Li Yifei finally found the True Qi point he had marked, which had undergone a bit of change and seemed even more potent. He couldn¡¯t help but secretly praise it, realizing how powerful Innate Vital Energy truly is. Jiang Ningxiang had barely scratched the surface, and yet the change was so significant¡ªif it were fully unleashed, its strength was unimaginable.


    The Dantian, located three inches below the navel, was now alarmingly close to another vital area of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body. Moreover, in search of that marked point of True Qi, Li Yifei¡¯s entire palm was already pressing on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s lower abdomen.


    However, at this moment, both of them were free of any distracting thoughts, with Jiang Ningxiang focusing on rotating her True Qi, while Li Yifei was immersed in the wondrous sensations of the Innate Vital Energy, giving no thought to how such a posture might be perceived by others.


    The True Qi then moved downward from the Dantian, with Li Yifei following it closely, nearly touching Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s most private area before the True Qi suddenly turned left, entering the meridians of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s thigh.


    At this point, Li Yifei¡¯s movements became even smoother, with the True Qi following the thigh down to the toes before returning up another meridian on the thigh. Upon reaching the lower abdomen again, it entered the Dantian for another two-minute pause. It then entered the right leg, cycled back, and then once again into the Dantian, moving upward past the right breast, circulating around the right arm, entering the Dantian once more, and finally following up the chest into the left arm.


    The circulation method of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi was to enter the Dantian four times in one cycle, whereas Li Yifei¡¯s True Qi only passed through the Dantian once each rotation. This was the major difference.


    The Dantian is the source of all energies; circulating four times in one round greatly enriches the True Qi, nearly four times that of Li Yifei¡¯s, showcasing the formidable nature of Innate Vital Energy.


    Li Yifei finally stopped his hand, and Jiang Ningxiang also opened her eyes, quietly watching him.


    Li Yifei showed a radiant smile on his face and said, "Ningxiang, this Innate Vital Energy is indeed profound."


    Jiang Ningxiang smiled sweetly and asked, "Brother Li, did it work?"


    "Success! Now I know how your True Qi circulates. There are many meridians in your body that have not been developed yet, but there¡¯s no rush to do that. Let¡¯s first consolidate what you have now. When the time is right, I will teach you the rest. However, I can only play a supporting role. It¡¯s ultimately up to you. After all, it¡¯s best to develop Innate Vital Energy by yourself. Just like now, I¡¯ve only shown you how to mobilize the True Qi in your Dantian, and your body¡¯s True Qi can then circulate in this wonderful way."


    "Well, Brother Li¡¯s teaching is really good." Jiang Ningxiang smiled even more sweetly and slowly sat up.


    Li Yifei then discussed with Jiang Ningxiang for a while. This was indeed a discussion, as Li Yifei could only share his experience with Jiang Ningxiang, which could not play a decisive role. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another hour or so passed, and Jiang Ningxiang gave Li Yifei a mischievous smile, saying, "Brother Li, is that it for today? It¡¯s getting late, and your sisters-in-law must be getting anxious."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. He really liked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s demeanor. If she were always on tenterhooks around him, it would actually make Li Yifei feel uncomfortable too. He laughed and said, "Then off you go."


    The place where Jiang Ningxiang and Li Yifei practiced martial arts was usually in a separate room, but today, Li Yifei had Jiang Ningxiang lie down, so he had her in his bedroom. When Jiang Ningxiang opened the door, she saw Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi, and immediately stuck out her tongue, saying, "I¡¯m so sorry, sisters-in-law, it took a bit longer today."


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi were already very familiar with Jiang Ningxiang, and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s little girl was also very likable. Knowing that the two were practicing martial arts, they didn¡¯t think too much of it. They both smiled and said, "It¡¯s okay, go have a good rest."


    "Alright, sisters-in-law, I¡¯m off." Jiang Ningxiang waved her hand and quickly walked downstairs.


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi entered the bedroom and then casually got onto the bed. It had been about a year since they became husband and wife, and everyone had become accustomed to this way of life. Although they were only together with Li Yifei about once a week, they were no longer as impulsive upon seeing Li Yifei. Instead, they talked and did their own things comfortably. Such a life also made everyone feel more natural.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei went to take a shower.


    "Eh! Whose is this?" Su Yiyi picked up a pillow to prop behind her, but then noticed a bra underneath the pillow.


    Xu Yingying said offhand, "It must be Ling¡¯er¡¯s and Xin¡¯er¡¯s from last night, right?"


    Su Yiyi picked it up for a closer look and said, "Doesn¡¯t seem like it. Ling¡¯er and Xin¡¯er¡¯s are not small, this one¡¯s size is a bit smaller; it should not be theirs."


    Xu Yingying, piqued by Su Yiyi¡¯s observation, took a look and said, "This should not belong to anyone in our family; we all buy those big brands, while this bra is obviously one of those cheaper kinds."


    The two looked at each other, and both thought of whom the bra belonged to.


    "This Yifei, what¡¯s he up to? Wasn¡¯t he just practicing martial arts with Ningxiang? How could he not leave even this young girl alone?" Xu Yingying frowned.


    Su Yiyi hesitated for a moment and said, "This... it shouldn¡¯t be like that, right? Although Ningxiang is quite likable, Brother Li never seemed to have mentioned any intentions towards her, right?"


    Xu Yingying said discontentedly, "Hmph, men always like something new. Ningxiang is pretty and so well-behaved. After spending so much time together, he got interested; it never ends. Really, this is endless."


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. Upon Xu Yingying¡¯s invitation, Jiang Ningxiang poked her little head in through the door crack, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Sisters-in-law, I left something here."


    "Is it this?" Xu Yingying held up the bra.


    Jiang Ningxiang hurriedly ran in, her little face flushed as she said, "That¡¯s it, sorry, I forgot to take it with me earlier."


    "Ningxiang, how come your bra is... here?" Su Yiyi asked tentatively.


    "Oh, Brother Li was helping me practice, and he needed to check my meridians. Wearing this, I couldn¡¯t feel clearly, so he asked me to take it off."


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi traded glances, then both wore a look of resignation. To them, it seemed like Li Yifei had taken advantage of the opportunity to take liberties with Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Sisters-in-law, I¡¯m going now. I won¡¯t delay you any further." Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue again and then hurriedly ran out.


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "Sigh, what¡¯s with our husband? We already have so many people at home, how come he¡¯s never satisfied?"


    Su Yiyi gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Li didn¡¯t go out looking for trouble on purpose. Perhaps it¡¯s just affection that grows over time. Ningxiang is quite endearing. If we add one more, then it¡¯s just one more. Sister Yingying, don¡¯t be mad."


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "I don¡¯t dislike Ningxiang, but how can he use such tactics? Isn¡¯t that totally lacking in morals, deceiving a young girl too? This is a matter of principle. We must talk to him seriously and ensure nothing like this happens again."

 Chapter 1159 - 1205: Aoki Reiko is in trouble

    Chapter 1159: Chapter 1205: Aoki Reiko is in troubleLi Yifei finished his bath and returned to the bedroom, tossing aside the towel he used for his hair, and said, "What¡¯s with you two today? You both look a little pale, don¡¯t you?"


    Xu Yingying hummed, and said, "Yifei, there¡¯s something I must talk to you seriously about."


    Li Yifei climbed onto the bed, grinning, and said, "What does my dear wife want to discuss with me?"


    "Don¡¯t be all smiles, be serious." Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei away.


    Li Yifei, puzzled, said, "Wife, what¡¯s the matter today? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything wrong, why so serious?"


    "Still saying you did nothing wrong, what¡¯s going on with you and Ningxiang?"


    "With Ningxiang? There¡¯s nothing between us, we were just discussing Innate Vital Energy, and actually, I made quite some gains today. I¡¯ve gotten a better understanding of Innate Vital Energy, which is useful for Ningxiang and for Shanshan in the future, and I¡¯ve also gained some insights from it."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s elated manner, Xu Yingying started to doubt her own judgment and asked in confusion, "You had Ningxiang take off her bra, are you sure it wasn¡¯t because you wanted to do something else?"


    Li Yifei suddenly looked exasperated and said, "So this is what it¡¯s about. Wife, you really don¡¯t trust your husband. When have I ever used such methods to deceive young girls? I¡¯ve never done such a thing even with anyone in our family, how could I to someone else?"


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a glare and said, "I thought maybe you¡¯d developed a new taste and were looking for novelty."


    Li Yifei lay between the two, wrapping his arms around them and said, "To me, you both bring something new every day, and I will never tire of it for my whole life. Indeed, I asked Ningxiang to remove her bra today because that piece of clothing can obstruct the sensation of True Qi. Though I admit, I did indeed touch Ningxiang¡¯s sensitive spots today."


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said accusingly, "According to you, does that mean it will happen often in the future? She¡¯s just a young girl, how could you paw at her like that? How will she find a boyfriend in the future?"


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly and replied, "It¡¯s just martial arts practice, like a master to apprentice, or a father to daughter, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right?"


    "It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know what Ningxiang is thinking."


    Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Ningxiang won¡¯t overthink it, you both just relax."


    Su Yiyi laughed lightly and said, "You never know, girls often fall in love with a man because of this. Brother Li, have you forgotten the past? It was because I was grateful to you that I couldn¡¯t help falling in love with you."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes but said quite proudly, "Yiyi, what we had was love that developed over time, it shouldn¡¯t be compared to the current situation."


    Xu Yingying pinched Li Yifei again and said, "I¡¯m just afraid this might become another case of love developing over time. But never mind, since Ningxiang is great, if you want to take her in, then just do it. You¡¯ve also said that Ningxiang is a gem, and it would be a huge loss for our Li family if somebody else got her. It would be better for her to be with you, to stay with our Li family."


    Li Yifei blinked and said, "Whether Ningxiang and I can develop love over time, I¡¯m not sure, but what I do know is that I indeed have such feelings with you guys."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "What love developed over time with you? I think the longer the time, the more annoyed with you we get."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I¡¯m saying we have love that has developed... over time." Li Yifei emphasized the word "developed" heavily.


    It was then that Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi understood his pun, and both spit at Li Yifei. Even for a couple that had been together for a long time, saying such things before getting intimate still made them feel embarrassed.


    What followed was a matter of how they could truly develop feelings, and whether it would take a long time, only the parties involved would know.


    After a round of intimacy, Li Yifei slept sweetly cuddling with Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi, but suddenly the phone rang, jolting Li Yifei awake.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone had never really rung in the middle of the night before, so a sudden ring at this time made Li Yifei feel there must be something wrong. Seeing the number, it was actually Miss Aoki Reiko¡¯s mobile number he¡¯d been given. He quickly answered the call, "Miss Reiko, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Help... Ah!" Only a cry for "help" came through the phone, followed by a startled scream, and then the line went dead with a beep.


    Li Yifei sat up immediately, and Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi, also startled awake, hurriedly asked, "Husband, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Li Yifei jumped out of bed and said, "Something happened to Aoki Reiko, I have to go check on her."


    "What happened?" Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi both knew that Aoki Reiko had once again come to Mile City. A few days ago, Xiao Ling¡¯er had even visited Aoki Reiko. For a scion of the Japanese Aoki Group, getting into trouble here wouldn¡¯t be good. Considering the shipping company had recently been in contact with the Aoki Group and might cooperate with them in the future, they naturally couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Aoki Reiko here.


    "It seems she ran into some bad guys, I need to hurry and check on her. You guys go back to sleep." After saying this, Li Yifei had already jumped straight down from the window.


    Li Yifei rushed to the door where a car had been prepared, and four other people were going with him. Right now, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t sure what exactly had happened to Aoki Reiko or where she was, so he had to bring more people to locate her first.


    The five people took two cars and sped to the old neighborhood. Li Yifei rushed to Aoki Reiko¡¯s current residence. Upon entering, he saw that everything inside was neatly arranged with no sign of disarray. Aoki Reiko was not here. It was evident she hadn¡¯t encountered trouble at home.


    This gave Li Yifei a headache; if Aoki Reiko ran into trouble outside, it would be really hard to find out where she was.


    Frowning, Li Yifei immediately called Brother Hu. Brother Hu answered the phone quickly, "Young Master Li, what happened?" Receiving a call from Li Yifei so late made him anxious.


    "Brother Hu, ask your men to investigate if anyone has messed with a Japanese woman tonight. I think your guys have sharp eyes and should have some information."


    Brother Hu immediately said, "I¡¯ll arrange it right away."


    In less than ten minutes, Brother Hu called Li Yifei back, "Young Master Li, I¡¯ve got everyone on the streets of Mile City looking into it. If someone saw her, we should have news soon."


    Now, all Li Yifei could do was wait. This seemed to be the safest and most convenient method.


    Indeed, Aoki Reiko had been kidnapped, and the perpetrators were two vagrants who had drifted into Mile City.


    Since arriving in Mile City, Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t really have a specific purpose; she spent her days wandering the streets and alleys aimlessly. She admired the city¡¯s scenery and learned about Huaxia¡¯s customs, often not returning home until late. She was also curious about the nightlife of Huaxia People.


    Besides, she always had this feeling that since Mu Fei was a master, it was too difficult to find him in the vast crowds during the day, but at night, he was more likely to appear.


    However, with no news for many days, Aoki Reiko felt unhappy. Tonight, she went to a bar and drank sullenly by herself.


    A beauty like Aoki Reiko drinking alone in a bar naturally attracted many men to strike up a conversation, but she politely refused them all. The bar she was in was a classy one; there were no thugs to force themselves upon her. The men she rejected just sullenly walked away without excessiveness.


    It wasn¡¯t until around eleven o¡¯clock that Aoki Reiko settled the bill and prepared to leave. Then she stepped out of the door and got into a taxi.


    These days, Aoki Reiko had learned some simple Chinese. Giving her own address when taking a ride was not a problem. However, after she got into the taxi, another man also sat in the front. The driver turned around and said to Aoki Reiko, "Miss, it¡¯s not easy to get a fare this late, could you let me pick up another passenger?"


    Aoki Reiko didn¡¯t understand fully. The man who got on after her, looking refined, turned to her and said, "I¡¯d like to share the ride if it¡¯s not too much trouble, thank you." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko understood this time. She was a kind-hearted girl and agreed. But she didn¡¯t notice the two men showing excited expressions as she consented.


    Aoki Reiko was sitting in the back, with the window rolled down. The autumn breeze blew through, bringing up her spirits dulled by the alcohol, and she gradually felt sleepy. Before she knew it, she had dozed off.


    She didn¡¯t know how long it had been when the car suddenly jolted, and Aoki Reiko woke up. Looking outside, she realized that the place was desolate and definitely not within the city. This immediately made her feel uneasy, and she hurriedly asked, "Where are you taking me? I want to go home!"


    The man in the passenger seat turned around with a heh-heh laugh and said, "Miss, no need to rush home. We¡¯re taking you to a better place."


    Aoki Reiko had been kidnapped twice in her life. The first time by two bad guys and the second by Mu Fei. The first kidnapping was the most frightening experience of her life, while being held by Mu Fei was something she still felt conflicted about to this day. She didn¡¯t expect to find herself in such a situation again today.


    And because she had been kidnapped twice, while Aoki Reiko panicked, she still knew what she should do now. She immediately said, "If you just want money, I can give you money, please don¡¯t hurt me."


    "Miss, you¡¯re really cooperative. We just want money, hand over whatever you have."


    Aoki Reiko said, "I will definitely give it to you, but you have to promise not to hurt me." Meanwhile, her hand was secretly dialing a number. Finding and dialing a number was not easy for her, so she simply hit redial. And the first record on her phone¡¯s call history was Li Yifei¡¯s number.

 Chapter 1160 - 1206: I Have AIDS

    Chapter 1160: Chapter 1206: I Have AIDS"What are you doing?" The two men faintly heard the ringtone of the dialed phone, and the guy in the passenger seat immediately shouted loudly.


    Aoki Reiko realized she had been discovered, just as the call connected, she immediately yelled for help loudly. The guy in the passenger seat quickly reached over, grabbed the phone, and hung up.


    "Damn bitch, daring to make a call, you must not want to live."


    At this moment, Aoki Reiko became calm, looked at the two men, and said, "I warn you, you better not mess around, my friend has a lot of power, and he will find me very soon."


    "Who the hell are you trying to scare, you¡¯re just a Japanese lady, are you thinking of getting help from Japan?"


    Aoki Reiko snorted coldly and said, "I have Huaxia friends too, his name is Li Yifei, he is in Mile City, and he is very powerful."


    "Li Yifei is a nobody, we don¡¯t know him."


    These two people weren¡¯t from Mile City, they committed crimes elsewhere and fled to Mile City, they really didn¡¯t know the people from Mile City, and although Li Yifei was well-known in Mile City and some in Capital City, ordinary people didn¡¯t really know much about him.


    Aoki Reiko became panicked at this point, if the opponents knew who Li Yifei was, they would likely be apprehensive, but since they didn¡¯t know Li Yifei, it didn¡¯t serve as a deterrent, which was detrimental to her.


    "All you want is money, right? My friends will give you a lot of money," Aoki Reiko could only try to influence them with money again. These two men were holding her for money, and as long as she cooperated with them in this respect, it might prevent them from harming her for the time being.


    "Shut up, just stay put, or don¡¯t blame us for being rude." The guy in the passenger seat roared, facing Aoki Reiko¡¯s calmness, the two criminals really were somewhat wary; ordinary people wouldn¡¯t react like this when kidnapped.


    Little did they know, Aoki Reiko had been kidnapped too many times before and had now gotten used to it.


    Aoki Reiko quickly waved her hand and said, "Alright, I won¡¯t talk."


    The taxi drove on for a while, it seemed like these two guys were also unfamiliar with the area, wandering around before finally stopping near what seemed to be an abandoned factory.


    "You go and check if there¡¯s anyone around here," the driver said to the other guy.


    The guy immediately agreed and went to check the factory area.


    Meanwhile, the driver turned and glared at Aoki Reiko, and menacingly said, "You better behave, or don¡¯t blame me for not being nice."


    Aoki Reiko quickly nodded and said, "I only ask for safety, please don¡¯t hurt me."


    The guy sneered, his eyes scanning Aoki Reiko¡¯s face, and said, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re also after money. As long as you cooperate with us, we definitely won¡¯t harm you."


    "I will cooperate, definitely cooperate." At this point, Aoki Reiko tried her best not to appear nervous. She was very clear that these criminals would not easily let her go, even if they got the money, her personal safety was not guaranteed at all. With cases like these kidnappings, apart from getting money, to prevent exposure, they might likely kill the victim leaving no traces, and as a woman, she feared they might also sexually assault her.


    Therefore, at this moment, Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for doom, she had to find a way to escape, especially before the guy checking the factory returned, because it would be difficult to escape in front of both of them.


    Seeing the guy in front light a cigarette, Aoki Reiko suddenly had an idea and asked, "Could I... have a cigarette?"


    "You smoke too?" The guy was somewhat surprised as he looked at Aoki Reiko.


    Aoki Reiko naturally said, "Yeah, I smoke, and I also sniff powder. Anyway, I won¡¯t live long, so I just want to have fun around the world in my last days."


    "Not living long? What do you mean?"


    "Heh, I used to play too wild and contracted AIDS, so I won¡¯t live much longer. I figured I¡¯d travel the world and enjoy myself in the last part of my life."


    "Damn, you have AIDS?" The guy jumped, instinctively backing away.


    "Yeah, so if you want money, I can give it to you, but if you plan to sexually abuse me, you better use protection, or else if you catch it, don¡¯t blame me for not warning you."


    "The hell, are you serious?" The guy¡¯s eyes widened, AIDS was something very frightening and distant for many people, suddenly seeing someone with AIDS right by him instinctively scared him.


    Aoki Reiko smiled faintly and said, "It¡¯s up to you guys, if you¡¯re willing to go without protection, I don¡¯t mind."


    Such a beauty as Aoki Reiko, this guy had long thought of sexually assaulting her, but if Aoki Reiko had AIDS, even the boldest wouldn¡¯t dare think about it anymore. Even if he doubted the truthfulness of her words, the mere possibility, as small as one percent, would deter him from trying.


    "Hey, give me a cigarette," Aoki Reiko said at this moment.


    The guy immediately threw a cigarette and a lighter to Aoki Reiko, careful not to touch her hand.


    Aoki Reiko inwardly chuckled, her method had indeed worked, and for now, at least she didn¡¯t have to worry about being sexually assaulted. That¡¯s when she suddenly remembered the incident with Mu Fei, wondering why she hadn¡¯t told Mu Fei the same thing.


    On second thought, telling Mu Fei wouldn¡¯t have worked anyway. Firstly, they had already been traveling together for several days, so it wouldn¡¯t have been effective. Moreover, Mu Fei hadn¡¯t actually assaulted her in the end, so whether she had AIDS or not, he wouldn¡¯t have been scared.


    Aoki Reiko lit the cigarette, and immediately started coughing. She didn¡¯t smoke normally, this was her first time, and the smoke hitting her airways was extremely unsettling.


    "Ah, my resistance has been getting worse these days," Aoki Reiko muttered, brilliantly covering up her unfamiliarity with smoking and scaring the guy even more.


    "Damn it, this is so unlucky!" The guy driving cursed, stepped out of the car, but stayed near the door on Aoki Reiko¡¯s side, obviously fearing she might escape.


    But he had given Aoki Reiko a big enough opportunity; she immediately secretly lighted the lighter and set the car seat on fire. Soon, the fire started blazing.


    "Fire, fire!" Aoki Reiko shouted loudly, forcefully opening the car door.


    The guy was startled and hurried to put out the fire, although the car was stolen, a burning car would be too conspicuous at this time, not a good thing for him.


    The guy was relentlessly trying to extinguish the fire, the other guy who went to check the situation rushed back and shouted, "What happened?"


    "Fuck, it¡¯s on fire," the guy in the car finally managed to extinguish the fire and emerged covered in soot and dirt.


    "What the hell caused the fire, and where¡¯s that Japanese girl?"


    "She... fuck, she ran away," the guy turned around only to find no sign of Aoki Reiko behind him and was stunned.


    "Hurry and chase, she can¡¯t have gone far in this desolate place."


    The two hurriedly looked around, and soon saw a dark figure running about a hundred meters away, they quickly started chasing after her.


    This was also Aoki Reiko¡¯s lack of experience; at that moment, if she hadn¡¯t run desperately but instead had slipped away and quickly hidden somewhere, finding her in the dark of night would not have been easy for them. But her running made her an obvious target, and they immediately spotted her.


    Aoki Reiko also heard the two men talking, her heart panicked even more, and she increased her running speed. Despite not being physically strong, she was surprisingly fast in her desperate bid to escape, and although the two pursuers were men, catching up to her, with over a hundred meters apart, was not easy.


    "Help! Help!" Aoki Reiko ran while shouting loudly, firstly to attract attention, secondly to try and frighten the criminals.


    Unfortunately, the place was too desolate and being late at night, no matter how much she screamed, no one came. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, shouting like that made her breath less constrained, slowing her running pace, and the two desperate men, seeing no one else around, didn¡¯t want to let Aoki Reiko escape, chasing her at full speed and rapidly closing the distance.


    Aoki Reiko looked back and saw the pursuers getting closer, she became even more flustered, her steps erratic, and her speed slowed even more.


    At this moment, she couldn¡¯t pay attention to where she was stepping and unfortunately tripped over a small bush, losing her balance and falling heavily into the weeds.


    "Ah!" Aoki Reiko cried out in pain, then struggled mightily to get up, but saw the two men already standing in front of her, draining all her strength and falling back into the weeds.


    "Damn... keep running... get up and keep running... huff huff..." one guy kicked Aoki Reiko, panting heavily, the three having run about six or seven hundred meters, which was a significant exertion for them at that time, and they were somewhat exhausted.


    "Fuck, you said you had AIDS, and you can run this far? Daring to deceive me, I wasn¡¯t even planning on doing much to you, but now, if I don¡¯t have some fun with you, it would be a disgrace," he said.


    Saying so, the guy sneered and squatted down, reaching out to touch Aoki Reiko¡¯s face.


    Aoki Reiko desperately shook her head, avoiding the man¡¯s hand, her heart utterly cold, was she really going to be ruined here tonight?


    But just then, she saw someone appearing behind the two men, she couldn¡¯t make out who it was, but the look in that person¡¯s eyes felt so familiar to her, and she couldn¡¯t help but cheer.

 Chapter 1161 - 1207: It Really Is You

    Chapter 1161: Chapter 1207: It Really Is YouThe two thugs also sensed something at this moment, immediately turned around, and faced the person behind them. Both of them pulled out a dagger simultaneously, snarling fiercely: "Get lost?"


    The person who arrived was none other than Li Yifei. At this moment, he snorted coldly. With both hands, he swiftly grasped the hair of the two men. Before they could react, he forcibly smashed their heads together.


    Without even a grunt, the two men passed out and lay limply on the ground.


    Li Yifei crouched down, helping Aoki Reiko to steady herself, and said, "Miss Reiko, are you alright?"


    "Yifei?" Aoki Reiko called out in an extremely astonished voice, then suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, urgently saying: "It¡¯s you, it must be you, you are that person!"


    Li Yifei was startled, his heart raced with surprise. No way, Aoki Reiko had recognized him. But he dared not admit it, feigning confusion he said: "Miss Reiko, what are you talking about? I am Li Yifei."


    "Yifei, you can¡¯t fool me, your eyes, I remember them clearly. That day you saved me, it was with the same gaze, I remember, I really do. It was at that dock, just like today, you saved me from two thugs."


    At this moment, Li Yifei was even more stunned. He initially thought Aoki Reiko had recognized him as Mu Fei. Unexpectedly, she recognized him from the first time he rescued her.


    "Weren¡¯t you unconscious then?" Li Yifei asked subconsciously, but his inquiry was just a pretense. Having quickly weighed his options, since Aoki Reiko had recognized him, even if he denied it, it would be futile. Moreover, that identity could offer several plausible explanations and also prevent Aoki Reiko from linking him to Mu Fei, potentially a good resolution.


    Aoki Reiko excitedly said: "Hehe, it really is you, it really is! I was initially unconscious, but when you moved me to another place, I woke up and I saw your eyes."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I intended to do a good deed anonymously, but you still recognized me."


    "I never expected to meet you here, I am really so happy, you saved me once again."


    Li Yifei shook his head helplessly, and said: "All right, but shouldn¡¯t we deal with this situation first? Also, shouldn¡¯t we head back? We can¡¯t stay here forever, can we?"


    "Ah, you¡¯re right." Aoki Reiko then realized the environment they were in, quickly leaning on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder trying to stand up, but she immediately cried out in pain, nearly falling to the ground, luckily Li Yifei caught her in time.


    "What happened? Are you hurt?"


    Aoki Reiko, with a pained expression, said: "I fell just now, I think I¡¯ve twisted my ankle, it hurts..."


    "Then, I¡¯ll carry you. You don¡¯t mind, right?" Li Yifei could only opt for this solution.


    "That would be trouble for you." Aoki Reiko hesitated for a moment but then gave Li Yifei a grateful smile.


    Li Yifei bent over, picked Aoki Reiko up in his arms, and then prepared to leave. Aoki Reiko was somewhat shy but still clung to Li Yifei¡¯s neck. For someone who had saved her twice, she really had no defenses.


    However, just as Li Yifei had taken a few steps, Aoki Reiko said, "What about those two men?"


    "Someone will handle it," Li Yifei said briefly, walking briskly forward with Aoki Reiko in his arms.


    Aoki Reiko knew that Li Yifei had significant influence here; dealing with such matters naturally wouldn¡¯t require her worry, and so she let herself be carried by him with peace of mind.


    Although it was night, there was a half-moon in the sky, and together with the myriad stars, Aoki Reiko could still clearly see Li Yifei¡¯s face. Looking at his face, she suddenly thought of Mu Fei. Mu Fei, although very bastardly, during that day at sea when Mu Fei held her floating on the sea, they also saw the starry sky, feeling many similarities.


    "Is there something on my face?" Li Yifei felt quite uncomfortable under Aoki Reiko¡¯s gaze and half-jokingly asked.


    Aoki Reiko, embarrassed, smiled and said, "I was reminded of Mu Fei. That bastard, during that day in the sea with me, it was also under a sky full of stars." Then she turned her head to gaze at the stars, her eyes filled with complex emotions.


    Li Yifei silently grimaced. He had behaved very badly in front of Aoki Reiko, simply because he did not want her to have a good impression of him, to avoid future trouble for both of them. Currently, the trouble was unclear, but Aoki Reiko had unexpectedly fallen for that bad Mu Fei, something completely unexpected.


    Finally, arriving at the car, Li Yifei unlocked the door, placed Aoki Reiko in the back seat, and said, "Put your leg on the seat, I will take you to the hospital now."


    On the way, Li Yifei called Xu Yingying, informing her that Aoki Reiko was alright, just a twisted ankle, and he was now taking her to the hospital for a check-up. Xu Yingying asked Li Yifei to pass the phone to Aoki Reiko, and Li Yifei promptly handed it to her, saying, "This is my wife, Xu Yingying."


    "Miss Reiko, are you alright?" Xu Yingying asked.


    "I¡¯m fine, thank you for your concern, madam. I¡¯ve troubled Yifei again. I will have a quick check-up at the hospital, then let Yifei go back."


    "Miss Reiko, don¡¯t overthink it. Since you came to Mile City, it is our duty to host you. I apologize for any alarm you might have experienced. I¡¯ve already spoken with Yifei, and he will make sure to take good care of you tonight."


    Aoki Reiko gratefully said, "I really appreciate it, thank you so much, ma¡¯am. Once my foot gets better, I will definitely come to visit."


    "Hehe, there¡¯s no need for such formalities. I won¡¯t say more now. You¡¯d better hurry to the hospital."


    After hanging up the phone, Aoki Reiko passed her cellphone forward and said, "Feijun, your wife is truly kind-hearted."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Yes, Yingying is the only wife I have officially registered a marriage with. It¡¯s her tolerance that keeps our home so harmonious. I can never repay her enough for all the kindness she has shown me."


    "You are truly fortunate," Aoki Reiko sincerely complimented, showing no signs of the reservations she had before upon learning that Li Yifei had multiple wives.


    Upon reaching the hospital, Li Yifei borrowed a wheelchair, wheeled Aoki Reiko to get an X-ray which showed no issues with her bones. Next, they headed home for her to take some medicine and apply cold and then hot compresses.


    Having loaded Aoki Reiko back into the car, Li Yifei said, "Miss Reiko, I¡¯ve been thinking, I should take you to my house instead."


    "To your house? No need, that would be inconvenient."


    "I feel it¡¯d be more inconvenient for you to be on your own. Nobody would take care of you, and with your foot in this condition, I would worry. It¡¯s better if you stay at my house, we have servants there who can look after you, that way I can rest easy."


    "Is that so... Won¡¯t it be troublesome for you?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "My wives don¡¯t mind even when I¡¯m alone with you, let alone you staying at our house."


    "Then I thank you, Feijun," Aoki Reiko hesitated a moment before agreeing. Her foot was still quite painful, especially when exerted, making it inconvenient for her to be alone at home, but at Li Yifei¡¯s house, with people to care for her, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry.


    Soon, Li Yifei brought Aoki Reiko to his home. Even in the evening light, one could see how vast Li Yifei¡¯s garden was. The scarcity of land in Japan compared to Huaxia made owning such a large garden almost unimaginable, something even the Aoki Family could not achieve for construction.


    This gave Aoki Reiko a new understanding of Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities, realizing he had understated his resources before. Owning such a vast garden indicated he was no ordinary person.


    Li Yifei brought Aoki Reiko to a guest room and summoned a maid to take care of her for the next few days, supervising the maid as she applied cold compresses to Aoki Reiko.


    "Feijun, if you¡¯re not in a hurry, could we chat for a while?" Aoki Reiko, seeing that Li Yifei was about to leave, hesitated before making the request.


    Li Yifei sat down on a chair next to the bed and said, "Alright, let¡¯s talk." Since Aoki Reiko had recognized him as the person who had saved her during her first trip to Japan, he felt it necessary to clarify the matter, or otherwise, Aoki Reiko wouldn¡¯t be satisfied.


    "Feijun, when you saved me that time, did you really have no impression of me at all?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, saying, "Actually, I recognized you immediately when I saw you on the road that time. But it felt too coincidental, and if I had brought it up, you might think I had inappropriate intentions. My rescuing you was just a convenient action, so I didn¡¯t want you to feel indebted to me."


    "Your character is truly noble, Feijun. But why did you go to Japan then?"


    Li Yifei sighed, "It¡¯s a bit of an unsavory matter, actually."


    "Oh? What was it?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then said, "I¡¯ll tell you, Miss Reiko. Actually, I was helping a friend with smuggling, so it was something clandestine."


    "Smuggling? With your current wealth, do you need to resort to smuggling?"


    "I really don¡¯t need it, but it was to repay a favor to a friend who used my connections to get things across. I¡¯m not involved in this business myself."


    "I see, so your friend... what does he do?" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei looked at Aoki Reiko¡¯s anxious expression and couldn¡¯t help smiling, "The person isn¡¯t Mu Fei as you might be thinking; he¡¯s not that capable."


    Aoki Reiko looked somewhat disappointed and apologetically said, "I¡¯m sorry, since it¡¯s related to your privacy, I won¡¯t ask further."


    Li Yifei finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling he had managed to sidestep the issue once again.

 Chapter 1162 - 1208: The Mysterious Organization Arrives

    Chapter 1162: Chapter 1208: The Mysterious Organization ArrivesAoki Reiko was supposed to sleep restlessly tonight after being kidnapped, but instead, she slept exceedingly well. In fact, it was the best sleep she had had in days, as if the kidnapping had not affected her at all.


    The next morning, not long after Aoki Reiko woke up, a large group of people entered her room. Confronted with this bevy of beauties, Aoki Reiko was almost dazzled. She knew that Li Yifei had many women, but she had not anticipated that he would have this many.


    And when Li Yifei introduced these people to Aoki Reiko, she was even more deeply shocked.


    There was Xu Yingying, a company president; Ning Xin¡¯er, a big celebrity; Lin Qiong, the Chief of the Public Security Bureau; and Ye Yunzhu, a senior official in the city. But the most impressive was Su Mengxin.


    Aoki Reiko herself was an exceptionally outstanding woman. Coming from such wealth, she was well-aware of many internationally renowned women. Su Mengxin, praised as Huaxia¡¯s top beauty and possibly the most beautiful woman in the East, was now together with Li Yifei. Moreover, her belly was prominently elevated, indicating her pregnancy with Li Yifei¡¯s child.


    She truly hadn¡¯t expected someone like Su Mengxin to be with a philandering man like Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei had many women, which normally suggested he was fickle and unreliable. However, looking at it from another angle, the fact that so many excellent women were around him also proved Li Yifei¡¯s own excellence. Seeing the harmonious relationships among them suggested that Li Yifei was more than capable of managing marital relations.


    Having recognized Li Yifei yesterday as the man who once saved her, Aoki Reiko¡¯s impression of him had already greatly changed. Now, another transformation was taking place in her view of him. She was extremely curious about him; she really wanted to understand what kind of charm he possessed that could inspire such dedicated devotion from so many outstanding women.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Aoki Reiko had grown rather familiar with each other, and since Xiao Ling¡¯er was currently home for her pregnancy, she was able to keep Aoki Reiko company. With Su Mengxin also at home, having two mistresses by her side was a great honor for Aoki Reiko.


    Li Yifei was very busy recently. As the head of a conglomerate, he naturally had many issues to deal with. If it weren¡¯t for Xu Yingying and He Fangqing taking on much of the pressure for him, he would have been overwhelmed. Even so, his daily schedule was fully packed.


    At ten o¡¯clock, a business executive from a neighboring city arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s office after previously scheduling an appointment. Now at Li Yifei¡¯s status, not just anyone could get an audience with him.


    When the two visitors, a man and a woman, entered, Li Yifei¡¯s face turned grim instantaneously. Waving his hand, he said to Su Yiyi, "Yiyi, step out for a moment."


    Startled, Su Yiyi wondered why Li Yifei had asked her to leave. She often assisted with record-keeping during his meetings, and Li Yifei had never asked her to exit before. This anomaly was clearly because of these two individuals. What could their purpose be that warranted such a decision from Li Yifei?


    Although she didn¡¯t understand, Su Yiyi complied, aware that Li Yifei must have had good reasons.


    "Golden Eagle, long time no see!" The man greeted Li Yifei arrogantly after Su Yiyi had left.


    "Park Sung-ho, you¡¯re quite lucky to be alive," Li Yifei said indifferently, nodding towards the sofa. "Take a seat."


    This man was from that mysterious organization; he had fought with Li Yifei last time, and Li Yifei had nearly been the end of him until a mysterious woman suddenly appeared and rescued Park Sung-ho. It surprised him that Park Sung-ho would come looking for him.


    Li Yifei scrutinized the woman next to Park Sung-ho carefully. She looked to be around twenty, delicate and graceful, with an excellent figure, busty chest, slender waist, long legs, and extremely pretty¡ªall in all, no less than the women in his own home. In fact, in his household, she could rank well above average. However, Li Yifei was certain she wasn¡¯t the woman who saved Park Sung-ho that day, as this woman was around 165 cm tall, clearly taller than the woman from that day, and she didn¡¯t seem like she had such strong martial skills.


    Park Sung-ho, however, appeared quite at ease as he and the woman seated themselves. "Golden Eagle, we are not here to be your enemy today; instead, we want to discuss a cooperation with you," he said.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and asked, "Cooperation? Drug dealing?"


    Shaking his head, Park Sung-ho replied, "Our organization is involved in numerous industries. While drugs are the most profitable, we won¡¯t be dealing with that with you."


    Leaning back, Li Yifei lit a cigarette and inquired, "So, what exactly do you want to cooperate on with me?"


    "Very simple, we want to partner with your shipping company," Park Sung-ho explained.


    "Oh? And how would that partnership work?"


    "We will have goods shipped through your shipping company."


    "Drugs?"


    "No, just regular merchandise. Your shipping company has just started, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have many clients yet. We offer to partner with you, and it¡¯s all legitimate business. For you, there are only benefits, no disadvantages."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes at Park Sung-ho and said, "If it was that simple, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d personally come looking for me. You could have had someone I don¡¯t know do the deal with us, legitimately."


    Park Sung-ho chuckled softly, "Golden Eagle, our reason for doing this is simple: we want to avoid any conflicts with you. If you¡¯re willing to collaborate with our organization, we will offer you immense benefits, the kind you can¡¯t even imagine. You think being worth tens of billions makes you rich, but let me tell you, if you join our organization, we can guarantee that you¡¯ll earn tens of billions in assets within a year."


    "Heh, what a big piece of pie," Li Yifei said sarcastically.


    Park Sung-ho, undisturbed by Li Yifei¡¯s sarcasm, continued, "You obviously don¡¯t understand the strength of our organization. Don¡¯t assume that the big families in Huaxia are super powerful. Compared to us, they¡¯re weak. Our organization has always valued you highly. My cooperation proposal is an olive branch, to demonstrate our sincerity. I believe that in the future, you will become a member of our organization."


    "Is that so? Your organization must really be powerful. I¡¯ve never heard of such a strong entity before."


    "Of course, our organization has always operated in secret, keeping a low profile. We¡¯ve been accumulating power for over a century, and now the time has finally come to prove to the world that only our organization can save the people from peril, and only we can offer everyone a precious, happy, and equal life."


    As he said this, Park Sung-ho¡¯s eyes gleamed with fanaticism, and Li Yifei realized that there might be some truth to his words. Moreover, the organization was an impassioned cult. Such organizations are the toughest to deal with. They possess powerful indoctrination techniques and methods to make you believe their words until you end up joining them.


    Dealing with such religious organizations is always difficult as many of their members value their lives little, willing to do anything for the cause. Over the years, Li Yifei has encountered many such individuals.


    "So, you¡¯re not hiding anymore?" Li Yifei asked further.


    Park Sung-ho replied with pride, "That day is not far away. Hence, our organization hopes that a strong person like you, Golden Eagle, will join us for the greatness that lies ahead." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile, "Is that so? But I don¡¯t even know what your organization is about or how powerful it really is, and you¡¯re already asking me to join. Isn¡¯t that a bit absurd?"


    "I know you can¡¯t agree just like that, so let¡¯s start with a partnership to let you witness the strength of our organization and the benefits it can bring you."


    "Oh, seems like there are only benefits for me," Li Yifei¡¯s smile broadened.


    "Exactly, for a strong person like you, Golden Eagle, we must demonstrate sufficient sincerity."


    Li Yifei snuffed out his cigarette and looked at Park Sung-ho, "What if I don¡¯t agree?"


    Park Sung-ho smiled faintly, "I know you wouldn¡¯t easily agree, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be Golden Eagle. We can take our time. One day, you will agree."


    Li Yifei spoke slowly, "Then what kind of measures will you take?"


    Park Sung-ho laughed heartily, "Our investigations showed that you are no longer the state¡¯s Golden Eagle. You¡¯ve established the Li family and are now more focused on your own family. With numerous influential families in Huaxia, you need sufficient power to develop without being suppressed by others. Everything you need, our organization can provide. We just need a channel in Huaxia to expand our operations. We don¡¯t require you to do much. Your Li family will still be yours, our organization won¡¯t interfere with your development or place any restrictions on you. Isn¡¯t our sincerity enough?"


    Li Yifei tapped his finger lightly on the table, "Seems like the benefits you¡¯re offering aren¡¯t trivial at all."


    "Of course not," Park Sung-ho boasted, "Think about Sun Nenghui, what abilities does he have? We made him wealthy in his own right. With our assistance, a capable person like you will truly soar."


    After a pause, Park Sung-ho pointed to the woman next to him, giving an ambiguous smile, "Our organization knows you like beautiful women, so I brought with me a top-quality beauty this time, guaranteed a virgin and exceptionally capable in all aspects. From now on, she¡¯s all yours."

 Chapter 1163 - 1209: A Big Gift

    Chapter 1163: Chapter 1209: A Big Gift"Golden Eagle, she has been meticulously trained by our organization. She¡¯s not only beautiful but also skilled in jujitsu. She will definitely bring you a different kind of pleasure in bed, and no matter what you request, she will satisfy you," Park Sung-ho added another sentence. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei silently sweated to himself, realizing that he had already been perceived as a lustful guy in the outside world. However, it wasn¡¯t surprising given the many women around him. He laughed and said, "I see you really know how to cater to my tastes. But since you say she¡¯s so skilled in bed, I¡¯m afraid she must have practiced with a lot of men, and then just reapplied a fresh veneer? I¡¯m not interested in such women."


    Park Sung-ho laughed heartily and said, "That would be an insult to you and show no sincerity on our part. We train them precisely to reserve them for the most important people, not just any man can touch them. As for what you mentioned, we have experts from Japan who specifically train them on how to please men. They know the techniques but haven¡¯t practiced them. I think you¡¯ll understand once you try, there¡¯s no need for too much proof."


    Li Yifei glanced at the woman. She had kept her head down since she entered, but now she lifted her head and her eyes met Li Yifei¡¯s briefly before she quickly lowered her gaze again, a faint blush spreading across her face.


    Fingertips gently tapping the desk, Li Yifei remained silent. He had absolutely no interest in this woman, but Park Sung-ho¡¯s approach to propose cooperation was a strong temptation. It wasn¡¯t that Li Yifei truly wanted to cooperate with them, but the organization was just too mysterious and a significant threat to the nation and to him personally.


    If he agreed to cooperate now, he would gain more insight into the organization in the future. Only by understanding the enemy could he figure out how to deal with them, otherwise, it would be really troublesome to keep passively dealing with them.


    "Park Sung-ho, aren¡¯t you afraid that if I agree to cooperate, I¡¯m actually planning to infiltrate your ranks, steal your important intel, and then work with various countries to suppress you?"


    Li Yifei directly posed this question. He could think of it, and so could the other party, so it was more straightforward to ask directly.


    Park Sung-ho gave Li Yifei a thumbs up and said, "Golden Eagle is indeed Golden Eagle, straightforward in speech. Then I¡¯ll also be honest with you. It¡¯s absolutely impossible for you to know our organization¡¯s internal matters now. Even I can only understand the part I manage. Everything I do is ordered from above. Only if you can gain sufficient trust from the higher-ups will you naturally obtain their secrets, and I believe that once you reach that step, you will truly become a member of our organization."


    Park Sung-ho¡¯s confidence took Li Yifei aback, showing how many people, like him, didn¡¯t initially want to join the organization but were gradually convinced by it over time, indicative of the organization¡¯s formidable capability.


    Seeing Li Yifei musing without response, Park Sung-ho smiled again and said, "Besides, this woman is just for you to play with for now. If you like her, you can have as many as you want in the future."


    "So many women like her?" Li Yifei widened his eyes.


    Park Sung-ho laughed loudly and said, "Of course. If you want to build a palace, I can even assemble a court of three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines for you, all of top-quality just like her."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "Just from this aspect, the might of your organization is evident."


    Park Sung-ho smiled proudly and said, "Naturally, Golden Eagle, our organization values you highly. As far as I know, you are the first person to receive such treatment in recent years. I sincerely hope we can achieve great things together in the future."


    Li Yifei lit another cigarette and after smoking most of it, he finally said, "I really need to consider this matter carefully."


    Park Sung-ho nodded and said, "Of course, we will wait patiently for your agreement, but we can start discussing the details of cooperation now."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I¡¯m just afraid that after receiving your favor, I¡¯ll be too embarrassed to refuse."


    Park Sung-ho stood up, gestured with his hand, and said, "That¡¯s also our organization¡¯s sincerity. Even if you refuse, we can still be friends for now. Three days later, someone will come specifically to discuss this business with your company. Today, I¡¯ll take my leave."


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Then I¡¯ll see Brother Park out."


    "No need. If Brother Li joins our organization in the future, you will surely be a key figure, no match for me. How could I let Brother Li see me off?" As he said this, Park Sung-ho winked at Li Yifei and said, "You should really check out this gift, it definitely has more flavor than the women at your home, haha..."


    Park Sung-ho left, and Li Yifei only escorted him to the door. However, he did not let Park Sung-ho take the woman away. It wasn¡¯t that he was interested in the woman, but in the eyes of the organization, it would seem unreasonable if he didn¡¯t take the woman, considering they perceived him as a man prone to lust. Moreover, this woman was also trained by the organization, and getting some useful information from her could be beneficial.


    Over the years, Li Yifei had offended many organizations, but he was generally familiar with their situations. As long as they dared to act rashly, Li Yifei was confident that he could strike directly at their headquarters, causing them significant losses. The incident with the Yamaguchi Group had set an example, and now no one dared to trouble Li Yifei.


    However, this organization always made Li Yifei particularly cautious. This organization was first and foremost mysterious; nobody knew what they did, how powerful they were, or where they were located. But from several incidents, he could feel that this organization, capable of developing drugs that unleashed human potential and training so many beautiful women for diplomatic purposes, was incredibly powerful. Even the Holy War Organization led by the Sacred Maiden couldn¡¯t compare to this group.


    So, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t really afford a deadly confrontation with them. He wasn¡¯t afraid for himself, but his family was a different matter; his bodyguards could handle ordinary masters, but those who had taken the drugs were a serious threat.


    Keeping this woman was a necessary choice, but how to handle her now was proving troublesome for Li Yifei. Bringing her home would not sit well with his family; if he accepted a gift like this, what would stop him from accepting others in the future? This was something the women in his family would definitely not allow.


    And not bringing her home wasn¡¯t an option either. The organization would definitely find out, and they would be even more wary of him. Besides, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be at ease with the woman being outside.


    Turning his head, he looked at the woman, who had by then stood up with her hands crossed over her lower abdomen, simply standing there motionlessly, yet emitting a captivating charm. If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t known the woman was sent to him, he might have been tempted himself upon seeing her, and other men would definitely go crazy for her.


    He walked directly up to the woman and said: "What is your name? By the way, do you speak Chinese?"


    "My name is Wu Yuru." The woman answered softly, glanced up at Li Yifei, then quickly lowered her head again. Even this simple gesture was filled with endless allure, and her voice was sweet and mellow, comfortable to listen to.


    "Hmm, from now on you¡¯ll be following me. Are you willing?"


    "Willing..." Wu Yuru raised her head again, her face flushing as she softly said: "To follow Mr. Li is an honor for me."


    "Is that so?" Li Yifei squinted his eyes at Wu Yuru.


    "Yes, if the organization had arranged for an older person, I would have followed orders as well. To be with someone like Mr. Li who is young and handsome... that¡¯s just my good fortune."


    "You may sit." Li Yifei pointed to the sofa, seating himself on one at the side first.


    Wu Yuru complied, sitting sideways towards Li Yifei, not fully settling down but merely perching respectfully.


    Li Yifei then asked again: "What if you were arranged to be with an old man, would you be willing then?"


    Wu Yuru firmly said: "If that were the case, I would also be willing. For our organization, I am willing to give my all."


    Li Yifei immediately asked: "Then I¡¯m really curious, what exactly makes you so willing to sacrifice for the organization?"


    "We have been orphans since childhood, and the organization raised us. The organization gave us everything, so doing anything for them isn¡¯t a sacrifice, but an honor." Saying this, Wu Yuru spoke with pride, bravely meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei inwardly took a deep breath. Although he knew that the woman sent to him by Park Sung-ho must be trusted immensely by the organization, a woman being sent to a man and considering it an honor indicated just how strong the organization¡¯s control over its people was¡ªalmost as if these people were as loyal to the organization as to a country.


    It was truly terrifying. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but worry. He had already decided to take this woman back home to extract some useful information from her and to at least have an initial understanding of the organization. Since Park Sung-ho had sent her to him, presumably, they weren¡¯t afraid of him knowing these things.

 Chapter 1164 - 1210: Noah’s Ark

    Chapter 1164: Chapter 1210: Noah¡¯s ArkAs a top-tier special forces soldier of the country, Li Yifei was well-acquainted with those who are loyal to their nation and make all sorts of sacrifices for their country.


    Every country has female spies who, in order to gather intelligence or complete special missions, must also offer their bodies and bed the enemy, which is considered quite normal.


    However, such methods absolutely cannot be publicly disclosed as they tarnish the nation¡¯s image, yet these realities truly exist and are precisely where female spies¡¯ advantages lie.


    But these female spies are earnestly nurtured by their nations; knowing what they do is a sacrifice for their country, it¡¯s not merely about personal gains.


    Many organizations have such individuals, but most of them do it for some benefits. Seldom are there those who, driven by ideals or beliefs, are willing to relinquish their lifetime happiness. The Holy War Organization¡¯s Saintess and her people, although fervent, engage in overt and righteous deeds, hence they would not resort to such acts.


    There came a knock on the door. Li Yifei looked at Wu Yuru and said, "You should go into the suite first."


    Wu Yuru obediently stood up, her steps light but swiftly moving into the suite. Her walk was particularly graceful, like every part of her was seducing men, truly a rare beauty.


    Su Yiyi entered, having just seen Park Sung-ho leave but not the woman, which really puzzled her. While hesitating whether to enter or not, a manager requested to see Li Yifei, providing her with a perfect excuse to come in.


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t see the woman after entering and was somewhat baffled, but Li Yifei gestured towards the interior suite without a word. Su Yiyi didn¡¯t ask and said, "Manager Wang from the project department has something to report to you. You have about fifteen minutes before your meeting with General Zhao. Do you want to see him now?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Ask him to go to Yingying¡¯s office; I¡¯ll be right there."


    Su Yiyi nodded, then left with Li Yifei to Xu Yingying¡¯s office where, only after arriving, she curiously asked, "What¡¯s with that woman?"


    Xu Yingying had just wrapped up her work and just taken a sip of water when she heard Su Yiyi¡¯s question, she immediately looked at Li Yifei and asked, "What woman?"


    Li Yifei closed the door and then pulled Su Yiyi and Xu Yingying to sit down on the sofa, saying, "There¡¯s a very tricky matter now. That organization has approached me and even left a woman behind, intending to present her to me."


    Xu Yingying frowned, "Give her to you? What do you mean?"


    "They think I¡¯m a man prone to lust, so they sent me a beauty in hopes of winning me over."


    "So you decided to keep her?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened on the instant.


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "Wife, don¡¯t get angry, I have no such intentions. However, I still know nothing about that organization; this woman could be a significant breakthrough point."


    "So you mean to use... the ¡¯beauty trap¡¯?"


    Li Yifei almost stumbled and said, "Wife, do you think that trick would work?"


    "Enough joking. Are you really going to keep her?" Xu Yingying now asked with a serious expression.


    Li Yifei nodded.


    Xu Yingying smiled slightly, "Then just keep her. I know you are doing this for the family and won¡¯t mess around."


    Li Yifei was suddenly moved, took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, and said, "Wife, you are so understanding."


    "Stop buttering me up, but if I find out you¡¯re using this as an excuse for your philandering, just watch how I¡¯ll join forces with the girls to deal with you."


    "I absolutely won¡¯t!" Li Yifei quickly assured her.


    After settling things with Xu Yingying, Li Yifei took Wu Yuru back to his home during the midday break, eager to ask her many questions.


    Inside Li Yifei¡¯s villa, he and Wu Yuru sat face to face. It was clear that this woman also knew that Li Yifei had more on his mind than to seek pleasures from her; thus, she was being quite proper, sitting quietly in front of Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "I have a few questions for you now, and I hope you can answer them truthfully."


    Wu Yuru gently nodded and said, "Mr. Li, since I was given to you by the organization, I am now yours. I will do everything you say without reserve, and any question you ask, as long as I know, I will certainly tell you."


    "Good," Li Yifei looked at Wu Yuru and said, "How much do you actually know about this organization?"


    Wu Yuru¡¯s eyes immediately flashed a look that was filled with worship and fanaticism as she slowly said: "Our organization is called Noah¡¯s Ark, meaning to save the people from fire and water, leading everyone towards achieving a wonderful realm that has never existed in human history."


    This was Li Yifei¡¯s first time hearing the name of this organization, and the name sounded pretty good. However, nowadays many organizations were also using noble doctrines as their banners, but in the end, they only served a select few, while the ignorant followers only knew how to give.


    "Our Noah¡¯s Ark Organization always advocates for truth, goodness, and beauty. All things in the world are equal. Once our ideal realm is established, at that time, all of us will be equal, there will be no more wars, no more oppression..."


    Wu Yuru was enraptured as she spoke of that ideal realm, while Li Yifei just listened and shook his head quietly. These things sounded very beautiful, but he was very clear that such a realm was nearly impossible to achieve; it was far too idealistic.


    After Wu Yuru finished speaking, Li Yifei asked: "So what do you usually do?"


    "Our daily routine... is to train, to become the most outstanding woman. We know that accomplishing all of this definitely won¡¯t be easy, so a lot of people have to make sacrifice, to pay a price for our ideals. That is why we train very seriously and diligently every day."


    "Where are you located?"


    "We are... I don¡¯t actually know exactly where we are. I only know that we¡¯re on a small island. We traveled by boat for two days, then boarded a larger ship for another five days, before finally reaching an airport. Only after that did we take a flight to get here." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei frowned. Being at sea for so long indicated that the small island where Wu Yuru and the others were located was extremely far from the mainland. Even if the islands were marked on maps, there were too many to count, and countless others weren¡¯t marked at all. Finding this place would be incredibly difficult.


    Moreover, this island was obviously just a place for training these women and was not a particularly important location within the organization. Even if it was found, it wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    Li Yifei then asked a few more questions. Wu Yuru had lived on that island ever since she was young and had never been anywhere else. She only knew the doctrine of the organization and that they had a grand ideal, but she was completely unaware of the internal workings of the organization.


    This was exactly what Li Yifei had expected before asking, so he wasn¡¯t disappointed. How could such a secretive organization let their secrets slip out so easily?


    At this point, Li Yifei looked at Wu Yuru and said, "What if I don¡¯t join your organization, what will you do then?"


    Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Wu Yuru replied: "Since I¡¯ve already been given to you, whether you join or not is not my responsibility. My duty is to... serve you well."


    "Is it that simple?"


    "Yes!" Wu Yuru nodded vigorously and said, "Before we left, Park Sung-ho had already told me that this is my job, this is the greatest contribution I can make to our Noah¡¯s Ark."


    Li Yifei immediately asked, "Your name is Park Sung-ho?"


    "Yes, I had never seen him before. This time when I came out, he told me to call him by his name."


    "Is there no hierarchy among you?"


    "There isn¡¯t. On our island besides the instructors, we are all the same, there is no hierarchy. Moreover, in our Noah¡¯s Ark, we advocate for equality and freedom, how could there be a hierarchy?"


    Li Yifei frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t think Wu Yuru was lying; rather, it was that Wu Yuru simply didn¡¯t know the situation outside. She had no idea about the other divisions within the organization and naively believed there was no hierarchy.


    "Mr. Li! Do you have any other questions?" Wu Yuru looked at Li Yifei with affectionate eyes.


    "No more questions." Li Yifei was analyzing the information that Wu Yuru had provided in his mind and did not notice her gaze.


    "Then... I¡¯ll give Mr. Li a shoulder rub first." Wu Yuru said stood up and walked directly behind Li Yifei, placing her hands on his shoulders.


    Li Yifei quickly stood up and said, "No need for now, I have a lot of work to do this afternoon and I need to leave."


    "Oh?" Wu Yuru looked surprised and somewhat at a loss at Li Yifei¡¯s reaction.


    Li Yifei felt he may have been too harsh and smiled, saying, "Right now, I¡¯m still somewhat wary of you. I won¡¯t touch you for the time being, just stay here for now."


    Wu Yuru understood Li Yifei¡¯s words. She had heard that Park Sung-ho was trying to recruit Li Yifei into the organization, and this man was supposed to be a very powerful man. Since he had not yet agreed, it was natural for her to be cautious. At this time, she had already made up her mind to win Li Yifei¡¯s favor. Only by doing that could she persuade Li Yifei to join the organization and not waste the many years of training they invested in her to achieve that grand ideal.


    Here are two new book recommendations: "The Female CEO¡¯s Bodyguard Lover" and "Personal Bodyguard." Both are excellent urban novels with very strong authors, and everyone is welcome to check them out.

 Chapter 1165 - 1211: The Mysterious Meng Xiaofei

    Chapter 1165: Chapter 1211: The Mysterious Meng XiaofeiLi Yifei placed Wu Yuru in a guest room area that was a bit farther from the central living district. He also arranged for a female security guard to keep an eye on her. Now, even at home, he did not want Wu Yuru to move around freely. There were many areas in his home that were secret, and that was why Li Yifei did not allow outsiders to take photos here.


    And immediately, Li Yifei made a call to Old Master Su. This matter was too important, he couldn¡¯t not communicate with the higher-ups. The situation with this organization had completely transcended that of a typical gang; it had become a threat that could even endanger national security.


    "You scamp, I had just fallen asleep when you called me," Old Master Su started by complaining about Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Grandfather, there¡¯s an important matter I must discuss with you."


    "Hmm? Go ahead and talk," Old Master Su was somewhat surprised, knowing that Li Yifei was always exceedingly calm in the face of issues. If he said it was important, then clearly the matter was significant.


    Li Yifei then detailed everything Park Sung-ho had come to him for, and all that he had learned from Wu Yuru.


    After listening, the Old Master pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is indeed no small affair. Recently, many countries have encountered activities by this organization to varying degrees, but everyone has limited understanding of it. Who would have thought they harbored such grand ambitions."


    Li Yifei added, "Indeed, I used to think they were just an ordinary gang. Only now do I realize how grand their ideals really are."


    "Then this matter truly involves national security, and we must take it seriously. Do you have any thoughts on what to do?"


    Li Yifei said, "I was thinking about pretending to cooperate with them, but I feel they won¡¯t easily trust me."


    "Since they¡¯ve approached you, they will definitely try everything they can to make you join the organization. Once they believe you can be trusted, they will naturally trust you."


    "That¡¯s true. The current situation is very advantageous for me. But aren¡¯t you afraid that with their powerful brainwashing abilities, they might actually win me over?"


    The Old Master laughed heartily and said, "If our Golden Eagle can be so easily swayed, then what else is there to say?"


    "Alright, since you have so much confidence in me, I¡¯ll give it a try."


    "Go ahead and give it your best effort."


    Li Yifei and the Old Master only discussed what he himself should do. As for what the higher-ups should do, that was not his concern. The lead figures of Huaxia right now were considerably capable, arguably some of the wisest in recent decades. He believed they would be able to handle these matters of national importance well, and all he needed to do was to take care of his own responsibilities.


    After everyone had returned home for the evening, Li Yifei shared everything about Wu Yuru with them. Everyone found the matter utterly unbelievable, but their main concern was the influence of the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization on the entire Li family.


    Before, no matter what enemies Li Yifei faced, he was always composed, never constrained like he was now. Clearly, dealing with the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization was no longer as straightforward for Li Yifei, which made him hesitant in making decisions about the matter.


    Others might think Li Yifei was philandering, but his wives at home knew well that he was not that kind of man. Keeping Wu Yuru was definitely not because of her beauty; even if she were more beautiful, she certainly wouldn¡¯t compare to Su Mengxin. Plus, there was another Saintess. The Saintess was currently in quite a complicated situation with Li Yifei, not to mention a woman who presented herself on a silver platter.


    But now that the woman was here, how should they deal with her? Everyone looked at Li Yifei with peculiar gazes.


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly and said, "What are you all looking at me for?"


    No one else spoke, but Meng Xiaofei covered her mouth and giggled, saying, "Brother Li, does this count as a sister-in-law?"


    Li Yifei glared at Meng Xiaofei and said, "What sister-in-law? She¡¯s just an envoy sent here to negotiate; I have no intention of doing anything with her."


    "But if you don¡¯t do anything and one day she goes back to tell her folks, wouldn¡¯t they realize you¡¯re not the kind of person they think you are, and in return be even more cautious around you?"


    "Usually you act so silly, but now you¡¯ve become clever," Li Yifei retorted unhappily, glancing at Meng Xiaofei, then continued, "This issue isn¡¯t unsolvable; they sent someone over, how could I easily trust her? It¡¯s always right to be a bit cautious with them."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "I¡¯m not really foolish, I just said what the wives are too embarrassed to mention."


    Li Yifei ignored Meng Xiaofei, then turned to Xiao Ling¡¯er and said, "Ling¡¯er, when you have time over the next few days, go and have a look at Wu Yuru. Make friends with her first, and see if you can get some more useful information from her."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll try my best to get information out of her."


    This kind of task was precisely where Xiao Ling¡¯er excelled; the girl was a real clever spirit, and there was no one more suited for the job.


    After sorting out the important matters, Lin Qiong gave Li Yifei a pointed look and said, "Husband, these past few days, you¡¯ve been bringing back beauties home. This frequency is indeed too high."


    Su Mengxin also laughed and said, "Yes, it¡¯s really so fast. Ever since our family was established, we first had Jiang Ningxiang, then Aoki Reiko, and now someone sends you beauties. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before you really need to build a large harem."


    "Speaking of Ningxiang, I just remembered, she hasn¡¯t come back yet today, and she usually would have by now," Su Yiyi quickly added.


    Li Yifei treasured Jiang Ningxiang a lot and immediately took out his phone, saying, "I¡¯ll give her a call."


    The call went through quickly, and Jiang Ningxiang answered just as fast.


    "Ningxiang, why haven¡¯t you come back yet today?"


    "Brother Li, I got held up with some stuff at school, I¡¯ll be back a bit later," Jiang Ningxiang replied.


    "Oh, do you need a ride?" Li Yifei asked.


    "No need, I¡¯ll just take a taxi back. I¡¯ll make sure to be back before practice," she assured.


    "Missing a day of practice isn¡¯t a big deal, just be safe," Li Yifei told her.


    "I know, thank you, Brother Li," Jiang Ningxiang said.


    Knowing that Jiang Ningxiang was fine, Li Yifei felt relieved. This young lady would be an important person in the Li family in the future, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but worry. After all, there were those two mysterious people; it would be troublesome if they managed to take Jiang Ningxiang away.


    After finishing their meal, Meng Xiaofei came up to Li Yifei, looking rather sneaky, and said, "Brother Li, come with me for a sec."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, whispering back, "What for?"


    "You¡¯ll know when you come," Meng Xiaofei said, tugging at Li Yifei, looking quite anxious.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed from behind after seeing Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei whispering to each other, "Hey, what are you two up to? Take me with you."


    "No way, no way! None of you are allowed to come," Meng Xiaofei immediately turned her head and called out. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This response surprised everyone. Meng Xiaofei had never reacted like this before. Whatever she and Li Yifei did in the past was just playful banter; they never avoided anyone. But this time, she rejected others, insisting on being alone with Li Yifei, and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s flustered expression made it clear she was about to do something secretive with Li Yifei.


    "Hey Xiaofei, what on earth are you up to? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to take your Brother Li to bed," Xiao Ling¡¯er said, teasing. Even though she was pregnant, her playful nature hadn¡¯t subsided much, and at this point, she was joking around.


    "No, no, anyway, you all can¡¯t come. Brother Li, let¡¯s hurry," she said, pulling Li Yifei with her to run off.


    Everyone exchanged glances, their curiosity instantly peaked. What on earth did Meng Xiaofei want with Li Yifei?


    Then, like it was an unspoken agreement, everyone swiftly headed towards Meng Xiaofei¡¯s villa. Su Mengxin, with her big belly, called out from behind, "Hey hey, wait for me! I can¡¯t walk that fast."


    Everyone immediately slowed down. Su Mengxin was a top priority to be protected in the house. At this time, who would dare not wait for her? They all slowed their pace to walk with Su Mengxin.


    Laughing, Su Mengxin said, "You guys don¡¯t need to rush. Even if we follow them now, they won¡¯t do anything, and with Xiaofei on guard, she¡¯ll still avoid us. Let¡¯s go later, and we might catch them in the act."


    Xu Yingying, supporting Su Mengxin¡¯s arm, joined in, "That¡¯s true. We¡¯re just too curious. Xiaofei is acting too out of character today. It would be unbearable not to see what they are up to."


    At home, Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin were the most prudent ones, but now, Meng Xiaofei had piqued their intense interest too.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s villa wasn¡¯t too far from the dining place; a three to four-minute walk got them there. But considering it takes minutes to walk from the living area to the dining place inside a house, one can imagine how large the house must be.


    However, when they arrived, they saw the nanny who was specifically assigned to take care of Meng Xiaofei standing at the entrance.


    "Good day to you, ladies!" When the nanny saw everyone coming, she immediately greeted them, but her expression was quite strange.


    "Why are you standing here?" Lin Qiong immediately asked.


    "Miss Meng and the master went in and they sent me out, even locking the door behind them, and they told me to... stop the ladies here, not to let you in," the nanny explained.


    Everyone was at a loss, looking at each other. Meng Xiaofei was going to extremes today, locking the door. They didn¡¯t have Li Yifei¡¯s lock-picking skills, and while there were family members who could pick locks, it wouldn¡¯t be right to ask them to open this door. That would turn the situation into a joke.

 Chapter 1166 - 1212: So That’s How It Is

    Chapter 1166: Chapter 1212: So That¡¯s How It IsLi Yifei was completely baffled by Meng Xiaofei¡¯s actions; he certainly didn¡¯t think Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t control herself and that something was bound to happen today. It wasn¡¯t until he entered Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bedroom that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Xiaofei, what in the world are you trying to do, making it so mysterious?"


    Meng Xiaofei rubbed her nose, stuck out her tongue, and said, "You¡¯ll find out soon." With that, she grabbed her laptop, jumped onto the bed, and opened it straight away.


    "You didn¡¯t record something for me to watch, did you?" Li Yifei moved closer, sat down next to Meng Xiaofei, and watched the computer screen.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s computer was quite high-spec, booting up extremely fast. She didn¡¯t open any web pages but logged straight into QQ and said, "I¡¯m going to have a video call."


    Li Yifei, puzzled, said, "You¡¯re having a video call, why drag me into it?"


    "I¡¯m just pulling you into the video call with me."


    "You girl, what on earth are you up to? You¡¯re not playing some kind of passionate video game, are you?" Li Yifei frowned.


    Meng Xiaofei cocked her head to the side and replied, "You¡¯re kind of right. I do want to have a passionate video session."


    "What? Are you crazy?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, and he said somewhat angrily, "How can you do such a thing? That¡¯s absolutely not acceptable!"


    Meng Xiaofei was startled and said grievously, "Brother Li, why are you losing your temper? You scared me."


    Li Yifei, keeping a stern face, angrily said, "You can play with other things, but this kind of thing is absolutely not okay. You, a girl, stripping for others to see, what would that look like?"


    "Stripping? There is no stripping."


    "Then what¡¯s this about a passionate video? Oh, you mean you just watch them?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice softened slightly. After all, Meng Xiaofei was an adult, and if it was just watching someone¡¯s passionate videos, that wouldn¡¯t really be a big deal.


    Meng Xiaofei said with a sense of grievance, "No, not watching them. I am just video calling with a female classmate."


    "Video calling with a female classmate..." Li Yifei was thoroughly confused now and said, "You¡¯re having a video call with a female classmate, what¡¯s passionate about that? Huh? Two girls doing that... Xiaofei, you... are really hardcore."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Brother Li, your mind is really evil. I would never do such a thing. This classmate and I used to be very close, but then we lost contact for a few years. We reconnected a few days ago, and she¡¯s been very concerned about me. She even mentioned a male classmate who has been wanting to contact me. I mentioned I have a boyfriend, and she didn¡¯t believe me. She insisted on seeing for herself, so I brought you here to show her. Brother Fei, I meant for you to pretend to be my boyfriend. You misunderstood."


    It was then that Li Yifei finally understood and, tapping on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head lightly, said, "You girl, why didn¡¯t you make it clear earlier? You made me misunderstand."


    "I was in a hurry, okay? She told me it starts at six, and it¡¯s almost six now. Oh, right, I said we¡¯re living together now, so this outfit probably isn¡¯t right."


    Although Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei weren¡¯t dressed in work attire, there were many housekeepers and the like at home, so Li Yifei wasn¡¯t in pajamas. Wearing these clothes on the bed indeed seemed inappropriate.


    If it were any other woman¡¯s room in the house, there would certainly be pajamas for Li Yifei, but not in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s room. Li Yifei said, "Maybe I should go and get a set."


    "That would be too troublesome. Oh right, just take off your clothes."


    "That won¡¯t do. You¡¯re video calling with a female classmate. If I¡¯m not wearing clothes, what kind of impression would that make? Let¡¯s just stay like this."


    "Oh, then okay. But don¡¯t I look a bit abnormal in this outfit?"


    "It seems so. You should change into pajamas." Li Yifei nodded.


    "Then I¡¯ll go change. If she talks to me, just ignore her for now." After saying this, Meng Xiaofei jumped off the bed and went to find pajamas in her closet.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s current living area was very clean and tidy thanks to the management, nothing like before when things were always ending up lost. The nanny in charge of looking after Meng Xiaofei was probably the most exhausted in the house.


    Downstairs, a group of people was quite anxious. The less they could see, the more anxious they became. Lin Qiong then volunteered and said, "I¡¯ll climb up and take a look."


    Xu Yingying immediately responded, "Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?"


    Lin Qiong laughed proudly and said, "I am a police officer, after all. Climbing to the second floor is not a problem for me."


    "Be careful then,"


    It was quite something that the head of a Sub-bureau of the Public Security Bureau was about to engage in the act of peeping. If people in the system were to know about this, they probably would all drop their glasses in astonishment.


    Aside from giving Lin Qiong a heads-up, nobody really objected. Everyone was just eager to know what those two were actually up to there.


    Although Lin Qiong¡¯s skills from the police academy were mediocre, Yifei had taught her quite a bit afterward. Plus, she had been practicing with Yifei and the others occasionally recently, so her agility had significantly improved. Climbing to the second floor was really easy for her, and she quickly made her way up to Xiaofei¡¯s bedroom window and caught sight of the scene inside the room.


    When Lin Qiong saw the situation inside, her face darkened immediately. There was Xiaofei, standing in front of the wardrobe, undressing. They had dragged Yifei away only for him to get intimate with Xiaofei. Everyone had indeed entertained the thought, but they all found it too absurd to be possible, yet, against all odds, that was exactly what was happening.


    At that moment, Yifei turned his head to look towards the window, and Lin Qiong quickly ducked down before slipping away.


    "How did it go? What happened?" They all asked, clamoring with curiosity.


    Lin Qiong shrugged her shoulders and said, "I just caught Xiaofei undressing."


    "Undressing?" Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as they had not expected it to really be the case. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er widened her eyes and said, "No way, even if Xiaofei has always been single, she¡¯s eventually one of our own. She can¡¯t be that desperate, can she?"


    "Yeah, she started undressing just minutes after they went inside?" Ning Xin¡¯er was equally astonished, and not just her, everyone was.


    Lin Qiong shrugged again, adding, "That¡¯s what I¡¯ve seen anyway. I wanted to watch a little longer, but my husband spotted me, so I had to come down."


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and said, "It¡¯s normal, isn¡¯t it? Xiaofei has been with Yifei for so long, always acting coy. And you know Xiaofei, she never does things by the book. Maybe she was agitated during the day and just couldn¡¯t hold back tonight. I think we should all leave now, Xiaofei¡¯s first time should not be spoiled by us."


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "This girl, why not just be frank about it?"


    Su Mengxin laughed, "Isn¡¯t it clear enough already? She took our man away right in front of us, closed the bedroom door the moment she got back, and started undressing."


    Everyone let out a laugh. They had already tacitly approved the relationship between Xiaofei and Yifei, so they found any developments between them quite normal. Xiaofei¡¯s approach also inadvertently provided a topic for future conversations.


    After some laughter, everyone left, giving some instructions to the nanny not to disturb them and to keep others from visiting.


    What Lin Qiong saw was indeed real, but the actual situation was quite different. Xiaofei was indeed changing clothes and Yifei hadn¡¯t expected her to start undressing right in front of him, leaving him caught off guard. But with a beauty undressing right before his eyes, especially one with whom he had multiple flirtations, it was only natural that Yifei wouldn¡¯t immediately look away.


    However, when Lin Qiong climbed up, Yifei finally snapped out of it and turned his head away, which was precisely the moment Lin Qiong looked in.


    This made Yifei shake his head. He didn¡¯t go out to explain since at this point any explanation would only make things worse.


    "You¡¯re really bold, changing clothes while I¡¯m still here," he said.


    "Ah!" Xiaofei exclaimed. "I forgot, hehe, but it¡¯s fine, you¡¯ve seen plenty already, one more time doesn¡¯t matter. Just don¡¯t turn around now, I¡¯m not done changing."


    "Hurry up, just get changed," he replied.


    Xiaofei quickly changed her clothes, then hopped onto the bed. She was wearing a silk slip dress, a spaghetti strap one, leaving her shoulders and thighs exposed. The most lethal thing was that she didn¡¯t even wear a bra, and her surging bosom was now even more obvious, making Yifei feel his blood pumping faster.


    Yifei rubbed his nose and forced his gaze away from Xiaofei¡¯s chest, saying, "Xiaofei, even if you¡¯re proving something to your classmate, do you need to dress like that?"


    Xiaofei put the laptop on her legs and replied, "Of course I do, otherwise how would she believe you¡¯re my boyfriend? How would she believe that we¡¯re living together?" She turned to look at Yifei, her cheeks suddenly flushing as she said with a pout, "Brother Li, you better not get any funny ideas."


    Yifei felt a bit awkward. Before, even if he saw Xiaofei like this, he wouldn¡¯t have had any thoughts, but now he knew Xiaofei had feelings for him, and after spending so much time together, he was practically regarding her as his woman. To say he had no thoughts now would be a lie. Being called out by Xiaofei, he could feel his face getting hot as he said, "You dress like this and tell me not to have ideas? That¡¯s just torture."


    Xiaofei¡¯s cheeks turned even redder, and biting her lip, she said, "Then, at most, you can have your thoughts during the video call later."


    Yifei¡¯s heart fluttered, it seemed the benefits were about to roll in.

 Chapter 1167 - 1213: This Works Too

    Chapter 1167: Chapter 1213: This Works Too"Here it comes." Meng Xiaofei called out at this moment, urging, "Brother Li, hurry over to my side."


    Li Yifei kicked off his shoes and sat beside Meng Xiaofei on the bed, watching Meng Xiaofei chat with the female classmate.


    "Xiaofei, today¡¯s the day you promised to show me your boyfriend, don¡¯t try to fool me," said a person with the online name Bamboo Rhythms on the other side.


    "Of course! What I say goes. My boyfriend was away on a business trip the other day, which is why he wasn¡¯t at home."


    "Is he at home today? Hurry up and let me see him," the person on the other side requested and sent over a video call request.


    Meng Xiaofei turned her head to look at Li Yifei and whispered, "Lean towards me a bit and put your arm around my waist."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "There¡¯s no need for that, it¡¯s better to act naturally. Otherwise, they will know we¡¯re putting on a show right away." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, really? That¡¯ll work?"


    "Of course, don¡¯t you trust your Brother Li? Just be the same as you usually are with me."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll accept the call."


    "Go ahead."


    Only then did Meng Xiaofei accept the video call, and a woman appeared on screen - she was quite pretty, dressed in a set of loungewear, seemingly of decent temperament.


    In the small video box, it was Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei.


    "Wow, you really have a boyfriend. I thought you were kidding me," the woman on the other side said with a slightly surprised expression, her voice quite pleasant.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said proudly, "Of course! Did you think I¡¯d never find someone?"


    "I didn¡¯t think you couldn¡¯t find anyone. You¡¯re so pretty and well-endowed, who wouldn¡¯t be lining up to be with you? Giggles... Handsome, let me introduce myself, I¡¯m Shen Yuying, Xiaofei¡¯s high school classmate."


    Li Yifei immediately responded politely, "Hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you."


    "Handsome guy, you really know how to talk, you know? If the guys in our class knew Xiaofei was taken by you, they¡¯d be heartbroken."


    Li Yifei humbly said, "I believe that. I¡¯m quite proud to be with Xiaofei too."


    "Haha, such pleasant words to hear. No wonder Xiaofei is with you. You must take good care of people, right?" As she spoke, Shen Yuying winked at Li Yifei, clearly aware of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s sloppiness.


    Li Yifei turned to look at Xiaofei and smiled, "Exactly, Xiaofei is good in many ways, but she¡¯s really bad at taking care of herself. Without someone to look after her, she¡¯d be helpless."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue, shyly saying, "I¡¯m just not good at household chores."


    Li Yifei placed his hand gently on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and said, "That¡¯s why I like you. It means you¡¯ve got more time to make me happy."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s smile became even brighter, and she leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Hehe, I knew you had an eye for quality."


    "Hey, hey, don¡¯t pretend I¡¯m not here. Going on like this, showing off your love," Shen Yuying called out from the other side.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately sat up straight and stuck out her tongue, retorting, "You¡¯re getting a free show here, you¡¯ve already taken quite an advantage, what more do you want to say?"


    Shen Yuying laughed, "Yes, yes, I shouldn¡¯t have spoken out of turn. You two keep being sweet, I¡¯ll keep watching."


    Meng Xiaofei spoke proudly, "Even if you want to watch, I won¡¯t show off for you anymore."


    "Oh my, it¡¯s my fault for talking too much," Shen Yuying said with a mock frustrated face, then giggled and asked, "Handsome, I heard from Xiaofei that you¡¯re in business. May I ask what sort of business it is?"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei knew that Meng Xiaofei hadn¡¯t revealed his true identity and hadn¡¯t told what sort of business he did. She likely didn¡¯t even know what Li Yifei¡¯s company was involved with or even the company¡¯s name.


    With a slight smile, Li Yifei said, "I just run a small business."


    "How much do you earn a year? Xiaofei spends a lot. If you don¡¯t earn enough, you couldn¡¯t possibly afford to keep her," Shen Yuying winked.


    Li Yifei laughed, "Although I don¡¯t make a lot, it¡¯s certainly enough to take care of Xiaofei."


    "That¡¯s pretty nice! When can we all get together?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Sure, arrange it and Xiaofei and I will definitely attend."


    "Great, it¡¯s a deal then. Xiaofei, you remember Zheng Yuyang, don¡¯t you?"


    "Zheng Yuyang? Oh, I remember now, he was our class president, pretty handsome guy. I had a crush on him back then. Where is he now?"


    "Yeah, that¡¯s him, but isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate for you to talk about another guy like that in front of your boyfriend?"


    Li Yifei surely put on a serious face at this point and asked, "Xiaofei, who¡¯s this Zheng Yuyang?"


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and then turned to plant a kiss on Li Yifei¡¯s face, saying, "Back then I was just a kid, thought he was quite handsome and took a fancy to him, you¡¯re not jealous, are you?"


    "I am very jealous." Li Yifei wrapped his arms around Meng Xiaofei¡¯s waist.


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "But back then it was all just a thought, never anything serious with him."


    Shen Yuying quickly added, "I can vouch for that, nothing happened between those two. Although Xiaofei had a big bust and a pretty face back then, her brashness wasn¡¯t exactly the first thing boys went for."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "That¡¯s more like it."


    Then Shen Yuying teased with a giggle, "Hehe, but I feel like Xiaofei¡¯s bust has grown even bigger now, and that must be all thanks to your hard work."


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted towards Meng Xiaofei¡¯s chest. Because they were sitting very close for the video call, and Meng Xiaofei¡¯s spaghetti strap nightgown was quite loose, Li Yifei just had to look down to get a direct view inside. Catching a glimpse of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s charms made Li Yifei feel a surge of heat. Even with many women around, none could compare to the sight of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s allure.


    "Pfft!" From the other side of the screen, Shen Yuying had seen everything Li Yifei¡¯s eyes were fixed on and couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, teasing, "Hey, handsome, you see that daily and still can¡¯t get enough?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately turned to Li Yifei, instinctively let out a low moan, and pressed her hands against the fabric over her chest.


    "Hmm, Xiaofei, are you feeling shy just by letting your boyfriend take a peek?"


    Seeing the doubt in Shen Yuying¡¯s eyes, Li Yifei gently patted Meng Xiaofei¡¯s waist twice and smiled, "Usually, we look openly, but such furtive peeping is making Xiaofei uncomfortable."


    "Really?" Shen Yuying was clearly still skeptical.


    Meng Xiaofei felt a bit flustered under Shen Yuying¡¯s scrutinous gaze. This girl always acted differently. Suddenly, Meng Xiaofei grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s hand and pressed it from above her nightgown, challenging, "Hmph, you were suspecting he¡¯s not the real deal, right? Now do you believe it?"


    Li Yifei was also taken aback. Proving it to Shen Yuying could be done in many ways, it really didn¡¯t need to be this extreme. He hurriedly said, "We don¡¯t need to go this far," trying to pull his hand back.


    "Don¡¯t you dare take it out." Meng Xiaofei pressed down on Li Yifei¡¯s hand firmly, insisting, "Let her see. This girl always thinks I got myself a fake boyfriend. I¡¯ll show her clearly."


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "This is making us a laughing stock."


    "Let them look, I¡¯m happy to show off," Meng Xiaofei said proudly, eyeing Shen Yuying through the video.


    Shen Yuying chuckled mischievously, "Really? The more you do this, the more fake it seems to me. If it¡¯s real, why isn¡¯t his hand moving?"


    Li Yifei could tell that Shen Yuying actually believed them, but she was just provoking them now, eager for a spicy scene. He quickly said, "Xiaofei, let¡¯s not play around. It¡¯s not good in front of your classmate."


    Meng Xiaofei retorted angrily, "Why are you being so dull? You¡¯ve touched them before, what¡¯s there to be shy about? Go on, touch!"


    Li Yifei was rather speechless, seeing Shen Yuying¡¯s sly grin on the video, he shook his head and said, "Yuying, that¡¯s not very kind of you." However, given the situation, his hand gently began to move over Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bust.


    In truth, Li Yifei didn¡¯t move his hand away and he had to admit, he really was somewhat... reluctant to let go. The sensation was just too pleasant.


    As Li Yifei¡¯s hand moved, Meng Xiaofei let out a soft moan, leaning her head against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder.


    The Shen Yuying opposite to them was now silent, but her eyes sparkled, clearly looking forward to an even more sensational show.


    Li Yifei coughed lightly, reminding Meng Xiaofei, who finally came back to her senses with a blush but still triumphantly said to Shen Yuying, "See? Do you still think he¡¯s a fake boyfriend now?"


    Shen Yuying laughed softly, "Still not quite convincing."


    Meng Xiaofei fell for it and angrily said, "Then what do we have to do to prove it¡¯s real?"


    "Well... if you two make love on the spot, then I¡¯ll believe it¡¯s real."


    Li Yifei was startled; firstly for fear that Meng Xiaofei might slip up, and secondly, he was worried that she might really agree to Shen Yuying¡¯s outrageous suggestion. He hurriedly said, "Yuying, you know Xiaofei is straightforward, and yet you still tease her like this. That¡¯s really not principled of you. I am not one to put on live shows for people."


    Having her ruse exposed by Li Yifei, Shen Yuying burst into hearty laughter and said, "I was looking forward to a thrilling live video, but since you put it that way, I¡¯ll stop watching. Well, I¡¯m signing off now, don¡¯t let me interrupt your fun."


    Meng Xiaofei snorted, "I¡¯m not afraid to let you watch."


    Li Yifei pinched Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bust and said, "Give it a rest."


    Meng Xiaofei whimpered, and her words got cut off there.


    Li Yifei then told Shen Yuying, "Yuying, let us know when you¡¯ve got everything arranged. We¡¯re going to stop chatting for today."


    "Okay, I wish you a pleasant night," Shen Yuying said as she ended the video call. But Meng Xiaofei was still leaning on Li Yifei, gripping his arm without any intention of letting him pull his hand away.

 Chapter 1168 - 1214: Meng Xiaofei’s Investment

    Chapter 1168: Chapter 1214: Meng Xiaofei¡¯s InvestmentTwo minutes passed by like this when Meng Xiaofei suddenly yanked Li Yifei¡¯s hand out, sat up abruptly, and pouted, saying, "Brother Li, why are you bullying me?"


    "Me... bullying you?" Li Yifei truly hadn¡¯t expected Meng Xiaofei to say such a thing; she should be feeling embarrassed at this moment.


    With an air of it being the most natural thing in the world, Meng Xiaofei said, "Exactly, you¡¯re bullying me. You know full well I¡¯m sensitive, and yet you kept touching me, making me embarrass myself in front of you."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "Alright, alright, it¡¯s my fault, I touched, and once I did, I just didn¡¯t want to let go."


    "Fine, since you¡¯ve admitted it, I won¡¯t blame you. There, issue resolved, you¡¯d better leave now."


    "You¡¯re just letting me go like that?" Li Yifei gazed at Meng Xiaofei with wide eyes.


    "Of course, otherwise the sisters-in-law might think you were up to something with me, hurry up and go." Saying this, Meng Xiaofei pulled Li Yifei up, half-dragging, half-pulling, and pushed him out of the bedroom, then swiftly shut the bedroom door with a thud.


    At this moment, Li Yifei was truly at a loss whether to laugh or cry, but he didn¡¯t stay any longer. Knowing Meng Xiaofei as he did, he was sure that she¡¯d now be burying her head in the sand, definitely too shy to see him again.


    Shaking his head, Li Yifei left the villa and saw the young maid at the door, who immediately greeted him, "Good day, Master." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei could clearly see a hint of suggestiveness in the maid¡¯s eyes, which made him a bit uncomfortable. He coughed lightly and said, "Alright, you can go in."


    "Yes." The maid complied, quickly stepping inside. As she passed by, Li Yifei could clearly see a smile in her eyes again, obviously thinking he had been doing ¡¯that¡¯ with Meng Xiaofei. But perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing; he did do ¡¯that¡¯ with Meng Xiaofei, although not in the true sense, but Meng Xiaofei had reached that feeling, so it couldn¡¯t be said it wasn¡¯t so.


    Li Yifei returned to his own villa to find the living room brightly lit, with all of his wives present, each wearing a smile and their eyes brimming with suggestiveness.


    Without guessing, Li Yifei knew what they were thinking, and yet not one of them was angry about his amorous encounter with another woman. Such an attitude could only be found in his own home, or it could be said that only Meng Xiaofei currently enjoyed this special indulgence. If it were someone else, they¡¯d surely not be so understanding.


    "Cough cough, it¡¯s not what you all are thinking." Li Yifei felt it necessary to clarify.


    Everyone remained silent, all eyes still fixed on him.


    Feeling somewhat defeated, Li Yifei said, "Today, Xiaofei had a video call with a classmate, and she wanted my help pretending to be her boyfriend. Qiongqiong went up just as Xiaofei was changing to make it look more convincing."


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Yeah, my timing was really off. Otherwise, someone could have had a much clearer view, and I truly got in the way of your opportunity."


    Li Yifei continued coughing, "That... At that time, I was truly attracted, but Xiaofei didn¡¯t mean it, and you all know her character ¡ª forthright to the point that in haste, she forgets everything else." Not wanting to dwell too long on the issue, Li Yifei briefly explained the video call incident. But he decided not to mention the more excessive encounter with Meng Xiaofei, as it would surely make her too embarrassed to face everyone, hiding away instead.


    Upon understanding it was just a video call sham, everyone felt that the incident didn¡¯t seem too far-fetched, and indeed, in their hearts, they didn¡¯t think Meng Xiaofei was that desperate.


    "Hey, hubby, didn¡¯t you take the chance to do something?" Li Xinyue teased Li Yifei with a laugh.


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "We were on a video call; what could we possibly have done?"


    He Fangqing laughed softly, "Well, you should have done something, don¡¯t be like you and Michelle, dating for two years without doing anything serious."


    Michelle immediately started coughing repeatedly, "Why drag me into this?"


    Su Yiyi pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "Sister Xiaofei probably has known her husband the longest, and it seems like she¡¯s even more conflicted than you."


    That comment wasn¡¯t far from the truth. Back when Li Yifei was still renting that small apartment, he was neighbors with Meng Xiaofei, and even then, he took very good care of her. Meng Xiaofei was quite dependent on Li Yifei, and over the past two-plus years, Meng Xiaofei always stayed by Li Yifei¡¯s side. Although their relationship was good, there wasn¡¯t much progress, which was indeed quite unusual.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Don¡¯t worry about it, I always say the same thing. Xiaofei is quite happy as things are now. Maybe she doesn¡¯t think being with me would actually make her happy. Why should I impose that on her?"


    At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang entered the room. She had been back for a while but had gone to the restaurant to eat.


    Seeing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s return, everyone dispersed because this time was basically reserved for Li Yifei to train with Jiang Ningxiang.


    After Jiang Ningxiang moved in, it¡¯s true she took up a lot of the time Li Yifei spent with his family, but no one complained. They all understood the importance of Jiang Ningxiang to the Li family. Li Yifei acted this way not only for the sake of the Li family but also without any ulterior motive towards Jiang Ningxiang.


    Once everyone had left, Jiang Ningxiang said with a touch of embarrassment, "Brother Li, am I disrupting your heart-to-heart with the sisters?"


    Li Yifei smiled and responded, "It¡¯s fine, our training takes priority right now."


    Jiang Ningxiang hummed in agreement, adding, "You can¡¯t spend time with the sisters because of my training. I even went out to play with a classmate today. I really let you down."


    Li Yifei patted Jiang Ningxiang on the head. This time, she didn¡¯t dodge. Ever since that time she let Li Yifei check the flow of her True Qi, she had allowed Li Yifei to touch her head. He said, "It¡¯s okay, as long as you train well."


    "Mhm mhm, I will definitely work hard."


    Li Yifei nodded with a smile and then said with an awkward expression, "Ningxiang, today we have to study your True Qi again."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face flushed slightly, replying, "Brother Li, whatever you say goes."


    Seeing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel like a creepy uncle luring in a little girl. He quickly shook his head to dismiss such unsavory thoughts and said, "Let¡¯s go, then."


    In Li Yifei¡¯s bedroom, Jiang Ningxiang softly said, "Brother Li, please turn around first."


    Li Yifei quickly turned around, knowing what Jiang Ningxiang was doing. It seemed there was a bit of tacit understanding between them about this.


    Only after Jiang Ningxiang said it was okay did Li Yifei turn back around to find that Jiang Ningxiang was already lying on the bed. He tried to keep it light, saying, "You¡¯re pretty quick."


    Jiang Ningxiang pursed her lips and asked, "Did I do something wrong?"


    "No!" Li Yifei hurried onto the bed and sat beside Jiang Ningxiang, "Now, start circulating your True Qi. Today we¡¯ll try to extend it to other Meridians. You¡¯ve been very stable these days."


    "Okay!" Jiang Ningxiang agreed readily and then closed her eyes.


    Looking at Jiang Ningxiang, Li Yifei¡¯s gaze unwittingly lingered on her chest, but his mind wasn¡¯t actually on Jiang Ningxiang. Instead, he thought of Meng Xiaofei. Despite Meng Xiaofei being the one thoroughly enjoying herself today, Li Yifei enjoyed it too. That pair of proud breasts was really captivating. After having a taste once, Li Yifei now felt an urge to do it again. Even while looking at Jiang Ningxiang, he couldn¡¯t help but think of Meng Xiaofei. It seemed that after this time of being seduced by Meng Xiaofei, he couldn¡¯t stay as indifferent towards her as he had before.


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 Chapter 1169 - 1216: Making a Plan

    Chapter 1169: Chapter 1216: Making a PlanHis thoughts were in disarray for a moment, but Li Yifei soon stabilized his emotions. A person like him, when doing something, was rarely affected by other matters. It was only the strong temptation from Meng Xiaofei, which had just occurred, that had disturbed Li Yifei¡¯s emotions.


    When checking Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi once again, Li Yifei had become quite adept at it. However, today, as soon as his fingers touched Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s arm, he was surprised.


    The circulation of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi today was so lively and incredibly powerful that his own True Qi was repelled upon contact with hers.


    At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes and asked, "Brother Li, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Looking doubtfully at Jiang Ningxiang, Li Yifei said, "Ningxiang, there¡¯s something off about your True Qi today. Why is it so strong?"


    "It seems so. I also feel it¡¯s circulating very quickly. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening."


    After contemplating, Li Yifei asked, "Did anything happen to you today, or did you do something yourself?"


    "Today... I had classes in the afternoon, played with classmates in a club for a while, and then came back."


    "A club? What club did you join?"


    "Badminton."


    "Have you been playing badminton the whole time?"


    Proudly, Jiang Ningxiang said, "Yes, I¡¯m really good. I managed to hit back every difficult shot, which frustrated them so much they didn¡¯t want to play with me anymore."


    "Oh..." Li Yifei slapped his thigh, saying, "That might be the intense exercise triggering the circulation of your True Qi, causing this situation."


    "Is there a problem then?" asked Jiang Ningxiang with concern.


    "It¡¯s fine. Mainly you have yet to master control over your True Qi. For ordinary exercises like that, you only need to channel a small amount of True Qi." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, that scared me." Jiang Ningxiang patted her chest lightly.


    "Alright, let¡¯s continue."


    Li Yifei began examining Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi once more. The True Qi slowly returned to its calm state, circulating as usual. This seemed to confirm Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts. Then, he informed Jiang Ningxiang about a new meridian in her body.


    There are the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in the human body, but Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s recently acquired Innate Vital Energy was only capable of circulating within four meridians. Li Yifei was still exploring the use of Innate Vital Energy; he understood meridians but not how the Innate Vital Energy should circulate. Thus, he could only show the detailed pathways of the meridians to Jiang Ningxiang. How to circulate it was something Jiang Ningxiang needed to discover based on her own Innate Vital Energy.


    Consequently, Li Yifei had to carefully observe the pathway of True Qi circulation within Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body, which meant he needed to touch her at various points again. But having done it once already, Li Yifei was not as distracted this time, and although Jiang Ningxiang felt slightly tense, she quickly relaxed.


    More than an hour later, Jiang Ningxiang left, and at that time, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang.


    "Boss, we¡¯ve lost our tail."


    "Did you let him spot you?"


    "We don¡¯t think so, but after he took a phone call, he suddenly hurried off somewhere. After he turned a corner by a building, there was a wall he likely climbed over."


    "When did this happen?"


    "At four o¡¯clock and five minutes past this afternoon. We climbed up too, but we only caught a glimpse of his back. He was moving very fast, and if we¡¯d continued to track him, he would definitely have noticed us."


    "Then he must have been in a hurry for some reason."


    "Seems likely, Boss. What do we do now?"


    "Keep an eye on the area around his hotel, see who he¡¯s meeting with."


    "Understood!"


    Park Sung-ho suddenly left, and considering the time, there should have been many people around. Doing this suggested he was in a hurry to meet someone. This immediately made Li Yifei think about that mysterious woman he encountered that night. Could it be that this woman has been lingering in Mile City all along?


    It was not impossible. The organization was always secretive; Park Sung-ho¡¯s appearance was relatively high-profile, but Li Yifei hardly knew anything about the others. Even if that mysterious woman stood in front of him now, he probably wouldn¡¯t recognize her.


    Thinking of this, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy, unable to pinpoint the source of his restlessness, as if someone from the mysterious organization was right beside him.


    His unease was not due to Wu Yuying, who had been sent by Park Sung-ho, but rather another person. Could it be that his own household had already been infiltrated by the mysterious organization?


    This thought made Li Yifei¡¯s heart tighten. As the saying goes, "Guard against the thief within." If there were traitors among the people living in his house, it would be incredibly difficult to guard against them. It seemed he needed to be more vigilant about those at home.


    The next morning, after training with Sophia and the others for a while, Li Yifei pulled Sophia aside and said, "Sophia, keep a closer eye on the people at home recently, see if anyone is suspicious."


    Sophia did not ask why, but nodded decisively, "Alright, I¡¯ll pay attention."


    "I have a feeling that there might be a mole among the people at my house, so please be extra observant in this regard."

 Chapter 1170 - 1216 Deciding the Plan_2

    Chapter 1170: Chapter 1216 Deciding the Plan_2Sophia nodded again, her eyes flashing a fierce light, and said, "If I find him, I will definitely not let him go."


    "But don¡¯t make a big fuss about it, lest it causes panic. Just keep an eye out secretly, and if you¡¯re unsure about anything, let me know."


    Now that Sophia has been with Li Yifei for some time, he fully trusts her as his female disciple. During this time, he has also helped Sophia improve quite a bit. Sophia has now initially mastered the True Qi, which significantly boosted her strength. Previously, her Flying Dagger relied entirely on wrist strength, but now with the aid of True Qi, her Flying Dagger¡¯s power is stronger, speed faster, and lethality much greater.


    After a quick wash, Li Yifei headed to the dining room. Everyone had almost arrived, except Meng Xiaofei, who did not come for breakfast today.


    "Do you notice that whenever Xiaofei does something bad, she surely won¡¯t come to breakfast the next day?" Ning Xin¡¯er said with a smile.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed and said, "It does seem so. From now on, whether Xiaofei comes here to eat or not will let us know if she has been up to any mischief with our man."


    "Yes, yes, it¡¯s absolutely obvious. Hubby, if you ever want to do something naughty with Xiaofei and leave no trace, it might be quite difficult."


    Li Yifei found it funny as well. This Meng Xiaofei, even her lies were not convincing, and every time it was apparent to others, yet she remained unchanged.


    After sitting down and tending to a few tasks, Li Yifei finally had a moment of relief, and just then, Meng Qianjun¡¯s call suddenly came. This made Li Yifei feel that the timing was oddly peculiar¡ªjust as that mysterious organization had made contact with him, Meng Qianjun called, perhaps that organization had also contacted Meng Qianjun.


    Upon answering the call, Li Yifei said, "Brother Qianjun, how come you have time to call me?"


    Meng Qianjun laughed and said, "I was just missing Brother Yifei, so I thought I¡¯d call and have a chat. I hope I¡¯m not interrupting something important?"


    "Even though I have many women, I wouldn¡¯t neglect my duties and indulge in debauchery in broad daylight, would I?"


    "Haha, that¡¯s true. A person with self-control like Brother Yifei wouldn¡¯t forget his responsibilities because of women."


    "I say, Brother Qianjun, can we not beat around the bush? Is there something you need, or some news?"


    "Brother Yifei, no matter what it is, chatting about brotherhood is essential. Don¡¯t forget, aside from our cooperation, we are also relatives. After all, I am your uncle in-law, aren¡¯t I?"


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat. Just last night and this morning, he had been intimate with Meng Xiaofei, and now with this familial relationship brought up, he really couldn¡¯t deny it. Laughing it off, he said, "Kinship is kinship, and business is business; they shouldn¡¯t be mixed up."


    "Haha..." Meng Qianjun laughed loudly and said, "I knew it, Xiaofei will eventually fall into your hands. But that¡¯s really good, it makes our cooperation even more sincere."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and said, "Let¡¯s talk about the main issue."


    "Alright, let¡¯s talk about business. Have you noticed recently that the actions of that mysterious organization have become even more strange?"


    "How so?"


    "I feel that this mysterious organization seems to be in contact with some major families, and some families appear to already be showing signs of cooperation. If this really happens, it could be very disadvantageous for both you and me."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Is the Meng Family also in contact with them?"


    "Not really. Our Meng Family has had several conflicts with them. Our main industries are in complete conflict with theirs, so they have not made any contact with us. But I¡¯m worried that if other families cooperate with them, their strength will increase, and it will cause a lot of trouble for our Meng Family. You know, their drugs are really powerful."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "You¡¯re right. But do you still know nothing about that mysterious organization?"


    "Honestly, I really don¡¯t know much. They are highly defensive against us due to our conflicts. And the information I got from several other families only revealed their organization¡¯s name, which is called..."


    "Noah¡¯s Ark." Li Yifei interrupted.


    "You know about them too?"


    "Of course, I know. They have made contact with me and even sent me a beautiful woman, who is now at my house." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Damn, then did you agree to cooperate with them?"


    "I haven¡¯t planned to yet, but to show their sincerity, they indeed provided me with some perks. Since they are willing to give, I see no reason why I shouldn¡¯t accept."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid of provoking them and facing their crazy retaliation?"


    "I am afraid, but even if I don¡¯t accept their gifts, it¡¯s likely that I would eventually clash with them anyway. So if there¡¯s an advantage to be had now, why not take it?"


    "That does make sense. By the way, is that beautiful woman they sent you from their organization?"


    "Yes, but so far all I know from her, besides their organization¡¯s name being Noah¡¯s Ark, is that they have an island specifically for training beautiful women to send to others, and beyond that, I know nothing."

 Chapter 1171 - 1216: Set the Plan_3

    Chapter 1171: Chapter 1216: Set the Plan_3"It seems all the information only leads up to here; this is absolutely the strongest and most mysterious organization I¡¯ve ever encountered."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "So, Brother Qianjun, aren¡¯t you excited?"


    Meng Qianjun laughed heartily, "Excited! Of course, I¡¯m excited! I¡¯ve finally found something that genuinely excites me to do."


    After stopping his laughter, Meng Qianjun continued, "I tell you, Brother Yifei, since that woman is sent by that organization, you better be careful not to be taken advantage of by her beauty."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and responded, "It seems you still don¡¯t know me well, Brother Qianjun. Although I have many women, I don¡¯t sincerely treat every woman who is sent my way."


    "Exactly, that¡¯s why we can be such close relatives," Meng Qianjun remarked.


    After cracking a few jokes, Meng Qianjun spoke seriously again, "Brother Yifei, now that you¡¯ve come into contact with Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, what deeper impression do you have of them?"


    Li Yifei spoke earnestly, "Right now, I¡¯m certain of three things: first, their organization is very powerful, definitely stronger than any we¡¯ve known before; second, they have huge ambitions, even though they talk about a Utopian ideal, they are using such vague goals to recruit people; third, they¡¯ve passed the covert stage and are now ready to make big moves."


    "So it seems they are really tough to deal with. Brother Yifei, I have such an idea now, what do you think?"


    Li Yifei said, "Let¡¯s hear it."


    "First, though their organization is powerful, I feel that they are unwelcome by any country, so what they most likely want now is a stronghold, like the Holy Land in Islam, to enhance their cohesiveness; second, since they have such ambitions and want to expand, they will definitely be making contact with many people during this period, and thus they will expose more of themselves and can no longer maintain that mystery."


    Li Yifei praised, "Brother Qianjun, what you said makes sense, that should indeed be their most urgent tasks right now."


    Meng Qianjun continued, "So right now we can target these aspects and make some arrangements. The Meng Family will carry out large-scale intelligence investigations to try to locate their important branches, and then we will take some actions against them, Brother Yifei, you¡¯ll have to coordinate with me at that time."


    "Brother Qianjun, this matter... is the Meng Family going to handle it alone?"


    Meng Qianjun immediately responded, "Of course not, not to conceal from you, the state also values this highly and has established a special team, and I am the leader of this group."


    "I see, but Brother Qianjun, I have another idea; now you guys are openly opposing them, I don¡¯t mind playing a double agent with them."


    "Double agent... I¡¯ve thought about that, but would they so easily trust you?"


    "Trust or not often depends on whether the interests are large enough, just like our cooperation. If the interest reaches a certain level, even enemies can become partners." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After thinking for a moment, Meng Qianjun said, "You have a point. I have been in contact with several other families, but whether they will truly cooperate with the opponent or play double agents is really hard to say, only with you, Brother Yifei, can we be completely trusting."


    "Alright, let¡¯s settle it then and see how things go."


    "Okay, it¡¯s a deal."


    After discussing and agreeing on the matter, they hung up the phone, while Li Yifei held his cellphone and secretly muttered to himself, pondering that Meng Qianjun is indeed highly regarded by the higher-ups, a status not comparable to Gu Yanan and Wei Zijun.

 Chapter 1172 - 1217: Family Bliss

    Chapter 1172: Chapter 1217: Family BlissPark Sung-ho¡¯s business proposition involved shipping a large quantity of Australian Iron Ore to Huaxia, with a contract signed for a whole year¡¯s worth.


    This meant that Li Yifei had secured a year¡¯s worth of shipping contracts to work on from the very beginning, ensuring that the newly opened business wouldn¡¯t struggle to find deals. For a shipping company, this was absolutely great news.


    The negotiation of this deal was carried out by a team from the Australian Iron Ore company, but upon contact with them, Li Yifei could tell that these people were strictly business-minded and knew nothing of any mysterious organization.


    This also implied that those recruited by the organization were top figures in their fields, not just anybody could join it¡ªindeed, an average person becoming part of that organization wouldn¡¯t reach important positions, or might not even be clear about which organization they were serving.


    Therefore, besides having the opportunity to interact with the person in charge of the Australian Iron Ore, Li Yifei had no other way to find out if he was associated with that organization.


    In the following days, the contract was successfully negotiated, causing a wave of jubilation throughout the head office. This signaled that the shipping company could expect to see a net profit of nearly two hundred million a year, which, compared to Li Yifei¡¯s ten billion in assets, wasn¡¯t much. However, an annual profit of two hundred million for a single company indicated remarkable success.


    Yet, Li Yifei didn¡¯t derive much pleasure from doing business and earning money since it all came too easily, without the joy of a hard-won success.


    He¡¯d been arriving home late over the past few days and rarely had time for idle chats with his family. This weekend, Li Yifei finally had a chance to relax and took a morning stroll in the garden.


    It was now November, the tail end of autumn, many trees in the yard had shed their leaves, which added a certain beauty to the scenery. Walking in the garden, stepping on the carpet of fallen leaves felt exceptionally charming.


    Accompanying Li Yifei on his walk was Su Mengxin, whose belly had grown larger, slowing her pace. Li Yifei wrapped an arm around her waist, being extra cautious, and the two resembled any other sweet, normal couple.


    "Mengxin, I haven¡¯t been able to spend much quality time with you lately. Are you unhappy about it?"


    With a gracious smile, Su Mengxin said, "Not at all. I¡¯m not that petty. If I were that petty, I wouldn¡¯t have followed you in the first place."


    "That¡¯s true," laughed Li Yifei. Given Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty and competence, she could easily have replaced others if she wished, but she chose not to, playing a key role in forming the grand Li family we have today instead.


    "Giggle giggle..." The ringing laughter sounded, and Chu Xiaoyao and Meng Xiaofei appeared between two trees on the pathway, playing happily on a swing they¡¯d set up.


    A few children ran past Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, wild as can be¡ªit was Little Yifei and her playmates racing around the garden, with a security guard trailing behind them.


    In Li Yifei¡¯s home, he didn¡¯t discourage Little Yifei from doing things like climbing trees or raiding bird nests, believing that it¡¯s through play children truly understand nature and ingrained knowledge¡ªlearning that stays with them. The guard never impeded their play but did ensure their safety whenever they embarked on something dangerous.


    As for those other children, they were the offspring of the peripheral security personnel but were now also members of the Li family, an important future component. Having them grow up with descendants like Little Yifei fostered better cooperation in the years to come.


    Watching the children running by, Su Mengxin, caressing her belly, said, "Our child will definitely be just as happy."


    Li Yifei smiled, "Yes, I hope all the children in our family can grow up happily."


    "Hehe, our family really is wonderful. Thinking back to our old family¡¯s past, children didn¡¯t have such happiness at all. I hope our family can maintain this atmosphere forever."


    Li Yifei remarked, "People say wealth doesn¡¯t last more than three generations, but really, it¡¯s a matter of education. Once everyone starts seeking comfort, by the third generation, with numerous family members, it will be challenging to remain as prosperous and united as now. However, as long as I can see our generation and the next leading joyful and happy lives, that¡¯s enough for me. As for the future, it will be up to them."


    "Hehe, you didn¡¯t think this way before. You always believed that our Li family would thrive forever."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly, "That was when I had a limited understanding of the family. It¡¯s only through understanding and establishing a family that I realized certain things are beyond my control. The descendants will have their own fortune, and let¡¯s just see what they make of it."


    Su Mengxin expressed her approval, "It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve come to terms with it. I was worried you might become too obsessed over such matters."


    "Haha, I¡¯ve thought it through. Once I¡¯ve secured the empire for them, I¡¯ll take you all to a remote island to spend our twilight years. That too would be a very happy affair."


    "Feijun!" After turning around a small path, I saw Aoki Reiko chatting with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Zheng Yuling. Aoki Reiko immediately greeted Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, with Su Mengxin in his arms, walked over and said, "I¡¯ve been so busy these past few days that I haven¡¯t had time to come and see you. How¡¯s your foot?"


    Aoki Reiko bowed to Li Yifei and said, "It¡¯s all right now, I¡¯m sorry for having to bother you for so long."


    Li Yifei quickly waved his hands and said, "Miss Reiko, there¡¯s no need for you to be so formal." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aoki Reiko seriously said, "It¡¯s necessary, if it weren¡¯t for Feijun, I really don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve become of me now."


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Alright, no need to keep thanking each other. Miss Reiko, are you getting used to living here?"


    "This place is really nice; I don¡¯t even want to leave," Aoki Reiko answered with a smile.


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "Then just stay here for a while longer. Our home is so big, we definitely have space for you. Besides, we can chat from time to time; otherwise, I¡¯ll be lonely at home."


    During the days Aoki Reiko has been here, she has chatted with Su Mengxin most. Although Xiao Ling¡¯er also comes from a prominent family, her experiences are mostly in leisure, while Aoki Reiko is a big company heir, so she has more in common with Su Mengxin.


    Aoki Reiko, with a smile, said, "After all, this isn¡¯t my home; I can¡¯t always stay here."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed and said, "Then you might as well consider this place your home, or at least your home in Mile City. You¡¯re always welcome to stay here anytime you¡¯re in Mile City."


    Aoki Reiko, with gratitude, said, "I really can¡¯t thank you all enough." Her gaze, however, was on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯ve stayed in our house for a few days and you still don¡¯t realize? What they say carries more weight than me; I have the least say in this household."


    Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "I never thought of that. I assumed that with so many wives, Feijun would be the unquestioned head of the house. But it turns out it¡¯s not the case."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Nothing I can do about that, there are more of them. If they get upset and gang up against me, then I¡¯m really in trouble."


    Aoki Reiko, now familiar with the place, said, "Well, in that case, I¡¯ll impose on your hospitality. I really like it here so much that I can only shamelessly settle down."


    Politeness is one thing, but Aoki Reiko is not pretentious. She is here to find Mu Fei, and she feels safe staying at Li Yifei¡¯s home, without having to worry about any more trouble. To someone like Li Yifei, that kind of excessive formality is unnecessary. In the future, if there¡¯s a chance to cooperate with Li Yifei¡¯s company, that would be sufficient to repay him.


    Seeing Aoki Reiko reminded Li Yifei of Wu Yuru. These past few days, he didn¡¯t go to see her, as he really didn¡¯t know how to face her. This woman who was so clearly sent over, he genuinely had no interest in.


    However, always feeling that there was a traitor in the house, Li Yifei thought it was not right to continue avoiding Wu Yuru. In the eyes of the organization, he is supposed to be a womanizer; if a woman is presented to him on a platter, how could he not want her? How could he not indulge?


    Regarding the traitor, Sophia has been secretly investigating these past few days, but has come up with nothing. She has become very familiar with the external staff through prolonged contact, and all seemed very normal, none presented anything for Sophia to suspect.


    As for the internal staff ¨C the maids, gardeners, and the cooks ¨C Sophia also observed covertly, but again, everything seemed normal.


    With Sophia¡¯s insight, any average traitor should have shown some signs of suspicion. Moreover, Li Yifei has been particularly vigilant about his internal staff, yet found no issues.


    This seems to prove that there is no traitor in the house, but Li Yifei¡¯s intuition of a persistent, subtle sense of insecurity continues to linger.


    The past few days have been busy, and not seeking out Wu Yuru seemed normal, or one could say, due to his wariness of Wu Yuru, avoiding her was also normal. But this situation couldn¡¯t go on indefinitely; unless Li Yifei finds and exposes the traitor.


    The most important issue is very clear to Li Yifei. The suspected traitor is just an intuition, without any actual action taken. Or perhaps this traitor has nothing to do with the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, potentially installed by another major family, or by another organization. Li Yifei even considered that the traitor might be placed by higher authorities; it¡¯s entirely possible. Li Yifei¡¯s family is special, and while the authorities have always supported him, they might be concerned that he becomes uncontrollable and deemed it necessary to monitor him.

 Chapter 1173 - 1219: I Just Have a Small Company

    Chapter 1173: Chapter 1219: I Just Have a Small CompanyIn the afternoon, Li Yifei still went to see Wu Yuru. Wu Yuru was clearly very excited about Li Yifei¡¯s arrival, personally serving him tea and water, and then she stood by his side, waiting for his commands. Her submissive manner was indeed quite heart-stirring for a man.


    "How do you like living here?" Li Yifei asked indifferently.


    "The living conditions are great, way better than where I used to live," she replied.


    "So, do you prefer your previous place or here?"


    "Well... in my previous place, I was devoted to studying for the great progress of humanity. I didn¡¯t come here to indulge in enjoyment."


    Li Yifei broke into an inward sweat, feeling that Wu Yuru was deeply indoctrinated. It would be extremely difficult to change her education of over twenty years in a short time. Noah¡¯s Ark¡¯s profound teachings were already etched deep into her bones.


    "Hmm, but now I need you to live outside."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Li instructs," said Wu Yuru naturally, not taking issue with the matter at all.


    "There are too many women in my house, and they have taken quite a dislike to someone like you suddenly moving in. They¡¯ve been making a fuss with me these past few days, so I have no choice but to have you stay outside."


    "Oh, is that so."


    Through his observations over the past few days, Li Yifei felt that keeping Wu Yuru here was truly of no value. Instead, it would be better to arrange for her to go out and see what kind of interactions she would have with the outside world, which might also provide some clues about Noah¡¯s Ark.


    Wu Yuru had no objections to Li Yifei¡¯s arrangements. Apart from the occasional remarks deeply tainted by Noah¡¯s Ark, in other respects, she was indeed a very nice girl, somewhat pitiable even. She devoted her life to an illusory ideal, not caring about herself at all.


    However, no matter how pitiable she was, Li Yifei could not afford to sympathize with her. Their stances were different. His kindness could end up harming a whole bunch of people in his home. Li Yifei could clearly tell what was more important.


    That very afternoon, Li Yifei arranged for Sophia to send Wu Yuru out. He had her stay in the place where Meng Xiaofei used to live, effectively hiding a beauty in a golden house.


    As for Li Yifei¡¯s decision, everyone at home wholly supported it with both hands raised. These past days, they had all felt quite uncomfortable about Wu Yuru. If it hadn¡¯t been for the gravity of the situation, they would have already made their grievances known to Li Yifei.


    And on Sunday morning, Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei left the villa to go to a classmate reunion of Meng Xiaofei¡¯s.


    Driving the car, Li Yifei said to Meng Xiaofei, "Do your classmates know you come from the Meng Family of Capital City?"


    Meng Xiaofei proudly said, "They don¡¯t know. When I was in high school, I came here to the provincial city to study. I only told them my family is very ordinary, and they have always believed my family is just that."


    "Oh, then when I tell your classmates I¡¯m in business and make some money each year, should I also keep a low profile?"


    "This... I don¡¯t know either, let¡¯s just see how it goes. I feel like my high school classmates are all pretty nice. It should just be a get-together; maybe there¡¯s no need to think too much about it," she replied.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Don¡¯t you know that class reunions these days are often a display of capabilities and strength? Those who are doing well will show off, while those who aren¡¯t might just avoid coming."


    "That can¡¯t be true. We are classmates, after all. The friendship among classmates is the purest."


    "Even the purest friendships can¡¯t withstand the big dye vat of society. You¡¯ll see when the time comes."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted, still somewhat disbelieving. Li Yifei didn¡¯t say more; this girl Meng Xiaofei was straightforward, and some things she had to witness for herself before she would believe them. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Li, my family has been calling me several times these past few days," Meng Xiaofei swiftly changed the topic.


    "It¡¯s normal for your family to contact you."


    "But they keep asking about you and me, it¡¯s so annoying. They used to force me into things, which made me run away. Now they¡¯re pressuring me about you and me, and it¡¯s making me uneasy."


    "Oh? So you¡¯re not thinking of running away again, are you?" Li Yifei glanced at Meng Xiaofei.


    "Well... I don¡¯t seem to want to run away for the time being, but who knows about later?"


    Li Yifei felt a headache, saying, "Where would you run to?"


    "I¡¯d run around the world, as long as no one bothers me."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes, "The things your family forced you to do before were things you disliked, which is why you wanted to run. So now, do you still strongly dislike being with me?"


    "Oh?" Meng Xiaofei paused for a moment, then immediately with spirited excitement said, "You¡¯re right, this time it¡¯s not something I dislike, so there¡¯s no need for me to run."


    "Exactly, so why would you run?"


    Li Yifei really worried that Meng Xiaofei might run away because of this, as he had grown quite fond of this ex-flight attendant. It had indeed been some time since Meng Xiaofei stopped working as a flight attendant.


    "Mhm mhm, I won¡¯t run away, hehe, I¡¯ve been struggling with this for the past few days. Should I run away or not?"

 Chapter 1174 - 1219: I Just Have a Small Company_2

    Chapter 1174: Chapter 1219: I Just Have a Small Company_2Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but pinch Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face and said, "You little rascal, if you run now, I can¡¯t bear to let you go. Wherever you run to, I¡¯ll catch you and bring you back."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue with a hint of excitement and said, "Playing hide and seek, huh? That¡¯s not a bad idea. I¡¯ll run off when I¡¯ve got nothing else to do, and then you can come and catch me. That would be so fun."


    When Meng Xiaofei was alone with Li Yifei, not only did she feel at ease, but she was also so open. She didn¡¯t hide her feelings for him, which made them seem even more genuine and pure.


    Li Yifei liked this side of Meng Xiaofei from the bottom of his heart. At this point, it wasn¡¯t just about other people wanting to pursue Meng Xiaofei; even if Meng Xiaofei herself had other ideas, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t just let it slide any longer. This was his woman now, and he wasn¡¯t going to let anyone else take her away.


    The two of them had anything but a lonely trip. Meng Xiaofei, tasting the sweetness of love for the first time, couldn¡¯t stop laughing. Happy times always seem to fly by too quickly, and before Li Yifei knew it, they had already arrived at the provincial capital.


    The classmates gathering was at a four-star hotel. Li Yifei parked the car in the hotel¡¯s underground parking lot before heading to the hotel lobby.


    "Xiaofei, handsome guy!" A woman¡¯s voice suddenly reached the ears of Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei. Looking towards the source, Li Yifei saw Shen Yuying, the same one he¡¯d seen in the video that day.


    "Yuying!" Meng Xiaofei also excitedly went over and embraced Shen Yuying, while Li Yifei stood behind the two women.


    Shen Yuying pushed Meng Xiaofei away, then reached out her hand to Li Yifei with a smile and said, "Handsome guy, you look even more handsome than in the video, huh?"


    Li Yifei shook hands with Shen Yuying and said, "Miss Shen is also much prettier than she appeared in the video, quite heart-stirring to see in person." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Giggle... Are you trying to flirt with me? You¡¯re really bold, saying that in front of Xiaofei. We should be saying such things in private, you know."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I¡¯m sincerely complimenting you. Xiaofei won¡¯t mind."


    "Isn¡¯t that Xiaofei, the real beauty of our class is here!" Another girl came over, calling out loudly as she approached, immediately drawing the attention of several guys who were chatting on the side. They then came over to join.


    Meng Xiaofei clearly had a lot of popularity in her class, and the boys recognized her at once. No wonder, for Meng Xiaofei was beautiful, and with her assets, it was unlikely anyone could easily forget her.


    Moreover, the boys were all very enthusiastic towards Meng Xiaofei, and their gazes clearly lingered longer on her bust.


    This made Li Yifei feel rather uncomfortable inside. Meng Xiaofei was now his, and her bust - that was exclusively his. However, as he was not a petty young boy, he knew that it was impossible to negate a woman¡¯s allure completely. It was entirely normal for others to take a glance, only indicating Meng Xiaofei¡¯s attractiveness.


    At this time, Shen Yuying spoke up: "This must be Xiaofei¡¯s boyfriend, huh? Oh, right handsome guy, I still haven¡¯t asked for your name."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "My name is Li Yifei."


    The classmates all turned their gaze towards Li Yifei. Meng Xiaofei hooked his arm and introduced, "Yifei, let me introduce you, this classmate is..."


    Watching Meng Xiaofei hooking arms with Li Yifei, her assets pressed tightly against his arm, the eyes of those boys couldn¡¯t help but reveal a mix of envy and jealousy.


    After being introduced to each other, Shen Yuying led everyone upstairs. She was one of the organizers of the reunion and since she lived in the provincial capital, she had a host¡¯s sense of responsibility.


    The banquet hall on the eighth floor was the venue for the gathering. It had a Western style, without lavish dishes spread across the tables, but instead featured two buffet lines. At the moment, there weren¡¯t many items set out, apparently because they had arrived a bit early. The preparations weren¡¯t completely finished yet, but there were already some pastries and drinks.


    A good number of classmates arrived, and since it was still early to eat, those who came in would pick up a glass of wine or a beverage, gathering in small groups to chat.


    Meng Xiaofei was already 26 this year, having graduated from university for over three years. The same was true for her classmates, who had been working for just a few years. They were no longer as naive as when they were students. Like Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, who came as a couple, there were also a couple of other classmates.


    Classmates were chatting together, and what they talked about the most was, obviously, asking about each other¡¯s recent situation, seeing whose job is the best, and who has the highest salary.


    "Xiaofei, I heard you became a flight attendant, that income must be really good, right?" a female classmate asked Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei had just taken a sip of her drink, and now she put the drink down and said, "I quit."


    That girl immediately expressed her surprise, "Why did you quit? Being a flight attendant, that¡¯s a job many people envy."


    Shen Yuying chuckled softly, "Xiaofei¡¯s boyfriend is very capable; now she just lets her boyfriend provide for her."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled naturally and said, "Right, I¡¯m so lazy. Finally someone can provide for me, of course I¡¯m not going to work."


    "That¡¯s truly blissful, I also want someone to provide for me, but no one will, I can only earn money myself, so tragic."


    Hearing what a few female classmates had said, the male classmates all looked towards Li Yifei, and one of them asked, "Li Yifei, what do you do?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I just do a little business, barely getting by."


    "You¡¯re being modest, aren¡¯t you? Since Xiaofei even quit her job as a flight attendant, your business must be not that small."


    Li Yifei laughed, "It¡¯s just that Xiaofei is too careless. I don¡¯t feel reassured about her going anywhere, so that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t let her continue working." But he didn¡¯t directly answer their question.


    However, clearly these classmates were still not mature enough. If it were a mature man, at this point, he should be able to sense that Li Yifei doesn¡¯t want to disclose too much, and wouldn¡¯t ask further, but they still had someone asking, "What kind of business do you actually run?"


    "Tell us, maybe some of us will need to work for you in the future."


    Hearing them say this, Li Yifei just smiled and said, "My company is called Dreamfly Company, it¡¯s in Mile City. If any of you want to come by, you¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m actually quite short-staffed right now."


    Li Yifei was just being polite; those who come to class reunions generally have jobs already. Those who are struggling too much, without even a job, basically wouldn¡¯t attend such events.


    "The company¡¯s name is quite nice. I wonder how many people do you have in your company?"


    "Not too many, all things considered, about twenty people." Li Yifei had told Shen Yuying that day that his company was just a small one, so he couldn¡¯t say too much now.


    "That¡¯s not small at all, twenty-some people, the monthly payroll must be quite a bit. Just counting two thousand per person, that¡¯s already eighty thousand. Looks like your company is really quite good."


    The classmates who were together with Li Yifei now, although they had joined the workforce, could only say their jobs were average, with salaries being just three to four thousand a month. Many of them worked at companies about the size of Li Yifei¡¯s Dreamfly Company.


    So in front of them, Li Yifei was regarded as a boss level figure, which earned their considerable respect.


    At this time, several people also walked into the hall, and the classmates immediately all stood up and warmly gathered around, except for Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei.


    "Who are those few people?" Li Yifei moved next to Meng Xiaofei and asked in a low voice.


    "The one in the middle is Zheng Yuyang." Meng Xiaofei looked at the man, but her eyebrows were furrowed.

 Chapter 1175 - 1220: Zheng Family’s Descendants

    Chapter 1175: Chapter 1220: Zheng Family¡¯s Descendants"Haha, classmates, you¡¯ve all arrived, I¡¯m a bit late, sorry about that."


    Zheng Yuyang was surrounded by everyone, and he was apologizing, but while his words were apologetic, his face was all smiles, showing no real sense of guilt.


    A male student immediately said: "Yuyang, what you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t right. You¡¯re such a busy person, making tens of thousands in just a second. Being able to attend our class reunion is already giving us a lot of face."


    Zheng Yuyang waved his hand and laughed: "It¡¯s not as exaggerated as that. But indeed, I¡¯m very busy. However, my classmates wanted to have a reunion, and everyone came to the provincial city. Even if I¡¯m busy, I should still come and join everyone. Actually, I wanted to book a five-star hotel for us to enjoy, but all the halls were booked these past few days, so I could only get a four-star one. Today, everyone just let loose and enjoy, all expenses are on me."


    It was still that same male student, who immediately said excitedly: "That¡¯s really great. I was thinking, if we had to go Dutch, it would hurt our wallets. Classmates, don¡¯t you think?"


    Everyone agreed in unison, many seemed very excited, but some were embarrassed, and yet others looked disdainfully at the one echoing Zheng Yuyang.


    Meng Xiaofei leaned over to Li Yifei¡¯s ear and whispered, "That guy¡¯s name is Yang Yudong. During our school days, he was Zheng Yuyang¡¯s follower. He was somewhat okay back then, but now, why does he seem even more like a lackey?"


    Li Yifei chuckled softly and said, "Back in school, everyone was somewhat innocent, but now that we¡¯ve started working, we realize earning money isn¡¯t easy. With a big shot like Zheng Yuyang around, naturally some people would want to cling to him more."


    "Sigh, that¡¯s really lacking backbone, such obvious boot-licking," Meng Xiaofei pursed her lips.


    Li Yifei blinked and said, "That¡¯s reality for you. Many people are forced by reality to bow their heads. By the way, who exactly is Zheng Yuyang?"


    Meng Xiaofei thought for a bit and said, "He... should be from the Zheng family in the province."


    "A member of the Zheng family, oh, no wonder then," Li Yifei nodded.


    Speaking of the Eight Great Clans in the province, Li Yifei knew about them. The Zheng family had no specific ties or animosity with the Ye family. While the provincial clans couldn¡¯t compare with those in Capital City in terms of wealth, what mattered more was their background and connections. Since Zheng Yuyang was a member of the Zheng family, it was normal for him to have some strength.


    Zheng Yuyang, feeling very proud being the center of attention, although he was a scion of a great clan, he was not a direct descendant in the Zheng family, hence he didn¡¯t have access to many resources. Usually, he had some social status, but seldom did he have such an opportunity to be so revered.


    But his gaze swept across and he noticed two people sitting aside whispering, not coming over, which instantly displeased him.


    "Who are those two?" Zheng Yuyang pointed at Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei and asked rudely.


    "That¡¯s Meng Xiaofei and her boyfriend."


    "Oh? It¡¯s Xiaofei," Zheng Yuyang suddenly frowned. If it had been someone else, he would have gone over to give them a piece of his mind right there, but he dared not do so with Meng Xiaofei.


    Back in high school, with Meng Xiaofei being such an attractive girl, how could Zheng Yuyang not be moved? But the day he tried to harass Meng Xiaofei, he was severely beaten in return in the provincial city. Unwilling to accept this, Zheng Yuyang notified the Zheng family, but was surprised by the subsequent events as, instead of taking his side, they ordered him never to harass Meng Xiaofei again.


    With his family¡¯s stance, Zheng Yuyang knew that Meng Xiaofei had a significant background, perhaps even one the Zheng family couldn¡¯t afford to provoke. Henceforth, he kept a respectful distance, but to his classmates, it seemed like Zheng Yuyang was not interested in Meng Xiaofei anymore.


    As he grew older and got involved in some businesses, Zheng Yuyang realized how important family background was for someone. Seeing Meng Xiaofei here now, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend her but saw an opportunity to make a connection. He quickly walked over with a smile and said, "Xiaofei, what a beautiful lady, I¡¯m honored you also came."


    Meng Xiaofei stood up, smiling and said, "Thanks for treating us, Chief Zheng."


    Zheng Yuyang then looked at Li Yifei and said, "Xiaofei, aren¡¯t you going to introduce your boyfriend?" sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei also stood up and said, "Li Yifei!"


    "Zheng Yuyang!" Zheng Yuyang shook hands with Li Yifei, sizing him up. Someone who could get close to Meng Xiaofei and even become her boyfriend must be someone quite impressive.


    "May I ask what you do for a living?" Zheng Yuyang asked Li Yifei tentatively.


    "I just run a small business," Li Yifei replied with a smile.


    "Just a small business, probably not, right?" Zheng Yuyang didn¡¯t believe that. An ordinary person doing small business wouldn¡¯t qualify to be with Meng Xiaofei.


    Li Yifei was now even more certain that Zheng Yuyang was completely a spoiled young master. If he had any capability, he should have some knowledge of well-known figures within the whole province. Although Li Yifei wasn¡¯t very powerful in the provincial capital, in Mile City, he was definitely one of the top figures. Any family in the province should at least be somewhat familiar with such a person, or at least, recognize him when they saw him in person.


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "I really do just run a small business. Suddenly renting a four-star hotel lobby for a class reunion like this, I don¡¯t have that kind of strength."


    Yang Yudong curled his lip and said, "You¡¯re really joking. Do you know how much it costs to rent a four-star hotel lobby like this?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I really don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not cheap."


    Yang Yudong, definitely playing the sycophant, immediately spoke proudly, "Of course, renting this hall for one day doesn¡¯t cost much, just eight thousand yuan. But the drinks and food inside are calculated separately. Today Yuyang wanted everyone to eat and drink well, the good stuff served starts at fifty thousand at least. It¡¯s only Yuyang who could afford it, others might not manage it, even if it was split among everyone, most of our classmates couldn¡¯t afford it."


    Everyone exclaimed in surprise, and a girl immediately said, "Zheng Yuyang, it¡¯s just a class reunion, isn¡¯t this a bit too extravagant? How can we accept this without feeling embarrassed?"


    Zheng Yuyang laughed and said, "It¡¯s because we are all classmates that we shouldn¡¯t care about it so much. Today, nobody should talk to me about money again, that would be like you don¡¯t consider me a classmate anymore, and then I¡¯d really be upset with them."


    Yang Yudong immediately added, "Exactly, let¡¯s not argue anymore. This amount of money is nothing for Yuyang, he just wants everyone to have a great time."


    Zheng Yuyang sternly said, "Yudong, that¡¯s not right. I just said we shouldn¡¯t talk about this, yet you brought it up again, should you be punished with a drink?" But his face was still filled with smiles, clearly pleased by Yang Yudong¡¯s words.


    "Yes, yes, I won¡¯t mention it again!" Yang Yudong¡¯s face showed remorse.


    Li Yifei secretly gave Yang Yudong a thumbs up for his bootlicking skills, which were indeed impressive. And such people really couldn¡¯t be completely despised, as they often could make their way in the world. Clearly, Zheng Yuyang was quite satisfied with Yang Yudong, presumably, the latter must have received many favors from Zheng Yuyang as well.


    This change of topic shifted Zheng Yuyang¡¯s focus away from Li Yifei, circling back to Zheng Yuyang. Originally, Meng Xiaofei, as a beautiful woman, should have been the centre of attention, but since she brought her boyfriend Li Yifei, they didn¡¯t persist in bothering Meng Xiaofei too much.


    More classmates were coming in, increasing the lively atmosphere. The food in the buffet area was laid out, with lobster, abalone, various types of crab and seafood, everything one could want, amounting to several tens of thousands of yuan.


    Of course, these seafood items were not the very special good ones; if really getting Double-headed abalone, just a few could cost tens of thousands of yuan. But even so, these foods were not something ordinary people could afford casually.


    Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei were hungry by now, and Meng Xiaofei, the foodie, seeing the food, was always the most enthusiastic, quickly piling up food with Li Yifei to start eating.


    At this time, Zheng Yuyang came and sat next to Meng Xiaofei. He couldn¡¯t really understand Meng Xiaofei, a woman like her should be able to eat whatever she wanted, but now she still looked like a girl who hadn¡¯t seen the world. If it wasn¡¯t for the painful lessons learned previously, he really couldn¡¯t believe Meng Xiaofei had such a strong background.


    Zheng Yuyang had also become a bit sharper now. Coming over at this moment was to make connections with Meng Xiaofei. Since she had a background, leveraging their old classmates¡¯ relationship to establish a good connection could be useful in the future, and then his family might also regard him in a new light.


    "Xiaofei, do you like the food here?" Zheng Yuyang asked with a smile.


    Meng Xiaofei stuffed an abalone into her mouth and said vaguely, "It¡¯s alright, but the abalone is a bit small. They aren¡¯t that tasty. I usually eat three-headed ones at home."


    "Oh, sorry about that," Zheng Yuyang said, a bit embarrassed, but thought to himself: "If you don¡¯t think it¡¯s tasty, why are you eating it with so much gusto?"

 Chapter 1176 - 1221: You Know Too Well

    Chapter 1176: Chapter 1221: You Know Too Well"There are abalones with three heads?" Wu Yuying asked curiously at this moment.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately responded: "Yes, there are three-headed ones, two-headed ones, and even four or five-headed ones."


    Shen Yuying also picked up an abalone, looked at it carefully from all angles, and said: "Really? But all the abalones I¡¯ve eaten always look like this; I¡¯ve never seen any with several heads."


    Zheng Yuyang laughed and said, "What Xiaofei is talking about isn¡¯t about the abalone having several heads on its body, but rather it means how many abalones make up a pound. Double-headed abalone means two abalones make a pound, those are the biggest abalones. A three-headed one means three make up a pound, so they are a bit smaller."


    "So that¡¯s how it is, I really learned something new," Shen Yuying said with slight embarrassment.


    Yang Yudong quickly added, "That¡¯s right, Yuyang usually eats the double-headed abalones, never anything smaller than that."


    This statement was somewhat boastful. Double-headed abalone, being a top-notch seafood, usually costs thousands per piece. Yang Yudong spending thirty to fifty thousand for a class reunion might be feasible and could show off such extravagance, but it¡¯s usually just once a year and still affordable.


    These double-headed abalones aren¡¯t something one would casually indulge in; after all, he¡¯s not a direct descendant of the Zheng family and can¡¯t draw too much money from home. If he ate double-headed abalones every day, it would cost a fortune.


    Meng Xiaofei, however, wasn¡¯t that calculating and immediately widened her eyes, saying to Zheng Yuyang, "Squad leader Zheng, aren¡¯t you being too extravagant?"


    Zheng Yuyang just laughed, "It¡¯s just an occasional indulgence. By the way, Xiaofei, where have you been hanging out lately?"


    "I¡¯ve been at my boyfriend¡¯s house," Meng Xiaofei said nonchalantly as she snapped off another crab leg and chewed vigorously.


    Zheng Yuyang took another look at Li Yifei, then asked Meng Xiaofei, "You aren¡¯t secretly together with him, are you?"


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled, "You guessed right."


    "I knew it..." Zheng Yuyang suddenly understood. If Meng Xiaofei¡¯s family knew, they would surely want her to marry a high official or a rich tycoon¡¯s son. Since her family doesn¡¯t know, she can naturally be with a common man now.


    His previous suspicion towards Li Yifei transformed into disdain and contempt at this moment, emotions fueled by jealousy. Zheng Yuyang couldn¡¯t have Meng Xiaofei, yet an ordinary person like Li Yifei could, which made him feel uncomfortable.


    Giving Li Yifei a sidelong glance, Zheng Yuyang remarked, "Li Yifei, you really are lucky." He couldn¡¯t provoke Meng Xiaofei, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t provoke Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, noticing something in Zheng Yuyang¡¯s gaze, couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This fellow was actually looking for trouble; how boring, he thought, "I think so too."


    "However, not everyone can be messed with so easily, you better be careful."


    "Thank you for the warning, I¡¯ll take note," Li Yifei responded, not engaging in a verbal fight with Zheng Yuyang. His current status, his current mindset, made him see Zheng Yuyang as an inconsequential wealthy young master, like an adult viewing a child, who wouldn¡¯t bother arguing with the child no matter how brash they were.


    At this moment, Yang Yudong interjected, "Hey, Li Yifei, when Yuyang talks to you, you should take it seriously. I heard you do some small business, right? If Yuyang just casually mentions something, it could make you a fortune."


    This guy had an incredible ability to read the room. Just from the few words Zheng Yuyang and Li Yifei exchanged, he knew exactly what to do,


    "Is that so? Well, I really appreciate that."


    Yang Yudong said proudly, "Of course, Yuyang has a lot of sway in the provincial city. He has connections in every department. If you need to handle some paperwork, it¡¯s just a word from Yuyang. It¡¯s also because Yuyang isn¡¯t a bad person. If he wanted to, with just a word, he could ruin you, make sure you can¡¯t accomplish anything¡ªeven if you¡¯re in Mile City."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, looking very earnest, and said, "Then I¡¯m truly lucky, thank you Zheng Yuyang for not ruining me."


    Meng Xiaofei burst into laughter at Li Yifei¡¯s serious demeanor. Li Yifei quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth, saying, "Look at you, laughing while eating. It would be so uncomfortable if you choked."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face was a bit red, yet she thoroughly enjoyed the way Li Yifei was taking care of her, and she looked at him with tender eyes, radiating happiness.


    "Wow, such a loving couple." Shen Yuying said teasingly.


    Zheng Yuyang frowned; Meng Xiaofei was someone he dared not provoke, but that did not mean he had no interest in her. Previously, with her family watching over her while she was still a student, and now she had a boyfriend who seemed quite ordinary, at least in his eyes. This rekindled his thoughts about her.


    Since Meng Xiaofei could have an ordinary boyfriend and it seemed there were no issues, if he could drive that boyfriend away, he might have a great opportunity. Not getting much favor at home, marrying Meng Xiaofei could mean gaining her family¡¯s support. That would show those at home that Zheng Yuyang also had prospects.


    With this thought, Zheng Yuyang began scheming and quickly came up with a plan. He crossed his legs and lit a cigarette, saying, "Li Yifei, since you are in business and Xiaofei and I are old classmates, I should naturally lend a hand. Tell me about your company."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, but I don¡¯t have big ambitions. A small company is enough; anything bigger and I won¡¯t have time to spend with Xiaofei."


    Yang Yudong immediately said, "That¡¯s not right to say. Our Yuyang doesn¡¯t just help anyone. It¡¯s your good fortune that he wants to help. It would be a great benefit to you; how could you not seize it?"


    Shen Yuying also quickly added, "Yes, don¡¯t miss such a good opportunity. You currently earn a few hundred thousand a year, but with Chief Zheng¡¯s help, you could be making millions."


    To others, Li Yifei seemingly met a high benefactor. With Zheng Yuyang¡¯s wealth and influence, just a little help would skyrocket Li Yifei to success. For them, it was a tremendous blessing, like a pie falling from the sky; they were all currying favor with Zheng Yuyang to receive some of that help.


    Unfortunately, what they saw as a great opportunity, Li Yifei simply shook his head at, saying, "I prefer to strive on my own. It¡¯s more enjoyable that way. Thank you for the kind offer, Chief Zheng."


    Zheng Yuyang did not expect Li Yifei to say that, thwarting his next moves. He hastily glanced at Yang Yudong, who truly understood Zheng Yuyang well and immediately expressed displeasure, "Li Yifei, you really don¡¯t appreciate what¡¯s good for you. Do you know how valuable a word from Yuyang is? Do you know how many major company CEOs Yuyang knows? A single word from him could get you numerous big contracts. You¡¯re trying to start a business on your own; it¡¯s laughable. To miss such a good opportunity, I really don¡¯t know what Xiaofei sees in you."


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Yang Yudong continued, "Although you have a small company, no offense, but the chance of your small business making money today and failing tomorrow is quite high. Then what will you use to support our Xiaofei? She was the beauty of our class, our treasure. If you don¡¯t give her a good life, we definitely won¡¯t let you off easy. If you want to make your company good and big, you have to rely on our Yuyang, ensuring your business flourishes and grows. Not to say your company will be among the top 500 in the world, but it will definitely be among the top few in Mile City."


    Li Yifei was inwardly flustered. Even the Ye family wouldn¡¯t dare claim that just starting a company could become top-ranking in a city. In Capital City¡¯s major families, pulling off such a feat involved many complex factors and balances between big families; it wasn¡¯t something that could be easily achieved. Yang Yudong truly saw Zheng Yuyang as one of the most powerful figures in the province.


    However, everyone else did not comprehend the implications and believed Li Yifei was unwise after hearing Yang Yudong speaking so confidently.


    "Ah! What? Okay, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be right there."


    At that moment, a young man suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to him.


    "What happened?" Someone quickly asked.


    The young man immediately replied, "Hou Jianwei¡¯s car got into an accident, and now the other party has surrounded him, not letting him leave. Looks like the other party has a lot of clout."


    Zheng Yuyang immediately glared and said, "Shit, tell Hou Jianwei not to worry, I¡¯ll be right there to see who dares to be so bold."


    Hearing this, the young man was overjoyed and immediately spoke into the phone, "Don¡¯t worry, Yuyang is on his way, he¡¯ll handle it."


    Yang Yudong then added, "This is really a trivial matter. Whether it¡¯s the Traffic Police Team or the matters of the lawful world and Underworld, a word from our Yuyang is all it takes. Best that fellow doesn¡¯t act tough, or he¡¯ll have to face the consequences." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone immediately started making a commotion, heading out, and Li Yifei looked at Meng Xiaofei, who giggled and said, "There will be excitement to watch; we can¡¯t miss it."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, stood up, and said, "If you want to watch, then let¡¯s go have a look."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately hooked her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, pressing her ample bust tightly against his arm. This intimacy was something Li Yifei immensely enjoyed.

 Chapter 1177 - 1222: Just That Awesome

    Chapter 1177: Chapter 1222: Just That AwesomeNovelFire.c¦Ò?"Hou Jianwei was also one of our high school classmates, a very honest guy. I remember his family was quite poor back then. Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d have a car now." Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei were walking behind, while she introduced Hou Jianwei to him.


    "After all, it¡¯s been a few years since he started working. Buying a car isn¡¯t such a big deal."


    "Hehe, if I spent money like I do, I¡¯d never be able to afford a car in my life."


    "You¡¯ve got some nerve to say that." Li Yifei laughed and pinched Meng Xiaofei¡¯s nose.


    The group left the Hualong Hotel. Zheng Yuyang tossed his keys to Yang Yudong, saying, "You go bring my car around."


    Yang Yudong caught the keys, twirled them in his hand for everyone to see the clearly marked logo, and said proudly, "Thanks, Yuyang. Today, I get to enjoy driving your Land Rover Range Rover again."


    "Yuyang, you drive a Range Rover?" The boys obviously liked cars, especially young people who had only started working for a couple of years; they were particularly fond of cars. Hearing that Zheng Yuyang drove a Range Rover, someone immediately asked in surprise.


    Zheng Yuyang smiled slightly, full of pride, but did not join into the conversation. Instead, Yang Yudong quickly said, "Of course, our Yuyang likes this kind of car. He finds those little sports cars too small, otherwise he would¡¯ve switched to a Lamborghini by now."


    Zheng Yuyang pretended to be serious and said, "Yudong, stop blowing my trumpet for me, go fetch the car. Hou Jianwei is waiting for us to help."


    "Alrighty." Yang Yudong loudly agreed and quickly went to get the car.


    Zheng Yuyang turned to everyone and said, "I only have one car, not enough seats for everyone. I think just two more people should come with me; we can get this sorted out quickly."


    A male classmate immediately said, "Yuyang, we know you¡¯d be enough, but Jianwei is also our classmate. A big turnout would be good too, right?"


    Zheng Yuyang nodded and replied, "Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s all go together. But you guys will have to take taxis."


    In fact, he was eager for everyone to come so they could see his grandeur. Having people appreciate and talk about his grandeur was a real achievement for him. If he handled the situation low-key and no one knew about it, what fun was there in that?


    Everyone said in unison, "No problem, we will take taxis."


    Zheng Yuyang then turned to Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei, "Xiaofei, do you want to ride in my car?"


    Meng Xiaofei nodded, "Sure, it¡¯s faster in your car, and I get to watch the show."


    Zheng Yuyang wanted to show off in front of Li Yifei, but Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t play such mind games, so she readily agreed.


    Everyone started hailing taxis and then headed to the site of Hou Jianwei¡¯s accident. Yang Yudong had already brought the car over, and Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei got into Zheng Yuyang¡¯s car as well.


    While driving, Yang Yudong kept flattering Zheng Yuyang, "Yuyang, your car is such a joy to drive, great visibility, quick acceleration, driving this feels so dominating, those Mercedes and BMWs are just weak in comparison."


    Zheng Yuyang smiled faintly and pretended to be modest, "I just bought it for the good visibility it offers. I don¡¯t like sedans."


    Yang Yudong nodded vigorously, "Right, right, as a man, you gotta drive a powerful car like this. That¡¯s the essence of masculinity." Then glancing at Li Yifei through the rear-view mirror, he asked, "Li Yifei, what kind of car do you drive? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have one."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "I do have a car, but it¡¯s not as good as this one."


    Yang Yudong immediately curled his lip, "I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t compare yourself to Yuyang. What¡¯s your net worth, and what¡¯s Yuyang¡¯s? I think for you, a Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana, Honda Accord, or Volkswagen CC would be more fitting. Though they seem a bit pricey, they might be a stretch for you."


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile remained as he said, "Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯ll buy something cheaper, better suited to my net worth."


    "At least you¡¯re self-aware." Yang Yudong nodded, "But still, it¡¯s kind of a pity for Xiaofei. She¡¯s supposed to live in a mansion, drive luxury cars. You running around with her in a clunker, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing."


    Zheng Yuyang waved his hand, "You can¡¯t say that. Xiaofei chose Li Yifei for her reasons. Xiaofei is not so materialistic..."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled, "You¡¯re wrong about that. I¡¯m very materialistic. If he can¡¯t afford me, I won¡¯t settle."


    Yang Yudong laughed out loud, "Xiaofei, then you¡¯ve made a poor choice, passing up a rich guy like Yuyang and sticking with this guy instead."


    Meng Xiaofei gave Li Yifei a mischievous wink and said, "After I squander all his money, I¡¯ll consider someone else."


    Li Yifei¡¯s current wealth is something Meng Xiaofei couldn¡¯t exhaust in several lifetimes, so that remark is just a joke to Li Yifei.


    However, Zheng Yuyang felt a stir inside when he heard this. It seems that the relationship between Meng Xiaofei and Li Yifei isn¡¯t that solid; he might still have a chance.


    At this time, Yang Yudong parked the car by the roadside and said, "We¡¯re here, but there¡¯s some traffic. We can only walk from here." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the traffic ahead wasn¡¯t completely at a standstill, it was moving very slowly. A long line of cars had formed. Driving through it slowly would surely be slower than walking, so the four of them abandoned the car and quickly walked forward.


    After walking for about five minutes, they saw a crowd gathered at the side of the road. Two cars were parked side by side on the right lane¡ªone was a Volkswagen Passat, and the other was a Mercedes-Benz. They were leaning against each other, obviously having scraped one another.


    This was a four-lane road with two-way traffic. The Mercedes was in the middle of the inner lane, while the Passat should have been on the outer lane but was occupying half of the inner lane, sticking close to the Mercedes. In such a situation, the responsibility was mostly on the Passat.


    "Damn, what¡¯s so great about driving a lousy Mercedes? This is the cheapest kind, you can buy one for just over three hundred thousand," said Yang Yudong after one glance at the Mercedes, immediately curling his lips in disdain.


    For those who don¡¯t know him, listening to the grand manner in which Yang Yudong speaks, one might think he¡¯s a very wealthy man. But those familiar with him know he¡¯s just Zheng Yuyang¡¯s lackey, scratching a little pocket money from Zheng Yuyang each year. He isn¡¯t really wealthy at all.


    Zheng Yuyang talks big in front of his classmates, but he doesn¡¯t feel confident inside. In the provincial city, there are too many powerful people. Not to mention the high-ranking officials, even those from the big families aren¡¯t someone he can afford to provoke. Now, seeing such cars, he feels reassured. Usually, the direct descendants of those big families wouldn¡¯t be caught dead driving such a cheap-looking Mercedes.


    Feeling more assured, Zheng Yuyang¡¯s back straightened and he said, "Let¡¯s first see what¡¯s happening."


    Yang Yudong immediately shouted loudly, "Little Monkey, your brother Yuyang is here."


    From the middle of the crowd, a man joyfully shouted back, "Yuyang, you finally came."


    Yang Yudong laughed proudly, "Haha, look at you, looking so pitiful. With Yuyang here, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, see how anxious you were."


    Upon hearing Yang Yudong¡¯s call, the crowd quickly made way, all of them curiously watching the four people. Speaking so arrogantly, these four individuals were clearly not to be trifled with. They were only there to watch the action and didn¡¯t want any trouble.


    In the middle of the crowd stood two people. One of them wore a pair of glasses, his face alight with joy, undoubtedly Hou Jianwei, while the other looked young, about 24 or 25 years old, dressed in casual clothes that didn¡¯t seem remarkable.


    To judge a person, one chiefly looks at their appearance and clothing, and then their temperament, as revealed by their speech. Most people judge a stranger in this way. But in these two aspects, this man didn¡¯t seem anything special.


    However, Li Yifei had the feeling that this guy wasn¡¯t so simple. At least in terms of composure, he was definitely not an ordinary person; at the very least, he must come from a family with some background. This was just a feeling, perhaps because he had seen many different kinds of people and powerful figures, Li Yifei had developed this kind of instinct.


    Hou Jianwei eagerly said, "Yuyang, here¡¯s what happened: My car was driving parallel to his, and somehow they ended up touching. He insists it was my fault..."


    Zheng Yuyang waved his hand, saying, "None of that matters." He then strode over to the man, with Yang Yudong immediately taking his place at Zheng Yuyang¡¯s side, assuming a haughty air.


    Zheng Yuyang looked at the man again and said gravely, "I don¡¯t care whose fault it is; let¡¯s just end it here."


    The man looked at Zheng Yuyang and said lightly, "The cars are right there. I was in my lane. He already occupied my lane, so what do you mean by ¡¯let¡¯s just end it here¡¯?"


    Yang Yudong glared, speaking with bluster, "Don¡¯t you understand what Master Zheng is saying? ¡¯Let¡¯s just end it here¡¯ means you fix your car, and we fix ours. We¡¯re not asking you to pay for our repairs, and that¡¯s already showing you face."


    "Oh, and if I don¡¯t agree?" The man narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Zheng Yuyang snorted and said, "Kid, don¡¯t be ignorant. This is my classmate¡¯s car. I¡¯ll take responsibility for this today. If you¡¯re not satisfied, feel free to come at me, Zheng Yuyang. Let¡¯s go."


    Yang Yudong poked the man¡¯s chest twice, becoming even more aggressive, "Remember this, if you¡¯re not satisfied, just come at us. We¡¯ll be at Hualong Hotel. If you¡¯ve got the guts, come find us, we¡¯ll make sure you get an explanation."


    At this time, Hou Jianwei looked a bit confused, but Yang Yudong immediately glared and said, "Monkey, what are you dazed for? Get in the car and let¡¯s go."


    Hou Jianwei hesitated, "But..."


    Yang Yudong slapped Hou Jianwei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Scared of what? With Yuyang here, any big problem will be settled. Just drive."


    Hou Jianwei agreed and climbed into the car from the passenger side, then started the engine and floored it. The car surged forward, and with a scraping sound, once the car passed, a large area of scratch marks was revealed on the little Mercedes.

 Chapter 1178 - 1223: Just Playing Around

    Chapter 1178: Chapter 1223: Just Playing Around"Yuyang, you are seriously awesome!"


    "Yuyang, you were incredibly cool just now! The look on that guy¡¯s face was just too funny."


    "Driving a measly Benz and acting all that, they scratch it and they still have to suck it up with no temper, haha, that was too satisfying."


    As soon as everyone got back to the hotel, they surrounded Zheng Yuyang with non-stop flattery. For many, being bullied naturally means cursing the unfairness of society, cursing the rich for showing off, but when you can bully others, it feels incredibly satisfying. No one would consider if such an act is right or not; it¡¯s human nature¡¯s worst trait¡ªalways considering one¡¯s own gain.


    Li Yifei doesn¡¯t claim to be any more noble; he always stands up for his family, thus he doesn¡¯t try to play the saint. At the very least, for his classmates, Zheng Yuyang was a huge help to Hou Jianwei. Plus, there¡¯s a bit of jealousy towards the rich; owning a Benz means wealth, so slapping a rich person¡¯s face feels even more exhilarating.


    "Zheng Yuyang was really quite something just now," Meng Xiaofei said with a giggle, winking at Li Yifei. "But somehow, it still doesn¡¯t feel as badass as when you do it."


    Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, heads together, chuckled softly. "Is that so? But can I say I wouldn¡¯t be as foolish as him?"


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled mischievously, "Exactly, he¡¯s just foolish. Before anyone else could say anything, he started showing off. We should let the other side act cocky first, then go ahead and smack them down. That¡¯s the real thrill."


    "You must have read too many novels."


    "You joke, but I¡¯ve really been reading quite a bit lately, especially a silly one called ¡¯The School Beauty¡¯s Personal Master¡¯. In it, the protagonist always slaps people¡¯s faces when they¡¯re full of themselves. It¡¯s so satisfying; I get quite a kick out of it."


    "Is that so? Maybe I¡¯ll check it out when I¡¯m free."


    "Do that, you¡¯ll definitely enjoy it. Oh right, they¡¯ve even made that book into a game. It¡¯s lots of fun. Brother Li, do you want to give it a go?"


    "Forget it, when do I have the time for games? You go ahead and play." After a bit of banter, Li Yifei said softly, "I have a feeling this isn¡¯t going to end here; the other party will surely send someone."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, "That¡¯s great, even more drama to watch! So Brother Li, do you think which side will be tougher?"


    "If you ask me... Zheng Yuyang is likely to face some disadvantages."


    "Are you going to help him then?"


    "That... depends on the situation. After all, he is your classmate. If things get unsolvable, then I¡¯ll step in to help. But in this case, we¡¯re not really in the right, so it¡¯ll be tricky for me to handle."


    Meng Xiaofei nodded and said, "Yeah, we¡¯ll see how it goes. We all came out to have fun today, and it would be a shame if the mood got spoiled."


    Zheng Yuyang was basking in the adulation of all his classmates, looking very pleased with himself. Of course, what he hoped for the most was for Meng Xiaofei to look at him with the same admiration. But at this moment, Meng Xiaofei was busy whispering with Li Yifei, which irked him.


    Breaking away from the others, Zheng Yuyang approached Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, "Xiaofei, Li Yifei, aren¡¯t you two being antisocial, whispering over here? Can¡¯t these whispers wait until you¡¯re home?"


    Shen Yuying laughed, saying, "Exactly, Xiaofei, you and your boyfriend are just dripping with love. I¡¯m telling you, showy couples end quickly; better to take it easy."


    Meng Xiaofei laughed, "Alright, alright, no more public displays of affection. Come on, let¡¯s do something fun together, like playing cards or dancing. Standing here chatting is so boring."


    "Yeah, yeah, we should all find something fun to do together." Everyone agreed.


    Zheng Yuyang frowned slightly. Meng Xiaofei steered the conversation away, as he hadn¡¯t had enough of his moment yet, but since everyone was on board, he waved it off, "No problem, we¡¯re here for a class reunion to have a blast. Look, I¡¯ve got everything ready. If you want to play cards, there are tables over there with mahjong and poker; if you want to dance, we¡¯ll put on some music straight away. Just do whatever is fun."


    And upon the mention of cards, Zheng Yuyang had an idea, smiling at Li Yifei, "Li Yifei, would you be interested in playing?"


    Li Yifei shrugged and said, "Sure, but I don¡¯t play much usually, so I¡¯m not very good."


    Zheng Yuyang laughed, "It¡¯s just for fun, nothing serious. I don¡¯t play often either, but today¡¯s about having fun." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Meng Xiaofei heard about playing cards, she said excitedly, "Great, great, Yifei, let¡¯s go play together."


    Li Yifei said indulgently, "If you want to play, then let¡¯s play."


    Meng Xiaofei grinned, "Good, I want to play, you help me."


    "Sure, you play however you like." Li Yifei¡¯s readiness to agree was as cheerful as ever, his smile still carried that indulgent quality.


    Zheng Yuyang said, "Xiaofei, it might be better for you to join the girls. It can get boring for a girl to get involved when men are playing cards."


    Meng Xiaofei quickly retorted, "Who says so? I know you guys play big; I won¡¯t enjoy it if it¡¯s a small game. Yifei, am I right?"


    "If you want to play big, we¡¯ll play big, just don¡¯t gamble me into poverty."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately puffed out her chest and said, "Did you hear that, Big Monitor Zheng, do you dare to come play? It¡¯s perfect because I¡¯ve been needing some pocket money lately, and I want to win some from a tycoon like you."


    Zheng Yuyang had originally intended to win some money from Li Yifei, then make him look foolish and embarrassed, but Meng Xiaofei was eager to play, which might make him feel reluctant to go all out. Yet, the prospect of playing cards with Meng Xiaofei was a delight in itself.


    Shaking his head, Zheng Yuyang pretended to be reluctant and said, "Alright then, since Xiaofei wants to play, I¡¯ll join in for a bit of fun. But what shall we play? You tell me."


    Meng Xiaofei blinked and said, "I saw this cool God of Gamblers on TV, what was the game he played again?"


    "So-Ha," Zheng Yuyang immediately explained.


    "Right, So-Ha, let¡¯s play that," Meng Xiaofei said excitedly.


    "It¡¯s okay to play that, but isn¡¯t it a bit much? We¡¯re all classmates, and it wouldn¡¯t be nice if the stakes were too high, would it?"


    "What¡¯s the problem? I just want to win from you, the tycoon. Come on, let¡¯s play this," she insisted.


    Zheng Yuyang chuckled inwardly - he was no stranger to gambling and had played So-Ha many times. He had no confidence against pros, but against a novice like Meng Xiaofei, he saw no issue.


    They sat down at the table and called over two other classmates who enjoyed playing games, so the four of them sat around the table, with Li Yifei sitting behind Meng Xiaofei to assist her.


    "Xiaofei, you¡¯re a girl, how much do you want to bet?" Zheng Yuyang asked with a grin, looking at Meng Xiaofei.


    "This...I¡¯m not sure, but I know it¡¯d be best to go all in with a hundred or eight hundred thousand. That would be thrilling," she said.


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned dark. Aside from Zheng Yuyang, all present were just ordinary people. At best, some made five to six thousand a month, and at worst, about three thousand. Not to mention hundreds of thousands, they couldn¡¯t even afford a bet of a thousand or eight hundred.


    Zheng Yuyang laughed, "Isn¡¯t that a little too much?"


    Meng Xiaofei immediately replied, "Not at all, not at all. Otherwise, how could it be thrilling?"


    Zheng Yuyang said, "If you put it that way, then only the two of us can play."


    Meng Xiaofei eagerly responded, "Okay then, just the two of us it is."


    "Xiaofei, you¡¯re not joking, are you?" Zheng Yuyang looked at her doubtfully.


    Meng Xiaofei said seriously, "Of course I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯ve never played anything this exciting as I¡¯ve grown up. Big Monitor Zheng, as a tycoon, you¡¯re not backing out, are you?"


    "Of course not, but... does your boyfriend have that much money?" Zheng Yuyang provocatively looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "As long as Xiaofei likes it, I¡¯m not afraid even if we lose everything. I can still come up with that one million."


    Everyone was already focusing on Zheng Yuyang, but the prospect of playing cards had attracted everyone else¡¯s attention. They were all startled by such a scenario ¨C a million-dollar betting game, something they had only seen on television and never in real life. Although Li Yifei was somewhat better off than the rest, the fact that he would cough up a million for Meng Xiaofei to gamble with was an extreme indulgence.


    Shen Yuying hurriedly pulled Meng Xiaofei aside and whispered, "Xiaofei, don¡¯t be rash."


    But Meng Xiaofei hurriedly retorted, "I¡¯m not being rash, I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure to win."


    Zheng Yuyang laughed heartily and said, "Since Xiaofei is so confident, let¡¯s play then. The limit¡¯s one million, with a minimum bet of ten thousand. What do you think?"


    "Great, let¡¯s play," Meng Xiaofei immediately said with excitement, rubbing her hands together. This girl, always so reckless whenever it came to playing.


    The dealer was Yang Yudong ¨C his card shuffling skills were indeed impressive as he shuffled the deck with a rustling sound, then dealt each of them one open card, followed by one hidden card.


    As soon as Meng Xiaofei got her cards, she excitedly declared, "I bet a hundred thousand."


    Everyone was shocked. The minimum bet was already an outrageous ten thousand, but Meng Xiaofei¡¯s first bet was a direct hundred thousand ¨C weren¡¯t they going to see an outcome on this very round?


    Zheng Yuyang was also taken aback, as Meng Xiaofei was playing far too aggressively.


    However, as soon as he saw Meng Xiaofei¡¯s cards on the table, Zheng Yuyang burst out laughing, because Meng Xiaofei had actually flipped over her hidden card.


    The most important aspect of So-Ha is to win with the hidden card, but there went Meng Xiaofei, revealing hers without much thought ¨C that¡¯s not how the game is played.


    "Oh no! I forgot, the hidden card isn¡¯t supposed to be revealed. Sorry, sorry, this round doesn¡¯t count," Meng Xiaofei said as she pushed the cards, looking very natural doing it.


    Zheng Yuyang had a dark expression. He had thought Meng Xiaofei was feigning ignorance like a poker-faced pro, but as it turned out, this girl really had no idea how to play.

 Chapter 1179 - 1224: Go All-In Every Time

    Chapter 1179: Chapter 1224: Go All-In Every Time"Alright, alright, let¡¯s not count that! You warm up first, we can start whenever you say." Zheng Yuyang generously pushed the cards away as well.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "Hehe, no need, no need. I just forgot how to play. The God of Gamblers movies are just too old now. Come on, let¡¯s play this round for real."


    Zheng Yuyang still urged, "There¡¯s no rush. I think it¡¯s better to wait until you¡¯re familiar with the game before we play. Otherwise, if I win against you, everyone will feel like I¡¯m bullying you."


    "No need for that, I¡¯m an expert, getting Straight Flushes every time. Alright, I mean it this time, this round is for real."


    When Meng Xiaofei said this, the tension everyone was feeling initially relaxed a lot, with several people even starting to laugh.


    Moreover, Meng Xiaofei and Zheng Yuyang weren¡¯t actually gambling with real money but using another deck of playing cards as chips, each person using a suit, with Ace to 10 valued at ten thousand, Jack at a hundred thousand, Queen at three hundred thousand, King at five hundred thousand, making thirteen cards exactly one million chips...


    In their eyes, since it was just playing cards and not real money, and with Meng Xiaofei being so frivolous, it was at most just a game and couldn¡¯t be taken seriously.


    "Deal the cards, deal the cards," Meng Xiaofei urged Yang Yudong at this point.


    Yang Yudong immediately shuffled and let Meng Xiaofei cut the deck, then once again dealt one face-up and one face-down card to both Zheng Yuyang and Meng Xiaofei.


    This time, Meng Xiaofei picked up her two cards properly, stole a glance at the face-down card, then carefully placed it back on the table. She exhaled a sigh of relief and said, "Good, good, I didn¡¯t place them incorrectly this time."


    Everyone watched Meng Xiaofei¡¯s careful demeanor, afraid of revealing her cards again, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Openly, Meng Xiaofei had a ten, while Yang Yudong had a six. Yang Yudong immediately said, "Xiaofei has a ten, it¡¯s Xiaofei¡¯s turn to speak."


    Meng Xiaofei said to Yang Yudong with a giggle, "Not bad, not bad, you really sound like those characters in the movies. Alright then, I¡¯ll bet a hundred thousand."


    Zheng Yuyang frowned and said, "Xiaofei, isn¡¯t this a bit too much? Going so big on the first hand?"


    "I made a mistake last round, so I need to make it up this round. Come on, follow the bet, so I can sweep you on the next."


    Zheng Yuyang narrowed his eyes and said, "Xiaofei, you can lose it all in just one hand with the way you¡¯re playing."


    "So what if I lose? At least I¡¯ll enjoy the game. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t welch on the bet," she said confidently.


    Zheng Yuyang looked at Li Yifei again and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll let you have this round."


    Meng Xiaofei looked at Zheng Yuyang suspiciously and asked, "What do you mean you¡¯ll let me? Are you following or not?"


    Zheng Yuyang flipped his cards over and said, "Of course I¡¯m not following."


    "That¡¯s no fun." Meng Xiaofei pouted and then threw her cards to Yang Yudong.


    Zheng Yuyang said with a smile, "Xiaofei, in this game, it¡¯s not about going all-in every hand to have fun. The main thing is to go all-in at the right opportunity. Even if you get good cards every hand and go all-in, if I don¡¯t follow, you won¡¯t win much. But if I find one opportunity, you could lose a lot."


    Meng Xiaofei cheerfully said, "As long as it¡¯s fun, that¡¯s all that matters. Let¡¯s go."


    Another round of dealing began, and this time, Zheng Yuyang had the higher hand. He said with a smile, "See, this hand is not bad for me, I¡¯ll bet twenty thousand."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately followed with twenty thousand.


    Another card was dealt; Zheng Yuyang had a Jack and a Queen, while Meng Xiaofei had a five and an eight. Zheng Yuyang bet another twenty thousand, and Meng Xiaofei threw all her chips in and declared, "I¡¯m going all-in."


    Zheng Yuyang frowned and said, "Xiaofei, isn¡¯t this a bit much? You¡¯re going all-in against me with just a five and an eight?"


    Meng Xiaofei said proudly, "Of course, I have to go all-in. Are you in or not?"


    While everyone else thought this was just a game, Zheng Yuyang didn¡¯t see it that way. He wanted to properly deal with Li Yifei, and winning this million would strip at least a quarter of Li Yifei¡¯s assets. Then he could deal with Li Yifei however he wanted. Hence, he couldn¡¯t act rashly; if he lost carelessly, he would definitely have to pay up, otherwise, he¡¯d lose face.


    A million wasn¡¯t a small sum for him either, losing it nonchalantly would be painful.


    Flipping his card over, Zheng Yuyang said, "Alright, if that¡¯s how it is, I won¡¯t follow this round either. I¡¯ll let you have it."


    Meng Xiaofei curled her lip and said, "So boring, just a pair of fives, and you don¡¯t even dare to follow."


    In the following few hands, Meng Xiaofei always went all-in with the maximum bet. On her second hand, she pushed all-in, and Zheng Yuyang mostly folded right away, occasionally following for one round, but backing down on the second round when Meng Xiaofei pushed all-in. This really frustrated Zheng Yuyang; he had never encountered someone playing quite like Meng Xiaofei before.


    What was most important was that she was losing ten or twenty thousand in a single hand, and after around a dozen hands, he had already lost over two hundred thousand. At this rate, he would be wiped out just by losing the blinds.


    This hand, Zheng Yuyang¡¯s face-up card was an A, and the hole card was also an A. He started with a pair of Aces and was immediately delighted, thinking he could finally win it back. However, he kept his face expressionless and still placed a bet of twenty thousand.


    Meng Xiaofei followed without hesitation.


    Then the dealer dealt another card. Zheng Yuyang got a K, while Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face-up cards showed a six and a J, still holding higher cards. Hesitating for a moment, he still bet twenty thousand, really hoping that Meng Xiaofei would push all-in against him. To his surprise, Meng Xiaofei did not disappoint and pushed all-in right away.


    Zheng Yuyang was pleased but shook his head, saying, "Xiaofei, I told you, going all-in every hand will eventually lead to losses, and the money you won earlier would be completely wasted."


    Meng Xiaofei said with a giggle, "I don¡¯t care, are you following or not?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll follow. I¡¯ll bet this hand with you, otherwise you would look down on me." Saying so, he casually threw all his chips in.


    Everyone became excited at this point. After so many hands, these two finally started a real showdown.


    Another card was dealt, and Zheng Yuyang got another K, giving him a pair of Kings on the board, making two pair with his hole cards. As for Meng Xiaofei, she drew another two, leaving her cards as two, six, and J¡ªno flush and no chance for a straight.


    "Heh, Xiaofei, it seems you¡¯ve really lost this hand," Zheng Yuyang said, shaking his head with a smile, looking towards Li Yifei.


    But Li Yifei remained unfazed, without a hint of nervousness, which somewhat annoyed Zheng Yuyang.


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and said, "Seems like I¡¯m really going to lose. It¡¯s your turn to bet. Last round I went all-in with you for seven hundred and eighty thousand. I have four hundred and forty thousand in my hand now, and I¡¯m ready to push it all-in too."


    Although she went all-in last round, Zheng Yuyang only had seven hundred and eighty thousand in chips, so Meng Xiaofei could only match that amount, leaving her with some leftover chips.


    Zheng Yuyang was even happier and said, "Xiaofei, you¡¯re really offering up this million, alright then, I¡¯ll add another forty-four thousand. If I lose, I¡¯ll lose a total of one million and forty-four thousand. If you lose, it¡¯ll be a total of one million."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Meng Xiaofei casually threw her chips on the table, stood up, and slapped the table, glaring at Yang Yudong, "Deal the cards."


    Shen Yuying immediately said, "Xiaofei, are you gambling or are you crazy? Even if I haven¡¯t played, I know your cards are too weak, you have no chance at all."


    Another guy laughed and said, "Yeah, Xiaofei, even if it¡¯s just pretend, you can¡¯t play like this."


    Meng Xiaofei glared and said, "In a casino, there¡¯s no kinship. Who¡¯s pretending? We are playing for real."


    "What?" Everyone looked at Meng Xiaofei in surprise. She did not appear to be joking, and this bet of over a million seemed to be serious, making them all gasp in shock.


    Since it was indeed serious, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s behavior seemed even more reckless. To wager over a million on such a terrible hand was insane.


    Zheng Yuyang gave Yang Yudong a knowing look. Yang Yudong immediately understood and quickly dealt the cards to the two players, to prevent Meng Xiaofei from changing her mind. If a girl reneged, the guys would have no recourse, especially Zheng Yuyang, a wealthy man who couldn¡¯t press the issue further.


    Zheng Yuyang drew a Q, and Meng Xiaofei was dealt another two. On the board, Zheng Yuyang had a pair of Kings, and in reality, a pair of Aces and a pair of Kings was a very strong hand. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On Meng Xiaofei¡¯s board, she now had a pair of twos, along with a six and a J, giving her a non-zero chance of winning. If her hole card was a two, that would give her three of a kind, which beats two pair.


    Zheng Yuyang slightly smiled and said, "Xiaofei, you¡¯ve lost this hand, I have two pair." He then revealed his hole cards.


    There was an exclamation from everyone; if Zheng Yuyang only had a pair of Kings, Meng Xiaofei could win with two pair, but now that Zheng Yuyang had the highest two pair, Meng Xiaofei had no chance of winning.


    Shen Yuying immediately said, "If Xiaofei¡¯s hole card is a two, can¡¯t she make three of a kind?"


    Zheng Yuyang chuckled and said, "But the odds of that are too small. The two twos on the board were dealt last, and if Xiaofei didn¡¯t already have a pair, how could she compete against my pair of Kings? So Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hole card should be either a J or a six, which would also give her two pair, and that means she has definitely lost this hand. Right, Xiaofei?"


    With Zheng Yuyang¡¯s analysis, everyone also felt it made too much sense. Could Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hole card really not be a two? Otherwise, with two, six, J, she wouldn¡¯t go all-in against Zheng Yuyang¡¯s pair of Kings¡ªit would be madness, or perhaps true recklessness.


    Everyone was shaking their heads in disapproval. Meng Xiaofei was really too outrageous. Claiming they were playing for real but treating her boyfriend¡¯s money as nothing was simply acting like a spoilt child. Even Shen Yuying, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s good friend, felt Meng Xiaofei was in the wrong at this point.

 Chapter 1180 - 1225: It Can’t Be This Coincidental

    Chapter 1180: Chapter 1225: It Can¡¯t Be This Coincidental"Xiaofei, I¡¯ve already warned you that with this game, you absolutely can¡¯t go all-in every hand. You have to pick the right moment, just like now. You may have won so many hands just now, but in the end, I still won."


    At this time, Zheng Yuyang was giving Meng Xiaofei a heartfelt lesson, while his gaze shifted towards Li Yifei. He really wanted to see Li Yifei looking pale, but once again he was disappointed; Li Yifei still had a composed expression.


    This really annoyed Zheng Yuyang, and he made up his mind. In front of his classmates, it wouldn¡¯t look good to do anything to Li Yifei, but after the class reunion was over, he planned to settle accounts with Li Yifei and show him no mercy. Who told him to keep up his act here anyway?


    "Xiaofei, really, with those cards, you still called? Aren¡¯t you being a bit too reckless?" Shen Yuying shook her head, showing a tough-love expression.


    "Xiaofei, I¡¯ve seen people squander their fortunes, but none quite like you, who¡¯s practically handing out money."


    Li Yudong said with a smile: "Xiaofei, I think you¡¯re set on ruining your boyfriend or what?"


    Everyone turned to look at Li Yifei, feeling that there might be some truth in those words. Meng Xiaofei was truly squandering her fortune.


    "Wait, how do you know I¡¯ve lost? I haven¡¯t even looked at my hole card yet!" Suddenly, Meng Xiaofei shouted out loud.


    "What? You didn¡¯t even look at your hole card?" Everyone exclaimed in disbelief; was Meng Xiaofei out of her mind?


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said: "He never went all-in with me, so I felt it was pointless to look at my hole card; that¡¯s why I never did."


    "But you went all-in just now, why didn¡¯t you look then?" Shen Yuying felt like she was going crazy; could Meng Xiaofei be any more impractical?


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said: "Just now, I only thought about how going all-in is the thrilling way to play, I didn¡¯t even think about who had the higher cards."


    All present felt as if countless black lines had appeared over their heads, then, just like that, they dropped to the ground, leaving them speechless. They had seen foolish play before, but never anything as foolish as this.


    Meng Xiaofei then clutched the card in her palm, eyes shining as she said: "I am the God of Gamblers today, and I¡¯m going to let you all see what that looks like." Then she started to rub the cards in her hands vigorously.


    Everyone¡¯s face turned pitch black with disbelief, feeling that no words could match Meng Xiaofei¡¯s level of foolishness now.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the God of Wealth has arrived!" Meng Xiaofei suddenly stood up, then, very domineeringly, slapped the card down on the table and slowly lifted her hand away.


    Everyone looked at the card, and suddenly, they all froze, then almost immediately began to cheer: "A two! It¡¯s really a two!"


    Meng Xiaofei also shouted excitedly, turned around and hugged Li Yifei, exclaiming: "It¡¯s really a two! It¡¯s really a two!" Then she moved in closer and planted several kisses on Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Both Zheng Yuyang and Yang Yudong were stunned. How could the hole card possibly be a two? It was just too illogical.


    Yang Yudong reacted quickly and immediately spread out the remaining cards; among them, there was only one two left. Meaning, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s trio of twos had all come from his dealing, and Meng Xiaofei hadn¡¯t cheated.


    To Zheng Yuyang, he offered a wry smile and whispered, "No problem."


    Zheng Yuyang felt so frustrated. He had intended to win against Meng Xiaofei to embarrass Li Yifei, but now the tables had turned, and he had lost instead. The loss was too unjust to bear; in a game of poker like this, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s unheard of for someone to get three of a kind on the last two cards, but if you are going to call an all-in on the fourth card, the first three ought to be something decent at least¡ªa flush or a straight, or maybe three high cards. Who would have thought that with a small two, a little six, plus a Jack, you could go all-in like that?


    What made it even worse was that Meng Xiaofei followed him all-in without even looking at her cards, which was just dumbfounding. He had lost over a million dollars so easily; it all just felt too unjust.


    Zheng Yuyang felt he had been wronged, but in reality, his loss wasn¡¯t unfair at all. Li Yifei, who was sitting behind Meng Xiaofei, had been watching Yang Yudong deal the cards all along. He had always had the skill to remember the shuffled cards, and now with his True Qi purer than before, keeping track of the cards was no problem at all.


    For the previous hands, he knew Zheng Yuyang had nothing substantial, so he secretly told Meng Xiaofei to go all-in, scaring Zheng Yuyang every time. If Zheng Yuyang had happened to get good cards, Li Yifei would not have let Meng Xiaofei call.


    But who would have guessed that Zheng Yuyang¡¯s luck would be so bad? Just when he finally braved an all-in, he encountered Meng Xiaofei¡¯s bizarre hand. It was simply Li Yudong¡¯s masterful dealing to thank.


    "Xiaofei, do you want to play another round?" Zheng Yuyang, unwilling to accept his loss, wanted to win back his money.


    Meng Xiaofei smirked and said: "Sure, I¡¯m up for playing as many rounds as you want, now that I have over a million in gambling funds."


    "Good, then let¡¯s play another round. Since you¡¯ve already got your stake, let¡¯s make it big - how about three million for this round? If you lose, you¡¯re down at most one million and a half, but if you win, you¡¯ll have won over four million. I¡¯ll transfer it to you right away."


    Meng Xiaofei, excited, pumped her fist and said: "Okay, let¡¯s do it. Whoever chickens out is a bumpkin."


    "Alright, if a rich man is offering money, I see no reason to refuse."


    Shen Yuying grimaced and said, "You guys... do you really have to go so big?"


    Meng Xiaofei said with a giggle, "This amount of money is nothing to a tycoon like Yuyang, right, Yuyang?"


    Zheng Yuyang managed a smile and said, "Yeah, let¡¯s just play for fun, come on." But it was somewhat forced, as the four million was a painful sum for him too, and losing would certainly hurt like hell.


    Yang Yudong immediately began shuffling the deck, shuffling it back and forth many times, before letting Zheng Yuyang cut the cards, then starting to deal.


    After Zheng Yuyang finished cutting, Li Yifei could not help but chuckle inwardly; that Yuyang really had rotten luck¡ªthis first hand was going to be a killer. It really seemed like heaven was cursing Zheng Yuyang. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zheng Yuyang¡¯s face-up card was a king, while Meng Xiaofei¡¯s was a six of hearts.


    Looking at his hole card, Zheng Yuyang saw another king, which filled him with joy¡ªit was surely a chance to recover his losses. Looking at Meng Xiaofei, he said, "I¡¯ve got high cards; I¡¯ll bet twenty thousand."


    Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t even look at her hole card and simply said, "Twenty thousand is too little, we¡¯re at three million now, let¡¯s go for a hundred thousand."


    "Xiaofei, you¡¯re not looking at your hole card?" Zheng Yuyang kept his eyes on Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei said proudly, "No need to look. The last card will definitely be the one I need."


    The corner of Zheng Yuyang¡¯s mouth twitched as he said, "Alright, I¡¯ll call."


    Another card was dealt, and Zheng Yuyang astonishingly got another king, while Meng Xiaofei got a two of hearts.


    "Another pair of kings, I raise five hundred thousand." Zheng Yuyang decided to play rough; Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t looking at her hole card and was going all-in anyhow, so he took the lead to go all-in, eager to see if she dared to follow.


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "That¡¯s a big one this time." But she still called the five hundred thousand.


    Zheng Yuyang was overjoyed. Now that he had three of a kind, it seemed next to impossible for him to lose again. But when the fourth card was dealt, his heart nearly burst with joy since he got another king. With three kings face-up and one as the hole card, he had four of a kind. The only hands that could beat this were a straight flush or four aces.


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s cards, Zheng Yuyang suddenly got worried because she got a three of hearts¡ªtwo, three, six of hearts, and it really did seem possible for a straight flush to be in play.


    "I¡¯ve got three kings, and not going all-in would only give you the chance to go for a flush, so I won¡¯t let you have that chance¡ªI¡¯m all-in." Zheng Yuyang tossed in his chips, while internally he eagerly awaited Meng Xiaofei¡¯s call.


    Meng Xiaofei frowned and said, "That¡¯s really scary, but I¡¯ll call too."


    Zheng Yuyang¡¯s face darkened as he said, "You¡¯d call without looking at your hole card? If that¡¯s not a heart, you¡¯re as good as dead."


    Meng Xiaofei said gleefully, "Didn¡¯t I tell you? This card is definitely the one I need; no need to look, it¡¯s certainly a heart."


    "Xiaofei, you can¡¯t be lucky twice in a row; you¡¯d better take a look," Shen Yuying nudged Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei shook her head and said, "Alright, alright, then you take a look. Anyway, I¡¯ve gone all-in, I¡¯ll stick with whatever you see."


    Shen Yuying immediately picked up that hole card, and her expression suddenly became quite odd. Everyone crowded over to take a look, but Shen Yuying quickly covered the card and placed it back on the table, not letting anyone see.


    However, from her not stopping Meng Xiaofei, it was clear the card was indeed a heart.


    Meng Xiaofei quickly said, "Hurry up and deal the last card, let¡¯s see who has the stronger hand."


    At this point, even Yang Yudong felt a bit jittery, his hand trembling as he dealt a card to Zheng Yuyang; for Yuyang, this card was utterly useless, as nothing could affect the strength of his hand¡ªunless it was a four or five of hearts, which would guarantee his victory. But he got a five, which wasn¡¯t a heart.


    It was time to deal to Meng Xiaofei. Now the most anxious person was Shen Yuying¡ªshe had seen the hole card and knew what Xiaofei needed. When she saw that the card was a five of hearts, Shen Yuying screamed, her lips trembling and unable to speak.


    Seeing Shen Yuying¡¯s reaction, Zheng Yuyang suddenly lost his nerve. The face-up cards were two, three, five, six of hearts¡ªif the hole card was a four of hearts, he¡¯d be done for.


    "Xiaofei, your luck is really too good, you actually got a straight flush," Shen Yuying said as she flipped over Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hole card, revealing it to be indeed the four of hearts.


    Zheng Yuyang¡¯s face turned ashen. He had four kings but had walked right into a straight flush¡ªhow could there be any justice in that?


    Just then, Hou Jianwei¡¯s face suddenly turned pale as he stammered to Zheng Yuyang, pointing at the entrance, "Yuyang, it¡¯s trouble; that guy has come here."


    "Who¡¯s here?" Zheng Yuyang was infuriated and on the verge of going mad; Hou Jianwei¡¯s interruption only added to his irritation. He turned his head and saw the young man who had collided with Hou Jianwei earlier, instantly finding an outlet for his frustration. He sprung up and charged toward the entrance.

 Chapter 1181 - 1226: Group Fight

    Chapter 1181: Chapter 1226: Group FightFour million four hundred and forty-four thousand, this number really sounds quite sorrowful, as it suggests three deaths. Zheng Yuyang felt that the loss this time was truly unjust. If Meng Xiaofei really was a master of gambling nations, that would have been another story, but clearly, she can¡¯t even play. The cards were dealt by Yang Yudong and revealed by Shen Yuying. Even if Meng Xiaofei wanted to cheat, there was no opportunity for her to do so. It was simply his own terrible luck.


    He suffered a loss at Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hands, and he couldn¡¯t vent his anger anywhere. Who made Meng Xiaofei have such a powerful background? Even the direct descendants of the Zheng Family couldn¡¯t afford to provoke her. Thus, the loss he suffered because of Meng Xiaofei had to be swallowed painfully.


    And at this moment, someone actually ran into the muzzles of his guns. The anger Zheng Yuyang felt had to be vented upon them.


    The ones who entered were three men. One was the young man who had earlier collided with Hou Jianwei¡¯s car, while the other two, both in their thirties, were stout men without any expression on their faces, appearing quite stern, likely bodyguards.


    "What are you doing here?" Zheng Yuyang approached the men with a gloomy face, glared with his eyes, and snapped, "Kid, you really dared to show up?"


    The young man looked at Zheng Yuyang and said indifferently, "You scraped my car and walked away without even apologizing; shouldn¡¯t I look for you?"


    "Good, I was actually worried you wouldn¡¯t come. Now that you¡¯re here, let¡¯s hear what you want to do?"


    Still with an indifferent tone and expression, the young man said, "It¡¯s simple, first, apologize; second, replace my car with a new one."


    Zheng Yuyang burst into a loud laugh, which abruptly stopped as he glared fiercely at the young man and said, "You really think you matter that much, huh? Damn, asking me to get you a new car, who do you think you are?"


    "Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. If you were reasonable, I would just have the car fixed, and that would be the end of it. But since you¡¯re being unreasonable, I¡¯ll be unreasonable too."


    Zheng Yuyang looked at the young man as if he was seeing an alien, saying, "You, kid, being unreasonable with me?"


    The young man met Zheng Yuyang¡¯s gaze and slowly said, "Yes, today I am indeed being unreasonable with you."


    "Well, I¡¯d like to see how you plan to be unreasonable. I¡¯m right here, what can you possibly do to me?" Saying so, Zheng Yuyang grabbed a chair and slouched onto it.


    Yang Yudong immediately stood next to Zheng Yuyang, disdainfully saying, "Just with you guys, daring to provoke our Yuyang, you must have the audacity of a bear and the guts of a leopard."


    While Zheng Yuyang and Meng Xiaofei were gambling, he was the one dealing the cards, but it ended up causing this situation, causing Zheng Yuyang to lose over four million. He was really scared that Zheng Yuyang would be upset. He had always hoped to rise to success under Zheng Yuyang. Not saying how much money he would make, but following Zheng Yuyang meant that he could act high and mighty everywhere. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of not having this sheltering tree in the future, so he hastily expressed his loyalty in front of Zheng Yuyang.


    Hou Jianwei and a few other boys also followed up, now on the same battlefront, and since young men like showing off, now with more people and Zheng Yuyang covering them, they also got to experience what it felt like to bully others in a swaggering manner.


    The young man across again looked at Zheng Yuyang, and slowly said, "Zheng Family¡¯s Zheng Yuyang, you are just a peripheral member of the Zheng Family, what right do you have to be this arrogant?" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it were a normal situation, once the identity of Zheng Yuyang was mentioned, Zheng Yuyang would consider the opponent¡¯s background. But today, Zheng Yuyang was truly confused, probably because of the loss of the money just now, so when his status as a peripheral member of the Zheng Family was mentioned, he felt deeply humiliated, and immediately slapped the armrest of the chair, shouting, "Fuck, who the hell do you think you are, whether peripheral or direct, it¡¯s easy for me to deal with you."


    "Is that so? So, you are determined not to make amends?"


    "Fuck off, I¡¯m supposed to make amends to your mother? Hurry up and fuck off, or I¡¯ll show you what¡¯s what immediately."


    The young man¡¯s mouth curled upwards slightly, shouting, "Since you¡¯ve said that, no need for me to be polite either, let¡¯s fight."


    As soon as his words fell, the two men behind him immediately stepped forward, clearly about to start a fight.


    Zheng Yuyang didn¡¯t expect that with just three people in total, they¡¯d daringly initiate a physical fight, which made him even more furious, shouting immediately, "Attack them, beat the hell out of him, I¡¯ll take the blame for any consequences."


    Yang Yudong had wanted to fight from the beginning, and he rushed forward first, swearing with some ferocity.


    The other few boys also charged forward, considering they had the advantage in numbers, this fight was basically just bullying, and with Zheng Yuyang to cover any trouble, they were somewhat excited.


    However, their excitement was quickly shattered. Despite only two people coming forward, those two were clearly masters. Yang Yudong, who was in the front, was the first to suffer, taking a punch directly to the face, dazzling him and causing a nosebleed with his head buzzing.


    Then he got kicked again, directly flipping backward twice until he stopped when he hit a classmate behind him.


    The one rushing up from behind immediately halted, sensing that the situation wasn¡¯t so good¡ªthe opponent wasn¡¯t easy to bully.


    At that moment, the young man across smirked again, saying, "Today I don¡¯t need them to accompany the car, just give them a harsh beating."


    "Yes, young master!" The two bodyguards answered simultaneously, and then charged forward.


    Although Meng Xiaofei had many male classmates, they were like sheep facing two tigers in front of these two men. No matter how many there were, it was utterly useless. Each was beaten to tears and plaintive wails, scrambling to hide to the side.


    At this time, only the three opponents and Zheng Yuyang along with Yang Yudong were left in the middle.


    At this moment, Zheng Yuyang¡¯s face had turned pale. The fighting power of the opponents was clearly not that of ordinary bodyguards. They were as formidable as the family guards in his household, but he had no authority to mobilize the family¡¯s guards.


    Yang Yudong was also afraid, but he still dared not leave Zheng Yuyang. Zheng Yuyang was his everything, especially at this moment, he needed to show utmost loyalty. Wiping the blood from his nose, he still pretended to be fierce and said, "You can¡¯t mess around; this is Zheng Yuyang, a descendant of the Zheng family of the provincial city. If you dare to touch Yuyang, the Zheng family will not let you go."


    The young man sneered disdainfully, "I just hit him, and let¡¯s see what the Zheng family can do. Beat him up for me."


    The two family guards charged up decisively. One slapped Zheng Yuyang, making him spin around twice, while the other kicked right behind Zheng Yuyang¡¯s kneecaps, causing his legs to buckle, and he fell to his knees with a thud.


    "How dare you hit me? I will not let this go," Zheng Yuyang shouted angrily, unused to such treatment.


    The man replied with disdain, "If you were a direct descendant of the Zheng family, I might give you some face, but as for you... you¡¯re not worthy."


    "Who...who are you?" Zheng Yuyang finally realized he was in big trouble and stuttered.


    "You don¡¯t deserve to know. Beat him up!" the man ordered ruthlessly, and the two bodyguards immediately rushed up again, ready to beat him up.


    "Fuck, dare to hit our Zheng family member!" Just then, with a loud shout, someone suddenly rushed up to shield Zheng Yuyang, starting a fight with the two family guards.


    The person who rushed up was Li Yifei. In his plan, confronting the big families of the provincial city was inevitable. That guy was clearly from a big family, and although he didn¡¯t know which family it was, stirring up conflict between the Zheng family and that family was a good thing. The more these big families fought amongst themselves, the better it would be for his own advancement. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    He came forward to pose as the Zheng family¡¯s guard, making the opponent ultimately only focus on the Zheng family, not expecting a family guard to be him.


    As for strength, he couldn¡¯t show too much. Even though the two guards were strong, they were still weaker than his own guards. He only needed to be slightly stronger than them combined, so he was having a slight upper hand in this two-against-one fight, making the scene quite intense.


    Everyone was watching with their jaws dropped, no one expected Li Yifei to rush up at this moment, nor did they expect him to be so formidable.


    For Zheng Yuyang, Li Yifei¡¯s intervention was like seeing a savior. At this moment, resolving the situation without being humiliated was the most important thing, especially since Li Yifei shouted that he was a member of his Zheng family, winning him face. Zheng quickly climbed up, shouting loudly, "Beat them, don¡¯t hold back!"


    "Yes, young master!" Li Yifei replied loudly, intensifying his offensive.


    Seeing Li Yifei handling two opponents and still having an advantage, forcing them back step by step, the rest of the classmates started to cheer loudly. They had been beaten badly earlier, and now they finally got to vent, not caring about the opponents¡¯ backgrounds.


    "Stop!" The young man on the other side frowned and shouted loudly.


    "Stop your mother¡¯s hand, beat them!" Zheng Yuyang shouted, full of confidence.


    Li Yifei certainly did not stop. Pretending to be hit hard by one of the men, he sent the other flying with a punch, then turned and knocked down the other as well, before retreating to the side wiping the sweat from his forehead.


    "Get them!" Zheng Yuyang waved his hand and charged, now that the two experts were down, it was their turn to step in.

 Chapter 1182 - 1127: Troubles Arising

    Chapter 1182: Chapter 1127: Troubles ArisingAlthough these classmates didn¡¯t know any martial arts, the two masters on the other side had already lost the ability to fight back, and the remaining kid really didn¡¯t have any skills, and was quickly beaten down by them. However, this kid was quite tough; even though he was being mobbed by a group, he just curled up to protect his head and stubbornly didn¡¯t beg for mercy even once.


    "Motherfucker, weren¡¯t you going to beat us up? Now let¡¯s see who beats who. If you¡¯re tough enough, get up, get up and hit me." Zheng Yuyang was having the time of his life, alternating kicks at the kid nonstop.


    "Stop, stop it! Someone¡¯s going to get killed if you keep this up."


    The guys were enjoying the fight, but the girls had started to persuade them to stop, worried that if the beating continued, the three of them were bound to be killed.


    Most of the boys were persuaded to calm down at this time. If someone got injured, Zheng Yuyang could take the heat for it, but if someone actually got killed, Zheng Yuyang probably couldn¡¯t handle it.


    But Zheng Yuyang hadn¡¯t had enough fun yet. Having taken such a loss just a moment ago, he nearly lost all face. Now that the situation had reversed, he naturally wanted to vent his anger fiercely.


    Zheng Yuyang didn¡¯t stop, and neither did Yang Yudong. These two took turns tormenting the three guys again before they stopped, panting heavily from exhaustion.


    "Kid, are you convinced?" Zheng Yuyang took a breath, kicked the kid again, and glared as he asked.


    "Not convinced!" Although the kid was holding his head, with so many feet on the ground, he couldn¡¯t protect everything. His face was already beaten to a pulp, covered in blood, but even so, he was still glaring at Zheng Yuyang and squeezed these two words out through his teeth.


    "Fuck me, then I¡¯ll beat you until you are convinced." Zheng Yuyang got even angrier upon hearing this and kicked the kid a few more times.


    "Let it go, let them leave," said the girls at this point, having seen the terrible state of the three, one by one they couldn¡¯t bear to look directly and kept persuading Zheng Yuyang.


    Zheng Yuyang had vented his anger and flaunted his power. He snorted coldly and said, "Damn it, hurry up and get lost. Don¡¯t let me see you again, or I¡¯ll beat you every time I do."


    The two bodyguards struggled to get up and then lifted the kid. Both of them were extremely frustrated today; as masters like themselves, even facing twenty or thirty ordinary people, they could easily handle them, but today they were beaten up by a bunch of amateurs, and it would be embarrassing to face anyone in the future.


    After the three left, Zheng Yuyang finally felt relieved. But he was also clear that if Li Yifei hadn¡¯t made a move today, he would certainly have suffered a lot. He walked up to Li Yifei and for the first time sincerely said, "Li Yifei, thank you."


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "What¡¯s there to be polite about? All of you are Xiaofei¡¯s schoolmates. I can¡¯t just watch you guys get bullied, Xiaofei¡¯s face matters to me."


    "Cool, that¡¯s good of you!" Zheng Yuyang patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and said, "If there¡¯s anything you need help with in the future, just tell me, and I¡¯ll sort it out for you."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Then I¡¯ll thank Yuyang in advance."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "That¡¯s for later. About the money you owe me, you better pay up quickly, I¡¯m waiting to splurge."


    Zheng Yuyang laughed heartily and said, "Fair is fair, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you immediately, give me your account number." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Xiaofei unhesitantly reported her bank card number, and Zheng Yuyang asked Yang Yudong to fetch a laptop from the car downstairs. He quickly transferred the money to Meng Xiaofei.


    Although the transfer of money still hurt, this time Zheng Yuyang wasn¡¯t that depressed. After all, if Li Yifei hadn¡¯t helped him today, getting beaten up would feel worse than losing a few million yuan.


    "Oh yeah! Now I can really treat myself." Meng Xiaofei received the text message and immediately danced with joy. Now she, like Li Yifei¡¯s wife, had a monthly pocket money of fifty thousand yuan, enough to spend freely. But this was a windfall, and she felt even more at ease spending it. She could even buy some gifts for her family with a clear conscience.


    As for the fact that she wouldn¡¯t have won this money if Li Yifei hadn¡¯t helped her, Meng Xiaofei simply ignored it.


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei actually take the money, Shen Yuying hurriedly said, "Xiaofei, this isn¡¯t right, we¡¯re all classmates, it was just a game."


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "That amount of money is just peanuts for our class leader Zheng, this big tycoon, right, class leader Zheng?"


    Zheng Yuyang was feeling the pinch, but still laughed and said, "Xiaofei is right, I always pay my debts, I, Zheng Yuyang, am not stingy."


    Seeing both Zheng Yuyang and Meng Xiaofei put it that way, no one else wanted to say much. They were clearly envious of Meng Xiaofei who suddenly became a millionaire, it was like winning five million in the lottery. If they had known, they would have joined in the fun, maybe they could have won something too.


    "Right, Li Yifei, you were amazing just now, those two guys couldn¡¯t beat you." Shen Yuying then looked at Li Yifei.


    It was only at this point that everyone remembered, the reason for the situation reversing was thanks to Li Yifei. They all looked at Li Yifei with grateful and curious eyes.


    Li Yifei cracked a slight smile and said, "I¡¯ve practiced for a while."


    "This must be real kung fu, right? Just now, it looked like a movie scene to me."


    "Yeah, I used to think everything in TV shows was fake, but it turns out there are indeed people in real life who can do it."


    Meng Xiaofei proudly lifted her chin and said, "What¡¯s that to rave about? Yifei is amazing. Not to mention two bodyguards, even ten or eight, he would have no problem at all handling them."


    Li Yifei tugged at Meng Xiaofei slightly and laughed, "Don¡¯t blow my trumpet for me."


    Although Meng Xiaofei wasn¡¯t good at lying, what Li Yifei meant was for her not to say too much, which didn¡¯t count as lying, so she stuck out her tongue at Yifei and said, "Let¡¯s keep playing then. We can¡¯t let these people wreck our fun and just stop enjoying ourselves."


    Everyone started playing again, but at this time, Zheng Yuyang was somewhat worried. The fight just now was exhilarating, but now that he had calmed down, he realized he was in big trouble. If the other party brought along house guards, they must be direct descendants of a major family. Although he didn¡¯t yet know which family this guy belonged to, direct descendants from any family within the province were not something he, Zheng Yuyang, a non-direct descendant of the Zheng Family, could compare with.


    Stepping aside, Zheng Yuyang dialed a number. This was a direct descendant of the Zheng Family named Zheng Yuhao, who had the closest blood relation to Zheng Yuyang, and the two also had the closest relationship. Zheng Yuyang usually did not skimp on giving benefits to Yuhao, and Zheng Yuhao took good care of him in return. Otherwise, Yuyang wouldn¡¯t have been doing so well in the provincial city.


    "Yuhao, are you busy?"


    "Not too much, what¡¯s up?" Hearing Zheng Yuyang¡¯s tone, Zheng Yuhao sensed something was wrong.


    "Yeah, I was at a gathering with my classmates, and then I got into a conflict with someone. He brought two house guards, and he might be a direct descendant of some major family."


    "Conflict, did you lose out?"


    "No, we beat them up."


    "Which family does he belong to?" Zheng Yuhao frowned while holding the phone.


    "I don¡¯t know which family he¡¯s from yet, so now I¡¯m a bit worried."


    "You¡¯re really foolish, to clash with a direct descendant like that. Aren¡¯t you just asking for trouble?"


    "Yuhao, they were going to hit us first, and we outnumbered them, so we fought back. I know I acted rashly, but now you¡¯re the only one who can help me."


    "You dared to make a move without even knowing who the other party was, I really can¡¯t understand you. I¡¯m coming over right now, sigh."


    After hanging up, Zheng Yuyang breathed a little sigh of relief. Zheng Yuhao was the best among the direct descendants in the Zheng Family and highly valued by the family. In the entire provincial city, among the young descendants of major families, Zheng Yuhao was definitely ranked in the top ten in terms of abilities. As long as Zheng Yuhao stepped in, the issue should be easily resolvable.


    Less than twenty minutes later, Zheng Yuhao rushed over, and Zheng Yuyang immediately took him to a side room where he recounted the whole incident in detail.


    "This kid you¡¯re talking about, he doesn¡¯t ring a bell," said Zheng Yuhao, frowning. He couldn¡¯t claim to recognize every descendant of the local families, but he should know the direct descendants since these people would either be his future partners or competitors. Naturally, he would need to understand them well.


    "Could it be that he¡¯s not actually a direct descendant at all?" Zheng Yuyang immediately asked.


    "Someone who can bring house guards with him, even if not a direct descendant, must definitely have a significant background. But this does give us more leverage in dealing with the situation."


    Zheng Yuyang gave a dry laugh and said, "Then I¡¯m all depending on you, Yuhao."


    "Sigh, take this as a lesson. You have to be more low-profile in the future. There are many people in this provincial city you can¡¯t afford to mess with, and you still flaunt yourself. How could you not suffer a loss?"


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be careful in the future," said Zheng Yuyang, who could only act very humble in front of Zheng Yuhao.


    "Zheng Yuyang! Zheng Yuyang, you son of a bitch, come out here!" A loud shout suddenly came from outside.


    Zheng Yuhao¡¯s expression changed instantly because he was all too familiar with that voice. It belonged to one of the most troublesome masters in the big families of the entire provincial city, Hu Dong of the Hu Family, also known by a nickname: Hothead Hu. To the uninformed, this nickname might suggest the young man acts senselessly, but everyone inside the elite circles knew that Hu Dong, although seemingly unconventional in his approach, always caused tremendous headaches.


    The arrival of Hu Dong signified that the kid was from the Hu Family. Although the Zheng Family was also a major family, compared to the second most powerful family in the provincial city, their influence was already less significant; and now, with the troublesome Hu Dong involved, this matter seemed even more difficult to settle amicably.

 Chapter 1183 - 1228: The Clan Chief’s Prestige

    Chapter 1183: Chapter 1228: The Clan Chief¡¯s PrestigeThe people inside the hall also heard the shouting from outside. What was originally noisy and bustling suddenly turned as quiet as if the crows and sparrows had been silenced. They, of course, understood this meant the opposition had come to settle accounts again, and at this time, it was uncertain whether Zheng Yuyang could resolve the situation. If he couldn¡¯t, many people here would also be implicated.


    "Li Yifei, what do we do now?" Shen Yuying leaned in and whispered with a lowered voice.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "I only know how to fight, but it seems like they have some powerful backing. I really can¡¯t afford to fight such battles, because if no one supports me afterwards, I¡¯ll definitely be dead."


    Shen Yuying gave a wry smile and said, "Then it seems like we¡¯re in a tight spot; the other party seems to have even more powerful backing, and it¡¯s uncertain whether Zheng Yuyang can handle it."


    During the conversation, six people had already entered the hall. The person walking at the front was tall and well-built, with a square face and extremely short hair, standing stiffly, his face full of ferocity, clearly a rather fierce individual.


    Walking beside him was the young man who had been beaten by the group, followed by four other people, clearly bodyguards, from the looks of it.


    "Young Master Hu, what wind has blown you here?" Zheng Yuhao and Zheng Yuyang came into the hall from the side, Zheng Yuhao laughed heartily as he greeted Hu Dong.


    Hu Dong glared at Zheng Yuhao and said, "Zheng Yuhao, so you are here too. I was wondering how that kid Zheng Yuyang had the guts; are you Zhengs trying to openly go against our Hu family now?"


    When Zheng Yuhao saw the bruising on the young man¡¯s face beside Hu Dong, clearly having been severely beaten, he quickly said, "Young Master Hu, this is definitely a misunderstanding. I just arrived here, and this Yuyang misunderstood and offended your Hu family member. I¡¯m apologizing on his behalf here first."


    Hu Dong stared harshly at Zheng Yuyang and said, "A misunderstanding? Zheng, does that mean I should also have someone beat up Zheng Yuyang and then tell you it was a misunderstanding afterward?"


    Zheng Yuhao faintly smiled and said, "It¡¯s certainly Yuyang¡¯s fault, but since the incident has already happened, I sincerely apologize to you, Young Master Hu. We can also compensate this brother, just state your conditions."


    The beaten young man snorted coldly and said, "I don¡¯t want any compensation. However I was beaten, I want to beat him back the same way."


    For the people of major families, money isn¡¯t that much of a concern, but face, that is quite a significant matter. Usually, in disputes between two major families, they tend to downplay major issues and trivialize the minor ones, generally not allowing the situation to escalate.


    But it also depends on the situation. The person beaten today is a direct descendant of the Hu Family, named Hu Jin, who had just returned from studying abroad and was about to be given important responsibilities by the Hu Family. Just having returned not two days ago, to be beaten this severely, was an absolute humiliation for the Hu Family.


    If the one Hu Jin had a conflict with were a direct descendant of the Zheng Family, like Zheng Yuhao, firstly, Zheng Yuhao wouldn¡¯t let the situation get to this point; secondly, even if Zheng Yuhao had really hit him, since Hu Jin was also not humiliatingly beaten since both were direct descendants, Zheng Yuhao having been an influential figure in the provincial city for many years, is not something this newly returned foreigner could compare with.


    Because the person who hit Hu Jin was merely an external branch member of the Zheng Family, this was quite embarrassing, and the Hu family obviously couldn¡¯t agree, and making such a demand, was not excessive. You beat my direct descendant, I just beat your external branch member, this also saves face for the Zheng Family.


    Zheng Yuhao was also clear about this point, but being a member of the Zheng Family, to just hand over a person for the other side to beat, would totally lose the Zheng Family¡¯s face. Moreover, Zheng Yuyang had always been loyal to him; if he didn¡¯t protect him, who else would serve him in the future?


    "Young Master Hu, I know your demands are not excessive, but there was a misunderstanding in this incident, and Yuyang didn¡¯t realize he was a direct member of your Hu family, nor was it targeted at your Hu family. How about this, I¡¯ll compensate you with a brand new Mercedes-Benz 320, what do you think?"


    A brand new Mercedes-Benz 320, even if not high-spec, still costs over eight hundred thousand; if it¡¯s a high-spec version, that¡¯s over a million. And the car that Hou Jianwei scratched, at most, was only worth about three hundred thousand; indeed, a significant compensation.


    Hu Dong snorted coldly and said, "Zheng, that¡¯s not right. It¡¯s not about the car. Never mind that my brother drives just a regular Mercedes, even if it was a ten million sports car, if it was just scratched, I wouldn¡¯t make the Zheng family pay for it. But my brother was beaten like this, are we just talking about a car here? Today, you have to hand him over to me."


    At this moment, Zheng Yuhao was incredibly frustrated but still said, "Young Master Hu, why must you be so insistent with an external family member? Doesn¡¯t this diminish your status?"


    "If you, Young Master Zheng, don¡¯t intervene, I¡¯ll simply take him away; there¡¯s nothing to be insistent about. Now that you, Young Master Zheng, are involved, I¡¯m insisting because I¡¯m giving you face, rather than taking him away directly."


    Hu Dong¡¯s words were quite discourteous, making Zheng Yuhao¡¯s anger grow stronger. He said sternly, "Young Master Hu, one should not be too extreme; leave a line for future interactions. Yuyang may be an external family member of our Zheng Family, but he is still one of ours. If he has wronged, our Zheng Family will naturally explain to you, but your wanting to take him straight away like this does not respect our Zheng family enough."


    "Ha..." Hu Dong laughed out loud then sharply snapped his head back, glaring at Zheng Yuhao, and commanded, "Since you say so, I won¡¯t consider your Zheng Family at all, what can you do about it? Take him away!"


    Immediately two people from behind rushed forward, targeting Zheng Yuyang.


    Zheng Yuyang turned pale with fright; if Hu Dong took him away, he might not die, but he would likely lose half his life. He hurriedly hid behind Zheng Yuhao.


    Zheng Yuhao spread his arms to block the two men and bellowed, "Hu Dong, don¡¯t go too far,"


    Hu Dong laughed loudly and said, "I am going too far, what can you do about it? Today, if I don¡¯t clean him up, others will think our Hu Family is easy to bully, everyone will think they can shit and piss on our Hu Family¡¯s head."


    Zheng Yuhao furiously shouted, "I dare you to touch him!"


    Hu Dong said coldly, "Young Master Zheng, pardon the offense, take action."


    Those two guards immediately lunged behind Zheng Yuhao, grabbing Zheng Yuyang like an eagle seizing a chick.


    "Yuhao, save me!" Zheng Yuyang was suddenly so scared that he screamed and struggled desperately, but the hands of those two men were like iron clamps, and with his strength, it was like a dragonfly shaking a pillar, completely ineffective.


    Zheng Yuhao yelled angrily, "Hu Dong, how dare you?"


    Hu Dong snorted coldly and said, "I dare, what can you do about it?"


    "You... you..." Zheng Yuhao¡¯s face was flushed with anger, but he hadn¡¯t brought his family guards, so he was helpless against Hu Dong¡¯s forcefulness.


    At that moment, Li Yifei stood up, and Shen Yuying was right next to Li Yifei, which startled her, and she said, "What are you going to do?"


    "I¡¯m going to help."


    "Can you really help? They... seem to have a big backing, like they are from some families, their power seems really huge, you better let Zheng Yuyang¡¯s brother figure it out, if you go to help now, don¡¯t get yourself involved too."


    Li Yifei smiled lightly and said, "Since he¡¯s Xiaofei¡¯s classmate, I must help." With that, he strode towards the door and shouted, "Leave the person behind."


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s voice, Zheng Yuyang immediately cried out loudly, "Yifei, save me quickly."


    Li Yifei responded, "No problem."


    Seeing that Meng Xiaofei was still not a bit nervous at this time, Shen Yuying anxiously stomped her feet, and said, "Xiaofei ah, why don¡¯t you persuade him, he can¡¯t handle this."


    Meng Xiaofei said cheerfully, "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a small matter."


    "What small matter? Didn¡¯t you hear, they are from some major families, in front of these people, Zheng Yuyang seems to be nothing at all."


    "Hehe, those people are nothing in front of Brother Li either," said Meng Xiaofei cheerfully, and then she also quickly walked towards the door.


    Hu Jin saw Li Yifei and immediately spoke loudly, "Brother, it was him who made the move."


    Hu Dong looked over at Li Yifei, and his expression suddenly changed, asking, "Your Honorable Surname?"


    This tone was very different from the arrogance he showed earlier, indeed a stark change, making it quite abrupt.


    Zheng Yuhao also turned his gaze towards Li Yifei, and then his facial expression also suddenly changed.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I am Li Yifei."


    "Li Yifei! Li Yifei of Mile City?" Hu Dong asked with a deep voice.


    Li Yifei stood with his hands behind his back, proudly saying, "Indeed, it is me!" Since the other party recognized him, as a family head, facing someone merely a scion of a family, Li Yifei needed to maintain enough dignity.


    This dignity was instantly a stark contrast to the earlier Li Yifei, who was smiling and casual, making it easy to feel close, but now, he exuded an untouchable majesty.


    Although Li family was a newly established family, major families in the province had investigated Li Yifei¡¯s strength. Although they did not know that Li Yifei had already received approval from higher-ups, the women around Li Yifei were enough proof that Li Yifei¡¯s background was not simple.


    Ye family of the provincial capital, and Su Family, Ning Family, Xiao Family, and Zheng Family of the Capital City, all had daughters married to Li Yifei, which meant behind Li Yifei were five major families supporting him, something definitely not to be underestimated.


    Scions like Zheng Yuhao and Hu Dong naturally also knew who Li Yifei was.


    Hu Dong¡¯s complexion changed several times, and said with a very respectful tone, "Mr. Li, are you intervening in this matter?"


    Zheng Yuyang¡¯s classmates were all looking at Li Yifei in amazement, because since Hu Dong came in, he was always so arrogant and domineering, never saying a soft word, but facing Li Yifei, he was so respectful, suggesting Li Yifei¡¯s background was something he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a stern face, Li Yifei said, "Yes, Zheng Yuyang is my girlfriend¡¯s classmate, I came here today to participate in their reunion, you have taken the host away, are we supposed to continue this reunion or not?"


    "This... alright! Then I¡¯ll give Mr. Li face, let¡¯s go!" Hu Dong waved his hand, instructed his men to release Zheng Yuyang, and then walked out with big strides.


    The crowd was dumbfounded, who exactly was Li Yifei, to have such influence that with a single word, he made Hu Dong release the person and leave.

 Chapter 1184 - 1229: Identity Creates Distance

    Chapter 1184: Chapter 1229: Identity Creates DistanceEven Zheng Yuhao couldn¡¯t protect him, Zheng Yuyang thought he was doomed for sure this time. The thought of how miserably he had beaten Hu Jin, a direct descendant of the Hu Family, and how he himself would be even worse off in return made his legs go weak. His mind went blank as Hu Dong spoke with Li Yifei, only coming back to his senses after Hu Dong had left, realizing that Li Yifei had saved him again. He hurriedly said with excitement, "Li Yifei, thank you!"


    "You bastard! Do you think you can address Clan leader Li by his name?" Zheng Yuhao slapped Zheng Yuyang on the back of his neck, causing Zheng Yuyang to stagger, then stepped forward and respectfully performed a junior¡¯s formal bow to Li Yifei, saying, "Clan leader Li, I apologize for not recognizing you earlier. Please forgive my rudeness."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and waved his hand, saying, "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just here to accompany my girlfriend to a class reunion. You can go about your business; with you here, we can¡¯t relax."


    Zheng Yuhao immediately said, "Alright, then I¡¯ll take my leave." He then gave Zheng Yuyang a look and left the hall.


    Zheng Yuyang glanced at Li Yifei and quickly followed after him. He was truly confused; why was Zheng Yuhao so respectful towards Li Yifei?


    Once outside, he hurriedly asked, "Yuhao, what is going on here?"


    Zheng Yuhao¡¯s lips curled in a thick smile, patted Zheng Yuyang on the shoulder, and said, "Yuyang, you¡¯ve stumbled into good fortune because of this disaster."


    "What?" Zheng Yuyang was still utterly confused.


    Zheng Yuhao sighed deeply, finding Zheng Yuyang truly limited in his use. He still could not see the situation clearly and earnestly said, "Yuyang, Mile City has a newly established family now, and the clan chief is Li Yifei."


    "What?" Zheng Yuyang gasped, his eyes widening as he said, "He is the clan chief of that new family? Ridiculous, to form a family with just a few million in assets, are you kidding me?"


    Zheng Yuhao, now infuriated, slapped Zheng Yuyang again and scolded, "Can¡¯t you use your brain? Do you think forming a family is that easy? Without enough power, if you talk about establishing a family, you¡¯d be destroyed or crippled immediately. Li Yifei¡¯s Li family not only has the support of the Ye family from the provincial capital but also the backing of four major families from the Capital City. With such power, it¡¯s not easy to provoke. Now that there is such a relationship, you must forge good ties with him. If there¡¯s an opportunity for cooperation in the future, it will also benefit our Zheng Family. Moreover, aligning with a new family could help strengthen our own family¡¯s power."


    Pausing, Zheng Yuhao added, "If you manage to foster good relations with the Li family, that would be a great service for the Zheng Family, and they will support you more in the future."


    Hearing all this, Zheng Yuyang didn¡¯t quite understand, but he understood the last part very clear and immediately beamed with excitement, "Really?"


    "Of course, the competition between the major families is getting fiercer, and our Zheng Family is not the strongest in the provincial city. Having more powerful friends is crucial for us."


    "Oh, I see, so Li Yifei is that amazing."


    "Obviously, he¡¯s a clan chief and is on an equal footing with our grandfather. In front of him, I am just a junior, and you should not act arrogant around him anymore, got it?"


    "Got it, got it. I¡¯ll surely treat him with the utmost respect."


    "That¡¯s wrong. He won¡¯t care about you if you act like that. A clan chief isn¡¯t going to favor you just because you respect and please him. Your advantage is that you and his wife are classmates. Such a schoolmate relationship is the most useful. So you should just interact normally and show proper respect."


    Zheng Yuyang nodded again and again, "Understood, I really get it now."


    "Alright, I¡¯m leaving. I need to report this matter to grandpa. You go back inside," said Zheng Yuhao.


    After Zheng Yuhao left, Zheng Yuyang took a couple of deep breaths before re-entering the hall. He couldn¡¯t help but muse, no wonder Meng Xiaofei could play big stakes and do so without even looking at her cards. A large family¡¯s assets are incalculable; obviously, a few million meant nothing to them. Ridiculous to think he regarded them as small fry, even thinking of stepping on them.


    After Zheng Yuyang went out, everyone gathered around Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei. The incident had shocked all the classmates. Li Yifei simply stood there, and with a few words, had sent the imposing Hu Dong away, especially with an untouchable and formidable authority, which made everyone see Li Yifei in a different light.


    "Xiaofei, who exactly is your boyfriend?" Shen Yuying nudged Meng Xiaofei and asked quietly.


    Meng Xiaofei said with a grin, "He¡¯s just a normal person, not Superman."


    Shen Yuying rolled her eyes and said, "Of course, I know that. I¡¯m asking about his identity. Don¡¯t tell me he runs some small company."


    Meng Xiaofei still grinned and said, "What does his identity matter? After all, he is my boyfriend, and you are my classmate. That¡¯s all that matters."


    Shen Yuying said discontentedly, "Are you keeping secrets from me? That¡¯s not very nice."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll say it. He¡¯s just that his company is big and he¡¯s very rich."


    "No kidding, everyone can see that. If you can squander millions just like that, how could he not be rich? I¡¯m asking what exactly is this family clan thing?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, about that... A big family clan is just a family, you know. It requires strength in all aspects, not just money. Our Li family is just an emerging clan, not that powerful yet."


    "Oh, so between Zheng Yuyang¡¯s Zheng family and the Hu family we just mentioned, which is stronger compared to your Li family?"


    "Hmm... I suppose they are a bit stronger. But Yifei is the clan chief, and they¡¯re just scions in the family. They¡¯re not even qualified to be on equal footing with Yifei. It¡¯s like descendants of a provincial governor in a major province talking to a governor from a smaller one."


    "Aha, got it. Your boyfriend is really impressive, Xiaofei. You¡¯ve really scored yourself an incredibly awesome boyfriend."


    "Hehe, if he weren¡¯t impressive, I wouldn¡¯t be with him."


    Shen Yuying¡¯s face darkened as she said, "That¡¯s true. You wasteful girl, if he weren¡¯t extremely rich, no one could afford to keep you."


    Zheng Yuyang walked in at this moment, quickly approaching Li Yifei and said gratefully, "Li... Yifei, I really owe you big time just now. I would have been in a terrible mess otherwise."


    Li Yifei smiled and gestured dismissively, "Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m just here to attend your class reunion. It¡¯s mainly about classmates; talking about other things is not fun."


    Zheng Yuyang didn¡¯t even know how to bring this up, but when Li Yifei said it, it lifted a huge weight off Zheng Yuyang¡¯s shoulders. He quickly agreed, "Yeah, yeah, we¡¯re just classmates. No point in talking about other things."


    Though that¡¯s what was said, Li Yifei¡¯s status instantly created a distance between him and everyone else. Not to mention other people, even Shen Yuying, who was closest to Meng Xiaofei, found herself at a loss for words when facing Li Yifei.


    Zheng Yuyang really wanted to befriend Li Yifei and have a good chat with him, but thinking of Li Yifei¡¯s status as the head of his clan, he lost his nerve every time he tried to approach him.


    In large family clans, it¡¯s not necessary to have only direct descendants in key positions; capable collateral relatives are also valued. The reason Zheng Yuyang hasn¡¯t been given any significant role is his lack of competence. He just has no idea how to seize such a good opportunity.


    Li Yifei had known that revealing his identity would lead to this kind of situation, and he actually enjoyed the resulting peace. Sitting aside leisurely, eating some food, and watching Meng Xiaofei have fun with classmates was also a kind of enjoyment for him.


    Li Yifei was still very satisfied with the unexpected gains from attending the class reunion. The conflict between the Zheng and Hu families seemed like a feud between the younger generation, but it was sure to plant seeds of enmity in their hearts. As these seeds of hatred accumulate, they will eventually lead to real fighting among them.


    Although the Hu family is powerful, due to their connection with the Ye family, they are inevitably to become enemies. While the Zheng family may be weaker, they are definitely a faction Li Yifei could seek to align with. Turning an enemy¡¯s friend over to one¡¯s own side is undoubtedly advantageous.


    The class reunion continued; initially, Zheng Yuyang was at the center, but now Meng Xiaofei had become the star. Many might not acknowledge it, but people always aspire to climb the social ladder. If they can make friends with someone very influential, it might be handy later on. Everyone felt Li Yifei was too far out of reach to befriend, but Meng Xiaofei was their classmate, making it entirely possible to connect with her.


    Meng Xiaofei was never one for scheming; she never liked to make friends based on her status or background. Just like when she previously escaped from the Meng family to forge her own path, what she sought was something genuine, something pure.


    But because everyone had their own agenda to some extent, Meng Xiaofei soon lost interest after playing for a bit and straightforwardly proposed leaving.


    Although everyone wanted to talk more with the two of them, no one dared to stop Meng Xiaofei from leaving, and they all saw the couple off.


    Once in the car, Meng Xiaofei suddenly looked at Li Yifei with a curious gaze. Li Yifei asked with a smile, "Xiaofei, what are you plotting?"


    Meng Xiaofei cocked her head and asked, "Brother Li, are we officially dating now?"


    "Yes." Li Yifei answered confidently.


    Meng Xiaofei looked at Li Yifei and said seriously, "Then why haven¡¯t you kissed me even once?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That¡¯s true, I haven¡¯t kissed you yet, have I? Well, I¡¯ll kiss you now." With such a request, how could Li Yifei possibly refuse?

 Chapter 1185 - 1230: Smash a Ferrari

    Chapter 1185: Chapter 1230: Smash a Ferrari"Hey, not now!"


    Li Yifei reached out to hug Meng Xiaofei, but Meng Xiaofei suddenly blocked Li Yifei¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately, and he said, "Xiaofei, what are you doing?"


    "Hehe..." Meng Xiaofei stuck out her tongue and said, "It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t let you kiss me, it¡¯s just that it seems lacking in mood in the car. It¡¯s my first kiss after all; you should let me savor it properly."


    Li Yifei immediately started the car and said, "Then let¡¯s find a place with the right mood."


    "No way, we came out this time, we should buy some gifts for the sisters; otherwise, if I whisk you away, they would be unhappy."


    Li Yifei was really defeated by Meng Xiaofei, but this had always been her habit; every time she went out, she almost always brought something back for her family members, no matter the quality or price, but she always thought of others.


    "You cheeky girl, getting me all worked up and then it¡¯s this thing or that thing," Li Yifei teased with a laugh.


    "Then you can give me a quick kiss now."


    "I¡¯m driving right now, you asking for a kiss, are you intentionally teasing me?"


    Meng Xiaofei said with a mischievous smile, "Hehe, caught me."


    "So you think I can¡¯t kiss you?" Li Yifei winked at Meng Xiaofei, then suddenly turned his head and lightly pecked on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face like a dragonfly touching water.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately screamed, "Wow, Brother Li, that¡¯s cheating, that¡¯s not how you kiss."


    "Haha, just collecting some interest, I¡¯ll kiss you enough later," Li Yifei said with a proud laugh.


    The two went shopping at the mall and bought a bunch of stuff, which the family actually didn¡¯t really need, but it was just Meng Xiaofei¡¯s thoughtfulness, everyone was happy about it.


    Shopping is one of women¡¯s favorite activities, especially for Meng Xiaofei; although Mile City is not bad, it still falls short compared to the provincial capital, and it had been a long time since Meng Xiaofei shopped in such a big place like the provincial capital, and naturally she wanted to shop to her heart¡¯s content.


    Generally, men find it quite miserable to accompany their spouses shopping, but Li Yifei was an exception, he really enjoyed this kind of life, and didn¡¯t mind at all shopping with Meng Xiaofei, and even found enjoyment when Meng Xiaofei was trying on clothes.


    After all the hustle, it was already getting late. After finishing their shopping, it was already past five o¡¯clock; it would take almost two hours to drive back, so they decided to have dinner in the provincial capital before heading home.


    After searching continuously for a few hotels and finding no parking spaces, they finally found a hotel with a parking spot available. As Li Yifei was reversing into the parking spot, a red Ferrari suddenly sped ahead, cutting in front of Li Yifei, blocking the parking spot. Li Yifei quickly hit the brakes, nearly hitting that car.


    With so many cars and few parking spaces, especially in big cities like the provincial capital, parking is always a headache. Li Yifei finally found a spot, and now it was being snatched, which really annoyed Li Yifei.


    Rolling down the window, Li Yifei was about to negotiate with the Ferrari driver, but the driver stretched his neck and barked, "Idiot, move your car, I need to park."


    This was a young man in his twenties, with dyed blonde hair and a row of earrings on his ear,


    Li Yifei had seen pretentious people, but he had never seen anyone this pretentious. Not only snatching parking spots but also cursing right away, that was just too arrogant.


    "Fuck, are you deaf? Move your car now, or I will smash it later."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately shouted angrily, "This parking spot was clearly ours first, you should be the one to move your car."


    "Don¡¯t fucking waste your breath with me, I need to park, who dares not to let me? Hey... the girl is quite pretty, if you accompany me for some fun, I¡¯ll give the parking spot to you."


    "Don¡¯t you look at yourself in the mirror, with that bear-like appearance, just like you¡¯ve just dived headfirst into a toilet and filled with shit in your mouth," Meng Xiaofei usually hung out with Chu Xiaoyao and the others, those girls were all sharp-tongued, inevitably, she had picked up some of it too.


    "Haha, girl, you¡¯re quite fierce with your words, but that just makes it more flavorful, women who are good with words are definitely better with their mouths, I like this point. Come on, have some fun with brother, I promise it¡¯ll be worth your while."


    At this moment, two security guards rushed over, first approaching the Ferrari, and said to the young man inside with nods and bows: "Young Master Sun, what happened?"


    Young Master Sun rolled his eyes and barked: "Are you blind? Didn¡¯t you see them stealing my parking spot? I come here to eat and yet I can¡¯t even park my car, does your hotel not want to do business anymore?"


    "Yes, yes, Young Master Sun, please wait a moment, we will handle it immediately," said the two security guards before rushing over to Li Yifei¡¯s car. Seeing that his car was also a Mercedes, they felt a bit nervous, as those who could afford a Mercedes were not easy to provoke. However, upon seeing the license plate, they were relieved because it wasn¡¯t from the provincial capital city but from Mile City. Even if wealthy, they were no match for Young Master Sun.


    "Sir, please make some room," one of the security guards said, still relatively politely, as he spoke to Li Yifei in a negotiating tone. After all, even if Li Yifei couldn¡¯t stand up to Young Master Sun, he was still streets ahead of these security guards.


    "Can¡¯t you see that we were here first?" Li Yifei asked indifferently.


    "Sir, I suggest you better move aside, you can¡¯t afford to provoke Young Master Sun," said the security guard rather directly.


    Before they could exchange a few more words, Young Master Sun impatiently shouted, "Damn it, are you moving or not? Do you really need me to smash your car?"


    The security guard also said to Li Yifei: "Sir, I better advise you to leave quickly. Last time, an outsider who thought he was tough messed with Young Master Sun, not only was his Land Rover smashed, but he also got beaten up, and afterward had to apologize and make reparations to Young Master Sun. You really can¡¯t provoke him."


    The security guard¡¯s words were very clear: don¡¯t think you can provoke Young Master Sun just because you have some money. In the provincial capital, as an outsider, you should keep your head down.


    Li Yifei grew angrier the more he listened. This guy was being outrageously arrogant. His mood was originally good today, but now it was completely ruined by this so-called Young Master Sun. Moreover, as the clan chief of a family, he also had to maintain his dignity. If some unknown young punk forced him to leave, how could the Li family be respected by other families thereafter?


    Glancing sidelong at Young Master Sun, Li Yifei slowly said, "Fine then, let¡¯s see who dares to smash my car."


    "Fuck, you really don¡¯t know how to live." Young Master Sun suddenly jumped down from the car, wielding a metal baseball bat, and charged towards Li Yifei¡¯s car.


    The two security guards, frightened, quickly stepped aside. Young Master Sun wasn¡¯t joking; he was really going to smash the car, and they didn¡¯t want to accidentally get hurt. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clearly wanting to intimidate Li Yifei, Young Master Sun aimed for the windshield on the driver¡¯s side, swung the baseball bat in a big arc, and smashed it down fiercely, not caring whether there was anyone inside the car.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t about to let him easily smash his car, and forcefully pushed open the door, which hit Young Master Sun¡¯s body, sending him flying, and his swing missed its mark.


    Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei then got out of the car. Young Master Sun, having been knocked by the car door, was even more infuriated and swung his baseball bat, cursing, "Fuck your mother, I¡¯ll beat you up first, then smash the car," and charged at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei kicked Young Master Sun flying, then stepped forward swiftly, snatched the baseball bat from him, and with a foot on Young Master Sun¡¯s chest, coldly said, "You¡¯d have to be capable of doing so first."


    "Fuck, you dare to hit me, you¡¯re dead, you¡¯re definitely dead today!" Though Young Master Sun couldn¡¯t move under Li Yifei¡¯s weight, his tone was still defiant.


    "Hmph, then I really want to see how I¡¯m supposed to be dead," Li Yifei turned to Meng Xiaofei and said, "Xiaofei, shall we play a game today?"


    "Yes, yes!" Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes shone with excitement. The game Li Yifei wanted to play was bound to be thrilling and satisfying.


    Li Yifei handed the baseball bat to Meng Xiaofei, smiling, "Smashing Ferraris, you haven¡¯t tried this before, right?"


    "Never tried it, this is definitely thrilling." Meng Xiaofei lifted the baseball bat and swung it hard, smashing it onto the Ferrari¡¯s windshield, showing quite a violent hand.


    After several hits, the windshield could no longer withstand it and shattered. Meng Xiaofei became even more excited, saying, "Brother Li, come and smash it too."


    "Okay!" Li Yifei kicked Young Master Sun away, and found an iron rod from Young Master Sun¡¯s car¡ªit seemed this guy was often involved in fights, so these things were always in his car.


    Meng Xiaofei, not having much strength, smashed around; though the Ferrari was left shattered, the overall damage wasn¡¯t substantial. But when Li Yifei took action, the Ferrari fared much worse,


    Given how strong Li Yifei was, with a swing of his iron rod, the front hood immediately buckled, and with another swing, the entire hood popped open. Meng Xiaofei immediately rushed forward, swung the bat, and walloped the Ferrari¡¯s headlights relentlessly.


    As the two of them took action, many people immediately surrounded them, all dumbfounded. A Ferrari¡¯s windshield costs how much, a headlight costs how much¡ªsmashing it like this, the repair cost was unimaginable. Fights might have been seen before, car smashing might have been seen as well, but smashing a Ferrari was really something unseen.

 Chapter 1186 - 1231: You Are Unworthy

    Chapter 1186: Chapter 1231: You Are UnworthyOthers may not know Young Master Sunx¡¯s identity, but these two security guards did, and they knew this was serious trouble now. Two out-of-towners smashed Young Master Sunx¡¯s car; the consequences would be extremely severe. These two really had no idea what they were in for.


    One of the onlookers who seemed to know a lot about cars couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, "Damn, that¡¯s badass. That¡¯s a Ferrari 599! The cheapest one costs around five million. A scratch or dent could easily cost a couple hundred thousand to repair, let alone a smash-up like this, which could go over a million."


    "I reckon it¡¯s not just over a million. Smashing it like this, wouldn¡¯t it just total the car?" Another person commented, smirking as the Ferrari became more and more deformed.


    "Over five million gone, just like that. I really don¡¯t get these rich people¡¯s games. If only I had that car."


    "You? Could you even afford to maintain it? Insurance costs a fortune for this car, and so does servicing it. Your year¡¯s salary probably wouldn¡¯t even cover the cost of upkeep."


    Young Master Sunx, real name Sunx Kangping, is a direct descendant of the Sunx Family from the provincial city. To be precise, a spoilt scion. Due to their status, even if they¡¯re spoilt, they¡¯re still protected by the family. In contrast, peripheral relatives often don¡¯t get much attention from the family unless they have strong abilities. That¡¯s the difference between Zheng Yuyang and Sunx Kangping.


    Usually, Sunx Kangping doesn¡¯t do anything serious. He¡¯s always out drinking, womanizing, and getting into fights with other spoilt scions in the provincial city. And because they all have strong backgrounds, no one dares to mess with them.


    But today, not only did Li Yifei beat him, but his car was also smashed by Li Yifei. This made Sunx Kangping so furious he cursed non-stop. He tried several times to stop Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei, but each time he was kicked away by Li Yifei. He couldn¡¯t stop them at all. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some guys were drinking upstairs when they heard the commotion below. They came to the window and looked down to see someone smashing a car. One of them laughed, "That Kangping loves smashing cars. Which unlucky bastard¡¯s car did he smash this time?"


    "Hey, hold on, that car being smashed looks like Kangping¡¯s."


    "Crap, it really is. And Kangping is getting beaten up too."


    "Damn, who dares to smash Kangping¡¯s car? They¡¯ve really got guts."


    The group immediately rushed downstairs. They were Sunx Kangping¡¯s gang of spoiled friends, all notorious scions. They were drinking together today and only Kangping was late. Now that they saw Kangping in trouble, they were determined to help him out.


    Several people quickly rushed down, while Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei had already stopped. The Ferrari 599, worth over five million, had been reduced to scrap metal.


    At that moment, Sunx Kangping saw his friends coming down and shouted, "This dude smashed my car, guys, kick his ass for me."


    The guys had already armed themselves before coming down. They rushed over, howling. There were six of them against Li Yifei, a man and a woman, and they thought it would be a walkover. They also acted without any restraint, not afraid in the slightest that they might kill or injure someone.


    The spectators immediately scattered, sense danger was best avoided even if it interrupted their entertainment.


    However, one of those rushing up suddenly slowed down, his expression turning odd, and then he shouted, "Everybody stop, stop!"


    But his voice, despite being loud, was ignored in the heat of the fight, and no one stopped as they all charged at Li Yifei.


    "Sigh!" He sighed, subconsciously touching his leg, which had been broken by Li Yifei. Of course, he knew how formidable Li Yifei was. Not just six of them, even sixty would probably end up with the same fate.


    This guy was Song Ziqiao, once an important figure groomed by the Song Family, but due to his clash with Li Yifei, he had lost everything. He hated Li Yifei, and while he wanted to take down Li Yifei and had begged his elders numerous times to use the family¡¯s power to kill Li Yifei, they refused and sternly warned him not to go looking for trouble with Li Yifei anymore.


    This only fueled Song Ziqiao¡¯s rage. Without the family¡¯s support and relying on his own abilities, he couldn¡¯t do much.


    The first time he saw Li Yifei, he just thought about Li Yifei¡¯s capabilities and knew his buddies were going to suffer, which was why he instinctively wanted to stop them.


    But now he had an idea. He couldn¡¯t use Song Family¡¯s power against Li Yifei, but having these guys conflict with Li Yifei meant they would all become enemies with Li Yifei, including several big families from the provincial city. He refused to believe that Li Yifei could offend several big families and still escape their clutches.


    So, he stopped shouting and, to really provoke things, he gritted his teeth and charged up too, willing to take another beating and drag these families into a feud with Li Yifei.


    The outcome did not disappoint Song Ziqiao, as those men rushed over and soon all lay on the ground; for Li Yifei, they were weak to the extreme.


    "Li Yifei, if you have the guts, kill me; otherwise, I won¡¯t let this go," Song Ziqiao struggled to sit up, glaring at Li Yifei with gritted teeth.


    Li Yifei looked at Song Ziqiao, squinted his eyes, and said, "I thought it was someone important, turns out it¡¯s Young Master Song. Is your leg healed? Want me to break it again for you?"


    "You have the guts to break it again and see! I¡¯m really not afraid of you!" Song Ziqiao felt uneasy inside, Li Yifei didn¡¯t hold back at all, but even if it meant getting his leg broken again, he was determined to achieve his goal.


    The incident of Song Ziqiao¡¯s leg being broken was a matter of great shame for him, not only did he not speak of it, but the Song Family wouldn¡¯t mention it either, so no one knew about Song Ziqiao¡¯s broken leg.


    "Ziqiao, you know this bastard?" Sunx Kangping also got up at this point, asking with hatred.


    Song Ziqiao bit down and said, "Yes, I know him, his name is Li Yifei from Mile City."


    To these rich and spoiled children, compared with Zheng Yuhao and Hu Dong, they were far inferior. The moment Li Yifei¡¯s name was mentioned, both Hu Dong and Zheng Yuyang knew who he was. However, these rich kids wouldn¡¯t pay attention to such matters; they only cared about where the fun was, where the beauties were; they had no clue who Li Yifei was.


    Sunx Kangping cursed, "Fuck, some crappy little city, what¡¯s there to be proud of, kid you better stay put, I¡¯m about to get some people here to flatten you."


    Li Yifei glanced at Song Ziqiao, then snorted coldly, and Song Ziqiao instantly felt as if all of him was seen through by Li Yifei, a chill running down his neck, and he subconsciously avoided Li Yifei¡¯s gaze.


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze swept over the others and he slowly said, "You think you¡¯re worthy of speaking to me? Get lost now!"


    Sunx Kangping cursed, "You motherfucker, don¡¯t think you¡¯re all that just because you can fight. If you dare to stay here for five minutes, I¡¯ll have people come and chop you into pieces."


    "Smack smack smack..." A succession of slapping sounds followed by the screams of Sunx Kangping.


    Only when the slapping stopped did Li Yifei coldly say, "Keep your mouths clean, anyone who spews crap at me again, I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯ll never speak again."


    Sunx Kangping, dazed from the slaps, tasted salt in his mouth, and spat out two teeth as he opened it. Usually arrogant, he suffered a great loss this time and immediately started cursing again, but what awaited him were more slaps, harder this time, knocking him out cold.


    "You... do you know who we are?" Another lad, shocked by Li Yifei¡¯s ruthlessness, finally dared not act arrogantly and started flaunting his identity to Li Yifei.


    Scions of major families would typically follow this routine when conflicts arose¡ªtake care of the problem if possible, and if not, start flaunting one¡¯s status and background to see whose family had more clout.


    "You? A bunch of family disgrace, trying to flaunt your family background with me? You¡¯re not worthy. It would be more appropriate for your patriarchs to speak with me."


    All these people widened their eyes in shock at the audacity of Li Yifei, but it also reminded them that Li Yifei did not even take these family heirs seriously, he seemed to be someone who could converse with their family heads.


    Seeing that all these people were stunned by Li Yifei, Song Ziqiao inwardly cried foul, biting his teeth and saying, "Li Yifei, don¡¯t think you¡¯re all that in Mile City, you can¡¯t just ignore our major families here in the provincial city. Your shabby family has only just been established and doesn¡¯t qualify to be compared with our great families."


    Song Ziqiao was reminding everyone that Li Yifei was merely from a newly established family, incomparable to their families that had been around for decades, or even centuries.


    "Maybe I do have some gaps to close with your families, but you scum, what right do you have to represent your families? Get lost!"


    Li Yifei¡¯s shout was like a thunderclap, sending shivers down the spines of those lads, their heartbeats skipping to their throats, faces turning white as sheets.


    "Li Yifei, you¡¯ve provoked our major families, we will not let this go," Song Ziqiao also knew that this was not the time to directly confront Li Yifei. His friends had incurred a big loss today and would certainly not let it go. Later on, he could stoke their fires to trouble Li Yifei. If they could take down Li Yifei, that would be great; if not, they would give him a hard time, and at the very least, Song Ziqiao would have his vengeance.

 Chapter 1187 - 1232: Incitement

    Chapter 1187: Chapter 1232: IncitementLi Yifei looked at Song Ziqiao and slowly said: "Song Ziqiao, you¡¯d better not offend me again, otherwise I won¡¯t let you off so easily like last time." Then he got straight into the car, took Meng Xiaofei with him, and left.


    It¡¯s not that he was afraid of these young masters, but he did not want them to bother him again, and after the altercation here, he was in no mood to continue eating.


    Li Yifei left like that, and no one stopped him. This made the onlookers secretly marvel as well. That was truly badass¡ªsmashing a Ferrari and beating up six guys who clearly looked like Rich Second Generation and Second Generation Officials, only to leave boldly in the end. It was simply too domineering.


    Most of these people also felt a sense of relief because Song Ziqiao and Sun Kangping were the typical Second Generation Officials and Rich Second Generation that made people uncomfortable just by looking at them. Although Li Yifei also drove a Mercedes, he didn¡¯t speak in a tuneless manner, and even when he got fierce, it was a kind of domineering presence, so there was no dislike towards Li Yifei.


    "Ziqiao, what the hell is going on with this guy?"


    Song Ziqiao sighed, "First, help Kangping up, let¡¯s go inside and talk."


    Everyone hurriedly helped Sun Kangping up, but the guy was still unconscious until they carried him upstairs, where he finally came to.


    "Where are they? Where are they?" Sun Kangping immediately started shouting loudly as soon as he opened his eyes and didn¡¯t see Li Yifei.


    Song Ziqiao shook his head and said, "Kangping, calm down. He¡¯s already gone. That guy is tough, and we simply couldn¡¯t keep him here."


    "Fuck, I won¡¯t let him get away with it," Sun Kangping spat out a mouthful of spit, which was full of blood. Everyone quickly handed him water to rinse his mouth.


    After calming down a bit, Sun Kangping looked at Song Ziqiao and said, "We can¡¯t just let it go like this. Ziqiao, you know him, right? Tell us about his situation. Let¡¯s settle the score with him."


    Song Ziqiao nodded and said, "This guy is a retired special forces soldier, really tough. Originally, he was just a worn-out soldier, and I didn¡¯t take him seriously at first, but it was because I underestimated him that I... Sigh, it¡¯s because of him that my official career went downhill."


    Following that, Song Ziqiao shared everything he knew about Li Yifei with everyone, including his conflicts with Li Yifei.


    Sun Kangping widened his eyes and said, "Ziqiao, your leg was broken, and you just let it go?"


    Sighing, Song Ziqiao replied, "This guy must have made friends with some higher-ups during his military service, so at that time, the higher-ups gave the word to suppress our family from retaliating. I had no choice but to let it be."


    "So are you saying we can¡¯t touch him now?"


    Song Ziqiao shook his head, "Not necessarily. Even if he has connections with people on the inside, he¡¯s been out of the army for almost three years now, and those ties have weakened. He¡¯s not protected by the higher-ups as he was when he first came to Mile City."


    Pausing for a moment, Song Ziqiao continued: "Moreover, he has set up his own family in Mile City. If we go after him, it will be a family feud. I¡¯m afraid that the higher-ups won¡¯t intervene easily. My trouble now is that my own family doesn¡¯t agree; otherwise, I would have moved against him long ago, instead of allowing him to be so rampant."


    Sun Kangping immediately said, "Ziqiao, if it¡¯s inconvenient for you, then let us handle him. I don¡¯t believe that with our few families combined, we can¡¯t take down his insignificant Li family. Hmph, this time we must ruin him financially to quell the hatred in my heart."


    Song Ziqiao shook his head, "This won¡¯t be easy either. Although the Li family is just emerging and not that strong, he is still a clan chief. And if any family stretches their hand towards Mile City, it will definitely attract the attention of the other major families. The big families in our provincial capital are also disunited. Once any family attempts to deal with Li Yifei, the others will join the affair, and some may even help Li Yifei. They don¡¯t want any single powerful family to suddenly gain strength."


    The rest didn¡¯t understand these matters; these spoiled young masters were only good at playing and wasting wealth, not understanding such deep layers of politics. But Song Ziqiao, at least, was someone the Song Family had focused on cultivating, so when he spoke, everyone was very convinced.


    "Ziqiao, then what do you suggest we do?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We can¡¯t deal with Li Yifei through our families¡¯ power. We have to rely on our own abilities to confront him. And if we manage to take down Li Yifei, it will prove our capability, and the family will definitely value us highly. Later on, we¡¯ll receive even more benefits."


    Although these guys were usually prodigal, they also had a desire to be recognized. When they heard Song Ziqiao speak, they immediately got excited.


    Seeing everyone getting excited, Song Ziqiao also felt quite pleased. He was now feeling quite the strategist, a feeling he hadn¡¯t had in a long time. Taking a sip of his drink, Song Ziqiao continued, "Even though we can¡¯t use the family¡¯s power, we¡¯re still descendants of major clans, so many people will still give us face. We can use our status to find people from both the underworld and legitimate circles. Even if Li Yifei can fight, he¡¯s still just one person against many, like a single tiger against a pack of wolves. Killing him will be child¡¯s play."


    Sun Kangping gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, why not do something direct? I¡¯ll go buy a hitman and have him taken care of right away."


    Song Ziqiao chuckled and said, "That¡¯s one way to do it, but we need to find a capable hitman; otherwise, it¡¯s pointless."


    Sun Kangping snorted, "No problem, I¡¯ll post a message online right away. I know how to hire a hitman."


    True to his word, Sun Kangping immediately contacted the coordinator of a hitman organization. One million should be more than enough to take care of someone, but as soon as he mentioned Li Yifei of Mile City, the other party immediately refused the task.


    Sun Kangping cursed, "What the hell, why are they refusing this job?"


    "Try contacting someone else. Maybe they just don¡¯t want to come here."


    Sun Kangping tried to contact several more agencies, and it was fine until he mentioned Li Yifei¡¯s name, at which point they all immediately refused.


    This was really frustrating for the group. Even with their lack of foresight, they understood that the hitman organizations seemed to fear taking this job; they lacked the confidence to kill Li Yifei.


    This was all thanks to the challenge Li Yifei issued to the whole world last time. Since then, every organization knew that Li Yifei of Mile City was the Golden Eagle. Anyone who took on a job against the Golden Eagle would face his wrath. The Japanese Yamaguchi Group was an example; nobody wanted to repeat their misfortune.


    Song Ziqiao hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to be so formidable that even hitman organizations dared not touch him. Still, he said to the group, "I reckon that Li Yifei must have had some dealings with these hitman organizations when he was a special forces soldier, so due to some special reasons, they¡¯re not willing to target him. Nowadays, hitman organizations don¡¯t just take any job; they have to consider their success rate as well. This doesn¡¯t prove anything."


    The others didn¡¯t think too much about it and looked at Song Ziqiao, asking, "What do we do next?"


    Narrowing his eyes, Song Ziqiao feigned profundity, "That¡¯s easy to handle. Trapping someone, have we ever found it difficult?"


    "How do we set a trap? We¡¯ve only dealt with small fries before, a simple phone call would cripple them. But this guy has such a big background, I¡¯m afraid a few calls won¡¯t be enough."


    Song Ziqiao smiled slightly and said, "Do you know what his main disadvantage is?"


    "What is it?" the group asked in unison.


    Song Ziqiao took another sip of his drink and said, "That¡¯s his foundation. Our big families have intricate and extensive power in various industries, so no matter what happens, we can resolve it. But he is from an emerging family. Even with money, his roots in official circles are too weak. All we need to do is strike there, and handling him will be like playing a game."


    Seeing the group nodding in agreement, Song Ziqiao went on, "He might be good at fighting, but the people around him probably aren¡¯t that capable. We can also start with his close ones. Once we catch his relatives, won¡¯t he easily make a mistake?"


    "Right! Damn it, I¡¯m going to kidnap that chick by his side and rape her right in front of him, haha!" Sun Kangping shouted immediately.


    "Haha, I saw that chick too. She¡¯s really something. Those tits are just massive."


    "Hey, hey, Kangping, you can¡¯t be the only one to enjoy it. You have to let us all have a taste,"


    Sun Kangping laughed heartily, "No problem, we can all take turns. Won¡¯t that be more flavorful?" However, his laughter stopped abruptly. Laughing had pulled on the muscles of his face, causing an indescribable pain. This only made his hatred for Li Yifei deepen, and with a ferocious expression, he said, "This son of a bitch, daring to hit me, I¡¯ll make him pay tenfold, a hundredfold. I¡¯ll make sure he knows the price of messing with me."


    At this point, Song Ziqiao was inwardly smirking. He knew very well how protective Li Yifei was. If these young masters targeted Li Yifei¡¯s family, then Li Yifei would definitely seek frenzied revenge. If they got seriously hurt by Li Yifei, the major families would not let it go either. Then, the Li family would be facing a joint strike from multiple powerful families. Song Ziqiao didn¡¯t believe they couldn¡¯t handle Li Yifei this way.

 Chapter 1188 - 1234: There’s a Reward Next Week

    Chapter 1188: Chapter 1234: There¡¯s a Reward Next WeekLi Yifei finally found a seat with Meng Xiaofei in another hotel at this time, sitting in the private room. Meng Xiaofei excitedly waved her fist and said, "Brother Li, today was so thrilling, smashing a Ferrari, I¡¯d never even dreamed of doing that before. Next time, let¡¯s smash something even nicer, like a Lamborghini or a Rolls-Royce."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You little vandal, you get so lively at the mention of destruction. By the way, does your hand hurt? You were smashing it with quite the zeal just now."


    "Aw, why did you have to mention it? I didn¡¯t even feel it hurt until you brought it up, and now it suddenly does." Meng Xiaofei quickly covered her wrist.


    Li Yifei grabbed Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hand, saw that there were no wounds, just a bit of swelling from using too much force, which probably sprained her wrist. He gently massaged it and said, "You should just have fun, no need to put in so much effort. Look, it¡¯s getting sore, isn¡¯t it?"


    Meng Xiaofei said cheekily, "It¡¯s fine, for something so exhilarating, it¡¯s worth the pain."


    Li Yifei knocked on Meng Xiaofei¡¯s head and said, "Stop moving. I¡¯ll rub it for you so it doesn¡¯t swell up too badly."


    Meng Xiaofei pouted and mumbled, "Can¡¯t I stop moving? You used to knock on my head, and now that I¡¯m your girlfriend, you¡¯re still knocking."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Even if you have babies for me, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t lose this temperament. If I don¡¯t give you a little knock from time to time, you just won¡¯t learn."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately widened her eyes and asked, "Brother Li, are you planning to have babies with me too?"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course, don¡¯t you want to have them?"


    "That... I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t take good care of the kids. What if I forget about them when I want to have fun?"


    "You... could you really forget them?"


    Meng Xiaofei giggled and said, "Well, it¡¯s hard to say."


    Li Yifei immediately turned solemn and said, "In that case, let¡¯s forget about it. If you really lost our child, I¡¯d have no choice but to spank you."


    "Brother Li, but honestly, I really don¡¯t like taking care of little kids. You can¡¯t let me get pregnant for now. Oh right, hehe, I haven¡¯t slept with you yet, so I can¡¯t get pregnant now."


    Li Yifei immediately laughed again and said, "So should we sleep together tonight then?"


    "No..." Meng Xiaofei immediately shook her head resolutely and said, "You¡¯ve already promised me that you won¡¯t make me your wife for now."


    "Hehe, if we¡¯re not sleeping together, we can still do other stuff, right?" Li Yifei winked at Meng Xiaofei.


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said excitedly, "Sure! Anything but sleeping together is fine with me, I also find it thrilling and fun."


    Most girls would be more reserved when talking about such topics, but not Meng Xiaofei. If she likes it, she likes it. If she does it, she does it. There¡¯s no shyness or pretense when she¡¯s with Li Yifei.


    Of course, this kind of openness is only when she¡¯s alone with Li Yifei. If she were at home with others around, she would become timid.


    "So what shall we do now? Kiss?" Meng Xiaofei asked again.


    Just as Li Yifei was about to answer, there was a knock at the door. The waiter began serving the dishes, and Li Yifei had no choice but to let it be.


    As soon as the dishes arrived, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s attention immediately shifted to the food, and after an afternoon of shopping, she was really hungry. This left Li Yifei both amused and exasperated, as her thoughts jumped so quickly. Just moments ago, they were discussing the most intimate topics, and now she had completely moved on.


    After more than half an hour, Meng Xiaofei patted her stomach, saying contentedly, "I¡¯m finally full." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Seeing you eat until your belly is full, I suggest I give you a rub. It will help digestion."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately blinked and said, "Right, you¡¯re really good at massaging, I was so envious watching you massage Shanshan¡¯s feet before. Give me a massage too today."


    Li Yifei suddenly picked up Meng Xiaofei and walked toward the couch, saying, "Let¡¯s find a more comfortable spot then."


    Meng Xiaofei wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, stuck out her tongue and said, "Brother Li, I feel like you¡¯re up to no good."


    "Do you allow me to be naughty or not?"


    Meng Xiaofei chuckled softly and said, "Of course I¡¯m willing, let¡¯s be naughty together."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, sat down on the couch with Meng Xiaofei in his lap, held her face in his hands and said softly, "Xiaofei, I¡¯m going to kiss you now."


    Meng Xiaofei stuck out her little tongue, gave it a wiggle, and even licked her lips, saying, "Then come on." It was a playful, teasing invitation.


    Li Yifei, at that moment, without any hesitation, kissed Meng Xiaofei on the lips.


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s lips were pressed against Li Yifei¡¯s without her eyes being closed; her eyeballs were still rolling around restlessly.


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei like this, Li Yifei felt quite defeated. Kissing a girl, one would of course hope she¡¯d be as enchanted as possible. However, Meng Xiaofei seemed to be treating it like playing house.


    But Li Yifei did not give up. Instead, he closed his eyes and slowly kissed Meng Xiaofei, his tongue tip poking out from between his lips and gently touching Meng Xiaofei¡¯s lips.


    When it came to kissing, Li Yifei was an absolute veteran. Although Meng Xiaofei was not that into it at the beginning, as Li Yifei employed his superb kissing skills, he quickly influenced Meng Xiaofei¡¯s mood. And when Li Yifei¡¯s tongue ventured into her mouth, she was fully engaged, truly tasting the sweetness of the kiss. Guided by Li Yifei, her little tongue slowly figured out how to make the kiss even more wonderful.


    This kiss lasted for over ten minutes. When the two finally parted, Meng Xiaofei¡¯s face was flushed and her eyes were seductive. After a few breaths of fresh air, without waiting for Li Yifei to make a move, she was ready to kiss Li Yifei¡¯s lips again.


    As they were about to reach home, Meng Xiaofei said to Li Yifei: "Brother Li, we¡¯re nearly home. You must not reveal anything about what¡¯s between us. No matter what, you can¡¯t speak a word. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be too ashamed to face anyone."


    Li Yifei laughed and said: "Isn¡¯t that obvious? Your sisters-in-law can guess it without being told."


    Meng Xiaofei¡¯s eyes widened in a mix of surprise and fear: "Ah? Really? I haven¡¯t done anything with you at home. How could they possibly know?"


    "Silly girl, there¡¯s nothing to it even if they figured it out. They knew you would surely stay here, and they knew you¡¯d be just like them. Otherwise, why would they be so nice to you?"


    "Oh no, this is bad! How can I face them now? No way, I¡¯m not going home tonight. You better send me away quickly."


    "Too late, you¡¯ve already boarded the pirate ship, and there¡¯s no getting off now," Li Yifei said with a chuckle.


    "No way, no way!" Meng Xiaofei kept shaking her head, saying: "Anyway, I won¡¯t do it. I haven¡¯t thought about being your wife yet. If your sisters-in-law look at me that way, it¡¯ll be too awkward."


    Li Yifei knew that Meng Xiaofei always had an ostrich mentality in this aspect, and she was particularly stubborn. It would be quite hard to convince her, so he laughed and said: "I¡¯m just teasing you. You¡¯ve been so good at hiding it, how could they possibly notice? I just want you to acknowledge our relationship sooner."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately relaxed, speaking proudly: "Exactly, I was your sister before and never had any special close interactions with you. How could they figure it out? Hehe, let me tell you, you¡¯re also not allowed to say anything when we go back. Otherwise, the benefits I promised you will be off the table."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say a word. We are just good siblings, right?"


    "Yes, just good siblings," Meng Xiaofei said, her brows dancing with joy as she happily swayed to the music in the car.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile, finding such a Meng Xiaofei really adorable. A woman who¡¯s too smart can wear a man out, but a simple woman tends to receive more love from men.


    When they arrived home, it was already past ten, and most people were already asleep. Li Yifei didn¡¯t disturb anyone and went straight back to his own villa, while Meng Xiaofei ran off as soon as she got out of the car.


    He didn¡¯t head straight for the bedroom either; instead, he took a shower in the bathroom first, and then walked naked toward his bedroom. Although there were servants in the villa, they were usually around during the day and not at night. First, Li Yifei did not need personal care at night, and second, the night was for him to spend intimate time with his wives, which would be uncomfortable with outsiders present.


    Today was Sunday, Li Yifei¡¯s day off. No one would come to his place, so he didn¡¯t expect any outsiders to be there at this time.


    Pushing open the bedroom door, Li Yifei casually switched on the light, but he sensed something was wrong, because there was someone on the bed. Normally, if someone was in the room, Li Yifei could sense it while still in the corridor, but it wasn¡¯t until he turned on the light that he saw someone on the bed. There were only two possibilities: either the person on the bed was a master or a corpse.


    The person on the bed was clearly a woman with long, black hair spread out, and this made Li Yifei¡¯s heart skip a beat. There was a woman lying on the bed in his bedroom, who he couldn¡¯t sense her heartbeat or breathing¡ªwhich meant she had to be one of his wives, or...


    Li Yifei took a step like an arrow to the bedside and looked at the woman¡¯s face, but his expression immediately darkened because the woman was not his wife, but the girl Jiang Ningxiang.


    And just at that moment, Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes and saw Li Yifei¡¯s naked body, letting out a startled yell and sitting up abruptly.


    Li Yifei quickly grabbed the blanket from Jiang Ningxiang and wrapped it around himself, asking, "Ningxiang, how did you end up sleeping in my bed?"


    With her back to Li Yifei, Jiang Ningxiang stammered, "Li... Brother Li... how come you... you..."


    Li Yifei broke out in a sweat, saying, "I didn¡¯t know you were here, so... this is really an accident."


    "I¡¯m sorry... I felt there was some progress today, so I wanted you to come and see. Then I waited here, and you didn¡¯t come back, and I don¡¯t know when I fell asleep. I¡¯ll leave right now."


    Li Yifei was no longer so embarrassed at this point and said, "It¡¯s fine, since you¡¯ve made progress, I have to check it out right away. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll get dressed. Oh, no, you step outside first, I¡¯ll call you back in after I¡¯m dressed."


    Jiang Ningxiang hurried out like a startled bunny, closing the bedroom door with a bang.


    Li Yifei shook his head, feeling quite awkward about the situation. A man like him let Jiang Ningxiang see his naked body, especially given the angle at which she might have seen his private parts. That was truly embarrassing.


    However, it was just an accident, nothing to fret about. When checking Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body in the past, he had touched every part of her body through her clothes anyway.


    Given the current relationship between the two, it was somewhat over the line. Li Yifei felt that if things continued this way, just as his wives said, it might be possible for him to make Jiang Ningxiang his wife as well.

 Chapter 1189 - 1235: Special Route

    Chapter 1189: Chapter 1235: Special RouteAfter getting dressed, Li Yifei called Jiang Ningxiang back into the bedroom. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face was blushing, her head lowered, not daring to look at Li Yifei. Clutching the hem of her garment, she revealed an air of shyness and timidity.


    "Ningxiang, for us who practice martial arts, understanding the human body is very important. For example, there are many differences between the meridians of men and women. Right now, you¡¯re only cultivating your own True Qi, but when you start to learn how to subdue enemies with True Qi, you¡¯ll need to understand their meridians. To do that, naturally, you¡¯ll need to know how men¡¯s meridians work, and of course, where they are located. Thus, examining a man¡¯s body is a very ordinary aspect of learning True Qi," Li Yifei said.


    Li Yifei was correct in his explanation, but in truth, it wasn¡¯t necessary for a man to strip completely for a woman who was training in True Qi to learn; a diagram would suffice. However, seeing that Jiang Ningxiang still hadn¡¯t recovered from her earlier embarrassment, Li Yifei used this reasoning as an excuse to console her.


    "Ah? No way? Do I need to look at a man¡¯s body?" Jiang Ningxiang immediately lifted her head, looking at Li Yifei in surprise.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "That can be replaced with a diagram, of course, but seeing the real thing is always best. Even with a diagram, it¡¯d still be of a naked body. If seeing it makes you blush, how are you going to learn? For us martial artists, there are only friends and foes, and sometimes the difference between men and women isn¡¯t that big. Just like how I¡¯ve always treated you as a disciple. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t my actions towards you be considered improper?"


    "Oh... that makes sense, Brother Li. I was overthinking. Let¡¯s go ahead with our training," Jiang Ningxiang said apologetically with a smile to Li Yifei, then hopped onto the bed.


    Li Yifei finally convinced Jiang Ningxiang and heaved a sigh of relief. He sat down on the edge of the bed and asked the lying Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, tell me, how has your progress been today?"


    "I can¡¯t explain it very clearly, but it feels like my True Qi has entered a new meridian that you hadn¡¯t told me about before. I didn¡¯t dare let the True Qi flow through this new meridian, so I didn¡¯t practice at all this evening."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei¡¯s interest peaked and said, "Good, I¡¯ll check it right away."


    Jiang Ningxiang agreed with a nod, pulled the quilt over her, and then took off her bra underneath it. She was quite accustomed to this by now, even without hiding from Li Yifei¡ªshe might say her body had been touched by Li Yifei¡¯s hands countless times, and although it was not revealed, there were hardly any secrets left from him.


    Li Yifei would still turn away every time, even though Jiang Ningxiang was covered by the quilt. Looking at it this way would naturally lead to fanciful thoughts, so it was best avoided if possible.


    Once Jiang Ningxiang was ready, Li Yifei began to check the flow of her True Qi just like usual, this time with even more focus and a serious expression tracing the path of her True Qi rotation.


    As his fingers followed the flow of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi, Li Yifei finally discovered the new path the True Qi had taken, which unexpectedly reached her back, not just the front meridians.


    "Ningxiang, turn over," Li Yifei commanded since her back¡¯s True Qi couldn¡¯t be detected while she was lying down.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately turned over, lying face down on the bed.


    Li Yifei once more sought out the True Qi, quickly finding the path it took to run to her back again.


    At that moment, Li Yifei closed his eyes, fully concentrating on the destination of her True Qi. But suddenly, the True Qi began to fluctuate erratically, prompting Li Yifei to open his eyes immediately.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Bro... Brother Li, your... your hand..." Jiang Ningxiang stammered.


    Li Yifei looked down and immediately started sweating, quickly pulling his hand away because his fingers were precisely nestled in the cleft of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s buttocks. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The position was exceedingly awkward; for a young girl like Jiang Ningxiang to be touched there by him, it was hardly surprising that she was distracted.


    Li Yifei quickly explained, "I¡¯m sorry, Ningxiang, I didn¡¯t mean to."


    Jiang Ningxiang buried her face in the pillow, whispering, "I know... it¡¯s just... it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve touched me there, I got a bit... nervous."


    Li Yifei also seemed at a loss for words, but Jiang Ningxiang quickly voiced, "Brother Li, I won¡¯t get nervous this time, please continue."


    With Jiang Ningxiang saying this, if Li Yifei made any more fuss, it would seem overly scrupulous. Besides, he had touched her chest many times before; this shouldn¡¯t count as much of a taboo, it was only their first time causing a bit of embarrassment. So, he replied, "All right, just try to relax, and you¡¯ll get through this."


    "Okay!" Jiang Ningxiang responded and began to circulate her True Qi again.


    Li Yifei took a deep breath to calm his somewhat agitated mind, placing his fingers onto Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body once more.


    But as his fingers followed her True Qi to her buttocks again, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body shivered slightly and the True Qi became a little chaotic before quickly stabilizing again.


    However, Li Yifei¡¯s concentration faltered, losing the trace of True Qi, and he had to withdraw his hand.


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang turned her head, looking at Li Yifei with confusion, her cheeks flushed red.


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile, and said, "This time it¡¯s Brother Li¡¯s fault. I got distracted."


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip and said softly, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad..."


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, his old face inevitably turned red as he awkwardly said, "Ningxiang, you¡¯re overthinking it, this..." Li Yifei wanted to explain, but found it really hard to clarify.


    Usually, when he touched Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s chest, he didn¡¯t let his True Qi run away like this. Now, touching Jiang Ningxiang at this spot made his True Qi escape, which clearly meant that Li Yifei himself wasn¡¯t focused enough, and was instead attracted by that part of Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Brother Li, do you want to... try again?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Okay, let¡¯s try again. This time I won¡¯t be distracted."


    Li Yifei said all the right things, and tried his best to concentrate, but when his fingers touched there again, he once again let his True Qi slip away.


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang turned over on the bed, twisting her body, looking both shy and awkward. If Li Yifei had carried on with the normal examination like before, she could have adapted quickly. But with Li Yifei being so distracted, Jiang Ningxiang also felt embarrassed.


    Li Yifei was puzzled too. His self-control couldn¡¯t be that poor. Touching a woman¡¯s buttocks shouldn¡¯t cause him to be so uncontrollable, and at this moment, the image of a person formed in his mind; it was Xu Shanshan.


    Li Yifei instantly understood, he was missing Xu Shanshan. The most intimate thing they did when they were together was that sort of thing, and at that time, he was always touching Xu Shanshan¡¯s buttocks. Now, touching Jiang Ningxiang there, he unconsciously thought of the times with Xu Shanshan.


    It had already been over two months since he last saw Xu Shanshan, and there had been very little contact between them. How could Li Yifei not miss her? Among his women, Xu Shanshan was definitely an exception, with absolutely the power to haunt his dreams.


    He also wondered how Xu Shanshan has been these days, whether she has encountered any dangers. He really wished he could see her.


    "Brother Li... what¡¯s wrong?" A small hand gently touched Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pulling him back from his daydreams to reality.


    Seeing Jiang Ningxiang looking at him with her face red, Li Yifei shook his head and smiled, "Ningxiang, I was just thinking about something else, I wasn¡¯t thinking anything indecent."


    "Oh... If you¡¯re not in a good mood today, Brother Li, then we can do this tomorrow."


    "No need, I¡¯m fine now. Let¡¯s continue," Li Yifei patted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s back, smiling naturally, much more than before. Knowing why he was distracted, he could control his emotions better now.


    Starting the examination of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi once more, Li Yifei¡¯s fingers touched that spot on Jiang Ningxiang again. This time, Li Yifei did not get distracted, but continued to track the direction of the True Qi which only went as far as Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s tailbone before it changed direction again, rather than heading towards Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s more private area.


    After carefully examining twice, Li Yifei was very curious about this new meridian. This route was not mentioned in the method he acquired from Xu Shanshan; it was clearly a new True Qi rotation pathway.


    Even the knowledge of True Qi that Murong Yuanqing had taught him last time did not cover this meridian.


    "Brother Li, is there a problem?" Jiang Ningxiang sat up at this time, and after seeing Li Yifei deep in thought for a long time before opening his eyes, she asked him tentatively.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Your meridian rotation route is indeed very peculiar, I¡¯ve never seen it before either. Right now, whether it¡¯s good or bad, I¡¯m not sure. But how do you feel about it?"


    Jiang Ningxiang also shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t know either. Today I just felt the True Qi move through a path I was unfamiliar with, so I immediately came to you."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Then for now, try to follow it. If you feel any discomfort, stop immediately. Don¡¯t practice blindly."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded again and again, "I¡¯ll listen to you, Brother Li. I¡¯ll do whatever you say."


    Li Yifei patted Jiang Ningxiang on the head, "That¡¯s good, let¡¯s stop here for tonight. Go back and get some sleep."


    Jiang Ningxiang pulled her bra from under the pillow, stuck out her tongue at Li Yifei, and then quickly ran out.


    Li Yifei shook his head, took off his clothes, and lay down on the bed. Once again, he started thinking about Xu Shanshan, and for some reason, he missed her especially today.

 Chapter 1190 - 1236: Xu Shanshan’s Information

    Chapter 1190: Chapter 1236: Xu Shanshan¡¯s InformationThe next morning, everyone was once again sitting in the dining room having breakfast.


    Meng Xiaofei no longer overslept like before, getting up early to join for breakfast. Since nobody saw Li Yifei and Meng Xiaofei last night, now was the perfect time to tease them.


    Ning Xin¡¯er asked with a chuckle, "Xiaofei, did you have fun on the trip to the provincial city?" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Xiaofei took a sip of porridge and mumbled, "It was a blast. The most thrilling part was when Brother Li and I smashed a Ferrari into scrap metal. It felt amazing."


    "Smashing someone¡¯s Ferrari?" Everyone looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "They were too arrogant. If I didn¡¯t smash it, there would be no justice in the world."


    Meng Xiaofei hurriedly took over the conversation and recounted the event to everyone, making them feel that the car deserved to be smashed and it was indeed a satisfying deed.


    Ye Yunzhu frowned and said, "Honey, that means you¡¯ve offended the Sunx Family and the Song Family, plus there might be members from other families involved. Our Li family is still growing. Although we¡¯re not weak economically, we¡¯re still much weaker than those big families, and, most importantly, we don¡¯t have as many connections in the political sphere. If they start causing trouble, it could be problematic for us."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I understand this. I will have to face these big families from the provincial city sooner or later. This time, I stood on the side of righteousness. I am, after all, a clan chief. Those young masters didn¡¯t show me respect, and the mere fact that I didn¡¯t hold their families accountable is already generous. So, those big families probably won¡¯t target me over this incident. If there¡¯s any trouble, it¡¯ll be those reckless youngsters coming after me. This gives me the chance to disrupt the existing alliances among those big families in the provincial city, giving us an opportunity to make a breakthrough in this province and eventually stand equal to them."


    Su Mengxin immediately praised, "Hubby, that¡¯s a brilliant idea. Start small and then gradually erode their family powers while we also take the chance to develop and grow."


    Ye Yunzhu, after hearing Li Yifei¡¯s reasoning, felt he made a lot of sense and said, "It looks like I wasn¡¯t thinking it through. I never realized before that you had such abilities."


    Xu Yingying laughed and said, "That even more proves you have good judgment. You hadn¡¯t discovered how outstanding our husband is, yet you already followed him."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a glance and said, "I was young back then, that¡¯s why I was deceived by him so foolishly." She couldn¡¯t help but let out a light laugh.


    At this moment, Xu Yingying¡¯s expression suddenly turned strange. Li Yifei, who happened to notice, quickly asked, "Yingying, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing." Xu Yingying gave an awkward smile, her body involuntarily twisting, then she quickly said, "I¡¯m full. I¡¯m going to change clothes first." She then stood up and quickly walked away.


    This left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, as Xu Yingying¡¯s behavior clearly indicated there was an issue. In this family, everyone was usually very open. If there were any issues, they would be discussed together. Xu Yingying¡¯s act of avoiding everyone was obviously abnormal.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "I¡¯ll go have a look."


    Li Yifei followed Xu Yingying to her villa, pushed open the bedroom door, and saw Xu Yingying lying on the bed with a face full of spring fever, as she quickly said, "Close the door quickly. That darned Shanshan, she¡¯s crazy so early in the morning."


    Li Yifei then realized what was going on. He hurriedly closed the door and quickly approached the bed, whereupon Xu Yingying immediately embraced him.


    Both quickly shed their clothes and rolled into each other¡¯s arms. Due to Xu Shanshan¡¯s telepathic influence, Yingying was feeling particularly uncomfortable in her rear, so Li Yifei penetrated her there directly, swiftly bringing Yingying to the peak of pleasure.


    Once they had calmed down, Xu Yingying said resentfully, "That darned Shanshan, she might have gotten herself a boyfriend, huh?"


    Li Yifei immediately shook his head and said, "No, if Shanshan really had a boyfriend, she would definitely tell us."


    "Then what is she doing, getting up early and doing it by herself..."


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart suddenly tightened for no reason, and he said, "I have a bad feeling that Shanshan is in trouble, and she¡¯s asking for help."


    "What?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened, then she twisted her body again and said, "Here it comes again..."


    Li Yifei pounced on Xu Yingying at once, this time aiming for the front. Xu Yingying immediately said, "You¡¯re being crazy like Shanshan this early in the morning."


    "No, if Shanshan stops now, it will prove my guess is correct and that she¡¯s trying to convey a message to me."


    Xu Yingying was also very worried about her sister and immediately cooperated with Li Yifei. As soon as they did so, her sensation ceased, and she hurriedly informed Li Yifei of this development.


    At this moment, Li Yifei also stopped and said solemnly, "That¡¯s it then."


    Xu Yingying, puzzled, asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Li Yifei explained, "If Shanshan¡¯s contact was solely due to a physical necessity, it wouldn¡¯t have stopped while we were in the act. But it ceased when we stopped, which means she knows I¡¯ve understood her message."


    "What should we do?" Xu Yingying immediately sat up.


    "Don¡¯t worry. Since Shanshan was able to send us a message, it means she¡¯s still safe. She must be trapped somewhere. I¡¯ll find out more right away."


    Saying this, Li Yifei quickly got dressed and called the mercenary group that Shanshan was with.


    Soon, Li Yifei received information that Xu Shanshan this time was on a mission to explore an ancient site in the Amazon Jungle. The group had been in constant contact with headquarters, but six hours ago, they lost contact with Xu Shanshan¡¯s team.


    At this point, Li Yifei was certain there was an issue with Xu Shanshan¡¯s group. He told Xu Yingying, "Shanshan is trapped in the Amazon Jungle. I¡¯m going to rescue her right now."


    Xu Yingying, who by now had also dressed, anxiously said, "There won¡¯t be any danger, will there?"


    "There shouldn¡¯t be any problem. Just stay calm and wait at home. I believe Shanshan will keep sending you messages from time to time."


    Xu Yingying quickly nodded, "I will inform you right away."


    In the past, Xu Yingying was very averse to this kind of mind communication between them, but now she was quite relieved that the sisters had this connection. It meant at the very least she could know whether Xu Shanshan was safe at any given moment.


    Now, with plenty of matters at hand for the entire conglomerate and the Li family, Li Yifei was still very determined to rescue Xu Shanshan. While the Li family and the company could develop slowly, money accumulated over time, Xu Shanshan¡¯s safety could not wait. If Xu Shanshan was not facing an utterly intractable problem, she would not have sent this message to Li Yifei at this time.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t share this with Xu Yingying, but he knew in his heart that the trouble Xu Shanshan encountered was certainly significant. He must rush over in time.


    However, the Amazon is located in South America, and even by plane, it would take a day and a night to get there. Then searching for Xu Shanshan in the Amazon Jungle would definitely be a time-consuming task. Li Yifei could now only hope that Xu Shanshan could hold on a little longer until he arrived.


    This time, Li Yifei did not bring family members with him. He could not compromise the safety of other family members because of one person, Xu Shanshan. Also, he had contacted the mercenary group, which would send a considerable number of people for the rescue, so he wasn¡¯t worried about manpower.


    Li Yifei¡¯s guess was not wrong; Xu Shanshan was indeed in great trouble at the moment.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s mercenary team consisted of eight people, plus two employers, a total of ten people. Given that they were heading into the world¡¯s largest primitive forest in the Amazon, where many areas remain unexplored to date, their equipment was exceptionally sophisticated, including advanced electronic positioning devices and communication equipment, as well as plenty of weapons, ammunition, and food.


    The employers had a map that was very primitive, displaying only some landmark features. It required searching for these landmarks on the ground as they couldn¡¯t use electronic positioning to directly reach the destination by helicopter. Thus, they entered the jungle on foot.


    For the first few days, everything went smoothly. Although the jungle was filled with danger, due to the team¡¯s well-equipped status and that they were all elite mercenaries, such perils were merely a trifle.


    During this time, Xu Shanshan¡¯s performance earned the respect of everyone in the mercenary group. Despite being the only woman in the team, not a single person harbored any improper thoughts toward her.


    However, besides Xu Shanshan¡¯s formidable personal strength, she was lacking in other areas. Therefore, decisions on how to proceed still had to follow the squad leader¡¯s orders.


    After six days of traveling, Xu Shanshan¡¯s group finally found the first landmark indicated on the map, which excited everyone. With this landmark, they could follow the mapped route, which would be more efficient.


    By the tenth day, Xu Shanshan¡¯s team finally arrived at their destination, and to their surprise, there was a man-made structure, albeit covered in vines. Still, it was recognizable.


    According to the employer, there was a substantial amount of treasure here. Now that they had found the place, it meant they were about to strike it rich. But as soon as they entered the ancient building, tragedy struck.

 Chapter 1191 - 1237: Entering a Perilous Place

    Chapter 1191: Chapter 1237: Entering a Perilous PlaceThe ancient architecture actually had mechanisms in it, and whoever crafted these mechanisms was definitely a master hand. Even without knowing how many years had passed, the mechanisms inside were still effective. As soon as Xu Shanshan and her group entered, they were met with a barrage of dense crossbow bolts.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xu Shanshan¡¯s quick reaction, I¡¯m afraid all ten people would have been wiped out on the spot. Even so, two people were still injured.


    Continuing further inside only led to dangers lurking at every turn, overwhelming any defense. At this time, any electronic device was useless; only the powerful Innate Vital Energy like Xu Shanshan¡¯s was able to respond.


    Although it was so dangerous, no one backed down. The more dangerous it was, the more it proved the immense value of the treasures here. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so many formidable traps.


    Finally, they reached the deepest part where there was a vast hall. Under the flashlight¡¯s illumination, everyone¡¯s eyes dazzled at once because the hall was filled with a massive cache of jewels; it was a huge treasure trove.


    No one here had ever seen so many treasures; it seemed that just taking a single piece at random could be worth over a hundred thousand. With so much at stake, they might be worth billions.


    Working as mercenaries was for the money, and seeing so many valuables, which heart wouldn¡¯t be swayed? The two employers were ecstatic, dancing with joy. Everyone got so excited they forgot about the danger and rushed over.


    Xu Shanshan was stunned by these jewels too. What girl wouldn¡¯t like them? Xu Shanshan was no exception, so her brain temporarily froze. By the time she came around, the others had already dashed over.


    Xu Shanshan was alarmed and urgently called for them to come back, but it was already too late. The entire ground suddenly collapsed, plunging everyone and the jewels downward.


    Xu Shanshan rotated her True Qi, ferociously stomped on the falling ground beneath her, and desperately lunged towards the entrance.


    She managed to do so, but to no avail; the entrance was already sealed by a huge rock. When exactly the rock had sealed the entrance without a sound was a marvel of mechanism sophistication¡ªit was truly ingenious.


    Moreover, the rock was seamlessly joined with the entire wall, leaving no place for Xu Shanshan to gain a foothold. Even though she lunged forward, there was nowhere to brace herself, and she plummeted downward in an instant.


    After many days of trials, Xu Shanshan was still able to keep her cool. Before falling further, she fiercely kicked against the walls, accelerating herself to catch up with the falling original ground level.


    Then, she stepped repeatedly on the falling pieces of the ground to dissipate her own momentum.


    Following that, she occasionally kicked at a few scattered rocks nearby. Even though these rocks were still falling, due to the resistance, they were at a distance from the normal falling ground level.


    Since Xu Shanshan had not heard the sound of rocks hitting the ground yet, she did not know how deep the place was. With the inertia of free fall, the speed was only going to increase. If she didn¡¯t think of a method, she would crash to the ground with those rocks and shatter to pieces.


    She had to make a ladder for herself so that she could use the stones to create a ladder and dissipate her own momentum.


    But doing so required a considerable expenditure of True Qi. With her current strength, Xu Shanshan could easily toss stones weighing several hundred pounds. But with this inertia, even a stone weighing a few pounds would feel as heavy as a thousand catties.


    Yet, for the sake of survival, Xu Shanshan continued to grit her teeth and persevere.


    "Thump, thump, thump" the loud sound of the massive rocks hitting the ground rang out, and Xu Shanshan instantly gritted her teeth, gathering all of her True Qi and soaring upward, then repeatedly kicking at the falling stones above. Having stepped on the last stone, Xu Shanshan finally dissipated the massive inertia of the fall and lightly landed on the ground. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The moment Xu Shanshan¡¯s feet touched the ground, her body went limp, and she couldn¡¯t stand up anymore. She had nearly exhausted all the True Qi in her body, not even having the strength to stand.


    After resting briefly, Xu Shanshan dared not slacken for a second, immediately rotating her True Qi to recover. She was completely unaware of the underground situation, and now she had to ensure her strength to face the unknown dangers.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s decision was indeed correct. In no time, she heard rustling sounds as if something was crawling on the ground, followed by noises like those made by insects, causing a tingling fear in Xu Shanshan¡¯s heart, making her hair stand on end.


    Even if a woman is strong, her instinctive fear of insects is still there.


    However, she now lacked any lighting; the flashlight had gotten lost during the fall, and she didn¡¯t know where it dropped.


    She sprang to her feet, looking around only to see many points of light moving on the ground, some of which were quite close to her. Thanks to those tiny points of light, Xu Shanshan finally saw clearly what these things were.


    They turned out to be palm-sized beetles that looked a bit like scorpions, with two pincers, but without the long stinging tail scorpions have. Their bodies emitted a phosphorescent glow, which is why she could see them.


    Seeing these creatures, Xu Shanshan felt her scalp tingle even more. And then quickly, she became even more terrified; these insects had found the bodies of others who had fallen and swarmed over to start feasting, and there were some bugs now converging towards her.


    Xu Shanshan quickly glanced around with the help of the insects¡¯ phosphorescent light and saw that this place was a vast space, to be exact, a huge cavern, so large it was beyond description, and she could not see the walls at all.


    Xu Shanshan took a deep breath. To survive, she would have to fight against these terrifying insects. She quickly bent down, grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground, and with a swing of her arm, she threw one, hitting an insect right in the body.


    With immense strength, Xu Shanshan¡¯s thrown stone pierced through the insect, which struggled for a few moments, made several squeaking sounds, and then lay motionless.


    This slightly steadied her heart; at the very least, these insects were not difficult to kill.


    Swinging her arms, Xu Shanshan started to kill the bugs, and quickly, she had killed hundreds of them surrounding her.


    Whoosh, a streak of blue light flew out of Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand¡ªit was actually a sapphire. Those jewels had also fallen here, and Xu Shanshan had grabbed one unintentionally.


    "I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m using a valuable gemstone to kill insects; this is way too extravagant,"


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and couldn¡¯t help but wryly smile to herself. Right now, she didn¡¯t even know if she could get out of here; even the most precious gemstones meant nothing to her.


    Killing bugs this way seemed to finally make them realize that Xu Shanshan was not to be trifled with, or perhaps those bugs that tried to eat Xu Shanshan were all killed by her, and the rest were full. In any case, there were no more live insects approaching her vicinity.


    After a while, the phosphorescence in the cavern disappeared, and the insects were nowhere to be seen.


    Without the insects, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t feel any relief. Although the bugs had been horrifying, at least they provided some light, allowing Xu Shanshan to see things. But now, she was engulfed in pitch-black darkness, unable to see her hand in front of her face, a kind of darkness that intensified the terror in one¡¯s heart.


    Taking a deep breath, Xu Shanshan tried to calm herself. She knew very well that no one else was alive here except for her; she must rely on her own efforts to survive, only then could there be a hope of escaping to safety.


    After a while, Xu Shanshan took her backpack from her back to her chest. Although she had lost her flashlight, there were some electronic devices here, like her mobile phone. It had been turned off and unused for a while, so its battery should still be full. She took it out, turned it on, and finally, the light dispelled her fear of the dark.


    But the phone had no signal at all. She took out other electronic devices on her, and similarly, none could send out a signal. It was unknown where this place was that could block radio waves.


    Without the ability to send out information, Xu Shanshan was utterly isolated.


    However, the light from the phone was too limited, so Xu Shanshan had to rely on memory to move to the left, where the body of a teammate should be. Now she had to check it out; her resolve had been steeled substantially over time. Despite knowing that it would be a horrifying scene, she had to take advantage of everything that could be of use to her.


    Upon reaching the body, under the illumination of the phone, Xu Shanshan almost vomited; only a skeletal frame was left of her teammate. The bugs had eaten clean the clothing and backpack, even the bone marrow from any broken bones.


    Suppressing the nausea, Xu Shanshan still searched through the items scattered beside the skeleton. However, edible items from the bag had been consumed by the insects, other electronic devices were shattered, and apart from a knife and some bullets, there was nothing else useful.


    Xu Shanshan moved on to another set of skeletal remains, where usable items were also scarce. But after searching all the remains, she still managed to find quite a few valuable things.


    When two of her teammates had fallen, they must have landed face down, so thanks to the body¡¯s cushioning, many items in the backpacks had survived, including two mobile phones, a lighter, two Micro Assault Rifles, two torches, and some other electronic devices.


    With these items, Xu Shanshan felt slightly comforted, as she should be able to survive here for a short while, at least.


    But just then, Xu Shanshan suddenly heard a dull thudding of footsteps, as if something very heavy was walking towards her, and her heart immediately tightened.

 Chapter 1192 - 1238: Survival in a Dangerous Place

    Chapter 1192: Chapter 1238: Survival in a Dangerous PlaceOn Earth today, there are still many unexplored places, many things that humans do not yet know about. The Amazon, this primitive forest, is already limited in human knowledge. Thus, in such a special and hidden underground space within the Amazon Jungle, the appearance of some special creatures is nothing out of the ordinary.


    Shanshan still doesn¡¯t know what that creature is, how big it is, or whether it¡¯s incredibly ferocious. But judging from the sound of its footsteps, it¡¯s definitely a large creature, clearly bigger than a cow, possibly even weighing up to a ton.


    Even on land, facing such a creature, Shanshan would avoid it at all costs, let alone in such an underground place. However, at this moment, Shanshan dared not move rashly, for she did not yet know the terrain here. If there were other dangers or if she accidentally entered an even more perilous place, it would be difficult to cope.


    Shanshan held her breath, standing still, hoping the creature would not detect her.


    But she soon realized this was futile. The monster was still heading straight for her location, and the sound of its footsteps was becoming urgent. In the darkness of the underground, vision was utterly useless. The monster could determine her position, perhaps through smell or some other means.


    Shanshan possessed Innate Vital Energy and her hearing was extremely sharp. She could judge the distance of the object by sound, but when compared with a creature that had possibly lived underground for generations, Shanshan was evidently at a disadvantage.


    Knowing she could not hide, Shanshan immediately raised her Micro Assault Rifle to her chest. Trusting in her judgment of the sound, she quickly pulled the trigger, firing two bursts at the creature. Although she had collected quite a few bullets, Shanshan didn¡¯t dare waste them. She fired her weapon not to kill the creature but to scare it away.


    The flash from the gun¡¯s barrel momentarily lit up, and in the quiet space, the gunfire sounded even louder. The creature on the other side let out a pained whimper, then the footsteps became frantic and chaotic, obviously in the opposite direction¡ªmeaning Shanshan¡¯s shots had scared the creature away.


    This allowed Shanshan to breathe a sigh of relief. Scaring it away was far more energy-efficient than killing it.


    The creature¡¯s footsteps grew fainter and were finally followed by a loud splash, presumably the monster jumping into the water. This suggested that there was a river in the cave, and the creature lived in that river.


    But the danger here was imminent, and Shanshan knew she could not stay long. She had to find a way to leave this accursed place.


    Shanshan took out her flashlight and began searching for an exit. The ground was littered with gems, but she showed no interest and headed determinedly in a chosen direction.


    Perhaps the bright light of the flashlight frightened the creatures here because Shanshan walked quite far without being attacked by any creature. However, beneath the rocks in front of her, some disgusting beetles scurried out and then fled in panic.


    The creatures here mostly lacked eyes, but that did not mean they had no sense of light. Their skin or other organs could still react to light. The flashlight¡¯s beam was much too strong for them to bear, so they fled immediately.


    After walking for about five or six minutes, Shanshan finally came to the edge of the cave. She was elated, as this meant she could follow the cave wall to find an exit or try climbing up to possibly find a way out. Besides, being at a higher elevation would make it less easy for her to be attacked.


    But looking at the cave wall, Shanshan involuntarily gasped. It was covered with water and moss, extremely slippery, and the wall was at a negative angle, making it very difficult to climb.


    Shanshan had no choice but to follow along the cave wall. After about twenty minutes, she stopped. A subterranean river blocked her path; its surface was very calm, nearly silent. Throwing a stone into it, a dull sound echoed, indicating that the water was very deep.


    This must be the river that the creature had jumped into. Shanshan didn¡¯t dare get too close. On land, she could easily deal with the creature, but in the water, that was the creature¡¯s domain. And who knew how many creatures there were here? If there were many, once she entered the water, she feared she would be torn to pieces.


    Shanshan retraced her steps along the cave wall. This time, it took almost an hour to reach the riverbank again, a testament to the vast size of this space.


    The cave walls were all that smooth surface, utterly impossible to climb, and there were no other openings.


    The only possible exit seemed to be the river, but for now, it was clear that Shanshan could not escape through there.


    This made Xu Shanshan quite annoyed. Was she really going to be trapped here forever? Although there was water, and although food was scarce, in a pinch the monsters and bugs could be eaten to stave off hunger and it seemed living here would not be a problem, but living here alone for a lifetime would be worse than death.


    Xu Shanshan had already been at the bottom of the cave for over two hours, completely drenched. The humidity in the air was simply unbearable, yet there was nothing here that could start a fire, otherwise the lighter would have been useful.


    Moreover, such dampness was causing Xu Shanshan¡¯s body temperature to drop. If not for her Innate Vital Energy, just the dampness alone would have been too much for her to endure.


    She found some food and took a little to replenish her strength. Even without any appetite, she knew she had to eat. Without sufficient strength, she would be unable to face the dangers ahead.


    Because she needed to conserve battery, Xu Shanshan turned off her flashlight, but soon the bugs started crawling towards her.


    Xu Shanshan promptly turned the light back on and the bugs immediately retreated.


    However, after a few such incidents, the bugs seemed to realize that the light posed no danger to them and ignored the flashlight, swarming towards Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan was shocked and quickly started picking up rocks to attack the bugs. Her Hidden Weapon Kung Fu had been carefully taught by Li Yifei, so her skill was undoubtedly up to par; each rock was capable of killing a bug. Yet, the sheer number of these insects was overwhelming and unceasing, and she soon ran out of loose stones to throw, not knowing how many precious gems she was using as weapons against the bugs.


    Xu Shanshan could only quickly leap to another spot, kicking away several bugs before picking up more rocks to smash them.


    At that time, she didn¡¯t dare to use the gun, for it was reserved for the bigger monsters.


    And so, for half an hour, Xu Shanshan was continuously battling those bugs. She had no idea how many she had killed, but finally got the bugs to temporarily back off.


    But she had little time to catch her breath before the larger monsters appeared again ¨C and this time, not one, but four emerged at once.


    Holding the flashlight, Xu Shanshan finally saw what these creatures looked like. They resembled hippos, with short legs and gigantic mouths on their massive bodies, but unlike hippos with large tusks, they had teeth similar to crocodiles¡¯. Under the beam of the flashlight, they looked terrifying¡ªif bitten, Xu Shanshan was certain her body would be torn apart.


    As soon as the creatures were about twenty meters away from her, Xu Shanshan pulled the trigger, and a spray of bullets hit each of the four monsters at least twice. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All four creatures groaned and ran off, but Xu Shanshan was secretly alarmed because the beasts fled quickly without any signs of being disabled. This meant that despite being shot, the bullets only caused them pain and did not inflict fatal damage.


    Then, Xu Shanshan was constantly struggling against those bugs and beasts. She had no idea how many bugs she killed, but not a single one of the monsters was slain; their assaults grew fiercer, ignoring her gunfire altogether. If not for Xu Shanshan¡¯s agility, which made them fail to catch her multiple times, she would have been captured and skinned alive by now.


    Even so, it was an incredibly draining battle. Xu Shanshan had hardly any chance to rest, not knowing for how long she had been fighting these monsters and bugs.


    Finally, Xu Shanshan had a moment¡¯s respite. She immediately started eating to restore her energy. Thinking of her current plight, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Li Yifei. If Yifei were here, there would surely be a way out. Her brother-in-law was omnipotent; he could solve any problem, no matter the danger.


    And as soon as she thought of Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan suddenly remembered a way to send out a signal for help. Despite her exhaustion, she needed to do it. She hoped that Xu Yingying wouldn¡¯t get distracted by irrelevant things, and also hoped that Yingying wouldn¡¯t keep this situation from Yifei.


    However, not long after, she sensed something and immediately shouted in excitement, because she knew that her brother-in-law must be aware she was asking for help. As long as Li Yifei knew, she was certain to be rescued. Her brother-in-law was omnipotent, no difficulty could stand in his way.


    Thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be long before Li Yifei came to rescue her, Xu Shanshan was suddenly filled with fighting spirit. No matter what, she had to hold on until Yifei came. For her brother-in-law, she couldn¡¯t die so soon.

 Chapter 1193 - 1239: Hanging by a Thread

    Chapter 1193: Chapter 1239: Hanging by a ThreadXu Shanshan has been persisting all along. She has become numb to the bugs and monsters; she kills the bugs casually and tries her best to avoid the monsters, not to confront them directly. If she can¡¯t, she resorts to firing her machine gun to temporarily drive them away.


    But this method works fine with a few monsters. However, the numbers keep increasing as more of them emerge from the water. Xu Shanshan doesn¡¯t even know how many monsters are surrounding her now.


    The monsters don¡¯t have any skills other than biting with their sharp teeth. They seem clumsy in movement, but when they bite, it¡¯s incredibly fast, like lightning. Initially, Xu Shanshan tried to jump over them using their backs, but she nearly got bitten. Knowing how quick her reaction time is, it demonstrates how dangerous this situation is due to the monsters¡¯ speed.


    This was consuming a considerable amount of Xu Shanshan¡¯s True Qi. Furthermore, as time went on, her rest periods diminished, and the opportunities to recover her True Qi became fewer. If it weren¡¯t for a firm belief sustaining her, she would have given up long ago. She is persevering because she believes that Li Yifei will come. She must wait for Li Yifei¡¯s arrival.


    Finally, Li Yifei arrived in the Amazon, but he did not have to enter the jungle on foot like Xu Shanshan and the others. The location where Xu Shanshan and her team went missing was still pinpointed by satellite, so he arrived directly at that location by helicopter.


    This time, besides Li Yifei, eight members from a mercenary organization came equipped with high-quality gear, with offensive weaponry being of primary importance, including potent explosives.


    After the nine people arrived, they soon found the building strewn with crossbow bolts, which proved that Xu Shanshan and her team had made it here.


    Everyone quickly headed inside. Along the way in, they encountered various traps. It must be said, the cleverness of the trap mechanisms here was nothing short of ingenious. Having been used once, they could still be used a second time; these reusable designs were simply masterful. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Li Yifei and his team did not focus on these details. Ensuring safety, Li Yifei led the team quickly inside. Although it took considerable effort, with an expert like Li Yifei leading the way, they still managed to reach the end.


    Normally, one would expect to enter a great hall from here, but now the passage was blocked by a huge stone, like a dead-end alley.


    "Damn, why is there a dead end here?" one of the mercenaries said in frustration. After all the effort getting here, to find a dead end, it was naturally disheartening for everyone.


    Li Yifei stared at the stone in front of him and said: "No, this wasn¡¯t originally a dead-end. This stone was clearly not here before; it must have been blocked off later. Look at these footprints, half are outside, and half are beneath the stone."


    No one had entered here for many years, so the ground was covered in dust. With the flashlight¡¯s beam illuminating the floor, the footprints were clearly visible. With Li Yifei¡¯s reminder, everyone realized he was correct; the stone had definitely been placed there afterward.


    Everyone immediately began searching for the mechanism controlling the stone, but after a long struggle, they still found no sign of it. It seemed impossible to move the stone away by itself.


    "Then let¡¯s blast this stone open! Don¡¯t use too much explosive in one go, so as not to bring the whole place down," Li Yifei clenched his teeth and made this decision.


    Actually, this decision was not the best. An explosion could potentially collapse the tunnel, but Li Yifei had no other choice than to make this call.


    Amongst them were experts proficient with explosives. First, they drilled a square hole into the stone and placed the explosive inside. After everyone retreated to a safe distance, they detonated the charge.


    Stones flew, and thick smoke filled the air. Once the smoke cleared, Li Yifei and his team rushed over. Fortunately, the explosion did not cause the ceiling to collapse. It only blew off a large portion of the stone, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to break through.


    Seeing this method was effective, they set up more explosives. After five consecutive blasts, they finally brought down the gigantic stone.


    "Tap tap..." Sounds came from below. Although not loud, they were very clear; those had to be gunshots.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei was elated, knowing that Xu Shanshan was still alive. This was more important than anything, and she was right below them.


    "Golden Eagle, judging by the sound of the gunfire, it¡¯s quite high from down here," one of the mercenaries commented immediately.


    Li Yifei nodded and said: "Let¡¯s lower me down with a rope right away. The rest of you stay up here to provide backup."


    The team immediately sprang into action. They had prepared long ropes for the rescue, an essential item. The rope was exceptionally long, but since the passage was very smooth, there was nothing to secure the rope to inside. The only option was for everyone to hold onto one end of the rope while Li Yifei slid down the rope.


    After getting ready, Li Yifei immediately slid down the rope using professional zip lining gear; he had a loop hooked to the rope around his waist, and a small tool in his hand that allowed him to control his descent by squeezing it to reduce speed.


    The moment Li Yifei went down, he nearly descended at free-fall speed, slowing down only every few seconds, making his descent quite fast. This was because he could hear continuous gunfire from below, which definitely didn¡¯t sound like a signal but rather an intense battle in progress.


    Li Yifei was still unaware of the specific situation below, but was certain that it was dangerous, so he was very anxious and wanted to rush down to help.


    The gunfire grew louder, and Li Yifei knew he was getting closer. He wore a mining lamp on his head, believing that the people below could now see him. Assuming that his shouts could be heard by now, he yelled loudly: "Shanshan, I¡¯m coming!"


    "Brother-in-law!" The gunfire below ceased, followed by Xu Shanshan¡¯s surprised and delighted voice.


    Hearing Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice, Li Yifei felt relieved and shouted: "Shanshan, are you okay?"


    "Brother-in-law, there are some insects and monsters below, be careful when you come down."


    "Alright, you too be careful, I¡¯m coming down right away."


    The rope did not reach all the way to the ground, but it wasn¡¯t too high either, just over ten meters. For a normal person, jumping down from this height would likely cause severe injury, as it was equivalent to the height of a four-story building, but Li Yifei couldn¡¯t care less at this moment, so he let go of the rope and jumped. Upon landing, he quickly rolled forward twice to dissipate the impact of the fall, then rushed towards Xu Shanshan.


    In mid-air, Li Yifei had already spotted Xu Shanshan¡¯s location by the flashes from their gun muzzles, and without any hesitation, he quickly made his way to her.


    It was then that he finally saw what was besieging Xu Shanshan. Even as someone who had seen much of the world, Li Yifei¡¯s scalp tingled at the sight of these creatures; they were like something straight out of a science fiction novel, and he¡¯d never expected to find their real counterparts on Earth.


    "Shanshan, be careful!" At that moment, Li Yifei saw Xu Shanshan, but he also witnessed a scene that nearly drove him mad. An insect had somehow jumped onto Xu Shanshan¡¯s shoulder, and in a panicked attempt to throw it off, she lost her balance. A monster immediately pounced, its gaping maw aimed for Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist.


    Under normal circumstances, Xu Shanshan would have been able to dodge such peril, but she had been fighting these insects and monsters for nearly two days and nights. Aside from some brief rest in the beginning, she hadn¡¯t had a moment¡¯s respite.


    Earlier, Xu Shanshan had been cautious with her ammunition, making the battle even more grueling. Now, she was on the brink of exhaustion. Seeing Li Yifei, she felt as if she had found support, and her spirit relaxed, depleting her energy. With no strength left, she was unable to escape the monster¡¯s looming bite.


    "Brother-in-law..." Xu Shanshan realized the danger, but her body no longer responded to her commands. Faced with death by monster at such a moment, she felt an immense unwillingness, her call filled with profound sorrow and distress.


    "Shanshan!" Li Yifei roared. His feet pushed off the ground with explosive force, propelling him toward Xu Shanshan like an arrow released from its bow. He hurled his gun with such precision that, just before the monster could bite Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist, the gun lodged itself into the creature¡¯s mouth, upright.


    The monster snapped its jaws, inadvertently trapping the gun between its upper and lower jaws. However, this only delayed the monster momentarily, as it quickly shook the gun free and once again lunged at Xu Shanshan¡¯s waist.


    But even this brief delay was enough for Li Yifei. By then, he had dashed to Xu Shanshan¡¯s side, scooped her up in his arms with a quick embrace, and with another strong push with his legs, finally pulled Xu Shanshan away from the monster¡¯s jaws.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan, clinging onto Li Yifei¡¯s neck, gave a weak smile. "I knew you would definitely come to rescue me."


    "Yes! You¡¯re right, no matter where in the world you are, as long as you call for me, I will come to your rescue." Li Yifei gently kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s face and softly said, "Rest up, I¡¯ll take you out of here."


    Li Yifei had brought several hand grenades with him on the way down. Now, he tossed a few in quick succession. The massive explosions killed several monsters instantly.


    Seeing that even the monsters were felled by the blasts, and the great heat and light brought by the explosions, the remaining creatures and insects scattered in fear, completely lifting the danger surrounding Xu Shanshan.

 Chapter 1194 - 1240: Warm Care

    Chapter 1194: Chapter 1240: Warm Care"Shanshan, is it just you alone?" Holding Xu Shanshan in his arms and sitting down, Li Yifei tenderly caressed her cheek and asked softly.


    "The others were killed in the fall, only I survived," Xu Shanshan replied weakly.


    "Shanshan, you¡¯ve really suffered." Every time Li Yifei thought of Xu Shanshan fighting those monsters alone in this dark, sunless place, his heart ached beyond words.


    At this, Xu Shanshan actually smiled happily and said: "It¡¯s okay, as long as you, my brother-in-law, could come to rescue me. No matter how tough it gets, I¡¯m not afraid. Besides, there are so many gems here! Let¡¯s quickly pick some up; they could be sold for a good amount of money."


    Li Yifei kissed Xu Shanshan¡¯s cheek and said: "Silly girl, even the most precious gems are not as valuable as my Shanshan."


    "Brother-in-law, you say the sweetest things." Xu Shanshan kissed Li Yifei back with her dry lips.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t bring any water down, so he kissed Xu Shanshan on the lips, moistening them with his saliva, before saying: "Alright, don¡¯t talk anymore, brother-in-law will get you out of here."


    "Mhm!" Xu Shanshan nodded, then closed her eyes. With Li Yifei beside her, there was nothing else she needed to worry about; she could finally have a good sleep.


    Li Yifei carried Xu Shanshan on his back, secured her with rope, then moved to the lower end of the ropes. He picked up some nearby stones to pile up and then, holding Xu Shanshan, leapt and caught the rope. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, Li Yifei shook the rope hard three times. Immediately, the signal was received above, and they began pulling the rope upwards, while Li Yifei climbed up with Xu Shanshan. After more than ten minutes, they finally reached the top.


    "Only Shanshan survived, but there are a lot of gems down there. You guys retrieve them, and later, give the brothers who died in this disaster a bit more compensation money."


    This mercenary organization wasn¡¯t Li Yifei¡¯s, but their boss was on good terms with Li Yifei, which is why he dared to send Xu Shanshan there. Although the gems below were valuable, Li Yifei still informed them.


    Li Yifei briefly explained the situation below and then carried Xu Shanshan away.


    Arriving at the helicopter, Li Yifei gently placed Xu Shanshan in the cabin and covered her with a thin blanket. Xu Shanshan was sleeping deeply, and seeing her haggard face, Li Yifei felt a pang of distress. Although it was right for Xu Shanshan to gain experience through hardships, he still felt that his decision might not have been the right one.


    Li Yifei stayed with Xu Shanshan all along, and after a full twelve hours of sleep, she finally woke up. By this time, the sun had just risen, and its light, filtering through the treetops, shone on Xu Shanshan¡¯s face, adding a different kind of beauty.


    "Shanshan, you¡¯re awake," Li Yifei said gently.


    Xu Shanshan smiled sweetly at Li Yifei and said: "Silly brother-in-law, I am safe now, why would you stay up all night without sleeping by my side?"


    Li Yifei gazed into Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes and said softly: "I have to keep my treasure well-guarded. What would I do if I lost you again?"


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes reddened as she whispered: "Brother-in-law, I missed you so much."


    "I missed you too."


    Gazing at each other for a moment, Xu Shanshan spread her arms and embraced Li Yifei¡¯s neck, kissing his lips passionately.


    Li Yifei really wanted to kiss Xu Shanshan properly at that moment, but after a little while, he let her go and said: "We should eat something first, to help you regain your strength. Right now, I really don¡¯t have the heart to touch you."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll eat and get my energy back, so you can do whatever you want with me later on."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, finally feeling a sense of relief.


    "Why are we still here?" Xu Shanshan asked as she ate, having just noticed they were still in the jungle.


    "They are down there searching for the jewels," Li Yifei explained.


    Xu Shanshan expressed surprise: "You told them to look for it? I thought we would keep all of them for ourselves."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said: "Although the employer is dead, the organization has taken the employer¡¯s commission, and since they completed the mission, they can¡¯t just take all the jewels for themselves. Additionally, they¡¯ve lost quite a few men, and the organization needs to compensate them."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s expression darkened. She had carried out several missions with this mercenary group and had formed certain bonds with her comrades-in-arms. The thought of their deaths truly dampened her spirits.


    Li Yifei continued: "No matter the profession, one must have professional integrity to succeed. Pursuing short-term gains won¡¯t allow further development."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said: "Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you, brother-in-law."


    Armed with ample grenades, the mercenaries kept the monsters and insects at bay. They then meticulously searched the area and managed to gather two large bags of gems after a day and night.


    This was despite many of the gems being damaged from the fall and others buried under the rubble, which couldn¡¯t be retrieved immediately.


    Li Yifei had already come to an agreement with the leader of this mercenary organization: one third of these gems would be kept by the organization, another third would go to Li Yifei, and the remaining third to the employer¡¯s family. This included what had already been taken out, as well as what would be extracted by people sent here in the future.


    This was definitely a huge fortune. If all of it could be taken out, Li Yifei could easily make twenty or thirty billion.


    Li Yifei now just wanted to take Xu Shanshan out of the jungle, so he let everyone put off the search for the gems for the time being. Besides, their heavy weapons like grenades were almost used up and needed to be replenished.


    Once out of the jungle, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan booked flight tickets for the next day and then settled down in a hotel.


    Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t bathed at all during her days in the jungle; once in the hotel, she immediately dashed into the bathroom, eager for a thorough wash.


    But just after she went in, Li Yifei stripped off his clothes and followed her into the bathroom.


    "Brother-in-law, hold on a minute, I¡¯m not clean yet," Xu Shanshan pushed Li Yifei away.


    Li Yifei said with a grin, "You can¡¯t get yourself clean; let me help you wash."


    "Naughty brother-in-law, but don¡¯t start misbehaving now, or I¡¯ll lose the mood for bathing," she warned.


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "Got it, I¡¯ll make sure to wash my little Shanshan nice and white, then take good care of her afterwards."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Xu Shanshan smiled coyly, and continued her bath. Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s body, especially how hard he had become there, she also felt the urge to get intimate with Li Yifei right away. But since she was so dirty, she had to wash up thoroughly first, or how could she let Li Yifei cherish every inch of her body later?


    Li Yifei was also aroused, but he still restrained himself, taking a towel and started to scrub Xu Shanshan¡¯s back. He could clearly feel that her skin had become more elastic and firm. "Shanshan, your skin has gotten tanned," he noted.


    "Does that mean you won¡¯t like it anymore?" Xu Shanshan turned her head and asked Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Of course I like it. Such a skin tone is the healthiest. Touching it, I can feel the strength underneath, and it makes things even more exciting."


    "You big lecherous brother-in-law," Xu Shanshan playfully glared at Li Yifei and said, "After staying home for a while, I¡¯ll be able to get my fair skin back. I have a strong recovery ability. When I used to play outside, I would get a tan, but in no more than ten days, I would recover."


    "Hmm, does that mean we won¡¯t go out anymore once we get back?"


    Xu Shanshan, enjoying Li Yifei¡¯s service with her eyes closed, said, "No more going out, I¡¯ve had enough fun, and I feel my combat capability is already strong. I don¡¯t want to endure this kind of fatigue anymore; it¡¯s more comfortable to stay at home by your side."


    "That¡¯s great, I was afraid you¡¯d still want to go out," he expressed his relief.


    Giggling, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, have you missed me while I was away for so many days?"


    "Silly girl, I¡¯ve missed you to death. I really wished you could have come back earlier; you had me worried sick every day."


    "Hehe, that¡¯s better. I¡¯ll give you a nice reward later," she teased.


    "Haha, that¡¯s what I love to hear," Li Yifei laughed heartily. However, his movements did not hasten; he continued to meticulously scrub Xu Shanshan¡¯s body. After finishing with her back, he asked her to turn around to scrub her front.


    Xu Shanshan opened her eyes and looked at Li Yifei, her face beaming with immense happiness. No matter how much she looked at her brother-in-law, it was never enough.


    "Why are you staring at me like that? Is there a flower on my face?" Li Yifei joked with her.


    Xu Shanshan narrowed her eyes and said, "Brother-in-law, if it was some other man, he would have pounced on me by now, but you¡¯re still carefully scrubbing me and being so meticulous. Just for that, I¡¯m totally smitten with you."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Then you should know how hard it is for me to restrain myself. Having such a beautiful little Shanshan here and not devour her right away, that¡¯s real torture."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "That¡¯s why you¡¯re so endearing. I like this feeling, too. I could watch you forever and never get tired of it."


    "Wait another two or three decades, and I¡¯ll be an old man with a face full of wrinkles. Will you still love to look at me then?"


    "Of course, men only get tastier as they age. I¡¯m actually afraid that in a few years, when I become an old lady, you would not like me anymore."


    Li Yifei lovingly touched Xu Shanshan¡¯s head and said softly, "Silly girl, even when you get old, you will still be a beautiful old lady, and I could never tire of looking at you. Most importantly, if you could spend a lifetime with me, there¡¯s no beauty that could compare to that. I will never tire of you guys."


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re so kind!" Xu Shanshan slowly closed her eyes, then said softly, "Brother-in-law, you haven¡¯t finished washing me yet, and I can¡¯t wait anymore."


    Only then did Li Yifei speed up his actions; during such beautiful times, one couldn¡¯t always be tender. There was also a need for intense passion.

 Chapter 1195 - 1242: Guilt

    Chapter 1195: Chapter 1242: GuiltThe house was especially lively this evening, everyone was quite happy with the return of Xu Shanshan. Although Xu Shanshan was not one of Li Yifei¡¯s wives like the rest of them, but merely Li Yifei¡¯s sister-in-law, she still held a special status in this family that none of the other sisters could compare to.


    It was not because Xu Yingying was Li Yifei¡¯s first wife, nor because Xu Shanshan lived with Li Yifei and Xu Yingying right from the start, but because the reason everyone could be together with Li Yifei was not only due to Xu Yingying¡¯s tolerance, but more importantly, the mediating role played by Xu Shanshan.


    Even after Xiao Ling¡¯er and others joined the Li family, and it was no longer Xu Shanshan who played the role of mediator, if it hadn¡¯t been for Xu Shanshan breaking that initial restraint, nobody would have been able to join the Li family.


    Therefore, everyone held a sense of gratitude towards Xu Shanshan which granted her a transcendental status in the family.


    Of course, there was also an important event at home today ¨C Jiang Ningxiang was to take Xu Shanshan as her master.


    This time, Li Yifei organized the initiation ceremony with great formality. In the courtyard, an altar was set up where Xu Shanshan sat upright in a chair, and Jiang Ningxiang kowtowed three times to Xu Shanshan, then offered tea. Xu Shanshan, having trained outside for so long, had some understanding of the master-disciple relationship.


    This was a serious matter. Once the master-disciple ties were formed, their relationship was akin to that of mother and daughter. Xu Shanshan had the responsibility to teach Jiang Ningxiang, and Jiang Ningxiang must respect her master and hold her teachings in high regard. Should she perform poorly, Xu Shanshan was entitled to scold or hit her.


    Xu Shanshan took a sip of the tea, her expression stern, and said gravely, "Ningxiang, today I take you as my disciple, I will hold nothing back and teach you wholeheartedly. But if you harbor any disloyalty towards me or the Li family, I will not hesitate to take your life. Do you understand?"


    Jiang Ningxiang trembled and respectfully replied, "Master, your disciple has noted it."


    "Mm, then rise. This is your welcome gift from your master." As she spoke, Xu Shanshan took out a huge emerald and handed it to Jiang Ningxiang. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang hurriedly received it and said, "Thank you, Master."


    "Mm, Ningxiang, what your master said just now is very serious, and you must always bear it in mind. However, in normal times, you needn¡¯t be so restrained. Your master is not always so serious, I like to play and make merry, and if you are too solemn, I will feel uncomfortable."


    "Yes!" Jiang Ningxiang still answered with utmost respect.


    "Alright, the initiation ceremony is completed, there¡¯s no need for everyone to look so solemn."


    The family watched with curiosity but sensed the gravity of the situation, so no one laughed or joked until the ceremony was over, after which they all offered their congratulations.


    Now that Jiang Ningxiang had taken Xu Shanshan as her master, she would not need Li Yifei¡¯s teachings anymore, which also spared Li Yifei from some awkwardness. After all, maintaining such an intimate relationship with this young girl was somewhat uncomfortable.


    Moreover, this time he had an excellent excuse to be intimate with Xu Shanshan ¨C discussing martial arts. No one could say anything about it.


    Of course, Li Yifei truly did wish to discuss martial arts with Xu Shanshan in earnest. When it came to Innate Vital Energy, both he and Jiang Ningxiang were just fumbling around, but Xu Shanshan¡¯s understanding of Innate Vital Energy was beyond comparison with Li Yifei or Jiang Ningxiang. In addition, their discussions could be completely uninhibited, without any concern for physical contact; even if it involved being completely undressed, it would be nothing out of the ordinary.


    "Ningxiang, don¡¯t just casually show this stone to others," Chu Xiaoyao advised Jiang Ningxiang as they stood together. The two were of similar age, but she was already Li Yifei¡¯s wife, so she had a hint of maturity, reminding Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang promptly said, "Right, it¡¯s a gift from my master. If I were to lose it, my master would be unhappy."


    Chu Xiaoyao rolled her eyes at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "This stone is known as an emerald, and one of this size is top grade and very expensive. It could easily sell for over a million. If a villain saw it and coveted it, they might target you."


    "Ah! It¡¯s that valuable!" Jiang Ningxiang gasped in surprise.


    "Of course it is, would your master give you anything less?"


    "Then I will certainly keep it safe and not show it to anyone."


    "Mm-hmm, that¡¯s a good girl. By the way, do you know what to call me from now on?"


    Jiang Ningxiang asked in confusion, "What should I call you?"


    Chu Xiaoyao said cheerily, "You¡¯ve taken Sister Shanshan as your master, and she and I are sisters, so you should also call me auntie."


    "Okay, Auntie," Jiang Ningxiang readily complied and called out.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately said proudly, "What a good niece."


    Ning Xin¡¯er watched from the side, and couldn¡¯t help laughing, "Xiaoyao, you¡¯re now her auntie. Shouldn¡¯t you also give a gift?"


    Chu Xiaoyao was taken aback for a moment and replied, "That¡¯s true, but I didn¡¯t bring anything with me. Ningxiang, come to my place later, I¡¯ll get you something nice."


    In this house, the only one who loves to play the elder is Chu Xiaoyao, since she¡¯s the youngest and usually has to call everyone else "sister." It¡¯s rare for her to meet someone younger than herself like Jiang Ningxiang, so of course, she¡¯d want to flaunt her seniority.


    Everyone played and fooled around until very late before going to rest. Today, it was Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin spending the night with Li Yifei. At this point, Su Mengxin couldn¡¯t really do anything with Li Yifei, and since she was quite sleepy, she went to bed after taking a bath. They didn¡¯t talk much before Su Mengxin fell asleep.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to disturb Su Mengxin now, and not touching her wasn¡¯t neglecting her either. While holding Xu Yingying, he whispered sweet nothings to her.


    But Xu Yingying was feeling a bit squeamish today and whispered, "Husband, won¡¯t you laugh at me?"


    "Laugh at you for what?" Li Yifei pretended not to know.


    "I mean, that day when I talked to you on the phone." Xu Yingying knew that Li Yifei was feigning ignorance, and pinched him at his waist, with a look of playful reproach on her face.


    "How could I laugh at you for that? It was quite thrilling, you know. That day you made me take care of myself, and you should know, it¡¯s been so long since I had to do that."


    "Really? I thought you would laugh at me," Xu Yingying¡¯s face broke into a smile.


    "Silly wife, you just need to let go. There should be no embarrassment between husband and wife, a little novelty can add a lot of spice," he comforted her.


    "So you think I¡¯m too reserved usually?" Xu Yingying¡¯s fingers pinched the soft flesh of Li Yifei¡¯s waist again.


    Li Yifei hurriedly responded, "No, no, you should just be yourself, there¡¯s no need to change anything on purpose. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be you."


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips, her cheeks flushing as she whispered, "Then I¡¯ll tell you something else, and you¡¯re not allowed to laugh at me."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly, "I definitely won¡¯t laugh."


    Xu Yingying gave a wry smile, "I feel that this is quite embarrassing, it even feels shameless, almost sinful."


    This made Li Yifei even more curious, saying, "Between us, there¡¯s nothing shameful or shameless, let alone sinful."


    Stammering, Xu Yingying said, "But... when I¡¯m with you now, I somehow wish that Sister Shan would be there... messing around."


    "What?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, and he exclaimed loudly.


    Su Mengxin turned over, opened her eyes, and looked at Li Yifei, saying, "Husband, you¡¯re quite excited, aren¡¯t you?" Her hand wrapped around Li Yifei, but she didn¡¯t notice Xu Yingying on top of him and asked with confusion, "Did you guys just finish?"


    Li Yifei quickly apologized, "No, I was just discussing something with Yingying."


    "Oh? What kind of matter would make you shout in surprise?" Su Mengxin had slept well during the day, so she was alert upon waking but would soon feel sleepy again.


    "You can¡¯t tell her!" Xu Yingying hurriedly covered Li Yifei¡¯s mouth.


    Su Mengxin became more excited and laughed, "Yingying, it¡¯s not right to keep secrets from me. What could it be?"


    Xu Yingying became even more embarrassed, at a loss for words, while Li Yifei pulled her hand away and smiled, saying, "Yingying, there¡¯s nothing to hide, especially from Mengxin, she wouldn¡¯t laugh at you."


    Xu Yingying pouted, "But I feel so embarrassed."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "It¡¯s okay, anything that could embarrass Yingying must be very interesting."


    Despite Xu Yingying pinching the soft flesh of his waist, Li Yifei still said, "Yingying now hopes for Sister Shan to be naughty when she is with me." He even gave Su Mengxin a meaningful wink.


    Being such a clever person and the only one in the Li family who truly knew the relationship between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei, Su Mengxin immediately caught on and laughed, "Really? That does sound exciting. Imagine if Yifei and you are in the middle of something, and Shan is there causing trouble, or you have our husband make a move on Shan, wouldn¡¯t that be thrilling?"


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but get excited as she imagined what Su Mengxin described, but then she quickly realized a problem, anxiously saying, "Mengxin, you have quite the imagination. Just thinking about it makes me feel guilty, and if Shan were actually there, wouldn¡¯t the guilt feel even stronger?"


    "You know why some people have affairs? It¡¯s because it comes with a sense of guilt, which ironically provides a strong thrill. So thinking about things that give you a sense of guilt isn¡¯t necessarily bad. It can actually make you even more passionate," Su Mengxin cheerfully explained.


    "What?" Xu Yingying was stunned but realized that Su Mengxin made sense, because the more she thought about that scenario, the more excited she got, excited enough that now she really needed Li Yifei to want her.

 Chapter 1196 - 1243: He Fangqing’s Transformation

    Chapter 1196: Chapter 1243: He Fangqing¡¯s TransformationLi Yifei knew that if Xu Yingying found out about his affair with Xu Shanshan, she wouldn¡¯t take it as easily as others might. This was the main reason why, despite being together for more than two years, their relationship still had to remain secret.


    But now there was finally a chance for a breakthrough. Xu Yingying was beginning to feel it, and all he needed to do was to tempt her casually from time to time. Maybe one day she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the temptation and would turn her fantasies into reality.


    This was definitely a very good start, and it truly made Li Yifei very happy.


    While making love with Xu Yingying, she was clearly still lost in her fantasies. Su Mengxin, who was beside them, spurring Xu Yingying¡¯s imagination, made her excited enough to feel like flying.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t join in mentioning Xu Shanshan to stimulate Xu Yingying further. Knowing that he also harbored such fantasies would make Xu Yingying far too embarrassed to bring up the topic again.


    The next day, Li Yifei returned to his normal work routine, arriving at the company early in the morning to tackle the backlog of tasks. With his meticulous wife, Su Yiyi, to help him, only the work that absolutely required his attention was left to him; the rest had been delegated to Su Yiyi and the others like Xu Yingying to handle.


    "Here¡¯s this month¡¯s financial statement." Su Yiyi handed another financial statement to Li Yifei.


    The paperwork used to be completely incomprehensible to Li Yifei, but now as the CEO, he understood most of it. However, some of the more specialized details were still beyond his grasp, so he would seek advice from He Fangqing.


    In the company, Li Yifei still had to knock on the door before entering He Fangqing¡¯s office, to avoid intruding if she had visitors and to maintain her authority as the financial director. Even though Li Yifei was the chairman of the entire group, he still needed to show the due respect to He Fangqing.


    It seemed like He Fangqing was on the phone. After a short wait, she called out, "Come in!"


    Li Yifei opened the door and walked in, only to see He Fangqing looking a bit under the weather. He immediately asked, "Fangqing, are you not feeling well?"


    He Fangqing shook her head and smiled, saying, "I¡¯m fine, really."


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "Your smile seems forced. Are you sure there¡¯s nothing wrong?" He reached out to touch her forehead, but it wasn¡¯t hot.


    "I don¡¯t have a fever. I think I¡¯m just worn out from the workload these past few days and haven¡¯t been sleeping well. A good nap at noon should fix it."


    Li Yifei felt that He Fangqing must be okay, so he said, "Then make sure you get some rest. Work is endless; just take it easy. If you wear yourself out, I¡¯ll be really worried."


    He Fangqing revealed a sweet smile and said, "Don¡¯t worry, dear, I¡¯ll be careful. What did you want to talk about?"


    "I wanted to discuss some financial issues with you, but seeing that you¡¯re tired, let¡¯s talk about it later."


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m currently free. Whatever you don¡¯t understand, I can explain now."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, I can¡¯t let my wife get exhausted. If you have time, you should rest a bit. Or maybe I can give you a massage to relieve your fatigue."


    "There¡¯s no need for that; you must have a lot on your plate. I¡¯ll be fine soon," He Fangqing quickly replied.


    "There¡¯s nothing more important than my wife¡¯s health," Li Yifei said with feigned anger, giving He Fangqing a stern look, then pulled her over to the couch, let her lie down, with her head on his lap, and began to massage her head.


    "You¡¯re so good to me," He Fangqing suddenly said, her eyes turning red.


    "Come on, we¡¯ve been together for so long; with just a gesture like this, you get touched? It seems I haven¡¯t been caring enough. I must correct it from now on."


    "No, you¡¯ve been really good to me. I¡¯m truly fortunate to be with you," He Fangqing said, stroking Li Yifei¡¯s thigh.


    "It¡¯s my responsibility to make you all happy. If you¡¯re not, then I¡¯m failing my duties. I¡¯m warning you again, don¡¯t overwork yourself. If you get this worn out again, I won¡¯t let it slide; I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t get out of bed the next day."


    "Naughty husband, if you punish me like that, then I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re displeased every day," she teased.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Then it seems this method of punishment won¡¯t work; we should find another way."


    After a few more laughs and the massage, the weariness disappeared from He Fangqing¡¯s face, and she looked spirited once more. However, after Li Yifei left, He Fangqing took out her phone with a soft sigh and, touching her forehead, seemed to be facing a very difficult situation.


    At dinner that evening, noticing that He Fangqing still looked tired, Li Yifei said, "Fangqing, you really should rest properly these days. Otherwise, take a few days off to recuperate at home?"


    He Fangqing hastily replied, "It¡¯s nothing; I¡¯ll be fine after some sleep. You don¡¯t need to worry about me."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "Fangqing, you haven¡¯t been looking so well these past few days. The company employs so many people; you should let them do more and not handle everything yourself."


    He Fangqing brushed back her hair from her forehead and said, "Back when I was at the small company, I got used to doing everything myself and I don¡¯t feel secure delegating tasks to others."


    Su Mengxin laughed, "A person¡¯s energy is always limited; it¡¯s impossible to take care of everything personally. Being a good leader is about how to motivate your subordinates, that¡¯s the most important part. If you do everything yourself, it¡¯ll just make the staff feel incompetent. Not only will you feel exhausted, but it¡¯ll also be harder to get work done below. Even if you give them tasks, they¡¯ll lack confidence."


    An awkward smile appeared on He Fangqing¡¯s face. "I understand, I¡¯ll try to let them handle more from now on," she said.


    Su Mengxin added, "You¡¯re just too competitive, Fangqing. Sometimes, it¡¯s better for a woman not to compete so much. Our family already has a strong husband; we just need to assist and cheer from the sidelines. Let this big man handle the issues."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Yeah, men are supposed to protect you from wind and rain, right? Fangqing, you can¡¯t deprive your husband of his rights."


    "Sorry for worrying you all, I know what I should do now. I¡¯ll relax more and try to manage the team instead of doing everything myself."


    "That¡¯s my good girl. Here, have some sea cucumber to nourish your body." Li Yifei picked up a piece of sea cucumber and brought it to He Fangqing¡¯s mouth.


    He Fangqing opened her mouth and ate, while Ning Xin¡¯er laughed, "That¡¯s so lovely, I want some too."


    Li Yifei immediately fetched a piece for Ning Xin¡¯er too, saying, "Everyone gets a share."


    At this moment, Little Yifei suddenly rubbed her cheek with her hand and said loudly, "Embarrassing, embarrassing, you¡¯re all grown-ups, and still letting dad feed you, you¡¯re really naughty."


    Everyone was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter, while Ning Xin¡¯er and He Fangqing felt quite embarrassed. Being admonished by their daughter like this was a real loss of face.


    Little Yixiang, stretching out her little hands, was cooing for something. The little one could now crawl and seemed to know to ask for things. She didn¡¯t know what Ning Xin¡¯er and He Fangqing were eating, but if Dad was feeding it, she wanted some too.


    The scene delighted everyone, eliciting hearty laughter, contributing to always enjoyable family gatherings, something that truly gratified Li Yifei.


    He Fangqing¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She glanced at it, and her face briefly changed color, but she quickly returned to normal and said, "You all keep eating, I¡¯ll just take this call."


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s attention was on the two daughters, and nobody noticed the change in He Fangqing¡¯s expression. Taking a call was normal enough and no one thought much of it.


    After some fun, everyone left the dining room. Li Yifei spent more time chatting with his family, then noticing He Fangqing hadn¡¯t returned, he asked if anyone had seen her. But nobody had, which puzzled Li Yifei, prompting him to call He Fangqing.


    "Fangqing, where did you go?" he asked.


    "I stepped out to take care of something; I¡¯ll be back soon."


    "Oh, don¡¯t go far, and come back early."


    "Yeah, I know. I¡¯ll be back in a bit, don¡¯t worry about me."


    Having contacted He Fangqing, Li Yifei was no longer worried. He didn¡¯t ask what she was up to; he had complete trust in his wife and respected their need for personal space. If he inquired about every place she went, it would show a lack of trust.


    Li Yifei then turned to Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, I¡¯ve encountered many doubts at Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s place recently. We have some time tonight, so let¡¯s discuss them."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "You really know how to put people to work. I¡¯ve just got back and you want to discuss this with me."


    "Hehe, these doubts have been bothering me for a while now. If I don¡¯t sort them out, it will drive me crazy."


    "Alright, alright, your bad luck. But I¡¯m telling you, you have just one hour. If you go over, I¡¯m done."


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Ok, ok, one hour it is."


    Xu Shanshan stood up and said to Jiang Ningxiang, "You wait for me at my place; I¡¯ll come over and teach you later." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay," Jiang Ningxiang also stood up, but as she watched Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan leave, her expression turned a bit strange. If Brother Li was discussing Meridians with Xu Shanshan, did that mean they were going to be like her and Li Yifei? She was just a young girl, but Xu Shanshan was Xu Yingying¡¯s sister. If she got close to Brother Li like that... Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s imagination ran wild.

 Chapter 1197 - 1244: Ex-Husband’s Extortion

    Chapter 1197: Chapter 1244: Ex-Husband¡¯s ExtortionLi Yifei really had many questions these days, so when he was with Xu Shanshan, he was truly studying the Innate Vital Energy.


    During this period, Xu Shanshan, through actual combat, had gained significant insights into Innate Vital Energy, and the skills she learned were specifically targeting Innate Vital Energy, so in this regard, she was much stronger than Li Yifei, helping him resolve many doubts and benefiting him a lot.


    "Hey, brother-in-law, when you were studying meridians with Jiang Ningxiang, you weren¡¯t also touching her all over like this, right?" As their discussion paused, Xu Shanshan suddenly asked.


    Li Yifei was stunned for a moment, his face instantly changed, and said: "Oh no, if Ningxiang speaks out, then our relationship could be exposed way too soon."


    "Ew, you nasty brother-in-law, touching a young girl like Ningxiang, you¡¯re such a big pervert." Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei, not really taking his worries seriously.


    "Now is not the time to talk about this, you better go check on Ningxiang right now, if people start asking questions, it¡¯ll be troublesome."


    Xu Shanshan replied very relaxedly: "Don¡¯t worry, I just sent her over to my place, I was worried something like this might happen."


    Li Yifei immediately praised: "Ah right, Shanshan is really clever."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Hiding it from my elder sister for over two years, I¡¯ve really mastered the art."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but grin and said: "Yes, yes, you are the master of secret affairs."


    After joking a bit, Xu Shanshan left. Previously, she would use the excuse of needing a foot massage from Li Yifei, but now that excuse couldn¡¯t be used, so she found a new one, still as righteous and credible as ever, allowing her to be alone with Li Yifei. So when she was with Li Yifei, she was not eager to be intimate, knowing there would be plenty of opportunities in the future, not rushing the moment.


    Xu Shanshan returned to her own villa, and Jiang Ningxiang was sitting neatly in the living room. Seeing Xu Shanshan, she immediately stood up and respectfully bowed, saying: "Master."


    Xu Shanshan sat down and said: "Sit, Master has something to ask you." At this moment, Xu Shanshan really exuded the aura and authority of a master.


    "Please ask, Master!" Jiang Ningxiang quickly and obediently sat beside Xu Shanshan.


    "When my brother-in-law taught you martial arts, what did he do?"


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s little face instantly blushed, and she stammered: "Master, when Brother Li taught me... he... he had to trace the True Qi in my body with his fingers."


    Xu Shanshan narrowed her eyes and asked: "So, does that mean he has touched you everywhere?"


    Jiang Ningxiang hurriedly said: "Master, Brother Li really didn¡¯t touch me, Brother Li is such an upright person, he wouldn¡¯t take advantage of me."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said: "I know, your Brother Li, despite having many wives, never takes advantage of girls. But don¡¯t let this out, to avoid misunderstandings, especially with his wives, sometimes these things are hard to explain."


    "Yes, yes, I won¡¯t tell." Jiang Ningxiang nodded repeatedly.


    Having reassured Jiang Ningxiang, now Jiang Ningxiang wouldn¡¯t talk about this with Li Yifei¡¯s wives, thus their martial arts practice together wouldn¡¯t be misconstrued, allowing her to spend more time with Li Yifei, she nodded contently and said: "Good, then let me check your True Qi situation, and see how I should teach you."


    "Yes!" Jiang Ningxiang nodded excitedly.


    After Xu Shanshan left, Li Yifei was preparing to go back to his bedroom to rest when his mobile phone rang at that moment; the call was from Sophia.


    "Master..." After saying these two words, Sophia hesitated a bit.


    This surprised Li Yifei, as Sophia had never spoken like this with him before, he said: "What¡¯s wrong? Why are you hesitating?"


    "Master, I just saw Mistress He."


    "Oh? Is there anything wrong with that?"


    "I saw her entering a hotel with a man, Mistress He seemed a bit flustered."


    Li Yifei frowned and asked: "Which hotel are they in?"


    "In Dragon Prosperity Hotel, should I go take a look?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said: "You go have a look, I¡¯ll be right there."


    "Then... if there¡¯s an accident, should I go in?" Sophia asked again.


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat and said, "He Fangqing definitely didn¡¯t go there to steal a man; there must be some special reason. I am worried she may be coerced or even face a security threat, so that¡¯s why I asked you to check on her." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Master, I understand. I¡¯ll follow her immediately and ensure Madame¡¯s safety."


    He Fangqing was indeed coerced, and the one coercing her was none other than her ex-husband, Chen Mingsheng.


    Chen Mingsheng, in pursuit of a wealthy life, had dumped He Fangqing and gotten together with another woman, Su Juan, which made him the president of the company where Xu Yingying initially worked.


    At the time he was full of vigor, thinking he could finally make his mark in the business world, but he greatly overestimated his capabilities. He wasn¡¯t cut out for this; while he could initially keep the company profitable thanks to the foundation Xu Yingying had left, his series of poor decisions soon worsened the company¡¯s situation, leading to significant losses six months ago. Though the head office was quite dissatisfied, he managed to hang in there thanks to Su Juan.


    Although Su Juan was not particularly attractive, she was definitely not a straightforward person. Chen Mingsheng found her quite refreshing initially, but after a couple of years, feeling that Chen lacked ability and growing bored, she started seeking new relationships.


    Just last month, Su Juan finally dumped Chen Mingsheng cleanly, giving him only one hundred thousand yuan and kicking him out.


    This was a huge blow to Chen Mingsheng. At that point, he had no heart to look for another job. With his newfound freedom after enduring Su Juan¡¯s treatment, he indulged excessively in luxuries even involving drugs, which quickly drained his money.


    Penniless, Chen Mingsheng couldn¡¯t stand it, especially having been a president before; he had no inclination to make a comeback and instead looked for ways to strike it rich quickly.


    When sorting his belongings, he checked his old computer and stumbled upon the photo album from his past marriage with He Fangqing. This gave him an idea; he immediately found some nude pictures online and photoshopped He Fangqing¡¯s face onto them.


    Since they had been husband and wife, taking photos was normal, but He Fangqing had been too embarrassed to let him take nude photos, so he only had normal ones. Any normal man would have either deleted them or kept them just to reminisce about the emotions shared as husband and wife.


    But now, seeing these photos, Chen Mingsheng felt like he had struck gold. He knew He Fangqing¡¯s status¡ªa finance director of a major corporate group. She couldn¡¯t be short of money, so this was like a money tree to him.


    He immediately used some methods to find He Fangqing¡¯s current mobile number and called her.


    He Fangqing had long forgotten about Chen Mingsheng. Receiving his call was a surprise, and she had no desire to reconnect with him, which made her respond very coldly and she nearly hung up.


    Chen Mingsheng initially hoped for a reconciliation, but seeing He Fangqing¡¯s attitude, he knew there was no hope and quickly said: "Fangqing, since you are so heartless, let me show you something." He then sent her one of the photoshopped nude pictures of her.


    When He Fangqing saw the picture, she was shocked. She remembered never allowing Chen Mingsheng to take such a photo, but if Li Yifei saw it, would he harbor suspicions about her? That was unclear.


    Moreover, if such pictures got out, it would bring great shame to the entire Li family, so she dared not tell Li Yifei and had to handle it herself.


    Today, when Li Yifei went to the office, it happened to be when Chen Mingsheng had just hung up the phone, hence her unusual reaction.


    Now, she was here to negotiate with Chen Mingsheng to resolve this issue.


    In the hotel room, He Fangqing coldly said, "Chen Mingsheng, tell me, what do you want in exchange for those pictures?"


    Chen Mingsheng lit a cigarette and with a look of feigned sincerity, said: "Fangqing, after all, we were husband and wife, and there¡¯s the saying, ¡¯A couple for a day is bound by a hundred days of grace.¡¯ I¡¯ve always remembered you. Now I don¡¯t want anything else, I just want to be with you again."


    He Fangqing scoffed disdainfully, "That sounds nice. Do you think I¡¯m still as naive as before, to believe your sweet nothings?"


    "I¡¯m speaking the truth, Fangqing. Please give me a chance, let us start over."


    "Start over? Stop dreaming. I¡¯m telling you, I extremely dislike you now. Even if I end up without a man for the rest of my life, I won¡¯t be with you. Just drop that idea, state your demands quickly as I don¡¯t want to see more of you."


    Seeing his last hope disappearing, Chen Mingsheng tore off his mask of hypocrisy, sneered coldly, and said, "Fine, since you are so heartless, I won¡¯t be polite. Ten million, if you give me ten million, I¡¯ll give you the photos and not keep any copies."


    "Ten million? Why don¡¯t you just rob someone?" He Fangqing was furious, her face pale with anger. She had only thought Chen Mingsheng to be greedy for wealth and lacking in spirit, but now realized he was truly a scoundrel and a rogue. She couldn¡¯t understand why she had ever married him.


    "You¡¯re a finance director of a large company now and have a murky relationship with your boss. Ten million is nothing for you. If I publish these pictures, people might not even want you anymore. Think about it, do you want to have good days in the future, or can¡¯t you let go of that ten million?"


    Chen Mingsheng settled into the sofa, crossed his legs, and watched He Fangqing leisurely. He was certain she would agree.

 Chapter 1198 - 1245: If You Don’t Seek Death, You Won’t Die

    Chapter 1198: Chapter 1245: If You Don¡¯t Seek Death, You Won¡¯t DieHe Fangqing took a deep breath and said, "You¡¯re asking for too much, I don¡¯t have that much money."


    Chen Mingsheng waved his finger and said, "You¡¯re the financial director. It may be difficult to do other things, but is it really difficult to get some money or cook the books? That¡¯s a huge company with assets worth tens of billions. Is it really that hard to embezzle ten or twenty million?"


    He Fangqing said angrily, "That¡¯s a crime, do you want to get me killed?"


    "Director He, how could this be harming you? You¡¯ve been in finance for so many years; can¡¯t you handle this little thing? Don¡¯t scare me."


    "You... You know that if this gets out, I will definitely be convicted."


    "Haha, you¡¯ll definitely be able to handle it."


    After all, the man before her was someone she had once deeply loved, but now he would do anything for money without any concern for her life. Such a person can¡¯t even be described as human.


    Shaking her head vigorously, He Fangqing said, "Even ten million is way too much; it¡¯s too difficult for me to do this."


    "No rush, I¡¯m a very reasonable person. You can pay in installments, one million a month. But in that case, you¡¯ll need to pay over a year, which means an extra two million, consider it interest."


    "Can you be any more shameless?"


    "He Fangqing!" Chen Mingsheng slammed the armrest of the chair forcefully and shouted loudly, "You were the one who ruthlessly ended things with me. So why should I have any consideration for you?"


    He Fangqing looked at Chen Mingsheng, whose aggressive stance weakened under her piercing gaze. At that moment, He Fangqing tilted her head back and laughed out loud, while Chen Mingsheng, lacking confidence, demanded, "What are you laughing at?"


    "What a thing to say, that I ended things with you... Chen Mingsheng, originally I was thinking of just giving you some money and getting the photos back, but you have been so shameless that I no longer owe you any sentiment. Do you think I¡¯m still the old He Fangqing? Do you think I¡¯m still that naive person who you could easily play and dump, only leaving me to cry on my own? Let me tell you, that He Fangqing is dead. The current He Fangqing is not someone a small fry like you can manipulate."


    Chen Mingsheng was pushed back two steps by He Fangqing¡¯s words, but he immediately puffed out his chest and said, "You think you can intimidate me? Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re a financial director with some connections that it¡¯s enough. You should know, if I release these photos, your reputation will be ruined and you¡¯ll lose everything you have now."


    "Who says so?" A voice came from the doorway, and then the door opened, and Li Yifei had already entered. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Husband!"


    "Li Yifei!"


    He Fangqing and Chen Mingsheng both exclaimed in surprise.


    Without even glancing at Chen Mingsheng, Li Yifei went over to He Fangqing and said softly, "Fangqing, it¡¯s not that I¡¯ve been following you. It was just by chance that Sophia saw you, and that¡¯s how I ended up here."


    Li Yifei explained as soon as he arrived, which brought tears to He Fangqing¡¯s eyes, but what¡¯s more important is that the matter she¡¯s dealing with now is a humiliation for Li Yifei and something He Fangqing finds hard to face him with.


    Li Yifei patted He Fangqing¡¯s shoulder and said softly, "Since I am with you, it means I don¡¯t care about your past. No matter what you¡¯ve done before, it¡¯s all in the past. You¡¯re my wife He Fangqing, got it?"


    He Fangqing looked up at Li Yifei, unable to stop the tears from flowing. Her emotions were truly complicated at that moment.


    "Ah, I didn¡¯t expect the chairman of the mighty Li Group to be your husband, Fangqing. What explosive news that is. And if it¡¯s paired with a few of your nude photos, wouldn¡¯t that be even more sensational?"


    Only then did Li Yifei turn his head to glance at Chen Mingsheng and slowly said, "If you know what¡¯s good for you, I¡¯ll give you one million. Hand over all the photos."


    "One million?" Chen Mingsheng laughed loudly twice and said darkly, "Do you think I¡¯m begging for money? She¡¯s your wife now, the wife of Chairman Li. Do you really think these photos are only worth one million?"


    At that moment, Chen Mingsheng was extremely smug. If it were just He Fangqing, he would at most want ten million, but now that it involved a big boss of a tens of billions company, if he didn¡¯t ask for a hundred million, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    With a sly grin, he said, "Chairman Li, I know you¡¯re rich and care about your image, so I won¡¯t ask you for too much. Just one billion, and afterwards, there will never be any of He Fangqing¡¯s photos leaked. I will also disappear from Mile City. What do you think?"


    "Your appetite sure isn¡¯t small," Li Yifei said indifferently, his face expressionless.


    "One billion, huh? That¡¯s just a trivial matter for you, isn¡¯t it?"


    Chen Mingsheng smiled shamelessly, already thinking about how he would spend this billion and imagining that he would never have to use a woman to rise in status or read people¡¯s faces ever again.


    He Fangqing, furious, shouted, "Chen Mingsheng, could you be even more shameless?"


    Still with that insincere smile, Chen Mingsheng replied, "Since I¡¯m already shameless, I might as well be thoroughly shameless. With the money, you can live a happy life. Isn¡¯t that great? Fangqing, let me be the first to congratulate you, wishing you luck in finding such a wealthy husband."


    He Fangqing gritted her teeth and said, "You¡¯re congratulating yourself on finding a cash cow to milk for a large sum, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Haha, don¡¯t say that. After all, you¡¯ll be a billionaire¡¯s wife, and me, just getting a little spending money, isn¡¯t too much, is it?"


    "You... you..." He Fangqing trembled all over with anger.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arms around He Fangqing¡¯s waist, speaking slowly: "Okay, I¡¯ll give it to you, but I¡¯ll give you the money tomorrow."


    "That¡¯s the spirit, Chairman Li is indeed a man of his word, admirable. Then let¡¯s agree on tomorrow." Chen Mingsheng immediately agreed.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Wife, let¡¯s go then."


    He Fangqing protested urgently: "Husband, no, we can¡¯t give him that much money."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Money is meant to be earned. I can¡¯t let you suffer the slightest grievance. Anyone who causes you grief will be punished."


    "But..."


    "A little money, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go." Li Yifei exerted a small force with his arm, hugging He Fangqing as he walked out.


    Despite her extreme reluctance, He Fangqing couldn¡¯t voice any objections as Li Yifei had made his decision. However, her mood was terribly sour, not because of the money, but because this situation made her unsure of how to face Li Yifei now.


    Having descended the stairs, He Fangqing sat in Li Yifei¡¯s car, head down, overwhelmed with guilt and a deep sense of powerlessness.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t speak either. Instead, he brought He Fangqing to a place, and it was only when she realized this wasn¡¯t her home did she start looking around.


    "Remember this place?" Li Yifei asked as he pulled He Fangqing to sit down.


    He Fangqing looked more carefully and recognized that this was a bar; she then remembered what place this was and stuttered: "This is... this is... the bar where we first met."


    "Right, this bar," he replied.


    "Why... why did you bring me here?" He Fangqing asked nervously.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "This is where we first met. Even then, I knew you were a divorced woman. Now let me ask you, if I wanted to take your nude photos now, would you let me?"


    "Of course I would!" He Fangqing answered without hesitation.


    Li Yifei continued: "There you have it. Back then, Chen Mingsheng was your husband, so naturally, you¡¯d let him take such photos. It¡¯s a normal thing. If I minded that, it would mean I also minded that you had been married before."


    After a pause, Li Yifei added, "Now that you¡¯re with me, you have to see me with other women every day. What¡¯s more upsetting¡ªphotos, or seeing it in real life?"


    "I¡¯m not upset now, am I?"


    "You¡¯ve grown accustomed to it. But the reality is that I¡¯m with other women, and if that bothers you, then you can¡¯t be with me. Your sacrifices for me have been immense. Compared to your past, how could I possibly mind?"


    "Husband... I... I really don¡¯t remember letting him take nude pictures of me." Tears started to flow uncontrollably from He Fangqing¡¯s eyes.


    Li Yifei patted the back of He Fangqing¡¯s hand and said, "Alright, I believe you. Don¡¯t think too much about it. You have to be clear, you¡¯re my wife now¡ªthat¡¯s all you need to remember."


    He Fangqing nodded, but her heart was still twisted in knots. She didn¡¯t know if Li Yifei would truly be undisturbed upon seeing such photos. Men are usually very sensitive about these matters.


    "Husband... are you really going to give that guy the money?" He Fangqing brought up another concern, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I won¡¯t give it to him. I, Li Yifei, am not someone easily intimidated."


    "What about the photos?" He Fangqing asked anxiously.


    "Don¡¯t worry, the photos will never be leaked." He Fangqing took He Fangqing¡¯s hand in his and said somberly, "Some people, they dig their own graves; they can¡¯t blame anyone else for what happens."


    "What... what are you going to do to him?" He Fangqing asked cautiously.


    "If I told you I wouldn¡¯t let him appear in this world again, would you blame me?"


    He Fangqing bit her lip and said, "I don¡¯t blame you. You are my husband, and he¡¯s someone with ill intentions towards me, utterly shameless at that. But I don¡¯t want our Li family to suffer any consequence because of such a scum. Lin Qiong is an upright police officer, and if she finds out, she would be unhappy as well."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then rest assured. If I, Li Yifei, can¡¯t handle even this small matter, that would be too incompetent."


    Those who do not court death will not die. It was Chen Mingsheng¡¯s actions that, for the first time, made Li Yifei feel murderous intent toward an ordinary person.

 Chapter 1199 - 1246: Accident

    Chapter 1199: Chapter 1246: AccidentAfter Li Yifei and He Fangqing left, Chen Mingsheng excitedly threw himself onto the bed, then rolled around on it. He truly didn¡¯t know how to express his excitement at this moment¡ªone billion! Becoming a wealthy man had always been his dream, and it was about to come true.


    He had married a rich but ugly woman, yet his dream hadn¡¯t been realized through her. But from his ex-wife, he was going to achieve it. Marrying He Fangqing back then was indeed the correct decision.


    Since he was about to become rich, he naturally wanted to thoroughly enjoy himself. Instantly, he called for two escorts and vented his crazed lust. Though exhausted beyond words, he still couldn¡¯t sleep and left the hotel, ready to swagger around somewhere.


    He hailed a cab and arrived at a bar where drugs could be obtained. He wanted to indulge himself properly; after this, he would never be short on money again. Why would he fear not being able to get drugs?


    He spent the last bit of money he had on him on drugs, indulging himself thoroughly, before planning to return to the hotel to rest.


    But suddenly, he felt dizzy and his consciousness began to blur. Staggering down the street, at that moment, a sedan came driving by. Chen Mingsheng didn¡¯t know what came over him, but he suddenly threw himself toward the moving car, which couldn¡¯t swerve away in time and ended up hitting him, sending him flying.


    Under that intense pain, Chen Mingsheng suddenly regained a moment of consciousness. No way, he was about to become a billionaire, yet now he had encountered a car accident. He couldn¡¯t just tragically die like this.


    That was his last thought. From that moment on, he would no longer have any thoughts.


    The sedan didn¡¯t flee the scene; it immediately reported the accident. Soon, the police arrived to take care of the situation. From the surveillance footage, it was evident that the car was driving normally and even braked. Chen Mingsheng, on the other hand, threw himself at the car as if blackmailing. Additionally, having tested Chen Mingsheng, they found he had just used drugs. Therefore, the car wasn¡¯t greatly at fault; the responsibility lay almost entirely with Chen Mingsheng.


    Thus, Chen Mingsheng lost his life while still dreaming of becoming a billionaire. Even in death, he would merely be an accident.


    But this was absolutely no accident; it was a scheme orchestrated by Li Yifei, creating a "traffic accident" like this was all too easy for his subordinates.


    After returning to the city, Li Yifei had killed before, and not just a few. But those he killed in Japan were members of the Yamaguchi Group, and those killed during missions were soldiers and experts. The sole person without much strength had been Meng Xiaofei¡¯s cousin, Meng Xiaojun.


    Li Yifei had never harbored the intent to kill ordinary people, but this time, he truly desired to kill. Because he knew all too well, someone like Chen Mingsheng would never hand over all the photos. Once the money was squandered, he would threaten He Fangqing again.


    Li Yifei would not give him that chance, so killing him was the only way to resolve the matter. Once Li Yifei decided to do so, he would absolutely show no mercy.


    Tonight, He Fangqing was not with Li Yifei, but seeing Fangqing in low spirits, Xiao Ling¡¯er immediately swapped days with her. So it was He Fangqing and Su Yiyi with Li Yifei for the night.


    However, He Fangqing had been washing in the bathroom for a long time without coming out. Knowing that the knot in her heart was not so easily untied, Li Yifei went to the bathroom.


    "Husband!" He Fangqing turned slightly, facing Li Yifei with her side.


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "We are husband and wife; are you still afraid of me seeing you?"


    He Fangqing bit her lip and said softly, "Husband, I... feel so dirty."


    Holding He Fangqing in his arms, Li Yifei spoke gently, "Silly wife, you are just thinking too much."


    He Fangqing weakly said, "I... really don¡¯t know how to convince myself, I still don¡¯t know how to face you."


    Gently stroking He Fangqing¡¯s smooth back, Li Yifei said, "Some things are in the past; if you keep dwelling on them, it¡¯s just too tiring¡ªdoes it mean that a woman who has been divorced cannot remarry?"


    "I had never thought about it that way before, but... he took photos of me, and every time I think of that, I can¡¯t face you."


    "Heh, if you feel guilty, let¡¯s take some pictures later. That way, I¡¯ll feel balanced."


    "Husband, if you want to take pictures, of course you can, but I..."


    "No buts. Tonight I will make you understand that your husband has never looked down on you, not before, and definitely not in the future."


    Saying so, without further discussion, Li Yifei carried He Fangqing out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, then tossed her onto the bed and pounced on her.


    Su Yiyi was startled by Li Yifei¡¯s actions, not understanding what got into him today and why he was in such a hurry; but the situation appeared even more touching.


    Today, Li Yifei mostly spent time with He Fangqing, bringing her to the peak of happiness time after time. Even when with Su Yiyi, Li Yifei didn¡¯t neglect He Fangqing, kissing every inch of her body and showing her through actions that he truly liked her and regarded her as his wife, not caring about her past.


    During the intimate act, He Fangqing initially still had her reservations and couldn¡¯t fully let go, but when that feeling arrived, the impact, the sensation as if her soul was ascending to the heavens, allowed her to temporarily forget everything.


    Once the three of them calmed down, it was already past ten o¡¯clock. At that moment, Li Yifei¡¯s phone also rang.


    "How did it go?" Li Yifei answered, putting the call on speaker.


    A woman¡¯s voice came from the phone, saying, "Boss, I¡¯ve checked already. The computer only contains normal photos of the lady. There are two nude photos, but they are photoshopped."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, boss, his skills are really crappy, it¡¯s obvious at a glance."


    "Right, delete all those photos, and also check if there¡¯s anything left in his various accounts, don¡¯t leave a single trace."


    "Roger that!"


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei said to He Fangqing with a smile: "Do you still feel upset now?"


    "Huh? They were Photoshopped? I wasn¡¯t really photographed?" He Fangqing asked excitedly.


    Li Yifei nodded and said: "The person I sent is definitely a hacker expert, such little things could easily be seen."


    At this moment, Su Yiyi curiously asked: "What are you guys talking about?"


    Li Yifei immediately shared the incident of He Fangqing being blackmailed by Chen Mingsheng with nude photos, and after hearing it, Su Yiyi quickly said: "Sister Fangqing, do you still have the photos on your phone? I can tell if I see them, I¡¯ve learned this too."


    He Fangqing hurriedly took out her phone, pulled up the photos, Su Yiyi glanced at them and said: "Sister Fangqing, this is so poorly done. Look at this body, is it yours?" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although He Fangqing didn¡¯t understand Photoshop technology, she certainly knew her own body. Upon closer inspection, the body on the picture really wasn¡¯t hers; the chest was smaller than hers, and there was a mole above the lower abdomen. She excitedly said: "No, no, this isn¡¯t my body."


    Li Yifei said with a smile: "At last, your innocence is restored, this knot in your heart should also be untied."


    He Fangqing nodded again and again, with eyes red, said: "He deceived me with this picture, I had suspicions, I really didn¡¯t let him take any, but I thought he might have taken them secretly, so I dared not disbelieve."


    "Alright, silly girl, you can¡¯t do this again in the future, if you do, I really will spank you, imposing family law."


    He Fangqing nodded again and then turned over and lay on Li Yifei, kissing his cheeks, and said: "Husband, I want you, I want you!"


    Li Yifei would certainly not refuse this request, and after another great battle, the three of them fell asleep.


    In the middle of the night, Li Yifei received another text message, with just a few short words: Boss, the job is done.


    Li Yifei knew that Chen Mingsheng was dead but seeing that He Fangqing and Su Yiyi were both asleep, he did not disturb them.


    The next morning, after Li Yifei returned from his practice, He Fangqing was still in bed, while Su Yiyi had already got up and left.


    Li Yifei lay on the bed and kissed He Fangqing, who then woke up. He Fangqing was clearly in much better spirits, and it was only then that Li Yifei said: "Fangqing, Chen Mingsheng is dead."


    "Ah!" He Fangqing exclaimed softly, and then sighed, saying: "Well, if he¡¯s dead, he¡¯s dead."


    Li Yifei asked: "Aren¡¯t you blaming me for being too ruthless?"


    "Husband, I haven¡¯t had feelings for him for a long time, and he was so shameful, I don¡¯t pity him. However, we did have a marital relationship, so there¡¯s still somewhat of a... discomfort in my heart."


    Li Yifei smiled tenderly and said: "I know, I understand, and I won¡¯t blame you."


    He Fangqing shook her head and then said: "Moreover, I am now a member of the Li family. Our Li family does not allow anyone to cause disruption. He tried to deal with me this way, which was an attack on our Li family. For the reputation of our Li family, he had no choice but to die."


    Li Yifei nodded and said: "Yes, that¡¯s why he had to die. As a large clan, as a clan chief, I cannot afford to be soft-hearted."


    He Fangqing wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, gently kissing his cheeks, and said: "I understand, husband, I¡¯m no longer troubled."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said: "Is this like you wanting another morning exercise, huh?"


    He Fangqing gave Li Yifei a flirtatious look and said: "Sure, why not. Who¡¯s afraid of who?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, took off his clothes, and then directly pressed He Fangqing under him.


    "Husband, I want to have a child for you, let me conceive," He Fangqing murmured repeatedly while being wild with Li Yifei.


    "Alright, I will fulfill your wish," Li Yifei was also striving hard, thinking that so far, including the unborn, there were only five children, but with twelve wives, having just these few was not enough.

 Chapter 1200 - 1248: Truth Comes Out When Drunk

    Chapter 1200: Chapter 1248: Truth Comes Out When DrunkMiss Reiko has been staying at Li Yifei¡¯s house recently. However, she is a very polite person and rarely participates in family activities with them. Her foot injury has healed, and now her reason for not leaving is her fondness for the garden at Li Yifei¡¯s house, which she finds hard to part with.


    When Li Yifei came out from Meng Xiaofei¡¯s place, he saw Miss Reiko.


    "Miss Reiko, I haven¡¯t seen you for quite a few days, I¡¯m really sorry." Li Yifei really hadn¡¯t seen Miss Reiko these past few days, and only remembered she was still at his house upon seeing her now.


    Miss Reiko gave a slight smile and said, "Yifei, don¡¯t be polite. Staying at your place for so many days has been quite troubling already."


    "Haha, don¡¯t be polite. Where are you going?" Li Yifei walked alongside Miss Reiko.


    "I just came to find you," Miss Reiko turned to give Li Yifei a look.


    "Oh? What¡¯s the matter?"


    Miss Reiko smiled slightly, saying, "I came to bid you farewell, I have been disturbing you for so long, it¡¯s time for me to leave."


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Are you going back to your country?"


    Miss Reiko chuckled lightly and said, "Yifei, do you really wish me to go back?"


    Li Yifei coughed lightly and said, "Not at all. Didn¡¯t you tell me you like Mile City? So when you said you want to leave, I naturally thought you were going back to your country."


    "No, I just want to go out for a walk. Staying here, I... won¡¯t have the chance to encounter Mr. Mu Fei." When Mu Fei was mentioned, Miss Reiko¡¯s face blushed slightly.


    Li Yifei broke out in a cold sweat, the longer the time passed, the more Miss Reiko¡¯s feelings for Mu Fei seemed to change. Previously, Miss Reiko had mixed feelings of love and hate for Mu Fei, but after so long, her love has outweighed the hate, and now what remained was more the longing.


    Li Yifei was the only one who knew Miss Reiko¡¯s true thoughts, and this Mu Fei was actually him. He was also very scared about this and said, "Miss Reiko, actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve never told you."


    "Oh? What is it?" Miss Reiko turned, looking puzzled at Li Yifei.


    "Miss Reiko, have you ever thought, if you really find Mu Fei, what should you do then? He stole your country¡¯s secrets. When you see him, would you let your country capture him, or would you keep it to yourself?"


    "I..." Miss Reiko was suddenly speechless. She had only fantasized about meeting Mu Fei again, but never thought that far.


    "Actually, I feel that you should let go of this Chapter. Not seeing him might be better. From what I see, you¡¯ve already grown to like him. If you really find him, it will only trap you in an extremely difficult controversy. But if you don¡¯t meet him, you can still retain a bit of nostalgia, a fantasy, isn¡¯t that much better?"


    "This..." Miss Reiko was at a loss for words.


    "Letting go is also a form of wisdom. I think with Miss Reiko¡¯s intelligence, you should understand this notion."


    Miss Reiko walked slowly with her head down. After a while, she lifted her head and gave a bitter smile, "Thank you for the reminder, Yifei. I know what I should do now."


    Li Yifei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed like the trouble with Miss Reiko could be resolved.


    Miss Reiko shook her head, then stretched her arms and said: "Hearing what you said, I feel much more relaxed. You are right, some things can¡¯t be forced, and some people, there¡¯s no need to meet again."


    "Congratulations on seeing it clearly," Li Yifei smiled slightly.


    Miss Reiko turned to look at Li Yifei, smiling sweetly, "Actually, the more I interact with you, the more I find you possess qualities that attract women, and I can understand more and more why your wife follows you so devotedly."


    "Thank you for the compliment."


    "Hehe, it¡¯s really relaxing to be friends with someone like you, who really knows how to comfort people. If I have any troubles in the future, I¡¯ll come to you for psychological help, don¡¯t turn me away then."


    Li Yifei solemnly said, "Absolutely no problem, it¡¯s truly my honor to serve Miss Reiko."


    Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t help but laugh lightly, saying, "You¡¯re quite the comedian, always managing to amuse people inadvertently."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying, "Making Miss Reiko happy is also my honor."


    After exchanging a few jokes, Li Yifei asked, "By the way, do you have any plans for the future?"


    Aoki Reiko hesitated for a moment and said, "Originally, I came here to find that guy Mu Fei, but now that you mention it, it seems meaningless to find him. Staying here seems pointless too, I¡¯m considering, just like you said, going back to my country."


    Li Yifei generously said, "If you want to go back home, go ahead, and if not, you can stay here as long as you want."


    Aoki Reiko stretched her arms again and said, "I think I should go back. I¡¯ve been away for a long time and my father must be worried, and there¡¯s a lot to deal with back home. I can¡¯t just abandon everything forever."


    "Hmm, since you¡¯ve decided that, I¡¯ll support you." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, why do I feel like you want me to leave soon? Do I annoy you that much?"


    "Not at all, I¡¯m a father too, and I can totally understand the concern for one¡¯s child. Besides, you are the sole heir to Aoki Group, it¡¯s not right for you to neglect your duties and let go of your company affairs. If I were your father, I¡¯d be beside myself with frustration."


    "Giggles, you guessed right, my father is really mad now, so I have decided to go back."


    Li Yifei finally felt at ease, knowing that once Aoki Reiko went back, chances of meeting again were slim.


    "Speaking of the company, I¡¯m really interested in your company now, our group has been thinking of going international for a while. Maybe when we meet again, it would be as business partners."


    "That¡¯s definitely no problem, I¡¯m happiest when there¡¯s money to be made." Yet she secretly fretted, thinking if she collaborated with Aoki Reiko, wouldn¡¯t that mean there would be more chances to meet? But with a business deal coming right to her door, she couldn¡¯t refuse it, and would have Xu Yingying handle the discussions when the time comes.


    Aoki Reiko was leaving, and that night, Li Yifei¡¯s house held a grand family banquet as a farewell for Aoki Reiko, which touched her deeply. She hadn¡¯t interacted much with Li Yifei, but had more interactions with Xiao Ling¡¯er and Su Mengxin, making it clear to her that their behavior was partly due to her status, but more importantly, it was about friendship.


    This kind of friendship was something Aoki Reiko seldom experienced back in her country. The reason was simple: being the only heir to Aoki Group and a future super-rich lady, when people befriended her, how many had no ulterior motives? Even if the friendship started with no purposes, over time, thoughts would emerge, contaminating the purity of the friendship.


    Moved, Aoki Reiko drank a lot of alcohol, eventually losing control, and ended up drinking too much.


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er helped Aoki Reiko back to her villa as she staggered slightly, though her mouth never stopped moving. Maybe because she had repressed her feelings for too long, the alcohol finally allowed her to vent.


    "Yingying, Xin¡¯er, do you think I¡¯m silly? I¡¯m really so silly. That Mu Fei stole our national secrets and used me as a shield, he¡¯s simply a villain, and yet I was still thinking about him, wanting to find him. Is there anyone else in the world as foolish as me?"


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er knew that Mu Fei was Li Yifei, and upon hearing this, they didn¡¯t know whether to cry or laugh. Xu Yingying said, "What¡¯s in the past is past. Since that guy is so bad, wouldn¡¯t it be better to forget him?"


    "Yes, I should forget him. Today, Feijun enlightened me, and I think he¡¯s right. Even if I found him, what could I do? That would only make me feel worse and more unsure."


    Ning Xin¡¯er said, "Exactly, seeing him wouldn¡¯t be better than not seeing him."


    Aoki Reiko shook her head emphatically and proclaimed, "Yes, not seeing him is better than seeing him. I won¡¯t think about him anymore."


    After a few steps, Aoki Reiko suddenly began to sob, murmuring, "But... I still think about him. He must have stolen the secrets as part of a mission, not of his own will. I know he¡¯s not a bad person. If it weren¡¯t for him, I would have been dead by now. Back then, he could have easily left me behind, but he chose to risk everything to save me. He even kissed me. I stripped down on the boat for him to see, but he didn¡¯t touch me. How could such a man be a bad person?"


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat puzzled. Li Yifei had come back and explained everything that happened, including Aoki Reiko¡¯s part, but he never mentioned the incident about Aoki Reiko stripping down.


    "Back then, although he seemed very fierce, claiming he was going to assault me, I know that he never intended to harm me. He just wanted me to hate him, just to make sure I didn¡¯t show any affection for him when faced with an investigation, to prevent dragging me into it, so that the police and military would think I was just a victim. I know all these, so I really don¡¯t hate him now. I like him. Yingying, Xin¡¯er, do you think I can find him? I really want to find him."


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Xu Yingying looked at each other in silence. These were things Li Yifei had indeed mentioned, and they thought he had handled things quite well. But who knew, Aoki Reiko had seen through it all, which meant her feelings for Mu Fei, who was actually Li Yifei, were not so easy to let go of.

 Chapter 1201 - 1249: The Conspiracy of Auditing Accounts

    Chapter 1201: Chapter 1249: The Conspiracy of Auditing AccountsAoki Reiko left the next day, and Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er also told Li Yifei about the drunken words spoken by Aoki Reiko. This left Li Yifei dumbfounded, as he had thought he had done quite well, but it turned out that this woman, Aoki Reiko, had managed to sense his intentions just by intuition, which was truly bizarre.


    "You stripped her clothes off, how could she not think about you?" Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a white look.


    Li Yifei gave a dry laugh and said, "At that time, I just wanted to make her hate me more, plus her clothes were too wet, she would have frozen if she kept wearing them, I had no ulterior motives."


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled lightly and said, "You might as well have done something then, she would have really hated you. But you stripped her clothes and did nothing, it would be strange if she didn¡¯t realize you were purposely scaring her."


    Xu Yingying looked at Ning Xin¡¯er and said, "That¡¯s right, it would have been better to just take her then and make her pregnant, and then she¡¯d never get over you."


    Ning Xin¡¯er laughed out loud and said, "Sister Yingying, don¡¯t be so harsh. Back then, I liked our husband, okay? It¡¯s just that my way of expressing it was different. But this time, our husband managed to make someone fall for him because he didn¡¯t ¡¯take her¡¯."


    Li Yifei also felt that this was probably his biggest oversight. If he hadn¡¯t acted that way back then, perhaps Aoki Reiko wouldn¡¯t have fallen for him so deeply.


    "Hold on, just because she likes me doesn¡¯t mean I have to take responsibility, right? If I had to take responsibility for everyone who liked me, wouldn¡¯t things become a mess?"


    Li Yifei suddenly thought of a problem and immediately felt more confident.


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Li Yifei, then both of them chuckled. Xu Yingying said, "It seems our husband has finally come to his senses."


    Ning Xin¡¯er also said, "Yes, our husband is now a celebrity, the chairman of the Li Group, young and wealthy, who knows how many women like him."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "You two are just reminding me, don¡¯t worry, I will definitely control myself now and won¡¯t be showing mercy everywhere."


    Xu Yingying said, "Good to know, but regarding Aoki Reiko, I feel that you will still have a hard time letting it go, after all, you bear some responsibility."


    Li Yifei knew that this was where the problem lay. He sighed and said, "But I can¡¯t say I am Mu Fei. As time goes by, I think Aoki Reiko will forget about it eventually. A non-existent person won¡¯t be in her thoughts forever."


    Now that Aoki Reiko¡¯s issue was settled for the time being, Li Yifei still worked hard for the prosperity of the Li family, one to make money and grow the company, and the other to expand the family¡¯s influence. Without these two, a great family would just be empty talk.


    Making money wasn¡¯t too difficult at the moment, Li Yifei had several high-quality projects in hand, each capable of making good money. The main thing was still the enhancement of influence. Currently, he could only protect himself. To talk about expansion, obviously, his strength was still insufficient.


    However, it¡¯s not that easy to recruit talent. Some have the abilities, but may not necessarily be loyal. Loyalty is the top criteria for Li Yifei when choosing people; without enough loyalty, he would rather give up.


    This might seem a bit extreme, but Li Yifei naturally had his own ideas. He didn¡¯t want to be like those old families; he wanted to establish a solid family system, and without loyalty, that would be unacceptable.


    He could attract many people with his wealth and make the family grow rapidly in a short period of time, but such a family wouldn¡¯t be stable and would entail many hidden risks. Li Yifei didn¡¯t want temporary strength, but to lay a solid foundation.


    But Li Yifei¡¯s biggest weakness was in the bureaucratic field. Although he had support from above and backing from several great families, none of them were his direct subordinates who would comply with his every command.


    This would make him less smooth in many matters compared to those big families. However, Li Yifei also reluctantly gave up on this point. The higher-ups already clearly disfavored greater family involvement in the bureaucracy, intending to break this malpractice. How could he touch this taboo, even if it made things more difficult? Li Yifei wanted to avoid this at all costs.


    Now, Li Yifei was facing such an issue related to the bureaucracy.


    These days, the Tax Bureau was auditing accounts.


    Normally, the Tax Bureau auditing accounts is a common affair. For large enterprises like Li Yifei¡¯s, the Tax Bureau comes to audit every year, and Li Yifei had never thought about doing anything underhanded in this regard. With good business management, he wasn¡¯t afraid of paying taxes. The more taxes he paid, the more it showed he was earning more.


    With He Fangqing as the financial director, the handling of finances was particularly serious. Unless there were some minor errors, there wouldn¡¯t be any major issues.


    However, this time the audit was different. It was the Audit Sub-bureau from the provincial Tax Bureau, not the local Tax Bureau, and they were exceptionally thorough in their checks; it was clear they were determined to find discrepancies no matter what.


    In the past few days, He Fangqing had been dealing with them, and she felt the pressure most acutely. When she met with Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, she was full of complaints.


    "These people are nitpicking, trying to dig deep into every minor issue. I¡¯ve never seen such an inspection before."


    Li Yifei was quite clear about these matters, perhaps even utterly ignorant, since he had only recently started managing the company and had never dealt with the Tax Bureau before. He asked, "Is there a difference?"


    "Of course, there¡¯s a difference. If we really had the suspicion of tax evasion, their thorough inspection would be normal. But our accounts are very clear; any reasonably technically proficient person could tell that our company pays taxes by the book. At first, I thought they wanted to get some benefits from us, but they strictly refused my invitation to dine, clearly aiming to find errors. However, our finances are like genuine gold in a fire; after all their efforts over the past few days, they have made no progress, and they look quite embarrassed." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Then they¡¯re deliberately finding faults."


    He Fangqing immediately said, "I think so too. It seems like someone is trying to target us."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and took a couple of drags, musing, "I think I know who is trying to target us."


    "Is it those big families from the province?" Xu Yingying quickly asked.


    Li Yifei nodded, "It should be those people Meng Xiaofei and I beat up last time. Only they are foolhardy enough to use such methods against me."


    Thinking of this, Li Yifei asked Meng Xiaofei for Zheng Yuyang¡¯s phone number to have him investigate Song Ziqiao and the others.


    It was originally a favor to ask of Zheng Yuyang, but he was delighted at the request and quickly called Zheng Yuhao. Zheng Yuhao was equally excited; a clan chief asking for their help made their intentions to establish connections very clear. They both immediately set out to inquire about the matter.


    Among Song Ziqiao¡¯s group, Song Ziqiao himself was somewhat tight-lipped, but for people like Sunx Kangping, who couldn¡¯t help bragging when they did something they were proud of, the affair had already been leaked. Zheng Yuhao found out it was indeed their doing through someone close to Sunx Kangping.


    Once Li Yifei confirmed this, he found the root of the issue, making a resolution much easier.


    In fact, Brother Hu could have easily handled this situation, but Li Yifei did not want to rely on Brother Hu too much for the time being, preferring that Brother Hu establish a solid foundation in the provincial capital first. He could also have asked the Ye family to investigate, which would have been just as convenient, but he did not choose them. Instead, he sought help from the Zheng Family, thus winning their support. In the power dynamics of the Eight Great Clans in the provincial capital, Li Yifei could not settle everything just with the Ye family, so naturally, he needed to win over a few other clans. The Zheng Family was now an excellent ally.


    If those scions of the great clans wanted to play games with them, then Li Yifei was willing to join in. Putting a few smaller players in their place could draw out bigger ones.


    The Audit Bureau personnel had been instructed to find problems with Li Yifei¡¯s company, but after several days, they had found nothing significant aside from a few minor issues that could not warrant any penalties or accusations of tax evasion, let alone shutting down Li Yifei¡¯s company.


    Their inability to find substantial problems, coupled with the persistent pressure from above, was causing them a great deal of stress.


    But suddenly, a turnaround occurred. The company started to seek connections everywhere, hoping to put a stop to the investigation, and the tax personnel promptly reported this development up the chain.


    Song Ziqiao was the one managing this issue, but the connections with the Tax Bureau were through the Sunx Family, led by Sunx Kangping. While he couldn¡¯t possibly wield the full power of the Sunx Family, he could utilize its influence to order Tax Bureau officials to inspect Li Yifei¡¯s company.


    Now that he knew Li Yifei¡¯s company was seeking intermediaries, he thought it was time for him to make a move and show off his clout. So he immediately rushed to Mile City, instructing the tax officials to accept Li Yifei¡¯s feast invitation, and then he planned to make a dramatic appearance, put on a show of force, and thoroughly humiliate Li Yifei.


    Just thinking of the scene, Sunx Kangping felt an indescribable thrill. He loved to put people down, especially in such a way that he felt like a protagonist from a novel.


    "Damn it, Li Yifei, you bastard, you dared to smash my car, dared to hit me, this time I will make sure you kneel and beg me. And even if you do kneel and beg, I won¡¯t let you off. Thinking you¡¯re something special just because you have some money, trying to act tough in front of me? This time, I¡¯ll make sure your face is slapped red."

 Chapter 1202 - 1250: Didn’t Install Properly

    Chapter 1202: Chapter 1250: Didn¡¯t Install ProperlyIn a large hotel in Mile City, Li Yifei was treating these tax officers to a meal. The dishes were exquisite, and the wine was fine. Whenever they came out to audit, they were always wined and dined. This time, they had been holding back from accepting any invitations because they had a different agenda. But now they finally let themselves relax, and they were getting quite smug from the drinks.


    Li Yifei picked up his glass and said, "Leaders, I¡¯m really counting on your support with this matter. As you know, these constant audits really do affect our company¡¯s operations. Please show us some leniency, and I promise you won¡¯t have been busy for nothing."


    The leader of the group, the head of the audit division named Dong Tao, also picked up his glass and responded, "Chairman Li, we¡¯re just following orders, you have to understand our position."


    "Chief Dong, I understand, I do. We should all understand each other. You¡¯ve all worked so hard these past days, it really hasn¡¯t been easy. Here¡¯s a little something for you to buy some gifts for your families back home. It¡¯s not good to return from a business trip empty-handed. The family wouldn¡¯t be happy, right?"


    Su Yiyi immediately handed each of the seven audit officers a small paper bag. Inside each bag was just one thing: cash. Each bag contained twenty thousand yuan, while Chief Dong¡¯s contained an extra amount¡ªforty thousand yuan in total.


    These men unashamedly accepted the money. Chief Dong laughed and said, "Chairman Li, you really are too kind." Young Master Sunx Kangping had already instructed them that they could agree to any request from Li Yifei and accept anything he gave without hesitation.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Of course, what I like most is making friends. We¡¯ll have more opportunities to meet in the future, so don¡¯t be shy with me."


    Dong Tao immediately said, "Alright, then we¡¯ll consider this matter settled. We¡¯ll write up a report tomorrow and close this case."


    "Thank you, Chief Dong, come on, let¡¯s drink." Li Yifei beamed as he lifted his glass, clearly very pleased with the outcome.


    Just then, the private room¡¯s door was suddenly pushed open, and Sunx Kangping walked in, saying, "Oh, what a coincidence, Chief Dong, what are you doing here?"


    Chief Dong swiftly stood up, "Isn¡¯t that Young Master Sunx? I¡¯m here to finalize a case, and since we¡¯re about done, we all decided to have a meal together."


    "Really? And whose case are you checking?" Sunx Kangping already saw Li Yifei but pretended he hadn¡¯t.


    Chief Dong, keeping a straight face, replied, "Li Group."


    Then Sunx Kangping turned to look at Li Yifei, and as though he was seeing him for the first time, said, "Oh, it¡¯s you... Turns out there¡¯s no place to hide, and I didn¡¯t even have to make an effort to find you. I was actually looking for you."


    At this moment, Li Yifei found it all quite ridiculous. Sunx Kangping¡¯s acting skills were simply too poor. Speaking leisurely, he said, "Oh, it¡¯s you. What brings you here?"


    "I wasn¡¯t planning on doing anything, but now that I¡¯ve seen you, I¡¯m suddenly in the mood to do something, Chief Dong!" Sunx Kangping¡¯s face darkened, and he called out sternly.


    "Young Master Sunx, what is it?" The chief immediately asked with respect.


    With a pretentious air, Sunx Kangping declared, "I think there¡¯s no need to close this case so soon. Best give it a thorough review. Nowadays, a lot of people are getting rich through tax evasion. Such enterprises shouldn¡¯t be indulged."


    Chief Dong quickly agreed, "Of course, we will re-examine it carefully. Chairman Li, sorry about this, but we can¡¯t close this case yet."


    The two of them played off each other while Sunx Kangping was waiting to see Li Yifei¡¯s frustrated and annoyed expression. He planned to ridicule Li Yifei, thinking he had secured his facade, but Li Yifei wasn¡¯t as angry as Sunx expected, maintaining a calm smile instead.


    This immediately annoyed Sunx Kangping, who glared at Li Yifei and shouted, "Did you hear that? We can¡¯t close the case. The investigation will continue until your company is driven into the ground."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "It¡¯s a shame, coming from a major clan like yours, for you to be so na?ve and childish. Do you really think with what little ability you have, you can take me down? Do you think someone as insignificant as you can even compete with me?"


    Enraged by Li Yifei¡¯s words, Sunx Kangping yelled, "Fuck, stop acting all high and mighty. I¡¯m going to investigate you now. What can you possibly do about it?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "No wonder you¡¯re only fit to be a playboy and not truly valued by your family. You don¡¯t even know the extent of your own abilities."


    "Stop talking crap. I¡¯m going to have them investigate you, and they¡¯ll do exactly that, no matter what you say."


    Li Yifei turned and signaled to Su Yiyi, who immediately pulled out her phone from her bag, pressed a few buttons, and the voices of a few people began to play from the device.


    "This damned job isn¡¯t easy. There¡¯s clearly nothing wrong, but we¡¯re forced to find problems. Chief, what¡¯s really going on with this case?"


    "You¡¯re told to investigate, so do it thoroughly. Someone powerful wants this company taken down. They are way out of our league."


    "But this leaves us unable to start anywhere."


    "Then we investigate hard. We¡¯ll just have to endure. As we drag it out, they won¡¯t be able to operate normally. Sooner or later, they¡¯ll crack."


    At this moment, Dong Tao and his associates¡¯ faces changed color. It was their recorded conversation, and somehow, Li Yifei had managed to record it. Although the recording might not serve as the most direct evidence, if this matter was reported higher up, they would undoubtedly be investigated, and that would be a big problem, potentially even putting their jobs at risk.


    After letting Su Yiyi finish playing the recording, Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "Chief Dong, I forgot to tell you something. There are cameras in this room, and your acceptance of the money was recorded. I don¡¯t mind uploading this to the internet right away. You are well aware of the consequences."


    Dong Tao was of course aware. If the video were to be posted online, the current public hatred toward corruption would propel it to the top of the trending topics. Journalists and the Discipline Inspection Commission would immediately follow up, and their lives would be over.


    This made him break out in a cold sweat instantly as he pleaded, "Chairman Li, please be merciful. When the Great Powers fight, please don¡¯t strike at the small fries like us. Young Master Sunx, you see, we really are powerless in this matter; please let us go."


    "Fuck, what are you afraid of? With me here, it¡¯s a trivial matter. Go ahead and do your investigation."


    Dong Tao said with a bitter face, "Young Master Sunx, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust your ability, but if this gets out on the internet now, the Discipline Inspection Commission will come down to investigate, and no one can save us. I beg you, please let us go, we really don¡¯t want to become sacrifices."


    Even though Sunx Kangping was usually brash, the Discipline Inspection Commission had been quite active recently. Even the top leaders had been swiftly dealt with. The Sunx family had already warned them not to be too arrogant in their conduct to avoid trouble, as even the family wouldn¡¯t be able to protect them.


    So, he was very clear that if this matter was reported, there was no way he could save Dong Tao, and Dong Tao was certainly aware of this. No matter what he said, Dong Tao wouldn¡¯t dare follow him anymore.


    At this time, Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Chief Dong, I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. I just don¡¯t want any trouble. Let¡¯s just leave it at that. Take the money and go, and in the future, we can be friends."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei say this, Dong Tao felt like he had been granted amnesty and promptly said, "Thank you, Chairman Li, for your generous forgiveness. If we took your money, we really wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night. We¡¯ll leave right now, this..." He said, looking at Su Yiyi.


    Li Yifei gave a small smile and said, "Rest assured, when Li Yifei says something, he means it. I¡¯ll delete the video and the recording right away."


    "Thank you, Chairman Li. Then we¡¯ll take our leave." After saying this, Dong Tao hurriedly left with his six men. As for the small paper bag, none of them dared to touch it as long as they weren¡¯t seeking death.


    Sunx Kangping felt very uneasy at this point and immediately wanted to slip away. Li Yifei was known for being violent, and it was risky for him to be here now.


    "Young Master Sunx, thinking of leaving?" Li Yifei said indifferently, as two men suddenly appeared at the door, blocking Sunx Kangping¡¯s way.


    "What... what do you want to do?" Sunx Kangping quickly turned to look at Li Yifei, his voice clearly lacking confidence.


    Li Yifei looked at Sunx Kangping and said, "You should consider the consequences of your actions." Then he picked up his phone and dialed a number.


    "Who might this be?" came an old voice from the other end. It was Clan Leader Sunx Fugui.


    "Clan Leader Sunx, this is Li Yifei from Mile City."


    Hearing this address, Sunx Kangping¡¯s face turned pale with fright. He did indeed rely on his family¡¯s power to misbehave, but he genuinely feared this strict grandfather. If his grandfather found out what he had done, he¡¯d definitely be scolded and possibly even put under house arrest upon returning. He would rather take a beating from Li Yifei than be punished by his grandfather. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now there was nothing he could do to prevent it, and he stood there trembling, not knowing what to do.


    "Li Yifei? What do you want with me?" Clan Leader Sunx Fugui obviously knew who Li Yifei was and asked immediately.


    Li Yifei said calmly, "Clan Leader Sunx, there¡¯s a young man named Sunx Kangping who¡¯s come to Cause Trouble in Mile City and is now in my hands."


    Clan Leader Sunx Fugui¡¯s tone was rather calm, "Li Yifei, why bother with a child¡¯s antics? It¡¯s beneath you."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I agree, but as a member of a prominent family has come to provoke me, if I didn¡¯t address it, it would seem as if the Li family is too easily bullied. Don¡¯t you think so, Clan Leader Sunx?"


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t really want to do anything severe to Sunx Kangping, a pampered son like him, but since the man had come right to his door, if he didn¡¯t knock on this bamboozle, it would seem far too rude of himself.

 Chapter 1203 - 1251: Strike a Hard Bargain

    Chapter 1203: Chapter 1251: Strike a Hard BargainFamily feuds have persisted for so many years in Huaxia, and naturally, friction between them is inevitable unless they are in a state of complete hostility with no reservations. General friction is carefully considered, especially concerning status and seniority.


    If a junior simply disrespects their elder, it can be overlooked, but for a junior to actively seek trouble with an elder, and that elder is a clan chief, it¡¯s considered highly inappropriate.


    Even if Li Yifei were to severely deal with Sunx Kangping now, as long as he spares enough face for the Sunx family, they could either start a war with Li Yifei or they would have to accept it.


    Now, Li Yifei hasn¡¯t done that, and instead he¡¯s negotiating with Sunx Fugui, which is already giving face to the Sunx family.


    Although the Li family is a new family, Sunx Fugui might not think they qualify to be on equal standing with his family, but Li Yifei is ultimately right. If they go too far, they will certainly be criticized by other families.


    "So what does Clan Leader Li request?" Sunx Fugui cut straight to the point without wasting words.


    Li Yifei gave a light smile and said, "Clan Leader Sunx, I¡¯m just a newly established small family, and cannot compare to your grand Sunx family."


    These words made Sunx Fugui feel good, showing a sense of junior¡¯s propriety which prompted him to gladly say, "Clan Leader Li, since you¡¯ve established a family, there must be something extraordinary about it. It¡¯s not impossible for your Li family to become a great family like ours. Tell me your demands."


    A faint smile curled the corners of Li Yifei¡¯s mouth, which made Sunx Kangping feel a bit uneasy. Li Yifei¡¯s tone was polite, but his expression looked like a cat playing with a mouse.


    "Clan Leader Sunx speaks frankly, so I won¡¯t be shy. I know your Sunx family is big and prosperous, and whatever you can spare is something our Li family could only wish for."


    Listening to Li Yifei compliment him, Sunx Fugui felt even more pleased and said, "There¡¯s no need for such talk, just say it."


    "Alright, then I want one of your iron mines in Liao City."


    "What?" Sunx Fugui suddenly roared. He had expected that with all the compliments from Li Yifei, the demands wouldn¡¯t be too high, but to his surprise, Li Yifei boldly asked for one of their iron mines.


    The mine is a high-quality deposit, worth hundreds of millions considering the current price of iron ore and the reserves explored. Such a demand for a minor friction is too high.


    After a furious roar, Sunx Fugui quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "Clan Leader Li, it seems I¡¯ve underestimated you, your appetite really isn¡¯t small, is it?"


    Li Yifei immediately responded, "Clan Leader Sunx, you put it as if an iron mine is nothing to your family."


    Sunx Fugui snorted coldly and said, "Then you should know the value of the ores in that mine are worth hundreds of millions, right?"


    "The value can¡¯t be calculated like that. Although there¡¯s so much value in that iron ore, it¡¯s impossible to mine and sell all at once. It takes several years of mining. On average, it¡¯s just tens of millions per year, and after deducting various mining costs, the yearly profit is about a million, roughly it totals no more than ten million. Clan Leader Sunx, if someone from my Li family tried to scheme against you, and we offered you ten million, would you be pleased? If so, I could talk to other families about this."


    "Are you threatening me?" Sunx Fugui¡¯s voice was low, filled with anger.


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone remained calm as he replied, "Clan Leader Sunx, I¡¯m just reasoning with you." His tone then became sharp as he continued, "As the Patriarch of the Li family, even if my family isn¡¯t as powerful as yours now, the dignity of a clan chief cannot be violated. A junior coming here to show off and disrespect me, is this how the Sunx family teaches their descendants?"


    Without waiting for Sunx Fugui to speak, Li Yifei went on, "I intended to keep the peace and not embarrass your family, but if Clan Leader Sunx insists on not seeking reconciliation, I wouldn¡¯t mind making another trip to the provincial city to discuss this matter with all the major families and let them judge."


    Suddenly, Sunx Fugui laughed heartily, "Clan Leader Li, you really are skilled. It seems in our province among the great families, your Li family truly has a place."


    "Clan Leader, what you say is not right. I, Li Yifei, only wish to secure a good life for my family and not compete for anything. As long as no one provokes me, I won¡¯t provoke others. Being able to lead a comfortable small life in Mile City is already enough for me."


    Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t fall into that trap. If Sunx Fugui wanted other major families to guard against him, he would keep a low profile. We¡¯re just discussing the facts; if you don¡¯t provoke me, I have no such great ambitions."


    Sunx Fugui snorted coldly, "Fine, I agree."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile, "Clan Leader Sunx really speaks quickly and decisively. I certainly won¡¯t make things difficult for Sunx Kangping."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei squinted at Sunx Kangping and said, "You can go now."


    Sunx Kangping, knowing that Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t do anything to him at this moment, glared at him hatefully and said, "You¡¯re ruthless, but I won¡¯t just let this go."


    "Hmm, I welcome you to come again next time." Li Yifei answered with a smile.


    Sunx Kangping¡¯s face darkened. If he comes again next time, wouldn¡¯t that mean handing over money to Li Yifei again? Moreover, he still doesn¡¯t know how his grandfather will deal with him this time. He hates Li Yifei the most, but now it was Li Yifei who told his grandfather about this matter.


    "Then get lost already!" Li Yifei suddenly snorted coldly.


    Sunx Kangping shivered and hurriedly scurried away. If he caused any trouble at this time, and let Li Yifei catch any faults again to tell his grandfather, his situation would be even worse.


    "You¡¯ve earned another iron mine this time, you really know how to drive a hard bargain," Su Yiyi chuckled at this moment. That iron mine wasn¡¯t as worthless as Li Yifei had calculated it to be. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary mine; the ordinary iron mines produce ore with an iron content of just over thirty percent, but an ore-rich mine like this has an iron content of over sixty percent. Without preliminary sorting, it can directly be ground and used for steelmaking, the costs aren¡¯t that high at all. With proper management, making two or three hundred million a year is no problem.


    Li Yifei wrapped his arm around Su Yiyi¡¯s waist and gently kissed her face, saying, "Only a fool wouldn¡¯t drive a hard bargain when he can."


    Su Yiyi blushed and giggled, saying: "Stop it, there are others here." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "They didn¡¯t see anything."


    At the doorway, the two men immediately chuckled and turned their heads away. They were experts recruited by Li Yifei. Although they genuinely respected Li Yifei, they weren¡¯t completely afraid of him. This incident could also add some gossip to share back with their mates.


    Although this deal was only agreed verbally, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t worried at all. Clan leaders like Sunx Fugui, when they said something, it was as firm as nails on a board; they absolutely wouldn¡¯t renege on their word, otherwise, the prestige of a clan leader of a major family would be gone.


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi immediately returned to their company and called Xu Yingying and He Fangqing over to recount the event.


    The tax officials had left, and He Fangqing also breathed a sigh of relief. These few days, being scrutinized by these people really upset her. It would have been one thing if the company¡¯s finances had issues, like tax evasion or fraud, but there was no problem at all, yet they still insisted on finding something wrong. For her, the financial director, that was the most annoying thing.


    But because of this incident, getting an iron mine for nothing made He Fangqing finally feel relieved, and a happy smile appeared on her face.


    Li Yifei held He Fangqing around her waist and said, "My dear Fangqing, you feel better now, don¡¯t you?"


    He Fangqing nodded again and again and said, "Yes, I feel better, thank you, hubby." Then she kissed Li Yifei on the face.


    Because of being blackmailed by her ex-husband last time, He Fangqing still had this knot in her heart, and even though she still appeared very normal on the surface, Li Yifei could still feel her hidden insecurity.


    Previously, He Fangqing didn¡¯t have such feelings of inferiority, but now it¡¯s difficult to get rid of them quickly. Li Yifei understood, so he never brought it up again. Such psychological knots couldn¡¯t be untied just by persuasions; it had to be resolved gradually through practical actions and time.


    This time, He Fangqing¡¯s smile was completely genuine because she had been focusing all her attention on the finance issue these days. Now relaxing, she naturally became like her old self again.


    Li Yifei chuckled hehe, holding He Fangqing and said jokingly, "Don¡¯t tempt me, I might not be able to hold back."


    "You aren¡¯t that weak-willed, are you?" Xu Yingying immediately joked with Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi also laughed and said: "Right, you can¡¯t even handle a kiss from Sister Fangqing?"


    All of a sudden, Li Yifei lifted He Fangqing onto his lap, his hand starting to misbehave, and said, "You really got it right, I¡¯m indeed a bit overwhelmed."


    "You¡¯re not seriously thinking of straightening things out with Fangqing right here in the office, are you?" Xu Yingying winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Fangqing is the typical office beauty, doing it in the office just adds more flavor."


    He Fangqing said somewhat flustered, "Stop it, someone might come soon."


    "Who¡¯s coming? It¡¯s noon now, the perfect time for a break," Li Yifei declared, lifting He Fangqing up and heading towards the suite, which indeed had a bed.


    Just then, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang, He Fangqing suddenly chuckled and said, "See, I told you someone would come."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just take the call and then continue."


    But as soon as the phone call connected, hearing the words spoken from the other side, Li Yifei¡¯s face immediately fell.

 Chapter 1204 - 1252 Sun Kangping is Killed

    Chapter 1204: Chapter 1252 Sun Kangping is Killed"What happened?" He Fangqing asked anxiously right after Li Yifei hung up the phone.


    Xu Yingying and Su Yiyi also followed, looking at Li Yifei with puzzled eyes.


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Sunx Kangping was killed by someone."


    "What?" The three of them exclaimed in shock.


    Now, it has been just over half an hour since Li Yifei left Sunx Kangping. With Sunx Kangping being killed in Mile City right after leaving Li Yifei, the Li family had a responsibility.


    Not only had the negotiations about the iron mine with Sunx Fugui fallen through, but the Sunx family would likely place this responsibility on the Li family and come to settle accounts with them later on.


    Right now, the Li family could not afford a direct major conflict with another major family, even one at the provincial level ¨C it would definitely be a major trouble for the Li family.


    This was not like the previous conflicts with the big families in the Capital City; those were minor skirmishes, mere disputes among third-generation members, without the whole families getting involved. The most important factor was, back then, Li Yifei was alone, without any need for caution. Now, with his entire family here, a fight would involve too many complications.


    Li Yifei put down He Fangqing, took out his phone, and dialed Sunx Fugui¡¯s number; he had to take the initiative at this moment.


    "Clan Leader Li, what is it now?" Sunx Fugui asked coolly.


    "Clan Leader Sunx, I have some unfortunate news, Sunx Kangping has been murdered."


    Sunx Fugui immediately shouted angrily, "Clan Leader Li, what do you mean by this?"


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "Clan Leader Sunx, I¡¯m not sure about the details either. I only know that after he left me, he was killed right in the streets. I will immediately send someone to thoroughly investigate this and give you an explanation."


    "Li Yifei... Do you take me for a three-year-old? Does Kangping have any other enemies in Mile City? Killed on the street, do you think he was just that unlucky?"


    "Clan Leader Sunx, please don¡¯t be angry yet. I wouldn¡¯t kill him over such a trivial matter, especially since if he had returned, I would have gained an iron mine. Killing him, what benefit would it bring me?"


    As a clan chief like Sunx Fugui, who is definitely no ordinary person, he slightly calmed down, sensing there was something odd about the situation. However, the responsibility for this would undoubtedly fall on Li Yifei. He snorted coldly, "Clan Leader Li, I hope you can explain this matter to me, otherwise, I will also speak to other major families about this."


    Li Yifei hung up the phone and couldn¡¯t help but bitterly smile again. This really was instant karma ¨C he had just used Sunx Kangping to pressure Sunx Fugui, and now Sunx Fugui was immediately using Sunx Kangping to pressure him. With the current situation being not in his favor, all he could do was to thoroughly investigate the matter first.


    Ten minutes later, Li Yifei arrived at the scene of the incident. By then, the police had already cordoned off the area, with police tape everywhere. Sunx Kangping¡¯s body was still lying on the sidewalk, not moved because he had been killed instantly. The police were waiting to deal with it.


    Lin Qiong was also there, and Li Yifei called her over, asking, "How is the situation?"


    Lin Qiong, knowing who Sunx Kangping was, frowned and said, "The murderer was very decisive, stabbing directly into the heart; the victim died instantly without even screaming. Then the killer immediately left, and it wasn¡¯t until the victim fell that the nearby people realized a murder had occurred. No one saw what happened exactly, and there were no cameras here, the choice of the crime scene was very precise, likely the work of either a professional assassin or an expert."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows and said, "It looks like this is targeting us."


    "Exactly, you were just with him at noon, and now you also have to be investigated," Lin Qiong glanced at Li Yifei somewhat reproachfully. If it had been before, she might have suspected that Li Yifei could have been behind it, but now she definitely wouldn¡¯t suspect him. If it really had been Li, he would have told her directly."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "My wife is investigating this case, of course, I¡¯ll cooperate with the inquiry."


    Lin Qiong replied irritably, "You¡¯re still in the mood to joke, the consequences of this are very serious."


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile remained, saying, "Should I look worried and anxious just because it¡¯s a difficult situation? Whatever happens, we deal with it, right? Since someone wants to use this incident against me, I¡¯ll find the person and deal with him harshly."


    "I will also intensify the investigation on my end, but from the current situation, it seems really hard to make any progress. Remember, if you make any progress there, you must tell me and not act on your own since this has already become a police case."


    "Heh, don¡¯t worry, this is a chance for my wife to shine, why would I not support it?" he replied.


    "Cut it out, I don¡¯t need your help to make achievements. I just want to catch all these criminals and have them receive the punishment they deserve," she responded.


    "Humph, stop kissing up to me."


    Li Yifei whispered in Lin Qiong¡¯s ear: "Then I¡¯ll smack your real butt tonight."


    "Go to hell!" Lin Qiong hurriedly pushed Li Yifei away, her face blushing, and she stealthily glanced around only to see two colleagues staring at her with rather strange expressions on their faces.


    The relationship between Lin Qiong and Li Yifei was known only to a few leaders in the city besides themselves. In the Public Security System, only Director Ning Changzheng was aware of what was going on. Ordinary police officers seeing Lin Qiong, a dignified director, chatting intimately with a man would naturally speculate.


    Actually, as the director, Lin Qiong didn¡¯t really need to attend such on-site investigations. She just happened to be passing by today and rushed over immediately upon hearing about a homicide. Her personal involvement in the case made sure that none of the officers dared to slack off.


    Li Yifei joked with Lin Qiong a few more times, saying, "Let me take a look at his injuries." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong hesitated as this was against the rules, but she nodded and said, "Wait until the body is loaded onto the vehicle before you look; otherwise, it¡¯s not proper, and it wouldn¡¯t be good for the public to see."


    Li Yifei nodded without insisting too much, not wanting to put his wife in a difficult position.


    After finishing the on-site investigation, Sunx Kangping¡¯s body was covered with a white cloth and loaded onto the vehicle, and both Li Yifei and Lin Qiong followed onto the car. Although the two police officers on the vehicle did not understand the situation, they didn¡¯t question further since the director was getting on the car.


    Li Yifei pulled back the white cloth and saw Sunx Kangping¡¯s face, which was not showing much pain but rather a look of confusion and bewilderment. This made Li Yifei realize that the stab was incredibly precise, so much so that Sunx Kangping didn¡¯t even feel the pain of being stabbed; only a truly skilled assassin could achieve this, not an ordinary one.


    Pulling further down, Li Yifei saw Sunx Kangping¡¯s chest, soaked in blood, with only a tiny slit at the clothing over the heart. He slightly opened the slit to reveal the wound beneath.


    The wound was thin and long, almost like a thread; it was the first time Li Yifei had ever seen such a cut.


    "How is it?" Lin Qiong asked.


    Li Yifei frowned and said, "It must have been stabbed with an extremely sharp and incredibly slender blade. We need to check later if there¡¯s any foreign object left inside."


    Lin Qiong nodded and didn¡¯t ask further as the postmortem examinations would be handled by the relevant personnel.


    Having checked the body, Li Yifei got off the car as there was no need for him to stay any longer.


    Li Yifei got home and found Sophia, asking, "What¡¯s the thinnest flying dagger you use?"


    Sophia immediately took out her thinnest flying dagger, which was more like a small blade. Li Yifei fiddled with the blade and then casually threw it, embedding it into a nearby tree trunk.


    After examining it carefully on the tree trunk, Li Yifei asked Sophia, "Aside from you, do you know anyone else who uses this kind of flying dagger?"


    "Yes, I know someone else who uses such flying daggers. His name is Neilson. His flying dagger skills were slightly better than mine before, but now I can definitely beat him." Sophia said with great confidence. Recently, with Li Yifei, he taught her true True Qi, which was even more advanced than what Li Yifei had learned previously from high-level masters like Murong Yuanqing, marking a tremendous improvement.


    "What about other weapons as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing; is there anyone else who uses those?"


    Sophia shook her head, "I don¡¯t know about that."


    Li Yifei nodded, "Was Neilson also an assassin then?"


    "Yes, but he has always been very low-profile, almost no one knows who he is. I only know him by this name, but I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s his real name."


    "Then it seems quite possible that he might be involved in this." Li Yifei said quietly.


    Sophia immediately said, "Master, has he come to Mile City?"


    Li Yifei briefed Sophia about how Sunx Kangping was killed, and Sophia¡¯s eyes lit up, "Master, it could really be that Neilson has come. Let me deal with him."


    Li Yifei nodded, "If it¡¯s him, then it¡¯s naturally not a problem, but we need to investigate this quickly. I still owe the Sunx family an explanation."


    "Master, don¡¯t worry, I will clear things up very quickly." Sophia was extremely excited; defeating Neilson again would be the best demonstration of her enhanced skills.

 Chapter 1205 - 1253: Arrogant Woman

    Chapter 1205: Chapter 1253: Arrogant WomanIt was past four in the afternoon when the Sunx family arrived at Mile City. Aside from the parents of Sunx Kangping, a few of the Sunx family¡¯s experts also came along, although the Sunx clan chief did not make the trip.


    However, this put immense pressure on the police force of Mile City. Ning Changzheng, the Sub-bureau Chief, personally received Sunx Kangping¡¯s parents, with Lin Qiong, the officer in charge of the case, also accompanying them.


    Sunx Mingli, the father of Sunx Kangping, is a Hall-level cadre from the province. Normally, when such a leader visits Mile City, the main leaders of the relevant departments in Mile City must all come out to welcome him. Although this time it was for a private matter, his position itself, as well as the powerful support of the Sunx family, made Ning Changzheng dare not show the slightest neglect.


    In the hotel room, Ning Changzheng said, "Director Sunx, regarding the tragic demise of your son in Mile City, we will devote our full effort to the investigation and apprehend the culprit as quickly as possible."


    Sunx Kangping¡¯s mother, Ma Dongxiang, is a slightly plump middle-aged woman who appears younger than her years due to good care. At this moment, with her face streaked with tears, one can imagine what kind of mother she might be, having doted on her only son from a young age.


    "What are you Mile City police good for? My son comes to your Mile City, and you just let him get killed here. Are you all useless? Now you think of catching people, what were you doing before? Couldn¡¯t you have caught those murderers earlier?"


    Ning Changzheng furrowed his brow and said, "Mrs. Sunx, indeed there has been a dereliction of duty on the part of our Mile City police force, but from what we¡¯ve seen at the crime scene, this was definitely a premeditated murder. The perpetrator is clearly no ordinary person and is very likely a professional killer. We also ask for your cooperation to know whom the victim had recently been in contact with or had conflicts with. This will allow us to investigate more specifically and hopefully find the murderer of your son sooner."


    Ma Dongxiang slammed the table in anger and said, "Even if it¡¯s a professional killer, does that give them the right to kill? My son has always been in the provincial capital for many years without encountering any troubles. How come something happened the moment he arrived in your Mile City? Are you trying to evade responsibility?"


    Hearing this woman¡¯s unreasonable complaints, Lin Qiong also frowned internally. While it was normal for the family of a victim to be emotionally out of control, it was her first time encountering a family member so persistently blaming the police force instead of pleading for a speedy investigation.


    "Mrs. Sunx, we admit that our Mile City police force is responsible, but the most important thing now is to apprehend the culprit as soon as possible."


    "I just want my son back, return my son¡¯s life to me, my son..."


    Seeing Ma Dongxiang completely uncooperative, Lin Qiong said to Sunx Mingli, "Director Sunx, we hope you can provide us with some clues."


    Director Sunx looked at Lin Qiong and said coldly, "The incident involving my son happened in Mile City, which is definitely related to the people he came into contact with here. As for whom our son met when he came to Mile City, we were not informed."


    Lin Qiong said, "According to my preliminary investigation, Sunx Kangping came to Mile City due to conflicts with Li Yifei. As a result, he mobilized colleagues from the provincial Tax Bureau¡¯s inspection division to audit the accounts of Li Yifei¡¯s company. Indeed, he met with Li Yifei at noon today. Following that, Li Yifei spoke with your Sunx¡¯s clan chief over the phone and settled some matters. I assume, Director Sunx, you must be aware of all this?"


    Sunx Mingli looked at Lin Qiong again. Even if Lin Qiong had previously investigated Li Yifei, as a clan chief, Li Yifei could not disclose such details to a police officer. Speaking in a grave voice, he said, "How come you¡¯re so well-informed about all this?"


    Lin Qiong, with a calm demeanor, replied, "In order to find the murderer, I must thoroughly investigate all matters related to the case."


    Suddenly, Ma Dongxiang shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? My son came here just for fun. My son is already dead, and now you¡¯re trying to pin this on him. What do you mean by that?"


    Lin Qiong said sternly, "I am simply stating the facts, and I need to analyze whether Li Yifei had the motive to harm your son. If there¡¯s anything we don¡¯t know that you won¡¯t tell us, how can we continue our investigation?"


    Ma Dongxiang¡¯s voice rose sharply, "What¡¯s there to investigate? It was Li Yifei who killed him. Arrest him immediately and execute him by firing squad!"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s expression turned grave as she said, "Our police department operates based on evidence, not on accusations about who the killer might be."


    Ma Dongxiang stood up with a threatening air, "Who else could it be but him? He had a conflict with my son beforehand. Without him, why would my son bother coming to this unfortunate place of Mile City? Will you arrest him or not? Are you going to arrest him?"


    Lin Qiong said coldly, "Our police force is not your private guard. We can¡¯t arrest whoever you want without proper evidence."


    Ma Dongxiang was even more infuriated and exclaimed: "Who do you think you are? There¡¯s no police that dares to disobey our Sunx family when we want someone captured."


    Seeing that Lin Qiong¡¯s complexion also changed, Ning Changzheng inwardly cursed at the bad turn of events and hurriedly said: "Lin Qiong, don¡¯t be impulsive. Director Sunx, we have already investigated this matter. It truly has nothing to do with Li Yifei, which is why I came to understand the situation with you. We can¡¯t let the enemy be satisfied while causing pain to our own. We must catch the real culprit to comfort the spirit of the victim in heaven."


    Ma Dongxiang stepped up to Lin Qiong¡¯s face and roared loudly: "What bullshit investigation? You damn girl, are you arresting someone or not? If you don¡¯t arrest anyone, you might as well quit your job as the chief."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face turned cold, her gaze met Ma Dongxiang¡¯s without yielding and she said: "I became the chief because of my merits. I am the people¡¯s police, not the Sunx family¡¯s police. It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether I stay or leave my post."


    Ning Changzheng¡¯s face flushed with color, deeply moved by Lin Qiong¡¯s words. Such words he had often proclaimed in major meetings, but he never really took them to heart. But now, as Lin Qiong said them, those words were imbued with their true meaning.


    With a stern look, Ning Changzheng straightened his back and said: "Director Sunx, we understand the feelings of a family member. Director Lin is one of the most capable police officers in Mile City. In just two years on the police force, she has solved numerous major cases. There hasn¡¯t been a case she couldn¡¯t crack. As the lead officer on this case, I also believe she will definitely solve it and give an explanation to the family."


    Ma Dongxiang was even more irritated now. Usually so imperious, she could not tolerate Lin Qiong¡¯s defiance and immediately turned to Ning Changzheng, flinging her arm and saying: "No need, I don¡¯t need her to handle my son¡¯s case. And as I said, she doesn¡¯t need to be chief anymore, so she won¡¯t be. If you, Director Ning, want to protect her, well, I¡¯d like to see if you can really keep her safe."


    Ning Changzheng was also afraid that Lin Qiong would only escalate the situation further. Before Lin Qiong could speak, he hurriedly said: "Director Ma, let¡¯s not talk about who will handle the case for now. But if you want to solve it, you will still need to cooperate with me first. Little Lin, why don¡¯t you step out for a moment?"


    Lin Qiong took a deep breath, then turned and walked out with firm steps, her heart filled with indescribable grievance.


    Leaving the room, Lin Qiong headed directly to the stairway corridor, where no one else was around. She took out her phone and called Li Yifei.


    "Husband, do you think our Li family will ever become bullish and arrogant, will we also nurture any spoiled progeny?"


    Li Yifei had just answered the call when he heard Lin Qiong¡¯s out-of-the-blue question, and immediately asked: "Qiongqiong, did something happen?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong stubbornly replied: "Just answer me."


    Li Yifei pondered for a moment and said: "I haven¡¯t really thought too much about this before. I just wanted to be good to the children, to allow them to have a better life. But now, I feel that for children, one absolutely cannot be overly indulgent. If they all turn out like Sunx Kangping, then they are only going to be a scourge to society. The more I do for them, the greater their capacity to harm becomes, so I will properly educate all the children of our Li family."


    "Phew..." Lin Qiong let out a sigh of relief and said: "If we really ended up raising children like that, I would be very upset."


    "Silly girl, children are shaped through upbringing. If you spoil them, allowing them to do whatever they want from a young age, then they will certainly become spoiled brats as they grow up. But with proper education from the start, they might not achieve greatness, but they definitely won¡¯t become a blight on society."


    "Alright, I understand."


    "Can you now tell me what exactly happened?" Li Yifei asked softly.


    Lin Qiong recounted the recent incident, and after Li Yifei listened quietly to the end, he said: "Wife, actually, I suggest you also stay out of it. After all, with our relationship as it is, even if the average person doesn¡¯t know, families like the Sunx family could easily find out with an investigation. Then if you continue to handle this case, they will make a big fuss about it. No matter how you handle it, no matter how fair, you will inevitably be suspected of bias in the end."


    Lin Qiong nodded and said: "You¡¯re right; I won¡¯t handle this case anymore."


    "Alright, I¡¯m glad you can think this way. As for Sunx Kangping¡¯s wastrel mother, if she really wants to do something to you, our Li family won¡¯t let her get her way. Even if our Li family does not have any significant background in the officialdom, we will not be pushed around by the Sunx family."


    "Alright, husband, I¡¯ll listen to you." Lin Qiong breathed a sigh of relief. Having had such a conversation with Li Yifei, she was finally able to vent out the frustration in her heart.

 Chapter 1206 - 1255: Direct Challenge

    Chapter 1206: Chapter 1255: Direct ChallengeThe death of Sunx Kangping was not merely the demise of an individual; there was definitely a conspiracy involved. Li Yifei felt certain that there was either a person or a force trying to provoke a conflict between the Sunx family and his own Li family.


    Once the conflict erupted, regardless of who won or lost, it would not bode well for the Li family. Even if they won, the Li family was sure to suffer significant loss and gain nothing in return. The Sunx family¡¯s influence lay in the provincial city, and Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly extend his reach there, at least not in the short term. And even if he did, the many powerful families in the province, all eyeing each other like tigers, would never allow him to benefit in the provincial city.


    If defeated, the Li family might be utterly ruined. Even with Li Yifei¡¯s exceptional personal abilities, the struggle between families was definitely not something that could be influenced by one person¡¯s strength alone. Otherwise, any great family with a top-notch expert would have established their dominance long ago.


    Therefore, although this matter seemed simple, the consequences it entailed were absolutely severe, which was why Li Yifei felt so heavy-hearted when he first heard of Sunx Kangping¡¯s death.


    Naturally, Li Yifei wanted to investigate this matter as soon as possible and find the mastermind behind the scenes. But for now, there wasn¡¯t a single clue. The opponent had apparently planned everything very meticulously, striking a deadly blow before vanishing without a trace.


    Thinking about who would most want to deal with him, Li Yifei considered many possibilities. The several major families of Capital City, the Wei Family, the Meng Family, and the Gu Family, all had major conflicts with him. Likewise, the Lin family and the Song Family in the provincial city; they too had deep conflicts with him and had the capability to carry out such actions.


    Moreover, even for those great families without conflicts with him, Li Yifei could not be sure they wouldn¡¯t strike at him either, whether it be for long-term considerations or because Li Yifei had unwittingly usurped their interests¡ªall reasons that might provoke them to act against him.


    This was the first time since Li Yifei established his family that he encountered such a hidden enemy. Even when Wei Zijun, Meng Qianjun, and Gu Yanan fought against the Li family, they did so openly and directly, without resorting to such means.


    But it must be said, open attacks are easy to dodge, hidden ones hard to guard against. Dealing with such underhanded tactics is truly the most troublesome.


    After two continuous days of investigation, the police had no progress, and Li Yifei¡¯s own inquiries were also at a standstill.


    Lin Qiong, in order to avoid suspicion, was no longer leading the case, but Ma Dongxiang, despite her bold claims, had not taken any action against Lin Qiong so far.


    In the past two days, the Sunx family had also put enormous pressure on Li Yifei, giving him a firsthand taste of the difficulty in managing a large family. It was nothing like running a company or a household.


    "Mengxin, help me come up with some ideas. What should I do now?" Li Yifei walked in the garden with the heavily pregnant Su Mengxin at night and sought her advice.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and said, "I feel you¡¯ve walked into a dead end."


    "Yes, I have the same feeling, but I don¡¯t know how to get out of it."


    Su Mengxin leaned her head on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and spoke softly, "Husband, do you remember the time you rescued me and brought me back?"


    "Of course, I remember."


    "Back then, you were incredibly calm and composed, even amidst a hail of bullets you remained cool and collected. Even knowing my identity, you still tore off my skirt and kissed me underwater."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "Heh, back then was about survival, no room for so many scruples."


    "Yeah, no need for so many scruples, right?" Su Mengxin smiled as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei was taken aback for a moment, then stared blankly at Su Mengxin, who continued to smile sweetly at him.


    After a while, Li Yifei suddenly burst into laughter, hugged Su Mengxin¡¯s waist, and continued to walk slowly forward, saying, "Mengxin, you truly are my wise counselor."


    Su Mengxin, resting happily on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, said, "Am I not your wife?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei turned and gently kissed Su Mengxin¡¯s face, saying, "Marrying you is the greatest luck of my life."


    "Don¡¯t say that in front of everyone; I prefer to hear it in private."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "You all are my greatest fortune, but when it comes to major decisions, none can match you, and that¡¯s clear to everyone."


    Su Mengxin smiled playfully, "I don¡¯t study big issues now. You are the head of the family; you make the big decisions. I just bang the drum on the side, occasionally expressing my own opinions."


    What Li Yifei liked most about Su Mengxin was exactly this quality. As Huaxia¡¯s foremost beauty, whether in intellect or looks, she stood out among women. She had enough capital to be proud, and any man with Su Mengxin would submit to her heartily. But as a wife, Su Mengxin deeply buried her pride. She was just a woman supporting Li Yifei from behind, something not just any woman could do.


    After kissing Su Mengxin once more, Li Yifei said emotionally, "Mengxin, you¡¯ve really sacrificed so much for me."

 Chapter 1207 - 1255: Direct Challenge_2

    Chapter 1207: Chapter 1255: Direct Challenge_2"In marriage, mutual devotion is essential. If one only follows their own whims, can there still be happiness? You¡¯ve also sacrificed a lot for me."


    Li Yifei said with a sense of shame, "I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve sacrificed anything for you. It seems like it¡¯s you who has been making all the sacrifices."


    Su Mengxin kissed Li Yifei back and said softly, "Your love for me is the greatest sacrifice. As long as a man truly loves a woman, that¡¯s enough."


    Li Yifei continued guiltily, "But my love has been too scattered."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t overthink it. At least your love is fair, and no one holds any resentment. If you were too biased towards someone, that would indeed cause issues."


    "Having you all is truly the greatest fortune of my life."


    After this conversation with Su Mengxin, the problems that had been troubling Li Yifei for days suddenly unraveled.


    He had been overly cautious these past few days, but Sunx Kangping¡¯s death had nothing to do with him anyway. Why was he so entangled? It¡¯s the Sunx family who wants revenge, not the business of the Li family.


    If the Sunx family insists on pinning the blame on the Li family, then Li Yifei is not afraid of them at all. There¡¯s simply no evidence, and if the Sunx family tries to cause trouble with this, they won¡¯t have a leg to stand on. Li Yifei can stand his ground against them.


    Even if Sunx Kangping met his mishap in Mile City, the Li family is not responsible for ensuring their safety if something happens to anyone.


    The only thing Li Yifei needs to do is to root out the mastermind behind this, but this is not just a matter for his family. The Sunx family also needs to do this; why should he rush to take on everything? It¡¯s better for the Sunx family to handle it, and he can benefit from their efforts.


    So following that, Li Yifei had the Li family completely abandon the investigation and ignore it entirely.


    The actions of the Li family were quickly perceived by the Sunx family, and Sunx Fugui soon called Li Yifei.


    "Clan Leader Li, what do you mean by this?"


    Li Yifei responded with an innocent tone, "I don¡¯t mean anything. Our Li family has already done our utmost to find the murderer, but so far, we haven¡¯t found a single clue. We¡¯re truly out of options."


    "Does your Li family want to stay out of this?" Sunx Fugui¡¯s tone suddenly cooled.


    "Clan Leader Sunx, our Li family is but a small clan, still in its infancy. We are short-staffed to begin with. I¡¯ve diverted all our available hands to investigate this matter these past days, yet to no avail. If this continues, it will cause major operational issues for our family. But it¡¯s different for your Sunx family, with your large business and abundant manpower; and with your extensive connections, it should be much easier for you to find the culprit. So for this matter, please take care of it yourself, Clan Leader Sunx. The Li family has already fulfilled our duties and responsibilities."


    Sunx Fugui snorted coldly and said, "Clan Leader Li, does that mean you¡¯re completely hands-off now?"


    "I¡¯m not saying that I won¡¯t take care of it. As long as we know who the murderer is, our Li family will surely capture the culprit and deliver them to the Sunx family."


    Sunx Fugui spoke bitterly, "Alright then, it seems quite likely that your Li family is behind this."


    "Clan Leader Sunx, trust your wisdom. Whether it was my Li family¡¯s doing, we all know very well. If you insist on wrongly pinning this matter on my Li family, we may be small and weak, but we will not be pushed around by just anyone. I¡¯ll lay it out for you; the person who died was from your Sunx family, a troublemaker who came to me for no good reason. What do I care if he lives or dies? Why should I go to such lengths for him?"


    "You..." Li Yifei¡¯s sudden outburst left Sunx Fugui at a loss for words. After a snort, he said, "Fine, we won¡¯t trouble the Li family with this matter anymore, but you had better hope I don¡¯t find out it was your Li family¡¯s doing. Otherwise, you will face the wrath of the Sunx family."


    "I, Li Yifei, always take responsibility for my actions. If it were my doing, I wouldn¡¯t be afraid of your Sunx family. But if it wasn¡¯t, and your Sunx family insists on blaming me, I absolutely will not accept it!"


    "Fine! Clan Leader Li truly has the commanding presence of a clan chief, we¡¯ll see how things go in the future." Sunx Fugui hung up the phone after speaking.


    Li Yifei had a smile on his face at this time. Solving the issue this way made him extremely content.


    Even if he could help the Sunx family find the murderer, he would still not be able to become allies with them. Since there was no chance even for friendship, there was no way he would work for the Sunx family. That would simply mean he had been kicked in the head by a donkey. He, Li Yifei, was a clan chief, and he had to have this kind of domineering presence. Sometimes, you have to stand firm; showing weakness would only let others bully the Li family even more.


    Sunx Fugui was really infuriated. The attitude of the Li family in the past few days made him feel that the Li family was nothing special, but now, Li Yifei¡¯s attitude had made a complete 180-degree turn, which felt like he was being played with.


    If this incident were related to the big clans of the provincial city, then it would have been another matter, but even a small clan from Mile City dared to act so arrogantly, this was really a hard pill to swallow.


    "Li Yifei, you really think too highly of yourself, then I¡¯d like to see exactly how capable you are."


    Sunx Fugui slapped the desk angrily; he now truly hated this Li Yifei from the Li family. Even knowing that this matter would definitely not involve Li Yifei, he had nevertheless forged a grudge against the Li family.


    There was a knock on the door, and Sunx Mingli and Ma Dongxiang arrived at Sunx Fugui¡¯s study.


    As soon as they entered, Sunx Mingli frowned and said, "Dad, I just went to ask about the investigation at the Li family, and they said they¡¯re not handling it anymore."


    Sunx Fugui nodded, "I know."


    "Then what do they mean by that?"


    Sunx Fugui snorted, "The Li family clearly told me they¡¯re not dealing with this matter."


    Ma Dongxiang immediately said angrily, "Kangping was clearly killed by them, they were just putting on an act these past two days. By not handling it now, it just shows even more so that they have a guilty conscience." Ma Dongxiang didn¡¯t dare to yell in front of Sunx Fugui. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sunx Fugui lit a cigarette and said nothing.


    Ma Dongxiang immediately continued, "Dad, the Li family is just a newly established small clan, they just have some money, what¡¯s there to be arrogant about? How can they compare with a big clan like ours that has been around for so many years? If they¡¯re not going to handle it, then we should go and demand an explanation, our Sunx family could crush them just by lifting a finger, only this would avenge Kangping."


    Sunx Fugui shook his head, "Never underestimate any clan. Without a certain background, forming a clan would only mean direct annexation by other clans. I¡¯ve done a thorough investigation of the Li family as well, and the strength of the Li family is really not small."


    "What strength could they have, isn¡¯t it just set up by a retired special forces soldier?" Ma Dongxiang said contemptuously.


    Sunx Fugui spoke indifferently, "Before the Li family was established, members from the three most famous younger generations of the Gu Family and the Meng Family from Capital City, as well as the Wei Family from Northern Su, came to Mile City to deal with Li Yifei. They were Meng Qianjun, Gu Yanan, and Wei Zijun."


    Sunx Mingli immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Those three? The strength of the Three Great Clans is unimaginable, and these three are the most talented in their families. It¡¯s said that they might possibly inherit the position of clan chief in the future."


    Ma Dongxiang snorted, "Then they should have been able to finish off Li Yifei in a minute."


    Sunx Fugui immediately frowned, and Sunx Mingli glared at his wife and scolded, "If you don¡¯t understand, then don¡¯t butt in. If Li Yifei had been extinguished, would there still be a Li family now?"


    Ma Dongxiang pouted, realizing that what she had said was indeed foolish, and stood to the side, not daring to speak out of turn anymore,


    Sunx Fugui then continued, "However, when these Three Great Clans came to Mile City, although they initially suppressed Li Yifei quite a bit, in the end, for some unknown reason, they all left, and the Li family was established quickly thereafter."

 Chapter 1208 - 1256 That’s How Innate Vital Energy Is Used

    Chapter 1208: Chapter 1256 That¡¯s How Innate Vital Energy Is UsedSunx Mingli pondered for a moment and said, "Does that mean the Li family has become their vassal, and now he is also a spokesperson for the Three Great Clans in our province in Capital City?"


    "That should not be the case, and let me tell you more about the main members of the Li family; Li Yifei is quite lustful, he has many women around him, but I must say, he has his ways with women. Publicly, his wife is Xu Yingying, but he has many other women, among whom Su Mengxin is the most formidable."


    "Su Mengxin?" Sunx Mingli repeated, his face suddenly changing, exclaimed, "Dad, are you talking about Su Mengxin, the number one beauty in Huaxia from the Su Family?"


    "Exactly!" Sunx Fugui nodded.


    "Damn! What¡¯s the status of Su Mengxin, how is she with him, and not even as the main wife?"


    "That¡¯s not all; his household also includes Zheng Yuling from the Zheng family of Capital City, and Xiao Ling¡¯er from the Xiao Family of Capital City. Both women were initially engaged to members of the Two major families of Capital City, but somehow he managed to snatch them away, and both Zheng and Xiao families not only accept this but the other two major families, despite having their members taken away, have also not taken any action against the Li family."


    Sunx Mingli took a sharp breath; this matter related to face, daughters-in-law predetermined by the Two major families being snatched away and they just accepted it. After thinking for a moment, he immediately said, "Then I think it¡¯s very likely the Su family exerted pressure, after all, Su Mengxin is with him, and the Su family¡¯s strength is indeed stronger than theirs."


    "I was guessing the same, but that¡¯s not all, there¡¯s also Ning Xin¡¯er from Ning Family of Capital City, the former big star, she¡¯s also currently with the Li family, and she probably has given birth to a daughter for Li Yifei."


    "Fuck!" Sunx Mingli couldn¡¯t help but swear in front of his father.


    "Compared to these four big families in Capital City, the Ye family in our province giving their daughter to Li Yifei seems trivial now. But haven¡¯t you noticed that recently the Ye family has been very active and confident? I think this also has something to do with Li Yifei."


    Sunx Mingli¡¯s lips twitched, at this point, he was at a loss for words; as a man, to be able to bring so many incredible women to his side was simply enviable and jealousy-inducing to the extreme.


    Sunx Fugui sighed and continued, "Li Yifei has his ways with women, but what¡¯s most important is that he¡¯s got the permission from these big families. When the Li family was established, all four big families sent important people to the event, plus Meng Qianjun and two others attended, all bringing generous gifts. Whatever past conflicts they had, it seems like those conflicts are temporarily gone, meaning, they are all unlikely to act against the Li family now."


    Sunx Mingli¡¯s lips twitched repeatedly again. Now he truly understood why Li Yifei dared to challenge their Sunx family; he definitely had the qualifications for such a challenge. This kind of strength was even surpassing all the major families in our province.


    "So we¡¯re just going to let it go?" Sunx Mingli asked weakly.


    Sunx Fugui snorted coldly, saying, "Of course, we cannot just let it go; even if the Li family has such a background, it does not mean they have that strong of a capability, and they are developing in Mile City. If we let them continue, then all the major families in our provincial city will be squeezed out, and that¡¯s definitely not something our Sunx family, nor do other major families want to see."


    "What do you mean by that..."


    "I have my plans, but the most important thing now is to first clarify the cause of Kangping¡¯s death. His death was definitely not an accident, but targeted, meant to provoke us into a conflict with the Li family. If we conflict with the Li family now, that would only make the mastermind behind this happy, our Sunx family will absolutely not be used as a pawn."


    "Dad, I understand, I¡¯ll arrange it immediately."


    Sunx Mingli and Ma Dongxiang left Sunx Fugui¡¯s room, and Ma Dongxiang immediately said angrily, "What does dad mean by that, aren¡¯t we going to avenge Kangping?"


    Sunx Mingli said gravely, "Of course we will avenge him, that¡¯s why we are investigating."


    Ma Dongxiang impatiently said, "What is there to investigate? Our son was in trouble only after meeting with Li Yifei, it¡¯s their Li family¡¯s doing." He dared not speak up in front of his father-in-law, but there were no such reservations in front of his own husband.


    Sunx Mingli frowned and said, "Can you think a bit? Didn¡¯t you hear what my dad said, the Li family is not as simple as they appear on the surface. Even if they did this, we can¡¯t do anything without evidence."


    Ma Dongxiang disagreed, "My son got into trouble after meeting him, isn¡¯t that evidence enough? Humph, I don¡¯t believe it, even if we take action against them, can those big families from Capital City really intervene? A married daughter is like water thrown out, especially people from our major families, how many would truly stand up for their son-in-law¡¯s family?"


    The logic in Ma Dongxiang¡¯s words was not flawed indeed; when these big families marry off daughters, it¡¯s usually about forming alliances for mutual benefits, but once the daughter is married into another family, they care even more about the principle of following the husband post-marriage.


    Otherwise, once the daughter is married off and talks about her in-laws¡¯ affairs at her parents¡¯ home, it¡¯s almost like being a spy. This is something every clan does not want to see, so generally, the daughters of major families are well educated before marriage. The benefits brought by family alliances are enough, so there is no need for children to engage in other matters.


    Furthermore, even after two families become related by marriage, it does not mean their relationship is genuinely solid. Just like the major families in the province, it can be said that every family has marriage ties with other clans. In this way, everyone is relatives and there should be no conflicts, but in reality, these major families have never ceased their covert and overt struggles. Such matrimonial ties are not as strong as they seem.


    This is not only clear to Ma Dongxiang, but Li Yifei understands this as well. Therefore, he basically never engages in business dealings with those few families in Capital City, nor does he expect them to help him. What belongs to himself is the most reliable; in front of interests, such kinship is utterly unreliable.


    Ma Dongxiang¡¯s point is reasonable, but Sunx Mingli still shook his head and said: "You should also know, these relationships newly established through marriage alliances have a honeymoon period. During this time, these major families will definitely support the Li family. If someone targets the Li¡¯s, they will surely take action, unless it¡¯s a few years later when the honeymoon period is over, and they will not care so much about the Li family then. To move against the Li family, we must have evidence, without evidence, it puts us at a disadvantage."


    "Humph!" Ma Dongxiang grunted dissatisfiedly, but she also knew this was her father-in-law¡¯s decision, and her husband would definitely not act rashly. However, she did not want to let it go; even if the Li family wasn¡¯t the real murderer of her son, they were not without blame. To let the Li family off, she would never be content. Her son had died, and she was in a state of extreme madness, like a bloodthirsty wolf needing a target to vent on, not stopping until the opponent was torn to shreds.


    Li Yifei sat in the living room with narrowed eyes, two family retainers stood in front of him, reporting the recent movements of the Sunx family, who had sent many people to Mile City these days. Naturally, Li Yifei needed to keep an eye on their actions to prevent them from making any moves in Mile City.


    "Hmm, keep an eye on them, and tell me immediately if there are any particular actions."


    "Yes!" the two answered respectfully.


    "You may leave now." Li Yifei waved his hand, and the two immediately retreated.


    Sophia came to report some matters to Li Yifei, primarily about finding Neilson, but so far, there has been no news.


    After speaking for a while, Sophia left, and Xu Shanshan once again sat on Li Yifei¡¯s lap. Li Yifei didn¡¯t let Xu Shanshan fool around but asked, "Shanshan, how is the progress with Ningxin recently?"


    Upon hearing this, Xu Shanshan immediately furrowed her brows and said, "The progress is slow."


    Li Yifei puzzledly said, "Huh? Isn¡¯t she also endowed with Innate Vital Energy? Why is the progress slow? It seemed like you figured it out in just a couple of days."


    "I¡¯m also puzzled. Normally speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with her True Qi rotation, but when it comes to usage, there are significant issues. Her Innate Vital Energy is just not as flexible as mine, which is something I really can¡¯t understand."


    "Could it be that her type of Innate Vital Energy, which she was born with, is different from yours? Or maybe the method of using your Innate Vital Energy is only suitable for you and not for her?"


    "I can¡¯t figure it out either." Xu Shanshan spread her hands helplessly. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei also said somewhat frustratedly, "If it doesn¡¯t work out, it really would be a waste. It¡¯s not easy to have another expert with Innate Vital Energy, and it¡¯s a pity it can¡¯t be utilized."


    "How about you check it out again, to see if there¡¯s some problem there?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment but still shook his head, "I¡¯m completely not as knowledgeable as you are about Innate Vital Energy. If I mess up due to mismanagement, it would be even more troublesome. It¡¯s better for you to continue training her slowly."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly, saying, "Such a tender young sister, taking advantage a bit isn¡¯t a bad idea, right? If you want to devour her, I support you, hehe, I can¡¯t usually see the fun, but now it¡¯s quite amusing."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Shanshan, she¡¯s your disciple, after all. What kind of master talks like this?"


    Xu Shanshan giggled and said, "What master and disciple? If you want to come together as master and disciple, wouldn¡¯t that be even more thrilling? Isn¡¯t that the flavor you like? Just like you¡¯ve always been hoping to see my sister and me together."


    "I never..." Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, but indeed, such a scenario would be thrilling.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s laughter grew even more cheerful, and in this household, teasing Li Yifei was something she enjoyed most.

 Chapter 1209 - 1257: Celebrating Su Yiyi’s Father’s Birthday

    Chapter 1209: Chapter 1257: Celebrating Su Yiyi¡¯s Father¡¯s BirthdayPutting aside the Sunx Family¡¯s affairs, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t relax either; there was still a mountain of tasks to deal with at the company, and he found no time to rest throughout the day.


    Finally finding a moment to breathe, Li Yifei took Su Yiyi by the hand and sat down on the sofa, saying, "Yiyi, is there something on your mind? I noticed several times today you seemed like you wanted to say something but stopped yourself."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip slightly and said, "Today is my dad¡¯s birthday, and it¡¯s been several years since I last celebrated it with him, so today I was thinking..."


    "Oh, that¡¯s what it is. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? If it¡¯s your father¡¯s birthday, as your husband, I should definitely be there to celebrate," he responded.


    "Ah? You¡¯re coming too?" Su Yiyi asked in surprise.


    Li Yifei replied sternly, "Yiyi, how can you even ask that? It¡¯s only natural for me to be there for your dad¡¯s birthday."


    "I thought..."


    "There¡¯s nothing to think about. Although your dad was a bit unreliable before, he has improved now; he lives a stable life, which saves us a lot of worry. As he gets older, he just wants people around him. It¡¯s fine if we can¡¯t visit often due to being busy, but for important occasions like birthdays, we should definitely be there."


    "Yes, yes!" Su Yiyi nodded repeatedly, her eyes unavoidably welling up with tears.


    "Look at you, why are you crying?" Li Yifei said gently as he wiped her eyes.


    Su Yiyi looked up at Li Yifei, her voice faltering slightly, "I never thought you would come."


    "Silly girl, even if you don¡¯t come from a prestigious background or a notable family, you are just as important to me as anyone else. Your family is just as important to me too. If you keep feeling inferior, I¡¯ll really get upset," he admonished softly.


    Su Yiyi nodded vigorously, "No, I won¡¯t feel that way anymore; never again!" Then she leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s chest, feeling immensely happy in that moment.


    In the evening, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi left the office half an hour early to buy a birthday gift for her father.


    "That¡¯s enough, enough." Seeing Li Yifei buying more liquor, cigarettes, and a lot of supplements, Su Yiyi couldn¡¯t hide her joy. It wasn¡¯t about money, but the satisfaction in her heart.


    Li Yifei chuckled, "These are things he usually wouldn¡¯t buy himself. Let¡¯s buy more so he can enjoy them."


    Su Yiyi laughed, "But we don¡¯t need to buy so much all at once."


    "Of course we do. I¡¯ve already stolen his most precious daughter; since there isn¡¯t any dowry or such, we should make a grand gesture as compensation, right?"


    Su Yiyi laughed even sweeter, hanging onto Li Yifei¡¯s arm, feeling blissfully happy.


    After they finished shopping, and once they got into the car, Li Yifei asked, "By the way, should we give your dad some money too?"


    "No need, really, no need. My dad doesn¡¯t lack money now. If you give him money, he¡¯d have nowhere to spend it."


    "Well, okay then. Just remember, if he ever needs money, just give it to him. You don¡¯t have to overthink it," he reassured.


    Su Yiyi smiled and said, "I know. I used to give him money back in the day, but now the rental income is enough for him to spend, and his life is quite comfortable. He really doesn¡¯t need me to give him money anymore."


    When the couple arrived at Su Yiyi¡¯s childhood home and parked the car, they grabbed their gifts and were about to go in when they heard voices inside. This made Su Yiyi nervous; she feared her father might have reverted to gambling. However, the conversation sounded normal without any cards being played, which relieved her. She guessed it was probably some neighbors, and she entered the house with Li Yifei.


    Upon hearing the door open, Su Yiyi¡¯s father quickly came out and, seeing Li Yifei and Su Yiyi, his face immediately lit up with joy, but then he looked flustered and exclaimed, "You... why are you both here?"


    Su Yiyi immediately responded, "Dad, isn¡¯t it your birthday? We came to celebrate with you."


    "Ah..." Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s eyes instantly teared up. It was normal for Su Yiyi to return, but having Li Yifei come to celebrate his birthday as well made him feel incredibly honored.


    Although Li Yifei didn¡¯t exactly respect Su Yiyi¡¯s father due to his shaky past behavior, in recent times he hadn¡¯t caused any trouble and had been decent. Thus, Li Yifei¡¯s impression of him had significantly improved. He handed over the gifts, saying, "Dad, happy birthday."


    "Ah!" Su Yiyi¡¯s father suddenly stiffened, staring at Li Yifei as if he had lost his senses.


    "Dad, what are you daydreaming about?" Su Yiyi quickly nudged her father.


    "Ah... I... I..." Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s lips trembled, his eyes brimming with tears of old age.


    "Dad!" Li Yifei calling him dad seemed somewhat forced, it never felt as natural as calling other women¡¯s fathers, but seeing how moved Su Yiyi¡¯s father was and Su Yiyi¡¯s excited expression, it became more natural, "Who has come to our house?"


    This time, Su Yiyi¡¯s father finally regained his composure, hastily taking the things Li Yifei handed over, he excitedly said: "Look at you guys, coming back home and also buying so many things, what for? It¡¯s just me, I can¡¯t use all these."


    However, three people came out from the inner room, making Su Yiyi¡¯s father suddenly remember; he hurriedly said to Li Yifei and Su Yiyi: "Yiyi, Yifei, this is your second uncle."


    "Second Uncle!" Su Yiyi promptly greeted him politely, but obviously had little impression of this second uncle.


    He was a man a few years younger than Su Yiyi¡¯s father, tall but with a face full of wrinkles, showing signs of having led a rough life, obviously someone who had long worked physically. He laughed and said: "Yiyi has grown so much, it¡¯s been many years since we last met. Last time I saw you, you were only in junior high school. Xiao Ming, Xiao Lili, come meet your sister, this must be your brother-in-law."


    A young man and woman in their early twenties immediately greeted Su Yiyi and Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father then gave Li Yifei and Su Yiyi a detailed introduction that this second uncle was his cousin, they often interacted when young, but later, as Su Yiyi¡¯s father became addicted to gambling and ruined the family, everyone distanced themselves from him, so his cousin also stopped associating with his family.


    However, having occasionally heard that Su Yiyi¡¯s father had improved and was living well, the cousin started to reconnect with him, and knowing that today was his birthday, came specially to celebrate with him.


    The young pair, the man named Su Dongming is the son of Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle, and the girl named Wu Lili is Su Dongming¡¯s girlfriend; both have not attended university and are currently working outside.


    The fact that they came to celebrate their father¡¯s birthday made Su Yiyi feel very thankful; over the years, no relatives came to see him, regardless of the reason. The fact that this uncle came to visit made her very touched.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle was also a straightforward and honest person. Noticing that Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were dressed elegantly, though he couldn¡¯t recognize the brands, he knew they were expensive, and smiling at Li Yifei, he said, "Yifei, right... I heard from my elder brother, you¡¯re quite the big boss."


    "Hello, Second Uncle." Li Yifei respectfully greeted him, knowing from the question that Su Yiyi¡¯s father hadn¡¯t revealed his true status, so he modestly replied: "I just run a small business."


    "Rich people like you who value relationships are rare, Yiyi really found a good man. My elder brother is fortunate in his later years, and that¡¯s thanks to you."


    Li Yifei quickly said modestly, "Respecting parents is what we younger generation should do. Since Yiyi is dad¡¯s daughter and I¡¯m with Yiyi, I naturally care for dad like a real son would." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this time, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was blushing, regretting his past conduct that hardly warranted respect from someone like Li Yifei.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle laughed and said: "Old brother, look at your son-in-law, really makes one envious. People say having sons ensures care in old age, but having a daughter like this truly ensures it."


    "Yes, yes!" Su Yiyi¡¯s father nodded repeatedly, feeling even more guilty.


    Li Yifei then said: "Dad, since the second uncle has come to visit, and today is your birthday, let¡¯s all go out to eat together."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle hurriedly said: "No need, let¡¯s just eat something simple at home, we country folks are used to simple food, all that rich food doesn¡¯t suit us."


    Li Yifei laughed: "Second Uncle, if you¡¯re not used to greasy food, we can order some lighter dishes. With the younger brother and sister here, they are family now, how can we not host them properly? Yiyi, go book a private room, let¡¯s go now."


    Su Yiyi promptly responded and immediately went to make a call; she had been Li Yifei¡¯s personal secretary for a while, and such tasks were easy for her.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle awkwardly said: "Look at this... we just came to see the old brother, how can we let you spend like this."


    Li Yifei said with a smile: "Second Uncle, if you say so, then really, you¡¯re being too polite; inviting you for a meal is the very least we can do."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father also continuously agreed, feeling deeply how genuine Li Yifei was, which made him exceedingly happy. He was indeed becoming more concerned about this kind of family warmth now.


    Su Dongming and Wu Lili both seemed very excited, being with a boss like Li Yifei was quite an honor for these ordinary working-class individuals.

 Chapter 1210 - 1258: Settle Publicly or Privately?

    Chapter 1210: Chapter 1258: Settle Publicly or Privately?This is not the city district of Mile City, but the county town, so Su Yiyi could only book the best hotel in the county, and then everyone got into Li Yifei¡¯s car together.


    Li Yifei recently got an Audi A8. He isn¡¯t that passionate about cars, but for such a big company, his car is a symbol of his status. He must drive a nice car to reflect his status. However, cars like luxury sports cars are not quite suitable, and top-level cars like Rolls-Royce aren¡¯t that quick to acquire, so he settled for this one.


    It¡¯s not that the Audi A8 is more upscale than Mercedes-Benz, but Mercedes-Benz seems too common. There are fewer A8s, and Li Yifei quite likes this model, so he got it.


    Li Yifei drove, and since Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle was a guest, he was invited to sit in the front, making the elderly man feel rather embarrassed.


    Su Yiyi and her three companions squeezed into the back. None of them were overweight, so it wasn¡¯t too cramped. As soon as Su XiaoMing got into the car, he looked around and then said enviously, "Sis, is this an Audi A8?"


    Su Yiyi smiled slightly and said, "Yes, it is."


    "How much does this car cost?" Wu Lili asked curiously.


    Su XiaoMing immediately chimed in, "The Audi A8 ranges from a bit over 700,000 to around 2,670,000; just not sure how much this one is."


    Looking at Su XiaoMing, Su Yiyi said with a smile, "You seem to know quite a lot."


    "I may not be able to afford one, but I like looking at them online," Su XiaoMing said, scratching his head embarrassingly, "Sis, how much did it really cost?"


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t want to show off, but since Su XiaoMing seemed to know his stuff, she had to answer, "All in all, almost three million."


    "My God... three million!" Wu Lili immediately covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide, then excitedly exclaimed, "Wow, I¡¯m actually sitting in a luxury car worth three million. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in such an expensive car in my lifetime; I feel so fortunate."


    Su XiaoMing was also incredibly excited, saying, "Brother-in-law, you are really rich."


    Li Yifei said casually, "This is just for show, to make people believe your company is strong, so you can close deals."


    Excited, Wu Lili said, "But not just anyone can afford a luxury car worth three million!"


    Compared to the excitement of Su XiaoMing and Wu Lili, Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were much calmer. With so many relatives, they were used to this kind of situation. However, at this moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was all smiles, as having his daughter doing well was the most face-giving thing for him as a father.


    Arriving at the restaurant, it wasn¡¯t long before dishes flowed to the table like water¡ªsea cucumber, abalone, lobster, and the like were all there. Even if Li Yifei and Su Yiyi weren¡¯t particularly fond of these items now, they had to order them to give pride to Su Yiyi¡¯s father.


    The food was exquisite and the liquor premium. Li Yifei gave Su Yiyi¡¯s father enough respect, toasting him twice at the table, which made her father swell with excitement, further heated by the cousin¡¯s incessant compliments. Soon, even the cousin started getting tipsy.


    In the beginning, Su XiaoMing and Wu Lili were a bit reserved, but after a while, seeing that Li Yifei and Su Yiyi weren¡¯t putting on airs like typical rich people, they loosened up and ended up drinking quite a bit.


    After eating for more than an hour, Su XiaoMing and Wu Lili went to the restroom together, but it took a while before they came back, running and looking quite disheveled, with Su XiaoMing¡¯s clothes even torn.


    "What happened to you two?" Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle immediately asked anxiously.


    Wu Lili fumed, "Someone bullied us just now, and we got into a fight."


    Li Yifei frowned and asked, "What happened?"


    Wu Lili quickly recounted the incident. When they were heading to the restroom, Wu Lili accidentally bumped into a drunkard. This wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal, but the drunkard took advantage of the situation to grope Wu Lili and then made some lewd comments.


    When Su XiaoMing saw this, he wouldn¡¯t stand for it, and they began to argue. The drunkard was very arrogant and even slapped Su XiaoMing, who, being young and strong and often doing physical work, didn¡¯t take long to knock the drunkard to the ground.


    But after hitting the guy, the two became afraid. The drunkard had threatened them, saying he would take care of them, so they rushed back.


    Immediately, Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle became upset and said, "What are you two doing, causing trouble and getting into fights the moment you step out?"


    Su XiaoMing replied defiantly, "That person was bullying us."


    "Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have fought. What if they come looking for us now?"


    Li Yifei waved his hand with a smile and said, "Second Uncle, there¡¯s no need to worry. If XiaoMing was the one bullying, we wouldn¡¯t have the upper hand. But if the other party started the trouble, then we¡¯re in the right. No matter who comes, we¡¯re not afraid."


    As soon as Su XiaoMing heard Li Yifei say this, he immediately felt more confident and said, "Brother-in-law, we definitely didn¡¯t start the trouble. It was him who bullied Lili first. I just argued with him, and he was the one who threw the first punch."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "That¡¯s right. If someone bullies your woman and you don¡¯t stand up for her, then you¡¯re not a man. Don¡¯t worry, with your brother-in-law here, no one can do anything to you."


    Wu Lili quickly said, "Thank you, brother-in-law."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle was still not at ease and said, "I think we should let it go. After all, it¡¯s not good to cause trouble. Big brother, I think... we¡¯ve almost finished eating, so maybe we should leave first."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father knew what Li Yifei was capable of. In Mile City, there was essentially no one who dared to provoke Li Yifei. Plus, he was a bit tipsy from the drinks today. He waved his hand and said, "It¡¯s fine, with Yifei here, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Let¡¯s just enjoy our drinks."


    At that moment, noises of arguing, along with messy footsteps, came from outside. The door to the private room was kicked open, and six or seven people rushed in.


    The faces of Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle and Wu Lili instantly turned pale, and Su XiaoMing also felt a sense of dread. In contrast, Su Yiyi and her father appeared very calm at this time.


    "Fuck, it¡¯s that guy who hit me just now!" A fat man in a suit, with stains all over it, pointed at Su XiaoMing and shouted loudly.


    A twenty-something-year-old tall young man glared at Su XiaoMing and said, "Kid, you¡¯re so damn bold to even hit Mr. Biao. You really are tired of living."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle quickly stood up, stammering, "Sorry... sorry! The kid doesn¡¯t know any better, I apologize to you all."


    "Apologize my ass. Someone¡¯s been beaten, and you think a simple apology will cut it?" Seeing how weak Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle was acting, the group became even more arrogant. The tall young man shouted, "I¡¯ll beat up this kid right now, and then I¡¯ll apologize. How¡¯s that?"


    Scared, Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle shrunk his neck and became even more stuttered, "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t hit..."


    These fellows, after finding Su XiaoMing and seeing the posh meal on the table, were a bit hesitant, not sure who the people in the room were or if they were dealing with someone with powerful connections. So, they didn¡¯t start a fight right away. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle¡¯s weak demeanor undoubtedly sent them a signal that the people here were nothing special, at most just some rich folks. These were easy marks, and since the other party had some money, that was like a huge cash cow waiting to be milked.


    "Not fight? You hit someone, and now you say we should just not fight?" The tall young man¡¯s eyes bulged even larger, looking fiercer. He waved his hand and ordered, "Brothers, get them!" The men immediately started moving forward.


    Li Yifei could tell that they had no intention of fighting right away, and at this moment, he didn¡¯t interject, curious to see what they wanted to do.


    Meanwhile, Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle pleaded, "Don¡¯t... let¡¯s talk this out, please, let¡¯s talk."


    The tall guy gestured for his men to stop and then, staring at Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle, he snorted and said, "Old man, I¡¯ll give you some respect due to your age. You want to have a nice talk, so let¡¯s have a nice talk."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s second uncle breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Please, let¡¯s talk."


    "Alright, let¡¯s discuss this matter. That kid is your son, right? He hit my brother. If my brother ends up in the hospital for a year and a half, you guys will have to pay, right?"


    Su XiaoMing immediately retorted angrily, "I only hit him a few times, and he¡¯s still standing here fine. Does that need a hospital visit?"


    The face of the tall guy darkened as he said, "Yeah, it might not look like anything now, but once you¡¯re in the hospital, who knows, might find there¡¯s something wrong with his brain?"


    Even though Su XiaoMing was na?ve, he understood this sort of thing. Some people play dirty. They would say they have a headache, and a hospital, being a business, doesn¡¯t care much, letting you stay as long as you want. And that could cost an endless amount of money.


    Seeing their intimidation made Su XiaoMing and his father fall silent, the tall guy snorted again and said, "It¡¯s up to you to decide. Either we go to the hospital now, then we assess the injury, or I¡¯ve got contacts both in the hospital and the Public Security Bureau. If they find some serious injury, getting your kid arrested and sentenced for a few years will be a piece of cake."


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father was immediately panicked, and having forgotten Li Yifei¡¯s support, he cracked a smile and stuttered, "No... let¡¯s not go to the hospital, no hospital."


    Hearing this, the tall guy became even more smug and said, "So you¡¯re choosing to settle this privately?"


    "Yes, yes, we¡¯ll settle this privately. You tell us, how much do you want for compensation?" Su XiaoMing¡¯s father had figured out that the other party was after money. As an honest and simple person, seeing such a scene scared him deeply. And once frightened, it was easy for others to intimidate him further.

 Chapter 1211 - 1259: All of You Get Out

    Chapter 1211: Chapter 1259: All of You Get OutThe big guy grabbed a chair, sat down imperiously, and said, "Since you put it that way, I¡¯ll have a proper talk with you. Oh, let¡¯s introduce ourselves. My name is Yuan Anran, and here everybody calls me Brother Ran. This is my good friend Li Biao. We are underworld figures; the most important thing for us is reason and loyalty. You are just ordinary people, we have no reason to bully you. We¡¯ll take what¡¯s owed to us, nothing more, nothing less."


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, Brother Ran, please speak." Though he was over fifty, he was calling a man in his twenties ¡¯Brother Ran,¡¯ which revealed his fear upon realizing that they were gangsters.


    "Alright, let¡¯s settle this. Your son hit my brother, so there should be medical expenses, loss of work wages, and caregiver costs, right?"


    Yuan Anran, clearly experienced in such matters, spoke with authority right off the bat.


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father grimaced bitterly, saying, "Yes, that should... be right."


    Yuan Anran grew even more smug, saying, "Well then, if we go to the hospital and get a full examination done, it wouldn¡¯t be less than two or three thousand, not to mention the cost of staying in the hospital for some time ¨C how could each day cost less than three to five hundred? And caregiver fees, you know how expensive labor is now, hiring someone, how could it not be around two hundred a day?"


    Listening to this guy¡¯s calculation, Su XiaoMing¡¯s father turned pale. How could the sum not be high?


    "Plus, look at the suit Brother Biao is wearing. It¡¯s ruined now and can¡¯t be worn anymore. Shouldn¡¯t you compensate for that too? I went with Brother Biao to buy this suit, which cost over eighteen thousand."


    "One suit... costs over eighteen thousand?" Su XiaoMing¡¯s father¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "All this random stuff adds up to quite a bit. I¡¯ve done the math, and here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do ¨C we won¡¯t make it difficult for you, just give us fifty thousand, and we¡¯ll call it even."


    "Fifty thousand? Are you robbing us?" Su XiaoMing shouted, his eyes wide with anger.


    Yuan Anran suddenly slammed the table and barked, "That¡¯s only because I¡¯m sparing a thought for your father. If it were just you, kid, I¡¯d have crippled you by now, and yet here you are still whining."


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father quickly held his son back and pleaded, "Brother Ran, that fifty thousand is really too much; I simply don¡¯t have that kind of money, can you please ask for less?"


    Yuan Anran glared and cursed, "Fuck, do you think I¡¯m fucking blind? The food you¡¯re eating here costs more than five thousand per meal ¨C is fifty thousand too much to ask from you?"


    "You¡¯ve got good eyes there," Li Yifei finally spoke up.


    Only then did Su XiaoMing and his father remember there was a formidable figure like Li Yifei here, and hope flared up on their faces.


    "You fucking count for nothi¡ª" Yuan Anran didn¡¯t even get the word ¡¯scallion¡¯ out before he felt a burning slap on his face, followed by the sound of two crisp slaps.


    Only after hitting him did Li Yifei say coldly, "Kid, if you utter another curse word, I¡¯ll knock out all your teeth."


    The private room suddenly fell silent. In front of so many, Li Yifei had just struck someone directly, not only stupefying Su XiaoMing, his father, and Wu Lili, but also silencing Yuan Anran and his own group.


    "You... you dare hit me?" Yuan Anran still couldn¡¯t quite believe it; he, a notorious gangster, had just been slapped twice in quick succession.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said indifferently, "I¡¯m a reasonable person. As long as your words are clean, I generally won¡¯t strike first."


    Having been in the underworld for years, although only in a small town, Yuan Anran was known to be ruthless and recognized most of the influential folks around. Seeing that Li Yifei was well-dressed, Yuan surmised that if he wasn¡¯t local, then he must be nothing special.


    The suddenness of the event had caught them off guard, but now Yuan Anran, angered, stood up with a bang on the table, shouting, "I fucki¡ª"


    "Slap, slap!" Again, two crisp slaps rang out.


    "Kill him! Kill him for me!" This was a profound humiliation for Yuan Anran. Being slapped twice by Li Yifei was an utter disgrace; if he didn¡¯t settle this now, how could he continue to mix in these circles?


    After shouting twice, Yuan lunged towards Li Yifei, his cronies following suit.


    Li Yifei was no longer the same as before; he was now a clan chief. Brawling with a handful of thugs was beneath his status. In a sudden move, he kicked Yuan Anran away, his powerful kick sending Yuan crashing into three others before dissipating the force.


    The deterrence of that kick was absolute. The remaining two who were left standing raised their arms wide-eyed and howled, but they stopped short of charging at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, "Get lost, all of you. You¡¯re not qualified to negotiate with me."


    Several people helped Yuan Anran to his feet. The pain in his abdomen churned incessantly, making it hard to even breathe. Finally regaining his breath, he glared at Li Yifei and demanded, "Who are you?"


    "You¡¯re not worthy of knowing. Just get the hell out of here."


    "Alright, you¡¯ve got guts, you¡¯ve got yourself into trouble, and not just any trouble, big trouble!" Yuan Anran was fierce, but he didn¡¯t utter a single swear word.


    Li Yifei glared, and these men immediately took a step back. They were used to mixing it up on the streets and often got into fights, so they had some judgement of character. Li Yifei was clearly a formidable fighter, especially with his calm demeanor that showed no fear. They realized they probably couldn¡¯t handle him.


    "You just wait, you¡¯ll know what trouble is very soon." Yuan Anran left with his people after dropping this threatening line.


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really awesome!" Su XiaoMing was excited the moment those people left, he had never seen anyone so domineering; six people were all intimidated by Li Yifei alone.


    Wu Lili also looked at Li Yifei with an admiring gaze, her face full of excitement.


    However, Su XiaoMing¡¯s father was worried: "Yifei, is this... is this okay?"


    At that time, Su Yiyi¡¯s father chuckled and said, "No worries, no worries, come on, brother, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had such a good drink together. Let¡¯s continue drinking."


    "Brother, you just beat up someone from the Underworld, they definitely won¡¯t let this go, and you still feel like drinking here?"


    Today, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was feeling very proud, he downed nearly half a glass of white spirit and said, "Little brother, you don¡¯t understand. Our Yifei is not someone those hooligans can compare to. They aren¡¯t even fit to carry Yifei¡¯s shoes."


    Su Yiyi quickly took her father¡¯s glass away, saying, "Dad, don¡¯t drink so fast."


    Su Yiyi didn¡¯t mean anything by it, but it gave her father a start, worried that his boasting might have upset both Su Yiyi and Li Yifei, he forced a chuckle and said, "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll drink slower. Slower."


    Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open again, and the restaurant manager rushed in with a panicked expression, saying, "Please, you all need to leave immediately."


    "Why?" Li Yifei asked indifferently.


    The manager frowned and said, "Sir, we don¡¯t know who you are, but those people just now are local thugs. They might not be much, but their boss is quite formidable, nicknamed to be ¡¯Motorcycle Boss Brother Hao¡¯."


    "Oh? That¡¯s quite a title," Li Yifei heard about it for the first time.


    The manager went on, "Yes, their boss loves riding motorcycles, and so do his followers. Whenever they act, it¡¯s usually a large group of motorcycles roaring by. They can get here in minutes, and Brother Hao is ruthless and well-connected. With dozens of men under him, if they come for you, you won¡¯t be able to leave if you want to. You¡¯d better get out fast; a wise man does not seek trouble."


    Su XiaoMing and his father turned pale at this; even if Li Yifei could fight, he couldn¡¯t stand against so many.


    Li Yifei said lightly, "Seems this Brother Hao is quite something."


    "Yes, indeed, he¡¯s fearsome. Anyone here would go out of their way to avoid him. Please hurry and leave, this meal will be on us."


    The meal would cost five or six thousand yuan, and the fact that the manager didn¡¯t even present the bill showed how afraid the hotel was of Brother Hao. If Li Yifei and the others stayed, and Brother Hao came knocking, the loss would be more than just the cost of a meal.


    At this, Su XiaoMing and his father were quick to say, "Then let¡¯s leave quickly."


    Su Yiyi hesitated for a moment then said, "Never mind, today is dad¡¯s birthday, let¡¯s not worry about them."


    Li Yifei was there to celebrate Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s birthday and hadn¡¯t planned on causing any trouble. Since Su Yiyi said so, he then said, "Alright then, let¡¯s leave. Still, manager, we¡¯ll pay the bill, we appreciate your kindness."


    "Fine, fine, we¡¯ll give you a 50% discount," As soon as the manager heard this, he was overjoyed. His biggest fear was that Li Yifei and his party would refuse to leave, which would spell disaster for the restaurant.


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "That¡¯s up to you."


    The manager quickly led Li Yifei and his group out while using his walkie-talkie to ask the front desk to check out quickly. That way, they could pay and leave immediately. Once they were out of the hotel, whatever happened to Li Yifei and his party, the hotel wouldn¡¯t be responsible.


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father and cousin walked together; seeing his cousin still staggering a bit, he urged, "Big brother, hurry up."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father laughed and replied, "Nothing¡¯s wrong, just don¡¯t panic."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father used to be fearful and humble before those who mixed up with the Underworld, worrying they might trouble him. But things were different now; he even wanted to encounter some familiar thugs to show off his clout.


    This wasn¡¯t to say Su Yiyi¡¯s father was being unreasonable now; people are like this, if you can take pride in front of those who once mocked you, that¡¯s an exhilarating thing, and it¡¯s not at all surprising that he felt this way.


    Perhaps because it was Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s birthday wish, it actually came true. While they were settling the bill, a series of motorcycle engines could be heard outside the hotel.


    sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1212 - 1260: Racing Club

    Chapter 1212: Chapter 1260: Racing Club"Brother-in-law...what should we do?" At this moment, Su XiaoMing grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, completely panicked.


    Li Yifei gave Su Yiyi a wry smile, meaning he didn¡¯t want to cause more trouble, but it seemed he couldn¡¯t avoid it now.


    Su Yiyi also helplessly shook her head and said, "Come on, look who you are now, getting into fights with these people is a joke, let someone else handle it."


    Li Yifei thought so too, it really meant nothing for him to go out there and fight; he was a clan chief now, and if other clan chiefs heard about it, they would indeed take it as a joke.


    He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and said, "I¡¯m at the Eagle Hotel in Stream County, I need a hundred people here in fifteen minutes." Then he hung up the phone.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s face darkened immediately, "What are you doing, are you trying to start a massive gang conflict?"


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly, "A wicked person needs to be grinded by another wicked person. If they dare to be so arrogant here, it¡¯s clear they have strong backing. So, I¡¯ll just clash with them, suppress their arrogance, and bring peace back to the common people here."


    Su Yiyi was speechless, but didn¡¯t say anything more about Li Yifei¡¯s actions. She fully trusted that there must be a deeper meaning in what Li Yifei was doing. Even if she couldn¡¯t understand it, she simply stopped thinking about it.


    Su XiaoMing looked at Li Yifei, his gaze filled with complexity, and stammered, "Brother-in-law...a hundred people...are you...are you a gang leader?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly, "Do I look like one?"


    "Well...I didn¡¯t think so initially, but you can summon a hundred people, who else but a gang leader has such capability? Besides...it seems that every gang leader has a gentle woman like my sister."


    Su Yiyi burst into laughter, "You¡¯ve watched too many Hong Kong and Taiwan dramas, let¡¯s just wait here."


    Wu Lili asked cautiously, "But...what if they rush in?"


    "That¡¯s true, then I¡¯ll go out and check; you all just wait inside," Li Yifei said and walked out.


    Su XiaoMing gritted his teeth and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll go out with you."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father smiled, "I¡¯ll also go out and take a look, I have some old friends here after all."


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father hesitated for a moment but quickly followed, determined to protect his son even at the risk of his old bones; he couldn¡¯t back down.


    While Wu Lili was still hesitating whether or not to go out, Su Yiyi already dragged her saying, "It¡¯s their men¡¯s business, you don¡¯t need to get involved; let¡¯s sit over there and have some tea."


    At this moment, Wu Lili¡¯s mind was a complete mess. It wasn¡¯t until she sat down that she cautiously asked, "Sis, who exactly is your husband?"


    Su Yiyi smiled and said, "Your brother-in-law has quite the background, to him, local ruffians in a small county are simply beneath his concern."


    Wu Lili grinned, and without Su Yiyi elaborating further, she didn¡¯t ask more, but it was clear to her that her brother-in-law was indeed overwhelmingly powerful, something she could never have imagined before.


    Just then, Li Yifei and the others had already walked out of the hotel. In front of the hotel, motorcycle engines roared, though the twenty or thirty motorcycles were stationary, none were turned off, and the riders, each looking fierce and menacing, kept revving the engines, making the roaring sounds even louder, as if they were about to rush into the hotel at any moment¡ªan array usually only seen in movies. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though it feels impressive and domineering in movies, experiencing it in person was absolutely more shocking.


    "Brother Hao, it¡¯s them!" Yuan Anran was standing next to a motorcycle rider, a burly man in a leather jacket and pants, wearing big boots, his face covered with a thick beard, looking extremely fierce. His piercing eyes now stared at Li Yifei and his group.


    "Just these four shrimps, and they beat you? You still have the face to ask me to bring people?" Brother Hao raised his hand and smacked it hard on the back of Yuan Anran¡¯s neck, visibly vexed.


    "Brother Hao, that guy in the suit is really tough; he kicked me flying, and the three people following couldn¡¯t even catch me. He¡¯s definitely a skilled fighter."


    "Really? He¡¯s that tough?" Brother Hao scrutinized, staring at Li Yifei up and down with his big bull eyes.


    If it was inside Mile City, most influential people would recognize Li Yifei, but even though Stream County isn¡¯t far from Mile City, it¡¯s still just a county. The local thugs didn¡¯t bother to know who was the most powerful in the city. Even if they knew there was a powerful Li Yifei in Mile City, having never seen him in person, they wouldn¡¯t recognize him.


    "Brother Hao, I know this guy," another lad came over.


    "Oh?" Brother Hao tilted his head towards him.


    The guy immediately said, "That¡¯s Old Su, just a gambler, damn easy to deceive. I won some money from him a while back, then his son-in-law showed up and beat me up. That guy¡¯s really tough, and took us down in no time."


    Hearing two people saying Li Yifei could fight also made Brother Hao feel that the other party wasn¡¯t so easy to deal with. He clasped his fists and said loudly, "Brother, which gang are you with?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "I¡¯m not involved in those circles."


    Brother Hao raised his eyebrows and said, "Then you beat up my brothers, how are you going to settle this account?"


    "He deserved it, I didn¡¯t knock all his teeth out, so consider him lucky."


    Brother Hao¡¯s eyes turned cold, "Brother, you talk quite tough."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be bothered with him anymore. A small place like Stream County didn¡¯t catch his attention, his target was big cities like the provincial capitals. If Brother Hao was in a provincial city, he would have considered bringing him under his wing. But here? Li Yifei had no such intention.


    At that moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s father puffed up his chest and said loudly, "Little Hao, you guys just go about your business, stop crowding around here."


    "Fuck, who asked you to talk?"


    "Who the hell are you to dare talk to Brother Hao like that, you¡¯re asking to get killed." A few individuals who knew Su Yiyi¡¯s father suddenly started shouting.


    Glancing at Li Yifei, Su Yiyi¡¯s father saw Li Yifei didn¡¯t stop him or seem upset, which boosted his confidence along with a bit of alcohol swirling in his system. He stepped forward and said, "You two punks, I¡¯m even letting go of the money you cheated from me before. I advise you to leave early; otherwise, you won¡¯t know how you might end up dead."


    "Old Su, you really think you¡¯ve become royalty, you¡¯re being so arrogant. Even if your son-in-law can fight, I have so many people here and Brother Hao is here, you¡¯re all done for."


    "Brother Hao, let us teach them a lesson. They come to Stream County and act like this, don¡¯t they know this is Brother Hao¡¯s territory?"


    "With just you guys? You¡¯re frogs in a well. Here in Stream County, you think you¡¯re big shots, but only in this small place do you count for something. I¡¯m reminding you because of old acquaintance, but if you don¡¯t have the sense to listen, then do as you please."


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father strutted his stuff for a bit before pulling back. Previously, he couldn¡¯t assert himself before common hoodlums, but this time he spoke up to someone as tough as Brother Hao, and it felt incredible.


    "Old Su, you really don¡¯t know how to live or die, today you¡¯re done for."


    "Exactly, just an old geezer, drinking lousy liquor, it¡¯s just like feeding it to a dog."


    A bunch of lackeys started cursing. If they had been talking about someone powerful, it might have been acceptable. But Su Yiyi¡¯s father, who they always looked down upon, was now acting high and mighty in front of them, which was unbearable.


    Brother Hao was quite annoyed, being looked down upon. How could he continue to mix in Stream County then? He waved his hand and commanded, "Teach them a lesson."


    Although aware that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t easy to handle, Brother Hao brought a lot of men. If they couldn¡¯t settle this matter, it would ruin his reputation in Stream County. So, a fight was inevitable.


    More than ten guys at the front immediately yelled excitedly; the motorcycles surged toward the entrance.


    Li Yifei secretly shook his head, even if he didn¡¯t want to fight, the other side was already charging forward, and it seemed he had no choice but to fight.


    But just then, a harsh car horn sound rang out, several small cars madly rushed over, not seeming to stop at all. This frightened the motorcycle riders into cursing but they had no choice but to ride aside. The cars were metal covered in flesh, but they were flesh covering metal, if they collided, they couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    Even the motorcycles charging towards Li Yifei and his group had to quickly swerve to avoid a collision. If they had continued towards Li Yifei and his group, they would have really crashed into these cars.


    The cars swiftly reached the front of the hotel. Before the cars even came to a complete stop, several people jumped out. A chubby guy was the first to rush in front of Li Yifei and said loudly, "Boss, we are here."


    Li Yifei looked at this guy and couldn¡¯t help but smile, this guy was none other than the second-generation Fish Man, who had been thwarted twice in front of Li Yifei. He had not expected that the first one to arrive here would be him.


    "These people are looking for trouble with me." Li Yifei said indifferently.


    The second-generation Fish Man¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, "Alright, boss, leave it to me."


    The second generation Fish Man hadn¡¯t expected to be the first to arrive. This time, he really wanted to perform well. As long as he gained Li Yifei¡¯s approval, his future would surely soar. This was a tremendous opportunity, and he was determined to seize it.

 Chapter 1213 - 1261: The Fire Merge

    Chapter 1213: Chapter 1261: The Fire MergeThe second-generation Fish man immediately turned around and saw Brother Hao, his eyes squinting instantly. He knew Brother Hao, and in terms of influence, Brother Hao¡¯s strength was indeed much stronger than his. Although he was in Mile City, he was just a small-time gang leader there, while Brother Hao was at least the boss of Stream County, with more territory and men. Normally, if he saw Brother Hao, the second-generation Fish man really wouldn¡¯t dare to challenge him openly.


    But today was different. He had been summoned by Li Yifei, so he was practically wielding the Imperial sword. Even someone as badass as Brother Hu was a minion to Yifei, so what was Brother Hao in comparison?


    Puffing out his chest, the second-generation Fish man walked straight up to Brother Hao and said loudly, "Brother Hao, long time no see, eh."


    Brother Hao hadn¡¯t heard what the second-generation Fish man and Li Yifei had talked about, and he thought Yifei was acting tough relying on the second-generation Fish man¡¯s backing. The second-generation Fish man himself was no match for him, but the power in Mile City was now all under Brother Hu, and since the second-generation Fish man followed Brother Hu, if he really started trouble with the Fish man, it would draw the whole city¡¯s forces on him, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the consequences. Frowning, he said, "Well, who dares to be so arrogant... turns out it¡¯s you, second-generation Fish man, backing him up!"


    The second-generation Fish man snorted and said, "Brother Hao, I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years in the mix, you¡¯re still so blind, daring to provoke this big boss. You really are out of your depth."


    "What do you mean?" Brother Hao felt a cold shiver in his heart.


    The second-generation Fish man haughtily lifted his chin and said, "Hmph, I advise you, it¡¯s best to apologize to our boss right now, otherwise... heh heh."


    "Boss? You¡¯re saying that guy is your boss? What kind of joke is that, I¡¯ve met Brother Hu before."


    "Brother Hao, I¡¯ve already told you, don¡¯t just stick around in Stream County, read more books, newspapers, you don¡¯t even recognize this big boss, you¡¯ve really wasted all these years. I¡¯ll remind you again, if you..."


    "Second-generation Fish man, f*ck your grandma, how did you get here faster than me!" At this point, several cars rushed over, and a plump, smiley guy hurried down from one of them.


    "Haha, Lai Changyi, you¡¯re a step behind me this time, buddy."


    This plump guy named Lai Changyi, nicknamed Paradise Feather, was also one of Brother Hu¡¯s capable men. Of course, he knew who Li Yifei was, so as soon as he got the news, he rushed over as well, only to find that the second-generation Fish man had beaten him to the punch, which really annoyed him. He glared at the second-generation Fish man and said, "This isn¡¯t underwater, how could you be so quick, kid?"


    "Haha, I was nearby, of course, I rushed right over," the second-generation Fish man laughed even more proudly.


    Then another batch of cars arrived, and a few guys who also looked like big shots got out. Seeing the second-generation Fish man and Lai Changyi there, they all stared at the two, obviously thinking that these two had stolen their thunder.


    This made the second-generation Fish man feel fantastic. Before, he didn¡¯t even have the credentials to sit on an equal footing with Lai Changyi and the others. This time, after making a significant contribution, there was an opportunity, and it was evident from the way these people were talking to him.


    As things were getting lively here, Brother Hao felt dumbfounded. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the second-generation Fish man, but these newcomers were not people he could afford to provoke. Moreover, their simultaneous arrival meant serious trouble. He felt his throat go dry and couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard, feeling that this time he¡¯d really stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest.


    His arrogant lackeys also beat their chests in worry. Now, dozens of cars had blocked the hotel entrance, and their motorcycles were trapped inside. They thought they had the upper hand with numbers, but in an instant, they looked hopelessly outnumbered. And with the reputation of these new arrivals, they didn¡¯t dare instigate a fight, now wondering if they were in for a terrible outcome.


    After exchanging greetings with those people, the second-generation Fish man hurriedly spoke up to Brother Hao, "Brother Hao, do I need to repeat what I just said?"


    With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Brother Hao found the audacity of the second-generation Fish man unbearable, but what was he to do if he didn¡¯t swallow his pride? Starting a fight would mean facing the entire underground force of Mile City¡ªin minutes they could finish him off.


    Taking a deep breath, Brother Hao looked at the second-generation Fish man with a bitter smile and said, "Fish Brother, who exactly is this big shot? Even if I die, I should die understanding."


    The second-generation Fish man shook his head and leaned in to whisper to Brother Hao, "You don¡¯t recognize Li Yifei of Mile City? You¡¯ve truly wasted your time in the underworld."


    Brother Hao¡¯s skin twitched violently and his eyes were full of shock. Ordinary people might not know who Li Yifei was, but as someone involved in the underworld, how could he not know who the real power behind Brother Hu was?


    "Then I really did this to myself," Brother Hao slapped his own cheek and said, "Fish Brother, give me some advice, what should I do now?"


    "Nothing much to do, Mr. Li never likes to be high-profile, he especially dislikes being associated with the underworld, so just disperse for now, and later on, go apologize to the boss, that¡¯s all." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Right! Fish Brother, I owe you one for this," Brother Hao nodded. He genuinely appreciated the second-generation Fish man for not starting a fight right away, as he would¡¯ve still ended up swallowing the bitter pill either way.


    "Mr. Li, I was blind to your stature, let¡¯s leave it at that for today, and I¡¯ll come to apologize later," Brother Hao said to Li Yifei, fist to palm, in a loud voice.


    Li Yifei nodded without saying much, already having lost the interest to press the issue, as he surely didn¡¯t want to cause an all-out gang war, which would¡¯ve been a major impact. Additionally, for such a trivial matter, there was no need to make things difficult for the other party.


    At this moment, Brother Hao added, "Fellow bosses, sorry to have made you come here, I, Brother Hao, should offer some local hospitality. How about I treat everyone to drinks?"


    The second-generation "Fish People" all looked towards Li Yifei; Li Yifei nodded, and they immediately agreed with alacrity.


    Brother Hao saw it all and couldn¡¯t help but wryly smile to himself. This time, he really hit a wall, but fortunately, the other party didn¡¯t play rough; otherwise, it would have been easy to leave this world today.


    These people quickly dispersed, and none invited Li Yifei because they knew he would not go; there was no point in banging their heads against that wall.


    It was only then that Su XiaoMing and his son came back to their senses, looking at Li Yifei with eyes full of astonishment. The scene that had just unfolded was too shocking for them, reminiscent of a blockbuster from Hong Kong or Taiwan, yet it had all transpired because of Li Yifei.


    What mattered most was the respect these people had for Li Yifei, which suddenly brought the term "mafia godfather" to Su XiaoMing¡¯s mind.


    At this moment, Su Yiyi¡¯s father was incredibly overjoyed, feeling a kind of unrivaled power he had never experienced before, a sense of awe felt in front of so many people. Just this once was enough; even if he were to die now, it would have been worth it.


    "It¡¯s all right now, let¡¯s go too," said Li Yifei with a smile.


    "Yes, yes!" babbled Su XiaoMing and his son in agreement, now looking at Li Yifei truly with awe.


    The group got back into the car, and Li Yifei and Su Yiyi dropped them off at Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s place, but Su XiaoMing and the other two still hadn¡¯t snapped out of it.


    Knowing her father very well, Su Yiyi immediately said, "Dad, Yifei is very busy. Don¡¯t stir up trouble in the future and cause hassles for Yifei."


    Her father cracked a grin and responded, "Dad understands. Dad feeling proud this time is enough. I¡¯ve truly seen the light now. Before, I was just a bastard, not enjoying good days ahead and instead causing you trouble. If I did that, I¡¯d be a real, complete bastard."


    Su Yiyi smiled in relief and said, "That¡¯s great. I¡¯m happy for you too."


    "Rest assured, daughter. Dad is indeed very happy that you came to see me on my birthday; I never dared to imagine this before," said Su Yiyi¡¯s father, his eyes reddening a bit.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s eyes also reddened, touched by her father¡¯s reform and feeling that paternal love. It was truly a wonderful feeling. Nodding vigorously, she said, "Dad, I¡¯ll often come to see you in the future, and if you miss me, you can also come to our house."


    Li Yifei added, "I¡¯ll also come over with Yiyi when I have time."


    "Great, great!" Su Yiyi¡¯s father nodded emphatically, even more delighted by Li Yifei¡¯s words.


    "It¡¯s getting late, Yifei and I should head back. Uncle, you all should stay here for tonight, and let¡¯s keep in touch more often in the future."


    After Li Yifei and Su Yiyi left, Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s home was still far from calm. Su XiaoMing¡¯s father immediately asked, "Big brother, what exactly does your son-in-law do?"


    Lighting up one of the high-quality cigarettes brought by Li Yifei, Su Yiyi¡¯s father took a puff and then leisurely said, "My son-in-law, he¡¯s really something. If it hadn¡¯t been for today¡¯s incident, I really wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it."


    "But who is he exactly?" Wu Lili also asked eagerly.


    "Hehe, you know your brother-in-law¡¯s name. Aren¡¯t you young people good at using the internet? Why don¡¯t you look it up online?"


    Upon hearing this, Su XiaoMing and Wu Lili immediately took out their smartphones to search.


    "My God... Chairman of Li Group, assets over ten billion, owns a vast private garden..."


    With each gasp of surprise, Su XiaoMing and Wu Lili¡¯s jaws nearly dropped. They had imagined Li Yifei was wealthy, but they had never expected him to be this rich. He was an outright super tycoon.


    "His wife Xu Yingying is the current President of the Group... Huh..." As they read this, Su XiaoMing and Wu Lili were surprised and turned to look at Su Yiyi¡¯s father.


    Su Yiyi¡¯s father smiled slightly and said, "You¡¯re not seeing it wrong. Yiyi is not Yifei¡¯s legal wife."


    Su XiaoMing¡¯s father frowned slightly and said, "Big brother, isn¡¯t this making Yiyi his mistress then?"


    The smile on Su Yiyi¡¯s father¡¯s face remained as he explained, "Perhaps you don¡¯t understand, but I can only tell you that Yiyi is now living in Yifei¡¯s house and she gets along quite well with Yifei¡¯s wife. So Yiyi is not a mistress, she¡¯s practically a wife without an official marriage certificate."

 Chapter 1214 - 1262: Meng Xiaofei’s Eccentricity

    Chapter 1214: Chapter 1262: Meng Xiaofei¡¯s EccentricityFor Li Yifei, today¡¯s incident was definitely unexpected, but since it happened, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s a bad thing. At least Brother Hao could be of use to him in the future. Mile City includes Dawa, and his desire to be the emperor there is simply out of the question.


    So as long as Brother Hao stays in Dawa, even if he is not directly under Brother Hu, a word from Brother Hu would be enough for him to get things done. And as for the big boss behind the scenes¡ªhimself¡ªhe naturally wouldn¡¯t dare to offend.


    These underground forces are indeed not a good source for normal people, but since ancient times, such forces have never been completely eliminated. Li Yifei does not harbor grand ambitions to eradicate these forces, so making good use of them is his best approach for now.


    Of course, what Li Yifei detests the most is drug trafficking and forcing women into prostitution. Drug trafficking is undeniably a scourge that harms the country and its people, not a question of crime, but a matter of basic human decency. And recently, with Lin Qiong¡¯s crackdown on Noah¡¯s Ark¡¯s drug supply, the drug situation in Mile City has greatly improved. Moreover, Li Yifei has emphasized this point to Brother Hu, who had long ago instructed his subordinates not to touch drugs. With the major underground forces abstaining from drugs, Mile City naturally saw a reduction in drug activities. However, some other channels are unavoidable, so there are still some drugs circulating.


    Regarding the matter of prostitution, Li Yifei is neither supportive nor against it. Whether acknowledged or not, the industry undeniably plays a role in reducing the rate of rape crimes. As long as both parties are willing, Li Yifei doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal.


    Controlling these underground forces, if one wishes to profit from these areas, may not be a good thing. But for someone like Li Yifei, it could be a beneficial act for both the country and the people.


    It was also for this reason that Lin Qiong, a female police officer with a strong sense of justice, did not express any objections. She only asked Li Yifei not to get too involved and just to keep them under control.


    It was after ten when he got home that night. Today, it wasn¡¯t Su Yiyi accompanying Li Yifei. In front of Li Yifei¡¯s villa, Su Yiyi suddenly hugged Li Yifei and whispered softly, "Hubby, thank you."


    Li Yifei embraced Su Yiyi¡¯s waist, "Silly girl, there¡¯s no need for thanks between us. I see your dad, and that¡¯s just what I should do. Now that he has learned his lesson, I will certainly treat him well as my father-in-law."


    "Hubby, you¡¯re so good," Su Yiyi lifted her head and kissed Li Yifei¡¯s face, then whispered in his ear, "When it¡¯s my turn, I¡¯ll definitely take good care of you."


    "Ha, Yiyi, it¡¯s not easy to hear such words from you."


    "Stop it," Su Yiyi said shyly, just as she always was, and then let go of Li Yifei and ran towards her villa.


    Watching Su Yiyi enter her villa, Li Yifei then entered his own. Inside, the lights were brightly lit in the living room, where Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue were sitting on the couch with a pile of documents in front of them.


    "Why are you still working so late?" asked Li Yifei, somewhat surprised. Generally speaking, whoever came to accompany Li Yifei would put their work aside.


    Ning Xin¡¯er pushed away the documents in her hand and rubbed her forehead, saying, "It¡¯s really frustrating. We¡¯ve been preparing for a movie recently, but now the director and several important actors have encountered problems, and everything has come to a halt."


    Li Yifei squeezed in between the two and said, "I don¡¯t understand the business of filmmaking, but I suppose it¡¯s similar to doing business. It¡¯s normal to encounter some setbacks, right?"


    Li Xinyue shook her head and said, "It¡¯s not a setback, it¡¯s competition. The director and actors we had on board have suddenly taken on other projects. I can¡¯t help feeling like a competitor is trying to sabotage us."


    "Oh, have you investigated?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er shook her head, "This only happened in the past few days, and we¡¯re not yet clear whether it¡¯s someone deliberately undermining us or if it¡¯s just a coincidence. The main issue is, as a fledgling film company, we don¡¯t pose a threat to any other company, so there¡¯s no reason for anyone to target us."


    Li Xinyue gave a wry smile and said, "Logic dictates that, but it¡¯s too much of a coincidence that the director and several key actors would all back out last minute. Xin¡¯er, you haven¡¯t encountered something like this before, have you?"


    "Of course not, which is why I find it suspicious," said Ning Xin¡¯er confidently.


    Li Yifei, wrapping his arms around the two, said reassuringly, "Well, let¡¯s just investigate. We can send a couple of people from the family over, and we should have answers quickly."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded and huffed, "Indeed, we need to investigate. Normal competition is acceptable, but if they¡¯re resorting to subterfuge, then the Li family won¡¯t be intimidated." Now Ning Xin¡¯er, as the CEO of the film company, truly exuded a commanding presence, seemingly reverting to her true nature.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, "That¡¯s my Little Xin¡¯er for you, always so assertive."


    Ning Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, "Alright, then. I¡¯ll show you assertive tonight. Get the whip and candles ready."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark as he said, "Xin¡¯er, I didn¡¯t expect you to have a dominatrix streak."


    Li Xinyue giggled and said, "Honey, if you¡¯re interested in that kind of play, I can join in with Xin¡¯er."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and replied, "Let¡¯s forget it. After all, I am the head of the family. If I let you two ride over me, how can I face anyone in the future?"


    "So, am I going to ride on your face tonight?" Ning Xin¡¯er blinked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart swayed and he replied, "If that¡¯s the case... well, I¡¯d be more than happy. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, work can wait, let¡¯s go upstairs and put it into practice."


    The next morning, Li Yifei woke up early, as he always did. Last night, Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue might have been under a lot of work stress, needing to vent in bed, which really wore Li Yifei out. But when he woke up early in the morning, he was still full of energy and did not show any fatigue. It must all be due to the benefits of True Qi. Even if he wasn¡¯t tired before, there was no way he would be as spirited as he was now.


    Li Yifei had already taught the basics to the family guards at home and now it was up to them to grasp the concepts on their own. For Li Yifei himself, his focus was on further cultivating his True Qi. Those external techniques and the like were secondary.


    After getting up, he went to sit down on a rockery in the backyard to concentrate and feel the flow of True Qi within him.


    After exchanging ideas with Murong Yuanqing, Li Yifei knew that True Qi required not only diligent practice but also a process of understanding. As long as one could comprehend quickly, the enhancement of True Qi would be rapid. If one couldn¡¯t grasp it, then no matter how diligent the practice, progress would be slow.


    The progress made by Xu Shanshan made Li Yifei envious, so now he couldn¡¯t afford to slack off, otherwise, being beaten by Xu Shanshan in the future would be a real blow to his pride.


    "Brother-in-law!" After more than half an hour, Xu Shanshan¡¯s voice came from below the rockery.


    Li Yifei opened his eyes and saw Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang standing below. He gracefully leaped down and said with a smile, "Shanshan, Ningxiang."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately greeted him respectfully, "Good morning, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei nodded and asked, "What brings you both here?"


    Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei and said, "Come and help me figure out Little Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy. I¡¯m at a complete loss now."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately lowered her head, fiddling with the corner of her clothes, and said in a small voice, "Master, I¡¯m just too dull."


    Li Yifei looked at Jiang Ningxiang, smiled and said, "It¡¯s not that you¡¯re dull, Innate Vital Energy is a very mysterious thing. There aren¡¯t many people in this world who possess it, and because there are so few, there¡¯s even less experience with it. It¡¯s possible that each type of Innate Vital Energy requires a different method of training."


    Xu Shanshan shrugged helplessly and said, "I suspect that¡¯s the case too. Otherwise, why can I train so easily, but Ningxiang can¡¯t manage to do it at all?"


    Jiang Ningxiang raised her head, looking hopeful, and asked, "So it really isn¡¯t because I¡¯m too dumb?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Of course not. Let¡¯s study it carefully then."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded again and again, "Thank you, Brother Li."


    Xu Shanshan smiled and said, "Let¡¯s go over to my place then. It¡¯s not convenient here."


    It was not yet six o¡¯clock, and there was still at least an hour left, so there was time to study this thoroughly.


    Just as the three of them were walking out, they saw Meng Xiaofei. She was up at such an early hour, which was quite surprising to everyone.


    Meng Xiaofei was heading into the woods and hadn¡¯t noticed them. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan exchanged glances and then quietly followed her. When things were abnormal, there was bound to be some mischief. Something must be up with Meng Xiaofei, while Jiang Ningxiang obediently stayed put.


    In the woods, Meng Xiaofei stopped, looked around as if she were a thief, and after making sure no one was around, she took a banana out of her pocket.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, as experts, naturally wouldn¡¯t let Meng Xiaofei notice them. But seeing her take out a banana, both of them were puzzled. What exactly was Meng Xiaofei up to? Surely one wouldn¡¯t be sneaky just to eat a banana.


    Then Xu Shanshan smirked mischievously at Li Yifei, winking at him while pointing at the banana in Meng Xiaofei¡¯s hand and then at the area between her own legs.


    Li Yifei instantly sweated, thinking that it was downright impossible. No matter what, Meng Xiaofei wouldn¡¯t engage in such activity, right? If she really wanted to, she could totally come to him¡ªwas he not even comparable to a banana?

 Chapter 1215 - 1263: Going in Circles and Coming Back

    Chapter 1215: Chapter 1263: Going in Circles and Coming BackMeng Xiaofei was holding not just any banana, but a massive one, practically a pound in weight for three or four of them. She shook the banana and muttered softly, "This should be about the same size as Brother Li¡¯s, right?"


    Xu Shanshan almost laughed out loud, while Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark, surprised that Meng Xiaofei actually thought that way. It was quite a blow, "Xiaofei, do you really need to do this? Brother Li¡¯s thing, you can have it anytime!"


    "But it¡¯s so big, how can it fit inside? Won¡¯t it be uncomfortable?" Meng Xiaofei murmured again.


    Xu Shanshan nudged Li Yifei with her elbow, her mischievous smile growing wider.


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened even more. If Meng Xiaofei really did that, he would definitely stop her, and immediately carry her to the room to straighten her out. This girl was really hitting below the belt.


    "Oh well, just trying it should be fine, if others can, there¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t," Meng Xiaofei murmured again, seemingly decisive.


    Li Yifei was about to show himself at that moment, but stopped almost immediately because Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t start stripping or anything like that; instead, she brought the banana to her lips and slowly put it in her mouth.


    Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei were both taken aback, and then instantly understood what was going on.


    However, Xu Shanshan quickly burst into laughter, winking repeatedly at Li Yifei, who now felt rather smug. It turned out Meng Xiaofei wanted to try because she saw him with Su Mengxin that day. But she didn¡¯t have to run to the woods early in the morning for this, she could have just tried it secretly in her own bedroom.


    "Ahem..." Meng Xiaofei suddenly coughed violently and pulled out the banana, gasping before managing to stop coughing. She grimaced, "This is really too difficult. Sister Mengxin swallowed it whole that day, and I can¡¯t even do half. Brother Li will definitely not like me anymore."


    Li Yifei really wanted to go out immediately to tell her she didn¡¯t need to imitate others, but on second thought, he held back. Going out at that moment would only embarrass Meng Xiaofei, and knowing her temperament, she probably wouldn¡¯t see him for days. Better to wait for another opportunity to subtly tell her.


    He pulled Xu Shanshan along and the two of them exited, meeting up with Jiang Ningxiang and walking towards Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa.


    Once inside the villa, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, saying, "Alright, stop laughing, we still need to study Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi."


    Jiang Ningxiang looked confused at the two, but the young girl was very obedient, knowing this wasn¡¯t something she should ask about.


    Xu Shanshan laughed for a while before finally stopping. She winked at Li Yifei, "Brother-in-law, this Xiaofei really cares about you, putting so much effort to please you."


    Li Yifei glared at Xu Shanshan, "Don¡¯t spout nonsense in front of the kid."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly extended her arm around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, giggling, "Ningxiang is already eighteen, a grown-up, not a child anymore."


    "You..." Li Yifei was startled by Xu Shanshan¡¯s move.


    Xu Shanshan kept giggling, "Ningxiang is my disciple, she absolutely would not betray me. Right, Ningxiang?"


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned red and she dared not look at the two, whispering, "Master, I won¡¯t say anything."


    Li Yifei totally didn¡¯t understand why Xu Shanshan wanted to do this. Even if Jiang Ningxiang wouldn¡¯t tell, there was no need to make their relationship apparent in front of this young girl.


    Xu Shanshan lightly bit Li Yifei¡¯s ear, cooing, "You research True Qi so closely with Ningxiang, just like with me, how could she not know about us?"


    Li Yifei felt a bit embarrassed, recognizing that indeed was the case, but getting so close to Jiang Ningxiang still made him a bit uncomfortable.


    "Let¡¯s go upstairs," Xu Shanshan said, releasing Li Yifei and then pulling both him and Jiang Ningxiang upstairs.


    Upon entering her bedroom, Xu Shanshan casually closed the door, then said nonchalantly to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, lie down on the bed, just like when Master teaches you usually."


    Jiang Ningxiang hesitated, her face flushing, and stuttered, "Master... do we... still have to do that?"


    "Of course, that¡¯s the only way to thoroughly check," Xu Shanshan earnestly replied, then glared, "What now, you won¡¯t even listen to your Master?"


    "I... I... Yes, Master!" Jiang Ningxiang seemed a bit aggrieved, slowly moving to the bed, then reached down to grab the hem of her sweater.


    Li Yifei, not initially understanding what Xu Shanshan wanted Jiang Ningxiang to do, was startled by her actions and quickly grabbed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s arm, saying, "Ningxiang, you don¡¯t have to do this."


    Xu Shanshan discontentedly said, "What do you mean not needed? You always let her wear clothes, can you really feel her True Qi completely?"


    Li Yifei was at a loss for words. To be honest, the nature of Innate Vital Energy is too mysterious; there are subtle changes within it that just can¡¯t be perceived through clothing, especially after experimenting together with Xu Shanshan, Li Yifei could feel it even more.


    Xu Shanshan continued, "Ningxiang now has a treasure within her yet we do not know how to harness it. Don¡¯t you feel it¡¯s a pity?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "Perhaps it¡¯s just slow, we might figure it out after some more time."


    Xu Shanshan gave Li Yifei a look and said, "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple. The reason I¡¯m doing this is that I encountered a problem myself. I can only follow part of Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi but don¡¯t know the operating conditions of the rest. So I thought of a method where both of us can inspect together. By probing with our True Qi, we can better understand the workings of Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi, and the results should be better this way."


    At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face slightly changed, and she lowered her head even more.


    "But... if Ningxiang takes off her clothes, that¡¯d be... really embarrassing." Li Yifei said with a bitter smile.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly winked at Li Yifei and said, "Have you forgotten what I told you?"


    Li Yifei was even more embarrassed and said, "Shanshan, let¡¯s just drop this matter."


    "Drop the matter? I¡¯m serious. With such a treasure like Ningxiang, I certainly do not wish to let others take advantage. Ningxiang, I ask you, if Brother Li wants you to be his woman, would you be willing?"


    Jiang Ningxiang was shocked, she quickly glanced at Li Yifei and then bowed her head, not daring to utter a word.


    "Ningxiang, answer me, are you willing or not?" Xu Shanshan immediately pressed on.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Shanshan, you are Ningxiang¡¯s mentor, how can you press your disciple like this? Ningxiang, you don¡¯t have to answer."


    Xu Shanshan was very persistent at this moment, her face stern as she asked, "Ningxiang, aren¡¯t you going to answer your mentor?"


    "Mentor...I...I...I am unwilling." Jiang Ningxiang said, tears already beginning to flow.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yifei actually felt somewhat depressed. Over the years, there were many women in his family; he always rejected others and none ever rejected him. Now Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s rejection seemed like a blow to him.


    Xu Shanshan was shocked as she looked at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "Do you really not want it?"


    Jiang Ningxiang sobbed lightly and whispered, "Mentor, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t listen to you, it¡¯s just that... here, Brother Li takes care of me, and there are so many sisters-in-law who are good to me. In my heart, Brother Li is like my father, and the sisters-in-law are like my mothers. I... I really never thought of being Brother Li¡¯s woman."


    This statement gave Li Yifei a chance to save face, and he chuckled, saying, "See? I also regard Ningxiang as a daughter. It¡¯s just you worrying unnecessarily here. Alright, Ningxiang don¡¯t cry, your mentor was just joking with you."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "Well, since that¡¯s what you think, I won¡¯t say more then."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, while Jiang Ningxiang also lifted her head, sobbed a couple of times, and whispered, "Thank you, mentor."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, no more grievances."


    Xu Shanshan then said sternly, "You make it sound like I, the mentor, am bullying my disciple, making me out to be the villain."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly said, "No, no, I know you mean well for me, mentor. I also know that Brother Li treats me very well. In my entire life, no one has treated me as well as Brother Li, that¡¯s why I regard him as a father, to better repay Brother Li for his kindness to me."


    Li Yifei found these words particularly pleasing to the ear and ruffled Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair, saying, "Good child, in my heart, I¡¯ve also regarded you as a daughter, this will always be your home."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s nose soured again, and then she suddenly threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, crying out, "Dad!"


    Li Yifei gently patted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s back and chuckled, "Alright, my good daughter."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Such deep father-daughter affection indeed, but this is also good, Ningxiang, do you really regard your brother-in-law as your father?"


    Jiang Ningxiang released Li Yifei and quickly nodded vigorously.


    Xu Shanshan smiled beamingly and said, "Well, that settles it. Since he is your father, and you his daughter, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Take off your clothes, let us check your True Qi quickly."


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang were instantly petrified; after all the twists and turns, how did it come back to taking off clothes again? S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1216 - 1264 Still Not Working

    Chapter 1216: Chapter 1264 Still Not WorkingJiang Ningxiang¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, then she bit her lip hard and nodded forcefully, saying, "Okay!"


    "Ningxiang!" Li Yifei immediately called out.


    Jiang Ningxiang then displayed a sweet smile and said, "Brother Li, since I regard you as a father in my heart, disrobing in front of a father is not something to be ashamed of. Ningxiang possesses Innate Vital Energy which, if not utilized properly, would mean I can¡¯t contribute to the Li family. It would be a waste being a member of the Li family, so please help me develop my Innate Vital Energy as soon as possible."


    Xu Shanshan clapped her hands and said, "Well said, you truly are worthy of being my disciple." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang smiled even more sweetly, saying, "Master, I definitely won¡¯t let you down, and I won¡¯t let the Li family down either."


    With that, the young girl turned her back to Li Yifei and began to undress, her movements swift and without delay.


    Li Yifei, embarrassed, turned his head towards Xu Shanshan and rolled his eyes at her.


    Xu Shanshan revealed a smile, albeit a very odd one, making Li Yifei puzzled about what her smile meant.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly stripped down completely, not leaving a single piece of clothing, and then climbed onto the bed, lying down flat, and whispered, "Brother Li, Master, come on."


    At this moment, if Li Yifei were to draw back, that would truly dishonor Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s bravery, so he took a deep breath, turned around, but his heartbeat involuntarily quickened upon seeing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body.


    Xu Shanshan had already jumped onto the bed, saying, "Hurry up now."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to gather his courage and join them on the bed, now having a clearer view, and his gaze uncontrollably wandered to Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s sensitive areas.


    Jiang Ningxiang then closed her eyes, her cheeks flushing red, not just her face but a blush spreading over her body.


    For someone of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s age, her body is extremely delicate, and since she herself is an extremely beautiful girl, she possesses lethal allure to any man at this moment.


    Xu Shanshan then said in a serious tone, "Relax your mind, clear all distracting thoughts, and focus on channeling your Innate Vital Energy."


    These words seemed directed both at Jiang Ningxiang and Li Yifei, and they made Li Yifei feel quite ashamed. Jiang Ningxiang regarded him as a father figure, yet he was still attracted by her body, which is truly sinful.


    Taking a deep breath, Li Yifei circulated his True Qi, finally calming his mind, and then nodded towards Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan also nodded, and both reached out to grasp one of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hands each, then closed their eyes, quickly forming a fist except for the index finger which they slowly slid up Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s arm.


    Li Yifei indeed had no distracting thoughts now. For him, controlling his emotion was possible, even in the presence of a completely naked beautiful woman, his mind was only focused on the flow of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi.


    However, as their fingers moved up Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s arm and reached her chest, her body shook, and the Innate Vital Energy inside her became chaotic.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan immediately opened their eyes and turned to look at Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang, with a flushed and shy face, said, "I¡¯m sorry, I got distracted."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, not blaming Jiang Ningxiang, and said, "Try to relax, let¡¯s try again."


    "Yes!" Jiang Ningxiang nodded.


    When they reached the chest area again, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Vital Energy collapsed once more, and this time Xu Shanshan frowned, saying, "Aren¡¯t you supposed to consider Brother Li as your father? Why are there still distracting thoughts?"


    Jiang Ningxiang weakly said, "I don¡¯t know why, it¡¯s just... just... when Brother Li¡¯s fingers touch my... chest, I can¡¯t help but get my Vital Energy disturbed."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "Then your feelings towards your father Brother Li are not pure, are they?"


    "No, not at all!" Jiang Ningxiang immediately became flustered and hastily said, "I really have no other thoughts, it¡¯s just... if a real father touched me here, I would also... feel embarrassed."


    Li Yifei, upon hearing Jiang Ningxiang say this, felt somewhat embarrassed too. Jiang Ningxiang was right; generally, when a daughter reaches puberty, her father should be more reserved about certain things, and like in the United States, the police would intervene if a father bathes his daughter after she starts school, let alone touching her like this.


    "Master, Brother Li, I will control myself better this time and won¡¯t get confused again," Jiang Ningxiang said as she bit her lip, making a promise.


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said, "Good, this time you adjust yourself first, let your mind completely immerse in the operation of True Qi, and we will make a move later."


    Jiang Ningxiang once again closed her eyes, then began to circulate True Qi. After a while, her breathing became completely calm and slow, and her skin color was also completely normal, indicating she was definitely in a very good state then.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan exchanged glances and made another attempt. After failing twice consecutively, this time they were both very careful, fearing causing Jiang Ningxiang any issues again.


    But even with their utmost caution, and even though Jiang Ningxiang was well-prepared, when it came to reaching her chest again, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi collapsed once more.


    Xu Shanshan said somewhat annoyed, "Forget it, let¡¯s not try any more. It seems that this method doesn¡¯t work. You girl are simply not focussed."


    Jiang Ningxiang suddenly sat up, with tears in her eyes, and said, "It¡¯s the disciple¡¯s fault, the disciple has disappointed the master."


    Li Yifei immediately comforted, "Shanshan, don¡¯t be angry; Ningxiang, don¡¯t feel wronged either. This kind of thing is indeed not that easy to control. After all, I am a man, and Ningxiang is just a young girl whose cultivation of Innate Vital Energy isn¡¯t that high. It¡¯s not so easy to control oneself. Let¡¯s take it slowly. I believe it will eventually be successful."


    "Master! Brother Li! I will work hard, really! Let¡¯s do it again, I... I will definitely not be in disarray again." Although Jiang Ningxiang spoke urgently, it was clear she had little confidence, obviously feeling unsure.


    Xu Shanshan shook her head and said, "Let¡¯s forget it for today. I¡¯m not in the mood anymore."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yeah, I think we should stop here for today. Ningxiang, you are still so young, we have plenty of time. Let¡¯s take it slow; rushing might make things worse."


    Jiang Ningxiang lowered her head and said softly, "Mmm, thank you, master, thank you, Brother Li."


    Li Yifei jumped off the bed and said, "Then get dressed; it¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s go have breakfast, you still need to go to school later."


    "Alright, you guys go ahead. I need to think a bit more." Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t come down, her brows furrowed as though she was pondering something.


    Li Yifei and a dressed Jiang Ningxiang left Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa. Jiang Ningxiang was looking quite dejected.


    Li Yifei put his hand on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s shoulder and said, "Ningxiang, don¡¯t feel burdened. Cultivating martial arts isn¡¯t something that can be achieved overnight. Sometimes it really requires a lot of opportunity. Your opportunity hasn¡¯t come yet, which is why your Innate Vital Energy hasn¡¯t been effectively harnessed. When the opportunity comes, your Innate Vital Energy will integrate all at once, just like your master."


    Jiang Ningxiang looked up at Li Yifei, her voice uncertain as she said, "Brother Li, is that really true? I really feel so useless."


    Li Yifei gently said, "Silly girl, how could you be useless? You should know, among ten million people, there might not even be one who possesses Innate Vital Energy like you do. You are very fortunate indeed."


    "But if I keep being unable to use it, isn¡¯t it the same as not having it at all?" As she spoke, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes reddened again.


    "It¡¯s absolutely not the same. If you hadn¡¯t met me and your master, your Innate Vital Energy might have been buried forever. Although we haven¡¯t found the right method yet, we¡¯ll figure it out sooner or later. The most important thing is for you to maintain a good mindset. You mustn¡¯t get hung up on this every day. Innate Vital Energy, as its name suggests, is naturally produced within the body and isn¡¯t something that can be forced. I feel letting nature take its course, along with some proper guidance, is enough. If you try too hard, it might actually be counterproductive."


    "So... shall I stop practicing?"


    "That¡¯s not what I meant. What your master taught you is a form of guidance; you still need to practice. Currently, your main issue is probably your mindset. The more anxious you are, the bigger the problem might be."


    "Oh... perhaps that is true. I really am anxious; I always hope to succeed in practicing sooner."


    "Exactly, that¡¯s not right. You need to relax and not focus all your thoughts on this. There¡¯s a lot to enjoy in school life and home life."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll listen to Brother Li; Brother Li is really good to me." A smile once again appeared on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face.


    Li Yifei also smiled contentedly and said, "That¡¯s being good."


    "Mmm, Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang suddenly appeared a bit guilty as she glanced at Li Yifei and sheepishly said, "About what I said before, will you... will you be mad at me?"


    "Mad at you for what?"


    Jiang Ningxiang stuttered, "That is... I don¡¯t want to be... your woman, just... your daughter."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "I¡¯m very happy. Brother Li has many women, but I don¡¯t have a goddaughter like you. So, I¡¯m really happy about this."


    Goddaughter... When Li Yifei said these three words out loud, why did it feel so wicked to him.

 Chapter 1217 - 1265: Ruins

    Chapter 1217: Chapter 1265: RuinsToday, Park Sung-ho from Noah¡¯s Ark came to visit Li Yifei once again. This time he came alone, looking relaxed and completely unguarded, which showed his great confidence in the partnership with Li Yifei, as he was not at all afraid of what Li Yifei might do to him.


    Li Yifei indeed had no intention to harm Park Sung-ho at the moment. Even though Park Sung-ho held a high position, dealing with him wouldn¡¯t solve anything and might even alert the enemy, resulting in more loss than gain.


    "Brother Park, what brings you here today?" Li Yifei greeted him enthusiastically, first giving Park Sung-ho a hearty hug, then pulling him to sit down together on the sofa.


    "Chairman Li, I¡¯m here, of course, to bring you some good news," he said.


    "You¡¯re too polite, Brother Park. You are older than me; it would be better if you just called me by my name," Li Yifei said.


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll call you Brother Li," Park Sung-ho laughed heartily.


    "Want one?" Li Yifei offered Park Sung-ho a cigarette.


    Park Sung-ho took it and, looking at the cigarette, said, "This must be the finest cigarette from Huaxia, right? Although I don¡¯t usually smoke, I should still give it a try."


    Both lit their cigarettes and began to puff away, appearing to outsiders like old friends reunited after a long time.


    After blowing a ring of smoke, Li Yifei said with a smile, "Brother Park, you just said you have more good news for me, can you tell me now?"


    Park Sung-ho nodded and said, "It¡¯s like this, we have discovered a very ancient ruin in Mount Kunlun, where there is an extremely special Stone Door that we haven¡¯t been able to open despite trying every method."


    Li Yifei looked at Park Sung-ho in surprise and said, "Mount Kunlun is our Huaxia¡¯s territory, and we Huaxia People don¡¯t even know about these ruins, but you found them?"


    Park Sung-ho smiled proudly and said, "Brother Li, you guys in Huaxia are too busy with economic development to pay attention to these kinds of things. Even if there are existing ancient ruins, many have been demolished by you."


    Li Yifei felt somewhat at a loss for words after what Park Sung-ho said, as some local leaders indeed would dare to do anything for their lousy political achievements, resulting in countless destruction of valuable artifacts.


    "As for how we found this place, Brother Li, you don¡¯t need to ask too much. Our organization is so powerful that there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t do well. Let¡¯s continue discussing the ruins."


    "Sure, please go on," Li Yifei was now intrigued. Previously, he hadn¡¯t cared much about such relics, but since Xu Shanshan fell into those ruins and turned from an ordinary person into a strong person with Innate Vital Energy, Li Yifei had started to take these matters seriously.


    "Later, our organization¡¯s supreme experts came over and after a thorough study for a long time, concluded that to open these ruins, we must find two people with Innate True Qi."


    After saying this, Park Sung-ho looked towards Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Brother Park, are you assuming that there are Innate Experts here with me?"


    Park Sung-ho smiled slightly and said, "Brother Li, your sister-in-law transformed from an ordinary person into a master overnight; if not for the Innate True Qi, that would be impossible."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You know too much about my situation, which makes me always feel a bit uneasy." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Park Sung-ho extinguished his cigarette and said, "Brother Li, you don¡¯t need to worry, our organization is always sincere with our partners and would not go against them, so as long as you cooperate sincerely with our organization, we are willing to see your strength grow stronger."


    "That sounds very appealing indeed. By the way, what benefits can we get from that ruin?"


    "We don¡¯t know the exact benefits, but since such a marvelous mechanism has been set up, the person who created it must have been extraordinary, and therefore the items inside must be extraordinary as well. As long as you, Brother Li, can help us open these ruins, we will make sure you get a fair share of whatever is inside."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Isn¡¯t this a bit vague?"


    Park Sung-ho looked straight at Li Yifei, his eyes burning with intensity. Then he suddenly smiled and said, "Brother Li is indeed astute. Let¡¯s agree on this then: after opening the ruins, we¡¯ll split the treasures inside, with our organization taking seventy percent since we have already spent a lot of manpower and resources on this ruin."


    Li Yifei propped up his crossed legs and said, "Brother Park, even though you¡¯ve spent a lot of manpower and resources, without a real Innate Expert, you still can¡¯t open it, right? Besides, this thing ultimately belongs to Huaxia. If I let you take it away, you¡¯d be making a profit. You should know that if I release this information, you won¡¯t get a thing."


    Park Sung-ho smiled faintly and replied, "Brother Li, you wouldn¡¯t do that. Even if you spread the news, whether you can actually find that place is another matter. I¡¯m not boasting, but even if you find it, without our guidance, you can¡¯t even get through the last door. This is because we have an ancient map, and only by following its directions can one truly enter."


    "Oh? So this sounds like the legendary Formation Method?"


    "Exactly, it¡¯s the Formation Method. We used to think that the concept of Formation Method was just a myth, but this relic has proven that Formation Methods truly exist. They¡¯re incredibly ingeniously designed; modern instruments are of no use at all. The world¡¯s most advanced locating equipment becomes mere decoration there."


    Li Yifei did not think that Park Sung-ho was exaggerating. The more he understood about martial arts, the more he believed that there were many things in the world science couldn¡¯t explain. The wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated; what they could achieve, current technology could not replicate.


    "Alright then, since you say so, let¡¯s do a sixty-forty split. I have to get forty percent for it to be worth it. Less than that, and I¡¯d rather not bother helping you all. You should be clear that I, Li Yifei, although very self-interested, am still patriotic. Letting you take away something that belongs to Huaxia doesn¡¯t sit right with me."


    Park Sung-ho stared at Li Yifei, then finally nodded and said, "Good! Then let¡¯s agree on that."


    "When do we leave?" Li Yifei was also straightforward.


    "We leave in ten days. You have these ten days to prepare. Pleasant cooperation." Saying so, Park Sung-ho extended his hand.


    Li Yifei also reached out his hand and shook Park Sung-ho¡¯s firmly, then both men laughed together.


    With the deal done, both Li Yifei and Park Sung-ho relaxed. Park Sung-ho narrowed his eyes and said in a teasing tone, "Brother Li, how¡¯s the girl I sent you last time?"


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly, "To be honest, the ideology that your Noah¡¯s Ark has instilled in that girl is too strong. I can¡¯t have a few words with her without her trying to persuade me to join Noah¡¯s Ark, which makes me quite uncomfortable, so now I¡¯ve sent her to stay outside and haven¡¯t bothered with her."


    Park Sung-ho smiled slightly, "Actually, joining Noah¡¯s Ark wouldn¡¯t be bad for you. Our organization would definitely make good use of you, and your achievements and status in the world would be incomparable to now."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Brother Park, to be frank, working together with you all, I¡¯ve always been wary, let alone joining your organization now."


    Park Sung-ho chuckled, "That¡¯s true. Our cooperation is just beginning, and you truly don¡¯t know enough about our organization. Just like you¡¯re not fully trusting of us, we¡¯re also not completely trusting of you. We still need time to adapt to each other."


    Li Yifei nodded, "It¡¯s best for Brother Park to think this way."


    Park Sung-ho pondered for a moment, then said, "Such a girl is not easily cultivated in our organization. It¡¯s really a pity to just cast her aside, Brother Li. She can bring a man tremendous pleasure in every respect, definitely not something your women at home can match. So I still suggest that Brother Yifei shouldn¡¯t waste her."


    After a pause, Park Sung-ho continued, "Brother Li, through this period, you should know that we haven¡¯t contacted her again. Since we¡¯ve given her to you, she¡¯s absolutely yours now. She¡¯s no longer part of our organization. If Brother Li finds this unsatisfactory, we can send you a few more. Although these girls are also very precious in our organization, Brother Li has always been highly valued by us, and our organization would spare no cost."


    Li Yifei pinched his nose, "Brother Park, although I admit I¡¯m a man who likes beauty, having someone by my side who I don¡¯t fully trust still makes me quite uneasy."


    "Ha... I understand, but as I said, such a woman would not hesitate to die if you asked her to. What¡¯s there not to be confident about?"


    "Brother Park, stop tempting me."


    "This isn¡¯t temptation. As long as you like, we can get you all kinds of beautiful women from around the world. I see that all your women at home are pure Huaxia beauties. Adding some from Europe and America, Africa, can change things up a bit, bring different flavors."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up, then he chuckled, "Let¡¯s forget it. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯d rather get them myself. Although I, Li Yifei, am lecherous, I don¡¯t like to force a woman¡¯s will."


    "Brother Li really is a model for our contemporaries, indulging in pleasure without chaos. Then I won¡¯t insist further. I¡¯ll see you in ten days."


    After Park Sung-ho left, Li Yifei¡¯s brows furrowed. With that girl he was sent, Park Sung-ho¡¯s constant encouraging must be hiding something fishy.

 Chapter 1218 - 1266: Murong Yuanqing’s Guidance

    Chapter 1218: Chapter 1266: Murong Yuanqing¡¯s GuidanceThe matter with that girl is strange, but Li Yifei isn¡¯t in a hurry. He now has reasons and excuses to not bother with her for the time being, yet the matter concerning the ancient relic is extremely important. As it is highly valued by the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, there must be something incredibly precious inside, and Li Yifei will not allow them to acquire it.


    However, to claim the contents inside as his own, relying only on himself and Xu Shanshan, is evidently improbable. Li Yifei now dares not underestimate this organization, which surely hosts countless experts. When the time comes, they will not be able to do as they please.


    Two nights later, Li Yifei stood atop a hill behind his house. Winter had already set in, and although snow had not yet fallen, the mountain seemed particularly desolate. The chilly night wind whistled by, sending shivers through anyone it touched.


    "Yifei, I have arrived." A silent shadow arrived behind Li Yifei and stated flatly.


    "Greetings, Elder Murong!" Li Yifei turned around and respectfully saluted the figure.


    It was Murong Yuanqing who came, and he smiled faintly at Li Yifei, asking, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Li Yifei promptly replied, "Elder Murong, do you know about an ancient relic in Mount Kunlun?"


    "An ancient relic in Mount Kunlun?" Murong Yuanqing usually maintained a calm demeanor, but upon hearing Li Yifei mention this, he couldn¡¯t hide his perturbation.


    "Yes," Li Yifei nodded.


    Murong Yuanqing said solemnly, "There¡¯s a legend about a secret cultivation site in Mount Kunlun used by Master Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of Wudang. After the sage passed away, countless descendants sought to explore the relic, but returned without success. Has someone found the relic now?"


    Li Yifei nodded and explained, "The Ark Organization has located the place, but the final door requires two individuals with Innate Vital Energy to open it. They approached me, hoping I would persuade Shanshan to help." He then narrated the full sequence of events to Murong Yuanqing.


    Murong Yuanqing snorted coldly, saying, "These people from a foreign tribe actually want to take away a treasured heritage passed down by Huaxia. They truly know neither life nor death."


    Li Yifei hastily said, "Elder Murong, these people possess a very special drug that, upon consumption, can rapidly double one¡¯s strength. Although the effect lasts only a brief ten minutes, it is still quite terrifying."


    Murong Yuanqing gazed at Li Yifei, then cracked a slight smile, and responded, "You¡¯re afraid I¡¯m being overconfident, aren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei gave an embarrassed smile and said, "I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    "Don¡¯t worry. Among these foreigners, there are bound to be some Extraordinary Talents. I will certainly not be overconfident. I¡¯ll also bring an old friend of mine with me."


    "That¡¯s wonderful." Li Yifei was immediately excited. For Murong Yuanqing to call someone an old friend, they must be a considerably powerful individual.


    "However, since they have such drugs, even more caution is required. You and the others may engage openly, and we will protect you from the shadows. Should the great door be opened, we will not allow them to take the treasures within."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then I¡¯ll leave it all in the hands of Elder Murong."


    "No need for thanks. It is our duty to uphold our country and serve its people. We cannot let them take away the treasures of Huaxia."


    "It¡¯s getting late, Elder Murong. Why not spend the night at my place?" Li Yifei extended his invitation.


    Murong Yuanqing nodded and accepted, "Good, I will also take this opportunity to see that girl who possesses Innate Vital Energy."


    Li Yifei was overjoyed and quickly led Murong Yuanqing to his home. However, Li Yifei did not alert anyone as he had always felt there was a traitor in his house, yet he had never managed to identify them. Given the importance of the current matter, Li Yifei was especially careful not to be negligent.


    For experts like Li Yifei and Murong Yuanqing, who deliberately concealed their presence in the house, aside from Xu Shanshan, none of the others could detect them.


    Li Yifei directly leapt to Xu Shanshan¡¯s bedroom window, then gently knocked twice. Murong Yuanqing did not follow; he knew that Xu Shanshan was a girl, and entering a girl¡¯s chamber late at night naturally required some preparation on her part.


    The window rapidly opened, and Xu Shanshan quickly pulled Li Yifei into the room, hugging him excitedly and asking, "Brother-in-law, what brings you here in the middle of the night?"


    Li Yifei hastily pushed Xu Shanshan away with embarrassment, whispering, "A venerable person is here to see you."


    "Ah!" Xu Shanshan looked behind Li Yifei and asked, "Where are they?"


    "Downstairs, get dressed quickly."


    Xu Shanshan was only wearing a thin nightgown, so she hurriedly found her clothes to change into. Only then did Li Yifei gesture to Murong Yuanqing at the window, who immediately leaped up to join them.


    "This is Elder Murong!" Li Yifei immediately introduced Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan immediately performed a respectful bow and said, "It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Elder Murong. It¡¯s amazing; I didn¡¯t feel your presence at all when you were downstairs."


    Murong Yuanqing smiled slightly and said, "The young lady is quite interesting. Come, let me see your Innate Vital Energy."


    "Ah?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened, and then she turned to Li Yifei for help.


    It was then that Li Yifei remembered, to check for Innate Vital Energy, you would have to undress Xu Shanshan. If Murong Yuanqing needed to check on Xu Shanshan, would he ask her to disrobe, and should he agree to this?


    "What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?" Murong Yuanqing looked at Xu Shanshan with a puzzled expression.


    Faced with a venerable figure like Murong Yuanqing, Xu Shanshan was under quite a bit of pressure, but she still mustered the courage to say, "Elder Murong, would you need me to remove my clothes to examine my Innate Vital Energy?"


    Murong Yuanqing was taken aback for a moment, then his face revealed an amused smile as he glanced at Li Yifei and said, "That won¡¯t be necessary. I only need to hold your hand."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Shanshan breathed a sigh of relief, stuck out her tongue cheekily, and extended her hand, "Then I¡¯ll trouble Elder Murong to take a look."


    Li Yifei felt somewhat embarrassed as Murong Yuanqing¡¯s glance revealed the nature of his relationship with Xu Shanshan with just one remark.


    Murong Yuanqing took Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, and she immediately started circulating her Innate Vital Energy. After about ten minutes, Murong Yuanqing finally released her hand and praised, "Innate Vital Energy is indeed powerful. In just a few years, your achievements will surpass mine."


    Xu Shanshan exclaimed excitedly, "Really?"


    The smile on Murong Yuanqing¡¯s face grew even wider as he said, "Of course, it¡¯s true. The power of Innate Vital Energy lies in its ability to cultivate itself, inexhaustible and endless. As long as you grasp the method, even if you do nothing, your Innate Vital Energy will grow stronger by itself, unlike the True Qi we cultivate ourselves, which requires constant effort, like paddling upriver, if you don¡¯t advance, you fall back."


    Xu Shanshan, finding Murong Yuanqing very approachable, relaxed a bit and said playfully, "Hehe, for a lazy person like me, this sounds ideal."


    Murong Yuanqing nodded and said, "Hmm, the essence of Innate Vital Energy lies in being innate and natural. Forced cultivation may not always yield much progress. It¡¯s best to go with the flow."


    This viewpoint coincided with what Li Yifei had said to Jiang Ningxiang, showing that Li Yifei¡¯s insights were indeed strong, even if he lacked the years of experience held by Murong Yuanqing.


    "Elder Murong, Shanshan has another disciple who also possesses Innate Vital Energy, which I¡¯ve mentioned to you before. However, she¡¯s been unable to release her True Qi externally. She has abundant Innate Vital Energy but can¡¯t utilize it. What should be done in this case?"


    Murong Yuanqing¡¯s interest was piqued and he said, "I am curious to see. Upon examining her state of Innate Vital Energy circulation, I might have some thoughts."


    Li Yifei immediately responded with excitement, "Great, I will take you to her right away."


    However, Xu Shanshan quickly interjected, "Ningxiang won¡¯t be coming home tonight; she said there¡¯s an event at school and it will end very late."


    Li Yifei frowned; it would be such a waste to miss this opportunity. To meet someone as esteemed as Murong Yuanqing was not an everyday occurrence.


    At that moment, Murong Yuanqing smiled slightly and said, "It seems I am not destined to meet that young girl. Perhaps there is someone else who is meant to help her. I shall not insist on it." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed, but with Murong Yuanqing expressing himself this way, to insist would be inappropriate. Perhaps, as Murong Yuanqing mentioned, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s chance had not yet arrived and when the time came, her Innate Vital Energy would naturally be triggered.


    "Then, Elder Murong, I will arrange a room for you to rest."


    Murong Yuanqing shook his head and looked towards Xu Shanshan, saying, "If the young lady does not mind me occupying her boudoir, I would not mind staying up and chatting with you all through the night."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were both delighted and quickly agreed. Having Murong Yuanqing to guide Xu Shanshan would be greatly beneficial for her advancement.


    That night, Murong Yuanqing, Li Yifei, and Xu Shanshan talked at length. Xu Shanshan asked many questions that weighed on her mind, and while she could discuss these matters with Li Yifei, none could explain as thoroughly as Murong Yuanqing.


    Murong Yuanqing clearly also found it rare to encounter a true Innate Expert and thus derived considerable benefit from Xu Shanshan. For an expert like him, progress was exceedingly difficult to come by, and Innate Vital Energy was something he had never been able to explore before. Now, with Xu Shanshan, he finally had the chance to learn much, as if opening a new world for himself, which would eventually lead to another significant advancement.


    For a supreme expert like Murong Yuanqing, another step forward would be truly formidable.

 Chapter 1219 - 1267: Preparations Before Departure

    Chapter 1219: Chapter 1267: Preparations Before DepartureThe next day, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan did not go to the company; both stayed at home instead, as they needed to thoroughly digest the plethora of information left to them by Murong Yuanqing.


    Alone with Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan surprisingly did not do anything with him but was equally serious because she was aware that if she did not digest what Murong Yuanqing taught her in time, it would become much more challenging to understand later.


    It was not until evening that Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan came out, while Sophia had been waiting for a long time already.


    Sitting on the sofa, Li Yifei asked indifferently, "How¡¯s the situation?"


    From the moment she saw Li Yifei, Sophia had been staring at him until he asked her, and only then she snapped back to reality and said, "Master, through our investigation, we found out the director received an offer from another company with a higher remuneration, so he went to another film company. The few actors also dispersed to several crews. One reason was the pay, and secondly, our film company is not very well-known, so for the sake of their reputations, they also chose to go to other crews."


    Li Yifei furrowed his brows and said, "It sounds like it was just a coincidence, then?"


    "Not exactly, we continued to investigate deeply and found that although they were approached by different film companies, they all went through an agency named Wencheng Workshop to negotiate with their agents."


    "Oh? So this workshop is the issue?"


    "It seems so, and this workshop is not in Mile City nor in the provincial city but in Capital City. If we want to investigate further, we need to go to Capital City."


    "Capital City?..." Li Yifei squinted his eyes and said, "Well, that¡¯s not urgent. I¡¯ll have someone in Capital City look into it later."


    "Understood, Master." Sophia nodded and then continued to stare at Li Yifei.


    "Do I look different today?" Li Yifei met Sophia¡¯s gaze with a smile and asked.


    "Master, it seems like your face is glowing today; it¡¯s an indescribable feeling. It¡¯s like you make me more afraid and also more in awe of you."


    "So it even shows, that¡¯s really nice." Li Yifei knew he had made some progress after last night, but he didn¡¯t expect his improvement to be so noticeable that even Sophia could see it, which made him feel quite pleased.


    "Master, is this because..." Sophia asked cautiously.


    Lighting a cigarette, Li Yifei said leisurely, "I made some progress."


    "That¡¯s really great!" Sophia exclaimed excitedly.


    "Hehe, don¡¯t worry, I will teach you in the future. For now, just make sure to lay a good foundation."


    "Thank you, Master!" Sophia clenched her fist excitedly.


    Li Yifei waved his hand, signaling Sophia to go out, then dialed Meng Qianjun¡¯s number.


    While Li Yifei had quite a few connections in Capital City, among the Su Family, Xiao Family, Zheng Family, and Ning Family, all of whom would certainly help him if asked, Li Yifei preferred not to use these family connections for such matters; it would be better to have Meng Qianjun take care of it.


    "Brother Yifei, why did you think to call me today? It must be no small matter, right?" Meng Qianjun first laughed heartily, then teasingly asked.


    Without beating around the bush, Li Yifei said, "Brother Qianjun, I need you to help me look into an agency called Wencheng Workshop. They¡¯ve recently targeted our film company, poaching both our chosen director and several key actors."


    "Oh? Someone dares to trouble you?" Meng Qianjun found this amusing.


    "Yeah, my film company is not big, and it¡¯s tough enough to produce a movie as it is. With this sort of meddling, I can¡¯t even do business."


    "Damn, you¡¯re so rich and yet worried about that little money? How much can a film company make? I really don¡¯t know why you bother with that stuff."


    "Brother Qianjun, you can¡¯t say it like that. Don¡¯t we have a saying about ¡¯eating all one¡¯s resources without working¡¯? I need to earn more money to leave something for future generations. Otherwise, how can they become Rich Second Generation and Rich Third Generation like you guys?"


    "Cut the crap, I know you too well. It¡¯s just for your several wives to have some fun when they have nothing else to do. But since you¡¯ve mentioned it, I¡¯ll help you check it out. I really want to see who¡¯s been looking for trouble with you and then watch you fight it out. That¡¯s going to be a very interesting affair."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then I¡¯ll have to thank Brother Qianjun."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei narrowed his eyes. Now that he had established a family, things were indeed very different from before. In the past, if someone wanted to deal with him, they would only target him personally with some scheme. But now, they often targeted his family and his business, and their methods were becoming more sophisticated and more difficult to deal with. To develop and grow the family was indeed not an easy task.


    It didn¡¯t take two days for Meng Qianjun to call Li Yifei, but the result was quite unexpected. Wencheng Workshop had vanished from the face of the earth. All personnel from the workshop were gone, and the only information that could be obtained from the business and tax departments was the name of a legal representative. Tracking down this individual, it turned out to be an identity that had been lost and misused by someone else.


    This puzzled Li Yifei even more. It seemed too much trouble just to deal with his film company. Who exactly was the other party?


    This led Li Yifei to connect this incident with the murder of Sun Kangping. The person behind these acts was very skillful. Such a hidden enemy seemed really difficult to deal with.


    However, since the enemy had now concealed their tracks, it would take a lot of manpower and resources for Li Yifei to find them. So he simply ignored them. He would do what he had to do. As long as they still wanted to make a move, they would inevitably leave some clues, and sooner or later, he would find the person behind the scenes. Being anxious at the moment would be of no use.


    There were only two days left before departure, and Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were making their final preparations. Only the two of them were going this time, and no one else could be brought along. Park Sung-ho had mentioned last time that he needed two Innate Experts. Li Yifei didn¡¯t reveal that he had two people with Innate Vital Energy, firstly because he did not want Jiang Ningxiang to be exposed, and secondly, Jiang Ningxiang was not really an expert at the moment, and it was estimated that she would not be of any help if she went.


    Currently, Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan, and Jiang Ningxiang were all in Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa. In the past few days, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had not checked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi like they did last time, and they had no intention of doing so today either.


    Xu Shanshan leaned on Li Yifei and said, "Ningxiang, I will be going out with my brother-in-law tomorrow. I won¡¯t be able to practice with you these days."


    When the three of them were together, Xu Shanshan was very casual and didn¡¯t mind letting Jiang Ningxiang see any intimate gestures between her and Li Yifei. At first, Li Yifei was a bit uncomfortable, but as time went on, it didn¡¯t bother him anymore.


    "Oh, master, then I¡¯ll just stay at school these days. There are quite a few things going on at school anyway."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said, "Of course you can, after all, you are still a college student, and it¡¯s good to participate more in school activities."


    "Thank you, master," Jiang Ningxiang said, her face revealing a happy smile. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei interjected, "Ningxiang, I¡¯ve already told you not to be so obsessed, to relax more, and do the things you like."


    Jiang Ningxiang smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Brother Li. I understand. In the future, I will participate more in school activities, and in addition, I will study hard. If I can¡¯t make good use of the Innate Vital Energy, then like Sister Yiyi and the others, I will help the family manage the company and do my best."


    "Ha, you¡¯re still a very ambitious kid, much stronger than Xiaoyao in this regard."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "If Xiaoyao hears this, she¡¯s definitely going to be unhappy."


    Chu Xiaoyao, that girl, didn¡¯t have as many ambitions. Although she was attending university, she was just there to have fun. And now in her heart, she wasn¡¯t as fixated on being with Li Yifei as before; she was more interested in having a joyful and carefree time.


    Two days later, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan set off and met up with Park Sung-ho and his group at the foot of Mount Kunlun.


    Park Sung-ho¡¯s group consisted of four men, all men with yellow skin, including Park Sung-ho. Apart from him, there was an old man with white hair and beard. This elder was named Wu Chang, who always kept his hands in his sleeves and just nodded at Li Yifei, but he took a longer look at Xu Shanshan.


    The other two men were middle-aged, and they were quite respectful towards Li Yifei. Judging from their way of speaking with Park Sung-ho, it seemed that they showed a certain respect for Park Sung-ho, indicating that Park Sung-ho¡¯s status was higher than theirs. But Park Sung-ho¡¯s attitude towards the elder was extremely reverent, which clearly indicated that the elder¡¯s status within Noah¡¯s Ark Organization was quite high.


    All four people had very high-level martial arts skills. The two men were probably slightly weaker than Park Sung-ho, but Li Yifei was unable to gauge the depth of the elder¡¯s skills. Yet, it was certain that the elder did not exert as much pressure on him as Murong Yuanqing did.


    Li Yifei had always wanted to know how many powerful individuals were in the organization. The elder was an indication, but at this point, Li Yifei had not seen another Innate Expert. He immediately asked, "Brother Park, where is the other Innate Expert?"


    "The Innate Expert will naturally appear after we arrive at the destination. Please understand, Brother Yifei," Park Sung-ho replied.


    Li Yifei nodded. He knew that asking further at this point would be pointless, and he would only find out when he got there. Moreover, there might be more experts there, which would allow Li Yifei to better understand Noah¡¯s Ark Organization.


    But he also understood that the more he learned about the organization, the greater the pressure would be if he decided not to cooperate with them.

 Chapter 1220 - 1268 Snowy Night

    Chapter 1220: Chapter 1268 Snowy NightThe Kunlun Mountain Range begins in the Pamir Plateau, extending about 2500 kilometers in length, with an average altitude of 5500-6000 meters, and width ranging from 130 to 200 kilometers. Encompassing over 500,000 square kilometers, it spans the provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Tibet within Huaxia. The highest peak, Gongger Peak, is located in Wuqia County of Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang and stands about 7700 meters tall, renowned as the foremost divine mountain in Huaxia with countless legends surrounding the Kunlun Mountain Range.


    The most legendary among these tales is that of the Immortal Queen Mother of the West, who brewed her elixir using the waters of the Kunlun Mountain Range. Additionally, in the transition period from the Ming to Qing Dynasties, the Kunlun Sect was established by Zhang Liqing Taoist and Xuan Yang Hu from Yongdeng County, Gansu Province. They ventured into the Kunlun Mountain Range in search of the legendary "Land of All Gods", eventually settling near the Ma¡¯ying Kongjiazui area of Ledu County, Qinghai Province. Surrounded by mountains arranged in a lotus pattern which created a mystical sight, they chose to establish a Taoist temple atop the lotus¡¯s core, a most fitting location. Thus, they began constructing the "Kunlun Taoist Temple" in 1916. By 1930, they finally completed a sect complex called "Kunlun Temple of All Gods" comprising one entrance and five courtyards, designed in the Bagua style, facing south.


    Zhang Sanfeng, a character from a few centuries prior to the Kunlun Sect, is shrouded in even more legend. While tales of his becoming an immortal through practice are clearly fabrications, Zhang Sanfeng was undeniably a supreme martial artist, and no one ever contested this.


    Murong Yuanqing once told Li Yifei that before the widespread use of firearms, martial arts were the most direct representation of individual combat prowess. Thus, people of that era devoted themselves to martial arts in a way modern people cannot compare, delving into the potential of the human body to a degree that demands modern respect. With modernity¡¯s increasing reliance on cold weapons, the emphasis on developing human potential has waned, leading to a substantial loss of martial arts skills and the dwindling of true masters. Even a master like Murong Yuanqing self-deprecatingly admitted that, with his level, placed before the Qing Dynasty, he would only be considered an average expert and could be easily defeated by a true master in minutes.


    Li Yifei believed in these historical reflections, which fueled his enthusiasm for discovering this ancient site. If he could indeed find something left by the legendary Zhang Sanfeng, it might substantially boost his abilities.


    This time, their destination was not one of those well-known spots previously developed into tourist areas by modern people, but rather a location in the western part of the Kunlun Mountain Range. In contrast to the dense forests of the smaller mountains near Mile City, this area featured only low shrubs and exposed rocks, looking exceedingly desolate, especially in this season.


    Upon reaching elevations over 2000 meters, patches of fir trees occasionally dotted the landscape, yet the temperature continued to plummet.


    Before Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan arrived, Park Sung-ho and the others had thoroughly prepared. Tents and various living supplies were plentifully stocked, with everyone carrying a large backpack, Wu Chang included. In such an environment, putting on airs was nothing but self-torture. Reaching their destination was not a matter of one or two days; without proper preparations, they would freeze mid-journey.


    All six were experts, and though there were no defined mountain paths and the terrain was rugged and steep, they still managed to advance quickly, reaching an altitude of over 4000 meters by evening.


    Li Yifei kept an eye on their surroundings, but still saw no sign of Murong Yuanqing. However, he was certain Murong Yuanqing was nearby because he would not easily miss such a significant event.


    Even though all six were skilled in martial arts, at nightfall, they dared not continue upward. They found a wind-shielded area to set up their tents, and then Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan crawled inside.


    Xu Shanshan shook the snow from her clothing at the tent entrance, removed her shoes, and dove straight under the blankets, grinning and saying, "This is way too cold."


    Li Yifei took food and water from his bag saying, "The higher we go, the colder it gets, and it¡¯s hard to say how many more days we¡¯ll need."


    Xu Shanshan took a chunk of dried meat handed over by Li Yifei and bit into it fiercely, saying, "Humph, that old geezer really bugs me. He always frowns at me, and just because I asked how much longer we need, he glared and bristled as if someone owes him a ton of money. I really wanted to punch him."


    Li Yifei chuckled, saying, "Let it go, no need to get mad at him. We¡¯ll just follow along."


    "Yeah." Xu Shanshan¡¯s anger came quickly and left quickly. After eating some food and drinking some water, she winked at Li Yifei, saying, "Brother-in-law, let¡¯s lie down and sleep."


    Li Yifei also crawled under the blanket, and Xu Shanshan immediately snuggled up to him, smiling sweetly, "Although it¡¯s tough here, being with you like this is really nice."


    Despite the continuing snowstorm outside, it wasn¡¯t very cold inside the tent. In addition, snuggling together quickly made them feel not so cold, even cozy and warm.


    "Brother-in-law!" Xu Shanshan blinked at Li Yifei, her expression full of charm.


    Li Yifei felt a bit of heat in his mouth and said, "Shanshan, it¡¯s late, we should sleep."


    Xu Shanshan twisted her body, saying, "Really? It¡¯s only a bit past five. At home, we haven¡¯t even had dinner at this time. It¡¯s too early to sleep."


    Li Yifei also thought that made sense. He usually doesn¡¯t go to sleep until after ten o¡¯clock, so at this moment, he wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. He patted Xu Shanshan¡¯s back and said, "Then let¡¯s just talk. Those people aren¡¯t far from us. If we make any noise, they¡¯ll hear us."


    "So what if they hear us? If they feel uncomfortable, let them go hook up."


    Li Yifei burst out laughing and said, "I can¡¯t believe you came up with that. But, if they were to hook up, it does seem like it could be quite amusing."


    "Brother-in-law, you¡¯ve already got so many wives, why not find a guy to play with too?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately, and he said, "I don¡¯t have such tendencies."


    Xu Shanshan snickered mischievously and said, "Actually, it would be quite funny. If you ever did, I¡¯d definitely come to watch."


    "Stop imagining such nonsense, or I¡¯ll really get angry," Li Yifei glared.


    Xu Shanshan giggled, saying, "Then let me ask you a question. If you saw my sister and others engaging in yuri, what would you do?"


    Li Yifei was momentarily stunned, the scene popping into his head excited him instantly, and he said grudgingly, "That does seem kind of thrilling."


    "Exactly! You men like watching women in yuri, and women also like to watch men get together. Haven¡¯t you seen that there¡¯s a website dedicated to people writing those kinds of stories, with quite a lot of readers too?"


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Reading novels is one thing, but don¡¯t confuse it with reality. Firstly, I don¡¯t have such tendencies, and secondly, the thought of you all watching another man makes me uneasy. It would drive me crazy."


    Xu Shanshan burst out laughing, saying, "I knew it, brother-in-law, you¡¯re so chauvinistic. I was just joking."


    Li Yifei tapped on Xu Shanshan¡¯s head pretending to be angry and said, "Thinking you¡¯re all full of bizarre ideas every day."


    "Hehe." Xu Shanshan snuggled closer into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, and her little hand got naughty again, cooing, "Brother-in-law, how about we get cozy for a while?"


    Li Yifei, not so steadfast, said, "Let¡¯s not, we¡¯ll definitely make noise. Then if they hear us, I¡¯ll feel like we¡¯ve made a huge blunder."


    "Who says? The spot I chose earlier is quite far from them, and there¡¯s also a big rock blocking us. Plus, listen to the wind outside, it¡¯s so loud, we can¡¯t even hear the sounds from their tents, how could they hear us?"


    Li Yifei actually knew this, but what he was worried about wasn¡¯t really that...


    Before Li Yifei could say it, Xu Shanshan said, "Brother-in-law, are you worried that if we start, we won¡¯t be able to control ourselves and then my sister will sense it?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was indeed what Li Yifei was worried about. He gave a wry smile and said, "Exactly. In the past, every time you did this, it was like sending a signal to your sister. If she senses it now, she¡¯ll definitely think something¡¯s wrong, wouldn¡¯t that scare her? Besides, Elder Murong and others are nearby. If we can¡¯t hide it from those few, how can we hide it from Elder Murong? It would be so awkward when we see him again."


    Brought up Murong Yuanqing, Xu Shanshan felt her temper deflate, pouted, and said resentfully, "This won¡¯t do, that won¡¯t do; can¡¯t even sleep¡ªso what are we supposed to do?" Then she turned away from Li Yifei, maintaining a bit of distance between them.


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 Chapter 1221 - 1269: Xu Shanshan’s Provocation

    Chapter 1221: Chapter 1269: Xu Shanshan¡¯s ProvocationIn the past two days, Xu Shanshan was still holding on, but by the third day, she was quite disgruntled. Even though she possessed Innate Vital Energy and could withstand the cold and snow better than the other five, she found this dull journey utterly uninteresting.


    "Hey, when exactly will we get there? When will this ever end?" Xu Shanshan asked discontentedly.


    The old geezer¡¯s eyes widened as he bellowed, "Shut your mouth."


    Xu Shanshan had already taken a dislike to the old man, and now in a bad mood, she didn¡¯t afford him any respect, retorting, "I won¡¯t shut up, what can you do about it? An old coot playing the seniority card here, do you really think you¡¯re something special?"


    "What did you say?" Wu Chang leaped in front of Xu Shanshan in a flash, shouted coldly, glaring at her fiercely.


    Xu Shanshan curled her lip disdainfully, lifted her head and said, "I said you¡¯re an old coot, what¡¯s it to you?"


    Wu Chang¡¯s eyes, sharp as triangles, shot icy glares at Xu Shanshan like two piercing arrows, as a strong oppressive force surged from him and bore down on her.


    "What, looking for a fight? Come on then, grandma here isn¡¯t scared of you, old coot," Xu Shanshan¡¯s fighting spirit also surged instantly, confronting Wu Chang without backing down.


    Park Sung-ho stepped forward hastily, blocking Wu Chang, and said anxiously, "Old Wu, don¡¯t be impulsive, he is an Innate Expert."


    "So what if he¡¯s an Innate Expert, would I lose to him? Get out of my way!" Wu Chang bellowed angrily. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Park Sung-ho didn¡¯t back down, instead he said solemnly, "Old Wu, you should know what Innate Experts are for. If you hurt her..."


    Wu Chang¡¯s body shuddered and he took a couple of deep breaths, and the aura of combativeness he exuded subsided.


    "Hey, old coot, why are you backing down? Come on, weren¡¯t you always glaring at me? If you have the guts, fight me," Xu Shanshan was relentless, "You¡¯re only good at puffing yourself up in front of your subordinates. Don¡¯t think you can pull that with me, don¡¯t even dream about it."


    Wu Chang¡¯s face twitched violently several times, but he still held back, snorted coldly, and strode forward.


    Park Sung-ho then said hurriedly, "Miss Shanshan, our Old Wu has a bit of a temper, please be more understanding."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s fighting spirit also receded instantly, she snorted coldly, saying, "Then next time don¡¯t let him growl and glare at me. By the way, answer me, how much longer till we arrive? If it¡¯s going to take another ten or eight days, I won¡¯t stand for it."


    Park Sung-ho hesitated a moment, then said, "Three more days, we will definitely arrive in three days."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Xu Shanshan nodded in satisfaction and then continued walking forward, arm in arm with Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t stopped Xu Shanshan just now; he also found the old man quite unpleasant. Xu Shanshan¡¯s behaviour was spot on; her coming was extremely important, and they simply couldn¡¯t afford to mistreat her.


    If Wu Chang really made a move on Xu Shanshan, there would be no cause for worry, and for Xu Shanshan, sparring with such an expert would indeed be beneficial.


    "Hey, old man, why are you walking so fast? Don¡¯t think you can strut around just because you have some skill. Real masters are humble, unlike you, who doesn¡¯t even understand the concept of modesty. I really don¡¯t know how you trained your martial skills."


    "Old man, look at yourself. At your age and still wearing such a stern face all the time. Think about it, how many more years do you have left to live? If you don¡¯t enjoy life for a couple more years, by the time you can¡¯t walk or crawl, even if you want to be happy, you won¡¯t be able to get happy anymore."


    "Why are you glaring again? If you keep glaring, I¡¯m not going any further. I¡¯m not here to take your attitude."


    "Ha... I know what you¡¯re afraid of now. You¡¯re afraid I won¡¯t go, and you won¡¯t be able to explain to your organization. Then your blames would be grave, and you¡¯d have to let people pull down your pants and spank you."


    Xu Shanshan, sharp-tongued by nature, and now that she had grabbed the old geezer¡¯s soft spot, teased him from time to time throughout the journey.


    Wu Chang was a top expert within Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, normally holding an absolutely high status in the organization where everyone had to defer to him. Who would have thought that Xu Shanshan would mock him in such a way this time? Anger built up inside him more and more, almost to the point of exploding.


    Park Sung-ho looked at Wu Chang, who was on the verge of blowing up, and hurried over to Li Yifei, saying with a wry smile, "Brother Yifei, could you please stop Miss Shanshan from angering Wu Chang?"


    Li Yifei spread his hands and said, "I can¡¯t help with this; my sister-in-law has this kind of temperament. Usually, even I can¡¯t afford to provoke her, and nobody can persuade her."


    Park Sung-ho¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Really? It seems she listens to you, though."


    "That¡¯s when she¡¯s in a good mood. When she¡¯s not, what I say is utterly useless. You¡¯d better advise that old guy of yours to take it easy. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he died from anger."


    Park Sung-ho was left speechless. Clearly, Li Yifei was also annoyed by Wu Chang. As for the excuse that he couldn¡¯t persuade Xu Shanshan, that was just a pretext; he was obviously supporting Xu Shanshan under the table.


    Xu Shanshan is now of utmost importance; he couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. Moreover, when it comes to martial strength, it¡¯s clear that both Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei outclass him. Last time, he took that special medicine, yet he was still no match for Li Yifei, let alone now.


    "Old Wu, he is just a child; you shouldn¡¯t stoop to her level. Please calm down," Park Sung-ho said helplessly, approaching Wu Chang once more, attempting to reason with him.


    Instead of helping, this only fueled Wu Chang¡¯s anger. His eyes widened fiercely, and through gritted teeth he burst out, "Damn it, I can¡¯t take it anymore. A little girl who doesn¡¯t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is, yet dares to insult me like this."


    "Old Wu, this is a matter of great importance. You must not lose your temper," Park Sung-ho said, turning pale with fright, spreading his arms to block Wu Chang.


    "Look at that, Old Wu, I thought you¡¯d keep playing turtle indefinitely. Turns out even a turtle pokes its head out now and then. But no matter how much you stick it out, you still look like a turtle to me."


    Park Sung-ho inwardly cursed his bad luck. Wu Chang had a taboo; it was being called a turtle, because in his youth, he had a wife who was snatched away by another man. Although eventually Wu Chang captured and killed that couple, he could never shake off the label of a cuckold. It had always been a deep wound in his heart, a topic that no one was allowed to broach. Anyone who did would surely incite Wu Chang into a deadly fight.


    At this moment, without realizing it, Xu Shanshan spoke directly to his sore spot. With the aggravation of the past few days, Wu Chang couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. With a roar, he pushed Park Sung-ho aside and lunged at Li Yifei.


    "Old Wu, if you hurt Miss Shanshan, you know what the consequences will be," Park Sung-ho, knowing he couldn¡¯t stop Wu Chang, could only remind him.


    Wu Chang slightly contained his fury and barked, "Rest assured, I won¡¯t kill her, but I must teach her a lesson, so she learns how high the sky is and how deep the earth is."


    Hearing these words from Wu Chang, Park Sung-ho finally felt somewhat relieved. If Wu Chang was just going to display his martial strength to discipline Xu Shanshan, then it might not be a big problem.


    However, Park Sung-ho still went over to Li Yifei first and said, "Brother Yifei, Miss Shanshan touched Old Wu¡¯s forbidden topic. If it were someone else, Old Wu would have fought them to the death by now."


    Li Yifei immediately looked towards Park Sung-ho and said with a grin, "So what you¡¯re implying is that Old Wu was once..."


    "Shh..." Park Sung-ho got alarmed, quickly interrupting Li Yifei, saying nervously, "You already know, there¡¯s no need to say it out loud."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, I understand."


    This gave a stepping stone to diffuse the conflict between Xu Shanshan and Wu Chang. Regardless, in the end, there was at least a reason to de-escalate the situation. Thus, Li Yifei was now eagerly watching the confrontation between Xu Shanshan and Wu Chang.


    Xu Shanshan and Wu Chang had already started fighting. Wu Chang, no doubt an Innate Expert in Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, possessed a terrifyingly strong martial strength. If Wu Chang, instead of Park Sung-ho, had come for Li Yifei last time, Li Yifei felt he definitely would not have been able to handle him. But now... Li Yifei felt that even if he wasn¡¯t completely confident about winning, he certainly wouldn¡¯t lose.


    With months of training recently under her belt, Xu Shanshan had also significantly improved her real combat experience. Plus, the sparring with Li Yifei had her composed against such experts; she was not the least bit flustered, responding calmly to the attacks, giving as good as she got.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s primary goal these past few days in provoking Wu Chang was indeed to force him to make a move. First, to evaluate the martial strength of the people in the organization, and second, to take the opportunity to enhance her own combat skills. Some true potential can only be stimulated through real combat¡ªTrue Qi is like this, and so is Innate Vital Energy.


    Xu Shanshan had a good sense of security. This time, the other party needed her too much. Even if everyone else died, they still had to ensure her safety. Otherwise, Noah¡¯s Ark Organization would never attain what they sought. Therefore, Wu Chang didn¡¯t dare to truly harm her. With this in mind, she had no reservations in the fight.


    But Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t being completely reckless, taking advantage of Wu Chang¡¯s hesitation. Such a rare training opportunity was not to be wasted, and besides attacking, she certainly needed to practice her defense as well.

 Chapter 1222 - 1270: The Battle of Xu Shanshan

    Chapter 1222: Chapter 1270: The Battle of Xu ShanshanPark Sung-ho and the other two were aware of Innate Vital Energy, but how powerful it truly was, they had no idea. To them, Innate Vital Energy was merely a special kind of True Qi, differing only in essence from their own, but presumably similar in practicality.


    So even though they considered Xu Shanshan to be strong, they only thought she was about the same level as themselves, if not slightly weaker.


    But watching Xu Shanshan¡¯s exchange with Wu Chang shattered that notion instantly. Even if Wu Chang was holding back, not daring to use any lethal moves, with his strength, he could effortlessly defeat them within ten or so moves. Yet, after engaging with Xu Shanshan for over twenty moves, he hadn¡¯t only failed to beat her, but it seemed he didn¡¯t even have the upper hand.


    At that moment, Wu Chang was extremely surprised. As an expert, he had access to more information within the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, so he had some understanding of those with Innate Vital Energy. There was an expert in the organization who possessed Innate Vital Energy, but that person had been developed from a young age, gradually improving their abilities at a rapid pace, yet still seemingly not as strong as himself. However, Xu Shanshan, who must have unlocked her Innate Vital Energy not long ago, was unexpectedly so mighty, showing no signs of defeat until now.


    Though Wu Chang deemed Xu Shanshan formidable, he still couldn¡¯t believe she could win against him. He had only been using sixty percent of his strength, but he promptly intensified his effort by another twenty percent, his moves became quicker and more ingenious, and the True Qi in his fists and palms even stronger, naturally putting more pressure on Xu Shanshan. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He expected her to panic under this pressure, but as he increased it, Xu Shanshan¡¯s ability to resist seemed to surge in response, matching his own.


    This greatly astonished Wu Chang; it appeared she hadn¡¯t been going all out either. It seemed he had underestimated her, and no wonder she was defiant towards him¡ªher strength was the reason.


    "Little girl, I truly didn¡¯t expect you to be this amazing!" Wu Chang was initially furious, but after exchanging dozens of moves, a martial artist¡¯s pride momentarily made him forget the disrespect he¡¯d received from Xu Shanshan, and he loudly praised her.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Old man, I initially thought you were all about huffing and puffing, but it turns out you do have some real skill."


    "Good, then let me show you what my real skill is. Watch out, here comes my move!" Wu Chang struck with his palm, but his speed suddenly slowed, and the snowflakes around started to form a spiral vortex in the palm of his hand.


    Li Yifei squinted his eyes. He had never seen such an odd method of True Qi rotation before. If it hadn¡¯t been snowing right then, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed the uniqueness of Wu Chang¡¯s palm True Qi.


    Xu Shanshan also saw it and her expression grew serious. Wu Chang¡¯s palm was still more than a half meter away from her, yet she could already feel the immense pressure; a slip-up now could cost her dearly.


    With a clear shout, Xu Shanshan extended both palms simultaneously as the snowflakes between them suddenly swirled like two agile snakes intertwining, moving to meet the vortex in front of Wu Chang¡¯s palm.


    "True Qi released outward!" Park Sung-ho exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock, and after shouting those words, his mouth stayed agape as if he could no longer close it, the wind-blown snowflakes entering his mouth unnoticed.


    Li Yifei glanced at Park Sung-ho with some shock as well. The so-called outward release of True Qi meant pushing True Qi out from the body, creating a form of weapon to attack others, an assault usually undetectable like a Hidden Weapon, and even harder to predict. It wasn¡¯t until his last encounter with Murong Yuanqing that Li Yifei learned about this, and he only managed to use it recently.


    The fact that Park Sung-ho immediately recognized this as an outward release of True Qi indicated that his knowledge was even greater than Li Yifei¡¯s and revealed the abundance of powerful individuals within the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization. Had they sent these powerhouses against him earlier on, Li Yifei wondered how many times he would have perished.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan release her True Qi outward, Wu Chang¡¯s eyes too widened in astonishment. He had not foreseen the young lady before him possessing such immense power; it was utterly beyond his expectations.


    The collision of their True Qi didn¡¯t make any earth-shattering noise, just a muffled "puff". However, the snowflakes between them exploded quite explosively, scattering all around, while the snowflakes falling from the sky and around the perimeter were drawn into the space between the two fighters, making the flakes there so dense that it covered both of their figures, leaving no clue as to which of them was winning or losing.


    Park Sung-ho and his companions kept silent, knowing all they could do was wait for the outcome, hoping neither Wu Chang nor Xu Shanshan suffered harm.


    Li Yifei watched the two amidst the snowflakes, knowing Xu Shanshan likely wouldn¡¯t come to harm, yet his concern couldn¡¯t help but create a sense of chaos. Both had used such techniques that they lost all control; to prevent injury to the other side at this point, not even Li Yifei himself was confident in his ability.


    The dense snowflakes that had filled the space between the two finally began to dissipate slowly, revealing their figures once again. Both had their eyes closed, and from appearances, it seemed that neither had suffered any harm.


    Li Yifei took a step as quick as an arrow to Xu Shanshan¡¯s side and grabbed her hand. His True Qi swiftly transferred over, and his anxious heart relaxed all at once. He knew Xu Shanshan¡¯s True Qi very well, and upon examining, he immediately knew that Xu Shanshan was unharmed.


    Park Sung-ho and those two men, however, did not dare to do as Li Yifei did. At this moment, they could only watch Wu Chang nervously.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s recovery ability was exceptional. She soon opened her eyes, then gave Li Yifei a brilliant, teeth-showing smile and said, "Brother-in-law, I didn¡¯t shame you, did I?"


    Li Yifei replied with a gentle smile, "Not at all, you¡¯ve earned your brother-in-law a lot of face."


    This left Park Sung-ho and those two others stunned; they had not expected Xu Shanshan to be the first to recover her composure. Even if the skirmish had not determined a victor, from this point alone, it seemed that Xu Shanshan had won.


    It was only then that Wu Chang opened his eyes, staring blankly at Xu Shanshan before suddenly bowing his hands in respect and saying, "Miss Shanshan, I admire you! The Innate Vital Energy is indeed powerful." Implicitly, he meant that the reason he lost at the end was simply because Xu Shanshan possessed Innate Vital Energy, and not due to a lack of strength.


    Xu Shanshan smiled slightly and said, "Old man Wu, you are also very strong. I won¡¯t be mad at you anymore."


    Wu Chang laughed heartily and said, "Even if you were to remain mad at me, now I feel evened out inside."


    Park Sung-ho breathed a sigh of relief. At least this duel hadn¡¯t resulted in any serious issues, and moreover, Xu Shanshan and Wu Chang had made peace through their fight, which was even better.


    But his heart was still astounded by the events. He was well aware of where Wu Chang stood in terms of strength within the organization. He had not expected that, apart from Li Yifei, there was also Xu Shanshan. The Li family could not be underestimated. He would need to report back to the organization properly and see if the level of cooperation with the Li family needed to be adjusted.


    At this moment, Li Yifei had a relaxed expression, but his mind was churning with thoughts. If the organization only had experts like Wu Chang, then he would not be afraid. At the very least, he and Xu Shanshan could handle it. If Murong Yuanqing were to take action, the victory would be even less in question, but he feared that Wu Chang might not be the strongest in the organization. This was almost certain, otherwise Wu Chang wouldn¡¯t need to come to assist them.


    The group of six continued onward, and this time, Xu Shanshan and Wu Chang indeed stopped bickering. The journey became much calmer, and by evening, they had reached the highest peak in the area. Wu Chang pointed to the other side of the slope and said, "Tomorrow we need to descend from here. In just one day, we can reach there."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan looked down below, seeing nothing but a vast expanse of white, unable to make out anything. Xu Shanshan asked, "If it¡¯s down there, why not just go around? Why must we climb so high only to go down again?"


    Wu Chang shook his head and said, "We¡¯ve tried that as well, but even if we are slightly off with the direction, we can¡¯t find that place when we descend. Only by walking down from the peak here can we find that location."


    Xu Shanshan pouted and said, "How can there be such a strange place?"


    Li Yifei was also quite curious. That would mean that from here onward, they would be entering the Formation Method. He had never seen such a thing before. If it was really as miraculous as that, it would indeed be an eye-opening experience.


    Upon reaching the peak, the cold was even more intense. The temperature was well below twenty degrees Celsius. Clinging tightly to each other and wrapped in blankets, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan still felt unbearably cold. This made Li Yifei think of Murong Yuanqing and whether the old master was well-prepared. If he were to suffer from the cold, it would be quite regrettable.


    Also, would he be able to enter the Formation Method using this approach? If Murong Yuanqing and his group chose the wrong location and couldn¡¯t keep up with them, then he and Xu Shanshan would have to face this matter alone.


    Therefore, Li Yifei was considering informing Murong Yuanqing, otherwise, he truly wasn¡¯t confident. Should they falter, allowing the organization to obtain whatever treasures lie here, Li Yifei dared not imagine the extent of the impact.

 Chapter 1223 - 1271: Mysterious Formation Method

    Chapter 1223: Chapter 1271: Mysterious Formation MethodIn the middle of the night, Li Yifei quietly got up. Xu Shanshan immediately woke up, and Li Yifei hurriedly covered her mouth, whispering in her ear, "Shanshan, I am going out now to find a way to notify Elder Murong. Don¡¯t make a sound."


    Xu Shanshan gently kissed the palm of Li Yifei, signaling that she understood.


    Only then did Li Yifei stealthily leave the tent. With his skills, it was no issue to slip by Park Sung-ho and the other two. And although Wu Chang was very strong, he was now only about as capable as Li Yifei. On this windy mountain, Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t believe Wu Chang could detect him.


    However, Li Yifei was also not one to be careless; it was a principle he maintained in life. After tiptoeing about ten meters away, as he was about to leave a message there, a very faint noise came from behind.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t move, but rather took out his ¡¯tool¡¯ and began to pee, shivering while doing it.


    "Oh, Old Wu, what a coincidence." After finishing peeing, Li Yifei turned around and saw Wu Chang also peeing not far away.


    Wu Chang nodded, saying, "Indeed."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "They say young people can pee against the wind without wetting their trousers, but elderly pee with the wind and wet their crotch. Old man Wu peeing against the wind really has the air of a young man."


    Wu Chang¡¯s face darkened, and he hurriedly turned away, but there was still a wet mark on his trousers, which instantly turned to ice.


    Li Yifei chuckled again and brushed past Wu Chang.


    Wu Chang glared at Li Yifei, and after finishing peeing, he also returned to the tent. He too was wary of Li Yifei leaving any messages. But seeing Li Yifei had only peed and done nothing else in such cold weather, even with his strong True Qi, he didn¡¯t want to waste it contending with the ghastly climate and hurried back into the tent.


    Shortly after Wu Chang left, two white figures appeared where Li Yifei had peed and then quickly disappeared into the night.


    The next morning, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan got up early, and after getting ready, they followed Wu Chang and the others to the highest point of the mountain. However, before descending, Wu Chang carefully searched the area again, then returned and said, "You must follow my footsteps without mistake, else you might never be able to leave."


    Seeing Wu Chang¡¯s serious tone, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t dare to be careless and nodded earnestly.


    "Brother Yifei, I can only walk with you up to this point," Park Sung-ho said, as he was not going down with Li Yifei this time.


    "Okay, when I come out, we¡¯ll meet again."


    "Hmm, I¡¯m waiting for Brother Yifei¡¯s good news. We should have a proper drink when that time comes. I haven¡¯t had the chance to drink with Brother Yifei."


    "Sure!" Li Yifei laughed heartily, turned around to take Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, and then walked down the mountain following Wu Chang.


    Li Yifei was carefully observing his surroundings, but it didn¡¯t seem like there was anything special. It felt as if even if they deviated from the path, nothing would happen. But the more it seemed that way, the less Li Yifei dared to act recklessly, still holding Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and following Wu Chang closely.


    After walking more than a kilometer straight ahead, Wu Chang suddenly led Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan back the way they came.


    This confused both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, but after walking a bit, they widened their eyes in disbelief. They felt they should be following the same way back, but the landscape before them was completely different from what they saw coming down. Moreover, it still felt like they were descending rather than climbing up.


    The two of them finally realized the wonder of the Great Formation, a marvel beyond ordinary imagination.


    "Hey, Old Wu, you¡¯re not using a map either. Did you memorize the way by heart?" Xu Shanshan still spoke to Wu Chang with an irreverent tone.


    But Wu Chang didn¡¯t take offence and smiled, saying, "Of course, I memorized it. If I remembered it wrong by even a bit, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get in at all."


    "And what happens if we can¡¯t get in?" Xu Shanshan asked again.


    "If we can¡¯t get in, it¡¯s not a big deal. We would just wander for a bit, then unconsciously find ourselves outside. This Formation doesn¡¯t have killing power, nor will it trap people inside. It just prevents you from getting in," he explained.


    "Can I give it a try to see if it¡¯s any good?" Xu Shanshan asked with a mischievous smile.


    Wu Chang¡¯s face turned dark in an instant, saying, "Let¡¯s just forget about it. Doing that would mean wasting time climbing back to the mountaintop to get in again. Besides, it will take quite some time to walk there."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly, "That sounds fun."


    "My dear lady, please spare me. After we finish this task, you can play however you want. Hold on, don¡¯t talk to me now, which way was it?" Wu Chang suddenly stopped, looked around, and then was at a loss.


    Xu Shanshan suddenly burst into laughter and said, "So even you don¡¯t remember it clearly, huh?"


    Wu Chang said with a mixture of laughter and tears, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t remember clearly, it¡¯s just that this place is quite marvelous. Sometimes if you make one wrong step, all previous efforts are wasted. I was so engrossed in talking to you just now that I forgot to count my steps."


    "Then just count again," Xu Shanshan said nonchalantly.


    Wu Chang rolled his eyes and said, "There¡¯s no use in that, let¡¯s just back out."


    Afterward, Wu Chang began to walk randomly, with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan following him. After more than an hour, the three finally saw the peak they had initially descended from.


    "This is so much fun, it¡¯s like a huge labyrinth, awesome!" Xu Shanshan was thrilled, her interest seemingly piqued by the adventure.


    "Fun my ass, we have to walk it all over again!" Wu Chang rolled his eyes in exasperation and soared towards the mountaintop. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By now, Park Sung-ho and his group were no longer on the summit. Their only responsibility was to deliver Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan here, so there was really no need for them to wait in this icy wilderness.


    Wu Chang solemnly said to Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei, "Be more careful this time, we can¡¯t mess around again, or we won¡¯t be able to get in before it gets dark."


    Li Yifei nodded, while Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out at Wu Chang and teased, "It was your own carelessness just now, why blame us?"


    Wu Chang rolled his eyes again and said, "Then stop yapping at me non-stop."


    Xu Shanshan said with a giggly smile, "Okay, okay, this time I won¡¯t talk to you. I¡¯ll just talk to my brother-in-law."


    Once they entered again, Xu Shanshan true to her word stopped talking to Wu Chang, allowing him to lead the way with undivided attention. Meanwhile, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan chatted intermittently. However, Li Yifei was constantly paying attention to how Wu Chang determined their route. He didn¡¯t believe that Wu Chang could navigate through memory alone. Without any markers, it would be absolutely impossible. Xu Shanshan¡¯s previous antics were to make Wu Chang go through the route again so that Li Yifei could better judge it for himself.


    After going through the route twice, Li Yifei, with careful observation, finally found Wu Chang¡¯s method. It was placing a kind of stone that was nearly white against the ice. If you didn¡¯t pay close attention, you would not notice them at all. These stones were elongated, slightly pointed at one end, and whichever direction the tip pointed, that was the direction to head in. Approximately every ten meters, another stone like that would appear, and in more complicated areas, these stones would be more densely arranged.


    Through repeated verification, Li Yifei confirmed that this was indeed Wu Chang¡¯s method of navigation, so he completely relaxed, no longer needing Xu Shanshan to cause any more mischief, and continued forward.


    This time, their journey was relatively smooth. After about three hours, they arrived at the edge of a canyon. The length of the canyon was not visible from either end, it was more than a hundred meters wide, and its depth was bottomless.


    Facing the canyon, both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan showed expressions of amazement. If they trusted their feelings, it seemed like they had been descending along the hillside. At the summit, such a vast canyon should definitely be visible, but there was no sign of such a large canyon from the mountaintop.


    At this moment, Wu Chang remarked, "The ancients were truly remarkable. A Formation Method could completely conceal such a huge canyon. It¡¯s genuinely an ingenious feat."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan involuntarily nodded in agreement; the sight was truly awe-inspiring. However, Li Yifei hesitated before asking, "But is this canyon also an illusion created by the Formation Method?"


    Wu Chang shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who knows? I wouldn¡¯t dare to test it. Would you?"


    Li Yifei curled his lips and shook his head. The canyon was so deep that even for experts like them, falling down would be a death sentence. No one would joke with their own life.


    "Now, we must climb down this canyon," said Wu Chang, pointing to the bottomless gulf.


    Xu Shanshan curiously asked, "Jump straight down?"


    Wu Chang rolled his eyes and said, "I¡¯m not ready to die yet, of course, we¡¯ll climb down."


    Xu Shanshan stuck her tongue out and teased, "I thought you were so formidable, capable of anything, even moving heaven and earth."


    "What¡¯s there to say? I can¡¯t even beat a little girl like you, how formidable is that." Wu Chang rolled his eyes at Xu Shanshan again.


    "Giggle, were you just going easy on me?" Xu Shanshan giggled mischievously.


    Now that they were in a cooperative relationship, things seemed harmonious between them. Moreover, Xu Shanshan¡¯s strength had indeed impressed Wu Chang, so the three appeared to be getting along without any gaps.


    However, Li Yifei was well aware that anything could happen during this cooperation. If Murong Yuanqing followed them in, it would be one thing, but if they couldn¡¯t enter the Great Formation, whether he and Xu Shanshan could leave alive remained uncertain.

 Chapter 1224 - 1272: Strange Stone Wall

    Chapter 1224: Chapter 1272: Strange Stone WallDescending into the canyon meant going directly downward. The cliff face was not smooth, dotted with protruding rocks, which made it easy for martial artists of their caliber to descend.


    However, Li Yifei was still somewhat worried about Xu Shanshan. He had Xu Shanshan stay at the top so that he could catch her from below if anything went wrong. He also kept looking up, knowing that if Murong Yuanqing and his men followed them down, now would be the easiest time to be detected.


    But he never saw anyone following them from above, which left him somewhat uneasy. He did not know whether Murong Yuanqing and his men had gotten lost in the Great Formation and had not followed them down, or if they were still able to completely conceal their presence at this time.


    Even though Murong Yuanqing and his men were extremely skilled, it would have been impossible for them to hide on such an exposed cliff face where everything above was clearly visible.


    Wu Chang led the three of them down, and it took them more than half an hour to finally stop. Then they climbed sideways for over ten more minutes. The cliff wall suddenly receded inward, and a platform appeared beneath their feet.


    "We¡¯re here," Wu Chang said, his voice suddenly hushed, his demeanor cautious. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan both nodded and then exchanged a glance. They both knew that the people inside must be extraordinary; otherwise, Wu Chang would not be so careful. Wu Chang¡¯s skill level was comparable to Xu Shanshan¡¯s. Those inside must be even more skilled, and if this was a trap, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were surely doomed without a chance to fight back.


    This was a cave, the entrance of which bore traces of damage, indicating it had likely not been disturbed for many years.


    The three of them walked inside. The cave was not deep, and after a few meters, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan could hear breathing sounds, stable and with a long rhythm, clearly indicating a master. But then again, anyone who could make it this far was by no means a novice.


    After walking another ten meters or so inside, Li Yifei finally saw people. Three individuals were sitting on the ground, but the cave was too dark for him to see their faces.


    "You¡¯ve arrived," a very deep male voice sounded.


    "Great Elder!" Wu Chang respectfully bowed and said, "I¡¯ve brought the people."


    All three stood up. Two were tall men while one was a petite figure, clearly a woman, dressed in black clothes with a black headgear and a black veil over it, making it impossible to see even her eyes.


    Recognizing the silhouette, Li Yifei immediately realized this must be the woman who had rescued Park Sung-ho.


    The Great Elder came directly in front of Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan. Dressed in black with a mask covering everything but his eyes, he first looked at Xu Shanshan, then turned to Li Yifei and said, "Clan leader Li, Sung-ho has already negotiated the terms with you, right?"


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "Yes." He was not nervous at the moment. Although the Great Elder was obviously extremely powerful, far more so than Wu Chang, which meant he stood no chance against the Great Elder, there was no need to go to such lengths if the others wanted to harm him. So, there was nothing to worry about.


    "Good, then let¡¯s hope our cooperation will be successful," said the Great Elder, nodding. He then turned to Xu Shanshan and continued, "After careful research, we¡¯ve determined that a door inside requires two people with Innate Vital Energy to open it together, so I hope you can give it your all."


    Xu Shanshan looked further inside. The cave seemed to reach an end there, and the door must be located at that point. "Okay, as long as there¡¯s enough benefit, of course, I¡¯ll try my best. But, Great Elder, you¡¯re so powerful. If we open the door, you won¡¯t turn on us and take out my brother-in-law and me, right?"


    The Great Elder smiled faintly and replied, "Don¡¯t think that just because our organization is very mysterious, we are involved in all sorts of deeds. We absolutely value credibility. We also hope that you can become our most reliable allies in Huaxia. Killing you would bring us no substantial benefits."


    Xu Shanshan immediately said, "By killing us, you could monopolize whatever is inside."


    "Rest assured, if that were the case, our organization wouldn¡¯t have been able to develop to this point," the Great Elder patiently explained. "Your cooperation with us is just beginning, so it¡¯s normal for you to be cautious. In Mile City, those two groups that were eliminated by you had cooperated with us, and from that, you can witness that as long as someone cooperates with us, our organization will show sufficient sincerity."


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "Since you say so, I¡¯ll trust you this time, taking a gamble. But you have to tell me what I need to do, right?"


    "Follow me!" The Great Elder turned and walked deeper inward, stopping in front of the Stone Door.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan followed. Looking at the Stone Door, Li Yifei asked, "Have you never thought of just using explosives to open it?"


    The Great Elder nodded, "I¡¯ve considered that, but the map clearly warns that using force to open it will disturb the balance inside, causing it to collapse, so it must be opened through proper means."


    "That mysterious?" Xu Shanshan exclaimed in surprise.


    "Yes, the wisdom of the ancients is truly incomparable to ours. Just like the Great Formation outside, without the formation map, no matter how skilled one¡¯s martial arts, it would be absolutely impossible to enter."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan deeply agreed that this kind of Great Formation was completely beyond the understanding of ordinary people. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t believe it even if someone told them.


    The Great Elder then said, "Clan leader Li, you can try this Stone Door to see if there is anything unusual."


    Li Yifei nodded, placed his hand on the stone wall, and suddenly exclaimed in amazement, "There¡¯s True Qi inside?"


    The Great Elder nodded and said, "Yes, that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t dare to act rashly."


    Li Yifei had just felt the presence of True Qi, but now he increased his True Qi to see what was happening inside. However, as soon as he raised his True Qi, a gentle yet incredibly strong True Qi immediately repelled his palm.


    "Bizarre!" Li Yifei¡¯s interest was further piqued. He placed his palm against the stone wall again, but this time he did not force his True Qi. Instead, he slowly infused it. The retaliating force was much weaker. Yet, Li Yifei found it absolutely impossible to feel the True Qi inside by using his own True Qi¡ªit was like a barrier that completely blocked the entry of his True Qi.


    At that moment, Xu Shanshan curiously said, "Let me give it a try." She then placed her palm on the stone wall as well.


    "Huh..." Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t repelled, but she showed a look of great surprise.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s reaction, Li Yifei gave up on his own attempts and focused his attention on her.


    After a while, Xu Shanshan stopped and looked at Li Yifei with a bizarre expression, saying, "It¡¯s very eerie inside, the True Qi seems like it can communicate with me."


    The Great Elder chuckled and said, "Yes, only those with Innate Vital Energy can receive a response from it. So now, we can only rely on you and her to open this Stone Door." With that, he gestured towards the woman clad in black with a covered face.


    Xu Shanshan said, "Then you have to tell me how to do it, right?"


    The Great Elder shook his head and replied, "We don¡¯t know that either. We believe it requires two people with Innate Vital Energy to open it, but that¡¯s just a guess. The specifics, you two will have to figure out."


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "So you¡¯ve been here this long, and she hasn¡¯t discovered anything?"


    "Nothing!" the masked woman finally spoke, but her voice was quite hoarse and uncomfortable to listen to.


    "So what do we do?" Xu Shanshan was visibly annoyed.


    The Great Elder then added, "The two of you should use your Innate Vital Energy to try and communicate with the True Qi inside. Perhaps by joining forces, you can find the mechanism inside, and then open this Stone Door."


    "Dizzying, it¡¯s so troublesome," Xu Shanshan said with discontent.


    "Then we leave it to you." After saying this, the Great Elder stepped back.


    The black-clad, masked woman came up to the stone wall, nodded at Xu Shanshan, and placed her hand on the wall.


    Xu Shanshan turned and looked at the Great Elder, saying, "So you¡¯re just waiting to reap the benefits, huh? How unfair." Then she too placed her hand on the stone wall.


    Li Yifei watched Xu Shanshan and the masked woman both curiously and nervously, but after a long while, he saw no response from them, and the Stone Door remained motionless as before.


    After quite some time, Li Yifei also felt bored watching and simply turned around, only to see the Great Elder and Wu Chang had both sat down on the ground, along with another person doing the same.


    Li Yifei had noticed that person since the moment he entered, but the person had not spoken at all, or made any sound, making him seem non-existent.


    He appeared to be an unimportant individual, yet Li Yifei felt a sudden and strange intuition that this person was the most powerful and held the highest status here.


    Leader!


    The word suddenly flashed across Li Yifei¡¯s mind, causing his heart to involuntarily skip a beat¡ªthis person could possibly be the supreme leader of the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization!

 Chapter 1225 - 1273: Attempt

    Chapter 1225: Chapter 1273: AttemptHowever, Li Yifei did not dare to scrutinize that person carefully. If the other party knew he had such thoughts and if his guess turned out to be right, there was a high chance they would kill to silence him.


    "Clan leader Li, what¡¯s wrong?" the elder asked gently.


    Li Yifei was inwardly alarmed; he had merely experienced a slight change in his heartbeat, yet the elder had noticed him. This really showed the extent of the gap in their strengths.


    "Nothing much, just feeling a bit anxious."


    The elder smiled slightly and said, "No need to rush, this matter is not urgent."


    Li Yifei nodded, said nothing more, let his breath calm down, and did not look at the person who might be the leader again, simply waiting quietly for Xu Shanshan and the others.


    After over two hours, Xu Shanshan and the woman in black robes and mask both stopped working. The elder immediately asked, "How did it go?"


    The woman in the black mask shook her head, while Xu Shanshan frowned and said, "I don¡¯t understand; the True Qi kept trailing my own True Qi around, there was no effect at all."


    The elder nodded and seemed calm this time, saying, "That¡¯s normal. If that stone wall could be opened easily, it would imply that what¡¯s inside is not very precious. The harder it is to open, the more it proves the value of what¡¯s inside."


    "So tired! It¡¯s like they were sucking away all my True Qi." Xu Shanshan came over to sit beside Li Yifei, speaking somewhat wearily.


    Li Yifei held Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand and said, "Then rest a bit, no other issues, right?"


    "No," Xu Shanshan nodded, then sat down to recover her True Qi. Innate Vital Energy, unlike regular True Qi, recovered quickly, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before Xu Shanshan¡¯s True Qi was replenished.


    The black-masked woman sat between the elder and another black-robed figure. The three of them didn¡¯t say much, seemingly aware of what the outcome would be.


    After resting for an hour, Xu Shanshan and the black-masked woman had recovered and once again approached the stone wall; two hours later, they both retired again.


    Xu Shanshan unhappily said, "Are you guys setting us up? This stone wall seems like a bottomless pit that just absorbs True Qi."


    The elder spoke, "Yes, this stone wall can absorb Innate Vital Energy. The Innate Vital Energy of one person is not enough, so we asked you to come. We suspect that it requires sufficiently strong Innate Vital Energy to fill it up and then the Stone Door can be opened. However, this is just our speculation; you may use other methods without necessarily having to keep filling it with True Qi."


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "You guys came here first, so you should have tried other methods, right? You should at least share that with me, to save some effort, right?"


    The elder sighed and said, "We were the first ones here, and it¡¯s not just our first time here. But so far, aside from thinking of pouring Innate Vital Energy into it, we honestly haven¡¯t thought of any other feasible method."


    Hearing this, Li Yifei was inwardly shocked. It turned out they had come here more than once, but there had been no information on this from the Huaxia side, showing just how formidable the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization was.


    Xu Shanshan unhappily said, "But it feels like no matter how much we fill, we can never fill it enough. Continuing like this will just exhaust me to death. It¡¯s really no fun. Can¡¯t you find a few more people with Innate Vital Energy?"


    The elder chuckled and said, "Miss Shanshan, there are very few people in the world who possess Innate Vital Energy, and even fewer who can harness and utilize it. Despite our organization existing for so many years, we only have one, and there are a few others who, even though they possess Innate Vital Energy, have destroyed it by losing their virginity too early, so it¡¯s even rarer."


    Xu Shanshan exclaimed "Ah" and then exchanged glances with Li Yifei.


    The elder continued, "Once Innate Vital Energy fully matures, loss of virginity doesn¡¯t matter, but the fear is losing it before it¡¯s matured; that would ruin it. Nowadays, society develops too fast, young people try such things too early, and some promising talents are destroyed like this, alas..." he said, sighing deeply, seeming a bit agitated.


    Xu Shanshan rubbed her nose, gave a hehe laugh, and asked, "Then am I considered matured?"


    "Yours has certainly matured. Once Innate Vital Energy reaches the realm of externalizing, it is considered to be fully matured."


    "Hehe, you scared me," Xu Shanshan stuck out her tongue.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened; talking about this, was this not alluding to personal matters between the two? But as this was his own family affair, Li Yifei was not afraid of them knowing.


    Meanwhile, his thoughts drifted to Jiang Ningxiang, the little girl; he would have to explain this to her later so she didn¡¯t mistakenly lose her virginity to a boyfriend someday, which would be really bad, given that such incidents are highly probable with young people nowadays.


    The other party apparently was prepared for a long-haul conflict here, then they took out food and water, and everyone started eating together.


    Li Yifei wanted to use this chance to see what these people looked like, but whether it was the elder, the mysterious man, or the woman with a covered face, when they ate, they only lifted their masks slightly, never revealing their faces. Only the elder showed a tuft of white beard while eating.


    This can only be considered a feature, after all, there are many men with white beards in this world. Unless he fought with them, Li Yifei would only recognize this elder, but by then, recognition would be almost useless.


    After eating, the sky quickly darkened, and the inside of the cave turned pitch black. Wu Chang took out a battery-operated lamp, and the whole cave lit up.


    Xu Shanshan and the masked woman tried again for two hours, but still to no avail. That was all for today.


    "Brother-in-law, come outside with me," Xu Shanshan tugged at Li Yifei.


    "Is there something wrong?" asked the elder.


    Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes and said, "I¡¯m just wondering, you all eat and drink, don¡¯t you ever need to go to the toilet?"


    The elder was momentarily speechless and said, "Be careful, the mountain wind is very strong at this time."


    Xu Shanshan pulled Li Yifei out, walking all the way to the cave entrance, where indeed the mountain wind was very strong. A few meters away from the entrance, it felt as if one could be blown away.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Shanshan, let¡¯s stay here, it¡¯s too dangerous outside."


    "Okay!" Xu Shanshan agreed, and relieved herself right in front of Li Yifei. After finishing, she leaned close to Li Yifei¡¯s ear and whispered, "Brother-in-law, there is definitely something strange about this door."


    "Oh?" Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan with confusion.


    Xu Shanshan whispered again, "I feel that it¡¯s not absorbing our Innate Vital Energy."


    "Then what is it?" Li Yifei was quite surprised. Since there were people with Innate Vital Energy within the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, they must have tried it as well. Did they really not notice, or were they deliberately deceiving him and Xu Shanshan?


    "I¡¯m not sure, but I just feel something¡¯s off. Therefore, I¡¯m no longer channeling my Innate Vital Energy into it. I can¡¯t fall for their trap."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "You¡¯re right, you understand this matter better than I do. You make the decision."


    "Hmm." Xu Shanshan nodded, then frowned slightly and said, "Also, I just felt that person¡¯s True Qi. It felt very familiar, somewhat similar to Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy."


    "Ningxiang?" Li Yifei was stunned for a moment.


    "Yes, although that person¡¯s height is similar to Ningxiang¡¯s, she is a bit fatter, and her chest is higher than Ningxiang¡¯s. Otherwise, I really would have thought she was Ningxiang."


    Li Yifei thought a bit and said, "That¡¯s impossible, right? The difference in Innate Vital Energy should not be large. If you felt her Innate Vital Energy, then it should be similar to Ningxiang¡¯s."


    "Yes, that¡¯s very likely. But no matter what, I cannot fall for their tricks. This time, we will not help them open the door. Since we have remembered the route, wouldn¡¯t it be better to sneak back here ourselves later? Once Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy is properly formed, we wouldn¡¯t need them then, right?"


    "Let¡¯s do that. It saves us a lot of trouble. Since they have been studying it here for so long, it¡¯s completely normal if we can¡¯t open it either,"


    Xu Shanshan nodded repeatedly and said, "Exactly, even if we can¡¯t figure it out later, it¡¯s still better than letting them benefit." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By the way, Elder Murong and the others have not shown up, I wonder if they followed us down?" Li Yifei expressed his concerns.


    "I think it¡¯s unlikely. That Great Formation is too mysterious, and we had to crawl horizontally for so long when we came down. The chances of them catching up are too slim. Anyway, we are not going to help them open it, so it doesn¡¯t matter if they don¡¯t come."


    Li Yifei thought it made sense; as long as they didn¡¯t help open the door, it didn¡¯t matter if Murong Yuanqing and the others didn¡¯t come.


    When the two talked, they kept their mouths close to each other¡¯s ears. This way, they could prevent others from hearing them. Plus, with the fierce mountain wind and its loud noise, they felt more secure while talking.


    Once back inside the cave, they found a spot and set up a tent. They had been carrying the tent all along, and using it in the cave was just as practical. It would be uncomfortable to lie directly on the ground otherwise.


    While Li Yifei and others were setting up the tent, the elder and a few others also went out in turn, obviously needing to relieve themselves too.


    However, when the masked woman went out, unlike Xu Shanshan who had company, she went alone. This seemed to indicate that their organization was not chaotic; at least these experts were quite normal.


    Once inside the tent, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan cuddled together and fell into a deep sleep. If their adversaries wanted to deal with them, they certainly wouldn¡¯t use stealth, so they didn¡¯t need to worry.

 Chapter 1226 - 1274: Showing No Mercy

    Chapter 1226: Chapter 1274: Showing No MercyThree more days had passed, and the stone wall remained still, without a stir. During this time, everyone had been discussing the feasibility of such a method. After three days, everyone unanimously agreed that two Innate Experts simply weren¡¯t enough. The options were either to find more Innate Experts, or to wait for Xu Shanshan and the masked woman¡¯s Innate Vital Energy to further improve.


    Since such a conclusion had been drawn, staying here seemed meaningless.


    The Great Elder looked at Li Yifei and said, "Clan leader Li, although we did not succeed this time, there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future. Before we leave, I must remind you not to disclose this matter. It wouldn¡¯t benefit us to do so."


    Li Yifei gave a slight smile and responded, "This must also be a great temptation for me, I presume. If I really spread the word, it would be a huge loss for me as well."


    "It¡¯s best that Clan leader Li thinks this way. Then let us part here, and when we return next time, we will certainly invite Clan leader Li to join us."


    "Having the Great Elder¡¯s word is enough for me."


    The Great Elder nodded again and said, "While we trust Clan leader Li, this matter is too intricate, so we will still erase the markings within the Great Formation. I assume Clan leader Li wouldn¡¯t mind, right?"


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly and said, "Great Elder, it seems you¡¯ve already noticed that I¡¯ve memorized your markings, huh? Alright, go ahead and remove them, lest I can¡¯t resist trying it out myself."


    The Great Elder laughed heartily and said, "Clan leader Li is truly sincere. For martial practitioners like us, the temptation of such a place is extraordinarily great. Even we are constantly wanting to study it here, but it benefits us little, so it is better for everyone to have a clear conscience."


    On the way back, the Great Elder kicked away the stones that served as trail markers, leaving no trace behind.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan both appeared secretly regretful, which did not escape the eyes of the Great Elder and the others. The Great Elder said with a laugh, "Clan leader Li, it won¡¯t be a year before we come back again, so don¡¯t feel too sorry."


    Li Yifei chuckled dryly and remarked, "Indeed, but looking at your strengths, I know I have a long way to go. Of course, I hope to find some ways to improve from here."


    "Clan leader Li is being modest. Your progress among your peers is unmatched, and even with Innate Vital Energy, you are not inferior. In this regard, we cannot compare with you. In another ten or twenty years, you will surely surpass us. Our genuine wish to cooperate with Clan leader Li is because we recognize your potential."


    Li Yifei, feeling honored, said, "Such praise from the Great Elder is truly an honor for me."


    Everyone followed the original path to ascend the mountain peak, but upon reaching the summit, Li Yifei saw Murong Yuanqing and another elderly person standing there. Both with their hands behind their backs, their robes fluttering in the mountain wind, and their postures straight as rods, faces as calm as still water - they certainly had the air of reclusive experts.


    Seeing the two, Li Yifei was momentarily startled, unsure of their intentions for waiting there at this time.


    "Who are you?" Murong Yuanqing asked coldly.


    Li Yifei stole a glance, the Great Elder appeared calm, but the man in black, who had shown little reaction over the past three days to the point of being easily ignored, suddenly trembled, clearly astounded. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And who might you be?" the Great Elder also asked in a stern voice.


    Murong Yuanqing snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, you shadowy figures daring to step foot on China¡¯s First Immortal Mountain must have ulterior motives. Stay where you are." With that, he extended his palm and struck towards the Great Elder.


    Though the strike seemed light and effortless, the Great Elder¡¯s complexion changed instantly as he met the strike with his own, shouting, "Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got then!"


    Their palms clashed without flourish, each probing the other¡¯s strength.


    Upon contact, there was no sound, but the snowflakes on the ground, freshly settled not long ago, scattered outward from the epicenter of their impact like they were hit by a massive shockwave, forming a circular pattern around them.


    "Impressive skill!" they both exclaimed, and then simultaneously withdrew their hands to change attacks, lunging again. This time, instead of meeting force with force, they exchanged a flurry of punches and palms. In a mere moment, they had parried more than twenty moves.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan watched, dumbfounded. Xu Shanshan perhaps was excusable due to her lesser experience, but even Li Yifei, who had faced numerous life-and-death battles and struggled on the brink of death time and again, had never witnessed such a high-level confrontation.


    Even though Murong Yuanqing had guided him and practiced a few moves with him, that was only for instruction, and completely different from the actual combat taking place now. The sophistication of the techniques and the gap in strength made Li Yifei feel powerless. If he were to contend with either of these two individuals, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to last as long.


    However, at this moment, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t discouraged; instead, his eyes were fixed intently on the two fighters. For him, this was an invaluable learning opportunity, one that might never come again if missed.


    Besides him and Xu Shanshan, several members of Noah¡¯s Ark Organization were also closely watching the battle unfold. Their thoughts might differ from Li Yifei¡¯s, but it was clear that individuals like Wu Chang and the masked woman were equally captivated by the duel.


    "Brother Zhao, leave them alive," Murong Yuanqing commanded again.


    The person who had come with Murong Yuanqing immediately leaped towards Li Yifei and his group, and to Li Yifei¡¯s shock, he was the first target.


    Li Yifei was startled. This person had come with Murong Yuanqing, so their strength was definitely not inferior to Murong¡¯s, but why wasn¡¯t he dealing with the others and instead striking at him first?


    "Brat, die!" The expert surnamed Zhao struck towards Li Yifei with a palm, showing no mercy and clearly intending to kill him with that blow.


    Li Yifei was even more horrified as the palm enveloped him completely, leaving no chance for evasion. He was well aware that he couldn¡¯t withstand this strike. At this critical moment of life or death, he could no longer concern himself with the other¡¯s intentions. Misdirecting with both palms, he faced the incoming attack, refusing to just wait for death.


    "Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll help you!" Xu Shanshan shouted, attacking the opponent with a palm from the side, hoping to buy Li Yifei some time.


    But with another palm, the expert named Zhao encompassed Xu Shanshan within his move. Instead of alleviating Li Yifei¡¯s peril, she found herself trapped as well.


    "Whoosh!" A gust of wind suddenly attacked the Zhao expert, who exclaimed in surprise and immediately dodged, abandoning Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan to tackle the silent figure in black.


    The two of them immediately engaged in combat, their abilities seemingly matched. This surprised Li Yifei even more. He had at least been aware of Murong Yuanqing and the Zahao expert, but to discover that Noah¡¯s Ark Organization had such formidable masters, and two of them at that, explained their confidence. After all, such masters were rare in the world, and even a great nation like China, with its martial heritage, had only a few such experts.


    "Retreat!" The always silent figure suddenly called out.


    Wu Chang immediately grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm and urged, "Let¡¯s go!"


    Li Yifei truly didn¡¯t want to leave such an opportunity, but he felt that Murong Yuanqing had his reasons for acting this way, especially since Murong had targeted him specifically. He¡¯d have to take Xu Shanshan and follow Wu Chang, fleeing down the mountain.


    As they ran, Li Yifei pretty much understood the situation. Murong Yuanqing didn¡¯t want the others to recognize their relationship, allowing him to have further contact with Noah¡¯s Ark Organization. On another level, it seemed Murong Yuanqing wasn¡¯t sure he could capture everyone, which likely led to this arrangement.


    Li Yifei, along with Xu Shanshan, Wu Chang, and the masked woman in black, quickly fled a good distance. While running, Wu Chang said to Li Yifei, "Clan leader Li, do you know those two people?"


    Li Yifei shook his head, replying, "No idea. When did these two powerful masters pop up? I always thought I was invincible in China. Today, I¡¯ve learned that there is always someone better out there. Your organization has such strong masters, and so do we."


    Wu Chang spoke with some concern, "But you showed your true face. Will that expert be able to find you?"


    "I don¡¯t think so. Even though I might be somewhat famous in China, I feel those two are the types who scarcely show themselves. They probably don¡¯t know who I am, and they only got a quick glimpse of me before. Even if he remembers me, I¡¯ll just outright deny it. There¡¯s nothing he can do."


    "Alright, if that¡¯s the case, let us part ways here. We¡¯ll investigate those two thoroughly. Once we have any news, we¡¯ll inform clan chief Li," Wu Chang said.


    "Okay!" Li Yifei agreed.


    The four separated and went their own ways, but Li Yifei continued running with Xu Shanshan for over half an hour before stopping, making sure to fully play his part to avoid any slip-ups.


    It had taken three days to journey into the mountains, and though descending was quicker, it wasn¡¯t something that could be done rapidly; they¡¯d need at least two days. Come nightfall, they pitched their tent to rest.


    But no sooner had they lain down than they heard footsteps outside, which immediately put them on high alert. If the individual was someone of high importance like the great elder, they¡¯d have to be cautious. They quickly crawled out of the tent.

 Chapter 1227 - 1275: No Dating Boys

    Chapter 1227: Chapter 1275: No Dating Boys"Elder Murong." Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan relaxed at once when they saw that the person was Murong Yuanqing.


    Murong Yuanqing nodded and said, "I hope I didn¡¯t frighten you just now?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I understand that Elder Murong doesn¡¯t want them to know about our relationship." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Yuanqing smiled and said, "You are indeed smart. I noticed you didn¡¯t bring anything out. Does that mean you didn¡¯t go in?"


    Li Yifei nodded and recounted the situation inside, then added, "Elder Murong, did you not follow us in?"


    A look of admiration appeared on Murong Yuanqing¡¯s face as he said, "That Great Formation is truly profound. The two of us were also at a loss. It would be wonderful if such a Formation Method could be passed down. It¡¯s a pity such a valuable art has been lost."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had also witnessed the intricacy of the Great Formation and felt the same deep regret. If someone were versed in such a Formation Method, it would indeed be as valuable as a mighty army.


    Murong Yuanqing then regained his composure and said, "Your approach was good, but can you still re-enter?"


    Li Yifei, unsure, said, "I left traces inside and memorized most of the pathways. However, whether I can truly re-enter, I really do not have any certainty. I don¡¯t know if the Formation will change."


    "Hmm, there¡¯s no rush. If you can go in, then go in. If not, we¡¯ll follow them in later."


    At this time, Xu Shanshan interjected and asked, "Elder Murong, who won the fight just now?"


    Murong Yuanqing shook his head and said, "It¡¯s hard to say who won, but I really didn¡¯t expect that person to have reached such a level, even Brother Zhao was only able to fight him to a draw?"


    "Who?" Li Yifei asked with confusion.


    "My... errant disciple."


    "Ah, you mean Murong Zheng?" Li Yifei exclaimed in a low voice.


    "Correct, it is indeed him. Although he was masked, and even though his opponent was Brother Zhao, I¡¯m all too familiar with his martial skills; it was undoubtedly him."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment before asking, "Elder Murong, haven¡¯t you thought about capturing him?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to capture him, but rather I can¡¯t. My opponent is not weaker than me. Unless they are willing to fight to the death with us, neither of us can capture the other. Moreover, the two of them quickly entered the Great Formation, making it impossible for us to capture them."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he said, "If that person is Murong Zheng, then I suspect he is very likely the leader of the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization."


    Murong Yuanqing spoke slowly, "That is highly possible. Although that errant disciple¡¯s character is poor, he is very ambitious and intelligent. If he sets his mind on doing something, he indeed has a great ability to accomplish it. In this respect, I am far inferior to him."


    Xu Shanshan chimed in again, "Elder Murong, are you saying that your disciple is even more powerful than you?"


    Murong Yuanqing smiled slightly and said, "His martial skills might not necessarily surpass mine, but they are almost the same. He not only learned all of my skills, but he also managed to absorb knowledge from various sources and innovate on his own. In terms of martial capability alone, he certainly qualifies as a grandmaster capable of founding his own school. It¡¯s just unfortunate his ambitions... sigh, it¡¯s truly regrettable."


    After a pause, Murong Yuanqing then said to Li Yifei, "Yifei, let¡¯s put aside the task I had given you before. With his current skills, if he wishes to take your life, you lack the ability to protect yourself."


    Li Yifei immediately replied, "I understand that, but I won¡¯t confront him head-on. Moreover, right now they do not intend to be my enemies. I think it¡¯s better this way: I will find an opportunity to deal with him later, of course, after I become stronger. Plus, I still have the phrase you taught me."


    "Well, if that¡¯s what you think, then follow your path. Let things take their course; sometimes, being too forceful can backfire. Let¡¯s leave it at that. If you plan to come here again, let me know in advance, and I will come to assist you."


    """


    Having said that, Murong Yuanqing floated away and soon disappeared into the vast snowy mountains.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan crawled into the tent, both sighing incessantly. The world truly had too many capable individuals. With their strength, they were indeed not invincible. If they wanted to not be manipulated by others in the future, they would need to become even stronger.


    Three days later, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan returned to Mile City. This time, aside from the period in the cave on Mount Kunlun where they didn¡¯t contact anyone, they kept in touch with home all the other times. Therefore, their family wasn¡¯t worried, but having been away for over ten days, the warmth of home felt particularly comforting upon their return.


    A brief separation is better than a wedding night. Although they could only be intimate with Li Yifei once a week, everyone saw him every day, and there were sometimes small displays of affection. So, even if they couldn¡¯t spend the nights together, they didn¡¯t feel a special longing for him on a regular basis. But after this separation, to say they didn¡¯t miss him would be a lie.


    Moreover, everyone knew that when Li Yifei returned from such long trips, things tended to get wild, but no one minded such wildness. On normal days, there were already many people around; having a few more now didn¡¯t make much of a difference. The main concern was that everyone was afraid Li Yifei¡¯s body couldn¡¯t handle it, which is why they had decided on such an arrangement.


    "Master, Brother Li, you¡¯re back!" Jiang Ningxiang came back a bit late today and heard about Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan¡¯s return as she arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s villa, her little face excitingly flushed.


    Li Yifei chuckled: "Yes, we¡¯re back. Why did you return so late?"


    Xu Yingying smiled and said, "With you two not home, Ningxiang hasn¡¯t been staying at home either these past days, she¡¯s been at school."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly said: "Master, although I haven¡¯t been home, I practiced martial arts at school too, and I¡¯ve made progress."


    Xu Shanshan was in a good mood and replied: "That¡¯s great. Later, Master will check on your progress, and like I told you before, you don¡¯t have to be so intentional about it, participating in some school activities is also a good thing."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately nodded vigorously: "Yes, but now that Master and Brother Li have returned, I will stay at home. I need to learn martial arts too."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed: "Little Ningxiang spent so many days at school, surely you didn¡¯t get yourself a boyfriend there?"


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan immediately looked nervously at Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned red, and she waved her hands, saying: "No, there were people chasing me, but I didn¡¯t agree."


    Xu Yingying asked: "Why? No one has caught your eye?"


    Jiang Ningxiang said earnestly: "I don¡¯t want a boyfriend. I want to study hard and practice diligently so I can contribute to the Li family in the future."


    Lin Qiong chimed in: "That doesn¡¯t conflict with having a boyfriend. If you find someone you like, there¡¯s no harm in dating."


    "No way!" Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei said simultaneously.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze instantly turned towards Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, and the looks they directed at Li Yifei were filled with a strange sentiment.


    Xu Shanshan immediately said: "Ningxiang, this time, your sister-in-law and I met some experts and gained a new understanding of Innate Vital Energy. Your Innate Vital Energy hasn¡¯t formed yet. If you lose your chastity, then your Innate Vital Energy will never form, so you can¡¯t have a boyfriend now."


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed even more and stammered: "No, I really don¡¯t have a boyfriend. I definitely won¡¯t... I won¡¯t..."


    Xu Shanshan said sternly: "Ningxiang, I¡¯m not trying to meddle in your personal life, but this matter is indeed of great importance. Once your Innate Vital Energy has formed, then even if you have a few boyfriends, I won¡¯t interfere."


    "Master..." Jiang Ningxiang felt even more embarrassed but still bit her lip and said, "I absolutely won¡¯t let Master down."


    Hearing the conversation between the two, the peculiar gazes directed at Li Yifei dissipated. Just a moment ago, they really thought Li Yifei had some ulterior motive toward Jiang Ningxiang.


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    """

 Chapter 1228 - 1276: Jiang Ningxiang’s Qi Formation

    Chapter 1228: Chapter 1276: Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Qi FormationLi Yifei now places even greater importance on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s situation. Naturally, he needed to spend time with his wives on the day he returned, but the next day after coming back from the company, he and Xu Shanshan immediately brought Jiang Ningxiang over.


    "Ningxiang, you said you¡¯ve made progress, can you tell us what kind of progress it was?" Li Yifei asked while sitting on the sofa. Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t snuggle with Li Yifei as she normally would and was equally focused on Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang promptly replied with utmost respect: "These past few days, I¡¯ve felt my Innate Vital Energy becoming more active within my body, and it seems like there¡¯s even more of it."


    "Oh, that¡¯s good news." A surprised delight flashed across Li Yifei¡¯s face.


    Xu Shanshan said hastily: "Come, let me have a look."


    Jiang Ningxiang obediently walked up to Xu Shanshan, who stood up and held Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hands.


    "Eh?" Xu Shanshan immediately let out a surprised exclamation.


    Li Yifei was puzzled by Xu Shanshan¡¯s reaction but didn¡¯t interject, just quietly watched the two of them.


    After about two minutes, Xu Shanshan said to Jiang Ningxiang: "Ningxiang, go upstairs and wait for us, your sister-in-law and I will be there shortly."


    "Okay!" Jiang Ningxiang complied and immediately went upstairs.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Li Yifei asked in a low voice then.


    Xu Shanshan looked very serious and spoke in a subdued tone: "Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi is very strange; it¡¯s mixed with the True Qi from within the Stone Door."


    "Huh?" Li Yifei was momentarily stunned.


    "I have that True Qi from inside the Stone Door within me as well. This sort of True Qi is also Innate Vital Energy, that¡¯s why it can blend with my True Qi, but there¡¯s not much of it. However, when I checked Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy just now, it also contained this type of True Qi."


    "Are you saying... she really is Ningxiang?" Li Yifei¡¯s gaze was sharp as he looked at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said: "It¡¯s very likely. Otherwise, why would there be the Stone Door¡¯s True Qi in her body? Moreover, Ningxiang stayed in school until we returned; she only came home as we did. The timing too fits exactly."


    The look on Li Yifei¡¯s face grew uglier, for if this were true, it would mean that Jiang Ningxiang had been manipulating him all along, lurking in his home undetected, knowing every corner of his family affairs. It would be a significant problem for him.


    Even though he is now in a cooperative relationship with Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, Li Yifei absolutely didn¡¯t want someone sent undercover to monitor his activities.


    "Shanshan, are you sure?" Li Yifei asked again. He had doubted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s identity and even investigated it before. It seemed normal, but now suddenly there were abnormalities, making everything seem very peculiar.


    Upon Li Yifei¡¯s questioning, Xu Shanshan seemed a little uncertain and said: "Could it be that my True Qi entered into her body and she automatically fused with that True Qi? Or, maybe that True Qi is precisely what suits her own True Qi?"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then said: "That seems possible as well. Before we figure out what¡¯s going on, let¡¯s not reveal anything."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and said: "Understood, let¡¯s go upstairs and check."


    The two of them went upstairs together and pushed open the bedroom door, only to see Jiang Ningxiang already lying on the bed, her cheeks flushed red and a quilt covering her, with her clothes placed on the nightstand.


    Seeing her like this, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan exchanged glances, their suspicions wavering once more. Jiang Ningxiang is only eighteen; could she really be so scheming?


    "Master, I just felt something wrong with my True Qi again," Jiang Ningxiang spoke first, her blushing face showing urgency.


    "What¡¯s wrong with it?" Xu Shanshan sat down by the bed.


    "I don¡¯t know," Jiang Ningxiang said anxiously. "It¡¯s as if something new has appeared in my True Qi just now, something I¡¯ve never cultivated before. I don¡¯t know what to do now; Master, Brother Li, please help me check."


    Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei exchanged another glance. What Jiang Ningxiang said suggested that the unusual True Qi Xu Shanshan had felt earlier might have been inadvertently absorbed by Jiang Ningxiang.


    The two immediately jumped onto the bed, and Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip before pulling the quilt aside and then closed her eyes to await the examination by Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan began checking the True Qi inside Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body. In recent days, while on the road, Li Yifei had not stopped studying Xu Shanshan¡¯s True Qi and had a certain understanding of the additional True Qi Xu Shanshan brought back, so he detected the presence of that True Qi right away.


    What shocked Li Yifei even more was that Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi rotation within her body was getting faster and stronger.


    "Master!" Jiang Ningxiang suddenly opened her eyes and cried out in alarm.


    Xu Shanshan spoke sternly: "Don¡¯t panic, keep your True Qi rotation normal."


    Hearing Xu Shanshan¡¯s words, Jiang Ningxiang closed her eyes once more, and her True Qi began to rotate normally again. Her body slowly broke out in sweat, and her skin turned a reddened shade.


    "Is there a problem?" Li Yifei asked Xu Shanshan in a low voice.


    Xu Shanshan seemed very anxious at this moment, saying, "She is about to achieve Qi Formation."


    Li Yifei suddenly felt a strong surge of joy in his heart; if Jiang Ningxiang could form her Innate Vital Energy, then their home would gain a true Innate Expert. Moreover, the True Qi within the stone wall seemed to match Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s constitution perfectly. Perhaps next time she could open that Stone Door.


    It took over an hour before Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy in her body slowly returned to its normal rotation speed, but this was already a qualitative transformation. The strength of that Innate Vital Energy, even if it might not outstrip Xu Shanshan, was definitely not much weaker.


    "Master!" Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes, looking anxiously at Xu Shanshan.


    Xu Shanshan smiled with satisfaction, saying, "Ningxiang, you¡¯ve finally succeeded."


    "Ah! Is it a success?" Jiang Ningxiang was a bit dazed.


    Xu Shanshan nodded, saying, "Yes."


    "Oh yeah!" Jiang Ningxiang suddenly shouted with excitement, then her body sprung up sharply, not even seeming to exert force; her body sprang up to a height of about one meter.


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang screamed in fright, flailing her arms and legs tumbling down.


    She was falling right towards Li Yifei, who effortlessly caught her.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei was also startled by Jiang Ningxiang and asked anxiously while holding her.


    "I... How did I suddenly bounce so high?" Jiang Ningxiang stammered, her arms still wrapped around Li Yifei¡¯s neck.


    Li Yifei immediately understood and burst into laughter, saying, "Silly girl, now that you have formed your Innate Vital Energy, you haven¡¯t learned to properly use it yet, so you¡¯re not accustomed to it."


    "Ah ah... To be so powerful, my goodness." Jiang Ningxiang said dumbly with her mouth agape.


    Li Yifei gently patted Jiang Ningxiang, saying, "Yes, congratulations... Oh, Ningxiang, you should get down first."


    After patting Jiang Ningxiang, Li Yifei realized that Jiang Ningxiang was naked in his arms, and the spot he just patted was Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s very elastic little bottom. It was one thing during martial arts training, but this was far too intimate under the current circumstances. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang also realized her current state at once and let out an exclamation, pushed Li Yifei away, and flew backward, crashing directly into Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan pushed and guided her, getting Jiang Ningxiang to lie down on the bed.


    Jiang Ningxiang then frantically grabbed the blanket to cover herself, even shrouding her face, clearly too embarrassed.


    However, Xu Shanshan burst into laughter at this point, saying, "Ningxiang, look at you, you¡¯ve pushed your brother-in-law off the bed in one go."


    Jiang Ningxiang had been covering her head, but now she hurriedly pulled back the blanket to see Li Yifei scrambling up from the ground, and she stuttered, "Brother Li, I... I..."


    Li Yifei shook his head, smiling wryly, "Ningxiang, your strength is just too much."


    "Brother-in-law, you must be the first man to be pushed off a bed by a woman, right?" She then exaggerated her laughter even more.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, saying, "Indeed, the first time being pushed off a bed by a woman, and by Little Ningxiang, who regards me like a father, this is really embarrassing."


    Jiang Ningxiang was equal parts ashamed and flustered, and exclaimed in panic, "Brother Li, I... I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I had no idea I would be so strong... You... You¡¯re not injured, are you?"


    Li Yifei laughed it off, "No worries, no worries, Brother Li is so robust, that couldn¡¯t hurt me. But you have to quickly learn how to use this kind of True Qi, otherwise if you¡¯re not careful, you could hurt someone."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I won¡¯t touch anyone these next days, not until I¡¯ve got it under control."


    "Hmm, you just rest here for a while, I have something to discuss with your master."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan went downstairs, and all along, Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but snicker.


    Once downstairs, Xu Shanshan put away her smile, saying, "I feel like I might have overthought it. Ningxiang was lured by that True Qi, which is why I felt it inside her. And now, her sudden breakthrough is really a pleasant surprise."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, then said, "To be safe, we should still investigate. If Ningxiang has indeed been at school these past days, then she¡¯s clearly fine. But if she¡¯s not at school..."


    Xu Shanshan shook her head, saying, "I don¡¯t think so. When Ningxiang formed her Innate Vital Energy just now, I could feel it too, and it was indeed like that."


    Li Yifei looked at Xu Shanshan, saying, "If you were to pretend to have just formed your True Qi right now, could you do it?"


    Xu Shanshan was startled, thought for a while, and said, "I think I could accomplish that."


    Li Yifei nodded, "That settles it, we must thoroughly investigate this matter."

 Chapter 1229 - 1277: Suspicion Cleared

    Chapter 1229: Chapter 1277: Suspicion ClearedXu Shanshan thought for a moment and then said, "Brother-in-law, we can¡¯t conduct the investigation so directly. If Jiang Ningxiang really is innocent, this kind of probing will leave a shadow in her heart. That would mean we don¡¯t trust her."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I¡¯ve already considered this, so I want to invite several of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s university roommates over for some fun. Whether she has been at school or not, we¡¯ll know at a glance."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid that those roommates might have been bribed by her in advance?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "Unless those people are also from Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, do you think they can pull off such a convincing act? With your observational skills and mine, can¡¯t we see through any discrepancies?"


    Xu Shanshan thought about it and agreed. To turn all these roommates into members of Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s organization would be incredibly difficult. Even with Noah¡¯s Ark Organization¡¯s power, they couldn¡¯t possibly have such extensive roots in Huaxia.


    However, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t rush to act on this. Two days later, while practicing martial arts with Jiang Ningxiang, they found their opportunity.


    "Ningxiang, you haven¡¯t been to school these past two days. Won¡¯t you fall behind in your studies?" Li Yifei casually inquired.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately replied, "Not at all. I¡¯ll just copy my roommate¡¯s notes later, then I can catch up."


    Smiling, Xu Shanshan said, "But it¡¯s not good to miss too much school. Now that you¡¯ve fully mastered your True Qi, you should wait a few more days. Otherwise, why not invite your roommates to visit? It¡¯s been a while since they last came. It would be nice to have them over for fun." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sure!" Jiang Ningxiang immediately nodded excitedly.


    "Well then, give them a call," Li Yifei said with a smile.


    "Okay!" Jiang Ningxiang immediately phoned her classmates.


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan appeared nonchalant but were closely observing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s reaction. She was very natural and even chatted leisurely with her classmates, seeming very happy.


    Jiang Ningxiang didn¡¯t ask Li Yifei to send a car; instead, she asked her roommates to take a taxi over, which suggested a harmonious relationship with her friends.


    Within an hour, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s roommates arrived. She went out to greet them because they couldn¡¯t enter otherwise. Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t follow; given their status, it would be too conspicuous to meet them at this time.


    It was only after they arrived at Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s villa that Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan followed them in.


    "Brother Li, Master!" When Jiang Ningxiang saw Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan coming over, she also appeared quite delighted.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s roommates immediately became somewhat restrained, sitting there not daring to speak.


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Feel free to enjoy yourselves now that you¡¯re here. Ningxiang was thrilled to hear you were coming."


    Right away, Jiang Ningxiang said, "Yeah, don¡¯t be scared. Brother Li doesn¡¯t yell at people. He¡¯s really good to me."


    At that moment, servants brought over lots of dried fruits and some snacks. Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Ningxiang, look after your classmates. We¡¯ll leave now, so we won¡¯t make you uncomfortable."


    "Uh-huh, Brother Li and Master, please go ahead with your work."


    Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan left, but they immediately headed to Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s room. With their current skills, not even if Jiang Ningxiang was the mysterious woman in black could she detect them.


    One classmate happened to ask, "Ningxiang, why haven¡¯t you been at school these past two days? Did something happen?"


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly replied, "Nothing¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m doing well. I¡¯ve just been resting at home for a couple of days."


    Another classmate giggled suggestively, "It couldn¡¯t be that you were doing ¡¯that¡¯ with your Brother Li, and he was so vigorous that you couldn¡¯t handle it, so you had to rest at home, right?"


    The rest of the classmates burst into laughter. When girls are together, they can be quite daring with their jokes.


    Jiang Ningxiang retorted sharply, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Brother Li treats me like a daughter; how could anything like that happen?"


    "I¡¯m telling you, Ningxiang, your Brother Li is so impressive¡ªso wealthy and handsome too. Being so close to him, I think it would be nice for you to be his wife."


    "Yeah, why be a daughter? Are you silly? You don¡¯t have any blood ties, what kind of daughter is that?"


    Annoyed, Jiang Ningxiang said, "Don¡¯t talk rubbish. I really regard Brother Li as a father."


    "Ningxiang, if you really don¡¯t have that kind of feeling towards your Brother Li, could it be that you have your eye on that guy from our school? Sure, he¡¯s handsome and seems serious about you, but I really don¡¯t think he compares to your Brother Li. Remember three days ago, he got gently turned away by you here, right? He immediately went to dinner with another girl, hugging and embracing."


    "Or could it be you¡¯re interested in the guy who sent you flowers last weekend?"


    When Li Yifei heard this, a smile appeared on his face. It seems they were overthinking it¡ªtoday was Tuesday. The previous weekend, Jiang Ningxiang was still at home, so the weekend she mentioned was clearly nine days ago when she was still at school. Clearly, it was impossible for her to have also been at Mount Kunlun then.


    And the words that followed were all to prove that Jiang Ningxiang had been in the school during this period, so Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan found it unnecessary to listen any further and quietly left.


    "It¡¯s a relief to have been over-suspicious," Li Yifei said, feeling quite fortunate. It would have been truly upsetting if Jiang Ningxiang was indeed from Noah¡¯s Ark.


    Xu Shanshan nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, it¡¯s good that she isn¡¯t."


    Both breathed a sigh of relief, then Xu Shanshan mischievously winked at Li Yifei and teased, "I say, brother-in-law, now that there¡¯s actually a girl immune to your charm, do share your thoughts on this."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I feel pretty good about it. I¡¯m quite at ease and comfortable with Ningxiang being this way."


    "Really? But she did reject you, though. If she was just embarrassed at the time of rejection, that¡¯s one thing, but now she¡¯s talking to her classmates about her true feelings, and she doesn¡¯t feel that way either. Doesn¡¯t that kind of hit your ego?"


    Li Yifei playfully slapped Xu Shanshan¡¯s butt and laughed, "You seem to think that any girl who comes into contact with me must be after me. Aren¡¯t you worried that the number of women around me will keep growing?"


    "Hehe, I don¡¯t want you to have more women around you either, but it¡¯s pretty funny to see someone reject you," Shanshan said with a giggle.


    Footsteps approached, and Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan moved a bit apart from each other but did not need to act all serious. The two of them were used to joking around with each other and had no need to avoid others.


    "Mengxin, Ling¡¯er, Lianyao," Li Yifei quickly stepped forward to greet them. These were the three pregnant ladies of the house, holding a prestigious status. Even as the clan chief, he wouldn¡¯t dare to upset any of the three.


    Especially Su Mengxin, whose belly had grown even larger and was finding it hard to walk, while Xiao Ling¡¯er and Song Lianyao¡¯s bellies were also noticeably rounded as their pregnancies progressed.


    Smiling, Su Mengxin said, "We¡¯re just taking a walk. The doctor said we shouldn¡¯t be too lazy at this stage, walking is good for the babies."


    At this moment, Li Yifei was in a particularly good mood. Suspecting Jiang Ningxiang really felt like a weight on his heart. He gently touched the bellies of the three women and said with a smile, "My little treasures, seems like you¡¯re about to arrive soon."


    Su Mengxin smiled back and remarked, "You do seem to be in a very good mood today."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Yes, I¡¯m indeed feeling great today, the weight on my mind has finally been lifted."


    "Oh? What was it that had you worried?" Xiao Ling¡¯er asked curiously.


    Li Yifei briefly recounted the situation with Jiang Ningxiang and added, "Let¡¯s not mention this again and make sure Ningxiang doesn¡¯t find out we ever suspected her."


    All three nodded, with Su Mengxin saying, "Ningxiang is indeed very important to our Li family. Your concern was normal, but now that you have no more doubts, we can focus on nurturing her from now on."


    Proudly, Li Yifei said, "Yep, with Shanshan and Ningxiang, our Li family¡¯s strength will increase significantly."


    "Brother Li!" With that call, Meng Xiaofei came running over.


    Li Yifei asked with a smile, "Xiaofei, what¡¯s got you so excited?"


    "I did it, I really succeeded!" Meng Xiaofei was ecstatic.


    "Succeeded at what?" Xu Shanshan asked with a beaming smile.


    Meng Xiaofei, who was initially so excited, suddenly became a bit shy when questioned by Xu Shanshan but still took Li Yifei¡¯s arm and said, "Brother Li, come with me, hurry and come with me."


    Though puzzled, Li Yifei still followed Meng Xiaofei as she led him away.


    Watching the two depart, Xiao Ling¡¯er asked curiously, "What mischief is Xiaofei up to with her husband now?"


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "Hehe, it looks like her husband is in for a treat."


    "What treat?" Song Lianyao inquired.


    The smile on Su Mengxin¡¯s face deepened as she whispered, "Remember how Xiaofei saw me use my mouth on my husband... Haven¡¯t you noticed her always holding a banana and not eating it?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er and Song Lianyao immediately burst into giggles; they had indeed seen Meng Xiaofei eating a banana that way but had never thought much about it. Now that Su Mengxin brought it up, they understood that Meng Xiaofei was learning to do the same for Li Yifei.


    With a light chuckle, Xiao Ling¡¯er said, "Can Xiaofei really do it? That¡¯s Sister Mengxin¡¯s specialty, after all. We¡¯ve tried, but none of us could manage it."


    With a coy smile, Su Mengxin said, "Who knows? Xiaofei can be quite tenacious when she sets her mind to something. She may just succeed."


    "Shall we go and see for ourselves?"


    "Better not. If Xiaofei finds out, she¡¯ll stop playing with her husband. Anyway, we¡¯ll get to see it when we¡¯re all together in the future. Let¡¯s just let the two of them have their fun now."

 Chapter 1230 - 1280: Can’t I Take the Initiative?

    Chapter 1230: Chapter 1280: Can¡¯t I Take the Initiative?Less than a week went by, and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy could finally be projected outwards. Her Innate Vital Energy was now fully formed, and once that happened, the rest became much easier. Just like Xu Shanshan before her, the next step was learning how to utilize Innate Vital Energy.


    Xu Shanshan had obtained the secret scroll and passed everything it contained to Jiang Ningxiang. Learning it was much easier; in less than a week, Jiang Ningxiang had essentially grasped how to utilize Innate Vital Energy. Her strength was similar to Xu Shanshan¡¯s when she first started learning Innate Vital Energy. As for how far Jiang Ningxiang could develop in the future, that would depend on the growth of her Innate Vital Energy.


    This brought Li Yifei immense joy. Counting himself, the Li family now had three exceptionally strong experts. Though not quite at the level of an expert like Murong Yuanqing, with the abilities of the three of them combined, apart from an expert of Murong Yuanqing¡¯s caliber, no one else could touch a hair on the Li family.


    Moreover, even if there was an expert like Murong Yuanqing, as long as the three of them joined forces, they possessed the power to fight. Victory or defeat was unpredictable.


    "Brother-in-law, shall we go to Mount Kunlun once more?" Seeing that Jiang Ningxiang had mastered her martial skills, Xu Shanshan immediately became excited, as she found the cave particularly alluring.


    Li Yifei also felt it was necessary to go there. If they could resolve the matters in that cave quickly to prevent the organization from taking the items, it would be a significant achievement.


    So Li Yifei immediately tried to contact Murong Yuanqing but was unable to reach him. Upon inquiring from Old Master Su, he learned that experts like Murong Yuanqing had been in seclusion these days, and even he did not know their whereabouts.


    This made Li Yifei somewhat hesitant. Without the protection of Murong Yuanqing and his like, meeting members of Noah¡¯s Ark, such as the chief elder or Murong Zheng, would be quite dangerous.


    But in the end, Li Yifei decided to go. The items there were too important; even if it meant taking certain risks, it was worth it.


    After discussing, Li Yifei, together with Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang, embarked once more on the journey to Mount Kunlun.


    It was Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s first time undertaking such a significant task with Li Yifei, and she was extremely excited. Even as they took the plane, her emotions had not yet settled.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Ningxiang, just think of it as going out for some fun."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded and replied, "I know, Brother Li. This is my first time on a plane."


    Li Yifei instructed Jiang Ningxiang on how to fasten the seatbelt, saying, "In the future, Brother Li will take you running all over the world. I¡¯m more worried that you won¡¯t want to follow me then."


    "That won¡¯t happen, this is so much better. I finally feel like a useful person," Jiang Ningxiang shook her head repeatedly.


    The plane took off, and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face showed nervousness. This made both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan smile, especially considering that they had once suspected Jiang Ningxiang of being the black-clad masked woman. It seemed somewhat ridiculous now¡ªa girl who was flying for the first time, how could she possibly be that black-clad masked woman. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After landing, they took a car and once again arrived at the location where they had started their ascent last time. Then they shouldered their packs and entered the mountains together.


    The path wasn¡¯t difficult to remember, so the three of them didn¡¯t face much trouble. However, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan remained vigilant throughout. If members of the Ark Organization appeared, they would abort the mission.


    But after a day¡¯s walk, they didn¡¯t encounter a single person, let alone members of the Ark Organization.


    Perhaps because Murong Yuanqing and another had made their move, the members of the Ark Organization could only give up on this operation for now. Maybe they assumed that the Li family only had one Innate Expert, and even if Li Yifei wanted to act, without the black-clad masked woman from Noah¡¯s Ark, he wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish much.


    As it got darker a little after four, the trio quickly found a sheltered spot and set up a tent to rest. Looking at the tent, Li Yifei frowned and said, "Shanshan, why did you only prepare one tent?"


    Xu Shanshan responded naturally, "On this mountain, anything can happen. It¡¯s much more dangerous to be separated, so I only prepared one tent for all of us. It¡¯s big enough to accommodate the three of us."


    Li Yifei thought about it and agreed that it was safer for the three of them to stay together here.


    This time up the mountain was unlike the last, somber experience. After all, back then there were outsiders like Wu Chang with them, but this time it was just the three of them, making it feel a bit like a leisurely tour. Li Yifei was also in good spirits as he shared some interesting tales about the snow-capped mountains.


    Jiang Ningxiang suddenly asked, "Oh, by the way, Brother Li, I read ¡¯The Divine Eagle, the Gallant¡¯ where Hong Qigong catches centipedes in the snow. Is that true?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "That¡¯s of course made up. In cold temperatures, centipedes burrow underground to hibernate. Here on Mount Kunlun, where temperatures are below minus twenty degrees Celsius, it¡¯s impossible for centipedes to exist."


    "Oh, I thought what the novel said was true." Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Even if there really were centipedes, would you want to catch some and cook them?"


    Jiang Ningxiang shrank her neck and said, "I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Actually, there are some special local products here, like the Tibetan antelope for instance, but the best is the snow chicken. They¡¯re not easy to come by, though. If we do encounter one, let¡¯s try catching it. I bet it¡¯d be delicious once cooked."


    Admiration glinting in her eyes, Jiang Ningxiang said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, you¡¯re amazing, you know everything."


    Xu Shanshan giggled lightly and said, "Of course! Your Brother Li is definitely the most amazing, he understands everything."


    Jiang Ningxiang smiled sweetly and said, "Indeed, I didn¡¯t know any of this stuff before. Brother Li, you speak as if you¡¯re a walking encyclopedia."


    With Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s flattery, Li Yifei laughed and said, "Your Brother Li isn¡¯t that incredible, I just like to prepare more before doing anything, to understand things like the geography and environment here. That way, if we encounter any special situations, we have a greater chance of survival."


    "That¡¯s still pretty amazing," Jiang Ningxiang immediately responded, "Even if you asked me to memorize this information in advance, I wouldn¡¯t be able to remember it."


    "Brother-in-law, look over there!" Xu Shanshan pointed towards a spot not too far ahead.


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang both saw a big white bird landing there as well.


    "That¡¯s the snow chicken. Do you two want to eat some roast chicken?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Yes, want!" Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang quickly nodded excitedly.


    Li Yifei carefully sprinted towards the bird. However, when he was still about twenty meters away, the snow chicken sensed him. The alertness of animals is tremendously high, difficult for humans to match.


    But even though the snow chicken was quick, Li Yifei¡¯s Flying Needle had already been thrown, piercing accurately through the head of the snow chicken, which immediately collapsed on the ground, fluttering for a bit before lying still.


    Li Yifei picked up the snow chicken, exciting Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang greatly. But since it was still early, the three continued on their way, casually collecting some dry wood along the journey. Finding ample dry wood in the Kunlun mountains is not easy, as even shrubs are scarce here.


    By evening, the three had still gathered quite a few dry branches, all from small shrubs. Starting a fire, Li Yifei cleaned the snow chicken and began roasting it over the flames. Roasting wild game was a particular skill of Li Yifei¡¯s. Although this time they didn¡¯t have salt and other seasonings, they did have some small pickled vegetables among their food supplies. Rubbing the chicken with the pickled vegetables¡¯ brine made for a passable substitute.


    The meat of the snow chicken was quite tender and succulent, its texture notably firm since it could fly, making it incomparable to ordinary domestic chickens. Once cooked, the three enjoyed the delicious meal, which brought considerable pleasure to their otherwise monotonous journey.


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 Chapter 1231 - 1282: Successful Re-entry

    Chapter 1231: Chapter 1282: Successful Re-entryOn the fourth day, Li Yifei and his team finally arrived at the mountain peak. Facing the harsh cold wind, both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were somewhat nervous. Next, they were to enter the Great Formation, and whether they could reach that special stone wall again was completely uncertain.


    However, regardless, the Great Formation wasn¡¯t harmful, so even if they couldn¡¯t get in, they could still safely come out without any worries for the future.


    Moreover, they hadn¡¯t encountered anyone from Noah¡¯s Ark Organization inside, which was clearly something to be thankful for.


    Because there could not be a single mistake inside, Li Yifei said to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, after we go down later, you must not leave my side even by half a step, you have to follow me closely."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded vigorously and said, "Brother Li, I understand."


    Li Yifei was still somewhat uneasy and directly grabbed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand. Since the night Jiang Ningxiang talked in her sleep, Li Yifei could no longer harbor any improper thoughts towards Jiang Ningxiang, and Xu Shanshan seemed moved as well, not playing any tricks these past two days. Now, holding Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand felt very natural to Li Yifei, and Jiang Ningxiang wasn¡¯t embarrassed either.


    The trio finally started walking into the Great Formation. After a few steps, Li Yifei was speechless; although he had left behind his Flying Needle, there had been several snowfalls over these days, so the Flying Needle had been buried, making it impossible to see.


    "What should we do?" Xu Shanshan asked somewhat helplessly.


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "We¡¯ll grope our way inside. I remember the general route; there are just a few spots where I¡¯m not so sure, and when we get there, we¡¯ll clear the snow. As long as we find the Flying Needle, then we¡¯ll be able to find the way in."


    "Okay, let¡¯s try it." Xu Shanshan nodded.


    Next, the three of them slowly walked inside, and after about half an hour, Li Yifei stopped and began to carefully and slowly clear the snow from the ground while Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang stood beside him, not daring to make a sound.


    After a while, Li Yifei finally found his Flying Needle and said, "This is the right spot."


    Xu Shanshan genuinely admired him, saying, "Brother-in-law, you are really amazing; to remember so much."


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Had you not distracted Wu Chang back then and made us go through it again, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered at all."


    "Hehe, I knew it; I helped too." Xu Shanshan giggled.


    Li Yifei then smiled mischievously and said, "Actually, I don¡¯t really have such good memory. It¡¯s just that back then, before every turn, I counted my steps and secretly marked them with a needle in my clothes."


    Xu Shanshan burst out laughing and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really cunning!"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Human capabilities are always limited. Besides, if one little detail is remembered incorrectly, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get inside. Of course, I had to play some tricks."


    Jiang Ningxiang chuckled and said, "Brother Li, your hero image has just collapsed in my heart."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Was your Brother Li ever just an ordinary person?"


    Perhaps because Li Yifei no longer harbored those thoughts, he acted more naturally towards Jiang Ningxiang, who subconsciously also felt it and became more casual with Li Yifei, even playfully acting like a daughter with him.


    The three continued on their way, walking for another half hour, continuously stopping and being very careful. Li Yifei cleared the snow once again but did not find the Flying Needle, so they had no choice but to lead the others out aimlessly.


    Once they came out, Jiang Ningxiang was amazed by the Great Formation, standing on the mountain peak looking down; below everything seemed normal, yet there was such mystery inside.


    Going back down, they followed the footsteps they had just made, which sped up the process, and approaching the problematic area, Li Yifei corrected the direction, finally finding the correct path again.


    However, even so, the three still took the wrong turns twice, barely managing to reach the gorge before nightfall.


    Seeing this gorge, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s mouth fell open and she couldn¡¯t close it for a long while, saying, "Brother Li, Master, I didn¡¯t see this gorge from above at all. How did it suddenly appear here?"


    Li Yifei sighed, "This is the power of our ancestors. Such a great formation completely hid this gorge. Even satellites can¡¯t detect it; I really have no idea how they did it. It¡¯s truly magical."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded repeatedly, saying, "Indeed, it¡¯s magical. If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t believe it."


    After marveling for a few moments, Li Yifei took the trio down further because he was not confident in the safety. Li Yifei secured ropes around their waists before descending. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, with their current skills, the three of them were unlikely to encounter problems, but since Jiang Ningxiang had only recently made a breakthrough, Li Yifei was still very worried about her, making such safety measures very necessary.


    This is also Li Yifei¡¯s principle in handling matters. Even if it requires more effort, he strives to be fully confident in his actions.


    And indeed, he is right in doing so. Jiang Ningxiang, although now an Innate Expert and can utilize True Qi, still lacks practical application in many aspects. She only knows it in theory. Furthermore, the depth of this gorge is unseen, the cliff surfaces are ice-covered and extremely slippery, and the ravine is battered by furious winds. She had just started descending when she already felt scared.


    After descending another ten meters or so, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s feet suddenly slipped, which made her scream in shock, and she failed to grab hold, plummeting down.


    Li Yifei was in between the two others. He immediately grabbed the cliff wall with one hand and caught Jiang Ningxiang with the other, pulling her into his arms with force.


    Jiang Ningxiang was quite frightened by the incident, her arms and legs wrapped around Li Yifei like an octopus, her heart pounding rapidly, and her breathing turned exceedingly rapid.


    "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here," Li Yifei softly comforted her near her ear.


    Only then did Jiang Ningxiang slightly loosen her grip on Li Yifei, stammering, "That really scared me to death."


    Li Yifei smiled gently and said, "Don¡¯t be nervous. When you are nervous, accidents happen more easily. We have a rope between us, so even if you slip, you won¡¯t fall. Just follow confidently."


    "Mhm, I understand," Jiang Ningxiang nodded, then, feeling embarrassed, she let go of Li Yifei and moved to grab the cliff wall.


    The trio descended once more, Jiang Ningxiang being even more cautious. After a while, she finally got the hang of it. They moved slowly but safely reached the cave.


    "Wow, there¡¯s actually a cave here," Jiang Ningxiang exclaimed as she landed on her feet.


    "Yes, let¡¯s go inside, it will be much warmer," Li Yifei replied.


    Once inside, Li Yifei had Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang research the stone wall, while he set up the tent, preparing the logistics for the two.


    Xu Shanshan first shared her insights on the stone wall with Jiang Ningxiang, then they both placed their hands on it.


    This time, Jiang Ningxiang tried to unlock the stone wall with all her heart, not holding back anything, unlike the previous time when she was cautious with the black-robed masked woman.


    After more than an hour, Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang stopped and went into the tent to rest. Li Yifei eagerly watched them, waiting for their discussion.


    "Ningxiang, what did you feel?" Xu Shanshan immediately asked.


    Jiang Ningxiang spoke with some confusion, "I can¡¯t really describe it. It felt like my True Qi entered the stone wall and was like entering a vast ocean, quickly swallowed up."


    "Did you feel anything from that True Qi?" Xu Shanshan asked further.


    "No, I just felt that the True Qi seems similar to ours, probably also Innate Vital Energy."


    Xu Shanshan frowned slightly, "That¡¯s strange. The True Qi in this stone wall is supposed to help you breakthrough. Normally, you should feel a connection, but you don¡¯t seem to feel it."


    Jiang Ningxiang guiltily said, "Master, I¡¯m too stupid, I¡¯ve let you and Brother Li down."


    Xu Shanshan shook her head, "That¡¯s not it. These are relics left by Master Zhang Sanfeng, considered the highest attainable in all of Huaxia¡¯s martial arts. If it were so easy to unlock, it wouldn¡¯t be our turn to try here."


    Jiang Ningxiang then relaxed slightly, clearly worried about messing things up.


    After some thought, Xu Shanshan said, "It seems there¡¯s no progress yet, we¡¯ll have to keep trying. I always feel that if our True Qi could interact with the True Qi inside the wall, then we might unlock it."


    Jiang Ningxiang blinked, "True Qi can interact with us?"


    "That¡¯s my feeling; I can¡¯t explain it in detail, but I believe simply pouring Innate Vital Energy into it is definitely not the right method."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly responded, "Anyway, I¡¯ll do as you say, Master. Whatever you instruct, I¡¯ll follow."


    At this point, Li Yifei interjected, "There¡¯s no rush. If it doesn¡¯t work this time, we can always try again. It¡¯s getting late today. Let¡¯s eat something, rest, and rejuvenate. We¡¯ll try again tomorrow."


    Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang could only agree. Since there wasn¡¯t any immediate urgency, they decided to stay here a couple more days. Even if unsuccessful, it was still an opportunity for improvement.

 Chapter 1232 - 1283: Finding the Way

    Chapter 1232: Chapter 1283: Finding the WayFor several consecutive days, Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang had been studying this stone wall, focusing on the True Qi within it. Aside from sleeping at night and brief breaks, they hadn¡¯t stopped at all.


    And on the fourth day, after another attempt with Jiang Ningxiang, Xu Shanshan finally exclaimed excitedly.


    "Brother-in-law, I think I¡¯ve found the way."


    "Ah? You found it?" Li Yifei also exclaimed with surprise. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan said with vibrant excitement: "Yes, it turns out we¡¯ve been using the wrong method all along, the real method is actually very simple. Inside this stone wall, we need to use Innate Vital Energy to control some nodes. When we reach those points, as long as we mark them with Innate Vital Energy, I think we can open this stone wall, right?"


    Jiang Ningxiang then said with confusion: "Master, how come I haven¡¯t felt it?"


    Xu Shanshan said proudly: "If you had discovered it before me, wouldn¡¯t you be my master? Those nodes are like the cores in a lock, doesn¡¯t every key have different contact points? That¡¯s how they open locks. The Innate Vital Energy inside this stone wall is like a core, and we need to simulate a key to unlock it."


    Li Yifei, listening to Xu Shanshan¡¯s coherent explanation, felt that her reasoning was quite sound and said excitedly, "That would be really great."


    Jiang Ningxiang hurriedly said: "But I haven¡¯t discovered it yet."


    Xu Shanshan said with a smile, "Take a rest first, and I¡¯ll tell you how to do it in a bit. You should be able to find it soon. But now there¡¯s another matter; I need to see if this requires one person or more. If two people are not enough, then we¡¯ll need to find another master of Innate Vital Energy."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded repeatedly and quickly sat down to recuperate and restore her True Qi.


    Xu Shanshan also sat down, but she was growing more impatient by the moment, making it hard for her to settle down and recover.


    At this time, Li Yifei was really itching with anticipation. After waiting for several days, he was eager to see what was inside the stone wall. Now that there was a possibility of opening it, even he, who was usually very calm, couldn¡¯t keep his composure. After all, what was inside might be something left by the legendary Zhang Sanfeng. Economically it might not be very valuable, but for a martial artist, it could be the ultimate treasure they had always dreamed of. It might even propel someone to become a top-level master surpassing Murong Yuanqing, making it hard to find a match in the whole world.


    After getting up, Xu Shanshan first went to the stone wall and started scratching it lightly with a can opener.


    Li Yifei moved closer and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Xu Shanshan kept moving her hand and said, "After I figured out the problem just now, I felt that there might be more secrets in this stone wall. Since it¡¯s a lock, it should have a keyhole. Look, this is it."


    Upon looking, Li Yifei saw that after Xu Shanshan had scraped off a layer of fine stones, two faint palm prints had emerged, shallow yet clearly visible.


    "This is a keyhole, let¡¯s see if there are any others?" Xu Shanshan said, moving her hand slowly on the stone wall. After a while, she found another spot and started scratching there too, then two more faint palm prints appeared.


    The first spot Xu Shanshan scratched was precisely where she had been standing, while the second spot she scratched was farther from Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s position.


    "I will also help you look."


    Li Yifei saw that Xu Shanshan hadn¡¯t stopped and also wanted to help.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to help with this. These palm prints are also covered by Innate Vital Energy. Unless it¡¯s with Innate Vital Energy, you can¡¯t find them, and you wouldn¡¯t even be able to scrape off the stone shavings."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Damn, it¡¯s my first time feeling so useless."


    This was indeed very frustrating for Li Yifei. These past days he could only watch Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang bustling about; he couldn¡¯t lend a hand at all. He thought finding palm prints like this would be simple and he could finally be of some help, but it turned out he still couldn¡¯t.


    Xu Shanshan laughed softly and gave Li Yifei a light kiss on the cheek, "My dear brother-in-law, you usually solve everything yourself. Just take it easy this time and enjoy the pleasure of reaping the benefits effortlessly, isn¡¯t that great too?"


    "Alright, alright, I guess I have no choice but to be the ¡¯big boss¡¯ since I¡¯m not welcome without Innate Vital Energy," he said dejectedly, turning to sit by the tent.


    By this time, Jiang Ningxiang had also finished her Qi recuperation and came to the stone wall. Following Xu Shanshan¡¯s instructions, she began searching for the palm prints. However, despite searching for a long time, they only found those two palm prints on every inch of the stone wall.


    "Phew, it seems only two people are needed," Xu Shanshan sighed in relief. She had found the two palm prints without much effort earlier. If there were more, she and Jiang Ningxiang wouldn¡¯t have managed, but now just the two of them would suffice.


    "Master, what should I do now?"


    Xu Shanshan pointed to a pair of palm prints and said, "Now place your palms on them, and follow the True Qi here as it moves forward. You will find that the Qi reaches a certain point and suddenly there is a break. You just need to connect that break with your Innate Vital Energy."


    "Okay!" Jiang Ningxiang nodded heavily, placed her hands on the palm prints, her expression extremely solemn.


    After a while, Jiang Ningxiang joyfully exclaimed, "Master, I¡¯ve found it, I¡¯ve also found that kind of breakpoint."


    "That¡¯s great!" Xu Shanshan waved her hand excitedly and then continued, "I suspect we need to simultaneously connect all such breakpoints, and then we can open this stone wall."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded and said, "Should I first locate all the breakpoints?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "Yes, I¡¯ve already determined that there are ten breakpoints on my side. You check your side, and once you¡¯ve figured it out, we can try together. Let¡¯s avoid any accidents, and also, I can¡¯t do this for you since you need to control it yourself."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded repeatedly, "Master, I won¡¯t let you down."


    As she spoke, Jiang Ningxiang placed her hands once again on the two palm prints, channeling the True Qi, motionless.


    After half an hour, Jiang Ningxiang finally opened her eyes, quite excitedly and said, "Master, Brother Li, I¡¯ve checked three times, and confirmed there are also ten breakpoints here."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "Then good, now let¡¯s adjust our True Qi to the optimal state and see if we can succeed in one go."


    "Hmm!" Jiang Ningxiang nodded heavily.


    Seeing the two preparing, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare make a sound, a feeling of helplessness made him somewhat frustrated. Even though he was very strong and his True Qi was powerful, he felt helpless in matters that only required Innate Vital Energy.


    An hour later, Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang both stood up, and Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Shanshan, Ningxiang, this stone wall is so mysterious, there might be other possibilities, so don¡¯t overdo it. If something feels wrong, give up immediately and don¡¯t hurt yourselves."


    Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang both nodded heavily, then went to the stone wall together, Xu Shanshan said, "Ningxiang, when I give the order and count to three, we¡¯ll start channeling True Qi together at the speed we normally practice. This should keep us synchronized."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately said, "Master, I understand."


    "Actually, let¡¯s not have me give the command. Brother-in-law, you do it, so we can concentrate and keep in step."


    Li Yifei finally felt useful, almost moved to tears, he quickly took a deep breath and said, "Alright, get ready."


    Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang placed their palms on the palm prints.


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    "Three!"


    After Li Yifei counted these three numbers, he didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang had figured out the trick, according to Xu Shanshan, this should be the correct method to open the stone wall, and he was about to witness a miracle unfold before his eyes.


    Li Yifei has a lot of patience. Once, to stage an ambush, he stayed motionless in a mud pit for ten whole hours, and another time, to capture someone, he stayed alone in a cabin for eight days. He could endure all these and even remained calm through them.


    However, today he felt as if time was dragging unbearably slow, it was so quiet inside the cave, he could hear his own breathing, his heartbeat which sounded so loud, as if drumming.


    Today¡¯s wait felt excruciating, even for Li Yifei, who wished for it to end sooner.


    He kept watching Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang, their expressions intensely solemn which made Li Yifei even more uneasy.


    It was uncertain how much time had passed, but suddenly, Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s faces showed a tense expression, alarming Li Yifei immediately. This must signify the critical moment, where success or failure would be decided.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart started racing, his palms sweating profusely, the sweat dripping from his fingers to the ground.


    This was not just nervousness but also excitement. Li Yifei had never been as nervous and excited as he was now, his eyes fixed on the stone wall, ready to witness the moment of miracle.

 Chapter 1233 - 1284: Solitary Yin Does Not Last Long

    Chapter 1233: Chapter 1284: Solitary Yin Does Not Last Long"Pfft!"


    At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, then her body rigidly fell backwards.


    Li Yifei was shocked and dashed forward in a step, catching Jiang Ningxiang in his arms. He took her hand and transferred his True Qi into her body. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s internal True Qi was in complete chaos, likely due to backlash from the True Qi.


    "Shanshan!" Li Yifei quickly called out to Xu Shanshan, but seeing that Xu Shanshan had already let go and seemed unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How are you?"


    Xu Shanshan said, "I¡¯m alright. The consumption of True Qi towards the end was quite substantial. What happened to Ningxiang?"


    "I don¡¯t know, she suddenly vomited blood and fainted. It seems like it was a backlash from the internal True Qi."


    Xu Shanshan came over and held Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s other hand. Her True Qi was most effective in sorting out Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi. Soon, Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes.


    "Ningxiang, what happened to you?" Li Yifei asked anxiously.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face was somewhat pale, and she slightly moved her head and said, "I¡¯m not very sure, everything was going smoothly, but at the very last breakpoint, I had just transferred my True Qi in when a surge of powerful True Qi rushed back at me, and then I knew nothing."


    "Is that really what happened?" Xu Shanshan frowned slightly in disbelief and said, "Then take a good rest, after a while, I will try on your behalf."


    "Alright." Jiang Ningxiang nodded but immediately added, "Master, you must be careful with that last breakpoint."


    Li Yifei was still puzzled, so he could only listen to the two discussing.


    After a while, Jiang Ningxiang recovered and swapped places with Xu Shanshan to give it another try. With the previous experience, the process went much smoother this time. When it came to about the same time as before, Li Yifei¡¯s heart tightened, and he kept his eyes closely on Xu Shanshan.


    At this moment, Xu Shanshan¡¯s face suddenly turned red. Li Yifei was greatly alarmed but before he could act,


    "Pfft!" A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out from Xu Shanshan, then she rigidly fell into his arms.


    This reaction was similar to Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s earlier, so although Li Yifei was nervous, he wasn¡¯t too worried. He used his True Qi to help regulate Xu Shanshan¡¯s chaotic internal True Qi, and Jiang Ningxiang was also unharmed and came over to assist.


    "Holy moly, that¡¯s intense!" Xu Shanshan exclaimed as she woke up, staring wide-eyed.


    Li Yifei furrowed his brow and asked, "Shanshan, what did you feel just now?"


    "At the last breakpoint, just as I fed my True Qi in, a powerful force counterattacked. My True Qi couldn¡¯t resist at all and was overwhelmed, and then I knew nothing."


    This reaction was exactly like what Jiang Ningxiang had encountered, giving Li Yifei a vague sense of what was happening. He said, "You guys rest first, I¡¯ll take a look."


    Li Yifei approached the stone wall, touched it with his palm and was immediately repelled. The True Qi inside the stone wall still repelled his True Qi, and he was unable to contend with it.


    But that wasn¡¯t the main point, Li Yifei carefully observed the two palm prints, then turned around to face Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang, bitterly smiled and said, "I reckon you two could spend your whole lives here and still not be able to open this Stone Door."


    "Why?" Jiang Ningxiang and Xu Shanshan asked in unison.


    Li Yifei pulled them to the stone wall and said, "Take a close look at these two palm prints and see what¡¯s different."


    Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang carefully observed the two palm prints. After a while, Xu Shanshan suddenly said, "These two palm prints are different in size; this harmful palm print is clearly larger than the other one."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Correct."


    Jiang Ningxiang asked puzzledly, "What does that mean?"


    Li Yifei sighed and explained, "It means that this palm print was left by a man, and the other one by a woman. Not only do you need two Innate Experts, but they must also be a male and a female Innate Expert. This probably has something to do with Yin and Yang Harmonization; either just a man or just a woman wouldn¡¯t work."


    Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang examined the two palm prints over and over again, and in the end, they had to admit that Li Yifei was right.


    "Brother-in-law, it would be great if you possessed Innate Vital Energy."


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile and said, "I wish I could. Watching you two researching back and forth, and I can¡¯t lend a hand, this feeling is really uncomfortable." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang sighed, "If only I could give my Innate Vital Energy to Brother Li."


    Li Yifei rubbed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s head affectionately and said, "Silly girl, this thing cannot be given, and Brother Li can¡¯t accept yours either."


    "What¡¯s mine is Brother Li¡¯s," Jiang Ningxiang said with a sweet smile.


    Xu Shanshan then said, "So are we just giving up like this?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "I think we should give up. Continuing is futile and we could get hurt."


    Xu Shanshan sighed and said, "I¡¯m really not willing to let it go. Let¡¯s try it one more time, maybe there¡¯s another solution."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Shanshan, it¡¯s too dangerous."


    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just spitting out some blood. The True Qi isn¡¯t affected, and don¡¯t we women bleed every month anyway."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, "Is that the same thing?"


    Xu Shanshan insisted, "No, I can¡¯t give up without trying again. It¡¯s not easy to climb a mountain, and now that we¡¯ve finally found a method, it feels so unsatisfying to just give up."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Alright then, try if you must, but I don¡¯t recommend using the same method."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "I know. Maybe it¡¯s like a blind cat running into a dead rat; it just might occur."


    The three of them stayed in the cave for another two days. Ultimately, Xu Shanshan gave up because apart from the method they found, none had any effect, and using such a method made both Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang vomit blood twice. This made Xu Shanshan finally give up trying, knowing that the only viable method to open the stone wall was what Li Yifei mentioned.


    However, Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang did not come away empty-handed. The Innate Vital Energy inside the stone wall was too potent; each attempt let them absorb some of the True Qi into their bodies, strengthening their existing Innate Vital Energy. Especially the instances when they got hurt, it even felt like sparring with an Innate Expert, benefiting them immensely.


    After following the same path out of the Great Formation and standing on the mountain top, Xu Shanshan still reluctantly said, "I don¡¯t know when we will find a man with Innate Vital Energy."


    Jiang Ningxiang pouted, "Exactly, I wish I were a man."


    Xu Shanshan looked at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "It¡¯s strange, why do we only encounter women? Couldn¡¯t we meet a man? During Noah¡¯s Ark, it was women, Ningxiang is a woman, and there isn¡¯t a single man. Even powerful figures like the Great Elder, ultimately, didn¡¯t have Innate Vital Energy."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes widened, "Could it be that only women can possess Innate Vital Energy?"


    Both Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei felt a sudden shock, but Li Yifei immediately shook his head, "Absolutely not, otherwise why would there be a man¡¯s palm print left on the stone wall? It should be said that we just haven¡¯t encountered one yet."


    Xu Shanshan pursed her lips, "It might also be that nowadays, boys go to bed with women too early. Even if they don¡¯t, they could still masturbate, so maybe it¡¯s all ruined anyway."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, feeling that Xu Shanshan¡¯s point made some sense but surely not every man would go to bed with women that early. There must be some left, but if even masturbating counts, then it¡¯s a total wipeout."


    Jiang Ningxiang muttered again, "If only there was some way to transfer the Innate Vital Energy to your body, Brother Li, that would be great."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes narrowed, suddenly excited, "Brother-in-law, do you know of any Dual Cultivation Technique?"


    "Dual Cultivation? I really don¡¯t know about that," Li Yifei instantly understood Xu Shanshan¡¯s implication. If they could perform Dual Cultivation, perhaps they could indeed transfer Xu Shanshan or Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s Innate Vital Energy to Li Yifei.


    But such Dual Cultivation Techniques often appear in novels, where is it in reality? Those he knew had never mentioned it.


    Xu Shanshan, having finally thought of a feasible method, was not willing to give up easily, "Then you should go ask around; since you know many people, maybe someone does know. Right, go find those with a bit more Evil qi, like the very wicked ones, they might know such Dual Cultivation Techniques. Oh, maybe even organizations like Noah¡¯s Ark have it."


    Li Yifei quickly shook his head, "Asking others is okay, but if we ask people from Noah¡¯s Ark, they can easily guess this method and if they figure it out and use it first, then we are in a dire situation."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "Right, we can¡¯t tell them, otherwise if they get ahead of us, we¡¯ll lose big time."


    At this moment, Jiang Ningxiang blinked innocently and asked, "Brother Li, Master, what is Dual Cultivation?"


    Xu Shanshan chuckled, "That¡¯s when a man and a woman practice together, like a husband and wife. Ningxiang, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to give Brother Li your Innate Vital Energy? If there really is such a method, then we¡¯ll have to rely on you."


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes widened, her little face turned so red it seemed like it could bleed, her mouth moved back and forth, yet she couldn¡¯t make a sound.

 Chapter 1234 - 1285: Poking Through That Layer of Window Paper

    Chapter 1234: Chapter 1285: Poking Through That Layer of Window PaperXu Shanshan¡¯s face turned stern, and she said, "So you were just talking big."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately panicked and hastily said, "No, no! Master, I really wasn¡¯t just talking big, I..." Biting her lip fiercely, Jiang Ningxiang then met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and said, "Brother Li, if that is really the case, then I am willing."


    Li Yifei gently ruffled Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair and said, "Silly girl, that was just a casual hypothesis, it¡¯s absolutely not to be taken seriously. And even if it were the case, you still have your master, so it wouldn¡¯t be your concern. You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself with this."


    But at this moment, Jiang Ningxiang said with determination, "Brother Li, I¡¯m serious. Master¡¯s martial arts skills are superior to mine, so she could coordinate with you to open that stone wall. If you were to work with me, it might lead to other problems, so I think it¡¯s better for me to undergo Dual Cultivation with you."


    Xu Shanshan immediately patted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s shoulder and said, "Ningxiang, this isn¡¯t a waste of my teaching you nor of the kindness Brother Li has shown you. Rest assured, if you can truly undergo Dual Cultivation with your Brother Li, I guarantee you¡¯ll be treated the same as the other sisters-in-law in this family."


    "I... I understand." Jiang Ningxiang nodded, but her eyes revealed a somewhat vacant expression.


    Li Yifei was about to speak when Xu Shanshan gave him a glare, which made Li Yifei swallow his words back.


    "Ningxiang, I know that you have always regarded your Brother Li as a father figure, but the truth is after your own father passed away, you transferred that longing onto Brother Li. This doesn¡¯t mean that you really see him as your father. Think about it, if you really saw him as your father, would you feel shy in front of him? Would you feel uneasy around him?"


    "I..." Jiang Ningxiang opened her mouth but only managed to utter this one word.


    "This is a transfer of affection. If you change your perspective and see Brother Li as your lover, as the man you¡¯re fond of, then you¡¯ll experience an entirely different kind of wonderful feeling," Xu Shanshan paused before continuing, "Ningxiang, you should know that Brother Li and I are very good to you, not disregarding the fact that you¡¯re an Innate Vital Energy master. You are extremely important to our Li family and we don¡¯t want you to leave us."


    "I won¡¯t leave," Jiang Ningxiang hurriedly emphasized.


    "Silly girl, you haven¡¯t met a man you truly like out there yet. When you do meet someone you genuinely like, you will follow him without hesitation, even if Brother Li and I tried to stop you. Don¡¯t deny it; I am a prime example. If my parents or my sister found out about Brother Li and me, they¡¯d be furious, even resorting to hitting and scolding me, but I¡¯m determined to be with my brother-in-law, and no one can stop me. Can you say that I¡¯m unfilial? Can you say that I¡¯ve betrayed my own family? Now, since I¡¯m with Brother Li, I need to prioritize our Li family¡¯s interests over my parents¡¯."


    "I..." The words from Jiang Ningxiang were once again reduced to a single syllable, but her expression clearly showed she could not refute Xu Shanshan¡¯s argument, and nor could Li Yifei.


    "So, if I want you to truly be with the Li family forever, you would only be able to do that by becoming Brother Li¡¯s woman. That way, your heart will always remain with the Li family, never to be separated. Otherwise, once a girl marries out, we can only treat you as our married-off daughter," Xu Shanshan said.


    Before Jiang Ningxiang could reply, Xu Shanshan continued, "I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said, and now you can make your own choice. You know what kind of person your Brother Li is; he will never force you and will only respect your decision. Don¡¯t rush to make a statement now; this is a decision that affects your whole life, and must not be made on a whim."


    Li Yifei sighed. He needed to make a stance now, and since Xu Shanshan had spoken so openly, if he went against her, it would simply be too hypocritical. He said, "Ningxiang, don¡¯t ever force yourself. Regardless of your decision, Brother Li supports you and will take care of you just as before. Even if you do get married, Brother Li will ensure you¡¯re married off gloriously, just as I would for my own daughter."


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded lightly and said, "Brother Li, Master, I understand. But... I¡¯ve never really considered this matter before. I only knew that I should be good to Brother Li, should do anything for him, and should use my whole life to repay Brother Li. I¡¯ve never dared to allow myself to like Brother Li, so... could you give me some time, please?"


    Jiang Ningxiang spoke quite fluently this time, impressing Xu Shanshan who nodded in approval and said, "That¡¯s right, for such a matter, you need to make your own decision, sort out your role in the Li family. But rest assured, Master will always be your Master, even if you don¡¯t follow my advice, I won¡¯t hold it against you."


    "Mhm!" Jiang Ningxiang nodded firmly, then gave Li Yifei a shy smile and said, "Brother Li, from now on, I won¡¯t see you as a father anymore."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward smile and said, "Let nature take its course, and don¡¯t force anything."


    Certain things are better out in the open than hidden. Xu Shanshan had made everything clear this time, and though it may be awkward for Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang when facing each other, in the long run, it was for the best.


    When they slept at night, the three of them still squished into one tent, bunched up together, but Xu Shanshan ceased her mischief. She believed in Li Yifei¡¯s charm; sooner or later, Jiang Ningxiang would willingly become Li Yifei¡¯s woman, so there was no need for her to worry anymore.


    After the second Kunlun trip ended, Li Yifei brought Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang back home. On the way back, he was unable to contact Murong Yuanqing until they reached home, at which point Murong Yuanqing called back.


    "Yifei, what did you need from me? These past days I was in seclusion with some old friends, so my phone was switched off," Murong Yuanqing said.


    Hearing Murong Yuanqing mention the phone, Li Yifei felt a little odd but set the trivial matter aside and said, "Elder Murong, we have just returned from Kunlun."


    "Oh? How so?" Murong Yuanqing¡¯s voice carried an urgency, even someone of his caliber couldn¡¯t remain calm when it came to matters of Kunlun.


    Li Yifei said, "We still haven¡¯t opened the stone wall, but we¡¯ve almost found the method to do so."


    "Found the method? That¡¯s really good. Are there any special requirements?"


    "That¡¯s what I wanted to consult you about. We discovered that indeed two Innate Experts with Innate Vital Energy are needed, but not just any two Innate Experts will do. It specifically requires one male and one female both with Innate Vital Energy."


    "I see."


    "But right now, I only have two women with Innate Vital Energy, and not a single man. Does Elder Murong know of such a person?"


    "This, I really don¡¯t know. It seems over the years, I only know of a few Innate Experts, and they have all been women. I¡¯ve never heard of a man possessing Innate Vital Energy."


    Li Yifei was immediately taken aback and said, "That can¡¯t be possible, can it?"


    "It¡¯s quite strange indeed, but it¡¯s the truth. I don¡¯t know the reason why."


    Li Yifei grimaced and said, "Then I have another idea. I¡¯ve seen some legends about the Dual Cultivation Technique. If I were to cultivate with a woman who has Innate Vital Energy, I wonder if that could grant me Innate Vital Energy as well?"


    "Hmm, that¡¯s an interesting approach. It should be worth a try."


    "Then Elder Murong, do you understand the Dual Cultivation Technique?" Li Yifei became excitedly animated. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯ve only heard of it but do not know it myself."


    "So you¡¯ve heard that such a technique really exists?"


    "Hehe, indeed I¡¯ve heard about it. Over fifty years ago, I encountered a heretic individual who was always harming women. This wasn¡¯t out of lust but to strengthen his True Qi, which I suppose could be considered a form of Dual Cultivation."


    "Ah, so it does exist!" Li Yifei was even more excited.


    "But I feel that what he practiced wasn¡¯t the true Dual Cultivation Technique. In my understanding, Dual Cultivation should involve both individuals cultivating together and progressing collectively, while his approach was entirely about absorbing yin to replenish yang, a selfish method that harms others to benefit oneself. So I killed him on the spot."


    "Oh... What about the technique?"


    "I never asked about the technique."


    Li Yifei was suddenly drenched in a waterfall of sweat, forcing a smile, he said: "Elder Murong, you¡¯re having a laugh at my expense."


    Murong Yuanqing laughed heartily and said, "I¡¯m not making fun of you; I¡¯m simply telling you a fact. Although I killed that man, I knew where he came from before I did. He was from the Tibet Border; his method originated from Happy Zen practiced by the Secret Sect of the Tibet Border. If you can learn Happy Zen, it should be roughly equivalent to the Dual Cultivation Technique."


    "The Tibet Border..." Li Yifei furrowed his brows and said, "Is that in the Tibet area of our Huaxia?"


    "No, it¡¯s not inside Huaxia, but it belongs to Nepal, where it has thrived. I don¡¯t think there are many who truly know Happy Zen, only a few masters from the Tibet Border Zen Sect, but I don¡¯t have any contact with them. If you want to pursue this matter, you will have to go there yourself."


    Li Yifei promptly said, "Alright, alright, I couldn¡¯t possibly trouble Elder Murong with this. I¡¯ll go myself."


    After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei was extremely excited. He too was eager for Innate Vital Energy, and if he could possess it himself, how could he not aspire and be thrilled!

 Chapter 1235 - 1286: Sincere Cooperation

    Chapter 1235: Chapter 1286: Sincere CooperationHowever, Li Yifei didn¡¯t rush to Nepal. First, he needed to make adequate preparations. Although he had undertaken many missions over the years, he had never been to Nepal before, and he knew absolutely nothing about the Tantric Buddhism on the Tibet Border. To go there recklessly would most likely result in a very small chance of success.


    Furthermore, his consecutive trips to Kunlun had almost taken up a month. In another month, Su Mengxin was going to give birth, and he, as a father-to-be, should not be absent when his wife was having a baby.


    There were also many issues to be dealt with at the company. Even though Xu Yingying and He Fangqing could handle things during his absence, the company was large, and these two had already been working hard lately. Li Yifei felt that he should give them a break.


    On the first day he returned to the company, Park Sung-ho made another unsolicited visit.


    "Brother Park, long time no see," Li Yifei courteously invited Park Sung-ho in.


    Park Sung-ho laughed and said, "I¡¯ve wanted to come by earlier, but Clan leader Li has been so busy, of course, I could only wait for your return before seeking you out."


    That was clearly a double entendre. Li Yifei had been away from the company, and how could Noah¡¯s Ark Organization not be aware of it? Without guessing, it was known that he went to that cave again. He laughed it off, "Brother Park, as you see, I went to Kunlun again."


    Park Sung-ho had thought Li Yifei would deny it or make up some other excuses, but he didn¡¯t expect Li Yifei to admit it outright, disrupting his plans, "Brother Yifei, you went to Kunlun again?"


    Li Yifei gestured for Park Sung-ho to sit down and said, "Yes, such a unique place, how could I resist? After I got home, I couldn¡¯t sleep at all. I wanted to go again no matter what. I even thought about inviting you guys, but last time we encountered two experts. I feared you might draw special attention if you went again, so I had to go by myself."


    "Alone?" Park Sung-ho narrowed his eyes.


    "Of course not, Shanshan was with me, and there was another person... that, I am not at liberty to say. Please allow me to keep some secrets, Brother Park."


    Park Sung-ho looked at Li Yifei in surprise and slowly said, "Clan leader Li, it seems our organization has underestimated you, having two Innate Experts at your disposal."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Where, where, they are just borrowed, borrowed."


    His words were vague, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t go out of his way to explain. It was only a matter of time before someone like Jiang Ningxiang was discovered, so being ambiguous now would make it easier to explain later. The more Noah¡¯s Ark Organization knew, the more Li Yifei realized how enormous and intricate their organization was. To completely eradicate them directly seemed to be an exceedingly difficult task. Cooperating with them for the time being, learning more about them, and then destroying them in one fell swoop was the best approach, a decision that Li Yifei had already discussed with the higher-ups.


    "Clan leader Li is quite candid. I wonder how your recent trip..."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said with a wry smile, "It was a wasted trip, without any progress. To open that stone wall seems very unlikely unless we blast it with high explosives, but then everything inside would likely be destroyed too."


    "Hehe, if it were that easy to open, we wouldn¡¯t need to work with clan leader Li. By the way, the two experts from last time didn¡¯t find you, did they? My visit this time was mainly to remind clan leader Li not to act rashly, lest you attract their attention."


    Li Yifei confidently said, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. If Li Yifei were so easily discovered, it would mean all those years were in vain."


    "That¡¯s true. We are certainly aware of clan leader Li¡¯s abilities. You haven¡¯t faced a single defeat over these years."


    All of a sudden, Li Yifei sighed, "I have confidence in my movements, but after seeing those two experts, as well as your elder and another person, I realized there are indeed taller mountains beyond mountains, and stronger people beyond people. In front of them, I am truly nothing. This has dealt a big blow to me and was also a major reason prompting me to venture to Kunlun once more immediately."


    Park Sung-ho laughed heartily, "I understand, but experts like the elder are indeed too rare in this world. From this, you can see just how powerful our Noah¡¯s Ark Organization is. If we weren¡¯t sincere about cooperating with you, clan leader Li, just a move from the elder, and you..."


    Li Yifei gave a bitter smile, "You don¡¯t need to say; I understand. I won¡¯t deny it. I wasn¡¯t all that concerned about Noah¡¯s Ark Organization before, thinking you couldn¡¯t really do anything to me. But now, it seems you¡¯ve indeed shown me mercy. If I don¡¯t sincerely cooperate with you, then I¡¯m just being ungrateful."


    "Haha... If clan leader Li can think this way, then that¡¯s the best possible outcome," Park Sung-ho was quite excited. He took a cigarette from the pack on Li Yifei¡¯s table and lit it, "Rest assured, clan leader Li, we will fulfill our promises. Moreover, the better our cooperation, the more benefits you will reap. You won¡¯t just have a city, but even a province could be under your rule, clan leader Li."


    "Ha, I¡¯m not that ambitious. I just want to make more money, and that¡¯s enough for me."


    "That¡¯s not a problem at all. In our Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, making money is the easiest thing. Right, since we¡¯re sincerely cooperating, you can also enjoy the beauty we sent you with peace of mind, haha..."


    Li Yifei also laughed and said, "You¡¯re absolutely right, you didn¡¯t mention it and I almost forgot, this beauty does indeed deserve a good enjoyment."


    "Then I won¡¯t disturb Clan Leader Li anymore. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll notify you. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now."


    "Brother Park is so hurried, why not have a couple of drinks with us?"


    "Brother Yifei, I¡¯d also like to do that, but our organization has strict rules. When on a mission outside, we absolutely cannot drink alcohol, and I have other matters to tend to today, so I can only turn down Brother Yifei¡¯s kind offer."


    When the two were discussing official matters just now, Park Sung-ho was addressing him with every second word as Clan Leader Li. After finishing the official talk, he directly called him by his name, Li Yifei. It is this kind of detail that shows how strict the discipline is within the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization.


    Whether it¡¯s a military unit or any organization, Li Yifei has experienced many, and he understands the importance of discipline the most. An iron-clad team has iron-like discipline. A team without good discipline is definitely not a strong team. For an organization as vast as Noah¡¯s Ark to maintain such strong discipline is even more admirable. He couldn¡¯t help but respect the person who founded Noah¡¯s Ark.


    Li Yifei warmly saw Park Sung-ho off. However, as soon as Park Sung-ho left, the smile on his face immediately froze. As the Head Eagle of the Flying Hawk Squad, Li Yifei has always valued his opponents over the years, but he has never had a sense of awe towards them, not even against the United States¡¯ SEAL Team¡ªhe never thought the other side was stronger than himself.


    Executing missions in any country, Li Yifei was always at ease, but coming from the dangerous battlefield, Li Yifei actually came to respect some things, like a master like Murong Yuanqing, and powerful and mysterious organizations like Noah¡¯s Ark.


    He no longer thought he was invincible, nor did he believe he always had a chance to escape even if his opponents were stronger than him. Facing masters like Murong Yuanqing, he might not have many chances to flee even if he wanted to.


    And regarding an organization like Noah¡¯s Ark, he knew that compared to a nation¡¯s capabilities, it might be insufficient. However, Li Yifei could act boldly within a country because every country has its reservations and can¡¯t act recklessly. Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, on the other hand, acts without as many prohibitions¡ªthey do as they please, and that¡¯s what¡¯s truly frightening.


    "Husband, is something the matter?" Xu Yingying¡¯s voice rang in Li Yifei¡¯s ears.


    Li Yifei looked up and saw Xu Yingying enter. He had been so engrossed in thought that he didn¡¯t even notice Xu Yingying coming in. A smile quickly appeared on his face, and he took Xu Yingying¡¯s hand, saying, "Yingying, I¡¯ve just encountered a bit of a dilemma and I¡¯m not sure what to do."


    Xu Yingying sat down next to Li Yifei and asked, "Oh? What is it?"


    "Here¡¯s the thing, that Park Sung-ho came to find me again. I¡¯ve also expressed my intention to deepen our cooperation with them. But once again, he recommended that woman he gifted me..."


    Xu Yingying frowned and said, "What are your thoughts on it?"


    "I¡¯m in a bind, aren¡¯t I? The last time, I sent her away, and now if I send her away again, they¡¯ll really start to doubt my sincerity. As for this woman, I really have no interest in her at all. You know, whoever I¡¯m with, it¡¯s all based on feelings. If there¡¯s not even a little bit of emotional foundation, I really wouldn¡¯t even consider it."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a look and said, "Your words do sound quite nice, but why do I feel like you want me to voluntarily suggest that you take that woman?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Wife, even if you agreed, I wouldn¡¯t. Right now, I¡¯m trying to think what method I could use to make these people believe that I have accepted this woman without actually having to do anything with her."


    "Do you really think like that?" Xu Yingying squinted her eyes at Li Yifei. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Of course, it¡¯s true. Absolutely true."


    "Well, that¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll introduce someone to you, who can absolutely achieve this."


    "Oh? Who?" Li Yifei was suddenly surprised. Could Xu Yingying actually know such a person?


    At this moment, someone knocked twice on the door of his office and then walked in. Li Yifei immediately showed a surprised smile. This person could indeed do just that.

 Chapter 1236 - 1287: Top Quality Woman

    Chapter 1236: Chapter 1287: Top Quality WomanA white sweater, a floor-length skirt, plus a breathtakingly beautiful face, she was like an angel descended from heaven, if not a saint then who could she be.


    "Yifei, are you surprised to see me?" The saint walked towards Li Yifei with graceful steps.


    Li Yifei stood up, a smile on his face, and said, "I am indeed very surprised; I really didn¡¯t expect you to come. Didn¡¯t you say it would be at least half a year, and possibly even three to five years before you would come back?"


    "Yes, I thought by then I would be able to come find you, but these days, my heart just couldn¡¯t settle down. If I had forced myself to keep enduring, I¡¯m afraid not only would I have made no progress, but I might have regressed. I knew I missed you, so I could only sneak over to see you."


    The saint had a mischievous smile on her face, coming up in front of Li Yifei, she said, "Don¡¯t you want to give me a hug?"


    Li Yifei instinctively glanced at Xu Yingying. Xu Yingying rolled her eyes at him and said, "Pretend I don¡¯t exist."


    Li Yifei awkwardly smiled, but still extended his arms. The saint immediately threw herself into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, tightly hugging his waist and gently rubbed her face against his chest, saying, "Yifei, this inner demon of yours is too strong. Up to now, I don¡¯t see any signs of breaking free from it. At this rate, I really might succumb to you."


    Previously, when the saint was around Li Yifei, he never felt anything special, and always maintained his guard around this woman. But after she left, he indeed found himself thinking about her occasionally. And this time seeing her, unexpectedly, he wasn¡¯t guarded at all; his arms naturally wrapped around the saint as he said, "Then don¡¯t keep resisting, just obediently move into my house and be my woman."


    "Alright, that¡¯s exactly what I was thinking." The saint raised her head, looking at Li Yifei with a smiling gaze.


    "Do you really think so?" Li Yifei was somewhat surprised.


    "Still a little unwilling though." The smile on the saint¡¯s face grew even brighter.


    "I knew you wouldn¡¯t easily become my woman. Alright then, I¡¯ll let you be for a while longer. Next time we meet, whether you admit it or not, willing or not, I¡¯m going to deal with you right then and there."


    "Giggle, I just love this domineering side of you." The saint tiptoed and gently kissed Li Yifei on the face.


    Li Yifei wanted to return the kiss, but considering Xu Yingying, his official wife, was right there watching the scene, it really didn¡¯t seem appropriate. He suppressed the urge and smiled, "So are you going to stay a few more days at my place this time?"


    "Of course, I definitely need to relax a bit. I heard from Yingying that someone sent you a beauty."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Yes, then I¡¯ll bother you to help me handle her, you are so knowledgeable in psychological aspects, just give her a psychological suggestion, and I guess that should solve the problem, right?"


    "Absolutely no problem, but you¡¯ll still need to cooperate with me a bit."


    "Sure, whatever you say, I¡¯ll do it."


    That same evening, Li Yifei directly went to Wu Yuru¡¯s residence.


    Opening the door, he saw Wu Yuru sitting on the sofa in the living room. Hearing the door sound, she immediately stood up, and as soon as she saw it was Li Yifei, she quickly came forward excitedly and said, "Mr. Li, you¡¯re here."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Yes, I¡¯ve been busy and didn¡¯t have time to come by lately. Today I finally managed to make some time to come and see you."


    "Please come in and have a seat, Mr. Li." As Wu Yuru spoke, she knelt down to slip off Li Yifei¡¯s shoes and replaced them with a pair of slippers, her service was indeed very meticulous and thorough.


    Li Yifei sat down on the sofa, Wu Yuru immediately brewed a cup of tea for him, then knelt by his side and looked at him with tender eyes, saying, "Mr. Li, you work so hard every day, would you like me to give you a massage?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed, his gaze somewhat lascivious, and he said, "Sure, I came here today to enjoy myself. Park Sung-ho always says you are great at serving men, today I will truly enjoy it."


    A delighted expression immediately appeared on Wu Yuru¡¯s face, as if Li Yifei¡¯s words were like gaining a priceless treasure, this kind of gaze, this kind of smile, indeed gave a man a sense of satisfaction.


    "Mr. Li, please have some tea first, I¡¯ll go prepare."


    Li Yifei nodded slightly as he watched Wu Yuru quickly enter the bedroom. He then turned to look out the window and shook his head gently. Although the Saintess had agreed to help him, there were still some conditions involved, and these conditions made Xu Yingying frown deeply. If not for the Saintess¡¯s promise that Li Yifei would be safe in the end, Xu Yingying would have disagreed.


    But for a permanent solution, Li Yifei had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead with it.


    However, upon further thought, Li Yifei found the situation somewhat amusing. During his years in the Flying Hawk Squad, he had been involved in loveless sexual encounters with countless women. But now, with his own home and wife, Li Yifei was very averse to such matters. It had been two or three years since he had frequented any romantic or pleasure-seeking places. Even if he had to attend some social events, he would try to avoid them as much as possible, or he would simply bring Su Yiyi along to avoid such troubles.


    Having risen to the window, Li Yifei unlocked the window, which was immediately pulled open, revealing the Saintess¡¯s peerless beauty, her face bearing a mischievous expression.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said softly, "So, you insist on watching the whole live show?"


    The Saintess blinked and said, "Of course, how else would I know when to make my move?"


    "Cut it out, I can just signal you when it¡¯s time," Li Yifei replied.


    "That won¡¯t do. You can¡¯t possibly know the best moment. Besides..." the Saintess giggled mischievously, "It¡¯s rare to get a chance to watch a complete live show. Why would I give that up? Otherwise, I could just watch it at your place; you choose."


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes again and said, "Fine, fine, just watch. But you better take action in the end, or it¡¯ll really ruin me."


    "Got it. Otherwise, how can I explain it to Sister Yingying? After all, she¡¯s the big sister. If I, as the concubine, don¡¯t handle matters well, how will I ever be allowed in the house again?" the Saintess joked, her expression mixing grievance and humor.


    Looking at the Saintess¡¯s woeful demeanor, Li Yifei was torn between laughter and tears. If he wasn¡¯t aware of the serious matter they ultimately had to deal with, he might have actually believed her act.


    Just then, footsteps approached. The Saintess quickly shrunk back into hiding. Even high up here, she moved as if on level ground, and Li Yifei didn¡¯t have to worry about her safety. He then slowly closed the window.


    Wu Yuru came up behind Li Yifei and asked softly, "Mr. Li, are you hot? Should I turn down the air conditioning?"


    "No need, I¡¯m just airing out, today¡¯s work was just too busy." As he said this, Li Yifei turned around, and then his gaze grew slightly fixated. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wu Yuru was wearing a black sheer long dress that left only three crucial areas opaque, the rest were made of thin fabric, revealing her skin in tantalizing semi-transparency ¡ª enough to see something, but not clear enough to see everything.


    When a man looks at a woman fully clothed, he tends to focus on the little that is revealed, like seeing a woman¡¯s neck or a hint of her belly during winter, or even a glimpse of her cleavage, all of which could excite him greatly.


    However, at the beach, when a woman is in a swimsuit, everything is clear except for those crucial three spots, and yet, you feel compelled to peek at those covered spots.


    This is the psychology of a man watching a woman, and Wu Yuru has certainly mastered showcasing both aspects that men find appealing. The sheer parts play a game of hide and seek, attracting most of your attention, while the opaque spots intensify these desires even more. Right now, Li Yifei was feeling a strong impulse to just rip off Wu Yuru¡¯s clothes.


    Wu Yuru gave Li Yifei a charming smile, which was neither soul-stirring seduction nor overtly flirtatious, but still carried a hint that sparked a man¡¯s impulses.


    From her attire and smile alone, Li Yifei knew Park Sung-ho was right: this woman was truly a treasure. Raising such a woman wasn¡¯t an overnight feat¡ªit took a considerable amount of time and effort, truly a rarity.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, Wu Yuru seemed to be prepared, her smile fading slightly as she said, "Mr. Li, let me wash your feet first. A footbath is great for blood circulation."


    Li Yifei saw that there indeed was a basin of steaming water next to the sofa, and he said with a smile, "Sure, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a good foot soak, thank you for this."


    "It¡¯s my honor to serve you, Mr. Li." Wu Yuru smiled sweetly as she stepped ahead to the sofa, crouched down, and waited for Li Yifei to sit down. Then, she gently lifted Li Yifei¡¯s legs onto her own, removing his socks one by one.


    As she removed the socks, Wu Yuru¡¯s chest seemed to inadvertently brush against Li Yifei¡¯s legs a couple of times¡ªnot as blatantly as a sauna masseuse would, but these seemingly unintentional touches were often the ones that ignited a man¡¯s desires the most.


    Wu Yuru was very meticulous. She set Li Yifei¡¯s socks aside and gently placed his left foot into the water, dipped it slightly, then lifted her head to look at Li Yifei, asking, "Mr. Li, is the water temperature alright?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It¡¯s fine." His gaze, however, involuntarily lingered on Wu Yuru¡¯s chest. Her neckline was tight, but the outer black gauze was loose, which, when viewed from above, perfectly revealed a vague and enticing cleavage through the thin fabric, making Li Yifei¡¯s heart race uncontrollably.

 Chapter 1237 - 1288: A Reluctant Solution

    Chapter 1237: Chapter 1288: A Reluctant SolutionFeet soaking in the hot water, a pair of tender and smooth hands moved back and forth over his feet, the sensation was so comfortable that Li Yifei almost wanted to let out a moan, especially with the allure in front of him, Li Yifei felt that if this continued, he would lose control of himself.


    Li Yifei had always believed that he had exceptionally strong self-control, and that using the Beauty Trick on him was futile. Even with Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan, when he wasn¡¯t truly intending to be with them, he could absolutely control himself.


    But now, Li Yifei realized he was wrong. It was because he hadn¡¯t truly encountered a woman skilled in seduction. This kind of woman didn¡¯t need to be as breathtakingly beautiful as a saint or Su Mengxin; she only needed to fully utilize the advantages of a woman, and could completely draw out a man¡¯s desire from the depths of his heart.


    This kind of woman possessed supreme lethality to men from head to toe; every frown and smile, every gesture could spark boundless imagination in a man. It appeared she did not intentionally seduce men, but their gazes would always involuntarily fall upon her.


    "Mr. Li, soaking your feet in hot water quickens blood circulation. Now is the best time to press on the acupoints on your feet, which is greatly beneficial to your body."


    Li Yifei was of course aware of this, and as for massage, he was absolutely a master himself. He said, "Good, then please give me a massage."


    Wu Yuru nodded slightly and said, "Then please Mr. Li proceed to the bedroom to rest on the bed, I will come over shortly." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei went to the bedroom, laid directly on the bed ¨C this bed, he was quite familiar with. He and Xu Yingying had spent a long time here, from initially pretending to sleep to deceive Xu Shanshan, to later becoming a real married couple and still sleeping in this bed.


    After he moved out of this house into another bigger one in the neighborhood, this place was still used as Li Yifei¡¯s residence. At that time, he was accompanied by different people every night, until the garden-like yard was built, and then he no longer lived here.


    This place indeed held too many memories for Li Yifei.


    Following the light footsteps, Wu Yuru came in, still in the same outfit, carefully climbed onto the bed, placed one of Li Yifei¡¯s hands on her leg, and then began to gently massage Li Yifei.


    "Mr. Li, if you feel tired, you can rest for a while."


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "Then I¡¯ll take a short nap first."


    Wu Yuru¡¯s massage technique was really good. Li Yifei had been to many foot massage centers, but the so-called technicians there couldn¡¯t really be described as such, and the few Traditional Chinese Medicine massages he encountered were just for show. However, with just a couple of presses from Wu Yuru, Li Yifei knew her techniques were indeed exceptional and truly beneficial to people.


    There were many women in Li Yifei¡¯s house, and they were all very good to him. As for foot massages, any of them were willing to do it for him, but those occasions included more sensual scenes, and genuine massages were utterly absent.


    Moreover, at this moment Wu Yuru did not tempt Li Yifei in any way, just obediently giving the massage. What could potentially arouse Li Yifei¡¯s desires was his foot being massaged and pressed by Wu Yuru, and his leg resting on her thigh, where he could feel the elasticity of her muscles; additionally, Li Yifei could feel the silky sensation of stockings under Wu Yuru¡¯s chiffon dress against his leg.


    After enjoying Wu Yuru¡¯s massage for a while, a text message arrived on Li Yifei¡¯s phone. He picked up the phone and couldn¡¯t help but smirk ¨C the message was from the saint.


    "Hey, you¡¯re really enjoying yourself. Get to the main point quickly. I¡¯m not in a rush, but in this cold weather, how much longer do you want me to freeze outside?"


    Li Yifei immediately replied to the saint, "I¡¯m just building up the mood here."


    "What mood to build? Hurry up, it¡¯s so cold. If you dawdle any longer, I¡¯m going to leave."


    "All right, all right, I¡¯ll get to it."


    Li Yifei dared not dilly-dally any longer; just now, he enjoyed himself because of Wu Yuru¡¯s actions, and furthermore, he indeed found it somewhat difficult to proceed. The saint had requested that he at least lead Wu Yuru to the very brink, to deeply and completely imprint the experience in her mind.


    "Yuru!" Li Yifei called out.


    "Mr. Li, what¡¯s the matter?" Wu Yuru asked softly.


    "No need to massage the feet anymore, come and rub my arm."


    "Okie-dokie!" Wu Yuru complied, let go of Li Yifei¡¯s leg, moved beside him and gently started massaging his arm.


    Fortunately, the saint finally appeared and didn¡¯t make Wu Yuru aware, then made Wu Yuru faint.


    "Why did it take so long for you to show up?" Li Yifei quickly grabbed the blanket to cover himself.


    The saintess said with a feigned pout, "Who made me freeze out there for so long?"


    "I was already quick. I think you just wanted to enjoy the show, deliberately setting me up for embarrassment."


    "Hee hee, glad you know, but really, I just wanted to see your naked body," the saintess said playfully with another laugh.


    "Alright, alright, let¡¯s get this over with. You¡¯ll have plenty of chances to see it later."


    "That makes sense," the saintess giggled mischievously, then placed her hand on Wu Yuru¡¯s head and closed her eyes.


    Li Yifei picked up his clothes, first put on his underwear beneath the blankets, then got out of bed and dressed completely.


    After about ten minutes, the saintess finally lifted her hand, saying, "Okay, now I¡¯ve fully embedded the psychological suggestion. In the future, as soon as you get into bed with her and undress, she will automatically revert to that suggested state, so you don¡¯t really need to do anything with her."


    "That¡¯s it? But the suggestion you¡¯ve made, surely the experience of a first and second time should be completely different, right?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s different. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t understand these things just because I haven¡¯t done it with you. You just relax."


    "You understand this too?" Li Yifei looked at the saintess skeptically.


    With a proud tilt of her head, the saintess declared, "Of course I understand, I¡¯m a woman too. Even if I¡¯ve never done it, I can still learn from the internet."


    "So you¡¯ve been watching everything, huh? And here I thought you were some innocent angel untouched by worldly desires."


    "Are you complimenting or teasing me?" The saintess looked at Li Yifei with a beaming smile.


    Li Yifei chuckled heartily, saying, "However you see it, I guess. By the way, shouldn¡¯t we do something about the fact that there won¡¯t be any traces on the bed? That would seem suspicious for her first time."


    The saintess gave a light laugh, saying, "You handle that part. Such brutal acts are really not my thing."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat, saying, "You mean I actually have to ruin her body?"


    "Of course, otherwise she would definitely notice it herself."


    Li Yifei grimaced, saying, "So like this..."


    The saintess made a slight face, saying, "You can¡¯t bear it? Well, simply do the real thing then. It¡¯s the same, and I wouldn¡¯t have to go through this effort."


    Li Yifei frowned, feeling the absurdity of it all: not actually making a move but still having to take her virginity. Skipping this would leave a significant hidden danger and after all, this woman had already been completely broken by the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization. In the future, she won¡¯t really have any other use. Or perhaps, even if he were kind enough to let her go, it might not be a good thing for her.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do it," Li Yifei quickly decided.


    "Then go ahead," the saintess said, her face lighting up with a smile again.


    "You¡¯re not going to watch, are you?"


    "Of course, I¡¯ll watch. How could I miss such a special occasion?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened, but he went ahead without further consideration, reaching out and briskly breaking Wu Yuru¡¯s hymen. Poor Wu Yuru, having been trained for so many years by the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization and managing to preserve this layer so well, only to have Li Yifei break it in such a way ¨C truly a tragedy.


    If Park Sung-ho found out about this, he would definitely cry out in dismay. Such a woman, even he hadn¡¯t managed to have one, only those with higher standing in the organization or someone the organization desperately wants to court, would be bestowed such a top-tier woman. If Li Yifei didn¡¯t want her, he could very well have returned her to him.


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 Chapter 1238 - 1289: The Saintess’s Decision

    Chapter 1238: Chapter 1289: The Saintess¡¯s DecisionLi Yifei had taken care of everything and left the place with the Holy Woman. Although he felt a sense of guilt, he quickly dismissed it. As the clan chief of a family, there were many things he couldn¡¯t do according to his personal preferences. For the sake of his family¡¯s interests, sometimes he really needed to sacrifice some things and do some things he didn¡¯t want to do.


    Moreover, since Wu Yuru was from the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, his sense of guilt was much less. For the people within that organization, it might come to a point where many of them would need to be killed. Compared to that, Wu Yuru could at least keep her life, and Li Yifei would ensure she had a decent life, which could be considered a form of compensation for her.


    Sitting in the car, Li Yifei calmed down, lit a cigarette, and said to the Holy Woman sitting beside him, "Holy Woman..."


    The Holy Woman interrupted him, "Call me Yanzi. By your side, I only have a name."


    "Alright, Yanzi, I want to ask you, does your Holy War Organization have any masters with Innate Vital Energy?"


    "No, I am the strongest in the Holy War Organization. No one can surpass me."


    "I¡¯m not asking if there is anyone in your organization who is stronger than you, I¡¯m asking if there is anyone with Innate Vital Energy."


    The Holy Woman shook her head and said, "No, it¡¯s only from Shanshan that I learned about Innate Vital Energy. I had no idea about it before."


    "Then, have you... ever had any contact with an organization called Noah¡¯s Ark Organization?"


    The Holy Woman seemed confused and said, "No, our organization is very independent. We do not collaborate with other organizations. We are engaged in the greatest work for humanity."


    Li Yifei, somewhat skeptical, said, "Are you really that certain?"


    "Of course, I¡¯m certain. In our Holy War Organization, my authority is absolute. I am fully aware of everything that happens within the organization. In the United States, our Holy War Organization would never allow the existence of another organization that contradicts our doctrine."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he said, "It seems that Noah¡¯s Ark Organization hasn¡¯t extended its reach to the United States yet."


    "What¡¯s up with that Noah¡¯s Ark Organization?" The Holy Woman asked with curiosity.


    Li Yifei briefly explained the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, then added, "If they aren¡¯t in your area, that means their power is probably still confined to Asia for now. Moreover, the experts in their organization are all of Asian descent. I should have thought of this."


    "Oh, from what you¡¯ve said, that Noah¡¯s Ark Organization really does seem like a powerful and extremely ambitious organization."


    "Yes, their strength is indeed mighty. Even I have some difficulty dealing with them. The last time I encountered two of their people, they were tremendously powerful."


    "More powerful than you?" The Holy Woman looked at Li Yifei in astonishment. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Indeed, they are much more powerful than me. In front of such masters, I literally stand no chance at all."


    "There are actually such formidable people in this world?"


    "Yes, I think there should be some in the United States too... Oh, no, that¡¯s not right. The United States isn¡¯t that old a country, and since its foundation, you¡¯ve been using modern weapons. If there aren¡¯t such masters, it would make sense."


    "Hmph, are you saying that our country doesn¡¯t have as profound a heritage as Huaxia?"


    "That¡¯s an undeniable fact."


    "Hmph, then I will become such a powerful person. Yifei..." The Holy Woman suddenly paused, her gaze intently fixed on Li Yifei, and said, "Do you know why I couldn¡¯t stay in seclusion to continue my cultivation, why I had to come out halfway to see you again?"


    Meeting the Holy Woman¡¯s gaze, Li Yifei turned solemn and then slowly said, "You feel that once your cultivation succeeds, your strength will greatly increase, to an extent that even you can¡¯t imagine. If I remain at my current level by then, you will be able to kill me effortlessly!"


    The gravity on the Holy Woman¡¯s face slowly eased into a bright smile, "Yifei, this is why I like how clever you are."


    "So you came to see me before your success, lest after your success, when you come to see me then, you would just kill me directly."


    "Yes, at that time, I would really only be able to kill you, so now I want to take advantage of not having reached that level yet to spend a good two days with you."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll take this opportunity to kill you?"


    The Holy Woman smiled faintly, "If you really have the heart to do so, I actually really want you to kill me."


    All of a sudden, Li Yifei burst into laughter, "Yanzi, you¡¯re really underestimating me. Rest assured, when the time comes for you to improve, I certainly will too. I will make you obediently become my wife, pour water for my feet, massage them, and warm my bed."


    With her eyes filled with ardent gazes, the Holy Woman said, "Yifei, if it could really be like that, then I¡¯m willing to do it for you for a lifetime."


    Li Yifei reached out and caught the chin of the Holy Woman, leaned his face close to hers, just about a dozen centimeters away from the Holy Woman¡¯s face, stared into her eyes, and said: "No matter how hard you try, this is the reality, and nobody can change it."


    Having said that, Li Yifei arrogantly pressed his lips against the Holy Woman¡¯s.


    The Holy Woman let out a whimper, extended her arms, and wrapped them around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, passionately responding to the kiss.


    Both of them were masters with enduring energy, allowing a single kiss to last over twenty minutes before they parted.


    "Yifei!" The Holy Woman rested her hands on Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her face now bursting with a radiant smile, said: "Now I really do have confidence in you."


    "Haha, if you¡¯re so confident about me, then why bother going back to meditate?"


    The Holy Woman gave a mischievous smile and said: "My man should always impress me, no matter when. If I don¡¯t meditate, there will always be a part of me that isn¡¯t fully satisfied. So, only when you beat me will I willing follow you wholeheartedly."


    Li Yifei gently bumped his forehead against the Holy Woman¡¯s, saying: "Don¡¯t worry, when the time comes, I definitely won¡¯t spank you."


    "Hehe, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you did."


    The Holy Woman¡¯s cell phone rang, and she chuckled, saying: "It must be Sister Yingying checking in on me; I need to return the call."


    Indeed, the call was from Xu Yingying, and the Holy Woman said with a laugh: "Don¡¯t worry, everything is settled. But right now, I¡¯m sneaking off a moment with your husband."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel mixed emotions. Even when asking for leave, could one do it so openly?


    Xu Yingying chuckled and said: "Then why not just come home and sneak around openly, instead of doing it outside?"


    "You don¡¯t get it," replied the Holy Woman. "Sneaking behind the back of you, the wife, that¡¯s what makes it an affair. Once back home, it¡¯s not sneaking around anymore."


    "Alright, alright, then continue sneaking around."


    "See? I¡¯ve got your leave all sorted out." After hanging up, the Holy Woman laughed softly and winked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled and asked, "So where shall we go for our secret tryst?"


    The Holy Woman tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said: "How about we go eat at a street food stall? I¡¯m getting a little hungry now."


    "Street food stall in this chilly weather?" Li Yifei chuckled and said: "Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a good meal at a hotel and then just book a room there?"


    "Dream on, there is no way I¡¯m sharing a room with you now. If I can¡¯t help myself, it would be trouble."


    The Holy Woman was not saying Li Yifei couldn¡¯t restrain himself, but rather she couldn¡¯t. This made Li Yifei feel smug on the inside ¡ª for a woman to say such things meant she was truly handing over her heart to him. However, to really keep this woman by his side, there was one final step required.


    "Also... I want to be an ordinary person. These next few days, you are not the Patriarch of the Li family, and I am not the Holy Woman. We are just an ordinary couple in love. You can¡¯t possibly refuse such a small request, can you?"


    "So, does that mean we can¡¯t drive this car either?"


    "Of course not, and you shouldn¡¯t carry too much money either. Oh right, we need to change into some ordinary clothes as well. That¡¯s the proper way to do it."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said: "So, should you also disguise your face? Otherwise, with your beauty, you¡¯ll attract attention wherever you go."


    "Giggle, sure, I can make myself look a bit uglier."


    For both of them, this reunion felt almost like a last hurrah. Despite all of Li Yifei¡¯s confidence and domineering aura, the Holy Woman still wasn¡¯t certain of herself. She knew that overcoming her inner demon would be extremely difficult, so her preparation was exceedingly thorough, practicing the Holy Woman Sutra up to the sixth level. This time, she was ready to push for the seventh level and then challenge Li Yifei in a decisive battle.


    But who could have foreseen that by a stroke of fate, she would make unbroken progress, and after reaching the seventh level, she even sensed the potential to break through to the eighth.


    This truly startled the Holy Woman. The Holy Woman Sutra was the most powerful technique within the Holy War Organization, and it was said that a Holy Woman who reached the eighth level was indescribably strong. Even a Holy Woman who had broken through her inner demons wasn¡¯t as powerful, but now, without having vanquished her own demons, she had already reached this level. If that were the case, her strength was undoubtedly beyond what Li Yifei could handle.


    With such power, she could easily extinguish her inner demons and become the strongest person in the history of the Holy War Organization. Yet, since her inner demon was so formidable, she found herself in a serious dilemma. To kill Li Yifei would bring her immense benefits, but she truly couldn¡¯t bear it; she had fallen deeply in love with Li Yifei,


    That¡¯s why the Holy Woman sought Li Yifei out. She came without knowing what decision she would make, but upon seeing Li Yifei acting so confident, she made her choice: to go back and break through, to fight one last battle with Li Yifei. Whether she was going to fulfill her own destiny or stay with Li Yifei, she didn¡¯t want any shortcuts. The outcome was to be determined by both of them giving their all. That way, she could be fair to the Holy War Organization, true to herself, and not disgrace Li Yifei.


    Here¡¯s a book recommendation: "The Holy Maiden Falls for Me". Not only do I have to charm school beauties, goddesses, princesses, and female teachers, but I even manage to captivate a celestial maiden!

 Chapter 1239 - 1290: The Indulgent Saintess

    Chapter 1239: Chapter 1290: The Indulgent SaintessHaving made such a decision, the Saintess wanted to spend a good time with Li Yifei in the following days, to truly let loose. However, their identities would easily give them away if they acted too wildly, so they came up with this solution.


    Li Yifei could also feel the Saintess¡¯s mindset. As a man, when faced with such a situation, he couldn¡¯t shrink back, nor did he have the leeway to do so. Even if he could convince the Saintess to not sever this inner demon of his, it would certainly leave a darkest seed in Li Yifei¡¯s heart, making it difficult for him to advance any further.


    In the practice of Cultivating Qi, the most crucial part is actually the cultivation of the heart. Once you harbor demons in your heart, it becomes very difficult to cultivate your True Qi. This was something Murong Yuanqing had always stressed to Li Yifei.


    Moreover, after witnessing the strength of Murong Yuanqing and the people within the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, Li Yifei understood more clearly that if he didn¡¯t become extremely strong, even the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization would eventually destroy him. Therefore, he had to become strong, strong enough to make the Saintess submit to this inner demon.


    It was just past eight o¡¯clock. The two headed to a market in Mile City, where they bought two sets of ordinary street clothes.


    The night market was naturally full of ordinary people. Li Yifei and the Saintess walking here made them stand out. And when they bought such cheap items, it shocked everyone, especially the seller of the clothes, who looked at them oddly, not understanding why such apparently affluent people would buy such clothes.


    The Saintess had also applied a layer of foundation to her face to cover up her angelic looks. In addition, the ill-fitting clothes concealed her graceful figure, making her look somewhat bulky.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t need to go through as much trouble. A down jacket worth a little over a hundred yuan and a pair of ordinary cotton shoes made him indistinguishable from an ordinary person.


    The two had changed into these clothes in the car, and after looking at each other, they couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    Finally ready, Li Yifei carried only five hundred yuan with him. Then the two left their car and took a taxi, heading straight for the seafood stalls by the seaside.


    The weather was cool. Normally, the stalls would have tables set up outside, but now they had moved inside, making the space feel much smaller. Despite this, the place was still bustling with people, with the seafood stalls of Mile City being the freshest, most affordable, and generous in portion. Ordinary people, wealthy individuals, and even some hooligans frequented the area for a meal. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei and the Saintess chose a slightly more spacious store in the middle. The seats were almost full, and they could only pick a small, two-person table against the wall. Then they ordered a heap of dishes and started feasting.


    They were quite inconspicuous here, which was exactly what they intended, as they didn¡¯t want to be recognized. Hence, they devoured their food without any care for their image.


    It was one thing for Li Yifei, a big man, to eat like that, but it was quite another for the Saintess. Seeing someone who was practically angelic like the Saintess eat like a village woman was as difficult as teaching a rustic woman to behave like a sophisticated lady. This showed Li Yifei just how extreme the Saintess¡¯s indulgence was.


    The two were enjoying their meal when a fight suddenly broke out between two tables, escalating rapidly, with neither side backing down. In no time at all, the scuffle began.


    They were groups of youngsters, both sides totaling four people, drunk, and their brawl was quite lively. The other patrons in the restaurant were frightened away, and the owner shouted from inside without daring to intervene. These hotheaded youths, once provoked, wouldn¡¯t care if you were the owner or not; getting hit could be quite bad.


    Li Yifei looked at the Saintess and asked, "Do you want to drive them away?"


    The Saintess, however, had a mischievous smile and said, "I¡¯ve never had a fight like this before. How about we join in?"


    "You want to fight with a bunch of hoodlums?" Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in surprise.


    "Yep!" The Saintess chuckled, suddenly jumping up, hands on hips, and shouted loudly, "You damn bunch, why do you have to fight here? Get lost, or don¡¯t blame me for beating you black and blue!"


    Li Yifei was instantly petrified. Was this really the Saintess? Was she the angelic Saintess? She was more like a rowdy village woman¡ªno, that¡¯s not right; with her blonde hair, she should be a typical ¡¯Little Taimei¡¯. And her words¡ªalthough simple for a Huaxia person¡ªhow could an American Saintess speak them so fluently?


    "You little brats, if you think you can ignore me, you are dead wrong. Watch me beat you up!" The Saintess then roared again and rushed at the eight hoodlums, who were all fighting each other, delivering a flurry of blows.


    At this moment, the Saintess wasn¡¯t using any special techniques, but even a master holding back was too much for these eight men. In no time, they had all taken a few hits from her.


    This truly angered the youths, who temporarily stopped and all glared at the Saintess.


    It was only then that Li Yifei managed to close his gaping mouth, shaking his head slightly. The sheer recklessness of the Saintess was unexpected to him. With her status and abilities, she was actually brawling with a bunch of hoodlums; it was an absurd scene. If members of the Holy War Organization saw this, they would probably be so appalled they¡¯d run headlong into a wall. Was this really their revered and untouchable Saintess?


    "Who the hell are you?" one of the troublemakers finally asked the Saintess, scrutinizing her. This person, who looked like a Little Taimei, not only was bold but also daring to fight. They had to be cautious; if they had provoked someone formidable, it would mean serious trouble.


    "I just can¡¯t stand you guys. I¡¯m trying to eat here, and you¡¯re all brawling. Can¡¯t you let others dine in peace? What, you got a problem with that?" The holy maiden spoke with the local accent, and because of the thick makeup covering her originally fair skin, she really didn¡¯t look like a foreigner at that moment.


    Those eight guys, who were just fighting, had been initially stunned by the holy maiden¡¯s presence, but her provocative tone immediately riled them up again. One particularly brash guy yelled, "So what if we don¡¯t accept it?"


    "Then I¡¯ll beat you up." The holy maiden said, raising her hand and smacking that guy¡¯s face, truly badass.


    With a "snap!" the guy didn¡¯t manage to dodge, and the sound of the slap was extremely loud. The slap flared them up in an instant. To be hit by a woman, how humiliating that must be.


    "Fuck, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t hit you just because you¡¯re a woman!" The slapped guy cursed angrily, rolled up his sleeves, and charged at the holy maiden.


    The holy maiden sidestepped and kicked him in the butt, causing him to stagger and almost fall. That kick could have killed him if she intended to, but since she was just out to indulge herself and was dealing with petty thugs, she naturally held back from genuinely hurting anyone.


    But that added another layer of humiliation. The guy twisted around and lunged at the holy maiden again, his fierceness making him seem particularly vicious.


    However, in front of the holy maiden, he was as weak as a child. With a quick trip from her, he was sent sprawling out, luckily caught by his buddies.


    "Haha! You can¡¯t even beat a woman, just go back home and suckle, there¡¯s no point fighting with us, I¡¯m embarrassed for you."


    "Yeah, right, with that pathetic show, you¡¯re only embarrassing yourself. If I were you, I would find a hole to crawl into and hide."


    The other group burst into hearty laughter at once, obviously thrilled to see their adversaries in trouble, they immediately started mocking big time.


    The guy who was tripped by the holy maiden looked extremely peeved, but before they could react, the holy maiden glared and bellowed at the ones laughing at them, "What are you smirking at? When I said get lost, did you think that didn¡¯t include you? I¡¯ve seen idiots before, but never as idiotic as you."


    "You conceited bitch, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today." Among those enjoying the debacle, one rushed out, reaching straight for the holy maiden¡¯s chest with a laugh, "Although you don¡¯t look that good, let¡¯s see how your figure is."


    "Slap! Slap..."


    This guy suffered even more than the last, as the holy maiden, indignant at his lewdness, struck harder this time, slapping him several times in a row. He was left seeing stars, staggering and falling to the ground with a thud, his head still spinning.


    The others were completely dumbfounded by this; the woman was just too fierce. A young man was struck to the ground by her, made to sit down just like that ¡ª could this be the legendary master?


    At this moment, quite a few onlookers at the entrance were stunned as well; they had never seen such a formidable woman, not even the heroines on TV showed such dominance.


    "Fuck, let¡¯s all go at her together!"


    Both groups shouted in unison, then the eight thugs rushed forward together. It was pretty embarrassing to resort to ganging up on a woman, but it seemed even more shameful to let a woman beat them and run away, so they chose to try and bring her down.


    "Wow, all of you at once? I can¡¯t handle that. Hey big guy, stop just watching, come help me out." The holy maiden dodged and weaved to Li Yifei¡¯s side, cheerfully pulling him up.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel amused yet exasperated, but he was also stirred, slapping the table and shouting, "You bunch of bastards, dare to mess with my wife, see if I don¡¯t beat the crap out of you."


    Saying this, he rolled up his sleeves and charged into the fray.


    The two didn¡¯t use any real martial arts and fought like hooligans, the scene becoming rowdy. The sounds of fists thudding against flesh were heard without end, of course all being the two of them hitting those guys.


    The eight thugs yelled out in pain as they were beaten, finally realizing that continuing the fight would only leave them at a loss. It was unclear who cried ¡¯uncle¡¯ first, but at that moment, they all scrambled towards the door.


    But the holy maiden stepped forward quickly, blocking their way, leaving their faces looking utterly miserable, wondering what exactly these two wanted since they didn¡¯t seem to let them go.

 Chapter 1240 - 1291: Restoring Confidence

    Chapter 1240: Chapter 1291: Restoring Confidence"You¡¯re just leaving like that? Not even settling the bill?" The Holy Maiden fiercely glared at them.


    Those thugs, having been intimidated by the Holy Maiden, hurriedly responded, "Sure, we will settle it."


    "Not just your own bills, but other customers¡¯ too, right? When you started the fight, they all ran off, who¡¯s going to settle their bills?"


    "We have to settle those too?"


    Her eyes darting angrily, the Holy Maiden snapped, "Nonsense, are you settling it or not?"


    The thugs instantly wilted and reluctantly pulled out their money, settling the entire food stall¡¯s bill.


    The owner was visibly trembling as he took the money. The Holy Maiden snorted and said, "If they trouble you, I will catch them all and toss them to the dogs in the future. Lads, do you know who I am? Brother Hu is my friend. With just you lot, dare you still cause trouble?"


    Upon hearing this, the thugs¡¯ legs turned to jelly. Although Brother Hu hadn¡¯t appeared much in Mile City recently, who on the streets didn¡¯t know that Brother Hu controlled Mile City¡¯s forces? These little thugs didn¡¯t even rank as lowly as Brother Hu¡¯s subordinates, how could they dare to provoke the Holy Maiden? They quickly slinked away.


    As soon as these thugs left, those gathered around the entrance burst into applause. Initially, seeing the Holy Maiden¡¯s blonde hair and thinking she was just a Little Taimei, everyone felt this woman was not someone to mess with, but the justice of her deeds just now earned their praise.


    The Holy Maiden gave a fist salute and said a few words of courtesy before returning to her seat, resuming her meal with Li Yifei as if nothing had happened. Those who hadn¡¯t finished suddenly came back in to continue eating, making the food stall even busier than before.


    After eating and drinking their fill, the Holy Maiden tugged Li Yifei to the seaside. There were no amusements at the beach at this hour, and the sea breeze made it feel even colder. The Holy Maiden shivered and said, "I¡¯m cold."


    Both Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden were wearing down jackets. With their abilities, this kind of cold was nothing to talk about, but seeing the Holy Maiden like this, if Li Yifei bluntly said so, it would ruin the mood. He wrapped his arm around her and said, "I¡¯ll hold you."


    "Mmm, that¡¯s much better," the Holy Maiden turned and smiled sweetly at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled back and asked, "Why aren¡¯t you going out and doing something crazy anymore?"


    The Holy Maiden hugged Li Yifei¡¯s waist and rested her head on his shoulder, whispering softly, "A bit of indulgence is all. I feel it¡¯s better to just quietly be with you like this."


    Li Yifei tightened his embrace, holding the Holy Maiden closer, and said, "If you like the quiet, then let¡¯s stay quiet all night."


    "Mm! Let¡¯s sit over there for a while."


    The two of them sat on the sand at the beach, where the sand was also icy cold, something only they could bear. Others would find it unbearable after just five minutes.


    The sound of waves crashing against the shore was incessant. Simple as it was, the sound felt incredibly pleasant to the Holy Maiden¡¯s ears. She murmured, "Yifei, being with you, even the mundane things feel interesting. Tell me, is this not me deeply falling in love with you?"


    Li Yifei, looking into the Holy Maiden¡¯s sapphire-like eyes, replied, "Yes, you have deeply fallen in love with me."


    "And what about you? Do you like me even a little?" the Holy Maiden blinked.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "I used to think I didn¡¯t love you, that you had an agenda with being with me, and I resisted that internally. But after you left, I found myself thinking about you from time to time, especially seeing you struggling internally because you fell in love with me, that¡¯s when I realized, I love you too, although..."


    The Holy Maiden wrapped her arms around Li Yifei¡¯s neck, cutting him off, and said, "No althoughs, just saying this is enough."


    Li Yifei encircled the Holy Maiden¡¯s waist and said, "Don¡¯t you think my love for you is neither genuine nor complete?"


    With a gaze serene as water, the Holy Maiden replied, "I know. For a man as powerful as you, to be hopelessly in love with a woman, I actually wouldn¡¯t believe it."


    "You¡¯re powerful too. By your logic, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯d fall in love with many men? I can¡¯t accept that."


    With a giggling laugh, the Holy Maiden said, "How can it be the same? You¡¯re a man, and I¡¯m a woman. Even if a woman is powerful, she still needs a man who loves her. A powerful man, on the other hand, needs many women who love him."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Even as a saintess with countless followers, you think this way?"


    The Holy Maiden, with her face pressed against Li Yifei¡¯s, spoke softly, "I always thought I was just a saintess, destined to devote my life to the Holy War Organization. But falling in love with you, even my sacred duty feels much diminished. Ah, I even feel quite sinful now."


    After a pause, the Holy Maiden lifted her head again and beamed, "That¡¯s why I need you to defeat me. As long as you truly defeat me, I won¡¯t feel this guilt anymore, and I can really let go of my duties as a saintess, to be your true little woman."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "You decide."


    The Holy Maiden met Li Yifei¡¯s gaze and saw a kind of determination and confidence in his eyes. This quickly brought a smile to her face. Originally, before meeting Li Yifei, she had been doubtful about him, thinking that once she came out of seclusion with greatly enhanced abilities, Li Yifei would certainly be defeated by her.


    But facing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, the Holy Maiden suddenly felt confident. This powerful man, as long as he says he can do something, he surely will. She chuckled and said, "Yifei, I think if the former Holy Maiden saw me like this, she would probably be so angry she¡¯d want to kill me, right?"


    Li Yifei said with a smile, "Of course not, you¡¯re breaking through your mental demon, aren¡¯t all Holy Maidens supposed to overcome their demons? It¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t overcome yours and ended up being captivated by it, doesn¡¯t that solve the problem?"


    The Holy Maiden playfully laughed and said, "Right, I can¡¯t be blamed for that, doesn¡¯t every brave attempt have to pay the price for the failures of predecessors? I am the one who paid the price and accumulated experience for others."


    "Haha, well said, one does need to pay a painful price." Li Yifei laughed out loud while winking.


    "Hm? What do you mean by that? I feel like there¡¯s something more to your words." The Holy Maiden clasped her hands around the back of Li Yifei¡¯s neck, her hands already reaching inside his collar, gently caressing Li Yifei¡¯s skin.


    "What do you think I mean by my words?" Li Yifei moved his face closer to the Holy Maiden, their faces now very near, both could feel the breath exhaled from the other¡¯s mouth.


    The Holy Maiden also moved her face closer to Li Yifei¡¯s and whispered, "How would I know? I¡¯m just a girl, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, why don¡¯t you tell me."


    "Then I¡¯ll just tell you."


    As they spoke, their faces came together and then their lips touched tightly. They touched lightly for a few seconds before suddenly hugging each other tightly, kissing passionately.


    Although the cold wind was harsh outside, there was a fire in both their hearts. The chill around them seemed to melt away due to their warmth, and in the whole world, there was nothing else but this passionately kissing couple.


    Both had long, drawn-out breaths, not having to worry about running out of breath. The kiss lasted a really long time, about half an hour, before the Holy Maiden finally let go of Li Yifei and quietly looked at him, as if imprinting his face deep into her mind.


    Li Yifei lightly kissed the Holy Maiden¡¯s lips again and said, "Yanzi, let¡¯s go somewhere else and wash our faces, shall we? I feel less involved seeing your face like this."


    The Holy Maiden chuckled softly and said, "I forgot about that, I was wondering why you didn¡¯t kiss my face."


    "Right, I was afraid to kiss off some poor-quality powder."


    "Haha... then let¡¯s go somewhere else."


    Hand in hand, they stood up but were not in a hurry to change locations right away, just slowly walking along the beach, which was an indescribably nice atmosphere.


    "Yanzi, I¡¯ll tell you a secret." After walking a few steps, Li Yifei whispered.


    The Holy Maiden immediately said excitedly, "A secret? Great, I love hearing secrets."


    "Actually, I¡¯ve found a treasure left by predecessors. If it can be opened, my abilities are likely to improve significantly." Li Yifei now fully trusted the Holy Maiden, and in order to boost her confidence, he shared this news with her.


    "Like the one we three encountered last time?" The Holy Maiden immediately asked, surprised.


    "Very much like that, but the person who left this treasure is much more significant than the one we encountered last time."


    "There¡¯s such good fortune too? That¡¯s great." The Holy Maiden appeared very excited.


    "Yes, so even if you improve, I am confident that by the time you come out, I¡¯ll defeat you and make you willingly become my woman."


    The Holy Maiden nodded repeatedly, saying, "Worthy of being the man I chose, not only strong but also lucky."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, I¡¯ve always been lucky, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have fancied me, right?" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two were chatting when they suddenly stopped, their gazes both swept toward a position diagonally ahead, and both of their expressions became somewhat strange.


    After walking about ten meters more, from the spot they were looking at earlier, suddenly four people burst out, quickly surrounding them. The person standing in front of Li Yifei waved a dagger and shouted, "Hand over all your money."


    The Holy Maiden and Li Yifei looked at each other and found it quite amusing. They hadn¡¯t intended to indulge or cause trouble, but there were always foolish people coming to provoke them.

 Chapter 1241 - 1292: Playing with the Thug

    Chapter 1241: Chapter 1292: Playing with the ThugThe Holy Maiden suddenly grabbed Li Yifei¡¯s arm, pressing her body closely against him, and tremblingly said, "Husband, I¡¯m scared." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smirk; the Holy Maiden was up to her tricks again. The term "Holy Maiden" literally means a sacred girl and indeed, she is a goddess of purity within the Holy War Organization. To outsiders, she is untouchable, but only in front of Li Yifei does she reveal her playful, girlish nature.


    Perhaps due to the deep repression within the Holy War Organization, the Holy Maiden turns wild and uninhibited when she opens her heart to Li Yifei.


    "What... what do you want to do?" Since the Holy Maiden wanted to play, Li Yifei decided to play along joyfully, hugging her tightly with a panicky look, stuttering as he asked.


    "Are you freaking deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear me say this is a robbery? We¡¯re only after money. Give it up quietly, and we won¡¯t hurt you."


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll get the money." Li Yifei¡¯s hand trembled as he reached for his pocket.


    At that moment, the Holy Maiden suddenly held down Li Yifei¡¯s hand, making a pained face as she said, "Husband, we can¡¯t give it to them. That¡¯s our living expense for the rest of the month. If we let them take it, how are we going to survive?"


    Li Yifei quickly looked at the guy in front of him, pleading with a bitter face, "Big brother, we are poor people, we barely have a dime on us, please let us go."


    "Damn it, cut the crap, hand over the money." The man opposite didn¡¯t heed the plea, instead shaking his dagger and saying, "Are we gonna have to get rough?"


    "No, no, don¡¯t get rough, honey, they have knives. If we don¡¯t give them the money, then...they might stab us a couple of times and that¡¯s it."


    The Holy Maiden sobbed, saying, "Then... dear sir, can we negotiate, could you rob us of, maybe, something else instead of money?"


    Li Yifei nearly collided head-first, shocked by how extreme the Holy Maiden was playing. He discreetly pinched her waist to express his protest.


    "Rob something else?" The four thugs were momentarily stunned. Being veterans in robbery, they had truly never encountered anyone who suggested being robbed of something other than money. Under the cover of night, the woman in front of them wasn¡¯t very clear, but she seemed appealing, and they were suddenly tempted.


    The leader immediately said, "That¡¯s not a bad idea. Then come with us quietly, make us happy, and we won¡¯t take your money."


    Another one immediately said, "Big brother, no way, who voluntarily offers something else instead of money in a robbery? These two must have something extremely valuable on them; otherwise, they would never prefer other options over losing money."


    The leader thought for a moment and agreed, glaring fiercely, "Then we rob both, money and more."


    "Husband, what do we do, they want both the money and your wife," lamented the Holy Maiden.


    Li Yifei glared at the Holy Maiden and said, "If that¡¯s the case, it seems we can only fight them then."


    "But they have knives, can we really beat them?" the Holy Maiden asked cheerfully.


    "I don¡¯t know, if worse comes to worst, just let them stab us twice, it won¡¯t be a big deal." Saying this, he took out the remaining two hundred bucks from his pocket and handed it to the Holy Maiden, "Honey, you must hold onto this money. It¡¯s what we need to survive the rest of the month. I¡¯ll go and fight them."


    The four thugs looked at each other in dismay. Two hundred bucks, was that worth fighting to death for? Furthermore, that woman actually suggested being robbed in another way just for these two hundred bucks. These people were damn stingy.


    "Boss, they¡¯re definitely pretending," the smart-looking thief remarked.


    "Act." The boss glared and uttered a command. Now, if they could subdue both and search them, they would know the real situation.


    The four soon pounced towards Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden, tired of the complicacies of the robbery. Had it not been for this desolate area, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to waste words, fearing that it might attract other people, particularly the police, which would only make things worse.


    "Oh dear, husband, they are really getting rough, what should we do?" the Holy Maiden suddenly flung herself behind Li Yifei, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Li Yifei never expected the Holy Maiden to be this dramatic, but quickly responded by holding her thighs, "Honey, how am I supposed to fight with you on my back like this?"


    "I don¡¯t care, you¡¯re the man, you have to protect me."


    "Alright, alright, then I¡¯ll protect you, since you are my wife after all."


    As Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden continued their bantering, the four robbers became increasingly frustrated. Logically, four guys against a man and a woman should be an easy job¡ªall charged and it should¡¯ve been quickly settled, but there they were, chattering away with one being carried, and the four couldn¡¯t even touch a piece of their clothing.


    "Husband, can you close your eyes, please?" the Holy Maiden suddenly whispered in Li Yifei¡¯s ear.


    "Why?" asked Li Yifei, puzzled.


    "I¡¯ll tell you why," the Holy Maiden giggled as she spoke.


    Li Yifei pulled up his hand and gently patted the Holy Maiden¡¯s butt, saying, "No problem." Then he closed his eyes directly, even shutting down his own senses, now completely relying on the Holy Maiden¡¯s instructions.


    "Honey, bad news, I got sand in my eyes, can¡¯t see anything." He also shouted loudly, as a reminder to those thugs.


    The four thugs originally felt something was off and even had the intention to retreat, but suddenly hearing Li Yifei shout like that, they got spirited again and rushed towards Li Yifei once more.


    The Holy Maiden on Li Yifei¡¯s back shouted loudly, "Ah, husband, that man is on your left, he¡¯s going to stab your chest."


    Li Yifei dodged to the right, and the dagger just grazed past his body.


    "Husband, the guy on the right is kicking your abdomen."


    Li Yifei turned his body and dodged that kick as well.


    Initially, Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden¡¯s coordination was a bit awkward, but relying on Li Yifei¡¯s super quick response ability, he was still able to easily manage, even if he didn¡¯t dodge in time at the moment, once the blade touched him, Li Yifei could easily dodge away.


    So it was all with shocks but no real danger, and after a slight adjustment, the cooperation between them became even more in sync. It became even smoother and more comfortable, playing around with these people became even easier.


    These thugs, after all, were not that stupid. Eventually, they realized that Li Yifei and the Holy Maiden were not to be messed with, and that they were just being toyed with. Suddenly not knowing who shouted, the four people thought about fleeing.


    "Husband, they¡¯re running away, that¡¯s no fun."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Then let¡¯s keep them for a bit more fun."


    "Okay, three meters to the left," the Holy Maiden immediately called out.


    Li Yifei dashed to the left and grabbed a man by the collar.


    "Six meters to the right," the Holy Maiden called out again.


    Li Yifei waved his hand, and that guy was sent flying directly, hitting another guy on the right, and both of them rolled on the sand.


    "Eight meters ahead, there are two more."


    Li Yifei chased after them with a few leaps, those two hearing the footsteps, ran desperately, but before they took a few steps, their collars were grabbed, and then they were sent flying, falling down together with the other two.


    However, these four didn¡¯t really get hurt. For one thing, Li Yifei used a clever force and didn¡¯t apply much power; moreover, the sand was soft, which cushioned their fall, and they quickly got up from the ground.


    "Fuck, let¡¯s take down that bitch first, kill her, and no one will be able to direct him," one thug shouted.


    Those guys also felt that Li Yifei was capable of fighting, but now it all depended on the Holy Maiden¡¯s directions from his back. Thinking if they took out the Holy Maiden, Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t be a threat to them anymore, so they all called out to the Holy Maiden aggressively.


    "Husband, they want to kill me, oh my, I¡¯m so scared," the Holy Maiden cooed from behind Li Yifei¡¯s back, then tightly clung to Li Yifei¡¯s neck, pretending to be terrified.


    Li Yifei took a quick two steps forward, saying, "Then you have to tell me."


    The Holy Maiden giggled, nibbled Li Yifei¡¯s ear, and said, "Forget it, anyway they want to kill me, it¡¯s your job to protect me. Honey, I¡¯m tired, I want to find a place to sleep, I don¡¯t want to play with them anymore."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright!" He turned around to face the four thugs.


    Li Yifei suddenly turned around, scaring the four thugs into stopping their tracks, but before they could react, Li Yifei had already charged over, kicking all four to the ground, and even stomped on each of their heads, knocking them out immediately.


    After finishing all this, the Holy Maiden showed no intention of getting down, clinging to Li Yifei, giggling, "Husband, I want you to carry me all the time."


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll keep carrying you." Li Yifei knew that seeing the Holy Maiden again might not happen soon, and he could also fully understand her deep affection for him, how could he refuse such a request, especially such a charming one.


    First, he made a phone call to Lin Qiong, having her send someone to arrest these four people. These small merits wouldn¡¯t bring Lin Qiong any significant benefits now, but they were still a contribution, solving cases is always good for a precinct chief.


    Lin Qiong, unlike before, wasn¡¯t so full of jealousy anymore, probably got used to the current lifestyle. Although she still had some hostility towards the Holy Maiden, that was something Li Yifei had to face, she wouldn¡¯t interfere.


    "Wife, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s find a place to sleep," Li Yifei said, only receiving a soft hmm from the Holy Maiden, who actually fell asleep on his back. This left Li Yifei with an indescribable feeling in his heart, not exactly happiness, nor sadness, but rather very complex.

 Chapter 1242 - 1293: The Saintess’s Request

    Chapter 1242: Chapter 1293: The Saintess¡¯s Requestfreewe?novel.c?mThe saintess was sleeping sweetly until Li Yifei placed her in the car, and that¡¯s when she woke up. Opening her eyes, she said, "Husband, where are we heading now?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and responded, "Of course we¡¯re going to pick up the car. Wherever you want to go, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go."


    "Hmm, let me think."


    The taxi took Li Yifei and the saintess all the way to where Li Yifei had parked his car. The two switched to their own vehicle, which left the taxi driver utterly perplexed. These two seemed so ordinary at first, yet they actually have an Audi A8? Is this how wealthy people enjoy pretending nowadays?


    "So now, where are we going? Are we going to stay at a hotel... or going to...


    "Home! I want to go home!" The saintess flashed a brilliant smile and said, "I want to enjoy the feeling of being at home first."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then let¡¯s head home."


    By the time they got back home, it was already past ten, and most people in the house had gone to bed. Li Yifei took the saintess straight to his own villa.


    Once in the living room, the saintess said with a gleeful smile, "I told you to take me home, but I didn¡¯t say to take me to your place. Is this really okay?"


    Li Yifei laughed mischievously, "You¡¯ve already boarded the bandit¡¯s ship, do you think you can still disembark now?"


    With a helpless shrug, the saintess said, "Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m going to lose my innocence tonight?"


    Li Yifei felt a surge in his heart, but he still wore a bitter expression and said, "You can¡¯t do me like this. You know I wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to you; aren¡¯t you just making me suffer on purpose?"


    The saintess chuckled playfully, "It¡¯s okay, you can find two backups. If you¡¯re feeling miserable, you can just go to them directly. It would also give me a chance to see what your nightly life is usually like."


    "You really want to see?" Li Yifei winked with a sly smile; he didn¡¯t believe the saintess was serious.


    "Of course, I really do want to see. Hubby, would you let me take a look, please?" The saintess hugged Li Yifei¡¯s arm and gently swayed it.


    Li Yifei was somewhat embarrassed and said, "Isn¡¯t this a bit improper? Wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing for you?"


    Coquettishly, the saintess said, "What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? I¡¯m going to be your woman sooner or later anyway. Plus, didn¡¯t you just see everything between you and that Wu Yuru today? Are you still afraid of me seeing more?"


    Li Yifei slapped the saintess¡¯s buttocks and said, "If you¡¯re not afraid, then what¡¯s there for me to fear? But it¡¯s so late, calling anyone over now just wouldn¡¯t be right."


    "Hehe, then you can call Shanshan over," the saintess said, winking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly, "Alright, I¡¯ll call Shanshan over."


    "One Shanshan doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯ll be enough. Don¡¯t you usually need two people to accompany you at night? You should find another."


    "That won¡¯t do. Only Mengxin knows about Shanshan¡¯s situation. Mengxin is pregnant with a big belly and is going to give birth soon."


    "Well then, forget about Shanshan. It doesn¡¯t matter to me, you just have to find two people immediately, or else I¡¯ll call them all over."


    "Alright, but can we first go upstairs to wash our faces? If they see us like this, they¡¯ll definitely laugh at us."


    "That¡¯s true. Then I¡¯ll hurry and wash my face while you go call for them."


    Both went upstairs, and the saintess immediately dashed toward the bathroom, while Li Yifei first returned to the bedroom. However, as soon as he pushed the door, he knew there was no need to find anyone else for tonight.


    The lights in the bedroom were on, Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er were both leaning against the headboard. It was cold, and even though the room was warm, people still liked to snuggle in bed. Both had laptops on their laps, clearly working on something. Seeing Li Yifei enter, they both asked in unison, "Husband, how come you¡¯re back?"


    Li Yifei gave a hearty laugh and said, "Now it¡¯s good, I don¡¯t have to look for you anymore."


    "What happened?" Xu Yingying asked, puzzled, looking at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose, a bit awkwardly admitting, "The saintess says she wants to sleep with us tonight."


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately chuckled and said, "You¡¯ve finally got her under control, eh?"


    Li Yifei took off his coat, embarrassed, and said, "It¡¯s not that I want to do anything with her; she wants to be the audience."


    Xu Yingying gave Li Yifei a scornful glance and asked, "What does that mean?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s smile deepened and she explained, "What our husband means is, he won¡¯t be intimate with the Holy Maiden, but instead, he¡¯ll be intimate with the two of us, putting on a show for the Holy Maiden to watch."


    Xu Yingying frowned and objected, "How can this be alright? Are we performing monkeys for her, and with such matters at that?"


    "Sister Yingying, I don¡¯t mean it that way," the Holy Maiden¡¯s voice came from the doorway, her figure appearing as she walked in, apologetically speaking to Xu Yingying, "Sister Yingying, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m leaving this time and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to come back. I want to imprint everything about him in my mind and understand what life in this family is like, so I wanted to ¡¯study¡¯ first. I mean no disrespect to you sisters. Besides, I also want to take the chance to be intimate with my husband."


    At the Holy Maiden¡¯s words, Xu Yingying felt somewhat embarrassed and blamed, "It¡¯s all because husband didn¡¯t make it clear."


    The Holy Maiden¡¯s eyes brightened, "So, the two sisters agree?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er chuckled softly and said, "As long as you participate, then we agree. If you¡¯re just watching from the sidelines, then we definitely won¡¯t agree." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Participate? Of course, I¡¯ll participate. How could I miss out on such fun? Wait for me, don¡¯t start yet, I¡¯m going to take a shower first," said the Holy Maiden before she quickly left.


    Li Yifei sat down on the bed, facing Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze, and said awkwardly, "She¡¯s worried that the next time she sees me, she might have to kill me, so she¡¯s being a bit indulgent now."


    Both Ning Xin¡¯er and Xu Yingying frowned with Ning Xin¡¯er nervously asking, "Such a thing won¡¯t happen, will it?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and assured, "Of course not."


    "Then why is she being so indulgent? Isn¡¯t that a sign of her lack of confidence in you?" Xu Yingying thought more comprehensively than Ning Xin¡¯er.


    Li Yifei nodded confidently, "That¡¯s exactly what she thinks, but I have absolute confidence in myself now. In a little while, I¡¯ll need to head out again, and if things go well, my strength will greatly increase when I come back. Even if the Holy Maiden becomes much stronger, she still won¡¯t be a match for me."


    At that moment, Xu Yingying bit her lip and suggested, "Then I think it might be better to just go ahead and make her yours in a bit, putting her mind at ease once and for all."


    Ning Xin¡¯er nodded in agreement, "Exactly, if you take her now, she won¡¯t need to break any heart demons, and she won¡¯t think about killing you anymore, right?"


    Li Yifei firmly shook his head, "That¡¯s not acceptable, it¡¯s just too... despicable."


    Xu Yingying snorted, "What¡¯s despicable about that? I¡¯m asking you, does she like you or not?"


    "Definitely," Li Yifei answered without hesitation.


    "There you go, since she likes you and wants to be with you, there¡¯s nothing wrong with making her yours. Besides, this isn¡¯t for your own sake, but for our entire family. If you really fail, what are we supposed to do then?"


    Xu Yingying, who was a company president a few years ago, has always been decisive and would ruthlessly fire anyone, regardless of their connections, if they didn¡¯t work properly in her company. Now, as one of the Li family¡¯s main managers, her style is even more assertive. When it comes to important matters, she can rapidly make the most beneficial decisions for the Li family, even if those decisions aren¡¯t exactly reasonable or legal.


    Ning Xin¡¯er also nodded and showed her support, "I stand with Sister Yingying. Our Li family cannot afford any mishaps concerning you. You have to think about us, think of the children, and our big Li family."


    Li Yifei smiled and reassured, "I know you¡¯re completely right to think this way. If I wasn¡¯t confident, I would choose that approach too. But now that I am very confident I can defeat the Holy Maiden, such an action becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, the Holy Maiden is not like ordinary women. Although she likes me now, her loyalty to the Holy War Organization definitely surpasses her love for me. If I forced myself on her now, it would definitely diminish her fondness for me, and her sentiments would immediately tilt towards the Holy War Organization. If I forcibly break her heart demons, she wouldn¡¯t be convinced in her heart. And if we ever ignite the wrath of the Holy War Organization, our Li family definitely could not bear it. You must know, the strength of the Holy War Organization is not something our domestic clans can match. They¡¯re an organization powerful enough to influence government decisions and they¡¯re also located in the strongest country in the world... the United States!"


    After Li Yifei¡¯s analysis, Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er did feel that forcing the issue could indeed be dangerous.


    Li Yifei took each of their hands and said softly, "I am the clan chief of the Li family. I know very well whether what I do poses a threat to our family, and I understand my importance to the Li family. I will never recklessly put myself in danger, nor will I do something as risky as playing with my life."


    Xu Yingying and Ning Xin¡¯er both nodded, well aware that their concerns were chaotic, but Li Yifei¡¯s actions had always been prudent, except for the impulsive act he committed when Xu Yingying was severely injured. Otherwise, Li Yifei had been very steady in his dealings.


    "Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that. Hurry up and take a wash, you smell a bit. Who knows where you¡¯ve been crawling," Xu Yingying pushed Li Yifei a bit.


    "Yes, ma¡¯am!" Li Yifei immediately stood up, saluted in a military fashion, eliciting a subtle smile from the two before he ran out of the bedroom.

 Chapter 1243 - 1295: Mr. Chu

    Chapter 1243: Chapter 1295: Mr. ChuThe Saintess only stayed with Li Yifei for two days before she left, this time departing with ease and happiness. Nonetheless, she left without notifying Li Yifei, thus avoiding the heartfelt pain of parting, which, for him, would have been a tragedy.


    Her visit also brought considerable pressure on Li Yifei; this was a battle fought for love, but it also involved life and death. Therefore, he must now enhance himself and swiftly increase his strength.


    To improve, in addition to his own efforts, the treasure left by Master Zhang Sanfeng was his best opportunity. If only he could unlock that treasure, he believed it would significantly boost his abilities.


    But a prerequisite was finding a man with Innate Vital Energy. Seeking one from outside was difficult and also not very safe. Hence, Li Yifei was considering visiting the Tibetan Secret School in Nepal sooner to seek the peculiar Happy Zen. If he could truly become an Innate Expert with it, even if he couldn¡¯t enter the treasure Zhang Sanfeng left behind, his strength would greatly increase.


    Besides himself, there was another crucial person involved, Jiang Ningxiang. If not for this Innate Expert, Jiang Ningxiang, the Happy Zen would inevitably be for Xu Shanshan. His relationship with Xu Shanshan would then smoothly progress.


    Even though everyone approved of Jiang Ningxiang, and Jiang Ningxiang agreed, Li Yifei still needed to discuss it with his family.


    On the night the Saintess left, Li Yifei brought up the matter with everyone.


    All eyes turned toward Xu Yingying. On other matters, everyone had their own opinions, but for such significant family affairs, they all showed respect for Xu Yingying. She didn¡¯t shirk her responsibility and said, "You always make me out to be the bad guy. Alright, I¡¯ll speak up. I have no objections to Ningxiang joining our family. This matter also concerns the future of the Li family. However, we should not pressure Ningxiang into doing this; so I still want to ask Ningxiang."


    Xu Yingying looked at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "Ningxiang, do you really wish for this?"


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip, lowered her head to twist the corner of her dress, then lifted her head and said, "I am willing."


    Xu Yingying shook her head and said, "Ningxiang, I hope you¡¯re not feeling the slightest bit forced; this concerns your whole life after all."


    This time, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s answer was very firm. She nodded vigorously and said, "I really am willing. It¡¯s not just out of gratitude, but also because I¡¯ve always considered myself part of the Li family. I never thought of becoming Brother Li¡¯s woman, but after careful consideration these past few days, Brother Li is a true hero who stands tall in this world. It would be my honor to follow him. Plus... in fact, I¡¯ve secretly liked Brother Li all along, I just never dared to think about it."


    With those words spoken, everyone relaxed and chuckled together. Su Yiyi, sitting next to Jiang Ningxiang, said with a grin, "Then we¡¯ll be super happy for you, and from now on, we¡¯ll be good sisters."


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed and nodded gently, saying, "Sister Yiyi."


    Xu Shanshan pouted on the side. This was such a great opportunity for her, but now she could only concede it to Jiang Ningxiang. Even if Jiang Ningxiang were willing to pass it on, she could not take it unless Jiang Ningxiang was not here. With Jiang Ningxiang around, how could Xu Yingying not choose her for Dual Cultivation with Li Yifei instead of her own sister?


    Su Mengxin smiled at Xu Shanshan, obviously aware of what Xu Shanshan was thinking. Xu Shanshan helplessly shrugged her shoulders, it seemed that her relationship with Li Yifei would once again have to be indefinitely postponed.


    At that moment, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s phone rang. She quickly walked aside to answer it, and after a while, she returned with a particularly unhappy look on her face.


    "Xin¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked anxiously.


    "Damn it, the director for this project is quitting on us again; it¡¯s infuriating. If he wants to quit, then quit, but now he dares to ask for a meeting at this time, it¡¯s utterly shameless."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened and he said, "Well then, let¡¯s meet him. I want to see what he¡¯s really up to." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The last time a director and several important actors suddenly backed out, leaving Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s film company in a lurch. All the planned preparations had been put on hold due to these people, causing damages of nearly five or six hundred thousand. To the Li family, this sum of money was indeed insignificant; perhaps even a few sets of clothes at their home could exceed this amount.


    But this was not about the amount of money, but about the operation of a company. Losing money is very demoralizing, and the previous incident had not yet been settled. Now with a new problem arising, Li Yifei had to take it seriously. The Li family couldn¡¯t allow others to bully them this way. No matter who was messing around behind the scenes, Li Yifei was determined to find out and confront them. Otherwise, how could the Li family continue to do business?


    Ning Xin¡¯er made another call to the director, then went with Li Xinyue to a four-star hotel in Mile City.

 Chapter 1244 - 1295 Mr. Chu_2

    Chapter 1244: Chapter 1295 Mr. Chu_2Li Yifei simply acted as a driver to bring them here, then let the two enter, not making an appearance himself, which should garner some more useful information.


    In the luxurious private room they had reserved, Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue waited for a while, and soon a waiter escorted two people in. One was a man in his forties, with long hair and a lengthy beard, exuding an artistic air about him¡ªhe was the renowned director Chen Dongping, whose films were essentially guaranteed box office hits, and he was also the director Ning Xin¡¯er had invited this time.


    The other person was a young man in his twenties, clasping a cigarette between his lips, dressed head to toe in designer labels¡ªNing Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue could tell that his outfit alone would be worth over a hundred thousand, and he carried himself with a certain arrogance; this man was unfamiliar to both Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue.


    "Ha, President Ning and President Li have been waiting, my apologies!" Chen Dongping stroked his beard and pointed to the young man next to him, saying, "This gentleman is Mr. Chu Dongsheng from East Media. We happened to run into each other, so I brought him along. I trust President Ning and President Li don¡¯t mind?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue both internally grimaced with frustration. The topic they planned to discuss wasn¡¯t confidential per se, but it wasn¡¯t something outsiders should hear either, and Chen Dongping bringing an outsider directly cleared up that he did not wish to collaborate with their company.


    And this Chu Dongsheng was from East Media, a well-established film and television company in the entertainment industry, possessing many high-profile actors and having significant domestic influence over the years. The president of East Media is surnamed Chu, so this Chu Dongsheng...


    "Mr. Chu... could it be, you are the son of President Chu of Chu Xingye?" Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Chu Dongsheng in surprise.


    Chu Dongsheng laughed and said, "Indeed, it¡¯s me. Ning Xin¡¯er, I¡¯ve always wanted to sign you to our company. It¡¯s quite a coincidence that after you left the scene for a while, you¡¯ve started your own film company."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled faintly, "I¡¯m just dabbling a little, which can hardly compare with the renowned East Media owned by your family. It¡¯s known as a major company in our industry."


    Chu Dongsheng laughed again and said, "True, you were very famous when you were an actress. But running a company is a completely different story from acting¡ªit¡¯s not so easy."


    Ning Xin¡¯er feigned distress and said, "Isn¡¯t it? I finally negotiated with Director Chen, but now he doesn¡¯t want to help me anymore. It¡¯s really distressing."


    Chu Dongsheng pulled up a chair and sat down, saying, "Let¡¯s not talk business for now. Since we¡¯re here, shouldn¡¯t we have something to eat and drink first?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "Mr. Chu is right. Waiter, we¡¯re ready to order."


    Chu Dongsheng¡¯s family¡¯s East Media indeed is a major film and television company, but in Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes, that didn¡¯t amount to much. It wasn¡¯t a company from a significant family lineage, just a standalone company, at best involved with some officials and other powers. Compared to the companies backed by powerful families, its support was significantly weaker.


    Even if Chu Dongsheng¡¯s East Media can¡¯t compare with the Ning Family at all, and in terms of real strength, it doesn¡¯t even measure up to the Li family, just in the film and television industry, they are regarded highly, whereas Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s company, being just a newborn baby in the industry, doesn¡¯t have its own real actors yet, only signed some budding talents without much fame, and they need to produce a truly successful film or drama to establish their presence in the industry.


    Chu Dongsheng sprawled casually in his chair and continued, "Ning Xin¡¯er, if you had continued acting or singing, earning millions a year would have been no problem at all, and it would have been less worrisome and effortful. But this film company of yours, not only is it exhausting, but without producing good films, you won¡¯t make much money."


    Ning Xin¡¯er smiled lightly, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Chu. Yet I now prefer doing this, tiring as it may be, I feel fulfilled. Besides, a woman only has so many prime years, after which how do you continue to thrive? Thus, it¡¯s better to move behind the scenes earlier." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Dongsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, saying, "But your company is too small, which prestigious director would be willing to make films for you? The A-list and B-list stars won¡¯t accept your projects either."


    Facing Chu Dongsheng¡¯s gaze, Ning Xin¡¯er slowly said, "This is what puzzles me. Like with Director Chen, we had a good initial discussion; why does he now no longer want to take on our project?"


    Chen Dongping chuckled and replied, "President Ning, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to accept. I¡¯m genuinely interested in your script. But this matter... it¡¯s not for me to decide."


    "Oh?" Ning Xin¡¯er looked at Chen Dongping and said, "Director Chen, as far as I know, you don¡¯t belong to any particular company. With your reputation, you usually wouldn¡¯t need others to decide which films to take on, would you?"

 Chapter 1245 - 1295: Mr. Chu_3

    Chapter 1245: Chapter 1295: Mr. Chu_3Chen Dongping shook his head and said, "President Ning, although you¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for a while, there are some things you don¡¯t know. I¡¯m really not the one calling the shots here."


    Chu Dongsheng laughed heartily, "Old Chen, stop complaining. The pay for that other film is much more than this one; why bother putting on airs here?"


    Chen Dongping smiled awkwardly and said, "Financial interests must, of course, be considered, but what I¡¯m most worried about is the follow-up funding. If half the film is shot and your company¡¯s cash flow gets cut, then if the film can¡¯t continue, everyone loses out, and time is wasted, isn¡¯t it?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er narrowed her eyes and said, "Director Chen, if it¡¯s really about the money, then we can discuss it further. As for the cash flow issue, you don¡¯t need to worry at all. Our company is financially strong. Although the current investment is only two hundred million, we are ready to increase our investment at any time."


    A film company with a two hundred million investment is certainly strong. Many film companies invest hundreds of millions in a movie, but that often includes numerous sponsors. Once the filming starts, they rely on the fame of the director and the crew to feature product placements or to have investors directly fund the production, hence the actual operating capital needed isn¡¯t that high. However, a truly financially strong film company naturally operates more conveniently and easily.


    "Oh? I couldn¡¯t really tell, Miss Xin¡¯er¡¯s film company is quite strong indeed. I may have underestimated you," Chu Dongsheng interjected with evident surprise in his gaze.


    "You flatter me, Mr. Chu. Compared to East Media, we are but a small company."


    At this point, dishes began to arrive in quick succession, and the conversation about these topics was put on hold. Once the drinks were served, Ning Xin¡¯er raised her glass and said, "Director Chen, Mr. Chu, I¡¯m delighted to have dinner with the two of you here today. A toast to both of you."


    "Haha, great, it¡¯s a real pleasure to dine with Miss Xin¡¯er," Chu Dongsheng laughed heartily, tilting his head to gulp down the beer in his glass.


    Ning Xin¡¯er was looking to coax some information out of them today, so she started off by urging them to drink frequently. However, Director Chen, an old fox, always gave noncommittal responses, while Chu Dongsheng, the younger one, wasn¡¯t as shrewd and got quite carried away after a few compliments from Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue.


    After another round of drinks, Chu Dongsheng shook his head and said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, let me tell you, it¡¯s too hard for you to make it big. I advise you to just give up."


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up. "Where does that come from? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve offended anyone, have I?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chu Dongsheng laughed, "What you think doesn¡¯t really count. Sometimes you offend people without even realizing it."


    Ning Xin¡¯er picked up her glass again and said, "Then please enlighten me, Mr. Chu."


    Chu Dongsheng drank the glass of wine and then lit up a cigarette, saying, "They¡¯re not small fry. If I spilled the beans, I¡¯d be in trouble myself."


    "Someone like Mr. Chu, who could possibly dare to provoke you? Especially with the influence of East Media¡¯s platform. If you say a word on your website, even the biggest names would have to bow down to you."


    Chu Dongsheng laughed again, "I like hearing that. But I can¡¯t just tell you something like this without reason, Miss Xin¡¯er. Aren¡¯t you going to give me any incentive?"


    Ning Xin¡¯er immediately said, "Mr. Chu, just name your price."


    Chu Dongsheng wagged his fingers and shook his head, "Miss Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re pretending to be confused when you clearly understand. Don¡¯t you know what I want?" His gaze swept over Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s body and then over Li Xinyue¡¯s.


    The implication couldn¡¯t have been clearer. This guy actually wanted to have a threesome with Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue, similar to what Li Yifei had.

 Chapter 1246 - 1296: You Think I Can’t Tell?

    Chapter 1246: Chapter 1296: You Think I Can¡¯t Tell?Ning Xin¡¯er has also been in the entertainment industry for several years, and although she is protected by the Ning Family, she is quite familiar with its chaotic and unwritten rules; she clearly understands the meaning in Chu Dongsheng¡¯s words.


    At this moment, she did not directly confront him; although her face still wore a smile, it carried a hint of assertiveness as she said, "Mr. Chu, I think you¡¯ve had too much to drink."


    Chu Dongsheng¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, I am perfectly sober. What do you think I came to Mile City for? I came here for you. If your company wants to continue operating, you¡¯ll agree to my terms. If you don¡¯t... then there¡¯s no need for your company to exist any longer."


    Li Xinyue and Ning Xin¡¯er both snorted at the same time. Not just in the past, but even now, they are members of the Li family. It is dishonorable for the Li family to be threatened like this, so Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s face immediately turned stern as she said, "Mr. Chu, I really don¡¯t know who can stop me from running this company unless they are ready to face our wrath."


    Chu Dongsheng smirked contemptuously, "Ning Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t think you can take everyone lightly just because you have a certain background. Nowadays, the state heavily scrutinizes families like yours, and you dare not rally your family¡¯s power over trivial matters anymore, do you? That¡¯s impossible. Business is business; you have to follow the rules of this industry. Besides, the people you¡¯ve offended are not inferior to the Ning Family. If you comply with me, I can help you navigate around them, and your company can continue to operate; otherwise... I advise you to close earlier, so you will lose less."


    Li Xinyue slammed her wine glass down and exclaimed, "Such arrogance! Do you really take the Li family so lightly? Today we will not agree to your terms. What can you do about it?"


    Chu Dongsheng sneered, "The Li family? A small corporate group in Mile City thinks it can establish a family? You really don¡¯t know how significant you aren¡¯t. It would take just minutes to obliterate your so-called worthless Li family."


    In Chu Dongsheng¡¯s words, Ning Xin¡¯er discerned something crucial¡ªthe person targeting her knew she belonged to the Ning Family and must be from a significant family in Capital City, who knew that the Li family currently had protection from higher up. They wouldn¡¯t dare provoke the Li family now, to avoid displeasing the upper echelons, which would have severe consequences.


    Chu Dongsheng knew the background of his superiors, but he was unaware of the Li family¡¯s strength, suggesting that his superiors hadn¡¯t informed him of the Li family¡¯s might, intending for him to be mere cannon fodder.


    Alternatively, it might be that the other party genuinely disregarded the Li family, meaning their backing was even stronger, possibly even dismissing the upper level¡¯s care for the Li family.


    "Mr. Chu, it seems we really don¡¯t see eye to eye," said Ning Xin¡¯er, who felt no need to beat around the bush with Chu Dongsheng any longer.


    With a stern face, Chu Dongsheng said, "Ning Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t be ungrateful. Although you are a woman from the Ning family, women from big families are nothing special; eventually, all must marry and belong to another family. Moreover, you¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for years, don¡¯t play innocent. Do you know how many men have been with you? It won¡¯t be any different with me."


    Upon hearing these words, Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s anger flared, and she suddenly stood up, fiercely slamming the table, shouting, "Chu Dongsheng, watch your mouth!"


    "Oh wow, really impressive, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t have to be clean today; you must comply today even if you don¡¯t want to. Do you think I¡¯d allow you to leave this place?"


    "Shameless!" Ning Xin¡¯er threw a cup of water in Chu Dongsheng¡¯s face, and Li Xinyue, not to be outdone, threw a cup of wine at him too.


    Chu Dongsheng, furious, slammed the table and shouted, "People, come here; today I want to have my way with her, and I want to see how it can¡¯t be done!"


    As soon as Chu Dongsheng¡¯s voice fell, the door of the private room was pushed open, and four people walked in briskly, their demeanor and posture making it clear even to those like Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue, who were not versed in martial arts, that these were highly skilled experts.


    There was not a trace of panic on the faces of Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue. Ning Xin¡¯er disdainfully said, "Mr. Chu, you really are bold."


    Chu Dongsheng laughed heartily, "I¡¯ve always been daring, especially when it comes to women; my courage is even greater."


    Ning Xin¡¯er snorted, "Then do you know that this is Mile City, our film and television company belongs to the Mile City Li family, do you understand what it means to touch a member of the Li family?"


    A strange expression flickered across Chu Dongsheng¡¯s face as he shouted, "The Li family... I really don¡¯t care about them. Even if I slept with you, what could the Li family do to me?"


    "It seems you are not so confident, coming at me like this must be part of some other scheme, right?"


    Hearing Ning Xin¡¯er say this, a trace of panic appeared on Chu Dongsheng¡¯s face, and he angrily shouted, "Get her for me!"


    Ning Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression grew even more disdainful, "So, Chu Dongsheng, you¡¯re just a lackey. I really did overestimate you. I advise you not to act rashly, or you will die very miserably."


    "Get them... Get them..." At this moment, Chu Dongsheng suddenly appeared somewhat hysterical. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Those four men immediately charged at Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue, but just then the window was suddenly yanked open, and a figure flashed in, it was Li Yifei.


    "Husband, there¡¯s a conspiracy here," Ning Xin¡¯er warned.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "No matter the conspiracy, I¡¯ll beat them up first. Anyone who dares to mess with the Li family will not be spared!" ?His body swayed, and he had already intercepted those four men, throwing punches and kicks, instantly knocking them to the ground.


    These four looked tough, but they were just average fighters, not real experts, only particularly fierce, and in front of Li Yifei, they stood no chance at all.


    Seeing Li Yifei take action, Chu Dongsheng¡¯s eyes revealed a panicked look, but he immediately puffed out his chest, shouting loudly, "Who are you, do you know who I am? How dare you hit people here?"


    Li Yifei stepped over the four men and came face to face with Chu Dongsheng, eyes narrowing, he said, "You don¡¯t know who I am?"


    Chu Dongsheng gritted his teeth, shouting with a threatening tone, "How should I know who you are, I warn you, this is a society governed by law, if you dare hit me, you are breaking the law."


    "Oh? Are you teaching me the law?" Li Yifei found it somewhat amusing, saying, "What if I don¡¯t feel like talking about the law with you?"


    Chu Dongsheng puffed up his chest, yelling, "How dare you not abide by the law? What a joke, no matter how big an official you are or how powerful your backing is, do you dare to disobey the law?"


    Li Yifei advanced another step forward, saying, "What if I just don¡¯t obey it?"


    Chu Dongsheng spoke with a tone of moral righteousness, "Do you think just because you¡¯ve established a family, you can ignore the law and do whatever you want?"


    "I am just that capricious, especially towards trash like you, I prefer to handle you more bluntly." Li Yifei raised his palm slowly saying, "These four trained men couldn¡¯t stand two hits from me, and now can¡¯t even stand up. I see your physique, Mr. Chu, doesn¡¯t seem very robust. If my slap lands on you, I¡¯m not sure if it would cripple you on the spot."


    Chu Dongsheng looked at the four men he brought along, who were some of the toughest fighters by his side. He thought they wouldn¡¯t be subdued so easily, but these four were truly no match for Li Yifei, showing just how formidable Li Yifei was. Normally indulging in luxury, playing with numerous female celebrities, if he didn¡¯t care for physical training, his body would remain weak. If Li Yifei struck him hard, he truly didn¡¯t know if he could endure it.


    His face twitched violently, Chu Dongsheng gritted his teeth and shouted: "Li Yifei, don¡¯t be too arrogant. Do you think you¡¯re really that great? Even if you have wealth and power, and people to back you up, if you dare touch me, I will make you regret it deeply."


    "Really?" Li Yifei grabbed Chu Dongsheng by the neck, saying, "Then I¡¯ll have to see how you make me regret it."


    Chu Dongsheng¡¯s neck was clamped, and his breathing became labored. He hurriedly tried to pry Li Yifei¡¯s hand away, but his grip was as strong as a vise, utterly immovable. In desperation, he tried to dig his nails in, but the back of Li Yifei¡¯s hand was like steel, breaking Chu Dongsheng¡¯s nails instantly, leaving not a single mark on Li Yifei¡¯s hand.


    "What... what are you going to do?" At this moment, Chu Dongsheng finally screamed in fright.


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened, saying, "Do you think I can¡¯t see what you¡¯re up to? Were you not instigated by someone, purposely provoking my anger, then forcing me to hit you?"


    "You... you..." Chu Dongsheng¡¯s eyes filled with increasing terror.


    Li Yifei sneered, slapped Chu Dongsheng¡¯s face with his other hand, then turned his head to look at Chen Dongping, saying, "Director Chen, as a great director, now you¡¯re acting as a cameraman. Isn¡¯t this below your talents?"


    Chen Dongping had been standing silent to one side all this time, neither speaking nor making a move, making Ning Xin¡¯er and Li Xinyue overlook his presence. Now, they all turned to look at him, his face suddenly changing, trembling and speechless.


    Li Yifei then looked back at Chu Dongsheng, smiling, and said, "Aren¡¯t you just wanting to film me being violent, then post it online to slander me? Well, I¡¯ll grant your wish. Director Chen, make sure to capture my violence well, including this young man¡¯s pitiful state, otherwise... I¡¯ll make you reshoot it a couple more times."


    Chu Dongsheng¡¯s legs went weak, he wanted to cry out for mercy, but only then did he realize that he could hardly make a sound, then he saw Li Yifei¡¯s huge fist getting bigger and bigger before his eyes... bigger and bigger.

 Chapter 1247 - 1297: It Turns Out to Be the Sun Family

    Chapter 1247: Chapter 1297: It Turns Out to Be the Sun Family"Bang!" Yifei Li heavily smashed his fist into Chu Dongsheng¡¯s eye socket.


    If Chu Dongsheng wasn¡¯t being choked by the neck by Yifei Li, he could have moved backward to avoid it; even if he couldn¡¯t avoid it completely, leaning his head back would have lessened the force. But now, he couldn¡¯t move at all, and his eye socket was solidly punched by Yifei Li.


    Only then did Yifei Li let go of Chu Dongsheng¡¯s neck, and the man finally let out a scream, covering his eyes with one hand and his neck with the other, his face contorted with pain.


    Yifei Li turned to look at Chen Dongping and said with a smile, "Director Chen, did you get all that?"


    Chen Dongping shuddered, stammering, "This... this... it¡¯s none of my business, right?"


    "None of your business? Even Director Chen has turned into a cameraman, and it¡¯s still none of your business?" Yifei Li spoke calmly at first, but then suddenly shouted, "Just shoot when I tell you to shoot, do it properly!"


    Scared, Chen Dongping¡¯s knees buckled, almost causing him to fall on his butt, but he managed to stabilize himself by holding onto a chair. Clenching his teeth, he said, "Mr. Li, please... could you be less violent? Perhaps show some... decorum, please?"


    "Decorum?" Yifei Li sneered, "You talk about decorum with me using these methods? I haven¡¯t killed you directly, consider yourselves lucky. Now just shoot when I tell you to shoot, stop the nonsense. Do I also need to personally show you how to do it?"


    Chen Dongping¡¯s mouth twitched repeatedly, his beard trembling, he grimaced but dared not say anything more.


    Yifei Li then faced Chu Dongsheng again, saying, "Feels good, doesn¡¯t it? You seem to have a masochistic tendency. If I don¡¯t satisfy it, I¡¯d really be letting you down."


    "Big brother... big brother, I was wrong, I was wrong, please let me go," Chu Dongsheng pleaded in terror, suddenly kneeling down, no longer possessing his previous arrogance. He didn¡¯t talk about laws with Yifei Li anymore; now that Li knew they were secretly filming, whatever they shot couldn¡¯t be taken away. Their plan had utterly failed, enduring further beating would truly be masochistic, so Chu Dongsheng quickly pleaded for mercy.


    "Wrong?" Yifei Li sneered once more, then suddenly, with a bang, threw another punch at Chu Dongsheng, smashing him hard and making him stumble back, struggling to get up after a long while.


    After getting up, Chu Dongsheng panted and, not daring to scream out loud, endured the pain on his eye socket and stuttered, "Big brother, Clan Leader Li, you are an important person, I am just a nobody. Stooping to my level is beneath you. Please, treat me like I¡¯m nothing, just let me go."


    "Let you go? Weren¡¯t you very arrogant just now? Didn¡¯t you disregard me, the Patriarch of the Li family?"


    "No, no, no! Clan Leader Li, you are definitely an important person; next to you, I¡¯m less than nothing. I¡¯m really being forced here, it¡¯s not my own intent to trouble you. If not, I wouldn¡¯t dare provoke you even if I had eight more guts."


    "Forced? Even you, Chu Dongsheng, can be pressured into doing things you don¡¯t want to do? Even going as far as seeking a beating? I see that you don¡¯t appreciate kindness and are indeed seeking death. If I don¡¯t deal with you, how can our Li family still stand in this world?"


    The more Yifei Li spoke, the fiercer he appeared, seemingly ready to tear Chu Dongsheng apart alive, which terrified Chu Dongsheng into repeatedly kowtowing and pleading urgently, "Clan Leader Li, I don¡¯t have the guts for this, really, it was the Sunx family from the province who made me do this."


    "The Sunx family?" This was an unexpectedly revealing answer for Yifei Li.


    Chu Dongsheng hurriedly explained, "Yes, it¡¯s the Sunx family. Didn¡¯t something happen here with Sunx Kangping from their family? The Sunx family has been holding a grudge, so they had me stir up trouble with you, then upload a video of you beating someone to tarnish the reputation of the Li family online. If it gets big enough to draw attention from higher-ups, they might even completely destroy the Li family."


    "Didn¡¯t you say you had a large Capital City family backing you up?" Yifei Li asked, frowning.


    "That was just a cover that the Sunx family wanted me to use to prevent tracing back to them, even if you found some clues, it couldn¡¯t lead to them."


    Yifei Li looked at Chen Dongping, who hurriedly added, "It¡¯s true, it was indeed arranged by the Sunx family."


    Yifei Li, Ning Xin¡¯er, and Li Xinyue all looked at each other, initially thinking this was another incident orchestrated by some prominent family from the province, only to find out it was actually the Sunx family.


    Yifei Li continued asking, "Then the incident a while back involving our actors and director leaving, was that also the Sunx family¡¯s doing?"


    Chu Dongsheng and Chen Dongping both shook their heads. Chu Dongsheng spoke first, "We don¡¯t know about this. I only got involved because our media company has always been closely connected with the Sunx family, so when they approached me, I had to comply."


    Chen Dongping quickly added, "I wasn¡¯t clear about it either. I got involved because I owed the Sunx family a favor, so I had to help them with this."


    Seeing the expressions of the two men, Li Yifei thought that they didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Looking into Chu Dongsheng¡¯s eyes, Li Yifei asked, "Who arranged this? Who contacted you?"


    Feeling uneasy under Li Yifei¡¯s intense gaze, Chu Dongsheng knew that avoiding eye contact would only betray his guilt. Meeting Li Yifei¡¯s eyes squarely, he said, "The one who contacted us was Sunx Kangping¡¯s mother, Ma Dongxiang."


    Ma Dongxiang... Li Yifei recalled this woman, a notoriously overbearing figure, especially in her behavior towards Lin Qiong. Back then, they did not confront her beyond what was necessary due to her grief over losing her child.


    Li Yifei¡¯s dealings with the Sunx family later on were exclusively handled with the Patriarch Sunx Fugui, not Ma Dongxiang, who lacked sufficient status.


    Li Yifei had stopped interfering in matters concerning the Sunx family, and although Sunx Fugui was surely discontent, Li Yifei felt that a clan leader like Sunx Fugui wouldn¡¯t stoop so low to cause trouble, and if he did, he wouldn¡¯t make it so blatantly obvious. Thus, it was very likely that this was Ma Dongxiang¡¯s own initiative.


    Decisively, Li Yifei called Sunx Fugui. Regardless of who was involved, it was time to seek verification from the other party, which was completely acceptable. Previously, Li Yifei was interested in an iron mine, but the deal fell through due to the murder of Sunx Kangping. If it turned out that Ma Dongxiang was behind this, Li Yifei could leverage that to secure the iron mine.


    "Clan leader Li, how can I help?", Sunx Fugui¡¯s tone was very cold.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Clan Leader Sunx, we are both clan leaders after all. If you truly believe that I killed your grandson, you could directly confront me. I, Li Yifei, would definitely give you an explanation. However, accusing me without any evidence isn¡¯t right, wouldn¡¯t you agree?"


    "What are you talking about?" Sunx Fugui immediately demanded in a stern voice.


    Li Yifei immediately knew that Sunx Fugui was unaware of the situation. Nonetheless, blaming it on Sunx Fugui initially seemed most apt. With a cold laugh, he said, "Clan Leader Sunx, though the Li family is newly established, we have our dignity too. To think that you¡¯d stoop to sending people to frame us and drive us to our demise, isn¡¯t that a bit too cruel?"


    "Clan Leader Li, you are slandering me," Sunx Fugui retorted, "I, Sunx Fugui, wouldn¡¯t take any action without a thorough investigation. As a clan leader yourself, if you were to do so, wouldn¡¯t all major families become targets of public condemnation?"


    Li Yifei grunted, saying, "Clan Leader Sunx, you really know how to shirk responsibility. Right now, the individuals are in my hands, Chu Dongsheng of East Media and the renowned Director Chen Dongping. I did not know these men before, but today they tried to frame me and ended up captured. They¡¯ve confessed repeatedly that your family sent them to deal with me."


    "Them... Clan leader Li, aren¡¯t you the least bit suspicious that someone might be deliberately framing me, intentionally provoking a dispute between our two families?"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Clan Leader Sunx, initially I considered it that way too, but I¡¯ve already interrogated them. They repeatedly stated that Ma Dongxiang from your Sunx family sent them. How could this be false? Since Clan Leader Sunx, you don¡¯t admit it, let¡¯s take this matter to the provincial level, let the major families judge whether your Sunx family has gone too far?"


    "Ma Dongxiang!" Sunx Fugui¡¯s tone suddenly grew sharper, then he angrily exclaimed, "Clan leader Li, if she indeed did this, I will naturally give you an explanation."


    After hanging up, Sunx Fugui immediately speculated that Li Yifei¡¯s claims could very well be true. He ordered sternly, "Bring Ma Dongxiang to me."


    An hour later, both Ma Dongxiang and Sunx Mingli hurried over. Seeing the old man¡¯s livid face, Ma Dongxiang was puzzled and asked, "Dad, why did you summon me?"


    "Idiot!" Sunx Fugui angrily smashed a teacup, startling both Ma Dongxiang and Sunx Mingli.


    Frantically, Sunx Mingli inquired, "Dad, what happened?"


    "What happened? You two really have some nerve. You went after Li Yifei. I told you before, the Li family is not simple. Without absolute certainty, we should not mess with him. But you did exactly that, hiring fools to deal with him. Now the people are in his hands. It¡¯s utter incompetence and mismanagement." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The color drained from Ma Dongxiang¡¯s face as she realized that she was the one who had orchestrated this. Not only had she failed, but she now also had to face her father¡¯s wrath.

 Chapter 1248 - 1298: Demands

    Chapter 1248: Chapter 1298: Demands"Dad, what¡¯s so great about the Li family? They didn¡¯t fall for it this time because they were lucky. If I had managed to pull it off, they would have been dead this time." Ma Dongxiang knew she would be scolded by the old man for this, but she felt the need to defend herself.


    "Managed to pull it off?" Sunx Fugui was so angry he really wanted to slap his daughter-in-law twice, "You are truly naive. Do you know who Li Yifei is? Could someone who has established his own family be an idiot? With just those little tricks of yours, anyone with a little bit of brains wouldn¡¯t fall for it. It¡¯s really something that you could even think of that."


    Ma Dongxiang felt her face flush with Sunx Fugui¡¯s words; wasn¡¯t he calling her brainless? Only the old man could say such things. Otherwise, she would have lost her temper by now. She said, "Dad, even if he saw through it, so what? Our family¡¯s Kangping died because of him. Whether or not he was the one who did it, he must take responsibility."


    Sunx Fugui glared at her angrily and said, "Do you think that after you make a fuss, this will all go away? The last time Kangping went to trouble Li Yifei, he demanded an iron mine from me. Now you¡¯ve caused such a mess, do you think he¡¯ll let such an opportunity pass easily?"


    "What else can he do? My son died at his place, and now he¡¯s doing nothing about it. If he won¡¯t do anything, neither will we. I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything he can do about it!"


    "Fool!" Sunx Fugui slammed the table fiercely and shouted, "We don¡¯t have any evidence, so we can¡¯t do anything to him directly, but those two idiots you found have fallen into his hands. Do you think he¡¯ll let them go so easily?"


    "Then we just won¡¯t admit it. Otherwise, aren¡¯t we just as easy to frame by grabbing any two people and saying they¡¯re sent by the Li family? That way, we could accuse them too."


    "Get lost!" Sunx Fugui¡¯s face turned an iron blue. If it was his own daughter, he would have slapped her hard by now. How stupid this woman could be! He really didn¡¯t understand how he had chosen her as his daughter-in-law. Sunx Kangping was just like his mother; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so incapable and ended up losing his life in such a muddleheaded way.


    Ma Dongxiang pursed her lips, wanting to say more, but Sunx Mingli quickly pulled her out. He was completely unaware of this matter and was equally furious. This troublesome woman really could stir up trouble.


    After calming down, Sunx Fugui called back Li Yifei¡¯s phone.


    "Clan leader Li, I have already investigated the matter clearly. It was indeed done by our Sunx family." Even if Ma Dongxiang was atrocious, she was part of their Sunx family. As the head of the family, he had to stand up for his family members. Moreover, Sunx Fugui was not a weak person. He would be firm when necessary because if he didn¡¯t stand firm now, it would completely let Li Yifei take the initiative.


    By now, Li Yifei had already returned home and was sitting in the living room, enjoying the oranges that Su Yiyi was peeling for him.


    But upon seeing Sunx Fugui¡¯s call, he immediately dropped his leisurely demeanor, becoming visibly angry, "Clan Leader Sunx, are you trying to bully people with your power?"


    Sunx Fugui snorted and said, "Your Li family can disregard the death of my grandson, but I, Sunx Fugui, am someone who takes responsibility. The things our Sunx family does, we admit to."


    "That¡¯s right, your Sunx family is wealthy and influential, and my Li family is small and less powerful, but my Li family is not so easily bullied. Let¡¯s go to the major families and talk reason tomorrow."


    Sunx Fugui had known Li Yifei would say this, snorted again, and said, "This matter was done by someone from my Sunx family, and I admit it. But it does not mean that the Sunx family agrees with such decisions, so you don¡¯t need to beat around the bush with me. Both you and I know full well."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Clan Leader Sunx is indeed a straightforward man. In that case, I will speak plainly¡ªI still want that iron mine."


    "Fine!" Sunx Baogui said with only a simple word.


    "Clan Leader Sunx is straightforward indeed. Then, I thank you, Clan Leader Sunx."


    Li Yifei did not demand any further conditions. It was clear that being able to secure this concession was already the biggest compromise from Sunx Fugui. Rather than wasting more words, it was better to take what was offered.


    The next day, Li Yifei arrived at the front courtyard, where Chu Dongsheng and Chen Dongping were being held.


    These two guys usually had quite a status in society, but here, in the sight of Li Yifei¡¯s ferocious security personnel, both of them were shivering with fear. Even though they had only seen a corner of the garden, they had realized the strength of Li Yifei, which truly was not something they could afford to provoke.


    They hadn¡¯t slept well this whole night, not knowing what Li Yifei would do to them. Perhaps Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t dare to kill them outright, but he would dare to give them a severe beating. So they were in constant fear. Getting involved in conflicts between such large families, they felt it was quite unwise.


    "Clan leader Li..." Upon seeing Li Yifei come in, the two men quickly stood up and respectfully greeted him.


    Li Yifei nodded and addressed Chu Dongsheng, "You can go." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go?" Chu Dongsheng could hardly believe his ears.


    Behind Li Yifei, Sophia glared and scolded, "Nonsense? Do you want to stay here? I don¡¯t want to waste food."


    "Thank you, Clan leader Li. Thank you, Clan leader Li." Chu Dongsheng quickly bowed several times to Li Yifei, then hurried towards the door. But just as he reached the door, he stopped again, turned around and stammered, "Clan leader Li... you... you wouldn¡¯t be thinking of... sending me off, would you?" Towards the end, Chu Dongsheng¡¯s face had turned deathly pale, with his legs trembling.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Chu Dongsheng¡¯s words, saying, "You must have watched too many movies. Just a reminder, if you dare trouble me again in the future, I won¡¯t let you off so easily."


    Only then did Chu Dongsheng feel immense joy, and hurriedly expressed his thanks several times before running out, with someone naturally leading him out.


    "Clan Leader Li...I..." Chen Dongping was even more afraid by this time. Li Yifei had let Chu Dongsheng go but kept him behind, which meant things did not bode well for him.


    Li Yifei walked over to Chen Dongping, and Sophia immediately pulled over a chair for Li Yifei to sit down, then stood behind him.


    Li Yifei looked at Chen Dongping with narrowed eyes and said, "Director Chen, that kid Chu Dongsheng paid a sufficient price before I let him go."


    Chen Dongping, not as weak as Chu Dongsheng, was also quivering as he spoke, "Clan Leader Li...I...whatever amount you want, I can give you. Just please spare me."


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "Director Chen, do you really think I need the money?"


    Chen Dongping¡¯s mouth twitched, saying, "Clan Leader Li, I know you don¡¯t lack money, but I really don¡¯t have anything else."


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "You do have something."


    "Mine? What else do I have? Ah, Clan Leader Li, I only have one daughter, you can¡¯t target her... She¡¯s only fifteen."


    "Pfft!" Sophia suddenly burst out laughing from behind.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face went dark as he said with annoyance, "Do I look like the kind of person who would abduct commoners¡¯ daughters?"


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, Chen Dongping immediately breathed a sigh of relief and apologized, "Clan Leader Li, please forgive my nonsense."


    Li Yifei did not want to play guessing games with him anymore and said, "Director Chen, I want you to take on the director role for my film and television company."


    "Ah?" Chen Dongping¡¯s eyes widened in shock at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei looked at Chen Dongping and said calmly, "There¡¯s no need to be surprised. If you accept the offer, I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones, but if you refuse, I will still spare you..."


    "I accept! I accept..." Chen Dongping hastily interrupted before Li Yifei could finish, not wanting to hear the twist that might follow. It was just missing out on directing one of Director Bai¡¯s films, after all¡ªa matter of not earning money for one year.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, your contract will remain the same as before. I won¡¯t make you work for nothing. I just need you to do one more thing for me."


    Chen Dongping hadn¡¯t expected to still get paid, and though he didn¡¯t dare accept the money, since Li Yifei had said so, further words could annoy him. Besides, what else he needed to do was probably the key point, and he quickly replied, "Of course, please give your instructions, Clan Leader Li."


    Li Yifei took a drag from his cigarette and said, "From now on, if anyone tries to stop you from working with my film and television company, you must notify me immediately. Ideally, you should try to put them off and stall for time, understand?"


    "Understood, understood!" Chen Dongping nodded repeatedly.


    Li Yifei also nodded, saying, "Well then, I won¡¯t keep you any longer, Director Chen; there will be plenty of opportunities for cooperation in the future."


    After Chen Dongping left, Li Yifei said to Sophia, "Sophia, make sure to keep a close watch on this Chen Dongping for me. I¡¯m curious to see who wants to go against me."


    Sophia nodded and replied, "Master, I know what to do."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Sophia, increasingly satisfied with this apprentice. Sophia was capable of handling many things well on his behalf, sparing him any worries with just a command. He smiled slightly and said, "Sophia, gradually, I will teach you everything I know."


    Sophia clenched her fists and said, "Thank you, Master." She was clearly aware of her improvements during this period and knew that Li Yifei would soon make even greater strides. The gap between them would only widen, but as long as Li Yifei taught her all he knew, she believed she too would become stronger, eventually reaching the peak like Li Yifei.


    "By the way, have you found that adversary of yours?"


    "Not yet, but once I find him, I¡¯ll definitely make him pay." Sophia confidently tilted her head back; that person had only been a bit stronger than her, and now that she had improved so much, meeting that person again would undoubtedly result in a thrashing.

 Chapter 1249 - 1299: Mengxin Gave Birth

    Chapter 1249: Chapter 1299: Mengxin Gave BirthThe Sun Family¡¯s iron mine finally fell into Li Yifei¡¯s hands, this time Ma Dongxiang wasn¡¯t killed by anyone, and even if someone had wanted to, Chen Dongping didn¡¯t receive a single call telling him to stop directing the movie.


    It must be because they knew Li Yifei was investigating them, so now they were acting more cautiously, or perhaps having annoyed Li Yifei once, they were not in a hurry to deal with him now.


    Li Yifei now felt that there were indeed many potential enemies around, always catching him off guard, making it impossible for him to identify who the opponent was. His previous contempt for the big families had completely vanished; their power was far too great. This was why the higher-ups were uneasy about these big families. They could even influence the formulation of national policies, which was not a good thing for a country. These families no longer fit in with modern society, hence the need for new families like Li Yifei¡¯s to replace them.


    With these issues settled down, Su Mengxin was finally about to give birth, which was certainly a major event for the Li family.


    Not only for the Li family, but the Su family also considered it a grand event; a few days before the due date, Su Mengxin¡¯s parents rushed over.


    In addition, the mothers of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong also hurried over. Even though Su Mengxin was not their daughter, after meeting her, they knew that someone like Su Mengxin, a treasured daughter of heaven, was definitely the most crucial figure in their families. And knowing that Su Mengxin was carrying a boy, while Li Yifei already had two girls and was only lacking a son, they became anxious too.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t let Su Mengxin give birth in the hospital, but at home instead. Originally, the Li family residence had a small medical room, which was later expanded due to the increasing number of women in the Li family and their frequent medical needs. They specifically hired two renowned gynecologists, along with an internist, a surgeon, and a few nurses, so that the Li family members didn¡¯t need to rush to the hospital for every minor ailment; most issues could be handled at home.


    Moreover, to prepare for childbirth, Li Yifei had spared no expense in purchasing various medical equipment for labor and delivery. It could be said that giving birth at Li Yifei¡¯s home was no less safe than in the hospital.


    Everyone gathered at home, making the Li household a bustling scene, and these mothers-in-law were certainly not people Li Yifei dared to offend.


    As soon as the mothers of Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong arrived, the two daughters-in-law were in a rather unfortunate position because neither of them had become pregnant yet, which made their mothers very anxious. Nagging, as it inevitably happens, followed. Xu Yingying wanted to conceive but couldn¡¯t, whereas Lin Qiong genuinely did not want children that early. There would be more and more children in the family; it wouldn¡¯t make much difference if she didn¡¯t have one herself.


    "Yingying, why haven¡¯t you had a baby yet? Mengxin is giving birth in a couple of days, and both Ling¡¯er and Lianyao are showing. If a woman doesn¡¯t bear children, how can she hold any status at home?"


    With no choice, Xu Yingying replied, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to have a child; I just can¡¯t get pregnant."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother frowned and said, "But didn¡¯t the checks say everything was fine? So why can¡¯t you get pregnant? Is there some problem they didn¡¯t find? I¡¯ll help you look for some traditional remedies later; you can try them, maybe they will work."


    If it had been said earlier, Xu Yingying would have dismissed the suggestion, but this time she hesitated and replied, "All right, I¡¯ll try them later."


    "That¡¯s good, I¡¯ll make a phone call right now. Old Zhao¡¯s daughter at my workplace just couldn¡¯t get pregnant; after taking a remedy, she conceived not long after. I¡¯ll ask her for it."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mother went to make a phone call, and at this point, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother started bombarding Lin Qiong.


    "Little Qiong, you don¡¯t have a problem, do you?"


    Rolling her eyes, Lin Qiong retorted, "I don¡¯t have any problems; I¡¯m very healthy."


    "Then why aren¡¯t you pregnant?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother asked with a worried frown.


    "How many times do I have to say I don¡¯t want one yet?"


    Getting a bit irritated, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother said, "How can you not want one? Look how many are about to give birth; how can you not be anxious at all?"


    "I don¡¯t want one, so of course, I¡¯m not anxious. Mom, you should really stop worrying about this. You like kids, there are so many in the family, and they all call me ¡¯mom¡¯ anyway, and they¡¯d call you ¡¯granny¡¯ just the same. So, enjoy it."


    "Is it the same? They are not your own flesh and blood; there¡¯s always a difference. Besides, the children call me ¡¯granny,¡¯ but they always add a surname, don¡¯t they? If it¡¯s your child, there¡¯s no need for the surname, and it sounds completely different."


    "Anyway, I just don¡¯t feel like it. At least not for now. I am at a critical point in my career. If I got pregnant and had a big belly, what could I possibly do?"


    "What career or no career. A woman¡¯s life is about marrying and having children. With such good conditions in this household, do you even need to work that hard? Being a good wife and teaching your children, that¡¯s a woman¡¯s true role. Look at Mengxin; she¡¯s so capable. Do you think you can outdo her? But even she is diligently having Yifei¡¯s children and being a good wife. You should really learn more from Mengxin."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes and responded, "Mengxin is Mengxin, and I am me, okay? Not everyone thinks the same way."


    "You child, you¡¯re just as obstinate as your father, it¡¯s infuriating."


    Seeing her mother genuinely upset, Lin Qiong had to concede, saying, "Okay, okay, don¡¯t get angry, I promise you, just wait another two years, and I¡¯ll definitely have one then, isn¡¯t that okay?"


    "You said it yourself; if you don¡¯t give birth within two years, I will make sure you won¡¯t be a department head anymore,"


    Lin Qiong nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, I will definitely give birth. Please, just stop nagging about it."


    Having finally soothed the two elders, Xu Yingying and Lin Qiong left the villa together. They exchanged a look, and Xu Yingying shook her head, saying: "Lin Qiong, I¡¯m envious of you now. You can give birth but choose not to, while I want to but can¡¯t."


    Lin Qiong took Xu Yingying¡¯s arm and said, "You¡¯re just too anxious. The doctors have already checked and found nothing wrong with you; it¡¯s definitely not a physical issue. It might be because you¡¯re too eager. Just relax, and soon you¡¯ll be pregnant."


    "I hope so," Xu Yingying shook her head. She became less and less confident. She couldn¡¯t understand why getting pregnant had to be so difficult.


    "Mrs. Xu, Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Su is about to give birth!" A nanny rushed over in a hurry, calling out with a sweaty forehead.


    Lin Qiong and Xu Yingying hurriedly ran towards the delivery room, while the nanny went on to notify the others.


    After the preliminary examinations, all indicators for the fetus and Su Mengxin were normal. She could now choose the mode of childbirth, either natural delivery or cesarean section.


    Su Mengxin, like Ye Yunzhu, opted for natural childbirth. In the delivery room, Li Yifei accompanied her. Having been through this once already, he was nervous but not as clueless as the last time.


    Holding one of Su Mengxin¡¯s hands, with the other he gently wiped her sweat. Li Yifei said softly, "Mengxin, don¡¯t be afraid, just do as the doctor says."


    Su Mengxin was already in the pre-labor stage, her forehead sweaty. She forced a smile and said, "I know, I¡¯ve talked to Yunzhu about it many times."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s just a bit painful - just endure it and it¡¯ll pass."


    "Don¡¯t worry, husband, a little life is about to be born. I can withstand some suffering. I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing our baby boy. Hehe, I just wonder if he¡¯ll look like you or me."


    "Of course, like you - you¡¯re so beautiful."


    "What¡¯s the point of a boy being so pretty? I¡¯d still prefer him to take after you, and you¡¯re very handsome too," she said.


    The doctor looked at the couple, impressed. It was indeed best for childbirth when the mother wasn¡¯t nervous and the father was relaxed. But when faced with such a situation, how many couples could truly relax?


    After a while, Su Mengxin¡¯s brow furrowed and her face finally showed signs of tension. She gripped Li Yifei¡¯s hand tightly. The doctor exclaimed, "The water has broken, it¡¯s time to give birth. Take a deep breath now, and push when I tell you to."


    "Wife, don¡¯t be afraid, you can do it. If it hurts, bite my arm," Li Yifei brought his arm to Su Mengxin¡¯s mouth.


    "No need, just give me a towel."


    "No way, you¡¯re in so much pain giving birth; I have to share some of that pain with you. At the very least, I need to feel your pain, only then is it fair," he insisted.


    At that moment, Su Mengxin could still manage a beautiful smile.


    "Push!"


    "Push!" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the doctor commanded, Su Mengxin clenched her teeth and started pushing hard. When the pain became more intense, she finally bit down on Li Yifei¡¯s arm until the cry of a newborn tore through the delivery room.


    Su Mengxin indeed gave birth to a boy. When the nurse brought the child before Li Yifei and Su Mengxin, both smiled with happiness. No matter how painful it was, the sight of their own child being born made it all worthwhile.


    Knowing that mother and son were safe, joy spread throughout the compound. Li Yifei finally had a son, a continuation of the Li family lineage, just like the firstborn son of a great ancient household, a highly valued heir. The Li family was the same now.


    Even though boys and girls are seen as equal in the eyes of their parents these days, in a large family, it is still expected that a capable boy will be the one to inherit. This is a tradition, a normal view of human relationships. If such a large family were to be handed over to daughters, and the daughters married off, wouldn¡¯t the entire family have to change its surname?

 Chapter 1250 - 1300: The Son is Missing

    Chapter 1250: Chapter 1300: The Son is MissingThe Li family was blessed with a baby boy, and not only were Li Yifei and Su Mengxin excited, but the entire family was also thrilled. When the little one was carried out, everyone gathered around, eagerly inspecting him from head to toe.


    "The little guy¡¯s nose looks just like Yifei¡¯s!"


    "Yeah, yeah, and his mouth looks like Mengxin¡¯s. His forehead even resembles Mengxin¡¯s too."


    "No, no, I think the nose looks more like Mengxin¡¯s instead."


    In truth, newborns rarely resemble anyone; they all look similar. It¡¯s hard to say if they¡¯re good-looking or not¡ªthey change a lot as they grow. A child who looks plain now might grow up to be stunning, while one who¡¯s adorable as a baby might turn out to be just average in adulthood.


    That said, everyone was simply too excited, and discussing this topic was the easiest and most straightforward thing to do.


    Little Yifei lay by the bedside, wide-eyed, staring intently at her baby brother. Meanwhile, Little Yixiang, who had just recently learned to crawl, nestled in Ye Yunzhu¡¯s arms, blinking her big eyes as she kept looking at the little brother on the bed.


    Their eldest daughter, Yifei, and youngest daughter, Yixiang, now had a baby brother, whom Li Yifei named Li Zheng.


    The name didn¡¯t sound particularly grand, but it held significant meaning. As the eldest son of the Li family, born from Su Mengxin, an exceptionally intelligent woman, this boy was bound to inherit their remarkable genes and grow into an extraordinary man. However, if such a man steered himself in the right direction, it would be a blessing to the Li family; but if he became a reckless scoundrel, he would spell disaster. Thus, Li Yifei hoped his eldest son would grow to be a man of honor, someone worthy to inherit the position of family head in the future.


    Two daughters and a son, with two more children due to arrive¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s family was thriving, to say the least.


    Li Yifei was quite busy these days. As the family¡¯s head, he naturally needed to inform all direct relatives of the good news¡ªnot just his few aunts at home but also the parents of his many wives. It was a matter of courtesy, and as the clan chief, he personally made calls to share his joy with everyone.


    The Li family had an heir now, so this event couldn¡¯t just be celebrated quietly within the household. When the baby turned one month old, the Li family held a grand full moon banquet and invited numerous guests.


    While the status of the guests wasn¡¯t quite as lofty as those who attended during the Li family¡¯s founding, representatives from major families of the Capital City still came to extend their congratulations, demonstrating their esteem for the Li family. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, few provincial families attended. Other than the Ye family, the rest hadn¡¯t been invited by Li Yifei at all.


    With the joyful celebration of their son completed, the Li family returned to tranquility. Over the past month, the family hadn¡¯t encountered any major issues. The company¡¯s operations were running smoothly¡ªshipping had already completed its first voyage, the real estate arm had secured a plot of land and was set for groundbreaking after the new year, and the film company¡¯s initial troubles had been resolved. With Chen Dongping as the director and a few A-list actors onboard, the production had proceeded without further disruptions.


    "Honey, I want to take the baby out shopping today. Is that okay?" Over breakfast, Su Mengxin proposed cheerfully.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Of course, go ahead. But taking a baby that small along¡ªisn¡¯t it more of a hassle for you?"


    Su Mengxin smiled sweetly and replied, "I just feel like holding him. Otherwise, I won¡¯t feel at ease if I go out without him."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright then, go on. Just bring a couple of extra people along¡ªit¡¯ll make things easier with the baby."


    "Got it. Lianyao and Ling¡¯er will be coming with me today."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t accompany Su Mengxin to shop; he had too many matters to attend to and no time to spare. Weekends were perhaps a possibility.


    Once at the office, Li Yifei became absorbed in his usual hectic schedule, but close to 10 a.m., Su Mengxin¡¯s call came through. He picked up immediately, ready to speak, but was met with her crying on the other end: "Honey, our son is missing! He¡¯s gone!"


    "What?!" Li Yifei shot up from his chair, sending the executive chair skidding far back until it hit the wall.


    "Honey... the baby¡¯s gone... sob..." Su Mengxin was crying uncontrollably.


    "Don¡¯t cry. Tell me what happened. Crying won¡¯t solve anything," Li Yifei said, forcing himself to calm down as he comforted Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin, normally composed even under immense pressure, was utterly distraught this time¡ªthis wasn¡¯t something she could keep calm over. Between sobs, she struggled to explain.


    Li Yifei said urgently, "Pass the phone to someone nearby."


    A bodyguard¡¯s voice quickly came on: "Sir, it¡¯s our fault..."


    "I don¡¯t want to hear excuses. Tell me exactly what happened." Li Yifei didn¡¯t rush to head over; he needed a clear understanding of the situation before formulating a proper response.


    "Four of us accompanied the three madams at New Century Mall. The young master was in the stroller, and we constantly monitored the surroundings," the bodyguard explained.


    "Six minutes ago, Madam was in the restroom changing the young master¡¯s diaper. We had already thoroughly checked the restroom beforehand¡ªthere were no outsiders. But after Madam entered, someone broke in through the window and snatched the young master."


    "The other three bodyguards have already gone after the person, but they were incredibly fast¡ªit¡¯s going to be difficult to catch up."


    Li Yifei frowned deeply and said, "Got it. I¡¯m heading over now."


    He hung up and immediately called Sophia, requesting her to arrange manpower for an investigation. Then, he contacted Brother Hu to mobilize all underground forces in Mile City. Lastly, he tasked Lin Qiong with organizing police assistance.


    In this instant, Li Yifei had activated both the black-market and legal forces across Mile City.


    However, he didn¡¯t hold high hopes of anyone finding his son quickly. The perpetrators had clearly planned meticulously and were highly skilled.


    Li Yifei also suspected the kidnappers weren¡¯t after his son¡¯s life¡ªthey likely had ulterior motives. So, he decided to wait for them to make their demands. For now, he wanted to see who dared to take his son.


    "You can come at me with schemes and tactics¡ªbut once you touch my family, there¡¯s no turning back. If I find you, I¡¯ll make you regret everything!"


    Li Yifei swore intensely in his heart, his seldom-seen fury blazing. This time, he was truly enraged. The palpable killing intent filled his car, and the temperature inside seemed to drop as a result.

 Chapter 1251 - 1301: No News Yet

    Chapter 1251: Chapter 1301: No News Yet"Honey! It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have taken our son out. You told me not to, but I insisted. It¡¯s all my fault... sob..."


    In Li Yifei¡¯s car, Su Mengxin hugged him tightly, crying and blaming herself relentlessly.


    Li Yifei gently patted Su Mengxin¡¯s back and said, "This isn¡¯t your fault. Clearly, the other side had premeditated this. Even if you hadn¡¯t taken him out this time, as long as he was brought out, they would have made their move."


    "Who would do this? Why would they steal our son? I¡¯d rather they take me instead. I don¡¯t want them to take him away! He¡¯s so little, only a month old... sob..."


    "Calm down. Crying won¡¯t solve the problem right now. What we need to do is find our son."


    But Li Yifei honestly didn¡¯t have much confidence at this moment. Earlier, he carefully inquired about the details of the incident. All the bodyguards had been diligent and responsible; there hadn¡¯t been any negligence. Even when Su Mengxin took the baby to the restroom, a female bodyguard had accompanied her.


    However, the perpetrator had entered through the window, and their skills were impressively superior. In a single move, they had subdued the bodyguard accompanying Su Mengxin. It was important to note that this bodyguard had excellent combat skills, and under Li Yifei¡¯s recent guidance, had seen great improvement. Yet this bodyguard couldn¡¯t withstand even a single move, which meant the assailant¡¯s skills were at least on par with Sophia¡¯s current level.


    The intruder forced the bodyguard back with one move and immediately took the child, acting with astonishing speed. It was evident they were highly focused on their target. Once they were outside, they disappeared immediately, suggesting external accomplices.


    This was undoubtedly a preplanned operation carried out by someone who had thoroughly tracked Su Mengxin¡¯s movements.


    A one-month-old baby has indistinct features, making it hard to identify him. The only distinguishing factor is a tiny birthmark under his armpit, but it¡¯s barely noticeable and can only be seen by lifting his arm.


    Additionally, there were his clothes. However, considering how meticulous the perpetrator was, they would likely change the baby¡¯s clothes immediately, rendering this clue useless.


    Li Yifei was now waiting. If someone had kidnapped his son, they must have a motive. He was waiting for their demands. Only once a request was made could he devise a targeted plan. Right now, searching randomly was entirely directionless.


    Yet Li Yifei waited a full day without receiving a single call from the other side. Additionally, all the search efforts produced no good news. They not only failed to locate the child but also stoked chaos. Brother Hu¡¯s subordinates, eager to prove themselves, began snatching babies from mothers on sight for inspection, leading to countless police reports and complaints.


    By evening, Li Yifei finally decided to halt Brother Hu¡¯s efforts. Not only was it ineffective, but it also caused widespread panic, ultimately hurting the Li family¡¯s reputation considerably.


    Li Yifei summoned Sophia to his study. Sophia bore an aura of cold fury. As the head of the Li family¡¯s security, she was deeply angered by this incident.


    "Master, I¡¯ve had people discreetly monitor the four individuals who were with us today. Their reactions have all been perfectly normal¡ªremorseful, guilty, and self-critical. Additionally, I¡¯ve thoroughly investigated everyone who knew about Madam¡¯s outing since this morning, but they were all in pairs with no opportunity to leak information externally. Right now, I¡¯m beginning to suspect that someone from the inner house may have disclosed the information."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "This individual has been lurking within our household for quite some time, yet they¡¯ve never once exposed themselves."


    "Should I interrogate everyone in the inner house one by one? These people don¡¯t have much capacity for endurance; if there¡¯s anyone involved, they should break under questioning."


    Li Yifei closed his eyes briefly before nodding, "Go ahead."


    The inner house was composed primarily of young women, along with a few chefs and gardeners. Li Yifei had been meticulous in selecting them; while not as thorough as official screening, the process had been stringent. Ordinarily, they should all be clean.


    However, if someone had managed to bribe or coerce them, they could easily be swayed. After all, they were merely employees here and didn¡¯t view themselves as part of the family. A true great family required generations of effort to instill a sense of loyalty from top to bottom.


    Despite her efforts, Sophia¡¯s direct questioning yielded no progress. Everyone who knew about Su Mengxin¡¯s outing, including anyone they spoke to, were thoroughly investigated. None of them had ventured beyond the estate, and their communication devices¡ªphones, call records, everything¡ªwere scrutinized thoroughly. No one had contact with the outside world.


    When Sophia relayed the investigation results to Li Yifei, he was unsurprised. He¡¯d suspected the presence of a mole within the family for some time but had failed to uncover them. As a former Golden Eagle, he was among the most skilled in uncovering such schemes. If he hadn¡¯t found anything, it was even less likely anyone else in the family could.


    "Master, could someone be monitoring us from the outside? If the enemy kept watch from outside, planning their moves as soon as our vehicles left, it¡¯s not impossible."


    Li Yifei nodded, "That¡¯s indeed a possibility."


    Sophia then asked, "Should we take extra precautions when Madam goes out? Like switching cars, for example?"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No need to complicate things. That would make our lives too stressful. Right now, someone is likely using my son to threaten me. We¡¯ll wait and see."


    After issuing his commands, Li Yifei returned to his villa. His family members were all gathered there in a despondent state. The joy brought by the baby had barely taken root before tragedy struck. No one could accept it.


    As soon as Li Yifei entered, everyone surrounded him. However, upon seeing his expression, they realized there was likely no progress.


    As the head of the household, Li Yifei needed to remain composed at this critical moment. He sat down and said, "Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Things won¡¯t be as bad as they seem. If they kidnapped my son, they must have demands. We¡¯ll wait."


    "Honey..." Su Mengxin snuggled into Li Yifei¡¯s chest, unable to hold back her tears again.


    "Mengxin, you¡¯ve always been the calmest and strongest. Crying won¡¯t solve anything. If your grief makes you ill, I¡¯ll have to focus on taking care of you, which will affect the search for our son."


    Su Mengxin immediately straightened her posture, wiped away her tears, and said, "I understand. I won¡¯t... cry." She then took several deep breaths, surprisingly stopping her tears.


    Su Mengxin had faced countless major challenges before and had always handled them calmly. Typically, no matter what occurred, she could face it rationally. This time, however, losing her newborn son had completely shattered her composure.


    Li Yifei gripped Su Mengxin¡¯s hand firmly and said, "I understand everyone is anxious and troubled right now. But our Li family is currently in its rising phase. We can¡¯t abandon all other responsibilities. Everyone must keep doing what needs to be done. Don¡¯t let this incident disrupt the family¡¯s bigger goals."


    Su Mengxin leaned weakly against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, wiping away her tears, "I know, but I keep worrying about our little baby, taken by strangers. Will they care for him properly? It¡¯s so cold¡ªwhat if he gets frostbite? Will they feed him enough to keep him full?"


    "They won¡¯t harm him. They¡¯ll definitely take proper care of our little treasure," Jiang Ningxiang reassured.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "What Ningxiang says is right. As long as I haven¡¯t met their demands, they¡¯ll treat our son well." Taking a deep breath, he added coldly, "My son enduring this hardship from such a young age might not be entirely a bad thing. In the future, he certainly won¡¯t grow up to squander our family¡¯s legacy¡ªhe¡¯ll become the pillar of our Li family."


    Su Yiyi bit her lip and asked, "Honey, will we really be able to get our son back?"


    Li Yifei nodded, "This isn¡¯t about searching; someone will return him to us. For now, we just need to wait. And..." His gaze flashed coldly, "If they don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make them pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone felt the killing intent in Li Yifei¡¯s words, but it only deepened their fears.


    "Alright, everyone go to bed. We¡¯re the Li family. We can¡¯t let the loss of one child disrupt our entire household. Imagine in the future, when we have many children¡ªif we overreact every time one of them encounters trouble, our family will never know peace."


    After some hesitation, everyone left, leaving only Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying behind.


    The room quieted instantly. Both Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin were at a loss for words. Especially Su Mengxin¡ªthough she managed to regain some composure, losing her son had left her like a soulless shell.


    Li Yifei extended his arms and held Su Mengxin gently. In a soft voice, he said, "Mengxin, losing our son hurts me just as much as it does you. But in this home, you, I, and Yingying are the backbone. If we can¡¯t stay strong, this family will fall apart. I fear that whoever took our son hopes for precisely that."


    Su Mengxin nodded lightly. She knew she had to pull herself together. Clenching her fists tightly, a fierce anger surfaced on her face. Few people had ever seen Su Mengxin truly enraged. Many had even overlooked the origins of her title as Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman. Her anger signaled that Su Mengxin was about to show her true strength.

 Chapter 1252 - 1302: Difficult Decision

    Chapter 1252: Chapter 1302: Difficult DecisionFor an entire week, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t received any news. The people who kidnapped his son hadn¡¯t given him a single phone call or made any contact. It seemed as though they had taken his son solely for the sake of stealing him, without any apparent motive.


    This week, the whole Li family was shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere. Li Yifei and his wives all had grim expressions, while the people below them were on edge, terrified of making a mistake and being reprimanded.


    Ordinarily, the Li family compound would be filled with laughter and joy, yet over the course of this week, the courtyard had fallen deathly silent. Even Little Yifei, the mischievous troublemaker, had been affected, and her usual cheerfulness had vanished.


    Li Yifei felt an urgent desperation in his heart, but he understood clearly that in moments like this, he had to remain composed. Becoming rash and impulsive would only lead him to fall into the palms of the enemy.


    Even though his son was being used as leverage, Li Yifei knew he had to think about the greater good of the Li family. If sacrificing one son was necessary to secure the safety of the family, he could not allow the Li family to be ruined. He reasoned that a son lost could be replaced¡ªhe could have ten, even eight more children¡ªbut if the Li family were to fall, rebuilding it would be nearly impossible.


    Li Yifei¡¯s priorities weren¡¯t centered on the benefits the Li family might bring him. More importantly, he felt a duty to take responsibility for everyone in the family¡ªhis numerous wives, his children, and those who loved him deeply. Sometimes, even if the sacrifice tore at his heart, it had to be borne.


    Thinking along these lines, he suddenly thought of those large families that arranged marriages between their children for the sake of family interests. In his current plight, he felt he wasn¡¯t much different from them.


    This realization led to an understanding: the heads of those families weren¡¯t necessarily devoid of humanity or familial affection. Rather, their position demanded they weigh countless factors, unlike ordinary people who could love their children with simple, unrestrained devotion.


    Yet Li Yifei knew his distinction from those family heads: he would never use his children to gain advantage. The situation involving his son now was purely a matter of last resort.


    At this time, Li Yifei finally made a painful decision: he would temporarily halt the search for his son. Everyone was to return to their duties and focus on their tasks as needed.


    "Husband, are we really just going to stop looking for our son?" Before Su Mengxin could say anything, Xu Yingying asked anxiously.


    Li Yifei nodded resolutely. "Yes, we¡¯re stopping the search!"


    Lin Qiong widened her eyes and retorted, "How can that be? This is your eldest son!"


    Looking around at everyone, Li Yifei spoke slowly, "I understand. We¡¯ve searched for a week and haven¡¯t found the slightest clue. Continuing won¡¯t achieve anything. It¡¯s obvious they¡¯re running out the clock to wear down our patience and raise their demands. So I¡¯ll ignore them completely; only then will they come to me on their own."


    Su Mengxin drew a deep breath and said, "Yifei is right. We can¡¯t let ourselves be led around by the nose. I also agree that we should temporarily abandon the search."


    After hearing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin¡¯s reasoning, the others found it logical and eventually agreed with the decision.


    "Ningxiang, you¡¯re coming with me to Nepal tomorrow," Li Yifei announced another decision.


    "Leaving tomorrow?" Jiang Ningxiang asked in surprise, looking at him.


    Li Yifei nodded. "Yes, tomorrow. I need to improve myself as quickly as possible, and make the Li family stronger as soon as I can. When that happens, no one will dare scheme against us; instead, they¡¯ll seek our favor. Only then will my family truly be safe. So I¡¯ll leave tomorrow."


    After a pause, he turned to Xu Shanshan. "Shanshan, this time you¡¯re not coming with us. The family needs you here to oversee things during this period."


    Under normal circumstances, Xu Shanshan might have argued to go along with him, but given the severity of the situation in the household, it was clear she was needed. She nodded immediately and said, "Alright, brother-in-law, you can focus on your own affairs. I¡¯ll take care of things at home."


    Li Yifei nodded. "Good. Then it¡¯s decided. Remember, everyone: no one in the Li family can ever submit to threats or oppression. If anyone dares to harm us, we¡¯ll make them pay back a thousandfold!"


    The group¡¯s spirits were instantly lifted. Days of anxiety and hesitation suddenly dissipated, and everyone seemed to regain their vigor.


    The next day, Li Yifei left with Jiang Ningxiang. The two flew directly to Nepal and arrived that evening.


    Li Yifei had already researched Nepal¡¯s Tibetan Secret School in recent days. The sect was quite famous there, and many people followed its teachings. However, to truly learn Happy Zen, one had to visit its place of origin¡ªthe Xiangge Temple located in the Himalayas.


    But Li Yifei was impatient. He immediately rented a car and drove to the base of the mountain. The remaining road had to be climbed by foot, so they decided to wait until morning to proceed.


    They had assumed it would be easy to find a hotel to stay in, but to their surprise, although there were many hotels, all were fully booked. Upon inquiry, they learned that tomorrow was the Tibetan Secret School¡¯s pilgrimage event, and worshippers from all over had arrived, causing a shortage of available rooms.


    After an hour of searching, Li Yifei finally managed to find a room in a remote, modest hotel¡ªthe last available room.


    Li Yifei quickly secured the booking, unsure if there would be any rooms left later.


    Entering the room, Jiang Ningxiang appeared uneasy, standing there awkwardly.


    Li Yifei, however, paid it no mind. He put down their belongings and said, "Ningxiang, you should go shower first."


    "Alright," Jiang Ningxiang answered softly and entered the bathroom. Li Yifei lit a cigarette, took a few deep puffs, and quickly extinguished it. He¡¯d been smoking excessively in recent days, which he knew was harmful despite its temporary stimulant effect.


    The quantity of cigarettes he¡¯d consumed was a clear sign his mental state wasn¡¯t fully balanced. But he needed to stabilize himself¡ªto regain his composure and strength so he could face the enemy who had taken his son. Only then could he rescue the boy successfully.


    After taking a deep breath, Li Yifei began meditating, calming his emotions.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯ve finished showering," Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s voice called from behind.


    Li Yifei turned to see Jiang Ningxiang standing demurely in front of him, wearing a cotton sleepwear garment. Her face was flushed, a mix of embarrassment and tension.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly. "Alright, you get some rest first. I¡¯ll take a shower and call it a night. Tomorrow morning, we set off bright and early." With that, he entered the bathroom.


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded, then glanced at the room¡¯s sole bed. Her cheeks reddened again.


    The hotel was basic at best¡ªmore akin to a small inn. The room was simple and contained only a modest single bed, slightly larger than a typical twin bed but nowhere near the size of the double beds they were accustomed to. At most, the bed measured about 1.2 meters across.


    A bed that small meant two people would need to sleep in close quarters.


    After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Ningxiang climbed into the bed and pulled the blanket over herself, leaving only her head exposed.


    Soon after, Li Yifei finished showering and walked out. Seeing Jiang Ningxiang lying on the bed with her eyes closed, he casually switched off the lights and approached the bedside. Yet he clearly detected her heavy breathing.


    "Ah, I didn¡¯t think this through. Ningxiang, here¡¯s an idea: you sleep on the bed, and I¡¯ll make do with the chair for tonight."


    Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes immediately. In the darkness, she could barely make out Li Yifei sitting on the chair. Her gaze flickered with an indescribable emotion as she softly said, "Brother Li... it¡¯s cold here, and sleeping on the chair might make you catch a cold. You should sleep on the bed instead."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly. "No need to worry; your Brother Li isn¡¯t so fragile. If I could catch a cold from this, then all these years of practice would have been for nothing."


    "But it¡¯s uncomfortable to sleep on the chair," Jiang Ningxiang murmured, biting her lip before softly adding, "Brother Li, after all... you¡¯re going to dual cultivate with me eventually. I¡¯m yours sooner or later, so sharing the bed with me isn¡¯t a big deal."


    "That... makes sense," Li Yifei reflected briefly before decisively returning to the bedside and climbing into the bed.


    In the past, Li Yifei would¡¯ve hesitated much more when it came to matters involving women. He¡¯d always been cautious. However, the events of this ordeal had given him newfound clarity and decisiveness. If something was inevitable, there was no point in avoiding it¡ªbetter to confront it head-on.


    Once on the bed, Li Yifei immediately felt Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s tension. He reached out to place his arm beneath her neck and said, "Ningxiang, the bed is too small. I¡¯ll hold you while we sleep, or it¡¯ll be too uncomfortable for both of us."


    Jiang Ningxiang murmured a soft "Mm" in response, lifting her neck slightly to let his arm slip under. As his arm curled around her, she found herself drawn into his embrace. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Initially, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body stiffened, but as time passed, she began to relax. Gradually, she snuggled closer to him, savoring the warmth of his embrace.

 Chapter 1253 - 1303: Indulgence

    Chapter 1253: Chapter 1303: IndulgenceHere is the translated text:


    "Ningxiang!" Li Yifei softly called out.


    "Yes, Brother Li, what¡¯s the matter?" Jiang Ningxiang asked, her voice light and tender.


    "This time, I¡¯ve made up my mind. No matter what, I have to obtain the Happy Zen method, and then I¡¯ll dual cultivate with you."


    "I... I know."


    "About this, I know it¡¯s forcing you, but I have to do it. But I promise you, for the rest of my life, I¡¯ll treat you well, just like everyone else."


    "Brother Li... I¡¯m not troubled by it right now."


    "Really? There¡¯s no master here, so you don¡¯t need to deceive yourself."


    "Really! Brother Li, no one has ever treated me as well as you do. Being able to fulfill this wish of yours makes me the happiest."


    Li Yifei¡¯s hand, which had been resting on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s back, gently moved twice, stroking her back, and said, "Ningxiang, you¡¯re truly a good girl. From now on, let me genuinely like you, and you try to like me as well."


    "I¡¯ve always liked... Brother Li." Jiang Ningxiang said, then buried her head further into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace.


    "Haha... Hearing that eases my mind. Alright then, let¡¯s develop our feelings gradually. For now, let¡¯s get some sleep tonight."


    "Mhm mhm!" Jiang Ningxiang responded twice, and the hand that had been resting by her side finally cautiously moved onto Li Yifei¡¯s body.


    Nepal is a high-altitude country with elevations typically above four thousand meters. Now that it¡¯s December, the temperature difference between morning and evening is even more drastic, with outdoor temperatures dropping to minus twenty to thirty degrees Celsius.


    This small inn had poor facilities and lacked air conditioning. While it had heating, it wasn¡¯t effective, leaving the room quite cold. If not for their robust constitutions, they wouldn¡¯t dare to bathe here.


    Cuddled under the covers, both were wearing rather thick pajamas, which made sleeping uncomfortable.


    After a while, Jiang Ningxiang shifted her body a few times, adjusting her pajamas, prompting Li Yifei to simply say, "Ningxiang, let¡¯s take off our pajamas and sleep."


    Jiang Ningxiang froze, and Li Yifei knew she had misunderstood, chuckling softly as he said, "Just to be more comfortable while sleeping. We¡¯ll keep dual cultivation for later; I wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to you now."


    Jiang Ningxiang lightly wiggled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms and whispered, "Brother Li... I didn¡¯t overthink it."


    "Then hurry up and take them off." Li Yifei sat up as he spoke, quickly removing his pajamas until he was left wearing only his underwear.


    Jiang Ningxiang, however, slowly removed her clothes under the covers. Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯ve stripped in front of me before; I¡¯ve seen everything."


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s voice stretched out long, filled with embarrassment and shyness, before softly saying, "That¡¯s different. That was for training, but now... isn¡¯t it different?"


    "Oh, it¡¯s different now. You¡¯re right. Little Ningxiang is about to become my woman. Seeing your body now carries a whole new meaning."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re being so bad now." Jiang Ningxiang reached out with an arm, threw a pair of pajama pants at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei picked it up and brought it to his nose, sniffing it, and said, "So fragrant."


    "Brother Li... you... you..." Jiang Ningxiang buried her head under the covers, refusing to come back out.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, alright. We¡¯re going to be a couple anyway, smelling my wife¡¯s pants¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong with that? Someday, I¡¯ll kiss every inch of you."


    "Naughty Brother Li, I¡¯m ignoring you." Jiang Ningxiang twisted herself energetically under the covers.


    Li Yifei quickly said, "Alright, alright, my Little Ningxiang. I¡¯ll stop. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t let me in the bed, I¡¯ll freeze to death."


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang exclaimed softly, quickly turning over and urgently saying, "Then get in quickly."


    Li Yifei hurriedly dove into the covers, reaching out to hug Jiang Ningxiang. But then he immediately said, "You haven¡¯t finished undressing yet. Want me to help you with that?"


    "No, no, I¡¯ll do it myself." Jiang Ningxiang quickly replied, sitting up to take off her pajamas. Suddenly, she felt a chill cover her body, and realizing the room was still too cold, hurriedly burrowed back under the covers. She said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry for letting you freeze outside for so long earlier."


    "Well, you didn¡¯t let me in, so I didn¡¯t dare come in either."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so... glib-tongued now."


    Li Yifei chuckled, but then suddenly fell silent.


    Jiang Ningxiang waited a moment without hearing anything. She raised her head and saw, even in the dim room, the heavy expression on Li Yifei¡¯s face. Alarmed, she quickly said, "Brother Li, don¡¯t be angry. I was just joking. I didn¡¯t mean I dislike you being like this. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry."


    Li Yifei turned to look at Jiang Ningxiang and softly shook his head. "Ningxiang, maybe I¡¯ve been repressing myself too much these past few days. Right now, I just want to let loose."


    "Oh!" Jiang Ningxiang gently bit her lip, then stretched out her arms to embrace Li Yifei, pressing her entire body against him. She softly said, "Brother Li, it¡¯s my fault. If you want to let loose, then go ahead. Whatever you do to Ningxiang, Ningxiang is willing."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes. "Really, anything?"


    "Really, whatever you do, I¡¯m willing!" Jiang Ningxiang replied firmly.


    "Silly girl, I was just joking with you. We¡¯re going to be husband and wife someday. Joking around is a kind of intimacy; there¡¯s no need to be overly cautious. Don¡¯t be so nervous¡ªit makes me uneasy."


    "Oh... but I¡¯m still not used to it. I can¡¯t mentally shift gears so quickly."


    "Then we¡¯ll take things slow." Li Yifei leaned down and lightly kissed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s forehead.


    "Mhm." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned a slight shade of red as she pressed her cheek against Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    "Alright, let¡¯s sleep."


    "Goodnight, Brother Li."


    Embracing Jiang Ningxiang, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel stirred. These past days, with everything revolving around his son¡¯s situation, everyone had been with him as usual, but no one was in the mood for intimacy. As a result, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t been physically close with his family.


    Now, momentarily setting aside the issues surrounding his son, Li Yifei¡¯s pent-up emotions demanded release. If it were someone else, he might have acted impulsively and indulgently by now. But since Jiang Ningxiang still needed to dual cultivate with him, he couldn¡¯t just act recklessly. Even if something were to happen, it had to wait until they learned the Happy Zen method.


    Taking a deep breath, Li Yifei circulated True Qi within his body, quickly suppressing the urge. Finally, he managed to close his eyes and drift off to sleep.


    "Good morning, Brother Li." When Li Yifei opened his eyes, he saw Jiang Ningxiang looking up at him, her face adorned with a sweet smile, tinged with a shy blush.


    Li Yifei lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s forehead. "Morning."


    "Hehe... I forgot; I mistook you for one of my wives." Seeing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s nervousness, Li Yifei started pulling his leg back, intending to pull his body away.


    Jiang Ningxiang, inexplicably emboldened, quickly stretched out her hand to hold onto Li Yifei¡¯s leg, softly saying, "Brother Li, it¡¯s okay. If you¡¯re comfortable like this, then stay."


    Li Yifei laughed. "It is comfortable, but I¡¯m afraid if this continues, I might not be able to resist making a move. Your allure, Little Ningxiang, makes me want to devour you whole."


    "Devour me?" Jiang Ningxiang looked at Li Yifei, puzzled. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Silly girl, you don¡¯t get it? Devouring you means... doing that sort of thing."


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple. She let out two stammering noises before saying, "You¡¯re going to do that to me eventually anyway."


    "Haha... My Little Ningxiang is becoming cuter and cuter." Li Yifei laughed and leaned down to kiss her forehead lightly.


    With her eyes closed shyly, Jiang Ningxiang suddenly tilted her head and gave Li Yifei a soft peck on the cheek.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. "Ningxiang, this is your first time kissing me!"


    Jiang Ningxiang shyly replied, "Yes."


    "Haha, so it¡¯s your first kiss then. Brother Li really wants to kiss you properly now, but there¡¯s still a lot to do later. Well, I¡¯ll remember this for now and make up for it later."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad!" Jiang Ningxiang pretended to lightly hit him, her bashful demeanor utterly endearing.


    Li Yifei felt another wave of desire surging, genuinely tempted to linger longer with Jiang Ningxiang. But more pressing matters awaited him. After hugging her again, he said, "Ningxiang, let¡¯s get up. We need to leave soon."


    "Won¡¯t it be uncomfortable for you? Would holding back like this harm your body?"


    "Oh? You know about that?" asked Li Yifei with a laugh.


    "My roommate told me! She said when she and her boyfriend went out to stay, she didn¡¯t let the guy... do it, and he got so pent-up he felt terrible."


    Li Yifei¡¯s expression darkened. "Wow, you girls really talk about everything, huh? But that¡¯s because things got too heated and caused cramps. This is normal for Brother Li¡ªI¡¯m not that uncomfortable."


    "Oh..." Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue. "Then let¡¯s get up."


    Watching Jiang Ningxiang sit up and begin dressing, Li Yifei felt a moment of reluctance. Just now, even if nothing happened, some other form of intimacy could have been possible.


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 Chapter 1254 - 1304: Guide

    Chapter 1254: Chapter 1304: GuideAfter freshening up, the two headed out together. Jiang Ningxiang walked side by side with Li Yifei, and after a few steps, Li Yifei turned to look at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "What¡¯s the matter with you?"


    "I..." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s cheeks flushed red, showing a somewhat guilty demeanor.


    "Why are you blushing again?" Li Yifei felt amused and asked with a smile.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned even redder. She hesitated, clutching the edge of her clothes, before shyly saying in a soft voice, "Just now... just now... I was thinking about... whether I should... hold your hand."


    Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "In that case, let me hold yours." He then reached out and grasped Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s soft and tender little hand.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand stiffened a little, but it quickly relaxed, and their palms came together. Her petite face showed both a shy and sweet smile. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let¡¯s go now." Li Yifei smiled warmly at Jiang Ningxiang. Just holding hands could make the young woman so happy, and even Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit intoxicated by her joy.


    "Mhm, mhm!" Jiang Ningxiang replied cheerfully, walking hand in hand with Li Yifei.


    This small hotel didn¡¯t serve breakfast, so Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang found a nearby diner.


    The diner was bustling with people. The two found a seat and had just placed their order when a man in his thirties was guided to their table by the server.


    "Are you Huaxia people?" After sitting down, the man glanced at Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang and promptly asked, surprisingly in Chinese.


    Li Yifei was somewhat astonished and looked at him. "That¡¯s right. And you can speak Chinese?"


    The man immediately said with excitement: "Yes, I can. I¡¯ve been doing business with Huaxia people for a long time, so I learned Chinese. Are you here for business or for travel?"


    Li Yifei replied with a smile: "We¡¯re here for travel. May I ask your name?"


    "I have a Huaxia name¡ªWang Mudan."


    Jiang Ningxiang almost burst into laughter. A grown man choosing such a name¡ªit was incredibly amusing.


    Wang Mudan chuckled and said, "I really love the peony flowers of your country, so I picked this name. But for Huaxia women, my name might seem like it belongs to a woman. I hope you won¡¯t laugh at me for it."


    "Li Yifei! And this is my girlfriend, Jiang Ningxiang!" Li Yifei smiled, extending his hand. "A name is just a label. As long as you like it, that¡¯s what matters."


    "Hello, hello!" Wang Mudan shook hands with Li Yifei enthusiastically, exclaiming, "I¡¯m so happy to see Huaxia people here. I really hope we can be friends. Mr. Li, your girlfriend is truly beautiful¡ªthe most beautiful Huaxia woman I¡¯ve ever seen."


    Li Yifei smiled and replied, "Thank you for the compliment. I¡¯m also glad to meet someone proficient in Chinese here. Mr. Wang, what would you like to eat? Today, my treat!"


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed shyly but wore a happy smile. It was the first time Li Yifei had introduced her in this way, and even such a simple introduction made her heart feel incredibly sweet.


    "Oh, not at all! You¡¯re guests here; I couldn¡¯t possibly let you pay. I insist on treating you instead."


    "Haha, then I¡¯ll thank you for this meal. But I¡¯ll treat you for lunch and dinner later."


    Wang Mudan laughed heartily and said, "Looks like I¡¯ll be taking advantage, but Huaxia people are often wealthy, so I won¡¯t hold back!"


    Nepal, as a country, primarily relies on agriculture, with very little industrial development. Consequently, the nation isn¡¯t particularly affluent, and the standard of living isn¡¯t very high. Compared to Huaxia, many Nepalese people indeed perceive Huaxia citizens as wealthy.


    While eating, Li Yifei asked, "Mr. Wang, do you have some free time in the coming days?"


    "Oh? You want me to be your guide?" Wang Mudan immediately grinned and asked.


    "Mr. Wang is indeed perceptive. Neither of us can speak Nepali, and traveling here has been quite inconvenient. Finding someone fluent in Chinese is rare, so running into you today was serendipitous. I really do mean it¡ªif Mr. Wang agrees, I can offer you five thousand Nepalese Rupees per day."


    The Nepalese Rupee is Nepal¡¯s official currency. One Huaxia currency unit equals about nine Nepalese Rupees. So at that exchange rate, five thousand Rupees is equivalent to more than five hundred Huaxia currency units¡ªa high pay for Nepal¡¯s economic conditions.


    "Alright, alright, no problem! Mr. Li is so generous. I¡¯ll make sure you both have an incredible time."


    "That settles it then. Here¡¯s twenty thousand Rupees upfront. Take it, and if it isn¡¯t enough, we¡¯ll settle the balance later."


    "Wait... upfront payment before I even start working?" Wang Mudan looked at Li Yifei in surprise.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "I trust you."


    Wang Mudan thumped his chest and said, "Alright! Mr. Li, you¡¯re truly a bold man. I won¡¯t let our Nepalese people lose face!"


    After finishing their meal, Li Yifei handed over another twenty thousand Rupees to Wang Mudan to rent a vehicle. Benefiting so much from Li Yifei already, Wang Mudan worked tirelessly, eventually renting a sturdy SUV, complete with food and other preparations.


    When offering the leftover money back to Li Yifei, Li Yifei said, "No need. Spend it on anything else we might need along the way. If it runs out, I¡¯ll give you more."


    Wang Mudan nodded and pocketed the money before the three climbed into the vehicle, with Wang Mudan himself at the wheel. Whether the car was his own didn¡¯t concern Li Yifei.


    "Mr. Wang, here¡¯s the thing: My mother has always been deeply religious. Her greatest dream was to visit the sacred sites of various religions. I¡¯m here to fulfill her wishes."


    "Then you¡¯ve come to the right place. Buddhism thrives here. You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s pilgrimage season right now; you can witness it firsthand."


    "Great, let¡¯s go check it out."


    That day, Wang Mudan guided Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang to a Buddhist gathering¡ªa lively affair. But Li Yifei wasn¡¯t particularly interested. Buddhism wasn¡¯t what he was looking for; he sought the esoteric Tibetan teachings. Declaring that directly might invite suspicion.


    Murong Yuanqing had told him that Happy Zen was deemed highly profound among Tibetan secret teachings, and they treated it like a treasure. It wasn¡¯t something they would casually impart, especially to a Huaxia outsider. Hence, Li Yifei had prepared for the worst: if requesting didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d resort to stealing or even robbing. No matter the method, Li Yifei was determined to acquire the Happy Zen manual.


    During the pilgrimage, Li Yifei went through the motions, while Jiang Ningxiang seemed genuinely devout, murmuring words as she performed deep kneeling prostrations.


    Afterward, Li Yifei whispered to Jiang Ningxiang, "What were you wishing for, Ningxiang?"


    Jiang Ningxiang softly said, "I was praying for them to treat your son kindly¡ªto ensure he doesn¡¯t suffer and grows up healthy and chubby."


    Li Yifei gently stroked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair, looking up at the Buddha statue. He quietly said, "They won¡¯t dare to treat my son poorly."


    Jiang Ningxiang looked up at Li Yifei resolutely, saying, "Brother Li, trust me¡ªI have this feeling. They won¡¯t make trouble for Little Treasure. They just won¡¯t."


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "I believe you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not worried about my son¡¯s safety right now. If they¡¯re willing to take care of him, let them. My son is mine, and he always will be."


    "Mhm, mhm. Brother Li, I¡¯m glad you feel that way. I was really worried you¡¯d be endlessly anxious."


    "Don¡¯t worry about me¡ªI¡¯m not that fragile. Let¡¯s go and explore another place now." Saying this, Li Yifei casually slipped his arm around Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s waist.


    Jiang Ningxiang glanced at Li Yifei, then wrapped her arm around his waist as well. After spending the previous night together, the distance between the two had vanished completely.


    That evening, Wang Mudan found a decent hotel for Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang. It was a suite with excellent heating, so they didn¡¯t have to endure the discomfort of the previous cold and shabby hotel.


    However, Wang Mudan only booked a single room for them. Though Jiang Ningxiang blushed slightly, she willingly accepted, and once inside the room, she leapt onto the bed, bouncing lightly before laughing, "Finally, no more small bed¡ªthis big bed is so much more comfortable!"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Actually, I think the small bed was better."


    "How could the small bed be better?" Jiang Ningxiang asked, puzzled.


    Li Yifei winked. "The small bed was so tiny we had to sleep closer together."


    "Ah! Brother Li, you¡¯re so naughty." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s cheeks flushed instantly, but she quickly added shyly, "Well, I guess... a big bed can also let us hold each other tightly."


    Li Yifei burst into hearty laughter. "My Little Ningxiang is getting bolder, huh? I love it!"


    Jiang Ningxiang playfully stuck out her tongue and said, "You called me your girlfriend after all. I need to act like one, don¡¯t I?"


    "Haha... indeed, that¡¯s true." Li Yifei laughed out loud, his first truly carefree laugh in over a week.


    Watching him enter the bathroom, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s expression grew complicated. She sighed softly, then shook her head vigorously, opened her suitcase, and pulled out a set of lingerie, her cheeks red once more.


    A short while later, Li Yifei finished his shower and emerged, while Jiang Ningxiang dashed into the bathroom clutching her lingerie. Li Yifei caught sight of it and chuckled softly before sitting down at the bedside, his expression growing serious.

 Chapter 1255 - 1305: Will Satisfy You

    Chapter 1255: Chapter 1305: Will Satisfy YouLi Yifei only turned on the wall lamp, which made the room somewhat dim, yet it added a hint of ambiguous intimacy. Especially when Jiang Ningxiang walked out after showering, wrapped in a towel under the faint light, revealing large expanses of her shoulders and snowy white legs, it was sure to stir a man¡¯s desire.


    Li Yifei also turned on the air conditioner, and the room was already around 25 degrees, so even as Jiang Ningxiang stepped out like that, she wouldn¡¯t feel cold.


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang felt a bit uneasy under Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, her face flushing red, unsure of what to do.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Why are you standing there? Get on the bed."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately said, "But... my hair isn¡¯t dry yet."


    Li Yifei jumped off the bed and said, "Then let me dry it for you."


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly waved her hands, saying, "No need, no need, I can do it myself."


    "What do you mean, no need? It¡¯s only proper for me to dry your hair. When my sisters-in-law come out after bathing, I often help them dry their hair. I¡¯m very skilled at this."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei didn¡¯t give her a chance to refuse, pressing Jiang Ningxiang into the chair and rummaging through her suitcase for the hairdryer. These items were all brought by Jiang Ningxiang¡ªevery woman traveling needs such things.


    Li Yifei carefully dried Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair, while she looked at him through the mirror in front of her, her face full of happiness.


    "Brother Li, I didn¡¯t expect you to know how to dry hair."


    "Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I often do this for your sisters-in-law... haha, no wait, I should say your sisters instead."


    "You¡¯re awful... I haven¡¯t even formally gotten together with you yet, they¡¯re still my sisters-in-law."


    "Alright then, sisters-in-law it is. This is the fun of being in the bedroom, don¡¯t you think me drying your hair also deepens our bond?"


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately nodded and said, "Yes, I feel very happy, especially having someone like Brother Li dry my hair. I never thought about it before. I used to believe women should be the ones serving you, not the other way around."


    "Silly girl, I¡¯m not some extraordinary person. Even if I am a bit special, between husband and wife, it¡¯s important to treat each other fairly. It¡¯s only through mutual effort that a family can thrive, right?"


    "I understand now. So from now on, I can ask Brother Li to help me with some things too."


    "Of course. In the future, you¡¯ll be my wife. Whatever you want me to do, I¡¯ll fulfill it for you."


    Facing the mirror, Jiang Ningxiang gave a sweet smile and said, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so wonderful."


    "Alright, let¡¯s get on the bed and rest," said Li Yifei, as he finished drying Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair and put the hairdryer down.


    Jiang Ningxiang responded and jumped onto the bed, pulling the blanket over herself. Her small hand stretched out, holding a towel.


    Li Yifei took the towel and casually placed it on the chair beside him, then got on the bed himself. As he lifted the blanket, he saw Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body.


    "Ah, Brother Li, turn off the light!" Jiang Ningxiang exclaimed, grabbing the blanket to cover herself.


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "My Little Ningxiang has an amazing figure."


    "Brother Li, you¡¯re so bad! Turn off the light quickly, or I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!"


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll turn off the light." Li Yifei quickly turned off the wall lamp, then slid under the blanket, saying as he did, "I was just curious to take a look, but you wouldn¡¯t let me see."


    "I just won¡¯t let you see," Jiang Ningxiang said smugly.


    "Well, I¡¯ve already seen everything before anyway, and I¡¯ll get to see it later too. If you don¡¯t let me see now, I won¡¯t look, but maybe I¡¯ll touch and imagine instead."


    "Ah! Brother Li, stop it! Stop it... You¡¯re terrible, you scared me!"


    Although Li Yifei said so, he merely slid his arm under Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s neck and pulled her into his embrace, gently stroking her hair.


    Jiang Ningxiang lightly hit Li Yifei¡¯s chest before snuggling into his arms. After sharing a bed the night before, she was no longer as nervous being held by Li Yifei.


    Jiang Ningxiang was now wearing only a bra and panties; her skin was so smooth that after holding her for just a moment, Li Yifei¡¯s mind began to wander. He could clearly sense Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body heating up, too.


    With his wealth of experience, Li Yifei naturally knew that Jiang Ningxiang was also becoming emotional. If he wanted to do something to her now, Jiang Ningxiang wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.


    However, Li Yifei refrained from doing anything. He planned to engage in Dual Cultivation with Jiang Ningxiang, but he wasn¡¯t sure what the requirements would be. The more he did now, the higher the chance of making a mistake.


    Lightly patting Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s back, Li Yifei whispered, "Ningxiang, sleep now, don¡¯t let your mind wander."


    "I... I wasn¡¯t letting it wander," Jiang Ningxiang said, highly embarrassed.


    "I know my Little Ningxiang has the purest thoughts. It¡¯s me who¡¯s overthinking. Be good, let¡¯s sleep. In the future, we¡¯ll be free to do whatever we want."


    "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s overthinking... Otherwise, I would¡¯ve fallen asleep already." Jiang Ningxiang muttered softly, her tone slightly lacking confidence.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t call her out, instead suppressing his emotions with True Qi so he could fall asleep.


    The next day, Li Yifei asked Wang Mudan to take him on a tour of the nearby area. That evening during dinner, Li Yifei asked Wang Mudan, "Are there other notable religious sects around here?"


    "Yes, there¡¯s also the Tibetan Secret School, but we¡¯ll have to head further up, and it takes about half a day by car to get there."


    Li Yifei maintained a calm expression and said, "Half a day isn¡¯t long. Let¡¯s go have a look."


    "Alright, but I should warn you¡ªTibetan Secret School is a very unique sect in this area. You can¡¯t speak recklessly when you¡¯re there. We¡¯re just going to look around and pay our respects, that¡¯s all."


    Li Yifei feigned curiosity and asked, "Why is that? I¡¯ve seen other Buddhist sects emphasize charity and kindness. Isn¡¯t the Tibetan Secret School part of Buddhism?"


    Wang Mudan said, "The Tibetan Secret School is indeed part of Buddhism, but it¡¯s a branch with some teachings that differ from mainstream Buddhism. Normal Buddhism promotes abstinence, but in their sect, they don¡¯t abstain. Many followers even have multiple spouses, and there are a lot of female believers who willingly offer themselves."


    "What? How does that work?" Li Yifei asked, acting deeply intrigued.


    "Hehehe..." Wang Mudan chuckled mischievously, leaning in closer to Li Yifei¡¯s ear and whispering, "The disciples of the Tibetan Secret School have learned a special method that greatly enhances their sexual prowess, so female followers find immense satisfaction with them."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes lit up. "Is that for real?"


    "Of course it¡¯s real."


    Li Yifei blinked and said, "Then... do you think you can get me that method? No matter how much it costs, I¡¯ll pay."


    "Hmm... That might be difficult. Only high-ranking disciples of the Tibetan Secret School are allowed to learn it. Lower-level members don¡¯t have access to it."


    "Can you think of a way for me? Help me out here," Li Yifei said, lowering his voice. "Honestly, she¡¯s just my lover. I already have a wife at home. If I become that strong, my wife won¡¯t be able to resist me bringing her back home with me."


    Wang Mudan glanced over at Jiang Ningxiang, silently lamenting how unfortunate it was for someone as beautiful as her to only be Li Yifei¡¯s lover. Another man would have made her his wife for sure.


    "I¡¯ll try my best. But it¡¯s not about the money¡ªit¡¯s mainly about how strictly the Tibetan Secret School enforces its rules. That method is absolutely not allowed to be taught outside. Anyone caught sharing it would face severe punishment. Also, those who possess the learning are people of high status and don¡¯t care about money¡ªthey¡¯re not lacking in wealth."


    "I¡¯ll leave it to you. Don¡¯t worry, as long as you succeed, I¡¯ll make it worth your while."


    Wang Mudan grinned and said, "I know Mr. Li is a generous man. I¡¯ll give it my best shot. But if it doesn¡¯t work out, you can¡¯t blame me¡ªit¡¯s just extremely difficult."


    "No problem. I understand. If I can obtain it, I¡¯ll be thrilled. If not, it simply means I¡¯m not fated for it. Isn¡¯t Buddhism all about fate?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Exactly. But even if you don¡¯t get it, I think Mr. Li¡¯s physical condition is excellent¡ªyou¡¯ll definitely bring satisfaction to her." Wang Mudan winked playfully at Li Yifei.


    Although Wang Mudan spoke softly enough that most people couldn¡¯t hear, Jiang Ningxiang obviously did. Her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head to drink water, while her other hand discreetly pinched Li Yifei¡¯s thigh. Such a suggestive topic clearly overwhelmed the young girl.


    After dinner, Wang Mudan left, motivated to succeed for the promised reward. The profit incentive drove him to put considerable effort into the task.


    "Brother Li, you men are so bad, always fixated on that kind of thing," Jiang Ningxiang pouted as soon as they returned to the room.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Well, we¡¯ll be doing plenty of that kind of thing together in the future."


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang immediately covered her ears, vigorously shaking her head. "No, no, I won¡¯t do it with you! Brother Li, you¡¯re such a rogue. I¡¯m not listening to you anymore!"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s reaction was like that of a pure and innocent young girl, truly adorable. Although Chu Xiaoyao was only one year older than Jiang Ningxiang, as Li Yifei¡¯s woman, she had matured beyond her playful nature. Now, with Jiang Ningxiang as a lively young companion, she brought much joy to his life.


    Pulling Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hands down, Li Yifei said, "Ningxiang, let me tell you something serious."


    Jiang Ningxiang finally turned to look at Li Yifei, her expression suspicious.

 Chapter 1256 - 1306: Capturing Someone

    Chapter 1256: Chapter 1306: Capturing Someone"Ningxiang, let¡¯s capture a master from the Tibetan Secret Sect in the next couple of days."


    "Capture someone?" Jiang Ningxiang immediately became serious upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s straightforward plan.


    "Exactly. Based on what Wang Mudan told us, it seems nearly impossible to obtain this method through normal channels. So we¡¯ll capture one of them and force them to spill it directly."


    "Won¡¯t this... be inappropriate?" Jiang Ningxiang looked at Li Yifei with uncertainty.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "There¡¯s no other option. I won¡¯t hurt them; we just need to get the information."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll follow Brother Li¡¯s lead. After all, we absolutely have to get this method no matter what." Jiang Ningxiang added, blushing as she finished her sentence.


    Li Yifei gazed into Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes and asked, "Ningxiang, if we can¡¯t get this technique, will you still stay with me?"


    Jiang Ningxiang didn¡¯t avoid Li Yifei¡¯s eyes. She gently bit her lip and slowly said, "Brother Li, back then, I never dared to imagine it¡ªnot because I didn¡¯t like you, but because I felt I was just a small girl. Simply having the opportunity to assist you for the rest of my life made me very happy. I was afraid I wasn¡¯t good enough for you. But now I understand¡ªI want to be with you, regardless of whether we obtain that technique. It¡¯s not just about Dual Cultivation; I want to be with you, no matter what."


    The two fell into silence, then Li Yifei slowly lowered his head, while Jiang Ningxiang closed her eyes. Her lashes trembled incessantly. Her small face was slightly raised, her breath quickened, and her chest heaved rapidly, a mix of nervousness and anticipation.


    Their faces drew closer and closer until, at last, their lips touched. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s previously upright body softened instantly, collapsing into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace. Li Yifei wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t passionate¡ªLi Yifei kept it gentle, pulling away shortly after. He looked at Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s radiant face and softly said, "A preliminary seal, for now."


    Jiang Ningxiang opened her eyes, her bright, sparkling gaze carrying a bashful yet sweet smile. She whispered, "Brother Li, you¡¯re so good to me." Then, she buried her head against Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    This kiss deepened their bond significantly. That evening, as they spent time together, Jiang Ningxiang became noticeably less restrained, relaxing more in Li Yifei¡¯s presence. Everything was sweet and heartwarming, yet when things quieted down, Jiang Ningxiang still caught a glimpse of the weight in Li Yifei¡¯s eyes. Though he had temporarily set aside the matter concerning his son, she knew his heart remained tied to his one-month-old child.


    As Li Yifei had anticipated, Wang Mudan spent two days pulling every string she could, yet achieved nothing.


    The Tibetan Secret Sect guarded this technique zealously and refused to teach it under any circumstances, no matter how attractive the offer.


    Li Yifei had expected this. During the last two days, he and Jiang Ningxiang wandered casually but managed to identify several important figures within the Tibetan Secret Sect. They pinpointed one individual skilled in the Happy Zen technique.


    After picking the target, Li Yifei refrained from rushing into action. This was the hub of the Tibetan Secret Sect, where all key figures resided. These prominent individuals were undoubtedly skilled, and it was unclear how many experts the sect had or whether a super-elite was hidden among them. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Carefully observing the target¡¯s movements, Li Yifei finally decided to act.


    That evening, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang took advantage of an overcast sky, where darkness cloaked their surroundings, and infiltrated the sect¡¯s compound.


    The influential figures lived in individual courtyards, which provided Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang more precise opportunities to strike.


    They moved along the base of the walls until reaching the courtyard of their target, sneaking up below the window. The house wasn¡¯t soundproof, and from outside, they could hear a woman moaning from inside, clearly engaged in amorous activity.


    Upon hearing the sounds, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned red, but Li Yifei considered it a prime opportunity. He pulled Jiang Ningxiang along and deftly opened the door, which hadn¡¯t been locked. Evidently, these people felt safe at home, never imagining anyone would harm them or dare to infiltrate their premises. Thus, the pair easily made their way to the inner room¡¯s entrance, where the door was slightly ajar, allowing them to see the situation inside clearly.


    As top-tier experts, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang moved silently, their footsteps making no sound. The two inside remained utterly unaware, too engrossed in their activities on the bed.


    The room was warm, and the couple on the bed had no blankets covering them, leaving nothing to the imagination. Jiang Ningxiang immediately turned away, unwilling to look further, waiting for Li Yifei to act quickly.


    But after a while, seeing no movement from him, Jiang Ningxiang turned back, only to find Li Yifei standing at the entrance, head tilted, observing the scene with remarkable focus.


    Frustrated, Jiang Ningxiang squeezed his hand in urging, but Li Yifei turned and signaled for silence, then resumed his observation.


    Li Yifei wasn¡¯t watching for entertainment; he was studying the man¡¯s behavior, examining whether he truly gained special benefits during such acts.


    After a while, Li Yifei concluded the man indeed wasn¡¯t behaving like ordinary couples. His movements had rhythmic precision, his breathing remained steady, and his energy flow was exceptionally smooth¡ªvery different from normal intimacy. When the man said something, his actions suddenly became rapid and chaotic, resembling genuine affection at last.


    At this point, Li Yifei saw no more reason to observe. Swiftly stepping into the room, he rendered both individuals unconscious before they even realized what was happening.


    Wrapping the man in a blanket, Li Yifei grabbed his clothes and carried him on his shoulder.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly followed as Li Yifei swiftly exited.


    It seemed the Tibetan Secret Sect never anticipated a breach, as their defenses were remarkably lax. Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang kidnapped someone without drawing attention from others.


    Earlier, Li Yifei had rented an apartment in the area, one of several complexes catering to sect devotees. It was far safer to interrogate someone there than in a hotel.


    With his skills, Li Yifei effortlessly avoided security cameras and transported the man to the apartment undetected.


    Li Yifei tasked Jiang Ningxiang with booting up her laptop and connecting to the internet while he dressed the man¡ªhis nakedness wasn¡¯t something Jiang Ningxiang should have to see.


    Once preparations were complete, Li Yifei asked Jiang Ningxiang to step aside. He covered the man¡¯s face with a pillowcase before waking him and playing a video.


    "I want the Happy Zen technique. You can refuse, but I¡¯ll make you feel worse than death." The video declared in fluent Nepali.


    The man, freshly conscious, cried out at the audio, shouting incomprehensible words, then lunged at Li Yifei with impressive speed and skill. However, Li Yifei effortlessly caught his wrist and twisted it, forcing the man to bend forward in agony.


    Without wasted words, Li Yifei plunged two steel needles into the man¡¯s acupuncture points and let him go.


    The man barely felt the initial sting but soon grew numb in the affected areas. However, intense pain quickly radiated, causing his face to pale and sweat to pour down his face.


    "This is my restriction. If you write down the Happy Zen technique, I¡¯ll undo it. If you refuse, you¡¯ll endure this pain daily, and it will worsen until it becomes unbearable."


    The man gritted his teeth without uttering a sound, his expression hardened. Yet the relentless pain couldn¡¯t be borne by sheer willpower; he eventually broke down, gasping in anguish and nodding his agreement.


    Li Yifei pressed play on the video again. "You may write something false, but you¡¯ll face the consequences. If I practice the technique and find it ineffective, you¡¯ll suffer until death. Only if I confirm its accuracy will I remove your restriction."


    The man¡¯s face twitched, clearly having intended to deceive Li Yifei with fabricated instructions, banking on him not understanding the Nepali language. But now he realized his captor had every contingency planned and would verify the technique before granting any reprieve.


    Li Yifei smirked coldly, patted the man twice, then handed him paper and a pen.


    The pain immediately subsided, though the man now trembled with greater fear. Such abilities were unlike anything he¡¯d encountered before.

 Chapter 1257 - 1307: Acquiring Happy Zen

    Chapter 1257: Chapter 1307: Acquiring Happy ZenLi Yifei waited for the guy to finish writing, then took the paper, glanced at it, and placed it on the table before pressing the playback button.


    "You better not try any tricks. I¡¯m going to grab another person now. If what he writes differs from yours, you¡¯re dead."


    The man¡¯s face turned pale, and he frantically waved his hands. Li Yifei snorted, then handed him the pen and paper again.


    This time, the man behaved much more honestly, sitting down and writing properly. After finishing, he gestured repeatedly, seemingly swearing that this time it was entirely genuine.


    Even so, Li Yifei didn¡¯t fully trust him. Techniques like this were nothing like ordinary things; any mistake could easily harm someone. So, he knocked the guy unconscious and, with Jiang Ningxiang, grabbed another person.


    That person reacted almost the same as the first: resisting at first, then giving in. By this time, Li Yifei had also woken up the first guy.


    "I already have one version, written by him. If the two of you write differently, then someone¡¯s lying. At that point, one of you can write it again. If it still doesn¡¯t match, I¡¯ll have no choice but to kill you both."


    The first man gave a bitter smile and nodded toward the second man. The second man, having just endured that worse-than-death feeling, understood that the first man wouldn¡¯t dare to lie. Li Yifei conducted himself so meticulously that he left absolutely no room for tricks.


    Li Yifei finally obtained two identical copies, which satisfied him. However, all of it was in Nepali, a language he didn¡¯t understand. He immediately took a photo and sent it to his home, where Su Mengxin and the others had already prepared. They found a few people who could read Nepali, assigned each a small section, and ensured no one could see the entire text.


    About an hour later, the complete translation was sent back to Li Yifei. While the regular words were understandable, some of the technical terms were clearly beyond the translators¡¯ grasp.


    Li Yifei returned to the two men, pointing at uncertain acupoints and similar items in the text, asking for clarification or observing their True Qi circulation methods.


    Although the Tibetan Secret School¡¯s cultivation differed from his, they also harnessed True Qi¡ªit was just that their methods varied. So, in essence, there were many similarities, allowing Li Yifei to grasp it easily.


    Even so, Li Yifei didn¡¯t dare to be careless. Every time, he asked the two to demonstrate separately, ensuring they couldn¡¯t see each other. This way, neither dared to tamper with the technique.


    After more than two hours, Li Yifei finally figured everything out and decided to release the two without further trouble.


    Jiang Ningxiang stepped forward, somewhat worried, and said, "Brother Li, just letting them go¡ªwon¡¯t they bring people back here?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied confidently, "They wouldn¡¯t dare. If they make this public, it would be considered betrayal. They¡¯re bound by secrecy, or they¡¯ll face severe punishment from their superiors and lose everything."


    "Oh, that makes sense." Jiang Ningxiang nodded as she thought it through.


    Li Yifei examined the Happy Zen technique he had obtained carefully. Jiang Ningxiang also leaned in to look, but after a few glances, her face turned completely red as she muttered, "This is so indecent..."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "Indecent as it may be, it¡¯s crucial for us. Our Dual Cultivation depends on this."


    Jiang Ningxiang lightly slapped Li Yifei, her face even redder as she pouted, "Can we even trust this?"


    "I¡¯m not sure yet. I¡¯ll consult Elder Murong Yuanqing."


    "Elder Murong Yuanqing?" Jiang Ningxiang asked curiously.


    "Yes, a highly skilled senior. Haven¡¯t I mentioned him to you before?"


    "No, who is he?" Jiang Ningxiang looked at Li Yifei in surprise.


    "He¡¯s a master far beyond me. Compared to him, I¡¯m like a child facing an adult."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s expression changed as Li Yifei asked in confusion, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly said, "There¡¯s actually someone so formidable? I always thought you were the best."


    "Of course not. Even within Noah¡¯s Ark, there are a few people much stronger than me. That¡¯s why I need to become stronger, research Dual Cultivation techniques, and master Innate Vital Energy."


    "Oh..."


    Li Yifei then dialed Elder Murong Yuanqing¡¯s number. The elder answered quickly, and Li Yifei immediately said, "Elder Murong, my apologies for disturbing you so late."


    "Haha, it¡¯s fine. Is there something important?" Elder Murong asked with a laugh.


    "Yes. I¡¯ve acquired a Happy Zen technique but am unsure of its applicability."


    "Send it to me to take a look. Haha, my phone can receive it."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but smile. Elder Murong, despite his age, wasn¡¯t at all outdated¡ªa rare quality. He quickly sent the file using his phone.


    Half an hour later, Elder Murong called back, and Li Yifei felt a twinge of nervousness.


    "Yifei, I think this is only part of the method. This seems to be about absorbing Yin and replenishing Yang, which might also grant Innate Vital Energy. However, its reliability isn¡¯t high due to its one-sidedness. The female practitioner would be entirely passive, causing resistance from Innate Vital Energy. Moreover, it would greatly harm the woman. It¡¯s best to find the other part for the optimal outcome."


    Li Yifei was startled. Thankfully, he hadn¡¯t impulsively tested it with Jiang Ningxiang. He quickly asked, "Is there somewhere I can find the missing part?"


    "You could investigate further within the Tibetan Secret School. Techniques like this are usually complete, but since their sect is male-dominated, they likely haven¡¯t practiced the female counterpart or perhaps have forgotten it over time."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll investigate there. Elder Murong, if they don¡¯t have it, are there other ways?"


    Elder Murong replied, "That, I¡¯m not sure about. I¡¯ve heard of a Clean Sound Sect in the past, composed entirely of women. Their sect was known for its promiscuity, with female disciples specializing in Absorb Yang and Replenish Yin techniques. However, I haven¡¯t heard of them for years. They seem to have vanished. You might find leads if you investigate further."


    Li Yifei felt hopeful upon hearing this. He responded eagerly, "As long as there are clues, I won¡¯t stop searching."


    "Hmm. While I understand Dual Cultivation¡¯s significance to you, martial artists often take different paths to the same goal. Evil thoughts will always hinder your progress. A true martial artist carries righteousness. I hope you understand."


    Though Elder Murong couldn¡¯t see him, Li Yifei firmly nodded and solemnly replied, "I¡¯ll heed your guidance, Elder Murong. I won¡¯t act recklessly."


    "Good. I won¡¯t say more. Contact me again if you have further questions."


    After ending the call, Li Yifei turned to Jiang Ningxiang, who appeared dazed, her gaze distant.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei grasped her hand gently.


    Jiang Ningxiang shuddered slightly and said, "Brother Li, are you... planning to Dual Cultivate with me?"


    Li Yifei shook his head. "It¡¯s not the right time yet."


    "Huh? Why not? Is this method incorrect?"


    "It¡¯s not incorrect, just incomplete. Practicing it as is would harm your body."


    "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not afraid!" Despite her flushed cheeks, Jiang Ningxiang stood firmly and said, "As long as it makes Brother Li stronger, I don¡¯t mind what happens to me."


    "Silly girl. Once we find the female counterpart, we can truly Dual Cultivate without anyone getting hurt and even benefit each other. That¡¯s the ideal way. According to Elder Murong, the Tibetan Secret School likely holds the method for women somewhere¡ªthey just haven¡¯t used it or know where it¡¯s kept."


    "Oh, then let¡¯s go find it." Jiang Ningxiang seemed impatient.


    "Silly girl, so eager to Dual Cultivate with me?" Li Yifei teased.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately flushed deeper, stomping her feet in embarrassment. "I-I¡¯m not! I¡¯m just worried about you!"


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s anxious. With such a sweet Little Ningxiang in my arms these days, unable to truly have her, it¡¯s been unbearable."


    "Then you can keep feeling miserable." Jiang Ningxiang wrinkled her nose at him, her small face growing even redder. Lately, she had felt his hardness pressing against her in the mornings¡ªit was so firm, so evident. Yet her expression showed a mix of emotions invisible to Li Yifei since her face was buried in his chest.


    "Alright, let¡¯s rest." Li Yifei stroked her hair gently.


    "Aren¡¯t we going tonight?"


    "To find something like this, we need someone from within their ranks. Randomly searching blindly won¡¯t yield results anytime soon."


    Jiang Ningxiang blinked her wide, watery eyes in confusion, asking, "Someone from inside? But we don¡¯t know anyone in their inner circle, do we?"


    "Who said we don¡¯t? Didn¡¯t we meet two of them tonight?"


    "Them... They probably hate us now."


    Li Yifei chuckled, his confidence evident. "Even if they hate me, they won¡¯t dare refuse my requests. That¡¯s human nature¡ªonce you have something, you¡¯re afraid of losing it. To protect their current status, they¡¯ll have no choice but to agree." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue. "Brother Li, you really know how to push people around. Those two will probably cry when they see you tomorrow."

 Chapter 1258 - 1308 Clues

    Chapter 1258: Chapter 1308 CluesJust as Jiang Ningxiang said, the next day, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang directly confronted one of the two men. That man looked as terrified as a ghost, and when Li Yifei played a pre-recorded voice message on his phone stating his demands, the guy almost burst into tears.


    However, as Li Yifei had predicted, the man didn¡¯t dare refuse. If Li Yifei¡¯s strength had been weaker, they might have already tried to eliminate him to prevent future troubles. But after witnessing Li Yifei¡¯s overwhelming power yesterday, they knew that route was entirely blocked, leaving them with no choice but to submit.


    Still, this matter was beyond what he could handle alone, so he went to seek help from the other man. Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang waited for him in his room, making Jiang Ningxiang slightly nervous.


    "Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen," Li Yifei reassured her, holding Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand.


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "This is their lair, after all. There are so many of them; they could drown us with their spit alone."


    "Haha, well, let¡¯s see if they even have the guts to spit!" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s relaxed demeanor, Jiang Ningxiang couldn¡¯t help but unwind as well.


    A while later, there were footsteps outside the room, making Jiang Ningxiang tense up again. Glancing at Li Yifei¡¯s calm and collected appearance, admiration flickered across her face. Soon, the two men from the previous night entered, with no one else accompanying them.


    Thanks to translation software, some communication was possible even without a translator. Li Yifei simply confirmed the timing for their visit to the target location, which didn¡¯t require much dialogue. They quickly reached an agreement: that evening, the two would guide Li Yifei to the place where the scripture was hidden.


    Once the arrangement was made, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang left, taking a leisurely stroll around the area. Surprisingly, Li Yifei seemed to have momentarily forgotten about his son¡¯s situation, enjoying the peace of the moment.


    But within himself, Li Yifei knew the truth¡ªthat it was precisely because of his son¡¯s predicament that he could no longer afford to be hesitant as he was in the past. In moments like these, decisive action and ruthlessness were necessary. He had to make sure people understood the dire consequences of crossing him.


    That evening, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang returned to the Secret Sect. Led by the two men, they arrived at the Sect¡¯s scripture library.


    As a religious sect, or temple, it was only natural for them to have a dedicated space for storing scriptures. Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang donned bright red robes, their faces covered, and were smoothly escorted into the library by the two men.


    Inside the Secret Sect, the outer area¡¯s scriptures were neatly arranged and clean, but deeper within, the bookshelves were covered in dust, appearing untouched for years. It was clear the sect had long lost its true essence, with hardly anyone genuinely studying Buddhism here. Everyone seemed to be exploiting the guise of religion to deceive common people.


    This realization gave Li Yifei a bit of hope, so he instructed the two men to assist in searching.


    The two men were eager to get rid of Li Yifei, the walking plague, so they worked diligently in the search. They meticulously examined any scriptures related to cultivation techniques, while traditional Buddhist texts were hastily glanced at and discarded.


    The volume of scriptures was substantial, and after searching late into the night, they still hadn¡¯t finished. It took them a full three days to comb through every scripture, yet there wasn¡¯t any mention of training methods for women.


    It seemed that either the sect had never obtained any texts detailing women¡¯s cultivation methods, or they had discarded them as useless ages ago.


    "Do you have any historical records about the Secret Sect?" Li Yifei asked, considering a new avenue of investigation.


    The two men exchanged a glance, initially about to deny it, but eventually nodded. They realized Li Yifei was too shrewd; if they lied, he might simply interrogate someone else and expose their fabrication.


    Fortunately, historical records weren¡¯t rare within the Secret Sect. While considered somewhat confidential, the management of such documents wasn¡¯t stringent, as outsiders rarely had access to the sect. The two men promptly retrieved a collection for Li Yifei to take, disposing of it as swiftly as possible.


    Li Yifei thought this was satisfactory and left with the records, which totaled more than ten volumes.


    Taking these records home, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang were ready to dive into studying the Secret Sect¡¯s history, hopeful for critical clues.


    At home, several professional translators were already prepared. Li Yifei handed over the records for translation. Unlike cultivation techniques, these didn¡¯t contain obscure terminology, making the process comparatively straightforward. After three days of intense work, the translation was complete. Li Yifei carefully read through every detail, even with others assisting him¡ªhe couldn¡¯t rely on anyone else for such crucial matters, fearing potential oversights.


    His diligence paid off, as Li Yifei finally uncovered an important lead.


    Two hundred years ago, a story documented the Sect Leader encountering a female Huaxia expert and becoming deeply infatuated with her. He showered her with favor, but six months later, the woman disappeared, taking several scripture volumes with her. The Sect Leader personally tracked her to a location deep within Hua Mountain. There, the two engaged in an intense battle, where the Sect Leader was defeated and returned to die days later.


    Although the specific scripture stolen wasn¡¯t mentioned, the fact that the woman significantly boosted her power suggests she might have acquired cultivation methods tailored for women.


    The most crucial detail was the marked location¡ªdeep within Hua Mountain¡ªgiving Li Yifei a clear target for his search.


    Li Yifei immediately summoned Sophia to arrange for people to investigate Hua Mountain. The focus was on areas with a high number of male disappearances and rumors of seductive women.


    Sophia understood that Li Yifei was searching for methods involving women extracting Yang energy from men to nourish Yin energy. Though she hadn¡¯t encountered such practices before, she grasped the concept and quickly organized the operation.


    This was something Li Yifei couldn¡¯t personally search for; with so many subordinates at his disposal, he was determined to leverage their abilities fully. Once the target was located, he would take decisive action to acquire the desired methods.


    Meanwhile, days in Nepal had yielded no news of his son. Whoever had taken him was exceptionally patient. Li Yifei reevaluated their intentions, concluding that his son wasn¡¯t merely a bargaining chip for immediate demands but a crucial lever in a longer-term plan. This level of foresight and capacity pointed to several possibilities.


    First, the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization, despite currently cooperating with Li Yifei, wasn¡¯t fully trustworthy. Kidnapping his son could be their way of securing his genuine collaboration. But their lack of contact over this period made the theory increasingly questionable.


    Second, the prominent families in the Capital City. Li Yifei had received backing from the higher-ups, making him a potential threat to these families. They might act preemptively, though doing so carried enormous risks. If revealed, they¡¯d face devastating consequences, with strict measures from those in power to forcefully suppress them.


    Third, families from the province were contenders, particularly the Sunx Family. Although Sunx Fugui lacked the audacity, his mother, Ma Dongxiang, was the sort to lash out like a mad dog. Blaming Li Yifei for her son¡¯s death, she might have targeted his son out of spite. However, the Sunx Family¡¯s resources seemed insufficient for employing experts capable of breaching Li Yifei¡¯s heavily guarded household.


    Lastly, a broader possibility was international organizations targeting Li Yifei for Huaxia secrets, using his son as leverage.


    Regardless of the perpetrator, Li Yifei was confident they wouldn¡¯t harm his son, preserving him as a bargaining chip.


    With this in mind, Li Yifei started probing potential culprits. First, he called Park Sung-ho. The call was promptly answered.


    "Clan leader Li, we haven¡¯t had much contact recently. But I¡¯m aware of your son¡¯s disappearance and have conducted extensive investigations. Unfortunately, my team found no leads¡ªit seems the opposing party¡¯s capabilities are exceptional, even leaving Noah¡¯s Ark powerless."


    Park Sung-ho wasted no time clearing his organization¡¯s name. This honesty surprised Li Yifei, who somewhat believed him; denying involvement would serve no purpose for Noah¡¯s Ark if they had abducted his son.


    "Thank you, Brother Park, for extending a helping hand."


    "No need for thanks. Our cooperation remains ongoing, and I hope nothing disrupts that. Once you¡¯re emotionally prepared, we¡¯ll resume exploring the ancient cave. We¡¯ve devised new strategies, but they require collaboration with your Innate Experts."


    "All right. Once you confirm the plans, my team is ready to assist. But as for managing other experts, that falls on you¡ªI can¡¯t handle them alone."


    "Rest assured, we¡¯ll ensure they¡¯re occupied elsewhere."


    Li Yifei avoided asking for specifics, wary of revealing his connection to Murong Yuanqing.


    "So, it¡¯s not Noah¡¯s Ark," Jiang Ningxiang said, listening to Li Yifei¡¯s call. She sighed in relief.


    "If it had been them, it would¡¯ve been easier to resolve, at least with a clear target. Now, things are even more uncertain." Li Yifei shook his head.


    "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely find him!" Jiang Ningxiang said determinedly, punching the air with

 Chapter 1259 - 1309: So Embarrassing

    Chapter 1259: Chapter 1309: So EmbarrassingThese days, Li Yifei has been busy handling matters related to Happy Zen, leaving him little time to communicate with his family. Today, having settled all those affairs, Li Yifei finally sat down with everyone for a proper chat.


    The mood at home had somewhat improved. Su Mengxin¡¯s spirits were noticeably lifted. Although she couldn¡¯t be as cheerful as usual, she was far from despairing. Whatever Li Yifei could think of, she had already considered, so she was no longer worrying about their son¡¯s safety. However, having her newborn son, barely a month old, taken by others¡ªit was impossible for her not to feel some sorrow.


    Li Yifei¡¯s recent busy schedule had evidently added to the heavy atmosphere in the household. So now, Li Yifei intended to put aside the matter of his son, set aside his personal advancement pursuits, and focus on his family affairs. He wanted to revive the Li family¡¯s vitality and let the world know that losing a son wouldn¡¯t bring the Li family to its knees.


    "Finally done with most of the work. These days, I really need to take a good break. Who¡¯s keeping me company tonight?" Li Yifei teased, winking mischievously at the crowd.


    Li Yifei¡¯s playful attitude took everyone by surprise, prompting some to instinctively glance at Su Mengxin.


    Su Mengxin shrugged, saying, "Why are you all looking at me? Oh, tonight, it seems it¡¯s my turn. Who¡¯s the other person?"


    Su Yiyi immediately chimed in, "It¡¯s Sister Yunzhu."


    Li Yifei burst out laughing, "Anyone else want to join in?"


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "You better drop it. Keep away from those crazy ideas for now. The New Year is coming soon; let¡¯s stick to taking turns these days."


    Seeing Li Yifei and Su Mengxin return to their normal selves¡ªeven if a bit of it was likely a facade¡ªit helped lift everyone¡¯s spirits, loosening the tense atmosphere so much that jokes began to fly around.


    That night, during their private time, Li Yifei and Su Mengxin were intensely passionate. Su Mengxin consistently asked Li Yifei to release inside her, hoping to become pregnant yet again.


    Li Yifei complied with her wishes. Ye Yunzhu, for her part, fully understood the dynamic. Having already given birth to a daughter, she felt no rush for another child. However, her current unmarried status meant society already frowned upon her situation; having another child would only amplify the criticism.


    As the Lunar New Year edged closer, the significance of this being the Li family¡¯s first Spring Festival celebrated at their new estate grew more pronounced. Not just Li Yifei, but every family member anticipated an exceptionally lively and festive celebration.


    This year, Xu Yingying¡¯s parents, Lin Qiong¡¯s parents, Su Yiyi¡¯s father, as well as Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao¡¯s parents, were all invited by Li Yifei to join the New Year festivities at their home.


    The family gathered for drinks and playing cards, creating a genuinely merry atmosphere.


    However, the topic of the lost son was deliberately avoided, lest it upset Su Mengxin. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin, contrary to everyone¡¯s concerns, proved to be far more resilient than expected.


    The greatest delight for Little Yifei was setting off fireworks. With such a large home and so many attendants, there were plenty of people who could help her with the fireworks. Beyond that, she had several other children joining her, making the playful chaos all the more exuberant.


    Meanwhile, Li Yifei was up on the rooftop with Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan, using a casual excuse, managed to get some time alone with him, as he hadn¡¯t spent much one-on-one time with her lately, being preoccupied with other family members. Once she called him, he came without hesitation.


    Xu Shanshan tilted her head, looking at Li Yifei with a charming expression. "Brother-in-law, do you still remember when you spent New Year at my house? We went downstairs together to watch the fireworks."


    "Of course I remember. Back then, a stray firework fell before exploding¡ªit nearly injured someone."


    Xu Shanshan smiled sweetly, "Yeah, time flies. In the blink of an eye, it¡¯s been two years."


    Li Yifei sighed with emotion, "Indeed, time is racing by. Before you know it, two years have passed¡ªand at this rate, soon we¡¯ll be thirty."


    "Right, two whole years. Yet I remain your sister-in-law, while you have a whole bunch of wives now. Isn¡¯t that blatantly unfair?"


    Li Yifei apologized earnestly, "Shanshan, I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯ve neglected this matter recently¡ªthat¡¯s entirely my fault."


    "Haha, I¡¯m joking with you. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t be together¡ªit¡¯s fine just the way things are. Don¡¯t sweat it. By the way, when are you heading to Hua Mountain?"


    Li Yifei replied, "The sixth day of the Lunar New Year. At the very least, I want to spend the New Year here with everyone¡ªwhat¡¯s a few more days?"


    Xu Shanshan nodded. "Brother-in-law, can I tag along with you this time?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment before answering, "No, someone needs to stay home. Since I must go with Ningxiang, we¡¯ll rely on you to hold down the fort here."


    "I knew you¡¯d say that¡ªso you owe me a chance to go out with you sometime later. We could even bring Little Ningxiang along. After all, she¡¯ll be doing Dual Cultivation with you soon. Then there¡¯ll be no need for concerns when it¡¯s just the three of us together."


    "Deal. Ningxiang! Come up here as well!" Li Yifei beckoned to Little Ningxiang downstairs.


    Jiang Ningxiang responded promptly, leaping up to the second floor, lightly tapping the railing before springing onto the third floor. With one final touch on the railing, she landed effortlessly on the rooftop.


    "Impressive!" Li Yifei shouted in praise.


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue mischievously. "Pulling something like this is not very proper. If my sisters-in-law see, they¡¯ll criticize me for being naughty."


    Xu Shanshan laughed, "What sisters-in-law? Those are all your elder sisters now. Besides, you don¡¯t need to call me ¡¯Master¡¯ anymore. Just call me ¡¯Sis.¡¯"


    "How would that work?" Jiang Ningxiang froze in surprise.


    Li Yifei wrapped an arm around Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s waist and smiled, "Why not? Yingying is my wife; Shanshan is too, and so are you. There¡¯s no point in dividing titles into generations."


    "Oh..." Jiang Ningxiang blushed at once but still said to Xu Shanshan, "Master, even if I change what I call you, in my heart, you¡¯ll always be my Master."


    "Fine by me. Thinking this way isn¡¯t bad. You know, next time we hang out together, it¡¯ll definitely make Brother-in-law feel dreadfully guilty¡ªa sister-in-law and her apprentice together¡ªit¡¯s the ultimate taboo."


    Jiang Ningxiang blinked in confusion, "How would there even be guilt in us hanging out together?"


    Li Yifei laughed aloud, leaned closer to Jiang Ningxiang, and whispered something in her ear. Instantly, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face turned beet red. She murmured, "Awfully embarrassing!" and buried her face against his chest, too shy to look up.


    On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang set out again. Before the New Year, Sophia had already completed her investigation.


    Deep in Hua Mountain, several villages had witnessed young men mysteriously disappearing every year. The villages had little to no contact with the outside world, populated mainly by honest, simple rural folk. When some young men vanished, the locals assumed they had either gotten lost in the mountains or fallen prey to wild animals.


    They never even reported the incidents to the authorities¡ªthe matters were simply forgotten.


    However, such news was invaluable to Sophia. After carefully investigating further, she outlined the area and mapped it meticulously. At the center of those villages lay a highly suspicious location.


    Further investigation revealed a nunnery there. The place housed four nuns, all seemingly quite young. Though dressed as nuns, their appearances were striking¡ªeyebrows put in place, faces adorned with makeup, and some dressed surprisingly flamboyantly. Two of them hadn¡¯t even cut their hair.


    What stood out even more to Sophia was their proficiency in martial arts¡ªa skill level seemingly surpassing hers. Unwilling to act impulsively, she quietly marked the location before retreating.


    Li Yifei concluded that this must be the sect practicing Absorb Yang and Replenish Yin. From them, he was determined to acquire the techniques Jiang Ningxiang would need for Dual Cultivation.


    Renting a rugged off-road vehicle in the county, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang drove to a village near the nunnery. From there, they had no choice but to proceed on foot.


    Guided by coordinates Sophia had provided, Li Yifei easily located the nunnery using his phone¡¯s GPS.


    This time, Li Yifei didn¡¯t bother masking his movements. Alongside Jiang Ningxiang, he directly barged into the nunnery.


    "What business brings you here, Benefactor?" A nun in her early twenties stepped forward to block their path.


    She wore a plain gray robe and a monk¡¯s hat. However, strands of black hair peeked from under the brim. Her expression carried an innate allure as she scrutinized the pair intently, her gaze laden with undisguised delight.


    Notably, the nun¡¯s complexion radiated an unnatural redness, her skin luminous and exceptionally well-maintained¡ªcompletely incongruent with someone residing deep in the mountains.


    Li Yifei addressed her frankly, "I¡¯ve come with my wife to speak with your abbess regarding some matters."


    "Oh? This is just a humble nunnery living a peaceful life. What business could merit speaking to us?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, "Is that so?"


    "Of course. We are merely a few ordinary nuns here."


    "Indeed, you¡¯re nuns¡ªnuns who happen to enjoy the company of men. The men who¡¯ve gone missing in these nearby villages were all brought here by you. Such scandalous nuns¡ªa first for me."


    "Benefactor, you mustn¡¯t falsely accuse." The nun¡¯s face darkened immediately, her wariness growing as she stared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei clasped his hands behind his back and said coolly, "Call everyone out. Otherwise, I¡¯ll demolish this nunnery."


    Despite needing something from them, Li Yifei saw no reason to show deference to people whose actions were clearly reprehensible.


    "Benefactor, it appears you¡¯ve come well-prepared," the nun sneered. "If you truly understand what we are, then you should also realize¡ªtwo people alone won¡¯t leave here unscathed."

 Chapter 1260 - 1310: Fight Until They Submit

    Chapter 1260: Chapter 1310: Fight Until They SubmitAs soon as the nun finished speaking, three gray figures leaped out from the nunnery at lightning speed. It was clear they were all highly skilled individuals. Upon arrival, they immediately surrounded Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang.


    A nun, appearing to be in her early thirties, was the oldest among them. At this moment, she gave Li Yifei a coquettish glance and said, "This benefactor, I am the abbess Puci of this place. May I know what brings you here?"


    Li Yifei said indifferently, "I came here to seek your method of absorbing Yang to replenish Yin."


    "Oh, so you¡¯re one of us?" The nun looked at Li Yifei with some surprise and slowly said, "May I ask what the benefactor intends to use this technique for?"


    Li Yifei replied, "That, I¡¯m afraid, I cannot disclose. I ask Master Puci to grant it to me."


    "Then your heart isn¡¯t sincere. This technique of ours is a well-kept secret of our nunnery, and it is indeed never passed on to outsiders. Besides, as a man, even if you learn it, it¡¯s useless. I suppose you¡¯re seeking it for this young lady, aren¡¯t you?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "You¡¯re not wrong."


    "That¡¯s a bit difficult then. If you want me to teach her, she must join our nunnery. If she does not enter our order, we will not teach her." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately shook her head in panic and clutched Li Yifei¡¯s arm. These four nuns looked exceptionally charming, and the way they looked at Li Yifei was suggestive, which was absolutely unacceptable to Jiang Ningxiang.


    Li Yifei patted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand and said to Puci, "Today, I¡¯m seeking something from you, so I¡¯m treating you with respect. Otherwise, given your actions, I would have dealt with you right now. Today, if you hand over the technique to me, I won¡¯t hold it against you. As long as you don¡¯t commit any crimes in the future, I¡¯ll pretend we never met."


    "Such big words, benefactor. What if we refuse to give it to you today?" Puci¡¯s face suddenly turned grim.


    "Then don¡¯t blame me for taking it by force. Don¡¯t think that some skills are enough to ensure your safety. Dealing with you is truly not a difficult task."


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone suddenly became tough. For these people, he had already prepared to use force if necessary, but he still hoped to get what he wanted directly.


    Puci snorted coldly and said, "Alright, then let me see what you truly possess. Coincidentally, I feel your body is quite good, just right to replenish us."


    Li Yifei patted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand and said, "Ningxiang, haven¡¯t you always lacked an opponent for practical practice? Go deal with them, don¡¯t hold back; they¡¯re not your match at all."


    Jiang Ningxiang hesitantly said, "Can I really do it?"


    "Of course you can, don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m here too." Li Yifei encouraged with a smile.


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try."


    Seeing Li Yifei actually let Jiang Ningxiang, such a young girl, make a move, the four nuns showed furious expressions. In their opinion, Li Yifei was the real master, and Jiang Ningxiang shouldn¡¯t even know martial arts.


    Puci snorted and said, "Jinyin, you go teach a lesson to these two who are ignorant of the world. This young girl is not bad, a good seedling, don¡¯t hurt her too much; we¡¯ll have to heal her ourselves later." She also maintained her morale.


    The nun who first stopped Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang immediately gestured to Jiang Ningxiang, smiling slyly, "Come on, little sister, let me teach you some martial arts now. Later, I¡¯ll teach you some bedroom skills, too. Let¡¯s have fun with your husband together."


    Jiang Ningxiang, who was initially timid, was immediately irked upon hearing these words from the nun. She shouted softly, wrong-footed, and charged towards the nun, striking at her chest with a palm.


    "Ah!" The nun exclaimed, quickly retreating and raising both palms to her chest. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s speed was too fast, leaving her no time for extra movements, only managing to do this to protect herself.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s palm collided with Jinyin¡¯s, causing Jinyin to retreat faster. Her feet left the ground, sliding over two meters before she landed. She then stumbled back several steps before stabilizing.


    The other three nuns immediately showed shocked expressions. Although Jinyin was careless, it shouldn¡¯t have been so embarrassing even if she was, indicating Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s strength clearly surpassed hers by a lot.


    Jinyin was furious, feeling utterly ashamed. As soon as she steadied herself, she immediately stomped on the ground and charged at Jiang Ningxiang.


    Seeing her opponent¡¯s fierce expression, Jiang Ningxiang panicked, fumbling to cope and was forced to retreat continuously.


    Li Yifei remained silent at this moment. Although Jiang Ningxiang possessed Innate Vital Energy, making her quite powerful, her practical combat experience was severely lacking. Even when sparring at home with many others, she knew none would harm her, so she was never worried inside. But when facing real enemies, the experience is entirely different, primarily training the mind.


    The other three nuns sighed in relief, feeling their previous judgment was a misperception; otherwise, Jiang Ningxiang wouldn¡¯t be forced like this by Jinyin.


    However, this sigh of relief didn¡¯t last two minutes before the situation on the scene changed again.


    Although initially intimidated by her opponent¡¯s offensive, Jiang Ningxiang, after holding on for a while, realized her opponent was nothing special and couldn¡¯t truly threaten her. Her courage naturally grew, and as she tentatively counterattacked, she immediately halted her opponent¡¯s offensive, boosting her confidence and making her attacks fiercer.


    Although Jinyin was a decent expert, her strength was still far below Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s. With Jiang Ningxiang attacking relentlessly, she couldn¡¯t resist, and within three moves, Jiang Ningxiang struck her chest with a palm, sending her flying and spitting a mouthful of blood mid-air.


    Puci immediately dashed forward and caught Jinyin, carefully checking her condition, and was utterly shocked. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s palm had significantly injured Jinyin, even breaking several ribs; a heavier blow might have injured her internal organs.


    "The little girl has quite a strong method," Puci gritted her teeth, glaring at Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly waved her hand, flustered, "No, no, I only hit her once; I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her."


    "Hmph, very well, let me experience your skills then." Puci handed Jinyin to the other two and, with a wave of her arms, her body soared like a great bird, directly attacking Jiang Ningxiang.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed; he didn¡¯t expect Puci to be quite a master. This level definitely matched Sophia¡¯s original level, which was quite impressive among ordinary people.


    "Ah, I really didn¡¯t mean it, please listen to my explanation. Don¡¯t come closer; if I accidentally hurt you again, it would be a greater offense." Jiang Ningxiang quickly retreated, shouting continuously.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Ningxiang, don¡¯t be afraid. Although she¡¯s skilled, you won¡¯t hurt her too severely even if you defeat her."


    "Oh, alright then." Jiang Ningxiang relaxed a little, shifting from passive defense to counterattack.


    Hearing the conversation between Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang, Puci was initially furious, but seeing Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s deliberate attacks, completely unaffected by her offensive, made her not dare to be careless. This little girl indeed had strong enough strength, though her battlefield experience was insufficient. She had to seize opportunities in this way to defeat her; otherwise, she might also lose to this young girl.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s strength indeed surpassed Puci¡¯s, but Puci, despite appearing to be in her thirties, was actually close to seventy years old. Matured with age, her experience was incomparable to Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s practical combat experience was woefully inadequate. Oftentimes, even when she had a good opportunity, she unintentionally gave it up, making her evenly matched with Puci for now.


    Li Yifei let Jiang Ningxiang develop on her own, not giving any guidance. One¡¯s combat skills are best understood through real battles. Without true practice, no matter how advanced your skills are, it¡¯s challenging to apply them.


    Having such an opponent was indeed rare, so Li Yifei hoped Jiang Ningxiang could fight a bit longer to gain more experience from this.


    However, Puci was no fool. After a while, she felt the pressure she was under increase and her chances of winning grow slim. Suddenly, she attacked wildly with two moves, forcing Jiang Ningxiang to instinctively retreat two steps under her momentum.


    But Puci¡¯s move was a feint. As soon as she saw Jiang Ningxiang retreat, she leaped back immediately.


    However, just as she steadied herself, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder¡ªa man¡¯s hand, terrifying her instantly. It must have been that man, but she hadn¡¯t noticed when he got behind her.


    A voice came from behind, Li Yifei¡¯s voice, "I don¡¯t want to use force. I hope you hand over your technique. As long as we obtain the technique, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you."


    Puci stood still, then smiled bitterly, "Truly a hero in his youth. I¡¯ve lived over seventy years, and I can¡¯t even defeat a little girl."


    Li Yifei turned and came in front of Puci, and Jiang Ningxiang also approached, looking at Puci in disbelief. This was clearly a woman in her early thirties, showing no signs of an old lady over seventy.

 Chapter 1261 - 1311: Missing Fusion

    Chapter 1261: Chapter 1311: Missing Fusion"You¡¯re over seventy?" Jiang Ningxiang stammered as she asked, mirroring the question Li Yifei himself wanted to ask.


    "That¡¯s correct. This humble nun is seventy-two." Puci responded with a bitter smile.


    Jiang Ningxiang shook her head in disbelief and said, "But... you¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you? You look at most in your thirties."


    Puci looked surprised and said, "You don¡¯t know that this cultivation technique can preserve one¡¯s youthful appearance?"


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang both shook their heads.


    Puci looked at them again and said, "I truly don¡¯t understand your intentions for coming here. But I won¡¯t press you. I know both of you are experts, and we have no power to resist. Please, let me know what you intend to do with us."


    Jiang Ningxiang glanced at Li Yifei. Li Yifei promptly said, "It¡¯s simple¡ªI just want your cultivation technique. As for you, I have no intention of killing you. However, I don¡¯t want you to abduct young people anymore. If you must practice techniques that involve absorbing Yin to supplement Yang, you can easily attract countless men with your beauty out there. But you mustn¡¯t harm others. If I catch you doing it again, I will kill you for real."


    Upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, Puci exclaimed in surprise, "You¡¯re truly letting us go?"


    "Indeed!" Li Yifei nodded.


    "In that case, thank you for sparing us. I, Puci, swear to never again commit such immoral acts."


    The other three immediately followed suit and pledged as well.


    Li Yifei nodded and then accompanied them to a room where Puci took out the texts of their cultivation technique. Li Yifei had Puci explain the technique in detail to Jiang Ningxiang, while he stood in the courtyard.


    Meanwhile, the other three disciples stood in front of Li Yifei, their eyes darting across his face, filled with coquettish feelings. Even without saying anything or taking any extra actions, their allure was already overwhelming for any man.


    "How old are you all?" Li Yifei asked calmly with an unchanged expression.


    "I¡¯m fifty-two."


    "I¡¯m forty-eight, and she¡¯s forty-six."


    Li Yifei sweated internally¡ªthese three, who looked no older than their twenties, turned out to be women in their late forties and fifties.


    "Is this all because of practicing that technique?"


    Jingyin replied, "Yes. After practicing the technique, it has such effects."


    Li Yifei looked at the three of them again and said, "Then with all of you looking so young now, does that mean you can achieve immortality?"


    Jingyin chuckled lightly without showing any fear of Li Yifei and replied, "Where would such a thing exist? However, we practitioners do tend to live longer. Our previous sect members hardly ever lived less than ninety years, with several living past one hundred."


    "That¡¯s quite remarkable. Most people don¡¯t get to live that long. Especially for women, being able to maintain their beauty into old age is truly a blessing."


    "It¡¯s not like we can maintain this forever. If one¡¯s cultivation level is high, they can keep their youthful appearance into their eighties, but for those with lower levels, their aging accelerates quickly after reaching their sixties or seventies. At that point, they¡¯d age rapidly and soon resemble ordinary elderly women."


    "Besides that, are there any other side effects?" Li Yifei asked earnestly.


    "Not that we¡¯ve noticed. But practicing this technique does make one crave men greatly. It¡¯s necessary to find men for cultivation. Don¡¯t you worry about your wife practicing this? Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll..." Jingyin laughed mischievously as she finished her sentence.


    Li Yifei gave a faint smile and said, "You needn¡¯t worry about that."


    Another nun winked at Li Yifei and said teasingly, "Hey, handsome, why don¡¯t you try our cultivation technique first? You¡¯ll find it thrilling."


    Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat internally. While these three women were undeniably alluring, the thought of their actual age made him feel strange. Besides, he was not that desperate. His face darkened as he said, "I¡¯m warning you again. If you don¡¯t restrain yourselves from now on, I won¡¯t be so lenient."


    As Li Yifei spoke, True Qi emanated from him. A surge of fighting intent spread outward, and the three nuns immediately felt an icy killing intent that made them instinctively retreat several steps, their faces turning pale. They had initially thought Jiang Ningxiang was an expert, but now they realized the man in front of them was even more formidable. If he wanted to kill them, it would require no effort at all.


    The three shivered and no longer dared to flirt with Li Yifei. With Li Yifei having asked everything he wanted, he let them leave.


    It took over three hours before Jiang Ningxiang emerged from the room. She looked up at Li Yifei briefly before quickly lowering her head, her cheeks so red they seemed flushed with blood. Evidently, studying this cultivation technique had been an extremely awkward experience.


    Li Yifei understood this well. While the Happy Zen technique primarily focused on the circulation of True Qi, it was also mixed with matters of men and women. Li Yifei could handle it better, but Jiang Ningxiang, being a young woman, found such content difficult to accept. Besides, Li Yifei¡¯s excellent hearing picked up hints of Puci personally demonstrating it, which only added to the embarrassment.


    "Let¡¯s go," Li Yifei said, wrapping an arm around Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s shoulder.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body shuddered slightly before she relaxed and leaned softly into Li Yifei¡¯s embrace, clearly moved.


    Li Yifei turned to Puci and said in a stern voice, "I hope you remember what I¡¯ve said."


    Puci immediately replied, "Rest assured, I will heed your words."


    Li Yifei nodded before leading Jiang Ningxiang away.


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t taken action against the four women because, first, he had obtained their cultivation technique, and second, the technique itself wasn¡¯t necessarily evil¡ªit was just used improperly. Moreover, considering the abundance of women available outside, if they wanted men, they could pursue them without harming others. As long as they weren¡¯t excessively exploiting one individual, it shouldn¡¯t pose too many issues.


    To look at it humorously, with the current imbalance between men and women, where men outnumber women, these four women might even help many men resolve their physical needs, which seemed like a positive outcome.


    As they walked, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s flushed face remained bright red, keeping her head down and staying silent.


    After they exited the mountain, Li Yifei finally chuckled and said, "What¡¯s wrong? Still shy?"


    Jiang Ningxiang glanced at Li Yifei before quickly turning away again, pouting, "It¡¯s just too embarrassing."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. "There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about it. Male-female attraction is natural¡ªbesides, it helps us improve together. It¡¯s a good thing."


    "But I feel this technique... it¡¯s rather wicked. It seems entirely like harming others to benefit oneself."


    Li Yifei nodded. "True. Practicing it individually does harm others for self-gain. But if we practice it together, it becomes mutual support. If our True Qi can truly merge¡ªas yours enters mine and mine enters yours¡ªthen we¡¯ll both achieve significant improvement."


    "Alright then... I¡¯ll just follow Brother Li¡¯s lead."


    The pair left the deep mountains and arrived at a village late in the evening. As there was no proper place to stay, they drove away. Although the mountain roads were treacherous, Li Yifei¡¯s driving skill made it a non-issue.


    It was deep into the night when they reached the county town and found a hotel to stay in.


    In the room, Jiang Ningxiang grew visibly shy. Li Yifei knew what she was thinking but pretended to be oblivious, saying, "Ningxiang, it¡¯s late. Go take a shower, and then we can rest." He emphasized the word "rest."


    Jiang Ningxiang grew even more flustered but bit her lip and agreed before heading to the bathroom.


    Watching Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s awkward demeanor, Li Yifei smiled and said, "Ningxiang, we aren¡¯t fully prepared yet, so we won¡¯t be practicing Dual Cultivation tonight. You don¡¯t need to worry."


    Jiang Ningxiang faltered in her steps but immediately relaxed, responded lightly, and hurried into the bathroom.


    After both showered and lay on the bed, Li Yifei asked Jiang Ningxiang to take out the cultivation text given by Puci. Together, they leaned over the bed to study it.


    Although this technique was meant for Jiang Ningxiang to train, Li Yifei needed to understand the flow of True Qi within it to synchronize their training effectively. If they practiced separately, it wouldn¡¯t be true Dual Cultivation and would instead become a competitive struggle between them.


    This required integration¡ªadding a level of mutual sacrifice to the inherently possessive nature of the technique, balancing taking with giving. Only then could it truly be effective. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perfecting a cultivation technique, however, was no simple task. Li Yifei had been studying Happy Zen for days and still found immense difficulty in its nuances. Since this particular technique was for women¡ªdifferent from its counterpart for men¡ªand he couldn¡¯t personally experience it, the challenge was even greater.


    Therefore, Li Yifei planned to consult Murong Yuanqing, whose expertise on cultivation techniques far surpassed his own.


    Jiang Ningxiang suddenly asked, "Brother Li, do you think practicing this can really keep someone youthful forever?"


    Li Yifei grinned. "You already saw those four old witches, didn¡¯t you?"


    "In that case, maybe you should have your sisters-in-law practice it too so they can always stay young and beautiful. Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?"


    Li Yifei chuckled wickedly. "I was thinking the same. I bet none of them would resist such temptation."


    Jiang Ningxiang giggled softly and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯ll tell your sisters-in-law that you called them old witches if they remain beautiful forever."


    "Alright, you cheeky little girl¡ªyou¡¯re just asking for trouble. Watch me deal with you!" Li Yifei pinned Jiang Ningxiang down beneath him.


    "Help! Someone save me... Bad Brother Li! Mm..." Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s cries for rescue were merely symbolic, as she soon gave in and embraced Li Yifei in a passionate kiss.

 Chapter 1262 - 1312: It Worked

    Chapter 1262: Chapter 1312: It WorkedLi Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang did not return to Mile City but went straight to the Capital City to find Murong Yuanqing.


    Here, Li Yifei also saw an elderly woman with silver hair but youthful features.


    Murong Yuanqing introduced her to Li Yifei as Yao Lingfu, a powerful expert on the same level as Murong Yuanqing.


    "Yifei, you truly have a lot of influence. Sister Yao hasn¡¯t shown herself in years, yet this time I managed to invite her out because of you."


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang quickly and respectfully greeted Yao Lingfu.


    Yao Lingfu nodded and said, "I¡¯m merely interested in the Dual Cultivation Technique you mentioned, no need to overthink it."


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang immediately felt rather awkward. Was this elderly woman interested in practicing such a technique herself?


    Yao Lingfu immediately glared at them and snapped, "You two little brats, what nonsense are you thinking? Do you think this old lady can still practice Dual Cultivation?!"


    Jiang Ningxiang shrank back in fear, while Li Yifei hurriedly said, "Elder Yao, actually, I feel that this Dual Cultivation Technique isn¡¯t necessarily confined to couples. If utilized properly, even ordinary friends can exchange True Qi and mutually benefit. However, considering my own abilities, I definitely can¡¯t achieve that level, so I must rely on Elder Murong and Elder Yao to lend me a hand."


    Yao Lingfu¡¯s expression softened and she replied, "Kid, at least those words made sense. Young lady, come with me."


    Jiang Ningxiang obediently followed Yao Lingfu, while Murong Yuanqing sat down with Li Yifei.


    "Yifei, spend the next few days here. Let¡¯s study this thoroughly."


    "Elder Murong, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be troubling you again."


    "It¡¯s nothing. Studying such a unique technique undoubtedly benefits me as well. You also need to voice your ideas boldly. Sometimes, young people¡¯s creativity can lead to the birth of extraordinary techniques."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do my best."


    Over the next few days, Li Yifei and Murong Yuanqing dedicated themselves entirely to studying martial arts, analyzing not only the portion meant for men but also the part designed for women. After all, though differing in physical constitutions and meridian structures, their principles shared similarity.


    Three days later, Yao Lingfu and Jiang Ningxiang joined in the discussions with Li Yifei and Murong Yuanqing. This significantly benefited Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang; the experience these two masters possessed was so profound that even a casual word could reveal aspects neither of them had encountered before.


    With four great experts united here for research, while creating a new martial arts technique might be challenging, patching up the gaps in an existing one wasn¡¯t excessively difficult.


    Arguably, this technique was originally designed for Dual Cultivation between men and women, but it had been modified into a solo cultivation method by the Tibetan Secret School and the Hua Mountain Sect.


    Thus, after considerable effort and less than a week¡¯s time, the technique was finally restored.


    As Li Yifei had said, this technique wasn¡¯t limited solely to couples engaging in Dual Cultivation; it was indeed beneficial when two experts exchanged True Qi. Murong Yuanqing and Yao Lingfu¡¯s practice verified this.


    "Yifei, this technique should be fine now. Whether it can truly help you achieve Innate Vital Energy, however, is hard to say. Many things hinge on human effort, but success ultimately relies on fate. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard."


    After confirming that the technique was complete, Murong Yuanqing reminded Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Thank you for your advice, Elder Murong. I won¡¯t obsess over it."


    "Good. Then tonight, you two should undergo Dual Cultivation. We¡¯re hoping to witness a miracle."


    Li Yifei immediately felt slightly embarrassed but nodded swiftly, while Jiang Ningxiang blushed and avoided looking at anyone.


    In the room, Li Yifei finished bathing and came out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. For him, tonight was exhilarating and full of anticipation. After spending so much time with Jiang Ningxiang, he had truly fallen for her. They were about to become a real couple, and for any man, saying he wasn¡¯t excited would be quite a lie.


    Additionally, the prospect of Dual Cultivation with her loomed large in his mind. What effect would it produce? Could he truly gain Innate Vital Energy? That was the most thrilling thought¡ªif successful, his abilities would skyrocket, and reaching Murong Yuanqing¡¯s level would no longer seem unattainable.


    At that moment, Jiang Ningxiang was already lying on the bed, covered entirely under the blanket, even her head buried within. This amused Li Yifei, who chuckled and said, "Ningxiang, if you hide yourself like this, how am I supposed to practice Dual Cultivation with you?"


    "I... I..." Jiang Ningxiang uttered "I" twice from under the blanket but couldn¡¯t get another word out.


    Li Yifei sat on the edge of the bed and said gently, "Ningxiang, do you not want to practice Dual Cultivation with me?"


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly poked her head out, her face flushed as she said, "I do!"


    "Then you can¡¯t stay like this. We need to circulate our True Qi and adjust our states first." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang pouted slightly, saying, "I¡¯m just shy."


    "Haha! We¡¯ve already lived together in the same room for quite a few days. What¡¯s there to be shy about? Come on, my little darling, get up and let¡¯s start practicing."


    Li Yifei spoke as he took Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand to help her sit up. The blanket slid down, revealing her flawless skin, with no trace of clothing covering it.


    "So beautiful," Li Yifei murmured in admiration.


    "Ah!" Jiang Ningxiang quickly wrapped her arms around her chest, bowing her head and refusing to look at Li Yifei.


    "Silly girl, I¡¯ve already seen it countless times. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? To be fair, I¡¯ll take mine off too; neither of us will have the upper hand."


    With that, Li Yifei pulled off his towel and sat opposite Jiang Ningxiang before lifting the blanket covering her legs.


    "Brother Li..." Jiang Ningxiang dragged out his name, twisting her body slightly but still sneaking glances at his figure. Although they¡¯d slept side by side over these past days, Li Yifei had always refrained from exposing... certain areas.


    Though she¡¯d felt his body multiple times, seeing it like this was still enough to make her blush and feel too embarrassed to face him.


    "Ningxiang, this Dual Cultivation session is our most crucial one. Not a single mistake can be allowed. You need to set aside all your shyness."


    Jiang Ningxiang noticed Li Yifei¡¯s serious tone, straightened her posture, and said, "Brother Li, I¡¯m sorry."


    Li Yifei immediately softened his tone, saying, "Ningxiang, let me just ask you¡ªdo you truly want to practice Dual Cultivation with me? Do you truly want to be with me?"


    Facing Li Yifei¡¯s gaze, Jiang Ningxiang nodded firmly, saying, "Brother Li, I genuinely want to be with you and practice Dual Cultivation with you."


    Holding Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hands, Li Yifei¡¯s tone became exceedingly warm as he said, "Ningxiang, then let¡¯s begin. Open your heart and accept my love."


    "Brother Li, I understand." Jiang Ningxiang gave Li Yifei a sweet smile, then slowly closed her eyes.


    Li Yifei also closed his eyes and began circulating the restored Dual Cultivation Technique. While ordinary people would likely need more time to master it, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang had already achieved the necessary level of True Qi. Moreover, they had guidance from the two grandmasters, Murong Yuanqing and Yao Lingfu. Thus, the technique had become exceptionally intuitive for them, easily operated without issue.


    After ten minutes, both opened their eyes, gazing deeply at one another with affection. Jiang Ningxiang leaned back, pulling Li Yifei along, resulting in his body naturally lying atop hers¡ªso seamless and harmonious as if they were long-married, without any hesitation.


    Li Yifei spoke no words; his lips met Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s in a kiss.


    Their tongues touched, and their True Qi began exchanging from the tips, flowing slowly into each other¡¯s bodies.


    Previously, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi had strongly resisted Li Yifei¡¯s ordinary Qi. Yet this time, it didn¡¯t repel him, and her Innate Vital Energy flowed freely into his meridians.


    The adjusted technique featured both an absorption capability and a delivery mechanism, allowing each to transmit their Qi into the other¡¯s meridians, incrementally enhancing one another. Gradually, their Qi completed a full circuit within their bodies.


    This was the most critical phase¡ªsuccess here meant the Dual Cultivation was fully operational. However, outcomes remained uncertain; they¡¯d initiated strongly, but the ultimate result depended on fate itself.


    The True Qi cycled through their bodies three full times. Their minds sync, and they opened their eyes simultaneously. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s legs slowly parted, greeting the most sacred moment.


    "Mhmm..." A suppressed moan escaped Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s lips as her brow furrowed slightly in pain. Her face displayed traces of discomfort¡ªnaturally, a girl¡¯s first time carried traces of pain despite thorough preparation.


    Yet this pain was swiftly replaced by an overwhelmingly strong surge. At the point of their physical connection, their Qi collided like a flood bursting through dams, surging uncontrollably into each other¡¯s bodies.


    The sudden reaction took both entirely by surprise¡ªthey were utterly unprepared for it. Shocked, they found themselves unable to move, as their Qi spiraled wildly beyond their control, unwillingly succumbing to forces beyond their conscious intent.

 Chapter 1263 - 1313: Powerful

    Chapter 1263: Chapter 1313: PowerfulAlthough his body was immobile, Li Yifei¡¯s thoughts remained active. He quickly calmed down. Judging from the current physical response, apart from being unable to move, everything else seemed normal. The True Qi within their bodies surged through each other¡¯s systems¡ªnot in a destructive way, but more akin to mutual integration.


    Though Li Yifei felt as if even his eyeballs couldn¡¯t move, the joy and tenderness reflected in his gaze immediately reassured Jiang Ningxiang. She also sensed the unique characteristics of this True Qi, her eyes similarly filled with warmth and happiness.


    The two remained embraced, allowing the True Qi to churn endlessly within their bodies. No one knew how long had passed before the energy gradually settled, finally flowing serenely through their meridians.


    Yes, that¡¯s it¡ªthis True Qi. Now, there was only one single stream of energy; it was neither Li Yifei¡¯s nor Ningxiang¡¯s, but rather a shared True Qi. Identical in every sense, it coursed through their bodies, indistinguishable as to whose it belonged.


    "I now possess Innate Vital Energy," the thought popped into Li Yifei¡¯s mind.


    Immediately, Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s voice rang within his consciousness: "Brother Li, I also have your True Qi now. This is wonderful."


    "Ah, we can actually communicate through consciousness?" Li Yifei was even more astonished.


    "Ah, so this is consciousness communication. No wonder I¡¯m hearing you without any words being spoken."


    "Exactly! This is truly miraculous¡ªnever would I have imagined such outcomes from Dual Cultivation. Haha, don¡¯t let your thoughts wander. What are you worrying about now?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah... naughty Brother Li, stop that! I won¡¯t have any privacy left."


    "You¡¯re right¡ªhow do we block it, then?"


    "Why would I know? Wasn¡¯t this your idea?"


    "Oh, then maybe if we stop using True Qi, it¡¯ll cease. But True Qi... huh, I can move now." This last line was spoken aloud by Li Yifei.


    "Ah, I can move too! Brother Li, since our Dual Cultivation succeeded, quickly retract your True Qi."


    Li Yifei immediately severed the connection between their True Qi, stopping its circulation altogether. Chuckling, he said, "Now that our cultivation succeeded, shouldn¡¯t we celebrate properly?"


    "Brother Li... I... I want you," Jiang Ningxiang admitted shyly, her cheeks glowing red as she bravely expressed her feelings.


    "Alright, Brother Li will make you a happy woman today," Li Yifei vowed.


    "Yes, Brother Li, I¡¯m yours now. Take me, make me yours," Jiang Ningxiang murmured softly.


    This time, without relying on True Qi, the pair connected fully in a physical and emotional union. Although it was Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s first time, her meridians had been strengthened during Dual Cultivation, healing past injuries in the process. As a result, there were no difficulties, and she fully experienced the bliss of their intimacy.


    Over half an hour later, they finally calmed down. Jiang Ningxiang nestled in Li Yifei¡¯s arms, her face radiating happiness and exuding a lazy charm like a contented kitten.


    "Brother Li, I¡¯m finally your woman now," Jiang Ningxiang whispered gently.


    "Yes, that¡¯s right. Thank you, my dear wife. I now possess Innate Vital Energy, too," Li Yifei said as he lovingly stroked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair, his heart brimming with indescribable excitement.


    "Thankfully, we didn¡¯t fail. Otherwise, this Dual Cultivation would have been for nothing," Jiang Ningxiang playfully winked.


    "Even if it hadn¡¯t succeeded, this wouldn¡¯t have been in vain! At the very least, I gained an incredibly beautiful and adorable wife, which is far more precious, isn¡¯t it?"


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s gaze turned tender as water. Lightly biting her lip, she said, "Brother Li, could we... do it again?"


    "Oh? On the first day, you¡¯re already getting greedy, huh?" Li Yifei teased her with a gentle flick to her nose.


    Still slightly shy, Jiang Ningxiang pursed her lips and replied, "Who told you to make me feel like I¡¯m flying? I want that feeling again."


    "Alright, alright. If my wife wants it, I must fulfill her wishes. Otherwise, what kind of husband would I be?"


    That night, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang were utterly indulgent, engaging countless times in passionate intimacy. In the end, they only managed to sleep for less than four hours. Despite this, they both woke up refreshed, their vitality unaffected by indulgence.


    Li Yifei understood that this was one of the benefits of Dual Cultivation. Even without using True Qi later on, their synchronized cultivation ensured that physical intimacy wouldn¡¯t drain their energy excessively¡ªinstead, it replenished True Qi. This meant that no matter how frequently they expressed their affection, neither of them would experience any negative consequences.


    After waking, the two went to see Murong Yuanqing and Yao Lingfu. Upon noticing their vibrant energy, Murong Yuanqing laughed heartily and said, "Congratulations to you both!"


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang immediately bowed deeply to Murong Yuanqing and Yao Lingfu, speaking in unison: "Our deepest gratitude to the two elders for your immense guidance."


    Murong Yuanqing waved his hand dismissively, saying, "This was your destiny, achieved through your perseverance. I merely provided a little nudging along the way."


    Li Yifei responded humbly, "If it weren¡¯t for Elder Murong¡¯s guidance, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered Happy Zen, nor would I have obtained its missing portion. Even if I had, without your perfection of the method, who knows how long it would¡¯ve taken us to succeed."


    Murong Yuanqing laughed again and said, "Enough of this talk. Let me test how much stronger you¡¯ve become now that you possess Innate Vital Energy. That¡¯s what truly interests me." With a sudden leap, he moved into the courtyard.


    Yao Lingfu quickly followed, while Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang exchanged a glance before also leaping forward. Li Yifei approached Murong Yuanqing, saluted with clasped fists, and said, "Please advise me, Elder Murong."


    "Stop with the pleasantries. I¡¯m too impatient for that!" Murong Yuanqing said as he preemptively launched a powerful palm strike toward Li Yifei.


    The strike carried a level of force reminiscent of when Li Yifei faced a master¡¯s attack back on Mount Kunlun. The pressure was so immense that it seemed nearly unavoidable.


    However, for Li Yifei, the tension wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as it had been on Kunlun. Whereas he¡¯d felt cornered there, now his flowing True Qi provided countless ways to counter. What thrilled him most was his counter-strike¡ªa direct, forceful palm thrust meeting Murong Yuanqing¡¯s attack head-on.


    As their palms collided, Li Yifei staggered back several steps while Murong Yuanqing¡¯s body lightly swayed. The elder burst into delighted laughter, exclaiming, "Impressive! Impressive!"


    Li Yifei also couldn¡¯t contain his joy. Such a strike would have been inconceivable for him to endure before their Dual Cultivation. Though he¡¯d been pushed back and his True Qi stirred momentarily, he experienced no deeper issues. Circulating his Qi swiftly, he declared loudly, "Pardon my offense, Elder Murong!"


    "Don¡¯t hold back, boy!" Murong Yuanqing responded enthusiastically, stepping agily to launch another assault.


    The two were soon locked in combat. In the past, Murong Yuanqing had sparred with Li Yifei mainly to teach him intricate moves. Now, however, Yuanqing fully unleashed his formidable True Qi, making this battle far different from any prior exchanges.


    Murong Yuanqing¡¯s attacks were extremely fierce. Each move, while seemingly straightforward, carried tremendous power.


    Li Yifei experimented cautiously, discovering that while Yuanqing¡¯s pressure remained intense, it wasn¡¯t unbearable. He adjusted his approach, blending his True Qi with his techniques¡ªnot seeking dominance but striving for resilience.


    "This young man really isn¡¯t simple, managing to hold his own against Murong for so long. Little Ningxiang, come here, let me see how much you¡¯ve improved too," Yao Lingfu said, gesturing toward Jiang Ningxiang.


    Realizing this was an excellent opportunity, Jiang Ningxiang politely said, "Elder Yao, my skills aren¡¯t great. Please go easy on me."


    "Haha, give it your best shot. I won¡¯t harm you."


    "Thank you, Elder," Jiang Ningxiang replied sweetly, leaping forward with an initial strike toward Yao Lingfu.


    Though Jiang Ningxiang now shared True Qi with Li Yifei, her practical combat experience was lacking compared to his. Her movements lacked the adaptability Yifei demonstrated. Yao Lingfu, however, didn¡¯t exert much pressure; she simply wanted to observe Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi transformations, allowing her to freely display her abilities.


    After about ten minutes, the four individuals ceased their actions. Murong Yuanqing praised loudly, "Amazing, amazing! Yifei, after just one day of Dual Cultivation, your advancements have been extraordinary. This is truly remarkable¡ªif this pace continues, you may soon far surpass me."


    Li Yifei replied modestly, "I think this initial breakthrough was due to fusion with Innate Vital Energy yesterday, which significantly elevated my True Qi¡¯s quality. Any further improvements will require increasing its volume, which can¡¯t happen overnight."


    Yao Lingfu nodded and remarked, "This young man has great potential. Always maintaining such clarity of self-awareness is no small feat. Still, I must say¡ªthis qualitative change in True Qi will indeed accelerate your progression. Overtaking us isn¡¯t a question of ¡¯if,¡¯ but ¡¯when,¡¯ and I imagine it won¡¯t take long. Truly, the Yangtze River waves push forward relentlessly, replacing the old with the new."


    Murong Yuanqing nodded repeatedly, fully agreeing. He understood Li Yifei¡¯s current strength well; even twenty years ago, Yuanqing himself hadn¡¯t reached this level. Despite the subsequent two decades of advancement, Yuanqing¡¯s own growth had been minimal. It was clear that Li Yifei¡¯s abilities now weren¡¯t far behind him.

 Chapter 1264 - 1314: The 3rd Journey to Kunlun

    Chapter 1264: Chapter 1314: The 3rd Journey to KunlunHere is the line-by-line translation of the given text:


    ---


    Success in dual cultivation meant that Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang could attempt exploring the mysterious cave on Mount Kunlun.


    Li Yifei was genuinely concerned about encountering people from the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization when they arrived there, so he said to Murong Yuanqing, "Elder Murong, I plan to go to Mount Kunlun. Would you like to join us?"


    Murong Yuanqing shook his head and replied, "We cannot leave for the time being. There seem to be important matters that have us all at standby in the Capital City."


    Li Yifei felt a bit disappointed but immediately recalled Park Sung-ho¡¯s words, expressing concern, "Elder Murong, could this be a trap set by the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization? They did mention wanting to tie you down."


    Murong Yuanqing chuckled and said, "That¡¯s unlikely. This involves high-level affairs between the leaders above us. Even if the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization is formidable, it¡¯s absolutely impossible for them to infiltrate Huaxia¡¯s upper echelons."


    Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll head there with Ningxiang." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, go ahead. Actually, we¡¯re quite intrigued by what¡¯s inside there too. If possible, Yifei, can you let me take a look at whatever you find inside?"


    Li Yifei quickly responded, "Of course. No matter what I obtain, I¡¯ll definitely bring it for Elder Murong and Elder Yao to inspect."


    "Alright, be cautious in everything. Though you¡¯ve both made considerable progress, if you run into my wayward apprentice, it¡¯s best not to engage. I didn¡¯t expect his progression to be so remarkable. If you genuinely faced him now, you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Elder Murong, I won¡¯t gamble with my life."


    "That¡¯s what I admire about you ¡ª always able to make the most rational decisions, no matter the situation."


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang left the Capital City, heading straight for Kunlun, and Xu Shanshan was called over by Li Yifei to meet them at the base of Mount Kunlun.


    This trip to Kunlun was critically important. Although Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang had both experienced significant power growth, Li Yifei still felt a sense of danger. Having Xu Shanshan there to support them would greatly enhance their safety.


    At the base of Mount Kunlun, Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang reunited with Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan was already aware that Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang had succeeded in dual cultivation. Upon seeing them, she began inspecting them from head to toe before abruptly launching an attack at Li Yifei. "Brother-in-law, show me what you¡¯ve got. Let me see just how strong you¡¯ve become."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, let me show you." He struck out with one palm.


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s assault was instantly neutralized, and she was forced to retreat several steps, exclaiming in surprise, "You¡¯re so strong!"


    Not long ago, Xu Shanshan¡¯s abilities were almost equivalent to Li Yifei¡¯s. If the two sparred, it was nearly impossible to determine the victor. But now, she took the initiative to attack, yet Li Yifei managed to force her back with a single palm strike. The force emanating from his palm left Xu Shanshan feeling immense pressure, almost causing her to lose her breath.


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Yes, even I didn¡¯t expect dual cultivation to have such tremendous advantages. Ningxiang and I have perfectly fused our Innate Vital Energy. Now, the True Qi in both of our bodies is identical. Aside from her lack of experience, Ningxiang¡¯s strength is exactly the same as mine."


    "Really?" Xu Shanshan widened her eyes at Jiang Ningxiang in disbelief.


    Jiang Ningxiang blushed and said coyly, "Master, I¡¯m not that capable. Brother Li must be exaggerating."


    "Let me test it." Xu Shanshan said as she attacked Jiang Ningxiang.


    Jiang Ningxiang didn¡¯t counterattack like Li Yifei but chose to defend passively. Yet, despite Xu Shanshan¡¯s aggressive moves, Jiang Ningxiang was able to fend them off effortlessly. After dual cultivation, Jiang Ningxiang not only gained stronger True Qi but also learned many advanced techniques from Yao Lingfu. While her combat experience might be lacking, her knowledge had vastly improved.


    "I¡¯m done!" Xu Shanshan suddenly stopped, leaping to Li Yifei¡¯s side. She grabbed his arm and shook it vigorously, saying, "Brother-in-law, I want dual cultivation too! Can we do it?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart stirred, and he said, "I would like that too ¡ª it would significantly enhance your abilities. But... Yingying..."


    Xu Shanshan huffed, "I don¡¯t care. Let¡¯s finish dual cultivation first and talk later."


    Li Yifei replied decisively, "Alright. If you agree, I¡¯ll dual cultivate with you. At worst, I¡¯ll kneel and apologize to your sister when we return home."


    Xu Shanshan burst into laughter, "Brother-in-law, you sure have guts ¡ª kneeling to your wife like that."


    "What can I do? It¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about. I feel guilty," Li Yifei replied with a playful smile.


    Xu Shanshan had already prepared everything, and the trio packed their belongings to begin their third expedition to Kunlun.


    After walking for a while, Xu Shanshan said to Jiang Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, tell me about this Dual Cultivation Technique. Teach me first."


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately blushed and replied, "Master, I¡¯ve organized the technique. Let me show you."


    Xu Shanshan giggled, "Reading it on my own is tiring. It¡¯s better if you explain it ¡ª makes it easier for me to understand. Or should I just formally become your disciple?"


    Jiang Ningxiang jumped in shock and exclaimed, "Master, please don¡¯t scare me!"


    Xu Shanshan grinned mischievously, "Are you going to teach or not?"


    "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll teach!" Jiang Ningxiang pouted while blushing, explaining the Dual Cultivation Technique to Xu Shanshan.


    "Hehe, not bad at all. Ningxiang, you and my brother-in-law are truly enviable ¡ª just doing that kind of thing allows you to cultivate."


    Jiang Ningxiang, teased relentlessly by Xu Shanshan, gradually adapted. However, her flushed face remained as she replied, "Master, you can try it too. After all, you and Brother Li have been together for ages. You could dual cultivate too."


    Xu Shanshan glanced at Li Yifei, unhappy, and said, "I¡¯d love to, but I¡¯m worried my older sister wouldn¡¯t approve. So, I¡¯ll have to wait for now."


    Jiang Ningxiang didn¡¯t dare comment further on this matter but said, "I trust that Brother Li and Master will one day officially be together. Sister Yingying will certainly agree."


    "Alright, then let¡¯s talk about it later."


    As night fell, they found a place to stay. All three squeezed into one tent, though this time it was entirely different ¡ª previously, Xu Shanshan was in the center, but tonight Li Yifei occupied the middle spot, embracing the two women.


    Xu Shanshan propped herself up on her elbow, resting her chin in her hand. She grinned mischievously, "Come on, dual cultivate so I can watch your technique in action. Let me learn, and I¡¯ll try it with Brother-in-law later."


    "Ah?" Jiang Ningxiang gasped softly, burying her head under the blanket.


    Xu Shanshan pulled the blanket away, "Why hide? Don¡¯t you both serve Li Yifei together every night anyway? You¡¯re already initiated, so you better adjust now. When we get back home and take turns, you might only get one night every week. Miss a day, and you¡¯ll have to wait another week ¡ª isn¡¯t that tragic?"


    "But... But you¡¯re my Master!"


    "Master or not, aren¡¯t we all Yifei¡¯s women? This just makes it more fun. Come on, no need to be shy. Just dual cultivate as usual."


    After Xu Shanshan¡¯s persistent encouragement, Jiang Ningxiang finally agreed, albeit trembling with embarrassment. Once the dual cultivation began, she became fully immersed in that wonderful state, ignoring Xu Shanshan¡¯s presence entirely.


    But post-cultivation led to genuine intimacy. Though Jiang Ningxiang remained shy, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from embracing the ecstasy, even with Xu Shanshan¡¯s watchful eyes. Her calls of passion, however, were softer than usual.


    After separating from Li Yifei, Jiang Ningxiang no longer avoided discussing technical details. Xu Shanshan, having observed closely, asked precise questions and Jiang Ningxiang, now relaxed, explained thoroughly.


    Xu Shanshan tried practicing a bit, but being somewhat inexperienced, she felt attempting dual cultivation with Li Yifei that night might be inappropriate. Instead, she sweetly shared a tender moment with him, albeit in the "usual way."


    Previously, Xu Shanshan maintained some restraint before Jiang Ningxiang, but now she was utterly uninhibited. Jiang Ningxiang watched in stunned silence, her face flushed red.


    While Xu Shanshan passionately embraced Li Yifei, her phone abruptly rang. She took the call, and Xu Yingying¡¯s urgent voice came through, "Shanshan, is something wrong?"


    Xu Shanshan let out a small moan, startling Jiang Ningxiang. She then said, "I¡¯m fine. Who told Brother-in-law and that Ningxiang to make such a racket? It¡¯s distracting me!"


    "You... you¡¯re scaring me! I thought something bad happened!"


    "Don¡¯t be so tense. This time, everything should be fine. Just rest easy... hehe, though it looks like you can¡¯t really relax now. Brother-in-law is to blame for this, so I¡¯m going to ¡¯punish¡¯ his wife!"


    "Hey, I¡¯m your sister!"


    "Sure, but you¡¯re his wife too. So this is how I¡¯m retaliating against him. Haha!" Xu Shanshan laughed before hanging up.


    What she and Li Yifei were doing now had a justifiable explanation. Xu Yingying undoubtedly couldn¡¯t call Li Yifei to complain, especially since he was being affectionate with Jiang Ningxiang. As the elder sister, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to interrupt.

 Chapter 1265 - 1315: Successful Wall Breach

    Chapter 1265: Chapter 1315: Successful Wall BreachThe following night, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan attempted dual cultivation. To their delight, even though they hadn¡¯t taken the final step, their physical contact allowed their True Qi to blend to a certain extent, which brought improvements to both of them. However, it was far from the complete fusion of True Qi that Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang experienced.


    Perhaps, once the two of them fully engaged in dual cultivation, they might achieve similar results. But whether or not that would happen, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan couldn¡¯t be certain. After all, the effects of Li Yifei¡¯s dual cultivation with Jiang Ningxiang were only observed the first time. It wasn¡¯t conclusive that such outcomes would always occur.


    Even so, Xu Shanshan was quite satisfied. At least she could gain some benefits and enhance her abilities. Otherwise, watching Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang make such significant progress and leave her behind would inevitably make her feel a bit dejected.


    On the third day, the three of them finally reached the mountain summit and were ready to enter the Great Formation below.


    At this moment, Li Yifei, Jiang Ningxiang, and Xu Shanshan were even more nervous than during their first visit to this place. Previously, they had a rough idea of how to enter, but now that Li Yifei had attained Innate Vital Energy, the requirements had seemingly been met. Still, whether there would be additional complications remained entirely uncertain.


    Upon entering the Great Formation, Li Yifei quickly located the marks he had left behind. It seemed that no one had set foot here during this time.


    This discovery brought a slight sigh of relief to Li Yifei. He had worried that all their preparations would be in vain if they couldn¡¯t even pass through the formation.


    The journey went smoothly, and the three of them once again arrived in front of the hidden cave.


    By this time, night had completely fallen. Li Yifei decided to make an attempt the next morning, ensuring they rested well tonight to conserve energy and aim for success in a single effort.


    That night, Li Yifei, Jiang Ningxiang, and Xu Shanshan rested peacefully, refraining from dual cultivation as on previous nights. When the first ray of light entered the cave in the morning, all three simultaneously opened their eyes.


    Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "Let me try first to see if the stone wall will acknowledge me."


    In the past, every time Li Yifei touched the stone wall, it would repel him. The Innate Vital Energy within the wall was intensely repulsive toward other forms of True Qi.


    Although Li Yifei could have made an attempt the previous night, he restrained his impulsiveness and waited until this morning.


    As his palm gently touched the stone wall, Li Yifei did not channel any True Qi. The wall did not repel his hand. When his True Qi began rotating, he immediately sensed the Innate Vital Energy within the wall. However, instead of expelling his Qi, the energy encircled it.


    Li Yifei realized that this indicated the stone wall had accepted his Innate Vital Energy, filling him with indescribable joy. In the past, watching Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang study the wall without being able to contribute left him deeply frustrated. Now, that burdened feeling finally dissipated.


    With his True Qi rotating, Li Yifei began exploring the stone wall¡¯s interior. Soon, just as Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang had described, he found the first breakpoint. Then he progressed further, one breakpoint after another, eventually reaching the ninth.


    As he directed his True Qi into the ninth breakpoint, a powerful force of repulsion surged forth. Unable to resist it, his body flew backward, and blood spurted uncontrollably from his mouth.


    "Brother Li!"


    "Brother-in-law!"


    Jiang Ningxiang and Xu Shanshan quickly caught Li Yifei, their cries filled with alarm and worry.


    Li Yifei wiped the blood from his mouth and grinned. "Impressive. Truly impressive. But hey, it¡¯s just some blood¡ªnothing serious. I finally know what it feels like for you two. Gotta admit, kind of thrilling."


    "You¡¯re bleeding and you still find it thrilling? What a masochist!" Xu Shanshan, seeing that he was fine, lightly knocked on Li Yifei¡¯s head.


    Li Yifei rubbed his head against Xu Shanshan¡¯s chest with a mischievous grin. "You can¡¯t imagine how envious I was while you two were deciphering this wall before."


    "You petty-minded man. Always so strong and confident, but the moment you can¡¯t take charge, you feel unsettled," she teased.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. "Exactly! But now, the stone wall accepts me too, so I¡¯m back in the game. Let me meditate for a bit, and then we¡¯ll give it another shot."


    After meditating for about half an hour, Li Yifei had fully recovered. He looked at Jiang Ningxiang and Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, this time I¡¯ll go with Ningxiang. You can watch over us."


    Xu Shanshan nodded. "Alright, the two of you are equally strong now and share a deep connection. It¡¯s better with just you two trying."


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang approached the stone wall. After exchanging a glance, they placed their palms on the four handprints¡ªLi Yifei on the larger pair and Jiang Ningxiang on the smaller ones.


    As their True Qi rotated and mingled with the energy inside, Li Yifei instantly sensed another presence¡ªJiang Ningxiang¡¯s True Qi.


    "We¡¯re actually connected here," Li Yifei remarked mentally.


    "Isn¡¯t it fascinating?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    "Pretty cool. Like gamers teaming up online, we can sync perfectly."


    "Indeed, Brother Li. You take the lead; I¡¯ll follow."


    Thanks to this seamless communication, they no longer needed to use cues or signals; their connection via True Qi was enough.


    Locating the first breakpoint, Li Yifei mentally instructed Jiang Ningxiang to start. They simultaneously activated the connection.


    Then the second, the third... Everything was perfectly synchronized, thanks to their shared consciousness.


    Finally, they reached the ninth breakpoint¡ªthe critical point that had caused them injuries multiple times. They paused there, adjusting their True Qi to its optimal state.


    Xu Shanshan stood behind them, so nervous that she hardly dared to breathe. From their serious expressions, she understood this was the decisive moment. Success or failure hung in the balance.


    "Begin!" Li Yifei directed with his mind, pouring his True Qi into the ninth breakpoint.


    Jiang Ningxiang simultaneously injected her True Qi.


    A powerful resistance emerged from the breakpoint, but unlike before, they weren¡¯t repelled. The immense resistance only confirmed their method was correct, and they intensified their efforts.


    Their True Qi surged into the breakpoint wildly, yet it felt like a bottomless pit, absorbing everything without any visible result. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Li, why is it still not filling up?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s worried voice entered Li Yifei¡¯s mind.


    "Don¡¯t panic. Let¡¯s continue. I want to see how much it can take."


    "Alright."


    The duo persisted, continuing this way for nearly ten minutes. Just as their True Qi was nearly depleted, they experienced a strange sensation.


    It felt like forcing a tightly locked key to turn. After exerting immense effort, the lock suddenly yielded, and a door swung open effortlessly. Both heard a crisp "click" in their minds.


    Their True Qi broke through the ninth breakpoint, rushing into an expansive space¡ªlike opening a grand, mysterious courtyard.


    A space, indeed! Its essence couldn¡¯t be described, perceived only through True Qi. Their energy sensed something vast, filled with an even richer concentration of Innate Vital Energy that began encircling their True Qi.


    Soon, the energy surged into their meridians, flowing toward their dantians.


    Momentarily stunned, Li Yifei quickly realized the immense strength of this True Qi. It was indeed Innate Vital Energy, intertwining with his own and becoming inseparable.


    "Ningxiang, absorb it now!" Li Yifei¡¯s urgent voice echoed in her mind as he began absorbing the energy ferociously.


    Jiang Ningxiang responded and mirrored his actions.


    Before long, the True Qi they had expended was replenished manifold. The energy flow showed no signs of stopping, continuously enhancing their Innate Vital Energy, refining their meridians, and expanding their dantians.


    For a full hour, they absorbed True Qi as the energy within the space thinned, most of it entering their bodies. Neither knew how much energy they had taken in.


    Meanwhile, Xu Shanshan waited behind them, unsure of what was happening. All she knew was that the two hadn¡¯t moved, and there seemed to be no critical issues. Just as she relaxed slightly, she saw something astonishing¡ªthe stone wall lost its luster, crumbled into dust, and revealed a small opening at the top. The cave was finally unsealed.


    At that same moment, a sudden sense of danger emerged from behind her. Whipping around, Xu Shanshan saw four figures appear out of nowhere.

 Chapter 1266 - 1316: The Arrival of the Expert

    Chapter 1266: Chapter 1316: The Arrival of the Expert"Clan Leader Li, this isn¡¯t right of you." A sinister voice emerged from a man¡¯s mouth¡ªthe voice of the Grand Elder.


    The other three people didn¡¯t say a word at this moment.


    Xu Shanshan was startled upon seeing these figures. She knew very well how powerful the Grand Elder was¡ªhis strength was on par with Murong Yuanqing¡¯s. Even if she teamed up with Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang, they might still not be his match. And this time, the Grand Elder had brought three allies, whose presence she hadn¡¯t even noticed when they entered, a testament to their formidable power. Even if they were slightly weaker than the Grand Elder, they wouldn¡¯t be too far off.


    Standing protectively behind Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang, Xu Shanshan said in a deep voice, "Grand Elder, your timing is impeccable."


    The Grand Elder chuckled lightly and said, "This cave was discovered by us, and we brought our sincerity to cooperate with Clan Leader Li. Yet Clan Leader Li came here on his own and opened the cave. If I hadn¡¯t been here, would Clan Leader Li have pocketed the treasure inside all by himself?"


    This was the kind of situation where Li Yifei should normally step forward to speak, but he and Jiang Ningxiang remained motionless, leaving Xu Shanshan frustrated. Her heart was anxious, yet she had no choice but to hold her ground, saying, "Grand Elder, you¡¯re overthinking this. We came here merely to try¡ªwho would¡¯ve thought this attempt would actually succeed in opening the cave? Didn¡¯t you try many times as well? Who could¡¯ve guessed that we¡¯d just stumble upon the correct method this time? Now that you¡¯re here, it¡¯s perfect; we can explore the cave together and see what treasures lie inside."


    A man beside the Grand Elder scoffed impatiently, "Hmph, smooth talker. Grand Elder, why waste words with them? Let¡¯s just kill them."


    Xu Shanshan grew more anxious but tried her best to stay composed. She said, "Grand Elder, we¡¯ve always been partners, haven¡¯t we? And this cave was opened by us without using any of your people. Sharing it with you now should prove our sincerity, shouldn¡¯t it?"


    The man burst into laughter and said, "Ha! Sharing? You speak as if you have any say in the matter now."


    As he spoke, the man stepped forward, raising a palm to strike Xu Shanshan.


    This sudden move made Xu Shanshan panic. The force contained in this palm completely enveloped her. If she tried to withstand it, there was no guarantee she could take the hit. Retreating would be the safest move, but doing so would expose Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang to the attack, undoubtedly leaving them severely injured.


    The man¡¯s strength was formidable, nearly as powerful as the Grand Elder¡¯s.


    Xu Shanshan gritted her teeth, rotating her True Qi within her body and channeling it toward her palm. She thrust her hand forward resolutely, determined to buy Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang some time. Their strength had greatly increased recently, and if they regained consciousness, they might have a chance to escape. Facing these four adversaries was not something she dared to even consider.


    "Little girl, courting death!" the man sneered, his palm colliding fiercely with Xu Shanshan¡¯s double palms.


    A muffled sound echoed as a massive force surged through Xu Shanshan¡¯s hands, so overwhelming that she could barely endure it. If she retreated at this moment and used the momentum to deflect the impact, she might mitigate her injuries. But retreating would endanger Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang behind her, so she stood her ground as if her legs were rooted, enduring the force head-on.


    "Urgh!" A mouthful of blood sprayed from Xu Shanshan¡¯s lips, yet she remained steadfast, unmoving.


    With her face pale and her body trembling, it was evident she had suffered serious internal injuries.


    "You¡¯re a grown man bullying a young girl... what kind of skill is that?" Xu Shanshan wiped the blood from her mouth and stared at the man with disdain.


    The man was visibly stunned by her response. Xu Shanshan knew retreating would¡¯ve spared her from significant injuries, yet she chose not to. Such courage left him deeply impressed.


    "Little girl, I admire your bravery, but the treasures within this cave are ours to claim. My apologies." With no trace of pity, he raised his hand for another strike.


    Xu Shanshan shouted fiercely, gathering her True Qi once more to block the attack. She knew there was little chance she could withstand this strike but refused to back down¡ªretreat was simply not an option.


    "Shanshan!" a voice cried out, piercing the silence. Suddenly, Li Yifei, who had been motionless, turned and struck directly at the attacker¡¯s palm.


    "Boom!" The collision between Li Yifei¡¯s palm and the man¡¯s shook the cave, causing dust and debris to rain down from the ceiling. Li Yifei, clutching Xu Shanshan tightly, fell backward into a pile of stone powder, stirring up a cloud of dust in the smoke-filled cave.


    Remarkably, even the attacker was forced to retreat several steps by Li Yifei¡¯s strike.


    The Grand Elder and his companions were visibly astonished. They were somewhat familiar with Li Yifei¡¯s abilities and knew he was strong, but they didn¡¯t expect him to possess enough power to force one of their number to recoil.


    Li Yifei, along with Jiang Ningxiang, had only just recovered from the overwhelming infusion of Innate Vital Energy, which had been altering their meridians and rendering them immobile. Although aware of the danger upon the Grand Elder¡¯s arrival, they had been powerless to act until now.


    Seeing Xu Shanshan injured spurred Li Yifei into action. As the man prepared to strike again, Li Yifei finally regained control over the True Qi within himself, launching a decisive counterattack. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated that his strike would be able to force the attacker back. As he made the move, he had already prepared to retreat while shielding Xu Shanshan.


    The palm strike was nine parts offense and one part leverage to retreat, intending to brace for injury. To his surprise, he suffered no harm from the encounter, and the excess force pushed him hard enough to land in the stone powder.


    However, upon observing the four adversaries, Li Yifei knew that despite his newfound strength, he could only handle one of them. Jiang Ningxiang might manage another, but with Xu Shanshan gravely wounded, a direct clash was out of the question.


    "Into the cave!" Li Yifei shouted decisively, kicking up clouds of stone dust toward the Grand Elder and his allies, filling the cave with smoke and limiting visibility.


    The Grand Elder¡¯s group surged forward despite the dust, relying on their keen senses and reactions rather than sight. Their primary goal was to prevent Li Yifei¡¯s group from entering the cave.


    But Li Yifei had no intention of entering the cave. Uncertain of its interior, he wasn¡¯t willing to risk being trapped if it turned out to be a sealed space. Instead, he used the confusion to give them a false impression. He quickly grabbed Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s arm, pulling them toward the cave¡¯s exit.


    This was Li Yifei¡¯s wisest decision, but the Grand Elder¡¯s group weren¡¯t fools. Upon realizing the deception, they immediately turned and charged after him.


    Li Yifei and his companions reached the sunlight at the cave entrance within moments, while the four experts emerged from the smoke behind them.


    The Grand Elder sneered coldly, saying, "Kid, you¡¯re clever, but this time you¡¯re as good as dead."


    Li Yifei met their eyes with a frosty gaze and said, "Grand Elder, we no longer want the treasures inside the cave¡ªthey¡¯re yours. Would you still pursue us?"


    The Grand Elder replied indifferently, "Clan Leader Li, if you were truly committed to this partnership, we wouldn¡¯t harm you. But coming here on your own is not a gesture of sincere collaboration. Traitors to the organization have only one fate¡ªdeath!"


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "You want us dead? Then let¡¯s see if you have the skill to make that happen."


    "It appears Clan Leader Li¡¯s strength has grown significantly¡ªfor that reason alone, we cannot let you live." As he spoke, the Grand Elder suddenly stepped forward. Though it was just one simple step, he instantly appeared before Li Yifei and launched a palm strike.


    Li Yifei roared, spinning his palms and shifting his body. He stepped forward in turn, aiming a sharp blow with his elbow.


    In the past, when confronting the Grand Elder, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t even been able to put up a fight. Now, he struck back directly, feeling far less pressure than before. While he could still sense the Grand Elder¡¯s superior strength, he was no longer without means of retaliation.


    This newfound sensation was exhilarating. With it, Li Yifei¡¯s combat abilities surged, revitalizing his confidence. His prior experience in the Flying Hawk Squad had taught him to face stronger foes with sharp judgment and calm strategies. His fear vanished entirely.


    "Impressive, kid! I didn¡¯t expect you to possess such strength." The Grand Elder was startled, clearly surprised by Li Yifei¡¯s ability to hold his ground against him.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t respond, focusing solely on his duel with the Grand Elder. The thrill of engaging a master-level opponent was indescribable, consuming all his energy and thoughts. In his mind, only one objective remained: to bring his adversary to his knees.

 Chapter 1267 - 1317: Finally Escaped

    Chapter 1267: Chapter 1317: Finally EscapedThe Grand Elder grew more astonished as the fight went on. Although Li Yifei¡¯s strength was still weaker, his combat experience was overwhelmingly formidable. Several times the Grand Elder had the opportunity to seriously injure him, yet Li Yifei always managed to narrowly avoid danger using incredible means. A character like this, once he reached the same level as the Grand Elder, would undoubtedly surpass him.


    This realization heightened the Grand Elder¡¯s intent to kill Li Yifei. Previously, Noah¡¯s Ark had cooperated with Li Yifei because his family brought significant benefits to the organization. More importantly, they didn¡¯t think Li Yifei posed much of a threat. If Li Yifei disobeyed, any one of them could take him down in minutes.


    But now, even achieving victory was proving so difficult. If Li Yifei managed to escape and returned to Mile City, killing him later would be even harder.


    Although Li Yifei was elated to see his strength improve and that he could trade blows evenly with the opponent, he was acutely aware of the current situation. If all four of the enemies joined forces, there was no chance of retaliation.


    After dodging one of the Grand Elder¡¯s moves, Li Yifei¡¯s body brushed against Jiang Ningxiang, and he immediately sent her a mental directive: "Take Shanshan and leave now."


    Jiang Ningxiang was holding Xu Shanshan but didn¡¯t move, which made Li Yifei anxious. When he came into contact with Jiang Ningxiang again, he repeated the command.


    "What about you?" Jiang Ningxiang was clearly prepared this time and questioned back proactively.


    "Don¡¯t worry. Once you leave, I can escape easily. I can¡¯t fight all four of them, but getting away is still manageable."


    Jiang Ningxiang hesitated again, and Li Yifei grew even more impatient. Suddenly, a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes as he looked behind the Grand Elder.


    Li Yifei had maintained a calm demeanor throughout. His sudden action startled the Grand Elder, who, though holding the advantage, instinctively stepped back two paces and glanced behind him.


    But there was nothing behind him. The Grand Elder suddenly recalled something crucial and shouted to the other three, "Quickly! Get inside the cave before anything changes!"


    Their primary goal for coming here was the contents of the cave. If the cave closed again, their mission would be futile.


    Two of them immediately darted toward the cave. Li Yifei urgently sent another mental command to Jiang Ningxiang: "Hurry and go!"


    With only two enemies remaining, Jiang Ningxiang finally gritted her teeth, secured Xu Shanshan, and dashed out of the cave, climbing swiftly upward.


    As Jiang Ningxiang moved, one of the remaining men lunged toward the cave entrance to intercept her, but Li Yifei struck with a powerful kick, forcing the attacker to fend off the blow instead. In that brief moment, Jiang Ningxiang had vanished from the cave entrance.


    "Clan leader Li, I admire your character, but as long as you¡¯re left behind, the rest is irrelevant. Prepare to die."


    Now it was two against one again. Facing the Grand Elder alone was already challenging, let alone adding another adversary almost as strong. Li Yifei was under indescribable pressure, and if not for the True Qi from the stone wall invigorating him, he would have already succumbed.


    But Li Yifei couldn¡¯t retreat. He needed to secure more time for Jiang Ningxiang. With her current strength, just two minutes would make it impossible for them to catch up to her.


    Gritting his teeth, Li Yifei held on under the unimaginable weight of the confrontation.


    However, it only lasted three moves before he could no longer withstand their attacks. The Grand Elder delivered a heavy strike that forced Li Yifei back two steps. The other attacker immediately closed in, targeting his exposed vulnerabilities. With two masters coordinating their assault¡ªeven without perfect synchronization¡ªtheir keen eyes easily seized the opportunity presented by Li Yifei¡¯s lapse.


    Li Yifei was shocked and quickly crossed both arms to shield his chest.


    A muffled crash sounded as a fierce blow landed solidly on Li Yifei¡¯s forearms. His body flew backward, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood mid-air.


    This was the first time Li Yifei had been beaten to the point of vomiting blood since attaining the Golden Eagle status. Yet, rather than feeling tragic, he felt a sense of pride for managing to last several moves against two great masters.


    As he was already by the cave entrance, the strike sent him flying two or three meters outside the cave, and he began to plummet downwards. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Grand Elder and the other attacker rushed to the edge of the cave to watch Li Yifei falling. Their faces showed a hint of regret¡ªmeeting a rival of equal caliber was rare for masters of their level, and seeing someone like him perish invoked a sense of pity.


    "Impressive, kid, truly impressive," the Grand Elder suddenly exclaimed as Li Yifei, leveraging the wind currents between the cliffs, drifted toward the nearby wall and grabbed hold of a dried mountain vine.


    The canyon was perennially cold, yet robust vines grew along the cliffs, each around the thickness of an arm and remarkably sturdy.


    "Trying to escape like this? No way." The other attacker immediately leaped down, zeroing in on the vine Li Yifei was clutching. He grabbed it, swung it forcefully, and shook it like a whip. The vine detached from the wall, flinging Li Yifei into the air¡ªthough Li Yifei stubbornly clung to the vine and avoided falling.


    The vine was over 40 to 50 meters long, and the attacker¡¯s ability to swing it was an awe-inspiring display of raw strength.


    "Heh, quite tenacious," the attacker chuckled darkly before abruptly slashing the vine with his free hand, severing it cleanly.


    "Kid, looks like your luck¡¯s run out!" He tossed aside the severed vine and laughed loudly, watching Li Yifei tumble downward with the broken vine.


    The canyon¡¯s depth was immeasurable. Even for a stone, falling would mean shattering to dust upon impact. Li Yifei¡¯s fate seemed sealed.


    Yet the laughter abruptly stopped as the severed vine swung like a snake toward the opposite cliff, winding around another sturdy vine. Li Yifei used the momentum to propel himself across the empty space, latching onto the vine on the opposing wall.


    "Thanks!" Li Yifei shouted loudly as he began climbing upward with the vine.


    The attacker roared in fury and was about to pull out another vine to chase him when the Grand Elder called out urgently, "Enough! Let him go. The cave¡¯s contents are more important."


    The group abandoned the pursuit, swiftly following the Grand Elder into the cave.


    The powdered remnants of the stone wall were already cleared, revealing a path. Two of their allies had evidently ventured further inside, and the remaining two hastened to join them.


    The cave was not large. Inside were stone tables, chairs, and other furnishings, indicating it had once been a dwelling. On the stone wall were small niches containing various boxes.


    "These must be important martial arts texts left behind," guessed the Grand Elder.


    "We thought the same but didn¡¯t dare touch them. Please examine them first," one of the men said.


    The Grand Elder nodded solemnly and approached the wall, carefully extending his hand toward one of the boxes.


    The moment his fingers touched the box, it disintegrated into powder, stunning him. As he swept away the dust, his face darkened significantly.


    "Ruined. The contents inside have all decayed."


    "What?" Another man, incredulous, tried grabbing a different box, which also crumbled into dust immediately.


    A gust of wind swept through the cave, and in an instant, all the remaining boxes disintegrated to powder.


    "Damn it! How could this happen?" one of the men cursed angrily.


    The Grand Elder sighed deeply and said, "These materials have been preserved for centuries. Back then, preservation techniques weren¡¯t advanced, or perhaps no one anticipated it would take so long for someone to open this cave. While the exterior wall was difficult to breach, certain insects likely found their way in, turning the paper into food. Such precious martial arts texts left behind by a master, now reduced to ash¡ªit¡¯s truly lamentable."


    Despite combing through the cave for another half an hour, all they found was an inscription on one stone wall: four words reading "Fair and Just." No other traces remained.


    After all the effort the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization put into this, including clashing with Li Yifei, they ultimately gained nothing.


    Unaware of their failure, Li Yifei swiftly scaled the cliff. The area was still within the range of the Great Formation. He navigated haphazardly, eventually escaping its boundaries.


    He immediately called Jiang Ningxiang, and her excited voice answered, "Brother Li, are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine. Lead Shanshan down the mountain as quickly as possible. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. We¡¯ll regroup later to avoid being chased."


    "I¡¯ll feel at ease knowing you¡¯re alright," Jiang Ningxiang replied.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t linger and sped downhill. By dusk, he finally reunited with Jiang Ningxiang.


    "Brother Li!" Jiang Ningxiang burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.


    Li Yifei hugged her briefly before asking anxiously, "How¡¯s Shanshan?"


    "Shifu is still unconscious, but I¡¯ve been using True Qi to heal her. The injuries are serious," Jiang Ningxiang said.


    Li Yifei took Xu Shanshan from Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s back, cradling her in his arms. Guiding his True Qi into her body, he frowned deeply; Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries were severe, but her Innate Vital Energy had protected her critical areas, ensuring her survival.


    "Let¡¯s move further down while it¡¯s still dark to avoid being tracked," Li Yifei said.


    They dashed through the night until around ten o¡¯clock when they finally found a place to rest. With the darkness and vastness of Mount Kunlun, the enemies were unlikely to find them. For the time being, they were safe.

 Chapter 1268 - 1318: Noah’s Ark’s Apology

    Chapter 1268: Chapter 1318: Noah¡¯s Ark¡¯s ApologyIn their hurried escape, Li Yifei and the others had left behind their tents, food, and water in the cave. Now, as they paused, both Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang felt the pangs of hunger and thirst. Though the spot they found provided some shelter from the wind, the bitter cold of the snowy ground was far from comfortable.


    Li Yifei first had Jiang Ningxiang hold Xu Shanshan. Then, he chipped off a few pieces of ice and brought them back, letting Jiang Ningxiang dissolve one piece in her mouth, while he did the same with a small piece himself. However, instead of swallowing the melted ice water, he passed it mouth-to-mouth directly into Xu Shanshan¡¯s mouth.


    By the time the icy water reached Xu Shanshan, it was no longer cold. Still dazed, she managed to swallow a sip, her lips twitching faintly as she murmured, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, run quickly."


    Li Yifei felt a pang of sorrow and quickly replied, "Shanshan, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already escaped. Your brother-in-law is perfectly fine now, and Ningxiang is doing well too."


    Xu Shanshan suddenly opened her eyes. Though her gaze was somewhat unfocused, she still managed to see Li Yifei. A burst of surprise and joy lit her face. "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re okay. That¡¯s wonderful!"


    "Silly girl, if not for you buying me time back there, I truly might have been in trouble. Now, focus on healing yourself. First, stabilize your injuries using your Innate Vital Energy. Once we descend the mountain, I¡¯ll carefully treat you. There won¡¯t be any lasting damage."


    "Okay."


    Li Yifei fed Xu Shanshan two more sips of water, which seemed to lift her spirits a little. She said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m hungry."


    Li Yifei let out a bitter laugh and replied, "Right now, your brother-in-law truly doesn¡¯t have anything to give you to eat."


    "I have something! I still have a piece of chocolate with me!" Jiang Ningxiang exclaimed loudly.


    Li Yifei was overjoyed and quickly took the chocolate, breaking off a small piece to feed Xu Shanshan.


    The chocolate, rich in energy, soon had its effect. After eating two small pieces, Xu Shanshan started feeling better and said, "Brother-in-law, I¡¯m okay now. But I¡¯m sleepy. I want to sleep."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Then rest well for now. When you wake up, we may already be at the base of the mountain."


    Xu Shanshan, heavily injured, soon closed her eyes and fell asleep again.


    Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang ate a few more pieces of ice, shared the rest of the chocolate, and then took advantage of the cover of night to continue descending the mountain.


    Though he was carrying someone, Li Yifei¡¯s movements were unaffected. Whenever he was tired, he took short breaks, and whenever he was thirsty, he munched on ice. Their journey was relentless, nearly uninterrupted by day or night, until finally, on the evening of the second day, Li Yifei¡¯s people arrived to meet them.


    Here in Huaxia, Li Yifei had full access to his resources, while Noah¡¯s Ark¡¯s members couldn¡¯t afford to act recklessly. Regardless of their strength, if individuals like them caused chaos, the powerful figures in Huaxia would undoubtedly unite to hunt them down.


    Up on Mount Kunlun, where human presence was sparse, they could act freely. But anywhere populated, they would have to tread carefully.


    From the very first day of their escape, Li Yifei had contacted Sophia to arrange a pick-up in the vicinity of Mount Kunlun. Sophia had responded immediately, flying over without delay.


    The first step was placing Xu Shanshan onto a stretcher, allowing Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang to eat something and drink water to recover their strength.


    For safety, Li Yifei also opted to take a car to the city, where he found a hotel to settle down in.


    The first task upon settling into the hotel was treating Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries. Her ribs hadn¡¯t fractured, and she had no external wounds, but her internal organs had suffered severe impacts¡ªthese were internal injuries. Using True Qi to assist the healing process would be ideal.


    Li Yifei spent nearly the entire night treating Xu Shanshan with True Qi, eventually bringing significant improvement to her condition. By the next morning, Xu Shanshan was able to slowly move about on her own, though she still couldn¡¯t apply her True Qi too forcefully.


    For a full recovery, she would need a few days of rest back home.


    With Xu Shanshan¡¯s condition improving, Li Yifei promptly brought everyone back to Mile City. Xu Yingying and the others, already informed of Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries, had been waiting anxiously at home. Seeing that Xu Shanshan was relatively fine finally eased their worry.


    As for Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s engagement in Dual Cultivation, for now, nobody brought it up. Everyone had already accepted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s presence, and whether they discussed it or not was merely a matter of formally incorporating her into the group.


    This conflict with Noah¡¯s Ark¡¯s elite fighters symbolized a complete fallout with them. Li Yifei began preparing for future confrontations, believing it was prudent to plan ahead.


    However, barely a day after returning home, Li Yifei received word of a visitor.


    Visitors were rare at Li Yifei¡¯s house, and when he heard the guest¡¯s name, he was somewhat surprised¡ªPark Sung-ho. Park Sung-ho¡¯s arrival at this timing left him wondering about the man¡¯s intentions.


    Li Yifei decided to meet Park Sung-ho, but he didn¡¯t invite him inside the house. Instead, he met him in one of the guest rooms located on the property¡¯s periphery, specifically designed for meetings with ordinary visitors without granting them access to the inner residence.


    "Brother Park, are you here to deliver a challenge?" Li Yifei asked bluntly.


    At this, Park Sung-ho gave a bitter smile and said, "Brother Yifei, this is a misunderstanding. The elders acted without fully comprehending our sect leader¡¯s intentions, which led to the conflict with you. I¡¯ve come here specifically to apologize on behalf of the elders."


    "Apologize to me? You flatter me," Li Yifei said, his gaze sharp as a blade fixed on Park Sung-ho.


    Park Sung-ho felt a chill run through him and instinctively stepped back two paces, deeply alarmed. While Li Yifei had always been strong, Park Sung-ho had never felt true fear before him. But now, Li Yifei¡¯s mere presence filled him with a dread akin to confronting the elder masters.


    Forcing a strained smile, Park Sung-ho said, "Brother Yifei, it seems your progress recently is truly extraordinary. I can barely muster the courage to speak in your presence."


    Li Yifei kept his piercing gaze fixed on Park Sung-ho and said coldly, "An apology? Back then, your people were ready to kill me, and Shanshan was gravely injured. Do you think one apology erases all of that?"


    Park Sung-ho took another step back, his face creased with worry. "Our sect leader also believes this matter caused you, Clan Leader Li, great harm. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come to express our sincerity in apologizing. Moreover, there will be compensation."


    "Compensation? No amount of compensation will help me swallow my anger. I went through immense hardship opening that stone wall. We agreed to share the spoils, but not only did you try to kill me, you also wanted to take everything for yourselves. Talking compensation now¡ªwhat nonsense!"


    Park Sung-ho, sweating profusely under Li Yifei¡¯s overwhelming aura, could feel himself cornered. He knew that Li Yifei could easily end him here and now, as easily as crushing an ant. Backing up until he hit the wall, he found there was nowhere left to retreat.


    Nevertheless, even as sweat poured down his face, Park Sung-ho dared not raise a hand to wipe it, fearing that any movement might prompt Li Yifei to strike him down on the spot. He stammered out, "Clan Leader Li, our sect leader is genuinely sincere in resolving this matter, or else I wouldn¡¯t be here."


    Li Yifei snorted disdainfully, finally releasing his battle-ready aura. Park Sung-ho felt a wave of relief wash over him, his knees momentarily weak as he almost collapsed onto the floor. Grasping the wall for support, he steadied himself.


    "Clan Leader Li, you nearly scared me to death," Park Sung-ho said with a bitter smile.


    Li Yifei seated himself, his expression grim as he said, "Hmph. If you want to talk, then let¡¯s start with the matter of what was behind the stone wall. What about my promised share?"


    "Clan Leader Li, what I¡¯m about to say will be hard to believe, but it¡¯s the truth. There were indeed items behind the stone wall, likely ancient martial arts texts."


    "Why do you say ¡¯likely¡¯?" Li Yifei asked, his brow furrowing. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Park Sung-ho gave a wry smile and explained, "Because when the elders entered, they saw some boxes. But the moment they touched them, the boxes crumbled to dust, and a gust of wind scattered everything into powder."


    "Do you take me for a child?" Li Yifei said with a cold snort.


    "Clan Leader Li, I understand your skepticism. But consider this: those items had been sitting there for centuries. Paper, parchment, or even leather¡ªall would have deteriorated and disintegrated over time. Nothing could have remained intact. And now, due to non-existent spoils, our Noah¡¯s Ark organization has become your adversary. This situation benefits no one, which is why our sect leader sent me here, hoping to restore our partnership and offering a gift to show our sincerity."


    With that, Park Sung-ho presented Li Yifei with an ornate golden gift list.


    Li Yifei took it and opened it. The items listed were indeed impressive¡ªvarious gemstones and jewels, renowned calligraphy and paintings, ten exceptional beauties, and most notably, several herbs including hundred-year-old wild ginseng and snow lotus. These rare medicinal ingredients were invaluable to martial artists, especially for treating internal injuries or boosting recovery.


    Murong Yuanqing had once mentioned that ancient practitioners would refine pills from such precious herbs, enhancing martial abilities. Though the technique had long been lost, consuming the herbs directly could still provide many benefits.


    Park Sung-ho then added, "Clan Leader Li, I know these items are mere worldly possessions, and you likely have no shortage. However, these medicinal ingredients can greatly aid in healing internal injuries and speeding up recovery."


    Li Yifei smirked and said, "You think this is enough to settle the score?"


    "Of course not. Furthermore, we hope to collaborate with you more deeply moving forward, providing endless long-term benefits to you as part of our reconciliation."


    Li Yifei studied Park Sung-ho for a moment before finally nodding and saying, "Fine, let this matter rest."


    Park Sung-ho wiped the sweat from his brow, visibly relieved, and exhaled deeply. All he wanted now was to leave quickly. He resolved never to negotiate with Li Yifei again¡ªthe pressure was simply too overwhelming.


    Lastly, the story takes a brief turn: the author pleads for readers to support a new book titled *"The Peak Soldier King"* written by his younger brother. The author shares personal anecdotes, expressing his desire for his brother¡¯s success and encouraging readers to vote, review, and sponsor the book to ensure its growth and motivation for further updates.

 Chapter 1269 - 1319 Rewards

    Chapter 1269: Chapter 1319 RewardsLi Yifei agreed to Park Sung-ho¡¯s proposal, but it was after careful consideration from various aspects.


    The Noah¡¯s Ark Organization was still overwhelmingly powerful. Even though he and Jiang Ningxiang had grown strong enough to compete against top-tier experts like the Elders, it was just the two of them within the Li family. On the other hand, Noah¡¯s Ark had not only the four strong fighters they encountered but also the mysterious Sect Leader. These five formidable opponents were far beyond what Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang could handle alone.


    Even though there were top-tier experts like Murong Yuanqing in the country, they couldn¡¯t possibly align with Li Yifei. If Noah¡¯s Ark genuinely wanted to kill him and went all out, it would be truly difficult for Li Yifei to manage.


    This was the pressure coming from Noah¡¯s Ark. Furthermore, Li Yifei also considered the current state of the Li family. Right now, it wasn¡¯t suitable to engage in large-scale conflicts with such a strong opponent. That would be extremely detrimental to the Li family¡¯s development. If confrontation could be avoided, it should be avoided.


    Since Noah¡¯s Ark was currently unwilling to have a direct conflict with him, it was a good thing for him. There was no reason for him to refuse their offer. Clearly, Noah¡¯s Ark had also realized this point. Even though they had intended to eliminate Li Yifei earlier, now they were willing to collaborate with him. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Additionally, Noah¡¯s Ark must have calculated that collaborating with Li Yifei at this time could be beneficial for their long-term interests. If they truly wanted to eliminate Li Yifei, there would be plenty of opportunities to do so in the future. There was no rush to act now.


    So, after some posturing, both sides came to an agreement.


    When Li Yifei returned to the inner house and showed the gift list to everyone, they ignored the jewels and such entirely. However, as soon as they saw the ten women listed, each of them glared at Li Yifei disapprovingly.


    Li Yifei quickly raised his hands and said, "Don¡¯t look at me like that! I was thinking, there are lots of bachelors living in the outer house. Since these women are no longer ordinary people due to the influence of Noah¡¯s Ark, there¡¯s no need for me to treat them with too much reverence. I¡¯ll just assign them to the men in the outer house. This way, they¡¯ll start families and be more loyal to our Li family moving forward."


    Although everyone had received a proper education and were somewhat uncomfortable with the concept of distributing women, the fact that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t keeping these women for himself, but rather assigning them to the outer house men, made the idea slightly more acceptable.


    Su Mengxin immediately said, "I think this is a good idea. Even though our husband has plenty of charisma, it¡¯s still necessary to reward people adequately if you want to secure their loyalty. For many men, wealth and women are their greatest desires. These women are not only beautiful but also know how to please men, making them an invaluable reward. Giving them to the outer house men will certainly boost morale and make them happier."


    Xu Yingying was a bit worried and said, "But these women have strange mindsets. If they live with those men, won¡¯t they corrupt their thoughts? A woman¡¯s influence can¡¯t be underestimated. Many men end up doing things they never planned to because of women¡¯s persuasion."


    Ye Yunzhu nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed. Never underestimate the power of women. Sometimes, pillow talk can be more effective than any form of encouragement."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "There¡¯s a simple solution. Just keep these women together without assigning them to anyone. Then, whoever makes significant achievements can choose one from among them to have fun with. Wouldn¡¯t that solve the problem?"


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, feeling that Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s idea was audacious yet seemed to entirely circumvent the potential issues.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "That won¡¯t work. If it were a matter of business interests, I might consider it. But this is our Li family. If this type of precedent is set, what would our family become in the future? How would we educate our children later on? We absolutely can¡¯t let that happen."


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s reasoning, everyone realized how significant the issue could be. Chu Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and said, "I was just joking."


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I still think directly assigning them to people is the best option. However, these women will need to be properly restrained and won¡¯t be allowed to freely leave. In the future, when the Saintess arrives, her spiritual abilities might enable her to fix their mindsets. Besides, we have plenty of competent people outside who excel at ideological work. If Noah¡¯s Ark could brainwash them, so can we."


    Su Mengxin interjected, "I suggest we don¡¯t reward them all at once. We could start with one or two as a test. This way, we can see how it works and give the men a taste of the rewards. They¡¯ll be more motivated to earn such prizes in the future, which will boost their enthusiasm."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled softly and said, "There are plenty of single guys in our outer circle. These ten women won¡¯t be enough. I think we should ask for more next time."


    Zheng Yuling chimed in, "Exactly. These women are pitiful in their own way. If they can live normal lives, it might be a form of salvation for them. It¡¯s actually a good deed."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Now that you put it this way, I feel like we¡¯re doing something noble. It¡¯s settled then!"


    The next day, Noah¡¯s Ark¡¯s gifts were delivered. The jewelry was packed neatly in boxes and didn¡¯t draw much attention, but the arrival of the ten women immediately caught the gaze of the men in the outer house.


    Everyone knew Li Yifei had many women, but they all respected his women deeply and never harbored any inappropriate thoughts. Now, out of nowhere, ten stunning women appeared, each of them incredibly beautiful. Their complexions varied¡ªnot only Huaxia women were present; there were also European and American women, and even one with dark skin.


    "Wow, the boss¡¯s appetite is growing bigger and bigger. Bringing in ten women all at once¡ªhe¡¯s not afraid of angering the madams!"


    "Boss has always been great at handling such things. And I believe he¡¯s capable. Otherwise, how would the madams coexist so harmoniously? Adding a few more shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Many men whispered in awe. Normally, adding one woman wouldn¡¯t draw much attention, but bringing in this many at once earned them even more admiration for Li Yifei¡¯s abilities.


    However, Li Yifei didn¡¯t arrange for these women to stay in the inner house. Instead, he placed them in the outer house, which puzzled the men. It seemed unconventional for the boss to house his women there.


    Soon after, they were summoned to a meeting. Those who weren¡¯t on duty hurried to the outer house¡¯s main hall.


    By now, the number of people in the outer house had grown significantly, totaling about a hundred, with twenty of them having families. These families also resided in the outer house. Thankfully, Li Yifei¡¯s estate was large enough, featuring several well-furnished apartments with excellent amenities and staff to maintain them, giving a hotel-like experience.


    To maintain their loyalty, Li Yifei ensured they were well provided for. Loyalty didn¡¯t come without reason; sufficient material provisions were a must.


    Li Yifei scanned the room, smiling as he said, "Brothers, I called you here today to announce something."


    Seeing his relaxed demeanor, everyone guessed it wasn¡¯t bad news and eagerly awaited further details.


    "You¡¯ve probably noticed the beautiful women who arrived just now, haven¡¯t you?" Li Yifei said with a grin.


    One bolder man smiled and said, "Boss, you brought in so many new madams. Aren¡¯t you worried about conflicts in the household? This seems a bit excessive."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I didn¡¯t personally choose these women. They were sent by the Noah¡¯s Ark organization."


    "They sent them? Wow... That¡¯s quite extravagant. Where did they even find so many beauties?"


    Li Yifei continued, "These women were trained from a young age¡ªnot only are they gentle and kind, but they also excel at pleasing men, especially in the bedroom... And despite all that, they¡¯re still virgins. Are they rare or not?"


    "Still virgins? That¡¯s incredible, boss. You¡¯re so lucky!"


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t want them. You all know I already have enough wives. No matter how good these women are, we have no emotional foundation, so I¡¯m not interested. However, leaving them unused would be a waste, so I came up with an idea."


    He paused for a moment, noticing the anticipation in everyone¡¯s eyes, before continuing, "Some of you here are still single. I plan to use these women as rewards. Whoever achieves great merit will receive one of them as a prize."


    "Woohoo!" The men erupted in excited cheers. Before joining Li Yifei, they had all been noteworthy individuals, with no shortage of romantic encounters. However, the idea of receiving women as a direct reward was novel and thrilling to them.


    Li Yifei raised his hand to quiet them and said, "Though these women were sent as gifts and will be given as rewards, I expect you to treat them well. They are pitiful in their own way. If anyone plans to simply discard them after having fun, you¡¯d better not compete for this reward."

 Chapter 1270 - 1320: Research and Study

    Chapter 1270: Chapter 1320: Research and Study"I know saying this might make you feel that the rewards you¡¯ve earned have become a burden instead, but I can tell you, once you have them, you¡¯ll realize these women are absolutely worth it. They¡¯ll give you a true sense of home, and you¡¯ll never regret it."


    "Boss, what if we don¡¯t want them? Can we return them?" A sly guy said sneakily.


    Li Yifei glared at the man and said, "There¡¯s marriage, and there¡¯s divorce. If it really doesn¡¯t work out together, of course I won¡¯t force anyone. Returning them? I¡¯m not afraid of that. If you¡¯re willing to return them, I¡¯ll gladly take them back. I¡¯m certain someone else will step up to claim them. What I¡¯m worried about is that once you have them, you¡¯ll never let them go."


    Everyone burst out in laughter.


    Li Yifei then put on a serious face and said, "But these women do come with some issues right now. They¡¯ve been heavily influenced by the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization. I¡¯m afraid that once you get them, you won¡¯t be able to withstand the whispers in your ear and might end up running away with them. That would be a huge loss for me."


    "It¡¯s just a woman. If she¡¯s disobedient, I¡¯ll slap her hard!"


    "Exactly! We¡¯ve seen all sorts of people. How could a mere woman sway us?"


    The group shouted enthusiastically, firmly believing that this was impossible. To them, as seasoned individuals who had faced death countless times before, a mere woman couldn¡¯t possibly overpower them.


    These people had all been rebellious figures in the past, and they didn¡¯t believe Li Yifei¡¯s warnings. A single woman wasn¡¯t worth their attention. But when it came to the idea of earning women of such exemplary qualities as rewards, they all became quite expectant.


    Money and beautiful women¡ªthese are forever the greatest attractions for men. And with Li Yifei praising those women so highly and them having seen their looks, it was impossible for anyone not to be tempted.


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Alright, it¡¯s decided then."


    "Boss, how are we going to tally up the merit points? There are only ten beauties here, and we¡¯ve got so many people. There has to be a system that everyone respects, so whoever ends up with the women won¡¯t face resentment from others."


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "You¡¯re right. I haven¡¯t thought this through yet. So, everyone should brainstorm and come up with a system that everyone can agree on."


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t intend to decide this system himself. He wanted them to discuss amongst themselves. He knew his own decision might not be comprehensive enough. But these people were completing various tasks for the Li family every day; they understood better than him how to evaluate merit. Letting them choose would ensure the system was perfect and acceptable to all.


    Handing this troublesome matter over to them, Li Yifei left immediately.


    "A bunch of lecherous wolves," muttered Sophia as she headed toward the inner house.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Men... it¡¯s impossible for them not to be attracted to women. Besides, mutual affection between men and women is perfectly normal. Speaking of which, do you have your eye on anyone?"


    Sophia quickly shook her head and said, "No way. These men are so lame; I wouldn¡¯t even give them a second glance."


    "That¡¯s not quite right. When two people are together, the most important thing is compatibility¡ªto make each other happy. It¡¯s not about how skilled or powerful they are."


    Sophia clenched her fists and said, "Anyway, I don¡¯t have such thoughts right now. I just want to become stronger, stronger than ever!" She then turned to Li Yifei and asked, "Master, how did your recent outing go? What rewards did you bring back?"


    Even though Sophia was the one who had picked up Li Yifei, he hadn¡¯t had the chance to discuss this matter with her yet. Now, Sophia finally found the opportunity to ask.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "I¡¯d say I¡¯ve improved quite a bit. I now possess Innate Vital Energy."


    "You¡¯ve obtained Innate Vital Energy too!" Sophia¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she trembled with excitement. "Master, can you share it with me? Help me obtain Innate Vital Energy too?"


    Li Yifei coughed awkwardly and said, "Well... that¡¯s a bit difficult."


    "It¡¯s okay! No matter how hard it is, I¡¯m not afraid. Master, will you teach me?" Sophia said eagerly, grabbing his arm with eyes full of yearning.


    Sophia was typically very composed and rarely lost her poise. But this time, she truly did. The reason was simple: she¡¯d witnessed Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang transform from ordinary women into super experts, even exceeding her own abilities. How could she not envy that?


    Li Yifei felt embarrassed and replied, "Sophia, it¡¯s not as simple as you think. It¡¯s mainly about opportunities¡ªit¡¯s a form of luck. Both Shanshan and Ningxiang were exceptionally fortunate. If Innate Vital Energy were easy to obtain, wouldn¡¯t I have made sure everyone possesses it by now?"


    Sophia paused, her expression turning to disappointment. Li Yifei patted her shoulder and said, "Your current True Qi isn¡¯t particularly strong yet, but you¡¯re already thinking about Innate Vital Energy. This is overly ambitious and ultimately unhelpful for you. You need to solidly enhance your True Qi first¡ªonly then can you consider other things. Let me also tell you, it¡¯s not only Innate Vital Energy that can make someone incredibly powerful. I¡¯ve met several super strong individuals whose abilities were unimaginable, and they didn¡¯t have Innate Vital Energy at all. So, becoming strong doesn¡¯t necessarily require Innate Vital Energy. It¡¯s simply a method to accelerate skill improvement; its effects are similar to ordinary True Qi."


    Sophia listened to his explanation and nodded firmly, saying, "Master, I understand now. I won¡¯t overthink it anymore. I¡¯ll focus on improving myself step by step."


    "Good, that¡¯s the right attitude. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll make sure to train you into a super expert."


    "Thank you, Master!" Sophia¡¯s confidence reignited.


    Li Yifei secretly sighed in relief. Acquiring Innate Vital Energy had come through his Dual Cultivation experience with Jiang Ningxiang. If Sophia had insisted, would he have had to engage in Dual Cultivation with her too? Thankfully, he managed to talk her out of it, sparing them both from awkwardness.


    His conversation with Sophia made Li Yifei think about something: could he also Dual Cultivate with those in his house? If the effects were similar to what he experienced with Jiang Ningxiang, wouldn¡¯t it make his family members much stronger too? If that happened, the Li family would undoubtedly become a powerhouse where even Noah¡¯s Ark wouldn¡¯t need further consideration.


    This thought excited Li Yifei, and he hurried back to his villa, where Su Mengxin and the others were chatting in the living room. Scanning the room, he immediately pulled Lin Qiong aside and said, "Qiongqiong, come with me! I need to discuss something with you!" Then, he dashed upstairs with her.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Lin Qiong was baffled by his sudden move.


    Downstairs, the others were equally puzzled. Xiao Ling¡¯er laughed and said, "Isn¡¯t our husband just trying to sneak in some midday fun?"


    Li Xinyue chuckled, "Sounds about right. Why else would he be in such a hurry?"


    Su Mengxin smiled and said, "I don¡¯t think so. He must¡¯ve thought of something and needs Qiongqiong¡¯s help. Let¡¯s not bother them for now; we can ask later."


    Initially, Xiao Ling¡¯er and Chu Xiaoyao, the playful ones, wanted to go upstairs and peek. But after hearing Su Mengxin¡¯s words, they decided to hold back.


    Li Yifei led Lin Qiong into the bedroom and shut the door with a loud thud. Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at him and said, "What are you doing? It¡¯s broad daylight!"


    Li Yifei chuckled mischievously and guided her toward the bed. Lin Qiong pushed back, complaining, "You¡¯re crazy! Even if you want this, you don¡¯t have to act so impulsively. What will people think of me later?" Despite her protests, her heart felt sweet, knowing he had chosen her out of everyone.


    "Haha, you misunderstood me. I¡¯ve thought of something. You saw how I gained Innate Vital Energy from my Dual Cultivation with Ningxiang, which greatly enhanced my abilities. If I also Dual Cultivate with you all, could your abilities also be greatly improved? Out of everyone here, you have the strongest martial arts foundation, so I wanted to test this out with you."


    "Oh, I see. Alright then, let¡¯s give it a try. Tell me what to do."


    Li Yifei immediately began explaining the Dual Cultivation Technique to Lin Qiong. Having been his wife for a long time now, Lin Qiong did not feel embarrassed about matters concerning men and women. Instead, she was quite curious. However, when it came to specific True Qi practices, she was slightly less proficient.


    "Oh, I forgot something¡ªwe need Ningxiang to guide you. She can help you learn this faster." Li Yifei then pulled out his phone and called Jiang Ningxiang, asking her to come to his room.


    For the past two days, Jiang Ningxiang had been avoiding everyone and hiding her face, too shy to interact with the group. Due to Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries and the chaos surrounding Li Yifei¡¯s return, she had been somewhat overlooked.


    "Ningxiang, come sit here!" Xu Yingying warmly welcomed her, understanding that Jiang Ningxiang was now part of their sisterhood. As the eldest, Xu Yingying made a point of treating her kindly.


    Jiang Ningxiang entered the room, her face flushed bright red. When Xu Yingying invited her over, she became even more flustered. She said timidly, "Hello, sisters."


    Xu Yingying giggled, "Enough with the formalities. You¡¯re our sister now. We¡¯ve all been busy these past couple of days, so we haven¡¯t properly discussed your joining us. Please forgive us."


    Jiang Ningxiang was even more embarrassed and stammered, "S-Sister Yingying, I... I just felt awkward facing everyone."


    "There¡¯s no need for that feeling. You¡¯re one of us now; no more shying away."


    "Mhm, mhm!" Jiang Ningxiang nodded earnestly, biting her lip before softly saying, "Where¡¯s Brother Li?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He¡¯s upstairs."


    "He asked me to go straight to his room, but I... don¡¯t know what he needs."


    "Better hurry up then!"


    Jiang Ningxiang gave them all a shy smile before darting upstairs like a startled rabbit.

 Chapter 1271 - 1321: The Whole Family Cultivates Together

    Chapter 1271: Chapter 1321: The Whole Family Cultivates TogetherJiang Ningxiang pushed the door open and immediately saw Li Yifei and Lin Qiong lying on the bed together. Her face instantly turned redder. There were so many people downstairs, and Li Yifei calling her into the room had already made her feel awkward. Now, with Lin Qiong in the room too, it was clear this was heading toward the three of them being involved. Even though Xu Shanshan had joined them during the journey to Mount Kunlun and also practiced Dual Cultivation with Li Yifei, Jiang Ningxiang was far more familiar with Xu Shanshan and felt much more at ease with her. When it came to others, however, she couldn¡¯t help but feel very uncomfortable¡ªespecially since this was broad daylight.


    "Ningxiang, you¡¯re here," Lin Qiong greeted warmly, pulling Jiang Ningxiang to sit down beside her on the bed. Lin Qiong¡ªencouraged by Li Yifei¡ªwas clearly feeling intrigued. How could she not yearn to become as formidable as someone like Jiang Ningxiang?


    Seeing Lin Qiong¡¯s enthusiasm, Jiang Ningxiang felt even more flustered. She lowered her head and stammered, "Lin... Lin Qiong... Sis, hello." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Qiong chuckled and said, "Why are you so nervous, Ningxiang? Quick, show me the Dual Cultivation Technique! I want to become as powerful as you!"


    "Dual Cultivation?" Jiang Ningxiang raised her head in surprise, looking at Lin Qiong.


    "Yes, exactly¡ªDual Cultivation... Haha..." Lin Qiong suddenly realized how it sounded and burst into laughter. Laughing as she spoke, she teased, "Oh, Ningxiang, you don¡¯t think our husband brought you here because he wants to...?" She winked playfully as she finished.


    Jiang Ningxiang flushed with embarrassment but didn¡¯t deny the implication.


    Li Yifei¡¯s face turned dark. "Do you really think I¡¯d go that far?"


    Suppressing her laughter, Lin Qiong said, "Just look at the impression you¡¯ve left on Ningxiang¡ªwhat a shameless pervert you are!"


    Li Yifei forced a bitter smile and said, "Ningxiang, how could you misunderstand me like this?"


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, it was my bad for overthinking."


    Lin Qiong smiled. "It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it. Overthinking isn¡¯t a big deal. From now on, we¡¯re sisters, so this kind of awkwardness is pretty normal. Now, come on¡ªteach me the Dual Cultivation Technique so I can see if it works for me."


    Li Yifei stood up and said, "Alright, you two focus on figuring this out. Ningxiang, you¡¯d best use your True Qi to guide her¡ªit will be much easier for her that way. After all, Lin Qiong doesn¡¯t have any True Qi in her body. If she relies solely on herself, who knows how long it¡¯ll take before she can even attempt it."


    Lin Qiong quickly responded, "Wait, couldn¡¯t Ningxiang just substitute herself for me?"


    "Substitute you?" Li Yifei looked puzzled.


    "Yes, like Ningxiang using her True Qi to operate in my body, and then I practice Dual Cultivation with you. Do you think that might work?"


    "Hmm..." Li Yifei thought it over. It seemed like there might be some complications, but it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible to try. "Alright, we¡¯ll give it a shot then."


    "Great, let¡¯s try it!" Lin Qiong eagerly began undressing.


    Li Yifei also started taking off his clothes. Jiang Ningxiang didn¡¯t need to undress, but seeing the two of them completely bare made her blush deeply. It took her a while to calm her emotions before she began channeling her True Qi into Lin Qiong¡¯s body, using the Dual Cultivation Technique to circulate it within her.


    Li Yifei had grown quite adept at Dual Cultivation by now. He pressed his lips to Lin Qiong¡¯s and directly used the technique to merge their True Qi. After that, they physically connected in the most intimate way.


    The last time Li Yifei had practiced with Jiang Ningxiang, it had been an immensely extraordinary sensation. But this time with Lin Qiong, there simply wasn¡¯t that same magical feeling¡ªit was more akin to later sessions with Jiang Ningxiang.


    "This doesn¡¯t seem right," Li Yifei thought to himself.


    "Yeah, it feels like I¡¯m still practicing with you," Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s voice chimed in through consciousness communication.


    "If we can still communicate on this level, it means I¡¯m still cultivating with you¡ªnot with Lin Qiong. This approach doesn¡¯t seem to work."


    "Should we give up, then?"


    "Let¡¯s keep going for a bit longer."


    After a while, Li Yifei told Jiang Ningxiang to withdraw her True Qi. Upon inspecting Lin Qiong¡¯s body, he found it was still empty, completely devoid of any True Qi.


    "How did it go?" Lin Qiong asked immediately.


    Li Yifei shook his head and said, "Not effective. Since you don¡¯t have any True Qi of your own, this method doesn¡¯t benefit you at all¡ªI essentially just practiced Dual Cultivation with Ningxiang again."


    "I see. So, I¡¯ll need to cultivate my own True Qi first?"


    Li Yifei nodded. "Exactly, that¡¯s the idea."


    "Alright, then let¡¯s not worry about it for now. Husband, I need your love! I can¡¯t stand it anymore!" Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t internally circulated any True Qi to prepare herself during practice, so even though she and Li Yifei had been connected for so long, little had happened physically. She was desperate now to be intimate with him.


    Li Yifei temporarily set aside the Dual Cultivation matters and indulged in a moment of affection with Lin Qiong. Watching this unfold, Jiang Ningxiang turned bright red and tried to leave, but her legs wouldn¡¯t move, leaving her standing frozen. She tried not to look, but couldn¡¯t resist sneaking peeks at the pair.


    The scene between Lin Qiong and Li Yifei was far more intense than what Jiang Ningxiang had witnessed between Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei¡ªit left her feeling equally uncomfortable and longing to join in herself.


    Finally satisfied, Lin Qiong looked at Jiang Ningxiang, who was stunned in the corner, and cheerfully said, "Ningxiang, it¡¯s your turn now."


    "Ah! Absolutely not!" Jiang Ningxiang shouted, springing up from the bed and bolting out of the room in a flash.


    Li Yifei and Lin Qiong were startled for a moment, then burst out laughing together.


    After getting dressed, the two went downstairs to join the others. They saw Jiang Ningxiang already sitting with everyone, her cheeks still rosy and radiantly beautiful.


    "Oh, you two are utterly shameless¡ªsneaking a snack in broad daylight!" Chu Xiaoyao teased with a grin.


    Li Yifei chuckled and sat down between Xu Yingying and Su Mengxin, wrapping his arms around their waists. "We weren¡¯t sneaking around¡ªwe were working on something serious. We were seeing if Dual Cultivation could help boost your strength."


    Lin Qiong responded boldly, "Exactly! I offered myself as the test subject, yet I¡¯m getting accused of sneaking a snack!"


    "Well, was there any progress?" Everyone was curious. While they hadn¡¯t been that interested in Dual Cultivation techniques before, if getting close to Li Yifei could help them improve their skills, how could they not consider it?


    Li Yifei shook his head. "I think the first step is the hardest: you need to have True Qi within yourselves. Without it, Dual Cultivation simply doesn¡¯t work."


    "Other than Ningxiang, does anyone else here have True Qi?" Song Lianyao asked, glancing around. She sighed with a wry smile and shook her head. "It seems not. Otherwise, we could¡¯ve tested it further."


    Li Yifei thought about mentioning Xu Shanshan but knew better than to say it aloud, so he simply nodded and said, "That¡¯s right. So, you¡¯ll need to work hard and try to cultivate True Qi as soon as possible. Once someone manages to do that, I¡¯ll be able to practice Dual Cultivation with you."


    "Is that easy?" Ning Xin¡¯er asked.


    Li Yifei replied, "Cultivating True Qi can be easy or difficult¡ªit largely depends on individual talent and diligence. If you¡¯re lazy about it, you might never succeed, even in a lifetime."


    Looking at everyone, Li Yifei chuckled again and said, "Of course, I hope some of you manage it, but even if you don¡¯t, it¡¯s no big deal. We have plenty of experts in our household¡ªthere¡¯ll be people to protect you for sure."


    Su Mengxin chimed in, "I think everyone should at least give it a try. If we have some ability to protect ourselves, it¡¯ll make things much easier when we go out. Otherwise, it¡¯s inconvenient to always rely on having a large group of people accompanying us."


    Everyone agreed, asking Li Yifei to teach them some methods to cultivate True Qi. Li Yifei did so earnestly, knowing full well that most of them were just motivated by temporary excitement and would likely lose interest after a while.


    After explaining the techniques, Li Yifei let them practice on their own. As expected, this wasn¡¯t something that could be mastered overnight¡ªotherwise, the streets would be full of experts.


    Li Yifei then went to Xu Shanshan¡¯s room. She was lying on the bed, quietly adjusting her breathing, but opened her eyes as soon as he entered.


    "Feeling better?" Li Yifei sat down and took hold of Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand.


    Xu Shanshan beamed and said, "I¡¯m much better now. A few more days of rest should do the trick."


    Li Yifei gazed at her, then leaned closer to kiss her lightly on the cheek. If it weren¡¯t for Xu Shanshan, he¡¯d have been in real trouble this time. Words of gratitude between them felt unnecessary.


    "Shanshan, the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization sent over a large batch of gifts to make peace with us. I¡¯ve tentatively agreed for now."


    Xu Shanshan frowned briefly but quickly said, "If you think it¡¯s the right decision, I¡¯ll support you."


    "Yes, for now we can¡¯t seek revenge. We¡¯ll need to wait until our strength has grown further before acting, so we¡¯ll have to endure for now."


    "What about the stuff in the cave? If they¡¯re making peace, shouldn¡¯t they show some real sincerity?"


    "They said the cave contained various martial arts manuals, but since they¡¯d been there for centuries, they were completely weathered and disintegrated¡ªthey couldn¡¯t recover anything."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. "Nothing? Are they trying to trick us?"


    "Whether they are or not, we can only take their word for it right now. Honestly, though, it¡¯s quite plausible¡ªconsider the underground relic you obtained. It required a very unique environment to preserve. A mountainside cave that¡¯s been exposed to the elements for hundreds of years would naturally cause significant degradation."


    Still unhappy, Xu Shanshan muttered, "I don¡¯t buy it. If we ever get the chance, we must force them to spill the truth!"


    Li Yifei laughed. "Shanshan, even if they did manage to recover some relics from the cave, it¡¯s unlikely that their gains outweigh ours. When we opened the stone wall, the Innate Vital Energy within it fused directly with our bodies."


    Xu Shanshan was suddenly ecstatic. "What? That immense Innate Vital Energy is now inside us?"


    Li Yifei nodded. "Exactly. So, whether they obtained anything or not, we¡¯ve already gotten the best part. Perhaps Master Zhang Sanfeng¡¯s true legacy to us was the Innate Vital Energy within the stone wall."

 Chapter 1272 - 1322: Rapid Qi Cultivation Method

    Chapter 1272: Chapter 1322: Rapid Qi Cultivation MethodLi Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s bodies were now filled with the Innate Vital Energy from the ancient stone wall, as if the energy had transferred directly from the stone wall into them.


    However, although this energy resided in their bodies, Li Yifei found himself unable to utilize much of it. Despite the energy connecting with his own Innate Vital Energy, he couldn¡¯t manipulate it.


    Only during the process of opening the stone wall did he and Jiang Ningxiang manage to absorb a portion of it. Over the past two days, Li Yifei tried to further assimilate the Innate Vital Energy, but with little success.


    This left Li Yifei quite frustrated; it was like having an enormous check in his possession but being unable to cash it¡ªan agonizing feeling akin to living in poverty while holding immense wealth.


    Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang, and, upon seeing the caller ID, he realized it was Murong Yuanqing. He immediately answered the call.


    "Elder Murong."


    "Yifei, you¡¯re back?"


    "I¡¯ve returned. The stone wall has been opened." Li Yifei proceeded to narrate all the events in detail.


    "How audacious of them! They really have no regard for us people of Huaxia," Murong Yuanqing said, his anger rarely so evident.


    Li Yifei replied, "However, the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization approached me shortly afterward for a temporary truce, and I agreed for the time being."


    "Hmm, that¡¯s a reasonable course of action. For now, prioritize protecting yourself and your people. But we must retaliate somehow; otherwise, they¡¯ll only act even more recklessly within our borders."


    "Elder Murong, Jiang Ningxiang and I both have the Innate Vital Energy from the stone wall within us. If you¡¯re free, could you take a look at it for us?"


    "I¡¯m quite curious about this matter myself. I¡¯ll come by tomorrow to check it out." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei was thrilled and immediately agreed.


    By the next evening, Murong Yuanqing arrived at Li Yifei¡¯s house. Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang quickly welcomed him inside. Murong Yuanqing first inspected Li Yifei¡¯s energy and then Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s. He marveled at the findings, saying, "This is truly peculiar. Normally, foreign energy in one¡¯s body poses a great risk, often causing significant harm. But this particular energy in your bodies is not just harmless¡ªit¡¯s highly beneficial. Once you gradually absorb this energy, your strength will become immeasurable."


    Jiang Ningxiang asked curiously, "So, does that mean we¡¯ll be able to defeat those bad guys?"


    "Haha, defeating them would be child¡¯s play. Once you¡¯ve absorbed it fully, even if they join forces, they won¡¯t stand a chance against either of you."


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "Wouldn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ll be more powerful than you, Elder Murong?"


    Murong Yuanqing was completely unfazed and burst into laughter. "Haha, naturally! After all these years, finally, new masters have emerged¡ªit¡¯s a blessing indeed."


    Li Yifei smiled wryly and said, "Elder Murong, I feel like I have no way of truly utilizing the energy within me."


    "Don¡¯t rush it. Since this energy aligns with yours and doesn¡¯t repel it, you¡¯ll eventually absorb it fully¡ªit¡¯s just a matter of time. Besides, your current gains are already substantial. Your strength now rivals mine, and you¡¯re still unsatisfied? If those old folks knew about your progress, they¡¯d be green with envy."


    Li Yifei considered this and agreed. Previously, the idea of matching the Grand Elder in combat was inconceivable. He truly had much to be grateful for.


    After discussing their energy situation, Li Yifei asked Murong Yuanqing to examine Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries. Though Li Yifei believed Xu Shanshan was not seriously hurt, he wanted reassurance.


    Murong Yuanqing finished his examination and confirmed that Xu Shanshan¡¯s injuries were not severe. He added, "This is the sheer power of Innate Vital Energy. Had it been regular True Qi, Shanshan might¡¯ve suffered far more."


    Moving on from this topic, Li Yifei raised the idea of dual cultivation with his family.


    Murong Yuanqing nodded, saying, "Theoretically, it¡¯s possible. But the prerequisite is True Qi; otherwise, the other party wouldn¡¯t understand the path of dual cultivation, leading to one-sided gains¡ªlike the Tibetan Secret School¡¯s practices."


    "That¡¯s my concern as well," Li Yifei admitted. "But because of their moderate strength¡ªand since they¡¯ve broken their maiden status¡ªthe effectiveness may be reduced."


    "I¡¯m unsure about that," Murong Yuanqing replied. "This is something you¡¯ll need to test through practice and gather insights from."


    Li Yifei chuckled and asked, "Do you know of any methods to help my wives cultivate True Qi quickly?"


    "Haha, you already know¡ªthere¡¯s no shortcut. It all depends on their fate," Murong Yuanqing responded.


    "I thought Elder Murong might have some fast-track solutions," Li Yifei said.


    "Fast-track... Well, actually, there is one," Murong Yuanqing suddenly interjected.


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened with excitement. "Elder Murong, you really have one?"


    Murong Yuanqing smiled warmly and said, "Frankly, I had forgotten about it. Cultivating Qi primarily relies on a stable foundation. Those unconventional methods tend to bring serious risks. That¡¯s why I never considered them. But in your unique case, with Innate Vital Energy and dual cultivation, you can neutralize the harmful aspects of such methods entirely."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! That¡¯s absolutely feasible!"


    Murong Yuanqing laughed heartily and patted Li Yifei on the shoulder. "Yifei, if this succeeds, the Li family will soar beyond imagination. Be careful not to let it go to your head!"


    Li Yifei paused briefly, then gratefully replied, "Elder Murong, you¡¯re right¡ªI was overconfident for a moment. Thank you for reminding me."


    Murong Yuanqing stroked his beard, smiled, and said, "This quality of self-reflection is what I¡¯ve always admired about you. But always remember, no matter how strong one becomes, one must never disregard the country, others¡¯ lives, or their dignity."


    "Understood! I will remember this!" Li Yifei responded firmly.


    "Good. I trust you!" Murong Yuanqing said as he patted Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder once more.


    Murong Yuanqing then taught Li Yifei a cultivation technique. It wasn¡¯t particularly difficult, but it involved unusual methods requiring many rare medicinal ingredients for supplementation, including some poisonous substances to stimulate True Qi generation. Jiang Ningxiang and Xu Shanshan were visibly uneasy as they listened to the part about venomous creatures.


    Li Yifei committed the method to memory in great detail before Murong Yuanqing departed. As a protector of the nation, Murong Yuanqing would leave matters concerning the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization to other departments, but he would not tolerate their masters wreaking havoc on home soil.


    "Brother Li... You... you really plan to use these?" Jiang Ningxiang stared at Li Yifei¡¯s notes, her face full of disbelief.


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "It¡¯s indeed unpleasant, but it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll use live insects. These are made into medicinal baths."


    "Even then, just thinking about it is revolting! Imagine bathing in water filled with dead bugs... Oh my, that¡¯s unbearable!" Jiang Ningxiang shivered, goosebumps visibly appearing on her skin.


    Xu Shanshan winced and added, "I guarantee that if you told my sister and the others what¡¯s inside, they¡¯d refuse to use it even if you begged."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "I know, which is why you must keep this a secret. Neither of you can tell them!"


    Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang hesitated but remained silent.


    Li Yifei rolled his eyes at them. "My dear aunties, this concerns their future! If they succeed in dual cultivation, they¡¯ll all become top-tier masters. The Li family¡¯s strength will be unparalleled, and we¡¯ll never have to fear someone abducting our son again!"


    Jiang Ningxiang pouted slightly. "Alright, fine. I won¡¯t tell."


    Xu Shanshan grinned mischievously. "I¡¯ll keep silent for now, but once they achieve results, I¡¯m definitely telling them! Just imagining their faces then makes me laugh already¡ªhaha... cough, cough..."


    Her amusement turned sour as Xu Shanshan¡¯s laughter aggravated her internal injury, causing her to cough while grimacing.


    Li Yifei quickly held Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand, channeling energy to stabilize her chaotic True Qi. Concerned, he said, "See? You¡¯ve gone and hurt yourself."


    Xu Shanshan caught her breath but continued smiling cheekily. "Hurting myself over this doesn¡¯t matter if it gets everyone else later."


    "That¡¯s your sister we¡¯re talking about!" Li Yifei retorted.


    Xu Shanshan winked and said, "We¡¯re all family. There are no separate factions within. My sister and the rest are just like other sisters. If not, how could you stand as the head of the household?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "You sure have a carefree perspective. But if your sister heard this right now, she¡¯d tear you apart."


    "Hehe, it¡¯s fine. Sooner or later, my sister¡¯s bound to tear into me anyway¡ªwaiting or not doesn¡¯t change that." Xu Shanshan responded impishly.


    After a round of jokes, Li Yifei left with Jiang Ningxiang to make preparations. He sternly instructed his staff to gather the required materials and forbade them from sharing anything about this matter with the ladies in the household¡ªor anyone in the inner house.


    The staff were baffled as to what Li Yifei intended with such peculiar items.

 Chapter 1273 - 1323: Successful Promotion

    Chapter 1273: Chapter 1323: Successful PromotionLi Yifei told his family that there¡¯s a rapid method for cultivating True Qi, which immediately piqued everyone¡¯s interest. For people who don¡¯t know anything about martial arts, cultivating True Qi feels near impossible. The women in Li Yifei¡¯s house are no exception. While they might not live in luxury, their delicate skin and pampered lifestyles make it clear that they¡¯ve had it easy¡ªexcept for Su Yiyi, who¡¯s endured a harder life than most. Li Xinyue and Song Lianyao had relatively humble backgrounds before, but the rest were practically raised inside honey pots.


    Every day, they performed dull, repetitive movements without seeing any results. Most of them lost interest within a few days. Only Su Yiyi and Su Mengxin kept at it, while the rest would halfheartedly mimic the moves whenever they remembered¡ªthen quickly drop the effort.


    Now that they learned there¡¯s a shortcut, their lost enthusiasm was reignited.


    But when they saw the tub filled with murky, black water, everyone furrowed their brows.


    Xu Yingying was the first to speak. "Honey, are you sure this is for us?"


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and replied, "Of course. This tub contains expensive medicinal herbs, and every single one is essential. That¡¯s why the water looks like this."


    Ning Xin¡¯er grimaced and said, "It¡¯s so black... soaking in this stuff won¡¯t turn our skin dark, will it?"


    Everyone immediately turned their eyes to Li Yifei. To these women, their fair skin was paramount. If they were to turn into "African beauties," no matter how much benefit came from it, they absolutely wouldn¡¯t agree.


    "Definitely not," Li Yifei assured them. "While the medicine has color, there¡¯s no actual pigment in it¡ªall of it is pure energy." Having tested the concoction earlier and consulted Murong Yuanqing for confirmation, Li Yifei spoke confidently.


    But even so, everyone still shook their heads in doubt¡ªexcept one person.


    "I¡¯ll try it first," Su Yiyi bit her lip and announced.


    "Yiyi!" Everyone turned to her in surprise.


    Su Yiyi nodded and spoke determinedly, "Yes, I want to try. Our husband would never harm us. I don¡¯t want to always rely on others for protection whenever we go out¡ªit feels so stifling. I want to become stronger so that if anyone targets us, our husband won¡¯t have to worry about our safety constantly."


    The usually timid Su Yiyi displayed the most courage among them, leaving everyone else feeling slightly ashamed. Lin Qiong immediately volunteered, "I¡¯ll go first instead. My skin isn¡¯t as pale anyway, so even if it darkens a bit, it¡¯s no big deal. Yiyi, your complexion is so fair¡ªit¡¯d be a shame if it changed. You all don¡¯t need to fight me for this spot; I¡¯m the most suitable because I have some martial arts background. Let¡¯s just leave it to me."


    Li Yifei quickly chimed in, "Alright, Qiongqiong will try first. Everyone else can watch and feel assured."


    Seeing Li Yifei agree, Su Yiyi backed down, and the group accepted Lin Qiong¡¯s decision.


    After everyone left the room, only Li Yifei and Lin Qiong remained in the bathroom. Over the past few days, Li Yifei had taught everyone the rapid cultivation method for True Qi. It wasn¡¯t particularly difficult, so they all knew how it worked.


    Lin Qiong approached the tub, staring at the dark, medicinal bath with furrowed brows. She turned and glared at Li Yifei, warning, "If you dare deceive me, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it!"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Would I ever lie to my wife? Come on, give it a try. I promise you¡¯ll become a martial arts expert in no time."


    Lin Qiong finally stepped into the tub, letting the dark liquid envelop her entire body.


    Li Yifei also joined her in the bath, which eased Lin Qiong¡¯s worries. If Li Yifei was willing to be in the tub with her, it meant that problems were unlikely.


    He placed his hands against hers, transferring True Qi into her body. Since Lin Qiong had no True Qi of her own, she needed Li Yifei¡¯s guidance to absorb the medicinal power.


    Li Yifei quickly felt the medicinal bath¡¯s energy slowly permeating Lin Qiong¡¯s pores. With the aid of his True Qi, the energy gradually transformed into faint threads of True Qi. Though weak, it successfully merged with Lin Qiong¡¯s meridians¡ªin contrast to his own True Qi, which, even when injected into her body, couldn¡¯t stay inside.


    This elated Li Yifei. Lin Qiong and the others had finally taken the first step. As long as they could sense the presence of True Qi within themselves, they could use the rapid cultivation method to circulate it properly, eventually mastering the intricacies of Dual Cultivation.


    After two hours, the bathwater had turned even darker and lost its medicinal potency. Only then did Li Yifei stop.


    During those two hours, Lin Qiong felt something unique growing inside her¡ªit was no other than the True Qi Li Yifei mentioned. Thrilled, she exclaimed, "Does this mean I¡¯ve succeeded?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Of course. But this is just the first step. To truly master it, you¡¯ll need at least five more baths."


    "Only five?"


    "You think that¡¯s few?" Li Yifei rolled his eyes and said, "Do you know how much one tub costs? At least a hundred thousand, and once it¡¯s used, it¡¯s done."


    "Only a hundred thousand? Even five more baths plus this one¡ªthat¡¯s just six hundred thousand! No big deal."


    "I¡¯ll deduct it from your allowance."


    "Dare you try!" Lin Qiong glared at him before stepping out of the tub to check herself in the mirror. Seeing that her skin hadn¡¯t darkened, she finally felt at ease.


    Li Yifei knew this method was effective, but it required substantial time and cost. For most people, it would be out of reach. And even if someone managed to cultivate a small amount of True Qi, persistence was necessary¡ªwithout it, the effort would be wasted. For now, the plan was to help Lin Qiong establish her True Qi foundation. The ultimate goal was to experiment with Dual Cultivation, which was something to truly look forward to if successful.


    Over the next few days, Li Yifei helped Lin Qiong cultivate True Qi every evening. After six days, Lin Qiong was finally able to sustain her True Qi.


    While it wasn¡¯t incredibly strong, she could circulate it herself and use it according to the principles of Dual Cultivation.


    Li Yifei had a sudden thought¡ªif Lin Qiong used this method, she could absorb his True Qi much like the nuns on Hua Mountain did. This would significantly strengthen her, though at a slower pace.


    With everything prepared, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong began their first Dual Cultivation session that evening. He even brought Jiang Ningxiang to assist, believing her presence would increase their chances of success.


    This moment wasn¡¯t just exciting for Lin Qiong and Li Yifei¡ªit had everyone in the house on edge. They knew from Jiang Ningxiang that the nuns practicing Dual Cultivation on Hua Mountain looked youthful even at fifty or sixty years old, which made the prospect irresistible. Though these women were all stunning beauties now, the fear of aging loomed large over them. If they could preserve their youth, it would be a dream come true.


    The Dual Cultivation session began. Jiang Ningxiang first guided Lin Qiong¡¯s faint True Qi and ensured it flowed correctly. Once everything was in place, Li Yifei started the process.


    But as soon as Li Yifei¡¯s True Qi entered Lin Qiong, it completely overwhelmed and dissolved her weaker True Qi.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Li Yifei immediately stopped and connected with Jiang Ningxiang mentally.


    Confused, Jiang Ningxiang replied, "I don¡¯t get it either. What happened?"


    Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Maybe my True Qi is too powerful, and Lin Qiong¡¯s is too weak. The disparity is just too great¡ªher True Qi can¡¯t handle mine."


    "Then try weakening yours."


    Li Yifei concentrated his True Qi into his Dantian, leaving only faint traces circulating in his meridians. Even then, his True Qi remained stronger than Lin Qiong¡¯s.


    This time, however, his True Qi didn¡¯t overpower hers. Instead, their energies intertwined, flowing harmoniously according to the principles of Dual Cultivation.


    "It worked!" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s excited voice echoed in his mind.


    Li Yifei nodded. "Yes, it should be fine now. Let¡¯s see how effective it really is."


    After more than an hour, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong finished their Dual Cultivation session. During the process, Lin Qiong felt her True Qi strengthen noticeably, leaving her elated. She expressed her excitement in a more... physical way, which even pulled Jiang Ningxiang into an unexpected first-time participation.


    Despite the late hour, the rest of the household remained in the living room, eager for news. After tidying up, the three of them descended the stairs.


    "How did it go?" Everyone looked at them expectantly.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "The method works, but progress won¡¯t be immediate. Tonight, I¡¯ll try another session with Lin Qiong to see if we can make her True Qi even stronger."


    "Oh yeah!"


    "Amazing!"


    "We can stay young forever!"


    This was the common thought across everyone¡¯s mind¡ªand the excitement was beyond words.


    Over the following days, Li Yifei continued Dual Cultivation sessions with Lin Qiong. In the beginning, Lin Qiong¡¯s True Qi doubled with each session, growing exponentially. But after several attempts, the growth started to slow.


    Li Yifei realized that from now on, the improvement would be gradual. Instead of devoting special time to it, they could simply incorporate it into their nightly intimacy, no longer needing dedicated Dual Cultivation sessions. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1274 - 1324: Trip to Japan

    Chapter 1274: Chapter 1324: Trip to JapanLi Yifei had been busy ensuring his wives grew stronger, but he never relaxed when it came to Li family matters. What needed to be done still had to be done. Building a powerful family wasn¡¯t just about individual strength¡ªit required economic power and advancements in various aspects.


    The people living outside the family home had already established a points system. No matter what type of work someone did, they could earn points. This prevented those unable to carry out tasks abroad from feeling excluded or undervalued. Everyone¡¯s enthusiasm surged because those ten beautiful women, after some negotiation, genuinely moved many hearts.


    To Li Yifei, this was excellent news. These people used to be unruly and hard to manage, but now they were self-disciplined, saving him plenty of effort. It seemed that rewards were indeed an effective way to boost loyalty. Why else would leaders throughout history reward their subordinates with money and women?


    After nearly settling these matters, Li Yifei prepared to go to Japan. Aoki Reiko¡¯s Aoki Group was planning to negotiate a deep collaboration project with him. This involved a massive sum of $2 billion, which was undoubtedly a major deal for the Li family¡ªsomething Li Yifei couldn¡¯t overlook.


    For such a significant event, Li Yifei, as the chairman of Li Group, had to make an appearance himself.


    So, Li Yifei brought Su Mengxin, Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, Su Yiyi, and a team of company staff to Japan.


    Su Mengxin, since being with Li Yifei, had stayed home to cultivate her body and mind, hoping to bear a child for him. Now, after losing her son and grieving for some time, she had somewhat recovered. But Li Yifei knew it wasn¡¯t something she could easily forget, especially since he as a father couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. The child was a piece of Su Mengxin¡¯s flesh¡ªof course, she missed him even more deeply.


    Thus, this time, he insisted Su Mengxin come along to get some fresh air.


    Aoki Reiko and her father, Aoki Ryota, personally welcomed Li Yifei at the airport, accompanied by several important figures from the company. For Aoki Group, this was a major collaboration, with the key objective of entering the Huaxia market¡ªthey couldn¡¯t take it lightly.


    There were also reporters at the airport. Li Yifei faced them calmly, knowing such an event was bound to attract media attention.


    Li Yifei shook hands with Aoki Ryota, exchanged a few formal remarks in front of the reporters, answered some of their questions, and then got into the Aoki Group¡¯s car.


    Aoki Ryota and Li Yifei shared one car, while Aoki Reiko joined Xu Yingying and the others in another.


    Aoki Ryota poured Li Yifei a cup of tea and said sincerely, "Chairman Li, I must first express my gratitude to you. Reiko benefited greatly from your care while in Huaxia."


    Li Yifei received the teacup and said modestly, "You¡¯re really too kind, Chairman Aoki. Reiko and I could be considered friends, and when she¡¯s at my place, it¡¯s only natural to show hospitality."


    Aoki Ryota immediately responded, "This isn¡¯t just normal hospitality¡ªyou¡¯ve saved my daughter several times. I only have one child, so as a father, I genuinely thank you from the bottom of my heart."


    Li Yifei smiled and said, "Alright, then I¡¯ll accept this father¡¯s gratitude. But when discussing business, let¡¯s focus on business without mixing in personal feelings."


    Aoki Ryota gave Li Yifei a meaningful glance and said, "Chairman Li is truly an extraordinary person. Very well, I will separate business from personal matters."


    "Great! Now that you say that, we can really talk openly."


    "Haha! Open discussion it is. But let¡¯s not discuss business today¡ªlet¡¯s talk about personal matters instead."


    As it still involved commercial negotiations, Li Yifei and his group were arranged to stay at a suite in a five-star hotel owned by Aoki Group. Everyone in his party stayed in the presidential suite.


    Knowing the relationships between Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin, He Fangqing, Su Yiyi, and Li Yifei, Aoki Reiko thoughtfully placed all five of them in one room. Presidential suites had multiple rooms, so even without close ties, there was no issue sharing a suite.


    After dropping Li Yifei off at the hotel, Aoki Ryota left, planning to return for the grand banquet that evening. The banquet featured many notable Japanese figures, aiming to showcase Li Yifei¡¯s status.


    Aoki Reiko accompanied Li Yifei¡¯s group to the suite, smiling as she said, "This place definitely doesn¡¯t compare to your home. But Aoki Family doesn¡¯t have a garden as large as yours, so I hope you won¡¯t mind."


    Xu Yingying laughed, "Miss Reiko, you¡¯re being way too modest. With Aoki Group¡¯s financial resources, you can build whatever you¡¯d like. It¡¯s just that your group isn¡¯t as ostentatious as someone from our family here."


    Aoki Reiko chuckled lightly and said, "More like my father doesn¡¯t have so many women. If he did, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d have a huge garden too."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. "Reiko, that¡¯s not fair¡ªyou¡¯re throwing shade at me as soon as you speak!"


    Aoki Reiko giggled and said, "Feijun, I¡¯m not throwing shade¡ªI¡¯m singing your praises!"


    After some playful banter, Aoki Reiko looked at Su Mengxin and asked, "Sister Mengxin, how¡¯s your little one?" She had stayed in contact with Li Yifei¡¯s family lately but hadn¡¯t been told about the missing child. The last time she saw Su Mengxin, Su Mengxin had been heavily pregnant. Now that her figure had returned to form, she clearly must have given birth.


    When Reiko mentioned this, the Li family members¡¯ expressions turned grim.


    Reiko was startled, asking, "Did... something happen?"


    Su Mengxin forced a smile and said, "I gave birth to a son, but just one month after his birth, he was taken away."


    "What?!" Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes widened. Her face turned furious as she exclaimed, "Who would do such a thing? That¡¯s outrageous!"


    Su Mengxin shook her head, replying, "We don¡¯t have any information at all. They took our son but haven¡¯t contacted us. We¡¯re completely in the dark."


    Li Yifei interjected, "They clearly have a motive. It¡¯s just that the time hasn¡¯t come for them to make demands, so for now, all we can do is wait."


    Reiko quickly said, "I¡¯ll also conduct some investigations through Japanese channels. After all, Feijun does have enemies here in Japan."


    Aoki Reiko had recently learned of Li Yifei¡¯s identity as Golden Eagle, which was now semi-public knowledge. Given her family¡¯s influence, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to uncover his formidable background.


    Su Mengxin immediately expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister Mengxin, there¡¯s no need to thank me. You¡¯ve all been so kind to me¡ªduring my time with your family, I benefited greatly from your care. I¡¯m only trying to do my part."


    However, Li Yifei and his group held little hope. Despite Li Yifei¡¯s investigations and his contact with Yamaguchi Group¡ªwhich had conducted an extensive search with its considerable resources¡ªthey hadn¡¯t found any leads. It seemed unlikely that Reiko¡¯s efforts would yield new information.


    That evening, Li Yifei¡¯s group attended Aoki Group¡¯s grand banquet at the hotel. Besides Aoki Group¡¯s senior executives, there were also prominent figures from business and government circles in attendance¡ªclearly a gesture meant to honor Li Yifei.


    The four women were all dressed elegantly. Su Mengxin, renowned as Huaxia¡¯s most beautiful woman, was breathtaking even in ordinary attire¡ªdressed in fine evening wear, she was stunning beyond compare. Although Xu Yingying and the other three couldn¡¯t match Su Mengxin¡¯s beauty, they were indisputably attractive women. As major guests of the banquet, they naturally drew countless admiring glances.


    Here, Xu Yingying remained as Li Yifei¡¯s official wife. The other three women didn¡¯t disclose their relationships with him. While Li Yifei didn¡¯t mind people knowing the truth, drawing excessive attention was a different matter entirely. The media would revel in sensational gossip, and that could lead to unpredictable trouble.


    Aoki Ryota was engaged in quiet conversation with Li Yifei when his phone rang. Apologizing briefly to Li Yifei, he stepped aside to answer. After saying a few words, his face showed a hint of shock. He spoke a few more sentences before finally hanging up.


    Aoki Ryota returned with a smile and said to Li Yifei, "Feijun, a very important person is coming. I think you¡¯ll absolutely want to meet him."


    This piqued Li Yifei¡¯s interest. "Alright, since you say so, I must meet him."


    In such a setting, the way Li Yifei and Aoki Ryota addressed each other became much more casual and friendly.


    "Let¡¯s go and welcome him. This is someone people rarely get to encounter¡ªa truly legendary figure. It¡¯s my great honor to know him."


    Li Yifei grew even more intrigued, saying, "Anyone who makes Aoki feel honored must be exceptional indeed."


    "Haha, absolutely extraordinary. In our country, only the highest-ranking officials have the privilege of meeting him, and they too treat him with respect. For him to come to me of his own accord¡ªisn¡¯t that a tremendous honor?"


    "Could it be one of your Japanese ninjas?" Li Yifei¡¯s mind suddenly jumped to Inoue Aoga, whom he hadn¡¯t seen since the Special Forces Competition.


    "Exactly! The most powerful ninja!" Aoki Ryota emphasized

 Chapter 1275 - 1325: Inoue Aoga’s Provocation

    Chapter 1275: Chapter 1325: Inoue Aoga¡¯s ProvocationThe door to a small living room was pushed open, and Li Yifei and Aoki Ryota saw a figure standing by the window. The man had his back to them, hands clasped behind him, his posture upright like a sword. His presence exuded an icy and commanding aura, enough to make others instinctively feel awe.


    Of course, this awe was only felt by Aoki Ryota. Although the man¡¯s aura was formidable, it posed no pressure whatsoever to Li Yifei. Li Yifei didn¡¯t need any display of his own aura to counter it; his casual demeanor was enough to handle the situation.


    Looking at the figure¡¯s back, Li Yifei found it unfamiliar. Though he had encountered Inoue Aoga before and had clashed fiercely with him¡ªnearly to the point of risking his life¡ªseeing his back now didn¡¯t stir any recognition.


    "Mr. Inoue!" Aoki Ryota approached the man¡¯s back respectfully, bowing as he addressed him by name. This confirmed Li Yifei¡¯s guess and left him amused; he hadn¡¯t expected to see Inoue Aoga here. Immediately, he deduced that Inoue Aoga was undoubtedly here for him.


    Inoue Aoga turned around, his eyes bypassing Aoki Ryota to land directly on Li Yifei, his expression turning icily cold.


    Li Yifei casually flicked out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at Inoue Aoga with a faint smile.


    Aoki Ryota sensed an unusual tension between the two and grew uneasy, muttering, "Mr. Inoue, this is Mr. Li Yifei. He¡¯s the chairman of Huaxia¡¯s Li Group."


    Inoue Aoga snorted coldly and said, "Golden Eagle, we meet again."


    Li Yifei blew out a smoke ring and replied, "Frog in a well, we meet again too."


    Inoue Aoga took a step forward, speaking in a sinister tone, "Golden Eagle, you dare set foot in Japan?"


    Li Yifei remained unperturbed, calmly puffing on his cigarette. "Why wouldn¡¯t I come? Firstly, I¡¯m here for legitimate business negotiations, fully compliant with your country¡¯s laws. Secondly, I¡¯ve retired¡ªI¡¯m no longer Golden Eagle; I¡¯m the chairman of Li Group now."


    Hearing this, Inoue Aoga¡¯s lips curled into a smug smile. Li Yifei¡¯s explanation clearly suggested fear.


    "Thirdly..." Li Yifei¡¯s expression shifted into one of contempt as he added, "You think you can kill me?"


    The smug smile vanished from Inoue Aoga¡¯s face, replaced by a more menacing killing intent. He took another step forward and said sinisterly, "Golden Eagle, you truly overestimate yourself. This is Japan, not Huaxia. Killing you here is laughably easy."


    Li Yifei replied indifferently, "You really are a frog in a well. First, you don¡¯t dare kill me. Second, you lack the capability. Third, even if you could, the political fallout wouldn¡¯t be something you could handle."


    "Then let¡¯s see if I dare or not!" Inoue Aoga growled, his killing intent surging wildly.


    Aoki Ryota, though trembling with fear, realized that if Li Yifei were harmed on his turf, it would lead to enormous trouble later. Moreover, Li Yifei had saved his daughter before. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t allow anything to happen to Li Yifei here. Bracing himself, he stepped between Li Yifei and Inoue Aoga, saying hastily, "Mr. Inoue, this won¡¯t do! Absolutely not! Mr. Li Yifei is a guest invited by us, approved by the Ministry of Commerce. If anything happens to him, it will surely cause political unrest. The higher-ups would never want that to happen."


    In Aoki Ryota¡¯s mind, a super ninja like Inoue Aoga was practically invincible. Even though Li Yifei, as Golden Eagle, was hailed as the strongest among Special Forces soldiers, he was ultimately still just a soldier. Although the Yamaguchi Group might have been killed into disarray by Li Yifei, that was because they hadn¡¯t encountered a master like Inoue Aoga. Otherwise, Li Yifei would have already been eliminated long ago.


    Inoue Aoga paused, his killing intent receding gradually. He said slowly, "Golden Eagle, you¡¯re fortunate. But our accounts aren¡¯t settled. Someday, I¡¯ll deal with you personally."


    Li Yifei casually flicked the cigarette butt, which landed squarely in the ashtray on the coffee table. Turning to leave, he said with a smile, "I¡¯ll be ready anytime."


    "Mr. Inoue, what is this..." Aoki Ryota looked forlornly at Inoue Aoga as Li Yifei left.


    Inoue Aoga sneered, "We strongly suspect that the recent thefts of critical items from our country were committed by Golden Eagle."


    "Him? Are you saying he was also the one who kidnapped my daughter last time?"


    "Exactly. That person killed many of our men using Flying Needles. In this world, the best user of needles is Golden Eagle."


    "That seems unlikely. My daughter harbors deep hatred for the person who kidnapped her. Yet her relationship with Golden Eagle seems close. As her father, I know this well. If that individual were truly Golden Eagle, she certainly wouldn¡¯t get along with him."


    "However, according to the information we obtained from Huaxia, they¡¯ve made advancements in certain technologies recently¡ªtechnologies stolen from us. Even if Golden Eagle isn¡¯t the culprit, it must be someone from Huaxia. We can¡¯t let this matter slide. Now that Golden Eagle¡¯s here, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson."


    "Mr. Inoue, but he¡¯s here through legitimate channels. If something happens, it will cause too many problems. The higher-ups wouldn¡¯t want that."


    "Nonsense! This is the higher-ups¡¯ intention. Aoki Ryota, let me warn you: if you want your group to develop smoothly, you¡¯d better obey. Otherwise, there will be consequences for you."


    Aoki Ryota¡¯s expression darkened. "These are instructions from the top?"


    In Japan, every Prime Minister candidate receives sponsorship from major corporations during their campaigns. The current Prime Minister had received substantial support from the Aoki Group. These corporations wield significant influence domestically, so the authorities wouldn¡¯t dare act recklessly, lest future candidates lose corporate backing.


    This gave Aoki Ryota his leverage. Even though Inoue Aoga was an unparalleled powerhouse, Aoki Ryota admired his might but couldn¡¯t tolerate being spoken to in such a tone. As the head of a major financial group, he absolutely would not endure it.


    Inoue Aoga snorted coldly, though his tone softened. "The higher-ups don¡¯t actually want him dead. They just want to confirm whether he was behind the stolen data. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been tasked with fighting him. If I win, it will boost the morale of the Self-Defense Forces."


    Aoki Ryota nodded. "If that¡¯s the plan, it¡¯s not impossible. But he¡¯s my guest at the moment. While I¡¯m hosting him here, please refrain from taking any rash action."


    Inoue Aoga frowned slightly. Despite his high status in Japan, Aoki Ryota¡¯s position couldn¡¯t be overlooked either. He couldn¡¯t act recklessly toward him. "Fine, I¡¯ll wait, then."


    "Thank you, Mr. Inoue." Aoki Ryota¡¯s tone softened as well.


    Inoue Aoga strode toward the door, mimicking Li Yifei¡¯s style as he walked into the distance. "You¡¯d better not get too close to him. If it¡¯s proven he¡¯s the culprit, your Aoki Group won¡¯t escape unscathed."


    "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Inoue," Aoki Ryota said, watching Inoue Aoga walk away.


    Returning to the banquet hall, Aoki Ryota approached Li Yifei. The two went to stand by the window, each holding a glass of red wine. They toasted lightly, each taking a sip. Aoki Ryota gazed intently at Li Yifei, asking, "Is what Inoue Aoga said true?"


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and replied, "What do you think?"


    A gleam flashed in Aoki Ryota¡¯s eyes as he said, "It¡¯s hard for me to make assumptions. If you really did it, our collaboration can¡¯t continue. I love my country, and my priority is always national interests."


    Li Yifei finished his glass in one gulp and said, "Mr. Aoki, this wasn¡¯t my doing."


    Li Yifei wouldn¡¯t admit it under any circumstance. Just as Aoki Ryota had said, Li Yifei was patriotic too. Owning up to such accusations would bring no benefit. Even if the other side managed to gather incriminating evidence, Li Yifei still wouldn¡¯t admit it. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a gentle smile, Li Yifei added, "I¡¯m just a businessman now. Everything I do is for my company, my family. I¡¯m a husband, a father, no longer Golden Eagle. I won¡¯t deny that someone else from my country might be involved, but it wasn¡¯t me."


    Aoki Ryota stared at Li Yifei, hoping to discern something from his eyes. But with the rigorous training Li Yifei had undergone, even expert interrogators wouldn¡¯t be able to read him, let alone Aoki Ryota.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll take your word for it. But you need to be cautious of Inoue Aoga. If he truly acts against you, you¡¯ll be in danger."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly. "The last thing I did for our country was participate in the Special Forces Competition. I clashed with Inoue Aoga then¡ªit ended in a draw. He couldn¡¯t defeat me last time, and he won¡¯t this time either."


    Aoki Ryota stared at Li Yifei in shock. "Yifei, is that true?"


    Li Yifei¡¯s smile widened. "Of course it¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t disgrace my country. If that frog really wants another fight, I won¡¯t hold back."


    Aoki Ryota¡¯s face twitched slightly. He could hardly fathom someone capable of tying with the super ninja Inoue Aoga. Yet the man before him, Li Yifei, was clearly formidable.

 Chapter 1276 - 1326: Nocturnal Talk on the Terrace

    Chapter 1276: Chapter 1326: Nocturnal Talk on the TerraceUnder the moonlight, Li Yifei and Aoki Reiko stood on the terrace, the cold wind from outside blowing through. Aoki Reiko instinctively hugged her shoulders, but her gaze remained fixed and burning on Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Miss Reiko, you¡¯re staring at me like this, and honestly, it¡¯s making me a bit uneasy."


    "Are you him or not?" Aoki Reiko finally spoke. The evening after the banquet, Aoki Reiko had invited Li Yifei out, stood on the terrace, and stared at him like this. This was the first thing she had said all evening.


    Li Yifei understood what Aoki Reiko was asking. Aoki Ryota had definitely told her about yesterday¡¯s events, and Reiko herself had mentioned before how she felt about the ¡¯Mu Fei¡¯ Li Yifei had impersonated. So Li Yifei didn¡¯t feign ignorance but shook his head outright and said, "I¡¯m really not him."


    "You¡¯re really not?" Aoki Reiko took a step forward.


    Li Yifei didn¡¯t step back and said, "I¡¯m really not. Miss Reiko, I understand your special feelings toward Mu Fei, but we¡¯ve known each other for so long now¡ªif I were him, wouldn¡¯t you have recognized me by now?"


    Aoki Reiko snorted softly and said, "And I didn¡¯t even recognize that you¡¯ve saved me once before."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "I¡¯ve already explained that to you before. At that time, I had special circumstances, and I didn¡¯t want to expose myself."


    Aoki Reiko stared at Li Yifei for a full two minutes before turning her gaze to the starry sky outside. Slowly, almost like sleep-talking, she muttered, "Yifei, you know, I actually fear you being Mu Fei."


    Li Yifei stepped closer to Aoki Reiko and took off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. "Why do you say that?"


    "Because we are friends right now. If I were to find out you¡¯re Mu Fei, I honestly wouldn¡¯t know how to face you. At that point, I wouldn¡¯t know whether to see you as an enemy, a friend, or even... a lover."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "Miss Reiko, I¡¯ve worked as a special agent before, so I understand us as special agents very well. When we¡¯re carrying out missions, there are no emotions involved¡ªeverything we do prioritizes the mission. He wouldn¡¯t even remember you. Honestly, you shouldn¡¯t be holding onto these thoughts¡ªit¡¯s not worth it."


    "Yes, I know what I¡¯m thinking is just asking for trouble, but emotions are something you can¡¯t control. The more I feel that I shouldn¡¯t think about him, the more I end up dwelling on it. Tell me, do you think I¡¯m going crazy?"


    Li Yifei shook his head gently and said, "Not at all. For you, you¡¯ve never been exposed to people like this before, so his interactions with you leave a unique impression. And in everyone¡¯s subconscious, there¡¯s inherently a rebellious impulse. The more you think you shouldn¡¯t do something, the more you want to do it. It¡¯s not just you¡ªeighty percent of people share this tendency."


    "Really? Then what should I do?" Aoki Reiko turned to look at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Actually, it¡¯s quite simple. Just keep yourself busy with meaningful things and fill your days. You¡¯ll soon forget about it. I suspect you¡¯re simply too idle."


    "Oh... when you put it like that, it does seem true. I¡¯ve been running around everywhere but haven¡¯t accomplished anything substantial."


    "Exactly. If you spend more time helping your father, then you¡¯d definitely have plenty to do, and your schedule would be so packed that you wouldn¡¯t have time to think about him anymore. After some time, even if you confronted Mu Fei himself, you probably wouldn¡¯t feel a thing."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try. Thank you for enlightening me once again."


    "Haha, well, I¡¯m just clearing my name here. Otherwise, how can we continue being friends? Plus, this involves a $2 billion partnership. If things fall through, we¡¯d be losing a massive amount of benefit."


    Aoki Reiko finally smiled and said, "You¡¯re so blunt! I¡¯m starting to wonder if you¡¯re refusing to admit you¡¯re Mu Fei just for the money."


    "Haha... wouldn¡¯t that be something? That¡¯s a huge sum of money!"


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s smile grew brighter. "Exactly. Because I¡¯m suspicious, I¡¯ve decided to thoroughly investigate you. Don¡¯t expect me to cooperate so easily."


    Li Yifei knew Aoki was joking but still looked glum. "So does that mean I came here for nothing this time?"


    "Yep, you probably did."


    "Alright then, I guess I¡¯ll have to come here more often. Eventually, there¡¯ll be a chance."


    Aoki Reiko burst into laughter. "Yifei, you really know how to cheer people up. No wonder your wives adore you so much."


    "Of course. They¡¯re my wives, after all. How could I not treat them well?"


    "I¡¯m not your wife," Aoki Reiko immediately retorted.


    The explanation didn¡¯t help¡ªit only made things awkward for Li Yifei. He hastily said, "That¡¯s not what I meant, Miss Reiko. Please don¡¯t misunderstand."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s expression, the recently downcast Aoki Reiko suddenly felt the urge to tease him. She stiffened her face and said, "Why not? Am I not as good as your wives back home? Although I wouldn¡¯t claim to be the best, surely I rank in the middle somewhere?"


    "C¡¯mon, you¡¯re misunderstanding me again! I just meant... I¡¯ve always considered you a good friend, and I haven¡¯t had any improper thoughts. This isn¡¯t about being excellent or not. There are countless amazing women in the world¡ªI can¡¯t make them all my wives, can I?"


    "Haha, finally an honest answer."


    Seeing Aoki Reiko laughing so brightly, Li Yifei couldn¡¯t help but laugh along. The atmosphere between them suddenly became much more harmonious.


    After a moment, Aoki Reiko¡¯s smile faded, replaced by a look of worry. "Yifei, my father told me that Mr. Inoue intends to harm you. He is one of the most formidable figures in Japan. Are you confident?"


    "One of the most formidable figures... Does that mean Japan has someone even more powerful?"


    "I¡¯m just repeating what my father said. I didn¡¯t know about such an incredible ninja before. If you¡¯re uncertain, I suggest you avoid him if possible."


    Li Yifei smiled confidently. "Miss Reiko, although I¡¯m no longer a special forces soldier for Huaxia, I¡¯m still a Huaxia person. I cannot let my country¡¯s reputation be tarnished. As a man, backing down from a challenge is absolutely unacceptable. If he wants to challenge me, then I¡¯ll accept it without question."


    Aoki Reiko furrowed her brow slightly and said, "I understand your patriotism, but why must everything be resolved through martial strength?"


    "Nowadays, peace is certainly emphasized, but without powerful martial strength as a foundation, no one will talk peace with you. This applies to a nation¡¯s military as well as personal strength. If the Li family wants to survive and thrive, then I, Li Yifei, cannot retreat no matter what challenges come my way!"


    Looking at Li Yifei, Aoki Reiko sighed softly and said, "Yifei, I won¡¯t say more, but I truly hope nothing happens between you two." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If anything happens, it definitely won¡¯t be me in trouble. You¡¯d better worry more about your Inoue Aoga."


    At this moment, Li Yifei naturally exuded an aura of dominance, which left Aoki Reiko momentarily dazed. This man had such a strong confidence, reminiscent of Mu Fei. Perhaps this kind of unyielding arrogance was a common trait among these elite warriors.


    "Miss Reiko, it¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s head back inside. If you catch a cold, that would be my fault," Li Yifei said, shedding his commanding aura for a moment and speaking with gentlemanly politeness.


    Only then did Aoki Reiko realize she was still draped in Li Yifei¡¯s jacket while he stood beside her wearing only a thin sweater. A surge of gratitude rose within her, and she said, "Thank you so much, Yifei. You gave me your jacket and have been freezing out here this whole time."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "This cold is nothing to me, so you don¡¯t need to thank me. Besides, as a man, if I can¡¯t take care of the women around me, can I really call myself a man?"


    "Mm-hmm, you truly are a real man!" Aoki Reiko nodded and praised him.


    "A real man?" At that moment, Su Mengxin happened to walk over to check on the two of them and caught Aoki Reiko¡¯s comment. She immediately gave Li Yifei and Aoki Reiko a peculiar look.


    Aoki Reiko hadn¡¯t meant much by her comment, but when Su Mengxin repeated it, she realized the ambiguous implication in her words. Her face instantly turned red as she hurried to explain, "Miss Su, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I didn¡¯t mean it like that."


    "What kind of ¡¯that¡¯?" Su Mengxin teased with a playful smile.


    Aoki Reiko grew even more flustered and said, "Exactly what you¡¯re thinking! I just meant to thank Yifei for giving me his jacket to keep warm. That¡¯s all¡ªit doesn¡¯t mean anything else."


    Su Mengxin laughed and said, "I¡¯m just teasing you. But if you happen to have feelings for my husband, you¡¯re welcome to join us!"


    Aoki Reiko¡¯s eyes widened in shock before stammering, "No, no, no, I don¡¯t!" She quickly fled, as if in a panic.


    Su Mengxin came over and linked her arm with Li Yifei¡¯s, asking, "She didn¡¯t figure it out, right?"


    Li Yifei shook his head. "No. This is something I can never admit to."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Absolutely. But if she ever does figure it out, you¡¯ll have only two options: kill her or... take her in."


    Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened immediately but couldn¡¯t deny that Su Mengxin was right. It wasn¡¯t as if there was a third option, and the fallout from exposure would be beyond his ability to control.

 Chapter 1277 - 1327: Battle with the Ninja

    Chapter 1277: Chapter 1327: Battle with the NinjaLi Yifei¡¯s commercial negotiations with the Aoki Group appeared to be proceeding systematically, but Li Yifei was well aware that Aoki Ryota was stalling. Even if some agreements had been reached, there was no real intent to sign anything.


    Even though Li Yifei denied it, Aoki Ryota still harbored doubts about him. Furthermore, he held a pessimistic view regarding Li Yifei¡¯s upcoming conflict with Inoue Aoga. If something were to happen to Li Yifei, their collaboration would likely be scrapped entirely, and Aoki Ryota was unwilling to waste efforts without assurance of benefits.


    Li Yifei was equally unhurried, as this matter did not require urgency. Aoki Ryota¡¯s reaction was precisely the decision an adept leader of a powerful group ought to make. Hastily signing an agreement at this time would clearly be reckless. As the head of a major corporation, behaving in such a hasty manner would be utterly unbefitting.


    On the fifth day, Li Yifei finally received Inoue Aoga¡¯s challenge letter, inviting him to a duel that very evening at a nearby hill. He sought a decisive life-and-death confrontation with Li Yifei, explicitly stating that the matter was purely a martial artist¡¯s personal feud and unrelated to political affiliations. Should Li Yifei prefer otherwise, Inoue Aoga was willing to adjust the time and location.


    This challenge was far from a simple duel¡ªit carried an unmistakable air of life-or-death combat. Inoue Aoga¡¯s magnanimous tone was carefully calculated, knowing full well that Li Yifei would not refuse.


    Indeed, Li Yifei had no intention of rejecting the challenge. With his current strength, dealing with one Inoue Aoga¡ªor even five¡ªwould pose no problem. Eliminating one of Japan¡¯s most celebrated "super ninja" on their own soil would not only boost his nation¡¯s morale but also deliver a devastating blow to Japan¡¯s arrogance. This was something he greatly desired to accomplish. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, Li Yifei readily accepted the challenge. He even promised that, should he perish in this battle, the outcome would not implicate their respective nations in any way.


    Inoue Aoga burst into laughter upon receiving this reply from Li Yifei. This was precisely the response he had been waiting for.


    "Golden Eagle, this time, I¡¯ll ensure your death!" Inoue Aoga growled through clenched teeth. During the last Special Forces Competition, he had believed that his participation would bring glory to Japan, but to his humiliation, he returned utterly defeated. It remained a humiliation he regarded as a grave insult, and the one who caused this disgrace was none other than Li Yifei. Until he avenged this humiliation, he would find no peace.


    Inoue Aoga wasn¡¯t alone in his room at that moment. There were two other men present, both in their fifties or sixties, with slender builds. Yet their sharp gazes gleaming as their eyes briefly opened betrayed their exceptional prowess. These were no ordinary individuals; they were clearly elite fighters.


    Among the trio, few in Japan could recognize them, but anyone who did would be absolutely astonished. Akagi Kiyoshi, Miyagi T¨­mei, and Inoue Aoga¡ªthese three constituted some of Japan¡¯s most formidable ninja alive today.


    Akagi Kiyoshi, with his slanted, triangular eyes, spoke in a subdued tone, "Inoue, don¡¯t be reckless. Golden Eagle¡¯s strength is undeniably formidable."


    Miyagi T¨­mei snorted dismissively, "Even if he¡¯s strong, once you engage him head-on and we intervene unexpectedly, does he stand any chance of victory?"


    Akagi Kiyoshi shook his head slightly and said, "I¡¯m not worried about losing. I¡¯m worried that he might have companions. If we fail to kill him, it will be difficult to explain afterward."


    Inoue Aoga immediately replied, "There¡¯s no need to worry about that. I¡¯ve thoroughly investigated. The people Golden Eagle brought on this trip are merely ordinary employees from his company; none of them are skilled fighters. Besides, I specifically invited him alone to participate. If anyone else attempts to join, we have every justification to refuse. And if someone were to show up covertly, do you think the three of us wouldn¡¯t detect them?"


    Miyagi T¨­mei added, "Exactly. As ninja, is there anyone on this earth who understands stealth tactics better than us? Anyone better at concealing their presence?"


    Akagi Kiyoshi found their reasoning convincing, and the slight worry in his heart evaporated entirely. He nodded, saying, "Perhaps I was overthinking."


    Inoue Aoga sneered, "Golden Eagle, this time, I¡¯ll ensure you meet your death right here!"


    The three were brimming with confidence, though they had misjudged one crucial detail¡ªthey had based their assessment of Li Yifei¡¯s skill on the level they had encountered during his previous clash with Inoue Aoga. If they knew how drastically Li Yifei¡¯s abilities had advanced since then, they probably wouldn¡¯t harbor the same confidence, nor would they make such a foolish decision.


    True to his word, Li Yifei arrived alone. Aoki Reiko had escorted him to the foot of the hill but did not accompany him further.


    Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei remained hidden in the shadows, closely monitoring Li Yifei. Their assumption was that Li Yifei would secretly bring reinforcements, yet after meticulous observation, they found no trace of an outsider accompanying him.


    As master-level ninja, their confidence in their abilities¡ªespecially their knack for stealth and detecting hidden adversaries¡ªwas unshakable. If they couldn¡¯t find anyone else nearby, it could only mean one of two things: either Li Yifei had truly come alone, or he had brought an exceptionally powerful ally¡ªso strong that even their expertise rendered them incapable of detection.


    Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei instinctively dismissed the second scenario. While they didn¡¯t claim to be unbeatable, the idea of someone so powerful they couldn¡¯t detect them seemed utterly implausible.


    As they continued their surveillance, they kept their own movements concealed, planning to ambush Li Yifei with a decisive strike, killing him instantly. They intended to report afterward that the kill had solely been executed by Inoue Aoga.


    Li Yifei climbed the hill at an unhurried pace, hands clasped behind his back, taking half an hour to reach the summit, where Inoue Aoga awaited him.


    Inoue Aoga stood at the peak, clad in a tightly-fitted ninja outfit, complete with a ninja hood that submerged him into the surrounding darkness.


    "Golden Eagle, you truly had the guts to come!" Inoue Aoga sneered coldly.


    Li Yifei stood five meters away, hands behind his back, calmly smiling. "Why wouldn¡¯t I come when a frog at the bottom of a well invites me?"


    Inoue Aoga responded arrogantly, "I admire your ability to bark pointless words at this moment, but rest assured, after tonight, you won¡¯t have such an opportunity ever again."


    Li Yifei nodded slightly. "This is your country. Naturally, you must believe I¡¯ll be defeated, right?"


    "Of course. Do you think you¡¯ll get another chance to ambush me like last time?" Inoue Aoga scoffed disdainfully.


    "Indeed, I ambushed you. But isn¡¯t ambushing supposed to be the method most celebrated among ninja?"


    "Since you understand this, let¡¯s begin. I¡¯ll show you what true ultimate ninja combat is." As soon as his words fell, Inoue Aoga¡¯s figure vanished into thin air, as if he had never been there.


    Li Yifei remained motionless, radiating a serene composure. This wasn¡¯t an act but genuine relaxation. Though Inoue Aoga had vanished from sight, his battle intent was impossible to completely conceal. Li Yifei, now cultivated with Innate Vital Energy, possessed strength rivaling even top-tier masters like Murong Yuanqing. Inoue Aoga wasn¡¯t even close to being on his level. Li Yifei knew exactly where Inoue Aoga was.


    Inoue Aoga hadn¡¯t truly disappeared¡ªhis movements were simply too swift, and his clothing blended seamlessly with the darkness around him. Moreover, his mastery of utilizing environmental elements to disguise his presence created the illusion that he had vanished.


    Had this occurred in the past, Li Yifei would have been on high alert, ready at all times to respond to Inoue Aoga¡¯s ambush. But now, he felt no such need. Inoue Aoga¡¯s every move lay entirely within his grasp. Whenever Li Yifei wished to make a move, he could. Whatever Inoue Aoga intended, Li Yifei could predict effortlessly.


    This disparity in skill brought Li Yifei a sense of satisfaction. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to deal with Inoue Aoga¡ªafter all, there were still two others hiding in the shadows. Waiting until all three revealed themselves before acting would save him the trouble of chasing them down should they attempt to escape.


    Inoue Aoga observed Li Yifei¡¯s seemingly vulnerable stance on the summit, appearing riddled with openings. One strike should suffice to kill him instantly. Yet, he hesitated, unsure where to commence his attack. A seed of doubt nestled in his mind. Given their comparable skills, why would Li Yifei dare to act so arrogantly and bait him without concern? This smelled of a trap.


    The more Inoue Aoga reflected on this, the more certain he grew. This was Japan, after all. Li Yifei must have brought something to rely on. In an ordinary duel, the two might battle endlessly without a clear winner. Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly afford such drawn-out combat in Japan. Thus, Inoue Aoga concluded that Li Yifei was seeking an opening to execute him in one swift strike. He wasn¡¯t about to grant Li Yifei such a chance. Ninja were known for their patience, and Inoue Aoga had plenty of it. Let¡¯s see how long Li Yifei could endure this standoff.


    The atmosphere atop the hill grew increasingly peculiar. Li Yifei stood silently, unmoving, while a shadow flitted intermittently around him, vanishing as quickly as it appeared¡ªalmost as if afraid to even graze him.

 Chapter 1278 - 1328: You Finally Came Out

    Chapter 1278: Chapter 1328: You Finally Came OutLi Yifei appeared completely relaxed, lighting a cigarette and leisurely smoking it, as if he wasn¡¯t here to face Inoue Aoga in combat but merely here to enjoy the scenery.


    Indeed, Li Yifei seemed at ease; Inoue Aoga posed no real threat to him, and this man was now acting so restrained, it seemed laughably inept.


    Inoue Aoga¡¯s current achievements clearly proved he wasn¡¯t weak, yet Li Yifei¡¯s nonchalant demeanor was a blatant display of disdain toward him. Additionally, Inoue Aoga felt like he had fallen into a trap set by Li Yifei. Though Li Yifei¡¯s motives might be unclear, they surely weren¡¯t to create some elaborate scheme. Considering the disparity in their abilities, even if there were a trap, he doubted he¡¯d immediately end up disadvantaged. Besides, Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei were hidden in the shadows, poised to deliver a lethal strike. What was there to fear?


    Without warning, a long blade appeared in the void, its tip dangerously close¡ªmere half a meter from Li Yifei¡¯s back. The knife was completely black, blending seamlessly into the dark; one wouldn¡¯t realize it was a lethal weapon until it was upon them.


    Inoue Aoga revealed himself, thrusting the blade fiercely toward Li Yifei¡¯s lower back.


    Li Yifei sprang forward suddenly, his hand flashing as he drew a dagger, crashing its edge against the blade of Inoue Aoga¡¯s katana.


    A sharp clang echoed, and the two figures separated briefly before darting toward each other again in a lightning-fast exchange.


    Although Inoue Aoga wielded a long katana, his techniques were unorthodox and unpredictable, attacking Li Yifei from the most cunning angles, as if he were using a nimble dagger instead. On the other hand, Li Yifei¡¯s dagger, though short, swung with great force, each strike carrying a mighty momentum as if aiming to cleave Inoue Aoga apart¡ªit was wielded more like a long blade.


    Their combat styles were bizarre; the katana didn¡¯t act like a katana, and the dagger didn¡¯t seem like a dagger, making the fight perilously intense.


    Though Inoue Aoga was a master, whose mind raced with strategies before engaging, once fighting Li Yifei, all his thoughts vanished. His focus narrowed solely to Li Yifei and the dagger in his hand. His sole aim was to pierce Li Yifei with his katana.


    Truth be told, if Li Yifei unleashed his true strength, he could likely defeat Inoue Aoga in an instant. Just like Murong Yuanqing had crushed him in the past with overwhelming skill, leaving him unable to resist. But Li Yifei chose not to do so, opting instead to conceal his power and fight as though he hadn¡¯t yet undergone dual cultivation.


    His reasoning was twofold: first, to lure out the other two ninjas and eliminate all three of them in one strike; second, he wanted to observe the true extent of a ninja¡¯s abilities. With his broadened horizons, sparring with a senior ninja like Inoue Aoga could provide valuable insights. Those observations could later inform his subordinates¡¯ targeted training, enabling them to easily eliminate ninjas in future encounters.


    Li Yifei¡¯s vision now stretched much farther than simply completing tasks as he had in the past.


    "Clang!" Another crisp clash sounded as Li Yifei¡¯s dagger collided with Inoue Aoga¡¯s katana once more. This time, instead of immediately lunging forward again, Inoue Aoga suddenly leapt back, raising his hand to toss several smoke bombs onto the ground. Dense smoke surged forth, engulfing the area in a shroud of impenetrable darkness.


    Such smoke tricks were typically employed by novices, as true masters rarely relied on them. But when they did, the effect was substantial¡ªlike now: Li Yifei was suddenly plunged into blindness within the thick fog. By instinct, one would want to escape the mist, providing Inoue Aoga an excellent opportunity for a surprise attack.


    While others might be blinded in this smoke, Inoue Aoga could see. Thanks to a special pair of goggles fitted to his eyes, he could clearly observe Li Yifei darting quickly toward the left.


    Inoue Aoga smirked sinisterly, his figure flickering as he repositioned himself to Li Yifei¡¯s left-front flank. Raising his katana high, he waited for Li Yifei to reach him, prepared to unleash a strike so ferocious it would cleave him in half in an instant.


    Li Yifei indeed rushed forward, and Inoue Aoga¡¯s katana descended in a lightning-like slash, employing the katana¡¯s most effective and devastating chopping technique at last.


    As the blade moved, Inoue Aoga noticed Li Yifei detecting its deadly intent, shifting his body to evade sideways. Yet, Inoue Aoga had already predicted Li Yifei¡¯s potential reactions; twisting his katana mid-strike, he swung horizontally at Li Yifei¡¯s waist. Within this smoke-filled domain¡ªan arena tailored for ninjas¡ªhe believed it was impossible for Li Yifei to maintain any advantage. Once he had the upper hand, he was confident he¡¯d kill Li Yifei without fail.


    Li Yifei suddenly raised his dagger to block at his waist, intercepting Inoue Aoga¡¯s katana. The strike was so abrupt that Li Yifei let out a muffled grunt as his body shifted sideways from the impact.


    Inoue Aoga immediately pursued, his katana flashing like lightning as it sliced at Li Yifei eighteen times in rapid succession. Li Yifei narrowly dodged six strikes, but the remaining twelve he was forced to parry hastily with his dagger.


    Despite his admiration for Li Yifei¡¯s ability to fend off a seemingly inescapable barrage, Inoue Aoga could already sense that his opponent was losing composure. Li Yifei¡¯s steps were becoming unstable, a clear sign of his dwindling strength.


    Though he hadn¡¯t yet managed to injure Li Yifei, Inoue Aoga felt confident he had gained the upper hand. Killing his adversary now was simply a matter of time. As his offensive grew increasingly ruthless, his katana swung with unrelenting ferocity¡ªabandoning the prior finesse for sheer brutality.


    Li Yifei retreated step by step until finally emerging from the smoke. Suddenly, he let out a fierce shout, narrowly dodging one of Inoue Aoga¡¯s strikes before countering unexpectedly. Instead of retreating further, he advanced close to Inoue Aoga¡¯s blade, thrusting his dagger toward his chest. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This sudden move was both surprising and fierce. Inoue Aoga dared not underestimate it. But with his katana already extended, retracting to defend in time was impossible, and he could only retreat two steps.


    With this retreat, Li Yifei recovered his momentum, his killing intent surging as his dagger swept toward Inoue Aoga in a powerful strike.


    Inoue Aoga cursed his missed opportunity. Moments ago, he had such a prime chance to kill Li Yifei. Now, Li Yifei had neutralized the danger with a daring move, effectively resetting their positions as equals.


    The two clashed again, their battle growing even deadlier and more heated. On top of weapons and martial arts, they began sporadically launching ninja darts and flying needles, their danger and precision escalating even further.


    With the introduction of hidden weapons, Inoue Aoga started to feel pressured. Though his ninja darts remained deadly, Li Yifei¡¯s flying needles were even more elusive¡ªstriking undetectably and enhancing his reputation. This added psychological pressure forced Inoue Aoga to divide his attention, rapidly diminishing his advantage. Soon, Li Yifei was pressing him further, driving him into retreat.


    "Didn¡¯t I say before, you¡¯re nothing but a frog in a well? Today, you won¡¯t defeat me," Li Yifei taunted Inoue Aoga mid-fight.


    Inoue Aoga snorted coldly. "Golden Eagle, today this won¡¯t end until one of us dies!"


    "If you insist on dying, I¡¯ll gladly oblige," Li Yifei replied, launching an even fiercer offensive.


    Forced to retreat under Li Yifei¡¯s relentless assault, Inoue Aoga backed up to a small tree, suddenly letting out a thunderous roar. Gripping his katana tightly with both hands, he swung it down at Li Yifei furiously¡ªa desperate attack that completely ignored the dagger thrusting toward his chest.


    If Li Yifei continued with his dagger strike, Inoue Aoga would be gravely injured if not killed, but Li Yifei would undoubtedly be unable to dodge the downward slash, suffering injury himself.


    Li Yifei did indeed retreat. Seizing the opportunity, Inoue Aoga roared again, his fighting spirit surging as he bellowed, "Golden Eagle, do you think you can win? Dream on!" He followed up with another vicious slash.


    Suddenly, from Li Yifei¡¯s flanks, two shadows emerged. Two katanas slashed toward his waist in a coordinated assault.


    The combined attack of the three elite ninjas was overwhelming. Li Yifei was caught in a convergence of katana strikes that seemed destined to shred him into pieces.


    Inoue Aoga brimmed with confidence¡ªthree of them facing Li Yifei at once, with two flanking him in surprise. Such a formation was invincible; their combined strike was fatal. He could almost feel the ecstasy of his blade slicing through flesh and envisioned Golden Eagle¡¯s dying glare. The thought thrilled him immensely.


    "Clang, clang, clang!" A chaotic flurry of metallic clashes erupted, jarring Inoue Aoga as if his katana had been struck by an enormous hammer, nearly wrenched from his grip and forcibly repelled. He staggered backward several steps.


    During his retreat, he noticed Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei experiencing the same¡ªboth were driven backward, clearly suffering from a forceful counterattack.


    All three were utterly shaken. Such a powerful strike¡ªwhere had it come from? Could there be a hidden expert aiding Li Yifei? Yet, the force came from Li Yifei¡¯s dagger during their clash. Aside from Li Yifei, there wasn¡¯t another person in sight.


    "Finally, you¡¯ve made an appearance. I¡¯ve been waiting for you all along," Li Yifei said with a faint smile, lightly wielding his dagger.


    The trio¡¯s hearts pounded in fear. The overwhelming power had come from Li Yifei himself. He had intentionally concealed his strength all along.


    Recommended reading: "My 23-Year-Old Beautiful Wife" by Feng Feng Feng Bu Yu. I checked it out yesterday and really enjoyed it, so I highly recommend it to everyone¡ªit won¡¯t disappoint!

 Chapter 1279 - 1329: Kill 3 Ninjas with One Move

    Chapter 1279: Chapter 1329: Kill 3 Ninjas with One MoveLi Yifei¡¯s gaze swept across the three men, letting out a cold laugh, and said, "Inoue Aoga, is this the so-called samurai spirit that Japan reveres? Secretly bringing two masters to ambush me."


    Inoue Aoga stared at Li Yifei, genuinely surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Li Yifei to have been hiding his strength all along. The power he previously knew was not Li Yifei¡¯s true capability. Even though Li Yifei had just forced the three of them back, Inoue Aoga still did not believe that the three of them teaming up could fail to deal with Li Yifei. Now, what he wanted most was to kill Li Yifei outright. If he let Li Yifei escape this time, it would undoubtedly lead to serious troubles.


    These troubles weren¡¯t brought about by Li Yifei personally but rather by political implications at the national level. The pressure from such a situation would inevitably have a significant impact on Japan, so he absolutely could not allow Li Yifei to leave now.


    "Golden Eagle, I truly hadn¡¯t thought you¡¯d been hiding your strength, but even so, do you think the three of us won¡¯t be able to bring you down?" Inoue Aoga sneered.


    Li Yifei fixed his gaze on Inoue Aoga and said calmly, "Then go ahead and try."


    Inoue Aoga continued staring at Li Yifei. On Li Yifei¡¯s face, he saw no trace of fear. This kind of composure made Inoue Aoga truly admire him.


    "Attack!" Inoue Aoga shouted sharply. Now was not the time to waste words with Li Yifei. If they dragged this out too long and someone else arrived, things would turn unfavorable.


    The three men¡¯s figures blurred and immediately concealed themselves. Despite it being three against one, they dared not act carelessly, launching into their ninja killing techniques right away.


    In the past, encountering such powerful Japanese ninjas, Li Yifei could only choose to flee, with no ability to counterattack. But things were different now. This time, he wanted to see if he alone could take on these three elite ninjas.


    His eyes were practically useless at this point, so Li Yifei simply closed them. A surge of True Qi burst forth, forming an invisible airflow around him. This airflow extended into countless threads, like spider silk, drifting outward. Soon enough, these threads touched the three ninjas, not only revealing their positions but even imprinting their actions into Li Yifei¡¯s mind.


    The sensation was indescribably amazing, beyond words. It felt as though everything was under his control. The ninjas¡¯ specialized concealment techniques were utterly ineffective against him. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inoue Aoga and his companions displayed great teamwork. The three moved in unison, three long katanas appearing from different angles. Before their forms fully emerged, they utilized their ninja stealth techniques to apply psychological pressure on Li Yifei. And now, with their sudden appearance, they were aiming to catch him off guard. Their strikes were not delicate assassination moves but instead full-force, cleaving blows characteristic of katanas, designed for maximum impact. One strike could split Li Yifei in two.


    The three coordinated their attacks perfectly. Inoue Aoga¡¯s slash targeted Li Yifei¡¯s front, while Akagi Kiyoshi¡¯s blade swept horizontally toward his lower back, creating a pincer attack. Miyagi T¨­mei¡¯s strike came slightly later, ready to slash downward from above should Li Yifei evade sideways.


    Three blades, three directions¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s escape routes were completely sealed. These strikes combined the full strength of all three men. Their aim was simple: to conclude the fight in one decisive move.


    They knew clearly that, under such circumstances, even one of them alone would have no chance of survival.


    Even if Li Yifei¡¯s hidden strength surpassed any of them individually, the trio¡¯s combined attack, though seemingly simple, harnessed their entire energies. Li Yifei, no matter how strong, could not possibly withstand this strike. At the very least, he would be severely injured if not killed.


    Inoue Aoga wore a grim smile, locking his gaze on Li Yifei, and mercilessly swung his katana down.


    But just then, he suddenly noticed a peculiar smile spreading across Li Yifei¡¯s face. At this moment, such a smile looked eerie, sending a sensation of danger through Inoue Aoga¡ªit was the instinct of a seasoned fighter.


    Despite the warning in his gut, Inoue Aoga had no alternative. If this attack couldn¡¯t kill or grievously injure Li Yifei, then they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold him. So he swung his blade down with determination.


    Li Yifei stood unwaveringly as his right hand stretched out, lifting his dagger to meet Inoue Aoga¡¯s katana.


    The two blades clashed, creating a deafening metallic echo. Inoue Aoga felt the sheer force behind Li Yifei¡¯s dagger¡ªit numbed his arm and sent his katana forcibly upwards. His grip almost loosened enough to let it fly out of his hand.


    Nevertheless, Inoue Aoga was thrilled. This indicated that Li Yifei had devoted all his strength against him, leaving no room to defend against the other two. To prevent Li Yifei from seizing an opportunity to escape, Inoue Aoga immediately tightened his grip and swung his katana down fiercely again. He would not let Li Yifei break through his defense.


    Yet, as Inoue Aoga swung his katana down¡ªhe witnessed a scene that left him utterly stunned: Li Yifei¡¯s dagger had already stabbed toward his heart, moving faster than his own blade. He was now completely exposed.


    Li Yifei should have been concentrating on defending against Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei behind him. So how did he still have the capacity for a killing move against Inoue Aoga?


    "This guy plans to die together with me." Inoue Aoga instantly understood¡ªor at least thought he understood¡ªLi Yifei¡¯s intent.


    "Dream on!" Inoue Aoga roared in his heart, shifting his body slightly, narrowly avoiding the most critical area of his heart. Despite the wound, he swung his katana resolutely, betting on taking a stab from Li Yifei to grant his comrades the chance to finish the job.


    Li Yifei¡¯s dagger pierced into Inoue Aoga¡¯s chest. He could even feel the icy sensation of the blade inside him. Yet, rather than agony, Inoue Aoga felt a rush of elation. Li Yifei¡¯s stroke had landed, but it hadn¡¯t struck the heart, meaning he would survive.


    But Inoue Aoga¡¯s euphoria froze instantly as an immense force surged from Li Yifei¡¯s dagger into his body. The energy ripped through his organs like machine gun fire, sending waves of pain to his brain and launching his body backward uncontrollably.


    Inoue Aoga knew his injuries were lethal. In the end, it wasn¡¯t the blade itself but the devastating force behind it that sealed his fate. Even so, he clung to life, determined to see Li Yifei¡¯s downfall.


    From mid-air, his gaze locked onto Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei. He anticipated seeing their blades slicing Li Yifei into pieces, spilling his entrails in a gruesome spectacle.


    Inoue Aoga¡¯s hopes were crushed by reality¡¯s cruelty. Instead of witnessing Li Yifei¡¯s grisly defeat, he saw Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei staggering backward as if they too suffered severe injuries. Meanwhile, Li Yifei stood firmly in place, unscathed.


    "Impossible! Impossible!" Inoue Aoga fell to the ground, his internal organs almost completely shattered. He should have died immediately, yet sheer willpower drove him to sit up and scream, blood and bits of organ spilling from his mouth.


    Li Yifei¡¯s figure blurred as he approached Inoue Aoga. Without hesitation, he grabbed Akagi Kiyoshi and Miyagi T¨­mei, one in each hand, and casually threw them beside Inoue Aoga. Both men suffered equally severe injuries, barely clinging to life.


    The seemingly perfect combined attack by the three was a display of their coordination¡ªbut it relied on overpowering an inferior opponent. With Li Yifei¡¯s newfound strength rising to an entirely new level, their calculated strike was far from flawless in his eyes.


    Just as during his battle against masters on Mount Kunlun, Li Yifei once faced an opponent with overwhelming skill and had no room to fight back. Now, his capabilities rivaled Murong Yuanqing, while Inoue Aoga and his team were like he had been back then. Their initiative, their precision¡ªit all meant nothing against superior strength. Li Yifei dismantled their attacks with ease.


    "You... you..." Inoue Aoga spat another mouthful of blood, glaring at Li Yifei in disbelief.


    Li Yifei stood firmly, hands clasped behind his back, and said nonchalantly, "I¡¯ve always said you are nothing but a frog in a well. Now, I¡¯ll let you see what true mastery looks like."


    "Ugh..." Inoue Aoga vomited blood once more before collapsing backward, lifeless. His eyes remained wide open, never closing even in death, for how could he reconcile himself to the perfect plan¡¯s bitter demise?

 Chapter 1280 - 1330: It’s Not My Fault You Broke Your Promise

    Chapter 1280: Chapter 1330: It¡¯s Not My Fault You Broke Your PromiseLi Yifei let out a long howl and leapt down the mountain. The exhilaration in his heart was indescribable. Watching masters who were once his equals now unable to endure even a single exchange against him filled him with a deep sense of accomplishment.


    He didn¡¯t touch the three corpses, deliberately leaving them for the Japanese side to see. He wanted to send a clear message: Li Yifei was now an unparalleled master. Their strongest ninja was nothing but trash before him. This warning carried a weighty significance¡ªan implicit demand for the other side to stop attempting anything unfavorable against him in the future.


    Japan would undoubtedly keep the killing of their three elite ninjas under wraps. If the news spread, it would heavily impact their national morale. Thus, they were certain to treat the matter as classified and suppress it.


    "Feijun!" Aoki Reiko dashed forward like an arrow the moment she saw Li Yifei descend, clutching his arm and scanning him up and down. Her concern was palpable.


    "Thank you for your concern, Miss Reiko. I¡¯m fine." Li Yifei smiled faintly, as if he hadn¡¯t just participated in a life-and-death battle on the mountain but had merely gone for a leisurely stroll to the summit.


    "Thank heavens you¡¯re okay. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know how to face Mengxin and the others." Aoki Reiko patted her chest in visible relief but quickly realized she was still gripping Li Yifei¡¯s arm with her other hand. She discreetly released her hold.


    Li Yifei blinked and chuckled, "Heh, you¡¯re being awfully inconsistent. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be patriotic? Instead of worrying about your ninja first, you¡¯re prioritizing me. Isn¡¯t that contrary to your usual stance?"


    "Ah... Aren¡¯t you a guest of the Aoki Group? Besides, you¡¯re my friend too! Oh, by the way, where¡¯s Mr. Inoue?"


    "He left." Li Yifei responded with a faint smile.


    "So, what was the outcome?" Aoki Reiko asked curiously.


    "Nothing special. Our skills were evenly matched. We couldn¡¯t overpower each other, so we ended in a handshake and a truce."


    "That¡¯s for the best." Aoki Reiko¡¯s face brightened with relief upon hearing this. Although she was patriotic and concerned for Japan¡¯s honor represented by Inoue Aoga, she also truly regarded Li Yifei as her friend. She didn¡¯t want anything untoward to happen to him either.


    The battle between Inoue Aoga and Li Yifei left her deeply conflicted. No matter who lost, she wouldn¡¯t have felt good about it. This outcome was exactly what she hoped for.


    Having gotten into Aoki Reiko¡¯s car, the two headed straight back to their hotel. In the suite, Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin, and the others were engrossed in a game of poker, seemingly unconcerned about Li Yifei¡¯s absence.


    "Hubby, you¡¯re finally back! Come help me with a couple of rounds¡ªI¡¯m losing miserably!" Xu Yingying immediately called out to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled, sitting in the spot Xu Yingying made space for. With a smile, he said, "Losing is normal for you; you barely play this game."


    Xu Yingying leaned on Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and retorted, "But I can¡¯t keep losing! You have to avenge me!"


    Aoki Reiko watched their interactions, stunned that no one asked about the outcome of Li Yifei¡¯s battle. Were they just too nonchalant about him?


    "Reiko, do you want to play a couple of rounds?" Su Mengxin asked Aoki Reiko, flashing her a warm smile.


    Aoki Reiko smiled back and replied, "No, you all go ahead. I don¡¯t want to interrupt; I¡¯ll head out now. Let¡¯s meet again tomorrow."


    Xu Yingying immediately got up to escort Aoki Reiko to the door, but just before stepping out, Aoki Reiko couldn¡¯t help asking, "Yingying, are you really not worried about Feijun?"


    Xu Yingying smiled gently and said, "There¡¯s nothing to worry about. We¡¯ve always had unwavering trust in my husband. No matter the challenge, he will definitely come back safe and sound. What matters is keeping his mood relaxed, free from any burdens."


    Aoki Reiko pursed her lips and said, "You¡¯re truly remarkable. I couldn¡¯t do that. I¡¯m merely Feijun¡¯s friend, yet I spent half the day at the base of the mountain worrying about him."


    Xu Yingying giggled, "That¡¯s because you lack faith in our family¡¯s husband. It¡¯s just a matter of time."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll head out. See you tomorrow."


    With Aoki Reiko gone, the group played a few more rounds of poker. Only then did Xu Yingying ask about what had transpired. Li Yifei recounted the events in broad strokes.


    Everyone had already anticipated the outcome. Li Yifei¡¯s current strength had transformed greatly compared to before. Not only had he grown substantially in power, but he had significantly boosted the abilities of those around him. Even Su Yiyi and Michelle now harnessed True Qi under his guidance, leaving only Lin Qiong behind in training.


    Everyone was highly enthusiastic and committed to their cultivation practices. They had learned about the unique benefits of Dual Cultivation¡ªeternal youth. For a beautiful woman, nothing was more coveted than retaining their youthful appearance forever.


    As they chatted, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. The caller ID revealed it was Aoki Ryota¡¯s number. The five of them exchanged glances, realizing the next scene was about to unfold.


    Li Yifei answered the call, and Aoki Ryota¡¯s frantic voice came through immediately: "Feijun, did you kill Inoue Aoga?"


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and replied, "Yes. Besides Inoue Aoga, there were two other ninjas. I don¡¯t know who they were."


    "What... How is that possible?" Aoki Ryota practically shouted.


    Li Yifei¡¯s tone remained calm as he said, "The three of them together were nothing to me. Mr. Aoki, please inform your government that since Inoue Aoga represented Japan, I fought him as a representative of Huaxia. However, he broke the rules by bringing two accomplices to ambush me. That is a grave breach of integrity, so I formally protest."


    Aoki Ryota¡¯s breathing grew heavier. After a while, he said, "Feijun, you really defeated all three of them by yourself?"


    "That¡¯s correct. While they may seem invincible to you, in my eyes, they¡¯re insignificant."


    "But... But why did you kill them?"


    "Why? If the fight had been fair and I simply defeated Inoue Aoga, I wouldn¡¯t have harmed him. But he attacked with two backups¡ªforcing me to retaliate in self-defense. Killing them was my only choice. They brought that upon themselves. Moreover, your government owes me an explanation for this breach of conduct."


    "Feijun... You¡¯re incredibly strong!" Aoki Ryota let out a bitter laugh. He had always believed that a super ninja like Inoue Aoga was unbeatable and that Li Yifei couldn¡¯t possibly triumph. Yet Inoue brought two accomplices and still ended up dead at Li Yifei¡¯s hands. Just how formidable was this man?


    Moreover, Ryota felt a degree of contempt for Inoue Aoga. The Japanese had an inherent regard for samurai ethics; win or lose, one should compete honorably. Yet Inoue, as a super ninja, resorted to such disgraceful tactics, which reflected poorly on their nation.


    "Feijun, I will discuss this matter with the higher-ups. They will certainly provide you with a proper explanation."


    "Mr. Aoki, I harbor no grudge against you. We are still partners. Just relay my sentiments to the authorities¡ªI don¡¯t want to trouble you further." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Feijun, I must address this. You¡¯re my guest, and they¡¯ve shown blatant disrespect by behaving this way. I, Aoki Ryota, will not tolerate such disregard lightly." Aoki Ryota¡¯s tone carried a faint hint of menace.


    "By the way, I didn¡¯t tell Miss Reiko about killing Inoue and the other two ninjas. She¡¯s such an innocent girl, and I don¡¯t want her involved in such matters."


    "Thank you, Feijun!"


    After hanging up, Aoki Ryota drew a sharp breath. Li Yifei¡¯s astounding strength was beyond imagination. He immediately contacted the higher-ups. They had received news of the incident and were equally stunned by the outcome. They had considered every worst-case scenario, yet the loss of three elite ninjas, including Inoue Aoga, came as an unbearable blow. Ninjas of Inoue¡¯s caliber were rare in Japan, and losing three at once was devastating.


    The Japanese high command was in pain, but they couldn¡¯t confront Li Yifei directly. Firstly, the incident was dishonorable. Secondly, Li Yifei was too powerful; sending their remaining top ninja wouldn¡¯t guarantee success. Mobilizing the military would be an even worse option¡ªunprincipled and harmful. The fallout would be enormous, and justifying such actions would be impossible.


    Ultimately, as Li Yifei had predicted, Japan decided to bury the issue. Aside from a handful of top officials, no one else knew that three super ninjas, including Inoue Aoga, had been eliminated.


    From then on, cooperation between Aoki Ryota and Li Yifei proceeded smoothly¡ªechoing the high command¡¯s desire to increase collaborative efforts and avoid provoking Li Yifei further. They didn¡¯t want a repeat of the chaos he had previously unleashed on the Yamaguchi Group.


    Aoki Reiko remained unaware of these events. The deeper collaboration between the Aoki Group and the Li family aligned perfectly with her vision of expanding into the Huaxia market, benefitting her group immensely.


    Li Yifei¡¯s trip to Japan finally concluded. This journey proved immensely rewarding, not just for the business opportunities it presented but also for the clarity it brought regarding his own capabilities. His newfound confidence as a supreme master of martial arts had taken root within him, shaping his state of mind.

 Chapter 1281 - 1331: The Donation for Another Purpose

    Chapter 1281: Chapter 1331: The Donation for Another PurposeAfter returning from Japan, Li Yifei¡¯s life was quite pleasant. The company¡¯s development was excellent; besides cooperating with Aoki Group, there were also partnerships with the Noah¡¯s Ark Organization. He was currently in a phase of large investment, but it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to reap significant returns.


    Life at home was harmonious as well; the atmosphere among family members was exceptionally good. Li Yifei helped his family with Dual Cultivation every day. There were already six or seven people in the household who possessed True Qi, and soon everyone would have it. Though they might not be strong now, with persistence, they would at least reach the abilities of those nuns in the future. Additionally, cultivating with a master like Li Yifei meant their achievements would undoubtedly surpass those of others¡ªit was simply a matter of time.


    However, the lack of news about his son remained a constant source of lingering grief for everyone.


    The family members were busy with their respective responsibilities¡ªthose who worked were working, and those who studied were attending school. Currently, the ones still in school were Chu Xiaoyao and Jiang Ningxiang. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s school was located in Mile City, and except for school-related matters, she was practically home every day. Her relationship with the rest of the sisters was very harmonious; she shared Su Yiyi¡¯s gentle demeanor and was extremely accommodating. Everyone genuinely liked this newcomer to the family, Jiang Ningxiang.


    Since Chu Xiaoyao became Li Yifei¡¯s official partner, she was no longer as mischievous as she used to be. At the very least, she refrained from causing trouble. However, today, Li Yifei received a phone call from Chu Xiaoyao, informing him that something had happened.


    Her school had organized an activity¡ªa charity event where participants donated money and goods for children in impoverished mountain regions.


    Chu Xiaoyao, Zhou Xiaoyue, and a few others thought that simply sending the money and goods to certain Public Welfare Organizations often meant that many items might not actually reach those children who truly needed them. After discussing the matter among themselves, they decided to personally deliver these donations directly to the children¡¯s hands.


    They pooled their money and resources, purchasing many books and educational supplies, as well as clothing and other necessities. The group then traveled to a remote impoverished mountain village.


    Witnessing the plight of these children deeply shook them. Although they had always lived comfortably and were aware through online sources of poverty in some places, seeing these children in person¡ªwearing tattered clothes, sitting in dilapidated classrooms, eating cold meals in winter¡ªmade them truly realize that the world was far from being as ideal as the one they were accustomed to.


    The realization that simply donating part of their pocket money could dramatically improve the lives of these children filled them with a sense of purpose. It made their charitable work feel incredibly meaningful, and they found great joy in continuing such efforts.


    However, after some time, not everyone persisted in the endeavor. Ultimately, only five people remained. Engaging in charity requires financial resources¡ªit¡¯s not something everyone can sustain. The final five were mainly led by Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue, with the other three (two boys and a girl) assisting them.


    In fact, even Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s pocket money had nearly run out. While she came from a prominent family, her funds were not infinite¡ªthey had their limits. On the other hand, Chu Xiaoyao was different. As Li Yifei¡¯s partner and an official member of the Li family, she enjoyed the same treatment as all the other spouses of the Li family. Her monthly pocket money exceeded 100,000 yuan, and she had unlimited access to funds through a credit card.


    Li Yifei fully supported Chu Xiaoyao in this meaningful endeavor. After all, her charitable work was far better than idly wandering around and wasting time.


    This time, Chu Xiaoyao and her group returned to an elementary school in a village they had previously supported, hoping to further help where needed.


    Upon arrival, they discovered that the school hadn¡¯t seen any improvements. The rundown school buildings were still dilapidated, with no windows installed. They had clearly left 20,000 yuan for repairing the buildings, and while certain repairs might not have been feasible during the cold season, at the very least, the windows should have been installed!


    They located the school principal, who oversaw only thirty-some students and four teachers. The principal, a man in his fifties, was a retired rural instructor named Wang Limin.


    "Principal Wang, what¡¯s going on at this school?" With a furrowed brow, Chu Xiaoyao asked.


    Wang Limin let out a sigh and replied, "I¡¯ve approached the village chief several times, but he always says he¡¯s busy and doesn¡¯t have time. He claims they¡¯ll address it in the spring."


    Infuriated, Zhou Xiaoyue exclaimed, "But at the very least, the windows should be installed! How could the children endure freezing in the classrooms?"


    "Sigh..." Wang Limin sighed again, hesitating as if unwilling to speak further.


    "Principal Wang, if you have something to say, just say it outright," sensing his reluctance, Chu Xiaoyao softened her tone to encourage him.


    After hesitating for a moment, Wang Limin finally shook his head and said, "I¡¯m truly grateful to all of you; you¡¯re good-hearted people. But our school¡¯s poverty has persisted for years, despite multiple groups coming to donate money and materials. Collectively, the donations are more than enough to rebuild the school entirely."


    "Then why is it still like this?" Zhou Xiaoyue jumped in to ask.


    "Our village is poor. Once the money reaches the village, it¡¯s often allocated elsewhere," Wang Limin admitted.


    "That money was donated to the school! How can the village divert those funds for other purposes?" Anger flared in Chu Xiaoyao.


    Wang Limin chuckled bitterly and explained, "The village chief said this: the village is so poor that obtaining funding is extremely difficult. The school¡¯s hardships attract outside donations. As long as the school isn¡¯t repaired, there will constantly be people donating money, which can then be used to lead the village to prosperity."


    "That¡¯s absurd! Did the village even use the money appropriately?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s face grew colder.


    "Appropriately? Haha..." Wang Limin laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "The village did see some people get rich. The village chief renovated his home, bought a car, but the other villagers... they¡¯re still the same."


    "This is sheer audacity!" The group was collectively incensed, their outrage evident on their faces. Immediately, Chu Xiaoyao demanded, "Has nobody noticed these issues?"


    "Many groups come to donate money and supplies, but they simply go through the motions. Once they donate, they never return, so nobody knows about the village¡¯s situation. You¡¯re the only ones who have come back a second time," Wang Limin revealed.


    Fuming, Zhou Xiaoyue declared, "This is utterly inhumane! Exploiting children as a fa?ade to embezzle wealth!"


    Suddenly standing up decisively, Chu Xiaoyao announced, "Let¡¯s confront him directly!"


    Wang Limin quickly tried to dissuade her, saying, "Don¡¯t be impulsive, please don¡¯t. Our village chief isn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. His two sons are influential¡ªone holds a position in the township government, and the other runs rampant in the local area. If you provoke them, who knows what trouble they might bring upon you."


    "So what?" Both Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue showed no fear.


    Sighing again, Wang Limin elaborated, "I understand your anger, but our village chief isn¡¯t someone easy to deal with. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have remained untouchable for so long. There have even been people who offended the village chief and ended up beaten by his younger son¡ªone man still walks with a limp."


    After a pause, Wang Limin continued, "On behalf of all the students, I deeply thank you. If you¡¯d like to support us, donating books and educational supplies or providing clothing for the children is more than enough. Money... you should refrain from giving us money in the future."


    As they spoke, Wang Limin¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He quickly warned, "Please, children, don¡¯t act rashly. The village chief is coming."


    Through the broken windows, Chu Xiaoyao saw two men approaching. One of them was in his fifties, dressed in a mink coat that contrasted starkly with Wang Limin¡¯s tattered padded jacket. He seemed hurried and was making his way to the principal¡¯s office.


    "Ah, aren¡¯t you our generous donors? Welcome, welcome!" The village chief entered the office, his demeanor overly warm and enthusiastic.


    However, Chu Xiaoyao and her companions showed the village chief no courtesy, their expressions grim. Chu Xiaoyao directly questioned him, "We donated money to the school¡ªwhy hasn¡¯t the building been repaired?"


    The village chief quickly responded, "It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t want to fix things, but winter isn¡¯t the right time for repairs. If we install windows now, come spring, they might warp and require a second round of fixes, which would incur extra costs. Our village is so poor¡ªevery penny must be spent wisely, and we can¡¯t afford to waste a dime."


    Chuckling coldly, Chu Xiaoyao retorted, "Really? Well, judging by your coat, Village Chief, it seems you¡¯re doing quite well yourself. This mink coat must¡¯ve cost at least ten or twenty thousand yuan."


    Shaking his coat, the village chief replied bitterly, "I had no choice¡ªmy sons are filial and insisted on buying this for me. I told them it wasn¡¯t necessary, but they insisted. You see, the coat was already bought; if I didn¡¯t wear it, I¡¯d be rejecting their filial piety. Actually, my sons have wanted me to move to the county for a more comfortable life, but seeing how poor our village is, I can¡¯t feel at ease leaving it behind. Even if life here is tough, I want to lead our village to prosperity before I can truly join my sons and enjoy life."


    If they hadn¡¯t heard Wang Limin¡¯s earlier confession, the group might¡¯ve been fooled into thinking the village chief was noble. But now, his words rang hollow and hypocritical, appearing downright shameless.


    "Since the village chief insists, may we take a look at the accounts for the money we donated? Surely that¡¯s within our rights? I wouldn¡¯t want funds we donated diverted elsewhere," Chu Xiaoyao challenged directly and sharply. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The village chief¡¯s face stiffened momentarily before he forced a laugh and said, "Of course, that¡¯s possible. However, our accountant isn¡¯t in the village right now¡ªthe accounts are in their possession."

 Chapter 1282 - 1332: Trap

    Chapter 1282: Chapter 1332: Trap"Oh? Then when will he return?" Chu Xiaoyao stared at the village chief.


    Chu Xiaoyao had been staying with the Li family for a while. At school, it was fine, but in Mile City, she was a prominent figure, attending major events frequently. Inevitably, she carried an air of authority. When she fixed her gaze on the village chief like this, it made him feel uneasy.


    Not just Chu Xiaoyao, Zhou Xiaoyue had also come from a well-known family and naturally didn¡¯t take the village chief seriously. She sneered coldly and said, "Village Chief, please bring out the account books. We¡¯re only interested in the allocation of the money we donated. As for how other funds in your village are used, we don¡¯t care in the slightest."


    The village chief chuckled awkwardly and said, "But our accountant really isn¡¯t here. You shouldn¡¯t assume that I¡¯m the village chief and therefore capable of handling everything. Even though the village is small, everyone has their own responsibilities. Accountants are in charge of finances, and as the village chief, I have no authority over the accounts."


    Chu Xiaoyao promptly asked, "Then surely you can get in touch with the accountant and have him come here?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue chimed in, "Exactly. If we donate money now, does it mean that without the accountant¡¯s presence, the funds can¡¯t be handed over?"


    Their combined pressure rendered the village chief speechless. After a dry laugh, he said, "Unfortunately, the accountant went to the county, and he definitely won¡¯t be back today. How about this: next time you plan to visit, call in advance, and I¡¯ll ensure the accountant is here waiting for you. By then, the school should be almost renovated."


    "Sorry, but unless we see exactly where our money is going this time, we won¡¯t leave," Chu Xiaoyao stated firmly.


    The village chief furrowed his brow and said, "Well... alright then. But you can¡¯t wait here indefinitely, and it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll arrange accommodations for you, give you some food, and I¡¯ll go contact the accountant right away to try to get him back sooner. That way, it won¡¯t delay your matters."


    Chu Xiaoyao and the others had been here for a while and hadn¡¯t eaten yet. By now it was past noon, and they were indeed hungry, so they accepted the village chief¡¯s offer and followed him to his home.


    The village chief¡¯s house was newly built, and it was a two-story building. In this impoverished village, it stood out conspicuously.


    "Village Chief, your house is really quite impressive," Chu Xiaoyao remarked with a slight curl of her lips.


    The village chief shook his head and said, "I wouldn¡¯t have stayed in this village if it weren¡¯t for this place. My sons already bought me an apartment in the county, but I refused to leave. They couldn¡¯t argue with me, but they were afraid I might be uncomfortable staying here, so they built me this house. Honestly, I feel uneasy living in such a house when the village is so impoverished. But if I don¡¯t accept their gesture, they won¡¯t let me live here. I can¡¯t deny my sons the chance to show their filial piety."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded. "Well, your sons really are dutiful."


    "They sure are. Both of my sons are quite considerate. Whatever I need, I don¡¯t even have to ask¡ªthey just bring it to me."


    Chu Xiaoyao continued, "It seems both of your sons are doing quite well financially."


    "Not bad, not bad." The village chief¡¯s face showed a hint of pride.


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head. "But it seems your sons only show superficial filial piety."


    "What do you mean?" The village chief frowned.


    "Think about it¡ªthey claim to be filial. Knowing their father stubbornly stays in the village with hopes of improving it, shouldn¡¯t they help out? Even if they can¡¯t help much with the village itself, seeing the condition of the village school, shouldn¡¯t they donate some money to fix it up? Even if repairing the school takes a lot, they could at least install proper windows. That would make their father look better in the village, right?"


    The village chief was rendered speechless, finally letting out a dry cough after a long pause. "True, I¡¯ll bring it up with them later. I really didn¡¯t think about this before. Please, come inside¡ªthe weather is quite chilly."


    He led Chu Xiaoyao and the others into a room, and a woman walked in. She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a bright red loungewear set, her face heavily made up. A thick gold necklace hung around her neck, with a bracelet on one wrist, a watch on the other, and four rings on her fingers. She glanced at Chu Xiaoyao and the others and asked, "Who are they?"


    The village chief immediately responded, "They¡¯re donors for the village school¡ªreal benefactors. Go make some food and treat them well."


    The woman¡¯s eyes lit up, and she plastered on a smile. "Alright, alright. You all rest up; I¡¯ll get cooking. Husband, go buy some more groceries."


    The village chief agreed, exchanged a few words with Chu Xiaoyao and the others, then left.


    Chu Xiaoyao, Zhou Xiaoyue, and the others exchanged glances and gave disdainful smiles. Given the village chief¡¯s age, he had married such a young wife¡ªno one would believe he was entirely aboveboard.


    The meal was quite lavish, with chicken and fish. Chu Xiaoyao and the others were truly hungry, so they didn¡¯t hold back and ate quite a bit. After the meal, the village chief suggested, "Our accountant will arrive first thing tomorrow morning. If you want to review the accounts, you can stay here tonight."


    Chu Xiaoyao and the others quickly agreed. They were determined to get to the bottom of this and couldn¡¯t find peace otherwise.


    At night, the three girls stayed in one room, sleeping on a heated brick bed. Lying down, none of them could fall asleep immediately.


    Zhou Xiaoyue said with a hint of worry, "Xiaoyao, I feel like the village chief might pull some tricks. Could he harm us tonight?"


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted, "I¡¯d like to see him try."


    Despite her bravery, Zhou Xiaoyue remained uneasy and said, "But if he¡¯s really guilty of wrongdoing, he might think of ways to deal with us. We should still be careful." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another girl in their group became visibly nervous after hearing Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s concerns.


    Chu Xiaoyao, fearless as always, got up to lock the door, climbed back onto the bed, and said, "There, no problems now."


    "Xiaoyao, why don¡¯t you call your husband and ask him to send some people here? That way, we¡¯ll be safer," Zhou Xiaoyue suggested.


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head. "That¡¯s unnecessary. If I make him intervene in trivial matters like this, he won¡¯t get anything else done."


    "Well, he doesn¡¯t have to come himself¡ªjust sending a couple of people to ensure our safety would be enough."


    After some hesitation, Chu Xiaoyao relented. "Alright, I¡¯ll call him."


    She placed a call to Li Yifei, explained the situation and her location, then hung up and reassured them, "Don¡¯t worry, he said he¡¯d arrange it right away."


    Zhou Xiaoyue breathed a sigh of relief, "That¡¯s a relief."


    The other girl, even though she was close friends with Chu Xiaoyao, didn¡¯t know who her boyfriend was. Recently, ever since Chu Xiaoyao and Li Yifei had started dating seriously, she avoided flaunting their relationship to prevent any negative implications for him. Besides Zhou Xiaoyue, the others were still unaware of his identity.


    The girl asked curiously, "Xiaoyao, you have a husband already?"


    Chu Xiaoyao smiled sweetly, "Yes, but we haven¡¯t married yet. We¡¯ll wait until I graduate."


    "It sounds like your husband is pretty remarkable. What does he do?"


    "He¡¯s a businessman."


    "A businessman? You wouldn¡¯t..." The girl¡¯s expression turned somewhat odd.


    Zhou Xiaoyue playfully smacked the girl on the arm and scolded, "Don¡¯t let your wild thoughts run loose. Xiaoyao¡¯s husband is definitely going to marry her; she¡¯s not someone who¡¯s being kept."


    The girl stuck out her tongue and apologized, "Sorry, I just tend to associate wealthy men with those kinds of scenarios."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled lightly, "No problem."


    After chatting for a while, they eventually fell asleep. It was unclear how long they had been asleep when a sharp scream pierced the night, followed by commotion. It sounded like the village chief¡¯s wife¡ªthe voice was unmistakable¡ªand mingled with this was the voice of one of the boys from their group.


    Startled, Chu Xiaoyao and her companions hurriedly put on their clothes and ran to the source of the noise, stopping outside a room with its door wide open. Inside, there were three people: the village chief, his wife, and one of their male companions.


    The village chief¡¯s wife was wearing pajamas, which had been torn in several places. The boy stood there with a flushed face, seeming completely helpless, while the village chief looked livid.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Chu Xiaoyao demanded, feeling a growing sense of dread.


    "Oh, heavens! I can¡¯t live anymore... I¡¯ll never be able to face anyone again... Just let me die!" The village chief¡¯s wife wailed and shouted, even trying to fling herself against the wall before the village chief rushed over to stop her.


    Chu Xiaoyao turned to the boy, "What happened exactly?"


    Flustered, the boy stammered, "I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Just as I was walking past this room after finishing, the village chief¡¯s wife called out to me, saying she needed help. I had no idea what was going on, but I went in. She said there was a big bug on the heated bed and asked me to kill it. So I went to help, but then... then she threw herself onto me and started screaming. I swear, I didn¡¯t do anything to her!"


    "Ridiculous!" The village chief roared angrily, "This is my wife¡¯s room. What were you, a young man, doing sneaking into my wife¡¯s room in the middle of the night?"


    "She called me in!" The boy protested, his face turning red.


    The village chief¡¯s wife cried out, "Husband... I didn¡¯t! I would never! I was sleeping peacefully when I suddenly felt someone pressing against me and tearing at my clothes. Just look at my clothes¡ªthey¡¯re ruined! Oh, I can¡¯t bear it!"


    The village chief slammed his hand against the wall and yelled furiously, "Boy, you¡¯ve got some nerve, assaulting my wife! I¡¯m sending you to jail today. Just wait and see."


    Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue exchanged glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. Something like this was bound to be hard to explain; even more so since it happened in the village chief¡¯s home, making it increasingly difficult to handle.

 Chapter 1283 - 1333: Shameless Village Chief

    Chapter 1283: Chapter 1333: Shameless Village Chief"I didn¡¯t! I absolutely didn¡¯t! She was the one who let me in, and I didn¡¯t touch her at all!" The young man shouted angrily at this moment.


    "It was you! It was you! You tore my clothes, and you dare to say you didn¡¯t?" The village chief¡¯s wife wiped her eyes, then started yelling in an even sharper voice. After pushing the village chief aside, she charged at the young man. "I¡¯ll fight you to the death! I have no face to show anyone now, so I¡¯ll fight you to the death!" She looked every bit the part of a shrew.


    Chu Xiaoyao, Zhou Xiaoyue, and the others had never witnessed such a scene before and were momentarily unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, the young man struggled to fend off the village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s hands, continually retreating, his sleeves getting torn by her.


    "Stop!" Chu Xiaoyao shouted.


    The village chief¡¯s wife stopped and glared at Chu Xiaoyao, "What do you want?"


    Chu Xiaoyao took a deep breath and asked, "Are you saying he tried to rape you?"


    "Yes!" the village chief¡¯s wife answered without hesitation.


    Chu Xiaoyao turned to the young man, "What do you have to say?"


    The young man clenched his fists and said angrily, "I didn¡¯t! I absolutely didn¡¯t! She asked me to help her, and I didn¡¯t lay a finger on her."


    The village chief snorted coldly and said, "Do you think just saying you didn¡¯t do it makes it true? Kid, nothing¡¯s over today. I kindly invited you all to stay at my house, and you had designs on my wife. I¡¯m going to report this right now, and you can wait for the police station to come and take you."


    "I didn¡¯t!" The young man, an honest sort, was now red-faced but could only repeat his denial.


    The village chief sneered, "I can see you didn¡¯t actually rape my wife, but attempted rape is still a crime. You could easily get sentenced to a year or two. And I hear you¡¯re a college student? Well, forget about finishing college now."


    The young man froze in shock. If things ended as the village chief claimed, his life would be utterly ruined. How would he face his parents, his classmates?


    The village chief took note of their reactions, secretly pleased. These inexperienced kids had come looking for trouble at his home, so he needed to teach them a lesson. Now that he had the upper hand, he could start negotiating terms.


    "Alright, stop crying. Let¡¯s discuss this in the other room," the village chief said, comforting his wife while pulling her to the bed, then motioning Chu Xiaoyao and the others to another room.


    Fixing his gaze on the young man, the village chief snorted coldly and said, "Kid, you¡¯ve got guts. Do you know what happens here when someone pulls a stunt like this? In the old days, people like you would¡¯ve been tied up and thrown into a pigsty to marinate. But now we abide by the law¡ªand lucky for you, I¡¯m the village chief. You dodged a real bullet."


    "Village Chief, I really didn¡¯t do anything to your wife¡ªI swear. I didn¡¯t, I..." The young man tried to explain, but couldn¡¯t stop himself from crying.


    The village chief sighed suddenly and said, "Stop crying. I know you¡¯re college students, bright young men. Even if young folks slip up sometimes, they deserve a chance to be forgiven. If I really sent you to the police station, your life would be over. I know you came here with good intentions, and I¡¯d feel bad too."


    The young man, upon hearing this, felt overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you, Village Chief. Thank you!"


    The village chief shook his head and said, "But this incident is embarrassing for me too. If I let you go without anything, how am I supposed to face my neighbors? So... just sign this paper, and we¡¯ll call it even. Then you can leave without any more trouble."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll sign, I¡¯ll sign," the young man said hastily, reaching for the pen and paper, willing to agree to anything just to get out.


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly snatched the paper and sneered, "Village Chief, you sure came prepared. Your wife just had an incident, and you already had time to write up an account of it?"


    Her words roused everyone, who then instantly realized the village chief and his wife had set them up. All of them glared at him angrily.


    The village chief lit a cigarette and chuckled, "You¡¯ve got me. Yeah, this was a trap¡ªbut you still fell for it. And let me be clear: one phone call from me, and this kid will be taken in. My eldest son works in the town, so tell me, who¡¯s the police station going to believe¡ªme or you? Not to mention my second son, who¡¯s mixed up with the county¡¯s underground. If you upset him, he could show up with his men, and... well, leaving here wouldn¡¯t be so easy for you."


    Chu Xiaoyao and the others¡¯ faces turned pale with rage. They had never encountered someone so shameless before. This was beyond anything they¡¯d imagined¡ªand now they were living it.


    "I¡¯ll also make it clear that your donation money was spent on the village. I thank you for your generosity¡ªit¡¯s appreciated. So why fuss over where the money went? You rich folks donate to feel good, right? We¡¯re grateful, the school¡¯s grateful. Isn¡¯t that enough without questioning everything?"


    Chu Xiaoyao gritted her teeth, "You¡¯re utterly shameless."


    The village chief laughed heartily, "Shameless? What¡¯s shame worth? This school brings in a bit of cash each year from donors. If I fixed it up properly, who¡¯d come donate next year?"


    "Then what do you actually want?" Zhou Xiaoyue asked angrily.


    The village chief smiled slyly, "Now you¡¯re asking the real question. I don¡¯t want anything; it¡¯s all up to you. If you don¡¯t push, I won¡¯t push."


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted coldly and said, "What if we insist on getting to the bottom of this?"


    "Simple. I¡¯ll let the police sort it out, and one of you will end up in custody. You think anyone¡¯s going to believe your word after that? Your donation doesn¡¯t have any official records either."


    In terms of tactics, Chu Xiaoyao and the others were no match for this seasoned schemer. As mere university students, even with some worldly experience, Chu Xiaoyao felt powerless against such trickery.


    "Xiaoyao, maybe... maybe we should just drop it," the young man said nervously. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No way!" Chu Xiaoyao responded firmly.


    The village chief chuckled lightly, "Young lady, don¡¯t take it so seriously. Here¡¯s what I¡¯ll do: I¡¯ll patch up the school¡¯s windows with some plastic sheeting. Consider it my response to your concerns."


    "Plastic sheeting?" Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue exclaimed in disbelief.


    "Haha, and I¡¯ll send the school a banner to honor your generosity. You¡¯ll get your recognition and a little glory. Isn¡¯t that enough?"


    Chu Xiaoyao curled her lips disdainfully, "If I wanted to make a name for myself, I could get money anywhere and do it someplace else. Why would I bother coming here? We donated for the children, yet you spent it while they¡¯re left studying in drafty classrooms. Do you have an ounce of conscience?"


    The village chief smirked, "Conscience? What¡¯s that worth? I¡¯ve said my piece¡ªnow it¡¯s your turn to decide. I don¡¯t want trouble, but if you push me, I won¡¯t hold back."


    Chu Xiaoyao took a deep breath, "Alright, we¡¯ll let this go for now."


    "Fine. Just sign over there to make sure you don¡¯t come back later with complaints. I¡¯ll sleep easier, too." The village chief pointed to the paper in Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hand.


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted coldly, "Fine, I¡¯ll sign."


    "Xiaoyao..." the young man protested in alarm.


    Chu Xiaoyao shot him a look, "Sign it. Do you think I¡¯d hurt you?"


    After some hesitation, the young man finally gritted his teeth and signed his name.


    The village chief took the paper and laughed heartily, "Great! Now everyone¡¯s happy¡ªhow wonderful! Rest well tonight, and I¡¯ll send you home tomorrow." With that, he swaggered out.


    "Xiaoyao, is this really over?" Zhou Xiaoyue asked reluctantly.


    Chu Xiaoyao snorted, "That¡¯s what they want, but there¡¯s no point in confronting them now. Once my husband sends his people, we¡¯ll see how they like being ruined."


    "Oh!" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes lit up. She had absolute faith in Li Yifei. A little village chief wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. How foolish he was to provoke Chu Xiaoyao!


    Chu Xiaoyao had matured considerably¡ªonce, she might have confronted the village chief head-on, but now she¡¯d learned to protect herself first before planning her next move.


    When they returned to their room, Chu Xiaoyao sent Li Yifei a WeChat message explaining the situation. Li Yifei replied quickly, telling her not to act rashly and promising to arrive the next morning.


    "Are you coming personally, hubby?"


    "Of course. My wife¡¯s been bullied¡ªhow could I not show up?"


    "Hubby, I love you to death!" Chu Xiaoyao grinned ear to ear, feeling both excited and moved. Among the many outstanding women in their family, she might have been the least remarkable¡ªalso the most willful and mischievous¡ªbut Li Yifei still treated her so well.


    "Your husband¡¯s really coming?" Zhou Xiaoyue asked eagerly after seeing the WeChat messages.


    Chu Xiaoyao clenched her fists, "Yes, he¡¯ll be here first thing tomorrow morning. Hmph, we¡¯ll see who gets ruined this time. If I don¡¯t crush them, I¡¯ll stop calling myself Chu."


    "That village chief¡¯s finished. Let¡¯s see how he likes being so wicked¡ªit¡¯s time he got what he deserves," Zhou Xiaoyue said excitedly. She liked Li Yifei as a brother-in-law very much.

 Chapter 1284 - 1334: Li Yi Came

    Chapter 1284: Chapter 1334: Li Yi CameLi Yifei originally intended to just send two people over to take care of things. He still had matters to attend to in the provincial capital. But when Chu Xiaoyao sent him a WeChat message in the evening, Li Yifei decided to go and handle it himself.


    Judging by what Chu Xiaoyao had told him, he knew his team could handle it, but he still felt uneasy. Besides, he had nothing planned for the next morning. It had been a while since he last saw Chu Xiaoyao, so he figured he should pay her a visit. Thus, he got an early start and prepared to set off.


    "Brother-in-law, why are you here?" A man in his thirties crossed paths with Li Yifei in the hallway.


    "I¡¯m here for a meeting in the provincial capital. Third Brother, what brings you here?" The man before him was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s third cousin, Ye Ningfeng.


    Ye Ningfeng chuckled and said, "I¡¯m here for a meeting too. Will you stop by at the house later? Grandpa¡¯s been thinking about you."


    Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "Not this time. I have something to do later this morning. I need to make a trip to Xiaohu Village."


    "Xiaohu Village? What are you going there for?"


    "Little Yue and Xiaoyao ran into trouble over there. I¡¯m going to check it out."


    Zhou Xiaoyue was Ye Ningfeng¡¯s younger cousin, and Chu Xiaoyao had also visited the Ye family with Zhou Xiaoyue several times. As a result, Ye Ningfeng was quite familiar with Chu Xiaoyao. He quickly asked, "What sort of trouble did they get into?"


    "Do you have anything going on this morning? If not, come along. You¡¯re with the Provincial Public Security Bureau, after all. Some things might be easier to handle with you there."


    "Sure!" Ye Ningfeng agreed without a second thought. It wasn¡¯t just that he was free; even if he had something urgent to attend to, if Li Yifei asked him to go, he wouldn¡¯t refuse. The Ye family relied heavily on the Li family, and Grandpa had long instructed that any request from Li Yifei was to be fully supported, no questions asked.


    "By the way, the road there isn¡¯t great, is it? You¡¯d better get an off-road vehicle, something like a Jeep."


    "No problem." Ye Ningfeng immediately made a call, and shortly after, someone delivered a Range Rover.


    When he offered to drive, Li Yifei slid into the driver¡¯s seat without a word. Helpless, Ye Ningfeng took the passenger seat and joked, "Riding shotgun while my brother-in-law drives? Well, that gives me some bragging rights."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "You¡¯re my brother-in-law. If I drive and you ride shotgun, isn¡¯t everything just perfect?"


    Ye Ningfeng grinned widely, feeling rather proud internally. Li Yifei¡¯s standing held considerable weight¡ªhe was practically the head of the family. Even though his family didn¡¯t have a strong presence in officialdom, their backing was formidable. As a mere team leader in the Public Security Bureau, he couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei drove relatively cautiously within the provincial capital, but once out on the open roads, his speed ramped up dramatically. Watching the speedometer climb higher and higher, Ye Ningfeng¡¯s heart initially raced. However, as time passed, he settled down; despite the car¡¯s speed, Li Yifei drove smoothly and skillfully¡ªit was truly impressive.


    During the drive, Li Yifei explained the situation Chu Xiaoyao and the others had encountered in Xiaohu Village. Listening, Ye Ningfeng was incensed, his eyes blazing. "These bastards have gone too far! Damned scumbags¡ªI¡¯ll have them all arrested!"


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Exactly. It¡¯s ideal for you to be here. If it were just me, I¡¯d probably just beat them to a pulp."


    "A beating would be well-deserved! You handle the beating, and I¡¯ll handle the arrests afterward."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "Deal!"


    At around seven, Li Yifei and the others arrived at the entrance of Xiaohu Village. From there, the road was impassable by car, so the two men had to proceed on foot into the village.


    The village head¡¯s house was easy to spot¡ªits small two-story structure stood out starkly among the otherwise modest village homes. Li Yifei and the others quickly arrived at the courtyard gate of the village head¡¯s house.


    "Honey!" Chu Xiaoyao had received Li Yifei¡¯s WeChat message and was waiting for him at the gate. Seeing him arrive, she ran over in a sprint, throwing herself into his arms.


    Li Yifei embraced her, gently patting her back, and asked, "Nothing serious, right?"


    Chu Xiaoyao lifted her head and grinned mischievously, "Nothing at all. We were just lazing around this morning, waiting for you to arrive before getting up." She caught sight of Ye Ningfeng at this point, and her smile brightened. "Third Brother, you¡¯re here too!"


    Ye Ningfeng smiled warmly, "Of course I am! When you run into trouble, can I sit idly by?"


    At this moment, Zhou Xiaoyue also rushed over to greet Li Yifei and Ye Ningfeng. The four of them then entered the village head¡¯s house together.


    Upon seeing two men walk in, the village head frowned and asked, "What¡¯s your business here?"


    With Li Yifei there, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s confidence surged. She snorted and said, "Village head, we¡¯re here to look over the accounts. Bring out your ledgers."


    "The accounts? Are you certain?" The village head¡¯s face darkened instantly.


    Chu Xiaoyao sneered, "That¡¯s right. We¡¯re here to scrutinize the accounts."


    The village head glanced at Li Yifei and Ye Ningfeng, noting their polished appearances, which suggested they weren¡¯t ordinary people. Ignoring Chu Xiaoyao, he addressed Li Yifei instead, "Who exactly are you all?"


    Li Yifei fixed the village head with an icy stare and responded coldly, "Our identities are irrelevant. My wife donated money to your village¡¯s school, and I demand to know where the funds went."


    The village head¡¯s face twitched as he let out a cold chuckle, "Fine, wait here. I¡¯ll have the accountant bring you the ledgers." With that, he stepped outside.


    The boy who had been framed the night before spoke up anxiously, "Xiaoyao, will this really work? They¡¯re...well..."


    Chu Xiaoyao raised her brow confidently, "Don¡¯t worry. With my husband here, not even God himself could touch you."


    The boy glanced at Li Yifei, only to quickly look away; there was an undeniable aura of authority around Li Yifei that made him, a mere student, feel too intimidated to meet his gaze.


    Zhou Xiaoyue chimed in with a giggle, "Rest assured. My brother-in-law¡¯s here, and that village head is in serious trouble."


    "Brother-in-law?" A girl nearby looked at Zhou Xiaoyue in confusion.


    Zhou Xiaoyue playfully stuck out her tongue, "Xiaoyao¡¯s birthday is earlier than mine, so calling him my brother-in-law makes perfect sense."


    Just then, a man rushed in, breathless. It was the principal of the village school. Chu Xiaoyao asked in surprise, "Principal, why are you here?"


    The principal¡¯s face betrayed his alarm, "You need to leave, right now! I overheard the village head making calls¡ªhe¡¯s summoning his two sons. If they show up, you won¡¯t be able to get away!"


    Chu Xiaoyao flashed a sweet smile, "No need to worry. Let him call whoever he wants."


    The principal stamped his foot anxiously, "You don¡¯t realize how dangerous his sons are! His younger son is guilty of murder, yet somehow he¡¯s walking free. And his elder son is a big deal in the township¡ªhe¡¯s the Deputy Township Chief. No one dares to mess with them!"


    "Just a measly Deputy Township Chief? It¡¯s nothing."


    "You..." The principal was beside himself, "Even if you have powerful connections, this place is remote¡ªyour people can¡¯t get here in time!"


    "Principal, please don¡¯t worry. With my husband here, no matter how many people they bring, we¡¯ll be fine."


    "Just the two of them..." The principal frowned deeply. Even though he could sense their backgrounds might be significant, the village head¡¯s younger son was tied to the criminal underworld. No amount of wealth provided immunity against that.


    Nonetheless, Chu Xiaoyao showed gratitude, "Principal, thank you for your concern. We know what we¡¯re doing. Please go back to the school and wait. I promise to make them return every penny and ensure the children have a proper learning environment."


    Zhou Xiaoyue chimed in with a cheerful smile, "That¡¯s right, Principal. Head back and wait for the good news. You¡¯re a good principal."


    The principal gritted his teeth, saying, "Then I¡¯ll go contact the children¡¯s parents. You genuinely care about these kids¡ªso do their families. They won¡¯t stand idly by."


    Chu Xiaoyao quickly interjected, "No need for all that trouble. Really, everything will be fine."


    Despite her reassurances, the principal didn¡¯t believe her and hurried off. Still, the thought of gathering parents posed its own challenge. This particular primary school served multiple villages in the area, with Xiaohu Village contributing only a handful of students. The rest came from neighboring villages, which sat on the far side of the mountains. How could he quickly rally so many parents?


    A while later, the village head returned, accompanied by an elderly man clutching the ledgers, his head hung low and his demeanor ridden with guilt.


    "Here we go. The accountant is here, and the books are ready. Take a look," the village head announced nonchalantly, seemingly unperturbed by any potential repercussions.


    None of them were particularly adept at reviewing accounts. The only reason they demanded them yesterday was out of desperation. Now faced with the ledgers, they truly felt overwhelmed. Still, they made an effort to glance at them, if only to play the part.


    But their review lasted barely five minutes before a commotion erupted outside¡ªa boisterous crowd stormed in. The village head¡¯s expression morphed into a sinister grin. "I warned you before¡ªyou should¡¯ve just left. Now, you won¡¯t be able to leave even if you want to."


    At this point, both Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue abandoned their inspection of the ledgers. Rather than worried, they seemed gleeful. The more trouble these culprits stirred, the worse things would end for the village head. But the other three people in their group paled as more than ten men barged into the room. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Dad, who¡¯s causing you trouble?" A towering man in his thirties bellowed as he scanned Li Yifei and the others with a piercing gaze.


    The village head pointed at Li Yifei¡¯s group, "It¡¯s them, Blockhead. Take care of it."


    Blockhead, the village head¡¯s second son, stepped right up to Li Yifei. He instinctively assumed Li Yifei was the one calling the shots and sneered, "Hey, punk, giving my dad trouble? Tired of living, are we?"


    "Second Brother, why waste words? Just break their legs and toss them out."


    "Haha, no way. Those three chicks are kinda nice, though. Can¡¯t waste them. Gotta have some fun first."


    "Hahaha..."


    The mob burst into raucous laughter, utterly dismissing Li Yifei and his group¡ªarrogance radiating from their faces.

 Chapter 1285 - 1335: Beat Him However You Want

    Chapter 1285: Chapter 1335: Beat Him However You Want"Slap, slap..." Several consecutive slapping sounds suddenly echoed, and then the guy who had just spoken rudely to Chu Xiaoyao and her group swayed a few times, covered his face, and finally let out a cry.


    Everyone froze instantly. Just now, it seemed like a shadow flickered, and then this scene unfolded. Nobody even saw clearly who had thrown the slap.


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately shouted excitedly, "Honey, you¡¯re amazing! You should totally teach these bastards a lesson."


    Li Yifei held Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Did I hit them too lightly?"


    Chu Xiaoyao clenched her fist and said angrily, "Yes! Scum like them deserve to be beaten even to death."


    Only then did everyone realize that the one who took action was Li Yifei. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s classmates widened their eyes in disbelief. In this situation, Li Yifei had dared to strike first. On the other side were more than ten people, clearly looking like street thugs. Most people would avoid confrontation, yet he chose to provoke them instead. This would definitely infuriate the other side¡ªhow could this possibly end peacefully?


    Ye Ningfeng was startled by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words and quickly said, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t be too impulsive."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I know what I¡¯m doing."


    Only then did Ye Ningfeng breathe a sigh of relief. He knew just how much Li Yifei cared about his loved ones. If Li Yifei were truly egged on by Chu Xiaoyao to kill someone, it wouldn¡¯t amount to much trouble for him personally, but cleaning up the aftermath would certainly be a headache.


    "Hell no! You dare hit me? Brothers, get him!" Blockhead finally snapped out of it and cursed loudly, leading the charge toward Li Yifei.


    The rest of the thugs followed suit, rushing up¡ªall ten-plus of them charging forward like an intimidating tidal wave.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s classmates immediately recoiled in fear, retreating to the back. But Chu Xiaoyao didn¡¯t retreat at all; instead, she said enthusiastically, "Honey, honey, let me fight them too."


    Li Yifei chuckled adoringly and said, "Already my wife, and still so mischievous."


    "I don¡¯t care! I have to hit them. I¡¯ve been bottling it up all day¡ªyou have to let me vent."


    "Alright!" Li Yifei agreed, then smiled and said, "Slap him across the face."


    Chu Xiaoyao immediately swung her palm. The moment the charging Blockhead approached Li Yifei, he somehow spun half a turn, and his tall frame suddenly seemed to shrink. His face ended up perfectly aligned with Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s swinging hand.


    A crisp slap echoed through the air as Blockhead was squarely struck. Fortunately, Chu Xiaoyao lacked strength; if this had been someone like Lin Qiong, who had already cultivated True Qi, this blow would¡¯ve been far harder to endure.


    "Damn it!" Blockhead roared after being slapped, and the fact that a little girl had struck him made him feel an incredible loss of face. He let out an angry roar and lunged at Li Yifei again. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the response he got was Chu Xiaoyao raining down slaps on him non-stop. Back in the day, Li Yifei had been able to help Chu Xiaoyao pull off this kind of move, and now with his greatly enhanced skills, it was even easier. The thugs charging forward were no more than puppets in his hands, controlled by invisible strings. How they moved was entirely up to him, and he guided Chu Xiaoyao to hit them however she pleased.


    Despite the dozen thugs surrounding Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao, the two moved effortlessly, weaving through the crowd as if taking a leisurely stroll. None of the thugs were able to touch them, but Chu Xiaoyao seemed to score her hits with absolute precision, her little fists and palms targeting the opponents¡¯ faces every time. With her punches lacking power, hitting other parts of their bodies wouldn¡¯t hurt much¡ªhence, she focused squarely on their faces.


    Initially, Chu Xiaoyao used slaps, but her hands quickly grew sore. Then she switched to punching, carefully aiming her small fists at softer areas of the face, like the nose or eye sockets. Li Yifei deftly maneuvered the thugs into place so that her punches landed perfectly, soon leaving her opponents with bruised and swollen faces, and several suffered from bleeding noses.


    Zhou Xiaoyue, originally frightened, began feeling giddy watching the brawl. Breathlessly, she cried out, "Brother-in-law, I want to fight too!"


    Li Yifei laughed heartily, pulling Chu Xiaoyao out of the crowd. When he dashed back in, Zhou Xiaoyue was already following closely behind.


    Ye Ningfeng, who had some martial skills himself, watched in astonishment. Though sheer numbers didn¡¯t matter much against a true expert, seeing Li Yifei effortlessly handle the situation¡ªand somehow involve two young girls in the fun¡ªwas incomprehensibly impressive. His skills were completely out of this world.


    Zhou Xiaoyue initially hesitated to act, but Chu Xiaoyao quickly encouraged her, saying, "Little Yue, don¡¯t be scared. Hit them however you like! With our husband here, you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about."


    Li Yifei smiled and added, "No worries. Just enjoy yourself."


    Finally emboldened, Zhou Xiaoyue swung her little fists and began hitting the thugs. After a couple of strikes, the latent violence buried deep in her nature erupted uncontrollably. She grew increasingly excited, punching wildly while shouting thrilled cries of delight.


    Watching this, Ye Ningfeng was both mortified and amused. Zhou Xiaoyue, usually a lively but obedient cousin, had completely unleashed her unrestrained side tonight. If their aunt and uncle were to see this, who knows what expressions they would make?


    At the same time, Ye Ningfeng¡¯s respect for Li Yifei deepened. Handling a fight on his own was one thing; casually guiding two untrained girls through it for fun showed unfathomable skill. No wonder Li Yifei was considered the strongest special forces operative in Huaxia¡ªit was fully deserved.


    Meanwhile, the village chief was wide-eyed with disbelief. He had assumed his second son bringing such a large group of men would terrify the opponents into submission. Instead, not only hadn¡¯t they backed down, they¡¯d made the first move, beating his men up so badly that they were now bloodied and miserable. The chief couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it¡ªhow could ten-plus men fail against one man and two young girls, ending up this badly bruised?


    In truth, these thugs weren¡¯t seriously injured; their wounds were mostly superficial¡ªa patchwork of bruises and cuts. But their bloodied noses and lips made them appear far worse off than they were, creating a far more intimidating spectacle. This was why, despite the prolonged fight, none of them backed down.


    "Stop it!" A sudden command boomed out from the doorway, and several figures rushed in, four of whom were dressed in police uniforms.


    Ye Ningfeng narrowed his eyes, his expression turning grim. It seemed the opposing side had actually brought the police.


    The thugs spotted the police and immediately ceased fighting, feeling no fear. These cops were summoned by Blockhead¡¯s brother and were clearly on their side. Why would they be worried?


    Among the newcomers was Zhao Zhisheng, the village chief¡¯s eldest son. He looked baffled as his younger brother¡¯s group of ten-plus men all sported bloodied faces, yet the opposition¡ªjust three people¡ªstood perfectly untouched. He whispered urgently to his father for clarification.


    "Honey, my hands hurt," Chu Xiaoyao complained, extending two small hands with reddened knuckles. Despite Li Yifei¡¯s trick to adjust the opponents¡¯ positioning to minimize damage to her hands, continuous punching inevitably left them sore.


    Li Yifei smiled slightly and held Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hands. "Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ll feel better soon."


    Guiding his Innate Vital Energy into Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s hands, he quickly healed the minor injuries. Previously, his True Qi couldn¡¯t achieve this, but now his advanced Innate Vital Energy made it possible. In less than half a minute, her hands were good as new.


    "Little Yue, you should let him treat yours as well," Chu Xiaoyao said, motioning to Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Zhou Xiaoyue hesitated, then stuck out her tongue bashfully. "It¡¯s fine¡ªmine doesn¡¯t hurt much."


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Aww, feeling shy? I¡¯m your brother-in-law, not a stranger. Why hesitate?"


    "You¡¯re right! You¡¯re my brother-in-law." Zhou Xiaoyue promptly extended her small hands, and Li Yifei took them gently, transmitting his Vital Energy.


    She felt a soft, refreshing stream envelop her hands, easing the pain and bringing a cool, soothing sensation. In an instant, her discomfort was gone.


    "Does it still hurt?" Li Yifei released her hands and asked, smiling warmly.


    "Not at all! Brother-in-law, you¡¯re amazing!" Zhou Xiaoyue replied with a sweet smile.


    Chu Xiaoyao chimed in proudly, "Of course! My husband is the best."


    The three of them joked and laughed together, completely disregarding the police officers. Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s worried classmates stood off to the side, uncertain what to do. But seeing how capable Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s husband was, they concluded the situation would likely be handled easily.


    "Do you realize what you¡¯re doing?" Zhao Zhisheng asked after gathering the facts, his face stern as he approached Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei glanced at him, his expression darkening. "Are you the son of that scoundrel?"


    "Watch your mouth," Zhao Zhisheng snapped, glaring.


    "Watch it? I won¡¯t. What are you going to do about it?" Li Yifei challenged, staring Zhao Zhisheng down.


    Zhao Zhisheng¡¯s glare intensified. "Keep it up, and I¡¯ll arrest you. I suspect you¡¯re a wanted criminal. We¡¯re taking you in for investigation."


    "A wanted criminal? You¡¯re a cop?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes flashed coldly.


    Zhao Zhisheng sneered, "Don¡¯t you see the police uniforms here? Behave, or you risk an even greater charge for resisting law enforcement."


    "Oh, so the police work for your family now? Impressive," Li Yifei remarked with a faint, disdainful smile, though behind it lay a chilling aura of menace.

 Chapter 1286 - 1336: Electrocute You Bastards

    Chapter 1286: Chapter 1336: Electrocute You BastardsZhao Zhisheng snorted and said, "There are so many injured people here now. You¡¯re already involved in intentional injury. What do you have to say for yourselves?"


    Chu Xiaoyao sneered and said, "Intentional injury? A person who isn¡¯t even a police officer, passing judgment on others without a thorough investigation. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a deputy township chief? Is this how you enforce the law?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue also shouted loudly, "Exactly, you¡¯re also the son of that bastard village chief. What are you pretending to be here for? If you want to fight, let¡¯s fight. We¡¯re not afraid of you."


    Zhao Zhisheng¡¯s face looked even worse, "I¡¯ve never seen such brazen people. Well, you¡¯ll just have to spend a couple of days at the station." He turned his head to a chubby police officer weighing over two hundred pounds and said, "Director Liu, arrest them all."


    The fat officer nodded, puffed up his big belly, and led three other officers in front of Li Yifei and the group, glaring and shouting, "You¡¯re openly having a brawl, now come with me to the station for investigation."


    "Is this how you police do your job?" Ye Ningfeng¡¯s face darkened, looking as stern as a magistrate, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back his voice.


    The chubby Director Liu gave Ye Ningfeng an oblique glance, then glared and said, "Police work is none of your concern! Do you know you¡¯re obstructing justice?"


    "Obstructing justice, that¡¯s a lofty accusation. Is this really an enforcement of duty? Did you show your badge? Did you arrange an interview? Have you reported this task to the station?"


    Director Liu was irritated by Ye Ningfeng¡¯s questioning, which hit the mark. As an officer, this should be standard procedure, but this guy was used to being arrogant. Instead of caring about who Ye Ningfeng was, he blinked and shouted, "You¡¯re quite knowledgeable, huh? This is how I enforce the law. Don¡¯t like it? Take it up at the station, arrest them all."


    "You dare!" Ye Ningfeng glared and shouted loudly.


    Director Liu sneered wickedly, "What don¡¯t I dare? I¡¯m the law here. I say arrest whoever, and we arrest whoever. Don¡¯t make me get rough, or you¡¯ll be dead before you know it."


    Ye Ningfeng¡¯s eyes widened, incredulous at what he was seeing and hearing. These are the police? This is their work style? This isn¡¯t policing, it¡¯s plain banditry, worse than banditry.


    The three officers all pulled out handcuffs, looking fierce, heading toward Li Yifei and his group.


    Li Yifei turned his head, smiling at Ye Ningfeng, "Third Brother, what shall we do?"


    "Hit them!" Ye Ningfeng squeezed the words through his teeth, then was the first to charge at the chubby Director Liu.


    "Daring to resist arrest! You¡¯re rebelling!" Director Liu was startled. Over the years, no matter how arrogant people they encountered, they all had to behave obediently. But this person dared to attack, and even directly at him.


    Ye Ningfeng was beyond talking to these officers, with only one thought in mind: beat up these bastards first.


    "Bang!" Ye Ningfeng moved swiftly. Although Director Liu wanted to dodge, he was too fat and too slow. Ye Ningfeng punched him squarely on his bloated face, causing him to wail and fight back, while the other three officers rushed at Ye Ningfeng.


    Though Ye Ningfeng knew some martial arts, his skill wasn¡¯t high. He could handle two or three, but faced with four officers attacking together, he was quite panicked.


    "Hubby, I want to beat them up." Chu Xiaoyao said, eyes blazing.


    "Okay!" Li Yifei readily agreed.


    "Me too, me too!" Zhou Xiaoyue, also eager for a fight, joined in.


    "Alright, you too!" Li Yifei said with a smile.


    Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao charged forward, and those officers were immediately in trouble. The two of them attacked like they were beating up street punks, landing punch after punch on the officers¡¯ faces.


    Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao took on the three officers, freeing Ye Ningfeng, who then quickly pinned Director Liu to the ground and started fiercely punching him.


    The three officers were also beaten badly by Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue and soon were all bleeding. In their anger and shame, they each pulled out their batons and activated the stun feature, the ends crackling with electricity.


    Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao were shocked, but Li Yifei called from behind, "It¡¯s okay, keep hitting them."


    Hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao were fearless, swinging their fists without mercy, while the officers¡¯ batons swung wildly but never touched them.


    "Damn, get them!" Director Liu shouted, protecting his face, yelling at Blockhead and the others. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blockhead and his group hesitated, then rushed up again, fighting alongside the officers. Even if they killed someone, they had someone to take the fall, so they were even bolder. Having suffered barehanded earlier, this time, they picked up weapons, with some holding sticks and others knives.


    The three companions that Chu Xiaoyao brought were scared pale. What was going on? Beating the police too¡ªthis was way too serious. And now, these people picked up weapons again, meaning this could really end in fatalities.


    A large group surrounded them. Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue felt a bit nervous, but suddenly, they each found something in their hands and heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice in their ears, "No worries, zap them."


    Looking down, they each held a stun baton ¡ª something they had never used before. With all the bad guys around, they jabbed without holding back.


    Even armed, the thugs found their weapons useless. This time, worse than before, whoever got near the two girls got a shock from the stun batons.


    The batons delivered a high-voltage shock, paralyzing them completely, rendering them incapable of fighting.


    The battle was quickly resolved, taking less than two minutes until the ground was covered with twitching bodies. Only Li Yifei and his group remained standing.


    "There are two more." Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t had enough, spotting the village chief and his eldest son Zhao Zhisheng still standing, and rushed towards them.


    Zhou Xiaoyue immediately followed; with only two left, she couldn¡¯t let Chu Xiaoyao take them both¡ªshe had to get one.


    The village chief and Zhao Zhisheng saw two young girls coming at them with stun batons and screamed, turning around to run.


    Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao wouldn¡¯t let them escape, pursuing with their stun batons in hand.


    The village chief and Zhao Zhisheng ran towards the main door, but as they reached it, a group of more than ten people came flooding in, blocking the entrance. They turned to flee elsewhere, with Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue eagerly chasing them down.


    These people at the door were those the principal had gathered. From afar, the principal heard the village chief¡¯s family shouting, and was extremely worried. If something happened to Chu Xiaoyao and her friends, he¡¯d feel too guilty, so he rushed over. But seeing the spectacle, he was struck dumb.


    What was going on? A group lay on the ground, including four in police uniforms, while the village chief and his son were chased around the courtyard by Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue, like two headless chickens.


    "Ah!" With a scream, Zhao Zhisheng was caught by Chu Xiaoyao, who zapped him with a stun baton.


    Then turned to chase the village chief.


    The two girls cornered the village chief, who was pale and stammered, "I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯m wrong, please, don¡¯t shock me, don¡¯t shock me."


    Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue exchanged a glance, and Zhou Xiaoyue jokingly said, "This one¡¯s mine."


    Chu Xiaoyao shrugged and said, "Okay, he¡¯s all yours."


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face broke into a bright smile, "Mr. Village Chief, be good. It doesn¡¯t hurt, just a little tingle."


    Seeing the stun baton inch closer, the village chief¡¯s legs went weak. Frantically, he said, "I¡¯ll give the money, I¡¯ll give the money, just spare me."


    "Hmph, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face turned cold, then unceremoniously jabbed the stun baton into the village chief¡¯s body.


    The village chief let out a pig-like scream, shivering and curling up on the ground.


    Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue still weren¡¯t satisfied, sticking the village chief several more times with the stun batons until he foamed at the mouth. Only then did they stop.


    The principal¡¯s mouth twitched rapidly, and in his eyes, Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue were good-hearted and very cute. But now, they seemed so violent; he could hardly believe it.


    "You... you actually dared to assault the police! You¡¯ve caused big trouble. None of you can escape!" Director Liu struggled to stand, his face covered in blood, eyes swollen like a panda, still arrogantly shouting as a veteran officer.


    Zhou Xiaoyue said, "Looks like there¡¯s one who hasn¡¯t been zapped."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded, "Yep!"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue exchanged an evil smile and walked toward Director Liu together.


    Seeing the two girls brandishing electrically charged baton, Director Liu finally realized how foolish his words were.


    "You dare? Ah!" Director Liu shouted in terror, but a scream quickly followed, ending up just like the others.

 Chapter 1287 - 1337: Get Your Director on the Phone

    Chapter 1287: Chapter 1337: Get Your Director on the Phone"This... this..."


    The principal watched as Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue simultaneously jabbed their electric batons into the fat policeman¡¯s body, his facial skin twitching violently in response. This... this is even possible? They dare to shock the police? How could this possibly end well?


    "Oh my heavens! Murder! Murder!" At that moment, the village chief¡¯s wife ran out of the house, plopped herself on the ground, and began howling, "You heartless brutes, committing murder in broad daylight¡ªwhere is the justice in all this?"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue exchanged a glance, then walked straight toward the village chief¡¯s wife.


    The village chief¡¯s wife truly had a bit of recklessness in her. She wiped away her tears and shouted, "If you dare touch me, I¡¯ll die right here in front of you!"


    Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue both revealed expressions of intense disgust. This woman was nothing less than evil. Just the day before, she had concocted a scheme to falsely accuse one of their classmates. But they were women too, and they couldn¡¯t care less how much she tried to kick up a fuss. They pressed the electric batons against her body simultaneously.


    The village chief¡¯s wife convulsed like a sieve before collapsing to the ground with a thud. Her eyes were filled with disbelief¡ªshe had never imagined that Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue would even shock her.


    Zhou Xiaoyue glared at her and barked, "You wicked woman, if you dare scream again, I¡¯ll keep shocking you until you don¡¯t dare say another word."


    The village chief¡¯s wife was utterly stunned now. She didn¡¯t dare utter another syllable, realizing that these people truly meant business. That sensation¡ªit was unbearable.


    "Mission complete!" Chu Xiaoyao said smugly, waving her electric baton with an air of arrogance that was hard to put into words.


    Zhou Xiaoyue looked down at her baton and said, "This thing is amazing. You know what? I¡¯ve decided to take one home with me for personal protection."


    Ye Ningfeng shot Zhou Xiaoyue a sharp look and said, "These are police-issue. Not just anyone can carry one."


    Zhou Xiaoyue stuck her tongue out playfully and said, "Third Brother, don¡¯t be so stern. Hehe, you even got in on the action just now."


    Ye Ningfeng shot her another glare. He couldn¡¯t believe he had acted so impulsively¡ªeven to the point of beating up a cop.


    "Xiaoyao, Xiaoyue, what should we do now?" Another girl approached Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue timidly, glancing nervously at the crowd of people lying on the ground.


    "What do you mean, ¡¯what should we do¡¯?" Chu Xiaoyao responded immediately. "After dealing with these horrible people, we¡¯re not just going to leave without cleaning up the mess first."


    "Clean up more?" The girl¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Chu Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow and said, "Of course! Do you think beating them up a little will suffice? With scum like this, you have to break them down completely so they¡¯ll never have the chance to do evil again."


    The principal finally snapped back to his senses and rushed over in a panic, saying, "You... you¡¯ve gotten yourselves into big trouble now."


    Chu Xiaoyao still treated the principal with great respect. This old principal had worked diligently in the school for over twenty years, contributing immensely to education in the mountainous region¡ªan effort that truly earned her admiration. "Principal, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine," she said earnestly.


    "But... but you¡¯ve beaten people up¡ªbeaten policemen, no less! You... sigh..." The principal stomped his foot heavily and said, "You all should leave quickly."


    Chu Xiaoyao flashed him a radiant smile and said, "Principal, just sit back and watch."


    At that moment, Ye Ningfeng took out his phone, dialed a number, and said, "This is Ye Ningfeng from the Provincial Public Security Bureau. Get your County Public Security Bureau Chief on the line."


    Though Ye Ningfeng held only a position as a department director at the Provincial Public Security Bureau, a county police chief was of deputy director rank. Even if Ye Ningfeng were just a junior official at the provincial level, the county police chief would never dare offend him¡ªprovincial officials were still superior, and offending someone from a higher department could have serious consequences.


    Soon, the call was routed to the county police chief, who didn¡¯t recognize Ye Ningfeng initially. The chief specifically checked the personnel registry of the Public Security System to confirm who Ye Ningfeng was before answering the call.


    His tone was exceedingly polite: "Director Ye, this is Wu Baoliang. How may I assist you today?"


    Having navigated the bureaucratic system for years, Ye Ningfeng remained composed and steady as he spoke, "Director Wu, I am currently in your Xiao Hu Village. There¡¯s a village chief here who has embezzled donations meant for the village-run primary school. His son is also involved in organized crime. Do you happen to be aware of this situation?"


    Wu Baoliang felt his chest tighten. If anyone else had said this, it wouldn¡¯t have been a major issue. But for someone from the Provincial Public Security Bureau to say it? The implications could be massive. Embezzlement was one thing¡ªbut ties to organized crime were a whole different matter. Investigating that could lead to much greater fallout. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Director Ye, I am honestly unaware of this situation. I will immediately send people to investigate. Rest assured, anyone involved will face serious consequences."


    "I am currently in Xiao Hu Village. There are also a few crooked cops collaborating with the criminals here."


    "What? I¡¯ll head there right away!" Wu Baoliang exclaimed, panicking at the revelation. Cops colluding with criminals could implicate him as well through leadership responsibility. If pursued, it could even cost him his position. This was not a matter to be taken lightly. "Director Ye, I¡¯ll be there in no more than half an hour!"


    "Good. I¡¯ll be waiting for you¡ªthis matter should be handled at your level first."


    Hearing this, Wu Baoliang calmed down slightly. As long as the matter wasn¡¯t immediately escalated to the provincial bureau, there was still room for maneuvering. After hanging up, he immediately sprang into action, organizing operations and personally speeding toward Xiao Hu Village in his car. Others could arrive later, but as the county¡¯s police chief, he needed to arrive first to seize the opportunity to make a good impression.


    While Ye Ningfeng was on the phone, everyone else remained silent, listening intently¡ªincluding those lying on the ground. Ye Ningfeng started with, "This is Ye Ningfeng from the Provincial Public Security Bureau. Get your chief on the line." That alone was so intimidating that everyone sensed trouble. Though his subsequent words weren¡¯t overtly aggressive, they clearly carried a firm undertone that made even the injured police and criminals uneasy.


    "Comrade Ye... we¡¯re all part of the Public Security System. This... this is all just a misunderstanding," stammered the portly Director Liu, who was the last to get shocked by the electric baton. Knowing his stakes in this, he struggled to get up and muttered a few awkward words.


    Ye Ningfeng let out a cold snort and said, "To belong to the same system as someone like you is deeply shameful. How did scum like you end up in the Public Security System? Oh, by the way, I suspect you won¡¯t remain part of this system for much longer."


    "Director Ye, please show mercy¡ªI had no idea what was going on here. Zhao Zhisheng begged me to come, so I did. I normally uphold the law!"


    "Uphold the law?" Ye Ningfeng burst out laughing¡ªa laugh tinged with anger. When the laughter abruptly ceased, his face was stern as he glared at Director Liu and barked, "As a law enforcement officer, you simply obey Zhao Zhisheng¡¯s request and abandon the rule of law? As a law enforcement officer, you don¡¯t even bother investigating the situation before arresting whoever they tell you to? As a law enforcement officer, you stoop to colluding with criminals like these?"


    Director Liu was rendered speechless by Ye Ningfeng¡¯s sharp questioning. Each remark forced him another step backward, his lips trembling and his face growing increasingly ashen.


    Though the effects of the electric shock wore off after a while, those hooligans who had been shocked were now fully awake and listening to Ye Ningfeng. Realizing the dire situation, some tried to stealthily make their way to the door, intending to escape.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, took one swift step, and grabbed the first guy trying to slip out by the scruff of his neck. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled him three or four meters away, where he landed heavily on the ground. Then, with swift and decisive movements, Li Yifei picked off the others attempting to escape and tossed them aside like ragdolls.


    The ones he hurled to the ground had fallen so hard they couldn¡¯t get up for a long time, groaning in pain.


    "Sit tight, all of you. If anyone dares make a move again, I¡¯ll break their legs," Li Yifei warned coldly, sweeping his sharp gaze across the crowd.


    The hooligans shivered under Li Yifei¡¯s icy stare¡ªboth frightened by his piercing eyes and overwhelmed by his display of strength. The way he had casually tossed men weighing 150 or 160 pounds around like bags of sand was nothing short of terrifying.


    "Damn it! I¡¯m leaving!" Blockhead pulled out a knife and charged toward the door. He really did have a foolhardy bravado. Seeing Li Yifei standing there unmoving, he aimed the knife directly at Li Yifei¡¯s chest.


    "Ah!" Several people screamed in terror.


    Before their cries fully escaped, a blood-curdling scream replaced them. Blockhead was sent flying across the room, landing heavily on the ground.


    "My leg! My leg... it hurts like hell! My leg¡¯s broken¡ªsomebody help me!" Blockhead wailed as he grabbed his left leg, writhing in agony.


    The remaining hooligans who were still thinking about escaping froze on the spot, their scalps tingling and their backs cold with fear. Blockhead, the most formidable among them, armed with a knife, hadn¡¯t even gotten within striking distance before being flung away, his leg broken.


    Though these hooligans had committed plenty of crimes and could face sentences of ten or more years, trying to escape would mean broken legs either way¡ªand they¡¯d still end up serving time. Better to behave and wait for the inevitable.

 Chapter 1288 - 1338: Not Giving Face to Anyone

    Chapter 1288: Chapter 1338: Not Giving Face to AnyoneThe thugs wanted to run, but now they couldn¡¯t escape. As for the police, even if they wanted to flee, they could escape as individuals but not as an institution. Moreover, running now would only make resolving the issue even harder later. Looking at Li Yifei standing at the gate, if they chose to force their way through, Li Yifei would probably have his legs broken for real.


    Director Liu secretly pulled out his phone and cautiously dialed a number. Right now, he was desperate for backup but was afraid the others wouldn¡¯t let him make the call. He tried to be discreet, but just as he brought the phone to his ear, he felt Li Yifei¡¯s gaze fall upon him. Not only Li Yifei, but several people¡¯s eyes were now fixed on him.


    Director Liu gritted his teeth. Even if he had to endure an electric shock from a baton, he had to make this call; otherwise, things would only get worse. Surprisingly, no one stopped him, which made him doubt the peculiar situation. Without further hesitation, he hurriedly spoke into the phone: "Brother Wang, your brother¡¯s in trouble! Hurry up and help me... There¡¯s Ye Ningfeng from the Provincial Public Security Bureau, can you find someone who can connect me with him?... Ah, you don¡¯t know him? Then quickly find someone who does, I¡¯m begging you, Brother Wang. If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯m done for."


    Seeing that no one stopped Director Liu from making his call, Zhao Zhisheng quickly pulled out his own phone and dialed a number: "Township Chief Sun, I need help urgently. Do you know anyone connected with Ye Ningfeng from the Provincial Public Security Bureau? I¡¯ve gotten into trouble with him, and now he¡¯s coming after me. If you don¡¯t back me up, I¡¯m finished... Yes, good, good, I¡¯m counting on you, Township Chief Sun."


    Director Liu and Zhao Zhisheng were considered influential figures in this township. They knew people with connections, but even after making the calls, their anxiety remained high. If this were the City Public Security Bureau, there might be some room to maneuver, but Ye Ningfeng was from the Provincial Public Security Bureau¡ªeven just a section chief¡ªhe was someone beyond the reach of ordinary networks.


    They felt as though every moment dragged on endlessly because the County Public Security Bureau officers were about to arrive. Once they were taken away and legal procedures were initiated, things would become extremely dire.


    Director Liu¡¯s phone rang first. "Brother Wang, how is it?"


    "How the heck did you get involved with him? Do you think he¡¯s someone to mess with?"


    "Brother Wang, I didn¡¯t know who he was either. Ah, you¡¯ve figured out who he is? Does that mean you have a connection?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve found someone who¡¯s familiar with him. I¡¯ll try to get them in touch, but there¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯ll work out."


    "Okay, thank you, Brother Wang."


    At this moment, Ye Ningfeng¡¯s phone rang. He answered, saying, "Section Chief Chen."


    "Xiao Ye, I heard you ran into some trouble in Xiaohu Village. That Director Liu is..."


    "Section Chief Chen, this isn¡¯t a trivial matter. Director Liu is corrupt and engages in collusion with **** individuals. You¡¯d better not get involved in this!"


    "Organized crime... Damn, they didn¡¯t even tell me."


    "Exactly, so it¡¯s not about me disregarding your favor. This isn¡¯t a mess anyone wants to touch."


    "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll leave it alone. Actually, I don¡¯t personally know him¡ªit¡¯s just an old friend asking me to help."


    "I understand. I know Section Chief Chen would never associate with people like that."


    Everyone watched as Ye Ningfeng spoke on the phone, and when they heard what he said, their hearts sank. Labeling them as organized crime meant the situation was bound to be handled with severe consequences. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just then, Zhao Zhisheng¡¯s phone rang. He quickly picked it up in urgency: "Township Chief Sun, how did it go?"


    "No problem. I¡¯ve found someone very close friends with Ye Ningfeng¡ªdefinitely not an issue!"


    "Thank you, Township Chief Sun! I knew you had the best connections."


    After hanging up, Zhao Zhisheng waited eagerly for Ye Ningfeng to receive a call, and sure enough, Ye Ningfeng¡¯s phone rang again at that moment.


    "Ningfeng, where are you hanging out now?"


    "I¡¯m at Xiaohu Village. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here because of that damn Township Chief Sun, asking for a favor?"


    "Haha, Ningfeng, you¡¯re the smartest. Why bother with those insignificant people? Cut them some slack and help a brother out."


    "If it were anything else, I¡¯d give you face, but this involves my brother-in-law¡¯s business, so it¡¯s out of my hands."


    "Your brother-in-law?"


    "Yes! Li Yifei!"


    "Damn, it¡¯s him?"


    "Uh-huh, it¡¯s him. He¡¯s right here with me now. Do you want to have a word with him?"


    "No way, I¡¯m not talking to him. That guy¡¯s impossible to mess with¡ªyou¡¯ll either be done for or end up with broken arms or legs."


    "Haha, we¡¯ll grab a drink sometime."


    After hanging up, the smile faded from Ye Ningfeng¡¯s face, replaced by a sneer. He coldly looked at Zhao Zhisheng and Director Liu and said disdainfully, "You better call more people. I want to see just how wide your networks can stretch."


    As of now, both Zhao Zhisheng and Director Liu were completely dumbfounded. They¡¯d already reached out to their most influential contacts, but even that hadn¡¯t worked. Who else could they turn to?


    The village chief finally realized the gravity of the mess he had caused. Not only would he be implicated, but his two sons would also be dragged down with him. He hurried over, plastering a fawning smile onto his face, and said, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have embezzled the donation funds. I¡¯ll return everything now, please have mercy and let us go."


    "Too late," said Ye Ningfeng flatly.


    Just then, the sound of police sirens blared from outside the village, and everyone froze. At this point, even the thugs felt uneasy. Ordinary brawling was one thing, but with Ye Ningfeng having branded them as organized crime, the stakes were much higher. Someone initiated the escape, and abruptly, they scattered, running toward the walls. Li Yifei was guarding the entrance, so they thought their best bet was to climb over the walls. Even if Li Yifei managed to catch a few, surely some could escape.


    However, they overlooked Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue. Both had been fiddling with their electric batons and now finally had the chance to put them to use. Seeing the thugs running for the walls, they charged forward and started zapping anyone attempting to climb.


    Though they managed to subdue a few, several others were already scaling the walls, including two police officers. Fear often drives irrational actions, and these officers instinctively tried to flee as well.


    But just as they thought they would successfully climb over, a sharp pain shot through their waists, causing them to tumble off the walls.


    "Run, huh? Try running now!" Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue chased them down and delivered a few more zaps with their batons, rendering them motionless.


    Under Li Yifei¡¯s watchful guard, there was no chance any of them would escape, not even those who considered themselves skilled fighters. Even an average high-level fighter would have no shot against the sheer number present.


    A large group of police officers had finally arrived. Although Wu Baoliang was the first to set out, he had underestimated the road conditions. Driving an Audi, he got stuck several kilometers away from the village, but fortunately, the police vehicles had managed to make it through, as had the vans transporting officers. Wu Baoliang joined them and hurried to the scene.


    Upon arrival, they were dumbfounded. At the base of the walls lay bodies sprawled every which way, while two young girls were still jabbing away with their batons at the fallen.


    Wu Baoliang had been worried about the worst-case scenario involving Ye Ningfeng. Now seeing that Ye Ningfeng was unharmed, he felt an immense sense of relief.


    Before leaving, Wu Baoliang had carefully studied Ye Ningfeng¡¯s photo, and now he dashed straight to him and said, "Director Ye, I¡¯m Wu Baoliang."


    "Hello, Director Wu," Ye Ningfeng greeted him politely, extending his hand.


    Wu Baoliang immediately shook hands with him, feeling reassured. If Ye Ningfeng had kept a stern face, things would¡¯ve been far more difficult. "Director Ye, this scene..."


    "The village chief embezzled public funds, including donations for the school, and colluded with thugs to intimidate donors. Additionally, a few police officers abetted his actions. Handle this appropriately."


    "Understood, we will investigate thoroughly and punish all involved severely."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    Wu Baoliang promptly turned to the officers who had accompanied him and ordered, "Arrest everyone here!"


    The officers sprang into action, cuffing the thugs and hauling Director Liu and the corrupted policemen as well. Despite being their colleagues, they showed no leniency; they knew that these four officers would soon lose their jobs and wouldn¡¯t belong to their ranks anymore.


    "I haven¡¯t broken any laws!" The village chief¡¯s wife began wailing, throwing herself to the ground. "He took all the money¡ªit has nothing to do with me!"


    The village chief winced and retorted, "If it weren¡¯t for you demanding this and that, would I have embezzled? If not for you, you wasteful woman, would I be in this mess?"


    "You blame me? It¡¯s your incompetence! You¡¯ve ruined me!"


    Watching the couple turn on each other, everyone present felt nothing but disdain.


    The police quickly led the culprits away. Ye Ningfeng declined Wu Baoliang¡¯s invitation to dinner. At this moment, the school principal nervously approached Ye Ningfeng and Li Yifei, eyes brimming with tears. Overcome with emotion, he dropped to his knees and said, "You¡¯re our saviors. On behalf of all the children, thank you!"


    Following his lead, the students¡¯ parents kneeled one after another.


    Li Yifei and his group were flustered. They hadn¡¯t expected their actions to move these simple villagers so profoundly. Ye Ningfeng was deeply touched as well. The desires of ordinary people were always modest, yet officials often failed to meet their reasonable expectations.

 Chapter 1289 - 1339: A Harmful Idea

    Chapter 1289: Chapter 1339: A Harmful IdeaHere is the requested translation:


    The matter was finally resolved, and Li Yifei took Chu Xiaoyao, Zhou Xiaoyue, and their classmates back to the provincial capital. Along the way, Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s classmates looked at Li Yifei with eyes full of admiration. Although Ye Ningfeng had the most outstanding performance this time, everyone felt that even Ye Ningfeng listened to Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s husband.


    Li Yifei had a meeting in the afternoon, so he first sent Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue back to school, planning to pick Chu Xiaoyao up again in the evening.


    As soon as Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue got off Li Yifei¡¯s car, three classmates immediately surrounded Chu Xiaoyao. One of the girls excitedly chirped, "Xiaoyao, your husband is so awesome, he¡¯s just too cool!"


    Chu Xiaoyao replied proudly, "Of course he is¡ªhe¡¯s my husband."


    "But what exactly does he do? I saw even Xiaoyue¡¯s third brother treat him respectfully. Xiaoyue¡¯s third brother is a department head at the Public Security Bureau, right? Xiaoyue, I really didn¡¯t know your family had such an impressive person!"


    Zhou Xiaoyue chuckled lightly and said, "I¡¯m just here for school; whatever my family does has nothing to do with me. As for Xiaoyao¡¯s husband¡ªhe¡¯s a pretty remarkable figure. After you graduate, you might want to consider following Xiaoyao. That way, you won¡¯t have to worry about finding a job."


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled and said, "Exactly¡ªafter you graduate, you can work at my husband¡¯s company. I¡¯ve still got enough clout for that."


    "Thanks so much!" The three classmates instantly beamed with joy. Although they helped Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue out with charitable activities, they rarely contributed financially; all the expenses were borne by Xiaoyao and Xiaoyue. They were merely lending a hand.


    Because of this, Chu Xiaoyao appreciated their good-heartedness and didn¡¯t mind the idea of bringing them into her future family business.


    After parting ways with the three classmates, Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue walked together, still visibly excited. Zhou Xiaoyue said enthusiastically, "Xiaoyao, this time was just so exhilarating¡ªcapturing all those bad guys!"


    "Of course¡ªbeing with my husband always leads to lots of fun adventures."


    Zhou Xiaoyue pouted and said, "You¡¯ve got it good, having a husband like that to take you on adventures. I don¡¯t have that kind of luck."


    Chu Xiaoyao replied mischievously, "Well, why don¡¯t you join in?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue looked confused and asked, "Join in on what?"


    "Be my husband¡¯s wife too," Chu Xiaoyao said playfully, blinking her eyes.


    Zhou Xiaoyue pinched Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s arm and huffed, "Oh, you rotten Xiaoyao¡ªstop your nonsense!"


    "Hehe, why not? My cousin is also married to my husband. If you join too, it¡¯s no big deal. We¡¯re such close sisters anyway¡ªthen we can always be together, day and night!"


    "No, no way! That¡¯s absolutely out of the question!"


    "Why not?" Chu Xiaoyao slung her arm around Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s shoulder and grinned. "Don¡¯t you want to stay close to me? If you marry my husband, we wouldn¡¯t need to separate during the day, and at night, we could double-team him. Double-teaming is really exhilarating¡ªit¡¯s way more exciting than being solo."


    "Argh, I¡¯m not listening, you dirty pervert! How can you even talk about stuff like this? Uh... have you and my cousin ever, well, double-teamed him before?"


    "Of course! Sister Yunzhu is really wild¡ªshe screams with excitement every time. Her voice is so loud. Hehe, I also love playing with Yunzhu¡¯s boobs¡ªI even sneak a taste of her milk sometimes; it¡¯s delicious."


    "You sneak a taste?!" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Yep! I don¡¯t even remember what milk tasted like when I was a baby. Since Sister Yunzhu has milk now, of course I¡¯m going to try it. She didn¡¯t mind at all¡ªshe got super excited when I did. I get to drink her milk, and she loves it too!"


    "You guys are just... I¡¯m not talking to you anymore."


    "Hehe, you look curious though. Tonight, my husband¡¯s staying¡ªso I¡¯m definitely going to her place. Why don¡¯t you join us for some fun?"


    "Join you? Are you kidding? My brother-in-law is so sharp¡ªhe¡¯ll find me no matter where I hide!"


    "Then just go openly!"


    "Get lost¡ªyou and your terrible ideas! If my cousin finds out, she¡¯ll skin me alive!"


    Chu Xiaoyao laughed and said, "Don¡¯t worry¡ªshe won¡¯t mind."


    "Ugh, I¡¯m not talking to you anymore. Women with men are so different¡ªthey dare to say anything. I¡¯m leaving."


    When girls chat privately, they sometimes say all kinds of things, as explicit as you can imagine. And although Zhou Xiaoyue pretended not to want to hear, deep inside she was a bit curious. The things Chu Xiaoyao described were things she had never experienced¡ªjust hearing about it was exhilarating. If she ever had the chance to witness it firsthand, it might be truly thrilling.


    A little after four o¡¯clock, Li Yifei drove his car to the dorm building where Chu Xiaoyao stayed. His Audi A8 attracted a lot of attention, and even some girls came over to flirt with him. Li Yifei shook his head secretly, thinking how open university students were these days. Compared to them, the girls around him seemed quite conservative¡ªaside from a select few, most of them were still virgins.


    Soon enough, Chu Xiaoyao came downstairs, accompanied by Zhou Xiaoyue. However, Zhou Xiaoyue clearly looked reluctant, as if she had been dragged out against her will.


    "I¡¯m not going, Xiaoyao, I really don¡¯t want to go," Zhou Xiaoyue protested as the car door opened. Li Yifei overheard her while she was still struggling, but she was ultimately hauled into the car by Chu Xiaoyao. After shutting the door, Chu Xiaoyao laughed and said to Li Yifei, "Honey, let¡¯s go!"


    As Li Yifei started the car, he asked with a smile, "Xiaoyao, what did you do to Xiaoyue to make her so unwilling?"


    "Hehe..." Chu Xiaoyao chuckled mischievously. "Having just the two of us eating together is too boring, so I pulled Xiaoyue along to keep us company."


    Li Yifei was slightly puzzled. Usually, when Xiaoyao wasn¡¯t heading home on weekends, she¡¯d prefer some alone time with him. Why had she made a point to bring Xiaoyue along this time? Perhaps Xiaoyue was feeling down and needed some cheering up?


    "Alright, three people can be lively too."


    Zhou Xiaoyue blushed and said indignantly, "Brother-in-law, can¡¯t you discipline your wife? She¡¯s becoming more and more outrageous!"


    "Haha¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong? Tell me, if she¡¯s misbehaving, I¡¯ll spank her."


    "Yes, yes¡ªyou should definitely spank her!" Zhou Xiaoyue quickly said.


    Li Yifei chuckled, steered the car onto the main road, and asked, "Well, I¡¯ll need a proper reason before I can spank her, right? Why don¡¯t you tell me what she did?"


    "She... she..." Zhou Xiaoyue stammered, her face reddening.


    Meanwhile, Chu Xiaoyao slyly interjected, "Yeah, tell him¡ªwhat did I do? I haven¡¯t done anything bad!"


    "Rotten Xiaoyao! I¡¯m not as shameless as you." Zhou Xiaoyue lightly slapped Xiaoyao¡¯s arm.


    "You may complain about me now, but soon enough, you¡¯ll be saying nice things about me. It¡¯s inevitable." Chu Xiaoyao grinned confidently and winked at Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t decipher the meaning behind their conversation. Since neither of them would explain directly, he decided it wasn¡¯t appropriate to press further, especially with Xiaoyue present. Some topics were better left unsaid.


    He brought the two girls to a restaurant and reserved a private room. Li Yifei ordered many delicious dishes; Xiaoyao still had a hearty appetite. Whenever he visited the provincial capital, he enjoyed watching her eat until her mouth glistened with grease.


    Truthfully, Li Yifei¡¯s feelings toward Xiaoyao were unique¡ªa mix of paternal tenderness and love. Since Xiaoyao¡¯s parents had passed away, Li Yifei felt responsible for her. Even after they became a couple and she became his wife, his affection for her remained more protective than romantic.


    "Honey, can I have a bit of wine tonight?"


    "Sure, but don¡¯t drink too much." Li Yifei nodded, thinking a little wine could enhance the mood later when they stayed at the hotel.


    "Yay! Xiaoyue, come on, let¡¯s have some."


    "I¡¯m not drinking," Zhou Xiaoyue replied, sensing Xiaoyao¡¯s motives and refusing outright.


    Immediately, Xiaoyao turned to Li Yifei and said, "Honey, your sister-in-law isn¡¯t giving us any face!"


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Xiaoyue, it¡¯s okay to drink a bit. Later I¡¯ll drive you back to school¡ªor home¡ªor we can stay at a hotel. It¡¯s entirely up to you; I¡¯ll make arrangements."


    "Look how thoughtful my hubby is!" Xiaoyao giggled and added, "Just have a little drink with me. I was only joking¡ªdon¡¯t take it seriously."


    "Are you really just joking?" Xiaoyue asked skeptically.


    "Of course! Do you think I¡¯d actually force you into something like that? I¡¯d have to be crazy."


    "You are crazy," Xiaoyue said, finally breaking into a bright smile.


    Having two lively girls at dinner made the atmosphere especially cheerful for Li Yifei. While Xiaoyao was playful at home, the family rarely joined in her antics. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During dinner, Xiaoyao and Xiaoyue reminisced about their adventures in Xiaohu Village, their excitement mounting with every memory. This also led to faster drinking¡ªthey finished an entire bottle of red wine in no time.


    Though red wine feels mild when drinking, its delayed effects can pack a strong punch. Xiaoyao could handle her liquor reasonably well, but Xiaoyue was clearly affected, becoming visibly tipsy.


    "No more¡ªI¡¯ll be completely drunk if I keep drinking. I¡¯m going to the bathroom," Xiaoyue said, getting up.


    The bathroom was conveniently located within the private room, so Xiaoyao didn¡¯t need to accompany her. However, a moment later, a pained cry echoed from the bathroom.


    Li Yifei and Xiaoyao rushed to the bathroom door. Xiaoyao quickly pushed the door open and saw Xiaoyue sitting on the floor, grimacing with pain.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xiaoyao hurriedly stepped in, trying to help Xiaoyue up.


    Li Yifei quickly stopped her, saying, "Don¡¯t move her! Xiaoyue, tell me¡ªwhere does it hurt?"


    "My... my butt! It hurts so much!" Xiaoyue whimpered, her face contorted with pain.


    Li Yifei immediately said, "Stay still; let me check if your bones are okay."

 Chapter 1290 - 1340: This Can’t Be Real, Right?

    Chapter 1290: Chapter 1340: This Can¡¯t Be Real, Right?"Alright!" Zhou Xiaoyue gritted her teeth and agreed, but immediately, tears of grievance began streaming down her face.


    Li Yifei hastily said, "Little Yue, don¡¯t cry. It shouldn¡¯t be anything serious. Typically, in falls like this, the most vulnerable part is the coccyx. If the coccyx is fine, then it¡¯s just a surface injury, nothing too significant."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei crouched down beside Zhou Xiaoyue, placed both hands under her armpits, and said, "Lie on my lap, let me take a look."


    "Ah!" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face instantly turned bright red. Li Yifei had so abruptly placed his hands there without any warning, and the position was alarmingly close to her chest¡ªan area particularly sensitive for a young woman, and definitely a place a man shouldn¡¯t touch.


    However, Li Yifei wasn¡¯t thinking about that at all. Zhou Xiaoyue was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin and also a good friend of Chu Xiaoyao, so in his eyes, Zhou Xiaoyue was more like family. Furthermore, because of Chu Xiaoyao, he even had a somewhat elder-like attitude towards her, so his actions felt entirely natural.


    Li Yifei lifted her and laid her across his lap, but Zhou Xiaoyue felt even more embarrassed. Her current posture, with her bottom raised, was beyond mortifying.


    To make matters worse, Li Yifei¡¯s hands lightly touched her bottom during the process, making her even more ashamed and tense all over.


    "Don¡¯t be nervous, relax. Tell me where it hurts."


    As he spoke, Li Yifei gently pressed his finger against her coccyx.


    "Ah..." Zhou Xiaoyue let out a cry.


    "Does it hurt a lot?" Li Yifei quickly frowned.


    "Just... a little bit," Zhou Xiaoyue stammered.


    "Is it a sharp pain, or just mildly uncomfortable?" Li Yifei pressed for clarification.


    "It hurts... it does hurt, but maybe not very badly."


    Li Yifei adjusted the position and pressed lightly on a different area of her coccyx. "How about now?"


    "No... no pain."


    "Oh, then it¡¯s fine. The coccyx likely took a hard bump, but the bone isn¡¯t damaged. It should just be bruised up a bit.


    He helped Zhou Xiaoyue sit upright and said, "Try walking a few steps and see if it¡¯s alright."


    Zhou Xiaoyue took a few tentative steps and said, "It¡¯s fine; nothing too serious, just that initial fall was quite painful."


    "Taking you out for dinner and letting you get hurt¡ªif your cousin finds out, I¡¯ll surely be blamed for not taking good care of you."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. Yunzhu wouldn¡¯t be so petty."


    "Little Yue, where do you want to go now? I¡¯ll take you."


    Chu Xiaoyao interjected, "Sending her somewhere now wouldn¡¯t put me at ease. She should stay with us. Oh, how about this¡ªlet¡¯s book a suite, and Little Yue can stay in the outer room."


    Though slightly inconvenient, Li Yifei thought this was a good idea and agreed. But Zhou Xiaoyue quickly protested, "No, no, I¡¯ll just head back to school."


    "Absolutely not. Even if we book a suite, you wouldn¡¯t be sleeping in the same room as us. Or are you worried my husband might have some ulterior motives toward you?" Chu Xiaoyao teased while giving Zhou Xiaoyue a knowing look.


    Zhou Xiaoyue rolled her eyes at her and said, "I¡¯m worried about you."


    "Haha, don¡¯t worry. Later, I¡¯ll share something with you; you definitely won¡¯t regret hearing it."


    "Is that so? If you¡¯re lying to me, I won¡¯t let it slide."


    Li Yifei took the girls out of the restaurant and found a nearby hotel, booking the nicest suite available.


    The hotel was four-star, and while the suite wasn¡¯t quite presidential-level, it was incredibly luxurious and spacious, featuring two separate bedrooms and a large living room. Upon seeing the setup, Zhou Xiaoyue felt relieved. With Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao in a separate room, she wouldn¡¯t feel awkward.


    But as soon as they entered the suite and Zhou Xiaoyue sat on the sofa, she shot up instantly, clutching her sore bottom with a pained expression.


    "You didn¡¯t seem this uncomfortable sitting in the car earlier," Chu Xiaoyao observed curiously.


    Grimacing, Zhou Xiaoyue replied, "I was being careful in the car, so it didn¡¯t hurt as much. But now I forgot¡ªouch, it¡¯s killing me."


    Li Yifei chuckled at her reaction and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll buy you some medicine later. Xiaoyao can help apply it on your bruise, and by tomorrow or the day after, you¡¯ll be fine."


    "Thanks, Brother-in-law," Zhou Xiaoyue said, showing gratitude.


    Li Yifei put down his belongings and stepped out to run the errand.


    As soon as he left, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes sparkled mischievously. She burst out laughing.


    "What are you laughing at? You¡¯re such a schadenfreude!" Zhou Xiaoyue glared at her.


    Still grinning, Chu Xiaoyao replied, "I¡¯m not laughing at your misfortune; I just find it funny. Think about it¡ªI joked about you becoming my husband¡¯s woman, and then you trip and fall, landing on your butt of all places. Now my husband has to deal with it¡ªyou tell me, isn¡¯t this too coincidental?"


    "Coincidental my foot! Why don¡¯t you try falling and see how it feels¡ªit¡¯s excruciating," Zhou Xiaoyue snapped, casting her a sharp look.


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled cheekily and said, "If my husband keeps refusing me, I might actually stage something like that."


    "Who else has as shameless a face as you?" Zhou Xiaoyue rolled her eyes again and then headed to the smaller bedroom. Throwing herself onto the bed, she said, "Help me check if it¡¯s really bruised badly."


    Chu Xiaoyao agreed and tugged down Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s pants, teasing, "Your butt is so white."


    "Chu Xiaoyao, are you for real?!" Zhou Xiaoyue snapped, pinching Chu Xiaoyao angrily.


    "What? It *is* white." Chu Xiaoyao yelped initially in pain but quickly broke into laughter. But upon seeing the purpling bruise on Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s coccyx, she stuck her tongue out and said, "Wow, you actually fell pretty hard."


    "Obviously¡ªotherwise, why would it hurt so much?"


    "My hubby should really give you a massage. His technique is so good¡ªwon¡¯t hurt you and will heal you quicker."


    "Go to hell!" Zhou Xiaoyue retorted, giving her a kick.


    Chu Xiaoyao laughed heartily and leaned onto the bed beside her, staring at Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face.


    "Why are you staring at me like that? You don¡¯t recognize me now?" Zhou Xiaoyue snapped.


    Chu Xiaoyao shook her head thoughtfully and said, "I¡¯m pondering something."


    "What are you pondering?" Zhou Xiaoyue asked in confusion.


    Chu Xiaoyao sighed dramatically and said, "Little Yue, what happens if, someday, one of us gets old while the other stays forever young¡ªwould we still be such good friends?"


    "That¡¯s impossible. No one can stay forever young," Zhou Xiaoyue answered, baffled by her seemingly nonsensical question.


    "I¡¯m serious. From now on, I won¡¯t age anymore. Even when I¡¯m fifty or sixty, I¡¯ll still look like this. But you... twenty is fine, thirty you¡¯ll start to show, and by forty, you¡¯ll be a middle-aged woman¡ªbut I¡¯ll still be a young girl. How could we still be friends?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue pressed her hand against Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s forehead, then her own, saying, "You don¡¯t have a fever, so why are you spouting nonsense?"


    Chu Xiaoyao sighed again and said, "I¡¯m telling the truth. If you weren¡¯t my best friend, I wouldn¡¯t even share this with you."


    "Xiaoyao, what are you even talking about?" Zhou Xiaoyue asked, feeling slightly spooked by her friend¡¯s strange demeanor.


    "Little Yue, I¡¯m going to tell you a secret. This secret is for you alone¡ªyou must not tell anyone else."


    For a moment, Zhou Xiaoyue was genuinely taken aback by Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s level of seriousness. She hurriedly promised, "I swear, I won¡¯t tell a soul."


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll tell you¡ªmy hubby discovered a method that can keep us from ever looking old."


    "Stay forever young?" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Not exactly eternal life, but before fifty or sixty, at least, we can stay looking youthful, just like now."


    "Oh my gosh, how is that even possible?" Zhou Xiaoyue shook her head in disbelief.


    "Why would I lie? Ask your cousin if you don¡¯t believe me."


    "This... how is this done? Can you teach me?" Zhou Xiaoyue stammered, her curiosity getting the best of her.


    "It¡¯s not something you can learn alone¡ªit requires working with my husband."


    "What do you mean?"


    "It means you have to sleep with my husband and practice dual cultivation together."


    "What?!" Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head.


    "That¡¯s why I want you to become one of his women. Only then could you stay young like me, and we could keep being best friends. I can¡¯t bear the thought of you becoming an old lady while I stay like this." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This... this is too absurd!" Zhou Xiaoyue exclaimed, her face a mask of disbelief.


    "I understand it sounds crazy¡ªI didn¡¯t believe it at first either. But my hubby has already helped several women in the family develop True Qi, and it¡¯s made them very powerful. I¡¯ll be next during this holiday¡ªonce I have it, I¡¯ll be incredible too. Being with my husband comes with a lot of perks."


    Still processing everything, Zhou Xiaoyue stared at Chu Xiaoyao, utterly dumbfounded. She was so shocked that she didn¡¯t even notice when Li Yifei returned with the medicine. Her pants were still pulled down, left forgotten in the wake of Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s jaw-dropping secret.

 Chapter 1291 - 1441 It’s Not About One Person

    Chapter 1291: Chapter 1441 It¡¯s Not About One Person"Little Yue... Ah!" Li Yifei walked in and immediately saw Zhou Xiaoyue and Chu Xiaoyao on the bed, but he quickly noticed Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s bare bottom exposed. Even though it was just a white, round patch, it was alluring enough to make him hurriedly turn away and retreat.


    Zhou Xiaoyue heard Li Yifei¡¯s voice and, snapping back to her senses, turned her head and said, "Brother-in-law, you¡¯re back."


    "Yeah, I¡¯m back. Xiaoyao, come out and grab the medicine." Li Yifei called from outside.


    Chu Xiaoyao responded and dashed out to get the medicine. When she returned and caught sight of Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s exposed bottom, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, saying, "Hey, Zhou Xiaoyue, you¡¯re being way too straightforward. Already starting to seduce our hubby, huh?"


    "Ah!" Zhou Xiaoyue finally realized her pants weren¡¯t pulled up, and she immediately became flustered, hurriedly attempting to pull them up.


    "Why bother pulling them up now? It¡¯s already been seen. Besides, I still need to apply the medicine."


    Blushing fiercely, Zhou Xiaoyue gave Chu Xiaoyao a push and scolded, "Then close the door!"


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled mischievously and said, "We¡¯ve already seen it. What¡¯s wrong with taking another look?"


    Fuming with embarrassment, Zhou Xiaoyue snapped, "If you don¡¯t close the door, I won¡¯t let you apply the medicine."


    "Alright, alright. It¡¯s only a matter of time; what¡¯s the big deal?" Chu Xiaoyao mumbled under her breath, then leaped off the bed with a playful laugh, closing the door behind her. Before doing so, she shouted to Li Yifei at the doorway, "Hubby, I¡¯m applying medicine to Xiao Yue¡¯s bottom. Don¡¯t you dare peek!"


    Once the door was closed, Chu Xiaoyao jumped back onto the bed and began applying the medicine. As her hands touched Zhou Xiaoyue, the latter cried out in pain repeatedly while Chu Xiaoyao grinned mischievously, saying, "You¡¯ll just have to bear with me. I¡¯m not as skilled as our hubby, so you¡¯ll need to endure. Honestly, if hubby were the one doing it, you wouldn¡¯t even need any medicine; just a bit of his magic touch would do the trick¡ªjust like when he healed us before."


    Zhou Xiaoyue thought about how her hand had hurt earlier during the day when she¡¯d hit someone. Li Yifei had massaged it for a while, and the pain had vanished. She figured the same should apply to her bottom too. But since Li Yifei didn¡¯t intervene, likely due to the awkwardness of the situation, it fell upon Chu Xiaoyao to treat her with the medicine.


    After a while, the pain in Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s bottom started to subside. Remembering what Chu Xiaoyao had said earlier, Zhou Xiaoyue asked, "Xiaoyao, are you really never going to age?"


    "It¡¯s not ¡¯never age¡¯ exactly. Hubby said that until at least sixty, we¡¯ll be fine. After sixty, it¡¯s possible for the aging process to accelerate rapidly, returning us to normal. But before that, we¡¯ll remain young and vibrant. Just thinking about it excites me¡ªhaving decades of youth, even if I die right after, it¡¯s worth it."


    Zhou Xiaoyue went silent, lying on the bed with narrowed eyes, lost in thought.


    "Xiao Yue, this is just between us. If it were anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t tell them. Think about it: if everyone wanted this and started vying for hubby, we¡¯d have chaos at home. So you¡¯d better think carefully. I¡¯m not joking."


    "Oh..." Zhou Xiaoyue replied softly as though she agreed, without opposing Chu Xiaoyao this time.


    "But I suggest you don¡¯t tell Sister Yunzhu. What if it upsets her or other family members? Better to act first and handle the fallout later. Once it¡¯s done, no one will be able to oppose."


    "Ugh, that¡¯s so shameless."


    "How is it shameless? Think about it: decades of youth in exchange for little embarrassment. Totally worth it! Besides, our hubby is such an amazing man. If you end up with him, he¡¯d never mistreat you; he¡¯ll definitely treat you extremely well."


    "But... but... my brother-in-law has never liked me," Zhou Xiaoyue murmured hesitantly, biting her lip.


    Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, "Wait, does this mean you agree?"


    "I... You¡¯ve painted such a rosy picture, and I¡¯m also afraid that when I grow old, you¡¯ll still be young and vibrant. Hanging out together will make me look like your mom¡ªor worse, your grandmother. Could we even stay friends then?"


    Chu Xiaoyao clapped her hands excitedly, "Exactly! It¡¯s decided, then."


    "Ouch!" Zhou Xiaoyue yelped, grimacing in pain, "Chu Xiaoyao, are you trying to kill me?"


    As Chu Xiaoyao had swung her hand in excitement, she accidentally smacked Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s bottom. She quickly apologized, laughing sheepishly, "Sorry, I was just too thrilled. Don¡¯t worry¡ªthis plan¡¯s on me. Just follow my lead, and sooner or later, hubby will fall for you."


    "But my brother-in-law has never liked me."


    "So what? Make him like you, duh. Tell me, do you like our hubby or not?"


    Blushing furiously, Zhou Xiaoyue answered, "If I didn¡¯t like him, why would I agree to this? What do you think¡ªI¡¯m crazy? I¡¯ve always admired him deeply. But my sister¡¯s with him, so I¡¯ve never dared think about it."


    "Then it¡¯s settled. If you like him, there¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll stick with hubby as long as it takes."


    Zhou Xiaoyue spat at Chu Xiaoyao playfully, "You¡¯re trying to rope me into your schemes again!"


    Chu Xiaoyao giggled, "If this trick were used on anyone else, it might not work. You, however, are different. You¡¯re my best friend and Sister Yunzhu¡¯s cousin. That gives you endless reasons to get closer to our hubby."


    "I feel like I¡¯ve lost my dignity entirely. I won¡¯t dare face people anymore." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha! A little loss in dignity now for decades of pride in the future¡ªtotally a win, right?"


    Li Yifei, sitting outside watching TV, could hear the chatter coming from the room. If he tried channeling his energy, he could¡¯ve listened to everything, but he chose not to¡ªit felt wrong to eavesdrop on the private conversations of two girls. Thus, he had no idea about the scheme being hatched within.


    After making a phone call to his home, Li Yifei got up to take a shower and then returned to his bedroom. Not long after, Chu Xiaoyao pushed the door open and came in.


    "Is Xiao Yue feeling better?" Li Yifei casually asked.


    "A little better, but still bruised and sore when pressed. Hubby, why don¡¯t you help her out so she can recover faster?"


    "Forget it. That spot¡¯s way too awkward, and it¡¯s not a serious injury. It¡¯ll heal naturally in a couple of days."


    "Hehe... Xiao Yue wouldn¡¯t mind."


    "Doesn¡¯t matter if she doesn¡¯t mind. If word got out, imagine how it¡¯d look. As her brother-in-law, I¡¯d never explain myself."


    Chu Xiaoyao chuckled softly, "Brother-in-law seducing his sister-in-law¡ªtotally normal."


    Li Yifei thought she was referring to Xu Shanshan and felt guilty immediately, stammering, "What do you mean seducing..."


    Chu Xiaoyao caught his expression change and became thrilled, laughing, "Haha, hubby, so you really had these thoughts! You¡¯re so bold. Come on, confess¡ªhow long have you been thinking about this? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t spill to anyone."


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment, judging that since his situation with Xu Shanshan would eventually come to light, it was better to tell Chu Xiaoyao now. She could help smooth things over later, especially for Xu Yingying.


    "Um... It¡¯s been quite a while."


    "What? Quite a while?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes gleamed even brighter. "Hubby, you¡¯re so audacious! Tell me¡ªwhen did you start having these thoughts?"


    "Well... I never initially thought about it. We just spent time together naturally, and I gradually started liking her."


    "Spent time together... So it started a few years ago, huh." Chu Xiaoyao frowned slightly, trying to recollect their interactions. From her memory, Zhou Xiaoyue hardly spent time alone with Li Yifei, except during the period after her parents had passed, when she often tagged along.


    "Yeah, back then. The three of us lived together, went through many things, and I ended up having more one-on-one time with her."


    "Wow, she¡¯s really keeping things to herself. She never said a word to me!"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Of course she wouldn¡¯t tell you. This isn¡¯t something you can openly discuss, especially if her sister found out¡ªit¡¯d be a complete disaster."


    Chu Xiaoyao nodded, "You¡¯re right. If Yingying knew, it¡¯d be serious trouble."


    "Exactly. So we¡¯ve been suppressing these feelings, never letting them show."


    "Haha, you¡¯re quite the actor. I always thought you had no interest. Hubby, you¡¯re sneaky."


    Li Yifei smiled awkwardly, "Well, yeah, but this has to stay secret. Aside from Mengxin and Jiang Ningxiang, no one else knows."


    "Wait, Sister Mengxin and Little Ningxiang both know?" Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s eyes widened, then she exclaimed indignantly, "That¡¯s unfair! They know, but I don¡¯t?"


    "Mengxin knows because she¡¯s closest to her, and she¡¯s Ningxiang¡¯s mentor. Naturally, they were in the loop."


    "Her mentor..." Suddenly, Chu Xiaoyao froze, her expression turning peculiar, before she collapsed onto the bed laughing uncontrollably.


    Li Yifei was baffled, "What¡¯s going on? Why are you laughing so much?"


    "Hubby... Haha..." Chu Xiaoyao raised her head and rolled onto Li Yifei, laughing wildly. Her laughter only grew louder, leaving Li Yifei even more confused. Finally, between giggles, she said, "This is such a delightful surprise. Who would¡¯ve thought Sister Shanshan already had a thing with you? You two kept it hidden so well."


    "Um... Why does this feel off?" Li Yifei frowned, sensing some subtext in her words.


    With a sly grin, Chu Xiaoyao said, "Nothing¡¯s off. Come on, spill the details about you and Shanshan. I can help you out."

 Chapter 1292 - 1342 Brave Zhou Xiaoyue

    Chapter 1292: Chapter 1342 Brave Zhou XiaoyueSure! Here is the translated text:


    ---


    Li Yifei never expected that Chu Xiaoyao was referring to Zhou Xiaoyue, while he was talking about Xu Shanshan. Although both were sister-in-laws, Xu Shanshan had always been with Li Yifei. Ever since he met Xu Yingying, Xu Shanshan, as her sister-in-law, had always been a part of their group. As for Zhou Xiaoyue, he hadn¡¯t interacted with her much, and besides, Zhou Xiaoyue was Ye Yunzhu¡¯s cousin, not a direct sister-in-law. So when Chu Xiaoyao mentioned ¡¯sister-in-law,¡¯ he naturally thought of Xu Shanshan and didn¡¯t even consider that Chu Xiaoyao might be referring to Zhou Xiaoyue.


    Nonetheless, since he already mentioned it, Li Yifei candidly explained his current situation with Xu Shanshan to Chu Xiaoyao.


    Chu Xiaoyao smirked mischievously and said, "Now I get it. Every time Sister Yingying seems to have that intuition, it¡¯s always when you¡¯re not home ¡ª and you¡¯re with Sister Shanshan. Turns out it¡¯s all your doing."


    Li Yifei gave an awkward laugh and said, "Yes, we¡¯re just keeping our options open for now. Even if Yingying really finds out and can¡¯t accept it, Shanshan hasn¡¯t... taken that final step yet, so it might make her feel slightly better."


    "Hmm, I get it. But honestly, it¡¯s kind of thrilling if you think about it. Imagine the day when Sister Shanshan and Sister Yingying are in bed with you ¡ª that would be over the top. One gets involved, and the other reacts. Wahaha, I have to come check it out when that happens."


    Li Yifei knocked on Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s head and said, "I haven¡¯t even figured out the best solution for this yet, and here you are imagining such things."


    "What¡¯s wrong with imagining? You can¡¯t say you¡¯ve never thought about it yourself, right?" Chu Xiaoyao blinked at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Do you believe me if I say I haven¡¯t thought about it?"


    "Ha... I knew it. You¡¯ve definitely considered it. Anyway, time for me to wash up, or I won¡¯t have enough energy to keep up with you." Saying that, Chu Xiaoyao jumped out of bed. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei shook his head, feeling that something seemed off after talking to Chu Xiaoyao. He couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint what it was, but speaking out about the matter somehow made him feel a bit lighter. Perhaps it was the unresolved issue with Xu Shanshan that had made him feel so burdened.


    At that moment, Chu Xiaoyao was already dashing into Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s room. She jumped onto the bed with excitement and hugged Zhou Xiaoyue tightly, exclaiming, "Little Yue, no problem with this plan!"


    Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face instantly turned bright red. She stammered, "How do you know?"


    "Of course I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure this works out for you."


    "But... Xiaoyao, I still feel so awkward. While I admire Brother-in-law as an extraordinary person, that¡¯s just... admiration, not the kind of love that makes your heart race."


    "Love can be nurtured over time. Do you really think there¡¯s so much love at first sight? Spending time together is the only way to truly grow feelings. Anyway, it¡¯s settled now. Don¡¯t even think about backing out."


    Zhou Xiaoyue gave a bitter smile and said, "Why do I feel like I¡¯m being forced onto Liang Mountain?"


    Chu Xiaoyao rolled her eyes and replied, "Do you think just anyone can climb onto this Liang Mountain? This opportunity is yours alone. If it were anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t even get a chance ¡ª kneeling and begging wouldn¡¯t get them anywhere."


    "Alright, I know you mean well, but please don¡¯t be too forceful. Let me handle it myself... I¡¯ll work on it, okay?" As she said this, Zhou Xiaoyue bit her lip, as if resolving to do something.


    "You¡¯ll handle it yourself?" Chu Xiaoyao looked at Zhou Xiaoyue with suspicion.


    Zhou Xiaoyue nodded and said, "Yes, I can make an effort to connect with Brother-in-law. If I can truly fall in love with him, I¡¯ll be with him. But if he doesn¡¯t reciprocate, I won¡¯t cling to him. Even if I gain eternal youth, watching him with you all while feeling left out will make me unhappy forever."


    Chu Xiaoyao stared blankly at Zhou Xiaoyue, while Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s expression was determined and unyielding. This finally made Chu Xiaoyao grin and say, "Alright, I¡¯ll agree to your plan."


    "Thanks, Xiaoyao. But sometimes I¡¯ll still need your help; otherwise, I won¡¯t even get a chance to interact with Brother-in-law."


    "Okay, I understand. Leave it to me. Sigh, there are easier ways to go about this, but you¡¯re choosing to make it all complicated." Chu Xiaoyao shook her head, then sat up and winked at Zhou Xiaoyue. "I¡¯m going to wash up now and go mess around with my husband."


    Zhou Xiaoyue pouted at her and said, "Show-off. Just don¡¯t wear yourself out."


    "Haha. If you¡¯re worried about me tiring out, come join us sometime. My husband can easily handle two."


    "Oh, go on! Just hurry up and take your shower."


    Chu Xiaoyao laughed loudly and ran into the bathroom.


    Zhou Xiaoyue lay on her side on the bed, her blush lingering long after. Ever since she first met Li Yifei, she¡¯d been intrigued by him. As she learned more about his extraordinary experiences, her admiration for him grew, along with a subtle liking. However, because she was close friends with Chu Xiaoyao and had her cousin Ye Yunzhu to consider, she had never believed she harbored romantic feelings for Li Yifei. But with Chu Xiaoyao egging her on, the emotions she had suppressed deep down ignited like a spark meeting dry leaves ¡ª blazing into uncontainable flames. Her heart raced wildly, and she could no longer suppress her feelings.


    After drinking quite a bit that evening, Zhou Xiaoyue felt nature¡¯s call. She got out of bed, opened her door, and headed out ¡ª only to faintly hear sounds coming from Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s room. Even though the door¡¯s soundproofing was decent, Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s voice was quite loud, making it audible.


    "That noisy Xiaoyao, did she have to be so dramatic?" Zhou Xiaoyue muttered to herself as she hurried to the bathroom.


    "From what Xiaoyao said, Brother-in-law is really skilled in that area. He can effortlessly handle two people, and they do it all the time¡ªthree at once. This is just..." Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s face turned scarlet as she imagined such a scene, the mere thought making her feel aflutter and embarrassed.


    She barely slept that night, her mind brimming with chaotic thoughts.


    Early the next morning, Li Yifei went off to a meeting, while Chu Xiaoyao and Zhou Xiaoyue slept in until almost noon. Once they were up, they hadn¡¯t been awake for long before Li Yifei returned. After lunch with Chu Xiaoyao, he prepared to head back to Mile City.


    "Honey, you¡¯re done with your meeting?" Chu Xiaoyao greeted him, her face still unwashed, then darted into the bathroom.


    Zhou Xiaoyue was already dressed neatly. As soon as she saw Li Yifei, her face reddened, and she said shyly, "Brother-in-law."


    Seeing Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s blushing face and hearing her call him "Brother-in-law," a sudden realization hit Li Yifei like lightning. He finally understood why he¡¯d felt awkward talking to Chu Xiaoyao the night before ¡ª Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s ¡¯sister-in-law¡¯ clearly referred to Zhou Xiaoyue, while he had been referring to Xu Shanshan. He had inadvertently confessed his situation with Xu Shanshan.


    "Brother-in-law, are you okay?" Zhou Xiaoyue timidly asked, noticing his dazed look.


    "Ah, no worries, no worries." Li Yifei forced a wry smile, realizing he¡¯d practically fallen into a trap. But then, seeing Zhou Xiaoyue, he recalled Chu Xiaoyao¡¯s words and noticed her peculiar demeanor today ¡ª her frequent blushing didn¡¯t escape his notice. Suddenly, he panicked. This young girl seemed to have developed feelings for him!


    "Little Yue, it¡¯s been a long time since Brother-in-law had a proper chat with you," Li Yifei quickly composed himself and smiled.


    Zhou Xiaoyue glanced up at him before lowering her head. She murmured softly, "Brother-in-law is busy; how would he have time to notice me?"


    Watching her expression, Li Yifei became increasingly certain of the trouble brewing. He thought gloomily to himself that dealing with Xu Shanshan as his sister-in-law was already daunting ¡ª if Zhou Xiaoyue also got involved, things would escalate terribly. He decided he¡¯d better extinguish her feelings swiftly.


    But since Zhou Xiaoyue was his sister-in-law and close with Chu Xiaoyao, he couldn¡¯t be too blunt. Instead, he smiled and asked, "How have things been at school lately?"


    "Pretty good," she replied.


    "I bet there are plenty of boys pursuing you. Our Little Yue is so beautiful; you must be the campus queen with many admirers."


    Zhou Xiaoyue looked up at Li Yifei with a coy smile and said, "Yeah, lots of people chase after me, but I feel like we¡¯re still young and not very mature with our thoughts. I haven¡¯t considered dating anytime soon."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "But isn¡¯t university the perfect time for a whirlwind romance?"


    Zhou Xiaoyue shook her head lightly but looked at Li Yifei with a playful glint in her eye. "Brother-in-law, you don¡¯t need to be so nervous. Even if you don¡¯t like me, there¡¯s no need to push me away like this."


    "What?!" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened in shock as Zhou Xiaoyue deftly cut through his facade, leaving him mortified.


    She laughed softly. "Brother-in-law, seeing you like this makes you seem even more adorable to me."


    "Um... Little Yue..." Li Yifei stammered, trying to find the right words. But Zhou Xiaoyue interrupted him, saying, "Xiaoyao already told me that being with you and the others means staying eternally young. That is tempting, but Brother-in-law, you¡¯ve always been someone I admire. I truly do like you, but don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t cling to you. I¡¯m still in university. Once I graduate, I¡¯ll join your company and prove my worth ¡ª I¡¯ll win you over with my own charm, not force you to accept me. Don¡¯t worry."


    Li Yifei stared at Zhou Xiaoyue in amazement. Who would have thought this seemingly mischievous girl would have such a bold and resolute heart?

 Chapter 1293 - 1343: Is Jiang Ningxiang Pregnant?

    Chapter 1293: Chapter 1343: Is Jiang Ningxiang Pregnant?Li Yifei returned to Mile City. Although Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s matter brought him some trouble, since it wasn¡¯t very urgent, there was no need to deal with it in a hurry. After all, Zhou Xiaoyue was still young; in a few years, who could guarantee what she would think? Perhaps by then, she might have met someone she liked.


    So he decided not to bring this up to Ye Yunzhu. Otherwise, if Ye Yunzhu treated it as a major issue and proactively spoke to Zhou Xiaoyue, it might trigger Zhou Xiaoyue¡¯s rebellious feelings, making the situation even harder to handle.


    In the morning, Li Yifei kept up his habit of training the household guards. With his greatly improved martial prowess, his insights and ability to offer guidance had also increased significantly, speeding up the progress of his subordinates.


    However, today, these guys were clearly distracted during practice, casting furtive glances at a fellow named Lin Qing.


    And Lin Qing seemed elated, as though some great fortune had befallen him.


    "Hey, what¡¯s going on with you all? Lin Qing, explain," Li Yifei halted the training when he saw everyone was unfocused.


    Lin Qing chuckled and said, "Thanks to the boss¡¯s reward!"


    Li Yifei paused in surprise. Sophia, standing beside him, whispered softly, "Lin Qing accumulated enough points yesterday and earned himself a woman as a reward."


    Li Yifei immediately burst into laughter and said, "Lin Qing, you lucky guy! You¡¯ve already received a reward, huh? I didn¡¯t even know."


    Lin Qing chuckled again, saying, "Boss, this reward is truly amazing. I¡¯ve been with plenty of women over the years, but none can match her."


    When Lin Qing said this, the household promptly gathered around, asking, "Lin Qing, spill it¡ªdoes she have exceptional skills in bed?"


    Lin Qing raised his head proudly and said, "Of course! It¡¯s not just her skills in bed¡ªher ability to take care of someone is beyond description. She can practically send your soul to heaven, tsk tsk."


    "Really?"


    "That amazing, huh?"


    "C¡¯mon, Lin Qing, tell us more!"


    Lin Qing laughed boastfully, "If you want to know, then you better work hard to earn your own rewards. Once you¡¯ve experienced it yourself, you¡¯ll realize how wonderful it feels."


    Lin Qing¡¯s words only made everyone more eager. For these individuals, all of whom lived lives on the edge, women had always been seen as accessories or outlets for release. But judging by Lin Qing¡¯s demeanor, it was clear he¡¯d been completely captivated by this woman in just one night. Just how enchanting could such a woman be?


    Seeing this happen, Li Yifei understood that such rewards successfully motivated loyalty among his men. However, he was equally concerned about the influence this kind of woman could wield.


    "Lin Qing, come with me for a moment." Once the excitement in the group had settled down, Li Yifei pulled Lin Qing aside for a private talk.


    "Boss!" Lin Qing stood opposite Li Yifei, looking at him with increasing gratitude in his eyes.


    "Lin Qing, I need to remind you of something."


    "Please go ahead, boss."


    Li Yifei tossed a cigarette to Lin Qing. Lin Qing immediately lit one for Li Yifei before lighting his own.


    "Are you feeling like this could be your future now?" Li Yifei asked with a smile.


    "Yes! Having such a woman¡ªI really couldn¡¯t bear to let go now."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I understand. When you meet someone you truly like, no matter how difficult the obstacles, you want to be with them. I also understand how much a woman can influence a man."


    Lin Qing¡¯s face displayed contentment. He took a drag on his cigarette and said, "Yes, I admit it. I couldn¡¯t live without her now."


    "Alright, let me make a request of you."


    "Boss, say what you¡¯re thinking!" Lin Qing immediately straightened his posture.


    Li Yifei took two steps forward, and Lin Qing followed closely behind.


    "If you can live well together with her, I¡¯ll wish you both happiness. But if she starts negatively influencing you, then you need to take her and leave here. Do you understand me?"


    Immediately, Lin Qing¡¯s expression grew serious. He fiercely dragged on his cigarette before throwing the butt to the ground and stomping it out. Standing tall, he said to Li Yifei with conviction, "Boss, before, I didn¡¯t believe a woman could have such influence on a man. Now, I know I was wrong. However, I¡¯m also clear that I owe everything to you for bringing us together. I would never betray you, boss."


    Li Yifei nodded, patting Lin Qing on the shoulder. "Loving a woman doesn¡¯t mean obeying her every word. You need to mutually influence each other. Respect her, but it doesn¡¯t mean you have to agree with her on everything. Ideally, she accepts your ideas and faces things with you¡ªthat¡¯s what makes a successful man."


    "Got it! I will definitely learn from you, Boss. If someone like Su Mengxin is willing to give up everything for you, then I¡¯ll definitely make her give up her beliefs for me."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Alright then, you should also avoid keeping her isolated. Let her spend more time with the other women here¡ªit¡¯ll help influence her."


    Lin Qing chuckled and said, "Understood."


    After Lin Qing left, Sophia appeared behind Li Yifei, speaking softly. "Master, I¡¯ll keep an eye on things. If anything like that starts brewing, I¡¯ll handle it directly."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "If it ever comes to that, let them leave. They are still brothers who¡¯ve been with me for some time."


    "Got it!" Sophia replied firmly.


    "Sophia, by the way, during my last trip to Japan when I fought a few ninjas, I noticed that some of their techniques were quite effective¡ªthey might suit you as well."


    "Please guide me, Master." Sophia¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    During his battle with Inoue Aoga, Li Yifei had fought for quite some time¡ªpartly to lure out two others, but also to study the mysteries of their ninja techniques.


    Though Li Yifei couldn¡¯t fully grasp the most powerful methods employed by the ninjas, he managed to glean some insights into their ability to use the surrounding environment to conceal their movements.


    Li Yifei had explored these skills in the past, but he couldn¡¯t compare to the expertise ninjas possessed from specialized research in these areas. With his current heightened abilities, his understanding and intuition were significantly sharper, allowing him to infer more while fighting them.


    Sophia, being a natural assassin, had remarkable comprehension skills for such techniques. She quickly grasped and effectively implemented what Li Yifei shared, which pleased him greatly. Sophia seemed born for this kind of skillset¡ªin no time, she¡¯d become a truly extraordinary shadow guardian.


    After finishing his morning training, Li Yifei returned to his villa and took a shower. Meanwhile, Jiang Ningxiang and Su Yiyi, who had stayed there last night, had just gotten up. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jiang Ningxiang had grown accustomed to living with everyone else, and her relationship with Su Yiyi had become particularly close. The two shared similar personalities¡ªboth low-key and hardworking without seeking attention or competing.


    "Ningxiang, why are you waking up so late too?" Li Yifei asked with a cheerful smile as he saw Jiang Ningxiang and Su Yiyi. While Su Yiyi had recently developed True Qi, her strength was still weak, requiring the same amount of rest as an ordinary person. But as an Innate Expert, Jiang Ningxiang shouldn¡¯t need so much sleep under normal circumstances.


    "I don¡¯t know. These past few days, I¡¯ve been unusually sleepy¡ªeven during the daytime, I feel tired." Jiang Ningxiang answered softly.


    Su Yiyi looked at Jiang Ningxiang and said, "Ningxiang, you might be pregnant!"


    "Pregnant? Impossible, right?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes widened, showing a hint of panic.


    "It¡¯s very possible! You should get checked right away!" Su Yiyi said excitedly.


    Stammering, Jiang Ningxiang asked, "But... but how could it be? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be difficult to get pregnant?"


    Su Yiyi smiled gently and replied, "Not at all! Sometimes it happens quickly."


    "What should I do?" Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s face went pale.


    Li Yifei held Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand, speaking softly, "Why are you so scared? Don¡¯t you want to have my children?"


    Jiang Ningxiang trembled slightly, then leaned softly against Li Yifei¡¯s chest. "Husband, I¡¯m still in school. I never thought about having kids¡ªI¡¯m completely unprepared for it."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "Then why didn¡¯t you take precautions? You didn¡¯t tell me, so I didn¡¯t think about it either."


    "But... but I saw that Sister Yingying hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant for so long, and neither had Yiyi or the others. I thought getting pregnant wasn¡¯t that easy."


    Su Yiyi giggled and said, "Ningxiang, you¡¯re so innocent! Pregnancy can happen easily¡ªor not at all. But there¡¯s no need to worry. If you are pregnant, you can just take a break from school. After you deliver the baby, you can go back to studying."


    "Fine, but let¡¯s get it checked first¡ªwhat if it¡¯s not pregnancy?"


    After getting up, Li Yifei, Su Yiyi, and Jiang Ningxiang headed to the family clinic. It could practically be called a hospital, despite having few doctors. With the ability to handle most situations¡ªSu Mengxin had even delivered her child there¡ªit was well-equipped.


    Pregnancy tests were straightforward, requiring only a test strip. When they saw the result, Su Yiyi and Li Yifei were thrilled. Jiang Ningxiang truly was pregnant.


    However, Jiang Ningxiang wasn¡¯t happy at all. The sudden pregnancy had left her anxious and tense, unsure of what to do.


    Li Yifei and Su Yiyi offered her gentle comfort, fully understanding her reaction.

 Chapter 1294 - 1344: I Don’t Want This Child

    Chapter 1294: Chapter 1344: I Don¡¯t Want This Child"Could this be a mistake?" Jiang Ningxiang looked up at Li Yifei, her delicate face still exceptionally pale.


    Li Yifei gently patted Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s shoulder and softly said, "It normally shouldn¡¯t be wrong. But if you¡¯re still uneasy, we can do a more thorough examination. After all, pregnancy tests can occasionally be incorrect."


    "Alright, I want to check," Jiang Ningxiang closed her eyes momentarily.


    The doctor proceeded to run further tests on Jiang Ningxiang. Hearing the news, all the family members hurried over.


    "Is Ningxiang pregnant?" Xu Yingying was the first to rush in and ask.


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "It seems so, but Ningxiang is still reluctant to accept the news and is undergoing additional tests."


    "Pregnancy is supposed to be a happy occasion. Why wouldn¡¯t she accept it? Could it be that she doesn¡¯t want to have this child with you?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei, puzzled.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "I don¡¯t understand either. I was genuinely happy at first, but seeing Ningxiang¡¯s expression of fear, it looks like she truly hasn¡¯t thought about having a child."


    At this point, everyone started to come in, and upon hearing Li Yifei¡¯s words, they were all somewhat startled. Su Mengxin promptly said, "It¡¯s nothing serious. Ningxiang is young, so she probably hasn¡¯t considered having a child at this age. For her, pregnancy must have come completely out of the blue, which would explain her reaction."


    Su Yiyi nodded and said, "That makes sense. If any girl in school found out she was pregnant, she would be absolutely terrified. For a girl at this age, this is a perfectly natural reaction."


    Ning Xin¡¯er empathetically chimed in, "Exactly. When I found out I was pregnant back then, I was scared out of my mind."


    Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and said, "No kidding. Back then, the two of us were completely panicked."


    Su Mengxin smiled gently and said, "Let¡¯s just comfort Ningxiang properly and ease any burdens on her heart. Adding a new member to the Li family is a wonderful thing."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I understand. This isn¡¯t my first time becoming a father."


    Before long, Jiang Ningxiang walked out, accompanied by the doctor, who cheerfully said, "Congratulations, Mr. Li. Miss Jiang is indeed pregnant."


    Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, thank you very much."


    But this time, unlike the past when such news brought excitement, Jiang Ningxiang stood silent, leaving everyone feeling somewhat subdued and far from joyful.


    Li Yifei held Jiang Ningxiang close and brought her back to his villa. The others followed and, after sitting on the sofas, Li Yifei clasped Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand and said softly, "Ningxiang, if something¡¯s bothering you, just tell your husband."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes turned red, and she said faintly, "Husband, could I... not have this child?"


    "Huh?" Everyone gasped collectively, their gazes instantly fixed on Jiang Ningxiang. In the Li family, no one had ever discussed abortion before. Jiang Ningxiang not wanting the child was a first, leaving everyone visibly shaken.


    Xu Yingying, in particular, found it hard to accept. Having longed for a child but never successfully conceived, she frowned and said, "Ningxiang, why wouldn¡¯t you want the baby? Do you know how much I¡¯ve been hoping to get pregnant, yet it hasn¡¯t happened for me?"


    "Yes, Ningxiang, why don¡¯t you want the child? There must be a reason, right?" Lin Qiong also asked anxiously.


    "I... I... Wah..." Jiang Ningxiang managed to say "I" twice before suddenly burying herself in Li Yifei¡¯s chest, sobbing uncontrollably.


    Everyone was taken aback by Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s reaction. The awkward atmosphere made it seem like they had collectively pressured her into tears. After a brief hesitation, Xu Yingying said, "Husband, let¡¯s go out first. Comfort Ningxiang properly and make sure she doesn¡¯t carry any emotional burdens."


    Soon everyone left the room until it was completely quiet, leaving only Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang inside. Li Yifei picked Jiang Ningxiang up and whispered softly, "Let¡¯s talk in the bedroom. Whatever¡¯s troubling you, just tell your husband. I promise I won¡¯t force you."


    Inside the bedroom, Li Yifei held Jiang Ningxiang as they lay on the bed. Jiang Ningxiang gradually stopped sobbing, then lifted her face to look at him and bit her lip slightly. "Husband, I¡¯m scared."


    "Scared of what?" Li Yifei gazed into Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes, his tone warm and gentle. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I... I¡¯m just scared. I don¡¯t dare to give birth to this child," Jiang Ningxiang whispered.


    "Haha, well, there must be a reason for your fear. Giving birth isn¡¯t as frightening as it seems. Look at Mengxin, look at Yunzhu¡ªthey¡¯ve both had children, and everything turned out fine. Even though your age isn¡¯t very high, you have Innate Vital Energy in your body. Giving birth to a child will hardly affect you. Don¡¯t you want to see how amazing the child we create together could be? I¡¯ve been wondering whether our baby might be born with Innate Vital Energy."


    "That¡¯s very possible! I¡¯ve always had Innate Vital Energy, and we¡¯ve cultivated together, so now you have Innate Vital Energy too. Our baby might be born a prodigy."


    "Exactly! That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking. Imagine our child being born as a genius, beating everyone in the world by the time they¡¯re just a few years old. Wouldn¡¯t that be incredible?"


    "Pfft, it¡¯s not that easy. Even if the baby is born with Innate Vital Energy, it doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll be an immediate prodigy. That¡¯d be like having a little monster."


    "Haha, well, having a freakishly powerful child would be fitting for us. We¡¯re rather extraordinary ourselves."


    "I¡¯m not extraordinary at all! I want our baby to be normal. No matter how amazing they become, they can¡¯t be too showy. All I want is a life of peace and happiness for them."


    "Yes, yes, you¡¯re the mother. How you want things arranged is how they¡¯ll be. Haha, who do you think our child would take after more, you or me?"


    "If it¡¯s a boy, I hope he¡¯ll resemble you¡ªtall, handsome, and masculine. If it¡¯s a girl, I¡¯d also want her to look like you, because seeing her would remind me of you. Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?"


    "Haha! I think a girl should take after you, though. You¡¯re so beautiful¡ªwouldn¡¯t it be ideal for her to be beautiful too?"


    "I¡¯m not that pretty!" Jiang Ningxiang blushed, embarrassed as she twisted slightly.


    Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Look at you. You¡¯re already hoping for the baby to be born; you¡¯re starting to want this child now, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Ah... Umm..." Jiang Ningxiang froze, the smile on her face suddenly vanishing.


    "Ningxiang, is there something bothering you?" Li Yifei frowned slightly and asked in a gentle voice.


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lips hard, so hard that her lips lost their color. This made Li Yifei¡¯s heart ache as he said, "Ningxiang, don¡¯t do this. I won¡¯t force you, I promise. If you truly don¡¯t want this child, I¡¯ll support you. When you¡¯re ready, we can try again. How does that sound?"


    Suddenly, Jiang Ningxiang hugged Li Yifei tightly and began crying again. This left Li Yifei feeling helpless¡ªwhat was going on with her? He couldn¡¯t force her to talk, but without answers, he felt uneasy.


    After a while, Jiang Ningxiang finally raised her head, her reddened eyes avoiding his gaze as she stammered, "Husband, can you let me think about it? Right now, I feel like there¡¯s a knot in my heart that I just can¡¯t untangle."


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Alright. But regardless of your decision, promise me you¡¯ll tell me, okay?"


    "Yes, I will. I won¡¯t act on my own. Husband, I... I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m so afraid of having this baby. I can¡¯t seem to pinpoint a reason, but there¡¯s a voice in my head that¡¯s telling me I shouldn¡¯t have this baby."


    Li Yifei looked at Jiang Ningxiang in surprise and said, "A voice? That¡¯s so strange. Let me sense it." He began channeling True Qi.


    Their minds connected as his True Qi entered Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body. Under normal circumstances, this allowed him to sense her thoughts, but it could be intrusive in certain situations¡ªa lack of privacy when using this method. Though Li Yifei had a touch of a dominant personality, he wasn¡¯t completely insensitive to his partner¡¯s need for boundaries. He had discussed this with Jiang Ningxiang before, agreeing they¡¯d only use this method when both concurred.


    But upon entering, a voice repeated incessantly: "Don¡¯t have this child. Don¡¯t have this child."


    "Ningxiang, are these your thoughts?" Li Yifei asked, astonished, within their shared consciousness.


    "I don¡¯t know. This awareness is just there, always reminding me. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so scared," Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s consciousness transmitted to his mind.


    Li Yifei was taken aback and said, "What could this be? Is it your subconscious?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. If I think about not having the baby, the voice disappears. But if I think about wanting it, the voice doesn¡¯t stop. That¡¯s why I¡¯m terrified."


    Li Yifei channeled True Qi throughout Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body but didn¡¯t find anything unusual or pinpoint the voice¡¯s source. Defeated, he gave up.


    Retracting his True Qi, Li Yifei thought for a moment and said, "Ningxiang, this is a very peculiar phenomenon. Perhaps you experienced some trauma that left this imprint in your subconscious. But this isn¡¯t your true self. What¡¯s most important now is overcoming it. However, I don¡¯t think brute force will work. My suggestion is to stop thinking about whether to have or not have the baby for now¡ªact as if you¡¯re not pregnant at all. We¡¯ll check again later to see how you feel. If it doesn¡¯t improve, we¡¯ll temporarily pause having the child to spare you from enduring emotional suffering."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll listen to you," Jiang Ningxiang nodded lightly, then buried herself in Li Yifei¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 1295 - 1345: Can Only Observe

    Chapter 1295: Chapter 1345: Can Only Observe"How¡¯s it going?" Li Yifei stepped out of the villa and saw everyone waiting at the door. They immediately surrounded him.


    Li Yifei gave a wry smile and said, "Ningxiang¡¯s case is quite unique. Her subconscious consistently warns her against having this child, which is causing her immense pain."


    Everyone stared at Li Yifei in disbelief. Sensing they hadn¡¯t understood, he added, "Let me put it this way: Ningxiang is like she has split personalities right now. There¡¯s another Ningxiang within her that strongly doesn¡¯t want the child, while Ningxiang herself does want it. The two sides are in constant conflict, making her extremely distressed."


    "This... this is just too bizarre!" Everyone was stunned. If Li Yifei hadn¡¯t said it himself, they¡¯d never believe it.


    Li Yifei shrugged helplessly, "Even I¡¯m utterly confused. Shanshan, let¡¯s team up and research this matter. I can¡¯t focus on work until I figure it out."


    "Alright!" Xu Shanshan readily agreed.


    Both of them went to Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa. Li Yifei thoroughly explained Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s situation again, prompting Xu Shanshan to furrow her brows and say, "This is really strange. It¡¯s such a pity that the two of us aren¡¯t mentally connected yet. Otherwise, we could try testing this theory. Unless we really start dual cultivation now, that¡¯s the only way we¡¯d be able to conduct an experiment."


    Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "Let¡¯s hold off for now. It¡¯s clearly not the best timing yet."


    Xu Shanshan nodded, "True. But Ningxiang seemed fine in her daily life; how could she suddenly develop split personalities? Could it escalate into a mental illness?"


    Li Yifei jumped in shock, eyes wide, "No way?!?"


    Xu Shanshan shrugged, "I was just casually saying it. Don¡¯t take it too seriously."


    Li Yifei shook his head, "Mental issues aren¡¯t something that can be solved with martial arts. Ah, if only the Saintess were here; she¡¯s an expert in this field."


    "Exactly, but she¡¯s still secluded in retreat. No telling when she¡¯ll emerge."


    "Then I¡¯ll ask Elder Murong Yuanqing to see if he understands this matter."


    Li Yifei dialed Murong Yuanqing¡¯s phone, and it connected quickly. Li Yifei then explained Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s situation to him. Murong Yuanqing was just as astonished but had no idea what was causing it, nor could he provide any clues.


    This left Li Yifei at a loss. It seemed they¡¯d have to wait for the Saintess to come out of retreat; otherwise, there was no solution. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the following days, everyone avoided mentioning Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s pregnancy in front of her. When spending time with her, they only talked about normal, casual topics. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s agitated emotions gradually eased somewhat. Li Yifei also secretly used True Qi to observe Jiang Ningxiang, and her subconscious still carried those voices, but the intensity seemed to have weakened.


    This gave Li Yifei a sliver of hope. Perhaps he was overthinking it. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s sudden pregnancy might have simply shocked her, triggering those subconscious voices. After adjusting to being pregnant, those voices might disappear on their own.


    "Hubby, accompany me to a wedding tomorrow," Lin Qiong requested on Friday night.


    "Sure, whose wedding is it?"


    "A high school classmate of mine. We hadn¡¯t been in touch for years, but I bumped into her recently and found out she¡¯s getting married. She invited me, and it feels rude not to attend."


    "You¡¯re right; these things should be attended. Keeping up relationships with classmates is important. It¡¯s hard to find that kind of camaraderie again in society."


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Exactly. But I worry that if those classmates find out I¡¯m now a bureau chief and have such a capable husband, they might bother us with requests. Best we keep a low profile."


    Li Yifei chuckled, "Are we going to have another ¡¯fake modesty and face-smacking¡¯ moment?"


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes at him, "Nothing like that! It¡¯s just a wedding¡ªa meal, some casual chatter, and then we leave."


    Li Yifei laughed, "Alright then. Tomorrow, let¡¯s not drive; we¡¯ll take the high-speed train. In the afternoon, we can visit your parents."


    On Saturday morning, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong took the high-speed train to a city over 200 kilometers away¡ªLin Qiong¡¯s hometown, where she had attended school until high school.


    Getting off the train, Li Yifei smiled, "It¡¯s nostalgic here. I remember coming over to trick your parents out of money back then."


    Lin Qiong hooked her arm through Li Yifei¡¯s, rolled her eyes at him, "Still proud of yourself? You had plenty of money but made me swindle money from my folks. Shameless."


    Li Yifei feigned innocence, "I really couldn¡¯t access my money then. Even Yiyi¡¯s money was borrowed from Yingying."


    "Hmph, you totally did it on purpose."


    "Indeed, I deceived you. Without tricks, how could I win a wonderful wife like you?" Li Yifei grinned mischievously, sneaking a touch at Lin Qiong¡¯s waist.


    "Keep your hands to yourself," Lin Qiong smirked at him while enjoying the moment. Away from Mile City, she was no Public Security Bureau chief, nor was Li Yifei some corporate mogul. No one here knew them, so they could relax and shed any concern for appearances.


    They hailed a cab directly to Light Hotel, where Lin Qiong¡¯s classmate was holding the wedding.


    "Lin Qiong! Is that you? You¡¯re looking more stunning than ever!" A stylishly dressed young woman excitedly recognized Lin Qiong at the entrance.


    Lin Qiong scanned the girl before exclaiming, "Cui Ning! It¡¯s you, Cui Ning."


    "Haha! You still remember me; I¡¯m honored!" Cui Ning eagerly grabbed Lin Qiong¡¯s hand and then noticed Li Yifei, asking with a smile, "And who¡¯s this?"


    "My boyfriend, Li Yifei. Yifei, this is Cui Ning, one of my high school classmates." Lin Qiong quickly introduced them.


    Li Yifei courteously shook Cui Ning¡¯s hand as she and Lin Qiong began chatting away. Soon, more of Lin Qiong¡¯s classmates gathered around with equally delighted expressions.


    Having been out of touch with her high school classmates for so long, Lin Qiong felt a warmth rekindling. Their camaraderie felt genuine, free of pretense, allowing her to truly relax.


    The bride and groom were still en route. As the bride was Lin Qiong¡¯s actual classmate, they¡¯d likely exchange only brief greetings during the wedding. But catching up with other classmates made Lin Qiong quite happy.


    Most classmates arrived the prior evening, about twenty of them in total. They clustered together, engrossed in lively conversation. During introductions, Lin Qiong presented Li Yifei to the others, though he mostly stayed on the sidelines, watching Lin Qiong interact cheerfully.


    "Lin Qiong, you¡¯re a police officer now, right?" After chatting for a while, the group started asking about her.


    Lin Qiong nodded, "Yes, I graduated from the police academy and was assigned to Mile City as a police officer."


    "That¡¯s great! Police jobs pay extra bonuses!"


    Lin Qiong smiled modestly, "It¡¯s alright. But nowadays, the government has tightened up public sector benefits. We don¡¯t get bonuses anymore¡ªjust our basic salary, barely enough to get by."


    "Come on, Lin Qiong, don¡¯t downplay it. Even if there are no bonuses, police can earn outside benefits easily¡ªyou guys have all sorts of ways to bring in extra money."


    Lin Qiong chuckled, "Not anymore. These days, no one dares. A stable salary as a cop is good enough."


    "What¡¯s your specific role at work?"


    "Uh... I mostly handle office tasks."


    "Oh, so you¡¯re in the administrative side. That explains it¡ªless opportunity for bonuses! But honestly, for a woman, working as an admin in the police force is ideal; fieldwork is far too dangerous."


    A male classmate named Chen Qiang chimed in, "My uncle works at Mile City Public Security Bureau. You probably know him¡ªChen Dongsheng."


    Lin Qiong nodded quickly, "Yes, I know him! Chen Dongsheng is the Deputy Director of Qingping County Police Department."


    Chen Qiang grinned, "Good that you know him! I¡¯ll let my uncle know to look out for you. If you need anything, just let me know. After all, we¡¯re old classmates¡ªI¡¯ll help in any way I can."


    Lin Qiong smiled, "Thanks so much for that."


    "No need to thank me! It¡¯s not a big deal anyway. Since you¡¯re new to the job, it¡¯s better to bide your time. But in a couple of years, I can definitely help you get promoted to Deputy Director."


    Lin Qiong glanced at Li Yifei, their shared gaze carrying a glimmer of amusement. For an average police officer, it often took five or six years to climb to Deputy Director, and longer to reach Sub-bureau Chief. Landing such promotions before turning 35 was considered remarkable. Lin Qiong, on the other hand, had risen from rookie to Sub-bureau Chief within three years¡ªa speed almost absurdly fast. She rarely mentioned her rank, allowing her classmates to assume she was still a junior cop.


    Another male classmate named Wang Bing joined the conversation, "Chen Qiang, could you ask your uncle to help me with something in Mile City? A relative of mine got into trouble there with some influential people. They¡¯re taking advantage of him, and I¡¯m pretty worried."


    Chen Qiang promptly responded, "Tell me what happened, and I¡¯ll see how I can bring it up with my uncle. If it¡¯s something I can handle, I¡¯ll make sure to help."


    "Thanks so much!" Wang Bing glanced at Lin Qiong briefly. He had originally considered asking her for help but figured she was just an average cop. Meanwhile, Chen Qiang¡¯s uncle seemed far more resourceful, so Wang Bing opted to approach him instead.

 Chapter 1296 - 1346 Keep a Low Profile

    Chapter 1296: Chapter 1346 Keep a Low ProfileLin Qiong felt at ease with this. She was someone who upheld her principles and deeply disliked doing anything that violated them. Even for the Li family, Li Yifei would avoid asking Lin Qiong to use her authority for personal interests.


    If Wang Bing were to ask for a favor, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue if it were a simple matter. But if it went against Lin Qiong¡¯s principles, it would put her in a tough spot. Now that Chen Qiang had taken charge of the situation, it couldn¡¯t have worked out better.


    Li Yifei leaned close to Lin Qiong¡¯s ear and whispered, "That Chen Dongsheng is from the Qingping County Bureau. Isn¡¯t that technically ¡¯your¡¯ bureau?"


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "Yes, it is."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "Heh, if Chen Qiang found out that the uncle he¡¯s so proud of is just your deputy, wouldn¡¯t his reaction be priceless?"


    "You... Do you want to be the one to break it to him?"


    Li Yifei laughed, "Oh, no way. I¡¯m afraid Director Lin might not even let me share the bed at home if I did."


    "At least you¡¯re self-aware." Lin Qiong pinched him gently on the waist, her face still glowing with a sweet smile.


    Meanwhile, Wang Bing had already begun explaining the situation to Chen Qiang. His girlfriend¡¯s father owned a restaurant in Mile City. A while ago, a few patrons got drunk and caused a scene, leading to a clash with the restaurant staff. It wasn¡¯t a big issue initially, and no major physical conflict occurred. However, those patrons felt humiliated afterward and started coming back repeatedly to stir up trouble. Although Wang Bing¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s father reported this to the police, nothing was done. The constant disturbances caused the restaurant to lose a lot of business.


    After listening, many classmates immediately frowned and exclaimed, "That¡¯s so bullying!"


    Chen Qiang assessed the situation and said, "It seems like the other side must have some connections. If we go head-on, it might truly be hard to resolve. Here¡¯s the plan: I¡¯ll give my uncle a call later and have him investigate. We¡¯ll figure out who these people are. If their backing is weak, we¡¯ll deal with them firmly and make them compensate for the losses. If they have strong connections, I¡¯m sure my uncle will still be able to mediate and enable your girlfriend¡¯s family to keep running the restaurant."


    Wang Bing was ecstatic. "That would be amazing, Chen Qiang. Thank you so much! If you help me handle this, rest assured I won¡¯t let you put in all this effort for nothing."


    Chen Qiang shot him a look and said, "What kind of talk is that? Are we still classmates or not?"


    Wang Bing quickly nodded and apologized, "Yes, yes, we¡¯re old classmates. I shouldn¡¯t talk like an outsider. But still, I don¡¯t want your uncle to have to pay out of his own pocket or risk his reputation. Don¡¯t worry about me¡ªI know how to handle things."


    "We¡¯ll discuss it later. But I doubt it¡¯ll be a big issue. My uncle has been in Mile City for so many years and knows plenty of people. This isn¡¯t a particularly complex matter; I¡¯m sure he can help you sort it out."


    Just then, the groom and bride arrived, and everyone immediately turned their attention to them excitedly. Lin Qiong pulled Li Yifei along to take a look too.


    "The bride looks stunning in her wedding dress!"


    "Absolutely. A woman¡¯s wedding day is undoubtedly the most beautiful day of her life."


    Li Yifei noticed Lin Qiong gazing at the bride with a longing look. He softly asked, "Are you dreaming of a day like this too?"


    "What do you think?" Lin Qiong turned her head and gave him a teasing glare.


    Li Yifei replied earnestly, "I promised you, and I¡¯ll definitely make it happen."


    Without realizing it, Lin Qiong leaned closer into Li Yifei¡¯s arms, and he wrapped his arm around her waist.


    "Don¡¯t pressure yourself. I¡¯m fine as things are now. Let¡¯s take it slow," Lin Qiong reassured him considerately.


    Li Yifei let out a silent sigh in his heart. Women like Lin Qiong had sacrificed far too much for him. What woman wouldn¡¯t dream of wearing a wedding dress someday? Yet here he was, failing to fulfill this promise to any of them. If he followed his old approach, he should really start speeding things up¡ªotherwise, when would he finally marry every woman at his side?


    "What are you thinking about?"


    The bride and groom entered the hall, and everyone else moved toward the two tables set aside for classmates. Lin Qiong noticed Li Yifei looking distracted, so she nudged him lightly and asked.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly and said, "Nothing much."


    "If it¡¯s nothing, why are you so lost in thought? Don¡¯t overthink it. We¡¯re all already committed to you. If you overwork yourself, we¡¯ll all end up exhausted as well."


    Li Yifei gently squeezed Lin Qiong¡¯s hand and said, "Qiongqiong, you¡¯ve become so understanding."


    "Of course. Now that you recognize my good qualities, you¡¯d better treat me well, or you¡¯ll have me to deal with!" Lin Qiong playfully threatened, dragging him along to sit down.


    One of the girls immediately teased, "Wow, can¡¯t bear to be apart even for a second, huh? Lin Qiong, do you really have to show off your love like this?"


    A male classmate chimed in with a laugh, "Li Yifei, come on, let¡¯s drink. Let the women chat among themselves."


    Lin Qiong nudged Li Yifei again, and he caught on, moving over to sit with the guys, while Lin Qiong stayed with the other women, who soon engaged her in lively chatter.


    Another girl quickly asked, "Lin Qiong, what does your boyfriend do?"


    Lin Qiong smiled and said, "He¡¯s just a regular office worker."


    "He must earn a good salary, right?"


    Lin Qiong replied modestly, "Not really¡ªjust an ordinary paycheck."


    Someone else followed up, "Then his parents must be pretty well-off, right?"


    Li Yifei interjected, "He doesn¡¯t have parents; it¡¯s just him."


    "Hmm... Lin Qiong, you¡¯re so beautiful and have such a good job. You could have your pick of partners. Why settle for someone with average conditions? At the very least, you should aim for a government worker!"


    Lin Qiong chuckled lightly and said, "Government workers don¡¯t earn much nowadays. What¡¯s the point of marrying one?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But they¡¯re stable¡ªsecure income and benefits. If not that, you could marry someone from a wealthy family. Choosing just an ordinary guy seems like such a waste."


    "Lin Qiong, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to have him move in as a live-in son-in-law?"


    Lin Qiong shook her head and said, "Of course not. If I¡¯m with him, it¡¯s only natural for me to go where he goes."


    Given Lin Qiong¡¯s current status and outlook, her classmates¡¯ mindset wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. For most women, it made sense to marry someone who could offer better conditions. Love and suitability didn¡¯t always align, and the man one loved wasn¡¯t always the best choice for a husband.


    But for someone like Lin Qiong, who had achieved so much, what else did she need? Across all of Huaxia, how many men could truly outmatch Li Yifei in terms of qualifications? Besides, she and Li Yifei genuinely loved each other¡ªwhich was even rarer. The only downside was that Li Yifei had too many women in his life and couldn¡¯t love her exclusively.


    "Lin Qiong, you¡¯re way too idealistic. Love alone doesn¡¯t put food on the table. Speaking from experience, after I graduated, I married my college sweetheart. Back then, we were madly in love, but his family was poor. Against my family¡¯s wishes, I went ahead and married him. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that love couldn¡¯t sustain us. Conflicts kept piling up, and within a year, we divorced."


    "Look at Sun Li. Her husband wasn¡¯t her first choice romantically, but she picked someone with good prospects. Now, they have a house, a car, and her husband treats her so well. That¡¯s what real happiness looks like."


    Lin Qiong smiled and said, "I understand. But my boyfriend is very hardworking, and I¡¯m confident he¡¯ll achieve great things."


    "You¡¯re really set on this, huh?" one girl joked.


    Lin Qiong cast a glance at Li Yifei and said, "Yes, what can I say? I like him, so I might as well accept it."


    Lin Qiong had always been firm in her decisions. After all, not many girls would choose to attend police academy. Knowing they couldn¡¯t sway her, the group decided to let it drop.


    "Oh, Lin Qiong, let¡¯s exchange WeChat info!"


    These days, everyone had their phones out, even while chatting. Someone suddenly realized they hadn¡¯t added Lin Qiong on WeChat and brought it up.


    Lin Qiong responded quickly, "I don¡¯t have a WeChat account."


    "No WeChat? Are you living under a rock?" Everyone looked at her as if she were an alien.


    Lin Qiong nodded and said, "Yup. I¡¯m usually so busy with work that I don¡¯t have time for it."


    In truth, Lin Qiong did have WeChat, but it was mostly used for work-related matters and communication with colleagues. If she gave her classmates her WeChat handle, they might uncover her current status.


    "You..." Her classmates gave her exaggerated looks of disapproval. A girl sitting beside her then said, "Let me help you set one up using your phone number so we can all stay connected. With WeChat, you don¡¯t even need to pay for texts or calls."


    "Um... I think it¡¯s unnecessary." Lin Qiong hesitated, reluctant to hand over her phone.


    "Hurry up! Stop stalling!"


    Lin Qiong sighed, opened her bag, and retrieved her phone. But as the girl caught a glimpse inside, she noticed there were two phones.


    "Oh, you have two phones?"


    "That¡¯s my boyfriend¡¯s. He didn¡¯t bring a bag, so I¡¯m carrying it for him."


    "Huh, that phone looks unique! I¡¯ve never seen it before. Let me take a closer look." The girl, without waiting for permission, reached into the bag and pulled out the other phone.


    Lin Qiong secretly smiled to herself. Her own phone was an ordinary smartphone worth just over two thousand yuan. But Li Yifei¡¯s phone was something else entirely¡ªa genuine Vertu, valued at over two hundred thousand yuan. Even though Li Yifei didn¡¯t like drawing attention, as a CEO, maintaining appearances was sometimes necessary. Hence, the luxury phone.


    "Hmm, this phone looks familiar, but I can¡¯t quite place it..." Everyone stared curiously at Li Yifei¡¯s phone, though no one recognized the brand. Then, one girl furrowed her brow in puzzlement before suddenly gasping and staring at Lin Qiong with wide eyes. She stammered, unable to form coherent words.

 Chapter 1297 - 1347: Phone Exposure

    Chapter 1297: Chapter 1347: Phone Exposure"Have you seen this type of phone before?" The other girls immediately asked.


    The girl moved her jaw slightly, returning her surprised mouth to its normal state, and then looked at Lin Qiong, saying, "Lin Qiong, this seems like a Vertu phone, doesn¡¯t it?"


    Lin Qiong smiled bitterly and replied vaguely, "I guess, I¡¯m not entirely sure."


    "Vertu?" None of them had ever heard of the brand.


    "You can look it up yourselves." The girl didn¡¯t bother explaining further and simply said this.


    Everyone immediately went online to search, and soon, the room was filled with gasps of surprise.


    "Established in 2002, Vertu is a luxury phone brand dedicated to tailoring phones for wealthy individuals worldwide. Due to the uniqueness of Vertu phones, customers who wish to order one can only obtain it on reservation or at specific boutiques."


    One of the girls read out this information, and everyone couldn¡¯t help but look up at Lin Qiong. A phone specifically designed for the rich¡ªthe phrase itself was eye-catching.


    "Every Vertu phone is meticulously crafted by the artisans at the Vertu factory. Just the keyboard alone is composed of over 150 different parts. Each key undergoes a detailed process where a high-temperature stainless steel compound is injected into a larger mold under pressure. Once cooled, each key shrinks by 14%, forming the slanted keyboard. Additionally, every key is set into two gemstone bearings to enhance the dynamic design, improve tactile stability and precision, and provide users with an exceptional feel and experience."


    "Alongside the Vertu phone, users gain access to the ¡¯Vertu Concierge¡¯ service. By pressing the dedicated client button on the phone, they are directly connected to Vertu¡¯s 24-hour service hub. Whether you need mobile service information or help with transportation, entertainment, dining, or hotel queries, personalized assistance is available¡ªand the services are accessible in major cities worldwide, truly like having a super personal secretary."


    "A standard Vertu phone usually costs hundreds of thousands in RMB, with the highest prices reaching upwards of nine hundred thousand RMB. It¡¯s one of the most renowned luxury phone brands, embodying extravagance, sheer extravagance¡ªthat¡¯s Vertu¡¯s philosophy."


    As the girls¡¯ voices grew louder, their enthusiasm rose correspondingly. The looks they exchanged while glancing at Lin Qiong became increasingly animated. By the end of their reading spree, several of the girls¡¯ lips were trembling.


    "You don¡¯t need to stare at me like that. This phone¡¯s a knockoff." Lin Qiong suddenly said with a cheerful smile.


    "A knockoff?" The excitement in everyone¡¯s expressions quickly turned to confusion.


    Lin Qiong chuckled softly and said, "Of course, it¡¯s a knockoff. A real Vertu phone costs hundreds of thousands¡ªwhere would I get the money to buy one of those? A while back, our office handled a case involving counterfeit Vertu phones. I pulled some strings and got one for my boyfriend. It only cost a little over three thousand¡ªit¡¯s nowhere near that expensive."


    "Wow, you scared me for a second there! I almost thought your boyfriend was a millionaire." The girls instinctively let out sighs of relief. If Lin Qiong had actually married into such wealth, the pressure on them would¡¯ve been overwhelming. After all, they were all classmates¡ªany significant differences in social standing naturally tend to stir uneasy feelings.


    Lin Qiong laughed lightly and said, "I¡¯d never be that lucky. Don¡¯t think I was trying to show off or anything. I felt the phone looked nice¡ªit¡¯s studded with diamonds. Well, actually, they¡¯re just acrylic."


    One of the girls fiddled with Li Yifei¡¯s phone and said, "Even if it¡¯s fake, it still looks impressive¡ªso pretty."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s gorgeous! Lin Qiong, could you get another one of these phones? If possible, help me get one too!"


    "Me too, count me in."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face darkened. She thought, "Are they kidding? A single phone costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if it¡¯s a knockoff. The Li family is wealthy, but there¡¯s no way I can deceive them with fake phones like this."


    "Sorry, I only managed to get this one. Stuff like this isn¡¯t easy to come by¡ªif it were, fake Vertu phones would be everywhere."


    At this moment, a girl named Wu Dan pursed her lips and said, "Lin Qiong, what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t quite right. We don¡¯t have that kind of money, and there¡¯s no need to keep up appearances, is there? I remember you used to be an honest person; now you¡¯re into these superficial things. Whether someone has money, it¡¯s not about flaunting luxury items¡ªit¡¯s about capability."


    Wu Dan hadn¡¯t gotten along with Lin Qiong very well in the past. Mainly because Wu Dan was also quite pretty and popular among the boys at school. Deep down, there was always a bit of competition. Lately, Wu Dan¡¯s life hadn¡¯t been smooth, so seeing Lin Qiong return all radiant and seemingly happy stirred some uneasiness, prompting her to speak sharply.


    Lin Qiong had already forgotten past grievances with Wu Dan. Even though she sensed the undertone in Wu Dan¡¯s words, she wasn¡¯t bothered. She smiled and said, "Wu Dan is right¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have done this."


    Wu Dan was surprised by Lin Qiong¡¯s modest response. Lin Qiong hadn¡¯t been this amicable before. She said, "It¡¯s good that you think so. You should focus on doing practical things."


    "Uh-huh, thank you. I promise I won¡¯t do flashy stuff like this in the future."


    Hearing Lin Qiong¡¯s words, Wu Dan decided not to press further. With Lin Qiong being so gracious, pushing her harder would make Wu Dan come across as too critical.


    At this point, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang. The girl playing with it immediately passed it to Lin Qiong but stopped halfway, glancing at the screen. Her expression changed to one of astonishment. Lin Qiong took the phone and quickly handed it to Li Yifei, who apologized courteously before stepping away to take the call.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Seeing the girl¡¯s odd expression, another girl asked curiously.


    Trying to contain her excitement, the girl waited for Lin Qiong to turn around before saying, "Lin Qiong, that phone¡ªit¡¯s real, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s... oh, it is real." Lin Qiong initially tried to deny it, but the call had displayed the name "Mayor Song," leaving her no choice but to admit it with a bitter smile.


    "Wow! I knew it was real!" The girl exclaimed excitedly.


    "Real? Lin Qiong, your boyfriend uses the real thing? That¡¯s way too extravagant! Do you two even make enough to afford it in a year?" Wu Dan exclaimed with wide eyes.


    "What do you mean not enough? Do you know who was calling Lin Qiong¡¯s boyfriend just now? It was Mayor Song! Someone who can call the mayor couldn¡¯t possibly be just an ordinary guy, right? He must be a millionaire. Using a phone like this wouldn¡¯t be much for him."


    "A millionaire?" Everyone stared at Lin Qiong with astonished eyes.


    Lin Qiong smiled weakly and said, "He¡¯s just running a business."


    "What kind of business does he run? How much is their family worth?"


    Her classmates immediately bombarded her with questions.


    "He just owns a company, with assets totaling a few million," Lin Qiong said cautiously, keeping her estimate conservative.


    For Lin Qiong, a few million wasn¡¯t even considered substantial anymore. But for some of her classmates who had only been working for a few years, a few million was an impressive amount¡ªa millionaire was a big deal in their eyes.


    "A few million... wow, Lin Qiong, you¡¯re dating a millionaire!"


    "That¡¯s so sly of you¡ªdating someone wealthy while pretending to be broke."


    The girls quickly began teasing her, while the boys at another table who overheard the conversation were now all staring at Li Yifei in shock. They¡¯d been cracking jokes earlier about Lin Qiong¡¯s temper and how Li Yifei must have suffered a lot because of it. Yet now, it turned out Li Yifei was a millionaire¡ªwhat a stark contrast!


    Lin Qiong felt awkward and said, "We just came to see classmates and catch up¡ªwe didn¡¯t want everyone to overthink."


    "When you try to hide things, that¡¯s what makes us overthink. How¡¯s it¡ªwere you afraid of us borrowing money from you?"


    Lin Qiong laughed, "I¡¯m not afraid of that. If anyone¡¯s in trouble and I can help, I will. Since it¡¯s my mistake, let¡¯s settle it this way¡ªwhen you come to my wedding, I¡¯ll take everyone out for karaoke. How about that?"


    "It has to be the most luxurious private room at Moneybox Karaoke!"


    Lin Qiong giggled, "No problem."


    Now knowing Li Yifei¡¯s background, the boys at the other table treated him quite differently. After all, they were all the same age. Most of them were still earning regular salaries; even those starting businesses were only in the early stages. Meanwhile, Li Yifei was already a millionaire¡ªthe disparity was massive.


    They tentatively asked about the kind of company Li Yifei ran. He casually mentioned one of the smaller companies in his family business, and even that was enough to leave them in awe. After all, Li Yifei hadn¡¯t relied on his parents¡ªinstead, he¡¯d built his success himself, which made him even more admirable.


    For Lin Qiong, the original intention was simply to reconnect with old classmates and relive nostalgic days. However, the accidental revelation about the phone exposed part of Li Yifei¡¯s identity.


    Fortunately, Lin Qiong¡¯s own background remained undiscovered. While the girls envied her for having such a wealthy boyfriend and slightly adjusted their attitude toward her, it wasn¡¯t overly dramatic, and she could still chat comfortably with them, bringing her some relief. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was grateful that her disinterest in luxury goods, coupled with her position as a bureau leader¡ªrequiring discretion¡ªhad kept her from being scrutinized further. If it weren¡¯t for this restraint, interacting with classmates might have turned truly awkward.

 Chapter 1298 - 1348: Domineering Lin Qiong

    Chapter 1298: Chapter 1348: Domineering Lin QiongThe wedding venue was still very lively, with everyone eating and drinking. The bride and groom came to toast, and Lin Qiong got along well with everyone. Although Wu Dan felt a bit sour inside, Lin Qiong was polite to her and didn¡¯t show off at all. She didn¡¯t seem to dwell on past matters at all. If Wu Dan said anything unpleasant now, she would only embarrass herself.


    After the meal, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong invited everyone to go karaoke, to which everyone enthusiastically responded, jokingly calling it "living it up at someone else¡¯s expense." They all went to Money Club, booked the most luxurious private room, and ordered a large amount of drinks and snacks to let everyone enjoy themselves to the fullest.


    While everyone was having a great time, Wang Bing went out to take a phone call. Soon, he rushed back in and said to Chen Qiang, "Chen Qiang, those guys are causing trouble at my girlfriend¡¯s house again. Please help me out!"


    Chen Qiang immediately stood up and said, "Alright, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll call my second uncle right away."


    Seeing an issue arise, the singing stopped, and the private room fell silent. Chen Qiang dialed his second uncle¡¯s number.


    "Second Uncle, there¡¯s something going on. A classmate of mine¡¯s girlfriend is in Mile City. Her family runs a restaurant and got into some conflict with some people, who keep coming to make trouble at the restaurant. Can you help resolve it... Second Uncle, he¡¯s my best classmate. You absolutely have to help... Thank you, Second Uncle."


    After hanging up, Chen Qiang said, "My second uncle said he¡¯ll arrange for someone to check it out right away. Don¡¯t worry; everything will be fine."


    "Thank you, thank you." Wang Bing looked incredibly grateful and quickly called his girlfriend. "Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ve asked someone to help. Soon, the police will arrive. Yep, yep. My classmate¡¯s second uncle is the County Public Security Bureau¡¯s Deputy Director. There¡¯s no doubt they¡¯ll step in."


    Chen Qiang patted Wang Bing on the shoulder and said, "Alright, Wang Bing, don¡¯t stress out. Have a drink and let everyone keep singing."


    Wang Bing nodded, but he couldn¡¯t really focus on drinking, and the others didn¡¯t have the mood to continue singing either. Instead, they all sat down, had a drink, chatted, and waited for updates about Wang Bing¡¯s situation.


    About twenty minutes later, Wang Bing¡¯s phone rang. He quickly picked it up, and his expression changed instantly. He exclaimed, "What? How is that possible? Ah... They actually said that? Wait, I¡¯ll ask my classmate right away."


    Wang Bing, pressing down the phone receiver, turned to Chen Qiang and said, "Chen Qiang, my girlfriend said the police came, but it was useless. They said one of the guys involved is a relative of a Deputy Director from the City Bureau, so they couldn¡¯t do anything."


    At that moment, Chen Qiang¡¯s phone rang¡ªit was his second uncle calling. After listening for a while, he hung up and gave a bitter smile. "Wang Bing, this is tricky. My second uncle also said he couldn¡¯t deal with it. That guy is a relative of the City Bureau Deputy Director. If he steps in forcefully, it would mean disrespecting the other side, and he can¡¯t do that."


    "What should we do then?" Wang Bing¡¯s voice trembled, almost breaking into sobs.


    "Damn it!" Lin Qiong suddenly shouted furiously.


    The volume startled everyone in the room, and they all turned to look at Lin Qiong.


    Lin Qiong, with a stern expression, said, "Wang Bing, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of this."


    Wang Bing was overjoyed and said, "Right, right. Your boyfriend knows the Mayor; he can definitely make it work."


    Everyone once again turned their eyes toward Li Yifei, who shrugged and said, "This is beyond me."


    The hopeful looks on everyone¡¯s faces dimmed instantly. Lin Qiong had strongly claimed she could solve it, only for Li Yifei to bluntly say he couldn¡¯t help¡ªwhat a disappointment.


    "Haha, I can¡¯t handle it, but Lin Qiong can. Don¡¯t just stare at me." Li Yifei chuckled and added another sentence.


    Everyone turned collectively toward Lin Qiong again, though they all had the same question in their hearts: Lin Qiong is just an ordinary police officer¡ªhow could she handle this?


    At that moment, Lin Qiong picked up her phone, her face dark and furious. As soon as the call connected, she shouted, "Chen Dongsheng, what kind of work are you doing? Do you even know you¡¯re a police officer? You¡¯re supposed to serve the people, not cater to some leader! ... Yes, I¡¯m talking about the matter you were supposed to handle just now. Don¡¯t worry about what my relationship is with him; I¡¯m telling you to enforce the law! ... A Deputy Director from the City Bureau? So what! Even if it¡¯s him personally breaking the law, you better arrest him! If you keep worrying about this or that, I think you can forget about being Deputy Director anymore!"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s tone was overwhelmingly imposing as she raged into the phone. After finishing, she directly hung up.


    The room of twenty or so classmates fell into stunned silence. Was this really an ordinary police officer speaking to a Deputy Director? It sounded more like a superior reprimanding a subordinate. And even if it was a superior, they¡¯d usually be more tactful. Lin Qiong seemed to burn with raw anger.


    After her outburst, Lin Qiong noticed everyone staring at her with shock and only then realized her attitude might have been too harsh. She turned to Chen Qiang and said, "Chen Qiang, I apologize. I tend to have a bad temper and really dislike seeing people bully others. Sorry if I was rude to your uncle."


    Chen Qiang¡¯s face twitched intensely as he said, "Lin Qiong, my uncle... he¡¯s a Deputy Director."


    Lin Qiong smiled apologetically and said, "Well, I happen to be in the same bureau as your uncle."


    "So when you said that... Won¡¯t my uncle get mad? Isn¡¯t that going a bit too far? I¡¯d find it awkward to ask him for favors later," Chen Qiang said with a forced laugh.


    Another male classmate interrupted, "Actually... Lin Qiong, I feel like your rank might be higher than Chen Qiang¡¯s uncle, right?"


    Lin Qiong sighed and said, "Alright, let me make this clear: I¡¯m the Sub-bureau Chief where Chen Qiang¡¯s uncle works. He¡¯s my deputy."


    "What?!" Everyone gasped in disbelief, staring at Lin Qiong with wide eyes.


    "Lin Qiong, are you really the bureau chief? You¡¯re so young! How could you have become a Sub-bureau Chief in such a short time?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, isn¡¯t a position like that usually held by someone in their forties? You¡¯re only twenty-seven this year, and you¡¯ve been working for less than three years. How is this even possible?"


    "My uncle has been in his role for so many years, and he¡¯s only a Deputy Director."


    Lin Qiong glanced at Li Yifei, smiled wryly, and said, "I got lucky, so my promotions have been relatively fast."


    A female classmate immediately said, "Then you surely have someone backing you, and a very influential one¡ªperhaps a Provincial Public Security Bureau-level leader. Even then, it hardly seems possible."


    Lin Qiong frowned slightly and said, "I don¡¯t have any backing. Everything I¡¯ve achieved is through my own hard work. In these few years as a police officer, I¡¯ve achieved major accomplishments multiple times by apprehending high-profile offenders, which led to my promotions."


    Lin Qiong used to feel self-conscious explaining this, as much of her success was actually thanks to Li Yifei¡¯s support. But now that she was with Li Yifei, his resources felt like hers too, allowing her to accept it openly.


    Still, it seemed others struggled to believe her explanation. They couldn¡¯t reconcile her words with the deeply ingrained belief that success in the system needed connections¡ªan assumption widespread among officials and the public alike.


    Seeing their skepticism, Lin Qiong decided not to elaborate. People were free to think what they wanted. Even in Mile City, speculation about her career advancements had sparked plenty of gossip, including within Public Security System circles. But no one dared confront her explicitly given her authority.


    "Lin Qiong... thank you so much." Wang Bing said appreciatively to Lin Qiong, feeling reassured by her strong stance. Given Lin Qiong¡¯s position as Sub-bureau Chief, her intervention seemed promising.


    "No problem. I have principles: I help those in the right and don¡¯t condone nepotism. As long as you¡¯re legally operating your family business, I¡¯ll support you. If someone comes causing trouble, no matter their connections, I¡¯ll deal with them. But if you¡¯re asking me to intervene in something unlawful, I won¡¯t help¡ªeven for friends or family. I hope you all understand it; I don¡¯t want relationships to be ruined over such issues."


    By stating her stance upfront, she saved everyone from potential awkwardness and earned their respect in the process. Her words left little room to argue.


    Wang Bing¡¯s phone rang again. After a brief conversation, his expression turned ecstatic. He hung up and excitedly said to Lin Qiong, "Lin Qiong, the situation has been resolved; they¡¯ve arrested those people. Thank you so much!"


    Lin Qiong smiled slightly and said, "It¡¯s no big deal. That said, the matter will proceed by the book. If anyone holds any liability, I won¡¯t let it slide."


    Wang Bing hurriedly remarked, "Understood, understood. This truly wasn¡¯t my girlfriend¡¯s family¡¯s fault. Those guys were just bullying with power."


    "That¡¯s good to hear."


    Chen Qiang interjected, "Lin Qiong, do you think this will really work out? After all, the other side is connected to a City Bureau Deputy Director. Arresting them outright means fully offending that person, which might negatively affect your future."


    Lin Qiong smiled defiantly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. My spine isn¡¯t that easily bent. Regardless of rank, whoever doesn¡¯t abide by reason, I¡¯ll stand up to them."


    The classmates were captivated by Lin Qiong¡¯s confidence and integrity, admiring her as a rare, true advocate for the people. Being her peers made them feel proud.


    Here¡¯s a recommendation for a hilariously entertaining urban novel, "Arrogant Youth Roaming the City." A great read, but be sure not to drink water while reading¡ªspilled liquids could damage your computer!

 Chapter 1299 - 1349 Preparing for Marriage

    Chapter 1299: Chapter 1349 Preparing for MarriageLin Qiong¡¯s phone rang at this moment. She glanced at the screen and frowned slightly. Wang Bing immediately guessed who the call was from and promptly said, "Lin Qiong, don¡¯t feel too pressured. Just make sure they don¡¯t keep harassing my girlfriend¡¯s family, and that¡¯s good enough."


    Lin Qiong didn¡¯t respond much. She simply answered the call, and the room instantly fell silent. Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted toward Lin Qiong.


    "Director Li." Lin Qiong addressed him with a polite tone.


    "Little Lin, your Sub-bureau just dealt with a public disturbance case and detained several individuals. One of them happens to be my nephew."


    "Director Li, I¡¯m not entirely informed about the specifics of this case yet. For now, I¡¯ve instructed them to handle it according to the law. Once I return, I¡¯ll look into the details and address the matter appropriately."


    "Little Lin, this isn¡¯t a major issue. Could you do me a favor and release him for now?"


    "Director Li, I assume you may not know all the details either. As the Deputy Director of the City Bureau, you¡¯ve always been an upright and exemplary figure I deeply respect. I¡¯m certain you wouldn¡¯t condone relatives engaging in illicit activities. It seems clear that they¡¯re using your name recklessly, which could damage your reputation. I can¡¯t stand by and let your relatives bring harm to you. So at the very least, I need to follow procedure and make a formal effort to address this matter. Don¡¯t you agree, Director Li?"


    "Haha... Little Lin, if that¡¯s how you see it, I won¡¯t push back. But my sister only has one son. Although he might be a bit disappointing, I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I understand. However, I¡¯m currently returning to my hometown and won¡¯t be back until tomorrow. Once I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll deal with this matter immediately. Director Li, I hope you can understand."


    "Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that. I¡¯ll wait for your call later."


    As Lin Qiong conversed with Director Li, Li Yifei nodded repeatedly. The Lin Qiong now was no longer as single-minded as before. Her approach to handling situations had become more methodical and strategic. Especially in dealing with leaders, she was no longer combative but instead employed more refined and skillful methods.


    When Lin Qiong hung up the phone, Wang Bing quickly said, "Lin Qiong, just let it go. Don¡¯t let my issues create conflicts between you and your superiors."


    Chen Qiang chimed in, "Yeah, Lin Qiong. We¡¯re classmates, and if you can resolve this, Wang Bing will be endlessly grateful. There¡¯s no need to make enemies over this."


    Lin Qiong shook her head and said, "I¡¯m not doing this solely for Wang Bing. Individuals like this need to be dealt with. If we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll continue using their influential uncle to grow bolder in their actions. As a police officer, I cannot allow such things to happen. Only by using the law to intimidate them and showing them that everyone is equal before the law¡ªno matter how powerful your background or connections are¡ªcan we curb their behavior and protect ordinary people."


    "Lin Qiong, I salute you!" Wu Dan suddenly exclaimed, "I¡¯ve always found it hard to accept you before, but starting today, I admire you. You are absolutely a good official. If our country had more good officials like you, we¡¯d be unparalleled. I¡¯ll toast to you!"


    "Yes, yes, let¡¯s toast to Lin Qiong!" Everyone raised their glasses.


    Lin Qiong also lifted her glass and said, "Thank you, everyone. I won¡¯t let you down. Cheers!"


    The gathering finally dispersed around six in the evening, and Li Yifei and Lin Qiong headed to her parents¡¯ home.


    Having been away for a while, they brought back quite a few gifts. But Lin Qiong¡¯s parents weren¡¯t particularly concerned about the gifts. What delighted them the most was seeing Li Yifei and Lin Qiong return.


    After learning that Li Yifei had several women around him, they had reluctantly agreed to Lin Qiong and Li Yifei being together. However, they still harbored concerns. Lin Qiong was temperamental, and her looks weren¡¯t the most striking among the Li family women. She didn¡¯t have much advantage, and they feared Lin Qiong might face grievances in the Li household.


    But seeing Li Yifei return with Lin Qiong, showing utmost respect to them and calling them "Mom" and "Dad" affectionately, eased their worries considerably.


    After some casual talk, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother looked at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, when will you marry Little Qiong?"


    Lin Qiong immediately responded, "Mom, let¡¯s not rush. We agreed to take things slowly."


    Lin Qiong pressed Lin Qiong¡¯s hand and smiled, saying, "Mom, I¡¯ve been busy lately, so I haven¡¯t thought much about it. But today, attending Qiongqiong¡¯s classmate¡¯s wedding, I was truly touched. A woman is at her most beautiful and happiest during her wedding. I too look forward to seeing her on that day. I will do everything to ensure she feels that happiness. So I¡¯ve decided¡ªwe should proceed sooner rather than later."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother immediately beamed and said, "Exactly! A girl¡¯s prime years are so fleeting. Waiting longer means she won¡¯t look as beautiful, even in a wedding dress."


    Though Lin Qiong no longer had to worry about aging, the matter of marriage was no trivial one. Li Yifei and his family had already decided to keep certain things discreet. Hence, neither he nor Lin Qiong revealed anything. Li Yifei smiled and said, "Right. Therefore, I¡¯ll make sure to give her and everyone a grand wedding within three years. This is something I promise completely."


    Seeing Li Yifei¡¯s positive attitude, Lin Qiong¡¯s mother felt even happier. She empathetically added, "I know this must be challenging for you. Your dad and I have thought it through. If it¡¯s not convenient for your side, why not host the wedding here? Our relatives don¡¯t know much about your family¡¯s situation. We just want people to feel that Little Qiong has properly married into your family. That way, everyone will be reassured. As for the divorce and remarriage stuff, you can handle that however you see fit. Holding the wedding would already signify the real beginning of your marriage. I trust you¡¯re not the kind of person who makes empty promises, so the legal certificate isn¡¯t as important to us."


    Li Yifei was deeply moved and said, "Thank you, Mom. That idea is perfect. But since I¡¯ve promised Qiongqiong, I¡¯ll ensure that Lin Qiong has a legal identity as well."


    "Hmm, alright, no rush then. When do you think you¡¯ll marry our Little Qiong?"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s father immediately interjected, "You¡¯re being hasty. Matters like this require Little Qiong discussing it with others. If we force a decision now, it might lead to misunderstandings later."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother conceded, "You¡¯re right. Alright, I won¡¯t push. Discuss it when you both return home. Once you¡¯ve chosen a date, let us know so we can start preparing. For the wedding, we¡¯ll take care of everything here. You just need to attend."


    With her parents being so accommodating, Li Yifei nodded repeatedly and said, "We¡¯ll plan it all once we¡¯re back. If we can expedite things, we¡¯ll do it quickly, so you both can feel at ease."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother was even more pleased now. She then looked at the couple and said, "Now that the wedding is settled, my next hope is to someday soon hold a grandchild. That¡¯s the wish I care about most!"


    Lin Qiong¡¯s face darkened, "Mom, why are you already pressuring me to have a baby?"


    "The sooner you have one, the better. Women are naturally meant to have children, and giving birth early means it¡¯s healthier and easier to care for. Don¡¯t wait until your dad and I are older. It¡¯ll be much harder for us to help then. Might as well have one sooner, right?"


    Li Yifei smiled, "Mom, I promise you this¡ªwithin one year, you¡¯ll be holding your grandchild."


    "Really?" Lin Qiong¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Li Yifei nodded seriously, "Yes, even if Qiongqiong objects, she¡¯ll absolutely end up pregnant."


    "Haha... Good, Yifei. You are the head of the household and should show such resolve. Don¡¯t let everything be up to the women, especially something as big as having children."


    Lin Qiong rolled her eyes, "I haven¡¯t even agreed yet. How can you decide without me?"


    Li Yifei immediately softened with a smile, "Qiongqiong, you should have a child now. Please, I¡¯m begging you, okay?"


    Lin Qiong snorted, "Fine, but if I can¡¯t conceive, you can¡¯t blame me. Yingying hasn¡¯t conceived yet either."


    Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly, "Of course, as long as you don¡¯t refuse."


    Lin Qiong¡¯s mother, seeing the couple reaching consensus, was elated. However, hearing about Yingying, she couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern, "Why hasn¡¯t Yingying conceived yet? It¡¯s been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it?"


    Lin Qiong sighed, "She has already been checked by the hospital. Physically, there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong. But she just hasn¡¯t conceived. Yingying doesn¡¯t say it openly, but I can tell she¡¯s very anxious about it."


    "Conceiving is something that can¡¯t be rushed. Many couples take years to have a child. It¡¯s just that fate hasn¡¯t brought a child into your family yet. When the time comes, it¡¯ll naturally happen."


    "Let¡¯s hope so."


    That night, Li Yifei and Lin Qiong stayed there. Naturally, the couple shared moments of intimacy. Although the room¡¯s soundproofing was decent, Lin Qiong¡¯s excitement made her voice quite loud. Lin Qiong¡¯s mother overheard it and felt overjoyed. Seeing how loving they were, she felt confident that a child was just a matter of time. Marriage was advancing, and with children in the picture, her concerns about Lin Qiong¡¯s standing in the Li family diminished.


    Over the weekend, Li Yifei returned home and discussed the marriage with his family. Everyone immediately expressed their agreement. In fact, most of them had been wondering when a wedding could finally happen. Although some elements might still be missing, the key was to host the wedding, giving their families clarity. This way, they wouldn¡¯t have to endure the pressure from relatives any longer.


    Seeing how everyone was on board, Li Yifei quickly scheduled it on their agenda. Preparations would require some time, but everyone agreed that who went first or second didn¡¯t matter much. As long as the weddings happened, whether sooner or later was of little significance. However, the consensus was that Yingying should be the first to hold her wedding.

 Chapter 1300 - 1350: Unveiling Xu Shanshan’s Relationships

    Chapter 1300: Chapter 1350: Unveiling Xu Shanshan¡¯s RelationshipsSince it was decided, Xu Yingying immediately called her mother. Her parents were incredibly excited about this news¡ªthey had been looking forward to this day for a long time. However, due to the circumstances in Li Yifei¡¯s household, they couldn¡¯t rush her too much. Now that Xu Yingying had taken the initiative to bring it up, it was nothing short of a pleasant surprise.


    Nonetheless, Xu Yingying suggested that the wedding be held at her parents¡¯ house and that the event should be low-key to avoid drawing too much attention.


    Her parents didn¡¯t object to this idea. After all, they were still working and hadn¡¯t retired yet. Xu Yingying¡¯s father was at least a cadre in the Public Security System, and if the wedding were too extravagant, it might create a bad impression. A simple gathering with family and friends would suffice.


    The matter was settled, and everyone immediately had something they couldn¡¯t wait to do¡ªchoosing a wedding dress. Several laptops were arranged on the coffee table as they whispered to each other and burst into joyful laughter from time to time.


    Seeing all this, Li Yifei felt happy as well. It seemed he hadn¡¯t done enough for them¡ªthe future required him to invest more care, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t deserve their unwavering loyalty to him.


    Most people were happy, but there were two exceptions: Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang. Xu Shanshan pouted for a moment before turning and leaving, while Jiang Ningxiang sat there in a daze.


    Li Yifei walked over, took Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand, and said, "Ningxiang, let¡¯s go for a walk."


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s body trembled slightly, then she smiled gently at Li Yifei and said, "Honey, help the sisters pick their wedding dresses. I¡¯m fine."


    Li Yifei smiled softly and said, "They won¡¯t finish picking out the dresses in just a day or two. I¡¯ll help them choose when they¡¯ve narrowed it down later. If I started picking now, it would exhaust me completely."


    Jiang Ningxiang finally followed Li Yifei out of the living room. Those inside glanced at them but didn¡¯t follow. Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s issue was something they couldn¡¯t help with¡ªthey could only leave it to Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang to work it out themselves.


    By now, it was late March, and the weather was no longer cold. On the lawn, amidst the yellow leaves, tender green grass had started to appear.


    Li Yifei held Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand and smiled as he said, "Spring is here! Look, the grass is sprouting. In a few days, the entire yard will turn green, and then flowers will bloom everywhere. Experiencing spring here for the first time must be truly wonderful."


    Jiang Ningxiang glanced around and softly replied, "Yes, spring has come."


    Li Yifei squeezed Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hand gently and said, "Spring signifies vibrant growth. The Li family will flourish, and my Little Ningxiang will become more beautiful than ever."


    Jiang Ningxiang looked at Li Yifei, her lips trembling slightly, as though she wanted to say something.


    "Anything you want to say, just tell me. No matter what it is, I¡¯ll make it happen for you," Li Yifei said.


    Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s eyes reddened, and she leaned weakly against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder, whispering, "Honey, you¡¯re so good to me. No one has ever treated me this way before¡ªyou¡¯re the best I¡¯ve ever had."


    Li Yifei gently stroked Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s hair and said tenderly, "Silly girl, you¡¯re my wife. How could I not treat you well? Besides, you¡¯re the mother of my son. If I don¡¯t treat you well, won¡¯t he hate me once he¡¯s born?"


    Jiang Ningxiang raised her head to look at Li Yifei, biting her lip, and said, "Honey, can you promise me something?"


    Li Yifei immediately nodded firmly, saying, "Ningxiang, whatever you say, I¡¯ll promise you."


    Jiang Ningxiang bit her lip again and said, "Honey, could you not tell anyone about my pregnancy? Don¡¯t tell anyone¡ªnot even the others in the house."


    "This... You¡¯ve decided to keep the baby?"


    Jiang Ningxiang nodded vigorously and said, "I want to, but... Since some people already know about my pregnancy, let¡¯s pretend we¡¯re getting rid of the baby and let everyone think I¡¯m not pregnant. Can we do that?"


    Li Yifei paused for a moment but quickly nodded and said, "I understand. You¡¯re trying to avoid the psychological pressure from others. Alright, we¡¯ll put on this act."


    "Thank you, honey," Jiang Ningxiang immediately flashed a radiant smile.


    "Haha, my Little Ningxiang! You really want this baby¡ªthat makes me so happy. Come here, let your husband give you a kiss." Saying that, he kissed Jiang Ningxiang on the cheek.


    Jiang Ningxiang quickly pushed Li Yifei away, nervously glancing around, and said, "Don¡¯t let anyone see!"


    "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. By the way, about that voice in your head..."


    "Well, no one¡¯s brought it up in the past few days, so I feel a little better now. Plus, pretending to have a miscarriage might act as another mental cue to help me feel more secure."


    "Alright, alright, we¡¯ll do that."


    Li Yifei couldn¡¯t be happier, but then he noticed Xu Shanshan standing by a nearby tree. He quickly grabbed Jiang Ningxiang and walked over, saying, "Shanshan, Ningxiang has decided to keep the baby¡ªI¡¯m so thrilled!"


    "Then congratulations," Xu Shanshan replied coolly.


    "Shanshan, what¡¯s wrong?" Li Yifei asked, noticing her evident lack of enthusiasm.


    Xu Shanshan bit her lip and tugged on Li Yifei¡¯s arm, saying, "Brother-in-law, come with me."


    Jiang Ningxiang stuck out her tongue and said, "Brother-in-law, Master, you two go ahead. I¡¯ll take a walk around the yard."


    Li Yifei quickly replied, "Be careful." Then he followed Xu Shanshan to her villa.


    The two went straight to Xu Shanshan¡¯s bedroom, where she immediately locked the door and stared at Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei sighed lightly, pulled Xu Shanshan into his arms, and said, "Shanshan, why don¡¯t I tell your sister about this?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Shanshan snorted and said, "Do you dare?"


    Li Yifei replied decisively, "Whether it¡¯s sooner or later, it has to be done eventually¡ªI¡¯ll just say it."


    But Xu Shanshan suddenly hugged Li Yifei tightly and said, "Brother-in-law, I really envy them. They¡¯re all going to marry you, but I... I can¡¯t. I really want to wear a wedding dress, and I really want to have a wedding with you."


    "Then let¡¯s do it!"


    Xu Shanshan pushed Li Yifei away, glaring at him as she said, "You think it¡¯s that easy? You want both daughters of our family to marry you? How would my parents handle that? What would the relatives think? My parents wouldn¡¯t be able to hold their heads up, and if they really got upset over it, I¡¯d be the one to blame. Besides, my sister wouldn¡¯t easily accept it either."


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "But seeing you so upset makes my heart ache too."


    "Sigh, let¡¯s just leave it for now. Don¡¯t rush¡ªI just get emotional sometimes, but it¡¯ll pass. Brother-in-law, I want you to love me properly now."


    Li Yifei had no reason to refuse and immediately embraced Xu Shanshan, tumbling onto the bed.


    Xu Yingying was happily looking over wedding dress designs with everyone, enjoying herself. But suddenly, she felt something unusual in her body¡ªa sensation she was all too familiar with. She immediately knew it was Xu Shanshan up to something, which left her feeling awkward, because whenever she felt this, her own reactions were always intense.


    "Yingying, what¡¯s wrong?" Ning Xin¡¯er, sitting next to Xu Yingying, asked suspiciously.


    Xu Yingying forced an awkward smile and said, "Nothing, I¡¯ll go back to my room for a bit." Although everyone here knew about her unique psychic connection with Xu Shanshan, having this happen in broad daylight was still embarrassing for her. She couldn¡¯t explain it.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er chuckled and said, "Yingying, judging by your expression, I¡¯m sure Shanshan¡¯s up to her usual mischief again."


    Xu Yingying felt even more embarrassed after Xiao Ling¡¯er called her out, but she soon accepted it. After all, this was the one area they were most candid about¡ªevery night, they would see each other¡¯s moments with Li Yifei, so even the most private actions were no longer taboo. She smiled wryly and said, "Who knows what that girl¡¯s up to¡ªacting out even during the day!"


    Su Mengxin¡¯s face showed a sympathetic expression as she said, "We¡¯re all here discussing wedding dresses, but Shanshan is all alone. You think she wouldn¡¯t feel lost? Once in a while, venting isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing."


    Ye Yunzhu agreed, saying, "Exactly. Shanshan is still by herself now. Watching all of us being so happy must make her feel uneasy inside."


    Zheng Yuling quickly chimed in, "Then shouldn¡¯t we set her up with a boyfriend? When we get the chance, we should see if there¡¯s anyone suitable for Shanshan."


    Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "That might be tough. If Shanshan finds a boyfriend, it would make Yingying quite uncomfortable as well."


    Xu Yingying instantly felt awkward. This wasn¡¯t the first time the topic had come up; it always ended inconclusively. She sighed and said, "Sigh, just thinking about it gives me a headache. I know Shanshan deserves her own happiness, but when I imagine her with another man, I just can¡¯t accept it."


    Su Mengxin glanced at Xu Yingying and said, "Yes, it¡¯s really hard to accept. Your psychic connection is just too strange, especially since it involves... that. It profoundly affects both of you mentally."


    "I have a suggestion¡ªYingying, please don¡¯t get mad at me," Su Yiyi said softly.


    "Yiyi, we¡¯re sisters. Why would I do that? Just say it."


    Su Yiyi hesitated for a moment before nervously saying, "Actually... when you¡¯re with our husband, Sister Shanshan often feels like she¡¯s... with him too. Over time, could this make her only able to accept our husband emotionally?"


    Everyone suddenly turned their eyes to Xu Yingying, whose face froze. Her lips parted slightly, but she couldn¡¯t utter a single word for a long time.

 Chapter 1301 - 1351: Xu Yingying Takes the Initiative

    Chapter 1301: Chapter 1351: Xu Yingying Takes the InitiativeThese words came from Su Yiyi, who usually speaks the least. This meant that everyone had been harboring similar thoughts deep down but avoided bringing them up out of consideration for Xu Yingying¡¯s feelings. Su Yiyi had initially planned to suppress these feelings too, but her naturally kind heart and the evident sadness from Xu Shanshan¡¯s departure prompted her to blurt them out.


    Some things can remain unspoken, allowing everyone to feign ignorance. But once they¡¯re said, there¡¯s no need for such pretense anymore.


    Lin Qiong chimed in at this moment, saying, "Yiyi is right. Put yourself in her shoes. If this had happened to me, I¡¯d never let Shanshan go find another man. I¡¯d feel as though, when she¡¯s with another man, I myself am also being... well, you know, XXOO¡¯d by that man."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er nodded repeatedly, saying, "Exactly, exactly! That¡¯s how it feels. If you look at it from Shanshan¡¯s perspective, she and our husband have already been together countless times. How could she possibly find another man after that?"


    Su Mengxin sighed and said, "Thinking about it now, Shanshan has truly endured so much. She can¡¯t even express her feelings. She has to act as though nothing has happened when she¡¯s with our husband. If it were anyone else, they would¡¯ve long been unable to bear it and would have clung to him actively instead."


    Listening to everyone¡¯s chatter, Xu Yingying stammered, "So... you¡¯re all saying... you support Shanshan being with our husband?"


    Everyone exchanged glances. Ye Yunzhu, seated beside Xu Yingying, patted her shoulder and said, "Honestly, from our perspective, we do support Shanshan being with our husband. But the challenge lies with you. Shanshan is your younger sister. Sisters marrying the same man is inherently hard to accept. This also touches upon ethical and moral boundaries. And there¡¯s also the concern about your family¡¯s reputation, especially whether your parents could accept it."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s lips twitched slightly as she slumped weakly onto the sofa. Her body displayed a strong physical reaction, but the mental pressure prevented her from dwelling on that. She said, "If I claim I haven¡¯t considered this, I¡¯d be lying. Sometimes I¡¯ve wondered if perhaps it would just be better for Shanshan to be with him, so neither of us would have any emotional burden moving forward. But she¡¯s my biological sister, and I always feel this isn¡¯t right. Plus, there¡¯s no way my parents would accept this. If relatives and friends found out that the two of us share a husband, I fear we would never be able to lift our heads again¡ªit¡¯s not like our current circumstances where no one knows. But when we go back to our hometown, we¡¯ll inevitably face our relatives."


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "Yingying, the key is you. If you can overcome this hurdle within yourself, the other issues can be tackled little by little. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t want Shanshan to spend her entire life alone, would you?"


    Xu Yingying forced a bitter smile and said, "Of course not. I can¡¯t be that selfish."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Then I¡¯ve thought of something. Let me know if you think it works."


    "Go ahead..." Xu Yingying already had a rough idea of what Su Mengxin was about to say and couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and said, "Then let Shanshan and our husband be together. As for your parents and relatives, just maintain that Yifei is your husband. Say that Shanshan doesn¡¯t want to get married and prefers to be single for life. Nowadays, being single isn¡¯t that uncommon, so it wouldn¡¯t stand out too much. Though when she visits your parents, she might have to endure some nagging." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Yingying sighed, rubbing her temples. "This situation is truly giving me a headache. What you¡¯re saying is indeed the best solution, actually¡ªah!" With a soft cry, Xu Yingying¡¯s body suddenly shuddered violently as she reached out to embrace Ye Yunzhu tightly.


    Ye Yunzhu, knowing what was happening, chuckled and said, "Shanshan probably goes through the same thing every now and then. Imagine how she must feel."


    After a long while, Xu Yingying finally calmed down, her face still flush. Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t the first time, so she wasn¡¯t as mortified. She said, "Alright, you¡¯ve convinced me. I¡¯ll go have a talk with Shanshan."


    As she spoke, Xu Yingying stood up, surprising everyone. No one had expected Xu Yingying to accept the idea so quickly.


    Xu Yingying arrived at Xu Shanshan¡¯s villa and saw the little maid walking out. "Is Shanshan inside?" she asked.


    The maid immediately replied, "Yes, she¡¯s inside with the master."


    Xu Yingying froze for a moment. Li Yifei was actually here? Did this mean... Shanshan and Li Yifei...? Anger bubbled up inside her as she stomped up the stairs and pushed open Xu Shanshan¡¯s bedroom door.


    Xu Shanshan was lazily sprawled on the bed, "Oh, hey sis," she said casually.


    Xu Yingying frowned, scanning the room, but there was no trace of Li Yifei. "Where¡¯s your brother-in-law?" she asked.


    "He left a while ago, just said a few words to me and then went to find Ningxiang," Xu Shanshan replied, turning over to face away from her sister, a smooth expanse of her back exposed as she clutched the quilt.


    Xu Yingying felt Xu Shanshan¡¯s demeanor was natural, which made her think she might have overreacted. Upon further thought, she reminded herself that she had come to discuss this very matter. Even if Li Yifei had been there with Shanshan, wasn¡¯t that exactly what she had decided to address? Anger seemed misplaced now.


    Kicking off her slippers, Xu Yingying climbed onto the bed beside Xu Shanshan and asked softly, "Shanshan, are you feeling down today?"


    "Not really. Just vented a bit earlier, so I feel better now," Xu Shanshan said blandly, still clutching the quilt. "You¡¯re not here to scold me, are you?"


    "Shanshan, why would I scold you? I understand your frustration. I came here because I¡¯m worried about you," Xu Yingying said, embracing her from behind.


    Xu Shanshan, puzzled, remarked, "You¡¯re worried about me?"


    Xu Yingying sighed, "Yes, I¡¯ve been selfish for so long despite everything you¡¯ve done for me. I feel terribly guilty."


    Xu Shanshan turned to face her sister, startled. "Guilt? Toward me? Are you running a fever?" she teased, even putting a hand on Xu Yingying¡¯s forehead.


    If it had been any other time, Xu Yingying would¡¯ve slapped her hand away. But now, this gesture only deepened her feelings of regret. "Shanshan, I¡¯m perfectly fine. Looking back, I realize I¡¯ve always been too harsh on you. I¡¯m sorry. After all, we¡¯re twins. I just happened to be born first."


    "You¡¯re not feverish. Did you take the wrong medicine, then?" Xu Shanshan ignored her explanation and inspected Xu Yingying closely.


    "You little brat!" Xu Yingying glared, yanking away Xu Shanshan¡¯s hand. "Is this how you want me to act?"


    "Yes, yes, now this feels like my sister. Otherwise, I might think someone possessed you." Xu Shanshan giggled and hugged Xu Yingying.


    Xu Yingying couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well. "You¡¯re exasperating. Shanshan, can you recall the last time we hugged and chatted like this?"


    Tilting her head in thought, Xu Shanshan replied, "Since middle school, maybe."


    "Exactly. It¡¯s been that long. We¡¯re twins. We should be closer than regular sisters, but we fought more than anything."


    "Well, I was mischievous, and you were the obedient type. Fighting was inevitable."


    The two reminisced about their childhood, a deep warmth washing over them. After chatting a while, Xu Yingying said, "And yet, we¡¯ve ended up with such a strange emotional connection. It¡¯s like fate is playing a joke on us."


    "So what if it is? What¡¯s wrong with that?" Xu Shanshan had noticed her sister¡¯s unusual behavior that day but feigned nonchalance as she posed the question.


    Xu Yingying bit her lip, cupping Xu Shanshan¡¯s cheeks, and locking eyes with her. "Shanshan, tell me honestly: ever since this connection began, have you had... special feelings for your brother-in-law?"


    Xu Shanshan froze, caught entirely off guard. She¡¯d spent all her energy pondering how to make Xu Yingying accept her relationship with Li Yifei, never imagining her sister would confront her directly. She wanted to avoid Xu Yingying¡¯s piercing gaze, but her face was firmly held.


    "Answer me directly. Is it true?" Xu Yingying¡¯s authoritative demeanor took over as she stared intently at her younger sister.


    Xu Shanshan gritted her teeth. "Sis, don¡¯t you already know? It¡¯s like he¡¯s forced himself on me every few days."


    "Don¡¯t change the subject. Answer directly. Do you want to be with him because of that?"


    "Well... um... Sis, I admit that because of this connection, it does feel like I¡¯ve been with him countless times. If it were anyone else, I would¡¯ve taken him for myself long ago! But he¡¯s my brother-in-law, your husband. How could I think that way? He¡¯s yours, and always will be."


    "Is that so?" Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes remained locked on hers.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled bitterly. "What else can it be? What other options do I have?"


    Xu Yingying took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Shanshan, what if I asked you to never seek another man for the rest of your life?"


    "Then I wouldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t planning to anyway," Xu Shanshan replied casually.


    "I¡¯m not finished. I¡¯m asking you to never seek another man and instead, be with your brother-in-law."


    "What?" Xu Shanshan blinked in shock, her mouth agape. You could practically fit an egg in there. Of all the things she imagined, she never expected Xu Yingying to propose this herself. How was she supposed to respond now?

 Chapter 1302 - 1352: Sisters Talk It Out

    Chapter 1302: Chapter 1352: Sisters Talk It Out"Sis... you¡¯re really feverish today, or did you take the wrong medicine." Xu Shanshan had no idea what Xu Yingying¡¯s true intentions were at this point, so she could only try to deflect the conversation.


    Xu Yingying felt that she might have pushed Xu Shanshan too hard, so she pulled the blanket over the two of them, held Xu Shanshan in her arms, and spoke softly, "Shanshan, I¡¯m not joking with you today. I¡¯m talking to you seriously. We were discussing this earlier, thinking about your future, and everyone was quite emotional. After thinking it over, we all feel that the best solution is for you to be with your brother-in-law."


    "This... Sis, you¡¯re not serious, are you?" Xu Shanshan felt a wave of intense joy but dared not show it on her face.


    "Of course I¡¯m serious. Do I look like I¡¯m joking with you?"


    "You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re joking, but why do I feel like you¡¯re trying to trap me, trying to find out if I¡¯ve had anything improper with my brother-in-law? I¡¯m still pure, you know. They can inspect me anytime."


    This was Xu Shanshan¡¯s trump card. She feared the day this might come up, so she made sure to keep her innocence intact as an ultimate explanation to Xu Yingying. This was precisely why she had stubbornly refused to lose it.


    "I believe you. You¡¯re my sister. If I don¡¯t trust anyone, I¡¯ll always trust you." Xu Yingying chuckled softly. "You rascal. Were you messing with me on purpose, causing trouble for me?"


    "Who asked you to mess with me first? I had to get back at you!"


    "That was your brother-in-law¡¯s doing. If you want revenge, go find him." Xu Yingying suddenly relaxed and teased her.


    "Oh my gosh, Sis, you¡¯ve truly lost it. Why do you keep talking about this today?" Xu Shanshan was starting to believe Xu Yingying might actually be serious, but the suggestion was too shocking, and she couldn¡¯t dare to agree so hastily. If Xu Yingying had other motives, it could spell disaster for both her and Li Yifei.


    "I¡¯m not crazy, Shanshan. I¡¯ll tell you plainly: if you have any other man, I might really lose it. Just thinking about you with another man, while I somehow resonate with it emotionally, feels like I¡¯m involved in it with your man too. How could I ever face your brother-in-law after that?"


    "Hehe, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, brother-in-law and elder sister-in-law¡ªgetting cozy might be healthier!" Xu Shanshan chuckled mischievously.


    "Get out of here! That¡¯s way too inappropriate. I refuse to believe you¡¯d tolerate something like that."


    Xu Shanshan shrugged and said, "Fine, I admit I can¡¯t tolerate it, which is why I¡¯ve avoided dating other men."


    "Exactly. So let¡¯s cut to the chase¡ªboth of us can just be with your brother-in-law. He has so many women around him, and I can tolerate them. Why can¡¯t I tolerate my own sister?"


    Xu Shanshan hesitated for a moment and said, "Sis, your suggestion is utterly insane. I¡¯m genuinely a little scared."


    Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not forcing you. Think about it yourself. If you¡¯re willing to be with your brother-in-law, I¡¯ll agree. If not, we¡¯ll talk about it later."


    "Thank goodness. I thought you¡¯d be pressuring me! Sis... if I do agree, I¡¯m saying if here¡ªwhat about Mom and Dad?"


    Xu Yingying sighed and said, "That¡¯s the biggest issue. I don¡¯t have a good solution right now. We¡¯ll figure it out later. There¡¯ll eventually be an opportunity to help them accept this."


    Xu Shanshan nodded and replied, "Exactly. They¡¯ve had a hard time accepting others as it is. Now if both their daughters end up with one man, it¡¯d be too much for them¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t accept it emotionally, nor could they show their faces in public. Imagine explaining that to the relatives."


    Xu Yingying murmured in agreement, "You¡¯re full of ideas. I think I¡¯ll leave that problem for you to solve."


    Xu Shanshan quickly protested, "Why me? I haven¡¯t even agreed to this, and you¡¯re already tossing this hot potato to me? This isn¡¯t fair!"


    Xu Yingying burst into laughter and said, "It¡¯s your only option. Even if you don¡¯t agree now, you definitely will in the future. So, it¡¯s ultimately yours to handle."


    "Sis, you¡¯re being so unfair." Xu Shanshan was visibly distressed but inwardly delighted. The situation that had long troubled her seemed to now have a resolution. Still, she couldn¡¯t openly express her joy¡ªit would make her desires too obvious. Letting things drag on for a bit before being with Li Yifei would make it easier for Xu Yingying to accept emotionally.


    "Who said you were my sister? It¡¯s decided."


    "Hey, hey, you¡¯re way too bossy! I¡¯ve always seen my brother-in-law as just that¡ªa brother-in-law. Forcing me into this is too much, isn¡¯t it?"


    Xu Yingying shot her a fierce look and said, "You little brat, stop pretending. You¡¯ve always liked your brother-in-law, haven¡¯t you? With emotional resonance, how could you not like him? Besides... when something happens to you, your brother-in-law is more anxious than anyone else. You know how he feels about you, don¡¯t you? I just didn¡¯t think it through before."


    "There¡¯s nothing going on! Brother-in-law and sister-in-law can¡¯t be close? Our relationship is completely innocent."


    "Innocent... huh. Tell me, back when you framed me, who took off my and your brother-in-law¡¯s clothes?"


    "Ah... You¡¯re still thinking about that? And you¡¯re asking me now?" Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes widened before bursting into laughter.


    "Hmph, yes, I¡¯m asking now. It would¡¯ve been awkward to ask back then. Now it¡¯s fine¡ªI¡¯m giving my husband to you anyway. Why be shy? Tell me, what else did you do that night?"


    Xu Shanshan first pursed her lips into a smile before laughing uncontrollably. As she laughed, she said, "I really didn¡¯t do anything else. Just took off your clothes and smeared some blood on the bedsheets."


    "A grown girl, taking off a man¡¯s clothes¡ªyou must¡¯ve been quite bold."


    "Well, you were so clueless, Sis! You¡¯d been dating him for so long with no progress. If I hadn¡¯t helped, would you and your brother-in-law even be together? You were both so drunk¡ªundressing you almost killed me. And you¡¯ve never properly thanked me."


    "I¡¯m thanking you now, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯m just asking¡ªdid you do anything else?" Xu Yingying blinked at her.


    Xu Shanshan giggled wickedly and said, "It was my first time seeing a man¡¯s body, so I took an extra... couple of glances."


    "Just a couple of glances?"


    "Of course, just a couple of glances. What else do you think I could¡¯ve done?"


    "Did you touch him? With your curiosity, I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t."


    "Uh... I might have touched him a tiny bit." Xu Shanshan laughed awkwardly.


    "I knew you couldn¡¯t behave." Xu Yingying pinched her, then softened her tone. "Shanshan, from now on, we¡¯re really going to be together for the rest of our lives. Thinking about it, it¡¯s pretty nice."


    Xu Shanshan gazed at her and asked, "Sis, do you really want to spend your whole life with me?"


    "Though you always annoy me, we¡¯re sisters. No bond is closer than ours. Having always been together from childhood to now¡ªit¡¯s not bad to stay together forever."


    "Oh, then maybe I really should give this serious thought."


    Xu Yingying nodded. "I mean it. Think it over properly. I¡¯ll discuss it with your brother-in-law later. Whatever happens will be up to you two. But for now, I¡¯d really want it to work out."


    "Okay, thanks, Sis." Xu Shanshan hugged Xu Yingying, genuinely touched this time.


    "I knew you had this intention long ago. Alright, come and pick out wedding dresses with me."


    "I¡¯m not going. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my wedding."


    "There you go again. How about you marry first this time? No one can tell us apart anyway."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up. "Hey, that¡¯s a good idea! We could take turns wearing the same dress and makeup¡ªno one, including our brother-in-law and parents, would know who¡¯s who. Wouldn¡¯t that be fun?"


    "Well..." Xu Yingying said casually but hesitated upon seeing Xu Shanshan¡¯s excitement. "But if someone catches both of us together, it¡¯d be hard to explain."


    "Hehe, don¡¯t forget¡ªI¡¯m a pro."


    "Sure you¡¯re a pro, but I¡¯m not."


    Xu Shanshan looked disappointed. "True. Guess we¡¯ll wait and see."


    "Now you¡¯re exposing your true thoughts. You¡¯re barely pretending to consider this. I bet you wish your brother-in-law was already in your bed tonight."


    "Nothing like that!" Xu Shanshan protested shyly.


    "Haha, alright, stop stalling! I¡¯m your sister¡ªwho knows you better than me? Hurry and get up. Let¡¯s go explore wedding dress options together."


    "Uh... Forget it, Sis. I honestly haven¡¯t figured out how to face everyone." Xu Shanshan wasn¡¯t pretending this time. She¡¯d held a special status in the household, but agreeing to this would mean becoming just like everyone else. Though she¡¯d always dreamed of it, now that the moment had arrived, she felt somewhat unsettled.


    Xu Yingying understood and laughed. "Alright, take your time adjusting. I¡¯ll head out first."


    "Okay, thanks, Sis." Xu Shanshan stayed on the bed, watching Xu Yingying leave the room. Moments later, Li Yifei climbed in through the window and hugged Xu Shanshan tightly.


    Xu Shanshan embraced him just as closely and whispered, "Brother-in-law, we can. We can."


    Li Yifei was overwhelmed with emotion. "Yes, finally. I really ought to thank Yingying for this."


    "Mm, Sis is amazing!" Xu Shanshan nodded before pulling Li Yifei into a passionate kiss. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1303 - 1353: It’s Settled Then

    Chapter 1303: Chapter 1353: It¡¯s Settled ThenHere is the translated text:


    ---


    After being affectionate for a while, Xu Shanshan parted from Li Yifei, flashed him a sweet smile, and said, "Brother-in-law, suddenly I don¡¯t want to give up my role as the younger sister-in-law."


    "Why?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened instantly.


    Xu Shanshan chuckled lightly and said, "Now I feel Meng Xiaofei is really smart. She refuses to admit she¡¯s your woman, so she can sneak some time with you occasionally without anyone saying anything. But if she did admit, then she would have to join the rotating schedule. Same goes for me now. My sister finally gave her approval, so I also get to experience the real taste of romance."


    Li Yifei quickly caught Xu Shanshan¡¯s train of thought and laughed, "Alright, then we won¡¯t announce it now. We can just date like normal."


    Xu Shanshan stretched out her arms and said relaxedly, "Hmm, that¡¯s perfect. I need to reclaim everything I¡¯ve missed. Not having to sneak around anymore feels great."


    Li Yifei was in incredibly high spirits today. First, Jiang Ningxiang agreed to keep the baby, and then Xu Shanshan¡¯s matter was finally solved. Although dealing with Xu Shanshan¡¯s parents would still be tough, the biggest worry for Li Yifei was Xu Yingying¡¯s attitude within the Li family. If this could be resolved, everything else would be minor issues.


    Back at his villa, everyone was still busy discussing wedding dresses when Li Yifei walked in. As soon as he entered, all eyes turned toward him.


    Li Yifei pretended not to notice but couldn¡¯t hide the cheerful expression on his face. He announced, "I have an important piece of news to share¡ªNingxiang has decided to have the baby." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group initially intended to tease Li Yifei, but upon hearing the news, they cheered enthusiastically.


    Li Yifei waved his hand and said, "But Ningxiang still feels pressured, so for now, we need to publicly announce that she had a miscarriage. Apart from us, no one should know that she¡¯s still pregnant. This way, Ningxiang won¡¯t feel so stressed. I hope everyone can cooperate."


    Everyone found the idea rather unique, but given Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s peculiar nature, they quickly understood. Since Ningxiang decided to have the child, it was wonderful news, and everyone was genuinely happy for her.


    "Husband, there¡¯s another good piece of news to share with you!" Xiao Ling¡¯er, who had been holding back, couldn¡¯t wait any longer. As soon as Li Yifei finished speaking, she blurted it out.


    "What good news? Seems like today is a lucky day!" Li Yifei smiled and sat beside Su Mengxin, choosing her company deliberately since Mengxin knew about his and Xu Shanshan¡¯s relationship. Sitting next to her could allow Mengxin to signal him if something went wrong.


    Zheng Yuling chuckled and said, "We¡¯ve found you another girl."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes went wide and said, "Don¡¯t mess around! Noah¡¯s Ark sent so many people here, and I didn¡¯t take even one. What¡¯s this about finding someone for me again? Stop teasing me."


    Su Yiyi grinned, saying, "It¡¯s true."


    "Really?" Li Yifei pretended to be shocked.


    Ning Xin¡¯er giggled and said, "Yep, and this time, you¡¯ll definitely agree."


    "Ah, I know! You mean Meng Xiaofei, right? Xiaofei, this time you can¡¯t escape!"


    Meng Xiaofei, who had been laughing on the sidelines, immediately stood up in alarm when Li Yifei suddenly mentioned her. She panicked, "No, no! It¡¯s not me."


    Seeing Meng Xiaofei¡¯s exaggerated reaction, everyone froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. The conversation quickly shifted to Meng Xiaofei. Li Xinyue teased, "Xiaofei, even though we weren¡¯t talking about you earlier, shouldn¡¯t you join us soon? Stop being special."


    Meng Xiaofei frantically waved her hands, saying, "I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not! Don¡¯t misinterpret. I¡¯m just Brother Li¡¯s sister¡ªa sister! Okay, I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m going to sleep now." With that, she bolted out like a rabbit, disappearing from the room in an instant.


    Everyone exchanged looks and then burst into laughter. Meng Xiaofei was truly amusing. Despite the clear signs, she kept insisting and refused to admit anything.


    "Husband, see? Even if you want to win Xiaofei over, you¡¯ve got to use some strategy. You scared her away again. But we¡¯ve got you another option¡ªthis one won¡¯t run away," Xiao Ling¡¯er winked at Li Yifei.


    "Good grief, what are you all plotting?"


    Xu Yingying shot him a glance and said, "I¡¯ve decided to let Shanshan be with you. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want her."


    "Huh?" Li Yifei¡¯s eyes widened, half in deliberate surprise, half out of genuine bewilderment. Xu Yingying¡¯s assertiveness caught him off guard.


    "So? This girl good enough for you?" Ye Yunzhu asked as she winked at Li Yifei.


    "Um... Yingying, can we not joke about this?" Li Yifei had barely finished his sentence when he felt a sharp pinch on his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Su Mengxin¡¯s playful smile.


    Li Yifei held Mengxin¡¯s hand tightly, sharing a silent understanding only they could grasp.


    Xu Yingying said seriously, "I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯ve been going over this for a long time. The connection Shanshan and I share makes it impossible for her to pair with another guy. If she did, it would feel like you¡¯re being cuckolded."


    Lin Qiong chimed in, "Exactly! Shanshan is such a great girl, and her relationship with you has always been so close. Accepting her is only natural for you."


    Li Yifei laughed awkwardly, saying, "Um... can we not joke about this?"


    Xu Yingying gave him a stern look and said, "Who¡¯s joking? Let me ask you just one thing¡ªdo you like Shanshan?"


    Li Yifei coughed and said, "I do like her, but... not the way you¡¯re thinking."


    "Liking her is enough. We¡¯ve all discussed this and made a decision. If you can¡¯t properly win Shanshan over, none of us will let you off the hook."


    Li Yifei never imagined Xu Yingying would handle things this way and said, "Yingying, is this something that can be forced?"


    "I can¡¯t force others, but I can force Shanshan. This is the mission we¡¯ve given you¡ªif you fail, we won¡¯t take turns anymore. You can sleep alone every night."


    "Right! You sleep alone!" Everyone said in unison.


    Li Yifei was both amused and exasperated. How did things turn out like this? He could only go along and say, "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go coax Shanshan. Happy now?"


    Su Mengxin pinched Li Yifei again but gripped his hand tightly afterward. She was genuinely happy for Xu Shanshan. Shanshan and Li Yifei had known each other for over two years and had feelings for nearly as long. The bottled-up emotions Shanshan had endured were something only she could truly comprehend. Su Mengxin understood to some extent, and now, at long last, the clouds had parted to reveal the moonlight.


    During dinner, everyone gathered in the dining room. Xu Shanshan kept her head down, looking visibly embarrassed. On the other hand, Meng Xiaofei had already shrugged off the awkwardness of the afternoon; she grinned at Xu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, you¡¯re about to become my sister-in-law!"


    Xu Shanshan lightly slapped Meng Xiaofei¡¯s leg and retorted, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    Meng Xiaofei laughed, "It¡¯s already decided. Even if you oppose it, it won¡¯t change anything."


    Xu Shanshan snorted, glanced at Li Yifei, and said, "Even so, it depends on how Brother-in-law performs. If he doesn¡¯t do well, I won¡¯t agree."


    Meng Xiaofei immediately said, "No problem! Brother Li is a master at wooing women¡ªespecially getting them into bed."


    Everyone burst out laughing.


    Xiao Ling¡¯er cheerfully chimed in, "Xiaofei, we¡¯ve also decided on you."


    Meng Xiaofei didn¡¯t run this time; she scratched her head and said, "Well... you guys can decide whatever you want. I¡¯m not done having fun yet. We¡¯ll talk when I¡¯ve had enough."


    However, during dinner, nobody brought up Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s situation. After all, there were still some household staff standing by.


    After dinner, everyone gathered again to discuss Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s matter. The next day, news was released claiming that Jiang Ningxiang had lost the baby. Over the following days, Jiang Ningxiang underwent a "miscarriage procedure" and stayed at her villa to rest, with the kitchen specially preparing nourishing foods for her.


    This convinced the household staff that Jiang Ningxiang had indeed lost her child.


    Everyone found it odd. Normally, when a Li family wife became pregnant, it was cause for celebration. But Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s pregnancy ended so quickly, making it a uniquely puzzling case for the Li family. Although curious, the servants wouldn¡¯t dare ask questions about Li Yifei¡¯s private affairs¡ªthey simply accepted that Jiang Ningxiang had miscarried.


    This carefully crafted charade did lift Jiang Ningxiang¡¯s spirits significantly. The voice in her mind urging her not to keep the baby grew fainter, and when Li Yifei was with her, her face often radiated happiness and contentment.


    This showed that Jiang Ningxiang truly wanted the baby. It was her mental stress that had made her hesitant. With that stress alleviated, she returned to normal.


    This made Li Yifei very excited but also extremely cautious. He couldn¡¯t afford a repeat of past mistakes. To protect Jiang Ningxiang and her pregnancy, only his wives knew about it; nobody else had a clue.


    That day, Li Yifei received a phone call from an unfamiliar number. When he answered, a man¡¯s raspy voice said, "I have your son."


    ---

 Chapter 1304 - 1354: News of the Son

    Chapter 1304: Chapter 1354: News of the Son"What?!" Li Yifei suddenly shot to his feet, his executive chair sliding violently backward, slamming into the windowsill with a heavy thud.


    Su Yiyi and Michelle, who were in Li Yifei¡¯s office, jumped in fright. Having been with Li Yifei for so long, they¡¯d never seen him lose composure like this. Clearly, something major had happened, and for Li Yifei to react so strongly, the gravity of the situation left both Michelle and Su Yiyi unable to even imagine its severity.


    "Heh heh!" The caller let out an extraordinarily unpleasant laugh and said, "Do you want your son back?"


    "Go ahead, name your conditions." It had been over three months since his son had disappeared. While Li Yifei had constantly thought of him, he had come to grudgingly accept the situation. However, now that the perpetrators had unexpectedly made contact, he was overcome with emotion. Still, he quickly composed himself, knowing that excitement alone wouldn¡¯t solve the problem.


    "Conditions? I want one billion." (Note: The Chinese numeral here equals one billion USD, colloquially expressed as "ten hundred million.")


    Li Yifei snorted and said, "Quite the appetite you¡¯ve got."


    "A billion might be a lot for others, but for the illustrious head of the Li family, this amount should hardly pose any difficulty, no?"


    "Even so, it¡¯s too much. My wealth is tied up in my businesses; I can¡¯t gather such a vast sum quickly."


    "Don¡¯t bother bargaining with me. If you want your son back, hand over the billion."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Fine, how do you want me to give you the money? Don¡¯t tell me in cash¡ªI wouldn¡¯t be able to hand over that much liquid cash even if you demanded it, and you wouldn¡¯t be able to carry it away."


    "Thanks for pointing that out. I¡¯ll provide you a bank account later. And let me warn you: you¡¯d better not try tracking any interbank transfers. If I find even the slightest trace, I¡¯ll kill your son immediately."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll give you the money, but you¡¯ve got to let me see my son first. Without proof, I won¡¯t hand over a single penny."


    Only now did Su Yiyi and Michelle grasp why Li Yifei was so rattled. Both almost screamed out loud but hurriedly clapped their hands over their mouths, exchanging alarmed glances. Then, excitement tinged their faces¡ªthough one billion was an astronomical figure, the Li family could manage it. Money could always be earned back, but recovering his son outweighed everything else.


    "That¡¯s certainly no problem. We can do an exchange¡ªmoney for the boy. I¡¯ll let you know the address later, but you must come alone. Bring even one extra person, and your son dies without question."


    "Fine! I agree!" Li Yifei promptly accepted.


    "You¡¯ve got two days to prepare the money. I¡¯ll call you again the day after. Goodbye." The caller hung up decisively after making his final statement.


    Li Yifei lowered the phone, and Su Yiyi and Michelle instantly rushed over, chattering all at once, "Honey, is this about our son? Are they saying they¡¯ll release him if we give them the money?"


    Li Yifei grasped their hands and said, "Calm down, calm down!" Although he was trying to steady them, his own heart was less composed. Normally cool and rational even under adverse conditions, this time it felt impossible to remain level-headed. His son¡ªhis firstborn son¡ªwas at stake. Despite having been with him for less than a month before the abduction, the bond of blood was unbreakable. The fatherly affection growing within him made this situation profoundly poignant.


    After everyone took a few deep breaths, Li Yifei forced himself to retain composure. He glanced at the incoming caller¡¯s number¡ªit was registered to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Numbers like this, set up without documented IDs, were everywhere in China, making proper tracing utterly futile. Furthermore, the sheer patience the culprits exhibited¡ªwaiting three months to make their demand¡ªdemonstrated their exceptional self-control. Clearly, these were no ordinary kidnappers, as most would have rushed to extort money long ago.


    "Yiyi, go call Fangqing over, and bring Yingying too."


    Su Yiyi bolted out the door.


    Michelle, fists clenched tightly against her chest, exclaimed, "Finally, there¡¯s news about the boy, hubby! This is wonderful!"


    Li Yifei nodded, saying, "The culprits certainly know how to stay hidden."


    Michelle asked, "But honey, besides the ransom amount, do they have other demands?"


    "Not as of now, except insisting I go alone."


    "Alone?! Why wouldn¡¯t they send someone else instead? Aren¡¯t they aware you¡¯re the Golden Eagle? Having you go would only make things more dangerous!"


    Before Li Yifei could respond, Xu Yingying and He Fangqing entered in a hurry, Su Yiyi trailing behind and closing the door after them. Xu Yingying, too impatient to wait, blurted out, "Have you heard something about our son?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "I just received a call. They¡¯re demanding a billion in ransom."


    "Good! We¡¯ll pay it, we¡¯ll pay it. It doesn¡¯t matter as long as our baby is safe." Xu Yingying unhesitatingly agreed with conviction.


    Li Yifei turned to He Fangqing and asked, "Fangqing, can we gather one billion in funds readily?"


    He Fangqing replied promptly, "We can¡¯t today, but we should be able to by tomorrow night." She possessed an intimate understanding of all financial flows in the company, and her mind processed everything without hesitation.


    "Alright, prepare the billion by tomorrow night," Li Yifei confirmed.


    Once the initial shock settled, the group sat down, and Michelle raised a critical question from the back of her mind.


    Xu Yingying, He Fangqing, and Su Yiyi simultaneously realized something amiss. Xu Yingying speculated, "For kidnappers, their primary concern is the money. They¡¯d prefer whoever delivers it to pose the least threat. Insisting you go personally seems sketchy."


    He Fangqing added gravely, "Exactly. They can¡¯t be unaware of your skills. Insisting you go is inherently risky¡ªunless they have another agenda and that¡¯s why you¡¯re being targeted."


    Li Yifei shook his head, remarking, "If this is a high-intelligence team, there are countless ways they could operate. One single person doesn¡¯t even need to show up¡ªthey could set up a laptop, place the boy in a cradle, and use pre-programmed devices or remote controls. In a scenario like that, even my martial expertise wouldn¡¯t help me get them. They¡¯ve already demonstrated their capability by taking the boy and evading for three months before seeking ransom. They¡¯re not amateurs, especially given they know he¡¯s my son yet dared to move forward."


    Li Yifei recalled his time battling elite organizations on an island years ago, settling old scores once and for all. Those organizations today wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly against him. But now, someone had challenged him using such calculated, underhanded methods. If he tracked them down, his face suddenly bore a frighteningly sinister expression¡ªone the women had never seen. They knew this indicated true murderous intent brewing.


    Returning home, Li Yifei explained the situation to his family. Everyone was deeply stirred, especially Su Mengxin, who was moved to tears. Yet Mengxin, true to her nature, regained clarity quickly after her initial emotional surge.


    Taking a deep breath, she said, "Honey, I feel this incident is aimed squarely at you."


    Li Yifei nodded and replied, "No doubt about it¡ªthey¡¯re targeting me."


    "Then going would bring danger, which is why I feel you shouldn¡¯t go either," Su Mengxin said firmly, her gaze locked intently onto Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly, holding Su Mengxin¡¯s hand and asking gently, "Mengxin, don¡¯t you trust me? After all these years, how many people have tried to take me down, and how many successes have they had?"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er clenched her fists and interjected excitedly, "Exactly! Hubby, you¡¯ve even taken out sharks in the water; a few ordinary criminals will be nothing! Plus, with your improved skills now, there¡¯s no one left on earth who can surpass you."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, heavily pregnant and nearing her due date, could no longer move freely. However, her mischievous personality remained intact, and her blind admiration for Li Yifei was unwavering.


    Su Mengxin shook her head, saying, "Your abilities have indeed grown, but you¡¯ve lost that sharp, decisive clarity in handling crises. Faced with your son¡¯s situation, you¡¯ll struggle to make the cold hard choices."


    Li Yifei froze for a moment, and Su Mengxin continued, "I know you¡¯re anxious about saving him, but we have to plan for the worst. You can¡¯t put yourself in jeopardy for the boy. If...if something happens to him, I can bear with it. We can have another child together; in this family, there¡¯s no shortage of people nor future children. But if anything happens to you, the entire Li family crumbles. You¡¯ve lost sight of what¡¯s more important here."


    Li Yifei took a deep calming breath and said, "Mengxin, thank you for the reminder. I understand now. I¡¯ll save my son, but not at the cost of my own life." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Mengxin locked eyes with him and finally nodded. "Good. Then we¡¯ll make thorough preparations. We won¡¯t let them lead us by the nose; we¡¯ll seize control of the situation."


    Li Yifei nodded resolutely and said, "Alright. I¡¯ll start arranging things right away." Then he stood up and strode out purposefully.


    The Li family was brimming with skilled figures, some even having questionable pasts involving environments like this. Among them were experts across various disciplines. With their collective effort, they were bound to overwhelm these adversaries¡ªunless backed by a massive criminal syndicate. Otherwise, there was no doubt Li Yifei would track them down and make them pay dearly. In the past, he had managed it solo; now, with the family¡¯s resources at his disposal, he was even more assured of success.

 Chapter 1305 - 1355: Trouble All the Way

    Chapter 1305: Chapter 1355: Trouble All the WayThe next day, an unfamiliar number called. Relying on his intuition, Li Yifei immediately knew it must be from the other party. After nodding to the few people in the room, he finally answered the phone.


    The room was filled with electronic equipment. If anyone else saw this scene, they would surely suspect it was some critical military department because even the average technical division of the Public Security Bureau or ordinary military equipment wouldn¡¯t be this advanced.


    For most, getting their hands on equipment like this, let alone even seeing them, would be a long shot. But given Li Yifei¡¯s extensive connections over the years, especially in this particular field, acquiring such tools was not difficult.


    As for the specialized personnel, Li Yifei had also made early arrangements to recruit them. This place could be considered the core of the entire Li family estate, with most of the electronic surveillance equipment located here.


    "Is the money ready?" The hoarse voice returned, but this time the phone number wasn¡¯t the same as yesterday¡¯s.


    Li Yifei replied, "Ten billion¡ªdo you think it¡¯s so easy to put that together?"


    "You own so many companies. All you need to do is transfer the funds to one account. It¡¯s not that hard."


    "Even so, it takes time." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don¡¯t care how you do it. Ten billion¡ªnot a penny less. If you want to see your son tomorrow, you¡¯ll do as I say."


    "No problem. Now, can I at least hear my child¡¯s voice?"


    "Hehehe, you¡¯ll see him tomorrow. Then you can listen as much as you want; no one will disturb you¡ªhahaha..." The caller burst into laughter before abruptly hanging up.


    "Boss, we¡¯ve traced the phone. It was made from the provincial capital, but we haven¡¯t pinpointed the exact location yet."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes. "From the provincial capital?"


    Someone sitting in front of a computer replied, "That¡¯s what our monitoring equipment indicates. But if the other party has advanced instruments, they could¡¯ve spoofed the address. We can¡¯t be certain where they are."


    Another person added, "If we had a longer phone conversation, we might analyze it more precisely, but they clearly won¡¯t give us that much time."


    Li Yifei nodded slightly. "They¡¯re certainly not going to give us that chance."


    An organized operation this sophisticated would never make such a low-level mistake as revealing their location. The provincial capital reference was clearly a deliberate decoy to mislead Li Yifei into focusing on the area.


    For now, however, Li Yifei had no choice but to mobilize the funds. He Fangqing had already been preparing for this, reallocating capital from several branch offices. They quickly pulled together the ten billion required.


    For most major enterprises, it would be exceedingly difficult to gather such an amount on short notice. Even for Li Yifei, whose funds were tied up in large-scale investments across various sectors, it wasn¡¯t easy. If not for his ample resources, assembling this amount would have been nearly impossible.


    By around 8 p.m., the other party called again.


    "Is the money ready?"


    "It¡¯s ready."


    This time, Li Yifei responded decisively. Playing games with them was pointless now.


    "Indeed, Clan Leader Li is wealthy beyond words. Let¡¯s meet tomorrow, shall we? Keep your phone charged and make sure your account is topped up for call credit. If I can¡¯t reach you tomorrow, I won¡¯t be responsible for your son¡¯s life¡ªhahaha..."


    The caller laughed again and hung up.


    That evening, everyone stayed up late. The matter of their son weighed heavily on so many hearts. Su Mengxin, Xu Yingying, Ye Yunzhu, He Fangqing, and Lin Qiong all stayed behind.


    It wasn¡¯t chaos that kept them. These five were the most composed and decisive people in the family. Staying with Li Yifei that night, they wanted to give him their advice and support.


    "Husband, always remember what I¡¯ve said. No matter what, you¡¯re the most important person to this family." Su Mengxin sat across from Li Yifei, her expression serious.


    Li Yifei smiled faintly. "Mengxin, you¡¯ve already said this countless times today."


    Su Mengxin sighed. "I know I¡¯m being repetitive, but I can¡¯t help reminding you. I know you too well. I¡¯m afraid you might risk your safety for our son when the time comes."


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze swept across them, one by one. He spoke earnestly, "I understand. Sacrificing my life for my son would be irresponsible to all of you. I¡¯m not so reckless as to forget my limits."


    Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei. "Husband, I trust your abilities, but you still can¡¯t be careless. You know the saying: ¡¯Better safe than sorry.¡¯ Got it?"


    "Got it. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve all been nagging me so much that it¡¯s starting to weigh on me."


    Lin Qiong nodded. "Exactly¡ªdon¡¯t let these words become a burden on his mind. That¡¯d only hinder him. Here, Husband, let me massage you and help you relax."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "Alright, not a bad idea."


    Lying down, Li Yifei truly indulged himself this time. Two massaged his legs, two worked on his arms, and one rubbed his head. This kind of treatment¡ªreminiscent of a wealthy landowner¡¯s luxurious pampering¡ªwas something Li Yifei fully enjoyed tonight.


    Before long, Li Yifei allowed himself to drift into slumber. He refrained from any late-night chaos with them, as he needed to prime himself for peak performance. Even when he faced his strongest enemies in the past, he had never prepared this meticulously. But for his son, he refused to allow even the slightest mistake.


    However, not long after falling asleep, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang again. He shot upright, grabbed his phone, and saw yet another unfamiliar number. Answering, he heard the hoarse voice say, "Clan Leader Li, it¡¯s past midnight. Time for you to get moving."


    Li Yifei sneered. "You people are really spirited¡ªstaying up in the middle of the night."


    "Anything is worth it to secure the money safely. But Clan Leader Li? No sleeping for you tonight."


    "Fine. Tell me where to go."


    "Very good. You have two hours to get to Ning Tao City."


    "Two hours¡ªnearly three hundred kilometers?"


    "I trust Clan Leader Li will find a way. My clock starts now. Oh, and don¡¯t bring anyone along." The call ended abruptly.


    Li Yifei leapt out of bed, quickly dressed, and roused the women. "Husband, be careful," Su Mengxin urged.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me. Get some rest." Fully dressed, Li Yifei jumped out the window, got in his car, and notified his team waiting in the main hall. Then, he floored the gas pedal and sped off.


    Three hundred kilometers in two hours meant an average speed of 150 kilometers per hour. Fortunately, the roads were empty at this hour, and Li Yifei had no issue maintaining such speed. Though he lost count of how many traffic cameras captured his journey.


    Before the two hours were up, he reached Ning Tao City. The caller rang again shortly, instructing, "Clan Leader Li, you now have one hour to get to Fenglin City."


    This was a classic trick employed by kidnappers¡ªto keep their target constantly moving, leaving the police and any assistance behind. Li Yifei didn¡¯t argue. He had no choice but to follow their orders.


    From midnight onwards, they had him driving non-stop for over four hours, forcing him to stay laser-focused. Late-night driving, without any rest, was designed to push him to his limits. The kidnappers were clearly trying to exhaust him.


    But thanks to the Innate Vital Energy circulating within him, Li Yifei managed to stay alert and entirely unfazed by the fatigue.


    Yet when the next call came, Li Yifei responded with apparent weariness, "Where exactly am I supposed to go? Is this ever going to end?"


    "For now, head south. Take the national highway and wait for further instructions."


    Li Yifei had no choice but to continue, perplexed. This road led toward the provincial capital. Were they actually in the provincial capital? Initially, he had ruled it out. The earlier phone signal that pointed to the provincial capital was too obvious, and such a well-organized group wouldn¡¯t leave such an early clue.


    Despite his skepticism, Li Yifei pressed on. His team members were able to track his vehicle¡¯s location and tail him at intervals of one or two kilometers. Although Li Yifei trusted his skills, having extra backup instilled even greater confidence in their efforts.


    As they approached the provincial capital, with no further instructions yet from the kidnappers, Li Yifei grew even more suspicious. Finally, just outside the capital, his phone rang again.


    "Three kilometers ahead, take a right turn."


    Li Yifei¡¯s eyes narrowed. The ability to pinpoint his car¡¯s location showcased the kidnappers¡¯ advanced technological skills. Following their direction, he turned right.


    After driving another kilometer, he passed a small hill and spotted someone hiding under a tree by the roadside. As soon as his car passed, he caught a glimpse through the rearview mirror of the person making a call. Moments later, Li Yifei¡¯s phone rang.


    This made alarms go off in Li Yifei¡¯s mind. Something felt off. That individual just now was likely a lookout. For such a sophisticated operation, relying on physical lookouts seemed amateurish. On the other hand, it implied that he was getting very close to their destination.

 Chapter 1306 - 1356: Seriously Injured

    Chapter 1306: Chapter 1356: Seriously InjuredLi Yifei didn¡¯t see anyone else along the way after that. The road had no forks anymore, and it wasn¡¯t a good road¡ªuneven and full of holes. It seemed the destination wasn¡¯t far ahead.


    Li Yifei¡¯s guess proved correct. When he arrived in front of an old, run-down factory building, his phone rang again.


    "Now get out of the car, enter the yard, and go into the room on the left. Inside, there¡¯s a computer on a desk, and on its desktop, there¡¯s a bank account number. Transfer the money to that account. Look up; the place is surrounded by cameras. If you try anything funny, we¡¯ll know right away, and your son will die immediately."


    "Where¡¯s my son?" Li Yifei had already noticed the cameras upon entering, but what struck him the most was the chaotic way they were installed. Even an average security professional could tell there were countless blind spots. If he wanted to sneak in, it would be far too easy to evade those cameras.


    "Once you¡¯ve transferred the money, you¡¯ll naturally see your son."


    Li Yifei spoke resolutely, "No, I must see my son first, or I absolutely won¡¯t transfer a single penny to you."


    There was a moment of hesitation on the other end. "You¡¯re really impatient, huh? You can¡¯t even wait for a moment?"


    "This isn¡¯t about patience. If I don¡¯t see my son, I won¡¯t believe you actually have him."


    "Fine, then let me show you. Your son is inside the factory. You can only crawl up to the doorway to take a look. We know Clan Leader Li¡¯s skills are remarkable, but you¡¯d best not break in; the consequences... hahaha."


    Li Yifei walked straightforwardly toward the factory. The door was locked, but there was a small window on it. Through it, he could still see inside. By this time, dawn was breaking, and the interior lights were dim, creating an eerie glow. Faintly, he could make out a small hanging basket suspended from the factory¡¯s gantry beam, though what was inside remained unclear.


    "How can I know that¡¯s really my son?" Li Yifei asked in a deep voice.


    "Yeah, how could you know? To prove it... I can¡¯t. If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯re welcome not to save him. Clan Leader Li, if you hope to see him up close now, that¡¯s absolutely impossible."


    "Fine. Let me ask you: what identifying features does my son have? You¡¯ve taken him for so long, surely you wouldn¡¯t be clueless about this?"


    "Of course I know. The kid has a small birthmark under his arm. It¡¯s barely noticeable unless inspected closely. Quite the hidden gem, considering how careful we¡¯ve been while watching over him all this time. If not for that, it might¡¯ve been overlooked entirely."


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes slightly. "Alright, I¡¯ll transfer the money."


    "Clan Leader Li truly is a decisive man. Go ahead."


    Li Yifei stepped into the independent room on the left. On the desk, as expected, there was a laptop. Logging into his account, he transferred ten billion yuan to the designated account.


    "Excellent, the money¡¯s been received. Clan Leader Li, you may now go to pick up your son. Wishing you both safety and peace."


    Li Yifei let out a cold snort. "Thanks for the kind words." He then walked briskly to the factory door and gently pushed it open.


    "Clan Leader Li is truly cautious. We only want the money, not lives. Otherwise, your son would¡¯ve been dead long ago."


    "Really? Then you¡¯ve already got the money¡ªwhy are we still talking?"


    "Ah, yes, I almost forgot to tell you: in ten seconds, the rope holding your son¡¯s basket will snap. He¡¯s about to fall and die. Hahaha!"


    As the other party spoke, the basket began descending from mid-air. Furious, Li Yifei cursed, "Bastards!" He leaped toward the basket without hesitation.


    In a farmhouse two hundred meters away, several people stared fixedly at the monitoring screen. When they saw Li Yifei lunging toward the basket, the group erupted into excited cheers. Moments later, the images on two monitors were suddenly engulfed by flames, and within seconds, the feed was lost.


    "Oh yeah! We got him!" The group cheered jubilantly.


    A man in his thirties sneered, "Golden Eagle? Clan Leader Li? What bullshit. We killed him so easily it¡¯s laughable." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A woman in her fifties gnashed her teeth, saying, "Golden Eagle, I hope you¡¯re not dead just yet."


    "Why¡¯s that?" The younger man asked in confusion. "Don¡¯t you want to kill Golden Eagle?"


    The older woman¡¯s face twisted, her expression savage. "I want him to feel the pain of losing a son! If he dies now, he won¡¯t know that agony."


    "Heh... I see what you mean. But Golden Eagle is too powerful. If he doesn¡¯t die, he¡¯ll be a danger to us."


    "I know that. I¡¯m still going to see how many pieces he¡¯s blown into. I want his corpse chopped to bits and fed to the dogs."


    "Someone¡¯s coming out of the factory!" shouted a man still watching the monitors.


    The group turned to look at the screen and saw a bloodied person staggering out before collapsing to the ground, motionless.


    "That¡¯s Golden Eagle! He¡¯s not dead yet!" the young man exclaimed in shock.


    "But... it looks like he¡¯s close. He must¡¯ve suffered devastating injuries," a man in his sixties said gravely.


    "Let¡¯s go check on him," the older woman said excitedly. "I¡¯ve got a few choice words I want to say to him, haha."


    "Isn¡¯t that too risky? Golden Eagle is extremely dangerous," someone cautioned.


    "Risk what? Look at him¡ªhe¡¯s practically fallen to pieces. With all the fighters here, what¡¯s there to fear? Let me torment him properly. I want him to suffer even more before he dies."


    The younger man hesitated briefly before agreeing. "Fine, let¡¯s go take a look."


    There were seven people in total, clearly led by the thirty-something man and the fifty-something woman. The rest were evidently their subordinates. Together, they headed toward the factory.


    Soon, they arrived at the factory. By this time, the building was thoroughly destroyed by the explosion and ablaze, making it impossible to enter. But they hardly cared to go inside; instead, they quickly located Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei lay facedown on the ground in the yard, his clothes heavily damaged and covered in blood, seemingly dead.


    "Go take a look," the younger man ordered.


    A burly man cautiously stepped forward, moving slowly and with utmost vigilance. Despite Li Yifei¡¯s apparent condition, he dared not be careless¡ªGolden Eagle¡¯s reputation was well-earned. Even if Li Yifei was hanging on by a thread, he could still kill effortlessly.


    Everyone held their breath, hearts pounding as they watched. The younger man tensed his legs, ready to flee at the first hint of danger.


    The burly man finally approached Li Yifei. He lightly kicked him, then instinctively leapt backward as if struck by terror. The kick had clearly been made with reckless courage.


    Yet Li Yifei didn¡¯t move an inch. After a while, seeing no response, the burly man kicked harder. Still no movement.


    This emboldened him slightly. He stepped forward again and flipped Li Yifei over. However, right then, Li Yifei coughed abruptly, sending the burly man bolting in a flash like a startled bird.


    The rest, who had been standing far from Li Yifei, were equally spooked. They immediately turned tail and ran out of the yard without hesitation.


    Such was the power of Li Yifei¡¯s name¡ªjust a cough from him was enough to terrify them all into retreat.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they regrouped at the courtyard wall. There, they noticed Li Yifei still lying in the same spot, unmoving.


    The group gathered together, and the younger man whispered, "I think we should forget this and leave. This is too dangerous."


    The older woman raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous? He¡¯s on the brink of death!"


    The younger man¡¯s face twitched nervously. "But... if he has even the slightest strength left, he could still easily kill us."


    "Ha! If he could act, why didn¡¯t he chase us just now? Clearly, he¡¯s barely breathing!"


    "You... what if you¡¯re wrong?"


    "Coward. If you¡¯re too scared, I¡¯ll go myself."


    The younger man¡¯s face twitched again before gritting his teeth. In a low voice, he led the group back toward Li Yifei.


    Earlier, when the basket began to fall, Li Yifei sensed immense danger. But just as Su Mengxin had said, he couldn¡¯t simply watch his son die. No matter what, he had to save him. However, at the moment his hand touched the basket, a massive shockwave erupted¡ªit was rigged with explosives.


    Before Li Yifei could extract his son from the basket, he was hurled away by the blast.


    Previously, such an explosion would have surely killed him. But now, with his enhanced strength and innate vital energy, as soon as he touched the basket, he activated the protective flow of his True Qi throughout his body. It saved his life, allowing him to escape the inferno.


    His injuries, however, were severe. He had no ability to resist in his current state. If the attackers made a move now, he would be powerless to stop them.


    Little did they realize, those precious moments allowed Li Yifei¡¯s innate vital energy to circulate rapidly within him, repairing his injuries little by little. Though not fully healed, he had regained enough mobility. But in order to ensure success, he remained motionless, waiting for them to approach¡ªwaiting for the chance to strike. The debt of killing his son would be repaid in blood!

 Chapter 1307 - 1357: All Resolved

    Chapter 1307: Chapter 1357: All ResolvedWhen they approached, Li Yifei immediately recognized two of them. One was Song Ziqiao from the Province City Song Family. This guy used to work in Mile City¡¯s county department and was notorious for his tyrannical ways. Back then, he had forced Li Xinyue to drink, which led to a direct conflict with Li Yifei. In the end, Li Yifei drove him out of Mile City and even broke one of his legs. Naturally, Li Yifei had a lasting impression of him.


    The other person was that woman¡ªMa Dongxiang from the Sun Family. After her son died in Mile City, she always believed it was Li Yifei¡¯s doing. She had sought trouble for Li Yifei once before, and now, unexpectedly, here she was again.


    Li Yifei had anticipated various factions abducting his son, but he never thought it would be these two individuals who were behind it. Worse yet, his son ended up dead at their hands, igniting a blazing fury in his chest.


    These people came together, clearly bolstering each other¡¯s courage. Li Yifei held his breath as he assessed them. Besides Song Ziqiao and Ma Dongxiang, the strength of the other five wasn¡¯t insignificant. Under normal circumstances, these five wouldn¡¯t be worth noticing at all, but given his current weakened state, he had to approach cautiously. Every move had to aim for instant death; he couldn¡¯t afford prolonged engagement given his condition.


    Finally, the seven surrounded him. Seeing Li Yifei lying motionless on the ground, Ma Dongxiang burst into a prolonged laugh, roaring for over ten seconds before abruptly kicking him and shouting, "Li Yifei, you bastard! You killed my son. Did you enjoy the taste of your own son being murdered now, you bastard?"


    Li Yifei remained still. Ma Dongxiang kicked him again with gritted teeth and snarled, "Li Yifei! Others might not dare provoke you, but I¡¯m not afraid. You killed my son, so I killed your son. And I¡¯ll kill you next! Aren¡¯t you the Golden Eagle? Aren¡¯t you skilled? Get up and fight me! Come on, kill me if you dare!"


    Li Yifei still didn¡¯t move, and this finally eased the tension in the group, allowing their previously taut nerves to relax.


    Song Ziqiao gained some confidence and sneered viciously, "Li Yifei, you ***** ruined my future! You cost me my position in the Song Family! Today, I¡¯ll finally kill you and settle this grudge. Haha!" Laughing maniacally, Song Ziqiao raised his leg to stomp on Li Yifei¡¯s face, deriving sick satisfaction from completely trampling him.


    But suddenly, Li Yifei moved. Without any warning, he stirred¡ªbut only a few fingers. Those few fingers were all it took to spell death, as they unleashed over a dozen Flying Needles. With his current physical condition, using Flying Needles was Li Yifei¡¯s safest bet.


    "Ah!" The faces of the group twisted in agony, and one by one, they collapsed to the ground. Li Yifei had been waiting, holding back for the perfect moment. Now that he struck, it was with lethal force¡ªabsolutely no mercy, aiming to kill.


    Not everyone, though. He spared one person¡¯s life: Ma Dongxiang.


    The others lay lifeless, unable to rise, but Ma Dongxiang¡¯s legs had been pierced by Li Yifei¡¯s needles. Her legs were now useless, but she struggled to sit up.


    "You... you..." Ma Dongxiang stammered, sitting upright and staring at the lifeless bodies of her comrades. Watching Li Yifei slowly sit up, her face turned pale with terror.


    Li Yifei let out a cold laugh and said, "Ma Dongxiang, I never thought you¡¯d be the one behind this."


    Ma Dongxiang¡¯s mouth twitched violently a few times before breaking into hysterical laughter. Her laugh was anything but normal¡ªit was chilling, like the wails of ghosts. Coupled with the dead bodies on the ground and the nearby burning factory, the scene became even more macabre.


    "That¡¯s right, Li Yifei, it was me! You underestimated me. Don¡¯t think just because the old patriarch of the Sun Family refrains from acting against you, I wouldn¡¯t dare. You killed my son, and now I¡¯ve killed your son too! Haha! My son died, but at least he has a whole corpse. Your son is dead, and there¡¯s not even a shred of bone left! Haha... Worth it, absolutely worth it!"


    Looking at Ma Dongxiang¡¯s madness, Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. He had watched helplessly as his son was bombed to death. The pain was indescribable¡ªeven for someone with resilience as strong as Li Yifei, the agony cut deep. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly. Li Yifei muttered in a low voice, "Ma Dongxiang, you truly are cruel."


    "Don¡¯t you know the phrase ¡¯Nothing is more venomous than a woman¡¯s heart¡¯? Especially that of a mother? My plan was to kill your son, kill you, destroy the Li family, sell all your women to brothels, and murder all your children. No, no, not all of them¡ªyour daughters will be sent to the lowest, filthiest places to serve as slaves, where countless despicable men will play with them. Haha..."


    Ma Dongxiang erupted into insane laughter once again.


    Just then, a car roared onto the scene. Before the vehicle had even stopped, someone had already leapt out. In a blur, the figure dashed to Li Yifei, clutching him and crying out, "Brother-in-law!"


    The person was Xu Shanshan. With such a big event unfolding, Shanshan was bound to follow. She had been in the first car trailing Li Yifei, though she hadn¡¯t dared to stay too close. After the explosion, she rushed over, only to find Li Yifei gravely injured.


    "I¡¯m fine," Li Yifei said softly.


    Xu Shanshan supported Li Yifei¡¯s back with one hand as her True Qi surged into his body, discovering that his internal organs were severely damaged¡ªgrave internal injuries. Instantly, she was alarmed.


    Sophia had also rushed over by this time. Her face paled at the sight of Li Yifei¡¯s condition, then her gaze shifted to Ma Dongxiang, still sitting on the ground and laughing like a lunatic.


    "Sophia, take this woman back," Li Yifei said flatly.


    Sophia nodded briskly, grabbed Ma Dongxiang¡¯s hair, and yanked. The sharp pain elicited a scream from Ma Dongxiang, but Sophia didn¡¯t hold back in the slightest, dragging her like a dead dog toward the car.


    Ma Dongxiang struggled desperately, but with her legs disabled, it was futile. To lessen her discomfort, she used her hands to prop herself up, trying to keep pace with Sophia.


    Even so, Ma Dongxiang kept screaming hysterically, "Li Yifei, haha! Your son is dead! Your son is dead! Haha... blown into pieces! Haha!"


    Sophia paused momentarily, while Xu Shanshan cried out in anguish, "Brother-in-law, this..."


    Li Yifei sighed, staring at the burning factory and slowly said, "I still couldn¡¯t save him."


    Xu Shanshan¡¯s eyes reddened, her tears falling uncontrollably. Hugging Li Yifei, she murmured, "Brother-in-law, don¡¯t be sad. If your son is gone, we¡¯ll help you have another one." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yifei forced a weak smile and replied, "Alright, let¡¯s go home then." After a pause, he added, "Sophia, see if you can recover my son¡¯s remains. If not... then it¡¯s fine."


    Sophia acknowledged his request and harshly slammed Ma Dongxiang¡¯s head to the ground before stomping on her face, distorting her features. Only after that did she take out her phone to make a call.


    After she finished the call, Sophia once again yanked Ma Dongxiang¡¯s hair and dragged her toward the car. Her hatred for this vicious woman was deep; even though Li Yifei hadn¡¯t asked for her to be killed, Sophia was determined to torment Ma Dongxiang to vent her rage.


    Li Yifei allowed Xu Shanshan to help him into the car he had driven earlier. Once inside and the engine roaring, Shanshan gripped the steering wheel with one hand, using the other to transfer Innate Vital Energy to help heal Li Yifei.


    Li Yifei, however, didn¡¯t focus on healing through meditation this time. He shook his head and said, "Shanshan, just focus on driving. I need some rest."


    "Brother-in-law... don¡¯t be too upset," Xu Shanshan said tearfully. It was the first time she¡¯d ever seen him so heartbroken.


    Li Yifei closed his eyes briefly and responded, "Shanshan, I really feel miserable. My son... I couldn¡¯t protect him. And I watched him die in front of me. I feel like I failed him¡ªfailed to shield him."


    "Brother-in-law, this isn¡¯t your fault. It was completely unexpected."


    Li Yifei shook his head with a bitter smile, saying, "I used to be overconfident, thinking I could handle all the powerful foes, overlooking those who seemed less capable. But this world¡ªwhen small characters erupt¡ªthey¡¯re terrifying, catching you off guard. Even knowing that now, the cost has been too great. My son is gone."


    "Brother-in-law, you can¡¯t think like that. Maybe there¡¯s more to this situation."


    "More? What more?" Li Yifei asked weakly.


    Shanshan had intended to comfort him, but his question sparked a sudden flash of insight in her mind. She nodded and said, "Yes, Brother-in-law. Are you sure the one who died really was your son?"


    "This..." Li Yifei¡¯s mind suddenly sharpened. Thoughts began racing as he reflected on the mounting inconsistencies. Most notably, his identification of the boy was based on unique features¡ªhis son¡¯s small birthmark under the arm. Yet, when searching for his son in Mile City¡¯s streets, the description had widely circulated. It was entirely plausible that Ma Dongxiang and her gang had found another child to substitute.

 Chapter 1308 - 1358: The Crazy Ma Dongxiang

    Chapter 1308: Chapter 1358: The Crazy Ma Dongxiang"Shanshan, there¡¯s definitely something wrong with this. I need to think it through. You drive; don¡¯t worry about me."


    Li Yifei pondered over the issue, spoke briefly to Xu Shanshan, and then closed his eyes.


    Seeing him calm down, Xu Shanshan didn¡¯t say anything more and drove directly toward Mile City. By nine o¡¯clock, both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan had returned home.


    On the way, Xu Shanshan had already informed their family about the situation, and everyone was anxiously awaiting their return.


    As Li Yifei stepped out of the car in his current condition, everyone gasped and surrounded him immediately.


    Li Yifei raised his hand and said, "It¡¯s fine now. I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll wash up first, then talk to you all."


    Su Mengxin quickly said, "I¡¯ll go with you."


    Xu Yingying also exclaimed anxiously, "I¡¯ll go too."


    Everyone else also wanted to look after Li Yifei, but seeing Su Mengxin and Xu Yingying take the lead, they decided not to follow.


    Helping Li Yifei remove his tattered clothes, they found no external injuries on him. This finally let both women sigh in relief. Li Yifei said, "Don¡¯t worry, this blood is probably from that child. I¡¯m fine, just shaken by the blast."


    Mentioning the child, Su Mengxin¡¯s lips twitched slightly as she said, "Husband, do you think that kid isn¡¯t really our son?"


    Li Yifei nodded and said, "Most likely not. I¡¯ve spotted lots of inconsistencies."


    Xu Yingying had already turned on the showerhead and was rinsing Li Yifei off. He continued, "First, our son has been missing for three months. If this was Ma Ningsiang and her associates¡¯ doing, they wouldn¡¯t have had the patience to wait three months to come seek revenge."


    Su Mengxin nodded and said, "Exactly. If it were merely for revenge, there¡¯d be no need to delay for three months. Based on this alone, there¡¯s a 99% chance that kid is fake."


    Li Yifei went on, "To evade our pursuit at the time, to fool so many people and abduct our son ¨C that¡¯s not something ordinary people could pull off. If the Song Family and Sunx Family had joined forces, then yes, it¡¯s possible. But this was supposedly done by just Ma Dongxiang and Song Ziqiao? They simply don¡¯t have the capability."


    "Third, their methods this time... Initially, I thought the other party belonged to that extraordinarily powerful organization. The call originating from the provincial capital seemed like misdirection. But it was actually made from there, and their arrangements along the way were blatantly clumsy. If I hadn¡¯t overthought things, I¡¯d have found their location much earlier. With that kind of sloppy capability, how could they abduct our son?"


    Su Mengxin finally exhaled deeply and said, "You¡¯re absolutely right. We can now be certain that child isn¡¯t our son."


    Xu Yingying quickly agreed, "Yes, yes. That Ma Ningsiang is definitely exploiting our son¡¯s disappearance to try to kill you. At the very least, she wants you to feel the agony of losing a child. This woman is truly venomous."


    After showering, Li Yifei changed into clean clothes and reappeared before everyone. Though he was still dealing with internal injuries, he looked much better on the surface.


    "I¡¯ll go interrogate Ma Dongxiang."


    As soon as Li Yifei said this, everyone immediately followed him. They were all eager to finally get to the bottom of this.


    Down in the basement of the front courtyard, Ma Dongxiang sat slumped in a corner against the wall. Her clothes were in tatters, her face marked with bloodstains¡ªtraces left by Sophia. Her expression was vacant, her gaze unfocused.


    However, the moment the door opened, Ma Dongxiang¡¯s eyes sharpened. Upon seeing Li Yifei, her face lit up with excitement as she let out an eerie cackle, "Ah, you¡¯re here! So, how does it feel to have your son blown to bits? Watching your own son... BOOM! Blasted into pieces, guts and intestines flying everywhere¡ªhow does it feel, hmm?"


    Her words sent chills down the spines of the women who followed Li Yifei inside. Just imagining such a scene made their stomachs churn.


    Li Yifei snorted coldly, stepped toward her, and said, "You¡¯re saying that was my son. Then tell me, how did you manage to get him?"


    Ma Dongxiang sneered and said, "That¡¯s none of your business."


    "Is that so? I find it surprising that you waited three whole months to come after me for revenge."


    Ma Dongxiang laughed wickedly and said, "You think I didn¡¯t want to act sooner? Hah. But I only got my hands on your son a few days ago."


    "A few days ago?" Li Yifei¡¯s face darkened. "What do you mean, a few days ago?"


    "Haha... You see, Li Yifei, you¡¯ve made enemies all over the world. So many people want you dead. Just when I was at a loss for how to strike back, someone came to me a few days ago and delivered a child into my hands, claiming it was your son. Hah! I thought I was dreaming. But when I saw the birthmark under his arm, I knew. Whether or not you believe he was yours doesn¡¯t matter. What I know is¡ªyour son is dead. Just like mine, killed by someone else. Gahaha..."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s expression froze. Their earlier reasoning had been sound¡ªMa Dongxiang didn¡¯t have the capability to kidnap their son. But if someone who *did* have that capability handed the boy over to her, then it all became plausible. Everything fell into place.


    Li Yifei¡¯s heart sank, and he said gravely, "Who handed him to you?"


    "Want to know?" Ma Dongxiang¡¯s eyes gleamed with malicious amusement as she looked at Li Yifei.


    Lin Qiong shouted, "Answer him!"


    "Haha, you want answers? Well, I won¡¯t tell you. Let it eat at you. Haha!"


    The group seethed with anger, their faces dark with fury at Ma Dongxiang¡¯s smug defiance. Li Yifei snorted coldly and said, "We¡¯ll see how tough you really are. Guards!"


    Two burly men entered the room.


    Li Yifei said in a low, determined voice, "Make her spill everything she knows."


    "Boss! Leave it to us. We¡¯ll get every last word out of her."


    Li Yifei led the others out of the basement¡ªit wasn¡¯t a place where they should remain. After they emerged, the group fell into silence. What Ma Dongxiang had said weighed heavily on everyone¡¯s minds, rekindling their anxiety.


    "Husband... That woman..." Michelle¡¯s normally rosy cheeks had turned pale. She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Li Yifei lit a cigarette and said calmly, "Don¡¯t let her words get to you. She knows she¡¯s as good as dead and wants to drag us down with her. That¡¯s why she¡¯s spouting nonsense to upset us."


    Su Yiyi hesitated and said, "I know that¡¯s logical, but... her words still shake me."


    Lin Qiong shook her head and said, "That¡¯s the terrifying thing about women. Some, when consumed by hate, can be even more vicious than men. I¡¯ve encountered cases where women falsely accused someone of the worst crimes just to ruin them¡ªrefusing to stop until they got what they wanted."


    Li Yifei cut in, "Enough. Some things aren¡¯t suited for you all to know."


    They hesitated, reluctant to leave. The family dearly wanted answers¡ªafter three months of missing their child, the pain had dulled slightly. But now, with renewed leads, the stakes felt unbearably high. They desperately wanted to believe the child was an imposter¡ªthat their son might still be alive. Yet, unless Ma Dongxiang confirmed it, their hearts would remain restless.


    Li Yifei said more firmly, "I will use certain methods you shouldn¡¯t witness. Please, do as I say." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Husband... don¡¯t resort to... killing." Though reluctant, they reluctantly left. Lin Qiong lingered briefly, as her role as a police officer warred with her emotions. It was clear that locking someone up like this was illegal¡ªit should have been handed over to the authorities. Yet with the family¡¯s child at stake, she reluctantly swallowed her objections. However, killing Ma Dongxiang was a line she couldn¡¯t accept.


    Li Yifei nodded solemnly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. Whatever the outcome, I won¡¯t kill her."


    "Thank you!" Lin Qiong offered a grateful nod before following the others out.


    Li Yifei reentered the basement. The two interrogation experts were already at work, inflicting pain on Ma Dongxiang. She was in terrible shape, screaming in agony. Yet upon seeing Li Yifei, she mustered enough strength to scream hoarsely, "Li Yifei! If you¡¯ve got the guts, just kill me!"


    Li Yifei snorted, "Killing you would be too easy. I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead."


    Fear flickered across Ma Dongxiang¡¯s face but was quickly replaced by a twisted, defiant sneer. "Fine! Do your worst. If I back down, I¡¯m yours! Hah, the thought of your son dying in front of your eyes¡ªblown to such tiny pieces¡ªfills me with so much joy! Do what you will. I¡¯ll laugh through it all."


    Li Yifei hadn¡¯t expected someone like Ma Dongxiang¡ªa woman who had lived in comfort her entire life¡ªto possess such a steely resolve. Fueled by hatred, her will was terrifyingly unyielding. He let out a cold snort and said, "Oh, you laugh now, but have you considered what your actions will mean for your family? Your Sunx Family... your husband... they¡¯ll pay a price they cannot bear."


    "Hah! Those useless fools. If they can¡¯t handle you, they deserve to be destroyed! Li Yifei, what your family couldn¡¯t accomplish, I¡¯ve done. Haha, your son is dead¡ªblown to pieces right in front of you! HAHAHA!"


    Ma Dongxiang¡¯s manic laughter filled the basement. Her sheer madness sent a chill down even Li Yifei¡¯s spine.

 Chapter 1309 - 1359: Complete Fallout

    Chapter 1309: Chapter 1359: Complete FalloutLi Yifei never expected Ma Dongxiang¡¯s willpower to be so strong, no matter what method of interrogation he used. Ma Dongxiang stuck to her story, claiming that her son was given to her by someone else and insisting that she didn¡¯t know who sent the child. She steadfastly maintained that the child had a birthmark under his arm.


    If Ma Dongxiang were someone who had undergone rigorous training like Li Yifei, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that she could fabricate lies even in such circumstances. However, Ma Dongxiang was a daughter from a prominent family, living a privileged life after marrying into the Sunx Family. How could she possibly possess such resilience?


    This almost seemed to suggest that Ma Dongxiang was telling the truth.


    "Honey, how did it go?"


    Su Mengxin was waiting at the door when Li Yifei emerged from the basement. Since the situation involved their son, no one could be more anxious than her.


    Li Yifei explained the situation honestly and then slowly said, "It seems what Ma Dongxiang said is indeed true. However, it¡¯s still impossible to confirm whether the child is ours."


    Su Mengxin, having already prepared herself for the worst, managed to remain composed and said, "I feel it¡¯s false. The other party is clearly exploiting Ma Dongxiang¡¯s hatred for our Li family, deliberately sending a child to harm us. It¡¯s not uncommon for children to have birthmarks there. There¡¯s another way to confirm¡ªconduct a DNA test. I¡¯ve already located the remains of the child and arranged for DNA testing. Soon, we¡¯ll know whether this child is ours."


    This was undeniably a practical approach, and Su Mengxin had already taken steps to implement it. Li Yifei and Su Mengxin immediately went to perform the test.


    Even with their connections, the results would not be available for another two days, making the waiting period excruciating for Li Yifei and Su Mengxin. Though Li Yifei had a strong feeling that the child couldn¡¯t possibly be his, it seemed absurd that someone capable of abducting his son for three months without making any demands would then hand the child over to someone like Ma Dongxiang.


    Before the results came out, however, the Song Family and Sunx Family had already come knocking.


    The representatives of both families included their clan chiefs¡ªElder of the Song Family, Song Zude, and Sunx Fugui¡ªas well as several important members of their clans. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two factions stood in front of the Li family courtyard. Song Zude and Sunx Fugui wore stormy expressions. They had learned about the death of Song Ziqiao and the abduction of Ma Dongxiang but were clueless about the reasons behind these events. All they knew was that Song Ziqiao and Ma Dongxiang had conspired to target Li Yifei.


    Regardless of the cause, the deaths of members of their own families were unacceptable, and that alone justified their demand for retribution.


    "Outrageous! Tell Li Yifei to get out here, right now!" Song Zude roared, slamming his hand fiercely against the gate and yelling at the guards inside. They had already waited for over ten minutes yet hadn¡¯t seen any trace of Li Yifei. The guards stubbornly refused to let them in.


    Inside stood two security guards, both with somber expressions. One of them said in a stern voice, "Elder, please behave yourself. Our gates are equipped with automatic sensors, and any attempt to forcibly break in might lead to unpredictable complications."


    "Blasphemous! Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like this? If Li Yifei doesn¡¯t show his face soon, I¡¯ll tear this gate down myself!"


    The Song Family was the most powerful clan in the province, and no family dared to disrespect them. Even rival clans had to yield to them publicly. Yet the Li family, merely a minor clan within the city, dared to defy them¡ªdespite their connections, this level of arrogance was intolerable.


    "Unless our boss gives his order, you cannot enter. One more warning: any further offensives will be met with retaliation," one of the guards replied bluntly.


    "Retaliation?" Song Zude sneered. "You lowly lackeys want respect from me? The audacity of the Li family is truly astonishing!"


    While Song Zude was boiling with rage over the death of Song Ziqiao, Sunx Fugui was equally anxious over the abduction of his daughter-in-law. His expression was dark as he snapped, "Why haven¡¯t you reported to your boss yet? What¡¯s taking so long?"


    "Perhaps he¡¯s busy, or perhaps he simply doesn¡¯t care to deal with you," came the curt response from the guards.


    The Li family had not concealed the events surrounding Li Yifei and had no intention of backing down. Its members were even itching to settle accounts with the Song Family and Sunx Family, though awaiting Li Yifei¡¯s command kept them restrained. Now, with these families showing up uninvited, it was a minor miracle that they hadn¡¯t charged out to confront them directly.


    "Take down the damn gate!" Song Zude bellowed, commanding his men.


    Two armored cars¡ªa pair of bulletproof Mercedes-Benz¡ªrevved up instantly. While crashing into the iron gates would certainly cause some damage to the vehicles, it was guaranteed to break through the gates under ordinary circumstances.


    Sunx Fugui and Song Zude both smirked, unafraid of escalating the situation. With Song Ziqiao dead and Ma Dongxiang seized, they had ample reason to demand retribution, indifferent to potential repercussions from other factions.


    The two vehicles accelerated to over 100 miles per hour and charged at the gate.


    However, five meters before reaching the gates, steel pillars suddenly shot up from the ground. Each pillar was twenty centimeters in diameter, capable of halting any vehicle, even a truck.


    The cars crashed violently into the steel barriers, flipping over on impact. The force pushed them closer to the gate, but just two meters away, the ground in front of the gate abruptly lifted, flinging the vehicles backward like giant fans.


    The two Mercedes landed heavily, their drivers already unconscious. Fortunately, the cars¡¯ bulletproof designs spared them from being crushed outright. In standard vehicles, the occupants might have been killed instantly.


    Sunx Fugui and Song Zude were stunned. The level of security at the Li family¡¯s gates was beyond abnormal¡ªit was outright monstrous!


    "Outrageous!" Song Zude roared, striding up to the gate. "I¡¯d like to see how you plan to stop me!"


    Sunx Fugui wouldn¡¯t let Song Zude go alone and marched alongside him. Reaching the gate together, they both lifted their legs to kick at it.


    "Ah!" The moment their feet touched the gate, an electric current surged through, leaving them paralyzed and slumped on the ground.


    Their men rushed to pick them up, finding their faces pale. Though the shock wasn¡¯t lethal, it was enough to overwhelm men of their age.


    "What¡¯s happening?" Li Yifei¡¯s voice came from behind the gate.


    Sunx Fugui and Song Zude finally saw the person they had been waiting for. Their fury grew exponentially. Song Zude sprang up, his eyes blazing, and roared, "Li Yifei! As a clan chief, you killed my grandson? Return my grandson¡¯s life!"


    Sunx Fugui followed suit, bellowing, "Li Yifei! I¡¯ve exercised great patience with you, but you captured my daughter-in-law this time. You¡¯ve gone too far! If I keep tolerating you, my Sunx Family will lose face in the province!"


    Li Yifei stood inside the gate, his expression dark, and replied coldly, "So much for your claim of patience... Song Zude, Sunx Fugui, your Song Family¡¯s Song Ziqiao and Sunx Family¡¯s Ma Dongxiang kidnapped my son, strapped a bomb to him, and blew him to pieces. I haven¡¯t even begun settling this score with you, yet you dare come here accusing me?"


    "What?" The two men gasped in shock.


    Li Yifei¡¯s icy glare pierced them as he declared, "I don¡¯t care whether you were involved or ignorant of the matter. What I do know is that my Li family was humiliated, and this matter won¡¯t be left unresolved. Here and now, I declare: from this moment on, my Li family and your Song Family and Sunx Family are enemies for life. Unless your two families are completely eradicated, I will not rest!"


    Sunx Fugui and Song Zude¡¯s faces darkened. Even if Li Yifei¡¯s claims were true, they had their own grievances¡ªSong Ziqiao was dead, and Ma Dongxiang was held captive. Both families had suffered significant losses. As clan chiefs, they couldn¡¯t show weakness in the face of such threats.


    Song Zude responded with a deep, chilling laugh that abruptly stopped. His face turned grim as he said, "Eradication, huh? I¡¯d like to see how you plan to achieve that. Know this¡ªstarting today, the Song Family will not allow the Li family to exist in this province. We are officially at war!"


    Sunx Fugui yelled furiously, "Li Yifei, don¡¯t think that my previous forbearance means we fear you. Release Ma Dongxiang immediately, or brace yourself for retaliation!"


    The prospect of two major families declaring war against the Li family created a monumental crisis. Given the Li family¡¯s power, it seemed impossible for them to withstand such combined might.


    Song Zude and Sunx Fugui thought Li Yifei¡¯s declaration was absurd, mocking his decision as childish and reckless. Cold smirks flickered across their faces¡ªthey would make Li Yifei regret his choice.


    But Li Yifei merely gave them a frosty look, his lips parting to utter one word: "Leave!"


    Infuriated, Song Zude and Sunx Fugui trembled violently, yelling in unison, "You¡¯ll regret saying that word!" before turning to board their cars.

 Chapter 1310 - 1360: Taking on Two Alone

    Chapter 1310: Chapter 1360: Taking on Two Alone"Husband, are you really determined about this?"


    Li Yifei returned to the villa, and Ye Yunzhu called out in astonishment. Others might not understand the power of the Song Family and Sun Family, but she knew better. For years, the Ye Family didn¡¯t dare to challenge these two families precisely because their influence was too great. Moreover, the Li Family, not only being newly established, couldn¡¯t compare in strength. It also had inherent weaknesses, especially lacking power in the political arena. If these two families mobilized their political influence, Li Yifei¡¯s entire enterprise might face immense trouble, potentially even leading to its investigation or destruction.


    Xu Yingying anxiously said, "Husband, you¡¯re being too impulsive with this decision. Right now, the child hasn¡¯t even been confirmed as our son. If he isn¡¯t, then going to war with them would be totally pointless. Even if he is our son, it¡¯s still not the right time to seek revenge. Plus, one of the key culprits is already dead, and the other is in our hands. We don¡¯t have grounds to go to war with their entire family!"


    Su Mengxin resolutely sided with Li Yifei, saying, "I understand everyone¡¯s concerns, but as a major family, we must uphold our dignity. If we don¡¯t retaliate with overwhelming force this time, how can the Li Family have a foothold going forward? Even if the child isn¡¯t dead, they have already used our family members to threaten us, breaking one of the cardinal rules between families. Whatever we do now is morally justified. Using my son as leverage? No matter what, I won¡¯t let them off easily."


    Since arriving in Mile City, Su Mengxin had never lost her temper. She always carried a smile, maintained harmony with everyone, and even when differences arose, she would express herself gently without outright rejecting others¡¯ opinions. This was the first time she had directly dismissed everyone else¡¯s viewpoints.


    Furthermore, Su Mengxin¡¯s stance this time conveyed an unmistakable aura of ruthlessness. It was evident that she had already made up her mind and was determined to act.


    Li Yifei glanced at everyone and said, "I understand that some of you think this decision is impulsive, but I can assure you: no matter how strong the Song Family and Sun Family are, the Li Family will absolutely not lose. We will leave them utterly defeated, erasing the presence of the Song and Sun Families from the provincial capital forever."


    Xu Shanshan smacked the armrest of the sofa and exclaimed, "Brother-in-law speaks well! If they dare target the Li Family, we must make them pay a devastating price so that others will never dare to do the same."


    Xu Yingying, still worried, said hesitantly, "But realistically... the execution of this..." She appeared somewhat unsure.


    He Fangqing chuckled lightly and said, "Don¡¯t forget we still have allies. Any major family from the Capital City alone could wipe out both the Song and Sun Families."


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Ning Xin¡¯er immediately chimed in excitedly, "Well said! Let¡¯s call our families right away and have them get ready to take action."


    Last time when the Li Family encountered trouble, these three families had acted relatively conservatively, leaving these three women somewhat disheartened. Now that there was an opportunity to prove themselves, they were eager to have their families step in, strengthening their relationship with Li Yifei.


    When these three families were mentioned, everyone¡¯s expressions eased noticeably. Besides them, there was also the more formidable Su Family, the Ye Family in the provincial capital, and even Meng Xiaofei was now considered a part of the Li Family. The Meng Family would likely draw closer to the Li Family in the future. Meng Qianjun, despite previous conflicts with Li Yifei, could probably let bygones be bygones. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t want to involve anyone else in this matter. This is the Li Family¡¯s battle, and we must handle it ourselves."


    "What?" Everyone stared at Su Mengxin in surprise.


    Su Mengxin smiled proudly and said, "For the past few days, I¡¯ve been trying to be a dutiful wife, avoiding involvement in these conflicts. But if someone dares to use my son as leverage, then I¡¯ll show them that my so-called restraint doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve lost my abilities after leaving the Su Family. In the Li Family, I am just as capable, and they will pay dearly for this."


    Su Mengxin was correct¡ªshe had always been a reserved figure in the Li Family, acting as a virtuous and supportive wife centered around Li Yifei. Consequently, everyone had overlooked her past capabilities and forgotten that Su Mengxin was once a genius, someone even targeted for assassination by foreign entities.


    Li Yifei put his arm around Su Mengxin¡¯s waist, sighed softly, and said, "Mengxin, this means you¡¯ll have to get involved too."


    Su Mengxin leaned against Li Yifei¡¯s shoulder and spoke softly, "I¡¯m part of the Li Family, so I should contribute to the Li Family. Everyone works so hard; I can¡¯t keep playing the role of a privileged wife."


    Li Yifei stood tall, his gaze sweeping across the faces of his family members. "Does anyone else have any objections?"


    Xu Yingying shook her head. "If that¡¯s the case, then I agree to go to war with them. This will show the world that anyone who uses despicable tactics against the Li Family is courting their own destruction."


    With Xu Yingying expressing her support, the rest of the family had little to object to. Only Lin Qiong smiled bitterly and said, "I¡¯m not against it, but can we guarantee legality?"


    Su Mengxin gave a faint smile and replied, "Lin Qiong, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. Many goals can be achieved without violating the law. We¡¯ll pull them down while strictly adhering to legality. Of course, we might employ a few unconventional methods, but the big picture will remain within bounds. This is what higher powers want to see, and we¡¯ll force them to resort to illegal tactics, ensuring that many will be held accountable by the law."


    Lin Qiong nodded in agreement. "Alright then, I support this too."


    Thus, the decision was made, and the news spread quickly.


    First, the Old Master of the Ye Family called Li Yifei, sounding both excited and worried. "Yifei, isn¡¯t this a bit premature?"


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Grandpa, it¡¯s not early. Sometimes acting sooner is better than later."


    "You¡¯re right, but your current strength isn¡¯t enough. Going against them now could lead to a loss in many areas. Compared to their combined power, we¡¯re still at a disadvantage. Shouldn¡¯t you seek help from the Capital City?"


    "There¡¯s no need for that. For now, I¡¯d prefer the Ye Family stay out of this. I don¡¯t want to leave any handle for higher-ups to criticize. This is purely a matter between the Li Family and those two families."


    "Just the Li Family? How¡¯s that possible?" The Old Master of the Ye Family exclaimed.


    Li Yifei responded calmly, "Grandpa, rest assured, I don¡¯t act on matters I¡¯m not confident about."


    "Your personal strength might be formidable, but you¡¯re completely inexperienced in the political arena. If they attack you there, your businesses could suffer major damage."


    Li Yifei smiled faintly. "No problem. I¡¯ll ensure they use tactics like that to suppress me."


    The Old Master was puzzled but quickly said, "You seem sure of your plan, but this might..."


    "The Li Family can afford to bear losses. While it may cost us some money initially, the downfall of those two families will more than compensate for any losses exponentially."


    "Alright, if this is your decision, I¡¯ll provide sufficient financial support. I can arrange twenty billion within two days if needed."


    "Grandpa, you sure are financially resourceful!"


    "Haha, I believe in you. I¡¯m sure my investment in this will yield significant returns."


    "Absolutely, but I don¡¯t need it for now. When I do, I¡¯ll let you know."


    While talking to the Old Master, Li Yifei¡¯s phone kept buzzing with incoming calls. Glancing at the screen, he saw a call from the Ning Family in the Capital City.


    Li Yifei quickly wrapped up with the Old Master and answered the Ning Family¡¯s call, which was from their patriarch.


    "Yifei, you¡¯re quite bold¡ªalready challenging provincial families, and it¡¯s a one-on-two battle. Truly satisfying! I¡¯ve got manpower and resources ready. Within a month, I promise to crush those two families entirely."


    Li Yifei laughed heartily. "Old Master, isn¡¯t that a bit exaggerated?"


    "You brat! I¡¯ve always had a soft spot for you. I even wanted my granddaughter to marry you. But you secretly got her pregnant and stole her away¡ªwasting all that effort on matchmaking. This time, don¡¯t make me regret supporting you again!"


    Li Yifei apologized sincerely, "Grandpa, we¡¯ve already decided to handle this relying solely on the Li Family¡¯s strength. I deeply appreciate your generous offer, though."


    "What? Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help? Or did you agree to cooperate with someone else, leaving me out? That¡¯s unacceptable! Even if you don¡¯t want my full support, you can¡¯t ignore me completely."


    Li Yifei chuckled. "Grandpa, you¡¯re misreading the situation. I wouldn¡¯t prioritize one group over another. This time, I truly don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s direct intervention. Well, not entirely... I do need one thing: ensuring legality in all processes. That¡¯s all I ask¡ªjust firm adherence to the law. If that can be guaranteed, I can eliminate them."


    The Ning Family¡¯s patriarch immediately understood Li Yifei¡¯s strategy and laughed heartily. "Good! Smart move! Operating like this will win favor from higher-ups and earn greater support. It¡¯ll also expose the Song Family and Sun Family¡¯s ugly sides, giving the authorities an excuse to act against them."


    "Grandpa, it¡¯s up to you then. Public security, legal procedures, etc.¡ªI¡¯ll depend on you for those areas."


    Although Li Yifei claimed he would rely solely on the Li Family¡¯s efforts, he clearly intended to leverage the power of his allies. Not for direct interference, but to suppress the administrative advantages of the Song and Sun Families. That alone would suffice.

 Chapter 1311 - 1361: Appraisal Results

    Chapter 1311: Chapter 1361: Appraisal ResultsNot only the Ye Family and the Ning Family, but soon the Zheng Family and the Xiao Family also called, and after that, Meng Qianjun called as well.


    "Brother Yifei, you¡¯re so daring!" Meng Qianjun laughed heartily as he started speaking.


    Li Yifei feigned a bitter smile and said, "Brother Qianjun, you¡¯re gloating, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Come on, do you think I¡¯m a fool? If you weren¡¯t sure of yourself, you couldn¡¯t have done such a thing. Besides, though those two families are not weak, any one of our families can easily make them bow down. So, do you want me to join in the fun? It¡¯s been a long time since a family was swallowed up. The thought of it excites me to no end."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Brother Qianjun, you make it sound too easy. Those two families are not to be trifled with; each one is stronger than me. Moreover, the authorities are keeping an eye on this. Anyone who acts recklessly will definitely face severe consequences."


    Meng Qianjun laughed again and said, "That¡¯s what makes it fun. These two major families have been accustomed to using their power to do all sorts of things. Without the support of that power, they are just toothless tigers, with no real threat."


    "Brother Qianjun, thank you for your advice."


    "What advice, you know better than I do. Honestly, I really want to get involved in something like this. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t take a single advantage. I just want to join in the fun and see what it looks like when a major family collapses."


    Li Yifei laughed and said, "Brother Qianjun, since you have such interest, I¡¯ll definitely let you join in later. But for now, you better not show up. If you show up now, it¡¯ll ruin the fun."


    "Alright, alright, it¡¯s settled then. By the way, when you have time, bring Xiaofei home for a visit. The girl doesn¡¯t want to come back once she runs out. The family misses her a lot, and you¡¯re the only one who can bring her back."


    "I can¡¯t promise you this immediately, but I can talk to Xiaofei about it when I get the chance."


    "Sure, this girl listens to you. Ah, truly, daughters are hard to keep when they grow up. Everyone liked her so much when she was young. She just ran away and refused to come back because we arranged a marriage for her. But then again, if she hadn¡¯t run away, she wouldn¡¯t have found a brother-in-law as impressive as you, haha..."


    Li Yifei also laughed heartily. After chatting for a bit more, they hung up the phone. Right now, Li Yifei held some admiration for Meng Qianjun but was also cautious of him. Even with Meng Xiaofei as a connecting person between them, Li Yifei could sense Meng Qianjun¡¯s strong ambition. Such a person could be a loyal friend or a formidable enemy. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Later, Old Master Su from the Su Family also called.


    Old Master Su simply said a few short words: "Go ahead and do what you need to do." Then he hung up the phone.


    However, there was nothing more valuable than these words because Li Yifei knew this meant he had the support of the authorities. With their backing, even the powerful Song and Sun Families were doomed to fail.


    The next day, a major injury incident leaked online, with seven deaths, including an infant. Particularly, it was pointed out that one of the deceased was Song Ziqiao from the Song Family. This was naturally related to the explosion scene in the provincial capital.


    The explosion, resulting in so many deaths, inevitably attracted police attention. However, due to the personalities involved, the Song Family immediately informed the police to temporarily not release any information, nor allow media intervention.


    But the media exposed it nonetheless, catching the Song Family off guard.


    Now the authorities could suppress it, but with the internet being so developed, once it was online, suppressing it would be extremely difficult. Although the report did not mention the cause or process, it already drew more media attention, which also meant the authorities could no longer suppress it. They had to respond actively, or it would become hard to handle.


    Song Zude, as the head of the family, and having made the Song Family the largest family in the provincial capital, was definitely not a weak individual. He quickly decided ¡ª since Li Yifei exposed it first, he would handle it through official channels. Regardless of who was right or wrong, weren¡¯t these people killed by Li Yifei? So, there was no problem with the police summoning Li Yifei.


    He immediately dialed the provincial Public Security Bureau¡¯s Deputy Director, explaining the situation. The Deputy Director hesitated and said, "Old Song, this matter is a bit tricky. Li Yifei is no ordinary person. To arrest him, we need evidence. From the evidence on site, we currently cannot prove this was done by Li Yifei."


    "The steel needles on the deceased are evidence. In Huaxia, who else could kill with steel needles if not him?"


    "Well... Old Song, nowadays we emphasize presuming innocence... this..."


    "What presuming innocence! I¡¯m just asking you to arrest him first, not to sentence him immediately. Can¡¯t you even do that? If you can¡¯t, then you have no business working there!"


    Seeing Song Zude angry, the Deputy Director quickly said, "Old Song, that¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll handle it properly."


    After hanging up, the Deputy Director was extremely troubled. The enforcement was getting stricter, and arresting without evidence was increasingly difficult. If Li Yifei were just an ordinary person, it might be somewhat easier. But Li Yifei was no simple figure himself, and with so many assets, he certainly had lawyers. If they seized someone without cause, it could spell big trouble.


    However, his position was heavily supported by the Song Family. If he didn¡¯t do as Song Zude said, his position would surely become unstable. So, weighing his options, he decided to follow Song Zude¡¯s orders. The Song Family¡¯s power was immense; even if Li Yifei¡¯s background wasn¡¯t weak, could it possibly be stronger than the Song Family?


    With this in mind, he felt reassured and immediately called in his trusted subordinates to plan how to arrest Li Yifei.


    On Li Yifei¡¯s side, a lot of preparations were naturally made as well. This was the moment to see the true strength of a family. Although Li Yifei was at a disadvantage in official circles, he excelled in other areas. At least the people around him were far superior to those of the two major families. Even though the families had their own retainers, the quality was far inferior to those in Li Yifei¡¯s house.


    Moreover, Li Yifei¡¯s retainers, apart from their formidable martial strength, also had unique skills in various areas; something the retainers in the two major families couldn¡¯t compare to.


    With an impending storm, the struggle between the three families was about to begin. Before it started, there was a brief calm as everyone gathered strength, each aiming to deliver a deadly blow to the others.


    At this time, Li Yifei¡¯s whole family was at the hospital, waiting for the DNA test results.


    When the doctor finally brought out the report, everyone was nervously looking at Su Mengxin. Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan were clutching Su Mengxin¡¯s hands tightly. Su Mengxin smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯m fine, you don¡¯t need to worry. I can accept any result."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s strength made everyone admire her. If it were anyone else among them, they certainly wouldn¡¯t have had that kind of tolerance.


    "Doctor, how is it?" Li Yifei stood in front of the doctor, his face calm, but his heart pounding. He truly couldn¡¯t believe this was his son. Despite everything, Ma Dongxiang had also held the same, but Ma Dongxiang, subjected to so much torture, still insisted it was his son, which left Li Yifei somewhat unsure.


    "From the test results, the relationship between father and son, as well as mother and son, is 0.001%," the doctor said, then looked up with sympathy at Li Yifei.


    Typically in such paternity tests, when such a result appeared, people would feel very upset, sometimes even breaking down on the spot.


    But what stunned the doctor was that Li Yifei broke into a bright smile upon hearing the result, with a sense of relief, and the stunningly beautiful women who came with him all cheered.


    This almost left the doctor dumbfounded. Having conducted paternity tests for so long, he had never encountered such a situation. What was going on?


    Li Yifei immediately placed a large envelope on the table, his face turning serious. He said, "Doctor, I hope this matter won¡¯t come out of your mouth. No one must know I did this paternity test here. If this information leaks out... snap!" With a crisp sound, Li Yifei chopped off a piece of the doctor¡¯s desk corner with his hand.


    The doctor¡¯s eyes widened instantly. Although the tabletop was made of composite material, its hardness was very strong. The man opposite him had merely waved his hand, and that hand was like an axe chopping off a piece of the table corner. If it had been his neck... he felt a chill on his back instantly.


    "This... this... I won¡¯t, I absolutely won¡¯t say anything." Facing such a fierce man, the doctor dared not accept the money.


    Su Mengxin smiled slightly at that moment and said, "Doctor, rest assured. As long as you keep quiet, no one will trouble you. We¡¯re grateful, so you don¡¯t need to feel burdened."


    The doctor nodded, watching this large group of people leave, still in shock for a long time before coming to his senses. Then he grabbed the envelope ¡ª the thickness was about two thousand, and just for a single test, he received such a large envelope. It was also the first time this had happened, indicating the other party was indeed very wealthy. Such people are not to be provoked; it¡¯s better to keep this matter to oneself.

 Chapter 1312 - 1362: Unable to Withstand a Single Blow

    Chapter 1312: Chapter 1362: Unable to Withstand a Single BlowAfter returning home, everyone was still extremely excited. These past two days, everyone had endured immense mental pressure. If this really were Li Yifei¡¯s son, no one could predict how Su Mengxin would react.


    "Hubby, since this isn¡¯t our son, then regarding the matter between the two major families..." Xu Yingying hesitantly brought up the subject.


    Before Li Yifei could speak, Su Mengxin shook her head and said, "Yingying, this matter is already an arrow on the bowstring; it must be released."


    Li Yifei squeezed Xu Yingying¡¯s hand and said, "Yingying, I know you enjoy managing the company, and these family feuds are not your forte. Honestly, you don¡¯t need to worry about it¡ªjust focus on running the company well. However, during this period, the company¡¯s operations might face numerous difficulties."


    Li Yifei¡¯s gaze swept across the faces of the others and said, "And the rest of you, you don¡¯t need to overthink. Leave these matters to me; Mengxin and Shanshan will assist me. You just have to focus on your own responsibilities."


    Everyone exchanged glances, feeling that in matters like this, they were unlikely to be of much help. Trying to help might even backfire. Most of them nodded one after another, except Jiang Ningxiang, who anxiously blurted out, "And what about me? I want to do something too!"


    Li Yifei hesitated for a moment and then said, "Alright, Ningxiang, you can stay with Shanshan."


    "Hubby, this..." Xu Yingying immediately voiced her concerns, but Li Yifei quickly shook his head, stopping her.


    Jiang Ningxiang immediately cheered excitedly, but Xu Yingying and a few others felt a bit apprehensive. After all, Jiang Ningxiang was pregnant. However, they also realized that mentioning her pregnancy now might reignite her thoughts about not wanting the baby. It had taken so much effort to make her drop that idea, and they didn¡¯t want to undermine it now.


    Li Yifei then said, "That¡¯s settled. Everyone should relax, but you must all pay extra attention to your personal safety in the coming days. Ling¡¯er and Lianyao should stay home, and the others must take additional escorts when going out. Also, strive to improve yourselves¡ªonly by enhancing your own abilities can you ensure better protection for yourselves."


    Zheng Yuling laughed and said, "Hubby, you better work extra hard, or our progress will be too slow."


    Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Not a problem. Starting today, I¡¯ll be diligent¡ªevery night, I¡¯ll keep each of you company individually."


    "Pervert!"


    "Scoundrel!"


    Everyone immediately scolded Li Yifei. To talk about such matters with such righteous self-assurance¡ªit was something only Li Yifei could do in the Li family, especially since these arrangements were indeed advantageous to them now.


    Aside from Xiao Ling¡¯er and Song Lianyao, who abstained from dual cultivation due to their pregnancies, the rest had been practicing; only Chu Xiaoyao hadn¡¯t cultivated True Qi because she had been away from home for a long time.


    At that moment, Lin Qiong¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Lin Qiong said, "It¡¯s my bureau chief."


    Everyone immediately quieted down, allowing Lin Qiong to answer the call. As soon as she said a single sentence, she exclaimed in shock, "What? I¡¯m suspended? Why... Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll take a break for now."


    "What¡¯s going on?" Xu Yingying asked immediately after Lin Qiong hung up the call.


    Lin Qiong clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and said, "The Provincial Public Security Bureau sent a notice saying my promotion didn¡¯t meet the criteria, so they¡¯re suspending me for now and will conduct further investigations. These people are really overstepping their bounds!"


    Su Mengxin smiled faintly and said, "Lin Qiong, don¡¯t be upset. It won¡¯t be long before your position is reinstated."


    Lin Qiong heatedly said, "I¡¯m not upset about that¡ªI¡¯m angry at how rampant their behavior is. Just for some family rivalry, they can randomly make such decisions. Do they even have a shred of legal awareness left in their minds?"


    Li Yifei sighed and said, "This is precisely why the higher-ups have been supportive of me. These families reach too far, controlling power and then using it to do whatever they please, disregarding the rule of law entirely."


    Lin Qiong forcefully swung her fist and declared, "Hubby, I fully support you now. Families like this should be eradicated entirely so we can have a bright and lawful society!"


    Xiao Ling¡¯er, Zheng Yuling, and Ning Xin¡¯er all looked somewhat awkward. After all, their families were no different¡ªfor the most part, they had just avoided conflicts with the Li family and even aligned themselves with Li Yifei.


    However, they quickly understood that even if Li Yifei avoided direct conflict with their families in the future, the authorities would not tolerate the existence of these major families indefinitely. These families were fundamentally above the law¡ªa blatant unfairness.


    At this moment, Ye Yunzhu¡¯s phone rang too. Looking at the number, Ye Yunzhu smiled bitterly and said, "It¡¯s the Municipal Organization Department calling¡ªlooks like it¡¯s my turn now." She then answered the phone.


    As Ye Yunzhu had anticipated, it was indeed news of her suspension. However, Ye Yunzhu reacted calmly, having been mentally prepared after witnessing Lin Qiong¡¯s ordeal moments earlier.


    Soon after these two calls, Li Yifei received a call from Secretary Song.


    "Yifei, there seems to be a problem. Did you offend someone higher up? The province issued targeted orders against Ye Yunzhu and Lin Qiong specifically, and there¡¯s nothing I can do to intervene."


    Li Yifei chuckled lightly and said, "Secretary Song, indeed that¡¯s the case."


    "Yifei, this situation seems quite serious. Please be careful," Song Zhentao said with concern. Ordinarily, a Municipal Party Secretary would avoid interference in such matters, but Song Zhentao had no financial ties to Li Yifei. Even if something happened to Li Yifei, it wouldn¡¯t implicate him. Moreover, he knew about the powerful connections of Li Yifei and Su Mengxin¡ªthese two were not people to be trifled with. So, while he didn¡¯t believe misfortune would truly befall them, extending his concern now would solidify their friendship further.


    "Secretary Song, thank you for your concern, but this isn¡¯t anything significant; it¡¯ll be resolved soon," Li Yifei assured him.


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Is there anything I can do? I may not be able to address this issue directly, but I can still assist in other ways," Song Zhentao offered.


    Li Yifei narrowed his eyes and said, "Secretary Song, just make sure your people don¡¯t do anything reckless for personal gains during this time. I¡¯ll handle the rest myself."


    Song Zhentao quickly grasped the subtext and said, "Understood. I¡¯ll organize a meeting tomorrow with public security and judicial authorities to emphasize proper and civilized enforcement. I¡¯ll ensure no one acts out of line."


    "Thank you, Secretary Song," Li Yifei genuinely expressed his gratitude. During their collaboration, he had come to regard Secretary Song as a practical and earnest leader.


    "Yifei, there¡¯s no need for formalities with me."


    "By the way, there¡¯s one matter I¡¯d like to entrust to the Mile City police. My men captured a woman involved in the recent explosion case in the provincial capital. Normally, it would¡¯ve gone through Lin Qiong, but now that she¡¯s not at the bureau, this arrangement avoids suspicion. Please assign someone competent to handle this."


    Secretary Song readily agreed to take care of it.


    Ma Dongxiang was swiftly handed over to the Mile City police. Soon, the police held a press conference, revealing Ma Dongxiang¡¯s participation in a kidnapping, explosion, and murder plot. They also released a video in which Ma Dongxiang laughed maniacally, boasting about killing Li Yifei¡¯s son and wanting him to experience the pain of losing a child.


    The Provincial Public Security Bureau suspended Lin Qiong¡¯s role, but this didn¡¯t mean the bureau was entirely controlled by the Sunx Family and Song Family. They merely had their own inner circle within the bureau. As soon as these factions acted out, other leaders began restricting their behaviors. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Many of the officials received warnings about strictly adhering to lawful enforcement. Anyone caught abusing their power for personal gain would face accountability.


    The rivalry between the Li family and the Song and Sunx families had drawn attention from high-level provincial figures. Although the Song and Sunx families held significant influence, the Li family¡ªthought to be a newcomer¡ªwas proving to be no pushover. Until the outcome of this battle became clear, no one dared to pick sides prematurely. Above all, directives from higher authorities emphasized staying impartial and letting the three families resolve their conflict themselves.


    From the surface, the Song and Sunx families appeared triumphant, having swiftly caused trouble for the Li family by ousting their only two officials. However, those in the know realized the situation wasn¡¯t as straightforward. In fact, restrictions had been placed on the Song and Sunx families, preventing them from leveraging government power in this feud.


    Sadly, the Song and Sunx families hadn¡¯t yet grasped this reality. They believed their actions were effective strikes against the Li family, seeing the dismissals of two officials as easy victories.

 Chapter 1313 - 1363: Sealing the Company

    Chapter 1313: Chapter 1363: Sealing the Company"Dad, you have to save Dongxiang!"


    Sunx Mingli looked at his father, Sunx Fugui, with an expression full of sorrow and desperation.


    Sunx Fugui¡¯s face was as dark as water. Li Yifei¡¯s move was truly ruthless¡ªhe handed Ma Dongxiang directly to the police. At first glance, handing someone to the police wasn¡¯t an insurmountable issue. With the Sunx Family¡¯s influence, there were plenty of ways to get Ma Dongxiang out. However, Ma Dongxiang seemed to have lost her mind and adamantly insisted that she was the one who killed Li Yifei¡¯s son. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the perpetrator confesses, the Sunx Family found themselves in a bind. They couldn¡¯t rescue Ma Dongxiang under such circumstances¡ªit would be tantamount to admitting that they were behind the murder of Li Yifei¡¯s son.


    After careful consideration, Sunx Fugui said in a deep voice, "Mingli, you¡¯re a member of the Sunx Family. How can you not have the mental fortitude to handle this?"


    Sunx Mingli started to cry, visibly worn out, and said, "Dad, my son is gone, and now my wife has been arrested. How am I supposed to continue living like this? You have to think of a way to save Dongxiang."


    Sunx Fugui felt some pity for his son. Mingli had been quite capable and had steadily risen over the years, destined to be a key figure for the Sunx Family in the future. But now he was utterly dejected, neglecting meals, and his work was a complete mess.


    Slamming the table abruptly, Sunx Fugui shouted, "Idiot! Letting a woman reduce you to this state¡ªdon¡¯t you have any backbone? Is Ma Dongxiang even a good woman? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s been ordering you around, constantly throwing tantrums while she was with you. What¡¯s so good about a woman like that? If she hadn¡¯t gone and stirred up trouble, would our Sunx Family be forced into such a passive position? Do you understand the cost of family rivalries? Even if our Sunx Family wins, the losses will still be enormous!"


    "Dad... I..." Sunx Mingli¡¯s lips quivered twice, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "Hmph, a great man does not lack wives. You haven¡¯t even turned fifty yet. With the Sunx Family¡¯s power and status, what kind of woman can¡¯t you have? You could marry ten or eight if you wanted, and they¡¯d all obey you and bear your children. A grown man brought to ruin over a woman¡ªdo you have no ambition left?"


    "Dad... are you saying... you¡¯re abandoning Dongxiang?" Sunx Mingli stammered.


    "That¡¯s correct. This woman has brought us tremendous trouble. We¡¯re currently locked in fierce conflict with the Li Family. If we don¡¯t discard this pawn, she will bring disaster to the Sunx Family. Whether you¡¯re willing or not, this woman must be abandoned. Think it over!"


    Sunx Mingli raised his head, letting tears stream down his face. Despite years of quarrels with Ma Dongxiang, their marital bond spanning nearly thirty years could not be easily dismissed. Still, he understood the reasoning in Sunx Fugui¡¯s words: Ma Dongxiang had to be sacrificed.


    After over a minute of silence, Sunx Mingli finally lowered his head and met his father¡¯s gaze, saying, "Dad, I understand. What¡¯s necessary must be done. Dongxiang acted this way to avenge our son. After taking revenge, she no longer has the will to live. If she¡¯s arrested and interrogated, she¡¯ll persist in stating that it was Li Yifei¡¯s son¡ªto make him experience the same pain. I¡¯ve been risking everything for this, and I won¡¯t let her down¡ªI will ensure the Li Family pays an even higher price."


    Sunx Fugui saw the ruthless determination in his son¡¯s eyes and nodded with approval. He said, "A man should indeed possess this fierceness. You¡¯ve been too soft over the years. If you had shown this boldness earlier, your achievements would be far greater by now."


    Sunx Mingli took a deep breath and said loudly, "Dad, tell me what to do now. I won¡¯t let you down."


    Sunx Fugui laughed heartily and said, "Good, this is the son I raised! Get ready now. Later, find an excuse to shut down several of the Li Family¡¯s companies."


    "Understood! I¡¯ll handle this well. Once the Li Family¡¯s companies are shut down, their assets will be frozen. Even if they manage to resolve it and reopen, the impact on their companies will be significant, and the losses won¡¯t be small."


    Sunx Fugui nodded in approval. "Yes! Family warfare is a multi-front war¡ªnot just in politics, commerce, but in every aspect. Only by utterly crushing the Li Family, leaving them no chance to recover, can we claim absolute victory."


    Sunx Mingli nodded firmly and said, "Dad, I understand. Although I¡¯m with the Bureau of Commerce and Industry, this matter is substantial. Given the size of the Li Family¡¯s companies, directly sealing them will indeed raise issues. Therefore, I¡¯ll join forces with the Song Family to carry this out. If we unite several departments to seal their companies, there¡¯ll be no problem."


    Sunx Fugui¡¯s smile grew broader. "Go ahead. I trust you¡¯ll do well."


    Watching his son leave, Sunx Fugui couldn¡¯t hide his satisfaction for a long time. Losing a daughter-in-law was regrettable, but his son had suddenly matured. Even at fifty, it wasn¡¯t too late. The Sunx Family had gained another person capable of great achievements¡ªit was a matter worth celebrating.


    Not long after, the Sunx Family issued a statement declaring that Ma Dongxiang had acted independently, and her actions had no connection to the Sunx Family. Ma Dongxiang would bear the corresponding legal responsibilities herself.


    The statement was somewhat damaging to the Sunx Family¡¯s reputation. After all, the wife of Sunx Fugui¡¯s son was arrested and would face legal consequences, which cast the family in an incompetent light.


    However, many admired Sunx Fugui for this decision. Nowadays, the law was increasingly stringent, and even high-ranking officials couldn¡¯t escape punishment when caught breaking the law. Under such pressure, the Sunx Family could not shield Ma Dongxiang without going against the top-level legal standards, which would be detrimental to the Sunx Family. Their willingness to make this decision demonstrated great resolve.


    At the same time, families across the province saw that the Sunx Family was prepared to fight the Li Family to the end. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have made such drastic moves, forfeiting their dignity to survive in the provincial capital.


    What the Sunx Family did, the Song Family mirrored. Song Ziqiao had died outright. Everyone understood that it was the doing of Li Yifei, but the police found no evidence. After Li Yifei carried out the killings, Sophia had meticulously erased all traces, leaving nothing behind. For the Li Family, who were highly skilled at this, it was an effortless task.


    Meanwhile, the Li Family appeared calm. Their members went about their days as usual after the weekend, continuing their normal work routines. Only Li Yifei didn¡¯t go to his company, but Su Mengxin did.


    Shortly after nine, Xu Yingying¡¯s office was interrupted by her secretary, who rushed in anxiously and said, "President Xu, it¡¯s bad news¡ªdozens of people have arrived downstairs, including many police officers."


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression darkened as she responded calmly, "I understand. Don¡¯t panic. Let them come up."


    The secretary, reassured by Xu Yingying¡¯s composure, quickly complied and left to arrange things.


    Soon, a large group of people reached the executive office floor¡ªover thirty individuals, all in uniforms from the Public Security Bureau, Tax Bureau, and Bureau of Commerce and Industry.


    Entering Xu Yingying¡¯s office, she sat behind her desk and gazed indifferently at the group. "What¡¯s the matter here?"


    A plump man in his forties stepped forward, presenting his identification. "I¡¯m Yao Endong from the Provincial Bureau of Commerce and Industry¡¯s Law Enforcement Section Two. Here¡¯s my enforcement ID. Your company is involved in a major commercial case, and we require your cooperation in an investigation."


    Without so much as glancing at the document, Xu Yingying sneered, "Provincial Bureau of Commerce and Industry¡ªwhat an impressive title. We¡¯ve always operated within the law. What major commercial case are we supposedly involved in?"


    "Legality isn¡¯t for you to determine!" A young man behind Yao Endong barked.


    Xu Yingying glanced at the man and said, "Quite the display of authority. Is this how your Provincial Department conducts law enforcement?"


    Yao Endong replied coldly, "We are enforcing the law appropriately. This operation is jointly conducted with Public Security and the Tax Bureau. We are here to seal and inspect your company. If you have objections, you can apply for administrative reconsideration."


    "Seal our company?" Xu Yingying¡¯s face hardened. "Do you have any idea how much our company earns daily? Do you understand the losses incurred if operations stop for even one day? If you find no issues, are you prepared to take responsibility for this?"


    Despite facing an entire room of enforcement officers, Xu Yingying exuded a commanding presence. Her words were sharp and showed no intention of yielding.


    "Enough nonsense! I warn you, if you don¡¯t cooperate, you¡¯ll be guilty of obstructing law enforcement," barked the young officer again.


    Xu Yingying suddenly burst into laughter, full of disdain. Enraged, the young man shouted, "What are you laughing at?"


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression turned icy as she slapped the table, rose, and said coldly, "A grand accusation, indeed. Now I understand what happens when power falls into such hands. Fine, let me make this clear¡ªI refuse to cooperate today. Let¡¯s see how many labels you slap on me and what you do to me."


    The enforcement personnel hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yingying to be so unyielding. While most were confused, the leaders among them smirked slightly, knowing exactly what was unfolding.

 Chapter 1314 - 1364: Ah, Heroine

    Chapter 1314: Chapter 1364: Ah, HeroineYao Endong let out a cold snort and said, "Hmph! I don¡¯t need to explain much to you. Now, with representatives from the Provincial Public Security Bureau here, we are all enforcing the law. If you obstruct law enforcement, we can have the bureau take you away directly."


    Xu Yingying crossed her arms, glanced at the people in police uniforms, and said, "I¡¯m standing right here. Let¡¯s see who dares to arrest me."


    The leader from the Provincial Public Security Bureau, named Chen ZhiYuan, was a close confidant of the Deputy Director from the Song Family. At this moment, he glared and roared, "Obstructing law enforcement! I have the right to arrest you."


    "Hmph!" Xu Yingying merely snorted coldly and couldn¡¯t even be bothered to say another word to him. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This blatant disdain made Chen ZhiYuan enraged. As a department head of the Provincial Public Security Bureau, while he wasn¡¯t much within the province, within the city, he considered himself a rather big deal. After all, no matter how wealthy a company¡¯s boss was, once they landed in the hands of the Public Security Bureau, it was easy to destroy them. Take away their freedom for a few years, and the company would collapse. What else would they have to flaunt?


    Glaring, Chen ZhiYuan shouted, "Arrest this individual obstructing law enforcement. Seal the company. Anyone who resists, arrest them all."


    The tax and industry administration departments were indeed law enforcement agencies, but they didn¡¯t have arrest powers. For arrests, police cooperation was required.


    Several officers immediately lunged toward Xu Yingying. Catching such a beautiful woman naturally meant physical contact¡ªa pleasure they didn¡¯t shy away from.


    "Stop!" A clear and commanding voice came from the doorway as a group of people entered.


    The group consisted entirely of women, led by Su Mengxin, with He Fangqing and Michelle flanking her, followed by Su Yiyi at the rear.


    "Who are you people?" the officers instinctively paused their motions, and Yao Endong¡¯s eyes lit up. This company truly seemed to be brimming with beautiful women, and one after another, they were absolute stunners. Especially the one leading the group by the door¡ªher beauty was dazzling to the point of rendering one speechless. How could the Li family¡¯s company house so many gorgeous women?


    Su Mengxin¡¯s sharp gaze swept across these men, then she strode forward without hesitation. Those blocking the door subconsciously parted to create a path, allowing Su Mengxin and the others to reach Xu Yingying¡¯s side.


    Standing next to Xu Yingying, Su Mengxin scanned the room once more and spoke coldly, "Do you even realize the consequences of coming here today?"


    As someone aligned with the Sun Family, Yao Endong naturally understood the purpose of this visit. He sneered in response, "I know very well. Today, your company will be sealed."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s lips curled into a disdainful smile and she scoffed, "You think you¡¯re worthy?"


    This remark turned the faces of all the law enforcement personnel dark. No one had ever dared to question their worth when they enforced the law¡ªeven if their methods were less than legitimate. They were still law enforcement; no one had challenged their legitimacy like this.


    Among law enforcement, police were the most dominant, as their power to directly arrest individuals gave them unparalleled intimidation. Consequently, this bolstered the arrogance of many officers. Backed by the Deputy Director and the Song Family, Chen ZhiYuan was brimming with confidence. Hearing Su Mengxin¡¯s words, his anger erupted. Glaring, he roared, "Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll go easy on you just because you¡¯re women! In the eyes of the law, men and women are the same."


    Su Mengxin looked at Chen ZhiYuan and said indifferently, "Whether something violates the law isn¡¯t determined by the police¡ªit¡¯s decided by the court. Don¡¯t bring your petty tricks for intimidating ordinary citizens here. And don¡¯t try to flaunt your insignificant rank in front of me."


    Chen ZhiYuan was infuriated and shouted, "Such arrogance! Today, I¡¯ll arrest you personally and show you what this so-called ¡¯insignificant rank¡¯ can really do to you."


    Su Mengxin sneered and said, "Go ahead, but here¡¯s a reminder for those who came along without knowing the truth: you¡¯d better not get involved. When accountability is pursued, not only will you risk losing your jobs, but you¡¯ll also face far greater repercussions."


    Su Mengxin¡¯s calm and poised tone made some of them inwardly apprehensive. They were simply following orders and had no idea what the circumstances were, nor what this company had allegedly done. But facing someone so confident, it was clear she wasn¡¯t an ordinary individual. If significant trouble arose, they indeed might end up entangled.


    Chen ZhiYuan¡¯s fury intensified and he roared, "What are you standing there for? Arrest all these individuals obstructing law enforcement!"


    The hesitating officers, hearing their leader¡¯s command, had no choice but to act. Over time, they¡¯d gotten used to blindly following orders, never questioning the rightness of their actions. This habit drove them to charge at Su Mengxin and her companions.


    Su Mengxin chuckled, "Ladies, we¡¯ve never had a fight before. Why not let these officers be our first sparring partners?"


    "Alright!" Xu Yingying and the others responded decisively and threw themselves at the officers.


    The tax and industry personnel widened their eyes in disbelief. These women not only showed no fear towards the officers but actively engaged in combat. Their delicate appearances hardly seemed suited for brawling.


    The sight that followed left them flabbergasted. Fifteen officers faced five women, yet the women dominated the confrontation, moving like elegant butterflies to punch and kick. Within moments, all fifteen officers were laid flat on the ground, leaving everyone doubting their own eyes.


    These weren¡¯t senior executives¡ªthey were heroines!


    Xu Yingying and the others had gained traces of True Qi through dual cultivation with Li Yifei. Though the True Qi was weak and hadn¡¯t turned them into martial arts masters, it had enhanced their physical capabilities. Using simple defensive techniques allowed them to effortlessly handle ordinary officers. Without much struggle, the five women quickly defeated all fifteen officers.


    Su Mengxin and her companions were genuinely thrilled. Practicing techniques with Li Yifei had made them hone their skills, but they hadn¡¯t realized their own strength. Now they were suddenly aware of their prowess¡ªeach of them had taken on three officers single-handedly and emerged unscathed.


    "You... you dared to resort to violence against law enforcement! This makes your crimes even more severe!" Yao Endong took a step back and shouted loudly.


    Su Mengxin glared at him, her righteous tone booming, "If we break the law, we will respect it and accept responsibility. For lawful enforcement officers, we give the respect they deserve. But you? What are you? A group of degenerates in uniforms posing as law enforcers! You are scum who abuse the power bestowed upon you by the people for your own gain. What right do you have to talk about enforcement? What grounds do you have to accuse us of resisting the law?"


    Xu Yingying echoed aggressively, "Yes, we are violently resisting you so-called enforcers! And we¡¯ll tell you this: once this is over, none of you will retain even the slightest shred of authority. Soon, you¡¯ll learn the true meaning of justice and lawful enforcement."


    He Fangqing smashed another officer attempting to rise back to the ground with her foot and growled, "Scum like you deserve much worse than this beating."


    Michelle and Su Yiyi stayed silent, but their demeanor radiated a quiet strength. The two seemingly weakest women now appeared anything but fragile, and no one dared underestimate them.


    Chen ZhiYuan finally got up, pulled out a handgun, and pointed it at the women, snarling, "Don¡¯t move! Hands up, now!"


    Su Mengxin and the others¡¯ expressions shifted¡ªthey could fight, but they had no counter to a firearm. Su Mengxin stared coldly at Chen ZhiYuan and said, "You¡¯d better put that gun away."


    Chen ZhiYuan barked, "Shut up and raise your hands! Or I¡¯ll kill you where you stand."


    Su Mengxin sneered, "Very well, some people seem desperate for death, and nothing can save them now." She raised her hands, followed by Xu Yingying and the others, though none of them showed even a hint of panic in their eyes.


    The officers, seeing Chen ZhiYuan regain control, clumsily stood back up. The beating they had endured earlier left them groaning in pain, their expressions humiliated.


    "Cuff them all! Don¡¯t bother being courteous," Chen ZhiYuan shouted again.


    The officers, eager for revenge and emboldened by the presence of the gun, closed in on the five women. They didn¡¯t believe the women would dare resist under threat of a firearm.


    However, just before they reached the group, Chen ZhiYuan suddenly let out a scream. His gun tumbled to the ground as he clutched his right wrist with his left hand, his face twisted in agony, beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. Blood dripped steadily from the wrist that had been holding the gun.


    Seizing the moment, Su Mengxin and the others sprang into action, effortlessly taking down all the officers again. Now with experience from the earlier altercation, they fought even more decisively, their movements swifter and more precise. Their anger toward the officers was evident, and they hit with greater intensity. Once the ten-plus officers were subdued, they lay whimpering in pain, unable to rise.

 Chapter 1315 - 1365: Fleeing in Total Disarray

    Chapter 1315: Chapter 1365: Fleeing in Total DisarrayYao Endong was extremely pleased to see this situation. When he came, he was instructed to make the matter as big as possible, and provoking the other side to make a move was even better. It didn¡¯t take much effort for them to take action, which was much easier than he had anticipated.


    They were trying to cause trouble for Li Yifei¡¯s company, but there wasn¡¯t any good reason for it. Previously, Sunx Kangping of the Sunx Family had used tax officials to audit the accounts but found nothing. To find trouble with a completely law-abiding company was no easy task.


    Regular inspections were ineffective, but if they could provoke an act of violent resistance against law enforcement, then the problem would become significant. Even if they couldn¡¯t do much to the company, at the very least they could arrest several of the company¡¯s key personnel, making the company much easier to deal with.


    It¡¯s just that Li Yifei wasn¡¯t here, which was a bit of a pity.


    "My hand, my hand is broken!" Chen Zhiyuan was not just in pain but felt that his right hand was not responding to his commands, causing him to scream in fear.


    Su Mengxin and her group knew exactly what was going on. They did not dare to act without sufficient security assurance, even though Li Yifei was not present, Sophia was. It was her expert lasso throw that had hit Chen Zhiyuan¡¯s wrist, neutralizing the gun threat.


    While Yao Endong was feeling smug, Su Mengxin looked at him and then gave a brilliant smile.


    Yao Endong was secretly proud, believing he had completed his mission perfectly, but Su Mengxin¡¯s smile made him feel a chill down his spine. Why did it seem that things were far from as they seemed and could even be detrimental to him?


    Chen Zhiyuan, despite the pain, was angrier. As a section chief of the Provincial Public Security Bureau, bringing so many policemen only to have his hand broken was completely unacceptable. He roared furiously, "Request backup, call the rapid response unit, bring in the armed police; you¡¯ve caused a huge problem breaking my hand!"


    Immediately, a policeman took out his phone, his eyes glancing at Su Mengxin and others, but they didn¡¯t pay any attention. Someone quickly connected to the Provincial Public Security Bureau¡¯s line.


    "We¡¯re on a mission in Mile City and encountered violent resistance to law enforcement. Director Chen¡¯s hand was broken, and we¡¯ve been injured. Requesting backup."


    A policeman quickly made the call, and Chen Zhiyuan¡¯s face turned grim and sinister as he gritted his teeth and said, "Be prepared to go to jail."


    Su Mengxin snorted, "Get the hell out of here. If you appear in our company again, we¡¯ll fight you every time you come."


    The officers were stunned. Calls for backup had already been made, and it was easy to imagine a large number of armed police and riot officers rushing over. Yet the other party remained so defiant. Were they really that foolish? But looking at these beautiful women, none appeared to be brainless.


    There was only one possibility ¡ª the other party was not afraid at all and believed they could do nothing to them.


    This made Yao Endong anxious. If the other party had such confidence, they clearly weren¡¯t ordinary people. Was it really wise to provoke them?


    "You... you¡¯re incredibly arrogant!" Chen Zhiyuan was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. In this situation, how could the other party still dare to be so defiant?


    "Refuse to leave, do you? Ladies, let¡¯s beat them up!" Su Mengxin called out and, along with Xu Yingying, charged at the enforcement personnel. This time, they targeted not only the police but also the tax and commerce staff.


    Things got lively as over thirty men were chased by five women, fleeing in panic out of Xu Yingying¡¯s office and even skipping the elevator, rushing down the stairs.


    The commotion caused a stir throughout the company. No one in the company knew what was happening. Usually, dealing with inspections involved meals and gifts, but who would have thought these people would be beaten and expelled by a few female company leaders?


    Employees who witnessed the scene were dumbfounded. First, this was unheard of ¡ª how could the company leaders be so aggressive, even against law enforcement? Secondly, it was unthinkable that the female leaders could physically fight and send thirty-plus men packing, including police. Were all the leaders in the company turning into heroines?


    The battered enforcement officers finally reached the first floor, just as a large group of police officers rushed in.


    Chen Zhiyuan was immediately excited, rushing forward when he saw Ning Changzheng, the Chief of the Public Security Bureau in Mile City, leading the team, and hastily shouted, "Director Ning, I am Chen Zhiyuan from the Provincial Department!"


    "Director Chen!" Ning Changzheng gave him a peculiar look.


    Chen Zhiyuan, without concern for pleasantries, said, "Director Ning, personnel in this company violently resisted law enforcement and severely injured several of our officers. My hand was injured by them. Go and arrest those involved now."


    "It¡¯s those damn women." Seeing Su Mengxin and her group exiting the elevator, Chen Zhiyuan immediately pointed at them.


    With so many police present, Yao Endong felt more confident and quickly added, "Director Ning, I¡¯m Yao Endong from the Provincial Bureau of Commerce and Industry. The three departments conducted a joint enforcement action but faced extremely violent resistance. Please severely punish the lawbreakers to uphold the dignity of the law."


    The company¡¯s employees, who followed them out, were at a loss. The formation was striking ¡ª the first wave involved over thirty law enforcers, but now there were more than a hundred fully armed police officers outside, as if dealing with major criminals.


    Yet Ning Changzheng didn¡¯t give any orders. He stood still, and the officers he brought didn¡¯t move either. However, some wondered what Ning Changzheng was up to. The other party was from the provincial department. Even if his rank wasn¡¯t higher, people from the provincial department shouldn¡¯t be provoked, and the City Bureau would also be held responsible if anything happened. Normally, Ning Changzheng should¡¯ve acted immediately.


    "Director Ning, what are you doing? Why haven¡¯t you arrested them?" Chen Zhiyuan, seeing Ning Changzheng not moving, angrily questioned.


    Ning Changzheng¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Director Chen, the Li Group is a pillar enterprise in Mile City. I can¡¯t arrest important company personnel based on just your words. Please present an arrest warrant."


    Chen Zhiyuan snapped, "An arrest warrant? We don¡¯t need such things. They¡¯ve blatantly attacked public officials, which is cause enough for arrest."


    Ning Changzheng frowned, "Without an arrest warrant, do you have the legal documents for this joint enforcement operation against the Li Group?"


    Yao Endong quickly took out a legal document from his bag, "This is the investigation notice jointly issued by our departments."


    "Investigation notice?" Ning Changzheng got the notice and said grimly, "This doesn¡¯t add up. To deliver a notice, more than two staff members sufficed, yet you brought so many people just for that?" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yao Endong was speechless. The joint investigation didn¡¯t have complete legal documentation. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to, but because strict law enforcement procedures meant that the Provincial Department needed signatures from higher-ups to investigate a major company like the Li Group.


    To have department leaders sign off was unlikely, so they used a notice-like document to proceed with enforcement.


    "We can supplement the legal documents later," Yao Endong feebly explained.


    Ning Changzheng gave him a piercing look, then turned to Chen Zhiyuan, "Enforcing without complete legal procedures makes such enforcement inherently illegal, leading to conflict here. How do you expect me to resolve it?"


    Chen Zhiyuan furiously said, "Director Ning, what do you mean? Are Mile City¡¯s Public Security Bureau engaging in local protectionism while we¡¯ve been assaulted?" In a different era, this man liked labeling people with crimes, and one can only wonder how many hats he might have put on others.


    Su Mengxin then said, "Director Ning, our company has always conducted business lawfully. But these individuals came without reasonable explanation and without proper legal documents, attempting to shut down our company and arrest our senior staff, severely disrupting our operations. To defend ourselves, we were forced into a conflict. They outnumbered us and sustained injuries from trampling each other, yet they falsely accuse us of assaulting them. This is utterly ridiculous ¡ª how could we five women injure over thirty men?"


    Chen Zhiyuan¡¯s face turned green with anger, "We have thirty-plus people here who can testify."


    Xu Yingying interjected, "Testimonies from your people are worthless. You came here with ulterior motives, with the intention of framing us."


    "Nonsense, Ning Changzheng, arrest them immediately or you won¡¯t be a director much longer."